Iraq Marks 10 Years of 'Collective' Tragedy Under ISIS

OSV News

A man cleans a church used by Assyrian Christians near Alqosh, Iraq, Jan. 12, 2023, after Christian families left this village and the Yezidi youth decided to preserve it. ( OSV News photo/Khalid al-Mousily, Reuters) As Iraq marked 10th anniversary of Islamic State group-induced terror recognized by the United Nations as genocide, and subsequent Christian exodus, a top Iraq cardinal said that evil will not last and Christians called for more support for Iraq's ancient Yezidi community still struggling for restitution and justice.

IS militants first rampaged through the Yezidi heartland of Sinjar Aug. 3, 2014, murdering men, abducting and enslaving women and children, while destroying homes and businesses affecting thousands of Yezidis. More than 3,000 Yezidi men, women and children were killed, and at least 6,800 more -- primarily women and children -- were abducted by IS.

Then, on the night of Aug. 6, 2014, IS went after Iraqi Christians, forcing 120,000 to flee their homes.

It was a "collective tragedy" for the Iraqi people, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, the Chaldean patriarch of Baghdad, told Vatican News.

"A tragedy involving Christians and other minorities that remains etched in people's minds. It is true that ISIS has been defeated, but its ideology remains strong, and not only in Iraq."

Following the territorial defeat of IS in March 2019, an estimated 2,600 Yezidis remain missing 10 years after the IS attack on the Yezidi heartland, according to the Office for Kidnapped Yezidis in Dohuk, as cited by Amnesty International.

"The ISIS genocide against Yezidis and Christians didn't happen just one night. And it hasn't ended just because the territories controlled by ISIS are now regained," Father Emanuel Youkhana, a priest, or archimandrite, of the Assyrian Church of the East, told OSV News by phone. "Therefore, we are speaking about an ongoing crisis and ongoing genocide."

Iraqi troops failed to protect Yezidis and Christians during the 2014 Islamic State invasion and aftermath. The Iraqi government has since also largely left Sinjar without reconstruction, observers say.

Father Youkhana's Christian Aid Program Northern Iraq (CAPNI), a Christian program for displaced Iraqis around the city of Dohuk and the Ninevah Plains, has been at the forefront of providing badly needed aid to displaced Yezidis.

"In the first months, CAPNI provided food, hygiene and clothing to Yezidis who lost everything," Father Youkhana said. "Afterwards, when displacement became more formal in the camps or informal settlements in the villages, we organized 110 buses to take Yezidi children to and from school."

"We also provided child-friendly spaces to help deal with their trauma from such devastation," Father Youkhana said. "And we continued such support until the areas taken by ISIS were regained. I never use the word 'liberated' because that means more than what we currently have."

CAPNI's next phase included helping 1,500 Yezidi and Christian families return to their native Ninevah Plains by rehabilitating their homes, shops, 32 schools, infrastructure and public services. "This is still ongoing," Father Youkhana said.

"We continue to provide job opportunities, vocational training and loans to female-headed households which are unable to compete in the public job market, but can produce home goods," the Catholic priest said.

"Unfortunately, the Yezidis displaced by ISIS in Sinjar are still in camps 10 years after the ISIS invasion. So, they are still in the phase of displacement/return," Father Youkhana explained.

"There are concerns of a lack of security, damaged or destroyed homes, minimal job opportunities, and a lack of health care, education, and even access to clean water," former U.S. Congressman Frank Wolf of Virginia said of the dire situation in Sinjar during remarks at Washington's Wilson Center July 30.

"People do not have much faith in the future," Cardinal Sako said in an interview for Vatican News. "Everyone keeps asking themselves: When will we finally have a modern, democratic, and civil state where everyone can be citizens with equal rights and duties?"
China-U.S. financial working group holds fifth meeting

Xinhua) 08:50, August 20, 2024

BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The China-U.S. financial working group held its fifth meeting in Shanghai from Thursday to Friday, discussing a range of issues related to the financial policies of both countries, according to China's central bank.

Xuan Changneng, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC) and Brent Neiman, deputy under secretary for international finance at the U.S. Department of the Treasury co-chaired the meeting. Representatives from China's National Financial Regulatory Administration, China Securities Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Federal Reserve and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission attended the meeting, according to a statement released by the PBOC on Monday.

The two sides had professional, pragmatic, candid and constructive communication on a range of financial policy topics of mutual interest, including the broader strategy of further deepening comprehensive reforms as discussed at the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the central bank said.

The discussions also covered the economic and financial situation, monetary policies, financial stability and regulation, securities and capital markets, cross-border payments and data, international financial governance, financial technology, sustainable finance, as well as anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing.

During the meeting, a group of technical experts presented a report on various topics, including disposal mechanisms for global systemically important banks, operational resilience of financial institutions, climate risk stress testing, and supervision of cross-border financial services, according to the statement.

China and U.S. financial institutions also held their first roundtable meeting under the framework of the China-U.S. financial working group. Focusing on sustainable finance, participating members shared their experiences and practices and exchanged views on potential cooperation opportunities.

During the meeting, the PBOC and the U.S. Department of the Treasury signed an exchange of letters to enhance cooperation on financial stability. They also exchanged lists of financial stability contacts to ensure timely and unobstructed communication between their financial regulatory authorities during financial stress incidents and operational risks of financial institutions, thereby reducing uncertainty.

The central bank said the two sides agreed to maintain communication.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
 Flash

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Aug. 19, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

At least 15 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes targeting two gatherings in Gaza City and Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said on Monday.

Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that Israeli aircraft struck a gathering of Palestinians in the Al-Shati refugee camp west of Gaza City.

Medical sources said that the airstrike killed nine people and left several others injured. All the injured were transferred to the hospital.

In addition, six people were killed in an Israeli strike on a gathering of Palestinians near an internet distribution point west of Khan Younis, according to medical sources.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reported on Monday that at least 289 relief workers, including 207 UNRWA staff members, have been killed in the Gaza Strip, along with 885 health workers.

Many of the deceased lost their lives while providing humanitarian assistance or medical care to the injured and sick, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini wrote on social media platform X.

He also mentioned that over 160 journalists and media workers have been killed while covering the humanitarian impact of the conflict and ongoing violations of international humanitarian law.

Israel launched 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 were taken hostage.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Keeley Chiasson plodded through the steep, sandy sediment near the base of the bluff. Carefully perched on a firm shelf, she scraped back the weathered surface of the wall, revealing stripes of cocoa, rust and tan sediments.

These layers may reveal clues about the history of this place and could inform communities here on how to adapt to a changing climate.

When factoring in variables including groundwater, wave action, material strength and vegetation cover, Chiasson and other researchers can unearth answers to how quickly a rising sea and stronger storm surges will gnaw away at these coastal bluffs.

Chiasson is surveying bluffs from the shores where shellfish spout water from the soft muck and homes and other infrastructure loom nearby. She hopes to help track short-term change across seasons, and collect geological data to model possible future erosion.

Tribal nations along the coasts of Washington and Oregon are navigating impacts ranging from ocean warming and acidification, which threaten culturally and economically important fisheries, to increased coastal flooding and erosion from sea level rise and storm surges.

The work at Tulalip illustrates how tribal nations are leading regional efforts to complete a challenging task: overcoming the worst effects of human-caused climate change.

Tribes in the Lower 48 states need about $1.9 billion over the next half-century for infrastructure needs related to climate change, according to estimates provided in a 2020 report by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. But coastal tribes in the Pacific Northwest often hit bureaucratic hurdles to access the money, workforce and collaboration needed to adapt, according to a new report by the Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative.

The effects of climate change are most acutely felt in Indigenous communities, with roots that run thousands of years and generations deep in the land; those on the coast are particularly vulnerable.

"A lot of the people that live in these places that we're talking about are tribal members," said Ryan Miller, a citizen of the Tulalip Tribes and the Tulalip Tribes' director of treaty rights and government affairs. "It's not that we want to go kick everybody out of their houses, but we have to find a balance."

"Changes have to be made."

What does it take to move a village

The courthouse, community center, store, post office and dozens of homes in Quinault's lower village of Taholah were flooded within minutes when the ocean breached the seawall several winters ago.

At the confluence of the Quinault River and Pacific Ocean, the village had already begun to experience the effects of sea level rise and intense storm surges that caused flooding and landslides in early 2014 and again in 2015.

Some coastal tribes in the Pacific Northwest have uprooted entire villages to move to higher ground.

Cape Shoalwater, for example, has been losing about 100 to 130 feet of land per year for the last century, Shoalwater Bay Chair Quintin Swanson said earlier this year. Relentless winter storms forced the relocation of a cemetery and have claimed a schoolhouse, a lighthouse, a Grange Hall, a Coast Guard station, a clam cannery, homes and close to 2 miles of land.

A federal report has predicted seas will rise 10 to 12 inches by 2050. For Quinault Nation's village of Taholah, the sea could rise as much as 2 feet by 2100, according to research by the University of Washington.

Quinault drew up a master plan about a decade ago that has been guiding relocation efforts. To move Taholah alone, it would cost at least $424 million, according to preliminary estimates.

So far, the new village, about 120 feet above sea level, includes a community center offering elder and child care and other services, sewer systems and roads. Building residential housing and relocating families is up next.

Quinault also plans to relocate the village of Queets.

For Quinault, the challenges have been that the priorities of funders don't always fit well with those of tribal communities, in timing, amount of funding and purpose, said Gary Morishima, the nation's natural resources technical adviser.

Quinault recently received $13 million from the state's Climate Commitment Act for five projects to help move the two villages.

Even with historic funding, including from federal sources, a significant gap remains.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs estimated in 2020 that of the nearly $13 billion in federally appropriated resources for infrastructure retrofit and improvement, $500 million was designated exclusively for tribes.

These issues were among those highlighted in the new report by the Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative. The collaborative is led by the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group, with partners Washington Sea Grant and Western Washington University.

The team held listening sessions with 13 tribes along the Pacific Coast of Oregon and Washington, and the Salish Sea.

Participants shared challenges in recruiting and retaining adequate staffing due to their remote locations and a lack of local affordable housing, as well as time-consuming grant writing and reporting, sometimes with no dedicated position.

"We're trying to piecemeal all these different grants together," Jamie Judkins, a citizen of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe, said in one listening session.

The collaborative's five-year project aims to identify and address systemic inequities and other barriers to tribal nations' ability to adapt to climate change.

"They're not dealing with climate change alone," said Meade Krosby, a senior scientist at the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group and a co-author of the report. "They're dealing with it in the context of hundreds of years of inequities and injustices from colonization. We're not going to fix all of it with this project."

The report released this month is intended to lay the groundwork for potential policy solutions that can be proposed to the federal government.

Central to the issues shared in the report is the federal government fulfilling its trust responsibility to tribes.

"If the federal government had just done that from the beginning, we wouldn't be experiencing the climate crisis and the environmental crisis that we are," said Amelia Marchand, a citizen of the Colville Confederated Tribes and the senior tribal climate resilience liaison at the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center, and a co-author on the report.

Carrying on the work

There's a diversity of hazards associated with future climate impacts on Tulalip neighborhoods, said Lucas Rabins, a marine ecologist for the Tulalip Tribes. Homes atop a bluff or the shellfish below may be affected by increased erosion. In low-lying areas, storm surges and coastal flooding threaten.

Tulalip has identified Priest Point, Tulare Beach, Tulalip Shores, Tulalip Bay and Mission Beach as high risk areas. These places are important to both humans and marine life.

"We're so close to the land we're not only seeing the climate impacts within our community with our people, but we're also seeing it in the environment, we're seeing it with the clams, the shellfish, the trees and especially with the salmon," said Aaron Jones, interim natural and cultural resources director and a citizen of the Tulalip Tribes.

Some tidal flats along the coastline are rich with rockweed, sea-lettuce and flowy eelgrass, which support an array of life, from tiny snails lugging their shells up and down the grassy green blades to the silvery forage fish that feed salmon.

Butter, horse and littleneck clams, as well as the invasive Varnish clam, grow in the soft muck.

Peering through a laser range finder, Chiasson called out "base of bluff" and a series of measurements the device showed her alongside some of her visual observations. Max Lundquist, a marine biologist for the Tulalip Tribes, quickly scribbled them down.

As the researchers migrated down the shore, Lundquist grabbed some of the silty sand that sloughed off the walls, or chipped away at firm clays and other sediments to help further identify what glacial deposit it might be from, and the potential strength of the materials.

There are several studies happening in tandem, all beginning with a partnership between the Tulalip Tribes and the U.S. Geological Survey dating back a decade.

Chiasson is gathering information about the strength or erodability of these bluffs and their sediments to plug into an existing USGS model.

Meanwhile, Rabins has been flying a drone to build a 3D model that can be used to track changes in the bluffs over time with repeat surveys.

Rabins is also looking at the abundance of clams, which the USGS and Tulalip Tribes will use to model habitat sustainability and how increased erosion might affect clams and other culturally and economically important species, like Dungeness crab.

USGS modeling has shown sea level rise in Puget Sound of between 0.5 and 1 meter could double the rates of erosion of coastal bluffs.

Tulalip and other tribal nations across the Pacific Northwest have developed climate solutions rooted in nature.

Once all of the data Chiasson and others are collecting is in hand, USGS will work with Tulalip to determine how its proposed nature-based solutions could mitigate impacts to people and ecosystems.

This might look like anchoring large logs on the beach to disrupt the wave energy without completely blocking it.

Researchers will also model how things like kelp rafts, clam gardens or oyster reefs could help disrupt wave energy to improve habitat and protect homes.

"It's crucial to be involved in climate work to continue to protect and restore these treaty resources that our ancestors made such big sacrifices to make sure would be there for us into perpetuity," said Miller. "We're uniquely positioned as well to be able to carry that work and that message forward."

2024 The Seattle Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Newly discovered: Gaidropsarus mauritanicus. Credit: Tomas Lundalv from the Sven Loven Centre for Marine Infrastructure of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden

Together with a European team, researchers from Senckenberg am Meer in Wilhelmshaven have described a new fish species. Gaidropsarus mauritanicus is only about 73 millimeters long and lives in the deep-water coral reefs off the coast of Mauritania.

In their study, now published in the Journal of Fish Biology, the scientists explain that the fish from the rockling family probably remained undiscovered until now due to its small size and its protection-seeking behavior.

Over a quarter of the commercially caught marine fish worldwide belong to the cod family, including Atlantic cod, Alaska pollock, and haddock, which are of particular economic importance.

"However, the order Gadiformes also includes much smaller, mostly unknown and poorly studied fish families, such as the rocklings (Gaidropsaridae), which are of little commercial value but have a remarkably wide range," explains Alexander Knorrn from Senckenberg am Meer in Wilhelmshaven.

Together with Senckenberg researchers and colleagues from Portugal and Spain, Knorrn described a new species from the rockling family as part of his doctoral thesis. The fish, which is around 73 millimeters long and now serves as the holotype of the species, was observed for the first time and collected off the coast of Mauritania at a depth of 595 meters. This is the location of the world's largest deep-water coral reef complex, the "Mauritanian Wall," which extends for at least 580 kilometers, with a height between 80 and 100 meters.

"The fish species was also observed during eight remotely operated vehicle dives along the Mauritanian coast at depths between 613 and 416 meters," adds the researcher from Wilhelmshaven.

The newly described fish is only about 73 millimeters long and lives in the deep-water coral reefs off the coast of Mauritania (here seeking shelter under the branched, whitish bryozoan Celleporina cf. lucida). Credit: Tomas Lundalv from the Sven Loven Centre for Marine Infrastructure of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden

The new fish species could be distinguished from its congeners based on a combination of different characteristicsincluding the large eyes and the head, which takes up a quarter of the animal's body length, elongated ventral fins, and the pink coloration. Genetic analyses confirm that this is a previously undescribed species. "This is remarkable, as new vertebrate species are quite rare," says Knorrn.

The small fish was caught with the help of a grab, along with a variety of live deep-sea animals, including corals such as the framework-forming stony coral Desmophyllum pertusum or the red deep-water gorgonian Swiftia phaeton, as well as larger sponge colonies, bryozoans, brittle stars, annelids, decapod crustaceans, snails, and bivalves.

"Also the video footage shows that Gaidropsarus mauritanicus exclusively lives in the deep-water coral ecosystems," adds Knorrn. "One of the individuals we saw had whitish spots on its skin. It was the only fish we observed seeking shelter under a branched, whitish bryozoan, Celleporina cf. lucida."

The research team cites this presumed territoriality, coupled with a rather protection-seeking habit and the animals' small size, as the reason why the deep-sea species had remained undiscovered until now.

Coral reefs in the deep and cold regions of the world's oceans are of enormous importance as "nurseries," reproduction centers, and hunting grounds for predatory species. Many organisms such as fish, crabs, bivalves, sponges, and snails find shelter and food in their calcareous skeletons.

The reefs also serve as CO 2 reservoirs. But deep-water corals are endangered: oxygen deficiency and ocean acidification are threatening the reefs. Intensive trawling also places considerable pressure on deep-sea corals.

"With the name Gaidropsarus mauritanicus, we would like to emphasize that Mauritania has a unique and enormously species-rich marine ecosystem in urgent need of protection," explains Prof. Dr. Andre Freiwald, Head of Marine Research at Senckenberg am Meer.

More information: Alexander H. Knorrn et al, Gaidropsarus mauritanicus (Gadiformes, Gaidropsaridae) a new threebearded rockling from a deepwater coral ecosystem with a genetically verified biogeographical distribution of the genus and notes to its ecology and behavior, Journal of Fish Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15859 Journal information: Journal of Fish Biology
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Impact of invasion on attitudes towards Europe, democracy and redistribution. Circles are OLS coefficient estimates (shown on the y-axis) from distinct regressions of each of six dependent variables on a dummy variable taking value one if respondents were interviewed after the start of the invasion, and zero otherwise, for different time bandwidths (shown on the x-axis). Credit: PNAS Nexus (2024). DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae292

An ongoing survey captures how the Russian invasion of Ukraine affected attitudes in European countries not directly involved in the conflict.

Margaryta Klymak and Tim Vlandas examine how the Russian invasion of Ukraine affected economic and political attitudes in eight European countries. The authors took advantage of the timing of the European Social Survey (ESS), which happened to be administered both just before and just after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 in eight countries: Switzerland, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Macedonia, Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal.

The findings are published in the journal PNAS Nexus.

Overall, the invasion increased support for democracy, income redistribution, and the European Union, whereas the invasion reduced authoritarian and anti-immigration attitudes. Some attitudes shifted immediately after the invasion, while others took about a month to change. The authors suggest that the sudden sense of external threat as well as the economic and migration consequences of the war drove these short and medium-term shifts.

According to the authors, the study adds to the understanding of how conflicts shape attitudes by capturing attitudinal shifts in non-belligerent countries. In this case, the war led survey respondents to rally around a common European identity and democratic values.

More information: Margaryta Klymak et al, Do wars abroad affect attitudes at home?, PNAS Nexus (2024). DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae292 Journal information: PNAS Nexus

Provided by PNAS Nexus
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Credit: American Chemical Society

Who are we? Why are we here? As the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song suggests, we are stardust, the result of chemistry occurring throughout vast clouds of interstellar gas and dust. To better understand how that chemistry could create prebiotic moleculesthe seeds of life on Earth and possibly elsewhereresearchers have investigated the role of low-energy electrons created as cosmic radiation traverses through ice particles. Their findings may also inform medical and environmental applications on our home planet.

Undergraduate student Kennedy Barnes will present the team's results at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS Fall 2024 is a hybrid meeting being held virtually and in person Aug. 18-22; it features about 10,000 presentations on a range of science topics.

"The first detection of molecules in space was made by Wellesley College alum Annie Jump Cannon more than a hundred years ago," says Barnes, whowith fellow undergraduate Rong Wuled this study at Wellesley, mentored by chemistry professor Christopher Arumainayagam and physics professor James Battat. Since Cannon's discovery, scientists have been interested in finding out how extraterrestrial molecules form.

"Our goal is to explore the relative importance of low-energy electrons versus photons in instigating the chemical reactions responsible for the extraterrestrial synthesis of these prebiotic molecules," Barnes explains.

The few studies that previously probed this question suggested that both electrons and photons can catalyze the same reactions. Studies by Barnes and colleagues, however, hint that the prebiotic molecule yield from low-energy electrons and photons could be significantly different in space.

"Our calculations suggest that the number of cosmic-ray-induced electrons within cosmic ice could be much greater than the number of photons striking the ice," Barnes explains. "Therefore, electrons likely play a more significant role than photons in the extraterrestrial synthesis of prebiotic molecules."

Aside from cosmic ice, her research into low-energy electrons and radiation chemistry also has potential applications on Earth. Barnes and colleagues recently studied the radiolysis of water, finding evidence of electron-stimulated release of hydrogen peroxide and hydroperoxyl radicals, which destroy stratospheric ozone and act as damaging reactive oxygen species in cells.

"A lot of our water radiolysis research findings could be used in medical applications and medical simulations," Barnes notes, offering the example of using high-energy radiation to treat cancer. "I once had a biochemistry professor say that humans are basically bags of water. So, other scientists are investigating how low-energy electrons produced in water affect our DNA molecules."

She also says the team's findings are applicable to environmental remediation efforts where wastewater is being treated with high-energy radiation, which produces large numbers of low-energy electrons that are assumed to be responsible for the destruction of hazardous chemicals.

Back to space chemistry, in attempting to better understand prebiotic molecule synthesis, the researchers didn't limit their efforts to mathematical modeling; they also tested their hypothesis by mimicking the conditions of space in the lab. They use an ultrahigh-vacuum chamber containing an ultrapure copper substrate that they can cool to ultralow temperatures, along with an electron gun that produces low-energy electrons and a laser-driven plasma lamp that produces low-energy photons. The scientists then bombard nanoscale ice films with electrons or photons to see what molecules are produced.

Researchers simulate the conditions of interstellar space with this ultrahigh-vacuum, low-temperature chamber containing an electron source to recreate the seeds of life. Credit: Kennedy Barnes

"Although we have previously focused on how this research is applicable to interstellar submicron ice particles, it is also relevant to cosmic ice on a much larger scale, like that of Jupiter's moon Europa, which has a 20-mile-thick ice shell," says Barnes.

Thus, she suggests their research will help astronomers understand data from space exploration missions such as NASA's James Webb Space Telescope as well as the Europa Clipper, initially expected to launch in October 2024. Barnes hopes that their findings will inspire other researchers to incorporate low-energy electrons into their astrochemistry models that simulate what happens within cosmic ices.

Barnes and colleagues are also varying the molecular composition of ice films and exploring atom addition reactions to see whether low-energy electrons can produce other prebiotic chemistries. This work is being done in collaboration with researchers at the Laboratory for the Study of Radiation and Matter in Astrophysics and Atmospheres in France.

"There's a lot that we're on the cusp of learning, which I think is really exciting and interesting," says Barnes, touting what she describes as a new Space Age.
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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign history professor Marsha Barrett examines Nelson Rockefeller's career and the shift away from moderation in politics in her new book, "Nelson Rockefeller's Dilemma: The Fight to Save Moderate Republicanism." Credit: L. Brian Stauffer / University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Politician and businessman Nelson Rockefeller was seen as a moderate or liberal Republican even as he embraced conservative policies as the Republican Party shifted to the right in the 1960s and '70s.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign history professor Marsha Barrett uses the political career of Rockefellerthe four-time New York governor and vice-president to Gerald Fordas a lens to explore the evolution of the Republican party and the ascendancy of conservatism in her new book, "Nelson Rockefeller's Dilemma: The Fight to Save Moderate Republicanism." Barrett is a political historian who examines how politicians and the state respond to social movements, race and public sentiment.

"I'm really interested in moderate Republicans as an example of politicians who blurred partisan lines in the mid-20th century," she said.

The prevailing view of Rockefeller as a moderate ignored how embattled moderates were within the Republican Party, Barrett wrote. She examines Rockefeller's career with an emphasis on policies that affected African Americans.

Barrett said moderate Republicanism came from the tradition of Theodore Roosevelt and the belief that government needed to be big enough to keep corporations in check.

"A generation later, the rise of the New Deal and Americans' changing expectations of government inspired Republicans to embrace an activist government again," she said.

Moderate and liberal Republicans were concerned about remaining viable in that political environment, she said, and the policy positions between them and Democrats were incrementally different, with many similarities, particularly in relation to civil rights legislation and foreign policy.

As New York governor in the 1960s and early '70s, Rockefeller embraced many policies associated with a more liberal agenda, such as infrastructure and housing projects and expanding the state's university system. At the national level, he advocated for adding language to the party's platform that committed to achieving racial equity in voting, housing, schools and jobs. Moderate and liberal Republicans became known as "Rockefeller Republicans."

But the conservative Republican tradition that advocated for small government always had an antagonistic relationship with moderates, Barrett said, and after the New Deal, there was a movement toward conservatism that was informed by anti-Communism and the feeling that the Supreme Court had overstepped its bounds in the Brown v. Board of Education decision ending school segregation.

In its move to the right, the party discouraged bipartisanship and demanded that Republicans be uncompromising in pursuing their agenda, she said.

"They not only got upset at moderate or liberal Republicans but also at any Republican who was willing to work across the lines with Democrats. That created this very harsh ideology in the Republican party. It grew in popularity and became successful in demanding that everyone have these uncompromising positions," Barrett said.

Moderates either left the party, were pushed out or lost primary elections to more conservative Republicans. While Rockefeller tried to build a racially and ethnically diverse, bipartisan coalition early in his career, he shifted gears when he realized it wasn't working, Barrett said.

"One of the central premises of the book is that Nelson Rockefeller wanted the Republican party to be a partner in civil rights legislation, to advocate for African Americans. When that doesn't work and he's just trying to get reelected in a more conservative party, we see his policies and rhetoric reflect that change," she said.

"People think of Nelson Rockefeller as the epitome of moderate Republicanism. In some important ways, he's an outlier. He had his heart set on becoming president, and he was very much interested in sticking with the Republican party as it moved rightward," Barrett said. "He was so driven by ambition and a desire to be president, if he was going to remain viable within the more conservative Republican party, he needed to make some changes."

To show that he was conservative enough for the party, Rockefeller focused on law-and-order policies, enacting punitive drug laws in New York that served as a model for other states and the federal government. He justified welfare cuts by claiming falsely that people were cheating the system, rather than acknowledging that the state had overextended itself, Barrett said.

"You take this vulnerable community that's already racialized and targeted as being criminal and you make hay with it," she said of his strategies.

It's not just a Republican phenomenon; politicians in both parties make similar choices, she said. Many Democrats also have embraced policies to try to show they are tough on crime and protect themselves from conservative attacks, she said.

The more conservative political environment that began in the 1960s with Republicans and Democrats moving right has continued.

"When Ronald Reagan left office, people like Newt Gingrich were more antagonistic and had a more ideological approach to conservatism. They kept pushing the party further and further to the right. What we see now in the Republican party is part of this long tradition during the 20th century," Barrett said. "It will continue down this path as long as enough voters find this version of conservatism attractive."

She said she also was interested in understanding how voters responded to moderate Republicans and other politicians who didn't fit neatly in a partisan box.

"It seemed like a lot of voters didn't like the fact that there was all this inconsistency and diversity of thought in the parties. They wanted to know who they were voting for when they saw an 'R' or 'D' by their name," Barrett said. Today's partisanship is partly based on political leaders seeking power, "but also voters not wanting to think so hard about who they are casting votes for."
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POMs. Credit: ICIQ

Researchers from the group of Prof. Carles Bo at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ-CERCA) have described a computational methodology that simulates complex processes involving different chemical species and diverse conditions. These processes lead to the formation of nanostructures called polyoxometalates (POMs), with important applications in catalysis, energy storage, biology and medicine.

The work appears in Chemical Science.

"Our group has recently developed unique methods to study the chemistry of polyoxometalates in solution, their speciation and formation mechanisms. This research has the potential to discover the experimental conditions needed to make new materials," explains Prof. Bo.

Versatile POMs

POMs are a distinguished family of nanostructures composed of transition metal atoms linked by oxygens, forming a wide range of well-defined structures of different sizes and shapes. These nanostructures are formed via self-assembly processes of simple metal oxides, depending on different factors such as pH, temperature, pressure, total metal concentration, ionic force, and the presence of reducing agents and counter-ions. The sum of all these conditions complicates the control of their synthesis.

Researchers can now predict the effect of these factors and the suitable conditions to produce one specific species of POM, employing statistical methods that facilitate the efficient and scalable processing of numerous speciation models and their corresponding systems of non-linear equations. This is important, as the first key application of these nanostructures is related to catalysis, where POMs are known to accelerate several important reactions. For example, using these simulations, it is possible to describe the suitable conditions that lead to the production of a species of POM responsible for catalyzing CO 2 fixation.

Detail of the POM specie used in this work. Credit: ICIQ

POMSimulator

The group of Prof. Bo has presented an opensource software package named POMSimulator that helps clarify the formation mechanisms of POMs. By releasing a public version of the code, the researchers aim to provide a tool for complementing the discovery of novel POMs. Moreover, having an accessible version of the code means that other researchers can modify the source code based on their needs.

Credit: ICIQ

The methodology now presented is a more robust version of this POMSimulator that provides new and valuable insights into the distribution of species under different chemical conditions, thereby enriching the knowledge of complex systems speciation.

"In the times of Big Data, machine learning and artificial intelligence, it is crucial to use every bit of information in our hands. Our work has taken POMSimulator to the next level of data usage," said Jordi Buils, first author of this work and Ph.D. student in Prof. Bo's group.

More information: Jordi Buils Casasnovas et al, Computational Insights into Aqueous Speciation of Metal-Oxide NanoClusters: An In-Depth Study of the Keggin Phosphomolybdate, Chemical Science (2024). DOI: 10.1039/D4SC03282A Journal information: Chemical Science
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Anopheles gambiae complex mosquito species can transmit malaria. Credit: CDC/James Gathany via Wikimedia Commons

The months of September to May are an unfortunate season in South Africa: malaria season. The mosquito-borne disease is found in the north-eastern districts of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces.

There are fewer malaria cases in South Africa compared to other African countries. The World Health Organization estimated there were more than 10 million cases of malaria in Mozambique in 2022. South Africa, that country's neighbor, recorded 5,183 malaria cases between September 2022 and August 2023.

Its relatively low case numbers may be a result of South African health authorities' excellent work in controlling the disease (control efforts began more than 120 years ago). The last major malaria outbreak in South Africa was in 2000, when more than 60,000 cases were recorded. Also notable was the 2017 outbreak, with 28,264 cases.

This combination of control efforts and low numbers may mean that South Africans think malaria is not something they need to worry about unless they travel to provincial hotspots in the months of September to May. But it remains a disease of concernnot just within the country's borders, but in the broader southern African region. Many researchers like ourselves are working towards eliminating or even, one day, totally eradicating the disease.

"Elimination" doesn't mean there will be no malaria in the region at all. Instead, it would mean that local mosquitoes no longer spread the disease in South Africa.

The reason that South Africa has not fully eliminated malaria is precisely because its local mosquito populations are still transmitting the disease. In fact, in 2023, about 17% of people who got sick from malaria had caught it in South Africa and not from traveling to neighboring African countries.

Scientists are using and developing many different "weapons" in the fight against malaria. Our approach involves using mosquitoes' own gut bacteria to prevent them from spreading malaria. This is a form of biocontrol, which involves the use of living organisms or natural substances to control harmful pests.

The groundwork we're laying with this ongoing research will, we believe, allow us and other scientists to create a powerful malaria-beating tool.

Current control methods

No single control method can eliminate malaria. South Africa is home to a range of mosquito species that can pass on malaria, and all behave differently.

For example, some of the mosquitoes that transmit malaria in the local malaria-endemic areas are active outdoors. They bite people outside and, rather than resting inside homes, they tend to rest outdoors. Outdoor mosquitoes are difficult to control because most control methods target indoor mosquitoes.

There is also a continuing problem of mosquitoes developing resistance to the insecticides that are used to spray the walls inside houses. New insecticides are not being produced fast enough to keep up with the demand.

One promising biocontrol method that's been developed in recent years is, essentially, a form of mosquito "birth control." Sterile Insect Technique involves the release of massive numbers of sterile male mosquitoes. Male mosquitoes do not bite, and therefore are not a disease or biting nuisance risk. However, they will mate with the local female mosquitoes. When female mosquitoes have mated with a sterile male, they will lay unfertilized eggs which won't hatch. Over time, this decreases the number of mosquitoes that hatch. The technique is being trialed in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

While this is exciting, the trial program has not been rolled out for general malaria control yet. However, it's good to see South Africa testing biocontrol optionsand that's where our work comes in.

The power of bacteria

Bacteria are tiny single-celled organisms. As happens in humans, there are "good" bacteria in the gut of mosquitoes that affect their survival and overall well-being. These bacteria are also known as the microbiota. A mosquito's gut microbiota is needed for the insect to become an adult and digest food. These bacteria can also help the mosquito survive insecticide exposures by breaking them down into smaller, less toxic compounds.

Most importantly, the gut bacteria of mosquitoes are an integral part of their immune system, because they can help the insects fight off infections including malaria. The parasite that causes malaria infects the mosquito when an adult female mosquito takes an infected blood meal from a human. Malaria parasites are likely bad for the insect and so they try to fight the infection. Most mosquitoes are quite good at fighting off the infection.

However, there are a few mosquito species that cannot fight off the parasite infection. These mosquitoes become unhealthy as the infection circulates through their body, and then pass on the parasite to humans when they bite them.

In a sense, therefore, a malaria-transmitting mosquito is a sick mosquito. This is where bacteria can help. If the mosquito has the right set of gut bacteria, she will be able to fight off the malaria parasite. In turn, she will not get infected by the malaria parasite and can no longer pass it on to humans. Scientists can help the mosquitoes to halt malaria infections by providing them with the correct bacteria. This is a type of biocontrol known as paratransgenesis.

In our lab, we are interested in finding the right bacteria that can be used to help stop the spread of malaria. We have found that different types of mosquitoes have different sets of bacteria. We have also found that there are several anti-parasitic bacteria in mosquitoes that do not spread malaria well. Since these bacteria can boost the immune system of the mosquito, they could help to prevent the mosquitoes from transmitting the malaria parasite.

If we understand exactly which bacteria are involved, they can be used as biocontrol. These candidates could be given to a malaria-transmitting mosquito through a blood-meal (that contains the bacteria) or through genetic modification.

Paratransgenesis was first successfully performed in the kissing bug more than 30 years ago in the U.S. to control Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis). The work sparked many more paratransgenesis strategies for the control of other blood-sucking insects, not just mosquitoes.

However, there is still some time before we see paratransgenesis being rolled out for mosquitoes. Like with most insects, this research is still in the lab testing phase. This type of biocontrol might not be used in South Africa within the next decade or even 20 years. The reason for the relatively slow progress is to ensure safety and to follow the many strict regulations that come with these technologies. But, with our work, we are contributing to making paratransgenesis control programs for mosquitoes a reality in South Africa one day in the future.

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A pair of CubeSats from NASAs Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator series launched on SpaceXs Transporter-11 rideshare mission at 11:56 a.m. PDT Friday, August 16, from Vandenburg Space Force Base in California. Credit: SpaceX

A pair of CubeSats from NASA's Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator, or PTD, series lifted off on SpaceX's Transporter-11 rideshare mission at 11:56 a.m. PDT Friday, August 16, from Vandenburg Space Force Base in California.

The two small satellites, PTD-4 and PTD-R, will help advance NASA's efforts to validate novel technologies and increase small spacecraft capabilities in order to shape the future of space exploration and technology.

PTD-4 will demonstrate a high-power, low-volume deployable solar array with an integrated antenna, while PTD-R will focus on testing simultaneous ultraviolet and short-wave infrared optical sensing from space for the first time via two 85-mm aperture monolithic telescopes mounted side-by-side. The two CubeSats use a six-unit (6U) spacecraft, named Triumph, common to all PTD satellites.

L2 Solutions DBA SEOPS LLC secured the launch of the two CubeSats for NASA as part of an award on the agency's VADR (Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare) contract. This is part of an effort to embrace more commercial practices to achieve lower launch costs, which provide new opportunities for these small but highly capable small satellites to find a ride to space.

These highly flexible contracts help broaden access to space through lower launch costs and serve as an ideal platform for contributing to NASA's science research and technology development.

More information: Learn more about the PTD missions here.

Provided by NASA
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

There's a term that crops up whenever Aotearoa New Zealand's political debates turn to the Treaty of Waitangi and its contemporary relevance: "race relations."

We've heard it most recently attached to media punditry and political commentary about the ACT Party's contentious Treaty Principles Bill, in former prime minister John Key's plea to "take the temperature down a wee bit" in that debate, and now during the gathering at Turangawaewae marae in Ngaruawahia.

But the term is a misnomer. Used or understood in the wrong way, it has the potential to harm social cohesion, increase political polarization, and distract from the actual policy issues being debated.

What we are really talking about are Maori-Crown relations. But the distinction is not something we teach particularly well in schools or universities. It isn't a debate about "race relations"; it's about the Treaty.

Two groups signed that treaty in 1840: hapu (kin-based groups) and the British Crown. Those who signed te Tiriti consisted of rangatiraMaori leaders (or chiefs) representing hapuand representatives of the Crown.

"Te Tiriti o Waitangi" is now commonly used to demarcate the version written in te reo Maori from the English-language one, "the Treaty of Waitangi." But neither version refers to "race."

Maori and the Crown

We now have many decades of scholarly and legal work defining the rights that came from te Tiriti. But if we did not have a treaty, as is the case for many Indigenous groups, international conventions and laws would guide the situation.

A central one would be the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoplesif one even dare mention it. Stopping any involvement in implementing the declaration was part of the coalition agreement with NZ First. Nonetheless, Indigenous rights are increasingly being recognized globally.

Indigenous groups are political groups. Yes, they are based in kin and a continuing culture and language, but not so often based in "race." Internationally, if a country recognizes Indigenous peoples, those groups generally get to determine their own membership.

This too varies depending on their history and relations with the state. Some groups still use "blood quantum" rules, based on fractions of one's total ancestors. Others use citizenship rules that allow them to welcome in whoever they choose.

Maori, of course, have long used a whakapapa-based model to recognize belonging, tracing descent back to particular ancestors, places and waka.

An outdated concept

The term "race relations" was often used in the 1960s and '70s to contrast MaoriPakeha relations with what was happening in other countries, particularly South Africa. This led to the widely accepted myth of New Zealand having the "best race relations in the world."

The terminology was still used quite widely to describe MaoriCrown relations in the 200405 period, when the Foreshore and Seabed Act became a political flashpoint.

It is still even in official use, embedded in New Zealand's human rights bureaucracy with the role of race relations commissioner, and observation of Race Relations Day.

However, it is now widely recognized that "race" is an outdated concept. The Maori Affairs Amendment Act in 1974 moved us away from a race-based categorization system by defining "Maori" on the basis of descent.

In the decades since, other key government activities, such as the Census, also moved away from the construct of race in favor of ethnicity.

Electoral law also changed in 1975, abandoning a blood-quantum rule for enrollment on the Maori or general electoral rolls to one based on self-identified descent. Previously, someone who had identified as being of more than half blood quantum had no choice but to be on the Maori roll.

Furthermore, many have highlighted limitations in the definition and scientific basis of "race" as a concept. As the American Association of Biological Anthropologists has explained, "Humans are not divided biologically into distinct continental types or racial genetic clusters."

Ultimately, the so-called "race relations" issue is more a discussion of the rights of political groups (iwi and hapu), on the basis of te Tiriti and being tangata whenua (their indigeneity). The "relations" in question are between Maori and the Crown.

Social cohesion

In the current political climate, the very term "race relations" can make it sound as though all Maori and all Pakeha are in a difficult relationship and in danger of not talking to one another.

I've even heard the terms "race war" or "racial tensions" used. Yet we know from psychology research that (on average) different ethnic groups' views of one another have been consistently improving over time in New Zealand.

A Maori hikoi or protest does not represent a single Maori view of ordinary Pakeha. It is targeted at the Crown, or those with decision-making power. The idea of tensions between "races" heightens the perception of a zero-sum standoff between New Zealanders.

Using the term "race" also positions groups of regular people against one another. It is often used in a way that ignores multiculturalism and the sizable New Zealand populations with Pacific and Asian ancestry, among others.

We know that, individually, Maori are politically and culturally diverse, as the composition of the current parliament shows. A multitude of factors, from active choice to experiences of disconnection, contribute to this diversity.

The idea of "race relations" homogenizes Maori, whereas we know Maori sit on both sides of any given Maori-Crown relations debate.

The key target of Maori dissatisfaction is the Crown, for not upholding its part of the Treaty deal across various laws. Using the terminology of "race relations" is outdated and imprecise. Ironically, it also erodes social cohesionthe very "relations" we are trying to talk about.

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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Most people have a general understanding of disinformationfalse information that is intentionally created to cause harm. Disinformation becomes "gendered" when deliberately false information draws on common understandings of issues like masculinity, femininity and sexual violence.

Although gender-based disinformation does not receive as much attention as race-based disinformation, it's particularly dangerous because it taps into deep-seated beliefs about our own identities.

Narratives about gender identity are also harder to fact-check than simple true or false stories.

As the Democratic Convention gets underway in Chicago, Vice President Kamala Harris is increasingly vulnerable to gender-based disinformation campaignsif she isn't already a victim of them.

Russian gender-based disinformation

Scholars have long understood that women politicians regularly experience misogynistic comments, but gender-based disinformation is insidious in other ways.

States like Russia target the citizens of western countries with gender-based disinformation to promote their foreign policy goals.

When Canada assumed leadership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) battle group in Latvia, Russia spread gender-based disinformation to Latvian Russian-speakers to undermine local support for Canada's mission. These campaigns claimed that the Canadian Armed Forces were filled with homosexuals and potential rapists. The core message was that Latvians should not trust Canadians.

Recent studies have also found that Russia strategically uses bots and trolls to spread false stories about female politicians to influence public opinion before elections. If a male candidate aligns more closely with Russia's foreign policy goals, it may use gendered narratives to discredit that candidate's female opponent.

This type of gender-based disinformation often inflates the credibility of male candidates by portraying women as being unqualified, overly emotional, prone to lying and unintelligent.

These disinformation campaigns use cutting-edge technology to convey the right narratives to the right people. During its interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Russia used data crumbs commonly employed by internet marketers to "micro-target" social media users with select disinformation based on their specific psychological and socioeconomic markers, as well as their political beliefs.

The 2024 election campaign

Americans should be aware of an onslaught of gender-based disinformation about Harris that will likely gain momentum after this week's Democratic National Convention.

When Hillary Clinton ran for office in 2016, little was known about gender-based disinformation. Now that authorities know and understand the disinformation tactics used during that election, Americans can prepare for the ballot box with the lessons learned from history.

There are two disinformation tactics favored by Russia and used in 2016 that it will likely use again in 2024.

One is to portray a candidate as inauthentic or hypocritical.

Clinton was the first female nominee of a major party and had the potential to mobilize female voters. To undermine domestic support for Clinton, Russia spread news stories that suggested that even though she was a woman, her policies belie the feminist cause, implying that real feminists should not support her.

During the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Harris was similarly targeted with disinformation after Biden announced her as his running mate. There were claims that she did not deserve to be vice president because she was merely a diversity hire and had used sex to gain power. Those claims have been repeated since she became the party's presidential candidate.

Segmentation is the second Russian tactic. It entails polarizing society and fragmenting groups at the same time. Research shows that one of the primary goals of state-sponsored disinformation campaigns is to break apart the social fabric of a country by amplifying social, cultural and political fault lines.

Ahead of the 2016 presidential election, one study found that Russian-backed accounts on Twitter (now X) spread narratives attacking feminists, claiming that they were "man-hating" ideologues who sought to suppress men's rights. Polarizing narratives like this were designed to create divisions between feminists and non-feminists.

At the same time, Russia sought to fragment the feminist movement. Accounts linked to Russia's Internet Research Agency posed as feminists on Twitter to critique other feminists, claiming that feminism was too white to represent black feminists or too liberal to represent conservative feminists. Although these may be valid critiques of the feminist movement, Russia instrumentally used them to divide voters who might have come together to support Clinton.

Baseless attacks on Harris

Although links to states like Russia are unclear, the media environment is already filled with gender-based disinformation about Harris.

A recent study found that among 130,000 public posts on X, Instagram and TikTok, 15 percent of them erroneously claimed that Joe Biden called Harris a "diversity hire," seven percent highlighted a video of a television judge slandering her, and three percent made scurrilous and false allegations about her sexual history. X owner Elon Musk even circulated a deep fake video of Harris confirming that Biden selected her because she is a Black womanthe "ultimate diversity hire."

Gender-based disinformation is already part of the presidential election. Voters need to know that they are exposed to false information, and that it's not benign. It is often constructed by states like Russia to influence elections and undermine America's social cohesion.

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to the press on extreme heat at the UN headquarters in New York, on July 25, 2024. [Mark Garten/UN Photo]

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres leaves on Monday for a September visit to China, but on a circuitous route through part of the Pacific, his chief spokesman said.

Stephan Dujarric, the spokesman, said the UN chief will first visit Samoa from Aug. 21-23 to meet with Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa.

"He will then briefly be in New Zealand, in Auckland, on Aug. 23-24, where he will meet with the prime minister, Christopher Luxon," Dujarric said. "From there, he will go to Tonga from Aug. 24-27 where he will participate in the Pacific Islands Forum."

The spokesman said Guterres is expected to meet with Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni of Tonga and other leaders attending the Pacific Islands Forum. His visit will also serve as an opportunity to emphasize the impact of sea level rise in the region and beyond.

Dujarric said that the secretary-general will engage with local communities and civil society representatives, including young people in both countries.

The spokesman said the UN chief will head off to Timor-Leste from Aug. 28-31, where he will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Popular Consultation. The United Nations organized the Popular Consultation.

Dujarric said Guterres will go to Singapore Sept. 1-2 to meet with the president of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

"From Sept. 2-5, he will be in China," the spokesman said. "Among other engagements there, he will take part in the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and that will take place in Beijing where he will highlight the importance of South-South cooperation to build solidarity and drive progress on shared development goals."

Dujarric said the secretary-general would also meet with senior government officials in Beijing.
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The research sponge Theonella conica in its natural habitat (Red Sea). Credit: Shani Shoham

A new study at Tel Aviv University found that sponges in the Gulf of Eilat have developed an original way to keep predators away. The researchers found that the sponges contain an unprecedented concentration of the highly toxic mineral molybdenum (Mo). In addition, they identified the bacterium that enables sponges to store such high concentrations of this precious metal and unraveled the symbiosis between the two organisms.

The study was led by Ph.D. student Shani Shoham and Prof. Micha Ilan from TAU's School of Zoology. The paper was published in the journal Science Advances.

The researchers explain that sponges are the earliest multicellular organisms known to science. They live in marine environments and play an important role in the earth's carbon, nitrogen, and silicon cycles.

A sponge can process and filter seawater 50,000 times its body weight every day. With such enormous quantities of water flowing through them, they can accumulate various trace elementsand scientists try to understand how they cope with toxic amounts of materials like arsenic and molybdenum.

Ph.D. student Shani Shoham says, "20 to 30 years ago, researchers from our lab collected samples of a rare sponge called Theonella conica from the coral reef of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean and found in them a high concentration of molybdenum. Molybdenum is a trace element, important for metabolism in the cells of all animals including humans, and widely used in industry.

"In my research, I wanted to test whether such high concentrations are also found in this sponge species in the Gulf of Eilat, where it grows at depths of more than 27 meters. Finding the sponge and analyzing its composition, I discovered that it contained more molybdenum than any other organism on earth: 46,793 micrograms per gram of dry weight."

Shoham adds, "Like all trace elements, molybdenum is toxic when its concentration is higher than its solubility in water. But we must remember that a sponge is essentially a hollow mass of cells with no organs or tissues. Specifically in Theonella conica, up to 40% of the body volume is a microbial societybacteria, viruses, and fungi living in symbiosis with the sponge.

"One of the most dominant bacteria, called Entotheonella sp., serves as a 'detoxifying organ' for accumulating metals inside the body of its sponge hosts. Hoarding more and more molybdenum, the bacteria convert it from its toxic soluble state into a mineral. We are not sure why they do this. Perhaps the molybdenum protects the sponge by announcing: 'I'm toxic! Don't eat me!,' and in return for this service, the sponge does not eat the bacteria and serves as their host."

Molybdenum is in high demand, mostly for alloys (for example, to make high-strength steel), but according to Shoham, it would be impracticable to retrieve it from sponges. Shoham explains, "The concentration is very high, but when translated into weight we could only get a few grams from every sponge, and the sponge itself is relatively rare. Sponges are grown in marine agriculture, mostly for the pharmaceutical industry, but this is quite a challenging endeavor. Sponges are very delicate creatures that need specific conditions.

"On the other hand, future research should focus on the ability of Entotheonella sp. bacteria to accumulate toxic metals. A few years ago, our lab discovered huge concentrations of other toxic metals, arsenic (As) and barium (Ba), in a close relative of Theonella conica, called Theonella swinhoei, which is common in the Gulf of Eilat.

"In this case, too, Entotheonella was found to be largely responsible for hoarding the metals and turning them into minerals, thereby neutralizing their toxicity. Continued research on the bacteria can prove useful for treating water sources polluted with arsenic, a serious hazard which directly affects the health of 200 million people worldwide."

More information: Shani Shoham et al, Out of the blue: Hyperaccumulation of molybdenum in the Indo-Pacific sponge Theonella conica, Science Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn3923 Journal information: Science Advances
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Fully grown native polyphemus moths have wingspans of more than six inches, distinctive eye spots, and larvae with a taste for leaves of many of the same trees as spongy moth caterpillars. Credit: Rick Lindroth

An invasive insect with an insatiable appetite can cause serious problems for a favorite native moth that likes the same food sourceeven though the two are never in direct competition for a meal, according to new research, published in the journal Ecology and Evolution, from University of WisconsinMadison ecologists.

Since the early 2000s, spongy moth caterpillars, an import from Europe, have flexed their gustatory muscle in Wisconsin by stripping entire stands of trees of their leaves during late spring and early summer in remarkably destructive feeding binges. While spongy moth outbreaks wax and wane, the caterpillars can show up in significant numbers, seemingly out of the blue.

That was the case in 2021 when Rick Lindroth, entomology professor emeritus, and members of his lab trekked into a research forest of quaking aspen trees Lindroth had planted in 2010 just a few miles from UWMadison at the university's Arlington Agricultural Research Station. The team was excited to begin planned research after losing much of the 2020 field work season to the COVID pandemic.

"There were spongy moth egg masses everywhere," Lindroth says. "We wanted to begin some experiments, but there were too many invasive insects to proceed. There was no way they could be removed. We thought we were sunk."

In a stroke of good fortune, Lindroth says, his lab had an extra pair of hands that summer: Patricia Fernandez, an ecologist and professor visiting on a Fulbright Fellowship from the University of Buenos Aires. Lindroth and Fernandez formulated a new research plan. They knew the spongy moth caterpillars were likely to chomp up every leaf on their trees, so why not study the aftermath?

One aspect of Lindroth's prior work had been exploring how different genetic and environmental factors shape the way plants defend themselves against attack. The researchers wondered whether an aspen tree's defensesrallied against marauding, invasive spongy moth caterpillarsmight do unusual harm to native species that have evolved to feed on trees with baseline levels of chemical protection.

A stand of aspen rendered leafless by spongy moth caterpillars. Credit: University of Wisconsin-Madison

"Any wild plant is defended against an array of herbivores via a number of mechanisms, and chemistry is one of the most important," Lindroth says. "Aspen treeslike their relatives, willow treesproduce a suite of salicylate-like compounds, close to aspirin, that act as toxins to protect the trees from many insects."

Because the spongy moth caterpillar ends its leaf-eating spree relatively early in the aspen tree's growing season, the defoliated trees produce a second flush of leaves to capture enough energy to survive (if not necessarily thrive) through the winter and into the next growth year.

As expected, that second green canopy of leaves appeared by early July in Lindroth's forest plot. But the backup crop of leaves was different in at least one important aspect.

"Those trees had cranked up their defenses," Lindroth says. "By mid-summer, they produced an entirely new set of leaves that had, on average, an eight-times higher concentration of defense chemicals."

By then, the spongy moth caterpillar culprits are pupating and changing into moths. But mid-summer is when caterpillars of the striking, native polyphemus mothsecond largest moth in North Americaare hatching and trying to fill their own rumbling stomachs.

In their lab, the researchers fed some polyphemus caterpillars leaves from the spongy-moth-infested plot and other polyphemus caterpillars leaves from a stand of aspen trees untouched by spongy moths (despite growing just 6 kilometers away).

Spongy moth caterpillars mass on a tree trunk. The voracious larvae of the invasive moth can completely denude trees of their leaves. Credit: Mark Zierden

Less than 18% of the native moth caterpillars fed on the high-toxin leaves left in the spongy moth's wake survived, while the polyphemus caterpillars fed from the undamaged trees were about four times as likely to survive to their next life stage.

"We're seeing an invasive species harm a native speciesa cherished, charismatic, beautiful mothby changing the quality of its food plant. Without the two ever meeting each other," Lindroth says.

"That's where this study is unique. And it suggests defoliation from an invasive species could impact a whole community of other organisms via increases in toxic plant defenses. This research has identified yet another factor that may be contributing to the worldwide decline of insects."

The results also suggest that in diverting resources to the production of chemical defenses, the growth of trees is reduced relative to normal years. This in turn hampers the ability of forests to increase woody mass and sequester carbon in a way that mitigates climate change.

"Aspen is the most widely distributed tree species in North America," Lindroth says.

"In every breath that you take, there are molecules of oxygen that were produced by aspen trees. It's a very important forest species, and to see the effect of an invasive insect ripple out into the forest community through changing the toxicity of the food landscape is astounding."

More information: Richard L. Lindroth et al, Forest defoliation by an invasive outbreak insect: Catastrophic consequences for a charismatic mega moth, Ecology and Evolution (2024). DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70046 Journal information: Ecology and Evolution
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CHARA Array false-color image of Polaris from April 2021 that reveals large bright and dark spots on the surface. Polaris appears about 600,000 times smaller than the full moon in the sky. Credit: Georgia State University / CHARA Array

Researchers using Georgia State University's Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) Array have identified new details about the size and appearance of the North Star, also known as Polaris. The new research is published in The Astrophysical Journal.

Earth's North Pole points to a direction in space marked by the North Star. Polaris is both a navigation aid and a remarkable star in its own right. It is the brightest member of a triple-star system and is a pulsating variable star. Polaris gets brighter and fainter periodically as the star's diameter grows and shrinks over a four-day cycle.

Polaris is a kind of star known as a Cepheid variable. Astronomers use these stars as "standard candles" because their true brightness depends on their period of pulsation: Brighter stars pulsate slower than fainter stars. How bright a star appears in the sky depends on the star's true brightness and the distance to the star. Because we know the true brightness of a Cepheid based on its pulsational period, astronomers can use them to measure the distances to their host galaxies and to infer the expansion rate of the universe.

A team of astronomers led by Nancy Evans at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian observed Polaris using the CHARA optical interferometric array of six telescopes at Mount Wilson, Calif. The goal of the investigation was to map the orbit of the close, faint companion that orbits Polaris every 30 years.

"The small separation and large contrast in brightness between the two stars makes it extremely challenging to resolve the binary system during their closest approach," Evans said.

The CHARA Array is located at the Mount Wilson Observatory in the San Gabriel Mountains of southern California. The six telescopes of the CHARA Array are arranged along three arms. The light from each telescope is transported through vacuum pipes to the central beam combining lab. All the beams converge on the MIRC-X camera in the lab. Credit: Georgia State University

The CHARA Array combines the light of six telescopes that are spread across the mountaintop at the historic Mount Wilson Observatory. By combining the light, the CHARA Array acted like a 330-meter telescope to detect the faint companion as it passed close to Polaris. The observations of Polaris were recorded using the MIRC-X camera built by astronomers at the University of Michigan and Exeter University in the U.K. The MIRC-X camera has the remarkable ability to capture details of stellar surfaces.

The team successfully tracked the orbit of the close companion and measured changes in the size of the Cepheid as it pulsated. The orbital motion showed that Polaris has a mass five times larger than that of the sun. The images of Polaris showed that it has a diameter 46 times the size of the sun.

The biggest surprise was the appearance of Polaris in close-up images. The CHARA observations provided the first glimpse of what the surface of a Cepheid variable looks like.

"The CHARA images revealed large bright and dark spots on the surface of Polaris that changed over time," said Gail Schaefer, director of the CHARA Array. The presence of spots and the rotation of the star might be linked to a 120-day variation in measured velocity.

"We plan to continue imaging Polaris in the future," said John Monnier, an astronomy professor at the University of Michigan. "We hope to better understand the mechanism that generates the spots on the surface of Polaris."

The new observations of Polaris were made and recorded as part of the open access program at the CHARA Array, where astronomers from around the world can apply for time through the National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab).

More information: Nancy Remage Evans et al, The Orbit and Dynamical Mass of Polaris: Observations with the CHARA Array, The Astrophysical Journal (2024). DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad5e7a Journal information: Astrophysical Journal
A bankruptcy, a protracted lawsuit and a $1.1 million debt will send Fischers Marina on Lake George to the auction block next month. Arguments and counter-arguments in legal documents show a partnership in the marina that was strained by either confusion of the roles each man played or improper business activity, depending on which side was telling the story.

The result has been years in the making.

In 2022, Martin Filler, a 50-50 partner with Nicholas Cutro Jr. in Marina Landing Holding Co LLC, filed a lawsuit against Cutro Jr., alleging that Cutro Jr., who managed day-to-day operations of the marina, had not done so in accordance with the companys governing documents and the applicable laws.

The lawsuit alleged in court documents that Cutro Jr. defrauded Filler and wrongfully and without authorization made payments to himself, utilized company funds improperly, diverted funds, failed to account for and designate income, utilized company property to generate revenue, failed to disclose revenue, misappropriated revenue, mistreated employees for his own benefit, and breached his fiduciary duty.

The two had been partners in the marina since 2008, and jointly own multiple LLCs (Marina Operating LLC, The Club at Pilot Knob, LLC, Residence Rental LLC and The Enclave at Lake George, LLC.) for the day-to-day operations of the Marina. At the time of purchase, Filler contributed $1.2 million, and Cutro Jr. $200,000.

Various LLCs own property on both sides of Pilot Knob Road. The marina itself is at 1215 Pilot Knob Rd.

Cutro Jr. was expected to make up the difference by handling the day-to-day operations.

During the period from approximately 2008 through 2021, and continuing thereafter, the defendant, Nicholas Cutro, Jr., was unjustly enriched by wrongfully converting, taking, utilizing or managing the property and financial interests of the plaintiffs, the lawsuit reads. The plaintiffs in the suit, Filler and Marina Landing Holding Co LLC, have asked for financial compensation as a result.

In response, Cutro Jr. alleged that Filler is guilty of fiduciary breaches. The suit also names George Gellert in the case.

Filler is an attorney in New York who, allegedly, represented Cutro Jr. in connection with transactions related to the Marina Landing business. Cutro Jr. asserts that Filler has breached his fiduciary obligations both as his attorney, and as his business partner.

Neither Cutros or Fillers lawyers responded responded to requests for comment.

The $800,000 loan

When Cutro Jr. and Filler were in the process of acquiring the property, equipment and improvements that would eventually become Marina Landings land and operations, Cutro Jr. alleges, in his counter-arguments, that in order to finance those purchases, in May 2008 Filler arranged for his friend Gellert to loan Filler and Cutro Jr. $800,000.

Cutro Jr. claims that Filler presented him with a promissory note to sign for the loan and allegedly told Cutro Jr. to sign the note, even though Filler would be solely responsible for repaying the loan, Cutro Jr. contends, even though the promissory note plainly states that Filler and Cutro Jr. would bear joint liability for the debt.

Second, Cutro Jr. cites events in 2014, when Gellert sued to collect on the promissory note. By 2014, they had not repaid any of the $800,000 loan, and with interest the outstanding balance was over $1.1 million.

Gellert sued Filler and Cutro Jr. in New York State Supreme Court, Richmond County, and eventually took a default judgment for $1,159,768.06 against Cutro Jr. only.

Cutro Jr. alleges that Filler influenced and induced Gellert to sue that case, and to take the judgment against Cutro Jr. only.

Cutro Jr. claims that in late 2021 and through April 2022, Filler tried to pressure Cutro Jr. to sell his interest in the company for significantly less than fair value. When Cutro Jr. refused to do so, Filler commenced this action against Cutro alleging breach of fiduciary duty and other similar claims, and at the same time, Gellert began aggressively enforcing his judgment against Cutro, even though he had done nothing to enforce the Judgment for the previous eight years.

Beginning in May 2022, Gellert undertook several judgment enforcement measures in connection with his unpaid judgment against Cutro Jr. Gellert petitioned the court for an order compelling compliance and objected to Cutro Jr.s transfer of real property from himself to another business entity that Cutro Jr. controls, among other things.

Third, Cutro Jr. claims that in 2021 Marina Landing received two offers from third-parties to purchase the business at $6.5 million and $7.5 million, respectively. Cutro Jr. complains that Filler unreasonably refused to accept or approve either of those offers. Meanwhile, Filler allegedly began urging Cutro Jr. that they should sell the business to Thomas Cordasco (a friend of Fillers son), court documents say.

In late 2021, Cordasco offered to purchase the business for $6.9 million, which Cutro Jr. declined. Subsequently, Filler allegedly proposed that instead of selling the Marina Landing business in its entirety, Cutro Jr. should sell his 50% interest in the business to Cordasco, which Cutro Jr. refused.

Sale of the MarinaAs the case proceeded, Cutro Jr., Filler and Gellert entered into a written agreement dated May 8, 2023, which provided for Cutro Jr. and Filler to cooperate in good faith to sell Fischers Marina, and Gellert agreed to suspend judgment enforcement for a period of 120 days while the sale process proceeded.

The three had differing opinions on who to sell to, though.

In October 2023, Filler filed for an order authorizing him to purchase Cutro Jr.s interest in Marina Landing Holding Co., LLC at a fair value, and setting a hearing to determine the fair value of Cutro Jr.s interest.

However, in an affidavit filed by Cutro in November 2023, he claimed that considering Filler had not helped operate the company, not made any meaningful capital contributions since 2008, it would be completely unfair to force me out of a business to which I have devoted the last fifteen years of my life. I am the one who has managed the day-to-day operations without pay.

In March 2024, Cutro Jr. filed for bankruptcy.

In July 2024, Filler, Cutro and Gellert agreed to a sale of the Marina at a public action.

The auction is planned for mid-September. The agreement for the auction states that they agree to retain Tranzon Auction Properties to conduct the auction, the Gellert judgment and one-half of the balance of the loan from Cutro Jr.s parents will be paid from sale proceeds, the balance of net sale proceeds will be held in escrow pending a final resolution of the lawsuit, and any disputes between the parties concerning the sale Procedures Agreement or the auction will be submitted to the courts for resolution.

Further, Gellert has agreed to wait for a period of 120 days so that the judgment can be satisfied from sale proceeds, and Cutro Jr. has filed a motion to dismiss his pending bankruptcy case.
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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.

The historic Jefferson Hotel has welcomed thousands of visitors in its nearly 130 years of operations, including the likes of U.S. presidents, writers and celebrities such as the Rolling Stones, Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley.

Famous actor and dancer Bill Bojangles Robinson was allegedly a waiter at The Jefferson Hotel in the early 1900s.

The 166-room luxury hotel, which was the brainchild of famous Richmonder and tobacco baron Lewis Ginter, opened its doors in 1895.

Its classic Spanish Baroque style, designed by one of the most notable New York architects, sets it apart from others in the city and state. It has been the backdrop for numerous movies, including the 1981 film My Dinner with Andre.

In 1901, a wire fire destroyed three-fifths of the hotel, and the marble statue of Thomas Jefferson sculpted by Edward Valentine was almost destroyed.

It also used to house full-size alligators in its marble pools in the front lobby. While the alligators are long gone, their legacy remains with bronze alligator motifs throughout the hotel.

The Jefferson remains a popular Richmond destination to celebrate holidays and dining with Christmas, Easter and Mothers Day brunch selling out months in advance.

 Em Holter
The message of the Democratic National Convention, Sen. Mark Warner told Virginias convention delegates at their breakfast Tuesday, is all about contrast.

Its the theme  a kind of joy in the battle rather than what they term Republican anger  that seems to be clearest one emerging as Virginias 125 delegates reflect on a convention where they and other Democrats had already officially nominated Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as their candidates for president and vice president.

Warner said a contrast with the Republican convention last month was the big thing that he took away the first day of the convention and from feeling especially pumped up by President Joe Bidens speech that night.

I think: Full of positive energy, you feel it all over, in contrast with that dark vision about America, he said in a telephone interview.

Democrats were looking for additional energy after Tuesday nights speech by former President Barack Obama.

As Virginia Democrats gathered for breakfast at a Hyatt Regency hotel ballroom on Tuesday, Warner said he wanted to be sure they remembered what Biden and Harris had accomplished.

He cited what he termed a strong economy with low unemployment, last weeks announcement of price cuts for 10 more medications, infrastructure spending  including funds for a new Arthur Ashe Boulevard bridge over the railroad tracks that separate the proposed Diamond District development from the booming Scotts Addition neighborhood.

He also cited the CHIPs Act investments in high tech industries that Chesterfield County officials hope will help them win a major semiconductor firm for the Upper Magnolia Green technology market they are developing.

Thats the way we win elections, rather than relitigating the past, Warner said he told Virginia convention delegates.

Former President Donald Trumps campaign had a different take: Democrats have no vision or solutions to our nations problems. Last nights convention was solely focused on President Trump, a campaign statement said Tuesday.

They would rather talk about President Trump than the problems facing our nation due to Kamala Harris failures, the campaign added.

Trumps focus at his Tuesday rally in in Michigan will be crime.

Warner served as chair of the state Democratic Party from 1993 to 1995 before he was elected governor in 2001.

He said his breakfast talk to Virginias 125-person delegation in Chicago marked a change from the earlier conventions he attended.

We were a little delegation from a red state, didnt count for much, he said. Now look at us, sitting next to California.

As state Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, posted on social media: Virginia is in the house tonight!

Like Warner, Randon Sprinkle, a convention delegate from the 4th Congressional District participating in his first national convention, said hes feeling the buoyant tone.

For me as an LGBTQ member, it is really great to see a Democratic Party that is both mindful and joyful, excited and inclusive of everybody, he said in a video clip posted on social media.

Its there from the top of the ticket all the way down to our local races in Virginia, he added.

That upbeat feeling was what Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-4th, is picking up as well.

Theres a joyful feeling, a sense of energy bigger than anything Ive ever seen before, she said, before heading to the United Center floor for the evening session Tuesday.

She said she was already picking it up when she spent the Saturday before the convention campaigning in Wisconsin with Rudy and Lord of the Rings actor Sean Astin and Milwaukee County executive David Crowley.

McClellan was at a health care roundtable with six voters, and asked what was on their minds.

I was expecting to hear about the ACA (Affordable Care Act) or abortion ... but this one voter said she was just feeling good about being positive ... that theres something to look forward to.

Virginians are getting a lot of attention at the convention, she said.

I think its because we have elections every year, and we understand about meeting voters where they are, she said. TV commercials are helpful, but you need to be at the doors, referring to Virginia Democrats focus on direct face to face contact with voters.

State Democrats said theyve signed up 10,000 volunteers for door knocking since Harris nomination.

Former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who lost the 2021 gubernatorial election to Republican Glenn Youngkin, told MSNBC that The record number of people signing up to work the doors, to make the phone calls  it is extraordinary whats going on.

In another Virginia twist on a convention message, several Virginia delegates recognized that the state hosts the worlds largest Navy base as well as major Army, Air Force and Marine Corps bases and has tens of thousands of voters deployed outside the United States.

Dels. Phil Hernandez, D-Norfolk; Joshua Cole, D-Fredericksburg; and Rozia Henson, D-Prince William, took a break from convention caucuses to hoist a red-white-and-blue banner from the Vote from Aboard organization to thank the overseas voters who helped them win their elections last year.

Every vote abroad matters, especially Virginia votes, Cole said.

Photos: Democratic National Convention Day 1
Government reports Playa del Carmen and Akumal with highest hotel occupancy rates in country

Riviera Maya, Q.R.  Playa del Carmen and Akumal have been reported as the two busiest tourist centers in the country. The Secretary of Tourism of the Government of Mexico says hotel occupancy rates in those two areas topped the most-occupied list in the first half of 2024.

Miguel Torruco Marques, the Secretary of Tourism of the Government of Mexico, reported Playa del Carmen with an average hotel occupany rate of 89 percent followed by Akumal with 82 percent.

Torruco Marques detailed that during the first half of 2024, hotels in Playacar in particular were the most busy or most occupied (89.8 percent) followed by hotels located in other areas of Playa del Carmen (75.1 percent). The second most busy or hotel occupied area recorded has been Akumal, in the municipality of Tulum with 82.8 percent.

According to the report by Miguel Torruco Marques, more than 41 million tourists stayed in hotel rooms across Mexico in the first half of 2024. Of those, 29.4 million (75.1 percent) were national tourists while 11.7 million were foreigners, representing 28.5 percent of the total in the 70 centers monitored by DataTur, who provided the figures.

Hotels in Akumal were the second most-occupied in the first half of 2024. Photo: Government Quintana Roo.

He noted that during this period, hotel occupancy reached 60 percent in the 70 destinations monitored by DataTur, with 52.4 percent occupancy rate in city destinations and 68.5 percent on beaches.

Other busy or high hotel occupied areas during the first half of 2024 include Nuevo Nayarit with 80.8 percent, Cabo San Lucas with 80 percent and Cancun with 77.7 percent.
National Guard at the scene of Bacalar highway crash

Bacalar, Q.R. A three vehicle accident in the town of Bacalar has left several injured. National Guard are still at the scene where two cars and a dump truck collided.

According to witnesses, the dump truck rear ended a car that hit another vehicle before rolling over into the ditch. The accident was reported near the community of Buenavista.

The dump truck rolled after rear ending a compact car. Photo: August 18, 2024.

Two available ambulances from companies arrived at the scene to transfer the injured to hospital. An official number of injured has not been reported. Authorities continue to look into an exact cause of the three vehicle crash.
Secretary of Environment files legal complaint against PDC Grand Hyatt

Playa del Carmen, Q.R.  The Secretariat of Sustainable Environment and Climate Change has filed a legal complaint against a Playa del Carmen hotel. The complaint was filed after the hotel began to use heavy machinery to extract sand from the subsoil for its hotel beach area.

On Monday, Maria de Lourdes Varguez Ocampo, head of the Secretariat for Sustainable Environment and Climate Change of Solidaridad, said the legal complaint has been filed with the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa).

According to Ocampo, the legal complaint was filed against the Grand Hyatt Hotel in central Playa del Carmen for the extraction of sand it is doing in its beach area. She says although the hotel has obtained permits to carry out the work, they are concerned about the environmental impact.

Ocampo says the permit was issued by the Secretariat for Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) in Mexico City, however, she is criticizing the sand extraction and the hotels previous project of the installation of geotubes, referring to it as a horrendous thing.

Maria de Lourdes Varguez Ocampo, the Solidaridad Secretaria de Medio Ambiente Sustentable y Cambio Climatico

The Secretaria de Medio Ambiente Sustentable y Cambio Climatico for Solidaridad says now, the hotel is extracting sand from the subsoil through hoses connected to pumps. The extraction process consists of accumulating the extracted sand and then redistributing it on the beachfront of the hotel using heavy machinery.

Ocampo says since the Grand Hyatt Hotel has all the paperwork in order, she is not confident that the legal complaint filed with Profepa (Procuraduria Federal de Proteccion al Ambiente) will go anywhere given the authorization they were granted by Semarnat (Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales).

Ocampo says their beach erosion project of sand extraction is likely to continue for the rest of the year, adding that her office does not have the authority to stop it. She has reported that the Semarnat office is Cancun is also in disapproval of the project, which was granted permission from a Mexico City office.

In May, the hotel obtained permits from Mexico City to place geotubes in front of their property.

It is the second legal complained filed by the municipal office against the PDC Grant Hyatt. In May, the Secretaria de Medio Ambiente Sustentable y Cambio Climatico filed a complaint against the same hotel after obtaining permits in Mexico City to install geotubes in front of their hotel.
Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, "The Burzynski Breakthrough, The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It" is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net
JULIE CARR SMYTH

Associated Press

Phil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre that made household names of Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and many others, has died. He was 88.

NBCs Today show, citing family members, said Donahue died Sunday after a long illness.

Dubbed the king of daytime talk, Donahue was the first to incorporate audience participation in a talk show, typically during a full hour with a single guest.

Just one guest per show? No band? he remembered being routinely asked in his 1979 memoir, Donahue, my own story.

The format set The Phil Donahue Show apart from other interview shows of the 1960s and made it a trendsetter in daytime television, where it was particularly popular with female audiences.

Later renamed Donahue, the program launched in Dayton, Ohio, in 1967. Donahues willingness to explore the hot-button social issues of the day emerged immediately, when he featured atheist Madalyn Murray OHair as his first guest. He would later air shows on feminism, homosexuality, consumer protection and civil rights, among hundreds of other topics.

The show was syndicated in 1970 and ran on national television for the next 26 years, racking up 20 Emmy Awards for the show and for Donahue as host, as well as a Peabody for Donahue in 1980. It included radio-style call-ins, which Donahue greeted with his signature, Is the caller there?

The shows last episode aired in 1996 in New York, where Donahue was living with his wife, actress Marlo Thomas, at the time of his death. The two had been married since 1980. Donahue had five children, four sons and a daughter, from a previous marriage.

Donahue returned briefly to television in 2002, hosting another Donahue show on MSNBC. The station canceled it after six months, citing low ratings.

He was born Phillip John Donahue on Dec. 21, 1935, part of a middle-class Irish Catholic family in Cleveland. They moved to Centerville, Ohio, when Donahue was a child, where he lived across the street from Erma Bombeck, the future humorist and syndicated columnist.
Aw Jun Ray, Reko Corinthians, is banned for a year from providing any financial advisory services. (Photo: Bloomberg)

By Yihui Xie

(Bloomberg)  The Monetary Authority of Singapore issued a one-year prohibition order against a former HSBC Bank representative after he failed to disclose his previous involvement in police investigations and criminal proceedings.

Aw Jun Ray, Reko Corinthians, is banned for a year from providing any financial advisory services, according to a statement from the MAS on Monday. Aw was investigated by the police and was issued a 24-month conditional warning in 2022, neither of which he declared when applying to a role in HSBC afterward.

These contraventions have given MAS reason to believe that he will not perform financial advisory and capital markets services honestly, MAS said.

The regulator separately issued a nine-year prohibition order against Hoi Wei Kit, a former representative of OCBC Bank. Hoi was sentenced to 30 months in prison in 2022 for cheating the banks customers of S$170,000 ($129,750).

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
The whereabouts of a pastor and his daughter kidnapped in northwestern Nigeria were unknown after their captors threatened to kill them even after receiving a ransom payment.

Isa Andrew, chaplain with All Saints Protestant Church of the Zamfara State Police Command, and his 13-year-old daughter, Grace Isa Andrew, 13, were kidnapped from their home in Gusau on July 14. Relatives and friends had managed to pay a ransom of 6 million naira (3,770 USD), only to have the captors threaten to kill him if they did not receive another 6 million naira along with three motorcycles by Thursday (Aug. 15).

Relatives had received a video of the blindfolded pastor making an appeal for payment of the ransom, his daughter standing beside him with an AK-47 rifle strapped to her shoulder as a sign that she would be married off and made to join the assailants.



Pastor Andrew in the video identified himself as a pastor and chaplain who worked with the Interfaith Directorate of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), saying his daughter Grace was with him. He said that after they were kidnapped from their home, his family paid a ransom of 6 million naira, but that the captors upon collection demanded another payment of the same amount along with two Boxer motorcycles and a Honda motorcycle.

We did all we could, we sold everything that we have; sold our properties, sold our car, sold our items; we took loans, my brother took loans, my wife took loans persons of goodwill also assisted us, to raise the 6 million naira that was demanded, Pastor Andrew said. As it is, fellow Nigerians, I want to beg of you, I want to beg of our nations First Lady, the mother of the nation, to please come to our aid. Shes the Esther of our time, please come to our aid.

He said his daughter was being exposed to a lot of maltreatment, exposed to starvation, and that he was a diabetic whose health was deteriorating each day.

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Please come to our aid, assist us. We have been given from now up to next week Thursday, 15 August, 2024, otherwise I will be executed, and my daughter will be forcefully married out. Shes just 13 years of age, he said. Please help us. I need your help. The Lord bless you.

The Zamfara State Police command confirmed the kidnapping of the pastor and his daughter in the wee hours of July 14. State Police Commissioner Mohammed Dalijan said 53 patrol vehicles had been deployed to various streets in Gusau.

Gusau resident Timothy Soladoye obtained a copy of the video and confirmed that it was his chaplain/pastor who was kidnapped with his daughter.

We are still contributing for his release, Soladoye told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News before the Aug. 15 deadline. Please let us share and do something for their possible release before the said Thursday, 15 August.

The video was widely circulated across social media platforms on Aug. 10.

Gusau resident Emmanuel Bulus also sent out a plea.

Isa Andrew is not only a dedicated civilian working with the Nigerian police but also serves as a chaplain in their church, Bulus said. My fellow Nigerians, I implore you, lets not allow this tragedy to unfold. We must rally together to save Isa and Grace and reunite them with their wife and mother and two other children.

Pastor Andrew was reportedly abducted eight days after gunmen released parish priest Mikah Suleiman of St. Raymond Catholic Church Damba, who had been kidnapped for 16 days.

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 report.

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.
ORANGE CITY, Iowa  An Alvord, Iowa, man has been sentenced to probation for vehicular homicide in connection with the death of a Rock Valley, Iowa, woman who was a passenger in his car.

Kaleb DeBey, 22, was sentenced Monday in Sioux County District Court for vehicular homicide -- reckless driving, a class C felony, and two counts of operating while under the influence, a serious misdemeanor.

DeBey was driving an Audi A4 west on 300th Street near Filmore Avenue northeast of Rock Valley at approximately 12:35 a.m. July 30, 2023, when he failed to negotiate a curve, left the road and struck a culvert, causing the car to become airborne.

Halee Bliek, 35, was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected through the windshield, and the car came to rest on top of her. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital, and DeBey was treated for injuries.

According to court documents, DeBey was driving at least 126 mph at the time of the crash. Testing of DeBey's blood showed a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.157 percent, nearly double the legal limit, and the presence of controlled substances.

DeBey was arrested Sept. 1 in an unrelated drunk driving case in Rock Valley.

Prosecutors and DeBey reached a plea agreement in which each side would make their own sentencing recommendations, with a judge determining DeBey's sentence.

During Monday's sentencing hearing, prosecutors recommended that the court impose the 10-year indeterminate prison sentence or, in the alternative, recommended a jail sentence which could have been up to two years. Attorneys for DeBey recommended probation and no jail time.

The judge ruled that DeBey's prison term would be suspended and ordered DeBey to serve five years of probation with the Iowa Department of Corrections. DeBey was also ordered to complete a substance abuse evaluation and comply with any recommendations, as well as serve seven days in the county jail between the two OWIs. He was given credit for the 11 days he previously served, so he will not have to serve any additional time.
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SIOUX CITY  The Sioux City Council approved a resolution Monday to create a diversity and inclusion coordinator position.

The vote was 3 to 1, with Mayor Bob Scott casting the lone "no" vote. Councilman Matthew O'Kane was absent from the meeting.

"Not because of anything that happened, but I think Mr. (Bob) Padmore can confirm I said a long time ago, I question this position, and I'm not blaming anybody. We all have responsibility, us included as council members. We're probably not giving the type of direction that we needed to give," Scott said. "I'm just not comfortable, especially in this age where you have to be even careful doing this type of stuff, because the state has laws now. This position is going to have a real significant impact on our operations."

The position replaces the current community inclusion liaison position, which oversaw the Inclusive Sioux City Advisory Committee. The diversity and inclusion coordinator will "have more emphasis on diverse recruitment" for the city. The job description changes were requested by the council.

The change comes on the heels of the May 28 firing of the city's first community inclusion liaison, Semehar Ghebrekidan.

Ghebrekidan had been on administrative leave since Feb. 21. She was ultimately fired for violating general standards of conduct, work rules, Iowa code and city administrative policy, according to documents obtained by The Journal. Since she was hired in 2021, Ghebrekidan oversaw the inclusion committee, which provides guidance to the City Council on matters relating to diversity, equity and inclusion.

The coordinator will be assigned to the Human Resources Department, but will continue to work with the City Manager's Office on diversity programming and also staff the inclusion committee. A class specification bulletin, which was last updated on Dec. 8, 2020, stated that the liaison position was under the general direction of the city manager and the committee.

"This position serves as a liaison to the City and key community leaders to ensure equitable access to all programs and opportunities exists for all members of our community," stated the 2020 bulletin.

City documents stated that the coordinator position's purpose would be to develop, implement and monitor programs and initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion with city staff, the inclusion committee and community leaders to "foster increased diversity and an inclusive workplace culture." The hourly pay range for the coordinator position is listed as S17 ($30.57 to $44.64), which is the same as that of the liaison position, according to a salary table posted on the city's website.

"Money will be reallocated from the City Manager's budget and added to the Human Resources Department. There is no change in salary for the position," city documents stated.

Symphony project

During the meeting, the council approved a resolution supporting the submission of a Community Attractions and Tourism Grant application to the Iowa Economic Development Authority for the Gilchrist Music Education Center.

There was no discussion on the item, which was part of the council's consent agenda.

The center will be constructed on the third floor of the Orpheum Building and enable the symphony to provide individual and group lessons for hundreds of area students, according to a letter penned by Executive Director David S. Gross. The center will also house the symphony's music library, equipment storage and offices for the music director, librarian and teaching artist, a newly created position.

The Sioux City Symphony Orchestra is requesting that the city allow $3,000 of existing funding be allocated for construction of the Music Education Center. The project is expected to cost $1,285,980, according to a comprehensive project budget summary prepared by CMBA Architects in May 2023. Other entities and donors have committed $966,000 to support the project, according to city documents.

Permanent supportive housing

The council also green-lighted a resolution authorizing the city's application to the Iowa Finance Authority 2024 National Housing Trust Fund program in the amount of $3,716,608 for the construction of permanent supportive housing and affordable housing.

The housing will be located at 409 and 407 13th St., 1302 Douglas St., and 1218-22 Douglas St. Onsite case management would be provided by Heartland Counseling.

Neighborhood Services Manager Jill Wanderscheid said a one-bedroom apartment would rent for roughly $486 a month, while a two-bedroom apartment would run around $780.

"What we're requesting is about $3.7 million to create 17 units of permanent supportive housing, which provides housing for those that are transitioning from homelessness, in addition to case management, so the rents are fairly low," she said. "We are also proposing a match that would create seven units of affordable housing, and that would be funded with our HOME funds."

City documents noted that homelessness continues to be a "major area of concern" with local nonprofits. The issue continues to be brought up as a "serious community issue" at various community meetings.

A total of $1,100,486 in HOME Investment Partnership is proposed as match for the project. Additional grants would be sought to cover the case management associated with the permanent supportive housing units.

The project is required to be shown to cash flow for 30 years.

"This is wonderful news if we get it," Councilwoman Julie Schoenherr said.
SIOUX CITY -- The Sioux City Council voted Monday to defer final consideration of a rezoning request for a 30-acre tract of land at 3700 Jefferson St., which would allow Knife River to relocate its operations there.

The vote to defer third consideration until Sept. 9, came after Mayor Pro Tem Dan Moore said he was "troubled" by the fact that the council didn't engage in discussion before passing second consideration on Aug. 12. First consideration passed on Aug. 5.

Dolf Ivener, a Sioux City businessman, made the request to rezone the property, which is currently general commercial, to general industrial. The site would be used for heavy industry, including aggregate storage and concrete/asphalt batch plants. Knife River, which specializes in aggregates, asphalt, ready-mix concrete and construction, has outgrown its current facility at 2220 Hawkeye Drive.

Moore expressed concerns about access points to the property, railroad traffic and dust that would be created. He said he was having a difficult time balancing "heavy industry coexisting with residential areas that close to each other."

"Now, some have answered that to me by saying, 'Well, the tree line will work as a buffer to stop the dust from going over to the residential neighborhood of Leeds,'" Moore said. "I guess I haven't had very good luck with trees over the years, because they do die. They get replaced. I don't know how much dust we're talking about, but I wouldn't want to rely on trees to be a buffer to block all dust that would be going into a residential area."

David Raymond, who owns a residence in the 2700 block of 41st St., expressed concerns about residents being able to sell their houses, as well as quality of life, noise and dust.

"I don't think that's a good place for them to be," he said of Knife River.

Ivener noted that Knife River is an existing business. He said Knife River is going to be "further from residents where they're going than where they are right now."

"It would be different if this industry didn't exist already and it wasn't around and it was just like unknown," he said. "This is the best use of the land. Who else is going to go next to 8 million gallons of jet fuel between two railroad tracks?"

Twenty-seven notices about the rezoning request were sent to property owners in the area. The city received two responses within the required time frame expressing opposition to the request. They cited concerns about air safety and having the "quiet, relaxed atmosphere" by their homes "destroyed" by industrial activities, according to city documents.

During a July 9 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, a property owner in the 3600 block of Floyd Blvd., expressed concerns to the commission about dust and the trucks possibly driving on Floyd Boulevard. Knife River has no plans to use Floyd Boulevard unless there is a project in the Leeds area. At peak season, close to 150 trucks would be going in and out of 41st Street, according to the documents.

"I think they're a great corporate citizen. They do great things in this community," Mayor Bob Scott said of Knife River. "When they fire that plant up, we get all kinds of complaints. ... When they fire that plant up in the spring, the odor is horrendous and floats down that valley."

Resident Trisha Rivers suggested the council hold listening sessions with Leeds residents.

"I know that some of these things are determined by private businesses and Iowa codes and all of those things, however, people should have a say in people over profit," she said.
The overwhelming police presence is unavoidable outside of the United Center in Chicago, where the 2024 Democratic National Convention is underway. No matter what direction you approach from, youre guaranteed to see hundreds of officers from different forces, many hanging around charter buses or manning bicycles, choking the area around the convention and clearly ready for action.

Ahead of the DNC, theres been a lot of chatter about a potential for upheaval brought on by pro-Palestine protests, comparisons to the tumult at the 1968 convention, and so on. But the status of the biggest rally, organized by March on the DNC, seemed to be in limbo until the week before it was scheduled, after a lengthy drama in which the city and organizers were at odds about the route of the march. Police representatives like Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling made grave public warnings to protesters about swift police intervention if things got out of hand. I am not going to wait until out-of-control and then try to bring it back in, he said. Gov. J. B. Pritzker involved the Illinois National Guard.

The fear of violence was far-reaching. Many local businesses have preemptively boarded up their stores, and some Democratic lawmakers who expressed concern over their safety were told by law enforcement to avoid certain areas or otherwise expect violence, and to book hotels under false names. Worry about the potential for a climactic clash involving pro-Palestine protests was punctuated by a $75 million grant from the Department of Justice to bolster security.

Inside the park, however, as the March on the DNC rally was underway, it began to feel like it was all much ado about nothing. The main protesters decried the Biden administrations continued funding and political cover for Israels nearly yearlong assault in Gaza; some, who see no change in Kamala Harris potential role, held signs about Killer Kamala. But also inside the park was a contingent of Christian Zionists waving enormous Israeli flags. They were barricaded into a corner at the opposite end of the rally stage by police officers, with about two cops and reporters per counterprotesterbut pro-Palestine protesters clad in kaffiyeh were still permitted to weave inside the counterprotest to engage in dialogue. The Christian Zionists I spoke to mostly said they are aligned with peace, and hadnt faced any aggressive confrontations from pro-Palestine protesters.

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The police seemed less interested in the few pro-Trump antagonists who weaved inside the park, as were most other rallygoers. MAGA personality and originator of the Pizzagate conspiracy Jack Posobiec was thinly disguised in a Palestinian kaffiyeh and sunglasses as he did interviews at the rally with a camera crew which he said was broadcasting live. He told me he was expecting a little bit more of a raucous atmosphere and was surprised by how tame it was. He said that he was interviewing attendees about their views on Kamala Harris, but I could overhear him attempting to troll people, asking questions like How many abortions have you had today?

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The temperature at the park remained low for hours. But after the march approached the iron gates placed on the outer perimeter of United Center, tensions spiked immediately. A Chicago PD helicopter hovered at a low altitude, casting a loud hum inside buildings hosting convention events. Chants drowned out the exuberant cheering from volunteers greeting Democratic delegates as they cleared security.

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Things took a turn when one masked protester lifted a panel of the iron gate up out of its socket and toppled it over. For several minutes, neither the protesters nor the police on the other side seemed to know what to do next, until both protesters and reporters began filling the buffer space and approached the second-tier fence, banging against it with sticks and attempting to shake it loose. One protester, Jamie Lee Finney, a U.S. Navy veteran, pounded on the gate, shouting, We will no longer be complicit in a genocide, invoking Aaron Bushnells name.

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Although some protesters threw small stones, water bottles, and sticks over the gate at helmeted police officers, the tension quickly diffused when police reinforcements arrived and flanked the protesters on both sides, pushing them back beyond the iron gate and arresting the few people who did not comply. No injuries were reported among either the protesters or police.

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The vast majority of the thousands of protesters who have come to dissent Bidens participation in Israels war did so peacefully and without damaging property, and there was no need for further police involvement.

Meanwhile, inside the arena, security personnel faced additional challenges as several demonstrators attempted to disrupt the celebrations surrounding Harris candidacy. During Joe Bidens speech, a banner reading Stop Arming Israel was ripped away from the hands of Jewish and Muslim Michigan delegates, one of whom was hit on the head with a We heart Joe sign. And on Tuesday, protests extended beyond the main event, with the DNC Womens Caucus and a brunch at Wrigley Field both being briefly interrupted by Code Pink activists. The tension between the right to protest and the need for security continues to play out while the actual convention seems to be avoiding the issue altogether, aside from uncommitted delegates who are trying to push the party to support an arms embargo from the inside. As Michael Berg, a Jewish uncommitted delegate from Missouri, put it to me inside the United Center: Follow the law that is already on the books. The Leahy Laws exist for a reason.

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The security perimeter was reinforced the following morning with an additional iron gate and bars locking the panels in place. Still, the likelihood of further disruptions seems high. But the need for the extreme police presence and the atmosphere of fear surrounding these protests remains an open question. I was also in Milwaukee last month for the Republican National Convention, and there was nothing even close to the militarized security Im seeing in Chicago. Some in and around the DNC told me they welcomed the police. Others, especially protesters, told me they felt the message was pretty clear: You are the enemy. And you better watch yourself.
About 20 minutes before President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 election, Teresa Saavedra Woorman, a Maryland state legislator and a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, got a call from the Biden campaign asking if she was still on board with his candidacy. When the alerts came in 20 minutes later that Biden had dropped out, she thought, Whoa, OK. That was quick.

Numerous delegates I spoke to Monday, on the first day of the DNC, similarly had their temperature taken in the last weeks of the Biden campaign. Tim Allison, the executive director of a teachers union in California, said it happened multiple times. Megan Kerr, who serves on the Long Beach City Council, also had gotten some calls about what her intentions were.

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They all said they would support Biden. These were, after all, Biden delegates that the president had won through the primary process, and their support was pledged to him.

I told them straight up, Allison said, the decision is the presidents. He has earned the nomination of the party, and the decision is his. I was elected as a delegate to Joe Biden. So I was with Joe Biden until he said he was no longer in the race.

Many delegates remember vividly where they were when Biden saidor rather, submitted a letter announcingthat he was quitting from the race. Kerr was on a bike ride with a group, which they stopped for a few minutes to sit down and check their phones. Cindy Yoe, a Maryland county party chair, heard the news as she was getting on a plane home from Montana, so missed the next several hours of rapid-fire developments. Larry Olsen, the South Dakota state party treasurerwhose camo WALZ hat earned him a compliment from Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar while we were speakingsaid he was probably doing some kind of work on the farm.

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While some of them first had panicked thoughtswhats going to happen next? Is there going to be an open convention free-for-all?Bidens ensuing endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris soon cleared up any confusion. Within the next few days, most state party delegations would officially endorse and then formally vote to nominate Harris to replace Biden atop the ticket. Allison proudly noted that in the California delegations virtual meeting, he seconded Nancy Pelosis motion to pledge support to Harris. Once Biden threw his support behind Harris, Biden delegates did too, without a second thought.

If you think of Harris delegates, then, as Biden delegates firstpeople chosen for their roles because of presumed loyalty to Joe Bidenits almost surprising that there isnt more resentment within the DNC toward the way he was shown the door. I didnt pick up much of it. Yoe, from Maryland, said she had a little problem with the ageism thing, saying that as shes getting older, it hits home a little closer. But there wasnt any appetite for Donald Trumps fantasy scenario, in which Biden emerges at the convention wanting to take the convention back.

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Its going to be a night for nostalgia, Allison told me. Hes been a strong president whos done remarkable things for the country, and I think he did one last remarkable thing for the country by deciding it was time to hand off the baton.

Nobodys perfect, Olsen, of South Dakota, said. But do I think he was a competent leader? Yes. Do I think he got a tremendous amount of things accomplished? Yes. Do I think he could have continued? Yes. But I think he made the right choice for himself, made definitely the right choice for the country. Unselfish sacrifice.

Similar homages were made through the first evenings programming.

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Thank you, Joe, for your lifetime of service and leadership, Hillary Clinton said.

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President Biden, America is so much better because of youa true patriot who has always put the people first, Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock said. Thank you, Joe!

Mr. President, thank youthank youfor elevating a great leader in Kamala Harris, Bidens top ally in the Senate, Chris Coons, said in his speech introducing the Biden family segment of the evening.

Related From Slate What the Polls Tell Us About How Long Kamalamentum Can Keep Rolling Read More

Ive wondered how well Bidenthe candidate on whom the party has just turned out the lightstakes it when its laid on this thick. Its not like he was left with a much of a choice on the matter by the time he dropped out. The party had abandoned him and had the ability to keep ratcheting the heat up further. And Monday, while speakers were feting him with their deepest thanks for hour after hour, they were also delaying his speaking window until after prime time on the East Coast. But they did so from the bottom of their hearts.

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Biden took the stage at 10:26 p.m. Central Time to a minuteslong standing ovation. Every delegate was holding up a WE <3 JOE signnotably including a member of the California delegation sitting in the front row, Nancy Pelosi. Members of the Delaware delegation put on aviators.

Most of Bidens speech couldve been takenand likely wasfrom a draft of a renomination speech. He reiterated the stakes of the race, ran through his legislative record, and made the case against Trump. There were calls to put Harris and Tim Walz in office. But not really much, ultimately about as much as the sum total of the unscripted not a joke, not hyperbole, and I mean that literally asides scattered throughout. After about 50 minutes, speakers and delegates didnt need to thank him. They just needed to let him finish.

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I can honestly say Im more optimistic about the future than I was when I was elected a 29-year-old United States senator, he said toward the end of his speech as it stretched into the one-hour mark.

I was too young to be in the Senate, he then ad-libbed in a joke, and too old to be the president. Biden had come out firing in his speech but had been beginning to sag a bit as things went on. But he delivered that joke well. Perhaps because it was no joke at all, and he meant that literally.
Kenya police mission in Haiti have been holding regular prayer and fellowship meetings at the base camp in the countrys capital Port-au-Prince. The contingent of special police officers were seen attending a prayer service in a social media post shared by CNN Africa Correspondent, Larry Madowo.

Led by one of the police officers, the group of about 60 Christian security officers affirmed their faith in God to protect them and grant them success in their mission in Haiti. The unnamed police officer reminded his colleagues that their trust is in God. In this mission, we are trusting God 100%. In this mission we are trusting the Lord with all our hearts, with all our soul and with all our minds, said the officer.

Kenya security forces are in Haiti to help the government restore control of the capital Port-au-Prince that has been in the hands of armed gangs. Haitis main airport, which was under gang control, was reclaimed and is now under the government.

However, the security forces have their work cut out to reclaim 85% of Port-au-Prince that is in the hands of several gangs. By mid-July, 600 police officers from Kenya had arrived in Haitis capital. Another 2,000 officers from 12 countries are expected to join the security mission in Haiti by the end of the year.

Since we came here, we have only seen the hand of God. Many things have been said against us but God has been so faithful, said the preaching officer. He commended his colleagues for creating time to have fellowship in the barracks amidst the sensitive nature of the mission. The mess for the multinational security support mission in Haiti houses the contractors building the base, support staff and the Kenyan police force who will be joined by the international team later.

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The preaching officer further encouraged his fellow officers from the book of Acts of Apostles 2:42; ...and they continued steadfastly in apostolic doctrine, in fellowship, in breaking of bread and in prayer.

Even in this mission, as we perform our mandate, the Word of God is with usour expectations will not be cut off he added.

The fellowship also committed the interim Prime Minister Garry Conille to prayer together with the transitional council and the cabinet.

Conille had earlier told CNN that the government was in need of more and urgent support to restore order and enable Haiti to provide essential services to the citizens.

We know that there are a lot of emergencies around the world and we understand, to a certain extent, that there is Haiti fatigue but the good news is that there is now hope, said

In addition to providing close to 1,000 special police officers to the US-backed mission in Haiti, Kenya also included a faith-based intervention, endorsed by President William Rutos wife, Rachel. She was on record in June saying that the country will not allow the police officers to travel to Haiti without prayer after meeting a team of evangelical pastors from Kenya, the US and Haiti tasked with developing and executing a spiritual strategy for Haiti.

We have come together to say we want to form a prayer strategy, and we would like you to join us in prayer for this great country of Haiti because we know the Lord can transform Haiti, said Mrs. Ruto.
A single-seat cable car lifts tourism in southern Slovakia.

The cable car from Dedinky to Geravy was constructed in 1970. (Source: Marcela Ballova)

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The Alps in winter, the Adriatic in summeryet tourists are increasingly drawn to one of the most beautiful corners of the Gemer region in southern Slovakia. In the small village of Dedinky, there are now more visitors than locals. With a population of just 230, Dedinky offers a wealth of hidden treasures.

One of its standout attractions is a single-seat cable car, the only one of its kind in Slovakia, which resumed operation last year after a 12-year hiatus. Even during its one-year trial run, it drew immense interest from visitors, a trend that continues to grow.

A helping hand in the heart of Europe thanks to the Slovakia travel guide with more than 1,000 photos and hundreds of tourist spots.

"It provides an exceptional experience, not just from the ride itself but from the breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape and Palcmanska Masa [water reservoir - ed.]," said Lenka Vargova Jurkova, executive director of Kosice Region Tourism. "The 20-minute ride each way offers a chance to take in the beauty of Slovak Paradise [National Park]."

This winter, it will once again be open to tourists.

Cable car sees surge in visitors

The cable car now transports thousands of people each month. Last year, despite operating from August to October, the cable car carried 13,000 visitors.

"This year, we exceeded that number in July alone. We expect the total to rise to 25,000 visitors annually," said Vargova Jurkova.

For comparison, she noted that during its previous operation period, the cable car transported around 15,000 tourists annually.

From May through October, the cable car runs daily from 9:00 to 17:00. In winter, from November to April, it will continue operating, though with slightly shorter hours.

Tourists are coming back

Milan Cervenka, the mayor of Dedinky, views the cable car's reopening as a major boost not just for the village but for the entire Gemer region. In an area not typically favoured by large investors, the cable car has spurred promising tourism growth and positively impacted the local economy.

"It's encouraging to see things improving. As the cable car attracts more tourists, the village benefits," said the mayor.

He also highlighted that the cable car, which is owned by the village, has created new employment opportunities. Twelve people are now employed in operating the cable car and managing the nearby food stands.

video //www.youtube.com/embed/pTNTEVFqGt4

The cable car from Dedinky to Geravy was constructed in 1970. Spanning 1,980 metres with 32 columns, it ascends approximately 220 metres and has a capacity of 133 seats. It operates three trips per hour.

"Many foreign visitors used to come here," recalled local Stefan Slejzak, who operated the original and now operates the renovated cable car.

The return trip, in particular, offers spectacular views of the Palcmanska Masa reservoir with its striking turquoise waters. The area is popular among holidaymakers who camp in caravans and tents, and it also attracts fishermen.

Nearby attractions include Dobsinska Ice Cave, Stratensky canyon, and Zejmarska gorge, making the region a sought-after destination for many people.

My Novohrad

https://sk.frame.mapy.cz/s/gumusecumu
Slovak historiography has made significant progress in understanding events related to the year 1968 that were previously taboo.

KSC leader Antonin Novotny (l), who served as the First Secretary from 1953 to 1968 and as President of Czechoslovakia from 1957 to 1968, and Slovak politician Alexander Dubcek (r), who succeeded him as the KSC leader in 1968. (Source: Wikimedia/Fortepan/Szalay Zoltan)

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Miroslav Londak is a Slovak historian who studies recent Slovak history. He works at the Slovak Academy of Sciences.

Just as many people abroad still do not know that Dubcek was Slovak or the circumstances under which he became leader of the so-called Prague Spring, there is also little known about the role of the Slovak intelligentsia and political elites in the period preceding the Prague Spring, which directly initiated it, as its foundations were being formed. Slovak historians have therefore called this period the Pre-Spring (19631967).

After the crash comes a willingness to listen

In Czech and Slovak society, starting practically from the early 1950s, a critical perspective began to mature as the communist regime, relatively quickly after taking power in February 1948, demonstrated its iron fist rule. As a result of fabricated political trials, censorship, restrictions on human rights, the terror policy imported from the Soviet Union against landowners during forced collectivisation, private owners/craftsmen, small business owners, churches, ideological opponentsthe regime gradually sank into a deepening moral crisis and growing distrust, not only among the population but even among its own party members.

While in the 1950s, the regimes leadership managed to silence this first crisis through authoritarian means (according to historian Karel Kaplan), it continued to ferment beneath the surface. It began to manifest more intensely when, at the start of the 1960s, Czechoslovakia unexpectedly and incomprehensibly, for the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSC) leadership, found itself on the brink of a second, this time political, moral, and economic crisis, which had existential implications for the regime. The premature collapse of the Third Five-Year Plan (19611965), a centralised national economic programme, in its second year led the conservative communist leadership under Antonin Novotny to make a desperate move: he was forced to seek help from experts and intellectuals, whom the workers party had never trusted and had kept out of leadership positions.

Novotny, the leader of the KSC, reached out to the economist Ota Sik (they knew each other personally from a concentration camp during the war), who had caught attention by publishing a critical article on the current economic problems. Soon after, in 1963, Sik became the director of the Economic Institute of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences and was given free rein to form a team of progressive economists with the goal of preparing economic reforms. Siks team was not only tasked with stopping the economic recession, but was also given the challenging responsibility of creating a manual for future economic growth in the socialist economy.

Awakening in Slovakia

It soon became evident, that Slovakias traditional perception as a region somewhat removed from the real decision-making processes and events in the Prague centre within the shared state could, paradoxically, sometimes be an advantage. For instance, no Slovak economist was included in Siks team to ensure that the needs, conditions, possibilities, and potential consequences of the reform on Slovakia were considered.

In the spring of 1963, Alexander Dubcek, a politician of a new generation unburdened by the grim past of the Communist Party, became the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Slovakia (UV KSS). Although he was, at that time, a typical communist official produced by the party apparatus, he preferred constructive dialogue in his political work over the convenient authoritarian tools of power.

Under Dubceks leadership, the KSS was once again able to reconstruct Slovak political interests aimed at achieving equal status within the state compared to the Czech lands. This was not only due to Dubceks position within the KSS, but also because of the intellectuals who articulated these interests. It was a mutually beneficial relationship: Dubcek not only tolerated the criticism of the intellectuals within the limits of his power, but also established contacts with them and surrounded himself with them. Feeling their support, he gradually began to share their views.

Another significant factor in the political movement in Slovakia was Dubceks prioritisation of rehabilitating the victims of the campaign against the so-called Slovak bourgeois nationalists (19511954) and its consequences. The physical elimination of part of the post-war generation of Slovak intellectuals and resistance fighters, who were executed or sentenced to long prison terms in staged trials, along with the unprecedented intimidation and instillation of a permanent sense of fear within the cultural community, traumatised Slovak society with a sense of injustice and also damaged Czech-Slovak relations.

At the beginning of the 1960s, Slovak society was confronted with the testimonies of people who returned from prisons after partial amnesties. Dubcek himself, a member of the so-called Kolder Commission, which was focused on investigating these trials, recalled how the documents he encountered literally shook him. He stated that after the commissions work was completed, he was no longer the same person as before.

Rehabilitation  a leitmotif of the 1960s

The rehabilitation of representatives of the Slovak cultural intelligentsia became one of the key themes in the collective efforts of the Slovak elite. The priority was to fully exonerate those who had been unjustly convicted and imprisoned in fabricated show trials, where they not only lost their freedom but also their civil rights, property, and, for many, their health and families, which often fell apart due to separation. Another political priority for Dubcek was the rehabilitation of Slovak historical milestones, events, and personalities that had been trivialized or misrepresented. This agenda was positively received in Slovakia, along with the emergence of a high-ranking official of a new generation and type on the Slovak political scene.

A political accelerator of developments in Czechoslovakia during the 1960s was the growing criticism of the bureaucratic and totalitarian methods of governance by the Communist Party. In Slovakia, this included long-standing dissatisfaction with the countrys status within the shared state, which had been accumulating since the early days of post-war recoverywhen the systematic curtailment of the powers and competencies of the Slovak national institutions began. This centralisation peaked in 1960 with the introduction of a new constitution, which further entrenched the formation of a centralised communist state. Although Slovaks were officially recognised as a distinct nation, the role of Slovak national institutions was minimised, and their influence on real political life or the management of economic processes was merely symbolic, in reality negligible. Communist Czechoslovakia was unequivocally built as a centralised state. Due to the orthodox stance of the KSC leader, Antonin Novotny, the demand for an adjustment of Slovakias state-legal status within the structure of the shared state remained unacceptable.

Disconcerting disparity and criticism of centralism

Critical voices during the Pre-Spring period also emerged from Slovak economists. Their analyses, which appeared more frequently in the second half of 1966 and in the spring of 1967, focused on objectively mapping the development of the Slovak economy after February 1948, including the results of socialist industrialisation. They highlighted the negative consequences of Siks economic reforms on Slovakia. Dubcek, who collaborated with the economists, was particularly irritated by the outcomes of long-term investments managed from the Prague-based state centre, which barely reflected or considered the different demographic processes occurring in Slovakia compared to the Czech lands. The results of these analyses are documented in the attached table.

Of course, although Dubcek did not have access to such a table, he was well aware of the key data and trends. The figures clearly indicate that despite the implementation of a planned economy in Czechoslovakia and the support of socialist industrialisation in Slovakia from nationwide resources, after the 20 years that had passed since February 1948, the situation was such that, although Slovakia contributed over 70 percent to the nationwide increase in the working-age population, it only accounted for 25 percent of the increase in employment opportunities in the national economy. At the same time, Slovakia contributed less than 35 percent to the nationwide increase in industrial jobs, despite the fact that the Czech lands were already at a much higher level of industrialisation after World War II.

Moreover, during the summer of 1967, Antonin Novotny, the First Secretary of the KSC, prepared a document for approval stating that the industrialisation of Slovakia was essentially complete and that efforts should be made to increase the transfer of the Slovak workforce to Czech factories and production plants. By 1980, this was expected to involve the relocation of 100,000 people to the Czech lands in search of work, bringing the total migration from Slovakia to the Czech Republic to half a million people.

Prologue to the year 1968

Based on these facts, Dubcek delivered a significant critique of the situation at a meeting of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (UV KSC) in September 1967. This intensified the ongoing conflict between him and Novotny, foreshadowing Novotnys eventual fall from the highest party position.

The economic developments that Slovakia underwent since February 1948, the campaign against the so-called Slovak nationalists, their subsequent rehabilitation, and the growing dissatisfaction with Slovakias position within the shared state were key factors that, along with many others, propelled Czechoslovakia into the reform-oriented year of 1968. Proposals for significantly increasing the powers of Slovak national institutions in economic management, the formation of a group of reform-minded communists within the highest echelons of the state who sought to end the Novotny era, Dubceks speech at the end of October 1967, in which he pointed out the inappropriate concentration of power in Novotnys hands as both the First Secretary of the UV KSC and the President of the Republic, and the critical atmosphere in both Czech and Slovak societyall of these factors accelerated the developments leading to the events of 1968.

The piece was originally published in Slovak in August 2023.

 Historicka revue
An actress in the play likened Stefan Kuffa to a censor.

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It was a Sunday evening in the small, remote village of Mala Frankova, nestled in the Kezmarok district of eastern Slovakia. Roughly a hundred spectators gathered to enjoy an outdoor performance by the National Theatre of Kosice at the local amphitheatre. The show, Little Gem  an acclaimed Irish play by Elaine Murphy  tells the stories of three generations of women grappling with life, love, and sexuality. But what was meant to be an evening of culture turned into a spectacle of disruption.

The peace was shattered when Stefan Kuffa, a deputy environment minister and far-right nationalist appointed by the Slovak National Party (SNS), strode in front of the audience. Three-quarters of an hour into the play, he attempted to halt the performance, declaring it inappropriate for the crowd, which included children.

Lukas Marhefka, the editor-in-chief of Zamagurske noviny, a local paper, was among the audience members. He was the first to bring the incident to light. People asked Kuffa to leave because they couldnt see the stage, Marhefka said in a video. Instead of stepping aside, Kuffa launched into a tirade, addressing the crowd about who should  and should not  be watching the play. He even likened the performance to pornography. Tempers flared, leading to a heated argument and the abrupt interruption of the performance.

Its unbelievable, Marhefka said. He single-handedly disrupted the performance of actress Dana Kosicka.

The play was part of a hunting event held in the village last Sunday.

Theatre critical of Kuffa

The play in question, Little Gem, premiered in 2008 and has garnered widespread acclaim, including an award at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Its exploration of love, death, and intimacy through the voices of three women  granddaughter, mother, and grandmother  seemed to have struck a particularly sensitive chord for Kuffa. One monologue, delivered by actress Luba Blaskovicova as the grandmother, candidly reflects on a friends advice to visit a sex shop to reignite her passion for life. It was during Kosickas salsa-related monologue that Kuffa chose to intervene.

Kuffa has since denied Marhefkas account, yet in an official statement, he admitted to disrupting the play. I acted in good faith to prevent the performance containing perverse scenes, targeted solely at adults, from continuing in front of our children, he said on Facebook.

Blaskovicova responded by comparing Kuffa to a censor.

The National Theatre of Kosice defended its production, noting that the play is clearly marked as suitable for viewers aged 18 and over on its website. However, festival organisers had failed to communicate this to the audience, leading to an apology to the theatre from the event organisers. Nonetheless, the theatre stood by its stance that the situation did not justify anyone interfering with the performance or ejecting the audience from the cultural event. It further emphasised that it is the responsibility of parents, not organisers, to decide what content is appropriate for their children.

The performance eventually resumed, though no longer in the original amphitheatre. After Kuffa was escorted away by the villages mayor, Milan Kalafut, the play continued in an alternate venue offered by the organisers.

Like Kuffa, who comes from Mala Frankova, Kalafut criticised the play, and called it unsuitable for the conservative local community following the incident.

Kuffas provocation

Kuffas intervention, however, extended beyond the performance itself. Late in the evening, while theatre staff dismantled the set, Kuffa reappeared with his phone in hand, filming the workers. This encounter ended with a brief physical altercation, after a staff member struck Kuffas hand with a metal rod. Kuffa later posted a video of the incident online, sparking an ongoing police investigation.

The Mala Frankova incidents have rippled through Slovakias political sphere. While opposition parties have called for Kuffas resignation, Slovak National Party chair Andrej Danko denounced the assault on Kuffa by the theatre worker.

Meanwhile, a commenter on social media claimed that Kuffa had harassed and insulted the theatre troupe throughout the day.

Minister wants an investigation

The Culture Ministry also weighed in, siding with Kuffa.

Children and youth must be protected from inappropriate content and from the persistent pressure of liberal-progressive propaganda, Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova (SNS) stated. She described the play as far beyond the bounds of what is suitable for children and youth, citing both its sexual content and language.

There is no confirmation as to whether Simkovicova herself saw the production. However, Dennik N, a prominent Slovak daily, reported that the minister used a photograph from a different staging of the play Little Gem, involving a sex toy, to publicly criticise the national theatre and the play itself on social media. The image, although related to Little Gem, was taken from a rendition at the Bratislava-based theatre L+S.

Simkovicova has faced criticism for purging cultural institutions, attacking the LGBT+ community, and attempting to consolidate control over cultural funding in an effort to reshape Slovakias cultural landscape.

The minister has since announced plans to investigate whether the performance in the village of Mala Frankova violated laws regarding the moral protection of minors. Additionally, Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (SNS) has expressed hopes that General Prosecutor Maros Zilinka will also look into the matter.

Kuffas actions mirror a similar incident in 2016, when far-right politician Marian Kotleba halted a theatre performance due to its coarse language.
Carlos Figueiredo says he had a good time in Bratislava, but he wont be coming back.

The car park below Devin Castle in Slovakia. (Source: The Slovak Spectator)

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Carlos Figueiredo and his wife, along with their friends, spent an enjoyable weekend in Bratislava in early August, savouring the local pubs and the charm of the historical centre. Their trip to the majestic ruins of Devin Castle, perched above the Danube River on the border with Austria, was meant to be the perfect finale before they returned to Poland.

Im a history buff, so I loved visiting the ruins, said Figueiredo, a Portuguese national who has lived in Poland for eight years, in an interview with The Slovak Spectator.

But the groups joy turned to shock when they discovered upon finding that their parked car had been covered in dirt and cigarette butts. Worse was to come, with Figueiredo suffering a physical assault.

Their car had been parked near the edge of the sprawling municipal parking area beneath the castle, outside a restaurant and adjacent to a small stand selling local currant wine. The stand is operated by Thebener, a well-known local winery.

According to Figueiredo, the vendor  a well-groomed petite young woman with long, dark hair  appeared unbothered when he parked opposite the stand, offering no objection as they left for their sightseeing trip.

However, when Figueiredo returned to find the car covered in debris, he approached the woman at the wine stand to ask who had vandalised it. She refused to answer, instead repeating in English, You cannot park here.

Other cars, all untouched, were parked alongside it. By then, two men  a younger man with a shaved head and an older bald man  had arrived in a white van with a trailer, and were unloading bottles of wine for the stand. Figueiredo said they grew increasingly agitated at his questions.
An Irish producer hails Bratislava as an excellent filmmaking location.

The making of Teacs Taistil, an Irish-language travel show in Bratislava. (Source: Mairead Tucker)

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The Slovak capital recently played host to an Irish language travel show, spotlighting the citys diverse activities and attractions.

Slovakia has beautiful buildings, lovely people, great food and shite mosquitos, said Seaghan O Suilleabhain, better known to his followers as the Kerry Cowboy, after a whirlwind three-day tour of Bratislava.

The Irish Instagram and TikTok influencer visited Bratislava, or An Bhrataslaiv in Irish, in early July, joined by two other Irish social media personalities, as they filmed Teacs Taistil (Travel Text in Gaelic)a travel show in the Irish language slated to air on Irelands TG4 network next year. The show, presented in Irish, or Gaelic, underscores the languages cultural significance despite being spoken by just 72,000 people in Ireland.

Irish is one of Irelands two official languages and holds the status of an official language of the European Union.

In each episode of the show, the hosts are tasked with completing an array of challenges and assignments handed down by the producers, all with the goal of immersing themselves in the essence of the cities they explore. While one host takes on the challenge, the others, equipped with high-end mobile phones and Osmo cameras, document the experience in real-time, curating a steady stream of social media content.

Joining O Suilleabhain were radio presenter Louise Cantillon and BBC history podcaster Pronsias O Coinn, who all share a fluency in the Irish language and a thirst for adventure.
Los Angeles, CA  Black Sheep, the coffee consultancy led by industry veteran Darleen Scherer, is set to unveil FoamAromas comprehensive brand evolution at CoffeeFest LA. This strategic relaunch aims to reinvigorate the decade-old lid company, address steady but stagnant sales, and strengthen its position in the specialty coffee market.

Revolutionizing the To-Go Coffee Experience

Under Black Sheeps guidance, FoamAroma has undergone a transformative rebranding process. The company, now aptly dubbed The Un-Lid, has refined its brand position, voice, and unique selling points to better resonate with specialty coffee retailers and discerning consumers.

Weve tapped into the essence of what makes FoamAroma unique, says Darleen Scherer, founder of Black Sheep. Our updated messaging speaks directly to specialty coffee retailers: A Better Coffee Experience. Introducing the Un-Lid.'

Engineering Meets Supertasting: The FoamAroma Story

At the heart of FoamAromas rebirth is its origin story. Craig Bailey, the founder, is now prominently featured as a coffee-loving engineer who just happens to be a supertaster. This unique combination of skills drove Bailey to develop a lid that preserves aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel  elements often lost in traditional to-go cups.

Brand Values and Unique Selling Points

The rebranding effort defined FoamAromas core values:

INNOVATIVE DESIGN

CUSTOMER-CENTRICITY

PRECISION ENGINEERING

Industry Endorsement and Target Audience

The reimagined FoamAroma has already garnered praise from industry leaders. Onyx Coffee Lab, known for its commitment to quality, has switched to FoamAroma lids, stating, Every drink we serve is an experience, and taking it to-go shouldnt change that. From the geometry of the sipping spout to the clever aromatic hole in the center, this lid helps us curate our patrons experience long after they exit our doors.

Black Sheep has positioned FoamAroma to appeal primarily to multi-location specialty coffee roasters and third-wave coffee bars, with a secondary focus on discerning coffee enthusiasts.

A Cohesive Brand Identity

The rebranding extends beyond messaging to encompass a new logo, website, and comprehensive marketing materials. The brand voice has been crafted to blend expertise with approachability, aiming for a confident yet unpretentious tone, witty yet substantive.

Your customers deserve a better to-go coffee experience, one that mimics the experience of drinking from a mug, is now a central message in FoamAromas communication with retailers.

Looking Ahead: CoffeeFest LA

The relaunch coincides with CoffeeFest LA, where Craig Bailey will be meeting with distributors and coffee bar owners. As part of the event, Bailey will conduct comparative sensory evaluations, inviting attendees to experience the difference between FoamAroma and conventional lids through blind taste tests. This hands-on demonstration aims to showcase the tangible benefits of the Un-Lids innovative design.

For more information, visit www.foamaroma.com or contact Black Sheep.

About Black Sheep Coffee Collab

Black Sheep, led by industry veteran Darleen Scherer, is a leading coffee consultancy known for its innovative approaches to brand positioning and product development in the specialty coffee sector.

About FoamAroma

FoamAroma is the brainchild of Craig Bailey, an engineer and supertaster who set out to revolutionize the to-go coffee experience. With its unique design features, FoamAroma preserves the sensory qualities of coffee, bringing the cafe experience to coffee lovers wherever they go.

Contact: Darleen Scherer, darleen@blacksheepcollab.coffee

To learn more about Black Sheep, visit: https://www.blacksheepcollab.coffee
Ljubljana, Slovenia  The Ljubljana Coffee Festival is proud to announce its return to Ljubljana, Slovenia, on September 21 and 22, 2024. This premier event is dedicated to celebrating Slovenias specialty coffee culture and bringing together coffee enthusiasts and professionals from around the world.

The festival will take place at the City Museum of Ljubljana and will feature a rich program designed to delight both coffee aficionados and industry experts.

With over 30 world-renowned experts from the coffee industry, including owners of prestigious coffee estates, scientists, world barista champions, and top chefs from Slovenian haute cuisine, attendees will have the opportunity to engage in unlimited coffee tastings, attend expert-led lectures and workshops, and witness exciting competitions featuring top baristas.

Festival Highlights

Barista Battle Challenge: A thrilling competition where baristas from across Europe showcase their creativity, skill, and precision in four demanding disciplines.

A thrilling competition where baristas from across Europe showcase their creativity, skill, and precision in four demanding disciplines. Latte Art Throwdown: A knockout tournament focused on the art of drawing with milk on coffee.

A knockout tournament focused on the art of drawing with milk on coffee. Sensory Room: A unique opportunity to taste some of the best coffees from around the world, guided by premier coffee importers.

A unique opportunity to taste some of the best coffees from around the world, guided by premier coffee importers. The Lab: A curated series of expert lectures featuring scientists, coffee farm owners, and World Barista Champions discussing the latest trends and innovations in the specialty-coffee industry.

A curated series of expert lectures featuring scientists, coffee farm owners, and World Barista Champions discussing the latest trends and innovations in the specialty-coffee industry. Panel Forum : Specialty Coffee & Haute Cuisine: An insightful discussion exploring the intricate relationship between high-quality coffee and gourmet cuisine.

: Specialty Coffee & Haute Cuisine: An insightful discussion exploring the intricate relationship between high-quality coffee and gourmet cuisine. Roaster Village: A vibrant hub where international and Slovenian exhibitors showcase their exceptional offerings, including barista equipment, exquisite ceramic cups, and exceptional coffee brews.

A vibrant hub where international and Slovenian exhibitors showcase their exceptional offerings, including barista equipment, exquisite ceramic cups, and exceptional coffee brews. Slovenian Roasters Place: A dedicated space highlighting the talent and innovation of local coffee roasters.

Special Event

Join us for a special event at Restaurant Strelec on September 20th, 2024, as we celebrate the opening of the festival. Instead of wine, each course will be paired with expertly brewed coffee prepared using various methods. This unique culinary experience will be handled by one of the best Slovenian chefs, Igor Jagodic.

Join the Celebration

The Ljubljana Coffee Festival is an unforgettable event that will enrich the culinary scene in Ljubljana city and elevate coffee culture standards. Dont miss this exclusive opportunity to be part of this extraordinary event! Visit our website for more information and to purchase tickets.
The word coffeeshop has a whole different connotation in Amsterdam than in does anywhere else in the world. And that connotation is of course weeeeeeeeeeeeeed. Amsterdams legendary more-or-less legal status has long made it a hub for the stickiest of the icky on the European continent (even though some Amsterdam legislatures are trying to change that), and the city still enjoys a network of cafes of varying prominence and popularity, from the tourist zones of Centrum to more chill locations in the citys various neighborhoods. Some (but certainly not all) of the Amsterdam coffeeshops serve pretty great coffee, though the citys coffee scene and the citys coffeeshop scene remain pretty far apart in most instances.

In the American zeitgeist, there is perhaps no more famous marijuana enthusiast than Calvin Broadus, Jr., better known as Snoog Dogg. Coming off his duties hosting the Paris Olympics, where he was also the most excited spectator in attendance at literally every event, Snoop is having a bit of a moment right now, and it doesnt look like he is in any mood to end his European vacation. So where else would the Doggfather go but Amsterdam, where he has opened his own coffeeshop.

As reported by HipHopDX.com, SWED Coffeeshort for Smoke Weed Every Day, a reference to The Next Episode by Dr. Dre featuring Snoopis the first of the rap legends officially branded dispensaries in Amsterdam and second location overall, the first being in his hometown of Los Angeles.

Along with selling cannabis products, the very chic SWED Amsterdam pays tribute to Snoops music career, including a Death Row electric chair, graffiti on the walls, and various bits of music memorabilia including a section dedicated to his seminal debut album. Theres also a giant transparent Westcoast hand-sign art piece, a Doberman statue, and a white with blue accent bandana print ceiling.

And because this is a coffeeshop, there is coffee. Eagle-eyed viewers of the Instagram video of SWEDs grand opening will note a two-group espresso machine and silver grinder in one of the quick cutaway shots, though the quality of the coffee program remains unclear.

Historically, coffee has been an afterthought at Amsterdam coffeeshops, but Snoop is no stranger to the specialty coffee world. Last year, he helped launch Indonesian specialty coffee line INDOxyzIndo being a homonym of endo, slang for marijuanabefore pulling out of the venture shortly thereafter. Still, Snoop has a taste for the finer things that may transfer over to the legally-required attachment to his cannabis selling operation.

Im not asking for Scandinavian Embassy here, just a nice enough black-and-green combo to make the 40-minute stroll to the ScandiEmbo in De Pijp that much more pleasant.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240819/russian-foreign-ministry-tells-turkish-ambassador-talks-with-kiev-impossible-now-1119834304.html

Russian Foreign Ministry Tells Turkish Ambassador Talks With Kiev Impossible Now

Russian Foreign Ministry Tells Turkish Ambassador Talks With Kiev Impossible Now

Sputnik International

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told the Turkish ambassador to Russia that negotiations with Ukraine are now impossible after Ukraine's attack on the Kursk region.

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"The Russian side has strongly condemned the barbaric terrorist attack of the armed formations of the Nazi Kiev regime in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation. It was emphasized that in such a situation there could be no talk of any negotiations with Kiev regarding the prospects for a political and diplomatic settlement," the ministry said in a statement. Galuzin also pointed out to the ambassador the impossibility of discussing the problems of energy and food security, as well as the humanitarian aspects of the situation in Ukraine. The West is trying to impose this discussion on Moscow in the development of the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland, the ministry said. The Russian diplomat also emphasized Russia's position on the inadmissibility of pumping Kiev with Western weapons. "An appeal was made to the Turkish Republic to refuse to participate in such destructive policies of the countries of the collective West. "A mutual commitment to further development of constructive relations between Russia and Turkiye was confirmed," the ministry concluded. 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/20240819/black-sea-fleet-marines-capture-19-ukrainian-saboteurs-in-kursk-region-1119824709.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240820/calls-for-end-to-israel-aid--peace-in-gaza-as-protests-grip-chicago-dnc-venue-1119839375.html

Calls For 'End to Israel Aid' & 'Peace in Gaza' as Protests Grip Chicago DNC Venue

Calls For 'End to Israel Aid' & 'Peace in Gaza' as Protests Grip Chicago DNC Venue

Sputnik International

As Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris spoke during the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19, 2024, tensions soared outside, with numerous protests taking place and more to come.

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Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris made her speech on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on August 19, 2024, against the backdrop of a sweeping protest outside the venue. Crowds of protesters have converged on the city in an attempt to convey their demands during the DNC events running on August 19-22. There was even a group of protesters inside the convention venue, standing among the audience with their backs demonstratively turned while Joe Biden was touting his record as outgoing POTUS. The protesters held a sign that read, "Not Another Bomb" in reference to the soaring civilian death toll in Israels war on Hamas in Gaza.Pro-Palestine demonstrations dominated the scene. Around 270 organizations from across the US are said to have joined the Coalition to March on the 2024 Democratic convention to support calls for an end to US support for Israel's war in Gaza and in defense of Palestinian rights. The protesters blamed the current Democratic administration in the White House for the catastrophe in Gaza, and many in the crowd expressed their fears that if Kamala Harris wins the November election, she will carry on a policy of "defending Israel no matter what," according to media covering the demonstrations.At one point, protesters briefly breached the security perimeter around the United Center, but the situation was quickly brought under control, a Chicago Police Department spokesperson told Sputnik.On Tuesday, a memorial is to be held by protest groups outside the United Center for both the Palestinians and Israelis who have died since the escalation of hostilities.As for the actual events of the DNC's day one, the key takeaways were a tearful Joe Biden, who "passed over the torch" to Kamala Harris (set to formally accept the presidential nomination on Thursday, the last day of the convention), Biden waxing pompous, claiming democracy is at stake in Novembers election, and urging voters to reject Trump, calling him a loser.Photos of an apparently great number of empty seats dominating the DNC venue arena designed to accommodate 23,500 quickly spread on social media, with some quipping in the comments that, "This is not the turnout of a party that can win."

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A Christian pro-life worker arrested twice for praying silently outside an abortion clinic in England has received 13,000 pounds (16,858 USD) from police for her unjust treatment and the breach of her human rights by officers, according to legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International.

Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, director of pro-life organization UK March for Life, had filed the claim against West Midlands Police for two wrongful arrests and false imprisonments; assault and battery in relation to an intrusive search of her person; and for a breach of her human rights both in respect to the arrests, and to the onerous bail conditions imposed on her, according to ADF International, which supported her in the case.

Three police officers arrested Vaughan-Spruce in November 2022 after she prayed silently while standing near British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) Robert Clinic in Kings Norton. A YouTube video of the incident shows a police officer questioning Vaughan-Spruce.

What are you here for today? he asks.

Physically I am just standing here, Vaughan-Spruce replies.

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Okay, why here of all places? I know you dont live nearby.

When Vaughan-Spruce says she stood there because of the abortion center, the officer asks if she intended to form a type of protest, though she is holding no placard.

No, I am not protesting, Vaughan-Spruce replies.

Are you praying?

I might be praying in my head, she says.

Erm, so I will ask you once more, the officer says. Will you voluntarily come with us now to the police station, for me to ask you some questions about today and other days when there are allegations you have broken the Public Spaces Protection Order?

If I have got a choice, then no, Vaughan-Spruce replies.

The officer then arrested Vaughan-Spruce for allegedly failing to comply with the public space protection order, claiming it was necessary to protect vulnerable people, namely service users of the facility, which was actually closed at the time.

He directed his colleague, a female police officer, to search her to ensure she didnt have any potentially harmful items. The video shows the officer running her gloved hands through Vaughan-Spruces hair, checking it and then patting down her body, including the lower region of her buttocks.

The officer removed a hair clip and handed it to a third officer alongside with tissues, keys and a mobile phone. The officers then took Vaughan-Spruce to a police station, locked her in a cell and interrogated before presenting her at court.

Authorities had enforced a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) on the area near the abortion facility since September 2022. This prevented any act of approval or disapproval or attempted act of approval or disapproval about abortion, including verbal or written means, prayer or counseling.

Birmingham Magistrates Court subsequently acquitted Vaughan-Spruce in February 2023 of the charge of protesting and engaging in an act [prayer] that is intimidating to service users due to lack of evidence.

The next month, six police officers arrested her again outside the abortion clinic. One of the officers reportedly said to her, Youve said youre engaging in prayer, which is the offense.

Bail conditions prohibited her from visiting areas near the abortion clinic buffer zones. These charges also were later dropped.

In a statement after she received the compensation, Vaughan-Spruce stated that silent prayer is not a crime.

Nobody should be arrested merely for the thoughts they have in their heads  yet this happened to me twice at the hands of the West Midlands Police, who explicitly told me that prayer is an offense, she said. There is no place for Orwells thought police in 21st century Britain, and thanks to legal support I received from ADF UK, Im delighted that the settlement that I have received today acknowledges that.

Despite this victory, Vaughan-Spruce said she was deeply concerned that violation of her rights could be repeated by other police.

Our culture is shifting towards a clamp-down on viewpoint diversity, with Christian thought and prayer increasingly under threat of censorship, she said. A buffer zone policy is set to be rolled out by the government imminently  the language of which is inherently unclear, and will likely lead to further violations against the freedom to pray, or peacefully converse or offer help near abortion facilities.

Jeremiah Igunnubole, legal counsel for ADF UK, called the new Labour Governments reported plans to make silent prayer a criminal offense a crisis of free speech and thought in the U.K. today. Igunnubole called the planned measures a brazen contradiction to the governments commitment to international human rights law.

Labour plans to implement Public Order Act 2023 to stop any form of influencing within 150 meters of abortion facilities. ADF International in a press statement pointed out the ambiguity of the order, saying volunteers could be in breach of the law for talking, praying or simply giving out leaflets.

Law enforcers are duty-bound to vigilantly protect, not prosecute, the peaceful exercise of fundamental rights, Igunnubole said. Yet across the country, Christians exercising their basic rights to peaceful expression have faced criminal charges for silently praying, or offering consensual conversations to, women in need.

A law to introduce buffer zones in England and Wales was passed in 2023. Once in place, demonstrations within 150 meters of an abortion clinic would be prohibited. The expected implementation of the law during the spring was curtailed by the calling of a general election earlier this year. The new government has reportedly said it is committed to introducing buffer zones around clinics as soon as possible.

Meantime, officials have put in place temporary restrictions outside some clinics across the country the past few years.

The Vaughan-Spruce case mirrors two other buffer zone cases. Military veteran Adam Smith-Connor is facing a trial at Poole Magistrates Court after praying near an abortion facility in Bournemouth. Retired scientist Livia Tossici-Bolt faces the wrath of the law for holding a sign reading, here to talk, if you want, at the same location.

Two Conservative Party members of the House of Lords who voiced their alarm after the arrest of Vaughan-Spruce expressed their gladness at the compensation. Former cabinet minister Lord Frost called the police actions an unjust arrest.

It is incredible that people have been arrested for thought-crime in modern Britain, Frost said, warning that more arrests for silent prayers near abortion clinics could happen under the new Labour Government. But if a recent report is correct that the government is considering formally criminalizing silent prayer outside abortion centers, then there will be further such cases, and then not just freedom of speech but freedom of thought will be under threat. It is hard to imagine a more absurd and dangerous situation.

Frost said plans under the previous [Conservative] Home Secretary, including a consultation on the buffer zones issue before the recent British General Election, were more balanced and did not consider silent prayer to be an offense.

It would be much better to stick to the sensible approach in the previous [Conservative] Home Secretarys draft guidance, which proposed a much better balance between the various competing rights and interests, Frost said. If the government scraps it, then it will be clear to all that its commitment to civil liberties and fundamental freedoms is paper-thin.

Farmer, former treasurer of the Conservative Party, called the arrest a travesty of justice and said the compensation was right for the hardship she has endured.

But the wider issue remains that we are living through an undemocratic clampdown on Christian speech, expression and thought in the U.K. which is set to intensify when the government rolls out buffer zones nationwide, he said. If pro-life thought is considered prosecutable today, what other thought crimes might face similar measures tomorrow?

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) highlighted the arrest of Vaughan-Spruce as an example of European governments targeting individuals for their peaceful religious expression in its 2024 annual report.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240820/canada-hungary-us-make-top-3-in-highest-increase-in-public-debt-servicing-per-capita-1119836285.html

Canada, Hungary, US Make Top 3 in Highest Increase in Public Debt Servicing Per Capita

Canada, Hungary, US Make Top 3 in Highest Increase in Public Debt Servicing Per Capita

Sputnik International

Canada, the United States and Hungary have increased their spending on public debt more than any other countries in the world last year, with the US leading the way worldwide.

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state debt

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Thus, the average spending on servicing public debt in the world in 2023 amounted to $171.6 per capita against $164.5 a year earlier. At the same time, the figure increased in 136 countries, decreased in 40 countries, and remained unchanged in three. The largest increase in spending on interest on their debts was by $470.9 per capita in Canada, by $446.4 in Hungary and by $297.2 in the United States. The top five also includes Barbados, where the government began to allocate $262.2 more per capita to pay off its debts, and Mexico with an increase of $232.5. Debt servicing increased by $150-$200 for the governments of the Seychelles, New Zealand, Panama, Australia, Belgium and Dominica. In was up over $100 in another 11 countries, including Brazil, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany and Turkiye. Government spending in 16 countries, including Ukraine, Finland and Armenia, increased by $50 to $100 per capita. The most significant reduction in spending on interest payments on government debt per capita last year occurred in the UK (a decrease of $495 per capita), Iceland (by $459) and Israel (by $181.4). However, if we consider all the countries of the world, including those where the indicator is negative (that is, holders of government securities pay the state), then it has decreased most significantly in Norway, where holders of government securities must pay the state $2,600 more per person, and in Kuwait  $588 more. By end-2023, the United States took first place in terms of spending on servicing the national debt per capita with $2,500, and Iceland was pushed into second place with $1,900. The top five also includes Israel, where the government spends $1,600 per citizen on interest payments, the Bahamas ($1,400) and Italy ($1,390). Barbados, the United Kingdom, Bahrain and Qatar all paid more than $1,000 per capita on interest payments in 2023. Last year, Russia was among the countries that managed to reduce spending on interest on their government debt in dollar terms, by $3.4 per Russian citizen, and the total volume of such spending amounted to $34.7 per person.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240820/ukraines-debt-servicing-expenses-rise-to-highest-since-at-least-2010-1119836158.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240820/democrats-hoping-their-base-gullible-enough-to-fall-for-ceasefire-theater-1119849347.html

Democrats Hoping Their Base Gullible Enough To Fall For Ceasefire Theater

Democrats Hoping Their Base Gullible Enough To Fall For Ceasefire Theater

Sputnik International

As the Democratic National Convention is beset by protesters demanding an arms embargo on Israel, Democrats are hoping they will be gullible enough to fall for claims that US President Joe Biden is fighting for a ceasefire.

2024-08-20T22:13+0000

2024-08-20T22:13+0000

2024-08-20T22:13+0000

analysis

chicago

democratic party

democrats

hamas

israel

joe biden

dan kovalik

kamala harris

palestine

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The Democratic Party of the United States is hoping that its base is gullible enough to fall for their claims that Biden and Harris are, as Biden claimed during his speech on Monday, working around the clock to finally deliver a ceasefire and end this war, human rights lawyer and peace advocate Dan Kovalik told Sputniks The Final Countdown on Tuesday.Hamas rejected the latest proposal, noting that it does not include a ceasefire or a complete troop withdrawal from Gaza and would give Israel control of the Netzarim Corridor, which splits Gazas north and south, the Rafah border with Egypt and the Philadelphi Corridor which also borders Egypt.So theres all these poison pills apparently that have been inserted by [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to make sure that Hamas could not accept the deal. And I think thats probably what happened.Hamas said it wants to return to the May 31 proposal that Biden described as an Israeli proposal but which Israel never agreed to. Hamas has accused the United States of merely buying time for Israel to continue its genocide.Ahead of the convention, the Democratic Party released its official platform. Obviously edited from a document originally written while Biden was still presumed to be the nominee because references to his second term were not entirely edited out, it laid out Harris position on Palestine as perfectly in line with Bidens. Consequently, it includes a condemnation of sexual violence allegedly perpetrated by Hamas but does not condemn Israel, even as the Israeli Knesset openly debates if anal rape is an acceptable weapon of war against Palestinian prisoners after guards were caught on video allegedly gang-raping a prisoner.There has yet to be a confirmed case of rape carried out by Hamas on October 7.Kovalik, who is currently in Chicago and attending the protests, said he hopes they push the Democrats to work harder for a peace deal, but he is not optimistic. I fear that largely all [the protests do] is change the rhetoric. I mean to be perfectly honest, are they going to keep standing with Israel? I mean, its hard to think they wont, Kovalik explained. However, he believes it is still important to keep pressuring the Democrats as long as the genocide continues.If you oppose this genocide, and I think people with a heart should do that, youve got to at least try. And I think putting pressure on the [Democrats]  this is a Democratic war, first of all. We have to be honest about that, and therefore this is probably the best moment we have to try to change their policies. So thats all we can do, is try," explained Walz, though he said he is most likely to vote for Green Party candidate Jill Stein and he thinks a lot of the protesters in Chicago will as well, or else stay home in November.It was an opinion reflected by protesters in Chicago. "If we continue to tell ourselves that we're stuck between the healthier of Pepsi and Coke, we will only have the healthier between Pepsi and Coke. But if we don't threaten to [not] vote, if we don't say 'no embargo, no vote, no sanctions, no vote,' right, we will never be able to leverage any real political accountability," Sana Wazwaz told the Due Dissidence podcast on Monday. "When we tell ourselves that is our standard, we will only be stuck in this bind between two options, and in years and years to come our children and grandchildren will be told they have to vote Democrat, they will have to vote for unconditional Zionism just because it's 'Not as Zionist as the other guy,' slaughter, but better slaughter."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240820/israels-litany-of-new-conditions-ruined-hamas-ceasefire-deal---analyst-1119840655.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240820/ex-afd-mep-germany-would-rather-upend-its-economy-than-slash-military-aid-to-ukraine-1119847573.html

Ex-AfD MEP: Germany Would Rather Upend Its Economy Than Slash Military Aid to Ukraine

Ex-AfD MEP: Germany Would Rather Upend Its Economy Than Slash Military Aid to Ukraine

Sputnik International

Berlin will continue to borrow on the international financial markets and to fund Ukraine's war effort despite it stifling the German economy, Dr Gunnar Beck, former MEP for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, told Sputnik.

2024-08-20T19:17+0000

2024-08-20T19:17+0000

2024-08-20T19:19+0000

world

europe

germany

ukraine

european union (eu)

alternative for germany (afd)

nord stream

nord stream pipeline

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German Finance Minister Christian Lindner's letter, released on August 17, told the government that from 2025 onwards there would be no additional funds in the budget to arm Ukraine.That prompted a storm of criticism in the European media. Germany has been the second-largest supplier of military aid to the Kiev regime after the US, committing over 10.2 billion ($11.3 billion) in weapons to date, according to the Kiel Institute."The German government will simply continue to borrow on the international financial markets, raise taxes and stifle the economy," he added."That's pretty much what most Western governments are doing, but the German government to an increasingly dangerous extent because Germany is also largely bankrolling, the EU," the commentator said, adding that Germany will defend the Western political and economic order "to the last euro.""Germany is not a fully sovereign country," Beck stressed, and its political elite "is not safeguarding the national interest."Deputy federal government spokesperson Wolfgang Buechner insisted to reporters that the outcome of the inquiry into the 2022 Nord Stream sabotage attack would not negatively impact relations with Ukraine.But the German Federal Prosecutors Office has reportedly issued an arrest warrant for a suspect in the attack, a Ukrainian diving instructor named as Volodymyr Z.Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh reported in the wake of the Nord Stream sabotage that the attack was conducted by US and Norwegian operatives.It backfired on the German economy, robbing it off cheap Russian gas and hatsening de-industrialization thanks to high energy costs.He added that the probe was only launched "under significant public pressure," and the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, a former German defense minister "consistently prevented any investigation at EU level."The German government "has gone very far in assuring Ukraine of its support," despite the suspected Ukrainian trace, the former MEP stressed."Don't expect any continuation of a serious investigation into Nord Stream attacks," he warned. "And don't expect any significant change in German foreign policy."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240810/kievs-kursk-gas-hub-gambit-brainchild-of-same-people-who-blew-up-nord-stream---slovak-politician-1119707732.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240819/info-on-nord-stream-blasts-in-media-instead-of-provided-by-germany-would-suggest-set-up---lavrov-1119826856.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240820/germany-trying-to-avoid-parallels-between-kievs-invasion-attempt-battle-of-kursk---ex-officer-1119835822.html

Germany Trying to Avoid Parallels Between Kiev's Invasion Attempt, Battle of Kursk - Ex-Officer

Germany Trying to Avoid Parallels Between Kiev's Invasion Attempt, Battle of Kursk - Ex-Officer

Sputnik International

The German government is desperate to avoid comparisons between Ukraine's attempted invasion of Russia's Kursk region and the Battle of Kursk during World War Two, a retired German Lt. Col. told RIA Novosti.

2024-08-20T02:59+0000

2024-08-20T02:59+0000

2024-08-20T02:59+0000

world

germany

kursk

kiev

ukrainian armed forces

ria novosti

vladimir putin

ukraine

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Earlier, in response to a request from RIA Novosti, the German government stated that it did not have its own data on the use of weapons produced by Germany and supplied to Kiev by the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the attack on the Kursk region, which Moscow qualified as a terrorist attack and called a provocation. At the same time, a number of German media outlets drew attention to videos from the scene of the events confirming the use of German equipment by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Germany is trying with all its might to avoid such associations in the context of the debate on arms supplies to Ukraine, he added. According to Rose, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are entirely dependent on the decisions and military support of their Western partners. "Otherwise, they would have to simply capitulate. In essence, they are useful idiots for the Americans in this proxy war against the Russian Federation," he said. Rose only partially shares the government's position that German weapons sent to Ukraine become Ukrainian after delivery. 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/20240818/germanys-arms-delivery-plans-for-ukraine-go-kaput-after-government-runs-out-of-money-1119816722.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240820/hamas-political-chief-considers-another-round-of-gaza-negotiations-bluff-1119837828.html

Hamas Political Chief Considers Another Round of Gaza Negotiations 'Bluff'

Hamas Political Chief Considers Another Round of Gaza Negotiations 'Bluff'

Sputnik International

The political leader of Palestinian movement Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, considers the latest round of negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip a "bluff" with which Israel wants to buy time to conduct a military campaign, media reported, citing Arab mediators.

2024-08-20T05:22+0000

2024-08-20T05:22+0000

2024-08-20T05:22+0000

world

middle east

benjamin netanyahu

israel

qatar

hamas

yahya sinwar

egypt

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In addition, the head of the Hamas Politburo hopes to increase pressure on Israel by expanding the armed conflict, including by carrying out attacks from the West Bank, the publication claimed. Last Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he was continuing to work to advance a Gaza deal that would maximize the number of hostages released and insist that the Israeli army remain in the corridor on the border between Gaza and Egypt. Gaza ceasefire talks were held in Doha last week involving Qatar, Egypt, the United States and Israel. Hamas leadership refused to participate in the talks due to a lack of specifics on the terms of the truce. A joint statement by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, released by the office of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi, said the mediators had presented Israel and Hamas with a ceasefire proposal that narrowed the differences between the parties. The talks, which took place in the Qatari capital Doha on Thursday and Friday, were serious and constructive and took place in a positive atmosphere, the statement said. Senior government officials from Egypt, the United States and Qatar will meet in Cairo soon in the hope of reaching an agreement in line with the terms proposed on Friday.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/hamas-does-not-believe-that-us-sincerely-wants-to-stop-gaza-war--1119805558.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240820/harris-refuses-to-participate-in-televised-debate-on-september-4-trump-says-1119837680.html

Harris Refuses to Participate in Televised Debate on September 4, Trump Says

Harris Refuses to Participate in Televised Debate on September 4, Trump Says

Sputnik International

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Former US President and Republican candidate for the upcoming presidential election Donald Trump said that his Democratic opponent... 20.08.2024, Sputnik International

2024-08-20T05:18+0000

2024-08-20T05:18+0000

2024-08-20T05:18+0000

americas

us

kamala harris

donald trump

pennsylvania

republican

elections

debate

presidential debate

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"Comrade Kamala Harris has just informed us that she will NOT do the FoxNews Debate on September 4th," Trump said on social media. "I am not surprised by this development because I feel that she knows it is very difficult, at best, for her to defend her record setting Flip-Flopping on absolutely everything she once believed in." Trump noted that instead of the debate on that day, Fox will host a televised meeting with him in Pennsylvania. The former president promised to provide details later.Earlier in August, Trump said that he would hold three rounds of televised debates with Harris in the coming month, which are planned to be organized on the platforms of three different US television channels. However, he did not specify whether Harris herself had confirmed her readiness to participate in all three rounds of televised debates with him.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240819/kamala-harris-price-control-policy-may-scare-off-many-in-us-1119827415.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240820/independent-journalist-arrested-under-terrorism-act-in-uk-1119835150.html

Independent Journalist Arrested Under Terrorism Act in UK

Independent Journalist Arrested Under Terrorism Act in UK

Sputnik International

Independent and accredited journalist Richard Medhurst was arrested on Thursday by the UK Police at London's Heathrow airport, according to a video the journalist posted on X.

2024-08-20T02:39+0000

2024-08-20T02:39+0000

2024-08-20T02:39+0000

julian assange

united kingdom (uk)

london

world

censorship

richard medhurst

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On Thursday, as I landed in Londons Heathrow airport, I was immediately escorted off the plane by six police officers who were waiting for me at the entrance of the aircraft. They arrested me  not detained  they arrested me under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act of 2000 and accused me of allegedly expressing an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organization but wouldnt explain what this meant, Medhurst says in the video.Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000 has a clause that was added in 2019 that made it illegal to expresses an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organization if in doing so is reckless as to whether a person to whom the expression is directed will be encouraged to support a proscribed organization.Medhursts reporting has focused heavily on the Israeli-Gaza war and has spoken out against funding Ukraine. He also posted about the very act that he was arrested for.The fascist terrorism act being used to hold activists without charge or trial because they tried to stop actual terrorism and genocide by the IDF," Medhurst posted the same day he was arrested. Medhurst was referring to Palestinian activists who have been detained recently under the Terrorism Act.Medhurst says he was then handcuffed and transferred to a police station where he was searched and his electronic devices seized.He was then held for nearly 24 hours without being allowed to contact his family and his attempts to speak to a solicitor (UK legal advisor) were hindered and possibly monitored.The police said that I have the right to inform someone that Im locked up. So I said okay, I want to call my family, then they go Well, your calls are withheld due to the nature of the alleged offense I tried to ask well, whats the point of a right if you can just randomly withdraw it? Why tell me that I have this right at all? And one of them said something along the lines of Well, its not an absolute right, it can be waived, Medhurst described.In total, I spent almost 24 hours in detention. At no point whatsoever was I allowed to speak to a family member or friend. After waiting 15 hours, I was finally interviewed by two detectives, Medhurst says the interview lasted 60 to 90 minutes.Medhurst emphasized that he denies all accusations by the police, noting that his parents held Nobel Peace Prizes for their work as UN peacekeepers and he categorically and unequivocally condemns terrorism.Those like myself, who are speaking up and reporting on the situation in Palestine are being targeted. I had booked my ticket to London on the same day and yet an entire team of police were mobilized to arrest and question me. This is why I felt this was a preplanned, coordinated arrest. Many people have been detained in Great Britain because of their journalism, sometimes under the Terrorism Act, sometimes not. I think of Julian Assange, Craig Murray, Kit Klarenberg, David Miranda, Vanessa Beeley. As far as I am aware, I am the only journalist, however, to have been arrested and held for up to 24 hours under section 12 of the Terrorism Act.Medhurst said that he now feels he has a muzzle put on him, and does not know if he will be charged with the crime he was arrested for or if he will be put in jail in a few months, something that makes his work more difficult. I simply do not know if or how I can work at all during the next month.Former UN weapons inspector and geopolitical analyst Scott Ritter, whose house was raided by the United States FBI earlier this month for alleged violations of the Foreign Agents Registry Act, called the arrest political persecution designed to hamper [Medhursts] important work as a journalist.UK authorities have not commented on Medhursts arrest. His website currently displays an error page but it is not clear if Medhurst removed it voluntarily, at the direction of UK authorities, or if the site was taken down by service providers. Sputnik has reached out to Medhurst for clarification and will update this space if he replies.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230601/grayzone-journalist-detained-by-british-police-interrogated-over-russia-views-1110829009.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240820/israel-wants-to-build-wall-between-egypt-gaza-to-hinder-hamas-tunnels-digging---reports-1119836011.html

Israel Wants to Build Wall Between Egypt, Gaza to Hinder Hamas Tunnels-Digging - Reports

Israel Wants to Build Wall Between Egypt, Gaza to Hinder Hamas Tunnels-Digging - Reports

Sputnik International

Israel is insisting on building a wall near the Philadelphia Corridor on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt to prevent tunneling between the two countries.

2024-08-20T03:26+0000

2024-08-20T03:26+0000

2024-08-20T03:41+0000

world

benjamin netanyahu

egypt

cairo

israel

hamas

abdel fattah sisi

middle east

israel-gaza conflict

palestine-israel conflict

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Israel also wants access to data from cameras and sensors monitoring the area, the newspaper said. A senior Egyptian official told the publication that Cairo was in favor of a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the corridor and the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. An Israeli technical team has completed meetings with its counterparts in Cairo to discuss the corridor and Rafah, but without much progress, according to Arab mediators. Last Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he was continuing to work to advance a Gaza deal that would maximize the number of hostages released and insist that the Israeli army remain in the corridor on the border between Gaza and Egypt. Israel closed the Rafah Crossing in December, it has not been opened since.Gaza ceasefire talks were held in Doha last week involving Qatar, Egypt, the United States and Israel. Hamas leadership refused to participate in the talks due to a lack of specifics on the terms of the truce. A joint statement by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, released by the office of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi, said the mediators had presented Israel and Hamas with a ceasefire proposal that narrowed the differences between the parties. The talks, which took place in the Qatari capital Doha on Thursday and Friday, were serious and constructive and took place in a positive atmosphere, the statement said. Senior government officials from Egypt, the United States and Qatar will meet in Cairo soon in the hope of reaching an agreement in line with the terms proposed on Friday.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231202/israel-bans-entry-of-humanitarian-aid-to-gaza-through-rafah-crossing-1115341630.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240820/israels-litany-of-new-conditions-ruined-hamas-ceasefire-deal---analyst-1119840655.html

Israel's Litany of New Conditions 'Ruined' Hamas Ceasefire Deal - Analyst

Israel's Litany of New Conditions 'Ruined' Hamas Ceasefire Deal - Analyst

Sputnik International

Fresh conditions constantly drummed up by Israel is the primary reason why a viable ceasefire and hostage swap deal with Hamas is still nowhere in sight, Dr. Ali Mamouri, a Research Fellow at Deakin University, told Sputnik.

2024-08-20T11:50+0000

2024-08-20T11:50+0000

2024-08-20T11:50+0000

analysis

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benjamin netanyahu

antony blinken

doha

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hamas

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Fresh conditions constantly drummed up by Israel is the primary reason why a viable ceasefire and hostage swap deal with Hamas is still nowhere in sight, Dr. Ali Mamouri, a research fellow at Deakin University, told Sputnik.Negotiations between the Israeli government and Hamas on a ceasefire deal for Gaza are in limbo yet again, despite the White House bragging about "significant progress" having been made during talks in Doha, and one senior US administration official even claiming on Friday that the talks had reached an endgame. Now, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit Qatar after a stopover in Egypt in an effort to push forward the ceasefire proposal. Egypt and Qatar "are our two critical partners in this effort to get the ceasefire agreement over the finish line, to get the hostages home, to put everyone on a better path to lasting peace and security," Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv on Monday.After being presented with the updated US proposal for a deal on Friday, Hamas blamed Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for "still putting obstacles in the way of reaching an agreement," and "setting new conditions and demands with the aim of undermining the mediators' efforts and prolonging the war.""The new proposal meets Netanyahu's conditions and aligns with them, particularly his refusal of a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and his insistence on continuing the occupation of the Netzarim Junction (which separates the north and south of the Gaza Strip), the Rafah crossing, and the Philadelphi Corridor [a strip of territory separating Egypt from Gaza, ed.]," read the statement by Hamas on Sunday.Hamas gave the ceasefire negotiations that were slated to take place in Qatar this week a miss. A fresh round of talks is expected to take place in Egypt on August 21.As far as Netanyahu is concerned, all he cares about is his political career, his future and concerns about possible prosecution due to corruption allegations and failure in security management in the October 7, 2023, security breach, not to mention the ongoing International Criminal Court genocide case against him, noted Dr. Mamouri, who previously served as strategic communication advisor to the Iraqi prime minister from 2020 to 2022.All the optimistic hype in the media around the Doha talks was a miscalculation and misreading of the actual developments.The replacement of assassinated ceasefire negotiations point man and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh with the more hardline Yahya Sinwar was also a telltale sign, according to the pundit, that no deal will occur soon.The only way to turn the current state of the negotiations around is for the international community to put serious pressure on Israel and push it toward a comprehensive solution for this long-term conflict, the expert stressed.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240820/hamas-political-chief-considers-another-round-of-gaza-negotiations-bluff-1119837828.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240819/lack-of-trust-israeli-unwillingness-to-compromise-puts-gaza-talks-in-hard-to-break-stalemate-1119831887.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240820/pepe-escobar-the-empire-strikes-back-color-revolutions-in-south-and-southeast-asia--1119840158.html

Pepe Escobar. The Empire Strikes Back: Color Revolutions in South and Southeast Asia

Pepe Escobar. The Empire Strikes Back: Color Revolutions in South and Southeast Asia

Sputnik International

The unipolar moment being progressively erased across Eurasia implies a frantic Empire counter-reaction of multiplying the color revolution front. Lets focus here on South and Southeast Asia.

2024-08-20T11:16+0000

2024-08-20T11:16+0000

2024-08-20T11:16+0000

world

china

bangladesh

russia

wang yi

sergey lavrov

asean

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shanghai cooperation organisation (sco)

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Last week Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Myanmar and Thailand on two different missions.In Myanmar, the mission was another mediating effort concerning the intractable clash between the Burmese-majority government in Naypyidaw and a loose alliance of dozens of ethnic minority rebel outfits, bearing all sorts of grievances. China keeps relations with some of them.In Thailand, the mission was geoeconomic: meeting with the Mekong River states; chairing the 9th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting; and discussing geoeconomics with diplomats from Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.While Wang Yi was in Southeast Asia, Thailand went through a roller-coaster, with a Prime Minister removed by the Constitutional Court and the arrival of a brand new one: Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the 37-year-old daughter of ultra-controversial billionaire tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra, who not only got a royal pardon but is now politically back with a bang.Thaksin was back in Thailand for a while after 15 years of self-exile, as he fled the country claiming he could not get a fair trial for a tsunami of politically motivated charges.Thai politics  a hyper-convoluted dance - is now leaning conservative all over again, with Thaksin leading his Peu Thai party against the reincarnation of the theoretically progressive Move Forward party, which was dissolved in early August.All that action, at least for the moment, may prevent attempts at a color revolution. It depends on what happens in the next elections. What conservatives and monarchists call liberals may eventually end up controlling the political landscape - totally aligned with Washington and keen to disrupt close China-Thailand geopolitical and geoeconomic ties.That Shaky Myanmar CeasefireIn neighboring Myanmar, China had managed to sponsor a ceasefire in June. Yet the ceasefire collapsed  with senior military commanders captured by terrorist insurgents (in government terminology) in crucial Shan state. This is the first time rebels have managed to capture a regional command center.Adding to the trouble, the military in this contested region are the Kokang Allied Forces, which happen to be the armed forces of Han Chinese in Myanmar. China is a major weapons supplier to the military junta running Myanmar.No wonder this was a really big issue at last months ASEAN meeting. And it gets proverbially trickier, as the US  which hands out Starlink kits to the rebels for free  at the same time accuses Beijing of supporting them.Beijing of course treads very carefully when it comes to its geostrategically crucial neighbor  following the cherished principle of non-interference in internal affairs. China always sees ASEAN as a whole  and it already has its hands full with a series of provocations by the Philippines in the South China Sea.Chinese military experts predictably describe these as "a petty attempt to constantly bolster Manila's victimhood narrative" in the South China Sea. Needless to add, Washington fully encourages the narrative.ASEAN Wants BRICSChina  as much as Russia - also regards ASEAN from a SCO perspective, focusing on the evolving, long-term process of a matrix of multilateral organizations shaping the emergence of a multi-nodal world.And that brings us to the crucial meeting between Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov during the East Asia summit in Laos in late July  where they forcefully reiterated their common drive towards establishing peace and stability across East Asia.TAC is a really big thing, as it acknowledges the importance of ASEAN centrality and unity in the evolving regional architecture in the Asia-Pacific built upon ASEAN-led mechanisms with ASEAN as the driving force, and based on international law.All that includes closer cooperation between ASEAN, SCO and the Eurasia Economic Union (EAEU). ASEAN signed memoranda of understanding with both SCO and EAEU.And this interpolation of key nodes in the merging matrix of course also extends to BRICS.Thailand is keen to join BRICS. Diplomatic circles confirmed last month that the suggestion came directly from the Thai monarchy. As for Malaysia, it has already formally applied to join BRICS. And Indonesia and Vietnam are also on the waiting list.Wang Yi and Lavrov also discussed in detail cooperation within ASEAN, considering that, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, certain countries have become increasingly proactive in setting up restricted bloc-based military and political mechanisms which are designed to undermine the ASEAN-centric security and stability framework for the Asia-Pacific region.In a nutshell, as stressed by Wang Yi: Russia-China and ASEAN are fully engaged in coordination on East Asian cooperation. Its always crucial to remember that during the Cold War, Moscow actively supported nationalist, anti-colonial movements in Southeast Asia, especially in Vietnam and Laos.Bangladesh in the BagSoutheast Asia will continue to be the target of several color revolution attempts, and the focus of support for 5th columns, as in the Philippines case. In South Asia, the scenario may be even more acute - considering a color revolution has just been successful, with minimal effort.What happened in Bangladesh is directly linked to the destabilization of Southeast Asia and the wider American obsession with the Indo-Pacific (the real, accepted denomination used by everyone across the continent is Asia-Pacific).And most of all, this was a color revolution unleashed simultaneously against two BRICS: India and China.The mechanism featured all proverbial time-tested shenanigans: direct involvement of the US ambassador to Bangladesh, Peter Haas; enormous pressure on the Sheikh Hasina government to hold elections assured of a US-friendly outcome; American mobilization behind the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP); funds and logistics supporting pro-democracy student protesters.The fact is the BNP plus the Jamaat-e-Islami*  branded as a terrorist organization by several nations, including Russia  were the key destabilizing factors. Its no wonder the US State Dept. pre-emptively characterized the Jammat-e-Islami as victims of government abuses.Dacca Universitys political science department is crammed with professors financed by a shady Confronting Misinformation in Bangladesh (CMIB) outfit. Two of these headed the project, complete with lavish NED grants.And it was exactly these political science protesters/agit-prop agents at Dacca University that proposed Muhammad Yunusas the Chief Adviser of the next Bangladeshi government.Yunus happens to be an American darling: State Dept. Fulbright scholar; Nobel Peace Prize; and the first American Muslim recipient of a Congressional Gold Medal, according to his organization, the Yunus Centre. By the way, hes not even an American citizen.In parallel, it will provide additional headaches for India in the Bay of Bengal. The American masterplan is to force BRICS member India to make serious concessions when it comes to its comprehensive energy/trade/military relationship with Russia, and to force closer India integration to Quad.Then, of course, is the Holy Grail: establishing a NATO base in the island of St. Martin, fiercely resisted by the deposed Sheikh Hasina.Cut to Primakovs TriangleThe Bangladesh case reveals that the progressive integration of ASEAN  and South Asia  with the SCO/EAEU/BRICS/BRI matrix is more urgent than ever. An auspicious sign is that ASEAN, according to Lavrov, is already paying attention to Putins drive to build a Eurasia-wide unified security system.At the end of the ASEAN-Russia session at the East Asian summit in Laos, Lavrov said that ASEAN has shown interest in President Putin's initiative, which I have already mentioned, on the formation of a Eurasian security system that would be indivisible and equal.Lavrov added that "our ASEAN partners understand perfectly well" how the Wests only goal is to contain Russia and China. Thats what was in effect in Bangladesh, and what will be attempted in Thailand and Myanmar.The road will be long and thorny. But if the RIC in BRICS (Russia-India-China) do get their geopolitical act together and de facto renew the fabled Primakov's triangle, the possibility of further successful color revolutions destabilizing several nodes of East Asia will vanish in the winds of time.* terrorist organization banned in Russia.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240808/brics-role-in-multipolar-world-to-top-eastern-economic-forums-agenda-1119677569.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240805/whats-behind-bangladesh-unrest-which-triggered-pm-sheikh-hasinas-resignation-1119645677.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/pepe-escobar-brics-cities-unite-in-kazan-ushering-in-new-era-of-cooperation-1119119664.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240806/us-backed-leader-to-take-over-bangladesh-1119661332.html

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revolutions in south and southeast asia, unipolar moment, south and southeast asia, color revolutions
Join us in Middle-earth as we talk with actors and creators of the Amazon series.

Mike Cosper is joined by actors Charlie Vickers (Halbrand) and Daniel Weyman (The Stranger) and showrunners Patrick McKay and J. D. Payne in a conversation about the second season of Amazons The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. In the conversation, we consider the theology of the writing and adaptation of these beloved characters with the ones who are bringing them to bear in the new adaptation. And be warned, if you havent watched Rings of Power season 1, there are some spoilers in this conversation!

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Charlie Vickers graduated from the prestigious drama school The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 2017 and since then, he has appeared in a number of projects, including the Amazon Original The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart alongside Sigourney Weaver and Netflixs Medici: Masters of Florence opposite Sean Bean. Vickers also had a key role in Rachel Wards Sydney-set feature film Palm Beach, opposite Greta Scaachi, Richard E. Grant, and Sam Neill.

Daniel Weyman is a British actor. His career includes leading roles in television shows such as Silent Witness, Gentleman Jack, Foyles War, and Dunkirk. His extensive theater work has earned him great acclaim, leading productions including The Mentor, Sideways, 4000 Days, The Crucible, King Lear, Nicholas Nickleby, The Comedy of Errors, The Glass Room, and many more.

J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay have been writing together for nearly 25 years. In that time, they have collaborated on more than 20 screenplays, including work on Star Trek Beyond, Jungle Cruise for Walt Disney Studios, and their original 2017 Blacklist script Escape. Their many feature and television scripts include projects for Sony, Warner Bros, Legendary, 20th Century Fox, Legendary, and Paramount Pictures. Payne and McKay grew up just outside of Washington, DC, where they met on their high school debate team and soon began writing and directing original plays together. Payne attended Yale University, where he studied English literature, graduating with honors. McKay is a graduate of Stonehill College, where he studied theater arts, and American University, where he earned an MFA in creative writing. They are both married, with two children each.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN:

The Bulletin is a weekly (and sometimes more!) current events show from Christianity Today hosted and moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Todays editor in chief) and Mike Cosper (director, CT Media). Each week the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240820/philadelphi-corridor-gaza-war-negotiations-sticking-point-which-could-wreck-entire-peace-process-1119844008.html

Philadelphi Corridor: Gaza War Negotiations Sticking Point Which Could Wreck Entire Peace Process

Philadelphi Corridor: Gaza War Negotiations Sticking Point Which Could Wreck Entire Peace Process

Sputnik International

Secretary of State Blinken announced the ball was in Hamass court in peace talks after PM Netanyahu agreed to a US-backed hostages-for-ceasefire bridging proposal.

2024-08-20T15:16+0000

2024-08-20T15:16+0000

2024-08-20T15:16+0000

world

benjamin netanyahu

middle east

antony blinken

egypt

israel

tel aviv

hamas

un security council (unsc)

mossad

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Hamas has slammed Netanyahus decision to add new conditions onto the proposed Israel-Gaza peace deal, and demanded a return to a draft agreement based on a June resolution of the UN Security Council.Hamas Political Bureau chief Yahya Sinwar reportedly characterized the latest round of peace negotiations as a "bluff" designed to give Israel time to continue its military campaign, and threatened to expand pressure on Tel Aviv, including via new attacks in the West Bank.Blinken has reportedly expressed Washingtons support for Tel Avivs position on the Corridor, an Israeli official has told media.Control of the Philadelphi Corridor has been a long-term strategic aim for Israel, which wants to build a massive new wall there, ostensibly to deter Hamas weapons smuggling efforts. The IDF set up a permanent presence in the corridor in late May. Hamas and its allies see Israel's moves as yet another attempt by Tel Aviv to blockade and strangle Gaza.Key Gaza peace mediator Egypt has also consistently rejected Israeli control of the border zone, warning that it undermines the foundations of the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace deal. A high-level source has told Egyptian media that Cairo will stick to its demands for a full Israeli withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah border crossing.Israeli peace negotiators returned from Egypt empty-handed Monday while sources told Israeli media that Netanyahu is unwilling to compromise on his position. Israel reportedly plans to try again sometime this week by sending the heads of the Mossad, Shin Bet and the IDFs hostage team to Egypt. Blinken arrived in Egypt for more talks on Tuesday, flying to Qatar later in the day.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240820/israels-litany-of-new-conditions-ruined-hamas-ceasefire-deal---analyst-1119840655.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240820/protesters-briefly-breach-security-fencing-at-dnc-1119834991.html

Protesters Briefly Breach Security Fencing at DNC

Protesters Briefly Breach Security Fencing at DNC

Sputnik International

Pro-Palestine protesters briefly broke through the first layer of security fencing at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, but police say they have been pushed back.

2024-08-20T00:46+0000

2024-08-20T00:46+0000

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americas

democratic national convention

dnc

chicago

us

protest

israel-gaza conflict

2024 us presidential election

newsfeed

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"Currently, the situation is fully under control," the spokesperson said on Monday. "Attempts to disrupt public order and breach the barriers have been mitigated, and there is no need to increase police presence." A Sputnik correspondent said the situation at the United Center area is calm and protesters have been pushed back to the security perimeter of the venue. Earlier pro-Palestinian protesters broke through a portion of the security fencing at the Democratic National Convention, the Sputnik correspondent reported. After the protesters managed to climb over the first layer of the metal barriers, they were immediately confronted by law enforcement officers. Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to demonstrate outside the DNC event all week to call for an end to US support for Israel's war in Gaza.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240819/thousands-of-pro-palestine-supporters-march-near-democratic-national-convention-1119833762.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240820/ukrainian-forces-stopped-across-all-of-kursk-region-main-forces-destroyed-akhmat-commander-1119841074.html

Ukrainian Forces Stopped Across All of Kursk Region, Main Forces Destroyed: Akhmat Commander

Ukrainian Forces Stopped Across All of Kursk Region, Main Forces Destroyed: Akhmat Commander

Sputnik International

Ukraine's NATO-backed military began a large-scale surprise offensive into Russia's Kursk region in early August, sending crack troops, mercenaries, PMC fighters and an array of Western equipment into the border region amid an accelerating Russian advance through the Donbass and flagging Western support.

2024-08-20T09:33+0000

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2024-08-20T11:19+0000

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Attempts by Ukrainian forces to advance have been stopped across the entirety of the Kursk region, with the enemy's main resources destroyed and Russian troops working to clear settlements of the enemy, Akhmat special forces commander Apti Alaudinov has announced.According to the commander, the destruction of Ukrainian forces' main resources, including their forward echelons, has "inflicted very heavy damage on the enemy. They lost a lot of equipment, tanks, armored vehicles and a lot of infantry.""The destruction of the enemy continues, we are already clearing some populated areas. At the moment, work is underway to clear out a settlement. I think at the moment, we no longer have to worry that the enemy, no matter how many more resources he has, could pass through the area where we're situated," the commander said.According to the commander, foreign mercs involved in Ukraine's Kursk operation include servicemen from NATO countries.The Akhmat commander is confident that the Kursk operation was a plot by NATO powers designed to distract Russia and cause it to stop its advance through other areas, and stressed that it has been accompanied by war crimes by enemy forces."The US and Britain led this operation...This breakthrough was meant to bring us to our knees and choke us. Unfortunately, it turned out that the enemy entered Russian territory, civilians died, shot by the enemy as if they were in a shooting gallery."Earlier on Tuesday, in an interview with a Chinese war correspondent, Alaudinov said he expects fighting, not only in the Kursk region, but the special military operation as a whole, to be wrapped up within the next two or three months.Late in the day on Monday, Alaudinov reported receiving a large amount of photographic evidence of Russian civilians "shot point-blank, in the head, in the back of the head." Expressing condolences to the relatives of the victims, the commander vowed they would be avenged.Ukraine began a large-scale surprise offensive into the Kursk region on the morning of August 6. On Monday, Russia's Defense Ministry reported that the enemy had lost up to 3,800 troops and 54 tanks. The Russian military has deployed large-scale ground formations, aircraft, and drones in the area.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240819/black-sea-fleet-marines-capture-19-ukrainian-saboteurs-in-kursk-region-1119824709.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240818/over-1700-people-evacuated-from-kursk-regions-border-areas-in-past-day-1119808542.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240818/gazprom-transferring-42mln-cubic-meters-of-gas-through-ukraine-1119811471.html

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Blue Devil found his way to the winner's circle on Monday, Aug. 19 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, prevailing at the wire in a $12,000 Pop Up Series division over the favourite for his first win of the year.

As the second leg of the series, the Pop Up Series featured three divisions on Monday's card for trotters who are non-winners of $18,000 (fillies and mares $22,500) in 2024 with a minimum of 10 starts. Also eligible were non-winners of $1,500 (fillies and mares $1,875) in 2024 and first leg starters. The $20,000 final is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 26 at the Campbellville oval.

Blue Devil blew up the toteboard as the swiftest winner with the longest odds in his field of eight. Tyler Jones held the lines for Jason Libby, lining up in post five on the gate.

Cadillac Moon (Doug McNair) was quick to the lead and controlled the timer with quarters in :27.4, :57 and 1:26.3. Blue Devil followed in second, pulling behind a first-over Mystic (Tyler Borth) en route to the third quarter pole. Favoured Mystic cleared the top as the leader faded. Blue Devil kept on the charge and the pair battled down the stretch, leaving the field in their wake. Down to the wire, Blue Devil prevailed by a head over Mystic in the hefy upset clocked in 1:55.3. Mystic finished four lengths ahead of the show finisher, Shes Beer League (Chris Christoforou).

Blue Devil (Anders Bluestone-Overnight Hit) made his fourth start on Canadian soil under trainer Jason Libby a winning one. Also his first win of the year in 17 tries, the six-year-old gelding marked his 18th career victory to go along with $222,417 earned in 97 starts. Libby, Timothy Flynn and Joyce Empey co-own the winner. Sent off as the longest shot at 27-1, Blue Devil returned $56.70 to win.

Delcrest Brent ($13.70) took the first division of the series for the evening with a 1:56.3 triumph by two lengths. Co-owner and driver Steven Hudon steered the five-year-old Il Sogno Dream-Northern Kitti gelding to his 10th career win for trainer and co-owner Laura Toscani.

Macallan ($2.50) rounded out the Pop Up Series action with a gate-to-wire victory in 1:56 by 1-1/4 lengths. Scott Young was in the bike for Timothy Cherwaiko, who co-owns the Credit Winner-Margarita Hall gelding with Gary Green. The win was his second straight in the series.

For the results from Monday's card of harness racing in Campbellville, click the following link: Monday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.

(Standardbred Canada)
Former Ontario stallion and O'Brien Award-winning pacer Jimmy Freight will be standing stud in a new jurisdiction.

Arriving at Faith Valley Ranch last week, Jimmy Freight will stand stud in Alberta.

During his racing career, Jimmy Freight earned more than $1.9 million and took his lifetime mark of 1:48s at age seven winning the $100,000 Mohawk Gold Cup, a race he won twice -- in 2019 and 2022. The nine-year-old pacer stands as the richest and co-fastest son of Sportswriter and is out of the Western Ideal mare, Allamerican Summer.

At age two and three, Jimmy Freight was a multiple Ontario Sires Stakes Gold division winner and he won the $225,000 OSS Super Final at age three when he also took a division of the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes. He went five-for-five in the OSS as a sophomore and took home the OBrien Award as Canadas Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year.

In addition to his two Mohawk Gold Cup titles, Jimmy Freight won the 2019 Dayton Pacing Derby and 2022 Camluck Classic during his aged campaign. From 85 lifetime starts, he finished his racing career with a record reading 37-18-14.

Jimmy Freights first crop of foals raced in 2023. From 24 foals, he had 15 starters with two earning more than $100,000, including Resilience p,3, 1:50.2s ($167,736), an OSS Gold winner and the $100,000 Jimmy Freight Stakes winner.

"We were so honoured that Adriano Sorella allowed us to purchase this very talented boy and add one more incredible stallion to Albertas breeding industry," said a statement from the farm located in Rocky Mountain House, Alta. "We cannot wait to see what the future holds for Alberta when his foals start hitting the ground."

(With files from Faith Valley Ranch)
After a 31-year career in law enforcement exclusively with the Kelso Police Department, Kelso Police Chief Darr Kirk is stepping down this month to lead Cowlitz 911.

Kirk, 55, is leaving his post Thursday and said he plans to spend the rest of his career at Cowlitz 911 Public Authority.

Ive always said I was going to work until 60 or 62, and I thought I was going to be here  (until) this opportunity presented itself, Kirk said about leaving the force.

Kelso City Manager Andy Hamilton will be the interim chief until he picks Kirks successor. Hamilton was the citys police chief for about a decade before retiring in 2019.

Capt. Rich Fletcher, who is also the departments spokesperson, will temporarily be in charge of operations during the transition. Fletcher told The Daily News he expressed interest in becoming chief, but the position wont be filled until later this year.

Previous 911 dispatch Director John Diamond retired in May after serving for about a year and helping to move the center from the Hall of Justice basement to its new Ocean Beach Highway location near Lowes.

Local crimes

Kirk joined Kelso police in 1993, serving varied positions from patrolman, to county narcotics task force member, to school resource officer, to police captain. He was appointed police chief in 2019 when Hamilton stepped down, but his passion for law and justice started much earlier.

I just admired and respected law enforcement even when I was young, Kirk said.

When he joined the force, many reported crimes were higher in the city than today.

According to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs 1993 crime report, 30 rapes, 17 robberies and 45 aggravates assaults were reported in Kelso. Last year, 11 rapes, seven robberies and 15 aggravated assaults were reported in the city.

For Kirk, his most challenging moments at Kelso police included the 2019 killing of Cowlitz County Sheriffs Deputy Justin DeRosier and subsequent search for his shooter, as well as the 2011 killing of Rainier Police Chief Ralph Painter.

Longview Police Chief Robert Huhta recalled working with Kirk while searching for DeRosiers suspected shooter at a command post with each other.

We worked all night, all day into the next evening, working shoulder to shoulder, he said, adding that Kirk is an outstanding law enforcement officer.

The day after DeRosier was killed, his suspected shooter Brian Butts was fatally shot by police in Kalama after he fired at them.

Coincidentally, the suspects half-brother Daniel Butts had been sentenced months prior to a minimum of nearly 50 years in prison for Painters murder.

Legislation changes

Kirk said recent state laws, such as limiting when police can pursue suspects by vehicle, has made it harder for law enforcement to be proactive.

In 2021, state lawmakers passed legislation stating police could only pursue suspects in vehicles for certain crimes, such as a violent acts or a sex crimes, and only if there was probable cause, not suspicion. The law was rolled back this year.

One of the biggest changes was also the Washington state Supreme Courts 2021 decision that found the states simple possession law unconstitutional, overturning roughly 40 years of convictions.

A temporary fix downgraded drug possession from a felony to a misdemeanor, and at the time, Cowlitz County Prosecuting Attorney Ryan Jurvakainen said there had been a decrease in drug cases since the decision, but a rise in property and violent drug-related crimes that involved more victims.

In 2023 lawmakers reclassified drug possession as a gross misdemeanor, with a 180-day jail stint and a $1,000 fine.

Kirk said such challenges has made it harder to recruit officers.

Second family

Despite the difficulties, the connections he made on the force have been meaningful.

Kirk said he will miss the Kelso police team, or what he calls his second family, the most.

Thats for sure going to be the hardest part, he said about leaving.

Kirk said the trust he built in the community and the team he served with has had the most impact on him personally.

He said he plans to bring the lessons hes learned at the Kelso Police Department, and throughout his life, to Cowlitz 911.

Longview Police Department Sgt. Tim Watson called Kirk a humble servant, regardless of rank or position. Watson said hes known Kirk for over 25 years, spanning his time as an officer, sergeant, captain and chief.

Chief Kirks most notable quality has been his immutable high level of integrity, Watson said.
Christian counselor Brad Hambrick talks about how we deal with our own fury in heated times.

Brad Hambrick oversees counseling ministries at Summit Church, a North Carolina church with 14 campuses and about 13,000 in attendance. He also teaches biblical counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of books like Angry with God.

How do you distinguish between good and bad anger?

All anger says two things: This is wrong, and it matters. In the interpersonal space, sinful anger says a third thing: This is wrong, and it matters more than you. I can be right about the first two: You shouldnt have done that, and its important. But when Im willing to sin against you, then just because my prompt is theologically and morally accurate, that doesnt mean my expression of anger is righteous. When you move toward social media and politics, in many ways, the you either becomes very far off or very ambiguous. People feel a lot more freedom to vent or to rage because they dont really see a person. They just feel a cause.

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Where do you see destructive anger?

Anger shows up most in private settings. If somebody is blowing up at Walmart, their regulation and social filters have deteriorated significantly.

We want to use an oversimplified test for righteous anger. If Im right, and it matters, this is okay. Tell me where Im wrong. Usually when were in that righteous anger spot, we love Jesus turning over tables in the temple. Thats what we feel like were doing.

And if you look in Matthew 21, after Jesus is finished turning over the tables, it says, The blind and the lame came to him. In my minds eye, when I think about Jesus in the temple, hes just gone full on Incredible Hulk. Hes turned green. Hes staring through peoples souls and everybodys backing away from Jesus because we messed up. But in Jesus most expressive moment of anger, the most vulnerable felt protected and attracted. Not scared.

Am I doing Christlike anger? Its not that Jesus didnt get mad. Anger is one of Gods attributes, that means it can be done well. It can be done beautifully. Its not inherently off limits to the Christian as if were stoics. But if were going to do it in a Christlike manner, then those who are in need of carethere should be a clear sense of attraction and protection around what were doing.

What are the tools for this angry moment we are in?

A category that I think is helpful is responsibility allocationrealizing what you can influence. When I get most intense about where I have the least influence, my anger is going nowhere good. As we start to feel more powerless, we start to rely on anger, to try to get back some of what we felt like weve lost.

In the cultural discourse, everybodys saying, We need to calm down and chill out the rhetoric. But nobodys doing it. Even if its not from the top down, it ought to be from the bottom up, and culture ought to demand it of its leaders, if leaders will not lead the culture.

Do different principles apply for anger over current events versus, say, anger over betrayal in personal relationships?

There is selfish anger. Theres also suffering anger. If you look at Psalm 44, in the first few verses, life is going great. And then you hit a selah. You dont know what happened. But it was a train wreck. In the next 12 or so verses, the psalmist gives God every bit as much blame for the bad things as the psalmist did giving God credit for the good things in the first part.

Its this angry mic drop. Theres heresy in there. The psalmist is calling on God to wake up, when we know God doesnt sleep. But theres no sense that the psalmist needs to repent. The psalmist is going through a season of suffering in life that doesnt make sense, and the moral equation isnt balancing. I do think there is innocent grief-anger, in response to suffering.

So the Psalms are a good place to go with anger?

One of the common features of anger is we dont feel heard, and we dont feel understood. And so we increase our volume to make sure were heard and we increase the sharpness of our words trying to be understood. And the angrier we get, the more people pull away from us.

Its not as if we necessarily come to the Psalms and we get some deep penetrating insight that explains away our situation, and we go, Oh, I have no reason to be angry. What we do often find is where we have felt like, This is off limits, and everybodys pushed us awaywe can bring those kinds of things to God and know that he cares and that hes not deaf to that.

On this theme, youve got Moses at the burning bush. Moses had an anger problem. He killed a man in a moment of rage. When the golden calf was made, he ground it up and made them drink it. He threw a temper tantrum in Numbers 20 and started beating on the rock and scolding it.

One of the first things that God says to Moses at the burning bush after Take off your shoes is I heard the cries of my people. Ive seen their suffering. If youre thinking about what it would have been like to have been MosesOkay, I shouldnt have killed the man. That was a flash of anger. That was bad. But at least I did something. God, you do nothing. And God says, Ive heard, Ive seen, Im paying attention. We dont get our own burning bush, usuallythats not a common human experiencebut the Psalms are a place where we get that from God.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
F5 announced expanded technology partnerships and customer win milestones that reinforce its position as a leader in multi-cloud networking. According to IDC, the multi-cloud networking market is rapidly expanding and is expected to reach $10.16 billion in 2028.

As a player in multi-cloud application security and delivery, F5s solutions help customers solve the unique complexity challenges inherent in securely connecting applications and APIs across hybrid multi-cloud environments. To help solve this challenge, F5 Distributed Cloud Services offer infrastructure-agnostic solutions that reduce the complexity of networking across data centers, clouds, and the edge while enabling consistent app security policy and enforcement, regardless of where the apps are hosted.

According to F5s 2024 State of Application Strategy Report, the demand for multi-cloud networking strategies has grown significantlywith nearly 90% of enterprises deploying apps and APIs across a mix of on-premises and cloud or edge environments. The report highlights significant challenges faced by todays enterprises as they manage apps across multiple infrastructure environments. More than one-third of respondents (38%, nearly double the 2023 figure) operate apps across six or more different environments.

Arul Elumalai, Senior Vice President and General Manager of distributed Cloud Platform and Security Services at F5, said, Modern enterprises today must manage a multitude of disparate applications, all hosted on multiple clouds and on-premises environments. The realities of todays hybrid multi-cloud infrastructures mandate that applications must be stitched together to deliver secure, fast, and reliable digital experiences. With multi-cloud comes significant complexity, cost, and security risks, as applications become increasingly distributed. F5s secure multi-cloud networking capabilities abstract this complexity to connect and protect these distributed applications, without having to pay attention to the cloud or infrastructure on which they run.

Pratik Shah, Managing Director of India and SAARC, F5, said, Indian businesses are rapidly adopting hybrid/multi-cloud technologies to modernize and accelerate revenue. However, this has heightened security challenges due to sophisticated cyber threats, increasing demand for enhanced cloud security. According to Gartner, security and risk management spending in India is expected to grow by 12% year-on-year in 2024. Businesses are looking for security solutions that are designed to secure their applications, irrespective of where they are deployed in the multi-cloud environment. At F5, we understand these challenges and are expanding our partnerships with NetApp, Red Hat, Console Connect, and others to provide innovative solutions that simplify the complexities of securely connecting applications across hybrid environments.

F5 Introduces Technology Partnerships to Help Enterprises Tackle Multicloud Networking Challenges

F5 has developed partnerships with key technology leaders to extend the capabilities of its multi-cloud networking solutions and address a broader set of customer challenges.

NetApp

F5 is collaborating with NetApp, a global leader in data storage solutions, to provide enterprises with robust, secure, and agile data mobility capabilities, enhancing hybrid cloud ROI and reducing IT overhead. NetApp, with over three decades of expertise, and trusted by more than 10,000 customers globally, continues to innovate in the cloud era, offering unified data storage for any data type, workload, or application.

NetApp Blue XP provides a cloud-native unified management experience for storage and data services across multi-cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments. Blue XP integrates on-site storage with the public cloud of a customers choice, keeping data secure and always available while optimizing cost and performance. F5s Distributed Cloud Services deliver a secure MCN solution for Blue XP users that enables safe, easy, and simplified operations of connecting NetApp storage on-premises and Cloud Volumes ONTAP (NetApps cloud-based data management service) in the cloud. Data mobility achieved by NetApp and F5 simplifies disaster recovery processes and promotes data as a strategic asset. This partnership empowers businesses to navigate the complexities of multi-cloud environments with confidence.

Red Hat

F5 has enhanced its collaboration with Red Hat to simplify the migration and management of cloud workloads using Red Hat OpenShift Service on AWS (ROSA). By enabling integration for F5 Distributed Cloud Services with ROSA, customers can connect and manage hybrid cloud environments with improved security capabilities, reduced complexity, and lower costs. This collaboration leverages F5 Distributed Cloud App Connect to provide more seamless app-to-app communication and security-optimized workload migration, delivering greater consistency, security, and visibility.

Console Connect

F5 is also introducing its collaboration with Console Connect, a premier Network as a Service (NaaS) provider. This partnership integrates Console Connect with F5 across multiple Points of Presence (PoPs), extending F5s global backbone and reinforcing its multi-cloud networking solutions. Underpinned by a Tier 1 IP network that is ranked in the top 10 globally, Console Connect brings significant network reach, enabling secure and efficient data movement across cloud environments.

Together, F5 and Console Connect enhance multi-cloud connectivity and security by removing the need to rely on the public internet, resulting in private and secure connectivity across clouds. Through this partnership, customers benefit from F5 Distributed Cloud Services such as DDoS Protection on Console Connects global network for public-facing applications in addition to seamless deployment of customer edge (CE) software capabilities for Network Auto-Discovery, Cloud Orchestration, Distributed Application and API Security, and more.

Proven Customer Success with F5 Distributed Cloud Secure Multicloud Networking Solutions

Organizations are harnessing the multicloud networking capabilities of F5 Distributed Cloud Services to enhance their app and API security, performance, and management. Here are four standout case study snapshots that showcase how customers have transformed their operations with F5:

Ailos Cooperative, a financial services provider, implemented F5 solutions such as F5 Distributed Cloud Network Connect to connect its app portfolio between multiple public clouds and its proprietary data centers. F5 enabled Ailos to fortify its app and API security, ensuring consistent protection and high performance across various cloud platforms. F5 provided comprehensive traffic management, robust security measures, and streamlined compliance, which helped Ailos manage its multicloud infrastructure efficiently. As a result, Ailos could focus on delivering reliable digital experiences to customers, who could be confident in the security and performance of their applications.

Grupo Eleve, an educational technology provider, needed to overcome the complexity of delivering a first-class student experience from its multicloud environment. A secure multicloud networking solution centered on F5 Distributed Cloud Services ensured seamless integration and fortified security to streamline traffic management and enhance application protection across different cloud platforms. This resulted in a unified approach to compliance and performance that reduced complexity while reducing admin workloads by 90%.

McGraw Hill, a leading educational content provider, aimed to streamline its multicloud management and enhance security. By adopting F5 Distributed Cloud Services, McGraw Hill simplified its infrastructure and management while delivering consistent app-level security across various cloud platforms. F5 simplified the companys ability to deploy and scale apps across disparate cloud environments, while providing robust traffic management, fortified application protection, and ensured compliance.

The Scottish Government needed a streamlined approach to connect clouds, services, apps, and APIs with consistent visibility and security across assets. With F5 Distributed Cloud Services, the Scottish Government has created a single administration model across cloud environments where they can keep policies consistent on an ongoing basis, while eliminating multiple dashboards. F5 multicloud networking solutions facilitated a seamless transition to a multicloud infrastructure, allowing the organization to leverage future cloud innovations while ensuring operational security and efficiency.

All the above solutions are available to F5 Distributed Cloud Services customers.
Securonix announced a strategic partnership with RAH Infotech, Indias fastest growing value added distributor. Through this strategic alliance, MSSPs will gain access to robust SAAS security solutions, including Unified Defense SIEM, UEBA, and SOAR capabilities. The aim is to address the growing needs of SMB and mid-market customers who face significant cyber risks daily due to increased digital and cloud adoption. These organizations often lack skilled manpower and have limited budgets to run in-house security operations effectively.

In 2023, the average cost of recovering from a data breach was about INR 17.9 crores, according to a report released by a Global MNC Technology Company. With the rapid advancement of AI and the rise of more sophisticated adversarial attacks, the costs are expected to rise even further. For SMBs and mid-market businesses with turnover between 50-250 crores, the financial impact of a data breach could be devastating. As these businesses continue to digitize, the need for more robust cybersecurity measures is becoming increasingly urgent, and their willingness to invest in protection is growing.

Ajay Biyani, Vice President, APMEA, Securonix, said, Securonix is on a significant growth curve in India and is focused on further expanding its presence through channel partners to serve even more end customers. Using RAH Infotechs vast network and presence, we are looking forward to tapping tier 2 and tier 3 markets to help smaller organizations manage cyber risk better and ensure compliance at the same time. We have recently integrated AI across all layers of our platform to deliver 10x speed, precision, and efficacy for targeted threat response. We are seeing huge demand coming in from SMBs, mid-market customers, enterprises and even government, and PSUs for affordable and scalable security solutions. We plan to address that demand through the channel and RAH Infotech seems the perfect fit.

Ashok Kumar, Managing Director & CEO, RAH Infotech, said, Our partnership with Securonix aligns with our commitment to deliver best-in-class security solutions to our customers. Together, we will help businesses across India enhance their security operations, ensuring they can confidently embrace digital and cloud technologies. We believe our partner ecosystem will take full advantage of the next generation product offerings from Securonix and the RAH Infotech team will do everything possible to build partner capabilities and their revenue stream by offering best in class services.

Umashankar, Senior Director  Alliances & Sales, RAH Infotech, said, We are excited about our partnership with Securonix, a global leader, redefining the next generation of cyber-threat detection using the power of machine learning and big data. MSSPs needs have evolved, and they look for easy-to-deploy, cloud-based innovative security solutions to explore new market opportunities and drive more revenue. With this partnership, we are looking forward to successful MSSP collaborations.
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs) cannot learn independently or acquire new skills, meaning they pose no existential threat to humanity, according to new research from the University of Bath and the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany.

The study, published today as part of the proceedings of the 62nd Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL 2024)the premier international conference in natural language processingreveals that LLMs have a superficial ability to follow instructions and excel at proficiency in language, however, they have no potential to master new skills without explicit instruction. This means they remain inherently controllable, predictable and safe.

The research team concluded that LLMs, which are being trained on ever larger datasets, can continue to be deployed without safety concerns, though the technology can still be misused.

With growth, these models are likely to generate more sophisticated language and become better at following explicit and detailed prompts, but they are highly unlikely to gain complex reasoning skills.

"The prevailing narrative that this type of AI is a threat to humanity prevents the widespread adoption and development of these technologies, and also diverts attention from the genuine issues that require our focus," said Dr. Harish Tayyar Madabushi, computer scientist at the University of Bath and co-author of the new study on the "emergent abilities" of LLMs.

The collaborative research team, led by Professor Iryna Gurevych at the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany, ran experiments to test the ability of LLMs to complete tasks that models have never come across beforethe so-called emergent abilities.

As an illustration, LLMs can answer questions about social situations without ever having been explicitly trained or programmed to do so. While previous research suggested this was a product of models "knowing" about social situations, the researchers showed that it was in fact the result of models using a well-known ability of LLMs to complete tasks based on a few examples presented to them, known as "in-context learning" (ICL).

Dr Harish Tayyar Madabushi describes the pros, cons and limitations of LLMs. Credit: University of Bath

Through thousands of experiments, the team demonstrated that a combination of LLMs ability to follow instructions (ICL), memory and linguistic proficiency can account for both the capabilities and limitations exhibited by LLMs.

Dr. Tayyar Madabushi said, "The fear has been that as models get bigger and bigger, they will be able to solve new problems that we cannot currently predict, which poses the threat that these larger models might acquire hazardous abilities including reasoning and planning.

"This has triggered a lot of discussionfor instance, at the AI Safety Summit last year at Bletchley Park, for which we were asked for commentbut our study shows that the fear that a model will go away and do something completely unexpected, innovative and potentially dangerous is not valid.

"Concerns over the existential threat posed by LLMs are not restricted to non-experts and have been expressed by some of the top AI researchers across the world."

However, Dr. Madabushi maintains this fear is unfounded as the researchers' tests clearly demonstrated the absence of emergent complex reasoning abilities in LLMs.

"While it's important to address the existing potential for the misuse of AI, such as the creation of fake news and the heightened risk of fraud, it would be premature to enact regulations based on perceived existential threats," he said.

"Importantly, what this means for end users is that relying on LLMs to interpret and perform complex tasks which require complex reasoning without explicit instruction is likely to be a mistake. Instead, users are likely to benefit from explicitly specifying what they require models to do and providing examples where possible for all but the simplest of tasks."

Professor Gurevych added, "Our results do not mean that AI is not a threat at all. Rather, we show that the purported emergence of complex thinking skills associated with specific threats is not supported by evidence and that we can control the learning process of LLMs very well after all. Future research should therefore focus on other risks posed by the models, such as their potential to be used to generate fake news."

More information: Are Emergent Abilities in Large Language Models just In-Context Learning? aclanthology.org/2024.acl-long.279/
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An Advance Micro Devices (AMD) logo is shown on a computer at Best Buy in Mountain View, Calif., Oct. 14, 2009. Credit: AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File

AMD is buying server maker ZT Systems in a cash-and-stock deal worth $4.9 billion as the chipmaker strengthens its artificial intelligence capacity in its efforts to compete with Nvidia.

AMD plans to sell ZT Systems' server manufacturing business after the deal closes, with mergers and acquisitions in tech and elsewhere getting a closer look by the Biden Administration.

ZT Systems, based in Secaucus, New Jersey, is a privately held company that has designed and rolled out data center and storage infrastructure systems to cloud companies for more than a decade.

The transaction includes a contingent payment of up to $400 million based on post-closing milestones.

AMD is looking to bulk up its AI capabilities. Over the past year, the company has invested more than $1 billion to expand its AI ecosystem and strengthen its AI software capabilities.

The moves are part of an effort to better compete with tech giant Nvidia, which has experienced nearly insatiable demand for its chips to power artificial intelligence applications.

Once AMD's deal with ZT Systems closes, it will join the AMD Data Center Solutions Business Group. AMD said Monday that it will look for a buyer for its U.S.-based data center infrastructure manufacturing business.

The transaction, which was approved by AMD's board, is expected to close in the first half of next year.

Shares of AMD, based in Santa Clara, Calif., rose more than 3% before the market opened.

 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Child 'showing and telling' the researcher how they find content using the touchscreen tablet. Credit: Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies (2024). DOI: 10.1177/13548565241264002

Instead of channel surfing or browsing through a TV guide, Aussie kids today navigate complex streaming platforms and their algorithms to find shows, which is influencing their viewing habits, according to a new study of children aged 7 to 9.

Led by RMIT University researchers, the study involved talking to children, documenting their viewing habits and observing their daily routines.

The article, "What is 'children's television' in the streaming era?: Assessing content discoverability through Australian children's streaming platform fluencies," is published in Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies.

RMIT's Dr. Jessica Balanzategui said most children tended to value algorithmic content recommendations, but they didn't understand the underlying effects, including missing out on local content.

"Across research, policy and industry, we haven't fully addressed the implications of kids' screen time now being driven by children's 'on-demand' viewing selections, which are mediated through algorithmic curation and platform interfaces," she said.

"These are often driven by corporate strategies and interests that can restrict children's access to the available local options."

The research found U.S.-based global streaming video platforms Netflix and YouTube were the most popular, which had flow on effects when it came to the children's ability to find age-appropriate and local content.

RMIT's Dr. Djoymi Baker said platforms like Netflix and YouTube can operate as gateways to more mature content.

"Children sometimes saw platforms designed especially for them, like ABC Kids or ME, as skewing too young," she said.

"Once habits form around more mature content, it can be difficult to draw kids back to the local content that's being made with them in mind."

But among the children researchers spoke to, some assumed that because they mainly watched YouTube and Netflix, they were only watching American content.

Even in cases when their favorite shows were Australian, children sometimes assumed they were American.

For the study, each child was observed streaming alone for about 10 minutes and then again with a parent for the same duration, allowing researchers to compare how kids use platforms and choose content on their own versus with a parent.

Australian content was more obvious to children when it featured stereotypical landmarks or animalslike the Australian outback or kangaroosor when their parents pointed it out.

Local children's television is important because it can help kids connect with their own culture and surroundings, fostering an appreciation for their own community and country.

However, parents generally didn't see encouraging their children to watch local content as a priority given the many other complexities of raising kids today.

This paints a worrying picture for the future of Australian content, with locally made Australian children's television content decreasing by more than 84% between 2019 and 2022, shrinking from 605 hours to just 95 hours.

A key part of the Federal Government's National Cultural Policy is to help children become smart, thoughtful and engaged users of the internet and digital platforms.

Balanzategui said making locally produced children's content more accessible and recognizable on streaming services needs to be addressed as an industry and policy priority.

"If local content was better labeled across the streaming platforms, or perhaps organized in a central hub, it would be easier for young people to discover Australian programs appropriate for their age," she said.

Balanzategui said developing education literacy programs might help children and their parents better navigate the streaming era, as would better labeling of local and age-appropriate content.

"We need to teach kids how algorithms work and why certain things are suggested in a targeted way," she said.

This research forms part of a broader project on Australian children's television cultures, with researchers from RMIT and Swinburne University of Technology.

More information: Jessica Balanzategui et al, What is 'children's television' in the streaming era?: Assessing content discoverability through Australian children's streaming platform fluencies, Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies (2024). DOI: 10.1177/13548565241264002
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According to the Atlantic Council, Chinese sales of EVs abroad rose 70 percent in 2023, reaching $34.1 billion. Almost 40 percent went to the European Union.

The European Commission announced plans Tuesday to impose an extra nine-percent tariff on Tesla's China-made electric cars, much lower than what Chinese firms face unless Beijing compromises in a trade row.

Brussels last month slapped EVs imported from China with hefty provisional tariffson top of current duties of 10 percentafter an anti-subsidy probe found they were unfairly undermining European rivals.

On Tuesday the commission released a draft plan making the tariffs definitive, at slightly revised rates, subject to input from interested parties by end August, and to approval by EU member states by end October at the latest.

China's commerce ministry reiterated that it "firmly opposes" the tariffs, while voicing hope Brussels would work with Beijing "in a rational and pragmatic manner to avoid the escalation of trade frictions".

A European Commission official said the EU executive remained "open" to resolving the trade dispute without resorting to tariffsbut that "it's very much up to China to come up with alternatives."

Beijing has so far filed an appeal against the measures with the World Trade Organizationwhich Brussels has acknowledged while voicing confidence the tariffs are WTO-compatible.

The tariff rates faced by major Chinese manufacturers would be 17 percent for market leader BYD, tweaked down from 17.4 in the preliminary proposal; 19.3 percent for Geely, down from 19.9; and 36.3 percent for SAIC, down from 37.6.

Other producers in China that cooperated with Brussels' probe will face a tariff of 21.3 percentrevised slightly upwards from 20.8while those that did not would be subject to the maximum 36.3 percent duty.

Musk's Teslawhich manufactures Model 3 and Model Y cars in Chinahad asked Brussels for its own duty rate, set at nine percent after the commission deemed that it received lower Chinese subsidies than domestic manufacturers.

The bulk of the benefits taken into consideration involve batteries being supplied to Tesla for less than market value, as well as land use provided below market value and various Chinese grants for exporting producers.

Balancing act

The European Commission also decided to grant European manufacturers involved in joint ventures that export EVs from China the rate applying to their Chinese partner firm.

European firms affected include Germany's Volkswagen and BMWwhich have expressed fears the EU tariffs could damage trade ties with China, where they have significant business interests.

Concerning the provisional duties companies have faced since July 5, provided in the form of bank guarantees, the commission said it had determined it did not have legal grounds to collect the funds, which will be released once definitive measures take effect.

China and the EU have butted heads in recent years on a range of issues relating to trade, technology and national security.

The Chinese Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU) slammed the commission's "protectionist approach" and "unfair use of trade tools" that would worsen trade tensions following Tuesday's announcement.

The EU has launched a raft of probes targeting Chinese subsidies for solar panels, wind turbines and trains, while Beijing has begun its own investigations into imported European brandy and pork.

But Brussels faces a delicate balancing act as it tries to defend Europe's crucial auto industry and pivot towards green growth while also averting a showdown with Beijing.

China's emergence as an EV powerhouse stems in part from a targeted industrial strategy, with Beijing pouring vast state funds into domestic firms as well as research and development.

The approach has given Chinese firms a critical edge in the race to provide cheaper, more efficient EVs over leading European automakers, which have not always enjoyed such state largesse.

According to the Atlantic Council, Chinese sales of EVs abroad rose 70 percent in 2023, reaching $34.1 billionwith almost 40 percent bound for the European Union, the largest recipient of Chinese EVs.

 2024 AFP
Peng Liyuan chats over tea with Vietnam's first lady

Xinhua) 08:59, August 20, 2024

BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Peng Liyuan, wife of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping, chatted over tea with Ngo Phuong Ly, wife of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese President To Lam, in Beijing on Monday.

Peng said that China and Vietnam are friendly neighbors connected by mountains and rivers and the two countries share cultural bonds in the fields of literature, art and cuisine.

It is expected that the two sides will strengthen exchanges and cooperation, deepen mutual understanding and promote the development of friendship, she added.

Vietnam has made important achievements in promoting the development of women's cause, and the two sides can strengthen exchanges and mutual learning, Peng said, calling on both sides to encourage young people to learn each other's language and enhance friendly sentiments.

Peng invited Ngo Phuong Ly to enjoy Chinese opera, dance, folk music and other performances and Ngo Phuong Ly thanked Peng for her warm reception and thoughtful arrangements.

Ly expressed admiration for Peng's positive contributions as UNESCO's special envoy for the advancement of girls' and women's education and commended the wonderful performances by Chinese artists.

Ngo Phuong Ly said that she is very interested in the profound Chinese culture and looks forward to the continuous enhancement of cultural exchanges and mutual learning between Vietnam and China.

The two sides should further promote exchanges between their women as well as youth, deepen mutual understanding and strengthen people-to-people friendship, she added.

Video Source: CGTN

Peng Liyuan, wife of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping, chats over tea with Ngo Phuong Ly, wife of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese President To Lam, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Ngo Phuong Ly is accompanying To Lam on his state visit to China. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Apollon Financial LLC cut its holdings in shares of McDonalds Co. (NYSE:MCD  Free Report) by 7.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,231 shares of the fast-food giants stock after selling 106 shares during the quarter. Apollon Financial LLCs holdings in McDonalds were worth $314,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of McDonalds during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Signature Resources Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in McDonalds in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Clear Investment Research LLC purchased a new stake in McDonalds in the 4th quarter worth about $38,000. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in McDonalds in the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, Accent Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in McDonalds in the 4th quarter worth about $44,000. 70.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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McDonalds Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MCD traded up $9.06 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $287.55. 5,158,816 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,579,280. The company has a market cap of $207.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.41, a P/E/G ratio of 3.58 and a beta of 0.71. McDonalds Co. has a one year low of $243.53 and a one year high of $302.39. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $258.71 and a 200 day moving average of $270.87.

McDonalds Announces Dividend

McDonalds ( NYSE:MCD Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 29th. The fast-food giant reported $2.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.07 by ($0.10). The business had revenue of $6.49 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.62 billion. McDonalds had a net margin of 32.25% and a negative return on equity of 178.92%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.17 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that McDonalds Co. will post 11.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be given a dividend of $1.67 per share. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 3rd. McDonaldss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 56.71%.

Insider Activity at McDonalds

In other McDonalds news, EVP Marion K. Gross sold 1,498 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.26, for a total value of $371,893.48. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 1,560 shares in the company, valued at $387,285.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other McDonalds news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 1,099 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the insider now owns 15,878 shares in the company, valued at $4,209,734.14. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Marion K. Gross sold 1,498 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.26, for a total value of $371,893.48. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 1,560 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $387,285.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 4,794 shares of company stock worth $1,234,491. 0.23% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on MCD shares. Barclays cut their target price on McDonalds from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Truist Financial cut their target price on McDonalds from $300.00 to $295.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on McDonalds in a research report on Thursday, June 13th. They set a neutral rating and a $288.00 price target for the company. Loop Capital dropped their price target on McDonalds from $357.00 to $342.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price target on McDonalds from $300.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Monday. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, McDonalds presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $303.71.

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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.

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Apollon Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Invesco Senior Loan ETF (NYSEARCA:BKLN  Free Report) by 11.6% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 111,806 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after acquiring an additional 11,601 shares during the quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Invesco Senior Loan ETF were worth $2,352,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BKLN. Cobblestone Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Invesco Senior Loan ETF by 4.0% in the second quarter. Cobblestone Asset Management LLC now owns 12,380 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $260,000 after purchasing an additional 477 shares during the period. AA Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Invesco Senior Loan ETF by 4.3% in the first quarter. AA Financial Advisors LLC now owns 11,521 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $244,000 after purchasing an additional 479 shares during the period. Bell Investment Advisors Inc grew its holdings in shares of Invesco Senior Loan ETF by 41.7% in the first quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 1,683 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 495 shares during the period. Everpar Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Invesco Senior Loan ETF by 3.1% in the first quarter. Everpar Advisors LLC now owns 18,308 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $387,000 after purchasing an additional 542 shares during the period. Finally, Great Diamond Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Invesco Senior Loan ETF by 0.5% in the first quarter. Great Diamond Partners LLC now owns 120,927 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $2,558,000 after purchasing an additional 548 shares during the period.

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Invesco Senior Loan ETF Price Performance

NYSEARCA BKLN remained flat at $20.89 during trading hours on Monday. 9,917,953 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 11,442,482. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $21.05 and a 200-day moving average price of $21.09. Invesco Senior Loan ETF has a 52 week low of $20.61 and a 52 week high of $21.27.

Invesco Senior Loan ETF Company Profile

The Invesco Senior Loan ETF (BKLN) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in high yield fixed income. The fund tracks a market-value-weighted index of senior loans issued by banks to corporations. BKLN was launched on Mar 3, 2011 and is managed by Invesco.

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Apollon Wealth Management LLC reduced its position in shares of Trane Technologies plc (NYSE:TT  Free Report) by 6.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,939 shares of the companys stock after selling 423 shares during the quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Trane Technologies were worth $1,953,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Motco bought a new stake in Trane Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Sachetta LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Trane Technologies in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC boosted its position in shares of Trane Technologies by 157.1% in the 1st quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 90 shares of the companys stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Trane Technologies in the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Finally, BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Trane Technologies in the 1st quarter worth $30,000. 82.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO David S. Regnery sold 29,450 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $321.25, for a total value of $9,460,812.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 132,946 shares in the company, valued at $42,708,902.50. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, CEO David S. Regnery sold 29,450 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $321.25, for a total transaction of $9,460,812.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 132,946 shares in the company, valued at $42,708,902.50. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Christopher J. Kuehn sold 4,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $318.67, for a total value of $1,274,680.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 61,293 shares of the companys stock, valued at $19,532,240.31. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 44,243 shares of company stock worth $14,216,550. Company insiders own 0.38% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on TT. TD Cowen raised their price objective on Trane Technologies from $325.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 1st. UBS Group raised their price objective on Trane Technologies from $330.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, June 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Trane Technologies from $310.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Trane Technologies from $287.00 to $326.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 1st. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on Trane Technologies from $355.00 to $366.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $323.29.

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Trane Technologies Price Performance

Shares of Trane Technologies stock traded up $5.69 on Monday, hitting $346.99. 704,923 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,129,680. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $333.39 and a 200 day moving average price of $312.09. Trane Technologies plc has a 1-year low of $184.02 and a 1-year high of $351.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62.

Trane Technologies (NYSE:TT  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $3.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.08 by $0.22. The business had revenue of $5.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.13 billion. Trane Technologies had a return on equity of 33.97% and a net margin of 12.33%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 12.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.68 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Trane Technologies plc will post 10.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Trane Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.97%. Trane Technologiess payout ratio is 35.90%.

Trane Technologies Profile

(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.

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Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-A  Get Free Report) major shareholder Berkshire Hathaway Inc sold 5,035,018 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.65, for a total value of $199,638,463.70. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 928,460,939 shares in the company, valued at $36,813,476,231.35. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Large shareholders that own 10% or more of a companys stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Thursday, August 15th, Berkshire Hathaway Inc sold 5,183,829 shares of Berkshire Hathaway stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.31, for a total transaction of $203,776,317.99.

On Wednesday, July 31st, Berkshire Hathaway Inc sold 6,993,520 shares of Berkshire Hathaway stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.63, for a total transaction of $284,146,717.60.

On Monday, July 29th, Berkshire Hathaway Inc sold 5,264,601 shares of Berkshire Hathaway stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.20, for a total transaction of $216,901,561.20.

On Friday, July 26th, Berkshire Hathaway Inc sold 7,526,661 shares of Berkshire Hathaway stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.70, for a total transaction of $313,861,763.70.

On Wednesday, July 24th, Berkshire Hathaway Inc sold 5,420,599 shares of Berkshire Hathaway stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.39, for a total transaction of $229,779,191.61.

On Monday, July 22nd, Berkshire Hathaway Inc sold 6,349,021 shares of Berkshire Hathaway stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.41, for a total transaction of $269,261,980.61.

On Friday, July 19th, Berkshire Hathaway Inc sold 12,291,807 shares of Berkshire Hathaway stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.13, for a total transaction of $530,145,635.91.

On Wednesday, July 17th, Berkshire Hathaway Inc sold 12,690,693 shares of Berkshire Hathaway stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.07, for a total transaction of $559,278,840.51.

On Monday, June 17th, Berkshire Hathaway Inc bought 334,461 shares of Berkshire Hathaway stock. The shares were purchased at an average price of $59.75 per share, for a total transaction of $19,984,044.75.

On Friday, June 14th, Berkshire Hathaway Inc sold 12,419 shares of Berkshire Hathaway stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.12, for a total transaction of $411,317.28.

Berkshire Hathaway Price Performance

Shares of BRK-A stock traded up $5,984.99 on Monday, hitting $667,129.99. The stock had a trading volume of 1,388 shares. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $634,363.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $621,456.26.

Berkshire Hathaway Company Profile

Berkshire Hathaway Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the insurance, freight rail transportation, and utility businesses worldwide. The company provides property, casualty, life, accident, and health insurance and reinsurance; and operates railroad systems in North America. It also generates, transmits, stores, and distributes electricity from natural gas, coal, wind, solar, hydroelectric, nuclear, and geothermal sources; operates natural gas distribution and storage facilities, interstate pipelines, liquefied natural gas facilities, and compressor and meter stations; and holds interest in coal mining assets.

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Brand Asset Management Group Inc. lessened its stake in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV  Free Report) by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 10,004 shares of the companys stock after selling 226 shares during the quarter. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF accounts for approximately 2.3% of Brand Asset Management Group Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 14th largest position. Brand Asset Management Group Inc.s holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF were worth $5,475,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of IVV. Global Trust Asset Management LLC lifted its position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 5.3% during the 2nd quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 379 shares of the companys stock worth $207,000 after acquiring an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky raised its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 2,134 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,122,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Unionview LLC raised its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Unionview LLC now owns 3,293 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,731,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Aufman Associates Inc raised its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Aufman Associates Inc now owns 7,112 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,739,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sensible Money LLC raised its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Sensible Money LLC now owns 1,965 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,033,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares in the last quarter.

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iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Stock Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA IVV traded up $5.18 during trading on Monday, reaching $562.61. The stock had a trading volume of 4,633,885 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,098,347. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has a one year low of $411.02 and a one year high of $568.24. The stock has a market cap of $485.48 billion, a PE ratio of 25.23 and a beta of 0.99. The firms 50 day moving average price is $548.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $527.81.

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Company Profile

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poors 500 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market.

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Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH  Get Free Report) CEO Jason M. Hollar sold 26,716 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.87, for a total value of $2,908,570.92. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 244,091 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,574,187.17. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Cardinal Health Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of Cardinal Health stock traded down $0.06 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $109.79. 1,301,328 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,149,500. Cardinal Health, Inc. has a 52-week low of $85.11 and a 52-week high of $116.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a fifty day moving average of $99.60 and a 200-day moving average of $103.20.

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Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 14th. The company reported $1.84 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.74 by $0.10. Cardinal Health had a negative return on equity of 54.74% and a net margin of 0.25%. The company had revenue of $59.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $58.74 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.55 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 12.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Cardinal Health, Inc. will post 7.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cardinal Health Increases Dividend

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.506 per share. This represents a $2.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.84%. This is an increase from Cardinal Healths previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 1st. Cardinal Healths dividend payout ratio is presently 89.78%.

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Cardinal Health from $114.00 to $119.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on Cardinal Health from $115.00 to $119.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Friday. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Cardinal Health from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Cardinal Health from $95.00 to $101.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Cardinal Health from $130.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Cardinal Health has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $117.45.

Get Our Latest Analysis on CAH

Institutional Trading of Cardinal Health

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. J. W. Coons Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Cardinal Health by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. J. W. Coons Advisors LLC now owns 16,680 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,681,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Edmonds Duncan Registered Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Cardinal Health by 5.0% in the 1st quarter. Edmonds Duncan Registered Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,090 shares of the companys stock valued at $234,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Midland Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Cardinal Health by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter. Midland Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,488 shares of the companys stock valued at $245,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Cardinal Health by 5.1% in the 2nd quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,071 shares of the companys stock valued at $204,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its holdings in Cardinal Health by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 20,891 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,054,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. 87.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Cardinal Health

(Get Free Report)

Cardinal Health, Inc operates as a healthcare services and products company in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It provides customized solutions for hospitals, healthcare systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, physician offices, and patients in the home.

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A San Antonio federal jury on Monday found a San Antonio businessman and his partner not guilty for their roles in an alleged health care kickback scheme. Glow Images/Getty Images/Glowimages RF

A federal jury in San Antonio has found a San Antonio businessman and his partner not guilty for their roles in an alleged $14.5 million Medicare kickback scheme.

After a three-week trial, jurors cleared Kuba Zarobkiewicz, 37, of San Antonio, and Anthony Fermin, 34, of south Florida, on 12 counts relating to health care fraud and violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute  which makes it illegal to pay for patient referrals.

Zarobkiewicz and Fermin operated Medicare-registered pharmacy companies that prosecutors alleged paid kickbacks to telemarketing companies in exchange for doctors prescribing unnecessary hip, knee and back braces for elderly patients.

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Farrukh Mirza, who operated the telemarketing companies, indicted with the pair last year, pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks rather than stand trial. Mirza, of Richmond, testified during the trial on behalf of the government. Prosecutors have agreed to drop 11 other charges against him.

Mirza received more than $2.5 million in kickbacks from Zarobkiewicz and Fermin, according to his plea agreement.

MULTIMILLION DOLLAR DEAL: San Antonio oncologists, clinical lab settle claims that they participated in a kickback scheme

This was one of the most aggressive cases involving the Anti-Kickback Statute that Ive ever seen, Miami attorney Jonathan Meltz, who defended Zarobkiewicz, said after the verdict Monday. The governments theory shows the dangers in letting prosecutors use such a broad, vague statute to prosecute cases that should have been handled civilly or administratively, not criminally.

Jurors began deliberations Friday morning and sent a note late Monday morning to U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam that they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. The judge wrote back that they should continue their deliberations.

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The jury returned their verdict about two hours later.

Prosecutors had alleged that Zarobkiewicz and Fermin billed Medicare about $14.5 million for brace products referred via illegal kickbacks, according to a November superseding indictment. About $7 million was actually paid, the document stated.

Zarobkiewicz and Fermin owned multiple pharmacy businesses, including Pharmax LLC, doing business as iPharmacy, Elevate Pharmacy and Procare Biomedical Repair LLC.

Meltz told jurors the governments evidence failed to prove Zarobkiewcizs guilt. Meltz also criticized the FBIs probe.

They botched this investigation, they brought this case too fast and they never really found out what happened until this trial, he said during closing arguments Thursday.

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Meltz added, Mistakes were made, but theyre not fraud. Mistakes are not crimes. Mistakes are mistakes.

Chicago lawyer Stephen Lee, who represents Fermin, said his client had no intent to break the law.

You have seen all the evidence and you know Anthony acted in good faith and he tried to do the right thing, Lee said in closing arguments. He made a lot of mistakes, lots of mistakes, including trusting the wrong people. But  he did not have intent to defraud. He never agreed with anyone to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute or commit health care fraud.

Anthony Fermin is not perfect, but he is innocent, he added.

Zarobkiewicz and Fermin were found not guilty of four counts of payments of illegal health care kickbacks; one count of conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks; six counts of heath care fraud; and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

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The pair could have faced years in federal prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines if convicted.

Mirza is facing up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to the conspiracy count relating to kickbacks. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Pulliam on Sept. 4.
Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Chubb Limited (NYSE:CB  Free Report) by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,428,357 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 8,215 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. owned about 0.35% of Chubb worth $364,345,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Chubb in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Wellington Shields Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Chubb in the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in Chubb in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Chubb by 82.2% during the 1st quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 133 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank & Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Chubb during the 2nd quarter worth about $35,000. 83.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Chubb Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of Chubb stock traded up $0.61 during trading on Monday, hitting $274.02. The stock had a trading volume of 931,062 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,634,713. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $263.85 and a 200 day simple moving average of $257.68. The company has a market capitalization of $111.27 billion, a PE ratio of 12.16, a P/E/G ratio of 5.21 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. Chubb Limited has a 1 year low of $198.10 and a 1 year high of $277.91.

Chubb Announces Dividend

Chubb ( NYSE:CB Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The financial services provider reported $5.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $5.04 by $0.34. Chubb had a net margin of 18.14% and a return on equity of 15.77%. The firm had revenue of $13.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.04 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.92 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 11.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Chubb Limited will post 21.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 4th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a dividend of $0.91 per share. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.33%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. Chubbs payout ratio is presently 16.16%.

Insider Activity at Chubb

In related news, EVP Peter C. Enns sold 8,200 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $266.06, for a total transaction of $2,181,692.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 45,853 shares of the companys stock, valued at $12,199,649.18. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Chubb news, EVP Juan Luis Ortega sold 2,400 shares of Chubb stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.98, for a total value of $626,352.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 44,632 shares in the company, valued at $11,648,059.36. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Peter C. Enns sold 8,200 shares of Chubb stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $266.06, for a total transaction of $2,181,692.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 45,853 shares of the companys stock, valued at $12,199,649.18. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.86% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Chubb from $260.00 to $259.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Chubb from $285.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Chubb from $266.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Roth Mkm boosted their price target on shares of Chubb from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Chubb from $257.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $270.79.

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Chubb Company Profile

(Free Report)

Chubb Limited provides insurance and reinsurance products worldwide. The company's North America Commercial P&C Insurance segment offers commercial property, casualty, workers' compensation, package policies, risk management, financial lines, marine, construction, environmental, medical risk, cyber risk, surety, and casualty; and group accident and health insurance to large, middle market, and small commercial businesses.

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Milestone Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Hubbell Incorporated (NYSE:HUBB  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm bought 2,446 shares of the industrial products companys stock, valued at approximately $894,000.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HUBB. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Hubbell by 15.9% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,696,582 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,202,707,000 after buying an additional 918,808 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Hubbell in the 4th quarter valued at $143,024,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in Hubbell by 16.9% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,980,456 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $821,989,000 after buying an additional 286,134 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its holdings in Hubbell by 24.4% in the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,268,560 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $417,267,000 after buying an additional 248,493 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Westwood Holdings Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Hubbell by 575.7% during the 4th quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 288,186 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $94,793,000 after purchasing an additional 245,536 shares during the period. 88.16% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

HUBB has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Barclays cut their price objective on Hubbell from $384.00 to $368.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Stephens reissued an overweight rating and set a $450.00 price objective on shares of Hubbell in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Hubbell from $383.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Hubbell from $397.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $402.57.

Insider Activity at Hubbell

In other news, Director Carlos M. Cardoso sold 450 shares of Hubbell stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $364.54, for a total value of $164,043.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 1,670 shares in the company, valued at approximately $608,781.80. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, CEO Gerben Bakker sold 15,677 shares of Hubbell stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $374.34, for a total value of $5,868,528.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 66,415 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,861,791.10. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Carlos M. Cardoso sold 450 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $364.54, for a total value of $164,043.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 1,670 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $608,781.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hubbell Trading Up 0.5 %

Hubbell stock traded up $1.89 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $375.72. 299,124 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 463,489. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $373.97 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $383.94. Hubbell Incorporated has a 12-month low of $248.37 and a 12-month high of $429.61. The firm has a market cap of $20.17 billion, a PE ratio of 28.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a current ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62.

Hubbell (NYSE:HUBB  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $4.37 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.13. Hubbell had a return on equity of 28.98% and a net margin of 13.14%. The company had revenue of $1.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.48 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.07 EPS. Hubbells revenue for the quarter was up 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Hubbell Incorporated will post 16.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hubbell Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.22 per share. This represents a $4.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.30%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. Hubbells dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.39%.

About Hubbell

(Free Report)

Hubbell Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and sells electrical and utility solutions in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Electrical Solutions and Utility Solutions. The Electrical Solution segment offers standard and special application wiring device products, rough-in electrical products, connector and grounding products, lighting fixtures, and other electrical equipment for use in industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities by electrical contractors, maintenance personnel, electricians, utilities, and telecommunications companies, as well as components and assemblies.

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Milestone Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT  Free Report) by 14.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,848 shares of the retailers stock after purchasing an additional 1,383 shares during the quarter. Milestone Asset Management LLCs holdings in Walmart were worth $735,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. ICW Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. ICW Investment Advisors LLC now owns 15,451 shares of the retailers stock worth $2,436,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Rossmore Private Capital raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Rossmore Private Capital now owns 20,504 shares of the retailers stock worth $3,232,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors LLC now owns 21,377 shares of the retailers stock valued at $3,370,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Landmark Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Landmark Financial Advisors LLC now owns 7,055 shares of the retailers stock worth $1,112,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Finally, Kelman Lazarov Inc. increased its position in Walmart by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Kelman Lazarov Inc. now owns 3,928 shares of the retailers stock worth $619,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the companys stock.

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Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT traded up $0.27 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $73.72. The companys stock had a trading volume of 13,298,702 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,620,494. The stocks 50-day moving average is $68.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $63.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $592.97 billion, a PE ratio of 31.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.95 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.80. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $49.85 and a one year high of $74.44.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

Walmart ( NYSE:WMT Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The retailer reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $169.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $168.56 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.61 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.43 EPS for the current year.

In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 3,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.19, for a total transaction of $207,570.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 387,165 shares in the company, valued at $26,787,946.35. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.19, for a total value of $207,570.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 387,165 shares of the companys stock, valued at $26,787,946.35. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Timothy Patrick Flynn sold 30,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.82, for a total value of $1,944,600.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 144,807 shares in the company, valued at $9,386,389.74. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 11,000,613 shares of company stock valued at $725,932,010 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 45.58% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have weighed in on WMT. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Walmart from $75.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday. Telsey Advisory Group upped their price target on shares of Walmart from $75.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday. Barclays increased their price target on Walmart from $66.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday. HSBC upped their target price on Walmart from $70.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 11th. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an overweight rating and set a $83.00 target price (up from $81.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $78.57.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on WMT

Walmart 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.

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Milestone Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Pimco Total Return ETF (NYSEARCA:BOND  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 90,371 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $8,231,000. Pimco Total Return ETF accounts for approximately 2.1% of Milestone Asset Management LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Milestone Asset Management LLC owned 0.20% of Pimco Total Return ETF as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pimco Total Return ETF in the first quarter valued at about $30,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pimco Total Return ETF in the first quarter valued at about $49,000. Trust Co. of Vermont purchased a new position in shares of Pimco Total Return ETF in the second quarter valued at about $71,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Pimco Total Return ETF by 75.1% in the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 842 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $75,000 after acquiring an additional 361 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hartline Investment Corp purchased a new position in shares of Pimco Total Return ETF in the first quarter valued at about $212,000.

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Pimco Total Return ETF Stock Performance

Shares of Pimco Total Return ETF stock traded up $0.02 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $93.65. The companys stock had a trading volume of 165,547 shares, compared to its average volume of 251,099. The company has a market cap of $4.31 billion, a PE ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.18. Pimco Total Return ETF has a 12-month low of $85.10 and a 12-month high of $94.33. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $92.08 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $91.18.

Pimco Total Return ETF Company Profile

The PIMCO Active Bond Exchange-Traded Fund (BOND) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Barclays U.S. Aggregate index. The fund is an actively managed portfolio that aims to maintain a consistent level of dividend income by investing in a broad array of fixed income sectors and utilizing income efficient implementation strategies.

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Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET  Free Report) by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 2,860,349 shares of the pipeline companys stock after buying an additional 41,650 shares during the quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc.s holdings in Energy Transfer were worth $46,395,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Berkley W R Corp boosted its position in shares of Energy Transfer by 11.6% during the 1st quarter. Berkley W R Corp now owns 5,334,494 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $83,912,000 after acquiring an additional 555,445 shares in the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. grew its stake in Energy Transfer by 4.3% during the 1st quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 56,366 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $886,000 after buying an additional 2,326 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE grew its stake in Energy Transfer by 95.8% during the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 145,894 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $2,013,000 after buying an additional 71,386 shares during the last quarter. Savant Capital LLC grew its stake in Energy Transfer by 19.7% during the 4th quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 26,335 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $363,000 after buying an additional 4,340 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers grew its stake in Energy Transfer by 491.3% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 1,290,364 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $20,297,000 after buying an additional 1,072,144 shares during the last quarter. 38.22% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Thomas E. Long acquired 20,000 shares of Energy Transfer stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $15.68 per share, with a total value of $313,600.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 4,308,859 shares in the company, valued at approximately $67,562,909.12. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Energy Transfer news, Director Kelcy L. Warren acquired 3,000,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $15.68 per share, with a total value of $47,040,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 123,385,650 shares in the company, valued at $1,934,686,992. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Thomas E. Long acquired 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 12th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $15.68 per share, with a total value of $313,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 4,308,859 shares of the companys stock, valued at $67,562,909.12. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 3.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently issued reports on ET. Mizuho raised their price target on Energy Transfer from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 18th. UBS Group raised their price target on Energy Transfer from $23.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 15th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Energy Transfer from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, May 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Energy Transfer from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, June 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Energy Transfer from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, June 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Energy Transfer presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $19.29.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Energy Transfer

Energy Transfer Stock Performance

Energy Transfer stock remained flat at $16.31 during mid-day trading on Monday. The companys stock had a trading volume of 23,924,445 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,655,060. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $16.01 and a 200-day moving average price of $15.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $54.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.96, a PEG ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 1.66. Energy Transfer LP has a 52 week low of $12.89 and a 52 week high of $16.50.

Energy Transfer (NYSE:ET  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 business had revenue of $20.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.01 billion. Energy Transfer had a net margin of 4.85% and a return on equity of 12.22%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 13.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.25 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Energy Transfer LP will post 1.49 EPS for the current 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 issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 9th. This is a boost from Energy Transfers previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.85%. Energy Transfers payout ratio is currently 117.43%.

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.

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Sara Bay Financial raised its holdings in The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS  Free Report) (TSE:BNS) by 16.3% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 5,759 shares of the banks stock after purchasing an additional 809 shares during the quarter. Sara Bay Financials holdings in Bank of Nova Scotia were worth $263,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Raymond James & Associates grew its stake in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia by 7.5% in the 2nd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 30,964 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,416,000 after purchasing an additional 2,164 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. purchased a new position in Bank of Nova Scotia in the 2nd quarter valued at $427,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in Bank of Nova Scotia by 3,127.8% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 581 shares of the banks stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 563 shares during the last quarter. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Bank of Nova Scotia in the 2nd quarter valued at $217,000. Finally, Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in Bank of Nova Scotia by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc. now owns 145,160 shares of the banks stock worth $6,637,000 after buying an additional 379 shares during the last quarter. 49.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on BNS shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. UBS Group began coverage on Bank of Nova Scotia in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. They issued a neutral rating on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $68.00.

Bank of Nova Scotia Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BNS traded up $0.49 during trading on Monday, hitting $47.61. 1,213,131 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,869,770. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 1.03. The Bank of Nova Scotia has a 1 year low of $39.79 and a 1 year high of $51.98. The company has a market cap of $58.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.72, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.04. The firms fifty day moving average price is $46.09 and its 200 day moving average price is $47.44.

Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS  Get Free Report) (TSE:BNS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 28th. The bank reported $1.16 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.02. Bank of Nova Scotia had a net margin of 10.40% and a return on equity of 11.40%. The firm had revenue of $6.15 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.10 billion. On average, sell-side analysts expect that The Bank of Nova Scotia will post 4.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bank of Nova Scotia Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 29th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 3rd were issued a $0.769 dividend. This represents a $3.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 3rd. Bank of Nova Scotias dividend payout ratio is currently 69.59%.

Bank of Nova Scotia Profile

(Free Report)

The Bank of Nova Scotia provides various banking products and services in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, the Caribbean and Central America, and internationally. It operates through Canadian Banking, International Banking, Global Wealth Management, and Global Banking and Markets segments.

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Apollon Wealth Management LLC lessened its position in Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:BSV  Free Report) by 57.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 31,384 shares of the companys stock after selling 42,260 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF were worth $2,407,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Tidemark LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF during the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Register Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF during the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF during the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000.

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Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF Price Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA BSV traded up $0.02 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $77.95. The company had a trading volume of 1,085,474 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,841,092. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $77.14 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $76.64. Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF has a one year low of $74.61 and a one year high of $78.49.

Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF Profile

Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF (the Fund) seeks to track the performance of a market-weighted bond index with a short-term, dollar-weighted average maturity. The Fund employs a passive management or indexing strategy designed to track the performance of the Barclays Capital U.S. 1-5 Year Government/Credit Bond Index (the Index).

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Youdao, Inc. (NYSE:DAO  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 312,400 shares, a decline of 11.5% from the July 15th total of 352,800 shares. Currently, 1.1% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 81,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.8 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Youdao

An institutional investor recently raised its position in Youdao stock. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its stake in shares of Youdao, Inc. (NYSE:DAO  Free Report) by 6.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 52,300 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 3,300 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLCs holdings in Youdao were worth $205,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. 21.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Youdao Stock Up 2.2 %

Shares of Youdao stock traded up $0.07 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $3.49. 69,673 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 111,193. Youdao has a 1 year low of $2.86 and a 1 year high of $4.75. The business has a fifty day moving average of $3.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of $3.79. The company has a market capitalization of $421.41 million, a P/E ratio of -9.17 and a beta of -0.04.

Youdao Company Profile

Youdao ( NYSE:DAO Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 23rd. The company reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $192.77 million during the quarter.

(Get Free Report)

Youdao, Inc, an internet technology company, provides online services in the field of content, community, communication, and commerce in China. It operates through three segments: Learning Services, Smart Devices, and Online Marketing Services. The company provides various learning content, applications, and solutions, which cover topics and target people from various age groups for their learning needs through its websites and mobile applications.

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ABN AMRO Bank (OTCMKTS:ABMRF  Get Free Report)s stock price traded up 1.7% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $17.10 and last traded at $17.10. 1,300 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 65% from the average session volume of 3,717 shares. The stock had previously closed at $16.82.

ABN AMRO Bank Stock Performance

The companys 50-day moving average price is $16.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $16.46.

About ABN AMRO Bank

(Get Free Report)

ABN AMRO Bank N.V. provides various banking products and financial services to retail, private, and business clients in the Netherlands and internationally. It operates through three segments: Personal & Business Banking, Wealth Management, and Corporate Banking. The company provides savings and deposits products; investment and insurance products; and consumer, personal, car, and home improvement loan.

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Accredited Investors Inc. raised its stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM  Free Report) by 5.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,973 shares of the semiconductor companys stock after acquiring an additional 106 shares during the quarter. Accredited Investors Inc.s holdings in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing were worth $343,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of TSM. Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. First Community Trust NA bought a new position in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing during the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. LifeSteps Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing during the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. North Star Investment Management Corp. increased its holdings in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 670.4% during the first quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 208 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the period. Finally, Tsfg LLC increased its holdings in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 470.7% during the first quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 234 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the period. 16.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on TSM. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $150.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, June 20th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 5th. Needham & Company LLC increased their price target on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $168.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, July 15th. Susquehanna reiterated a positive rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $130.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $200.00.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Price Performance

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing stock traded up $0.88 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $175.42. The company had a trading volume of 11,500,697 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,154,945. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited has a fifty-two week low of $84.01 and a fifty-two week high of $193.47. The company has a current ratio of 2.39, a quick ratio of 2.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The company has a market cap of $909.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 1.14. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $171.44 and a 200 day simple moving average of $151.43.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE:TSM  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The semiconductor company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.11. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing had a net margin of 37.85% and a return on equity of 25.89%. The firm had revenue of $20.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.33 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.14 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 34.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited will post 6.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 9th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.4871 per share. This represents a $1.95 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.11%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 12th. This is a positive change from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings payout ratio is 32.57%.

About Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing

(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.

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Annasofia Scheve covers trending news for the Express-News. She can be reached at Annasofia.Scheve@express-news.net.

Annasofia has bachelor's degrees in journalism and political science from the University of Missouri. She is an Ohio native, and wrote for Cincinnati Magazine and the Cincinnati Enquirer before joining the Express-News in 2023.
Accredited Investors Inc. raised its position in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Free Report) by 9.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 12,726 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after buying an additional 1,134 shares during the period. Accredited Investors Inc.s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $1,322,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of ABT. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter worth $2,115,836,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 5.6% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 165,301,921 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $18,788,216,000 after purchasing an additional 8,834,840 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 9.5% in the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 86,588,614 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $9,530,825,000 after purchasing an additional 7,527,778 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors boosted its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 9.1% in the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 70,177,564 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $7,976,382,000 after purchasing an additional 5,882,780 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Boston Partners boosted its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 12,577.8% in the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 3,772,670 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $415,948,000 after purchasing an additional 3,742,912 shares during the last quarter. 75.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays lifted their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $143.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, July 29th. Citigroup reduced their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $128.00 to $119.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Abbott Laboratories in a report on Thursday, May 30th. They set a buy rating and a $121.00 target price on the stock. Raymond James reiterated a buy rating and set a $124.00 target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Wednesday, April 24th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and set a $125.00 target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Tuesday, June 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Abbott Laboratories currently 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 $0.91 during trading on Monday, reaching $111.91. 3,495,807 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,017,393. Abbott Laboratories has a 12 month low of $89.67 and a 12 month high of $121.64. The firm has a market cap of $194.68 billion, a PE ratio of 34.86, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.72. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $105.56 and a 200-day moving average price of $108.71. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 18th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.04. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 20.18% and a net margin of 13.65%. The company had revenue of $10.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.08 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Investors of record on Monday, July 15th were given a dividend of $0.55 per share. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.97%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 15th. Abbott Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio is currently 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.

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Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO  Get Free Report)s stock price shot up 0.1% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $51.47 and last traded at $51.38. 1,534,385 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 85% from the average session volume of 10,492,712 shares. The stock had previously closed at $51.32.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MO has been the subject of a number of research reports. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $37.00 to $43.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. Argus raised Altria Group to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, May 31st. Bank of America raised their price target on Altria Group from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Altria Group from $50.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, StockNews.com raised Altria Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, June 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $47.08.

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Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Altria Group

Altria Group Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $88.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.77, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.66. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $48.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $44.80.

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 analysts consensus estimates of $1.35 by ($0.04). Altria Group had a net margin of 42.25% and a negative return on equity of 232.55%. The firm had revenue of $6.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.39 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.31 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 14.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Altria Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MO. Next Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 20.7% during the 2nd quarter. Next Capital Management LLC now owns 5,700 shares of the companys stock worth $261,000 after purchasing an additional 978 shares in the last quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 38,045 shares of the companys stock worth $1,733,000 after purchasing an additional 768 shares in the last quarter. Kimelman & Baird LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth $127,000. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth $207,000. Finally, Regal Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. Regal Investment Advisors LLC now owns 251,933 shares of the companys stock worth $11,476,000 after purchasing an additional 10,079 shares in the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

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Atalaya Mining Plc (LON:ATYM  Get Free Report) announced a dividend on Wednesday, August 14th, Upcoming.Co.Uk reports. Investors of record on Thursday, August 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.04 per share on Thursday, September 19th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.92%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 22nd. The official announcement can be seen at this link.

Atalaya Mining Price Performance

ATYM stock opened at GBX 388 ($5.04) on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.27, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 1.65. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 393.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 392.79. The company has a market capitalization of 546.15 million, a P/E ratio of 1,853.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -2.02 and a beta of 1.67. Atalaya Mining has a 52-week low of GBX 281 ($3.65) and a 52-week high of GBX 493.50 ($6.41).

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Atalaya Mining news, insider Neil Gregson purchased 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 343 ($4.46) per share, with a total value of 17,150 ($22,284.30). In other news, insider Jesus Fernandez Lopez bought 92,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, June 14th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 400 ($5.20) per share, with a total value of 370,000 ($480,769.23). Also, insider Neil Gregson bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 343 ($4.46) per share, for a total transaction of 17,150 ($22,284.30). 31.43% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a hold rating and set a GBX 480 ($6.24) target price on shares of Atalaya Mining in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a buy rating and set a GBX 585 ($7.60) price objective on shares of Atalaya Mining in a report on Wednesday, August 14th.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Atalaya Mining

Atalaya Mining Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Atalaya Mining Plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the mineral exploration and development in Spain. The company's flagship property is the Proyecto Riotinto mine, an open-pit copper mine located in the Andalusia region of Spain. It explores for copper concentrates, silver by-products, and gold.

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NU (NYSE:NU  Free Report) had its target price lifted by Barclays from $15.00 to $17.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. Barclays currently has an overweight rating on the stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on NU. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on NU from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, April 22nd. Susquehanna reissued a positive rating and set a $16.00 price objective on shares of NU in a report on Thursday, August 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of NU from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of NU from $10.80 to $15.20 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, June 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of NU from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $12.00 to $14.50 in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $13.43.

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Check Out Our Latest Research Report on NU

NU Stock Performance

NYSE:NU opened at $14.45 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $12.48 and a 200 day moving average price of $11.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.84 billion, a PE ratio of 55.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.13. NU has a 12-month low of $6.63 and a 12-month high of $14.46.

NU (NYSE:NU  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 13th. The company reported $0.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.10 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $2.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.90 billion. NU had a net margin of 13.86% and a return on equity of 22.94%. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.05 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that NU will post 0.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of NU

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of NU during the second quarter worth $135,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of NU during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,148,000. Creative Planning grew its position in shares of NU by 1,937.0% during the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 418,624 shares of the companys stock worth $5,396,000 after buying an additional 398,073 shares during the period. Driehaus Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NU in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $36,866,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its position in shares of NU by 9.7% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 314,189 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,050,000 after acquiring an additional 27,662 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.90% of the companys stock.

NU Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Nu Holdings Ltd. provides digital banking platform and digital financial services in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and internationally. It offers Nu credit and debit cards; Ultraviolet credit and debit cards; and mobile payment solutions for NuAccount customers to make and receive transfers, pay bills, and make everyday purchases through their mobile phones.

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B&M European Value Retail S.A. (LON:BME  Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as GBX 3,188 ($41.42) and last traded at GBX 438.60 ($5.70), with a volume of 3018845 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 449.30 ($5.84).

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Canaccord Genuity Group restated a buy rating and issued a GBX 600 ($7.80) target price on shares of B&M European Value Retail in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an underweight rating on shares of B&M European Value Retail in a research note on Friday, June 28th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group downgraded B&M European Value Retail to a hold rating and boosted their target price for the company from GBX 380 ($4.94) to GBX 525 ($6.82) in a research note on Monday, April 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of GBX 577 ($7.50).

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Read Our Latest Analysis on BME

B&M European Value Retail Stock Performance

B&M European Value Retail Cuts Dividend

The company has a market cap of 4.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 1,248.06 and a beta of 1.07. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 456.39 and a 200-day moving average price of GBX 502.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 308.86, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a current ratio of 1.32.

The business also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 27th were paid a dividend of GBX 9.60 ($0.12) per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 27th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.76%. B&M European Value Retails dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4,166.67%.

Insider Transactions at B&M European Value Retail

In related news, insider Hounaida Lasry purchased 7,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 6th. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 500 ($6.50) per share, for a total transaction of 35,000 ($45,478.17). 4.22% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

B&M European Value Retail Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

B&M European Value Retail SA operates general merchandise and grocery stores. The company operates a chain of stores under the B&M, Heron Foods, and B&M Express in the United Kingdom; and stores under the B&M brand in France. It also provides property management services. The company was founded in 1978 and is based in Munsbach, Luxembourg.

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American Bank (OTCMKTS:AMBK  Get Free Report) and Banc of California (NYSE:BANC  Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability, earnings and dividends.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

86.9% of Banc of California shares are owned by institutional investors. 7.4% of Banc of California shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

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Dividends

American Bank pays an annual dividend of $0.56 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.7%. Banc of California pays an annual dividend of $0.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.8%. Banc of California pays out -12.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Risk & Volatility

Earnings and Valuation

American Bank has a beta of 0.05, meaning that its stock price is 95% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Banc of California has a beta of 1.14, meaning that its stock price is 14% more volatile than the S&P 500.

This table compares American Bank and Banc of Californias gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio American Bank N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Banc of California $429.87 million 5.24 -$1.90 billion ($3.33) -4.30

American Bank has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Banc of California.

Profitability

This table compares American Bank and Banc of Californias net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets American Bank N/A N/A N/A Banc of California -21.99% 2.12% 0.17%

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings for American Bank and Banc of California, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score American Bank 0 0 0 0 N/A Banc of California 0 5 3 0 2.38

Banc of California has a consensus price target of $15.69, indicating a potential upside of 9.55%. Given Banc of Californias higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Banc of California is more favorable than American Bank.

Summary

Banc of California beats American Bank on 9 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About American Bank

(Get Free Report)

American Bank Incorporated operates as the bank holding company for American Bank that provides various banking products and services to consumer, business, institutional, and governmental customers. It accepts a range of interest-bearing checking and money market accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. The company also offers commercial, industrial, and other loans; commercial mortgage loans; commercial construction loans; residential mortgage loans; and consumer loans, including personal term loans, personal credit lines, automobile loans, home equity loans, and home equity lines of credit and loans. In addition, it provides online or mobile banking, automated teller machine, safe deposit box rental, and wire transfer services, as well as sells checks and checkbooks, and purchases investment securities. The company operates an office located in Allentown, Pennsylvania; and a loan production office in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

About Banc of California

(Get Free Report)

Banc of California, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Banc of California that provides various banking products and services in California. The company offers deposit products, such as checking, savings, money market, demand, and time deposits; certificates of deposit; retirement accounts; and safe deposit boxes. It also provides real estate loans to professional developers and real estate investors for the acquisition, construction, refinancing, renovation, and on-going operation of commercial real estate properties; commercial real estate mortgage, residential real estate mortgage, and real estate construction and land loans; commercial loans and leases, such as equipment finance, other asset-based, venture capital, secured business, warehouse, and other lending services; small business administration loans; and consumer loans comprising personal, auto, and other loans, as well as home equity and revolving lines of credit. In addition, the company offers international banking, multi-state deposit, and asset and investment management services, as well as cash and treasury management services; and online, mobile, remote deposit, and telephone banking services. It serves small and middle-market businesses, venture capital firms, non-profit organizations, business owners, entrepreneurs, professionals, and high-net worth individuals. Banc of California, Inc. was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

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Continuum Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS  Free Report) by 5.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,161 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 164 shares during the quarter. Continuum Advisory LLCs holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $307,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter valued at $958,105,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 17.2% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 38,451,051 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $3,585,561,000 after buying an additional 5,631,435 shares during the period. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board bought a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter valued at $512,867,000. Capital International Investors increased its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 16.3% in the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 28,481,070 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,681,778,000 after buying an additional 3,981,528 shares during the period. Finally, Focused Investors Fund L P bought a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the 1st quarter valued at $159,714,000. Institutional investors own 84.19% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity

In other news, Chairman James P. Gorman sold 200,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.06, for a total value of $21,012,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 150,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $15,759,000. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other Morgan Stanley news, Chairman James P. Gorman sold 200,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.06, for a total transaction of $21,012,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 150,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $15,759,000. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Raja Akram sold 7,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.37, for a total value of $797,775.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 87,119 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,266,848.03. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 252,000 shares of company stock valued at $26,546,370. 0.24% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MS has been the topic of several analyst reports. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $116.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. JMP Securities reaffirmed a market perform rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $98.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Morgan Stanley from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $99.00 to $95.00 in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Morgan Stanley presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $101.45.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley Stock Down 0.5 %

NYSE MS traded down $0.46 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $101.29. 390,271 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,479,772. The companys 50-day moving average is $99.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $94.48. Morgan Stanley has a one year low of $69.42 and a one year high of $109.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.97, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 0.77. The company has a market capitalization of $164.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.38.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $15.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $14.32 billion. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 11.90% and a net margin of 10.17%. Morgan Stanleys revenue for the quarter was up 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.24 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Morgan Stanley will post 7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 31st were issued a $0.925 dividend. This represents a $3.70 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.65%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 31st. This is an increase from Morgan Stanleys previous quarterly dividend of $0.85. Morgan Stanleys dividend payout ratio is presently 67.40%.

About Morgan Stanley

(Free Report)

Morgan Stanley, a financial holding company, provides various financial products and services to corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. It operates through Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management segments.

Further Reading

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CTT  Correios De Portugal, S.A. (OTCMKTS:CTTOF  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 23,600 shares, an increase of 6.8% from the July 15th total of 22,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 29.5 days.

CTT  Correios De Portugal Stock Performance

Shares of CTTOF stock opened at $4.40 on Tuesday. CTT  Correios De Portugal has a 52-week low of $3.55 and a 52-week high of $4.95. The businesss fifty day moving average is $4.48 and its 200 day moving average is $4.41.

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About CTT  Correios De Portugal

(Get Free Report)

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CTT  Correios De Portugal, SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides postal and financial services worldwide. It operates through Mail, Express & Parcels, Financial Services & Retail, and Bank segments. The company offers courier and urgent mail transport services; postal financial services; and banking services.

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Dakota Wealth Management grew its stake in Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL  Free Report) by 25.3% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 40,144 shares of the technology companys stock after acquiring an additional 8,093 shares during the quarter. Dakota Wealth Managements holdings in Dell Technologies were worth $5,536,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Dell Technologies by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 17,595,478 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,346,054,000 after acquiring an additional 647,192 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners boosted its position in Dell Technologies by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 9,575,882 shares of the technology companys stock worth $733,564,000 after acquiring an additional 197,435 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors acquired a new position in Dell Technologies during the 1st quarter worth approximately $835,946,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. boosted its position in Dell Technologies by 14.8% during the 4th quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 4,045,200 shares of the technology companys stock worth $309,458,000 after acquiring an additional 520,677 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main boosted its holdings in shares of Dell Technologies by 449.8% in the 4th quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 3,714,573 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $284,165,000 after buying an additional 3,038,891 shares during the last quarter. 38.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other Dell Technologies news, Director Iv (Gp) L.L.C. Slta sold 16,434 shares of Dell Technologies stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.16, for a total value of $2,221,219.44. Following the transaction, the director now owns 806,352 shares in the company, valued at $108,986,536.32. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Dell Technologies news, Director Iv (Gp) L.L.C. Slta sold 16,434 shares of Dell Technologies stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.16, for a total value of $2,221,219.44. Following the transaction, the director now owns 806,352 shares in the company, valued at $108,986,536.32. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Lake Group L.L.C. Silver sold 25,381 shares of Dell Technologies stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.42, for a total value of $3,411,714.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 787,669 shares in the company, valued at approximately $105,878,466.98. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 7,058,131 shares of company stock worth $963,293,619. Company insiders own 46.70% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on DELL. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Dell Technologies from $155.00 to $142.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Monday. Loop Capital increased their price objective on Dell Technologies from $125.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, May 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Dell Technologies from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Bank of America increased their price objective on Dell Technologies from $130.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. Finally, Barclays raised Dell Technologies from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $97.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $131.25.

Get Our Latest Analysis on Dell Technologies

Dell Technologies Trading Down 0.6 %

DELL stock traded down $0.72 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $111.15. 4,133,805 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,250,969. The firm has a market capitalization of $78.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $125.47 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $121.06. Dell Technologies Inc. has a 12 month low of $53.62 and a 12 month high of $179.70.

Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 30th. The technology company reported $1.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.00 by $0.04. Dell Technologies had a negative return on equity of 173.72% and a net margin of 4.00%. The company had revenue of $22.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $21.70 billion. On average, equities research analysts predict that Dell Technologies Inc. will post 6.85 earnings per share for the current year.

Dell Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 23rd were given a $0.445 dividend. This represents a $1.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.60%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, July 23rd. Dell Technologiess payout ratio is currently 36.33%.

Dell Technologies Company Profile

(Free Report)

Dell Technologies Inc designs, develops, manufactures, markets, sells, and supports various comprehensive and integrated solutions, products, and services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) and Client Solutions Group (CSG).

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Dakota Wealth Management cut its position in shares of Dominion Energy, Inc. (NYSE:D  Free Report) by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 53,830 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 1,523 shares during the quarter. Dakota Wealth Managements holdings in Dominion Energy were worth $2,638,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in D. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Dominion Energy by 16.0% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 88,355,205 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $4,346,193,000 after buying an additional 12,178,713 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors raised its position in Dominion Energy by 136.5% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 17,970,856 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $844,630,000 after buying an additional 10,370,768 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Dominion Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $329,792,000. ClearBridge Investments Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Dominion Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $214,220,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in Dominion Energy by 12.9% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 24,494,873 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,204,904,000 after acquiring an additional 2,801,687 shares during the period. 73.04% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on D. StockNews.com raised Dominion Energy from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, May 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Dominion Energy from $54.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on Dominion Energy from $47.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Mizuho upped their price target on Dominion Energy from $45.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Finally, Bank of America upgraded Dominion Energy from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and raised their target price for the stock from $43.00 to $54.00 in a research report on Friday, May 10th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $53.64.

Dominion Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:D traded down $0.01 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $56.28. 1,171,706 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,575,667. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.22 billion, a PE ratio of 29.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.93. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $51.74 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $50.14. Dominion Energy, Inc. has a 12 month low of $39.18 and a 12 month high of $57.60.

Dominion Energy (NYSE:D  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The utilities provider reported $0.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.56 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $3.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.73 billion. Dominion Energy had a net margin of 11.63% and a return on equity of 7.69%. The businesss revenue was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.53 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Dominion Energy, Inc. will post 2.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Dominion Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a dividend of $0.6675 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $2.67 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.74%. Dominion Energys dividend payout ratio is 137.63%.

Dominion Energy Company Profile

(Free Report)

Dominion Energy, Inc produces and distributes energy in the United States. It operates through three operating segments: Dominion Energy Virginia, Dominion Energy South Carolina, and Contracted Energy. The Dominion Energy Virginia segment generates, transmits, and distributes regulated electricity to approximately 2.8 million residential, commercial, industrial, and governmental customers in Virginia and North Carolina.

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Deluxe Co. (NYSE:DLX  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,280,000 shares, a decrease of 9.5% from the July 15th total of 2,520,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 258,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 8.8 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

DLX has been the subject of several analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered shares of Deluxe from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on Deluxe from $33.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 14th.

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Check Out Our Latest Research Report on DLX

Deluxe Trading Down 1.7 %

Shares of NYSE:DLX traded down $0.33 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $19.56. 54,686 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 231,155. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.44. The businesss 50 day moving average is $21.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $21.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $861.54 million, a PE ratio of 25.82, a P/E/G ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.47. Deluxe has a one year low of $16.00 and a one year high of $24.87.

Deluxe (NYSE:DLX  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The business services provider reported $0.86 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.57 by $0.29. The business had revenue of $537.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $537.90 million. Deluxe had a return on equity of 20.90% and a net margin of 1.78%. Deluxes quarterly revenue was down 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.83 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Deluxe will post 2.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Deluxe Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.13%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 19th. Deluxes payout ratio is 155.84%.

Insider Transactions at Deluxe

In other news, CEO Barry C. Mccarthy acquired 2,440 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $21.63 per share, with a total value of $52,777.20. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 175,850 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,803,635.50. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In the last three months, insiders bought 3,098 shares of company stock worth $67,798. 4.23% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Deluxe

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Deluxe in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Deluxe during the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. CWM LLC grew its position in shares of Deluxe by 555.6% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,757 shares of the business services providers stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 1,489 shares during the period. Security National Bank bought a new position in shares of Deluxe in the 2nd quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC bought a new stake in Deluxe during the first quarter worth about $46,000. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Deluxe Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Deluxe Corporation provides technology-enabled solutions to enterprises, small businesses, and financial institutions in the United States, Canada, and Australia. It operates through Merchant Services, B2B Payments, Data Solutions, and Print segments. The Merchant Services offers credit and debit card authorization and payment systems, as well as processing services primarily to small and medium-sized retail and service businesses.

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Enova International, Inc. (NYSE:ENVA  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,630,000 shares, a growth of 7.9% from the July 15th total of 1,510,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 230,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 7.1 days. Currently, 6.6% of the companys stock are sold short.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on ENVA. Maxim Group raised their price objective on shares of Enova International from $70.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, April 25th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Enova International from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. TD Cowen raised their price target on Enova International from $70.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. JMP Securities boosted their price objective on Enova International from $78.00 to $93.00 and gave the company a market outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Enova International in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. They set a buy rating and a $90.00 target price on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Enova International currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $79.00.

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Insider Buying and Selling

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

In other news, Director Linda Johnson Rice sold 2,700 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.29, for a total transaction of $238,383.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 7,486 shares of the companys stock, valued at $660,938.94. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link . In related news, Director Linda Johnson Rice sold 2,700 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.29, for a total transaction of $238,383.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 7,486 shares in the company, valued at $660,938.94. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website . Also, insider Kirk Chartier sold 41,303 shares of Enova International stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.16, for a total value of $2,484,788.48. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 117,422 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,064,107.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold 78,028 shares of company stock valued at $5,495,742 in the last three months. 7.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of Enova International by 27.6% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 855 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 185 shares in the last quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp raised its holdings in Enova International by 25.1% during the second quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 1,163 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 233 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Enova International by 21.1% during the first quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 3,649 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $228,000 after purchasing an additional 636 shares in the last quarter. Summit Global Investments grew its holdings in Enova International by 7.5% in the second quarter. Summit Global Investments now owns 25,464 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $1,585,000 after purchasing an additional 1,785 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Enova International in the first quarter valued at $223,000. 89.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Enova International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ENVA traded up $0.78 during trading on Monday, reaching $83.46. The company had a trading volume of 132,807 shares, compared to its average volume of 247,010. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.78, a current ratio of 12.07 and a quick ratio of 12.07. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $69.92 and its 200 day moving average price is $63.99. Enova International has a fifty-two week low of $35.30 and a fifty-two week high of $88.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.01 and a beta of 1.45.

Enova International (NYSE:ENVA  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The credit services provider reported $2.21 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.14. Enova International had a return on equity of 16.53% and a net margin of 7.52%. The company had revenue of $628.44 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $622.92 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.57 earnings per share. Enova Internationals quarterly revenue was up 25.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Enova International will post 7.87 EPS for the current year.

Enova International Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Enova International, Inc, a technology and analytics company, provides online financial services in the United States, Brazil, and internationally. The company provides installment loans; line of credit accounts; CSO programs, including arranging loans with independent third-party lenders and assisting in the preparation of loan applications and loan documents; and bank programs, such as marketing services and loan servicing for near-prime unsecured consumer installment loan.

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Sanibel Captiva Trust Company Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (NYSE:FIS  Free Report) by 9.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 8,934 shares of the information technology services providers stock after selling 940 shares during the period. Sanibel Captiva Trust Company Inc.s holdings in Fidelity National Information Services were worth $673,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FIS. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Fidelity National Information Services by 19.1% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 68,658,572 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $5,093,093,000 after acquiring an additional 11,023,109 shares in the last quarter. FIL Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Fidelity National Information Services by 27.3% during the 4th quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 12,877,515 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $773,552,000 after acquiring an additional 2,758,049 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Fidelity National Information Services by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,619,320 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $506,753,000 after acquiring an additional 121,154 shares in the last quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Fidelity National Information Services by 6.8% during the 4th quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 8,422,766 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $505,956,000 after acquiring an additional 537,180 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Fidelity National Information Services during the 4th quarter valued at $478,594,000. 96.23% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Fidelity National Information Services Stock Performance

Shares of FIS traded down $0.64 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $78.52. 1,642,253 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,075,558. The stocks fifty day moving average is $76.02 and its 200 day moving average is $72.60. The stock has a market cap of $43.68 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.52 and a current ratio of 1.52. Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. has a 1-year low of $46.91 and a 1-year high of $80.20.

Fidelity National Information Services Dividend Announcement

Fidelity National Information Services ( NYSE:FIS Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The information technology services provider reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.23 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $2.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.49 billion. Fidelity National Information Services had a negative net margin of 54.14% and a positive return on equity of 13.91%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.55 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. will post 4.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 24th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 10th will be paid a $0.36 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 10th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.83%. Fidelity National Information Servicess payout ratio is currently -14.08%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of Fidelity National Information Services from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a report on Tuesday, May 7th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Fidelity National Information Services from $78.00 to $82.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 7th. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Fidelity National Information Services from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $79.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Fidelity National Information Services from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Fidelity National Information Services from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Fidelity National Information Services presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $80.65.

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Insider Activity at Fidelity National Information Services

In other news, Director Jeffrey A. Goldstein acquired 719 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $76.81 per share, with a total value of $55,226.39. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 9,771 shares of the companys stock, valued at $750,510.51. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Fidelity National Information Services

(Free Report)

Fidelity National Information Services, Inc engages in the provision of financial services technology solutions for financial institutions, businesses, and developers worldwide. It operates through Banking Solutions, Capital Market Solutions, and Corporate and Other segments. The company provides core processing and ancillary applications; mobile and online banking; fraud, risk management, and compliance; card and retail payment; electronic funds transfer and network; wealth and retirement; and item processing and output solutions.

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Zealand Pharma A/S (OTCMKTS:ZLDPF  Get Free Report) and Techtronic Industries (OTCMKTS:TTNDY  Get Free Report) are both medical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings, valuation, profitability, risk and dividends.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Zealand Pharma A/S and Techtronic Industries gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Zealand Pharma A/S $49.75 million 139.37 -$102.18 million ($1.82) -73.96 Techtronic Industries $13.73 billion 1.78 $976.34 million N/A N/A

Techtronic Industries has higher revenue and earnings than Zealand Pharma A/S.

Risk and Volatility

Profitability

Zealand Pharma A/S has a beta of 0.97, meaning that its stock price is 3% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Techtronic Industries has a beta of 1.33, meaning that its stock price is 33% more volatile than the S&P 500.

This table compares Zealand Pharma A/S and Techtronic Industries net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Zealand Pharma A/S -213.77% -36.96% -30.10% Techtronic Industries N/A N/A N/A

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Zealand Pharma A/S and Techtronic Industries, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Zealand Pharma A/S 0 0 2 0 3.00 Techtronic Industries 0 0 0 0 N/A

Institutional & Insider Ownership

0.0% of Techtronic Industries shares are held by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Techtronic Industries beats Zealand Pharma A/S on 7 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Zealand Pharma A/S

(Get Free Report)

Zealand Pharma A/S, a biotechnology company, engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of peptide-based medicines in Denmark. It has a portfolio of medicines focusing on gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases, and other specialty disease areas with unmet medical needs. The company offers Dasiglucagon, a single use syringe or autoinjector for the treatment of severe hypoglycemia; and Dasiglucagon bi-hormone artificial pancreas systems containing insulin and dasiglucagon. Its pipeline includes Dasiglucagon that is in Phase III clinical trials for treating congenital hyperinsulinism. The company is also developing glepaglutide, a long acting GLP-2 analog, which is in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of short bowel syndrome. The company was incorporated in 1997 and is based in Sborg, Denmark.

About Techtronic Industries

(Get Free Report)

Techtronic Industries Company Limited engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of power tools, outdoor power equipment, and floorcare and cleaning products in the North America, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Power Equipment, and Floorcare & Cleaning Segments. It offers power tools, power tool accessories, outdoor products, and outdoor product accessories under the MILWAUKEE, EMPIRE, AEG, RYOBI, HOMELITE, and HART brands, as well as to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers. The company also provides floorcare products and accessories under the HOOVER, DIRT DEVIL, VAX, and ORECK brands, as well as to OEM customers; and offers inspection services. It serves Do-It-Yourself /Consumer, professional, and industrial users in the home improvement, repair, maintenance, construction, and infrastructure industries. Techtronic Industries Company Limited was founded in 1985 and is based in Kwai Chung, Hong Kong.

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First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. bought a new stake in Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 3,000 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock, valued at approximately $208,000.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its stake in shares of Equity Residential by 36.6% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 569,829 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $35,962,000 after buying an additional 152,736 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its stake in Equity Residential by 14.5% during the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 146,587 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $8,965,000 after purchasing an additional 18,556 shares during the last quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. boosted its stake in Equity Residential by 13.7% during the 4th quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. now owns 165,650 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $10,131,000 after purchasing an additional 20,010 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in Equity Residential by 5.2% during the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 551,960 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $33,482,000 after purchasing an additional 27,171 shares during the last quarter. Finally, QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Equity Residential by 200.9% during the 1st quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 77,019 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $4,861,000 after purchasing an additional 51,423 shares during the last quarter. 92.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Equity Residential

In other Equity Residential news, CFO Robert Garechana sold 6,357 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.08, for a total transaction of $439,141.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 14,576 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,006,910.08. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock.

Equity Residential Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE:EQR traded down $0.10 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $71.49. 163,439 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,949,343. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.13 billion, a PE ratio of 29.70, a P/E/G ratio of 4.06 and a beta of 0.87. The businesss 50 day moving average is $69.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $65.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. Equity Residential has a one year low of $52.57 and a one year high of $72.32.

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 29th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.96 by ($0.49). Equity Residential had a return on equity of 8.53% and a net margin of 32.83%. The company had revenue of $734.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $735.26 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.94 earnings per share. Equity Residentials quarterly revenue was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Equity Residential will post 3.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Equity Residential Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 12th. Investors of record on Monday, July 1st were paid a $0.675 dividend. This represents a $2.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.78%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 1st. Equity Residentials payout ratio is currently 112.03%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

EQR has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Evercore ISI downgraded Equity Residential from an outperform rating to an in-line rating and set a $70.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Monday, May 13th. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of Equity Residential from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $68.00 to $70.00 in a research report on Monday, April 22nd. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Equity Residential from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Equity Residential from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Equity Residential from $66.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Monday, June 17th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Equity Residential currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $70.91.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on EQR

Equity Residential Profile

(Free Report)

Equity Residential is committed to creating communities where people thrive. The Company, a member of the S&P 500, is focused on the acquisition, development and management of residential properties located in and around dynamic cities that attract affluent long-term renters. Equity Residential owns or has investments in 305 properties consisting of 80,683 apartment units, with an established presence in Boston, New York, Washington, DC, Seattle, San Francisco and Southern California, and an expanding presence in Denver, Atlanta, Dallas/Ft.

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First Horizon Advisors Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM  Free Report) by 1.3% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 87,017 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 1,184 shares during the period. First Horizon Advisors Inc.s holdings in Unum Group were worth $4,447,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Quadrature Capital Ltd acquired a new position in Unum Group in the 1st quarter worth about $1,130,000. Boone Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Unum Group by 10.8% in the 4th quarter. Boone Capital Management LLC now owns 961,661 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $43,486,000 after buying an additional 94,096 shares during the last quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH grew its position in shares of Unum Group by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 950,914 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $43,000,000 after buying an additional 33,454 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Unum Group by 43.0% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 973,480 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $44,021,000 after buying an additional 292,917 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $590,489,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.57% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on UNM. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Unum Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Truist Financial upped their target price on Unum Group from $62.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Citigroup upped their target price on Unum Group from $62.00 to $69.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Unum Group from $66.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Finally, Piper Sandler initiated coverage on Unum Group in a report on Thursday, July 11th. They issued an overweight rating and a $57.00 price target on the stock. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $61.78.

Unum Group Stock Performance

Shares of UNM traded down $0.30 on Tuesday, reaching $54.22. 89,717 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,248,216. The company has a current ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $52.25 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $51.62. Unum Group has a 52-week low of $41.75 and a 52-week high of $58.17. The stock has a market cap of $10.27 billion, a PE ratio of 8.10, a PEG ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 0.81.

Unum Group (NYSE:UNM  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.02 by $0.14. Unum Group had a return on equity of 15.55% and a net margin of 10.40%. The business had revenue of $3.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.23 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.06 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Unum Group will post 8.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 26th were given a $0.42 dividend. This is an increase from Unum Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.10%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 26th. Unum Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 24.96%.

Unum Group declared that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, July 30th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the financial services provider to buy up to 10% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically an indication that the companys management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Timothy Gerald Arnold sold 10,000 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.11, for a total transaction of $541,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 64,821 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,507,464.31. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.93% of the companys stock.

Unum Group Profile

(Free Report)

Unum Group, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial protection benefit solutions primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland, and internationally. It operates through Unum US, Unum International, Colonial Life, and Closed Block segment. The company offers group long-term and short-term disability, group life, and accidental death and dismemberment products; supplemental and voluntary products, such as individual disability, voluntary benefits, and dental and vision products; and accident, sickness, disability, life, and cancer and critical illness products.

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First Horizon Co. (NYSE:FHN  Get Free Report) saw a large decline in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 8,240,000 shares, a decline of 9.3% from the July 15th total of 9,080,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 6,440,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.3 days. Approximately 1.6% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Institutional Trading of First Horizon

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Rise Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of First Horizon in the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Family Firm Inc. bought a new stake in First Horizon in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Nemes Rush Group LLC boosted its stake in First Horizon by 306.2% in the 2nd quarter. Nemes Rush Group LLC now owns 1,828 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 1,378 shares during the period. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in First Horizon during the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its stake in shares of First Horizon by 129.3% in the 1st quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 1,954 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,102 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.28% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on FHN. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a market perform rating and issued a $18.00 price target on shares of First Horizon in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Evercore ISI reduced their price target on shares of First Horizon from $18.50 to $17.50 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 25th. StockNews.com raised First Horizon from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, July 20th. Robert W. Baird reaffirmed a neutral rating and issued a $16.00 target price on shares of First Horizon in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on First Horizon from $17.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $17.31.

First Horizon Price Performance

Shares of FHN traded down $0.13 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $15.81. The company had a trading volume of 590,204 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,709,746. The companys 50-day moving average is $15.58 and its 200-day moving average is $15.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.95. First Horizon has a twelve month low of $10.08 and a twelve month high of $17.46. The company has a market capitalization of $8.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.10, a P/E/G ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.89.

First Horizon (NYSE:FHN  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.37 by ($0.01). First Horizon had a return on equity of 8.84% and a net margin of 14.03%. The business had revenue of $1.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $819.82 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.39 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that First Horizon will post 1.46 EPS for the current year.

First Horizon Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.80%. First Horizons payout ratio is currently 41.96%.

First Horizon Company Profile

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First Horizon Corporation operates as the bank holding company for First Horizon Bank that provides various financial services. The company operates through Regional Banking and Specialty Banking segments. It offers general banking services for consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments.

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Fortis (TSE:FTS  Get Free Report) had its target price hoisted by Scotiabank from C$56.00 to C$63.00 in a research report issued on Tuesday, BayStreet.CA reports. The firm currently has a sector perform rating on the stock. Scotiabanks price target would suggest a potential upside of 6.56% from the companys previous close.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Fortis from C$52.00 to C$53.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. CIBC boosted their price target on shares of Fortis from C$57.00 to C$59.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. National Bankshares upped their price target on shares of Fortis from C$55.00 to C$56.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Fortis from C$58.50 to C$59.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, Raymond James boosted their target price on Fortis from C$59.00 to C$61.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Fortis presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of C$58.75.

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Fortis Price Performance

Insiders Place Their Bets

TSE FTS traded down C$0.96 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting C$59.12. The company had a trading volume of 278,964 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,608,930. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 128.59, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market capitalization of C$29.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.57, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.22. Fortis has a 52 week low of C$49.82 and a 52 week high of C$60.37. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of C$55.60 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$54.37.

In other Fortis news, Senior Officer James Reid bought 700 shares of Fortis stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 19th. The shares were bought at an average price of C$52.37 per share, with a total value of C$36,659.00. 0.04% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Fortis

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Fortis Inc operates as an electric and gas utility company in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean countries. It generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 447,000 retail customers in southeastern Arizona; and 103,000 retail customers in Arizona's Mohave and Santa Cruz counties with an aggregate capacity of 3,408 megawatts (MW), including 68 MW of solar capacity and 250 MV of wind capacity.

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GoldMining Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:GLDG  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,100,000 shares, a decline of 11.0% from the July 15th total of 2,360,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 431,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.9 days. Currently, 1.2% of the companys shares are short sold.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On GoldMining

An institutional investor recently raised its position in GoldMining stock. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its position in GoldMining Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:GLDG  Free Report) by 14.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 9,416,018 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,203,876 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp owned about 5.13% of GoldMining worth $9,173,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 11.25% of the companys stock.

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GoldMining Trading Up 9.3 %

Shares of NYSEAMERICAN:GLDG opened at $0.88 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $165.73 million, a P/E ratio of -8.79 and a beta of 1.10. GoldMining has a 12 month low of $0.75 and a 12 month high of $1.08.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GoldMining ( NYSEAMERICAN:GLDG Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 12th. The company reported ($0.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.01) by ($0.01). Research analysts predict that GoldMining will post -0.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Separately, HC Wainwright increased their price target on GoldMining from $4.50 to $5.25 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, May 31st.

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About GoldMining

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GoldMining Inc, a mineral exploration company, focuses on the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold assets in the Americas. It also operates a diversified portfolio of resource-stage gold and gold-copper projects in Canada, the United States, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. The company's principal projects include La Mina Gold Project and Titiribi Gold-Copper Project located in Colombia; Whistler Gold-Copper Project located in Alaska, the United States; and Sao Jorge Gold Project located in the State of Para, Brazil.

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GreenTree Hospitality Group Ltd. (NYSE:GHG  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 34,300 shares, an increase of 5.5% from the July 15th total of 32,500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 8,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.3 days.

GreenTree Hospitality Group Stock Down 6.1 %

GHG traded down $0.17 on Tuesday, reaching $2.62. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,028 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,332. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.29. GreenTree Hospitality Group has a 1 year low of $2.31 and a 1 year high of $6.13. The businesss 50 day moving average is $2.52 and its 200 day moving average is $2.88. The stock has a market cap of $266.05 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.26 and a beta of 0.51.

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GreenTree Hospitality Group (NYSE:GHG  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $45.37 million during the quarter. GreenTree Hospitality Group had a return on equity of 21.03% and a net margin of 19.47%.

GreenTree Hospitality Group Cuts Dividend

Institutional Investors Weigh In On GreenTree Hospitality Group

The business also recently disclosed a Variable dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. GreenTree Hospitality Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 126.19%.

A hedge fund recently bought a new stake in GreenTree Hospitality Group stock. First Affirmative Financial Network purchased a new position in GreenTree Hospitality Group Ltd. (NYSE:GHG  Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 15,184 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 8.05% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Morgan Stanley raised shares of GreenTree Hospitality Group from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $4.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 20th.

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GreenTree Hospitality Group Company Profile

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GreenTree Hospitality Group Ltd., through its subsidiaries, develops leased-and-operated, and franchised-and-managed hotels under the GreenTree Inns brand in the People's Republic of China. It also engages in investment holding activities; and provision of information technology services. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People's Republic of China.

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Ibstock plc (LON:IBST  Get Free Report) declared a dividend on Wednesday, August 7th, Upcoming.Co.Uk reports. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 22nd will be paid a dividend of GBX 1.50 ($0.02) per share on Friday, September 13th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 22nd. The official announcement can be accessed at this link.

Ibstock Trading Down 0.0 %

LON IBST opened at GBX 183.95 ($2.39) on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of 722.95 million, a PE ratio of 9,310.00, a P/E/G ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.36. The stocks 50 day moving average is GBX 174.35 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 161.46. Ibstock has a twelve month low of GBX 118 ($1.53) and a twelve month high of GBX 197.60 ($2.57). The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 46.91.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. Berenberg Bank restated a hold rating and set a GBX 150 ($1.95) target price on shares of Ibstock in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an outperform rating and issued a GBX 200 ($2.60) target price on shares of Ibstock in a report on Thursday, July 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Ibstock from GBX 143 ($1.86) to GBX 150 ($1.95) and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Thursday, June 27th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Chris McLeish sold 29,893 shares of Ibstock stock in a transaction on Monday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 156 ($2.03), for a total value of 46,633.08 ($60,593.92). 0.32% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Ibstock

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Ibstock plc manufactures and sells clay and concrete building products and solutions to customers in the residential construction sector in the United Kingdom. The company offers bricks and masonry, which includes facing and engineering bricks, brick slips, special shaped bricks, walling stone, architectural masonry, prefabricated components, eco-habitats, and padstones and lintels, as well as facade systems; roofing products comprising roof tiles and accessories, and chimneys; and flooring and lintels, such as beam and block flooring, insulated flooring, hollowcore, and screed rails.

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Shares of Informatica Inc. (NYSE:INFA  Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from the eleven ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $32.55.

INFA has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on Informatica from $39.00 to $36.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Informatica from $40.00 to $32.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Informatica from $35.00 to $27.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of Informatica from $43.00 to $35.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on shares of Informatica from $44.00 to $38.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Informatica

Institutional Trading of Informatica

In other news, EVP Ansa Sekharan sold 95,601 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.56, for a total transaction of $2,730,364.56. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 509,381 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,547,921.36. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . In other news, EVP Ansa Sekharan sold 95,601 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.56, for a total transaction of $2,730,364.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 509,381 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,547,921.36. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link . Also, EVP John Arthur Schweitzer sold 64,501 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.18, for a total value of $1,817,638.18. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 437,348 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,324,466.64. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last quarter, insiders sold 170,128 shares of company stock valued at $4,826,124. Corporate insiders own 48.10% of the companys stock.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Informatica by 10.0% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 9,720,552 shares of the technology companys stock worth $275,966,000 after buying an additional 883,642 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Informatica by 5.0% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,575,869 shares of the technology companys stock worth $195,155,000 after acquiring an additional 267,748 shares during the last quarter. Fiera Capital Corp increased its position in shares of Informatica by 439.2% during the second quarter. Fiera Capital Corp now owns 1,554,592 shares of the technology companys stock worth $48,006,000 after purchasing an additional 1,266,265 shares in the last quarter. Jericho Capital Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in Informatica in the 1st quarter valued at $52,045,000. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in Informatica by 11.1% in the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,411,822 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $43,597,000 after purchasing an additional 141,163 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.45% of the companys stock.

Informatica Stock Performance

Shares of Informatica stock opened at $24.22 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.15 billion, a P/E ratio of -1,211.00, a PEG ratio of 4.91 and a beta of 1.06. Informatica has a 52 week low of $18.71 and a 52 week high of $39.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 2.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $26.96 and a 200 day moving average price of $30.44.

Informatica (NYSE:INFA  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The technology company reported $0.23 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.01. Informatica had a net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 6.16%. The business had revenue of $400.63 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $402.97 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.02 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Informatica will post 0.51 EPS for the current year.

About Informatica

(Get Free Report

Informatica Inc develops an artificial intelligence-powered platform that connects, manages, and unifies data across multi-vendor, multi-cloud, and hybrid systems at enterprise scale worldwide. Its platform includes a suite of interoperable data management products, including data integration products to ingest, transform, and integrate data; API and application integration products that enable users to create and manage APIs and integration processes for app-to-app synchronization, business process orchestration, B2B partner management, application development, and API management; data quality and observability products to profile, cleanse, standardize, observe, and monitor data to deliver accurate, complete, and consistent data; and master data management products to create an authoritative single source of truth of business-critical data.

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JPMorgan European Growth & Income plc (LON:JETG  Get Free Report)s stock price was down 0.5% on Monday . The company traded as low as GBX 363 ($4.72) and last traded at GBX 363 ($4.72). Approximately 7,932 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 78% from the average daily volume of 35,464 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 365 ($4.74).

JPMorgan European Growth & Income Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.82, a current ratio of 72.47 and a quick ratio of 72.39. The firm has a market capitalization of 570.77 million and a P/E ratio of 3.34. The companys 50 day moving average price is GBX 363 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 363.

About JPMorgan European Growth & Income

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JPMorgan European Investment Trust plc  Growth Shares is an open-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by JPMorgan Funds Limited. The fund is co-managed by JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Limited. It invests in the public equity markets in Europe. The fund primarily invests its portfolio in the financial sector.

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Judges Scientific (LON:JDG  Get Free Report) had its price target lifted by Berenberg Bank from 120 ($155.93) to 124 ($161.12) in a research note issued to investors on Monday, MarketBeat reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the stock. Berenberg Banks price objective indicates a potential upside of 17.81% from the stocks previous close.

Separately, Shore Capital reiterated a house stock rating on shares of Judges Scientific in a research note on Thursday, August 15th.

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Judges Scientific Price Performance

Insiders Place Their Bets

Shares of Judges Scientific stock traded down GBX 75 ($0.97) on Monday, hitting 105.25 ($136.76). The companys stock had a trading volume of 3,623 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,658. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 79.06, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 1.87. Judges Scientific has a 1 year low of GBX 7,300 ($94.85) and a 1 year high of 122.50 ($159.17). The firm has a fifty day moving average price of 103.10 and a 200-day moving average price of 106.67. The company has a market capitalization of 698.86 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7,309.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 0.84.

In other news, insider Alexander Hambro sold 1,100 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of 106.11 ($137.88), for a total transaction of 116,721 ($151,664.50). 21.16% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Judges Scientific Company Profile

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Judges Scientific plc designs, manufactures, and sells scientific instruments. The company offers engineering teaching and research equipment for universities, colleges, schools, and research centres; and research and development systems for food, beverage, dairy, edible oil, and pharmaceutical industries.

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Lassonde Industries Inc. (OTCMKTS:LSDAF  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,400 shares, a decline of 10.2% from the July 15th total of 4,900 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 44.0 days.

Lassonde Industries Price Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS LSDAF opened at $119.09 on Tuesday. Lassonde Industries has a 12 month low of $79.00 and a 12 month high of $119.09. The businesss 50 day moving average is $102.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $107.04.

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About Lassonde Industries

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Further Reading

Lassonde Industries Inc, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and markets a range of ready-to-drink beverages, fruit-based snacks, and frozen juice concentrates in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company also provides cranberry sauces; and specialty food products, such as pasta sauces, soups, and fondue broths and sauces.

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Neo Ivy Capital Management acquired a new stake in Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. (NYSE:TPH  Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 22,764 shares of the construction companys stock, valued at approximately $848,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Tri Pointe Homes during the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Gradient Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Tri Pointe Homes during the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Tri Pointe Homes during the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. Evermay Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Tri Pointe Homes in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new position in shares of Tri Pointe Homes in the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.01% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

TPH has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Wedbush reiterated a neutral rating and set a $42.00 price target on shares of Tri Pointe Homes in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Tri Pointe Homes from $42.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. StockNews.com raised Tri Pointe Homes from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, April 26th. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on Tri Pointe Homes from $46.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Evercore ISI upgraded Tri Pointe Homes to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $48.00.

Tri Pointe Homes Stock Performance

TPH stock traded up $0.05 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $42.38. The company had a trading volume of 226,087 shares, compared to its average volume of 958,544. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $40.41 and a 200-day moving average price of $37.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The firm has a market cap of $4.02 billion, a PE ratio of 11.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 1.58. Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. has a 1-year low of $24.18 and a 1-year high of $47.78.

Tri Pointe Homes (NYSE:TPH  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The construction company reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.09 by $0.16. Tri Pointe Homes had a return on equity of 14.03% and a net margin of 10.28%. The business had revenue of $1.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.60 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 38.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. will post 4.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Glenn J. Keeler sold 24,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.16, for a total transaction of $1,117,072.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 149,108 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,882,825.28. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 2.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Tri Pointe Homes Profile

(Free Report)

Tri Pointe Homes, Inc engages in the design, construction, and sale of single-family attached and detached homes in the United States. The company operates through a portfolio of six regional home building brands comprising Maracay in Arizona; Pardee Homes in California and Nevada; Quadrant Homes in Washington; Trendmaker Homes in Texas; TRI Pointe Homes in California, Colorado, and the Carolinas; and Winchester Homes in Maryland and Northern Virginia.

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Ninety One UK Ltd acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI Brazil ETF (NYSEARCA:EWZ  Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 149,917 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $4,097,000. Ninety One UK Ltd owned about 0.10% of iShares MSCI Brazil ETF at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Raymond James & Associates boosted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Brazil ETF by 90.1% in the second quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 160,081 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $4,375,000 after acquiring an additional 75,851 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in iShares MSCI Brazil ETF in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $153,000. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. boosted its holdings in iShares MSCI Brazil ETF by 22.1% in the 2nd quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 36,993 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,011,000 after purchasing an additional 6,694 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in iShares MSCI Brazil ETF during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,355,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC raised its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Brazil ETF by 65.3% during the 2nd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 2,527,458 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $69,075,000 after buying an additional 998,123 shares in the last quarter.

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iShares MSCI Brazil ETF Trading Down 1.3 %

Shares of EWZ traded down $0.41 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $30.52. The companys stock had a trading volume of 6,016,541 shares, compared to its average volume of 21,372,229. iShares MSCI Brazil ETF has a 1-year low of $26.23 and a 1-year high of $35.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.65 and a beta of 0.93. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $28.09 and a 200 day simple moving average of $30.57.

About iShares MSCI Brazil ETF

iShares MSCI Brazil Capped Index Fund (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI Brazil Index Fund, seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of publicly traded securities in the Brazilian market, as measured by the MSCI Brazil Index (the Index).

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StockNews.com downgraded shares of Nomad Foods (NYSE:NOMD  Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. Mizuho raised their target price on Nomad Foods from $26.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, May 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Nomad Foods from $23.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Nomad Foods from $22.00 to $21.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 19th.

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Nomad Foods Trading Up 1.8 %

Nomad Foods Announces Dividend

Shares of NOMD opened at $18.41 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $3.00 billion, a PE ratio of 15.34 and a beta of 0.79. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $17.53 and a 200-day simple moving average of $18.18. Nomad Foods has a 1 year low of $13.56 and a 1 year high of $20.05. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 26th. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 10th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.26%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 9th. Nomad Foodss dividend payout ratio is 50.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nomad Foods

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust bought a new stake in shares of Nomad Foods during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in Nomad Foods by 133.2% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,635 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 934 shares during the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in Nomad Foods in the second quarter valued at about $42,000. National Bank of Canada FI lifted its stake in Nomad Foods by 378.4% in the second quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 2,775 shares of the companys stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 2,195 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP boosted its holdings in Nomad Foods by 366.5% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 3,004 shares of the companys stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 2,360 shares during the last quarter. 75.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Nomad Foods Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Nomad Foods Limited, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, markets, and distributes a range of frozen food products in the United Kingdom and internationally. The company offers frozen fish products, including fish fingers, coated fish, and natural fish; ready-to-cook vegetable products, such as peas and spinach; and frozen poultry and meat products comprising nuggets, grills, and burgers.

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Pacific Booker Minerals Inc. (OTCMKTS:PBMLF  Get Free Report)s stock price traded down 21.9% on Monday . The stock traded as low as $0.32 and last traded at $0.32. 5,000 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 15% from the average session volume of 4,331 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.41.

Pacific Booker Minerals Stock Down 21.9 %

The stocks 50 day moving average is $0.37 and its 200-day moving average is $0.36.

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Pacific Booker Minerals (OTCMKTS:PBMLF  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, June 25th. The company reported ($0.01) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter.

Pacific Booker Minerals Company Profile

Pacific Booker Minerals Inc engages in the exploration of mineral properties in Canada. The company primarily explores for copper, gold, and molybdenum deposits. It holds interests in the Morrison property located in British Columbia. The company was formerly known as Booker Gold Explorations Limited and changed its name to Pacific Booker Minerals Inc in February 2000.

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Pallas Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG  Free Report) by 26.8% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,152 shares of the insurance providers stock after acquiring an additional 666 shares during the quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLCs holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $331,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. purchased a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Bank & Trust Co purchased a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the second quarter worth $30,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. purchased a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 1st quarter valued at $35,000. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. raised its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 189.9% in the 4th quarter. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 374 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 245 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First United Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.42% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

HIG has been the topic of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $105.00 to $111.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, June 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $104.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, July 11th. Roth Mkm raised their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $117.00 to $111.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 29th. Finally, Citigroup cut shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their target price for the company from $116.00 to $114.00 in a report on Friday, June 28th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $110.88.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In related news, EVP Michael R. Fisher sold 4,088 shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $101.47, for a total transaction of $414,809.36. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 14,818 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,503,582.46. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

Shares of HIG traded down $0.23 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $110.96. 286,190 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,643,579. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $68.82 and a 52-week high of $112.65. The company has a market cap of $32.82 billion, a PE ratio of 12.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 0.92. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $103.95 and a two-hundred day moving average of $100.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 0.32.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The insurance provider reported $2.50 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $6.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.02 billion. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 21.20% and a net margin of 11.44%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.88 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 10.07 earnings per share for the current year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be issued a $0.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.69%. The Hartford Financial Services Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 21.36%.

The Hartford Financial Services Group announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, July 25th that allows the company to repurchase $3.30 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the insurance provider to repurchase up to 10.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the companys management believes its shares are undervalued.

About The Hartford Financial Services Group

(Free Report)

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance and financial services to individual and business customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. Its Commercial Lines segment offers insurance coverages, including workers' compensation, property, automobile, general and professional liability, package business, umbrella, fidelity and surety, marine, livestock, accident, health, and reinsurance through regional offices, branches, sales and policyholder service centers, independent retail agents and brokers, wholesale agents, and reinsurance brokers.

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Primerica, Inc. (NYSE:PRI  Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, August 7th, RTT News reports. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 21st will be paid a dividend of 0.90 per share by the financial services provider on Thursday, September 12th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.38%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 21st. This is a boost from Primericas previous quarterly dividend of $0.75.

Primerica has increased its dividend payment by an average of 17.6% annually over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 15 years. Primerica has a payout ratio of 17.9% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect Primerica to earn $19.96 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $3.60 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 18.0%.

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Primerica Trading Up 1.3 %

PRI opened at $260.94 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.88 and a beta of 1.09. Primerica has a 12 month low of $184.76 and a 12 month high of $260.96. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $242.46 and its 200 day simple moving average is $237.38.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Primerica ( NYSE:PRI Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The financial services provider reported $4.71 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.47 by $0.24. The business had revenue of $803.38 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $748.88 million. Primerica had a net margin of 14.85% and a return on equity of 27.81%. The firms revenue was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.99 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Primerica will post 17.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Several research firms recently commented on PRI. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Primerica from $239.00 to $249.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on shares of Primerica from $255.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Primerica from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. StockNews.com raised shares of Primerica from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Primerica from $257.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Monday. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $273.25.

View Our Latest Report on PRI

Insider Activity

In other news, President Peter W. Schneider sold 1,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.44, for a total value of $341,160.00. Following the sale, the president now directly owns 11,759 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,674,466.96. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Glenn J. Williams sold 3,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $252.55, for a total value of $757,650.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 45,322 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,446,071.10. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, President Peter W. Schneider sold 1,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.44, for a total transaction of $341,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now owns 11,759 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,674,466.96. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 7,500 shares of company stock valued at $1,767,090. 0.85% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Primerica Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Primerica, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services to middle-income households in the United States and Canada. The company operates in four segments: Term Life Insurance; Investment and Savings Products; Senior Health; and Corporate and Other Distributed Products.

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SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC lowered its position in shares of AMETEK, Inc. (NYSE:AME  Free Report) by 2.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,471 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 114 shares during the period. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLCs holdings in AMETEK were worth $912,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in AMETEK during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AMETEK in the 1st quarter valued at about $37,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of AMETEK in the 1st quarter valued at about $43,000. Mendota Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in AMETEK in the 1st quarter valued at about $50,000. Finally, Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt increased its position in AMETEK by 108.1% in the 4th quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt now owns 435 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $72,000 after buying an additional 226 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.43% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AME has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Redburn Atlantic raised AMETEK to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. TD Cowen decreased their target price on AMETEK from $165.00 to $158.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 5th. StockNews.com lowered AMETEK from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Truist Financial decreased their target price on AMETEK from $204.00 to $201.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on AMETEK from $171.00 to $166.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $186.29.

Insider Activity at AMETEK

In related news, Director Steven W. Kohlhagen sold 1,440 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.93, for a total value of $250,459.20. Following the transaction, the director now owns 24,809 shares in the company, valued at $4,315,029.37. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.61% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

AMETEK Stock Performance

Shares of AME stock traded up $0.84 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $165.51. The companys stock had a trading volume of 579,526 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,128,513. The company has a market cap of $38.31 billion, a PE ratio of 28.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The business has a fifty day moving average of $166.91 and a 200-day moving average of $172.36. AMETEK, Inc. has a 52 week low of $136.89 and a 52 week high of $186.32.

AMETEK (NYSE:AME  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The technology company reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.64 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.78 billion. AMETEK had a return on equity of 17.41% and a net margin of 19.51%. AMETEKs quarterly revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.57 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that AMETEK, Inc. will post 6.78 earnings per share for the current year.

AMETEK Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 16th will be paid a $0.28 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 16th. This represents a $1.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.68%. AMETEKs payout ratio is 19.68%.

AMETEK Company Profile

(Free Report)

AMETEK, Inc manufactures and sells electronic instruments and electromechanical devices in the North America, Europe, Asia, and South America, and internationally. The company's EIG segment offers advanced instruments for the process, aerospace, power, and industrial markets; process and analytical instruments for the oil and gas, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, semiconductor, automation, and food and beverage industries; instruments to the laboratory equipment, ultra-precision manufacturing, medical, and test and measurement markets; power quality monitoring and c devices, uninterruptible power supplies, programmable power and electromagnetic compatibility test equipment, and sensors for gas turbines and dashboard instruments; heavy trucks, instrumentation, and controls for the food and beverage industries; and aircraft and engine sensors, power supplies, embedded computing, monitoring, fuel and fluid measurement, and data acquisition systems for aerospace and defense industry.

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Interfor Co. (OTCMKTS:IFSPF  Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 616,600 shares, a growth of 7.1% from the July 15th total of 575,500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 18,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 34.1 days.

Interfor Stock Up 2.8 %

Shares of IFSPF opened at $12.39 on Tuesday. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $12.19 and its 200 day simple moving average is $13.46. Interfor has a 1-year low of $9.77 and a 1-year high of $19.45.

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About Interfor

(Get Free Report)

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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.

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Shares of Smith Douglas Homes Corp. (NYSE:SDHC  Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $37.80 and last traded at $37.45, with a volume of 3696 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $37.14.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Smith Douglas Homes from $25.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. Wedbush reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $20.00 price objective on shares of Smith Douglas Homes in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Bank of America lifted their target price on Smith Douglas Homes from $30.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and set a $26.00 target price on shares of Smith Douglas Homes in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $29.70.

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Check Out Our Latest Research Report on SDHC

Smith Douglas Homes Trading Down 0.8 %

The companys fifty day moving average is $27.15 and its two-hundred day moving average is $27.91.

Smith Douglas Homes (NYSE:SDHC  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 14th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $220.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $208.02 million. The businesss revenue was up 21.7% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Smith Douglas Homes Corp. will post 1.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. SYSTM Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Smith Douglas Homes during the 1st quarter worth $76,000. RiverPark Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Smith Douglas Homes during the second quarter worth $120,000. Sandia Investment Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Smith Douglas Homes in the 1st quarter worth approximately $178,000. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV bought a new stake in Smith Douglas Homes during the 1st quarter worth approximately $331,000. Finally, Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky bought a new stake in Smith Douglas Homes during the 1st quarter worth approximately $565,000.

About Smith Douglas Homes

(Get Free Report)

Smith Douglas Homes Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, construction, and sale of single-family homes in the southeastern United States. It also provides closing, escrow, and title insurance services. The company sells its products to entry-level and empty-nest homebuyers. Smith Douglas Homes Corp.

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Research analysts at StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Avangrid (NYSE:AGR  Get Free Report) in a research note issued on Sunday. The brokerage set a hold rating on the utilities providers stock.

Avangrid Trading Up 0.1 %

AGR opened at $35.90 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.89 billion, a PE ratio of 15.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.52. Avangrid has a one year low of $27.46 and a one year high of $37.70. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $35.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $35.09.

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Avangrid (NYSE:AGR  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The utilities provider reported $0.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.27 by $0.22. Avangrid had a return on equity of 4.87% and a net margin of 11.35%. The firm had revenue of $1.92 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.72 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.21 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 21.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Avangrid will post 2.23 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Avangrid

About Avangrid

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Avangrid in the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. grew its stake in shares of Avangrid by 2,285.5% during the 4th quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 96,754 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 92,698 shares during the period. Bell Investment Advisors Inc boosted its position in Avangrid by 163.9% in the 1st quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 863 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 536 shares during the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division acquired a new stake in Avangrid during the first quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank bought a new stake in Avangrid during the first quarter worth approximately $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.12% of the companys stock.

(Get Free Report)

Avangrid, Inc, an energy services holding company, engages in the regulated energy transmission and distribution, and renewable energy generation businesses in the United States. The company operates through Networks and Renewables segments. It is involved in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity; and distribution, transportation, and sale of natural gas.

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The PNC Financial Services Group (NYSE:PNC  Get Free Report) and First Horizon (NYSE:FHN  Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability and earnings.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for The PNC Financial Services Group and First Horizon, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score The PNC Financial Services Group 2 5 9 0 2.44 First Horizon 0 4 9 0 2.69

The PNC Financial Services Group currently has a consensus target price of $177.02, suggesting a potential upside of 1.95%. First Horizon has a consensus target price of $17.31, suggesting a potential upside of 9.47%. Given First Horizons stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe First Horizon is more favorable than The PNC Financial Services Group.

Earnings & Valuation

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio The PNC Financial Services Group $31.88 billion 2.16 $5.58 billion $11.91 14.58 First Horizon $3.12 billion 2.77 $897.00 million $1.43 11.06

This table compares The PNC Financial Services Group and First Horizons gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

The PNC Financial Services Group has higher revenue and earnings than First Horizon. First Horizon is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than The PNC Financial Services Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

83.5% of The PNC Financial Services Group shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 80.3% of First Horizon shares are held by institutional investors. 0.4% of The PNC Financial Services Group shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.9% of First Horizon shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares The PNC Financial Services Group and First Horizons net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets The PNC Financial Services Group 15.53% 11.33% 1.03% First Horizon 14.03% 8.84% 0.92%

Risk and Volatility

The PNC Financial Services Group has a beta of 1.15, meaning that its stock price is 15% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First Horizon has a beta of 0.89, meaning that its stock price is 11% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Dividends

The PNC Financial Services Group pays an annual dividend of $6.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.7%. First Horizon pays an annual dividend of $0.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.8%. The PNC Financial Services Group pays out 53.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. First Horizon pays out 42.0% 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. The PNC Financial Services Group has raised its dividend for 14 consecutive years. First Horizon is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Summary

The PNC Financial Services Group beats First Horizon on 10 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.

About The PNC Financial Services Group

(Get Free Report)

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. operates as a diversified financial services company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Retail Banking, Corporate & Institutional Banking, and Asset Management Group segments. The company's Retail Banking segment offers checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as time deposit; residential mortgages, home equity loans and lines of credit, auto loans, credit cards, education loans, and personal and small business loans and lines of credit; and brokerage, insurance, and investment and cash management services. This segment serves consumer and small business customers through a network of branches, digital channels, ATMs, and through phone-based customer contact centers. Its Corporate & Institutional Banking segment provides secured and unsecured loans, letters of credit, and equipment leases; cash and investment management services, receivables and disbursement management services, funds transfer services, international payment services, and access to online/mobile information management and reporting; securities underwriting, loan syndications, customer-related trading, and mergers and acquisitions and equity capital markets advisory related services; and commercial loan servicing and technology solutions. It serves mid-sized and large corporations, and government and not-for-profit entities. The company's Asset Management Group segment offers investment and retirement planning, customized investment management, credit and cash management solutions, and trust management and administration services for high net worth and ultra high net worth individuals, and their families; and multi-generational family planning services for ultra high net worth individuals and their families. It also provides outsourced chief investment officer, custody, private real estate, cash and fixed income client solutions, and retirement plan fiduciary investment services for institutional clients. The company was founded in 1852 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

About First Horizon

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First Horizon Corporation operates as the bank holding company for First Horizon Bank that provides various financial services. The company operates through Regional Banking and Specialty Banking segments. It offers general banking services for consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments. The company also accepts deposits; provides underwriting services for bank-eligible securities and other fixed-income securities by financial subsidiaries; sells loans and derivatives; financial planning; and offers investment and financial advisory services. In addition, it offers mortgage banking; loan syndications; brokerage services; commercial and business banking for business enterprises, consumer banking, and private client and wealth management services; capital markets, professional commercial real estate, mortgage warehouse and asset-based lending, franchise and equipment finance, tax credit finance, energy and healthcare finance, asset management, and corporate and correspondent banking services. Further, the company provides transaction processing services including check clearing services and remittance processing, credit cards, investment, and sale of mutual fund and retail insurances, as well as trust, fiduciary, and agency services. First Horizon Corporation was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.

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CubeSmart (NYSE:CUBE  Free Report) had its target price raised by Truist Financial from $44.00 to $50.00 in a report published on Friday morning, Benzinga reports. Truist Financial currently has a hold rating on the real estate investment trusts stock.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on CUBE. Raymond James increased their price target on shares of CubeSmart from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on CubeSmart from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. BMO Capital Markets lowered CubeSmart from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $50.00 to $47.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their target price on CubeSmart from $44.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research report on Monday, July 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CubeSmart currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $46.73.

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CubeSmart Trading Up 1.2 %

Shares of CUBE stock opened at $49.22 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $11.07 billion, a PE ratio of 27.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 8.95 and a beta of 0.80. CubeSmart has a 52-week low of $33.17 and a 52-week high of $49.58. The businesss fifty day moving average is $46.46 and its 200 day moving average is $44.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.03 and a current ratio of 0.03.

CubeSmart (NYSE:CUBE  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The real estate investment trust reported $0.41 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.64 by ($0.23). CubeSmart had a net margin of 38.07% and a return on equity of 14.37%. The business had revenue of $266.20 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $260.68 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.66 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that CubeSmart will post 2.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CubeSmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 1st. CubeSmarts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 113.33%.

Insider Buying and Selling at CubeSmart

In other CubeSmart news, CEO Christopher P. Marr sold 37,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.45, for a total transaction of $1,792,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 576,836 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $27,947,704.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other CubeSmart news, COO Joel D. Keaton sold 43,478 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.97, for a total transaction of $2,085,639.66. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 87,663 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,205,194.11. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christopher P. Marr sold 37,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.45, for a total value of $1,792,650.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 576,836 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,947,704.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 88,217 shares of company stock valued at $4,244,344 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.68% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Twin Tree Management LP grew its holdings in shares of CubeSmart by 29,720.5% during the 1st quarter. Twin Tree Management LP now owns 11,630 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $526,000 after acquiring an additional 11,591 shares during the period. Evoke Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CubeSmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,604,000. Natixis Advisors L.P. grew its stake in shares of CubeSmart by 35.0% in the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 79,993 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $3,707,000 after buying an additional 20,729 shares during the last quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CubeSmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,180,000. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of CubeSmart by 32.6% in the 1st quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 89,342 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $4,040,000 after buying an additional 21,967 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.61% of the companys stock.

About CubeSmart

(Get Free Report)

CubeSmart is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust. The Company's self-storage properties are designed to offer affordable, easily accessible and, in most locations, climate-controlled storage space for residential and commercial customers. According to the 2023 Self-Storage Almanac, CubeSmart is one of the top three owners and operators of self-storage properties in the United States.

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UWM Holdings Co. (NYSE:UWMC  Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $9.37 and last traded at $9.35, with a volume of 342640 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $9.13.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UWMC has been the subject of a number of research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on shares of UWM from $7.00 to $8.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on UWM from $7.50 to $8.50 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Barclays raised their price target on UWM from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. Wedbush boosted their price objective on UWM from $7.00 to $8.50 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, BTIG Research increased their price objective on UWM from $8.00 to $10.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $7.29.

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UWM Stock Up 3.2 %

The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $7.73 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $7.15. The company has a market capitalization of $900.34 million, a PE ratio of 309.00 and a beta of 1.63.

UWM (NYSE:UWMC  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.06 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $507.09 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $540.31 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.11 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that UWM Holdings Co. will post 0.28 EPS for the current year.

UWM Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 19th will be given a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 19th. UWMs payout ratio is 1,333.33%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of UWM by 334.5% during the 2nd quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC now owns 224,681 shares of the companys stock worth $1,557,000 after purchasing an additional 172,969 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in UWM by 203.7% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 258,883 shares of the companys stock worth $1,784,000 after buying an additional 173,652 shares in the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC grew its position in UWM by 24.5% during the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 342,322 shares of the companys stock worth $2,372,000 after buying an additional 67,383 shares during the period. Xponance Inc. purchased a new position in UWM in the second quarter valued at about $76,000. Finally, Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UWM during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $93,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 53.59% of the companys stock.

About UWM

(Get Free Report)

UWM Holdings Corporation engages in the residential mortgage lending business in the United States. The company offers mortgage loans through wholesale channel. It originates primarily conforming and government loans. UWM Holdings Corporation was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Pontiac, Michigan.

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Nathaniel Melendez Jr., right, sits next to his defense attorney Ron Ross during his murder trial at the Cadena Reeves Justice Center on Monday. Melendez Jr. is accused of fatally shooting 16-year-old Evelyn Gumbardo on July 5, 2022. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News Judge Ron Rangel, center, talks privately with the prosecution, including Jessica Schultz, left, and defense, Ron Ross, during Nathaniel Melendez Jr.s murder trial on Monday. Melendez Jr. is accused of fatally shooting 16-year-old Evelyn Gumbardo on July 5, 2022. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Police Officer Marcus Nevarez testifies during Nathaniel Melendez Jr.s murder trial at the Cadena Reeves Justice Center on Monday afternoon. Officer Nevarez was the primary reporting officer at the scene of a party where Melendez Jr. was accused of fatally shooting 16-year-old Evelyn Gumbardo on July 5, 2022. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News

A San Antonio jury watched disturbing, graphic body camera footage from police officers who responded to the shooting death of a 16-year-old girl at a party in 2022.

The teen girl was lying on the ground, fighting for her life. As blood pooled around the girl, an officer struggled to find her gunshot wounds. They were in her lower back.

The footage was played during the murder trial of Nathaniel Armed Melendez Jr., accused of fatally shooting Evelyn Gumbardo on July 5 at the Legacy at Crown Meadows apartments in the 7700 block of Ingram Road.

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Melendez was charged with murder in Gumbardos death, as well as two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against Catalina Farias and Daniel Valdez, who were injured during the shooting.

Valdez was later shot and killed in a separate, unrelated incident.

The case, which began Monday, was heard in the 379th District Court, state District Judge Ron Rangel presiding. Melendez, now 21, faces up to life in prison.

Prosecutors also called Farias, now 20, to the stand. On the witness stand, Farias, who was 18 at the time of the shooting, described the scene leading up to the moment she was shot. As she and her friends stood in the kitchen, Farias noticed Melendez in the corner, clutching his gun and mad dogging, or glaring at the other people in the room.

That was when she approached Melendez to ask if he was OK and if anything was wrong, she said.

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It happened so quick, I didnt even know I was shot, Farias said.

Melendez ran out the door of the apartment, she testified.

Prosecutors said police found Melendez with a weapon that matched the ballistic evidence found at the scene.

Prosecutors Jonathan Alvarado and Jessica Schultz say the shooting was unprovoked and unjustified. They shed additional details on how the evening unfolded.

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According to Alvarado, Melendez showed up to the party after a friend of Farias asked if their friend could come to the party. When Melendez and his other friend arrived, they were armed with an AR-style rife and a handgun, Alvarado said.

(Melendez) was acting strangely the entire night  he appeared to be intoxicated, high on something, no one is going to disagree with that or argue otherwise, Alvarado said.

During the party, Alvarado said Farias confronted Melendez about his behavior and Melendez responded by pointing a handgun at her. He then shot Gumbardo, Farias and Valdez, Alvarado said.

Gumbardo was transported by EMS and later died. The Bexar County Medical Examiners Office said she had two gunshot wounds in her back.

Melendezs defense lawyer, Ron Ross, argued during opening statements that the state cant prove Melendez intentionally or knowingly killed Gumbardo.

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Before police body camera footage was shown to the jury, relatives of Gumbardo exited the courtroom. Schutz had warned them about the footage, advising them that it was probably best to leave the courtroom.

Two San Antonio police officers who responded to the shooting were called by prosecutors to the witness stand. Yousif Abdullah was the first officer to respond to the scene.

Footage from Abdullahs body camera shows him approaching the apartment. In the footage, a woman is screaming, Evelyn is dead!

He performed life-saving measures on Gumbardo, who was lying on the ground in front of the apartment door. She was still breathing, and her eyes were open, but she was unable to communicate.
Cybersecurity researchers have shed light on a threat actor known as Blind Eagle that has persistently targeted entities and individuals in Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Panama, and other Latin American nations.

Targets of these attacks span several sectors, including governmental institutions, financial companies, energy and oil and gas companies.

"Blind Eagle has demonstrated adaptability in shaping the objectives of its cyberattacks and the versatility to switch between purely financially motivated attacks and espionage operations," Kaspersky said in a Monday report.

Also referred to as APT-C-36, Blind Eagle is believed to be active since at least 2018. The suspected Spanish-speaking group is known for using spear-phishing lures to distribute various publicly available remote access trojans such as AsyncRAT, BitRAT, Lime RAT, NjRAT, Quasar RAT, and Remcos RAT.

Earlier this March, eSentire detailed the adversary's use of a malware loader called Ande Loader to propagate Remcos RAT and NjRAT.

The starting point is a phishing email impersonating legitimate governmental institutions and financial and banking entities that deceptively warns recipients to take urgent action by clicking on a link that purports to lead them to the official website of the entity being mimicked.

The email messages also include a PDF or Microsoft Word attachment that contains the same URL, and, in some cases, a few additional details designed to impart a heightened sign of urgency and lend it a veneer of legitimacy.

The first set of URLs directs the users to actor-controlled sites that host an initial dropper, but only after determining if the victim belongs to a country that is among the group's targets. Else, they are led to the site of the organization the attackers are impersonating.

"This geographical redirection prevents new malicious sites from being flagged, and thwarts hunting and analysis of these attacks," the Russian cybersecurity vendor said.

The initial dropper comes in the form of a compressed ZIP archive, which, in turn, embeds a Visual Basic Script (VBS) responsible for retrieving the next-stage payload from a hard-coded remote server. These servers can range from image hosting sites to Pastebin to legitimate services like Discord and GitHub.

The second-stage malware, often obfuscated using steganographic methods, is a DLL or a .NET injector that subsequently contacts yet another malicious server to retrieve the final stage trojan.

"The group often uses process injection techniques to execute the RAT in the memory of a legitimate process, thereby evading process-based defenses," Kaspersky said.

"The group's preferred technique is process hollowing. This technique consists in creating a legitimate process in a suspended state, then unmapping its memory, replacing it with a malicious payload, and finally resuming the process to start execution."

The use of modified versions of open-source RATs gives Blind Eagle the flexibility to modify their campaigns at will, using them for cyber espionage or capturing credentials for Colombian financial services from the victim's browser when the window titles are matched against a predefined list of strings in the malware.

On the other hand, altered versions of NjRAT have been observed fitted with keylogging and screenshot-capturing capabilities to harvest sensitive information. Furthermore, the updated version supports installing additional plugins sent from a server to augment its functionality.

The changes also extend to the attack chains. As recently as June 2024, AsyncRAT has been distributed through a malware loader dubbed Hijack Loader, suggesting a high level of adaptability on the part of the threat actors. It also serves to highlight the addition of new techniques to sustain their operations.

"As simple as BlindEagle's techniques and procedures may appear, their effectiveness allows the group to sustain a high level of activity," Kaspersky concluded. "By consistently executing cyber espionage and financial credential theft campaigns, Blind Eagle remains a significant threat in the region.
Richard Boon, who stole two urns from Grand Island Cemetery in May, was sentenced Monday in Hall County District Court to eight to 15 years in prison.

Judge Andrew Butler sentenced Boon to eight to 15 years for burglary and 23 to 24 months for prohibited acts with human skeletal remains or burial goods. The sentences will be served concurrently.

Butler said that if Boon is on good behavior, he will be eligible for parole in four years, minus 77 days for time already served.

Boon, 34, has admitted that he broke into a family mausoleum at the cemetery between May 17 and 23. He stole a decorative white floral vase and two urns, the latter of which contained ashes.

The ashes were the remains of Steve Bennett, who died Jan. 24 at the age of 77, and Bennetts sister, Holly Pfeifer, who passed away in 2005 at the age of 56.

Several members of the family were on hand for the sentencing.

Boon, who represented himself, said in court that he was very sorry for the crime and regretted it. He said he was not in a good state of mind when he committed the burglary and subsequent acts. He said he suffers from schizophrenic auditory hallucinations. He said he was not targeting the family or anyone in particular.

Boon said he will be seeking help for his mental health problems. From his seat, he looked Bennetts widow, Carol, in the eye and said he was very sorry. She said, Thank you.

Before Boon was sentenced, a victims impact statement was read aloud by Michelle Anderson, the daughter of Steve and Carol Bennett. The statement was written by Greg Lytle of Grand Island, one of Pfeifers sons.

Lytle wrote about the devastation he felt when I looked into the mausoleum and saw an empty space where the two urns had once sat. This was supposed to be a sacred place where they could rest in peace and a place for the family to go and spend time with them and talk to them. I think the fact is lost that they were once living breathing people not just urns and ash.

Pfeifer and Bennett were a mother, sister, daughter, aunt and a father, brother, son and uncle, Lytle wrote.

Because Bennett had died only three months before, his aunt and cousins were still in the grieving process when the theft occurred, he wrote.

Lytle would like the punishment to be a deterrent to anyone who thinks they may want to do this to some other family. He also hopes it never happens again in our community.

Lytle asked the judge to consider sentencing Boon per urn because in my eyes I see it as a double homicide. I know they were already deceased, but we will never get what he took back. Now I go to the mausoleum and I have nothing to look at. And it truly is like we have lost them twice and have to deal with the grieving process all over again.

When the ashes were taken, it really made me question humanity, Lytle wrote. But he doesnt hate Boon.

Lytle wishes that Boon would explain why he committed the crime. Im not a hateful person and I believe nobody is hopeless. I believe Mr. Boon is just a lost soul, Lytle wrote. If he wants to make this right, he needs to use this as a starting point for his life, not an ending. Mr. Boon (is) still a young guy, and can get his life back in order.

Lytle knows it can be done. He hopes Boon uses this opportunity to help other people that are lost as well.

Lytle said he will continue to keep Boon in his prayers.

Before sentencing, Boon respectfully requested that he receive five years probation for burglary and a jail sentence of less than a year for prohibited acts with human skeletal remains or burial goods. Boon, who is currently in jail, said he has been making progress behind bars.

Butler, though, said Boon has received jail time several times in the past, and that his pattern of committing burglaries has continued.

Boon has mental health concerns that need to be addressed regularly, Butler said. At one point in the past, Boon said he felt euphoria when he carried out acts under his hallucinations. You need to get that under control, Butler said.

The judge found that Boon is not a suitable candidate for probation. In Boons case, There needs to be some form of punishment, Butler said.

In an interview later, Anderson said her father suffered from dementia. The family lost Bennett once when his mind faltered and again when he died. Now the family has lost him a third time, Anderson said.

Carol Bennett said she has pretty much forgiven Boon. But she wants him to get some help.
California AI Regulation Bill Moves to Assembly Vote with Key Amendments

Spearheaded by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), Californias "Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act" (Senate Bill 1047) has cleared the Assembly Appropriations Committee with some significant amendments. The bill, aimed at establishing rigorous safety standards for large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) systems, is set for a vote on the Assembly floor on Aug. 20 and must pass by Aug. 31 to move forward.

SB 1047 was crafted to regulate the development of advanced AI models by setting clear, actionable safety requirements, as well as regulatory measures. It targets AI models that are especially powerful and expensive to develop, with the goal of balancing innovation with public safety.

The bill sets standards for AI models with significant computational power  specifically, models that utilize 1026 floating-point operations (FLOPS) per second and cost more than $100 million to train. These models are referred to as "frontier" AI systems.

Among other provisions, the bill establishes risk assessment, safety, security, and testing requirements the developer of a covered AI model must fulfill before training the covered model, using the covered model, or making the covered model available for public or commercial use.

It requires, beginning Jan. 1, 2028, the developer of a covered model to annually retain a third-party auditor to perform an independent audit of compliance with the requirements of the bill.

The bill has undergone substantial revisions based on industry feedback, perhaps most notably from Anthropic, a leading AI research organization known for its work in developing advanced AI systems with a focus on safety, alignment, and ethical considerations. The aim of the amendments is to balance innovation and safety, Weiner said in a statement.

"We can advance both innovation and safety; the two are not mutually exclusive," Wiener said. "While the amendments do not reflect 100% of the changes requested by all stakeholders, we've addressed core concerns from industry leaders and made adjustments to accommodate diverse needs, including those of the open source community."

Major Amendments to SB 1047

Criminal Penalties for Perjury Removed: The bill now imposes only civil penalties for false statements to authorities, addressing concerns about the potential misuse of criminal penalties.

Elimination of the Frontier Model Division (FMD): The proposed new regulatory body has been removed. Enforcement will continue through the Attorney General's office, with some FMD functions transferred to the Government Operations Agency.

Adjusted Legal Standards: The standard for developer compliance has shifted from "reasonable assurance" to "reasonable care," a well-established common law standard, including elements like adherence to NIST safety standards.

New Threshold for Fine-Tuned Models: Models fine-tuned at a cost of less than $10 million are exempt from the bill's requirements, focusing regulatory burden on larger-scale projects.

Narrowed Pre-Harm Enforcement: The Attorney General's authority to seek civil penalties is now restricted to situations where actual harm has occurred or imminent threats to public safety exist.

Support and Criticism

SB 1047 has garnered support from prominent AI researchers, including Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio, who emphasize the importance of balancing innovation with safety. Hinton praised the bill for its sensible approach, highlighting the need for legislation that addresses the risks of powerful AI systems.

However, the bill has also faced criticism, particularly from startup founders and industry leaders. Critics argue that the bill's thresholds and liability provisions could stifle innovation and disproportionately burden smaller developers. Anjney Midha, General Partner at Silicon Valley-based VC firm Andreessen Horowitz, criticized the bill's focus on model-level regulations rather than specific misuse or malicious applications. He warned that stringent requirements could drive innovation overseas and hinder the open source community.
Ellyria Jackson, 11, from front left, Jeremy James, 8, and Chase James, 7, pet a horse named Reagan before going on a carriage ride in front of the Hard Rock Cafe on W. Crockett Street in downtown San Antonio on April 17, 2024. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer

Horse-drawn carriages could be gone from city streets within the next three years and replaced by electric, horseless carriages.

A growing number of City Council members are backing that plan, largely out of concern for the carriage horses' welfare.

An excited party departs in a horse-drawn carriage in front of the Hard Rock Cafe on W. Crockett Street in downtown San Antonio on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer Jesse Garcia, who has driven horse-drawn carriages in San Antonio for 17 years, checks on his horse, Jane, while waiting to pick up riders in front of the Hard Rock Cafe on W. Crockett Street in downtown San Antonio on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer Louis Garcia drives a horse drawn carriage pulled by his horse, Reagan, in front of the Hard Rock Cafe on W. Crockett Street in downtown San Antonio on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer

What Ive heard from our constituency is that it is time to phase out and ban the use of horse-drawn carriages, District 2 Council Member Jalen McKee-Rodriguez said Monday at the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee meeting.

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I know that with change comes great challenges, but we also have a great opportunity to facilitate something new and special and memorable in our city that both relieves traffic congestion and creates a special experience that everyone  both local families and tourists  can enjoy, he said.

The committee, made up of five City Council members, voted unanimously Monday to direct city staff to draw up plans to remove horse-drawn carriages from city streets within 12 to 36 months and help carriage drivers buy electric carriages.

McKee-Rodriguez and District 3 Council Member Phyllis Viagran first proposed banning horse-drawn carriages in November 2022  a milestone in animal rights activists yearslong push to abolish the industry.

In 2013, activists won a partial victory when the City Council lowered horses maximum workday from 10 to eight hours and required a 16-hour break between shifts. But many activists wanted the council to go even further and abolish the citys horse carriage industry entirely.

The transportation committee gave staff until Oct. 31 to present one-year, two-year and three-year plans to bar horse-drawn carriages to the mayor and 10-member council. City Council could vote on a carriage ban before the end of the year.

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The attorney representing four of the citys five carriage operators said the councils reasons for a ban are a tremendous slippery slope.

If its just a general idea that a horse should not push a carriage, then they should ban the San Antonio Rodeo, they should ban the trail rides, they should ban the mounted police units that they own and operate, they should get rid of their own working dogs that they provide for law enforcement and public safety, they should ban the charros, they should ban pet stores, said Arturo Martinez de Vara, the attorney representing Bluebonnet, Lollypop, H.R.H. Carriage and Yellow Rose. (The San Antonio Police Department has no mounted patrol officers, said city spokesman Brian Chasnoff).

Carriage operators Stephanie Garcia and Kathy Stephens said council members have been unreceptive to potential compromises. Owners have proposed reducing their operating hours and spreading out carriage stands across downtown to address concerns about congestion.

Theres no compromise at all, Garcia said. Its 'Were closing you down.'

Council members who favor a ban have long cited concerns about the horses welfare when theyre working alongside cars and trucks in the increasingly congested downtown.

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But Dr. Benjamin Espy, who has worked as the citys equine veterinarian since 2005, defended the industry, saying in a letter to the transportation committee that the current working conditions for horses are not inhumane. Espy also is the head veterinarian for the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.

A recent online survey the city conducted to gauge public opinion on horse-drawn carriages appeared to tilt council support in favor of a phased ban.

That includes Viagran, who earlier this summer walked back her support for the full ban that she and McKee-Rodriguez initially proposed.

In June 4 letter to the transportation committee, Viagran urged her colleagues to find creative ways for riders, operators, and horses to continue to coexist in the downtown footprint and said was she pleased with the amendments the carriage companies had proposed to their operating hours.

But in a statement Monday, Viagran renewed her support for a ban, saying that because of the continued construction and the results of the survey we do not see the horse draw carriages moving forward in the downtown area.

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About 52% of the 50,476 respondents favored a ban and a transition to the use of electric carriages.

The results of the survey are clear. People wanted change to our current environment regarding this industry, and we need to find solutions to move our city forward, said District 7 Council Member Marina Alderete Gavito.

A handful of cities around the world offer electric carriage rides, including Guadalajara and Brussels, Belgium. Philadelphia has one electric carriage on its streets, and two Florida cities, Mt. Dora and Fernandina Beach, have some in operation.

An electric carriage costs around $20,000, SAPD Assistant Director Rick Riley told the council committee.

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Assistant City Manager Alex Lopez, who oversees the Economic Development Department, said carriage drivers could apply for financial support from LiftFund to secure small business loans to purchase their own electric carriages.
(TBTCO) - FTSE Russell duy tri Viet Nam trong Danh sach Cho xet nang hang trong ot cap nhat anh gia hang nam thang 9/2024. Cung voi viec ghi nhan no luc va ho tro lien tuc cua Chinh phu, co quan quan ly oi voi cac cai cach cua thi truong, To chuc nay anh gia tich cuc ve cac giai phap cua Viet Nam, trong o bao gom mo hinh thanh toan Khong yeu cau co u tien (NonPrefunding) uoc quy inh tai Thong tu 68/2024/TT-BTC va nhieu quy inh khach uoc cap nhat trong Thong tu nay.
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Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF (Public Investment Fund) has reported a 29% increase in its assets under management (AuM) in its annual report for 2023, thus showcasing robust financial performance and a commitment to transparency and good governance, in line with GIPS international standards.

The report stated that the AuM volumes rose to SR2.87 trillion ($765 billion) by the end of 2023, with AuM rising to $925 billion by July 2024.

PIF recorded an average total shareholder return of 8.7% per year since the inception of the Vision Realization Program (VRP), reflecting significant progress toward its long-term goals of sustainable returns and economic transformation in Saudi Arabia.

The Fund continued to bolster key domestic sectors, create high-value jobs, and empower the local private sector, while also expanding its international portfolio to SR586 billion ($156 billion), a 14% year-over-year increase.

Some of the key milestones achieved by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund for the 12-month period included the launch of the Diriyah Project, its fifth giga-project, and the establishment of 23 new portfolio companies, thus bringing the total to 95 since 2017.

Notable companies launched in 2023 include Riyadh Air, the Saudi Tourism Investment Company (Asfar), and Lifera, a pharmaceutical investment company.

As of March 30, 2024, PIF has generated over 763,000 direct and indirect jobs in the kingdom.

Internationally, PIF secured strategic partnerships, including joint ventures with Hyundai, Pirelli, and Baosteel, to localize expertise and technologies in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi wealth fund has also raised $5.5 billion through its second green bond issuance and $3.5 billion via its inaugural sukuk issuance, reinforcing its sustainability credentials.

PIF's stability and financial strength were recognized by Moody's and Fitch, with ratings of A1 (positive outlook) and A+ (stable outlook), respectively.

The Fund continues to maintain ample liquidity and a strong balance sheet, enabling it to pursue both domestic and international opportunities in alignment with its mandate, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
Bahrains non-oil exports of products of national origin rose 4% to reach BD337 million ($894.4 million in July 2024 compared to BD323 million for same month in 2023. The top 10 countries for national origin product exports accounted for 68% of the export value.

Saudi Arabia ranked first among countries for non-oil exports (national origin) with BD61 million (18%). The US was second with BD28 million (8%) and the UAE third with BD25million (7%), according to the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA), which released its July 2024 Foreign Trade report.

Agglomerated iron ores and concentrates alloyed worth BD83 million (25%) were the top products exported in July 2024 followed by unwrought aluminium alloys with BD77 million (23%) and unwrought aluminium not alloyed with BD18 million (5%).

Re-exports rise 22pc

The total value of non-oil re-exports increased by 22% to reach BD61 million, compared to BD50 million for same month in 2023. The top 10 countries for re-exports accounted for 84% of the re-exported value. The UAE ranked first with BD21 million (34%) followed by Saudi Arabia with BD18 million (30%) and Germany with BD3 million (5%).

As per the report, private cars worth BD9 million (15%) were the top product re-exported from Bahrain followed by gold ingots BD6 million (10%) and smartphones BD3 million (5%).

The value of non-oil imports has increased by 5% reaching to BD464 million in July 2024 in comparison with BD441 million for same month in 2023. The top 10 countries for imports recorded 70% of the total value of imports.

Most imports from China

China ranked first for imports to Bahrain, with a total of BD73 million (16%), followed by Australia with BD65 million (14%) and Brazil with 37 million (8%).

Other aluminium oxide worth BD66 million (14%) was the top product imported to Bahrain followed by non-agglomerated iron ores and concentrates with BD42 million (9%) and private cars with BD14 million (3%).

As for the trade balance, which represents the difference between exports and imports, the deficit recorded was BD66 million in July 2024 compared to BD68 million in July 2023.--TradeArabia News Service
Cavendish Maxwell, a leading independent firm of chartered surveyors and property consultants operating across the Middle East, has announced the appointment of Nick Witty as Group Chief Executive Officer.

With over three decades of international real estate experience, Witty holds an impressive track record in strategic leadership, business development, and client service excellence.

His vast real estate experience includes a background in property management, valuation and consulting, having held key leadership roles in prominent organisations across the Mena region and UK, including Cushman Wakefield, Deloitte, and, most recently, Chestertons Mena, said the company in a statement.

Wittys appointment marks a significant milestone for Cavendish Maxwell as the group continues to expand its footprint and enhance its service offerings across the Middle East.

Welcoming Witty into the fold, Jay Grant, Founder of Cavendish Maxwell, said: "Im very pleased to welcome him to Cavendish Maxwell. His experience and leadership make him the ideal person to lead the group into our next phase of growth."

"Witty shares my ambition and vision for the business as a leading real estate consultancy across the Middle East. His ideas for the company align with our strategic objectives, and I am confident that under his guidance, Cavendish Maxwell will continue to thrive and further build upon its success.

On his new role, Witty said: "I am honoured to join Cavendish Maxwell as Group CEO and excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. The group has a strong reputation for excellence and innovation in the real estate industry, and I am eager to work with the talented team here to build on this solid foundation."

"Together, we will continue to deliver exceptional value to our clients and drive the company's growth and success in the region," he stated.

Henry Bacha, who has served as both Group CCO and, most recently, Group Interim CEO for Cavendish Maxwell, will take on a new role as CEO of Property Monitor, which was acquired by the group in 2022 and is the UAEs leading real estate technology and market intelligence provider.-TradeArabia News Service
Leading Chinese oil and gas group Sinopec has announced that it has won the tender for a tank farm project - Sabtank Amiral - in Saudi Arabia.

The key project has been designed to support the Amiral Project, a petrochemicals complex jointly set up by Saudi oil major Aramco and French utility group Total Energies, said a statement from Sinopec.

The facility will manage the storage, export, and import of biobutadiene and Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE), playing a critical role in the operations of the Amiral complex.

The project win further boosts Sinopecs ongoing partnership with Sabic, following the successful completion of the NDA Fatty Alcohol project.-TradeArabia News Service
Al Bahar, the authorised dealer of Caterpillar products and services across the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, said it has successfully concluded its entry-level Internal Challenge, a subset of the Global Dealer Technician Challenge (GDTC) hosted by Caterpillar, titled Heroes of the Trade.

The gruelling competition, held over four days at Al Bahars Regional Training Center in Sharjah, UAE, pushed the limits of four exceptional technicians, ultimately crowning two champions who will represent the dealership at the upcoming Regional Qualifiers in Dubai this November.

The contest tested the technicians skills across a wide range of areas, including machine diagnostics, practical service applications, and a deep understanding of aftermarket support offerings, said the statement from Al Bahar.

The internal challenges, which were conducted from June 24 to 28, concluded with a celebratory award ceremony held recently to honour the exceptional achievements of all four participating technicians.

It provided a platform to acknowledge their dedication, and hard work, throughout the challenge, it added.

"At Al Bahar, we are dedicated to fostering a culture of excellence within our service network, as our technicians are our main advantage serving our customers better," said Ibrahim Elaian, the Vice President of Service.

"The Global Dealer Technician Challenge provided a phenomenal platform for our technicians to showcase their expertise, dedication, and commitment to continuous learning. We are incredibly proud of all participants, and were confident that our champions will shine brightly at the regional level," he noted.

Bilson Poulose, one of the winning technicians, said: "The GDTC was an incredibly rewarding experience. It challenged me to push my boundaries and apply my knowledge in real-world scenarios. Im excited to represent Al Bahar at the Regional Qualifiers and compete against the best from across the region."

Hamza Sobeih, the other champion, echoed this sentiment, stating: "This competition has been a fantastic opportunity to learn from experienced mentors and fellow participants. Im grateful for the support of Al Bahar and Im eager to showcase my skills in upcoming qualifiers."

To prepare for the qualifiers, the winning technicians were assigned a mentor  Waqar Khan, Service Training Instructor at Al Bahar.

Commenting on the challenges and the technician performances he said: "The growth and development we witnessed in these technicians throughout the competition has been truly remarkable. This challenge has not only tested their technical skills but also their problem-solving abilities and teamwork."

"The reward is a well-deserved recognition of their efforts, and I have full confidence that with continued training, they will be formidable competitors at the Regional Qualifiers, Semifinals and further proceed to the Final Global Challenge in Las Vegas  USA," he added.

Al Bahars winning technicians will now undergo intensive training to prepare them for the Regional Qualifiers taking place in Dubai this November, said Khan.

"The goal is to secure a coveted spot at the Global Finals and be crowned the worlds Top Technician, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Automechanika Dubai, the leading event for the automotive aftermarket industry, has announced the opening of the 2024 Automechanika Dubai Awards. This prestigious event honours outstanding achievements and innovations in the automotive aftermarket and service industry for the fourth year.

The Awards come against the backdrop of significant growth in the automotive aftermarket in the UAE and the broader Middle East, driven by increasing vehicle sales, the rising demand for vehicle maintenance, and the adoption of digital solutions. A report by Virtue Market Research projects the MEA market to reach $69.39 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8.2% from 2024 to 2030.

The Automechanika Dubai Awards celebrate excellence across various industry segments. Abraham Michael, Workshop Manager, Munich Motor Works, said about their previous wins: Winning the prestigious Automechanika Dubai Awards in 2021 and 2023 has had a tremendously positive impact on our business. It has helped to solidify our reputation as the go-to destination for European and German car repair and maintenance in Dubai.

13 categories

This year, the Automechanika Dubai Awards will feature 13 categories highlighting automotive industry achievements. Within the Service Excellence category, five awards are up for grabs, including Body Shop of the Year and Workshop of the Year, both for passenger cars, Service Provider of the Year for commercial vehicles, Car Care Specialist of the Year and Mobile Services Provider of the Year.

In the eagerly anticipated Products category, awards include Innovation Product of the Year, Sustainability Product of the Year, Safety Product of the Year, and Digital Product of the Year.

The Transformation category, which is expected to be incredibly popular, includes Digitalisation Project of the Year and Start Up of the Year. Rounding out the categories in the People section are Women in Automotive Market and the Special Recognition Award.

Depth and diversity

Mahmut Gazi Bilikozen, Portfolio Director, Mobility and Logistics, at Messe Frankfurt Middle East, organisers of Automechanika Dubai, said: "This year's Awards highlight the depth and diversity of innovation within the automotive industry. From advancements in automotive parts to integrating digital solutions in services, each category has been curated to recognise the significant achievements that push the boundaries of what is possible in our sector.

Its an exciting reflection of where the automotive aftermarket is headed," he added.

Applications for the 4th Automechanika Dubai Awards are open until August 30, 2024, allowing companies to showcase their contributions to the field. Finalists will be announced on November 10, 2024, and the winners will be celebrated at the Awards Ceremony on December 11, 2024, during the Automechanika Dubai trade show, held from December 10 to 12 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

The 21st edition of Automechanika Dubai will showcase more than 2,200 exhibitors from 60 participating countries and is expected to attract over 56,000 visitors.--TradeArabia News Service
APM Terminals Bahrain, the operator of the Khalifa Bin Salman Port, recently held a joint Kaizen event with one of its major customers, Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), to drive continuous improvement across their operations.

The two-day event focused on implementing principles to optimise processes, reduce waste, and enhance productivity at the port, where all of Albas finished products are handled and exported.

Kaizen is a Japanese business philosophy of continuous improvement of processes in manufacturing, engineering, and business management. By working closely with customers like Alba, APM Terminals Bahrain aims to identify and implement Kaizen initiatives that drive efficiency, productivity and service excellence.

The event brought together cross-functional teams from both APM Terminals Bahrain and Alba to analyse current processes, identify pain points, and develop data-driven solutions. Through interactive workshops, the teams used Kaizen tools such as 5S, root cause analysis, and mistake-proofing to generate innovative ideas for enhancing safety, reducing turnaround times, and minimising operational costs.

"Collaboration with our valued customers is essential to delivering the highest levels of service and operational performance," said APM Terminals Bahrain Managing Director Matthew Luckhurst.

Working closely with customers

"This joint Kaizen event with Alba demonstrates our commitment to working closely with our customers and the community to drive continuous improvement across the entire supply chain and lift Bahrains global trade. In what we hope will be the first of many cross functional ventures we will continue to focus on delivering excellent service and adding value where we can, thereby strengthening their position in the highly competitive global aluminium market.

Alba is committed to operational excellence and the Kaizen philosophy embraced by APM Terminals Bahrain perfectly resonates with our own continuous improvement culture, stated Albas Chief Executive Officer Ali Al Baqali.

Together, we are unlocking unprecedented opportunities to boost productivity, streamline costs, and elevate customer satisfaction. By setting new benchmarks for operational excellence, we are driving value across the entire supply chain.

The event is a testament to the strong cooperation between the port operator and its major customers. Both APM Terminals Bahrain and Alba believe that collaboration and knowledge-sharing are the keys to unlocking unprecedented levels of efficiency and innovation and are committed to leveraging innovative approaches to drive sustained, positive change across their respective operations.--TradeArabia News Service
Sons of the American Revolution members David Hamaker (from left), Dewey Owens and Edwin Sellards chat in the courtyard Saturday during the Battle of Medina Symposium at the Atascosa County Gillespie Memorial Annex in Leming. The ceremony commemorated the 211th anniversary of the bloodiest battle in Texas history. ARTHUR H. TRICKETT-WILE/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

Each year, more than 100 descendants and historical researchers gather to discuss a bloody battle, and the ways in which its violent aftermath set the tone in early Texas for a successful independence movement more than 20 years later in 1836.

The Battle of Medina, the deadliest conflict ever fought on Texas soil, unfolded somewhere south of San Antonio on Aug. 18, 1813, followed by three months of brutality by the victors that nearly destroyed the town. More than 1,000 people in a local population of 3,000 were killed, and others fled east to Louisiana, in the first two weeks.

Monica Negron is trying to learn more about an ancestor, Francisco Trevino, believed to have fought in the battle before he died in Nacogdoches, seeking asylum. She hopes to better understand daily life before and after the 1811-1813 revolution, an attempt to break away from the Spanish empire and form a state in an independent Mexican republic.

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Sons of the American Revolution member Gary Barker leads the color guard into the assembly on Saturday for the Battle of Medina Symposium at the Atascosa County Gillespie Memorial Annex in Leming. The ceremony commemorated the 211th anniversary of the bloodiest battle in Texas history. ARTHUR H. TRICKETT-WILE/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

A memorial to Peter Sides, a veteran of the American Revolution later killed at the 1813 Battle of Medina, sits in the courtyard at a symposium Saturday in Leming. The annual gathering commemorates the anniversary of the bloodiest battle in Texas history. ARTHUR H. TRICKETT-WILE/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

Its very sad to hear about it, Negron said during a break at the annual ceremony and symposium observing the battles anniversary, which was held in the community of Leming last weekend. I need to read more books about it to put myself in that place and time, to really feel what was going on.

A musket ball on display Saturday at the annual Battle of Medina Symposium in Leming, which commemorated the 211th anniversary of the bloodiest battle in Texas history with artifacts, prayers and presentations. In attendance were representatives of Native American tribes and members of the Sons of the American Revolution, who honored a veteran of the U.S. war of independence killed in the battle. ARTHUR H. TRICKETT-WILE/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Native American descendants Matteo Sensimillia (left) and Ricky Reyes stand for a prayer on Saturday at the Battle of Medina Symposium at the Atascosa County Gillespie Memorial Annex in Leming. ARTHUR H. TRICKETT-WILE/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Atascosa County Historical Commission Chairman Martin Gonzales bows his head in prayer Saturday at the Battle of Medina Symposium in Leming. ARTHUR H. TRICKETT-WILE/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Sons of the American Revolution in period costume fire a black-powder musket salute at Saturdays annual Battle of Medina Symposium in Leming. At least one veteran of the U.S. war of independence was killed in the battle, fighting on the side of Texas revolt against Spain in 1813. ARTHUR H. TRICKETT-WILE/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Sons of the American Revolution member Gary Barker holds his pose leading the musket salute at Saturdays annual Battle of Medina Symposium in Leming. At least one veteran of the U.S. war of independence was killed in the battle, fighting on the side of Texas revolt against Spain in 1813. ARTHUR H. TRICKETT-WILE/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

Historian James Bernsen, author of a new book, The Lost War for Texas, said the 1,400 rebels who met the enemy south of town came real close to defeating the Spanish Royal Army during the four-hour afternoon conflict. Many of them were on foot, trudging through the sandy brush country in the summer heat, while the royalists had a large mounted cavalry contingent.

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The Spanish just had better resources, and they werent exhausted from seven or eight miles of marching, said Bernsen, whose book, released in June, is considered the best-researched account ever published of the first Texas revolution, which started in San Antonio with an unsuccessful uprising known as the Casas Revolt in 1811.

Spanish policy in response to unrest throughout Mexico at the time was to attack and reduce any town supporting a rebellion to the point that nothing will remain of it but ruins, Bernsen told the audience.

The fact that San Antonio even exists is a miracle, he said of the murder, rape and theft that accompanied the post-battle occupation.

Spanish troops executed known or suspected rebels, chased down many of those who fled and imprisoned hundreds of men in a granary, where some suffocated. They crammed some 500 women into a house sarcastically nicknamed La Quinta (country place, mansion) and threw young children into the streets, where they begged for food.

For nearly 100 days, in San Antonios first tragedy, the Spanish wiped out the towns third generation and left its fourth to fend for itself, said Jose Luis JL Gonzalez, a Tejano history researcher and author of Tejano Volunteer Company: Stories of Our Texas Revolution. A local priest and older men in town banded together to feed and care for the abandoned children, then helped raise them after the horrific occupation ended.

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This is what family does. Even though they were not all their kids, they knew them as family. This is the essence of San Antonio, Gonzalez said.

Some of those youths, including Juan Seguin and Salvador Flores, who grew up as besties, later played key roles in the 1835-1836 revolution for independence from Mexico.

In recent years, archaeological researchers have unearthed lead balls and other military artifacts in southern Bexar and northern Atascosa counties believed to have been used in the Battle of Medina, including a heavy concentration found on private property about 2 miles south of Leming. A team with the Atascosa County Historical Commission plans to soon revisit that location, which could be a skirmish site among several others strung along historic roads, said David Emery, a metal detection expert leading the group.

The main battle site is still unknown but discoverable, Emery believes. It will be scattered with pieces of buttons, buckles, swords, pistols and human and horse bones, he said, but only if its on a farm or other private property and not under a subdivision or sand mine.

The commission has asked anyone with artifacts potentially tied to the battle to contact them. Locating it could be a step toward designation of a national historic landmark.

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Even without a precise knowledge of where it happened, interest in the battle is growing. Under a 2010 expansion of state social studies standards, the Battle of Medina has been included in seventh-grade Texas history under the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.

Sons of the American Revolution member Frank Kebelman sports a tricorn hat at Saturday's annual symposium on the Battle of Medina, held Saturday at the Atascosa County Gillespie Memorial Annex in Leming. The 1813 battle was the bloodiest in Texas history. ARTHUR H. TRICKETT-WILE/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

Martin Gonzales, who chairs the Atascosa County Historical Commission, presents a certificate of appreciation to David Hamaker at Saturdays symposium in Leming on the 1813 Battle of Medina, the bloodiest in Texas history. Hamaker is a descendent of Peter Sides, a veteran of the American Revolution who came to Texas and was killed in the battle at age 63. ARTHUR H. TRICKETT-WILE/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

Richard Crawford, a military veteran who teaches U.S. history at Pearsall High School, has a new 110-page paperback, Medina 1813: A Miniaturists Perspective, with photos of dioramas hes made of the battlefield.

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Crawford, 61, grew up in San Antonio and got hooked on Texas history from seeing movies on the 1836 siege and Battle of the Alamo. He started hearing about the deadly 1813 clash while working summer jobs south of the city, and decided in recent years to help young Texans connect to the story.

If you look at the numbers involved, the casualties, the impact on Texas, this in many ways sort of eclipses what happened later at the Alamo, Crawford said in an interview. Even today, as a teacher, its shocking how many Texans young and old, academics and historians, either gloss over this period or are just totally unaware of it.

David Hamaker, a Conroe chapter president of the Sons of the American Revolution, is a sixth great-grandson of Peter Sides, who fought the British in the U.S. war of independence but later died in the Battle of Medina at 63, when the country he left behind was again fending off the British in the War of 1812.

We could only speculate as to what would motivate a man of that age to take on this fight. Maybe it was the promise of land or a chance to make another stand for freedom, or maybe just a quest for adventure. Whatever it was, I would like to recognize and honor my grandfather, Peter Sides, for his belief in the liberties and the freedoms that we have today, Hamaker said during the ceremony.

Many of those who gather each year for the anniversary heard the story from grandparents, and feel a visceral connection to the suffering in San Antonio that had a statewide impact, he said.
The eagerly awaited return of the Backstreet Boys to the UAE has been a tremendous success, with tickets for their upcoming performance at The Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, selling out quickly.

One of the best-selling bands of all time, breaking records everywhere they go, this is a clear indication of the love that UAE fans have for this scintillating group, said a statement.

Brought by Live Nation Middle East, Backstreet Boys enthusiasts can look forward to an incredible night of smash hit tunes including Everybody, Larger Than Life, and I Want It That Way. Promising concertgoers a full, dynamic show, despite Kevin Richardsons absence due to scheduling conflicts, the upcoming show on October 23 will be an enviable night of singalong anthems and harmony-driven contemporary pop that will live long in the memory, it said.

"Having the Backstreet Boys sell out their show once again is a testament to the enduring appeal and deep connection they have with their fans here in the UAE," said James Craven, President of Live Nation Middle East. "We're thrilled to bring such a beloved and iconic group back to Abu Dhabi, and we can't wait for the audience to experience another unforgettable performance."

Over the years, the Backstreet Boys have continued to captivate millions worldwide with their impressive catalogue of hit songs and creative collaborations, and they promise to do just that again when they touch down in Abu Dhabi on October 23.-TradeArabia News Service
Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Turkiye (Menat), said its Director of Projects has been promoted as Corporate Vice President Architecture and Design.

In his new role, Nadim Jamous will lead a team of architects, interior designers and engineers, ensuring Rotanas existing and upcoming projects are aligned with the brands standards, vision and aspiration.

Jamous, who joined Rotana in 2015 as Director of Projects, and has since played a pivotal role in the company's growth and development across the region, will coordinate project management efforts with both internal and external stakeholders for timely completion of projects at the highest standards.

He will also develop and implement the overall design and architectural strategy, aligned with the companys goals. Under his leadership, Jamous will continue to promote a culture of creativity and continuous improvement within the architecture and design team.

Commenting on the announcement, Philip Barnes, CEO of Rotana said, "It is with great pleasure that I announce Nadim Jamous promotion to Corporate Vice President - Architecture and Design at Rotana.

Since joining us in 2015, he has played a leading role in the consolidation of the Design Guidelines and Brand Standards that our team continues to rely on to this day.

In this new role, Jamous will continue overseeing all design-related projects across our portfolio, ensuring that each hotel delivers on Rotanas singular brand promise of Treasured Time for our guests.

Under his leadership, Jamous has been instrumental in the successful delivery of numerous Rotana projects such as the luxurious Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas in Abu Dhabi, the impressive Johari Rotana in Dar Es Salam, and the recently opened Bomonti Arjaan in Istanbul.

He was subsequently promoted to Corporate Director Projects in March 2024. Jamous holds a Master's Degree in Architecture from ALBA University in Lebanon, and has a wealth of experience in design, construction and project management.

Reflecting on his new role, Jamous said: "I am honoured to take on this new responsibility at such an exciting time for Rotana.

Our ambitious expansion plans present tremendous opportunities to showcase innovative design and architecture that reflect the essence of our brand. I look forward to leading our talented team in delivering projects that meet the highest standards of quality and excellence.

Rotana currently operates 80 hotels across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Turkiye, serving millions of guests annually. With a robust pipeline of new projects, including several in the UAE and international markets, Rotana continues to expand its footprint while maintaining its reputation for delivering exceptional hospitality experiences.  TradeArabia News Service
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.
Shakari Briggs is a reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached at shakari.briggs@houstonchronicle.com.

Before joining the Chronicle in November 2023, she worked for Spectrum News as a digital journalist based in her hometown. Shakari comes to the Houston newsroom with experience in broadcast reporting and producing as a former multimedia journalist and associate producer. The Dallas native has also worked at small to medium-sized newspapers throughout her career.

Her reporting on the rise and fall of a shopping mall won an Arkansas Associated Press Managing Editors Contest award. She also earned an Arkansas Press Association award for freelance reporting.
Chinese enterprises have developed systematic centers serving live-streamed sessions close to the border to sell goods to customers in Vietnam.

Through these centers, some four to five million orders are shipped to Vietnam every day.

As each order costs VND100,000-300,000 (US$4-12) on average, Vietnamese shoppers spend $45-60 million buying products from China via e-commerce platforms per day.

The amount is around $1.3-1.9 billion per month, according to the Vietnamese National Assemblys Finance - Budget Committee.

Entering Yunnan Province in China, which borders Lao Cai Province in northern Vietnam, via the Hekou International Border Gate, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters saw hundreds of stores with both Chinese and Vietnamese information on their signboards.

The reporters later reached the China-ASEAN cross-border e-commerce logistics park, which is considered a live-streaming hub for selling Chinese goods to Vietnam.

The huge park operates under the all-in-one model and features various functional areas.

The facility carries a price tag of $525 million and covers an area of 128 hectares, as Tuoi Tre understands during its reporters' field trips along the border.

A Chinese man working in the park said the five-story building, developed by the Chinese government, has a first floor for product displays, while the remaining floors, which have Vietnamese Internet networks, are used for livestreaming activities.

As a result, sales channels on Facebook can be accessed in China.

The park includes hundreds of rooms spanning 15-20 square meters each. They are given an ordinal number and are well soundproof.

The Pingxiang international live-streaming area, located on the border with Vietnams Lang Son Province, is a sprawling complex characterized by tightly clustered, solid buildings.

These structures prominently display the logos of major e-commerce platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop.

Inside, a series of glass-walled livestreaming rooms are outfitted with state-of-the-art computing and lighting systems, microphones, and recording devices, according to an employee familiar with the operations.

Vietnamese people visit the live-streaming center in Pingxiang, China, which borders Vietnams Lang Son Province, to learn about business models. Photo: Bong Mai / Tuoi Tre

How do live-streaming centers operate?

Live-streaming centers in China, particularly those near the Vietnamese border, are rapidly growing hubs of e-commerce activity.

An employee at the Hekou live-streaming center told the Tuoi Tre reporters that business is thriving, with an increasing number of enterprises setting up operations.

These centers have established strong connections with transport service providers in Vietnam, facilitating cross-border trade.

Vietnamese merchants frequently visit to purchase goods for resale, and the center is expected to become even busier as more infrastructure is completed.

Plans are already in place to build a cold storage warehouse on an adjacent lot to support the export of farm produce and fruits to Vietnam.

At the Hekou center, Vu, a company manager, explained that the live-streaming area is home to around 60 companies whose operations are tightly controlled, with close monitoring of goods, sales processes, and revenue.

Each company is responsible for managing a group of traders, and strict requirements must be met to operate at the center.

For instance, Vus enterprise benefits from one to two years of rent-free space and live-streaming rooms but must meet specific targets for revenue and product volume.

In Pingxiang, Zhong Cheng, who manages 20 live-streaming rooms, reported daily sales of around VND3 billion ($120,195), with figures soaring to tens of billions of Vietnamese dong during major sales events.

All goods sold at these centers are made in China, underscoring the countrys dominance in the e-commerce supply chain.

Many Vietnamese people are employed to work at a live-streaming center in Hekou, China. Photo: Bong Mai / Tuoi Tre

Recruiting only Vietnamese for live streams

Although many Chinese workers at the center speak Vietnamese fluently, only Vietnamese presenters are allowed to appear on live streams to introduce products.

"This is a rule," an employee explained. "No matter how well Chinese people speak Vietnamese, they are not permitted to introduce products on live streams. Only Vietnamese nationals can do that."

The Vietnamese presenters are brought to Pingxiang through local employment brokerage firms.

After being trained in China, mainly to create a vibrant atmosphere in live-streaming rooms, those Vietnamese people will sign labor contracts with a monthly salary of VND15-20 million ($600-801) and have their accommodation and visa application costs covered.

A live-streaming room often has two employees with one inviting online shoppers to buy products and the other ringing a bell to make the live-streamed sessions more vibrant and keeping a close watch on orders on a screen.

During a large live-streamed session, some 20-100 other people, including those from brands and e-commerce platforms, cameramen, and lighting staff, support the two main employees.

There are three live-streaming shifts per day, with each lasting three to five hours.

In Hekou, N., a Vietnamese woman working as a secretary to Vu, said she had worked at the live-streaming center for over a year.

Chinese products are cheap and produced in bulk, so many people come here to buy wholesale and attend live-streaming training courses, N. said.

To serve cross-border sales, these areas also have logistics facilities, a customs clearance area, and zones for international cargo shipment and innovation services, besides live-streaming amenities.

Goods are packaged, cleared through customs, and then transported to Vietnam, where local delivery service providers handle the final leg of getting products to customers.

To boost their competitiveness, some Chinese traders have even developed or leased warehouses in Hanoi and other Vietnamese provinces.

This systematic process streamlines operations and helps lower the selling prices of products.

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A car assembly factory in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City operated by a joint venture between world-renowned carmaker Mercedes-Benz Group AG and a local company will have its land lease contract come to an end in 2025 but extension procedures remain incomplete.

At a recent meeting with Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee Phan Van Mai reported that the plant has been operated by Mercedes-Benz Vietnam Co. Ltd., a joint venture between Germanys Mercedes-Benz Group AG and Vietnams Saigon Transportation Mechanical Corporation (SAMCO).

Mercedes-Benz Group AG proposed extending the land lease contract by five years.

However, under the prevailing regulations, when the contract expires, the 104,000-square-meter land lot at 693 Quang Trung Street in Go Vap District will be taken back.

A wall of the Mercedes-Benz Vietnam factory is hundreds of meters long on Quang Trung Street in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Phuong Nhi / Tuoi Tre

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam deemed the stagnant extension process as unreasonable.

He pointed out the significant contributions of auto projects to local budgets and committed to working with relevant agencies to address these issues.

The Ho Chi Minh City government has recently requested the prime minister's approval for Mercedes-Benz Vietnam Co. Ltd. to lease the land for an additional five years beyond April 2025 without undergoing a bidding or auction process.

If approved, the city plans to assign SAMCO to develop an automotive mechanical industrial park and recommend it to Mercedes-Benz Group AG to encourage the relocation of its factory.

The city will seek to finalize procedures for another project on the land lot at 693 Quang Trung Street, scheduled to commence after April 14, 2030.

Another entrance to the Mercedes-Benz Vietnam factory in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Phuong Nhi / Tuoi Tre

Mercedes-Benz AG Group holds a 70-percent stake at Mercedes-Benz Vietnam Co. Ltd., while SAMCO owns the remaining 30 percent.

The car assembly plant was licensed in 1995 and Mercedes-Benz Vietnam Co. Ltd. was allowed to use the land at 693 Quang Trung Street for 30 years from April 1995.

Mercedes-Benz Vietnam officially began its operations in 1997 with an initial capacity of 60 cars per month. The plant was built at a cost of VND1.127 trillion (US$45.2 million).

By 2005, the capacity increased to 12,000 cars per year.

The plant has contributed significantly to Ho Chi Minh Citys budget. Photo: Phuong Nhi / Tuoi Tre

In 2021, Mercedes-Benz Vietnam Co. Ltd. proposed extending the land use by five years until 2030.

In March 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha required the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Finance to provide guidance to the Ho Chi Minh City administration.

However, solutions have yet to be worked out.

A map shows the position of the Mercedes-Benz Vietnam factory in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Phuong Nhi / Tuoi Tre

Mercedes-Benz Vietnam currently employs 800 workers.

Between 2017 and 2021, the company yielded revenue of over VND9 trillion ($360.7 million) per year and contributed more than VND5.5 trillion ($220.8 million) to Ho Chi Minh Citys budget each year, according to a report by the municipal Department of Planning and Investment.

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Vietnams Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping witnessed the signing of 14 cooperation documents between ministries, agencies, and localities of the two countries on Monday, as part of the top Vietnamese leaders state visit to China through Tuesday.

The signing ceremony took place after a successful talk between the two top leaders.

These cooperation documents were meant to deepen their bilateral ties.

The signed deals include a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the Party School of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (National Academy of Governance); and an MoU on industrial cooperation between the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Some of the other documents are an MoU on healthcare cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and the National Health Commission of China; an MoU between the State Bank of Vietnam and the Peoples Bank of China on enhancing cooperation and information exchange in banking operations; an MoU between the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam and the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) on promoting development cooperation projects in the social and livelihood fields; and a certificate of the handover of the results of the aid project for Vietnam in the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong standard gauge railway planning between the two governments.

Besides, there are three protocols on plant quarantine and food safety for frozen durians, plant quarantine requirements for fresh coconuts, and quarantine and health requirements for farmed crocodiles exported from Vietnam to China between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the General Administration of Customs China.

The signing also featured an official letter between the Ministry of Transport of Vietnam and the CIDCA on the feasibility study of the technical aid project for planning two standard gauge railway routes of Lang Son - Hanoi and Mong Cai - Ha Long  Hanoi; an agreement on professional cooperation between the Vietnam News Agency and China's Xinhua News Agency; an MoU on strengthening cooperation between Vietnam Television and China Central Radio and Television; an MoU between the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine on cooperation in traditional medicine; and an MoU on press and media exchange programs for the 2024-29 period between the Vietnam Journalists' Association and the All-China Journalists Association.

Two MoUs on enhancing economic and trade cooperation between the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam and the authorities of Hainan and Shandong Provinces were also announced at the signing ceremony.

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Mobile World Investment Corporation (MWG), a leading mobile phone and consumer electronics retailer in Vietnam, has announced the dissolution of its subsidiary Tran Anh Digital World JSC in an attempt to optimize its business performance.

This is the third MWG subsidiary to have been shut down in the past four months.

Eight years ago, Tran Anh was one of the most popular consumer electronics brands in northern Vietnam.

It established a partnership with Nojima Corporation, a Japan-based company mainly engaging in the sale of digital home appliances, opening Japanese-style electronics stores to bring a breath of fresh air to the local market.

In late 2016, Tran Anh was operating 28 electronics stores in northern provinces and cities like Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Phu Tho, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, and Bac Giang, wrapping up the year with its sales surpassing VND4 trillion (US$160 million) before managing to raise the number of its outlets to 39.

The company encountered a considerable number of challenges during its business expansion, even though it boasted plenty of advantages and prime locations.

Its sales began slumping significantly in 2017, sustaining losses of more than VND60 billion ($2.4 million).

In 2018, MWG completed the acquisition of Tran Anh Digital World Company.

Tran Xuan Kien, former board chairman at Tran Anh Digital World Company, told the press at the time that the consumption of electronic products reaching a saturation point and the strong growth of e-commerce prompted the company to sell a majority of its stakes to MWG.

Tran Anh Company then had its business model transformed by the new owner but the downward spiral of its turnover continued.

According to its recent financial statement, Tran Anh booked VND134 billion ($5.4 million) in revenue by offering retail spaces and offices for lease, as well as earning interest from its savings, all yielding nearly VND16 billion ($638,300) in after-tax profits in 2022.

By mid-2024, Nguyen Duc Tai had served as board chairman at Tran Anh, holding a 99.33-percent stake in the firm.

Earlier, Tran Anh Digital World JSC began listing its TAG shares on the Hanoi Stock Exchange in 2010.

TAG shares were delisted from the northern bourse in 2018 before moving to the Unlisted Public Company Market (UPCoM).

Tran Anh was subsequently forced to leave the local stock market following the cancelation of its public company status.

Aside from Tran Anh Company, MWG in mid-2024 announced the dissolution of two other subsidiaries, namely Fully Trusted Logistics Joint Stock Company in Ho Chi Minh City and 4KFarm Joint Stock Company in neighboring Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province.

As of mid-2024, MWG's The Gioi Di Dong - Topzone retail chain has seen a reduction of 134 stores over the past year, leaving a total of 1,046 locations in operation.

MWG also closed 196 Dien May Xanh electronics stores, operating 2,093 outlets now, during the same period.

The company cut the number of its An Khang drugstores by 45 units in June, expecting to take the total back to 300 at the end of this year.

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China always upholds its policy of friendship with Vietnam and considers the Southeast Asian country a priority direction and strategic choice in its neighborhood diplomacy, Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping affirmed in Beijing on Monday.

The top Chinese leader made these remarks during his talks with Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, who, along with his spouse and entourage, is on a three-day state visit starting on Sunday at the invitation of Xi and his wife.

Expressing deep condolences over the recent passing of Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Xi expressed confidence that Vietnam's Party and state would continue to build on the late general secretary's legacy, achieving even greater success in the countrys Doi Moi (Renovation) policy and socialism building.

Lams first state visit to China, also his first overseas trip as the top leader of the Vietnamese Party and state, holds great significance as it reflects the great importance and top priority that both parties and countries give to the Vietnam-China relationship.

Strongly affirming Chinas persistence with its policy of friendship with Vietnam, Party General Secretary and President Xi announced that China always regards Vietnam as a priority direction and strategic choice in its neighborhood diplomacy.

General Secretary and State President Lam told his host that Vietnam places great importance on and gives top priority to its friendly neighborly relationship, comprehensive strategic partnership, and community of a shared future with China, recognizing their strategic significance.

The overall scene of a meeting between the Chinese and Vietnamese delegations led by Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping and his Vietnamese counterpart To Lam in Beijing, August 19, 2024. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

Lam expressed his desire to work alongside Xi and senior Chinese leaders to build on the long-standing traditional friendship between the two parties and countries, aiming to elevate bilateral ties to a new stage of increasingly stable, sustainable, and long-term development.

The Vietnamese leader also congratulated China on the significant achievements made by the Party, state, and people under Xi's leadership over the past years.

He then briefed his host on Vietnams current situation, emphasizing that the country will continue to embrace the spirit of 'self-reliance, self-confidence, self-strengthening, and national pride' to successfully implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and prepare for the successful organization of the next congress.

Listening to the sharing of the Vietnamese leader about the series of meaningful activities at his first stop in Guangzhou City of Guangdong Province, Xi emphasized the glorious years of President Ho Chi Minh have created "a passionate love between Vietnam and China, both comrades and brothers."

The two leaders expressed their satisfaction with the positive development momentum in bilateral relations, particularly following the historic visits of the top leaders of both parties in 2022 and 2023.

They noted significant progress in six key areas: enhanced political trust, more practical defense and security cooperation, more substantive economic collaboration, a stronger social foundation, closer multilateral coordination, and better management and resolution of differences.

In the face of complex and unpredictable developments in the world and the region, Vietnam remains committed to its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, as well as the diversification and multilateralization of external relations, Lam assured his host.

He also reiterated Vietnam's adherence to its defense policy of the 'four nos.'

The 'four nos' policy includes: no participation in military alliances, no siding with one country against another, no foreign military bases in Vietnamese territory or allowing Vietnam to be used as leverage against other countries, and no use or threat of force in international relations.

The two leaders engaged in in-depth discussions on key strategies to strengthen trust, consolidate friendship, enhance the effectiveness of substantive cooperation across all fields, and maintain peace and stability at sea.

They underlined the importance of continuing to develop the Vietnam-China relationship in a healthy, stable, and sustainable manner.

These strategies must align with the motto of 'friendly neighborliness, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability, and looking toward the future,' as well as the 'four-good' spirit of 'good neighbors, good friends, good comrades, and good partners.'

Both the host and guest agreed that the two countries will continue strengthening security and defense cooperation, boosting economic, trade, and investment cooperation, including promoting the connectivity between the two corridors, one belt and belt and road initiatives, enhancing the connection of railway and road infrastructure, beefing up economic and supply chain cooperation among border provinces, and elevating exchanges on state-owned enterprise reform.

Lam proposed that both countries enhance cooperation in constructing large, symbolic projects that reflect their political trust and showcase China's advanced scientific and technological capabilities.

He also suggested that China provide Vietnam with preferential loans, technology transfer, and human resource training, as well as invest in key transport infrastructure projects in Vietnam.

He urged stronger investment cooperation in areas where China excels, such as the green economy and digital economy.

In response, Xi affirmed China's commitment to increasing imports of Vietnamese farm produce, facilitating the entry of Vietnams high-quality agricultural products into the Chinese market, and supporting the expansion of Vietnamese trade promotion offices in China.

Looking ahead to the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, the two leaders agreed to designate 2025 as the 'Year of Vietnam-China Humanistic Exchange.'

Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President To Lam (L, rear row) and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping witness the signing of cooperative documents in Beijing, August 19, 2024. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

They also discussed a range of international and regional issues of mutual concern, stressing the importance of coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums and international mechanisms, with a view to safeguarding the legitimate interests of both countries and contribute to the broader interests of the international community.

In their sincere and frank exchanges on maritime issues, they agreed to effectively implement the high-level common perceptions already reached and to work diligently to better control and resolve their differences.

Lam stated that both sides should maintain mutual respect for each other's legitimate interests and resolve differences through peaceful means, in accordance with the United Nations (UN) Charter and international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

He called for the serious and full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea and advocated for the development of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct for the waterway, in line with international law and UNCLOS.

The Vietnamese leader extended a respectful invitation to his Chinese counterpart to visit Vietnam again soon, which the Chinese leader happily accepted.

At the conclusion of their talks, both leaders witnessed the signing of 14 bilateral cooperation agreements across the board, including trade, industry, banking, radio and television, press and communications, healthcare, infrastructure, and more.

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Xi, Lam witness signing of China-Vietnam cooperation documents

Xinhua) 09:05, August 20, 2024

BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese President To Lam on Monday jointly witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents after holding talks in Beijing.

The bilateral cooperation documents cover a range of areas, including Party schools, connectivity, industry, finance, customs inspection and quarantine, health, media and news organizations, local governments, and people's livelihood.

During Lam's visit, the two sides will also issue a joint statement on further strengthening the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and promoting the building of a community with a shared future between the two countries.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Jen Rice is a reporter for the Houston Chronicle covering Harris County government. She can be reached at jen.rice@houstonchronicle.com.

A native Houstonian, Jen graduated from Barnard College at Columbia University and earned a master's degree from University of Texas at Austin's LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Before coming to the Chronicle, Jen spent three years covering City Hall for Houston's NPR station. Her reporting has aired nationally on NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Here & Now.
Ngo Phuong Ly, the spouse of Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, attended a tea party hosted by Peng Liyuan, the wife of Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, in Beijing on Monday.

During the party, the two spouses also enjoyed Chinas traditional art performances.

The party was part of Lam and his spouse's state visit to China from Sunday to Tuesday at the invitation of Xi and his spouse.

At the party, Ly expressed her pleasure at meeting Peng and conveyed the warm greetings of Ngo Thi Man, the spouse of Vietnams late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, to Professor Peng.

The two spouses discuss cultural features of their countries. Photo: Nguyen Hong

Professor Peng welcomed Ly to visit China, expressed her joy at meeting Ly, and sent warm greetings to Man.

The two sides also discussed cultural features of their countries.

The two spouses (L, 6th and 7th) pose for a photo with Chinese artists. Photo: Nguyen Hong

Professor Peng recalled the memories and good impressions during her previous visits to Vietnam, and introduced typical Chinese arts and culture, while Ly shared her feelings about Chinas culture.

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Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping and Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President To Lam participated in a tea party following their talks in Beijing on Monday, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The party was part of Party General Secretary and State President To Lams ongoing state visit to the northern neighbor, taking place from Sunday to Tuesday at the invitation of the Chinese Party general secretary.

During the tea event, the two leaders discussed the tea culture of their countries.

Tea parties are a special form of dialogue during visits by high-ranking leaders of the two countries, demonstrating the appreciation of their relations.

At the tea party, Lam and Xi reviewed the friendship history of the two countries Parties and states and assessed mutual perceptions reached during their talks.

They also emphasized the importance of the further development of their countries bilateral relations.

Vietnam's Party General Secretary and State President To Lam (L) and Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping converse at a tea party in Beijing, China, August 19, 2024. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

Before the tea party, the two leaders witnessed the signing of 14 cooperation documents between ministries, agencies, and localities of the two countries on farm produce export, television and broadcasting, healthcare, media, infrastructure, trade, industry, and banking.

Lam is paying his first official visit to China since assuming his posts as Vietnamese state president in May and Party leader earlier this month.

Lam, along with his spouse and entourage, arrived in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China on Sunday before traveling to Beijing later that evening.

On Monday, Xi chaired a grand welcome ceremony in Beijing at the highest level for the Vietnamese leader.

Lam later met with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Zhao Leji, and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Wang Huning, Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo said in Beijing on Monday.

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Check out the latest news in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- Vietnams Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping witnessed the signing of 14 cooperation documents between ministries, agencies, and localities of the two countries on Monday, as part of the top Vietnamese leaders state visit to China through Tuesday.

-- Vietnam is a priority and a strategic selection in Chinas foreign policy, Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping said during talks in Beijing on Monday with his Vietnamese counterpart To Lam.

Society

-- Traffic police officers from the Traffic Police Department under Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security said on Monday that they were investigating the causes of two traffic accidents on Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong Expressway in southern Vietnam earlier the same day, causing 10 people to be hospitalized. Three people were still receiving medical treatment as of Monday evening.

-- The administration in Van Yen District, Yen Bai Province, northern Vietnam told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday that it had mobilized more than 100 officials and dozens of residents to look for a six-year-old boy who had gone missing in a local forest since Saturday.

-- Police officers in Quang Tri Province, north-central Vietnam cooperated with their counterparts at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Monday to arrest a 26-year-old man as soon as he landed at the airport after two years of fleeing to Japan. He faced legal proceedings in 2022 over allegations of arresting people illegally.

Business

-- South Korea spent over US$164 million importing Vietnams vegetables and fruits in the first half of the year, surging 55 percent year on year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

-- Vietnam Railways began selling train tickets through e-wallets, such as Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and Apple Pay, from Tuesday to facilitate international passengers' rail travel.

Education

-- Fulbright University Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City has received a grant worth $1.5 million from Google to improve its AI education, president of the university Scott Fritzen said on Monday.

World News

-- Thousands of Indian junior doctors on Monday refused to end protests over the rape and murder of a fellow medic, disrupting hospital services nearly a week after they launched a nationwide action demanding a safer workplace and swift criminal probe, according to Reuters.

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Heavy rainfall ranging from 50 to 100 millimeters is expected to hit Vietnam's northern mountainous regions from Tuesday to Thursday, raising the risk of flash floods and landslides, the national weather agency warned.

Local residents have been cautioned about the potential for whirlwinds, lightning, and strong wind gusts during the downpours.

The National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting also warned that the torrential rain could lead to flooding in low-lying and urban areas, while flash floods and landslides are likely in mountainous regions.

The agency noted the possibility of showers and thunderstorms in the northern Gulf of Tonkin and the northern waters of the East Vietnam Sea from Monday night through Tuesday.

These areas could experience whirlwinds, powerful gusts, and waves reaching up to two meters, posing significant risks to fishing boats and vessels operating in the region.

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Nguyen Ngoc Khanh Huyen found inspiration to create and sell handcrafted hair clips and mirrors adorned with seashells after encountering similar products on an e-commerce platform.

In April, Huyen spent VND1-2 million (US$40-80) from her own savings on launching her business and started to air her products on TikTok.

The venture quickly garnered significant customer interest.

Nguyen Ngoc Khanh Huyen (L) poses with Nguyen Pham Nha Tue, who helps Huyen with customer care. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News

According to Huyen, who is originally from the Central Highlands Province of Gia Lai and now a third-year international business major at the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, one of the most important steps is sourcing quality seashells.

"Purchasing shells from e-commerce platforms can be expensive, so I turned to Facebook groups where they cost VND40,000-60,000 [$1.6-2.4] per kilogram, Huyen said.

However, this method comes with risks, such as substandard shells."

Now being skillful with her craft, Huyen can make a hair clip in about three minutes and a mirror in around 30 minutes.

Materials including hair clips, mirrors, seashells, ribbons, and plastic pearls are ready for the makeover. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News

Nguyen Ngoc Khanh Huyen sticks glue to a piece of seashell to adorn a mirror. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News

However, balancing her business with her studies was initially challenging for Huyen.

Later, she got more and more accustomed to the workflow, and started to outsource production tasks to external partners and packaging to family members, allowing her to focus on promo content creation and save time.

Currently, Huyen sells her seashell-adorned hair clips and mirrors on Shopee and TikTok, earning around VND6-10 million ($240-400) per month.

Nguyen Ngoc Khanh Huyen and Nguyen Pham Nha Tue set up seashell products for photo and video shooting. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News

In addition, she decided to rent a space for her store 'Em Xinh Lung Linh' (Radiantly Beautiful Girls), located on the first floor at 57 Le Quang Sung Street in Ward 2 , District 6.

She said that having a dedicated space not only provides storage for her products and a comfortable area for creativity, but also helps attract more clients.

The hair clips fetch VND39,000 ($1.56) apiece, while the mirrors sell for VND119,000 ( $4.77) each.

Hair clips fetch VND39,000 ($1.56) apiece. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre news

Huyen's products appeal to a diverse customer base, including middle and high school students, university students, office workers, and anyone who buys them as gifts.

She has also received orders from Vietnamese customers living abroad.

Looking ahead, Huyen plans to expand her offerings beyond handcrafted seashell products to include beauty care items and other stylish products for women.

As a student entrepreneur, Im not worried because I have nothing to lose, and the initial investment was insignificant, Huyen said.

For students aspiring to start a business, I recommend choosing products with low investment costs to minimize risks and trying to gain much valuable entrepreneurial experience.

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This week, Foreign Correspondent takes you behind the scenes of the global billion-dollar flower trade to reveal the true cost of the flowers you buy.

A bouquet of flowers is the go-to gift for many special occasions, but the world is paying a high price for out of season blooms, including right here in Australia.

This week on Foreign Correspondent, reporter Isabella Higgins travels to the Netherlands, the country at the centre of this trade.

There, the flower industry is grappling with how to tackle the climate crisis and soaring energy costs. But as the industry struggles to reduce its carbon footprint its also facing greater competition from low-cost alternatives.

The European flower markets are under pressure from growers in Africa who are producing cheaper flowers that often end up in supermarkets in Australia. Isabella travels to Kenya where the cheap prices we enjoy at the checkout come at the cost of workers who can least afford it.

8pm Thursday on ABC
Versie 6.1.10 van de videoconferencingsoftware Zoom is uitgekomen. Dit programma maakt het mogelijk om onder meer onlinevergaderingen, conferenties en colleges bij te wonen. Het is verkrijgbaar voor de gangbaarste besturingssystemen en is beschikbaar in een gratis en een betaalde uitvoering met meer mogelijkheden. Het programma is ook in het Nederlands te gebruiken. De changelog voor deze uitgave kan hieronder worden gevonden.

Changes to existing features Renamed Optimize for Video Clip to Optimize for Video Sharing for clarity

When sharing a screen during a meeting or webinar, users can optimize screen sharing for the best full-screen video experience. This feature, known as Optimize for video clip, has been renamed to Optimize for video sharing across the Zoom Workplace app, Web app, and Web Portal settings to provide clearer understanding of its function. Meeting/webinar features Meetings and Webinars capacity alert and live streaming guidance for hosts

Hosts that hold a license for the largest meeting or webinar attendee capacity, are made aware when a meeting or webinar is reaching capacity, so they can take measures and start live streaming to handle the overflow. When meeting or webinar capacity reaches 80%, hosts receive a prompt to start a live stream. At 100% capacity, another prompt appears, notifying hosts that the meeting or webinar is full and suggesting they start a live stream to accommodate additional attendees. These prompts only appear if the host is allowed to start a live stream and has not started one for the ongoing meeting or webinar. This feature ensures all attendees can participate in meetings and webinars, even if the capacity is exceeded. Meeting features Enhanced sharing ability of pre-attached assets in meetings

Users can effortlessly share pre-attached assets during meetings. This feature allows meeting participants to attach files in advance or reuse them for future meetings, enabling hosts and invitees to seamlessly integrate meeting assets into sessions. They can collaborate on a Whiteboard and open assets in separate tabs or native application windows, supporting various file types and cloud services for a streamlined sharing experience with minimal clicks.

Users can effortlessly share pre-attached assets during meetings. This feature allows meeting participants to attach files in advance or reuse them for future meetings, enabling hosts and invitees to seamlessly integrate meeting assets into sessions. They can collaborate on a Whiteboard and open assets in separate tabs or native application windows, supporting various file types and cloud services for a streamlined sharing experience with minimal clicks. Ability to automatically record to computer

If enabled by their account owners and admins, certain meeting participants and those with specific domains can record to their computers without needing the host to grant these access during the meeting. Previously, Zoom only allowed hosts to grant permission for users to record, requiring host intervention before a recording can start.

If enabled by their account owners and admins, certain meeting participants and those with specific domains can record to their computers without needing the host to grant these access during the meeting. Previously, Zoom only allowed hosts to grant permission for users to record, requiring host intervention before a recording can start. Ability to pre-configure upcoming breakout rooms during active breakout sessions

Hosts can pre-configure the next breakout room setup, including assigning participants to specific rooms, while the current breakout session is active. This feature enables a smoother transition between breakout sessions, as the next configuration is ready to launch immediately after the current session ends. Hosts can efficiently manage and prepare for subsequent breakout discussions, enhancing the overall meeting productivity.

Hosts can pre-configure the next breakout room setup, including assigning participants to specific rooms, while the current breakout session is active. This feature enables a smoother transition between breakout sessions, as the next configuration is ready to launch immediately after the current session ends. Hosts can efficiently manage and prepare for subsequent breakout discussions, enhancing the overall meeting productivity. Hosts ability to view presence and contact card for unattended meeting participants

Hosts can hover over attendees who have not joined a meeting to view their contact card and presence status. This allows hosts to quickly determine if an unattended participant is available or busy, enabling them to make an informed decision about using the Ask to Join button to call the participant into the meeting. Webinar features Enable or disable Watch Livestream link for overflow attendees

Hosts can enable or disable the Watch Livestream link on the overflow dialog for attendees during a meeting or a webinar session. When a meeting or webinar reaches capacity, attendees have the option to watch the livestream if the host has enabled this setting. The default setting will be changed to enabled, allowing overflow attendees to automatically access the livestream. Hosts can disable this option if they prefer not to redirect attendees to the livestream. This feature provides hosts greater control over the overflow experience for attendees, ensuring they can participate in the meeting or webinar presentation.

Hosts can enable or disable the Watch Livestream link on the overflow dialog for attendees during a meeting or a webinar session. When a meeting or webinar reaches capacity, attendees have the option to watch the livestream if the host has enabled this setting. The default setting will be changed to enabled, allowing overflow attendees to automatically access the livestream. Hosts can disable this option if they prefer not to redirect attendees to the livestream. This feature provides hosts greater control over the overflow experience for attendees, ensuring they can participate in the meeting or webinar presentation. Improved consistency and clarity for webinar rescheduled and updated notification emails

Hosts and attendees will receive webinar rescheduled and updated notification emails with a refreshed design, aligning with the updated styles introduced for other webinar emails previously. The new templates maintain the existing email triggers and content. This ensures a cohesive and polished experience across all webinar email communications. Team Chat features External labeling in Team Chat

Improved visual labeling will make it easier for users to identify channels and group chats that include external participants. These chats and channels will display an "external" tag at the top of the chat window, and the visual indicator in the compose box will be more prominent.

Improved visual labeling will make it easier for users to identify channels and group chats that include external participants. These chats and channels will display an "external" tag at the top of the chat window, and the visual indicator in the compose box will be more prominent. Streamline user experience with admin authorized apps in Team Chat

Users can view and interact with admin authorized chat apps without being prompted for permissions. Users can see and click on shortcuts, enter slash commands, or open bot channels for these apps, the app onboarding flow is triggered automatically. After the admin authorized the app, users don't have to review permissions requested by the app again.

Users can view and interact with admin authorized chat apps without being prompted for permissions. Users can see and click on shortcuts, enter slash commands, or open bot channels for these apps, the app onboarding flow is triggered automatically. After the admin authorized the app, users don't have to review permissions requested by the app again. Enhancements to search and add members in chats and channels

Users can easily add new members to a chat or channel by searching for them in the 'view member' modal. The search results display both existing members and non-members, with an 'add' button next to non-members. Users can click the add button to add a non-member to the channel. The added member then appears in the member list. This streamlines the process of building effective communication channels and fostering collaboration within the team.

Users can easily add new members to a chat or channel by searching for them in the 'view member' modal. The search results display both existing members and non-members, with an 'add' button next to non-members. Users can click the add button to add a non-member to the channel. The added member then appears in the member list. This streamlines the process of building effective communication channels and fostering collaboration within the team. Pin Zoom Docs to Team Chat channel tabs

Team Chat users can now pin existing or create new Zoom Docs directly within a channel tab. Once pinned, the doc is accessible to all channel members and can be viewed in split view mode alongside the chat. Pinning a doc follows the same user permissions as adding channel tabs. This feature enhances productivity by enabling teams to seamlessly reference and work on documents together within their chat conversations.

Team Chat users can now pin existing or create new Zoom Docs directly within a channel tab. Once pinned, the doc is accessible to all channel members and can be viewed in split view mode alongside the chat. Pinning a doc follows the same user permissions as adding channel tabs. This feature enhances productivity by enabling teams to seamlessly reference and work on documents together within their chat conversations. Ability to hyperlink URLs in compose box

Users can now hyperlink URLs seamlessly while composing messages in Team Chat. Pasted and typed URLs are automatically hyperlinked in the compose box, eliminating the need to manually format links after sending the message. Additionally, users have the option to customize the hyperlinked text through the hyperlink modal, which pre-populates the "text to display" field with the original URL for convenience. This enhancement enhances the messaging experience by simplifying link sharing and formatting. Mail and Calendar features Auto-reply drafting for email conversations

Using the Email Compose with AI Companion, users can have email replies automatically drafted for them. When replying to an email, the AI Companion analyzes the full context of the previous messages in the conversation and generates a draft reply. This allows users to quickly review and send responses without manually providing context. The auto-reply drafting enhances productivity by saving time spent composing replies.

Using the Email Compose with AI Companion, users can have email replies automatically drafted for them. When replying to an email, the AI Companion analyzes the full context of the previous messages in the conversation and generates a draft reply. This allows users to quickly review and send responses without manually providing context. The auto-reply drafting enhances productivity by saving time spent composing replies. Add focus time to scheduling interface

When scheduling an event, users can select Focus time as the event type.

When scheduling an event, users can select Focus time as the event type. Improvements to mail client user interface and experience

Users can drag and drop labels in the label list and search for specific labels. They can also use both vertical and horizontal split views for their preferred inbox layout. The schedule send button has been merged into the send button with a dropdown menu, aligning with other mainstream mail clients and cleaning up the bottom toolbar. Phone features Enhancements to caching recordings and voicemails

Zoom Phone (ZP) account owners and admins receive notifications and alerts when recordings or voicemails cannot be saved due to issues like call switch failover, recording server failure, or connectivity problems. Notifications are delivered through the Alerts and Notifications framework, webhooks, and Zoom applications (Zoom Web App, Zoom Phone Appliances, and the Zoom app). For regular recordings, users are prompted that the recording has stopped. Callers trying to leave a voicemail hear a message that the service is temporarily unavailable. If the customer does not opt-in to use Zoom's encryption key, alerts related to encryption key issues are also provided. This feature ensures better visibility and user experience when recording or voicemail services encounter problems.

Zoom Phone (ZP) account owners and admins receive notifications and alerts when recordings or voicemails cannot be saved due to issues like call switch failover, recording server failure, or connectivity problems. Notifications are delivered through the Alerts and Notifications framework, webhooks, and Zoom applications (Zoom Web App, Zoom Phone Appliances, and the Zoom app). For regular recordings, users are prompted that the recording has stopped. Callers trying to leave a voicemail hear a message that the service is temporarily unavailable. If the customer does not opt-in to use Zoom's encryption key, alerts related to encryption key issues are also provided. This feature ensures better visibility and user experience when recording or voicemail services encounter problems. Enhancements to initiating two leg server side calls for landlines

Users can initiate a two-way call to connect to a landline number when they have a poor WiFi connection. They can specify a landline number as a Call Me On number and receive a verification call from Zoom. During the verification call, users are prompted to press 1 to confirm the number. If not confirmed, Zoom informs users that the number failed verification. After confirmation, Zoom connects the first call to the user's landline and the second call to the destination number. This feature helps users with poor WiFi make outbound calls. This feature must be enabled by Zoom. Zoom Clips features Search functionality for Zoom Clips transcripts

Users have the ability to search through the transcripts of their Zoom Clips recordings. By entering keywords or phrases, users can locate and navigate directly to relevant moments within a clip's transcript. This search functionality enables users to efficiently find and replay specific sections of interest within their recorded Zoom Clips content, enhancing the overall user experience.

Users have the ability to search through the transcripts of their Zoom Clips recordings. By entering keywords or phrases, users can locate and navigate directly to relevant moments within a clip's transcript. This search functionality enables users to efficiently find and replay specific sections of interest within their recorded Zoom Clips content, enhancing the overall user experience. Restricting comment functionality for guest users

Guest users cannot leave comments on Zoom Clips recordings. They are required to log in to their account before being able to post comments. This measure enhances control of content by preventing unauthenticated individuals from commenting on shared clips. Contact Center features Increased maximum skill proficiency level

Admins can now set the maximum skill proficiency level up to 25 for any Skill Category during creating or editing. Previously, the maximum proficiency level was limited to 5. This enhancement can better accommodate customers who require more granular proficiency levels. The higher proficiency levels enable more precise skill-based routing to connect customers with agents who have the appropriate expertise.

Admins can now set the maximum skill proficiency level up to 25 for any Skill Category during creating or editing. Previously, the maximum proficiency level was limited to 5. This enhancement can better accommodate customers who require more granular proficiency levels. The higher proficiency levels enable more precise skill-based routing to connect customers with agents who have the appropriate expertise. Audio settings for waiting room videos

Account owners and admins can enable or disable audio for videos played in the waiting room experience. If enabled, the audio plays automatically when the video starts for consumers on web, mobile, or kiosk devices. However, consumers have the ability to mute the audio if preferred.

Account owners and admins can enable or disable audio for videos played in the waiting room experience. If enabled, the audio plays automatically when the video starts for consumers on web, mobile, or kiosk devices. However, consumers have the ability to mute the audio if preferred. Synchronized work session tracking for agents across all platforms

Agents can now start and end their work sessions from any platform, including the desktop app, web client, or embedded client, with the system automatically syncing the work session status across all platforms the agent is logged into. Admins can see the client details used for the last sign-in or sign-out in the usage reports. This ensures accurate tracking of work hours, especially for customers with concurrent licenses.

Agents can now start and end their work sessions from any platform, including the desktop app, web client, or embedded client, with the system automatically syncing the work session status across all platforms the agent is logged into. Admins can see the client details used for the last sign-in or sign-out in the usage reports. This ensures accurate tracking of work hours, especially for customers with concurrent licenses. Team filter on the Closed Engagements page

Admins can use a Team filter on the Closed Engagements page in the desktop app to focus on specific teams and address performance issues with certain supervisors. Supervisors can see all their agents' performance in one place, without switching between different queues. The Team filter feature also adds the Teams filter and field to Wallboard tiles like Real-time Agent Performance, Recent Agent Performance, Agent Availability, Agent Ready, and Agent Occupied, making it easier for admins and supervisors to monitor team performance.

Admins can use a Team filter on the Closed Engagements page in the desktop app to focus on specific teams and address performance issues with certain supervisors. Supervisors can see all their agents' performance in one place, without switching between different queues. The Team filter feature also adds the Teams filter and field to Wallboard tiles like Real-time Agent Performance, Recent Agent Performance, Agent Availability, Agent Ready, and Agent Occupied, making it easier for admins and supervisors to monitor team performance. Consumer engagement history across channels

Agents and supervisors can view the engagement history for consumers for multiple channels, including email, authenticated messaging, and social media. The engagement history is linked based on the consumer's unique identifier, such as email address, authenticated consumer ID, or social media ID. Agents and supervisors can access key details like engagement duration, events, assigned agent, notes, and conversation summary. This allows agents to better understand the consumer's journey and provide personalized service..

Agents and supervisors can view the engagement history for consumers for multiple channels, including email, authenticated messaging, and social media. The engagement history is linked based on the consumer's unique identifier, such as email address, authenticated consumer ID, or social media ID. Agents and supervisors can access key details like engagement duration, events, assigned agent, notes, and conversation summary. This allows agents to better understand the consumer's journey and provide personalized service.. Add transfer note to be displayed in notification to transferee

Agents can add an optional note when transferring an engagement to another agent. The note provides relevant context to the receiving agent, allowing them to better understand the situation and assist the consumer more effectively. Agents can cancel the note before completing the transfer. The note has a maximum length of 30 words or 114 characters and is included in the inbound notification to the receiving agent.

Agents can add an optional note when transferring an engagement to another agent. The note provides relevant context to the receiving agent, allowing them to better understand the situation and assist the consumer more effectively. Agents can cancel the note before completing the transfer. The note has a maximum length of 30 words or 114 characters and is included in the inbound notification to the receiving agent. Enable sending MMS/image as first outbound message

Users with permission to send outbound SMS/MMS can now send MMS messages, including images, as their first outbound message. Previously, only text messages could be sent as the first outbound message. This feature enables users to share visual content like holiday greetings or other images from the initial outbound message. Resolved issues Resolved an issue where the Zoom meeting calendar pop up reminder was not accurate

Resolved an issue where personal contacts were created successfully and appeared in both the client's Contacts list and the web Contacts list, but the number still displayed in the SMS history list

Resolved an issue regarding an audio delay during a webinar

Resolved an issue regarding the inability to claim host access to a meeting

Resolved an issue where the HTML clickable phone number worked for making calls but not for transferring calls

Resolved an issue where Zoom calendar integration was not working after the installation of Exchange Server 2019 Cumulative Update 14

Resolved an issue where the screen reader JAWS could not detect the play button for shared video files in meetings

Resolved an issue where removed users were unable to rejoin a meeting even when the Allow removed participants to rejoin setting was enabled

Resolved an issue for a subset of users where the join button was not appearing when a meeting was booked using Google Calendar resources

Resolved an issue where users were unable to move owned channels into their own shared space

Resolved an issue where meeting invites from the client were not recognizing the password

Resolved an issue regarding inconsistencies in the Italian GUI localization

Resolved an issue where the option to chat was incorrectly available for some imported external contacts, instead of only providing the option to call them

Resolved an issue where the Japanese translation for Anonymous was incorrect in voicemail, call history, lines, call incoming window, calling window, and live transcription
Iqra Farrukh, TwoCircles.net

Bhopal: In a chilling revelation from Madhya Pradesh, technology has been weaponised for deceit and cruelty. Approximately 80 kilometers from Sidhi district headquarters, impoverished tribal girls were tricked with promises of government scholarships and subjected to horrific sexual assaults.

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The perpetrators employed advanced technology  using artificial intelligence and a magic voice app to mimic a womans voice and lure the girls into their trap. This sinister use of technology has left law enforcement and cyber experts deeply alarmed.

One 21-year-old tribal girl was assaulted after being deceived into believing she had won a scholarship. Desperate for educational opportunities, she fell victim to the fraud. I am a poor tribal girl. This scholarship was essential for our education. When we received a call from Archana Madam about the scholarship, we did not think twice and went, she recounted.

The main accused, Brijesh Prajapati, used the app to impersonate a woman and lure economically disadvantaged girls into a fake scholarship scheme. He committed the assaults between early April and May 13, targeting five tribal girls. The latest survivor, assaulted on the night of May 13-14, filed the first FIR (first information report) on May 16, which exposed the full extent of the abuse.

She said had she not reported the crime, more victims might have suffered. She revealed, I suspected from his behavior that he had done this to many girls before. If I had not spoken up, he would have continued. I mustered the courage to tell my uncle, a police officer. I did not want other poor girls to fall into his trap.

The accused exploited the Gaon Ki Beti Yojana, a legitimate government scheme offering Rs 5,000 to economically disadvantaged students, as bait. However, he falsely claimed the scholarship provided Rs 20,000 annually for three years. Since I needed the money, I believed him, the survivor explained.

Hailing from a remote area 80 kilometers from Sidhi, the survivor is the first Gond tribal girl from her family to pursue higher education in Sidhi. Her familys meager income from farming and factory work made this opportunity crucial for her future.

Her parents sustain their livelihood through farming, and her brothers work in private factories in other cities with very low incomes. They barely manage to cover their household expenses. She had come to the district of Cuttack to pursue her undergraduate studies at her uncles home. She hoped to secure a job after her studies to help alleviate her familys poverty. On the day of the incident, she went to the location where the accused had summoned her from her uncles house.

The accused was well aware that these girls were in a very poor financial situation. Girls living in remote areas are either not very aware of government schemes or do not receive information about these schemes from responsible officials. Consequently, they can easily fall prey to temptations of money, which the accused exploited to his advantage.

He exploited the girls economic vulnerabilities and limited awareness about government schemes, showcasing a disturbing abuse of technology. This deliberate manipulation underscores the sinister potential of tech-driven deceit.

The Deceptive Scheme

Around 4 pm that evening, the tribal girl received a call on her phone from a woman.

The woman identified herself as Archana Madam from her college and said, Come to Tikiri right away. Your scholarship money is pending. Sign the documents, and the money will be credited to your account.

The girl said she replied, Maam, its getting late; I wont be able to come today. Archana Madam insisted, Today is the last date. If you dont sign today, you wont receive the Village Daughter Scheme scholarship.

Enticed by the scholarship offer, the girl travelled about 35 kilometers from Cuttack to Tikiri by bus around 5-6 pm on May 13, 2024. When she reached Tikiri, she called the same number again. Archana Madam, making excuses, said, I am caught up with something. I am sending my son to meet you. Go with him, get your signature done, and then you can leave, she recounted the horror.

She said a young man arrived at the Tikiri intersection on a motorcycle, wearing a yellow t-shirt and black gloves. He introduced himself as Archana Madams son. Once the girl got on his motorcycle, he headed towards the forest. When she asked where they were going, he said he was taking her to his mothers place. As it began to get dark, he took her to a remote area surrounded by forest, where a makeshift mud hut was located. When the girl asked where Archana Madam was, he told her not to ask too many questions or he would kill her.

The girl said, I was very scared. He smelled strongly of alcohol. He said that if I made any noise, he would stuff a cloth in my mouth. Out of fear, I did not say anything. He assaulted me for several hours.

The main accused in this case, 30-year-old Brijesh Prajapati, used a voice-changing app to alter his voice to sound like a womans. He would lure girls to this dilapidated hut, pretending to be Archana Madam. There, he would get drunk and sexually assault the girls for a long time, and then abandon them in the forest at midnight or throw them out of the room.

Between 11 pm and midnight, the accused left the survivor 10-12 kilometers away from the crime scene.

The survivor said, The area was surrounded by forest. I was scared and did not know where to go at such a late hour. He had already taken my phone and turned it off.

The survivor then began wandering in the forest seeking help. She called for help at several houses scattered in the forest, but no one came out. She did not lose hope and kept walking.

Eventually, a 65-year-old elderly woman from a house helped her. I reached the elderly womans house after crossing a river and navigating about two kilometers of rough terrain. It was raining heavily on the day I visited her.

Seeing the girls condition at night, the woman could not stay calm. She was afraid that if she kept her, someone might come and attack her from behind. But she felt she needed help urgently. The victim asked for water and told her the whole incident. She was in a lot of pain.

The woman who provided shelter to the survivor lived in the midst of the forest. The girl could not sleep due to the pain. She was crying. The elderly woman managed to find some medicine for her. After a while, the victim felt better and then fell asleep. As soon as morning came, she asked for a phone to call her uncle, who was in the police.

After informing her uncle of the entire situation, the first FIR was registered on May 16. Subsequently, the police quickly arrested the main accused. Due to the polices swift action, four more cases related to this incident also came to notice.

Another victim from the Baiga community, living about 40 kilometers from Sidhi, described a similar ordeal. After receiving a deceptive call, she was taken to the same desolate hut, sexually abused and left to wander in the forest with her sister before finding help.

Survivors Struggle

Following the assault, the survivor faced immense distress, fearing that the stigma might jeopardize her education. Even months later, she remains terrified, saying, I am afraid to go anywhere. The memory of that day haunts me, and I cry. It is already very difficult for tribal girls to pursue education, and this incident has made it even harder.

Community and Law Enforcement Response

The local community, especially the girls, now lives in fear of further educational restrictions. Families are becoming increasingly cautious about sending daughters to school, reflecting the broader impact of such traumatic events.

Government officials and local leaders have expressed concern, calling for better awareness and preventive measures. The police and cyber experts are working to address the misuse of technology and improve safety protocols.

Sidhi Superintendent of Police Dr Ravindra Verma emphasised the criminal history of the accused and assured that the case would be prosecuted rigorously. Efforts are also underway to remove the offending app from digital platforms, he claimed.

The main accused has a criminal record. We have seized 18 mobile phones from the accused, including five that belong to the victims. The rest are stolen. At the factory where he worked in Surat, he used to steal employees phones during the night shift. There is also an FIR registered against him for theft.

Verma also mentioned, We have sent a letter to the state cyber cell, requesting the closure of this app. The state government has also sent a letter to the central government, requesting the removal of this app from the Play Store. A meeting is being organised to discuss the removal of the app from the Play Store. The accused used the same application with all five victims.

According to the call details from the phones found with the accused, he began committing these crimes from April. The mobile history and call details of the accused reveal a pattern where he made calls to many unknown numbers in a single day. However, only five students fell into his trap. If more students come forward, we will definitely take action, he said.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed. The investigators said a chargesheet will be filed soon. The charges against the accused carry a penalty of life imprisonment.

The police claimed they have been raising awareness about cybercrime and continue to do so. Technology is continuously advancing, and with its increased use, its negative impacts are also becoming apparent. People need to be aware, they said.

As per the investigation so far, the accused did not call any girl for more than two days. At least 10 to 15 girls received calls but did not entertain them. The accused would extract numbers from the phones of the girls he targeted and call other girls. There was no fixed pattern  sometimes he used a mobile phone and sometimes just a number. The accused often called in the evening to avoid being noticed while taking the girls to the crime scene in the dark.

Cyber security experts stress the need for vigilance and verifying sources to prevent such incidents in the future.
Josh Zurawski and Amanda Zurawski speak onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 19, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Delegates, politicians, and Democratic party supporters are in Chicago for the convention, concluding with current Vice President Kamala Harris accepting her party's presidential nomination. The DNC takes place from August 19-22. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Amanda Zurawski, the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the Texas abortion ban, took the microphone on the largest stage yet at the Democratic National Convention on Monday.

She warned that electing former President Donald Trump to a second term could mean a national abortion ban, prosecution of doctors across the country and restriction of birth control and fertility treatments.

READ MORE: Woman suing Texas over abortion ban is moving her embryos out of state in wake of Alabama ruling

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I was lucky, I lived, so I'll continue sharing our story, standing with women and families across the country, Zurawski, who lives in Austin, said to a crowd of thousands. Because of Donald Trump, more than 1 in 3 women of reproductive age in America lives under an abortion ban. A second Trump term would rip away even more of our rights.

Zurawski and her husband Josh joined two women, Kaitlyn Joshua, of Louisiana, and Hadley Duvall, of Kentucky, as they told their stories of needing or being denied abortion care. Their inclusion in the Chicago convention underscores how Democrats view the issue as a winning one in the presidential contest.

Zurawski was denied an abortion under the state's ban after she went into premature labor at 18 weeks of pregnancy because doctors could still detect fetal cardiac activity. Doctors declined to intervene until days later when she developed sepsis, a life-threatening condition that is the bodys extreme response to an infection.

She continued fighting the infection for three days in the intensive care unit, during which time one of her fallopian tubes had to be closed, making it much more difficult for her to conceive naturally. She has since had to rely on in vitro fertilization to start a family.

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Zurawski rose to national prominence for her involvement in the lawsuit filed in March 2023 that alleged that the emergency exception to Texas abortion ban is overly vague. The Texas Supreme Court declined to provide clarification at the end of May.

She was an invited guest at President Joe Bidens State of the Union address in February 2023, she has been featured in a political ad for Biden, and she has been a surrogate for the party.

An introductory video that played before the Zurawskis comments on Monday showed her tearfully going through mementos of their late daughter, Willow  the tiny, white onesie they hoped to bring her home in, the washcloth-sized blanket she was wrapped in after the emergency induction abortion, ultrasound photo strips  as her husband consoled her.

The video then shifted to Trump saying he was proud of his role in overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that the U.S. Supreme Court toppled in June 2022.

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Josh Zurawski received a round of applause when he opened up their comments by saying that the fight for reproductive rights isnt just a womans fight.

This is about fighting for our families, and as (Vice President) Kamala Harris says, our future, he said.

Trump has said he would not sign a national abortion ban into law and would leave it up to states to set their own rules. But hes declined to say whether he would try to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone. He told Time magazine in April that it should also be left up to states to determine whether to prosecute women for abortions or to monitor their pregnancies.

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The United Kingdom's stock market has been under pressure recently, with the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices both closing lower amid weak trade data from China. This downturn highlights the interconnectedness of global economies and underscores the importance of carefully selecting stocks that can weather such uncertainties. In this context, discovering undervalued or overlooked small-cap stocks with strong fundamentals becomes even more crucial.

Top 10 Undiscovered Gems With Strong Fundamentals In The United Kingdom

Name Debt To Equity Revenue Growth Earnings Growth Health Rating Andrews Sykes Group NA 1.69% 3.16%  Globaltrans Investment 15.40% 2.68% 16.51%  Impellam Group 31.12% -5.43% -6.86%  London Security 0.31% 9.47% 7.41%  M&G Credit Income Investment Trust NA -0.35% 1.18%  Rights and Issues Investment Trust NA -3.68% -4.07%  Fix Price Group 43.59% 12.53% 23.49%  Goodwin 59.96% 9.26% 13.12%  BBGI Global Infrastructure 0.02% 6.58% 9.90%  Mountview Estates 16.64% 4.50% -0.59% 

Click here to see the full list of 79 stocks from our UK Undiscovered Gems With Strong Fundamentals screener.

We'll examine a selection from our screener results.

Simply Wall St Value Rating: 

Overview: Alpha Group International plc offers foreign exchange risk management and alternative banking solutions across the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, and internationally, with a market cap of 1.07 billion.

Operations: Alpha Group International plc generates revenue primarily from its Alpha Pay (64.30 million), Institutional (61.29 million), and Corporate London excluding Amsterdam (45.42 million) segments, with additional contributions from Corporate Amsterdam (8.70 million), Corporate Toronto (4.23 million), and Cobase (0.19 million).

Alpha Group International, a promising player in the UK market, has experienced impressive earnings growth of 130% over the past year, outpacing its industry peers. The company operates debt-free and boasts a price-to-earnings ratio of 12x, which is attractive compared to the UK market's 16.8x. Recently added to multiple FTSE indices and authorized to repurchase up to 4.32 million shares, Alpha's strategic moves could enhance shareholder value further.

LSE:ALPH Debt to Equity as at Aug 2024

Simply Wall St Value Rating: 

Overview: Cairn Homes plc, a holding company, operates as a home and community builder in Ireland with a market cap of approximately 1.02 billion.

Story continues

Operations: Cairn Homes generates revenue primarily from building and property development, amounting to 666.81 million. The company's net profit margin is 12.5%.

Cairn Homes, a notable player in the UK housing sector, has shown solid financial health with earnings growing by 5.4% over the past year. Trading at 16.3% below its estimated fair value, CRN appears to offer good value for investors. The company's net debt to equity ratio stands at a satisfactory 19.6%, and its interest payments are well covered by EBIT (8.4x coverage). Additionally, CRN's debt to equity ratio has improved from 26% to 23% over five years, indicating prudent financial management and high-quality earnings.

LSE:CRN Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Aug 2024

Simply Wall St Value Rating: 

Overview: The Law Debenture Corporation p.l.c. is an investment trust that offers independent professional services globally to companies, agencies, organizations, and individuals with a market cap of 1.19 billion.

Operations: Law Debenture generates revenue from its Investment Portfolio (35.62 million) and Independent Professional Services (61.55 million).

Law Debenture's recent performance showcases significant growth, with earnings surging by 340.1% over the past year, outpacing the Capital Markets industry. The company's price-to-earnings ratio stands at 8.5x, notably below the UK market average of 16.8x, suggesting it may be undervalued. Over five years, its debt to equity ratio has risen from 15.6% to 17.9%, yet remains satisfactory at a net debt to equity ratio of 15%. Revenue for the first half of 2024 reached GBP111.97 million compared to GBP44.02 million a year ago, while net income jumped from GBP16.54 million to GBP82 million in the same period.

LSE:LWDB Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Aug 2024

Where To Now?

Gain an insight into the universe of 79 UK Undiscovered Gems With Strong Fundamentals by clicking here.

Hold shares in these firms? Setup your portfolio in Simply Wall St to seamlessly track your investments and receive personalized updates on your portfolio's performance.

Join a community of smart investors by using Simply Wall St. It's free and delivers expert-level analysis on worldwide markets.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include LSE:ALPH LSE:CRN and LSE:LWDB.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
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After outrage, Govt asks UPSC to cancel lateral entry advertisement

A day after Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhis criticism, Narendra Modi government asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to cancel its latest advertisement issued for lateral entry recruitment.

Tuesday August 20, 2024 5:27 PM , ummid.com News Network

New Delhi: A day after Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhis criticism, Narendra Modi government asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to cancel its latest advertisement issued for lateral entry recruitment.

In a letter written to UPSC Chairperson Preeti Sudan, Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Jitendra Singh cited Prime Minister Modis pursuit of social justice and empowerment behind the decision.

The Prime Minister is of the firm belief that the process of lateral entry must be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in our Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation, the letter said. It is important that the constitutional mandate towards social justice is upheld so that deserving candidates from marginalized communities get their rightful representation in the government services, he said.

The minister in his letter to the UPSC Chairperson further wrote:

Since the positions have been treated as specialized and designated as single-cadre posts, there has been no provision for reservation in these appointments. This aspect needs to be reviewed and reformed in the context of Prime Minister Modis focus on ensuring social justice. Hence, I urge the UPSC to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry recruitment issued on August 17, 2024, the minister said.

"Anti-National Step"

The UPSC in an advertisement on August 17, 2024 sought to fill for 45 posts, including Joint Secretaries, Directors, and Deputy Secretaries in different Central Ministries through the lateral entry mode.

These posts are normally filled by the UPSC through the Civil Services Exams. Soon after the advertisement, LoP Rahul Gandhi slammed the lateral entry advertisement saying it was an attack on certain communities of India which include Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis, and calling it an "anti-national step".

Lateral entry is an attack on Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis. BJPs distorted version of Ram Rajya seeks to destroy the Constitution and snatch reservations from Bahujans, Rahul Gandhi wrote on social media platform X.

The move was also opposed by Modi allies Janata Dal (United) and the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas).

But, Union Minister Jitendra Singh defended the UPSC lateral entry advertisement in turn accusing the governments before 2014 of favouritism.

Under earlier governments, posts as important as that of Secretary in various ministries, leadership of UIDIA etc have been given to lateral entrants without following any process of reservations.

While most of the major lateral entries before 2014 were made in an ad-hoc manner, including cases of alleged favouritism, efforts of our government have been to make the process institutionally driven, transparent and open, the minister said in his letter to the UPSC Chairperson.

(The featured image used here for representation is generated by DALL-E3 AI.)

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Attempt to polarize India in the name of Bangladeshi Hindus

My assessment under the present situation is that whenever and wherever elections will be announced in India in the coming days, there will be election campaigns based on religious and communal polarization in the name of the Hindus of Bangladesh.

Tuesday August 20, 2024 3:12 PM , Dr Suresh Khairnar

The sequence of events that have been happening in our neighbouring country Bangladesh for the last two weeks has made the Hindutva organisations of India very happy. And they are using the incidents in Bangladesh as a cover to polarise India on the basis of religious polarisation. This is against the Constitution of India and is also against the traditions of our country. If, by such an act, India is dragged on the path of Bangladesh, knowingly or unknowingly, then the situation of 78 years ago can again become the same in the entire Indian subcontinent.

At this time, a bandh was declared in Nashik under the banner of Sakal Hindu Samaj in Maharashtra! And now in Malegaon. The sole purpose of the bandh and the shutdown calls is nothing but religious polarization!

In the same sequence, in a place called Sarala in Shrirampur Tehsil of Ahmednagar district, in the Nath Sect Monastery, a Maharaj named Ramgiri has given a very irresponsible and derogatory statement about Muhammad Saheb!

Friends, being a soldier of Rashtra Seva Dal, I am as concerned about Bangladesh as much as the people of Sakal Hindu organization! But the fundamental difference in the concern of both is that even today my concern is about the safety of life and property of 1,31,44,240 - one crore thirty one lakh forty four thousand two hundred four Hindus living in Bangladesh!

On the contrary, the Sakal Hindu Sangathan is purely a political maneuver to polarize Hindu-Muslim religious sentiments in Maharashtra for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. Because the current Maharashtra government does not have any credit or positive work to its account, with which it can go to the public to ask for votes. This is why instead of taking action on Ramgiri Maharajs controversial statement, the Chief Minister himself went to meet him at his monastery, and in a statement said:

Maharashtra is the land of saints, and we will not take any action against them. And if anyone even touches a hair of theirs, we will deal with him with force.

Even with regard to the Bhima-Koregaon incident that took place six years ago, except for the real culprits of that incident no one even heard the name Bhima Koregaon in their lives!

There is no other hope from the government that arrests such people! Because I myself have investigated the Bhima Koregaon incident on behalf of Rashtra Seva Dal! And that report was started by the Bhishma Pitamah of Indian journalists, Nikhil Chakraborty, the mainstream itself has published our report! And when the current Chief Justice Dhananjay Chandrachud was a judge in the bench formed by the Supreme Court for the Bhima-Koregaon case! Then he has quoted our report verbatim in his dissent judgment!

And even now, long before the latest protests over the 1971 law giving reservation to the family members of freedom fighters in Bangladesh, I have been very carefully following all the developments in Bangladesh. I have a close eye on them. And so far I have written three articles on this subject. And today again for the fourth time, I am worried about the activities being carried out in Maharashtra under the banner of Sakala Hindu. I am trying to write this post because whatever reaction will be expressed in India regarding the Hindus of Bangladesh, the Hindus living in Bangladesh may have to bear the brunt of it. Even if the current ruling party wins the elections in the upcoming assembly elections of Maharashtra by spreading true or false information about the Hindus of Bangladesh and comes back to power.

I had got an opportunity to visit Bangladesh for a week from 17th November to 24th November in November 2011 to participate in the conference of Asian Social Forum. At that time, after the conference of Asian Social Forum was over, I deliberately stayed in Bangladesh for two more days. One day of that was spent with the Bihari Muslims stuck in Bangladesh (1971) and the people of Hindu religion living in Bangladesh even after the partition (1946-47) and the separation of Bangladesh from Pakistan in 1971, which is still 1,31,44,204! Which is 7.96% of the total population of Bangladesh! (Source: Bangla Desh Population and Housing Census 2022) Out of which Dhaka city alone has 27.68 lakhs, Rangpur is at second place with 22.90 lakhs, Chittagong is at third place with 21.96 lakhs, Khulna is at fourth place with 20.07 lakhs, Sylhet is at fifth place with 14.91 lakhs, Rajshahi is at sixth place with 11.59 lakhs, Barishal is at seventh place with 7.50 lakhs, Mymensingh is at eighth place with 4.81 lakhs. In this way, despite some Hindus coming to India in the incidents of 1947 and 1971, even today 1,31,44,204 i.e. 8% Hindus are still living in Bangladesh! And I am always worried about what will be happening to the Hindus of Bangladesh now?

What I tried to tell the Hindutva activists of Bhagalpur, during the peace and harmony work in Bhagalpur after the Bhagalpur riots (1989), is that You are the majority population in Bhagalpur, Patna or almost the entire Bihar! But even today a large number of Hindus are living in the neighboring country Bangladesh! And if you really care about Hindus, then care about the minority Hindus living anywhere in the world! And what was the reaction in Bangladesh and Pakistan after 6 December 1992? What Tasleema Nasreen has written in her book titled Lajja! So how long will this chain reaction continue?"

During my visit to Dhaka in November 2011, I went to the office of the organization of Hindus of Bangladesh which is in the temple of Dhakeshwari in the area named Dhanmondi. There was two hours for the office to open. So the priest of the temple, Chattopadhyay told me:

You can visit the temple till then, and later come to my residence and sit till the office opens.

So first of all he took me to the temple of Dhakeshwari. I was standing and looking at the idol. Then the priest said in Bangla:

Apni ki Maonke Pranam Korben Na? ( Will you not bow down to the mother? )

Today, I am saying in writing for the first time, that I immediately prostrated myself, bowing my head on the floor of the Dhakeshwari temple. I said in my mind that O Mother, please protect all kinds of living beings in the whole world, this is my only prayer!

And this action was done so smoothly that even today I am amazed remembering it!

After that Pujari ji took me to his residence and told me about his history of being the priest of this temple for four hundred years. When I asked him:

How do you feel living here?

He replied:

"We are fine. But whenever any special incident happens in India! Like after the demolition of Babri Masjid on 6 December 1992, there was a strong reaction in Bangladesh! Therefore, my humble request to you is that if you ever get a chance, then tell the people of Hindutva organizations of India that whenever you people harass Muslims in India, then we have to pay the price for it!"

The RSS in Nagpur used to organize a speech program every Saturday under the banner of Hedgewar Vichar Manch! One of the members of the organizing committee asked:

"Since you have just returned from your trip to Bangladesh, so will you come to our stage and tell us about your experience?"

The invitation reminded me the reqeust the priest of Dhakas Dhakeshwari temple, Moshai, who had a resemblance to Ramakrishna Paramhansa, had made to me:

If ever you get a chance to speak to the Hindutva organizations in India, you should try to tell them our point of view!

So, respecting the request of the priest of Dhakeshwari temple, I accepted the invitation to go to the Hedgewar stage. I shared with the audience how many Hindus are still living in Bangladesh. And about their condition, what the priest of Dhakeshwari temple had told me. My entire speech revolved around that. There was complete silence in the entire hall. There was no question-answer, and no comment from anyone.

Whatever events are happening in Bangladesh since the last two weeks, instead of worrying about the lives and property of those Hindus in India, the Hindutva organisations in India are presenting the events in a distorted manner on social media,

A bandh was announced in Nashik day before yesterday. In continuation of the irresponsible act being done by the supporters of the current ruling party in the name of Bangladesh, shutdown calls were also given in the neighbouring districts of Vaijapur, Yeola, Shrirampur, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Jalgaon and Malegaon. Worst, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra himself added fuel to the fire by visiting some of these districts and making inflamatory statements.

My assessment under the present situation is that whenever and wherever elections will be announced in India in the coming days, there will be election campaigns based on religious and communal polarization in the name of the Hindus of Bangladesh.

This is so because the BJP governments in the Centre and various states in their ten years of rule have failed to address the issues concerning the daily life of the people. Like the Prime Minister himself who built his entire election campaign in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by doing only religious polarization.

The Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers are trying to sail through the elections by adopting the communal and polarization tactics, even after taking oath on our Constitution. And it has already started in Maharashtra! The BJP however must remember that even if it wins in Maharashtra and the other states, it will be at the cost of Indias unity and integrity?

[The writer, Dr Suresh Khairnar, is former president of Rashtra Sewa Dal (RSD).]



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Jaya (Bachchan) vs Dhankhar Showdown in Rajya Sabha

The treatment of Jaya Bachchan, an actor turned politician since 2012, and a 5th time elected MP from Uttar Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha at the hands of Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar, 14th vice president of India was appalling.

Tuesday August 20, 2024 12:02 PM , Zeenat Khan

Very recently, I watched the Bachchan vs Dhankhar showdown during a Rajya Sabha debate. The treatment of Jaya Bachchan, an actor turned politician since 2012, and a 5th time elected MP from Uttar Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha at the hands of Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar, 14th vice president of India was appalling.

Jaya Bachchan was elected from the Samajwadi Party (SP). Jaya (Bhaduri) Bachchan is the winner of the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award; Filmfare Award winner for best actor is an accomplished human being in her own rights way before she joined politics. The row started as Jaya ji objected to her being called by her official name which is Jaya Amitabh Bachchan. She also protested to the kind of tone Dhankhar was taking while speaking to her. Dhankhars point was her full name in the election certificate appears as such. Jaya ji only objected to Amitabh part of her name. That made Dhankhar very agitated, and he lost his cool. Many members of the Upper House cheered him. The situation and the exchanges became very heated. The opposition led by Sonia Gandhi walked out of the session.

It is not easy being Jaya Bachchan as she wears many hats. Beyond politics, she is an accomplished actor in both Bengali and Hindi films, and wife of beloved Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan. Since the Upper House walked out for Jaya ji being vocal, the subsequent projection of her in an atrocious manner by the media and many members of the parliament is downright cruel. The way she is continuously being labeled as filled with rage, anger, unhappy with Amitabh in her home life, etc. is simply unacceptable. Some people in the comment section under the viral YouTube video of the argument went one step further to speculate as to why Amitabh Bachchan is still working at age 84! They think he does not want to be home with angry Jaya.

In the video, it seemed that Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar was presiding over a parliamentary session in the dark ages. The irate Dhankhar was yelling at Jaya ji for objecting Amitabh portion of her name when she was called upon to speak. On that inauspicious day, she was the last speaker before the parliament closed session for the day. The treatment of her at the Rajya Sabha session was nothing short of a display of patriarchy in its full force.

Why are so many people against Jaya Bachchan in her role as a parliamentarian? She is known to work extremely hard at her current job, asks tough questions and almost never misses a session. The people critiquing her are Jaya haters who love to go wild in their imagination. They for sure do not like to see Jaya ji with Amitabh Bachchan. It is as simple as that. In their fantasy mode, they see Amitabh with Rekha ji not only as an onscreen couple but also in real life. It is rumored that Rekha still wears sindoor on her hair parting for Amitabh. These individuals refuse to see that the Bachchans have been married since 1973 and now are grandparents of young adults.

All hearsay apart, why not leave Jaya ji alone and let the lady do the work she was elected to do? What annoyed Dhankhar to go after Jaya ji in this ugly manner is something only he can answer. He is regarded as one of the most learned people in India. Did his behavior show any sign of wisdom? Not that I could see. He lost control and acted like a bully or a village school head teacher scolding a little girl for not behaving.

I am extremely disappointed as I always was under the impression that in the Indian Parliament, the members are respectful of one another. Moreover, the presiding ones role (in this case the vice president of India) is merely ceremonial. He/she is not supposed to get involved between the squabbling members of parliament. His job is to sit in his high chair (that he is so proud of) and observe the members of the parliament conduct their views and exchanges in a civilized manner.

Jaya jis demand was pretty reasonable. She was not elected by her party just because she is Amitabh Bachchans wife. She herself had established herself first as an actor, and then as a politician regardless of her marital status. Her list of honors and accolades pales in comparison to the publics insatiable desire to see Amitabh/Rekha as a real-life couple. Since they do not have the magic wand to wish Jaya away, they take solace by making Jaya ji known as angry Jaya.

Jaya Bachchan was born in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh in a Bengali Brahmin family. Her given name is Bhaduri. Till date, Jaya Bachchan has acted in 28 films. Her debut Bengali film was Mahanagar at the early age of 15. She became a Bollywood film actor with the release of Guddi. Amitabh Bachchan was nowhere in the picture then. With all her credentials, it appears Bengali Jaya Bhaduri was never fully accepted in Bollywoods Hindi speaking world. In Mumbai, culturally there is a North Indian vibe. It is an open secret that North Indians do not like Bengalis. Is it because they think Bengalis are one step down in terms of status compared to the non-Bengali speaking Maharashtrians?

Really?

People over there with Northern touch often forget how much Jaya ji has accomplished in her life. She never was or will be a trophy-wife to Amitabh Bachchan. She has always been her own person, combative and spoke her mind over issues that need to change in India for the betterment of the masses. For that she has been labeled, ridiculed, and even made to feel like the other woman in her marriage.

How ridiculous is this?

A majority of the Jaya haters do not want to give Jaya Bachchan any credit. I often assume Jaya ji must have felt a lone Bengali among the Mumbai snobs despite being a Bachchan. They continue to denounce her every chance they get. The Dhankhar tirade against Jaya Bachchan only added fuel to the fire. A simple objection from Jaya ji regarding her full name turned the episode into a courtroom drama.

Patriarchy

A patriarchal society such as India and other South Asian nations teach women to suppress their annoyance and discourage them from expressing their emotions fully. In 2024, a woman is not supposed to express or display displeasure in public? When a man does it, then it is acceptable. When Jaya ji objected to the use of the word Amitabh in her name, it was deemed unconstitutional by Jagdeep Dhankhar. It was implied by the enraged Chair that Bachchan was compromising the decorum and the sanctity of the Rajya Sabha.

On the contrary, I found Dhankhar to be extremely rude and chauvinistic. He was talking down to Jaya ji by talking over her, gesturing at her to sit down, and supposedly putting her in her place in a mans world. Seeing the ugly exchanges in the parliament made me sick to my stomach.

South Asian women in general have always been stigmatized if they express themselves in front of men. What is a female parliamentarian supposed to do? Stay seated in her row all dolled-up and agree to all that the male members are saying? When Dhankhar was shouting at her, was Jaya ji supposed to internalize everything and not say anything at all? In doing so, she would be giving into the stereotypical attitude that women should just behave by keeping quiet. That is the very stigma Jaya ji was trying to break by being vocal about her preferences when it comes to her name.

India, isnt it time to break the cultural norm that women are just supposed to be kind and modest, and the shouting should be left to men?

Why do we need a separate set of rules when it comes to women? How long are men going to hold onto the idea that women expressing themselves by challenging men are deemed unladylike?

This is the most dangerous aspect of a patriarchal society where men want women to hold onto their tongues and suppress their emotions so that men can feel superior to women. For that simple reason alone men do not like to be challenged by women.

Therefore, the women are supposed to obey and no questions asked? Guess what! These days women do not care whether men approve or do not approve of their actions. We should agree that in this harsh world, it is a matter of survival of the fittest. Jagdeep Dhankhar did not get the memo.

Chairperson Dhankhar reminded me that ideally, he would be right at home in Taliban ruled Afghanistan where he can keep women in a confined space  far removed from the modern world. His tough and macho attitude in dealing with Jaya Bachchan was simply unbecoming in the Rajya Sabha.

Suffice it to say, Jaya ji is a tough cookie as she seemed defiant. As a 5th term parliamentarian, she had faced similar situations before. Though she is an actor, this kind of open and direct insults aimed at her in front of her colleagues must have been hard. She looked dismayed by such rough treatment at the hands of the Chairperson. Bengali women by nature are not afraid to display their dissatisfaction when they are cornered and attacked from all sides. This particular Rajya Sabha session was very unrefined to process.

Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha jis fans should accept that Jaya ji is neither crazy nor hysterical. I do not think she considers herself Rekha jis nemesis. It is only in peoples imagination. Many people have dropped her maiden and married last name and simply refer to her as angry Jaya.

Why do they think she is angry?

Because she is vocal, stands against male chauvinistic behavior and patriarchy?

People go out of their way to talk about Jayas temper because they simply cannot tolerate her as Amitabhs life partner. In the end, as a parliamentarian she appeared reasonable, calm, and competent. On the other hand, Dhankhar seemed like the crazy one.

Just because someone does not want to conform to the idea of how a woman MP should behave when parliament is in session is a question of having your voice heard in a male dominant atmosphere. A woman has every right to defend herself with fury when she is attacked. Internalizing is worse than confronting. All South Asian men should accept that women now do not want to suffer in silence. Defending oneself should not be considered as unladylike nor should it be viewed as uncouth. If Jaya Bachchan did not stand up for her right to choose and was not assertive enough, she would not be taken seriously. Now everyone in the media is talking about her.

The exchanges got so bad that the big guy (Dhankhar) sitting in the high chair thought he put Jaya in her place. Many members were clapping YES to the Chairperson and Jaya remained defiant. If this is not male chauvinism in its worst, then I do not know what is! Some female members were clapping in favor as well. I have no opinion about them. It is a shame. The members of the parliament wanted her to be a spectacle as if it was a circus show.

Here is what a male member of my immediate family had to say when I shared the Jaya Bachchan vs Jagdeep Dhankhar YouTube video with him.

Mr. Dhankhar shows utter disregard for one of the legends of Indian cinema, India. This is unbecoming of a vice president, who is a learned person. Listening to an alternate point of view is the first sign of a man of learning, and wisdom. Clearly Mr. Dhankhar falls short in the latter. We urge him to show respect, and greater restraint to the parliamentarian Jaya (Bhaduri) in future encounters.

[The writer, Zeenat Khan (University of Rhode Island, USA, Holy Cross College, Dhaka), taught Middle School children with learning disabilities at a parochial school in Washington DC before taking up writing as an interest. She writes from Maryland, USA)

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Massive protest after two minors sexually assaulted in Badlapur school

A massive protest erupted in Badlapur, Maharashtra Tuesday after two minor girls were sexually assaulted by a sweeper in the bathroom of a renowned school

Tuesday August 20, 2024 9:09 PM , ummid.com News Network

Thane (Maharashtra): A massive protest erupted in Badlapur, Maharashtra Tuesday after two minor girls were sexually assaulted by a sweeper in the bathroom of a renowned school.

Earlier, hundreds of protesters laid siege to the school after the reports surfaced that two nursery students aged 3-4 years were sexually assaulted by the sweeper in the school premises.

The incident occurred on August 12 and 13.

Train Services Hit

Local residents were furious after the parents were made to wait for more than 10 hours to file an FIR.

Angry protesters joined by thousands others entered the nearby Badlapur Railway Station, disrupting the Suburban Train Service.

Video footage and images shared online showed clashes between the protesters and police. The cops later resorted to baton charge to disrupt the angry mob.

The mob who gathered outside the school at 07:00 am Tuesday however were in no mood to give in. Video clips also showed protesters vandalising the school premises.

"Train movement at Badlapur Station has been hit since 10:00 am due to protest for non-railway issues," Dr Swapnil Nila, Chief Spokesperson Central Railway told the media.

The accused has been identified as 23-year-old Akshay Shinde.

Senior Cop Transferred, Principal suspended

Badlapur Sr. Police Inspector Shubhda Shitole has been transferred from her post for the delay in filing the case.

In response to the incident, the school management has suspended the principal, a class teacher, and a female attendant.

Maharashtra Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar termed the Badlapur sex assault case a "sad incident". He also said four IAS officers have been deputed for inquery.

"This is a very sad incident. The entire machinery of the state education department has been activated. We have given instructions to four IAS officers from Pune and Mumbai for investigation", he said. "We are inquiring why the CCTV was not working in the school. After the complaint was given, no action was taken. So the Senior PI has been transferred. We will take this case to a fast track court and ensure that the maximum punishment is given to the accused", he said.

"Attempt to rape"

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde directed the police to charge the accused with an attempt to rape. The CM also announced the appointment of a Special Public Prosecutor to fast-track the case.

I have spoken to the Thane Commissioner of Police. The accused has been arrested. I have instructed that the case be expedited and the accused be charged under the attempt to rape provision, as well as under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences [Pocso] Act, Shinde said.

The opposition parties in Maharashtra however are slamming the government for its inaction. The opposition parties are angry over the delay in filing the case against the accused.

The crimes against women are at the larming level in various parts of India. The Badlapur sexual assault case came to light amidst nation-wide anger against the rape and brutal murder of a tarinee doctor in a Kolkata college on August 09, 2024.

Even as protests over the Kolkata rape and murder intensified across India, Uttarakhand was shaken by two ghastly crimes against women. In one case a nurse was raped and killed near the Uttarakhand-Uttar Pradesh border, whereas in the second case a minor was raped in a bus near Dehradun Inter-State Bus Terminal, allegedly by Uttarakhand Roadways' employees.

While the first incident occurred on July 31, the second was reported to have been taken place on August 08, 2024.



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Connect with key textile buyers at industry wide trading hub

Vietnam is the third largest textile and apparel exporter, and one of the highest importers of textile machinery in the world. The countrys textile and garment industry achieved staggering annual growth of 20  26% from 2018  2022, and high-quality textile materials are increasingly sought-after for production.

As its strategically located economic hub, Ho Chi Minh City commands 35% of Vietnams foreign direct investment projects, and is home to the countrys largest seaport and international airport. Its proximity to other textile manufacturing regions makes it a prime venue for connecting with industry decision-makers. Showcase your products at VIATT 2025, and win new business in Southeast Asias textile capital.
Startup Island TAIWAN led 18 of the most innovative startups in co-hosting the Taiwan Tech Solution Day in Ha Noi on August 13.

The event was organised at the Vietnam National Innovation Centre (NIC) with support from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Viet Nam, the Council of Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Viet Nam and key local partners, including NIC and the innovation connection platform BambuUp.

Startup Island Taiwan, the national startup brand, is a platform established by Taiwans National Development Council to support Taiwanese startups.

Speaking at the event, Startup Island TAIWAN director Allen John Ku highlighted the event as a good opportunity to connect the startup ecosystems of Taiwan and Viet Nam, paving the way for future collaboration and innovation.

This year's Taiwan Tech Solution Day in Ha Noi received a lot of attention and engagement from Viet Nam's public sector and major enterprises.

NIC deputy director o Tien Thinh praised the effectiveness of investment projects of Taiwanese businesses in Viet Nam. Foxconn can be considered a typical successful investment of Taiwanese technology enterprises in particular and Taiwanese enterprises in general in Viet Nam, he said.

Taiwan is currently the fourth largest investment partner and fifth largest trade partner of Viet Nam with an FDI investment scale of over US$37 billion, compared to the total FDI of $24 billion from 27 European Union countries, according to Thinh.

The NIC deputy director also said that Viet Nam has a good ecosystem for startups and good opportunities for Taiwanese technology businesses to come here.

With a population of 100 million people, Viet Nam is in the process of promoting green transformation in many industries, with many opportunities for Vietnamese people to use products of Taiwanese technology enterprises.

Viet Nam is seen as a very good location for local and international startups. The Taiwan Tech Solution Day will provide good chances for Taiwanese and Vietnamese startups to exchange knowledge and connect investment opportunities.

The event featured prominent representatives from leading Vietnamese tech corporations and notable Taiwanese venture partners, fostering a collaborative environment for the burgeoning digital economy.

The participating Taiwanese startups showcased their cutting-edge technologies across various sectors, demonstrating Taiwan's strengths in digital services, including e-commerce, marketing and education.

The startups also highlighted their advancements in cybersecurity, trust technology, smart manufacturing, IoT and sustainable industries. Among the notable participants, Gogolook, a leader in trust tech and a NEXT BIG startup, has successfully expanded its reach into Southeast Asia, including markets like Thailand and the Philippines and is now actively moving into the Vietnamese market.

Other standout startups included IsCoolLab, a specialist in robotic processing for the manufacturing sector and Sightour, an optical character recognition technology innovator.

Both companies have established manufacturing partnerships in Viet Nam, completing their Proof of Concept and preparing to scale up further.

Additionally, energy management firms 3Egreen and ZiG have made significant strides in reducing energy costs for manufacturers, aiding them in achieving ESG goals and earning carbon credits.

Curtis Wu, CEO of 3Egreen, said that his companys solutions will help Viet Nam a lot in the energy conversion process. Accordingly, low-carbon development is understood as a model of economic development in the direction of using/consuming less energy and releasing fewer pollutants and CO2 emissions.

Wu said that 3Egreen has successfully provided energy conversion solutions for many Taiwanese businesses in Viet Nam. The goal of green energy conversion is also of great concern to the Vietnamese Government. And this time, 3Egreen is looking to expand its search for more Vietnamese business partners.

Taiwans Top 4 startup, ZiG, has independently developed a universal IoT system that allows applications in different scenarios to quickly adopt IoT systems through modularisation. The companys customers are spread across Mainland China, Taiwan and Viet Nam.

The event featured insights from IT solution company SotaTek, which shared its successful collaboration cases across several Asian countries to support its work in growing Viet Nam's digital economy.

Discussions on chip and manufacturing also captivated the audience, with venture capitalists from ThinkZone and Hive Ventures sharing their perspectives on the investment landscape.  VNS
HA NOI  The Viet Nam Maritime Administration (VMA) said that sea freight rates have decreased recently, dropping by about 4 per cent compared to the previous week.

The import and export of cargo through seaports grew dramatically, reaching the highest level in the past five years.

VTC News reported that in the first seven months of 2024, the volume of goods passing through Vietnamese seaports is estimated at 501.117 million tonnes, up 16 per cent over the same period in 2023. Container cargo throughput is estimated at 16.902 million TEUs, a 21 per cent rise over the same period.

"This is the highest growth rate in the past five years and is three times higher than the average growth rate in the past five years of 5.5 per cent," a spokesman for the VMA said.

"The Cai Mep - Thi Vai deepwater port area saw a 41 per cent increase in container cargo, reaching 2.8 million TEUs compared to 2023. The Lach Huyen port area recorded 875,000 TEUs, an 87 per cent increase over 2023."

By the end of July, sea freight rates had decreased across all routes, with the most significant drop being on the Asia-to-West Coast of the US route, where rates fell by 20 to 30 per cent. Other routes saw reductions of around 15 to 25 per cent.

The reason for the decrease in freight rates is that shipping lines have increased their capacity and the pressure from the peak season has lessened, according to Viet Nam National Television (VTV).

The VMA forecasts that this downward trend in freight rates will continue.

Previously, sea freight rates on major routes skyrocketed. At one point, the cost of shipping a container to Europe reached US$4,000-5,000, more than double the rates at the end of last year. Similarly, shipping rates to the US rose to $6,000-7,000 for a container.

Transport costs per container to closer destinations including China, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia increased by $1,000-2,000.

According to the VMA sea freight rates are driven by market supply and demand dynamics. Given Viet Nam's highly open economy, the country is a crucial link in the global supply chain and thus, shipping rates for goods through ports in Viet Nam are subject to global trends.

Most Vietnamese import-export businesses do not directly pay shipping costs. However, the high freight rates have forced them to adjust their product prices, affecting their competitiveness in the market.

The VMA has noted that the rate of direct bookings for import-export goods made by Vietnamese businesses is low. Most transactions involve purchasing under CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) terms and selling under FOB (Free on Board) terms, accounting for over 80 per cent. Foreign partners typically handle the logistics contracts and pay the shipping costs.

The VMA added: "Vietnamese businesses that sign long-term shipping contracts with carriers are typically large companies with stable import-export volumes. Their long-term contracts are unaffected by market price fluctuations and freight rates remain stable throughout the contract duration.

"In contrast, smaller businesses with unstable cargo volumes will be directly affected by freight rate fluctuations.

"Additionally, some businesses do not sign contracts directly with shipping lines but work through forwarders as they provide additional services beyond transportation. As a result, smaller businesses often bear the additional freight rate difference."

Given this situation, the VMA advises Vietnamese enterprises to establish long-term contracts with international partners to mitigate the impact of freight rate fluctuations.

Industry associations should orient their members in production activities, serve as a central point for aggregating goods from businesses and negotiate stable, long-term shipping contracts with carriers to minimise the risk of price fluctuations.  VNS
HA NOI  The Ministry of Industry and Trade has proposed to the Government the development of a circular on criteria for 'Made-in-Viet Nam' products as a base to determine whether a product is made in Viet Nam or originates from Viet Nam.

Viet Nam has issued numerous regulations on the origin of goods. However, these regulations apply only to exported and imported products to determine preferential taxes following commitments to free trade agreements or other goals of foreign trade management, the ministry says in the draft proposal.

For domestically produced goods, including those manufactured from imported raw materials or ingredients, there have been no regulations to determine whether items are 'products of Viet Nam' or 'Made in Viet Nam'.

This causes confusion for producers when they want to label the origins of products, according to the ministry.

From another angle, some products which just go through simple processing in Viet Nam are still labelled 'Made-in-Viet Nam', causing misunderstanding and even frustration while there is no ground for adjudication.

For example, Khai Silk in 2017 was found to have sold silk scarves originating from China but labelled 'Made-in-Viet Nam'. Or Asanzo imported electronic components from China then assembled in Viet Nam and sold the finished products into the Vietnamese market with a label 'Made-in-Viet Nam'.

Some products only go through simple processing and packaging in Viet Nam, but are labelled as made here then exported to a third country, which implies risks related to origin frauds.

The ministry proposal says that although the 'Made-in-Viet Nam' label is not a substitute for the Certificate of Origin, such labelling may cause misunderstanding or false identification of Vietnamese goods, leading to importing countries applying measures to restrict Vietnamese goods.

It is necessary for Viet Nam to issue regulations on criteria for 'Made-in-Viet Nam' products, according to the ministry. The absence of regulations might cause conflicts between manufacturers and consumers as the authorities have no base for handling.

The criteria used to decide 'Made-in-Viet Nam' products will also help improve the market transparency and ensure rights of consumers.

The decree will develop criteria for products of pure Vietnamese origin, goods produced in Viet Nam, made here from raw materials and goods undergoing final processing in Viet Nam, which fundamentally changes the nature of the goods. Products which go through simple processing might not be considered 'Made-in-Viet Nam'.

The proposal is expected to get approval in November and the compilation process will take place from December 2024 to October 2025.  VNS
HA NOI  Smuggled sugar and cheap high-fructose corn syrup have dominated the domestic market. That has been causing difficulties for local sugar factories and affecting the income of farmers, according to the Vietnam Sugarcane and Sugar Association (VSSA).

Provincial market management agencies said that the smuggling of sugar into Viet Nam is continuing, with violations reported in June and July.

On June 28, a man was caught in the southern province of Long An with about 3.5 tonnes of smuggled sugar.

Later on July 31, a household business in ong Nai Province's Bien Hoa City was found to have 60 bags of smuggled sugar. The sugar was packed in 50-kilogram bags worth VN59.4 million.

Similarly, 40 bags of refined sugar weighing two tonnes were detected at a facility in HCM City. At the time of inspection, its owner could not present invoices or documents proving the origin of the goods, or any documents related to product quality.

Meanwhile, over the past seven months, Viet Nam imported over 143,500 tonnes of high-fructose corn syrup compared to 139,800 tonnes seen in the last year's corresponding period, the association said, quoting data from the General Department of Customs.

According to VSSA, the total sugar supply reached nearly 1.34 million tonnes in the past seven months, higher than 1.3 million for the whole year of 2023, when the oversupply was also recorded.

By the end of July, about 60 per cent of the sugar produced in the 2023-24 crop was stockpiled at the warehouses of sugar factories, the association said.

It also forecast that the abundant sugar supply from direct official imports of sugar from ASEAN countries, fraudulent sugar smuggled across the southwest border and the poor purchasing demand, would lead to an oversupply in the local market, causing sugar factories to have to stockpile in the remaining months of this year.

Over the longer term, the association said there would be a risk of market disruption should the surplus prevail, which would likely force domestic producers to cut prices, even lower than production costs, in order to compete or to reduce prices they pay sugarcane farmers.

Industry experts said imported sugar often had the upper hand due to lower prices.

A merchant at Tan Hiep Market in Bien Hoa City, said her customers often preferred imported sugar while buying in large quantities.

While being sold at a higher price point, there was not much of a difference in quality between imported and domestic brands. This pushed most consumers who required large quantities to go for imported sugar.

Industry experts have long voiced their concern over a lack of strong domestic brands, as well as an inadequate distribution network to reach consumers.

Some domestic producers, however, had taken the initiative to build their network by collaborating with major retailers and e-commerce platforms.

A representative from a sugar firm said his firm had started expanding sales on popular e-commerce platforms such as Lazada, Tiki, Sendo and Shoppee in recent years.

He said Vietnamese consumers still had a preference for domestic sugar, but it was crucial for producers to introduce new lines and bring down prices to be able to compete against imported sugar. VNS
Kathyrn Griffin, one of Texas most well-known advocates for human trafficking survivors, applied for a pardon in 2020, but was rejected. Godofredo A. Vasquez/Staff photographer Daniel Perry enters the 147th District Courtroom at the Travis County Justice Center for his sentencing, Tuesday, May 9, 2023, in Austin, Texas. Perry, a U.S. Army sergeant convicted of murder in the fatal shooting of Air Force veteran Garrett Foster, 28, an armed protester during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Texas, could be facing up to life in prison, even as Gov. Greg Abbott presses for the chance to pardon him. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman via AP) Mikala Compton/Associated Press Governor Greg Abbott tours a resource staging area and thanks first responders who have worked throughout Hurricane Beryl on Monday, July 15, 2024 in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

When Gov. Greg Abbott announced last spring that he would pardon former Army Sgt. Daniel Perry, who had just been convicted of murdering an armed Black Lives Matter protester, Jeana Lungwitz was shocked. But she also felt a glimmer of hope.

Abbott said he pardoned Perry because he believed he had acted in self-defense. And Lungwitz, who directs the domestic violence clinic at the University of Texas at Austin, was representing a woman seeking a pardon for the same reason: She said shed been acting in self-defense when she killed her abusive husband.

If Perry could get pardoned, surely she will, said Lungwitz, who asked the Chronicle not to name her client in order to protect her privacy.

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But last month, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, denied the womans application. She is now out of prison after serving 15 years for murder, but with the conviction on her record, she has been unable to get a job or find an apartment in her hometown of Fort Worth.

Its just a blatant slap in the face, said Dana Smith, a close friend of Lungwitzs client. The prisons are full of women that are victims of domestic violence and were in self-defense mode somehow. Their lives are ruined.

Four years ago, the Republican governor announced a specialized pardon application for survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence, many of whom have criminal convictions as a result of what they endured. At the time, he said he wanted to provide a path to redemption and restoration for such survivors.

But that hasnt happened for the vast majority of applicants, who must provide exhaustive detail of their previous criminal record and proof that it is linked to their abuse.

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According to the Texas pardon board, which reviews all pardon applications and makes recommendations to the governor, 95 victims of domestic abuse and human trafficking have sought pardons in Texas since 2020. The board said just one has since been granted, though advocates say they know of five other survivors who got pardons, all during the first two years of the new applications existence.

Abbott and the pardon board, whose seven members are appointed by him, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Perrys legal team also did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement issued shortly after his pardon, they defended the process, saying that it represents true justice for Perry.

Houston Democratic state Rep. Ann Johnson, who used to lead human trafficking prosecutions in Harris County, said the system is falling short because of Abbott, who gets the final say on pardon decisions.

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Clemency is supposed to be very rare, but its supposed to be based on justice  for everybody, Johnson added. Not as political gifts or partisan gifts.

She pointed to her client, Kathyrn Griffin, who is one of Texas most well-known advocates for human trafficking survivors and has given speeches all around the world. Griffin, who now works with law enforcement in Houston, also founded a first-of-its-kind rehabilitation program that helps female inmates avoid prostitution or homelessness upon their release.

Griffin herself is a trafficking survivor with several drug- and prostitution-related charges on her record. The pardon board voted to approve her pardon application in late 2020, records show, and Griffin said she received a call saying the vote was unanimous. But that Christmas Eve, the night Abbott typically notifies recipients, her phone never rang.

If I dont qualify, then who in the world qualifies? she said. I have no words why it did not happen.

'This tells people that they can hope again'

Pardons are exceedingly rare in Texas. Governors can grant them only after getting a recommendation from the pardon board. And even then, the governor can say no.

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In the 1990s, state lawmakers told the board to take special note of pardons for victims of domestic violence who had killed or seriously injured their abusive partners. But according to Debby Tucker, who headed the Texas Council on Family Violence at the time, the pardon board approved just one application. Neither Gov. Ann Richards, a Democrat, nor her successor, Republican George W. Bush, took action on it.

I think we were just a bit ahead of our time, said Tucker, who recalls reviewing more than 100 pardon applications during that period. There was not a level of understanding that the risk was worth taking and that these people were not going to go out and kill somebody else.

In 2019, the state House and Senate unanimously approved legislation that would route all pardon applications from domestic violence and human trafficking victims through an expert panel that would include survivors, advocates and health professionals.

To advocates shock, Abbott vetoed the bill, claiming it would add a thick layer of bureaucracy to the pardon process. But a few months later, he made his own move. First, he announced he would pardon a woman named Robbie Hamilton, a human trafficking survivor who had a decades-old felony drug possession charge on her record. Abbott noted that none of her convictions involved harming or endangering the life or safety of another person.

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Soon afterward, Abbott announced the new pardon application for survivors of domestic violence and trafficking. It would still be reviewed by the same pardon board, but applicants would have the chance to explain the link between their criminal record and the abuse they suffered.

Elizabeth Henneke, who leads a nonprofit that advocates for human trafficking and domestic violence survivors, said she received so many calls in response to the news that her office had to temporarily turn off the phones. The nonprofit, the Lone Star Justice Alliance, has since helped more than 50 survivors submit applications.

This tells people that they can hope again  that their communities arent throwing them away behind prison gates to be labeled with a scarlet letter, she told the Chronicle at the time.

Over the first two years, Henneke said she saw some success: Five people that she helped connect with attorneys ultimately received pardons. All declined through Henneke to be named or interviewed, citing a desire for privacy.

The Chronicle spoke to a sixth woman who received a pardon after applying without the help of an attorney in 2020. She said she found out about the process by searching on Google, seeking relief from a decades-old prostitution conviction related to an abusive partner.

I dont have to live in shame whenever Im applying for jobs, said the woman, who asked that the Chronicle not publish her name in order to protect her privacy. She added that trafficking and domestic violence survivors need to be able to have a way to have this removed from their record so that they can move forward with their lives and not allow that to define who they are.

But in 2021, things seemed to grind to a halt. The pardon board abruptly withdrew more than 25 pardon recommendations it had sent to Abbotts desk for all kinds of criminal offenses. Critics decried the move as political, especially because one of the recommendations was a posthumous pardon for George Floyd over an old drug conviction in Houston that happened decades before his killing by Minneapolis police sparked nationwide protests.

The following year, the board did not endorse a single new pardon. In 2023, Abbott announced three pardons, and none was for trafficking or domestic violence survivors, according to pardon board records and advocates.

Hamilton, a recovery teacher at a Dallas-based charity for trafficked and sexually exploited women, has the pardon document framed in her home office. She had hoped her pardon might start a chain reaction. Upon learning the latest numbers from a reporter, she was shocked.

I want to cry, she said. Whats the point of the application then?

Some of the survivors who were denied pardons have since been released from prison on parole. Others are still behind bars, including Stacey Brittain, who was convicted of murdering her mother when she was 15 years old. Brittain was an accomplice to the killing and did not carry out the act herself, said Lungwitz, who submitted her pardon application. Lungwitz added that Brittains mom had abused her for years beforehand.

I have rehabilitated myself in here, Brittain told the Chronicle in an electronic message from prison, where she has served more than 30 years so far and is currently participating in a program that trains service dogs for disabled veterans. I really feel like I have paid my debt.

Former state Rep. James White, who was active on criminal justice-related issues before he left the Legislature in 2022, said he wasnt surprised by the small number of pardons. He pointed out that in recent years, state law has changed to try and create pathways toward rehabilitation for trafficking survivors  which means fewer of them are being prosecuted in the first place.

Maybe some of the things that were doing on the front end is mitigating the impact of people that somehow are wrapped up into this human trafficking scenario. Maybe its not as many, maybe theyre not going to prison, he said.

Johnson said that explanation is not plausible.

Ive seen it, Ive lived it, Ive been in those courts, she said, and Im telling you: No, unless we have issued thousands of pardons to women who were convicted for engaging in sex for a fee, we aint there yet.

An extraordinary move

Perrys pardon process was unusual.

His murder conviction stemmed from an incident in July 2020 in Austin, when he drove into an intersection full of Black Lives Matter protesters and was confronted by Garrett Foster, who was carrying a rifle. Perry used his own revolver to shoot and kill Foster.

During his trial in the spring of 2023, Perrys lawyers said he had driven into the crowd by accident and feared Foster would kill him first. But prosecutors revealed that in the months beforehand, Perry had frequently talked with friends about confronting armed protesters who were blocking roadways. The jury sided with prosecutors account and found him guilty of murder.

The verdict ignited conservatives across the country. Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted of killing two protesters in Kenosha, Wis., last year, immediately called for Perrys pardon. So did former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Less than a day later, Abbott announced his intention to do so.

I am working as swiftly as Texas law allows regarding the pardon of Sgt. Perry, he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Perry had not yet submitted a pardon application or even been sentenced by a judge, and Abbott doesnt typically pardon people for violent offenses. But there was no law against the governor intervening, as long as the pardon board approved the application first.

After a few months of investigation, the board gave Abbott the green light. He immediately pardoned Perry, who got out of prison on May 16.

Perrys attorneys praised the board at the time for conducting a very thorough investigation over many months, noting that all the interested parties and many of the witnesses were interviewed by the board.

The process stood in stark contrast to the one offered to survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence, Lungwitz said. She, too, had wanted to present Brittains case in person, or at least virtually, rather than simply mailing in the voluminous amount of paperwork and waiting. But the pardon board told her that it does not conduct in-person interviews, according to an email that she shared with the Chronicle.
HA NOI  Proposed changes to the draft Law on State Capital Management and Investment in Enterprises emphasise the need to separate capital ownership representation from management functions and to consolidate state capital ownership in businesses.

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) is gathering feedback on the draft Law on State Capital Management and Investment in Enterprises through recent workshops and discussions.

Finance Minister Ho uc Phoc said that the law holds significant importance as it affects various enterprises, including those affiliated with the military.

Currently, the challenge of technological innovation at state-owned enterprises (SOEs) surpasses that of private firms, hindering significant progress despite operational enhancements.

Issues primarily stem from difficult investment processes and complex management structures within many SOEs.

Phoc highlighted Singapore's successful SOEs, emphasising efficient budget utilisation, effective risk management and a balanced project portfolio. Seeking feedback from practical industry leaders, the draft committee aims to enhance proactiveness and effectiveness in capital management in a dynamic enterprise landscape.

Le Quang Manh, Chairman of the National Assembly's Finance and State Budget Committee, emphasised the crucial need for enterprise opinions across six key policy areas: state capital management, state capital investment, enterprise investment activities, state capital restructuring, representation of state capital owners and enterprise management.

He stressed the necessity of distinctly separating and defining the roles of asset ownership and state capital in the management of enterprises, as well as the state's oversight of these businesses.

At a conference held on August 16 in a Nang City, Deputy Chairman of the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises (CMSC), Nguyen Canh Toan, advocated for a clear definition of the committee's role as the specialised body representing capital owners in businesses.

Key points to address include defining authorities and responsibilities and coordination with relevant entities such as ministries, enterprises and capital representatives, specifying the management of capital and assets within enterprises and outlining financial mechanisms for committee activities.

Meanwhile, Pham Thi Thanh Hoa from the Academy of Finance suggested consolidating state capital ownership under one entity for better business operation management.

This centralised approach aims to streamline decision-making and enhance accountability, addressing enterprise needs more efficiently.

Advocating for a clear separation between the roles of capital ownership and state management within enterprises, Nguyen Chi Thanh, Chairman of the Board of Directors at the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC), highlighted this crucial point during discussions on the draft law on August 15.

Thanh urged the draft committee to emphasise a more distinct division between capital ownership and state management functions within businesses, ensuring a comprehensive and meticulous approach.

He also stressed the importance of clearly delineating between enterprises with full state capital and those with capital from state-owned entities.

In terms of managing first-tier and second-tier enterprises, he recommended providing precise guidance and delegating responsibilities.

The representative of SCIC also recommended studying models from the ASEAN region and China that effectively manage state capital investments in enterprises.

He proposed that the draft committee convene sessions to gather insights from experts and policymakers across nations to leverage their experiences.

Additionally, Thanh suggested crafting specific policies tailored to the SCIC, particularly concerning financial matters, operational mechanisms, and personnel.

He emphasised that if SCIC possesses resources, it should possess the autonomy to invest, acquire additional capital in other enterprises, including banks such as BIDV and Vietcombank. Alternatively, considering a dedicated chapter within the law outlining SCIC's role as an investor could be beneficial.

On the other hand, many businesses believe that the law should reconsider and review the scope of regulation.

The draft law outlines that the regulated entities are state-invested enterprises, including those with direct state capital investments and others with investments from these entities.  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam is ramping up efforts to increase its livestock product exports, targeting a value of US$1-1.5 billion by 2025.

With a robust start to the year, exports hit $240 million in the first half, marking a 3.8 per cent annual increase, as reported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Processed meat products are leading the pack, with fresh, chilled, and frozen pork following closely behind.

Viet Nam's processed chicken meat has already made inroads into Japan, Hong Kong (China), five countries within the Eurasian Economic Union, and Mongolia.

The country has secured significant wins, including export licenses for dairy and bird's nest products to China. Now, the Department of Animal Health (DAH) is actively pursuing expanded market access for these and other livestock products, and engaging in negotiations with the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the EU, the UK and the Middle East.

DAH Director Nguyen Van Long revealed ongoing talks with the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to finalise food safety conditions for poultry products.

Major industry players like Masan, C.P. Viet Nam, Koyu & Unitek, Japfa, De Heus, and GreenFeed are also investing heavily in disease-free zones and state-of-the-art processing facilities.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung uc Tien said the agriculture sector aims for comprehensive, efficient, and sustainable livestock development that adapts to climate change through industrialisation and modernisation. This approach focuses on integrating value chains, circular economy principles to enhance added value and ensure biosecurity, disease control, and food safety.

Diversifying export markets and tapping into new opportunities, such as the Halal market, is crucial for boosting overall exports and specifically enhancing the export of livestock products, Tien added.  VNS
HCM CITY  Thai conglomerate SCG will award 100 undergraduate scholarships with a total value of VN1.5 billion (nearly US$61,000) to students across Viet Nam.

These scholarships are part of SCG Sharing the Dream 2024 which was launched on Monday in HCM City by SCG, the Central Youth Union and HCM City Student Assistant Centre (SAC).

Focusing on future-oriented fields, the scholarships will primarily support students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, environment, design and economics. The subjects will include accounting, business administration and marketing, the company said in a statement.

Marking its 17th consecutive year, this scholarship programme reaffirms SCG's unwavering commitment to its ESG 4 Plus strategy - core focuses that have guided the company for many years, the company said. It aligns seamlessly with their ESG-centric vision, aiming to nurture Viet Nam's green generation and build a sustainable future by instilling these crucial values in the leaders of tomorrow.

General Director of SCG Vietnam, Praween Wirotpan, said: "The company commits to leveraging our extensive expertise in ESG practices and collaborating with key stakeholders. Through these efforts, SCG aims to provide Vietnamese students with a strong foundation in green mindset and life skills, drawing upon its wealth of sustainable development experience and its network of specialists cultivated over many years.

"Our initiative strives to create a long-term platform for inspiration and training, fostering a proactive and responsible approach to enhancing the quality of life. By facilitating connection between students and SCG's extensive resources and knowledge base, we aim to cultivate a generation that is environmentally conscious and equipped to promote Viet Nam's sustainable growth.

In addition to financial assistance, the scholarship programme also features various extracurricular activities focused on the ESG concept. One of the main components is the ESG Ambassador competition, which challenges students to create inventive ESG initiatives that benefit their local communities in Viet Nam.

This competition not only encourages creativity and problem-solving skills but also prompts students to apply their ESG knowledge to real-world issues. The winning team will have the honour of representing Viet Nam at the ASEAN regional competition, offering them a valuable international exposure opportunity.

The programme also includes interactive workshops led by industry experts, factory tours showcasing sustainable practices in action and networking events with ESG professionals. These activities are designed to provide students with hands-on experience and opportunities to shape and develop a sustainable mindset.

Students interested in applying for the SCG Sharing the Dream scholarship can submit their applications from now until September 10, SCG said.  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam imported corn from five main markets in the first seven months of this year, of which 3.19 million tonnes were imported from Argentina, accounting for 55.5 per cent of the country's total imports.

Statistics from the General Department of Customs show that Viet Nam imported 5.74 million tonnes of corn from global markets, reaching a value of US$1.43 billion by the end of last month.

Compared to the same period last year, import volume grew by 34 per cent, but turnover only increased slightly by 1.9 per cent, reflecting a sharp decrease in corn prices on the international market.

Argentina is Viet Nam's main trading partner in the field of corn imports. Viet Nam imported 3.19 million tonnes of corn from Argentina in the first seven months, reaching a value of US$772.29 million, with an average price of $242.4 per tonne.

The amount of corn imported from Argentina increased by 130.3 per cent compared to the same period last year, the turnover rose by 70.9 per cent, but the price fell by 25.8 per cent.

This shows that the trade relationship between Viet Nam and Argentina is growing strongly, with the country playing an important role in meeting Viet Nam's corn needs.

Brazil, the second largest market supplying corn to Viet Nam, reached 1.57 million tonnes in the first seven months of 2024, accounting for 27.4 per cent of the country's total imports.

In addition to Argentina and Brazil, Viet Nam also imports corn from such markets as Thailand, Laos and India.

Overall, Viet Nam's corn imports in the first seven months showed a marked dependence on partners such as Argentina and Brazil and also reflected changes in price structure and supply markets.

Importing corn in large quantities not only creates pressure on the trade balance, but also poses many challenges to food security and sustainability in Viet Nam's agricultural production.

The main reason for rising imports is that domestic corn production can not meet increasing demand, especially from the livestock and feed production industry.

To reduce dependence on imported corn, experts said that Viet Nam needed to have specific measures to promote domestic corn production.  VNS
HCM CITY  The National Assembly delegation of HCM City held a workshop on Monday to discuss the Corporate Income Tax Bill and amendments to the Special Consumption Tax Law.

Truong Thi Hoa of the HCM City Bar Association said though the Special Consumption Tax Law has been amended many times in the last 16 years, it still has many inadequacies compared to similar laws in other countries.

For instance, there are no tax refund provisions, he said.

Phan Le Minh, deputy director of the HCM City Customs Department, said the drafting committee needs to amend several clauses when stipulating who are subject to the tax.

He said the law should exempt certain product groups from special consumption tax, including products that are imported materials for processing for foreign businesses, or to serve production activities of exporters, products produced in Viet Nam, temporarily exported to another country for research and development before being imported back to Viet Nam, and products imported only to used as samples, not for sales or consumption.

Corporate Income Tax Bill

Nguyen uc Nghia, also of the HCM City Business Association, said that to ensure that preferential corporate income tax policies could be applied effectively, they should be easy to understand and equitable, but the bills provisions are too complicated and detailed, he pointed out.

Having too many tax slabs would cause confusion and make implementation difficult, and easily lead to wrong incentives being applied, he warned further.

He proposed a general minimum preferential tax rate of 15 per cent (as opposed to 10 per cent in the bill), and three rates of 15 per cent, 17 per cent and 20 per cent.

He called for increased duration of tax breaks for certain industries rather than lower rates to be in line with global practices and ensure a level playing field for Vietnamese and foreign businesses.

Tran Viet Ha, deputy head of the HCM City Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority, said tax incentives have changed too many times over the years, causing businesses to struggle to find out which policies apply to them.

The two bills will be submitted for passage at the upcoming National Assembly session.  VNS
HA NOI  Vietnamese markets continued their upward trend, closing higher on Tuesday as foreign investors net bought VN327 billion.

On the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), the VN-Index increased by 10.93 points, or 0.87 per cent, to end the trading session at 1,272.55 points.

Throughout most of the day, the VN-Index remained above the reference level, maintaining a relatively stable range and closing the session higher.

The market's breadth was positive, with gainers outnumbering losers by 214 to 94. Liquidity on the southern bourse reached VN19 trillion (US$758.5 million), marking a 13.3 per cent increase compared to the previous trading session.

The VN30-Index, which tracks the 30 largest stocks, rose by 6.21 points, or 0.48 per cent, to 1,305.25 points. Seventeen ticker symbols in the VN30 basket gained, while seven declined and six remained flat.

Data compiled by the financial website vietstock.vn showed that the Bank for Foreign Trade of Viet Nam (VCB) was the biggest gainer, rising by 2.25 per cent and contributing nearly 2.8 points to the VN-Index.

It was followed by the Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BID), which increased by 2.61 per cent; Vinhomes JSC (VHM), which rose by 2.07 per cent; and Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (CTG), which gained 1.68 per cent.

Some stocks faced mild selling pressure, which tempered the market's gains. Viet Nam National Petroleum Group (PLX) fell by 1.88 per cent, Viet Nam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (VNM) decreased by 0.53 per cent, and Fortune Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank (LPB) declined by 0.95 per cent.

According to analysts from SHS Securities, the short-term trend of the VN-Index still faces pressure to test the lower boundary around 1,250 points, corresponding to the low points of the sharp declines in April, May, June, and July of 2024, along with the pressure from profit-taking after last week's high-liquidity session. In a positive scenario, the short-term trend of the VN-Index may continue to consolidate within a broad range of 1,250-1,300 points.

Meanwhile, on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX), the HNX-Index also finished higher on Tuesday, rising by 0.55 per cent to 237.31 points.

During the trading day, nearly VN1.4 trillion worth of shares, equivalent to a trading volume of over 73 million shares, were traded on the northern market.

Foreign investors returned to their net-buying pattern, with a net purchase of VN327 billion on HoSE.  VNS
HA NOI  Although the atmospheric state is gradually shifting to the cold phase of La Nina, Viet Nams central region along with many countries around the world are facing prolonged intense heat, leading to elevated risk of forest fires.

Not only are the number of deaths because of heat increasing, but forest fires are also occurring at an unprecedented level, causing great damage.

The latest report from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that July this year recorded the highest average global surface temperature ever.

Specifically, the average global surface temperature in July reached 17.01 degrees Celsius, 1.21 degrees Celsius higher than the average temperature of the 20th century.

This broke the previous record set in July last year, exceeding it by more than 0.03 degrees Celsius.

July this year was become the hottest month in the 175-years of data.

Not only that, this is also the fourteenth consecutive month with a record high global temperature, lasting from June last year until now.

In Viet Nam, heatwaves and forest fire risks in the central region are at their peak this year and are expected to continue until the end of August.

Weather forecasts said that heatwaves will cover from Thanh Hoa to Ninh Thuan Province with the highest temperature ranging from 35-37 degrees Celsius, up to 38 degrees Celsius in some places.

Air humidity is expected to drop to only 45-55 per cent, creating favourable conditions for the development of hot and dry conditions.

Prolonged heat and low humidity are drying out the vegetation in forests.

The thick, dry vegetation now creates a very high fire risk. Even small mistakes with flames, or simply a cigarette butt, can cause a large fire.

In addition to the weather factor, the central region is also famous for having the largest forest area in the country.

Most of the forests are planted with pine, acacia, eucalyptus -- trees that contain a lot of essential oils, making them very flammable.

In addition, the mountainous terrain in the Central region with steep hills and strong dry winds makes the fire spread very quickly making fighting any fires difficult.

To effectively stop the fire, the firefighting force must assign a large number of workers and equipment.

According to statistics from the Forest Protection Department, since the beginning of last month, the central region has witnessed 56 forest fires, accounting for nearly half of the total number of fires since the beginning of the year.

Notably, Quang Binh Province had consecutive fires on August 6, 9 and 12, resulting in the death of a firefighter.

Thua Thien-Hue, Nghe An and Quang Tri provinces have also recorded forest fires recently, seriously affecting the people's economy.

The Forest Protection Department has warned that up to 73 locations are at level four risk of forest fires (five is the highest). Most of them are from Thanh Hoa to Quang Nam Province and in Binh inh, Phu Yen and Ninh Thuan provinces.  VNS
HCM CITY  Local travel agencies have reported that their international tours for the upcoming national holiday on September 2 are completely booked thanks to attractive pricing and the extended four-day break.

Popular destinations include Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and China, with package tours starting at VN8.9 million (US$357) and seeing rapid sales.

Short trips to Southeast Asia such as Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia are favoured, while longer excursions to South Korea and Japan also attract attention.

Notable tours include Bangkok-Pattaya at VN8.9 million and Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka at VN23 million.

Flamingo Redtours has achieved full sales for the holiday, and Trang An Travel reported complete bookings for package tours to Beijing and Shanghai in China.

Pham Anh Vu, communications director of Viet Tourism Media JSC, noted a 60 per cent booking rate, with international tours accounting for 70 per cent.

While visa-required tours to China, South Korea, Japan are nearly full, Southeast Asia destinations still have availability.

Meanwhile, popular domestic tours to a Nang, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc, starting from VN3.7 million, are also in high demand due to luxury resort offerings.  VNS
HONG KONG A large number of Vietnamese people in Hong Kong (China) have come to a local pagoda on the occasion of the Vu Lan Festival to express gratitude to their ancestors and pray for the best for their families, which is also an act to uphold traditional customs of the homeland.

Like other residents in Hong Kong, Vietnamese in this special administrative region often visit pagodas every traditional festival to worship Buddha.

During the Vu Lan Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month (August 18 this year), many have come to a pagoda called Phap Xuat Duy Giac in Sino-Vietnamese words.

The pagoda, founded by a Vietnamese nun over 60 years ago, used to welcome numerous Buddhist followers and visitors, but it was less frequented due to a lack of keepers after the nun passed away in 1999, Tran Thi Phuong, manager of the pagoda, told the Vietnam News Agency's resident reporter.

She shared that it could be her destiny that she came to take care of this pagoda and chant prayers every day to wish for good health for her family and peace for the world.

Hoang My An, a Vietnamese in Hong Kong, said every Vu Lan Festival, the Vietnamese community here visit Buddhist pagodas to pray for the well-being of their families and show gratitude to ancestors and parents, thereby helping maintain and pass down good cultural practices to descendants.

Le Thi Hong Viet, another expatriate, noted that she also often visits pagodas on this occasion as the tradition of Vietnamese people to pray for good health and peace.

Aside from visiting pagodas, many Vietnamese in Hong Kong have also taken part in the release of caught animals on this occasion to wish for the best for their families and themselves. VNA/VNS
BEIJING  General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam visited and had a working session with the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Beijing on Tuesday morning as part of his state visit to China.

The meeting was attended by Li Shulei, Politburo member, Secretary of the CPC Central Committees Secretariat and head of the CPC Central Committees Publicity Department, along with leaders, professors, lecturers, and students of the school.

The Chinese Central Party School provides training for medium- and high-ranking officials, as well as cadres working on youth affairs from across China. It holds an important position in the research, popularisation, and promotion of the CPCs ideology. It serves as a national research institute for social sciences and philosophy, and also a new-style high-level advisory body with Chinese characteristics.

General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping, as well as preceding leaders of the country like Mao Zedong and Liu Shaoqi, used to act as rectors of this school.

Addressing the meeting, General Secretary and President To Lam said that with its significant contributions and outstanding achievements, the school has gained a large number of good experiences in all aspects, from researching, teaching, training, and building of the cadre contingent to innovation, technology application, and development promotion, which is a good source of reference for Viet Nam.

He noted as the one who founded, led, and trained the CPV, late President Ho Chi Minh always affirmed that personnel and personnel affairs form a critically pivotal and urgent issue that affects everything, and that personnel are the roots of all jobs, so training personnel is the root work of the Party.

Inheriting and developing the thought of Ho Chi Minh, personnel and theoretical affairs are always among the fundamental issues to which the CPV attaches special importance throughout its congresses.

Personnel, cadre training, and theoretical affairs also received special attention from late General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, a particularly excellent leader of the Vietnamese Party and State, a staunch and prestigious Party member, a brilliant example of studying and following Ho Chi Minhs thought, morality and style, a keen theorist, and also a great friend of the Chinese people as General Secretary and President Xi described, according to Lam.

He emphasised that over the past years, cooperation between the Chinese Central Party School and Vietnamese partners, including the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, has been unceasingly consolidated and developing extensively.

The two schools have worked together for more than 30 years, since 1993, with a wide range of activities. Their cooperation has obtained many outstanding results, directly helping the Vietnamese academy improve its research and teaching capacity, and also reform its training framework and methodology along with policy research and consulting. That has helped enrich the theoretical achievements of the two Parties and contribute to the enhancement of bilateral cooperation, the Vietnamese leader added.

Lam briefed the participants on major tasks of the Vietnamese Party in the time ahead, including preparations for the 14th National Party Congress.

Regarding the freshly-signed memorandum of understanding between the Chinese school and the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA), he suggested them step up exchanges, and the sharing of theories on Party building and national management, as well as experience in personnel training and theoretical research.

The two sides should co-organise workshops on scientific research, both online and offline, he continued.

Stressing Viet Nam's demand for improving the capacity of its officials and Party members, especially managers, the leader suggested the Chinese school help with the work through flexible forms.

Writing in the guest book, Lam expressed his belief that the school will carry forward its traditions to outstandingly complete the tasks and missions assigned by the CPC Central Committee, and his wish that the relations between the school and its Vietnamese partners will grow more intensively, effectively and practically, contributing to fostering the Viet Nam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and building the Viet Nam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

Also on Tuesday morning, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and the Vietnamese delegation visited MEGVII technology company in Beijing.

Founded in 2011, MEGVII is a leading technology firm specialising in artificial intelligence (AI) products and solutions. The company employs nearly 3,000 employees and operates research and development centres in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Nanjing, and Chengdu. MEGVII's commercial products have supported hundreds of thousands of developers and served over 3,000 clients worldwide.

So far, MEGVII has won 28 global AI competitions, owned about 1,900 patents and has contributed to the development of 33 AI industry standards in China.

The company has also collaborated with universities to establish talent training facilities and develop educational programmes. MEGVIIs research institute in visual computing is renowned for its leading global scale and extensive academic relationships with research institutions around the world, achieving widely recognised technical milestones.

With its advanced research capabilities and practical expertise in AI, MEGVII has established an integrated AI product system that combines hardware and software, providing industry solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT) and other sectors.  VNS
A beach house in North Carolina was washed into the Atlantic Ocean and destroyed by swells from Hurricane Ernesto during a dramatic scene captured on video by bystanders.

The saltbox-style structure on North Carolina's Outer Banks was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported, according to the National Park Service, which oversees its former location on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

One video clip posted on social media showed the house surrounded by water as its stilts collapsed around 7:10 p.m. Friday.

After being washed a short distance into the surf, it came to rest and was then pounded by whitecaps that quickly began demolishing the wooden building.

The four-bedroom, two-bathroom house at 23214 Corbina Drive in Rodanthe was built in 1973 and last sold for $339,000 in January 2019, according to the Zillow real estate website.

Its last estimated value was $580,000.

Since 2012, it has been marketed by Midgett Realty of Hatteras, North Carolina, as a vacation rental known as "Dolphin's Point," according to archived webpages.

Its collapse marked the seventh along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in the past four years. Many nearby homes also appeared to have been damaged on Friday, the National Park Service said.
BEIJING  The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and Chinas Xinhua News Agency signed an agreement on professional cooperation in Beijing on Tuesday, which was witnessed by Party General Secretary and President To Lam and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

At their talks at the Xinhua News Agencys headquarters the same day, VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang and Xinhuas President Fu Hua underlined the significance of the agreement, and highlighted the role of the agencies in the Viet Nam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

The deal, which includes contents on strengthening the exchange of multimedia information, supporting reporters, sharing experience in development, collaborating in technology in the digital era, and delegation exchanges, serves as a foundation for the two agencies to better perform their tasks and make contributions to promoting relations between the two countries and mutual understanding between their people.

Leaders of the two news agencies concurred to work together to further promote the application of advanced press technologies, and strengthen cooperation at regional and international journalism forums in order to effectively implement the freshly-signed agreement, thus proving their role in the world arena.

Trang thanked Xinhua for its efficient coordination in carrying out their cooperation agreement signed in 2017, affirming that information provided by Xinhua is a reliable source of news, helping enrich the VNAs information. She highly valued the Chinese news agencys support to VNA correspondents in China.

For his part, Fu underscored that the two sides should show better performance in providing information on the friendship between the two countries as well as the development of each country, bringing the images of the two countries closer to the world in the digital era.

At the working session, Fu invited Trang to attend the 6th World Media Summit (WMS) to be hosted by Xinhua in October. Trang said that she will send a delegation of VNA leaders to the event.

The VNA leader also took this occasion to invite the Xinhua President to pay a working visit to Viet Nam in the coming time. The latter accepted the invitation, saying that he will arrange the visit at a suitable time.

Also in the morning, the VNA delegation visited an exhibition area showcasing the development of Xinhua since its establishment in 1909.

The VNA and Xinhua established their cooperative relationship in the early 1950s. Since then, both sides have dispatched correspondents to each other's country to enhance the dissemination of news about each nations situation and bilateral relations. To date, cooperation between the two news agencies continues to be effective across various areas, including information exchange, high-level and journalist delegation exchanges, mutual assistance for offices and correspondents, and coordination at regional and global journalism forums.  VNS
HA NOI  Party General Secretary and State President To Lam has cabled a message of congratulations to Hungarian President Sulyok Tamas on the State Foundation Day of the European nation (August 20).

Also on August 20, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh extended greetings to his Hungarian counterpart Orban Viktor while Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man sent his congratulatory message to Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary Kover Laszlo.

On this occasion, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son also offered congratulations to Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Szijjarto Peter.  VNS
HA NOI  General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam, along with his wife and the high-level Vietnamese delegation, returned to Ha Noi Tuesday afternoon, successfully concluding a State visit to China, at the invitation of Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and his wife.

At Beijing International Airport, the Vietnamese delegation was seen off by Chinese officials, including Wang Xiaohong, Secretary of the Party Secretariat, State Councilor, and Minister of Public Security; Chinese Ambassador to Viet Nam Xiong Bo; and officials from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Also at the airport were the Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai and his wife, embassy staff and representatives of the Vietnamese community and students in China.

During the visit, Vietnamese Party General Secretary and President To Lam held talks with Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements between the two countries, attended a tea banquet and met with high-ranking Chinese officials including Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress; Wang Huning, Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; and Premier Li Qiang.

He also met with the Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, interacted with Chinese friendship representatives, visited the Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, worked at the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China, and toured MEGVII Company.

As part of the visit, the delegation also laid flowers and offered incense in memory of Martyr Pham Hong Thai at the Huanghuagang Mausoleum Park and visited the Viet Nam Revolutionary Youth League headquarters site in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. They also visited the Vietnamese Embassy and met with the Vietnamese community in China.

During talks and meetings, both sides exchanged views on the current situation of their respective parties and countries, achieving significant common understandings on Viet Nam-China relations and the current international and regional situation. On this occasion, 14 cooperation agreements were signed between various committees, ministries, sectors, and localities.

The two General Secretaries and Presidents agreed to strengthen political trust, maintain regular exchanges and contacts between the senior leaders of both parties and countries, and underscore the strategic guiding role of the Party channel in overall bilateral relations. They also agreed to deepen theoretical cooperation, share the latest theoretical and practical achievements, and contribute meaningfully to the work of both parties and countries.

Both sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation in security, defence and economic and trade investment, including promoting the connection between the "Two Corridors, One Belt" initiative and China's Belt and Road Initiative, enhancing infrastructure connectivity in railways and roads, boosting supply chain cooperation, and economic cooperation between border provinces. China affirmed its readiness to increase imports of Vietnamese agricultural products, expand trade promotion offices in China, and facilitate access to high-quality Vietnamese agricultural products in the Chinese market.

The two sides also stressed the importance of enhancing people-to-people exchanges, fostering understanding and friendship between the two peoples, especially among the younger generation, and agreed to designate 2025 as the "Viet Nam-China Cultural Exchange Year".

The two General Secretaries and Presidents exchanged views on various international and regional issues of mutual concern, emphasising coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums and international mechanisms, based on the legitimate interests of both countries and contributing positively to the common interests of the international community.  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam and China's top leaders reached a broad consensus on further strengthening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, guided by the 'six enhancements' framework, with a focus on solidifying the shared understandings and agreements between the two sides, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said of the State-level visit by Party leader and President To Lam to China.

In the interview with local media following the visit at the invitation of Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, Son said the visit was a particularly important diplomatic event between Viet Nam and China this year.

"The visit was a success on all fronts, contributing significantly to the construction of a Viet Nam-China Community of Shared Future that carries strategic significance, which in turn contributes to peace, stability, and development in the region and the world," Son said.

General Secretary, President To Lam had a busy and meaningful schedule with 18 activities over more than two days.

During the visit, both sides issued a Joint Statement on further enhancing the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and deepening the construction of the Viet Nam-China Community of Shared Future. Various ministries, sectors, and localities from both countries signed multiple cooperation documents in fields such as inspection and quarantine, customs, healthcare, media, local cooperation and social welfare.

In line with the spirit of the Joint Statement and the high-level consensus achieved during this visit, the two sides will focus on promoting cooperation in five main areas, according to the foreign minister.

First, the two will continue strategic exchanges between the senior leaders of the two Parties and countries, strengthening the foundation of political trust and jointly directing the construction of a Viet Nam-China Community of Shared Future with strategic significance. This will involve fully utilising the roles of the Party-to-Party channels, the cooperation mechanisms between the National Assembly of Viet Nam and the National People's Congress of China, the Viet Nam Fatherland Front and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and defence, security and diplomatic exchange mechanisms. The two sides agreed to strengthen the overall coordination role of the Viet Nam-China Bilateral Cooperation Steering Committee.

Second, the two will focus on implementing the 'six enhancements', continuing to firm up the high-level shared understandings and signed agreements, achieving new progress in practical cooperation, facilitating trade, expanding exports of Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products to the Chinese market and promoting strategic connectivity between the two countries. This includes effectively implementing the cooperation plan connecting the 'Two Corridors, One Belt' framework with China's transport initiative.

They will expedite the 'hard connectivity' between the two countries in terms of high-speed railways, highways and border infrastructure, as well as upgrade 'soft connectivity' in areas like smart customs and smart border gates. Both sides encourage and support capable, reputable companies with advanced technology to invest in each other's countries, focusing on enhancing cooperation in fields such as agriculture and infrastructure, while expanding cooperation in new areas like the digital economy, circular economy, green development, clean energy and renewable energy.

The two have also agreed to designate 2025 as 'Viet Nam-China Cultural Exchange Year' during which a series of activities will be organised to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and China. They will enhance cultural exchanges and cooperation in media, news, publishing, radio and television, as well as healthcare, traditional medicine, disaster prevention and mitigation. Local cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, particularly among the younger generations, will be expanded and tourism cooperation will be promoted, with more direct flights and increased visits between the two countries.

Fourth, Vietnamese and Chinese leadership concurred on strengthening multilateral coordination and cooperation, enhancing collaboration in mechanisms such as the United Nations and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and supporting each others candidacies for international organisations. China supports Viet Nam in hosting APEC 2027 and in joining and playing a role in multilateral mechanisms. China also supports ASEAN in building a united, resilient, and developing ASEAN Community, while maintaining its central role in the regional architecture.

Finally, the two sides have agreed to effectively manage and actively resolve maritime disputes, continuing to implement high-level common perceptions, reaffirming the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea) and agreed to resolve disputes in a peaceful manner in line with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Viet Nam and China will continue to cooperate in effectively implementing the legal documents on the land border and related agreements, strengthening cooperation in the Viet Nam-China land border area and organising celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Land Border Treaty (1999) and the 15th anniversary of the signing of the three legal documents on the Viet Nam-China land border, Minister of Foreign Affairs Son said.  VNS
BEIJING  Politburo member, Secretary of the Central Public Security Party Committee and Minister of Public Security Sen. Lieut. Gen. Luong Tam Quang held talks with State Councillor and Minister of Public Security of China Wang Xiaohong in Beijing on Tuesday.

Quang was accompanying Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and his spouse on a state visit to China from August 18-20.

He congratulated China on the successful organisation of the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee, believing that under the sound leadership of Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, China will achieve its key objectives by the 80th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, turning China into a modern, prosperous, democratic, civilised, harmonious and beautiful socialist nation.

The Vietnamese Party and State highly value and give top priority to friendly and cooperative ties with China, support China's continued development, improvement of its international role and position, and positive contributions to regional cooperation and development, he said.

Wang, for his part, praised bilateral security and law enforcement cooperation with positive results.

The Chinese Ministry of Public Security is ready to work with the Vietnamese counterpart to effectively realise common perceptions reached by the two General Secretaries and Presidents, with a focus on deepening cooperation in security and law enforcement, he said.

Based on the joint statement reached during the visit, both sides agreed on the need to effectively carry out existing cooperation mechanisms between their ministries and build new ones.

They will focus collaboration on preventing economic crime, telecommunications fraud, human trafficking, cybersecurity, recovering assets from fugitives abroad, and combating illegal immigration. They will also ensure security and safety for each country's major events and high-level visits, strengthen cooperation in training personnel, share experience in digital transformation in professional work and deploying public security forces for the United Nations peacekeeping mission, and enhance legal enforcement cooperation within multilateral frameworks to build an environment of peace, stability, cooperation and development.

The same day, Quang held a working session with Chinese Minister of State Security Chen Yixin.

They pledged to continue facilitating the exchange of high-level delegations, sharing information about global and regional situation, preventing and addressing emerging non-traditional security challenges, with a focus on counter-terrorism, organised international crime, economic and cyber crimes.

Host and guest also agreed to maintain the deputy ministerial-level strategic security dialogue mechanism and foster security cooperation within multilateral frameworks.  VNS
TOKYO  The Viet Nam-Japan agricultural trade and investment policy dialogue took place in Tokyo on Tuesday, aiming to capitalise on untapped opportunities in this sector between the two Asian nations.

The event was co-hosted by the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), and the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC).

In his opening speech, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu hailed Japan as Viet Nams largest supplier of official development assistance (ODA), the second biggest partner in labour cooperation, the third largest in investment and tourism, and the fourth largest in trade.

However, he noted the vast potential for growth in agricultural trade, with Japan accounting for a mere 7.4 per cent of Viet Nam's total agro-forestry-fishery exports and Viet Nam representing just 1.1 per cent per cent of Japan's.

To tap into this potential, experts presented insights into the current landscape, opportunities, and incentives for agricultural trade and investment.

Commercial Counselor Ta uc Minh offered practical advice to businesses, urging them to make optimal use of tax reduction benefits from free trade agreements of which both countries are members, leverage support from relevant ministries and agencies, engage in both direct and online trade connection events, and showcase products at major fairs and exhibitions both at home and abroad.

A discussion session chaired by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam and Ambassador Hieu followed, with participants raising questions about government policies and support mechanisms.

In his concluding speech, Deputy Minister Nam highlighted the complementary nature of the two countries' agricultural sectors, with Vietnams strengths in tropical products and Japans expertise in temperate agriculture, machinery, and fertilisers.

According to him, the Japanese companies are also heavily investing in agricultural production in Viet Nam to create supply chains for Japan and third-country exports.

Viet Nam's agricultural exports to Japan have been surging, with Japan emerging as the third-largest importer last year. The first half of 2024 witnessed a 5 per cent year-on-year increase, valued at US$1.91 billion.

Nam also vowed to consult his ministry and the Government to build policies and mechanisms conducive to agricultural trade and investment between the two nations.  VNS
TOKYO  Deputy Minister of Agrculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam has called for coordination from Japan to implement capacity-building programmes for cooperatives joining Viet Nam's project on developing 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice linked with green growth in the Mekong Delta region by 2030, with focus on building a digitalisation system for chain management and establishing a system for monitoring and evaluating emission reductions.

During his meeting with Senator Maitachi Shoji, Vice-Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, in Tokyo on Tuesday, Nam underlined the need to mobilise resources to support capacity building for cooperatives and farming households to effectively implement the project.

The two sides discussed issues related to strengthening cooperation in agricultural projects, training, experience exchange, and market access.

Maitachi applauded Viet Nam's initiative for sustainable transformation of the rice industry, adding that Japan's electronic agricultural extension system facilitates the fastest and most efficient exchange of information between agricultural extension agencies, extension officials, and farmers.

He showed his interest in supporting Viet Nam in improving and upgrading its training programmes on agriculture towards a multifunctional approach. He took note the proposal to support Viet Nam to improve its capacity in the agricultural extension work, firstly to implement the project and then in the standard raw material areas that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is directing.

The Vietnamese official said he hopes that the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries will support and facilitate the involvement of relevant agencies such as the Japanese Embassy in Viet Nam, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Japanese non-governmental organisations in supporting the MARD's training institutions.

The two sides also discussed promoting and creating favourable conditions for joint venture and investment collaboration between Japanese and Vietnamese businesses in the fields of organic agriculture, digital technology in agriculture development, logistics, and agro-forestry-aquaculture trade.

Meanwhile, the Japanese official proposed strengthening high-quality agricultural cooperation through attracting investment, technology, and knowledge transfer based on agreements between the two sides.

Nam requested the Japanese side to expedite the completion of procedures for Vietnamese pomelo to be exported to the Japanese market and to continue assessing the risks and pests associated with passion fruit and butter from cow's milk. They said that MARD has also instructed its relevant units to complete procedures for Japanese grapes to be exported to Viet Nam and to continue evaluating the export needs for Japanese peaches and puffer fish.

The technical agencies of the two ministries are reviewing relevant documents and expect that the Medium- to Long-Term Vision for Japan-Viet Nam Agricultural Cooperation in 2025 - 2029 will be signed between the two sides in the first quarter of 2025.

Japan is currently one of the important markets for Viet Nam's agro-forestry-aquatic exports, accounting for about 7.5 per cent of the total annual export turnover of these items. The average export growth over the past 10 years has expanded 6.35 per cent per year.  VNS
BEIJING  Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang held a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Senior Lieutenant General Dong Jun on Tuesday, on the occasion of the state visit by Party General Secretary and President To Lam and his wife to China.

During the meeting, Giang stressed that the top Vietnamese leader's visit to China, his first foreign trip after being elected as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, reflects Viet Nam's high priority on developing friendly cooperative relations with China in its foreign policy.

He expressed his belief that the visit will contribute to advancing the bilateral relations between the two countries into a new phase of development with effectiveness and durability, and further strengthening their comradely and brotherly ties.

According to the Vietnamese minister, the relationship between the two Parties and the two countries has maintained positive momentum through the high-level visits of historic significance by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in October 2022 and Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping in December 2023. Through the visits, the two Parties and countries have reached many important common perceptions, established a "new positioning" for bilateral relations, elevated the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and built a Viet Nam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance with six major directions indicating higher levels of cooperation, including "more substantive defence and security cooperation."

Giang highlighted that over the recent past, in carrying out the common perception of senior leaders of the two countries, Viet Nam-China defence cooperation has been promoted by both sides and increasingly deepened, showing a more "substantive" nature. He cited notable examples like the 8th Viet Nam-China border defence friendship exchange in April 2024; the exchange of delegations at all levels; education and training cooperation, cooperation among maritime forces, cooperation in border management, and joint research and academic exchanges.

In the coming time, the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence of Viet Nam hope to continue enhancing and expanding the areas of cooperation that the two sides have been implementing, while studying the expansion of cooperation to new potential areas of mutual interest, especially in defence industry, education and training, Party and political works, Giang said.

For his part, the Chinese defence minister said the Vietnamese top leader's visit offers an opportunity for the armed forces of the two nations to further boost their relations in a more substantive and effective manner.

He emphasised that expanding military cooperation between the two countries in various aspects holds significant strategic importance, and is crucial for ensuring the Viet Nam-China community with a shared future.

According to the officer, at this important time, both countries bear a similar historical mission. For the two countries to develop better and achieve success in the cause of socialism building, their armed forces should firmly stand side by side, continue to enhance cooperation in Party and political work, strengthen cooperation in the management of both land and maritime borders, and consolidate a solid foundation for the development of both countries.

Dong stressed that China and Viet Nam are comrades, partners and long-time friends who understand each other deeply. Therefore, in the coming time, it is necessary to further foster substantive cooperation between the two countries' armies in all fields, with more extensive, higher-quality, and more effective friendly exchange activities, contributing to the harmony, prosperity, and happiness of the two peoples.  VNS
HA NOI  Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen Hoang Xuan Chien hosted a reception in Ha Noi on Tuesday for Japanese Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Funakoshi Takehiro.

Chien lauded the comprehensive and positive results in the Viet Nam-Japan defence cooperation over the past years, describing it as one of the key pillars in bilateral relations. He underlined the successful exchange of delegations at all levels, the effective maintenance of defence policy dialogue mechanisms at the deputy ministerial level, and consultations between staff officers from the navy, army, and air force.

He also highlighted the enhancement of technology transfer cooperation and the ongoing efforts to address the consequences of war in Viet Nam.

As there remains ample potential for bilateral defence cooperation, particularly in areas where Japan has strengths and Viet Nam has needs, he asked Funakoshi to make recommendations to the Japanese Government, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Defence for the continued promotion of practical and effective defence cooperation, thus significantly contributing to the overall strong relationship between the two countries.

Funakoshi, for his part, stressed that the bilateral cooperative relationship is on a positive trajectory, including in national defence. He expressed a desire to further deepen and enhance defence collaboration in a more practical and effective manner, which, he said, would not only contribute to the development of both nations and but also maintain stability and peace in the region and the world. - VNS
HA NOI - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, head of the Steering Committee for reviewing and untangling knots in the legal document system, presided over a meeting on law-building between permanent Government members and representatives of ministries and sectors on Tuesday.

Participants listened to reports and discussed the policy contents of the draft Law on Management and Investment of State Capital in Enterprises; the draft Law on Corporate Income Tax (amended); the draft Law on Special Consumption Tax (amended), the draft Law on Teachers; the draft Law on Digital Technology Industry; the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Viet Nam People's Army Officers.

Following the discussion, PM Chinh commended ministries and sectors for the preparation of the draft laws. He required them to seriously study the opinions raised at the meeting and further refine the bills, while emphasising additional guiding principles and major directions in the process of developing law projects.

For the Law on Management and Investment of State Capital in Enterprises, the PM requested to focus on removing difficulties and obstacles to mobilise and effectively use resources, saying that it is necessary to design mechanisms and policies to free up resources in enterprises, and enhance the autonomy and self-responsibility of enterprises.

Regarding the draft Law on Corporate Income Tax (amended), the PM said this law affects many industries, businesses, and people, stressing that the law should stipulate tax policies that both ensure the promotion of production and business and limit negative impacts on socio-economic development and people, in the spirit of harmonising interests between people, businesses, and the State.

The Law on Digital Technology Industry must fully institutionalise and synchronise resolutions and conclusions of the Party Central Committee and resolutions of the National Assembly and the Government on contents related to the development of the digital technology industry, the PM said.

Regarding the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Vietnam People's Army Officers, the PM pointed out that the law must institutionalise the Party's guidelines and the State's policies on building the Vietnam People's Army, including officers; amending and supplementing regulations to overcome difficulties and inadequacies and ensure compliance with reality.

He requested the compiling agencies to collect opinions of relevant agencies and organisations, and promptly complete the draft laws to submit to the Government at the thematic session on law-making in August, and to the National Assembly for consideration and decision, ensuring the schedule and quality. - VNS
A Colorado man faces 143 years in prison for a 2022 crime spree that included trying to pay for a Burger King meal with drugs.

A jury convicted Robertson on 8 counts of Attempted Murder, 4 counts of Felony Menacing, Illegal Discharge of a Firearm, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Harassment and two counts of Reckless Endangerment.

Around 11 p.m. on October 17, 2022, Robertson placed an order at a Burger King drive-through in Aurora. After pulling up to the window, Robertson tried to pay for his food with drugs. When the employee refused, Robertson pulled out a gun and pointed it at the employee before driving away.

Shortly after, officers were called to a shooting at a convenience store in the 500 block of S. Airport Blvd, which is across the street from Burger King. The store clerk said a man walked in and pointed a gun at his head. When the man noticed a television surveillance camera system, he shot the screen and left the store. In the parking lot, witnesses reported seeing the man shooting toward another person and his girlfriend before leaving.

Shortly after midnight, Aurora Police received another 9-1-1 call from an apartment complex. The woman told a dispatcher that a friend she knew as "Eugene" was knocking on her door and when she refused to open the door, he fired shots. The victim was inside her apartment with multiple people.

While conducting the shooting investigation at the apartment complex, officers spotted Robertson. He ran and hid behind some bushes before he was taken into custody.

"I hope this lengthy prison sentence provides some sense of safety and comfort for the victims who were traumatized that night," Senior Deputy DA Taylor McCreary said. "While we were lucky that no one was seriously hurt or killed, this defendant's egregious actions warrant several decades in prison where he won't be able to harm anyone else."
HA NOI  Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee and head of its Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung unveiled the successful outcomes of the state visit to China by Party General Secretary and President To Lam from August 18-20, in a press briefing in Ha Noi on Tuesday.

Trung said the meticulous and respectful reception accorded to General Secretary and President To Lam by the Chinese Party and State underscores the importance China places on its relationship with Viet Nam.

The visit, Lam's first foreign trip since his election as General Secretary of the 13th CPV Central Committee, included 18 key activities, such as talks with Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, witnessing the signing of cooperation agreements, attending a tea party and state banquet hosted by Xi, and meeting with other key Chinese leaders and officials.

His spouse Ngo Phuong Ly also met with the spouse of General Secretary and President Xi, Prof. Peng Liyuan, contributing to raising mutual understanding and friendly relations between the two countries and their people.

The Party official said during the visit, General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed the Vietnamese Party and State's policy of valuing and giving top priority to its relationship with China, a sentiment echoed by Xi and other key Chinese leaders who also confirmed Viet Nam's importance in China's neighbourhood diplomacy.

Both sides agreed to continue high-level strategic dialogues and strengthen relations between leaders of the two Parties and countries.

Trung highlighted that the two sides agreed to enhance cooperation in strategic areas such as diplomacy, national defence, and public security. They also committed to expanding connectivity between the "Belt and Road Initiative" and the "Two Corridors, One Belt" framework, accelerating "hard connectivity" in infrastructure, border crossings, and cross-border railways, and fostering "soft connectivity" in smart customs.

China pledged non-refundable aid for Viet Nam to plan and conduct feasibility studies for railway lines connecting with China. Both sides also agreed to explore pilot projects for smart border crossings, establish economic cooperation zones along the border, and develop secure and stable production and supply chains. Additionally, they support the involvement of capable Chinese enterprises in economic development in Viet Nam.

Apart from the joint statement, 16 practical cooperation agreements were signed, covering various fields such as theoretical and training cooperation between the two Parties, transportation, banking, education, healthcare, trade, and protocols on the export of Vietnamese agricultural products, as well as media communications.

According to Trung, a highlight of the visit was a tour of Guangzhou in Guangdong province marking the 100th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minhs arrival in Guangzhou as an international advisor to the Communist International. This provided an opportunity for both sides to reminisce about the traditional friendship, solidarity, and mutual support between the two Parties, countries, and their people, laying a stronger social foundation for the bilateral relationship.

Looking ahead to 2025 when the two countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties, the leaders decided to designate 2025 as the "Year of Viet Nam-China Humanistic Exchange" to raise public awareness of the traditional bilateral friendship.

To build upon the achievements of the visit, Trung urged departments, agencies and localities to fully understand and grasp the importance of Viet Nam-China relations within the broader framework of the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations.

He suggested building specific plans and roadmaps to effectively realise high-level common perceptions and regularly inspect the implementation. - VNS
HA NOI  The elderly in Viet Nam traditionally spend their old age with their children, but this is changing, with the rise of retirement homes, which also presents new investment opportunities in the country.

Kim Anh, a resident in Ha Nois Hai Ba Trung District, said that while living at home, her 80-year-old mother was showing signs of cognitive decline and geriatric depression, despite having a dedicated caretaker.

Learning from her friends experience, she decided to reach out to a retirement home.

Kim Anh was surprised at how her mothers health has improved after moving into the facility, which her family affectionately dubbed as boarding school.

It was not an easy decision to send her to a boarding school because of the many social prejudices surrounding us.

But when I see how happy and alert she is at Kaigo Nursing Centre compared to when she was back home, I realised that I cared for her in the wrong manner for so many years. Luckily, it was not too late, said Kim Anh.

Experts say that the demand for elderly health care services is increasing in both quality and quantity as population ageing accelerates.

However, they noted that most retirement homes only respond to the needs of a small senior population living in urban areas, due to their high fees compared to the countrys average income, especially that of the elderly.

The number of senior care facilities, particularly private ones, remains modest compared to their potential.

According to data from Bao Viet Insurance, nursing homes exist in only 32 out of the total 63 cities and provinces of Viet Nam, while the percentage of elderly people living alone is increasing.

Another survey from the Viet Nam Association of Realtors (VARS) showed that the country counts about 400 retirement homes, with about 50 per cent of them charity centres or state-invested facilities.

Viet Nam is witnessing one of the highest population ageing rates in the world, according to statistics from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

By 2036, the country is projected to enter the ageing population stage and by 2050, people aged 60 and above will account for more than 25 per cent of the national population.

This demographic change is brought about not only by a life expectancy increase and a decline in mortality rates, but also by a significant drop in birth rates.

Viet Nams total fertility rate has halved over the past three decades, falling from 3.8 children per woman in 1989 to below two children per woman in 2023.

VARS analysis says that while developed countries may have decades or hundreds of years for policy adjustments in the face of population ageing, Viet Nam has, at best, 12 years to leverage its current golden population and respond to an incoming ageing population.

This situation presents an urgent need for retirement homes to ensure health care, treatment and quality of life for the elderly.

This demand becomes increasingly pressing with the rising number of senior citizens not living with their children in both urban and rural areas, according to VARS forecast.

Experts recommend that the government need to put forward policies that encourage business engagement in care services for the elderly population, especially in developing senior-care models.

These could be income tax reductions or exemptions in the first few years of operation, preferential loan policies or policies to attract private foreign investments, as well as state-run support funds for nursing home businesses.

A clear and transparent legal framework on the operation and standards of nursing homes is necessary, in addition to promoting public-private partnership (PPP) models in elderly care.

Troy Griffiths, deputy managing director of real estate agency Savills Viet Nam said that the Vietnamese market had multiple advantages for the development of retirement homes, with insurance packages that come with an investment value becoming particularly popular.

In the future, there should be a shift of investment opportunities from traditional family houses to nursing centres, he added.  VNS
HA NOI  Nhan Dan (People) newspaper, the central organ of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, on Tuesday launched a special website on 'Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong  A visionary and kind-hearted Party leader'.

The site http://nguyenphutrong.nhandan.vn consists of nearly 1,000 articles, photos, videos and multimedia products reflecting on the life and career of the late Party leader.

It includes articles written by the late leader on topics such as strengthening Party building and rectification, gradually realising socialism, culture  the spiritual foundation of society, drastically preventing corruption and negativity and Vietnamese bamboo diplomacy.

Readers can search by time or keywords on important speeches delivered by Trong from the time he became Party General Secretary in 2011.

The special page also consists of opinions and comments from Party, State leaders, domestic and international experts on Trong's strategic mindset and ideological guidance which are both comprehensive, profound and specific, consistent with the practice.

It also has a section reflecting the sentiments of local people from all walks of life, those living in Viet Nam and overseas and international friends of the late Party leader.

Member of the Party Central Committee and Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper Le Quoc Minh said over the past month, with a sense of political responsibility and special affection for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong -- an exceptionally outstanding leader, a teacher and big brother of Vietnamese revolutionary journalists -- the newspaper has been urgently working to launch a special website on the Party leader.

General Luong Cuong, Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committees Secretariat, said the special page is a timely action which holds a practical meaning, helping Party members, officials, people and international friends understand more about the life, career and major contributions of Party leader Trong.

It has also thoroughly grasped and creatively applied a rich and unique theoretical system of the late Party leader in practical political tasks, he said.

The articles published on the site are digitalised, arranged and presented systematically and scientifically, which serves as an important database serving the research of experts as well as the general public, he said.

He asked the Party Central Committee's Commission for Publicity and Education and other relevant agencies to coordinate closely with the Nhan Dan Newspaper to spread the impacts of the information page.

The same day Nhan Dan Newspaper opened a photo exhibition of 44 photos on the life and career of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
CA MAU  The Ca Mau Provincial Police has initiated legal proceedings and detained Quach Thanh Tuan and Duong Hoang Giang on charges of organising and brokering illegal exit and entry for people to illegally fish for them.

Both detainees are residents of Song oc town, Tran Van Thoi District of southern Ca Mau Province,

In addition, Ca Mau police, in collaboration with the force of neighbouring Bac Lieu and Kien Giang provinces, detained Nguyen Van Cong, a boat captain, and Nguyen Van Phu, who acted as brokers, for smuggling fishermen onto Malaysian fishing boats.

According to the initial investigation, at the beginning of 2023, Tuan directly organised, connected, and conspired with Cong, Giang, and Phu to repair the fishing vessel CM-92365 TS, aiming to smuggle nine fishermen to Malaysia by sea.

The suspects organised and coordinated the illegal exit of six other fishermen by air to Malaysia, where they would work on Tuan's fishing boat KNF6649.

Before departing for Malaysian waters, Tuan and the fishermen agreed on profit-sharing that after deducting all expenses for fuel, ice, food, fishing gear, provisions and others, the harvested seafood would be divided with 60 per cent going to the boat owner and the remaining 40 per cent allocated to the crew. The biggest share would be given to the captain, followed by the chief engineer, technician and, then, according to the work contributions, with those working harder earning more.

After six months, the fishermen were allowed to return home once, with an advance payment of VN30-40 million (US$1,265-1,686) per fisherman.

In August 2023, after preparing the vessel and personnel, the suspects carried out the smuggling of the boat and fishermen to Malaysia to fish.

On July 8, when the CM-92365 TS fishing vessel returned to Vietnamese waters to sell seafood to a Vietnamese support vessel, it was inspected, detected for violations and detained by the coast guard.

The actions of Tuan and Giang are sufficient to constitute the crime of organising and brokering illegal exits abroad.

The police are continuing the investigation and expanding the case to handle it according to the law strictly.  VNS
KIEN GIANG  The southern province of Kien Giang has reported fewer traffic deaths this year, but potholed roads and encroachment by street vendors mean the number of accidents and injuries have risen.

According to the provincial Traffic Safety Committee, the efforts by relevant agencies and local authorities have ensured traffic safety and order, reducing accident-related deaths significantly compared to the same period in 2023.

Nevertheless, certain locations have seen a rise in accidents, deaths and injuries, it said, describing them as black spots.

National Highway No. 80, a crucial route connecting the province with the Ha Tien and Giang Thanh border gates with Cambodia, is often congested.

Many people living along it in Hon at Districts Linh Huynh and Binh Giang communes said there are frequent accidents in the highway, including between trucks and motorbikes, and they result in casualties.

Nguyen Minh Hao of Binh Giang Commune said the highway is quite narrow at only around six meters wide in some places but handles a large volume of cars, buses, trucks, especially container trucks and other heavy vehicles.

This causes it to deteriorate frequently, creating potholes that pose a danger to drivers, he said.

Vietnam News Agency found that the Rach Soi bypass through the Thanh Loc Industrial Park in Chau Thanh District is seeing increased encroachment by street vendors, compromising traffic safety.

Tran Quoc Huy, of Rach Soi Ward in Rach Gia City, said a 500m stretch on both sides has been taken over by vendors with food trucks, fruit stands, and tables and chairs.

The area, with its heavy traffic, is often chaotic and hazardous, he said.

This year, Kien Giang police have patrolled waterways and roads and hauled up nearly 17,000 offenders, seizing more than 8,800 vehicles and fining 14,800 drivers.

There were 91 accidents, 18 higher year-on-year but 11 fewer deaths at 36 deaths.

The number of injuries increased from 50 to 72.

Le Viet Bac, director of the provincial Department of Transport and deputy head of the Traffic Safety Committee, attributed the decrease in deaths to efforts by the authorities to raise awareness and address alcohol-related violations.

Lam Minh Thanh, Chairman of the Kien Giang People's Committee, admitted to shortcomings like slow repair and maintenance of damaged roads and lack of awareness campaigns, patrols and crackdowns on traffic violations in some areas.

He instructed the transport department to upgrade technology to monitor traffic and infrastructure.  VNS
HA NOI  General Director of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Vu Viet Trang hosted a reception in Ha Noi on Tuesday for Director General of the Public Relations Department (PRD) of Thailand Sudruetai Lertkasem.

General Director Trang expressed her delight at the significant outcomes of the 17th Joint Technical Committee (JTC) meeting between VNA and PRD earlier the same day, which helped promote the substantive ties between VNA and PRD. She thanked the PRD for its support of VNA's correspondents in Thailand, enabling them to effectively carry out their tasks.

She said VNA is increasing policy communication to support Viet Nam's socio-economic development, with a particular emphasis on green and circular economies, while combating fake and misleading information. She underscored VNA's goal to disseminate information about Viet Nam to regional and global audiences, and sought the PRD's support in achieving this goal.

Lertkasem affirmed that the PRD is pleased to see the growing relationship with VNA, particularly in timely and accurate information exchange, combating fake news, misinformation and online fraud. This collaboration, she said, helps convey the messages of both countries and contributes to strengthening the strategic partnership and enduring friendship between Thailand and Viet Nam.

Co-chairing the 17th JTC meeting between the two agencies earlier the same day, VNA Deputy General Director oan Thi Tuyet Nhung noted that the two sides have resumed the exchange of journalists after a period of disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, VNA hosted a delegation of three PRD journalists who visited some locations and entities in Ha Noi and Ninh Binh to gather information on tourism development, innovation and business investment activities of Thai enterprises in Viet Nam.

In return, VNA sent a delegation of three journalists to Thailand to report on healthcare, game production, and MICE tourism.

The exchange proved to be effective and VNA wishes to continue this cooperative effort, Nhung said.

The guest thanked VNA for its timely exchange of information and agreed to further strengthen information sharing to raise mutual understanding between the people of both countries. She underlined the importance of increased collaboration to quickly and effectively provide information of public interest, help steer public opinions, and counter fake and misleading news.

The two sides also agreed to enhance cooperation in content production and provision of diverse and reliable information products to meet the growing demand of the public in both countries.  VNS
In line with government's Resolution No.02/NQ-CP on administrative procedure reform issued in January this year, Ba Ria-Vung Tau has identified digital transformation and smart-city development as top priorities. These tasks aim to enhance public governance and digital government capabilities and improve the locality's competitiveness and investment appeal.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau aspires to be in the top 15 cities and provinces for digital transformation

Digital transformation and smart urban development is a must

On April 17, Ba Ria-Vung Tau People's Committee announced that Chairman Nguyen Van Tho had signed a decision approving the province's digital transformation plan for 2024.

The plan outlines objectives to continue implementing tasks in accordance with Resolution 02-NQ/TU of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Party Committee on digital transformation and smart urban development linked to administrative reform. It prioritises resources to achieve key targets within national strategies for digital transformation of government, the economy, and societal development in the province.

The plan aims to leverage digital technology and data to improve and transform operational processes of state agencies, innovating service delivery methods with a focus on citizens and businesses. Ba Ria-Vung Tau's aspiration is to rank among the top 15 cities and provinces nationwide in terms of digital transformation progress.

At Ba Ria-Vung Tau Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DoNRE), digital transformation is considered a core mission, mandatory for every official to apply and implement. It is also a solution to improve land-related index accessibility for citizens and businesses.

According to Le Anh Tu, deputy director of the DoNRE, the department has essentially completed building the industry's database, connecting and sharing with other information systems. This contributes to increasing the productivity of civil servants and better meeting the needs of citizens and businesses.

In the near future, the DoNRE will integrate land data into the VNeID application and deploy robots for data analysis, supporting civil servants' work processes and serving state management of the natural resources sector at local and central levels.

"This is a mandatory task, not just for Ba Ria-Vung Tau, but to connect with the central government's data system, aiming to create urban, electronic, and digital governments, and implement digital transformation of the natural resources sector and the province. This is one of the three key tasks that the province must complete this term," Tu said.

Strengthening the citizens awareness of digital transform

Vu Hong Thuan, Vice Chairman of Vung Tau City People's Committee, said that digital transformation is a process of changing public awareness. Therefore, each official and leader must grasp and understand it for effective public communication and mobilisation.

"Besides leaders, officials and civil servants must also understand digital transformation. If they don't understand, how can citizens understand? We should simply understand that digital transformation is shifting from manual forms, even machine-based but still human-operated, to digitalisation," Thuan said.

Every citizen in Ba Ria-Vung Tau should participate in the digital transformation process

To achieve this goal, the city has implemented several models recently, such as 'Friday - Online Day' at the city's reception and result delivery department. This applies to two end-to-end online public services: providing construction planning information under district-level authorities in construction planning and architecture, and the procedure for declaring and appraising environmental protection declarations for wastewater in the tax policy area.

As the first locality in Vung Tau city to implement the 'cashless street' model, Ward 1 aims for each business and service on Ly Tu Trong street to conduct transactions using cashless payment solutions.

To achieve this goal, the ward is surveying and contacting payment partners (banks, credit organisations, payment intermediaries) to support and guide residents in promoting cashless transactions and payments.

Thai Thi Hong Minh, Vice Chairwoman of Ward 1 People's Committee, said that implementing the cashless street faced initial challenges. However, after advocacy and persuasion, most businesses signed commitments to implement and promote the initiative to residents.

"This street serves not only Ward 1 citizens but also residents citywide who shop here. While we haven't achieved 100 per cent cashless adoption, the ward has succeeded in gaining residents' consensus and cooperation, encouraging customers to avoid using cash," Minh said.

Implementing administrative reform and online document processing, Ward 5 People's Committee in Vung Tau city established 34 digital transformation teams across residential areas, ensuring at least one member per household can apply administrative procedures through digital platforms effectively.

Le Thanh Phong, Chairman of Ward 5 People's Committee, noted that as an area with many fishermen living and working primarily at sea, promoting online public administrative transactions faces difficulties due to ingrained habits.

However, to achieve this goal, digital transformation teams comprising committee officials, women's union members, youth, and police visit homes daily after office hours to encourage residents to adopt these practices.

"We formed a task force that goes door-to-door nightly to inform and guide residents on digital transformation and administrative reform. For instance, we explain how online public services and document submission reduce travel. Once people realise the initial benefits, they become advocates, helping the locality implement online services," Phong said.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau showing enormous potential for development The southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has ramped up efforts to open Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Expressway on schedule by 2025, as directed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on his field visit to the project site in mid-February.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau province ranks first in foreign investment capital The southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau took first place for attracting the most foreign investment capital in the first four months of the year.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau among top choices for living in Vietnam Famous for its captivating natural beauty and rich cultural and historical heritage, the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau is rapidly establishing itself as one of the most desirable places to live in Vietnam.
In Eastern culture, magpies are cherished symbols of joy and prosperity, a sentiment that is gracefully and subtly captured in the mooncake box design.

These birds, known for their melodious songs that bring tidings of good fortune, are delicately depicted perched together on a plum blossom branch, adorned with fragile, blooming flowers. This imagery beautifully symbolises the reunion and happiness that the Mid-Autumn Festival embodies.

The design of Hy Tuoc Dang Mai meticulously recreates the intricate lines and details of the original painting. The deep red, a colour synonymous with Eastern celebrations, further amplifies the festive joy, evoking the warmth and togetherness of the full moon season as families gather.

The Hy Tuoc Dang Mai collection is not only a wish for a harmonious and prosperous Mid-Autumn Festival, but also an invitation from Mia Saigon to explore the hotels art collection. Through this collection, Mia Saigon aspires to preserve, honour, and promote the rich cultural heritage of Vietnam in a contemporary light.

Mia Saigon's mooncake brand has gained renown since 2020 for being entirely handcrafted by a team of skilled and experienced pastry chefs. Using carefully selected ingredients and traditional baking techniques, they ensure the highest quality in both appearance and flavour.

To provide a broader array of choices for discerning gourmands, in addition to the four traditional flavours of lotus seed, taro, black sesame, and roasted chicken with char siu, Mia Saigon introduces two new and innovative flavours this year: truffle and ham, and oolong tea and pine nut. These novel flavours exemplify a creative twist while upholding the essence of traditional Eastern confectionery.

In addition to the unique flavours, Mia Saigon's gift box includes Thai Nguyen green tea from the Tra Viet brand and candied ginger, creating an exquisite tasting experience.

Thai Nguyen green tea is renowned for its refreshing and delicate flavour, offering a sense of tranquillity and sophistication. When paired with mooncakes and candied ginger, the tea's flavour becomes even more pronounced and harmonious, balancing the sweetness of the mooncake and the spicy warmth of the ginger.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, savouring mooncakes alongside green tea and candied ginger is not merely a culinary delight but also a way to embrace traditional culture, evoking feelings of warmth and togetherness.
This expansion represents a significant step in CFLs strategy to maintain its position as the reference for diversified supply, with its Adairsville (Georgia, the United States), China, and Vietnam factories serving as its main pillars.

Spanning nearly seven hectares, this state-of-the-art facility, will drastically increase our capacity to meet the growing demand for our innovative flooring products, said Thomas Baert, president and co-founder of CFL. This expansion is not just a growth in size but a strategic move to benefit our partners with first-to-market innovative flooring solutions, reinforcing CFLs leadership in the industry.

Furthermore, in line with our commitment to sustainability and net zero, we are working with the industrial zone in Haiphong on introducing alternative energy sources to reduce our carbon footprint from manufacturing, Baert added.

The company will continue manufacturing its best-selling Atroguard waterproof laminate, Firmfit Eco-Composite Flooring, and its stone plastic composite (SPC) and wood polymer composite products out of its current facilities in Vietnam. Nevertheless, the growing demand has necessitated increased capacity for more complex offerings, such as the patented Novocore Q acoustic SPC, made-to-last anti-scratch SPC, and pre-grouted tile solutions. This new facility is set to enhance CFL's production capabilities and establish itself as a new hub for innovation.

Tom Van Poyer, CEO of CFL, emphasised the need for diversification in light of current market dynamics. The global landscape is fraught with uncertainties, from geopolitical tensions to economic fluctuations. Our strategic expansion in Vietnam is a proactive step towards ensuring we offer diversified, adaptable solutions to our partners and stay ahead of market trends.

Strategically located close to the port of Haiphong, the new factory offers significant logistical advantages, facilitating faster and more efficient global distribution.

CFL Flooring is the largest manufacturer of SPC and other hybrid flooring products worldwide. The company employs over 3,500 associates around the world, including in the United States, China, Europe, and Vietnam.

SPC flooring ensuring source of raw materials in Vietnam Vietnam offers an alternative to China in the form of stone-polymer composite flooring, which is supported by domestic supply capacity and imported materials from high-standard markets.

Flooring producers tackle shifts within global market Despite the recovery of the American construction market, Vietnams top stone plastic composite flooring manufacturers are facing barriers to export due to wider global issues.
Infrastructure system is a promising cooperation for Vietnam and China (Photo: baodautu.vn)

Hanoi - Vietnam has seen a strong investment inflow from China with the presence of many international corporations in various fields such as technology, electronics, and renewable energy.

Last month, a delegation from China's Sunwoda Group visited the northern province of Bac Giang to seek investment opportunities. Xiang Hai Biao, General Director of the firm said that Sunwoda plans to build a 300-million-USD factory in the locality to produce electronic components. Previously, Sunwoda built a factory in Bac Giang.

Sunwoda is not the only Chinese enterprise to show interest in Vietnam. Last year, a delegation of Chinese businesses came to northern Hai Phong city to discuss projects that they want to invest in.

In early August, within the framework of a trade promotion programme in China, Hai Phong leaders presented investment licences to a series of projects worth nearly 200 million USD. Many memoranda of understanding were also signed for investment cooperation for other large-scale projects.

This reflects the recent trend that investment from China has been pouring into Vietnam, especially since China decided to lift the Zero-COVID policy in early 2023. Statistics from the Ministry of Planning and Investment showed that in 2023, Chinese enterprises registered to invest 4.5 billion USD in Vietnam, a year-on-year increase of nearly 80 per cent.

In the first seven months of this year, the figure hit nearly 1.65 billion USD, which is a positive figure despite a decrease compared to the same period last year. In terms of capital, China ranked fourth among the countries and territories investing in Vietnam in the Jan-Jul period. However, the country topped in the number of new projects which accounted for 29.7 per cent of the total.

Along with traditional areas, over the recent years, Chinese firms, including those from Taiwan and Hong Kong, have invested in large-scale projects in technology and electronics in Vietnam, evidenced by the presence of BYD, Goertek, and Foxconn.

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung held that the quality of Chinese investment in Vietnam has been considerably improved. In the past, Chinese-funded projects were mainly in the fields of textiles and footwear, but now they have been expanded to the fields of technology, electricity, and electronics.

Earlier this year, Victory Giant Technology Group decided to invest in a project to research, develop, produce, and trade high-precision circuit boards, with an investment capital of more than 800 million USD in Bac Ninh. Meanwhile, BYD Group is still continuously expanding its investment in electronic component manufacturing. Currently, BYD's Phu Tho factory is producing components and accessories for the Apple.

At the same time, Runergy Group is working on a 440-million-USD project in the production of semiconductor components, including silicon bars and semiconductor wafers in Nghe An. Runergy plans to increase its total investment capital in Vietnam to 1.2-1.4 billion USD. Power China, China Rare Earth Group, and Haosen Electronic Battery Company are also among the Chinese enterprises planning new investment projects in Vietnam in the near future.

Vietnam welcomes Chinese investors in the fields of high technology, renewable energy, supporting industries, electronic components, electric cars, electric batteries, essential infrastructure, international financial centre building, green finance, smart cities, ecological industrial parks, and free trade zones. These are industries that China is strong in and Vietnam has demand and development potential, the minister said at a seminar with Chinese businesses.

In his visit to China in June, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with many large firms of China and called for their investment in transport infrastructure, urban railway projects, and high-tech projects in Vietnam.

Minister Dung expressed his hope that Chinese firms will promote the technology transfer and help Vietnamese businesses enhance their production capacity and engage more deeply in the global value chain.

The growing Vietnam-China relations is considered a favourable condition for Chinese investment to continue its strong flow into Vietnam with a higher quality.

PM calls for more Chinese investments Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called on Chinese investors to expand investment in Vietnam, while addressing the Vietnam - China Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum in Beijing on June 28 within the framework of his official visit to China.

Appealing infrastructure can assist China+1 investment diversity efforts Chinese investment flows are predicted to increase in Vietnam as companies continue their China+1 strategy in 2024.

Opportunities for Vietnam amid Chinese investment wave China was the sixth-largest investor among 146 countries and territories investing in Vietnam in the first quarter, with registered capital of over $27.6 billion, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI).
After a six-year-long legal battle, a judge has sentenced sex-trafficking victim Chrystul Kizer to 11 years in prison for killing her abuser.

Kizer won't serve the full 11 years after Kenosha County Judge David P. Wilk credited her with more than a year and a half of time already served, according to The Washington Post.

The victim, who was 17 at the time, is now 24 and had initially faced a possible life sentence for shooting 34-year-old Randall Volar III.

Volar, a White man, had been filming his sexual abuse of Kizer, who is Black, for more than a year.

Kizer agreed to plead guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree reckless homicide with use of a dangerous weapon, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

Kenosha County DA Michael Gravely argued that Kizer planned the murder to steal Volar's BMW; however, public defender Jennifer Bias claimed Kizer acted in self-defense after Volar pinned her down and tried to sexually assault her.

Advocates said Kizer's case was the first in Wisconsin where a sex-trafficking victim was allowed to use an "affirmative defense" for a homicide charge.

Over 30 states have affirmative defense provisions allowing trafficking victims to be acquitted if they can prove at trial that the crime was a result of their abuse.
Harris bets America is ready for first Black woman president, Source: youtube.com

"In my entire career, I've heard people say when I ran... people aren't ready, it's not your time, nobody like you has done that before," the Democrat said in 2019 when she ran against Joe Biden in the primary presidential campaign.

"I haven't listened and I would suggest that nobody should listen to that kind of conversation."

But Harris's campaign never took off and she left the primaries race before Biden picked her as his running mate.

If Harris, 59, manages to beat Donald Trump in November, she will become the first woman and the second Black person, after Barack Obama, to run the world's leading power.

In so many ways, Harris already is a trailblazer. Born to an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, she was the first woman attorney general ever elected in California, on top of being the first African American and Asian American to hold that post. She then became the first vice president in US history in those same categories.

In a survey published in September 2023, the Pew Research Center, a Washington-based think tank, found that for a majority of Americans, gender does not play a role in choosing a president.

Sixty percent of respondents said that a female president would handle pressure as well as a man, while 27 percent believed that she would do better.

"While female leadership -- whether as presidents, queens, prime ministers, and heads of state -- has become the norm in many parts of the world, including Europe, Asia, South America, and African nations, the United States has yet to experience this moment," said Sonia Gipson Rankin, a law professor at the University of New Mexico.

She noted that even though Democrat Hillary Clinton lost the electoral college and therefore the presidency to Trump in 2016, she won the popular vote.

Regina Bateson, a professor of political science at the University of Colorado Boulder, believes that voters' biases may not themselves be the issue.

"The problem is often not that voters are actually biased," Bateson said. "It's that party insiders and delegates and political donors worry that the voters will be biased."

That leads them to withhold support from a woman of color, a phenomenon that Bateson calls "strategic discrimination," which usually manifests itself during the primaries when a candidate must demonstrate that he or she is able to rally many groups of voters.

Harris, however, took over from Biden after the 81-year-old leader withdrew from the race, thus sparing her "this process of trying to convince people that she's electable" during the primaries.

Flanked by her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a 60-year-old white man, Harris now hopes to win the trust of all Americans, regardless of ethnicity or gender.

Some are already convinced such as "White dudes for Harris," a group that brought nearly 200,000 people together for a Zoom fundraiser for Harris in late July, raising more than $4 million.

Donald Trump didn't wait long to attack his Democratic rival on her background.

The billionaire charged that Harris "turned Black" only recently in order to win electoral support.

Harris, who had always spoken of her Black and Asian heritage with pride, called out Trump for his "divisiveness and disrespect."

The former president's running mate, J.D. Vance, caused an outcry recently when a 2021 video resurfaced in which he dismisses the Democratic Party as being run by "a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives... and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable too."

Harris is married to Douglas Emhoff and helped in raising his two children from a previous marriage. She does not have any biological children of her own.

Vance's comments caused a backlash amplified by Hollywood stars such as Jennifer Aniston and Glenn Close, and were widely considered a political misstep in a country where the fertility rate is historically low.

Vance has sought to walk back his remarks saying they were taken out of context.
US approves $3.5-bn sale of military helicopters to S. Korea, Source: youtube.com

"The proposed sale will improve the Republic of Korea's capability to meet current and future threats by providing a credible force capable of deterring adversaries and participating in regional operations," the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement.

The sale will improve "the security of a major ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific region," the statement said, using the US foreign policy term for the Asia Pacific region.

The State Department approved the possible sale of the helicopters to South Korea, and the DSCA on Monday provided the required notification to Congress, which still needs to sign off on the transaction.

The principal contractors for the deal will be Boeing and Lockheed Martin, the DSCA said.

The announcement came on the same day that Washington and Seoul began major annual joint military drills, with new exercises aimed at containing the nuclear-armed North.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise runs until August 29 and will involve thousands of military personnel.
Israel has accepted an American proposal to bridge its differences with Hamas over terms for a cease-fire and hostage-release deal, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday.

Blinked called on Hamas to also accept the latest plan but didn't detail what had changed or whether it addressed concerns cited by the militant Palestinian group, the Associated Press reported.

His remarks came after a 2 1/2-hour meeting with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Blinken described as "very constructive."

"The next important step is for Hamas to say 'Yes,'" Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu called the meeting "good and important" and praised the "understanding that the United States has shown to our vital security interests, along with our shared efforts to release our hostages," AP said.

Netanyahu also said he wanted Hamas to release the maximum number of hostages during the first stage of the proposed deal.

Blinken said there were still "complex issues" that require "hard decisions by the leaders," without specifying what they were.

He also didn't say whether the U.S. proposal addressed issues that have so far prevented a deal, including Israel's demand for control over two strategic corridors in Gaza, which Hamas has rejected, AP said.

Blinken planned to travel to Egypt and Qatar to continue negotiations that have taken on new urgency since Israel's targeted killing of an Iran-backed Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and the assassination of Hamas' political leader in Iran, which has blamed Israel for the slaying.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo reshuffled his cabinet on Monday just weeks before he steps down in an effort to ease the transition to his successor, Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, his office said.

Widodo -- more popularly known as Jokowi -- will hand over the reins in October, departing with sky-high approval ratings over an economic track record that delivered consistent growth coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jokowi swore in new ministers for law and human rights, energy and mineral resources, and investment on Monday morning, as well as a new head of the food and drug agency and chief of the newly created national nutrition agency.

Former investment minister Bahlil Lahadalia, a close aide and vocal supporter of Jokowi, was appointed energy and mineral resources minister as the Indonesian leader focuses on a drive to boost nickel output.

Rosan Roeslani, who was head of Prabowo's presidential campaign, replaced Bahlil as the country's new investment minister while Supratman Andi Agtas, a member of Prabowo's Gerindra party, became Minister of Law and Human Rights.

"The appointments of these ministers... and agency heads are necessary to facilitate a smooth, orderly, and effective government transition," coordinator of the president's special staff, Ari Dwipayana, said in a statement.

The national nutrition agency has been created to help Prabowo's key campaign pledge -- a multibillion-dollar pledge to give schoolchildren free meals.

Yunarto Wijaya, executive director at research institute Charta Politika, said the new ministers were "Prabowo's people", approved by Jokowi.

"There are likely political undertones, besides the transition purpose," he said.

Jokowi, raised in a bamboo shack in a riverside slum on Indonesia's biggest island of Java, last week hailed his government's record on the economy, development and infrastructure building in his final state of the nation address.

The Indonesian leader has served the maximum two terms for a decade in power after beating Prabowo twice, in 2014 and 2019 elections.

Prabowo won with Jokowi's eldest son running as his vice presidential candidate, which courted accusations of nepotism.

The defence chief soared in polls with the support of Jokowi and his offspring, as well as pledging to carry on the popular economic policies.

But a key legacy project of Jokowi -- a $32-billion planned future capital on Borneo island -- remains mired in construction delays and funding problems.
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Alliant Energy has filed an application with the state Public Service Commission seeking approval for the landmark Columbia Energy Storage Project, which the company introduced plans for last fall.

Alliant announced in September it had been awarded a grant of up to $30 million from the Office of Clean Energy to build a 200-megawatt-hour energy storage system that would be the first of its kind in the U.S. The energy storage project would use a new technology, designed by Energy Dome, a company based in Milan, Italy, which was founded in 2020, and opened its first U.S. office in Boston in March.

Innovative systems like the Columbia Energy Storage Project are increasing energy security for our customers and strengthening our nations power grid, Mike Bremel, Alliant Energy director of technical solutions and federal funding, said in a statement. This project represents an incredible opportunity to advance the goals outlined in our Clean Energy Vision and build toward a more sustainable and reliable energy future for all.

Alliant is seeking approval from the PSC to build the new energy storage system after securing of a competitive cooperative agreement award from the U.S. Department of Energys Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.

Pending PSC approval of the application, crews will build the energy storage system south of Portage in the town of Pacific, near the current Columbia Energy Center, beginning in 2025, with completion expected in 2026.

The systems features would increase grid stability, improve resilience and deliver enough electricity to power about 18,000 Wisconsin homes for 10 hours on a single charge by compressing carbon dioxide gas into a liquid. The system would convert the liquid carbon dioxide back into a gas when energy is needed, which powers a turbine, creating electricity, according to Alliant Energy.

Energy Dome has another battery project of this kind in Italy, which has proven to be an effective way to store long duration energy, Alliant officials have said.

The dome project would require nearly 12 acres of land, with the dome nearly stadium size in length and about 150 feet tall, but would leave the land underneath it relatively undisturbed, aside from a foundation around the dome, according to Alliant.

Development of the Columbia Energy Storage Project is led by Alliant in partnership with WEC Energy Group, Madison Gas and Electric, Shell Global Solutions US, Electric Power Research Institute, UWMadison and Madison Area Technical College.

We are dedicated to pioneering sustainable solutions that benefit our customers and the communities we serve, Raja Sundararajan, Alliant Energy executive vice president of strategy and customer solutions, said in a statement. This is a pivotal moment in our transition toward more reliable, sustainable and cost-effective energy solutions.

Tony Palese, senior communications partner with Alliant, said the company will work with its project partners to conduct educational activities, listening sessions and community engagement meetings in the coming months.

Were excited to work with the University of WisconsinMadisons Clean Energy Community Initiative (CECI) to identify local priorities and help maximize the benefits of this project for the community, Palese said.

For more information about Alliant Energys energy storage projects, visit alliantenergy.com/battery.
You know youve made it as a health care diagnostic company when Woody Harrelson spoofs your signature product on Saturday Night Live, which happened during a somewhat bizarre skit in early 2023.

Its even better when you have 10 years of data to demonstrate your product works.

Both are the case with Madison-based Exact Sciences Corp. and its at-home Cologuard test, which has been used 16 million times since its 2014 approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to screen for colorectal cancer in middle-aged and older adults at average risk for the disease.

The SNL skit, which featured Harrelson being swarmed by a host of talking cardboard Cologuard boxes, was funny  but colorectal cancer is not. Its the No. 2 cancer-killer, with up to 53,000 Americans projected to die from it this year alone, yet also one of the most preventable and treatable cancers.

In a 10-year span, Cologuard has detected 525,000 people with advanced precancerous lesions  growths or polyps that can be removed to prevent cancer. About 42,000 people who used Cologuard were found to have Stage 1 cancer, meaning it was detected early enough for treatments to prevent a dangerous spread. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other sources show that Cologuard is a major reason significantly more Americans 45 and older are getting tested, a regimen formerly confined to invasive colonoscopies.

Projections also show Cologuard screening is helping reduce health care costs by reducing scheduling, nursing and other provider hours, leaving medical professionals more time to focus on people with serious symptoms.

Now theres a new box on the block, called Shield, which is a blood test produced by Guardant Health of Palo Alto, Calif. Recently approved by the FDA for people in the same age group, the blood sample can be obtained at a doctors office as part of a routine physical examination, or at a commercial laboratory.

It could be another way to reach people who might resist mailing samples of their feces to a lab for testing (the Cologuard approach), but data reviewed by the FDA indicates Shield isnt as effective in finding the very earliest cancers and especially pre-cancerous polyps.

Dr. David Lieberman, chairman of the colorectal cancer workshop within the American Gastroenterology Association, wrote in March 2024: Based on their current characteristics, blood tests should not be recommended to replace established colorectal screening tests, since blood tests are neither as effective or cost-effective, and would worsen outcomes.

An expert at Exact Sciences was more nuanced.

Many more people need to get screened, said Dr. Paul Limburg, chief medical officer for Exact Sciences. Innovation is a good thing. Offering informed choice is a good thing  blood tests are certainly better than nothing.

Cologuards edge is that it can find pre-cancerous polyps on the lining of the colon by detecting fragments of DNA that are shed by such polyps. Data indicates Cologuard is three times better at finding those cell fragments, which are precursors to tissue breakouts by cancer cells.

Dr. Limburg said that while some people may see Shield or similar blood tests as an easy option for screening, theres a big risk it will intensify cancer detection disparities in the population.

For example, studies show that black Americans are about 20% more likely to get colorectal cancer than other groups, and 40% more likely to die from it.

With or without competition, Exact Sciences is not willing to stand pat. The company is working on an updated version of Cologuard that promises to be more effective and several multi-detect tests. These can pinpoint tumor-specific DNA that remains in the body after cancer treatment, or may lead to early detection for liver, kidney and ovarian cancers. The company has about 6,500 employees, mostly in Madison  where it relocated in 2009  and around the world.

At 10 years old, that friendly, talking Cologuard box makes for more than a funny SNL skit: It contains the diagnostic power to help many more people avoid colorectal cancer or to treat it earlier.
New York City prosecutors didn't object Monday to former President Donald Trump's latest request to delay his sentencing in the Stormy Daniels "hush money" case.

The Manhattan district attorney's office said it would leave it up to the judge to set an "appropriate post-trial schedule" for deciding Trump's motion to dismiss his historic conviction and imposing his punishment "without unreasonable delay," NBC News reported.

State Justice Juan Merchan is expected to rule Sept. 16 on Trump's motion, which is based on a July ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court, which granted former presidents broad immunity from prosecution over their official acts.

Trump is seeking to postpone his sentencing, set for Sept. 18, until after the presidential race between him and Vice President Kamala Harris goes to the voters in November.

His defense lawyers suggested last week that holding the proceeding as scheduled would amount to election interference, the Associated Press reported at the time.

Trump previously had his sentencing delayed when Merchan agreed to weigh the impact of the Supreme Court's ruling on his case.

Trump became the first ex-president convicted of a crime when jurors found him guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, shortly before the 2016 election.

Daniels claims she had a 2006 affair with Trump, who's repeatedly denied it.
Editors note: The legendary Phil Donahue died Sunday, August 18, at age 88. AARP had the honor of featuring Donahue and his wife, Marlo Thomas, on the April/May 2020 cover of AARP The Magazine. In the story, Donahue and Thomas chronicled their work together on a book about what makes a marriage last.

Almost a year ago, we picked up the phone and heard the tearful voice of one of our dearest friends.

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Were getting a divorce, she told us, and we nearly lost our breath. She and her husband had been married for 28 years. They were good friends and always good company. This earthquake in their lives shook us  and many of our friends, too.

What happened? we kept asking each other. If it happened to them, could it happen to any of us? Where did they go wrong, we wondered, and more to the point, where did we go right? This heartbreaking event prompted the two of us to talk about our own marriage. What did we like about us as a couple? What do we still not get right? How far have we traveled since that spring day in 1980 when we made our wedding vows, and what, exactly, has kept us going year after year?

Jim Wright We often forget we're at our best when we're holding the hand  and having the back  of someone we care about. Marlo Thomas

We started to wonder if there really is a secret sauce to a successful marriage. And thats when we decided to break an ironclad rule of our marriage  for the first time, ever  and work on a project together. Wed write a book  one that pulled together the personal stories of many devoted couples  and uncover some of the mystery of marriage in a way that could be a source of information and inspiration for other couples, from newlyweds to long-married couples like us.

For nine months, we crisscrossed the country, sitting down on double dates with couples we admired who had been married 15 years or more. (We waived that requirement for the gay couples we interviewed, whose marriages were not legal nationwide until 2015.) As different as these couples stories are, they share a common plotline: that of two people joining hands and stepping up to the most challenging, invigorating, inspiring, infuriating, thrilling, terrifying, delightful and heavenly job on earth  making a marriage last.

Perry Hagopian/Getty Images

Joanna and Chip Gaines

Married in 2003

Their challenge: Two Different Money Styles

Its their differences that make them such a joy to watch. Hes restless; shes centered. Hes goofy; shes pragmatic. And together they are guileless and completely authentic, qualities that endeared them to a vast TV audience on their home-makeover show Fixer Upper. The two met at her fathers tire shop in Waco, Texas, and went into the house-flipping business together at the start of their marriage, raising five kids along the way.

Joanna: Working together isnt for everyone. But we have been together for every high and every low. Weve never known it any other way.

Chip: About six years ago, we challenged each other to go on a date and not talk about business at all. And it was the most awkward first date ever. We were like, So, hows the weather?

Marlo: Being in business means talking about money, and that causes tension for most couples.

Joanna: Sometimes he wanted to do things with our money that I didnt think we should do right then.

Chip: Shed be thinking about college funds, and Id say, Babe, weve got a lot of problems right now, but college funds arent one of them. Were going to just scrape by forever if I dont have access to all of the money.

Joanna: He knew how to grow the money. If it had been up to me, the money would have been hidden underneath my mattress.

The fix? In time, Joanna learned to trust her husbands instincts, and he, in turn, ceded the bookkeeping details  not his strong suit  to her.

Pursue the person you love like a hornet. Chip

Steve Jennings/Getty Images

Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon

Married in 1988

Their challenge: Caught Up in a Shocking Swindle

It took persuading to get actors Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick to talk about the success of their 31-year, two-kid marriage. As Kevin told us on the phone, My first piece of advice is not to take advice from celebrities.

But eventually, the couple invited us to their home in Manhattan.

I never want to come off like a celebrity who knows more than anybody else in the world, said Kyra. Who am I to say that what works for me works for somebody else?

Kevin agreed. Whenever people ask us how weve stayed married, Ive started saying, Keep the fights clean and the sex dirty. I felt like that would just end the conversation.

And it does, Kyra added.

She starred for seven seasons in the TNT police drama The Closer. It was in 2008, in the midst of that shows run, that the news hit about the arrest of Bernie Madoff, who operated the biggest Ponzi scheme in history. Kyra and Kevin had invested their lifes savings in his firm  and lost it all.

Kyra: We had both been working professionally  Kev since he was 17 and me since 15  and it was all the money we had. It was all over the news, about 5 oclock on a winter day, just before Christmas. It was a hard day.
For more than 35 years, unidentified anomalous phenomena have been part of Lisa Tserings life. While the more familiar term is UFO (unidentified flying object), UAP started making its way into our vernacular a few decades ago. First defined as unidentified aerial phenomena, about two years ago it was changed to unidentified anomalous phenomena, a shift that allowed for the inclusion of a larger swath of undefinable sightings, including those underwater.

It sounds weird but I dont care if its weird, the 62-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area says of the obsession that shes merged with her love of travel.

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Tsering has visited dozens of hot spots renowned for their UAP activity, though shes not an experiencer, per se  someone who has had a real experience with what they call the others or the phenomenon,  she explains. But, she says the connection to the subject keeps her traveling. Rather than traveling to see something, say the Eiffel Tower or the pyramids, Tsering says she travels to feel something.

If you go to one of these sort of weird hot spot places, and you bring the gift of an open mind, it can really be an unforgettable travel experience, even if you dont feel something, she says.

For those looking to feel or see something anomalous in the skies, a new study by researchers at the University of Utah suggests the American West and Northeast are the places to head. While there have been reported UAP sightings in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., using data from more than 98,000 reported UAP sightings, the University of Utah researchers determined that both the Southeast and the central plains were the least UAP-hearty. 

A night goggle photo taken during a sighting tour in Nevada. Courtesy Miesha Johnston

Anomalous objects back in the news

Anomalous objects are having a moment. The spike in interest and sightings of the anomalous may be pandemic related. According to Diana Pasulka, a professor of religion studies at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, UAP sightings increase during times of crisis. Congress has held hearings, NASA has commissioned a study team and the Pentagon has established a task force. Theres bipartisan support for a bill calling for government transparency about research on extraterrestrials.

Im definitely convinced theres something out there, says Alan Steinfeld, the author of Making Contact: Preparing for the New Realities of Extraterrestrial Existence. In 1987, while parked overnight off a deserted road, Steinfeld and his girlfriend felt like we were frozen in time, he says, adding that he believes UAP is a phenomenon that goes beyond objects. It can have a physical effect; it can be negative or positive; it can attack peoples moods; it can shift the nature of what they think reality is, he says.

Several years ago on a trip to West Texas from Austin, Suzanne Kho, 58, drove to see the Marfa Lights. She says she spent over an hour at the viewing platform  and scanned the horizon to get a glimpse of these mysterious lights without any luck. So I remain a skeptic.

One of the issues with sightings, according to the experts who debunk them, is a lack of familiarity with normal objects in the sky, including planets often reported as UAPs. Atmospheric phenomena are explainable, too, from sun dogs caused by ice crystals that project columns of light on each side of the sun to lentil-shaped clouds that look like mid-century B-movie flying saucers.
Authorities in Brooklyn arrested a man for allegedly trafficking women as prostitutes for an open-air sex market in New York.

An indictment unsealed on Monday identifies the man as Ferron Facey, 38, also known as "Azul," "Blue," "Royal," and "Royal Da P."

He's charged with two counts of sex trafficking and one count of interstate prostitution for bringing young women from out of state to the Eastern District of New York to prostitute.

The court filing states Facey allegedly recruited young womenone of whom was under 18 years oldto work for him in prostitution at an open-air sex market in East New York, Brooklyn, commonly referred to as "Penn Track" or "Blade."

Facey reportedly used violence, coercion, and threats of force to exert control over the victims and has a violent history, according to Christie Curtis, FBI Acting Assistant Director.

Curtis claimed the man's "depravity knows no bounds."

In a video posted to social media in 2023, Facey was allegedly seen verbally assaulting a woman, warning the victim, "I got hoes out here that'll beat you up right now... I put hands on bitches."

Shortly afterward, two people got out of his car and physically attacked the woman.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said, "My office is working diligently with our local and federal law enforcement partners to shut down this blight on our district where vulnerable victims are callously exploited by people like the defendant and the customers who patronize this location.

If convicted, Facey is looking at a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years while the interstate prostitution charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.




Perth, Aug 20, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Lithium Universe Limited ( ASX:LU7 ) ( KU00:FRA ) ( LUVSF:OTCMKTS ) is pleased to announce the forming of a joint committee and collaboration with the Tribal Council representing the Abenaki Council of Odanak and the Abenaki Council of Wolinak (W8banaki). This initiative aims to foster ongoing information exchange and mutual understanding, maintaining a strong relationship based on dialogue, collaboration, transparency, and respect.



- Formation of committee with W8banaki to progress Becancour Lithium Refinery



- Collaboration with W8banaki to assist with site impact assessment



- W8banaki Nation traditional land custodians of Becancour Industrial Park



- W8banaki representatives hold significant understanding of battery supply chain



- W8banaki hold years of experience collaborating with chemicals industry



- LU7 committed to a collaborative and respectful relationship



Proud of their cultural and linguistic heritage, the W8banakiak occupied vast forested areas in what is now southern Quebec, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as parts of Massachusetts and New Brunswick, before the arrival of Europeans. The name W8banaki is a combination of the words "W8ban" (light, or dawn) and "Aki" (land), meaning "People of the Dawn". Still present and active on its ancestral territory, the population of the W8banaki Nation currently numbers more than 3,000 individuals, who are distributed mainly in Quebec and Canada, as well as in the United States. The W8banaki are the traditional land owners of the Becancour Waterfront Industrial Park (BWIP) and therefore also the Company's intended site for the proposed Becancour Lithium Refinery.



The Company's Site is strategically situated in Becancour, just south of Trois-Rivieres, and is optimally positioned between Montreal and Quebec City. Specifically, the site is located on Lot 22 within the BWIP with an area estimated to be 276,423 square metres. Positioned near a major highway, the site seamlessly connects to the extensive North American highway network. Additionally, the facility benefits from daily service by the Canadian National Railway (CN), enabling cross-continental transportation from east to west and north to south, linking key ports on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The Port of Becancour, operational all year-round, boasts a water depth of 10.67 meters, accommodating vessels of varying sizes and 50,000 tonne shipment capacity.



Establishment of Joint Committee



The Company and the W8banaki Nation will form a Joint Committee which will provide a structured framework for discussions about the Company's project at Becancour. This framework is designed to support mutually beneficial relations and ensure that both parties are fully informed and engaged in the process. The Committee, comprising 2 representatives from each party, will serve as the primary forum for communication, manage project schedules, ensure culturally safe collaboration, and oversee compliance. The committee will seek to identify opportunities for further involvement of the community within the Company's project and coordinate impact analyses, and adopt joint emergency and safety plans.



Collaboration on Impact Analysis



As part of the environmental assessment process, the Company recognizes that its project will impact the Ndakina and may affect the Rights and Interests of the W8banakiak. To address these impacts, both parties will work together to identify and implement measures to accommodate them, ensuring their effectiveness through continuous monitoring. W8banakiak will actively participate in the environmental assessment process, contributing to the development of an Impact Analysis. This analysis will support the comprehensive impact study that the Company is required to prepare, taking into account the historical and current occupation of the land by W8banakiak.



Lithium Universe Limited is committed to encouraging a collaborative and respectful relationship with W8banakiak, ensuring that all concerns are addressed and that the project proceeds with the highest consideration for environmental and cultural impacts.



Lithium Universe Chairman, Iggy Tan said, "it has been a pleasure to get to know the W8banaki representatives over the past few months. The W8banaki representatives are a very practical group who have a deep understanding of the battery supply chain having extensive experience managing similar committees and impact assessment studies for our battery-focussed neighbours in the Becancour Industrial Park. The W8banakiak are a key stakeholder for our Becancour Lithium Refinery and we look forward to learning more about the Nation in the coming years while building this critical project alongside the community."



*To view tables and figures, please visit:

https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/UPEJ081Z





About Lithium Universe Ltd





Lithium Universe Ltd (ASX:LU7) (FRA:KU00) (OTCMKTS:LUVSF), headed by industry trail blazer, Iggy Tan, and the Lithium Universe team has a proven track record of fast-tracking lithium projects, demonstrated by the successful development of the Mt Cattlin spodumene project for Galaxy Resources Limited.

Instead of exploring for the sake of exploration, Lithium Universe's mission is to quickly obtain a resource and construct a spodumene-producing mine in Quebec, Canada. Unlike many other Lithium exploration companies, Lithium Universe possesses the essential expertise and skills to develop and construct profitable projects.

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Conference on promoting China's peaceful reunification to be held in Hong Kong

Xinhua) 09:10, August 20, 2024

HONG KONG, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Overseas Chinese World Conference for Promoting Peaceful Reunification of China will be held Tuesday in Hong Kong, making it the first Chinese city to hold the conference for the second time, the Hong Kong Association for Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China (HAPPRC) announced Monday.

Themed "Unswervingly promoting China's peaceful reunification and striving to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," the upcoming conference is expected to attract about 1,200 representatives from more than 50 countries and regions. A 2024 Hong Kong Declaration is expected to be announced.

HAPPRC Chairman Yao Zhisheng said at a press conference that the conference will highlight the important role of the successful practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong in promoting the reunification of the motherland, consolidate the strong will of overseas Chinese around the world to oppose "independence" and promote reunification, and demonstrate the bright prospects for cross-Strait integration.

Since 2000, a total of 21 overseas Chinese conferences on promoting China's peaceful reunification have been held in 16 countries and regions on six continents. In 2010, the conference was held in Hong Kong for the first time, during which the Hong Kong Declaration was adopted.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A judge has ordered Western Kentucky University to release sexual misconduct records related to investigations of its employees following a year-long lawsuit between the university and two student news organizations.

The original records requests were filed in 2015 by the University of Kentucky's student newspaper, the Kentucky Kernel, and in 2016 by WKU's student newspaper, the College Heights Herald, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Both student organizations requested Title IX investigation records revealing sexual misconduct allegations made against university employees.

WKU initially refused to turn the records over after the requests were filed; however, student reporters filed an appeal with the Kentucky Attorney General's Office.

The school then sued the student newspapers in Warren Circuit Court to block access to the records.

WKU argued that releasing the names of employees who were accused of sexual misconduct or incorrectly accused could reveal their identities.

Last week, Judge Christopher Cohron in Warren Circuit Court said WKU must produce the records requested with minimal redactions.

The director of student publications at WKU, Chuck Clark, said he was pleased with the ruling, despite how long it took.

"Initially, this case was about getting any records at all, but over the past couple of years, it has been about what the students saw as excessive redaction of those records," Clark said in an email to the Herald-Leader.

Jace Lux, a spokesperson for WKU said, "Since the litigation began, the university's intention has been to protect the privacy interests of employees in compliance with the law who were found to have not violated university policy."

The Kernel and the Herald also requested that WKU pay its attorney's fees and costs in the lawsuit, but that was denied in the order.
A woman in Texas with dreams of virtual stardom was sentenced to 35 years in prison for stealing $1.2 million to fund her aspirations of being internet famous.

Staci Blackmon pleaded guilty to the years-long crime spree after her former employer, a high-end home building company in Southlake, found her out.

In 2019, Blackmon started using a bank account belonging to a senior partner who had unexpectedly passed away, according to FOX 4.

"Staci Blackmon actually befriended the heir of this senior partner and was helping her figure out where all he had accounts and all of this, and so she was literally walking through this with the person she was victimizing," said Lori Varnell, Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney.

Blackmon allegedly used a company credit card to send approximately $900,000 through PayPal to the popular social media platform TikTok.

Prosecutors say she was using the funds to tip social media influencers on live streams in hopes of creating her own large following.

Blackmon is also accused of purchasing a suite for Dallas Mavericks games and lavish trips, among other things.

"She didn't buy any assets. She didn't put the money anywhere and had nothing to offer, to pay back; that was comparable to the amount that she stole," explained Varnell.

"She went ahead and stole another $400,000 from the business as well," added the assistant DA.

The employer ultimately caught on to Blackmon's scheme after the theft led the company to realize the crime had been going on for several years.

Varnell described Blackmon as "extremely intelligent," saying she had "only ever graduated from high school, but that is no measure of how intelligent you are or how good you are at figuring out how to hide money."

Blackmon was indicted in 2022.

Court documents reveal she intends to appeal the sentence.
Saridon, the iconic pain relief brand from Bayers Consumer Health Division in India, introduces Saridon Woman formulated with paracetamol and a plant-based molecule, Hyoscine Butylbromide. Saridon Womans unique combination is designed to alleviate monthly pain, body pain, and headaches quickly and reliably, ensuring women can go about their daily lives uninterrupted. In the light of this new product announcement, Saridon Woman is proud to announce the launch of its first campaign, which showcases the brands commitment to providing effective relief from monthly pain.

The new campaign, titled No Pain, Period, presents a relatable and engaging narrative between two sisters. The video follows a young woman who is determined to attend a critical job interview despite being hampered by painful menstrual cramps. Her sister suggests aaram but the young woman, unable to afford any downtime, dismisses the idea. The sister then clarifies with I meant dard se aaram introducing Saridon Woman to her as the solution. The campaign demonstrates how Saridon Womans plant-based formulation starts working in just five minutes, offering long-lasting relief from monthly pain and associated discomforts.

Sandeep Verma, Country Head for India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka at Bayer Consumer Health Division, emphasized, With over 50 years of trusted efficacy in headache relief, Saridon has been a trusted household name for Indians. Today, we proudly unveil Saridon Womana true industry disruptor addressing monthly pains. Over the years women have found ways to deal with monthly pains  hot water bags, massages etc. However, todays competitive environment where women are equal participants, Saridon Woman offers quick and longer lasting relief as they go about achieving their daily or life goals. Saridon Woman empowers women to prioritize their well-being with a self-care solution. This launch underscores our unwavering commitment to women's health.

Ritu Mittal, Head - Marketing and Digital at Bayer Consumer Health Division India, shared her thoughts behind the campaign, We understand the unique challenges women face each month. Our campaign, 'No Pain, Period,' is heartfelt and relatable, bringing to life the real struggles women encounter while showcasing how Saridon Woman serves as a reliable ally in managing monthly pains. With its fast-acting and long-lasting relief, Saridon Woman empowers women to focus on what truly matters without being held back by pain. Through a targeted digital strategy across social media, video platforms, and influencer collaborations, we are committed to helping women experience relief and live life to the fullest.

Prateek Bharadwaj, Chief Creative Officer, Lowe Lintas, stated, "The No Pain, Period campaign is a profound reflection of the challenges women face every month. Our objective was to craft a narrative that genuinely connects with our audience, positioning Saridon Woman not just as a product, but as an empowering solution that enables women to continue living their lives with confidence and comfort."

Saridon Woman represents Bayers commitment to advancing womens health and wellness with its innovative formulation expertly designed for monthly pain relief. This milestone reflects Bayer's commitment to empowering women through accessible healthcare solutions, promising to redefine discussions on menstrual health and prioritize women's overall well-being.
"Dont Let That Breathtaking Shot Get Literal"this line was at the forefront of Canon Indias latest initiative, sparking curiosity and discussion. To commemorate World Photography Day, Canon India, a leader in digital imaging solutions, has launched the '#CaptureWithCare' digital campaign, a thought-provoking effort aimed at reminding photographers that safety should always come first. Through this campaign, Canon India seeks to educate the community on the importance of responsible practices, ensuring that the art of photography remains both beautiful and safe.

In a time where social media often drives trends, the pursuit of attention-grabbing content has led to a worrying rise in dangerous photography practices. Reports indicate numerous incidents involving both young social media users and influencers risking their lives for the perfect shot in hopes of gaining followers and validation. The sheer size of India, with its 1.4 billion citizens coupled with the rapidly growing affinity for social media, contributes to this alarming trend. Disturbingly, there has been a 63% increase in train track accidents over the past two years in Uttarakhand alone owing to the craze of selfies and Instagram reels, underscoring the urgent need for responsible photography practices.

On the sidelines of such startling facts, the #CaptureWithCare campaign was devised and rolled out in two stages. The first phase featured teaser posts on Canon Indias social media handles with witty one-liners, aimed at creating buzz and drawing attention to the campaign.

For the second phase, a powerful video was released on World Photography Day across social media platformsincluding Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and YouTubehighlighting the stark contrast between the beauty of photography and the potential dangers of unsafe practices. The video, anchored by the message #CapturewithCare, emphasizes that photography should be a celebration of life, not a cause for mourning.

As a brand deeply committed to the art of photography, Canon India remains dedicated to fostering a culture of safety alongside creativity. This campaign aligns with Canons philosophy of Delighting You Always, ensuring that photographers can continue to capture moments of beauty without compromising their safety or that of others.

Also Read: Canon India launches aSome Things are Best Left to Canona
RedBeryl, the premier luxury lifestyle management company, proudly announces the onboarding of Ebraheem Al Samadi as an esteemed member. In a special gesture, RedBeryl has gifted Ebraheem Al Samadi its highly coveted Red Card, a premium membership that offers unparalleled access to a world of exclusive experiences, personalized services, and extraordinary journeys.

Ebraheem Al Samadi, the button-pushing star of Netflix's buzzy reality show Dubai Bling and a renowned entrepreneur in the luxury retail industry, is celebrated for his discerning taste and exceptional achievements. His decision to join the RedBeryl community is a testament to the companys commitment to curating only the finest experiences for its members.

Manoj Adlakha, Founder & CEO of RedBeryl, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, We are delighted to welcome Ebraheem Al Samadi into the RedBeryl family. His keen eye for luxury and passion for excellence align perfectly with our ethos of delivering unparalleled experiences. The Red Card is more than just a membershipits a gateway to an elevated life, and we are excited to see how Ebraheem will take full advantage of the bespoke services and unique opportunities we offer.

Ebraheem Al Samadi, in response to this grand welcome, shared, It is an honour to be a part of the RedBeryl community. The brands dedication to providing exclusive and personalized experiences is truly unmatched, and I am looking forward to exploring all that the Red Card has to offer.

With this exclusive membership, Ebraheem will now enjoy privileged access to an array of elite experiences, from private events and luxury travel arrangements to tailored lifestyle services that cater to his every need. RedBeryl is committed to ensuring that Ebraheem's journey with them will be nothing short of extraordinary, setting new benchmarks in personalized luxury.



Also Read: Netflix and Pritish Nandy's The Royals stars Bhumi Pednekar and Ishaan Khatter
With a wholehearted effort to create a patriotic and memorable experience, Radio City, Indias leading radio network, took pride in proclaiming its latest Independence Day campaign, "Radio City Siachen Se." This year, the radio channel marked the 78th Independence Day with a unique celebration from the world's highest battleground, Siachen Glacier. From July 25 to August 15, 2024, their renowned RJs boarded on an extraordinary voyage, aiming to express solidarity with the brave soldiers stationed at this remote and challenging location.

The initiative ignited a sense of national pride and honour among their listeners and viewers, reflecting the true spirit of Independence Day. An RJ squad from six different cities travelled to capture this momentous journey, including RJ Salil from Mumbai, RJ Aadi from Delhi, RJ Munna from Chennai, RJ Raashi from Lucknow, RJ Harshil from Ahmedabad, and RJ Sumit from Pune. During this expedition, the team visited the OP Baba Mandir, the Siachen War Memorial, and participated in a trek over the Siachen Glacier with the IMF and Oxbow Explore team.

The OP Baba Mandir, built in honour of Om Prakash, an artillery soldier who disappeared after bravely defending his post, stood as a symbol of faith and protection for troops on the glacier. The Siachen War Memorial paid tribute to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in this harsh terrain. The trek, organized and conceptualized by Oxbow Explore, aimed to strengthen the bond between citizens and soldiers, celebrating Independence Day in one of the toughest terrains.

From fitness preparations and health check-ups to meticulous gear selection and training sessions, Radio City's team left no stone unturned. They focused on personal stories, sacrifices, and daily challenges of the soldiers stationed at Siachen to craft a narrative that resonated deeply with the audience. As part of the plan, the RJs documented their experiences through reels and posts, capturing the preparation, challenges encountered, and inspiring interactions with soldiers. This offered viewers an exclusive glimpse into life at Siachen, showcasing the battlegrounds strategic significance and the defenders' unwavering spirit, while boosting Radio City's brand recall and audience engagement.

Commenting on the initiative, Ashit Kukian, CEO of Radio City, said, "At Radio City, we believe in creating content that not only entertains but also imbibes with the core values of our listeners. 'Radio City Siachen Se' was our tribute to the brave hearts of the Indian Army who stood guard at the world's highest battlefield. Through this campaign, we aimed to bring their stories of courage and dedication to the forefront, inspiring our listeners to feel a deep sense of pride and honor for our soldiers. This Independence Day, we invited everyone to join us in celebrating the spirit of India from Siachen."

Commenting on the initiative, Manissha Dutta, Founder & COO- Explorations at Oxbow Explore, said, "As the organizer and conceptualizer of the Siachen Glacier trek, Oxbow's vision is to strengthen the bond between citizens and our brave soldiers by celebrating Independence Day in the heart of one of the toughest terrains. With Radio City broadcasting from Siachen for the first time, our radio jockeys had the unique opportunity to experience the challenges our soldiers face daily. Their time at the glacier not only amplified the spirit of this initiative but also deepened our appreciation for the resilience and dedication of our armed forces."

In partnership with Radio City, Federal Bank played a crucial role in making this campaign possible, supporting the RJs' journey and the documentation of soldiers' stories. Their involvement illustrated their dedication to celebrating national pride and honoring the sacrifices made by the Indian Army.

Commenting on the campaign, MVS Murthy, CMO of Federal Bank, said, "At Federal Bank, we are deeply honored to be part of the 'Radio City Siachen Se' initiative. This campaign not only highlights the extraordinary bravery and sacrifices of our soldiers but also rings true with our core values of dedication, service, and national pride. We believe in supporting initiatives that strengthen the bond between citizens and the armed forces. These get stronger when shared in person. This journey to Siachen by the RJs is a testimony to that promise on our behalf."

The campaign culminated on August 15 with the ceremonial hoisting of the Indian flag. This event was documented in a special video titled Radio City Siachen Se, capturing the significance of the journey. The campaign was then broadcasted nationwide and featured a special segment on Jio TV, along with digital posts. Tune in to Radio City and follow our social media channels for exclusive updates and heartwarming stories.
Sprite, the iconic lemon and lime-flavored beverage, presents a fresh perspective to end-of-the-day chill at home with its new quirky campaign. Teens are continuously striving to maximize their experiences by packing in more into their everyday. Balancing studies, extracurricular activities, social expectations and personal goals can be overwhelming. The day is spent meeting the expectations of others and living up to the benchmarks set by people around you. Even as one walks into their home in the evening, they carry this baggage in their backpack they carry. With the never-ending hustle of life, it makes it extremely crucial for the young generation to find moments to simply chill and refresh. Recognizing this need, Sprite is stepping in as the ultimate chill partner, offering a refreshing twist to help teens unwind after a long day.

Featuring the rising star Vedang Raina, the campaign speaks to the generation to unwind at end of a demanding day; and presents Sprite as the drink of choice when faced with unavoidable, and potentially annoying, moments that are part of the fabric of daily life. The campaign launches as a series of films that would resonate with the teen life integrating their college life, social circles, friend groups, societal hustles etc. People popping out of the bags, conversing refrigerators, and humorous exchanges  all contribute to the campaigns clever humor. The campaign integrates AI to present 200 unique messaging that are crafted to deliver to the right context & right time integrating the moments that matter to the teens most.

Vendang Raina, the rising star and a GenZ icon, expressed his enthusiasm for the campaign saying, I am thrilled to be part of Sprite universe. Working with such an iconic brand that resonates with the cool and vibrant energy of todays youth is an exciting opportunity. I totally identify with the insight, and end-of-day chill is indeed critical for our generation, including me. Sprites cool and witty take always brings in a moment of calm in the chaos.

Commenting on the campaign, Sumeli Chatterjee, Senior Category Director, Sparkling Flavours, Coca-Cola India and South-west Asia said, "Every day is a hustle to maximize and achieve. At the end of the day, every teenager seeks a moment to relax. But they walk into their homes carrying a bag full of baggage and stress from their day. The creative strategy uses this bag as the metaphor to cue the need to unwind. Chill-at-home is a witty take by Sprite, the ultimate refreshing drink, that urges the teens to unwind after a hectic day. Vedang brings that effortless cool vibe, making him the perfect fit to resonate with todays teens.

Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy, Director, Corcoise Films said, In todays digital age, the day never really ends. Everyone follows you back home on your phone, in your bag, in your head. This gives a great visual device for the film. To make the people who pester you pop out of the backpack was a fun challenge! The world in Sprite is filled with interesting facets like that - talking fridges, people jumping out of backpacks and Sprite bottles zooming around the room. Its unique and entertaining.

Ritu Sharda, Chief Creative Officer at Ogilvy India (North) said, Sprite has always understood the pulse of the youth. This film captures the everyday annoyances that college students face, symbolised by the weight of a backpack. It represents the stress and burdens they carry throughout the day. Sprite steps in as the perfect way to unwind, turning those end-of-day moments into something truly refreshing and rewarding."



Sprite invites teens across India to take a break from their busy lives and Chill at Home with a refreshing bottle of Sprite. As the pressures of daily life builds up, the need to unwind becomes ever more important. Whether youre cooling down after a long day or simply enjoying a moment of peace, Sprites crisp, lemon-lime flavor provides the ultimate refreshment. So, kick back, relax, and let Sprite help you find your chill at home.
Britannia Milk Bikis has launched a campaign speaking to the dads of Tamil Nadu, as part of their ongoing platform of equal parenting. Conceptualised by Talented, Adengappa Kadhaigal (loosely translated to wow! stories) is a Gen AI powered storytelling resource that equips dads to be better storytellers for their kids.

Originating from the thought of everything around you can tell a story, this first-of-its-kind platform uses objects commonly found in households to aid storytime. Scan any Britannia Milk Bikis pack to generate stories, both in English and Tamil. Each story comes with prompts on how to use that object as a prop to narrate stories to kids.

To highlight the importance of collaborative parenting, Britannia Milk Bikis launched the #GrowthNeedsBoth campaign last year with Prithi Ashwin and her husband R. Ashwin, alongside their two daughters. The campaign emphasises that the combined efforts of both parents as equal partners is important in ensuring the holistic growth and nourishment of the child.

Touching upon the cultural nuances of the initiative, Amit Doshi, CMO, Britannia Industries, said, Britannia Milk Bikis has a deep rooted relationship with the state of Tamil Nadu spanning decades. This campaign is a testament to our commitment to further the equal parenting discourse and play a part in enabling parents, aided by new age technology. Weve trained the AI model to recognize thousands of objects found in households to make stories more accessible.

Generate your stories here: https://milkbikisadengappa.com/

Samyu Murali, Creative, and Balaji Padmanabhan, Brand Strategy, Talented, add In a state where films are worshipped, they sometimes perpetuate a stereotypical image of moms - where dads are seen as the fun parent and moms are relegated to the role of the disciplinarian. Advertising is trying to raise our children differently, starting with showing dads as equal parts storytellers.

With a refreshing take on storytelling, this campaign stands out from other ads in the category where a moms role is usually the primary caretaker, and makes you ponder Why arent more brands speaking to dads?

Britannia Milk Bikis has always had a deep-rooted connection with Tamil Nadu. Campaigns like "Britannia Milk Bikis Anaivarukkum," which celebrate Tamil Nadus rich linguistic diversity and regional pride, and "Britannia Milk Bikis Flashback Pack" campaign, which celebrates the unique and affectionate nicknames used in Tamil households, highlight this regional focus.
On the occasion of World Photography Day, vivo, the trusted global smartphone brand, has launched the second edition of vivo Imagine Smartphone Photography Awards for celebrating the power of imagination. The aim is to provide encouragement to photographers to push the boundaries of creativity and display their distinctive perspectives through the lens of their smartphones. Esteemed Writer and Film-maker Zoya Akhtar will lead the distinguished jury, joined by photography luminaries Vineet Vohra, Rakesh Pulapa, and Aamir Wani.

The awards comprise of as many as six captivating and distinct categories: Nature & Wildlife, Architecture, Portraits, Night & Light, Motion and Street Photography. As entries close on September 8, the jury will select 30 finalists. These finalists will face an exciting challenge, with an opportunity to submit their work for final evaluation. They will also get an opportunity to attend photography masterclasses led by renowned photographers and jury members Vineet Vohra, Rakesh Pulapa, and Aamir Wani, to further refine their photography skills.

The grand prize winner will be receiving a cash prize of INR 5 lakhs, while six category winners will win a vivo X100 Pro each at the grand finale event to be orgnaised in Mumbai.

Geetaj Channana, Head of Corporate Strategy, vivo India said, As we celebrate World Photography Day, we are thrilled to announce the second edition of the vivo Imagine Smartphone Photography Awards, themed 'Joy of Imagination.' This theme captures the essence of creativity, allowing us to express our deepest emotions without words, through the liberating medium of photography. At vivo, we are committed to blending cutting-edge technology with artistic brilliance, empowering photography enthusiasts to bring their imagination to life. These awards not only provide a platform for recognition but also offer opportunities to refine skills and push the boundaries of creativity, all while reinforcing vivo's leadership in smartphone photography.

Zoya Akhtar, Writer and Film-maker said, I am extremely elated to come together with vivo for another edition of the vivo Imagine Award. India is teeming with extraordinary talent, and my journey in creative and visual storytelling has underscored the power of visual narratives. This initiative seeks to discover and celebrate unique storytellers, affirming vivos dedication to nurturing creativity and pushing artistic boundaries. It offers photographers across India an exciting journey to capture moments of joy that transcend time and imagination.

How to participate in the awards?
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Bern, 20.08.2024 - At Switzerland's invitation, members of the UN Security Council will visit Geneva on 25 and 26 August 2024. On 26 August, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will participate in an exchange between the members of the Security Council together with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sierra Leone, currently President of the Council, which will focus on respecting and strengthening international humanitarian law 75 years after the adoption of the Geneva Conventions. The visit will also showcase the expertise of International Geneva in the prevention of emerging threats to peace and security.

As 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Geneva Conventions, this informal visit in Switzerland by members of the Security Council will be an occasion to reaffirm the key role of international humanitarian law (IHL) in the more than 100 ongoing conflicts around the world. The Geneva Conventions set limits on war and protect civilians. They form the basis of IHL. The increase in violations of IHL poses a major challenge for the UN Security Council as part of its responsibility for international peace and security.



Respecting and strengthening IHL as well as protecting civilians in armed conflicts are a priority of Switzerland's foreign policy, particularly in the context of its mandate as an elected member of the Security Council for 2023-24.



On 26 August, Mr Cassis will take part in an exchange in Geneva at the Palais des Nations between the members of the Security Council, alongside his counterpart from Sierra Leone, Timothy Musa Kabba, whose country holds the presidency of the Security Council for the month of August.



Place des Nations in tribute to 75 years of the Geneva Conventions



In the afternoon, on the Place des Nations, at the foot of the Broken Chair monument, a symbolic event will take place to mark the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions. Mr Cassis and Christina Kitsos, the mayor of the City of Geneva, will give speeches in the presence of the president of the Council of State of the Canton of Geneva, Nathalie Fontanet, members of the UN Security Council and representatives of international Geneva.



Geneva's expertise in peace and security



As the European headquarters of the UN, International Geneva is one of the most important pillars of multilateralism and the UN system, and is home to numerous international organisations as well as many scientific and civil society actors. This gives the city a unique array of expertise, particularly in the fields of peace, security and the protection of civilians. One example is the ICRC, which has its headquarters in Geneva and plays an essential role in implementing the Geneva Conventions. The ICRC provides protection and assistance to victims of armed conflict and violence, and works towards promoting respect for international humanitarian law and its incorporation into national legislation.



An exchange between the Security Council members and key actors in International Geneva  including the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA)  is planned for later in the afternoon of 26 August in order to anticipate and tackle future challenges to peace and security. These exchanges, along with Switzerland's up-coming presidency of the Security Council in October 2024, will strengthen cooperation between the two UN capitals, Geneva and New York.



Address for enquiries

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Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55

E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch

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Police arrested a New Jersey man after he allegedly broke into the home where his girlfriend and four children were staying and terrorized them before they were able to make a daring escape.

Jerry Green, 38, is charged with assault, criminal mischief and resisting arrest according to Paramus Police Chief Robert Guidetti.

The woman and four children, ages 14, 10, 8, and 6, managed to escape the home around 1 a.m. on Tuesday and called 911 following Green's break-in.

"The call involved her boyfriend, who had forcibly entered the home where she and her four children were staying," Guidetti said.

He was allegedly "armed with a stick and began causing damage inside the residence."

When officers responded, the situation was treated as a barricaded subject incident, according to PATCH.

The Paramus Emergency Services Unit (ESU) was immediately deployed to the scene.

Authorities negotiated with Green for two hours before the ESU broke into the home and arrested him, reported the Daily Voice.

Green's criminal record in Newark includes offenses dating back to 2004, when he was charged with unlawful possession of a handgun, and in 2012, he was charged with two counts of terrorist threats.
Congress MLA Zeeshan Siddiqui Denies Plans to Join NCP Amid Claims of Party Sidelining 2

Congress MLA Zeeshan Siddiqui met Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Tuesday amid claims of being sidelined by his party. Despite participating in the NCPs Jan Sanman Yatra, Siddiqui stated he has not yet decided to switch parties.

I met Ajit Dada today as he is the deputy chief minister, and I needed to discuss constituency issues. I havent decided to join NCP or any other party because there is still time for the elections, and my voters will ultimately decide my course, Siddiqui said. He added that Congress had been ignoring him and not inviting him to party events.

The Congress is sidelining me. Im not invited to any party events, including a recent event in my constituency by Varsha Gaikwad, he added. Siddiqui also cited his unceremonious removal from the Mumbai Youth Congress president post as further proof of being marginalized. He claimed this started after his father, former MLA Baba Siddiqui, joined NCP.

Ever since my father joined NCP, Ive been targeted. Despite examples in Congress where father and son are in different parties, like AK Anthony, Im the only one targeted, Siddiqui said. Assembly elections in Maharashtra are set for later this year, with the Election Commission yet to announce dates officially.
Protest Over Girls' Sexual Abuse Turns Violent in Badlapur; School Vandalised, Stones Hurled During 'Rail Roko' 2

The protest against the alleged sexual abuse of two girls at a school in Badlapur town of Maharashtras Thane district turned violent on Tuesday as the angry agitators vandalised the school and also indulged in stone-pelting at the local railway station during the rail blockade, police said.

Two girl students of a kindergarten at the school in Badlapur were allegedly sexually abused by a male attendant recently. The accused was arrested last week, they said.

Angry parents of the school children and local citizens, including many women, gathered outside the school on Tuesday morning and also held a rail roko protest at the Badlapur railway station, blocking the path of suburban trains from around 8.30 am. They demanded action against the school and strict punishment against the accused involved in the incident.

Some of the protesters, including women, later broke the gate of the school and vandalised it by breaking the window panes, benches, and doors, police said.

At the railway station, as the protest hampered the movement of trains and caused inconvenience to scores of commuters, police personnel and other authorities tried to convince the protesters to end the agitation, but in vain.

Some of the agitators hurled stones during the protest, but the situation was soon brought under control, the police said.

Commissioner of Government Railway Police (GRP) Ravindra Shisve is at the railway station to bring the situation under control and attempts were on to disperse the crowd, they said.
Keith Urbans recent pop-up concert at a Buc-ees in Alabama was a rousing success, the country star said, giving a shout-out to fans who exceeded every expectation I couldve possibly had.

Urban made a surprise appearance on Friday at the Buc-ees location in Athens, attracting thousands to the popular gas station and convenience store in north Alabama. The free event, announced just a few hours in advance, drew an estimated crowd of 5,500, according to a Facebook post from the City of Athens public relations department. The post attributed the crowd count to the folks at Buc-ees, and confirmed that Urban, who took the stage around 8 p.m., was still playing nearly two hours later.

Thank you sooooo much to everyone that came out to @bucees in Athens, AL on Friday! Urban said on Monday via social media. I visited about a month ago and left thinking it would be the perfect spot to do a show. You all exceeded every expectation I couldve possibly had!! Also want to give a massive shoutout to the entire Buc-ees staff for helping us pull this together and being so good to us.

Urban, 56, performed a full-length concert at Buc-ees, according to Setlist.fm, playing more than 20 songs that ranged from Long Hot Summer to Raise Em Up. The concert also showcased songs from Urbans new album, High, set for release in September.

His agenda at Buc-ees featured High tracks such as Straight Line, Wildside, Messed Up as Me and Go Home W U. The star also covered Lynyrd Skynyrds Sweet Home Alabama and Steve Miller Bands The Joker, and offered his hit version of Radney Fosters Raining on Sunday.

Just before Urban introduced his band members, according to Setlist.fm, he tossed in a medley that featured the theme songs from Green Acres and The Dukes of Hazzard, along with a cover of Folsom Prison Blues.

When he wasnt on stage, Urban made an appearance inside the Buc-ees store, chopping brisket at the Texas Round Up station. Fresh brisket on the board! the star shouted, then proceeded to chop the meat and pour a big ladle of barbecue sauce. (Buc-ees is famous for its chopped brisket sandwiches, in case you didnt know.)

What prompted the Nashville hitmaker to perform at Buc-ees?

I came down to this Buc-ees about a month ago. And when I left, I went, Itd be kind of fun to do a show there, Urban said from the stage. (See that moment in the video below, posted by the City of Athens on Facebook.) This is my caveman brain, right? So Im like, Oh, itll be fun. Well set up a little stage and some people will come around and hear us play. I swear to you, I thought maybe a hundred, 200 people.

Urban also displayed an affinity for Buc-ees in April, posing with the chains popular mascot in the audience at the 2024 CMT Music Awards in Austin, Texas.
Construction begins next month on a new hotel at Cheaha State Park, home of the highest point in Alabama, a project that is part of an initiative to modernize recreational opportunities for outdoors lovers across the state.

The $25 million hotel will overlook a bluff, one of the majestic views that attract hikers, campers, and sightseers to the park at the southern end of the Appalachian Mountain chain, with a peak elevation of 2,407 feet above sea level.

The hotel will be built with large timbers harvested in the state, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Commissioner Chris Blankenship said.

It will have a wood, metal, and glass look and blend very nicely into the mountain, Blankenship said. I think its going to be a showplace for Alabama State Parks and for that part of the state.

The hotel, which will replace an aging motel, is one of more than two dozen Alabama State Parks projects - from Huntsville and Birmingham to the Gulf - Blankenship described to state lawmakers during a presentation and a budget hearing this week.

The projects range widely to include cabins, campgrounds, pavilions, restrooms, swimming pools, trails, bathhouses, beaches and other facilities at most of Alabamas 22 state parks.

The total price tag is about $150 million, Blankenship said. The money comes from an $80 million bond issue, an initiative of the Gov. Kay Ivey administration that passed the Legislature and that voters approved in 2022, as well as other funding sources.

We really wanted to make improvements at our parks, Blankenship said. It had been a long time since many of them had been renovated. A lot of our campgrounds were built when camping was a pop-up camper and a tent. And now weve got these huge motorhomes that have three air conditioners and need a 50-amp service. We werent able to compete in the market with those. We needed to upgrade.

Renovations and improvements to Alabama State Parks that have been completed.Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Oak Mountain State Park near Birmingham, Alabamas largest at 11,861 acres, received a $13 million upgrade. It is one of the completed projects Blankenship highlighted in his presentation to lawmakers.

Blankenship said the entire campground was reworked, with new 50-amp electrical service to the camper sites. There are new primitive camping sites, new bath houses, and new water and sewer service throughout the campground, he said.

It was almost like starting over with what we did up there, Blankenship said.

Theres a new pavilion with roll-up doors to accommodate indoor and outdoor events.

With the doors rolled down you can have heating and air conditioning in there if its inclement weather, Blankenship said. But if its nice like a lot of times we get in the spring and fall we can roll those doors up and have an open-air pavilion.

The completed projects include 20 new cabins on Lake Shelby in Gulf State Park. They replaced cabins built in the 1970s that were destroyed by Hurricane Sally four years ago.

The view of the lakeside cabins from a pier at Gulf State Park.Gulf State Park

The Gulf State Park pier, also damaged by Hurricane Sally, reopened to the public on Monday. A 200-foot section of the 1,540-foot pier was collapsed by the hurricane. The pier has been closed for repairs since November.

Projects that are underway include improvements at Lakepoint State Park in Eufaula, Guntersville State Park, and Monte Sana State Park near Huntsville. Meaher State Park at the north end of Mobile Bay is undergoing $7.5 million in improvements, including six new cabins, a large bathhouse, a camp store, and an administrative building.

Wind Creek State Park on Lake Martin is receiving an $11.5 million upgrade, including new three-bedroom, three-bath cottages and a campground renovation.

Alabama State Parks are undergoing renovations, an initiative expected to cost about $150 over several years and funded partly with an $80 million bond issue approved by voters.Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

At Cheaha, in addition to the new hotel, the campgrounds were upgraded with new pads and bathhouses. The cabins, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, were renovated with new roofs, new interiors, and new electrical wiring.

Overall, Blankenship said one of the goals of the improvements is to draw more visitors to Alabama State Parks and help generate revenue that can ensure that the improved facilities are maintained and updated when necessary.

This is going to be really a game changer, Blankenship said. I dont know that weve ever had $150 million worth of renovations going on at our state parks over multiple decades. To have it all going on at one time is a lot of work for our staff and the contractors. But Im really excited for people to get out and see the renovated parks and hopefully theyll get even more use than they have been and will make enough money to be self-sustainable moving forward.
Alabama plans to carry out an execution in November for a brutal slaying that happened 30 years ago.

A press release from Gov. Kay Ivey announced that Carey Dale Grayson will be put to death sometime between 12 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, and 6 a.m. Friday, Nov. 22.

Grayson, 49, will be executed by suffocation on nitrogen gas pumped through a gas mask. It will be the third nitrogen execution set for this year, and the fourth in all types of executions.

The governor also said she has no plans to grant clemency in the case, but retains her power to do so if she changes her mind.

Grayson was convicted with three other men for the Feb. 22, 1994 slaying of Vicki Lynn DeBlieux.

DeBlieux was kidnapped while hitchhiking. She accepted a ride from Grayson, Kenny Loggins, Trace Duncan, and Louis Mangione on the Trussville exit of Interstate 59 on Feb. 22, 1994.

DeBlieux, 37, was found dead on Feb. 26, 1994, at the bottom of a cliff on Bald Rock Mountain in St. Clair County. Her body was nude and dismembered.

Court records show after picking up the woman, the teens took her to an abandoned area near Medical Center East in Birmingham, where they all drank. At some point, the teens attacked and killed DeBlieux, drove her body to St. Clair County, then tossed her body and luggage off the cliff.

According to testimony in the teens 1996 trials, Mangione went home while the other three returned to the scene and mutilated her body. They stabbed DeBlieuxs body more than 180 times, cut open her chest cavity, severed her fingers, and more. All of the bones in DeBlieuxs face and head were broken, and all but one tooth was missing.

She was identified by an old X-ray of her spine.

Her cause of death was later found to be a result of blunt force trauma to her head and possible asphyxiation. Most of the wounds occurred after DeBlieuxs death, according to the coroners report.

The teens later gave a finger to Mangione, who showed it to other friends who then contacted police.

Grayson was 19 at the time of the slaying. Mangione was 16, while Loggins and Duncan were both 17.

Jefferson County Circuit Judge Mike McCormick sentenced Grayson, Loggins and Duncan to death. He sentenced Mangione to life in prison without parole. Loggins and Duncan had their sentences changed to life in prison after the 2003 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that says juveniles (17 or younger) cant be sentenced to death.

Later, those two men had re-sentencing hearings for a judge to determine if they should ever be eligible for parole. Duncan will be eligible for parole in 2029. Loggins was not given the chance of parole. Mangione was also made eligible for parole in 2029 after an appeal.

Currently, Graysons lawyers from the Federal Defenders for the Middle District of Alabama are fighting for his life in court. In a lawsuit filed earlier this summer, Graysons team said the states nitrogen execution process does not have sufficient safeguards to prevent conscious suffocation from happening, and violates the Eighth Amendment.
Specialist cave divers working in 12-minute underwater shifts were searching Tuesday for six missing passengers and crew, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, believed to be in the submerged wreck of a luxury yacht that was slammed by a powerful storm and swiftly sank off Sicily.

The sleek yacht, named the Bayesian, was carrying a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers when it suddenly sank near the Mediterranean island that is part of Italy at about 4 a.m. on Monday. One body has been recovered and 15 people survived.

Fire rescue officials have said the six believed to remain in the sailboats hull will be considered missing until they are located in the wreckage.

Heres what we know so far about the sinking and those who were on board.

What happened?

Italian civil protection officials believe a sudden and fierce storm that battered the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday whipped up a waterspout in the exact spot where the 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged Bayesian was moored.

Karsten Borner, the captain of another yacht moored nearby, said he saw the Bayesian during the storm but when the wild weather passed it was gone and he saw only a red flare lighting the night sky, ANSA and the Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported.

Borner and one of his crew boarded their tender and found a lifeboat carrying 15 people, some of them injured. They took them aboard their yacht and alerted the coast guard.

Rescue authorities said the wreck was resting at a depth of 50 meters (163 feet) about a half mile offshore of the picturesque fishing village of Porticello.

Who was on board?

Among the missing is 59-year-old tech tycoon Mike Lynch, sometimes described as the British Bill Gates. Lynch was acquitted in June of all charges in a U.S. fraud trial linked to the $11 billion sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

Lynch still faced a potentially huge bill stemming from a civil case in London that HP mostly won during 2022. Damages havent been determined in that case, but HP is seeking $4 billion. Lynch made more than $800 million from the Autonomy sale.

A Cambridge-educated mathematician, Lynch made his name running Autonomy, which made a search engine that could pore through emails and other internal business documents to help companies find vital information more quickly.

Lynchs 18-year-old daughter Hannah was reportedly among the missing. His wife, Angela Bacares, and 14 other people survived.

Among others still missing Tuesday, according to the civil protection agency, were one of Lynchs U.S. lawyers, Christopher Morvillo of Clifford Chance, and Morvillos wife. Morvillo was regarded as an elite defense lawyer and was also a federal prosecutor in New York after 9/11.

Also missing was Jonathan Bloomer, the chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife, Judy. He is the former head of the Autonomy audit committee and testified for the defense at Lynchs trial.

Bloomer was also chair of the Hiscox Group, an insurer that does business on the Lloyds of London market.

We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event, Hiscox CEO Aki Hussain said in a statement. Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing, and with their family as they await further news from this terrible situation.

Among the survivors was Charlotte Golunski, who said she momentarily lost hold of her 1-year-old daughter Sofia in the water, but then managed to grab her and hold her up over the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were both pulled to safety, Italian news agency ANSA reported. The father, identified by ANSA as James Emslie, also survived.

The Dutch foreign ministry said a Dutch man survived. The ministry, citing privacy, did not release his identity.

One body was recovered on Monday, identified as the on-board chef.

What is the Bayesian?

The Bayesian was a luxury yacht built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Nav. It was known for its single 75-meter (246-feet) aluminum mast  one of the worlds tallest. Online charter sites listed it for rent for up to 195,000 euros (about $215,000) a week.

Its registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd., based on the Isle of Man, according to online maritime database Equasis. Lynchs wife is listed as Revtoms sole owner, according to corporate registration documents from the Isle of Man.

The yachts name is an apparent reference to Bayesian inference, one of the two main approaches to statistical machine learning and the one that was used by Autonomy.

What is a waterspout?

Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water and can happen when a storm moves across warm water.

According to the U.S. National Ocean Service, there are two types of waterspouts  fair-weather and tornadic.

Tornadic waterspouts have the same characteristics as a land tornado. They are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning, the service says on its website.

While scientists havent attributed the specific event to climate change, average monthly surface temperatures have been at record highs for months. Hotter air can hold more moisture, making heavier storms more likely.

Sicily has been baking under intense heat this summer, and the United Nations panel of climate change experts notes the Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable to climate change, with warming rates roughly 20% higher than the global average.

What happens next?

As the search for the missing continues, authorities already have begun trying to piece together exactly what happened.

Prosecutors from the Sicilian town of Termini Imerese have opened an investigation, as is normal in such events even when no suspects are identified. To date they have not commented publicly.

The British Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors were being deployed to Palermo.
Following a shaky summer, which included public feuds between the leadership of the Alabama Democratic Party and the Democratic National Convention, the states delegation arrived in Chicago for this weeks event with a common goal of nominating Kamala Harris to be the countrys next president.

But under the lights at the United Center, state party chairman Randy Kelley wanted to emphasize unity and energy within the Alabama group and the Democratic Party as a whole.

I think were like any normal family  We all have our differences, Kelley told AL.com at the DNC. But we heal our differences, and we are ready to go forward and concentrate on the main thing, and that is electing Kamala Harris as President of the United States.

Kelley had previously claimed that the Biden-Harris campaigns decision to deny the state from sending certain delegates was racially motivated. And state leaders protested the national partys selection of Alabama delegates, after DNC Chair Jaime Harrison told Kelley that the state party had missed selection deadlines.

The interparty conflict has been on display in the lead-up to the convention, including in recent reporting that a DNC document said that Alabamas delegation process had been governed by a number of bad-faith actors.

Delegates AL.com spoke to emphasized the groups commitment to focus on the convention and their excitement for the historic opportunity to nominate Harris for the presidency.

I dont think that anything that was happening or that, even what that articles about, is affecting anything today and anything thats going on with this convention, Donna Foster, who was elected as an at-large delegate said. The way I feel, anything that was happening prior, we are here together  anything that may have been divisive, were leaving it behind.

Jamie Lowe, a 24-year-old and District Three delegate, attended the DNC virtually as a Biden delegate in 2020.

Now the chair of the Lee County Democratic Party, Lowe said Harris youth and energy will fuel Democratic camaraderie ahead of the election in November.

Age is more than just the numerical value  I think the vice president brings energy, Lowe said. She brings the prosecutorial focus and personality that, I think Joe Biden certainly has, but it feels easy to be energized by a candidate that is speaking directly to voters with power and emphasis.

Lowe also said that as a Black and Indian-American woman, Harris can connect with the Alabama electorate.

The states Black population is about 27%, according to Census data. Lowe said Black voters have been a core part of the states Democratic base.

Having another candidate that has firsthand experience in what its like to be a Black and brown person, a person of color in America, goes far in and of itself, Lowe said. I think she also understands the importance of preserving the voting rights in her support for the Congressman John Lewis bill .

State Democrats also hope that excitement about the top of the ticket will help other candidates, including Shomari Figures, who is running against Republican Caroleene Dobson for the closely-watched District 2 congressional seat in south Alabama.

Both Kelley and Foster echoed Lowes belief in the strengths of Harris as a candidate over former President Donald Trump and the historic opportunity to nominate her for the presidency.

We couldnt have a better contrast between Kamala Harris than former President Trump, Kelley said. She has a track record. Shes come up to the ranks from the Attorney General, to the Vice President, and now were looking for her to be the first woman president.

On Thursday, the Alabama Delegation will join the rest of the convention to make Harris the first Black and Southeast Asian woman to be a major partys presidential nominee.

I am here to see history, Foster said. This is an exciting time for all of us, and I want to be a part of this. Not if, but when Kamala Harris wins, I want to be a part of it.

As a State Representative from Montgomery, AL I am honored to be an Alabama delegate to the @DemConvention to support @KamalaHarris @KamalaHQ !#DNCC pic.twitter.com/yRojXyLi6t  Phillip Ensler (@EnslerPhillip) August 19, 2024

Sofia Abdullina, a Syracuse University senior from Boston studying magazine, news and digital journalism and international relations, and Griffin Uribe Brown, a junior from Chicago studying magazine, news and digital journalism and policy studies, are reporting for AL.com during the Democratic National Convention. They are covering the DNC as part of a program with Syracuse Universitys S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Jefferson County sheriffs deputies shot a person after a chase Tuesday afternoon in east Birmingham.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency identified the wounded suspect as Demarcos Javonte McAlpine. He is 26 and lives in Center Point.

McAlpine is expected to be OK.

At about 2:15 p.m., deputies tried to stop the Dodge Challenger for an undisclosed traffic violation near First Avenue North and 56th Street North.

The driver -now identified as McAlpine - refused to stop, and the chase was on., said sheriffs office spokesman Henry Irby.

During the pursuit, Irby said, the suspect struck deputies vehicles.

According to two eyewitnesses, the suspect was driving the wrong up the ramp from Messer Airport trying to get back on the interstate when he wrecked into a tree.

The witnesses said he got out armed with a Draco gun and was shot three times in the back. Authorities have not said how many times or where he was shot, but said he brandished a weapon.

A fleeing suspect was shot by Jefferson County Sheriff's Office deputies near I-20 and Messer Airport Highway on Aug. 20, 2024.(Carol Robinson)

McAlpine was taken by Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service to UAB Hospital.

The suspects injuries are not life threatening, but a female deputy could be heard repeatedly screaming over law enforcement radios that the medics were needed immediately.

Irby said he could not release any additional information at this time, including whether the suspect fired any shots or if he was alone in the vehicle .

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency has been called into lead the investigation which is standard in officer-involved shootings.
An Alabama attorney and former judge who served as a top woman lay leader for the United Methodist Church and played a highly visible role at this years controversial General Conference in Charlotte, has announced shes stepping down.

Dawn Wiggins Hare, general secretary of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women of the United Methodist Church, has announced she will retire in January 2025.

Hare, 67, a former circuit judge in Monroeville, has served 12 years in the denominational agency CEO-style post, the maximum allowed.

She was recruited into church leadership by Monroeville attorney Alice Lee, sister of Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Hare was friends with both Alice, who died in 2014 at age 103; and Nelle Harper Lee, who died in 2016 at 89.

Nelle was a friend, but Alice was the one that was really close, and my mentor, Hare said in an interview this week with AL.com.

Alice Lee was a longtime attorney in Monroeville and childhood friends with fellow attorney Nicholas Hare. Wiggins Hare married Hares son, Chip Hare, also a lawyer.

My relationship with Nelle Harper was one of deep respect, because she knew how close Alice and I were, Hare said. She and Nelle Harper both loved Chip, loved his dad. Miss Alice and Chips dad walked to elementary school together.

There is a Press-Register picture of Hare sitting between Alice and Nelle in 2006 at Alices 95th birthday party. The three were all members of Monroeville First United Methodist Church.

Alice, who had been a General Conference delegate, encouraged Dawn to take on a church leadership role and become a General Conference delegate herself. She had her eye on me, Hare said.

Hare drew a lot of attention during this years historic General Conference in Charlotte, when a new practice began of speakers stating their race, gender and preferred pronouns when they approached a microphone.

We did ask that, but it was voluntary, Hare said.

Hare advised delegates to avoid exclusively male language for God, and helped give daily updates on gender and racial inclusion, scolding the conference if too many white men spoke during meetings or were elected to legislative committees.

The rules of General Conference are that when you go to a microphone, youre supposed to identify yourself by your name, your annual conference and your status, clergy or lay, she said.

Adding gender and race to that helped track fairness, she said.

That would greatly aid our work in being able to collect that data and report it back to them, so there could be some self-analysis on Are there too many white women speaking? she said. There would be that moment of reflection of, Maybe what I have to say is important, and maybe I should sit on my hands and let everybody else speak, because everybody going to the microphone looks like me.

One conservative social media account, Woke Preacher Clips on X, dubbed her the PC (politically correct) hall monitor for the United Methodist General Conference. There was even some skepticism among delegates at the General Conference, and at one point a bishop chairing the conference was accused of misgendering a non-binary speaker.

A question has been raised from the floor regarding the purpose of using pronouns [and other identifiers] when people introduce themselves. Dawn Wiggins-Hare responds. #UMCGC pic.twitter.com/NvGdYZI7EX  United Methodist News (@UMNS) May 2, 2024

We realize the awkwardness of this, including the time it eats into peoples comments, and thats not great, Hare said in the interview. You try so hard to be culturally sensitive, and youre going to make mistakes, but you just do your best and ask for grace and try to have a spirit of love.

In the future, asking for ethnicity and gender and other information in registration would work better, she said.

Including women in leadership, including women in different roles, has been tumultuous for years, she said. It didnt just start when I got there.

The effort to increase awareness of fairness mostly worked well, with participation some days basically equal by gender, she said.

Backslid is a Baptist term, not a Methodist term, but there was some backsliding, she said. One of the days we reported the number of men coming to the microphone was 77 percent. Okay, friends, lets be aware.

The key question, she said, was Are we empowering everyone to speak at the table? All the voices?

Today's #UMCGC Monitoring Report from Dawn Wiggins Hare and Rev. Dr. Giovanni Arroyo:

We celebrate our delegates and their deep passion for the work of The United Methodist Church. Of those who participated in yesterday's discussions from the floor, 38.3% were women, 61.7% were pic.twitter.com/xjPloTixLL  United Methodist News (@UMNS) May 1, 2024

Hare was a key United Methodist leader during a time when the denomination went from a ban on same-sex marriage to endorsing it, along with officially welcoming LGBTQ clergy.

She praised the conference after the votes to allow same-sex marriage and ordination of LGBTQ clergy.

You did good work, very good work, yesterday in our journey towards full inclusion, Hare said during the conference. You indeed set the table wider and pulled up some extra chairs.

Hare has also been an outspoken lay leader in the Alabama-West Florida Conference, as it struggled to handle churches that wanted to leave the denomination over changing standards and beliefs on human sexuality.

A judicial court of the United Methodist Church will take up the issue of clarifying how Alabama churches that want to leave may still be allowed to depart the denomination.

More than 40 churches have been involved in lawsuits as they were denied in their attempts to leave the denomination and take their property with them. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that those churches would have to take their case to the churchs court, not state courts.

Guys Chapel, a 114-year-old church in Bay Minette, last month sued the Alabama-West Florida Conference in an effort to leave. Hare declined comment on those cases.

Its not that its not important to me, she said. I just dont want to weigh in on those local legal issues.

Statewide in Alabama, more than half of United Methodist congregations disaffiliated  about 555 churches. Most of those departures have taken place since 2022. Nationwide, 7,600 churches, about a quarter of the denomination, left.

Those who were disaffiliating were making a decision that Alice Lee might have frowned upon, she suggested.

Miss Alices idea of when you join the United Methodist Church, it was like a marital covenant, Hare said. You promised to uphold the church with your time, your talents, your service and your gifts. It just takes a lot to even consider breaking that covenant.
This is another installment in Birmingham Times/AL.com/CBS42 joint series Beyond the Violence: what can be done to address Birminghams rising homicide rate. Sign up for the newsletter here.

For weeks, cars have tried to drive into Birminghams Eastlake neighborhood, only to be stopped by road closed signs and bright yellow concrete barriers.

Project Safe Streets is a City of Birmingham four-month pilot program that aims to make the neighborhood and city safer by controlling and limiting access points to the neighborhood. Officials hope to deter speeding, shootings, theft, prostitution and violent crime. City officials also are identifying abandoned properties and illegal dumping sites for cleanup and revitalization. The city has put up barriers at 18 entry points and alleys within the neighborhood.

Since the initiatives launch in July, the barriers have been a hot topic for many Eastlake residents. For some residents, the barriers are a nuisance and a punishment. For others, they are a symbol of safety and hope.

Marquis Tucker has lived in Eastlake for 23 years and was one of the artists who painted the barriers as part of Birmingham's 2024 Safe Streets initiative. He said the barriers represent a future for his 2-year-old son.Alaina Bookman

Marquis Tucker has lived in Eastlake for 23 years and was one of the artists who painted the barriers with black and red abstract shapes, green peace lilies and children. He said the barriers represent a future for his 2-year-old son.

Painting the children onto these barriers not only reminds us of the losses weve had to violent crimes but shows that theres a future that is still living in these communities that deserve to see tomorrow, Tucker said.

I think the barriers are definitely a great thing to have in place. Something needed to be done and things have improved a lot.

Birmingham is on track to have the most number of homicides in a year in recent memory; so far in 2024 100 people have been killed, including 8 justifiable death rulings and eight children who have been killed. The youngest victim was 5-year-old Landon Brooks, who died after being shot.

The other seven children were Markell Sanders, 15; Aston Starky, 13; Jonathan ODell Thomas Jr., 18; Jaylin Lee Jenkins, 16; Jaquavius James Weston, 18; Cornelia Rose Lathan, 15; and Prentice Lovell Little, 15.

Eastlake has seen several violent crimes and deaths in recent months; in May, before the barriers were deployed, a 10-year-old boy was shot while walking in East Lake Park.

In June, Kameron Connell, 30, was shot and killed in an Eastlake parking lot near a dice game.

Later that same month, a shootout on First Avenue North in front of East Lake Park left Martavius Williams, 19, dead and two other people seriously injured. Shot Spotter registered more than 50 rounds fired.

The citys homicide spike comes as many cities across the United States have reported a decrease in violent crimes.

Measuring success

Since the implementation of the Safe Streets initiative, the city has hauled more than 292 tons of trash to the landfill, made more than 45 arrests, identified over 35 structures for condemnation, cut over 120 overgrown lots and written more than 100 traffic violations just in the Eastlake area, according to city officials.

We do see some impact being made, Alicia Lumpkin, the City of Birmingham director of process improvement, said.

Mayor Randall Woodfin told AL.com in July that the city would track and assess the effectiveness of the Eastlake program at the end of the pilot to determine if the initiative will continue or if the city will reopen the streets.

The city will track information from the police departments Shot Spotter program, 911 calls and incidents of illegal dumping to compare to previous years to determine if the barriers made a substantial difference.

City officials will also periodically check in on residents to gauge their opinions.

Resident responses

The city has put up barriers at 18 entry points and alleys within the neighborhood as part of the Safe Streets initiative. Since the initiatives launch in July, the barriers have been a hot topic for many Eastlake residents.Alaina Bookman

Before putting up the barriers, City of Birmingham officials canvassed the Eastlake neighborhood and hosted neighborhood meetings to hear from residents about their thoughts and gain their support on the initiative.

Warren Seay, who has lived in Eastlake for 21 years, said Woodfin came to his door in June to talk to him. He told the mayor he didnt want the barriers.

Everybody on this block told him we didnt like it and he still did it, Seay said. Im handicapped and I have to go all around the world just to get out of my own neighborhood. I have to go way out of my way just to get home.

Lumpkin said city officials mostly heard support, so in early July, workers placed the barriers.

We decided to try out a pilot program to see if we can curb some of these issues happening in the community. The goal is to stop so many people from just going straight through the community, committing crimes and then leaving, Lumpkin said.

Virginia Morgan and Mary Buchanan said they never heard from the city before the barriers went up. They left their homes one day only to find that they were blocked into their own neighborhood.

To me, it feels like Im being punished just for living there. And it feels less safe to meIt prevents people who live here from driving in and out of our own neighborhood. It makes me feel trapped, Morgan said.

I feel like Im in a prison camp, Seay agreed.

Buchanan, who has lived in Eastlake for 25 years, said she thinks the barricades are ridiculous because she believes there is not a lot of crime on her side of the neighborhood.

Morgan, Buchanan and Seay said they are concerned they wont be able to quickly navigate out of the neighborhood during an emergency or that police and firefighters will take too long to reach a resident in need because of the barriers.

I had to U-turn five different times to get to where I was going because of the barricades, Buchanan said.

At a community meeting at the beginning of August, one resident said the barriers were thoroughly confusing.

But other residents said they have seen the barriers make a positive difference.

Felisa Woods, an Eastlake resident, was in a car accident that totaled her car after a reckless driver ran a stop sign on Division Ave.

By having those streets blocked, they have cut a lot of the speeding and people just running the stop sign, Woods said.

As a part of the Safe Streets initiative, the city added four-way stop signs, barriers and speed bumps onto Division Ave.

My kids feel a lot safer playing outside because that roadblock is there. I see the police patrolling the neighborhood more. I see less trash. Ive seen a lot of positive things, Woods said.

Next steps

The city has put up barriers at 18 entry points and alleys within the neighborhood as part of the Safe Streets initiative. Since the initiatives launch in July, the barriers have been a hot topic for many Eastlake residents.Alaina Bookman

The Safe Streets initiative is similar to one launched in 2023 by the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District where streets were closed with concrete barriers to limit easy access to high-crime areas.

Since installing these blockages, theres been a night and day difference in criminal activity. Children can play outside safely. Residents are safer. The initiative has been very effective in the reduction of crime, Ken Foreman, director of public safety with the housing authority, said.

Research has found that offenders are less likely to commit crime in areas that are unfamiliar and difficult to access. Drive-by shootings may be prevented because cars cannot easily enter a roadblocked street.

Birmingham is not the first city to implement roadblocks as a crime deterrent. Other cities have had mixed results with their own initiatives over the years.

In 1992, a Dayton, Ohio neighborhood, deployed a street closure initiative and witnessed a 40% decline in violent crime within one year.

In 2000, Charlotte, North Carolina, started a similar initiative with only two barricades on the neighborhoods busiest routes. Within one year, the neighborhood saw a 54% reduction in violent offenses.

Despite the initiatives success, pressure from residents who believed the barriers were not a substitute for policing resulted in the discontinuation of the project.

In 2022, Jackson, Mississippi had to make changes to their Ticket Arrest Tow initiative after a class action lawsuit claimed that the roadblocks violated Black residents rights, according to a Mississippi Free Press report.

The Eastlake Safe Streets pilot will end in October. While some residents will be glad to see the barriers go, others will want them to stay.

Alaina Bookmans violence prevention reporting at AL.com is supported by grants and individual donations. Give a tax-deductible contribution today.
An Illinois man admitted to lining a bathroom with plastic shower curtains before using an electric saw in the heinous slaughtering of his girlfriend, whose body has never been found.

In a last-minute plea deal Friday, Troy Slaw, 47, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in connection with the death of Norma Crutchfield at a home in Decatur, Illinois. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop the dismemberment and concealment of remains charges, WAND-TV and the Herald & Review reported.

Slaw faces up to life in prison.

Crutchfield's mother first reported her daughter missing in November 2020 after not hearing from her for a week. She said her daughter and Slaw had an abusive relationship.

The investigation led detectives to interview alleged co-conspirator Chase Freeman, who alleged Slaw asked him to come over to his home. When Freeman arrived, Slaw showed him Crutchfield's dead body concealed in his closet.

Freeman alleged Slaw "told him that he had stabbed the woman in the chest and killed her," Law & Crime reported, citing the criminal complaint. Freeman allegedly stated Slaw "had lined the bathroom with shower curtains, window curtains and plastic."

Slaw asked Freeman to help him dismember the body with an electric saw, but Freeman allegedly refused, and instead, stood guard outside the home.

The next day, Freeman allegedly helped Slaw clean up the blood spatter in the bathroom and dispose of two trash bags filled with Crutchfield's body parts into a large garbage can.

Authorities never recovered Crutchfield's remains.

Freeman's disposition hearing is set for Sept. 5.
Less than a week after fending off an arrest, the mayor of a small Alabama town is heading to court to fight an effort to kick him out of office.

An impeachment lawsuit filed Monday afternoon accuses Wayman Newton, the mayor of Tarrant, of willful neglect of duty, corruption in office, incompetency, and other offenses involving moral turpitude.
North Alabamas congressman said Monday a growing deficit and national security threats called for voters to unify behind Republicans in November.

In a Washington Update hosted by the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce on Monday at the Von Braun Center, Rep. Dale Strong also said hes optimistic the Huntsville area will continue to benefit from federal investment no matter which party holds the House, Senate and Oval Office.

Weve got to be sure that we hold the majority  but the other thing is, Ive created great relationships with the ranking [Democratic] members, said Strong, a Republican who represents Alabamas 5th Congressional District, which includes Lauderdale, Limestone, Madison, Morgan and most of Jackson counties. You never know whether youre going to be in the majority or whether youre going to be in the minority, and I want to be positioned to do business no matter whos in the majority.
Conservative Jews who support Israel are known to complain that, while the League of Nations created a jurisdiction called Palestine in 1922 to give life to the Balfour Declaration of 1917, the League wound up giving 77% to the Arabs (i.e., what became in 1946 the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan). This narrative is true according to the Leagues map of Palestineexcept that map is a fraud, and we know that by comparing it to maps of Palestine as it was known before World War I. However, theres much more to the story of whos occupying what land.

Heres the surprising truth: While Israel is slandered today for ruling in allegedly Occupied Palestinian Territory, the cartographical record makes clear that three Arab states are occupying 53% of the classical map of the Holy Land (not to be confused with the fraudulent Mandate map). Any time these three want to create a new Palestinian state in historic Palestine, they can. Israel would not stop them and would not have to retreat from any of the land it captured in self-defense in 1967.

The most authoritative map of Palestine is found in the 11th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, published in 1911.

Image courtesy of Sha'i ben-Tekoa.

Encyclopedia aficionados judge this to be the best map ever. It is likely that this very map is what Prime Minister Lloyd George and Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour studied in 1917 before issuing the letter expressing British support for the Zionist Jews who were already a decade into their project to restore the barren wastes of the Bibles Promised Land as a homeland for the persecuted Jewish people.

This map, curiously, used to be available in the online version of that famous edition. Later, however, it was mysteriously removed, presumably because someone did not want the world to see it. It is now available only in moldering, hard-cover versions in libraries worldwide.

The map is clearly based on the Jewish Bible, which contains verbal descriptions of the Promised Land (to which the Romans later gave the antisemitic name Palestine). For example, the Holy Lands western boundary is so old that it dates to the age of the Great Flood. In Genesis 9:18, the narrative picks up after the Flood with Noah and his three sons, Shem, Ham and JaphetHam being the father of Canaan. By verse 10:15, Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn...and the Canaanite boundary extended from Sidon going toward Gerar, as far as Gaza...

This is the shoreline of the modern State of Israelalmost. Sidon was a port then and still is, and so is Gaza, which is 160 miles / 256 kilometers down the coast. That was the geography when Moses transcribed the first five Biblical books, and it is the same seashore today, only now Sidon is located in the Arab-majority state of Lebanon.

At the end of Genesis, the aged Patriarch Jacob, on his deathbed, speaks his last to his sons, giving each his inheritance (49:13): Zebulon shall settle by seashores. He shall be at the ships harbor, and his last border will reach Sidon.

This is the second time Sidon is cited as a boundary town. This means that, in the 21st century, Lebanon is as much in occupation of Palestinian territory as Israel is accused of being.

Moreover, the historically accurate Britannica map does not show the Jordan River as the eastern boundary of Palestine. In truth, the river is almost in the middle of historic Palestine because the Bible makes clear that the land 35 miles east of the river was also destined for the Israelites. It was common in the early 20th century to refer to Palestine west of the Jordan as Cis-Jordan, as opposed to Eastern Palestine (later Trans-Jordan) on the other side.

The Bibles fourth book, Numbers 34:1-12, contains an even more extensive word-map of land slated for the Israelites on the east bank and beyond.

The Britannicas article on Palestine also states clearly that, in 1911, there was no extant geographical entity/polity called Palestine. The Muslims had ruled the region for twelve of the previous fourteen centuries and never knew of any country called Filistin. The encyclopedia said this map was not that of an existing country/state.

Now, consider the Leagues Palestine Mandate map of 1922, the text of which paved the way for transforming Eastern Palestine into an Arab state, something that pleased King Faisal of Mecca.

Image courtesy of Passia.org.

Faisal, unlike contemporary Arab Muslims, supported the tiny Jewish states from the river to the sea because he believed it would bring progress to the Arab world.

In the Leagues map, not only has the land that is now modern southern Lebanon disappeared from Palestine (it was handed to the French), but the Jordan River has been turned into the Jews proposed eastern boundary. All Eastern Palestine was to be cut off and slated for Arab ownership and rule, and that is what happened.

Most egregiously, the Leagues boundary of eastern Palestine was pushed way out to annex that obviously unnatural, artificial, geometric bulge in modern Jordan that never was Palestine.

When the Paris Peace Conference opened on January 3, 1919, all involved assumed that the Brits would push to implement their Balfour Declaration. However, this enraged the leader of the Arabs in Jerusalem, the Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini. Haj Amin was adamantly and murderously opposed to a mandate that also identified Palestine as the historic homeland of the Jews.

In October 1919, he began publishing a newspaper in Jerusalem that he called Al-Suria al-Janubia/ Southern Syria. Its purpose was to combat the Leagues plan to create a new jurisdiction called Palestine. Only Jews and Christians knew Palestine as a synonym for the Bibles Promised Land. Haj Amin, however, insisted there never was such a countryand when it came to Islamic history, he was right.

On March 12, 1921a year before the Palestine Mandate text was completedBritish Colonial Secretary Winston Churchill met in Cairo with men from the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, and the British Army, including High Commissioner in Palestine Herbert Samuel and Col. T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia) to discuss the Middle Easts future. They had just received fresh intelligence that Abdallah, brother to their ally Faisal, was marching northward from the Hedjaz toward Damascus with a force of three hundred tribesmen.

Abdallahs goal was to drive out the French with whom the British were allied. Churchill decided to bribe Faisal with a state of his own as a reward for not attacking Damascus. The bribe took the form of that ridiculous, obviously unnatural extension that is eastern Jordan. Faisal had no conception of the boundaries of Palestine/the Promised Land and could be convinced he was getting 77% of it.

The net result was that Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan collectively wound up with 53% of the Britannicas historically accurate map.

Here is a black and white Biblical map (using a less detailed version than the Britannicas) that has been computer-enhanced to show how, since 1922, most of historic Palestine has been divided among Israel and three Arab states, which means the delusional, antisemitic Two-State Solution is really a Five-State Solution, each with a piece of the Jews Biblical Promised Land.

Image courtesy of Sha'i ben-Tekoa.

In any case, any time the governments in Beirut, Damascus, and Amman, which allegedly care so deeply for their putatively primeval Palestinian brethren and want to create a state just for them on aboriginal Palestinian land, all they have to do is hand over the 53% they have been in occupation of since the 1940s.

And Israel retains all the land it now rules over from the river to the sea.

Shai ben-Tekoas PHANTOM NATION: Inventing the Palestinians as the Obstacle to Peace is available at Amazon.com in hard cover or a Kindle ebook. His podcasts can be heard on www.phantom-nation.com.
As the November election approaches, voters are faced with a critical choice between two vastly different visions for Americas future.

On one side stands Donald Trump, whose presidency demonstrated a profound commitment to both environmental protection and economic vitality. On the other side, Kamala Harris, who represents a continuation of the Biden administration's policies, which have, over the past four years, weakened America's economic standing and environmental progress.

To understand why Donald Trump deserves the backing of both the working man and the businessman, it's essential to examine the tangible benefits his administration brought to environmental and economic policyand why the same principles are urgently needed once again.

Donald Trump's presidency was marked by significant strides in environmental protection. Contrary to the narrative pushed by some of his critics, Trump's environmental policies were not about neglect but about smart, effective stewardship. Under his administration, the United States saw some of its most substantial environmental improvements in recent history, all while fostering economic growth.

One of Trump's most notable achievements was his administrations proactive stance on water quality. The Trump administration invested over $38 billion in clean water infrastructure, addressing critical issues such as lead and copper contamination. This investment was not merely a financial commitment; it was a strategic move to safeguard vulnerable communities and ensure that every American had access to clean, safe drinking water.

This initiative had profound economic implications, reducing healthcare costs associated with waterborne diseases and lead poisoning, thus protecting both public health and productivity.

Moreover, the Trump administration took decisive action to eliminate lead-based paint hazards that jeopardized children's health. By finalizing new rules, Trump's policies ensured a safer environment for the youngest and most vulnerable Americans. This focus on reducing health risks translated into a more productive workforce and lowered long-term medical expenses, showcasing how environmental policies can directly benefit the economy.

In 2019, Trump's America achieved the largest decline in carbon emissions of any country globally. This accomplishment is particularly striking considering the administration's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord  a move often criticized by environmentalists. However, Trump's strategy of reducing regulations and promoting energy independence led to a significant drop in carbon emissions. By fostering innovations in clean technology and encouraging energy efficiency, Trump's policies demonstrated that environmental progress does not have to come at the expense of economic growth.

Under Trump's leadership, American levels of particulate matter  one of the primary indicators of air pollution  became approximately five times lower than the global average. Between 2017 and 2019, the air quality improved markedly, with a 7 percent decrease in the combined emissions of major pollutants. This was achieved while maintaining a robust economy, proving that environmental protection and economic prosperity are not mutually exclusive.

Trumps administration also led the world in greenhouse gas emissions reductions. From 2005 to 2018, the U.S. cut energy-related CO2 emissions by 12 percent, while other countries saw an increase of 24 percent. This leadership in emissions reductions was a testament to Trump's commitment to both environmental protection and economic advancement.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Trump saw a remarkable increase in its effectiveness, cleaning up more major pollution sites in FY 2019 than in nearly two decades. This proactive cleanup not only improved local environments but also revitalized communities, often creating jobs and stimulating local economies through investments in 118 Opportunity Zones.

Trump's administration also placed a moratorium on offshore drilling off the coasts of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. This action protected vital marine ecosystems and local economies dependent on tourism and fishing, demonstrating a balanced approach to environmental protection that also considered economic impacts.

Additionally, Trump's administration restored public access to federal lands at Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. By expanding access to these lands, Trump not only preserved natural beauty but also supported local economies through tourism and recreation.

Finally, the Trump administration achieved unprecedented success in recovering endangered and threatened species, a testament to its commitment to biodiversity and ecological balance. This focus on conservation had far-reaching economic benefits, from supporting eco-tourism to ensuring the health of ecosystems crucial for agriculture and industry.

In stark contrast, the current Biden administration has faced criticism for its environmental and economic policies. Despite high aspirations and ambitious plans, the results have been less than stellar. The Biden administrations approach to environmental issues has often come at a significant economic cost.

Under Biden, the U.S. has seen increased energy costs and a strain on the domestic energy sector, partly due to policies that have restricted oil and gas production. These restrictions have led to higher energy prices, impacting both businesses and consumers. The increased cost of living and doing business under Biden's policies has been a significant burden on the working class and small businesses alike.

Furthermore, the Biden administrations environmental regulations have often been criticized for their overreach and lack of practical implementation. The regulatory burden placed on industries has sometimes stifled innovation and economic growth, while not always achieving the desired environmental outcomes.

Kamala Harris, as the Democratic nominee, represents a continuation of these policies. Her candidacy suggests more of the samefurther regulatory burdens and higher costs without necessarily delivering proportional environmental benefits. This trajectory threatens to exacerbate the economic challenges facing American families and businesses, as seen over the past four years.

As we head into the November 2024 election, the choice between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is clear. Trumps record demonstrates a unique ability to balance economic growth with environmental stewardship. His administration's achievements in reducing emissions, improving air and water quality, and protecting natural resources were realized while fostering a strong, resilient economy.

Trump's approach was not about choosing between economic growth and environmental protection but about integrating both. His policies showed that it is possible to protect the environment while also supporting business and job creation. This balanced approach is what America needs once again  an administration that understands that a healthy environment and a thriving economy are mutually reinforcing, not mutually exclusive.

In contrast, Kamala Harriss alignment with the current administrations policies suggests a continuation of the economic challenges and environmental missteps that have characterized the Biden years. With rising costs and environmental policies that often seem to prioritize regulation over practical solutions, the risks of maintaining the status quo are significant.

As the election approaches, it is crucial for voters to consider not just the environmental rhetoric but the practical outcomes of each candidate's policies. Donald Trump's record provides a compelling case for why his approach to environmental and economic policy is both effective and necessary. His achievements demonstrate that it is possible to protect the environment while also ensuring economic vitality  a vision that is increasingly important as America looks to rebuild and thrive in the years ahead.
Mursal Mohamed Seid is a Somali migrant living in Germany who in 2021, stabbed his homeless shelter roommate so many times, the victims intestines erupted from his abdomen, before he was subsequently decapitated. Now Seid, not being German by birth, wasnt accustomed to the Judeo-Christian culture of the West, and this was merely a matter of mental health, maladjustment, and culture, so Seid was sent to a hospital instead of a prison or the executioners chamber where he belonged. Earlier this month, hospital staff released Seid for a family-friendly and rehabilitative movie experience, so he could live life like a real Westerner and watch a Disney film in the cinema with a bucket of popcorn and a fizzy coke.

What. A. Joke.

Heres Seid for reference:

2021 totet Mursal Mohamed Seid einen 52-Jahrigen mit 111 Messerstichen und enthauptet ihn. Der Angriff ist so gewaltsam, dass dem Opfer noch bei lebendigem Leib Innereien austreten. Heute konnte der Somalier beim Freigang fliehen  und ist auf freiem Fu.https://t.co/gOCSBVdePC pic.twitter.com/LTN0JdlgoE  NIUS (@niusde_) August 8, 2024

According to a report out at RAIR Foundation, Seid was accompanied by female guards who, according to Zoltan Kottasz at The European Conservative, lost track of him when he went to use the bathroom. Seid previously attempted an escape from the hospital in a food cart, which was unsuccessful, but the cinema escape was successful, and after eight hours and the deployment of more than 100 law enforcement personnel, Seid was once again in custody, and back in the hospital. Naturally, this is all at the expense of the German taxpayer.

Now of course all this is quite a nightmare, but the bigger problem is now that Seid has been imported to begin with, hes going to be a problem for the German people for the rest of his lifethey will not be able to get rid of him. Germany does not have the death penalty, and the judge seems unwilling to throw Seid in prison, but deportation is off the table too, because ejecting Seid from the nation just means hell be back again (the borders are still open). From RAIR:

[T]he prosecutors office is hesitant to proceed with the deportation, fearing that once deported, he could easily find a way back to Germany, given the lack of stringent border controls and the potential for inadequate supervision in Somalia.

I find that the progressive brand of immigration is eerily similar to the tale of the vampire, and the precept taught about why you never invite one into your homeonce you upon the door and welcome it in, youve consented to the death and pain, and restoring your homes sovereign border is near impossible.

Image: Free image, Pixabay license.
The Ninth Circuit court is infamous as the circuit most overturned by the Supreme Court. It has been notoriously leftist in its decisions, often ignoring the law and Constitution in favor of progressive ideology. It has been particularly fervent in ignoring the Second Amendment, which is why the Courts recent response to Californias gun rationing law is so unusual.

The law in question restricts Californians to buying only one handgun every 30 days. There is no evidence this restriction has ever contributed to public safety. How could it? If a criminal bought a handgun, but couldnt buy a second for 30 days, that would somehow prevent them from using the first gun in crimes?

The Supreme Courts 2022 Bruen decision has posed a significant obstacle for the kind of gun safety regulations states like California have imposed, particularly this portion of the decision:

When the Second Amendments plain text covers an individuals conduct, the Constitution presumptively protects that conduct. The government must then justify its regulation by demonstrating that it is consistent with the Nations historical tradition of firearm regulation. Only then may a court conclude that the individuals conduct falls outside the Second Amendments unqualified command.

Unfortunately, states like California continue to crank out anti-liberty/gun laws, knowing it will take years to overturn them, and when theyre overturned, theyll just rewrite them and start the process, and the waste of taxpayer dollars aimed at stealing their liberty, again. Surprisingly, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit recently gave California significant grief:

Graphic: X Screenshot

Jerry Wen, representing Attorney General Rob Bonta, first claimed that the reason for the gun rationing law was to "disrupt" gun trafficking and straw purchasing, but when Judge Bridget Bade asked if the state had any evidence that a 30-day wait between purchases actually does prevent illegal trafficking, Wen could only cite unnamed "some studies" and point to the fact that other states had previously adopted one-gun-a-month statutes. Wen then tried to argue that the right to purchase a firearm isn't protected in the text of the Second Amendment, but conceded that the Ninth Circuit has already concluded the right to purchase a firearm is an "ancillary" right. After all, if you don't have the right to acquire a firearm, then you can't keep or bear it.

Why would an attorney argue against something the Ninth Circuit has already decided? Likely because in the pre-Bruen past, the Court was always willing to give lip service to the Constitution, but was equally willing to ignore it where guns were concerned. Now, theyre almost sounding like impartial, ethical judges:

Graphic: X Screenshot

Judge Danielle Forrest wondered if someone doesn't own any firearms, and it's impossible for them to legally purchase more than one at a time, how their core Second Amendment right to possess arms for self-defense wouldn't be implicated if they, for instance, wanted to have a gun in their primary residence and a vacation home, or one for their home and another for their business. Wen's response was that the individual in question could "borrow" a firearm until they were allowed under California law to purchase another; a circumstance that could only take place if the individual a) knows someone else who owns a handgun and b) is willing to part with it, even temporarily.

California cities have always completely denied, or slow-walked concealed carry applications, frequently taking a year or longer to process them. Of course, the politically connected, people like former Senator Diane Feinstein, other politicians, or leftist actors, have always been able to go to the front of the line.

So, what is happening in the Ninth Circuit? Have these judges suddenly changed their fundamental, political policy beliefs? Have they gone MAGA? Bruen certainly is largely responsible.

That Supreme Court decision made clear Americans have the individual right to keep and bear arms, not only in their homes, but in public, subject to limited restrictions based in history, the history of our republic at the time of the adoption of the Bill of Rights. If there was then no analogous restriction on Second Amendment rights, there can be no restriction today. Judges across the nation are writing hilarious opinions, disgusted with Bruen, but grudgingly obeying it. Some mostly obey it, but try to run around the margins to allow unconstitutional restrictions.

It appears at least this three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit realizes it might be too embarrassing to be reversed yet again when the law is so clear. That hasnt stopped them in the past and California can ask for a hearing before every judge on the Court, which might yield a different decision. But for now, the Ninth Circuit is upholding the Second Amendment, which is a welcome, and long overdue, change.

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.
Police officers dont draw their weapons unless they have a reasonable belief they could be in imminent danger. They absolutely dont point their weapons at anyone unless theyre facing an imminent threat of serious bodily injury or death. They also dont point their weapons at people who represent no such threat because those people, realizing the police have no cause to threaten them, just might be compelled to shoot back. That sort of thing gets really messy, legally and politically, really fast.

And so it is for the candidacy of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. It turns out his performance as governor has been, well, tyrannical. Under his leadership Minnesota is in the top ten states for fleeing citizens, people taking their businesses, taxes and productivity with them. Walz was among the worst, most tyrannical governors during Covid, keeping citizens locked up in their homes, kids out of school and everyone masked longer than virtually every other state. He was among those governors who sent people infected with Covid into nursing homes unnecessarily killing elderly Minnesotans. And in the finest communist tradition of having informers on every block, he established a hot line for Minnesotans to snitch on their neighbors for violating his rules.

Among his other idiotic Covid rules was people eating at restaurants had to wear masks when standing, walking to and from their tables, or to restrooms, but not when they were sitting at their tables. Apparently viruses are only infectious above waist level in Minnesota.

But thats not all Walz did. He authorized the policemaybe the National Guard?to shoot people for the crime of being on their porches. They shot peoplewith paintball guns:

Graphic: X Screenshot

A video posted to Twitter Saturday night is going viral after apparently showing law enforcement in Minneapolis shooting paint rounds at residents on their porch after curfew went into effect. Tanya Kerssen posted the video to Twitter shortly after 9:30 p.m., showing what she says is the Minnesota National Guard and Minneapolis police sweeping her residential street in the Whittier Neighborhood. In the video, the officers are seen approaching the residents and repeatedly yelling at them to get inside their house. After a few demands, one can be heard yelling "light 'em up!" That's when one officer appears to fire a paint round at the residents, who run inside.

People were indeed hit with paintballs, and thats a real problem. The average paintball gun fires projectiles at around 300 feet per second over reasonably accurate ranges of up to 150 feet. thrillogaming.com/paintball-speed/ If one is engaging in a paintball game, and is wearing head, eye and face protection, as well as light body armor appropriate to the threat, its not a problem, but shooting at someone unarmored could easily cause injury, including loss of eyesight.

There is some controversy over this video and incident. The stormtroopers marching down the street in helmets and tactical armor are being led by a Humvee, a standard military vehicle, however, the stormtroopers appear to be police officers. Theyre not in military uniforms. It appears then they were enforcing either a curfew during the Floyd riots, or they could have been enforcing stay-at-home orders during Covid.

But that doesnt really matter. Here are police officers enforcing either totalitarian edict, marching down the middle of a suburban street, where there is no rioting and no chance of disease transmission. Remember: six feet of separation and youre safe; 5.999999 feet and youre dead. Theyre screaming at people doing nothing more than enjoying the evening air on their porches to get inside their homes. When those citizens dont move fast enough to satisfy their authoritarian urges, they yell light em up, and start shooting. And oh yes, they did hit people.

What these officers are not doing is in any way inconveniencing rioters, people committing arson, looting, assault and murder.

This is whats known in sane, non-totalitarian, societies as bad optics.

There are five primary problems:

*In either case, Walz issued totalitarian orders incompatible with a constitutional republic.

*Police supervisors upheld those unlawful orders and issued unlawful orders to their subordinates.

*Their subordinates actually shot people, people not properly protected, with less-lethal weapons, people who presented no threat to them or anyone else.

*Every professional police officer knows bad will is cumulative. Exceeding their authority for any reason will harm other officers in the future.

*This is a really, really, stupid thing to do.

During my police career, had I have been ordered to do what those officers did, I would have refused. But then again, I worked in red states under more or less sane governors and for more or less sane administrators. Not like Minnesota under Tim Walz.

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.
Important Notice: We have updated our Privacy Policy to provide additional details regarding certain new rights provided under California law for consumers in California. For information about what has changed, please contact us as described in the Contact Us section below.

1. Amos Media Company Privacy Policy

This privacy policy ("Privacy Policy") describes the information that Amos Media Company LLC and/or its subsidiary, Coin World, Coin World+, Coin World Marketplace, Amos Advantage, Linn's Stamp News, Scott Stamp Monthly, Scott Catalogue, and Great American Coin & Collectibles Show (collectively "Amos Media Company") collects about you, how we use and share your information, and your choices. Unless otherwise indicated, all references to "Amos Media Company," "we," "us," or "our" in this Privacy Notice.

2. Scope

This Privacy Notice applies to information collected about you by or on behalf of Amos Media Company as set forth in the below "Information We Collect" section, including through the websites, mobile applications, and other online services or programs where this Privacy Notice is posted or linked (our "Online Services"). This Privacy Notice does not apply to any of our affiliates, other Amos Media Company companies, which are independent third parties. For information about our privacy practices and the privacy practices of certain of our affiliates with respect to information collected by or through Amos Media Company, please see the Amos Media Company Privacy Policy available at https://www.amosmedia.com/legal/PrivacyPolicy.htm.

As used in this Privacy Notice, "Personal Information" means information that identifies or can reasonably be linked to a specific individual, such as name, address, e-mail address, phone number, driver's license number, or credit card number. "Information" is collectively used herein to refer to both Personal Information and information that does not identify and cannot reasonably be linked to a specific individual.

3. Links, Third-Party Websites, and Social Media Platforms

Our Online Services may contain links to the websites of other Amos Media Company companies, Amos Media Company dealers, or other third parties, as well as to social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter ("Linked Sites"). Amos Media Company is not responsible and has no liability for the privacy policies or practices of Linked Sites. We recommend that you review the privacy policies of each Linked Site you visit.

4. Outside the U.S.

Our Online Services are for users located exclusively in the United States of America. If you are located outside the United States, please return to www.AmosMediaCompany.com and use the dropdown box to find the website for users in your location, but please do not use our Online Services, as the information practices and the terms of this Privacy Notice may or may not comply with foreign law. By using our Online Services, you consent to the use and disclosure of your information in accordance with this Privacy Notice and subject to the applicable state and federal laws of the United States.

5. Information We Collect

Amos Media Company and its third-party service providers collect Information about you from a variety of sources, including Personal Information you provide directly to us, and Information we collect about you when you access and use our Online Services. We also collect your Personal Information from independent Amos Media Company dealers and from other third parties. We may combine any of the Information collected about you for the purposes described in this Privacy Notice.

We collect Personal Information when you:

register for the online Amos Media Company Login service;

order and/or purchase any of our products or services from us or an independent Amos Media Company dealer;

register for any Amos Media Company event or program, including Amos Media Company web specials, and/or participate in any event, program, contest, surveys, or other promotion that we may offer from time to time (collectively, "Events");

subscribe to the Amos Media Company magazines, newsletters, or other communications from us;

contact or communicate with us;

request information from us;

begin or complete the application process for employment with Amos Media Company;

access or use Amos Media Company pages or accounts on any third-party social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter ("Social Media Pages");

provide or submit comments, suggestions, experiences, or other content to us; and/or

otherwise interact with us and our Online Services.

6. Information Collected Automatically

Cookies: Cookies are small text files stored by your browser that allow us to learn more information about your visit or use of our Online Services. We may use cookies to remember your Personal Information, including your registration information, and to track your usage of our Online Services over time. Most browsers automatically accept cookies. You have the choice to set your browser to accept or reject cookies. Each browser is different, so check the "Help" menu of your browser to learn how to change your cookie preferences.

Analytics Information: We may use third-party analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, to help us measure traffic and usage trends for our Online Services. These tools collect information sent by your browser or mobile device, including the pages you visit and other information that assists us in improving our Online Services.

Device and Browsing Information: We collect certain information about your computer or device each time you access our Online Services. We may also collect device information when you visit an independent Amos Media Company dealership or an Amos Media Company facility. Servers may automatically record certain log file information such as your web request, Internet Protocol (IP) address, MAC address, physical location data, browser type, referring / exit pages and URLs, number of clicks and how you interact with Linked Sites, domain names, landing pages, pages viewed, and other such information.

Clear Gifs/Web Beacons: When you use our Online Services, we may employ clear gifs (also known as web beacons) which are used to track your online usage patterns. In addition, we may also use clear gifs in HTML-based emails sent to our users to track which emails are opened and which links are clicked by recipients. This information facilitates more accurate reporting and improvement of our Online Services.

Location Data: When you access our Online Services via a mobile device, we may access, collect, monitor, and/or remotely store information regarding your mobile device, as well as real-time "location data," which may include GPS coordinates. Location data may convey to us information about how you browse and use our Online Services. You may opt-out from allowing us to have access to your location data by adjusting the permissions in your mobile device, though some features of our Online Services may not function properly if use or availability of location data is impaired or disabled.

Information We Receive from Third Parties: We may receive Information about you from third parties. For example, if you access our Online Services through a third-party connection or log-in (e.g., through Facebook), such a third party may pass certain information about your use of its service to us. We may also receive Information you have provided to Amos Media Company dealers, our affiliates, or Amos Media Company clubs. We may also obtain other Information about you such as change of address, contact information, or demographic information from commercially or publicly available sources.

7. How We You Use Your Information

We use your Information, including Personal Information, for a variety of business purposes, including:

providing our products and services to you;

communicating with you regarding Amos Media Company, and its products, services, and Events;

customizing your Amos Media Company experience;

creating and managing your online Amos Media Company Login registration;

responding to your inquiries, comments, or postings;

administering our Events;

improving and customizing our Online Services;

internal operations such as enhancing our products and services, marketing efforts, and to conduct research and analysis;

developing new products and services;

processing payments;

investigating or settling inquires or disputes;

marketing purposes;

enforcing our Terms and Conditions Use; and/or

protecting the security and integrity of our business and our Online Services.

8. Your Choices In How We Use Your Information

While Amos Media Company may contact you with offers and information concerning Amos Media Company or its products, services, or Events, you always have the choice not to receive such items. You may contact us as described in the Contact Us section below to communicate your marketing preferences and request to be removed from marketing lists. You may also request that your Personal Information not be shared with independent Amos Media Company dealers as part of related marketing and customer care programs (although you should be aware that these dealerships also collect personal data directly from you).

In addition, our Online Services allow you to communicate your marketing preferences as follows (or as otherwise specifically indicated on our Online Services):

At the time of registering as an Amos Media Company Online Services user, you will be given a choice whether to receive promotional e-mails from Amos Media Company. Each promotional e-mail you receive from us will provide you with a specific opt-out mechanism to allow you to unsubscribe from receipt of these promotional e-mails.

By accessing your profile under "Amos Media Company Login" on the Online Services, you may also update your Personal Information in our database or change your marketing preferences.

Whether or not registered as an Amos Media Company Online Services user, users who subscribe to the Amos Media Company Magazines or Newsletters may unsubscribe by following the link provided therein, by calling 1-800-253-4555, or by updating their preferences on our Online Services.

You may contact us as described in the Contact Us section below with any questions or concerns you may have about our privacy practices, including requests to update or correct your Personal Information. Even if you choose not to receive promotional e-mails or mailings from Amos Media Company, we may continue to use your Personal Information in order to contact you in connection with product recalls or other transactional purposes.

9. How We Share Your Information

We share and disclose your Information as follows:

with third parties that provide a variety of services on our behalf, including the development, maintenance, and support of our Online Services, payment processing, communications, and marketing research and analysis;

with independent, authorized Amos Media Company dealers for customer care and marketing efforts;

with members of our affiliated group of companies for marketing, promotional, or other purposes;

to manage and administer Events;

to comply with law, a court order, or other legal process, or in connection with a legal investigation;

as may be necessary to protect the rights and interests of Amos Media Company, its affiliates, and authorized Amos Media Company dealers, and our and their respective employees, customers, visitors, users, or any other person or entity;

to enforce any applicable terms and conditions and other agreements;

in the event of a corporate transaction, such as a merger, reorganization, or acquisition, in which event your Personal Information may be transferred to the acquiring company;

in aggregated or other non-personally identifiable form; and/or

in accordance with your consent.

10. Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google"), on certain of our Online Services. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect information such as how often you visit our Online Services, what pages you visit within our Online Services, and what other sites you visited prior to coming to our Online Services. We use the information provided by Google Analytics to improve our Online Services. For more information regarding how Google collects, uses, and shares your information please visit http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however, please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of our Online Services. By using our Online Services, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google as specified herein. To provide users more choice on how their data is collected by Google Analytics, Google developed the Optout Browser Add-on: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en.

11. Additional Notice for California Consumers

This part of our Privacy Notice applies to consumers who reside in the State of California.

Personal Information We Collect about California Consumers

We describe the Personal Information we have collected from consumers in the twelve (12) months preceding the effective date of this Privacy Notice in the part of our Privacy Policy titled "Information We Collect." The information we collect includes the following:

Identifiers such as name, address, e-mail address, phone number, driver's license number, Internet Protocol address, MAC address, Social Security number, Passport number, and Amos Media Company IDs.

The following categories of Personal Information described in California Civil Code  1798.80(e): (1) the Personal Information listed in the preceding bullet point as "identifiers," (2) product identification numbers (when linked to identified persons), product information such as description and year, product registration information, pricing data provided by you or Amos Media Company dealers, such as in connection with transaction services, and inventory and "want list" information, (3) payment information such as payment card number or portion thereof, bank information, and payment amounts, (4) information you provide or that we record in connection with customer support calls or complaints, (5) demographic information such as birthdate, gender, language preference, and occupation, and (6) the other information that identifies, relates to, describes, or is capable of being associated with, a particular individual that we describe in "Information We Collect" above.

Characteristics of protected classifications under California or federal law, such as language preference.

Commercial information, including information about orders, purchases, or products of, or interest you have expressed in, any of our products or services, including brands, defect, and counterfeit reporting services, from us or independent Amos Media Company dealers; registration information for any Amos Media Company event or program, including Amos Media Company experiences and the Amos Media Company web specials; and information you provide or submit to us when you participate in any event, program, contest, surveys, or other promotion that we may offer from time to time.

Internet or other electronic network activity information, including, but not limited to, browsing history, search history, and information regarding your interaction with our websites, mobile apps, advertisements that we display on our websites or mobile apps or on third party sites and apps, or Amos Media Company pages or accounts on any third-party social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter.

Geolocation data relating to your computer or device when you interact with Amos Media Company Web sites and mobile apps that post this Privacy Notice.

Audio information from calls placed with customer service and accounting centers which may be recorded, and electronic information in the form of Internet or other electronic network activity information as described above.

Inferences drawn from (1) the information we collect when you visit our websites, use our apps, or our social media apps, tools, widgets and plug-ins, (2) information we collect, including through third-party suppliers, regarding content and other data posted on the Internet (such as public locations on the Internet), and (3) information about consumer preferences and behavior that we collect on our websites and mobile apps or purchase from third parties in order to create a profile about a consumer reflecting the consumer's preferences, characteristics, predispositions, or behavior.

We collect this Personal Information from sources that include Amos Media Company buyers and subscribers, independent Amos Media Company dealers, our affiliates, Amos Media Company clubs, third parties such as Facebook if you access our Online Services through such third parties, and third-party marketing or analytics providers or providers of publicly available information. For more information, please see "Information We Collect" and "Information Collected Automatically."

For information regarding the purposes for which we collect and use the Personal Information we collect, please see "How We Use Your Information."

Disclosures of Personal Information for Monetary or Other Valuable Consideration or for Business Purposes

We have disclosed the following categories of Personal Information to other businesses or third parties for monetary or other valuable consideration within the twelve (12) months preceding the effective date of this Privacy Notice:

Identifiers and Commercial Information. Name, address, email address, phone number, fax number, and product identification linked to such name and contact information; language preference; type of product make, description, year; whether the product was purchased or sold; date on which the product was purchased, assigned, or sold; selling or buying Amos Media Company dealer and salesperson; whether the product is an inventory or want list; whether a Coin World+ tag is installed on the product; certain accessories included with the purchase of the product; and shipment destination of the product. We share this information with Amos Media Company dealers to enable dealers to communicate with Amos Media Company product owners and to activate or renew subscriptions.

Identifiers and Commercial Information. Name, address, product information, inventory and want list, if known, current inventory information, if known, and username and/or phone number. We share this information with independent Amos Media Company dealers for marketing purposes.

Identifiers and Inferences. Pseudonymous identifiers for individuals who visit our Web sites and mobile apps and the devices such individuals use to visit our Web sites and mobile apps, data relating to usage of our Web sites and apps and inferences drawn from such usage data, and data acquired from third party marketing and digital advertising providers. We share this information with third party vendors that provide consumer behavioral analytics, social media, and digital advertising services to Amos Media Company, and where applicable these vendors may use the information for their own purposes.

We have disclosed Personal Information in all or substantially all of the categories identified in this Additional Notice for California Consumers for various business purposes. For more information about the categories of Personal Information we have disclosed, the categories of entities with which we have disclosed this information, and the purposes for which we have disclosed the information, please see "How We Share Your Information."

Your California Privacy Rights

If you are a California consumer, you have the following rights. We will honor requests received to the extent required by applicable law and within the time provided by law.

Right to Access and Information regarding Personal Information. You have the right to request that we disclose to you the categories and specific pieces of Personal Information we have collected about you. Specifically, you have the right to request that we disclose the following to you, in each case in the twelve-month period preceding your request:

the categories of Personal Information we have collected about you;

the categories of sources from which the Personal Information is collected;

our business or commercial purpose for collecting or selling Personal Information;

the categories of third parties with whom we share Personal Information;

the specific pieces of information we have collected about you;

the categories of Personal Information about you, if any, that we have disclosed for monetary or other valuable consideration and the categories of third parties to which we have disclosed the information, by category or categories of Personal Information for each third party to which we disclosed the Personal Information; and

the categories of Personal Information about you that we disclosed for a business purpose.

We will deliver Personal Information that we are required by law to disclose to you in the manner required by law within 45 days after receipt of a verifiable request, unless we notify you that we require additional time to respond, in which case we will respond within such additional period of time required by law. We may deliver the Personal Information to you through your account, if you maintain an account with Amos Media Company, or, if not, electronically or by mail at your option. If electronically, then we will deliver the information in a portable and, to the extent technically feasible, in a readily useable format that allows you to transmit the information from one entity to another without hindrance.

Right to Deletion of Personal Information. You have the right to request that we delete Personal Information about you that we have collected from you.

Right to Opt Out. You have the right to opt out of the disclosure of Personal Information about you to third parties for monetary or other valuable considerations. To opt-out, please visit: https://www.AmosMedia.com/legal/privacypolicy.htm.

To opt-out from the sale of personal information for valuable consideration to analytics, social media, and advertising partners, please use the following links:
The Circle to Search is one of the amazing AI features introduced by Google earlier this year. The feature initially made its way to select Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel smartphones. Ever since the launch, Google has been updating the feature with new capabilities. More recently, an APK teardown revealed that Google started testing a new audio/music search feature within the Circle to Search. Now, it seems the Music Search feature inside the Circle to Search has started rolling out for select Samsung Galaxy smartphones.

Circle to Searchs Music Search feature is reportedly rolling out to some Samsung Galaxy smartphones

Today, folks over at SamMobile spotted a post on Reddit that confirms the availability of the new feature on Samsung Galaxy smartphones. The Redditor who happens to have a Galaxy S23 series smartphone posted to have received the Music Search feature. Per the post, the feature rolled out to their Galaxy smartphone with the Google apps version 15.32.37.28.

Interestingly, other users running the same Google app version dont have the feature yet. So, it is safe to assume that Google has started server-side activation of the Music Search feature on some Samsung Galaxy smartphones.

Now, you must be wondering what the feature is like, and how it works. When you trigger the Circle to Search feature on your Galaxy smartphone, youll soon find a new button with a music note icon. When you click on the same, it will start the process of music identification on your smartphone. You can check the attached screenshot of the Music Search feature in action at the end of this article.

A similar feature was there as part of the Google Assistant with a different name

The feature not only works with music being played on your phone but also with music playing nearby. The best part is that Music Search also works when you sing a song or just hum the tune. For the uninitiated, Google had previously launched a similar feature as part of the Google Assistant. However, it had a different name  Google Song Search.

Since Google is replacing Google Assistant with Gemini, it could be looking to polish the feature. It will be interesting to see when Google officially rolls out the Music Search feature to Samsung Galaxy smartphones. Lastly, it wouldnt be wrong to say that the feature could scar the future of third-party Android apps like Shazam with similar capabilities.
Earlier in March, Samsung made the Try Galaxy app available for all Android devices. The company allowed the users to explore the latest features of the Galaxy S24 on any regular Android smartphone using the app. Now, Samsung has released a new update for the Try Galaxy App. The new update allows you to experience the Galaxy Z Fold series smartphones, using any two regular phones.

The Try Galaxy app now lets you experience features of the Galaxy Z Fold on any regular phones

If you want to try the Galaxy Z Fold experience on any smartphone, then Samsungs Try Galaxy app will help you. But first, you will need two regular smartphones. Then, go to the website of the Try Galaxy app and scan the QR code using the scanner on both phones. It will install the Try Galaxy app on your devices.

Now, run Try Galaxy on both of your smartphones and select the Fold Experience option by swiping to the second home screen. Then, choose which handset is to the left and the one you want to use on the right. Finally, you can connect them using a random code generated by the app.

Youll be able to check out various features

After setting up both phones, you can place them side-by-side to try the Galaxy Z Fold features. Whatever you will see on the phone on the left will extend to the screen of the one on the right. As of now, the Try Galaxy app is offering a limited Galaxy Z Fold experience by simulating just three scenarios. These include the Circle to Search feature, multitasking capabilities, and consuming videos on the large foldable screen of the Z Fold series.

Apart from the Galaxy Z Fold series smartphones, you can also use the Try Galaxy app to experience the brands other devices. You can use it to experience the Galaxy Ring, Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Buds, and Galaxy S24 series on any smartphone.
Ohio Woman Accused Of Killing, Eating Cat In Front Of

An Ohio woman is facing multiple charges for allegedly killing and eating a cat in front of multiple people in her apartment complex.

Allexis Ferrell, 27, was arrested Friday and booked into the Stark County Jail on charges of prohibitions concerning companion animals, injuring animals, and disorderly conduct, jail records show.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by WJW-TV, the Canton Police Department filed a report stating that Ferrell allegedly "did torture, kill and eat a cat in a residential area in front [of] multiple people."

She reportedly stomped on the cat's head to kill it.

The incident happened at a housing complex on the 1100 block of 13th Street SE in Canton.

During an arraignment hearing on Monday, a bond of $100,000 was set, according to WKYC-TV.

It was unclear if she had a lawyer who could speak on her behalf.

--with reporting by TMX
In early 2021, Google completed the purchase of Fitbit for $2.1 billion. The Mountain View giant set its sights on the fitness and health trackers company with plans to implement its technology in future Pixel Watch devices. Now, Google is killing the Fitbit smartwatches, although the iconic brand will not vanish completely.

Google is killing Fitbit smartwatches; simpler trackers still alive

Googles period under the helm of Fitbit has had its ups and downs. The company has released nice products with the usual reliability, but they also lost some key features previously available. Customers of Fitbit products suspected that Google wanted to save some functions for its Pixel wearables. Sandeep Waraich, senior director of product management for Pixel Wearables, kind of confirmed the theory.

Waraich revealed to Engadget Googles plans regarding the wearables segment. According to the executive, there will be no more Fitbit-branded smartwatches in the future. From now on, Fitbit fans will have to turn to Pixel products if they want a smartwatch with the same spirit and reliability. Pixel Watch devices go beyond classic Fitbit products thanks to the additional Wear OS possibilities. However, the company developed activity and health monitoring algorithms based on Fitbit technology.

Regardless, the Fitbit brand will continue to exist, at least for now. Waraich said that there will still be minimalistic, long-lasting trackers under the brand. These types of products are what made Fitbit famous. So, Google wants to maintain the original spirit in current and future devices. These types of wearables get rid of multiple advanced features in favor of longer battery life and ease of use. So, suspicions from Fitbit product users about the reason for the loss of features were not far off.

Google combined AI power and Fitbit experience for Pixel Watch products

The representative also talked about the collaboration between the two companies. Google, as an AI expert, brought its power in terms of machine learning to get the best performance out of the Fitbit health monitoring technology. It also took advantage of the latters experience in data capture and processing to give useful outputs to the user. Likewise, Fitbit was an expert in tuning algorithms according to each type of physical activity to track. All that knowledge was fundamental to developing all the advanced features of the Pixel Watch lineup.

So, while Google is killing Fitbit smartwatches, fitness and health trackers will remain in force. You can even expect some new models in the future as part of the Inspire lineup. The company launched the Versa 4 and Sense 2 in 2022 as the latest Fitbit-branded smartwatches. Theres also a spin-off product for kids called Fitbit Ace LTE. Meanwhile, the Pixel Watch 3 series is Googles latest device in the segment.
A leaked Qualcomm datasheet has revealed that the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will feature a 3nm chip with an Oryon CPU. Set to be officially unveiled in October 2024, this next-generation mobile processor is expected to impact the smartphone industry significantly.

What the leak revealed

On August 18, 2024, a leaked slide surfaced online, providing detailed insights into Qualcomms Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 3nm chip specifications. According to the leak, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will come in two variants. The standard SM8750 and the performance-oriented SM8750P. The SM8750 will cater to various flagship smartphones, while the SM8750P will be exclusive to Samsungs Galaxy S25 Ultra. The leak confirms Qualcomms strategic approach to segmenting its product offerings to meet diverse market needs.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 3nm chip, built using TSMCs advanced 3nm process, significantly shifts from Qualcomms previous focus on raw CPU power. The leaked datasheet indicates that Qualcomm is prioritizing energy efficiency in this new processor. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will feature Qualcomms custom Oryon CPU cores, a design previously seen in the Snapdragon X Elite/Plus laptop CPUs.

The decision to emphasize efficiency over raw performance reflects a broader trend in the mobile processor industry, where manufacturers increasingly focus on improving battery life and reducing heat generation.

AI capabilities enhanced

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 3nm chip will include a dedicated Low Power Artificial Intelligence (LPAI) subsystem, featuring an eNPU (DSP Artificial Intelligence Accelerator). This subsystem is designed to power always-on audio, camera, and sensor features, making the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 a key player in the future of on-device generative AI capabilities.

The Qualcomm Sensing Hub (QSH) will work toward these AI advancements. It will offer improved on-device processing for AI-driven applications. The feature can significantly enhance the user experience, particularly in voice recognition, camera functionality, and personalized content generation.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 3nm chip will reportedly feature a 2+6 core configuration, with two performance cores clocked at 4.0GHz and six efficiency cores at 2.8GHz. This configuration underscores Qualcomms commitment to balancing performance and power efficiency.

In addition to the Oryon CPU cores, the chip will include the Adreno 830 GPU. It promises improved graphics performance for gaming and multimedia applications. The processor will also feature the Qualcomm Spectra ISP. It should enhance camera capabilities, and the Qualcomm FastConnect 7900 modem, supporting Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. These features collectively position the chip as a comprehensive solution for next-generation mobile devices.

Whats next for Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 3nm?

Qualcomm is set to officially unveil the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 at the Snapdragon Summit 2024, scheduled for October 21. While the leaked slide has provided a glimpse into what to expect, the full picture will become clearer at the event. Xiaomi is rumored to be the first to launch a smartphone powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 3nm chip. The Xiaomi 15 series potentially debuting in China shortly after the summit.
Mobile devices with internet connectivity are in the hands of millions of people around the world. So, they are a tempting target for attacks from malicious third parties. Both OS developers and device manufacturers are working together to make the mobile ecosystem ever more secure, but potential attackers are working at the same pace. Now, a newly discovered phishing method could cause huge financial losses to Android and iOS users alike.

Attackers try alternative methods in the face of increased security measures

Successful phishing based on downloading malicious apps has become increasingly difficult. On iOS, Apple enforces strict control over the App Store, although some particular cases can slip through the cracks. On Android, which allows easy installation of apps from outside the Play Store, browsers integrate multiple warnings and protections before the file is even downloaded. Plus, the Play Store features constant monitoring against malicious apps.

However, it seems that attackers have realized this and are trying a new approach. As discovered by ESET Research, a new phishing method is exploiting Progressive Web Apps (PWA). If youre not aware, a PWA is a web app with access to native app features. For example, it can use native system prompts or notifications. This, coupled with the fact that its installation is much more permissive, makes it an attractive attack method.

New phishing method exploits Progressive Web Apps on Android and iOS

If youve ever added a web app from a website to your phones homescreen, youll know that there are no prior security checks. Something similar (albeit a bit more complex) happens while installing a PWA. Because theyre basically web apps, they dont go through the security checks designed for traditional apps. On Android, you dont even have to enable permission to allow installation of apps from your browser. Plus, as it runs on a browser framework (like WebView on Android or WebKit on iOS), its effective on any mobile OS.

A PWA can be indistinguishable from a native app or from an App Store/Play Store page. Now, according to ESET Researchs findings, a PWA-based phishing campaign has been targeting banks and customers in Czechia. Some cases have also been detected in Hungary and Georgia.

ESET researcher Jakub Osmani provided more specific details about the phishing campaign. The report indicates that attackers are looking to get users to install a PWA that simulates their banks app. If they succeed and users enter their credentials, attackers could gain access to their accounts. While banks often offer more security barriers in place, the most difficult thing for attackers is usually to obtain their victims login credentials. However, this method would make the task much easier.

Phishing campaign powered by three main mechanisms

The research revealed that the phishing campaign involves three main mechanisms. There are automated voice calls, SMS messages, and social media malvertising. The voice calls attempt to trick users into an outdated banking app. After pressing the required button on the dialer, the user will receive a phishing URL via SMS. The URL will direct them to a site that will try to convince them to install the PWA on their devices home screen. The PWA will be disguised as the native app of the clients bank.

On the other hand, social media malvertising bypasses the two previous mechanisms by including direct links to malicious sites that seek to trick the user. The fraudulent ads were detected on Meta social platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram. So, they probably had a notable reach.

The ESET Research team sent the results of their investigation to the targeted banks. Now it is up to them to warn their clients and act accordingly. The team also collaborated in the removal of multiple phishing domains and C&C servers. If you want to avoid the risk of financial losses due to new phishing methods, always remember to check that you are using your banks native app, and avoid opening links that invite you to download apps or updates, both on Android and iOS.
Best Buys deal on the Lenovo Yoga 7i is a must-see deal for students. This could easily be the perfect back-to-school laptop thanks to its affordable price tag and its versatility. In terms of price, the Lenovo Yoga 7i normally costs $1,050. Thats not terrible considering the specs and what this laptop can do. Not to mention its unique style and polished design. However, if youre a student youre probably looking to save money where you can.

With that said, Best Buy is currently offering the Lenovo Yoga 7i for $680. Thats a total savings of $370 which is really quite good. The reason this is such a good laptop option for school is because its a 2-in-1 laptop. That means you can use it like any other regular laptop. But it can also be used in tent mode or tablet mode. Tent mode is great for presenting with study partners or video conferencing with them over video calls. And tablet mode is great if you need to read for research or you just want to take a break and watch movies.

You can also lay the laptop completely flat and this is really good for showing stuff off to multiple people. It also comes with 1TB of storage and its powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 155U CPU. This CPU is pretty good for battery management and should help the laptop last longer throughout the day. Which in the long run, is going to be good for the laptops portability. Because that means you can potentially leave the charger at home. Additionally, the Lenovo Yoga 7i has a 16-inch screen and 4 built-in stereo speakers. Making this an even better laptop for any media use.

Buy at Best Buy
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra will seemingly offer three different backplate materials. A new rumor has surfaced, and it claims that users will be able to choose between glass, ceramic, and vegan leather aka eco leather.

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra will seemingly arrive in three different backplate materials

Now, do note that this information is for the Chinese variant of the phone. The global variant may arrive in less options, or in only one variant, it remains to be seen. Its always good to have options, though.

Were guessing that each of the materials will be tied to specific color variants of the device. Thats the way it usually goes. Xiaomi used all three of these materials in the past, and has experience with all of them.

Glass is well-known to many of you, and kind of a standard these days. Ceramic is heavier than glass, but its also tougher. The ceramic model will be the heaviest one out of the bunch, thats for sure.

Vegan leather will be the lightest out of the bunch

Vegan leather aka eco leather is essentially fake leather, and it adds more grip than glass or ceramic. It stands the test of time really well based on other phones that used it, and its also the lightest material out of the bunch.

Speaking of which, this information comes from Digital Chat Station. Hes a trusted source, so chances are that the information regarding three different backplate materials is spot on.

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is expected to arrive next year, most likely in Q1 at some point, based on previous releases. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will fuel the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, while a large QHD+ display is also expected.

The camera bump will once again be considerable, and Leica will once again be a part of the picture. A rumor is circulating, claiming that the phone will include a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera.
So, you just got your hands on your Pixel 9 or Pixel 9 Pro. Its okay to marvel at its beauty. Google really put a ton of effort into making this a looker of a phone. Itd be a shame if you dropped it on the ground and messed it up. Thats where a quality case comes in. Now that this phone is in circulation, there are a bunch of cases available for it. Heres a list of the best cases you can buy for the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro.

In case youre wondering, this article applies to both the Pixel 9 and the Pro (not the Pixel 9 Pro XL). This is because both of these phones are the same size. So, if you decide to switch from a base-level Pixel 9 and get a Pro, youll be able to use all of the same cases.

Its important to note that this list will constantly be updated with new content. So, if you dont find the case thats right for you this time around, feel free to check back every now and then. There will be all sorts of cases coming out for this phone in the future. With that being said, lets dive right in.

Best Official Google Case

Google Pixel 9 Silicone Case

You cant argue with a case that comes right from the manufacturer. Google made a high-quality phone using the best materials. Its only fitting that that company gives the same treatment to its phones accessories. Theres a certain level of security that one feels when buying a case that comes straight from the OEM. Theres always the slight chance that you run into a third-party company that doesnt fit properly.

Well, you wont need to worry about that with this case. Coming in at $34.99, its a case made from high-quality silicone and PC (polycarbonate). This is a pretty straightforward case in its design, and it provides proper protection from drops and wear & tear. The materials are both flexible and sturdy enough to keep your phone safe.

It was drop-tested for hundreds of hours to ensure that its as protective as possible. So, typical drops from wait or face level wont damage your phone. Your phone is in good hands when its in this case.

If you dont want to cover up your phones color, these cases come in all of the official Pixel 9 colors. The colors to choose from are Hazel, Obsidian, Peony, Porcelain, Rose Quartz, and Wintergreen. So, you will be able to show off the color that your phone came in. Also, if the phone wasnt available in the color that you wanted, then you can buy a case in the color that you originally wanted.

Whats neat about this case is the fact that it was made from 42% recycled materials. So, if youre worried about the environment, you wont feel bad about ordering this case.

Buy at Amazon

Best Clear Case

TAURI Clear Google Pixel 9 Case

This time around, Google delivered an eccentric and rather good-looking phone. Well, buying a case can keep it that way. The only issue is that cases can cover up the design, so what do you do? Well, you buy a clear case. These cases are crystal clear, and they allow you to showcase your phones beautiful design and colorway while keeping it safe. Well, heres a case that does all that and more.

The TAURI Clear Google Pixel 9 Case is a straightforward, yet good-looking clear case for the Pixel 9. It adds functionality to the phone, which is great because its only $17.99. Starting off with the materials, this case is made from high-quality TPU, which will protect the phone in case of a fall. It offers military-grade protection. This case is made from the classic duo of flexible and rigid materials. The edges of the phone are protected by a flexible TPU frame. This is important because falls on the corners or sides can lead to a cracked screen.

This is complemented by a tough PC backplate. This keeps the phones back protected and adds structure to the case. All in all, this is a case that will keep your phone well-protected. While being protective, this case is also pretty slim. So, you wont have to worry about it being cumbersome.

What makes this case better is the fact that it has raised edges around the case and camera package. If you happen to drop the case on the front or back, you wont have to worry. The screen or camera package wont make direct contact with the surface.

Theres something else thats significant about the backplate. This case adds MagSafe compatibility to this phone. So, the phone will attach magnetically to different accessories like wallet attachments, phone stands, wireless chargers, etc. This makes the phone much more convenient to use.

This is a crystal-clear case, so youll be able to see this phones design in all its glory. Thanks to the high-quality materials, the case will resist yellowing too quickly. The Pixel 9 has seven years of software support, so youll be keeping your phone for a while. The case will look amazing for years to come.

Buy at Amazon

Best Rugged Case

Dmzlh Google Pixel 9 Case

The Google Pixel 9 phones arent exactly what youd call cheap, so if you pick up a handset, youre going to want to make sure that its well-protected. There are people who buy slim cases that keep a low profile, but there are also people who want to protect their phones at all costs. These are the people who often buy rugged cases; cases that are made from the most robust and toughest materials to make sure that they protect the phone no matter how hard its dropped.

Heres a rugged case that will make sure that has a nice balance between protection and a slim form factor. The Dmzlh Google Pixel 9 Case only comes in at $16.99, so youre getting a bunch of value with this case. Its a very rugged case, so you wont need to worry if you drop your phone. Its made from military-grade materials. The case itself is a bit thicker than most others, so theres just a bit more protection.

Theres a thick frame that protects the sides and the corners of the phones. Thats important, as impacts on the corners could cause the screen to crack. Speaking of thickness, there is a thick lip around the phone that extends past the display. This means that the screen wont make contact with the surface during a fall. The screen is usually the first thing that shows significant damage.

This also goes for the camera bump. The case is thick enough to extend past it and keep it safe. This means that youre getting all-around protection for your phone. Thats the important part.

While being rugged and protective, the case is still pretty slim. Its still able to keep a pretty slim profile so that it doesnt take up too much space in the pocket. This is good for people who have smaller pockets or dont like the feeling of a heavy phone. It also wont make it hard to handle.

There are non-slip borders on the case that make it even harder for the phone to slip out of your hand. It doesnt matter how protective your case is, the best sort of protection is to not drop it at all.

Buy at Amazon

Best Stylish Case

GREATRULY Floral Clear Case for Pixel 9

Okay, the Pixel 9 is a beautiful phone. Google outdid itself with the design and colorways for this years handsets. However, some people buy cases to add a different aesthetic flair to their devices. They can add different colors or designs to the phone that might make it look even better. Heres a case that will give your Pixel 9 a nice look while making sure its safe.

The GREATRULY Floral Clear Case for Pixel 9 only costs $12.99. Thats a good deal for a case this good-looking. This is a pretty tough case that will keep your phone protected. Its made from a high-quality TPU. Its sturdy and flexible enough to keep the phone from getting damaged from a fall. The corners of the case are reinforced to reduce the impact force on the corners. It will actually lock a little pocket of air in between the case and the phone. This will further decrease the impact force.

Theres also a protective raised lip that extends past the screen and the camera. These will keep them from making contact with the ground during the drop. So, you wont have to worry about the screen or camera glass cracking.

While this case has a design, youre still able to let the original design of your phone shine through. The case is crystal-clear, so youll be able to see the phones original colorway. The TPU will keep from yellowing over the years, so youll be able to keep this phone for as long as youd like.

As for the designs, there are eight different designs to choose from. Each design has a different color aesthetic and type of flower. Theres a design with tulips, one with roses, one with cherry blossoms, and so on. They are perfect for a person who likes flowers and who wants to showcase that. The designs are pretty out-of-the-way so they dont really cover up the phones design. They actually go along with it.

Another good thing about this case is that you wont need to give up wireless charging if you get this case. This makes it one of the best cases to get if you want the best of both worlds.

Buy at Amazon

Best Case With A Kickstand

Oneagle Google Pixel 9 Case

The Pixel 9 series of phones has some amazing screens. Theyre great for watching content on them, and youre likely to like what you see. Well, there are times when you want to watch content, but you dont want to hold your phone up. Maybe, you just want to prop it up on a table to watch some content. Well, this is where cases with built-in kickstands come in. These are cases that combine two accessories into one.

One great case to consider is the Oneagle Google Pixel 9 Case. This is a case that will keep your phone secure for only $18.99. Thats not a bad price for what youre getting. Starting off with the case itself, it has a sturdy and flexible TPU frame that absorbs the shock from a fall. Along with the frame, theres a rigid PC backplate that protects the back of the phone from cracking.

The case has a raised lip that extends past the camera package just a bit. This helps it protect the camera in the case of a fall. As for the screen, this case comes with an included 9H tempered glass screen protector. Its a tough piece of glass that will take the impact force of a fall and keep your screen protected in the case of a fall. If your phone hits the ground with enough force to crack the screen, the screen protector will crack and spare your screen.

The main feature of this case is the kickstand that comes built-in. It sits at the bottom of the case and swings outward when you need to use it. Using it, you can prop up your phone on a table or counter when you want to watch some content, record a video, or enter a video call. The kickstand sits flush with the back of the case so you wont really feel it when youre holding your phone.

The case only comes in a clear colorway for the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, but thats no big deal. This way, youre able to see the beautiful color your phone comes in. The materials are all crystal clear, and theyll resist yellowing over time.

Buy at Amazon

Best Leather Case

Shieldtop Google Pixel 9 5G Wallet Case

You cant argue with cases that add more functionality to the actual phone. Cases like these bring the most value to the smartphone experience, and a good example is the wallet case. These are cases that have slots that allow you to fit credit cards and other cards into them so that you can leave your wallet at home. Theyre very convenient for people who dont want to travel with a bunch of stuff in their pockets.

Heres a very elegant-looking case thats as much a fashion piece as it is a case. The Shieldtop Google Pixel 9 5G Wallet Case takes the wallet case to the next level. Its made from tough materials that will keep the phone protected during a fall. For those who dont like real leather, youll be happy to know that this is faux leather. There are several layers of protection that keep your phone safe, so you wont need to worry.

Moving onto the most important feature, this case is striving to be a full wallet replacement. Theres an inner flap that will house three cards. Youll be able to hold your most important cards. Even if you dont use this case as a full wallet replacement, you will still be able to leave your wallet at home when you go to the bank or the store.

Theres an RFID shield. This will protect your cards from having their data stolen. There are scanners that can read your cards information through your wallet. Theres also a slot behind the cards to hold dollar bills, so you will have a place for your cash.

Thats not all, as theres a compartment on the flap that you can access by unzipping it. Here, you can store more dollar bills, change, keys, or anything else.

This case is pretty thick so you might be worried about using it with a phone stand. Well, you wont need to worry about that. This phone can be used as a kickstand. The back of the case can fold, allowing you to stand the phone on the inner flap. Youll be able to adjust the angle of the phone to your liking.

There are seven colors that you can choose from with this case. Theres Black, Blue, Blue Green, Dark Purple, Purple Blue, Rose Gold, and Wine Red. They all look nice on this case and will give your phone a nice look.

Buy at Amazon

Best Slim Case

TORRAS Shockproof Designed for Google Pixel 9 Pro

Cases are designed to keep your phone safe, and this is why many of them come pretty thick. However, not everyone wants to have a thick case in their pockets. There are people who either have smaller pockets or just dont like the feeling of a large case in their hands. This is where slim cases come in. They do give up some protection so that they can maintain a slim profile. Theyre to make it feel like theres nothing on your phone.

Heres a slim case that you might want to add to your collection. While the TORRAS Shockproof Designed for Google Pixel 9 Pro is thin, that doesnt mean that its not protective. Its made from high-quality materials that can provide proper protection while remaining light and thin. There are multiple layers of protection keeping the phone safe. You have carbon fiber materials along with flexible TPU and synthetic rubber to absorb the impact of falls.

You get the typical features like a raised lip that keeps the screen and the cameras safe. So, it doesnt matter if this case is thin, it will make sure that your phone can survive all of the drops that could happen. The TORRAS Shockproof Designed for Google Pixel 9 Pro has MIL-STD-810H certification. This means that it will survive no matter how many drops it takes.

The materials are only .04in thick. This means that youll barely be able to feel it when its on your phone. Youll be able to slip it comfortably into your pocket. You wont have to worry about it weighing you down if you want to go light.

As an added bonus, youll still be able to use your wireless charger with this case. You wont have to compromise on your charger or take the case off just to charge it.

Buy at Amazon

Best Cheap Case

Taneny Silicone Case for Google Pixel 9

There are a ton of cases out there, and many of them offer some great features. Well, the fact of the matter is that features come at a price. We typically see fully-featured cases with all the bells and whistles, but they can cost upward of $60. The latest Pixel devices arent super budget-friendly, so youve probably spent a lot of money buying your phone. Youre looking to save money on your accessories now, and you need a case to protect your investment.

Well, if youre looking for an affordable and straightforward case just to keep your phone safe, heres one for you. The Taneny Silicone Case for Google Pixel 9 is as simple and straightforward as they come. This case costs only $9.99. At $10, its a great deal for the kind of protection that youre getting. While its affordable, youre still getting a decently protective case. Its made from rubber, which means that it will absorb much of the force from a fall. Theres some thickness to the case, so you wont have to worry when it hits the ground. Theres a bit of a lip that protects the screen and the camera bump.

While theres some thickness to the case, it still maintains a pretty slim profile. This means that youll be able to slip it into your pocket without it feeling bulky or cumbersome. Also, the case is pretty light, so it wont really feel different using your phone when its on.

The Taneny Silicone Case for Google Pixel 9 is a non-slip case, so you wont have to worry about dropping it. The case wont slide when on a table or in your pocket. This is a protective case, but its better to just avoid drops altogether.

This case comes in four nice-looking colors. Theres Black, Blue, Mint Green, and Purple. At such a low price, you know that youre getting some great value with this case.

Buy at Amazon
Big Boys creator Jack Rooke put out a plea for compassion for vulnerable young people in the TV industry who do negative things.

He was speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, held in the Scottish capital annually, and was due to appear at a session with Almas Not Normal creator and actress Sophie Willan, who could not attend due to illness.

During the Tuesday opening talk, part of the orange-coloured decoration for the stage fell down near him, and he joked that Willan knew, and that was why she did not attend the session.

Rooke, who describes himself as having a working class background and has spoken about being gay, also told the delegates: I really feel like when you meet younger talent, I think its really a case of being patient and compassionate and considerate of how behaviour isnt always because somebody is acting up, just sometimes its because they are incredibly vulnerable, and they deserve, a bit of safeguarding.

He added that BBCs director of comedy commissioning Jon Petrie would have informal discussions with him that helped him.

Rooke said: Its just (about) giving people options, asking people questions. Its kind of like talking therapy, but thats not a producers job, but its definitely about just meeting somebody with a real open mind.

He says with Big Boys, which deals with LGBT+ themes and grief, he thinks it feels very safe and very loving, and people feel quite represented by the stories that end up on the screen.

Rooke said he doesnt really overly consider myself as an LGBT writer.

He added: Really most of the characters in Big Boys are quite straight but I feel more defined by going through (being) working class or going through grief, or those things have defined my identity.

14:15-15:15 Jack Rooke x Sophie Willan Moorfoot Join @jackrooke (Big Boys), and Sophie Willan (Alma's Not Normal) in a funny and insightful conversation between two of the leading comedy names in British TV. pic.twitter.com/ujCnm7HbFt  Edinburgh TV Festival (@EdinburghTVFest) August 20, 2024

Rooke collected a gong for best writer for a comedy for his Channel 4 semi-autobiographical sitcom Big Boys at the 2024 Bafta Television Craft Awards.

Almas Not Normal, which won a best comedy Broadcasting Press Guild award in 2022, is set in Willans home town of Bolton, and sees her draw on her own unusual life experiences.

She is set to star in the second series of the BBC show, which has a cast including Happy Valley actress Siobhan Finneran and Bridgerton star Lorraine Ashbourne.

It stars Derry Girls actor Dylan Llewellyn and Jon Pointing as they play characters attending university that are mismatched.

Advisory chairman Harjeet Chhokar, who is an unscripted Amazon MGM Studios executive and worked on Prime Videos Clarksons Farm, and Rowan Woods, the creative director of the event, officially welcomed delegates on the first day.
Divers face complex search for tech tycoon Mike Lynch and five others

Police divers searching for British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and five others who were on a luxury yacht which sank in a tornado are trying to access the ships cabins.

Italys fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco said it is developing a plan to enter the wreckage of Bayesian, which is resting on the seabed off the coast of Sicily at a depth of 50 metres.

It described the operation as complex, with divers limited to 12-minute underwater shifts.

Rescue crews said they assume the six missing tourists will be found in the cabins, which they were unable to enter on Monday due to debris.

Bayesian was moored around half-a-mile off the coast of Porticello when it sank at about 5am local time on Monday as the area was hit by a storm.

Civil protection officials believe the yacht was battered by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout.

Local fisherman Giuseppe Cefalu told the PA news agency through a translator that he saw a tornado close to the port of Porticello, and he and his brother Fabio saw a flare in the sky at around 5am.

 #Porticello #Palermo, riprese alle 8 di #oggi le immersioni dei #sommozzatori speleo dei #vigilidelfuoco per le ricerche dei 6 dispersi. Complesso lingresso nello yacht, in atto la pianificazione per aprire accessi piu agevoli e ispezionare linterno [#20agosto 11:00] pic.twitter.com/QRTdGtO8r2  Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) August 20, 2024

The pair aided efforts to locate people in the water after the yacht sank, but Mr Cefalu said he only saw cushions and a buoy.

He said weather conditions on the morning of the sinking were fierce, with very strong wind and rain.

Fifteen of the 22 passengers and crew onboard  including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares  were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat.

One body, reportedly belonging to the ships chef, was recovered at the scene.

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was cleared in June of conducting a massive fraud relating to an 11 billion US dollar (8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

Stephen Chamberlain died after being hit by a car (Cambridgeshire Police/PA)

The boat trip appears to have been a celebration of his acquittal.

The missing tourists are: Mr Lynch; his daughter, Hannah Lynch; Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife Neda Morvillo.

The Financial Times reported that Mr Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch while media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

The British ambassador to Italy, Ed Llewellyn, met some of the survivors of the sinking at a hotel.

He said: Ive spoken to some of the British survivors both yesterday and today  I want to express my deep sympathy from myself and colleagues at the British Embassy for whats happened.

(PA Graphics)

Were doing what we can to support them in this incredibly sad and difficult situation to help them with contacts from the Italian authorities at a practical level.

A spokesperson for Morgan Stanley said the bank was shocked and saddened, while Clifford Chance said it was a tragic incident.

Mr Lynchs co-defendant Stephen Chamberlain died after being hit by a car while out running in Cambridgeshire on Saturday.

In a statement released through Cambridgeshire Police, Mr Chamberlains family said: Steve was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.

He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible.

Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer (Hiscox/PA)

Ayla Ronald, a New Zealand national working at Clifford Chance, survived the ordeal.

Her father Lin Ronald confirmed to the Telegraph she had been invited aboard as a thanks for assistance in Mr Lynchs recent court case.

I have texted my daughter and she hasnt given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said that there are deaths and she and her partner are alive, he said.

Ayla is a lawyer who is part of the legal team that were invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.

The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported that the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.

Italian emergency services heading towards the area off the Sicilian coast where a luxury yacht sank in a tornado (Jonathan Brady/PA)

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

She said: I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

It was all dark. In the water I couldnt keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.

Charlotte and Sofia were treated in hospital, as was Sofias father, James Emsley.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors have been deployed to Palermo.
A California man serving a life sentence for the "senseless" slayings of two friends was killed with a homemade weapon allegedly wielded by another lifer convicted of trying to murder his father.

The deadly attack took place in the Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad, California, around 10:30 a.m. local time Monday, corrections officials said.

Prison staffers intervened and paramedics pronounced Michael Spengler, 38, dead about 40 minutes later.

No one else was hurt and alleged attacker Miguel Espino, 31, was placed in restricted housing pending the results of an investigation, officials said.

A spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said information about the weapon Espino allegedly used and a suspected motive wasn't available.

In November, jurors convicted Espino of first-degree attempted murder and related charges for setting fire to his father's mobile home after using a hammer to beat him unconscious inside, TV station KESQ reported at the time.

Arturo Espino Sr. survived the horrific 2018 incident in Desert Hot Springs, about 100 miles east of Los Angeles, when neighbors spotted smoke from the blaze and rescued him with the help of a fire extinguisher.

Spengler was convicted in 2022 for the fatal shooting of Michael Meza in Pomona and the deadly beating of Marcus Nieto in Altadena, radio station KFI reported when he was sentenced later that year.

The victims were killed about a month apart in 2013, with the judge in the case calling Spengler an "extremely dangerous man" who should "never be released from prison."

"Both murders appear to have been surprise ambushes of the defendant's friends," Superior Court Judge Henry J. Hall said during Spengler's sentencing. "They appear to be largely senseless."

While locked up and awaiting trial, Spengler -- who claimed innocence -- became a jailhouse lawyer who filed seven civil rights lawsuits over his alleged mistreatment in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, according to a court ruling posted on the Casetext website.
The driver of a refrigerated van accused of smuggling migrants concealed in a hiding spot the width of a human chest told police officers he thought maybe there was people inside, a court has heard.

Seven migrants were rescued from the space as they travelled on board a ferry to the UK after crew heard banging and screaming for help as they were being starved of oxygen.

Anas Al Mustafa, 43, is on trial accused of smuggling people into the UK inside a specially adapted van via a ferry between Dieppe, in France, and Newhaven, in East Sussex, on February 16.

Jurors at Lewes Crown Court heard how the crew on the Seven Sisters ship heard pleas from inside a van on deck and used an axe to break down the fake partition that was hiding the people inside to free them.

Opening the case, prosecutor Nick Corsellis KC said the hidden compartment was two metres wide, 194cm tall and 37cm in narrow width, which forced the migrants to stand, and they could not move to any meaningful degree.

They were not provided with water, the prosecutor added.

Mr Corsellis said: The heat created by seven people in such a small space and the lack of sufficient air/oxygen had created a highly dangerous situation.

It was no doubt this mortal emergency that forced the migrants to call for help in desperation.

The group were rescued at around 9.20am. By that point, two of the migrants had lost consciousness, the prosecutor added.

An Australian nurse and passenger on the ferry, Sari Gehle, responded to a call to assist the crew and described the female casualty as terrified, gripping her arm tightly repeatedly saying: Vietnam, Vietnam, so she understood the group were from there.

Other male casualties she recalled being on the floor, with one vomiting, and another with a cut across his left shoulder. All of them were given oxygen masks.

Meanwhile, efforts had been made to contact the driver on board the ship, Al Mustafa, but the crew received no response.

In a statement, the captain of the ship, Xavier Fontenit, said when the driver eventually appeared he didnt seem to understand what was going on, but did not attempt to assist those taking part in the rescue and looked at his smartphone.

The captain added: He was looking surprised. He remained in the garage saying nothing until he was taken ashore by police.

Mr Corsellis also said Ms Gehle noticed one person stood out in the situation, who she described as an Asian man with a Puffa-style jacket who was sitting on the ground seemingly scrolling through his mobile telephone, and was remarkably calm, in her view.

Mr Corsellis said that man was the defendant.

The migrants were taken to hospital and treated, he added.

Al Mustafa was arrested on suspicion of trafficking the migrants, and when questioned by police he told them that he had come to the UK in 2011 and worked as a self-employed builder, the court heard.

He had moved to the UK from Syria, and told police when he was last in Syria in January he was introduced to a man called Badr who said he needed him to do a job for him driving a van.

Al Mustafa said he did this on a previous occasion and was paid 500 to drive a van to Liverpool for an MoT test, but for the February job he was being paid 5,000 to drive a vehicle from Belgium to the UK, the court heard.

Jurors heard that Al Mustafa told police he did not know there were people in the van but because he was being paid 5,000 he thought maybe this time there is people inside.

When further asked by officers why he was being paid this amount to drive an empty van, he replied: I told you true. I think there is people inside. Why he pay 5,000 this time? Why he give me the car (van) one hour before I arrived. I think in my mind why he give me 5,000? Then sure there is people in back.

Mr Corsellis asked the jury to consider whether this is a confession, adding: We suggest that the defendant was not telling the full truth as to his involvement in the trafficking.

Jurors heard that investigations following Al Mustafas arrest discovered he had been researching refrigerated units and that footprints consistent with the defendants were found on the bonnet of the van, where the entrance to the hidden compartment can be accessed.

Al Mustafa, of Swansea, denies assisting unlawful immigration to the UK and the trial continues.
Children with eating disorders need to be given professional help and support as soon as possible. (Getty Images) (Getty Images)

NHS data has revealed that the number of children with eating disorders has doubled over the last eight years.

Some patients are having to wait over a year for treatment, according to a report by The Times. Currently, 12% of patients are waiting more than three months for an appointment, a monumental jump from 1% in 2021.

NHS maximum waiting time standards state that 95% of children and young people referred for assessment or treatment for an eating disorder should receive treatment within one week for urgent cases and four weeks for other cases.

But The Times report found that the longest time a patient spent waiting for treatment was 378 days at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust. The data was revealed by Freedom of Information requests submitted by the Liberal Democrats.

Commenting on the figures, Tom Quinn, director of external affairs at eating disorders charity Beat, tells Yahoo UK: "Its unacceptable that vulnerable children and young people are being left waiting for months for treatment they desperately need. Eating disorders are incredibly serious mental illnesses and being unable to access quality care quickly makes it more difficult to recover.

"While NHS staff are doing their best to help every patient, eating disorder services are in crisis and healthcare professionals dont have enough resources. The new Government and NHS leaders must take urgent action to ensure that eating disorder services are properly funded and can recruit and retain the staff they need, to help patients as soon as possible.

"Wed urge anybody worried about themselves or their child to contact their GP as soon as possible and ask for an urgent appointment. Charities like Beat are also here to support people with eating disorders and their families."

Cormac Nolan, Service Head of Childline, adds: "The news that eating disorders in children have doubled in eight years is distressing, yet it is in line with what were seeing at Childline.

"Last year, we received over 4,000 contacts from young people reaching out to the counselling service about body image issues and eating disorders. We saw a particular spike in children contacting us in August, typically warmer weather can mean less clothing is worn, resulting in a higher awareness of body image.

"Regardless of their situation or worries, Childline wants to remind all young people that our trained counsellors are here for them and that no child should feel like they are alone with any concerns they have."

In February, analysis by the Royal College of Psychiatrists warned that NHS eating disorder services were failing to hit key waiting time targets for children and young people.

Experts from the college also warned that the delays were causing children with eating disorders "physical and mental harm" while they wait for treatment.

Dr Ashish Kumar, chairman of the Royal College of Psychiatrists eating disorders faculty, told the PA news agency at the time: "We know that early intervention is essential if children are to make a full recovery from an eating disorder, but we simply do not have the resources.

"It is dreadful that so many children are becoming seriously ill while they wait for eating disorders services. We need a renewed focus on recruiting and retaining child and adolescent psychiatrists, including those who specialise in eating disorders and neurodevelopmental conditions."

Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse, who is the chair of the eating disorders all-parliamentary group, emphasised the importance of early intervention in light of the most recent NHS figures.

She told The Times: "Early intervention should be our absolute focus in tackling this misery. Not just for preventing this unbearable suffering in the first place but also freeing up resources in the NHS by keeping people out of hospital and giving them stable lives in communities where they can thrive."

Every child needs someone they can turn to for help with their mental health.



From walk-in hubs to a dedicated mental health professional in every school, @HopeVirgo and I are campaigning to get children the support they deserve before it is too late.https://t.co/HIYpYOxrpp  Wera Hobhouse MP   (@Wera_Hobhouse) August 19, 2024

Hobhouse has begun a campaign alongside mental health campaigner Hope Virgo, who herself suffered from and survived anorexia, to make walk-in hubs available and get dedicated mental health professionals in all schools in order to provide children with support.

A spokesperson for the NHS said: "The number of referrals from young people for eating disorders has increased significantly in recent years and the NHS is clear that improving care for people with an eating disorder is vital.

"Thats why, since 2016, investment in children and young peoples community eating disorder services has risen every year, with an extra 54 million per year since last year to enhance the capacity of community eating disorder teams across the country.

"This extra support is in addition to rolling out hundreds of NHS mental health teams in schools to help improve early access to care."

If youre worried about your own or someone elses health, you can contact Beat, the UKs eating disorder charity on 0808 801 0677 or beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Childline is always available to talk to any child in the UK either online or over phone. Their trained counsellors are there 24/7 to help young people with any worries, concerns or questions  no matter how big or small they might feel. Simply visit childline.org.uk or call 0800 1111

Read more about mental health:
The family of a jailed British-Egyptian pro-democracy writer hope his release can be secured as the fifth anniversary of his arrest approaches.

Alaa Abd El-Fattah, 42, has been detained since September 29 2019 and in December 2021 was sentenced to five years in prison after being accused of spreading false news.

Mr Abd El-Fattah previously carried out hunger strikes during his detention and his case has also been discussed between the leaders of the UK and Egypt.

A fresh start?The only problem is that every time we press the reset button, Alaa has already lost another year or two in prison.Can you imagine what that feels like?Here we go again. We have no choice but to try and try until he is free & safe with us#FreeAlaa#FreeThemAll pic.twitter.com/1KlnoAWGfp  Mona Seif (@Monasosh) August 19, 2024

The Free Alaa campaign said his sister Mona Seif met with Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer on Monday, the first talks between the family and the new Labour administration.

Ms Seif pressed the case for her brother to be released by September 29 and repeated a request for the family to meet Foreign Secretary David Lammy ahead of that date.

Ms Seif said: I feel it was a good first meeting.

Minister Falconer was sympathetic and assured me that my brothers freedom is a priority to our new Government.

Of course, its too early to tell how this will translate into action, and if 2024 could finally be the year we see Alaa free and an end to our familys ordeal, but I will borrow Alaas words from a letter when he got the news that David Lammy has finally become our Foreign Secretary and say: Im allowing myself to feel hopeful.

Mr Abd El-Fattah has spent most of the past decade behind bars in Egypt and is unable to see his young son who lives in Brighton.

Eilidh Macpherson, Amnesty International UKs individuals at risk campaign manager, said: Its encouraging that Hamish Falconer has held this meeting with Mona Seif and we hope it signals an intention from the new Government to re-energise the UKs efforts to secure Alaas release.

Alaas a distinguished democracy activist whos been arbitrarily detained for almost five years having been jailed on trumped-up charges of spreading false news after a grossly unfair trial.

David Lammy should follow up on yesterdays meeting with a meeting of his own with Alaas family, and  more broadly  we need to see the new Government delivering on its manifesto pledge to strengthen support for British nationals arbitrarily detained overseas, including fully delivering on a commitment to a legal right to consular access.

The Foreign Office has been approached for comment.
A father-of-four has been jailed for 28 months after throwing a missile and shouting racist remarks towards a hotel housing migrants.

David Jordan, 59, was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on Tuesday for his behaviour during a protest outside the Holiday Inn Express hotel in Tamworth on August 4.

Jordan, who pleaded guilty to violent disorder, could be seen in video footage throwing a missile in the direction of the hotel, which he claims was an apple core, shouting f****** paedos towards the hotel and telling police officers to f*** off.

Damage at the Holiday Inn Express in Tamworth (Jacob King/PA)

The defendant, of Tamworth Road in Tamworth, also messaged a contact on Facebook on August 5 asking them to spread the word that some migrants had been moved to a different hotel.

Prosecution barrister Fiona Cortese told the court that during a police interview, Jordan said he had not planned to attend the protest and that he was an angry old man shouting his mouth off and acting like a complete twat.

Defending Jordan, Harinderpal Singh Dhami said: As far as the harm is concerned, I imagine the fear the people in the hotel felt, the police, and the community as a whole watching on the TV.

He now accepts fully the way he conducted himself was far from a peaceful protest.

Sentencing Jordan, Judge John Edwards said: You rightly hung your head in shame as we watched the video.

I have looked with care at the footage, you are front and centre of this baying mob for an hour-and-a-half.
Georgina Jelley has revealed how she seems to have become allergic to her own period. (Georgina Jelley/SWNS) (Georgina Jelley/SWNS)

A woman has shared how she has often been left in agony due to a rare condition which made her allergic to her own period.

Georgina Jelley, 28, a commercial researcher, from Beckenham, London, was fitted with the contraceptive coil in April 2024 and just three weeks later, started suffering itchy and burning eyes, headaches and rashes.

Jelley's symptoms were consistent with experiencing an allergic reaction so her doctor prescribed oral steroids and antihistamines, and thankfully she returned to normal within a few days.

But just three weeks later, she suffered another allergic reaction, this time with more severe symptoms.

The mum-of-one was in so much pain she was quickly referred to an eye specialist and even underwent an MRI to determine the cause.

After undergoing extensive tests, which all came back clear, Jelley began to lose hope of getting a diagnosis.

Jelley was experiencing red, itchy eyes and skin. (Georgina Jelley/SWNS) (Georgina Jelley/SWNS) (Georgina Jelley/SWNS)

It was only when she realised that her allergic reactions were always when she was on her period, that she began to research progesterone hypersensitivity.

The rare condition can cause allergic reactions during a woman's menstrual cycle, with the egg release triggering a reaction.

Recalling how her period would impact her each month Jelley says: "It was awful, I knew I was allergic to something, but I had no idea what was causing it.

"My eyes were so red - it looked like I was wearing an eye mask and it affected my vision.

"It was so painful and I was so worried that something was seriously wrong."

When she finally found out about progesterone hypersensitivity Jelley says it was "such a surprise".

"I was told it's a rare condition, but maybe it's not and people just know that they have it," she explains.

"It was shocking to think I'm actually allergic to my own periods."

Jelley was experiencing red, itchy eyes and skin. (Georgina Jelley/SWNS) (Georgina Jelley/SWNS)

Jelley's doctor initially recommended she have the coil fitted in April 2024 after she experienced premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) symptoms from her contraceptive injections.

While her periods were initially irregular on the coil, when her first cycle arrived her symptoms started.

"It was such a strange burning sensation in my eyes," she explains.

"They kept watering and my cheeks were red too.

"I thought maybe it was a reaction to my fabric conditioner or something.

"I saw my GP, who prescribed me steroids and it calmed down."

Three weeks later, Jelley's symptoms returned, but this time they were more severe.

Her vision was affected and she experienced extreme headaches.

Unsure about what was causing the reactions, Jelley was sent for an MRI test at St Mary's Hospital, Orpington, to rule out a more sinister diagnosis, such as a tumour.

Her results were clear and doctors suggested her symptoms could be a result of extreme eczema.

"But I just knew that it wasn't," she adds.

"My final reaction was three weeks later, and when I started to experience the allergic reaction, I moaned to my partner that it was also my time of the month, which added to what I was going through.

"He then had a light bulb moment and realised that I'd been on my period every time I had the reactions."

Jelley believes she is experiencing progesterone hypersensitivity, a rare condition where you have an allergic reaction before and during menstruation. (Georgina Jelley/SWNS) (Georgina Jelley/SWNS)

Jelley started suspecting she had progesterone hypersensitivity, but she is still awaiting an official diagnosis from her GP.

She has since had her coil removed and was given the Depo-Provera contraceptive injection to stop her periods, and she has not had another allergic reaction.

"I feel so much better since having my coil removed," she says.

"It was so painful and horrible, and we had no idea why it was happening.

"I work full time and have a daughter to look after, so it was a lot to go through."

Jelley hopes that by sharing her story she will help to raise awareness of progesterone hypersensitivity.

"I knew it wasn't just eczema," she adds. "You know your body and you should always listen to your gut."

Progesterone hypersensitivity: the facts

According to Verywell Health progesterone hypersensitivity (PH) is a condition that triggers an allergic reaction in the skin ahead of your period beginning and then improves once it's over.

This reaction is caused by a rise in progesterone that naturally occurs during the menstrual cycle.

Symptoms can include rashes, hives, swelling, itching and flaking, while more severe symptoms can also develop such as open sores and anaphylaxis.

Symptoms of PH usually appear between three and 10 days before the onset of a period. They start to go away one to two days after the period starts.

Treatment involves managing the symptoms and medications that can lower progesterone levels or block the production of it completely.

Additional reporting SWNS.

Read more about health and wellness:
The creators behind hit banking show Industry say they want to make an entertaining series that keeps peoples attention.

About graduates pursuing a career in finance, the series was discussed at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Tuesday with creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, actor Sagar Radia and Bad Wolf chief executive Jane Tranter.

Game Of Thrones star Kit Harington is joining the BBC and HBO series as Lord Henry Muck, the chief executive and founder of a green tech energy company, named Lumi, which is about to go public.

When asked about how Harington was persuaded to get naked in the new season, which has begun airing in the US, Down said: It didnt take much persuasion.

He added that the British actor asked can I be naked?

Kay said that each season of the show, they are unsure if it will be renewed so that is why there is always a culmination at the end.

He said: If we burn all our best ideas and we give the audience a satisfying conclusion, we might even have the challenge of, then how do we write our way out of this, which will be even more fun.

Kay also spoke about people saying the show is designed for dealing with short attention spans, and is for a TikTok kind of brain, referencing the social network which has short videos.

He added: Me and Mickey never discussed that apart from I guess the editing style in the first season, that kind of speed of editing and making score and stuff.

But we feel like that is the most compelling way to people ask us all about the themes of the stuff, what is the show about.. we literally start (writing) it (as it) has to be entertaining. Thats literally all we care about.

Sagar Radia. (Ian West/PA)

Elsewhere, Radia spoke about how the show had created opportunities for diverse people like him.

He said as a South Asian man, its difficult not to be aware of the issue of portraying marginalised characters on TV.

Radia added: You dont get to see characters like me on TV anymore that are.. alpha.

So when that opportunity came to me where I could run with it a bit more, especially going into season two, I was (going to) run with both arms and run with it as best I can.

During a preview clip, played at the session, his strong market maker character Rishi Ramdani appears to have a downfall, which leaves his face looking beaten-up as he defends himself against accusations from his colleagues.

Elsewhere, Tranter  whose company has produced His Dark Materials, A Discovery Of Witches and Doctor Who  says despite shows like Industry proving hits, the TV world is facing a lot of issues at the moment.

She said: I think its really important at this moment in time to do a call to arms to ensure that when the industry is contracting a little bit and it is going through a crazy, difficult time at the moment that we remind the commissioners and the broadcasters that new writing doesnt have to be marginalised, it can occupy the mainstream, it can.

You can just give people a chance.

She said that you do this by giving people chances in the industry, before promoting them onto their own projects.

Returning cast members include Myhala as Harper Stern, Harry Lawtey as Robert Spearing and Conor MacNeill as Kenny Kilbane, and Back To Black actress Marisa Abela as Yasmin Kara-Hanani.
Jeremy Clarkson pulling pints at his pub. (Instagram)

Jeremy Clarkson has picked the "worst weekend" to open his new pub The Farmer's Dog, says West Oxfordshire District Council councillor Liam Walker.

The councillor told Yahoo UK: "Bank holiday weekend, couldnt have picked the worst weekend to do it if I'm completely honest, but you know that's Jeremy, isn't it?" Walker is the Conservative County Councillor for the Hanborough and Minster Lovell Division, as well as the West Oxfordshire District Council councillor for the Hailey, Minster Lovell and Leafield ward.

Filming for Prime Video's incredibly successful Clarkson's Farm series four is underway and the new pub, in Burford village, Oxfordshire, will feature in the farming show. Excitement has been building for months since it was announced former The Grand Tour presenter, 64, had purchased the country pub for less than 1m.

However, councillor Walker has voiced his concerns about the parking and the congestion in the local area when the new pub, in Burford village, Oxfordshire opens its doors on the Bank Holiday weekend. His fears are not unfounded. Initially the opening of Clarkson's farm shop on Diddly Squat Farm angered locals because of the huge queues of people and increased traffic.

Don't annoy the locals Jeremy Clarkson

The village of Asthall. (SWNS) (Emma Trimble / SWNS)

Walker had some sound advice for the TV presenter ahead of the opening of the pub. "Don't annoy the locals again," he said. "They are not all the red trouser brigade. Respect the locals and they'll support his next venture."

So what is the secret to keeping the local neighbours happy? "Maybe a free Hawkstone beer," he quipped. "I think, just understand the challenges, particularly around the parking and congestion and I think Jeremy does to be fair."

The District Councillor explained why the parking and the congestion is a concern, especially for the upcoming Bank Holiday weekend. "The parking is a concern," he explained. "And also the congestion because of the location. So we've had a lot of issues with the farm shop due to how popular it is really. Every series of Clarkson's Farm that comes out, we see a massive boost to tourism."

Don't annoy the locals againCouncillor Liam Walker

He added: "Ultimately, people travelling from across the country. I have been up there a few times and you meet people that have come from Scotland and Wales which is mind blowing. To be honest, they travelled all that way, and obviously they want to spend some money and shop in the local area and visit the local area, which is great for West Oxfordshire.

"But that comes with the caveat with the parking and added congestion. Particularly this location because its right next to a very busy dual carriageway, where it is, right across the A40 from London to Cheltenham. So that's why I've raised it with our highways team to look at what mitigations could be put in place to hopefully learn the lessons from the farm shop."

"We all want the pub to be a success," he added. "It's just respecting the local community and looking at ways to reduce the impact on the new villages and road network." While he won't personally be at the pub opening, he suspects the former Top Gear presenter will be pulling pints will be on the ground while the cameras are rolling for series four of Clarkson's Farm.

He added: "Clarkson's doing a soft opening Bank Holiday weekend which is what he did with the farm shop, where he only had potatoes to sell in that particular series and everyone still flocked to it. So it's going to be interesting and obviously they'll do that for the filming because they've already started filming for the next series and featuring the pub."

Read more: What we know about Jeremy Clarksons pub opening this weekend

Plans for The Farmer's Dog pub

The pub is part of Jeremy Clarkson's latest expansion of the Clarkson's Farm empire. (SWNS) (Emma Trimble / SWNS)

Behind the scenes, Clarkson has apparently got a plan in place to resolve any parking concerns as he plans to get a field nearby for parking. Councillor Walker lifted the lid on possible resolutions that Clarkson has been looking at including a booking system with a small fee and a nearby field as well as improving the bus stops.

He said: "So the last I heard his team were looking at a field nearby, which is great because it increases capacity. But obviously you increase capacity and it's just going to increase footfall as well. Personally, I think they need to look at some sort of booking system like any tourist attraction does and charge people a small fee to book.

"I think they're doing that for the restaurant but it's going to be a bit harder for the pub side of the pub. If you just want to go for a beer, that's quite difficult to do that but I suppose people could book tables." Although it is a "big ask" to get people to use public transport to the pub, the councillor said it would help and that the council are supporting Clarkson on "little things" like improving the bus stops.

What happened with the Diddly Squat farm shop?

Huge queues at Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat Farm Shop in February 2023. (Getty) (Gareth Fuller - PA Images via Getty Images)

Clarkson's fight with the council has taken centre stage throughout Prime Video's Clarkson's Farm. One of the long-running disagreements between them has been over the farm shop. In Clarkson's Farm series three, the TV star finally built the car park for the shop after getting the green light from the council.

Councillor Walker said it was all done for the cameras. He said: "The whole farm shop parking fiasco that was on the programme, let's be honest, it was done for good TV and it worked to that effect. Jeremy's Jeremy. He does it in his own particular way. But there are planning rules, and regardless of who you are, I think the council's right to stick by them. It might seem a bit heavy handed, but eventually they did work up a solution and he won his appeal on the car park.

"But the council has an obligation to protect the area from these sorts of things. It's a dangerous precedent otherwise, everyone will start opening farm shops. We get a lot of celebs moving to West Oxfordshire now, so we don't want them all opening farm shops and pubs, it would just be chaos."

Read more: Jeremy Clarkson in tears as he celebrates huge win against council

Jeremy Clarkson has had more impact than Countryfile

Countryfile has been on air since 1988. (BBC) (BBC Studios/Pete Dadds)

Despite the concerns, councillor Walker is a supporter of Clarkson and he has a lot of admiration for him. "He could open anything and turn it into quite a success," he said. In fact, the councillor said he thinks Clarkson has done more for the countryside than BBC show Countryfile which has been running since 1988.

"We've got loads of farm shops in West Oxfordshire. But to be able to get an audience through social media, a few tweets and Instagram messages to travel hours to your farm shop in the middle of nowhere is quite impressive. So I think him using his sort of motoring audience to come over to support the countryside and the rural community, I think, is huge and something he should be praised for.

"To be honest, I think he's done more for the farming community and the wildlife, rural community and Countryfile has because he's just managed to tap into a much younger audience, getting them to sort of buy British, and I think that's hugely important."

Read more: Countryfile viewers upset by 'doom and gloom' of forever chemicals piece

Yahoo has reached out to Jeremy Clarkson and Prime Video's representatives for further comment.
Lindsay Lohan has said her heart is so full as filming on the upcoming Freaky Friday sequel draws to a close.

The American actress, 38, is returning to her role as Anna while Jamie Lee Curtis is reprising her part as her mother Tess for the follow-up, titled Freakier Friday, which is set to debut in 2025.

Earlier this month at the annual Disney convention, the pair said the sequel will be more fun and more emotional than the 2003 original, which sees the mother and daughter duo switch bodies.

Alongside a selfie of her on the set, Lohan wrote: Its our last Monday on the set of #freakierfriday and my heart is so full. Its been such a great time making this film.

The wonderful cast, crew and everyone from @disneystudios have invested so much time and love into making this movie! Thank you to all of you!

Im so grateful to have made this film, a story of family, mothers and their children and a film filled with love, laughter and a ton of heart!

It has been a pleasure to work with my dear friend @jamieleecurtis who brings so much joy to our set everyday and she has made this all the more special!

The mother of one also praised the films director Nisha Ganatra and those who have helped on the project, including the make-up and styling team.

In the new film, Lohans character Anna Coleman has a daughter of her own.

The upcoming sequel will also see One Tree Hills Chad Michael Murray and NCIS actor Mark Harmon reprising their roles from the 2003 film.

Pink Slip, the band which Lohans character fronted in the original film, will make a return as well.

Freaky Friday, about a mother and daughter who switch bodies thanks to a magical Chinese fortune cookie, is based on the 1972 novel by Mary Rodgers.

The 2003 film is the third adaptation of the story, with previous versions starring Jodie Foster and the late Barbara Harris, and Shelley Long and Gaby Hoffmann.
A 26-year-old man has appeared in court charged with murder after a 19-year-old woman was found stabbed in a car park at Crawley train station.

Jason Pascal Flore appeared at Crawley Magistrates Court on Tuesday charged with the murder of Stephanie Marie.

Flore, of no fixed address, wore a grey jumper and trousers, and spoke only to confirm his name, age and address.

Due to the severity of the charge, magistrate Louisa Milne sent the case straight to Lewes Crown Court, where Flore, who is remanded in custody, will next appear on Wednesday.

It comes after officers were called to a report of an altercation between a man and a woman at about 7.10am on Sunday at Station Way in Crawley.

The area was searched and Ms Marie was found in a nearby car park with stab injuries, Sussex Police said.

She was treated by paramedics but was confirmed dead at the scene, the force added.

Due to the location of the incident, the investigation has since been taken over by British Transport Police.
A group of migrants were heard banging and screaming for help concealed in a refrigerated van as they were being starved of oxygen on board a ferry, a court has heard.

Anas Al Mustafa, 43, is on trial accused of smuggling the seven people into the UK in a specially adapted van via a ferry between Dieppe, in France, and Newhaven, in East Sussex, UK, on February 16.

Jurors at Lewes Crown Court heard how the crew on the Seven Sisters ship heard pleas from inside a van on deck and used an axe to break down the fake partition inside hiding the people to get them out.

Opening the case, prosecutor Nick Corsellis KC said the hidden compartment was two metres wide, 194cm tall and 37cm in narrow width which forced the migrants to stand and they could not move to any meaningful degree.

They also were not provided water, the prosecutor said.

Mr Corsellis said: The heat created by seven people in such a small space and the lack of sufficient air/oxygen had created a highly dangerous situation.

It was no doubt this mortal emergency that forced the migrants to call for help in desperation.

The group were rescued at around 9.20am, by that point two of the migrants had lost consciousness, the prosecutor added.

Meanwhile, efforts had been made to contact the driver on the ship, Al Mustafa, but the crew had no response.

Passengers on board the ship however responded to a call for assisting the crew, and Australian nurse Sari Gehle helped provide oxygen and medical supervision in the confusing situation where the only migrant able to speak spoke Vietnamese, while she spoke English and the crew spoke French.

Mr Corsellis also said Ms Gehle noticed one person stood out in the situation, who she described as an Asian man with a puffer jacket who was sitting on the ground seemingly scrolling through his mobile telephone and was remarkably calm in her view.

Mr Corsellis said that the man was the defendant.

The migrants were taken to hospital and treated, he added.

Al Mustafa, of Swansea and who moved to the UK in 2011 from Syria, has denied assisting unlawful immigration to the UK and the opening continues.
A Texas man who allegedly tried to run over his girlfriend following a physical altercation outside a Houston nightclub ended up fatally plowing into a stranger, cops said.

Sanden James George, 35, has been charged with murder and assault on a family member, according to the Houston Police Department.

Witnesses told police they saw a man get into a physical altercation with a woman.

George allegedly intended to run over his 24-year-old girlfriend outside the Midtown nightclub, when he struck and killed a 41-year-old female bystander with his car around 3 a.m. Sunday, said authorities.

The girlfriend was not seriously injured.

George allegedly ran away on foot but was captured soon after. He was taken to a hospital for treatment. He was then put into police custody and booked into the Harris County Jail.

Police identified the victim as Cindy Reyes, a nightclub manager in the area who was on her way home, according to KPRC-TV. She was 41 years old, according to police.
Safeena Ladha in The 39 Steps - Mark Senior

Patrick Barlows Olivier-winning Hitchcock spoof, which has been delighting audiences around the world on and off for nearly two decades is, on paper, foolproof. A theatrical reincarnation not of John Buchans original spy novel but the 1939 film adaptation, its USP lies less in the story  in which the English upper-class layabout Richard Hannay finds himself caught up in an international espionage plot in the depths of the Scottish Highlands  than in the telling.

Numerous characters, just four actors and a shoestring set that frequently misbehaves: its a delightfully lowbrow postmodern in-joke that can count sources as various as B movie melodrama and Michael Frayns Noises Off within its DNA. Any concerns about the material becoming dated are, in theory, beside the point in 100-minute show that revels in the timeless inherent absurdity of suspended disbelief.

Yet this revival, arriving nine years after the end of The 39 Steps nine-year run in the West End following a short UK tour, suggests Barlows madcap slapstick caper is starting to creak at the knees. As our dashing moustached hero Hannay (Tom Byrne) goes on the run, jumping out of windows, fleeing across moors, and at one point hanging off a bridge, chased both by Scotland Yard and an evil gun-toting professor, the clever conceit of Barlows conception is a production thats trying its damndest to keep up.

With one actress (Safeena Ladha) playing all three love interests (this is a show that takes abundant cues from Hitchcock, after all), its down to the two supporting cast members to provide the necessary framework, be it by popping up as a bog or a tree, inhabiting two characters at once with the help of a split costume, and generally switching accents, trousers and hats at, well, the drop of a hat. Speed, in short, is of the essence.

But speed is precisely whats missing in tour director Nicola Samers production, and not in the way the show intends. Gags that require only a couple of seconds (such as the visual reference to the shower stabbing scene in Psycho) are indulgently stretched to five or six.

Tom Byrne and Safeena Ladha in The 39 Steps - Mark Senior

As Byrnes Hannay finds himself in ever more hairy predicaments, he adopts an air of sauntering, faintly exasperated detachment that feels at odds with a plot dependent on mounting jeopardy. Ladhas Margaret may be a cardboard cut-out blonde, but you do still need to find the knowingly ridiculous confected relationship between her and Hanney a little bit thrilling. As one of the two supporting clowns, Eugene McCoys gurning and low-rent physical grotesquerie (silly walks, a persistent sort of fey affectation) feel like a blunt substitute for parodic caricature. And exaggerated foreign accents  in this instance Scottish  definitely feel like a joke thats had its day.

The unstoppable success of Mischief Theatre, the comic chops behind The Play That Goes Wrong franchise, has proven that blissfully executed deadpan farce has an almost limitless life span. The trick, I think, is to ensure the audience retain their suspended disbelief however much the comedy skewers it. The 39 Steps has lost sight of this trick. In this iteration at least, it feels sluggish and lethargic.

Until Sep 28. Tickets: 0844 871 7615; trafalgartheatre.com
A hygiene promoter raises awareness of mpox among displaced people near Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photograph: Arlette Bashizi/Reuters

African health officials have appealed to the international community not to impose travel bans on countries dealing with an outbreak of mpox, but instead to support the continent in rolling out testing and vaccinations.

There have been about 1,400 new cases and 24 deaths linked to a new variant of mpox over the past week, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dont punish Africa, said Africa CDCs head Jean Kaseya at a media briefing on Tuesday. We hear from here and there that you want to apply travel bans  we need solidarity, we need you to provide appropriate support, this vaccine is expensive.

Related: What is mpox and why has it been declared a global health emergency?

I clearly request our partners to stop thinking about travel bans against Africa, that will bring us back to the unfair treatment from the Covid period and not help the world to move forward.

On Tuesday Argentine authorities quarantined a cargo ship in the Parana River near the inland grains port of Rosario over a suspected case of mpox onboard.

Fernando Morales, president of industry body the Argentine Naval League, said that a Liberian-flagged ship had been ordered to drop anchor in the river while a test on a crew member was carried out.

A crew member with fever and weakness was taken to a hospital in San Nicolas. There they carried out some tests and they say that in principle it could be mpox, Morales said, adding that the diagnosis was not yet confirmed.

Kaseya said he hoped vaccines would soon arrive in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the source of an outbreak that has spread to at least three other countries.

He said there had been promising collaboration between countries and health organisations, but that he would not be satisfied with progress in tackling the outbreak until community-level testing networks had been established to ensure no cases were missed. Richer nations could help in expanding testing and procuring vaccinations, he added.

He said there had been talks with the vaccine manufacturer Bavarian Nordic to allow local production, which would help to lower the price.

The company has told Africa CDC it could provide 2m doses this year, but only if it begins to work immediately by switching focus to mpox rather than other vaccines.

It said it would begin diverting resources to mpox vaccines even before orders were placed depending on the outcome of talks with the World Health Organization (WHO).

DRCs health minister, Roger Kamba, said on Monday that 16,700 cases and 570 deaths had been recorded this year.

Africa CDC said there needed to be more education about the spread of the disease, especially to ensure people knew that it was not only spread through sexual contact, as many believe. It can spread through close contact with an infected person.

Related: The Guardian view on Africas mpox outbreak: Covid lessons need to be learned | Editorial

Gay and bisexual men made up the majority of cases in the global outbreak in 2022, but children have accounted for 70% of cases DRC during latest one.

The Congolese virologist Prof Jean-Jacques Muyembe said the lessons learned from Covid-19 in terms of distancing and hygiene should be remembered, as well as ensuring people practise safe sex, as was encouraged to avoid HIV.

We must put all this in place again and not lose from our memory what weve learned from past diseases, to apply it to save lives, he said.

WHOs regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge, said mpox should not be compared to Covid-19, because more is known about how to contain it through surveillance, investigating cases and changing the behaviour of the communities most affected.

Most cases are in DRC, but the clade 1b variant has also been detected in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the Indonesian defence minister and president-elect, Prabowo Subianto. Australia and Indonesia struck a new security pact in Canberra on Tuesday. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Australia and Indonesia have struck a new security pact that will lead to more joint military exercises and visits, prompting human rights advocates to call for safeguards.

The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, told the Indonesian defence minister and president-elect, Prabowo Subianto, in Canberra on Tuesday that there was no more important relationship than the one between our two great nations.

The leaders announced the conclusion of treaty negotiations but did not allow reporters any opportunity to ask questions about the contents of the deal.

Australia and Indonesia said early last year they were negotiating to replace their existing defence cooperation arrangement with an upgraded agreement that was binding under international law.

Albanese said on Tuesday the historic treaty would bolster our strong defence cooperation by deepening dialogue, strengthening interoperability and enhancing practical arrangements.

The pact would help the countries to support each others security but would also contribute to the stability of the region that we share, he said.

Australia has been seeking to deepen economic and security ties with its neighbours in south-east Asia and the Pacific, in part as a response to Chinas own push for greater influence across the region.

Related: Lost homes, lost traditions, lost habitats: the cost of Indonesias brand new city

Prabowo said Indonesia and Australia had had our ups and downs as the political situation and the geopolitical situation of course evolved but had reached the new agreement after several decades of very close cooperation.

The Australian defence minister, Richard Marles, is expected to travel to Indonesia in the coming days to sign the agreement.

Marles said the agreement was a profoundly significant moment for the national security of both of our countries and would pave the way for more exercises between the two militaries.

Importantly, it will allow us to operate from each others countries, and in that sense this agreement will be the deepest, the most significant agreement that our two countries have ever made, Marles said.

Marles said Australia and Indonesia were the closest of neighbours and therefore had a shared destiny, but the agreement showed that the relationship was now very much defined by deep strategic trust.

And when you consider the journeys of Indonesia and Australia over the decades, it is profoundly historic that we have reached this moment where we find security in each other, Marles said.

Neither Albanese nor Marles mentioned human rights in their statements.

Human Rights Watch had urged the Australian government to use its meetings with Prabowo to urge him to fulfil the human rights-related commitments that previous Indonesian administrations had made but failed to meet.

These include some difficult issues such as the mandatory hijab rules, the crackdown on LGBT people, and the governments unwillingness to allow foreign journalists and United Nations officials to visit West Papua, said Daniela Gavshon, Australia director at Human Rights Watch.

Related: Why you will never hear an Australian leader call out Indonesia on West Papua

During a visit to Melbourne, Andreas Harsono, an Indonesia researcher for Human Rights Watch, called the human rights situation in West Papua very concerning.

Harsono said it was absolutely important for Australia to seek guarantees that its military equipment or support was not used to further human rights abuses in West Papua.

HRW cites figures from the UN indicating that up to 100,000 Papuans have been displaced since late 2018, when violence between Indonesian security forces and West Papuan militants escalated.

The organisation also highlights reports of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. Further comment has been sought from the Australian government and the Indonesian embassy.

The Australian government has previously defended its engagement with Prabowo, insisting that it has regular and open discussions with Indonesia on a range of issues including the Papua provinces and human rights.

In September 2023, Guardian Australia published an investigation into reports of brutality by the Indonesian military  including the torture and murder of civilians  in West Papua.

At the time the Australian Department of Defence said bilateral defence activities include training on professionalism and the laws of armed conflict.

At Tuesdays media event, Albanese said Australias partnership with Indonesia was underpinned by mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity as enshrined in the Lombok treaty.

That treaty, signed in 2006, included a pledge by Australia not to support separatism and it was seen as a clear reference to West Papua independence movements.

The full text of the new agreement has yet to be released, but Marles and Prabowo said in a joint written statement that they were strengthening the bilateral defence relationship across many dimensions.

That included deeper education links and closer cooperation on maritime security.

Indonesia was one of the early critics of the Aukus nuclear-powered submarine pact when it was announced by the Morrison government in 2021, but Australian diplomats have worked since then to allay those concerns.
Six people are now presumed dead after the super yacht they were onboard sank in a violent storm off the coast of Sicily.

Divers tried in vain on Tuesday to gain access to the inside of the sunken 56-metre Bayesian luxury vessel, where rescue crews believe those missing may have been trapped.

Those unaccounted for are the tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his teenage daughter Hannah Lynch; the Morgan Stanley International chair Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy; and the Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda.

Rescuers said they were working on the assumption that the boat sank quickly after being hit by a tornadic waterspout in a storm at about 5am on Monday.

Vincenzo Zagarola of the Italian coastguard confirmed there had been no sign of the missing passengers more than 36 hours into the rescue mission.

He said: We do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly. We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out.

Asked about the likelihood of them being alive, he replied: Never say never, but reasonably the answer should be not.

The national director of Italys firefighting department divers, Giuseppe Petrone, said that his team of specialist divers had managed to locate a breach in the sailboats hull and were working to open a passage to reach the cabins where they hope to find the bodies of the six missing individuals.

We have finally located a breach, Petrone said. Our men are working to open it.

The divers are hampered by debris obstructing the cabin, and the need to surface after 10 minutes because the wreck lies about 150ft below the surface.

The UKs Marine Accident Investigation Branch confirmed that four of its inspectors were being sent to Palermo.

Diving teams from the Italian firefighting service, who arrived from Rome, Sassari and Cagliari on Monday, completed a dive on Tuesday morning. Marco Tilotta, who is in charge of the firefighter-divers from Palermo, said there were numerous challenges in recovering bodies.

The greatest challenge is the depth, which does not allow for immediate interventions. You have to consider that when we go underwater, we have three minutes to descend and eight minutes to work on the wreck. Then we have to begin the ascent phase.

There is also the problem of accessing the vessel with all the belongings inside and the fact that the boat is positioned at 90 degrees. We have not yet entered the boat. We plan to do so soon and inspect every inch of the vessel.

The Italian coastguard did confirm yesterday that a body recovered on Monday, was that of the vessels chef, Recaldo Thomas. He had dual Canadian and Antiguan citizenship and was one of 10 crew members on board.

Tilotta said that apart from that discovery, no others had been located. Fifteen people have so far been rescued, including Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares, who owned the boat, and a one-year-old girl with her mother.

Lynch co-founded Autonomy, a software business that became one of the shining lights of the UK tech scene in the mid-90s.

Once described as Britains Bill Gates, Lynch spent much of the past decade in court defending his name against allegations of fraud related to the sale of Autonomy to the US tech company Hewlett-Packard for $11.1bn.

The 59-year-old was acquitted by a jury in San Francisco in June, after he had spent more than a year living effectively under house arrest.

As local people came to terms with the shock of the events of Monday, those also caught up in the storm gave information to crews at the dock in Porticello, close to where the vessel sank.

Karsten Borner, 69, the captain of a sailboat that was alongside the Bayesian, said the vessel carrying Lynch and 21 other passengers sank within minutes.

We were also awakened by the storm, Karsten said. The first thing I did was to start the engines of my sailboat to give more stability to the vessel. I dont know if the Bayesian did the same. It seems like they were also suddenly caught by the storm.

After securing our boat, we immediately approached the Bayesian. But it had already sunk. I have never seen a vessel of this size go down so quickly. Within a few minutes, there was nothing left. Then we saw the raft with the 15 passengers. It was a tragedy.

Fabio Cefalu, 36, a fisher from Porticello, was one of the first to attempt to help the Bayesian.

I arrived at the port at 3.30am for a fishing trip, he said. But when we saw the first flashes of lightning, we decided to stop. At 3.55am, a mini tornado arrived. The docks of the port diverted it and it hit the sailboat head-on. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Cefalu said the whirlwind lasted about 10 minutes with strong winds and rain.

He added: We saw a flare 500 metres from the dock. We went to see what had happened. We only saw the floating debris of the boat. We immediately called the coastguard. The sea was terrible. The wind very strong. The storm destroyed my solar panels. The vessel was hit head-on. I thought I would find someone in the sea, but nothing. The boat had disappeared from the radar. In my opinion, the missing passengers are still onboard. They were caught in their sleep by the storm and didnt have time to get out.

Speaking to reporters, the British ambassador to Italy, Edward Llewellyn, said: Its a tragedy, I met with the survivors, I wanted to express my solidarity and that of the British embassy.

Bayesian had completed a number of sailings in recent days, calling at various ports in Sicily, according to the ship-tracking website VesselFinder. The super yacht could accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites and was listed for rent for up to 195,000 (166,000) a week. It was built in 2008 by the Italian company Perini Navi.

In a separate development on Monday, Lynchs co-defendant at the US trial, Stephen Chamberlain, died after being hit by a car while out running in Cambridgeshire.

Chamberlain, the former vice-president of finance at Autonomy, was hit on Saturday morning and had been placed on life support. In a statement Chamberlains lawyer, Gary Lincenberg, said he had died after being fatally struck by a car while out running.

Lincenberg added: He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity, and we deeply miss him. He fought successfully to clear his good name, which lives on through his wonderful family.

Chamberlains family described the 52-year-old in a statement as a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.

Lynch was awarded an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006, and appointed in 2011 to the science and technology council of the then prime minister, David Cameron. He was elected as a fellow to the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2008 and the Royal Society in 2014.
Jill Biden and Joe Biden on the first day of the Democratic national convention in Chicago, Illinois on Monday. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The Democratic national convention kicked off Monday in Chicago, just one month after Joe Biden withdrew his candidacy and paved the way for Kamala Harris to take over the ticket.

The first night of the convention included speeches from Biden, Hillary Clinton and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the convention. Here are key takeaways from the day:

Joe Biden passed the torch: America, I gave my best to you

As the president took the stage at around 10:30pm CT, the crowd broke out into enthusiastic Thank you, Joe and We love Joe chants, with drawn-out cheers that repeatedly prevented him from continuing his remarks. Biden revisited some of the darkest chapters of the Trump administration, including the January 6 insurrection, and attacked Trumps vision of America, saying, He says were losing. Hes the loser. He earned loud applause for his praise of Kamala Harris, saying selecting her as vice-president was the best decision I made my whole career, and, Crime will keep coming down when we put a prosecutor in the office instead of a convicted felon.

Speakers throughout the night heaped praise on Biden. Dr Jill Biden, the first lady, praised her husband for withdrawing from the race, saying she watched him dig deep into his soul as he weighed the decision. The president said of his decision: I love the job, but I love my country more. Toward the end of his speech, he said, America, I gave my best to you.

Ocasio-Cortez energized the crowd and praised Harriss ceasefire efforts

Ocasio-Cortez gave one of the most energetic speeches of the night, talking about her roots as a bartender and saying: America has before us a rare and precious opportunity in Kamala Harris. We have a chance to elect a president who is for the middle class, because she is from the middle class. She understands the urgency of rent checks and groceries and prescriptions. She is as committed to our reproductive and civil rights as she is to taking on corporate greed.

The progressive congresswoman and Squad member also earned loud applause for saying that Harris was working tirelessly to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and bringing hostages home.

Hillary Clinton said Kamala Harris will break the glass ceiling

Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and 2016 presidential candidate, also gave an impassioned speech, outlining the historic nature of Harriss nomination: I see the freedom to look our children in the eye and say, In America, you can go as far as your hard work and talent will take you, and mean it. And you know what? On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris, raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our 47th president  Because when a barrier falls for one of us, it falls and clears the way for all of us.

Clinton drew a sharp contrast between Harris, a former prosecutor, and Trump who fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up, he made his own kind of history  the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions. The remark sparked lock him up chants, a throwback to the lock her up chants Clinton faced in 2016 at Trump rallies.

Democrats rallied around abortion rights and stopping Project 2025

Speakers from red states gave personal accounts of the impacts of abortion bans. Hadley Duvall, from Kentucky, described how she was raped by her stepfather and became pregnant at age 12: I cant imagine not having a choice. But today, thats the reality for many women and girls across the country because of Donald Trumps abortion bans. She noted Trumps previous remarks calling abortion bans a beautiful thing: What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parents child?

Speakers also repeatedly tied the Trump and the Republican agenda to Project 2025, the roadmap for a second Trump administration crafted by former Trump officials. Mallory McMorrow, a state senator from Michigan, held a copy of the Project 2025 document and assailed the plan to turn Donald Trump into a dictator. Congressman Jim Clyburn called Project 2025 Jim Crow 2.0. Biden noted that the project calls for the dismantling of the US department of education.

Kamala Harris gave surprise remarks

Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance at the convention on Monday night to thank Joe Biden for his service: Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do, we are forever grateful to you. Thank you, Joe!

Harris, who is due to give her formal speech at the end of the week, electrified the crowd when she entered the stage, with Beyonces Freedom playing in the background. Looking out at everyone tonight, I see the beauty of our great nation. People from every corner of our country and every walk of life are here united by our shared vision for the future of our country, the vice-president said.

Thousands protested outside the DNC

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the Democratic National Convention, calling for a ceasefire and arms embargo on Israel. Dozens of protesters appeared to break through one security fence near the convention site and several demonstrators were handcuffed and detained. During Bidens speech, demonstrators unfurled a Stop Arming Israel banner, but the speech continued uninterrupted. There was limited talk of Gaza on the convention floor, though Biden reiterated his efforts to secure a ceasefire and said, Those protesters out in the street, they have a point  a lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides.

The Democratic partys official platform released before the convention did not include an arms embargo, a key demand by uncommitted delegates.

Chris Stein contributed reporting.

Democratic convention highlights:
Apti Alaudinov, the Chechen special forces leader, said: 'If you die defending your homeland, you will go to heaven' - Getty Images Europe

A Chechen commander has mocked the sobs of mothers of young conscripts sent to defend Kursk from Ukraines invasion.

Apti Alaudinov, who leads the Akhmat Special forces and is the right-hand man to warlord Ramzan Kadyrov, brushed off growing complaints from the parents of the teenage soldiers.

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has promised that conscripts will not be sent to fight abroad. But as Ukraine invaded Kursk, hundreds of fighters under the age of 20 have been deployed to face Ukrainian troops armed with Nato weaponry.

Mr Alaudinov's comments came after mothers of conscripts called on Vladimir Putin to withdraw their sons from the Kursk region - Anadolu

Mr Alaudinov said: If your 18-year-old children  who are servicemen, should not defend the homeland, even when it is attacked by the enemy and when the enemy is on our land, I have one question for you: why does this country need you and your children?

He added: No one will die who is not destined to die. But if you die defending your homeland, your faith in God, you will go to heaven.

If they are not properly fighting, conscripts just eat the states bread for free  and then go home.

His comments came after mothers of conscripts called on Putin to withdraw their sons from the Kursk region.

A petition, which says the recruits are ill-equipped to defend against the Ukrainian incursion, has received more than 5,000 signatures.

The mothers of soldiers hold an important status in Russian society.

In the 1980s, the first domestic signs of discontent against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan came from the mothers of serving troops.

Putin has avoided drawing too heavily on conscript forces to fuel his invasion of Ukraine. More than 300,000 men were mobilised in late 2022, but there have been no further round-ups.

After they turn 18, all men in Russia must serve in the military, though there are veiled promises that they will never see combat.

Chechen fighters hiding behind young recruits

Putin has largely stuck to his promise that conscripts will not be sent to Ukraine.

Most have been stationed alongside Russias expansive borders, meaning that when Ukraine steamrolled across the frontier into Kursk, the conscripts were the initial layer of defence.

Russian military bloggers have accused Mr Alaudinovs Chechen fighters of hiding behind the young recruits.

Hundreds of conscripts have been captured as prisoners of war by advancing Ukrainian forces, while 159 had been killed in the first two weeks of fighting, according to the BBCs Russian service.

Click here to view this content.

Mr Alaudinov said he understands that those parents complaining about the fate of conscripts are unhappy with the levels of pay.

The Chechen said those young Russians were as much a part of the fighting force as normal contracted soldiers.

We dont need to turn 18-year-old male conscripts into babies who have to be given a dummy and sent to bed, he said.

He isnt fighting on the front lines himself, it has been claimed.

However, some of his Chechen fighters have been killed or captured as prisoners of war in the fighting, according to reports.

Human rights experts have said Russian officials would likely broker deals to return the men from captivity, before demanding they apologise for their capture and return them to front-line duties.

Potential political crisis for the Kremlin

The US-based Institute for the Study of War said: The Kremlin has shown great concern about societal backlash regarding issues concerning conscripts, and Russian president Vladimir Putin has previously taken action to appease the complaints of conscripts relatives.

The continued presence of Russian conscripts in the border areas during the Ukrainian incursion threatens the Kremlin with a potential political crisis regarding casualties among Russian conscripts.

Blatant calls from Alaudinov  a widely promoted Russian authority  for conscripts relatives to stop complaining, for conscripts to participate in combat operations in Russias border area, and for Russian citizens to embrace casualties among conscripts and other service members may exacerbate tensions in Russian society and potentially threaten the stability of Putins regime, the think-tank added.

Alaudinov is seen as a potential successor to replace Kadyrov as the head of Russian-controlled Chechnya amid rumours of the current strongman leaders ill health.

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A female polar bear and her cub look for something to eat on the shoreline of the Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba. Photograph: Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images

John Ussak was tending to his fishing nets outside the Arctic hamlet of Rankin Inlet when a friend warned a polar bear had been spotted in the area.

The next day, Ussaks wife spotted the lone bear nearly a mile from their nets. Worried the bear was stalking a popular summer fishing spot, Ussak approached it and fired a volley of warning shots. But the predator seemed unfazed.

It took 20 shots before it thought about leaving, he said. Ive never seen that before. Days later, in another part of Nunavut, two polar bears killed a radar technician in a rare attack in the territory.

The fatal encounter and sightings in unusual locations foreshadow what experts say is a looming clash between polar bears and northern communities as climate change upends the habitat and food sources of the apex predator.

The deadly attack on 7 August happened on Brevoort Island, the site of a North American air-defense radar station. Nasittuq, the company operating the station, says employees killed one of the bears involved in the attack.

Despite an estimated 17,000 polar bears in Canada, fatal encounters are rare. Still, the attack rattled a region well-versed in polar bears.

Related: Grolar hybrid of grizzlies and polar bears remains rare in wild, study finds

When I heard about what happened to that technician, I was shocked, said Ussak, who only days after encountering the bear in early August spotted a mother and her cub in the same area. He and a friend successfully scared the pair off.

We hardly used to see polar bears here in the past. But now weve had at least two in the last few weeks. It feels like theres more bears up in that area  and they dont seem afraid of people.

Andrew Derocher, a professor of biology at the University of Alberta, says the mauling at Brevoort Island was unusual given the location and the fact that two bears were involved. While details are scarce, he suspects it was probably a wrong place, wrong time encounter.

The reality is, polar bears are unpredictable at the best of times, Derocher said. And with all of the environmental changes were seeing, theyre going to become more unpredictable.

Across the region, sea ice will play a critical role in polar bears future prospects, including where they are spotted and how well-fed they are. Some populations faced near-record-low ice cover this summer, while other bears like the western Hudson Bay population had excellent ice coverage. But even extensive ice cover isnt enough: across swaths of the bay, the ice was thick but lacked ridges and snow cover, meaning it was a poor breeding site for ringed seals, a top polar bear prey. Shifts in seal populations will put immense pressure on bears to find enough food.

Back in the 1980s, polar bears would look like giant, fat sausages lying on the beach in the summer. But now, were seeing a population that is much leaner overall. And I suspect as food becomes more of a challenge  theyll start entering [human] communities. Are those communities ready? Absolutely not. A handful have small polar bear patrol programs, but most have nothing, said Derocher. Given the rarity of sightings, its understandable. Its hard to have a crew of polar bear people on standby for a couple bears a year coming through at unpredictable times.

Still, instead of preparing for more encounters, Derocher says the main discussions in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories often center around ensuring the annual hunt remains sustainable. For residents, a polar bear tag can be financially lucrative, with territorial governments spending thousands of dollars in subsidies for pelts. Scientists and residents have also clashed over population numbers, with hunters increased sightings suggesting populations are growing.

While people focus on the hunt, Im hearing more and more from communities saying: Weve got open garbage pits here that are attracting polar bears into their towns. We need help with our garbage. We have polar bears coming into our communities in the middle of winter and in the middle of the summer. We need help.

Derocher suspects the Rankin Inlet bears scared off by Ussak appeared in the community because of a shift in summer ice patterns, pushing the bears on to land farther north than usual.

The reality is, these encounters are going to increase over time and its going to get a lot worse. But then its going to get better, because, as sad as it is, the population will start to disappear, Derocher said. This population of bears isnt expected to persist past mid-century. So fewer and fewer bears means the problems in places like Rankin Inlet are limited.
Surveys show that there are fewer men getting vasectomies than women undergoing sterilization procedures. Illustration: Sophia Deng/The Guardian

When couples decide they dont want any more biological children  or any children at all  the topic of contraceptive surgery tends to come up, especially for heterosexual couples. But the decision can be weighty. Is it the best option? Is a permanent solution really what they want? And which person should undergo the surgery?

A vasectomy takes just about 20 minutes to do in a clinic, requires only local anesthesia, and is minimally invasive and quicker to heal. It typically costs about $1,000 in the US without insurance. By contrast, the procedures available to those with a uterus are more complicated. Tubal ligation and bilateral salpingectomy, the removal of both fallopian tubes  which is now more commonly recommended  require general anesthesia, involve multiple incisions and often laparoscopy, and have lengthier healing times. They also generally cost more than a vasectomy  some candidates report out-of-pocket quotes in the $15,000$30,000 range.

Yet surveys show that there are fewer men getting vasectomies than women undergoing sterilization procedures. In the most recent comprehensive data, the National Center for Health Statistics reported that 27% of contraceptive-using women relied on female sterilization as their mode of birth control from 2017 to 2019, a bigger proportion than those using the pill (21%). But just 8% relied on male sterilization for birth control.

Related: Rate of sterilizations in US jumped after overturning of Roe v Wade, study shows

Vasectomy rates have been in decline in the US for some time, though there has been a recent bump in consultations since the rollback of Roe v Wade, especially in younger and childless men.

There are no definitive answers when it comes to this disparity. One possible factor is that women tend to be more in contact with the healthcare system than men, especially men of minority groups, says Kari Braaten, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Harvard Medical School. Vasectomy users are much more likely to be white and high income than any other group, Braaten says.

The NCHS report also notes that sterilization was over three times more likely in women without a high school diploma or GED compared to women with a bachelors degree or higher. Security in your contraception is highly needed among those who may have both a less stable relationship and less stable access to the healthcare system, Braaten says.

But there is little research on the motivations behind these procedures. In one study from 2019 focused on low-income women with male partners, many participants said that their partners didnt want to get vasectomies because they wanted options if, for example, their wives died or in case of divorce. Some participants partners felt like a vasectomy would compromise their manhood, or were scared of lingering pain or lowered libido and testosterone.

Pain is a real but relatively rare complication, and there are no changes in terms of testosterone production or libido after a vasectomy, says Leon Telis, a urologist and the director of the mens health program at Mount Sinai Hospital.

We spoke to heterosexual couples about the highly personal and complex decision to undergo sterilization surgery.

Deborah, 35, and William E, 36

Redwood City, California

How long have you been together? We began dating in 2016, and were married in 2018.

Do you have kids? One daughter, born in 2020.

Who underwent a sterilizing procedure? Deborah got a bilateral salpingectomy in May 2024.

Deborah: When we started trying to conceive we had some trouble, but I got pregnant in 2020. It was a high-risk pregnancy because of my type 1 diabetes, but for the most part it was uneventful. But fast forward to having her, and I pretty quickly felt this really deep depression. I had to go back to the hospital twice for postpartum complications, and both were near-death experiences. The first time, my heart was failing and they diagnosed me with postpartum pre-eclampsia, and the second time I was bleeding intensely and they had to surgically insert a balloon into my uterus to get it to stop. It took me a couple years to get out of the postpartum depression. I still struggle sometimes.

Almost losing her during our childs birth was one of the most stressful points of my life

We each have a sibling, so we both thought wed have another kid. But after we had her I was thinking, Oh, gosh, I dont know if I can do this again. And Will felt strongly about not going through this ever again. So I brought up the idea of a vasectomy.

William: On places like Reddit a lot of people were saying that issues like pain were underrepresented and not talked about. As a man, you have a sense that you dont mess with things down there  that made me feel a little vulnerable. I was fine with using other contraception, like condoms. I guess you could say I have a little bit of a more of a conservative approach to risk, so I just wasnt sure if it was worth it.

Deborah: Ultimately he didnt want to go through with it. Then I was on and off different forms of birth control, but every single time either my mood would be terrible, my skin would get worse or Id relapse into postpartum depression. It affected our relationship, and my relationship with my child. It just wasnt working for me.

So it felt like a bilateral salpingectomy was a really good option. I got the consultation at the end of March and scheduled the surgery for June.

William: I wasnt comfortable with her getting a procedure either. Almost losing her during our childs birth was one of the most stressful points of my life. But she was pretty adamant about it.

Related: Snipped in solidarity: the American men getting vasectomies after Roe  while they can

Deborah: I felt pretty confident. Ive had surgeries before, I had faith that it would go well, and Im pretty strong when it comes to pain and healing.

Having a child was nothing like I expected  it was really hard, our relationship suffered, and bonding with my daughter didnt come easily. Bilateral salpingectomy just felt like what I needed to do. It was a way to close a really hard chapter in our lives and put all that bad stuff behind us.

Jacqueline, 21, and Jefferson, 23

Athens, Greece

How long have you been together? Weve been dating since 2021.

Do you have kids? No

Who underwent a sterilizing procedure? Jefferson got a vasectomy in April 2024.

Jefferson: On the very first day that we met we talked about not wanting kids at all. Ive known this since I was about 16 years old.

Jacqueline: Ive also known since high school. Back in April I was getting my wisdom teeth out back in Colorado, where we are from, and they recommended that I stop birth control because it can interfere with the clotting. I had been on birth control for six years straight. Ive probably tried 10 different types, but it makes a lot of health issues that I have worse. It made me feel like I was a walking corpse, and I had been wanting to stop anyway.

Jefferson: Ive wanted a vasectomy for as long as I could get one. I tried as an 18-year-old, but it was so unlikely for anyone to agree that I didnt earnestly try to get one until Jacqueline wanted to be off birth control. That really was the catalyst. We didnt want to risk it with condoms, and we dont have the spare cash to deal with an unwanted pregnancy. We looked to a permanent solution we could both be happy with.

Jacqueline: We actually looked into sterilization procedures for women first because I wanted more of that security with sterilization, for myself. But theyre a lot more invasive  plus, doctors are way less willing to do those on very young women, even less than they are to do vasectomies on very young men. The recovery time was too long, and it was about four times more expensive than the vasectomy.

Since abortion isnt legal throughout the US, the fear of getting pregnant was putting a huge damper on our sex lives

Jefferson: When we were in Colorado, I contacted five different doctors. They all made me fill out different reports and give reasons for my wanting the procedure. Four out of five said that I was too young, and took issue with the fact that I dont already have kids. They were like, youre going to change your mind. Finally one doctor took my reasons seriously  he saw that I had clearly been thinking about this for a long time and effectively said: Ill perform this as long as you dont sue me later on saying you made a mistake. I got really lucky.

Jazmine, 28, and Jimmy, 29*

Hampton Roads, Virginia

How long have you been together? Married since 2017.

Do you have kids? Three kids.

Who underwent a sterilizing procedure? Jazmine got a bilateral salpingectomy in February 2024.

Jazmine: When I was pregnant with our third child in late 2022, it was 100% that he was going to get a vasectomy. He wasnt unwilling to do it. I was the one who was unwilling to be put under anesthesia at the time. Each of the three pregnancies were miserable. We were miserable. I wasnt willing to go back on hormonal birth control because that was horrible.

Jimmy: She was seriously sick during those pregnancies. We also had some pretty dramatic deliveries. Our first child was stillborn at 36 weeks. When she was 22, 23 weeks pregnant with our second child, she had a benign dermoid cyst on her ovary and had to get surgery. Our last child came out three weeks early, not breathing, not crying. I cant even begin to explain how terrifying that is.

Jazmine: I didnt want to do any of that again. He didnt want me to do any of that again. So we set up a vasectomy consultation.

Jimmy: We hit some roadblocks in getting the vasectomy. I would have had to wait six months and travel all the way to Richmond for just the consultation. Then I got fired and had a lapse in my medical coverage, so I had to cancel the appointment. It looked like it would be at least a year-long wait before I could get a vasectomy. During this time, shes recovering from being pregnant. We wanted serious, lasting contraception that wasnt hormonal birth control. Since abortion isnt legal throughout the US, the fear of getting pregnant was putting a huge damper on our sex lives.

Jazmine: I couldnt enjoy simple things like feeling horny, because feeling horny meant that you wanted to go have sex, and having sex meant the possibility of getting pregnant. I was having an aversion to our physical relationship.

Getting my tubes removed just made more sense. I already had access to an OB-GYN because I had recently been pregnant  all the resources were readily available for me to ask questions and get my appointments.

After educating myself on what the surgery was, and thinking about the freedom that would come with knowing you cant naturally get pregnant no matter what, I wanted it. [After a bilateral salpingectomy it is possible to get pregnant via IVF.] Plus, even if Jimmy had easily gotten his vasectomy, theres still a waiting period afterward where you have to get a checkup to confirm that it worked. Even if he got a vasectomy, the anxiety and what ifs of getting pregnant would still be there. I dont want to be pregnant again for anybody  no matter if he dies, if we formally divorce or if I get sexually assaulted. Speaking as a survivor, these things happen. So I got the surgery in February. Jimmy will still get sterilized once were logistically in a place for him to do that.

The finality of not having any more kids  there was a little sadness there

Jimmy: Jazmine and I are not traditionally monogamous, and I dont want more kids. We had talked before about having four or five kids, but after what weve been through, were both done.

Jazmine: Since Ive healed, I can lean into enjoying myself again. I dont have to worry or do ovulation math, I dont have to do all those things that take you out of the moment. Now we get to connect in that way and also be the best parents that we can possibly be to the two kids that we have knowing we will never have another one. I wouldnt trade that for anything.

Randa, 36, and Weldon P, 38

Denver, Colorado

How long have you been together? Married since 2006.

Do you have kids? Four kids between the ages of nine and 15.

Who underwent a sterilizing procedure? Weldon got a vasectomy in October 2023.

Weldon: We always wanted four kids. I saw the stress that her body went through with that first labor  it lasted 24 hours and all I could do was hold her hand. Starting from then, I started thinking: How can I belly up to the table and help shoulder some of the responsibility?

Randa: He would always say: After were done having kids, Ill get a vasectomy. I never really had to ask him, so I really appreciated that.

Weldon: Our youngest is nine years old. So its been nine years that Ive been putting it off, because of the fear, I suppose. But Randa had been on birth control since she was 18. With my employer and my insurance, birth control is free. But the vasectomy we would have to pay for.

Randa: Being on the pill was really easy and I was happy to continue  it wasnt making me sick or causing side-effects. But at the beginning of October, I went to get my prescription renewed. My doctor said that she didnt like me being on the pill for too long, and that maybe its time to start thinking about other options. I told Weldon I could do something else, like get an IUD. But he immediately said: No, Ive been talking about a vasectomy for a long time, lets just go ahead and do it. The next day we got an appointment, and the procedure took place on Halloween of last year. He jokes that it truly made it the scariest day of the year.

Related: More people is the last thing this planet needs: the men getting vasectomies to save the world

It felt very sudden. I was worried it would hurt him. We also talked a lot about emotional side-effects, and whether he was really ready. I thought, if I needed to, I could get my tubes tied  because its easier, almost, to think of yourself going through something painful than signing your spouse up for something painful. He didnt entertain that at all. He said: This is my turn, Ill take care of it. But even so, the finality of not having any more kids  there was a little sadness there.

Weldon: Getting the procedure done has definitely brought some relief. Originally, I had some thoughts of: Does this make me less masculine? because we think of masculinity with having lots of kids, right? Women, with menopause, they always know that theres a finite window. But for a man, theres no window, and we dont usually ever have to think about that. But now it has no bearing in my mind. Im not any less successful or attractive. Im still a husband. Im still a dad.

Interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

*Names have been changed.
David Lammy meets Wang Yi, China's foreign minister, last month. China has denied human rights abuses - TANG CHHIN SOTHY

David Lammy has come under fire after appearing to break a promise to accuse China of genocide.

The Foreign Secretary promised last year to declare the actions of Xi Jinpings regime in Xinjiang a genocide, a move for which Labour voted in favour in the Commons in 2021.

Around one million Uighur Muslims in North West China have been forced into internment camps, where they undergo abuse and political indoctrination.

Asked by The Telegraph if it plans to accuse China of genocide, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) would only refer to the repression of Uighurs.

An FCDO spokesman said: We are playing a leading role in pressing China to improve its human rights record and cease the repression of the Uighur people in Xinjiang.

Hold China to account

This includes raising our concerns at the highest levels of the Chinese government and co-ordinating efforts in international fora to hold China to account for human rights violations.

It comes after Labour also declined to declare China a threat, a promise that had been made in the Tory manifesto by Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmers predecessor.

A week after he was elected, Sir Keir used an interview at a Nato summit to pledge he would be robust with China and willing to challenge it on human rights and security concerns.

On Monday, Sir Keirs Government confirmed it had delayed a new law to monitor lobbyists from Russia and China, raising fears that it could dilute or even scrap the scheme.

A report published by global experts in 2021 accused the Chinese government of violating every provision in the United Nations genocide convention over its actions in Xinjiang.

Labour has also declined to declare China a 'threat' - TANG CHHIN SOTHY

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, a former Conservative leader, added: This is madness, and it is another backslide. This is very dangerous.

They knew what the risks from China were when they were in opposition, and they made sure that the Conservative government, which hadnt been brilliant on it, got the message.

But now they are in government, they are in the hands of the Foreign Office. Those of us who are sanctioned by the Chinese government are now very worried that Labour is now starting to backslide on its previous commitments.

Alicia Kearns, a shadow foreign minister and Tory MP, said Mr Lammy had reneged on commitments made by his party pre-election.

Reneged on these promises

David Lammy promised a Labour Government would formally recognise the atrocities faced by the Uyghurs as genocide, pursue justice for their plight through international courts, and fundamentally reassess the UKs relationship with China within 100 days of taking office, she said.

Instead, within 100 days Labour has reneged on these promises. We were promised a tougher stance on China by Labour  now, even Conservative measures introduced with cross-party support are being dropped.

Protecting ourselves from CCP influence is a generational challenge, not just one of many pre-election pledges to be reneged on once in office.

China has denied human rights abuses, repeatedly claiming its policies were necessary to prevent religious extremism and terrorism.
Satellite photo shows a pontoon bridge across the Seym River east of the town of Glushkovo in Russia's Kursk region. Photograph: Planet Labs PBC/AP

Fierce fighting has continued inside Russia as Ukrainian troops tried to seize more territory and used kamikaze drones to blow up a Russian pontoon bridge across a strategic river crossing.

Satellite images showed that the temporary bridge on Tuesday had disappeared and there were large puffs of grey smoke. Russian forces built the pontoon between the villages of Zvannoe and Glushkovo after Ukrainian missiles destroyed three bridges across the Seym River.

Ukrainian forces are trying to expand their bridgehead in the Kursk region, after a surprise incursion two weeks ago. An estimated 2,000 to 3,000 Russian conscripts are now stuck in a pocket south of the river in the Glushkovsky district. Some civilians have escaped the area on small boats.

On Tuesday, the Ukrainian army reportedly captured another Russian village, Martynovka. Video also emerged of Ukrainian soldiers taking part in an intense firefight in the hamlet of Malaya Loknya, on a nearby part of the frontline. They fired from a Marder infantry fighting vehicle at Russian soldiers. Several houses were in flames.

Speaking on Monday, Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said his forces controlled more than 1,250 sq km of enemy territory, in and around the Russian border town of Sudzha. The buffer zone now includes 92 settlements, seized as part of what he said was a defensive operation.

Zelenskiy acknowledged that he had not briefed close allies about the incursion in advance. He said many representatives of the international community would have dismissed the plan  the first major attack on Russian soil since the second world war  as unrealistic.

This is why nobody was told about our preparations. Now the real success speaks for itself, he said. Ukraines ground assault proved that Russias red lines  and its threats to escalate the war  were naive and illusory, Zelenskiy said. They crumbled near Sudzha, he said.

While Ukraine has made rapid progress in Kursk oblast, the Russian army has been going steadily forward across eastern Ukraine. On Tuesday the Kremlin confirmed it had seized Niu-York, a town that has been fought over since 2014. Another battle was happening in Hrodikva, a village close to the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a Russian target and hub for Ukraines military.

Zelenskiy admitted the situation in Ukraines Donetsk oblast was difficult. There were 14 combat clashes in Toretsk  another city Moscow is close to capturing  and 34 in the Pokrovsk sector, according to Ukraines general staff. Many residents in Pokrovsk were leaving, after authorities warned fighting was likely to engulf the city in under two weeks.

Matthew Savill, the director of military sciences at the defence thinktank RUSI in London, said it was too early to say whether Ukraines Kursk attack was a brilliant stratagem that wrong-footed the Russians or a disastrous error that would ultimately wipe out its best forces. Russian media said the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, had ordered his generals to remove Ukrainian troops by 1 October.

Savill estimated Kyiv had committed about 8,000 battle-hardened troops, drawn from 12 brigades. Some units have reportedly been transferred from parts of the frontline in the east where Ukraine is under massive Russian pressure.

It isnt a vast counteroffensive and it isnt a raid. It sits somewhere in between, Savill said. The Kursk operation is good for Ukrainian morale, changes the narrative and brings tactical advantages. But he cautioned: It has not had a significant operational impact in terms of Russias broader campaign. And Ukraine can ill afford to suffer casualties.

Savill said Zelenskiys decision not to brief the White House and the UK government was understandable. The failure of Ukraines counteroffensive in 2023 was in part down to leaks, he said, adding: I think the Ukrainians wanted to present their latest operation as a fait accompli. It changes the debate about escalation and the use inside Russia of [western] long-range weapons.

On Tuesday, Ukraines parliament voted to ban the Russian-linked Ukrainian Orthodox church, which it accuses of siding with Moscow. The church is connected to Russias Orthodox church, which has supported and blessed Putins invasion of Ukraine.

Zelenskiy said the ban would boost his countrys spiritual independence. Russia condemned it as illegal. The Russian church has been furious over a 2019 schism that resulted in the creation of an independent Ukrainian Orthodox church, spiritually loyal to Moscows Istanbul-based rival Patriarch Bartholomew.

The Kremlin, meanwhile, said it had summoned a senior US diplomat to protest over what it called the provocative actions of American journalists who had travelled to Sudzha in Ukrainian-held Russian territory with Ukraines armed forces. It appeared to be referring to the Washington Post and CNN.

Russias foreign ministry claimed the US reporters had illegally entered the Kursk region for propaganda coverage of the Kyiv regimes crimes.
Some CenterPoint Energy customers may have received power usage estimates on days when their power was out after July's Hurricane Beryl. Jessica Phelps

Some CenterPoint Energy customers may have noticed their meters recording electricity usage on days when the power was out during and after Hurricane Beryl, Texas utility regulator reported last week.

By the time monthly electric bills were calculated and sent to customers, the problem was fully resolved, Public Utility Commission of Texas executive director Connie Corona said at the agencys regularly scheduled meeting Thursday.

After Beryl made landfall July 8 in Matagorda, millions of CenterPoint, Texas-New Mexico Power and Entergy customers lost power, with many remaining powerless for days.

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In the following days and weeks, people went online to talk about how they received higher electric bills than expected given the outages, or how their meter data showed usage when they actually had no power.

Tony Gardner, CenterPoints chief customer officer, told regulators Thursday that CenterPoint received 1,300 meter dispute requests from retail electricity providers, and upon review, found 16 instances in which charges needed to be reversed and rebilled, he said.

As of Wednesday, the PUC received 65 complaints about meters that estimated power usage when customers had no power at their homes, Corona said.

In some cases, our investigators found that usage was not only attributed to customers while they were out of service, but that estimate was actually higher than their reads for the previous month, Corona said.

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If customers still have concerns about their bills, they should contact their retail electricity provider or the PUCs consumer protection division, Corona said. The PUC consumer protection team can be reached by phone at 888-782-8477 and by email at consumer@puc.texas.gov.

CenterPoints explanation

Gardner told regulators that the utility records meter data from homes at 15-minute intervals. CenterPoint, which owns the Houston-area poles and wires that deliver electricity, sends that data to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the Texas grid operator. ERCOT then sends it to retail electricity providers like Reliant, Gexa and TXU Energy that bill customers for usage.

TREES TO BLAME: CenterPoint says trees caused Beryl power outages, yet keeping limbs off power lines is its job

If CenterPoints internal systems show that a customer has power at their home yet CenterPoint is unable to communicate with their meter, CenterPoint will estimate their usage every 15 minutes based on usage over the last three months, Gardner said. If CenterPoint systems show that a household doesnt have power and the company cant communicate with the meter, CenterPoint will record their usage as zero, he said.

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If a customers usage is estimated, Gardners team reviews the data to make sure its not higher than expected before sending it to be used in bills, he said. A customers bill the following month is supposed to true up the estimated usage, he said. This means the retail electricity provider will provide billing adjustments based on actual usage, according to CenterPoint spokesperson John Sousa.

Of the 2.9 million meters for which CenterPoint recorded usage data in July, the utility estimated usage for 96,000 customers, Gardner said.

The model just needs more time to digest and continue to evolve and grow and make sure that it catches more of these, Gardner said of the accounts that needed charges reversed.

Kristina Rollins, assistant general counsel for NRG Energy, which owns Reliant, said the companys customers noticed discrepancies primarily on the Smart Meter Texas portal or in Reliants weekly power usage summary emails. It took about a week after Beryl for customers to begin seeing zero usage for the days during which they had no power, and by July 29, the issue was fully resolved, she said.

In addition to data from their retail electric provider and the Smart Meter Texas portal, CenterPoint customers can review two years of their power usage by using the View Usage tool if they set up an account with the utility.

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Increasing electric bills

CenterPoint plans to seek approval to pass on its costs restoring power after Beryl and the May derecho onto customers, though it has yet to do so.

Over the last several years, like other peer utilities in Texas, CenterPoints portion of the monthly electric bill has steadily increased as it increases spending on capital projects.

Harish Krishnamoorthy, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Houston, said some of the capital spending is for additional long-distance transmission lines, transformers and other infrastructure as Houstons demand for electricity increases due to both population and industrial activity growth.

GAS STATIONS SUED: Two Houston-area Shell gas stations accused of price gouging after Beryl

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Extreme weather events such as Beryl could also push utilities in Texas to improve their infrastructure, Krishnamoorthy said. CenterPoint had proposed an up to $2.7 billion plan to strengthen its infrastructure against extreme weather and cybersecurity threats before withdrawing the application after backlash for its Beryl response.

Our power system infrastructure is aging, and we need infrastructure to replace the existing ones, Krishnamoorthy said.
Cats suffer particularly badly from H5N1 - Firmafotografen/iStockphoto

Scientists are racing to understand how several house cats caught and died from bird flu in Colorado despite never having been outdoors.

The United States is battling an outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza that has now spread to nearly 200 dairy herds and at least 13 US farm workers have also contracted the virus since March, over half of which are in Colorado.

In recent years the virus has also infected a wide variety of smaller mammals including skunks, foxes, hedgehogs, sea lions, and even a polar bear. But it is the infection of at least six cats, including two who lived their whole lives inside, that has state officials worried as they try to piece together how the virus is spreading between species.

Cats suffer particularly badly from H5N1. In previous outbreaks, infected felines have suffered rabies-like symptoms including blindness, disorientation, paralysis, difficulty breathing, and bloody diarrhoea before dying.

Although there is clearly a lot of virus circulating in Colorado, how indoor cats might have caught bird flu is unclear.

It raises many questions about how the virus got inside the houses, Dr Rick Bright, an influenza and immunologist expert, told The Telegraph.

Possibilities include that the cats could have been fed raw milk or food products that contain live virus. The virus could also be brought into the house by people who might be infected with the virus or have the virus on their clothes or shoes.

It is unclear how close these infected animals are to farms with active infections, or if the cats reside with farmworkers or contract workers brought in to help manage the outbreak, Dr Bright explained.

Playing cat-and-mouse

Dr Scott Weese, an infectious disease veterinarian, said there are several theories on how the cats got infected, none of which are great.

One theory is a Tom and Jerry-like scenario whereby indoor cats hunt mice around the house that might themselves have caught the infection from a nearby farm.

Mice can be infected but Id expect that to mainly be a risk in houses very close to poultry or dairy farms with active infections, since mice dont move very far, Dr Weese told The Telegraph.

Birds can sometimes sneak into houses, and consumption of raw meat could definitely be an option since thats been a reported transmission route in a few countries, he added.

Last year, at least 12 cats died in Poland after a local outbreak erupted in the south of the country. The deaths were eventually traced back to the consumption of raw cat food that contained traces of live virus from infected chickens.

Similarly in South Korea, almost 40 cats died in 2023 after eating cat food which contained infected duck.

Aside from the two indoor cats, three of the six who died lived partly outdoors, and likely contracted the virus by hunting infected mice or small birds. The sixth cat lived on a farm and likely contracted the virus from drinking infected milk from a sick cow.

We need to make sure that were not missing other modes of transmission that were not aware of, said Krutika Kuppalli, a spokesperson for the Infectious Disease Society of America and former WHO medical officer.

We need to be asking questions like: did those houses only have cats? Were there other animals present that could have been exposed? Have any people living in those houses become infected? she added.

There needs to be a lot more surveillance and information sharing, because none of these questions are clear at all, Dr Kuppalli said.

Colorado health officials released a statement in which they urged vets to consider H5N1 when treating unwell felines, even if the cats dont live on or near farms due to the high level of the virus circulating in Colorado.

Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security
Italian investigators are looking into the circumstances that caused the sinking of the Bayesian - Vigili del Fuoco/AFP via Getty Images

Italian authorities are investigating whether hatches left open by crew members caused Mike Lynchs superyacht to sink.

On Tuesday night, specialist cave divers were continuing to search for six missing passengers, including the tech entrepreneur and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, as the Bayesian lay intact on its starboard side, 165ft underwater on the seabed.

It has been suggested that the missing could still be alive, trapped in pockets of air within the yacht, but hopes were fading fast as the search progressed during its second day.

Prosecutors in the nearby town of Termini Imerese have opened an investigation into the disaster and will seek to establish what caused the boat to sink and if any of the crew are criminally liable.

One expert at the scene in Sicily told Reuters that an early focus of the investigation, which is expected to last months, would be on whether the yachts crew had failed to close access hatches into the vessel before the tornado struck.

Yachting experts have suggested that the hatches being open could have allowed the Bayesian to fill with water quickly and sink.

Prosecutors will also look at whether appropriate measures were taken in preparation for the storm, such as use of the yachts retractable keel, which adds extra stability and acts as a counterweight to the large mast.

The rescue operation continued on Tuesday night - IGOR PETYX/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

On Tuesday, Luca Mercalli, the president of the Italian Meteorological Society, also said that, in light of the weather warnings, the yachts crew should have woken the guests and given them life jackets.

Ambrogio Cartosio, the chief prosecutor of Termini Imerese, and assistant prosecutors must determine what went wrong and whether the sinking of the Bayesian was down to human error or simply a freak weather event.

He and his team are expected to begin by interviewing the 15 survivors as well as gathering evidence from emergency workers and divers from the coast guard and the national fire service.

The UKs Marine Accident Investigation Branch, which has sent investigators to the scene, is also expected to support the prosecutors inquiries.

Teams of specialist divers, including some who took part in the Costa Concordia recovery, have been continuing to search for six missing passengers who had gathered on the boat to celebrate Mr Lynchs acquittal in a fraud trial.

Mr Lynch, his daughter Hannah, Jonathan Bloomer, the Morgan Stanley International bank chairman, and his wife, Judy, Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance, and his wife, Neda, are still missing.

Sam Jefferson, editor of the magazine Sailing Today, suggested that there may have been enough hatch doors open to cause the vessel to sink.

He said: I would have said that the boat g`ot hit very hard by the wind, it was pinned over on its side.

I imagine all the doors were open because it was hot, so there were enough hatches and doors open that it filled with water very quickly and sank like that.

The reason it got pinned over so hard was because the mast is huge.

Andrea Ratti, a nautical design professor at Milan Polytechnic University, said a boat the size of the Bayesian, a British-flagged 56-metre superyacht, could only sink so rapidly by taking in a huge amount of water, as CCTV emerged capturing the moment it was battered during the ferocious storm.

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One can make plausible assumptions that leave room for doubt about what happened, he said, suggesting that one or more portholes, windows or other openings may have been broken or smashed open by the waterspout, letting in water.

Divers at the scene have suggested that the Bayesian, named after the mathematical theory Mr Lynch had used to make his fortune, has no signs of impact.

The divers, who can only stay at the depth of the wreck for a maximum of 12 minutes, are struggling to access the yacht because of its narrow stairs and furnishings.

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Marco Tilotta, inspector of Palermos firefighters diving unit, told Italian media it had been difficult to get inside and search centimetre per centimetre.

Nick Sloane, who worked on the Costa Concordia salvage operation, said rescue divers were entering a critical 24 hours for anybody still be alive in air pockets.

Theyve got a very small window of time to try to find people stuck inside with hopefully an air pocket, and they could be rescued, he said.

Youve got a maximum of two to three days to try to get someone out, so the next 24 hours are critical.

He told Sky News: If the yacht is on its side, it might have more air pockets than if its upright. Shes got quite a large keel, and that will deflect and put her on her side, Im sure.

The Bayesian was a 56-long vessel. Experts say a superyacht of that size must have taken onboard a considerable amount of water to sink - PERINI NAVI PRESS OFFICE/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The captain of the Costa Concordia, an Italian cruise ship, was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2015, after being accused of taking the liner too close to the shore.

On Tuesday, tributes were paid to Recaldo Thomas, the chef onboard, who was confirmed as the body recovered near the superyacht.

Eli Fuller, a friend of Mr Thomas, told the BBC: He knew everybody and was friends with everybody. Hed always ask how you were doing, how your family was  he was always positive.

Personality was very important in his job. The worlds richest people want to hang out with someone social. He was sought after.
Israel

It looks like International Criminal Court justices will soon decide whether to issue arrest warrants against Israels Prime Minister and Defence Minister. The very prospect of this is nothing short of outrageous.

Successive ICC Chief Prosecutors have long had Israel in their crosshairs, and Hamass October orgy of mass murder, rape, torture and kidnapping gave British lawyer Karim Khan, the current incumbent, the pernicious excuse to move forward. Not against the Hamas terrorist perpetrators, of course, but against Israel.

To make the point that everyone is equal under the law, Khan requested arrest warrants concurrently for Hamas and Israeli leaders. That obviously would have zero effect on Hamas, already designated terrorists around the world and with absolutely nothing to lose. A meaningless, symbolic gesture  you might think.

But it is far, far worse than that. Creating a false equivalence between arch terrorists whose currency is blood and suffering and the leaders of a democratic state defending their people from attack is nothing short of morally bankrupt. It is like indicting Osama Bin Laden and President George W Bush at the same time. Or dragging Winston Churchill into the dock at Nuremberg beside Heinrich Himmler.

The High Level Military Group, ten former chiefs of staff, senior officers and cabinet ministers from Nato countries, of which I am a member, has submitted to the court a strong professional objection to Khans schemes. The HLMG, whose members are from the US, UK, Spain, France, Italy and Finland, were in Israel in July.

Among other military issues, we focused on Khans allegations that the Israeli ministers intentionally attacked civilians in Gaza and intentionally used starvation as a method of war. In our submission, we pointed out to the ICC that an essential aspect of proving these national leaders ordered the offences alleged would be corroboration in the form of IDF operations that align with the alleged criminal objectives.

We observed the conflict first hand inside Gaza. We extensively questioned government ministers, IDF commanders and soldiers, and examined IDF operations in detail. Our findings led us to conclude that there is no substance to either of Khans claims as a matter of government policy or military practice.

Our assessment was that the IDF was complying with international law. We pointed out that they have been making greater efforts and employing more sophisticated procedures than any other armies to mitigate harm to civilians. We described the IDFs unique Civilian Harm Mitigation Cell, which utilises sophisticated technology to guide commanders planning strikes in areas where there may be civilians, as well as the millions of leaflet drops, voice and text messages and phone calls  all intended to mitigate the possibility of civilian casualties.

We noted the rigorous selection of munition size based on the nature of the military target, intelligence regarding enemy presence and the proximity of civilians. And we referred to the high number of IDF attack plans cancelled when civilians might be harmed. Indeed, we confessed to being perplexed at how such comprehensive efforts align with Khans allegation that the Israeli leadership has directed the IDF to intentionally attack civilians.

We of course recognised that, despite the best efforts of the IDF, many civilians have been tragically killed in this conflict, as in all modern wars. We gave our professional view that civilian harm in itself is not evidence of misconduct, especially when one party to the conflict deliberately seeks to maximise such harm for tactical and strategic advantage. That of course is the well-documented and self-confessed policy of Hamas: to fight in a way that will ensure the deaths of as many of their own civilians as possible in order to bring international pressure to bear on Israel. And Khans application plays right into that depraved stratagem.

Turning to the Prosecutors accusations of deliberate starvation the HLMG made clear that in our considered military opinion the State of Israel and the IDF are and have been since the inception of this operation complying in good faith with all international legal obligations to facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid into Gaza. We observed that Israel is expediting aid to a level we have not seen in our own militaries. To our knowledge no other armed forces have ever made such efforts, or achieved such success, in facilitating aid delivery to civilians in enemy territory while still engaged in active hostilities in that same operational environment.

We pointed out some of the factual inaccuracies in Khans application, including an accusation that the IDF had imposed a total siege over Gaza that involved completely closing the three border crossing points. Even if Israel had intended to do that, which it did not, it would have been impossible given Egypts control over one of the three entry points until the IDF occupied the Philadelphi Corridor in May this year.

To get his men Khan is trying to push the court into unbelievable contortions. The HLMG turned our attention to one of these aberrations: violating the ICCs foundational principle of complementarity. That means the court does not have jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed by citizens of a country that is capable and willing to investigate and prosecute those crimes. Israel has internationally respected civilian and military justice systems with a track record of credibly addressing war crimes allegations.

Thus the Prosecutor cannot lawfully assert jurisdiction over the Prime Minister and Defence Minister without evidence that the Israeli justice system would not itself bring such charges if there was a case to answer. Khan has no such evidence because it simply doesnt exist  either on the basis of declared future intent or past practice. It is well known that the long arm of Israeli justice has previously reached out even as far as the highest offices of state.

Exposing another of the Prosecutors contortions the HLMG cited war crimes investigations by two ICC member states, the UK and Australia. We pointed out that these processes had taken years to conclude and nevertheless did not attract ICC intervention. The HLMG made clear that the proposed ICC arrest warrants would deny the investigatory leeway to the State of Israel which was exercised in these cases.

When deliberating on Khans application, the ICC judges should ask the same question that we have asked ourselves: why does the Prosecutor seem to be singling out the Jewish State for this special treatment?

If the judges do decide to grant Khan his warrants that would align the ICC with Hamass jihadist agenda and against the global values of justice that the court was set up to protect. This precedent would create a two-tier international justice system under which terrorists are effectively inviolable while democratic states trying to resist them are hung out to dry. That would inevitably undermine our own national security, with political and military leaders fearful of criminalisation if they have to order their armed forces into action for the legitimate defence of the country.
Clockwise from top left: Nadav Popplewell, Chaim Peri, Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Yoram Metzger and Avraham Munder. Composite: Hostages and Missing Families Forum/AFP

Israel has recovered the bodies of six hostages who were seized during Hamass 7 October attack and taken to Gaza, its military has announced.

An overnight operation in Khan Younis in southern Gaza found the bodies of Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell and Chaim Peri, all civilians abducted from their homes in kibbutzim adjacent to Israels barrier wall with the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Tuesday.

The military gave no details about how or when the men died. Over the past few months, the families of all six had announced the men had been killed after being briefed on IDF intelligence findings.

Israels prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, praised the recovery effort and said our hearts ache for the terrible loss. The state of Israel will continue to make every effort to return all of our hostages  the living and the deceased, he said.

Related: Israel-Gaza war live: Bodies of six hostages held in Gaza recovered in overnight operation, Israeli military says

In Gaza on Tuesday, at least 10 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school housing displaced families west of Gaza City, the territorys civil defence authorities said. Israel said the school was being used as a Hamas base.

The number and identities of the estimated 120 Israelis who remain in captivity in Gaza, and the sequencing of how they may be released, is one of the key stumbling blocks in renewed ceasefire talks. The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, on Monday described the current round of negotiations as maybe the last opportunity to broker a truce agreement in the 10-month-old conflict.

In a phone call with Netanyahu on Tuesday afternoon, Keir Starmer expressed his condolences about the hostages, while also stressing his support for the US-brokered peace efforts.

The leaders discussed diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages, and the prime minister welcomed Israels support for the American bridging proposal and emphasised the need to move quickly, a readout of the call released by the UK prime ministers office said.

Regional de-escalation was in everyones interests, as the impact of miscalculation would come at great costs for all sides, the leaders agreed.

US officials have been criticised for being too optimistic in their claims that negotiators are on the verge of striking a deal; several rounds of talks since December have failed.

Netanyahu has been accused of obstructing a ceasefire deal for political gain, claims he denies. On Monday, his office put out a public statement in which the longtime Israeli leader appeared to support the bridging proposal put forward by the US and agreed in Qatar last week. However, large gaps remain between the sides as mediators prepare to meet again in Cairo on Wednesday or Thursday.

Hamas is not directly participating in these negotiations and has said the latest proposal on the table veers too closely to Israels demands. On Tuesday, the militant group said comments by Joe Biden that they were backing away from an agreement with Israel were misleading.

The plan would involve an initial six-week ceasefire, during which a limited number of female, elderly and sick Israeli hostages would be freed in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails. It would be indefinitely extendable while negotiators settled the second stage, in which soldiers and bodies would be returned, Israeli troops would begin to withdraw from Gaza and displaced Palestinian civilians would be allowed to return to their homes in the north of the strip.

Another big obstacle is whether Israel remains in control of the Gaza-Egypt border  a red line for Hamas and for Egypt.

Blinken travelled onwards to Egypt and Qatar on Tuesday for further negotiations after meetings in Israel on Monday. In Egypt he met the president, Gen Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.

After the meeting, Sisi said: The ceasefire in Gaza must be the beginning of broader international recognition of the Palestinian state and the implementation of the two-state solution, as this is the basic guarantor of stability in the region.

In Qatar, Blinken said time is of the essence in securing a ceasefire deal. This needs to get done, and it needs to get done in the days ahead, and we will do everything possible to get it across the finish line, he added.

The US diplomats trip  his ninth since the war broke out  is part of intense new international efforts to broker a ceasefire after the assassinations of a top Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamass political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, in Iran.

Tehran and the powerful Lebanese militia have threatened retaliatory action. A spokesperson for Irans Revolutionary Guards, Alimohammad Naini, told reporters on Tuesday there could be a long wait for Iranian retaliation against Israel.

For all parties, a cessation of hostilities in Gaza is the best way to cool regional tensions. Along with other armed groups in Irans axis of resistance across Syria, Iraq and Yemen, Hezbollah have said they will stop attacking Israel and US assets in the region when the war in Gaza ends.

About 250 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage on 7 October in the Hamas invasion in which about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, according to Israeli tallies. A total of 40,200 people in Gaza have been killed in Israels ensuing retaliatory war on the strip, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory. An estimated 10,000 more are buried beneath the rubble of buildings hit by airstrikes.

During a ceasefire in November, 105 Israeli hostages were released in exchange for 240 Palestinian women and children held in Israels jails, but the truce broke down after a week.

Since then, at least 43 hostages are believed to have died in captivity, according to official Israeli estimates. That number includes three hostages who were mistakenly shot dead by IDF soldiers in December and one, Sahar Baruch, who was killed in a failed rescue mission.

Hamas has claimed that several hostages died as a result of Israeli bombings. Last week, it made a rare statement on the killings of two unidentified male hostages, saying they were shot by their captor, contrary to orders, in revenge for the deaths of his children in an Israeli airstrike.

The Israeli military has rescued seven living hostages in three raids. A total of 274 people were killed and another 696 were injured in a June operation in Nuseirat refugee camp that freed four hostages, according to Palestinian medics, after the IDF launched airstrikes on the area to allow its commandos to escape after one of their vehicles broke down.
Suspected serial killer Collins Jumaisi Khalusha - ANDREW KASUKU/AP

A suspected serial killer accused of killing dozens of young Kenyan women and dumping their bodies in a rubbish tip has escaped in a mass jail break.

Collins Jumaisi Khalusha was being held in a police cell in the capital Nairobi when he and 12 Eritrean inmates cut their way through wire mesh in the early hours of Tuesday.

The 33-year-old, who has been described by police as a vampire and a psychopath, was arrested last month when bodies of young women were found in a disused quarry.

Police allege Jumaisi admitted to killing 42 women including his wife, but his lawyer told a court he was tortured into making a confession. Prosecutors deny he had been mistreated.

A magistrate last week ordered Jumaisi to remain in custody for 30 days while police continued their investigations.

Our preliminary investigations indicate that the escape was aided by insiders, acting national police chief Gilbert Masengeli said in a statement.

He told reporters that eight officers on duty at the time have been suspended and placed in custody, adding that the matter was being investigated by the Internal Affairs Unit.

Officers discovered the breakout when they made a routine visit to the cells at around 5am (3am BST) to serve breakfast.

The wire had been cut in a basking bay where detainees gain access to fresh air and the escapers had scaled a perimeter wall.

Collins Jumaisi Khalusha (left) speaks with his legal counsel at the Makadara Law Courts in Nairobi - SIMON MAINA/AFP VIA GETTY

Police said the Eritrean inmates had all been illegal immigrants.

The discovery last month of mutilated female bodies wrapped in plastic bags horrified Kenyans and cast further scrutiny on the performance of the countrys police force.

The dead were all women aged 18 to 30 and the murders are alleged to have taken place between 2022 and last month.

Jumaisi was arrested soon after the bodies were discovered, when police raided a bar where he had been watching the Euro 2024 final.

Mohamed Amin, head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, said at the time: We are dealing with a serial killer, a psychopathic serial killer who has no respect for human life.

The suspect confessed to have lured, killed and disposed of 42 female bodies at the dumping site.

Police said they had found 10 phones at his home, along with a laptop, identity cards, female clothing and a machete officers believe was used to chop up victims.

It is the second time in barely six months that a suspect in a high-profile case has escaped from custody.

Kenyan national Kevin Kangethe, who is accused of murdering his girlfriend in the United States last year and leaving her body in an airport car park, fled a police station in February before being caught about a week later.
Sadiq Khan conceded that it would not be possible to rejoin the EU in the short term - Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu

Sadiq Khan has hinted at a Brexit split with Sir Keir Starmer by suggesting the UK could rejoin the EU in the medium to long term.

Last month, the Prime Minister said he did not believe Britain would return to the bloc in his lifetime.

But Mr Khan, the Labour Mayor of London, said that in the medium to long term, there will need to be a conversation about whether we have a better future inside the EU or outside of it. He conceded that it would not be possible to rejoin in the short term.

In its general election manifesto, Labour pledged that there will be no return to the single market, the customs union, or freedom of movement, but has promised to improve the UKs post-Brexit trade deal with Brussels and seek closer cooperation on security issues.

Sir Keir was asked in July whether there would be any circumstances in which the UK would rejoin the single market or the customs union within his lifetime and said: No, I dont think that that is going to happen.

Ive been really clear about not rejoining the EU, the single market or the customs union, or returning to freedom of movement.

Asked whether he agreed with Sir Keir, Mr Khan told the New Statesman magazine: Well, I hope Keir has a very long lifetime! I dont want any conspiracy theories about how long I want Keir to live for.

But its not possible in the short term for us to rejoin the EU. I think referendums are once-in-a-generation issues. In the medium to long term, there will need to be a conversation about whether we have a better future inside the EU or outside of it.

Senior Tories have accused Labour of plotting to reverse Brexit, with Rishi Sunak claiming during the election campaign that Sir Keir was seeking a cosy deal with the EU and Labour was not being straight with people about that.
King Charles meets members of the public outside Southport town hall on Tuesday. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

King Charles has arrived in Southport to meet those affected by the 29 July knife attack and the riot that followed in the town.

He travelled to Merseyside to privately meet some of the children who survived the attack at the Taylor Swift-themed dance class. He was also expected to thank frontline emergency responders personally.

Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, were killed during the attack in a studio on Hart Street in Southport, Merseyside. Ten others, including two adults, were seriously injured and taken to hospitals across north-west England.

The attacks sparked violent disorder in towns and cities in England and Northern Ireland as rioters clashed with police, with the violence blamed on online disinformation posted on social media.

It is the kings first visit to Southport since the attack and subsequent disorder.

In a statement issued on the day of the attack, Charles said: My wife and I have been profoundly shocked to hear of the utterly horrific incident in Southport today. We send our most heartfelt condolences, prayers and deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who have so tragically lost their lives, and to all those affected by this truly appalling attack.

Tuesdays visit is to express in person his continued support for those affected by the attack and its aftermath. He will meet members of the Southport community and representatives from Merseysides emergency services as well as local groups affected by the violent disorder in the town, including faith leaders.

Buckingham Palace said the king would meet the families of Bebe, Elsie and Alice in London on Wednesday.

Royal sources said Charles was kept updated daily on the public disorder, though he was not expected to make visits or official statements about it until after the unrest had subsided.

It follows the precedent of the late Queen Elizabeth during the rioting of 2011. In such previous cases, royal visits to trouble spots have tended to follow after the wave of unrest and violence has settled.

Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, 18, is charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder in relation to the 29 July attack.

The Cardiff-born teenager, who was living in the Lancashire village of Banks, was not initially named due to his age  he was 17 at the time of the attack. The anonymity order was lifted by Judge Andrew Menary KC, who said the idiotic rioting in parts of the UK after the attack was one reason why it was in the public interest for Rudakubanas name to be released.
The King seemed overwhelmed by the floral tributes left to pay respect to the victims - Victoria Jones/Shutterstock

The King has told the imam of a mosque targeted by far-Right rioters the day after the Southport killings that the experience must have been terrifying.

The monarch met Ibrahim Hussein alongside emergency responders and community leaders who helped restore calm in the wake of the violence that followed the deaths of three young girls at a dance class.

He received a rapturous welcome on Tuesday in the Merseyside town after interrupting his summer break to show his support and thank those who had dedicated their time to helping those affected.

His Majesty is greeted by Dr Ruth Hussey, the vice lord lieutenant of Merseyside, and Councillor June Burns, the mayor of Sefton - Owen Humphreys

He was greeted with loud cheers as he viewed floral tributes to the victims before holding a private meeting with children who survived the attack and their families.

Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, were stabbed to death and 10 other children were left seriously injured at the Taylor Swift-themed dance class at the Hart Space Community Centre on July 29.

The King is to meet the families of the girls who died in London on Wednesday.

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After spending time with some of the survivors, Charles went on to meet emergency services personnel, faith leaders and some of those who have opened their doors to emergency responders in the aftermath.

Mr Hussein said of his conversation with the King: He was referring to the community and how terrifying it must have been for us. How scary and terrifying it must have been for us and our mosque and our community.

For His Majesty to take time from his heavy schedule and visit a small town such as this means a lot to us.

Imam Ibrahim Hussein said the King's visit and sympathy meant a lot to the people of Southport - Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images

The imam said of the riots: They wanted to kill us. We were terrified obviously because the whole building was shaking. Firebombs were thrown. It was awful, the slogans and the shouting and the chanting.

The King also met Diane, 50, and her husband Dan, 48, whose home backs on to the community centre where the fatal attack took place, and whose 12-year-old daughter witnessed it from her bedroom.

The couple comforted the families of the victims and have continued to allow police to use their facilities as investigations continue.

Diane said: The King said he was shocked, really shocked at what happened, and said it was kind of us to open our house. We said it was the right thing to do.

The King speaks to representatives from Merseyside's emergency services and local community groups at Southport community fire station - Scott Heppell/PA Wire

Earlier, the monarch appeared impressed by the sea of flowers, toys and balloons that comprise a makeshift memorial dedicated to the three young victims, gesturing in appreciation at the scale of it.

One member of the public gave him three cheers and another shouted Thank you for coming.

The King affectionately patted one young girl on the shoulder as he shook hands with many of the hundreds gathered to see him. Look at all the flowers, he said.

Linsey Hislop, 43, asked after his health and how he was feeling following his cancer treatment. Im not too bad, the King replied.

People emotional as King stopped to talk

Mrs Hislop, a foster carer, said: My son is a police officer who was working during the riots so its really good of the King to come.

Other members of the crowd appeared emotional and were in tears as the King stopped to speak to them.

The monarch spent around half an hour with the survivors and their families in the town hall before expressing his deepest sympathy in a book of condolence.

The King signs a book of condolence after a private meeting with survivors and their families - Paul Ellis /WPA Pool/Getty Images

He was then introduced to a group of local volunteers and business owners who have dedicated time and resources to the community.

They included several people who have been maintaining the floral tributes, trimming, arranging and watering the flowers and collecting cuddly toys in the evenings and when it rains.

Helen Marshall, 71, a member of local gardening group Lord Street in Bloom, said of the visit: I think its very important he is here. Were under a cloud and we need something to boost morale.

The last few weeks have been devastating but the community spirit is the thing keeping us going.

Charles met locals who had gathered to meet him and thank him for visiting - Paul Ellis - WPA Pool/Getty Images

The King spent some time greeting the many members of the crowd who had waited to meet him, many thanking him for taking the time to visit.

One boy, Max, eight, gave him a small red silk heart he had made himself, prompting the King to gently pat his head.

Charles was also given some pink hearts crocheted by a woman called June, who asked him to give them to Kate and Charlotte. I will, he promised.

The visit came after the King urged unity in the face of riots that swept the country following the attacks.

In calls made to both Sir Keir Starmer and police chiefs earlier this month, he expressed hope that mutual respect and understanding would unite the nation.

Axel Rudakubana, 18, has been charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder.

He will next appear at Liverpool Crown Court on Oct 25 for a pre-trial preparation hearing.
Kirstie Allsopp says her son and his friend 'organised the whole thing' - JEFF SPICER/WIREIMAGE

Kirstie Allsopp has defended allowing her 15-year-old son to go Interrailing.

The TV presenter and writer welcomed her son home after the three-week trip through nine European cities, which he took with a 16-year-old friend.

Writing on X, Allsopp said that such experiences helped children to gain confidence.

Some parents raised concerns that a child that age would not be able to cope should things get ugly, but Allsopp, who also has an 18-year-old son with Ben Andersen, her property developer partner, stood by her decision to let him go.

The discussion began after Allsopp posted on X: My little boy has returned from 3 weeks inter-railing, hell be 16 on Wednesday so he went with a mate whos already 16 due to hostel/travel restrictions, but they organised the whole thing; Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Marseille, Toulouse, Barcelona & Madrid.

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She went on to say: For obvious budget reasons interrailing isnt on the cards for everyone, but in this increasingly risk-averse world its vital that we find any ways we can to give our children the confidence that only comes from trusting them.

Of course I missed spending the summer with our son, but Im so proud of him & my loss is nothing compared to his gain & the encyclopaedic knowledge he now has of the differences between one McDonalds & another, if were afraid our children will also be afraid, if we let go, they will fly.

However, one user, named Annette, said: My friends daughter did it last year. Shes 25. Not sure I would let a 16-year-old do it to be honest.

Another, called Marylin, said: I think 15 is too young. I take it if things had gone wrong, you would have taken responsibility and never forgiven yourself.

You cant wrap them up in cotton wool but it can be a dangerous world and 15 is not mature enough for all encounters.

Allsopp with her two sons in 2021 - JOE MAHER/GETTY IMAGES EUROPE

But responding to one father who said he would be terrified if his 17-year-old daughter went on a similar trip, Allsopp said: Dont be, the world is a safer place and fear doesnt help our kids, it just hinders them.

She added: I know a lot of middle-aged women who are far more nervous and less able to deal with difficult encounters, half my friends can no longer drive at night.

Others questioned if she would have allowed a daughter to take the same trip.

Linda Mason wrote: I dont have sons but cant imagine allowing them to go at 16 and definitely not a daughter. Its not about parents being unnecessarily afraid, its about being realistic.

Lupton Pitmann asked: Would you feel differently about letting a daughter go at that age? I have daughters and I dont think that would be possible to let them do that at that age.

Allsopp said: No, I was allowed to travel in my teens as were my sisters. Sexual assault is far more likely to come from someone you know than a stranger and boys are more likely to have a violent interaction with a stranger than girls.

It really isnt dangerous

For good measure, Allsopp added a link to the New York-based organisation Free Range Kids, and one to Jonathan Haidt, a New York University psychologist who has made it his mission to roll back the phone-based childhood.

She added: Everyone needs to understand data, to really know what the risks are and where those risks lie. It really isnt more dangerous, I recommend Factfulness, by Hans Rosling, who breaks down the data and the reasons why we might think it is more dangerous.

In previous generations 16 was when you started work, there is a lot of evidence that children have become less confident and more anxious, could that be because we havent let them grow in confidence and independence?

Every year, over 600,000 Interrail passes are sold to European and non-European residents, allowing them to visit up to 33 countries with one pass. The scheme was launched in 1959.

Allsopp later told The Telegraph: Its not really a debate, the vast majority of responses are wholly positive and those being rude often have another axe to grind and dont like my stand on Trans right or similar.

Childrens mental health is the issue not my parenting.
Pension credit scheme - David Burton / Alamy Stock Photo

The Government has urged retirees to claim pension credit after coming under fire for cutting the winter fuel allowance.

Labour launched on Tuesday a campaign to encourage pensioners to check if they are eligible for the benefit, as those eligible will still be able to claim winter fuel allowance.

From this winter, only those receiving pension credit or other means-tested benefits, will be eligible for the additional support under plans unveiled by Rachel Reeves last month.

Previously, all 11.4 million pensioners received an extra 200 to help heat their homes every winter, with those over 80 receiving a blanket 300 payment.

Some 10 million pensioners are expected to miss out for the first time this winter as Ms Reeves scrambles to plug a 22 billion black hole in the public finances which she claims was left by the Tories.

Tories have condemned the awareness drive as tokenistic, with Labour having unveiled plans to scrap the annual winter payment for an estimated 10 million pensioners.

Mel Stride, the shadow work and pensions secretary, said: An awareness campaign while cutting support for millions is tokenistic at best.

It is astonishing to hear Labour ministers trumpet a pension credit awareness campaign as if this is a new solution.

For years now, successive Conservative secretaries of state, including myself, have run substantial awareness campaigns.

If the problem were as simple as running a campaign, it would have been solved long ago.

The government campaign is designed to encourage pensioners to apply for the benefit by 21 December - the deadline to receive the allowance this winter.

Many retirees currently do not claim pension credit despite being eligible, with the latest statistics suggesting that between 720,000 and 880,000 people are missing out.

Far less saved

Recent analysis by a former pensions minister found the cuts to the winter fuel allowance could save far less than planned if retirees hit by the change seek extra state support.

Sir Steve Webb, a Liberal Democrat pensions minister in the coalition government, estimated that if one in four eligible pensioners were to put in a claim, a third of the Treasurys expected savings could be wiped out.

This would force the Government to fork out an extra 440 million in benefits and would mean it could no longer bank 50 million in axed winter fuel payments.

As part of the pension credit awareness drive, the Government has partnered with older peoples charities for a week of action in September, designed to tackle myths that may stop people applying.

Having savings, a pension or owning a home are not necessarily barriers to receiving pension credit, a department for Work and Pensions spokesman said.

The campaign has come under fire for seeking to take credit for a policy that has been championed by successive Tory governments.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, welcomed the communications drive but questioned whether it goes far enough.

In all honesty we do not believe it will not be enough to achieve the dramatic increase in pension credit take up thats needed in the short time available for pensioners to secure their entitlement to winter fuel payment before the weather chills, she said.

The last date for claiming pension credit in time to secure your winter fuel payment this winter is Dec 21, just over four months away  not very long to tackle this long standing and deep-seated problem of low take up.

Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, said: The 22 billion black hole in the public finances we have inherited has required us to take difficult decisions, but I am determined to ensure low-income pensioners are supported.

Thats why I urge any pensioner, or their loved ones, to check if they could get pension credit.
The bar area at Damians Cucina Italiana turned into a waiting room on Saturday as customers beelined through the entrance, giving final handshakes and lingering hugs to co-owners Johnny B. Mandola and Bubba Butera. Some wiped away tears.

Servers balanced trays holding glasses of Chianti and martinis as they maneuvered past the four bar seats and handful of tables. Nobody paid much attention to the Astros game on a TV screen. Italian tenor Andrea Bocellis megahit Time to Say Goodbye hummed in the background at least twice throughout the evening.

Here we go, Mandola said. Last one.

The Houston institution, an Italian favorite in Midtown revered as much as a power-lunch destination for the citys movers and shakers as it was a special-occasion restaurant for day-to-day customers, was open for one last dinner service. Earlier this summer, the family-owned Damians announced it was closing after 41 years.

Longtime regulars, family, friends and nostalgic Houstonians all wanted one final dinner.

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Kirk Tate makes an impromptu toast to Damian's Cucina Italiana, where he took his now wife on their first data in 2015 and later proposed. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

There was a couple from Missouri City who said they had their first date in 2015 at Damians. They were unable to make a reservation but hoped their loyal patronage meant they could squeeze into the establishment where they got engaged and celebrated every anniversary.

Mandolas cousin Jay, whose contracting company, StormBusters of Texas, repainted the exterior of 3011 Smith with a rustic patina about a decade earlier, also swung by to show his support. He peeked into the dining room holding a scotch.

Marie Hennebery, who had been a hostess at Damians in the mid-90s, was unsure about attending. A friend convinced her to visit one last time. She recalled how the restaurant made you feel like you belonged, from paying workers when it closed briefly because of a small fire and gifting employees with turkeys at Thanksgiving.

On this last evening, like nearly every other service over the past 41 years, they all found a seat at Damians.

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Everyone is treated like family, said Kirk Tate, the Missouri City resident who ended up with his wife at their favorite corner table in the L-shaped dining room surrounded by murals of the Italian countryside and black-and-white Mandola family photos.

HOUSTON EATS: The Chronicles top 100 restaurants

Damian's Cucina Italiana opened along Smith Street in 1983 and held its final dinner service on August 17, 2024.

Damians has always been a family affair.

In 1975, Damian Mandola opened Damians in Hunstville, where, he boasts, the restaurant was the first in the area to open bottles of wine table side.

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By 1983, he partnered with some family members to move the restaurant into an abandoned building in Midtown.

Italian food was still novel in Houston at the time, especially any dish that wasnt a classic red-sauce hit like spaghetti and meatballs or lasagna. At Damians, garlicky shrimp Damian and cutlets of veal piccata blanketed in a white wine-and-lemon butter sauce were set on white tablecloths. Caesar salads were prepared in front of customers.

Three years later, Damian Mandola opened Carrabbas on Kirby with his nephew Johnny Carrabba. They had to sell the namesake restaurant in 1993 when Outback Steakhouse wanted to form a joint venture partnership with the two men.

Johnny B. Mandola, general manager of Damian's Cucina Italiana, (left) chats with owner Joseph Bubba Butera during the final dining service at restaurant, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

Frankie B. Mandola, Johnnys father, and his first cousin Bubba Butera took over Damians. They continued to cement the restaurants legacy in Houston as a destination restaurant, like Tonys and La Griglia.

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After the pandemic, the restaurant never fully recovered. Food costs increased, the downtown crowd shriveled, and Damians got lost in the shuffle of glitzier restaurant openings, many Italian.

Before the closing announcement in June, some lunch and dinner services involved only two or three tables of customers.

Seemingly all the regulars have rushed in to visit over the past few months, and everyone wanted photos with Johnny and Bubba (Frankie died 2016).

1-2-3, Chianti! Bubba would say all night Saturday as he posed for photos.

Damian Mandola, founder and former owner of Damian's Cucina Italiana, (second from left) visits with his nephew, Johnny Carrabba, (far right) between Mile Pontello and his Mandolas cousin Joseph Bubba Butera during the final dinning service at restaurant, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Damian Mandola, founder and former owner of Damian's Cucina Italiana, listens to speeches during the final dinning service at restaurant, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Damian Mandola, founder and former owner of Damian's Cucina Italiana, speaks during the final dinning service at restaurant, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Johnny Carrabba gives a toast to his uncle, Damian Mandola, founder and former owner of Damian's Cucina Italiana, during the final dinning service at the restaurant, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Damian Mandola, founder and former owner of Damian's Cucina Italiana, hugs longtime server Bejamin Garcia during the final dinning service at the restaurant on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Houston. Garcia had been a server at the establishment for all of its 41 years. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Johnny B. Mandola, general manager of Damian's Cucina Italiana, (left) laughs alongside owner Joseph Bubba Butera, right, and former owner Damian Mandola as friends, family and coworkers give toasts during the final dining service at restaurant, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

Frankie Pizzitola showed up early with his wife, Rosanne, for the final farewell. They sat in the bar area before getting seated with Johnny Carrabba, who sat at a table next to Damian Mandola.

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Before Pizzitola dined at Damians for the first time, he had worked in the 70s with Bubba at Buteras Fine Foods & Delicatessen, located behind Hobby Airport.

One night in 1989, his sister, a hostess at Damians, hooked her brother up with Rosanne. He called that night, and they had a date the following day. They said they havent spent a day apart since.

Damians marked many of the couples milestones, including the time their daughter got engaged down the street at Brennans and they waited at Damians for the surprise.

Its rare to find a restaurant in Houston with this much history, Pizzitola said. To say well miss it doesnt come close to describing how it feels.

Johnny B. Mandola stands next to a portrait of his father Frankie B. Mandola

In the middle of the dining room, Kent Sullivan, a former Houston attorney and appellate court justice who served as an assistant attorney general, recalled dining and seeing celebrities, including political commentator Rush Limbaugh, former Yankees manager Joe Torre and real estate magnate George P. Mitchell.

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The big names aside, Sullivan was like many longtime customers at Damians who dined at the restaurant because they wanted to be waited on by their favorite staffers.

For years, that person was Armando Rivera, who was a server from the beginning. He died in November 2016 from a heart attack, collapsing in the restaurant. Countless customers talk about him to this day.

Sullivans table was seated across from a frame holding Riveras white uniform, which Johnny said he plans to hand over to the family.

The reality is that many restaurants have great food, Sullivan said. But it was the service and personal connection that made it unique.

MORE FROM BAO ONG: Passing the torch: Truth BBQ founder continues mentor Lee Ellis' legacy at Round Top restaurant

Benjamin Garcia has worked at Damian's since 1983. He started as a busboy and eventually became one of the most popular servers.

Another popular server at Damians through the years was Benjamin Garcia, who started as a busboy about a month after Rivera.

Until 2020, there was an off-menu item called BG Sauce for dipping focaccia. Tables who knew Garcia would ask for the plate of olive oil mixed with balsamic vinegar, garlic, Parmesan cheese and Italian herbs.

The restaurant was devoted to its clientele.

Bubba named a dish after Mike Wells, with whom he served on a Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo committee years ago.

The Asparagus Mike Wells features spears of Parmesan-crusted asparagus topped with crabmeat, but Wells always called it chicken fried asparagus, Bubba said.

He decided to rename the dish as a joke so that Wells, who died in 2020, would stop calling it chicken-fried asparagus.

Family, friends and loyal customers dined at Damian's on its final night on August 17, 2024.

Jack Lyons, another member of the rodeo committee who attended the final dinner Saturday, also got a dish named after him: the Jack Lyons' Tomatoes Siciliano, a salad dotted with black olives, sweet onions and a Parmesan vinaigrette.

The most loyal customers knew the end was coming. Bubba, 77, said he told Johnny last year that he planned to retire when he turns 78 later this month.

Shortly before 8:30 p.m., the staff started popping bottles of Champagne, including Veuve Clicquot. The final plates of lasagna and snapper Nino Jr. came out from the kitchen. Some staffers started crying as they said goodbye.

We measure everything by Damians, said Tate, holding a glass of red wine as he gave an impromptu toast to the restaurant.

A series of speeches started, including one from Damian, who said, My heart was always at Damians.

Johnny B. Mandola, left, and his triplets, Reed, Nicholas and Jaxson.

Johnnys triplets, who are in a photo on the wall as 2-year-olds sharing a bowl of spaghetti, took turns giving tributes.

We have grown up with you, said Reed Mandola, who got teary and couldnt finish his speech.

His brothers Nicholas and Jaxon also spoke briefly before their father and Bubba.

Not many restaurants stay open for 41 years, Johnny Carrabba said. We have to look at this as a celebration.

Reed Mandola, one of the triplet sons of Johnny B. Mandola, general manager of Damian's Cucina Italiana, reacts as he speaks to toast to his father during the final dinning service at the restaurant, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

Many of the customers on Saturday left with one question: Where will they go for Italian food now?

Yall need to rethink this (expletive), one man shouted at Bubba. Well fill it up every day.
A statue of the Duke of Wellington in Brecon, Wales - Alamy Stock Photo

When Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, made her acceptance speech when re-elected as an MP last month, she praised our country with its proud history. I was so surprised I wrote it down. She is now responsible for the history taught in schools, and has since commissioned a review of the national curriculum, so we may see in due course what exactly she is proud of.

But I am not optimistic. A company providing teaching materials to schools recently instructed teachers to avoid presenting the British Empire as an equal balance of good and bad... Instead, teach colonialism as invading and exploiting other countries, and present the British Empire as you would other global powers that committed atrocities, eg Nazi Germany. Few readers of this column need me to explain why this is appalling history as well as damaging to children. If Britain is like Nazi Germany, then the traditions we were once proud to uphold  respect for the law, lets say, or our peaceful political culture  are mere hypocrisy. No one will need reminding how damaging such beliefs can be.

I hope that Wales under its Labour administration will not turn out to be a prototype for Labours England. Readers may recall Cardiffs policy of making Wales an anti-racist nation by 2030, using local authorities, museums, art galleries and even pubs to promote the right historic narrative. Those who run our cultural institutions hardly need such prompting, but having the political wind behind them encourages ever more absurd examples of wokeism.

The latest concerns Waless public libraries, whose staff are apparently so sunk in racism they need training to counteract the dominant paradigm of whiteness. We learn they are also so hyper-sensitive that training sessions must not be held in buildings with a racist legacy, whose noxious vibes might upset the trainees.

The problem is not just the government, but organised campaigns openly run by the professional bodies of the staff of libraries, museums, ancient buildings and art galleries. Once  in the distant past before about 1990  such people devoted themselves to scholarship, to the transmission of knowledge and culture, and to the preservation and display of historical treasures in their care. The aim was education in the broadest sense: to help the public appreciate our inheritance, and understand the crucial difference between the past and the present. This is apparently too boring for the current generation of cultural entrepreneurs, who want to be both activists and public entertainers.

Those of us who take a morbid interest in the excesses of todays museums and galleries know that those running them either dont know what is true about the past, or dont care. They prefer to ask the opinions of local communities or commission school children to write captions. After all, if history is just a lot of narratives, why not pick the ones that serve your purpose? Why not liken the British Empire to Nazi Germany if you want to? The first abolished slavery, and the other enslaved Europe. But you can if necessary find people, even tame academics, who will rubber-stamp your propaganda. And, astonishingly, government bodies that will fund it, under the Conservatives or Labour.

What is going on? I admit to being cynical. Most of it is virtue signalling and careerism on the part of the activists, and cowardice on the part of the rest. If you want promotion, or even to keep your job, you go with the flow. Who in the cultural field, whether an actor, an academic, or a Welsh librarian, wants to risk being called racist, or even just old-fashioned?

But let us assume that there is some coherent aim somewhere behind all this, and not just opportunism. The target is our history: not just the shameful episodes, but all of it. So Nelson, Wellington and Churchill of course are defamed, but so is the progressive hero William Ewart Gladstone, supporter of democracy, emancipation, and liberty. The library at Hawarden in Flintshire, Wales, is frowned on because Gladstones father owned slaves.

All I can think is that the ultimate goal is to trash our national history and promote a post-national ground zero. Starting again from scratch is an old revolutionary fantasy, ever since the French Revolution proclaimed itself Year One. Ms Phillipson, it ended badly.

Robert Tombs is the author of The English and Their History, an updated edition of which was released recently
NSW police and forensics are seen at a house after shots were fired at it, in the Sydney suburb of Auburn. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

A man who was found dead in western Sydney overnight had just hours before fired a gun into a home where his wife and children were seeking refuge as part of a planned separation.

It was the first of a series of shots fired by the 50-year-old man, with another fired at a stranger who is now in a serious but stable condition.

The family at the centre of the case were from Victoria, with the perpetrators wife of 23 years seeking refuge in Sydney with her two children aged 20 and 15, and her parents who are in their 70s, New South Wales police said.

The perpetrator later followed the family interstate from Victoria in the hours or days before the attack took place. Police said he went to the house in the Sydney suburb of Auburn, where he became enraged and smashed the front windows of the house, and forced the door open, but did not enter.

He then attempted to shoot his wifes father, but the gun failed to discharge. He then turned the gun to his wifes mother, and fired a shot inside the house.

It did not hit anyone inside, and then the man left. Im very thankful that we arent looking at another tragic domestic violence homicide, NSW police assistant commissioner, Brett McFadden, told reporters on Wednesday.

After the man left the house, he attempted to carjack a vehicle from a 56-year-old woman driving nearby who didnt stop and was able to avoid that area.

He then targeted the car of a 55-year-old man, whose 15-year-old daughter was in the passenger seat. He then fired a shot through the car window, hitting the man, which police said impacted his shoulder and face.

He is currently in a serious but stable condition hospital, police said.

Shortly after 2am, police located the perpetrators car in a nearby park. His body was found on the banks of Duck Creek in Auburn with a gun nearby.

Police said the man did not have a known licence for the gun, and his possession of it would be investigated.

His death is not being treated as suspicious.

McFadden said the tragic incident comes as police launched an operation on Wednesday that will target high-risk DV offenders, with arrests already starting.

But in this case, McFadden said the history and the background of this family due to them being from Victoria would not have placed the family on NSW polices radar.

The perpetrator had not had any active interactions with Victoria police in the past 10 years, McFadden said.

This is the real challenge for domestic violence in New South Wales, and its trying to ensure that we are doing everything humanly possible with the information that is available to us to keep our victims and communities safe, he said.

McFadden said the investigation is very live.

Its very active at the moment. Were working with our Victorian colleagues to get a fuller understanding of the background and wider circumstances, he said.

Tania Farha, chief executive of Safe and Equal, Victorias peak body domestic and family violence services, said separation is one of the most dangerous times for victims.

Fortunately, the family in this case are safe, but the outcome could have been very different, she said.

While there has been progress, family and gender-based violence require a national response, and as this case illustrates, that also includes linking services across state lines.

We need further investment in frontline family violence to be top of the agenda at national cabinet, and an absolute priority for every state and territory.

The deputy chief executive of Domestic Violence NSW, Elise Phillips, echoed the call for more funding, urging a national partnership agreement between federal and state governments.

Here on the frontlines, we know domestic violence transcends state lines. It is a national issue, she said.

 In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Womens Aid. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org.
Guerard in the kitchen of Les Pres d'Eugenie (2008): 'The French do not want to choose between health and pleasure. They want both at the same time' - PIERRE ANDRIEU/ARCHIVES/AFP via Getty Images

Michel Guerard, who has died aged 91, was, with Roger Verge, Paul Bocuse and Pierre Troisgros, one of the founding fathers of nouvelle cuisine, the culinary movement that marked a radical shift towards lighter, more delicately flavoured French cooking, breaking away from the heavy, rich sauces of the traditional Escoffier canon.

Guerard was known in particular for developing a sort of sub-genre of the movement, known as cuisine minceur, literally slimming cooking, essentially consisting of less calorific versions of nouvelle cuisine dishes, and he went on to be one of the most influential and most copied of Frances nouvelle cuisine chefs.

It was in the early 1970s that Guerard, inspired by his bride-to-be Christine to lose a few pounds, created his slimming take on contemporary French fine cooking  replacing butter, cream and oil-rich sauces with less artery-clogging fromage blanc, fresh concentrated stocks and vegetable coulis.

He was also the first leading French chef to cook vegetables al dente, and as cookery programmes took off on the worlds televisions he was later credited (or blamed) for the intensely flavoured smears, splodges of jus and dollops of foam beloved of aspirant television chefs.

'Les speciales de Gillardeau avec leur Chantilly au cafe vert', a dish with oysters devised by Guerard at Les Pres d'Eugenie, 2011 - Maurice ROUGEMONT/Gamma-Rapho via Getty

In 1974, Guerard and Christine arrived in the village of Eugenie-les-Bains in the Landes department of south-west France and began renovating an ailing spa resort which was owned by Guerards father-in-law. As the spa sought to attract health-conscious Parisians anxious to lose a few kilos, Guerards cuisine minceur was just the ticket.

A reviewer who visited his restaurant, Les Pres dEugenie, in 2014 was astonished that a lunch consisting of carpaccio of langoustines, followed by roasted milk-fed lamb and peach melba came in at under 630 calories, while crab with grapefruit, roasted pigeon and wild strawberries Miss Dior came to just 515 calories.

As nouvelle cuisine went mainstream, with its doctrine of terroir and delicate flavours, it tended to lose its revolutionary edge under consumer pressure. Portions grew a little bigger and butter crept back. Guerard, however, stuck to his principles and in 2014 he relaunched his crusade, publishing Eat Well and Stay Slim: The Essential Cuisine Minceur, and opening a school at his spa where practising chefs could learn the secrets of terrines mousseuses de champignons and blancs de volailles farcis.

At the Pot-au-Feu in 1974. 'Our helpings are not really small,' he said. 'It is just that we put less fat, salt and sugar into the dishes' - Michel ARTAULT/Gamma-Rapho via Getty

His recipes, Guerard maintained, were no more expensive than old-fashioned French cooking: They dont cost more than meals you buy in the shops. They are just made differently. And he rebutted complaints that portions were too small: Our helpings are not really small. It is just that we put less fat, salt and sugar into the dishes.

The French do not want to choose between health and pleasure: they want both at the same time, he explained. My aim, which is valid in every country where obesity is rocketing, is to get the authorities to teach kids how to eat at the same time as they are being taught to read and write.

In 1977 Les Pres dEugenie won three Michelin stars. It has retained them to the present day, and by the time of Guerards death it was one of the longest-running Michelin-starred restaurants in the world.

Michel Robert-Guerard was born on March 27 1933 in the northern Paris suburb of Vetheuil, the son of a butcher who also raised his own beef. After the German invasion of 1940 he was brought up just outside Rouen with his grandmother and then his mother.

Guerard, far right, with Catherine Deneuve and the French TV producer Jean Ferniot, 1980 - DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP via Getty Images

Watching his grandmother bake pastry inspired him to become an apprentice, aged 14, at Kleber Alixs patisserie in Mantes-la-Jolie, west of Paris. He then learned palace cuisine at the Hotel de Crillon in Paris, becoming the restaurants head pastry chef aged 25. He also worked at Le Lido and Maxims.

An early influence was Jean Delaveyne, for whom Guerard worked for a time at Camellia, his restaurant in Bougival in the Ile-de-France region. Delaveyne was famous for saying chefs should not use Escoffier as a straitjacket  a lesson Guerard took to heart when he opened his first restaurant, Pot-au-Feu, in the Parisian suburb of Asnieres in the early 1960s.

It was there that he adapted classical French cooking, making it cleaner and lighter on the palate. Gourmets flocked to Pot-au-Feu, and by the time he moved to Les Pres dEugenie, after his marriage in 1972 to Christine Barthelemy  daughter of the founder of the Biotherm skincare company and owner of a chain of spas and hotels  he had won two Michelin stars.

In February 1976 he was featured in a cartoon on the cover of Time magazine with the tagline The new gourmet law: hold the butter. Guerard trained and inspired generations of leading chefs, among them Helene Darroze of the Connaught, Alain Ducasse of the Dorchester and Andrew Fairlie of the Gleneagles Hotel.

The success of his restaurant enabled Guerard and Christine to expand their estate round Eugenie-les-Bains to include a 16-hectare farm, vineyards and several more spas and hotels.

Michel Guerards wife, Christine, died in 2017. Their two daughters survive him.

Michel Guerard, born March 27 1933, died August 19 2024

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Since it took office last year, New Zealands rightwing coalition governments policy direction for Maori has sparked multiple protests and mass meetings of Maori leaders. Photograph: Dave Lintott/AFP/Getty Images

Nearly half of New Zealanders believe the governments policies have increased racial tensions, new polling shows, as pressure mounts on the government over policy changes that many fear will undermine Maori rights.

The 1News Verian poll released on Monday found 46% of voters believed racial tensions have worsened as a result of the coalitions policies, while 37% said there had been no difference and 10% thought tensions had reduced. Another 7% of respondents said they didnt know or preferred not to comment.

The poll also surveyed eligible voters on their preferred prime minister, which showed a 5% lift in popularity for prime minister Christopher Luxon.

Since it took office last year, the rightwing coalition governments policy direction for Maori has sparked multiple protests, mass meetings of Maori leaders and condemnation from the Waitangi Tribunal, an institution that investigates breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealands founding document.

Related: Revealed: the impact of New Zealands changes to policies affecting Maori

Analysis by the Guardian has revealed the scale and impact of the proposed legislative and policy changes, which Maori leaders and experts have described as chilling and dangerous.

Lara Greaves, associate professor of political science at Victoria University of Wellington, said the 1News Verian poll showed that many New Zealanders believe the governments policies are creating discord between Maori and the crown, or ruling authorities.

I think this is our version of the culture wars, Greaves said, adding that where populist politicians in the US or Europe target migrants as a problem, populists in New Zealand target Maori.

All that does, long term, is create dissatisfaction with the government, Greaves said.

The government should be responding to the public sentiment and considering Maori viewpoints, Greaves said.

Luxon told Newstalk ZB the poll was no different to the results of the survey under the previous administration a year ago. The questions were worded differently  the 2023 poll found around 47% of New Zealanders thought racial tensions were worsening, but it did not ask the question specifically in relation to government policy.

The prime minister said he was more interested in what the government was going to do about improving outcomes for Maori and non-Maori children.

Im focused on outcomes, and I dont think the last 6 years was fantastic for Maori, Luxon said.

The poll surveyed 1,001 eligible voters between 10 August and 14 August. It was released on the same day Luxon and other senior ministers attended the Maori Kings koroneihana celebrations  the anniversary of his coronation  in Turangawaewae, the seat of the Maori King movement. The movement was founded in 1858 in an attempt to unite Maori tribes and preserve culture and land, in the face of colonisation. It has no legal power and while the monarch role is largely ceremonial, it is also considered to be the paramount chief of several tribes.

The government faced scathing rebukes from Maori leaders attending the event on Monday.

Waikato iwi (tribe) leader, Tukoroirangi Morgan, told Luxon the government had turned its back on Maori, saying: Since January this year, we have watched the government wrecking ball demolish Maori policy, Maori achievement, and it rolled back 50 years of iwi relations with the crown.

Morgan called on Luxons government to block a controversial law, set to be introduced by coalition partner Act, to review the Treaty of Waitangi. Acts treaty principles bill seeks to redefine the principles that have flowed from the Treaty, which was signed in 1840 by Maori chiefs and the crown, and upholds Maori rights.

Luxon assured the crowd the National party would not support Acts law. NZ First, the third coalition partner, also said it wont support the bill.

I want to be clear here today that National will not support the Treaty principles bill beyond the first reading, Luxon said.

Related: Our people are thriving: New Zealand Maori population hits million mark

Addressing the Maori king, Kiingi Tuheitia, Luxon said he was acutely aware of the concerns Maori have raised over his governments plans.

Over the coming months, and indeed years, our relationship will be tested as it has been many times before, and at times it will be tense as our relationship has always been based on respect but not agreement, Luxon said.

Greaves said seeing ministers at Maori events was a really positive step but there was a lot of distrust  particularly from Maori  over whether the government would keep its promises.

A lot of people dont believe them and dont believe politicians  I think that speaks to the broader risks of polarisation and populism that are happening in New Zealand society.
The superyacht boasted a luxurious dining area - Superyacht Times

The superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily had won multiple awards for its stylish interiors and design.

Mike Lynch, 59, and his teenage daughter, Hannah, are among the seven passengers and crew feared dead when his yacht, the Bayesian, sank off Porticello near the Sicilian city of Palermo.

Divers are searching the wreckage of the 184ft British-flagged vessel, which rests on the sea bed 160ft below the surface and 1,600ft from shore.

The Bayesian, previously called Salute, was built in 2008 by Perini Navi, an Italian shipyard, alongside yacht designer Ron Holland Design.

The vessel accommodated 12 guests in its master, three double and two twin bedrooms

When launched, it had the tallest aluminium mast in the world, at 237ft, earning the accolade of best exterior styling at the World Superyacht Awards in 2009.

Inside, the sleek, minimalist furnishings were created by Remi Tessier. The French design house also designed the 240ft-long Nautilus, owned by Thierry Stern, the president of Patek Philippe, and the 177ft-long Parsifal III, made famous by the television show Below Deck Sailing Yacht.

The Bayesian, which accommodated 12 guests in its master, three double and two twin bedrooms, was furnished with a teak deck and beige sofas set against dark wood furnishings.

Thin brown pillars and miniature terracotta sculptures offered a Japanese influence, while a crescent canvas awning kept guests cool on the top deck.

The superyacht won best interior at the International Superyacht Society Awards in 2008, and was also voted one of the best sailing yachts over 45 metres at the 2009 World Superyacht Awards.

A crescent canvas awning kept guests cool on the top deck - Superyacht Times

Its original owner was John Groenewoud, a Dutch real estate developer, who was said to have purchased Salute from Eric Albada Jelgersma for a reported 35 million (30 million) when it was built.

Mr Groenewoud, the founder of Built to Build Real Estate, set out an asking price of $35 million (27 million) and sold the yacht in 2014, according to Boat International.

The Bayesian is now owned by Revtom, a company that listed Angela Bacares, Mr Lynchs wife, as its legal owner in April.

It was given the name because Bayesian was the subject of Mr Lynchs PhD and the name of the statistical method that helped build his empire.

A former chief stewardess of the yacht has spoken of putting on themed occasions and games for the owners two daughters.

Monica Jensen, 48, worked on the 184ft superyacht from November 2018 to October 2020 and told The Telegraph: I had a fantastic time.

She said she was surprised to hear of the sinking because the boat had withstood the choppiest of seas, telling The Telegraph: It seems a bit strange. We have been in bad weather with it, crossed the Atlantic. Its been all over. These things definitely dont happen very often.

Ms Jensen said the crew would have been well drilled on the evacuation process, adding: You cant work on a boat without the right certificates, training, and you do drills monthly.

The Bayesian had a range of 3,600 nautical miles - PERINI NAVI/Shutterstock

The vessel, which was operated by Camper & Nicholsons, had twin 965hp MTU engines, giving it a range of 3,600 nautical miles at 13-15 knots.

RSB Rigging carried out rig service works on it in conjunction with Astilleros de Mallorca, a shipyard facility in Palma, in November 2016. The Bayesian returned in September 2020 for scheduled service works, with the mast removed and reinstalled.

Steve Branagh, the managing director of RSB Rigging, told The Telegraph: At this time, our deepest sympathies go out to the friends and families of all those affected by this dreadful tragedy.
Opioid drugs, such as heroin and methadone, were behind 80% of drug-related deaths in Scotland last year, data shows. Photograph: FotoMaximum/Getty Images

Scotlands drug deaths remain the worst in Europe, as ministers pledged to intensify efforts to deal with the problem after a hugely concerning 12% increase in fatalities last year.

The health secretary, Neil Gray, said the Scottish government was also working hard to respond to the growing threat from highly dangerous, super-strong synthetic opioids like nitazenes, which were involved in 23 deaths.

Figures released on Tuesday show a 12% rise in deaths, with drugs claiming the lives of 1,172 Scots in 2023  up 121 on the previous year.

Gray said: My heartfelt condolences go to all those affected by the loss of a loved one through drugs.

This level of deaths remains hugely concerning and underlines why we will continue to do all we can to reduce harm and deaths caused by drugs.

Agencies working with addicts said the measurable failures driving this ongoing public health emergency remained the same.

Austin Smith, from the Scottish Drugs Forum, said: The big story is the old story, that not enough people are getting into treatment and when they do, they arent being offered the sort of wraparound care that they need to support them with the reasons they have been self-medicating in the first place.

The National Records of Scotland data showed that opioid drugs, such as heroin and methadone, were implicated in 80% of all drugs deaths last year, as agencies cautioned against overplaying concerns about new substances being responsible for the increase.

The number of deaths involving bromazolam  a type of benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety disorders, insomnia and seizures  rose from 54 in 2022 to 426 last year, while deaths involving synthetic opioids known as nitazenes  which have flooded the market in the US since the Talibans disruption of the global drugs trade  rose from just one to 23 in 12 months. There was also a sharp rise in cocaine overdoses, with the drug a factor in 479 deaths in 2023, an increase from 371 deaths in 2022.

On Monday, the Scottish Drugs Forum published its own evaluation of treatment available across the country, questioning why targets to improve services and increase the number of people in treatment had not been met three years after then first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, announced a national mission to tackle the countrys chronic and epidemic fatality rates.

The report says Scotland has not achieved the target 9% increase in the number of people in treatment, set by the Scottish government in March 2022 for April 2024, and that likewise the Medication Assisted Treatment standards introduced in May 2021 and designed to make services more accessible have not yet been fully implemented.

Smith said: Were failing to make the therapeutic relationships with people. We can get into the details of prescribing and dosing but this should be about empowerment, and helping people with whatever else is going on in their lives, rather than feeling they are parked on methadone which many people in the report still described.

Gray said his government would intensify our efforts and are also working hard to respond to the growing threat from highly dangerous, super-strong synthetic opioids.

He added: Were taking a wide range of actions through our 250m national mission on drugs, including opening a safer drug consumption facility pilot, working towards the opening of drug-checking facilities and widening access to life-saving naloxone.
Rescue workers and divers search the area when the yacht sank - Guglielmo Mangiapane

The search for missing passengers who were on board Bayesian has entered its second day.

The Italian coast guard recovered one body on Monday, with six people still to be found in the wreckage of the 30 million superyacht, which is now 165ft underwater.

Some 15 people were rescued. The six missing include four British nationals and two Americans, according to La Repubblica.

Who is missing?

Described as Britains Bill Gates, Mike Lynch had been acquitted of fraud in a San Francisco courtroom in June.

He was found not guilty on all counts of inflating the value of Autonomy, the company he sold to Hewlett-Packard, the US tech giant, for 8.6 billion in 2011.

Guests had been invited on board Bayesian to celebrate the court victory.

Mike Lynch, a tycoon dubbed 'Britain's Bill Gates', is among the missing - Simon Dawson

Mr Lynchs 18-year-old daughter Hannah is also missing. She had just won a place at the University of Oxford to read English.

Jonathan Bloomer is a close friend of Mr Lynch and gave evidence at his trial, where he claimed his friend wasnt particularly interested in the finance side of the business.

The chief executive of Hiscox, the insurance company, has said his thoughts are with Mr Bloomer, its chairman.

Jonathan Bloomer is a close friend of Mr Lynch - Hiscox/PA

Aki Hussain said in a statement: We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event. Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, who are among the missing, and with their family as they await further news from this terrible situation.

Chris Morvillo, who was on board with his wife Neda, is a lawyer at Clifford Chance.

A spokesman for the law firm said: Our thoughts are with our partner, Christopher Morvillo, and his wife Neda, who are among the missing. Our utmost priority is providing support to the family as well as our colleague Ayla Ronald, who together with her partner thankfully survived the incident.

Neda Morvillo and Chris Morvillo in 2018 - Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan

The body of the yachts chef, named as Recaldo Thomas, was recovered from the water on Monday.

Friends paid tribute to Mr Thomas as someone who was always positive.

Eli Fuller, told the BBC: He knew everybody and was friends with everybody. Hed always ask how you were doing, how your family was  he was always positive.

Personality was very important in his job. The worlds richest people want to hang out with someone social. He was sought after.

Thomas was also called an inspiration to young black children by Mr Fuller. The kids would see all these white people working on yachts. For them to see an Antiguan man travelling all over the world  it was important for our community.

On social media, one friend wrote: An honour and a pleasure to have been your friend, it just wasnt long enough.we had so much to conquer.

Love to the Recaldo Thomas family, I am so sorry. Such a very special person for many of us, the laughter, the great kindness the generosity, the love. He had so much to give.

Another said: Going to miss you so much Recaldo Thomas. Still finding this so hard to believe.

Who has been rescued?

Charlotte Golunski, 35, an Oxford graduate and a senior associate at Invoke Capital, Mr Lynchs company, was on board with her husband James and one-year-old daughter Sophie.

On Monday, the Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported that she kept her daughter alive by holding her above her head to stop her from drowning. Sophie was reportedly unharmed.

Mr Golunski was reportedly being treated for bruises to his limbs and chest in hospital in Palermo.

Charlotte Golunski was rescued along with her husband James and one-year-old daughter Sophie

Mr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares is reportedly in a wheelchair after the sinking - Dominic O'Neill

Angela Bacares, 57, is married to Mr Lynch and is Hannahs mother. According to La Repubblica, she is in a wheelchair with abrasions on her feet that prevent her from walking, and bandages on other parts of her body

The newspaper said she told doctors that at 4am, the boat had tilted and she and her husband were woken up.

Ayla Ronald, 36, a senior associate at Clifford Chance, was on board the yacht with Matthew Fletcher, her partner.

Ayla Ronald survived the disaster - Clifford Chance

Her father Lin Ronald told The Telegraph: I have texted my daughter and she hasnt given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said to me that there are deaths, and she and her partner are alive.

Ayla is a lawyer who is part of the legal team that was invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.

Myin Htun Kyaw, a 39-year-old who had a Burmese passport, was among those rescued, according to local media.

Local media reported that Matthew Griffith, a French citizen, had been rescued.

James Catfield, a 51-year-old New Zealand national, was rescued after the yacht sank, according to local media.
Ripe for redevelopment? Converting HMP Wandsworth into flats would free up funds for new prisons - Peter Dazeley

Here is an idea that will relieve pressure on the prisons and obviate the lunatic policy of letting criminals back on to the streets, not because they have served their time but to free up a cell. Why not sell off the Victorian prisons to raise funds to build more capacity inside the rest of the system?

This is such a good idea that it has been announced at least three times in the past 25 years, only for nothing to happen. It was first mooted by Martin Narey, then director general of the prison service, in 2000. He revealed his plan in response to criticism from the chief inspector of prisons about poor and overcrowded conditions in jails in England and Wales.

The best candidates for sale are on prime inner London sites, like Wandsworth, Pentonville and Brixton. Prisons in Manchester, Leeds, Reading and Winchester, some of which have also been in continuous use since the 1840s, would also prove attractive to builders. With Labour desperate to find urban land on which to build their promised new 1.5 million homes, this is an opportunity to work with developers on schemes from which everyone will benefit.

The Victorian jails, which will have to be closed eventually anyway and cost a fortune to maintain, would be replaced by new titan prisons holding thousands of inmates in more modern surroundings. There are obvious difficulties here. What do you do with inmates in say, Brixton, after it has been sold and demolished? Where do they go in the meantime?

Also there is bound to be serious opposition to plans for giant new prisons dotted around the country; but since Labour proposes to ride roughshod over local objections, they can presumably be overcome.

The point is that this plan has never gone away but nor has it ever taken off. It is trotted out by politicians whenever there is a prison capacity crisis, as there is now, and because the alternatives are unpalatable. I expect to hear it again sometime soon as the Government struggles to cope with a system near breaking point even as the courts send dozens of rioters to jail.

The response is to release thousands of prisoners earlier, at 40 per cent of the way through their sentences rather than at the halfway point. They include offenders serving sentences under four years for crimes such as assault, as well as burglars, robbers and thieves.

This is not just Labours idea. More than 10,000 prisoners were released up to 70 days early by Rishi Sunaks government between October and June to tackle the jail overcrowding crisis. More than half at some prisons were said to have been recalled after offending or breaching their licence. The new Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has conceded that this policy is risky but she is going ahead with it anyway with knock-on effects throughout the system.

What is the alternative? In the past, three prisoners were often kept in cells built for two, but that practice ended after the Strangeways riot in 1990. At the time, the Manchester prison, built to hold a maximum of 970 people, had 1,647 inmates, 70 per cent over capacity. The riot and subsequent three-week occupation caused the deaths of two people and left 147 warders injured, while much of the prison was destroyed.

An inquiry chaired by Lord Woolf recommended a series of measures to improve intolerable conditions. At the time, the prison population in England and Wales was 64,000. It is now about 88,000, the consequence of a larger overall population, a high number of foreign-born offenders who make up one in eight inmates, and tougher sentences. Nearly 60 per cent of determinate prison sentences are now more than four years compared with 40 per cent a decade ago. In 2000, there were 121 jails; now there are 124, with existing ones expanded to accommodate the greater numbers.

The system is bursting at the seams but the new government is as clueless as its predecessors in deciding what to do. Few policy areas are more littered with ambitious ideas, pointless reports and false promises.

The Carter Review in 2007 suggested a network of eight super prisons each holding 1,500 offenders to replace 30 rundown jails. However, the then Labour government dropped that idea and began talking about investing in a network of small, local, hostel-style jails. When Michael Gove became justice secretary in 2015, he revived the Narey idea, announcing that prisons on lucrative inner city real estate sites would be closed and sold for development.

He backed a report from the Policy Exchange think tank earmarking 30 outdated prisons for closure and the construction of at least 10 super-prisons, each costing 270-320 million and capable of housing up to 3,000 inmates. The report estimated that the efficiencies to be gained from new facilities would lead to an annual saving of 600 million a year  around 20 per cent of the prison service budget  and that the construction programme would therefore pay for itself in seven years.

Whether any of this is remotely feasible is moot since none of it has even been taken up beyond the what if we did this? phase. One problem facing potential developers is that most of the Victorian prisons in England and Wales are partly or fully listed. At Wandsworth prison, south London, the gatehouse, and governors and doctors houses are all listed, but developers may be able to make a feature out of them.

Politicians know that there are no votes to be won in penal reform and that to commit billions to new prisons would be unacceptable to voters. This is why the new for old idea is about the only one with any merit.

The alternative is to jail fewer people, but for that to work there has to be a significant improvement in bespoke community sentencing programmes. These may sound good and enlightened, but they are expensive. Furthermore, if they are ineffective then the criminals who would otherwise be in jail will continue offending, pushing up the crime rate once more.

The politicians dilemma is how to balance these imperatives. They want to be tough on offenders yet neglect the consequential impact on the prison estate, hoping that it will somehow sort itself out or no one will be particularly bothered if it doesnt. But people will care very much if crime worsens. Labour can keep blaming the Tories only for so long. Then it becomes their responsibility.
Taylor Swift and Florence Welch on stage at Wembley

Well, so long, London. After eight nights of being taken over by thousands of crying teenage girls decked out in cowboy hats, sequin dresses and friendship bracelets, Wembley Stadium has finally bid farewell to Taylor Swift.

Bowing out from the European leg of her record-shattering, headline-dominating Eras tour, Swift worked her usual magic to make a performance in front of 92,000 people feel as intimate as one taking place in a tiny venue. Its almost futile to describe the Eras tour as a pop concert, because it is so far ahead of anything being offered by any other artist; a three-hour victory lap through two decades of hits, yes, but also a space where girls (and boys) can love, laugh and be themselves.

The events of the past few weeks  when three little girls were killed at a Swift-themed dance class in Southport, and a run of her concerts in Vienna, Austria were cancelled because of a foiled terrorist plot  inevitably placed the emotional power of the tour into even sharper focus. Here was a performer giving everything, and a crowd of thousands, refusing to succumb to hate or fear, giving everything back.

It might be considered embarrassing in a national newspaper to admit that I found myself weeping a total of three times, but here we are: the mass singalongs, the secret clues and fan-made extra lyrics, the dance routines and standing ovations Theyre all testament to Swifts special relationship with her fans. Sixteen years of following her career later, Im still constantly surprised by just how moving her shows are.

Taylor Swift's near two-year tour moves on to Miami next - GETTY IMAGES

When Swift kicked off the Eras tour in Arizona last March, it was nothing more than your usual pop tour  albeit the first time the 34-year-old had performed live, solo, for five years. But fast forward 17 months, to this hazy London summer night in August, and it is an unprecedented colossus that has earned more than a billion dollars, smashed attendance records, provoked political and diplomatic debates from the US to Thailand and, above all, cemented Swift as the most important performer of her generation.

She was introduced by regular support act Paramore (led by Hayley Williams) as well as special guest Raye  the latter a tour de force of charisma, confidence and sheer talent; surely, after the year shes had (a record number of Brit Award wins for her excellent album 21st Century Blues) shes already nailed on to do the next Bond theme.

Swifts opening segment, meanwhile, themed around her Lover album, saw her tearfully declare: You made me the first solo artist to play Wembley stadium eight nights on a solo tour.

After Lover came the unrelentingly upbeat teenage-optimism of her first Grammy winner, Fearless, containing the perennial country gems You Belong With Me and Love Story, before a quick stop at Red  complete with an emotional rendition of her greatest song, the 10-minute opus All Too Well, positively brimming with feminine rage  and her third album Speak Now, consisting solely of fairytale-like ballad Enchanted.

Her lockdown albums, Folklore and Evermore, offered the opportunity to admire Swifts skills as not just a songwriter but a storyteller, while 1989  the synth-pop album that made her name with hits such as Shake It Off, Blank Space and Style  garnered singalongs so loud you caught yourself absentmindedly phoning your doctor for an emergency hearing appointment.

Although the nights main rumour  that Swift would announce the re-recording of Reputation  didnt come to fruition, a shriek-worthy highlight came when she brought Florence Welch, of Florence + the Machine, on stage to sing their song Florida!!! (from The Tortured Poets Department) for the first time.

As any Swiftie knows, the highlight of the set comes from the surprise (or acoustic) song section. Having already brought out Welch, she decided to go one step further by welcoming Jack Antonoff  her close friend, super-producer and Bleachers frontman  to the stage for a heart-tugging mashup of Death By A Thousand Cuts and Getaway Car.

Taylor Swift on stage with Jack Antonoff - Getty

Once those two songs  and the third surprise, the elegiac So Long, London (penned for her ex-boyfriend, the actor Joe Alwyn)  were performed, nobody cared that Reputation was to live another day in the one day department. After the show, a new music video for I Can Do It With A Broken Heart (complete with behind-the-scenes footage from the tour that seemed to tease a forthcoming documentary) shown on the big screen delighted the fans whod stuck around until the very end.

If you dont get Swift, I urge you this: go to the Eras tour. Even for those unfamiliar with her music, it can serve as a joyous celebration of togetherness and female success. And for those of us who know every album inside out, and have grown up alongside her? Well, all Ill say is that youll be a blubbering wreck by the end of it.

Theres no other pop star on earth right now quite like Taylor Swift. See it for yourself (or watch it on Disney+ if a flight to Miami isnt on the cards)  and thank me later.

Taylor Swifts Eras tour arrives in Miami, Florida on October 18, and ends in Vancouver, Canada on December 8
Douglas Ross has denied plotting to hand the Scottish Tory leadership to his close ally Russell Findlay - Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Douglas Ross has called Conservative MSPs who schemed against him calculating bastards and admitted their attacks on his leadership left him a bit paranoid.

The outgoing Scottish Tory leader said there were some people in his Holyrood group who never wanted him in charge and they would go out and brief against me.

But, despite confronting them, he said, he was powerless to sack them as they denied any wrongdoing and he could not prove otherwise.

He refused to identify the culprits but, referring to the current leadership contest to replace him, said that some of the ones that wont be leader of the Scottish Tories are calculating bastards.

Mr Ross also predicted that he would still have been ousted as party leader even if he had kept his promise not to stand in the general election.

Russell Findlay, the Scottish shadow justice secretary and a close ally of Douglas Ross, is seen as frontrunner in the leadership race - Wattie Cheung

He failed to win the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat after controversially replacing the incumbent MP as the Tory candidate. However, he admitted he would not have stood if Id known I wasnt going to win the seat.

Speaking during an interview at the Edinburgh Fringe, Mr Ross again denied allegations he had plotted to give up the leadership a year ago and install Russell Findlay as his successor.

Mr Findlay, the shadow justice secretary and a close ally of Mr Ross, is viewed as the favoured candidate of the party establishment in the current leadership contest.

Four of the six potential candidates in the contest have called for it to be suspended so the allegations can be investigated, and Meghan Gallacher, another candidate, quit as Mr Rosss deputy over her concerns.

Meghan Gallacher, another leadership contender, was Douglas Ross's deputy but resigned when allegations about him trying to tip the contest in Russell Findlay's favour emerged - Ken Jack/Getty Images

On Friday, The Telegraph disclosed claims that in July 2023 Mr Ross tried to persuade Kathleen Robertson to let him take her place as the partys general election candidate for Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey.

It was alleged that he told Ms Robertson, the leader of Moray Council, that he would quit immediately as party leader and he wanted Mr Findlay to replace him. However, she was said to have rejected his proposal.

Ms Robertson told The Telegraph the account of the meeting was accurate but Mr Ross insisted he had only invited her to his home to discuss whether she wanted to remain the candidate.

Speaking to the journalist Graham Spiers at an event at The Stand Comedy Club, he admitted that he had thought about quitting as leader last year if he could replace Ms Robertson as the candidate.

But he denied using underhand methods, saying he could have used strong arm tactics to chip away at her. Instead, he argued, he accepted her decision not to step aside and campaigned for her.

Party insiders said he and Ms Robertson exchanged heated words about his actions during a meeting last week of senior Tory figures from Moray.

However, Mr Ross said: There is no way a leader could say, Im going to resign as leader and install X, Y or Z to take over from me. That just cant happen, as weve seen at the moment, weve got a large field of strong candidates.

David Duguid insisted he was fit to defend his seat but Douglas Ross was chosen to stand in the constituency instead - Hollie Adams/Bloomberg

His critics in the party have said the meeting also raises fresh questions over the partys last-minute decision to replace David Duguid with Mr Ross as the Tory candidate in the neighbouring Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat.

Mr Duguid, the incumbent MP, had been in hospital for two months with a serious spinal condition, but he vehemently denied the partys claim that he was too sick to stand.

The furore over Mr Duguid prompted Mr Ross to announce during the campaign that he would quit as leader and he is due to stand down when his successor is elected on Sept 27.

Even if I hadnt gone for that seat as the candidate, I think I would have been in the exact same situation, Mr Ross said.

I would no longer have been an MP, I would still have been an MSP and we would still have had roughly the same vote share across the country; therefore there would have been calls  which I would have accepted  for me to stand down.

A bit paranoid about things

He added: Ive known since I became leader that some people didnt want me to become leader four years ago and throughout that time people have continued to hold that view, and for some that view will have strengthened.

Asked if you have to be a calculating bastard to be the Scottish Tory leader, Mr Ross replied: I was going to say some of the ones that wont be leader of the Scottish Tories are calculating bastards.

The 41-year-old admitted the leadership had come too early for him when he succeeded Jackson Carlaw in August 2020, and that he had not been the best at managing the Tory group in Holyrood.

And thats why people who were then clearly unhappy, would go out and brief against me, he continued. Mr Ross added that the briefing had made him a bit paranoid about things.
A tree lays across a section of power lines along FM 1314 after Hurricane Beryl, Wednesday, July 10, 2024, in Conroe. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

New Shenandoah Council Member Frank Robinson wants city leaders to challenge the limits of the Texas law that prohibits government entities from spending public money to help individuals.

Like most communities, the city of Shenandoah is picking up Hurricane Beryl debris that residents place on the curb. The city has also provided dumpsters at city hall for residents to drop off debris.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Shenandoah has a population of 3,499 people. Of those, 55% are older than 60, and Robinson said some residents are unable to move branches and other debris to the curb.

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Robinson, who took office in May, argued helping some residents would benefit the general public since cleaning up debris left in yards by Beryl is necessary to ensure the health and safety of the community.

I think there is good reason to continue doing some research on this, Robinson said. I wonder if we can be creative enough to establish some parameters so we really are providing a benefit to all of us at a time we need it the most.

City Attorney Bill Ferebee said the city is looking at options to help residents affected by Beryl damage, but it may not be possible to do so with city funds.

DEVELOPMENT CONCERNS: Conroe considers a moratorium on development until it can build water wells to address growth

I know we have a few individuals that had huge trees knocked over and the owner of that house is an 80-year-old or 85-year-old that does not have the ability to physically move a tree trunk and in some cases, not have the ability to clean off branches, Ferebee said. It is a problem and we continue to look at those issues and stay within the bounds of the law.

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Ferebee called the issue a slippery slope.

Robinson referenced a 2018 opinion from Attorney General Ken Paxton that noted the Texas Supreme Court articulated a three-part test for using public funds for private use. He said the opinion states the city can help some residents if it controls the funds, can establish a public purpose, and delivers a public benefit.

If you can meet those three tests, then that is not gratuitous, Robinson said.

Council Member Ted Fletcher said his concern was the cost of litigation if the city moved forward to help individuals. That would be the burden for the city to pay, Fletcher said.

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Council Member Ron Raymaker agreed that the city should not use funds to help specific individuals. I dont think it is something we need to be doing at this point in time, he said.

Mayor John Escoto was hesitant but said he supported more research to clarify the issue and determine how the city could help residents in need.
An English oak honouring the former PM Tony Abbott has been twice vandalised since it was planted earlier this month. Photograph: Blue Mountains council

A tree honouring former prime minister Tony Abbott has been chopped down for the second time since it was planted just over two weeks ago, prompting a council to install CCTV so it does not happen a third time.

On 5 August, Abbott had travelled to the Blue Mountains for a ceremony to plant the English oak in front of a crowd of 150 people at the Corridor of Oaks  a memorial park that has seen every Australian prime minister or their nearest living relative plant a tree since 1935.

A few days later, the tree  planted for its symbolic strength and long lifespan  had been sawn off.

The mayor of the Blue Mountains, Mark Greenhill, said the council replaced the tree four days after the incident happened. But over the weekend it was again chopped down.

The second attack on Abbotts tree has prompted the Blue Mountains council to take measures to help ensure it does not happen again, installing CCTV cameras that will be pointed at Abbotts tree.

Weve ordered the replacement tree and well put the tree and the CCTV in together, he said.

Greenhill said in the 90 years since the park was first established to honour the father of federation, Sir Henry Parkes, there had been sporadic incidents of vandalism but it was extremely rare.

NSW police said it was investigating the first incident after a report was made on 10 August. Greenhill said the council would report the second incident on Tuesday.

He said he was disappointed the council was having to plant the tree for the third time, with the tradition meant to be a day free from politics.

Related: Two teens charged with vandalising Labor MP Josh Burns Melbourne office

We dont want to be like America, we dont want to have the vicious politics of Americans. Mr Abbott and I come from opposite sides but we come together to celebrate our democracy  and party politics dont matter, he said.

It is not the first time a monument commemorating Abbott has been vandalised. In 2017, a statue of Abbott in Ballarat was draped in a crown of onions, which was assumed to be a reference to when he was filmed eating a raw onion.

In 2020, the same statue was defaced, alongside another in the park of John Howard, with red paint.

At the ceremony to plant Abbotts tree the first time, Abbott had said he was proud to honour the memory of Sir Henry Parkes.

In honouring him, we do honour our country, he said. I certainly think there are many great forms of public service  and there is no doubt that public service in the parliament is unique, and its wonderful that it is celebrated in this Avenue of Oak.
Doctors in Guwahati hold placards as they protest against the rape and murder of a doctor inside a hospital in Kolkata. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

On Monday, Indians celebrated the Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan, marking the bond between brother and sister. Sisters tie a rakhi, or bracelet, around the wrists of their brothers as a symbol of love for which the brothers in turn pledge to protect them from harm.

This year, the rakhi tradition angered Dr Sumita Banerjee, a third-year student at Lady Hardinge Medical College in the Indian capital, Delhi, because of the timing  India is still shaken by the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor on 9 August at a hospital in Kolkata.

What hypocrisy, said Banerjee. These men pledge to protect their sisters but rape women. Can we stop these brother-sister rituals and just strive for a day when Indian men respect not only their sisters but all women.

The discovery of the doctors brutalised body in a seminar room at RG Kar hospital, where she had gone to take a break, has outraged Indians. Doctors across the country have held protests and refused to see non-emergency patients since the crime.

For female doctors, the crime has spawned a new fear. Their brains were already wired to make careful decisions about what to wear depending on where they were going and to avoid being out late alone. But at work, many felt they could let their guard down.

Id stride into hospital at 2am or 3am and think nothing of it. My white coat was like a circle of protection around me. Now that sense of safety has gone, said Dr Rooma Sinha, a gynaecologist at Apollo hospital in Hyderabad.

Her colleague at the Apollo branch in Bangalore, Dr Preeti Shetty, also a gynaecologist, said female doctors were deeply disturbed by the crime.

We have all done night shifts, responded to calls at every hour of the day, and gone off for deliveries at night as totally routine things. Totally routine for us as doctors. To think that such a hideous thing could happen during our normal routine is very unsettling for all of us, said Shetty.

Apollo is a private hospital where extensive security measures are in place. Shetty has a duty doctors room next to the labour ward where she can take a break and where only authorised staff can enter. Every floor has security guards and CCTV cameras are all over. For night shifts, she uses a hospital car.

The Kolkata hospital is a government facility with far fewer safety measures. The man who has been arrested, Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer with the police who helped patients with admissions, was able to access any part of the hospital.

In response to the striking doctors, the government on Tuesday announced a 25% increase in security personnel at all government hospitals, along with marshals to handle extreme situations. Separately, Indias supreme court ordered the creation of a national taskforce of doctors to make recommendations on safety at their workplace.

Shetty worries about medical students who will be entering hospitals as resident doctors. They have worked so hard to pass competitive exams. Their parents have made sacrifices to pay for their education. And now parents have a new fear to worry about, she said.

More female doctors than ever are entering the workplace. In fact, so many girls are choosing medicine that they form half of the cohort in most medical colleges and in some the figure is 60%.

A senior resident at Safdarjung hospital in Delhi, who did not want to be named, said she felt nervous about going back to night shifts once the strike was over. Taking part in a protest on Sunday with a placard saying, No safety, no duty, she looked around her and said: Its weird but being out in the open on the street actually feels safer than a seminar room in a hospital after what happened to her.

Dr Subashini Venkatesh, a general physician with Apollo in Chennai, has already started behaving differently with her staff. I have an intern working with me and Im asking: Where have you parked your car, is it well-lit and let me know when you have reached your room. This is totally new, she said.

Sinha said she appreciated the public outrage over a doctor being murdered inside a hospital but said no distinctions should be made.

Yes, I know doctors serve the public but so do other women  women working nights in call centres or as software engineers. Women should feel safe in all workplaces, she said.

The ongoing protests have given the parents of the dead doctor some solace. My daughter is gone but millions of sons and daughters are now with me. This has given me strength, the father told reporters.

The investigation is being handled by Indias federal crimes agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation, which took over from the Kolkata police after the parents expressed doubts about its objectivity.
Wilmer Puello-Mota has appeared in a propaganda video dressed in a Russian military uniform - Telegram

A US war veteran who fled his country facing a child pornography charge is fighting for the Russian military in Ukraine.

Wilmer Puello-Mota has joined the Kremlins invasion force as a drone operator, according to a five-minute propaganda video released by Moscow.

The 28-year-old was described as an American with Russian citizenship and a former American citizen.

Im Will, Im from Massachusetts, Puello-Mota said on film. My call sign is Boston.

I dont consider myself a traitor, he added.

Puello-Mota was set to plead guilty to possessing child pornography and other charges at a Rhode Island court on Jan 9.

Facing at least five years in prison, he reportedly fled to Russia via Turkey, because direct flights were cancelled shortly after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.

Im from Boston, Massachusetts, and I served 10 years in the US Air Force, some years in the Massachusetts International Guard, and I did two years as a city councillor, Puello-Mota said, dressed in Russian combat gear.

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He served in the US Air Force and was deployed in Afghanistan in 2015, NBC News reported.

He was pictured providing security at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul the same year.

Puello-Mota later joined the Massachusetts Air National Guards 104th Fighter Wing as an airman, ending his service in 2022.

Before quitting the armed forces, Puello-Mota became a member of Holyoke city council in Massachusetts, where he was aligned with conservative council members who supported Donald Trump, the former US president, according to the Boston Globe.

However, midway through his term in office the city tried to remove him when it emerged he had been arrested in 2020 in possession of nude photos and videos of a 17-year-old girl.

He had allegedly gone to meet the girl at a hotel in Warwick, Rhode Island.

He was also charged with obstructing the judicial system, forgery and counterfeiting.

Puello-Mota made no reference to the criminal charges but appeared to suggest politics had acted as his motive to leave the US.

When I got involved in politics, I zoomed out into the international level of politics, and you really stop and pause and think about whats going on here, he said. You feel like you have to do something about it.

He blamed the US for triggering Putins invasion of Ukraine and claimed he had a girlfriend in Russia.

Tessa Murphy-Romboletti, the president of Holyoke city council, confirmed it was Puello-Mota in the video.

I can confirm that it appears to be Will in the video, she told NBC News.

John M Cicilline, his lawyer, said his clients political ambitions had been ruined by the charges levelled against him.

Im sure he joined the Russian army because he didnt want to register as a sex offender, said Mr Cicilline.

The propaganda footage is the first confirmation that Puello-Mota has joined the Russian armed forces.

Rumours had circulated about his whereabouts since the fall of Avdiivka, when a man, his face blurred, posed with an American flag in what appeared to be the ruined remains of the Ukrainian city.

In April, Russia released more footage of a man who appeared to be Puello-Mota at an army recruitment office, but only identified him as a former US serviceman named Will.

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The Ramblers, a walking charity, estimates there are around 41,628 miles of missing rights of way - SolStock/E+

Thousands of miles of rights of way could be lost to walkers because of a growing backlog of applications for footpaths to be officially recognised and protected, new figures suggest.

The Government has set a deadline of 2031 for public footpaths and bridleways to be officially mapped, with local authorities responsible for processing claims.

But councils have nearly 8,000 applications waiting to be processed, leading to concerns some rights of way could be lost forever, according to data gathered by the BBC.

The call for more footpaths to be recognised comes amid a wider debate about the right to roam in England - Ian Laker Photography/Moment RF

The Ramblers, a walking charity, estimates there are about 41,628 miles of missing rights of way, which they are encouraging people to track down in their Dont Lose Your Way campaign.

Some of the claims date back as far as the 1980s, and campaigners have said the backlog means the deadline should be scrapped to avoid footpaths being lost.

The deadline, set out in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, was originally pushed back from 2026 after local authorities struggled to process claims.

Anyone can apply to have a footpath recognised and protected, as long as they produce sufficient historical evidence that a right of way once existed.

Jack Cornish, The Ramblers head of paths, told the BBC the backlog was shocking and said that the deadline meant there will be many paths that are simply lost.

Responsible access to the countryside

The call for more footpaths to be recognised comes amid a wider debate about the right to roam across England. Campaigners have been calling for the Government to extend the publics right of responsible access to the countryside.

The Right to Roam campaign wants England to have similar rules to Scotland, where residents are allowed to access and camp on most land, as long as they follow rules including conserving the environment and not harming crops.

In contrast, only 8 per cent of England has similar right to roam freedoms.

David Exwood, the NFU deputy president, said some applications to amend rights of way are taking more than 20 years to resolve - Christopher Pledger/for the Telegraph

The backlog around recognising public footpaths has also created uncertainty for farmers, the National Farmers Union (NFU) said, as they are unable to plan for fields where rights of way may be declared.

The great British countryside is more accessible than ever before with over 200,000km of footpaths, bridleways and greenways, David Exwood, the NFU deputy president, said. This allows the public to value and appreciate the farmed landscapes, helps with wellbeing and connects people with rural areas that they may never have visited before.

Significant distress to landowners

He added: At the moment, applications to amend rights of way through Definitive Map Modification Orders (DMMOs) can cause significant distress to landowners.

In some areas, DMMO claims are taking more than 20 years to resolve, leaving local authorities unable to deal with the backlog and severely impacting farm businesses.

Many popular rural tourist spots are working farmland, where farmers are producing food and working hard to maintain footpaths and public rights of way, so visitors can enjoy our beautiful countryside.

A spokesman for the Local Government Association told the BBC that councils were doing the best they can to meet the deadline, but had to take the necessary time over important decisions that have long-lasting impacts on councils, landlords and the public right of way.
Kelly Wildego escaped jail after charging at police and hurling abuse at a Whitehall protest in July - Jordan Pettitt/PA

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In footage of the riots that broke out in Hartlepool, County Durham at the end of last month, most of the crowd are angry young men charging at a line of police officers, many of them with their faces covered by balaclavas. But in one particular clip from the evening of 31 July [seen above], when disorder broke out on Murray Street near the town centre, one figure stands out: a woman in a black T-shirt and sunglasses. She was caught on camera throwing a brick at a line of police.

This woman is now known to be Donna Conniff, a 40-year-old mother of six who was sentenced this week to two years in prison for violent disorder at Teesside Crown Court.

Conniff was spotted on CCTV and identified via a media appeal. She said she had come across the riots by chance. Martin Scarborough, her lawyer, said she was genuinely remorseful and cant believe shes acted in the way that she has.

When Donna Conniff was being sentenced, Judge Francis Laird KC said: 'Your behaviour and the behaviour of others around you was truly disgraceful.' - Cleveland Police

Yet Conniff is far from the only woman connected with the violence and unrest that flared up across Britain in late July and early August. Triggered by a knife attack that killed three children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on 29 July in Southport, Merseyside, the rioting spread across the country in the days that followed. More than 1,000 people have been arrested for their involvement so far  and a number of them are women.

In nearby Middlesbrough, 34-year-old Stacey Vint was caught on video pushing a burning bin into a row of police officers. She was jailed for 20 months. In another case, in Sunderland, a middle-aged woman is alleged to have been the instigator of unrest. Video clips of 43-year-old Leanne Hodgson, wearing distinctive pink shorts and pushing an industrial bin at a line of police in the city centre quickly went viral. Some speculated she was one of the first to turn up. Newcastle Crown Court heard that Hodgson had attempted to buy a balaclava earlier in the day. She was jailed for two and a half years.

Stacey Vint being detained by police during an anti-immigration protest in Middlesbrough. Vint was jailed for 20 months after being caught on video pushing a burning wheelie bin at police - Owen Humphreys/PA

Meanwhile, a girl aged just 13 became the youngest female rioter to be convicted in connection with the unrest. She had participated in an anti-immigration demonstration outside a hotel housing migrants in Aldershot, Hampshire, and held her mothers hand in court as she admitted to violent disorder.

Across the riots, women constituted a perhaps surprisingly significant presence. In 2011, the last time Britains streets were racked by tumult on a similar scale, about 10 per cent of those arrested were female, according to government statistics. There is not yet data to show whether the corresponding figure was higher this summer, but experts suggest there has been an increase in women participating directly and perpetrating violence.

The general understanding is that there are differences between men and women and participation in violence, says Matthew Williams, a professor of criminology at Cardiff University and author of the Science of Hate. You tend to find women as spectators more than violent perpetrators. They tend to sit on the sidelines in support of the violence of their male counterparts.

While they are often quite vocal in support of the violence, he adds, they rarely get involved with throwing projectiles or being violent towards police during instances of unrest. This time round, for whatever reason, that has changed. What we have seen in the protests recently is more violent participation, Williams says.

That women are typically more likely to be spectators than perpetrators is a claim backed up by Tim Newburn, a professor of criminology and social policy at the London School of Economics. But overall, the number of women involved in the riots this year does not differ significantly from the unrest seen in 2011, he says. I think you will find that in riots in recent times, a smallish proportion of those have been women. The figures we have from 2011 are not unusual  perhaps one in 10 women. They have often gone along with friends or partners.

That was the case in London this July, where Kelly Wildego, a 41-year-old mother, was handed a four-month suspended sentence for assaulting an emergency worker. During a demonstration in Whitehall, Wildego shouted expletives and rushed at police officers. Joseph Lord, her lawyer, said Wildego got herself arrested to be with her husband, who had already been detained by police. She was given a suspended sentence as she is a full-time carer for her son.

Inner London Crown Court heard that Kelly Wildego had thrown foul-mouthed abuse at the police and rushed towards them 'without explanation' after most of the violence had subsided - Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire

For several of the accused, rioting was a family affair. A mother and daughter sobbed in the dock in Teesside Magistrates Court as they appeared together earlier this week, charged with violent disorder. Grandmother Amanda Walton, 52, is accused of throwing a stone at a building and damaging a car wing mirror, and her daughter Megan Davison, 24, a mother of two, of jumping on the roof of a parked car. Neither entered a plea. They were remanded in custody ahead of a court appearance later this month.

Davisons 23-year-old partner also appeared in court, charged with violent disorder and arson with intent. He did not enter pleas.

In a few cases, some rioters even attended with their children  21-year-old Nevey Smith, from Oldham, Manchester, took her one-year-old son to a riot in his pushchair. She admitted violent disorder after being filmed throwing a liquid at police officers, and has been warned she could face a custodial sentence.

Nevey Smith, 21, will be sentenced in September - Daily Mail

Trying to unpick why women, in particular, riot is as complicated and multifaceted as it for the men who took to the streets. It may be an easy defence to argue you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, but Newburn says that many rioters are out on the streets without any real intention of getting involved, before eventually being sucked in. That has, in some instances, been the case in 2024 as it has for decades before.

They may get caught up, but its not their original intention  especially women, he says. Thats typical of rioting You see a range of people, some who are intent on violence, who tend to be a minority, and then there are those who are varied in their intent and motivations, many of whom are just spectators. My sense would be  and its only a sense  is that oftentimes there are a higher proportion of women in the spectator bit of the crowd.

When the dust has settled, there will be questions that need to be answered on why the role played by women appears to have shifted somewhat. But in the absence of hard data, Williams suggests two factors may have been at play, the first being the nature of the Southport attack the targeting of young girls and mothers [by association.] However, this was quickly eclipsed by a broader narrative on immigration. That flashpoint  the instigating incident  seemed to be quite quickly overtaken, he says.

The second is social media. When rioters took to the streets of London in 2011, albeit in very different circumstances, social media platforms such as X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram existed but were still in their infancy. A little over a decade on, they were the key driving force in how disinformation about the Southport attacker spread and played a major role in inciting thousands of Britons to riot.

The proliferation of disinformation on social media, particularly X/Twitter and Telegram [an encrypted instant messaging service] would have seen hate spread far more rapidly, says Williams. You can extrapolate from that it would have got more people involved, including women. Online communications were markedly different from 2011, simply because this technology wasnt available.

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The false rumour that is widely held to have sparked the violence is that the alleged Southport attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK on a small boat. The blame has been largely pinned on a number of far-right agitators, including Tommy Robinson, and other commentators but women, too, played a significant role in the dissemination of the claim and other falsehoods. Britain First co-leader Ashlea Simon has been criticised for sharing a fake article supposedly written by The Telegraph which alleged Prime Minister Keir Starmer was building detainment camps on the Falklands Islands for rioters. The faked image was later shared  and then deleted  by X owner Elon Musk.

In fact, a number of those who were instrumental in spreading fake news and adding fuel to the fire were women. I dont think theres a gender disparity there, says Mike Rowe, a professor of social sciences at Northumbria University who specialises in researching policing. In a lot of what we have seen [online], people have become involved in the mistaken belief that they are trying to protect children and protect communities. One needs to be very clear that the rumours and racist elements of that discourse are very worrying, but I wonder perhaps if women are more likely to engage.

Bernadette Spofforth, 55, a successful businesswoman from Chester, is accused of being one of the first to post a false accusation about the alleged attackers identity on X. She has said retweeting the claim was a mistake which has since destroyed her. Meanwhile, one of the most high-profile convictions of the riots was that of Julie Sweeney, a keyboard warrior from Cheshire, who was sentenced to 15 months in prison for a comment on Facebook which said: Blow the mosque up with the adults in it.

Jailing her, the judge told Sweeney that even people like you need to go to prison. Those who riot or have fanned the flames of violence, whoever they are, it seems, will feel the full force of the law.
Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a zoonotic virus that causes a pox-like disease. (Getty Images) (KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images)

As mpox makes continues headlines across the globe, the World Health Organisation has said that, while serious, the virus is not "not the new COVID".

Last week, the WHO declared mpox a "global health emergency" as a highly infectious and more severe strain of the virus, named Clade I, increasingly spread through a number of African countries.

Later that day, Sweden reported the first known case of the strain outside of Africa. While the thought of the virus spreading between continents may be alarming, WHO regional director for Europe Hans Kluge suggested we shouldn't be comparing it to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Mpox is not the new COVID," he said, adding that scientists already "know quite a lot" about mpox Clade 2  a strain of the virus behind an outbreak in Europe in 2022.

"We still have to learn more about Clade 1. We can and must tackle mpox together. So will we choose to put the systems in place to control and eliminate mpox globally?

"Or we will enter another cycle of panic and neglect? How we respond now and in the years to come will prove a critical test for Europe and the world."

Yahoo News takes a look at how ready the UK is for a potential outbreak of mpox.

What is mpox, and how serious is it?

Formerly known as monkeypox, mpox is a viral disease that can spread between people, mainly through close contact. Occasionally it can be spread from the environment to people via objects and surfaces that have been touched by a person with mpox.

Common symptoms include a rash lasting for two to four weeks, which may be started with or followed by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.

The rash looks like blisters and can affect the face, palms of the hands, soles of the feet, groin, genital or anal regions, mouth, throat or the eyes. The number of sores can range from one to several thousand.

A health worker walks past a mpox treatment centre in Munigi, eastern Congo. (AP) (Moses Sawasawa, Associated Press)

In some cases the disease can be fatal, with an estimated 0.1 to 10% of people who have become infected dying, according to WHO, although death rates may vary on a number of factors, including access to healthcare and underlying immunosuppression, for example, due to undiagnosed HIV.

As for Clade 1  Prof Trudie Lang, professor of global health research at the University of Oxford, told the BBC: "It's definitely the most dangerous strain yet. We dont know how many non-severe cases are hidden."

Clade 1 is believed to be more transmissible. The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it "causes more severe illness and deaths", adding: "Some outbreaks have killed up to 10% of the people who get sick, although more recent outbreaks have had lower death rates."

What are the UK's preparedness plans for mpox?

On Monday, Pat McFadden, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the UK's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and ministers from the Foreign Office and Department for Health met to discuss the threat of the virus.

Downing Street said the meeting was to "ensure sufficient plans are in place to deal with any potential cases". Last week, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) deputy director Dr Meera Chand said that while the risk to the UK population is "currently considered low", planning is under way to "prepare for any cases".

This includes ensuring that clinicians are aware and able to recognise cases promptly, that rapid testing is available, and that protocols are developed for the safe clinical care of people who have the infection and the prevention of onward transmission.

Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, became a familiar face during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Alamy) (Eleventh Hour Photography)

Guidance from the UKHSA includes NHS providers having adequate stocks of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and relevant staff are trained in its use for the assessment and treatment of patients presenting with suspected Clade I infection.

It says providers should ensure there is a established pathway for isolation and management of suspected Clade 1 patients, and arrangements for discussion of the case with local infectious disease, microbiology or virology consultants.

All samples from those who test positive for mpox must be sent to the UKHSA Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL) for clade differentiating tests.

Chloe Orkin, professor of infection and inequities at Queen Mary University, told inews that the UK was better stocked with vaccines than the previous outbreak two years ago. We do have enough to give to people who are healthcare providers who are exposed or people who have been exposed via contact with a returning traveller," she said.

What have we learned from COVID?

If the COVID Inquirys first report into preparedness for a pandemic is anything to go by, the UK government should be taking quite a few lessons on board for health situations as mpox.

The inquiry, chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett, published its first report in July saying there was a damaging absence of focus on the measures and infrastructure that would be needed to deal with a fast-spreading disease, even though a coronavirus outbreak at pandemic scale was foreseeable.

Key recommendations of the report include "a radical simplification of civil emergency preparedness and resilience systems, holding a UK-wide pandemic response exercise at least every three years and the creation of a single, independent statutory body responsible for whole system preparedness and response".

In her findings, Baroness Hallett noted a "flawed approach to risk assessment, a failure to fully learn from past civil emergency exercises and outbreaks of disease, and ministers not receiving a broad enough range of scientific advice and failing to challenge the advice they did get".

Boris Johnson's government received plenty of criticism during the COVID inquiry. (Alamy) (WIktor Szymanowicz, NurPhoto SRL)

She said a dedicated body for pandemic preparedness should "consult widely, for example with experts in the field of preparedness and resilience and the voluntary, community and social sector, and provide strategic advice to government and make recommendations".

Last month Jeremy Hunt acknowledged that as health secretary between 2012 and 2018, he had been part of a groupthink where we over-prepared for pandemic flu, we didnt think about other types of pandemic.

Speaking to the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, he said: I apologise unreservedly to the families. That was the most terrible tragedy what happened to this country during Covid.

He also urged the new Government to take up the recommendations of Baroness Heather Halletts 217-page report.

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A rocket engine has exploded during a test launch at a spaceport in Shetland.

German rocket manufacturer Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) said no-one was injured in the incident at SaxaVord Spaceport on Unst on Monday evening.

RFA is running engine tests at SaxaVord, western Europes only fully-licensed vertical rocket launch spaceport, in the run-up to holding the UKs first vertical rocket launch into orbit there later this year.

(PA Graphics)

Footage of Mondays test shows the engine exploding on the launchpad, with the entire structure then engulfed by flames.

An RFA spokesperson said: On Monday evening, RFA (Rocket Factory Augsburg) conducted a hot fire of its first stage at their launch site at SaxaVord Spaceport.

This resulted in an anomaly that led to the loss of the stage. No-one was injured in the process.

The launch pad has been saved and is secured, the situation is under control and any immediate danger has been mitigated.

RFA held its first engine test at the site in May, with head of the UK Space Agency Paul Bate praising the successful operation as a big moment.

The firm test-fired four Helix engines from the first stage of its rocket, One, sitting atop a 12-metre high launch stool.

A CGI artist impression of RFAs rocket RFA One, which the company plans to launch from Shetland later this year (RFA/PA)

RFA says it is now working with the spaceport and the authorities to find out what led to the incident.

The RFA spokesperson added: We develop iteratively with an emphasis on real testing.

This is part of our philosophy and we were aware of the higher risks attached to this approach. Our goal is to return to regular operations as soon as possible.

A SaxaVord spokesperson said: This was a test and test campaigns are designed to identify issues prior to the next stage.

We will work with RFA to understand and learn from the causes and support them as they move forward to the next phase of their preparations.

A spokesperson for the UK Civil Aviation Authority said: Advancing space technology is complex and at the cutting edge of aerospace and tests like the one at SaxaVord are essential to achieve future success.

Incidents like this are anticipated by operators and the regulations and safety exclusion zones are in place to protect people and property.

As the UKs space regulator, safety is our priority and were in contact with those involved to make sure the industry continues to have the highest levels of safety and that all parties understand and learn from what has happened.

SaxaVord received its spaceport and range licences from the Civil Aviation Authority in December 2023 and April 2024.
Search for missing tech magnate to resume after superyacht sinks near Sicily

The search for British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter will resume on Tuesday after a luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily.

The pair are among six tourists missing after the yacht, named Bayesian, was battered during intense storms off the coast of Palermo in the early hours of Monday.

The BBC, which reported searches are due to resume later on Tuesday morning, said Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo were among those missing.

Italys fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco said on X that early inspections of the wreck were unsuccessful due to limited access to the bridge and furniture obstructing passages.

#Palermo, naufragio imbarcazione a Porticello: proseguono da parte dei #vigilidelfuoco le ricerche delle 6 persone segnalate come disperse. Giunti da Cagliari, Sassari e Roma i #sommozzatori speleo [#19agosto 19:30] pic.twitter.com/7WY30ckxcK  Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) August 19, 2024

A body, believed to be that of the vessels cook, has been discovered.

Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, Italian news website la Repubblica stated.

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was made an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006.

In June, he was cleared of conducting a massive fraud relating to an 11 billion dollar (8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

The Financial Times reported Johnathan Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, while media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

Mr Bloomer is also chairman of insurance provider Hiscox. The Daily Mail reports his wife is also unaccounted for.

Ayla Reynold, a New Zealand national working at Clifford Chance, survived the ordeal. Her father Lin Ronald confirmed to the Telegraph she had been invited aboard as thanks for assistance in Mr Lynchs recent court case.

I have texted my daughter and she hasnt given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said that there are deaths and she and her partner are alive, he said.

Ayla is a lawyer who is part of the legal team that were invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.

Sicilys civil protection agency told the BBC that 18-year-old Hannah Lynch was among those missing with her father, along with the yachts chef, Ricardo Thomas.

The yacht was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers.

Fifteen people including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued, according to local media.

The British-flagged superyacht capsized at about 5am local time on Monday morning off the coast of Palermo when the area was hit by a tornado.

(PA Graphics)

A spokesperson for Mr Lynch said there was no comment.

The yacht sank as a fierce storm battered the area on Monday night.

Fabio Cefalu, a fisherman who witnessed the freak storm, told Italian media he stayed on site for several hours.

After 10 minutes we saw a flare in the sky, we waited about 10 minutes to see the intensity of the tornado and we went out to sea, he said.

We were first to give rescue but we found no one at sea, we only found cushions and the remains of the boat.

The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported that the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.

Rescue operations in the stretch of sea near Palermo (Italian Coast Guard/AP)

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

She said: I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

It was all dark. In the water I couldnt keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.

Charlotte and Sofia are being treated in hospital, as is Sofias father, James Emsley.

Karsten Borner, captain of a nearby boat, told journalists those missing included the Bayesians owner and a child, news agency Reuters reported.

He said his crew took on board some survivors who were on a life raft, including three who were seriously injured.

The Bayesian, left, was built in 2008 (Fabio La Bianca/PA)

He added: I think they are inside, all the missing people.

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said on Monday: We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors were being deployed to Palermo.

A basic assessment of the scene will be made by the team, with no investigation launched at this stage, the PA news agency understands.

Bayesian completed a number of sailings in recent days, calling at various ports in Sicily, according to ship-tracking website VesselFinder.

The superyacht can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites, and is listed for rent for up to 195,000 euros (166,000) a week.

She was built in 2008 by Italian company Perini Navi.

Her registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd, which is based on the Isle of Man.

It has since emerged that the co-defendant of Mr Lynch in his US fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain, died after being hit by a car whilst out running on Saturday.

Gary Lincenberg, Mr Chamberlains lawyer, said in a statement provided to the PA news agency: Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running.

He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.

Mr Lynch is of Irish heritage  his father was a fireman from Co Cork, and his mother was a nurse from Co Tipperary.

In a 2015 radio interview, Mr Lynch confirmed that he was born in Ilford in London, despite a number of reports that he was born in Ireland and raised in England.

He said during the same interview that he spent childhood summers in Carrick-On-Shannon and Tipperary and has family who still live there.
Search for tech tycoon Mike Lynch resumes after superyacht sinks near Sicily

The search for British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter has resumed after a luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily.

They are among six tourists missing after the yacht, named Bayesian, was battered during intense storms off the coast of Palermo in the early hours of Monday.

Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American.

The BBC reported that Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo were among those missing.

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was cleared in June of conducting a massive fraud relating to an 11 billion US dollar (8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

His co-defendant, Stephen Chamberlain, died after being hit by a car while out running in Cambridgeshire on Saturday.

In a statement released through Cambridgeshire Police, Mr Chamberlains family said: Steve was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.

He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible.

Stephen Chamberlain (Cambridgeshire Police/PA)

Gary Lincenberg, Mr Chamberlains lawyer, said in a statement: He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.

The British-flagged Bayesian is resting on the seabed at a depth of 50 metres.

Divers loaded a rescue dinghy at the port of Porticello, near Palermo, as the search resumed on Tuesday morning.

Italys fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco said inspections of the wreck on Monday were unsuccessful due to furniture obstructing passages.

(PA Graphics)

The ship was moored around half-a-mile off the coast of Porticello when it sank at about 5am local time on Monday as the area was hit by a storm.

Civil protection officials believe the yacht was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout.

Fifteen of the 22 passengers and crew onboard  including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares  were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat.

One body, reportedly belonging to the ships chef, was recovered at the scene.

The Financial Times reported that Mr Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, while media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

Mr Bloomer is also chairman of insurance provider Hiscox.

Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer (Hiscox/PA)

He was travelling with his wife, Judy, who is also missing.

Aki Hussain, group chief executive of Hiscox, said: We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event.

Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing, and with their family as they await further news from this terrible situation.

Ayla Ronald, a New Zealand national working at Clifford Chance, survived the ordeal. Her father Lin Ronald confirmed to the Telegraph she had been invited aboard as a thanks for assistance in Mr Lynchs recent court case.

#Palermo, naufragio imbarcazione a Porticello: proseguono da parte dei #vigilidelfuoco le ricerche delle 6 persone segnalate come disperse. Giunti da Cagliari, Sassari e Roma i #sommozzatori speleo [#19agosto 19:30] pic.twitter.com/7WY30ckxcK  Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) August 19, 2024

I have texted my daughter and she hasnt given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said that there are deaths and she and her partner are alive, he said.

Ayla is a lawyer who is part of the legal team that were invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.

Sicilys civil protection agency told the BBC that 18-year-old Hannah Lynch was among those missing with her father, along with the yachts chef.

The yacht was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers.

The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported that the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.

Italian emergency services heading towards the area off the Sicilian coast where a luxury yacht sank in a tornado (Jonathan Brady/PA)

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

She said: I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

It was all dark. In the water I couldnt keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.

Charlotte and Sofia were treated in hospital, as was Sofias father, James Emsley.

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said on Monday: We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors were being deployed to Palermo.

A basic assessment of the scene would be made by the team, with no investigation launched at this stage, the PA news agency understands.
Six tourists are missing and feared to have died after a luxury yacht sank after being hit by a tornado off the coast of Sicily.

The yacht, named Bayesian, was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers when it capsized at about 5am local time (4am BST) off the coast of Palermo on Monday.

Fifteen people were rescued following the incident.

Here, the PA news agency provides a list of those thought to have been involved so far.

 Mike Lynch

The technology tycoon, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, is one of four missing British passengers who are thought to be trapped on the sunken boat.

He was cleared in June of conducting a massive fraud relating to an 11 billion dollar (8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

Mr Lynch was made an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006.

Technology tycoon Mike Lynch is one of the missing passengers that was on the boat (Yui Mok/PA)

 Hannah Lynch

Sicilys civil protection agency told the BBC that the 18-year-old daughter of Mr Lynch was also among those missing.

 Recaldo Thomas

The body recovered from close to where the luxury yacht sank was that of Antiguan-Canadian chef Recaldo Thomas, the Italian coastguard told Sky News.

A spokesperson for the Canadian foreign ministry said they were aware of reports that a Canadian citizen has died and said consular officials were in contact with local authorities but declined to offer any further information.

 Jonathan Bloomer

The Morgan Stanley International chairman was confirmed to be among those missing on the yacht by Aki Hussain, the group chief executive of Hiscox, where Mr Bloomer is non-executive chairman.

Mr Bloomer, who is also the former chief executive of global finance group Prudential, was among those to give evidence as a defence witness for Mr Lynch during his trial and media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer is also among those missing (Hiscox/PA)

 Judy Bloomer

Insurance company Hiscox also confirmed that Mr Bloomers wife Judy is among those still missing.

 Christopher Morvillo

The lawyer who worked on Mr Lynchs case to help secure the tycoons acquittal in June is also unaccounted for.

Mr Morvillo is a partner at law firm Clifford Chance, which confirmed he was missing and said it was deeply saddened by the yachts sinking

 Neda Morvillo

Clifford Chance confirmed the jewellery designer, who is Mr Morvillos wife, is also missing.

 Angela Bacares

Mr Lynchs wife was among the 15 people rescued, according to local media.

 Charlotte Emsley (Golunski)

Ms Emsley, who was rescued after the yacht sank, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

The Briton said: I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

It was all dark. In the water I couldnt keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.

 James Emsley

The British husband of Charlotte Emsley was rescued.

 Sofia Emsley

The baby daughter of Charlotte and James was rescued.

All three family members were taken to hospital for treatment.

 Ayla Ronald

Ms Ronald, a lawyer working for Clifford Chance, was rescued after the yacht sank along with her partner, the law firm said on Tuesday.

Italian emergency services headed out to sea towards the area off the Sicilian coast, where the search continues (Jonathan Brady/PA)

 Sasha Murray

Local media reported the 29-year-old Irish national had been rescued.

 Leo Eppel

The crew member was confirmed to have survived by Italian Coastguard spokesman Vincenzo Zagarola.

 Myin Htun Kyaw

The 39-year-old, who had a Burmese passport, was among those rescued, according to local media.

 Matthew Griffith

Local media reported that Mr Griffith, who was a French citizen, had been rescued.

 James Calfield

The 51-year-old New Zealand national, who according to some reports is the ships captain, was rescued after the yacht sank, according to local media.

 Matthew Fletcher

According to local media, the British national was another person thought to have been rescued.

 Leah Randall

A South African crew member on the Bayesian who was rescued after the sinking, the Italian Coastguard confirmed.

 Katja Chicken

The coastguard confirmed Ms Chicken, another South African crew member, also survived the sinking.

 Tus Koopmans

The Daily Mail reported Mr Koopmans was one of the crew members who survived the sinking.

A Dutch foreign ministry spokesperson said a Dutch man had been rescued and was not in life-threatening condition.

 Eaton Parker

Mr Parker was another crew member to be rescued, the Daily Mail reported.

Salvo Cocina of Sicilys civil protection agency said the yachts passengers and crew were from many different countries including the United Kingdom, United States, Antigua, France, Germany, Ireland, Myanmar, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain.
Beijing, Hanoi vow to advance traditional ties

09:11, August 20, 2024 By Cao Desheng ( China Daily

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, and To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, attend a welcoming ceremony in Beijing on Monday for the Vietnamese leader before their talks at the Great Hall of the People. (FENG YONGBIN/CHINA DAILY)

China rolled out the red carpet on Monday for Vietnam's top leader To Lam, and the two socialist countries vowed to further enhance their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and advance the building of a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

During their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, welcomed Lam's state visit to China, which is the Vietnamese leader's first overseas trip since he became general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee on Aug 3.

Xi said the visit reflects the great importance Lam attaches to the relations between the two parties and the two countries, and also embodies the high level and strategic importance of China-Vietnam ties.

Lam succeeded Nguyen Phu Trong, who passed away last month, and has been serving as the Vietnamese president since May.

The first stop of Lam's three-day state visit to China, which started on Sunday, took him to Guangzhou, Guangdong province, where former leader of Vietnam Ho Chi Minh spent time promoting revolutionary activities around a century ago.

Saying that the traditional friendship between the two parties and the two countries is as good as "comrades and brothers", Xi called for consistent efforts to build the China-Vietnam community with a shared future, a consensus reached between the two sides during his visit to Vietnam in December.

China regards Vietnam as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, Xi said.

Noting that both countries are at a critical stage of national development and revitalization, he underlined the need for them to solidify a pattern for the development of bilateral relations featuring higher political mutual trust, more substantial security cooperation, deeper pragmatic collaboration, stronger public support, closer multilateral coordination and better management of differences.

China is willing to maintain close strategic communication and high-level exchanges with Vietnam, and actively explore ways to expand the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Vietnam's Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, he said.

Xi also emphasized the need for both sides to step up the connectivity of railway, highway, and port infrastructure, enhance connectivity of smart customs, and work together to build secure and stable industrial and supply chains.

Lam highlighted the importance of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, emphasizing that China is a strategic choice and top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy.

The CPV and the Vietnamese government will inherit Trong's legacy, uphold the leadership of the Communist Party and the socialist path, and steadfastly advance on the path jointly set by the older generations of leaders of both countries, especially Trong and Xi, he said.

Lam told Xi that Vietnam adheres to independence and autonomy, firmly upholds the one-China policy and considers Taiwan an inseparable part of Chinese territory. He added that his country resolutely opposes any form of "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and firmly supports China in achieving reunification.

Lam also expressed Vietnam's willingness to work with China to properly manage maritime disputes, in order to jointly maintain regional peace and stability.

Vietnam is ready to have closer coordination with China on international affairs, and uphold multilateralism as well as international fairness and justice to contribute to world peace and development, he said.

After their talks, both leaders witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation agreements in various fields such as Party schools, mutual connectivity, industry, finance, customs inspection, and health.

Observers said that Lam's visit marks a milestone in China-Vietnam relations, which will be an example of a new pattern of cooperation between two socialist countries facing challenges and tasks of modernization based on a similar historical trajectory and common international environment.

Hannan Hussain, co-founder and senior expert at Initiate Futures, a policy think tank based in Islamabad, Pakistan, said the visit is an occasion for both countries to take stock of their cooperation achievements, promote a common vision for aligning markets, and increase favorable exposure for their industries and manufacturers.

China has been Vietnam's top trading partner for many years. Vietnam is China's top trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China's fourth-largest trading partner globally. Trade between China and Vietnam reached $229.8 billion in 2023, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Hussain said Lam's visit is expected to play a crucial role in expanding future investments, fast-tracking development projects, and promoting new directions for trade and industrial cooperation.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Blaze Pizza in Cypress to give away over 1,000 free pizzas for grand opening 7714 Fry Road. Submitted by Blaze Pizza Blaze Pizza in Cypress to give away over 1,000 free pizzas for grand opening at 7714 Fry Road. Submitted by Blaze Pizza

Father and daughter duo Baryalay Razi and Layma Hudson are giving away pizzas all day Tuesday for the grand opening of their new Blaze Pizza restaurant in Cypress.

From 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Razi and Hudson will be at 7714 Fry Road giving out more than 1,000 pizzas to residents, with no purchase required. The owners said they want customers to feel like the new restaurant is part of the community.

I wanted to be active and participate in the community, and show them our appreciation and that we arent here to only collect the profit, Razi said.

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The two currently own several locations throughout Houston, and plan to expand more in the Katy and Heights areas.

NEW CYPRESS STEAKHOUSE: Fogo de Chao Brazilian steakhouse plans to open new locations in the Houston suburbs

Razi said he decided to co-own several restaurants with his daughter so he would have a successor to the family business. Razi and Hudson decided to open their first Blaze Pizza franchise last year and plan to have five locations throughout the Houston area.

Razi said he enjoys working with his daughter, and this experience has also helped their relationship become closer and stronger.

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When looking for a new location for Razi said he and Husdon considered the residential growth in Cypress, the potential for foot traffic and the fact that Cy-Fair ISD's Cypress Springs High School is right across the street. \
Divers operate begin a search for the missing, including British entrepreneur Mike Lynch - VIGILI DEL FUOCO HANDOUT

As the search for tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his party of guests entered its second day, hopes of finding alive those still missing appeared to be fading.

Divers reported from below the waters of the Mediterranean that the search was not only perilous but had so far made little progress.

Six people, including Mr Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, were still missing on Tuesday night after the 30 million yacht sank when it was hit by a tornado half a mile off the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday morning.

Although the yacht, which is lying on its starboard side at a depth of around 50 metres off the coast of Porticello, is intact, divers have been unable to gain access because of floating debris inside the vessel.

Marco Tilotta, a firefighter diver from Palermo, was one of the first divers to reach the Bayesian and claimed the yachts 237ft aluminium mast was intact.

It has no gashes, no signs of impact, he said.

Divers had been going centimetre by centimetre to try to access the inside of the vessel, he added, but with the hull tilted 90 degrees, access is difficult.

If you can get into the hull, you can see that there is a world of objects inside, he said.

It is difficult to get in inside, to get down the narrow stairs, and to go into all the cabins and analyse (everything) centimetre per centimetre.

We will not stop. We have both the resources, the men and the equipment, he added. Our goal is to find all the people who missed the alarm.

However, he dismissed reports that those people were visible from the outside. From the porthole, we managed to only see condensation, debris, bottles, he said.

He is among 22 divers aiding the search, of whom 11 are experts in traversing underwater caves. They are being assisted by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), which can operate on the seabed for more than two hours.

Under Italian law, Mr Tilotta said the firefighter divers could dive down to 50 metres but could only enter a vessel as long as the exit was visible. If not, then it was up to the specialised cave divers who had specialist equipment to continue the search.

Mr Tilotta and his colleagues had waited for the cave divers to arrive late on Monday in the hope they could get into the corridors and cabins where the missing are believed to have been trapped.

The rescue team working in Porticello near the site where the luxury yacht sank - AFP

We are also carrying out searches along the coast with helicopters and jet skies in the water, he added.

However, since everything happened at night and the whirlwind was so sudden, we are assuming that several people were inside.

He likened the search to the Costa Concordia cruise ship, which ran aground in January 2012 off the Italian island of Giglio, claiming the lives of 32 crew and passengers.

At the time, divers had to navigate inverted corridors, leaking fuel and floating debris and furnishings in their search for the victims.

It looked like a scenario similar to the Costa Concordia on a smaller scale, he said. Unfortunately, these are very complicated searches.

By Tuesday afternoon it appeared that from the outside divers were able to see very little inside the yacht and had so far only been able to inspect the Bayesians bridge deck.

Luca Cari, a firefighter spokesman, said divers had entered the yachts salon using a ladder and were trying to find the best way to advance safely.

We located a glass window through which we could enter. But it is closed from the inside and three centimetres thick, so we have to be able to remove it so we can advance further inside, he said.

Click here to view this content.

The rescue crews are also mindful of the possibility some of the passengers may have been thrown off the boat - though the speed with which the Bayesian went down makes that a remote possibility.

There had earlier been a glimmer of hope for Mr Lynchs family and friends.

Photographs issued on Tuesday morning by Italys Vigili del Fuoco Sommozzatori, the fire brigades underwater rescue division, showed experts poring over the design plans of the Bayesian.

Observers said this suggested that the rescuers believed passengers could still be alive in air pockets inside the sunken 165ft yacht.

Nick Sloane, who worked on the operation to salvage the Costa Concordia, said the divers were entering a critical 24 hours to rescue anybody who might have survived.

Theyve got a very small window of time to try to find people stuck inside with hopefully an air pocket, and they could be rescued, he said.

Youve got a maximum of two to three days to try to get someone out, so the next 24 hours are critical.

Rescue workers and divers from the Italian fire brigade work as a rescue operation continues for the missing people - IGOR PETYX/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

He told Sky News: If the yacht is on its side, it might have more air pockets than if its upright. Shes got quite a large keel, and that will deflect and put her on her side, Im sure.

The difficulty, of course, lies in divers managing to locate and then reach these air pockets  even if those trapped beneath the upturned hull had somehow managed to make their way to them.

Added to the complication is the short window of search time per descent. Divers are operating on 12 minutes of air in their chambers, with two minutes of that used to descend to the wreckage and back to the surface.

They can stay underwater for a maximum of 12 minutes, two of which are needed to go up and down, Mr Cari told Italian daily Giornale Di Sicilia. So the real time to be able to carry out the search is 10 minutes per dive.

Owing to this limited time underwater, the divers would first have to locate and identify a body and secure it before returning to the surface. A second team then would then step in to recover the body, Mr Tilotta said.

Despite the perilous nature of the task, the Italian divers have pledged to carry out a meticulous search of the British-flagged vessel, built in 2008 by Italian shipyard Perini Navi with Ron Holland Design.

Photographs and video released throughout the day showed the intensity of the operation, with divers backed by marine rescue helicopters and Italian coast guard vessels.

Back on dry land, the ordeal of the survivors is becoming apparent, with three of them discharged from a hospital in Palermo on Tuesday afternoon.

Charlotte Golunski, her husband James Emsley, and their baby daughter, Sofia, left the Di Cristina Childrens Hospital in a black van via a back entrance, accompanied by an official from the British embassy.

Dr Domenico Cipolla, director of the emergency department at the hospital, said Mrs Golunski had told him something of what they had endured as the yacht went down.

Speaking to RAI news, he said: The mother said while she was sleeping with her daughter, they found themselves in the water in just a few moments.

She held the little girl tightly. The light was gone. For a few seconds, the little girl slipped from her hands and she held her with her arms in the air. Within seconds they reached the yachts life raft.

He told the broadcaster that the couple had repeatedly said: We dont know how we are here alive, we are survivors.

Dr Cipolla added: The parents alternate between moments when they are confident and others when they are sad for the fate of their missing travelling companions.

As the search continued, there was also some criticism of the Bayesians crew.

Luca Mercalli, one of Italys leading climate experts and president of the Italian Meteorological Society, said the crew should have paid more attention to weather warnings and prepared passengers accordingly by waking them and distributing life jackets as the storm hit.

Prof Mercalli said that although the waterspout that hit the vessel was not predictable, the crew should have been more vigilant. Italian authorities had issued a yellow and then a moderate weather alert.

He told The Telegraph: I dont know if there was anyone on board consulting the radar.

Lets say that if I had been on board, at the first sign of a thunderstorm I would have woken up all the occupants and been ready and alert with life jackets on until the storm was over.

Prof Mercalli said the weather radar made it possible to estimate an intense thunderstorm within 15 to 30 minutes, even though it was impossible to know if the wind intensity would reach dangerous levels.

The Italian marine rescue agencies are adept at such missions, given that their waters form the route taken by thousands of migrants fleeing sailing from North Africa to Europe in flimsy vessels.

Hundreds have died in recent years, but many have also been saved by the countrys coast guard.

But with each passing hour, the prospect of finding Mr Lynch and those still missing grows ever more remote.

Asked if there was any hope of finding the missing alive, Vincenzo Zagarola, spokesman for the Italian coast guard, said: Never say never, but reasonably the answer should be no.
Coastguard fears bodies of Mike Lynch and five others are trapped in yacht

British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and five others are feared to have died, with their bodies trapped inside a luxury yacht which sank in a tornado.

Vincenzo Zagarola of the Italian Coastguard said this was the working theory of officials on Sicily because it is believed the boat sank quickly and search and rescue efforts by sea and air have so far delivered no results.

He told the PA news agency: We think they are still inside the boat, that is our very hard idea.

Our search and rescue activity by sea and air has gone on for around 36 hours.

Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly.

We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat.

Asked about the likelihood of them being alive, he replied: Never say never, but reasonably the answer should be not.

Bayesian was moored around half-a-mile off the coast of Porticello when it sank at around 5am local time on Monday as the area was hit by a storm.

 #Porticello #Palermo, riprese alle 8 di #oggi le immersioni dei #sommozzatori speleo dei #vigilidelfuoco per le ricerche dei 6 dispersi. Complesso lingresso nello yacht, in atto la pianificazione per aprire accessi piu agevoli e ispezionare linterno [#20agosto 11:00] pic.twitter.com/QRTdGtO8r2  Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) August 20, 2024

The missing tourists are: Mr Lynch; his daughter, Hannah Lynch; Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife, Neda Morvillo.

Italys fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco said it is developing a plan to enter the wreckage of Bayesian, which is resting on the seabed off the coast at a depth of 50 metres.

It described the operation as complex, with divers limited to 12-minute underwater shifts.

A spokesperson for Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, west London, where Hannah Lynch was a former pupil, said in a statement: We are all incredibly shocked by the news that Hannah and her father are among those missing in this tragic incident and our thoughts are with their family and everyone involved as we await further updates.

Fifteen of the 22 passengers and crew onboard  including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares  were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat.

Stephen Chamberlain died after being hit by a car (Cambridgeshire Police/PA)

On Tuesday, an inflated orange lifeboat was docked at the harbour near where search crews are being dispatched.

One body, reportedly belonging to the ships chef, was recovered at the scene of the sinking on Monday.

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was cleared in June of conducting a massive fraud relating to an 11 billion US dollar (8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal.

The Financial Times reported that Mr Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, while media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

(PA Graphics)

A spokesperson for Morgan Stanley said the bank was shocked and saddened while Clifford Chance said it was a tragic incident.

Ed Llewellyn, British ambassador to Italy, met some of the survivors of the sinking at a hotel.

He said: Ive spoken to some of the British survivors both yesterday and today  I want to express my deep sympathy from myself and colleagues at the British embassy for whats happened.

Were doing what we can to support them in this incredibly sad and difficult situation to help them with contacts from the Italian authorities at a practical level.

Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer (Hiscox/PA)

Ayla Ronald, a New Zealand national working at Clifford Chance, survived the ordeal.

Her father Lin Ronald confirmed to the Telegraph she had been invited aboard as a thanks for assistance in Mr Lynchs recent court case.

Italian emergency services heading towards the area off the Sicilian coast where a luxury yacht sank in a tornado (Jonathan Brady/PA)

I have texted my daughter and she hasnt given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said that there are deaths and she and her partner are alive, he said.

Ayla is a lawyer who is part of the legal team that were invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

Charlotte and Sofia were treated in hospital, as was Sofias father, James Emsley.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors have been deployed to Palermo.

Mr Lynchs co-defendant Stephen Chamberlain died after being hit by a car while out running in Cambridgeshire on Saturday.

In a statement released through Cambridgeshire Police, Mr Chamberlains family said: Steve was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.

He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible.
The family of Stephen Chamberlain, the co-defendant in the US trial of missing tycoon Mike Lynch, said he would be deeply missed after he was hit by a car and died at the weekend.

Cambridgeshire Police said 52-year-old Mr Chamberlain died in hospital after he was struck by a car in Stretham on Saturday.

A statement from his lawyer said he was hit while out running.

It comes as Mr Lynch was confirmed as one of the six tourists missing on Monday after the Bayesian luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily.

Mr Chamberlain was cleared earlier this year, alongside Mr Lynch, of conducting a massive fraud over the sale of software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.

Relatives of Mr Chamberlain said in a tribute released through police that he was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.

He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible, his family said.

He made a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.

He will be deeply missed but forever in the hearts of his loved ones.

Cambridgeshire Police are appealing for witnesses after Mr Chamberlain  a pedestrian  was in collision with a blue Vauxhall Corsa car on the A1123 Newmarket Road in Stretham.

The force said the car was travelling between Stretham and Wicken when the collision happened at about 10.10am on Saturday.

Mr Chamberlain was taken to hospital with serious injuries and later died.

Mike Lynch was confirmed on Monday as one of six missing tourists after the Bayesian luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily (Yui Mok/PA)

Police said the driver of the car, a 49-year-old woman from Haddenham, remained at the scene and was assisting with inquiries.

She has not been arrested.

Gary Lincenberg, Mr Chamberlains lawyer, said in an earlier statement: Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running.

He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.

HP acquired Cambridge-based Autonomy, founded by Mr Lynch in 1996, for 11 billion US dollars, but later wrote down its value by 8.8 billion US dollars and asked the US justice department to investigate fraud.

Mr Chamberlain, a former vice-president of finance at the company, was accused of artificially inflating Autonomys revenues and making false and misleading statements to auditors, analysts and regulators in 2018.

Both he and Mr Lynch were found not guilty of the charge in June following a trial at a federal court in San Francisco, California.

Cambridgeshire Police said Mr Chamberlain, 52, died in hospital after he was hit by a car in Stretham on Saturday (Sam Russell/ PA)

Mr Chamberlain was former chief operating officer of the British cybersecurity company Darktrace, which was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Cambridge.

A Darktrace spokesperson said in a statement: We are incredibly saddened to hear of the tragic death of Steve Chamberlain, Darktraces former chief operating officer and a substantial contributor to the team in its early years.

Steve was much loved by his colleagues and leaves many friends at Darktrace.

We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Karen, and the rest of his family who are very much in our thoughts at this challenging time.

Mr Lynch was previously made an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006.

The British-flagged superyacht, named Bayesian, capsized at about 5am local time off the coast of Palermo on Monday when the area was hit by a tornado.

Anyone with information or dashcam footage of the collision in Stretham, Cambridgeshire, or of the moments before or after, is asked to contact police.

People are asked to call 101 and request to speak with Detective Constable Kevin Drury in the serious collision investigation unit.
Two people have been arrested after a young girl was stabbed in Dorset.

The girl, who the Bournemouth Daily Echo reported is around eight years old, was taken to hospital for treatment and her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Officers received a report that a girl had sustained stab wounds at an address in Glider Close, Christchurch, at 5.45pm on Tuesday, Dorset Police said.

The force added a man aged in his 20s, from Christchurch, was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.

#LatestNews  Detectives are appealing for witnesses to come forward following a report of an assault in Glider Close in Christchurch on Tuesday 20 August 2024. Anyone with information is asked to contact us quoting occurrence number 55240128372. Read more: pic.twitter.com/lFZKH9upGT  Dorset Police (@dorsetpolice) August 20, 2024

A local woman in her 50s was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, police said.

They both remain in police custody.

Chief Superintendent Stewart Dipple said: There is an increased policing presence in the area as officers conduct enquiries at the scene.

I am appealing to anyone who was in the area and saw what happened or has information to assist our investigation, to please come forward.

Our enquiries are in the early stages and we would ask the public not to speculate at this time about the circumstances of the incident.

I understand this will cause concern and we will have members of the neighbourhood policing team out on patrol over the coming days who can be approached by the public.

Anyone with information should contact the police by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 5524012837, or can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Why did the superyacht Bayesian sink?

Hatches and doors left open overnight on the superyacht Bayesian may have caused it to sink in Italy, a sailing expert has said.

Sam Jefferson, editor of magazine Sailing Today, believes the vessels huge mast is also likely to have contributed to the deadly event.

One body has been found and six people remain missing after Bayesian sank off the coast of Palermo, Sicily, in the early hours of Monday.

It is believed the ship was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout.

The yacht Bayesian (left), before it sank (Fabio La Bianca)

Weather records show temperatures reached around 33C the day before the sinking, which may have led to the vessels occupants wanting air to flow through while they slept.

Mr Jefferson told the PA news agency: I would have said that the boat got hit very hard by the wind, it was pinned over on its side.

I imagine all the doors were open because it was hot, so there were enough hatches and doors open that it filled with water very quickly and sank like that.

The reason it got pinned over so hard was because the mast is huge.

It acted almost like a sail. (It) pushed the boat hard over on its side.

(The boat) filled with water before it could right.

This is all speculation, but thats the only logical explanation.

(PA Graphics)

Mr Jefferson added that such incidents are incredibly rare, describing the chances of a yacht being hit by a waterspout as minuscule.

The yachts aluminium mast measures 72 metres, making it one of the largest in the world among sailing yachts.

Karsten Borner, the captain of another yacht which was near Bayesian, told news agency Reuters he witnessed the ship go flat on the water, and then down.

Salvo Cocina, of Sicilys civil protection agency, said: They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
World will reflect on Gaza conflict as time of dark shame  Taoiseach

The world has not done enough to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza, the Irish premier has said.

Simon Harris called for an urgent review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement as he said human rights clauses in the trade pact were being breached.

Mr Harris warned that the world would look back on the conflict as a time of dark shame.

The Taoiseach said he asked himself every single day what more the Irish Government could do.

Speaking in Dublin on Tuesday, he said: I find the scenes that are happening in the Middle East to be grotesque and almost unimaginable in terms of the scale of catastrophe.

Ive called it a war on children, I believe it to be that. The actions of Israel are utterly disproportionate.

Im also very conscious when it comes to things like trade, that is done at an EU level.

To be clear, I do not believe the world, the European Union, has done enough to bring about a ceasefire.

I believe when we look back at this period of time, it will be a time of dark shame for the world.

Because there are levers that could be pulled at the European level that have not yet been pulled.

Mr Harris said there was more that the European Union could do immediately, adding there are levers that could be pulled.

He said he and the prime ministers of Spain and Slovenia were calling for the EU-Israel Association Agreement to be reviewed.

Mr Harris said: I hope other colleagues will join us should these talks not progress in the hours and days ahead. That is a very practical measure that we can take.

What message do we send out to the world when we have human rights clauses in trade association agreements that dont seem to kick in?

I mean, theyre not there just to make the document longer  they have to have meaning.

Asked if the agreement should be suspended outright, Mr Harris said the process was that the agreement first needed to be reviewed.

However, he added: Youre hardly going to review the agreement and find that it is in compliance with human rights.
Welcome to Start TODAY. Sign up for our Start TODAY newsletter to receive daily inspiration sent to your inbox  and join us on Instagram!

When people add a leg day to their strength-training program, they often have an aesthetic goal in mind, like a peachier backside or toned calves.

But there are many benefits to strengthening your legs beyond looking good.

The cultural trend of #legday (the hashtag that has billions of views on TikTok and millions of posts on Instagram) isn't just about attractive legs, but also about improving strength and muscle mass in the lower body to create a stronger and sturdier base for our movement. And its important to know which muscles leg exercises to actually target to reap all the benefits.

Leg muscles

The leg muscles are some of the largest in the body, so in order to have a strong foundation, you need to work the hamstrings, quads, adductors, abductors and calves. And we cant talk about working the legs without also mentioning the glutes, which are crucial for any hip or thigh movement.

The glutes and hamstrings

In the back of the body, the glutes and hamstrings each include three muscles. The back of the lower leg includes three muscles that are collectively called the calf muscle.

The quadriceps

The quads are a group of four muscles that help to stabilize and extend the knee  so they are vital to movements such as jumping and running.

Adductors and abductors

The outer leg muscles (the abductors) include parts of the glute and other smaller muscles that help open your leg away from the midline of the body. The inner leg muscles (the adductors) include four muscles that help you to close your thigh in toward the center of your body.

Leg workout benefits

Incorporating leg workouts into your routine is crucial for maintaining healthy movement throughout daily life. We use our legs and glutes to perform every single movement during the day: standing up, sitting down, bending over, walking and even getting out of bed.

Lower-body strength also helps us move faster during cardio activities, improves agility and balance, and makes our everyday movements easier and more efficient.

How to create an effective leg workout

But there are hundreds of different exercises that work the lower body, so how do you know which workouts are most effective? As a personal trainer for almost 15 years, Ive compiled a list of my top 25 favorite leg exercises that you can do anywhere. Best of all? You dont need any equipment.

I recommend choosing three exercises and turning them into a circuit. Perform 10 reps of each exercise and then repeat the circuit for three rounds total.

How often should you perform leg exercises?

Dont do these exercises every single day. The legs and glutes are the largest muscles in the body, which means you should exercise them  at most  every other day. Its essential to give leg muscles a 24-hour rest period at minimum to recover and restore between workouts.

The 25 best bodyweight leg exercises

Squat

Squat

Stand with your feet as wide as your shoulders, toes pointing forward. Pull your navel in toward your spine, and then sit back by bending at your knees and reaching your glutes back as if youre sitting into a chair. Press down through your heels to return to standing.

Wall squat

Wall squat

Standing against a wall, keep your back straight and your feet hip-width apart. Keep your arms at your sides or on your hips as you slide down the wall, bending at the knees. Bend until your thighs are parallel to the floor. You may have to walk your feet away from the wall so that you are able to form a 90-degree angle at the knee joint at the bottom of the squat. Squeeze your abs and glutes before pressing down through your heels to slide back up the wall to the starting position.

Wide leg open toe squat

Wide leg open toe squat

Stand with your feet open wider than your hips. Turn your toes out. Place your hands on your hips and pull your naval in toward your spine. Tilt your pelvis forward as you bend your knees out to the sides and lower down into a squat. Keep your back flat and your tailbone pointed down toward the ground. Press down through your heels as you stand back up. Squeeze your glutes at the top.

Goblet squat

Goblet squat

Stand with your feet wider than the hips with your toes turned slightly outward. Bring your palms together at your chest with your elbows bent or place your hands on your hips. Pull in your abs and look forward as you reach your hips backward and bend your knees. Lower your butt down slowly until your hips are below your knees. Press down through your heels to stand back up to the starting position.

Squat into side leg lift

Squat into side leg lift

Perform a squat. Then, as you stand back up lift the right leg out to the right as high as the hip to work the outer right hip and thigh. Place the foot back down and lower into a squat. Repeat 10 times, then switch to the left side.

Mountain climbers

Mountain climbers

Begin in plank position, keeping your back straight, hips low and core engaged. Bring your right knee under your chest toward your right elbow. Bring your leg back to plank position, bringing your left leg under your chest toward your left elbow. Continue alternating your legs, keeping a steady pace.

Reverse lunge

Reverse lunge

Stand with your feet as wide as your hips. Step the right foot back into a lunge position. Engage your abs and lower your right leg down until your knee almost touches the floor. Both knees should be at about a 90-degree angle. Step forward and repeat 10 times before switching sides.

Stationary lunge

Stationary lunge

Stand with your feet hips-with apart and your hands in front of your chest or on your hips. Step your left foot back a few feet. This is your starting position. Bend the right knee so that it is over the right ankle and bend your left knee so that the knee reaches down toward the ground. Look in the mirror and make sure your spine stays straight and that youre not leaning forward. Press down through the front heel to come up to the starting position. Repeat this 10 times, then switch sides.

Good mornings

Good mornings

Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, with your hands placed behind your head and elbows out to the sides. Focus on keeping your shoulders back and your core muscles engaged. Take a deep breath in and on the exhale, hinge forward at the hips and lower into an upside-down L shape until you feel a slight stretch in your hamstrings. If you feel any pain or uncomfortable pulling, youve lowered too far! Slowly raise your torso back into the standing position on your exhale.

Walking lunges

Walking lunges

Start with your feet together. Step forward with your right foot, lunging with your right leg until your thigh is parallel to the ground. Push down through your right heel to come back up to the starting position. This time step forward with the left leg, lowering your left knee toward the floor until your thigh is parallel to the ground. Continue forward with the right leg and continue alternating.

Side lunge

Side lunge

Standing with your feet as wide as your hips, step your right foot out to the right and perform a lunge by sitting back into the right glute. Reach the right glute backward as you keep the left leg straight. Press down through your right heel as you come back to center. Repeat 10 times and then switch sides.

Back lunge & lift

Back lunge & lift

Start standing with your feet hips-width apart. Then, step your left foot back and lower down into a lunge. Press down through the right heel to straighten the right leg as you lift the left leg straight up behind you to work the hamstring and glute. Then lower back down into a lunge and repeat 10 times before switching sides.

Glute bridge

Glute bridge

Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and your arms down at your sides. Tilt your pelvis under and forward, engaging the core, and push down through your heels to lift your hips up toward the ceiling, engaging your glutes. Slowly lower down.

Glute bridge with squeeze

Glute bridge with squeeze

Lying on your back with your knees bent, reach your fingertips toward your heels so that they can almost touch. Make sure your feet are as wide as your hips, and then slowly pull the naval in toward the spine as you lift the butt, then lower back, then middle back up off of the ground. Hold this position and squeeze the inner thighs in toward each other, release, and then lower back down.

Single-leg deadlift

Single-leg deadlift

Stand with your feet as wide as your hips. Put your weight into your left leg and come up on to your right toe, using it as a kickstand for balance. Begin to hinge at your waist, keeping your left knee soft. Place your hands on your hips for balance. Continue to hinge forward as you slowly lift your right leg up and back until your body forms a straight line from head to toe. Ensure that your hips stay square to the ground. Pause, and then return to the starting position and repeat.

Crab walk

Crab walk

Start by sitting on the ground with your knees bent and your hands two inches behind you. Have your fingers pointing away from your body. Step your right foot forward as you simultaneously move your left hand forward. Then step your left foot forward as you move your right hand forward. Continue walking forward for a total of 10 reps.

Forward leg raises

Forward leg raises

Standing tall, point the right leg out in front of you and squeeze the quad. If you can feel your thigh tighten, that means youre doing this correctly. Then lift the leg up as high as your hip and slowly lower it back down.

Calf raises

Calf raises

Standing upright with your feet as wide as your hips, simply come up on to your tip toes and then lower down.

Skaters

Skaters

Start standing tall with your feet hips-width apart. Then, as you step or hop to the right, use the left foot to tap behind the right foot. Begin to swoosh your arms like an ice skater to build momentum and help with balance. Then step to the left and bring the right foot behind to tap the floor as you swoosh your arms.

Straight leg kickback

Straight leg kickback

Stand tall and shift your body weight to your right leg. Lift your left leg straight back while you contract the glute, raising it to about a 45-degree angle from the standing leg. Slowly lower the leg back down and perform 10 reps on this side. To switch sides, shift your body weight to your left leg, and raise your right leg back and up.

Calf raises in a V position

Calf raises in a V position

Stand tall with both feet shoulder-width apart and turn your toes outward so your feet create the letter "V." Place your hands on your hips. Press down through your toes and raise your heels as high as you can off of the ground. Slowly lower back down.

Curtsy lunge

Curtsy lunge

Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Take a step back on your right leg, crossing it behind your left leg, just as if you were about to curtsy. Keep your weight in your left foot and slowly bend your knees, lowering your body straight down. Hold for a moment and then slowly return to the starting position. Perform to the left side. Continue alternating side to side.

Lying side leg raises

Lying side leg raises

Lie down on one side with legs straight out at a slight angle from your torso and your feet stacked on top of each other. Prop your torso up with your forearm. Lift your top leg toward the ceiling in a slow and controlled movement. Point your toes to fully engage the leg. Lower it back down. Repeat 10 times and then repeat on the other side.

Standing hamstring curl

Standing hamstring curl

Standing with your feet as wide as your hips. Bend the right knee and pull your heel toward your glute by engaging the the back of the right leg. Place it down. Repeat 10 times, then switch legs.

Side shuffle

Side shuffle

Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart in a half-squat position. Lift your right foot and push off with your left to move your body to the right. Continue to shuffle in this direction for 10 steps, then switch directions and shuffle back 10 steps to the left.

More lower body workouts

<a href="https://www.today.com/video/5-minute-lower-body-strength-training-workout-145008709776" target="_blank">5-minute lower body strength training workout</a>

<a href="https://www.today.com/health/diet-fitness/lower-body-workout-exercises-rcna21831" target="_blank">A 30-day lower body workout plan you can do at home</a>

<a href="https://www.today.com/health/diet-fitness/fire-hydrant-exercise-rcna40132" target="_blank">This 1 move will strengthen your glutes and reduce low back pain</a>

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Its no-cook, too.

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

I love cabbage so much that I always keep it in the crisper. Its among the cheapest vegetables you can buy, lasts forever, and has the most delightful crunch. Having it on hand also gives me lots of options for weeknight meals.

If Im in the mood for tacos, the cabbage becomes a garlicky slaw. If Im making soup, a handful of cabbage goes in at the last minute. If I want a more substantial side, I cut it into wedges, roast it until its brown, and serve it with a savory yogurt sauce.

The cabbage dish I make the most often, though, is a Japanese specialty called yamitsuki cabbage or shio kyabetsu. This dish is popular at izakayas, Japanese bars specializing in small dishes that go well with alcohol. Shio kyabetsu means salt cabbage, and thats about all there is to it.

Salt cabbage, however, undersells it. This cabbage dish is highly savory in a way that makes it hard to stop eating. The effect is almost like the gravitational pull of a bag of potato chips: youll want to snack on it until its gone. If the idea of umami has ever confused you or you werent sure when something had an umami flavor, make this recipe to understand it instantly and be forever changed.

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

How To Make My 5-Minute Yamitsuki Cabbage

To make about four servings, youll need:

8 ounces green cabbage, chopped no smaller than one inch

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder

Salt and white or black pepper, to taste

Plan on about eight ounces of cabbage for four servings, but everything is to taste. Using a Microplane grater, grate a garlic clove into a bowl. Add a generous tablespoon of sesame oil, the sesame seeds, and chicken bouillon powder. Combine these ingredients into a flavorful paste.

Add the chopped cabbage and toss with the paste until the cabbage is coated. Taste a piece of cabbage and add salt and pepper to taste. Youre done!

My Tips for Making This Recipe

Its best to use Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder. Lee Kum Kee is a common brand available at most Asian grocery stores. I have substituted Knorr brand chicken bouillon powder, which works very well. You can use a big pinch of MSG instead, though I think the chicken powder is where the magic of this recipe lies.

There are other optional ingredients you can add for even more flavor. My favorite is a teaspoon of sugar, which balances the savory flavors, but if you enjoy a little heat, some pepper flakes are lovely, too. Ill also add a small splash of sake if I have it around, but its hardly necessary.

The next time you need to add a veggie side to your weeknight meal, keep this cabbage recipe in mind. Its as quick to make as microwaving a bag of frozen vegetables, and it tastes way better.



Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

Read the original article on Simply Recipes.
There's nothing cuter than watching a baby animal (or human!) with a ton of confidence go up against something or someone bigger than they are. Take for instance this hippo calf who - on their own - goes up against a herd of elephants to keep them away from the herd's watering hole. The calf has more confidence than they know what to do with! Explore.org shared a video on Thursday, August 15th from one of their live cams in South Africa, and it's the cutest thing you'll see today.

The video shows the hippo calf approaching four elephants that are trying to get down to the watering hole. The hippo's not having it though and refuses to let them near the water's edge. While the elephants put up a good fight, even swinging their trunks around, they give up after a few minutes. Watch how proud the little hippo is that he defended his herd's water!

The hippo even walked back down to the water with a little swagger and head held high! Explore.org says in the video's overlay that normally it's the most dominant hippo that runs other animals off. I cracked up when they said that dominance is loosely based on size, "very loosely based, in the case of this hippo calf." Proof that size doesn't always matter!

Commenters also got a kick out of the cute video. @girlfrommars kissit had it all figured out and made a good point, "The elephant knew it was a baby and did not want to get the mothers attention." and another commenter added, "Love how the elephant was using its trunk to say Shoo! Shoo tiny creature! haha!" @Rearviewmirror wasn't wrong when they said, "Confidence is everything!" and @Lee Lee agreed, "He understood the assignment." I laughed at @Tony Zamboni's comment, ""We just wanted a sip of water bro, don't be a Karen" LOL!"

Related: Baby Hippo Adorably Refuses to Get out of the Pool at Wildlife Park

Facts About Water Loving Hippos

Hippos spend the majority of their time in the water; up to 16 hours a day. They spend so much time in the water with their bodies submerged to keep their skin cool and moist. Hippos eyes and ears are extremely sensitive, and they excrete a reddish-orange antibiotic fluid that absorbs UV light; it works like sunscreen does. If you ever see a hippo that looks like it's crying bloody tears, don't freak out! It's just them producing their own sunscreen.

Adult hippos can hold their breath underwater for up to five minutes at a time, but calves and young hippos need to surface more often. While hippos can move fast in the water, they're actually not swimming (they don't know how!) Instead, they walk along the bottom of the water. Hippos are known to be highly aggressive animals and are only slightly more even-tempered on land than when in water. If you ever come across one in the water, they're ready to defend their territory and chances are not good that you'll win the battle.

Don't let hippos' massive size fool you, they're extremely fast on land and in the water. On land, hippos can run up to 30 miles per hour and can easily outrun a human. They can move about 5 miles an hour in the water, while an average human only swims about 2 miles an hour. Whether on land or in water, it's always best to admire these enormous animals from a distance and to never approach them...not even a cute little hippo calf like the one in this video.

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.
Katy ISD board president Victor Perez during public comments about employing chaplains at the Katy ISD school board meeting at Katy ISD Educational Support Building on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, in Katy. Karen Warren/Staff photographer

The Katy ISD board of trustees had mixed opinions Monday night while debating whether to ban all books that discuss gender fluidity.

The meeting was a work study, meaning no vote was taken on the issue, but board members were able to discuss the proposed measure, which would implement a total ban on books that contain material adopting, supporting or promoting gender fluidity in elementary and junior high schools and would require a parental opt-in for such books for high school students.

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Board president Victor Perez said its necessary to update the districts book banning policy to include books on gender fluidity to make sure the books are kept out of libraries.

The focus of this proposed amendment revision is that materials discussing gender fluidity are not educationally suitable, nor age appropriate for their junior high and elementary age students, Perez said. This material is confusing or difficult for younger children to understand and comprehend and therefore is not educationally suitable.

Trustees Mary Ellen Cuzela and Morgan Calhoun said they are in favor of the measure. Board members Dawn Champagne and Rebecca Fox spoke out against it.

Champagne pointed out that school district policy already prohibits instructional material or education on gender fluidity. The board in August 2023 passed The FFJ-Student Welfare: Parental Authority and Gender Fluidity Matters policy, which prohibits instruction on gender fluidity.

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It just seems redundant to me, because its already written into this policy, Champagne said.

Fox called the proposed ban political and implored her fellow board members to focus on academics. Can we be done with library books? Can we move on to academics, anyone? she said.

Fox also criticized Perez for using outside legal counsel, rather than the districts salaried internal counsel, to draft the policy at the districts expense.

Cuzela said her motives were not political, stating, I will never be done with protecting children.

Champagne argued that Cuzela, Calhoun, Perez and Amy Thieme all ran their board election campaigns with promises of book banning.

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I think it is political because it was actually on yalls agenda when you ran, Champagne said. I have videos of you all saying when you first won, that this is what you ran on.

Champagne and Fox also took aim at Perez, demanding to know why his wife shared the meetings discussion items to a limited social media audience four days before the information was public.

While Katy ISD board meeting agendas are posted on Fridays, specific information on line items normally isnt available to the public until the day of the meeting, and gender fluidity was not mentioned on the Friday agenda.

Perezs wife, Karen Perez, made social media posts Friday in Facebook groups, including Katy Area Conservatives, stating that a gender fluidity book ban would be discussed at the meeting and calling for support for the ban.

What was your motivation to have that go public in the first place, when those documents are not public until Monday? Champagne asked Perez.

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Fox said she didnt know the board would be discussing book bans on gender fluidity until she started receiving messages from constituents who had read Karen Perezs posts. I started getting all these calls and comments and messages saying, Whats happening, and I hadnt even looked at the agenda yet.
Tests for Amazons drone delivery program have become a regular fact of life for residents of College Station, Texas.

The town, which is home to Texas A&M University, is the testing ground for Amazons drone delivery program. The program started in 2022, and its main goal is to figure out how to use drones to fulfill some of the estimated 5.9 billion packages Amazon delivered in 2023. The idea, in theory at least, is that these unmanned drones would pick up an order for the usual household items and tchotchkes people order on Amazon and deposit them at their house. As CEO Andy Jassy told investors in a letter last year, the Prime Air delivery drones will eventually allow Amazon to deliver packages in under an hour. It wont start off being available for all sizes of packages and in all locations, but we believe itll be pervasive over time, wrote Jassy in his annual shareholder letter. Think about how the experience of ordering perishable items changes with sub-one-hour delivery?

However, as with most matters relating to shipping logistics, the practice is much more complicated. And for the 127,000 people of College Station, the din from the drones has become a nuisance, according to CNBC.

It sounds like a giant hive of bees, John Case, who has lived in the town for 40 years, told CNBC. You know its coming because its pretty loud.

Another College Station resident, Amina Alikhan, described the noise to CNBC as a fly coming by your ear over and over, and you cant make it stop.

The noise levels could get worse in the near future. In May, Amazon submitted a proposal to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to increase the number of drone flights from 200 per day to 469.

In July, in response to Amazons proposal, College Station Mayor John Nichols wrote a letter to the FAA.

With the potential to increase the frequency of drone deliveries to the amount stated in Amazon Prime Airs request, residents have continued to voice their concerns to City Council that the noise levels will only get worse and will impact the enjoyment of their property, Nichols wrote in the letter.

During a city council meeting in June, College Station city manager Bryan C. Woods said he conducted several tests of the drones and found their noise levels were between 47 and 61 decibels. Sixty decibels is roughly the same noise level of an office, according to a chart from Yale Environmental Health and Safety. Woods added a caveat to his findings by saying they were anecdotal.

Amazon held a Zoom call with residents of College Station, in which an executive told them the company would not renew its lease in the Texas metro and planned to move by October 2025, according to CNBC.

Amazon spokesperson Sam Stephenson said the company takes local feedback under consideration wherever possible. Stephenson left open the possibility Amazon could move to another location. As our program evolves, were considering a variety of potential paths forwardincluding the possibility of alternate sites.

In May, Amazon cleared a major regulatory hurdle with the FAA opening a path for it to expand its drone delivery program. The FAA approved Amazons request to have its drones fly greater distances outside the line of sight of the person piloting it on the ground. The FAA granted Amazons request after the company developed a technology that ensured the drones avoided collisions. Several other companies working on drone delivery systems, such as Alphabet and Walmart, have also developed similar capabilities for their drones.

However, even before the noise complaints, it hasnt been entirely smooth sailing for Amazons Prime Air program. First announced by Jeff Bezos in 2013 during a 60 Minutes interview, the initiatives progress stalled for several years. Even at the time Bezos predicted the project would take years to perfect, foreseeing numerous complexities.

The hard part is putting in all the redundancy, all the reliability, all the systems you need to say, Look, this thing cant land on somebodys head when they're walking around their neighborhood, Bezos told 60 Minutes. Thats not good.

In 2023, Prime Air hit a major setback when it was caught up in an intense round of cost cutting across the company that resulted in numerous layoffs in the division. A few months later, in August 2023, two key executives left, including the one in charge of all testing operations.

College Station wasnt the only Prime Air testing site that ran into trouble by disturbing local residents. Amazon had a similar testing facility in Lockeford, Calif., a town of about 4,000 people 40 miles south of Sacramento. When news broke that Prime Air was bringing a slew of drones to town, residents reportedly contemplated shooting them down, according to the Washington Post. In April, Amazon left the town altogether, announcing it was moving drone testing to Tolleson, Ariz.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
PHOENIX  A truck driver who killed five people in Arizona last year when he crashed while distracted by watching TikTok videos was sentenced to more than two decades in prison, authorities announced.

Danny Tiner, 38, was sentenced to 22 years in prison on Friday after pleading guilty to five counts of negligent homicide, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office and Arizona Department of Public Safety said in separate statements on Monday. Tiner drove a tractor-trailer that caused the collision on Jan. 12, 2023, on the eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 in Chandler, Arizona, a city just southeast of Phoenix.

The six-vehicle collision involved two commercial vehicles, according to authorities. At the time of the collision, a part of Interstate 10 was closed after an earlier crash involving multiple semi-trucks.

Tiner was arrested on June 29, 2023, after a lengthy investigation ultimately found him responsible. He was booked into jail on a $300,000 bond and initially faced multiple charges including five counts of manslaughter, four counts of endangerment and one count of tampering with physical evidence.

Court documents show Tiner pleaded guilty to five counts of negligent homicide, for each of which he'll serve 4 years consecutively totaling 22 years. Tiner will receive a credit of 415 days for time he spent in jail.

Investigation revealed Danny Tiner was distracted by social media

Tiner said he had received a message on his electronic work tablet and went to look at it, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said at the time of Tiner's arrest. When he looked back up, traffic had come to a halt but he was unable to stop in time.

The department said its troopers had suspected driver distraction as a factor in the crash. During the investigation, officials found that Tiner had been driving at 68 mph in a posted 55 mph construction zone while "actively using the TikTok application on his cellphone at the time of the collision," the department said.

The department added that the incident is the first case in the department's history in which a driver was convicted of causing a fatal collision while distracted by social media.

As a driver, you have an obligation to pay attention to the road. To choose to access social media while driving, placing the lives of others on the line is reckless," Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a statement. "Five families are living through the pain of losing a loved one. While the justice system can never relieve that pain, it can hold the person responsible accountable. We achieved that goal."

Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Distracted trucker gets decades in prison for deadly Arizona crash
Achin for Some Bacon Gift Box

How to Celebrate National Bacon Lovers Day, August 20th 2024

Nothing gets us out of bed faster than the smell of bacon sizzling on a griddle. We love every crispy morsel of this smoky salt-cured pork belly. We love bacon and bacon-wrapped everything. And were not alone. Americans consume an average of 17.9 lbs. of bacon each year, and there are holidays to celebrate bacon, including a day devoted to those who love bacon.

Whether served with eggs, topped on a burger, or eaten as a delicious appetizer, bacon is sweet and savory and makes every dish its added to so much better. We dont need a holiday to remind us how amazing bacon is, but we sure love a reason to bring home the bacon and eat extra slices and slabs of bacon.

National Bacon Lovers Day is August 20. Heres everything you need to know to celebrate.

LumenSt/Istockphoto

When is National Bacon Lovers Day?

National Bacon Lovers Day is celebrated annually on August 20. Its a food holiday that celebrates one of the worlds oldest preserved foods.

Bacon Collection

National Bacon Lovers Day History

Bacon dates back to 1500 B.C. in China. In the 12th century, a church in England gave bacon to any husband who was willing to swear that he had not argued with his wife for one year and one year.

In the 16th century, bringing home strips of bacon was a sign of affluence. Men would bring home the bacon and sit around chewing the fat with family and friends. Its not surprising that a love for bacon has endured for centuries.

National Bacon Lovers Day has been celebrated since 2015 after some social media posts promoting bacon went viral. Bacon is the top mentioned pork product on social media.

Another bacon holiday, National Bacon Day, was started in 1997 by college students Danya D Goodman and Meff Human Cannonball Leonard, who encouraged eating bacon while watching movies starring actor Kevin Bacon.

Additional bacon holidays include:

March 1: National Pig Day

First Saturday of September (September 7, 2024): International Bacon Day

December 30: National Bacon Day

Bill-E's Small Batch Bacon

How Many Americans Love Bacon?

Theres no question how popular bacon is. Bacon generated $6.3 billion in sales in the U.S. last year. Some 62% of restaurants have bacon on their menus and 53% of homes have bacon at all times (because you never know when a bacon craving will strike!).

chas53/istockphoto

How Do You Celebrate Bacon Day?

There are many ways to celebrate Bacon Day. Use #BaconDay as an opportunity to try new bacon styles like: Beef bacon, Smoked bacon, Maple bacon, and more.

You can also try bacon with your favorite foods. Here are ways to bacon your meals better by adding bacon to:

Breakfast sandwich like a bacon, egg, and cheese

Hamburgers like bacon cheeseburgers

Sweet snacks like candied bacon, bacon-fat popcorn, and maple bacon donuts

Alewels Country Meats

Alewels Country Meats Achin for Some Bacon Gift Box

One bite and youll be achin for more award-winning bacon from Alewels Country Meats in Warrensburg, Missouri. Founded by Hugo and Dick Alewel in 1932, Alewels Achin for Some Bacon Gift Box includes 5 lbs. of hickory-smoked bacon. Each package includes 1 lb. each of Cajun Bacon, Cured Bacon, Dry Cured Bacon, Peppered Bacon, and Raspberry Chipotle Bacon.

Loveless Cafe

Loveless Cafe Smoked Bacon Sampler

Since opening in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1951, Loveless Cafe has been a Southern landmark famous for its delicious food and Southern hospitality. Loveless Cafes Smoked Bacon Sampler contains 4 flavors of shelf-stable bacon, including Applewood Smoked Bacon, Hickory Smoked Bacon, Hickory Smoked Pepper Bacon, and Maplewood Smoked Bacon.

This article originally appeared on Goldbelly.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.

Pastrami Queen Sandwich

More from MediaFeed
By Maggie Fick

LONDON (Reuters) -Danish biotech firm Bavarian Nordic could ramp up production of its mpox vaccine even before having orders lined up, based on the outcome of talks this week with the World Health Organisation, the company's CEO told Reuters on Tuesday.

Chief Executive Officer Paul Chaplin said in an interview that the company urgently needs to make the call on whether to manufacture "at risk" - or without signed contracts - because diverting or switching manufacturing capacity from its other vaccines to mpox will take time.

In order to make that decision, Bavarian Nordic "would need to be reasonably convinced that those orders would be coming through", Chaplin said. "We'll have to wait and see how the discussions develop this week and we'll make a decision later this week what we're doing."

He said the discussions were with the WHO, the global vaccine group Gavi, and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and with individual governments in Africa and elsewhere.

Last week the WHO declared that an outbreak of mpox, a viral infection that spreads through close contact, represents a global health emergency for the second time in two years.

That announcement followed an outbreak of the viral infection in Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighbouring countries.

Africa CDC said on Tuesday that talks had started with Bavarian Nordic about technology transfer to enable its mpox vaccine to be manufactured in Africa in the future.

Jean Kaseya, the CDC's director general, told a briefing that he would give a further update on the talks in the coming weeks.

"The discussions already started between Africa CDC team and Bavarian Nordic team and some African manufacturers," Kaseya told reporters.

"We need local manufacturing, and I want to recognise that and to thank Bavarian Nordic for accepting to do the tech transfer in Africa, for Africa to manufacture the vaccine," he said, adding that would help lower the price of the vaccine without compromising on its quality.

Chaplin, the Bavarian Nordic CEO, separately told Reuters earlier in the day that his company is "in dialogue" with the Africa CDC.

Shares in Bavarian Nordic - one of the few drug firms with an mpox vaccine - were up about 19% since market close on Aug. 13, the day before the WHO announcement.

On Saturday, the company said it has informed the Africa CDC that it could manufacture 10 million doses of the vaccine by the end of 2025, and could supply up to 2 million doses this year.

But the 2 million doses by year-end would not be possible unless Bavarian Nordic "changes gears" to start producing more of its mpox vaccine now, instead of its other vaccines, Chaplin said: "Every week we don't switch over, we lose some of that capacity."

(Reporting by Maggie Fick, Anait Miridzhanian and Alexander Winning; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Ros Russell)
By Humeyra Pamuk

ALAMEIN, Egypt (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pushed for progress towards a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal as he visited Egypt on Tuesday, but major areas of dispute are still to be resolved in talks planned for later this week.

Blinken's visit to the region included meetings in Israel on Monday and he is now travelling to Qatar, one of the mediators in the Gaza talks along with the United States and Egypt.

Blinken said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted a U.S. "bridging proposal" aimed at narrowing the gaps between the two sides after talks last week paused without a breakthrough, and urged Hamas to accept it too.

The Palestinian militant group has not explicitly rejected the proposal, but said it overturns what was previously agreed, without specifying how, and accused Israel and its U.S. ally of spinning out negotiations in bad faith.

In Egypt, Blinken met President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, whose country has been helping mediate the on-off Gaza talks for months along with the U.S. and Qatar. Sisi said after the meeting that it was time to put an end to the war and warned of the conflict expanding in the region.

At stake is the fate of tiny, crowded Gaza, where Israel's military campaign has killed more than 40,000 people since October according to Palestinian health authorities, and of the remaining hostages being held there.

The war in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen stormed into Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and abducting about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

On Tuesday, Israel's military said it had recovered the bodies of six hostages from southern Gaza. According to Israeli authorities, 109 hostages now remain in the Palestinian territory, of whom around a third are believed to be dead.

In Gaza, Israeli forces battled Hamas-led militants in central and southern areas, and Palestinian health authorities said at least 39 people had been killed on Tuesday in Israeli strikes, including on a school housing displaced people.

Israel's military said it had struck Hamas militants embedded in the school.

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said on Tuesday it was still waiting for polio vaccines to arrive after the disease was discovered in the territory, where most people now live in tents or shelters without proper sanitation. It echoed a call by the U.N. last week for a ceasefire to allow the vaccination campaign.

PROPOSAL

Blinken has called the latest push for a deal "probably the best, possibly the last opportunity", and said his meeting with Netanyahu was constructive, adding it was incumbent on Hamas to accept the bridging proposal.

Officials from the U.S, Hamas, Israel, Egypt or Qatar have not spelled out what is in the proposal or how it differs from previous versions. "There are questions of implementation and making sure that it's clearly understood what each side will do to carry out its commitments," Blinken said on Monday.

Hamas rejected U.S. comments that it was backing away from a deal, saying Egyptian and Qatari mediators knew it had dealt positively towards the negotiations and that it was Netanyahu who had always obstructed an agreement with new demands.

It said it was still committed to terms it agreed with mediators in July based on a proposal made by the U.S. in May.

Netanyahu denies obstructing a deal.

Months of on-off talks have circled the same issues, with Israel saying the war can only end with the destruction of Hamas as a military and political force and Hamas saying it will only accept a permanent, not temporary, ceasefire.

There are disagreements over Israel's continued military presence in Gaza, particularly along the border with Egypt, the free movement of Palestinians inside the territory, and the identity and number of prisoners to be freed in a swap.

Egypt is particularly focused on a security mechanism for the Philadelphi Corridor, the narrow border strip between Egypt and Gaza that Israeli forces seized in May.

Both Hamas and Egypt are opposed to Israel keeping troops there, but Netanyahu has said they are needed on the border to stop weapons being smuggled into Gaza.

Egyptian security sources said the U.S. has proposed an international presence in the area, a suggestion the sources said could be acceptable to Cairo if it was limited to a maximum of six months.

"The ceasefire in Gaza must be the beginning of broader international recognition of the Palestinian state and the implementation of the two-state solution, as this is the basic guarantor of stability in the region," Sisi said after meeting Blinken.

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk in Alamein, Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo, Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Alex Richardson and Giles Elgood)
Top row from left to right: Yoram Metzger, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder. Bottom row from left to right: Chaim Peri, Nadav Popplewell, and Yagev Buchshtab - Hostage and Missing Families Forum/Reuters

The bodies of six Israeli hostages have been retrieved from Gaza during an overnight military operation in Khan Younis, Israeli authorities said Tuesday, as the latest ceasefire negotiations continue.

In a joint announcement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Security Agency (ISA) named them as Yoram Metzger, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Chaim Peri, Nadav Popplewell and Yagev Buchshtab.

All but Munder had been announced dead in recent months by the Israeli military.

Israels Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the IDF and ISA had entered Hamas tunnels in a complex operation to retrieve the bodies.

We will continue working to achieve the goals of this war - returning the hostages to Israel and dismantling Hamas, Gallant said on X.

A joint statement by the ISA and IDF said the operation was enabled by precise intelligence from the two agencies intelligence units, and the IDF Intelligence Directorate Hostage Headquarters.

There are currently 109 Israeli hostages being held in Gaza, including 36 believed to be dead, according to data from the Israeli Government Press Office.

Munder, 79, Metzger, 80, and Peri, 80, were all residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz, near the Gaza border, where they were captured during Hamas October 7 attacks, according to statements from the kibbutz.

Munder was taken along with his wife, daughter and grandson, who were later freed during a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas in November. Munders son, Roee, was killed during the attack.

Nine-year-old Ohad Munder told Israels public broadcaster Kan 11 on Tuesday that the death of his grandfather and the other hostages shouldnt have happened.

There have already been many times when there were negotiations for (a) deal and then they say no  and in the end they dont want it, and always regret it at the last minute. All the hostages could have returned alive even on the first day. They could have brought back grandfather and all the other hostages, Ohad said.

Metzgers wife Tami was also kidnapped and later released in the November truce.

Popplewell, who was 51 when abducted, and Buchshtab, 35, were taken from Kibbutz Nirim, the kibbutz said in a statement.

In May, Hamas military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed Popplewell, a dual British-Israeli citizen, had died more than a month earlier of wounds he sustained after an Israeli airstrike hit the place where he was held. CNN was not able to independently verify the claim by Hamas.

The IDF said in July that Buchshtab was believed to have been held in Khan Younis and died several months ago, while the IDF was operating there. It did not detail the circumstances of the death at the time.

In a statement Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked those involved in the retrieval operation for their bravery and determined action.

Our hearts ache for the terrible loss, he said.

IDF to probe cause of deaths

The chief spokesperson of the IDF said Tuesday it was investigating what caused the deaths of the hostages.

Earlier on Tuesday, a report in the Israeli media had claimed that some of the fatalities may have been linked to an Israeli military operation in Khan Younis.

Israeli outlet Ynet had reported that an IDF preliminary assessment was that the hostages may have died due to suffocation after the IDF hit a nearby Hamas target and carbon dioxide flooded the tunnel where they were being held.

Asked in a news conference whether the IDF had killed the hostages, spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari referred back to a statement he made in June, when he had said the the hostages were killed while our forces were operating in Khan Younis.

However, he did not confirm that the hostages had been killed as a result of Israeli military action.

Hagari said the IDF would need to find out all the details and these bodies are in Israel, they will be brought for burial but were also examined at the Institute of Forensic Medicine.

The IDF would inform the families and the public of its findings, Hagari said.

The chief spokesperson also said the IDF would not be able to return all hostages through rescue operations, which is why Israel is active on all channels.

About 1,200 Israelis were killed and some 250 others kidnapped during Hamas October 7 attacks on Israel, according to Israeli authorities.

More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 92,000 injured during Israels war in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the enclave.

Ceasefire talks

The news comes as negotiations for a ceasefire continue, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying that Netanyahu agreed on Monday to a US bridging proposal for a deal after the pair met in Tel Aviv.

Mediators presented the bridging proposal to Israel and Hamas last week to close the remaining gaps of disagreement between both sides, a joint statement between the United States, Qatar and Egypt said.

Blinken said the next step in the ceasefire talks is for Hamas to say yes.

He arrived in Egypt on Tuesday for talks with top officials to get the latest from them on what they are hearing from Hamas, Blinken said. Further high-level negotiations are expected to resume as soon as this week in either the Egyptian or Qatari capital.

The same day, representatives of an Israeli hostage family forum said Netanyahu told them that Israel would not leave the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometer strip of land that serves as a buffer zone on the border between Egypt and Gaza, and had also appeared to cast doubt on a hostage and ceasefire deal.

Netanyahu said in the meeting that there might not be a deal, but the remark came in the context of Hamas potentially ruling out an agreement, the Tikva forums Zvika Mor, father of hostage Eitan Mor, told CNN.

Mor added that Netanyahu had insisted on maintaining Israeli control over the Philadelphi corridor, but had not committed to maintaining control over the Netzarim corridor  which intersects one of Gazas two main north-south roads to create a strategic, central junction.

In a statement released after the meeting, Netanyahus office did not directly mention either the prime ministers reported comments regarding the Philadelphi Corridor or the possibility of no deal.

Meanwhile, Hamas rebuked US President Joe Bidens comments about the group backing off from a ceasefire deal.

Speaking to reporters outside the Democratic National Convention early Tuesday, Biden said: Israel says they can work it out, theyre prepared  but I was told Hamas is now backing off. It remains to be seen, were going to keep pushing.

Hamas said in a Tuesday statement that Biden and Blinkens statements are misleading claims, and do not reflect the true position of the movement, which is keen to reach a cessation of aggression.

We consider these statements a renewed American green light for the government of Zionist extremists to commit more crimes against defenseless civilians, and in pursuit of the goals of exterminating and displacing our people, it added.

Hamas has previously indicated it will not accept the latest proposal, saying on Sunday that it doesnt include a permanent ceasefire and introduced new conditions in the prisoner exchange, among other issues.

In a statement Sunday, the militant group blamed Netanyahu for obstructing a deal from being reached.

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum said Tuesday that the recovery of hostage bodies provided necessary closure, and called for urgency to finalize a deal.

The Israeli government, with the assistance of mediators, must do everything in its power to finalize the deal currently on the table, it said in a statement.

Still, Israels military operation continues, with airstrikes across Gaza killing at least 40 on Tuesday, officials in the Palestinian enclave said.

At least eight people were killed and four people remain missing, according to the Gaza Civil Defense, after an Israeli airstrike targeted a school where authorities said thousands of displaced people were sheltering from violence.

Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal told CNN most of those killed and injured in the strike on the Mustafa Hafez school were women and children and that a number of people were still under the rubble.

The IDF said in a statement that the Israeli Air Force had conducted a precise strike on terrorists who were operating within a Hamas command and control center inside the school and that numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance and additional intelligence.

Israeli forces have repeatedly targeted schools used as shelters for civilians in Gaza, claiming that Hamas is operating inside the compounds.

Later Tuesday, at least nine people were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the central city of Deir al-Balah, according to health officials at the citys Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital.

Arwa Damon, a former CNN senior international correspondent and president and founder of the International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance (INARA), who is in central Gaza, heard the strike and saw a number of injured people while she was at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah.

Damon told CNN she saw two blood-covered children, a woman screaming on a stretcher, a man with a massive foot injury and a number of women wailing.

In a separate incident, at least four people were killed in a strike on a house in Khan Younis under which a makeshift phone-charging point was located, health officials at Nasser Hospital, which received the casualties, told CNN.

The phone-charging station that was hit is one of many in Gaza that sell mobile accessories and allow others to charge their phones for a fee. The stations are primarily for people who live in tents and do not have electricity.

CNN has asked the IDF for comment.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNNs Kareem Khadder, Sarah Dean, Jennifer Hansler, Mohammed Taqfeeq and Abeer Salman contributed to this report. Khader Al-Zaanoun of Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, contributed reporting from Gaza.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama called on Democrats across the country to get involved in the 2024 race for the White House.

The former president took the stage in Chicago at the Democratic convention and honored his own vice president, now-President Joe Biden, for passing the torch to the next generation of leaders. But he also told the rowdy crowd "Now its up to all of us to fight for the America we believe in."

And Michelle Obama led several chants of "do something!" as Election Day looms in less than 80 days.

Catch up with the USA TODAY Network's live coverage of the Democratic convention in Chicago.

Michelle Obama hits Trump over Black jobs remark in her speech

Former First Lady Michelle Obama directly hit Trump for his Black jobs remarks he made in June while he was slamming President Joe Biden on immigration.

Former President Barack Obama speaks during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center.

The former president at the time argued that the millions of people he's (Bidens) allowed to come in through the border, they're taking Black jobs.

Obama said, Whos going to tell him that the job hes currently seeking might just be one of those Black jobs?

Her remark landed her heavy applause and cheers from the audience.

-- Sudiksha Kochi

'Ready for a new chapter': Barack Obama condemns Trump reelection campaign

Former President Barack Obama blasted his White House successor and Harris 2024 Republican opponent, Donald Trump.

Former President Barack Obama during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center.

It has been a constant stream of gripes and grievances thats actually been getting worse now that hes afraid of losing to Kamala, Barack Obama told the crowd. Theres the childish nicknames, the crazy conspiracy theories, this weird obsession with crowd sizes. It just goes on and on and on.

The former Democratic president criticized Trumps platform on issues from immigration to reproductive rights, as well as his character.

The other day, I heard someone compare Trump to the neighbor who keeps running his leaf blower outside your window every minute of every day, Barack Obama said. Now from a neighbor, thats exhausting. From a president, its just dangerous.

Calling Trump a stale act, former President Obama said the country is ready for someone different.

We do not need four more years of bluster and bumbling and chaos. Weve seen that movie  and we all know that the sequel is usually worse, he said. Americas ready for a new chapter. Americas ready for a better story.

-- Savannah Kuchar

Former President Barack Obama speaks during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center.

Former President Barack Obama honors Joe Biden

Former President Barack Obama said choosing President Joe Biden as his running mate sixteen years ago turned out to be the best decision he made.

Other than some common Irish blood, Joe and I come from different backgrounds. But we became brothers, Obama said. And as we worked together for eight - sometimes pretty tough- years, what I came to admire most about Joe wasnt just his smarts, his experience. It was his empathy and his decency and his hard-earned resilience; his unshakable belief that everyone in this country deserves a fair shot.

Obama touted Bidens handling of the economy and the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a time when the other party had turned into a cult of personality, we needed a leader who was steady, and brought people together, and was selfless enough to do the rarest thing there is in politics: putting his own ambition aside for the sake of the country, he said.

He said that history will remember Biden as an outstanding president who defended democracy at a moment of great danger.

And I am proud to call him my president, but I am even prouder to call him my friend, he added. Now the torch has been passed. Now its up to all of us to fight for the America we believe in.

-- Sudiksha Kochi

Former first lady Michelle Obama introduces Former President Barack Obama during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center.

Michelle Obama's new catch phrase: Do something

The former first lady reminded her fellow Democrats on Tuesday that presidential elections are marathons, not sprints.

Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama speak during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center.

"If we see a bad poll, and we will, weve got to put down that phone and do something!" she told the crowd, before chants of "do something!" broke out multiple times.

It appeared to be a new catch phrase for Michelle Obama. In her 2016 convention speech, her comments that When they go low, we go high instantly went viral.

 Marina Pitofsky

Michelle Obama: 'Something wonderfully magical is in the air'

Former first lady Michelle Obama kicked off her remarks by asking the Democratic crowd in Chicago "Something wonderfully magical is in the air, isnt it?"

"Not just here in this arena but spreading all across this country we love," she said, adding "Its the contagious power of hope!"

 Marina Pitofsky

Former first lady Michelle Obama speaks during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center.

Michelle Obama criticizes Trump during remarks

Former First Lady Michelle Obama said that for years, Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us.

His limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who also happened to be Black, she said, referring to her and her husband former President Barack Obama.

Whos going to tell him that the job hes currently seeking might just be one of those Black jobs? she added. Its his same old con- his same old con: doubling down on ugly, misogynistic, racist lies as a substitute for real ideas and solutions that will actually make peoples lives better.

She knocked the former presidents policies on healthcare, reproductive healthcare access, educational policies and book banning.

Going small is never the answer, she said. Going small is the opposite of what we teach our kids. Going small is petty, its unhealthy, and quite frankly, its unpresidential. So, why would any of us accept this from anyone seeking our highest office? Why would we normalize that type of backward leadership?

She said that Americans deserve so much better.

Thats why we must do everything in our power to elect two of those good, big-hearted people. There is no other choice than Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, she said.

-- Sudiksha Kochi

Michelle Obama cautions against Goldilocks voters

Former first lady Michelle Obama said Tuesday this years election will still be an uphill battle for Democrats, and she offered the party a warning: We cannot be our own worst enemies.

The minute something goes wrong," Michelle Obama said, the minute a lie takes hold, folks, we cannot start wringing our hands.

We cannot get a Goldilocks complex about whether everything is just right.

While enthusiasm on the left has soared, evidenced by rally attendance and campaign donations, since Harris took over the ticket, some progressive voters have raise their concerns about the vice presidents record.

Kamala and Tim, they have lived amazing lives, and I am confident they will lead with compassion, inclusion and grace, Michelle Obama said. But they are still only human. They are not perfect. And like all of us, they will make mistakes.

-- Savannah Kuchar

Doug Emhoff makes debut on convention stage Tuesday

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff kicked off his remarks by acknowledging his family members in the audience, especially his mother.

A special shout out to my mother. I see you. My mother is the only person in the whole world who thinks Kamala is the lucky one for marrying me, he joked.

Emhoff recalls the time he connected with Harris: he got set up on a blind date and was given none other than Harris phone number.

Now for generations, people have debated when to call the person you're going to set up with. And never in history has anyone suggested 8:30am, he said. And yet that's when I dialed. I got Kamala's voicemail, and I just started rambling.

He later added, I was eating at my desk, which was not a regular occurrence for a busy lawyer like me who appreciated a good business lunch, but that's when she called me back and we talked for an hour and we laughed.

He said that he loves her laugh, which has been criticized by Trump and other Republicans.

Maybe that counted as our first date, or maybe it was that Saturday night when I picked her up and told her, buckle up. I'm a really bad driver, because you can't hide anything from Kamala Harris, so you might as well own it, and as I got to know her better, and just fell in love fast, he said.

-- Sudiksha Kochi

Sen. Duckworth shares personal infertility story in speech

Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois highlighted reproductive rights when addressing the convention crowd, speaking to her own experience having children with the help of invitro fertilization.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama speaks during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center.

If they win, Republicans will not stop at banning abortion, Duckworth said.

Speaking to her own journey having children, the senator and veteran blasted Trump and his running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

Duckworth warned of what she called Trumps anti-woman crusade.

My struggle with infertility was more painful than any wound I earned on the battlefield, Duckworth said. So how dare a convicted felon like Donald Trump treat women seeking health care like theyre the ones breaking the law. How dare JD Vance criticize childless women on cable news, then vote against legislation that would have actually helped Americans to start families.

-- Savannah Kuchar

McCains GOP is gone, Arizona Republican says

The late Sen. John McCains Republican Party is gone and voters dont owe a damn thing to todays GOP, said a Republican mayor from the battleground state of Arizona.

Mesa Mayor John Giles is leading a coalition of Republicans who support Harris in Arizona. He brought his pitch to Chicago on Tuesday night.

John McCains Republican Party is gone and we dont owe a damn thing to whats been left behind, Giles said.

Giles called McCain his hero during his remarks, and had harsh words for former President Donald Trump. He said that Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will put country over party in the same spirit as McCain, who represented Arizona in the U.S. Senate for three decades.

The Mesa mayor also noted that despite appearing at the Democratic National Convention, hes a lifelong Republican.

I feel more at home here than in todays Republican Party, Giles said. The Grand Old Party has been kidnapped by extremists and devolved into a cult.

-- Stephanie Murray

Alsobrooks, friend of Harris, knocks Trump

Angela Alsobrooks, a friend of Harriss and Democratic nominee for Maryland Senate seat, told convention attendees Tuesday that shes always been inspired by women like my grandmother, women who imagined a better future and then have the grit to make it a reality.

One of those women is a friend, a mentor and a role model. That woman is Kamala Harris, she said.

Alsobrooks blasted Trump, saying that ever since he rode down the escalator in 2015 announcing his presidential run, we as a nation have felt trapped.

Every national decision has been made in reaction to this one man and his extremist Maga movement, she said. We are still frozen by the fear that Donald Trump might once again come to power. And it's not just our politics that have been trapped. It's our imagination, and then Kamala came along. Kamala has reminded us that we don't need to fear anything, not the future, and certainly not that man.

-- Sudiksha Kochi

Trump only rich in stupidity, billionaire Pritzker says

Gov. JB Pritzker bashed Trumps personal fortune  and his intellect  during a DNC speech in the governors home state of Illinois.

Donald Trump thinks that we should trust him on the economy because he claims to be very rich. But take it from an actual billionaire, Trump is rich in only one thing: Stupidity, said Pritzker, a billionaire whose family owns the Hyatt hotel chain.

Pritzker was seen as a contender for vice president before Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to join her on the Democratic ticket. He praised both candidates and credited Harris for cleaning up Trumps mess during her time in the Biden administration.

We have a choice, America, between the man who left our country a total mess and the woman who has spent four years cleaning it up. And I think its time we stop expecting women to clean up messes without the authority and the title to match the job, Pritzker said.

-- Stephanie Murray

Sanders touts Biden record, says more to be done

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., praised the Biden administration and called for additional reforms in what would be a consecutive Democratic White House if Harris wins 2024.

Brothers and sisters, bottom-line: We need an economy that works for all of us, not just the billionaire class, Sanders, 82, said in his convention speech.

The senator, who ran against both Biden and Harris in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, gave the vice president his backing Tuesday.

I look forward to working with Kamala and Tim to pass this agenda, Sanders said.

-- Savannah Kuchar

Harris and Walz tune in to the DNC live from Wisconsin

After the convention delegates finished up their roll call, reaffirming Harris as the partys nominee, the crowd at the convention turned their attention to a live broadcast of Harris and Walz speaking from a campaign event in Wisconsin.

We are so honored to be your nominees, Harris said. This is a people powered campaign and together, will charge a new way forward.

-- Sudiksha Kochi

Schumer calls for a Democratic majority in the Senate, condemns antisemitism

Dancing to the tune of Bruno Mars Uptown Funk as he entered the convention stage, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began his remarks offering a stark contrast between a Harris term and a Trump term.

This November, we can choose a brighter, a fairer, a freer future, or we can relive the dark night of Trump's American carnage. Only one candidate will move America forward, Kamala Harris, he said.

Working with Harris in the Senate, Schumer said he saw a leader who was fearless and stood up for middle class families.

She will lead America forward into a brighter future, but she can't do it alone. She needs a Democratic majority in the Senate of the United States, Schumer said.

He also closed his remarks on a personal note, discussing his background as a high ranking Jewish elected official.

I want my grandkids and all grandkids to never, never face discrimination because of who they are. But Donald Trump, this is a guy who peddles antisemitic stereotypes I am wearing this blue square to stand up to antisemitism, to stand up to all hate. Our children, our grandchildren, no matter their race, no matter their creed, their gender or family, deserve better than Donald Trump's American carnage, he said.

-- Sudiksha Kochi

Why did Minnesota and California go last at the Democratic convention?

The ceremonial roll call at the Democratic convention mostly went in alphabetical order by state on Tuesday as delegates cheered for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

But why did Minnesota and California wrap up the roll call? Those are Harris and Walz's home states, receiving the traditional honor of finalizing the proceedings.

 Marina Pitofsky

Ana Navarro hits Donald Trump, Kristi Noem

"The View" co-host criticized former President Donald Trump on Tuesday and gave Kamala Harris a sweeping endorsement. But she also focused on man's best friend's role in the 2024 election.

"We cannot elect a president who does not like dogs  or hangs around with people who shoot them," Navarro said.

Trump during his term in office said he didn't have time for a furry friend. But South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem earlier this year faced major backlash after sharing in her book that she had shot a family dog that exhibited aggressive behavior.

 Marina Pitofsky

Harris certified as presidential nominee in party atmosphere

In an enthusiastic ceremonial vote Tuesday, Democrats approved Vice President Harris as their 2024 presidential nominee.

Lil Jon performs during the roll call for Georgia during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center.

Going alphabetically, representatives from each state cast votes in a process that included appearances from politicians as well as stars like Lil Jon, Spike Lee, Eva Longoria, Sean Astin and DJ Cassidy."

Harris had already secured the official nomination ahead of the convention via a virtual roll call earlier this month. Democrats held a similarly (but less star-studded) ceremonial vote for Harris running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Monday.

-- Savannah Kuchar

Whats that song that keeps playing in Chicago?

As Democrats gather in United Center, party organizers have nodded to the home of the Chicago Bulls and star Michael Jordan with use of the basketball teams iconic theme song, Sirius.

The song played as introduction for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker during Tuesdays ceremonial roll call as well as for former Bulls player, now NBA head coach Steve Kerr, who addressed the convention Monday.

Other state-related hits made the roll call playlist, including Sweet Home Alabama and Lose Yourself by Michigans Eminem.

-- Savannah Kuchar

Trump says he would consider appointing RFK, Jr., to administration

Trump has changed his tune considerably on Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., now that the independent candidate is thinking about endorsing him.

Asked by a CNN reporter Tuesday if he would consider a role for RFK, Jr., in a second Trump administration, the former president said: I didnt know he was thinking about getting out, but if he is thinking about getting out, certainly Id be open to it.

Trump called Kennedy a brilliant guy" and "a very smart guy" - a far cry from April, when he called him far more liberal than anyone running as a Democrat." At the time, Trump expressed concern that Kennedy's independent candidacy might cost him votes in the general election.

Trump's softer tone came after Kennedy running mate Nicole Shanahan said that their campaign was considering dropping out of the presidential race and endorsing Trump.

-David Jackson

Trump fixer Michael Cohen turns heads at the DNC

Michael Cohen, who worked as a fixer and attorney for former President Donald Trump, was spotted at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.Cohen, who spent more than two years behind bars for lying to U.S. congressional committees about Trump projects, testified against the former president during his May trial in which he was convicted on 34 felony counts related to the hush money payments to a porn star in 2016.DNC attendees stopped to take pictures with the frequent TV personality, who is reportedly shopping his own TV show called The Fixer.--Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy

Anti-Trump Republicans bash former president on convention stage

At the convention Tuesday, anti-Trump Republicans discussed why they were supporting Kamala Harris in November.

Kyle Sweetser, a former Trump voter, said that he used to donate the Trump campaign. But changed, he said, when he started to see Trump's tariff policy in action.

Costs for construction workers like me were starting to soar. I realized Trump wasn't for me. He was for lining his own pockets, said Sweetser. Now I'm not left wing, period. But I believe our leaders should bring out the best in us, not the worst. That's why I'm voting for Kamala Harris.

Stephanie Grisham, a former Trump press secretary, said that she wasnt just a supporter of the former president. She said she was a true believer and one of his closest advisors who would spend her holidays at the Mar-a-Lago.

On January 6, I asked Melania if we could at least tweet that while peaceful protest is the right of every American, there's no place for lawlessness or violence, said Grisham. She replied with one word, no. I became the first senior staffer to resign that day. I couldn't be part of the insanity any longer.

 Sudiksha Kochi

Common: Harris will change the world

Common, the award-winning rapper, actor and activist from Chicago, performed on stage with gospel musician Jonathan McReynolds on Tuesday night.

I thank God for this moment in time where Kamala Harris will change the world for the better, Common said when he took the stage. The pair sang about being fortunate to be alive during their performance.

 Stephanie Murray

Jason Carter, former President Jimmy Carters grandson, speaks during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center.

Jimmy Carter's grandson honors the former president

Jason Carter, the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter, opened his remarks by honoring his 99-year-old grandfather.

I can tell you that he wishes he could be here tonight. He and my grandmother led their lives with an unwavering faith in God, a respect for human dignity, honesty and a commitment to loving their neighbors as themselves, Jason Carter said. Those principles guided them throughout their lives, including during their four years in the White House and the four decades since.

Jimmy Carter has been in hospice care for over a year and former first lady Rosalynn Carter, his wife, died last year.

Kamala Harris carries my grandfather's legacy. She knows what is right, and she fights for it. She understands that leadership is about service, not selfishness, that you can show strength and demonstrate decency, said Jason Carter.

 Sudiksha Kochi

JFK grandson Jack Schlossberg speaking on night two

Jack Schlossberg, grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, is set to appear at the Democratic convention Tuesday.

The 31-year-old Vogue political correspondent was photographed earlier Tuesday meeting former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., conjuring flashbacks to decades ago when Pelosi, then 17, met Kennedy, a senator at the time.

Schlossberg is scheduled to take the stage immediately after another presidential descendant: Jason Carter, grandson of former President Jimmy Carter.

 Savannah Kuchar

James Taylor addresses scrapped performance at DNC 2024: 'Sorry to disappoint'

The acclaimed singer-songwriter James Taylor was scheduled to perform at the opening night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday. Taylor was slated to take the stage at the United Center alongside appearances from country music star Mickey Guyton and Americana singer Jason Isbell.

But while Guyton and Isbell delivered their DNC performances as promised, Taylor was notably absent from the Day 1 lineup.

In an Instagram post Tuesday, Taylor addressed his absence from the DNC lineup Monday night.

"We had a great rehearsal with @RickeyMinor and terrific singers, @KenyaHathaway and Mathew Johnson before the event," Taylor wrote. "But it became clear, as the evening unfolded, that there wouldn't be time for our 'You've Got a Friend' with cello and voices. Maybe the organizers couldn't anticipate the wild response from the floor of the United Center"

 Edward Segarra

DNC speakers schedule tonight: See who is speaking Tuesday, including Barack and Michelle Obama

The 2024 Democratic National Convention resumes Tuesday in Chicago after the first day saw appearances and speeches from the likes of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, basketball coach Steve Kerr and President Joe Biden.

Tuesday will also see its fair share of party heavyweights take the stage, with former First Lady Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama, among others, expected to speak.

Here's a full list of everyone expected to speak at the convention Tuesday evening.

 Gabe Hauari

Sen. Raphael Warnock calls Donald Trump a 'plague on the American conscience'

Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia on Monday said the 2024 election is "about the character of the country."

"People with no vision traffic in division," Warnock said. "(Former President Donald Trump) doesn't know how to lead us, so he wants to divide us. Make no mistake, Donald Trump is a plague on the American conscience. He is a clear and present threat to the precious covenant we share with one another."

Warnock also praised Biden as a "true patriot who has always put the people first."

Melissa Brown

'A fiasco': Officers arrest retired doctor, 70, biking near Gaza war convention protest

A 70-year-old retired emergency room physician said he was bicycling along an empty street Monday near a Gaza war protest when a Homeland Security officer arrested him for trespassing.

Charles Steinbruegge, of Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, wanted to check out the demonstrations near the United Center, where Democrats are gathering this week for their national convention.

Steinbruegge, a 20-year Army veteran who considers himself politically moderate and feels "agnostic" on the Israel-Hamas war, was not a protester, but a curious onlooker. He said he biked down a deserted street, away from an area police had cordoned off. Then an officer approached him, said he was in a restricted area  and promptly slapped him in handcuffs.

 Sophie Carson

What time will Michelle Obama speak?

Former first lady Michelle Obama will address the convention shortly before 10 p.m. CT, according to a DNC schedule. She will speak immediately before her husband, former President Barack Obama, who is slated to take the stage at 10 p.m.

Michelle Obama gave a memorable speech at the 2016 convention, where her when they go low, we go high catchphrase went viral.

 Stephanie Murray

What time will Barack Obama speak?

Former President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak at 10 p.m. ET, right after his wife Michelle Obama takes the convention stage.

 Sudiksha Kochi

Convention honors civil rights icon, Rev. Jesse Jackson

Democrats paid tribute Monday to Rev. Jesse Jackson, 82, the longtime civil rights activist and politician.

Jackson announced last year his diagnosis of Parkinsons disease. He appeared on stage in a wheelchair and received a standing ovation from delegates.

Savannah Kuchar

Who is DNC guest Jesse Jackson? Former presidential candidate makes appearance

Kinzinger, Grisham: Anti-Trump Republicans to hit the stage at the convention

Republicans who have been vocal critics of former President Donald Trump will appear on stage at the convention to discuss why they are supporting Kamala Harris.

These Republicans include former Trump press secretary Stephanie Grisham, former Illinois U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger and Geoff Duncan, the former lieutenant governor of Georgia.

 Sudiksha Kochi

Jasmine Crockett, Steve Kerr: Monday nights memorable convention moments

Democrats began their convention with a packed lineup of night one speakers, albeit with a few last minute cuts after events ran more than an hour past schedule.

Several Democratic lawmakers took the stage, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who rose to prominence in part over her spars with Georgia's firebrand on the other side of the aisle, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia.

On Monday, Crockett turned her attention and ire to Trump: "Kamala Harris has a resume, Donald Trump has a rap sheet," Crockett said, also calling the former president a "vindictive, vile villain."

The convention kick-off also included some non-Washington stars, like head coach of the NBAs Golden State Warriors Steve Kerr.

Kerr, who just helped lead the USA basketball to gold in the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer, said he now wants to see Americans (presumably even Jayson Tatum) playing on the same team and voting for Harris in November.

And after the results are tallied that night, we can, in the words of the great Steph Curry, we can tell Donald Trump night night! Kerr said.

 Savannah Kuchar

Trump attacks Harris over crime and police policy

Republican candidate Donald Trump made crime and police policy his major themes Tuesday, part of his ongoing counter-convention campaign against Democratic opponent Kamala Harris.

Speaking at a county sheriff's office in Howell, Mich., Trump decried what he called a "Kamala crime wave"  despite surveys showing reductions of crime in recent years  and assailed Harris' law enforcement views.

"It's a real anti-police crusade," Trump said of the vice president who has also been a district attorney in San Francisco and attorney general of California.

Opponents also hit Trump for holding his anti-crime event in Howell, a city with a troubled racial history, including links to the Ku Klux Klan back in the 1960s and 1970s; just last month, groups of white supremacists marched through the city, carrying Nazi flags and chanting "We love Hitler. We love Trump."

In an interview with ABC News, Mich. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said: "This is, I think, a troubling, troubling strategy that we see from the other side to divide us and to scare us and to stoke fear and anger." Trump rejected that complaint after his speech, and reminded reporters that President Joe Biden visited Howell in 2021.

 David Jackson

How to live stream Democratic convention

You can watch USA TODAY's live stream of the Democratic convention below.

Obama's legacy looms large in Chicago

Outside the Democratic National Convention, screen, printer and T-shirt vendor and Chicago native Rod Robinson, 60, said Obama represents the hope people like his grandparents long sought. As a Black family, Robinson said they admire Obamas hard work and success from the very beginning: He never broke their faith.

Tuesday, Robinson was selling a special commemorative T-shirt featuring Obama and Harold Washington, Chicago's first Black mayor. Obama was a community organizer in Chicago before becoming a law professor at the University of Chicago and entering politics.Hes as advertised: Hes not someone you can go dig up social media dirt in. Hes a good father, a good husband, a good man. And he came through for a lot of people, Robinson said. To see somebody  who followed all the rules, followed all of the instructions, went to school, went to college and came out in top? Hes like a superhero. He just doesnt have a cape or invisible jet.

A USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll of Black voters in several swing states shows Obama remains wildly popular among Black Democrats, especially: In Michigan, 84% of Black voters had a favorable impression of Obama, compared to 72% for Harris, 64% for Biden and 15% for Trump. In Pennsylvania 82% of Black voters have a favorable opinion of him, compared to 68% for Harris, 58% for Biden and 15% for Trump.

The survey of 500 Black voters in each of those states was conducted earlier this month. Harris is trying to persuade those Obama supporters to turn out for her in November, battling dissatisfaction felt for Biden by Black Americans, a key voting bloc to a Democratic win.

 Trevor Hughes

Will Taylor Swift endorse Kamala Harris? Swifties in London weigh in

While the DNC is in full swing in Chicago, Swifties in London spent most of Tuesday afternoon debating whether the singer would announce the rerelease of her album Reputation. So while many fans were dressed in outfits featuring the albums black color scheme and snake motif, other garb had political implications.

Halli Baker of Ohio walked down Olympic Lane to Wembley Stadium wearing a Taylor for President 2024 white T-shirt.

The shirt is not leaning red. Its not leaning blue, Baker said. I do think shell come out and be supportive of the Democratic Party.

Meghan Connors of Joplin, Missouri, agreed, saying Swift has already passively endorsed Harris.

I wouldnt be surprised if she doesnt publicly endorse her by the end of September or maybe mid-October, Connors, 30, said. I think shell promote it on social media, but dont think shes going to the DNC. American politics can get so volatile or so aggressive, you look at the Capitol attack. She wouldnt put herself in that much of the public eye because it would be dangerous.

Rochelle Ulloa from Los Angeles thinks Swift has planned out when she will make a political move.

It's like all eyes are on Taylor to make a move, but she's always made a good, honest effort, Ulloa said. Like she supported President Biden in the last campaign, and I think she just waits for when the time is right.

 Bryan West

'Hes just, like, an old guy': Gen Z Democrats laugh at Donald Trump-Taylor Swift AI drama

When does the Democratic National Convention start tonight?

Convention organizers are making adjustments to Tuesday nights programming to ensure the festivities dont stretch into the early hours of the morning, as they did on Monday.

Day 2 of the Democratic convention will start at 5:30 p.m. CT/6:30 p.m. ET.

Speakers will include former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and second gentleman Dough Emhoff.

 Karissa Waddick

Sen. Bernie Sanders on Harris' economic plan, Israel-Hamas war

In an exclusive interview with USA TODAY, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders weighed in on the economic plans coming out of the Harris campaign, the Israel-Hams war and progressive candidates in this year's primaries.

Sanders on Kamala Harris economic plan: Harris unveiled a plan last week which includes plans to ease rent increases, cap prescription drug prices for everyone, boost first-time homebuyers, end grocery price gouging and bolster the child tax credit. Sanders said he was "impressed" and would like to see the details fleshed out soon.

Sanders on Israel-Hamas war and U.S. aid: While he has been a staunch supporter of what Biden and Harris have done on domestic issues, on this issue, I think the president is wrong, he said. Israel had a right to defend itself against this horrible Hamas terrorist attack, but it did not have the right to go to war against the entire Palestinian people, Sanders said. And now creating a situation where tens and tens of thousands of children face starvation because Israel is not letting humanitarian aid come through.

Sanders on progressive members of the Democratic primaries losing: Reps. Jamaal Bowman, D-New York, and Cori Bush, D-Missouri, all members of the informal group of House lawmakers known as the "Squad," were booted by more moderate Democrats. Asked if the progressive wing of the party was weakening, Sanders pointed to Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, who defeated a primary challenger. We have a campaign finance system today which is corrupt, he said, blaming the defeats of Bush and Bowman on super PACs. And that is not, to me, what democracy is about.

 Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy

Harris commences transition planning

Kamala Harris has begun preliminary planning for a potential presidential transition, a move expected of any presidential candidate, according to a source familiar with the planning efforts.

The transition team will be led by Yohannes Abraham, U.S. Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Abraham served as executive director of the Biden-Harris transition in 2020 and worked in various roles in the Obama administration. The law firm Covington & Burling, which conducted Harris VP vetting and counts former Attorney General Eric Holder among its partners, will advise how best to set up the transition team.

Donald Trump announced his official transition team on Friday. WWE co-founder and former chief executive officer Linda McMahon and businessman Howard Lutnick will co-chair the effort.

 Karissa Waddick

Republicans speaking at Democratic convention

Its not just a Democratic affair in Chicago this week. Some prominent Republican leaders are also expected to speak at the United Center in support of Kamala Harris.

Those speakers include Geoff Duncan, the former lieutenant governor of Georgia, John Giles, the mayor of Mesa, Arizona, and former Illinois U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger. Olivia Troye, a former Trump White House national security official and Stephanie Grisham, a press secretary in the Trump White House, will also address the crowd.

True conservatism has been replaced with a cult. Ill be making that clear, Kinzinger said of his speech in a post on X. He will speak Thursday.

Grisham similarly said in a statement that she never thought shed be speaking at a Democratic convention. But after seeing firsthand who Donald Trump really is, and the threat he poses to our country, I feel very strongly about speaking out, she added.

 Karissa Waddick

Harris, Walz to host rally in Milwaukee Tuesday night

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will head north to Milwaukee on Tuesday to host a rally as their surrogates take the stage in Chicago for the second night of the Democratic convention.

The pair will speak at the Fiserv Forum, the same place where Donald Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination just over a month ago. The rally is expected to end at 9 p.m. CT and will overlap with much of the Day 2 festivities at the convention, which are slated to last until 10 p.m. CT.

 Maia Pandey and Karissa Waddick

Trump: There will not be a Sept. 4 debate (but a 'Tele-Town Hall' instead)

Donald Trump has confirmed something we already knew: There will not be a Sept. 4 Trump-Harris debate on Fox News.

Instead, Trump announced late Monday on his Truth Social website he will conduct a "Tele-Town Hall" with Fox News host Sean Hannity in Pennsylvania.

Trump proposed a Sept. 4 debate as part of a three-debate plan after Harris entered the presidential race. But there was never a chance that the new Democratic nominee would accept such an early contest, especially one on Fox.

Harris and aides said Trump needed to stick with his commitment for a Sept. 10 debate, an agreement he made with President Joe Biden before he withdrew from the race.

The Trump and Harris campaigns are also negotiating a second debate in October.

 David Jackson

What Barack and Michelle Obama will say tonight at the Democratic National Convention

Tonight is one of the most anticipated nights of the 2024 Democratic convention when Barack and Michelle Obama take the stage in their political backyard.

Two decades ago, Obama, a barely 40-something Illinois Senate candidate, launched himself into America's history books with a speech that's still talked about.

"It's good to be home in Chicago," Obama said in a post Monday evening on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The 44th president said he looks forward to joining party faithful to "share what's at stake in this election," and why Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Walz, her running mate, should be elected.

"President Obama believes this is an all-hands-on-deck moment, and is committed to doing all he can to elect Vice President Harris and Democrats across the country," Eric Schultz, a senior adviser to Obama said in a statement.

"His strategy this fall will be driven by where he can move the needle with Democrats and persuadable voters, especially in states with key races. That is why he will continue to engage in traditional and creative tactics to reach voters where they are and mobilizing the electorate in advance of Nov. 5."

Read more on what to expect from former president's speech tonight.

 Phillip M. Bailey

2024 Democratic National Convention schedule

Barack and Michelle Obama are the among the Democratic heavyweights scheduled to speak on Tuesday, the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Here's a look at the full schedule for the 2024 DNC for Tuesday.

Note: All times listed are in Central Time.

7 a.m.-9:30 a.m.: Delegation breakfasts

9 a.m.-10 a.m.: Morning press briefing

9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Women's Caucus meeting

12 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: Disability Caucus meeting

12 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: Youth Council meeting

12 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: Rural Council meeting

1:45 p.m.-3:15 p.m.: Veterans & Military Families Council meeting

1:45 p.m.-3:15 p.m.: Poverty Council meeting

1:45 p.m.-3:15 p.m.: Interfaith Council meeting

6 p.m.-10 p.m.: Main programming

Pop stars, massive crowds and history: How the Obama and Harris campaigns compare

Casting himself as a skinny kid with a funny name instantly made a barely 40-something Barack Obama a star.

The future president won over the heart of swing voters on the Democratic convention stage in Boston two decades ago with a message that a country where slaves once sang freedom songs had a place for people like him too.

Obama of course made history four years later winning election as Americas first Black president with a new coalition that coated most of the Midwest - including Indiana, Iowa and Ohio, along with a few southern states - in blue paint.

Now, Obama and a vast network of loyalists are back on his home court of Chicago with a goal to make history once more by helping elect the first woman of color to the most powerful job on the planet.

Read more on how the two campaigns compare.

 Phillip M. Bailey and Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy

DNC takeaways: Joe Biden's goodbye, Gaza ceasefire protests swarm Chicago streets

Democrats entered the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, with a much more upbeat outlook about their chances at retaining the White House. Harris is surging past Trump in battleground states, according to polling.

Much of the convention this week will focus on that enthusiasm and turning the page as Democrats focus on reproductive rights, bringing down costs for average Americans and attacking Trump's character.

Protests outside the arena threaten to distract from the progressive unity fest, however, as left-leaning activists demand Harris and the Democrats do more to end Israel's bombardment of Gaza as a result of its war with Hamas stemming from the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack.

Here are some key takeaways from Day 1.

'Thank you, Joe': Biden's farewell kicks off DNC 2024: Democrats paid tribute to Biden's five-decade career Monday evening, which began in the Richard Nixon era as the country's youngest senator and ends as its oldest president.

Biden leaves the DNC, and he ain't coming back: The president and first lady Jill Biden quickly left Chicago after his speech for Santa Ynez, California, to vacation in wine country  and the pair won't be around at the DNC convention for the rest of the week.

'Abandon Harris': Gaza protests swarm Chicago's streets outside convention: One of the more anticipated protests started Monday at Union Park, which is about a half-mile from the convention hall, with chants of "free, free Palestine." The crowd swelled to roughly 1,000 people as it approached the United Center.

AOC, Beshear and other rising Dems shine: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, and Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas were among those who addressed the convention.

Read more takeaways from the kickoff to the Democratic convention.

 Phillip M. Bailey and Joey Garrison

DNC schedule Tuesday: See full list of events, where to watch Democratic convention

Biden wanted his Democratic convention speech to be a launchpad. It became his swan song.

The cheers for President Joe Biden as he stepped on stage at the Democratic National Convention Monday night were so deafening that they rattled the rafters at the United Center in Chicago  thanking him for a half-century in politics, a crucial victory in 2020 and nearly four hard-fought years in the White House since then.

And thanking him for now being willing to leave.

The final speech on the convention's first night capped the most astounding turnaround in an election that has had more than its share of upheavals, including on the Republican side the unprecedented conviction of a former president on criminal charges and his defiant response to an assassination attempt.

Read more on Biden's Monday convention speech.

 Susan Page

Full speech: Read President Joe Biden's full speech from the DNC night one

When did Joe Biden drop out?

Joe Biden announced on Sunday, July 21 that he would not seek reelection amid intense pressure from Democratic leaders sounding the alarm that his path to beat Donald Trump in November had vanished.

"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President," Biden said in a letter addressed to Americans. "And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and my country for me to stand down and to focus solely on my duties as President for the rest of my term."

 USA TODAY Network

Who spoke at the DNC last night?

Monday's kickoff to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago included a notable list of speakers  including Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Steve Kerr. Here are some highlights.

What happens at the DNC?

Unlike the RNC, the DNC decided to confirm their nominee during a virtual roll call on Aug. 5 to satisfy ballot deadlines in several states. According to a news release, 99% of participating delegates supported Harris in the virtual roll call, and Harris and Walz accepted the nomination a day later.

In the meantime, there is still plenty left to do for the Democratic delegates. The DNC offers them a chance to adopt and unify a comprehensive party platform, taking a stance on issues like reproductive rights, immigration and economic policy. They'll also have a kind-of ceremonial vote for Harris, but her position as Democratic nominee is already final

The Democratic Party will post updates on its convention website, which can be found at demconvention.com.

 Maya Homan

Where is the DNC?

The convention will be in Chicago, just 90 miles south of Milwaukee, where the Republican National Convention was recently held.

The Democratic Party has held a national convention every four years since 1832 to nominate its chosen candidates, and Chicago has a storied history of hosting conventions on both sides of the political aisle dating back to 1860, with the nomination of Abraham Lincoln.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, this will be the Windy Citys 26th political convention.

 Maya Homan

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DNC live replay: Barack Obama honors Joe Biden, backs Kamala Harris
On the first night of the Democratic National Convention, Democrats doubled down on their attacks on Project 2025, the sweeping conservative strategy designed to guide the next Republican president, calling it Trumps plan to become a dictator.

They wrote down all the extreme things that Donald Trump wants to do in the next four years. And then they just tweeted it out, putting it out on the internet, Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow said. Its a plan to turn Donald Trump into a dictator.

Democrats plan to highlight portions of the more than 900-page document throughout their four-day convention.

McMorrow highlighted a part of the document that calls for the discharge of non-performing employees.

That doesnt sound that scary, right? McMorrow asked about the discharge calls. Heres what it actually means in plain English. If Donald Trump gets back into the White House, hes going to fire civil servants like intelligence officers, engineers and even federal prosecutors, if he decides that they dont serve his personal agenda.

Theyre talking about replacing the entire federal government with an army of loyalists who answer only to Donald Trump, she added.

Since Project 2025 hit the internet, Democrats have hit Trump and Republicans for their plans to radically alter the makeup of the federal governments civil service, essentially doing away with thousands of civil service, nonpolitical jobs.

McMorrow also attacked the Supreme Court for its presidential immunity decision, saying that the courts opinion makes Trump completely immune from prosecution.

By the way, if youre asking if any of this is even legal. Well, remember, thanks to Donald Trumps hand-picked Supreme Court, hes now completely immune from prosecution, even if he breaks the law, she said.

The Supreme Court largely sided with Trump in a 6-3 July ruling that held that former presidents are largely immune from prosecution for official acts or decisions they made while in office.

But thats not who we are. We believe in a government of the people, by the people and for the people, not the government of Donald Trump, by Donald Trump and for Donald Trump, she added.

Democrats have made Project 2025 a major part of their election pitch, saying it represents a danger Americans cannot afford if Trump is re-elected. Vice President Harris and Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) have made numerous references to the plan during their campaign rallies.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP)  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis isn't on the ballot Tuesday  but his education agenda is.

DeSantis is once again throwing his weight behind county school board candidates across the state. Though the seats are officially nonpartisan, the Republican governor has endorsed 23 school board candidates on the ballot Tuesday in 14 Florida counties  and he's targeted 14 incumbent board members he wants to see voted out.

One board that conservatives are hoping to win a majority on is in Pinellas County, home to St. Petersburg on Floridas Gulf Coast. Historically known as one of the states largest swing counties, Pinellas has been moving to the right in recent years. In a pattern playing out across the state, conservative activists there have equated certain teaching materials with pornography and labeled educators as groomers.

Much of the political debate in the races has focused on parental rights at a time when both parties are fighting to win over the contested voting bloc of suburban women. The modern parental rights movement grew out of opposition to pandemic precautions in schools and is now animated by complaints about classroom instruction on gender identity and systemic racism.

Florida's new school board members will take office as traditional public schools are facing dramatic declines in student enrollment, with districts large and small wrestling with whether to close schools and what to do with their real estate holdings once the campuses are shuttered. School districts are often among the largest employers and landowners in their communities.

Three challengers in Pinellas have won the endorsement of DeSantis and the local chapter of the conservative group Moms for Liberty.

If elected, candidates Stacy Geier, Danielle Marolf and Erika Picard would join two current members who are endorsed by Moms for Liberty, constituting a majority on the nine-seat board.

He knows who the true conservative is in my race, Marolf said after winning DeSantis' endorsement. My values are actually to protect children.

But some in Pinellas say parents' rights activists have gone too far, like school board candidate Katie Blaxberg, a registered Republican who's found herself on the opposing side of Moms for Liberty. Blaxberg is running against Geier for an open seat on the board.

Activists aligned with Moms for Liberty have disparaged Blaxberg online and posted information about her children and her home. The chapter president did not respond to phone and email messages from The Associated Press.

The misinformation that has been spread by this group of people and the intent to ... place mistrust in our teachers, Blaxberg said, people are tired of it.

___

Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Vice President Kamala Harris officially became the official Democratic presidential nominee during the second night of the Democratic National Convention.

The night included a lively and upbeat roll call vote of delegates that featured a DJ, some celebrities and energetic speeches. Also, Harris, who campaigned in Milwaukee, thanked the crowd in a live-streamed message.

Second gentleman Doug Emoff talked about his long relationship with Harris and touted her vision for the country.

But the night's biggest headline was the return of former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama to the DNC stage. Both stressed what's at stake in this election and pushed Americans to come together to bring the country to a better future.





Latest Developments





Aug 21, 12:04 AM

Harris thanks Emoff for speech in social media post

Harris posted a photo of her watching the second gentleman's speech at the DNC Tuesday night.



"Love you, Dougie," she wrote on the social media post.

PHOTO: Vice President Kamala Harris shared a photo on X of herself watching her husband, Doug Emhoff, speak at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 20, 2024. (Kamala Harris/X)





Aug 20, 11:45 PM

'Let's get to work' Obama says as he concludes speech

PHOTO: Former President Barack Obama speaks during the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago. (Brynn Anderson/AP)

After more than 30 minutes on stage, Obama had a simple message for convention-goers.



"As much as any policy or program, I believe thats what we yearn for, a return to an America where we work together and look out for each other," Obama said.



"That is what this election is about," he added. "And I believe thats why, if we each do our part over the next 77 days, if we knock on doors, if we make phone calls, if we talk to our friends, if we listen to our neighbors, if we work like weve never worked before, if we hold firm to our convictions, we will elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States and Tim Walz as the next vice president of the United States."



"So lets get to work. God bless you, and God Bless the United States of America."





Aug 20, 11:38 PM

Obama pays tribute to mother-in-law Marian Robinson

Turning personal, Obama spoke about the bond he had with Michelle Obama's mother, who passed away earlier this year.



"One of the reasons Marian and I became so close was she reminded me of my grandmother, the woman who helped raise me as a child," he said.



"They were strong, smart, resourceful women, full of common sense who, regardless of the barriers they encountered ... In that sense, they both represented an entire generation of working people who, through war and depression, discrimination and limited opportunity, helped build this country," he said.





Aug 20, 11:44 PM

Obama says 'mutual respect' must be part of party's message

Obama said to build a true Democratic majority, they have to give grace to people who may not align with their political views.



"That sense of mutual respect has to be part of our message," he said. "Our politics have become so polarized these days that all of us across the political spectrum seem so quick to assume the worst in others unless they agree with us on every single issue."

PHOTO: Former President Barack Obama speaks during the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley/AP)

"We start thinking that the only way to win is to scold and shame and out-yell the other side. And after a while, regular folks just tune out or they dont bother to vote," he continued. "Now that approach may work for the politicians who just want attention and thrive on division, but it wont work for us to make progress on the things we care about, the things that really affect peoples lives."



Obama later acknowledged those ideas "can feel pretty naive right now" but was adamant "the ties that bind us are still there."





Aug 20, 11:24 PM

Obama touts progress on the Affordable Care Act

The former president took a moment to note the achievements of his signature policy achievement.



"I notice since it became popular, they don't call it 'Obamacare' anymore," he said, prompting laughter.



Obama went on to say Harris will continue to build on that progress.



"Kamala knows we can't stop there, which is why she'll keep working to limit out-of-pocket costs" he said.





Aug 20, 11:21 PM

'I love this guy,' Obama says of Tim Walz

Obama commended Harris for her vice presidential selection.



"Let me tell you something. I love this guy," he said of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. "Tim is the kind of person who should be in politics. Born in a small town, served his country, taught kids, coached football, took care of his neighbors. He knows who he is and he knows what's important."



He said the Harris-Walz ticket is the embodiment of America's story.



"A story that says we are all created equal, all of us endowed with certain inalienable rights, that everyone deserves a chance, that even when we don't agree with each other, we can find a way to live with each other," he said. "That's Kamala's vision. That's Tim's vision. That's the Democratic Party's vision."





Aug 20, 11:43 PM

Obama says Trump's political 'act has gotten pretty stale'

Obama derided Trump's campaign for trying to pit Americans against one another.



"Donald Trump wants us to think that this country is hopelessly divided between us and them, between the real Americans who of course support him and the outsiders who don't," he said. "And he wants you to think that you'll be richer and safer, if you will just give him the power to put those other people back in their place."

PHOTO: Former President Barack Obama speaks on the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, on Aug. 20, 2024. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)

"It is one of the oldest tricks in politics from a guy whose act has, let's face it, gotten pretty stale," he continued. "We do not need four more years a bluster and bumbling and chaos. We have seen that movie before. And we all know that the sequel is usually worse."

"America is ready for a new chapter. America is ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris."





Aug 20, 11:14 PM

Obama says Harris-Trump matchup will be a 'fight'

"Now the torch as been passed," Obama said, turning to Harris' candidacy and her campaign against former President Donald Trump.



"Now it is up to all of us to fight for the America we believe in," he added. "And make no mistake, it will be a fight."



Obama went on to slam Trump as a "78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rose down his golden escalator."



"As we gather here tonight, the people who will decide this election are asking a very simple question: Who will fight for me? Whos thinking about my future, about my childrens future, about our future together?" he asked. "One thing is for certain, Donald Trump is not losing sleep over that question."





Aug 20, 11:42 PM

Obama takes a moment to reflect on Biden's legacy

As Obama reminisced on accepting the party's nomination 16 years ago, he spoke about choosing President Joe Biden to be his running mate.



"And looking back, I can say without question that my first big decision as your nominee turned out to be one of my best, and that was asking Joe Biden to serve by my side as vice president," he said.



"Other than some common Irish blood, Joe and I come from different backgrounds," he continued. "When we became brothers, and as we worked together for eight, sometimes pretty tough, years. What I came to admire most about Joe wasnt just his smarts; his experience. It was his empathy, and his decency. And its hard earned resilience. His unshakable belief that everyone in this country deserves a fair shot. And over the last four years, those are the values America has needed most."



Obama went on to praise Biden's leadership as president and for putting the nation before his personal ambition by stepping aside.



"History will remember Joe Biden as an outstanding president who defended democracy at a moment of great danger," Obama said. "And I am proud to call him my president, but I am even prouder to call him my friend."





Aug 20, 11:06 PM

Barack Obama takes the stage, met with 'Yes we can' cheers

The former president received a warm welcome from the crowd in the United Center, who revived his iconic campaign slogan "Yes we can!"



"I'm feeling fired up!" Obama said. "I am feeling ready to go -- even If I am the only person stupid enough to speak after Michelle Obama."

Click here to read the rest of the blog.
Octavia Johnson is a general assignment reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached at octavia.johnson@houstonchronicle.com.

Before joining the Chronicle, Octavia worked as a digital content producer at WATE-TV in Knoxville, Tenn., where she became a leader in producing fast paced, audience-focused content.

Octavia graduated from UNC Pembroke with a bachelor's degree in journalism before earning her master's degree in media and communications at Norfolk State University.
Freddie Freeman plans to play through a broken finger on his right hand. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Freddie Freeman has a hairline fracture in his right middle finger, but he plans to play through it.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced the injury Monday night. Freeman suffered the injury while fielding a ground ball in Saturday's loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Initial X-rays came back negative, but Freeman sat out Sunday's series finale against St. Louis.

Roberts revealed to reporters on Monday that a subsequent CT scan revealed the fracture but said Freeman would play Monday against the Seattle Mariners. Per beat reporters, Roberts said that the Dodgers didn't give much consideration to placing Freeman on the injured list and that Freeman said he could play through the pain. He was in his normal position at first base in Monday's lineup.

Dodgers activate Muncy, Edman

While Freeman avoided the injured list, the Dodgers announced multiple roster moves on Monday. Third baseman Max Muncy is back from the right oblique strain that has sidelined him since May 17. The Dodgers also activated infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman for his Dodgers debut.

The Dodgers acquired Edman from the Cardinals in a July 29 trade. Edman had missed the entire season to that point after offseason wrist surgery. Freeman, Muncy and Edman were all included in Monday's lineup against the Mariners.

The Dodgers also called up catcher Hunter Feduccia from the minors. In corresponding moves, they designated infielder Nick Ahmed for assignment, optioned outfielder Andy Pages and placed catcher Austin Barnes on the injured list.

The Dodgers also transferred pitcher River Ryan to the 60-day injured list. The rookie pitcher made four MLB starts before landing on injured reserve because of an elbow injury that requires Tommy John surgery and is expected to sideline him through the 2025 season.

Dodgers fighting through injuries atop NL West

The news that Freeman, Muncy and Edman were available Monday was welcome for a Dodgers team that has been plagued by injuries. Ryan is the sixth Dodgers pitcher to need Tommy John surgery in recent seasons, joining Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Emmet Sheehan, Walker Buehler and Kyle Hurt.

Two-way star Shohei Ohtani is limited to hitting this season thanks to elbow surgery that has kept him off the mound for 2024. Pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto  who joined the Dodgers from Japan on a 12-year, $325 million deal in the offseason  hasn't played since a rotator cuff injury on June 16.

Despite the injuries, the Dodgers have maintained control of the NL West. They entered play Monday with a 73-52 record and a three-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the division.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  The federal government issued on Monday the nations first floating offshore wind research lease to the state of Maine, comprising about 23 square miles (60 square kilometers) in federal waters.

The state requested the lease from the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for a floating offshore wind research array with up to a dozen turbines capable of generating up to 144 megawatts of renewable energy in waters nearly 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Portland, Maine.

The research array will use floating offshore wind platforms designed by the University of Maine and deployed by partner Diamond Offshore Wind. But construction is not likely for several years.

The research is key to growing the ocean wind energy industry in Maine.

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill last year that aims to see Maine procure enough energy from offshore wind turbines to power about half its electric load by 2040, and the state has selected a site to build, stage and deploy the turbine equipment. In the next decade, University of Maine researchers envision turbine platforms floating in the ocean beyond the horizon, stretching more than 700 feet (210 meters) skyward and anchored with mooring lines.

Clean energy from offshore wind offers an historic opportunity for Maine to create good-paying jobs, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and fight climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions, Mills said.

The state requested the lease in 2021. The roughly 23 square miles (60 square kilometers) in the federal lease is larger than the state's request of about 15 square miles (39 square kilometers). It will allow the state, the fishing community, oceanography experts and the offshore wind industry to thoroughly evaluate the compatibility of floating offshore wind.

Floating turbines are the only way some states can capture offshore wind energy on a large scale. In the U.S. alone, 2.8 terawatts of wind energy potential blows over ocean waters too deep for traditional turbines that affix to the ocean floor, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Thats enough to power 350 million homes  more than double the number of existing homes in the U.S.

President Joe Biden has made offshore wind a key part of his plans for fighting climate change.

Since the start of his administration, the Department of the Interior has approved the nations first nine commercial scale offshore wind projects with a combined capacity of more than 13 gigawatts of clean energy  enough to power nearly 5 million homes.
Moments after former Rep. George Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft, he told reporters that he was doing the right thing by recognizing his lies.

"Pleading guilty is a step I never imagined Id take, but it is a necessary one because it is the right thing to do," the New York Republican said on Monday. "Its not only a recognition of my misrepresentation to others, but more profoundly, it is my own recognition of the lies I told myself over these past years."

The plea comes nearly a year after he was indicted on 23 counts, including laundering campaign funds to pay for personal expenses, charging donor' credit cards and accepting unemployment benefits while he was working. He would have gone to trial in September had he not reached a plea agreement with prosecutors.

"Today, for what may seem like the first time since he started his campaign for Congress, Mr. Santos told the truth about his criminal schemes," U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a news release. "His flagrant and disgraceful conduct has been exposed and will be punished."

U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert said that Santos could face up to eight years in prison at his sentencing on Feb. 7. At minimum, he faces two years in prison and agreed to pay nearly $374,000 under terms of the plea agreement.

Here's a look at all the allegations against the former politician in the short time since he joined Congress in January 2023, including lying about being Jewish and the grandson of a Holocaust survivor.

George Santos, who was expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives, leaves after pleading guilty to criminal corruption charges at Central Islip Federal Courthouse in Central Islip, New York, August 19, 2024.

Why was George Santos expelled from Congress?

The House of Representative's voted 311-114 to expel Santos from office in December after he was indicted on the charges.

Before Santos' ousting, a House Ethics Committee report found substantial evidence that he committed federal crimes and misused campaign funds for personal expenses, like purchasing Botox and luxury apparel brands.

The report included more than 170,000 pages of documents, testimony from witnesses and financial statements alleging that Santos attempted to "exploit" his House campaign, deceive donors and lied about his campaign finances.

Both Democrats and Republicans called for Santos' resignation before the ousting. Lawmakers who voted against expelling him voiced concerns that doing so was premature as he had not been convicted.

Santos heavily denied the report's findings at the time, calling the investigators "biased."

What did the ethics committee find?

The ethics committee's report found that Santos fabricated multiple parts of his past, including that he worked at Goldman Sachs investment bank.

A subcommittee formed to investigate the former congressman probe reported "a complex web of unlawful activity involving Representative Santos campaign, personal, and business finances."

"Representative George Santos cannot be trusted," the subcommittee report said. "At nearly every opportunity, he placed his desire for private gain above his duty to uphold the Constitution, federal law, and ethical principles."

Santos lied about being Jewish and grandson of Holocaust survivors

Other lies by Santos include claiming to be the grandson of Holocaust survivors and that he is Jewish.

He claimed his maternal grandfather was forced to flee from Ukraine to Brazil to escape Nazism, CNN reported.

In December 2022, the New York Times reported that Santos lied about where he went to college, his bank job and falsifying records relating to his financial status.

Weeks later, Santos told the New York Post that he did fabricate his job experience and college education, adding that "my sins are embellishing my resume." He also responded to reports that he lied about being Jewish, saying he had claimed he was "Jew-ish."

Former aide accused Santos of sexual harassment

In February 2023, a former aide filed a complaint to the House Ethics Committee accusing him of sexual harassment.

The aide claimed Santos inappropriately touched him in the New York lawmaker's private office. Santos denied the allegation from the aide, who is the editor-in-chief of the Ohio news outlet the Scioto Valley Guardian.

"It's comical," Santos told CNN at the time. "Of course, I deny that claim."

Contributing: Bart Jansen, Ken Tran, Rachel Looker

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: George Santos pleads guilty, What is expelled congressman accused of?
Former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., on Monday pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, telling reporters outside the courthouse the guilty plea was the "right thing to do."

"This plea is not just an admission of guilt," Santos told the media. "It's an acknowledgment that I need to be held accountable like any other American that breaks the law."

In court, Santos, wearing gray slacks and a black sports coat, told the judge he was "committed to making amends and learning from this experience."

He is due to be sentenced on Feb. 7.

MORE: George Santos asks judge for more time to pursue plea deal ahead of court appearance

Santos pleaded guilty to claiming relatives had made contributions to his campaign when, in fact, they had not. Santos conceded he was trying to meet the fundraising threshold to qualify for financial help from the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Santos also stipulated that he committed other fraud, including charging donor credit cards without authorization and convincing donors to give money by falsely stating the money would be used for TV ads. He also stipulated he stole public money by applying for and receiving unemployment benefits during the pandemic to which he was not entitled.

Santos conceded in a statement to the court his actions "betrayed" his constituents and others.

In addition to potential prison time, Santos must pay restitution of nearly $374,000 and forfeiture of more than $200,000.

PHOTO: Former U.S. Rep. George Santos arrives for a court hearing at U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York Long Island Courthouse on Aug. 19, 2024, in West Islip, N.Y. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Santos faces a sentence of 75-87 months, including a mandatory minimum two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft.

Fighting back tears outside the courthouse after his plea, Santos said he was "flooded with deep regret" for his conduct. He vowed to accept responsibility for his actions while apologizing to his former constituents for allowing "ambition to cloud [his] judgment."

"It is clear to me now that I allowed ambition to cloud my judgment, leading me to make decisions that were unethical," Santos said. "Pleading guilty is a step I never imagined I would take, but it is a necessary one, because it is the right thing to do."

Santos acknowledged he failed his constituents and said he hoped to be a part of "restoring the integrity" he diminished through his lies.

"It has been the proudest achievement of my life to represent you, and I believe I did so to the best of my abilities, but you also trusted me to represent you with honor and to uphold the values that are essential to our democracy, and in that regard, I failed you," Santos said.

While Santos vowed to accept full responsibility for his conduct, his lawyers flagged in the final moments of his plea hearing this afternoon that the former congressman may not be able to pay over $200,000 in restitution.

Santos is required to pay the restitution 30 days before his sentencing on Feb. 7 and could face additional sanctions if he fails to pay in time.

"At this time, he does not have the money," defense attorney Andrew Mancilla told federal judge Joanna Seybert.

Defense attorney Joseph Murray insisted that Santos would make his "best effort" to make the money over the next five months.

"We will see how it goes, but I see substantial problems if he can't comply," Seybert said before accepting Santos' plea. "That sounds like we just have to hope."

Santos, 36, was charged in May 2023 with 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making materially false statements to the House of Representatives following months of news reports about lies the Republican congressman told in his past.

In October 2023, the then-congressman faced 10 more charges in the Eastern District of New York, including wire fraud, making materially false statements to the Federal Election Commission and aggravated identity theft.

He had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges and his trial had been scheduled to start in September.

In July, a judge denied Santos' motion to dismiss certain fraud charges, ruling he failed to meet the legal standards.

PHOTO: Former U.S. Rep. George Santos arrives at court in Central Islip, N.Y., Monday, Aug., 19, 2024. (Stefan Jeremiah/AP)

Two of Santos' associates, his former campaign finance chief Nancy Marks and fundraiser Sam Miele, have already pleaded guilty to charges.

Santos survived an expulsion vote on Nov. 1, 2023, in the wake of the superseding indictment.

His support among Republicans wavered after the release of a damning report from the House Ethics Committee two weeks after surviving the expulsion vote.

MORE: Judge declines to dismiss charges against George Santos in fraud case

"George Santos cannot be trusted," declared the 56-page report. "At nearly every opportunity, he placed his desire for private gain above his duty to uphold the Constitution, federal law, and ethical principles."

Santos allegedly reported fictitious loans to get wealthy donors to make contributions, according to the ethics report, used his connections to obtain yet more donations, including to make "purported 'repayments' of those fictitious loans," and diverted campaign money for his own use.

PHOTO: Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., walks from his office to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 1, 2023. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images, FILE)

Santos' expenses ranged from spending $2,280 in Atlantic City, where he allegedly liked to play roulette with his husband; $2,900 spent on Botox; approximately $10,000 spent at high-end Ferragamo and Hermes stores; and about $3,330 at a rental property, according to the report.

Exactly one month after surviving the first expulsion vote, Santos became just the sixth member of Congress to ever be expelled on Dec. 1, 2023.

He had, until that point, represented New York's 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of Queens and Nassau counties, since January 2020.

Santos ended a long-shot comeback bid to represent New York's 1st Congressional District in April.

Following court this afternoon, United States Attorney Breon Peace described Santos' crimes as a "fraud of unprecedented proportions."

"Today, ... or what may seem like the first time since he started his campaign for Congress, Mr. Santos told the truth about his criminal escapes," Peace said about today's plea.

-ABC News' Leah Sarnoff contributed to this story.

'Right thing to do': George Santos addresses pleading guilty to federal charges originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Ian McKellen is reflecting on how much his life has changed since an accident in June in London's West End, which left him with chipped vertebrae and a fractured wrist.

In an interview with Saga Magazine published Tuesday, the 85-year-old film and stage actor revealed he's wearing a neck brace and a splint on his right hand, two months after he fell off the stage during a production of "Player Kings," an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Henry IV."

"Ive relived that fall I dont know how many times. It was horrible," McKellen said.

"My chipped vertebrae and fractured wrist are not yet mended," the "Lord of the Rings" actor added. "I dont go out because I get nervous in case someone bangs into me, and Ive got agonizing pains in my shoulders to do with my whole frame having been jolted."

Ian McKellen took a tumble off stage while playing Sir John Falstaff during a June 17 production of "Player Kings" in London.

McKellen's had the help of his neighbors, whom he calls "beloved friends," as he convalesces at his London home, he said, adding: "I couldnt manage without them."

The incident happened during the June 17 evening performance of "Player Kings," and producers canceled the next day's show "so Ian can rest," according to a statement shared with USA TODAY at the time.

McKellen released his own statement the next day expressing his gratitude to National Health Service workers. "They have assured me that my recovery will be complete and speedy and I am looking forward to returning to work," he said.

Ian McKellen details what led to his fall off stage

The renowned Shakespearean theater performer explained that while portraying Sir John Falstaff on stage, his foot got caught on a chair. He tried to "shake it off" but ended up sliding across the newspapers strewn across the stage "like I was on a skateboard.

"The more I tried to get rid of it, the faster I proceeded down a step, onto the forestage, and then on to the lap of someone in the front row," McKellen explained. "I started screaming, 'Help me!' and then 'Im sorry! I dont do this!' Extraordinary things. I thought it was the end of something. It was very upsetting. I didnt lose consciousness (and) I hadnt been dizzy."

McKellen also revealed his injuries could have been much worse: "I was wearing a fat suit for Falstaff and that saved my ribs and other joints. So Ive had a lucky escape, really."

At the time, he saw the accident as the conclusion of "my participation in the play."

"I have to keep assuring myself that Im not too old to act and it was just a bloody accident," McKellen said. "I dont feel guilty, but the accident has let down the whole production. I feel such shame. I was hoping to be able to rejoin the play on the tour, but I couldnt."

"Player Kings" resumed performances with McKellen's understudy, David Semark, replacing him. He played opposite Toheeb Jimoh ("Ted Lasso"), who played Hal, and Richard Coyle ("Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time").

"Its unfinished business," he said of playing Falstaff. "There are suggestions well do (the play) again, but well see."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ian McKellen 'nervous' about going out after falling off stage
There were conflicting messages about the prospects of a truce deal in the Israel-Hamas war Tuesday as the death toll on both sides continued to climb. Civil defense officials in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said an Israeli strike on a school being used as a shelter in the enclave's biggest city killed at least 12 people.

The strike on the Mostafa Hafez school in Gaza City came as a children's activity took place next to the building, officials in the territory told CBS News. The Israel Defense Forces said the air force had struck the school as it was being used as a Hamas command center.

"The command and control center was embedded and hidden by the Hamas terrorist organization inside" the school, the IDF said in a statement, adding that "numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance and additional intelligence."

Palestinians inspect a school sheltering displaced people after it was hit by an Israeli strike, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Gaza City, Aug. 20, 2024. / Credit: Dawoud Abu Alkas/REUTERS

The IDF also said Tuesday that troops had recovered the bodies of six more hostages inside Gaza. Five of them were already known to have been killed in captivity, and a sixth was confirmed Tuesday. Israeli authorities said the bodies of Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, and Haim Perry were recovered from near the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis in an intelligence-led operation.

IDF operations in Gaza  where officials say more than 40,000 people have been killed since Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel sparked the war  have continued apace during the cease-fire negotiations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that the war will not end until Israel achieves its stated objectives of destroying Hamas and bringing home the remaining hostages. There were 109 people still listed as hostages in Gaza by Israeli authorities before the recoveries on Tuesday, including 34 known to have been killed whose remains were yet to be returned.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken left Israel Tuesday morning to head for Qatar and Egypt, which have helped the U.S. negotiate the long-sought but thus far elusive cease-fire agreement to halt the fighting in Israel's war with Hamas and to secure the release of the hostages. The talks appeared to be making headway Monday, as Blinken said Netanyahu had backed a so-called "bridging proposal" from the U.S. aimed at closing the final gaps in demands between Israel and Hamas.

Blinken and President Biden said the onus was on Hamas to agree to the proposal, but a Hamas official told CBS News right after the announcement by Blinken that the group "didn't receive any new proposals." Both sides have accused each other of blocking a truce agreement for months.

Blinken said Monday that Netanyahu had "confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal, that he supports it. It's now incumbent on Hamas to do the same."

Speaking Tuesday morning, Mr. Biden said Hamas was "backing away" from the deal, saying it was "still in play, but you can't predict" the outcome of the talks.

"Israel says they can work it out," the president said in Chicago, but "Hamas is now backing away."

Hamas fired back Tuesday, accusing Mr. Biden and Blinken of issuing "misleading" statements that "do not reflect the true position of the movement [Hamas], which is keen to reach a cessation of aggression."

The group, in a statement released on social media, again accused Israel of changing the terms of a truce proposal tabled in early July that it says was "based on Biden's own declaration on May 31st," calling U.S. acceptance of the changes purportedly sought by Israel, "acquiescence to the terrorist Netanyahu's new conditions and his criminal plans towards the Gaza Strip."

During his visit to Israel on Monday, Blinken said the talks were at "a decisive moment  probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a cease-fire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security."



Sneak peek: Andreen McDonald: A Millionaire Vanishes

Watch: Former President Obama bashes Trump, makes case for Harris, calls for unity in DNC speech

Watch: Michelle Obama slams Trump's "Black job" comment, praises Kamala Harris in DNC speech
Rep. Matt Gaetzs primary in Florida on Tuesday presents the last opportunity for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy to exact revenge on the Republicans who ousted him last year.

Gaetz, however, is the heavy favorite as he faces Navy veteran Aaron Dimmock in Tuesdays primary, when voters head to the polls in Florida, Wyoming and Alaska.

McCarthy, R-Calif., has backed Dimmock, and Florida Patriots PAC, a group tied to McCarthy's allies, has spent $3.5 million on ads against Gaetz, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. The group has run ads referring to an ongoing Ethics Committee investigation into Gaetz over alleged drug use and sexual misconduct. Gaetz has criticized the investigation as frivolous.

But Florida Patriots PAC stopped spending in the race three weeks ago, a sign that Gaetz is in an advantageous position.

Kevin McCarthy and Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz.

Gaetz is the final member of the GOP cohort that voted to remove McCarthy as speaker to face a primary this year. While most members of that group who ran for re-election have won renomination, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, of Virginia, lost a close primary this summer.

Unlike Good, Gaetz has a crucial endorsement in his race: former President Donald Trump. Gaetz has touted Trumps support on the airwaves, with one TV ad featuring audio of Trump saying Gaetz is a very good person and hes a very capable man. You ever watch this guy on television? Like a machine. Hes great. He loves Florida and he loves the country.

McCarthy has acknowledged that Gaetz could be tough to beat in his conservative 1st District this year. But he suggested to reporters at last month's Republican National Convention that he may also be trying to damage Gaetz's standing ahead of a potential statewide bid in 2026.

I dont think hell ever be able to run for governor like he wants to, McCarthy said, according to The Independent.

Trump, who cast his Florida primary ballot last week, has backed every other member of the state's GOP delegation up for re-election, including Sen. Rick Scott. That race will be set Tuesday, with Scott expected to face former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who's leading in the polls in the Democratic primary.

Trumps endorsement is also on the line in the primary in Floridas 8th District to replace retiring GOP Rep. Bill Posey. The former president has backed former state Sen. Mike Haridopolos, who has been the top GOP fundraiser in the race and who has gotten a boost on the airwaves from two aligned outside groups.

Floridas primaries will also officially set the matchups in four competitive House races, with GOP Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Maria Elvira Salazar and Democratic Reps. Darren Soto and Jared Moskowitz defending their seats in November.

But the most expensive primary in the state, at least when it comes to ad spending, is a state Senate contest that has drawn more than $10 million on the airwaves.

Trump is involved here, too, endorsing former St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar. But he is running against some heavy hitters in the GOP primary. State Rep. Tom Leek, the former head of the Appropriations Committee, is backed by a slew of major Republicans in the state, like Scott, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez. And Gerry James is backed by former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and other conservative groups.

Alaska opportunity

Tuesdays primaries will also tee up the general election contest in Alaskas at-large congressional district. Rep. Mary Peltola is a top GOP target as one of five Democrats representing a district Trump carried in 2020. Trump won Alaska by 10 points four years ago.

In Alaska, the top four vote-getters in the primary, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the November election, which is then decided by ranked-choice voting. That dynamic helped Peltola win a special election in 2022 and a full term that November.

The top two GOP candidates in the race are Nick Begich, who comes from a well-known political family in the state, and Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom. Trump and other GOP leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., have endorsed Dahlstrom.

Begich is back for another run after losing in 2022, and he has support from the political arm of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus.

While Begich has pledged to drop out if he finishes behind Dahlstrom in the primary, Dahlstrom has not committed to doing the same.

Meanwhile, in Wyoming, Sen. John Barrasso and Rep. Harriet Hageman aren't facing serious primary threats in the heavily conservative state.
But is it really that bad?

Chef John/Allrecipes

One of our favorite things at Allrecipes is celebrating the regional delicacies that our community of home cooks grew up eating. And there are some good ones out there.

Take the Pittsburgh Salad, where you load up your favorite salad with fries and other tasty delicacies. Or how about the Boston Cooler, a beloved ice cream treat that doesnt even hail from Boston?

But what happens when the cuisine born in your region is deemed Americas Worst"? In the case of "America's Worst Pizza," you get some die-hard fans.

What Is New England Pizza?

Originating in Lawrence, Massachusetts, near the New Hampshire border, the first rendition of this dish came from a Sicilian bakery called Tripoli. While Tripoli began as a purveyor of cannolis and other pastries, it soon added sheet-pan pizzas to its repertoire. The inland establishment expanded to the beach towns of Salisbury, Massachusettes, and Seabrook, New Hampshire, where the pizza garnered a cult-like following and the moniker, "New England Beach Pizza."

Somewhere along the way, the sheet-pan pizza acquired another, less flattering designation as "not very good" and even "America's worst pizza." But is New England Beach Pizza really that bad, and if so, why? According to its haters, it seems to boil down to a mix of presentation and execution. New England Beach Pizzia features a thin crust, a very sweet sauce, and little in the way of toppings other than a small sprinkle of mozzarella and rows of circular slices of provolone.

In a recent Reddit thread, fans of the dish admit that these slices won't win any awards, but that they remain a nostalgic, endearingly delicious culinary right of passage for any visit to this swath of New England's shore. Many Tivoli fansand those of rival pizza shop Cristy'sjumped into the discussion to explain that eating this dish brings back a lot of happy memories.

It's not great, but it's the kind of thing that eating it reminds you of a location, so it makes you happy, one user explained. You could basically make it at home as a snack in 30 seconds.

Essentially, the headline of a 2019 article on Eater.com describes the paradox perfectly: "New England Beach Pizza Is Not Very Good. Everyone Should Try It."

How To Make New England Beach Pizza

Luckily for us, Chef Johnaka John Mitzewich, who has his own cult following here on Allrecipes, on his YouTube channel, and at the California Culinary Academy where he is an instructoris defending this questionable dish and showcasing it in all its glory with a new recipe for New England Beach Pizza.

The recipe comes together in about 40 minutes, with only 10 minutes of prep. After preheating your oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C), prepare the sauce: a mixture of sauteed garlic, tomato paste, a jar of marinara, water, more sugar than you might think, and a 1/4 teaspoon each of oregano and chili flakes.

Chef John calls for store-bought pizza dough, which you'll stretch out onto a sheet pan prepped with olive oil. Top the dough with a light layer of sauce, then a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese. Bake until the crust is cooked through and the bottom is golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. When your pizza comes out of the oven, top it with slices of provolone. You can serve and eat it immediately, or return the pizza to the oven for a few minutes to melt the provolone a bit more.

And now, enjoy your bad pizza!



Read the original article on All Recipes.
The actor was arrested at about 1:15 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17

Albert L. Ortega/Getty Michael Madsen on Nov. 20, 2022

Michael Madsen was arrested on a charge of misdemeanor domestic battery over the weekend.

The Reservoir Dogs actor, 66, was taken into custody in Malibu at about 1:15 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17, according to online arrest records, which added that his bail was set at $20,000. He was arrested under California Penal Code section 243(e)(1), which is battery of a spouse.

A rep for Madsen confirmed to PEOPLE that the actor has now returned home.

Additionally, his rep told TMZ and Variety in a statement, "It was a disagreement between Michael and his wife, which we hope resolves positively for them both."

Madsen, known for films like Kill Bill and Thelma & Louise, wed wife DeAnna in 1996 and was previously married twice before.

VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Michael Madsen and wife DeAnna on Nov. 16, 2020

He was arrested on a charge of misdemeanor trespassing back in February 2022, an incident that came one month after his 26-year-old son Hudson died by suicide. The actor's other children are Christian, Calvin, Max and Luke.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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Read the original article on People.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP)  Missouri residents now must provide proof of gender-affirmation surgery or a court order to update their gender on driver's licenses following a Revenue Department policy change.

Previously, Missouri required doctor approval, but not surgery, to change the gender listed on state-issued identification.

Missouri's Revenue Department on Monday did not comment on what prompted the change but explained the new rules in a statement provided to The Associated Press.

Customers are required to provide either medical documentation that they have undergone gender reassignment surgery, or a court order declaring gender designation to obtain a driver license or nondriver ID card denoting gender other than their biological gender assigned at birth, spokesperson Anne Marie Moy said in the statement.

LGBTQ+ rights advocacy group PROMO on Monday criticized the policy shift as having been done secretly."

We demand Director Wayne Wallingford explain to the public why the sudden shift in a policy that has stood since at least 2016, PROMO Executive Director Katy Erker-Lynch said in a statement. When weve asked department representatives about why, they stated it was following an incident."

According to PROMO, the Revenue Department adopted the previous policy in 2016 with input from transgender leaders in the state.

Some Republican state lawmakers had questioned the old policy on gender identifications following protests, and counterprotests, earlier this month over a transgender womans use of womens changing rooms at a suburban St. Louis gym.

I didn't even know this form existed that you can (use to) change your gender, which frankly is physically impossible genetically, Republican state Rep. Justin Sparks said in a video posted on Facebook earlier this month. "I have assurances from the Department of Revenue that they are going to immediately change their policy.

Life Time gym spokesperson Natalie Bushaw previously said the woman showed staff a copy of her driver's license, which identified her as female.

It is unclear if Missouris new policy would have prevented the former Life Time gym member from accessing womens locker rooms at the fitness center. The woman previously told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that she has had several gender-affirming surgeries.

Life Time revoked the woman's membership after the protests, citing publicly available statements from this former member impacting safety and security at the club.

The former member declined to comment Monday to The Associated Press.

This action was taken solely due to safety concerns, spokesperson Dan DeBaun said in a statement. Life Time will continue to operate our clubs in a safe and secure manner while also following the Missouri laws in place to protect the human rights of individuals.

Missouri does not have laws dictating transgender people's bathroom use. But Missouri is among at least 24 states that have adopted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for minors.

Missouri continues to prove it is a state committed to fostering the erasure of transgender, gender expansive, and nonbinary Missourians, Erker-Lynch said.
Antonios Pagourtzis, left, reacts as he and his wife, Rose Marie Kosmetatos listen to Galveston County Court No. 3 Judge Jack Ewing read the jurys verdict Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, at the Galveston County Courthouse in Galveston, Texas. POOL/Jennifer Reynolds/Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News Rose Marie Kosmetatos, facing, hugs her attorney Lori Laird on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, after a split jury found her and husband, Antonios Pagourtzis, not liable in the 2018 school shooting at Santa Fe High School. The jury found most of the blame fell on their son, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, the accused shooter, and Lucky Gunner, an ammunition seller. POOL/Jennifer Reynolds/Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News Antonios Pagourtzis, left, comforts his wife, Rose Marie Kosmetatos, as they listen to Galveston County Court No. 3 Judge Jack Ewing read the juryOs verdict in their civil trial at the Galveston County Courthouse in Galveston, Texas on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. A split jury found the couple not liable in the 2018 school shooting at Santa Fe High Schoo. The jury found most of the blame fell on their son, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, the accused shooter, and Lucky Gunner, an ammunition seller. POOL/Jennifer Reynolds/Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News Antonios Pagourtzis, center, wipes away tears after he and his wife, Rose Marie Kosmetatos, left, were found not liable for the 2018 shooting at Santa Fe High School by a split jury Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, at the Galveston County Courthouse in Galveston,Texas. POOL/Jennifer Reynolds/Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News

The parents of the accused gunman in the 2018 Santa Fe school shooting were found not liable for negligence by a Galveston County jury Monday.

The civil case was filed shortly after the shooting by parents of the victims and several wounded survivors. They accused Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos of failing to recognize their sons deteriorating mental health condition and inadequately securing the familys firearms, ultimately leading to the shooting that left eight students and two teachers dead.

If someone commits a crime, we hold that person responsible for the crime they committed, not the parents, said Lori Laird, an attorney for the defense. What we should be looking at is whats reasonable in a case like this.

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Speaking on behalf of the plaintiffs, attorney Clint McGuire said that, while the verdict was disappointing, it still helped to raise awareness about the shooting and firearm safety.

This is one of the largest verdicts in Galveston County history, McGuire said. We didn't get the ultimate outcome we wanted, but we made progress.

McGuire said there are currently no plans to appeal the jurys verdict.

The trial has taken six years to come to fruition. During the past two weeks, families on both sides have taken to the stand to testify about the mental health of 23-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis, who surrendered to police shortly after the shooting. Dimitrios repeatedly has been found mentally unfit to stand trial, delaying criminal proceedings until at least 2025.

Last Thursday, a psychiatrist for Dimitrios, Dr. Bradley Peterson, said Dimitrios suffers from persistent psychosis and a type of schizoaffective disorder heavily influenced by bipolar disorder. Dimitrios believed he was part of a CIA plot and was receiving instructions on behalf of a mysterious deity named Natasha, Peterson said.

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While the family escaped unscathed, Dimitrios and Lucky Gunner, a Tennessee-based ammunition company, were found liable for the shooting. Lucky Gunner previously settled with families out of court, but the jury nonetheless found the company partially responsible for the shooting.

Since Lucky Gunner previously settled the claim, the jurys findings were purely a matter of legal procedure and did not grant the plaintiffs anything extra in compensation. The company sold the then 17-year-old more than 100 rounds of ammunition used in the shooting. At no point did they request identification from Dimitrios.

It remains unclear how plaintiffs intend to collect the millions owed to them by Dimitrios, who is currently in a state mental health facility.

Moving forward, Laird told the Chronicle she hopes the verdict will be an opportunity for both parties to begin the healing process.

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An elephant in Thailand is celebrating the sweet taste of freedom. Mare Noi was rescued from captivity recently, and luckily for us a new viral video shows her taking her first steps without chains in 41 years.

Aaron Jackson has been documenting the many elephants that he's worked tirelessly to save. And Mare Noi's rescue is nothing short of miraculous.

Elephants are beloved, gentle creatures. Which is why when you see one get abused it's so upsetting. Thankfully, that's no longer the case for Mare Noi. The video Jackson shared shows the elephant practically strolling down a road. No more chains for this girl, she's a free woman now.

Related: Cute Video of Rescued Elephant Playing Like a Kid Is Making Everybody Smile

"You are looking at the newest free elephant in the world," Jackson said in the clip. "This is her first time walking free."

"She's walking really, really fast because she's used to having chains around her feet," he added.

Infuriatingly, Mare Noi was used as a "logging and breeding elephant," before her rescue. "She has been waiting for this day for a long time," he added in the caption.

This is a happy day for everyone, including the people in the comments section. "Her happy ear flaps. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful moment," wrote one person. "You can see her relief and serenity in her face. That's awesome," someone else added. "Can you please give her a hug from me? Shes beautiful," one person praised. "Forty-one years?!?!?!!! Makes my heart hurt! I cannot wait to watch her transform into the happiest elephant she deserves to be!" exclaimed another commenter.

Mare Nois Rescue Was a Long Time Coming

Jackson first posted about the elephant last week when he shared that Mare Noi was free.

As Jackson explained, none of Mare Noi's children survived while she was in captivity.

"She had two miscarriages and one stillbirth," he added. "That ends today."

But it's not enough to simply free Mare Noi. They have a plan for the elephant and will be sending her to her new home soon.

"Planting Peace raised the funds to buy her freedom," he explained in the caption. "Once the chains come off, she will go to Boon Lott Elephant Sanctuary to live out the rest of her days."

"She will have 500 acres to roam and call home," the caption continues. It's a far cry from the life that she's been living. It's enough to bring a tear to our eyes and it definitely touched the animal rescuer too. "This is what elephant rescue is all about," he wrote. "I am so excited to see these chains come off!

Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson waves as he appears on stage Monday night at the Democratic National Convention. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

The Democratic National Convention will mark many transitions, not the least of them a generational passing of the torch.

President Biden this week is in effect handing control of the party, and the 2024 presidential nomination, to Vice President Kamala Harris  an 81-year-old with decades in public life ceding the national stage to his 59-year-old protege.

Sunday night, on a less prominent stage, the party's most ardent progressives stopped to recognize another leader and another transition: Several hundred people streamed into the auditorium at Rainbow PUSH headquarters to rain praise and affirmation on the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Jackson is 82 and living with Parkinsons disease. A year ago, he appeared frail and spoke only a few words as he formally stepped down as president of the organization he created in the 1970s (the PUSH is for People United to Save Humanity) as a force for civil rights and economic equality.

Sitting in a wheelchair, Jackson soaked in the celebration Sunday night from the front of the auditorium where he had so many times urged on his followers. For more than three hours, he received a constant stream of admirers who said they had been trained and inspired by him over the decades. All the while, prominent Democrats and others spoke from the stage.

From Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), to Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles), to the Rev. Al Sharpton, to independent presidential candidate Cornel West, they agreed: Jackson and his work as a groundbreaking Black presidential candidate in 1984 and 1988 sowed the political field for the eventual blossoming of other Black leaders, including Harris.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) was the first of half a dozen left-leaning members of the House to say their careers might not have happened but for the inspiration of Jackson, who was born in Greenville, S.C., became a lieutenant to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and launched his rights crusades in Chicago.

He made sure that every single person had a place to stand. Everybody was somebody, Jayapal said, echoing Jacksons signature I am somebody refrain. She mentioned all the groups Jackson welcomed into his organization  multiple races, ethnicities, LGBTQ+ individuals, farmworkers and more. And dont forget that civil rights and economic justice were deeply intertwined, and nobody, nobody made that argument better than the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Read more:3rd Party in '96 Is Hot Topic as Rainbow Meets : Politics: The Rev. Jesse Jackson tells the national coalition that it 'must develop independent ballot access' in states and localities.

We stand on your shoulders, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Jayapal said to resounding applause. For every elected official we will see on that [convention] stage for the next several days, we are here on your shoulders. We are here because you laid the path for us.

The Nation, a venerable magazine of Americas political left, sponsored the Jackson celebration. Publisher and former editor Katrina vanden Heuvel carried a printed copy of the 1988 editorial in which the magazine endorsed Jackson. She noted that he had been an early voice for decreasing the size of the U.S. military and shifting the savings into domestic programs. Vanden Heuvel called Jackson a man of peace and a great citizen of the world.

Many of those onstage, including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont), spoke of how they had followed Jackson since their youth, galvanized into lives of public service by Jacksons ringing speeches at the 1984 and 1988 Democratic conventions.

In 1988, Khanna recalled, Jackson had said he would not be content to be a small boat, plying the waters in a safe harbor; that he was intent on being out where the big boats are, in the open ocean of the worlds great challenges, like apartheid in South Africa and economic injustice in America.

Jackson accumulated more delegates in the 1988 race than any other candidate except Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis, the governor of Massachusetts, who would go on to a resounding loss to George H.W. Bush. Two opponents who won fewer delegates than Jackson that year: then Sen. Joe Biden and future Vice President Al Gore.

Jackson's ringing oratory to the delegates at that years Democratic convention built with the cadences and rhythm of his years as a Baptist preacher. No one listening that night, at the Omni in Atlanta, would have mistaken what they heard for a concession speech.

"I'm tired of sailing my little boat, far inside the harbor bar, he said near the end of the address. I want to go out where the big ships float, out on the deep where the great ones are. And should my frail craft prove too slight for waves that sweep those billows o'er, I'd rather go down in the stirring fight than drowse to death at the sheltered shore.

We've got to go out, my friends, where the big boats are.

Read more:Jackson on Political Tour of Mississippi : Democrats: Snubbed by Clinton, he maintains careful distance from the nominee. Civil rights leader says his focus is on local candidates.

By the time Jackson concluded, roaring Keep hope alive! once, twice  four times, Democratic delegates were rhapsodic. Some wept.

When he spoke, Sharpton described Jacksons remarkable rise, born in the Deep South, in the back of the bus, and growing to be a world leader. He credited Jackson with creating the language still spoken by progressives, particularly Black leaders.

Some might say that Jackson, laid low by disease, cant walk like he used to and talk like he used to, Sharpton said.

His voice rising, the MSNBC commentator suggested those people would be wrong. I want you to know that every time a Black opens their mouth and talks about hypocrisy, Jesse Jackson is talking!" he shouted, as the crowd jumped to its feet. "Every time we march, Jesse Jackson is marching!

Applause and shouts of affirmation drowned out Sharptons conclusion. A screen flashed on Jackson, a small smile breaking his lips.

More than 90 minutes later, the crowd had thinned. A moderator from the Nation hinted that Jackson might speak. All eyes trained on the front of the Rainbow PUSH auditorium and a hush fell. But no words came.

Soon, a platoon of Jackson aides pushed his wheelchair to a waiting van, which rolled away slowly into the Chicago night.

One day later, Jackson would make a similar, brief visit to the spotlight. He was wheeled onto the stage Monday evening on the first day of the Democratic National Convention. The crowd inside the United Center cheered, as Jackson waved and smiled.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
By Elida Moreno

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - The first flight of deported migrants left Panama early on Tuesday, part of a new strategy to reduce the mostly U.S.-bound flow of people that crosses the treacherous jungle connecting Central and South America.

Financed by Washington, the flights come less than three months before November's U.S. presidential election. They mark a new means of addressing migration, which has emerged as a top issue in the contest between former Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.

The first flight took off from Panama City carrying 29 Colombians, all with criminal records in their home country and apprehended after crossing the Darien Gap jungle connecting Colombia with Panama. The deportees were led to the plane shackled and handcuffed.

More than half a million migrants crossed the Darien Gap last year, a record high, led by fleeing Venezuelans and others from across the Americas and beyond.

The deportation flights will increase in frequency. They form part of a July deal between U.S. officials and Panama's new President Jose Mulino, who campaigned on a pledge to end his country's status as a transit point.

Panama's migration head Roger Mojica told a press conference that efforts to deport migrants from nations besides Colombia are ongoing, including Ecuador and India. But he noted that deporting Venezuelans will be more complicated given Panama's suspension of diplomatic relations with Venezuela after its disputed presidential election last month.

Marlen Pineiro, an official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said the goal of the deportation flights is simple.

"The message we're sending is very clear: Darien is no longer a route," she said, stressing that migrants must opt for only legal options to enter the United States.

U.S. officials have previously disclosed a $6-million budget for the flights and are training Panamanians. They said the repatriations are implemented in accordance with Panama's laws.

(Reporting by Elida Moreno in Panama City; Additional reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Rod Nickel)
The parents of a former student who killed 10 people and wounded several others when he opened fire in Texas at Santa Fe High School in 2018 are not responsible for their son's actions, a jury found on Monday.

Survivors and family members of the shooting victims accused the parents, Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos, of being negligent in storing their weapons and ignoring signs he would commit a violent act during the three-week civil trial.

The jury instead found the couple's son, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, and Lucky Gunner, an online retailer from which the shooter purchased the ammunition used in the shooting, liable and awarded $330 million in damages.

In a statement, Jake Felde, Lucky Gunner's CEO, said his company "isn't responsible for paying any monetary damages awarded by the jury" because it already reached a separate settlement last year and was not a party to the Texas trial.

On the morning of May 18, 2018, authorities said then-17-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis killed eight students and two teachers and wounded 13 others. Pagourtzis was charged with capital murder but was found incompetent to stand trial. He was also a defendant in the civil case but did not appear in court.

The civil trial comes at a crucial time as the nation grapples with gun violence. More parents and other adults are starting to be held accountable for overlooking the red flags of their children and students that led to mass shootings.

In Virginia, an assistant principal was charged with child abuse after failing to intervene before a 6-year-old shot his first grade teacher. In Michigan, a couple were sentenced to a decade in prison for failing to stop their 15-year-old son from gunning down four high school classmates.

And in Illinois, a father pleaded guilty to reckless misconduct after his son killed seven people at a Fourth of July parade.

Community members gather at a makeshift memorial outside Santa Fe High School on May 21, 2018.

Lawsuit claimed shooter's parents were negligent

The lawsuit, filed in 2018, was brought by families of the Santa Fe High School shooting victims and sought more than $1 million in damages. The families claimed in the suit that the shooter's parents "knew that their son was at risk of harming himself or others but still irresponsibly and negligently stored their firearms, so that their son could access them," according to court documents viewed by USA TODAY.

According to the lawsuit, the shooter exhibited warning signs and had violent fantasies before the shooting. He was fascinated by the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, deliberately dressed like the Columbine shooters and posted images of guns and other weapons on his social media.

His parents, the suit said, knew something was wrong with their son and still stored their weapons negligently. The teen was showing signs of depression and isolating himself, said Clint McGuire, the attorney representing the families of victims, The Associated Press reported.

In spite of the fact he was trying to give them signs, if they did not know he was depressed as theyre claiming, its because they failed in their job as parents, McGuire said. Kosmetatos cried at the defense table as McGuire spoke to jurors, AP reported.

Defense attorneys for Antonios Pagourtzis and Kosmetatos said during trial that their son was "sneaky" in removing the family's guns from their cabinet and gun safe without his parents knowing and that they had no warning signs of what he was going to do. The defense also placed some of the blame on Lucky Gunner.

"Dimitrios was deeply disturbed. Dimitrios did not tell anybody. He was not aggressive. He did not act out, defense attorney Lori Laird told jurors, according to Houston Public Media.

The shooter's mother, Kosmetatos, told jurors she wished her son had killed her instead of his classmates, ABC 13 News reported.

"He wasn't raised to do anything like that," Kosmetatos said. "If I had known my son had any capacity or inkling of doing anything like that, I would have personally gotten in front of him."

The lawsuit also had named Lucky Gunner as a defendant and claimed the shooter did not need to present age verification to buy the bullets. Lucky Gunner was ultimately denied an appeal to the Texas Supreme Court, arguing that it should have immunity under federal law, and the case was settled last year in private.

Jurors heard testimony from families of victims, survivors

During the trial, parents and other family members of those killed in the shooting said that they held the shooter responsible and that his parents bore responsibility for the lack of attentiveness. Survivors of the shooting also testified.

Theyre seeing the signs and the symptoms of their son, I dont want to say deteriorating, but not being the normal kid that he is. I can say, if that was my parents, theyd be asking 'Are you OK, whats going on, how are you, lets talk,'" said Trenton Beazley, a survivor who was 15 at the time of the shooting, according to KHOU.

Sabika Aziz Sheikh was a 17-year-old exchange student from Pakistan who was killed in the shooting. Her mother, Farah Naz, said in court that she and her family had seen in the news that there had been a school shooting in Texas and tried to call their daughter, who didn't answer. They immediately feared the worst, and and they learned later that she had been killed.

She was my oldest child, she was my friend. She had a lot of dreams. Not a day passes I dont miss her. Whenever I think about my other childrens dreams I just think about her, Naz said, KPRC-TV reported.

Flo Rice, who was a substitute teacher the day of the shooting, was shot six times and survived. She said she had to learn to walk again, KTRK reported.

I realized someone was hunting me like an animal" during the shooting, Rice said, according to KPRC-TV. I am not the same person I was before. Cant tolerate loud noises, or busy places, crowds, always looking for exits, cant have back to the door, memory issues."

Trial came after Michigan parents sentenced to prison time for son's shooting

Though the Texas parents were never charged with crimes, the trial bears resemblance to another case that ended with two Michigan parents sentenced to at least a decade each in prison for a mass shooting committed by their son.

Jennifer and James Crumbley were convicted of involuntary manslaughter earlier this year after prosecutors said they ignored troubling signs that their 15-year-old son was struggling with mental illness and bought him the gun he used to kill four classmates in 2021.

Legal experts told USA TODAY the Crumbley case, which drew national attention, could influence how society views parents' culpability when their children access guns and cause harm with them.

Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY; Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Santa Fe High School shooter's parents found not liable in civil suit
Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas were married for 44 years, and she was by his side when the talk show host died at home on Sunday, Aug. 18, at age 88.

"I lost my sweetheart last night," Thomas, 86, wrote on Facebook on Monday, calling Donahue her "beloved Phillip." She included one of her favorite photos of the couple taken when they were younger and on vacation.

The couple famously fell in love on live television.

It was kind of love at first sight, Thomas recalled on Late Night with Seth Meyers in 2021. Something chemical happened.

They initially kept their marriage out of the limelight, but became more public about it and their relationship advice in recent years, even hosting a podcast about marriage success in 2021 titled, "Double Date with Marlo Thomas & Phil Donahue."

Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas in 1979 in New York City.

How did Phil Donahue meet Marlo Thomas?

The couple clicked when she was a guest on his talk show in 1977.

It was actually the second time they met, Donahue recalled in the couple's 2020 book, What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life.

The first time was in 1972 when Thomas was promoting a TV special and came to Dayton, Ohio, where his show was based at the time. She was an actor, author and social activist best known for the TV series That Girl and her childrens book series, Free To Be...You & Me.

Donahue found her beautiful, bright and "the perfect guest," he wrote, but her appearance wasn't as memorable as the next time they met.

Five years later, Thomas was back on his show, this time at the Chicago studio. Donahue was recently divorced. She was single.

A clip from "Donahue" posted on Thomas YouTube page shows the couple exchanging smiles and warm glances as they talk. Instant chemistry! Thomas wrote in the caption. We were flirting like mad, she told Meyers.

You are really fascinating, Donahue told her, taking her hand.

You are wonderful, Thomas responded, placing her other hand on his. You are loving and generous, and you like women and its a pleasure. Whoever is the woman in your life is very lucky.

They had dinner afterward, and he told her he doubted hed ever marry again. She liked his mindset because she wasnt looking to get married either, Thomas wrote in AARP magazine. "I was the girl who never wanted any part of it," she wrote in their book.

Love blossomed because they didnt feel the pressure to say, I do."

Had Phil and I been younger, we might have been more impatient and missed each other. But being older  me in my late 30s, Phil in his early 40s  we trusted our hearts and made the effort, she wrote.

For many, love really is better the second time around, but for me, the first time has been just fine.

Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue wedding

After long-distance dating  Donahue lived in Chicago, Thomas in Los Angeles  the couple married on May 21, 1980.

The private ceremony took place at the home of Thomas' parents in California, according to St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, which was founded by her father, Danny Thomas.

She recently posted a photo from their wedding day on their anniversary.

The couple honeymooned in Greece, loving the romantic atmosphere, "the best food" and beautiful beaches, Thomas wrote on Instagram.

The couple poses at an event on July 25, 1992, in Century City, California.

Whats the age difference between Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas?

There was a two-year age difference. Phil Donahue was born in December 1935 and Marlo Thomas was born in November 1937.

Did Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas have any children?

No. Donahue had five children from a previous marriage: four sons, Michael, Kevin, Daniel and James; and one daughter, Mary Rose.

Thomas became stepmom to his kids, writing that she decided to be their friend rather than a mom in the traditional sense.

Their secrets to marriage success

Thomas said the secret to keeping their long marriage strong could be summed up by the three Ls: Love, listening and lust, she told People in 2023.

You have to listen and then youll know what the other person is really thinking and going through. You have to love each other. And without lust, you dont have anything, she explained.

In 2015, Thomas told TODAY that she and Donahue didnt critique each others projects  another secret to their long-lasting relationship.

"The secret of good communication: Screaming helps," Donahue joked in an interview with AARP. "At least you get to know whether the person you're screaming at is listening. Then go in the other room and count to 10."

Through the years, you learn that everything is not that big of a deal, Thomas added.

In 2020, the couple wrote their book, What Makes a Marriage Last. It was the first time they worked on a shared project, breaking an ironclad rule of our marriage to not work together, they wrote in AARP magazine.

It happened after Donahue and Thomas were shaken when a friend told them she was divorcing her husband of 28 years.

Where did they go wrong, we wondered, and more to the point, where did we go right? the couple wrote.

Their book featured advice from famous couples who had been married 15 years or more, including Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, and Joanna and Chip Gaines.

Donahue and Thomas also interviewed TODAY's Al Roker and his wife, Deborah Roberts, for the book. The couple's connection was clear, he said.

"He adored her," Al recalled during a segment that aired on Aug. 20.

The lessons from the book: Gratitude, trust, humor and occasional therapy are among the keys to long-term marriage success, Donahue and Thomas found.

You have to want the marriage to last, Donahue told TODAY with Hoda & Jenna. Accommodation  not compromise or trying to change somebody  is the most important thing in a marriage, Thomas added. Look at your spouse, realize who they are and let them be, she advised.

"Our biggest lesson is: there is no one secret to a lasting marriage, there are a million secrets," the couple wrote at the end of the book.

"So keep looking for them. Because the longer you look, the more youll discover reasons to stay in it."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
MANILA, Philippines (AP)  The Philippines has agreed to a request by the United States to temporarily host a U.S. immigrant visa processing center for a limited number of Afghan nationals aspiring to resettle in America, the treaty allies announced Tuesday.

The Philippine governments approval of the request, which initially faced local concerns over potential security and legal issues, reflects how relations between Manila and Washington have deepened under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office in 2022.

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said the agreement was undergoing final domestic procedures and needs to be finally ratified by Marcos before it takes effect. It did not provide other details, including how many Afghans would be allowed to temporarily stay in the Philippines at any time while their special immigrant visas for resettlement to the U.S. are being completed.

A senior Philippine official, however, told The Associated Press that only 150 to 300 applicants would be accommodated in the Philippines under the one-time deal. The official who had knowledge of the negotiations agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to speak publicly.

Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Assistant Secretary Teresita Daza said Afghan nationals should secure a visa to enter the Philippines and would be subjected to full security vetting. Each visa applicant can stay not more than 59 days.

The U.S. government will shoulder the costs for the stay of the Afghan nationals, including food, housing, security and medical and transportation expenses, Daza said. She added that the U.S. government and the International Organization for Migration as manager of the unspecified facility where the Afghan visa applicants would be billeted, would ensure they have adequate social, educational, religious and other support.

The U.S. thanked the Philippines in a statement by the State Department for supporting Afghan allies of the United States and added that it appreciates its long and positive history of bilateral cooperation with the Philippines."

The Afghan nationals to be considered for resettlement primarily worked for the U.S. government in Afghanistan or were deemed eligible for U.S. special immigrant visas but were left behind when Washington withdrew from the country as Taliban militants took back power in a chaotic period in 2021.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken first relayed the request to his Philippine counterpart in 2022, and President Joe Biden discussed the request when Marcos visited the United States last year, Philippine officials said.

Marcos said last year that he was told by American officials that a maximum of 1,000 Afghan nationals would be allowed to stay in the Philippines at any one time while their special immigrant visas are being processed.

He said at the time there were difficult legal and logistical issues to address for the program to run as hoped.

Some Filipino officials have expressed fears the Afghan nationals could become targets of attacks while in the Philippines. Others raised legal questions about an arrangement where U.S. authorities would have a say in vetting who could enter the Philippines.

One prospective problem is what to do with Afghan nationals whose U.S. special visa immigrant application is indefinitely stalled or rejected, Marcos said and expressed concern that thousands of Afghan nationals could be stranded in the country while awaiting relocation to the U.S.

Marcos has rekindled relations with the U.S. since winning the presidency with a landslide margin two years ago.

In February last year, he allowed an expansion of the American military presence under a 2014 defense agreement in a decision that China warned would allow American forces to gain a staging ground to intervene in the South China Sea and Taiwan issues and threaten regional stability.
Real Housewives of Dubai star Caroline Stanbury is sharing how she experienced severe side effects from Ozempic after drinking a small amount of alcohol while she was on the GLP-1 drug. Mindy Small/Getty Images

This article originally appeared on Healthline

Real Housewives of Dubai star Caroline Stanbury revealed that she projectile vomited at a bar while she was on Ozempic.

Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and upset stomach are side effects associated with Ozempic and can become worse when the medication is combined with alcohol.

However, research shows that Ozempic might also have applications in treating alcohol use disorder.

Research suggests the drug may help suppress peoples cravings for alcohol.

Speaking on Page Sixs Virtual Reali-Tea podcast, Real Housewives of Dubai star Caroline Stanbury revealed that she had once projectile vomited at West Hollywood bar The Abbey due to her Ozempic use.

Her confession was in response to host Evan Reals admission that he had stopped drinking a couple of months before due to the way alcohol use worsened the side effects of the weight loss drug.

Stanburys episode of vomiting occurred after having only a small amount of alcohol, she told the host.

You drink half a glass, and youre like, literally  Theres no way to run to the bathroom, she laughed.

If you havent projectile vomited on Ozempic, you havent lived yet, she added.

Why people using Ozempic have can have negative reactions to alcohol

Paul Daidone, MD, FASAM, Medical Director at True Self Recovery, said that the reaction between Ozempic and alcohol experienced by Stanbury and Real occurs because of how this GLP-1 drug works.

Ozempic mimics glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone that regulates blood sugar by triggering insulin secretion. It also slows down stomach emptying and reduces hunger, which is the effect that helps people lose weight.

Slower stomach emptying means that food and drinks remain in the stomach for longer, which can either make people feel fuller longer or, in some cases, feel nauseated, said Daidone.

Another factor that can lead to vomiting in those who are using Ozempic to treat diabetes is the fact that alcohol can cause dramatic shifts in blood sugar.

Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar might occur due to a combination of Ozempics effect on reducing glucose as well as alcohols impact on the same compound, Daidone explained, and its symptoms may include nausea and vomiting.

How Ozempic might help reduce alcohol consumption

There is research indicating that Ozempic could have positive effects on those living with alcohol use disorder (AUD), a medical condition that occurs when people are unable to control their alcohol use despite experiencing negative consequences.

For example, a case series published on November 27, 2023, in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, found that 100% of six weight loss patients who were using the generic version of Ozempic, semaglutide, also had a significant reduction in their AUD symptoms.

Explaining why Ozempic might have this effect, Michael Villarreal, CADC, CEO of Tres Vistas Recovery, noted that studies have shown that GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic impact reward pathways in the brain that could be involved in addictive behaviors.

By modifying these neural circuits, Ozempic could attenuate alcohols pleasurable effects, thereby reducing its attractiveness and possibly promoting abstinence, he said.

Villarreal further discussed Ozempics ability to induce feelings of satiety while suppressing cravings.

[I]t can help one not feel like drinking when they are out with friends or trying to cope with stressors, he said.

This unique characteristic of having a dual effect on both physical and mental facets of addiction makes Ozempic a viable choice for those who want to quit or cut down on their drinking while managing conditions like diabetes or obesity, he concluded.

Takeaway

Real Housewives of Dubai star Caroline Stanbury discussed on a recent episode of Page Sixs Virtual Reali-Tea podcast how she had experienced a negative reaction to alcohol after only drinking a small amount, blaming it on Ozempic use.

Experts say side effects associated with Ozempic, such as nausea and vomiting, can become worse with alcohol use.

For people living with diabetes who are taking Ozempic, alcohol use can cause blood sugar to drop even more, also worsening the side effects associated with GLP-1 drugs.

However, Ozempic does offer promise for those who are dealing with alcohol use disorder. It may impact the reward pathway in the brain, making alcohol less desirable. It could also work to suppress cravings.

View the original article on Healthline
Blake Lively is facing criticism for the way she handled a 2016 interview that went viral during her promotional tour of "It Ends With Us." Cindy Ord/Getty Images

A resurfaced interview between Blake Lively and the journalist Kjersti Flaa went viral on YouTube.

Flaa said Lively's behavior during the interview for "Cafe Society" left her feeling anxious.

The interview's resurgence coincides with backlash over Lively's promotion of "It Ends With Us."

The journalist from a viral interview in which Blake Lively was dismissive said the experience made her nervous about future celebrity interactions.

Kjersti Flaa interviewed Lively about the film "Cafe Society" in 2016. She didn't share the video publicly until August 10, when she uploaded it to YouTube with the title, "The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job."

In the video  which has more than 3 million views at the time of writing  Lively snapped at Flaa after the Norwegian reporter congratulated her on her pregnancy.

"First of all, congrats on your little bump," Flaa said, kicking off the interview.

"Congrats on your little bump," Lively responded. (Flaa was not pregnant.)

Later in the interview, Lively challenged Flaa for asking a question about clothes. The actor appeared to ignore Flaa for most of the interaction and turned her body toward her costar Parker Posey.

"It actually took me a while to get over the experience," Flaa told Business Insider in an email on Monday.

"Every time I entered a room after this I got nervous that something similar might happen again," she wrote. "The fact that I still don't get what triggered the behavior made it even harder. I felt it was my fault for a long time. I have met moody celebrities, but nothing like this interview."

Flaa said in an interview with MailOnline that Lively's comment was particularly hurtful because she wasn't able to conceive.

"It's true that the comment hurt me because I was never able to have kids myself, but of course Blake did not know that so I can't blame her for the pain that I felt," she told BI.

"That put aside, I think that she threw that comment back at me to make me feel bad. There is no way around it," she added.

Flaa said in a separate YouTube video she uploaded on Monday that the experience initially made her afraid to interview Kristen Stewart, who also starred in the film.

Kristen Stewart and Blake Lively starred in "Cafe Society." David M. Benett/Getty Images

"I wanna shout out to Kristen Stewart, who was the person I interviewed after the horrific incident," Flaa said.

"She was the most wonderful, wonderful person to interview. So she saved my day, and you know, I was terrified walking into that interview because I'd just experienced what I had," she said, adding that Stewart was "so sweet."

Flaa would eventually meet Lively again in 2018 at the press junket for "A Simple Favor" with Anna Kendrick. The interview appeared to be relaxed, with no mention of the previous interaction.

Fans pointed out the difference in Lively's demeanor during the second interview.

"It's weird watching her trying to be nicer than the last time," one person commented on the YouTube video.

"The irony is that Blake doesn't even remember this is the woman she bullied," another wrote.

Lively's reputation has taken a hit

The resurfaced interview coincided with the backlash Lively has received during the promotion of her new film, "It Ends With Us," which is about a woman who experiences domestic abuse.

Some commentators said Lively's promotion of the movie has been too lighthearted, while others accused the actor of using it as an opportunity to promote her beverage line and hair-care line.

"Grab your friends, wear your florals, and head out to see it," Lively said in one promotional video that's been making the rounds on TikTok.

Desislava Dobreva, a branding strategist, and Jake Holyoak, the managing director of the public-relations agency One March, told BI that Lively's reputation could be mended if she issued a detailed public statement addressing the criticism.

Lively hasn't publicly responded to Flaa's comments or the criticism surrounding "It Ends With Us." However, she shared a National Domestic Violence Hotline resource on her Instagram story on August 13.

Flaa told BI she was unaware of the controversy surrounding Lively when she posted the 2016 interview and had "no idea it would get this kind of attention."

"Looking back, I still feel that I handled it the best way I could," Flaa said. "In these settings, they always blame the journalist if something goes wrong. It's never the talent's fault no matter what happens."

Representatives for Blake Lively did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider
CHICAGO  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) says Democrats will prioritize circumventing the Senate filibuster to pass voting rights legislation if they keep control of the White House and Senate and win back the House in November.

Schumer attempted to carve out a loophole in the Senates filibuster rule, which requires 60 votes to end debate and move to a final vote on a bill, to pass voting rights legislation in January 2022, but he was blocked by two centrist members of his conference, Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), both of whom are retiring from Congress at the end of the year.

One of the first things we want to do is what we did first last time, but I think well have more success and thats democracy, dealing with voting rights, dealing with Citizens United, dealing with reapportionment, Schumer said at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, adding campaign finance reform and extreme gerrymandering of congressional districts to his top priorities.

Schumer said he worked hard to convince nearly his entire Senate Democratic Conference to support targeted filibuster reform to respond to voting restrictions that multiple states enacted after the 2020 election.

The voting rights legislation the Democratic leader tried to move two years ago would have established nationwide standards for ballot access, established automatic voter registration and made Election Day a national holiday.

Schumer attempted to carve out the Senates filibuster rule to allow it to pass with a simple majority, but Manchin and Sinema foiled his attempt.

He said that when he first floated the idea of rolling back part of the filibuster rule, only 35 members of his conference backed the idea.

There were probably 35 Democrats who were willing to change the rules on that issue. We got it up to 48. Of course, Sinema and Manchin voted no.  Well theyre both gone, he noted.

Schumer said the Democrat running for Sinemas Senate seat in Arizona, Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), supports filibuster reform to pass voting rights and other democracy-related legislation. Manchin is expected to be replaced by Republican Jim Justice, West Virginias governor.

Schumer also identified several other priorities.

One was curtailing the impact of the 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC, which allowed corporations and outside groups to spend unlimited money on elections.

Democrats are supporting the Disclose Act, which would require organizations spending money in elections, including super PACs and advocacy groups classified under section 501(c)4 of the tax code, to promptly disclose donors who have given $10,000 or more during an election cycle.

It has the support of all 51 members of the Senate Democratic Conference.

Democrats led by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and Laphonza Butler (Calif.) in February introduced the Redistricting Reform Act of 2024 to ban partisan gerrymandering, to ensure compliance with the 1965 Voting Rights Act and to require that districts be drawn to represent communities of interest and neighborhoods as much as possible.

Schumer told reporters Tuesday that he wants to also prioritize support for affordable housing in any legislation Democrats move under the budget reconciliation process  another path to circumventing Republican filibusters without changing the Senates rules.

In terms of reconciliation, we believe we have to do stuff on housing, he said. Housing is a desperate need, all across America. Its not just in urban areas like New York City. Its in rural areas theyre desperate for housing. So housing would be a very important issue for us.

Vice President Harris during a campaign visit to North Carolina this month proposed providing $25,000 in federal assistance to first-time homebuyers if shes elected president.

Schumer also cited environmental priorities such as reducing carbon emissions.

Wed like to get it to zero by 2050, and I think we can in a reconciliation bill. Its very, very important.

And Schumer said Democrats would want to unwind many of the Trump-era tax reforms, such as the 21 percent corporate tax rate former President Trump established during his first year in office.

While many of the tax reforms enacted under Trump are set to expire in 2025, the corporate tax rate has no sunset date.

Schumer indicated he would want to end Trumps tax breaks for the nations wealthiest individuals and families. Under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the top income tax rate fell from 39.6 percent to 37 percent.

To deal with our fiscal problems we want to undo some of the Trump tax cuts, which went to the very wealthy, who are doing just great, he said. You can pay your fair share of taxes.

He noted that business groups such as the Business Roundtable only wanted to reduce the corporate tax rate in 2017 from 28 percent to 25 percent. Instead, Trump and his GOP allies cut it down to 21 percent.

We want to project choice, we want to see how we can do that, he added, pointing to abortion rights and womens access to health care as a top priority in a Democratic Congress in 2025.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Democratic state lawmakers hold a press conference and a committee hearing to solicit testimony about the state takeover of Houston ISD on Tuesday, July 30, 2024 in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

Houston Democrats asked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday to investigate a charter school network founded by Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles, after Spectrum News reported in May that Third Future Schools moved money from its Texas public charters to Colorado campuses while Miles was CEO.

Spectrum News reported that Third Future Schools charged its Texas schools fees that fed into a general fund, which, in part, subsidized one of its schools in Colorado before it closed. A 2022 audit also reported that Third Future Schools Texas ran a deficit due to debts to other TFS network schools and to TFS corporate.

Miles denied in May allegations of illegal financial practices at his former charter network. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath had said he referred the issue to the Texas Education Agency's complaint team, but that initial reports did not show evidence of wrongdoing.

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U.S. Rep. Al Green called for a federal investigation in light of the report, and U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia called for a federal audit of Ector ISD, which paid Third Future Schools Texas to manage Ector College Prep at the district's request.

THIRD FUTURE SCHOOLS REPORT: HISD community demands Mike Miles' resignation over report on charter school financials

Nine area lawmakers asked Paxton to conduct a financial audit, review Texas Third Future schools compliance with state laws, and investigate potential conflicts of interest. They also asked the Attorney General to ensure Third Future Schools keeps an administrative office in Texas as required by law rather than a mailbox.

The letter also called for the office to scrutinize Houston ISDs $4.4 billion bond, which the districts Board of Managers voted to place on the November ballot, and that such scrutiny should include explanations of the districts budget deficit.

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The integrity of our education system and the prudent use of taxpayer dollars are paramount, the lawmakers wrote Monday.
PORTICELLO, Sicily (AP)  Police divers resumed searching Tuesday for six people believed trapped in the hull of a superyacht that sank in deep seas off Sicily, including a British tech magnate who was celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges with the people who had defended him at trial.

The luxury sailboat, off Porticello near Palermo, was some 50 meters (164 feet) underwater  far deeper than most recreational divers are certified for and a depth that requires special precautions. Recovery crews could only stay for 12-minute shifts, a measure that slowed their efforts to reach the cramped inside of the wreck.

The Bayesian, a 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged yacht, was moored about a kilometer (a half-mile) offshore when a storm rolled in before 4 a.m. Monday. Civil protection officials said they believed the ship was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, and sank quickly.

Grainy film from closed-circuit cameras from shore, broadcast on the website of the Giornale di Sicilia, showed the majestic, illuminated 75-meter (246-foot) mast of the Bayesian weathering the storm and then disappearing over the course of a minute.

Fifteen of the 22 people aboard survived, including a mother who reported holding her 1-year-old baby over the waves to save her. One body was recovered, identified by officials as the Antiguan-born on-board chef. The rest of the 10-person crew survived, including the captain whom prosecutors reportedly sought to interview.

It's a great, great tragedy, said Britain's ambassador to Italy, Edward Llewellyn, who visited Porticello on Tuesday. Britain sent four investigators to the scene, given the disaster involved a British-flagged ship and British citizens were among the missing.

Fire rescue officials have said the six other passengers will be considered missing until they are located in the wreckage. They include tycoon Mike Lynch, who was once hailed as Britains king of technology and was cleared in June of fraud and conspiracy charges in a U.S. federal trial related to Hewlett Packards $11 billion takeover of his company, Autonomy Corp.

Also unaccounted for are Christopher Morvillo, one of Lynchs lawyers, and Jonathan Bloomer, a chairman at Morgan Stanley International and the former head of the Autonomy audit committee who testified in Lynchs defense.

Karsten Borner, the captain of the Sir Robert Baden Powell, which rescued the 15 survivors who managed to get into a lifeboat, said he was close enough to be able to see the Bayesian as the storm came in.

A moment later, she was gone, he said. They said they went flat on the water and were sunk in two minutes," Borner added, quoting the survivors.

The rotating search teams, each made up of two specialized cave divers, worked Tuesday to open up access points to get inside the wreck. They were using a remote-controlled underwater vehicle, or ROV, to help in the search.

The divers hadn't been able to access the below-deck cabins because they were blocked by furniture that had shifted during the violent storm. Rescue crews said they assume the missing six are in those cabins because the storm struck when most would be sleeping, but the teams haven't verified their presence there through portholes.

Luca Cari, a spokesman for the rescue teams, said the search was proceeding much more slowly than another big shipwreck in Italy, the 2012 Costa Concordia cruise ship that flipped on its side off Tuscany's coast, because of the depth of the wreck and the limited space divers have to maneuver.

That was much simpler. Here everything is more tight," he said.

The outing was intended at least in part as a celebration of Lynchs acquittal and a looking forward to what was coming next, said Reid Weingarten, a Washington attorney and a member of Lynchs defense team who was not on the yacht.

A lot of people went, a lot of people were planning to go and then of course this happened, Weingarten said.

Some of the people who stood by Lynch throughout the ordeal were on board, including Morvillo, the lawyer, who Weingarten worked with and said was like a brother.

Morvillos wife, Neda, is also missing, according to his law firm Clifford Chance.

Aki Hussain, CEO of international insurer Hiscox Group, where Bloomer, the witness, was chairman, said the company was deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event.

Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our Chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing, and with their family as they await further news from this terrible situation, he added.

Among the survivors, the Emslie family was released from Palermo's pediatric hospital on Tuesday where little Sofia had been kept overnight after her rescue. Her mother, Charlotte Golunski, had reported that she momentarily lost hold of the 1-year-old in the water but then managed to hold her up over the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were both pulled to safety, doctors said.

The father, identified by ANSA news agency as James Emslie, also survived.

They don't talk much, primarily because they consider themselves survivors and they don't understand why they survived given what they went through, said Dr. Domenico Cipolla, head of the emergency room at Di Cristina pediatric hospital.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Cipolla said Golunski had reported that she and the baby were sleeping in the cabin and suddenly found themselves in the water, where they also found Emslie who had been in a different part of the ship. Cipolla said the parents had been in touch with other survivors, who are being housed at a nearby hotel and were waiting for other family members to arrive in Sicily.

The baby slept well overnight and all were released after final checks Tuesday morning, he said according to a videotaped interview posted on Palermo Today, adding that psychologists had been made available.

Among the other survivors was Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares. Hannah Lynch, reportedly the couples 18-year-old daughter, is among the missing.

The yachts registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd., according to online maritime database Equasis. Bacares is listed as Revtoms sole owner, according to corporate registration documents from the Isle of Man.

Its name, Bayesian, may be a reference to Bayesian Inference, one of the two main approaches to statistical machine learning and the one that was used by Lynchs company.

The yacht, built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, was carrying 12 passengers and 10 crew. According to online charter companies, it had been available for charter for 195,000 euros (about $215,000) a week and was notable for its massive 75-meter-tall (246-foot-tall) aluminum mast, one of the tallest in the world.

The coast guard said to date there was no trace of fuel leaks from the wreckage.

In an unrelated event, Lynch's co-defendant in the Autonomy trial who was also cleared, Stephen Chamberlain, was killed Sunday when he was hit by a car while running in Cambridgeshire, England, said Chamberlain's lawyer, Gary Lincenberg.

___

Winfield reported from Rome. Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington, and Danica Kirka and Kelvin Chan in London, contributed.
New research links shingles with a higher risk of experiencing cognitive decline. Image credit: Axel Heimken/picture alliance via Getty Images.

This article originally appeared on Medical News Today

If a person has had shingles, they are at higher risk of subjective cognitive decline, which may lead to further cognitive issues, says a new study.

Anyone who has had chickenpox in their lives is at risk of getting shingles due to its virus that never leaves the system, and which causes shingles.

The study underscores the value of being vaccinated against shingles.

Men with a certain gene are at somewhat higher risk of cognitive issues than women.

People who have had shingles, or herpes zoster, at some point in their lives have an increased risk of developing subjective cognitive decline later on, says a new study from Brigham and Womens Hospital, in Boston, MA.

The study, which appears in Alzheimers Research & Therapy, finds a 20% increase in the chances that a person will eventually experience a sense of cognitive decline if they have had shingles.

Research regarding a connection between herpes zoster and cognitive issues has been inconclusive. However, there have been several studies recently that have established a link between higher rates of shingles vaccinations and lower rates of dementia, which is essentially a confirmation of the same relationship.

Shingles is a product of the varicella zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes chickenpox. After chickenpox resolves, the virus remains in the body. Anyone who has had chickenpox still carries the VZV virus, and may develop shingles unless they are vaccinated against it.

Almost all adults over the age of 50 in the United Sates are likely to carry the VZV virus due to the prevalence of chickenpox in their childhoods.

The recent study also found that having had shingles carried a higher risk of subjective cognitive decline for men who carried the gene APOE4  associated with cognitive impairment and dementia  compared to women.

What is subjective cognitive decline?

Subjective cognitive decline, or SCD, is a state when self-perceived cognitive decline is present, but objective cognitive impairments cannot be detected, explained the first author of the study, Tian-Shin Yeh, MD, MMSc, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University, speaking to Medical News Today.

Ozan Toy, MD, MPH, of Neuropsychiatric Consultants, PC, who was not involved in the study, also told us that: [SCD] is what it sounds like. A patient [with SCD] may feel that they are having issues with their memory or other cognitive functions. It may not be detected either through conversation with a physician, or it may not be detected through formal cognitive testing.

With normal aging, its not uncommon for many people to feel their memory is not quite as sharp as it used to be, and maybe they dont tend to recall things as well as they used to. But then when you actually go into the clinic, and they do objective testing, we may not actually really see anything thats objectively sort of wrong, if you will, Toy added.

If no issue is found, [t]hat doesnt necessarily mean that theres no objective problem per se. It could be missed, he also cautioned. That may be because [w]hats commonly used in neurology clinics is a mini-mental status examination, where youre assessing a patient who may potentially be at risk for mild cognitive impairment.

For a more thorough examination, said Toy, sometimes we do neuropsychological testing, which is a very comprehensive battery of cognitive tests performed by a neuropsychologist. And thats really the most detailed testing that you could do for a patient in terms of their cognitive function.

Can subjective cognitive decline progress to dementia?

While SCD may be mild, the concern is that it may lead to more serious cognitive issues later on.

Noting that not everyone will progress to mild cognitive impairment [MCI] or dementia, some studies have shown that people with SCD have a higher risk of progression to MCI and dementia, Yeh told us.

For instance, about 7% progress to dementia and 21% to mild cognitive impairment, she explained, adding that [t]hose with SCD have about 2.2 times higher risk of developing dementia compared to those without SCD.

As for the link with genetic risk, the studys finding of a higher incidence of SCD among men with the APOE4 gene remains unexplained for now.

This sex difference, said Yeh, is intriguing but not yet fully understood. Previous research has shown sex differences in how the APOE genotype and other risk factors relate to Alzheimers disease and neurodegeneration.

These differences could be due to genetic factors, hormonal influences, or differences in how [Alzheimers] pathology develops in men versus women.

Yeh called for further research to better understand the mechanisms behind these sex-specific effects.

Vascular connection between shingles and cognition

Yeh explained that [t]he varicella zoster virus (VZV) has been associated with increased risk of vascular diseases, including stroke.

Data from our cohorts showed that herpes zoster was associated with up to 38% higher long-term risk of stroke, persisting for 12 years or longer, she added.

This vascular connection may be relevant to cognitive decline and dementia risk because cerebrovascular changes, even at a subclinical level, can contribute to cognitive impairment. Inflammation and direct neuronal damage from VZV reactivation [after post-chickenpox dormancy] may play a role. The link between VZV, vascular health, and cognitive outcomes highlights the complex interplay between infectious agents, vascular health, and brain function as we age.  Tian-Shin Yeh, MD, MMSc, PhD

The most important takeaway from the study is that provides another compelling reason to get vaccinated against shingles if you have not already done so.

View the original article on Medical News Today
Krisanapong Detraphiphat/Getty Images; Jenny Change-Rodriguez/BI Illustration

Goldman Sachs' trading desk expects record stock market highs in the next four weeks, followed by a downturn.

A low volatility environment and corporate buybacks are driving Goldman's bullish outlook until mid-September.

"We just witnessed one of the largest and fastest unwinds that I have EVER seen," Goldman's Scott Rubner wrote.

Investors should prepare for fresh record highs in the stock market over the next four weeks, but then get ready to bail.

That's according to a Monday note from Goldman Sachs' trading desk, led by managing director Scott Rubner.

According to Rubner, the stock market is entering "a very positive 4-week equity trading window" that suggests the "pain trade for equities is higher."

"Global two-week vacations started on Friday at 4pm. The bar for being bearish at the beach into a Labor Day BBQ party is high," Rubner said, highlighting that low volatility markets that are so common during the end of summer weeks are typically bullish for stock prices.

That new low volatility environment in the stock market comes after a historic decline in the CBOE Volatility Index at 62%, representing the biggest 9-day drop in Wall Street's fear gauge on record.

"We just witnessed one of the largest and fastest unwinds that I have EVER seen," Rubner said, suggesting that professional trend followers who were shaken out of stocks during the early-August sell-off are now likely to flip back into buy mode.

Other buyers of stocks over the next few weeks include companies that have authorized share buyback programs.

According to Rubner, with a corporate blackout window starting on September 13 for about 50% of companies, there will be a lot of stock buying between now and then.

"The August to September corporate repurchase window is historically strong. This two-month period is the second best of the year with 20.7% of executions," Rubner said, adding that the bank estimates about $1 trillion in stock buybacks being executed this year.

With the S&P 500 less than 1.4% below its record high, it won't take much for the index to hit record highs in the short-term.

When to sell stocks

But while Rubner is bullish, he still expects a volatile stock market and isn't so sure about more gains after September 16.

"I am bullish until September 16. This is when seasonals change. 2H of September is the WORST TWO WEEK TRADING period of the year. I will not stick around for this," Rubner said.

The call from Rubner is significant given that he gave a spot-on stock market prediction in early July, when he said stocks were poised to surge in the first two weeks of July before entering a period of volatility in the second half of the month, which is exactly what happened.

"Late 2H September will be a tricky trading environment (especially pre-election)," Rubner said.

When to buy back in

While Rubner expects a surge in stocks over the next four weeks, followed by a period of negative volatility in the second-half of September, he still expects the stock market to end the year at record highs.

"SPX $6K - new highs in Q4, led by November and December months," Rubner said, adding that a record $7.3 trillion in US money market funds will flow into stocks and bonds after the US election in early November.

A rise to 6,000 for the S&P 500 represents a potential upside of 7% from current levels.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Tesla is hiring Data Collection Operators for up to $48 per hour to help train its humanoid robot. Future Publishing/ Getty

Tesla is hiring Data Collection Operators for up to $48 per hour to train its humanoid robot.

The role involves wearing motion-capture suits and VR headsets to perform tasks for data collection.

Experts say Tesla aims to gather vast amounts of data to train the robot for generalized tasks.

Willing to spend hours on end in a motion-capture suit? Tesla is paying up to $48 per hour for the role.

Over the past year, Tesla has hired dozens of workers to train its humanoid robot, Optimus, using motion-capture suits, according to data from LinkedIn.

Elon Musk first announced Tesla's plans to create a humanoid robot named Optimus in 2021. The Tesla CEO has said the robot will eventually be able to handle jobs ranging from working in a factory to serving as a caregiver.

In June, Tesla said it had deployed two of the Optimus robots at one of its factories. And it appears Tesla has been hiring employees to work alongside the robots as it is developed.

The role, which has the title "Data Collection Operator," requires workers to walk along test routes and perform designated tasks while wearing a motion-capture suit and a virtual reality headset for more than seven hours per day, according to the job description from Tesla's Careers page. In addition to collecting data, workers are also expected to analyze the information they've gathered, write daily reports on it, as well as work on some minor tasks related to their equipment and its software.

It also has very specific height requirements and calls for people between five foot, seven inches and five foot, eleven inches. Christian Hubicki, a roboticist out of Florida A&M University, said Tesla is likely looking for individuals who will not only fit into the specific suits, but will also have similar sizing to the robot, which Musk has said will clock in around five foot, eight inches.

Tesla is also looking for someone that will be comfortable wearing the motion-capture suit and VR headset for long stretches of time and will be able to withstand some of the disorientation and "VR sickness symptoms" that can come with using the gear for extended periods.

A screenshot of Tesla's job listing, which has several requirements. Tesla

Tesla is hiring full-time workers for the role and is willing to pay between $25.25 to $48 per hour, according to the job listing. The role is available with multiple shifts, including from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 4 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., and 12:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Animesh Garg, a senior researcher at Nvidia Research and a robotics professor at Georgia Institute of Technology, said the job likely entails collecting data through simply performing tasks in the motion-capture suit that can be recorded and later analyzed by data annotators in order to train the AI system, as well as tele-operating the humanoid robot directly.

Tesla's Optimus social media account provided a peek into what the job entails last year.

The video clip shows an operator in a motion-capture suit, with haptic gloves and a VR headset picking up objects while a virtual version of the Tesla Optimus bot performs the same movements.

Tesla shared a video showing how it uses motion-capture suits last year. X

Earlier this year, Tesla appeared to go on a hiring spree for the role. More than 50 different people have worked in the role over different periods over the past year, according to a Business Insider review of LinkedIn data.

Tesla is likely looking to gather vast amounts of data, experts say.

"It's the exact same thing they're doing with Autopilot," Jonathan Aitken, a robotics expert out of the University of Sheffield, said. "But rather than collecting data from their fleet of cars, they're paying people to come into the factory or come into a workplace and undertake these tasks."

Garg, the Nvidia researcher and robotics professor, estimates that Tesla should be aiming to log anywhere from hundreds of thousands of hours to millions of hours of data in order to train Optimus how to work in Tesla's factories  a feat that could take a lot of time and money.

"It extremely difficult to produce robots at scale," Garg said, adding that Tesla's Optimus robots are likely custom built and assembled, as well as constantly undergoing new iterations.

"The amount of data collection you'd need would easily be half a billion dollars and the real question is 'Even if you do that, do you succeed?' Because there is no guarantee of success," he added.

The use of motion-capture suits and tele-operation in robot training is far from a new practice, but Tesla is among the first to attempt to use the practice at this scale and to perform such a wide variety of generalized tasks, according to Aitken.

"In the manufacturing world, we typically have a robot that can do one task really really well, but it doesn't usually extend beyond that," Aitken said.

A spokesperson for Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

Do you work for Tesla or have a tip? Reach out to the reporter via a non-work email and device at gkay@businessinsider.com or 248-894-6012

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Brad Brooks

(Reuters) -A Galveston, Texas, jury on Monday found the parents of a teenager who shot and killed 10 classmates at Santa Fe High School in 2018 not liable for the violence, ending an unusual civil trial.

Family members of the shooting victims and survivors accused Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Kosmetatos of being negligent in allowing their son, Dimitrios, to obtain weapons from their home and for not warning school officials or police about his deteriorating mental state.

The jury did decide that Dimitrios Pagourtzis and Lucky Gunner, the company that sold him the ammunition used in the shooting even though he was too young to buy it, were liable for the deaths and injuries, and awarded $330 million in damages.

Lucky Gunner last year reached a settlement with families that sought to exclude it from having to make any more payments.

Jake Felde, Lucky Gunner's CEO, said in a written statement that his company "isn't responsible for paying any monetary damages awarded by the jury" as it already reached a separate settlement for the shooting and was not a party to the Texas trial.

Nicholas Poehl, the criminal attorney representing Dimitrios Pagourtzis, said in a phone call that his client had no money "and never will."

Dimitrios Pagourtzis, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, has been charged with capital murder. He has been deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial and will remain in a treatment facility until a judge declares he is competent.

Judge Jack Ewing told the jurors they had sent a clear message with their verdict.

"That message will carry even outside of the walls and doors of this courtroom, and hopefully it will fall into the ears of our legislators, who can help in taking some action," Ewing said from the bench.

The lawsuit was filed shortly after the May 18, 2018, Santa Fe High School rampage that also injured 13 people. Among those killed was a 17-year-old Pakistani girl who was an exchange student at the school.

The jury's decision came four months after the sentencing of two Michigan parents found guilty of manslaughter after a jury found they ignored warning signs before their son shot and killed four classmates at Oxford High School in 2021. Jennifer and James Crumbley are the first parents known to have been charged with manslaughter in a school shooting carried out by one of their children.

Lori Laird, an attorney representing Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Kosmetatos, said before the verdict that holding her clients responsible for their son's shooting rampage was not justified.

"Regardless of the outcome of this lawsuit, nobody has won," Laird added.

Laird said in an interview that the parents did not know their son was mentally ill and saw no warning signs. Since the shooting, she said, Dimitrios Pagourtzis had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.

Laird also said the parents' guns were stored in a gun safe and a locked cabinet.

Experts and gun safety advocates have said holding parents accountable for shootings carried out by children is an important step in reducing school violence. Studies by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have shown that around 75% of all school shooters obtained their weapons at home.

James Miller, senior counsel of Everytown Law and counsel to plaintiffs Abdul Aziz and Farah Naz, said they were disappointed the jury didn't hold the shooter's parents responsible "for their role in this heinous act."

"Guns are the number one killer of American children and teens, and secure storage is absolutely essential in the fight to end this nation's gun violence epidemic," Miller added.

(Reporting by Brad Brooks in Colorado; Editing by Donna Bryson, Daniel Wallis and Lincoln Feast.)
Former President Trump said Monday that he would consider Tesla CEO Elon Musk for a job in his Cabinet if he wins the November election.

Hes a very smart guy. I certainly would, if he would do it, I certainly would. Hes a brilliant guy, Trump told Reuters in an interview.

In the same interview, Trump signaled he was open to reversing a $7,500 tax credit for Americans who purchase an electric vehicle. The Biden administration has sought to incentivize the production and purchase of electric cars as part of its push to address climate change.

Musk, who also owns the social media platform X, endorsed Trump in the presidential race and backed a super PAC supporting the former presidents bid.

Trump and Musk held a two-hour conversation on X last week, during which the Tesla CEO signaled he would be willing to serve on a government commission to study the national debt and how Congress could reassess spending. The possibility of a Cabinet position did not come up.

I think it would be great to just have a government efficiency commission that looks at these things to make sure taxpayer money is spent in a good way, Musk told Trump. Id be happy to help out on such a commission.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Wherever you go, the experience is usually the same.

You enter a church or a cathedral, and an ecclesiastical hush descends. You admire the architecture, the artworks, the centuries of history and of faith that have stood the test of time.

And then you enter a special chapel or museum, where the holiest of items resides. Behind a glass case stands the stuff of legend: the Holy Grail.

Or is it? What makes this cup the Holy Grail  but not another?

In Europe alone, there are said to be around 200 cups, each thought to be the Holy Grail  the cup used by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper.

Believers flock to see them and pray over them. But which is the real grail  and does it even exist?

A religious or cultural reality?

In "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," the Holy Grail was a simple "cup of a carpenter" with miraculous healing powers. - Lucasfilm Ltd/Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock

One things for certain  the Holy Grail is embedded deep into our collective imagination. The idea of a quest is a constant theme in literature, art and movies, while we routinely refer to what would be our ultimate goals  but usually lie tantalizingly out of sight  as the holy grail. Major medical breakthroughs are often called the holy grail for the disease in question.

Its part of pop culture, too. Dan Brown made millions off his interpretation of the Holy Grail in the Da Vinci Code, in which he posited that the grail was not in fact an object, but a secret  that Jesus Christ had fathered children with Mary Magdalen. And who can forget Harrison Ford reaching out for the cup of a carpenter in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?

Even stories that have nothing to do with Christianity are often centered around quests  from Harry Potter to Lord of the Rings.

Strip away those modern connotations, though, and were left with a simple explanation. The Holy Grail is, supposedly, the cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper.

The goblet that Christ drank from before his arrest, sentencing and crucifixion would of course be of interest to Christians around the world. And the fact that, over the centuries, legends have arisen of grails producing miracles, has only added to the enthusiasm.

Theres just one problem, says Joanne Pierce, professor of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts.

I honestly do not think that the actual cup from the Last Supper still exists, she says.

Jesus certainly used a cup at the Last Supper, but if you look at some Gospel accounts, the room was already prepared by someone else [before they arrived]. So it may not have been his cup.

For Pierce, a Catholic, the idea of the Holy Grail is more symbolic than realistic  in her words, a cultural reality rather than a religious reality.

But for many people, the grail is a real object  and one that its possible to see if you go to Valencia. Or Leon. Or Genoa. Or any of the many places where, tradition says the Grail resides.

You might even be able to feel the mystical power of the Grail if you visit one of the many places it is said to be hiding, just out of site. Up the mountain of Montserrat, outside Barcelona, for example. Or in the Polish countryside, where the shadowy Knights Templar might have hidden it. Or around Glastonbury Tor, the mysterious hill in southern England where, medieval legend declared, Joseph of Arimathea brought the Grail shortly after Jesus death.

At Valencia, in eastern Spain, enter the cathedral, and to the right is a chapel, built expressly to house the Santo Caliz, or holy chalice.

Tradition reveals that it is the same cup that the Lord used at the Last Supper for the institution of the Eucharist, says the cathedrals website about the Holy Chalice of the Lords Supper.

They believe that St. Peter took it to Rome, from where it was sent to Spain in the third century CE.

Valencias tourist board website also describes the cup as the Holy Chalice used by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper. Announcing that you have the Holy Grail is, of course, a tourism draw. It has been since the medieval period, when Europeans taking part in the Crusades would bring back relics from Jerusalem.

From worship to tourism

Relics are commonly used during worship in Christianity. This lance, which supposedly pierced Jesus' side, can be found in Etchmiadzin Cathedral in Armenia. - Dean Conger/Corbis/Getty Images

In fact, relics have been central to Christianity since the start, says Pierce.

When early Christians were martyred, other believers would pray at their graves. The martyr acted as a patron or intercessory for their prayers to be lifted up to heaven  a practice taken from ancient Rome, where the patronage system was an important part of society. That idea of saints intensifying prayer, or flagging it to the right place, persists in Christianity today.

But it wasnt just the graves of martyrs that became holy; it was anything to do with their body, or things they had touched. Objects they might have handled were considered to have that same grace  a connection with the holy, says Pierce.

Of course, the cup held by Jesus with which he showed the disciples how to perform the eucharist, on the table as he announced that he was soon to be betrayed, would be the holiest of holy objects.

Little wonder that so much effort has gone into finding the Grail.

During the time of the Crusades, interest in Jesus life on Earth increased, says Pierce. People were going back and forth between Europe and the Holy Land, looking for artifacts that could have been related. Thats why most of the supposed Holy Grails around Europe first arrived on the continent during those centuries.

Its similar to the interest in the paranormal we have now, says Mathew Schmalz, founding editor of the Journal of Global Catholicism and professor of religious studies at Holy Cross.

In the Middle Ages, it reached a public consciousness that it didnt have before.

But over the centuries, collecting relics hasnt purely been about getting closer to God, says Schmalz. There were various economic interests related to pilgrimage, he says.

Relics were taken away from tombs and widely dispersed. You have a variety of places becoming pilgrimage sites which was a very lucrative business for those who had the relics. Religious tourists would make pilgrimages to these places, boosting the local economy as they did so.

Relics were also political in the time of the Crusades. Finding items like the lance that pierced the side of Christ was considered affirmation of the divine mission to liberate the Holy Land, says Schmalz.

Thats one of the reasons that some relics are so numerous that they couldnt possibly be true.

You could construct a city with the wood thats claimed to be the true cross, he says.

Jesus or  King Arthur?

In the Medieval period, the Holy Grail legend was linked to the mythology of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Galahad, seen here, was supposed to have found it. - Apic/Getty Images

The Holy Grail may have started out as a sacred relic for Christians, but over the centuries, it has also come to have relevance to others. For starters, it has been linked to the legendary King Arthur since the Medieval period  thanks to chivalric poetry, says Pierce.

A ninth-century French poem posited that Joseph of Arimathea had caught the blood of Christ in the Grail during the crucifixion and had later taken it to Glastonbury in whats now England.

This was conflated with Celtic, Irish, Welsh and pre-Christian narratives about objects imbued with power, she says.

A graal or grail in English originally referred to a deep dish, serving platter or even a cauldron belonging to early British kings, according to ancient myth.

In the 12th century, Chretien de Troyes poem Perceval, the Story of the Grail is a romp including King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, a chivalrous quest, a bloody lance  and a glittering grail, a serving dish with magical healing powers.

By the 15th century, Perceval had become Galahad, the son of Arthurian knight Lancelot, who goes on a quest for the grail, finds it, and chooses to die on the way back after a heavenly vision. Galahad, by the way, was able to heal the sick and perform miracles.

Sound familiar?

How one woman found the Holy Grail

The Basilica of San Isidoro in Leon, Spain, is home to what historian Margarita Torres Sevilla believes is the Holy Grail. - Raquel Maria Carbonell Pagola/LightRocket/Getty Images

So what is it like to have a Holy Grail in your city? Representatives from the Cathedral of Valencia didnt reply to request for comment from CNN. Neither did anyone from the Italian cathedral of Genoa  home to the Sacro Catino, a beautiful glass bowl, once thought to have been the Grail, made of emerald, but now seen as more likely to be crystal, and work of Islamic art from the 9th or 10th century, brought to Italy in the 11th.

But someone who is convinced she has the grail in her hometown is Margarita Torres Sevilla, professor of medieval history at the University of Leon in Spain.

In fact, Torres was the one to discover that what was thought of as a mere medieval chalice in her city was  she believes  the Holy Grail.

In 2010, she and colleague Jose Miguel Ortega del Rio were working at the Basilica of San Isidoro, a church in Leon that doubles as the burial place for the royal dynasty of Leon and Castile. They were looking at items in the basilicas museum of medieval history.

Some objects came from Islamic countries but didnt have the correct references, she says. Among them was the chalice of Dona Urraca  an onyx chalice that had been adorned in a gold casing and encrusted with precious jewels. It had come to Spain from Egypt in the medieval period, apparently as a diplomatic present.

Torres and Ortega del Rio delved deeper into its provenance, asking a colleague in Cairo to look for documents that could explain this gift to the Spanish. What they found astonished them.

In the middle of the 11th century, there was a great famine in Egypt and the caliph had asked for help from other Islamic countries, she says.

In the library of Cairos Al-Azhar university were two medieval parchments from the 14th century. One  apparently a historical account  recounted that the taifa (ruler) of Denia had sent a boat full of food to Egypt. Denia, near modern Valencia, was under Muslim rule at the time.

The parchment goes on to say that in return for the help, the taifa made a request: for the cup that the Christians call the Cup of the Messiah  used during the celebration with his disciples.

Around 200 places in Europe alone claim to have the Grail. From left are three contenders: the Santo Caliz from Valencia, the Sacro Catino from Genoa and the Caliz de Dona Urraca from Leon. - Alamy Stock Photo

The cup had been found in one of the small churches that are on the outskirts of Jerusalem and possessed extraordinary medicinal powers according to Christians, said the document  which also gave the caveat that men of science and doctrine disregard it.

Ali bnu Muyahid ad-Danii, the ruler of Denia, requested it so that he could send to the King of Leon  to strengthen their alliance, the document continued.

The previous year, Leon had attacked Valencia  war was getting too close to comfort for those in Denia, and it appeared that the taifa wanted to placate Ferdinand I, the king of Leon. Ferdinand suffered from the disease of the stones and the taifa thought that the miraculous cup might help.

The other parchment, also from the 14th century, purports to be a copy of a letter from Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub (known as Saladin), the 12th-century sultan of Egypt and Syria, recounting how he had asked to be sent the fine shard of the holy stone or cup that had been chipped off during its journey to Denia, for his sick daughter.

She was healed by the piece of stone placed upon her body, and the shard had been kept carefully in the Islamic public treasury, states the document.

They went back to the cup in the church in Leon.

We checked  it had a cut in it, as the parchment suggested, says Torres. We knew we had a hot potato in our hands.

The pair claim to have dated the onyx cup to the first century, and believe that Dona (princess) Urraca, Ferdinands daughter, melted down all her jewelry to cover the chalice in riches. Theyve even identified what they think is the onyx cup in a painting of the Last Supper at San Isidoros royal pantheon, where the dynasty is buried. They believe that is a hint about the cups identity.

Of course, not everybody believes them. One Oxford professor memorably said it was idiotic to claim that the cup must have belonged to Jesus, even if its of Roman origin.

Torres  proving that the Grail has penetrated culture like no other  likens her situation to that of Hollywoods Indiana Jones taking his leap of faith before finding the Grail.

He closes his eyes and starts with a step. Our sensation was the same, she says.

Im a Christian, but my colleague is not. My mother was a historian; his father was a journalist. They were not the type to get carried away.

The idea that a princess would have donated her jewelry to cover a broken cup in gold is, she says, Like the daughter of Bill Gates melting down her jewelry to cover a broken toy.

Torres claims are certainly persuasive  and although she was Leons city councilor for tourism from 2015 to 2019, she says she put a line between being a politician and a historian.

Can she guarantee its the cup of Christ? I can offer that the cup venerated in Jerusalem from the fourth century to the 11th century is the same as you see in the chalice of Urraca, she says.

But Im not sure what happened from the first to the fourth century, because I was not in Jerusalem, not with Jesus Christ, and neither were you.

My faith doesnt depend on this

In Valencia, there's a whole chapel dedicated to the Santo Caliz. - Hemis/Alamy Stock Photo

For Pierce, who doesnt believe that the Grail exists anymore, items like the chalice of Urraca are still worthwhile as a cultural phenomenon.

Im very skeptical  but whats important is the fact that these items were venerated  theyre literary objects and cultural reality, she says.

My faith doesnt depend on [this]. To believe in Jesus Christ doesnt necessarily mean that there are actual physical remnants of his [life].

She compares the quest for the Grail to the Shroud of Turin. Ive seen it, it was fascinating, but analysis shows its from a later period. That doesnt threaten my belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ at all  someone believed in it so much that they fabricated it, she says.

Schmalz, whos doubtful about whether the Grail still exists, agrees about the shroud.

Not that hes against all relics. He used to wear a piece of Pope John XXIIIs vestment around his neck. I mysteriously lost it and many people said it was the result of a demonic attack, he says.

I believe it was more a result of my carelessness. But I do believe relics are important  they connect us not just with holy people but with God.

His best bet about what the Grail would look like, if it exists? Id agree with the Indiana Jones vision of it as a simple cup  the cup of a carpenter who was at a local inn. In some ways, thats the religious meaning  that something so simple and worldly could hold the blood of Christ.

Is that the Holy Grail sitting in Leon? Or Valencia? Or any of the other 200 places that claim to be home to it? Well never know.

But one thing is for sure. The idea of that simple cup of a carpenter looks set to stay in the public consciousness for another 2,000 years.

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Former President Donald Trump is hitting the campaign trail in several battleground states this week, although the spotlight is currently on his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, as she prepares to accept the nomination from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

On Monday, the former president spoke to a crowd of supporters on a factory floor in the working-class city of York, Pennsylvania, and vowed to end rules created by the Environmental Protection Agency that would limit air and water pollution from power plants.

"It's a disaster for our country," Trump said. "Instead of shutting down power plants, we will open dozens and dozens more, and they'll happen fast."

Supporters of the Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump hold banners and flags before he arrives at an event to deliver economic remarks, in York, Pennsylvania on August 19, 2024.

The Republican presidential candidate and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, are expected to attend a whirlwind series of campaign events in Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Nevada, Arizona, and Georgia. His final rallies will take place in Arizona, focusing on immigration and the economytwo of Trump's signature policies.

Pennsylvania has emerged as one of the most important states in the presidential election, with Harris and Trump effectively neck-and-neck, according to most opinion polls.

Reuters contributed to the reporting of this story.

Melissa Cruz is an elections reporting fellow who focuses on voter access issues for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach her at mcruz@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter, at @MelissaWrites22.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where is Donald Trump this week as DNC kicks off convention?
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Why are Walmart's clothes so good right now?

Do you know that feeling of trying to find something, only to discover it's been right under your nose the whole time? It's a feeling that begs the question: Have you noticed lately how dang good Walmart's clothes are right now? As in, you might want to consider going out of your way specifically to stop by your local supercenter to try on a few things in-person. They're that good.

Maybe the fall clothes just look especially nice this year is because it's been one very hot American summer  much of the U.S. staggered through weeks of record-breaking heat this year  and the arrival of sweater weather is a very welcome relief. Or maybe we all just really love fall clothes more than spring and summer ones. (After all, you rarely hear someone say they love shorts and tank-top weather, but many people can't wait to pull out their sweaters, coats and scarves).

Or, and perhaps a more plausible theory, is that Walmart's in-house apparel brands have actually been better lately.

In fact, there is some strong evidence for that theory. In early 2021 Walmart brought on high-end fashion designer Brandon Maxwell as Creative Director to oversee two of the company's in-house elevated fashion brands, Free Assembly and Scoop. Free Assembly was launched in 2020 and showcases elevated and modern fashion essentials with an eye toward thoughtful, simple design. Scoop, on the other hand, was a boutique fashion chain that began in New York City in 1996 that billed itself as the ultimate closet." In 2019 Walmart revived the defunct label and began repositioning it as a private fashion brand.

Maxwell, born and raised in Longview, Texas, is perhaps best known for his youthful, beautiful and timeless red-carpet gowns and award-winning runway designs, outfitting celebrities such as Cate Blanchett and Lady Gaga.

"Working with Walmart has long been a dream of mine," Maxwell told Walmart back in 2021. "Like many people across the country who live in a small town, Walmart was the destination for everything where I grew up in Texas, including clothing."

Many of the current designs from Free Assembly and Scoop build on timeless silhouettes with a nod toward more stylish trends for fall and back-to-school season: Denim-on-denim in the form of a button-front cotton midi dress; a $40 quilted jacket that looks like something you'd find at Everlane; buckled slingbacks that look quite similar to a triple-digit pair from Ganni. These aren't just pieces to buy when you're on a budget, they're pieces to buy because you really want to wear them.

Take a look below at the fall fashion pieces at Walmart that are worth browsing.

Free Assembly Free Assembly Women's Button Front Cotton Midi Dress You've heard of the chore jacket, but let us introduce you to the chore dress  a sort of utilitarian chic that's tough enough for everyday wear and stylish for dressier occasions. Available in sizes XS-XXL. Editor's Note: The indigo wash, pictured, has sold out, but the dress is still available in the olive colorway. $24 at Walmart

Free Assembly Free Assembly Sleeveless Tie Shoulder Midi Dress This tie shoulder midi dress is designed with flattering tie sleeves, comfortable fluttering tiered skirt and is available in sizes XS to 2X. It's on sale for just $5 now, too. $5 at Walmart

Scoop Scoop Women's Midi Denim Shirt Dress Designed to look like denim separates, this dress will have you seeing denim on denim. Break up the look with an eye-catching leather belt. Available in sizes XS-XXL. $40 at Walmart

Scoop Scoop Faux Leather Maxi Shirtdress A faux leather maxi shirtdress that's pulled together enough for work, but also playful enough for dinner or drinks. Get it in sizes XS to 2X. $29 at Walmart

Free Assembly Free Assembly Women's Puff Shoulder Cargo Jumpsuit A comfortable and stylish look for daycare runs, grocery shopping, trips to the park with the little ones, and much, much more. Available in sizes XS-XXL $36 at Walmart

Free Assembly Free Assembly Womens Button Front Boxy Cotton Tunic Shirt We've never met a striped button-down we didn't like. This one comes in a flattering summer-to-autumn green shade in a flattering-on-all boxy fit that'll layer nicely under oversized sweaters. Available in sizes XS-XXL. $22 at Walmart

Free Assembly Free Assembly Mens Polo Sweater A stylish polo that's just as acceptable for the office as it is for a weekend party. Available in sizes S-3XL. $16 at Walmart

Free Assembly Free Assembly Women's Cropped Utility Jacket This buffalo plaid cropped utility jacket is the very definition of fall fashion. It's now currently on sale for about $10 off, just in time for autumn. Available in sizes XS to 2X. $26 at Walmart

Free Assembly Free Assembly Women's Quilted Parachute Jacket For when a longline coat just isn't the vibe. Available in sizes XS to XXL. Editor's Note: The burnt sienna colorway, pictured, has sold out, but the jacket is available in three other colorways including olive, navy and black. $34 at Walmart

Time and Tru Time and Tru Women's Slingback Pump Heels A pretty convincing lookalike for the tan and black goatskin slingbacks made famous by Chanel. Available in sizes 7 to 11. Editor's note: The camel and black shade is now sold out, but the black-on-black colorway is still available. $20 at Walmart

Scoop Scoop Women's Faux Leather Buckle Slingback Flats Another convincing dupe, these ones look similar to the Ganni buckle slingbacks everyone is talking about. Available in sizes 6 to 11. $38 at Walmart

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Peter Warren is a general assignment reporter for the Houston Chronicle. He can be reached at peter.warren@houstonchronicle.com.

Peter previously lived in Dallas, where he covered the sports as a freelancer for the Dallas Morning News and other outlets. He has been published in Texas Highways Magazine, DMagazine.com, the Star Tribune and Bowlers Journal International. Peter graduated from Northwestern University in 2021.
The Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) has come under intense scrutiny during the Senate Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence, held at Parliament House in Canberra on 16 August.

During the proceedings, Senator David Pocock questioned the agency on the federal governments six-month trial of generative artificial intelligence (genAI) through Microsoft 365 Copilot via the DTA which started in November 2023.

The trial started out for 7,000 members of the Australian public service to utilise Copilot services.

DTA CEO Chris Fechner confirmed to the committee that Microsoft has continued to extend a 15 per cent discount for those participating in the trial.

If that period goes through and there are no changes to that, it will revert to their standard pricing associated with the ancillary products, but we are still discussing with Microsofts various changes to the volume sourcing agreements, he said.

According to Fechner that volume sourcing agreement has a new iteration that is due in mid-2025.

Were actually looking at what the inclusion of new products, such as Copilot, might mean to the subsequent licensing arrangements of the Commonwealth, he said.

When it comes to the how the agreement originally came about, DTA acknowledged a long standing arrangement around the provision of Office 365 productivity tools, as well as underpinning technology platform services.

Within that volume sourcing arrangement, there is one of the key positions where we get our things like Microsoft Office from, said Fechner. Within that construct, we have whats called additional products and within that additional product has the opportunity, with licensed discounts and negotiated terms, to adopt different products in the Microsoft suite but not at full capacity.

For the enrollment of Microsoft Office, there is a current order of 180,000 licenses.

In that particular case, we had an offer from Microsoft to have an introductory trial with a discounted price for a small cohort to demonstrate its proof of capability, of which there were about seven and a half thousand people that participated, said Fechner.

As a percentage of our total enrollment, it was a very, very small enrollment, but the pricing arrangement was made under the volume sourcing agreement, under the additional products.

However, he did note there was a condition that Microsoft added an additional discount function for the purposes of the pilot.

Pocock said that it was a stretch to say this is an additional product, while he acknowledged [Copilot] is a Microsoft product, but its not like having Word and then adding Excel to your bundle.

This is about the public service trialing artificial intelligence in terms of efficiency gains and whatever else, said Pocock. Maybe part of that is you didnt feel the need to actually go to market and see what may be there.

According to Fechner, the reason that Microsoft Copilot was attractive inside of its frameworks, and outside of its environments, was because Copilot is explicitly built to extend onto the functions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams.

It has been used, as I said, to further generate content inside of documents, create imagesall those sorts of things which it can do, he said. But its natural integration with the actual Microsoft products, because of our full enrollment of that Microsoft Office Suite, made it the most effective way.

Fechner confirmed the AI Task Force, went out with a tender to the local marketplace, to ask what capabilities and services were available during the discovery phase.

We believe that following the pilot and following the introduction of our policy and the need to manage the risk associated with new use cases for AI, he said. There will be more opportunities to investigate broader market responses in that space within the government context.

DTA confirmed that it had received from Microsoft an extension on pricing capability for agencies to continue to utilise the capability if they wanted to.

There were some participants in the trial that started late, that still felt that they needed more time to actually fully evaluate it, said Fechner. The DTA is now leading an evaluation of the productivity, quality and capabilities of Copilot. We will actually have that done in the next couple of months, by the end of September.

When asked about Microsoft monopoly and what it means to Australian companies in this space, Fechner said the DTA has a marketplace of around about 4,000 sellers, the vast majority of which are small to medium enterprises, not large enterprises.

Through things like our marketplace, we provide access to a large portion of the ICT industry across Australia to access government buyers, he said.

We actually have, within product suites, the opportunity to buy things, and additional products might be something like Microsoft Visio that not everybody needs.

Copilot is currently in the category of non-full enrollment. Agencies are at their discretion able to not take up that product. They arent at their discretion to not take up Microsoft Office, for instance, because of that interoperability thats required between agencies on things like templates and the like.
Today's news: Israeli army finds bodies of 6 more dead hostages in Gaza; their kibbutz: Agreement now Imprisoned Imrah Khan runs for chancellor at alma mater Oxford; Philippines agrees to temporary reception for Afghans still waiting for U.S. visas; Lukashenko deploys one-third of Belarusian troops to border with Ukraine, threatening attack.

INDIA

Despite making up about 80 percent of the country's population, among Indians who migrate, Hindus make up only 41 percent. The figure emerges from a new Pew Research Center study on the religious composition of migrants around the world. In contrast, about 15 percent of people living in India are Muslim, compared to 33 percent of those born in India and now living elsewhere. Christians make up only about 2 percent of India's population, but 16 percent of those who have left India are Christians.

ISRAEL-PALESTINE-GAZA

The bodies of six more dead hostages in Gaza have been recovered in recent hours by Israeli troops, according to the families. An official communication from the Israeli government is awaited. Kibbutz Nir Oz, from which one of the victims came, says this development is the clearest proof of the importance of an agreement that will return our boys and girls as soon as possible, before it is too late.

PAKISTAN-GREAT BRITAIN

Incarcerated former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has submitted his candidacy for chancellor of Oxford University. The decision by Khan, a graduate of the prestigious British university, was announced by Sayed Bukhari, London-based spokesman for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Chris Patten, last British governor of Hong Kong, announced in February his resignation from the post of chancellor of Oxford. A vote on nominations is scheduled for late October.

AFGHANISTAN-PHILIPPINES-UNITED STATES.

The Philippines will allow a limited number of Afghans to remain in the country temporarily pending completion of procedures for possible resettlement in the United States. In making the announcement, the Foreign Ministry did not provide any timetable or the number of people who will be allowed to transit the country. Under the agreement, Washington will support necessary services. Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez had said last year that there were about 50,000 visa applicants, including the families of those who had worked for the U.S.-backed government that was toppled by the Taliban.

JAPAN

The operator of the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant said it plans to begin on Aug. 22 an experimental retrieval of a portion of debris containing melted nuclear fuel from one of its three reactors affected by the meltdown in the 2011 accident. The removal of radioactive debris is considered one of the most challenging activities in the plant's decommissioning. It is not yet clear how the approximately 880 tons of debris will be removed from reactors No. 1, 2 and 3, which suffered meltdowns, and where the recovered debris will be stored until disposal.

BELARUS-UKRAINE

President Aleksandr Lukashenko said that Belarus has deployed one-third of its armies to the border with Ukraine, as Kiev keeps more than 120,000 soldiers near our borders, and more are coming, warning that the Minsk army could begin an attack together with the Russians from the Gomel area, given the continued escalation of the Ukrainians.

ARMENIA

Sunday, Aug. 18, the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrated the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, one of the five major celebrations in the Armenian liturgical calendar, in which bunches of grapes are blessed in churches then distributed to the faithful, commemorating the gift of the apostle Bartholomew, who is said to have brought grapes picked in the Garden of Gethsemane from Mary's empty tomb to Armenia.
by Nirmala Carvalho

The man had left for Russia in April and told his family he worked as a cook. New Delhi promises action against agencies in the country that recruit people enticed by the promise of Russian citizenship for Moscow's army. Modi expected in Kiev Aug. 23 after a visit to Moscow last month.

Kochi (AsiaNews) - Army recruits from South Asia are once again among those killed in the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region. A 36-year-old man from Kerala was killed Aug. 18 in a drone attack launched by Ukrainian soldiers against a Russian military group. His name was Sandeep Chandran and he was originally from Nayarangadi in Thrikkur. News of his death was spread by the Malayali-speaking community in Russia.

Sandeep's family was told that the 12-member Russian patrol team he was part of was killed and that the bodies were identified at the hospital. Sandeep and seven other Malayalis had left for Russia through an agency in Chalakudy on April 2.

The man had told his family that he was working in a restaurant in Moscow. He had later said that he was serving in a canteen at a Russian military camp and was safe, but then made it known that he had lost both his passport and his phone.

According to some, Sandeep had joined the army to acquire Russian citizenship. And while he was undergoing military training, he could not stay in touch with his family. According to his Malayali friends in Russia, he could not even make phone calls.

Indian Embassy adviser in Moscow Ramkumar Thangaraj confirmed the news of the death, saying he had been informally notified of the death by Russian authorities and reporting that his body is in Rostov. In his message, the official assured the family that the Indian government will investigate the circumstances of the death and who recruited him to India to work in Russia. We are also working, he added, to obtain a speedy repatriation of other Indian citizens, including from Kerala, who have joined the Russian army.

The news of the new death of an Indian citizen in the conflict comes on the eve of Premier Narendra Modi's trip to Kiev on August 23 at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelensky. This visit comes after Ukrainian criticism of Modi's meeting in Moscow last month with Russian President Vladimir Putin. With Modi, New Delhi is seeking to deepen its relations with the West while at the same time maintaining ties with Russia.
by Joseph Masilamany

The appeal to the High Court to obtain documents related to Lot 6 where the Canossian Convent of Banda Hilir has stood for 120 years. The area is also home to a primary and secondary school that accommodate hundreds of students. The title deed was lost during World War II with the Japanese invasion.

Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews) - The Canossian Sisters (Daughters of Charity), led by their mother superior, with the help of the Portuguese Mission in China and Singapore, have initiated a legal battle in the High Court to obtain the right of ownership of a historic piece of land.

It is the so-called Lot 6 where the Canossian Convent of Banda Hilir in Malacca, Malaysia, has stood for nearly 120 years. Through a written judgment, the religious women are aiming to gain legal possession of the structure to avert attempts to expropriate it in the future.

Attorney Joy Appukuttan, who represents the religious sisters and the Portuguese Mission, explained in court that the property has been repeatedly identified as the Portuguese Convent in documents signed in the past and submitted to the courts.

The lawyer also pointed out how the name itself is listed on the deed issued at the time of Dutch rule in the region. Appukuttan took a clear position before Judge Radzi Abdul Hamid, who is presiding over the judicial review petition filed by two statutory bodies, the Canossian Sisters and the Portuguese Mission.

Appukuttan then added that Lot 6 has been the home of the Canossian Sisters and has housed orphans and boarders since 1905, then in 1929 an elementary school was established which was joined by a secondary school in 1950.

The congregation and mission claim that the deed, issued during the Dutch occupation, was in the custody of Catholic priest Fr. Alvaro Martins Corado during World War II.

The deed was lost after Corado-at the time vicar of both St. Peter's Church, Malacca, and the Portuguese Convent-was arrested and imprisoned by the Japanese in 1942. According to the applicants, he died in captivity two years later.

The applicants went on to say that they have been engaged in extensive correspondence over the past 10 years, along with communications and meetings with Malacca state authorities in an attempt to obtain the issuance of a new title to replace the lost document.

Nevertheless, in a letter dated March 8, 2022, the state authorities stated that they were not competent to award the title to the applicants. Hence, the applicants chose to seek permission to initiate the present legal proceedings two months later, in May 2022.

On Jan. 6 last year, Judge Radzi granted them permission to handle the matter inter partes by initiating the court proceedings, and then adjourned the hearing to Sept. 4, when he will hear further submissions from Appukuttan and the defendants.

A large group of Canossian sisters, alumni and supporters, along with attorney Joy Appukuttan, attended the hearing. The Christian community's hope is that the high court will issue a declaration confirming the ownership of Lot 6 and a directive directing the defendants to take the necessary steps to release the title of the possession drafted in their name.

Religious women have a more than century-old presence in the area, with the first community established in 1905. However, the earliest traces of the presence date back to 1884, when then Bishop D. Antonio Joaquim Medeiro of the Portuguese Mission (Pcmh), under the supervision of the Diocese of Macau, invited an initial group of Canossian Sisters to establish a convent and school in the parish of St. Peter, founded in 1710.

This reality, with ups and downs, has developed over time and today includes 256 students in the elementary school, supervised by 30 teachers and six support staff. The secondary school is attended by 521 students, with 44 teachers and eight support staff members.
by Dario Salvi

Fr. Ibrahim Faltas warns, The situation is dramatic and there is deep concern about a future without Christians. In the crosshairs of settlers and the governing ultra-right a UNESCO heritage area near Bethlehem. Also in the West Bank an escalation of violence, destruction, arrests and deaths. Alice Kisiya's emblematic story. Already more than 70 Christian families have migrated since the beginning of the war.

Milan (AsiaNews) - The attentions of the international community are focused on Gaza, but in the West Bank itself there are so many problems: clashes, attacks, settlements that are increasing as is happening these days in the Bethlehem area.

Moreover, more than 10,000 Palestinians arrested,  since Oct. 7 is a sign of concern for the Church and for all of us, including the very many Christians who are emigrating. Over 70 families since the beginning of the war in Bethlehem alone, others in Jerusalem, and for all there is a common consideration:

There is no future for our children here and the situation is dramatic. From the words of Fr. Ibrahim Faltas, vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, a picture emerges with gloomy hues for the future of Christians there where their story began, in the land of Jesus and the first disciples.

The Holy places without Christians, the West Bank without Christians, Bethlehem and Jerusalem without Christians, he tells AsiaNews, are a source of deep concern.

The conflict in Gaza, the attacks by Jewish extremists and the attempted expropriation of Christian property are also joined by the acceleration on settlements by the Israeli government, confirmed by the words spoken in recent days by a senior executive. Indeed, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich officially announced the construction of a new settlement in Jabal al-Makhrur, near Beit Jala, near Bethlehem.

Following the news, there was immediate intervention by settlers and the army with joint assaults and subsequent expulsions of residents, as well as the declaration of a closed military zone for the area. Citizens and activists responded with a sit-in protest and refused to leave - despite the attacks - to defend what to date remains one of the last Palestinian Christian villages in the area.

Unesco heritage site

The area targeted by the new illegal settlement includes a UNESCO World Heritage site and has long been in the crosshairs of Israeli authorities, particularly the radical and religious right faction headed by Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. In a note circulated on his own X (formerly Twitter) profile, the finance chief stressed that no anti-Israel and anti-Zionist decisions will stop settlement development.

This begins precisely with the plan for Nahal Heletz in Gush Etzion, a protected territory. We will continue, Smotrich concludes, to fight against the dangerous project of creating a Palestinian state by creating facts on the ground. All Israeli settlements in the West Bank, occupied since 1967 and now inhabited by some 700,000 Israeli settlers-including East Jerusalem-are considered illegal under international law, regardless of whether they have Israeli planning permission. Analysts and experts point out that the new project represents a further expropriation of what remains of Palestinian land in the Bethlehem area, which has been reduced to just over 10 percent from its origins. And the goal remains the expansion of Jewish sovereignty over all the land from the river to the sea.

Specifically, the new settlement will total about 60 hectares (148 acres) and received preliminary approval along with four others in June. Israeli anti-occupation activist movement Peace Now adds that it will flank homes in the Palestinian village of Battir, a world heritage site known for its stepped agricultural terraces, vineyards and olive groves.

The NGO denounced the project, calling it an attack on an area known for its ancient terraces and sophisticated irrigation systems, evidence of thousands of years of human activity. Israel's actions pose an imminent threat to an area of high cultural value to humanity. Finally, concern is expressed by the U.N. Office for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), which in its note released yesterday stresses that a new settlement in the strategic area of Nahal Heletz will eventually jeopardize the livelihood and security of locals. And it poses a significant threat to the contiguity and viability of a Palestinian state.

Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, three outposts have been retroactively legalized while settlers have established 25 new ones taking advantage of international disinterest and the ultra-right government's colonial policy.

The exodus of Christians

What is happening in the West Bank, Fr. Faltas recounts, is very serious: from the clashes with settlers to the growing settlements, the many people arrested and the much destruction that has occurred since the beginning of the war triggered by Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7. In just over 10 months, more than 700 people have died in the West Bank, adding to the 40,000 killed and more than 100,000 wounded in the Strip.

A great many Christians, he warned, have lost their property and this is a very serious fact, because what binds a person to a place is the land, the reality in which they live. For 70 years we have been waiting for the international community to intervene, but no one has ever done anything concrete. We look at the mediation going on with Americans, Egyptians and Qataris... we hope it will result in an agreement because if not, it will be a disaster: everyone is waiting for it, Christians and Muslims, Jews, Israelis and Palestinians, after 11 months of deaths, including children, of disease and rubble it is now a disaster everywhere.

The latest alarm from Gaza is related to the polio epidemic, with at least 600,000 children, continues the vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, who need the vaccine. Everyone is sick, no aid is coming in and people are dying of hunger, thirst, first of cold and now of heat. If you don't put an end to this, if you don't reach a truce, he warns, the conflict is bound to widen and it will be World War III. Meanwhile, people are suffering, including Christians from the Strip to the West Bank and in Israel itself: 90 percent worked in the tourism sector, which because of the violence is on its knees and the picture is one of deep despair.

We, Fr. Faltas concludes, as the Church of the Holy Land are doing everything we can to help Christians stay, we have been here for over 800 years and we encourage them, helping them, to maintain their presence, but we need peace and the support of everyone, including Christians in the West and Pope Francis who, to date, has been the only one who has always strongly called for a cease-fire, even if no one has listened to him.

Alice Kisiya: emblematic story

Among the many stories of denied rights is that of Palestinian Christian with Israeli citizenship Alice Kisiya and her family (photo 2), who found out on July 31 that she had been ousted and prevented from accessing her land by a gate erected by settlers. Who, without any title, took control of the property with the approval of the army and Jewish state authorities. The woman contacted police and activist movements that tried to help her, in vain.

As The Art Newspaper reports, in spite of documentation produced to the police and the army, she was ordered to leave the area because it was designated as a military zone and prevented from accessing the land. A measure that does not apply to the settlers, who are free to take possession and exploit it.

[My land] was not a military zone before, denounces the Christian woman, but suddenly it has become one. A group of activists including Christians, Muslims and Jews joined Kisiya in her struggle and set up an encampment where peaceful events are held. We don't respond with violence, but with love, he states.

The family has claimed ownership of the land for at least 40 years and has fought a long and costly legal battle to assert their rights. Their popular restaurant has been destroyed four times due to permit issues.

The latest, in 2019, also affected their house and an ancient well, in addition to the restaurant. Kisaya adds that they were also victims of an illegal land expropriation by an Israeli group that claimed ownership with false documents. In 2023, after a long court battle that cost about 5,000, they won their case,

We have been fighting for more than 20 years. We are tired financially, psychologically and physically. But we are not giving up, he adds, before concluding that it is time for peace. Xavier Abu Eid, a Palestinian Christian whose family owns land next to Kisiya's, reports losing a significant portion of the property. He explains that about 90 percent of the land in this area is owned by Palestinian Christians, who are in danger of being driven out.

Many Christians in the West do very little to help Christians who are struggling to stay, he charges, also pointing the finger at UNESCO. I don't claim it has the ability to stop the settlements, but the least we can expect is that it condemns them.

GATEWAY TO THE EAST IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO THE MIDDLE EAST. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY TUESDAY? TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE.
More than 50,000 Muslims in Texas have joined the Muzz app in the hopes of finding love. The app connects single Muslims looking to wed. Muzz

A social app for Muslims that has millions of members worldwide is looking to expand its user base in Houston.

Muzz, an app focused on connecting singles looking for love, also offers a place for community. At least 25,000 Muslims in Houston have joined the app either in the hopes of finding a life partner or a friend.

I will say that the marriage part of our app is the main part, but we have recently launched a social aspect within the app as well, said Julia Cardenas, Muzz marketing specialist. So, it is both a marriage platform and a social platform."



Cardenas described Muzz as a marriage platform for Muslims who are single and looking to get married. But she also encouraged Muslims not immediately looking to settle down to explore the app since users dont have to create a marriage profile to take advantage of the social aspect.

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Developed in the United Kingdom by founder and CEO Shahzad Younas, the app serves at least 10 million users in 100 countries.

More than 50,000 Muslims in Texas have joined the Muzz app in the hopes of finding love. The app connects single Muslims looking to wed. Muzz

For us being able to have meaningful connections being formed on the app is the most important, Cardenas said. Thats also a big reason why we launched the social platform in the first place.



According to Cardenas, the social platform of Muzz fills a void in Houstons Muslim community.



A lot of times, we feel that our community is marginalized, she said. We dont really have the same representation that you might see on other social media platforms such as Twitter or Instagram.

Cardenas said Muzz Social is made for Muslims by Muslims to create a safe space. Muzz has a strict policy when it comes to whats shared or said on the platform.

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Like Facebook, Muzz Social has specific groups users can join.

More than 50,000 Muslims in Texas have joined the Muzz app in the hopes of finding love. The app connects single Muslims looking to wed. Muzz

If youre a woman and you want to connect with other female Muslims in your area, we have women only private groups as well where you can talk about fashion, you can talk about really anything, Cardenas said. If you want to plan a coffee date with a bunch of girls, you can easily do that in the app.



Muzz ran a campaign in July featuring six billboards hoping to attract more users to the app. Cardenas, whos based in Houston, had a hand in crafting the language on the billboard infused with H-Town flair. In Texas, there are more than 55,000 Muslims who use the app, with 25,000 members in Houston.

We really hadnt done campaigns like this in Texas previously, Cardenas said. So, this is definitely new territory for us. But were grateful that the response has been good from Houstonians."

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Cardenas mentioned Dallas and Houston have comparable stats when it comes to users, but that Dallas beats Space City by a slight margin.
Jeremy Wallace has covered politics and campaigns for more than 20 years. Before joining the Hearst Texas newspapers in 2017 he covered government and politics for the Tampa Bay Times, The Miami Herald and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Previously he covered Congress for the Boston Globe and Detroit Free-Press. Originally from San Antonio, he attended the University of North Texas and earned his bachelors degree from the University of Missouri.

Jeremy also authors the Texas Take with Jeremy Wallace newsletter, where he shares insights from inside the Capitol along with the occasional Willie Nelson reference. You can sign up here.

You can follow him on Twitter, @JeremySWallace, or email him at Jeremy.wallace@chron.com.
20 August 2024 14:37 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

A new service has been introduced at the "Baku SME House," further enhancing its offerings to entrepreneurs, Azernews reports.

The State Maritime and Port Agency (DDLA), operating under the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, now processes and issues documents for special preparation certificates at Baku SME House. These certificates, issued for an indefinite period, streamline the process for individuals needing maritime and port-related documentation.

To access this service, applicants can visit the dedicated service window of the DDLA at Baku SME House.

It's important to note that Baku SME House already provides over 300 "G2B" (Government to Business) and "B2B" (Business to Business) services, supporting entrepreneurial activities through approximately 50 state and private institutions.

This new addition further solidifies Baku SME House as a central hub for businesses in Azerbaijan, simplifying administrative processes and enhancing accessibility for entrepreneurs. As the range of services continues to expand, Baku SME House is becoming an increasingly vital resource for fostering business growth in the region.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
20 August 2024 17:16 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

In the first half of 2024, Azerbaijan experienced a significant drop in tax revenues contributed by legal entities to the state budget, Azernews reports.

During this period, companies and organizations collectively paid 3.8265 billion manats into the state budget. This marks a sharp decrease compared to the same period last year, when legal entities contributed 5.2408 billion manats in profit taxesa decline of 1.4143 billion manats, or 27%.

Profit tax, which is levied at 20% according to Article 105 of the Azerbaijan Republic Tax Code, is calculated based on the difference between a company's total revenue and its expenses. The decrease in tax revenue may be attributed to various factors, including fluctuations in company profits due to economic conditions, accumulated losses, or other financial variables.

This substantial reduction in tax revenues underscores the challenges faced by Azerbaijani enterprises in 2024 and may have implications for the state budget and economic policy in the near future.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
20 August 2024 15:54 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

The European Union's underground gas storage facilities are nearing full capacity, with the fill level approaching 90%, Azernews reports, citing the European Association of Gas Infrastructure Operators (GIE).

As of the latest data, storage levels in EU countries have reached 89.77%, which is 8.09 percentage points above the five-year average for this time of year. The total volume of gas stored currently stands at an impressive 98.9 billion cubic meters.

It's worth noting that Azerbaijani gas has been flowing to Europe via the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) since December 31, 2020, contributing to the continent's energy supply.

This high level of storage is a positive indicator for the EU's energy security, especially as the region prepares for potential supply challenges in the coming winter months. The strategic reserves could play a crucial role in stabilizing energy markets and ensuring consistent supply amidst global uncertainties.

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20 August 2024 14:54 (UTC+04:00)

Ulviyya Shahin Read more

In the near future, it is planned to sign the relevant "Operation Agreement" between the Nakhchivan State Energy Service and TEIASH (Turkish Electricity Transmission Corporation) concerning energy export (exchange), Azernews reports that this was reported by the Telegram channel of the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan.

According to the Service, discussions were held regarding the relevant "Operational Agreement" between TEIASH and the Service. These discussions covered the transmission and distribution substations on both the Turkish and Nakhchivan sides, the current condition of the power transmission lines, the location of the meters, the application areas of the relay protection systems, and the energy export (exchange) between TEIASH and the Service.

ENTSO (European Network of Transmission System Operators) has approved the transmission of 75 megawatts for export (with the Turkish side in passive island mode) and 40 megawatts for import (with the Nakhchivan side in passive island mode) for the Turkiye-Nakhchivan electricity import-export connection.

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Alphabet's Waymo has now unveiled its sixth-generation robotaxi, which also features its next-gen Driver system that the company revealed to have fewer sensors compared to the fifth generation version. However, the self-driving company claimed that this does not compromise the safety features available on the vehicle, promising improvements and upgrades for the user.

One of the most important features of the new robotaxi is its capability to safely continue its services even in harsher conditions, particularly with weather.

Waymo Unveils 6th Generation Robotaxi with Fewer Sensors

The latest update from Waymo unveiled its sixth generation robotaxi, which introduces a more advanced self-driving system despite having fewer sensors compared to its predecessor. This next-gen robotaxi is equipped with only 13 cameras, 6 radars, 4 lidar, and external audio receivers (EARs) to deliver its self-driving service.

According to Waymo, the EARs are its latest sensor that features in its sixth-gen robotaxi. Waymo promises that it will be as safe as ever. The company has assured that this remains true even during harsh conditions, such as "extreme" weather like fog, hail, heat, and rain.

Waymo claimed that it has already tested its sixth-gen fleet in closed conditions as well as during its limited public appearances.

Read Also: Waymo Robotaxi Pulled by Phoenix Police for Traffic Violations

Waymo's 6th Gen Uses Geely's Zeekr for Accessibility

The Jaguar I-PACE may have been used for the iconic Waymo One EV, but the sixth generation is now built using Geely's Zeekr minivan as its base, promising a more accessible vehicle for passengers.

The company has also revealed that its Waymo Driver has a "surround view" which, alongside an enhanced camera radar, better lidars, and more advancements, can help it navigate cities and account for road conditions.

Robotaxis and Waymo's Massive Operations

Waymo remains among the up-and-coming companies with significant robotaxi operations in the United States, having multiple cities where its autonomous ride-hailing service is available for users. Most recently, Alphabet's self-driving subsidiary fully launched in San Francisco, allowing the company to full over its services to the entire city.

It is important to note that Waymo's self-driving operations started with a hybrid car, transforming the Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivan into an autonomous system that does not need drivers. The company first transitioned to clean energy cars in 2018 with its Jaguar I-PACE fleet being introduced, and Waymo completed this transition in 2023, replacing the previous Pacifica hybrids.

Clean energy and self-driving have been among the main features of Waymo in various cities, pairing it with the autonomous ride-hailing service offered to users throughout the years.

Despite already establishing its in the presence, Waymo continues to evolve, and does so with its new and improved sixth generation robotaxis, which feature the Geely Zeekr as their base. These robotaxis will soon be made available to the public who wish to experience what it offers.
20 August 2024 14:41 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

In the rapidly evolving digital world, selecting a travel destination has never been so easy and exciting! Now, you can explore the world of travel directly from your phone with TikTok.

TikTok creators showcase hidden gems and popular tourist spots, offering valuable travel tips to their followers. This helps you streamline your travel plans and stay informed about your destination. The hashtag #syaht, rich with travel ideas and information tailored for Azerbaijani-speaking audiences, features over 9,000 posts.

Get inspired for your travels by checking out some Azerbaijani TikTok creators:

@mahammadsafarly

Mohammad showcases the breathtaking beauty of Azerbaijan's mountainous regions, providing information about spectacular landscapes and outdoor adventures such as hiking and camping. His videos highlight the serene and untouched nature of these areas, making them must-visit destinations for nature lovers.

@experienceazerbaijan

This account is dedicated to promoting Azerbaijan as a tourism destination. Its content covers cultural experiences, historical sites, culinary delights, and stunning landscapes. It's a perfect resource for anyone planning a trip to Azerbaijan and wanting to make the most of their visit.

@vahidhasti

Vahid and Hasti are a couple who share their travel experiences and adventures from around the world. Their videos cover various destinations and are rich with romantic getaways, cultural explorations, and practical travel tips. Their dynamic and engaging content is an excellent resource for couples seeking travel inspiration.

@piri_mustafa

Piri shares interesting facts and information about the different countries he visits. His videos are both educational and entertaining, offering unique insights into each location's culture, history, and characteristics. Piri's fascinating stories make learning about new places fun and memorable.

When planning your next adventure, TikTok and its vibrant community of creators will guide you. With original content, real tips, and diverse perspectives, TikTok is the go-to platform for travel inspiration. Embark on a virtual journey with TikTok creators today and choose your next destination!

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20 August 2024 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

Leyla Aliyeva, the vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, got acquainted with the restoration works carried out on a number of historical monuments in Gobustan and Shamakhi.

According to Azernews, Leyla Aliyeva, who visited the "Diri Baba" tomb in Gobustan, was informed that the 15th-century monument stands out for its uniqueness in the entire Caucasus region. The "Diri Baba" tomb has been recognized as a holy place by the people of Azerbaijan for centuries. This historical monument was restored in 2022 according to the order of President Ilham Aliyev. Research works were carried out in the cemetery and caves around the monument. Also, appropriate infrastructure has been created for tourists who wish to visit the monument.

Leyla Aliyeva also visited the Kalakhana tombs in Shamakhi. Archeological research works in the tombs were completed in 2022. During the archaeological research, it was determined that the history of the tombs and buildings in the area goes back to the 12th century. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Ministry of Culture, and the Executive Power of Shamakhi District are currently carrying out restoration and conservation works in the Kalakhana tombs.

It should be noted that with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, restoration, and conservation works have been carried out with the Shahkhandan tomb, the Pirsaat shrine complex, as well as other historical, religious, and cultural monuments in Shamakhi.

Furthermore, Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, met with the family of martyred sculptor Samir Kachayev during her visit to Shamakhi. Samir Kachayev died heroically during the April 2016 battles. After his death, he was awarded the "For Bravery" medal by the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.

Leyla Aliyeva also met with residents of different villages in Shamakhi.

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20 August 2024 10:01 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

Fuad Muradov, Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora, has met with the Azerbaijani community in the state of Illinois, USA, Azernews reports.

The Committee Chairman gave detailed information about the diaspora policies implemented under President Ilham Aliyev's leadership, including Azerbaijani Houses and Coordination Councils abroad, weekend schools, the Committee's successful large-scale projects, and the Fifth Summer Camp of Diaspora Youth held in Lachin from August 1 to 7, which has garnered significant interest from young Azerbaijanis worldwide.

During the meeting, Engin Tures, the Turkish Consul General in Chicago, emphasized the importance of joint activities between Azerbaijani and Turkish diasporas and expressed continued support for the Azerbaijani diaspora.

Nargiz Habibova, head of the Azerbaijan Student Alliance of the Midwest States, provided information about the organization's activities, discussing the networking opportunities for student youth in the USA, especially through social media platforms, and the organization's goals.

Speakers highlighted how Azerbaijans liberation of its territories and its role as a symbol of peace and stability in the region has brought pride to compatriots and inspired them to undertake even greater efforts for their homeland. Community members discussed the importance of forming a stronger diaspora, unity mechanisms, and the application of international experiences, and proposed the establishment of an Azerbaijani House in the future.

The event featured video clips reflecting the activities of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora and the essence of coordinated work in the diaspora movement. Questions from community members were answered, and discussions on future perspectives were held.

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20 August 2024 15:35 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

The Russian government has approved the route for the direct cargo block train Ulyanovsk  Baku  Astara (Iran), Azernews reports, citing Ulyanovsk Governor Alexey Russkikh as he announced this information.

"Recently, we received good news from Russian Railways: the route for the direct cargo block train Ulyanovsk  Baku  Astara (Iran) has been approved. This is the western rail corridor of the Central Volga - Caspian Sea - Persian Gulf logistics project. Preparations are underway for the export train, including for the shipment of agro-industrial and wood processing products, the governor said.

He noted that the launch of the train is a result of agreements reached during his visit to Baku with Azerbaijans Prime Minister Ali Asadov, and the coordinated efforts of the Russian Embassy in Baku, the Trade Representation, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, as well as the railway authorities of both countries.

Russkikh also mentioned that on the previous day, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the development of the North-South international transport corridor.

To increase throughput capacity and raise the volume of cargo transport from 15 million tons to 30 million tons, the railway section of the corridor is being modernized. This agreement, initiated by Ulyanovsk region, opens up significant prospects for the development of the new trade and logistics route Central Volga - Caspian Sea - Persian Gulf, which is part of the North-South international transport corridor, the governor wrote.

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20 August 2024 18:24 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan has officially applied for BRICS membership.

Azernews reports, citing Day.az as reported by the head of the Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Aykhan Hajizade.

It should be noted that some time ago Azerbaijan expressed a desire to join BRICS.

BRICS was founded in 2006 and is an intergovernmental organization that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, the Republic of South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Initially identifying investment opportunities, the grouping of governments has since 2009 become a single geopolitical bloc that meets annually at official summits and coordinates multilateral policies.

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20 August 2024 14:22 (UTC+04:00)

The Verkhovna Rada adopted a revised draft law on the prohibition of the activities of religious institutions in the territory of Ukraine, including the activities of religious institutions connected with the Russian Federation.

Azernews reports, citing foreign sources that the draft law was adopted today at the first meeting of the autumn session.

People's Deputy of Ukraine Yaroslav Zheleznyak informed about the bill.

The law will enter into force 30 days after its publication.

It should be noted that the reason for the delay in the adoption of the draft law for almost 1 year was the fact that a number of deputies were against it.

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20 August 2024 20:21 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva

The final public hearings on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan were held in Astana, before that they were held in other major cities of the country, Azernews reports.

One of the participants stressed that the construction of a nuclear power plant carries not only environmental, technological and financial risks, but can also become the subject of military blackmail.

Her point of view was supported by other participants in the hearings, among whom was economist Daniyar Kaliev, who recalled the examples of the Zaporozhye NPP in Ukraine, the Fukushima accident and the Chernobyl disaster, which, according to him, should serve as a warning for Kazakhstan. Kaliyev also noted that nuclear generation is already outdated, while the world is actively switching to renewable energy sources (RES), the share of which is growing rapidly.

It was also announced at the hearing that the construction and operation of nuclear power plants can significantly hit the pockets of Kazakhstanis, as well as raise issues of nuclear waste disposal.

The Ministry of Energy has previously raised the issue of electricity shortages during peak hours, which, according to the government, makes it necessary to build a nuclear power plant.

Kazakh Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev stated that there is a shortage of electricity in Kazakhstan during peak hours : "We have to buy electric energy from the Russian Federation. 280 million kWh have been purchased since the beginning of the year. It is cheap at night, and correspondingly more expensive during peak hours, so we have to buy at a high price," he explained.

Following the results of the hearings, which were attended by industry experts and residents of the capital, the date of the referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan will be determined.

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Here are 10 gastroenterologists who have made headlines since July 31:

1. A gastroenterologist was cleared after a jury in Portland, Ore., awarded over $24.6 million to the family of a patient who died during a colonoscopy in 2018. On Aug. 16, the jury found the clinic team 40% responsible for Mr. Gilbert's death and placed the remaining responsibility on an anesthesiologist, who settled out of the case.

The gastroenterologist who performed the procedure, Young Choi, MD, was found at no fault for the incident by the jury.

2. The Houston Community College Coleman College for Health Sciences is aiming to address staffing challenges with its endoscopy technician program. Gottumukkala Raju, MD, an endoscopist and a professor of gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition with University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, reached out to HCC in late 2015 with a proposal to develop the standardized endoscopy technician program. He helped create the 35-hour, evening curriculum course alongside an advisory group of physicians, nurses, endoscopy technicians, educators and other industry partners.

3. Ashis Barad, MD, a pediatric gastroenterologist, was named the first chief digital and transformation officer at New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery. He previously worked as chief digital and information officer at Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh.

4. U.S cancer screening costs hit $43.2 billion annually. Screening colonoscopies accounted for $23.7 billion, or 55%, of that cost. Three physicians shared their perspectives on the future of colonoscopies with Becker's

5. Utah Gastroenterology welcomed Charlie Fox, MD, to their team. Dr. Fox specializes in liver disease, inflammatory bowel diseases and esophageal disorders.Utah Gastroenterology is a part of GI Alliance  one of the largest physician-owned and led GI chains in the country.

6. The Arkansas State Medical Board revoked the license of gastroenterologist Alonzo Williams, MD, following accusations of sexual harassment and improper prescription practices, among other allegations.

7. Louisville, Colo.-based Gastroenterology of the Rockies named Joseph Cassara, MD, its chief medical officer, as president of the board. Dr. Cassara has advised the board since 2022 when he began at the practice.

8. Round Rock, Texas-based Austin Gastroenterology expanded its GI coverage with a new hire.Nicole Ferrante, MD, is a gastroenterologist who specializes in numerous GI procedures and conditions, including colonoscopy, polyposis syndromes, liver disease and pancreatic diseases.

9. Shakeel Ahmed, MD, gastroenterologist and CEO of St. Louis-based Atlas Surgical Group, joined Becker's to discuss how Stark law issues are affecting physicians.

10. Ramanujan Samavedy, MD, gastroenterologist at Knoxville, Tenn.-based Gastrointestinal Associates, joined Becker's to discuss what's missing in conversations with payers.






Optum has shuttered several clinics and terminated its telehealth business in 2024.

Optum has more than 310,000 employees across the globe. Despite the recent layoffs, the company has more than 20,000 job openings across the country, with many remote positions available, a UnitedHealth Group spokesperson told Becker's in July.

"We continually review the capabilities and services we offer to meet the growing and evolving needs of our businesses and the people we serve," the UnitedHealth spokesperson told Becker's. "As always, we will support affected team members with job placement resources and seek to deploy them where possible to any open roles within the company."

Here are six of the states where Optum has conducted layoffs in the last year:

California:

UnitedHealth Group company will terminate the California employees from Sept. 16 through January 2025 at clinic and administrative office locations in Hayward, Glendora, Montbello, Covina, Pasadena, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Irvine, Beaumont, Redlands, Highland, El Segundo, and Cerritos, according to regulatory documents filed July 18.

Another 64 will be laid off at Optum California's corporate office in El Segundo, and 157 employees will be laid off at an office in Cerritos.

Another 303 Optum employees will be terminated across permanent closures at an additional 15 addresses in California, including urgent and primary care clinics, infusion services facilities and medical groups.

Florida

MedExpress, owned by Optum, confirmed with Becker's on Nov. 8 that it has closed its facilities in Lutz, West Tampa, Carrollwood and Boca Raton, Fla.

Ohio

In May, Optum said it would close a Change Healthcare facility in Toledo, Ohio, resulting in the termination of 129 employees.

Texas

An undisclosed number of employees were laid off at San Antonio-based WellMed, according to an August 2023 report from San Antonio Express News.

Washington

Optum laid off around 67 employees from the Everett Clinic and the Polyclinic in Seattle, according to a September 2023 report from The Everett Herald. The two clinics, which were acquired by Optum in 2019, have since rebranded.

West Virginia

In August 2023, Morgantown, W.Va.-based MedExpress Urgent Care eliminated registered nursing positions at nearly 150 facilities as part of a larger group of layoffs at Optum.
Here are seven ASC development and activity updates taking place in the Midwest that Becker's has reported on since July 17, including openings, approvals and proposals:

1. Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Parkview Health broke ground on an ASC in Warsaw, Ind., inside of a facility that will house Parkview Kosciusko SurgeryONE, Ortho NorthEast clinic and Parkview Physicians Group  Primary Care clinic.

2. The Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin, Minn., celebrated its completion on Aug 12.

3. Cook County (Ill.) Health plans to open a new ASC in early 2025 on the site of the former Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago.

4. SAAK Health held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new ASC in Brookfield, Wis.

5. The Upper Mississippi Surgery Center is on track to open in Jamestown, Wis., later this year.

6. The Munson (Mich.) Healthcare Cadillac Hospital's board of directors has approved the development of two new joint venture ASCs in Cadillac and Gaylord, Mich.

7. Manitowoc, Wis.-based Renovo Health opened a new direct-pay ASC that aims to cut out the need for payers.
The University of California in Oakland has offered wage increases totaling $260 million to members of the Union of Professional and Technical Employees who work across its 10 campuses, six academic health systems and three nationally affiliated labs.

University representatives offered the wage increases during bargaining Aug. 16. If accepted, more than 18,000 UPTE-represented university employees would see pay raises of as much as 21% over three years, according to an Aug. 19 news release.

The changes would affect about 7,048 licensed healthcare professionals who provide clinical and medical services at the university's five medical centers, nine student health centers and numerous outpatient clinics. About 6,534 research support professionals and about 4,642 technical support professionals are also affected. The three units would receive a 5% increase effective July 1, followed by a 3% increase in 2026. Union members would also receive a 3% increase in 2027, contingent on California budget allocation.

UPTE-represented healthcare workers at the university also received a 3% wage increase on July 1 and a 2% step increase in January, according to the release. If approved by UPTE, the latest wage increases would bump the average systemwide annual compensation for UPTE-represented healthcare workers from around $154,000 to $182,000.

These increases come amid delays in the state's minimum wage increases for healthcare workers. The law, which will gradually raise the minimum wage for healthcare workers to $25 per hour through a series of annual increases, is delayed until at least October.

"These employees offer essential services to ensure the university delivers impactful patient experiences and enhances lives through education, research and healthcare," Missy Matella, associate vice president for systemwide employee and labor relations, said in the university's release, referring to the three units. "In a budget year with constraints across our system, we have prioritized our union members' compensation to reflect our appreciation and the value they provide."

The university began negotiating a new contract with the union in June. In addition to the pay increases, the university has offered UPTE members expanded sick leave provisions, expanded review processes for reclassification requests, additional holidays and an expanded definition of holiday time pay, among other benefits, according to the university's statement.

Dan Russell, UPTE's president and chief negotiator, who is an employee of UC Berkeley, shared the following statement with Becker's: "UPTE's healthcare, research and technical staff  many of whom currently make less than $25 an hour  provide life-saving patient care, cutting-edge research, and world-class education.

"The proposed 'raise' UC offered is actually a real wage cut  it doesn't make up for the inflation that has eaten away at wages since the pandemic and is well below the raises UC agreed to with its nurses. UC has offered no meaningful improvements for our members' other priorities like safer staffing or work-life balance, both of which help prevent burnout, nor have they responded in a timely fashion to our requests for information. Meanwhile, we see more healthcare professionals leave UC to the detriment of our patients. If this is a historic proposal from their perspective, that says something about how they value UPTE's essential employees."

More information about the university's bargaining units is available here. Additional information about negotiations is avaiable here.

Editor's note: This story was updated on Aug. 20.
China's top political advisor meets Vietnam's top leader To Lam

Xinhua) 09:18, August 20, 2024

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, meets with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Wang Huning, China's top political advisor, met with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, on Monday in Beijing.

Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said China is willing to work with Vietnam to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and countries, and promote the substantive development of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

The CPPCC is willing to work with Vietnam to make active efforts in this regard, he added.

Lam said Vietnam always remembers and sincerely appreciates the tremendous assistance China has provided for Vietnam's national liberation and development.

Vietnam will remain true to its original aspirations, use the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and countries as a guide to consolidate and enhance cooperation between Vietnam and China in various fields, and build well the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, he added.

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, meets with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Among the recent executive moves at hospitals and health systems, multiple presidents have been appointed, stepped down or shared retirement plans.

Becker's has reported the following president moves since Aug. 1:

1. Rita Bunch, president of Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, Va., will step down Sept. 13.

2. Meg Zakrzewski, MSN, was named president of Peoria, Ill.-based OSF Children's Hospital of Illinois, effective Sept. 29.

3. Aaron Hilton was appointed president of Walnut Ridge, Ark.-based Lawrence Healthcare, succeeding Josh Conlee.

4. Lynnette Watkins, MD, stepped down as president and COO of Northampton, Mass.-based Cooley Dickinson Hospital, part of Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham.

5. Steve Roach stepped down from his role as president of Marlborough (Mass) Hospital and Leominster, Mass.-based HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital, both part of UMass Memorial Health.

6. Paula Carynski, MSN, RN, will retire Jan. 31 as president of Rockford, Ill.-based OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center.

7. Jay Quebedeaux was tapped as president of regional hospitals for Little Rock, Ark.-based Baptist Health, which includes five regional facilities.

8. Dennis Campbell, RN, was named interim president of ECU Health North Hospital in Roanoke Rapids, N.C.

9. Drew Talbott will retire Aug. 30 as president of Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kan., part of St. Louis-based Ascension. The retirement comes one day before the hospital transitions to ownership by St. Louis-based Mercy.

10. Sue Andersen was appointed president of Dignity Health - French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

11. Patrick Caster was named president of Dignity Health - St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, Calif. and Dignity Health - St. John's Hospital Camarillo (Calif.).

12. J.T. Barnhart was appointed president of OSF HealthCare Sacred Heart Medical in Danville, Ill., after serving in the role on an interim basis.

13. Michael Drake, MD, will step down next year as president of Oakland-based University of California's system of research universities, health systems and affiliated laboratories.
Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital in Vero Beach, Fla., has selected Richard Rothman, MD, as vice president and chief medical officer.

In addition, Dr. Rothman will maintain his position as chief medical operations officer for Cleveland Clinic's Florida market, which includes five hospitals. In that role, he leads the hospital-at-home program, which he founded in 2023, according to an Aug. 19 news release.

Dr. Rothman joined Cleveland Clinic Indian River, a 322-bed hospital, 10 years ago and has since served in progressive leadership roles.
Burke Kline resigned as CEO of Jefferson Community Health & Life in Fairbury, Neb., effective Aug. 19.

Mr. Kline became CEO in June 2020, according to an Aug. 19 news release from the health system.

Lana Likens has been named interim CEO, the release said. Deb Sutton, RN, was named interim nursing home administrator.

Jefferson Community Health & Life includes an acute care hospital, family medicine clinic, long-term care and home health services, according to its website.
Michael Hochman has been promoted to executive director of Margaretville (N.Y.) Hospital and Mountainside Residential Care Center.

Mr. Hochman was previously regional director of facilities for Valhalla, N.Y.-based Westchester Medical Center Health Network, according to an Aug. 19 news release from the health system.

In the regional director role, Mr. Hochman developed budgets and capital plans, secured state grants and oversaw engineering and maintenance of Margaretville Hospital and Mountainside Residential Care Center, the release said.

WHMCHealth is a 1,700-bed system with nine hospitals.
From Steward Health Care filing a lawsuit against its landlord, to Humana settling drug fraud allegations, here are 12 recent healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements and developments that Becker's has reported since Aug. 9:

1. Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta allegedly lost a piece of a patient's skull and charged him for a synthetic replacement, according to a lawsuit.

2. A Black-owned radiology practice is suing the University of Maryland Medical System alleging unfair and discriminatory bidding practices.

3. Dallas-based Steward Health Care filed a lawsuit against its landlord Medical Properties Trust claiming that the efforts to sell its remaining hospitals to new operators have been disrupted by "parties who have refused to follow the clear ground rules."

4. A California Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit from a bankrupt health system accusing the data analytics firm MultiPlan and national insurers of using their influence to deny providers billions of dollars since 2012.

5. Humana will pay $90 million to settle allegations it submitted fraudulent bids for its Part D plans between 2011 and 2017.

6. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez granted the sale of Stewardship Health to Nashville, Tenn.-based Rural Healthcare Group, part of private equity firm Kinderhook Industries, for $245 million in cash.

7. Somers Point, N.J.-based Shore Memorial Health System agreed to pay the U.S. $3.15 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by receiving improper pandemic loans.

8. NewYork-Presbyterian, New York City's largest private health system, is fighting two separate legal battles involving the state's largest nurses' union.

9. St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital filed an appeal in a case made famous by a Netflix documentary. However, a loss could prove costly for the organization, Tampa Bay Times reported Aug. 12.

10. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita dropped a lawsuit against IU Health and IU Healthcare Associates, alleging that the Indianapolis-based academic medical center neglected to train its employees and safeguard personal health information after a physician spoke to the media about a 10-year-old girl's abortion.

11. The Texas Medical Association notched another victory over HHS in its series of challenges against provisions of the No Surprises Act.

12. Fifteen state attorneys general are challenging a CMS rule that would allow individuals who are part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to enroll in ACA marketplace plans.
Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta lost a piece of a patient's skull and charged him for a synthetic replacement, according to a lawsuit filed Aug. 8.

Fernando and Melinda Cluster are suing Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare, which owns the hospital, for alleged negligence, claiming the hospital caused unnecessary medical bills and physical and emotional pain, according to court documents.

Mr. Cluster was treated for an intracerebral hemorrhage at the hospital in September 2022. Physicians performed a decompressive hemicraniectomy, which involved removing a piece of his skull.

While Mr. Cluster was being prepared for a cranioplasty to have the bone flap reinserted after healing from the initial procedure, hospital employees found "several bone flaps with incomplete or missing patient identification" and were not able to determine which, if any, of the bone flaps were from Mr. Cluster, the complaint said.

The surgery was canceled so a synthetic implant could be manufactured, and that procedure took place in November 2022. Mr. Cluster also needed an additional surgery because of an infection in the synthetic bone flap, the complaint said.

Emory Healthcare charged Mr. Cluster for the synthetic bone flap and the extra time spent in the hospital because of the delay in surgery. Mr. Cluster's medical expenses as a "direct and proximate result" of negligence total more than $146,000, the complaint said. The implant cost more than $19,000, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Aug. 16.

"Emory Healthcare is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care for patients and those we serve in our communities. We do not comment on pending litigation," a spokesperson emailed to Becker's.
In August, the CDC updated its guidelines for intrauterine devices. Physicians said it is a notable improvement but leaves gaps, according to an NBC News report.

For placement of the contraceptive, the agency now recommends lidocaine to reduce pain, adding that misoprostol could be of use in some circumstances, such as a recent failed placement.

Deborah Bartz, MD, an OB-GYN at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and Beverly Gray, MD, an OB-GYN at Duke Health in Durham, N.C., cast doubt on the lidocaine recommendation, according to the Aug. 20 report.

"The numbing or the anesthetic medication is not like a silver bullet," Dr. Gray told NBC News. "It is not something that universally helps everyone's pain experience."

There is little research on how painful the three-minute procedure is, and the CDC acknowledged this, recognizing that pain is individualized and can be influenced by previous trauma and mental health conditions.

The lack of data is unsatisfying for gynecologists.

"It's been very frustrating in our field, the lack of good options," Aaron Lazorwitz, MD, a complex family planning specialist and professor at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., told NBC News. "We're trying to find new tools that we can use because right now the tools are just not adequate enough."

Another substantive change from the guidelines, last updated in 2016, are treatment options for patients experiencing bleeding irregularities:
The CDC has issued a health advisory to clinicians and public health authorities due to the increase of Oropouche virus cases in the Americas.

The cases are originating from endemic areas in the Amazon basin as well as new areas in South America and the Caribbean, according to an Aug. 16 news release from the agency.



There have been more than 8,000 Oropouche virus cases reported in 2024 from Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and Cuba.



Though travel-associated cases have been identified in the U.S. and Europe from individuals who traveled to Cuba and Brazil, "no evidence of local transmission currently exists within the United States or its territories," the release said.



Here are eight things physicians should know about Oropouche virus, according to the release:
AllSpire Health GPO, a regional group purchasing organization based in Pennsylvania, selected Premier to support its annual $3.5 billion purchasing volume, the companies announced Aug. 20.

With the agreement, AllSpire Health GPO's 54 acute care hospital members will become Premier members, effective January 2025. Premier said in a news release it will help AllSpire's regional contract portfolio with an emphasis on local market dynamics.

The financial effect of the agreement was not disclosed.
Kyla, Melissa, Danielle, and Olga, a lively flash mob of local roller-skaters, performed a dazzling display of dance moves and tricks with trays of The Ivy Champagne in front of Belfast City Hall today, as part of the build-up to the highly anticipated opening of The Ivy Belfast Brasserie on Tuesday 17th September. Credit: Presseye

Kyla, Melissa, Danielle, and Olga, a lively flash mob of local roller-skaters, performed a dazzling display of dance moves and tricks with trays of The Ivy Champagne in front of Belfast City Hall today, as part of the build-up to the highly anticipated opening of The Ivy Belfast Brasserie on Tuesday 17th September. Credit: Presseye

Arist's rendition of The Ivy restaurant that will be opening in Belfast

Kyla, Melissa, Danielle, and Olga, a lively flash mob of local roller-skaters, performed a dazzling display of dance moves and tricks with trays of The Ivy Champagne in front of Belfast City Hall today, as part of the build-up to the highly anticipated opening of The Ivy Belfast Brasserie on Tuesday 17th September. Credit: Presseye

The Ivy in Belfast has confirmed their official opening date next month, with reservations available to book from today.

The London chain has confirmed their highly anticipated Belfast location will open its doors on Tuesday September 17.

Meanwhile anyone wanting to book for the restaurant will have the chance to join their reservation line which opens from today.

Joining 39 other locations in The Ivy Restaurant portfolio, the Belfast premises will launch across two floors at the historic Cleaver House on Donegall Square North, in the heart of the city centre.

Arist's rendition of The Ivy restaurant that will be opening in Belfast

The Brasserie will be open seven days a week, offering an all-day dining experience, including breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, cocktails, and dinner.

As well as the main restaurant, the full-service restaurant will boast a central bar area, a mix of booth and open planned seating areas, and a glamorous private dining room for 24 guests.

Initially, the firm said that around 70 jobs would be created at the restaurant.

However, the luxury eatery confirmed they will eventually create over 100 new jobs in the local hospitality industry within the city when it opens next month.

Construction for The Ivy in Belfast began in January, and is said to be part of an overall 8m investment.

Julian Henry, General Manager of The Ivy Belfast Brasserie, said: "We are delighted to bring The Ivy experience to Belfast, a city rich in culture, heritage, and culinary expertise. Northern Ireland has long been celebrated for its vibrant food scene, and we are thrilled to contribute to this legacy with a dining experience that blends The Ivy's timeless elegance with the contemporary energy of Belfast.

The warm response we've received since announcing our opening has been overwhelming, and we can't wait to welcome guests through our doors. Our Belfast Brasserie will embody the elegance and charm The Ivy is renowned for, infused with a modern twist that reflects the dynamic spirit of this wonderful city.

Kyla, Melissa, Danielle, and Olga, a lively flash mob of local roller-skaters, performed a dazzling display of dance moves and tricks with trays of The Ivy Champagne in front of Belfast City Hall today, as part of the build-up to the highly anticipated opening of The Ivy Belfast Brasserie on Tuesday 17th September. Credit: Presseye

The building was originally constructed in 1888, designed by architect Young & Mackenzie, and was a department store until 1984.

The Ivy opened at its original location at West Street in London more than a century ago. It now runs more than 30 restaurants across the UK, including cafes and brasseries. It opened its first location in Dublin in 2018.

The original Ivy marked its centenary in 2017, and remains arguably Londons most famous restaurant.

It was first opened by Abel Giandolini as an Italian cafe in a building on the same site.

Fans of the restaurant are said to include Laurence Olivier, Noel Coward, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, and David and Victoria Beckham.

News Catch Up - Monday 19th August
As part of the deal, which amounts to a takeover by PropertyPal as the larger business, the websites will continue to operate separately.

A spokesman said the merger would mean better value and improved services for agents and website users.

It comes after some estate agents boycotted PropertyPal earlier this year over an increase in its fees.

The spokesman said there would be significant investment in marketing both platforms, as well as upgrading technology infrastructure and improving the software used by agents.

Jordan Buchanan, CEO of PropertyPal, said: This merger is very positive for our people, our customers, and our website users.

"We are bringing together the best of our technology, people, and cultures to create something even better. Our aim is to enhance the value we offer to consumers and agent partners alike.

He added: By combining our resources and expertise, we will deliver more efficient, cost-effective, and user-friendly platforms.

"Our commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction remains at the core of everything we do, and I am confident that this merger will drive forward our vision of providing exceptional service and support to the Northern Ireland property market. We look forward to working closely with our agents and stakeholders during this exciting transition and beyond.

GCD Technologies, former owner of Propertynews, becomes a shareholder of the parent company, PropertyPal.

Andrew Gough, GCD managing director, will join PropertyPals board of directors.

The new board will also include Conor MacCarrick, former board member of Propertynews, and Jordan Buchanan, CEO of PropertyPal.

They will join the existing team, including chairman Cecil Hetherington and founder Errol Maxwell, to work alongside the management team.

Emma McNally, commercial director at Propertynews, will step into the role of chief operating officer at PropertyPal.

Ms McNally said: This is a significant milestone for both websites. Through a united approach, we will strengthen our offerings to drive growth and innovation.

"By combining our technical, commercial, and sector expertise, we will deliver a best-in-class user experience and create additional value for our customers.

"I am eager to engage with our expanded team and valued business partners to achieve our shared vision for success.
Concerns have been raised about the ability of the regulator and new online safety laws to hold social media platforms to account (Yui Mok/PA)

Media regulator Ofcom is ramping up its hiring of online safety staff as debate continues over the ability of the UK to properly tackle the spread of misinformation online.

The riots in parts of the UK earlier this month were fuelled by the spread of misinformation in the wake of the stabbings in Southport.
BrewDog is opening its first bar in Northern Ireland

Beer maker BrewDog will open its first bar in Northern Ireland, it has been revealed.

The Scottish brewery will launch its first location at the soon-to-open Grand Central Station  Belfasts new public transport hub, which is the largest of its kind in Ireland.

Pub chain Brewdog has confirmed plans to expand its bar footprint across the world.

In 2021 the firm hinted it was eyeing up Belfast among around 40 new pub locations.

Its been linked to a couple of different Belfast locations in the last few years.

It has one large bar in Dublin as well as dozens across the UK.

The new Grand Central Station is due to begin a phased opening from September 8.

We will be opening up the station in phases, and also for operational reasons, Translink group chief executive, Chris Conway, told BBC Good Morning Ulster.

The first phase will be on Sunday, September 8 when we will move operations from Europa Bus Centre to Grand Central Station.

 the railway will move shortly after that and the date is to be confirmed.

We hope to be able to confirm that soon and theres a safety authorisation process.

Speaking about the new hospitality and retail offerings at the station, Mr Conway said: This is the largest integrated station on the island of Ireland and has very modern, advance feature, lots of accessibility new retail offerings such as M&S, Pret A Manger and BrewDog for example, really adding to the regeneration of Belfast.
Sightseeing on a shoestring: I dont think anything beats living out of a van with your best friends

Seasoned travellers say they saved more than 2,300 on hotels and visited far more places than they would have had they taken a conventional holiday

From left friends Irena Minarikova, (21), Ludmila Paleckova, (23), and Ondra Slansky, (37), who travelled Ireland in a hired Transit van.

Laura Lynott Tue 20 Aug 2024 at 20:11

Three friends have revealed how they managed to save more than 2,300 on hotels by touring Ireland in a hired Transit van.
Serial rioter accused of setting fire to Belfast's migrant-owned Sham Supermarket and Bash Cafe remanded

Lennon Ashwood is also accused of attacking police and setting fire to cars during four separate nights of disorder

Abdelkader Mohamad Al Alloush, owner of the Sham Supermarket on Donegall Road in Belfast (PA)

Alan Erwin Tue 20 Aug 2024 at 13:12







An alleged serial rioter was remanded into custody today accused of arson attacks on migrant businesses during racial violence on the streets of Belfast.
Northern Ireland is said to be at the bottom of the league when it comes to cancer policy as a health professor at Queens University Belfast (QUB) called on the UK government to implement a new cancer plan.

Cases are predicted to rise by over a third in the next 15 years, however without a designated cancer plan in place, there are fears that these figures could get significantly worse.

Professor Mark Lawler, Professor of Digital Health at QUB and Chair of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership, has led evidence highlighted in a paper published in The Lancet Oncology medical journal, which is urging for the reinstatement of a national cancer control plan (NCCP) that could potentially save thousands of lives each year.

At present, more than one in three people throughout the UK are waiting over 62 days for lifesaving cancer treatment, substantially decreasing their chance of survival.

A 10-year cancer plan was announced by UK Government in 2022, however it was soon discarded as a Major Conditions Strategy was introduced instead.

Professor Lawler, along with other leading cancer experts, are calling for cancer care to be placed back at the top of the governments political agenda.

Cancer is our most feared diagnosis, affecting one in two of us in our lifetime, the Belfast-based academic said.

"Were at a critical moment for cancer care in the UK. Will we stand by as cancer outcomes continue to decline and patients die who could have been saved, or will we take decisive steps to fix this crisis?

Our research shows that countries with dedicated cancer plans and consistently implemented policies achieve better survival rates. If there was ever a time to act and ensure the UK leads in cancer care rather than lagging, it is now. It is utterly incomprehensible that a country like ours does not have a NCCP. The current Government may have inherited this problem from the last one, but it's like being handed a ticking time bomb.

Northern Ireland is of at the bottom of the international league table for cancer policy consistency. Thankfully, Northern Irelands Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, has recognised that cancer needs to take precedence going forward.

I urge the government to work with us, harness the solutions we know can make a real difference, and deliver the cancer plan that this country urgently needs. We need a cancer service fit for the future, and we need it now.

Professor Lawler was among other professionals who recently presented key evidence to the Health and Social Care Select Committee Future Cancer Inquiry at Westminster, with the reinstatement of an innovative and strategic NCCP the crucial recommendation.

Speaking during the inquiry, he explained: Research was another critical area of focus, highlighting that the UK is at risk of losing its global cancer research reputation, this needs to be rectified immediately. Research is not a luxury, it is a vital part of how we deliver the most up to date cancer care for our patients.

We have an opportunity to significantly turn the tide on cancer, but we must act quickly and decisively. The strategy employed to date is clearly flawed and now is the time to reset and get it right. Let us be leaders again, not laggers.
The MIPIM international real estate show for professionals at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP)

Belfast City Council will send officials to a property conference in the south of France that has previously faced allegations of sexism and prostitution.

Unionist and Alliance councillors voted for sending officials to the MIPIM event next year at this months City Growth and Regeneration Committee.

Government representatives, property groups, investors, construction firms and architects head to the south of France for MIPIM, billed as the worlds leading property market every year.

This years conference was also attended by Belfast City Council officers and saw over 20,000 delegates from 90 countries take part.

In 2018 the event became mired in controversy, with allegations of sexism, drunken behaviour and even prostitution, in a Wolf of Wall Street type scenario.

Organisers at the time rejected the claim, saying: Under no circumstances does MIPIM register prostitutes.

That year, Belfast City Council spent 60,000 sending seven officials to the four-day event in March.

The cost to the council for next years event has not been revealed.

During the City Growth and Regeneration Committee, Sinn Feins Joe Duffy said his party has put on record on numerous occasions our opposition to this.

I see no tangible benefits that we get from attendance at MIPIM, he added.

We have asked for a detailed report previously and I am not aware that has come back yet.

Mr Duffy continued: We dont see what benefit we are getting out of it, and I think it has been difficult for officers to pinpoint it for us in the past. We will be minded to vote against this.

Alliance councillor Eric Hanvey said the event provides an opportunity to help find investors from the private sector.

This is a no-brainer, and I just dont understand this constantly coming up as an issue, he said.

Our officers feel it is useful to them. It seems to fit so clearly with our priorities, and I would be very supportive of it.

Deputy Lord Mayor and DUP councillor Andrew McCormick said the Belfast Agenda requires 7.5 billion to complete.

We are talking about not going to a conference where there are 4 trillion in assets to be tapped into, and where we can market Belfast in its greatest light, he stated.

If we are wanting to sell Belfast and get investment we need to sit at the table, and not throw the baby out with the bath water.

Sinn Fein councillor Ronan McLaughlin said: No one is saying that we dont need public and private sector investment.

This is what is crucially needed, both public and private investment, with the public part of it actually leading.

It is not that we are in a vacuum and have no form of interested parties, because they are there.

We have had this [MIPIM] debate every single time, and this is the first report where it puts down some of the tangibles.

But for me it is not enough, we have been going for nearly ten years, and what has changed in our city? Not enough.
Detectives are investigating an arson attack in south Belfast last night, Monday 19th August, which is being treated as a racially-motivated hate crime. Credit: Photo by Matt Mackey / Press Eye

Detectives are investigating an arson attack in south Belfast last night, Monday 19th August, which is being treated as a racially-motivated hate crime. Presseye

A car and motorbike were both set alight in south Belfast on Monday night in what police are treating as a racially-motivated hate crime.

Police said the vehicles were targeted in the Frenchpark Street area of the city just after 11pm.

It was confirmed there were no injuries to those in the nearby property as a result.

Local Sinn Fein MLA Deirdre Hargey said the attack was absolutely appalling and disgusting.

Thankfully no one was injured, although we could have been talking about a much more serious incident with the potential loss of life, she said.

This attack was unprovoked, it was reprehensible and it is not reflective of the majority of our community who embrace and welcome the huge positives of diversity in our society.

Racism and hate is wrong in all of its forms and it must be rejected and stopped now.

PSNI Detective Inspector Angus said: "Just after 11pm, we were contacted by a member of the public who reported that a vehicle was on fire in the Frenchpark Street area. There were fears that this could spread to a nearby house.

"It is believed that there were two seats of fire. One had been set on a motorcycle outside the living room window of the property, destroying the vehicle and burning two windows and guttering. The second fire was set underneath a car, causing damage to the wheels and engine bay.

"Colleagues from Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service confirmed that the fires were set deliberately. We are treating this as arson with intent to endanger life, with a racial hate motivation.

Detectives are investigating an arson attack in south Belfast last night, Monday 19th August, which is being treated as a racially-motivated hate crime. Credit: Photo by Matt Mackey / Press Eye

"We are grateful that those present in the property were uninjured, though we are very aware that we could potentially have been dealing with much more serious consequences this morning.

Detective Inspector Angus continued: "There is no place in our society for such behaviour. We will be tireless in our pursuit of those responsible for this, and any other, hate crime.

PSNI Chief Inspector Mark Conway, area commander for south Belfast, added: Everyone, no matter what their background, has the right to feel safe in their home.

The Police Service are treating this incident exceptionally seriously. Local officers are working with our Criminal Investigations Department colleagues to identify the perpetrators of this incident, so that those responsible are held to account for their actions. I would appeal directly to the south Belfast community  do not let these criminals hide amongst us.

"Anyone who was in the area at the time, or who may have relevant information, including dash-cam or other footage, should contact us on 101, quoting reference 1672 19/08/24.

News Catch Up - Monday 19th August
Killer Shane Frane has appeared in court today after having been extradited to Northern Ireland from the Republic.

The 36-year-old was arrested in the Republic on Thursday February 1 this year, with extradition proceedings completed today.

He stood handcuffed in the dock of Lisburn Magistrates Court, a detective confirmed he had executed a warrant for the arrest.

A prosecuting lawyer told the court there are charges to be laid against Frane at a later date.

Remanding the defendant into custody, District Judge Rosie Watters adjourned the case to September 16.

The 36-year-old had been sought by the PSNI for being unlawfully at large from prison since January 17, 2024.

Earlier, PSNI Sergeant Davey from the International Policing Unit said: Police Service of Northern Ireland continue to work closely with authorities in the Republic of Ireland to return fugitives to Northern Ireland.

In this particular case, we appreciate the continued and effective assistance of An Garda Siochana in arresting and returning Frane, who was convicted in February 2014 of the manslaughter of Constable Philippa Reynolds.

We will continue to work closely with An Garda Siochana to locate those who abscond the justice system.

Our message is clear to anyone who has left Northern Ireland to avoid the consequences of their actions: we will use all powers available to have you arrested and returned to Northern Ireland.

Frane was convicted of the manslaughter of Constable Philippa Reynolds.

Ms Reynolds (27) died in a road traffic collision in February 2013 when a Toyota Landcruiser crashed into her unmarked police car in the Waterside area of Londonderry.

Ms Reynolds was a back-seat passenger in the police car which was hit and the PSNI believe she was killed instantly by the impact of the stolen vehicle.

Frane had been serving an indeterminate prison term for the death of Ms Reynolds. Despite a minimum six-year tariff expiring in 2019, Parole Commissioners repeatedly determined that he must remain behind bars.

Constable Philippa Reynolds, 27, from the Greater Belfast area, died when the unmarked police car she was travelling in turned into the path of a stolen 44 (PSNI/PA)

News Catch Up - Monday 19th August
Home of UVF mobster Colin Meerkat Fulton searched as Belfast race rioters hunted down

Loyalist heartlands Sandy Row and Donegall Road were the epicentre of five successive nights of racially motivate violence

Colin Meerkat Fulton

Richard Sullivan Tue 20 Aug 2024 at 11:59

Cops searched the home of UVF mobster Colin Meerkat Fulton as they hunt down race hate rioters in Belfast.
A 36-year-old-man, wanted in the Republic of Ireland to stand trial for offences of possession of child pornography and sexual communication with a child has been arrested in south Belfast,

Officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland's International Policing Unit remanded the man into custody on Tuesday.

The offences occurred in the Republic of Ireland in 2021.

He was detained today on an Irish extradition warrant and is due to appear before Laganside Extradition Court today also.

Constable Dynes from the International Policing Unit said: Todays arrest is another example of the Police Service working closely with An Garda Siochana to locate fugitives and bring them before the Extradition Courts.

"Northern Ireland is not a safe haven for any wanted persons trying to avoid arrest and the consequences of their previous actions. We will relentlessly pursue all those attempting to evade justice."
Police come under attack in the Sandy Row and Donegall Road area of south Belfast earlier this month. Pic: Presseye

A 22-year-old man has been charged with 28 offences following disorder in Belfast.

The charges relate to public disorder in the Broadway area of Belfast on Monday, July 15 and Tuesday, July 16 and arson attacks on businesses and property in south Belfast on Saturday, 3rd August.

He has been charged with a total of 28 offences, including four counts of riot, four counts of arson and one count of arson with intent to endanger life.

The charges also include one count of attempted grievous bodily harm with intent, following an assault on a police officer.

The man is due to appear before Belfast Magistrates' Court today, August 20.

There have now been 40 people arrested and 32 people charged in connection to recent disorder in Belfast.
Noel Treanor was appointed Archbishop of Down and Connor in 2008 (Press Eye)

Mourners gather at the funeral of Archbishop Noel Treanor. His funeral Mass took place on Tuesday morning at St Peter's Cathedral in Belfast (Pacemaker Belfast)

Mourners have heard how Archbishop Noel Treanor was a family man and much-loved friend of many people as the renowned cleric was laid to rest in west Belfast.

The former Bishop of Down and Connor died on Sunday in Brussels, Belgium after suffering a heart attack at the age of 73.

His funeral mass took place this morning at Saint Peters Cathedral in Belfast, where hundreds of people gathered to pay their respects, while thousands watched the service online  including hundreds in the Vatican.

Born on Christmas Day 1950 in Co Monaghan, Archbishop Treanor grew up in the parish of Tyholland, where he attended Leitrim National School and St Brigids National School before completing his early education at St Marys Christian Brothers School, Monaghan.

He was ordained a priest in 1976 for service in the diocese of Clogher in St Macartans Cathedral, Monaghan during which he served as curate and hospital chaplain in Monaghan town and in Enniskillen, as Director of Adult Education and in 1986 as Coordinator the Diocesan Assembly of Clergy.

He was a member of the Council for European Affairs of the Irish Bishops Conference and was ordained as a bishop in Saint Peters in 2008.

The former Bishop of Down and Connor was appointed by Pope Francis as apostolic nuncio to the European Union last year, representing the Holy See in Brussels, where he passed away.

In attendance at his funeral mass were representatives from the Vatican, alongside Deirdre Newell from the offices of the President of Ireland, Commissioner for Financial Services at the European Union Mairead McGuinness and the Lord Lieutenant of Belfast Fionnuala Jay-OBoyle, who represented the King.

The service was delivered by Bishop Alan McGuckian who said the Archbishop was a family man at his core and had left a community in shock with his death.

Archbishop Noel always spoke with great affection for the place and the people from whom he came, in Monaghan. Above all, his admiration and affection for his parents and the warmth of his family home came through in many stories that he enjoyed telling, he said opening the mass.

Mourners at the funeral of Archbishop Noel Treanor (Press Eye)

Here at his funeral Mass, we remember that Archbishop Noel was a family man and much-loved friend of many people; he was a very accomplished individual; a priest, a bishop, an archbishop, a papal nuncio.

All of those things are hugely important but on his funeral day we are invited to remember that none of those is the most important.

The most important thing is that Noel Treanor was baptised and born into a new life in Christ. The words written by St Paul to the Romans that we heard earlier were meant for him.

During the mass, Bishop Alan McGuckian also reiterated Archbishop Treanors commitment to his work within Europe, noting many people gathered in Brussels on Friday to pay tribute to his work in COMECE, Justice & Peace Europe and his most recent role as apostolic nuncio to the European Union.

All of us who worked with him in all of these different arenas will have witnessed his teasing out, in very sophisticated ways, the essential link between faith and culture, he added.

We all know about his deep commitment to the European project. That was born out of a desire to forge a shared, life-giving culture in a situation of terrible division manifested at its worst in the horrible excesses of the Second World War.

Noel saw that the great leaders of the recently warring nations had striven to create something in common that was authentically secular and inclusive.

Mourners also heard a message from Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of the Vatican, who commended the Archbishops devoted and faithful service to the people of God.

Expressing deep gratitude for Archbishop Treanors devoted and faithful service to the people of God in this local church, to wider Irish society, the Commission of the Bishops Conferences of the European Union, and most recently to the Apostolic See, his Holiness joins you in commending his soul to the loving mercy of Christ the Good Shepherd.

To those gathered for the Mass of Christian Burial and to all who mourn the late Archbishop in the sure hope of the Resurrection, the Holy Father cordially imparts his blessing as a pledge of peace and consolation in the Lord.

On behalf of the superiors of the Secretariat of State, and in my own name, I send sympathies together with our prayers for Archbishop Treanors eternal rest.

Most notably in Northern Ireland, Archbishop Treanor is remembered for having supported the DUP in their attempt to protect Christian values amidst the Ashers cake controversy.

The Belfast bakery faced legal action for refusing an order for a cake with a message on it supporting gay marriage.

He met then-DUP First Minister Peter Robinson at Stormont to express his concerns.

Bishop Treanor said: Our laws, as they stand, are having an unjust and disproportionate impact on those of religious faith.

News Catch Up - Monday 19th August
Retro gaming and the latest in Esports will be available at Reboot in a new partnership beteen Queen's University and Geek Retreat.

Retro gaming and the latest in Esports will be available at Reboot in a new partnership beteen Queen's University and Geek Retreat.

Classic arcade games are being Reboot-ed at Queens University, with old favourites like Pac-Man and Streetfighter taking up residence at a new gaming hub which will be open for both students and the public.

The university is tapping in to the resurgence in popularity of the classic arcade, and mixing it with some of the latest Esports technology in what will be a haven for gamers in the city.

The university has partnered with Geek Retreat on the new Lisburn Road facility, with Reboots ground floor offering retro arcade classics alongside a vast board gaming suite featuring over 100 games, including Dungeons & Dragons and trading card games such as Pokemon and Magic the Gathering.

Retro gaming and the latest in Esports will be available at Reboot in a new partnership beteen Queen's University and Geek Retreat.

A mezzanine level boasts top-tier consoles such as Nintendo Switch, Xbox S, PlayStation 5, and VR setups, plus the exclusive Red Bull Formula One Racing Simulator in Ireland. Popular games like Mario Kart and Mortal Kombat ensure an exhilarating experience.

On the first floor, a state-of-the-art Esports Centre with 30 high-performance PCs hosts major titles like Valorant, League of Legends, and Fortnite, perfect for individual play, group sessions, or competitive events with spectator screens.

Liz McLaughlin, director of student and campus experience at Queens University Belfast said a surge in the popularity of competitive gaming prompted the decision to provide the facility.

We are delighted to bring this new venue to our students and to the public, she said.

Esports gaming centres are becoming more popular as competitive gaming continues to grow and this centre offers a dedicated space for players to compete against others, as well as a community of like-minded individuals who share a passion for gaming. But we also cater for a range of abilities and interests.

Tim Chan, a final-year international student at Queens, said he expects the centre to be a real hit with students.

Reboot is a fantastic alcohol-free venue where students can relax and have fun, he said.

Its inclusive and community-focused, constantly evolving with student input. With top-end gaming PCs, Reboot will be key in nurturing Northern Irelands future Esports talent.

Reboot will also host events such as birthday parties, team-building sessions and nationwide tournaments, featuring a menu with pizzas, smash burgers, hot dogs, vegetarian and vegan options and Fairtrade coffee at 92 Lisburn Road.

Initial opening hours will be Monday to Friday 11am11pm and Saturday and Sunday 9am11pm (subject to change).
Police suggest operation to make the area safe could take up to five days

Army and police deal with a suspected World War Two bomb which was discovered on a building site in the the Rivenwood housing development area of Newtownards, Co. Down. Pic by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye.

Army and police deal with a suspected World War Two bomb which was discovered on a building site in the the Rivenwood housing development area of Newtownards, Co. Down. Pic by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye.

Joan McCabe (63) is worried about the new home she just bought located 'right beside' a 1,100lb WW2 bomb.

Joan McCabe (63) is worried about the new home she just bought located 'right beside' a 1,100lb WW2 bomb.

A woman who lives just outside the perimeter of a police cordon erected following the discovery of an unexploded Word War II bomb in Newtownards has expressed concern about her new house  situated right beside the 1,100lb device.

It comes as police confirm that residents refusing to leave their properties have been warned of the risk of death or serious injury and police have suggested the operation to make the area safe could potentially take up to five days.

Instead of breathing a sigh of relief that she was not among the occupants of 450 homes forced to evacuated on Saturday, Joan McCabe is worried about the new house she is due to move into next month.

The 63-year-old said she, and all the other residents, are braced for any outcome following the discovery of suspected munition last Wednesday morning.

The device has been found right beside my new house, Mrs McCabe told the Belfast Telegraph.

"I am not expecting to have to evacuate where I live now, which is just outside the cordon.

"We have not been told anything other than if they do not knock your door, and if you do not get a letter, you do not have to leave.

"But I suppose the experts will know more the longer they work on the device and if a total evacuation is necessary, then so be it.

These people know what they are doing and I trust them.

Its understood a number of residents have refused to leave their properties after being instructed to do so by the PSNI including one occupant who is unable to do so as a result of serious illness.

Mrs McCabe said most residents followed advice after being told their safety is at risk.

I asked the police to go and speak to this gentleman who has complex needs due to cancer and requires 24 hour care, she said.

"I feel for him and I wish I could something."

Army and police deal with a suspected World War Two bomb which was discovered on a building site in the the Rivenwood housing development area of Newtownards, Co. Down. Pic by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye.

Ards Blair Mayne Wellbeing & Leisure Complex has been set up as an emergency support centre for stranded residents.

However, most of those who have been displaced have sought refuge with family or friends.

Just one person slept at the leisure centre on Sunday night which is providing bedding, food and hot drinks to anyone in need.

Council officials have stressed that it will remain open for the duration of the ongoing operation should anyones circumstances change.

"If we were evacuated we would have to stay there, because my sister lives in a two bed apartment and there are five of us, Mrs McCabe said.

"People are stressed and worried they dont know if their windows are going to be blown out or if its going to be muffled.

"My primary concern at this point is my new house, not the windows of this house.

"But there is no point guessing what will happen, Ill need to wait and see and deal with it then.

The discovery of a similar wartime bomb forced the evacuation of thousands of people in Plymouth back in February causing disruption for four days.

The device was safely removed before being detonated at sea at a depth of at least 46 feet.

However, soldiers are using diggers in Newtownards to pile sand on top of the device ahead of an expected controlled explosion.

Police said no final decision has been made on such a move.

Dr James ONeill, from the Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum, said it would be too dangerous to move the explosive which he believes is a remnant of the Belfast Blitz  the city and surrounding areas was bombarded by the Luftwaffe on four occasions between April and May 1941 in a devastating aerial campaign that claimed nearly 1,000 lives.

"It was likely dropped on the night of April 15 1941 or the morning of April 16, he explained.

"A total of 13 soldiers from the 70th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers were killed in Newtownards during air raids.

The town has the most fatalities outside of Belfast.

Army and police deal with a suspected World War Two bomb which was discovered on a building site in the the Rivenwood housing development area of Newtownards, Co. Down. Pic by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye.

The collections officer, who has included a number of German devices found in Newtownards in the museums gallery, said inaccurate targeting during blackouts  and Strangford Lough being mistaken for Belfast Lough  means bombs would have landed anywhere.

"Normally they have two fuses, but because its been in the ground so long it would be subject to corrosion, Dr ONeill said.

"The blast range of a bomb like this would be considerable which is why they are putting in as much sand as possible to absorb it and mitigate the risk.

"It is an extremely dangerous device and ATO will know full well the apparent dangers it poses to them as they carry out this operation.

Strangford MP Jim Shannon urged residents to listen to the PSNI as he said the priority is minimising injury and loss of life.

"This would certainly be a powerful blast if it were to go off, he told this newspaper.

"Its a big bomb and the hope is that it can be neutralised.

"I know that pets are causing problems for some people, but over 500 offers have been received from people willing to foster animals.

"Some people have complex needs and I have informed the police of one man who is very, very ill.

"Those issues will need to be dealt with and decision will need to be made, its a very difficult scenario.

At a press conference on Monday, PSNI District Commander for Ards and North Down Johnston McDowell said police will not take any risks as thanked residents for their patience and understanding.

He said there is no definite timescale on the ongoing military operation which has now moved into the mitigation phase.

"If your home hasnt been attended by police and the police havent spoke to you directly  it is unlikely that you will be impacted by the clearance operation at this time, Superintendent McDowell added.

The policeman said typical operations of this nature normally take five days and that a final decision on a controlled explosion will be taken following examination of the device.

He said that residents who have refused to leave their homes have been warned that the sheer size of the World War Two bomb means we have to put in place a 400m cordon.

Superintendent McDowell added: Anyone within that [zone], without the mitigation, there is a serious risk of death or injury.

He also said police are working with partner agencies including the NHS trust which is liaising closely with vulnerable residents and that steps are being taken to move them into suitable accommodation.

News Catch Up - Monday 19th August
PSNI chief reacts to discipline process over cops celebrating Armaghs All-Ireland win

Footage of officers celebrating in Co Armagh following their All-Ireland win caused controversy last month

Watch: Police celebrate Armagh All-Ireland win with laps of the road waving flags

Liam Tunney Tue 20 Aug 2024 at 07:06







PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has said nothing has changed over proceedings involving three PSNI officers celebrating Armaghs All-Ireland win.
The search for British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter continues after a luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily.

Mr Lynch and his daughter Hannah are among six tourists missing after the yacht, named Bayesian, was battered during intense storms off the coast of Palermo in the early hours of Monday morning.

A body, believed to be that of the vessels cook, has been found and police divers are trying to reach the hull of the ship, which is resting at a depth of 50 metres.

Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, Italian news website la Repubblica stated.

Sicilys civil protection agency told the BBC that 18-year-old Hannah Lynch was among those missing with her father, along with the yachts chef, Ricardo Thomas.

The yacht was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers.

Fifteen people including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued, according to local media.

The British-flagged superyacht capsized at about 5am local time on Monday morning off the coast of Palermo when the area was hit by a tornado.

(PA Graphics)

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was made an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006.

In June, he was cleared of conducting a massive fraud relating to an 11 billion dollar (8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

A spokesperson for Mr Lynch said there was no comment.

The yacht sank as a fierce storm battered the area overnight.

The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported that the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.

Rescue operations in the stretch of sea near Palermo (Italian Coast Guard/AP)

Salvo Cocina of Sicilys civil protection agency said: They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

She said: I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

It was all dark. In the water I couldnt keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.

Charlotte and Sofia are being treated in hospital, as is Sofias father, James Emsley.

Karsten Borner, captain of a nearby boat, told journalists those missing included the Bayesians owner and a child, news agency Reuters reported.

He said his crew took on board some survivors who were on a life raft, including three who were seriously injured.

Fisherman Francesco Cefalu said he sailed from the shore to the scene after seeing a flare at about 4.30am, but by the time he arrived Bayesian had already sunk, with only items such as cushions and wood floating in the water.

The Bayesian, left, was built in 2008 (Fabio La Bianca/PA)

He added: I think they are inside, all the missing people.

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said on Monday: We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors were being deployed to Palermo.

A basic assessment of the scene will be made by the team, with no investigation launched at this stage, the PA news agency understands.

Bayesian completed a number of sailings in recent days, calling at various ports in Sicily, according to ship-tracking website VesselFinder.

The superyacht can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites, and is listed for rent for up to 195,000 euros (166,000 ) a week.

She was built in 2008 by Italian company Perini Navi.

Her registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd, which is based on the Isle of Man.

It has since emerged that the co-defendant of Mr Lynch in his US fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain, died after being hit by a car whist out running on Saturday.

Gary Lincenberg, Mr Chamberlains lawyer, said in a statement provided to the PA news agency: Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running.

He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.

Mr Lynch is of Irish heritage  his father was a fireman from Co Cork, and his mother was a nurse from Co Tipperary.

In a 2015 radio interview, Mr Lynch confirmed that he was born in Ilford in London, despite a number of reports that he was born in Ireland and raised in England.

He said during the same interview that he spent childhood summers in Carrick-On-Shannon and Tipperary and has family who still live there.
Emergency services have so far been unable to enter the wreckage of the vessel (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Tributes have been paid to a chef whose body was recovered after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily, as rescuers fear six people are still trapped inside the wreck.

The Italian Coastguard has not ruled out the possibility that those missing, including technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, may still be alive, with experts speculating air pockets could have formed as the yacht sank.

Among those missing are also Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife, Neda Morvillo.

The body recovered at the scene of the sinking on Monday was that of Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, who was working on the Bayesian superyacht, the Italian Coastguard told Sky News.

Gareth Williams a friend of the chef, told the BBC: I can talk for everyone that knew him when I say he was a well-loved, kind human being with a calm spirit.

Another friend, Eli Fuller, told the outlet Mr Thomas was friends with everybody, always positive and sought after in his profession.

Bayesian was moored around half a mile off the coast of Porticello when it sank at around 5am local time on Monday as the area was hit by a storm.

Vincenzo Zagarola of the Italian Coastguard said the six missing tourists were feared dead.

Asked about the likelihood of them being alive, he said: Never say never, but reasonably the answer should be not.

Italian emergency services heading towards the area off the Sicilian coast where a luxury yacht sank in a tornado (Jonathan Brady/PA)

He told the PA news agency: We think they are still inside the boat, that is our very hard idea.

Our search and rescue activity by sea and air has gone on for around 36 hours.

Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly.

We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat.

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Italys fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco said it is developing a plan to enter the wreckage of Bayesian, which is resting on the seabed off the coast at a depth of 50 metres.

It described the operation as complex, with divers limited to 12-minute underwater shifts.

Dr Jean-Baptiste Souppez, a senior lecturer of mechanical, biomedical and design engineering at Aston University, said the next 24 hours are crucial to find survivors trapped inside the wreck.

The speed at which the vessel sank (a few minutes, according to survivor and witness accounts) and the fact that it remains intact and on its side could favour the formation of small air pockets inside, he said.

This is obviously highly speculative and impossible to predict accurately.

A sign the rescuers may be looking for is a banging noise at regular intervals.

This is common practice on submarines, and was one of the signs the search mission for the Titan submarine was looking for after it went missing last year.

But whether air pockets formed on the Bayesian is simply impossible to predict.

Of the 22 passengers and crew onboard, 15  including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares  were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat.

More of the yachts rescued crew members were named by the Italian Coastguard on Tuesday, with Leo Eppel and South African nationals Leah Randall and Katja Chicken all confirmed as having been on board.

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was cleared in June of conducting a massive fraud relating to the 11 billion US dollar (8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

(PA Graphics)

The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal.

The Financial Times reported that Mr Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, while media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

A spokesperson for Morgan Stanley said the bank was shocked and saddened while Clifford Chance said it was a tragic incident.

David Tabizel, Mr Lynchs Autonomy co-founder, told Sky News: Im just heartbroken for him and his family and I hope theres a miracle about to occur.

If anyone has the resilience to survive this  he does. And I hope hes found an air pocket.

Mr Tabizel added: He has been one of the most influential, intelligent and most honourable human beings I have ever had the honour of knowing.

The former school of Mr Lynchs daughter has said its thoughts are with their family and everyone involved.

A spokesperson for Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, west London, said: We are all incredibly shocked by the news that Hannah and her father are among those missing in this tragic incident and our thoughts are with their family and everyone involved as we await further updates.

Ed Llewellyn, British ambassador to Italy, met some of the survivors of the sinking at a hotel.

Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer (Hiscox/PA)

Ayla Ronald, a New Zealand national working at Clifford Chance, survived the ordeal.

Her father Lin Ronald confirmed to the Telegraph she had been invited aboard as a thanks for assistance in Mr Lynchs recent court case.

Another of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

Charlotte and Sofia were treated in hospital, as was Sofias father, James Emsley.

Stephen Chamberlain died after being hit by a car (Cambridgeshire Police/PA)

In a separate incident, Mr Lynchs co-defendant in his US fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain, died after being hit by a car while out running in Cambridgeshire on Saturday.

In a statement released through Cambridgeshire Police, Mr Chamberlains family said: Steve was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.

He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible.
Some prisoners will be released earlier to free up space (Joe Giddens/PA)

A widely shared online post has claimed that the Government is releasing violent criminals, murderers and rapists early.

Another social media post suggested people who were convicted of manslaughter, knife crime, robbery and sex crimes would be released early.

Evaluation

The Government has said that people convicted of sex offences and serious violent offences (resulting in sentences) of four years or more will be among those automatically excluded from a scheme which will release inmates earlier in order to free up some prison capacity.

The facts

On July 12, the Ministry of Justice revealed there were only hundreds of places left in the adult male (prison) estate.

In an attempt to create more space in jails for the newly convicted, the Government said it would temporarily reduce the proportion of some sentences served in prison.

Under the scheme, the minimum time served for some less serious offences will drop from 50% of the custodial sentence to 40%, with safeguards and exemptions to keep the public safe.

The Government said: Sentences for serious violent offences of four years or more, as well as sex offences will be automatically excluded.

It added: The early release of offenders in prison for domestic abuse-connected crimes will also be excluded.

Links

Post on X (archived)

Second post on X (archived)

Gov.uk  Lord Chancellor sets out immediate action to defuse ticking prison time-bomb (archived)
The justice system requires considerable investment, the Director of Public Prosecutions has said (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The Director of Public Prosecutions has said the criminal justice system requires considerable investment as hundreds of jailed rioters continue to put pressure on overcrowded prisons.

In a piece for the Times newspaper, Stephen Parkinson defended the brisk nature of the disorder prosecutions  saying cases such as rape and domestic violence take longer to build and are more complex.

Following a large number of rioters being jailed over the past few weeks, Operation Early Dawn, a long-standing plan which allows defendants to be held in police cells and not summon them to magistrates court until a space in prison is available, was activated for the North of England on Monday.

Stephen Parkinson said the justice system requires considerable investment (Aaron Chown/PA)

The scheme is in place to help the prison service until September, when it is understood up to 2,000 prisoners are expected to be released under the new early release scheme, known as SDS40.

The SDS40 scheme, which will exclude sex offences and serious violence offences that have resulted in at least four years in prison, is due to be reviewed after 18 months, and will see 5,500 released between September and October this year.

A Ministry of Justice (MoJ) spokesman said everyone released will be strictly monitored and face tough licence conditions, such as electronic tagging and curfews.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4s Today programme on Tuesday, Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens said the Government continues to anticipate that suspects will be held in a police cell no longer than a day after being charged despite Operation Early Dawn being triggered.

Questioned on the maximum length of time someone could expect to be held in a police cell rather than being taken to magistrates courts, Ms Stevens said: We would anticipate that this should be no longer than a day after being charged.

Thats the basis on which were working. Anyone who poses a risk to the public will obviously not be bailed.

Theyll be held in a police station until theyre summoned to court, and that should be no later than the day after being charged.

In his article for the Times, Mr Parkinson said the swift justice seen in the case of rioters over recent weeks requires considerable investment.

He wrote: Some may ask why all crime isnt punished so briskly.

Some cases take longer because they are complex.

Not every crime is as obvious as pushing a flaming wheelie bin at police, or is captured on multiple body-worn cameras.

Crimes like rape and domestic violence often take deeper, specialist work to build a case and ultimately prove  something we are working with police to do better.

And candidly, in the long term, swift justice at the pace and scale we have seen in recent days requires considerable investment in the criminal justice system.

More rioters are expected to appear in court across the country on Tuesday  including in Sheffield, Manchester, Bristol, Hull, Teesside, Stafford and London.

An MoJ spokesman said: We inherited a prison system in crisis and have taken difficult but necessary action to make sure we can keep locking up dangerous criminals and protect the public, and since then the Probation Service has been planning for these releases.

Everyone released will be strictly monitored, face tough licence conditions like electronic tagging and curfews and could be recalled to prison if they breach licence conditions.
Angus Robertson apologised on Monday for meeting with Israels deputy ambassador Daniela Grudsky two weeks ago (Jane Barlow/PA)

Scotlands External Affairs Secretary said he has not considered resigning his position following significant criticism over his meeting with an Israeli diplomat.

Angus Robertson told BBC Radio Scotlands Good Morning Scotland (GMS) programme that he believed it was right to communicate the Scottish Governments opposition to the conflict in Gaza.

The senior minister apologised on Monday for meeting with Israels deputy ambassador Daniela Grudsky two weeks ago, with Mr Robertson admitting the meeting should have been limited to calling for an immediate ceasefire.

However, he said issues which did not relate to the war were raised by Ms Grudsky, including energy, tourism and economic co-operation.

He told the radio programme: That meeting was not an appropriate space or time for that meeting to take place.

Mr Robertson has faced criticism from within his own Holyrood party, with veteran MSP Christine Grahame describing his position as a liability.

Meanwhile, SNP MP Ruth Maguire told the Herald on Monday she shared the anger felt by party members in relation to the meeting.

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Mr Robertson was asked if he had considered his position in the cabinet following the backlash.

He told GMS: No, I havent because I think it was right to communicate the message that we did.

But I have reflected very strongly on the impact that it has created and the impression that was created, which is why I issued the apology yesterday.

I most certainly did not want to create an impression that there was a normalisation of relations between the Scottish Government and the Israeli government when there is not.

The Scottish Government has suspended any further meetings with the Israeli government until peace progress has been made in the conflict with Hamas.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer meeting First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan during a visit to Cathays Park in Cardiff. Picture date: Monday August 19, 2024 (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Sir Keir Starmer said his hopes of making Britain an energy superpower will include a key role for Wales, ahead of a wind farm visit with the new First Minister.

The Prime Minister and Eluned Morgan will travel to a site in West Wales on Tuesday as part of their first official visit together.
Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton speaks during the first day of Democratic National Convention (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has shared her vision for Vice President Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention (DNC): the top job.

Mrs Clinton, who was greeted with applause by DNC attendees as she took the stage at the United Centre for day one of the political convention, saluted Ms Harris while calling out her potential to break the highest, hardest glass ceiling to become Americas first female president.

Together, weve put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling, she said, with Ms Clinton referring to her failed 2016 attempt at the US presidency.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris on day one of the DNC (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the United States. When a barrier falls for one of us, it clears the way for all of us.

The former US secretary of state added: Now we are writing a new chapter in Americas story.

Highlighting the partys generational reach, Mrs Clinton, 76, followed New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 34.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez, endorsed Ms Harris while delivering the first mention of the war in Gaza from the convention stage; an issue that has split the partys base ever since the conflict between Hamas and Israel began on October 7.

The New York representative praised Ms Harris for her attempts at bringing peace to the Gaza Strip.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks in Chicago at the DNC (Erin Hooley)

She is working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bringing the hostages home, Ms Ocasio-Cortez told the crowd, as the audience responded with cheers.

Outside the arena, thousands of protesters descended on Chicago to rally against the Biden-Harris administrations support of Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza.

A group that had called itself the Abandon Biden movement held an event to rebrand itself as Abandon Harris, with protesters arguing that Vice President Harris inability to differentiate herself from Mr Bidens handling of the war is not acceptable.

Ms Harris allies within the DNC feared the pro-Palestinian protesters would not overshadow the official programme, with a slew of current and former Democratic stars to take the United Centre stage in the coming days.

An attendee holds signs during the first day of the Democratic National Convention (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Concerning election policies, the Democrats intend to keep abortion access front and centre for voters, betting that the issue will propel them to success as it has in other key races since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade two years ago.

Speakers on Monday included three women whose healthcare suffered as a result of that decision.

Democrats are looking to the week-long event to slingshot Ms Harris towards a faceoff with Republican candidate Donald Trump, whose comeback bid for the White House is viewed by Democrats as an existential threat.

Having taken over the ticket just one month ago, Ms Harris must now win over a divided country that is viewing her more positively but is still making up its mind about the election.
Ukraine has attacked bridges over the Seim River in the Kursk region (Ukrainian Armed Force via AP)

Ukrainian forces have either destroyed or damaged all three of the bridges over the Seim River in western Russia, according to Russian sources.

Kyivs incursion into Russias Kursk region is changing the trajectory of the war and boosting morale among Ukraines war-weary population.

But even as Ukraine hails its success on Russian territory, the Russian push in eastern Ukraine is poised to claim another key centre, the city of Pokrovsk.

Ukraines attacks on the three bridges over the Seim River in Kursk could potentially trap Russian forces between the river, the Ukrainian advance and the Ukrainian border. They already appear to be slowing down Russias response to the Kursk incursion, which Ukraine launched on August 6.

Over the weekend, Ukraines Air Force commander posted two videos of bridges over the Seim being hit, and satellite photos by Planet Labs PBC analysed on Tuesday by the Associated Press confirmed that a bridge in the town of Glushkovo had been destroyed.

Satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows a destroyed bridge across the Seim River at the town of Glushkovo (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

A Russian military investigator confirmed on Monday that Ukraine had totally destroyed one bridge and damaged two others in the area. The full extent of the damage remained unclear.

As a result of targeted shelling with the use of rocket and artillery weapons against residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in the Karyzh village  a third bridge over the Seim River was damaged, the unnamed representative for Russias Investigative Committee said in a video published on the Telegram channel of Russian state TV anchor Vladimir Solovyov.

Russian military bloggers Vladimir Romanov and Yuri Podolyaka and several high-profile pro-war Telegram channels in Russia also claimed that the third bridge had been targeted and damaged. Mr Podolyakas post was shared by Roman Alekhin, an adviser to Kursks acting regional governor.

Since the incursion into the Kursk region began, the Ukrainian army has captured 488 square miles and 93 settlements, Ukraines top military commander said on Tuesday. This is up from 386 square miles a week ago. General Oleksandr Syrskyi made the remarks while meeting with local officials.

Following a meeting with Mr Syrskyi later on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address that the Ukrainian army was achieving set goals in Kursk.

Mr Zelensky said in recent days that the operation is aimed at creating a buffer zone that can prevent future attacks on his nation from across the border, and that Ukraine is capturing a large number of Russian prisoners of war that it hopes to exchange for captured Ukrainians.

A soldier of Ukraines 141st separate infantry brigade loads a drone with a parcel for soldiers on a mission at the frontline in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine (AP Photo/Andriy Andriyenko)

TASS, a Russian state news agency, reported that 17 people have died and 140 have been injured in Ukraines incursion, citing an unnamed source in the Russian medical service. Of 75 people in hospital, four are children.

Russias Ministry of Emergency Situations said on Tuesday afternoon that more than 500 people had left dangerous areas in the Kursk region over the past 24 hours. In total, more than 122,000 people have been resettled since the Ukrainian attack began, it said.

In another example of Ukraine taking the war to Russian soil, a massive fire burned for the third consecutive day after an oil depot was hit by Ukrainian drones.

The fire at the depot in the town of Proletarsk burned across an area of a hectare, according to Russian state news agencies. There were 500 firefighters involved in the operation, and 41 of them have already been admitted to hospital with injuries, according to TASS, citing local officials.

Ukraines Army General Staff claimed responsibility on Sunday for attacking the oil depot, which was used to supply the needs of Russias army, calling it a measure to undermine the military and economic potential of the Russian Federation.

Vladimir Putin visiting a attacked by terrorists in 2004, in Beslan (Sergei Karpukhin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the Ukrainians of trying to destabilise our country and compared them to terrorists.

We will punish the criminals. There can be no doubt about that, Mr Putin said on Tuesday. He was meeting with mothers of children killed in the 2004 Beslan school attack by Islamic militants that left more than 330 people dead.

Ukraines incursion has exposed Russian vulnerabilities according to analysts and Ukrainian officials.

Mr Zelensky said on Monday that he believes Ukraines actions would help to dispel Western fears of offering more robust military aid to Kyiv. Some allies have been handing over weapons slowly and imposing limits on how they can be used, fearing that crossing a Russian red-line could lead to escalation, even nuclear escalation.

We have now achieved an extremely important ideological shift: the naive and illusory concept of so-called red lines regarding Russia that dominated the assessments of the war by some of our partners has crumbled these days somewhere near Sudzha, the president said, referring to a seized Russian town under Ukrainian control.

Much remains unknown about Ukrainian operations in Russia but satellite images provide some clues.

A pontoon bridge across the Seim River between the town of Glushkovo and the village of Zvannoe (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

Pontoon bridges  temporary bridges used by militaries when formal bridges are blown out  could be seen in the satellite images provide by Planet Labs PBC in two different positions along the Seim River in recent days. The pontoons were likely built by Russian troops trying to supply forces around the Ukrainian advance.

One pontoon bridge appeared along the serpentine path of the river between Glushkovo and the village of Zvannoye on Saturday, but not in images taken on Monday. On Monday, smoke could be seen rising along the banks of the river nearby  typically the sign of a strike.

Meanwhile along the frontline in eastern Ukraine, Russia continued to bear down on the city of Pokrovsk, one of Ukraines main defensive strongholds and a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region, forcing Kyivs forces to pull back and Ukrainian civilians to flee their homes. Its capture would compromise Ukraines defensive abilities and supply routes and would bring Russia closer to its stated aim of capturing the entire Donetsk region.

Russias relentless six-month slog across the region following the capture of Avdiivka, has cost both sides heavily in troops and armour.

Russia wants control of all parts of Donetsk and neighbouring Luhansk, which together make up the Donbas industrial region.
Taiwans military launched surface-to-air missiles in live-fire drills in response to growing military pressure from China (Chiang Ying-ying/AP)

Taiwans military launched surface-to-air missiles in live-fire drills on Tuesday in response to growing military pressure from China.

The exercises took place at the Jiupeng Military Base in a remote area in southern Taiwan.

Among the missiles launched were Taiwans domestically-made Sky Bow III anti-ballistic missiles along with the US-made Patriot PAC II and surface-to-air Standard missiles.

The live-fire drills took place at the Jiupeng Military Base in a remote area in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan (Chiang Ying-ying/AP)

China claims the democratically ruled island of Taiwan as its own territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary, and has ramped up its military threat in recent years.

Beijing in particular dislikes Taiwans new President Lai Ching-te, who took office earlier this year and whom Beijing has called a separatist.

Taipei has boosted its deterrence capabilities in response. Missiles, both domestically-built and US-made, are key to its defence strategy.

Defence Ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang said all the missiles launched on Tuesday hit their targets.

This shows our training is very strict and solid, he said.

Beijing did not immediately react to Taiwans drill. China sends military jets and vessels near Taiwan frequently in what critics call an intimidation tactic.

A Sky Bow III surface-to-air missile is launched from a platform during a drill in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan (Chiang Ying-ying/AP)

Taiwans Defence Ministry said early on Tuesday that it had spotted five Chinese military jets and 11 ships close to its shores over the previous 24 hours.

One aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial demarcation zone between the two sides.

While its military is dwarfed by Chinas, Taiwan has bought high-tech weaponry from the United States, revitalised its domestic arms industry and extended the length of mandatory military service from four months to one year.

The US is bound by its own laws to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself and considers all threats to the island a matter of great concern.
Antony Blinken has ended his ninth visit to the Middle East since the war in Gaza began without securing a ceasefire deal.

The US secretary of state warned on Tuesday that time is of the essence even as Hamas and Israel signalled that challenges remain.

After meetings in fellow mediating countries Egypt and Qatar, Mr Blinken said that because Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge gaps with the militant group, the focus turns to doing everything possible to get Hamas on board and ensure both sides agree to key details on implementation.

Antony Blinken, centre left, meets with Egypts foreign minister Badr Abdelatty, centre right, in El-Alamein, Egypt (Kevin Mohatt/Pool Photo via AP)

Our message is simple. Its clear and its urgent, he told reporters before leaving Qatar. We need to get a ceasefire and hostage agreement over the finish line, and we need to do it now. Time is of the essence.

There has been added urgency to reach a deal after the recent targeted killings of militant leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah in Iran and Lebanon, both attributed to Israel, and vows of retaliation that have sparked fears of a wider regional war.

Few details have been released about the so-called bridging proposal put forth by the US, Egypt and Qatar. Mr Blinken said it is very clear on the schedule and the locations of (Israeli military) withdrawals from Gaza.

Hamas earlier on Tuesday called the latest proposal a reversal of what it had agreed to, accusing the US of acquiescing to new conditions from Israel. There was no immediate US response to that.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, met with right-wing groups of families of fallen soldiers and hostages in Gaza. The groups, which oppose a ceasefire deal, said Mr Netanyahu told them Israel will not abandon two strategic corridors in Gaza whose control has been an obstacle in the talks. Mr Netanyahus office did not comment on their account.

A senior US official rejected as totally untrue that Mr Netanyahu had told Mr Blinken that Israel would never leave the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors. Such statements are not constructive to getting a ceasefire deal across the finish line, the official said.

Mr Blinkens meetings in Egypt, which borders Gaza, and in Qatar, which hosts some Hamas leaders in exile, came a day after he met Mr Netanyahu. Wide gaps appeared to remain between Israel and Hamas, though angry statements often serve as pressure tactics during negotiations.

Mr Netanyahus meeting with the families came as Israels military said it recovered the bodies of six hostages taken in Hamass October 7 attack that started the war, bringing fresh grief for many Israelis who have long pressed Mr Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire that would bring remaining hostages home.

New protests were held on Tuesday. The longer theyre there, the more body bags we get, said one protester, Adi Israeli, in Tel Aviv.

Israelis protest near the hotel where US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was staying in Tel Aviv (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP)

Israels military said it recovered the six bodies in an overnight operation in southern Gaza, saying they were killed when troops were operating in Khan Younis. Hamas says some captives have been killed in Israeli air strikes, though returning hostages have talked about difficult conditions, including lack of food or medications.

The recovery of the remains also is a blow to Hamas, which hopes to exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners, an Israeli withdrawal and a lasting ceasefire.

The military said it had identified the remains of Chaim Perry, 80; Yoram Metzger, 80; Avraham Munder, 79; Alexander Dancyg, 76; Nadav Popplewell, 51; and Yagev Buchshtav, 35.

Kibbutz Nir Oz, the farming community where Mr Munder was among around 80 residents seized, said he died after months of physical and mental torture. Israeli authorities previously determined the other five were dead.

Top L to R: Alexander Dancyg, Abraham Munder and Yagev Buchshtab, and bottom L to R: Yoram Metzger, Haim Perry and Nadav Popplewell (The Hostages Families Forum/AP)

Hamas is still believed to be holding around 110 hostages captured during the October 7 attacks, when militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israeli authorities estimate around a third are dead. Over 100 other hostages were released during last years ceasefire in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.

Israels retaliatory offensive has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. The war has caused widespread destruction and forced the vast majority of Gazas 2.3 million residents to flee their homes, often multiple times. Aid groups fear the outbreak of polio and other diseases.

An Israeli air strike on Tuesday killed at least 12 people at a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City. The Palestinian Civil Defence, first responders operating under the Hamas-run government, said around 700 people had been sheltering at the Mustafa Hafez school. Israels military said the strike targeted Hamas militants who had set up a command centre there.

We dont know where to go  or where to shelter our children, said Um Khalil Abu Agwa, a displaced woman.

An Israeli air strike in Deir al-Balah hit people walking down the street and seven were killed, including a woman and two children, according to an Associated Press journalist who counted the bodies. Another air strike in central Gaza killed five children and their mother, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where an AP journalist counted the bodies.

Palestinians displaced by recent Israeli evacuation orders crowded into already teeming areas. One child in Deir al-Balah slept on cardboard as insects flew around his face.

Are they going to dig the ground and dump us there, or put us on a boat and throw us in the sea? I dont know, said one man, Abu Shady Afana.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Precision Components Group (Matt Slocum/AP)

As Democrats kick off their convention in Chicago, Donald Trump is trying to regain his footing after weeks of struggling to adjust to Vice President Kamala Harris as his rival.

The former US president and GOP nominee delivered a speech at a factory in Pennsylvania on Monday as he attempts to undercut the Democratic celebration with a jam-packed schedule.

He is holding daily events in battleground states tied to subjects where Republicans think they hold an advantage, including the economy, crime and safety, national security and the border.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Precision Components Group (Julia Nikhinson/AP)

Kamala Harris is an economy wrecker and a country destroyer, Mr Trump told factory workers and supporters gathered at Precision Custom Components, a company that makes components for military and nuclear use.

It is Mr Trumps busiest week of campaigning since the winter, when he faced a large field of challengers in the Republican primary.

And his focus on policy in battleground states reflects the concerns of Mr Trump allies, who have urged him to try to broaden his appeal with swing voters as they grow more nervous about Ms Harris competitiveness.

In the weeks since President Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid, Mr Trump has appeared at times in denial and has launched a series of deeply personal attacks on Ms Harris.

He has lied about her crowds by claiming images of them were generated by AI, talked about her looks, and played on racist tropes by questioning her racial identity as she runs to become the first woman, the first Black woman and the first person of South Asian descent to reach the Oval Office.

The outbursts have raised concerns among allies that Mr Trump is damaging his chance in what they believe is an eminently winnable race.

If you have a policy debate for president, he wins. Donald Trump the provocateur, the showman, may not win this election, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press, echoing others concerns.

Mr Graham said he wanted Mr Trump to focus on his plans for the economy and the US-Mexico border.

Donald Trump listens at a business roundtable discussion at a campaign event at Precision Components Group (Julia Nikhinson/AP)

Policy is the key to the White House, he said.

Some supporters at his rallies agree with that advice.

He needs to quit talking about Biden other than Harris piggybacking on those policies, said Kory Jeno, a 53-year-old from Swannanoa, North Carolina, who was waiting to see Trump speak last week in nearby Asheville.

He needs to keep the conversation on the issues and what hes going to do for Americans instead of running off on tangents where hes just bashing her and that sort of thing.

Mr Trump needs to stop the personal attacks, echoed 75-year-old Mary Ray, who advised him to be discreet when youre talking.

Asked whether she was thinking about Mr Trumps most incendiary personal attacks  calling Ms Harris a nasty woman and questioning how she discusses her biracial heritage  Ms Ray furrowed her brow and pursed her lips.

It hurts him with other voters, she said.

Others have urged him to ramp up his schedule and to pivot away from rallies, where large crowds of his most ardent supporters cheer on his most incendiary rhetoric.

The big rallies are fine, but I like him when he goes to a restaurant or just talks to anybody off the street, said Bruce Fields, 70, who works in commercial real estate in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

When he is talking to ordinary people, it adds a personal touch.
BENNINGTON  A fifth individual associated with a notorious drug location on Twitchell Hill Road in Shaftsbury was arraigned Monday on drug trafficking and conspiracy charges linked to the location, just as a sixth individual, also connected to the Shaftsbury location and its ongoing investigation, is now subject to an outstanding arrest warrant.

Jeffrey Millette, 30, of 218 Twitchell Hill Road in Shaftsbury, was formally charged with two felony counts Monday at the Bennington courthouse: Fentanyl trafficking and Fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. He faces a possible 60 years behind bars if convicted on both counts.

A second individual from New Jersey, the brother of the alleged ringleader arrested in connection to a shooting and drug distribution network, is now under an active arrest warrant related to the location as well.

According to several police affidavits, an investigator with the Vermont State Police was informed last September of possible drug activity occurring at the residence on Twitchell Hill Road in Shaftsbury. An overdose, which occurred at 211 Rod and Gun Club Road in Shaftsbury on September 6th, was allegedly linked to an individual named Nicole Maccioli. The individual who overdosed told police that Maccioli had provided the drugs. Maccioli allegedly resided at 218 Twitchell Hill Road.

In the weeks following the overdose, police learned of increased drug activity at the Shaftsbury residence from several neighbors along Twitchell Hill Road and video surveillance provided by those residents. The residents told police that they are living in fear from the consistent unwanted drug traffic in the neighborhood.

In late October 2023, police responded to a shooting in the basement of the residence, later tied to a suspected drug debt. Investigators slowly pieced together a trail of alleged drugs and violence linked to the residence through phone records, confidential informants, and internet cash account warrants that linked the alleged drug trafficking to Mohamed Hamdi of New Jersey. Those links included cash app transactions between several individuals, including Nicole Maccioli. One of those transactions happened just days before the shooting in October.

An investigation later revealed that an individual named Nicholas Baker, 27, allegedly stole $20,000 worth of narcotics from Hamdi. Baker allegedly shared the drugs with Joseph Maccioli, a relative of Nicole Maccioli. Baker then allegedly staged his Bennington apartment to look like a burglary. That was 5-6 days before the shooting. Hamdi allegedly used Bakers Bennington apartment to stash narcotics.

On October 23rd, Mohamed Hamdi and a second individual, Matthew Osei, allegedly stripped then beat both Maccioli and Baker. Osei then allegedly shot Joseph Maccioli in the basement as he tried to escape.

According to the affidavit, the drug activity continued for several months after the shooting, with residents reporting multiple vehicles with out-of-state license plates, and also including rental cars and vans tied to Hamdi. The activity lasted through the winter and much of the Spring of 2023-2024.

On May 23, 2024, Bennington Judge Kerry McDonald-Cady granted a search warrant for 218 Twitchell Hill Road. A police raid on May 31st revealed over a thousand glassine envelopes of suspected and later confirmed fentanyl in an office at the residence. Several legal documents found along with the drugs in the office space allegedly identified Millette by name. One of those arrested at the property, Kiona Kinney, later told police that she and Millette stayed in the office at 218 Twitchell Hill Road.

Millette was eventually issued a citation to appear at the Bennington Superior Courthouse to answer the charges.

The Banner has reported on several arrests stemming from the Twitchell Hill residence, including Kiona Kinney, 28, Denise Huether, 57, and Mohamed Hamdi, 33, the alleged ringleader. Hamdi is currently charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, and assault charges. He faces a possible life sentence if found guilty. Hamdi is also facing separate charges of obstruction of justice and cocaine distribution for allegedly intimidating witnesses to the October shooting by offering those witnesses narcotics in exchange for them changing their statements to police after the shooting.

Another individual, Eric Sardo, allegedly relayed information from Mohamed Hamdi at the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility in Rutland to his girlfriend, Jill Lebert, which was then communicated to the witnesses offered free drugs to change their stories. Lebert herself was arrested in February in her 2010 Toyota Prius in possession of Fentanyl and cocaine. She pleaded guilty to a single count of Fentanyl trafficking in April 2024.

Also arrested was Matthew Osei, who is charged with attempted first-degree murder, five counts of kidnapping, and two counts of aggravated assault. Osei was allegedly the shooter in the October incident on Twitchell Hill Road.

An investigation revealed that Osei and Mohamed Hamdi  both part of an alleged drug distribution network in Southern Vermont  drove a rented Chevrolet Equinox from New Jersey to Shaftsbury. Police said the two confronted Baker and Joseph Maccioli that fateful October night.

According to neighbors in the immediate vicinity of 218 Twitchell Hill Road, the house has been for sale. A real estate for sale sign now hangs on the front lawn, and the house appears to be empty. It should be noted that residents near and along Twitchell Hill Road aided the police investigation with numerous alerts, phone calls, surveillance videos, and information on the numerous comings and goings happening at and near 218. Those videos and information received led directly to the police investigation and subsequent arrests in the ongoing cases.

None of those arrested have pleaded or been put on trial yet.

An arrest warrant was filed last week for Ahmed Hamdi, 27, of Jersey City, New Jersey. Ahmed is the brother of Mohamed Hamdi. He is wanted by authorities in connection with the Twitchell Hill residence on the same obstruction of justice and cocaine sale or delivery charges as his brother. Both charges relate to the October Twitchell Hill shooting. The warrant has a $10,000 cash or surety bond when he is arrested. The warrant is still outstanding.

The Banner will update this story as information becomes available.
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This Story in History is selected from the archives by Jeannie Maschino, The Berkshire Eagle.
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ADAMS  At first glance, you might wonder: Are workers finished repaving Park Street?

Indeed, they are, and thrift, convenience and "waste not, want not" all having something to do with it.

Adams' main thoroughfare is sporting a two-tone coat of asphalt for summer and fall of 2024, with fresh pavement up the middle. But the parking spaces with the previous coat of asphalt were left intact.

The new look is not universally popular in Adams, if social media posts are any indication. But town officials say the plan was the fiscally responsible alternative to a much more expensive and time-consuming curb-to-curb rebuild of the busy street.

The situation also shows how the states Chapter 90 transportation funding to cities and towns is failing communities with infrastructure needs, town officials said.

We only get $280,000 a year through Chapter 90 to maintain 55 miles of roadway. If you break that down, thats about $5,000 a mile, Town Administrator Jay Green said. You cant do much with $5,000 a mile when a ton of asphalt is roughly $100 a ton.

That decision was made after initial bids on the project, originally designed to fully rebuild Park Street from curb to curb, topped $1 million  well more than the town could afford, Green and Select Board Vice Chair Christine Hoyt said.

We dont have that money, Green said.

That led to the decision to mill and fill the travel lanes and leave a full reconstruction of the road for a later date, they said. In total, the work cost $433,695, and the town saved an additional $35,000 to $60,000 by removing old trolley tracks at the southern end of Park Street with its own Department of Public Works.

Both Hoyt and Green said they heard concerns from Park Street business owners about what a full closure would do to downtown commerce. It made sense to limit disruption and fix what was broken rather than tear up the whole street, they said.

Why rip up perfectly good asphalt in the parking lanes when it costs a fortune for asphalt and we dont get a lot of funding? Hoyt said.

The town paid for the work with $100,000 of its own capital funds, which were set aside at the 2023 annual town meeting, $190,314 in fiscal 2022 shared streets grant dollars, and $143,381 in Chapter 90 dollars.

When Park Street was last fully repaved, workers did not remove the brick, sand and stones that sit in the roadbed underneath the pavement. That will eventually have to be removed, and the town will need a long-term plan for the work, Green said.

The work is out to bid in the spring, along with sidewalk accessibility improvements on Columbia Street in the vicinity of Columbia Valley Apartments and Adams Memorial High School. JH Maxymillian is the general contractor.

Hoyt said she testified on Chapter 90 funding before Lt. Gov. Kim Driscolls cabinet on behalf of the Massachusetts Municipal Association.

At the annual rate of about $280,000 in Chapter 90 funding, It would take us eight and a half years to save up enough ... for that one mile of road, Hoyt said. I think wed have far worse problems than the way it looks if we waited that long.

Its a statewide issue, Green added. The feedback from every city and town is that Chapter 90 is insufficiently funded. The elected Berkshire delegation knows it, MassDOT knows it. These things need to be addressed.
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According to official estimates, the cultivation of cannabis provided a livelihood for up to 120,000 families in Morocco in 2019. (archive image) Keystone

One day before a national holiday, Morocco's King Mohammed VI has pardoned over 4,800 farmers in connection with cannabis cultivation. The people were convicted, prosecuted or wanted, according to the Ministry of Justice.

SDA

The monarch pardoned a total of 4831 people, explained the Ministry of Justice in Rabat on Monday. The pardon is intended to enable those affected to become involved in the country's "new strategy" for dealing with cannabis.

According to the UN, Morocco is the largest cannabis producer in the world. On the one hand, the government wants to combat the illegal drug trade. On the other hand, Morocco wants to make a name for itself on the world market as a producer of legal cannabis consumption.

Livelihood for up to 120,000 families

With this in mind, the government passed a law in 2021 on the production and medicinal use of the drug, which allows its cultivation in the rural provinces of the Rif region in the north-east of the country. Cannabis has been cultivated for centuries in the region, which is predominantly inhabited by Berbers. According to official estimates, cultivation provided a livelihood for up to 120,000 families in 2019.

The special agency Anrac has now been set up in the North African country to structure the legal cultivation and export of cannabis for medical, pharmaceutical and industrial purposes. The agency has already issued more than 200 permits for the processing of cannabis, the import of seeds and the export of products.

SDA


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The co-defendant of technology tycoon Mike Lynch in his US fraud trial has died after being hit by a car on Saturday, his lawyer has said.

It comes as Mr Lynch was confirmed as one of the six tourists missing on Monday after the Bayesian luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily.

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Stephen Chamberlain was cleared earlier this year alongside Mr Lynch of conducting a massive fraud over the sale of software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.

Gary Lincenberg, Mr Chamberlains lawyer, said in a statement provided to the PA news agency: Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running.

He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.

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HP acquired Cambridge-based Autonomy, founded by Mr Lynch in 1996, for $11 billion, but later wrote down its value by $8.8 billion and asked the US Justice Department to investigate fraud.

Mr Chamberlain, a former vice-president of finance at the company, was accused of artificially inflating Autonomys revenues and making false and misleading statements to auditors, analysts and regulators in 2018.

Both he and Mr Lynch were found not guilty of the charge in June following a trial at a federal court in San Francisco, California.

Mr Lynch was previously made an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006.

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The British-flagged superyacht, named Bayesian, capsized at about 5am local time off the coast of Palermo on Monday when the area was hit by a tornado.

Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, Italian news website la Repubblica stated, while Sicilys civil protection agency told the BBC that Mr Lynchs 18-year-old daughter Hannah was also among those missing.

Fifteen people including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued, according to local media.
Boy Meets World actress Danielle Fishel has announced she has been diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer and will be undergoing surgery.

The US sitcom star is best known for her role as Topanga Lawrence, the love interest of protagonist Cory Matthews  played by Ben Savage  from 1993 to 2000.

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The pair also starred in Disneys spin-off Girl Meets World from 2014 until 2017, which also starred US pop star Sabrina Carpenter.

View this post on Instagram Advertisement A post shared by Pod Meets World (@podmeetsworldshow)

I was recently diagnosed with DCIS, which stands for Ductal carcinoma in situ, which is a form of breast cancer, Fishel said on the Pod Meets World podcast she shares with her Boy Meets World co-stars Rider Strong and Will Friedle.

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Strong, who played Corys on-screen best friend Shawn Hunter, and and Friedle, who played Corys older brother Eric Matthews, were two of the first people Fishel told about her diagnosis.

It is very, very, very early, its technically stage zero, the 43-year-old said.

Im going to be fine, Im having surgery to remove it, Im going to be on some follow-up treatment  Ive had to make a lot of decisions over the last couple of days.

Fishel said she thought she would be the suffer in silence type and would not tell anyone outside of her intimate circle until she was on the other side of it.

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Ben Savage, Danielle Fishel and Will Friedle attend New York Comic Con in 2018 (Erik Pendzich/Alamy)

However, reading work from US author Glennon Doyle helped change her mind.

She (Doyle) often talks about how a lot of people like to save sharing their experiences until theyve come out the other side of it, so that theyre able to say heres the pretty picture of it all, heres what Ive learned, the end of the story.

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But the place you have the most to learn from is at the very beginning of the story or at the messy middle of a story.

Fishel said her first instinct was to clam up and only share the news with her immediate family and was only going to tell a few select friends.

However, she said the more people she spoke to, the more people she found with shared experiences of being diagnosed with cancer.

Danielle Fishel told fans Im going to be fine (Minas Keukazian/Alamy)

The only reason I caught this cancer when it is still stage zero is because the day I got my text message that my yearly mammogram was coming up, I made the appointment, she said.

They found it so, so, so, so early that Im going to be fine.

I want to share this because I hope it will encourage anyone to get in there. If its time for your appointment (or) if youve never had an appointment before, get in there.

If you have to find out that you have cancer, find out when its at stage zero if possible.

Fishel said she has some big decisions to make regarding her treatment, adding I dont have all the answers yet but she wanted to let fans know Im going to be fine.
Several units of Dublin Fire Brigade spent much of the night fighting a major gorse fire in Killiney.

Three engines, a water tanker and a wildfire-response jeep attended the scene at Mullins Hill.

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#Killiney



Three fire engines, a wildfire response jeep and water tanker are dealing with a gorse #wildfire on Mullins Hill.



A strong wind is driving smoke across a wide area but firefighters are working hard and making good progress at the incident. pic.twitter.com/H3oxSUc1PU  Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) August 19, 2024

Responders said a strong wind also sent smoke across a wide area.

Firefighters remained at the scene throughout the night to deal with flare-ups.

Meanwhile, an investigation is underway after gardai were called to a fire at the old Crumlin Shopping Centre.

Onlookers raised the alarm when they saw smoke coming from a number of vacant units shortly after 8pm on Monday.

The fire was brought under control, and there were no reports of injuries.
A man convicted of the manslaughter of a PSNI officer who had been unlawfully at large has been extradited back to Northern Ireland.

Shane Frane (36) was convicted in February 2014 of the manslaughter of Constable Philippa Reynolds following a road traffic crash in February 2013 in the Waterside area of Derry.

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In January this year he breached the conditions of his temporary prison release by absconding from the Northern Ireland Prison Service. He was arrested a month later in the Republic.

Constable Philippa Reynolds (27), from the Belfast area, died when the unmarked police car she was travelling in turned into the path of a stolen 44. Photo: PSNI/PA

Extradition proceedings were then commenced. Those concluded on Tuesday when he was returned to Northern Ireland ahead of a scheduled hearing at Lisburn Magistrates Court.

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A statement from the PSNIs International Policing Unit said: Police Service of Northern Ireland continue to work closely with authorities in the Republic of Ireland to return fugitives to Northern Ireland.

In this particular case, we appreciate the continued and effective assistance of An Garda Siochana in arresting and returning Frane, who was convicted in February 2014 of the manslaughter of Constable Philippa Reynolds.

We will continue to work closely with An Garda Siochana to locate those who abscond the justice system.

Our message is clear to anyone who has left Northern Ireland to avoid the consequences of their actions: we will use all powers available to have you arrested and returned to Northern Ireland.

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Ms Reynolds (27) was a passenger in a police vehicle which was hit by a stolen car driven by Frane in 2013.

Frane, originally from Limerick, pleaded guilty to eight offences including manslaughter, causing her death by driving without a licence or insurance, driving when unfit through drink or drugs, and failing to remain at the scene and report an accident.

The officer was the back-seat passenger in an unmarked police car that was hit by the stolen 44 vehicle that had been travelling at up to 80mph.

Mourners at Ms Reynolds funeral were told that she had touched many lives and had been killed in her prime.
Here, we have a look at the political talking points doing the rounds in the week to come.

No rest for Harris

It's as close as we really come to a political off season in Ireland, with the Dail not resuming until Wednesday, September 18th.

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However, Taoiseach Simon Harris has been showing no signs of slowing down.

His colleagues have been struck by his high workrate, with some quietly wondering how long he can sustain the level of energy he has shown.

Mr Harris is reportedly only taking five full days off this summer.

He has been going all around the country, most recently at the Tullow Agricultural Show in Co Carlow on Tuesday.

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His first 100 days in office have been marked by decisive action, with the young Taoiseach unafraid to get involved in difficult issues such as the migration challenge.

However, this may be because he knows a general election is on the cards.

The Government continues to insist it will go full-term to March 2025, however, sources have indicated November is the most likely date for the next general election.

Candidate selection

There are many factors that suggest an autumn general election is the most likely scenario.

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The main one is Government will look to capitalise on positive showings in the local and European elections, while Sinn Fein had an underwhelming display.

There would be five by-elections between now and March, giving Sinn Fein an opportunity to regain momentum.

The candidate selection of parties also suggests they are preparing for a November election.

In an interview with BreakingNews.ie, former minister for agriculture Ivan Yates suggested November 15th is the most likely general election date.

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Northern Ireland unrest

British prime minister Keir Starmer visited Belfast this week, where he condemned the recent disorder in Northern Ireland following similar incidents in the UK which erupted after the Southport stabbings.

Mr Starmer visited PSNI officers who were injured in the disorder.

The UK prime minister next met injured police officers, including Constable Josh Elliott, discussing with him how the community had rallied round each other. Mr Starmer added: Thats the real Northern Ireland.

He later met leaders from a number of organisations which represent the minority ethnic community in Northern Ireland.

Abroad

In the US, all eyes are on November 5th and Kamala Harris has injected huge energy into the presidential race.

She is either ahead or matching former president Donald Trump in most opinion polls, and the Trump camp is said to be extremely worried.

Ms Harris will make the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Thursday.
A senior member of the investigation team in the case of an alleged conspiracy to import a huge consignment of drugs in to Ireland earlier this year has said that the probe is continuing at pace.

Ten men were arrested in various locations in West Cork last March in connection with the investigation.

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The accused, who hail from Ireland, Spain, Serbia and the Netherlands, appeared in various courts in Cork on March 21st.

Anuar Rahui (41) of Malaga in Spain has now appeared before a sitting of Cork District Court in relation to his alleged role in the offence.

Solicitor for Mr Rahui, Aoife Buttimer, asked Sergeant Gearoid Davis what progress had been made in the investigation.

Sgt Davis told Judge John King that it was a huge investigation and that Dt Sgt Michael Lyons was in court to give an update on its progress.

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Dt Sgt Lyons said that the timeline previously presented to the court is on schedule.

The investigation is continuing at pace. We are continuing to investigate lines of inquiry. We are on schedule for submitting a file to the DPP.

Since the last court date one of seven phones submitted to Europol has been opened and continues to be analysed.

He described the investigation as "complex." He said the probe involves feedback from a forensics analyst.

Mr Rahui, who appeared in court by video link, was further remanded in custody until September 2nd for DPP directions.

Mr Rahui is charged with conspiring with nine others to import drugs.

A Spanish interpreter translated proceedings from Cork District Court for Mr Rahui. Judge King described the length of the remand as reasonable given the complexity of the investigation.
An emotional Joe Biden has taken to the stage at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Illinois to deliver his valedictory address at the conventions opening night.

A refreshed Democratic Party gathered on Monday night at the United Centre in Chicago as vice president Kamala Harris prepares to take up the mantle as the partys presidential candidate in November.

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But, after 52 years of rising to the pinnacle of influence within his party, Mr Biden (81) received a heros welcome for the act of stepping aside for Ms Harris.

A visibly emotional Mr Biden was greeted by a more than four-minute-long ovation and chants of Thank you Joe.

America, I love you, he replied.

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US president Joe Biden at the DNC in Chicago. Photo: Paul Sancya/AP

In his keynote speech, the US president urged the thousands of attendees to put the most important thing first at the ballot box in November: democracy.

Democracy has prevailed, democracy has delivered, and now democracy must be preserved, he said.

He also took time to reflect on his tenure as president before handing the reins over to Kamala Harris, Mr Bidens vice president and the Democratic presidential nominee.

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Because of you, weve had the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period, he said, before adding: I say we, I mean me and Kamala, sharing the credit for his most popular successes with the vice president who will replace him on the ticket come election day.

Mr Biden ran through his achievements during his time in the Oval Office, telling the crowds during his Monday night speech that he ran to rebuild the backbone of America, the middle class and went on to forge the strongest economy in the entire world in the wake of the Covid-19 global pandemic.

President Joe Biden delivers the keynote address. Photo: Stephanie Scarbrough/AP

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He reflected on his infrastructure Bill, spoke of his work with the unions, and took aim at gun control.

More children are killed in America by gunshot than anywhere else,, adding that he is proud of the legislation passed during his presidency to make America a safer place for all.

Now its time to ban assault weapons, he added,

He also touched on immigration and the ongoing war in Gaza, before shifting focus to his decision not to run for a second term.

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Its been the honour of my lifetime to serve as president, Mr Biden told the crowds, adding he was not hurt or upset with those who pushed for him to take a step back.

He faced growing concerns about his mental and physical acuity after struggling to complete sentences during his debate against Donald Trump.

I love the job, but I love my country more, Mr Biden said, before calling on voters to beat Donald Trump and elect Kamala and Tim.

And, in the final moments of his speech, the president summed up his 50-year career in politics with: America, I gave my best to you.

Kamala Harris appears during the first day of the DNC. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Ms Harris made an unannounced appearance onstage as the conventions prime-time programme earlier on Monday evening to thank Mr Biden for his leadership in advance of his speech later on.

Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all youll continue to do, she said.

We are forever grateful to you.

The Democrats are looking to the week-long event to slingshot Ms Harris towards a face-off with Republican candidate Mr Trump, whose comeback bid for the White House is viewed by Democrats as an existential threat.

Having taken over the ticket just one month ago, Ms Harris must now win over a divided country that is viewing her more positively but still making up its mind about the election.

Not even a month ago, the Democrats were deeply divided over foreign policy, political strategy and Mr Biden himself, who was holding on after a disastrous debate by claiming he had a better chance than any other Democrat  including Ms Harris  of beating Mr Trump.

Ms Harris as she took the DNC 2024 stage. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

The convention programme also honoured the civil rights movement, with an appearance from Reverend Jesse Jackson, the founder of the Chicago-based Rainbow Push Coalition.

There were several references to Fannie Lou Hamer, the late civil rights activist who gave a landmark speech at a Democratic convention in 1964.

Ms Hamer was a former sharecropper and a leader of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, a racially integrated group that challenged the seating of an all-white Mississippi delegation at the 1964 Democratic National Convention.

Ms Hamer spoke on August 22nd, 1964  exactly 60 years before Ms Harris was set to accept the Democratic nomination and become the first black woman and first person of South Asian descent to be the presidential nominee of a major party.
Approvals for new coal-fired power plants in China dropped sharply in the first half of this year, according to analysis released on Tuesday, after a flurry of permits in the previous two years raised concern about the governments commitment to limiting climate change.

A review of project documents by Greenpeace East Asia found that 14 new coal plants were approved from January to June with a total capacity of 10.3 gigawatts, down 80% from 50.4 gigawatts in the first half of last year.

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Chinese authorities approved 90.7 gigawatts in 2022 and 106.4 gigawatts in 2023, a surge that raised alarm among climate experts.





NEW #China approved 10.34 GW of new coal in the first half of 2024, a -79.5%year-on-year decrease: Greenpeace East Asia



"China has pumped the brakes on #coal so far in 2024. #Wind and #solar expansion continues to be strong."#ClimateActionNowhttps://t.co/RDZE2P7Stk  Greenpeace East Asia (@GreenpeaceEAsia) August 20, 2024 Advertisement

China leads the world in solar and wind power installations but the government has said coal plants are still needed for periods of peak demand because wind and solar power are less reliable.

While Chinas grid gives priority to greener sources of energy, experts are concerned it will not be easy for China to wean itself off coal once the new capacity is built.

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We may now be seeing a turning point, Gao Yuhe, project lead for Greenpeace East Asia, said in a statement.

One question remains here  Are Chinese provinces slowing down coal approvals because theyve already approved so many coal projects? Or are these the last gasps of coal power in an energy transition that has seen coal become increasingly impractical? Only time can tell.

Greenpeace released the analysis with the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, a government-affiliated think tank.

The government has issued a slew of documents in recent months on reducing carbon emissions and accelerating the shift to renewable energy.

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A worker inspects facilities at a coal-fired power plant in Wuhan in central Chinas Hubei province (Chinatopix/AP)

The National Energy Administration unveiled a three-year plan in June to retrofit existing coal power units and equip newly built ones with low-carbon technologies.

Another government plan released this month to accelerate the construction of a new power system took aim at bottlenecks and other challenges, including how to expand transmission of renewable energy.

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China is also looking towards nuclear power as it seeks to meet its carbon reduction targets.

The State Council, Chinas Cabinet, gave the green light to five nuclear power projects on Monday with 11 units and a total cost of 200 billion yuan (21.6 billion).
Technology tycoon Mike Lynch, who has Irish family roots, and five others are feared to have died, with their bodies trapped inside a luxury yacht which sank in a tornado.

Vincenzo Zagarola of the Italian Coastguard said this was the working theory of officials on Sicily because it is believed the boat sank quickly and search and rescue efforts by sea and air have so far delivered no results.

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He told the PA news agency: We think they are still inside the boat, that is our very hard idea.

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Our search and rescue activity by sea and air has gone on for around 36 hours.

Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly.

We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat.

Asked about the likelihood of them being alive, he replied: Never say never, but reasonably the answer should be not.

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Bayesian was moored around half-a-mile off the coast of Porticello when it sank at around 5am local time on Monday as the area was hit by a storm.

 #Porticello #Palermo, riprese alle 8 di #oggi le immersioni dei #sommozzatori speleo dei #vigilidelfuoco per le ricerche dei 6 dispersi. Complesso lingresso nello yacht, in atto la pianificazione per aprire accessi piu agevoli e ispezionare linterno [#20agosto 11:00] pic.twitter.com/QRTdGtO8r2  Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) August 20, 2024 Advertisement

The missing tourists are: Mr Lynch; his daughter, Hannah Lynch; Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife, Neda Morvillo.

Mr Lynch's father was from Co Cork and his mother was from Co Tipperary.

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Italys fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco said it is developing a plan to enter the wreckage of Bayesian, which is resting on the seabed off the coast at a depth of 50 metres.

It described the operation as complex, with divers limited to 12-minute underwater shifts.

Fifteen of the 22 passengers and crew onboard  including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares  were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat.

Stephen Chamberlain died after being hit by a car (Cambridgeshire Police/PA)

On Tuesday, an inflated orange lifeboat was docked at the harbour near where search crews are being dispatched.

One body, reportedly belonging to the ships chef, was recovered at the scene of the sinking on Monday.

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was cleared in June of conducting a massive fraud relating to an $11 billion sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal.

The Financial Times reported that Mr Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, while media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

(PA Graphics)

A spokesperson for Morgan Stanley said the bank was shocked and saddened while Clifford Chance said it was a tragic incident.

Ed Llewellyn, British ambassador to Italy, met some of the survivors of the sinking at a hotel.

He said: Ive spoken to some of the British survivors both yesterday and today  I want to express my deep sympathy from myself and colleagues at the British embassy for whats happened.

Were doing what we can to support them in this incredibly sad and difficult situation to help them with contacts from the Italian authorities at a practical level.

Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer (Hiscox/PA)

Mr Lynchs co-defendant Stephen Chamberlain died after being hit by a car while out running in Cambridgeshire on Saturday.

In a statement released through Cambridgeshire Police, Mr Chamberlains family said: Steve was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.

He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible.

Ayla Ronald, a New Zealand national working at Clifford Chance, survived the ordeal.

Her father Lin Ronald confirmed to the Telegraph she had been invited aboard as a thanks for assistance in Mr Lynchs recent court case.

Italian emergency services heading towards the area off the Sicilian coast where a luxury yacht sank in a tornado (Jonathan Brady/PA)

I have texted my daughter and she hasnt given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said that there are deaths and she and her partner are alive, he said.

Ayla is a lawyer who is part of the legal team that were invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.

Explained Why did the superyacht Bayesian sink? Read More

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

Charlotte and Sofia were treated in hospital, as was Sofias father, James Emsley.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors have been deployed to Palermo.
A widely shared online post has claimed that the UK Government is releasing violent criminals, murderers and rapists early.

Another social media post suggested people who were convicted of manslaughter, knife crime, robbery and sex crimes would be released early.

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Evaluation

The UK Government has said that people convicted of sex offences and serious violent offences (resulting in sentences) of four years or more will be among those automatically excluded from a scheme which will release inmates earlier in order to free up some prison capacity.

The facts

On July 12th, the UK's Ministry of Justice revealed there were only hundreds of places left in the adult male (prison) estate.

In an attempt to create more space in jails for the newly convicted, the Government said it would temporarily reduce the proportion of some sentences served in prison.

Under the scheme, the minimum time served for some less serious offences will drop from 50 per cent of the custodial sentence to 40 per cent, with safeguards and exemptions to keep the public safe.

The Government said: Sentences for serious violent offences of four years or more, as well as sex offences will be automatically excluded.

It added: The early release of offenders in prison for domestic abuse-connected crimes will also be excluded.

Links

Post on X (archived)

Second post on X (archived)

Gov.uk  Lord Chancellor sets out immediate action to defuse ticking prison time-bomb (archived)
Britain's King Charles expressed his sympathy and empathy for the people of Southport when he visited the town to meet survivors of the fatal knife attack.

Charles suspended his traditional Balmoral break to hold a private meeting with some of the injured young children and their families and spent a moment looking at floral tributes left to the three victims.

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Patrick Hurley, MP for Sefton, which includes Southport, met Charles with other local leaders at a fire station, and said afterwards: The towns emotions were raging and they still are very raw and he was very empathetic.

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He was very keen to express his sympathy and empathy. Very keen to make sure the people of Southport know that from the symbolism perspective, the countrys heart goes out to the people here.

Charles spent about 45 minutes at Southport Town Hall meeting some of the young survivors of the attack in private with their families and the police liaison team working with them.

Floral tributes had been left outside the building in memory of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, who were fatally attacked at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29th.

Before sitting down with the families, Charles spent a few moments looking at the flowers and went on a brief walkabout, meeting well-wishers who had cheered when he arrived.

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Charles will host the three bereaved families in London on Wednesday.

Following the attack last month, rioting broke out in Southport, with the local mosque targeted and a popular local convenience shop attacked, with further violence across the country for a number of days.

Britain's King Charles views flowers and tributes ahead of meeting members of the Southport community (Owen Humphreys/PA)

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The disorder included looting, with hotels housing asylum seekers also attacked before counter-demonstrations appeared to quell the disturbances.

The violence, denounced as far-right thuggery by UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, was sparked by false claims about the identity of a teenage suspect later charged with three counts of murder.
Britain's King Charles will sit down with survivors of the fatal Southport knife attack and their families during a visit to Merseyside.

He will travel to Southport later on Tuesday to hear, during the private meeting, the experiences of some of the young children who were attacked at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29.

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Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, were killed in the attack which was followed by rioting in Southport and across the country.

A fire is extinguished by police officers outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham (Danny Lawson/PA)

The disorder included looting with hotels housing asylum seekers also attacked before counter demonstrations appeared to quell the disturbances.

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The violence, denounced as far-right thuggery by British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, was sparked by false claims about the identity of a teenage suspect later charged with three counts of murder.

The head of state, who has been receiving treatment for cancer, is due to privately host bereaved families from the attack on Wednesday.

The family of the final child to be released from hospital earlier this month condemned the disorder and attacks on police officers, emphasising that when the horrific events unfolded, our police officers were the first on the scene.

After the private meeting at Southport Town Hall the King will chat to members of the Southport community who provided support in the aftermath of the attack.

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Left to right, Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine (Merseyside Police/PA)

Later, Charles will be welcomed by local politicians at Southport Community Fire Station and will hear from Merseysides police, fire and rescue and ambulance services about their roles during the disturbances, as well as meeting local groups including faith leaders.

The head of state has been engaging privately with the issues generated by the disorder which has seen hundreds arrested.

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Following the Southport stabbings Charles, at his request, received daily briefings about the national situation when the disorder was at its height.

It is not known what issues the King has been focusing on but he is a long-term promoter of interfaith dialogue as a way to bring groups together and has championed community cohesion.

The violent disturbances left some Muslim communities fearful following the targeting of mosques in a few areas.

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A police car burns as officers are deployed on the streets of Hartlepool following a violent protest (Owen Humphreys/PA)

During separate telephone calls earlier this month with the Prime Minister and senior police chiefs, the King called for unity and praised the community spirit that countered the riots and offered his heartfelt thanks to the police for restoring order.

Axel Rudakubana, 18, has been charged with the murder of the three girls in Merseyside.

He is also charged with the attempted murder of yoga class instructor Leanne Lucas, businessman John Hayes, and eight children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and possession of a kitchen knife with a curved blade.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin held talks on Monday with his Azerbaijani counterpart as part of a two-day trip to secure Moscows under-pressure trade routes and shore up ties in the South Caucasus.

Business links were high on the agenda as Putin and President Ilham Aliyev met in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, with Aliyev announcing that 120 million dollars had been earmarked to boost cargo transport between the two countries.

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Were talking about the possibility of transporting 15 million tons of cargo per year or more, he said, adding that the two countries crossed the four billion mark for Russia-Azerbaijan turnover last year and neither of us think that is where things will stop.



Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, right, greets Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, at Zagulba state residence in Baku, Azerbaijan (Grigory Sysoyev/AP)

Such ties are a priority for Putin, who increasingly depends on countries such as Azerbaijan to access global markets because of sanctions imposed on Moscow over Russias war on Ukraine, said independent political scientist Zardusht Alizade.

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Azerbaijan is an important transit country for Russia at a time when it needs to have free access to world markets, including Iran and ports in the Indian Ocean, Mr Alizade told The Associated Press.

Putins overtures have been warmly welcomed by Baku.

For Azerbaijan, retaining Moscows goodwill is important for national security over tensions with neighbouring Armenia, says Mr Alizade.

Russia has been Armenias long-time sponsor and ally since the fall of the Soviet Union.

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But relations between the two countries have become increasingly strained since September 2023, when Azerbaijan waged a lightning military campaign that took control of the Karabakh region, ending three decades of ethnic Armenian separatist rule there.

Armenia accused Russian peacekeepers deployed to in the region of failing to stop Azerbaijans onslaught.

Moscow, which has a military base in Armenia, rejected the accusations, arguing that its troops did not have a mandate to intervene.

Baku still hopes Moscow can pressure Armenia to normalize relations, said Mr Alizade.

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Russia can speed up the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.
Ukrainian forces have either destroyed or damaged all three of the bridges over the Seim River in western Russia, according to Russian sources.

Kyivs incursion into Russias Kursk region is changing the trajectory of the war and boosting morale among Ukraines war-weary population.

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But even as Ukraine hails its success on Russian territory, the Russian push in eastern Ukraine is poised to claim another key centre, the city of Pokrovsk.

Ukraines attacks on the three bridges over the Seim River in Kursk could potentially trap Russian forces between the river, the Ukrainian advance and the Ukrainian border. They already appear to be slowing down Russias response to the Kursk incursion, which Ukraine launched on August 6.

Over the weekend, Ukraines Air Force commander posted two videos of bridges over the Seim being hit, and satellite photos by Planet Labs PBC analysed on Tuesday by the Associated Press confirmed that a bridge in the town of Glushkovo had been destroyed.



Satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows a destroyed bridge across the Seim River at the town of Glushkovo (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

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A Russian military investigator confirmed on Monday that Ukraine had totally destroyed one bridge and damaged two others in the area. The full extent of the damage remained unclear.

As a result of targeted shelling with the use of rocket and artillery weapons against residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in the Karyzh village  a third bridge over the Seim River was damaged, the unnamed representative for Russias Investigative Committee said in a video published on the Telegram channel of Russian state TV anchor Vladimir Solovyov.

Russian military bloggers Vladimir Romanov and Yuri Podolyaka and several high-profile pro-war Telegram channels in Russia also claimed that the third bridge had been targeted and damaged. Mr Podolyakas post was shared by Roman Alekhin, an adviser to Kursks acting regional governor.

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Since the incursion into the Kursk region began, the Ukrainian army has captured 488 square miles and 93 settlements, Ukraines top military commander said on Tuesday. This is up from 386 square miles a week ago. General Oleksandr Syrskyi made the remarks while meeting with local officials.

Following a meeting with Mr Syrskyi later on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address that the Ukrainian army was achieving set goals in Kursk.

Mr Zelensky said in recent days that the operation is aimed at creating a buffer zone that can prevent future attacks on his nation from across the border, and that Ukraine is capturing a large number of Russian prisoners of war that it hopes to exchange for captured Ukrainians.



A soldier of Ukraines 141st separate infantry brigade loads a drone with a parcel for soldiers on a mission at the frontline in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine (AP Photo/Andriy Andriyenko)

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TASS, a Russian state news agency, reported that 17 people have died and 140 have been injured in Ukraines incursion, citing an unnamed source in the Russian medical service. Of 75 people in hospital, four are children.

Russias Ministry of Emergency Situations said on Tuesday afternoon that more than 500 people had left dangerous areas in the Kursk region over the past 24 hours. In total, more than 122,000 people have been resettled since the Ukrainian attack began, it said.

In another example of Ukraine taking the war to Russian soil, a massive fire burned for the third consecutive day after an oil depot was hit by Ukrainian drones.

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The fire at the depot in the town of Proletarsk burned across an area of a hectare, according to Russian state news agencies. There were 500 firefighters involved in the operation, and 41 of them have already been admitted to hospital with injuries, according to TASS, citing local officials.

Ukraines Army General Staff claimed responsibility on Sunday for attacking the oil depot, which was used to supply the needs of Russias army, calling it a measure to undermine the military and economic potential of the Russian Federation.



Vladimir Putin visiting a attacked by terrorists in 2004, in Beslan (Sergei Karpukhin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the Ukrainians of trying to destabilise our country and compared them to terrorists.

We will punish the criminals. There can be no doubt about that, Mr Putin said on Tuesday. He was meeting with mothers of children killed in the 2004 Beslan school attack by Islamic militants that left more than 330 people dead.

Ukraines incursion has exposed Russian vulnerabilities according to analysts and Ukrainian officials.

Mr Zelensky said on Monday that he believes Ukraines actions would help to dispel Western fears of offering more robust military aid to Kyiv. Some allies have been handing over weapons slowly and imposing limits on how they can be used, fearing that crossing a Russian red-line could lead to escalation, even nuclear escalation.

We have now achieved an extremely important ideological shift: the naive and illusory concept of so-called red lines regarding Russia that dominated the assessments of the war by some of our partners has crumbled these days somewhere near Sudzha, the president said, referring to a seized Russian town under Ukrainian control.

Much remains unknown about Ukrainian operations in Russia but satellite images provide some clues.



A pontoon bridge across the Seim River between the town of Glushkovo and the village of Zvannoe (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

Pontoon bridges  temporary bridges used by militaries when formal bridges are blown out  could be seen in the satellite images provide by Planet Labs PBC in two different positions along the Seim River in recent days. The pontoons were likely built by Russian troops trying to supply forces around the Ukrainian advance.

One pontoon bridge appeared along the serpentine path of the river between Glushkovo and the village of Zvannoye on Saturday, but not in images taken on Monday. On Monday, smoke could be seen rising along the banks of the river nearby  typically the sign of a strike.

Meanwhile along the frontline in eastern Ukraine, Russia continued to bear down on the city of Pokrovsk, one of Ukraines main defensive strongholds and a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region, forcing Kyivs forces to pull back and Ukrainian civilians to flee their homes. Its capture would compromise Ukraines defensive abilities and supply routes and would bring Russia closer to its stated aim of capturing the entire Donetsk region.

Russias relentless six-month slog across the region following the capture of Avdiivka, has cost both sides heavily in troops and armour.

Russia wants control of all parts of Donetsk and neighbouring Luhansk, which together make up the Donbas industrial region.
The search for technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter continues after a luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily.

Mr Lynch and his daughter Hannah are among six tourists missing after the yacht, named Bayesian, was battered during intense storms off the coast of Palermo in the early hours of Monday morning.

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The BBC, which reported searches are due to resume later on Tuesday morning, said Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo were among those missing.

Italys fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco said on X that early inspections of the wreck were unsuccessful due to limited access to the bridge and furniture obstructing passages.

A body, believed to be that of the vessels cook, has been discovered.

Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, Italian news website la Repubblica stated.

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Sicilys civil protection agency told the BBC that 18-year-old Hannah Lynch was among those missing with her father, along with the yachts chef, Ricardo Thomas.

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The yacht was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers.

Fifteen people including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued, according to local media.

The British-flagged superyacht capsized at about 5am local time on Monday morning off the coast of Palermo when the area was hit by a tornado.

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Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was made an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006.

In June, he was cleared of conducting a massive fraud relating to an $11 billion (9.9 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

The Financial Times reported Johnathan Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, while media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

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Mr Bloomer is also chairman of insurance provider Hiscox. The Daily Mail reports his wife is also unaccounted for.

A spokesperson for Mr Lynch said there was no comment.

Mr Lynch is of Irish heritage  his father was a fireman from Co Cork, and his mother was a nurse from Co Tipperary.

In a 2015 radio interview, Mr Lynch confirmed that he was born in Ilford in London, despite a number of reports that he was born in Ireland and raised in England.

He said during the same interview that he spent childhood summers in Carrick-On-Shannon and Tipperary and has family who still live there.

The yacht sank as a fierce storm battered the area overnight.

The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported that the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.

Rescue operations in the stretch of sea near Palermo. Photo: Italian Coast Guard/AP

Salvo Cocina of Sicilys civil protection agency said: They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Ayla Reynold, a New Zealand national working at Clifford Chance, survived the ordeal. Her father, Lin Ronald, confirmed to the Telegraph she had been invited aboard as thanks for assistance in Mr Lynchs recent court case.

I have texted my daughter and she hasnt given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said that there are deaths and she and her partner are alive, he said.

Ayla is a lawyer who is part of the legal team that were invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.

Sicilys civil protection agency told the BBC that 18-year-old Hannah Lynch was among those missing with her father, along with the yachts chef, Ricardo Thomas.

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

She said: I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

It was all dark. In the water I couldnt keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.

Charlotte and Sofia are being treated in hospital, as is Sofias father, James Emsley.

Karsten Borner, captain of a nearby boat, told journalists those missing included the Bayesians owner and a child, news agency Reuters reported.

He said his crew took on board some survivors who were on a life raft, including three who were seriously injured.

Fisherman Francesco Cefalu said he sailed from the shore to the scene after seeing a flare at about 4.30am, but by the time he arrived Bayesian had already sunk, with only items such as cushions and wood floating in the water.

The Bayesian, left, was built in 2008. Photo: Fabio La Bianca/PA

He added: I think they are inside, all the missing people.

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said on Monday: We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors were being deployed to Palermo.

A basic assessment of the scene will be made by the team, with no investigation launched at this stage, the PA news agency understands.

Bayesian completed a number of sailings in recent days, calling at various ports in Sicily, according to ship-tracking website VesselFinder.

The superyacht can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites, and is listed for rent for up to 195,000 a week.

It was built in 2008 by Italian company Perini Navi.

Its registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd, which is based on the Isle of Man.

It has since emerged that the co-defendant of Mr Lynch in his US fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain, died after being hit by a car whist out running on Saturday.

Gary Lincenberg, Mr Chamberlains lawyer, said in a statement provided to the PA news agency: Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running.

He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.
Antony Blinken has ended his ninth visit to the Middle East since the war in Gaza began without securing a ceasefire deal.

The US secretary of state warned on Tuesday that time is of the essence even as Hamas and Israel signalled that challenges remain.

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After meetings in fellow mediating countries Egypt and Qatar, Mr Blinken said that because Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge gaps with the militant group, the focus turns to doing everything possible to get Hamas on board and ensure both sides agree to key details on implementation.



Antony Blinken, centre left, meets with Egypts foreign minister Badr Abdelatty, centre right, in El-Alamein, Egypt (Kevin Mohatt/Pool Photo via AP)

Our message is simple. Its clear and its urgent, he told reporters before leaving Qatar. We need to get a ceasefire and hostage agreement over the finish line, and we need to do it now. Time is of the essence.

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There has been added urgency to reach a deal after the recent targeted killings of militant leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah in Iran and Lebanon, both attributed to Israel, and vows of retaliation that have sparked fears of a wider regional war.

Few details have been released about the so-called bridging proposal put forth by the US, Egypt and Qatar. Mr Blinken said it is very clear on the schedule and the locations of (Israeli military) withdrawals from Gaza.

Hamas earlier on Tuesday called the latest proposal a reversal of what it had agreed to, accusing the US of acquiescing to new conditions from Israel. There was no immediate US response to that.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, met with right-wing groups of families of fallen soldiers and hostages in Gaza. The groups, which oppose a ceasefire deal, said Mr Netanyahu told them Israel will not abandon two strategic corridors in Gaza whose control has been an obstacle in the talks. Mr Netanyahus office did not comment on their account.

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A senior US official rejected as totally untrue that Mr Netanyahu had told Mr Blinken that Israel would never leave the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors. Such statements are not constructive to getting a ceasefire deal across the finish line, the official said.

Mr Blinkens meetings in Egypt, which borders Gaza, and in Qatar, which hosts some Hamas leaders in exile, came a day after he met Mr Netanyahu. Wide gaps appeared to remain between Israel and Hamas, though angry statements often serve as pressure tactics during negotiations.

Mr Netanyahus meeting with the families came as Israels military said it recovered the bodies of six hostages taken in Hamass October 7 attack that started the war, bringing fresh grief for many Israelis who have long pressed Mr Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire that would bring remaining hostages home.

New protests were held on Tuesday. The longer theyre there, the more body bags we get, said one protester, Adi Israeli, in Tel Aviv.

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Israelis protest near the hotel where US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was staying in Tel Aviv (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP)

Israels military said it recovered the six bodies in an overnight operation in southern Gaza, saying they were killed when troops were operating in Khan Younis. Hamas says some captives have been killed in Israeli air strikes, though returning hostages have talked about difficult conditions, including lack of food or medications.

The recovery of the remains also is a blow to Hamas, which hopes to exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners, an Israeli withdrawal and a lasting ceasefire.

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The military said it had identified the remains of Chaim Perry, 80; Yoram Metzger, 80; Avraham Munder, 79; Alexander Dancyg, 76; Nadav Popplewell, 51; and Yagev Buchshtav, 35.

Kibbutz Nir Oz, the farming community where Mr Munder was among around 80 residents seized, said he died after months of physical and mental torture. Israeli authorities previously determined the other five were dead.



Top L to R: Alexander Dancyg, Abraham Munder and Yagev Buchshtab, and bottom L to R: Yoram Metzger, Haim Perry and Nadav Popplewell (The Hostages Families Forum/AP)

Hamas is still believed to be holding around 110 hostages captured during the October 7 attacks, when militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israeli authorities estimate around a third are dead. Over 100 other hostages were released during last years ceasefire in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.

Israels retaliatory offensive has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. The war has caused widespread destruction and forced the vast majority of Gazas 2.3 million residents to flee their homes, often multiple times. Aid groups fear the outbreak of polio and other diseases.

An Israeli air strike on Tuesday killed at least 12 people at a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City. The Palestinian Civil Defence, first responders operating under the Hamas-run government, said around 700 people had been sheltering at the Mustafa Hafez school. Israels military said the strike targeted Hamas militants who had set up a command centre there.

We dont know where to go  or where to shelter our children, said Um Khalil Abu Agwa, a displaced woman.

An Israeli air strike in Deir al-Balah hit people walking down the street and seven were killed, including a woman and two children, according to an Associated Press journalist who counted the bodies. Another air strike in central Gaza killed five children and their mother, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where an AP journalist counted the bodies.

Palestinians displaced by recent Israeli evacuation orders crowded into already teeming areas. One child in Deir al-Balah slept on cardboard as insects flew around his face.

Are they going to dig the ground and dump us there, or put us on a boat and throw us in the sea? I dont know, said one man, Abu Shady Afana.
As Democrats kick off their convention in Chicago, Donald Trump is trying to regain his footing after weeks of struggling to adjust to Vice President Kamala Harris as his rival.

The former US president and GOP nominee delivered a speech at a factory in Pennsylvania on Monday as he attempts to undercut the Democratic celebration with a jam-packed schedule.

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He is holding daily events in battleground states tied to subjects where Republicans think they hold an advantage, including the economy, crime and safety, national security and the border.



Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Precision Components Group (Julia Nikhinson/AP)

Kamala Harris is an economy wrecker and a country destroyer, Mr Trump told factory workers and supporters gathered at Precision Custom Components, a company that makes components for military and nuclear use.

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It is Mr Trumps busiest week of campaigning since the winter, when he faced a large field of challengers in the Republican primary.

And his focus on policy in battleground states reflects the concerns of Mr Trump allies, who have urged him to try to broaden his appeal with swing voters as they grow more nervous about Ms Harris competitiveness.

In the weeks since President Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid, Mr Trump has appeared at times in denial and has launched a series of deeply personal attacks on Ms Harris.

He has lied about her crowds by claiming images of them were generated by AI, talked about her looks, and played on racist tropes by questioning her racial identity as she runs to become the first woman, the first Black woman and the first person of South Asian descent to reach the Oval Office.

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The outbursts have raised concerns among allies that Mr Trump is damaging his chance in what they believe is an eminently winnable race.

If you have a policy debate for president, he wins. Donald Trump the provocateur, the showman, may not win this election, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press, echoing others concerns.

Mr Graham said he wanted Mr Trump to focus on his plans for the economy and the US-Mexico border.



Donald Trump listens at a business roundtable discussion at a campaign event at Precision Components Group (Julia Nikhinson/AP)

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Policy is the key to the White House, he said.

Some supporters at his rallies agree with that advice.

He needs to quit talking about Biden other than Harris piggybacking on those policies, said Kory Jeno, a 53-year-old from Swannanoa, North Carolina, who was waiting to see Trump speak last week in nearby Asheville.

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He needs to keep the conversation on the issues and what hes going to do for Americans instead of running off on tangents where hes just bashing her and that sort of thing.

Mr Trump needs to stop the personal attacks, echoed 75-year-old Mary Ray, who advised him to be discreet when youre talking.

Asked whether she was thinking about Mr Trumps most incendiary personal attacks  calling Ms Harris a nasty woman and questioning how she discusses her biracial heritage  Ms Ray furrowed her brow and pursed her lips.

It hurts him with other voters, she said.

Others have urged him to ramp up his schedule and to pivot away from rallies, where large crowds of his most ardent supporters cheer on his most incendiary rhetoric.

The big rallies are fine, but I like him when he goes to a restaurant or just talks to anybody off the street, said Bruce Fields, 70, who works in commercial real estate in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

When he is talking to ordinary people, it adds a personal touch.
The US intelligence community has said that Iran is to blame for the hack of Donald Trumps presidential campaign.

The joint statement from the FBI and other federal agencies was the first formal attribution of the hack to a foreign entity.

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The Trump campaign had previously said Iran was responsible.

The FBI and other federal agencies said Iran perceived this years US presidential election to be particularly consequential and was determined through the hacking operation and other activities to interfere in American politics and to stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions.



Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump spoke at a campaign rally at the Mohegan Sun Arena on August 17 (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

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A joint statement from the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said: We have observed increasingly aggressive Iranian activity during this election cycle, specifically involving influence operations targeting the American public and cyber operations targeting Presidential campaigns.

The statement added that Iranian hackers have sought access to individuals with direct access to the presidential campaigns of both political parties.

The FBI has also been investigating other attempts to gain access to Democrat Kamala Harris campaign.



President Joe Biden checks out the stage before the Democratic National Convention on August 19 (Paul Sancya/AP)

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The multi-agency statement also confirms findings made by private tech companies like Microsoft. The computing giant shared a report only weeks ago that detailed foreign agents attempts to interfere in this years presidential election.

The confirmation of Iranian involvement also backs up previous statements by Google, which separately said that an Iranian group linked to the countrys Revolutionary Guard has tried to infiltrate the personal email accounts of roughly a dozen people linked to US President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump since May.
Chinese premier meets Vietnam's top leader

Xinhua) 09:21, August 20, 2024

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday met with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Vietnamese President To Lam, who is on a state visit to China.

Noting that China considers Vietnam a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, Li said China is ready to carry forward the long-standing friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and work toward the goals of higher political mutual trust, more solid security cooperation, deeper practical cooperation, stronger public support, closer multilateral coordination and cooperation, and better management and resolution of differences.

Li noted that China and Vietnam are interconnected economically and in trade, and have high industry complementarity and broad space for cooperation.

China is willing to move faster to synergize the Belt and Road Initiative with Vietnam's Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, enhance connectivity, expand trade and investment, and strengthen cooperation in such areas as agriculture, infrastructure, energy, the digital economy, green development and key minerals, Li said.

China and Vietnam will host a series of activities celebrating the 75th anniversary of bilateral ties next year. Li said the two countries should deepen people-to-people exchange in areas such as culture, tourism, education and health to promote understanding and amity between the two peoples.

He also urged enhanced coordination under multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations, ASEAN and Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, and called for greater efforts to promote an equal, orderly, multipolar world and economic globalization that benefits all, aiming to contribute to regional and global peace and development.

To Lam said that Vietnam has always considered relations with China to be a strategic choice and top priority in its foreign policy, and that Vietnam adheres firmly to the one-China principle.

He said his country is willing to work with China to strengthen exchange at all levels, consolidate political mutual trust, and deepen cooperation in such fields as trade, investment, transportation, tourism and education to promote the construction of a Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The Volunteer State Mass Choir - "I AM GOD" | The Bellamy Group

Nashville, TN -- Tennessee became known as the Volunteer State during the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War of 1848, when President James K. Polk of Tennessee issued a call for 2,600, volunteers and 30,000 Tennesseans answered. There is a different call of duty answered by Tennesseans who love to sing Gospel music and be on the battlefield for the Lord. Established in 2006, Jeff Wilford gathered a group of enthusiastic worshippers together to form The Volunteer State Mass Choir. These choir members from across the state of Tennessee from Knoxville to Memphis, volunteer their voices and musical talents to preserve the Gospel choir artistry while sharing inspiration and hope to people across the country, demonstrating their unwavering dedication to their craft and their faith.

The Volunteer State Mass Choir (VSMC) has released a new album that entrenches the soul in a traditional Gospel music experience. I AM GOD is their third album of original Gospel songs and classic favorites. The album features powerful lead vocalists from Tennessee: Renee Craig, Bishop Belita McMurray-Fite, Sheila Watson, Jennifer Wiggins, Pastor Vincent Johnson, and Patrick D. Sorrell. Wilford also steps up to lead the title track "I Am God."

I AM GOD is produced by Wilford and Kevin Kelley for Studio 2024 in Nashville, TN. Damien Searcy serves as music director. Their single "I Am Blessed" is written by Kyle Kelley with lead vocals by Jennifer Wiggins. VSMC dedicates their new album to the late Val Craig-McMurray. Val was a devoted VSMC member and was affectionately known as "Mama Val - Nashville's Mother" in the middle TN community.

I AM GOD is now avaible on all digital music outlets. VSMC recently celebrated the album's release with a stirring performance at The Gospel Music Workshop Of America and GMWA National Alliance of Gospel Music Professionals in Memphis, TN. They will launch their fall tour in September with appearances throughout Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia.
Rise to the top Born to an Irish immigrant family and raised in London in the 1960s, Lynch had a modest upbringing but won a scholarship to the private Bancrofts School aged 11. He went on to graduate from Cambridge University and subsequently founded the business that would make his name: Autonomy. The software company, set up in 1996, used complex statistical analysis to help businesses manage their data. Autonomy grew rapidly and joined the ranks of Britains blue chips on the FTSE 100 before being sold to HP for more than 8 billion in 2011. Lynch used his wealth to become a founding investor in Darktrace, the FTSE 100 cybersecurity company, and set up venture capital firm Invoke Capital to back other start-ups. His successes once led him to be lauded as Britains Bill Gates.

For 13 years, however, Lynch was dogged by claims that his success was built on the back of fraud. HP wrote off much of the value of Autonomy shortly after acquiring the business and accused Lynch of exaggerating the businesss success to get HP to overpay. In 2022, Lynch lost a $US5 billion ($7.4 billion) fraud civil dispute against HP in the British High Court over the sale, and was later charged with multiple counts of criminal fraud by the US government for his alleged role. Against the odds Last year, he was extradited from Britain to stand trial before a California court. He faced up to 25 years in prison.

In the run-up to the trial, the entrepreneur spent months under house arrest with constant monitoring by an armed security detail. Lynch was forced to wear a GPS tag and was subject to a $US100 million bail bond. Loading Few observers gave Lynch much hope of beating the charges, given the high conviction rate in such cases. The US government had spent years and large amounts of money to prove Lynch had masterminded a scheme to artificially inflate the revenues of Autonomy. But on June 7, after an 11-week trial, Lynch was acquitted and walked from court a free man  a remarkable moment of vindication for the technologist who had always denied wrongdoing. In a last-minute gambit, Lynch had taken to the witness stand to defend his record, denying he had been the driving force behind the complex fraud. He told the jury that while he had been in charge of the technological vision, he was not involved in the minutiae of the companys accounting.

The high-risk defence paid off and Lynch was acquitted by the jury after three days of deliberation. Moments after he was declared not guilty to each of the 15 charges, his wife rushed over to embrace him. I am elated with todays verdict and grateful to the jury for their attention to the facts over the last 10 weeks, Lynch said at the time. My deepest thanks go to my legal team for their tireless work on my behalf. I am looking forward to returning to the UK and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field. Having returned to the UK, Lynch was preparing to campaign against what he viewed as Britains one-sided extradition treaty with the US. In 2023, he had been escorted from his country home in handcuffs to a waiting plane and spirited across the Atlantic after then-home secretary Priti Patel signed off on his extradition. This was despite the UKs Serious Fraud Office dropping a case against him years earlier.

The system can sweep individuals away, he said in a recent interview. Tragedy At the weekend, Lynch was aboard his personal yacht off the coast of Sicily. The boat, Bayesian, was named for the branch of statistics that was the subject of Lynchs Cambridge PhD. In 2022, Lynch lost a $US5 billion fraud civil dispute against HP in the British High Court over the sale and was later charged with multiple counts of criminal fraud by the US government for his alleged role. Credit: Bloomberg Built in 2008, the 56-metre, 473-tonne superyacht is reported to have had capacity for 12 guests and 10 crew members, with a top speed of 12 knots. Its listed owner is Bacares, Lynchs wife.

On board with the couple were Charlotte Golunski, a partner at Invoke Capital, and her husband, James Emsley. Others on the vessel are reported to include business associates and legal advisers to Lynch, as well as the ships crew. Golunski, who was rescued from the vessel with her husband and baby daughter, told Italys Corriere Della Sera newspaper they were all guests of our boss, who she described as an extraordinary person. The vessel was reported to have travelled from Aeolian Islands to Milazzo and Cefalu before arriving at Palermo. There it was reported to have been hit by a freak storm, described by local fisherman as a tornado. Fifteen passengers were reportedly rescued by Italys coast guard helicopters. Six people are still missing. A local fisherman told Corriere Della Sera: At about 3:55 we saw the whirlwind. A quarter of an hour later, we saw a rocket 500 metres from the dock. At about 4:35 we went out to sea to provide assistance, but we only saw the remains of the vessel floating.

There were no men in the sea. So we immediately called the port authority. Loading Lynch and Bacares have two daughters, aged 18 and 21, students at Oxford and Imperial College London respectively. His younger daughter, Hannah, is understood to be among those missing after the superyacht sank. Lynchs personal net worth was estimated at $US450 million ($668 million) by his US lawyers last year, although a lot of the couples wealth is held by Bacares. Lynch owns a home in west London but lived primarily at a farm in Suffolk, where he raised rare breeds of pigs and cows.
Shopping centre owner Vicinity Centres says shoppers are ditching department stores in favour of its Direct Factory Outlets (DFOs) as cost-of-living pressures put the brakes on discretionary spending.

Vicinity, which manages more than 50 shopping centres across Australia  including Chatswood Chase, The Strand Arcade in Sydney, Chadstone and Emporium Melbourne  said on Tuesday that retail sales had slumped in the second half of fiscal 2024.

Vicinity CEO Peter Huddle at Chadstone shopping centre in Melbourne. Credit: Louis Trerise

Homewares was the most affected category: moving annual total sales were down 3.3 per cent, while jewellery sales fell 2 per cent. However, the leisure category was boosted by the popularity of athleisure wear, which pushed the sector up 5.5 per cent.

Bargain hunters also flocked to the groups DFOs, where overall sales increased 3.5 per cent for the year to June 30, which offset some of the 5 per cent decline in sales at the struggling department stores.
Industry Super-backed news publication The New Daily is for sale after its owners internally conceded the loss-making publication no longer had a path to its goal of financial self-sustainability.

The New Daily was set up in 2013 by six industry superannuation funds and run by former Age and Herald Sun editor Bruce Guthrie. In 2016, the online publication came under sole ownership of Industry Super Holdings, the superannuation sectors collectively held investment arm.

Over time, the fund established a five-year plan to make The New Daily self-sufficient, with advertising revenue and money from tech giants Google and Meta becoming its main sources of income.

The New Dailys owner, Industry Super, wants to sell it.

However, after weak display advertising market conditions which have ravaged the industry, and the end of a commercial deal New Daily publisher Solstice Media had with Meta, the owner now considers it is unable to break even, two people with knowledge of the matter said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
If Instagram is to be believed, Indian-born businessman Maninderjeet Manu Kala, named the Gold Coasts Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2023, has a penchant for luxury cars and posing with federal politicians.

High Rollers: Kala, Hunt, Tudge and Brandis. Credit: SMH

In a recent social media video, Kala is seen getting out of a Rolls-Royce (number plate: MK DAWN) and heading to a Liberal function where he rubs shoulders with former PM Tony Abbott.

Pictures of Kala hobnobbing with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce and speaker Milton Dick adorn the feed alongside snaps of his McLaren supercar.

Purchasing expensive toys isnt a display of extravagance; its an investment in expanding your mindset to exceed your own expectations, was how Kala put it in one post.
MUSIC/ BIOGRAPHY

Radio Birdman: Retaliate First

Murray Engleheart

Allen & Unwin, $36.99

You really had to see Radio Birdman. Maybe you have some other favourite band but nah, theyre not as good. It really was a cult, one eyewitness recalls inside these pages bristling with the extreme prejudice of hard rock devotion. If you were a fan of Birdman, you pretty well werent allowed to like almost anything else.

Full disclosure: I never saw Radio Birdman. Not on their original incendiary streak of 1975 to 1978 anyway. Not many did, in the grand scheme of things. The task of canonising this spiky frontline militia of Sydneys underground revolution falls to a select few. Our prime minister swears by them. So does veteran rock writer Murray Engleheart.

According to Murray Engleheart, few acts on the planet ever held a torch of internal animosity quite as high.

Its chiefly the authors passion, throbbing like a pulsing jaw beneath the dramatic weight of his prose, that suspends disbelief on this latest death-or-glory mission to secure the Birdman cult its rightful place in history.
Incensed Victorian TAFE teachers are threatening to target Victorian Labor ministers and MPs in marginal seats as their pay dispute turns ugly.

The Labor-aligned Australian Education Union has been trying to negotiate a new enterprise agreement for TAFE teachers for more than two years without success.

TAFE teachers and supporters marching in Victoria on Wednesday. Credit: Diego Fedele/AAP

Following statewide classroom walkouts in June and July, unionised TAFE teachers went on strike for 24 hours on Wednesday.

TAFE teachers in the state last stopped work for 24 hours in 2012 to protest cuts, having previously gone out in 2008 as part of protected strike action.

Several hundred members marched on Victorian parliament on Wednesday after an earlier meeting where they voted to take further action if the offer was not improved.

They are angry, the unions Victorian branch president Meredith Peace told reporters.

The offer on the table has effectively not changed in those more than two years.

Peace said the teachers had been offered a 3 per cent pay rise, in line with Victorias public sector wages cap, but were asked to increase their workloads in return.

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She did not specify what wage increase the union was seeking.

The unions deputy state president Justin Mullaly said further action would include more 24-hour strikes and targeting Labor ministers and marginal seat MPs.

Were going to make sure that they keenly understand whats at stake here, he told the crowd.

The union is negotiating with the Victorian TAFE Association, but the state government funds enterprise agreements.

Premier Jacinta Allan would not be drawn on whether the dispute had gone on for too long and if it was time for the government to intervene.

The best place to get these enterprise agreements resolved is at the negotiating table, she said.

We remain at the negotiating table to strike an outcome that supports our TAFE teachers.

AAP
She said she was driven to breaking point by the company, which initially offered her counselling but then subjected her to performance reviews. When she asked to move to another venue, Le Foote, she had to take a pay cut and then had her hours reduced after she began suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder while at work.

The bartender, who asked not to be identified because she is pursuing legal action, reported the incident to NSW Police.

One former Hubert bartender said she was raped in the restaurant toilets by a fellow staff member last year after she was given a cocktail made with 10 different gins. I got completely blackout drunk and blacked out and came to with him raping me in the womens bathrooms at work, she said.

In response to the allegations raised in a months-long investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald and Good Food, Swillhouse chief executive Anton Forte said the company was aware of sexual assault allegations at its venues and said it sincerely regretted and apologised to any former employees who felt unsupported and at risk.

Five former female staff say they were sexually assaulted and harassed by other employees across the Swillhouse group, which operates six of Sydneys most high-profile venues, including Le Foote in The Rocks, Restaurant Hubert, the Baxter Inn and Caterpillar Club in the CBD.

One of Sydneys top bar and restaurant groups has been hit with claims it pushed female staff out of the company after reporting sexual assaults, encouraged staff to have sex with customers and take drugs while on shift, and discriminated against women as it built up a hospitality empire that now spans six venues across the city.

A Herald and Good Food investigation reveals a top Sydney restaurant group allegedly ousted female staff after they reported sexual assaults and encouraged on-duty sex and drug use.

Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.

The people that are making money are doing it off our broken bodies, she said. This industry that I have given so much to has completely f---ed me over.

Another Hubert bartender said she was sexually assaulted by a colleague at home. She said she was told by her supervisor the next day that it was her fault for drinking and that she was a square peg in a round hole.

Due to the roster in place at that restaurant, there were some discrepancies in hours, which were rectified upon being brought to our attention, he said.

Forte said Swillhouse provided extensive support to the employee including accompanying her to the police station and psychological assistance after she reported the allegation.

A different manager said in an email that her personal situation could not be taken into account to give her extra hours, and that we only take into consideration restaurant needs.

Internal emails reveal that one manager said her general negativity within the workplace was not in line with our core values of good times and devoted hospitality.

Swillhouse executives Toby Hilton and Anton Forte in a picture posted on social media from inside Frankies in 2013. The pair are not personally accused of misconduct.

Supervisors and staff at Hubert would frequently use the cinque room to do lines of cocaine during and after shifts, six former bartenders said.

But three former staff members, who requested anonymity to protect their future employment, said the company put them in vulnerable situations as part of a wider culture that fostered a reliance on drinking and drugs for day-to-day work.

At Swillhouse, sexual assault allegations are handled with the highest level of urgency and care, he said.

Forte said Swillhouse had never discriminated against an employee who raised sexual assault allegations.

They wheel you out on International Womens Day, but you are afraid to be feminine, said another bartender. It was established that if you say anything, you are out.

We dont deny there have been some instances of juvenile and regrettable behaviour that, in hindsight, should not have occurred, said Forte.

The bar staff were also allowed to clock off early to have sex with customers, a male bartender said. Occasionally, they took customers to have sex on top of the washing machine in the accessible toilet or in the store room, where expensive whiskys were kept in an old bank vault.

Down the road at Swillhouses whisky bar, The Baxter Inn, bartenders called out Shoes or Jimmy Choos (rhyming slang for boobs) to alert other staff members when a woman with large breasts walked in.

There was previously one staff drink allowed after work, said Forte. Unfortunately, this was abused, and the privilege was removed after instances of the policy being breached.

Forte said Swillhouse had a no-drinking and no-drugs policy on shift but did not address claims about regular cocaine use at Hubert. The Parisian bistro in the Sydney CBD has won a Good Food Guide chefs hat for the past two years.

When women were eventually hired at the Baxter Inn in 2014, there were no sanitary bins.

At the time, there were fewer female, full-time bartenders and, as such, not many applicants. Swillhouses first female bartender was hired in 2012, he said.

Forte said the original teams at the Baxter Inn, named sixth-best bar in the world in 2015, and Shady Pines Saloon, which opened in 2010, did consist solely of men.

It was the have a beer policy, the former bartender said. They would only hire people they thought they would want to have beers with.

One male bartender said the companys policies encouraged loose behaviour. He said little consideration was given to how the behaviour would affect female employees, given there was a blanket ban on hiring women in the bars first years.

The bar wall had notes written on a sliding scale of attractiveness, with staff ranking each customer the bartenders had slept with.

No one had ever considered that, one male bartender said.

Two women left their bartending positions at The Baxter Inn after the company failed to act upon repeated complaints of sexual harassment made against another male colleague between 2019 and 2020, former employees said.

It was physical intimidation, said one of the women.

This guy would brush up against us, he would ask us really intimate questions about our sex lives, just out of the blue and during service.

The sexual harassment continued after meetings with a human resources representative and upper management.

[My colleague] got to the point where she was terrified to come to work, she said.

She felt completely helpless because they wouldnt give him a warning [and] there were no efforts made to investigate it.

Forte said the incidents should have been better handled.

Unfortunately, the details of the claim provided to senior management were incomplete and inaccurate, so while the bartender was relocated, the matter was not addressed as thoroughly as it should have been, he said.

The Wild West

Swillhouses best-known venue, Frankies Pizza, was also its most notorious. The bars merchandise sold its vision: Get f---ed at Frankies, a T-shirt read.

It was just the Wild West, said one bartender.

Frankies Pizza closed in 2022. Credit: Edwina Pickles

The dive bar was mourned when it shut down in 2022 with a week-long party dubbed Frankies Pizza goes to hell after a decade spent hosting celebrities including Jack Black, Cuba Gooding jnr, and members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine.

But staff said it bred a misogynistic culture that denigrated women.

Id be taken out of the main bar there and put into the pizzeria because women didnt know anything about beer, said one former bartender.

When women were allowed to work at the bar, they were shown violent pornography by managers. Youd love that, the bartender said she was told.

People would try to get me to have sex with customers constantly, said the bartender. There were multiple recordings of people having sex in the venue without their consent. There were always videos being passed around of women being filmed without their consent.



Frankies Pizza T-shirt.

Forte said the company had never received complaints about videos being taken of people having sex.

We can confirm that while we want our employees to be positive and engage with our customers to give them a great experience, they have never been encouraged to have sex with customers, he said.

One acronym was frequently plastered around the venue and on its promotional material: STC. Suck the C--k.

On social media, Frankies often pushed a hypermasculine, rock n roll image to its customers. In one Facebook post, it promised minimal predatory behaviour from one of its performers who was pictured holding up a packet of Wipe on Sex Appeal.

Behind the bar, cocktails were made from a book known by the homophobic slur staff used to refer to it: The faggot book of recipes.

Forte acknowledged the terms were used at his venues, describing them now as offensive, derogatory and juvenile.

We regret not stamping them out sooner than circa 2016 when we believe they were last used, he said. We acknowledge these examples are indicative of wider cultural issues we had at the time and have since been working to rectify these harmful behaviours.

We could have done better

Inside Swillhouses first bar, the Nashville-style Shady Pines Saloon in Darlinghurst, one bartender said a male co-worker sexually assaulted her.

The bartender filed a report to the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad of the State Crime Command in 2022.

[My co-worker] was encouraging everyone to drink and then gave most of the other staff MDMA [ecstasy] to take while working, the bartender wrote to police.

He then started asking me what kind of underwear I was wearing that night. I refused to answer and attempted to ignore him as I kept serving. Then he started groping my ass before shoving his hand in the back of my shorts from the leg and inserting his fingers inside me.

Swillhouse fired the male co-worker, but the bartender said he was repeatedly allowed back into the venue to drink despite being sacked. Forte said he did not believe the co-worker had returned to the venue, and if he did, the company was not aware of it.

Every job Ive had since then, Ive had someone say, You know, its okay you dont work at Swillhouse any more, the bartender said.

The bartender did not want to press charges because the venue had already been hit by a police strike over an unauthorised after-hours lock-in, which saw its managers sacked.

It could have been shut down, she claimed.

Shady Pines Saloon

Forte said Shady Pines was never on a final warning with police, and the company had never pressured anyone not to file a police report for the benefit of the business.

In hindsight, there were areas where we could have done better, he said.

That is why we have comprehensive policies, training and [employment assistance program] services in place for all employees today.

When the company began mandatory sexual harassment training in 2022, the bartender was too distressed to remain in the seminar after the host, an external consultant, claimed that sexual assault doesnt happen here.

I suffered with pretty much constant harassment, multiple sexual and physical assaults, stalking and bullying the entire time I worked for the company, it completely broke me as a person, she wrote in an email to the human resources (HR) manager after she left the meeting early.

As this was never taken seriously or even addressed at all, it was too hard to sit in the values training yesterday. Ive spent hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars in therapy just to be able to approach being in hospitality service again.

The HR manager offered her support and assured her they wanted to make sure we have everything in place to ensure this would never happen again.

But in June 2022, the bartender had a meeting with the company over her treatment.

They brought me into a meeting; they said, We didnt know any better. We didnt go to business school, she said. They could have said sorry. They didnt give a f---.

Industry accolades

Swillhouse has won multiple accolades for its establishments across Sydney and is now one of the citys largest hospitality groups. It has 334 staff across six venues that earn millions of dollars in revenue each year.

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The Good Food Guide described Le Footes opening in The Rocks in May 2023 as the hottest Sydney restaurant opening of the year for its blend of Mediterranean grill with harbour views.

In 2019, after a series of incidents, Forte reminded all staff to respect their co-workers and to report incidents to their managers. In the same year, Swillhouse appointed an HR specialist and implemented policies on sexual harassment for the first time.

They also offered staff 10 free counselling sessions at the Indigo Project, began hosting a monthly diversity forum and implemented a target of 50 per cent non-male employees company-wide.

In text messages and a phone call after an employee reported sexual harassment at one of the companys venues in 2022, Forte was empathetic and offered to talk through their concerns over lunch, but it never eventuated. There is no suggestion that Forte assaulted or harassed employees.

In an all-staff email in February last year, after other allegations were raised, Forte said employees would no longer be entitled to free drinks after their shift or a 50 per cent discount on beverages any other time.

This email is tough to write, he said. Due to several incidents at our venues involving staff and alcohol, we have had to decide to no longer offer this benefit. We understand that this benefit has been part of the fabric of our business and a considerable part of our culture.

However, our commitment to you is more significant than just offering benefits. As a business, we also need to prioritise and promote a culture of safety and well-being.

But some employees believe the measures fail to address Swillhouses history as a wild party company. It is still ingrained in the foundation, said one bartender.

In public social media posts dating back to 2013, Forte is repeatedly pictured partially naked in his venues and boasts of a morning blood alcohol content of 0.07. In 2015, he captioned a photo of award-winning bartenders at The Baxter Inn with STC.

In one post, Swillhouse executive Toby Hilton is pictured alongside Forte who straddles the bar in his underwear. Hilton said from memory  we were trying to recreate a photo by Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Staff say Swillhouses position as one of Sydneys most prominent hospitality groups meant they felt pressured to stay silent over fears for their economic security.

People need jobs and if you want to earn decent money, you arent left with many options, its either Swillhouse or Merivale, said one bartender.

I got really depressed, said another bartender who said she was assaulted while working at Huberts. I came out of the cult world, and I could not get a job.

The women said they were speaking out now so that younger women did not have to go through the same turmoil.

These owner-operators in Sydney are hiring younger and younger, one former Baxter Inn bartender said.

It just terrifies me that they think theyve had a culture shift and that other people will have the same experience that we did.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
Author Alexandra Joel wrote of her mother in her book Rosetta, She had a face that mattered. It seemed beyond the reach of time. A tall, blue-eyed brunette with high cheek bones, Sybil was a celebrated beauty with a supremely elegant sense of style. After the war she became an acclaimed model, appearing on the covers of magazines such as the Australian Womens Weekly. Crowds at the 1973 opening of the Sydney Opera House. Credit: Russell McPhedran For many years, she was regularly photographed for newspaper social columns, with one journalist reporting that if Lady Joel wasnt included for a week or two the newspaper would receive letters of concern from disappointed readers. Born Sybil Jacobs on September 10, 1924 in Sydney, Lady Joel was a proud fifth generation Australian. On her mother Francis (Billie) Raphaels side she was descended from Abraham Rheuben, a convict who was transported to Van Diemens Land in 1828 and later became a successful merchant, alderman and, perhaps most surprisingly, a magistrate.

On her father Frederick Jacobs side, her ancestors were the free settlers to South Australia, Charles and Elizabeth Jacobs. Originally a lawyer, Charles pioneered trade with China and Mauritius. At a time when Australias sugar industry was yet to be established, the frequency with which Charless fast clipper ships made the journey from Mauritius to Australia laden with sugar earned the family the nickname The Sugar Jacobs. Lady Sybil Joel in a modelling portrait. Perhaps it was because of these forebears that Lady Joel possessed a life-long penchant for sweet treats. She happily confessed that as a child she broke into the family pantry, sampling each cake, biscuit and jelly her mother had lovingly prepared for her birthday. Although the party was promptly cancelled, this did not deter Sybil. Her grandfathers affectionate name for her was Princess Ice Cream and, indeed, it was ice-cream that constituted her final meal.

Sybil grew up in a rambling, waterfront home in Vaucluse with what would now be described as gun barrel views of the harbour. In later years, she recalled watching the Sydney Harbour Bridge being built and wondering if its two mighty arms would meet. Sir Asher Joel and Lady Joel attending the state banquet in honour of Queen Elizabeth II in Sydney in 1954. She was a pupil at Kambala School until the age of 10. When her parents separated, she became a boarder at SCEGGS Moss Vale for two years before completing her education at SCEGGS Darlinghurst. After attaining her leaving certificate, Sybil attended secretarial college. Australia was at war, and she was appointed private secretary to Colonel Kennedy at Victoria Barracks in Paddington before progressing to Woolloomooloo Wharf No.4 as secretary in charge of recording vehicle fleet movements for the Royal Marines. With the influx of international servicemen, she received a great deal of attention and several marriage proposals, all ultimately rejected. Sybil met her future husband at the Movie Ball in George Streets glamorous Trocadero in July 1948. Recalling this encounter, Sir Asher wrote: During the course of the evening, my eye was attracted to the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She was breathtaking. I quickly arranged to be introduced, though this began most inauspiciously. Disastrously, in fact. The acquaintance I was with opened a bottle of soda water inexpertly and, as he was a bit under the weather, sprayed the carbonated water all over the bare back and beautiful clothes of the striking young woman whom I had wanted to impress.

My apologies were futile. All I could glean was that her last name was Jacobs. The vision of her sheer loveliness haunted me long after I had returned home. I couldnt sleep all that night. So, the next day I proceeded to ring up every Jacobs in the phone book, asking Were you at the movie ball last night? Ever elegant, Lady Sybil Joel in the 90s. Rather like the fairytale prince seeking his Cinderella, Asher finally tracked Sybil down and, once hed apologised profusely, she agreed to meet him for dinner. After taking her out every night that week, he was sitting in the St James Theatre, gazing at her, when he proposed. She said yes, and they were married at the Great Synagogue the following April. Asher kept the ticket stubs from that auspicious night at the theatre all his life. Sybil had an enduring interest in the performing arts and was an avid reader and bridge player, but her greatest passion was for the visual arts. She was a popular guide for more than 17 years at the Art Gallery of New South Wales where she specialised in guiding school children.
The only university student in Melbourne disciplined for participating in pro-Palestine protests has won the right to a fresh hearing, amid allegations proper procedure wasnt followed during another students misconduct hearing.

Deakin University student Renee Nayef was suspended for the current trimester after taking part in student rallies and an encampment at Deakins Burwood campus protesting against the war in Gaza.

Deakin University student Renee Nayefs case will be heard again. Credit: Wayne Taylor

Nayef was notified last week that her appeal against the suspension had been successful and that misconduct proceedings would be heard again on August 27 before a new committee.

The chair of Nayefs original hearing was the subject of a complaint from another Deakin student, Jasmine Duff, who raised concerns over the chairs conduct in the hearing.
Each week, WAtoday reaches out to the Perth community to discover three things people love most about our coastal capital. Did you know that in WA, almost 80 per cent of young people are involved in volunteering? Now thats something to celebrate. Today we feature Maisara Muzaffar, whose work in the Project Dignity program delivering sanitary products to disadvantaged high school girls, and as cultural ambassador for the City of Canning, has won her numerous awards, including Youth Citizen of the Year, Multicultural Youth of the Year, Burt Young Volunteer of the Year and the Australian Defence Force Long Tan Youth Leadership & Teamwork Award.

Muzaffar (left) and the Multicultural Youth Sorority (right).

1. Ubuntu Australia: One of the things I love most about Perth is volunteering with Ubuntu, a not-for-profit based in Perths south-east, dedicated to supporting multicultural communities and the disadvantaged. The work we do is tangible and life-changing, whether its mentoring young people or organising events that celebrate cultural diversity while also assisting those in need. It has given me a unique perspective on the strength and resilience within Perths multicultural communities, and its incredibly fulfilling to contribute to positive changes in peoples lives. People can find volunteering opportunities at www.volunteeringwa.org.au.

2. Parliament House: I am continually inspired by Perths Parliament House, a symbol of

democracy and civic engagement. What I find remarkable is how accessible this institution is

to the public. Its a place where critical decisions are made  decisions that shape the future

of our state and its people. Having had the opportunity to participate in the legislative

process through Youth Parliament as the Youth MLA of Thornlie and the 28th Youth Leader

of the Opposition, I see Parliament House as more than just a building; its a dynamic space

where voices from all walks of life can be heard. This connection to the legislative process

fuels my commitment to advocacy, as I witnessed firsthand the impact of thoughtful policy-

making on our community.

3. Diversity: I love how diverse Perth is, especially the City of Gosnells. I love living in the City of

Gosnells because of its rich diversity and multiculturalism  43 per cent of its residents were born overseas, making it one of the most multicultural areas in Perth. This diversity is not just a statistic; its a living, breathing part of the community that enriches our lives daily. Inspired by this, I founded the Multicultural Youth Sorority, a platform that brings together young women from various cultural backgrounds to discuss important issues and give back to the community. The

vibrant mix of cultures in Gosnells has shown me the power of unity and collaboration, and

its a key reason why Im so passionate about fostering inclusivity in everything I do.
Train testing in the new Metro Tunnel is disrupting sensitive medical equipment in Parkvilles hospitals, despite the issue being identified a decade ago, and it is now costing Victorians tens of millions of dollars annually to address.

A leaked government document reveals that in June, magnetic resonance imaging machines (MRIs) at Parkvilles Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre failed to meet strict standards on multiple occasions, when tested as trains ran on the subway line beneath the hospital.

Travelling through Melbournes Metro Tunnel. Credit: the Age

On Tuesday, The Age revealed a leaked report showed the new $14 billion underground line faced delays, potential compensation claims and plans to dump elements to cut costs.

It can now be revealed the document also detailed unresolved issues with the cancer treatment equipment in the Parkville medical precinct, where several major hospitals are located, and under which the rail line runs.
Volatile but steady growth in regional markets

Despite fluctuations in sales, price trends across regional Australia have been consistently positive, particularly between 2020/21 and 2021/22 when regional house prices jumped by 22.2% and 17.3%, respectively.
As I take on this new role within the company, Im delighted to be passing the baton to David; someone I have worked with closely for over a decade, and someone with a wealth of experience both within the Metro business and in the wider finance sector, Crossman said.
A migrant is reunited his family after being deported from the United States. The US is pressuring the Guatemalan government to accept a migrant deal. (Photo: REUTERS/Luis Echeverria)

As the Biden administration opens the door for an estimated 500,000 undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens to gain legal status without leaving the country, the new policy has sparked both hope and despair among immigrant families. For some, the program offers a long-awaited opportunity to normalize their status; for others, like Karen and Xavier Chavarria, it represents a missed chance that leaves them grappling with difficult choices.

Karen Chavarria, who left the U.S. voluntarily in 2017 to return to Nicaragua in hopes of reuniting with her husband Xavier through legal means, now finds herself on the outside looking in. The new policy, which allows spouses who have lived continuously in the U.S. for at least ten years by June 2024 to apply for legal status, does not extend to those who left the country voluntarily. This exclusion leaves families like the Chavarrias in a painful limbo.

President Joe Biden's initiative is one of the most significant immigration reforms since the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2012. It offers undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens the chance to apply for a green card without first having to leave the country for up to ten years. The policy is designed to prevent the disruption of families and to alleviate the fear and uncertainty that undocumented spouses face living in the shadows.

"Without this process, hundreds of thousands of noncitizen spouses of U.S. citizens are likely to remain in the United States without lawful status, causing these families to live in fear and with uncertainty about their futures," the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) noted in its policy document.

However, the program's strict eligibility criteria exclude those who left the U.S. voluntarily, even if they did so to comply with existing immigration laws. Eric Lee, an immigration attorney with offices in Michigan and California, described the number of affected individuals as "massive," highlighting the irony that those who tried to follow the law are now being penalized.

Karen and Xavier Chavarria's story is emblematic of this struggle. Karen left the U.S. in 2017, after entering illegally from Mexico in 2002. She hoped to reenter the U.S. legally after accumulating enough time outside the country. Her husband, Xavier, who works in building maintenance in New Jersey, makes biannual trips to Nicaragua to visit her and their 12-year-old son. But the Biden administration's new policy, which helps those who stayed in the U.S., has left Karen devastated.

"It is something that we have been fighting for and after so much struggle, to get here without giving ourselves any hope," she said tearfully in a video interview from Nicaragua.

The policy, while offering relief to many, is seen by immigration advocates as both a significant step forward and a source of frustration. Groups advocating for immigration reform have urged the Biden administration to include those who left the country voluntarily in the new program, arguing that these individuals should not be punished for attempting to adhere to legal processes.

"The only reason why so many are being punished is because they tried to step out of the shadow, they tried to follow the law," Lee said, underscoring the policy's unintended consequences.

Meanwhile, opposition to the policy has emerged from groups favoring stricter immigration controls. The Federation for American Immigration Reform criticized the initiative as overly generous, arguing that it undermines those waiting to immigrate legally and suggesting that Biden is rushing to enroll people before leaving office.

Under the new policy, eligible spouses can remain in the U.S. for three years under a presidential authority known as parole. This includes the ability to apply for work authorization, a green card, and eventually, citizenship. The DHS estimates that 64% of potential beneficiaries are from Mexico, with another 20% from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. However, the program disqualifies individuals who pose national security or public safety threats, including those convicted of serious crimes.

For people like Juan Enrique Sauceda, a 47-year-old who was deported in 2019 while married to a U.S. citizen, the new policy offers little solace. Now living in Piedras Negras, Mexico, across the border from Texas, Sauceda longs to return to his family in Houston. "I want to return to the United States because I grew up there, I have my wife, my children, everything," he said. "I don't fit in here."

AP News and Axios contributed to this report.
Bengaluru-based Ola Electric announced on Tuesday that it has received certification for compliance with the eligibility assessment requirements under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for automobiles and auto components (PLI-Auto). The certification applies to its S1 X 3 kWh and S1 X 4 kWh scooters, which meet the minimum localisation criteria of 50 per cent. With this certification, these models join Olas S1 Air and S1 Pro scooters, which received DVA certification earlier this year.

The DVA certification is a prerequisite for eligibility for various government subsidies over the next five years. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

S1 X 3 kWh and S1 X 4 kWh together contribute to almost half of our revenues, and with the PLI now in place, we will be able to further improve our bottom line, an Ola Electric spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that receiving PLI certification for both premium and mass-market products underscores the companys vertically integrated manufacturing capabilities, marking a significant milestone in advancing India's EV vision.

The governments ambitious Auto PLI Scheme is poised to enhance local supply chains, foster domestic manufacturing, and assist companies in achieving economies of scale, the spokesperson said.

The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) granted the certification after testing the products and verifying the localisation of components. Under the scheme, Ola Electric is eligible for incentives over five consecutive financial years, starting from Fiscal 2024, with the incentives ranging between 13 per cent and 18 per cent of the determined sales value (DSV) of the products.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries is the nodal ministry for the 25,938 crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Automobile and Auto Components (PLI-Auto). The ministry has enforced strict domestic value addition norms to support the Make in India initiative.

Apart from Ola, applicants including Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, and Toyota Kirloskar, among others, have received PLI certificates.

Additionally, Ola Electric was awarded 20 GWh capacity under the government's PLI scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) battery storage in March 2022. The company is set to receive incentives under the Cell PLI scheme over a five-year period, starting from the commissioning of the Ola Gigafactory in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu.
Trade groups and industry chambers have given suggestions for Rising Rajasthan, an investor summit that will be held in Jaipur from December 9 to 11.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the summit. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Deputy CMs Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa and Industries Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore will hold road shows in India, the United Kingdom and Japan to seek investments in the state. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

The summit was formally announced on August 1 and the state government said it had till August 16 received memoranda of understanding (MoU) committing investments worth more than Rs 5.40 trillion.

This is where the trade groups and chambers express their worry. The previous Ashok Gehlot government organised a similar programme Invest Rajasthan 2022 Summit  in Jaipur.

The All Rajasthan Trade and Industry Association (ARTIA) said 4,192 MoU and letters of intent worth Rs 10 trillion were signed at Invest Rajasthan 2022. Not even 10 per cent of those investment proposals were carried through, it said.

We want this event to be successful, not like what we had in 2022, said Kailash Sharma, senior vice-president, ARTIA.

The state government should improve infrastructure, implement the single window clearance system in all subdivision headquarters and decide administrative permissions within a month to attract investments.

Prem Biyani, ARTIA's executive president, said the government must put up records of vacant land on the internet and at subdivision officer offices. Land with industrial potential should be identified. Four-lane road connectivity should be developed from the nearby national highway to this land, he said.

Suresh Agarwal, president of Federation of Rajasthan Trade and Industry president, said frequent power cuts are a problem for industries. The government should encourage investment in the energy sector in a big way.

The state has an estimated solar energy potential of 142 gigawatt and the government has set up a target to produce 30 GW of solar power by next year.
Taiwan's military launched surface-to-air missiles in live-fire drills conducted Tuesday in response to growing military pressure from China. The exercises took place at the Jiupeng Military Base in a remote area in southern Taiwan. Among the missiles launched were Taiwan's domestically made Sky Bow III anti-ballistic missiles along with the US-made Patriot PAC II and surface-to-air Standard missiles. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp China claims the democratically ruled island of Taiwan as its own territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary and ramped up its military threat in recent years. Beijing in particular dislikes Taiwan's new President Lai Ching-te, who took office earlier this year and whom Beijing has called a separatist.

Taipei has boosted its deterrence capabilities in response. Missiles, both domestically built and US-made, are key to its defence strategy.

Defence Ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang said all the missiles launched Tuesday hit their targets.

This shows our training is very strict and solid, he said.

Beijing did not immediately react to Taiwan's drill. China sends military jets and vessels near Taiwan frequently in what critics call an intimidation tactic.

Taiwan's Defence Ministry said early Tuesday it spotted five Chinese military jets and 11 ships close to its shores over the previous 24 hours. One aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial demarcation zone between the two sides.

While its military is dwarfed by China's, Taiwan has bought high-tech weaponry from the United States, revitalised its domestic arms industry and extended the length of mandatory military service from four months to one year.

The US is bound by its own laws to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself and considers all threats to the island as a matter of great concern.
Sending money via Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is so simple that its easy to make a mistake and send it to the wrong person. So, what do you do if this happens? If youve accidentally sent money to a friend or relative, you can just ask them to return it. But what if the money has gone to a stranger or someone you hardly know?

Dont panic. You can usually get your money back within 24 to 48 hours. If both you and the recipient use the same bank, the process is often quicker. However, if different banks are involved, it might take a bit longer. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

How to get your money back if youve sent it to the wrong UPI address?

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued guidelines to help in such situations:

Contact the recipient directly

First, try to contact the person who received the money by mistake. Politely ask them to return it, and make sure to provide them with the transaction details.

Reach out to UPI app customer support

If the recipient isnt cooperative or if you cant reach them, the next step is to report the transaction to your UPI apps customer support. Share all the details and evidence of the transaction with them. They can help you start the refund process.

File a complaint with NPCI

If youre unable to resolve the issue through customer support, you can escalate the matter by filing a complaint with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Provide them with all the transaction details and any supporting evidence. They will investigate the issue further.

Get help from your bank

Inform your bank about the mistaken transaction as soon as possible. Give them all the necessary details, and they can help initiate a chargeback to recover the funds.

Call the toll-free number

In case of a wrong UPI address transaction, you can also call the toll-free number 1800-120-1740 for assistance.

What should you do if the transactions involve different banks?

"In this situation, customers should begin by contacting their own bank. Provide them with all the necessary details, such as the transaction amount, ID, date, and the banks involved. This information is crucial for the bank to understand the issue and start the required procedures. Your bank will then work with the recipients bank to process the refund, but it may take longer due to the involvement of multiple banks," says Atish Shelar, COO of TechFini, a Mumbai-based fintech startup.

What if you sent money by scanning the wrong QR code?

In this case too, report the error to your UPI apps customer support along with the transaction details. They can assist with the refund process and guide you on the next steps.

"Also, inform your bank about the mistake; they can initiate a chargeback to help recover the funds. If necessary, you can escalate the issue by filing a complaint with NPCI, providing all the transaction details and evidence for further investigation," Shelar advises.
Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of Serum Institute of India (SII), on Tuesday said he expects positive news on the development of an indigenous Mpox vaccine within a year amid a surge in cases globally. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently declared the Mpox outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern.

Mpox cases have been confirmed among children and adults in more than a dozen African countries, and a new form of the virus is spreading. Vaccines for the diseases are in short supply. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

In view of the global health emergency declared due to the Mpox outbreak, Serum Institute of India is currently working on developing a vaccine for this disease to cater to millions of lives that might be at risk. Hopefully, with the ongoing progress, we will have more updates and positive news to share within a year's time, Poonawalla said.

According to global news agencies, Congo will receive the first vaccine doses from the US next week to address the outbreak.

Congo, which has a majority of Mpox cases, currently needs 3 million vaccine doses.

Japan-based KM Biologics is one of the manufacturers of an Mpox vaccine. Denmark's Bavarian Nordic makes another vaccine, called Jynneos, for the disease. Reuters reported that Japan holds a stockpile of the KM Biologics vaccine.

While India has so far not reported any Mpox cases, the Union Health Ministry has issued special instructions to all airports and land border officials to keep a vigil on all arrivals. The ministrys instructions say that all in-bound passengers that show likely symptoms of mpox must be isolated. Delhis Safdarjung Hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Lady Hardinge Hospital will serve as quarantine centres.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, has provisioned for a temporary holding area for Mpox patients, consisting of five beds.

"These beds will be alloted to MPox patients on recommendation of the Emergency Chief Medical Officer and treated by the medicine department", AIIMS said.

These patients will then be referred to Safdarjung Hospital for further evaluation.






The Delhi Police said that they have started sanitising the mall and are yet to find anything suspicious.

Several malls and prominent hospitals in Delhi received bomb threats on Tuesday, triggering an urgent search investigation at the locations, officials said.

According to Delhi Fire Services (DFS), a hospital in Nangloi and another Primus Hospital called the officials at around 1 pm, informing about the bomb threats. Following the calls, fire tenders, bomb detection teams and police were rushed to the spots to check for any signs or explosives. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

Earlier today, Chanakya Mall, Select CityWalk, Ambience Mall, DLF, Cine Polis, Pacific Mall also received similar threats, which read "The explosive will go off in a few hours."

The Delhi Police said that they have started sanitising the mall and are yet to find anything suspicious. Our cyber teams are tracking the sender of the email. We got the information at 10 in the morning," they said.

New face of cybercrime: Rising bomb threat emails

Hoax threats to schools, hospitals, malls, and other public places have become increasingly frequent since last year. The latest threats also seem to mirror the previous incidents.

While police have traced some senders to pranksters, there are suspicions of serious cases involving organised teams behind the threats.



These threat emails, while mostly false alarms, are still significant safety challenges, highlighting the evolving nature of cyber crimes and the difficulties in addressing them.

One of the reasons why tracking the sender in such cases can be difficult, is due to the end-to-end encryption of the email service used.

In an earlier such incident, Delhi Police had noted the use of 'beeble.com', a Europe-based company, which offers end-to-end encrypted mailing services.

How does end-to-end encryption work?

End-to-end encryption - a digital privacy tool is offered by several tech platforms to ensure privacy and security for its users.

Tech giant Meta, which also offers end-to-end encryption on its services such as WhatsApp, claims that no one, not even the company itself, except the communicating persons have access to such chats. The feature allows the data to be encrypted at its origin and decrypted at its destination via technology that turns the message into a code. That way, anyone trying to read it in between, cannot understand what it means.

Through the 2021 IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, the Centre aims to address some of these challenges. However, experts and tech companies remain sceptical about the laws over the potential fears that they could be exploited for surveillance or censorship.
Even so, this is clearly the impact of the criticism of the Leaders of the Opposition in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha: Jairam Ramesh | (Photo: PTI)

The Congress on Tuesday claimed that the Centre's move to withdraw the latest advertisement for lateral entry in bureaucracy was due to the criticism by the Leaders of the Opposition in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha -- Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge -- along with others. The remarks came after Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh wrote to Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Chairman Preeti Sudan and asked her to cancel the advertisement so that marginalised communities get their rightful representation in government services. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh tagged Singh's letter and said on X, "A letter from a Union Minister working under a non-biological PM to a Constitutional authority without a date. What pathetic governance this is."



"Even so, this is clearly the impact of the criticism of the Leaders of the Opposition in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and others," he said in another post.

Reacting to the development, Congress MP and whip in the Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore said, "2024 has given us two outcomes: a weak Prime Minister and a strong People's Leader of the Opposition. In the end, it's a victory for our Constitution."



The UPSC had on August 17 issued a notification for recruiting 45 joint secretaries, directors and deputy secretaries through lateral entry -- referred to as appointment of specialists (including those from the private sector) in government departments.

The decision had ignited criticism from opposition parties, which claimed it undermined the reservation rights of OBCs, SCs and STs.

The government's move also comes after BJP ally and Union Minister Chirag Paswan voiced concern over making any appointments in government posts without providing reservation. The political row over lateral entry escalated, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleging it was an "attack" on the Dalits, OBCs and adivasis.

Upping the ante over the lateral entry issue, the Congress on Monday had accused the BJP of "snatching reservation" and handing out posts meant for SCs, STs, OBCs, and EWS to people of the RSS.

Congress president Kharge had claimed that while his party-led government had brought in lateral entry to appoint select specialists and experts in some sector-specific posts as per their utility, the Modi government has made provision for it to "snatch the rights" of Dalits, tribals and backward classes.

Rahul Gandhi had alleged that the government's move of recruiting public servants through lateral entry was an "attack" on Dalits, OBCs and adivasis. He had accused the BJP of seeking to snatch reservations from 'bahujans'.
People block railway tracks to protest against the alleged sexual abuse of two girls at a school at Badlapur railway station in Thane (Photo: PTI)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday directed the police to charge the accused in the alleged sexual abuse of two girl students at a school in Badlapur, Thane, with an attempt to rape. The CM also announced the appointment of a special public prosecutor to fast-track the case.

I have spoken to the Thane Commissioner of Police. The accused has been arrested. I have instructed that the case be expedited and the accused be charged under the attempt to rape provision, as well as under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences [Pocso] Act, Shinde said. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

What happened in Badlapur?

The case involves the sexual abuse of two kindergarten students, aged three and four, by a male school attendant. The incident occurred recently in the school's toilet, where the accused allegedly assaulted the girls.

The accused, 23-year-old Akshay Shinde, was employed as a cleaning staff member on a contractual basis from August 1, 2024.

The assault came to light when one of the victims complained of pain in her private parts and disclosed the abuse to her parents. Further investigation revealed that her friend had also been similarly assaulted. The parents of both girls took them to a local doctor, who confirmed that they had been sexually assaulted.

Public outrage and school's response

Following the revelation, angry parents and local residents stormed the school on Tuesday, vandalising property in protest. The protesters also disrupted train services at Badlapur railway station from 8.30 am, with some even hurling stones during the demonstration. The situation was eventually brought under control by the police.

VIDEO | Maharashtra: Hundreds of parents of the children studying in the school at Badlapur have been staging a 'rail roko' protest at Badlapur railway station since morning to condemn the incident of sexual abuse of two girl students and to demand strict action against the pic.twitter.com/vWGMAFelWm August 20, 2024







The Maharashtra government has also ordered the suspension of three police officials, including a senior police inspector, for alleged dereliction of duty in probing the case.

"The orders of immediate suspension of the senior police inspector, assistant sub-inspector and head constable attached to Badlapur police station for the dereliction of duty have been issued," Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis posted on X. In response to the incident, the school management has suspended the principal, a class teacher, and a female attendant.

What did the Maharashtra government do?

The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) issued a stern warning, stating that legal action will be taken if the school management is found negligent. CM Shinde also instructed the Thane Police Commissioner to handle the case with the utmost urgency and has called for a review to ensure that Sakhi Savitri committees, which are meant to protect students, are established in all schools.

In addition, Shinde has proposed several measures to enhance school safety and prevent future incidents, including the installation of complaint boxes in every school and stricter scrutiny of staff who have regular interactions with students.

The government has also set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case thoroughly and ensure that justice is served.
The pig farmers of Mizoram suffered a loss of nearly Rs 800 crore following the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the state since 2021, the assembly was informed on Tuesday. In a written reply to a question, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister C Lalsawivunga said that 57,217 pigs died of ASF and 43,159 others were culled to prevent the spread of the disease between March 2021 and 15 August 2024. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Pig farmers of the northeastern state incurred financial loss to the tune of Rs 799.68 crore during that period, he said.

The minister said that 9,866 pigs have died and 17,977 others culled causing a loss of Rs 239.45 crore due to ASF between January to 15 August this year.

Lalsawivunga said that the state government received financial assistance of varied amounts from the Centre from time to time to tackl the situation.

The state government declared ASF as state of disaster or calamity on January 1 this year, he said adding that the administration is making massive efforts to contain the outbreak, although it is not possible to eradicate it completely.

According to Lalsawivung, the state government has imposed a complete ban on the import of pigs and pork products from neighbouring states and countries in May, which is still effective.

The minister said that pork products are being imported from Pune in Maharashtra by private agencies.

On an average, Mizoram consumes over 4 lakh kilograms of pork a month, he said.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), ASF is a highly contagious and fatal viral disease of pigs.

It was first detected in Kenya, East Africa, in 1921 as a disease that killed settlers' pigs.
The festive season is round the corner and airfares are on the rise. A recent analysis indicates that average one-way ticket prices for major domestic routes are 10-15 per cent higher for Diwali and up to 20-25 per cent higher for flights to Kerala cities for Onam.

According to

According to ixigo s analysis for news agency PTI, the average one-way economy fare for a non-stop flight on the Delhi-Chennai route from October 30 to November 5 is 25 per cent higher, reaching Rs 7,618 compared to the same period last year. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp For the same period, fares are 21 per cent higher on the Mumbai-Hyderabad route, at Rs 5,162. Similarly, ticket prices are up 19 per cent on the Delhi-Goa route, at Rs 5,999, and 16 per cent higher on the Delhi-Ahmedabad route, at Rs 4,930. The analysis also shows fare increases of 1-16 per cent on various other routes.



xigos group co-CEO Rajnish Kumar noted that travel demand for Diwali is growing, leading to higher airfares compared to last year.



Kumar said, Popular routes like Delhi-Chennai, Mumbai-Bengaluru, and Delhi-Hyderabad are seeing average one-way fares ranging between Rs 4,000-5,000, marking a 10-15 per cent Y-o-Y increase as the festival approaches.

Fluctuations in airfare trends

Fares have varied significantly, with reductions ranging from 1 per cent to 27 per cent on some routes during the comparison period.



For instance, the cost of a Mumbai-Ahmedabad flight has dropped by 27 per cent to Rs 2,508, while fares for the Mumbai-Udaipur route have decreased by 25 per cent to Rs 4,890. The Bengaluru-Hyderabad flight fare has decreased by 23 per cent to Rs 3,383, while the Mumbai-Jammu route has fallen 21 per cent to Rs 7,826.



Airfare trends for select routes to Kerala during the upcoming festival show price increases ranging from 1 per cent to 25 per cent. On some routes, ticket prices have decreased by 6 to 35 per cent.



These figures represent the average one-way fare for non-stop flights departing between September 6 and September 15 this year, compared to the period from August 20 to August 29, 2023, when Onam was celebrated.



Fares for the Hyderabad-Thiruvananthapuram flight have jumped 30 per cent to Rs 4,102, with the Mumbai-Calicut flight also rising to Rs 4,448.



Travel demand for Onam festivities has surged this year, with flight bookings and searches for travel to Kerala in the second week of September doubling compared to last year. Average airfares to key cities like Cochin, Calicut, and Thiruvananthapuram have risen by 20-25 per cent year-on-year, Kumar said.

Minister proposes fare complaint system

Concerns about elevated airfares, particularly during peak and festival seasons, have been ongoing. In response, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu informed the Lok Sabha earlier this month about plans to implement an online system for addressing complaints. This initiative aims to prevent passengers from being subjected to unjust fare increases.



Currently, airfares are neither set nor regulated by the government following the repeal of the Air Corporation Act in March 1994. Last month, the ministry said that airlines have been encouraged to self-regulate and adopt a more moderate approach to ticket pricing.

[With agency inputs]
Hi-Tech Pipes shares in focus: Shares of Hi-Tech Pipes were buzzing in trade on Tuesday, August 20, 2024. The share jumped as much as 5.35 per cent to hit a fresh 52-week high of Rs 192.75 per share.

The rise in the stock price came after the company announced that its board has approved raising of funds up to Rs 600 crore via QIP or other modes. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

In an exchange filing, Hi-Tech Pipes said, We wish to inform that the Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held today i.e. on 19 per cent August, 2024, inter alia, considered, approved and recommended fund raising by the company, by way of inter alia, issue of equity shares or any other equity linked instruments or securities, including convertible preference shares/ fully or partly convertible debentures or by way of a composite issue of non-convertible debentures and warrants entitling the warrant holder(s) to apply for equity shares, or any other eligible securities through inter alia, a private placement or through one or more qualified institutions placements (QIP's) or further public issue or a rights issue or through any other permissible mode under applicable laws and/ or combination thereof, as may be considered appropriate, for an aggregate amount not exceeding Rs. 600 crore, for cash and at such premium/discount, as applicable, subject to such approvals as may be required, including the approval of the Shareholders and further subject to such other statutory /regulatory /other approvals, as applicable.

In a separate filing, the company announced that it has secured an order worth Rs 105 crore, for supplying ERW Steel Pipes from key customers in the renewable energy sector.

The steel pipes will be used in various applications within the renewable energy sector, including wind farms, solar installations, and other green energy projects, Hi-Tech Pipes said in a statement.

The orders will be executed from the companys new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Sanand Unit II Phase I, over the next three months.

The new facility, equipped with cutting-edge technology and efficient production processes, is set to deliver high-quality steel pipes that meet the rigorous standards of the renewable energy sector, it added.

We are thrilled to be chosen as a preferred supplier of ERW Steel pipes for such a pivotal sector. Our Sanand unit represents a major investment in both our capabilities and our commitment to sustainability. These contracts not only demonstrate the confidence our clients place in us but also highlight our role in advancing renewable energy infrastructure, said Ajay Kumar Bansal, chairman, Hi-Tech Pipes.

Hi-Tech Pipes stands among top companies in India's steel processing sector, boasting nearly four decades of delivering innovative solutions. Its core offerings include a wide range of products such as steel pipes, hollow sections, tubes, cold rolled coils & strips, road crash barriers, solar mounting structures, GP/GC Sheets, Color Coated Coils, and various galvanised products.

The operations span across six state-of-the-art integrated manufacturing facilities strategically located in Sikandrabad (UP), Sanand (Gujarat), Hindupur (AP - near Bangalore), and Khopoli (Maharashtra). These facilities collectively support an impressive installed capacity of 750,000 metric tonnes per annum, with plans to scale up to 1 million tonnes by FY25.

With a robust marketing footprint, the company directly engages with markets in over 20 states, supported by a network of more than 450 dealers and distributors nationwide.

The market capitalisation of the company is Rs 2,777.39 crore, and it falls under the SmallCap category.

At 11:47 AM, shares of Hi-Tech Pipes were trading 1.94 per cent higher at Rs 186.50 per share. In comparison, BSE Sensex was trading 0.46 per cent higher at 80,796.65 levels.
Hindustan Zinc dividend news: Shares of Hindustan Zinc, a subsidiary of the mining conglomerate Vedanta, jumped 3.56 per cent to Rs 513.40 on the BSE during intra-day trade on Tuesday. The surge in the stock price followed news that the company's board had considered and approved the second interim dividend for FY24. In a regulatory filing, Hindustan Zinc stated that its board declared a dividend of Rs 19 per equity share, or 950 per cent on the face value of Rs 2 per equity share, for the financial year 2024-25, amounting to Rs 8,028.11 crore.

The company had already fixed Wednesday, August 28, 2024, as the record date for the purpose of dividend payment. Hindustan Zinc further stated that the interim dividend shall be duly paid within the stipulated timelines as prescribed by law. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

Earlier, Vedanta, in an exchange filing on August 19, 2024, informed the exchanges that its shareholding in Hindustan Zinc had become 63.42 per cent of the total issued and paid-up equity share capital of the company after offloading a 1.51 per cent stake through an offer for sale held on August 16, 2024, and August 19, 2024.

"...due to the sale of 63,605,891 equity shares of face value of Rs 2 each (Equity Shares) held by us in our subsidiary, Hindustan Zinc Limited (Company) (representing 1.51 per cent of the total issued and paid-up equity share capital of the Company), by way of an offer for sale through the stock exchange mechanism held on August 16, 2024, and August 19, 2024... our shareholding in the Company has become 63.42 per cent of the total issued and paid-up equity share capital of the Company," Vedanta said in a regulatory filing.

As of August 2024, Hindustan Zinc commands a market capitalisation of Rs 2,16,568.73 crore. The company is a constituent of the BSE 200 index.

According to BSE analytics, Hindustan Zinc shares have yielded a return of 60.43 per cent year-to-date. However, the company's shares have fallen 12.01 per cent in the last one week and 20.11 per cent in the last one month. Nevertheless, Hindustan Zinc shares have surged 64.19 per cent in the last six months and 62.44 per cent in the last year, as reflected by the BSE analytics.

At around 1:44 pm, Hindustan Zinc shares were trading at Rs 512, up 3.28 per cent from their previous close of Rs 495.75 on the BSE. Nearly 12.94 lakh equity shares of Hindustan Zinc worth around Rs 65.10 crore exchanged hands on the BSE.

Hindustan Zinc shares are still 36.55 per cent lower than their 52-week high of Rs 807, which they hit on May 22, 2024, on the BSE.
Following a directive from the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) on Tuesday afternoon, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) cancelled its advertisement for lateral entry recruitment to bureaucracy.

In a letter to UPSC Chairperson Preeti Sudan, Minister of State (MoS) in the PMO Jitendra Singh said the proposed recruitment of specialists needs to be reviewed and reformed as it does not provide for reservations and is inconsistent with Prime Minister Narendra Modis focus on ensuring social justice. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

For the PM, reservation in public employment is a cornerstone of our social justice framework, aimed at addressing historical injustices and promoting inclusivity, he said. Sources said the government would review the lateral-entry recruitment drive to study whether the provisions of reservation could be applied to appoint specialists, which would be done after consulting all stakeholders.

The PMO intervened in the matter in the wake of criticism of the recruitment drive by the opposition INDIA bloc and also key allies of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre, such as the Janata Dal (United) and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas).

The UPSC had on Saturday (August 17) notified recruiting 45 joint secretaries, directors and deputy secretaries through lateral entry  referred to as appointment of specialists (including those from the private sector) in government departments.





In a notice issued on Tuesday evening, the UPSC said that the advertisement pertaining to lateral recruitment for 45 posts in different departments is cancelled as requested by the requisitioning authority.

In Patna, Union Minister Chirag Paswan hailed the decision and thanked the PM. He said the Centres decision has reaffirmed the NDA governments "commitment towards SCs, STs and OBCs".

The Congress, which had accused the government of trying to snatch reservations of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) through lateral entry, said the Centre's cancelling the recruitment was due to the campaign carried out by party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc parties.

"Whether it is the long-term capital gain/indexation attack on the middle class in the Budget, or referring the Waqf Bill to JPC (joint parliamentary committee), or putting the Broadcast Bill on the back burner, the power of the people and the Opposition is saving the country from the Modi government," Kharge said.

In his letter to the UPSC chairperson, MoS Singh said, Since these positions have been treated as specialised and designated as single-cadre posts, there has been no provision for reservation in these appointments. The minister said that this aspect needs to be reviewed and reformed in the context of the PMs focus on ensuring social justice.

Hence, I urge the UPSC to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry recruitment issued on August 17, he said. The step (cancelling the process) would be a significant advance in the pursuit of social justice empowerment, Singh added.

The minister, however, pointed out that the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC), constituted in 2005, and chaired by M Veerappa Moily, had endorsed the principle of lateral entry. The recommendation of the Sixth Pay Commission in 2013 was also in the same direction, he said. However, both before and after that there have been many high-profile cases of lateral entrants, Singh said.

Alluding to the Congress-led UPAs tenure, Singh said that earlier governments had allowed lateral entrants to important posts, such as secretary-level positions in ministries, and the leadership of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), without following any process of reservations.

In another reference to the tenure of the UPA-I government, Singh said, "Further, it is well-known that the members of the infamous National Advisory Council used to run a super-bureaucracy that controlled the PMO.

Singh, in his letter, suggested that unlike its predecessor, the NDA government has attempted to make the process of recruiting lateral entrants through a transparent process. While most of the major lateral entries before 2014 were made in an ad-hoc manner, including cases of alleged favouritism, efforts of our government have been to make the process institutionally driven, transparent and open, he said.

The minister said that the PM is of the firm belief that the process of lateral entry must be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in our Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation. It is important that the constitutional mandate towards social justice is upheld so that deserving candidates from marginalised communities get their rightful representation in government services, he said.

Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh tagged Singh's letter and pointed out on X that the PMOs letter to a constitutional authority (UPSC) is without a date. What pathetic governance this is, he said. In another post, Ramesh tagged Information and Broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's posts on X on Sunday and Tuesday, and said, "The difference between reel and real life. There is no limit to hypocrisy, Ramesh said.

In his post on Sunday, Vaishnaw had said the Congress's criticism of the lateral entry system in senior bureaucracy shows its "hypocrisy" since the Second ARC under Moily had recommended it. After the government's decision to withdraw the lateral entry advertisement, Vaishnaw posted on X on Tuesday, "PM Narendra Modi Ji has always firmly believed in social justice. His programmes have advanced the welfare of the weakest sections of our society."
Canada's labor minister will meet with the country's two main railway companies and the Teamsters union in Montreal on Tuesday and Calgary on Wednesday to try to avert a crippling rail transport stoppage.

Unless labour agreements are reached, both Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City will shut all freight rail services in Canada at the same time early on Thursday for the first time in history.

Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon's office said on Monday evening he will urge the companies and union "to fulfill their responsibility to Canadians, reach agreements at the bargaining table, and prevent a full work stoppage." Canada - the world's second-largest country by territory - relies heavily on CN and CP to ship food grains, fertilizers and other commodities, along with manufactured goods such as chemicals and automobiles. The country's main business lobby group said it estimates losses would hit C$1 billion ($733 million) a day in case the rail stoppages proceed.



Federal mediators are working with the companies and the union, but those involved in the discussion say little progress has been made. The union says CN Rail and CPKC want to dilute safety provisions, a charge the companies deny.

MacKinnon has the power to force the union and railway companies into binding arbitration, but has so far said he wants them to sort out their differences at the negotiating table.







ALSO READ: Canada-wide freight rail stoppage looms as 2 firms issue lockout notices In a statement on Monday, the left-leaning New Democratic Party called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to not intervene in the labour disputes. Trudeau's government is being kept in power by the New Democratic Party, which has traditionally enjoyed strong union support.

Labour talks started early this year, but progress has been slow, with both the union and the companies accusing each other of bad faith.



CN Rail and CPKC have already stopped accepting shipments of hazardous goods and have begun phased shutdowns of operations in Canada.



Maersk said on Monday it would stop accepting some Canada-bound shipments.



Separately, US freight forwarder C.H. Robinson, said on Monday it was diverting some of its US customers' ocean cargo away from Canadian ports as the threat of a rail strike looms.



"Both railroads simultaneously being out of commission would paralyze the ports and put instant pressure on trucking," the company said.



Canada is a major agricultural producer, and farmers will start bringing in their harvests in August and September.

Quorum Corp, which monitors grain handling and transportation, said daily volumes in early September would increase to 138,000 metric tons with a value of around C$75 million.



"After a period of time, sales will be lost and the value of Canada's grain will decrease ... the largest concern is a further degradation of Canada's reliability as a supplier, which is already suffering due to past labor disruptions," Quorum President Mark Hemmes said in an emailed statement.



Refrigerated containers with meat and some highly perishable produce are of particular concern because delays would likely mean spoilage. Shippers of such items have already begun holding back containers, said Peter Friedmann, an executive director at the Agriculture Transportation Coalition.



In a statement, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade warned a full work stoppage would drive up prices and exacerbate an affordability crisis in the country.



"Every facet of daily life would be impacted as our national economy grinds to a halt," it 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.)
A visibly emotional Biden was greeted by a more than four-minute-long ovation and chants of Thank you Joe | Image credit: X

President Joe Biden delivered his valedictory address to the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, as his decision to end his reelection bid released newfound energy within his party with Vice President Kamala Harris ' elevation to the top of the ticket. After 52 years rising to the pinnacle of influence within his party, Biden, 81, received a hero's welcome for the act of stepping aside for Harris, weeks after many in his party were pressuring him to drop his bid for reelection. One month after an unprecedented mid-campaign switch from Biden to Harris, the opening night of the convention in Chicago was designed as a handoff from the incumbent to his hand-picked successor albeit four years before he intended for her to follow him. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

A visibly emotional Biden was greeted by a more than four-minute-long ovation and chants of Thank you Joe.

America, I love you, he replied.

Democrats are looking to the weeklong event to give a graceful exit to the incumbent president and slingshot Harris toward a faceoff with Republican Donald Trump, whose comeback bid for the White House is viewed by Democrats as an existential threat. Having taken over the ticket just one month ago, Harris and running mate Tim Walz must now win over a divided country that is viewing her more positively but still making up its mind about the election.

Democracy has prevailed, democracy has delivered, and now democracy must be preserved," Biden said.

Because of you, we've had the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period, Biden declared. And then he interjected, I say we,' I mean me and Kamala,' sharing the credit for his most popular successes with the vice president who replaced him atop the ticket.

Harris made an unannounced appearance onstage as the convention's prime-time program began Monday evening to thank Biden for his leadership in advance of his speech later on.

Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you'll continue to do," she said. We are forever grateful to you.

Biden's speech, billed as the marquee event of the evening, was pushed into late night as the convention program lagged more than an hour behind schedule.

The president recalled the 2017 unite the right rally, when torch-carrying white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, an episode he credits with cementing his decision to run for president in 2020 despite his ongoing grief over the death of his son Beau Biden.

I could not stay on the sidelines, Biden said. So I ran. I had no intention of running again. I'd just lost part of my soul. But I ran with a deep conviction.

Biden celebrated the successes from his administration, including a massive boost in infrastructure spending and a cap on the price of insulin. The spending resulted in more money going to Republican-leaning states than Democratic states, he said, because the job of the president is to deliver for all of America.

During one of the crowd's many chants of thank you Joe, he added, Thank you Kamala too.

Not even a month ago, Democrats were riven over foreign policy, political strategy and Biden himself, who was holding on after a disastrous debate by claiming he had a better chance than any other Democrat including Harris of beating Trump.

The Democratic Party would almost certainly have been in a far worse state if Biden had continued to cling to his campaign, despite growing concerns about his mental and physical acuity after struggling to complete sentences during his debate against Trump.

Democrats took turns praising Biden's leadership and his choice in Harris to succeed him. I've never know a more compassionate man than Joe Biden, said his longtime confidant Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, who led the crowd in a we love Joe chant.

They tried to connect both Biden and Harris to what the party sees as the governing pair's most popular accomplishments: leading the country out of the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing for massive investments in the country's infrastructure, working to lower healthcare costs and promoting clean energy.

Thanks to Joe and Kamala, we reduced the price of prescription drugs, repaired roads and bridges and replaced lead pipes," said South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, whose 2020 endorsement was critical to Biden winning that primary. He added that one of Biden's best decisions was "selecting Kamala Harris as his vice president and endorsing her to succeed him.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was greeted with prolonged applause, saluted Harris while noting her potential to break the highest, hardest glass ceiling to become America's first female president. Clinton was the Democratic nominee in 2016, but she lost that election to Trump.

Together, we've put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling, Clinton said, invoking a metaphor she referenced in her concession speech eight years ago. On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the United States. When a barrier falls for one of us, it clears the way for all of us.

Clinton also saluted Biden for stepping aside, saying, Now we are writing a new chapter in America's story.

Highlighting the party's generational reach, Clinton, 76, followed New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 34, who endorsed Harris while delivering the first mention of the war in Gaza from the convention stage, addressing an issue that has split the party's base ever since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack and Israel's resulting offensive.

Outside the arena, thousands of protesters descended on Chicago to decry the Biden-Harris administration's support for the Israeli war effort.

Harris "is working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bringing the hostages home, Ocasio-Cortez said, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Meanwhile, Democrats also looked to keep the focus on Trump, whose criminal convictions they mocked and who they asserted was only fighting for himself, rather than for the people the night's official theme.

Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow hoisted an oversized copy of Project 2025 a blueprint for a second Trump term that was put together by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank onto the lectern and quoted from portions of it.

So we read it, McMorrow said. Whatever you think it might be. It is so much worse.

Trump, the former president, has publicly disavowed any interests in the policies outlined in Project 2025, but he has close ties to its authors and campaign aides had praised its work in the past.

Democrats kept abortion access front and center for voters, betting that the issue will propel them to success as it has in other key races since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. Speakers Monday included three women whose healthcare suffered as a result of that decision. And the convention program included a video of Trump praising his own role in getting Roe struck down.

A month after a major union leader spoke at the Republican convention, Democrats on Monday featured several labor leaders to appeal to a core party constituency. United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain led the crowd in chanting that Trump is a scab as he credited Biden and Harris with standing by striking autoworkers last year.

The convention program also honored the civil rights movement, with an appearance from the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the founder of the Chicago-based Rainbow PUSH Coalition, who is ailing with Parkinson's disease. There were several references to Fannie Lou Hamer, the late civil rights activist who gave a landmark speech at a Democratic convention in 1964.

Hamer was a former sharecropper and a leader of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, a racially integrated group that challenged the seating of an all-white Mississippi delegation at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. Hamer spoke on Aug. 22, 1964 exactly 60 years before Harris is set to accept the Democratic nomination and become the first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent to be the presidential nominee of a major party.
Concern about the Congo outbreak has been triggered by the apparent ease of human-to-human transmission. Image: Bloomberg

By Antony Sguazzin



Burundi reported 100 cases of mpox caused by a fast-spreading subvariant thats triggered an outbreak in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization said.

Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp The cases, 28 per cent of which were in children under five, have been reported since July in multiple districts, the WHO said in a statement after the first meeting of a committee to evaluate the the virus outbreak in Africa.

Mpox in Burundi will raise concern about the potential of the subvariant, clade Ib, to spread out of eastern Congo, where it has infected children and sex workers around the busy gold mining hub of Kamituga, close to the border with Burundi.

Cases have also been reported in nearby Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda but no outbreak outside Congo to the extent of Burundi has been found.

Concern about the Congo outbreak has been triggered by the apparent ease of human-to-human transmission through both sexual and other close contact. While mpox has been around for decades, the variant endemic to the region has previously jumped from animals to humans before quickly petering out.

The disease, which the Congolese government has said is killing 3.5 per cent of those it infects, causes lesions that can also results in blindness and disfigurement.
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai is set to host the 10th edition of the annual World Free Zones Organization (World FZO) - World Congress. The event will take place at Madinat Jumeirah from 23-25 September under the theme Zones and the Shifting Global Economic Structures  Unlocking New Investment Avenues.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240820506466/en/

World FZO Chairman during last year's congress 2023 (Photo: AETOSWire)

This years event marks the 10th anniversary of the World FZO and will be hosted in Dubai for the second consecutive year and the fifth time overall since its inception. The previous edition was among the largest in World FZOs history, contributing significantly to its ongoing success.

The 10th edition will gather representatives from economic zones worldwide, reflecting the World FZOs commitment to advancing the crucial role in global trade played by economic zones, through which more than a third of global trade flows. The event will emphasise the impact of these zones in supporting national economies, facilitating trade exchanges, boosting commercial transactions, driving the digital economy, attracting foreign investments, and supporting other economic sectors.

Dr. Mohammed Al-Zarooni, Chairman of the World FZO, said: Hosting the 10th World FZO World Congress reflects Dubais commitment to actively contribute to the development of the global system of economic zones, which serve as the backbone of international trade in our current era. This aligns with the Dubais drive to double its foreign trade to reach AED 25 trillion and its goal to establish trade corridors with 400 new cities worldwide by 2033, in accordance with Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) and its ambitious targets.

Organizing the event in Dubai offers a renewed opportunity to present in-depth visions and anticipate the future of the economic zones sector globally. It fosters constructive and fruitful discussions among all stakeholders on ways to facilitate business, connect various markets, and provide customers with cost-effective processes.

To date, the Organization has more than 1,600 members from 141 countries, with global representation through 12 regional offices around the world and 42 national contact points.

*Source: AETOSWire

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240820506466/en/
Palauan President Whipps' 'calculations' reflect Palau's 'big problem'

People's Daily Online) 09:23, August 20, 2024

Misrepresenting China's justifiable travel safety advisory as an act of "weaponizing tourism," the president of Palau has vividly illustrated an old Chinese saying - the villain becomes the accuser even before being accused.

China recently issued a travel alert for Chinese tourists traveling to the Republic of Palau, which was a natural response to an increase in public security-related cases in Palau in recent years, including tourism disputes and incidents involving the personal safety of Chinese tourists.

Issuing travel safety advisories to citizens is an international practice many countries adopt to help citizens enhance their risk awareness when traveling abroad, promote civilized tourism, abide by local laws and regulations, respect local cultural traditions and customs, and present a good international image.

However, Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr. twisted China's intention behind this common and legitimate safety reminder for tourists and falsely accused China of "weaponizing tourism" to punish Palau for maintaining its so-called "diplomatic relations" with China's Taiwan region.

He implied that this safety reminder constitutes interference in Palau's affairs and, with the support of the U.S., is trying to convince the world of a situation that does not exist: The small and weak Palau is being interfered with by the big and powerful China.

Since China has every right to protect its citizens, and China's safety reminder for its citizens conforms to international practice and concerns China's own affairs, Whipps' malicious accusation is a typical act of interfering in China's affairs. It is essentially an attempt to smear and discredit China with a so-called moral high ground constructed on false facts.

Instead of deceiving people of insight in the international community, Whipps' baseless accusation only casts doubt on his own political literacy and political vision, for China's remarkable contributions to the sound and orderly development of international relations since the end of World War II speaks for itself.

Seventy years ago, China put forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, namely mutual respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence.

These principles have withstood the test of international changes and transcended differences in social systems, ideologies, and levels of development, gaining widespread recognition in the international community and becoming a basic principle in modern international relations and a basic guideline for international law.

Over the past 70 years, China has consistently practiced the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and firmly upheld the international system with the United Nations at its center and the international order based on international law, becoming an important force for the peaceful development of human society.

As a national leader, Whipps ought to understand that the one-China principle is a consensus in the international community and a basic norm governing international relations.

Taiwan is part of China, and maintaining so-called "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan constitutes harm to China's core interests concerning territorial integrity and national sovereignty, regardless of the size or strength of the country.

Today, China is making great strides on its path to national rejuvenation, and the Chinese people are more united than ever when it comes to matters involving the country's core interests. Whipps should give sufficient attention to this unity and not misjudge the situation or go astray.

In recent years, many countries, including the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, and Nauru, have severed their so-called "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan and followed the basic principles of international law to recognize and adhere to the one-China principle.

Whipps should lead Palau to actively adapt to the trends of the times as these countries do. Going against the current to persist in "money diplomacy" with Taiwan will only cost Palau its future.

It seems that Whipps has realized that Palau cannot sustain itself solely on "financial rewards" from the U.S. for maintaining so-called "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan; it also needs tourism revenue to support its economic development.

Whipps has previously stated, "We're willing to be China's friend, but not at the expense of our relationship with Taiwan."

It is unclear what the word "friend" means to him, as his remarks and actions have failed to demonstrate the sincerity of a friend.

The Chinese people know what true friendship is like. As the lyrics of a well-known old Chinese song go, "When friends visit us, we welcome them with fine wine."

While Whipps has the right to decide where to go for Palau, the people of Palau should also be entitled to make a choice.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming)
Monday, August 12, 2024 at 10:59PM

Photo: Apple

Apple is reportedly planning a significant overhaul of its budget-friendly Apple Watch SE. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman's sources, the company will transition from an aluminum case to a plastic shell, a first for the series since its 2014 debut. This move is driven by a desire to reduce production costs and appeal to a wider audience, particularly children.

The switch to plastic is expected to cut manufacturing expenses in half, allowing Apple to potentially lower the SE's price point. This could make it more competitive with Samsung's offerings and appeal to parents seeking a cost-effective alternative to smartphones for their children, especially in light of recent school phone bans.

Beyond cost savings, plastic also enables a wider range of colours, making the SE more visually appealing and potentially more kid-friendly. Apple's recent marketing push, which emphasizes the watch's capabilities as a parental tool for staying connected and tracking children, aligns with this strategy.
By Neil Lancefield, PA, and Ted Hennessey, PA, in Sicily

Technology tycoon Mike Lynch, who has Irish family roots, and five others are feared to have died, with their bodies trapped inside a luxury yacht which sank in a tornado.

Vincenzo Zagarola of the Italian Coastguard said this was the working theory of officials on Sicily because it is believed the boat sank quickly and search and rescue efforts by sea and air have so far delivered no results.

He told the PA news agency: We think they are still inside the boat, that is our very hard idea.

Our search and rescue activity by sea and air has gone on for around 36 hours.

Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly.

We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat.

Asked about the likelihood of them being alive, he replied: Never say never, but reasonably the answer should be not.

Bayesian was moored around half-a-mile off the coast of Porticello when it sank at around 5am local time on Monday as the area was hit by a storm.

 #Porticello #Palermo, riprese alle 8 di #oggi le immersioni dei #sommozzatori speleo dei #vigilidelfuoco per le ricerche dei 6 dispersi. Complesso lingresso nello yacht, in atto la pianificazione per aprire accessi piu agevoli e ispezionare linterno [#20agosto 11:00] pic.twitter.com/QRTdGtO8r2  Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) August 20, 2024

The missing tourists are: Mr Lynch; his daughter, Hannah Lynch; Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife, Neda Morvillo.

Mr Lynch's father was from Co Cork and his mother was from Co Tipperary.

Italys fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco said it is developing a plan to enter the wreckage of Bayesian, which is resting on the seabed off the coast at a depth of 50 metres.

It described the operation as complex, with divers limited to 12-minute underwater shifts.

Fifteen of the 22 passengers and crew onboard  including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares  were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat.

Stephen Chamberlain died after being hit by a car (Cambridgeshire Police/PA)

On Tuesday, an inflated orange lifeboat was docked at the harbour near where search crews are being dispatched.

One body, reportedly belonging to the ships chef, was recovered at the scene of the sinking on Monday.

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was cleared in June of conducting a massive fraud relating to an $11 billion sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal.

The Financial Times reported that Mr Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, while media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

(PA Graphics)

A spokesperson for Morgan Stanley said the bank was shocked and saddened while Clifford Chance said it was a tragic incident.

Ed Llewellyn, British ambassador to Italy, met some of the survivors of the sinking at a hotel.

He said: Ive spoken to some of the British survivors both yesterday and today  I want to express my deep sympathy from myself and colleagues at the British embassy for whats happened.

Were doing what we can to support them in this incredibly sad and difficult situation to help them with contacts from the Italian authorities at a practical level.

Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer (Hiscox/PA)

Mr Lynchs co-defendant Stephen Chamberlain died after being hit by a car while out running in Cambridgeshire on Saturday.

In a statement released through Cambridgeshire Police, Mr Chamberlains family said: Steve was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.

He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible.

Ayla Ronald, a New Zealand national working at Clifford Chance, survived the ordeal.

Her father Lin Ronald confirmed to the Telegraph she had been invited aboard as a thanks for assistance in Mr Lynchs recent court case.

Italian emergency services heading towards the area off the Sicilian coast where a luxury yacht sank in a tornado (Jonathan Brady/PA)

I have texted my daughter and she hasnt given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said that there are deaths and she and her partner are alive, he said.

Ayla is a lawyer who is part of the legal team that were invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

Charlotte and Sofia were treated in hospital, as was Sofias father, James Emsley.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors have been deployed to Palermo.
Vivienne Clarke

The chief executive of Dignity for Patients, Adrienne Reilly, is calling for an urgent meeting with the Taoiseach Simon Harris about the setting up of a commission of investigation into abuse perpetrated by Michael Shine.

On Monday, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly told The Journal that victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by Michael Shine will not be found wanting in terms of any healthcare supports they need, but stated the decision to hold a public inquiry is matter for the Minister for Justice, the Taoiseach and party leaders.

Hundreds of men claim that they were abused, over decades, by the former surgeon, now 93, who served three years in prison. Dignity for Patients is calling for a public inquiry into the sexual abuse carried out by Shine.

Ms Reilly pointed out that when the hospital where Michael Shine had practiced, which was owned by the Medical Missionaries of Mary, was sold in 1997, 1.6 million old Irish pounds was lodged into an account with legal firm Arthur Cox as an indemnity fund in the event that their insurers did not pay out on civil cases.

It was called the Shine Fund. It still sits there. If there's millions and millions in there that could be used for a commission investigation or as part of the compensation, that's one thing. And the second thing, many of the victims have issues accessing health care and going to doctors. Many of them have suffered medically.

"They would, more importantly, be seeking enhanced medical cards.

A commission of investigation will allow all these avenues to be explored and uncover all the hidden truths that are available right now. And we really welcome what Simon Harris said yesterday. We would hope that we could hold him to his words and meet with us as soon as possible.

Ms Reilly said it was outrageous that the results of an inquiry completed in 2009 have not yet been published.

In the interview in The Journal Mr Donnelly indicated that he might re-examine the possibility of publishing the results of that inquiry.

That's something that the victims have always been asking for. And it's absolutely outrageous that it was never published, she added.

It has to be opened. The victims deserve to know what was in that.

Ms Reilly said that the Taoiseach or the Minister for Justice should meet with victims to decide on the format of a commission of investigation which will have to uncover what happened to the victims, how it was allowed to happen, the roles of the Medical Missionaries of Mary, the gardai, the north-eastern health board and the medical council.

Because each of these organisations and institutions along the way knew that the abuse was happening, and each of these institutions at various times failed little boys and children when they were accessing health care, and then when they were trying to access justice because they'd been sexually abused by Michael Shine.
The Department of Foreign Affairs is providing consular assistance following the death of an Irish tourist in Thailand.

It is understood the 67-year-old Irish man was killed in a fall from a balcony at a luxury hotel in Pattaya in the early hours of Monday morning.

His body has been taken to a local hospital where it will be formally handed over to his family.

Thai police have launched an investigation into the man's death.

Pattaya is a popular beach resort on the Gulf of Thailand, 150 km southeast of Thai capital Bangkok.
By David Young, PA

A man convicted of the manslaughter of a PSNI officer who had been unlawfully at large has been extradited back to Northern Ireland.

Shane Frane (36) was convicted in February 2014 of the manslaughter of Constable Philippa Reynolds following a road traffic crash in February 2013 in the Waterside area of Derry.

In January this year he breached the conditions of his temporary prison release by absconding from the Northern Ireland Prison Service. He was arrested a month later in the Republic.

Constable Philippa Reynolds (27), from the Belfast area, died when the unmarked police car she was travelling in turned into the path of a stolen 44. Photo: PSNI/PA

Extradition proceedings were then commenced. Those concluded on Tuesday when he was returned to Northern Ireland ahead of a scheduled hearing at Lisburn Magistrates Court.

A statement from the PSNIs International Policing Unit said: Police Service of Northern Ireland continue to work closely with authorities in the Republic of Ireland to return fugitives to Northern Ireland.

In this particular case, we appreciate the continued and effective assistance of An Garda Siochana in arresting and returning Frane, who was convicted in February 2014 of the manslaughter of Constable Philippa Reynolds.

We will continue to work closely with An Garda Siochana to locate those who abscond the justice system.

Our message is clear to anyone who has left Northern Ireland to avoid the consequences of their actions: we will use all powers available to have you arrested and returned to Northern Ireland.

Ms Reynolds (27) was a passenger in a police vehicle which was hit by a stolen car driven by Frane in 2013.

Frane, originally from Limerick, pleaded guilty to eight offences including manslaughter, causing her death by driving without a licence or insurance, driving when unfit through drink or drugs, and failing to remain at the scene and report an accident.

The officer was the back-seat passenger in an unmarked police car that was hit by the stolen 44 vehicle that had been travelling at up to 80mph.

Mourners at Ms Reynolds funeral were told that she had touched many lives and had been killed in her prime.
James Cox

Here, we have a look at the political talking points doing the rounds in the week to come.

No rest for Harris

It's as close as we really come to a political off season in Ireland, with the Dail not resuming until Wednesday, September 18th.

However, Taoiseach Simon Harris has been showing no signs of slowing down.

His colleagues have been struck by his high workrate, with some quietly wondering how long he can sustain the level of energy he has shown.

Mr Harris is reportedly only taking five full days off this summer.

He has been going all around the country, most recently at the Tullow Agricultural Show in Co Carlow on Tuesday.

His first 100 days in office have been marked by decisive action, with the young Taoiseach unafraid to get involved in difficult issues such as the migration challenge.

However, this may be because he knows a general election is on the cards.

The Government continues to insist it will go full-term to March 2025, however, sources have indicated November is the most likely date for the next general election.

Candidate selection

There are many factors that suggest an autumn general election is the most likely scenario.

The main one is Government will look to capitalise on positive showings in the local and European elections, while Sinn Fein had an underwhelming display.

There would be five by-elections between now and March, giving Sinn Fein an opportunity to regain momentum.

The candidate selection of parties also suggests they are preparing for a November election.

In an interview with BreakingNews.ie, former minister for agriculture Ivan Yates suggested November 15th is the most likely general election date.

Northern Ireland unrest

British prime minister Keir Starmer visited Belfast this week, where he condemned the recent disorder in Northern Ireland following similar incidents in the UK which erupted after the Southport stabbings.

Mr Starmer visited PSNI officers who were injured in the disorder.

The UK prime minister next met injured police officers, including Constable Josh Elliott, discussing with him how the community had rallied round each other. Mr Starmer added: Thats the real Northern Ireland.

He later met leaders from a number of organisations which represent the minority ethnic community in Northern Ireland.

Abroad

In the US, all eyes are on November 5th and Kamala Harris has injected huge energy into the presidential race.

She is either ahead or matching former president Donald Trump in most opinion polls, and the Trump camp is said to be extremely worried.

Ms Harris will make the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Thursday.
High Court reporters

Bankrupt developer Sean Dunne has claimed before the High Court that two senior officials overseeing his Irish bankruptcy were never validly appointed.

Mr Dunne was adjudicated bankrupt by the Irish courts on foot of a 2013 petition by Ulster Bank which claimed he had defaulted on some 164 million loans.

A month after the bank petitioned the court, Mr Dunne filed for bankruptcy in Connecticut in the US when he claimed to have debts of $1 billion (90 million) and assets of $55 million.

A US bankruptcy trustee was appointed by a US court.

The Irish bankruptcy proceedings continued and in July 2013 the Irish High Court adjudicated Mr Dunne bankrupt.

He was due to exit his Irish bankruptcy in 2016.

In 2018, the period of his Irish bankruptcy was extended for 12 years by the High Court over wilful and deliberate failure to co-operate with the then official administering his bankruptcy, Mr Chris Lehane, including not disclosing information about certain assets.

Mr Dunne, who denied any wrongdoing, is now due to exit his Irish bankruptcy in 2028.

In a motion to the court, Mr Dunne, who is representing himself in the proceedings, now claims that the current Official Assignee in Bankruptcy Mr Michael Ian Larkin, and Mr Lehane, who retired from the position some years ago, were not validly appointed as OA in the now UK-based businessman's bankruptcy.

Mr Dunne seeks declaratory orders from the court that neither Mr Larkin nor Mr Lehane were validly appointed as OA in his bankruptcy.

He also wants Mr Larkin or Mr Lehane to produce their appointment documents, pursuant to statute and the constitution, as Official Assignee.

Mr Dunne's proceedings are against Mr Larkin, Mr Lehane and the firm of solicitors for the office of the official assignee, Clark Hill LLP.

The respondents, represented by Lyndon MacCann SC appearing with Una Nesdale BL, oppose the motion, and reject all claims that Mr Larkin or Mr Lehane were never validly appointed as OAs in Mr Dunne's bankruptcy.

The matter came before Mr Justice Rory Mulcahy during Tuesday's vacation sitting of the High Court.

The judge, after hearing from both parties, said he was adjourning the matter to a date in September.

Mr Dunne told the court that he wished to bring additional motions, including one to join his minor children as applicants to his action.

He also said that he was seeking documentation generated in another High Court bankruptcy case, which he claims is relevant and is supportive of his current action.

Mr Justice Mulcahy, who allowed Mr Dunne to bring his additional motions, said that there was no point proceeding with the hearing of the main motion, until the other preliminary matters are dealt with first.

Mr Dunne accepted that the matter should go bank but said that he was anxious for reasons including that he was adjudicated a bankrupt in Ireland 11 years ago, that the motions be heard as soon as possible.

In reply, Mr MacCann said his side was ready to contest the motion regarding the question of the validity of Mr Lehane's and Mr Larkin's appointments as OA.

Counsel said that while it was not accepted that Mr Dunne's claims are correct, the effect of him being successful in his motion would be "profound."

In relation to the other motions counsel said his side needed time to respond to the question of adding additional parties to the action. Counsel said that Mr Dunne's application seeking documents from another case would not be successful.

The court also heard that the office of the Attorney General and the Minister for Justice had also been served with the paper.

Ross Gorman Bl for the AG and the Minister said he was in attendance in order to provide any assistant the court may require from his clients.
By PA Reporters

The search for technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter continues after a luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily.

Mr Lynch and his daughter Hannah are among six tourists missing after the yacht, named Bayesian, was battered during intense storms off the coast of Palermo in the early hours of Monday morning.

The BBC, which reported searches are due to resume later on Tuesday morning, said Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo were among those missing.

Italys fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco said on X that early inspections of the wreck were unsuccessful due to limited access to the bridge and furniture obstructing passages.

A body, believed to be that of the vessels cook, has been discovered.

Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, Italian news website la Repubblica stated.

Sicilys civil protection agency told the BBC that 18-year-old Hannah Lynch was among those missing with her father, along with the yachts chef, Ricardo Thomas.

The yacht was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers.

Fifteen people including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued, according to local media.

The British-flagged superyacht capsized at about 5am local time on Monday morning off the coast of Palermo when the area was hit by a tornado.

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was made an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006.

In June, he was cleared of conducting a massive fraud relating to an $11 billion (9.9 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

The Financial Times reported Johnathan Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, while media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

Mr Bloomer is also chairman of insurance provider Hiscox. The Daily Mail reports his wife is also unaccounted for.

A spokesperson for Mr Lynch said there was no comment.

Mr Lynch is of Irish heritage  his father was a fireman from Co Cork, and his mother was a nurse from Co Tipperary.

In a 2015 radio interview, Mr Lynch confirmed that he was born in Ilford in London, despite a number of reports that he was born in Ireland and raised in England.

He said during the same interview that he spent childhood summers in Carrick-On-Shannon and Tipperary and has family who still live there.

The yacht sank as a fierce storm battered the area overnight.

The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported that the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.

Rescue operations in the stretch of sea near Palermo. Photo: Italian Coast Guard/AP

Salvo Cocina of Sicilys civil protection agency said: They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Ayla Reynold, a New Zealand national working at Clifford Chance, survived the ordeal. Her father, Lin Ronald, confirmed to the Telegraph she had been invited aboard as thanks for assistance in Mr Lynchs recent court case.

I have texted my daughter and she hasnt given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said that there are deaths and she and her partner are alive, he said.

Ayla is a lawyer who is part of the legal team that were invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.

Sicilys civil protection agency told the BBC that 18-year-old Hannah Lynch was among those missing with her father, along with the yachts chef, Ricardo Thomas.

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

She said: I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

It was all dark. In the water I couldnt keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.

Charlotte and Sofia are being treated in hospital, as is Sofias father, James Emsley.

Karsten Borner, captain of a nearby boat, told journalists those missing included the Bayesians owner and a child, news agency Reuters reported.

He said his crew took on board some survivors who were on a life raft, including three who were seriously injured.

Fisherman Francesco Cefalu said he sailed from the shore to the scene after seeing a flare at about 4.30am, but by the time he arrived Bayesian had already sunk, with only items such as cushions and wood floating in the water.

The Bayesian, left, was built in 2008. Photo: Fabio La Bianca/PA

He added: I think they are inside, all the missing people.

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said on Monday: We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors were being deployed to Palermo.

A basic assessment of the scene will be made by the team, with no investigation launched at this stage, the PA news agency understands.

Bayesian completed a number of sailings in recent days, calling at various ports in Sicily, according to ship-tracking website VesselFinder.

The superyacht can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites, and is listed for rent for up to 195,000 a week.

It was built in 2008 by Italian company Perini Navi.

Its registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd, which is based on the Isle of Man.

It has since emerged that the co-defendant of Mr Lynch in his US fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain, died after being hit by a car whist out running on Saturday.

Gary Lincenberg, Mr Chamberlains lawyer, said in a statement provided to the PA news agency: Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running.

He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.
Sean McCarthaigh

A man who was fatally injured during a violent incident at a West Dublin restaurant last Christmas died as a result of a combination of a blunt force head injury and stab wounds to his body, an inquest has heard.

Tristan Sherry (26) died in Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown (CHB) on December 24th, 2023 as a result of injuries he sustained during an incident at Brownes Steakhouse in Blanchardstown, Dublin earlier that evening.

The deceaseds sister, Savanna Hand, gave evidence at a sitting of Dublin District Coroners Court on Tuesday of formally identifying her brothers body to gardai in the early hours of Christmas Day at CHB.

Detective Garda Shane Guinan told the brief hearing into the inquest into the death of Mr Sherry how he had brought the deceaseds mother, Mary Hand, and her daughter, Savanna, to the hospital.

He confirmed that the dead mans sister had formally identified her brothers body at 20 minutes past midnight on Christmas Day.

No details about the incident at the restaurant were outlined during the five-minute hearing.

Detective Inspector Liam Donoghue of Blanchardstown Garda Station applied for an adjournment of the inquest under Section 25 (2) of the Coroners Act as criminal proceedings in relation to Mr Sherrys death have been instituted.

The coroner, Clare Keane, granted the application and adjourned the case until related criminal prosecutions have concluded.

Dr Keane confirmed that the results of a postmortem showed Mr Sherry had died as a result of blunt force head injury combined with sharp force injuries to his trunk.

Offering her condolences to relatives of the deceased on the death of Mr Sherry, she adjourned the case until a date to be fixed at a future point.

Mr Sherry, a father of one from Finglas, was overpowered and assaulted by a number of individuals at Brownes Steakhouse because he was the suspected gunman in the shooting of Jason Hennessy Senior (48) who was dining in the restaurant with a group of family and friends.

Mr Hennessy, a well-known criminal from Corduff, Blanchardstown, subsequently died from shotgun injuries to his neck and upper body 11 days later at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin.

He was due to face money laundering charges at a trial before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court next year in relation to the activities of a criminal gang of which he was a key member.

A total of four men have been charged with Mr Sherrys murder as a result of a Garda investigation into his death.

The four accused include Noah Musueni (18), of Corduff Park, Blanchardstown, who was a Leaving Certificate student at the time of the fatal incident.

The others are David Amah (18), of Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, Co Dublin; Michael Andrecut (22), of Sheephill Avenue, Blanchardstown, and Wayne Deegan (26) of Linnetsfield Avenue, Phibblestown.

Another youth and four other males are also facing a series of charges arising out of the same incident including assault, violent disorder and production of a weapon during the incident.

One of them, Juares Kumbu (18) of Brookhaven Grove, Blanchardstown, is accused of possession of a submachine gun after he allegedly took the weapon used by the deceased out of the restaurant and was driven away from the scene.

Jonas Kabangu (18), of Corduff Park, Blanchardstown, is charged with violent disorder at the same location and date as a juvenile who cannot be named.

The son of the other victim, Brandon Hennessy (20), of Sheephill Avenue, Blanchardstown, is also charged with violent disorder and producing an item capable of inflicting serious injury, namely a commercial dust pan and brush with steel handles.

All accused are due to face trial before the non-jury Special Criminal Court after the DPP ruled that the ordinary criminal courts were inadequate to secure the effective administration of justice.
Kyrgyzstan enforcing a six month import ban on range of cement

ICR Newsroom By 20 August 2024

From 1 October Kyrgyzstan is enforcing a six-month road import ban on cement types including Portland, alumina and slag cements, according to a decree signed by Akylbek Japarov, chairman of the country's cabinet of ministers. The ban is for both cement and clinker.

The ban comes alongside the State Statistical Committee of Kyrgyzstan reporting a 76 per cent YoY increase in cement imports in May to 125,737t. Shipments predominantly coming from Iran, Kazakhstan, China and Uzbekistan.

However, the country has seen a cement shortage in the northern regions with current cement production in the north reportedly insufficient, according to Central Asia News. To date, imports have not covered the deficit between supply and demand. Cement production for Kyrgyzstan in May 2024 was recorded at 1Mt, reflecting a 5.7 per cent decline YoY.

Head of State Construction Agency Nurdan Oruntaev said, I think the problem will be resolved with the launch of two new cement plants which are under construction. Prices can then be regulated.

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It is a sad day in America when businesses have to board up their storefronts in anticipation of protests and looting during the convention in Chicago. Evidently the police are unable to protect their citizens from criminals for whatever reason it may be.

I don't understand why they don't get ahead of the protesters and make it clear starting weeks ago that violence will be dealt with swiftly and aggressively "ie" rubber bullets, water cannons, whatever it takes to protect the law abiding citizens.

Afterall is that not their job. It's not to coddle criminals. This behavior must be stopped. If you can't protest peacefully (lawfully), suffer the consequences.

Sam Lewallen

* * *

It's amazing that the DNC requires a valid drivers license or government photo ID to access the convention area or if you live within the one mile perimeter you must show a valid ID. I guess the privileged elites need to screen you even though they don't require this at the border crossings.

They also don't require your government photo ID or other proof to vote. I wonder what other privileges they will give to illegal immigrants and others that support the biased policies but not allow them within their sanctuary?

Seems to me once they're done with you they will say, "Goodbye Joe, we love uou" then kick you out the door.

Tim Bittenbender
Hamilton County Schools, in partnership with Governors Early Literacy Foundation, announces the launch of a Book Bus that will bring books and literacy resources to neighborhoods in Hamilton County.Hamilton County Schools is one of 12 local partners in Tennessee that was awarded Book Bus grant funding from GELF in 2023. The bus had a soft launch before the bus was fully wrapped to deliver books and literacy activities to students at Summer Reach 2024 sites.We are excited to utilize the new Hamilton County Schools Book Bus to deliver decodable readers, high quality books to build background knowledge and provide foundational literacy skills activities to our youngest students in the county, said Breckan Duckworth, executive director with Hamilton County Schools.Through GELFs Book Bus program, partnering school districts retrofit a decommissioned school bus to house literacy resources.These Book Buses then travel to neighborhoods and community events during the summer, creating an engaging learning space for families. Many serve communities faced with challenges to book access, such as library deserts or low-income neighborhoods, and partner with organizations offering additional services, such as food programs or health care providers. Educators distribute resources and lead reading workshops to combat learning loss and increase adult-child engagement with literacy.Officials said, "Research shows that students who do not read over the summer lose two to three months of reading proficiency (a phenomenon known as Summer Slide) causing a student to already be behind at the start of the following school year. Reading four to six books has the potential to mitigate, stop or even reverse 'Summer Slide.'"GELF launched its Book Bus program in 2018, in partnership with local school systems, to establish mobile libraries that provide children and communities with access to high-quality resources. Driven by a mission to strengthen early literacy in Tennessee, GELFs Book Bus program aims to combat student learning loss and promote a culture of reading outside of school by providing continued access to high quality books and literacy tools."We are very proud of the Book Bus program and are grateful for the local partners in every community, who make this initiative possible, said James Pond, GELF president. By bringing mobile libraries directly to Tennessee neighborhoods, we want to meet kids where they are, where they play, where they live, with the resources they need to continue reading and learning outside of the classroom.GELF provides two different grant opportunities for interested partners to launch or support an existing Book Bus in their community. The annual grant cycle opens in the spring. With support from Delta Dental of Tennessee and other corporate funding partners, GELF has provided grant funding to support 43 Book Buses.For more information on how to apply or locate a bus near you, visit GovernorsFoundation.org or email bookbus@governorsfoundation.org.
Tennessee residents are allowed to hunt without a license on Saturday, which coincides with the opening day of squirrel season.

Free Hunting Day is an event the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency annually provides in hopes of increasing interest in hunting. Squirrel hunting is one of Tennessees oldest and favorite traditions. The day serves as an excellent opportunity for people to experience the enjoyment of the sport.

The TWRA encourages regular hunters to introduce friends and family members (young and old) to the outdoor sport. It is also an excellent opportunity for people who have not tried hunting in a while to be reintroduced to the sport.

In addition to opening of squirrel season, the three-day archery only for antlered deer hunt on private lands and selected wildlife management areas is set for Aug. 23-25. Check individual WMAs for regulations. Due to the removal of Unit CWD, guns and muzzleloaders will no longer be allowed during the August season.

On Free Hunting Day, state resident hunters are exempt from hunting licenses and WMA permit requirements. Many of the WMAs are open to hunters seeking public access on Saturday. Hunters are asked to check the information for specific WMAs in the 2024-25 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide. Sportsmen are required to ask for permission to hunt on private lands they do not own.

The TWRA offers a reminder that hunter education requirements are not waived for Free Hunting Day. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1969 is required to have successfully completed a hunter education course. An apprentice license is required for those born on or after Jan. 1, 1969, if the hunter education course has not been completed. This license exempts the hunter from the mandatory hunter education law for one year from the date of purchase but may only be purchased for up to three consecutive years during the lifetime of the hunter. Those under 10 years of age do not need a Hunter Education certificate but must be accompanied by an adult at least 21 years of age who must remain in a position to take immediate control of the hunting device.

Hunters can harvest up to 10 squirrels a day from the opening day of squirrel season through March 15. Each hunting day begins a half-hour before sunrise and ends a half-hour after sunset.

For more information about hunting in Tennessee, visit TWRAs website at www.tnwildlife.org or contact your nearest TWRA regional office.
Walker County Chamber of Commerce President Jennifer Morrison has resigned her position.

"For the last two years, Jennifer has been a valuable and enthusiastic member of the Walker Chamber, said Ashley Mew, board chair of the Walker County Chamber of Commerce and senior pastor of Gordon Lake Wesleyan Church. We wish her the best in her future endeavors.

This is a time of transition for the chamber; but with an active membership, vibrant business community, and an incredible board of directors, we are looking forward to a bright future ahead.

The Walker County Chamber will continue to operate business as usual. To stay up-to-date on Walker County Chamber events, visit walkerrocks.com/chamber.






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)

ABIGAI, JAVI

307 NELSON RD CHATTANOOGA, 37404

Age at Arrest: 28 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

DRIVING LEFT OF CENTER LINE

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

LEAVING SCENE OF ACCIDENT (PARKED VEHICLE)

DUTY UPON STRIKING FIXTURES UPON A HIGHWAY

DRIVING WITHOUT DRIVERS LICENSE / EXPIRED LICENSE



ARNOLD, MARCUS TODD

201 EADS ST CHATTANOOGA, 37412

Age at Arrest: 39 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

POSS OF MARIJUANA FOR RESALE

POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA

POSS OF A FIREARM DURING A DANGEROUS FELONY

UNLAWFUL POSS OF A FIREARM



BEAN, JACKY WAYNE

4676 RIDGE WOOD HIGHWAY WHECHESTER, 37379

Age at Arrest: 39 years old

Arresting Agency:

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)



BENNETT, LINDSEY MICHELLE

3113 MOSLEY CIRCLE CHATTANOOGA, 37412

Age at Arrest: 34 years old

Arresting Agency: East Ridge

DRUG PARAPHERNALIA



BLAKE, SPENCER C

102 GOODSON AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37415

Age at Arrest: 34 years old

Arresting Agency: Red Bank

FAILURE TO APPEAR

RECKLESS DRIVING MISDEMEANOR CIATATION



BUBNIS, ROBERT VINCENT

420 CRUMP ROAD SMITH, 37421

Age at Arrest: 37 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)



BURSE, CALEY LYNN

HOMELESS CHATTANOOGA, 37407

Age at Arrest: 31 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

FAILURE TO APPEAR



CLARKE, BENJAMIN SCOTT

HOMELESS ,

Age at Arrest: 46 years old

Arresting Agency: Collegedale

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)



COWARD, ROBERT ALEXANDER

700 DANBURY DRIVE SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, 37377

Age at Arrest: 38 years old

Arresting Agency:

DISORDERLY CONDUCT



DANIELS, CYNTHIA ANN

17758 HIGHWAY 41 CHATTANOOGA, 37421

Age at Arrest: 63 years old

Arresting Agency:

POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA



DIAZ PEREZ, LUIS GERARDO

900 AIRPORT RD 45 CHATTANOOGA,

Age at Arrest: 28 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

DRIVING LEFT OF CENTER LINE

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

DRIVING WITHOUT DRIVERS LICENSE / EXPIRED LICENSE



FARNELL, JEREMY KYLE

727 E 11TH STREET OOLTEWAH, 373634312

Age at Arrest: 34 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

ASSAULT



GILBERT, TERRY ALVIN

6969 TIFFANY LANE EASTRIDGE, 37412

Age at Arrest: 37 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)



GRAHAM, KENYEL W

3925 MALINDA DRIVE CHATTANOOGA, 37416

Age at Arrest: 19 years old

Arresting Agency:

DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE

SPEEDING



GRIFFITH, ZACHERY DAVID

2122 ALANA DRIVE CHATTANOOGA, 374071026

Age at Arrest: 30 years old

Arresting Agency: Soddy Daisy

CRIMINAL IMPERSONATION



HUGGINS, HEZEKIAH

1710 WHITE HALL RD YEMASSEE, 29945

Age at Arrest: 22 years old

Arresting Agency:

POSS.

OF HANDGUN WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCEJACKSON, DESHONTE T1638 KEEBLE STREET EAST RIDGE, 37311Age at Arrest: 30 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgeDOMESTIC ASSAULT (SIMPLE)JAMES, DEUTRICH OLIVER719 LARKIN AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37406Age at Arrest: 33 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffNONSUPPORT AND FLAGRANT NONSUPPORTNONSUPPORT AND FLAGRANT NONSUPPORTJOHNSON, AMARION MONTE SYRIEL4576 AMY RD SNAILVILLE, 30039Age at Arrest: 19 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgeAUTO THEFTEVADING ARRESTRECKLESS ENDANGERDRIVING NO LICENSEHEADLIGHT VIOLJOHNSON, JEREMIAH THOMAS223 COUNTY ROAD 47 RICEVILLE, 37370Age at Arrest: 36 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffAGGRAVATED ASSAULTKILGORE, RONALD LAMAR5111 OOLTEWAH RINGOLD RD OOLTEWAH, 37363Age at Arrest: 41 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgeSIMPLE POSSESSIONDRUG PARAPHERNALIAMARQUEZ, JAMES ANTHONYHOMELESS CHATTANOOGA, 374051771Age at Arrest: 64 years oldArresting Agency: Red BankABUSE OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS/MISUSE OF 911PUBLIC INTOXICATIONMORRIS, DARRIUS M5822 MOODY SAWYER ROADAPT A HIXSON, 37343Age at Arrest: 41 years oldArresting Agency:DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSEREGISTRATION, EXPIREDFINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITYLIGHT LAW VIOLATIONNEEDHAM, KAYLA ASHLYN1920 CHESTNUT STREET CHATTANOOGA, 37408Age at Arrest: 26 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDDISORDERLY CONDUCTPUBLIC INTOXICATIONPALMER WHITERSPOON, DMARION JAQUAN2604 OCOEE ST CHATTANOOGA, 37406Age at Arrest: 22 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDDOMESTIC ASSAULTPARISH, PRINCESS ANIAH4448 JOSEPH DR SNELLVILLE, 30039Age at Arrest: 19 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgeAUTO THEFTEVADING ARRESTSIMPLE POSSESSIONPOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIAPEREZ TERCERO, BERNABE3510 5TH AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37407Age at Arrest: 43 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDDOMESTIC ASSAULTCHILD NEGLECTPITTS, ANESHA DANYEAL1253 CYPRESS STREET CT APT 365 CHATTANOOGA, 37402Age at Arrest: 27 years oldArresting Agency:THEFT OF PROPERTY (CONDUCT INVOLV.MERCHANDISE)ROBINSON, MICHELLE RENE6722 SNOWBILL RD OOLTEWAH, 373432024Age at Arrest: 68 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDBURGLARYTHEFT OF PROPERTYTHEFT OF PROPERTY (CONDUCT INVOLV.MERCHANDISE)ROSENTRETER- MARLEY, LAUREN ANNE1227 SADDLEBROOK DRIVE CHATTANOOGA, 37405Age at Arrest: 37 years oldArresting Agency:THEFT UNDER $1000SHAKLEFORD-BANKS, LAQUARIOUS1805 WILSON ST CHATTANOOGA, 37406Age at Arrest: 18 years oldArresting Agency:ASSAULTSLOAN, CHRISTOPHER LYNN510 DIXIE AVE SOUTH PITTSBURG, 37380Age at Arrest: 31 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffFAILURE TO APPEARSMITH, TIMOTHY LAMAR9010 HARRISON BAY ROAD HARRISON, 37341Age at Arrest: 31 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffPUBLIC INTOXICATIONTOPACIO, MICHAEL JAMES6220 SHALLOWFORD RD UNIT 575 CHATTANOOGA, 374216921Age at Arrest: 33 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDVIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SVIOLATION OF PROBATIO (RECKLESS ENDANDERMENT)

Here are the mug shots:

ARNOLD, MARCUS TODD

Age at Arrest: 39

Date of Birth: 06/13/1985

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

POSS OF MARIJUANA FOR RESALE

POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA

POSS OF A FIREARM DURING A DANGEROUS FELONY

UNLAWFUL POSS OF A FIREARM BEAN, JACKY WAYNE

Age at Arrest: 39

Date of Birth: 03/21/1985

Arresting Agency:



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)

BLAKE, SPENCER C

Age at Arrest: 34

Date of Birth: 10/11/1989

Arresting Agency: Red Bank



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

FAILURE TO APPEAR

RECKLESS DRIVING MISDEMEANOR CIATATION BUBNIS, ROBERT VINCENT

Age at Arrest: 37

Date of Birth: 12/02/1986

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)

COWARD, ROBERT ALEXANDER

Age at Arrest: 38

Date of Birth: 06/27/1986

Arresting Agency:



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

DISORDERLY CONDUCT DANIELS, CYNTHIA ANN

Age at Arrest: 63

Date of Birth: 01/27/1961

Arresting Agency:



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA DIAZ PEREZ, LUIS GERARDO

Age at Arrest: 28

Date of Birth: 09/24/1995

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

DRIVING LEFT OF CENTER LINE

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

DRIVING WITHOUT DRIVERS LICENSE / EXPIRED LICENSE FARNELL, JEREMY KYLE

Age at Arrest: 34

Date of Birth: 04/20/1990

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

ASSAULT GILBERT, TERRY ALVIN

Age at Arrest: 37

Date of Birth: 04/19/1983

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)

GRAHAM, KENYEL W

Age at Arrest: 19

Date of Birth: 12/08/2004

Arresting Agency:



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE

SPEEDING

GRIFFITH, ZACHERY DAVID

Age at Arrest: 30

Date of Birth: 10/06/1993

Arresting Agency: Soddy Daisy



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

CRIMINAL IMPERSONATION HUGGINS, HEZEKIAH

Age at Arrest: 22

Date of Birth: 09/25/2001

Arresting Agency:



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

POSS. OF HANDGUN WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE JACKSON, DESHONTE T

Age at Arrest: 30

Date of Birth: 12/15/1993

Arresting Agency: East Ridge



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

DOMESTIC ASSAULT (SIMPLE) JAMES, DEUTRICH OLIVER

Age at Arrest: 33

Date of Birth: 08/18/1991

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

NONSUPPORT AND FLAGRANT NONSUPPORT

NONSUPPORT AND FLAGRANT NONSUPPORT JOHNSON, AMARION MONTE SYRIEL

Age at Arrest: 19

Date of Birth: 09/27/2004

Arresting Agency: East Ridge



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

AUTO THEFT

EVADING ARREST

RECKLESS ENDANGER

DRIVING NO LICENSE

HEADLIGHT VIOL JOHNSON, JEREMIAH THOMAS

Age at Arrest: 36

Date of Birth: 12/22/1987

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT KILGORE, RONALD LAMAR

Age at Arrest: 41

Date of Birth: 09/18/1982

Arresting Agency: East Ridge



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

SIMPLE POSSESSION

DRUG PARAPHERNALIA MARQUEZ, JAMES ANTHONY

Age at Arrest: 64

Date of Birth: 12/20/1959

Arresting Agency: Red Bank



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

ABUSE OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS/MISUSE OF 911

PUBLIC INTOXICATION MORRIS, DARRIUS M

Age at Arrest: 41

Date of Birth: 11/26/1982

Arresting Agency:



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE

REGISTRATION, EXPIRED

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

LIGHT LAW VIOLATION NEEDHAM, KAYLA ASHLYN

Age at Arrest: 26

Date of Birth: 07/25/1998

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

PUBLIC INTOXICATION

PALMER WHITERSPOON, DMARION JAQUAN

Age at Arrest: 22

Date of Birth: 01/08/2002

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

DOMESTIC ASSAULT PARISH, PRINCESS ANIAH

Age at Arrest: 19

Date of Birth: 01/15/2005

Arresting Agency: East Ridge



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

AUTO THEFT

EVADING ARREST

SIMPLE POSSESSION

POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA PEREZ TERCERO, BERNABE

Age at Arrest: 43

Date of Birth: 11/03/1980

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

DOMESTIC ASSAULT

CHILD NEGLECT PITTS, ANESHA DANYEAL

Age at Arrest: 27

Date of Birth: 04/05/1997

Arresting Agency:



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

THEFT OF PROPERTY (CONDUCT INVOLV.MERCHANDISE) ROSENTRETER- MARLEY, LAUREN ANNE

Age at Arrest: 37

Date of Birth: 07/18/1987

Arresting Agency:



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

THEFT UNDER $1000 SHAKLEFORD-BANKS, LAQUARIOUS

Age at Arrest: 18

Date of Birth: 03/02/2006

Arresting Agency:



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

ASSAULT SMITH, TIMOTHY LAMAR

Age at Arrest: 31

Date of Birth: 09/19/1992

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

PUBLIC INTOXICATION TOPACIO, MICHAEL JAMES

Age at Arrest: 33

Date of Birth: 11/28/1989

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 08/19/2024

Charge(s):

VIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED S

VIOLATION OF PROBATIO (RECKLESS ENDANDERMENT)




The Humane Society of the United States is assisting the McKamey Animal Center in the rescue of over 100 rabbits from a residence in Chattanooga after an overwhelmed caregiver asked for help.

The Humane Society of the United States and the McKamey Animal Center arrived at the property around 8 a.m. on Tuesday to find the caregiver and more than 100 rabbits living in extremely unsanitary conditions.

The rabbits appeared to suffer from a variety of ailments including flea infestations, hair loss and injuries typical of overcrowding. Multiple nursing litters and rabbits of various ages were found burrowing in furniture throughout the residence. Veterinarians noted several rabbits may be pregnant.

According to the owner, he has cared for pet rabbits for more than 30 years, but after enduring a health crisis, the population of rabbits grew out of control and beyond his capacity to provide the animals with adequate care. He eventually reached out to the McKamey Animal Center, which requested the assistance of the Humane Society of the United States.

As with many of the rescue operations we take on, these conditions arent suitable for animals or humans to live in. This one stands out because it was brought about by a caregiver recognizing he was beyond his capacityhe loves his pets enough to let them go so they can find homes where they can thrive, said Jessica Johson, senior director of the Humane Society of the United States Animal Rescue Team. We are grateful to the McKamey Animal Center for inviting us to assist in giving the caregiver and each of his rabbits a new beginning.

We are so thankful for the response and efforts of the HSUS, said Executive Director for the MAC, Inga Fricke. The house is sadly in deplorable condition and is not suited for animals to reside in at this time.

The Humane Society of the United States is transporting the rabbits to a temporary emergency shelter, where veterinarians will conduct in-depth exams and provide necessary medical treatment.

Once they are healthy enough, the HSUS will arrange placement with shelter and rescue partners so the rabbits can seek adoptive homes.
On the surface of the Moon, there are more than 200 known pits that scientists have speculated are underground cave conduits.

Now, one of those pits, in Mare Tranquillitatis, has been found to be a cave conduit that was created when it collapsed into a lava tube.

The pit is accessible from the lunar surface and provides an opportunity for future exploration into lunar volcanism.

Long ago, the Moon was covered in seas of magma that eventually cooled. It was thought that the Moon couldve contained other volcanic features, such as lava tubes, like on Earth.

Lava tubes are created when a lava stream cools down and forms a hardened exterior shell. It acts as a sort of pipe for hot lava to flow through.

After some time, the lava will finish flowing out and leave a hollow channel behind that could connect to other chambers or caves.

The researchers of the new study have detected plenty of evidence on the Moons surface that suggests the existence of lava tubes. Lunar pits have been the most notable signs pointing to the possibility of the tubes.

The team wanted to find out whether a hidden cave could be mapped using orbital synthetic aperture radar (SAR) instruments.

They conducted tests on two terrestrial cave systems in Lanzarote, Spain, and the Well of Barhout in Yemen.

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While doing fieldwork at a medieval site in Russia, archaeologists unburied two human skeletons, battle axes, and equestrian equipment from a vast cemetery.

The site is known as the Gnezdilovo burial ground. It was discovered in 1851 in the town of Suzdal, which is located northeast of Moscow.

Excavations have taken place at the seven-acre site since 2020. According to the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, archaeologists, in collaboration with the State Historical Museum, surveyed around 50 undisturbed burials within the cemetery. Many finds have been made at the cemetery, such as coins, jewelry, and weapons.

One burial, known as grave number 59, contained the remains of a 35-to 40-year-old man. He was buried with several artifacts, including a knife, a broken ceramic vessel, a bronze belt buckle in the shape of a lyre, which is a stringed musical instrument, and a metal battle axe.

The axe had a semicircular notch at its base and a small hammer on the other end. This type of axe was popular during the 11th and 12th centuries and was commonly associated with the nomadic cultures of the steppes.

Similar ones have been found in Volga Bulgaria, a former state that is now part of Russia. They began to be used in Russia in the 10th century.

Next to the mans plot, there were the remains of another man, designated as grave number 49, who was between 25 and 30-years-old at the time of his death.

His grave contained a complex wooden burial structure that was put together without the use of iron nailsa technique that highlighted the craftsmanship of the perioda similar battle axe, a lock, a lyre-shaped buckle, a knife with remnants of a sheath, and equestrian equipment, including stirrups and a buckle for tightening a saddle.

Additionally, a number of different weights were unearthed. They may have been used to weigh coins that were collected as taxes.

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Theres nothing that children love more than spending a day outdoors, digging around, and hunting for different types of bugs. Playing outside is always a beneficial experience for kids, but rarely does it ever result in the making of history.

Earlier this year, a group of elementary school students in California were playing in a creek in the Santa Cruz Mountains when they came across the bone of an ancient sloth.

According to Bryn Evans, a teacher at Tara Redwood School, her students had been building a dam and searching for crawdads.

Theyre just in the mud pulling things out, and then one of them comes up and is like, This isnt a stick; this is a bone, Evans recalled.

The bone was brought to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History and was examined by Wayne Thompson, the Paleontology Collections Advisor. He collaborated with fossil sloth experts to identify the species.

The bone was part of the left arm of the prehistoric Jeffersons ground sloth (Megalonyx jeffersoni).

It was found in a sediment deposit dating back to the Ice Age, which meant that it was somewhere between 11,500 and 300,000 years old. The sloth bone was the first reported fossil evidence of the species in the Santa Cruz area.

Jeffersons ground sloths are large, plant-eating mammals that are now extinct. They weighed between 2,200 and 2,425 pounds and could grow up to three meters in length.

These three-toed sloths walked on all fours, had the ability to stand on their hind legs, and lived in caves for shelter.

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Home News 100 Christian pastors, pro-life advocates urge Democrats to end 'abortion extremism' in party platform

More than 100 Christian pastors and pro-life academics and advocates have called on the Democratic National Committee to recognize the inviolable human dignity of the child, before and after birth, and adopt a party platform thats friendlier to those who are pro-life.

Some of us are registered Democrats and some of us are not, but we appreciate the Democratic Partys stated commitment to human rights, equality, and fairness, they wrote in a letter to the Democratic Platform Committee, organized by the pro-life group Democrats for Life.

Accordingly, we urge the Democratic Party to embrace policies that protect both women and children: legal protection for pre-born children, improved prenatal care for women in need, especially women of color, alternatives to abortion, and a comprehensive culture of life free from violence, poverty and racism, the letter adds.

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The letter notes that the U.S. is just one of seven countries, alongside North Korea, to allow the horrific practice of elective late-term abortion after 20 weeks.

The signatories urged the Democratic Platform Committee to reject a litmus test on pro-life people of faith seeking office in the Democratic Party. Crucially, we urge you to end the explicit support in your platform for abortion extremism, such as taxpayer-funded abortion in America and overseas, opposed by 60% and 76% of voters.

Last year, Joe Biden, the partys presumptive presidential nominee, reversed his decades-long support for restricting federal funding of abortions, according to The Associated Press, which quoted him as saying at the time, Just as Ive never attempted to impose my views on anyone else as to when life begins, I have never attempted to impose my view on who should pay for it.

Steven Krueger, president of the nonprofit Catholic Democrats, warned at the time that the far left wing of the party has had influence on a number of issues, particularly on the issue of abortion, that is not going to serve candidates well once theyre in the general election.

And the problem is, its very difficult to kind of tack back to the middle once you take a stand on something as black and white as whether or not you want to repeal the restrictions on federal abortion funding, he added.

In February, activists from Democrats for Life held a press conference in Charleston, South Carolina, ahead of the states primary to voice their disgust with the Democratic candidates stances on abortion as nearly all of them opposed bans on late-term abortion and safety regulations on the abortion industry.

Democrats for Life Executive Director Kristen Day said at the time that in her 18-year career, she had not seen such extremism in the Democratic Party on abortion. Since 2010, she warned, Democrats had lost their political advantages in southern states, including Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana that had all flipped from blue to red.

The Democratic Party, she added, had moved away from safe, legal and rare abortion to supporting abortion up to nine months for any reason.
Home News Biden-Harris border policies responsible for Laken Riley's murder at hands of illegal immigrant: report

U.S. Border Patrol released the illegal migrant charged with killing Laken Riley one day after apprehending him, and despite multiple encounters with law enforcement after his arrival in the United States, Immigration and Customs Enforcement allowed the man to roam free, according to a congressional report.

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement released an interim 8-page report Friday, asserting that Riley's death in February is a result of the border policies under the Biden-Harris administration.

The Christian Post reached out to DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for comment on the report. Responses are pending.

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Riley was a 22-year-old nursing student whose body was discovered on the University of Georgia campus. The man arrested for the 22-year-old woman's murder, Jose Antonio Ibarra, entered the country illegally through El Paso, Texas, on Sept. 8, 2022.

According to the report, Ibarra was released into the U.S. one day after his apprehension because border patrol determined the migrant's release was warranted due to "urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit." Ibarra reportedly lived "safely" in Ecuador from January 2017 through July 2022 before traveling to the U.S.

While the U.S. Department of Homeland Security cited the Central Processing Center's detention capacity as the reason for Ibarra's release, the judiciary committee highlighted the agency's data showing it could have detained Ibarra.

"As a result of his release, Ibarra was free to commit crimes in the United States, including allegedly kidnapping and murdering Laken Riley in Georgia," the committee and its subcommittee claimed in the document.

Ibarra and his brother, Diego, had also previously been charged with shoplifting from a Walmart. An immigration attorney told Fox 5 in February the brothers were cited and released on the scene because shoplifting is considered a misdemeanor.

In September 2023, The New York City Police Department arrested Ibarra for "acting in a manner to injure a child," which ICE later entered into its enforcement system, according to the House Judiciary report. On Feb. 26, four days after Ibarra allegedly killed Riley, the migrant's previous application for asylum remained pending.

Despite encounters with law enforcement prior to Riley's murder, the report noted that ICE never filed a detainer against Ibarra until after the killing.

"The information obtained by the Committee shows in stark terms the real-world consequences of the Biden-Harris Administration's failure to secure the border and enforce immigration law," the report stated. "Taken as a whole, the Committee's investigation into the criminal illegal aliens the Biden-Harris Administration has allowed to enter the United States exposes the widespread failure to adequately vet, apprehend, detain, and remove illegal aliens."

"In some cases, the illegal aliens had committed crimes in their home countries but were nevertheless released from DHS custody," the document continued. "In other cases, the illegal aliens had criminal records or were gang members and were still released into the United States. In all cases, the illegal aliens went on to commit crimes in American communities ranging from murder and robbery to brutal assault."

The committee report accused Senate Democrats of failing to consider H.R. 2, the Secure Border Act of 2023. The act would limit asylum eligibility to non-US citizens who arrive in the country through a port of entry, among other provisions. Democrats argued that the bill politicized a tragedy and is too broad in scope.

"To secure America, the Senate must pass, and President Biden must sign into law, H.R. 2. In the meantime, the Committee and Subcommittee will continue to conduct vigorous oversight to inform legislative reforms to address President Biden and Vice President Harriss' dangerous immigration policies," the report stated.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol data from fiscal year 2021 through the middle of July 2024, the agency recorded over 52,000 arrests of illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds.
Home News Biden lauds Kamala, blasts Trump: 'Put a prosecutor in the Oval Office instead of a convicted felon'

President Joe Biden championed Vice President Kamala Harris while bashing Republican challenger former President Donald Trump, declaring that he wants to put a prosecutor in the Oval Office instead of a convicted felon.

During a speech that began just before midnight at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, the president called on attendees to save democracy in November by voting against Trump, who he called a loser.

America is safer today than it was under Donald Trump, Biden claimed, touting his efforts to improve public safety. Now, the murder rate is falling faster than at any time in history. Violent crime has dropped to the lowest level of more than 50 years.

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And crime will keep coming down when we put a prosecutor in the Oval Office instead of a convicted felon.

Biden was alluding to the 12-member New York jury decision from late May, which found that Trump was guilty of 34 felonies related to an allegation that he had paid porn star Stormy Daniels (real name Stephanie Clifford) $130,000 back in 2016 to conceal an alleged sexual encounter from a decade earlier as he was running for president.

Biden focused on a host of topics, including outlining policies he championed as president on issues including environmental activism, education, public safety investments, and supporting labor unions.

Biden promoted Harris throughout his speech, saying, among other things, that she would not bow down to overseas dictators like Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also claimed that if elected president, Harris would make housing and prescription drugs more affordable for everyday Americans.

He also said that a Harris presidency would, with the help of a Democrat majority in Congress, restore Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide and was overturned in 2022.

On the first day of the convention, many speakers commended Biden for his decades in Congress and for helping to elevate Harris to the national stage.

I have never known a more compassionate man than Joe Biden, said Democrat Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware. I have never known a man who has taken from his own loss and his own faith and delivered so much for the future of so many others.

On behalf of our nation, Joe, for your courage in fighting for our democracy, we thank you. On behalf of our Democratic Party, for your loyalty in fighting for our democratic values, we thank you.

Earlier that evening, former first lady and 2016 Democrat presidential nominee Hillary Clinton called on attendees to salute President Biden for his public service, saying that he has been democracys champion at home and abroad and that he brought dignity, decency and competence back to the White House.

Last month, Biden announced that he was quitting and would no longer seek reelection, saying in a statement that he had decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as president for the remainder of my term.

Biden also endorsed Harris in his announcement, saying that his selection of her as his running mate when he ran for president back in 2020 was the best decision Ive made.

Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats  its time to come together and beat Trump. Lets do this, he added.

Harris, who did not receive any primary votes this election cycle, nevertheless secured enough Democrat delegate support to secure the presidential nomination in advance of the convention.
Home News Chicago cardinal gives invocation at DNC despite promotion of abortion

A Catholic cardinal delivered an invocation at the Democratic National Convention on Monday despite the Democratic Party's unapologetic embrace of abortion rights.

Cardinal Blase Cupich of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago gave the invocation on the first night of the convention in Chicago, Illinois.

Cupich did not address Democratic policies during the invocation, instead praying that God will "help us to truly understand and answer the sacred call of citizenship." He described the United States as "a nation composed of every people and culture united not by ties of blood but by the profound aspirations of life and freedom, justice and unbound hope."

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"These aspirations are why our forefathers saw America as a beacon of hope," he added. "In every generation, we are called to renew these aspirations to reweave the fabric of America. We do so when we live out the virtues that dwell in our hearts but also when we confront our failures to root out ongoing injustices in our national life, especially those created by moral blindness and fear of the other."

Cupich's appearance at the event comes as the Democratic Party Platform calls for codifying the now-overturned 1973 Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide into federal law. Convention attendees have been encouraged to take advantage of a mobile abortion clinic parked nearby offering free abortion pills and vasectomies.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that "direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to moral law" and that "formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense."

Cupich also prayed for "peace" and called on God to guide Americans as they seek to "forge this new chapter in our nation's history." He hopes it would be "rooted in the recognition that for us, as for every generation, unity triumphing over division is what advances human dignity and liberty."

"Let it be propelled by the women and men elected to serve in public life who know that service is the mark of true leadership and let this new chapter of our nation's history be filled with overwhelming hope, a hope that refuses to narrow our national vision but rather, as Pope Francis has said, to dream dreams and see visions of what, by Your grace, our world can become," he concluded.

Joseph Strickland, the bishop emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Tyler, Texas, called Cupich's speech "a missed opportunity to call the Democratic Party back from the abyss."

"We will never have peace until we return to God and respect life," Strickland, who was removed by Pope Francis last year, stated in a social media post.

Cupich has developed a reputation as one of the more liberal Catholic leaders in the U.S.

Reacting to the declaration handed down by the Vatican late last year authorizing priests to bless same-sex couples, Cupich praised the development as "a step forward, and in keeping not only with Pope Francis's desire to accompany people pastorally but Jesus's desire to be present to all people who desire grace and support."

Cupich was also one of 60 Catholic bishops who signed on to a letter calling on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to delay a debate about whether to move ahead with a draft document recommending the withholding of communion from pro-abortion Catholic politicians.

Cupich is not the only Catholic Church leader to give an invocation at one of the two major political parties' conventions this year.

Archbishop Jerome Listecki of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee prayed on stage at the Republican National Convention, which took place in his city last month.

Like Cupich, Listecki drew upon American history in his remarks, noting that "Our founding fathers held these truths self-evident, that all are created equal endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." After stating that "For 248 years, we have sustained this vision," Listecki explicitly endorsed the pro-life position by highlighting the need to "guard the dignity of every life from conception to natural death."

Listecki prayed that God would "assist our elected officials and candidates always to protect our freedoms, to preserve our democracy and to govern fairly." He offered up specific prayers for first responders, members of the military, and the victim of a shooting at a rally for Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump.

After leading the audience in a moment of silence for the shooting victim, Listecki asked God to "keep the United States of America in thy holy protection and incline the hearts of the citizens to a brotherly affection and love for one another through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, Amen."
Home News DNC features 'gender-neutral prayer room,' repurposed 'all-gender' women's rooms

The Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, offered a "gender-neutral prayer room" with Islamic prayer mats and also appears to have repurposed several women's rooms at the venue as "all-gender."

According to a DNC map of the convention at Chicago's United Center, one "all-gender restroom" is on each of the four levels of the arena that serves as home to the Chicago Bulls. However, a different map of the venue suggests they are typically women's restrooms.

Other bathroom facilities that circle the arena are grouped in the typical fashion of men's and women's restrooms.

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Washington Times correspondent Susan Ferrechio reported that a women's restroom in the nearby press filing center at Advocate Center had also been repurposed into an all-gender facility.

The bathroom situation at the DNC comes as Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate Gov. Tim Walz, faces scrutiny for signing a 2023 state education law in Minnesota that potentially mandated free tampons in public school boys' bathrooms.

A "gender-neutral prayer room" is also provided on the concourse level of the United Center for the DNC, along with prayer rooms exclusive to men and women.

Footage circulating on X showed that the curtained gender-neutral prayer room features Islamic prayer mats and a table with Clorox wipes, though no Christian or Jewish iconography is present.

The DNC arena is outfitted with a gender neutral prayer room pic.twitter.com/oA9F18VLSE  Brent Scher (@BrentScher) August 20, 2024

The set-up drew scorn on social media, with many on X mocking the Democratic National Committee for its apparent attempt to accommodate both gender ideology and Islam simultaneously.

"This has to be a joke," journalist Miranda Devine tweeted.

The 2016 Democratic National Convention at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, also made headlines when it featured a women's room repurposed with a makeshift sign temporarily designating it as an all-gender restroom during the convention.

A woman named Nikki Nice, who spoke to The Guardian at the time, noted that she and her friend shared the bathroom with Jesse Jackson, who emerged from a stall as they were coming in.

"We were like: ''Ahhh,'" Nice said. "Just experiencing Reverend Jesse Jackson coming out of a stall  that just speaks everything about what an all-gender restroom really is about. So I'll take that any day."

Not all who used the all-gender restroom that year were happy about it, with one woman complaining to The Cut about urine on the toilet seats after men had used it.

Other aspects of this year's DNC this year have raised eyebrows, including a Planned Parenthood van that is offering free vasectomies and chemical abortion drugs.
Home News Fate of pastor, 13-year-old daughter kidnapped in Nigeria unknown after ransom payment

ABUJA, Nigeria  The whereabouts of a pastor and his daughter kidnapped in northwestern Nigeria were unknown after their captors threatened to kill them even after receiving a ransom payment.

Isa Andrew, chaplain with All Saints Protestant Church of the Zamfara State Police Command, and his 13-year-old daughter, Grace Isa Andrew, were kidnapped from their home in Gusau on July 14. Relatives and friends had managed to pay a ransom of 6 million naira ($3,770 USD), only to have the captors threaten to kill him if they did not receive another 6 million naira along with three motorcycles by Aug. 15.

Relatives received a video of the blindfolded pastor making an appeal for payment of the ransom, his daughter standing beside him with an AK-47 rifle strapped to her shoulder as a sign that she would be married off and made to join the assailants.

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Pastor Andrew in the video identified himself as a pastor and chaplain who worked with the Interfaith Directorate of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), saying his daughter, Grace, was with him. He said that after they were kidnapped from their home, his family paid a ransom of 6 million naira, but that the captors upon collection demanded another payment of the same amount along with two Boxer motorcycles and a Honda motorcycle.

We did all we could, we sold everything that we have; sold our properties, sold our car, sold our items; we took loans, my brother took loans, my wife took loans persons of goodwill also assisted us to raise the 6 million naira that was demanded, Pastor Andrew said. As it is, fellow Nigerians, I want to beg of you, I want to beg of our nations first lady, the mother of the nation, to please come to our aid. Shes the Esther of our time, please come to our aid.

He said his daughter was being exposed to a lot of maltreatment, exposed to starvation, and that he was a diabetic whose health was deteriorating each day.

Please come to our aid, assist us. We have been given from now up to next week Thursday, 15 August, 2024, otherwise I will be executed, and my daughter will be forcefully married out. Shes just 13 years of age, he said. Please help us. I need your help. The Lord bless you.

The Zamfara State Police command confirmed the kidnapping of the pastor and his daughter in the wee hours of July 14. State Police Commissioner Mohammed Dalijan said 53 patrol vehicles had been deployed to various streets in Gusau.

Gusau resident Timothy Soladoye obtained a copy of the video and confirmed that it was his pastor who was kidnapped with his daughter.

We are still contributing for his release, Soladoye told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News before the Aug. 15 deadline. Please let us share and do something for their possible release before the said Thursday, 15 August.

The video was widely circulated across social media platforms on Aug. 10.

Gusau resident Emmanuel Bulus also sent out a plea.

Isa Andrew is not only a dedicated civilian working with the Nigerian police but also serves as a chaplain in their church, Bulus said. My fellow Nigerians, I implore you, lets not allow this tragedy to unfold. We must rally together to save Isa and Grace and reunite them with their wife and mother and two other children.

Pastor Andrew was reportedly abducted eight days after gunmen released parish priest Mikah Suleiman of St. Raymond Catholic Church Damba, who had been kidnapped for 16 days.

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 report.

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.

Originally published at Christian Daily InternationalMorning Star News
Home News Gateway Church faces new lawsuit from woman who alleges she was abused at 13

Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, is facing a new lawsuit from a woman who alleges she was groomed and sexually abused at the age of 13 by an older participant in a youth group hosted by the church at King's University beginning in 2016.

Julia Long claims in the lawsuit, cited by The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, that she regularly attended nighttime youth group meetings at the Southlake-based university as a teenager, which catered to some 200 members between 11 and 18.

The lawsuit states that the group had little or no supervision by Gateway's counselors, pastors, leaders, chaperones or volunteers, which created an environment allowing then 17-year-old Gabriel Snyder to allegedly groom Long using "biblical beliefs and teachings of ... Gateway's pastor and ministers."

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She alleges that Snyder, who is now 25 and imprisoned at the Hightower Unit in Dayton, Texas, for the sexual assault of a child in a separate case, convinced her that it was God's will that she submit to him as a female.

Though Snyder has not been criminally charged in this case, Long alleges Snyder sexually assaulted her outside King's University at night multiple times beginning in December 2016 until February 2017 when she was 13. By that time, Snyder had turned 18. The lawsuit states that there were surveillance cameras above the areas where she was assaulted, but she didn't receive help from anyone.

She is seeking more than $1 million for assault, negligence and damages.

In a statement to CBS News Texas, Gateway Church said it takes abuse claims "very seriously" but is "unable to further comment regarding ongoing litigation at this time."

The lawsuit follows the recent resignation of the church's founder, Robert Morris, who resigned amid allegations he sexually abused a 12-year-old in the 1980s.

George Boll, Long's attorney, told the news outlet that his client decided to go public with her story and identity as part of her healing process.

"This lawsuit is part of a healing process for her.  She had the chance to be Jane Doe but chose not to because she was a victim here. This is part of her healing process," Boll said.

In April, two months before Morris resigned over his allegation of child sex abuse, Gateway Church settled a lawsuit in which at least five Gateway Church pastors and a youth leader were accused of concealing the sexual assault of another minor by a church member.

The initial lawsuit was filed in Tarrant County Texas in August 2020 on behalf of a minor identified as A.D. and her mother.

Gateway Church, Denise Edwards and youth leader Logan Edwards were all named as defendants, along with Doug Vaughn and Gateway Church pastors Kelly Jones, Rebecca Wilson, Samantha Golden, Mondo Davis and Sion Alford.

The plaintiffs in the case were both members of Gateway and sought damages of more than $200,000 but not more than $5,000,000. Gateway employees were accused of gross negligence and breach of their fiduciary duty to the plaintiffs as members.

In settling the case on April 18, Gateway Church and its pastors admitted no liability and stated that they only settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount to "buy peace."

In June, 54-year-old Cindy Clemishire reported that Morris began sexually abusing her on Dec. 25, 1982, when she was just 12 years old. Morris was a married young adult traveling evangelist at the time. Clemishire says the abuse continued for 4.5 years before Morris' actions came to light. But he was later allowed to return to ministry.

Clemishire contends that officials at Gateway Church were informed of her allegations against Morris for years. However, Executive Director of Gateway Media Lawrence Swicegood reiterated in a statement to The Christian Post that the current board of elders did not know that the megachurch founder had been accused of child sex abuse.

"The Board of Elders called a special meeting and accepted the resignation of Pastor Robert Morris several weeks ago. Gateway Church is committed to protecting people  first and foremost children and the most vulnerable. Abuse simply cannot be tolerated," he said.

"The Board of Elders has retained the law firm Haynes and Boone, LLP to conduct a thorough and independent inquiry so that the facts can be understood. Even though this abuse occurred many years before Gateway was established, the Elders are committed to finding the truth and holding people accountable."
Home News Hillary Clinton: 'Kamala will restore abortion rights nationwide'

Former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has voiced her support for Vice President Kamala Harris, vowing that if elected, Harris will restore abortion rights nationwide.

Clinton ran for president on the Democratic ticket in 2016, the first woman to run for president for a major political party, winning the popular vote but losing the electoral college vote to Republican opponent Donald Trump.

Speaking at the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on Monday evening, Clinton advocated for Harris presidential campaign, arguing that it represented a new chapter in Americas story.

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Women fighting for reproductive healthcare are saying, keep going, Clinton said. Families building better lives, parents stretching to afford child care, young people struggling to pay their rent, theyre all asking us to keep going.

Progress is possible but not guaranteed. We have to fight for it and never ever give up. There is always a choice: do we push forward or pull back?

Clinton claimed that Harris has the character, experience, and vision to lead us forward as president, adding, I know her heart and her integrity.

As president, she will always have our backs, and she will be a fighter for us, Clinton continued. She will fight to lower costs for hard-working families, open the doors wide for good-paying jobs, and yes, she will restore abortion rights nationwide.

Clinton also called on convention attendees to salute President Biden for his public service, saying that he has been democracys champion at home and abroad and that he brought dignity, decency and competence back to the White House.

Last month, Biden announced that he was quitting and would no longer seek reelection, saying in a statement that he had decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as president for the remainder of my term.

Biden also endorsed Harris, claiming that his selection of her as his running mate when he ran for president in 2020 was the best decision Ive made.

Harris, who was installed without winning a single primary vote, garnered support from prominent Democrat Party figures. In advance of the convention, she secured enough delegate votes to be the presumptive nominee.

In 2022, the United States Supreme Court overturned the 1973 decision Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide, and returned laws governing abortion back to the states.

Since then, several states have moved to ban abortion in nearly all circumstances, with exemptions always provided for instances in which the mother is facing a medical emergency.

The Biden administration denounced the decision, with Harris holding numerous events across the country to promote legalizing abortion for all reasons and through all stages of pregnancy.

For his part, Trump has recently stated that, if reelected, he will allow states to determine their own abortion policies and does not support a national abortion ban.
Home News How does Trumps 2nd-term agenda compare with the 2020 Democratic platform?

The Trump campaign released on Sunday its second-term agenda, a set of policy priorities that will stand in place of a traditional Republican platform and offer a distinctly different vision than the 2020 Democratic platform released last week.

The Republican National Committee unanimously voted to forgo a party platform, according to a resolution released by the committee Sunday night. Instead, the Republican Party will back President Donald Trumps conservative America-first agenda and will go without adopting a new party platform until the 2024 convention.

The decision comes as the Republican National Committee significantly scaled back the size of this years convention for safety reasons during the pandemic.

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While the 2020 Democratic Party Platform, released last Tuesday, was over 90 pages long and the Republican 2016 platform was 58 pages long, Trumps second-term agenda released yesterday consists of policy proposals outlined in 50 short bullet point sentences that represent core priorities for a second term.

The entire agenda document is under 4,000 words and claims to offer a stark contrast to the gloomy vision of America projected by Joe Biden and Democrats.

Trump plans to expand on his second-term agenda during his nomination acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention Thursday night and also in the coming weeks through policy-focused speeches on the campaign trail.

Trumps second-term agenda is broken down into 10 sections: jobs, eradicate COVID-19, end our reliance on China, health care, education, drain the swamp, defend our police, end illegal immigration and protect American workers, innovate for the future, and America first foreign policy.

Meanwhile, sections of the Democratic platform call for the building of a stronger, fairer economy, achieving universal, affordable, quality health care, and healing the soul of America by protecting LGBTQ+ rights and rights of other groups. It also seeks to repeal many of the Trump administrations pro-life policies and narrow the view of religious freedom to eliminate discrimination.

Police

Amid calls from Black Lives Matter activists to defund police departments, Trump is calling for the full funding of and the hiring of more police and law enforcement officers.

As riots and violence have taken place in some cities nationwide, Trump also wants to bring violent extremist groups like Antifa to justice, up the penalties for assaults on police officers and end cashless bail.

Trumps agenda also calls for the prosecution of drive-by shootings as acts of domestic terrorism.

While there have been calls for the defunding of police by protesters nationwide since the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day as they want to transfer that money to fund organizations that help marginalized communities, the Democrat platform does not call for the defunding of police departments.

However, the platform stresses that we need to overhaul the criminal justice system from top to bottom and called police brutality a stain on the soul of our nation.

As Biden has been criticized for his support of the 1994 tough-on-crime bill, Democrats seek to end the era of mass incarceration and dramatically reduce the number of Americans held in jails and prisons while continuing to reduce crime rates.

Biden's campaign website vows to invest $300 million into a program created by the 1994 crime bill that would fund the hiring of additional police officers and training on "how to undertake a community policing approach."

Democrats also support eliminating the use of cash bail and believe no one should be imprisoned merely for failing to pay fines or fees.

This is the moment to root out structural and systemic racism in our criminal justice system and our society, and reimagine public safety for the benefit of our people and the character of our country, the platform reads.

The Democrats also seek to reinvigorate community policing approaches and improve accountability and transparency by ensuring compliance with the use of body cameras. Democrats will also seek to limit the sale and transfer of surplus military weapons to domestic law enforcement agencies, a policy President Trump reversed immediately upon taking office.

We cannot create trust without holding those in power accountable for their actions. Democrats will reinvigorate pattern-or-practice investigations into police misconduct at the Department of Justice, and strengthen them through new subpoena powers and expanded oversight to address systemic misconduct by prosecutors, the platform states. Far too often, the law has shielded police officers who stand accused of heinous violations of civil and human rights.

COVID-19

One of Trumps second-term goals is to develop a coronavirus vaccine by the end of 2020 and foster a return to normal in 2021.

Trump also wants to make all critical medicines and supplies for healthcare workers in the U.S. and refill stockpiles and prepare for future pandemics.

The coronavirus was also a major focus of the Democratic platform and convention last week as the party cast blame on Trumps abject failure to respond forcefully and capably to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The party also cast blame on the president for the economic impact the pandemic has had by using the term Trumps recession on several occasions in the platform.

The platform goes as far as to say that Trumps failure to lead makes him responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans. However, the platform doesnt acknowledge some of the missteps of Democratic officeholders.

The Democratic platform calls to make COVID-19 testing widely available, convenient and free for everyone. Democrats seek to increase funding to states that are conducting contact tracing.

The platform also supports making an eventual COVID-19 vaccine free to everyone regardless of their wealth, insurance coverage or immigration status.

Democrats also want to make grants and loans available to small businesses. Democrats believe that the federal government should pick up 100 percent of the tab for COBRA insurance to keep people in their employer-sponsored plans if they have lost their job during the pandemic.

Immigration

Trump is seeking to build on his staunchly conservative immigration policies in a second term. He famously promised during his 2016 campaign to build a wall on the U.S. southern border.

With construction in progress, the president and his administration seek to end sanctuary cities and block illegal immigrants from becoming eligible for taxpayer-funded welfare, healthcare, and free college tuition.

Trumps document states that the administration would seek to require new immigrants to be able to support themselves financially. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court backed a Trump administration rule that makes it harder for immigrants to apply for visas and green cards if they use government assistance such as food stamps, housing benefits or Medicare.

Trump also wants mandatory deportation for non-citizen gang members and vows to dismantle human trafficking networks that are smuggling people in through the U.S. border. He vows to bar U.S. companies from replacing U.S. citizen employees with lower-cost immigrant workers.

The Democratic platform criticizes exclusionary immigration policies and calls for creating a 21st-century immigration system. It calls to rescind Trumps national emergency and stop funding for the ineffective wall on the southern border.

Additionally, Democrats will terminate the Trump Administrations discriminatory travel and immigration bans and support legislation to ensure that no president can enact discriminatory bans ever again.

The Democrats will also reinstate and expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program that the Trump administration has tried to end that provides deportation protections for immigrants who came to the country illegally as children.

Democrats also oppose a Trump administration policy, which was struck down by a court earlier this summer, that would require asylum seekers to first seek asylum in countries they passed along the way before seeking asylum in the U.S.

We will reverse Trump Administration policies that prevent victims of gang and domestic violence, as well as LGBTQ+ people who are unsafe in their home countries, from being eligible to apply for asylum, the platform reads.

Religious freedom

Trumps second-term agenda document doesnt specifically address the topic of religious freedom even though the president and administration have touted themselves as champions of religious freedom at home and abroad.

In the 2016 campaign, Trump promised Christian conservatives that he would protect the religious freedom rights of individuals and organizations to uphold traditional stances on marriage and sexuality that oppose homosexuality.

Over the last four years, the Trump administration has enacted guidance instructing federal agencies to promote religious freedom as much as reasonably possible under the law. The Trump administration has upheld a broader view of religious freedom rights as highlighted under the First Amendment and Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

In the Democratic platform, Democrats seek a more narrow view of religious freedom as several cases have been fought in recent years against Christian business owners and organizations accused of discriminating against LGBT individuals as they tried to uphold policies that reflect their religious convictions.

Democrats believe that freedom of religion and the right to believe  or not to believe  are fundamental human rights. We will never use the protection of that right as a cover for discrimination, the platform reads.

The Trump administration has been supportive of exemptions for religious organizations that partner with governments to provide crucial services that would allow those businesses to operate following their religious convictions.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration enacted policies making it harder for faith groups to be federal contractors if they enforced employment policies that discriminate against LGBT individuals.

The Obama administration also enacted policies that mandated organizations to provide birth control in their healthcare plans and required faith-based hospitals, doctors and insurance providers to accommodate patients seeking transgender surgeries.

We condemn the Trump Administrations discriminatory actions against the LGBTQ+ community, including the dangerous and unethical regulations allowing doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies to discriminate against patients based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, the platform reads. Democrats will reverse this rulemaking and restore nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV/AIDS in health insurance, including coverage of all medically necessary care for gender transition.

We will also take action to guarantee that LGBTQ+ people and those living with HIV/AIDS have full access to needed health care and resources, including by requiring that federal health plans provide coverage for HIV/AIDS testing and treatment and HIV prevention medications like PrEP and PEP, gender confirmation surgery, and hormone therapy, the platform adds.



Abortion

While the Trump second-term agenda does not specifically mention the issue of abortion, the Democratic Platform has a section titled Securing Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice.

Democrats are committed to protecting and advancing reproductive health, rights, and justice, the platform reads. We believe unequivocally, like the majority of Americans, that every woman should be able to access high-quality reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion.

Trump has been touted by pro-life movement leaders as the most pro-life president in U.S. history and became the first president to attend and give a speech at the March for Life rally in Washington, D.C., in January.

His administration has passed several pro-life friendly policies that have restricted the promotion of abortion overseas and domestically.

Among many things, the Democratic platform calls for the repeal of the Title X rule enacted by the Trump administration that bans Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinics that receive Title X family planning funding from referring patients for or providing abortions.

As a result of the rule, the nations largest abortion provider announced last August that it would leave the Title X program rather than alter its policies.

The Democratic Party Platform also seeks the repeal of Trumps expanded Mexico City Policy, which prohibits federal funding to nonprofit organizations that perform and promote abortions overseas as a form of family planning.

It also calls for the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, a decades-old rule that prohibits tax dollars from being used to fund abortions. Presidential nominee Joe Biden reversed his longstanding support for the rule last year.

The platform also opposes Food and Drug Administration restrictions to medical abortion pills that the party claims are inconsistent with the most recent medical and scientific evidence and that do not protect public health.
Home News Mercy Culture Church Pastor Landon Schott: Youre not a Christian if you vote for a Democrat

Landon Schott, senior lead pastor of the multi-campus Mercy Culture Church in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas, doubled down Tuesday morning on a controversial declaration made Monday that Americans who vote for Democrats aren't Christian.

"I'm not a big Trump guy. I'm not a Republican  but there is only one party that is standing up at their convention saying that 'we're going to overturn Roe v. Wade.' Listen to me very clearly. I know people don't like this because most people aren't pastored, most people aren't confronted spiritually, and most pastors just care if people show up and give. And if they show up and give, then they don't care," Schott said in an Instagram video.

"I couldn't care less. I don't really care if you like me. I don't care if you go to our church. I care that you know God and that you're right with God. ... If you think that aligning with a party that is flippantly murdering children and celebrating it  friend, you are not on the Lord's side," he added.

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Schott planted Mercy Culture Church  a non-denominational, charismatic congregation  after he was blessed by controversial Gateway Church founder Robert Morris in 2017.

He now leads seven campuses with thousands of followers, including an online operation and a Spanish-speaking flock.

Pastor Tom Lane, a former executive pastor at Gateway Church who recently denied having any knowledge of child-sex abuse allegations currently being investigated against Morris, is an apostolic elder at Mercy Church.

In his initial Instagram post on Monday, Schott branded the Democratic Party as "The Demon Party" and delivered his very blunt opinion about Christians who support the party.

Citing Romans 1 and Revelation 3, he wrote:

Ive been asked over and over Pastor Landon are you saying youre not a Christian if you vote for a Democrat? LET ME BE VERY CLEAR THAT IS CORRECT!! YOU ARE NOT A BIBLE BELIEVING, JESUS FOLLOWING CHRISTIAN IF YOU SUPPORT THE GODLESS ROMANS 1 EVIL OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY!  Please, stop pretending youre a follow[er] of Jesus. Youre simply a Luke-warm pretend Christian!!!

Though he says he isn't a Republican and believes there are "evils on both sides," Schott stopped just short of endorsing the Republican Party. He listed the agenda of the Democratic Party, including the party's support for abortion, homosexuality and transgenderism.

The Democratic National Convention kicked off in Chicago, Illinois. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to accept the party's nomination to potentially become the first woman and the nation's 47th president on Thursday.

"It blows my mind how people that think they are following Jesus can be aligned with worldly celebrities, wicked world leaders, demonically led politicians that defy God, that defy God's word, that don't want the Bible in school, that don't want anything to do with God in society, but you think that you're a Christian? You think that you're a follower of Jesus?" Schott asked on Tuesday.

He addressed ongoing debates he has had with other Christians about issues like poverty, contending that Democrats aren't the only ones who care about the impoverished.

"That's not true. And if you look at these cities they are being destroyed, all of their policies aren't working. The most devastated cities in America are Democrat cities because their policies don't work. It's mind-boggling," he asserted.

The pastor responded to black Christians who say because they are black, they are "with her," referring to Harris.

"It's the same thing that gay Christians do. You try to put an identity before your Christianity. A gay Christian? There's no such thing. There's no category. I'm a black Christian? I'm sorry, there's no such category. There's no such category as a white Christian," he added.

"I pastor a very multicultural church. Maybe one of the most diverse churches in DFW. And they're there for one reason. It's not because I'm a white pastor or we have African American worship leaders. It's not because we even try to be diverse. It's because we built a church around the presence of God. Likeminded people who love God's word and love his spirit."

Schott is far from the first pastor to make similar claims that Christians can't vote for Democrats.

A church-state watchdog group filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service in 2022 over a sermon that controversial Tennessee Pastor Greg Locke preached suggesting Christians shouldn't vote for a Democrat.

"Though Locke stated he was not a 'full-fledged Republican,' he clearly told his congregants to vote against the Democrats, from the pulpit of his church," reads the letter written by Ian Smith, an attorney with Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Pastor Alton R. Williams of World Overcomers Outreach Ministries Church in Memphis made pointed comments during a recent sermon, saying that he couldn't vote for a party that is "for all kinds of sexual perversions."

"I can't vote for a party that is going to accept transgenders going into women's restrooms," he added. "I can't do it. I can't go with a party that wants to cut little girls' breasts off to make them boys. I can't go with a party that says you can be a boy today and a girl tomorrow. ... I can't support a party that wants to remove God from its party platform. You in trouble when a nation forgets God."
Home News Police pay pro-life activist nearly $17K over wrongful arrest for silent prayer

A pro-life activist arrested for silently praying outside an abortion clinic has been awarded a financial settlement from police. Yet concerns remain about the rights of abortion opponents who want to silently protest the killing of pre-born babies in the United Kingdom.

The law firm ADF UK announced Monday that Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a pro-life activist who was arrested multiple times for silently praying outside an abortion clinic in England, had received a settlement of 13,000 ($16,893) from West Midlands Police as part of what the religious freedom legal nonprofit characterized as an acknowledgment of her unjust treatment.

There is no place for Orwells thought police in 21st century Britain, and thanks to legal support I received from ADF UK, Im delighted that the settlement that I have received today acknowledges that, said Vaughan-Spruce. Yet despite this victory, I am deeply concerned that this violation could be repeated at the hands of other police forces.

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According to Vaughan-Spruce, Silent prayer is not a crime. Nobody should be arrested merely for the thoughts they have in their heads  yet this happened to me twice at the hands of the West Midlands Police, who explicitly told me that prayer is an offense.

Vaughan-Spruce was first arrested in December 2022 for silently praying outside an abortion clinic in Birmingham for allegedly violating a Public Space Protection Order that prohibits people from protesting, namely engaging in any act of approval or disapproval, with respect to issues related to abortion services, by any means within a certain distance of an abortion clinic. A police officer asked her why she was standing outside the facility and if she was praying.

I might be praying in my head, not out loud, she responded. Police took Vaughan-Spruce into custody after she declined to go to the police station voluntarily. While the charges were dropped, Vaughan-Spruce was arrested again outside the same clinic three months later.

When officers confronted Vaughan-Spruce outside the abortion clinic in March 2023, the pro-life activist defended her presence there. Im not protesting, Im not engaging in any of the activities prohibited, she insisted.

Though officers claimed her prayer was an offense, she stressed that she was merely engaging in silent prayer.

Youre still engaging in prayer. Its an offense, one of the officers replied. The charges in connection to these two arrests were dropped last September.

In January, ADF UK released video footage documenting a third encounter between Vaughan-Spruce and police officers across the street from the abortion clinic. An officer asked her if she was protesting and she answered no.

In response to an order that she should carry out her actions elsewhere, Vaughan-Spruce maintained that she was not doing any actions but simply thinking silently in my head. The officer continued to press her about the reason for her presence outside the abortion facility, which prompted her to acknowledge that she was praying for those who have been hurt by abortion.

Even though Vaughan-Spruce detailed how she had been arrested twice, gone to court and been acquitted, and received an email from the police telling me Im allowed to be in this area, the officer claimed that she was still breaching the Public Space Protection Order and ordered her to move outside the exclusion zone. Vaughan-Spruce, however, maintained that she was within her rights to remain standing in silence. The video then shows the officer issuing her a fixed penalty notice.

Although ADF UK Senior Legal Counsel Jeremiah Igunnubole said he was delighted that West Midlands Police have acknowledged wrongdoing and injustice in the treatment of Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, he and her both expressed concern about the prospect of other pro-life activists facing the same treatment in the future due to the left-wing Labour Party recently taking power in Britain.

ADF UK noted that the Labour government is set to roll out the Public Order Act, which bans all forms of influencing within 150 meters of an abortion clinic. A buffer zone policy is set to be rolled out [by] the government imminently  the language of which is inherently unclear, and will likely lead to further violations against the freedom to pray, peacefully converse or offer help near abortion facilities, Vaughan-Spruce warned.

Iggunubole added: The fact that the government is reportedly set to name silent prayer as a criminal offense, brazenly contrary to their commitment to international human rights law, exposes the crisis of free speech and thought in the UK today. Law enforcers are dutybound to vigilantly protect, not prosecute, the peaceful exercise of fundamental rights.
Home Opinion David French, Kamala Harris and the bizarre story of the failed messiah Shabbetai Tzvi

As an unashamedly pro-life Christian who believes life begins at conception, New York Times journalist David French has announced that, Im going to vote for Kamala Harris in 2024 and  ironically enough  Im doing it in part to try to save conservatism. With all respect to Mr. French, with whom Ive dialogued privately about this, I find his position both indefensible and bizarre.

For my part, I am no starry-eyed, adorer of former President Trump, for whom I voted twice.

In June 2022, I expressed my preference for another GOP candidate rather than Trump.

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And on January 6, 2021, as the Capitol riot was taking place, I stated that Trump was morally responsible for the mayhem, not because he intended for it to happen but because of his irresponsible rhetoric in the previous months.

In fact, Trump supporters who read my columns on a regular basis know that, to their dismay and even disgust, whenever I speak well of Trumps accomplishments, I offer a series of caveats and disclaimers.

Still, no matter how much disdain French may have for Trump and his most ardent MAGA followers, I wholeheartedly reject the idea that a pro-life Christian can cast a vote for a candidate who is the most radical pro-abortion candidate in our nations history.

To vote for her is to support the possible federalizing of something worse than Roe, not to mention packing the Supreme Court or changing it in other, irreparable ways.

When it came to the ill-fated pro-life evangelicals for Biden, whom I also took to task, they naively felt that they could influence Mr. Biden to change his point of view. They were sadly disappointed and ultimately dismantled their website.

Frenchs approach is somewhat different, arguing that there were fewer abortions under recent Democratic presidents than Republican presidents, as if voting for a pro-abortion candidate is the key to reducing abortions.

For French, though, the ultimate goal is undoing the damage done to the conservative movement by Donald Trump, under whose leadership the GOP has now gutted its pro-life and pro-family platforms. And in order to hasten that change, French will vote for Harris.

That leads me to the tragic story of the failed mystical Messiah Shabbetai Tzvi (1626-1676). Hailing from Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey), his Messianic claims ignited the Jewish world as he amassed a large following, including some of the leading rabbis of his day along with many wealthy and prominent Jews. Could Tzvi be the long-awaited deliverer?

Confident in his mission and calling, he traveled to Constantinople, demanding that the sultan, the leader of the Ottoman Empire, acknowledge his kingship and rule. Instead, Tzvi was imprisoned, where his Messianic fame continued to grow as he entertained visitors from around the world.

Eventually, the sultan had enough of all the drama, demanding that Tzvi convert to Islam or die. Shockingly, he chose to convert, justifying his actions with reference to rabbinic traditions connected with the coming of the Messiah.

According to these traditions, the Messiah would come when the world was either totally righteous or totally unrighteous. Tzvi reasoned that, since the world did not prove worthy of accepting him, he would convert to Islam, thereby hastening the final apostasy. (What a convenient way to save his life.)

Yet even that is not the end of the story.

Some of his followers followed suit and also converted to Islam in an effort to hasten the redemption, actually forming a sect within Islam called the Donmeh  a sect that apparently still exists to this day. These sectarians lived fully as Muslims but secretly practiced certain Jewish rites, along with reciting daily prayers in recognition of Tzvi as the Messiah.

Truth really is stranger than fiction.

Yet it was the story of Tzvis conversion to Islam that came to mind when I learned that French would be voting for Vice President Harris.

To be sure, I do not equate his vote for Harris with a full-blown apostasy to Islam, as was the case with Tzvi. But the idea that, by voting for someone like Harris (something that, to my knowledge, French would never have countenanced before his Never Trump days), French would somehow help hasten the restoration of a truly conservative movement strikes me as similar to the logic of Tzvi. In the sarcastic words of Paul (which he quotes only to reject), Let us do evil that good may result (Romans 3:8).

French wrote, Im often asked by Trump voters if Im still conservative, and I respond that I cant vote for Trump precisely because I am conservative. I loathe sex abuse, pornography and adultery. Trump has brought those vices into the mainstream of the Republican Party. I want to cultivate a culture that values human life from conception through natural death. Yet America became more brutal and violent during Trumps term. I want to defend liberal democracy from authoritarian aggression, yet Trump would abandon our allies and risk our most precious alliances.

Obviously, I could push back against some of the broad strokes with which French paints here, also asking if he really believes that a Harris presidency would do more to stand with Israel, to stand against China, and to secure our borders. But as one who also grieves over the deleterious effects of the Trump presidency, in particular as his presidency negatively affected the witness of the Evangelical church, Im not here to defend Trump.

I can only say that Frenchs defection to the Democratic side for the purpose of helping to restore a conservative GOP, even if his defection is only for one election, is eerily reminiscent of the spiritual descent of Shabbetai Tzvi.

Had French simply encouraged Christians not to vote for Trump so as to pave the wave for his defeat, rather than casting a vote for the most left-leaning, pro-abortion candidate in our nations history, he would have made a much more credible case.
Home News Have false gods infiltrated American politics? 'Politics in the Pews' podcast explores

Get your tickets today to Politics in the Pews with speakers Sam Brownback and Ralph Reed, among others, at Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas, on Aug. 27. Learn more here: politicsinthepews.com

In the most recent episode of The Christian Post's new podcast "Politics in the Pews," host and Christian Post reporter Ian Giatti explored the concerns some Christians might have regarding the faith of the candidates running for president and the potential spiritual dangers of religious syncretism in politics.

Listen to Politics in the Pews here

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In the third episode, titled "Kamala, Waheguru, and Other False Gods: The Identity Campaign of 2024," Giatti discusses these issues with GOP official Harmeet Dhillon, British Catholic cleric Fr. Calvin Robinson, Family Research Council Senior Fellow Meg Kilgannon, Pastor Rob Ketterling of River Valley Church in Minnesota, CatholicVote.org president Brian Burch and political consultant Ryan James Girdusky.

Giatti begins with the backlash to Dhillon's formal invocation of Waheguru  the supreme deity of Sikhism  at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, last month.

The last prayer offered during the convention's opening night featured Dillon warbling a Sikh prayer to Waheguru while dressed in traditional Indian garb. A Dharmic religion that originated in India, Sikhism claims approximately 25 million adherents worldwide, though only about 500,000 live in the United States, according to the Sikh Coalition.

Dhillon's prayer to the Sikh god, whom she described as "the one true god" during the prayer, drew backlash from some who accused the pro-Trump attorney of effectively invoking a demonic entity masquerading as God, prompting Dillon to claim to detractors that "we all believe in the same God."

Dillon also pushed back on her critics during an interview with CP, rejecting the notion that her prayer was a symptom of encroaching multiculturalism and diversity.

"We need all the blessings we can get," she said. "This country is in dire circumstances right now. President Trump was just shot. My husband and I prayed together when he was shot, and that is what we do, faithful people in this country."

Noting how her prayer to Waheguru was preceded at the convention by Christian prayers, she said, "If you're Christian, I don't know how you could feel left out. There was something for everyone in that program, and I have bobbed my head and said 'amen' literally thousands of times at Republican events because I respect all people of faith."

"My faith respects all people of faith. We don't proselytize. It does not bother me that the majority of Americans pray differently than me," she added.

British Catholic cleric Calvin Robinson, however, warned that any attempt to conflate false gods with the biblical God ignores the exclusive claims of Jesus Christ and risks leading people into error and damnation, even if done so in the name of political unity.

"We've reached an age of universalism, where everyone thinks that all gods the same, all religions are the same; we're all worshiping the same thing, it doesn't really matter," said Robinson, who left the Church of England over its increasing liberalism to join the Old Catholic Church.

Noting how Christ claims to be "the Way, the Truth, and the Life," and that nobody comes to the Father except through Him, Robinson said that "the loving thing to do is to challenge these pagan ideas of universalism and Hinduism, Sikhism, Mohammedanism  all of all of the -isms. As good Christians, as faithful Christians, as loving Christians, we should be challenging them."

Ketterling, the founder and lead pastor of River Valley Church in the Minneapolis area, said he was discouraged to see GOP leaders "promoting the prayer in the name of a false deity."

"But then I realized that I could share the platform with somebody who has a different view of me, even religiously, even somebody who I believe would be worshiping an idol or a false god," he added, noting the importance he would place on having his own ideas represented on the platform too.

He noted, however, that had he been at the RNC Convention, he would not have bowed his head during a prayer to another god and would likely have started to make for the exit.

Giatti went on to note how just days after the Sikh invocation at the RNC, President Joe Biden stepped aside as the presumptive Democratic nominee to be replaced by Vice President Kamala Devi Harris, whose given names also allude to goddesses of the subcontinent.

Giatti noted that for her supporters, Harris' diverse background "represents a historic opportunity when it comes to identity politics," but noted her support for far-left legislation such as the Equality Act.

Meg Kilgannon, who serves as a senior fellow for education studies at Family Research Council, suggested supporters of the Equality Act such as Harris try to use civil rights as a "skin suit" to enshrine sexuality and gender identity protections into law, which she warned would infringe upon religious liberty.

"It's not just that we want to go to church on Sunday, it's that our faith informs every part of our lives, and so it's impossible for us to segregate our beliefs from our everyday life," Kilgannon said. "We can't do that, not if we're living authentically, right? And do we get to be who we are? Do we get to love who we love? I love God, right? I love my fellow man."

Noting how The Associated Press has described Harris as "Baptist with a Jewish husband and a faith that traces back to MLK and Gandhi," Giatti said that Harris used the Bible in an attempt to buttress her radically liberal position on abortion.

CatholicVote.org President Brian Burch described Harris as "the most anti-Catholic nominee in history" because of her views on abortion and other key issues.

"Kamala Harris represents the most vile anti-Catholic threat of any leading candidate for president in American history. She is a candidate of the hard left, and her record and her words demonstrate a gross anti-Catholic bias and bigotry," Burch said.

Ryan James Girdusky, a political consultant and Roman Catholic who worked for the Protect Ohio Values PAC that helped elect Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, maintained to CP that he questions whether Harris has a deep faith at all.

"I don't even know if Kamala is Christian, I actually don't know that answer," he said. "She is obviously in an interfaith marriage with a Jew, which is fine, but she is also somebody who said she has celebrated Kwanzaa, although that is clearly a lie, because the years when she said she had celebrated, it wasn't invented yet  it's a completely made-up Afro-nationalist holiday."

Girdusky pointed out that Harris "has never hinted really around faith very much whatsoever," and that such was likely unnecessary in the liberal San Francisco political world from which she emerged.

"But I don't believe Kamala Harris has a deep faith, nor has she ever hat tipped to people of faith. I don't believe Trump has a very deep connection to faith, either. However, he knew where the voters were, so he had no problem making peace with their issues. I don't think Kamala is going to do that," he added.

Girdusky also touched on the far-left radical views of Harris' running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a member of the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He said Walz's views reflect the "lunatic" concerns of "the online left, people who say insanely nutty things" such as demanding tampons in high school boys' restrooms.

"There's nothing that he doesn't try to chase the most lunatic, insane portion of the left down, and that's extremely problematic."

Ketterling remembered how his church was straining under the boot of Walzs authoritarian COVID-19 mandates, prompting him to join forces with Catholic Archbishop Bernard Hebda to declare their churches essential and reopen regardless of gubernatorial decree.

"What I told the church, I said, 'We're not defying our authority. We're defying the governor who has stepped out from authority,'" Ketterling recalled. "When I think about him on a national level, it was very authoritarian. It was not bipartisan."

Ketterling also suggested that Harris is the epitome of religious syncretism, which he defined as the "false belief [that] all roads lead to God and everything is good." If she is elected, he said, "I do think that it'd be a step in the direction of saying we're rejecting the things of God."

Harmeet Dillon, however, suggested that part of the political process necessitates the "building of relationships" even among people with differing theological beliefs.

Calvin Robinson echoed Dillon by asserting that Christians can by all means work together with those of other beliefs insofar as they align on their politics, but warned against compromising on the exclusive claims of Jesus Christ as an expression of "one, universal truth."

Closing on the idea of "universal truth," Giatti observed that "in an election chock-full of political and theological syncretism  one in which politicians often strive to be all things to all people  it just may be the one thing that could inspire Christians to cast their vote this November."
Campaigners strongly criticise Scotland's assisted suicide plans

Sharp criticism has been levelled against plans to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland.

In their formal response to Liam McArthur's Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, the Care Not Killing (CNK) alliance called the proposals "uncontrollable, unethical, and unnecessary".

The Bill would allow terminally ill people aged 16 and over, who have been living in Scotland for at least 12 months and are registered with a GP, to seek assisted suicide.

CNK CEO Dr Gordon Macdonald hit out at the proposed eligibility criteria, saying, "No-one should be eligible for assisted dying."

He pointed to places like Oregon, Canada, the Netherlands and Belgium where the criteria for assisted suicide has widened considerably since first being introduced.

He expressed scepticism about proposed safeguards and argued that they could lead to abuses, noting that in Oregon some people who died by assisted suicide admitted to feeling like a burden on their loved ones.

"It should remain unlawful to supply people with a substance for the purpose of ending their own life," he said.

In his submission, Dr Macdonald also questioned proposals to record the terminal illness as the cause of death, rather than the assisted suicide, saying this amounted to "mandatory false reporting".

"What consideration has been given to the conscience rights of doctors and registrars who do not wish to falsify records?" he said.

"This provision could be vulnerable to a challenge under Article Nine of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) - freedom of thought, conscience and religion."
Police pay-out for Christian woman arrested for silent prayer

A Christian woman wrongfully arrested twice for praying silently within an abortion clinic buffer zone has received 13,000 in compensation from West Midlands Police.

The force settled with Isabel Vaughan-Spruce after she claimed wrongful arrests, false imprisonments, assault and battery in relation to the search of her person by officers, a breach of her human rights, and bail conditions branded "onerous" by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF UK) which supported her case.

She was first arrested in November 2022 for praying silently in her head in a buffer zone around a clinic in Birmingham that banned all expressions of "approval or disapproval with respect to issues related to abortion services, by any means". She was arrested and tried before being acquitted by Birmingham Magistrates' Court in February 2023.

Just a few weeks after her acquittal, she was arrested again for praying silently in her head within an abortion clinic buffer zone. Six police officers attended the scene, with one telling her that the offence had been "engaging in prayer".

Commenting on the settlement, Vaughan-Spruce said, "There is no place for Orwell's 'thought police' in 21st Century Britain, and thanks to legal support I received from ADF UK, I'm delighted that the settlement that I have received today acknowledges that. Yet despite this victory, I am deeply concerned that this violation could be repeated at the hands of other police forces."

The Telegraph has reported that the Home Office is considering including a ban on silent prayer in buffer zone legislation, and revising draft guidance introduced by the previous Conservative government which said that silent prayer and consensual communication should be allowed.

Vaughan-Spruce expressed concern that her victory may be short-lived.

"Silent prayer is not a crime. Nobody should be arrested merely for the thoughts they have in their heads  yet this happened to me twice at the hands of the West Midlands Police, who explicitly told me that 'prayer is an offence'," she said.

She continued, "Our culture is shifting towards a clampdown on viewpoint diversity, with Christian thought and prayer increasingly under threat of censorship.

"A 'buffer zone' policy is set to be rolled out by the government imminently  the language of which is inherently unclear, and will likely lead to further violations against the freedom to pray, or peacefully converse or offer help near abortion facilities."

Adam Smith-Connor, another pro-lifer arrested for silent prayer, is still awaiting the outcome of his case, which is also being supported by ADF UK.

Jeremiah Igunnubole, Legal Counsel for ADF UK, said the government's plan to outlaw silent prayer was "brazenly contrary to their commitment to international human rights law" and "exposes the crisis of free speech and thought in the UK today".

"Law enforcers are dutybound to vigilantly protect, not prosecute, the peaceful exercise of fundamental rights," he said.

"Yet across the country, Christians exercising their basic rights to peaceful expression have faced criminal charges for silently praying, or offering consensual conversations to, women in need. We are delighted that West Midlands Police have acknowledged wrongdoing and injustice in the treatment of Isabel Vaughan-Spruce.

"We now await the judgment of the court in the case of Adam Smith-Connor  another individual arrested for his silent thoughts. Britain's future depends on our ability to accommodate different beliefs and viewpoints. Censorship violates human rights."

Tory peer and former cabinet minister Lord Frost said it was "incredible" that people were being arrested for "thoughtcrime" in modern Britain. He said Vaughan-Spruce's arrests had been "unjust" and that he was "glad" she had received compensation.

He shared concerns about the prospect of silent prayer being criminalised, warning that it would lead to more cases like Vaughan-Spruce's.

He said that if the ban becomes law then "not just freedom of speech but freedom of thought will be under threat".

"It is hard to imagine a more absurd and dangerous situation," he said.

"It would be much better to stick to the sensible approach in the previous Home Secretary's draft guidance, which proposed a much better balance between the various competing rights and interests. If the government scraps it, then it will be clear to all that its commitment to civil liberties and fundamental freedoms is paper-thin," he said.

Tory peer Lord Farmer said Vaughan-Spruce's arrests were "a travesty of justice" and that it was "right" to receive compensation from the police.

"A country like ours, which places such a high value on human rights and freedom of speech should be horrified at its citizens being arrested for their silent thoughts or prayer," he said.

"But the wider issue remains that we are living through an undemocratic clampdown on Christian speech, expression and thought in the UK which is set to intensify when the government rolls out 'buffer zones' nationwide.

"If pro-life thought is considered prosecutable today, what other thought crimes might face similar measures tomorrow?"
Prolific Church of England hymnist Timothy Dudley-Smith dies at 97

(CP) Timothy Dudley-Smith, a former bishop in the Church of England and the prolific hymn writer behind such songs as "Lord, Through the Years" and "Tell all, my Soul," has died at age 97.

Dudley-Smith, credited with having written the lyrics for approximately 400 hymns, died in the early hours of Aug. 12, according to the Diocese of Norwich. He is survived by three children and four grandchildren.

The Rt. Rev. Graham Usher, bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich, said in a statement that Dudley-Smith was "much-respected" and "particularly involved with education and vocations within the diocese."

"When I became Bishop of Norwich, Bishop Timothy wrote a most warm and encouraging letter, and we corresponded further about his passion for the environment," said Usher.

"Of course, he was a well-known hymn-writer, including the blockbuster 'Tell out my soul' which has encouraged many people in their Christian faith or to add their 'yes' to God's call in their lives and make a commitment to following Jesus."

Born Dec. 26, 1926, in Manchester, Dudley-Smith was educated at Cambridge and ordained in 1950 to a curacy at Northumberland Heath in Kent, according to an obituary posted by The Church Times. He would later serve as archdeacon in Norwich and bishop of Thetford.

Dudley-Smith supported the evangelistic efforts of the Rev. Billy Graham, actively helping with the American preacher's effort when he came to London in 1954.

In addition to being bishop of Thetford from 1981-1991, Dudley-Smith also served as general secretary of the Church Pastoral Aid Society from 1965-1973 and director of the Evangelical Alliance from 1987-1992.

Dudley-Smith said that he did not have "musical ability," noting that he only wrote the lyrics for the hundreds of hymns credited to him. Nevertheless, for his widely popular sacred music, he would be awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2003 for his "services to hymnody."

"It is the hymn writer's privilege to offer to the worshippers words in which to clothe and express the aspirations and emotions of the heart," said Dudley-Smith, as quoted by The Christian Institute.

He believed that a good hymn "must be true to divine revelation and true to Christian experience," and this included being "true to the revelation of the Bible  whether a revelation of the nature of God, of the person and work of Christ, or the dignity, degradation and destiny of men and women."

To mark his 80th birthday in 2006, fellow hymnist Canon Michael Saward wrote about the extensive accomplishments of the former bishop.

"Everyone knows Tell out my soul (May 1961) and Lord, for the years (February 1967)," said Saward, as quoted by The Living Church. "Yet, of all today's hymn-writers, he is probably alone in producing the highest percentage of Rolls Royce texts and a very small scrap-yard of old bangers."

 The Christian Post
Six young evangelicals on the 2024 election

Since Donald Trump secured 80-81% of the white evangelical vote in 2016, strategists have known better than to discount religion as a factor in national elections. But while the 2020 faith vote largely fell along similar lines, it's not yet clear how the recent flip on the Democratic ticket will impact younger generations' political leanings.

A 2022 survey of young people by nonprofit Neighborly Faith found that evangelical youth were much more likely to trust Donald Trump (40%) than Joe Biden (16%). Still, some surveys  including a 2021 poll from Barna Group and other scholars  indicate that self-identified evangelicals between the ages of 18 to 29 share a wide range of beliefs and policy preferences and are more likely than older evangelicals to support issues like fighting climate change. But despite the apparent diversification of younger evangelicals' views, researcher Ryan Burge argues in his 2022 book that it would be a mistake to assume they are more moderate than earlier generations.

To better understand their thoughts on the 2024 election, Religion News Service spoke to several evangelicals in their 20s and early 30s about how their faith shapes their political values and potential pick for president. While they prioritized a range of policy issues  from immigration to abortion and health care to climate change  these young adults routinely called for candidates to display authenticity, integrity and dialogue and repeatedly insisted that young evangelicals, as a group, are not a monolith.

Kyle Chu, 22, Wellsville, Pennsylvania

Raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, and currently living in Eastern Pennsylvania, recent college graduate Kyle Chu is studying for the LSAT, does jiu-jitsu  and is not thrilled by either presidential candidate. "A lot of politicians' speech is extreme, radical," he said. "Whereas these problems are very complex." For most of his life, Chu attended a nondenominational church that was culturally conservative but didn't discuss politics head-on. While at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Chu realized political issues aren't always straightforward and began to view living sustainably in hopes of delaying climate change as a matter of faith.

"It's hypocritical that we call ourselves a majority Christian society, but we don't seem concerned about how our individual actions aggregated together have an immense effect on the world and other communities," he said.

This spring, Chu worked on a campaign for House of Representatives hopeful Janelle Stelson, a Democrat. But his experience on the other side of the aisle left him with the sense that too many politicians prioritize attacking their opponents over proposing actionable solutions. He wants a candidate with high integrity, who acknowledges the nuance of political issues and is willing to dialogue with people of all views. Right now, he'd vote for Harris if forced to choose, but he doesn't think either candidate fits the bill.

Isaac Willour, 22, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

A onetime political science major at Grove City College in Pennsylvania who now works in political finance, these days Isaac Willour sees his politics as center-right. Willour is the son of a pastor in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and his faith informs his appreciation for political takes that feature nuance and reason. "I'm operating off a world view in which human life matters, in which individual liberty is actually meaningful. It's an extension of the Imago Dei," he said.

Willour strongly believes in protecting the rights of the unborn by opposing abortion, thinks a healthy economy is vital and is concerned about the "general sympathy with gender ideology" he observes in the broader culture. It's in part for these reasons that, when asked to choose, Willour said he'd vote for the Trump-Vance ticket, despite his lack of enthusiasm for what he sees as the Trump campaign's indulgence of populism. "Kamala Harris, I completely disagree with her vision for the country," he said, pointing to her track record on policing and racism. "I'm voting for which party could create the environment that is most conducive to true conservatism."

Willour also noted that within evangelicalism  and within conservatism  there's a "radical spectrum" of ideas often ignored by simplistic portrayals of evangelicals, who, he said, by and large are "normal people" who attend church regularly and are highly involved in charity and volunteerism.

Mary Parker, 22, Birmingham, Alabama

Mary Parker spent her childhood in a conservative Methodist family surrounded by peanut and cotton farms in a small Alabama town. Today, she's an Alabama delegate for the upcoming Democratic National Convention, where, "unless something drastic happens," she'll be voting for Harris and Walz, she said.

She began developing political sensibilities at an early age, thanks in large part to the internet, where she was exposed to ideas about feminism and marriage equality. These days, she aligns with the Democratic Party's stance on most major issues but cares especially about the party's stance on mass incarceration, immigration and the war in Gaza. "I see Jesus very much in the immigrants that are not allowed to come back to this country and are separated from their families. I see Jesus in the rehabilitated prisoner that's stuck serving a life without a parole sentence for a nonviolent offense, I see Jesus in the person on death row, and I see Jesus in, you know, the Palestinian children who are now homeless and orphans," she said.

Parker is also concerned about the politicization of Christianity. She thinks it's crucial that Christians avoid framing political differences as theological disagreements of salvific significance.

A veteran and a freelance photographer, Jacob Pesci is a self-described "Bernie Bro" who says he'll begrudgingly vote for Harris in November. A lifelong evangelical, he grew up in a conservative family in the Bethel Park suburb of Pittsburgh, made famous for the Trump assassination attempt.

After joining the Navy shortly after high school and spending years as a hospital corpsman with the Marine Corps, Pesci's political values shifted as his high views of the U.S. military shattered. Rather than being the "good guys" committed to caring for humanity, in his experience, the military glorified violence, he said. These days, he's interested in a political candidate who he believes resembles Christ's character. "That's what concerns me the most. How do you care about people?" asked Pesci. "Bernie wanted to see the least of these cared for, where I see most political candidates not caring for the least of these. They're caring for the party and power and political correctness rather than, 'let's make change, and make sure everyone has a right to a dignified life.'"

Jacklyn Mae, 27, Cincinnati, Ohio

To Jacklyn Mae, abortion is a human rights violation, a visceral life-or-death issue, and something her faith, reasoning and conscience won't allow her to support. "If you're not a pro-life candidate then I'm sorry, but you don't get my vote," she said. If both presidential candidates had equal anti-abortion policies, she'd evaluate her choice based on their support for a smaller government, Second Amendment rights and "traditional family values," she said.

Her own values have been shaped by her upbringing in Northwest Indiana. She was raised in the Christian Reformed Church  a historically Dutch Reformed denomination  before her family joined the United Reformed Church, a more conservative denominational offshoot, when she was in middle school. She currently attends a congregation in the Presbyterian Church in America.

Her mother, a NICU nurse, was "very involved in the pro-life movement when I was growing up," Jacklyn said, and she is still involved with the local Right to Life group in the town where she was raised. Still, while her values are leading her to vote for Donald Trump, she doesn't see either candidate as ideal. "Would I be friends with Trump in real life? Probably not," she said. But, she added, some of the most "impactful pro-life actions" happened because of his administration.

"At the end of the day, the Lord is on the throne. That's the mentality I've had to have," she said. "You're just kind of hoping and praying that the candidate that's elected will, in the end, continue to make more good choices than ones that will impact people negatively." (Jacklyn asked to have her last name off the record due to the nature of her job.)

Grace Pixton, 21, Waco, Texas

Grace Pixton knows she won't vote for Donald Trump due to what she sees as his lack of respect for women and other people groups, but that doesn't mean she's sold on Harris, either. In general, she's feeling overwhelmed by the political climate. "I think I haven't fully processed everything, given the nature of the summer, and having a candidate drop, and having things change, and having an almost presidential assassination," she said. "It's hard to say which way I'm leaning."

As a child in Portland, Oregon, politics were a part of the atmosphere, but it wasn't until her senior year of high school, when her city shut down, and later as an intern at the Christian think tank The Center for Public Justice that she began to intentionally sort out how her faith informed her politics.

She's still undecided about where she lands on issues like immigration and abortion, though she thinks the care with which candidates frame such issues is important. She said many of her peers are frustrated by the strong "either/or" messaging they're surrounded by. "There has to be a better middle ground, where we know how to care, love and come to disagreement and recognize the value of human life and care for people who are different from us, without walking away and feeling like, if I don't vote under this political party, I can't be a good Christian," she said.

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Kiwibanks Hamish Rumbold has been named CIO of the Year at the 2024 New Zealand CIO Awards.

Rumbold, who finished up with Kiwibank last month as chief digital and technology officer, took out the title at the gala awards dinner at Aucklands Spark Arena on Tuesday night.

The awards were held as part of the New Zealand CIO Summit, produced by IDC and Brightstar.
Britains new Labour government is the latest legislature to consider how it might make it easier for digital workers using always-on technologies to turn them off at the end of the working day.

In Labours Plan to Make Work Pay, published before it won the UKs July general election, it promised to address the issue, saying We will bring in the right to switch off so working from home does not result in homes turning into 24/7 offices.

And this week it brought the issue back into the spotlight, with a government spokesperson telling the BBC, Good employers understand that for workers to stay motivated and productive they do need to be able to switch off, and a culture presenteeism can be damaging to productivity, a government spokesperson told the BBC on Monday.
Aboneaza-te la rubricile dorite si primeste zilnic notificari pe email cu link-uri la articolele care au fost adaugate in ultimele 24 de ore. Notificarile vor fi expediate la adresa indicata mai jos. Daca doresti sa schimbi adresa - o poti modifica editand informatia de profil aici.
Some 400 charities in Scotland were removed from the devolved nations register last year, according to a new report.

The Scottish charity regulator OSCR this week published its annual report and accounts for the year to March 2024.

OSCR said it removed 400 inactive charities from the Scottish register after they failed to submit their accounts, compared to 759 which were removed the year before.

The number of concerns OSCR received which were not appropriate for it to deal with reduced by 5% compared to the previous year, the regulator reported.

It said that all applications from charities to make changes such as updating their name or purposes were completed within 28 days.

OSCR renewed calls for its powers to be extended further following the introduction of the Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023.

It urged Scottish ministers to allow the transfer of charity assets to ensure that resources continue to be used for the public benefit and allow the strike off of inactive Scottish charitable incorporated organisations.

Challenging period

Marieke Dwarshuis, OSCR chair, said: Looking back over the year, I can see clear evidence of OSCRs achievements and hard work during a challenging period.

By working in a flexible manner to meet changing demands and priorities, and embracing the need to implement operational efficiencies, we are in a strong position to regulate in a way which builds trust and confidence in Scottish charities.

I have no doubt that this has been greatly enabled by the strong and positive leadership which has been shown by Maureen Mallon, who retired from her post as OSCRs chief executive in June 2024.

We are all looking forward to working with her successor, Katriona Carmichael, on the next stage of OSCRs journey, building on the fantastic work done during 2023-24.

sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
The Race Equality Foundation has announced its decision to leave social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, and encouraged other organisations to follow suit.

It said it has made this decision in response to the platforms role in amplifying disinformation, particularly in relation to the recent unrest in Southport and the north of England.

Despite numerous complaints about racist, Islamophobic, and other discriminatory content, the platform has failed to take adequate action, its statement reads.

Furthermore, recent changes to the way likes are amplified have only served to exacerbate the spread of hate speech.

The foundation, which joined the platform in June 2010 and has around 10,300 followers, said the recent shift in the platforms management has led to a significant increase in the visibility of racist content.

It said that other social media platforms are not without fault, but the foundation has determined that X has become a particularly toxic environment for minority communities.

Jabeer Butt, CEO of the Foundation, said: It is increasingly difficult for us to remain on a platform that not only tolerates but also amplifies extreme and harmful views.

In the past, we could report racism on Twitter and expect some action to be taken.

However, the surge in unaddressed complaints over the last few months suggests that the platform now views racist abuse as an acceptable, even valuable, form of engagement. This is something we cannot and will not endorse.

He added that moving forward, the charity will be looking into other platforms such as Threads to ensure that its key audience of ethnic minority Britons, sector leaders and policymakers can receive updates.

The foundation does not take this decision lightly. We understand that X is a critical tool to engage with the public. As a result, we call on others to follow our decision of leaving the platform.

Leaving could potentially give voices of hate more power

Meanwhile, the Directory of Social Change (DSC) has explained its decision to remain on the social media platform.

Gabriella Poznansky , senior digital content and communications officer at DSC, wrote in a blog: Like many of you, we have been horrified and shocked by the appalling racist and Islamophobic riots and we are very clear that is what they were.

The blog adds: It is also true to say that the hate proliferated via social media platforms, primarily Twitter/X and Facebook amplified calls to violent action.

This was further exacerbated by the owner of Twitter/X, Elon Musk, apparently supporting the violence we saw on our streets. And this is deeply concerning.

We have a social media strategy which includes these platforms, although part of that strategy is to focus more on LinkedIn than on Twitter/X or Facebook and other platforms.

But like many of you, we have paused again to reflect on our use of social media in general and these platforms in particular.

DSC has decided to stay, stating: It is clear to us that our audience is primarily charities and their supporters who engage and interact with us very positively, and the things we are saying and doing get spread widely, as is also the case for other charities.

It was also noticeable that for all the hate on Twitter/X and Facebook, there is also a huge wave of positive engagement.

Indeed, many of those affected by the riots, and the charities that support them, received an enormous amount of love and support via the same platform that spread the hate.

In a way, we see it partly as resistance to hatred, as leaving could potentially give voices of hate more power and create an echo chamber of conspiracy.

So whilst we were tempted to leave, after considerable thought we felt that leaving would cause more harm to us and the sector than staying.

The blog adds: We are clear that this is not an easy decision for charities to make and we respect your decisions whatever they are.

sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- After several years of cobbling together funding from various state and federal sources, the dilapidated Hillside Dairy will finally be coming down.

With news of the arrival of a $274,500 grant from the Ohio Department of Development through its Demolition and Site Revitalization Program, city officials can now get around to reimagining the Mayfield Triangle.
New air route to link China's Haikou, U.S. city Seattle

Xinhua) 09:25, August 20, 2024

HAIKOU, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Hainan Airlines has announced the launch of a new air route connecting Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, and Seattle in the United States via Chongqing, starting Sept. 26.

One round-trip flight per week will operate on this route, with flight HU445 departing Haikou every Thursday. Both the outbound and inbound flights will include a stopover in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

This will be the first air route from Haikou to the United States operated by Hainan Airlines. It is expected to not only enhance air travel but also support the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port.

In recent years, Hainan has ramped up efforts to resume and launch international air routes. As of May this year, the province had 46 overseas passenger routes in operation, with the number expected to reach 62 by the end of this year.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
On the 20th anniversary of Google 's market debut, CNBC's Jim Cramer looked back on the stock's impressive climb and advised investors to stick with good companies for the long term, even if it means shouldering some short term losses.

He first addressed Monday's Wall Street action, noting the market's eight-day winning streak. These kinds of gains can create a "fraught situation," he said, and will likely be followed by declines. When the market seems overbought, investors don't want to own too much stock, but at the same time, they don't want to lose long-term winners, he said.

Google stock has seen a more than 7,700% gain since its IPO, and Cramer said many did not capture the gain in its entirety.

"Why? Because they rang the register too often on the way up," he continued. "When you're dealing with truly great companies, not the indices, but the companies themselves I sing the praises of, the real risk is that you panic and get shaken out. I challenge you to be able to handle it."

Even though Cramer's Charitable Trust has owned Google shares for at least a decade, Cramer said he doesn't like everything about the company. He said he's not pleased with Google's antitrust lawsuit, and he wondered whether its search business could be seriously challenged by new artificial intelligence bots. However, Cramer emphasized that Google has garnered huge gains for the trust. He suggested it will continue to stay in the portfolio because the company has "been able to reinvent itself repeatedly," pointing to the fast growth of its cloud business.

Along with Google, other Big Tech names  such as Amazon , Apple , Microsoft and Nvidia  are subject to a "tug-of-war" dynamic, according to Cramer. He said some on Wall Street refuse to "take the pain" when it comes to these stocks, selling them off and then buying again.

"The tech titans, the hyper scalers, the colossus portion of the market, yes, the mega stocksthey just bite you every time you sell," he said. "But the short term says sell. To me, that means it's time to get into the bunker and accept the acceptable losses that you can't avoid. These stocks are just too good to let go."

Google did not immediately respond to request for comment.
National flags of Indonesia and Australia flutter before a meeting between Indonesia's Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto and Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles at the office of the Defence Ministry in Jakarta on February 23, 2024.

Australia and Indonesia agreed a treaty-level defense cooperation agreement which allow Australian and Indonesian militaries to operate from each other's countries, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday.

"It will be a vital plank for our two countries to support each other's security, which is vital to both countries, but also to the stability of the region that we share," Albanese told a joint press conference in Canberra with Indonesia President-elect Prabowo Subianto.

Australia and Indonesia share the world's longest maritime boundary and already collaborate on a number of issues, including security, people-trafficking and drug smuggling.

"The map really determines that Australia and Indonesia as the closest of neighbours have a shared destiny, but from this moment forth, that destiny is very much defined by deep strategic trust," Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said.

Australia has struck a number of defense deals in recent years, most notably the AUKUS military alliance with the United States and Great Britain that angered China.

Prabowo said at a forum last November that Indonesia was committed to its policy of non-alignment and would keep good ties with both China and the United States.
Beyonce is holding her whiskey up high.

The megastar is entering the luxury liquor business with the launch of a new whiskey line in collaboration with LVMH's Moet Hennessy , the brand announced in a press release Tuesday.

Beyonce shared the news holding up a glass of the whiskey, dubbed SirDavis, in a promotional Instagram post with the caption, "DAVIS IN MY BONES," and a link to the liquor's website.

Following a growing trend of consumers seeking luxury spirits, Beyonce joins Mark Wahlberg, George Clooney and more celebrities who are using their status to elevate premium liquor brands.

As LVMH's wine and spirits division expands in the American whiskey market, SirDavis also serves to honor Beyonce's heritage. SirDavis is named for Davis Hogue, Beyonce's great-grandfather who stashed whiskey bottles as a farmer during Prohibition in the South, according to the release.

"When I discovered that my great-grandfather had been a moonshine man, it felt like my love for whisky was fated," Beyonce said. "SirDavis is a way for me to pay homage to him, uniting us through a new shared legacy."

The whiskey line is headquartered out of Houston, Beyonce's hometown. Crafted and bottled in Texas, SirDavis marks Moet Hennessy's first spirit brand developed by the company entirely in the U.S., according to the release.

SirDavis comprises 51% rye and 49% malted barley and is matured in sherry casks, which the distiller said creates a profile of "bold sophistication."

The tall bottle, which features a bronzed horse, is also a nod to Beyonce's most recent albums.

Retailing for $89 a bottle, SirDavis will be available in September.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Vietnam President To Lam shake hands after a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on August 19, 2024 in Beijing, China.

China and Vietnam signed 14 documents spanning cross-border railways to crocodile exports on Monday, after Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Vietnam's new leader To Lam in Beijing.

Lam's visit to Beijing, his first overseas trip since he was appointed party chief early this month, signals a desire to strengthen ties as trade and investment grow and despite occasional clashes over boundaries in the South China Sea.

"China has always regarded Vietnam as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, and supports Vietnam in adhering to the Party leadership, taking the socialist path suited to its national conditions, and deepening the cause of reforms and socialist modernization," Xi said, underscoring establishing good working relations and a personal friendship with Lam.

Lam described the bilateral ties as a "top priority in Vietnam's external policy" and called his trip to China "the affirmation of the Party and the Vietnamese government to value the relation with China."
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., questions witnesses during a House Intelligence Committee impeachment inquiry hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019.

CHICAGO  Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., has organized a major fundraiser in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention in support of House Democrats that is expected to raise at least $2 million and feature big players within the party.

Krishnamoorthi, who is the ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, told CNBC in an interview at Ralph's Coffee that the Tuesday event will be host to influential lawmakers and attendees.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and dozens of donors and House Democrats will attend the fundraiser, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

The invite shows tickets range from $10,000 to $100,000 and the money will go toward the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which acts as the campaign arm for House Democrats. DCCC chair Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash. is listed on the invite as a co-host for the fundraiser.

As the party rallies behind Vice President Kamala Harris at the convention, Krishnamoorthi sees the gathering as a chance to boost the party's odds of retaking a majority heading into the final months of the election.

Donors "can't stand Republican control of the House" and the chaos it brought for the last two years in the House, Krishnamoorthi said Monday.

"They're like, 'this cannot be the way we operate such an important chamber of Congress,'" he said.

The Republican battles over former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, D-Calif., were cited as an example.

McCarthy was removed as speaker in 2023 after a rebellion by members of his own party, including Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

There are over 20 House races marked as toss ups by election tracker The Cook Political Report. Democrats will likely have to control at least one of the two chambers of Congress if they want to have any success passing their party's legislation if Harris were to become president.

The vying for power within the House has led to a fundraising battle between House Democrats and Republicans.

The DCCC has raised over $200 million and came into July with around $87 million on hand, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Their rivals in the National Republican Congressional Committee has raised over $160 million and had just over $70 million on hand during the same time period.

Both committees will file their July fundraising totals with the FEC on Friday.
Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks on Tuesday quantified how much less patients taking the company's weight-loss drug Zepbound tend to eat. "When we do calorie counting, people self-monitoring their food intake ... on our medication, they're eating about 800 calories less a day. That's about a meal," Ricks said in an interview on "Squawk on the Street." "So, that's a pretty significant reduction in food intake. That's why you lose weight, to be honest. They tend to move more. That's a good thing, too, and they tend to choose healthier foods, too. All good things." Rick's comments add to the growing debate on the wide-ranging impact that these newer drugs like Zepbound will have not only on the people using them but the food industry overall  from grocery store chains to snack and drink makers to restaurants. The Food and Drug Administration approved Zepbound in late 2023, and demand for the drug has boomed since then, at times leading to supply shortages in the country. Still, quarterly sales exceeded $1 billion for the first time in the April-to-June period . In a late-stage trial, adults with obesity or overweight who took the highest dose of the drug lost 22.5% of their body weight on average . Zepbound belongs to the fast-growing class of drugs known as GLP-1s, which mimic a gut hormone to help regulate blood sugar and suppress appetite, leading to weight loss. It shares the active ingredient tirzepatide with Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, a type-2 diabetes treatment, which was first approved in 2022. CNBC's Jim Cramer  whose Charitable Trust, the portfolio used by the CNBC Investing Club, owns a stake in Eli Lilly  has long said that active ingredient could become the best-selling drug of all time . Lilly's main rival in the GLP-1 category is Danish pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk , which makes Ozempic for type-2 diabetes and Wegovy for obesity. Those drugs share the active ingredient semaglutide, which is similar but slightly different from tirzepatide. Ozempic has become a cultural umbrella term for these types of drugs and the weight loss people experience. A host of other drugmakers such as Amgen and Roche are developing GLP-1 treatments in clinical trials. As the popularity of GLP-1s has exploded in recent years, investors have enjoyed the upside in Club stock Lilly and others. But Wall Street has been on high alert about the downstream effects they could have in other industries, especially food and beverage. Many stocks in that industry endured a multi-month rough patch last year as fears mounted about a decline in future sales due to the drugs. Those concerns have been less pronounced in recent months, but they have hardly been extinguished, even as executives at companies that would feel the impact caution that it's too early to tell what the long-term impact will be. LLY .SPX 5Y mountain Eli Lilly's stock performance compared with the S & P 500 over the past five years. In a CNBC interview last year, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said, "There's some shifting in categories as people think about losing weight. They buy more fresh foods, for example. So there's some movement around, but I can't call what's gonna happen in the long term. That's a developing story." McMillon's remarks came a few months after the CEO of Walmart U.S. turned heads in a Bloomberg News interview when he said users of weight-loss drugs are buying "slightly less calories" than before. On CNBC Tuesday, Lilly's Ricks said he fields calls from fellow executives who are trying to understand the impacts GLP-1s may have on their businesses. But, he said, he's not surprised that companies are not reporting widespread changes in behavior, yet. "I think the reason this hasn't scaled yet to a level that a grocery-store chain or a large fast-food maker notices is, today in America, we only have about 6 million people on these medications. That's because of the supply constraints we've seen," Ricks said. "As we open up supply, as insurance coverage improves and maybe out-of-pocket prices fall, then we'll probably see more people and the impact will grow. That would be my guess. But I'm not in the food business. I'm in the making-people-healthier business, and these drugs are going to make people healthier." Indeed, Lilly and Novo Nordisk alike have embarked on an aggressive push to demonstrate that GLP-1s deliver health benefits beyond just shedding pounds, believing that will make insurers more likely to extend coverage to the pricey drugs. Novo secured an expanded label for its Wegovy earlier this year to include cutting heart disease risk. A few weeks ago, Lilly announced trial results that showed Zepbound improved outcomes for people with a common type of heart failure . Most recently, Eli Lilly on Tuesday said Zepbound cut the risk of developing type-2 diabetes by more than 90% in obese or overweight people who had pre-diabetes compared to the placebo group. The results were based on a roughly three-year study. Shares of Eli Lilly jumped on the results, adding nearly 5% at one point and breaking through to a new all-time intraday high of $967 each. While those gains cooled off a bit later in the session, the stock was still up more than 62% year to date. Lilly is the most valuable health-care company in the world, with a market capitalization of around $900 billion.
Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a "Morning Meeting" livestream at 10:20 a.m. ET. Here's a recap of Tuesday's key moments. 1. The S & P Short Range Oscillator signaled a very overbought market even as the S & P 500 tracked modestly lower. We'll see at the close whether the index's eight-session winning streak will be broken. This is not a time to buy, Jim Cramer said. "You can only sell." We trimmed Morgan Stanley after a nice run . On Monday, we exited Estee Lauder . After its recent rally and ahead of a baby formula trial, Jim suggested Abbott Laboratories could be trimmed. That gives us "optionality to buy Abbott if it goes down," he added. Following solid earnings and a subsequent 8% stock rise, Jim said that trimming Palo Alto Networks might not be a bad idea, given its run higher. 2. Advanced Micro Devices rose another 1% on Tuesday, one day after announcing a deal to buy hyperscaler ZT Systems. The purpose of the deal is to expand its portfolio of AI chips and hardware to compete with fellow Club name Nvidia . "ZT makes it so they're competitive. It's a very important deal," Jim explained. Investors are calling this acquisition an "acqui-hire" since AMD said plans to sell ZT's manufacturing unit but retain 1,000 of its engineers. "They don't have good training, meaning they need more data," Jim added. "They need these engineers really badly." 3. JPMorgan retail analyst Matthew Boss raised his price target on TJX Companies on Tuesday to $126 per share from $125. But he estimated that the end of TJX's most recent quarter may not be that great. Jim agrees with Boss' assessment. "You know I think it's terrific," Jim said, referring to TJX stock. But he added, "I would probably let some go if we weren't restricted." Shares of TJX, the off-price retailer behind T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, are up 20% year-to-date. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long MS, ABT, AMD, TJX. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to the media after the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. August 20, 2024.

A federal judge in Texas on Tuesday barred a U.S. Federal Trade Commission rule from taking effect that would ban agreements commonly signed by workers not to join their employers' rivals or launch competing businesses.

U.S. District Judge Ada Brown in Dallas said the FTC, which enforces federal antitrust laws, does not have the authority to ban practices it deems unfair methods of competition by adopting broad rules.

Brown had temporarily blocked the rule in July while she considered a bid by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the country's largest business lobby, and tax service firm Ryan to strike it down entirely. The rule was set to take effect Sept. 4.

Brown in her ruling said that even if the FTC had the power to adopt the rule, the agency had not justified banning virtually all noncompete agreements.

"The Commission's lack of evidence as to why they chose to impose such a sweeping prohibition ... instead of targeting specific, harmful non-competes, renders the Rule arbitrary and capricious," wrote Brown, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump.

FTC spokesperson Victoria Graham said the agency was disappointed with the ruling and is "seriously considering a potential appeal."

"Today's decision does not prevent the FTC from addressing noncompetes through case-by-base enforcement actions," Graham said in a statement.

The Chamber of Commerce did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Democratic-controlled FTC approved the ban on noncompete agreements in a 3-2 vote in May. The commission and supporters of the rule say the agreements are an unfair restraint on competition that violate U.S. antitrust law and suppress workers' wages and mobility.

About 30 million people, or 20% of U.S. workers, have signed noncompetes, according to the FTC.

The commission often adopts rules that target specific industries, such as requiring telemarketers to make certain disclosures or mandating that gas stations display fuel ratings, but it is unusual for the agency to enact bans on more widespread business practices.

Business groups have argued that Congress never intended to give the FTC those broad powers, and that banning noncompetes will make it difficult to safeguard trade secrets and other confidential information.

Last week, a federal judge in Florida ruled that the ban was likely invalid and blocked it from being applied to a real estate developer. But a judge in Philadelphia went the other way in July, finding that the FTC reasonably concluded that noncompetes are virtually never justified.
A carabinieri vehicle parked near the harbor where search continues for missing passengers after a yacht capsized on August 19, 2024 off the coast of Palermo, Italy.

The chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer, British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and four others are missing after a luxury yacht sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily.

Lynch's 18-year-old daughter Hannah, Bloomer's wife Judy, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda were missing as difficult search and rescue efforts resumed Tuesday.

One person, the ship's cook, was confirmed by the Italian coast guard to have died. Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, was among the 15 people who were rescued.

Bloomer is the chair of Morgan Stanley International, the London-based branch of the investment banking giant, a nonexecutive role he has held since 2016. He is also the chair of insurance firm Hiscox.

Aki Hussain, group chief executive officer of Hiscox, said Bloomer and his wife Judy were both among those missing.

"We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event," Hussain said in a statement. A Morgan Stanley spokesperson said, "Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular the Bloomer family, as we all wait for further news from this terrible situation."

Morvillo is a partner at Clifford Chance based in New York, and recently represented Lynch in a landmark trial over allegations made against him by Hewlett Packard. Lynch was acquitted in June.

A Clifford Chance spokesperson said: "We are in shock and deeply saddened by this tragic incident. ... Our utmost priority is providing support to the family as well as our colleague Ayla Ronald, who together with her partner, thankfully survived the incident. Our thoughts extend to the other passengers and crew and all those affected."
Buying stocks that hedge funds favor could cause problems for individual investors for the risks of high valuation and elevated volatility, according to Morgan Stanley. The Wall Street firm studied the 70 largest hedge funds based on assets under management, and identified Russell 1000 stocks with the highest percentage of public float owned by them, based on the most recent 13F filings. "Crowded trades come with the risk of overvaluation and increased volatility as it may be more difficult to attract the marginal investor, while avoiding overcrowded stocks can provide investors with an opportunity to capture unrecognized value when paired with strong fundamentals," Morgan Stanley strategists said in a note. Car rental agency Avis Budget Group was the most crowded stock among hedge funds, with more than half its float owned by professional traders. Aerospace and defense company Loar Holdings and real estate development and management firm Howard Hughes were also on the list of crowded trades. Janus Henderson , The New York Times , Planet Fitness and Wayfair were popular names among hedge funds last quarter. The strategists cautioned that crowdedness is relative and just a starting point to generate ideas, adding that investors should do additional research when making a decision.  CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed reporting.
Health workers walk between wards at the Mpox treatment centre at Nyiragongo General Referral Hospital, north of Goma on August 17, 2024. With around 16,000 cases recorded since the beginning of the year, the DRC is the focus and epicentre of the epidemic that led the World Health Organisation (WHO) to trigger its highest level of alert at the international level on Wednesday.

Mpox is "not the new Covid" and the risk to the general population is low, according to the World Health Organization's regional director for Europe.

In a statement published Tuesday, Dr. Hans Kluge rejected comparisons between mpox and the coronavirus pandemic.

"We can, and must, tackle mpox together  across regions and continents," Kluge said.

"Will we choose to put the systems in place to control and eliminate mpox globally? Or will we enter another cycle of panic and then neglect?" he added.

"How we respond now, and in the years to come, will prove a critical test for Europe  and the world."

The United Nations health agency recently declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years. It followed an outbreak of the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighboring African countries.

Formerly known as monkeypox, mpox is a rare viral infection that spreads through close contact and is most commonly found in west or central Africa. It is classified in two distinct viral strains, or clades.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark  Analysts are paying close attention to Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly , as the battle to dominate the weight loss drug market heats up. Europe's largest company Novo Nordisk has dominated headlines since anti-obesity medication took off. It produces weight-loss and diabetes drugs Wegovy and Ozempic and saw its shares rise exponentially as demand soared. But as competition grows in the sector  from the U.S.' Eli Lilly in particular  some investors are questioning which company will come out on top. Soros Fund Management, for instance, the family office of George Soros, slashed its stake in Novo Nordisk according to filings published last week. 'Getting a handle on supply' There's a key difference between Novo Nordisk and its U.S. rival, according to Evan Seigerman, BMO Capital Markets biotech analyst. "The bifurcation between these two names is that [Eli] Lilly is really getting a handle on supply ... whereas Novo is still struggling to supply Wegovy to the U.S. market," he told CNBC's Power Lunch earlier this month. After supply issues at both companies, all doses of Eli Lilly's weight loss injection Zepbound are now available in the U.S., according to the Food and Drugs Administration , whereas some doses of Wegovy remain in limited supply. Seigerman described Eli Lilly as the "GOAT"  or greatest of all time  in the obesity space, after BMO cut its target price on Novo Nordisk earlier this month. There was also a stark difference in second-quarter earnings at the rival companies. Eli Lilly's shares rose 9.5% following its earnings, which blew past expectations . In comparison, Novo Nordisk's shares slid 6.7% on the day of its results after it trimmed its profit outlook . "Was this the picture perfect quarter we'd hoped for? Not necessarily," Barclays analysts said of the Danish company, and questioned whether the numbers would be "good enough" for investors. High concentration in an 'attractive market' Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jrgensen doesn't appear concerned, however. "If you like obesity, if you like type-2 diabetes, this is the place to come, because we are really focused on that," he told CNBC, when asked why long-term investors should buy the stock. "Of course, we have a high concentration but we have a high concentration in a very attractive market. We are building adjacencies in the cardioembolic diseases area and I think we have a knowledge to play there," he said as the company posted its latest results. Meanwhile, Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks told CNBC his company was seeing "unbelievable demand, and we're not even trying that hard to promote this drug." "What you're seeing is just consumer organic demand here as we've shipped more product, as we bring more supply online in the United States," he added. Analysts, meanwhile, remain bullish on both companies. Of 32 analysts covering Novo Nordisk, 21 have a buy or overweight rating on the stock, according to FactSet, giving it upside potential of around 10.3% on average. For Eli Lilly, 25 of 30 analysts have a buy or overweight rating on the stock, giving it an average upside of 9.7%. 'Duopoly' Emily Field, equity analyst at Barclays, told CNBC that ultimately both of the companies will continue to be the market leaders. "The obesity market is on track still to become the largest we've ever seen in pharma. I didn't see anything that would also dissuade me from continuing to believe that the duopoly between these two companies in terms of being the market leaders will persist over time," she said. She remains bullish on Novo Nordisk and said she's expecting to "continue to see upward revisions to numbers for what they are selling today." She also flagged a "huge catalyst" on the horizon for the company before the end of the year: Phase III data from its study into a new obesity drug, cagrisema . Novo's shares are up by about 46% over the past 12 months, while Eli Lilly's shares are 68% higher over the same period.  CNBC's Katrina Bishop contributed to this report.
Vice Presidential candidate Nicole Shanahan speaks during a rally for Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on May 13, 2024 in Austin, Texas.

The independent presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering abandoning his quest for the White House to "join forces" with Republican nominee Donald Trump, Kennedy's running mate Nicole Shanahan says in a new interview posted online Tuesday.

Shanahan said the campaign is also considering remaining in the contest to try to win more than 5% of the popular vote and "establish ourselves" as a third-party alternative to the Republican and Democratic parties, and build on that ballot access for the 2028 election.

"There's two options that we're looking at and one is staying in, forming that new party, but we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and Walz presidency because we draw votes from Trump, or we draw somehow more votes from Trump," Shanahan said in the interview on the "Impact Theory" podcast.

"Or we walk away right now and join forces with ... Donald Trump and you know, we walk away from that and explain to our base why we're making this decision," Shanahan told interviewer Tom Bilyeu.

"Not easy, not an easy decision," the attorney and entrepreneur added.

Asked by Bilyeu if she would run for governor of California, where she lives, if Kennedy and she end their campaign, Shanahan said, "I would consider running as well."

"I want to be involved in California," she said.

If Kennedy and Shanahan quit the election contest, it is not clear if their would-be voters would necessarily go to Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.

But some polls suggest that the Democratic nominee, Vice President Harris, would be stronger against Trump in swing states when Kennedy is included as a candidate, as opposed to when Kennedy is not an option.

Earlier in the interview, Shanahan said, "I did not put in tens of millions of dollars to be a spoiler candidate."

"I put in tens of millions of dollars to win, to fix this country, to do the right thing," she said. "We don't want to be a spoiler."

"We wanted to win. We wanted a fair shot," Shanahan added.
Newly appointed Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol won't be required to relocate to the company's headquarters in Seattle when he joins the coffee giant next month.

Instead, Starbucks says Niccol can live in his home in Newport Beach, California and commute to Starbucks' head office 1,000 miles away on a corporate jet, according to the new CEO's offer letter, which was made public in an SEC filing last week.

In his new role, Niccol, 50, will be paid a base salary of $1.6 million annually and has the opportunity to earn an annual cash bonus that could range from $3.6 million to $7.2 million depending on his performance. He will also be eligible for annual equity awards worth up to $23 million.

Niccol successfully negotiated a similar deal when he became the CEO of Chipotle in 2018.

At the time, the fast-casual chain was headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and Niccol  who served as CEO of Taco Bell before his stint at Chipotle  lived in Newport Beach, a 15-minute drive from Taco Bell's main office in Irvine, California. Chipotle moved its headquarters from Denver to Newport Beach three months after announcing Niccol's appointment.

In the offer letter, Starbucks also notes that it will set up a remote office for Niccol in Newport Beach along with an assistant of his choosing.

When he is not traveling for work, however, Niccol will still be expected to work from the Seattle office at least three days a week in alignment with Starbucks' hybrid work policies, a company spokesperson tells CNBC Make It.

"Brian's primary office and a majority of his time will be spent in our Seattle Support Center or out visiting partners and customers in our stores, roasteries, roasting facilities and offices around the world," the spokesperson added. "His schedule will exceed the hybrid work guidelines and workplace expectations we have for all partners."

Starbucks employees have been required to work from the office at least three days a week since early 2023.

Niccol's arrangement underscores the gulf in bargaining power between high-ranking executives and the average employee in terms of flexibility.
We are selling 100 shares of Abbott Laboratories at roughly $110.84. Following the trade, Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust will own 700 shares of ABT, decreasing its weighting in the portfolio to 2.34% from 2.66%. We're trimming our Abbott Laboratories exposure on concerns that Wall Street will temporarily turn on diabetes device makers in reaction to Club holding Eli Lilly 's impressive new study for GLP-1 obesity drug Zepbound. The key takeaway: Zepbound significantly reduced the risk of progression to type- 2 diabetes by 94% among overweight or obese adults with pre-diabetes. The news is sending shares of Dexcom and Insulet roughly 6% lower as investors worry that if fewer people develop diabetes, these companies will have a smaller market to serve. Abbott Labs is a diversified health-care company so it makes sense that its stock is only down less than 1%. However, its continuous glucose monitoring system, Freestyle Libre, is such a huge part to its growth story that we can't help but think renewed concerns about GLP-1s disrupting the industry could put a lid on the stock. Abbott Labs has previously published studies that showed people with type-2 diabetes saw better health outcomes when they used FreeStyle Libre along with GLP-1s. That was encouraging, and eventually last year Abbott Labs was able to beat the narrative that GLP-1s are a major risk to its business serving diabetes patients. The concerns this time are a bit different, and Abbott Labs may be able to beat back the worries again. But it could take some time. Additionally, in similar thinking to our sale two weeks ago , shares of Abbott have curiously rallied more than 5% since an adverse verdict in late July in its first premature infant formula case in Missouri. We still think Abbott has lost more in market capitalization since this legal risk emerged in March than what a potential settlement could look like. However, the company still has a few more hurdles to get through before this overhang goes away, including another trial starting Sept. 30 in the same Missouri court. Our sale Tuesday will give us room to be ready to buy more Abbott if it gets hit again on this litigation risk. Plus, we don't think it hurts to have a little extra cash with the market as overbought as it is after eight straight sessions of gains. We'll realize a small loss of about 1% on stock purchased in January. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long ABT and LLY. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at an Aug. 10 campaign rally in Las Vegas. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Supply is housing policy's 'bipartisan sweet spot'

"The bipartisan sweet spot around the housing affordability challenges that we have today is on increasing supply," said Dennis Shea, executive director of the Bipartisan Policy Center's J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy. Ever since the foreclosure crisis, a major period of property seizures in the U.S. between 2007 and 2010, there have been far fewer new single-family homes and multi-family rental buildings under construction, said Janneke Ratcliffe, vice president of the Housing Finance Policy Center at the Urban Institute, a non-profit think tank in Washington, D.C. There's "a more acute shortfall" when it comes to affordable homes, she said, whether for renters looking for quality rental units or first-time buyers.

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To get to those 3 million new units, a Harris-Walz administration would introduce a "first-ever tax incentive" for homebuilders who sell starter homes to first-time homebuyers, according to the proposals unveiled last week. The initiative would complement the Neighborhood Homes Tax Credit, according to the announcement, which would be created by a bill pending in Congress called the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act. Shea said the tax credit, which "has strong bipartisan support," would promote the creation and rehabilitation of starter homes for sale in distressed communities.

My conclusion is that [Harris'] housing plan would be worse than doing nothing. Edward Pinto senior fellow and codirector of the American Enterprise Institute's Housing Center

Former President Donald Trump has also talked about ways to increase housing supply as part of his presidential campaign proposals. "We're going to open up tracks of federal land for housing construction," Trump said in an Aug. 15 press conference. "We desperately need housing for people who can't afford what's going on now." But Edward Pinto, senior fellow and codirector of the American Enterprise Institute's Housing Center, said it's "much, much harder" for the government to pass "supply-side proposals," compared with efforts that generate demand by making homebuying easier for consumers. "My conclusion is that [Harris'] housing plan would be worse than doing nothing," he said.

'It's hard to define what a starter home is'

It will be important for Harris to clarify what she means by "starter home," said James Tobin, CEO of the National Association of Home Builders. "It's hard to define what a starter home is," said Tobin, as underlying costs make it hard to keep building expenses low. "In most markets in the country, it's hard to build to that first-time home buyer because of labor costs, land costs, borrowing costs for a builder, and then material cost," he said.

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Defining a range of price points for a starter home will also be important, as it may vary widely across different markets, said Tobin. "In California, a starter home might cost [$700,000] or $800,000, but in the South ... it might only be $250,000 or $300,000," he said.

The $40 billion innovation fund seems 'very high'

The list of Harris' proposals also includes a $40 billion innovation fund. The money would empower local governments to fund and support local solutions to build housing. Yet some experts are skeptical it will fulfill the intended goal. "The federal government doesn't have a whole lot of authority over what happens at the local level," said Redfin's Fairweather. "It's up to the local planning commissions whether they're going to allow for more housing in order to get that [innovation fund] money." "But time and time again, locals and local governments, local homeowners ignore incentives because they're so resistant to building more housing," Fairweather said. Additionally, the $40 billion housing innovation fund may be too expensive, making it unlikely to get bipartisan support, Shea said. "The price tag there seems very high," he said. "I don't know if the market could bear that price tag in Congress."

Aid for first-time homebuyers has less support

Harris proposes to provide $25,000 down-payment assistance to first-time homebuyers who have paid rent on time for two years, with more generous support for qualifying first-generation homeowners. The proposal stems from an idea the Biden-Harris administration presented earlier this year, which called on Congress to implement $25,000 in down-payment assistance exclusively for 400,000 first-generation buyers, or first-time buyers whose parents weren't homeowners, and a $10,000 tax credit for first-time buyers.
Mike Lynch, 59, is the founder of enterprise software firm Autonomy. He was acquitted of fraud charges in June after defending himself in a trial over allegations that he artificially inflated Autonomy's value in an $11.7 billion sale to tech giant Hewlett Packard. Chris Ratcliffe | Bloomberg | Getty Images

LONDON  British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch was acquitted of fraud charges in June in a landmark trial over allegations made by Hewlett Packard that he had artificially inflated the value of his company when he sold it to the U.S. enterprise tech giant for $11.7 billion in 2011. Just two months after his acquittal, Lynch  who was once lauded by the U.K. national press as "Britain's Bill Gates"  was reported missing Monday after the sinking of a superyacht off the coast of Sicily. The yacht, called the Bayesian, capsized at around 4 a.m. local time while anchored off the coast of Porticello, a small fishing village located in the province of Palermo in Italy. It was struck by an unexpectedly violent storm, according to local media reports. Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, is among the 15 people who were rescued after the yacht's collapse. At least one man has died, while six people  including Lynch's daughter Hannah  remain unaccounted for, officials have said. Sicily's civil protection agency told reporters late Monday that Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda were also missing as difficult search and rescue efforts resumed Tuesday. In a separate incident Saturday, Stephen Chamberlain, the former vice president of finance at Autonomy and a co-defendant in Lynch's trial, died after being "fatally struck" by a car while out running in Cambridgeshire, England, Chamberlain's lawyer told the Reuters news agency.

Who is Mike Lynch?

Lynch, 59, is the founder of enterprise software firm Autonomy. He also runs Invoke Capital, a venture capital firm focused on backing European tech startups, which he founded in 2012. He became the target of a protracted legal battle with Hewlett Packard after the technology firm accused Lynch of inflating Autonomy's value in an $11.7 billion sale. HP took an $8.8 billion write-down on the value of Autonomy within a year of buying it. Lynch was extradited from Britain to the U.S. last year to stand trial over the HP allegations. He faced criminal charges, including wire fraud and conspiracy for allegedly scheming to inflate Autonomy's revenue starting in 2009 in a bid to entice a buyer. But two months ago, Lynch, who has long denied the accusations, was acquitted of fraud charges in a surprise victory following the trial, which lasted for three months. During the trial, Lynch took the stand in his own defense, denying wrongdoing and telling jurors that HP botched Autonomy's integration. Prosecutors had alleged Lynch, along with Autonomy's now-deceased finance executive Chamberlain, padded Autonomy's finances in a number of ways. These included back-dated agreements and so-called round-tripping deals that sought to artificially inflate Autonomy's sales by fronting cash to customers through fake contracts. Lynch told jurors that he was focused on technology-related matters at Autonomy and left accounting and money decisions to the company's then-chief financial officer, Sushovan Hussain. Hussain was separately convicted in the U.S. in 2018 on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud and securities fraud related to the HP deal. He was released from prison in January after serving a five-year sentence.

'Britain's Bill Gates'

Lynch was born in Ilford, a large town in East London, in 1965 and grew up near Chelmsford in the English county of Essex. He attended the University of Cambridge, where he studied natural sciences, focusing on areas including electronics, mathematics and biology. After completing his undergraduate studies, Lynch completed a Ph.D. in signals processing and communications. Toward the end of the 1980s, Lynch founded Lynett Systems Ltd., a firm which produced designs and audio products for the music industry. A few years later, in the early 1990s, he founded a fingerprint recognition business called Cambridge Neurodynamics, which counted the South Yorkshire Police among its customers. But his big break came in 1996 with Autonomy, which he co-founded with David Tabizel and Richard Gaunt as a spinoff from Cambridge Neurodynamics. The company scaled into one of Britain's biggest tech firms. Lynch held a lot of influence in the U.K. technology sphere at the height of his success, having once been dubbed Britain's Bill Gates by the media.

He was previously on the board of U.K. broadcaster BBC. He also once served as an advisor to the British government on the Council for Science and Technology. In his role as head of venture firm Invoke, Lynch was closely involved in helping British cybersecurity firm Darktrace and legal software startup Luminance get off the ground, backing both firms with sizable sums of cash. Publicly listed Darktrace, which had fended off similar allegations of inflating its revenue by U.S. short seller Quintessential Capital Management, earlier this year agreed to a deal to be bought out and taken private by U.S. private equity firm Thoma Bravo for $5.32 billion in cash. Lynch previously made the Forbes' billionaires list in 2014 and 2015, with an estimate net worth of $1 billion, according to the business news outlet. However, while facing legal costs in the dispute with HP, he dropped off the list in 2016. Legal struggles aside, Lynch has several hobbies to keep him busy, including keeping and caring for cattle and pigs at his home in Suffolk. "I keep rare breeds," Lynch told LeadersIn during an interview. "I have cows that became defunct in the 1940s and pigs that no one has kept since the medieval times and none of them have any Apple products whatsoever." Lynch reportedly returned to his farm in Suffolk, a county in the east of England, to recover from his U.S. legal battle, the local East Anglian Times newspaper reported. Weeks before he was reported missing, Lynch told The Times newspaper of how he feared dying in prison if found guilty over the HP allegations. "'If this had gone the wrong way, it would have been the end of my life as I have known it in any sense," Lynch said in the interview with The Times. "It's bizarre, but now you have a second life - the question is, what do you want to do with it?" he added.
At the side of the runway, Rose Biel and her daughter, Zaya Rose Biel, 4, sing Taylor Swifts Shake it Off. Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show, a fundraiser for the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel in Denver, Colorado, on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. Photo StevePeterson.photo
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If youre on the toilet now  or have been before  you need to read this

Bathrooms are our best solution to some very silly problems. Skin that turns smelly if we dont bathe? The continual need to poop? These are clear design defects in the human body, and if we ever find whos responsible, well have some pointed feedback for them.

Certainly, modern bathrooms would look like miracles to our ancestors, who bathed in waterholes, and pooped in other holes, and probably sometimes mixed those holes up. But bathrooms have some strange design defects of their own. Some are so bad, youve surely noticed them and wondered how they came about. Others are so ingrained in our lives that we dont even realize how weird they are.

4 The Medicine Cabinet Is the Worst Place for Medicine Don't Miss Do you keep some spare snacks in the bathroom, to munch on when you get hungry? Of course not. That would be gross. Even if this food isnt a ham sandwich but something sealed and nonperishable, wed never store that in the bathroom. You dont shit where you eat, as the saying goes. If youre in the bathroom and want to eat, its trivially easy to wait a minute and then go to the kitchen to eat the food there. Daniel R. Blume Dont eat Fritos on the toilet. The air is full of fecal particles. Now, lets replace the snacks from that last paragraph with something else you eat, something whose purity matters even more: medicine. Suddenly, the idea of storing consumables in the bathroom (in a container named the medicine cabinet) is considered perfectly normal. It really shouldnt be. Aside from the vague fear of swallowing aerosolized fecal matter, the bathrooms a bad place to store drugs because the sudden spikes in temperature and humidity cause drugs to deteriorate extra fast. Bathroom humidity is such a issue that every bathroom is legally mandated to include a fan, to keep the walls from rotting (thats the primary purpose of the bathroom fan, beyond just clearing odors). Its not the right room for anything that must be stored in a cool dry place. Skyler King It's a room for hot, wet action. The concept of the medicine chest actually predates indoor plumbing. Originally, the medicine chest was a cabinet in the kitchen. The kitchen is also not an ideal place for medicine, since cooking also produces a bunch of heat and humidity, but you can see how this seemed like a natural storage place for anything you eat. Advertisement Then wealthier people installed bathrooms, and they moved their medicines there. The bathroom (even with its included toilet) wasnt considered a disgusting part of the house. Just the opposite  thanks to the modern-looking tile and chrome, it looked like a lab or a doctors office. That made it seem like the most appropriate place for your pills and salves. During this same part of the 20th century, the government recommended people keep a fully stocked medicine cabinet, and the recommended contents included both medicines and hygiene products. So, people learned to store those two categories of stuff together, even though they serve different functions. Timothy Metcalf Keep your razors there, not your Chlorpromazine. A drawer in your bedroom makes much more sense as a storage spot for your medicine. Besides being cooler and drier, its harder for visitors or a hungry child to snoop through. Advertisement

3 Toilet Stalls Have Such Big Gaps to Allow Easy Mopping A public toilet stall could be its own little room, offering you complete privacy. Instead, a big gap separates the door from the floor, allowing passersby to peer at your feet and the inner folds of your dropped underwear. A gap also separates the stall door from the partition that it latches to. Someone passing by, if they choose, can walk right up to the gap and get a good look at you. Or, they can walk past, looking at the gap through the side of their eye, and build up a complete composite picture of you from a bunch of vertical snapshots. Mark Norman Francis We could be sealed off, like in a planes lavatory, but instead, we have this. To management, these gaps are a feature, not a problem. Theyd rather be able to see that the stalls occupant hasnt fallen to the floor unconscious and isnt currently injecting themselves with illegal substances. They also choose these stalls simply because thats whats standard. As for how the design became standard, that parts a little more interesting. Advertisement Advertisement The concept of suspended toilet partitions goes back to one very influential building  the Larkin Administration Building in Buffalo. The building included glass doors and air conditioning, which went on to be copied by office buildings in New York City, and therefore, were also copied by buildings worldwide. It included these toilet partitions with gaps as well. All were the idea of the architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, who happens to be the only architect any of us have ever heard of. via Wiki Commons This thing looked pretty damn modern in 1905. Wright later noted the irony that I, an architect supposed to be concerned with the aesthetic sense of the building, should have invented the hung wall for the W.C. This setup is ugly; theres no getting around that. But Wright said he created it for a practical reason: Such stalls are easier to clean. When a partition fails to reach all the way to the floor, you can mop the stall from outside it, even without securing the door open. The larger the gap, the easier the cleaning. Advertisement And paranoia aside, no one really is peeping in on you when youre in a stall. So, given the choice, would you take taller walls in exchange for a floor they mop half as often?

2 Sinks That Are Stuck With Separate Hot and Cold Taps If you go to England, you might find yourself standing in front of a sink that looks quite confusing. Like so many sinks, there will be one handle for hot water and a second handle for cold water. But rather than mixing and coming out of a single faucet, the two streams of different temperatures each have a faucet of their own. Aaron Bradley Is this so hubby and the missus can wash simultaneously? You can get hot water or cold water, but you cant get water that combines the two. That means, if the water coming out of the water heater is scalding hot and the water coming from the mains is chillingly cold  which is the normal situation when its cold outside, both in the U.K. and anywhere else  you cant ever get water at a comfortable temperature. Youd have to mix it yourself manually, which hardly seems like fun. Advertisement Advertisement This sounds like perhaps the first sort of sink anyone thought of after inventing a water heater, and no one ever got around to thinking of something better. In reality, this was a design that was specifically enforced by the government, though alternatives existed. Gordon Parks Literally 1984 Britain first began chlorinating its water at the end of the 19th century. That meant water was soon safe to drink  if you drank it straight from the mains supply. If you heated water, however, that meant you stored water for a while in a cistern, perhaps up in a dusty attic. The city had no idea about the state of that cistern. Maybe it was full of Legionnaires germs. Maybe it contained your dead cat. That meant your hot water, which you warmed, but you never heated enough to sterilize it, could be contaminated, but your cold water never was. The separate tap rule ensured you always had a supply of drinkable water, and that the bad water could never taint the good. Because what good is a bathroom if it cant save us from a filthy taint? Advertisement
What, you thought the White House came pre-installed with ghosts and toilets?

14 1978: The First Computer Jimmy Carter ushered in the modern era when he got the filing cabinet-sized HP 3000 installed in the West Wing, and later an IBM laser printer. Trust me, they get more interesting than this.

13 1917: The First Picketers Suffragists fighting for womens right to vote picketed outside of the White House for two straight years, racking up 200 arrests before the 19th Amendment was finally passed.

12 1891: The First Light Switches Benjamin Harrison saw electricity installed in the White House. But he was so afraid of getting electrocuted that he ordered his staff to turn the lights on and off for him.

11 1881: The First Air Conditioner James A. Garfield was fatally shot, but it took him quite a while to shuffle off this mortal coil. As he lay stinkily dying, his wounds decaying in the summer heat, Navy engineers were ordered to slap together a fan that would blow continually across screens soaked in ice water. Advertisement Advertisement

10 1880: The First Typewriter Rutherford B. Hayes became the proud owner of a Fairbanks & Company Improved Number Two Typewriter, marking the end of clerks handwriting every single Presidential missive. Okay, thats the last boring one.

9 1869: The First In-Law Ulysses S. Grant won the Civil War, but at what cost? His father-in-law, Frederick Dent, was an all-around huge piece of shit: technically a Union supporter, but also somehow a secessionist, a Confederate sympathizer and a lifelong slave owner who was left destitute after the institution was abolished. Dent was forced to move into the White House, and spent his final years hanging around trying to influence diplomatic visitors and business leaders alike. He maintained a rivalry with Grants father, saying they should take better care of that old gentleman. He is feeble and deaf as a post and yet you permit him to wander all over Washington alone. Advertisement Advertisement

8 1862: The First Seances The American public became extremely spiritual during the Civil War, when their best and brightest were murdering each other left and right. After Willie Lincoln died at age 11, probably from typhoid he picked up drinking the White Houses filthy water, Mary Lincoln started holding regular seances in the White Houses Red Room.

7 1911: The First Official Anti-Ghost Policy Major Archibald Butt, military aid to William Howard Taft, wrote to his sister about The Thing, apparently the ghost of a 15-year-old boy that had been scaring the shit out of his coworkers: They say that the first knowledge one has of the presence of the Thing is a slight pressure on the shoulder, as if someone were leaning over your shoulder to see what you might be doing. Taft ordered Butt to fire any staff member who so much as mentioned The Thing. Advertisement Advertisement

6 1853: The First Flush The origin of White House plumbing is a tough one to pin down. Sources say that Thomas Jefferson had wooden pipes running water to some parts of the White House in the early 1800s, and that others later augmented those with iron pipes and pumps. But 1853 seems to be the year they officially got central plumbing, with Millard Fillmore perhaps performing the inaugural first flush of 1853.

5 1893: The First Birth Grover and Frances Clevelands second daughter, Esther, popped out on September 9th in their marital bed. Advertisement Advertisement

4 1841: The First (Known) Death The O.G. White House was built largely using the labor of enslaved people and, conveniently for patriotic whitewashers, little is known about whether and how many people died in its construction. With that in mind, 10 people are known to have died at the White House. Only two of them were presidents, with William Henry Harrison leading the charge after catching pneumonia.

3 1814: The First Terror Attack After American forces set fire to Canadas parliament, British forces retaliated by burning down the White House. Approximately one painting and a couple of stone walls are all that remain of the original structure. Another big fire broke out in 1929, and Herbert Hoover himself ran into the burning Oval Office to retrieve god knows what before the Secret Service dragged him out. Advertisement Advertisement

2 1800: The First Pets John Adams was the first president to actually live in the White House, and more importantly, the first to bring pets with him  two dogs named Juno and freaking Satan.
Sometimes, the price of telling a risky joke is a bad review, but thats not the same thing as censorship  otherwise, Matt Groening would be in prison.

In the nearly 35 years since The Simpsons took over TV comedy, Groening has seen innumerable cultural debates over line-crossing in comedy come and go while artfully avoiding excess participation in any such dialogue. Though The Simpsons has long faced calls for censorship or increased sensitivity when it comes specific jokes  even from the literal censors at Fox, whom Groening generally ignores  the series doesnt habitually thumb its nose at such critics the way their rivals over at Family Guy so often do. At the same time, The Simpsons doesnt exactly engage in what most comedy fans would call edgy humor, so its not often that the series ever finds itself smack-dab in the center of the comedy culture war  except for when The Simpsons had to clarify that, no, they had not taken a stance against child abuse by ending the Homer chokes Bart gag.

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In a recent interview with the Spanish newspaper El Pais, Groening explained his belief that, much like The Simpsons itself, the freedom to make a joke is still alive and well in America, despite what the critics may say.

When his interviewer asked about the enduring debate over whether or not comedians can tell boundary-pushing jokes in todays sensitive cultural climate, an issue that somehow made it from the American podcasting scene all the way to Madrid, Groening said responded, 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.

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That second part seems to be where many comedians have stumbled  taking it as well as they dish it. But if they take the less-self-serious path that Groening has followed, it pays off. Theres no retirement! Groening said of his chosen career in comedy. 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.

Between the new seasons of The Simpsons and the Hulu revival of Futurama, Groening has shown that he can take criticism in stride and continue making people laugh  even if its at his shows instead of with them.
Christopher Lloyd has played a lot of iconic comedy characters over the decades but one stands out in terms of longevity: Back to the Futures Doc Brown. Ive done my share of work, Lloyd told Variety, and nothing compares to the way Back to the Future is ingrained in peoples minds.

As a young actor, Lloyd probably didnt imagine spending his golden years hitting up fan conventions to sign flux capacitors but here we are. Its phenomenal. Every day practically  and certainly I go to Comic-Cons  people come up and say, You made my childhood, Lloyd explained.

But even more impactful is Doc Browns influence on a generation of future time travelers. Back to the Future fills the gap in a lot of lives of young people, who have gone on to become doctors, scientists and what have you, said Lloyd. So a lot of gratitude and I feel real good about that. I feel very fortunate to be part of that.

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Lloyd probably never gets his iconic 80s role without establishing his weirdo bona fides on the classic sitcom Taxi. He won two Emmy Awards for his portrayal of burned-out, turned-on cabbie Rev. Jim Ignatowski, one of the funniest characters in television history. Dont just take my word for it either  TV Guide has him at #32.

There was a kind of a stupid bias in New York in the early 60s or mid-60s that it was kind of selling your soul to go to Hollywood and do a sitcom, Lloyd told Variety. Surely, if you are a serious actor, a real actor, you dont go looking for sitcoms.

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His agent convinced him to put aside that snobbery and read for Taxi anyway. I dug the role just reading it, he said. Then he visited the shows set to check out the vibe. I thought, these guys are great. In New York, youre always hearing about the ideal theater, (which) is to create an ensemble. And I thought, Its before my eyes right here. Its ideal. And Ive never changed my feelings about that. I just thought it was an incredible company. I was delighted to be a part of it. I thought, This isnt going sideways. This is a good thing. So I got over my reservations about sitcoms quickly.

In Taxis backstory, Ignatowski was an excellent student who attended Harvard, only to be waylaid by funny brownies on his way to becoming the living embodiment of the 60s. Throughout the series, Rev. Jim is acknowledged as a genius, albeit at strange intervals.

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Think of Rev. Jim as an alternate reality version of Doc Brown, a brilliant guy whose brain was fried thanks to experiments of a recreational kind. Theres definitely a multiverse in which Doc Brown ditches the DeLorean and time travels in a flying New York taxi cab.
BoJack Horseman creator and showrunner Raphael Bob-Waksberg tried to call out Bill Cosbys behind-the-scenes sexual misconduct before Hannibal Buress brought national attention to the open secret, but Netflix wouldnt let him target one of the biggest monsters in Hollywood.

Considering the subject matter of BoJack Horseman, its no surprise that, early in the shows run, Bob-Waksberg wanted to address the dark, complicated legacy of Cosby despite the general publics hesitance to do the same. After all, BoJack Horseman told the story of a 1990s sitcom star whose private life and late-career reputation didnt match his onscreen personality, and its hard to think of a single TV star who better exemplifies that juxtaposition than Dr. Cliff Huxtable. So, when Bob-Waksberg and his writers were planning the shows second season in late 2014, it only made sense for them to use their satirical dramedy about show business to address Cosbys then-little-discussed litany of sexual assault accusations.

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When the BoJack Horseman Season Two episode Hank After Dark eventually aired in July 2015, long after Cosbys decades of sex crimes became public knowledge, viewers understood that the titular talk show host and not-so-secret sexual predator Hank Hippopopalous was supposed to be a satirical representation of Cosby. But as Bob-Waksberg revealed in a recent BoJack Horseman retrospective with The A.V. Club, the original idea for the episode was much more pointedly directed at Cosby before Netflix put their hoof down.

In Hank After Dark, BoJacks biographer Diane makes an offhand remark during a book reading about how her subjects substance abuse, selfish streak and general douchebaggery pales in comparison to the much more explicitly criminal behavior of other beloved male entertainers whose careers never suffered because of their misdeeds, listing celebrities such as Mike Tyson, Woody Allen, Bill Murray and the fictional 1990s star Hank Hippopopalous as examples.

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While BoJack Horseman never explicitly explains what exactly Hank Hippopopalous did to earn the many accusations against him, Dianes description of all his former assistants have made the same allegations clearly suggests sexual misconduct. However, as opposed to how the Cosby case played out in the real world, the general public and the news media sided with Hank Hippopopalous despite Dianes best efforts to draw attention to his bad behavior.

When we were developing it originally, it was much more sharp and satirically targeted at specifically Bill Cosby, Bob-Waksberg said of Hank After Dark, adding that, just as Dianes efforts to expose the fictional characters bad behavior were met with powerful pushback, BoJack Horsemans corporate overlords didnt like the idea of smearing the name of Americas Dad. I remember Netflix really pushed back on that. At the time, I was really annoyed with that note because I thought, Oh, Netflix is developing something with Bill Cosby. Theyre covering their asses. This is so obnoxious that we have to water this down and make it a more general pastiche.

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But thanks to the similarly offhand remarks made by stand-up comedian Hannibal Buress during a show in Philadelphia on October 16, 2014, Cosbys crimes became national news while Bob-Waksberg and his team were still working on Hank After Dark and the rest of BoJack Horseman Season Two. While we were developing the episode, all the Bill Cosby stuff came out and suddenly everyone was talking about it. It was no longer this thing that weirdly people dont talk about. By the time the episode came out, we werent breaking any news. Everyones talking about Cosby.

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Despite his initial anger at Netflix forcing him to tone down his criticisms, Bob-Waksberg says that the censorship was a blessing in disguise. I was like, oh, thank God we made this a little more general because if this was just about Bill Cosby, people would be like, What are they talking about, this guy that gets away with everything? (Cosbys) about to go to jail, Bob-Waksberg said of the storyline. So, now Im really grateful  that was a really good note. And the truth is there were other guys like that.

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Were still waiting for those other guys to get their own comeuppance  just dont expect to see it on Netflix.
Chinese premier to chair regular meeting between Chinese, Russian heads of gov't, visit Russia, Belarus

Xinhua) 09:35, August 20, 2024

BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang will travel to Russia to chair the 29th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government and visit Russia and Belarus from August 20 to 23, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson announced on Monday.

Li's visit comes at the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, spokesperson Mao Ning said.

"This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Russia and the beginning of China-Russia Years of Culture," Mao said at a daily news briefing, adding that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Russia relations have overcome external interference and maintained healthy and stable development.

The regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government, held every year since its inception in 1996, is an important mechanism for implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state and promoting bilateral cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, Mao said.

During his visit to Russia, Premier Li will hold the 29th regular meeting of Chinese and Russian heads of government with Mikhail Mishustin to exchange in-depth views on bilateral relations, practical cooperation and important issues of common interest, Mao added.

She also noted that China and Belarus are all-weather comprehensive strategic partners and in recent years, under the personal care and promotion of the two heads of state, China-Belarus relations have maintained a sound momentum of development. The two sides have strengthened political mutual trust and achieved fruitful results in Belt and Road cooperation, she said.

During his visit to Belarus, Premier Li will hold talks with Roman Golovchenko and exchange in-depth views on bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields, Mao said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Each week, The Daily Gazette rounds up exciting properties for sale in the greater Capital Region and Hudson Valley. Whether youre on the hun
That bibulous rogue Sebastian Dangerfield, hero of JP Donleavys novel The Ginger Man, declares: When I die I want to decompose in a barrel of porter and have it served in all the pubs of Dublin.

Why not? Given the politicised filth currently being thrown at prominent historical figures, there seems little purpose in leaving this mortal life in a more dignified or altruistic manner.

What is the point, certainly, in leaving a fortune to good causes or in having a monument or building erected to your memory if future generations of political non-entities are going to disown you for their own tawdry purposes?

Yesterday brought the latest in a long list of such stunts. Welsh librarians were instructed to distance themselves from racist buildings. Buildings can be racist? You learn something new every day.

William Gladstone, the snowy-haired Victorian prime minister who is generally considered to have been rather a benevolent fellow

But Gladstones Library in Hawarden, Flintshire, named after the former PM, reportedly 'represents a racist legacy'

Under no circumstances, stated the taxpayer-supported Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, should libraries hold staff-training events at venues that represent a racist legacy. What sort of places did they have in mind? Gladstones Library in Hawarden, Flintshire, was reportedly one. It is named after William Gladstone, the snowy-haired Victorian prime minister who is generally considered to have been rather a benevolent fellow.

That butters no parsnips with the remorseless, grievance-seeking commissars of todays Britain. In 1833 Gladstones father received compensation for his West Indies business interests after the abolition of slavery. It happened two centuries ago but never mind: cancel the memory of that mans son!

The Chartered Institutes campaign against racist buildings took forward the work of the Welsh Labour governments 2022 Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan which itself built on an audit of commemoration ordered by the then first minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, who was Cardiffs answer to Jeremy Corbyn.

You may recall that Brother Drakeford stepped down in March after the (ahem) tremendous success of his 20mph motoring rules. His racist buildings audit, enthusiastically conducted by the Welsh heritage regulator Cadw, appraised 93 buildings for links to the slave trade and the British Empire. Note the casual linking of those two, as if slavery and imperial power were one.

It was not just buildings that were investigated. The 135-page audit also hunted for racist streets and pointed an accusing finger at hundreds of blameless addresses.

At Gloucester cathedral there stands an unostentatious memorial to a 19th century naval officer, Henry Christian

Those denounced included: York Drive in Llantwit Fardre, mid-Glamorgan, one of many thoroughfares and pubs named after the pro-slavery Duke of York who became James II; Stanley Street in Mold, Flintshire, which commemorates arch-colonialist Henry Morton Stanley, the central-African explorer who said Dr Livingstone, I presume; Nelsons Walk in Tenby which honours  quite rightly, many would say  the victor of Trafalgar, Admiral Horatio Nelson.

Another long-dead admiral came in for a battering a couple of days ago. At Gloucester cathedral there stands an unostentatious memorial to a 19th century naval officer, Henry Christian.

Admiral Christian later became chief constable of Gloucestershire and he must have been a reasonably popular chap because after his death in 1916 the cathedral chapter gave its blessing to the small plaque in his honour. There it stayed, pretty much unnoticed, until the Gloucester Monuments Review was paid (by the then Tory-run Gloucester City Council) to start checking local memorials for any links to the slave trade.

It concluded that Admiral Christian may once have helped the pro-slavery Confederacy in the American Civil War (1861-65) but the claims were so tenuous that the review called them problematic and uncorroborated. In Justin Welbys Church of England, however, that was enough.

Despite the review recommending that no action be taken, Gloucester cathedrals authorities rushed to distance themselves from Admiral Christian. His monument will now carry a QR code linking visitors to a health warning about his possible (but, as we know from the review, unproved) assistance to the losing side in a war that ended 159 years ago.

Madness is at work here. Actually, it is more sinister than that. These things are being stirred up by ministers and officials for political reasons  that is, out of a desire for temporal power every bit as naked and rather less creditable than the empire-building of our forefathers.

The grievance industry is spending millions of pounds of our money to re-litigate controversies from hundreds of years ago. In the case of the slave trade, it was a controversy in which our country, although once a major trader, was actually one of the reforming forces. We were the good guys, yet the de-colonisation brigade would have that historical fact obscured. They hate Britain. They hate the West.

Admiral Christian's monument will now carry a QR code linking visitors to a health warning about his possible assistance to the losing side in a war that ended 159 years ago

Theres gold in them thar hills, quacks Mark Twains Colonel Mulberry Sellers. Theres gold in de-colonisation, too. Archbishop Welby and friends have already committed the supposedly penurious Church of England to spend 100 million on slavery reparations. Church advisers want that figure increased to 1 billion.

As for the Welsh government, it is blowing 130,000 on that critical whiteness studies training for its librarians. Could hard-pressed public libraries not spend the money more sensibly?

Then theres the politics. When he commissioned that anti-racist action plan Mark Drakeford was presumably seeking specialist evidence to support a cultural campaign against a British Empire that was fading long before he was even born in 1954.

The Left claims that its distaste for imperialism is fuelled by a hatred of colour prejudice. That would obviously be a noble motive. But come off it. How can street names commemorating explorers, or libraries named after William Gladstone, be racist?

How many residents of Stanley Street in Mold, Flintshire, are aware of why their street is thus called? One suspects few of them would be particularly outraged, even if they did know. They might be a lot crosser if they thought their tax money was being wasted. And all this from a Welsh Labour government that is said to be a Petri dish for Sir Keir Starmers rackety new regime in Westminster.

If we start to condemn certain buildings as racist, where will it end? Given how Leftists like to denounce Sir Winston Churchill, will Cambridge Universitys Churchill College have to change its name? The 1st Duke of Wellington was, if we can put it like this, an enthusiastic Frog-basher. Must every pub named in his honour face closure?

Liverpool Universitys Leverhulme building commemorates the philanthropist Lord Lever who amassed his fortune making soap from  eek  palm oil. The eco-lobby wont like that. Londons theatres include Shakespeares Globe. Thats a bit page 3, isnt it? Will Battersea Power Station have to become Battersea Empower Station? As for Washington DCs White House, gulp and double-gulp.

Its farcical. And its tragic. Such daft revisionism could ignite social disharmony. In the dusty corner of a provincial cathedral, a plaque to a long-deceased admiral and chief constable is not truly likely to be a racist trigger.

But by plastering the thing with a QR code that advertises a dubious claim about racism, the Dean of Gloucester and his cathedral chapter could well jangle visitors nerves, mar the spiritual calm offered by their cathedral and leave an already restive white underclass with the impression that Britains boss class hates them.

And along the way the memory of another Christian soul who was quite possibly entirely innocent, and indeed patriotic, is casually trashed.
Some of my very earliest political memories are of the late 1970s. I was young at the time, but remember my parents, who ran a successful small business, telling me about the strikes which were grinding Britain to a halt.

Back then trade unions were holding James Callaghans Labour government hostage with huge pay demands. Britain was crippling under the weight of pressure because the Labour government wasnt prepared to say no to their pay demands.

Bins were left uncollected in the streets, the dead were not being buried, and public services ground to a halt as the unions demanded ever more.

We knew then that every time the government gave into the trade unions, they would be emboldened to come back for more. What we will now find out all too quickly is that this is still the case now.

Clearly, Keir Starmers socialist government has not learnt these lessons from the past. Already, it has shown it will too easily give into militant trade unions who will never stop coming for more money  making unions think they have a blank cheque to keep begging for more.

Sir Keir Starmer's socialist government has not learnt lessons from the 1970s and has shown it will easily give into militant trade unions who will never stop coming for more money, writes Priti Patel

The Labour Governments socialist agenda is now clear for everyone to see, says Priti Patel

Lets look at Labours disastrous plans to buckle to the unrealistic demands of the Aslef rail union. For nearly two years, the train drivers union has been holding Britain to ransom. There have been 18 days of travel disruption and unreliability, causing chaos on our railways. They have prevented people getting to school or work, and the economic cost is astronomical.

Any responsible government would not have given into Aslefs unaffordable demands.

It would have stood up to the union and pushed for agreements on reforms to help modernise and improve rail services, delivering better values for commuters and taxpayers.

But weak Sir Keir and Labour didnt even put up a fight. And what reward did they get? More strikes from the very union they just caved into  and threats of industrial action from other unions concerned that their members have not received as generous an award.

This is sadly just going to be the tip of the iceberg. Weve seen Labour take millions of vulnerable pensioners winter fuel allowance payments with one hand shamelessly blaming the previous governments record  whilst handing junior doctors a 22 per cent pay rise on the other. More and more unions are going to come begging for more money.

What Labour has done is go down a very slippery slope. It is telling unions that this government is not strong enough to say no. They will keep holding Sir Keir to ransom with unreasonable pay demands all whilst weakening the service the British public get.

Unions were holding James Callaghans Labour government hostage with huge pay demands in the 1970s

Sir Keir and Labour got more strikes from the very union they just caved into  and threats of industrial action from other unions concerned that their members have not received as generous an award. Pictured: Mick Whelan, General Secretary of Aslef

And, as the Mail revealed this week, the trade unions have Labour in their pockets having already supported more than half of Sir Keirs MPs to fight elections with donations to bolster their campaign funds.

The Labour Governments socialist agenda is now clear for everyone to see. Ministers are wilfully handing out multi-billion-pound pay settlements using taxpayers money with no care for the reduced quality in public service the British public is going to get in return.

This immoral, big-state government will remind people that socialism never works  but it also comes at a price: the loss of freedom and choice.

Whether it is parents being punished with taxes on school fees by this vindictive Labour government or businesses anxious about new taxes and red tape, no country can flourish if its economic and social fabric are dominated by state control.

It will sap the lifeblood out of the economy, weaken productivity and kill any sense of aspiration. With emboldened trade unions, higher taxes and our freedoms being lost, under Labour, we are heading straight back to the 1970s.

Just five years of Starmer will take Britain back 50 years.
A plus-size influencer has hit out at Lululemon for their lack of diverse sizing in their US stores.

Samyra Miller, from New Orleans, is known for bringing light to the issues that those of a fuller shape face and boasts more than 400,000 followers on her Instagram page.

She made headlines last year, sparking a furious row after insisting that larger people should not be afraid to ask for a seat belt extender on a plane.

In her recent clip, Samyra said: 'Lululemon said that their top priority is creating an inclusive shopping experience for all of their guests, even though their bras stop at a 14 and their leggings at a size 20.

'Given all of the goals that they outlined, I should definitely be able to find my size now, right?'

Samyra Miller, from New Orleans, is known for bringing light to the issues that those of a fuller shape face and boasts more than 400,000 followers on her Instagram page

In the message, supposedly sent on Instagram, the gym-wear brand said that while they have not introduced sizes beyond a US 14 (UK 18) in all of their products, they are 'continuously exploring ways to make it more inclusive'.

The company added that were looking at adding more sizes to their shops, such as US sizes 16-20 and ensured that her 'feedback is heard by the correct team'.

The online store currently stocks from a US women's size 0 (UK 4) up to a US size 20 (UK 24).

Samyra then went into a Lululemon store and spoke to a shop assistant who asked her if she needed any help finding a garment.

'I was looking for a new bra for Pilates. I really like this purple [one]. I thought your bras went up to like a 20, do they all go to a 14?'

The worker then said: 'They do. We're very limited on spaces so most of them are on our website.

'So we would just have to order it on and it'll be sent to you in a few days. But you are interested in this if it comes in the 20 right?'

The shop worker was then heard saying: 'Oh no, it only goes up to a 12, why? That's horrible.'

Samyra said the assistant 'genuinely seemed shocked' at the lack of sizing diversity in the gym-wear shop.

She then filmed one of the legging shelves to show her followers that the leggings go up to a size US 14, which is the equivalent of a UK 18.

But the sales clerk pointed her to another area where the range of trousers went up to a US size 20 (UK size 24).

Samyra said the assistant 'genuinely seemed shocked' at the lack of sizing diversity in the gym-wear shop

She then told Samyra: 'Yeah looks like we don't have any bigger sizes, they're sold out here.'

The curvy content creator then asked her which store had a size 20 in the leggings so that she could try them on without purchasing them online.

'Ooo, Santa Anita, it's 20 miles,' she said, after researching.

'Let see if there's an 18 nearby, oh no that's even further, I'm sorry.'

Samyra left the store empty-handed after being told to drive further out or order online to get her size.

She ended the video by saying: 'Now some may argue that not being able to fit their clothes puts a real chip on my shoulder but I feel like Lululemon definitely has a bigger chip on theirs.'

The video has racked up 13,000 likes on Instagram along with comments from people about the situation.

The video has racked up 13,000 likes on Instagram along with comments from people about the situation

One wrote: 'Not trying to be rude but why not just work out to lose a couple of pounds?'

Another penned: 'If you're bigger than a size 20 who's fault is that?'

A third said: 'I'm really loving how you are exposing how preformative these brands are. Did they think we wouldn't notice?'

A fourth commented: 'Lululemon and inclusive in the same sentence seems wildly wrong.'

Lululemon's founder and former CEO, Chip Wilson, has previously said that larger individuals were to blame for the company's yoga pants pilling.

Mr Wilson, along with his co-founder and wife Shannon Wilson, made the remarks as their company released its Full-On Luon pants in 2013, a style which claims to have 'major support and coverage'.

When speaking about how some customers' complained about the pants' fabric pilling, Mr Wilson continued: 'It's really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there over a period of time and how they much they use it.'

At the time, he also had an interview with Bloomberg about Lululemon's faulty yoga pants and said: 'Frankly, some women's bodies just don't actually work.'

He later apologised for his comments and said in a video: 'I'm sad for the people at Lululemon. . . that have really had to face the brunt of my actions. I take responsibility for all that has occurred and the impact it has had on you. I'm sorry to have put you all through this.'

It is now thought that Mr Wilson owns an 8 per cent stake in the company now, after selling most of his shares.

MailOnline has contacted Lululemon for comment.
Kmart fans are raving about a new 'life-changing' gadget that can make teeth cleaner, healthier and brighter in seconds.

The OXX Water Flosser ($19) is a powerful way to elevate your dental hygiene routine - and it's already selling out at Kmart stores across the country.

Michael Jaimie, from Adelaide, was skeptical about the bargain flosser but told fans that the 'awesome' Kmart tool out-performed his much more expensive version.

'I'm sorry but for 20 bucks this thing is so worth it... it's a big thumbs up from me,' he said in a video.

The Kmart flosser can alternate between three different settings: weak, pulse and strong, is fully rechargeable and does not require batteries.

It also comes with four separate cleaning attachments that make light work of reaching hard to get spots between the teeth and around the gums.

While Michael said that the OXX flosser's water container was on the small side, he still manages to get a full clean from one single container.

Aussies who already own the Kmart gadget love the 'unbeatable' bargain buy for its powerful pressure and ease of use.

Michael Jamie gave the OXX Water Flosser ($19) from Kmart a 'big thumbs up' for it's bargain price and powerful jet stream

The OXX Water Flosser from Kmart is an easy way to elevate your dental hygiene routine

'You cant beat the product with any other brand in this price range, high pressure, easy to use and the build quality is very good,' one man said.

'I've been looking at all my local Kmarts for months and can never find it,' another woman chimed in.

One shopper warned others using the OXX Water Flosser to opt for the gentler lower setting, as the higher pressure can sometimes make teeth more sensitive.

People also recommended filling the container with a solution of 20 per cent mouthwash in water, for an even deeper and fresher clean.

Some Aussies pointed out that similar looking water flossers are being sold online at Amazon and Temu.

This latest release comes after Kmart wowed fans with an 'amazing' stone-like bath mat that has already sold out several times.

The Stone Dry Bathmat and Tray Set ($15) is made diatomite and comes with its own sandpaper for easy cleaning.

The bargain buy is said to be fast drying and non-slip, and has gone viral; one TikTok video received a whopping 465,000 views.

Fans of the 'decent sized' bathmat say it's extra sturdy and that water from the bath or shower only takes five minutes to dry completely.

'The mat's absorption game is strong,' one woman said.

'I would absolutely recommend this,' another mum agreed.
A row has erupted on BookTok after an influencer complained the novel she was reading had 'too many words'.

Yana from California took to TikTok to review Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, expressing her irritation that 'every page' contained 'so many words'.

BookTok is a subsection of TikTok that has been credited with 'making reading cool again' with younger people - but it has also been criticised for the quality of books it promotes.

The video, posted by @yannareads, has now been deleted but has still racked up 36 million views when reposted on X, formerly Twitter.

Many were quick to take aim at BookTok itself, with some saying it has 'lost the plot', while other claimed influencers only view reading as a 'status symbol'.

Yana from California took to TikTok to review Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, expressing her irritation that 'every page' contained 'so many words'

Yana said she'd been recommended Young Adult fantasy Six Of Crows by some of her followers - but after reaching page 34, she was less than impressed.

Speaking to her 284,000 followers, she said: 'Can we talk about something real quick though? Can I just like, talk s*** for a second?

'Why the f*** is this book? First of all, the writing is so tiny. And why are the pages so filled with so many words? What the f***?

'I like pages that aren't filled with this many words. Like literally every page! Like look at this, are you f***ing kidding me?'

Filming the video with her large book collection in the background, Yana said she would continue reading until page 100 before giving up.

She continued: 'Convince me otherwise because this book is so f***ing difficult for my brain to follow.

'Like I'm only two chapters in, I understand. But all these words? Like I have no idea what's going on.'

Yana read an excerpt from the book aloud with a baffled look on her face, referencing some of the names and locations in the book's fantasy setting - including Big Bolliger, Elzinger and Ketterdam, one of the series' main locations.

Other BookTokers couldn't believe that Yana had taken issue with popular fantasy book Six Of Crows

@hopechulka said the book Yana was trying to read required 'reading comprehension' skills

'Am I drunk? Or is this book drunk? Because what the f*** yall, how are you all following this. I'm scared,' Yana said.

After admitting she was 'completely lost', she showed her followers three maps at the start of the book to explain the fantasy world.

'There are like maps that I have to learn that I can't read all the names,' she explained.

Later on, in an update, she shared that she'd given up with the book, even after switching to reading it on her Kindle in an effort to make the font bigger.

In her TikTok bio, Yana wrote: 'If it's not smut, I probably won't read it', referring to books with sexually explicit scenes in.

Viewers rushed to social media to share their doubts about the quality of books TikTok actually promotes.

One person wrote on X: 'I fear booktok has lost the plot because why are they shocked that book pages have words?

Viewers rushed to social media to share their doubts about the quality of books TikTok actually promotes

'Like making reading your whole personality but not being able to read a book that has no smut, has worldbuilding and is long is concerning. when did we as a society become this.'

Others said: 'This booktok girlie just cringed at her whole video. Smh I hate this for actual readers';

'Booktok probably existed at one point to share all books but its main pull now is DEFINITELY to spread smut books';

'Booktok girlies when they realize reading is not the yass aesthetic Pinterest gilmore girls hobby and you actually have to read';

'Maybe she can stick to romance';

'Im sure they just see books as background decorations for their videos. A status symbol rather than something to actually enjoy';

'Six of crows is a young adult book, like it ain't difficult at all.'

Others came to Yana's defence, admitting they also struggled to read Six Of Crows, writing: 'In all fairness, I have a degree in English literature and creative writing and I couldnt get past page 50 of this book.'

BookTok has been largely credited in the resurgence of reading as a popular hobby among young people with more than 32 million posts and more than 167 billion views on the platform.

The owners of Notting Hill bookshop previously told MailOnline how TikTok has contributed in a rise of Gen Z customers

A book's popularity on TikTok can now be make-or-break for how many sales it achieves.

Popular BookTok books often feature the 'romantasy' genre - a combination of romance and fantasy - such as books by Sarah J. Maas.

Other BookTokers couldn't believe that Yana had complained about her book having too many words.

One, @hopechulka, said: 'It's a YA fantasy heist book. It's going to have fantasy elements that require reading comprehension.'

Another, @jordy.pearson, posted a reaction video saying: 'I want to give this girl the benefit of the doubt. She starts by talking about how little the words are and how many words are on the page.

'Fantasy books and reading fantasy is not for everybody. There's so much that goes into jumping into a fantasy book because the author is spending so much time at the beginning creating the world that you've entered into - the characters, the lore, everything.

'I am a really big fantasy reader but she probably is not and that's ok. She reads a sentence and the sentence is literally made-up names of towns in the world and she's like "what does that mean?"

'I do have so many questions, like why she'd go on BookTok no less and say with her whole heart and confidence and say that the words are too small and that there are too many words on the page.

Brighton-born Jack Edwards is one of the biggest names in the BookTok community, and reviews books he's read

'What? I just wanted you to hear how insane that is - complaining about there being words on the page in a book!'

Previously, the owners of Notting Hill Bookshop in London said their sales were up '100 per cent' since the pandemic - which they attributed to social media.

With over 167 billion views on TikTok, reviews and recommendations in the global BookTok community have inspired Gen Zs to ditch their screens in favour of a good old-fashioned book.

BookTok has gained such a momentum in recent times that TikTok launched its first book awards in the UK and Ireland last year, with thousands voting for their favourite books, authors, and bookshops of 2023.

Popular creators include Ayman Chaudary and Jack Edwards - part of a crowd of creators seeking to make reading cool again.
King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark put on an warm display as they made the first stop on their summer tour yesterday.

The royal couple - who have been plagued by rumours of marriage woes over the past year - appeared in high spirits during their visit to Bornholm.



The pair were pictured tasting local produce and speaking with small business-owners during their tour of the small island 105 miles southeast of Copenhagen

During the engagement, Frederik and Mary were pictured laughing and smiling together and later wrote on Instagram how Bornholm had lived up to its nickname of 'sunshine island'.

Queen Mary, 52, looked effortlessly elegant in a white shirt, rust-coloured trousers and chunky trainers.

Pictured: Queen Mary and King Frederik seen laughing together during their visit to the island of Bornholm

The mother-of-four styled her brown hair in her signature brown waves and completed her low-key ensemble with minimal jewellery and tortoiseshell sunglasses.

Meanwhile, King Frederik, 56, was dapper in a slim-fitting blue shirt, brown trousers and boots.

Members of the Danish Royal Family have been touring the country on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog every summer for the past 100 years.

This is the first time Frederik and Mary are participating in a summer tour as reigning monarchs - following the King's ascension to the throne in January.

Last year, it was Frederik's mother, Queen Margarethe, 84, who completed the boat tour.

In December 2023, Queen Margrethe shocked the nation and many royal watchers around the world when she used her annual New Year's Eve speech to announce live on television that she was stepping down as Queen after 52 years.

This made Margrethe the first monarch to abdicate the Danish throne in 900 years and lead to speculation that the royal had made this decision to keep her daughter-in-law, who is extremely popular with the public, on side.

The announcement came just weeks after Frederik hit the headlines when he was pictured on a night out in Madrid with a Mexican socialite, sparking rumours of an alleged 'affair'.

Queen Mary , 52, looked effortlessly elegant in a white shirt, rust-coloured trousers and chunky trainers.

The pair were pictured tasting local produce and speaking with small business-owners during their tour of the small island 105 miles southeast of Copenhagen

This is the first time Frederik and Mary are participating in a summer tour as reigning monarchs - following the King's ascension to the throne in January

King Frederik, 56, was dapper in a slim-fitting blue shirt, brown trousers and boots as he took part in the royal summer tour

The royal couple - who have been plagued by rumours of marriage woes over the past year - appeared in high spirits during their visit to Bornholm

The former monarch signed her historic abdication papers with her son and grandson Prince Christian, 18, present in Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen.

The Queen's last words before leaving the Council of State were: 'God save the King.'

Australian-born Mary and Frederik's 23-year romance was often dubbed a 'real-life fairytale' after they met in a Sydney pub.

But pictures emerged of the monarch having an evening out with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova - the former daughter-in-law of the billionaire Duchess of Alba - in November last year.

The pair were seen walking through Madrid before heading to her apartment building, changing clothes and heading out again for the evening.

Queen Mary of Denmark put on a stylish display as she joined King Frederik X for the Danish monarch's annual summer cruise on Monday

The Royal Yacht Dannebrog (pictured) has served as the Danish Royal Family's cruise ship since May 1932

The Danish Palace refused to comment on rumours of an affair between Frederik and Genoveva, however the socialite strenuously denied any suggestion of a romantic relationship.

The Royal Yacht Dannebrog has served as the Danish Royal Family's cruise ship since May 1932 and has travelled over 800,000 miles.

The luxury yacht hosts the Royal Family on both their private holidays and during official overseas engagements.

The yacht's royal compartment still contains furniture and fittings dating back to 1879 that that was on board the family's previous yacht.

After touring Bornholm and hosting a reception on board the yacht last night, the royal couple will then sail to the r Municipality.
Durek Verrett, the soon-to-be husband of Princess Martha Louise, has made explosive claims about the Norwegian royals' friends in a new podcast, saying they displayed racist behaviour towards him when they first met.

Speaking on the Nettavisen podcast, 'Stavrum & Eikeland', ahead of the couple's nuptials on August 31st, the self-professed shaman, 49, recounted how he was told 'that's what you should be doing' after he poured water for guests at a dinner party.

He revealed that when a staff member who had been helping attend to the table at the meal, which saw family members on both sides attend, left because they weren't feeling well, he stepped in to refill glasses.

Verrett explained in the interview: 'I decided to pour water to everyone's cups and one of Martha's friends, the guy, said: "Oh this is what you should be doing. This is what you're meant to be doing" And they all laughed.'

An explosive new podcast with Norwegian publication nettavisen.no sees self-professed shaman Verrett, 49, claim that Martha Louise's friends made racist comments towards him at a dinner party in the early days of their relationship

The controversial shaman, who will wed Martha Louise at the Union Hotel in Geirangerfjord on August 31, said his family told him: 'That is so racist and so disrespectful and so rude in front of Martha's parents'.

He also said Martha Louise's parents, King Harald and Queen Sonja, 'even noticed it and didn't like it'.

'It wasn't pleasant to have that type of energy of every time Martha was with her friends.'

The Norwegian princess' fiance claims that Queen Sonja and King Harald, Martha Louise's parents, (pictured in 2017) were also present at the dinner party and 'noticed' the racism and 'didn't like it'.

The US-born shaman's allegations have sparked fresh controversy ahead of the couple's wedding at the Union Hotel in Geirangerfjord on August 31

It should be one of the happiest times of her live as she prepares to tie the knot with her self-professed shaman fiance Durek Verrett - but Princess Martha Louise of Norway's big day has been hit with dramas throughout. Pictured, the couple in June 2022

He added too that during the early days of their relationship, the Norwegian royal's friends suggested she end their relationship.

'They were like "Call him up, break up with him now". They would put the phone in front of her, instead of supporting her.'

It should be one of the happiest times of the couple's lives as they prepare to tie the knot but the months and years leading up to their wedding have been dogged with drama.

The daughter of King Harald V was forced to step down as a working royal in 2022 after a backlash about her fiance's controversial views on some topics, including that childhood cancer is caused by unhappiness.

The shaman, whose Hollywood friends include wellness guru Gwyneth Paltrow, is a figure of controversy in Norway

The troubles have continued in recent months, with the couple becoming embroiled in a public row with Durek's estranged mother, 81, and the Norwegian monarch facing renewed calls to strip his daughter completely of her princess title.

With the wedding now just 11 days away, there has also been controversy on Verrett's side of the family.

Earlier this week, Durek's oldest sister Demi DeLaNuit has hit back at her younger brother and revealed what she claims are the terms of a legal warning he sent to her - including a public apology video that he would be able to pre-approve.

Taking to Instagram in a post in which she has tagged some of the shaman's Hollywood pals including wellness guru Gwyneth Paltrow, Demi DeLaNuit, who is still followed by Martha Louise but not by Durek Verrett, claimed the couple were threatening to sue her 'for millions of dollars'.

Demi DeLaNuit, the estranged sister of Shaman Durek Verrett, has launched a blistering attack on her brother via Instagram in which she promises to see him in court after claiming he has threatened to sue her for 'millions of dollars'

The estranged sister of the Shaman (pictured with Martha Louise before their estrangement) has said she won't comply with what she claims are the terms her brother laid out in a legal warning

She added she has 'laid low' for four years since he got together with the Norwegian Princess; until Durek began to spout 'untruths' about her.

The clip then cuts to Durek speaking about how his mother and sister 'joined up with the press' and told 'lies' about him - referring to a row that began in April when Veruschka Urquhart, Durek's mother, conducted interviews with Norwegian celebrity magazine Se og Hr in which she branded her son a 'dangerous' man who had 'brainwashed' Princess Martha Louise.

She also claimed that her son did not grow up with the wealth he has previously claimed to have enjoyed during his childhood.

In the clip, Demi showed the camera what she claims is the cease and desist letter issued by Durek and Martha Louise earlier this month; which threatened to sue her if she did not stop discussing her brother in public.

Demi then reads out what she claims are two conditions he has laid out to her. The first is that she deletes a clip she posted on social media in which she requested a private meeting with her brother to hash out their differences.

The controversial American Shaman who once claimed he came back from the dead and has been known to associate childhood cancers with unhappiness will wed Martha Louise on August 31

She should then film and upload an apology video, retracting previous claims made about her brother - but that before the video is uploaded, she should send it to Durek for approval.

Demi says: 'My response? No.'

The second demand, she claims, is that she should 'turn over everything I have on you' which includes electronic files. Demi stresses again that she would not comply.

Instead, she threatens to see her estranged brother 'in court' where she claims she will share information she previously has not revealed in public.

Demi then attacks her brother for threatening legal action against their mother, saying: 'You are riding our 81-year-old mother a little too hard for my taste'.

She revealed the Shaman has also tried to 'silence' her daughter, his niece, by threatening to sue them for 'millions of dollars'.

Demi concludes: 'I have worked tirelessly to separate myself from you since that incident that happened four years ago.' She does not explain which incident she is referring to.

Marius Borg Hiby (pictured) is the stepson of the heir to the Norwegian throne, Crown Prince Haakon, and is the son of Mette-Marit from a previous relationship. He has no royal title or official duties

She says: 'It's all gonna come out soon.'

The eviscerating attack comes amid a turbulent time for the Norwegian royal family after the future King's stepson was arrested and held in custody on assault charges.

Marius Borg Hiby, 27, the tattooed stepson of heir apparent Crown Prince Haakon, was arrested near Skaugum Castle, his family's official residence, after the violent episode against his girlfriend, Rebecca Helberg Arntsen.

Borg Hiby lives with the royal couple and their two children - Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus (pictured with Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Crown Prince Haakon and the Crown Princess in 2022)

Now, speaking for the first time, former motor mechanic Hiby, labelled the black sheep of the Norwegian Royal Family, has made a frank admission of his culpability and a grovelling apology to Ms Arntsen and his loved ones.

In his statement, issued via his lawyer to state broadcaster NRK, he said he suffers with 'several mental disorders' and has 'struggled with substance abuse for a long time', which he will now resume treatment for.

Photos reportedly taken of his lover's home in Oslo after the argument showed a knife planted in the wall and a broken chandelier. In July, Borg Hiby announced his relationship with Ms Arntsen.

Borg Hiby, son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship, was raised by his mother and stepfather with his half-siblings, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 20, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 18, but unlike them he has no official public role.

The scandal was a bitter blow to Crown Prince Haakon, whose public image has previously been relatively free of drama in comparison to his older sister Martha Louise.

The Princess, who was originally the heir to the Norwegian throne, stepped down as a working royal following backlash among members of the public to her relationship with Durek.

Durek was dropped by his publisher shortly after the couple announced their engagement in June 2022 over pseudoscientific claims he made in his book 'Spirit Hacking'. Among the claims were that children 'can get cancer from being unhappy'.

Official royal family photograph celebrating Crown Prince Haakon (Up 2nd L) 45th birthday with his family, while he poses beside Princess Martha Louise (Up L), Crown Princess Mette-Marit (Up C), Princess Ingrid Alexandra (2nd R), Maud Angelica Behn (R), (Bottom L-R) Prince Sverre Magnus, Queen Sonja and King Harald V, in July 2018

Durek has also claimed he once came back from the dead, recovering from a month-long coma, by letting his soul 'burn' and he has also spoken of having to undergo a kidney transplant from his sister as a child.

It is unclear why he needed the kidney or how he became wheelchair bound, as he has described. The illness which sent him into a coma is also undisclosed.

After stepping down as a working royal in November 2022, she gave an interview on Swedish TV in which she claimed she had 'received the most criticism of anyone in Norway' for her spiritual beliefs.

As she sat down with Anna Hedenmo on Min Sanning - which translates to My Truth - the royal said she felt she needed to step back because of public image.

She said: 'I am probably the one in Norway who has received the most criticism of all, I think.'
The new flavour will join fan favourites such as Cheese & Onion and Ready Salted

Walkers is adding a brand-new flavour to its popular range of crisps - which may come as exciting news to fans still mourning the loss of the beloved BBQ Rib.

The snack giant is introducing Smokin' BBQ Sauce to its classic Walkers range, which will join fan favourites such as Cheese & Onion, Ready Salted and Salt & Vinegar.

This follows years of popular demand for a new BBQ flavour to be reinstated, following the discontinuation of BBQ Rib some years ago.

For reasons unknown, Walkers quietly phased out the flavour. Despite its revival as part of the Walkers Flavours of the Decades collection, it somehow failed to recapture its original appeal.

Now, the smoky addition will be joining Walkers' core range, and is now available in single packs, multipacks and grab bags at specified supermarkets across the UK, having made its debut on August 19.

Walkers is introducing the brand-new Smokin' BBQ Sauce to its classic crisps range

Walkers Smokin' BBQ Sauce is made using 100% Great British potatoes, featuring a smoky BBQ sauce flavour, to give Walkers fanatics a brand-new taste sensation.

Stephanie Herbert, Marketing Senior Brand Manager from Walkers, said: 'For years Walkers fans have been calling out for a BBQ flavour to join our core range.

'We've heard those calls loud & clear so we cant wait for crisp lovers nationwide to try out the brand-new Walkers Smokin BBQ Sauce flavour!'

Walkers Smokin' BBQ Sauce is now available to purchase as a six-pack in Tesco supermarkets nationwide from 19th August 2024.

The flavour will later available in Sainsbury's from 2 September 2024 and Morrisons in October 2024.

A single serve bag will retail at 1.25, a Grab bag at 1.00 and a Multipack at 2.00.

Meanwhile, Walkers fans have been left outraged after a very popular flavour has appeared to have vanished from supermarket shelves.

Twitter users rushed to social media to express their concerns when they couldn't find any packets of Monster Munch Flamin' Hot.

The smoky addition will be joining Walkers' core range of beloved flavours, such as Cheese & Onion, Ready Salted and Salt & Vinegar (stock image)

The claw-shaped snack is very popular in the UK and the Flamin' Hot version is one of Walkers' most beloved flavours according to dismayed fans.

Megan said on X, formerly Twitter: '@walkers_crisps what is happening with monster munch flamin hot?!

'Cannot be found anywhere only the sweet and spicy variation which cannot compete with the original.'

Walkers revealed the brand had just been renamed and given a new look, which is why buyers hadn't been able to recognise it on the shelves.

They replied: 'We have given them a facelift! They are now called Sweet and Spicy Flamin' Hot. We'll be sure to pass your comments over to the wider team.'
A company in China has introduced a groundbreaking new policy to ensure employees achieve a better work-life balance - but should it be adopted by businesses in the UK?

Yu Donglai, founder and chairman of retail chain Pang Dong Lai, has established 'unhappy leave', which enables employees to apply for an additional ten days off if they're hit by mental health problems.

The new policy is part of a broader effort to prioritise employee well-being, and comes alongside other benefits such as a seven-hour workday and 30 to 40 days of annual leave.

In the UK, Labour this week announced that it was considering a 'right to switch off' plan that could help employees draw a line between their work and home life.

As outlined in the party's campaign pledge, workers who are relentlessly contacted by their bosses outside of work hours could be entitled to compensation.

A company in China has introduced a groundbreaking new policy to ensure employees achieve a better work-life balance - but should it be adopted by businesses in the UK?

The government is looking to push out a code of practice which sets out normal working hours and clarifies when an employee can expect to be contacted by their employer.

The policy, believed to be spearheaded by deputy PM Angela Raynor, includes the right for workers to refuse taking on extra work on weekends or to carry out work-related tasks while on annual leave.

Poll Should UK businesses grant employees Unhappy Leave? Yes No Not sure Should UK businesses grant employees Unhappy Leave? Yes 72 votes

No 92 votes

Not sure 7 votes Now share your opinion





Pushy bosses who repeatedly breach the agreement could be taken to an employment tribunal and forced to pay thousands of pounds in compensation.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in China, helping employees achieve a good work-life balance is currently down to employers, but the idea of 'unhappy leave' could catch on.

According to South China Morning Post, the company behind it, Pang Dong Lai, currently employs 7,000 workers, and each of them will benefit from Yu's newly introduced "unhappy leave."

The policy ensures staff can apply for an additional 10 days of leave to freely determine their own rest time and have sufficient relaxation outside of work.

As well as weekends off and 30 to 40 days of annual leave, employees are also entitled to a further five days off during the Lunar New Year.

Yu said: 'We do not want to be big. We want our employees to have a healthy and relaxed life, so that the company will too. Freedom and love are very important.

Yu Donglai (pictured), founder and chairman of retail chain Pang Dong Lai, has established "unhappy leave," which enables employees to apply for an additional 10 days of leave

As well as weekends off and 30 to 40 days of annual leave, Yu's employees are also entitled to a further five days off during the Lunar New Year

'I want every staff member to have freedom. Everyone has times when they're not happy, so if you're not happy, do not come to work.'

He added: 'This leave cannot be denied by management. Denial is a violation.'

The idea has since garnered support on mainland China social media, with people taking to platform Weibo to praise the company.

One person wrote: 'Such a good boss and this company culture should be promoted nationwide.'

The push for a work-life balance has steadily become a talking point as reports indicate that work-related stress remains a significant issue in the UK.

The Labour government is looking to introduce the 'right to switch off' in a plan believed to be spearheaded by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Raynor (pictured)

According to Champion Health, the most common cause of stress in the UK is work-related - with 79 per cent of Brits reporting that they frequently experience it.

As of 2022, 13.7 million working days are lost each year in the UK because of work-related stress, anxiety and depression, costing 28.3 billion yearly.

As the UK government considers Labour Partys 'right to switch off' proposal, the question arises: should the concept of "unhappy leave" be explored as well?

A London influencer recently revealed her top three tips for surviving a traditional 'nine to five' job in the corporate world.

The video by Ells, who goes by @ellsatthedisco on TikTok, has been seen by almost 13,000 people in a week.

The influencer explained that her number one suggestion is to delete work related apps from your personal phone, including teams, slack and emails.
A woman who has spent her adult life campaigning to see her father charged over the disappearance of an 11-year-old girl has recalled the moment she believes he confessed his guilt to her.

In February 1957, Moira Anderson disappeared from her home in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, while running an errand for her grandmother.

At the time of Moira's vanishing, Sandra Brown was eight-years-old and living just a few doors down, with her father, bus driver Alexander Gartshore, and her mother. In later life, Sandra would learn that her father was a convicted paedophile.

Now, as she reflects on Moira's disappearance and the her father's death in 2006, before he could even be questioned over Moira, Sandra has revealed the chilling 'confession' her father gave at her grandmother's funeral which made her 'flesh crawl.

According to Sandra, Alexander said that his own father (Sandra's grandfather) had 'never forgiven him for Moira'.

Sandra Brown revealed her father made a shocking confession to her about an 11-year-old girl who vanished in 1957

Speaking to Metro she said: 'I felt absolutely chilled to the bone because suddenly I was eight-years-old and thinking of Moira.'

After their conversation, she discovered that her paternal grandfather had been so convinced his son was implicated in Moiras disappearance that he tore up kitchen floorboards in the hope he might find her.

Sandra began her own detective work as a result of her fathers admission and the following year, he admitted that Moira had been a passenger on his bus the day she vanished.

She also discovered that several of her own relatives had been sexually abused by her father and children in the neighbourhood were scared of him.

Sandra said for several weeks after Moira's disappearance, police told the 11-year-old's family that she had probably run away from home.

She noted that there were no female police officers working in Coatbridge Burgh Police station at the time which might have affected the investigation.

During the investigation, a witness named Agnes Smith rang police to say she saw a young girl who matched Moiras description on a bus to Coatbridge town centre on the day the schoolgirl vanished.

However police brushed off her sighting and said there had been no girl on the bus and refused to take further action.

Sandra age six with her father Alexander Gartshore on a Baxters Buses staff outing to the Trossachs

11-year-old Moira Anderson disappeared from her home in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, in February 1957 while running an errand for her grandmother

If the police had looked into this sighting, they would have discovered that Sandras father, who was awaiting trial after raping his children's 13-year-old babysitter (of which he was convicted) was driving the bus that day.

Speaking to Metro, Sandra said: 'Theres no doubt the original investigation was hugely flawed. They made a promise to leave no stone unturned, but there were witnesses they didnt speak to, questions they didnt ask and a whole number of stones they did not turn.'

For many years, Sandra didn't know that her father had been one of the last people to see Moira.

She also didnt know about his rape conviction, as her mother had told the her that he was in hospital, rather than in jail, for the 18 months of his sentence.

Years later, after her own investigation, Sandra was so convinced that her father was involved in Moira's disappearance she went to the police to accuse him of murder herself.

But the Procurator Fiscal in Scotland said there wasnt enough evidence to charge her father, who was at that point in his seventies and living in Leeds.

Unfortunately Alex died in 2006 aged 85, without ever been convicted of Moira's murder, but Sandra has continued to raise awareness of Moiras case and her father's likely involvement.

She went onto write Where There is Evil, which became a Sunday Times best seller, she also told the story in the Audible series Coatbridge: The Disappearance of Moira Anderson.

Moiras parents died not knowing what happened to their daughter, while her sisters, Janet and Marjory, moved away from Coatbridge for fresh starts.

Sandra began her own detective work as a result of her fathers admission and the following year, he admitted that Moira had been on his bus the day she vanished

In 2014, the Scottish Crown Office issued a statement that said if Alex had still been alive, he would have been indicted for the abduction and murder of Moira in 1957

In 2000, Sandra set up the Moira Anderson Foundation to help people affected by child sexual abuse, violence, bullying and related problems.

In 2014, the Scottish Crown Office issued a statement that said if Alex had still been alive, he would have been indicted for the abduction and murder of Moira in 1957.

A reinvestigation set up in 2013 has now identified six potential deposition sites in Coatbridge, with a 170m area of Monklands canal the number one area of interest.

In 2013, Sandra recalled a disturbing conversation she had with her father at Dick's Pond when she was aged four or five years old.

Speaking to the Mail Online she said: 'We used to go on walks in that area a lot when I was a wee girl and one stands out for me.

'There were swans in the pond and he was throwing stones and half bricks at them. Then he said there was a mine shaft underneath and no one knew how far down it went.

'He said if a body was put out there it would never be found and if he ever wanted rid of something thats where hed put it. Ill never forget those words because they gave me such a start.'

Police exhumed a grave at the Old Monkland Cemetery in their search for the remains of the missing schoolgirl, but found nothing

In 2017, specialists in sonar scanning, ground-penetrating radar and magnetometry scoured the area over two weeks to identify any 'anomalies'.

At the time detective Superintendent Pat Campbell said teams were looking for skeletal remains as well as any jewellery or clothing that may have survived.

'This was an area Alexander Gartshore frequented,' Mr Campbell said. 'We know he was familiar with the area and it was near to the bus route that he would have been on at that particular time.

'It's also about 900m from the last sighting of Moira on February 23 1957, which was within the Carnbroe area.

'Again, there was a further sighting on the morning of February 24 of a male moving towards the canal with a large sack or bag.

'There's various strands that make this area high priority for us just now.'

A plot in Old Monkland Cemetery, Coatbridge, was previously searched by experts but failed to find Moira's remains.

Police had been investigating the possibility Gartshore dumped the youngster's body in the grave of an acquaintance named Sinclair Upton.

The Crown Office enlisted the help of forensic soil scientist Professor Lorna Dawson as part of efforts to find Moira's remains, leading to the latest search.

Mr Campbell said: 'The land roundabout (the canal) has not changed much in 60 years.

'We know it's been dredged three times but that's taken place only really at the sides of the canal in general.

'We remain optimistic that we can recover her remains and bring closure to her family, but it will be challenging and we've explained that to both Moira's sisters.

'This isn't something that we would anticipate going into the water and finding right away, this is something that will be extremely time-consuming and challenging.'

Lord Advocate Mulholland has said the case will remain open until her remains are found and her family receives closure.
It's not often that a comedy drama will show the unfiltered reality of living with a serious disability, but new BBC's series We Might Regret This does just that and has won praise for it - with many hailing it the 'new Fleabag'.

The programme, which is considered by some to be the among the most outrageous produced by the broadcaster - was created by Toronto-born artist Kyla Harris, who moved to the UK some 10 years ago.

Kyla, who co-wrote and created the show with long-time friend Lee Getty, is tetraplegic. She is a wheelchair user, who has some use of her arms.

Though fictional, the series is inspired by some of the experiences shared by the two friends when Lee was working as Kyla's personal assistant (PA) some decades ago, a job she accepted not long after they met (which they now describe as a 'total risk'), but which ultimately yielded a strong bond.

Lee does not appear onscreen, but Kyla does, playing a 30-something Canadian artist and tetraplegic Freya who has moved to London for 50-something lawyer Abe (played by Darren Boyd) with whom she's having a fast-moving relationship, with the two moving in together.

Toronto-born Kyla Harris (pictured) co-created comedy drama series We Might Regret This with her friend and former PA Lee Getty

Kyla Harris (pictured, left) playing Freya in We Might Regret This with fellow actor Elena Saurel (who plays her friend and PA Jo)

Because of her disability, they also live with her personal assistants (PAs), meaning there is always someone in earshot of the couple - whether they are enjoying a romantic moment or having a domestic screaming match.

The bold series immediately shows viewers that it is unafraid to push boundaries, with the first episode opening on a sex scene between Freya and Abe. However, the moment is ruined when a PA comes into the room.

Within the first few minutes of the programme, the PA asks Freya invasive questions about whether she has sensation 'down there'.

This is something that Kyla has experienced in her real life, as she discussed on BBC Radio 4's Women's Hour.

Speaking about how she hopes the programme may help people understand disability better, Kyla said: 'I am a wheelchair user...I need assistance with daily activities and personal care.

'So for instance, I need people to...open doors for me or help me pee, and so I'd have 24 hour care to assist with that.'

She went on to explain the misconceptions, prejudice and ableism that affects disabled people evert day.

'We're hoping that We Might Regret This is an antidote to that,' Kyla continued. 'Lee was my personal care assistant on and off for 10 years.'

The groundbreaking series does not shy away from topics like sex, opening the first episode with a raunchy scene (pictured: actors Darren Boyd and Kyla Harris)

Kyla (pictured) hopes the series will help people view disability with less fear. She has said she wants to 'contribute to changing how people currently define disability and the disabled experience'

In a BBC interview promoting the series, Kyla further explained this idea, saying: 'So much of what we see on screen about disability is made by non-disabled people, theyre often stories of tragedy or inspiration and really shape how people view disability - both for non-disabled people and how disabled people internalise stories about themselves.

'As disabled people are the most underrepresented group in front of and behind the screen, we really want to contribute to changing how people currently define disability and the disabled experience.'

The writer has been extremely open in describing this experience, telling Women's Hour that one thing that happens regularly is that a lot of people 'feel more more emboldened to ask [my PA] questions' about Kyla, rather than speak to her directly.

Like in the first episode of the show, often these would be extremely intrusive, including asking Lee whether Kyla 'can have sex?'.

According to the writer and artist: 'I get it all the time.

'My biggest teacher in life has been being disabled, right? And it has taught me to undo so much of what I've learned about value worse, perception and loving yourself and that being the most important ingredient to life.'

In the series, Freya struggles to find the right person to be her PA - a deeply intimate role - and so asks her chaotic and impulsive best friend Jo (played by Elena Saurel) to take the job.

According to Kyla, We Might Regret This is 'the only TV series with a wheelchair user as the lead and co-creator/co-writer' at the moment (pictured L-R: Elena Saurel and Kyla Harris)

We Might Regret This examines the relationship between two best friends, when one of them helps the other with all kinds of things, including getting washed and other intimate activities.

As Jo herself says: 'What happens when the person you love starts paying you to stay around?'

In a press release issued about the programme by the BBC last year co-creators Kyla and Lee described the series as featuring their 'messiest and most joyous lived experiences of friendship, love and disability'.

One of the messiest moments has also been cited as one of the funniest by some viewers, with others branding it 'groundbreaking'.

The scene shows Freya, who is struggling with constipation, sitting on the toilet.

Standing next to her, Jo is seen putting on a blue latex glue, before applying a lubricating gel to her fingers.

One of the many notable scenes in the programme shows Kyla's friend and assistant Jo trying to help her with constipation issues

Jo tells Freya that what she is about to do is 'no big deal', noting that she has 'changed a bunch of s***** diapers before'.

Freya points out that she doesn't enjoy being compared to babies, before reminding Jo that she just has to 'put it in and give it a swirl'.

As Jo kneels by the toilet, it become clear that she is using digital penetration to try and stimulate a bowel movement.

After doing so, she moves away, trying to hide from Freya that she is retching, however, her friend notices, describing it as 'so humiliating'.

In response, Jo pulls down her own trousers, telling Freya to do the same thing to her, adding: 'Do it for equality's sake!'

It's just one of the scenes which makes We Might Regret This so unlike any other shows - despite featuring multiple moments which directly reflect the experiences of Kyla and other people with disabilities.

Describing it as 'unique and highly authored', Alex Smith, the executive producer and creative director of Roughcut TV (one of the companies involved in the production of the series) noted that the series would be groundbreaking, saying it will 'engage comedy and drama lovers like nothing before'.

Meanwhile, Alix Jaffe executive vice President of Village Roadshow Television, which was also involved in the production, described the concept as 'incredibly original', and said that the 'lived experiences of Kyla and Lee' make the content 'even richer'.

Kyla has also discussed what makes the programme unique, saying: 'The dynamic between two women who are best friends, existing in a family is unique to the show. At the time of release its also the only TV series with a wheelchair user as the lead and co-creator/co-writer.'

Meanwhile, Lee said: 'Its one of the few female perspectives on disability and care on screen.

'It also centres a disabled character, but does not make them being disabled the "conflict", but rather its a series about complex characters and messy relationships explored through a disabled lens.'

While the series features a disabled protagonist, the co-creators have noted that her disability is not the 'conflict' of the story

One of the scenes in which this dynamic is explored shows Freya having to urinate, but finding that the accessible toilet is out of order.

She and Jo have to find an alley, before Freya uses a catheter and bottle to empty her bladder. The incident, which leaves Jo covered in urine, is both funny and deeply moving.

These moments are crucial when it comes out to what Kyla and Lee set out to achieve with the series.

According to Kyla: 'I really hope people come away with less fear of disabled people, the idea of becoming disabled and prejudice towards mobility devices.

'So much of what we know about the above is based on learnt perception, for example, the only difference between a bicycle and a wheelchair is the judgement we place on a wheelchair as a mobility device, when actually wheelchairs are the most freeing modes of transportation.'

We Might Regret This is available on BBC iPlayer.
Everyday, Gen Z's favourite social media platform TikTok offers up a new trend for its millions of users to follow - whether it be hilarious dances, how to build your own outdoor swimming pool, or cooking 'hacks' for users at home to follow.

But while some of these trends, such as whipped iced coffee and frozen honey, are virtually harmless, a growing number of amateur cooks are developing serious injuries as they try to keep up with the latest food fad - and professional chefs have warned some not to bite off more than they can chew.

From improper use of mandolins, burned fingers on boiling hot sugar, or one of the most bizarre - the not-at-all recommended practice of deep frying toothpicks - people's kitchens are turning into warzones as they suffer what can be very serious injuries thanks to TikTok trends.

Of the 34 million clips uploaded daily on the platform, some of those popular food hacks have even caught the attention of government health officials who have been forced to issue official warnings against diving head first into dangerous trends.

Professional chefs urge that many trendy food hacks or seemingly delectable treats, are best left to the experts.

South Korea has asked the public not to consume the viral 'deep fried toothpicks' (pictured). Of the 34 million TikToks uploaded daily, some of those popular food hacks have caught the attention of government health officials who have been forced to issue official warnings against diving head first into dangerous trends

One creator making candied fruits. Just earlier this month, doctors at Shriners Children's in Boston urged parents to avoid the food trend of making homemade candy fruit

Just earlier this month, doctors at Shriners Children's in Boston in the US urged parents to avoid the food trend of making homemade candied fruit.

With nearly 25 per cent of TikTok users under 17, doctors urged families to watch out for the candied fruit trend - which is currently doing the rounds on the app.

The trend - which has 292.9 million posts on the app - involves making a mixture of sugar and water, boiling it till the sugar is crystallised, before dipping in different fruits to hard and give a crunchy sugary outer layer.

The Boston burns centre, Shriners, along with other burn treatment facilities in the US, have noticed an uptake in children being treated for severe burns as a result of spilled hot sugar.

According to CBS News, one young boy ended up suffering severe burns on his hand after spilling melted Jolly Ranchers while trying to make candied grapes.

The sugar-coated fruits which are known as tanghulu in Chinese, pose an even more serious risk than simply hot coffee or water since it can penetrate even further into the skin, resulting in more damage.

'Molten candy is 350 degrees Fahrenheit (170C). And if you think about it, boiling water is 212 (100C), so once you get that temperature, it doesn't take a long time to create a burn,' said Dr. Ariel Aballay, the director of West Penn Hospital's burn unit in Pennsylvania.

And candied fruit isn't the only TikTok trend to spark concerns among experts.

Earlier this month, one TikToker nearly lost a finger after attempting a trend, initiated by one creator, Logan Moffit, who went viral for his unique and rapid method of slicing and seasoning a cucumber.

Some of Logan's videos have reached more than 30 million views for his suave slicing skills that have a cucumber in pieces within seconds.

The method is simple but one which she be treated with caution. It involves rubbing a cucumber over a mandolin blade repeatedly to fetch a stack of thin slice which are then tossed in an array of seasonings.

One TikToker, Jackson Dean, who decided to try out his luck on the nifty cooking hack, has now gone viral after taking off more of his finger than the vegetable.

Jackson inevitably ended up going to A&E where he had the nasty gash bandaged up.

In a follow up video, he casually remarked that he: 'just didn't understand the dangers of that kitchen devilish tool'.

Earlier this month, one TikToker nearly lost a finger after attempting a trend, initiated by one creator, Logan Moffit, who went viral for his unique and rapid method of slicing and seasoning a cucumber

Dean Harper, professional chef and director at Harper Fine Dining, told FEMAIL he was concerned about the 'pitfalls' that home cooks can fall into.

'Food trends can be exciting but often hide potential pitfalls for those not experienced in the kitchen.

'Take molecular gastronomy, for exampleit looks impressive, yet I've seen many enthusiastic home cooks mishandle equipment like blow torches, leading to a few singed eyebrows from poorly executed flambe attempts.'

Dean noted that kitchen accidents are commonplace when home cooks are 'following trends blindly'.

'For instance, using a Japanese mandolin requires caution; I remember one beginner who turned an easy cucumber salad into an emergency room visit thanks to a careless slip.

'Chef-worthy burns, from cast iron skillets or hot oils, can transform a fun project into chaos faster than you think.'

He urged home testers to think about their level of skill before embarking on a potentially dangerous trend, making necessary recipe tweaks where necessary and following instructions from experienced chefs.

'This method supports skill development while prioritising safety.

'Knowledge and care should always take centre stage. Embrace creativity, but always keep your safety in mind,' Dean warned.

As well as dangerous cooking methods, some TikTok stars promote dangerous eating habits, trialling foods that are not fit for human consumption.

One content creator, whose username is @henry.fit, tried eating dog food after noting that it was high in protein and therefore would boost his 'gains'.

Henry purchased a bag of dog biscuits, pouring them into a bowl as though it were cereal, before taking a munch on the crispy 'protein' biscuits.

Unsurprisingly, he was appalled by the flavour of the meaty biscuits, only managing a mouthful before calling it quits on the strange experiment.

While chowing down on the dog food feast, Henry told himself to 'think of the gains', before being forced the throw the towel in.

While commenters were expectedly horrified, not everyone was entirely opposed to the meal for 'the gains' with one even suggesting it could be improved with seasoning.

'Should've added a little lemon pepper or garlic parm,' a user wrote with another said 'the canned Merrick dog food just tastes like stew'.

One content creator, who's username is @henry.fit, tried eating dog food after noting that it was high in protein and therefore would boost his 'gains'

Henry purchased a bag of dog biscuits, pouring them into a bowl as though it were cereal, before taking a munch on the crispy 'protein' biscuits. Unsurprisingly, he was appalled by the flavour of the meaty biscuits, only managing a mouthful before calling it quits on the strange experiment

According to Healthline, while dog food isn't strictly toxic, it should be avoided unless in 'emergency' situations since it's not designed for humans' unique nutritional needs.

They warned: 'Eating dog food may increase your risk of developing foodborne illness,' with children particularly more at risk of developing such infections.

They also noted: 'Additionally, dog food may contain vitamin K3, or menadione, which may be toxic to humans in higher doses.'

Last year, data revealed by nutrition app MyFitness Pal found that 86 per cent of Millennials and Gen Z in the UK use TikTok, while 61 per cent say they are influenced by or frequently adopt nutrition trends they see on the app.

Nima Safaei, executive chef and founder of 40 Dean Street and 64 Old Compton Street, told FEMAIL he was also concerned by some of the latest food trends on the platform.

He said while he loves seeing people experiment with cooking, people it is important to take note from professionals, and not unqualified individuals on TikTok.

He said: 'It's very concerning to see recipe videos showcasing techniques that no untrained adult, let alone a child, should attempt.

Just earlier this month, doctors at Shriners Children's in Boston urged parents to avoid the food trend of making homemade candied fruit (pictured)

'Without the right environment, proper tools, and adequate training, some culinary methods should be left to the professionals. Attempting these at home can be incredibly dangerous.'

'The same applies to food trends, they're often fleeting fads. A notable example is people recommending eating dog food as it apparently has a high source of protein - all I can say on this is yuck!'

Earlier this year, one TikToker, who goes by the username @jangguemmukbang filmed a now viral clip in which she deep fries bright green toothpicks.

The video went viral in South Korea where it was filmed, sparking a trend of users deep frying dental picks, with some polishing off the cosmetic dish with coating of thick cheese sauce.

The trend caught the attention of officials in the nation with South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) so concerned about the consumption of cosmetics that they posted a warning on Twitter, formerly known as X.

The MFDS insisted that the toothpicks are not meant to be eaten and are unsafe to consume.

'Starch toothpicks are a hygiene product!' read MFDS's statement on X in Korean, which has been translated to English via Google Translate.

'The safety of sanitary products is managed according to standards and specifications for ingredients, manufacturing methods, and uses, but their safety as food has not been verified. Do not consume.'

The trend appeared to have emerged from one experimental YouTuber who shared a video on the video site where they soaked and then deep fried the bathroom essentials, claiming they tasted like 'fried rice cakes'.

While toothpicks in many Western countries, including the UK, are made of wood, those in South Korea are made of corn starch or sweet potato which, though food sounding, are not fit for consumption.
The reporter who was 'humiliated' by Blake Lively has claimed that the 'rude' interview left her 'terrified' to speak to other celebrities - and revealed the one star who 'saved the day' by treating her with kindness afterwards.

Norwegian journalist Kjersti Flaa, 51, recently posted a clip of an 'uncomfortable' chat that she had with the Gossip Girl alum, 36, back in 2016 - and it went viral, sparking immense backlash for Blake.

During the sit-down, the actress made a snarky comment about Kjersti's 'bump' after she had congratulated a then-pregnant Blake on her impending arrival, but the reporter was not expecting.

Now, she has revealed how the 'horrific incident' completely shattered her confidence and resulted in her feeling 'nervous' when she would interview stars for a long time afterwards.

'To be honest with you, it took me a while to actually get over it,' she shared in a new video uploaded to her YouTube account this week.

Reporter Kjersti Flaa (left) who was 'humiliated' by Blake Lively (right) has claimed that the 'rude' interview left her 'terrified' to speak to other celebrities

'It affected me for a while, [I was] nervous when I was interviewing other people after that.

'I blamed myself for it for a long time because I felt like I did or said something wrong. So that's the reason why I waited so long [to post it].'

Kjersti recalled having to speak with Kristen Stewart just hours after the Blake interview - but she said the Twilight alum was 'so sweet' and 'saved her day.'

'I want to shout out Kristen Stewart, who was the person I interviewed after the horrific incident,' she continued.

'She was the most wonderful person to interview. She saved my day. I was terrified walking into that interview because I had just experienced what I had, so for her to just like treat me [so kindly]...

'She was so sweet so I'm so happy I interviewed her afterwards.'

In the end, Kjersi said she hoped that sharing the interview would help others who have been 'bullied' in the past.

'It's not okay to behave like that and I think it needs to be called out,' she stated.

Kjersti (seen), 51, recently posted a clip of an 'uncomfortable' chat that she had with the Gossip Girl alum, 36, back in 2016 - and it went viral

Now, she has revealed how the 'horrific incident' completely shattered her confidence and resulted in her feeling 'nervous' when she'd interview stars for a long time afterwards

'A lot of people could resonate with this situation. I've been contacted by a lot of women.

'I feel like a lot of people have experienced something not exactly like this but similar to it, like that mean girl energy from someone or you felt left out or bullied.

'Most of the time this happens when we're younger but as you can see from this video it does happen when you're grown-ups too.'

She noted that most parents tell their kids to apologize when they're caught being mean to someone else, but that she felt like that didn't apply to celebrities.

Kjersti recalled having to speak with Kristen Stewart just hours after the Blake interview - and she said the Twilight alum was 'so sweet' and 'saved her day'

'Most parents would tell their children if they're bullying someone, "You go and say sorry to that boy or to that girl right now." But in this situation the opposite happened,' she added.

'No one came out and apologized. [Her team] probably told her, "Don't come out, don't react, don't do anything, we'll take care of this for you. We'll just say that it's the journalist's fault and that you were offended by her and then we'll just plant some other good positive stories."

'I think that's the problem in Hollywood and many other places, people don't own up to their mistakes because they're afraid that it's going to backfire or that it's going to make them look bad and I think it's time to change that.

'I hope this video that I posted could help people own up to their mistakes.'

Blake has been embroiled in controversy in recent weeks, as rumors of an ongoing feud between her and It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni continue to make headlines.

Amid the drama, award-winning journalist Kjersti posted the old interview to her YouTube channel, which she titled, 'The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job.'

'First of all, congrats on your little bump,' Kjersti, who is the founder of Content Now TV, gushed during the chat.

'Congrats on your little bump,' Blake fired back, as the interviewer giggled nervously.

Kjersi said she hoped that sharing the interview would help others who have been 'bullied' in the past. Blake is seen earlier this month

The actress has been embroiled in controversy in recent weeks, as rumors of an ongoing feud between her and It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni continue to make headlines

After the moment went viral, Kjersti told DailyMail.com exclusively that Blake's response was especially hurtful because she cannot conceive.

'[Her comment] left me almost paralyzed. To be honest it hurts because I obviously wasn't pregnant and I could never get pregnant so to me that comment was like a bullet,' she shared.

'I didn't know how to react. I felt very uncomfortable throughout the interview and all I wanted to do was leave and get out of there as fast as I could.

'It made me feel like a complete failure. I kept going through the interview in my head afterwards trying to figure out what I had said or done to make them behave like that. It made no sense to me.'

She said Blake made her feel 'belittled and ignored' throughout the entire sit-down, and ultimately, it resulted in her questioning if she 'ever wanted to do these types of interviews again.'

'It was such a traumatizing experience to me. I was there to do a job and they made sure to make it as difficult as possible for me to do that,' she added.

'I was there so they could promote a movie. I was invited to meet them. It certainly did not feel like that.

'I felt belittled and ignored and it made me question if I ever wanted to do these types of interviews again.

'It took me a while to get over it and build up my confidence again.'
Queen Mary and King Frederick of Denmark put on a bright and summery display this afternoon as they visited the Baltic Sea island of r.

The royal couple - who have been plagued by rumours of marriage woes over the past year - have begun their summer tour on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog.

And after visiting Bornholm island yesterday, the pair looked to be enjoying the weather on r, as Mary wore a smart sunhat and Frederick looked cool in a pair of shades.

After arriving to the island via boat at lunchtime, the royals took to Instagram to thank the locals for the 'great welcome' they'd received.

Mary, 52, and Frederick, 56, looked cheery as they waved to crowds on their arrival, before shaking hands with local residents on the island in southern Denmark.

Queen Mary and King Frederick of Denmark put on a bright and summery display this afternoon as they visited the Baltic Sea island of r

The Queen, who looked impeccably stylish in a pleated maxi skirt and white blouse, was also gifted a bouquet of flowers after stepping ashore.

She added baby blue kitten heels from Jimmy Choo, which had a fishnet design and featured the designer's initials.

Meanwhile her husband Frederick looked smart in a grey suit and smart red tie as he grinned alongside his wife in what made for a very positive display.

Later on Tuesday, the royal couple are expected to host a royal reception onboard the Royal Yacht Dannebrog.

Yesterday, they put on an warm display as they made the first stop on their summer tour to Bornholm.

The pair were pictured tasting local produce and speaking with small business-owners during their tour of the small island 105 miles southeast of Copenhagen

Queen Mary of Denmark (C) and King Frederik of Denmark (R), meet wellwishers as they visit the Baltic Sea island of r

It's another very positive display from the royal couple, who began their royal tour on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog

The couple posed for a romantic shot behind a scenic backdrop of the island

Later in the day, the royals enjoyed a trip to Voderup Klit, a stunning scenic spot on the island

Mary posed elegantly by the side of a bridge as the two approached the viewing spot

The two took sweet pictures together as they strolled towards the panoramic viewing spot at the edge of the gorgeous Danish island

During the engagement, Frederik and Mary were pictured laughing and smiling together and later wrote on Instagram how Bornholm had lived up to its nickname of 'sunshine island'.

Queen Mary looked effortlessly elegant in a white shirt, rust-coloured trousers and chunky trainers.

The mother-of-four styled her brown hair in her signature brown waves and completed her low-key ensemble with minimal jewellery and tortoiseshell sunglasses.

Meanwhile, King Frederik was dapper in a slim-fitting blue shirt, brown trousers and boots.

Members of the Danish Royal Family have been touring the country on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog every summer for the past 100 years.

Later in the day, the royals enjoyed a trip to Voderup Klit, a stunning scenic spot on the island.

The edge of the island offers up stunning views of the foaming Baltic sea beneath with views from 33 metres above sea level.

The two took sweet pictures together as the strolled towards the panoramic viewing spot at the edge of the gorgeous Danish island.

The royal couple - who have been plagued by rumours of marriage woes over the past year - have begun their summer tour on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog

The Queen, who looked impeccably stylish in a pleated maxi skirt and white blouse, was also gifted a bouquet of flowers after stepping ashore

Mary, 52, and Frederick, 56, looked cheery as they waved to crowds on their arrival

This is the first time Frederik and Mary are participating in a summer tour as reigning monarchs - following the King's ascension to the throne in January.

Last year, it was Frederik's mother, Queen Margarethe, 84, who completed the boat tour.

In December 2023, Queen Margrethe shocked the nation and many royal watchers around the world when she used her annual New Year's Eve speech to announce live on television that she was stepping down as Queen after 52 years.

This made Margrethe the first monarch to abdicate the Danish throne in 900 years and lead to speculation that the royal had made this decision to keep her daughter-in-law, who is extremely popular with the public, on side.

The announcement came just weeks after Frederik hit the headlines when he was pictured on a night out in Madrid with a Mexican socialite, sparking rumours of an alleged 'affair'.

Pictured: Queen Mary and King Frederik seen laughing together during their visit to the island of Bornholm

Queen Mary , 52, looked effortlessly elegant in a white shirt, rust-coloured trousers and chunky trainers.

The pair were pictured tasting local produce and speaking with small business-owners during their tour of the small island 105 miles southeast of Copenhagen

This is the first time Frederik and Mary are participating in a summer tour as reigning monarchs - following the King's ascension to the throne in January

King Frederik, 56, was dapper in a slim-fitting blue shirt, brown trousers and boots as he took part in the royal summer tour

The royal couple - who have been plagued by rumours of marriage woes over the past year - appeared in high spirits during their visit to Bornholm

The former monarch signed her historic abdication papers with her son and grandson Prince Christian, 18, present in Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen.

The Queen's last words before leaving the Council of State were: 'God save the King.'

Australian-born Mary and Frederik's 23-year romance was often dubbed a 'real-life fairytale' after they met in a Sydney pub.

But pictures emerged of the monarch having an evening out with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova - the former daughter-in-law of the billionaire Duchess of Alba - in November last year.

The pair were seen walking through Madrid before heading to her apartment building, changing clothes and heading out again for the evening.

Queen Mary of Denmark put on a stylish display as she joined King Frederik X for the Danish monarch's annual summer cruise on Monday

The Royal Yacht Dannebrog (pictured) has served as the Danish Royal Family's cruise ship since May 1932

The Danish Palace refused to comment on rumours of an affair between Frederik and Genoveva, however the socialite strenuously denied any suggestion of a romantic relationship.

The Royal Yacht Dannebrog has served as the Danish Royal Family's cruise ship since May 1932 and has travelled over 800,000 miles.

The luxury yacht hosts the Royal Family on both their private holidays and during official overseas engagements.

The yacht's royal compartment still contains furniture and fittings dating back to 1879 that that was on board the family's previous yacht.

After touring Bornholm and hosting a reception on board the yacht last night, the royal couple will then sail to the r Municipality.
Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper has snagged a $125 million deal with Sirius XM.

The podcaster, 29, previously signed a three-year exclusive contract with Spotify in 2021 worth $60 million - which at the time became the second-biggest podcast deal in history.

But now, it's been revealed that she's joining forces with Sirius XM starting in 2025.

Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Alex's new deal earned her $125 million and would last for 'a little over three years.'

She told the outlet that the move would give her 'new ways to evolve' and help 'provide her listeners with the best experience.'

Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper has snagged a $125 million deal with Sirius XM

The podcaster, 29, previously signed a three-year exclusive contract with Spotify in 2021 worth $60 million - which at the time became the second biggest podcast deal in history

'I am beyond excited to work with SiriusXM,' she gushed.

'The Daddy Gang will always be my top priority, and with SiriusXM we will continue to find new ways to evolve and provide my listeners the best experience.

'The Daddy Gang wants more, so we're getting ready to give them more I can't wait for this new chapter to begin.'

Alex added on her Instagram Stories that the new deal did not mean that her podcast would only be available on Sirius XM.

She told a fan during a Q&A that 'Call Her Daddy will be available on all platforms,' including Spotify.

'But I have some surprises coming for you with Sirius,' she added.

THR reported that SiriusXM would have 'exclusive advertising and distribution rights' for her extremely popular podcast and for the rest of her Unwell brand's shows.

'Alex's fearless, unfiltered approach, where no topic is off the table, has created a passionate and dedicated fanbase that is unmatched in podcasting and perfectly aligns with the content that SiriusXM subscribers have come to love and expect from us,' president and chief content officer at SiriusXM Scott Greenstein told the publication.

She told The Hollywood Reporter that the move will give her 'new ways to evolve' and help 'provide her listeners with the best experience'

Alex has interviewed a slew of A-listers on her podcast, including Simone Biles, Miley Cyrus (left), Megan Fox, Revel Wilson, Emily Ratajkowski, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Hailey Bieber (right)

'SiriusXM is the perfect home for Alex to continue her amazing growth trajectory, with our unique ability to introduce her and her growing roster of standout talent to new listeners, as well as super-serve her core fans with new content.

'Alex is the voice of a new generation, and I can't wait to see what we do together in the years to come.'

Alex, who grew up in Newtown, Pennsylvania, launched Call Her Daddy in 2018 with her roommate, Sofia Franklyn, after she graduated from the College of Communication.

Immediately, thanks to her contagious personality and fearless ability to ask hard-hitting questions, the show became a massive success.

Within two months, it had two million listeners and it was quickly acquired by Barstool Sports.

She and Sofia parted ways in 2020, and one year later, she landed the $60 million deal with Spotify.

Since then, the podcast has become the most-listened to podcast by women on Spotify.

In addition, Alex has since become a massive star in her own right, gaining more than 3.2 million followers on Instagram.

She has interviewed a slew of A-listers on the podcast, including Simone Biles, Miley Cyrus, Megan Fox, Revel Wilson, Emily Ratajkowski, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Hailey Bieber.

Last year, the podcast host launched her own platform called Unwell Network, which has since signed TikTok sensation Alix Earle.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle put on a loved-up display throughout their four-day tour of Colombia, which concluded this weekend.

Now, recently-shared photographs of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have once again captured the Montecito-based couple showing their affection for one another during the faux-royal visit.

On Sunday, Harry, 39, and Meghan, 43, couldn't help but showcase their dance moves as they visited Unidad Recreativa El Vallado in Cali, which also happens to be the Salsa capital of the world.

Joining Jovenes en Cali, a youth organisation in the city, the couple enjoyed a steamy salsa dance, hugging and touching each other as they whirled around the dance floor.

In one photo, Meghan, looking typically chic in a white linen skirt which she paired with Princess Diana's 17,800 Gold Tank Francaise Watch, reached out to grab Harry's face with both hands, pulling him in for a kiss.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (pictured sharing a kiss) put on a loved-up display throughout their four-day tour of Colombia

Now, recently-shared photographs of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have once again captured the Montecito-based couple showing their affection for one another during the faux-royal visit

Harry, 39, and Meghan, 43, couldn't help but showcase their dance moves as they visited Unidad Recreativa El Vallado in Cali, which also happens to be the Salsa capital of the world

But the loved-up couple did also manage to keep their hands off each other long enough to dance with local residents.

Meghan, who luckily had ditched her heels for sandals, was photographed laughing and smiling as she swayed to the music.

Prince Harry looked smart in a breezy light blue linen shirt which he paired with cream trousers and brown shoes.

The Sussexes were met with a warm welcome as locals clapped, cheered and waved at the couple who were accompanied by their usual security team.

Body language expert Judi James said Meghan's smooch with Prince Harry at the end of their steamy dance in Colombia was 'more than just a moment of Salsa-fuelled passion'.

Speaking to FEMAIL, she suggested the kiss was 'bestowed' upon the Duke by his wife as part of a 'ritual' which involved 'Meghan's hands placed tenderly around Harry's face'.

She suggested the public display of affection, which sealed a series of very loved-up appearances from the couple during their Colombian tour, was a 'powerful statement of gratitude' from Meghan to Harry after the couple appeared to be a hit in the nation.

Judi said: 'The hands put [Meghan] in control of the brief kiss but they are also an announcement gesture to her royal husband that she is only creating a sweet touch on the lips.

Joining Jovenes en Cali, a youth organisation in the city, the couple enjoyed a steamy salsa dance, hugging and touching each other as they whirled around the dance floor

Meghan looked typically chic in a white linen skirt which she paired with Princess Diana 's 17,800 Gold Tank Francaise Watch

But the loved-up couple did also manage to keep their hands off each other long enough to dance with local residents

Meghan, who luckily had ditched her heels for sandals, was photographed laughing and smiling as she swayed to the music

'With the eyes of the world on them she might have remembered that royals traditionally only lip-kiss in public on their wedding day.'

She added: 'This kiss looks like the frosting on the cake in terms of the were in love narrative Meghan has been sending out on this very public tour, the topping-off of their PDAs at the end of a hectic-looking dance.

'The Salsa can be known as a stirring dance with all the hip-swivels and the sexy shines or breaks where each one of the couple gets to show off their moves to the other.

'It's clear to see that Harry and Meghan begin to lose some of their inhibitions out there on the dance floor, laughing with their mouths open and throwing themselves into the beat and so Meghans smacker looks like part of this sudden shucking off of the more regal-looking body language restrictions.

'But it also looks like a reward ritual. Meghans brief kiss seems to have made a powerful statement of what looks like gratitude to her husband at the end of this tour. Its a confirmation gesture that hints at Thank you for the dance and thank you for coming on my tour with me.'

The steamy smooch came at the conclusion of the couple's tour during which they repeatedly swooned over each other and looked incredibly loved-up.

During their time in Colombia, Harry and Meghan often held hands, shared intimate moments together and displayed incredibly affectionate body language towards each other in displays that are at odds with how other members of the royal family behave during public engagements.

On Saturday, as the royal couple visited an historic village in Cartagena, Judi noted how Meghan took the lead in 'boosting Prince Harry's confidence by showing signals of 'bonding, affection and ownership'.

The Sussexes were met with a warm welcome as locals clapped, cheered and waved at the couple who were accompanied by their usual security team

Prince Harry looked smart in a breezy light blue linen shirt which he paired with cream trousers and brown shoes

Colombian vice president Francia Marquez hosted the pair during their international visit, inviting them to Colombia for what has been dubbed a DIY royal tour

She said Meghan and Harry looked deeply affectionate towards each other during their visit to the Afro-Caribbean village San Basilio de Palenque.

However, despite their obvious joy, Judi said Harry appeared 'wary' and 'in protective mode' at times.

In other moments the prince appeared to 'mirror' Meghan and gave a more relaxed enjoyment display with a 'wide smile on his face'.

During one particularly tender moment between the pair, Meghan pulled Harrys hand close to her body while placing her free hand over his wrist. Judi said the act was a 'tie-sign of bonding, ownership and affection' from Meghan towards Harry.

Colombian vice president Francia Marquez hosted the pair during their international visit, inviting them to Colombia for what has been dubbed a DIY royal tour.

Harry and Meghan stepped down from the working monarchy in 2020 and no longer travel at the request of the UK Government on official overseas royal visits.
But she has moments when she dearly misses home in London

When Jezelle Smith-Thomas moved to Australia she was excited to experience life abroad.

But almost 12 months on, the London expat found herself questioning her decision and struggling with bouts of homesickness.

The 26-year-old told FEMAIL she misses the familiarity home and being close to loved ones.

Before deciding to move Down Under Jezelle was travelling around Asia for six months. Feeling tired of living out of a suitcase, she craved routine and in a twist of fate a stranger in Bali recommended Australia.

But now she's realised just how far away the country is compared to London and the rest of the world.

'This living abroad thing was all fun and games at the start, but I want to go home. Everyday is getting harder and harder to get out of bed,' she declared in a TikTok.

Before her birthday in mid-August she was feeling 'lonely and depressed' being half a world away from loved ones.

Jezelle Smith-Thomas, 26, moved to Melbourne on September 3, 2023. But she has moments when she misses home dearly

Before her birthday in mid-August she was feeling 'lonely and depressed' being half a world away from loved ones

'This s*** is tough. I want to call my mum, I want to call my cousin just to rant and ask what to do.. it's like 4am (in the UK),' Jezelle said.

'I don't know how much longer I can do this. My second year visa has not come - maybe it's for a reason. What am I trying to prove? I mean I don't know.

'I'm just over it. It doesn't feel like fun anymore. It just feels like life, like I'm just living here. I'm working, I'm seeing my friends sometimes, I'm coming back home. It's just life,' she continued.

'There's some benefits but it's kind of the same as when I was at home. So now I'm just living abroad a million miles away from everyone I love. Why am I here?'

While Jezelle has been feeling homesick, she plans on living in Australia for another year and sees the benefits Down Under provides - such as better pay, a more relaxed work environment and how she can afford to live in an apartment in the city.

'This living abroad thing was all fun and games at the start, but I want to go home. Everyday is getting harder and harder to get out of bed,' she declared in a TikTok

While Jezelle has been feeling homesick, she plans on living in Australia for another year and sees the benefits Down Under provides

Not to mention the beauty of Australia and better weather compared to London.

'I've seen the most beautiful coasts and beaches here. I also love the adventurous side of it all,' Jezelle told FEMAIL.

'Never in my life did I ever think I'd visit Australia let alone live here, so I just try remember that although I may miss home this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I have to be grateful for and really enjoy.

'I do really like my life here honestly. When I compare it to my life in London, the quality is better here and I've met some really great people too.'

Though there's other aspects she misses about home - including British slang, going to brunch with friend, knowing where to get the best Caribbean food in the city, and the UK Love Island finale.

Jezelle hopes sharing her experience will highlight just how difficult it is moving abroad alone.

'I'd like people to remember that it's no small feat to start a brand new life across the world, where you know absolutely no one so you're already SO brave,' she said.

'There's no shame is missing home, just remember your reasons for leaving in the first place and let them spur you on.'
Lounging beside an infinity pool, dining at Salt Bae's restaurant and being chauffeured around the resort in VIP cars might sound like what you'd expect from a luxurious all-inclusive holiday in any popular destination.

But it is also the experience promised to Brits going abroad for cut-price boob jobs, liposuction and other risky procedures.

Following futher British deaths at the hands of botched cosmetic operations in Turkish clinics, MailOnline has analysed the tactics used by some of the biggest foreign providers to lure in customers.

Not only do the clinics and services often downplay the potentially deadly risks of the procedures, they tempt Brits with the promise of a holiday of a lifetime promoting lavish accomodation for cut prices.

The Estethica medical group, for instance, is offering a rhinoplasty package for 8,500, which not only includes the medical procedure, but also offers perks including a 24-hour VIP private chauffeur, meals, 7 nights in a 5-star hotel, a half-day shopping tour of Instanbul and lunch at Salt Bae's restaurant.

US influencer Bryn Elise who boasts more than 415,000 followers, showcased a three-day 'comprehensive' health check-up her boyfriend undertook at Memorial Hospital Bahcelievler in Istanbul for under $3,000. 'We were picked up in something I'd imagine Snoop Dogg drives around in and were chauffered the next morning to a hospital that felt nicer than a luxury hotel,' she said.

Influencer Rachel Altenburg (left) flew from Abu Dhabi and her friends jetted from Manchester to Bodrum where they both had 'Turkey teeth' fitted. The girls enjoyed a night out at Salt Bae's restaurant after the procedure

Such deals, offered by clinics, agencies and even influencers funneling Brits to Turkish cosmetic surgery hubs, promote five-star accommodation and lavish food but often underplay the risks involved. In one TikTok video seen more than 2,000 times US influencer @madsterisntfunny filmed her getting a boob job and her friend, a nose job

Influencer Rachel Altenburg is one of many Britons who enjoyed a luxury holiday in Turkey although she didn't have surgery herself and was there two support her friends.

Twins Leonie and Che McSorley jetted in from Manchester to have 'Turkey teeth' and nose jobs.

The girls enjoyed a night out at Salt Bae's restaurant after their dental procedure, although it's not clear if this was part of a package, and stayed at the 5 star Ramada Bodrum Resort By WYNDHAM on a special rate as patients of Comfort Zone Dent - where Leonie shared glamorous shots of her sunbathing.

Leonie McSorley from Manchester showed off her luxury stay at the 5 star Ramada Bodrum Resort after flying to Turkey for dental treatment

influencer Edwige Malembe recorded a trip to Istanbul trip where she was treated by Turkish health tourism agency Clinichub

Turkey is not inherently more dangerous than other surgical tourism hotspots.

But cheap flights between it and the UK  as well as the rise of the trend combining cosmetic surgery with a holiday  have made it one of the leading destinations for Brits looking to go under the knife.

None of the deals uncovered by MailOnline's probe promise free booze alone, like in typical all-inclusive holidays.

But clinics in Istanbul and other popular Turkish hubs boast they can offer such cheap prices because 'general wage costs are lower than in Europe'.

In one YouTube video viewed more than 12,000 times, influencer Edwige Malembe recorded a trip to Istanbul trip where she was treated to by Turkish health tourism agency Clinichub.

The two-night stay in the luxury hotel included dinner with the surgeons, a tour of the city and a boat trip with fellow influencers.

She was alos treated to free lip filler and IV drips  said to help the body fight infections, but not recommended by UK doctors.

Her video log of the trip and glamorous Instagram snaps showing dinner with belly dancers brandishing fire torches and a cruise on the Bosphorus looked a lot more like an ad for a tourist board than a promotion for a cosmetic surgery clinic.

Filming as she underwent her IV drip, she told her followers: 'We are doing IV drips, maybe my lip filler again.

'I was meant to get my teeth cleaned yesterday but I changed my mind because I had food poisoning and my body just feels really sensitive.

One website reportedly offers a $5,950 'all inclusive' package involving a tummy tuck, liposuction and breast lift. The stay includes a personal driver and four nights accomodation at a five star hotel

Another also reportedly offers all-inclusive packages that include 'initial medications, medical travel insurance, VIP transfer, exclusive hotel' and 'accredited hospitals'

The Medaway website showcases some of its hotels that patients can stay in. The Ramada Golden Horn Hotel & Suites in Istanbul reportedly boasts a spa, restaurant and bar. It advertises that some rooms 'come with a terrace or balcony overlooking the city or the sea'

'[The IV drip] It really works, I see a difference straight away. It adds a nice glow to the skin. It doesn't get rid of dark marks but I think for the glow on the skin it really helps.'

In another TikTok video, US influencer Bryn Elise who boasts more than 415,000 followers, showcased a three-day 'comprehensive' health check-up her boyfriend undertook at Memorial Hospital Bahcelievler in Istanbul for under $3,000.

'We were picked up in something I'd imagine Snoop Dogg drives around in and were chauffered the next morning to a hospital that felt nicer than a luxury hotel,' she said.

Reportedly booked two days in advance, in the video viewed more than 2.2million times, she also showed her partner Cody undergoing 52 different checks including blood tests, MRI scans, an ultrasound, CT scans and even a colonoscopy.

In one YouTube video viewed more than 12,000 times, influencer Edwige Malembe (left) recorded a trip to Istanbul trip she was treated to by Turkish health tourism agency Clinichub. The two-night stay in the luxury hotel included dinner with the surgeons, a tour of the city and even free lip filler and IV drips

Filming as she underwent her IV drip, she told her followers: 'We are doing IV drips, maybe my lip filler again. 'I was meant to get my teeth cleaned yesterday but I changed my mind because I had food poisoning and my body just feels really sensitive. [The IV drip] It really works, I see a difference straight away. It adds a nice glow to the skin. It doesn't get rid of dark marks but I think for the glow on the skin it really helps'

British surgeons have raised the alarm about the rising NHS multi-million bill of fixing botched cosmetic ops performed overseas, with costing the NHS an estimated 100,000 alone

'The doctor carefully went through each of the 52 blood tests, cancer markers and scan results and reassured us that if they found any issues that required additional testing or even surgical intervention that they could get him in the same day or next day,' she added.

Another TikTok video seen more than 2,000 times also showed US influencer @madsterisntfunny get a boob job and her friend, a nose job.

Filming their week-long stay in the five-star hotel they were offered as part of their nose and boob job packages, she said: 'We were in pain the entire time so all we did was watch movies, sleep, sleep more and that was about it.'

Another YouTube video which boasts 15,500 views from influencer Rachel Altenburg also showcased a luxury villa with a pool she was given as part of a friend's nose job package with Serene Cosmetic in Istanbul.

'There's actually four villas altogether so everyone's just cutting about with their bandages on,' she said.

'Staff make the food and look after everyone. They're all really friendly. They're treating me like I'm one of the patients here so I'm just having the time of my life  free food, free transport, free stay.'

UK cosmetic surgery clinics are forbidden from advertising surgery using terms such as mommy makeovers or phrases that could exploit body insecurities.

Operators also face the prospect of fines and even imprisonment should they try to rush people through deciding to have procedures through limited time discounts.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) watchdog recently issued a wave of warnings against Turkish clinics inappropriately promoting life-changing surgery to Britons.

In another TikTok video, US influencer Bryn Elise who boasts more than 415,000 followers, showcased a three-day 'comprehensive' health check-up her boyfriend undertook at Memorial Hospital Bahcelievler in Istanbul for under $3,000. 'We were picked up in something I'd imagine Snoop Dogg drives around in and were chauffered the next morning to a hospital that felt nicer than a luxury hotel' she said

Reportedly booked two days in advance, in the video viewed more than 2.2million times, she also showed her partner Cody undergoing 52 different checks including blood tests, MRI scans, an ultrasound, CT scans and even a colonoscopy

Another YouTube video which boasts 15,500 views from influencer Rachel Altenburg (left) also showcased a luxury villa with a pool she was given as part of a friend's nose job package with Serene Cosmetic in Istanbul

'There's actually four villas altogether so everyone's just cutting about with their bandages on,' she said

TikTok influencer and rapper Millie B was rapped by the ASA in January over videos she made of her getting cosmetic surgery abroad, in partnership with Erdem Clinic in Istanbul.

The regulator claimed the ads, which featured a testimonial from Millie herself about getting a breast augmentation, 'trivialised the decision to undergo cosmetic surgery' and 'were directed at those aged under 18'.

ASA has also vowed to take further action on the overseas surgery sector, recently issuing an industry-wide notice that adverts attempting to lure Britons to go under the knife abroad need to follow UK advertising standards or be taken down.

Campaigners have also previously raised the alarm about foreign surgeons using a 'crazy loophole' to tour Britain and recommend women get major surgery abroad  despite themselves not being allowed to carry out ops in the UK.

It comes as a British mother-of-two died during 5,400 'mummy MOT' in Istanbul  a package deal involving a Brazilian butt lift, a tummy tuck and a boob job.

Kaydell Brown, 38, from Sheffield, had hoped the five-hour surgery would get her life 'back on track' after she put on weight due to injuring her ankle, according to her sister Leanne.

However, ten hours after being taken into theatre, Leanne was told the operation had killed her. Portions of her organs are now also allegedly missing.

Her heartbroken sister Leanne, 40, who was due to have the same surgery, has slammed the Turkish clinic, branding it a 'pop-up butcher shop that needs shutting down'.

The clinic has said the body was handed over 'untouched', however suggested it was 'highly possible' the Government coroner's office may have removed some organ parts 'in the process of determining the cause of death'.

But Leanne has claimed that after medics informed her of her sister's death she was handed an envelope of cash and was booked on the next flight home.

'It's like, ''Sorry she's dead, here's your plane ticket'',' she told ITV.

The UK government has said its officials were in contact with the Turkish authorities.

After a British pathologist looked at Kaydell's body tissue, an inquest has now been opened, which has been adjourned until early 2025.

A British woman has today also told of the debilitating pain and shocking injuries she suffered after she travelled to Turkey to undergo a tummy tuck, breast augmentation and uplift in a bid to get rid of excess skin following weight loss.

Sara Platt, from Llanharan in South Wales, spent a year researching her options before opting to pay 14,000 at a clinic in Antalya last year.

But nine days after her surgery and still feeling ill, she asked her husband to help remove her bandages in the hotel bathroom.

She told ITV: 'As he was undoing it, all this brown liquid started seeping out of my body. I screamed. I felt like I was falling apart. It was like, oh my god, my insides are gonna come out.

It comes as Kaydell Brown who died following a 'mummy MOT' in Istanbul is now reportedly missing some of her organs. Her heartbroken sister Leanne, 40, who was due to have the same surgery, has slammed the Turkish clinic, branding it a 'pop-up butcher shop that needs shutting down'

Kaydell's heartbroken sister Leanne, 40, (left) slammed the Turkish clinic, branding it a 'pop-up butcher shop that needs shutting down'

'It's not a health holiday. They told me I'd be sitting by the pool within three days. I was rotting in a hotel room.'

The Turkish surgeon performed a second procedure, she said, but she was not taken into an operating theatre. Instead, she claimed it looked like a beauty clinic.

Only local anaesthetic was also used during the surgery which meant she was awake as the doctor tended to her stomach wound.

'He was handed a burning tool. And he started burning me. And that, that will, for the rest of my life, haunt me every day, every night. That ruined my life,' she said.

'I could hear the sizzling in my skin. I felt like I was on fire.'

Since returning to the UK she has had nine surgeries to save her life and rebuild her body. She is currently preparing to undergo a tenth corrective surgery.

Her right breast could not be rescued and she has significant scarring, including a skin graft on her stomach that attached to the muscle beneath.

At least 28 Brits have died as a result of medical tourism trips to Turkey since January 2019, according to the Government's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Seven of those deaths have occurred since 2023.

In January, Tiktok star and rapper Millie B was rapped by the advertising watchdog over TikTok videos that plugged getting cosmetic surgery in surgery and 'trivialised' the procedures

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons analysed 324 cases of Brits needing medical treatment or corrective surgery after having gone under the knife overseas since 2018

Liposuction that offers to remove up to 15 litres of fat, BBL's, eye colour changing laser treatments and hymenoplasties are all offered in clinics across Turkey

Surgery safety campaigners warning Brits against going for cosmetic ops overseas have described being asked to pay in cash as a 'massive red flag' of a potential poor provider.

An audit by The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) last year also found 324 Brits have needed medical treatment or corrective surgery after having cosmetic surgery overseas, with Turkey accounting for the lion's share.

This figure has surged 94 per cent in three years, the organisation claimed, as increasing numbers of Brits seek to look more like their celebrity idols.

BAAPS estimates the average cost to the health service of treating a Brit botched overseas is about 15,000, putting the total bill since 2018 at about 4.8million.

This bill represents the cost of resources like medication and dressings, as well as the time surgeons and other NHS staff must spend on such cases.

While the 15,000 figure is an average, surgeons have previously told this website more serious cases can cost upwards of 100,000 to the taxpayer.

Earlier this year the British Medical Association said more Britons are dying or requiring emergency care in the UK after jetting abroad for cut-price obesity surgery.

The crisis is fuelling delays for routine care, such as hip and knee replacements, because these health tourists are increasingly occupying NHS beds, the unions annual meeting heard.
Britons are taking up vaping in unprecedented numbers  about one in ten adults now puffs on e-cigarettes, the highest rate ever, according to figures published last week.

While vapes are generally considered safer than cigarettes, and are seen as a useful tool for quitting smoking, the survey of more than 13,000 people for the charity Action on Smoking and Health found about 8 per cent of adult vapers have never smoked before.

And, a growing proportion of people are both smoking and vaping, the numbers doing so have doubled in three years, a trend thats worrying experts.

There has been a rise in vaping on its own which is introducing health risks that wouldnt have occurred otherwise, says Dr Gareth Nye, a senior lecturer in anatomy and physiology at the University of Chester.

The potential risks were spelt out in a US study: people who smoke and vape are four times more likely to develop lung cancer than those who just smoke, the Journal of Oncology Research and Therapy reported last month.

Kyla Blight, a 17-year-old student whod been vaping since she was 15, made headlines after being taken to hospital with a collapsed lung

The researchers, from Ohio State University, speculated that this was due to the amount of chemicals in vapes that may be carcinogenic (cancer-causing) in their own right.

Another concern is that rising numbers of young people are vaping  15 per cent of those aged 16 to 24 in the UK do so, up from 11.1 per cent in 2021, according to the latest Opinions and Lifestyle Survey from the Office for National Statistics.

In May, 17-year-old Kyla Blight, a student from Cumbria, whod been vaping since she was 15, made headlines after being rushed to hospital with a collapsed lung linked to her 4,000 puffs a week on vapes (the equivalent to 400 cigarettes).

Kyla needed five-and-a-half hours of surgery to remove part of her lung.

The advice from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US is stark: If you dont vape, dont start.

It points out that most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and is a health danger for pregnant women, foetuses, and children.

Aerosol from e-cigarettes can contain harmful and potentially harmful substances. These include cancer-causing chemicals and tiny particles that can be inhaled deep into lungs, it concluded.

Here, experts look at some of the potential risks that are now linked to vaping...

Lungs

Teenager Kyla Blight developed a blister, or bleb, on her lung. Usually 1-2 cm in diameter, a bleb is full of air. When Kylas burst, it caused a hole her lung, releasing air into her chest cavity, causing one lung to collapse.

Anything, such as smoking, that damages the alveoli  air sacs in the lungs  can cause blebs.

Vaping has also been linked to lipoid pneumonia, where the alveoli fill with dead white blood cells laden with fatty material, which in turn causes inflammation and infection in the airways.

This build-up of white blood cells is believed to be due to the glycerol, used in e-liquids to create thicker vapour.

Meanwhile, growing evidence suggests there may be a link between vaping and lung cancer.

A research review, published in the journal Cancers last September, concluded that vapes were a highly potential risk factor for lung cancer and an area of significant concern for the future.

Evidence is mounting that lung cancer is linked to glycerol in vapes, says Dr Nye.

In the past its been strongly suggested that vaping is not carcinogenic, but now the evidence seems to finally be coming to light that toxins in vapes may be linked to cancer, he says.

Glycerol is safe to consume. However, when heated in vapes, it can form the carcinogenic chemical formaldehyde, which is then inhaled into the lungs.

Vaping has been linked to lipoid pneumonia, where the alveoli fill with dead white blood cells laden with fatty material, which can cause infection in the airways

According to the American Cancer Society: Makers of e-cigarettes often claim the ingredients are safe. But aerosols that these products produce can contain addictive nicotine, flavourings and other chemicals, some known to be toxic or to cause cancer.

The levels of these substances appear to be lower than in cigarettes, but the amounts of nicotine and other substances in these products can vary because they are not standardised.

Vaping has been linked to various types of cancer, including head and neck cancers, lung cancer and breast cancer, as well as blood, prostate, and bladder cancers, says Professor Kefah Mokbel, a consultant breast surgeon at the London Breast Institute.

He points to animal and laboratory studies on cells that suggest vaping may cause DNA damage, inflammation and other signs that can precede a tumour.

In a study, published in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, mice exposed to vaping aerosol for 54 weeks developed lung and bladder cancer far often than non-vaping counterparts.

The evidence on cancer and vaping, while based on laboratory studies, is robust, says Professor Mokbel, but more research is needed to assess the impact of e-cigarettes on cancer rates.

Heart

Once inhaled, the nicotine in e-liquid rapidly enters your bloodstream, causing the body to release adrenaline, which in turn raises your blood pressure, pulse and breathing rates.

Nicotine is a problem for people with heart disease, says Julie Ward, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation.

It raises the heart rate, contradicting the goal of most treatments. If you have heart disease and are using nicotine replacements, such as vapes, speak to your GP first.

Chris Pepper, a consultant cardiologist at Leeds General Infirmary, told Good Health: I always recommend that patients quit smoking and vaping for the sake of their heart health, adding that nicotine is associated with inflammation and damage to cells, known precursors to a raised risk of cardiovascular problems.

Separately, research presented at the American Heart Association conference last October showed that e-cigarette users regularly exposed to nicotine consistently performed worse than non-vapers on treadmill tests  with effects similar to those from cigarettes.

Gut health

The gut wall prevents harmful microbes in the digestive tract migrating into the bloodstream.

However, a study published in the journal Science in 2021 found that the chemicals in nicotine-free vape liquids could disrupt this protective barrier, leading to leaky gut, which in turn can lead to chronic inflammation.

Dr Gareth Nye, a senior lecturer in anatomy and physiology at the University of Chester, says evidence is mounting that lung cancer is linked to glycerol in vapes

Such inflammation can contribute to a variety of diseases and conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, dementia, certain cancers, atherosclerosis [hardening arteries], liver fibrosis [scarring], diabetes and arthritis, said Aditi Sharma, an immunologist at the University of California, San Francisco, who was involved in the research.

The findings were based on studies with human gut cells and then mice, with the cells exposed to vaping liquid intended to mimic the amount used by a chronic vaper.

Aditi Sharma told Good Health: We found that vaping adversely affects the gut by causing inflammation, primarily by attacking the tight junction proteins, the guards that keep the cells of gut tight and in place. This eventually causes a leaky gut, which allows easy passage of its constituents into the bloodstream. Vaping triggers something like a more severe form of IBS.

Brain

Our brains appear to be highly sensitive to the effects of e-cigarette chemicals.

Vaping is linked to mental fog, according to two studies by the University of Rochester in the US in 2020. These found that both adults and children who vape were more likely to report difficulties in concentrating, remembering or making decisions than their non-vaping peers.

However, the authors pointed out that the studies only showed a link and did not prove causation. It could be that people who report mental fog are simply more likely to smoke or vape, possibly to self-medicate.

Immunity

Worrying findings published this year in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that inhaling e-cigarette smoke could damage neutrophils, one of the first immune cells to respond if bacteria or viruses enter the body.

The findings are important as previous research has shown that damage caused to neutrophils by cigarette smoking can lead to long-term lung damage.

Researchers at Birmingham University took blood samples from healthy donors who had never smoked or vaped. Their neutrophils were then exposed to 40 puffs of vape vapour (an amount previous studies have shown is a low daily exposure).

The neutrophils remained alive but became stuck, incapable of tackling threats to the body, such as E.coli bacteria.

Aaron Scott, an associate professor in respiratory science and lead author of the study, said: We found that after short, low-level exposure to e-cigarette vapour, the cells remain alive but can no longer move as effectively and are unable to carry out their normal protective functions.

Interestingly, vapour from e-liquids which did not contain nicotine also had the same negative effects as vapour from e-liquids which did contain nicotine.

Teeth and gums

The nicotine in vapes can also stain your teeth and lead to bad breath, gum disease and receding gums, suggests Mervyn Druian, a dentist at the London Centre for Cosmetic Dentistry.

Nicotine causes vasoconstriction of blood vessels in the mouth and reduces oxygenated blood reaching the gums, he explains. Over time, this can lead to tissue receding and tooth loss.

A recent review of studies published in the journal Medicina concluded that there is ample evidence establishing a connection between vaping smoke and an increased risk of developing gingivitis and periodontal disease.

The use of the vape . . . can introduce bacteria that contribute to the development of oral diseases in our body. In addition, there are studies that suggest that quitting vaping could be associated with an improvement in oral health.

A recent review of studies found a link between vaping and an increased risk of developing gingivitis and periodontal disease

Mervyn Druian says: The mouth needs a healthy balance of bacteria  vaping can change this.

And e-cigarette users experience similar DNA changes to specific cheek cells as smokers, according to a study led by University College London and the University of Innsbruck in Austria.

The lead author, Dr Chiara Herzog, said: We cannot say that e-cigarettes cause cancer based on our study, but . . . [the changes seen] are associated with future lung cancer development in smokers.

Skin

Smoking has been linked to wrinkles. While there is less data about vaping, the nicotine in vapes is the main concern, says Dr Justine Hextall, a consultant dermatologist in Arundel, West Sussex.

This is because it constricts blood vessels and reduces blood flow to the skin, so less oxygen and essential nutrients reach the cells. Nicotine also reduces collagen production, leading to decreased skin elasticity.
A heartbroken mother has told of her agony after medics dismissed her daughter's terminal cancer for anxiety.

Madi Foster, from Stafford in Staffordshire, was an otherwise healthy and 'physically fit' teenager.

But at just 17-years-old she suddenly started to become breathless easily and lacked energy.

Worried by the unexpected change, she visited the GP with her mum Nicola Foster, 51. Yet she claims she was told it was merely anxiety and depression and prescribed antidepressants.

Madi Foster, from Stafford in Staffordshire, was an otherwise healthy and 'physically fit' teenager. But at just 17-years-old she suddenly started to become breathless easily and lacked energy

It was only after her symptoms worsened two years later in June 2023, suffering back pain and 'sweating buckets' that medics in A&E spotted her spleen was enlarged.

Scans confirmed she had a rare and aggressive cancer, adrenocortical carcinoma  cancer of the adrenal gland, which sits beside the kidneys and is responsible for regulating essential functions like metabolism and the immune system.

Despite having the tumour removed and surviving septic shock, in February the 20-year-old was shockingly told her cancer  which affects one in a million people  had spread and she had just 15 to 18 months to live.

Recalling Madi's traumatic ordeal, Mrs Foster said: 'Madi also complained of back pain but doctors put it down to a urine infection.

'She was diagnosed with a high heart rate and put on medication to slow it down.'

Worried by the unexpected change, she visited the GP with her mum Nicola Foster (pictured), 51. Yet she claims she was told it was merely anxiety and depression and prescribed antidepressants

Unlike many other cancers, doctors are not sure what exactly puts someone at an increased risk of suffering the disease. There are no known risk factors. This is partly because the disease is so rare that research on it has not been as extensive as other cancers

After falling ill in June 2023 she was again told it was a kidney infection and sent home, Mrs Foster claimed.

But after she deteriorated further, she was taken to Stafford Hospital by ambulance.

'They took a scan of her back and saw her spleen was enlarged,' she added.

'Her spleen was actually wrapped around the 15cm tumour and was being pushed and squashed.

'She was rushed up to Stoke and various blood tests confirmed it was cancer. They believed it was one of four rare cancers. It was horrific.'

Once a biopsy confirmed it was adrenocortical carcinoma, she underwent an operation to remove the tumour in September.

But after complications with the surgery Madi went into septic shock when her abdomen filled with five litres fluid in November 2023.

It was only after her symptoms worsened two years later in June 2023, suffering back pain and 'sweating buckets' that medics in A&E spotted her spleen was enlarged

While Madi has since undertaken chemotherapy to help slow the growth of her tumours, her parents also found surgeons at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Maryland , US who were willing to operate. Pictured, Madi recovering after suffering septic shock

Mrs Foster said: 'We were told it was highly likely she wasn't going to survive. She went into emergency surgery and had to have heart restarted three times that night.

'She was multiple organ failure. She pulled though after two weeks and came home after four weeks.'

Unable to undertake chemotherapy during her recovery, a check up in February found the cancer had spread to her abdomen and liver.

Unlike many other cancers, doctors are not sure what exactly puts someone at an increased risk of suffering the disease. There are no known risk factors.

This is partly because the disease is so rare that research on it has not been as extensive as other cancers.

According to Cancer Research UK just 220 people on average are diagnosed with adrenal gland cancer, which includes adrenocortical carcinoma, every year.

The figure stands at around 800 in the US.

The glands are responsible for helping regulate a person's heart rate and other functions related to the cardiovascular system.

They also help activate a person's 'fight-or-flight' response during high-stress situations.

Scans confirmed she had a rare and aggressive cancer, adrenocortical carcinoma  which strikes just one in a million people. Despite having the tumour removed and surviving septic shock, in February the 20-year-old was shockingly told her cancer had spread and she had just 15 to 18 months to live

The disease is thought to develop when the DNA of cells in the gland experience an unhealthy change and begins to replicate  though the exact cause is still unclear.

Like other cancers, malignant cells from the adrenal glands can break off and be carried by the circulatory system to another part of the body.

This causes cancer to spread, making it harder to treat and significantly more deadly.

Studies suggest just 15 per cent of patients whose cancer has spread survive beyond five years.

While Madi has since undertaken chemotherapy to help slow the growth of her tumours, her parents also found surgeons at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Maryland, US who were willing to operate.

She has already undergone a first surgery on August 19 to relieve pressure on her spine.

A further operation to remove half her liver and the tumours in planned for August 27 followed by radiation on her spine.

A GoFundMe page set up in June to help fund the cost of her travel and accommodation has also already raised over 45,000.

Madi said: 'It's given us all hope again, when we thought there wasn't any.

'My plan is to get well through the treatment they're offering at the NIH and go on to study medicine particularly oncology, and help other people as I have been through cancer myself.

'I've been calling my trip here a holiday because I've been unable to leave the country for so long and the fact that it's such a positive experience being here too.'

Mrs Foster added: 'She's got such a positive attitude. She's never cried.

'She's not let it upset her.'
Europe is registering 100 new mpox cases every month, a World Health Organization (WHO) chief warned today.

Dr Hans Kluge, the UN agency's regional director for Europe said a 'lack of commitment' and 'resources' from European Governments has failed to eliminate the rash-causing virus.

But, addressing a UN Geneva Palais Briefing, he cautioned mpox was 'not the "new Covid".

It comes as a separate mutant form of the virus is currently spreading rampantly in Africa, killing an estimated 10 per cent of those infected.

It is a descendent of the deadly clade I strain of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, and different than the mild version which spread to over dozen countries, including the UK, in 2022.

Dr Hans Kluge (pictured in 2022), the UN agency's regional director for Europe said a 'lack of commitment' and 'resources' from European Governments has failed to eliminate the rash-causing virus. But, addressing a UN Geneva Palais Briefing, he cautioned mpox was 'not the "new Covid"

This map shows areas where cases of the new mpox strain has been confirmed (shaded in red) and those where nations deemed to be at risk of cases emerging according to UK health officials

Dr Kluge told the UN Geneva Palais Briefing: 'Mpox is not the "new COVID".

'Regardless of whether its mpox clade I, behind the ongoing outbreak in east-central Africa  or mpox clade II, behind the 2022 outbreak that initially impacted Europe  and has continued to circulate in Europe since.

'We know quite a lot about clade II already. We still have to learn more about clade I.

'Based on what we do know, mpox primarily transmits through skin-to-skin contact with mpox lesions, including during sex.'

He added: 'Today, were seeing about 100 new mpox clade II cases in the European Region every month.

'However, the current state of alert due to clade I gives Europe the opportunity to refocus on clade II.

'Two years ago, we controlled mpox in Europe thanks to the direct engagement with the most affected communities of men who have sex with men.

'We put in place robust surveillance, we thoroughly investigated new cases contacts and we provided sound public health advice.

'Behaviour change, non-discriminatory public health action, and mpox vaccination contributed to controlling the outbreak.

'Learning from our success, we urged governments and health authorities to sustain those measures  to help eliminate mpox from Europe.

'But through a lack of commitment and a lack of resources we failed to go the last mile.

'In sum, even as we strengthen vigilance against mpox clade I, we can  and should  strive to eliminate clade II in Europe for once and for all.'

Latest WHO data shows more than 99,000 mpox cases have been logged globally since January 2022.

Clade II sparked alarm among health officials in 2022, however, new infections gradually tapered off amid boosted awareness of the disease and a hurried vaccination program.

At the time the UK reported almost 4,000 cases of this less severe form of mpox, with NHS England inoculating over 68,000 people against the disease with the smallpox vaccine, which works due to the two viruses being closely related.

The smallpox vaccine has been known to help prevent mpox due to the two viruses being closely related. But experts said there wasn't yet enough evidence to suggest a vaccine would be effective against the new clade 1b strain

Clade II sparked alarm among health officials in 2022, however, new infections gradually tapered off amid boosted awareness of the disease and a hurried vaccination program. During the outbreak thousands of cases were recorded in the UK, mostly in London

This map shows the location of mpox cases by UK nation between January 2023 and as of the end of July this year

The mutant form currently worrying health experts, called clade Ib, kills about one in 20 adults it infects, rising to up to one in 10 children.

Infections have also been linked to an alarming rise in miscarriages among pregnant women.

The WHO declared the outbreak a 'public health emergency of international concern' last week.

This is the same designation the WHO gave Covid in late January 2020, just a few weeks before the virus ripped across the world.

Cases of the new strain are centred in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

More than 17,000 cases and 571 deaths have been logged in Africa this year, officials have said, a 160 percent surge compared to the same period last year.

However, it is unclear exactly how many cases, and deaths, the new strain accounts for with older versions still circulating.

The city of Goma in the DRC also has an international airport providing frequent direct flights to Europe  which experts have previously warned is a possible path for the virus to enter a new continent.

Last week Sweden reported its first case of the new deadly form, marking the first time it has been found outside of Africa.

Pakistan and the Philippines have since reported suspected cases, though they are waiting on test results to confirm if they are related to the strain.

Addressing the spread of Clade 1b during the briefing, Dr Kluge also said: 'Europe must choose to act in solidarity.

'Solidarity with individuals and communities impacted by mpox  by working directly with them to take charge of their own health.

'And solidarity with the WHO African Region and its affected member states  both at this critical time and in the long term.

'In 2022 mpox showed us it can spread quickly around the world. We can, and must, tackle mpox together  across regions and continents.'

He added: 'How we respond now, and in the years to come, will prove a critical test for Europe  and the world.'

Pat McFadden, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, met with ministers from the Department for Health, Foreign Office and the UK's chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty (pictured) on Monday. They met to 'ensure sufficient plans are in place to deal with any potential cases' Downing Street said

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has already cautioned it is 'already planning' for UK cases.

Dr Meera Chand, deputy director at the UKHSA, said the current threat to the UK by the new mpox strain is 'currently considered low'.

But she added: 'However, planning is underway to prepare for any cases that we might see in the UK.'

Rapid testing is being made available and GPs and hospitals have been told to isolate those with potential symptoms.

Pat McFadden, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, also met with ministers from the Department for Health, Foreign Office and the UK's chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty on Monday.

They met to 'ensure sufficient plans are in place to deal with any potential cases' Downing Street said.

Mpox, also known as monkeypox, causes characteristic lumpy lesions, as well as a fever, aches and pains and fatigue.

However, in a small number of cases, it can enter the blood and lungs, as well as other parts of the body, when it becomes life-threatening.
Taking weight loss drugs like Ozempic alongside antidepressants may raise the risk of suicide, a major study suggests.

Researchers in New York, Switzerland and Italy combed through a World Health Organization database for reports of suicidal thoughts among people taking the drugs in more than 140 countries.

The team then narrowed their search to reports of suicidal thoughts or attempts from patients taking both an antidepressant and either semaglutide or liraglutide  the active ingredients in Ozempic and Victoza, respectively.

They found 107 cases of suicidal or self-harm thoughts or actions among those who took semaglutide and 162 from those on liraglutide, suggesting a harmful interaction between the weight loss drugs and antidepressants.

Rsearchers in three countries suggested that taking antidepressants and drugs like Ozempic could lead to suicidal thoughts or actions based on drug interactions

Sharon Osbourne shared that she lost so much weight taking Ozempic that she could not afford to lose anymore. She also shocked fans with her gaunt appearance at a Taylor Swift concert this week

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However, experts today slammed the study for its 'weak evidence' and 'major limitations' based on 'spontaneous reports' of interactions between GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and antidepressants.

They also cautioned that the proportion of reports linked to both drugs was too small to determine an association.

The findings come as Sharon Osbourne alarmed fans this week with her gaunt appearance at the Taylor Swift Eras Tour show in London.

Osbourne has also admitted she 'lost too much weight' with Ozempic.

The researchers conducted the study using VigiBase, a database of adverse drug and vaccine reports from the WHO's Programme for International Drug Monitoring. This includes 36million reports from over 140 countries.

The team collected reports related to suicide and self-harm in those also taking semaglutide or liraglutide between November 2000 and August 2023. All patients filing reports were also taking antidepressants.

The study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, found 107 reports from patients taking semaglutide between 2011 and 2023 and 162 reports from patients taking liraglutide between 2000 and 2023.

About one-third of patients using both drugs did so with off-label use, meaning they did not have a prescription.

Additionally, one in four took them for weight management, and another one in four did so for diabetes management.

Of those reporting suicidal effects from semaglutide, 88 percent had suicidal ideation, 6.5 percent tried to overdose, and 6.5 percent attempted suicide.

In the liraglutide group, 72 percent thought about suicide, 12 percent completed suicide, and 10 percent attempted suicide.

For both the semaglutide and liraglutide groups, suicidal ideation stopped after discontinuing the drug 62 percent of the time.

'Considering the risk of suicidal ideation in people taking semaglutide off-label, authorities should consider issuing a warning to inform about this risk,' the team wrote.

However, they noted that 'the results of this study should be interpreted in light of several limitations.'

These included the small number of patients reporting these effects while taking antidepressants and GLP-1 medications, as well as not accounting for other factors leading to suicidal ideation, such as living circumstances and alcohol or drug use.

Dr Stephen Evans, emeritus professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, cautioned that the data is based on reports sent from doctors to health agencies only and is subject to bias.

'In my view this is not a significant or noteworthy paper, and it has major limitations,' he said.

Scott reportedly started using Ozempic after gaining weight and is now hoping to get it under control (pictured in August 2022). Weeks later in early March, the father-of-three, 40, sparked fears for his health when he was pictured looking gaunt on leaving Catch Steak in Los Angeles (pictured)

'The evidence is extremely weak for a genuine effect in this instance. We cant conclude from the study that semaglutide itself is responsible for suicidality.'

Dr Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at The Open University in England, added: [The authors] point out that theres no way of telling, from the data they used, that this disproportionally high rate of mentions of suicidal ideation for semaglutide is actually caused by the patients having used semaglutide.

'Thats for a number of reasons  partly because there will be many differences between patients who took semaglutide and patients who took other drugs.

'Those other reasons may not all be on the database at all  and theres no information there about people who did not have any kind of reported adverse reaction.'

Meanwhile, Dr Stephen Burgess an expert in genetic epidemiology at the University of Cambridge, said: 'I am concerned that these analyses combine and conflate on-target effects of GLP-1R agonists with the broader consequences of weight loss.'

He added: 'This is a life-changing intervention that will have largely positive consequences for many.

'But for others, the impact of losing a large amount of weight could have negative emotional consequences.

'If an individual thinks that losing weight is the key to happiness, but losing weight does not bring happiness, could this lead to depression and suicidal ideation?

'We need to understand whether these results represent a specific side-effect of these drugs, or an uncommon but tragic consequence of some individuals weight loss journey.'

Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy mimic the production of the hormone GLP-1, which helps keep the body full

A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, which produces Wegovy and Ozempic, said: Independent research, preliminary findings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and conclusions from a European Medicines Agency analysis did not find an association between use of GLP-1RA medicines and the occurrence of increased risk of suicidal thoughts or actions.'

They added: We stand behind the safety and efficacy of all of our GLP-1RA medicines when they are used as indicated and when taken under the care of a licensed healthcare professional.

A recent Gallup poll found that one in 15 US adults  six percent  have used injectible diabetes drugs like Ozempic.

Semaglutide has been available on the NHS in the UK since 2019, and in the US since 2017, for type 2 diabetics to manage blood sugar levels.

Another semaglutide drug was also approved in Britain for weight loss in 2022, and in the US in 2021, under the brand Wegovy.

Like any medication, semaglutide can cause side effects that vary in both frequency and severity. Reported problems include nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, fatigue, stomach pain, headaches and dizziness.

Bizarre symptoms, such as hair loss, have also been reported among some patients.

Latest NHS data shows 26 per cent of adults in England are obese and a further 38 per cent are overweight but not obese. In the US an estimated 41.9 per cent of adult population are obese.

Despite the hormone mimicking jabs being designed to help overweight patients become healthier, there have also been growing concerns about the number of normal weight and underweight patients taking them for cosmetic reasons.

Some have even needed emergency room care after taking jabs in a bid to become 'beach body ready'.
Francine Milano, 61, got the news that her ovarian cancer had returned in 2023, after it had been dormant for over 20 years. Her doctors told her it was terminal.

Staring down the costs, side effects, travel and pain that she would have to deal with if she chose to treat her cancer with traditional therapy, she decided to opt for a different path: medical aid in dying.

So the Pennsylvania native looked to Vermont, one of only a handful of US states where physician assisted suicide is legal, and out-of-state residents can travel to be euthanized.

She's started the process twice. The second time, which happened in June 2024, she met her doctor on a Zoom from a parking lot just over Vermont's border.

Ms Milano lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. To get to Burlington, Vermont, where she met her doctor the first time she started the aid-in-dying process, she had to drive nine hours. To reach the border of the state, which she did the second time she started the aid-in-dying process, she had to drive six hours

Ten states and the District of Columbia allow assisted suicide. Vermont and Oregon are the only two that allow out of state visitors to apply to the program

Critics of medical aid in dying might be shocked to learn that though the laws stipulate a patient must be within state borders, if a doctor so chooses, they can conduct these interviews by telemedicine.

'I want you to know that I'm not giving up hope, it's just that I'm not willing to go down some of these traditional routes, because I've seen it,' she said on her YouTube channel, explaining that she'd seen people with her kind of cancer go through intense treatment, and lose quality of life.

'I want quality. I want quality over quantity at this point is more important to me,' she said.

Mrs Milano isn't the first person to come from out of state to seek assisted suicide in The Green Mountain State.

Roughly 26 people came to the state to die from May 2023 to June 2024, according to the Vermont Department of Health.

Since the first end-of-life program was authorized in 1994, 9,122 people in America have chosen to end their life with medical aid, according to the advocacy group Compassion and Choices.

There hasn't been an effort to aggregate this national data per year, but that averages out to roughly 304 deaths per year.

In 2022, 278 people in Oregon used medical aid in dying. In the ten years since Vermont has allowed the practice, roughly 203 people had qualified for Medical aid in dying, the vast majority of whom sought out the program after a cancer diagnosis.

They estimate that 63 percent of people who go through with the process, and receive the prescription decide to follow through with the act.

Assisted suicide is currently legal in Oregon, Washington, Montana, Vermont, California, Colorado, Washington D.C., Hawai'i, New Jersey, Maine and New Mexico.

Eighteen more have aid-in-dying laws up for consideration this year, according to KFF Health News.

But Oregon and Vermont are the only states that allow individuals who don't live in the state to travel for the procedure.

Still, the process to get approved to die in these states is rigorous, Dr Charles Blanke, an oncologist in Oregon who has a focus on end-of-life care and medical aid in dying, told CBS news.

'The law is pretty strict about what has to be done,' Dr Blanke said.

In order to get approved to die in Vermont, a patient has to be 18 years old, have six months left to live, be able to take the pills themselves and be capable of making their own informed health care decisions.

If they meet these criteria, then they have to make two requests, waiting at least two weeks in between the request, to the doctor who will write the prescription.

These requests can be made by telemedicine, if the doctor so chooses, but the law states that patients have to be in Vermont when they meet with doctors and take the pills.

In Ms Milano's case, the first time she started the process in 2023, she drove nine hours to Burlington, VT to meet with a doctor.

She didn't complete the process within six months, letting it lapse without getting the medication.

Ms Milano and her husband, pictured. She shared that she has been checking items off her bucket list since getting her diagnosis, including taking a visit to a local farm to hug a cow

But she started anew, driving back to Vermont in June 2024. This time, she drove six hours, meeting with the same doctor by Zoom from a parking lot just across state lines.

She said she did so because she 'would have been afraid not to be honest', about being within the state of Vermont when meeting with her doctor, as per the law.

After this step, a patient still has to make a written request to a doctor, get it signed by witnesses and visit a second doctor, to confirm the findings from the first doctor.

After that, the doctor will write a prescription, which is held for 15 days before being filled. Once the patient picks up the prescription, the process is in their hands.

Ms Milano has yet to follow through with these final steps.

Support for physician assisted suicide is not universal. Critics like Dr Jack Ende, the former president of the American College of Physicians, have said these efforts taking funding and focus away from efforts like improving hospice care.

'The focus at the end of life should be on efforts to prevent or ease suffering and on the often unaddressed needs of patients and families. As a society, we need to work to improve hospice and palliative care, including awareness and access,' Dr Ende said.

Religious groups, have said that these efforts overstep moral boundaries. Representatives for Catholic church have stated: 'We dont have the authority to take into our hands when life will end.'

Ms Milano, who herself is a reverend and pastor to the The Center for Spiritual Awareness in Pennsylvania, has remained publicly firm about her decision to explore physician assisted suicide through her social media channels.

She said that when she get the pills that she can take to end her life, she not sure that she'll take them. About a third of people who fill their prescription never do.

Right now, she's focusing on checking items off her bucket list. Recently, she shared she had fulfilled a life long dream of hugging a cow, sharing a video smiling alongside a docile, small dairy cow on Facebook.

Even while she lives, she said knowing she has a choice is comforting.

'I'm afraid of dying, I'm not afraid of death,' she said.
The brain has learned to ignore our noses.

It's actually filtered out of our vision in order to create a picture-perfect image.

But doctors say that we ignore the nose at our peril, warning that it can be a window into our health and signal underlying conditions.

Dr Dan Baumgardt from the UK's Bristol University revealed five conditions that may manifest on your nose.

Doctors have revealed five conditions that could be revealed on the nose (stock)

An example of acne rosacea (stock)

Red skin but no pimples

If your nose is covered with angry red pimples, blackheads and whiteheads, then doctors say you are likely suffering from acne.

But should the skin turn red across the nose and cheeks but no zits form, then this likely indicates a separate condition called acne rosacea.

This is an inflammatory condition caused by small red blood vessels in the skin becoming inflamed and dilated, allowing more blood into the area.

Scientists do not know what causes the condition but suggest it may be linked to genetics, an overactive immune system or activities in daily life.

Middle-aged and older adults are most at risk of developing acne rosacea, experts say.

The condition may not be cured, but can be managed with medications, antibiotics and lifestyle modifications said Dr Baumgardt, writing in The Conversation,

He also warned that someone who has the condition may also be suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis.

More than 16million Americans suffer from acne rosacea, estimates suggest.

Shown above is the condition rhinophyma

Nose turns red and swells

In some cases, the nose can become bulbous, red and swollen.

Dr Baumgardt said this was a warning sign for rhinophyma, or a skin disorder that triggers the skin on the nose to become much thicker.

Experts say the condition is caused by rosacea, a skin inflammatory condition.

This can cause blood vessels to enlarge which doctors say may prompt the growth.

Previously, some doctors have suggested that the condition is linked to heavy consumption of alcohol  although this is disputed in some quarters.

Treatment normally involves plastic surgery to reshape the nose and reduce its newly formed bulbous tip. It is rare, but primarily affects males.

Dr Baumgardt said: 'In some cases, rosacea can cause the skin of the nose to grow and thicken. This condition is referred to as rhinophyma.

'Like other visible skin conditions, it can result in profound changes to appearance and seriously affect self-esteem in sufferers.'

The above shows basal cell carcinoma on the nose (stock)

Bump on the nose

A bump or brownish lesion on the nose could be a warning sign of skin cancer, experts say.

About 80 percent of skin cancer cases are basal cell carcinomas (BCCs), with around 80 percent of these detected on the head and neck  most commonly on the nose.

Doctors say the nose is more at risk of skin cancer because it gets more sun exposure than other areas, possibly because it juts out from the face and may not be shaded by sunhats.

This raises the risk of burns and, as a result, damaging mutations in cells raising the risk of them turning cancerous.

Most cancers diagnosed on the nose are BCCs, cancer in the skin's outer layer, or squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), cancer in its middle layer.

Warning signs on the nose include the emergence of small, shiny and translucent bumps that are pink, red or white in color. An open sore or reddish irritated-looking patch of skin may also be a warning sign.

Doctors commonly treat the condition using surgery to cut out the cancerous cells, and may then reconstruct affected areas of the face.

Almost every patient diagnosed with BCC survives the condition because it is easy to detect early before the cancer has spread.

About 5.4million Americans are diagnosed with a form of skin cancer every year.

The above shows lupus pernio, which is a warning sign of sarcoidosis

Nose has blue or purple patches

In some cases, skin on the nose may turn blue or purple in areas  alongside skin on the ears, cheeks, fingers or toes.

Dr Baumgardt said this could be a warning sign for the inflammatory condition called sarcoidosis.

In this condition, the immune system starts to attack tissue in the body  triggering the formation of granulomas, or clumps of white blood cells.

These can alter circulation, leading to less blood traveling to the skin and causing discolored patches medically-termed Lupus pernio, or Wolf's Nose.

The condition leaves people at risk of granulomas forming in other areas of the body, including the lungs, heart and kidneys  raising the risk of complications in these organs.

The condition is treated using medications including steroids which can help to calm the immune system.

Sarcoidosis is relatively rare in the US, with about 150,000 to 200,000 cases diagnosed every year.

About one to eight percent of patients die from the condition, with fatalities caused by bleeding from the lungs or heart failure  which can be triggered by granulomas altering blood circulation or causing blockages in the organs.

Scientists are not sure of the cause of sarcoidosis but say that exposure to certain pesticides or insecticides and genetics could all be involved.

Loss of sensation in the nose can be a sign of trigeminal trophic syndrome (stock)

Loss of sensation

Dr Baumgardt said that if you lose sensation in your nose, then you could be suffering from a nerve condition.

The trigeminal nerve controls chewing and sensation in the face, nose and area around the nostrils.

But if this nerve becomes damaged, someone may start to feel numb in this area or like they have pins and needles  in a condition called trigeminal trophic syndrome.

Doctors say the nerve can be damaged via injury, possibly during a stroke or infection, or as a result of prior surgery to the surrounding face.

The condition may be treated using medications or electrical nerve stimulation in order to restore feeling to the area.

It is a rare condition, with only about 200 cases reported in medical literature to date.

Men with big noses

Some experts suggest that the size of a man's nose can reveal the size of his penis.

The claims are based on a Japanese study that found that nose size was more closely correlated with stretched penis length than height or body weight.

Dr Rena Malik, a urologist in California, revealed the paper, saying: 'There's one study, it's a Japanese study, where they looked at only Japanese men, so there are some limitations  but essentially they measured all these body parts and penile length.

'And what they found was that nose length was correlated with penile length, not hand length or foot length.'

Others have also previously suggested that the size of a man's hands or feet could indicate the size of his penis, although evidence for this assertion is not strong.

There are also suggestions that drinking alcohol regularly could cause a larger nose, in a condition called rhinophyma (see above).
The fertility rate in the US has plunged to another new low, with fewer women than at any point in history having children.

The rate was 54.5 births per 1,000 women of childbearing age (15 to 44 years old) last year, a three percent fall compared to 56 in 2022.

The number of babies born in the US also declined year-over-year, with just under 3.6million live births in 2023.

At the same time, immigration is soaring, with a record 2.6million immigrants coming to the US legally in 2022, and up to 14million people when accounting for illegal migration.

The trends are part of a major demographic shift occurring in the US and other western countries experiencing high migration and low birth rates.

Experts say the US is headed for a so-called 'underpopulation crisis' by 2050, when too few people are born to support its current economic system.

The above shows the number of live births in millions (blue bars) and the fertility rate per 1,000 women (green bars) each year from 2021 to 2023

America's current population is being sustained by mass migration, mainly from Central American countries.

By 2045, some statisticians predict the US will have a minority white population, due to multiple factors including migration, the baby bust and the rise of interracial families - though these forecasts have been disputed in recent years.

The most recent CDC data showed in 2023, the total fertility rate fell to 1.62 births per woman, the lowest since the government began tracking the metric in the 1930s.

However, for a population to stay the same size, it must achieve a 'replacement' level fertility rate of 2.1 - a number the US hasn't recorded since 2007, before the 2008 financial crash.

If unaddressed over time, it can lead to an increasing aging population, with a significant proportion needing care and unable to work.

Researchers have warned America faces an underpopulation crisis by 2050 and experts agree the demographic shift toward less births and an aging population is a crisis in the making.

In terms of age groups, largest declines in live births were in teens, with birth rates among 15- to 19-year-olds dropping four percent from 2022 to 2023.

Additionally, 18- to 19-year-olds experienced a five percent dip, representing the largest change within that group.

The CDC found more women who are having children are in their thirties, and the birth rate for women ages 20 to 24 reached a record low of 55.4 births per 1,000 women, a decline of four percent.

Your browser does not support iframes.

The above shows the birth rate for teenagers 15 to 19 years old, 15 to 17 years old and 18 to 19 years old each year from 2021 to 2023

There are several theories experts have posited as the reason behind the birth rate drop, including rising costs of living and the increased expenses that come with caring for a child.

They also point to people prioritizing careers over marriage and family, meaning an increasing number of people are becoming more focused on education and business success rather than saying 'I do' and having babies.

However, a 2023 Ohio State and University of North Carolina study found young Americans still plan to have two children on average.

About 88 percent of teens - both boys and girls - say they plan on having kids.

Still, the birth rate isn't keeping up - and the only way to stabilize a population is for women to have more babies or for more immigrants to come into the country.

Today, immigrants account for 14 percent of the US population, according to the Pew Research Center.

In 2022, America's foreign-born population reached a high of 46.1million people.

And as immigration policies became more permissive and immigration swelled, the number of foreign-born residents increased three-fold from 1970.

Since 1965, when the Immigration and Nationality Act opened immigration up to people coming from Asia and Latin America and allowed more immigrants to enter the US legally, about 72million immigrants have come to the US.

The Migration Policy Institute wrote: 'Between 2021 and 2022, the growth in the number of immigrants in the United States accounted for 65 percent of the total U.S. population increase (912,000 out of nearly 1.4 million).'

Mexico is the top feeder of immigrants into the US, with 10.6million Mexican immigrants living in the US in 2022. They are followed by immigrants from India, China, the Philippines and El Salvador.

Due to the combination of declining birth rates, increased immigration and more racially diverse families, census projections from the Brookings Institute in 2018 predict the white population in the US will fall to a minority of 49 percent by 2045.
An outbreak of diarrhea-causing parasitic illness linked to swimming pools is sweeping across Northern Kentucky.

The Northern Kentucky Health Department has confirmed about a dozen cases of cryptosporidiosis in the region, and many of the peopled confirmed to be sick had visited pools in their area.

The parasite that causes crypto, Cryptosporidium hominins, is highly resistant to chlorine, the quintessential ingredient in keeping pools clean. Normal concentrations of the chemical in swimming pools do not destroy it.

The outbreaks point of origin is still unknown, but a family recreation center with pools and waterslides called Silverlake in Erlanger, Kentucky, had to close down in order to boost chlorine levels and kill any remains of the parasite.

Silverlake, a family pool and fitness club in Erlanger, Kentucky reopened recently after having to ramp up chlorination in its pools to kill off the crypto parasite making people sick

A person infected with the parasite passes infectious spores in their feces.

Another becomes sick when they accidentally touch or swallow infected fecal matter.

When ingested, these spores migrate to the small intestine and invade intestinal cells to produce more spores.

As the parasitic cells grow, they inflict damage on the wall of the intestine, which leads to watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and a low-grade fever.

The infection is usually self-limiting, meaning it resolves on its own without medical treatment. Infection typically lasts about two weeks.

Unless a person has particularly weak defenses, the bodys immune system attacks the parasite and limits its ability to reproduce in the GI tract.

For this reason, children and seniors, who tend to have weaker immune systems, are at particularly high risk of a severe bout of illness lasting several weeks.

Steve Divine, Director of Environmental Health and Safety at the Northern Kentucky Health Department, said pools must super chlorinate to kill off the offending parasite: Raise the chlorine level up much higher than you normally would for everyday operation.

That has to go for a certain number of hours and then let it come back down for a normal range again before people can swim again.

Silverlake did just that when the health department learned about half the cases of crypto could be traced back there.

The club released a statement assuring the public that the pool had been super chlorinated to ensure the levels were well beyond what is necessary to kill crypto.

Once this process was complete and chlorine levels returned to safe levels, we were cleared by the Health Department to reopen the pool. This process took over 42 hours to complete.'

The origin of the outbreak remains unknown, though about half of the people who became sick were said to have visited Silverlake. Health Department officials expect the current crypto case count to rise

While summer fun was able to start back up at Silverlake, Mr Divine remains convinced that the outbreak will not stop there: We have at least 12 cases that have been tested and confirmed. That number is going to go up.

The infection can spread quickly in the pool, regardless of how diligent officials are about monitoring chlorine levels.

Standard pool chlorine levels of one to three parts per million are not sufficient to kill off the pathogen, which can survive there for about a week, depending on water temperature.

An infected person can shed millions of crypto spores in their stool. A tiny amount entering the pool can cause widespread illness.

Super-chlorinating the parasite to death involves raising the chlorine level to about 20 parts per million and maintaining that level for around 13 hours.

Aside from swimming pools, childcare centers are contamination hotbeds, accounting for 13 percent of outbreaks.

Mr Divine said: I'm not just concerned about pools at this point, I'm worried about daycares. And now that schools are back in session, those as well.

The CDC recommends that anyone using the pool rinse off under the shower before and after going in, take any children at the pool to the bathroom regularly and make sure they wash their hands thoroughly, keep a child from swimming if theyve recently had diarrhea, and never change a babys diaper poolside; always in the restroom.

Dr Joseph Eisenberg, chair of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, said: Not swallowing water is difficult when a child is active in the water and continually submersing their head.

'A parent can be proactive by making sure the swimming facility is doing a good job in managing risks at the pool.'

And if you become infected, remember to stay hydrated, Dr Eisenberg said.

Especially if it's a child experiencing having diarrhea. The loss of fluids can result in more serious illness, and getting fluids through an IV is something we can all try to avoid.
One man's sex life is the definition of colorful.

The married 31-year-old  known only as 'Mr R.'  went to doctors complaining that whenever he orgasmed he suddenly saw the world in hues of pink.

He added that objects also appeared sharper and brighter, and that it always looked like early morning  even if he was orgasming late at night.

Doctors in Iran carried out a battery of tests before diagnosing the man with synesthesia, a rare condition where senses cross-over with each other.

The married 31-year-old  known only as 'Mr R.'  told doctors that whenever he orgasms he suddenly sees the world in hues of pink (stock image)

In other cases, it can lead to someone "tasting colors" or "feeling sounds".

Revealing the bizarre case in the journal Psychiatry, the doctors wrote: 'He stated that during his orgasms, he experienced visual equity changes whenever his eyes were open, and he saw objects sharper and brighter than usual.

'He described these changes as "high contrast vision with dominant pink color everywhere", and said that the environment became brighter as if it was early morning even if the environment was dark.'

The patient, who was also a medical doctor, initially tried to treat his condition using the anti-depressant Sertraline.

But after three months, he sought help at a nearby hospital  where doctors suggested he had the rare neurological condition.

At this point, the patient also revealed he had suffered from altered perceptions in childhood due to chest pain caused by a faulty heart valve.

He said that during these pain episodes, he would feel 'white'  a sensation that he said was never brought up by other feelings. This stopped before adulthood, however, after the heart valve issue was resolved.

The patient was discharged and offered no further treatment, with the individual reporting no erectile dysfunction and saying they were happy with their sex life.

Synesthesia is caused by nerves excited by a certain activity accidentally activated other un-related nerves, triggering a 'mixed up' sensation for people.

It was not clear why an orgasm might lead to synesthesia, but the flood of feel-good hormones released and surge of brain activity during the act could raise the likelihood of multiple nerves being excited.

It is often linked to the brain's development, with the organ said to have developed in a way during childhood that is different from 'neurotypical' people.

Many live normal and full lives with the condition, with some even saying it gives them a richer experience of the world.

In other cases, individuals have reported experiencing different colors during each stage of sex. They reported seeing orange at the start of sex, yellow during sex and then pink during the climax phase.

Other types include seeing a specific color when hearing a car horn, or saying they can taste words when they hear them.

Vincent van Gogh, Wassily Kandinsky and Lorde are all said to have the condition.

There is no specific treatment for the condition, with doctors saying this is not needed as the condition is not an illness.

Estimates suggest that up to two percent of the population experiences a level of synesthesia during sex, according to Psychology Today.

The researchers, from the University of Mashhad, wrote in their case report from 2022: 'The present report demonstrates coexistence of a rare form of synesthesia as orgasm to color with specific pain to color synesthesia.

'In contrast to previous reports, our case demonstrated color orgasm as a type of synesthesia that might not negatively affect sex life in men.'
Tesco is raising the price of its popular meal deal for the second time in two years, in a blow to fans of a bargain lunch.

The cost of the deal, which includes a sandwich or salad, snack and drink, is going up by almost 6 per cent, and follows another increase less than two years ago.

The supermarket has justified the price rise by saying it has introduced better-quality ingredients and improvements to the range of items on offer.

Sandwich squeeze: Tesco is raising the price of its popular meal deal range this week to 3.60 for Clubcard members

From Thursday, Clubcard members will pay 20p more for their meal deal, meaning a sandwich or salad, snack and drink will now cost 3.60.

Customers without a Clubcard will pay 4, which is 10p more than the current price.

It is the second time the supermarket has raised the price during the cost of living crisis, and comes just a month after Sainsbury's increased the price of its meal deal for the first time in three years, from 3.50 to 3.75 across all of its stores.

In October 2022, Tesco's meal deal increased for the first time in a decade from 3 to 3.40 for Clubcard members, and from 3.50 to 3.90 for those without a loyalty card.

Tesco says that the latest price increase is because of improvements made to the quality of its range, which include switching to cheddar which has been matured longer and new seasonings.

It also said it was expanding its range with the introduction of seven new salads, including a feta and grains salad.

Tesco says it has made improvements to the quality of its meal deal range

How much do supermarkets charge for meal deals?

Tesco's competitors Sainsbury's and Co-op, offer similar deals at 3.75 and 3.50 for members, respectively.

Boots' meal deal costs 3.99 or 3.60 with an Advantage card, while Morrisons offers its own deal for 3.50.

Tesco says the deal still represents 'great value' as 80 per cent of customers buy a meal deal using a Clubcard, and a number of meal combinations would cost more than 8 if purchased separately.

Tesco's most popular meal deal - a Sausage, Bacon and Egg triple sandwich, packet of McCoys Flame Grilled Steak crisps and a bottle of Coca Cola - would cost 6.20 if purchased separately.

A spokesperson for Tesco said: 'Clubcard members will pay just 3.60 for a main, snack and drink, meaning our meal deal remains great value and the ideal way to grab lunch on-the-go.

'With millions of possible combinations across our stores, our recent improvements to ingredients and more than 20 new mains introduced this summer, the Tesco meal deal has got something for every taste.'

Tesco's premium meal deal range will not change, costing 5 with a Clubcard and 5.50 without a Clubcard.
I signed up to the Transport for London (TfL) AutoPay system to pay the congestion charge when I drive into London, but realised after recently checking my bank account that it had also taken Ulez (Ultra Low Emission Zone) charges over the previous 12 months.

This came to 1,300, even though I drive a vehicle which meets exhaust emission standards, so is exempt. I contacted TfL, thinking it would be easy to get my money back. Eventually, TfL emailed me admitting my car meets the standards but said they could not refund me.

Later I received a cheque for 300, but Im confused as to why it wont pay back more.

Anon, via email.

Sally Hamilton replies: The drive to improve the Capitals air quality comes with a price for motorists whose vehicles fail to meet certain standards on polluting emissions. They must pay 12.50 each day they go through the Ultra Low Emission Zone  which essentially covers most of London within the M25.

To make their life easier  and to avoid nasty penalties  many drivers sign up with TfLs AutoPay which takes payment on a monthly basis for the congestion charge and Ulez.

You believed youd set it up for the congestion charge only, but TfL also took payments for ULEZ  even though these did not apply to your 2020 petrol car.

Some will say you should have checked your bank statement sooner but, in your defence, you believed the monthly bills were only for the congestion charge.

Soon after realising your mistake in June this year, you sent in your V5C logbook to prove your cars credentials and waited for a full refund.

After much back and forth over two months, you received a cheque for just 300 plus an email which stated the ULEZ scheme does not facilitate the refund of daily ULEZ charge payments and it does not provide an appeals process for motorists to claim a refund of daily charge payments.

This confused you, as it did me. It had clearly refunded 300, which it said in the same letter was based on the dates shown in your logbook. You declined to cash the cheque and came to me for help.

I felt you had case as you could prove your car was compliant for the whole year, so asked TfL to investigate.

After a few days, TfL concluded it would reimburse you the full 1,300 after all.

It emerged that the mistaken charges arose because you have a private number plate, which had before 2020 had been attached to a non-compliant vehicle belonging to someone else. While TfL stood by only being able to reimburse for the period shown in your logbook evidence, it agreed to pay back the earlier charges as a goodwill gesture.

A TfL spokesman says: We apologise for the distress your reader has experienced. Once we received evidence to prove that the vehicle his plate was attached to complied with the ULEZ standards, we refunded him for daily charges made via his AutoPay account, based on the dates that the documents he provided showed. We have since used our discretion and refunded him for the remainder of the charges.

To avoid shock charges, drivers should use TfLs vehicle checker at tfl.gov.uk, especially important, it seems, when switching to a personalised number plate.

The spokesman adds: We have an established registration process which allows motorists to contact us and update their vehicles compliance status if they believe it to be incorrect, including by providing evidence of compliancy.

It says that until evidence has been provided and the database updated, the owners should pay the daily charge to avoid penalties.

To prove a private plate has been transferred, TfL needs a letter from the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency confirming the transfer, and a copy of the V5C of the previous and current vehicle registration so vehicle identities can be properly matched.

TfL apologised for the unclear explanation of refund rules in its correspondence.

Refunds for ULEZ charges are normally only issued to drivers of non-compliant cars who make daily charge payments in advance, but perhaps realise ahead of time they wont be going through the zone after all. It says refunds arent possible after the date of the journey paid for as TfL does not keep records of the number plates photographed.

However AutoPay customers have 90 days to dispute debited charges.

If a customer has mistakenly paid daily charges for a vehicle that is compliant they can, like you, be reimbursed on receipt of proof the vehicle meets the emission standards.

Drivers hit with a penalty charge (180  or 90 if paid within 14 days) for an unpaid Ulez charge can appeal within 28 days at tfl.gov.uk. If this fails they can go to The Road User Charging Adjudicators at londontribunals.gov.uk

I was treasurer of a masonic lodge in the 1990s, of which I am still a member. Back then, I opened an account with Nationwide Building Society to deposit raffle proceeds and charity donations.

I was a signatory for a time, along with the charity steward. Sadly, he and a treasurer who replaced me have since died. But it turns out my name was left as signatory on the account. The current treasurer found the accounts passbook and asked me to investigate getting hold of the remaining balance of 664. Apparently the funds have been paid out, but we dont know to whom. Even though I presented proof of my identity, Nationwide wont tell me anything more. Where do I go from here?

E.H., Eastbourne, East Sussex

Sally Hamilton replies: Masonic lodges were once famed for their secrecy, but it seemed odd to me that Nationwide was keeping schtum on the whereabouts of your lodges account balance.

I asked the building society to investigate. It delved into the case and found that confusion had arisen on the death of one of the lodges treasurers who had been in the role after you. When sorting out his affairs, his daughter found an application form for this account bearing his signature and believed it belonged to him. She contacted Nationwide, which closed the account in September 2022, with the balance passed to his widow.

Following my intervention, it emerged that the late treasurer had been removed as a signatory in 2012, so wasnt in fact eligible to receive the money  and nor was his widow.

Nationwide said this was an unfortunate mistake, with proper checks not carried out. However, the building society swiftly agreed to pay the full 664 as an ex-gratia payment to the lodges account on presentation of evidence from you, including a copy of the lodges constitution, minutes of a meeting and confirmation of current members of authority. It confirmed it will not be asking for the money back from the late treasurers widow.

A Nationwide spokesman says: Unfortunately, due to human error, the original account was closed, and the money incorrectly paid out to our late customers widow. We apologise for the mistake made and will be making a payment for the full balance of the previous account to the correct charitable account.

Scam watch

Shoppers should beware a scam email impersonating Morrisons, consumer website Which? warns.

Tricksters lure in the supermarkets customers by claiming they could win a brand new KitchenAid  which typically retails for 469  if they complete a survey about their experiences at the store.

The survey also asks for your personal and financial details and the email says the recipient needs to hurry as theres a limited number of prizes to be won.

Do not click on any links in the email. Instead forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk

Straight to the point

I left my vehicle in a car park in Birmingham for a long weekend but misplaced the parking ticket while I was away. I thought I may have been charged the maximum daily fee of 12.50 per day as cameras could prove how long I had been there. But when I got to the ticket barrier I was told I needed to pay a lost ticket fee of 100 per day. I had to pay it but how can this be right? H.J., Birmingham.

The car parking company apologises and says you have been overcharged and should have only pad 100 for three days, not 300. You have been refunded the entire 300.

I opened a stocks and shares Isa in July and transferred 2,000 from my current account. The provider said it would take up to five days for it to open, but it still wasnt open at the end of the five days. I called the provider and was told by the call handler that my account wasnt on its system. What can I do? R.S., via email.

The call handler had a temporary issue with access so couldnt see your account, which took longer to open because of verification checks. Your account is now open.

My wife and I were due to fly to Tobago with British Airways in April but the flight was delayed for more than five hours. I claimed delay compensation of 1,040 but its now passed the deadline for claims to be resolved and we havent received anything. Many fellow passengers have their refunds  why not me? B.S., Nuneaton.

British Airways apologises and you have now received the payment in full.

I was offered 25 compensation by the Department for Work and Pensions in December after a review by the Independent Case Examiner but its never been paid. All follow up emails from me go unanswered. P.S., Portugal.

You have now received the delayed payment, along with 50 as a goodwill gesture.
No-frills airlines are finding new, sneaky ways to squeeze money from passengers  by tightening up their hand luggage rules.

Norma Latham, 76, was horrified when her son Stuart was stopped while boarding an easyJet flight home from their holiday in the Spanish resort of Benidorm in May.

Stuart, 51, had kindly offered to carry his mothers hand luggage onto the plane while also carrying his own bag.

But when asked to show his boarding pass, staff at Alicante airport demanded Stuart pay 58 euros (50) to take her navy-and-white polka dot tote bag on board.

Norma was furious after she had to pay a 50 charge for a bag that was, she says, clearly hers

Norma, a retired chiropodist from Brentwood in Essex, says: Despite him politely explaining it was my bag  as was obviously the case  and he pointed me out up ahead, the attendant would not budge.

The pair had already paid for these bags as part of the allowance when purchasing the tickets and were breaking no rules.

Yet Stuart was told he could not board the plane until money was handed over.

Norma says: I was forced to return to the gate and pay the charge before we were allowed to fly home. We ended up as the last ones on the plane.

My son was only trying to be kind  you should not be fined for trying to help.

Travel experts warn airlines are increasingly halting passengers at the gate if they believe they have broken restrictions.

Budget airlines have drastically reduced the size of the hand luggage passengers can take to squeeze more money out of passengers. This trick allows airlines to market tickets at rock-bottom prices until you add baggage allowance.

Budget airlines have drastically reduced the size of the hand luggage passengers can take

As long as you abide by the different size and weight restrictions of each airline, you are usually allowed to carry on one small bag free plus another larger cabin item paid for separately. This is often sold as part of a more expensive priority ticket option.

Aware of the size changes, Norma had spent 35 on a new cabin bag to ensure it would fit under the seat in front of her.

Separately, she had paid an extra 50 for a suitcase weighing up to 23kg to be put in the plane hold.

Norma herself was carrying a duty free shopping bag, which is generally treated as separate to a carry-on luggage allowance if the items are bought after check-in.

She says: Stuart was helping with my cabin bag because I had a couple of bottles of duty free rum in a sealed plastic bag.

Furious at the way she was treated, Norma emailed easyJet asking for a refund once she got home.

EasyJets resolution support team response eight days later said: Your son had carried two cabin bags at the boarding gate  that is the reason you have been charged. I am sorry to inform we are unable to honour your request for a refund.

Undeterred, Norma immediately replied because she felt the airline was still in the wrong. After a further eight days, EasyJet responded - this time thanking her for reaching out and offered a 58-euro flight voucher.

Norma says: Targeting elderly or infirm people who might like some help with their bags is shameful behaviour.

Norma accepted the voucher and the next day easyJet replied: We are sorry to hear you found the baggage charge unfair due to physical limitations.

In the case of excess baggage, even if it belongs to another passenger, extra charges apply. This is to ensure the safety and comfort of all our passengers. Your suggestion making it clear at the boarding gates each passenger must carry their own luggage is noted.

A spokesman for easyJet says: We are sorry that Mrs Lathams son was incorrectly charged for the additional bag belonging to his mother. Our ground crew were not aware they were travelling together. We apologise for the misunderstanding and are refunding the charge and will also provide a gesture of goodwill.

Norma is using the voucher to book a trip to the Gran Canaria in January. Travelling alone, she will have to carry her own bag  so at least should avoid a fine.

What should you do to avoid charges? According to market researcher IdeaWorksCompany, baggage charges can account for a quarter of the revenue for no-frills airlines that rely on such extras.

Travel experts warn airlines are increasingly halting passengers at the gate over their baggage

Check out individual airline restrictions on hand luggage  as they vary widely. Dont forget to include wheels in your measurements, and a handle that might stick out.

Ryanair has shrunk the size limit of free hand luggage from 55x40x20cm  the size of a small wheelie suitcase  to 40x20x25cm the size of a laptop bag.

The carrier can charge 45 if your free hand luggage exceeds the size and 70 if the larger hand luggage is too big or weighs more than 10kg.

EasyJet changed its free hand luggage size from 56x45x25cm, the size of a small backpack, three years ago to 45x36x20cm, the size of a tote bag. It has a fee of 48 if you break its hand luggage limit.

Wizz Air has cut the free limit from 55x40x23cm, a small backpack, to 40x30x20cm, the size of a handbag. It can demand anything from 10 to 106 for a single journey if your bag is too big or weighs more than 10kg depending on when and where you fly.

The hope is that this move will encourage more passengers to spend extra  typically between 6 and 50  to get an upgraded seat that includes adding a bigger cabin bag.

If caught breaking these limits passengers can face a stiff penalty and also have to hand over bags to be put in the hold at extra charge.

Katy Maclure, expert at money-saving travel website Jacks Flight Club, says: It is cheaper to buy the required luggage allowance although some people may still be tempted to gamble on not being caught.
Eli Crane represents the largest mass of land in Arizona at over 20,000 square miles. But records show he lives in a home an hour outside of that district.

The Copper State Republican, who was elected in 2022, lives in Oro Valley, a Tucson suburb in the district represented by fellow Republican Juan Ciscomani. His residence is about an hour's drive south of the closest point to his own district.

Records indicate that Crane and his wife rent a property in Oro Valley. It's the same address he listed on financial documents during his campaign. He again listed it on his 2024 federal candidate nomination paper.

But now closing in on two years since the election, he and his family have not picked up their belongings and moved to be closer to the community he represents.

Crane's financial disclosures show he has assets worth up to $2 million, and a bank account worth up to $1 million. He lists no liabilities.

Crane, 44, and his wife Jennifer have two daughters. Crane won his last election in the second district 54 to 46 percent - a safe Republican lead.

Eli Crane represents the largest mass of land in Arizona at over 20,000 square miles. But records show he lives in a home an hour outside of that district

Crane, 44, has two daughters

Ciscomani's district, where Crane lives, is much more competitive: Ciscomani won his race in 2022 50.7 to 49.2 percent.

Crane's Democratic opponent Jonathan Nez knocked him for living in the Tucson area while representing a 'rural' community.

'As a Navajo, I am from this district, and my family has lived here since time immemorial,' Nez said in a statement to DailyMail.com.

Crane's campaign could not be reached for comment.

'I've worked hard to serve the families of rural Arizona. Rep. Crane lives near where he was born -- in Tucson. That's a nice place, but it's not rural Arizona. The median household income in his town (Oro Valley) is around $100,000 per year. No wonder he doesn't understand life in rural Arizona.'

Crane was one of the eight Republicans who voted with Democrats to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy subsequently embarked on a covert campaign to oust those Republicans in primaries - but was unable to put up a viable Republican challenger to crane.

Crane, pictured with wife Jennifer, lives about an hour's drive south of the closest point to his own district.

The Copper State Republican, who was elected in 2022, lives in Oro Valley, above, a Tucson suburb in the district represented by fellow Republican Juan Ciscomani

Members of Congress are not required to live in their districts - but they do have to reside within the state they represent.

Members are required to take up two residences - one typically in their home district or state and one in Washington, D.C. Some members even move out their families and enroll their children in school in D.C.'s surrounding suburbs.

Some members live outside the districts they represent, but usually it becomes campaign fodder for their opponents who criticize them for it.

Crane, a member of the right wing Freedom Caucus, is a former Navy Seal who after leaving the military in 2014 started a company that makes bottle openers out of bullet shell casings. He and his wife got funding for the company after pitching it on Shark Tank and he sold it in 2022.

He was born in Tucson, Arizona and raised in Yuma. He was attending college at the University of Arizona when the September 11 attacks occurred and dropped out to enlist in the Navy after that.

As a Seal, he deployed five times.
It is known on the streets as Kit Kat or Vitamin K and was used by ravers in the late 1990s because of its euphoric effects.

But low doses of the party drug ketamine, which killed Matthew Perry, is being offered in Britain as infusions to treat depression and anxiety at private psychotherapy clinics around the country - and even on the NHS.

Warneford NHS hospital in Oxford is offering a 'self pay' service costing as much as 3,000 for year of treatment with the Class B drug, despite it not being licenced as an antidepressant, while local patients within the catchment area referred by a consultant psychiatrist may be entitled to treatment on the NHS.

Patients from the US and UK have taken to socuial media to share their experience of the drug, with one filmed slumped in a wheelchair, explaining that it felt like being 'stuck in a nightmare for weeks', while others are much more positive and say it 'saved my life'.

Added to this are some high-profile endorsements from the likes of Sharon Osborne, Chrissy Teigen and Elon Musk, who has publicly talked about it being 'helpful' in getting him 'out of a negative frame of mind' in his private and business life.

Now British experts have warned of the potentially 'deadly consequences' of using the 'highly addictive' drug to treat depression, even in a controlled environment, saying they have seen patients 'work well with ketamine initially, only to later develop severe dependency issues'.

Matthew Perry was pictured out in LA with personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa exactly two months before his death. Iwasama is charged with injecting the Friends star with dozens of doses of ketamine, including the one that killed him

In his last post to his Instagram Perry shared images of himself in his pool where he would later be found dead

One chilling clip on TikTok shows a man looking drowsy as he sits in a wheelchair after trying ketamine therapy

The new burnished image of the drug is certainly far removed from the lurid circumstances surrounding the death of Perry in October last year, who drowned in his hot tub under 'acute effects of ketamine' after a decades-long battle with substance abuse.

It is worth noting, however, that Perry was clean of alcohol and all other drugs at the time of his death, and had initially started taking ketamine in a controlled environment to treat depression.

At some point, however, he crossed over to using the drug recreationally and was obtaining the substance from street dealers.

In the weeks before his death, he was getting up to six shots of the drug a day, facilitated by a 'broad underground criminal network' - including two doctors, Perry's assistant and a local dealer known as the Ketamine Queen.

One of these doctors, Mark Chavez, was running a ketamine treatment centre, and has admitted to diverting supplies from his clinic, to supply to Perry via Dr Salvador Plasencia, by filling out fake prescriptions.

While there is no suggestion such abuses are occurring at clinics in the UK, experts are alarmed that ketamine's image is becoming sanitised - given the potential for patients to quit pricey treatment and self-medicate with the widely available street drug, which costs as little as 10-20 per gram in the UK.

Then there are the worrying side effects of the drug, which occur even in a controlled environment.

On TikTok, searching for ketamine therapy brings up hundreds of videos of Gen-Zers sharing their experience of using the drug with a mixed response

The Awakn ketamine clinic in Bloomsbury before it was rebranded as Klearwell by a separate company

Warnings have been sounded by the likes of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) that people's mood can 'rapidly decline' as well as it potentially increasing the risk of suicide.

GPs and psychotherapists are adding their voices to growing fears about the drug's use to treat depression.

WHAT IS KETAMINE? Ketamine is a powerful general anesthetic that is used to stop humans and animals experiencing pain during operations. It started being used as a party drug in the late 2000s, with people taking it before raves for a more intense experience. It is used as an anesthetic, and has been in the national spotlight since the death of Colorado's Elijah McClain, who struggled with police and was injected by paramedics with a dosage appropriate for someone weighing 200 pounds. He weighed 143 pounds. Colorado is now trying to limit first responders' use of ketamine and other chemical restraints. What are the side effects? Ketamine causes a loss of feeling and paralysis of the muscles. It can also lead to people experiencing hallucinations and a distortion of reality, which many call entering the 'k-hole'. This is when people believe they have spoken to God or a higher power, which can lead to addiction as they crave that experience. Ketamine may also cause people to feel incapable of moving, or lead to panic attacks, confusion and memory loss. Regular users can seriously damage their bladders, which may need to be surgically removed. Other risks include a raised heart rate and blood pressure. Paralysis of the muscles can leave people vulnerable to hurting themselves, while not feeling pain properly can cause them to underestimate any damage. Many claim ketamine withdrawal is worse than any other drug, with some feeling so depressed they contemplate suicide. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the Samaritans here. How is it taken and what is the law around it? For medical use ketamine is liquid but the 'street' drug is normally a grainy, white powder. In 1999, ketamine became a Schedule III non-narcotic substance under the Controlled Substances Act. It currently has accepted medical uses for short-term sedation and anesthesia. In 2019, the FDA approved a version of the drug for treatment-resistant depression, which is only available at a doctor's office or a clinic. Is illegal use of ketamine common? In May 2023, a new report found that law enforcement agencies seized more than 1,500 pounds of ketamine in 2022  about 12 times more than in 2017. Tennessee, Florida and California had the most seizures of the drug. However, it's not clear whether those states have the highest usage. Medical-grade ketamine is typically in a liquid form and is often administered through an IV. But most of the illegally obtained ketamine was in a powder form, which means it risks being contaminated with other chemicals, in particular fentanyl. How many people die from ketamine use? Exact data is hard to come by: unlike with cocaine, heroin, or opioids the CDC does not publish the data on monthly and annual deaths. The number is low, especially when compared to drugs such as fentanyl, which in 2022 killed almost 74,000 people. Source: Talk to Frank, US Drug Enforcement Association Advertisement

Dr Deepali Misra-Sharp is the substance misuse lead at the Lordswood House group medical practice in Birmingham.

She told MailOnline of a long list of potential dangers and risks ketamine can have, including addiction, permanent bladder damage, and cardiovascular risks.

'While ketamine may offer relief for treatment-resistant depression, it must be administered in a controlled, medical setting, with careful monitoring to mitigate these risks,' Dr Misra-Sharp said.

'But the problem is that if any of the above issues rise it's often left to us as GPs to manage and this becomes complex as patients may not engage with the clinic that administered it.'

Dr Sham Singh, a psychiatrist at the Winit Clinic, warned although the use of ketamine in depression therapy has shown signs of being promising in terms of efficacy, it poses 'great dangers'.

'For example, it may be highly addictive because it is a dissociative anaesthetic that has euphoric and hallucinatory effects, and hence it becomes dangerous,' he told MailOnline.

'This is very deadly when it comes to people already susceptible to substance abuse. In my practice, I have seen people work well with ketamine initially, only to later develop severe dependency issues. I saw the importance of selecting and monitoring patients carefully.'

Patients could also become 'detached from reality' that could lead to 'the eruption of psychotic phenomena', such as paranoia and anxiety, he added.

'The physical dangers involved with the use of ketamine are immense, Dr Singh said.

'High doses can lead to rise effects currently linked by researchers to potentially risky increases in blood pressure and heart rate; consequently, this may be especially dangerous to people with cardiovascular problems.

'Chronic use has also been implicated in bladder and kidney damage, where severe pain and complications in urination might be observed  a condition termed ketamine-induced cystitis. These not only include physical risks but also psychological dangers and thus prompt that all ketamine therapy be conducted under strict medical supervision.'

Psychotherapist Gin Lalli echoed the dangers of patients experiencing hallucinations when taking ketamine and warned of they could become dependent on the drug.

She told MailOnline: 'There is limited long-term data on its use and side effects, although a known side effect is the risk of suicidal thoughts so it begs the question how much it will really help.

'With the lack of research into ketamine based drugs, personally I would be wary to take on a client because of the dissociative effects it causes and I would question how much they are engaging in the therapy process.'

'In the current climate of increased mental health awareness, I appreciate that people who are feeling absolutely desperate will be looking for rapid relief but that in itself could mask underlying issues. I see people looking more and more for a "quick-fix".

The Warneford NHS hospital in Oxford offers treatment for those who have been referred by a their GP or a psychiatrist and meet certain criteria.

That includes having previously tried at least two different types of antidepressants for six weeks and be able to travel safely for treatment.

But it's not cheap. An initial assessment costs 225 with each of the first three to six ketamine infusion treatments priced at 225.

Then there's the cost of therapy and prescriptions on top, and patients are advised that they need to budget at least 3,000 for their treatment over the course of a year.

The session lasts more than 40 minutes in which the drug is slowly pumped into people's veins and people are 'strongly' advised to bring in noise cancelling headphones to 'block out the inevitable noise' in the clinic.

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust says half respond well to treatment and want to continue, although a 'large majority relapse'.

It said about 10 per cent will have an 'unpleasant experience with their first infusion'.

Infusions take place every 10 days, and after three to four sessions, some patients who are responding to treatment may contniue to have infusions every four to eight weeks, with oral ketamine prescribed for them to take at home once a week.

Patients are required to take one or two test doses of oral ketamine in a clinical setting first, and the service only offers this treatment to people who have already been through a programme of infusions.

Literature from the clinic acknowledges the 'risk of tolerance and dose escalation', but says that staff are 'used to managing this'.

The clinic is led by Dr Rupert McShane who warned in 2017 the use of ketamine would need to be robustly monitored or there was a risk of overuse, backlash and stigma.

Speaking to The Guardian he said: 'It is possible but not inevitable that ketamine will eventually find a place in NHS secondary care treatment of resistant depression.'

He told the BBC last year it would be a 'game changer' to get a licence for intravenous ketamine.

'Ketamine in low doses works in a different way to conventional antidepressants,' Dr McShane said.

'And what is really exciting is that there is new data which suggests that it is as good as the best treatment for depression that we've got, which is ECT (electroconvulsive therapy).'

Awakn became the UK's first ketamine-assisted clinic when it opened in 2020 and boasted to be 'an entirely new paradigm for mental health, where we are moving from palliative care towards permanent cure'.

Former X-Factor judge Sharon Osborne (left) underwent three months of ketamine therapy. Model Chrissy Teigen (right) revealed that while she was using ketamine for her 38th birthday, she 'saw' her late son Jack, who died in the womb three years earlier

Elon Musk has said he has a prescription for ketamine for when his 'brain chemistry goes super negative'

It charged an eye-popping 6,000 for a course of low dose treatments and talking therapy.

In an interview with New Scientist, Awakn patient Tristan Greene revealed how ketamine treatment saved his life after trying it as a last resort to help tackle his treatment resistant depression.

He explained: 'In 20120 I was extremely low. I was very suicidal, I was self-harming. I'd cut myself off from absolutely everyone.

'I couldn't bring myself to talk to any friends at all.'

He described losing the ability to take joy in his life, saying that everything felt 'tarnished' and that he'd lost 'all love of life' and the things he used to enjoy.

Doctor Salvador Plasencia, 42, has also been charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine

At the end of 2022, at an appointment with his local GP, he was told: 'Oh well, you know you don't have to worry all that much because we've had really exciting develops psychedelic medicine recently, and they're showing great results so if it comes to it you can try that.'

'It just so happened that one of at that stage I believe two psychedelic clinics was 10 minutes from my front door', he added.

Tristan was initially rejected for treatment, when he scored 25 out of 27 on a patient questionnaire - with 27 being the most depressed you can be.

A doctor told him him to come back in the New Year and try again.

'That if nothing else that gave me a goal if you like to just push on a little bit further and looking back on it now that was extremely clever of him to do that,' he recalled.

Speaking about how he felt during treatment, he explained: 'The creativity that you get out of a psychedelic experience is really something that stuck with me and that's where I got that real sense of awe.

'It's this sort of kaleidoscope of colour. It's the sort of best Baz Luhrmann film you can possibly imagine, if you like, when you have those moments and one that I I really experienced was was a real love of my own mind a real love of my own creativity, which I had not had before.

'I had at that stage mental health issues for 9 years. So I was out of love with my own mind after all of that. But once you get into the psychic experience you think, "OK, my mind is creating these things and it's creating music and and imagery and it's able to do all of these things" and you think that "that's really cool, that's really amazing that it can do that".'

Professor David Nutt (pictured here in 2018) has called for psychedelics to be used to treat mental health and was a scientific advisor to the UK's first ketamine-assisted clinic

However, he acknowledged there are also 'some really dark moments' and 'dark emotions' to deal with.

'Some of them are really quite scary,' he explained. 'Some of them you get senses of being buried alive elements of real struggle mental physically, real sense of seeing a lot of death.

'But there was a real sort of shift where suddenly you'd be taken underground and stuff and the music would very much change and you know I checked with my psychotherapist afterward and [they] said Yeah your heart rate went up massively in some stages because it's being monitored throughout.

'You can go to some difficult and dark places and there is that sense that it can be really helpful to allow yourself to go there, and that's because perhaps your difficulties are maintained because of your avoidance and all your attempts to avoid going to dark places.'

His former psychotherapist, Laurie Higbed at Awakn Clinics, explained the treatment, saying: 'Here we don't deliver ketamine in anaesthetic doses. We dose far below that threshold, but certainly our clients will experience some dissociative effects and what I mean by that is a kind of out of body experience.'

'During the ketamine experience the therapist is mainly there as caretaker, as that containing support presence and witnessing the experience whilst the client is having quite an internal experience.

'So we encourage that through giving our clients shades and headphones through which we play music that is designed to represent kind of the arc of the drug experience. So it has kind of a peak and a plateau and then also kind of helping to bring people back to the room afterwards.'

However, four years after opening, Awakn's clinic in Bristol shut down with former drugs tsar Prof David Nutt - who was its scientific advisor - saying there weren't enough private patients to keep it running.

Professor Nutt was fired as chairman of the Government's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) in 2009 by Labour Home Secretary Alan Johnson after producing a paper for the Home Office which claimed the Class A drug ecstasy to be safer than equestrian sports.

Its London clinic has since been rebranded by a separate company called Klearwell.

But there are others: The Ketamine Clinic London has centres in Knightsbridge and Hampstead, while Save Minds in St John's Wood, London, charges 745 for an initial consultation and 595 for each infusion.

Ketamine works as an anaesthetic by blocking the neurotransmitter N-methyl-D-aspartate (NDMA), which controls actions in the nervous system.

This can rapidly diminish sensations, prevent pain, induce sleep or even inhibit memory.

For this reason, it is usually taken in small doses for non-anaesthetic purposes.

At these doses, it gives users a feeling of euphoria, out-of-body experiences, and hallucinations.

But tolerance to the drug, which usually comes as a crystalline powder or liquid, is known to build quickly.

This leads to users needing more and more to feel the same high, which increases the risk of overdosing or experiencing adverse side effects,

Higher doses can also lead to a phenomenon dubbed the 'k-hole', an intense feeling of dissociation and being disconnected or unable to connect to reality.

Ketamine is most commonly known as a powerful general anaesthetic to stop humans and animals experiencing pain during operations

The video cuts to him wailing in bed as he describes feeling like being stuck in a nightmare for weeks

Special K, Ket, or Kit Kat (pictured), as it is also known, was popular as a party drug in the late 1990s, when it was commonly taken at all-night raves

Campaigners have also called ketamine a 'campus killer', with it linked to dozens of student deaths over the past few years, according to the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths.

In 2017, RCPsych issued a seven page statement to clarify its position on the use of ketamine to treat depression.

In it, the medical body said a low dose of the drug can cause a range of side effects that includes dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, hallucinations, and paranoia.

They said: 'Currently, there is limited evidence to recommend ketamine as a viable treatment option for treatment resistant depression (Rush, 2013, Schalzberg, 2014).

'Short term efficacy has been demonstrated after a single treatment, but benefits are not lasting for most patients, and mood can rapidly decline after initial improvement, potentially increasing suicide risk.

'Research is yet to identify strategies which will prolong antidepressant benefits. While repeated dosing has been trialled in a few open label studies, the longer term efficacy and safety of repeated dosing for the treatment of depression are unknown.'

Last year, one of the first long-term studies of its effect on the brain found that prolonged use could have the same effect on the brain as schizophrenia.

Researchers in New York City tested ketamine on mice over the course of 10 days and found that repeated exposure to the drug structurally rewired parts of the brain that produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that supports memory, mood, sleep, learning, concentration, and movement.

These changes were similar to those seen in mental health conditions like schizophrenia, the researchers said, as they warned clinics against using the drug in an 'untargeted' way.

Targeted treatments would be aimed at addressing certain areas of the brain that produce dopamine, including the midbrain and the hypothalamus.

Ketamine use hit a record among 16 to 24-year-olds last year with almost one in 25 people in this group in England, official figures show.

This is a jump of a fifth on 2020's figure, and also stands four times higher than the levels recorded a decade ago.

Its rising popularity, in part, has been put at the foot of the door of celebrities who have endorsed the drug.

Celebrity users are partly responsible. Elon Musk has said he has a prescription for ketamine for when his 'brain chemistry goes super negative', while Sharon Osborne underwent three months of ketamine therapy.

Actress Chrissy Teigen revealed that while she was using ketamine for her 38th birthday, she 'saw' her late son Jack, who died in the womb three years earlier.

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The Deal or No Deal alum wrote on Instagram that she 'did ketamine therapy and saw space and time and baby jack and some weird penguins and cried and cried and cried'.

In Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, the late Friends actor, who passed away at age 54, had opened up about undergoing ketamine infusion therapy when he was in rehab in Switzerland.

'Ketamine was a very popular street drug in the 1980s,' he wrote. 'There is a synthetic form of it now, and it's used for two reasons: to ease pain and help with depression. Has my name written all over itthey might as well have called it 'Matty.'

He said that it often made him feel like he was taking 'a giant exhale' but he would also sometimes feel like he was 'dying' when doing the therapy.

He added: 'Yet I would continually sign up for this s*** because it was something different, and anything different is good.'

In the end, Perry concluded that 'ketamine is not for me' because 'taking K is like being hit in the head with a giant happy shovel,' and that the 'hangover was rough and outweighed the shovel.'

However, he continued to have ketamine infusions to treat depression after leaving the clinic in Switzerland.

The star  whose cause of death was revealed to be 'acute effects of ketamine'  had still been undergoing ketamine infusion therapy in the weeks leading up to his passing in late October 2023.

It has since been revealed that separately to his treatment with ketamine under medical supervision, the star was also getting up to six shots of the drug a day, administered by Perry's aide Kenneth Iwamasa without medical supervision.

Iwamasa is among five people, including two doctors, charged with conspiracy to distribute the ketamine that contributed to the actor's death.

At some point Perry crossed the line between medically supervised treatment with ketamine and susbtance abuse, but how and when this happened is unclear as yet.

While on TikTok, searching for ketamine therapy brings up hundreds of videos of Gen-Zers sharing their experience of using the drug with a mixed response.

While others are glowing in their reviews, one chilling clip shows a man looking drowsy as he sits in a wheelchair.

The video cuts to him wailing in bed as he describes feeling like being stuck in a nightmare for weeks during 'one of the hardest things I've ever had to go through'.

MailOnline has contacted the RCPsych for further comment.

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust declined to comment.
Nothing grabs attention like an interactive poll in the online world. And so it was that Holly LeGresley came up with a list of five options for her followers to choose from.

Updated poll, began the post from April 2022. What should we do with our Monpai??

Monpai was an orphaned baby monkey in Indonesia. LeGresley was a deeply disturbed woman from Kidderminster, Worcestershire.

The 37-year-old had devised the poll as a torture list to be shared with a group of like-minded sadists and animal abusers on an encrypted messaging app.

The plan was that the winning two cruel options would be enacted in real life and turned into horrific 15-minute videos, before being distributed among the members.

Red ants in sealed jar with rat, was the first suggestion as to how Monpai should be tortured. It was followed by: Force feeding and painful substance (ie chillies, lemon, mustard, vinegar etc) in eyes and face. Another read: Cheese-grate ass, apply painful substance to wounds, then tie to ceiling fan.

Whether Monpai was ever tortured in a jar is unclear but, that depraved option having won 13 of 33 votes cast, LeGresley was very keen to make it happen.

Dying to get going on this first vid, not gonna lie, LeGresley wrote. I need some monkey pain! Im getting withdrawals here!

And what we do know is that this was no sick, passing fantasy.

Because LeGresleys nickname was The Immolator  meaning someone who kills for a religious sacrifice  and the group she was part of really did commission videos of monkeys being set on fire, attacked with power tools and placed in food blenders.

At Worcester Crown Court earlier this summer, LeGresley pleaded guilty to consuming, causing and facilitating the torture of baby monkeys over the internet.

LeGresley admitted uploading 22 images and 132 videos to online chat groups. She also admitted paying money via PayPal to encourage unnecessary suffering to an animal.

Holly LeGresley arriving at court before admitting consuming, causing and facilitating the torture of baby monkeys

LeGresley's nickname was 'The Immolator'  meaning someone who kills for a religious sacrifice  and the group she was part of commissioned videos of monkeys being set on fire

Yesterday, a second woman, 56-year-old Adriana Orme, from Upton-upon-Severn, also admitted being part of the same sadistic group.

Orme pleaded guilty at Worcester Crown Court to uploading one image and 26 videos of monkey torture between April 14 and June 16, 2022. She also admitted encouraging or assisting the commission of unnecessary suffering by making a 10 payment to a PayPal account on April 26, 2022.

During a brief hearing Judge James Burbidge KC heard Orme had pleaded guilty on the basis that when she began the offending she was trying to out others involved in the torture, which the judge said perplexes me.

In a statement read in court Orme said her physical and mental health played a part in my offending.

They were brought to justice following investigations by animal rights activists and the makers of a shocking BBC Eye documentary, The Monkey Haters.

Together they exposed an global network of people deriving twisted pleasure from watching monkeys being tortured and killed.

In the US, a teacher, pharmacist and member of the armed forces are among those identified as being involved.

While most are men, there are also several women, including at least three in the UK, LeGresley and Orme included.

Experts say those taking part gain sadistic and often sexual pleasure from the abuse.

While the recent convictions mark a breakthrough, campaigners warn the problem persists.

Social media sites such as YouTube and Facebook, where footage of monkey abuse continues to be posted, have acted as a magnet for like-minded people.

These videos are the most horrifying content I have come across in all my years in animal protection. To think these methods of torture and killing have been thought up by people who then paid individuals in Indonesia to inflict that violence, and to film themselves doing so, is just beyond comprehension, says Sarah Kite, co-founder of animal charity Action For Primates, which has investigated monkey torture groups.

Unfortunately, social media has provided this safe space where people who would never have met in any other way have managed to connect and communicate and become more and more involved in this escalating depraved activity.

This is echoed by Chief Inspector Kevin Lacks-Kelly, head of the UKs National Wildlife Crime Unit.

Ive been investigating wildlife crime for 22 years and it sickens me to say that this is unequivocally the worst case I have ever investigated or overseen, he said.

The disturbing trade in monkey torture videos emerged three years ago when footage appeared on social media showing the animals being teased and mistreated.

Action For Primates and US animal welfare group Lady Freethinker noticed that people attracted to this sort of material were communicating with one another in the comments sections beneath the online footage. They basically met as a group on YouTube and decided it was a bit tame and wanted to move, explained Ms Kite.

Groups were then set up on encrypted messaging services such as Telegram where they could communicate and share even more extreme images and footage privately.

One network called itself Million Tears. Members set up what they described as a monkey adoption scheme, paying to buy a monkey in Indonesia then deciding how to torture and kill it. Payments were initially made via PayPal.

The abused monkeys were generally long-tailed macaques. These relatively small primates are less than 2ft tall and live in female-dominated groups.

Baby monkeys were the preferred victims, taken from their mothers who were often killed. The infants were then kept in captivity to be abused.

Incredibly, the ringleader of the Million tears group turned out to be a teacher from Ohio in America called Ronald Bedra.

The 42-year-old arranged for his contact in Indonesia to film monkeys having digits and limbs severed, for one to be set on fire and for another to be brutalised with a heated screwdriver.

Another had its ears cut off with scissors. The unspeakably vile footage was then shared among the group.

Having infiltrated Million tears, two years ago animal rights activists tipped off law enforcement agencies in America. Last month, Bedra admitted a string of animal cruelty offences, for which he could be sentenced to more than a decade in prison.

But that was not the end of it. Other groups had by then sprung up, including one run by another American, Mike Macartney, a former motorcycle gang member who had previously served time in prison and went by the screen name Torture King.

His groups activities would feature in the BBC probe, as would Mini, a baby monkey, subjected to regular abuse in Indonesia.

Pull its teeth out, urged one group member as they clubbed together to raise $200 to torture it. Another added: I think we should hammer its hands and feet flat.

Orme and LeGresley were both members of the group. While neither physically tortured monkeys themselves, police say LeGresley was far more than a spectator, that she raised funds, archived videos to share between groups and welcomed new members as a network administrator.

Adriana Orme, 55, from Upton-upon-Severn, also admitted being part of the same sick group

The pair were brought to justice following investigations by animal rights campaigners and the makers of a shocking BBC documentary called The Monkey Haters

Messages sent by LeGresley refer to monkeys as rats and call for ever more extreme forms of torture to be inflicted on them.

Id like to see a . . . rat, glued mouth to c**k, she wrote in one. Once glued, offer it a bottle of milk and see how long it takes before the rat draws its own blood to get the bottle.

The message was followed by a laughing emoji.

Meanwhile, Indonesia police arrested two men involved in the torture of monkeys. Asep Yadi Nurul Hikmah, who was charged with animal torture and the sale of a protected species, received a three-year prison sentence. M Ajis Rasjana was sentenced to eight months, the maximum available for animal torture.

As Ms Kite observes: I run out of adjectives to describe what was going on and the pleasure these people took from the suffering and distress they were watching.

One thing that struck me was that one minute they would be laughing and making fun of a helpless baby monkey, maybe only days old, screaming in pain and fighting for its life, being subjected to the most awful brutality and, the next minute, these same people would be talking about mundane day-to-day things like what they were going to do later, or what they had for breakfast.

Bizarrely, both LeGresley and Orme claimed to be animal lovers.

On her now-removed Facebook page, LeGresley posed with her pet parrots, Chancey and Princess Pea. She also criticised an action film for portraying gratuitous  animal cruelty.

The scene in Birds Of Prey, a spin-off of supervillain film Suicide Squad, showed parrots in an aviary being burnt alive. Thats sick, she wrote. You dont do that s***, even [with] computer graphics because its too far. Sick, twisted people who made this film. What a disappointment.

But elsewhere she revealed an interest in horror films, describing Hannibal Lecter, a serial killer who eats his victims, and Pennywise, the clown from Stephen Kings It, who preys on children, as her icons.

She also claimed to be utterly obsessed with horror writer Clive Barker and the main character in his Hellraiser franchise, Pinhead  a demonic creature that tears its victims apart with hooks.

Away from the keyboard, LeGresleys life was somewhat more mundane. Home is a tired-looking house in Kidderminster.

We dont really see Holly, one neighbour told the Mail. She comes out once in a blue moon and goes out with her mum for the day.

They dont go out for long and from what weve seen they just go to the Costa drive-thru typically on a Saturday, sit in the car and drink a coffee.

LeGresley, who walks with the aid of a stick, is not believed to be in work.

Dutch-born Orme, meanwhile, is married to an HGV driver and lives in a similarly unremarkable house in the village of Ryall near Upton-upon-Severn.

As asides during her chats on the monkey-abuse group, the grandmother would regularly mention her dog, telling other members how she needed to take it to the vet.

Former neighbours were stunned when told about her involvement.

I dont believe it, one said: She was very quiet, she didnt drive and I know she was suffering from ME or something that made her have to rest a lot.

As far as I know, she was a lovely lady.

The reality, as we now know, is very different.

As well as the womens revolting obsession with torturing monkeys, the court heard that they have expressed a hatred of pregnant women and babies  and that the monkeys have very childlike appearances.

Despite the growing numbers of gang members now convicted, the sad reality is that deeply disturbing material of monkeys being mistreated is still just a click away on social media sites.

One Facebook page seen by the Mail in June, open for anyone to view, showed what appeared to be a dead or dying baby monkey with the caption: So cute.

Another showed a shivering, cold and clearly distressed baby monkey cradling itself in a  washing-up bowl.

Messages in the comments section included links to other groups on the Telegram messaging site.

Comments included: I wanna see them slowly get smashed in a trash compactor and: Anyone got any milk food deprivation stuff? Where they go nuts.

As Ms Kite says: It is highly disturbing that there are groups and individuals continuing to distribute these horrific and graphic videos on the worlds top social media  platforms, such as Facebook, making them easily available for others, including children, to access and view.

By allowing these people to post monkey torture content, social media companies have enabled and continue to enable animal cruelty fetishists to connect and escalate their depraved activities to extreme and grotesque levels.

Asked how such videos were allowed to be published on Facebook, a Meta spokesman told the Mail: We do not allow animal cruelty on our platforms, and have removed the content brought to our attention for violating our community standards.

We also encourage users to report this content to us using the tools on our platforms, so that our teams can investigate and take action.

A YouTube spokesman said: Content depicting violence or abuse toward animals has no place on YouTube.

Our teams work hard to quickly remove violative content and this year alone, weve removed hundreds of thousands of videos and terminated thousands of channels for violating our violent and graphic policies.

As for Telegram, its spokesman said that animal abuse videos and content that encourages violence was explicitly forbidden.

She added: Moderators use a combination of proactive monitoring of public parts of the platform and user reports in order to remove millions of pieces of harmful content each day.
Hillary Clinton gave her former rival, Donald Trump, a taste of his own medicine as she grinned and nodded as the audience of the Democratic National Convention started a 'lock him up' chant.

During the 2016 election, Trump would lead his MAGA base in taunts of 'lock her up' about Clinton over the scandal involving her State Department emails.

On Monday, Clinton mentioned Trump's own legal problems - as she pressed America to finally vote the first female president into office, robustly backing Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.

'As a prosecutor, Kamala locked up murderers and drug traffickers. She will never rest in defense of our freedom and safety,' Clinton said.

'Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial,' she continued. 'When he woke up, he'd made his own kind of history: the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.'

From there, the audience took the cue and started mouthing: 'lock him up!'

Clinton did nothing to stop it.

Hillary Clinton gave her former rival, Donald Trump, a taste of his own medicine as she grinned and nodded as the audience of the Democratic National Convention started a 'lock him up' chant

The country's first female major party nominee dedicated most of her speech to talking about finally breaking the glass ceiling.

'Something is happening in America,' she said at the top of her speech. 'You can feel it. Something we've worked for and dreamed of for a long time.'

She remarked how her mother was born 'right here in Chicago' and before women had the right to vote.

'That changed 104 years ago yesterday,' Clinton continued, sporting her trademark suffragette white. 'Since that day, every generation has carried the torch forward.'

She recalled Shirley Chisholm's 1972 run for the White House and Geraldine Ferraro's 1984 run as VP.

'And then there was 2016,' Clinton said.

'It was the honor of my life to accept our party's nomination for president,' she said. 'Nearly 66 million Americans voted for a future where there are no ceilings on our dreams.'

Hillary Clinton arrives onstage during Monday night's session of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. She was sporting her trademark suffragette white and spoke of female barrier breakers

Still, Clinton lost to Trump.

'Afterward, we refused to give up on America. Millions marched. Many ran for office. We kept our eyes on the future,' she said.

'Well, my friends, the future is here,' the former nominee proclaimed.

'I wish my mother and Kamala's mother could see us,' she also offered.

She spoke of Harris' 'character, experience and vision,' contrasting it with Trump's behavior.

'As commander in chief, Kamala won't disrespect veterans - she'll revere our Medal of Honors recipients,' Clinton said, referring to remarks Trump made last week in Bedminster. 'She sure won't send love letters to dictators.'

The former Secretary of State slapped Trump for 'lying about Kamala's record.'

'He's mocking her name and her laugh,' Clinton said. 'Sounds familiar,' she said, dryly, earning laughs.

'We have him on the run right now,' she continued. 'But no matter what the polls say, we can't let up. We can't get driven down crazy conspiracy rabbit holes. We have to fight for the truth. We have to fight for Kamala as she fights for us.'

'Because you know what? It still takes a village,' the former first lady said. 'To raise a family, heal a country, win a campaign.'

In a throwback to how she ended both her 2008 and 2016 campaign Clinton said: 'Together, we've put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling.'

'Tonight, so close to breaking through once and for all, I want to tell you what I see through all those cracks - and why it matters for each and every one of us,' she said. 'What do I see? I see freedom.'

'The freedom to make our own decisions about our health, our lives, our loves, our families,' Clinton said.

'I see freedom to look our children in the eye and say: In America, you can go as far as your hard work and talents will take you. And mean it,' she said.

Harris would break barriers as both the first female president and the first female president of color.

'On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris taking the oath of office as our 47th President of the United States,' Clinton said to cheers.

'When a barrier falls for one of us, it clears the way for all of us,' she added.

Before she left the stage - to her 2016 theme tune, Fight Song, she explained why she viewed this moment as so important.

'I want my grandchildren and their grandchildren to know I was here,' the 76-year-old said. 'That we were here. And that we were with Kamala every step of the way.'
Visitors to a Church of England cathedral will be invited to use their mobile phones to learn about how its monuments are linked to slavery.

Gloucester Cathedral will place QR codes around the building, which can be scanned to provide explanations of how the people memorialised are linked to slavery.

It comes after the CofE announced it was establishing a 1billion fund to recognise that it once profited from the slave trade.

Gloucester Cathedral contains the tomb of Edward II along with memorials to more obscure figures whose stories will be researched as part of the new project, which is expected to be launched next month.

Leaflets will also be provided to inform visitors about the slave profiteering of prominent Gloucester locals with information and guidance sought from by a panel drawn from the citys diverse communities.

Gloucester Cathedral will place QR codes around the building, which can be scanned to provide explanations of how the people memorialised are linked to slavery

The cathedral said that the project would be conducted in keeping with our principles of social justice (stock image of QR codes)

It follows a city-wide review of so called contested heritage carried out in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, which sought to identify monuments, statues and plaques in the city connected with the Trans-Atlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans.

The cathedral said that the project would be conducted in keeping with our principles of social justice. So far six figures have been identified and research into their links is being reviewed.

The scheme may include James Henry Monk, the Bishop of Gloucester from 1836 to 1856 who was a supporter and patron of George Wilson Bridges, a rector in Jamaica who became a prominent anti-abolitionist.

A plaque in the cathedral also commemorates Admiral Henry Christian. He was identified in the council review of monuments but a subsequent review by the cathedral casts doubt on his inclusion.

He was said to have been involved in breaking a blockade of the slavery supporting Confederacy during the American Civil War. The new research said proving or disproving Admiral Christians involvement is problematic  highlighting the difficulty in labelling figures from hundreds of years ago.

Christian was five years old when slavery was abolished and also served aboard a ship which carried out anti-slavery patrols in west Africa before he was posted to the Americas.

Canon Rebecca Lloyd said that the project aims to shed light on the cathedrals past through the research of the stories of those who are memorialised within the fabric of the cathedral. She added that the cathedral was committed to learning more about our buildings history and those who have formed it.

Earlier this year, a QR code was added to a statue of Virginia Woolf to explain her imperialist attitudes and offensive opinions.

It is part of a scheme by Labours Camden council in London  drawn up in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests  to highlight connections to racism, slavery and imperialism.

The Cathedral said it welcomed input from members of the public.
More than 100 women who suffered complications from vaginal mesh implants are the first in England to get payouts as part of a group claim.

It is understood 140 women reached an undisclosed settlement with manufacturers Johnson & Johnson, Bard and Boston Scientific. Payouts are expected to total millions of pounds and follow a long-running campaign by the Mail.

Transvaginal mesh implants, which are made of plastic, were used to treat incontinence and prolapse after childbirth.

But complications included chronic pain like razors inside the body, difficulty urinating, bladder and bowel perforations, bleeding and mesh eroding through the vaginal wall. Many needed further surgery to remove the mesh.

Lisa Lunt at law firm Pogust Goodhead, which led the litigation at the High Court in London, said women implanted with the mesh have had years of suffering and that hundreds were prevented from making a claim due to ten-year time limits from the date of manufacture.

Transvaginal mesh implants, which are made of plastic, were used to treat incontinence and prolapse after childbirth. But complications included chronic pain like razors inside the body (file image)

Kath Sansom, of the Sling the Mesh campaign, said the 140 women were only a tiny fraction of the thousands who have had their lives irreversibly changed (pictured)

Johnson and Johnson headquarters in New Jersey. It is understood 140 women reached an undisclosed settlement with manufacturers Johnson & Johnson , Bard and Boston Scientific

In April 2018, then-health secretary Jeremy Hunt announced a review into vaginal mesh. Their use was suspended in July 2018 and they are now used only as a last resort. The government-commissioned inquiry blamed the scandal on a culture of medical misogyny.

Kath Sansom, of the Sling the Mesh campaign, said the 140 women were only a tiny fraction of the thousands who have had their lives irreversibly changed.

A report by the patient safe commissioner called for a government-led compensation scheme, with initial payments of 20,000 for those injured by implants.

Each of the companies involved in the case confirmed the actions had been resolved without admission of liability.

The Department of Health said it is considering the reviews recommendations.
New York, US (PANA) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is closely following negotiations in Doha focused on trying to end the war in Gaza, where the situation continues to remain catastrophic after more than 10 months of unrelenting war
An American entrepreneur linked to a billionaire missing after his superyacht sank has revealed a chilling theory on why it sunk.

Scott Painter - who took over missing Mike Lynch's Autonomy brand - says the Bayesian may have been more vulnerable to capsizing in bad weather because of the height of its mast.

Painter, who is based in the US, told DailyMail.com The Bayesian 'had an unusually large mast for a sloop.' (single-masted ship)

'The mast was the ultimate sailor's bragging right,' Painter told DailyMail.com exclusively. 'That mast must've been over 240 feet tall, which is either the tallest or second tallest in the world.'

Entrepreneur Scott Painter, who acquired Mike Lynch's former business software company Autonomy, said family and friends frantically tried to reach him in fear that he was possibly on of the 15 passengers on board the superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily

At least one person died and six remain missing, including tech tycoon Mike Lynch, after a tornado hit the Porticello coast near Palermo, Italy where the superyacht Bayesian was docked

He added: 'That could certainly contribute to a capsize as it would destabilize the yacht. And if it were to lean over too far, it could absolutely capsize the yacht.'

Painter says he received panicked calls from family and friends fearing he may have been on board the vessel and was glad to reassure them that he was fine.

Tragically, at least one person was killed in Monday morning's sinking during a storm off the coast of Palermo in Sicily. Six - including Lynch - remain missing.

Painter, CEO of the largest EV subscription business in the US operating under the Autonomy brand, said he was shocked and saddened by the news of Lynch's disappearance.

Lynch, who is one of the UK's richest men and worth an estimated 852million ($1.1 billion), remains unaccounted for, along with his 18-year-old daughter.

Tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who was often referred to as the 'British Bill Gates', was on holiday with family when tragedy struck and 'freak' waterspout took down his luxury boat

A handout photo made available on 19 August 2024 by Perini Navi Press Office shows the 'Bayesian' sailing boat, in Palermo, Sicily, Italy

His wife - Angela Bacares - was rescued and recovering from her injuries.

The Bayesian carried 10 crewmembers, Lynch, his wife and daughter Hannah as well as nine other guests.

'We are praying for positive news,' Painter told DailyMail.com. 'Mike is a legend and the loss of him and his daughter would truly be tragic.'

The vessel was spotted on the sea bed 160ft beneath the Sicilian coast.

Six of the passengers - who include four British and two unnamed American citizens - still remain unaccounted for, with some in the tech community initially fearing that Painter also was on the ill-fated voyager.

The body of the boat's chef, Canadian Recaldo Thomas, was found floating alongside the vessel earlier today.

British mother Charlotte Golunski and her one-year-old baby named Sofia were reported to be among those rescued by a nearby sailboat.

The Bayesian carried ten crewmembers, Lynch, his wife and daughter Hannah as well as nine other guests

Lynch, 59, who was often referred to as 'British's Bill Gates', sold his UK business software firm Autonomy to the American tech giant Hewlett-Packard for $11billion in 2011.

But the deal turned sour after he was accused of cooking the books to make the sale. Lynch was fired by HPs then-CEO Meg Whitman, which resulted in a decade-long legal battle.

British firm Micro Focus took over some of HP's remaining assets from its 2011 purchase of Autonomy.

Painter, who founded auto retailer TrueCar, and entrepreneur Georg Bauer, acquired the Autonomy brand and its IP library from tech firm Micro Focus in 2021.

Painter developed an all-electric vehicle subscription company and maintained the name Autonomy.

He has since developed a new company called Autonomy Data Services that provides a software platform where automakers can operate their own subscription services for electric, gas, new, or even used cars, according to TechCrunch.com.

Georg Bauer, Autonomy's president and chairman, was not on board the ill-fated superyacht

When news of Lynch's boat sinking in Sicily made international headlines, Painter said his friends and family were worried he might've been one of the passengers on the luxury yacht.

Painter confirmed Bauer, who is Autonomy's president and chairman, also was not on the Bayesian luxury yacht.

'Mr. Bauer is safe in Munich and was not involved at all,' Painter told DailyMail.com. 'It's pretty crazy news. That boat was exceptional. It doesn't make much sense.'

Lynch and his family and friends were enjoying their trip on the coast of Italy just two months after he was acquitted of fraud and conspiracy charges related to the multibillion dollar HP deal.

The tech giant was extradited from the UK in to face criminal charges in a San Francisco federal court in March.

Prosecutors alleged he ran a massive scam against HP in connection to its 2011 acquisition of Autonomy, a software firm that Lynch founded in 1996 and then oversaw as CEO in Britain.

Tech tycoon and married father-of-two Mr Lynch is pictured here with his wife Angela, who was rescued on Monday

Divers comb the sea to search for the missing where the superyacht sunk off the coast of Sicily on August 19

Prosecutors called more than 30 witnesses during Lynch's criminal trial in attempt to prove allegations that he cooked the books and bilked billions of dollars from HP.

Lynch denied the allegations and said he was being made into HPs scapegoat, which he reiterated when he took the stand during the 11-week criminal trial.

Lynch was facing the possibility of spending 25 years in a US federal prison if he was found guilty but on June 6, the jury acquitted the tech tycoon on all 15 felony counts.

The father of two returned to the UK shortly after the trial and said he was thankful to get a 'second life'.

Speaking in his first newspaper interview, he told The Times: 'I'd had to say goodbye to everything and everyone, because I didn't know if I'd ever be coming back.'

He added: 'If this had gone the wrong way, it would have been the end of my life as I have known it in any sense.

'It's bizarre, but now you have a second life - the question is, what do you want to do with it?'
An ex-tory defence secretary yesterday joined calls for Ukraine to be allowed to unleash Western-supplied rockets inside Russia.

Ben Wallace, speaking as Kyiv-led forces continued their shock invasion of Kremlin territory, stated that 'Ukraine should be allowed' to fire the Storm Shadow missiles.

It comes after the White House denied reports it was blocking a request by the UK for Ukraine to use the missiles.

Mr Wallace, who stepped down last year, was behind the UK initially providing Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles  which have a range of over 155 miles and are highly accurate. By contrast, the US-supplied Himars missiles have a range of around 50 miles.

Both weapons have proved effective in striking Russian military infrastructure on the Crimean Peninsula and in eastern Ukraine.

Ben Wallace (pictured) stated that 'Ukraine should be allowed' to fire the Storm Shadow missiles

Ukraine have ben provided by Storm Shadow missiles (pictured) which have a range of over 155 miles and are highly accurate

Neither has been used amid its incursion in the Kursk region due to restrictions imposed by the White House  apparently because this would represent an escalation of the conflict.

Frustrations over the failure to employ the long-range rockets came as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky suffered another blow yesterday.

It emerged that Germany, to date the second biggest international donor of weapons to Kyiv, intends to suspend military aid due to budgetary constraints.

Berlin said it will adhere to existing agreements but it has reportedly asked Kyiv not to submit further requests.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has continued its successful moves into southern Russia, destroying bridges required by the Kremlin to transport troops and equipment.

Mr Zelensky has said the purpose of the Ukrainian invasion  the first on Kremlin soil since the Second World War  is to create a 'buffer zone'. The move is considered a game-changer, as it gives Ukraine leverage in any negotiations.

Frustrations over the failure to employ the long-range rockets came as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky (pictured) suffered another blow over aid yesterday

Both weapons have proved effective in striking Russian military infrastructure on the Crimean Peninsula and in eastern Ukraine (pictured: President Vladimir Putin enters the hall during Russian-Azeri meeting at the Zagulba State Residence)

At the weekend, Mr Zelensky said: '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.'

However, contrary to expectations, a fortnight after the Ukrainian invasion president Vladimir Putin has so far declined to redeploy large numbers of troops to liberate the Kursk region.

And in a blow to Putin, it emerged yesterday his ally Narendra Modi, prime minister of India, is expected to visit Ukraine next week.
Jill Biden described how she watched her husband Joe 'dig deep into his soul' as he made the historic decision not to run for re-election.

The first lady revealed the president's struggle in an emotional speech before his farewell address at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night.

Insiders close to the first lady have said she was 'dismayed' by the betrayal of Democrats who publicly called on the 81-year-old president not to seek re-election.

But she put on a brave face and looked to the future by enthusiastically endorsing Kamala Harris in her convention speech.

She also took a swipe at Donald Trump in front of her grandchildren and the roaring crowd at the United Center in Chicago.

As she left the stage she blew a kiss toward Harris, who was watching from her VIP box in the stands.

President Biden, in his remarks, paid tribute to his wife of almost 50 years, calling her the family's 'rock' and leading the crowd in more applause for her.

'I still get that boom boom boom,' he said of her, tapping his heart.

The 81-year-old wiped away a tear as his daughter Ashley welcomed him on stage for a speech marking the closing months of his 53-year career in politics.

Jill Biden said she watched her husband Joe 'dig deep into his soul' to decide not to run for re-election in an emotional speech before his farewell address at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night

He told the crowd he wasn't 'angry' about stepping aside and insisted he was doing it for the 'love his country', despite a torrent of Democrats publicly calling for him not to run.

Earlier, Jill Biden revealed details of her husband's decision to drop out of the presidential race, and described his love for his family and his country.

The first lady was there when Biden decided to exit the contest. She told how she watched him 'dig deep into his soul, and decide to no longer seek re-election, and endorse Kamala Harris.'

She also referred to her husband's campaign theme of preserving democracy and implied Trump, the Republican nominee, would be the enemy of it.

'With faith and conviction, Joe knows that our nation's strength doesn't come from intimidation or cruelty,' she said.

'It comes from the small acts of kindness that heal deep wounds, from service to the communities that make us who we are, from love of a country that shines with promise and renewal,' she said, adding: 'Kamala Harris knows that too.'

'With faith and conviction, Joe knows that our nation's strength doesn't come from intimidation or cruelty,' Jill Biden said of her husband

Joe Biden wipes away a tear after daughter Ashley welcomed him on stage for his farewell speech at the Democratic convention

She received a warm standing ovation and cheers from the crowd as delegates waved green signs that read 'Jill.'

The first lady still feels the sting of 'betrayal' from Democrats who privately offered support for her husband - and then publicly called for him to exit the presidential race, according to insiders.

But she is looking forward, those close to her say.

She was at the president's side in Wilmington, Delaware, on the fateful day he made his decision after a relentless pressure campaign from party colleagues.

In fact, when he called Vice President Harris on Sunday, July 21, to inform her of his decision, he put the first lady on the phone.

'We love you,' she told Harris, a source familiar with the conversation said. She also called Harris's husband Doug Emhoff, who she is close to.

The first lady will join Biden and other family members on vacation in California after they leave Chicago on Monday.

But much of her focus is on the fall when she'll return to her teaching job at a Northern Virginia community college. She also plans to be on the campaign trail for Harris.

She also took a swipe at Donald Trump in front of her grandchildren and the roaring crowd at the United Center in Chicago

Joe Biden walks across the stage with his grandson Beau after his swansong speech to the Democratic National Convention

Naomi Biden, the president's granddaughter, and her husband Peter Neal at the convention

President Joe Biden shares a moment with son Hunter after his goodbye speech

Little Hunter, Natalie, Finnegan, Melissa Cohen and Maisy (ducking over) at the convention

Maisy Biden (in pink suit) held Baby Beau

Nancy Pelosi holds a 'we love Joe' sign, after dodging questions that she was in a feud with Biden's inner circle

It is a remarkable change from the 2020 race when Jill Biden was reported to be angry at Harris for an attack line in one of the early primary debates, targeting Joe Biden for his record on school busing in the 1960s as part of desegregation efforts.

Now, however, Jill is firmly in Harris' camp.

After Biden endorsed his vice president to be the Democratic nominee, the first lady posted to social media a handwritten note from herself endorsing Harris.

'Thank you for the trust you put in Joenow it's time to put that trust in Kamala. Love, Jill,' it read.

She also plans to take that message to campaign trail.

'Of course, she'll be out on the trail for Vice President Harris in the fall,' the source noted.

But the first lady, who is known to hold grudges, hasn't forgotten those days after the first presidential debate when many Democrats questioned her husband's ability to campaign for a second term.

'The first lady was dismayed at people who privately supported her husband and then publicly did not stand by him while he was weighing whether to stay in the presidential race,' a source familiar told DailyMail.com.

Jill Biden does a stage check ahead of her speech on Monday

Jill Biden has been a constant presence at Joe Biden's side - including above when he spoke to the nation about his decision to exit the presidential race

Jill Biden has always been one of Joe Biden's fiercest defenders and wants to ensure his legacy is protected.

And she is a constant presence at his side.

On the night he gave his Oval Office address to the nation, announcing he would not seek reelection, Jill Biden sat quietly on the sidelines with other members of the family.

When he finished speaking, she was the first at his side, rushing to the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office to hold his hand.

Jill Biden will return to teaching and focus on her initiatives, including the Cancer Moonshot - above she and President Biden visited Tulane University to talk cancer research

This fall, Jill will once again teach English at the Northern Virginia Community College, as she has done for years.

She will also focus on her initiatives she started as first lady, including her Joining Forces and Cancer Moonshot work.
This is the moment a rocket engine explodes during a launch test at a new spaceport in the UK.

A huge fireball erupted into the air following a test by German company Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) at SaxaVord Spaceport on the island of Unst in Shetland.

RFA confirmed that nobody was injured in the explosion and the pad was 'saved' and has since been secured.

The nine-engine test was one of many different trials that were being carried out before it was passed as fit to launch.

RFA were planning to launch the rocket, which is called RFA One, this summer from Shetland.

A look at the beginning of the explosion at a spaceport on Shetland Island in the UK

Shocking footage shows the moment an enormous burst of flames releases from the rocket

Huge clouds of smoke can then be seen engulfing the sky as the entire framework sets on fire

Shocking footage shows the moment large flames and massive smoke clouds emit from the bottom of the rocket. Soon after, the entire structure is set on fire.

This comes after the first rocket test on the small island of Unst was declared a success.

A spokesman from SaxaVord Spaceport said: 'This was a test, and test campaigns are designed to identify issues prior to the next stage.

"We will work with RFA to understand and learn from the causes and support them as they move forward to the next phase of their preparations."

German rocket firm HyImpulse and Edinburgh-based Skyrora are still planning to use the spaceport, it has been reported.

A photo issued by Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) of the rocket engine during a 'hot test'

A CGI impression of RFA's rocket, which was planned to be launched from the Shetland Islands this summer

A look at the rocket during RFA's test training drill on the first stage demonstator

The port in Shetland is co-owned by Frank and Debbie Strang who bought the site 15 years ago.

With the UK space industry expanding at the moment, with it worth 17.5bn supporting 48,800 jobs, more spaceports are being planned.

Scotland are planning to follow Cornwall Spaceport in getting permission to build five more sites.

While Glasgow Prestwick and Spaceport Machrihanish are also hoping to join in on the space race.
Donald Trump says he'll continue his attacks on Kamala Harris' intelligence because he thinks she'll destroy America if elected.

Trump has caused outrage for his jabs at the Democrat's racial identity, appearance and intelligence in the month since the vice president replaced Joe Biden on the ticket.

In an interview ahead of the first night of the Democrat National Convention Monday, Trump says that he hopes those attacks aren't 'necessary' but says he's trying to save the country.

He said: 'I've always spoken my mind, I don't think she's very good at this, I think she'll destroy our country'.

Trump elaborated on what he based his criticism that he believe Harris isn't intelligent.

Donald Trump says he'll continue his attacks on Kamala Harris ' intelligence because he thinks she'll destroy America if elected

'I looked at the things that she said, I looked at the way she deals I looked at her crazy record, I looked at ther policies, I just don't happen to think so. I could say she is and that would be very nice,' he told CBS News.

In contrast, Trump believes that he is the man to bring intelligence to the White House and protect the American economy.

'I don't think she's a very bright person. I think I am a very bright person and a lot of people say that. I don't think she's a very bright person and you know what? Our country needs a very smart person but I don't consider that an insult, that's just a fact'.

The former president has previously attacked Harris' intelligence, saying at rallies: 'She happens to be a very low IQ individual.

'We don't need another low IQ individual.

'She is terrible, she's worse than (Biden). I don't feel sorry for him. He's a bad guy.'

Trump has gotten increasingly personal with his attacks on the vice president since she replaced Biden in late July.

He said the Demoratic presidential nominee 'happened to turn Black' during a contentious interview at a black journalists' association.

Trump has caused outrage for his jabs at Harris' racial identity, appearance and intelligence in the month since the vice president replaced Joe Biden on the ticket

'She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. 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?' Trump said.

Harris' father is Jamaican-American and that she went to a historically black college  Howard University  wondering why it was accurate to say she recently decided to be Black. (Her mother is an immigrant to the U.S. from India.)

Trump's running mate J.D. Vance has called Harris a 'chameleon' and defended Trump's earlier comments. 'I think he was observing the basic foundational reality that Kamala Harris pretends to be something different depending on what audience shes speaking to,' Vance said after Trump's explosive comments.

Things became more outlandish this weekend when Trump claimed that he was 'better looking' than Harris.

Trump, 78, began musing on Harris' recent image on the cover of Time magazine, which he has previously compared to his wife Melania, at a rally on Saturday in Wilkes Barre.

This time, he commented on the picture's resemblance to classic Hollywood icons Sophia Loren and Elizabeth Taylor and then took issue with a Wall Street Journal columnist remarking earlier this month on Harris' beauty.

'I am much better looking than her,' Trump said, drawing laughs from the crowd. 'I'm a better looking person than Kamala.'

His remarks Saturday came as Democrats prepare for their four-day national convention that kicks off Monday in Chicago and will mark the party's welcoming of Harris as their nominee.

Donald Trump claimed at a Pennsylvania rally that he's 'better looking' than presidential rival Kamala Harris

Her replacement of Biden less than four months before the November election has reinvigorated Democrats and their coalition. It has also presented a new challenge for Trump.

A Trump victory seemed all but assured after he narrowly survived an assassination attempt in June, but the former president has found his campaign bogged down by a series of gaffes since Harris was named Democratic nominee.

The former president plans to flood the airwaves with rallies, press conferences and campaign events that will run a massive counter-programming effort to the DNC.

Trump will hold events each day this week in key swing states, and his running mate Sen. J.D. Vance also plans to hit battleground states with events on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday  and it all culminates in a rally on Friday.

Meanwhile, Trump's allies will run daily press conferences at Trump Hotel in Chicago, Illinois each day of the convention .

Republican surrogates coming to town for the Convention include Sens. Rick Scott (Fla.) and Ron Johnson (Wisc.) and Florida Reps. Byron Donalds and Mike Waltz. The Thursday press conference will include a 'surprise special guest.'

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.
GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING

A midwife has tearfully recounted instances of babies that are born alive after abortions who struggle to breathe for up to five hours as they are left to die alone.

Louise Adsett, a clinical midwife who has worked in maternity and birthing units in Queensland for 14 years, provided evidence to a state parliamentary inquiry into the Termination of Pregnancy (Live Births) Amendment Bill 2024 on Monday.

Ms Adsett, who was appearing on behalf of the Australian Christian Lobby which opposes abortion, said she had noticed an increase in the number of late-term terminations - for 'psychosocial or financial reasons' - at the hospital where she works in Brisbane's south.

'Sadly in the birth suite unit in my hospital where every new birth is celebrated and protected, there has been an increase in numbers of social terminations at later gestations and this is now common,' Ms Adsett said.

'We've had babies born alive after terminations from 15 to 22 weeks, born alive, gasping for air, moving and having a palpable heart rate - fighting for their lives as we as humans are designed to do.'

She added: 'Sometimes babies born alive after an abortion are put into witches hats and are covered, taken out of the room and die while in that witches hat.

'This is distressing to many of the midwives as they are unable to provide any medical care for the baby but are limited to providing comfort care only, which is merely wrapping and holding the baby.'

Louise Adsett (pictured), a clinical midwife who has worked in maternity and birthing units in Queensland for 14 years, provided evidence to a state parliamentary inquiry into the Termination of Pregnancy (Live Births) Amendment Bill 2024 on Monday

Ms Adsett, who was appearing on behalf of the Australian Christian Lobby, claimed she had personally witnessed an increase in the number of abortions for 'psychosocial or financial reasons' at the hospital where she works in Brisbane's south (stock image)

The mother-of-three described herself as a 'conscientious objector' to abortion and said she would offer comfort to the dying babies in their final moments.

Ms Adsett gave one distressing example of a mother who decided to abort her baby at '21-plus weeks gestation' and was given the drug misoprostol in the morning.

'The process took all day, and the baby was only delivered during the early hours of a night shift where skeleton staff was on duty,' Ms Adsett told the inquiry.

'This baby moved vigorously, gasped for breath and had a palpable heart rate to make it clear this baby was alive. It was over 400 grams, but the baby was a good weight.

'The parents of this baby did not desire to see or hold this baby. Midwives and doctors were left holding this little life while they continued to provide care for other women who were birthing and welcoming their babies into the world.

'This baby boy fought for his life for five hours before taking his final breath. This is not an uncommon occurrence.'

Ms Adsett gave one distressing example of a mother who decided to abort her baby at '21-plus weeks gestation' and was given the drug misoprostol in the morning

Fighting back tears, she added: 'These babies deserve better. They deserve to have the same rights that all of us human beings have.'

The bill, introduced by Robbie Katter of Katter's Australian Party, aims to introduce legal protections for babies born as a result of a termination of pregnancy procedure.

It is not designed to create a barrier to abortion, but rather to ensure babies who are born alive receive the same level of medical care to allow them to survive where possible.

It is relatively rare for a baby which is aborted to be born alive.

University of Adelaide law professor Joanna Howe told the inquiry that there had been 328 babies born alive and left to die in Queensland between 2010 and 2020, according to The Australian.

Professor Howe said the bill would bring Queensland into line with 'recent best-practice reform in South Australia and New South Wales, which provides for equal treatment to all children born alive in those jurisdictions irrespective of the circumstances of their birth'.
So Teal Independent MP Zali Steggall is standing by labelling Opposition Leader Peter Dutton a racist last week in the coward's castle that is Parliament House.

Dutton moved a motion in parliament calling on Labor to explain the vetting process for Palestinian refugees fleeing war-torn Gaza who come to Australia.

I thought providing explanations for policy decision making was a core component of democratic politics? Not in the eyes of everyone evidently.

According to Steggall 'this policy proposal is inherently racist, and it's designed to foster fear and hatred of a minority group'.

While Dutton might welcome being accused of developing an alternative policy on this issue, he's really just seeking answers to questions about the government's existing policy.

Yet Steggall sees fit to label such questioning racist.

Her stubbornness - not to mention a label that doesn't fit the questions Dutton asked - belies the complexity of Australia taking refugees from Hamas controlled Gaza. Which is just another reason why asking questions is a good thing.

Steggall has rightly identified that Dutton sees a political opportunity in querying the national security arrangements - or lack thereof - attached to the humanitarian gesture.

Teal MP Zali Steggall (pictured) has accused Peter Dutton of racism, claiming he is risking social cohesion when raising security concerns regarding Gaza refugees

The Opposition Leader Peter Dutton (pictured) rejects accusations that he is a racist when questioning the security arrangements for refugees from Gaza

Call him opportunistic, by all means, but not racist. The latter is an insult that says more about Steggall's lack of nuance. Refusing to acknowledge that the heat of the moment got the better of her - as she stands by the insult - to thus walk back her rhetoric is disappointing.

Why does Steggall think it's OK to label the Opposition Leader a racist for raising concerns about security issues in the Middle East? Because she's concerned about social cohesion, apparently.

Somehow using the 'racist' label loosely and freely against a major party political leader expressing legitimate concerns shared by many Australians, no doubt, helps preserve social cohesion?

I would have thought the opposite is true.

Next, she'll join the conga line of the self-righteous who think Australia 'is a racist country' because of the bad behaviour of a few.

As part of Steggall's concerns she's also now labelled Dutton a bully. Why? Because the Opposition Leader had the temerity to take umbrage at being called a racist, looking into his legal rights.

This is the world we live in when the self-righteous get challenged. When they hurl insults they are speaking 'truth to power' and for some reason deserve immunity from the law as well as common decency. When those who get insulted stand up for themselves, they are bullies.

Anthony Albanese (pictured) is trying to walk both sides of the street on the issue of Gaza

The Opposition wants better vetting of refugees from Gaza but the government won't answer questions

Dutton is concerned about potential security risks attached to taking thousands of refugees from a part of the world that has been marred in conflict for generations. What a radical racist he must be! How dare he!

The head of ASIO, no less, has indicated that verbal support for Hamas might not be a barrier to entry for refugees coming here from Gaza.

Seriously?

That throwaway line during a media interview should be cause for concern by everyone.

Whether Dutton is right or wrong to pursue this issue, it only becomes a political hot potato when there is a divide between the major parties on how to deal with the challenges identified.

Which seems to be the case the deeper the Opposition digs. Not that the Albanese Government is answering questions put to it on this issue.

Keep in mind it is the Opposition's job to question government policy. Whether those policy scripts are dictated by unelected bureaucrats or elected MPs makes no difference.

It isn't the job of the Opposition to wave the white flag and agree with whatever is already happening. Not when they have concerns. Again, this is a basic cornerstone of democratic politicking.

Whatever Steggall's lack of nuance when assessing Dutton's concerns, at least she has the courage of her (ill-placed) convictions.

The PM, on the other hand, has said privately that he agrees with Steggall's insults, but is publicly trying to walk both sides of the fence.

Having learned from hurling insults of bigotry at opponents of the Voice, before 60 per cent of Australians voted against it, Albo is now trying to delicately balance his competing constituencies on the issue of Gaza.

Put simply, the PM is no less focused on the politics of this issue than the Opposition Leader. In fact, I would suggest the politics of Gaza are much higher on Albo's mind than Dutton's, as the PM evaluates what to do next.
A number of young artists have revealed how a sudden surge in their work's market value, followed by a dramatic slump, has led them to suffer financial setbacks.

The art market has been experiencing a downturn in the last few years, with the decline hitting young artists in particular.

During the pandemic, a boom pushed by the belief in quick returns caused collectors to spend $712 million on works by artists born after 1974.

According to the New York Times, that was a giant increase on the $259 million spent on the same type of artists a year earlier.

With that sudden and dramatic surge, the price for these artists, now known in the industry as 'ultra-contemporary', plummeted by almost a third.

Amani Lewis hosted shows in Paris and Miami, using her new found wealth to buy a Tesla and fund a new art studio

'Into the Valley, the Boy Walks (Psalms 23:4)' by Lewis is seen here. The painting sold for $107,100 in 2021 before then reappearing at auction in June and selling for $10,080

One of those hit by this unfortunate drop was Amani Lewis, who shot to fame after selling her painting 'Into the Valley, the Boy Walks (Psalms 23:4)' for $107,100 in 2021.

The piece went for over double its estimate, with two other works tripling expectations and a collector paying $150,000 for pieces straight from her studio.

With the rise in popularity came shows in Paris and Miami, which saw her upgrade to a new art studio and buy a Tesla.

Despite the sudden surge in market value, the painting has since re-emerged at auction in June, selling for $10,080 - 90 percent of its value.

The sale forced Lewis to stop renting a $7,000-a-month luxury apartment in Miami and move in with her brother temporarily.

Speaking with the Times, the 29-year-old said: 'It was such a nice high and then it drops. It feels like, "Were done with Amani Lewis."'

She added: 'There are things I should have done with the money I made to protect myself from the current situation but I didnt.

'Ive lived in cars, I come from the hood', before admitting that 2023, when the bubble burst, was 'the hardest year of my life'

Isshaq Ismail had seen his Cubist-style potraits sell for around $360,000 dollars, but the amounts now being paid struggle to hit $20,000

That same year, a collector had messaged her saying he was 'agonizing' over whether to sell on her paintings.

In a text seen by the outlet, it said: 'I moved to a 120-year-old house that has some expensive issues and your painting is one of the few sellable things I own.'

Lewis replied to him: 'If you want to renovate, take out a loan bro', with the work selling for $10,000 with fees - $2,500 more what was originally paid.

While Ghanaian artist Emmanuel Taku had a painting of his dubbed 'Sisters in Pink' sell for $189,000 in 2021.

Much like Lewis, Taku watched the price plummet after it went to auction in March and sold for $10,160.

Meanwhile a number Cubist-style portraits by Isshaq Ismail sold for around $367,000 two years ago, but are failing to sell for even close to $20,000 now.

Ismail said he regretted selling up to five works at a time to art advisers and collectors who moved them on quickly.

He told the outlet: 'Everyone wants a piece of the cake', adding that buyers contacted him through email or Instagram - making it hard to differentiate.

Ghanaian artist Emmanuel Taku had a painting of his dubbed 'Sisters in Pink', seen here, sell for $189,000 in 2021

Emmanuel Taku, seen here, is reportedly planning a way to come back and has clamped down on sales

Brooklyn based artist Allison Zuckerman has also felt the market's sharp decline, with her painting 'Woman With Her Pet' selling for $212,500 three years ago.

In June, the painting went back up for grabs and sold for only $20,160 at auction again demonstrating the volatile market.

Zuckerman was 27 and working out of her cramped apartment in the New York borough when mega-collectors came knocking at her door.

Since 2021 her work has sold at auction 50 times, with Zuckerman telling the Times: 'It feels very out of body'.

She added: 'Everything that went into that painting, the discoveries, resolving that one corner, that brushstroke that really brought the whole thing together, isnt whats being talked about.'

Despite the price drop for 'Woman With Her Pet', Zuckerman added that most of her paintings at a solo exhibition in June sold for $35,000 to $65,000.

Zuckerman said she wished she had been taught how to run a business, adding: 'Grad school for me was about finding my voice. I wish I had taken a business course.'

'Woman With Her Pet', seen here, sold for $212,500 three years ago before selling for only $20,160 in June

Zuckerman, seen here, was 27 and working out of her cramped apartment in the New York borough when mega-collectors came knocking at her door

Now using her experience of the market, she said she is planning a series of paintings around her closing control of her work.

Laurent Mercier, an art dealer who represents Emmanuel Taku, told the Times that what happened to Taku was 'very sad and crazy'.

Mercier said his paintings had nearly 500 wait-listed buyers and promised museum donations that would improve Taku's reputation.

In the next few years his works flooded the market and outstripped any sort of demand, causing prices to collapse.

According to Mercier, him and Taku are now attempting to clamp down on sales to build back demand and 'clean up the mess'.

He said: 'People dont want to miss out and in the end will overpay. Then the pendulum swings the other way and even at too-cheap prices, few want to get in.'

Experts believe that the downward trend is continuing, with sales of work by young artists falling 39 percent over the last year.

Collectors had overestimated the market's strength and over fear of the work becoming impossible to sell have sold to at least make some of the money back.

Record high prices in 2021 caused an increase in sellers which flooded the already fragile market.

Artists' prices were subsequently raised but in some cases overshot the mark, which discouraged buyers.

A dealer raised Lewis's prices in 2022, with the artist's exhibition failing to sell out, which only added to the strain.

Loring Randolph, director of the Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Collection of art in Dallas, told the outlet: 'When the prices inflate that much, everyone gets really excited, and people tend to make a lot of mistakes.'

Randolph said that buyers who felt they overpaid are now 'really pulling back'.

While Georgina Adam, the author of two books on the contemporary art market, said that changes in taste previously dictated the rise of fall artists, but now the cycles are shorter, which she believes is fueled by speculation.

According to the Times, more than a third of the buyers at Christies and Sothebys in 2021 were new clients.

Adam added that they may have been more interested in being able to turn a profit than actually becoming lifelong patrons.
George and Amal Clooney's charitable foundation has been banned in Russia after accusations it used 'Hollywood-scale activities' to 'discredit' the country.

The Clooney Foundation for Justice, which was established by the actor and human rights lawyer, was classed as 'undesirable' by authorities in Moscow.

In a statement, Kremlin prosecutors said: 'Under the guise of humanitarian ideas, these "warriors for justice"... have promoted criminal probes against the highest Russian authorities.'

It comes just three months after legal adviser to the foundation Anna Neistat suggested it wanted the West to prosecute 'Russian propagandists'.

At the time, the Kremlin claimed the foundation was on a 'judicial safari targeting Russian journalists'  which Mr Clooney denied.

George and Amal Clooney's (pictured in 2022) charitable foundation has been banned in Russia after accusations it used 'Hollywood-scale activities' to 'discredit' the country

In a statement, Kremlin prosecutors said: 'Under the guise of humanitarian ideas, these "warriors for justice"... have promoted criminal probes against the highest Russian authorities'. Pictured: Russia's President Vladimir Putin on August 19

The prosecutors also mocked Ms Clooney's record as a human rights lawyer known for handling high-profile cases including the Isis genocide of Yazidis, as 'someone who considers herself an international law barrister'.

Mr Clooney distanced himself from Neistat's remarks, saying 'someone in our foundation misspoke', before adding 'we at the Clooney Foundation would never go after journalists, even if we disagree with them.'

Russia's law on 'undesirable organisations' had been inactive for the better half of the past decade before the Kremlin began to use it to essentially outlaw its opponents and drive them out of the country.

US think tanks and Russian media organisations in exile, such as the TV channel Dozhd, have been previously designated as 'undesirable'.

The 'undesirable' status has had particularly painful implications for media outlets such as the news website Meduza, which stopped offering subscriptions to Russian residents and crowdfunding in Russia.

This was because the Kremlin crackdown meant a mere money transfer could land a donor in prison.

The Clooney Foundation for Justice does not have an office located within Russia.

Andrei Pivovarov, one of the Russians released earlier this month in a prisoner swap between Russia and the US, was serving a four-year sentence after working for an 'undesirable organisation'.

He worked at an NGO founded by the opposition activist Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a businessman who was Russia's richest man in 2003, but who is now exiled and living in London.
Like it or not, clothes talk. So if you're on a four-day tour of Colombia at the invitation of a country's vice-president, and your every move is being photographed, it's wise to maximise the power of your clothing choices.

And we've come to expect nothing less from the Duchess of Sussex.

Communicating through one's clothing is nothing new  the late Queen spearheaded 'diplomatic dressing', paying homage to her host countries through designer, colour and pattern choices.

Princess Diana followed her lead on royal tours in the 1980s and 1990s.

'But this wasn't a royal tour!' I hear you cry. Technically, you'd be right. But in many respects, it was. A jam-packed schedule full of school visits, walkabouts and meetings with local leaders? Check, check and check.

Meghan changed into a colourful printed jumpsuit for her second look of her Colombia Tour

The 'tour-drobe' has been just as necessary  and powerful  here as on any official royal visit. Meghan's devoted style fans certainly agree.

There are as many Instagram accounts and blogs dedicated to documenting every single item she wears as any other royal and anything she wears tends to sell out.

And, in many ways, Meghan's Colombia tour-drobe has followed the clothing protocol an official royal tour would dictate.

DAY 1

Meghan Markle proved her fashion prowess once again today as she stepped out in Colombia alongside Prince Harry to begin their four-day tour of the South American nation, wearing Veronica Beard trousers, 448, and waistcoat, 598; handbag Loro Piana 'Loom' bag, 3,775; Manolo Blahnik court shoes, 595

For their arrival in the capital Bogota on Thursday, tailoring was the order of the day, implanting the idea that this was an important trip and the couple meant business. Meghan's choice was a sleeveless jacket (598) and trousers (448) by New York-based brand Veronica Beard.

Tailoring is a traditional choice for a royal tour arrival outfit, but Meghan simultaneously showed she is under no obligation to comply with such strict codes any more  this was a tailored co-ord as opposed to a suit.

The waistcoat-style top showed off her shoulders and her 3,775 Loro Piana 'Loom' bag was bigger than the itsy-bitsy, Polly Pocket-esque clutches usually favoured by royal women on tour. What was in there? A notebook, a laptop? The suggestion is that she is working and, as such, needs to carry more than a lipstick.

The Sussexes had multiple engagements a day requiring different outfits. Later that first day Meghan changed into a patterned jacquard dress (1,595) by Colombian designer Johanna Ortiz for a visit to the National Centre of the Arts  classic diplomatic dressing at its best.

Harry and Meghan at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata in Bogota. Johanna Ortiz dress, 1,595; necklace, Cartier, 12,800; watch 'Tank Francaise' Cartier, 21,400; shoes, Jimmy Choo, 675

At one point Meghan wore a shirt designed by her old friend Victoria Beckham while speaking at the Responsible Digital Future forum in Bogota. Shirt, Victoria Beckham, 550; trousers, La Ligne, 220; shoes, 620, Aquazzura.

Its cut-out detail below the breast and front split garnered some criticism for being 'inappropriate' and might not have been something Meghan would have got away with as an official royal.

This is where her sartorial power lies. She can cherry-pick the best royal style tricks but is no longer bound by the Royal Family's more restrictive aspects.

There was one more outfit change that day: a Victoria Beckham shirt (550) and trousers in a co-ordinating mahogany shade by luxury US label La Ligne (220). The look was finished with shoes from Aquazzura (620).

Two more traditional tour-drobe tricks were at play  wearing something she's worn before to avoid the criticism of extravagance (the Beckham shirt) and nodding to her host nation through shoes by a brand founded by a Colombian.

DAY TWO

On Friday, day two, she did the same, wearing an ivory green and white skirt by Colombian brand Juan de Dios (353). A subsequent outfit change saw her wear Chanel's instantly recognisable two-tone pumps (910)  again, something she probably wouldn't have done as a royal, where unspoken rules dictate royal women don't wear signature pieces from a designer.

It was only post-royalty that Princess Diana, for example, started to carry recognisable bags by the likes of Dior and Gucci.

Meghan balanced this break in royal code by wearing a pair of butterfly earrings that belonged to Diana, who last wore them on a royal tour in Canada in 1986. She also wore Diana's gold Tank Francaise watch on the tour.

Harry and Meghan each changed clothes between their morning and afternoon engagements. Juan De Dios Amaime silk martello midi skirt in ivory green chintz, 347. Sarah Hendler spear dangle stud earrings in emerald and sapphires - 1,733

Meghan looked sophisticated in black high-waisted cigarettes pants, which paired with a white button-up business shirt with one button at the top left undone, tucked in. Jacket, Loro Piana, 2,800; Princess Diana's butterfly earrings; slingbacks, Chanel, 910; Cartier watch and Cartier love bangle, as before

Prince Harry and Meghan joined Vice President Francia Marquez for a luncheon on the second day of their trip. Oscar De La Renta gown in Cerulean blue - likely bespoke and thought to be at least 4,000. Aquazurra heels. Logan Hollowell baby reverse warer drop diamond tennis necklace - 9,786

DAY THREE

It was diplomatic dressing once again for a visit to the city of Cartagena on Saturday, in the form of a chic wide-brimmed hat by Colombian designer Hannia Char (100).

She first paired the hat with another outfit by Johanna Ortiz  this time a co-ordinating black top (804) and skirt (1,272)  then with a white skirt (Posse, 204), white top (Argent, 120), and sandals (by US designer Emme Parsons, 370) to visit a village.

The royal trick of wearing one colour to stand out, alongside the less royal, casual twist of the sandals (unspoken protocol dictates that royal women don't tend to wear open-toe shoes) suggests Meghan is her own woman now.

The Sussexes packed in a busy schedule on their trip - with Meghan looking very stylish each step of the way. Pictured in a 1,700 design by Ortiz. Top 804 and matching maxi skirt, 1,272, Johanna Ortiz Resort collection 2025; bag, Cesta Collective, 588; sandals, 620, Aquazzura; jewellery featuring Archie and Lilibet's initials, Ariel Gordon, 1,540.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry looked loved up as they held hands while visiting traditional Afro-Caribbean village, San Basilio de Palenque on Saturday. Sleeveless ribbed top, Argent, 120; linen skirt 'Emma' Posse, 204; shoes, 'Cecilia' Emme Parsons 370; sunglasses, Ray-Ban 155; hat Hannia Char, 100

DAY 4

That royal favourite of throwing in a High Street item? For a women's empowerment forum on Sunday, this came in the form of a sleeveless shirt from Mango that cost just 26.

A sequined skirt by Colombian designer Silvia Tcherassi (1,634) was the look's focal point, alongside earrings that were a gift from the Colombian vice-president and handmade by artisans.

Meghan Markle (pictured) looked radiant in a patterned pencil skirt embellished with sequins, which she paired with a sharp white shirt and pink, suede pumps. Sleeveless shirt, 26, Mango; sequin skirt, 1,634, Silvia Tcherassi; pink suede court shoes, 595, Manolo Blahnik; bracelet, 28,000, Lorraine Schwartz; Cartier watch and love bangle as before

Meghan, Harry, Colombia Vice President Francia Marquez and her husband Yerney Pinillo are all smiles at the Petronio Music Festival. Green print dress, Andres Otalora, 689

To visit a music festival later the same day, Colombian fashion took centre stage again in the form of a now sold out green printed dress (689) by Andres Otalora.

In Colombia, Meghan utilised what she had learned in her stint as a royal, cleverly adopting the traditional codes of the royal 'tourdrobe' that worked for her.

This approach is symptomatic of the way she and Harry are living their lives as quasi-royals.

But no one can deny that, while Meghan might not be a working royal any more, she has certainly got the astutely thought-out wardrobe of one.
Cape Town, South Africa (PANA)  South Africas Department of Health on Tuesday assured the public that the current mpox outbreak remains under control in the country, but it has learned from COVID-19 pandemic that viruses are unpredictable as they mutate from time to time
The Chicago police have arrested multiple demonstrators who breached security perimeters while trying to gain entry to the Democratic National Convention.

At least several protestors were arrested who attempted to break through the security fence, sources on the ground told DailyMail.com.

The police intervention came after thousands of protestors joined the 'March on the DNC' demonstration, terminating blocks from the United Center arena where President Joe Biden is expected to speak Monday evening.

Chaos ensued after protestors broke down the first layer of fencing around the convention, but got caught in between another layer of fencing.

The activists had nowhere to go and were neatly pushed back by authorities, who made several arrests.

Hundreds of police faced off with thousands of protestors at a pro-Palestinian march to the Democratic National Convention Monday

'Demonstrators breached a portion of anti-scale fencing along the Democratic National Convention's outer perimeter near the United Center on Aug. 19,' the Chicago Police Department wrote in a statement Monday.

'Law enforcement personnel were immediately on-scene and contained the situation. At no point was the inner perimeter breached, and there was no threat to any protectees.'

'The National Special Security Event plan employs a multi-layered approach. Each NSSE plan is unique and includes multiple layers,' the statement continued.

'One of these redundancies include the outer perimeter fence, which was erected to prevent entry into the inner perimeter.'

'The Chicago Police Department remains on-scene and is working to clear the area.'

Police formed lines to eventually force demonstrators from the park

Protestors broke down the outermost barricade to the DNC and swarmed the area before being pushed back by authorities.

Chicago police watch as protesters gather during the Democratic National Convention on August 19, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Multiple protests are planned during the DNC, which is being held at the United Center from August 19-22

The police action came after most of the demonstrators had marched back to the event's starting point.

The remaining activists - many wearing N-95 face masks, black glasses and other clothing to hide their identities - remained, yelling at CPD.

Some activists threw debris over the fence where the police were standing; broken wooden handles from signs, water bottles and trash were all hurled.

A long row of black fencing ran across the southern portion of a park that sits blocks from the United Center and it quickly became the object of the demonstrator's outrage.

Violently shaking it back and forth the activists were able to dislodge portions of it, and through these holes in the barricade they climbed over into a buffer space of roughly 20 feet before another line of fencing.

It was in this in-between space where many of the pro-Palestine and anti-DNC protestors linked arms and began chanting.

Police responded by quickly sending in roughly a hundred or so before lining up to disperse the unruly newcomers.

After standing sternly for some minutes the police slowly began inching forward on the arm-linked activists.

Protestors often ran away rom police as they closed in

Police distribute signs telling anti-DNC protestors to disperse

Specialized police with riot gear attachments like visors compelled the activists to leave the park

Soon after the law enforcement began moving the protestors began fleeing, some running for fear of not wanting to be arrested or apprehended.

After the protestors were removed from the DNC security perimeter police began replacing some of the dislodged fence pieces and the cops regrouped.

As some remained yelling at police, though at this time far fewer than before, the police began encircling the remaining protestors at the park before pushing them out.

Finally, the cops began distributing fliers indicating the recipients were 'being ordered to disperse by the Chicago Police Department.'
A burst of warm weather is forecast for northern and central Australia with the pleasant conditions to extend further south towards the end of the week.

A slow moving high-pressure system is currently in the centre of the country, causing temperatures to heat up.

Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Rohan Smyth told Daily Mail Australia the week will keep warming up and there was a chance the August record would be broken.

'The peak of it looks like it will be the back half of the weekend, on Sunday,' he said.

'Especially for the eastern and south-east of the country as temperatures from central Australia really get dragged down.'

The heat will be felt in northern parts of South Australia, regional Victoria, western NSW, south west Queensland, and the southern part of the Northern Territory.

'The outback part of central Australia will have temperatures in excess of ten to 12 degrees above the average for this time of year,' Mr Smyth said.

Even though the heat will slowly travel to the east coast, there will be a cold front moving into the south east of the country that could impact parts of South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania on Wednesday.

The temperatures for most of the country have been rising as the heat from central Australia spreads out (pictured Wednesday's predicted weather)

'We have a trough moving through but it's pretty weak. We may see some showers linger on the south east coast on Tuesday and during the day tomorrow as well,' Mr Smyth said.

Aussies along the east coast look set for a balmy weekend, with Sydney predicted to reach a peak of 25C, Melbourne 22C, Brisbane 27C, Canberra 21C and Hobart 19C.

But places closer to central NSW will be even higher, with Darwin set to be 35C and Coober Pedy in northern South Australia predicted to reach 34C.

The only place not expected to experience the heatwave is southern Western Australia, with Perth expecting cooler weather and some showers this week, with temperatures set to peak at 21C.

Sydney

Tuesday: Mostly sunny day. Medium chance of showers in the evening, grading to a slight chance along the coastal fringe. Light winds becoming north to northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h in the middle of the day. Max 22.

Wednesday: Slight chance of a shower in the early morning. Mostly sunny day. Winds northerly 15 to 20 km/h tending northwesterly in the morning then becoming light in the late afternoon. Min 14 Max 25.

Thursday: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower. Light winds. Min 13 Max 22.

The hot temperatures are set to peak on Sunday, with northern, central and eastern Australia impacted the most (pictured weather map for August 24)

Brisbane

Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, becoming less likely in the afternoon and evening. Light winds. Max 23.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny. The chance of fog in the morning, mainly in the west. Slight chance of a morning shower. Light winds becoming north to northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h in the middle of the day then becoming light in the evening. Min 14 Max 25.

Thursday: The chance of morning fog. Mostly sunny day. Light winds becoming north to northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h during the day then becoming light during the evening. Min 15 Max 27.

Melbourne

Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers from late morning in the west, extending further east during the day and becoming a high chance this evening. Winds northerly 25 to 40 km/h. Max 19.

Wednesday: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers. Winds northwesterly 15 to 25 km/h. Min 12 Max 19.

Thursday: Cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Winds northwesterly 15 to 25 km/h. Min 11 Max 17.

Anyone for a swim? The temperatures might soar enough on the weekend to claim the record for the highest August temperature on record (pictured people at the beach)

Adelaide

Tuesday: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the late morning and afternoon. Winds northwesterly 25 to 35 km/h increasing to 30 to 45 km/h in the middle of the day then turning westerly 25 to 35 km/h in the early afternoon. Max 18.

Wednesday: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers. Winds westerly 20 to 30 km/h turning northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h in the evening. Min 12 Max 18.

Thursday: Cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the morning. Winds northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h tending westerly during the day then becoming light during the afternoon. Min 11 Max 18.

Perth

Tuesday: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely from the late morning. Winds northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h tending westerly 15 to 25 km/h in the middle of the day then becoming light in the late afternoon. Max 20.

Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Light winds. Min 10 Max 20.

Thursday: Cloudy. Very high chance of showers. Winds east to northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h turning north to northwesterly 25 to 35 km/h during the afternoon. Min 10 Max 21.

The week's hot weather will be an early taste of spring (pictured women at the beach)

Canberra

Tuesday: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely at night. The chance of a thunderstorm in the evening. Winds north to northwesterly 15 to 25 km/h becoming light in the evening then becoming northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h in the late evening. Max 18.

Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the early morning. Winds northwesterly 15 to 25 km/h becoming light in the evening. Min 7 Max 17.

Thursday: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Light winds becoming west to northwesterly 15 to 25 km/h during the day then becoming light during the evening. Min 5 Max 17.

Hobart

Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers in the late afternoon and evening. Winds northerly 15 to 25 km/h becoming light in the evening then becoming northerly 15 to 20 km/h in the late evening. Max 17.

Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the morning. Winds northerly 15 to 20 km/h tending northwesterly 15 to 25 km/h in the morning. Min 9 Max 16.

Thursday: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the afternoon and evening. Winds northwesterly 25 to 35 km/h. Min 8 Max 17.

Darwin

Tuesday: Sunny. Light winds becoming east to northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h in the middle of the day then tending north to northeasterly in the late afternoon. Max 34.

Wednesday: Sunny. Light winds becoming east to southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h in the morning then tending northwest to northeasterly in the late afternoon. Min 22 Max 34.

Thursday: Sunny. Light winds becoming northeast to southeasterly 20 to 30 km/h during the day then tending northwest to northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h during the afternoon. Min 24 Max 35.
Jay Slater's grieving mother has revealed that five unanswered questions about her son's death in Tenerife are tormenting her family.

Jay, 19, was on holiday on the island with his friends when he went missing on the morning of June 17.

The apprentice bricklayer's body and possessions were found in a ravine in the Rural de Teno National Park on July 15.

His heartbroken mother Debbie Duncan, who travelled to Tenerife to search for her missing son, said five unanswered questions continue to torment her a month after Jay's body was found.

Why did Jay get into a car with two men he didn't know rather than his friend?

Why did he leave their Airbnb without charging his phone? Even though one of them says he gave them a charger?

Why did he head up the mountains when he left rather than take the path down towards civilisation?

How did the local cafe owner tell him the first bus wasn't until 10am when she doesn't speak a word of English?

Why didn't his friends race to his aid after his desperate last phone call to his friend Lucy?

Debbie Duncan (pictured), who travelled to Tenerife to search for her missing son, said five unanswered questions continue to torment her

Jay Slater, 19, pictured with his mother Debbie, who is heartbroken over her son's death

Speaking about her grief, Ms Duncan, 56, told The Sun: 'I was encouraging him to go, saying you're going to love it. I just kept saying, you know ''have your wits about you''.'

The mother added: 'I can't describe it. I can't even describe the way I feel because I just wish he'd never gone.

'Jay would not let his phone run down. If he had access to a phone charger, that would be the first thing that he would do. So that made me think well why did he not want to be there - why did he not want to hang about to charge his phone?'

It comes as Ms Duncan insisted her son did not steal a watch worth 12,000 before he vanished.

The mother slammed the internet trolls who came up with wild conspiracy theories including that Jay had stolen a Rolex watch from a gangster in Tenerife before he disappeared.

Jay Slater's last known movements in Tenerife before he was found one month after going missing

Jay's older brother Zak (left) wipes away a tear as he holds his mother's arm

Shameless keyboard warriors even suggested the teenager had become embroiled with a drug cartel or hopped onboard a yacht to Morocco.

Ms Duncan told The Sun: 'He would never have been involved in anything like that.

'He had only been in Tenerife three days  and was at a festival with friends which had wristbands, security and an itinerary.

'I've no idea where these drug stories have come from and the stuff about him stealing a watch is nonsense.'
Librarians are being advised to avoid holding meetings in 'racist' buildings, as part of Welsh Labour's commitment to 'eradicate' systemic racism.

Libraries across Wales have been given the task of promoting 'anti-racism' as part of a 130,000 project.

Local librarians are being taught 'critical whiteness studies' as well as how to deal with problems such as the 'dominant paradigm of whiteness', the Telegraph report.

It comes after Labour's Welsh government was accused of 'hypocrisy' in March after ministers had been driven hundreds of thousands of miles by chauffeurs despite laws restricting drivers.

Dozens of buildings in Wales, from pubs to community centres, have been added to a list of sites linked to slavery, as per a 2021 government-backed dossier.

The Gladstone Library Hotel in Hawarden was spotlighted as a controversial place due to its link to slavery

Libraries across Wales have been given the task of promoting 'anti-racism' as part of a 130,000 project. Pictured: Gladstone's Library

In a document created by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (Cilip) in Wales, a warning said to be 'mindful of the venue and if you have a choice, do not choose a venue that represents a racist legacy'.

It also said: ' If you have to use a venue that has a racist past, acknowledge this as early as possible to demonstrate your commitment to systemic issues.

'You can even acknowledge historical context in the event invitation.'

The Gladstone Library in Hawarden and The Goronwy Owen primary school in Anglesey were both flagged as examples due to their names linking to slavery.

Alongside this guidance, training materials are also encouraged to be checked for 'harmful' content and 'vegetarian and vegan options only can be used to support any decarbonisation or net zero goals of your organisation'.

In May, the Labour government in Wales bought luxury office chairs costing almost 900 each - despite the majority of desks being mostly unused due to working from home.

The Goronwy Owen primary school in Anglesey was flagged as Owen owned slaves

Since March 2019, officials have spent 33,959 on 46 Famiglia high back large chairs with an orbital worksurface, figures released under Freedom of Information laws revealed today - 14 of them purchased after the first national Covid lockdown in 2020.

Since the pandemic, the Cardiff government has encouraged working from home.

Last year it was revealed that Welsh Government offices in Cardiff had 2,967 desks - but only 14 per cent were used by civil servants on average.

At its Bedwas office complex, the 206 desks were occupied just eight per cent of the time.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: 'Inclusive Futures was developed by CILIP as a guide for the Library Sector in Wales.

'The Training Model offers advice on venue booking and advises on a number of considerations that would optimise participation and engagement.'
Israel is prepared to compromise with Hamas to secure a deal to end the Gaza conflict, the US Secretary of State indicated last night.

Antony Blinken provided a positive update following a two-and-a-half hour meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

He also called on Hamas to agree to the same 'bridging proposal' which would bring about a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages.

On his ninth visit to the region since the Hamas terror attacks of October 7, the senior diplomat also warned the current proposal could represent a 'last chance' for peace.

Mr Blinken said last night: 'In a very constructive meeting, prime minister Netanyahu confirmed to me that Israel supports the bridging proposal. The next important step is for Hamas to say "yes".'

Antony Blinken (left) provided a positive update following a two-and-a-half hour meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu (right)

Smoke and flames rise following an Israeli strike on a residential building, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hama

Families of hostages who were kidnaped by Hamas on Oct 7 deadly attack and supporters hold signs and US flags during a demonstration outside a press event by US secretary of state Antony Blinken on Monday

The latest proposal has been brokered by the United States, Egypt and Qatar.

The most sensitive aspect of it is who controls two strategic corridors inside Gaza.

Hamas has previously indicated any agreement which gave Israel control of these corridors was a 'non-starter'.

Similarly, Israel remains opposed to Hamas being granted autonomy, as it fears the terror group will use the corridors to smuggle military equipment into Gaza.

To prevent this, Israel has suggested a number of its troops should be permitted to remain along the Gaza-Egypt border following any ceasefire.

For his part, Mr Netanyahu said the talks with Mr Blinken had been 'positive' and 'conducted in a good spirit'.

The ten-month conflict is understood to have caused the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including thousands of women and children.

It has also led to a humanitarian crisis in the occupied territories, with Palestinian families desperately short of basic provisions for life such as shelter, food and medicines.

The Hamas atrocities of October 7 killed more than 1,100 Israelis while 250 were abducted. Of these, 110 are still believed to be in Gaza.

The ten-month conflict is understood to have caused the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including thousands of women and children (pictured: A man carries the lifeless body of a Palestinian girl to Al-Ahli Arab Hospital after an Israeli shelling of a group of civilians)

Israel is also braced for more suicide bombings by Hamas following a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv on Sunday (pictured)

However, there are fears a third of these captives may be dead. Today, Mr Blinken is expected to travel to Egypt for further talks to end the fighting.

The evolving proposal is said to break down into three stages, with a staggered release of hostages in return for a withdrawal of Israeli troops and the freeing of Palestinian prisoners.

In its most recent statement on the negotiations, on Sunday Hamas accused Mr Netanyahu of continually setting obstacles to a deal by demanding new conditions.

Israel is also braced for more suicide bombings by Hamas following a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv on Sunday. Hamas confirmed there had been a 'martyrdom operation'.

Dozens of civilians were praying near where the explosion took place but there were no fatalities. One person was injured.

Hamas warned there will be more such operations as long as the Israeli bombardment of Gaza continues, Sunday's attack was the first since 2016.
Labours campaign to bring the British economy to its knees gathered pace yesterday with the announcement of plans to give workers the right to switch off.

More flexible working, less office time, fewer out-of-hours calls from the boss and an emphasis on work-life balance.

Without a trace of irony, Downing Street offered the following priceless justification: A culture of presenteeism can be damaging to productivity.

This is all part of what Angela Rayner calls a New Deal for workers. Cynics might say it sounds more like a shirkers charter

Which suggests they think absenteeism is good for business. It certainly hasnt worked in Whitehall, where the Civil Service has been allowed to go missing in action and productivity has plummeted.

All employers should do their best to treat staff well and accede to requests for flexible hours where possible.

But to enshrine these benefits as legal rights, with financial penalties for non-compliance, would be untenable for many businesses, especially those with just a handful of employees.

This is all part of what Angela Rayner calls a New Deal for workers. Cynics might say it sounds more like a shirkers charter.

How to fix jail crisis

With just 298 places left in jails for adult men, the prison system is at breaking point.

The overcrowding problem has been compounded by the jailing of 400 people in connection with the recent riots, with many more still going through the courts.

If Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood truly wants to ease the crisis, she might start by reducing the number of foreign inmates in British prisons.

If Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood (pictured) truly wants to ease the crisis, she might start by reducing the number of foreign inmates in British prisons

No fewer than 10,422  including killers and rapists  are serving sentences for crimes committed here, at a total cost of up to 500million a year.

Yet Britain seems incapable of deporting them  even to safe countries  not least because many hire lawyers at taxpayers expense to argue that sending them home would breach their human rights.

Last month Ms Mahmood pledged to fast-track the removal of foreign prisoners and create some much-needed space in our jails. She needs to get on with it.

History is complex

In its obsession with atoning for the sins of the past, the Church of England often forgets that history can be complicated.

At Gloucester Cathedral, a memorial to Admiral Henry Christian is to carry a QR code detailing his links to slavery.

In its obsession with atoning for the sins of the past, the Church of England often forgets that history can be complicated. At Gloucester Cathedral (pictured), a memorial to Admiral Henry Christian is to carry a QR code detailing his links to slavery

As a naval commander in the 1860s, Christian enabled a Confederate merchant ship bringing cotton to Lancashire to run through a Union blockade during the American Civil War. The Confederacy was, of course, pro-slavery.

But at the time it was supported by many in this country, including the achingly liberal Manchester Guardian newspaper.

Christian was just five years old when slavery was abolished, so can hardly be blamed for its excesses, and in the 1850s served on a ship which intercepted foreign vessels carrying slaves and freed them.

The Church may paint him as a villain. But in those far-off days wasnt he just a naval officer doing his duty?

In a landmark victory, 140 women who suffered traumatic complications after being fitted with vaginal mesh are to receive millions in compensation.

Some 170,000 women were damaged by these implants and the door is now open for all to obtain redress. It is a great day for justice and vindication of a longstanding Mail campaign against this ill-conceived treatment.
Nancy Pelosi brushed off questions about her under-the-radar feud with former top Biden adviser Anita Dunn on Monday.

The former House speaker was instrumental in getting Biden to step down from the 2024 running, which frustrated some of the president's top allies.

'Nobody wants to have a fight with Nancy Pelosi at this time because we're a united party,' Biden's former adviser Dunn, who is now working at a pro-Kamala Harris super PAC, said on CNN.

Pelosi shot back on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, saying that she 'just wanted to win.'

'I have my relationship with the president, and I just wanted to win this election. So if they're upset, I'm sorry for them. but the country is very happy,' she explained. 'I don't know who they are, but you know that's their problem. Not mine.'

When pressed by CNN's Jake Tapper and Dana Bash about her own involvement in Biden's decision, she said her concern 'was not about the president it was about his campaign' and he 'made the decision for the country.'

But when Tapper specifically asked Pelosi about Dunn's comments on not wanting to pick a fight with her 'at this time,' Pelosi replied puzzlingly: 'Sometimes you just have to take a punch for the children.'

Biden, in his own address Monday evening, said it's 'not true' that he's holding grudges.

'All this talk about how I'm angry about all the people who said I should step down, that's not true.'

Nancy Pelosi brushed off questions about her under-the-radar feud with former top Biden adviser Anita Dunn over her efforts to push Joe Biden off the top of the ticket

Pelosi holds up a 'JILL' sign for First Lady Jill Biden

Tapper replied: 'So that's what you're doing right now? You're just going to take the punches for the children?'

While Bash chimed in confused, asking Pelosi directly: 'Who is punching?'

Pelosi pivoted, talking about the massive momentum for Harris compared to Biden.

'So why are we even talking about this?' she went on, adding in a laugh.

Her comments came on day one of the four-day DNC where Democrats will formally anoint Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz to lead the top of their ticket.

Pelosi was known to be operating quietly behind the scenes to replace Biden at the top of the ticket.

As Biden continued to say he he would not step aside, Pelosi ignored his insistence and argued the door was still open and he needed to make a decision.

Nearly a month ago on July 21, Biden succumbed to intense pressure and dropped out of the presidential race for 2024. Democrats quickly lined up behind Vice President Kamala Harris to be at the top of their ticket.

Earlier this month Dunn took a pointed jab at Pelosi when she blamed 'certain leaders' for losing Democrats the House in 2022.

'Nobody wants to have a fight with Nancy Pelosi at this time because we're a united party,' Dunn said on CNN Monday

'The task in front of us is to win this election and to not let Donald Trump become president again and to win the House of Representatives, which, had certain leaders in 2022 done a slightly better job, maybe we would control today, but we don't,' she said.

'That is the job ahead of us,' Dunn added. 'And it's critical because, as the president has said, this country is at an inflection point.'

Dunn, a longtime Biden adviser who left to join a pro-Harris super PAC, said Biden's decision to step back and throw his full support to Vice Harris was the greatest part of his legacy.'

'You know, it was rough. And no reflection on the vice president because I think one of the greatest things aboutJoe Biden's legacy will be that he made sure that there was a pipeline in which Kamala Harris was going to be the natural person everyone turned to if something happened to him,' she told Politico in an interview.

'I have my relationship with the president, and I just wanted to win this election. So if they're upset, I'm sorry for them. but the country is very happy,' she explained. 'I don't know who they are, but you know that's their problem. Not mine'

After Jake Tapper asks about the "residual bad blood" between her and Team Biden, Nancy Pelosi says: "Sometimes you have to take a punch for the children."



She then wonders, "Why are we even talking about it?" prompting Tapper to joke that "they're holding my cat hostage." pic.twitter.com/VzxH1FuwCB  Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) August 20, 2024

What does former Biden senior advisor Anita Dunn make of Nancy Pelosi telling frustrated Biden allies "that's their problem, not mine." "Nobody wants to have a fight with Nancy Pelosi at this time," Dunn tells me on @InsidePolitics. pic.twitter.com/E8vAaIf6du  Dana Bash (@DanaBashCNN) August 19, 2024

Dunn also quibbled with characterizations of his debate disaster as catostrophic, even though it precipitated the end of his run.

'Voters didn't particularly like Biden's performance in the first half hour. He wasn't scoring well at all. But it's not as though they walked out,' she said. 'They very much liked a lot of the second half of the debate for Joe Biden. They hated Donald Trump.'

She recalled '24 days of unremitting negative, horrible attacks on Joe Biden.'

Among her most sharp remarks were hitting back at former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has continued to comment on Biden while taking a victory lap. Harris' numbers have shot up, injecting what her running mate Tim Walz calls 'joy' into the campaign, and persuading Democrats she has a fighting chance.

'You know, clearly there were leaders of the party who decided to go ahead and go very public. And that gave permission to other people to go public,' she said.

During the brutal period of reflection after the debate, some Democrats faulted Biden's team for agreeing to an earlier than usual contest with Donald Trump, and for failing to share the weaknesses that resulted in what the White House at the time called a 'bad night.'

'So [former President] Trump didn't gain any ground in the debate whatsoever. And we actually picked up a few votes in the group. So it was a bad debate, but it didn't feel catastrophic at all, certainly in terms of voters,' said Dunn.

'And I think other people who did independent research saw roughly the same thing. If you go back and you look at the polls, what you will see is you didn't see much movement whatsoever coming out of the debate because the structure of this campaign had been fairly static for a long time, and the debate didn't change that.'

Pelosi has also described Biden's decision as a key part of his legacy on a recent media tour. But she also told the New Yorker she knew after the debate he wouldn't win.
A woman who was mowed down by her ex-boyfriend in a horror hit-and-run has revealed she applied for a restraining order against him just months earlier.

Grace Morrison, 20, was dragged for several metres along a road near Geraldton, in Western Australia, on December 18, 2022.

Her former partner Brady Dermott Collins, 27, was jailed for two years during sentencing at Geraldton District Court last Thursday.

Ms Morrison has since spoken out about the horrifying ordeal revealing that she had tried to take out a restraining order against him months earlier - but it was rejected.

'I was requesting the restraining order because Brady and I had broken up, and it was just utter harassment,' she told the West Australian.

'I couldn't get away from him. He also had keys to my house.'

Ms Morrison, who was in an on-again off-again relationship with Collins at the time, met him at a local pub hours before the hit-and-run unfolded.

The pair travelled to another address where an argument broke out between the pair.

Grace Morrison's former partner Brady Dermott Collins, 27 (pictured), was jailed for two years during sentencing at Geraldton District Court last Thursday

Ms Morrison left to go to another house at Utakarra before Collins followed her in his Holden Colorado.

He lured the then-18-year-old out of the house by honking his horn several times and dangling her handbag outside of his window.

Ms Morrison went to grab the bag before Collins pulled it back inside with her arm still holding onto it.

He accelerated as Ms Morrison tried to grip the roof rack with her free arm.

She fell face first and was dragged along the road before the car ran over the left side of her body.

'I remember lifting my head off the ground and spitting my teeth out and looking up at him, and he's just on the other side of the road, pointing at me, screaming, still under the street light, and then just sped off again,' Ms Morrison said.

Ms Morrison was left with a fractured jaw, a broken shoulder blade and two cracked ribs.

Locals rushed to help her before she was taken to the Royal Perth Hospital.

Western Australian Police arrested Collins hours later.

Collins pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm and failing to stop and assist.

Ms Morrison expressed her relief about the jail sentence handed to her former partner.

Collins accelerated as Ms Morrison tried to grip the roof rack with her free arm

'I do feel quite happy with the outcome. I do feel like it was justice,' she said.

'I got rid of him one way or the other. Because to be honest, if it wasn't that severe, or if that didn't happen that night, he would probably still be in my life'.

After undergoing surgery, Ms Morrison is still recovering and is heavily dependent on her loved ones to help her with everyday tasks.

She can no longer drive a manual car after she also suffered a serious injury to her left leg.

Ms Morrison revealed she is still gripped by anxiety even though she has moved on with her life close to two years after the toxic relationship ended.

She urged other women in difficult relationships to heed the advice of friends and family if their loved ones notice something is wrong.

Collins will be eligible for parole in 2026.
Commonwealth Bank has revealed how much it spends providing cash at its branches and ATMs amid growing concerns banks will eliminate physical money in order to boost their already massive profits.

In its latest annual report, the bank described providing cash as a 'challenging commercial model' and revealed it spent $410 million on cash services in the year ending June 2024.

Of this amount, about $350 million was used to keep cash available at branches and ATMs.

This is the first time the bank has shared detailed information about the costs of cash services.

While CBA complained that costs of cash had increased by 50 per cent, it recorded a net profit of $9.8 billion in the 2023/24 financial year.

Earlier this year, the bank faced criticism after Daily Mail Australia reported that it had eliminated over-the-counter cash withdrawals at several branches, which the bank renamed 'specialist centres.'

Additionally, the bank has removed more than 800 ATMs from its network.

'Five years ago, 43 per cent of all point of sale transactions were cash. Today, the figure is around 15 per cent,' explained CEO Matt Comyn last year.

'And yet, every week, customers transact more than $18 billion through the CommBank app, an increase of 64 per cent in just two years.'

He said CommBank's 10million customers were paying roughly $40 each to fund the $400million expense to keep physical cash in circulation in it's branches.

'Many of our customers don't use cash and these customers cross-subsidise those that do,' he said.

Earlier this year, Australia's largest cash distribution service, Armaguard, was on the brink of collapse until it received a $50 million bailout from major banks and large retailers in late June.

Despite fewer people using cash, the right to do so should be defended, Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock says.

Giving testimony to federal parliament's house economics committee on Friday, Ms Bullock said access to cash was 'a sensitive issue' as pressure grew in the banking sector and government to dispense with it.

Commonwealth Bank has revealed how much it spends providing cash at its branches and ATMs amid growing concerns about the viability of cash services

'There is a minority, but a significant minority, of people who still rely heavily on cash and want to use cash,' she said.

'The government is committed, and we are committed as well, to trying to maintain access to cash for people who want to use it,' she said.

'This is not just a problem in Australia, it's a problem around the world as cash use declines for transactions,' Ms Bullock said.

'You've got all these fixed costs of maintaining a cash distribution system, and with less cash transactions that means the cost per transaction just keeps going up and up - it's getting uneconomical.'

The central bank and government are trying to maintain access to cash, Michele Bullock says

Ms Bullock said the central bank and federal government were encouraging the industry to devise a more viable model for the long term.

She said the one-year industry support package agreed between Armaguard and its major customers reduced the near-term risk of a major disruption.

'It remains an important means of payment for many Australians,' she said.

'Cash is used as a store of wealth, particularly during periods of economic uncertainty, and can be a useful backup for electronic methods of payment.'
Kamala Harris sent the crowd into a frenzy with a surprise appearance at the Democratic National Convention on Monday to deliver a short tribute to the former nominee, President Joe Biden

The vice president gave a glowing thanks to her boss as the president prepares for a speech later in the evening ceremonially passing the torch to the next generation.

'I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible President, Joe Biden, who will be speaking later tonight,' the VP said after coming on stage earlier than Convention goers expected.

'Joe  thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to this nation and for all you will continue to do,' Harris continued. 'We are forever grateful to you. Thank you, Joe.'

Democratic presidential candidate US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the opening night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago

The crowd cheers as Kamala Harris takes the stage at the DNC in Chicago on Monday

Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff (L) and Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz applaud Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago

Vice President Kamala Harris, with a big smile on her face, addresses the DNC on Monday

Kamala Harris waves to delegates and DNC attendees as she takes the stage at the United Center in Chicago on Monday

Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 19, 2024

The Democratic candidate will deliver her remarks officially accepting the nomination on Thursday, which will wrap the Convention events.

Harris was all smiles as she arrived at the United Center just after 8:00 p.m. following a hype-up video with Beyonce's anthem Freedom.

The vice president arrived in time to be in the audience during President Joe Biden's speech later in the evening, where he will ceremoniously pass the torch to his No. 2.

In her short remarks, the VP's voice seemed raspy at times as she combatted a chanting and enthusiastic crowd at the United Center in West Chicago.

'Looking out at everyone tonight, I see the beauty of our great nation,' Harris said. 'People from every corner of our country and every walk of life are here  united by our shared vision for the future of our country.'

'And this November we will come together and declare with one voice as one people  we are moving forward with optimism, hope and faith, so guided by our love of country knowing we have so much more in common than separates us.'

'Let us fight for the ideals we hold dear and let us always remember, when we fight, we win,' she concluded before exiting the stage and taking a place in the arena.

Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at the United Center on Monday

Delegates hold "We Fight, We Win" signs on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris appears during the first day of Democratic National Convention

Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attends the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 19, 2024

Earlier in the program, vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arrived and took his seat in the arena alongside his wife Gwen.

Walz will deliver his remarks ceremoniously accepting the VP nomination on Wednesday.

President Biden departed for Chicago earlier on Monday and spent the evening in the city resting and preparing for his remarks that will close out night one of the DNC.

Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention

Kamala Harris puts her hand over her heart, beaming with joy, from the stage at the DNC

Attendees listen to the proceedings during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 19, 2024 in Chicago
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - Since 24 February 2022, following the Russian Federations full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the WHO Country Office in Ukraine has been monitoring, verifying and reporting attacks on health care
An Oklahoma police officer who restrained and arrested a dad for taking his son a walk is also facing a probe after footage emerged of him beating an autistic child.

Officers were called to the home of Andrea Lambert on June 2 after her autistic son Santiago, 15, threatened family members with a knife.

Lambert says she has called police numerous times in the past to help de-escalate tense moments involving her son as she has spinal issues.

After filing a request for the body cam footage of the incident after discovering bruises on her son, Andrea told News9 she was disturbed at what she saw.

In the footage, her son can be seen being punched across the face numerous times by the unknown officer as he screams.

In the footage, her son can be seen being punched across the face numerous times by the unknown officer as he screams

The officer who punched Santiago, seen here, has also been investigated after body slamming a father who was out walking with his son

The officer, who is standing over the young boy, can be heard telling him: 'Let me show you how this is going to go.'

He then proceeds to flip the child over so he is upright and proceeds to punch him three times in the face.

After a struggle the officer's body camera goes out but the sound of the child being hit continues as he bursts into tears.

The footage then shows the two officers leaving the home with Santiago who was placed in in-patient for eight days and put on better medication.

As the officers return to speak to Andrea, the officer can be seen admitting: 'Ma'am, I hate it, but I mean I just punched him three times.

'I didn't hit him full force just three times, so he understood', to which Andrea can be seen agreeing with.

Despite agreeing with the tactics at the time, Lambert later watched the video and disagreed with how her son was treated.

The footage then shows the two officers leaving the home with Santiago who was placed in in-patient for eight days and put on better medication

Speaking with News9, she said: 'I said all of that in a moment of vulnerability to men I thought were there to help.

'You cannot say that a grown person that has children can look at another man in a uniform doing this to a 15-year-old autistic child and say that it's okay. I'm not going to stop until I get justice for my son.'

The incident is now being investigated over use of force involving the unnamed officer.

On July 4 that same officer was caught on body cam footage slamming father John Sexton to the ground while out walking his autistic son early that morning.

The two officers, who both wore body cameras, captured the tense few moments between the cops and Sexton, who told officers they were 'just walking around'.

According to Sexton, the morning walk is something that he and his young son do regularly.

Despite his protests, one of the officers can be heard forcibly telling the dad: 'No you're not. Give me your ID.'

The officer can be heard telling him: 'I'll take you to jail for failure to identify', before the officer then body slams Sexton the ground and detains him

Sexton then turns out the pockets of the shorts he is wearing, telling them: 'I don't have my ID on me because it is at the house.'

The officer can be heard telling him: 'I'll take you to jail for failure to identify', before the officer then body slams Sexton the ground and detains him.

His young son can be heard wailing in the background as the violent scene unfolds in front of him.

According to Sexton, his young son has never been the same since the incident in early July

Speaking with KOCO, Sexton told the outlet that he is now looking to press charges against the officers.

According to Sexton, his young son has never been the same since, saying: 'He's been a cop for Halloween for the last two years.

'That's what he's been wanting to be when he grows up. That's what he says, and now he's scared of them.

'I mean, it's horrible to see my son act, you know, crying like that and just having my rights violated like that.'

Watonga Police Chief Beth Massey said in a statement: 'The officer is on administrative leave.

'We have no comment on the ongoing investigation. It is being conducted by an outside agency.'
The Labor government has been accused of 'leaving abused children stranded' after failing to deliver on a promised service that could help unearth more victims of paedophiles - as an expert warns about a sickening new trend in child abuse.

The National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse, which was launched by then Prime Minister Scott Morrison in November 2021, included a commitment to fund a national service for non-offending family members of child sexual abuse perpetrators.

This world-leading service would offer support to entirely innocent mothers and children who have had their lives completely shattered by the discovery that their husbands or fathers are suspected paedophiles.

It was recommended by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and approved by the premiers in each state and territory.

A successful, 18-month national pilot, which ran from July 2021 to April 2023, set up a helpline, a peer support network and helped train law enforcement.

But almost a year-and-a-half after it finished, Australia is still without a proper national service, leaving child safety experts calling for an urgent explanation for the delay.

Natalie Walker, the chief executive of the Victorian organisation PartnerSPEAK which ran the national pilot, told Daily Mail Australia that the hold-up meant 'Australian families are going through unnecessary trauma'.

'Australia is the global leader in how to respond to non offending partners and families in a trauma informed way and so we have no excuse,' said Ms Walker.

The National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse, which was launched by then Prime Minister Scott Morrison in November 2021, included a commitment to fund a national service for non-offending family members of child sexual abuse perpetrators. But Labor have not followed through with this commitment

'We also know that when law enforcement works collaboratively with a service that supports affected family members, it leads to them rescuing more children who are being abused.

'That is on the Attorney-General's hands every day that this is delayed.'

Professor Michael Salter, an expert on child sexual exploitation and gendered violence at the University of NSW, said 'no explanation' had been provided for the delay by the Attorney-General's Department.

'The prolonged delay in funding for this vital service is outrageous and is having a devastating effect on impacted partners and family member,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'Almost one in five people charged with a sexual offence in Australia are charged with a child sexual abuse material offence.

Professor Michael Salter, an expert on child sexual exploitation and gendered violence, at UNSW, said 'no explanation' had been provided for the delay by the Attorney General's Department (Pictured: Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus)

'The majority of prosecuted sexual offences in the country involve child sexual abuse matters.

'The numbers of affected family members are growing every day, and without this funding they are left without care and support.'

It comes as a sickening new trade of live-streamed, made-to-order child sex abuse has emerged in recent years.

'Ten years ago, to produce child abuse material that one wanted to consume, one had to go about making that happen themselves but now that is so easily outsourced,' explained Ms Walker.

'Law enforcement is seeing a huge increase in live-streamed child sexual abuse, of children being raped on demand.

'What that looks like is someone in Australia dictating the age, gender, hair colour of a child they want to see raped and abused and describing exactly the detail of what that abuse entails.'

Ms Walker, who helped train over 190 specialist investigators across the country, carried out research last year which found that affected family members are crucial in helping law enforcement secure evidence that assists in rescuing more children.

PartnerSPEAK works closely with Victoria Police, the AFP and the joint anti child exploitation team in Victoria and can receive multiple referrals a week - often on the same day a warrant is served.

'When we read about it in the media, it's all perpetrator-centric. We don't think what it would be like to be an intimate partner of this person,' Ms Walker said.

'Law enforcement has raided their house, sometimes up to a dozen officers over multiple hours and then they leave. The affected family members can feel like they are the only person in the world this has happened to.'

Ms Walker said it was vital to realise that help from organisations like PartnerSPEAK was available.

Natalie Walker, the chief executive of the Victorian organisation PartnerSPEAK which ran the national pilot, told Daily Mail Australia that the hold-up meant 'Australian families are going through unnecessary trauma'

Ms Walker also warned of a sickening trend of made-to-order child sex abuse which has emerged in recent years (Pictured: one of 19 Australian men charged in connection with a global paedophile ring in August last year)

'That immediate connection is enormous in combating trauma and PTSD, whereas in other states and territories that don't have PartnerSPEAK, law enforcement walks out at warrant and those families are just left flailing,' she added.

She claimed that law enforcement agencies are 'desperate for this service', with investigators often likening the impact of their work to detonating a bomb within the perpetrator's family.

'They are left traumatised by working with non-offending partners,' Ms Walker said.

'Investigators often report that responding to non-offending family members is more distressing for themselves than viewing and categorising child abuse material.'

Ms Walker founded PartnerSPEAK 20 years ago after discovering her ex-husband was allegedly accessing child abuse material.

She has repeatedly written to the Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus for an explanation about the delay to the national service.

'(It) will provide critical services to innocent, traumatised, non-offending partners and the families of child sex offenders,' the most recent letter reads.

'It will also assist law enforcement in rescuing more children. Continued delays are leaving abused children and affected families stranded.'

The Attorney-General's Department said it was 'working to deliver' the service.

'To ensure the integrity of the procurement process, the department is not able to provide any further information regarding the timeframes for this procurement,' a spokesperson for the Department said.

'The approach to market explicitly stated that the timetable was indicative only.

'The Australian Government committed approximately $10 million at Budget 2021-22 to design, establish, and evaluate the Service for an initial period.

'The department has engaged in comprehensive consultation and procurement processes to ensure that the service will be delivered to the highest standards.'
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's speech at the Democrat National Convention baffled some who thought she was trying out a bizarre new accent.

The 'Squad' Democrat - who has faced accusations of affecting a voice in public in the past - spoke for about seven minutes in Chicago on Monday night, often to rousing applause.

However, at one moment, she appeared to affect a different voice when she compared Donald Trump with Kamala Harris.

'I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people from under the boots of greed, trampling on our way of life'.

The phrase 'on our way of life' caught the ear of many, with AOC adopting a markedly different accent and cadence to deliver it.

She seemed to extend the word 'life', prompting some conservatives to, as one account put it, asking: 'What accent is AOC using here?'

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's speech at the Democrat National Convention baffled some who thought she was trying out a new accent

Another wrote: 'Aside from AOC discovering a new accent, its hilarious hearing her claim Donald Trump only fights for 'the wealthy & big business'. The Democrat Party is literally the party of wealthy elites, Hollywood stars, pro athletes, and woke mega-corporations.'

'AOC speech was cringe. The fake accent was way too much for me. Back snapped. I called it. DNC is cringe as all get out,' added one other.

Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of the Bronx and Queens in Congress, has been accused of putting on accents in the past.

In 2023, she was slammed after video re-emerged of her using an accent while addressing Al Sharpton's civil rights organization.

The Democratic lawmaker slipped into a Southern drawl as she told the audience: 'I'm proud to be a bartender. Ain't nothing wrong with that.'

Ocasio-Cortez, who grew up in the Bronx to Puerto Rican parents, has been accused of pandering to the crowd at the National Action Network conference in 2019.

A new viral video which brands AOC 'a total fraud' shows the clip spliced with more recent footage of her criticizing Donald Trump without any noticeable accent.

The accusations have dated back to Ocasio-Cortez's early years in Congress, as she had to defend herself from the same video clip in 2019.

Many conservatives questioned the voice Ocasio-Cortez was using in her speech on social media

'Folks talking about my voice can step right off,' she wrote on Twitter. 'Any kid who grew up in a distinct linguistic culture & had to learn to navigate class enviros at school/work knows what's up. My Spanish is the same way.'

'As much as the right wants to distort & deflect, I am from the Bronx. I act & talk like it, *especially* when I'm fired up and especially when I'm home. It is so hurtful to see how every aspect of my life is weaponized against me, yet somehow asserted as false at the same time,' she continued.

Ocasio-Cortez grew up in the Bronx until she was five, when her family purchased a home in Yorktown Heights in upstate Westchester County. She returned to the Bronx after graduating from Boston University in 2011.

Upon her shock rise to Congress, DailyMail.com reported that Ocasio-Cortez had actually spent much of her youth living in upscale Westchester County, in seeming contrast with a hard-luck campaign biography touting her Bronx roots.

After living in the Parkchester condo until she was around age five, her family moved to the suburban home for better schools, selling it when her father tragically died of cancer in 2008, but retaining ownership of the Bronx condo.

The speech nearly tore the roof off the partisan United Center, as Ocasio-Cortez said she would be 'happy' to be a bartender as she deemed Donald Trump 'two-bit union buster' who would sell the country out for 'a dollar.'

'Republicans have attacked me by saying that I should go back to bartending,' the New York Democrat said during her primetime speech at the Democratic National Convention (DNC).

'Let me tell you, I'm happy to any day of the week because there is nothing wrong with working for a living,' she said as the crowd erupted into cheers.

'Donald Trump would sell this country for $1 if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends,' Ocasio-Cortez went on.

The adoring crowd chanted 'AOC' throughout her primetime address on day one of the DNC, just a few speakers before President Biden took the stage.

'I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two bit union Buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people.'

The speech was decidedly establishment-approved, much different from her usual burn-it-all-down progressive style.

Instead, she appeared to embrace the Democratic Party's platform and its leaders, which caught the eye of some critics on social media.

This convention, Ocasio-Cortez was given a primetime, first-night speaking slot. Last time around in 2020, she got just 90 seconds to give a virtual speech to symbolically endorse Sanders for the nomination.

In any other country, Joe Biden and I would not be in the same party,' Ocasio-Cortez said in 2020.

Democrats are gathered to formally nominate Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to lead the top of their ticket.
Ms Higgins was set to give evidence, but now she won't be called

Brittany Higgins' barrister has given three reasons why the former political staffer will not give evidence in Linda Reynolds' defamation case against her.

The Liberal senator is suing Ms Higgins over social media posts alleging she was not supported following her alleged rape in Parliament House in March 2019.

Ms Reynolds strongly denies the assertions and claims the posts damaged her reputation.

Ms Higgins was set to fly from her new home in France to Perth to give evidence in the WA Supreme Court next week, but on Monday her barrister Rachael Young SC told the court her testimony was not needed to win the case.

She tendered medical documents with confidential details about Ms Higgins' health.

Opposing barrister Martin Bennett, acting for Sen. Reynolds, said he would analyse the documents carefully.

Daily Mail Australia understands Ms Higgins is dealing with health issues and will not give evidence, which means her testimony will not be tested against Ms Reynolds'.

Brittany Higgins will not give evidence in Linda Reynolds' defamation case against her

Moments before court wrapped on Monday, Ms Young said: 'The defence will not be calling Ms Higgins.'

She said there were three reasons behind the decision.

'The first is the defendant is not obliged to go into oral evidence,' she said.

'The second is ... we don't think we need to call Ms Higgins to satisfy Your Honour as to being successful in these proceedings.

'The third is a matter of Ms Higgins' medical state.'

Without Ms Higgins' evidence, the trial will run ahead of schedule.

Closing submissions could be moved forward by a week.

On Monday, Liberal Party WA selection committee chairman Jeremy Buxton told the court Ms Reynolds would have 'struggled' to be chosen as one of the party's candidates for the next election due to the Higgins allegations.

Linda Reynolds is pictured outside the WA Supreme Court earlier in August

He said accusations of mistakes against politicians, even if untrue, damage their election chances.

In some cases, Liberal senators in WA have been demoted to non-winnable positions further down the Upper House ticket.

Mr Buxton said some people may have judged the senator more harshly as a woman who did not support a young female colleague.

'It would have put her at a disadvantage to other colleagues who did not have to answer those questions,' he said.

'She would have been struggling to get the third position [on the ballot paper].'

The trial continues.
Joe Biden cried at the Democratic National Convention last night as he gave one of his final major addresses as president.

The 81-year-old took the stage in Chicago to pass the torch to Democratic nominee Kamala Harris on a night of delays that bumped his historic farewell remarks into the dead of night.

He began by wiping away a tear as his daughter Ashley introduced him in front of thousands of supporters chanting 'we love Joe' in the packed United Center.

His eyes were visibly watery during parts of his speech as the oldest president in US history was overcome with emotion.

Biden admitted he had made 'a lot of mistakes' in his career. 'But I gave my best to you,' he said. 'For 50 years, like many of you, I gave my heart and soul to the nation.'

The President insisted he was not angry about stepping aside after a growing chorus of senior Democrats had demanded he drop out.

Biden said he was acting for the good of the country, adding that serving as Commander-in-Chief has been the 'honor of my lifetime' and that he has 'a lot to do' in his last five months in office.

'I promise I will be the best volunteer Harris and Walz's campaign has ever seen,' he said.

First Lady Jill Biden also revealed how she watched her husband 'dig deep into his soul' as he decided to drop out of the race.

In an emotional speech before the president she also urged Americans to unite with 'faith in each other, hope for a brighter future, and love for our country'.

US President Joe Biden kisses his wife First Lady Jill Biden after he gave the keynote address on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 19, 2024

U.S. President Joe Biden and his daughter Ashley Biden stand on stage during Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024.

Joe Biden is seen wiping a tear from his eye during his farewell speech to the Democrat party in Chicago Monday night

First Daughter Ashley Biden, Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, U.S. President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Naomi Biden, Melissa Biden and Hunter Biden onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 19, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois

Biden ended what will be one of the last major speeches of his 52-year career in national politics with Democratic nominee Harris and a flurry of his family members, including son Hunter, by his side on stage.

First daughter Ashley Biden introduced her father, calling him 'the O.G. girl dad.'

'And he wasn't just a girl dad. I could see that he valued and trusted women. How he listened to his mother. How he believed in his sister. And most of all, how he respected my mother's career. Dad was always there doing everything he could to be a true partner to her,' Ashley said.

Ashley Biden (L) embraces her father United States President Joe Biden (R) as he wipes away tears during the opening night of the Democratic National Convention

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, and Doug Emhoff, along with Hunter Biden and other Biden family members at the end of the president's DNC speech

Ashley Biden comforts her father as he tears up at the DNC

'Dad, you always tell us, but we don't tell you enough, that you are the love of our lives and the life of our love,' she added.

Biden, who was embraced by Ashley as he took a tissue from his pocket and wiped his teary eyes, told the DNC: 'Family is the beginning, the middle, and the end.'

The President cried, shouted and mangled his words during his swan song speech Monday night, which saw him give a full-throated endorsement to Harris.

He said picking the US senator from California to be his vice president was the 'best decision' he made in his decades-long career.

'Like many of our best presidents, she was also vice president,' he said.

The 81-year-old also protested and said he wasn't angry about having to give up his ambition to serve a second term.

'All this talk about how I'm angry about all the people who said I should step down, that's not true,' he said.

He noted how he had five months left in office.

'I've got a lot to do - I intend to get it done,' he said.

'It's been an honor of my lifetime. I love the job. But I love my country more,' the president continued.

'Because of you, we've had one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period,' he said. 'And when I say "we," I mean Kamala and me.'

He pushed that was the determining factor when he made his shocking decision on July 21 to drop out of the 2024 presidential race, endorsing Harris on his way out the door.

'I was too young to be in the Senate because I wasn't 30 yet and too old to stay as president,' he said.

President Joe Biden cried, shouted and mangled his words during his swan song speech at the Democratic National Convention

Ashley Biden and U.S. President Joe Biden embrace on stage at the DNC in Chicago

President Joe Biden (L) walks off stage with grandson Beau Biden after speaking on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago

President Joe Biden gestures after delivering the keynote address alongside US First Lady Jill Biden on the first day of the Democratic National Convention

In typical Biden fashion, he mangled a portion of the speech, as he talked about abortion rights.

'Women are now without electrical... not allowed, excuse me, not without electoral, electoral... or political power,' he fumbled, as he tried to cite the Dobbs Supreme Court case, which overturned Roe v. Wade.

As he messed up the words, he made a knowing look and laughed.

Later in the speech he recalled his childhood stutter - and how he persevered to become president of the United States.

'Nowhere else in the world could a kid with a stutter and modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania and Delaware grow up to sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office,' he said.

'That's because America is and always has been a nation of possibilities, possibility. We must never lose that.'

President Joe Biden embraces son Hunter Biden after delivering remarks Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago

President Joe Biden (right) wipes away a tear as he arrives to give his swansong Democratic National Convention speech Monday night in Chicago. He was introduced by first daughter, Ashley Biden (left)

President Joe Biden (left) walks offstage with baby Beau (right) after giving his Democratic National Convention speech Monday night. He's heading to California for the rest of the week

President Joe Biden (right) embraced Vice President Kamala Harris (left) onstage at the Democratic National Convention after he concluded his remarks

President Joe Biden raises hands with Vice President Kamala Harris as his family members flooded the stage after he concluded his remarks at the Democratic National Convention Monday night

DNC attendees hold signs that read 'We love Joe' as Biden takes the stage at the convention

A delegate listens and holds a sign reading 'Thank You Joe Biden!' as the President speaks during the first day of Democratic National Convention

Delegates hold signs as President Joe Biden speaks during the first day of the DNC in Chicago

Throughout the speech, Biden also slapped around former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump.

'Donald Trump calls America a failing nation,' Biden pointed out. 'He's the loser. He's dead wrong.'

'America's winning, and the world's better off for it,' the president stated.

He called out Trump for numerous 'lies' as convention attendees booed at references to the three-time Republican nominee.

'Trump continues to lie about crime in America. Like everything else,' Biden said. 'On his watch the murder rate went up 30 percent - the biggest increase in history. ... Now the murder rate is falling faster than anytime in history.'

'And crime will keep coming down when we put a prosecutor in the Oval Office - instead of a convicted felon,' Biden said.

Biden also charged that Trump was lying about the border.

'Here's what he won't tell you - Trump killed the strongest bipartisan border deal in the history of the United States,' the president said.

Family members of President Joe Biden on hand Monday night included Finnegan Biden (bottom left) Hunter Biden's wife Melissa Cohen (bottom right), Naomi Biden (top left) and her husband Peter Neal (top right)

Natalie Biden (left), one of the president's grandchildren, is seated next to her brother Hunter and looks back at her cousin Maisy Biden and baby Beau

From left: Natalie Biden, Finnegan Biden, Melissa Cohen and Maisy Biden stand up and applaud ahead of President Joe Biden's appearance Monday night at the Democratic National Convention

President Joe Biden greets his son Hunter Biden at the DNC in Chicago

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden attend the Democratic National Convention

President Joe Biden kisses Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris after his remarks at the Democratic National Convention

MAGA aligned Republicans rejected a border deal in February, despite Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell backing it, due to Trump's influence.

Since then, the Republican nominee has hammered Biden for having an 'open' border and will take a trip to a border town during the DNC this week.

'I never thought I'd stand before a crowd of Democrats and refer to a president as a liar so many times,' Biden also commented. 'I'm not trying to be funny,' he added. 'It's sad.'

Biden daintily waded into his own party's drama.

He talked about how he and Harris were working toward completing a ceasefire-for-hostages deal, which could help bring to an end the war in Gaza.

As some pro-Palestinian Democrats turned their backs to Biden in silent protest in the room, the president threw a bone to demonstrators - who took over Chicago's streets ahead of the DNC.

'Those protesters out on the street have a point a lot of innocent people are being killed,' Biden said. 'On both sides,' he then added.

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and Beau Biden Jr. onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention

Jill Biden said she watched her husband Joe 'dig deep into his soul' to decide not to run for re-election in an emotional speech before his farewell address at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night

'With faith and conviction, Joe knows that our nation's strength doesn't come from intimidation or cruelty,' Jill Biden said of her husband

She also took a swipe at Donald Trump in front of her grandchildren and the roaring crowd at the United Center in Chicago

US President Joe Biden and US Vice President Kamala Harris attend the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago

Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris greets Hunter Biden's son, Beau Biden, after U.S. President Joe Biden's remarks, at the Democratic National Convention

A delegate holds up a sigs reading 'we love Joe' as US President Joe Biden speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention

Jill Biden described how she watched Joe 'dig deep into his soul' as he made the historic decision not to run for re-election.

The first lady revealed the president's struggle in an emotional speech before his farewell address. She stood before the DNC and highlighted her husband's 50 years of public service as his presidency begins to draw to a close.

'Joe and I have been together for almost 50 years, and still there are moments when I fall in love with him all over again,' she said.

Among them, she said, was watching him 'dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris.'

Jill urged Americans to unite with 'faith in each other, hope for a brighter future, and love for our country.'

Insiders close to the First Lady have said she was 'dismayed' by the betrayal of Democrats who publicly called on the 81-year-old president not to seek re-election.

But she put on a brave face and looked to the future by enthusiastically endorsing Harris in her convention speech. She also took a swipe at Trump in front of her grandchildren and the roaring crowd at the United Center in Chicago.

As she left the stage she blew a kiss toward Harris, who was watching from her VIP box in the stands.

Biden, in his remarks, paid tribute to his wife of almost 50 years, calling her the family's 'rock' and leading the crowd in more applause for her.

'I still get that boom boom boom,' he said of her, tapping his heart.

Joe Biden smiles as he speaks from the podium at the DNC on Monday

President Joe Biden gets emotional as his daughter Ashley Biden welcomes him to the stage on the first day of the Democratic National Convention

From left: Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden wave to the crowd after Biden's speech during the Democratic National Convention

President Joe Biden and his grandson Beau Biden stand on stage during the first day of Democratic National Convention

President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff attend Day one of the Democratic National Convention

Ahead of the president's appearances, his family members filed into a special box along the side of the convention hall.

Grandchildren Naomi, Finnegan, Maisy, Natalie, little Hunter and baby Beau were on hand, alongside Hunter Biden's wife Melissa Cohen, Naomi's husband Peter Neal and Ashley Biden's husband Howard Krein.

Hunter remained out of sight until the president wrapped up his remarks, but then led the Biden clan onstage.
Tributes yesterday poured in for a ten-year-old boy who died at a family trampoline park.

The youngster died after falling ill during a morning session at the popular Flip Out Glasgow indoor playground in Rutherglen, Lanarkshire.

Yesterday, family friends said that his mother was devastated as he was her world.

One tribute said: Sleep tight. Absolutely heartbreaking. Sending my love and strength to your mummy and your family.

Staff at Flip Out Glasgow, where desperate efforts had been made to save the boy after he became unwell, said they were profoundly saddened by his death.

Police in attendance at Flip Out in Rutherglen, Lanarkshire on Sunday after a child died

The youngsters was rushed to the Royal Hospital for Children (pictured) in Glasgow

Pupils and staff at his school will also be offered support.

The trampoline centre, which also includes a bouncy castle, e-karting and laser quest, remained closed to customers yesterday.

The company said it is co-operating with Police Scotlands inquiries into the boys death, which is not being treated as suspicious.

He is understood to have been on a bouncy castle when he fell ill just after 9am on Sunday.

Flip Out Glasgow hosts one-hour sessions for children with autism spectrum disorder on Sunday mornings, when the centres music and flashing lights are turned down. Fellow customers heard hysterical screaming and ambulance crews were called.

The boy was taken to the Royal Hospital for Children but was pronounced dead.

The child was taken ill at the Flip Out trampoline centre (pictured) in Rutherglen, near Glasgow

South Lanarkshire Council, which is responsible for enforcing health and safety legislation at the attraction, and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) were both notified.

Flip Out Glasgow said in a post on social media: Yesterday morning, a ten-year-old child became unwell at Flip Out Glasgow just after 9am.

Emergency services were promptly contacted, and the child was taken to the Royal Hospital for Children, where, sadly, they were later pronounced dead.

The Health and Safety Executive have been informed, and at this time, there are no indications of suspicious circumstances. We are fully co-operating with Police Scotland in their investigations.

We are profoundly saddened by this tragic event, and our deepest sympathies go out to the childs family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.

The boy attended a nearby school, and a South Lanarkshire Council spokesman said: Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of the child following this tragedy.

The council will be providing any support required by fellow pupils and others at his school.

We are also involved as the relevant health and safety enforcing authority, but any further comments regarding the incident should be sought from Police Scotland.

A police spokesman said: The childs death is being treated as unexplained, although there are not thought be any suspicious circumstances, and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal. The relevant authorities have also been notified.
Nancy Pelosi looked less than convincing chanting 'Thank you, Joe' during President Biden's speech at the Democrat National Convention.

The former speaker of the house faced questions as recently as earlier Monday night, wondering about her role in forcing Biden out of the 2024 election.

Eagle-eyed viewers spotted her reaction to the chants in saluting the president's work by fellow Democrats.

One conservative cracked: 'Holy smokes Pelosi looks guilty as hell chanting 'we love Joe' after leading the coup against him'.

'Nancy Pelosi is honestly so f***ing funny for standing there with her We Love Joe sign like she didnt effectively end his political career,' wrote another.

Nancy Pelosi looked less than convincing chanting 'Thank you, Joe' during President Biden's speech at the Democrat National Convention

Pelosi brushed off questions about her under-the-radar feud with former top Biden adviser Anita Dunn on Monday.

The former House speaker was instrumental in getting Biden to step down from the 2024 running, which frustrated some of the president's top allies.

'Nobody wants to have a fight with Nancy Pelosi at this time because we're a united party,' Biden's former adviser Dunn, who is now working at a pro-Kamala Harris super PAC, said on CNN.

Pelosi shot back on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, saying that she 'just wanted to win.'

'I have my relationship with the president, and I just wanted to win this election. So if they're upset, I'm sorry for them. but the country is very happy,' she explained. 'I don't know who they are, but you know that's their problem. Not mine.'

When pressed by CNN's Jake Tapper and Dana Bash about her own involvement in Biden's decision, she said her concern 'was not about the president it was about his campaign' and he 'made the decision for the country.'

But when Tapper specifically asked Pelosi about Dunn's comments on not wanting to pick a fight with her 'at this time,' Pelosi replied puzzlingly: 'Sometimes you just have to take a punch for the children.'

Biden, in his own address Monday evening, said it's 'not true' that he's holding grudges.

Eagle-eyed viewers spotted her reaction to the chants in saluting the president's work by fellow Democrats

The president admitted earlier this month that Pelosi's concerns about other Democratic races contributed to his decision to exit the race.

'A number of my Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate thought that I was going to hurt them in the races,' Biden said in his first interview since ending his reelection campaign.

'And I was concerned if I stayed in the race, that would be the topic  you'd be interviewing me about why did Nancy Pelosi say [something]  and I thought it'd be a real distraction,' he said in the interview with CBS News Sunday Morning host Robert Costa.

A growing list of Democrats were calling for Biden to drop out of the race after his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump in June.

The long-time Democrat leader admitted over a week ago that she pressured Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race because she feared he was no longer making his own decisions.

Pelosi, in an interview with the New York Times on Friday, stated that she intervened after a July 8 letter purportedly from Biden to Congress in which he re-affirmed his commitment to remaining in the election contest.

'I didn't accept the letter as anything but a letter,' she said. 'It didn't sound like Joe Biden to me. It really didn't.'

In the letter, Biden stated that he was 'firmly committed' to remaining in the race against Donald Trump as he sought to head-off calls to step aside following his disastrous debate performance and increasingly dismal polling.

The former speaker of the house faced questions as recently as earlier Monday night , wondering about her role in forcing Biden out of the 2024 election

Both long-time creatures of the Washington scene, Biden, 81, and Pelosi, 84, have known each other since the 1970s, but have not spoken since he dropped out of the race.

Pelosi said that the timing of the letter grated on her because the president was preparing to host the NATO summit in DC.

Two days after the letter's publication she appeared on Morning Joe and said: 'Its up to the President to decide if he is going to run. Were all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short.'

Her suggestion that Biden had not made his decision, despite the letter two days prior, was seen as a clear indication that she wanted the president to drop out.

In her interview with the New York Times, Pelosi suggested that Biden had no hand in the letter, rather it was staff around him that were attempting to shore up support.

Last week, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that as Biden nursed his COVID infection in late July, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent an urgent message to the president: She was prepared to go public with her concerns that he could not defeat Donald Trump in November.

The ultimatum was clear: Drop out now  or Pelosi trashes her political ally, and friend of over 50 years, on the global stage.

Four sources with intimate knowledge of the situation independently claimed that such a message was relayed, with one particularly well-placed source saying that a phone call took place in which Pelosi told Biden she would publish brutal polling figures to back up her attack.

Both long-time creatures of the Washington scene, Biden, 81, and Pelosi, 84, have known each other since the 1970s , but have not spoken since he dropped out of the race

The president - who had recently tested postive for COVID - was holed up in isolation with his wife Jill and a handful of trusted aides at the Biden family home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware when Pelosi gave an ultimatum

Either way, her demand was said to be so forceful that it sparked a 'come to Jesus moment' for the president, who only then began to draft the letter announcing his withdrawal.

Both Pelosi's office and the White House officially denied that the pair spoke on the phone.

With her new memoir on sale, Pelosi has been doing the interview rounds, struggling to dodge questions about her strained relationship with the president.

On Sunday August 4, CBS anchor Lesley Stahl pressed the former speaker.

'It's been very well-reported that you were the leader of a pressure campaign [to convince Biden to step aside]?' Stahl asked.

'No, I wasn't the leader of any pressure [campaign],' Pelosi replied. 'Let me say things that I didn't do: I didn't call one person.'

Then, in an interview with the New Yorker magazine last week, Pelosi admitted she was losing sleep over her rift with the president, that she was 'praying' their friendship could survive.

'He knows I love him,' she told CNN last Thursday.

Joe Biden opened up about dropping out of the race in his first interview since ending his reelection bid with CBS Sunday Morning

The Bidens will depart Chicago and the DNC before Kamala Harris accepts the nomination on Thursday

For his part, Biden remains angry with how things transpired.

'He was unhappy with how things went as there were calls for him to exit, but he is not spending time ruminating about that,' a source said.

Indeed, it wasn't just Pelosi who piled pressure on Biden to withdraw in the days and weeks following his disastrous TV debate with Trump.

Other party bigwigs, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, told Biden they no longer thought his candidacy was viable.

Next week, the party will officially leave the president behind.

Kamala Harris will be crowned as the nominee at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. But Biden won't be there to pass the torch.

Instead, he'll briefly address the crowd on Monday night, when many of the party's big players will not yet have arrived, before swiftly leaving town and allowing Harris to hold court for the rest of the week.

Biden's focus now is on 'cementing his legacy', one insider said.
A Queensland man has been charged after allegedly inappropriately filming women and girls at a shopping centre using a camera attached to the end of his walking stick.

Jeffrey Norman Young, 56, allegedly filmed a 12-year-old girl at a shopping centre in Mount Ommaney on January 6.

The girls family reported the incident to police, and Young was taken into custody after being found at the shopping centre on January 11.

Police seized the mans camera, which allegedly contained a number of indecent videos and photographs of women taken in public areas in the shopping centre without their consent.

A search warrant was subsequently executed at a private residence in Jamboree Heights where police allegedly located electronic storage devices containing similar images and videos.

Young was initially charged with three counts of observations or recording in breach of privacy, one count of indecent treatment of child under 16 (take photograph) and one count attempted observations or recordings in breach of privacy.

He appeared at Brisbane Magistrates Court on February 28 where he was remanded in custody.

A Queensland man has been charged after allegedly inappropriately filming women and girls at a shopping centre using a camera attached to the end of his walking stick

Police seized the mans camera, which allegedly contained a number of indecent videos and photographs of women taken in public areas in the shopping centre without their consent

Upon forensic examination of all seized devices, CCTV and other evidence, detectives charged the man with 94 additional offences this month.

In total, the man has been charged with 106 counts of observations or recording in breach of privacy, one count each of indecent treatment of child under 16 (take photograph), attempted recordings in breach of privacy, and two counts of stalking.

He remains in custody and is due to reappear at Brisbane Magistrates Court on August 23.

Investigations remain ongoing with detectives appealing for anyone with information or anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity at a shopping centre in Mount Ommaney between November 2023 and January 2024 to contact them.
The Democrats new focus on joy has some party leaders thinking they have finally cracked the code for how to take on Donald Trump without turning off voters.

But in the convention hall in Chicago, the rank-and-file delegates registered hat they arent ready to give up slashing attacks on the former president. The lines that most lit up the convention hall were direct blasts at the Republican and repeated invocations of his felony convictions  as well as specific digs about Trump and women.

Clinton, Raskin and Crockett cast Trump as 'vile villain' and predator

During her animated speech before the Democratic convention last night, Hillary Clinton and other speakers made plain that there is another animating force: thumping the Republican who shattered her own White House dreams in 2016 and tormented Democrats ever since.

For Clinton  herself once the target of repeated lock her up chants at Trump rallies, is was her line about Trumps criminal conviction that most fired the crowd.

Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial and when he woke up, he made his own kind of history: the first person 34 felony convictions, Clinton said  before members of the crowd started chants of lock him up.

For Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin it was the line that called Trump a sore loser who doesnt know how to take no for an answer from American voters, American courts, or American women that got the crowd going.

President Joe Biden wipes away a tear after being introduced by his daughter Ashley during Day one of the Democratic National Convention. The night also featured relentless attacks on Donald Trump

For first-term Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) it was calling Trump a 'vinidictive vile villain who violates voters vision ... I hear alliteration is back in style' that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

'I'm known for hitting back - and so that's what we were going to deliver from me,' Crockett told DailyMail.com after her speech, after tearing up on stage while recounting a story of how Kamala Harris once consoled her.

It's not that the Democrats didn't take joy in their one liners.

When Rev. Raphael Warnock spoke about his historic Senate win, it was his digs about the bible that got the crowd going. I saw him holding the Bible and then endorsing the Bible, as if it needed it, he said. He should try reading it.

'Everybody has roles,' Rep. James C. Clyburn (D-S.C.) told DailyMail.com after his own speech. 'I don't expect for Kamala to play the role in this campaign that I will play. So when I talk about Project 2025, she can talk about it philosophically. But I'm talking about what it really is: Jim Crow 2.0,' he added.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) shed tears during her own remarks. 'I'm known for hitting back - and so that's what we were going to deliver from me,' she told DailyMail.com

Hillary Clinton referenced her own 'glass ceiling' speech as the pitched Kamala Harris for the White House she once sought

The driving ambition to take down Trump helped explain the extraordinary effort to dump Biden and put forward Vice President Kamala Harris in her place. It happened so fast that the party platform released Sunday repeatedly invoked a second term for Biden.

'They want red meat,' former congressional candidate Robert Zimmerman, who was defeated by former Rep. George Santos, who pleaded guilty Monday to fraud charges.'They want to take it to Trump. But they're doing it in a very positive way,' he told DailyMail.com.

The red meat followed a first half of the programming that tried to check every box in the Democrats electoral coalition, with a particular emphasis on energizing black voters, who have been coming home to Harris after slipping away form Biden compared to his 2020 numbers.

Biden time

It already looked like party leaders might not have minded if TV viewers tuned out on President Joe Biden when they scheduled him to speak at 9:50 pm local time. But it was nearly 10:30 before he began (11:30 pm in New York), with a speech that ran through his favorite topics of Charlottesville, infrastructure, and the soul of the nation.

Organizers had to scratch a few speakers  and a planned song by James Taylor  to try to keep things moving. Sometimes the teleprompter took on a life of its own, botching one of Raskin's best lines. By the time Biden finished his remarks, it was 11:20 pm in the hall, and there were some empty seats up top. That put it after midnight on the East Coast.

Emotion in the room

There was plenty of emotion in the room, and there was clear affection for Biden, 81, in the crowd  even without the pre-printed signs that said 'We love Joe.'

He got big standing ovations when he entered the room. Biden looked impacted, and wiped a tear from his face after daughter Ashley's introduction.

When people chanted 'Thank you, Joe' he tried to be magnanimous. 'Thank you Kamala,' he responded.

But there were signs the handover he was forced to make still stings. Even when complimenting Harris, Biden couldn't help but observe, 'And like many of our best presidents, she was also a vice president.'

It was brief appearances by Harris, 59, that electrified the crowd.

As Biden fell back on some of the affectations and repurposed lines that have featured in four years worth of speeches ('thats not hyperbole - I mean it literally') there was gratitude, tinged with relief.

'I promise Ill be the best volunteer Harris and Walz have ever seen,' Biden said  identifying a new, vastly diminished role as he sets out on a California vacation.

String of black speakers reveal focus on bringing black voters home

Early convention speeches and videos featured historic bids by Rep. Shirley Chisolm, who sought the presidency in 1972, and Rev. Jesse Jackson, who made historic runs in 1984 and 1988.

Its been a long struggle and a long journey, said Rev. Al Sharpton in a video that played before the crowd  who let out a huge cheer later when Jackson appeared in a wheelchair.

If Trump found ways to sprinkle his convention with minority speakers, Democrats rolled out a long line of established and younger black lawmaker, plus a bit of Spanish and an acknowledgement of Native American tribal lands.

It came after NAACP president Derrick Johnson joked that Im here to do my black job, and followed early remarks by DNC chair Jaime Harrison and Minyon Moore, a Chicago native, plus numerous members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Polls since Joe Biden dropped out have demonstrated the centrality of black voters in the Democratic coalition. Harris has been over-performing Biden nationally and in swing states, after consolidating support from black voters and younger voters. Keeping their support, and driving turnout to Bidens 2020 level, which was a drop from Barack Obamas, is critical.
Anthony Albanese has refused to say whether any of the 2900 visas given to Palestinian refugees have been cancelled after he came under fire for fast tracking the process.

The Prime Minister was blasted during Question Time on Tuesday over his government's decision to grant thousands of tourist visas to those fleeing war-torn Gaza since the Hamas attacks on October 7.

It comes after opposition leader Peter Dutton last week made a call to ban Gazans from entering Australia over fears they might support the Palestinian terrorist group.

According to The Australian, 43 visas were revoked and 20 of those were restored on appeal.

Dan Tehan, the opposition's immigration spokesperson, fired off the same question repeatedly, asking: 'How many of the 2,900 visas from Gaza have been cancelled?'

But Mr Albanese continually dodged the question, instead insisting Labor was guided by security agencies.

He also said a number of visas have been given to refugees fleeing conflict in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan over the years, despite the fact that those nations have also been controlled by terrorist groups.

Anthony Albanese is pictured during Question Time on Tuesday, during his grilling over visas

Dan Tehan (pictured on Tuesday) fired questions at the PM over whether visas had been revoked

'Were being guided every step of the way by our security agencies,' insisted the PM.

'What our agencies do is to constantly examine issues. That doesnt stop when someone is granted a visa.

'When it comes to the granting of a visa, theyre granted in the same way [as under the Coalition government].

'Our security agencies are involved, the same security standards.'

Labor has approved 2922 visas to Palestinians fleeing the war, including more than 2500 tourist visas.

Many lodged claims for asylum which means they will be able to stay in Australia until there is a decision on their application.

The Coaltion focused on visitor visas which they said were of particular concern because they do not require the same security checks as those for asylum seekers fleeing other war-torn nations.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs and Acting Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Stephanie Khoury, will brief the Security Council on Tuesday on the latest political, security and humanitarian developments in the North African country, which is facing a resurgence of political tensions between the main protagonists
A wealthy American couple are among six people missing after a superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily.

Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda have not been seen since the Bayesian foundered off Palermo Monday morning after being caught in bad weather.

Christopher, 59, worked as a lawyer for British tech billionaire Mike Lynch, who had chartered the vessel to celebrate a recent legal victory.

He is a partner at the prestigious Clifford Chance law firm, which has offices around the world.

Christopher previously served as an assistant US attorney for the Southern District of New York between 1999 and 2005.

Neda, 57, has her own luxury jewelry line run under her maiden name, Neda Nassiri.

The couple have an apartment on New York's Upper East side. They also own a luxurious four-bedroom, five bathroom home worth $2.3 million in South Kent, Connecticut.

Neda Morvillo and her husband Christopher Morvillo are both missing in the wake of Monday's superyacht sinking off the coast of Sicily

Christopher Morvillo, left, works for Clifford Chance, a prestigious law firm. His wife Neda, right, runs her own high-end jewelry line using her maiden name Neda Nassiri

Luxury sailboat Bayesian was docked off the coast of Porticello when a waterspout struck the area just before 5am on Monday

Divers comb the sea to search for the missing where the superyacht sunk off the coast of Sicily on August 19

The Morvillos have two daughters - 27 year-old Sabrina, a voice actress, and 23 year-old Sophia, (pictured together) who studied the prestigious theater course at Northwestern University

They have two daughters - 27 year-old Sabrina, a voice actress, and 23 year-old Sophia, who studied the prestigious theater course at Northwestern University.

The couple's identities were first revealed by the Daily Mail on Monday evening.

Also missing is Mike Lynch and his 18 year-old daughter Hannah.

Lynch invited guests on board the luxury vessel after triumphing in a recent fraud trial. Lawyers from Clifford Chance - including Christopher Morvillo - and colleagues from his firm Invoke Capital were among those on board.

Jonathan Bloomer - the London-based chairman of Morgan Stanley International - and his wife remain unaccounted for.

Thomas Recaldo, the ship's Canadian-born cook, died in the sinking.

Mike Lynch chartered the yacht to celebrate a legal victory and is among six missing. He is pictured with his wife Angela, who was rescued

Pictured are sisters Sabrina Morvilla, 27, (left) and 23-year-old Sophia Morvillo (right)

Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer (pictured), and his wife are also missing

The Bayesian carried ten crewmembers, Lynch, his wife and daughter Hannah as well as nine other guests

The tragedy unfolded when the 180 foot superyacht was struck by a waterspout that destroyed the vessel and sank it.

Fifteen people were rescued from the yacht, among them Mike Lynch's wife Angela Becares, 57.

She said the first sign of trouble came when the Bayesian developed a 'slight tilt' around 4am Monday morning that woke her up.

Becares and others now anxiously await news of their missing loved ones, while a search and rescue operation continues.

Some of those missing are feared to have been asleep when the waterspout struck, hindering their chances of being able to escape the sinking ship.

Luxury sailboat Bayesian rapidly sank after getting caught up in a 'whirlwind' in Sicily

Charlotte Golunski, 36, (pictured) her husband and her one-year-old baby also survived

Lawyer Ayla Ronald, 36, (pictured) who was part of the successful legal team who were invited to go sailing with Lynch, is one of the survivors

Survivors include a 15 month-old baby girl called Sofia, who was held aloft in the water by her mother Charlotte Golunski, 36.

Golunski, who works alongside Lynch at Invoke, told Italian newspaper Republicca:

'I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

'It was all dark. In the water I couldn't keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.'

Golunski's husband James Emsilie, 36, is another survivor, as is Clifford Chance lawyer Ayla Ronald, 36.

Other survivors included Irish woman Sasha Murray, 29, Matthew Fletcher, 41, from London, James Calfield 51, from New Zealand, Myin Htun Kyaw, 39, from Myanmar and the French Captain Matthew Griffith.

They were rescued by crews from nearby boats including that of Karsten Borner, the captain of a sailing ship anchored near the Bayesian, who said his team struggled to keep their boat afloat when the tornado hit.

Fabio Cefalu, a fisherman in Porticello who witnessed the tragedy unfold, said he saw a waterspout  a sort of mini-tornado  that lasted about 12 minutes shortly before 4am.

At around 4.10am he said he saw a red flare go off from Bayesian but by the time he was able to reach the area about 20 minutes later the yacht had all but disappeared. 'We found only the cushions, and a few planks floating in the water,' he said.
Bizarre new details have emerged in the case of three lovers charged with murder plots allegedly involving axes, pillows and a hit man.

Lawyers for Lisa Lines, Zacharia Bruckner and Letiticia Fortune have indicated their clients will plead not guilty to the allegation they attempted to murder Ms Lines' former partner Jonathon Hawtin on separate occasions between 2017 and 2022 in South Australia.

Police allege Mr Bruckner attacked Mr Hawtin at his Adelaide Hills home in 2017 with an axe.

Mr Bruckner then shot himself with a gun, police allege, so the axe attack would appear to be in self-defence.

Mr Hawtin was left a tetraplegic from the alleged attack.

And then as Mr Hawtin lay in hospital recovering from Mr Bruckner's alleged kill attempt, police allege Ms Fortune and Ms Lines plotted to smother Mr Hawtin with a pillow.

At an earlier appearance at Adelaide Magistrates Court in December 2023, prosecutors told the court that Ms Fortune had sent text messages concerning the gruesome scheme.

Prosecutors allege she and Ms Lines planned the act for the early hours of New Year's Day because there would be less security working at the hospital.

Accused Letiticia Fortune is seen leaving Adelaide Magistrates Court

Police allege Ms Fortune and Lisa Lines (pictured) plotted to smother Mr Hawtin with a pillow.

It is alleged Ms Fortune was stopped by hospital security guards and fled the scene.

Prosecutors originally charged Mr Hawtin with attempted murder after the 2017 incident, believing he had tried to kill Mr Bruckner after he started a relationship with Mr Lines.

Mr Hawtin was acquitted of all charges following a trial at the South Australian Supreme Court in 2019.

Mr Bruckner and Ms Fortune were both allegedly Ms Lines' lovers.

The police also allege from December 2021 to 2022, Ms Lines and Mr Bruckner conspired to have a hit man kill Mr Hawtin and his mother, Rhonda, with undercover police operatives allegedly securing evidence of the alleged plot.

Ms Lines was arrested in November 2023 on the tiny Pacific island nation of Palau and then extradited back to Adelaide to face the courts.

She left Australia and settled in Taiwan after Ms Hawtin was acquitted of the charges against him.

She and Mr Bruckner are facing attempted murder and conspire to murder charges, while Ms Fortune is facing an attempted murder charge.

In a statement released via the South Australian Police in November, Mr Hawtin said he was 'profoundly relieved' to see Ms Lines face the courts.

'This has been a cruel and exhausting struggle, my mother and I have been through hell, but we never gave up and we never would have,' he said.

'The events of this past week are the culmination of years of hard work and a determined effort on the part of SAPOL's major crime branch.'

Mr Hawtin emphasised he was not in a relationship with Ms Lines or Mr Bruckner at the time of the alleged 2017 attack and had no knowledge the pair had struck up a relationship.

Police allege Zacharia Josef Bruckner attacked Jonathon Hawtin with an axe at his Adelaide Hills home in 2017

Jonathon Hawtin (pictured) was left a tetraplegic from his axe wounds in 2017

The three accused were booked to answer the charges against them on Tuesday, but their defence asked for an adjournment for more time to consider the voluminous disclosures in the case.

James Noblet, for Mr Bruckner, Dominic Agresta, for Ms Lines and Mark Williams, for Ms Fortune, all indicated their clients would plead not guilty, though no formal pleas have been entered.

Magistrate Simon Smart adjourned the answer charge hearing to October 3 to give the defence more time to consume material.

Ms Lines and Mr Bruckner remain in custody, though Ms Fortune has been granted bail and appeared in court supported by a group of people.

She declined to make any comment on leaving the court, with her supporters at times blocking cameramen from filming her.

Ms Lines holds a PhD in social sciences from Flinders University.
A former Bayesian crew member has been left bewildered about how the luxury superyacht could sink as it has withstood choppy seas in the Atlantic previously.

When guests were celebrating the acquittal of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch aboard the 30million Bayesian, the 183ft yacht tragically sank off the coast of Italy.

It had been anchored offshore from Porticello, having sailed from the seaside village of Cefalu, when it was hit by a freak waterspout caused by bad weather and sank near Palermo.

Investigations are underway as to why the Bayesian sank when others in the vicinity remained afloat when disaster struck just before 5am on Monday.

The yacht's former chief stewardess Monica Jensen, 48, said it is 'a bit strange' because she's crossed the Atlantic on the boat and it withstood bad weather 'all over'.

Last night, Mr Lynch  once dubbed the British Bill Gates and worth an estimated 852million and his daughter Hannah, 18 - who completed her A-levels this summer and has a place to read English at Oxford University  were among six missing and feared dead.

The body of one man, thought to be an onboard chef, has been found, while specialist divers fear those unaccounted for could be in the hull of the ship after getting trapped in their cabins.

And in an extraordinary twist, the tragedy comes days after Stephen Chamberlain, an ex-colleague of Mr Lynch  who he had successfully fought the fraud case with  died after being hit by a car.

It comes as:

An emergency and rescue service boat navigates on the sea near the site where the Bayesian sank when disaster struck just before 5am on Monday

Luxury sailboat Bayesian was docked off the coast of Porticello when a waterspout struck

The yacht's former chief stewardess Monica Jensen, 48, (above) said it is 'a bit strange' the boat sank because she's crossed the Atlantic on the boat and it withstood bad weather

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch (pictured above) is missing after his superyacht sank

Mike Lynch's superyacht Bayesian (pictured) was anchored off the coast of Porticello

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Ms Jensen worked on the Bayesian from November 2018 to October 2020 for a private owner, and said it was then sold.

She was onboard for two Caribbean seasons and cruised around Italy, Malta, Greece and the Balearics on the yacht.

She told The Telegraph: 'It seems a bit strange. We have been in bad weather with it, crossed the Atlantic. It's been all over. These things definitely don't happen very often.'

Matthew Shank, chairman of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, told Radio 4 this morning: 'There were weather warnings out that evening for intense thunderstorms. They are still incredibly rare weather events.

'Given the rarity of these events there isn't really much the captains or the crew could do to prepare for these events given how rare they are.

'Reports that people who were in the life raft have had to enter the life raft from the water, and that indicates to me that this emergency has happened very, very quickly.

'People haven't had time to enter the life raft from the vessel, they've had to enter from the water.'

As the yacht began to sink, a member of the crew fired a distress flare which alerted vessels nearby.

Mr Shank added: 'One of the captains from the anchorage said he saw the vessel there one minute and then the next minute the yacht was gone and all he saw was the red flare which indicates to me that this has been a catastrophic incident which has gone very quickly.'

The superyacht was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when a waterspout hit

A weather map shows how Mike's Lynch's yacht was buffeted by winds of up to 150mph

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue operations with helicopters and ships to find missing people after the yacht sank on Monday

The yacht - carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers - had the world's tallest aluminium mast at almost 250ft.

The enormous mast could have been what caused the vessel to capsize and sink rapidly, according to an expert.

It broke during the waterspout, causing the ship to sink after the weight of the mast took the hull beyond the 'down-flooding angle', technical consultant and nautical expert Gino Ciriaci told Italian website Corriere Della Sera.

The yacht is owned by Revtom, a company registered on the Isle of Man. Revtom's legal owner is Angela Bacares, Mr Lynch's wife.

Emergency divers found wreckage of the vessel at a depth of 187ft, where 'through the portholes they saw corpses'.

In June, Mr Lynch won a 13-year legal fight and was cleared by a San Francisco court of conducting a massive fraud relating to a 8.64 billion sale of his firm, Autonomy, to US company Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

If found guilty, it could have landed him 25 years in a US jail.

To mark his freedom, Mr Lynch had invited guests from legal firm Clifford Chance as well as his own company Invoke Capital to celebrate on the yacht trip.

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue

Experienced cave divers for deep sea recoveries continue the rescue operation

Emergency response teams are seen at the harbour near where the boat sank Monday morning

In a cruel twist, it was revealed last night Mr Lynch's ex colleague and co-defendant in his fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain (pictured), died in hospital after being hit by a car on Saturday

The father of Ayla Ronald, who was part of Mr Lynch's legal team, confirmed that the sailing trip was supposed to be a celebration of the tycoon's acquittal.

But yacht sank as a fierce storm battered the area overnight on Sunday.

Mr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares, 57, who was among the rescued recalls the boat suddenly 'tilted' at around 4am, before glass began shattering.

The superyacht had been lit up and illuminating the night sky when a waterspout - a whirling column of air and water mist - unfolded nearby.

Witnesses have described the moment the yacht went down as very sudden, claiming it was as if it just 'disappeared'.

'The boat was all lit up. Around 4.30am, it was no longer there,' said one.

'A normal joyous vacation day at sea turned into tragedy'.

The Italian Coastguard said in a statement that a nearby boat offered assistance to people before emergency services arrived.

The Sir Robert BP, a Dutch sailing ship which had been anchored by the Bayesian, is believed to have rescued the 15 survivors.

The British-flagged Bayesian is thought to have arrived in Porticello before it sank

The Bayesian, which was previously known as the Salute, was a vessel built in Viareggio, Tuscany, by luxury shipmaker Perini Navi in 2008

Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer (pictured), and his wife are yet to be found

Lynch's attorney Christopher Morvillo (pictured) and his wife Nada are also missing

Karsten Borner, the captain of the boat, described how his vessel was battered by strong gusts, with his team working to stabilise it and manoeuvre it to avoid hitting the Bayesian nearby.

Two more passengers on board the Bayesian who are still missing are the chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer and his wife.

Mr Bloomer is a close friend of Mr Lynch and was confirmed missing by Italian Authorities alongside his wife.

According to his Linkedin profile, Mr Bloomer is the chairman of insurance provider Hiscox and was formerly the chief executive of Prudential before being ousted in a boardroom coup in 2005.

The other two yet to be found are Mr Lynch's attorney Christopher Morvillo and his wife Nada.

Attorney Gary Lincenberg said Morvillo and his wife 'are presumed to be passed away' after the yacht went down near Sicily.

Tragically, the body of a man was found floating alongside the sunken vessel on Monday.

Experienced cave divers for deep sea recoveries continue the rescue operation for missing people who were on board a sailboat that sank off Porticello, near Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Divers search for the missing people, including British entrepreneur Mike Lynch, after a luxury yacht sank off Sicily, Italy August 19

Authorities identified the man as Canadian Recaldo Thomas, who was working as the boat's chef and was the only crew member unaccounted for.

His body was recovered, and police divers spent the day trying to reach the hull of the ship, which was resting at a depth of 163 feet off Porticello where it had been anchored, rescue authorities said.

British mother Charlotte Golunski and her one-year-old baby called Sofia were reported to be among those rescued by a nearby sailboat, with Dr Cipolla confirming that they were treated at the Di Cristina hospital.

'By the way, I know that there were some young people on board, some very young people. They are very tired and they continually thank us for the care and attention we are giving them and the little girl. They are very tired but they are very sweet people,' Dr Cipolla said.

Ms Golunski, 36, has described how she momentarily lost her daughter in the 'fury of the waves', before finding her and managing to get them both to safety.

Nautical maps show the last known location of the Bayesian just after 2am local time on Monday, when it was at anchor

Charlotte Golunski, 36, and her young daughter Sofia were two of 22 people aboard the superyacht when it was battered in a storm before sinking on Monday morning

'I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning,' Ms Golunski said.

'It was all dark. In the water I couldn't keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.'

The mother, who is in hospital with her baby where she received treatment for a minor shoulder injury, abrasions and a 'wound that needed stitching', according to Dr Cipolla, described the ordeal as 'terrible', detailing how 'in a few minutes the boat was hit by a very strong wind and sank shortly after.'

Ms Golunski and her little girl were taken to be assessed at the Children's Hospital in Palermo. The baby is said to be doing fine and is unharmed, with tests only carried out as a precaution.

Five other people were taken to the Bagheria territorial emergency point. Others reportedly required no hospital treatment, and spoke to authorities about what happened as the incident is being investigated.
The driver of a Greyhound bus allegedly involved in a horror highway crash that left three women dead seven weeks ago has been charged.

A Greyhound bus heading to Townsville collided with a 4WD towing a caravan on the Bruce Highway in far north Queensland on June 30.

The driver was arrested and charged on Tuesday following extensive investigations.

Townsville man Peter Jason Cafe, 52, was charged with five counts of dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death or grievous bodily harm.

He appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court via videolink on Tuesday afternoon, where he was granted bail until the next court hearing, which was adjourned to Bowen on September 24, the Townsville Bulletin reported.

Two German tourists, aged 21 and 33, and a Townsville grandmother on board the bus died at the scene at Gumlu, north of Bowen.

They were later identified as Aliya Tonga, 21, Marissa Martin, 33, and Emma 'Alli' Sailor, 56.

Another 27 passengers on were injured, including three men who were rushed to hospital with serious injuries.

The wreckage of a Greyhound bus which collided with a 4WD on the Bruce Highway in far north Queensland on June 30

German woman Aliya Tonga, 21, was one of three women who died in the horrific bus crash

An elderly couple in the 4WD escaped uninjured.

The bus was heading from Brisbane to Townsville with 33 passengers on board.

'The bus allegedly crossed onto the wrong side of the road and struck a Landcruiser station wagon travelling in the opposite direction, which was towing a caravan,' a police statement read.

Ms Tonga's cousin recently flew to Australia on behalf of the grieving family in a bid to find out more about the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

Ms Tonga's body was repatriated back to Germany, where she was laid to rest in her hometown of Wesel on July 18.

Ms Sailor was a mother-of-four and grandmother-of-eight, who was returning home from Brisbane with her daughter and four grandchildren.

Her family said her husband of 19 years was 'beside himself'.

The bus driver allegedly involved in the fatal crash was arrested and charged on Tuesday

'We will miss her presence and smile,' Ms Sailor's family told reporters at the time.

'It comes as a huge shock to our family [and] we're still grieving.

'She was a beautiful church woman, she never hurt anyone, [she was] very strong.

'She went out of her way to give the shirt off her back to anyone. She was loved and supported by her grandchildren and immediate family.

'We're thankful to everyone for their wishes and condolences.'

The first emergency responders to arrive at the crash site faced confronting scenes.

Harrowing photos of the aftermath showed the cabin of the caravan embedded into the front of the bus, which had been pushed onto nearby train tracks.

Emma 'Alli' Sailor a mother-of-four and grandmother-of-eight was killed alongside two German nationals in their 20s and 30s

Greyhound Australia chief executive Dan Smith said the company was 'heartbroken' that three people lost their lives and several others were injured in the collision.

'This is a tragic incident and our deepest sympathies go out to those involved and their families and friends,' he said.

'We are working closely with authorities to assist them with their investigation in understanding the course of events that have led to this accident. We are also providing support to members of our team impacted by this tragedy.

'We will provide further updates as more information becomes available and ask that you respect the privacy of those involved at this extremely difficult time.'
Just a couple of months ago, British billionaire tech tycoon Mike Lynch left a US courtroom bleary eyed and a free man having been acquitted in one of the biggest ever fraud cases.

In the weeks before, Lynch had said his goodbyes to his family and believed he would die in prison with a 25 year jail term all but inevitable - with fewer than 0.5 per cent of federal criminal cases in America ending in acquittal.

But the 59-year-old tycoon - who had spent much of the previous year living under house arrest with his beloved dog, Faucet, and an electronic tag attached to his ankle - beat the odds, much to his own surprise.

Mr Lynch, dubbed 'Britain's Bill Gates', placed his head in his hands and was embraced by his wife, Angela Bacares, when he was cleared of conducting a massive fraud relating to a 8.64 billion sale of his firm, Autonomy, to US company Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

Prosecutors had tried to depict Mr Lynch as a domineering and controlling CEO, but the Cambridge-educated computer expert's calm, controlled and sometimes witty performance on the stand had won over jurors.

The three month trial on the 17th floor of San Francisco's federal courthouse brought an end to a 13-year legal saga that had been hanging over the entrepreneur's head.

Speaking after his acquittal, Mr Lynch said: 'If this had gone the wrong way, it would have been the end of my life as I have known it in any sense. It's bizarre, but now you have a second life - the question is, what do you want to do with it?'

It was an unexpected 'second life' he was going to grab with both hands. He invited guests from legal firm Clifford Chance to a 'freedom party' on his 30 million superyacht Bayesian to celebrate his victory.

That 'second life' appears to have ended in tragedy, with Mr Lynch, alongside his 18 year old daughter Hannah, among six missing and feared dead after the 180ft yacht sunk near Palermo after being hit by a freak waterspout caused by bad weather.

And in a double tragedy, his former colleague and Autonomy finance executive Stephen Chamberlain, who was tried alongside Mr Lynch on the same charges and also acquitted on all counts, died this week after being hit by a car.

Their co-accused, Autonomy's finance chief, Sushovan Hussain, was separately convicted on U.S. charges in 2018. Months later, prosecutors brought charges against Mr Lynch and Mr Chamberlain. Hussain signed a settlement agreement was released from jail in January this year after serving his sentence.

It comes as:

Just a couple of months ago, British billionaire tech tycoon Mike Lynch left a US courtroom bleary eyed and a free man having being acquitted in one of the biggest ever fraud cases (Pictured leaving the High Court in London in 2019)

In a double tragedy, his former colleague and Autonomy finance executive Stephen Chamberlain (pictured), who was tried alongside Mr Lynch on the same charges and also acquitted on all counts, days earlier died after being hit by a car

Mr Lynch's Suffolk home, where he keeps rare breeds of cattle and pigs. He talked at length during his trial about his passion for conserving rare breeds of pigs and cows as he sought to soften his image with jurors

It had been a gruelling and testing, not just for Mr Lynch but the jury as well with one being replaced after being caught dozing off.

With more than 15 million documents and 15 year old emails filled with business jargon being read to the court, the trial failed to excite one jury member who was later dismissed.

The man was caught 'taking a few naps', reported The Times, and was asked by the judge why he kept falling asleep.

'I know it's not fascinating, but you've got to tell me whether you can stay awake for eight more weeks during this testimony,' the judge said.

The man responded: 'That's a negative. I can't.' He was dismissed

Pronouncing himself 'elated' by the verdict, he added: 'I am looking forward to returning to the UK and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field.'

Stephanie Siegmann, a partner at Hinckley Allen and former prosecutor and national security chief in the US attorney's office in Massachusetts, told the FT: 'It appears the government believed that because Mike Lynch was the CEO that he knew everything that was going on at the company.

'The evidence appears clearly not to have met the [evidentiary] burden.'

Lynch's attorney Christopher Morvillo (pictured) and his wife Nada are also missing

The 59-year-old tycoon - who had spent much of the previous year living under house arrest with an electronic tag attached to his ankle - beat the odds much to his own surprise (Pictured leaving the High Court in London in 2019)

Mr Lynch (pictured second left) is seen in the early days of his techology firm Autonomy in Cambridge

My Lynch placed his head in his hands when he was cleared of conducting a massive fraud relating to a 8.64 billion sale of his firm, Autonomy, to US company Hewlett-Packard in 2011 (Pictured leaving the Rolls Building in London in 2019)

Mr Chamberlain was fatally injured just days before billionaire tech tycoon Lynch went missing off the coast of Sicily when a superyacht was caught in a freak 'whirlwind'

Among those rescued was Clifford Chance lawyer Ayla Ronald (pictured), 36, from London, and her partner

Her father Lin Ronald said that Ayla (pictured) was part of Dr Lynch's successful legal team who were invited to go on the sailing trip

During four days in the witness box towards the end of his 12-week trial, Mr Lynch talked at length about his passion for conserving rare breeds of pigs and cows as he sought to soften his image with jurors.

He even joked he 'missed the tea' when he spoke of feeling 'trapped' in San Francisco for months due to a volcano eruption in Iceland in 2010, reported the Financial Times.

It was an unconventional approach for Mr Lynch to take the stand, but it was a gamble that paid off as, one by one, 'not guilty' rang out in the courtroom for all of the 15 charges  14 of wire fraud and one of conspiracy.

Even though Autonomy's finance chief, Sushovan Hussain, was found guilty on similar charges and served five years in prison, its chief executive rejected advice to seek a plea bargain and fought a long battle to resist extradition to the US.

Hussain signed a settlement agreement was released from jail in January after serving his sentence.

Mr Lynch had denied all the charges, insisting he was being made a scapegoat for HP's managerial incompetence in not doing its due diligence properly before buying the company.

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TODAY: Italian emergency services prepare to head toward the area off the Sicilian coast where the search continues for Mr Lynch

TODAY: Rescue personnel operate on boats on the sea near the scene where the luxury yacht sank

A life raft docked at the harbour near the port where emergency and rescue services are working

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue operations with helicopters and ships to find the missing people after the Bayesian sank

Both the hull and the superstructure, the part above the main deck, were made from aluminium (The handout photo of the boat above does not show it sinking)

The British-flagged Bayesian is thought to have arrived in Porticello after a stopping in Milazzo, around 100 miles up the coast towards the Italian mainland

The superyacht was anchored off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when a waterspout hit the area just before 5am Monday morning

Mr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares (right) was among the 15 people who were rescued from the yacht

An emergency and rescue service boat searches near the site where a luxury yacht sank, off the coast of Porticello, near the Sicilian city of Palermo, Italy, August 19

He had spent a year before the trial in San Francisco under house arrest, with a tag strapped to his ankle, and under 24 hour security guard supervision he had to pay for himself.

Citing accounting irregularities, prosecutors said he'd been the 'driving force' of Silicon Valley's biggest ever fraud by inflating the company's revenues in the two years leading up to the HP deal by spinning a 'fabulous tale of corporate success'.

Within a year of the sale, HP wrote down Autonomy's value by an astonishing 6.9billion, saying it had uncovered serious accounting improprieties.

Lynch admitted his company was 'not perfect' but insisted that he had concentrated on new ideas and products rather than sales and accounting.

Mr Lynch responded to his acquittal by revealing he had feared dying in prison if found guilty - saying that medical issues meant he felt it would have been 'difficult to survive' time behind bars.

He added: 'If this had gone the wrong way, it would have been the end of my life as I have known it in any sense.

'It's bizarre, but now you have a second life - the question is, what do you want to do with it?'

It was an unexpected 'second life' he was going to grab with both hands. He invited guests from legal firm Clifford Chance to a 'freedom party' on his 30 million superyacht Bayesian to celebrate his victory.

That 'second life' appears to have ended in tragedy, with Mr Lynch, alongside his 18 year old daughter Hannah, among six missing and feared dead after the 180ft yacht sunk near Palermo after being hit by a freak waterspout caused by bad weather.

And in a double tragedy, his former colleague and Autonomy finance executive Stephen Chamberlain, who was tried alongside Mr Lynch on the same charges and also acquitted on all counts, days earlier died after being hit by a car.

Mr Lynch - who also owns a home in Chelsea - had spoken of his 'indescribable' relief at being acquitted and joy at returning to Britain. He texted one friend saying it was 'so wonderful to be home'.

He has also spoken of his delight at being able to spend time with his two daughters, 21 and 18, and their six dogs.

To mark his freedom, Mr Lynch had invited guests from legal firm Clifford Chance as well as his own company Invoke Capital to celebrate on the yacht trip.

The father of Ayla Ronald, who was part of Mr Lynch's legal team, confirmed that the sailing trip was supposed to be a celebration of the tycoon's acquittal.

Another guest told doctors at the hospital that it was part of a 'corporate holiday'.

Speaking in his first newspaper interview following his acquittal, Mr Lynch told The Times: 'I'd had to say goodbye to everything and everyone, because I didn't know if I'd ever be coming back.'
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Rescuers will face a 'very complicated' search for six missing passengers on a superyacht owned by the 'British Bill Gates' after it sank in a freak storm off the coast of Sicily.

Specialist divers involved in the search operation say the 30million vessel, called the Bayesian, has come to rest on the seabed 164ft (50 metres) below the surface with 'virtually everything intact', with furniture blocking attempts to get inside.

The luxury yacht capsized early on Monday morning after being hit by a waterspout at around 5am, with the captain of the doomed vessel saying 'we didn't see it coming' after he and 15 others were rescued from the water.

Those involved in the rescue efforts have compared the incident to the 'Costa Concordia disaster on a smaller scale', adding that they would do 'everything to recover the bodies' amid worsening weather conditions.

Tornado-speed winds flipped the superyacht so quickly there was no time for those on board to raise the alarm or call for help before they were left swimming for their lives, with those who made it off stranded in the pitch black water as the storm raged around them.

The ship's chef Recaldo Thomas was found dead in the sea by search teams yesterday and hopes that survivors will be found alive in trapped air pockets are rapidly fading as the rescue operation continues.

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo who represented Mr Lynch in a recent legal battle and his wife Neda, have been named missing.

Mr Lynch had invited family and friends onto the yacht to celebrate his 'second life' after being acquitted of all charges in a US fraud trial, and in an extraordinary twist his co-defendant Stephen Chamberlain - who was also cleared of the charges - has also died after being hit by a car while running in England over the weekend.

It comes as:

A life raft is seen docked at the harbour near the port where the emergency and rescue workers are launching their search operation

A fire service vessel and a smaller boat float in the water as divers continue their efforts to get into the wreck of the Bayesian today

Emergency services including police and paramedics stand on the pier at Porticello as the search operation continues this morning

A fire service helicopter stands close to the harbour in Porticello this morning as specialist divers from the emergency service take over search operations

A handout photo made available on August 19 by Perini Navi Press Office shows the 'Bayesian' sailing boat, in Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Mike Lynch's superyacht Bayesian (pictured) was anchored off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, Sicily, when a waterspout struck the area just before 5am on Monday, wrecking the boat and causing it to rapidly disappear beneath the waves

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch is still missing. His wife Angela Bacares (right) was among the 15 people who were rescued from the yacht

Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer (pictured left), and his wife are also yet to be found, as is Lynch's attorney Christopher Morvillo (pictured right) and his wife

In a cruel twist in the yacht tragedy, it was revealed last night that Mr Lynch's ex colleague and co-defendant in his US fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain (pictured), has died in hospital after being hit by a car on Saturday

The luxury sailboat was anchored just a few hundred metres off the coast of Porticello on calm seas when it was suddenly struck by a violent waterspout just before 5am on Monday.

It is believed the ship sank after its mast - one of tallest in the world at an enormous 246ft-high - snapped during the brutal incident and keeled over, taking the hull beyond the 'down-flooding angle', according to nautical experts.

Inspector Marco Tilotta, leading the Palermo Fire Brigade's diving unit, has likened the grim search operation to the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster in 2012 which claimed the lives of 33 people.

Eerily, the specialist cave divers called in for the search and rescue operation found 'virtually everything intact' on board, with little sign of damage, and 'no rips in the side, no signs of impact,' he told MailOnline.

The boat is resting on the seabed on its starboard (right hand) side, 164ft below the waves, and the first efforts of the dive teams were unsuccessful in moving furniture impeding their access to the cabins below, said Insp. Tilotta.

The rescuers still hope that survivors might be found, against all odds, in trapped air pockets, but Insp Tilotta admitted 'it is a race against time and the quality of the oxygen will be bad'.

His choice of words however told the unpleasant truth: 'We will do everything to recover the bodies. The weather conditions are worsening but we hope to continue operations without problems'.

As the first shift of divers returned from the site, storm clouds threatened overhead.

'We have just finished the first dive, now we do a briefing and continue for the whole day,' he added.

'We checked the hull from the outside, visibility is good, now our objective is to penetrate inside the vessel'.

Now it is up to the group of cave divers from Rome and Sassari, who have specialist training and equipment, to enter the yacht to take stock of the situation. Some of them, the inspector says, also worked on the case of the Costa Concordia.

In the next few hours and days, the accident investigators will have to work out how it was possible that the vessel sank while others were hardly affected and how come it was still intact.

The whirlwind has been defined as 'extremely intense, sudden and very localised', the Inspector told Il Messaggero.

The captain of the ship, named by Italian media as James Cutfield, said those on board had been blindsided by the sudden chaos on Monday morning.

Speaking from a hospital room in the town of Termini Imerese close to Palermo, the captain, in a state of grief and shock, could only utter one sentence.

'We didn't see it coming,' he told La Repubblica.

Lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his jewellery designer wife Neda Morvillo are both missing in the wake of Monday's superyacht sinking off the coast of Sicily

One rescuer has compared the incident to the Costa Concordia disaster which took place in Italian waters in 2012 (pictured)

Two men in a coastguard vessel head out of the harbour in Porticello this morning, more than 24 hours after the superyacht sank

Search divers head out to the scene of the wreck near Porticello this morning as the operation to find the bodies of those missing continue

A police vessel and coastguard ship seen in the waters off Sicily this morning as the search resumes for those missing after the sinking of the Bayesian

An emergency and rescue service boat navigates on the sea near the site where a luxury yacht sank, off the coast of Porticello, near the Sicilian city of Palermo, Italy, August 19

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue operations with helicopters and ships to find the missing people after the Bayesian sank

The superyacht was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when a waterspout hit the area just before 5am Monday morning

A weather map shows how Mike's Lynch's superyacht was buffeted by winds of up to 150mph before it sank

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One maritime expert has said that the sinking of the boat was 'unprecedented' and that a vessel the size of the Bayesian should not have been able to capsize in that weather.

Matthew Schanck, Chairperson for the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, said the tornado over water, known as a waterspout, that struck the 184ft yacht with 22 people on board should not have caused it to sink.

He told GB News: 'It's sort of unprecedented, really, to have a vessel of that size, being certified and commercially operated, to suffer such a significant event in weather that was pretty severe by all accounts, but should have been within the limits of the vessel itself.'

He also told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the sinking itself appears to have happened 'very, very quickly'.

'There isn't really much the captain or the crew could do to prepare for these events given how rare they are,' he said.

'Reports that people who were in the life raft have had to enter the life raft from the water, and that indicates to me that this emergency has happened very, very quickly. People haven't had time to enter the life raft from the vessel, they've had to enter from the water.

'My understanding is that the flare has gone up from the life raft, according to the reports. We don't know if the vessel had time to send out any electronic distress signals, to use its radio or any other equipment to alert the authorities, but the eyewitness accounts from the shore and the anchorage state they saw the red flare.

'One of the captains from the anchorage said he saw the vessel there one minute and then the next minute the vessel was gone and all he saw was the red flare which indicates to me that this has been a catastrophic incident which has gone very quickly.'

One expert at the scene of the disaster who declined to be named said an early focus of the investigation into what happened would be whether the yacht's crew had had time to close access hatches into the vessel before the storm struck.

Former shipyard manager and maritime technical inspector Gino Ciriaci told Italian daily Corriere Della Sera said once the mast had fallen, the vessel was far more prone to pitching and rolling as it was battered by waves without the sails to steady it.

In the case of the Bayesian, he said the waterspout was so violent that the boat, dragged down by its broken mast, tilted until the edge of the deck slipped under the surface.

The entire ordeal likely lasted only a few minutes, with the ship sinking rapidly as it took on seawater.

Divers operate in the sea to search for the missing, including British entrepreneur Mike Lynch, after a luxury yacht sank off Sicily, Italy August 19

The Bayesian, which was previously known as the Salute, was a 56m long vessel built in Viareggio, Tuscany, by luxury shipmaker Perini Navi in 2008

Nautical maps show the last known location of the Bayesian just after 2am local time on Monday, when it was at anchor

Specialist divers had reached the ship yesterday afternoon but their search efforts were met with unexpected complications.

'Access was limited to the bridge, due to the difficulty represented by the presence of furnishings obstructing the divers' passage,' the fire crews said in a statement.

The search operation was made yet more difficult because the ship was resting on the seabed at a depth of 50 metres, which limits the amount of time divers can be underwater, said fire rescue spokesperson Luca Cari.

In the meantime, survivors of the tragedy were taken to various hospitals on the island of Sicily and began recounting their terrifying ordeal.

Among the 15 rescued was one-year-old baby Sofia, who was kept afloat by her mother, 36-year-old Charlotte Golunski.

Ms Golunski, an Oxford graduate and senior associate at Mike Lynch's company Invoke Capital, yesterday told of her fight to prevent her child from drowning.

'For two seconds I lost my baby in the sea, then I immediately hugged her again in the fury of the waves,' Ms Golunski said.

'I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched up to keep her from drowning,' she added.

'It was all dark. In the water I couldn't keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.'

The British-flagged Bayesian is thought to have arrived in Porticello after a stopping in Milazzo, around 100 miles up the coast towards the Italian mainland

Tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who was often referred to as the 'British Bill Gates', was on holiday with family when tragedy struck and 'freak' waterspout took down his luxury boat

Charlotte Golunski, 36, and her young daughter Sofia were two of 22 people aboard the superyacht when it was battered in a storm before sinking a few hundred metres from the port of Porticello on Monday morning

A survivor leaves the Coast Guard Headquarters after a sailboat sank in the early hours of Monday, off the coast of Ponticello, near the Sicilian city of Palermo, Italy, August 19

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue operations with helicopters and ships to find missing people after a yacht sank on Monday due to a storm east of Palermo in southern Italy on August 19

Golunski, who yesterday received treatment for a minor shoulder injury sustained in the evacuation, described the experience as 'terrible' and detailed how 'in a few minutes the boat was hit by a very strong wind and sank shortly after... (We were) terrified by the thunder, the lightning, the waves that made our boat lurch.'

She added that her family had survived because they were on the deck when the ship began to sink, rather than trapped in the cabins below.

That is where the five missing passengers - Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley's Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, one of Lynch's US lawyers, Christopher Morvillo of legal firm Clifford Chance, and Morvillo's wife - are believed to have drowned.

Lynch, 59, was once hailed as the UK's king of technology and is frequently referred to as 'Britain's Bill Gates'.

He was cleared in June of fraud and conspiracy charges in a US federal trial related to Hewlett Packard's $11 billion takeover of his company, Autonomy Corp.

The yacht trip appeared to be something of a celebration after Lynch's acquittal, with guests including members of his legal team as well as friends, family and witnesses who stood by Lynch throughout the trial.

Lynch's wife Angela Bacares, 57, was among the 15 people who were rescued from the 180ft yacht.

The Bayesian's hull and the superstructure, the part above the main deck, were made from aluminium

The enormous 246ft-high aluminium mast on Mike Lynch's superyacht (pictured from above) could have been what caused the vessel to capsize and sink rapidly, according to an expert

Charlotte Golunski, 36, (pictured) her husband and her one-year-old baby also survived

Karsten Borner, the captain of a ship that rescued the 15 survivors of the Bayesian disaster, told the BBC: 'After the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone'

She revealed that the first sign of the freak waterspout that sunk the luxury sailboat owned by her company Revtom Limited was a 'slight tilt' that woke her up.

Speaking to Italian media from a wheelchair last night, Bacares - who needed significant medical treatment for several injuries including lacerations on her feet, a cut eyebrow and bruising across her body - said she was not initially worried until she heard glass shattering.

She got up and left her cabin to see what was happening - a decision that almost certainly saved her life - but within seconds the ship was being battered by the waterspout.

'Everything was falling, becoming slimy, soaked in the waves that were carrying you away. I managed to get back up, to get out of that cage, but without being able to help...' she said.

The 15 people who escaped the Bayesian miraculously managed to inflate a life raft and were plucked from the sea by the Sir Robert BP, a Dutch sailing ship which had been anchored nearby and saw the tragedy unfold.

Karsten Borner, the captain of the rescue boat, described how his vessel was battered by strong gusts, with his team working to stabilise it and manoeuvre it to avoid hitting the Bayesian nearby.

Borner told the BBC: 'After the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone.'

Fisherman Fabio Cefalu said he had seen a flare from shore at around 4.30am and immediately set out to the site but by the time he got there, the Bayesian had already sunk, with only cushions, wood and other items from the superyacht floating in the water.

'But for the rest, we didn't find anyone,' he said from the port hours later, adding that he immediately alerted the coast guard and stayed on-site for three hours, but didn't find any survivors.

'I think they are inside, all the missing people,' he said.

Mr Lynch had been celebrating after a court victory in the United States after being accused of fraud following the disastrous $11billion (8.3billion) sale of his company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

In an extraordinary twist, the tragedy comes days after Stephen Chamberlain, an ex-colleague of Mr Lynch  who he had successfully fought a fraud case with  died after being hit by a car.

The legal battle endured more than a decade, and in March this year Lynch found himself in a San Francisco courtroom to defend himself against fraud and conspiracy charges.

The 59-year-old tycoon had spent much of the previous year living under house arrest with an electronic tag attached to his ankle.

Mr Lynch had potentially faced up to 20 years in a US prison if found guilty of 16 counts of conspiracy, and securities and wire fraud, which he denied.

In June he was cleared of all charges - a major victory for the tech guru.

Mr Chamberlain was fatally injured just days before billionaire tech tycoon Lynch went missing off the coast of Sicily when a superyacht was caught in a freak 'whirlwind'.

Keen runner Mr Chamberlain, Autonomy's vice president of finance alongside chief executive Lynch, was hit by a car in Cambridgeshire on Saturday morning and was placed on life support before passing away.

In a tribute released through Cambridgeshire Constabulary, his family said: 'Steve was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.

'He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible.

'He made a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.

'He will be deeply missed but forever in the hearts of his loved ones.'

Chamberlain had faced the same charges of fraud and conspiracy as his former boss Lynch

Chamberlain was hit by a car in Cambridgeshire on Saturday morning and has now died

Cambridgeshire Police appealed for witnesses after a collision between a pedestrian and a car in Newmarket Road in Stretham, Cambridgeshire, saying a man in his 50s had been taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The force has said there is 'nothing to suggest anything suspicious at this stage', adding that the driver stayed at the scene and is helping with enquiries. No arrests have been made.

In a statement issued on Monday, Chamberlain's lawyer Gary Lincenberg told MailOnline: 'Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running.

'He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

'Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.'

Chamberlain faced the same charges of fraud and conspiracy as his former boss for allegedly scheming to inflate a company's value before it was sold. Both the men were acquitted of all 15 charges by a jury in San Francisco in June.

After leaving the company, Autonomy, in 2012, Chamberlain worked as chief operating officer for cybersecurity firm Darktrace and volunteered as a finance director for Cambridge United soccer club, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The law firm that represented Chamberlain in his trial did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A flight diversion has left Qantas passengers stranded on the tarmac on a packed plane for hours.

The QF2 flight from London to Sydney, via a stopover in Singapore, had been in the air for just over three hours when it suddenly turned around over the Black Sea and landed at Istanbul Airport in Turkey at 12.45pm (AEST) on Tuesday.

A Qantas spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the route was redirected after a passenger fell ill and required emergency medical treatment.

The remaining passengers were left on the tarmac in Istanbul for two-and-a-half hours with no running water in the bathrooms.

The airline sent the passengers a text after landing, explaining that they were 'working to get you on your way as soon as we can'.

'But we are going to stay onboard the aircraft so that we are ready to depart as soon as we get clearance,' the text read.

Some passengers in the packed cabin claimed that Qantas crew initially wouldn't tell them why the flight had been diverted.

Passengers were left stranded on a packed plane on the tarmac of Istanbul Airport (pictured) after a Qantas flight between London and Sydney via Singapore was suddenly diverted

'They turned the lights back on after two minutes of being off, and the flight estimate time changed on the screens from 11 hours to 44 minutes,' one told news.com.au.

The traveller added that the unwell passenger was helped off of the Airbus380's top level 'seriously ill' but alive.

'Imagine if this was you, you'd want us to do this for you in this situation,' the pilot said over the intercom, according to the passenger.

They added that the air conditioning was the 'very weak' and that only water was available, despite soaring temperatures.

The flight had been about three hours in the air before making an turn over the Black Sea (pictured) after a passenger became ill and needed emergency medical attention

'Obviously, everyone has snacks, milk, bottles, etc., but an extra 2.5+ (and counting) hours none of us planned for,' the passenger added.

The next leg of the flight towards Singapore took off from Istanbul shortly before 2.30pm.

The passenger noted that the flight attendants were 'lovely' throughout the frustrating delay.
Meteorologists have said that the warmer the sea is, the stronger the tornadoes

Violent storms and freak tornadoes have lashed Italy in recent days - claiming at least one life and leaving a wake of destruction along the country's southern coast.

A waterspout - a twister over the sea - is believed to have hit the British-flagged Bayesian superyacht yesterday as it was anchored off Sicily.

The vessel's mast broke, sinking the 30million boat and sparking a search mission for six passengers who were on board, including its British owner Mike Lynch. The disaster also resulted in the death of a crewmember.

On the same day as the tragedy, terrifying videos of huge waterspouts swirling over the Mediterranean were shared by locals and holidaymakers across southern Italy.

Tourists at beachside resorts have faced severe weather in recent days, with dramatic footage showing beaches and town centres ravaged by gale force winds.

A towering waterspout was caught on camera off the coast of Salento, southern Italy

High winds, which locals said were the result of a tornado, unleashed chaos on a beach in Salerno

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Storms and heavy rainfall have swept the country after weeks of scorching heat lifted the temperature of the Med to record levels, raising the risk of extreme weather conditions, experts have said.

Meteorologist Paolo Sottocorona, who is also a sailing instructor, explained the dangers of being at sea in the current conditions.

'The warm sea seems pleasant, but heat from a physical point of view is energy,' he said. 'The Mediterranean at this moment is a gasoline tank. If you put a match in it, that is, a current of cold air like those of these days, it explodes.'

'The warmer the sea, the stronger the tornadoes,' he went on. 'The most destructive tornadoes used to hit once every hundred years.

'Now we see one or more per year. Even meteorological models have a hard time predicting such intense events.'

Sicily saw a clutch of intense weather on Sunday night into Monday morning, with the island placed under weather warnings for wind and thunderstorms.

High winds battered coastal areas, including Porticello, where Bayesian was anchored.

'I had never seen anything like it. A tornado that lasted about ten minutes, an apocalyptic scenario,' said Giuseppe D'Agostino, the mayor of Santa Flavia, a town near the city of Palermo.

In the Gulf of Brucoli in southern Sicily, locals shared pictures of a sailboat which had been wrecked on the rocks after being blown in by strong winds

Video emerged yesterday of umbrellas and chairs being strewn across a coastal resort by what witnesses described as a tornado

'The sea surface temperature around Sicily was around 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), which is almost three degrees more than normal,' ,' said meteorologist Luca Mercalli.

'This creates an enormous source of energy that contributes to these storms.'

He added that while it can't be said 'that this is all due to global warming', it clearly still has an 'amplifying effect.'

British tech magnate Mike Lynch was on board his yacht, the Bayesian, when it was hit by a tornado on Monday

This picture shows the luxury superyacht called The Bayesian (left) off Porticello, Palermo, the night before it was hit by the storm

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CCTV footage from around 4am yesterday shows a torrent of wind and rain suddenly slamming into the town.

The high winds throw umbrellas, plant pots, tables and chairs flying within seconds of hitting, with the local restaurant who shared the footage saying: 'In a moment the hurricane took everything away!'

The owners of Baia Santa Nicolicchia said they were able to open later in the morning once the storm had passed, but added: 'We have no memory of anything like this in our area.'

In the Gulf of Brucoli in southern Sicily, locals shared pictures of a sailboat which had been wrecked on the rocks after being blown in by strong winds.

North of Sicily, in Italy's Campania region, video emerged yesterday of umbrellas and chairs being strewn across a coastal resort by what witnesses described as a tornado.

Footage shows tourists taking shelter as stormy winds begin to strengthen at a beach in Santa Marina, in the province of Salerno.

Suddenly, a huge gust propels umbrellas and deckchairs towards where they are standing, with the person filming running for cover.

While locals reported severe damage to the building and its surroundings, miraculously, no one was hurt in the incident.

Footage from the area - the Gulf of Policastro - shared around the same time shows a waterspout threatening a motorboat below.

A driver in the area also shared footage, taken from her car, of the extreme weather phenomenon.

Footage from the Gulf of Policastro shows a waterspout threatening a motorboat below

Tornadoes have been reported along the Adriatic coast, with dramatic video showing towering vortexes of water over the sea near Santa Cesarea Terme and Gagliano del Capo.

In the Apulia region - the heel of the Italian 'boot' - fishermen who were at sea were reportedly called back due to the phenomenon.

A powerful waterspout was filmed off the coast of Salento, at the far south of the region.

There have been reports of people being evacuated from their homes in coastal regions, while many have been warned to get off beaches as storms roll in.

Italy's Civil Protection has issued a yellow alert for 11 areas, including Campainia, Puglia, Calabria and part of Sicily, warning that they will see more cloudbursts and thunderstorms.

Areas across the Italian Peninsula have already seen costly damage to property and trees downed in the storms.

Severe flooding has also been seen in recent days across northern and central Italy.
Staff for British billionaire Mike Lynch have told how he 'had a lot of pride' in his luxury yacht which sank amid a freak storm off the coast of Sicily on Monday, killing one and leaving six people missing.

Bayesian, a 56m yacht built in 2008, was struck by a waterspout shortly before 5am yesterday, and was completely wrecked, sparking a major search and rescue operation.

While 15 people were rescued including a one-year-old child and Mr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares, the 'British Bill Gates' is among six people still missing.

Also missing are Mr Lynch's 18-year-old daughter Hannah, the chairman of Morgan Stanley International Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, as well as Lynch's attorney Christopher Morvillo and his wife Nada.

Italy's fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco said on X that early inspections of the wreck were 'unsuccessful' due to limited access to the bridge and furniture obstructing passages.

A body, believed to be that of the vessel's cook Recaldo Thomas, has sadly been discovered.

Mike Lynch (pictured) invited family and friends on his superyacht to celebrate his triumph over fraud charges in the US. Lynch is missing alongside his 18-year-old daughter Hannah

Luxury sailboat Bayesian rapidly sank after getting caught up in a 'whirlwind' in Sicily

Italian scuba divers at the harbor of Porticello, southern Italy, this morning as rescue teams returned to the site of the storm-sunken superyacht

A member of event staff employed at Mike Lynch's Chelsea home told the Times the businessman 'clearly had a lot of pride in the yacht' and kept models of it at his home.

'He had a miniature model of it and photos of it on the water in the hallway of his Chelsea home. When I asked him about he told me about its size and how much his family loved spending time on it.

'They had a personal chef who worked both on the boat and in their home. When I visited there were leftovers from their last boat trip in the fridge which he let the serving staff have.'

They said the sinking was down to the yacht's aluminium mast, which is the tallest in the world at 75m.

'The wind toppled the mast, which fell over the side, causing the boat to heel over and take on water, capsize and sink very quickly,' the source said.

It is understood Lynch had invited family and friends on the yacht to celebrate his recent court victory over fraud charges in the US.

The billionaire had gathered guests from legal firm Clifford Chance, as well as his own company Invoke Capital after being cleared in June.

Ayla Reynold, a New Zealand national working at Clifford Chance, survived the ordeal. Her father Lin Ronald confirmed to the Telegraph she had been invited aboard as thanks for assistance in Mr Lynch's recent court case.

Lynch remains missing while his wife Angela (pictured) survived and is recovering

Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer (pictured), and his wife are also missing

Lynch's attorney Christopher Morvillo (pictured) and his wife Nada are also missing

A life raft is docked at the harbor of Porticello, southern Italy, this morning after the yacht sank leaving six missing

Emergency services are continuing a search operation at the site of the wreck today

'I have texted my daughter and she hasn't given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said that there are deaths and she and her partner are alive,' he said.

'Ayla is a lawyer who is part of the legal team that were invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.'

The yacht was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers.

The yacht sank as a fierce storm battered the area on Monday night.

Fabio Cefalu, a fisherman who witnessed the freak storm, told Italian media he stayed on site for several hours.

'After 10 minutes we saw a flare in the sky, we waited about 10 minutes to see the intensity of the tornado and we went out to sea,' he said.

'We were first to give rescue but we found no one at sea, we only found cushions and the remains of the boat.'

The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported that the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.

Charlotte Golunski, 36, (pictured) her husband and her one-year-old baby also survived

Luxury sailboat Bayesian was anchored off the coast of Porticello when a waterspout struck the area just before 5am on Monday

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Golunski, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

She said: 'I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

'It was all dark. In the water I couldn't keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.'

Charlotte and Sofia are being treated in hospital, as is Sofia's father, James Emsley.

Other survivors included Irish woman Sasha Murray, 29, Matthew Fletcher, 41, from London, James Calfield 51, from New Zealand, Myin Htun Kyaw, 39, from Myanmar and the French Captain Matthew Griffith.

They were rescued by crews from nearby boats including that of Karsten Borner, the captain of a sailing ship anchored near the Bayesian, who said his team struggled to keep their boat afloat when the tornado hit.

Fabio Cefalu, a fisherman in Porticello who witnessed the tragedy unfold, said he saw a waterspout  a sort of mini-tornado  that lasted about 12 minutes shortly before 4am.

At around 4.10am he said he saw a red flare go off from Bayesian but by the time he was able to reach the area about 20 minutes later the yacht had all but disappeared. 'We found only the cushions, and a few planks floating in the water,' he said.

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said on Monday: 'We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected.'

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors were being deployed to Palermo.

A basic assessment of the scene will be made by the team, with no investigation launched at this stage, the PA news agency understands.

Bayesian completed a number of sailings in recent days, calling at various ports in Sicily, according to ship-tracking website VesselFinder.

Tragically, it has since emerged that the co-defendant of Mr Lynch in his US fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain, died after being hit by a car whilst out running on Saturday.

Gary Lincenberg, Mr Chamberlain's lawyer, said in a statement provided to the PA news agency: 'Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running.

'He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

'Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.'
The six people missing after Mike Lynch's superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily include the tech tycoon, his daughter, a Morgan Stanley boss, a top New York lawyer and both of their wives.

Luxury sailboat Bayesian was docked off the coast of Porticello when a waterspout struck the area just before 5am on Monday, wrecking the yacht and causing it to rapidly sink.

While one person tragically died and 15 survived the disaster, six people including British tech billionaire Lynch and his eighteen-year-old daughter Hannah remain missing.

Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy are still missing.

Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo - who represented Mr Lynch in his recent legal battle - is also yet to be found, along with his wife Neda.

Lynch had invited family and friends on the yacht to celebrate his triumph over fraud charges in the US.

The billionaire had gathered guests from legal firm Clifford Chance, as well as his own company Invoke Capital after being cleared in June.

It comes as:

Mike Lynch (pictured) invited family and friends on his superyacht to celebrate his triumph over fraud charges in the US. Lynch is missing alongside his 18-year-old daughter Hannah

Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer (pictured), and his wife are also missing

Lynch's attorney Christopher Morvillo (pictured) and his wife Neda are also missing

Neda and her husband Christopher are both missing in the wake of Monday's superyacht sinking off the coast of Sicily

Luxury sailboat Bayesian was docked off the coast of Porticello when a waterspout struck the area just before 5am on Monday

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Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American. It is feared those who have not yet been found were asleep in their cabins when the boat went underwater.

Wealthy American couple Mr and Mrs Morvillo have not been seen since the Bayesian foundered off Palermo Monday morning after being caught in bad weather.

Mr Morvillo, 59, worked as a lawyer for Mr Lynch, who had chartered the vessel to celebrate a recent legal victory.

He is a partner at the prestigious Clifford Chance law firm, which has offices around the world.

Mr Morvillo previously served as an assistant US attorney for the Southern District of New York between 1999 and 2005.

His wife, 57, has her own luxury jewellery line run under her maiden name, Neda Nassiri.

The couple have an apartment on New York's Upper East side. They also own a luxurious four-bedroom, five bathroom home worth $2.3 million in South Kent, Connecticut.

They have two daughters - 27 year-old Sabrina, a voice actress, and 23 year-old Sophia, who studied the prestigious theater course at Northwestern University.

The couple's identities were first revealed by the Daily Mail on Monday evening.

Mr Bloomer, a close friend of Lynch, was also confirmed missing by Italian Authorities.

According to his Linkedin profile, Mr Bloomer is the chairman of insurance provider Hiscox and was formerly the chief executive of Prudential before being ousted in a boardroom coup in 2005.

'Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our Chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing,' Aki Hussain, Group CEO of Hiscox, which Bloomer also chaired, said in a statement.

Judy Bloomer has been described as a 'brilliant champion for women's health' by a charity she works with.

Mrs Bloomer is a supporter and former board member of the Eve Appeal, a charity that raises awareness and funds research into gynaecological cancer.

'Judy is a brilliant champion for women's health and medical research, and has been an incredible supporter, committee member and trustee of our charity for over 20 years,' chief executive Athena Lamnisos said.

'We are deeply shocked to hear the news that our very dear friend and her husband Jonathan are among those missing.

'Our thoughts are with Judy and Jonathan's family, as well as all those who are still waiting for news after this tragic event.'

Among the 15 who survived include a one-year-old British baby called Sofia, who was kept afloat by her mother, 36-year-old Charlotte Golunski.

Lawyer Ayla Ronald, 36, (pictured) who was part of the successful legal team who were invited to go sailing with Lynch, is one of the survivors

Charlotte Golunski, 36, (pictured) her husband and her one-year-old baby also survived

Mrs Golunski, an Oxford graduate and senior associate at Invoke, also survived after fighting to prevent her child from drowning.

The mother told Italian newspaper Republicca: 'I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

'It was all dark. In the water I couldn't keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.'

Mrs Golunski's British husband James Emsilie, 36, also survived the tragedy.

Another survivor is Clifford Chance lawyer Ayla Ronald, 36, who was part of the successful legal team invited to go sailing with Lynch, according to her father Lin.

Mr Ronald told The Telegraph: 'I have texted with my daughter and she hasn't given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said to me that there are deaths, and she and her partner are alive.'

Lynch remains missing while his wife Angela (pictured) survived and is recovering

Luxury sailboat Bayesian rapidly sank after getting caught up in a 'whirlwind' in Sicily

Other survivors included Irish woman Sasha Murray, 29, Matthew Fletcher, 41, from London, James Calfield 51, from New Zealand, Myin Htun Kyaw, 39, from Myanmar and the French Captain Matthew Griffith.

They were rescued by crews from nearby boats including that of Karsten Borner, the captain of a sailing ship anchored near the Bayesian, who said his team struggled to keep their boat afloat when the tornado hit.

Fabio Cefalu, a fisherman in Porticello who witnessed the tragedy unfold, said he saw a waterspout  a sort of mini-tornado  that lasted about 12 minutes shortly before 4am.

At around 4.10am he said he saw a red flare go off from Bayesian but by the time he was able to reach the area about 20 minutes later the yacht had all but disappeared. 'We found only the cushions, and a few planks floating in the water,' he said.
Xi, Lam hold talks, guiding development of China-Vietnam community with shared future

Xinhua) 08:00, August 20, 2024

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, and his wife Ngo Phuong Ly prior to the talks between Xi and Lam in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, held talks with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Vietnamese president, on Monday in Beijing.

Xi welcomed Lam's state visit to China and once again congratulated him on his election as general secretary of the CPV Central Committee.

CARRYING FORWARD TRADITIONAL FRIENDSHIP

China is the destination for Lam's first overseas visit after he took office as general secretary of the CPV Central Committee. Xi said this fully reflects the great importance Lam attaches to the relations between the two parties and the two countries, as well as the high level and strategic nature of China-Vietnam relations.

He pointed out that the CPC and the CPV have passed down their shared ideals and beliefs from generation to generation, forging the traditional friendship of "comrades-plus-brothers" between the two countries.

As two of the ruling Communist parties in today's world, the CPC and the CPV should uphold and continue their traditional friendship, keep in mind their common mission, adhere to the leadership of the Communist party and the socialist system, continue to deepen the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, and jointly promote the development of the world socialist cause, Xi said.

The CPV and the Vietnamese government always attach importance to developing relations with China and regard China as the strategic choice and top priority of Vietnam's foreign policy, Lam said, noting that the Vietnamese side will adhere to the leadership of the Communist party and the socialist path, deepen the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and push forward the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

"Lam's visit comes just half a month after he was elected general secretary of the Central Committee of the CPV, showing the importance the Vietnamese side attaches to relations with China," said Chen Hongsheng, director of Institute of Vietnamese Studies, Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences.

"In particular, Lam arrived in south China's Guangzhou on Sunday, visited the places that witnessed Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary activities in China, and exchanged views with friendly personages from China and Vietnam. This is of great significance to consolidating and developing the traditional friendship between the two countries and boosting the continuous progress of bilateral relations," Chen said.

DEEPER PRACTICAL COOPERATION

Xi underscored that at the critical stage of national development and revitalization, China and Vietnam should strive to consolidate the development pattern featuring higher political mutual trust, more solid security cooperation, deeper practical cooperation, stronger public support, closer multilateral coordination and cooperation, and better management and resolution of differences.

China is ready to maintain close strategic communication and high-level exchanges with Vietnam, firmly adhere to mutual support, actively explore ways to expand synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, accelerate the "hard connectivity" of railway, expressway and port infrastructure, enhance the "soft connectivity" of smart customs, and jointly build a secure and stable industrial and supply chain, Xi said.

Vietnam is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges, deepen strategic mutual trust, enhance synergy of development strategies, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation with China, Lam said.

China has been Vietnam's largest trading partner since 2004, and Vietnam is China's largest trading partner within ASEAN.

In 2017, China and Vietnam signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the joint implementation of the China-proposed BRI and Vietnam's Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy to expedite cooperation across diverse sectors.

In the first seven months of 2024, a total of 6,850 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers of goods were shipped via China-Vietnam freight trains departing from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, marking a 16-fold increase year on year.

Moreover, thanks to favorable policies such as direct air routes and visa facilitation, the cross-border tourism between China and Vietnam has shown vigorous development. This two-way surge in travel not only boosts the development of the tourism industry, but also deepens the cultural exchange and friendship between the two countries, a Chinese tourism official said.

A SHARED FUTURE

During Xi's visit to Vietnam last December, the two countries jointly announced the elevation of bilateral ties to a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

In his talks with Lam, Xi expressed the willingness to establish good working relations and personal friendship with Lam to jointly guide the substantial development in building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

He also called for joint efforts to uphold the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and other basic norms governing international relations, promote an equal and orderly multi-polar world and economic globalization that benefits all, uphold international fairness and justice and the common interests of developing countries, and work to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

For his part, Lam said that the CPV and the Vietnamese government will carry on the legacy of Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, adhere to the leadership of the Communist party and the socialist path, deepen the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and push forward the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

Vietnam firmly pursues the one-China policy, supports China in achieving national reunification, and firmly opposes any interference in China's internal affairs, Lam said.

Vietnam supports and is willing to actively participate in the initiative to build a community with a shared future for humanity, as well as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, Lam said, adding that Vietnam is also willing to work closely with China to strengthen multilateral international cooperation, uphold multilateralism, safeguard international fairness and justice, and make positive contributions to promoting world peace and development.

During Lam's visit to China, the two sides will also issue a joint statement on further strengthening China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and promoting the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, and To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, have a small chat over tea in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, shakes hands with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi and Lam on Monday jointly witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents after holding talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The bilateral cooperation documents cover a range of areas, including Party schools, connectivity, industry, finance, customs inspection and quarantine, health, media and news organizations, local governments, and people's livelihood. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, holds talks with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, holds a welcome ceremony for To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, holds a welcome ceremony for To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, holds a welcome ceremony for To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, and To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, have a small chat over tea in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, holds a welcome ceremony for To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
UN chief heads to China, via Pacific island nations, Singapore

Xinhua) 09:58, August 20, 2024

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres leaves on Monday for a September visit to China, but on a circuitous route through part of the Pacific, his chief spokesman said.

Stephan Dujarric, the spokesman, said the UN chief will first visit Samoa from Aug. 21-23 to meet with Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa.

"He will then briefly be in New Zealand, in Auckland, on Aug. 23-24, where he will meet with the prime minister, Christopher Luxon," Dujarric said. "From there, he will go to Tonga from Aug. 24-27 where he will participate in the Pacific Islands Forum."

The spokesman said Guterres is expected to meet with Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni of Tonga and other leaders attending the Pacific Islands Forum. His visit will also serve as an opportunity to emphasize the impact of sea level rise in the region and beyond.

Dujarric said that the secretary-general will engage with local communities and civil society representatives, including young people in both countries.

The spokesman said the UN chief will head off to Timor-Leste from Aug. 28-31, where he will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Popular Consultation. The United Nations organized the Popular Consultation.

Dujarric said Guterres will go to Singapore Sept. 1-2 to meet with the president of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

"From Sept. 2-5, he will be in China," the spokesman said. "Among other engagements there, he will take part in the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and that will take place in Beijing where he will highlight the importance of South-South cooperation to build solidarity and drive progress on shared development goals."

Dujarric said the secretary-general would also meet with senior government officials in Beijing.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
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This is the tragic final picture taken on board the doomed Bayesian yacht - with an image of a serene sunset and calm waters posted just hours before the vessel sank.

The photo was taken by one of the guests, Ayla Ronald, who shared it on her Instagram story the evening before a freak storm sank the luxury yacht off the coast of Sicily.

The lawyer, a senior associate at Clifford Chance, was part of British Bill Gates' Mike Lynchs legal team and had been invited on the trip as a celebration of his recent court victory.

Ms Ronald, 36, from London, and her partner were among those rescued after the tech tycoons 30million superyacht sank just 300 metres off the coast of the Italian island early on Monday morning.

Her father Lin Ronald confirmed that she was part of Dr Lynch's successful legal team who were invited to go on the sailing trip along with her partner, Matthew Fletcher.

Ayla Ronald, 36, a senior associate at Clifford Chance, shared the final picture taken on board the doomed Bayesian yacht

Clifford Chance lawyer Ayla Ronald (pictured), 36, from London, and her partner were among those rescued

Her father Lin Ronald said that Ayla (pictured) was part of Dr Lynch's successful legal team who were invited to go on the sailing trip

Mr Ronald told the Telegraph: 'I have texted with my daughter. She has only said to me that there are deaths, and she and her partner are alive' (pictured: Ayla Ronald)

He said: 'I have texted with my daughter She has only said to me that there are deaths, and she and her partner are alive.

The only other information Ive got is that Aylas phone is apparently the only one thats had a battery, and so shes been acting in some fashion as a co-ordinator with the medics.

Mr Ronald said his daughter was also a keen sailor. She just passed her captains ticket a few months ago in Greece. Shes not an active sailor, but she loves it, he told the Telegraph.

It comes as the search for six people missing after a luxury yacht sunk in a storm off the coast of Sicily has resumed this morning with divers fearing bodies are trapped inside the vessel.

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter and a boss from Morgan Stanley, are among those who still have not been found after the 30million superyacht Bayesian went down early on Monday morning.

The vessel had been anchored just 300 metres from the coast when it was hit by a suspected freak waterspout amid heavy thunderstorms near the city of Palermo at around 5am.

The boat, which had been carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers - went down quickly, with survivors found floating in a life raft describing how they swam for their lives.

Search teams have already found the body of one man, thought to be an onboard chef, and there are fears that more bodies will be found in the hull of the ship by specialist divers today.

Search divers head out to the scene of the wreck near Porticello this morning as the operation to find the bodies of those missing continues

A fire service vessel and a smaller boat float in the water as divers continue their efforts to get into the wreck of the Bayesian today

A police vessel and coastguard ship seen in the waters off Sicily this morning as the search resumes for those missing after the sinking of the Bayesian

Emergency services including police and paramedics stand on the pier at Porticello as the search operation continues this morning

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch (pictured above) is missing after his superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily

Mr Lynch, once dubbed the British Bill Gates and worth an estimated 852million, had taken his family and friends on the 'victory' trip after being acquitted of fraud charges.

However, the dream trip, hosted by the 59-year-old father-of-two from Suffolk who claimed he was living a 'second life' after almost a year under house arrest, turned into a nightmare and tragedy struck.

In an extraordinary twist, the sinking comes days after Stephen Chamberlain, an ex-colleague of Mr Lynch  who he had successfully fought the fraud case with  died after being hit by a car.

As the sun rose over the Mediterranean this morning, the search for the bodies of the six missing people resumed with specialist divers heading 50m (164ft) down to where the wreck of the vessel lies on the seabed.

During yesterday's frantic search it was reported that bodies had been seen through the portholes in some of the cabins, although it is believed that divers have not been able to get inside the vessel due to furniture obstructing the way in.

A fire service helicopter stands close to the harbour in Porticello this morning as specialist divers from the emergency service take over search operations

Two men in a coastguard vessel head out of the harbour in Porticello this morning, more than 24 hours after the superyacht sank

An emergency and rescue service boat searches near the site where a luxury yacht sank, off the coast of Porticello, near the Sicilian city of Palermo, Italy, August 19

Mike Lynch's superyacht Bayesian (pictured) was anchored off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, Sicily, when a waterspout struck the area just before 5am on Monday, wrecking the boat and causing it to rapidly disappear beneath the waves

Mr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares (right) was among the 15 people who were rescued from the yacht

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Officials have said those on board the boat were in 'the wrong place at the wrong time', with hope already fading that anyone else will be found alive this morning.

The yacht sank as a fierce storm batter the area overnight, with survivors dramatically being rescued from the water including one woman who heroically saved a one-year-old British boy.

Mr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares, 57, who was among the rescued recalls the boat suddenly 'tilted' at around 4am, before glass began shattering.

There are fears that those who are still missing became trapped in their cabins, with divers earlier reporting that they saw 'bodies through the portholes' of the yacht, according to Italian media.

Francesco Venuto, the spokesperson for Sicily's civil protection agency, also told the BBC that they 'think [the corpses] must be there [in the boat]'.

Expert divers reached the hull on Monday morning, with more specialist teams brought in as the day went on cables reportedly fixed between the yacht and the surface to allow easier descent.

'The specialists are able to get into small spaces underwater,' a spokesman said.

Last night it emerged, the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch is deploying a team of four inspectors to Italy to conduct a preliminary assessment.

The superyacht was anchored off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when a waterspout hit the area just before 5am Monday morning

Experienced cave divers for deep sea recoveries arrive at the pier as a rescue operation continues for the missing people who were on board a sailboat that sank, in Palermo, Sicily, Italy, August 19

A weather map shows how Mike's Lynch's superyacht was buffeted by winds of up to 150mph before it sank

Captain Karsten Borner told the BBC: 'After the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone'

The superyacht, which staff employed by Mr Lynch said he was 'proud' of owning, had been lit up and illuminating the night sky when a waterspout - a whirling column of air and water mist - unfolded nearby.

The vessel, which was built in 2008 and had a 75-metre aluminium mast - the tallest in the world - overturned during the incredibly high winds, with witnesses claiming it happened so fast that it appeared to have just 'disappeared'.

'The boat was all lit up. Around 4.30am, it was no longer there,' said one.

The Italian Coastguard said in a statement that a nearby boat offered assistance to people before emergency services arrived.

The freakish nature of the event was brought into context by the fact that a Dutch sailing ship, the Sir Robert BP, which was anchored just metres away from the Bayesian, survived unscathed before rescuing the 15 survivors.

Karsten Borner, the captain of the boat, described how his vessel was battered by strong gusts, with his team working to stabilise it and manoeuvre it to avoid hitting the Bayesian nearby.

Borner told the BBC: 'After the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone.'

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue operations with helicopters and ships to find missing people after a yacht sank on Monday due to a storm east of Palermo in southern Italy on August 19

Experienced cave divers for deep sea recoveries continue the rescue operation for missing people who were on board a sailboat that sank off Porticello, near Palermo, Sicily, Italy, August 19

Emergency response teams are seen at the harbour near where the boat sank Monday morning

The Sir Robert BP, a Dutch sailing ship which had been anchored nearby the Bayesian, rescued 15 passengers (pictured above is a file image of the Sir Robert BP)

The British-flagged Bayesian is thought to have arrived in Porticello after a stopping in Milazzo, around 100 miles up the coast towards the Italian mainland

Mr Lynch's wife wife tragically revealed on Monday that not just her husband was missing after the yacht sank, but also their 18-year-old daughter, Hannah.

Hannah completed her A-levels this summer and had secured a place to study English Literature at Oxford University, according to the Times.

Two more passengers on board the Bayesian who are still missing are the chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer and his wife.

Mr Bloomer is a close friend of Mr Lynch and was confirmed missing by Italian Authorities alongside his wife.

According to his Linkedin profile, Mr Bloomer is the chairman of insurance provider Hiscox and was formerly the chief executive of Prudential before being ousted in a boardroom coup in 2005.

The other two yet to be found are Mr Lynch's attorney Christopher Morvillo and his wife Nada.

Attorney Gary Lincenberg said Morvillo and his wife 'are presumed to be passed away' after the yacht went down near Sicily.

Mr Lincenberg told Business Insider that 'Chris and his wife are gone'.

Both the hull and the superstructure, the part above the main deck, were made from aluminium

The enormous 246ft-high aluminium mast on Mike Lynch's superyacht (pictured from above) could have been what caused the vessel to capsize and sink rapidly, according to an expert

The group were staying on the vessel, which has been named as the Bayesian - a luxury yacht which sails under the British flag

A handout photo made available on August 19 by Perini Navi Press Office shows the 'Bayesian' sailing boat, in Palermo, Sicily, Italy

The Bayesian, which was previously known as the Salute, was a 56m long vessel built in Viareggio, Tuscany, by luxury shipmaker Perini Navi in 2008

Tragically, the body of a man was found floating alongside the sunken vessel on Monday.

Authorities identified the man as Canadian Recaldo Thomas, who was working as the boat's chef and was the only crew member unaccounted for.

His body was recovered, and police divers spent the day trying to reach the hull of the ship, which was resting at a depth of 163 feet off Porticello where it had been anchored, rescue authorities said.

Mr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares, 57, was among the 15 people who were rescued from the 180ft yacht, which had been carrying 10 crewmembers, Mr Lynch, herself, their daughter and nine guests.

She has revealed that the first sign of the freak waterspout that sunk the luxury sailboat Bayesian just before 5am this morning was a 'slight tilt' that woke her up.

Mrs Bacares said that they were not worried at the time, but that she still got up to see what was happening, until glass shattered and created confusion on board.

'The survivors are very tired and are constantly asking about the missing people,' Doctor Domenico Cipolla, Director of Paediatric Admission and Medicine and Surgery at 'Di Cristina' hospital in Palermo, said.

Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer (pictured), and his wife are also yet to be found

Lynch's attorney Christopher Morvillo (pictured) and his wife Nada are also missing

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch is among those missing after the Bayesian superyacht sank

Mr Lynch remains missing while his wife Angela (pictured) survived and is recovering

Charlotte Golunski, 36, and her young daughter Sofia were two of 22 people aboard the superyacht when it was battered in a storm before sinking a few hundred metres from the port of Porticello on Monday morning

Survivor of the Sicily yacht sinking Charlotte Golunski, who fought to save her baby in the storm

British mother Charlotte Golunski and her one-year-old baby called Sofia were reported to be among those rescued by a nearby sailboat, with Dr Cipolla confirming that they were treated at the Di Cristina hospital.

Ms Golunski, 36, has described how she momentarily lost her daughter in the 'fury of the waves', before finding her and managing to get them both to safety.

'I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning,' Ms Golunski said.

'It was all dark. In the water I couldn't keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.'

Five other people were taken to the Bagheria territorial emergency point. Others reportedly required no hospital treatment, and spoke to authorities about what happened as the incident is being investigated.

Other survivors included Irish woman Sasha Murray, 29, Matthew Fletcher, 41, from London, James Calfield 51, from New Zealand, Myin Htun Kyaw, 39, from Myanmar and the French Captain Matthew Griffith.
British tech tycoon Mike Lynch's award-winning luxury superyacht roamed around Europe's warm waters for days on its way to her doomed final stop in Sicily.

The 30million Bayesian, formerly known as the Salute, was being sailed in celebration of the 59-year-old recent acquittal of criminal fraud charges in the US.

He had invited his family, along with his legal team and guests from his venture capital firm Invoke, to join him on the yacht to toast to his 'second life' after almost a year under house arrest.

The yacht had sailed from Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, making its way past several European countries including Belgium, France, the UK, Spain and Portugal before passing through the Strait of Gibraltar last week, according to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

Passing by Morocco's most northern major city, Tangiers, as it went from the north Atlantic to the Alboran Sea, the Bayesian, a 56m long vessel built in Viareggio, Tuscany, by luxury shipmaker Perini Navi in 2008, then passed Algeria, Tunisia and the Italian island of Sardiania before heading towards Sicily.

The 30million Bayesian, formerly known as the Salute, (pictured) was being sailed in celebration of Mike Lynch's recent acquittal of criminal fraud charges in the US

The yacht had sailed from Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, (pictured) making its way past several European countries

The Bayesian and its crew passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on its way to Sicily

It docked in Sicily's Milazzo (pictured) to restock and refuel

Mike Lynch (pictured) had invited his family, along with his legal team and guests from his venture capital firm Invoke, to join him on the yacht to toast to his 'second life' after almost a year under house arrest.

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The last port it docked in before it sank on Monday was in Milazzo, on the east of the island of Sicily.

The Bayesian reached Milazzo, often used as a hub for travelling to the idyllic Aeolian Islands, the day before Ferragosto, a public holiday on August 15 with roots in the Roman Empire.

Ferragosto, established by the Roman emperor Augustus in 18 BC, celebrates the end of weeks of what would've been arduous work in fields. Italians typically do not work, an instead head to the beach to cool off in the height of summer.

During this period of national rest, the Bayesian sat in port waiting to be refuelled and restocked.

The vessel then meandered down Sicily's northern coast, inching closer and closer to its final destination of Porticello.

The yacht sank as a fierce storm battered the area overnight on Sunday.

Mr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares, 57, who was among the rescued recalls the boat suddenly 'tilted' at around 4am, before glass began shattering.

The superyacht had been lit up and illuminating the night sky when a waterspout - a whirling column of air and water mist - unfolded nearby.

The 59-year-old was recently acquitted of criminal fraud charges in the US (File image of Lynch walking into a federal court in San Francisco, California, on March 26 2024)

Experienced cave divers for deep sea recoveries arrive at the pier as a rescue operation continues for the missing people who were on board a sailboat that sank, in Palermo, Sicily, Italy, August 19

The superyacht was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when a waterspout hit the area just before 5am Monday morning

An emergency and rescue service boat navigates on the sea near the site where a luxury yacht sank, off the coast of Porticello, near the Sicilian city of Palermo, Italy, August 19

Witnesses have described the moment the yacht went down as very sudden, claiming it was as if it just 'disappeared'.

'The boat was all lit up. Around 4.30am, it was no longer there,' said one.

'A normal joyous vacation day at sea turned into tragedy'.

Fisherman Pietro Asciutto said: 'I was at home when the waterspout hit. I immediately closed all the windows. Then I saw the boat, it had only one mast, it was very large. I saw it sink suddenly'.

The Italian Coastguard said in a statement that a nearby boat offered assistance to people before emergency services arrived.

The Sir Robert BP, a Dutch sailing ship which had been anchored by the Bayesian, is believed to have rescued the 15 survivors.

Karsten Borner, the captain of the boat, described how his vessel was battered by strong gusts, with his team working to stabilise it and manoeuvre it to avoid hitting the Bayesian nearby.

Borner told the BBC: 'After the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone.'

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch (pictured above) is missing after his superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily

Experienced cave divers for deep sea recoveries continue the rescue operation for missing people who were on board a sailboat that sank off Porticello, near Palermo, Sicily, Italy, August 19

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue operations with helicopters and ships to find the missing people after the Bayesian sank

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue operations with helicopters and ships to find missing people after a yacht sank on Monday due to a storm east of Palermo in southern Italy on August 19

Fisherman Fabio Cefalu said he had seen a flare from shore at around 4.30am and immediately set out to the site but by the time he got there, the Bayesian had already sunk, with only cushions, wood and other items from the superyacht floating in the water.

'But for the rest, we didn't find anyone,' he said from the port hours later. He said that he immediately alerted the coast guard and stayed on-site for three hours, but didn't find any survivors. 'I think they are inside, all the missing people.'

Mr Lynch is among six people missing.

His wife tragically revealed on Monday that not just her husband was missing after the yacht sank, but also their 18-year-old daughter, Hannah.

Hannah completed her A-levels this summer and had secured a place to study English Literature at Oxford University, according to the Times.

Two more passengers on board the Bayesian who are still missing are the chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer and his wife.

Mr Bloomer is a close friend of Mr Lynch and was confirmed missing by Italian Authorities alongside his wife.

According to his Linkedin profile, Mr Bloomer is the chairman of insurance provider Hiscox and was formerly the chief executive of Prudential before being ousted in a boardroom coup in 2005.

The other two yet to be found are Mr Lynch's attorney Christopher Morvillo and his wife Nada.

Attorney Gary Lincenberg said Morvillo and his wife 'are presumed to be passed away' after the yacht went down near Sicily.

Mr Lincenberg told Business Insider that 'Chris and his wife are gone'.

Tragically, the body of a man was found floating alongside the sunken vessel on Monday.

Authorities identified the man as Canadian Recaldo Thomas, who was working as the boat's chef and was the only crew member unaccounted for.

His body was recovered, and police divers spent the day trying to reach the hull of the ship, which was resting at a depth of 163 feet off Porticello where it had been anchored, rescue authorities said.
A TikTok star accused of assaulting his influencer girlfriend by dragging her by the hair, punching her in the face multiple times and threatening to kill her has been granted bail.

Rabih Houchar, 26, known as @Dior_onma_body to his 16,800 followers, appeared in the NSW Supreme Court on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty to domestic violence related assault occasioning actual bodily harm, destroying or damaging property and stalking or intimidating Tara Eslami on June 16.

Houchar's barrister Ertunc Ozen SC applied for bail under the condition of home detention, which Justice Robert Allan Hulme granted.

The prosecution argued that there was an unacceptable risk Houchar would carry out his alleged threat 'to kill' Ms Eslami.

However, Justice Hulme found the home detention conditions, which include reporting to police daily and being banned from the internet, were sufficient to reduce the risks to Ms Eslami and the community.

A $20,000 surety must also be entered, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Court documents state Houchar was in an on and off again relationship with fellow TikToker star Ms Eslami when they returned from lunch to the Vibe Hotel in Sydney on June 16.

While Ms Eslami was texting her friend, Houchar allegedly told her 'I don't like the girls you are hanging out with' and later accused her of speaking to other men.

Rabih Houchar is accused of assaulting and threatening to kill influencer girlfriend Tara Eslami (pictured)

Alleged facts state Houchar 'forcefully' took her phone and cracked the screen.

Ms Eslami took the phone back and is alleged to have said: 'I'm going to call the police. I should have done this earlier.'

Houchar allegedly attempted to apologise and said 'let's go and buy you a new phone' and after an intimate moment, he said 'we can part ways after this, you don't need to go to the cops'.

Another argument ensued, with police alleging Houchar grabbed her arm as she tried to leave with Ms Eslami saying: 'I'm not scared of you  I'm going to go to the police  I have voice recordings from before.'

As she packed her bags and walked to the front door, Houchar is accused of ripping her shirt and dragging her by the hair.

He allegedly punched Ms Eslami, causing her lip to bleed and leaving a bump on her forehead before punching his own head.

TikTok star Rabih Houchar, 26, (pictured) has been granted bail over accusations he violently assaulted his girlfriend Tara Eslami

Ms Eslami told him to 'calm down' with Houchar allegedly replying: '"hy are you doing this to me  I love you so much.'

After handing Houchar a cold item for his head, Ms Eslami was allegedly stopped from leaving.

Once back on the bed, she allegedly said: 'F**k off, please leave me alone  I don't ever want to see you again.'

Houchar allegedly punched her again in the head while she screamed for him to stop, before he replied saying: 'Stop? I'm gonna go to jail.'

Ms Eslami allegedly bit him on the arm before texting her sister 'help' and 'police'.

Houchar apologised, but then allegedly threatened Ms Eslami.

'I'm not gonna ever let you leave me, I'll kill you before you leave,' he allegedly told her.

Tara Eslami (pictured) has a combined following of more than 17,000 people across Instagram and TikTok under the name Tara Eve

Houchar was arrested in his hotel room later that night.

Ms Eslami has a combined following of more than 17,000 people across Instagram and TikTok under the name Tara Eve, where she shares videos off her lavish lifestyle - enjoying overseas holidays, attending plush events and posing for photo shoots.

Daily Mail Australia previously revealed that she attended a lavish boat party to celebrate the birthday of a fellow influencer on the night of the alleged assault.
Tesco has armed its delivery drivers with DNA tests to help police track down the vile customers who abuse them.

The British supermarket has offered its staff so-called 'spit kits' in an effort to combat the shocking increase in violent attacks on retail workers.

If a customer becomes aggressive and spits, the violated staff member can use the DNA kit to collect a sample. They are then urged to contact the Tesco security team as well as the police.

The kits now come as standard in delivery vans and were first issued a number of years ago. Tesco offers the 'spit kits' to any colleague who wishes to use them.

The drastic measure comes as the number of daily incidents of abuse against retail workers surged by 50 per cent from 870 to 1,300 in 2023, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

Tesco has armed its delivery drivers with DNA kits to help police trace abusive customers who become aggressive and spit on them

The supermarket giant says attacks on its staff have risen by a third in the last year (Stock Image)

The BRC found that retailers have spent around 1.8million to tackle crime, investing in 'necessary measures' such as Tesco offering frontline workers body-worn cameras.

The Co-ops frontline staff now wear body cameras and headsets so they can call for help if attacked, part of a 200 million investment in security over recent years.

This month Pret A Manger gave its managers bodycams due to rising rates of shoplifting and abuse towards staff.

Tesco boss Ken Murphy wrote in The Mail on Sunday that the rise in customers being 'verbally and physically abusive' towards staff is 'heartbreaking'.

He said: 'As retailers, we work hard to make sure our stores are warm, welcoming and safe not just for customers, but for the millions of people who stock the shelves, walk the floor and serve the tills.

'Like everyone, they deserve to be safe at work.

'But over the last couple of years, these unsung heroes are being made to feel less safe by the actions of some people: customers who will be verbally and physically abusive, or who will threaten and attack them when challenged.'

Mr Murphy added: 'This is unacceptable. And for these colleagues, their families, and all of us who know someone who works in retail, its heartbreaking.'

The CEO admitted that physical assaults on Tesco workers rose by a third between 2022 and 2023.

As well as offering body-worn cameras, the supermarket giant spent heavily on protective screens and digital radios to keep their staff and stock secure - as the BRC predicted 2billion worth of goods could be lost to shoplifting in 2024.

Similarly, one in three staff at Asda have been attacked on the job including being stabbed and punched. The supermarket confirmed it had spent 30million during the last three years to protect its workers.

Body armour companies have also reported a rise in demand for stab vests from shop staff in the last two years.

Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy (pictured) says tougher laws are needed to deter people from attacking supermarket workers

Every frontline Tesco colleague has been given the option of a body-worn camera (Stock Image)

An attack by Josh James at a Tesco store in Bristol in October 2022 saw him swinging a knife at helpless employees

A reported altercation at a Tesco in Aston, Birmingham in January 2022 saw a Tesco worker punched in the face as security staff grappled with alleged shoplifters

Last year Mail Online revealed that a hell-raising 'joker' was jailed after one of his 'pranks' saw a female shopworker at Asda being brutally beaten unconscious.

Attention seeker George O'Boyle, 30, led a rabble of delinquents in fancy-dress through a an Asda store at Clapham Junction in London, turning it into a violent mass brawl.

O'Boyle's friend Josh McDonald wore a Spider-Man costume as he kicked and punched defenceless staff member Lauren Scott until she was unconscious.

Tesco CEO Mr Murphy demanded that the government 'make abuse or violence towards retail workers an offence', as is the case in Scotland.

In a major victory for the Mail on Sunday campaign, the legislation will be included in the new Criminal Justice Bill.

Sir Keir Starmer pledged Labour would 'legislate to make sure assaulting shopworkers is a stand alone criminal offence because you deserve to feel safe at work.'

He said: 'The Mail is completely right to campaign for a tougher response to shoplifting and a crackdown on assaults against workers. Labour will deliver on both of these calls.

'As part of our mission to take back our streets, we will reverse the Tory "Shoplifters' Charter".'

Josh McDonald pictured kicking Lauren Scott in Asda in Clapham Junction, south-west London. Attention-seeker George O'Boyle led a rabble of delinquents and wannabe 'influencers' including McDonald on a fancy-dress invasion of an Asda store

Attention-seeker George O'Boyle, 30, was jailed for more than two years after assaulting workers at an Asda store in July 2021. But days after his attack, the father-of-two posted a series of videos on TikTok showing him terrorising other Asda workers

In another video, released on August 8 2021, O'Boyle is seen taunting a female Asda worker as he cooks two burgers on a camping stove in the store

What Sir Keir calls the 'Shoplifters' Charter' was introduced by the Conservative government in 2014. It considers the theft of goods under 200 to be considered 'low value' allowing for such offences to be dealt with by post.

Before moving into 10 Downing Street, Starmer said: 'The changed Labour Party I lead knows that respect for the rule of law is paramount.

'As our country's former chief prosecutor, I know we can only deliver justice for victims and deter crime with visible police on the beat and a justice system people can believe in.'
Specialist divers searching the wreck of the British superyacht Bayesian were among the team of rescuers scrambled to deal with the sinking of the Costa Concordia.

A frantic hunt is underway to find the six people still missing following the Bayesian's shock sinking off the coast of Sicily on Monday morning.

The 30million luxury vessel - owned by British tech mogul Mike Lynch - capsized after being battered by tornado-forced wind.

Specialist divers are this morning resuming efforts to get into the wreck of the 187ft British-flagged vessel - with Mr Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter among the passengers missing and now feared dead.

Italian news website il Giornale now reports that some of the frogmen deployed today also supported rescue efforts onboard the sunken cruise ship the Costa Concordia.

The Costa Concordia partially sank in January 2012 after it struck a rock off the coast of Tuscany, killing 33 people.

Specialist divers searching the wreck of the British superyacht Bayesian were among the team of rescuers scrambled to deal with the sinking of the Costa Concordia (pictured are divers in Sicily on Tuesday morning)

The Costa Concordia partially sank in January 2012 after it struck a rock off the coast of Tuscany, killing 33 people.

British tech mogul Mike Lynch's superyacht Bayesian (pictured) was anchored off the coast of Porticello when it sank on Monday - with six people still missing from the disaster

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Meanwhile, four British personnel from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch are on their way to the Sicilian city of Palermo to carry out a preliminary assessment.

The team of UK experts will join a group of Italian specialists to try and work out exactly how the Bayesian - named after the mathematical theory Mike Lynch used to make his millions in the tech industry - went down.

Mystery still surrounds the tragedy. However, experts fear the boat's large, 237ft metal mast - one of the tallest in the world - may have played a part in the disaster.

The yacht had been anchored offshore from Porticello, having sailed from the seaside village of Cefalu, when it was hit by a freak waterspout caused by bad weather and sank near Palermo.

Weather experts say a 'brief but very violent meteorological event' involving winds of more than 93mph hit the area, which may have caused the yacht's distinctive aluminium mast to buckle and snap, forcing the ship to sink.

The colossal rigging combined with the yacht's relatively shallow keel of about 16ft under the waterline, could have led to the vessel to capsizing more easily, it was last night claimed.

There are also theories that oppressive overnight temperatures of 27C (80C) could have prompted passengers to leave portholes and windows open  speeding up the sinking when the high winds hit.

Rescue teams are pictured on the water off the coast of Sicily on Tuesday morning

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch (pictured above) is missing after his superyacht sank

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An emergency and rescue service boat navigates on the sea near the site where the Bayesian sank when disaster struck just before 5am on Monday

The president of the Italian Meteorological Society said the heatwave had caused the ocean temperature in the Mediterranean sea near Sicily and Sardinia to be three degrees (Celsius) warmer than normal for this time of year.

'This heatwave in Mediterranean waters is defined as extreme,' Luca Mercalli said, describing it as a 'very high meteorological anomaly character'.

A third theory is that If Bayesian dropped her anchor into soft mud, she could have dragged her anchor across the seabed as the tornado-force winds hit her. The moving yacht could have then hit an obstruction such as a rock.

The disaster took place at 5am. But local reports claim that while the Bayesian sank, other vessels in the vicinity remained afloat despite the powerful wind gusts.

It comes as the yacht's former chief stewardess Monica Jensen, 48, admitted the disaster was 'a bit strange' because she's crossed the Atlantic on the boat and it withstood bad weather 'all over'.

Last night, Mr Lynch  once dubbed the British Bill Gates and worth an estimated 852million and his daughter Hannah, 18 - who completed her A-levels this summer and has a place to read English at Oxford University  were among six missing and feared dead.

The yacht's former chief stewardess Monica Jensen, 48, (above) said it is 'a bit strange' the boat sank because she's crossed the Atlantic on the boat and it withstood bad weather

Luxury sailboat Bayesian was docked off the coast of Porticello when a waterspout struck

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue

The body of one man, thought to be an onboard chef, has been found, while specialist divers fear those unaccounted for could be in the hull of the ship after getting trapped in their cabins.

And in an extraordinary twist, the tragedy comes days after Stephen Chamberlain, an ex-colleague of Mr Lynch  who he had successfully fought the fraud case with  died after being hit by a car.

Ms Jensen worked on the Bayesian from November 2018 to October 2020 for a private owner, and said it was then sold.

She was onboard for two Caribbean seasons and cruised around Italy, Malta, Greece and the Balearics on the yacht.

She told The Telegraph: 'It seems a bit strange. We have been in bad weather with it, crossed the Atlantic. It's been all over. These things definitely don't happen very often.'

Matthew Shank, chairman of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, told Radio 4 this morning: 'There were weather warnings out that evening for intense thunderstorms. They are still incredibly rare weather events.

'Given the rarity of these events there isn't really much the captains or the crew could do to prepare for these events given how rare they are.

'Reports that people who were in the life raft have had to enter the life raft from the water, and that indicates to me that this emergency has happened very, very quickly.

'People haven't had time to enter the life raft from the vessel, they've had to enter from the water.'

As the yacht began to sink, a member of the crew fired a distress flare which alerted vessels nearby.

Mr Shank added: 'One of the captains from the anchorage said he saw the vessel there one minute and then the next minute the yacht was gone and all he saw was the red flare which indicates to me that this has been a catastrophic incident which has gone very quickly.'

The superyacht was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when a waterspout hit

A weather map shows how Mike's Lynch's yacht was buffeted by winds of up to 150mph

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue operations with helicopters and ships to find missing people after the yacht sank on Monday

The yacht - carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers - had the world's tallest aluminium mast at almost 250ft.

The enormous mast could have been what caused the vessel to capsize and sink rapidly, according to an expert.

It broke during the waterspout, causing the ship to sink after the weight of the mast took the hull beyond the 'down-flooding angle', technical consultant and nautical expert Gino Ciriaci told Italian website Corriere Della Sera.

The yacht is owned by Revtom, a company registered on the Isle of Man. Revtom's legal owner is Angela Bacares, Mr Lynch's wife.

Emergency divers found wreckage of the vessel at a depth of 187ft, where 'through the portholes they saw corpses'.

In June, Mr Lynch won a 13-year legal fight and was cleared by a San Francisco court of conducting a massive fraud relating to a 8.64 billion sale of his firm, Autonomy, to US company Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

If found guilty, it could have landed him 25 years in a US jail.

To mark his freedom, Mr Lynch had invited guests from legal firm Clifford Chance as well as his own company Invoke Capital to celebrate on the yacht trip.

Experienced cave divers for deep sea recoveries continue the rescue operation

Emergency response teams are seen at the harbour near where the boat sank Monday morning

In a cruel twist, it was revealed last night Mr Lynch's ex colleague and co-defendant in his fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain (pictured), died in hospital after being hit by a car on Saturday

The father of Ayla Ronald, who was part of Mr Lynch's legal team, confirmed that the sailing trip was supposed to be a celebration of the tycoon's acquittal.

But yacht sank as a fierce storm battered the area overnight on Sunday.

Mr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares, 57, who was among the rescued recalls the boat suddenly 'tilted' at around 4am, before glass began shattering.

The superyacht had been lit up and illuminating the night sky when a waterspout - a whirling column of air and water mist - unfolded nearby.

Witnesses have described the moment the yacht went down as very sudden, claiming it was as if it just 'disappeared'.

'The boat was all lit up. Around 4.30am, it was no longer there,' said one.

'A normal joyous vacation day at sea turned into tragedy'.

The Italian Coastguard said in a statement that a nearby boat offered assistance to people before emergency services arrived.

The Sir Robert BP, a Dutch sailing ship which had been anchored by the Bayesian, is believed to have rescued the 15 survivors.

The British-flagged Bayesian is thought to have arrived in Porticello before it sank

The Bayesian, which was previously known as the Salute, was a vessel built in Viareggio, Tuscany, by luxury shipmaker Perini Navi in 2008

Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer (pictured), and his wife are yet to be found

Lynch's attorney Christopher Morvillo (pictured) and his wife Nada are also missing

Karsten Borner, the captain of the boat, described how his vessel was battered by strong gusts, with his team working to stabilise it and manoeuvre it to avoid hitting the Bayesian nearby.

Two more passengers on board the Bayesian who are still missing are the chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer and his wife.

Mr Bloomer is a close friend of Mr Lynch and was confirmed missing by Italian Authorities alongside his wife.

According to his Linkedin profile, Mr Bloomer is the chairman of insurance provider Hiscox and was formerly the chief executive of Prudential before being ousted in a boardroom coup in 2005.

The other two yet to be found are Mr Lynch's attorney Christopher Morvillo and his wife Nada.

Attorney Gary Lincenberg said Morvillo and his wife 'are presumed to be passed away' after the yacht went down near Sicily.

Tragically, the body of a man was found floating alongside the sunken vessel on Monday.

Experienced cave divers for deep sea recoveries continue the rescue operation for missing people who were on board a sailboat that sank off Porticello, near Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Divers search for the missing people, including British entrepreneur Mike Lynch, after a luxury yacht sank off Sicily, Italy August 19

Authorities identified the man as Canadian Recaldo Thomas, who was working as the boat's chef and was the only crew member unaccounted for.

His body was recovered, and police divers spent the day trying to reach the hull of the ship, which was resting at a depth of 163 feet off Porticello where it had been anchored, rescue authorities said.

British mother Charlotte Golunski and her one-year-old baby called Sofia were reported to be among those rescued by a nearby sailboat, with Dr Cipolla confirming that they were treated at the Di Cristina hospital.

'By the way, I know that there were some young people on board, some very young people. They are very tired and they continually thank us for the care and attention we are giving them and the little girl. They are very tired but they are very sweet people,' Dr Cipolla said.

Ms Golunski, 36, has described how she momentarily lost her daughter in the 'fury of the waves', before finding her and managing to get them both to safety.

Nautical maps show the last known location of the Bayesian just after 2am local time on Monday, when it was at anchor

Charlotte Golunski, 36, and her young daughter Sofia were two of 22 people aboard the superyacht when it was battered in a storm before sinking on Monday morning

'I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning,' Ms Golunski said.

'It was all dark. In the water I couldn't keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.'

The mother, who is in hospital with her baby where she received treatment for a minor shoulder injury, abrasions and a 'wound that needed stitching', according to Dr Cipolla, described the ordeal as 'terrible', detailing how 'in a few minutes the boat was hit by a very strong wind and sank shortly after.'

Ms Golunski and her little girl were taken to be assessed at the Children's Hospital in Palermo. The baby is said to be doing fine and is unharmed, with tests only carried out as a precaution.

Five other people were taken to the Bagheria territorial emergency point. Others reportedly required no hospital treatment, and spoke to authorities about what happened as the incident is being investigated.
After the 30million superyacht Bayesian sank off the coast of Italy on Monday morning, many questions have been raised as the desperate search effort continues.

The search for six missing people continues today with fears bodies are still trapped in the vessel which went down as British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his friends celebrated his acquittal in a US fraud trial.

Mr Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley boss Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy, lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda are all still yet to be found.

The vessel had been anchored just 300 metres from the coast when it was hit by a suspected freak waterspout amid heavy thunderstorms near the city of Palermo at around 5am.

The boat - which had been carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers - went down quickly, with survivors found floating in a life raft describing how they swam for their lives.

But unanswered questions over the Bayesian sinking remain, including why it capsized when other boats stayed afloat.

It comes as:

Luxury sailboat Bayesian was docked off the coast of Porticello when a waterspout struck (The handout photo of the boat above does not show it sinking)

The 'Bayesian' sailing boat, in Palermo, Sicily, Italy, which sank on Monday morning (The handout photo of the boat above does not show it sinking)

Italian search and rescue teams search the water near where the boat went down

A life raft docked at the harbour near where emergency and rescue services are working

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch (pictured above) is missing after his superyacht sank

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Why did the boat sink when others stayed afloat?

Investigations are underway as to why the Bayesian sank as others in the vicinity remained afloat when disaster struck just before 5am on Monday.

The yacht - carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers - had the world's tallest aluminium mast at almost 250ft with questions being raised that it could have been what caused the vessel to capsize and plunge rapidly to the seabed, according to an expert.

It broke during the waterspout, causing the ship to sink after the weight of the mast took the hull beyond the 'down-flooding angle', technical consultant and nautical expert Gino Ciriaci told Italian website Corriere Della Sera.

He said even if the mast was made of steel it would not have changed anything.

He said a mast that tall would have exerted a pressure of 'tens of tons' due to the wind and said it is 'normal' that the boat could sink based on its technical characteristics.

The Bayesian is classified as a 'pleasure vessel' due to its length, very tall aluminium mast and being 37ft at its widest point.

Mr Ciriaci, who was a shipyard manager in Rome and is authorized by the Italian Ministry of Industry (Consap) to carry out technical assessments following accidents, said a mast can break in 'particularly extreme conditions'.

He said once the mast has fallen, the boat pitches and rolls with the waves much more vigorously without the mast and sails to dampen its movements.

Why was there hardly any damage to the boat?

The British-flagged Bayesian suffered little damage when it capsized and rapidly sank to the bottom of the seabed after being caught in the fierce storm.

One of the divers Marco Tilotta told Italian media the yacht is 'practically intact', resting on its side.

Divers had not ascertained whether the mast had snapped somewhere along its length during the tempest.

In the case of the Bayesian, Mr Ciriaci said the whirlwind was so violent that the boat heeled over, tilted and put the edge of the deck under water, and at that point, the water began to enter and the boat sank.

The freakish nature of the event was brought into context by the fact that a Dutch sailing ship, the Sir Robert BP, which was anchored just metres away from the Bayesian, survived unscathed before rescuing the 15 passengers.

Karsten Borner, the captain of the boat, described how his vessel was battered by strong gusts, with his team working to stabilise it and manoeuvre it to avoid hitting the Bayesian nearby.

The superyacht was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when a waterspout hit

What caused the freak weather accident?

The boat had been anchored offshore from Porticello, having sailed from the seaside village of Cefalu, when it was hit by a freak waterspout caused by bad weather and sank near Palermo.

Matthew Shank, chairman of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, told Radio 4 this morning: 'There were weather warnings out that evening for intense thunderstorms. They are still incredibly rare weather events.'

The boat - which had been carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers - went down quickly, with survivors found floating in a life raft describing how they swam for their lives.

One maritime expert has claimed the sinking of such a large vessel due to weather conditions is 'unprecedented' and has suggested that despite the severe storm at the time the superyacht should have been able to withstand it.

The yacht sank as a fierce storm battered the area overnight, with local meteorologists warning that 30C temperatures - warmer than normal - had amplified the risk of an extreme weather event.

Survivors were dramatically rescued from the water in the aftermath including one woman who heroically saved a one-year-old British boy.

Emergency response teams are seen at the harbour near where the boat sank Monday morning

Experienced cave divers for deep sea recoveries continue the rescue operation for missing people who were on board a sailboat that sank off Porticello, near Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Could the six missing passengers still be alive?

Mr Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley boss Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy, lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda are all still yet to be found.

As the sun rose over the Mediterranean this morning, the search for them resumed with specialist divers heading 50m (164ft) down to where the wreck of the vessel lies on the seabed.

Any hopes of finding the missing six alive is being hampered by a number of challenges: dive teams are limited to 12 minute shifts to explore the wreck, and they also need to have a clear path without the threat of debris to ensure a safe exit.

Nick Sloane, an engineer who led the salvage operation for the Costa Concordia disaster, says survivors may be trapped in 'air pockets' on board the doomed vessel.

Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer (pictured), and his wife are also missing

Lynch's attorney Christopher Morvillo (pictured) and his wife Neda are also missing

Neda and her husband Christopher are both missing in the wake of Monday's superyacht sinking off the coast of Sicily

He told Sky News that the next 24 hours are critical in the 'very dangerous' operation, with rescuers having to be aware of floating materials 'that can trap you'.

'They've got a very small window of time to try to find people stuck inside with hopefully an air pocket, and they could be rescued,' he said.

Firefighter divers trained to work in tight spaces were flown in from Rome and Sardinia to aid in the operation yesterday, but in their first search below the surface they failed to gain access to the vessel.

Asked about the likelihood of them being alive, Vincenzo Zagarola of the Italian Coastguard said: 'Never say never, but reasonably the answer should be not.'

Are the six missing passengers still inside the yacht?

During yesterday's frantic search it was reported that bodies had been seen through the portholes in some of the cabins, although it is believed that divers have not been able to get inside the vessel due to furniture obstructing the way in.

Search teams have already found the body of one man, thought to be an onboard chef, and there are fears that more bodies will be found in the hull of the ship by specialist divers today.

Officials have said those on board the boat were in 'the wrong place at the wrong time', with hope already fading that anyone else will be found alive this morning.

Francesco Venuto, the spokesperson for Sicily's civil protection agency, also told the BBC that they 'think [the corpses] must be there [in the boat]'.

He added: 'We've been searching all day with helicopters and boats, we've found nothing. That wouldn't make sense, in [these] conditions we should have found something by now.'

Mr Zagarola said officials in Sicily were working on the theory they were still inside the superyacht.

He told the PA News Agency: 'We think they are still inside the boat, that is our very hard idea.

'Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly.

'We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat.'

Expert divers reached the hull on Monday morning, with more specialist teams brought in as the day went on cables reportedly fixed between the yacht and the surface to allow easier descent.

'The specialists are able to get into small spaces underwater,' a spokesman said.

Divers search for the missing people, including British entrepreneur Mike Lynch, after a luxury yacht sank off Sicily, Italy August 19

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue operations with helicopters and ships to find missing people after the yacht sank on Monday

Did the crew have time to close their access hatches into the vessel before the storm struck?

Last night it emerged the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch is deploying a team of four inspectors to Italy to conduct a preliminary assessment.

One expert at the scene of the disaster, who declined to be named, said an early focus of the investigation would be whether the yacht's crew had had time to close access hatches into the vessel before the storm struck.

Investigators would look at whether appropriate measures had been taken, given the forecasts for bad weather overnight.

'We didn't see it coming,' the captain of the yacht, James Catfield, said of the storm, according to la Repubblica news website on Monday.

Emergency divers found wreckage of the vessel at a depth of 187ft, where 'through the portholes they saw corpses'.

Where did the mayday flare come from?

As the yacht began to sink, a member of the crew fired a distress flare which alerted vessels nearby.

Mr Shank told Radio 4: 'One of the captains from the anchorage said he saw the vessel there one minute and then the next minute the yacht was gone.

'All he saw was the red flare which indicates to me that this has been a catastrophic incident which has gone very quickly.'

Fabio Cefalu, a fisherman who witnessed the freak storm, told Italian media he stayed on site for several hours.

'After 10 minutes we saw a flare in the sky, we waited about 10 minutes to see the intensity of the tornado and we went out to sea,' he said.

'We were first to give rescue but we found no one at sea, we only found cushions and the remains of the boat.'

His brother Giuseppe - also a fisherman - told the PA news agency through a translator that he saw a 'tornado' close to the port of Porticello, and he and his sibling saw a flare in the sky at around 5am.

The pair aided efforts to locate people in the water after the yacht sank, but he said he only saw cushions and a buoy.

He said weather conditions on the morning of the sinking were 'fierce', with 'very strong' wind and rain.
Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick has revealed how he took weight-loss drug Ozempic 'for a short period of time' in a bid to shed the pounds.

The former immigration minister, who is bidding to replace Rishi Sunak, lost four stone in 12 months after realising he was 'overweight'.

Mr Jenrick said Ozempic had been 'helpful' but he 'didn't particularly enjoy it' and he has since 'lost weight in the normal way by eating less... doing some exercise'.

The 42-year-old quit Mr Sunak's government in December last year in a row over the Rwanda migration plan as he argued the former PM's laws were not tough enough.

He today said he would revive the policy, which has been axed by the Labour Government, if he were to win the Tory leadership election.

Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick, pictured at the beginning of this month, has revealed how he took weight-loss drug Ozempic 'for a short period of time'

The former immigration minister, pictured in July last year, has lost four stone in 12 months after realising he was 'overweight'

Mr Jenrick is competing against Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Priti Patel, Mel Stride and Tom Tugendhat to become the next Conservative leader

Mr Jenrick was first elected to the House of Commons at the Newark by-election in June 2014

The former solicitor was appointed housing secretary in July 2019 when Boris Johnson became PM

How will the Tory leadership contest work? 2 September - MPs return to Westminster following Parliament's summer recess 4 September - a ballot of Conservative MPs will slim the field of leadership contenders from six to four 29 September to 2 October - the four rivals will attempt to woo party members at the Conservative conference in Birmingham 9 and 10 October - further ballots among Tory MPs will reduce the four remaining contenders to a final pairing 31 October - an online ballot of Conservative Party members will conclude 2 November - the winning candidate from the members' ballot will be announced and they will be declared the next Tory leader Advertisement

Ozempic was designed to treat type 2 diabetes but has gained attention as a weight-loss drug among a number of celebrities.

These include Rebel Wilson, Sharon Osbourne, Stephen Fry and Elon Musk.

But there have been warnings of serious side effects to the drug, as well as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Speaking to Politico about his own use of Ozempic, Mr Jenrick said: 'To be honest, I was overweight.

'I took Ozempic for a short period of time, didn't particularly enjoy it, but it was helpful.

'Since then I've just lost weight in the normal way by eating less, eating more healthily, doing some exercise - going to the gym, going running.

'I've lost four stone in 12 months.'

The website reported that Mr Jenrick took Ozempic for six weeks in the autumn of last year.

Mr Jenrick is competing against Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Priti Patel, Mel Stride and Tom Tugendhat to become the next Conservative leader.

He has positioned himself on the Right of the party in recent months and has attracted the support of many of those who previously backed ex-home secretary Suella Braverman.

In an interview with LBC radio this morning, Mr Jenrick attacked Labour's new Home Secretary Yvette Cooper as 'too squeamish' to tackle the Channel migrant crisis.

'Because she is too squeamish to have an effective deterrent, she's abandoned the Rwanda scheme before she has come up with any credible alternative,' he said.

He confirmed he would bring back the Tories' Rwanda policy, which would have seen asylum seekers sent to the African country, if he won the leadership election.

'Yes I would, I want a stronger version of the Rwanda plan, that's what I proposed at the turn of the year,' Mr Jenrick added.

'One which would enable us to detain people upon arrival and then remove them within hours or days, rather than weeks or months.

'I believe that's possible - it would have been possible if the government at the time had accepted the amendments I put down with around 60 other Conservative MPs.'
Billionaire Elon Musk has suggested he will step up to the mark if appointed to a White House role by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Trump said yesterday if he is elected president in November he would be open to naming the Tesla CEO to a cabinet or advisory role.

'He's a very smart guy. I certainly would, if he would do it, I certainly would. He's a brilliant guy,' Trump said in an interview with Reuters.

Musk responded to the comments on X today with just five words: 'I am willing to serve.'

The CEO of X, formerly known as Twitter, also shared a picture of himself standing behind a podium with the words 'Department Of Government Efficiency' and 'D.O.G.E etched onto it.

The sign appears to be a reference to Dogecoin, a joke cryptocurrency that Musk aggressively promoted in 2021 causing its value to soar.

Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on August 17

Musk responded to the comments on X today with just five words: 'I am willing to serve'. Pictured: Musk's post

Billionaire Elon Musk pictured at the Viva Technology conference in Paris on June 16 last year

Musk and Trump have already formed an alliance with the Tesla CEO publicly endorsing Trump in the presidential race.

The pair carried out an extraordinary online interview together last week that was beset with problems including a major delay because of a 'massive' cyber attack.

The interview was also dominated by listeners noticing that Trump appeared to have a lisp or even slurred his words at points, struggling with words containing 's' sounds.

The interview on X started 45 minutes late after the social media site's servers were hammered with a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack.

Once up and running Trump spoke about becoming more religious after the attempt on his life in Pennsylvania on July 13, a shooting that Musk said showed Trump's courage.

The 45th President of the United States also vowed to build an 'Iron Dome' defence system for America like the one used by Israel to intercept missiles.

He then promised he would oversee the largest deportation of illegal immigrants in history if he became president in November, insisting that cities like New York have been 'overwhelmed' and that 'rough people' including terrorists are entering the US from Mexico.

Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in an interview with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk last week

Trump appeared to enjoy the chat (pictured) where he laid into Kamala and Mr Musk joined in

'These are people that are in jail for murder and all sorts of things, and they're releasing them into our country,' he said.

Mr Musk then urged Americans to vote for the Republican presidential nominee over Kamala Harris, saying that the US is at a 'crossroads' and that choosing Trump would be a vote for hope and prosperity.

In return Trump said he had 'no choice' but to back electric vehicles 'because Elon endorsed me very strongly'. Previously he said that EV supporters should 'rot in hell'.

However, Trump said on Monday that if he is elected he would consider ending a $7,500 tax credit for electric-vehicle purchases.

'Tax credits and tax incentives are not generally a very good thing,' Trump told Reuters in an interview after a campaign event in York, Pennsylvania, when asked about the EV credit.

'I'm not making any final decisions on it,' he added.

'I'm a big fan of electric cars, but I'm a fan of gasoline-propelled cars, and also hybrids and whatever else happens to come along.'
London City Airport will fly 2.5 million more passengers every year, but its bid to overturn the ban on Saturday afternoon flight has been rejected.

Airport bosses in Newham wanted to push back its flight curfew on Saturday afternoons from 12:30pm to 6:30pm.

However the government have rejected the proposed plans amid complaints from both campaigners and locals.

While airport chiefs were 'disappointed' with the ruling, their annual passenger cap rise from 6.5 million to 9 million by 2031 was approved.

Despite this, the number of flights will continue to remain the same at 111,000 a year.

London City Airport have been given the go ahead to increase their passenger cap from 6.5 million to 9 million a year (file image of London City airport)

However its bid to push back its flight curfew on Saturday afternoons from 12:30pm to 6:30pm has been denied (Pictured: Albert Dock towards City Airport)

However the increase in travellers comes with more flights taking off between between the hours of 6am and 9am.

London City airport say they would have only permitted new 'cleaner quieter aircraft[s]' during these times.

While campaign group HACAN East have dubbed the government's decision as a 'big win for residents, the mayor of Newham remains concerned.

Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz, told the BBC: 'I remain deeply concerned that our residents will be seriously harmed by the impact of further air-flight noise with todays decision to allow an increase in flights in the early mornings throughout the rest of the week.

'We will be studying the decision notice carefully and considering all options as we remain concerned about the detrimental impacts on the health and quality of life of our residents.'

The plan was initially rejected in July 2023 by Newham Council, which runs the borough in which the airport operates, over a range of objections such as the potential impact of the expansion on climate, air quality and noise.

Chief Executive of London City Airport, Alison FitzGerald said: 'Rejecting our request to extend our Saturday afternoon operating hours will slow down airlines bringing cleaner, quieter next generation aircraft to the airport.

'Local residents would have had the added benefit of these aircraft operating at the airport throughout the week, not just in the extended operating hours.'

The ruling was made by Deputy Prime minister Angela Rayner and Louise Haigh, who is the Secretary of State for Transport.

The document declaring the outcome said: 'The Secretaries of State agree with the Inspectors' conclusions, and agree with their recommendation.

'They have decided to grant planning permission, subject to revised conditions that maintain the existing Saturday curfew period.'

However the increase in travellers comes with more flights taking off between between the hours of 6am and 9am on the condition new cleaner and quieter planes are flown

Campaigners have rejoiced at the outcome of the proposals, but the Mayor of Newham remains concerned

Climate change campaigners have hit out at the decision dubbing it a 'clumsy mistep' by the new Labour government.

Paul Morozzo, who is a campaigner for Greenpeace UK told the BBC: 'This decision is a surprisingly clumsy misstep from our new government.

'Over half of the destinations served by the airport can be reached by train in under six hours, with Amsterdam and Edinburgh among the most popular routes.'

Eight London councils located near the airport, as well as Newham and various campaigners have been against the new proposed plans.

MailOnline has approached the Department for Transport for comment
The King will today visit the grieving town of Southport to express his concern for those affected by the horrific killing last month of three young girls and the subsequent riots that rocked their community.

He will also meet privately with those who have direct experience of the terrible events of July 29, including some of the surviving children who were present at the Taylor Swift-themed dance and bracelet making summer holiday camp at the Hart Space Community Centre, along with their families. Some of them will have been among the injured.

It is believed he will also meet with the families of the innocent young victims of the knife attack, Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar in London tomorrow.

His Majesty has already expressed his shock and sympathy at the events, and has been keen to make a personal visit for some time.

But he wanted to wait until those affected were ready for a royal visit and there was less strain on emergency services in the region.

Charles, 75, who is still undergoing cancer treatement, will fly down from Scotland where he is spending the summer.

The King will travel from Scotland to Southport today to meet with affected children and their families

It comes after a fatal stabbing attack on a Taylor Swift themed dance class which left three children dead, including Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven (pictured)

Bebe King, six, was also killed in the horror attack in Southport last month

Alice Aguiar, nine, died in the early hours of the morning after being rushed to hospital following the attack

After his private meeting with the children and their families he will then meet members of the Southport community outside the Town Hall.

Afterwards he will go to the nearby Southport Community Fire Station where he will met representatives from Merseyside's emergency services and local community groups.

He will be met by regional leaders including the Mayors of the Liverpool City Region and Sefton, Steve Rotheram and Councillor Jane Burns, Sefton MP Patrick Hurley and Sefton Council leader, Marion Atkinson.

Inside the station he will hear from staff representing Merseyside's Police, Fire and Rescue and Ambulance services about the roles responding to recent events and protecting people in the area.

He will also meet local groups impacted by the violent disorder in Southport, including faith leaders.

More than 50 police officers were injured as up to 1,000 people gathered outside a mosque after misinformation was spread online over the identity of the suspect in the killings.

More than 1,000 arrests were made nationally as the disorder spread and more than half of those charged.

Charles, 75, who is still undergoing cancer treatment, is expected to fly from Balmoral, where he yesterday inspected troops from the Royal Regiment of Scotland (pictured)

The King asked for daily updates on the riots which broke out after the fatal attack in Southport

In the town far-right yobs set a police van on fire as more than 1,000 people gathered following false information being shared on social media

The King was also said to be engaging 'privately' around the issues that the shocking national unrest and violence had generated

Earlier this month it was revealed that the King had asked for 'daily updates' on the riots sparked by the Southport atrocity and could visit affected communities in the future on government advice.

It was understood that he was keen to be kept updated on the rapidly evolving situation.

He was also said to be engaging 'privately' around the issues that the shocking national unrest and violence had generated.

Buckingham Palace declined to go into detail of what form that engagement is taking.

But sources stressed that that His Majesty has spent much of his life, both as King and as Prince of Wales, working to encourage community cohesion and interfaith dialogue.

It came amid calls by some for the Royal Family to take a lead amid the national crisis.

However others pointed out that the King must be seen to be impartial, particularly given the vitriolic and hugely divisive level of political discourse around the rioting.

A tribute to those killed in the Southport attacks was held on the same night as unrest broke out in the town

Queen Elizabeth, notably, did not intervene by issuing any public message during the equally explosive summer 2011 riots, sparked by the killing of Mark Duggan by the Metropolitan Police.

She would also have refrained from speaking publicly around the issue on official advice.

Sources stressed that His Majesty was acutely conscious any immediate reaction to the trouble should by led by the Government.

He issued a public message in the aftermath of the tragic attacks.

But given the security requirements around a royal visit - and with policing stretched to the limit in affected areas - it would only happen at a time when it did not place any additional burden on frontline emergency services or risk inflaming the situation on the ground while the country was still such a tinderbox.

Axel Rudakubana, 18, from Banks, Lancashire, will stand trial next year after being charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place.
Nancy Pelosi has finally revealed what role she played in pushing Joe Biden out of the presidential race, saying 'I did what I had to do'.

The former House Speaker, 81, revealed last night that her concern 'was not about the president' but instead was 'about his campaign'.

Pelosi, asked by CNN on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention if there was any 'residual bad blood' between her and Biden, said that 'sometimes you have to take a punch for the children'.

She then doubled down, saying Biden 'made the decision for the country' and adding that 'I have to do what I have to do'. She then pointed to the 'exuberance' and 'excitement' that has come in wake of Vice President Kamala Harris's candidacy.

The long-time Democrat leader admitted over a week ago that she pressured Biden, 81, to drop out of the White House race because she feared he was no longer making his own decisions.

Reports have suggested that Biden remains bitter at top Democrats - especially Pelosi - for pushing him out of the contest. But the President, in his own address Monday evening, said it's 'not true' that he's holding grudges.

Nancy Pelosi, asked by CNN on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention Monday night if there was any 'residual bad blood' between her and Joe Biden, finally revealed what role she played in pushing the President out of the 2024 race

Pelosi, pictured during Biden's speech, said that 'sometimes you have to take a punch for the children'. She then doubled down, saying Biden 'made the decision for the country' and adding that 'I have to do what I have to do'

CNN host Jake Tapper, acknowledging that the decision to drop out had been 'very difficult' for Biden, questioned Pelosi about the alleged 'residual bad blood or resentment' between the pair.

'Sometimes you have to take a punch for the children,' she responded, prompting co-host Dana Bash to ask: 'Who's punching right now?'

Tapper directly referenced Pelosi's under-the-radar feud with former top Biden adviser Anita Dunn who told the broadcaster earlier Monday that 'nobody wants to have a fight with Nancy Pelosi at this time'.

'I don't know, I didn't even hear this. I'm just hearing this,' Pelosi replied before gesturing to Tapper and saying: 'Maybe he's throwing the punch, I don't know.'

'I would never,' Tapper replied, before trying to double down his line of questioning about Dunn's remarks.

'I have to do what I have to do,' Pelosi interjected. 'He made the decision for the country. My concern was not about the president; it was about his campaign.'

She then noted 'the exuberance' and 'the excitement that has come forth in our country' since Biden dropped out and endorsed Harris's candidacy.

Pelosi also pointed to the 'exuberance' and 'excitement' that has come in wake of Vice President Kamala Harris's candidacy. Harris is pictured speaking at the DNC on Monday night

Delegates and supporters are pictured cheering for Kamala Harris as she takes the stage at the DNC at the United Center in Chicago on Monday night

Pelosi is seen clapping and cheering during the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago

Pelosi alleged that a Democrat in Illinois 'immediately got 1,100 volunteers into his campaign as soon as that announcement was made'.

Tapper, acknowledging that the 'nobody was questioning' that Democratic party is in a 'much better position' with Harris as its nominee, tried to push further.

But Pelosi interrupted him, asking: 'So, why are we even talking about it?' Tapper then joked that CNN 'put in on my script' and 'they're holding my cat hostage.'

For all Biden's good grace, there was little doubt among delegates ahead of Monday night's speech that he is still smarting over the manner of his exit, driven from the top of the ticket by allies from whom he had expected loyalty.

The one he reportedly blames the most - Pelosi - apparently hadn't got the message.

'#ThankYouJoe,' she said on X, along with a picture of her holding up one of the heart banners.

The former House Speaker also looked less than convincing chanting 'Thank you, Joe' during the President's speech.

Pelosi admitted over a week ago that she pressured Biden to drop out of the race.

Nancy Pelosi looked less than convincing chanting 'Thank you, Joe' during President Biden's speech at the Democrat National Convention

The former House Speaker also took to X to thank the President and shared a picture of herself holding up a 'We Love Joe' banner

Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Monday

The long-time Democrat leader, in an interview with the New York Times on Friday, stated that she intervened after a July 8 letter purportedly from Biden to Congress in which he re-affirmed his commitment to remaining in the election contest.

'I didn't accept the letter as anything but a letter,' she said. 'It didn't sound like Joe Biden to me. It really didn't.'

In the letter, Biden stated that he was 'firmly committed' to remaining in the race against Donald Trump as he sought to head-off calls to step aside following his disastrous debate performance and increasingly dismal polling.

But her role in getting Biden to step down from the 2024 running has reportedly frustrated some of the president's top allies.

'Nobody wants to have a fight with Nancy Pelosi at this time because we're a united party,' Biden's former adviser Dunn, who is now working at a pro-Kamala Harris super PAC, said on CNN.

But the ex-Speaker shot back on the first day of the DNC in Chicago, saying that she 'just wanted to win.'

'I have my relationship with the president, and I just wanted to win this election. So if they're upset, I'm sorry for them. but the country is very happy,' she explained. 'I don't know who they are, but you know that's their problem. Not mine.'

Kamala Harris, smiling and apparently beaming with joy, takes the stage at the DNC on Monday

President Joe Biden kisses Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris after his remarks at the Democratic National Convention Monday night

From left: Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden wave to the crowd after Biden's speech during the Democratic National Convention on Monday night

The president admitted earlier this month that Pelosi's concerns about other Democratic races contributed to his decision to exit the race.

'A number of my Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate thought that I was going to hurt them in the races,' Biden said in his first interview since ending his reelection campaign.

'And I was concerned if I stayed in the race, that would be the topic  you'd be interviewing me about why did Nancy Pelosi say [something]  and I thought it'd be a real distraction,' he said in the interview with CBS News Sunday Morning host Robert Costa.

A growing list of Democrats were calling for Biden to drop out of the race after his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump in June.
Rioting mothers are among the thugs brought to justice in Britain's summer of violent disorder - including a woman who took her child in a pram to a migrant hotel protest.

Another tried to ram police officers with a wheelie bin set on fire - while a grandmother and her daughter also appeared in the dock together.

The majority of defendants hauled before court over riots which have broken out in towns and cities across the UK following the Southport stabbings are male.

Analysis of latest figures has found 390 of 414 people charged, or 94 per cent, are men - compared to 24, some six per cent, being women.

Yet among the offenders have been mothers now facing time behind bars.

Stacey Vint, 34, was jailed for 20 months at Teesside Crown Court for her part in the 'unprecedented' violence witnessed in Middlesbrough town centre on August 4

She was caught on camera running at speed with a burning wheelie bin before attempting to ram it at police

Nevey Smith, 21, was seen with a pushchair containing her young child - surrounded by rioters, one clad in a balaclava

The mother - who admitted violent disorder on Monday last week - threw 'liquid' from the bottle on July 31 when she 'lost her temper'

Kelly Wildego was brought before court where she admitted assaulting an emergency worker

Kelly Wildego, 41, of Greenwich in south London, wept in the dock at Inner London Crown Court as she received a four-month suspended sentence

Nevey Smith, 21, was spotted running and lobbing a bottle of water at a line of officers in front of the hotel in Newton Heath, Manchester.

She was later seen with a pushchair containing her young child - surrounded by rioters, one clad in a balaclava.

The mother - who admitted violent disorder on Monday last week - threw 'liquid' from the bottle on July 31 when she 'lost her temper'.

She was filmed taking her child in a pushchair to the riots while going to see her grandmother.

Smith spotted her aunt standing and chatting with other people near the hotel and joined in.

The disruption was one of many clashes between rioters, counter-protesters and police which spread throughout the country.

They were triggered by misinformation about the suspect charged with the Southport stabbings where three little girls died, with the attack being widely and wrongly blamed online on a fictitious Islamist migrant.

Accused Axel Rudakubana, born in Cardiff to parents from Rwanda, has been charged with three counts of murder, ten counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed weapon.

Following the tragedy, far-right activists began targeting mosques and accommodation for asylum seekers.

Violence broke out in cities across England and also in Northern Ireland - and has been followed by a hundreds of charges including for children as young as 12, while those arrested also include a 69-year-old accused of vandalism in Liverpool.

Riot police outside the hotel in Newton Heath on July 31 where Smith threw 'liquid' at officers

Nevey Smith - who admitted violent disorder on Monday last week - threw 'liquid' from the bottle on July 31 when she 'lost her temper' outside the hotel in Newton Heath

Smith told a court she was 'deeply sorry' for her attack on the police as a judge told her: 'You put your own child at risk.'

Prosecutor Tess Kenyon said that there was a large-scale disturbance outside a hotel on Oldham Road, during which Smith was seen to throw a liquid from a bottle towards the police officers.

Ms Kenyon said: 'This was after two people who were seeking asylum had gone into the hotel. She had a child in a stroller with her at the time.'

Mitigating, Robert Moussalli said his client was 'deeply sorry', adding: 'She was taking her child to her grandmother's when she saw her auntie standing with some people near to the hotel and went to talk to her.

'Then people started shouting and she moved to the front of the group and her auntie went to the back with her child. She wasn't planning to do anything.'

He said Smith had thrown water, but it had not made contact with the officers, and that she 'lost her temper' when someone from behind the police 'shouted at her'.

'I accept she brought it entirely on herself,' Mr Moussalli added.

Granting her bail with stringent conditions, District Judge Joanne Hirst said: 'I am prepared to give you one opportunity. You put your own child at risk.'

The judge added that she was 'not as heavily involved as others' and was 'not heard to utter any direct racist abuse'.

Smith was released on bail and was due to be sentenced at Manchester Crown Court yesterday, though this was then adjourned for reports - with Judge Patrick Field releasing her on bail but warning custody was still an option.

Riots were seen across large parts of England and Northern Ireland following the stabbings in Southport (Pictured: Buildings set alight by thugs in Liverpool)

Rioters confront police officers outside a hotel in Rotherham that was housing asylum seekers

Laura Broome, representing Smith, told the court yesterday when asking for an adjournment for pre-sentence reports: 'She's 21, has no previous convictions and a one-year-old dependent son.'

The judge then said to Smith: 'Let me tell you, the fact that I'm ordering a pre-sentence report and the fact that I'm releasing you on bail should not be taken by you as any indication of what the eventual sentence will be.

'The judge who sentences you will have all sentencing options available, that includes a custodial sentence.'

As she left the dock, Smith replied: 'Thank you, judge.'

Elsewhere, mother-of-five Stacey Vint, 34, was jailed for 20 months at Teesside Crown Court for her part in the 'unprecedented' violence witnessed in Middlesbrough town centre on August 4.

She was caught on camera running at speed with a burning wheelie bin before attempting to ram it at police.

Footage showed Vint, helped by a masked man, pushing a flaming bin into a line of riot police on Linthorpe Road in Middlesbrough - before falling and being hauled backwards along the ground by officers.

After being found to be carrying cannabis following her arrest, Vint also admitted using or threatening unlawful violence and possession of a class B drug.

Earlier in the day, Vint had yelled at and abused police officers, and refused to leave the scene after being asked several times.

Meanwhile, a full-time carer for her disabled son yesterday avoided jail after charging at police and calling them 'c***s' during a protest in Whitehall last month.

Mother-of-five Stacey Vint, 34, was seen pushing a flaming bin into a line of riot police on Linthorpe Road in Middlesbrough, before falling to the ground

Another angle shows the moment Vint went tumbling to the ground as she pushed the bin

Moments later she was hurled backwards along the ground by officers and arrested

Kelly Wildego, 41, of Greenwich in south London, wept in the dock at Inner London Crown Court as she received a four-month suspended sentence after admitting assaulting an emergency worker.

Alex Agbamu, prosecuting, said 'members and supporters of far-right organisations' took part in the protest in central London on July 31.

Wildego shouted at officers, 'You're all a bunch of f***ing c***s' and 'You should be ashamed of yourselves' before rushing at them saying, 'F***ing take me' after most of the violence had stopped at about 8.45pm, the prosecutor said.

Video footage, played to the court, showed her being handcuffed on the ground.

Mr Agbamu said this happened in 'isolation' to the earlier disorder and 'without explanation'.

The prosecutor told the court that during a police interview, Wildego admitted her conduct and expressed remorse.

Judge Freya Newbery handed Wildego a suspended sentence due to her being a full-time carer for her 13-year-old son, who has learning difficulties.

The judge said Wildego was 'nasty' towards officers who were 'just doing their job', before adding: 'You're not the sort of person who usually acts like that.'

Joseph Lord, defending, said that Wildego, who was 'wholly ashamed' of her actions, got herself arrested to be with her husband, who was earlier detained by police.

Kelly Wildego was spared jail and handed a suspended sentence for assaulting an emergency worker due to her 13-year-old son's complex disabilities

Footage played to Inner London Crown Court, showed her being handcuffed on the ground

Wildego shouted at officers, 'You're all a bunch of f***ing c***s' and 'You should be ashamed of yourselves' before rushing at them saying, 'F***ing take me'

Kelly Wildego has since received a four-month suspended sentence after admitting assaulting an emergency worker

Wildego was also ordered to pay 200 towards prosecution costs and must observe an electronically monitored curfew between 8pm and 6am for eight weeks.

A mother-of-six who threw a brick at police during a violent protest in Hartlepool was jailed for two years, as a judge described her actions as 'truly disgraceful'.

Donna Conniff, 40, was identified from CCTV and video footage of a protest in Murray Street on the evening of July 31, in which she was seen hurling a brick and a rock towards a line of police officers, and was arrested on August 13.

Conniff, of Alford Court in Hartlepool, Co Durham, dressed in black and wearing sunglasses, was also seen handing a brick to a juvenile who threw it towards police.

She was part of a crowd of people who surged forwards at officers and was seen joining in with cheers as missiles were thrown.

Martin Scarborough, defending Conniff, told Teesside Crown Court yesterday that she came across the protest, advertised on social media, 'by chance' at about 6pm.

He said: 'She knows there can only be one sentence given the nature of what we have seen.

"This was not politically motivated on her behalf, she is genuinely remorseful for her behaviour.

'She is effectively of good character and she can't believe she has acted in the way she has.

Donna Conniff, 40, threw a brick at police and handed a brick for a juvenile to throw at officers

A police car burns as officers are deployed on the streets of Hartlepool following a violent protest on July 31

Police officers are seen on the streets of Hartlepool during the disorder which broke out

'She has reflected a lot on how she has behaved, it is the first time she has been in custody. She is a lady who has no recent convictions, she is not prone to violence.'

Judge Francis Laird accepted that Conniff, who earlier pleaded guilty to violent disorder, was remorseful, but said a custodial sentence was the correct course of action.

He said: 'A group of people gathered in the centre at approximately 6pm. The gathering was small but grew to around 200 or so people and violent disorder developed.

'In the course of a large-scale disorder, bottles, bricks, beer cans and other items were thrown at police officers. Several were injured.

'Whilst the disturbance was under way, you were a prominent part of a group that were throwing missiles at police officers.'

He told her: 'You were observed to throw a brick, hand a brick to a boy and encourage him to throw it at officers.

'You thrust out a leg, kicking towards a police officer. In the course of disorder, properties were targeted, windows were broken, shops and vehicles were damaged.

'Your behaviour and the behaviour of others around you was truly disgraceful. You were a persistent participant and the disorder took place in a busy residential area. Children were present.

'I understand you have not had an easy life. You were a care-leaver and now act as a carer for a former partner.

'You are remorseful, but you chose to take part in an organised and large-scale act of public disorder.

Protests broke out in Hartlepool on July 31, along with similar scenes across the UK

Judge Francis Laird told Teesside Crown Court: 'A group of people gathered in the centre at approximately 6pm. The gathering was small but grew to around 200 or so people and violent disorder developed'

Mother-of-six Donna Conniff, 40, who threw a brick at police during a violent protest in Hartlepool, has been jailed for two years

'Police officers were attacked, members of the public have been forced to endure the devastation and chaos caused to their community.

'The public are rightly outraged. Only a custodial sentence is justified.'

Conniff must serve up to one half of her 24-month sentence in custody before being released on licence.

As she was led out of the dock, Conniff shouted 'Love you' to family members in the public gallery.

Meanwhile, a mother and daughter wept as they appeared in court together charged with violent disorder following widespread trouble in Middlesbrough.

Grandmother Amanda Walton, 52, of Ashling Way, Middlesbrough, and Megan Davison, a 24-year-old mother-of-two, were remanded in custody following a hearing at Teesside Magistrates' Court.

Walton, who was walking her dog, is accused of throwing a stone at a building as a baying mob made its way along Parliament Road on August 4, and also of damaging a car wing mirror.

Walton was with her daughter, who was said to have repeatedly jumped on the roof of the same parked car.

No pleas were entered during the hearing, at which district judge Marie Mallon remanded both in custody to appear before Teesside Crown Court on August 29.

Meanwhile, Davison's partner, Jake Wray, who lives with her at Seaton Street, Middlesbrough, appeared in a neighbouring courtroom charged with violent disorder and arson with intent.

Thousands of police officers had to be deployed around the country after riots broke out at the start of August (Pictured: Unrest in Sunderland)

Rioters descended on County Road, Liverpool and set and a library on fire

Wray is accused of stopping cars to ask if the driver was white or English during the disorder in Middlesbrough.

The 23-year-old is also accused of setting a wheelie bin alight during the trouble in the town centre.

He did not enter pleas but it was indicated he would deny the offences and District Judge Helen Cousins remanded in custody to appear at Teesside Crown Court, also on August 29.

As he was taken away from the dock, he told people in the public gallery: 'Tell Megan I love her.'
Sadiq Khan has voiced fears of a surge in hate towards himself and his family should Donald Trump return to the White House.

The London mayor revealed his 'worry' about Mr Trump becoming US president again as he told Labour colleagues they 'shouldn't pretend' they're not supporting his rival Kamala Harris.

Mr Khan and Mr Trump have engaged in a personal feud over recent years, with the pair having publicly clashed as recently as May.

That saw the London mayor blast back at Mr Trump's claim that London was 'unrecognisable' because the city had 'opened its doors to jihad'.

As he celebrated winning a third term as mayor earlier this year, Mr Khan said Londoners had 'slammed the door shut' on Mr Trump's 'hard-right populism'.

Sadiq Khan has voiced fears of a surge in hate towards himself and his family should Donald Trump return to the White House

Mr Khan and Mr Trump have engaged in a personal feud over recent years, with the pair having publicly clashed as recently as May

Mr Khan voiced his support for Mr Trump's rival Kamala Harris, pictured with outgoing President Joe Biden

In an interview with the New Statesman, Mr Khan voiced his support for Mr Trump's rival Kamala Harris to defeat him on 5 November.

He praised the Democrat nominee's pick of running mate Tim Walz, as he compared it to Mr Trump's choice of JD Vance as his vice-presidential hopeful.

Mr Khan also urged his Labour colleagues not to be shy in publicly voicing their support for Ms Harris and the Democrats during the US election campaign.

'I've been so impressed with Tim Walz. It just shows the judgement that Kamala Harris has in relation to her choice for vice-president,' he told the magazine.

'Compare and contrast that with the choice made by the other guy, in JD Vance.

'It's obvious what my politics are. I'm a member of the Labour Party  we're a social democratic party. I want the Democrats to win.'

He added: 'It's no secret many Labour Party members go and volunteer for the Democrats during presidential elections.

'We shouldn't pretend otherwise. Many of my staffers helped all three: [Barack] Obama, [Hillary] Clinton and [Joe] Biden.'

Mr Khan's stance contrasts with that of Sir Keir Starmer, who since becoming PM has vowed to work with whoever is in the White House over the coming years.

Sir Keir last month spoke with Mr Trump in the wake of the assassination attempt on the ex-president.

David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, recently said he could find 'common ground' with Mr Vance as he sought to temper his past remarks about Mr Trump - who he once called a 'woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath'.

But Mr Khan did not moderate his stance towards Mr Trump when considering a possible return to the White House for the former president.

'The last time we had a Trump presidency, as a matter of public record, there was a massive increase in hate crime towards me,' he said.

'I worry about what a second Trump presidency would mean for me and my family, but I'm not going to allow these people to cower me.

'It makes me even more determined to do my job.'
A mother has broken down in tears as she described the moment she described watching her 14-year-old son die after he was run over by a bus while waiting to be picked up from school.

Cameron Millen was waiting with a group of other students outside Macarthur Anglican School in Cobbitty, south west of Sydney, at 3pm on February 15 last year when he was fatally struck by a bus.

The bus was being driven by Penina Lopesi, 55, when it mounted the kerb and ploughed into the schoolboy.

Lopesi has pleaded guilty to driving dangerously causing death over the fatal crash, the aftermath of which was described by Cameron's mother Michelle in Campbelltown District Court on Tuesday.

She broke down in tears as she recalled arriving at the school and screaming 'It's my son' as she tried to push past first responders to get to the 14-year-old.

'I can see he's dying from the way his little eyes are staring at the sky,' she recalled in her emotional victim impact statement.

'I need him to know I'm here, he's not alone.'

Cameron was rushed to Liverpool Hospital with life-threatening injuries but he was pronounced dead a short time later.

The mother of 14-year-old Cameron Millen (pictured) has told Campbelltown District Court she will never forgive the bus driver that crashed into her son, killing him

Ms Millen said her son's death has left her 'in pain all the time' and she has cried every day since her son's untimely death.

'What do I do with the love I have for him? The unkept promises, the untaken holidays, the conversations I was waiting for him to age to have, the unfulfilled promises,' she asked.

'The gaping hole in my chest is an open wound. It's not healing.'

Ms Millen said she 'will never forgive' Lopesi after her actions 'destroyed (her) family'.

'I cannot forgive someone who chose to stay hidden in their vehicle as my son died, who chose to conceal the truth from police, whose lawyers spoke to the world and suggested the killing was due to a mechanical failure of the bus,' she said through tears.

Cameron's father Geoffrey told the court Lopesi had not only 'taken Cameron's life but she's also taken away my family's future'.

'Knowing there will be no girlfriends, job interviews, driving lessons, and the hundreds of other moments we would have had with Cameron makes me feel empty and sad,' he said.

'Our house - that was once full of noise - is quiet.'

Michelle Millen (in red) told the court that the family has struggled with Camerons death.

Cameron's father, Geoffrey (right), said he was 'angry and lost' after his son's death that has 'taken away my family's future'

Mr Millen said he was 'angry and lost' and continued to struggle with the loss of his 'cheeky ... mini-me'.

'I'm angry that Cameron went to school and never came home,' he said tearfully.

'I'm angry that I'm completely powerless in this proceedings and have no say in what happens next, even though it will have a massive impact on my life.'

There were 'no charges' which could adequately address Lopesi's role in changing the family's lives forever, Mr Millen told the court.

A crying Lopesi told the court she is unable to sleep because her 'brain was still going to the family' of the dead teen.

'I'm stressed. I don't sleep,' she said through an interpreter.

The 55-year-old told the court she had tried to pull the handbrake when the bus careened across the footpath near the school.

'I pulled it up but it went back down,' the driver said tearfully.

'I tried to use the foot brake but I wasn't aware it was the accelerator I was pushing on.'

Lopesi acknowledged she didn't sound the horn to warn the students as the bus moved onto the grass.

'I panicked,' she said.

The Crown prosecutor pointed out that she had 'taken no remedial action at all' during the crash.

The bus driver, 55-year-old Penina Lopesi (pictured) pleaded guilty to driving dangerously causing death over the fatal crash and revealed she has rarely slept since

The court was shown video of the inside of the bus when it crashed, jolting the students inside who scrambled to get out.

The footage shows Lopesi place her hand over her mouth after the crash before frantically shaking her head back and forth multiple times.

She agreed with the Crown prosecutor's suggestions that she hadn't gotten out of the bus to render assistance or moved to help students inside the bus.

'I was in shock,' the driver said.

The court heard the 55-year-old had been behind the wheel of a bus during another crash two years earlier.

The tyres of the bus skidded in wet conditions before the bus crashed into a tree in July 2021, Lopesi explained.

The crown prosecutor noted the bus driver had a number of traffic infringements to her name, including running a red light and using a phone while driving.

Lopesi agreed she had not disclosed the infringements on her application form for a bus driving role at NSW Roads and Maritime Services, but her lawyer pointed out there wasn't enough space on the form.

When sentencing Lopesi later this year, Judge David Arnott SC will also take into account a back-up charge of negligent driving occasioning death and a related charge of failing to provide her particulars to police.
Rivers in English National Parks including the Peak District and Exmoor have higher drug pollution levels than London, a new study has found.

Some pharmaceutical drugs were found at 'levels of concern' for freshwater organisms and humans who come into contact with the water, researchers said.

Streams in the Lake District, South Downs, New Forest, Peak District and Exmoor were all found to have pharmaceutical levels potentially harmful to fish and plant life.

Scientists from the University of York have carried out what is believed to be the first in-depth analysis of medical drugs in rivers, across all ten National Parks in England.

A wide range of contaminants were detected including antidepressants, painkillers, diabetes medication and even antibiotics.

In some locations the levels of antibiotics were high enough to contribute to antibiotic resistance - posing a possible threat to the health of anyone enjoying wild swimming or other watersports.

Researchers said the higher concentrations in National Parks may be because wastewater treatment plants in these areas often have older and less sophisticated systems.

Research by the University of York and the Rivers Trust found pharmaceuticals at 52 of the 54 locations monitored across all ten national parks in England

The East Lyn river in Exmoor National Park (pictured). Exmoor was found to have the highest concentration of pharmaceuticals, followed by the Peak District and the New Forest

These areas also have seasonal population surges from tourism that may overwhelm such systems and remoter places are also more likely to have septic tanks and other more basic water treatment facilities.

Research by the University of York and the Rivers Trust found pharmaceuticals at 52 of the 54 locations monitored across all ten national parks in England.

The most frequently detected pharmaceuticals were caffeine, epilepsy drug carbamazepine, diabetes medication metformin, and antihistamines fexofenadine and cetirizine, which were detected at more than 60 per cent of the sampling locations.

However, painkillers including codeine, anaesthetics such as Lidocaine, and anxiety medication Diazepam - commonly known as Valium - were also discovered.

Exmoor, in the South West, was found to have the highest concentration of pharmaceuticals, with an average concentration of 3,461 nanograms per litre (ng/l) detected in the summer of 2022.

This was followed by the Peak District, with 1,957 nanograms per litre, and the New Forest, with 1,876.

While the level of pharmaceutical pollution was generally found to be lower in national parks than in urban waterways, some rivers in the Peak District and on Exmoor were found to have concentrations higher than London.

According to the study, pharmaceutical substances are most often released to the natural environment through urine. But they could also end up there due to improper disposal of unused medicine or the use of medicines in animals.

Researchers also said national parks often have low flow rivers, which means there is less water to dilute the pollutants coming from wastewater treatment plants, meaning that pharmaceutical concentrations can be higher than in faster flowing rivers.

The study focused on ten national parks, covering almost 10 per cent of the land area in England. While these areas only have a population of about 320,000 permanent residents, they receive about 90 million visitors a year.

Researchers tested water samples from 37 rivers, for 54 common medications. Sampling took place at each spot twice, once in the summer and once in the winter of 2022.

The River Dove in the Peak District (pictured). Some rivers in the Peak District and on Exmoor were found to have concentrations of pharmaceutical drugs higher than London

Researchers tested water samples from 37 rivers, for 54 common medications. Sampling took place at each spot twice, once in the summer and once in the winter of 2022

Although sampling occurred during a period of very low river flow, which would have meant the drugs were less diluted, scientists said the study highlights the challenges that will arise from the predicted increase in the frequency of droughts cause by global warming.

Scientists tested for 54 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) including:

Carbamazepine Cetirizine Citalopram Codeine Cotinine Desvenlafaxine Fexofenadine Tramadol

Sulfadiazine Nicotine Amitriptyline Clarithromycin Ciprofloxacin Diltiazem Hydrocodone Lidocaine, Metronidazole Pregabalin Ethinylestradiol Azlocillin Cefazolin Diclofenac Enrofloxacin Fluoxetine Ketoconazole Ketotifen Lincomycin Loratadine Mefenamic acid Metoprolol Norethisterone Norfluoxetine Norverapamil Oxazepam Raloxifene Ranitidine Salbutamol Temazepam Tilmicosin Tylosin Verapamil Advertisement

The report warns: 'Concentrations of seven pharmaceuticals were at levels of ecotoxicological concern for fish, invertebrates, and algae.

'Pharmaceutical pollution of National Parks could, therefore, be adversely affecting ecological health and, through freshwater recreation, potentially human health too.'

The highest concentration was found in a water sample from the Brook Head stream, near the Peak District village of Tideswell.

Test results showed propranolol, a beta-blocker often prescribed for heart conditions, at levels high enough to impact fish reproduction and growth.

The test site is a few hundred metres downstream from the Tideswell sewage treatment works.

Ian Townsend, an evidence and engagement officer at the Westcountry Rivers Trust, said: In this highly medicated world the contamination of rivers, lakes and streams with pharmaceutical residues is a truly global phenomenon and even the notionally pristine rivers of our precious national parks are clearly not immune.

With watercourses already under enormous pressure from factors such as agricultural run-off, wastewater discharges, road run-off and climate change impacts, the fact that some of the medicines detected in this study were present at concentrations known to have adverse effects on aquatic life is bad news.

Professor Alistair Boxall, an environmental scientist at the University of York, said: Our national parks are true hotspots for biodiversity and essential for our physical health and mental wellbeing, so we need to act swiftly to protect these irreplaceable environments and ensure the health of wildlife and people alike.

Rob Collins, director of policy and science at the Rivers Trust, said that while greater investment in traditional wastewater treatment is needed, more natural treatment technologies such as wetlands can also play an important role in more rural environments.

He also highlighted the importance of enforcing new government rules on maintaining septic tanks.

Dr Rose ONeill, Chief Executive of the Campaign for National Parks, said: National Parks should be full of pristine waterways brimming with wildlife but the ugly truth is every single river and lake is polluted.

It's a perversity of the broken water system that the situation within National Parks is worse than elsewhere.

The blight of water pollution should be addressed everywhere - and the clean-up needs to start in National Parks.

The government must ensure the highest standards are met and ensure companies and regulators are held accountable to bring National Park waterways, loved and enjoyed by millions, back to full health.

An Environment Agency spokesman said: We are working closely with other regulators and the water industry on a series of chemical investigation programmes to better understand how pharmaceutical compounds affect our water environment.

We have developed an early warning system to identify contaminants of emerging concern to ensure any potential risks are considered to surface waters, groundwater and soils.

We are also collaborating with the pharmaceuticals and veterinary medicines industry via a UK cross-government platform for discussing and exchanging knowledge on pharmaceuticals in the environment.
Vice President Kamala Harris told Joe Biden he was 'amazing' and made her 'cry' after he finished his emotional address at Democratic National Convention last night, DailyMail.com can reveal.

Harris, smiling and clapping as she walked, joined the President on stage after he concluded his speech, embracing him and offering a heartfelt message of support.

'You made me cry,' Harris told Biden, according to a lip reader who decoded their exchange. The presidential hopeful, 59, added: 'I love you so much, you're amazing.'

Harris also promised the 81-year-old that 'I'll stay here with you', suggesting she will continue to offer guidance to Biden - who had just past the torch to her.

Biden delivered his valedictory address to delegates and supporters Monday night, saying, 'I gave my best to you' and basking in a long ovation that reflected the energy released by his decision to cede the stage to Harris.

He insisted he did not harbor any ill will about the impending end of his tenure - despite reports to the contrary - and called on the party to unite around Harris.

Vice President Kamala Harris told Joe Biden he was 'amazing' and made her 'cry' after he finished his emotional address at Democratic National Convention last night. The President is seen embracing her following his speech

Harris, pictured with Biden last night, joined the President on stage after he concluded his speech, embracing him and offering a heartfelt message of support

Visibly emotional when he took the stage, Biden was greeted by a more than four-minute-long ovation and chants of 'Thank you Joe.' He replied: 'America, I love you.'

The president began by wiping away a tear as his daughter Ashley introduced him. His eyes were also visibly watery during parts of his farewell speech.

'I made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you,' Biden said. 'For 50 years, like many of you, I give my heart and soul to the nation.'

He called his selection of Harris as his running mate four years ago 'the very first decision I made when I became our nominee, and it was the best decision I made my whole career'.

'She's tough, she's experienced and she has enormous integrity, enormous integrity,' he said. 'Her story represents the best American story.'

'And like many of our best presidents,' he added in a nod to his own career, 'she was also vice president.'

He also insisted he wasn't angry about stepping aside, despite a slew of Democrats having demanded he drop out, and said he was acting for the good of the country.

'All this talk about how I'm angry about all the people who said I should step down, that's not true,' he said.

Biden was visibly emotional as he took the stage - and throughout his address - last night. He is pictured wiping tears away from his eyes

Biden. pictured during his speech last night, called his selection of Harris as his running mate four years ago 'the very first decision I made when I became our nominee, and it was the best decision I made my whole career'. He also insisted he wasn't angry about stepping aside

President Joe Biden gets emotional as his daughter Ashley Biden welcomes him to the stage on the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 19, 2024

He noted how he had five months left in office and said: 'I've got a lot to do - I intend to get it done.'

'It's been an honor of my lifetime. I love the job. But I love my country more,' the president continued.

Biden, in his remarks, repeated his 2020 theme that 'we're in a battle for the very soul of America,' and pressed the case for why Harris and her running mate Tim Walz were best prepared to wage it.

'Because of you, we've had the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period,' Biden declared. And then he interjected, 'I say "we," I mean "me and Kamala",' sharing the credit for his most popular successes with the vice president.

Biden also vowed: 'I promise I will be the best volunteer Harris and Walz's campaign has ever seen.'

Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff came out after his address to embrace him and his family.

'Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you'll continue to do,' she said earlier in the evening. 'We are forever grateful to you.'

Harris's appearance at the convention on Monday night to thank Biden for his leadership was brief and unannounced.

She will travel today to Milwaukee for a rally in the swing state of Wisconsin before returning to Chicago late in the evening.

Biden last night vowed to be the 'best volunteer Harris and [Tim] Walz's campaign has ever seen'. He is pictured on stage with Harris after concluding his speech at the DNC

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden stand on stage with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff

President Joe Biden kisses Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris after Biden's remarks at the Democratic National Convention

Emhoff and former President Barack Obama will speak today on the second day of the convention, turning the party's attention toward Harris and her faceoff against Republican Donald Trump.

The Harris campaign said today that it will spotlight 'trusted messengers' from key battleground states over the convention's three remaining days.

They include Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada; Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Gary Peters and Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan; Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. From Arizona, Sen. Mark Kelly will speak along with John Giles, the Republican mayor of Mesa.

Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina will be the last speaker before Harris accepts the Democratic nomination on Thursday.
A new Gail's store at the centre of a furious gentrification row has put up the first signs to announce its opening.

Hundreds of residents in Walthamstow, north-east London have signed a petition against plans for a new bakery, as the chain looks to expand with 35 new sites across Britain.

They fear the new store could put other independent cafes out of business and that the high street, described by locals as feeling like a village, will lose its character and charm.

Now, days after the row erupted, the first signage has appeared, including a sketch of a bearded and tattooed hipster.

Other notices read: 'Hello Walthamstow Village. We'll be baking here soon.'

James Harvey, who has organised the petition, had earlier warned: 'This could lead to decreased visibility and pedestrian traffic towards independently run businesses, threatening their very existence and dismantling the character and diversity crucial to Walthamstow's charm.'

A new opening sign featuring a bearded tattooed hipster has emerged on a new Gail's in Walthamstow

The new branch is at the centre of a new gentrification storm brewing among residents who believe the new cafe will harm independent coffee shops

The petition has attracted more than over 1,600 supporters so far, and is aiming to reach 2,500.

Petitioners believe the controversial Gail's branch was the 'ultimate sign of gentrification' as they aim to protect 'the unique identity of [their] community'.

People in the area claimed that the plans were 'not great for coolness factor' and the chain was 'probably out of reach price-wise for a lot of the community'.

Fanie, 30, who is a painter living in the area told MailOnline: 'There already is a variety of shops in the village and to be honest there's a lot more cooler, smaller shops in Walthamstow - even not in the village.

'Along Hoe Street along the main streets, you've got a world of interesting and amazing cuisine and not just the same pre-packaged meal deal hyper-processed food that you get all over London.

'In one week we got a Banksy and a Gail's, it's not a good sign. It's not great. I am part of the problem (of gentrification), moving into Walthamstow.

He added: 'But I want it to stop with me. I want it stay nice and cool while I live here. It's not great for business, it's not great for diversity, it's not great for coolness factor.'

Transport for London communications manager Jane Leeker, 54, said: 'It's big news. I am definitely against it.

'We've got lots of independent coffee shops already in the village and around, and I wouldn't want to see the profits go to, essentially, a chain.

Locals against the new Gail's have branded it the 'ultimate sign of gentrification' as they aim to protect 'the unique identity of [their] community'

The petition which has been set up to stop Gail's bakery opening a new store in Walthamstow

Walthamstow residents concerned about the new Gail's opening (Pictured left to right: Fanie, 30, and Jane Leeker, 54)

Michael, 45, (Pictured) who owns an independent coffee shop in Walthamstow has said: 'We need to all fight them'

'I'd prefer that that money stays with our independents, and I think they'll take their business away.

She added: 'I like Gail's personally, and if they were going into Walthamstow itself where there's lots of chains, lots of empty spaces, I'd be much more supportive of that.'

Michael, 45 who owns an independent coffee shop in Walthamstow, is ready to put a fight against the coffee chain.

He told MailOnline: 'We need to all fight them. There's no way around it. You open an independent coffee shop, you need to be mindful that this is going to happen and they're going to come.

'They're going to keep the businesses for two, three years without profit until they bite you.

'But I think it's worth to try and remember the smallest businesses are going to pay most of the tax.

'So I think we are much more beneficial for growth than corporations or franchises for that matter. I think it's worth being that way, to develop that way.

He added: 'My lovely customers, probably most of them will be here anyway regardless because you build this relationship and that's very important. But I don't know how this is going to affect us, I have no idea to be honest.'

Gail's first opened in 2005 in Hampstead, North London, and slowly began to spread across the capital before cherry picking new towns and cities to set up in including Wilmslow in Cheshire and Epsom in Surrey.

Gail's chief executive Tom Molnar previously told the Mail that it was a huge compliment that people ask him for a Gail's in their locality.

Despite plans to open other shops in London and having more than 130 openings, managers at Gail's do not consider themselves a chain.

Walthamstow Village in East London, where local residents are fighting to stop a Gail's opening

Despite plans to open other shops in London and having more than 130 openings, managers at Gail's do not consider themselves a chain

In an interview with trade publication British Baker, Marta Pogroszewska said she believed 'scale' was an uncomfortable term and the company will always focus on being a 'neighbourhood bakery' rather than a chain.

The arrival of a Gail's in a town is a boost for property prices and a sure indicator that that the area is on the up - as well as property prices.

A spokeswoman for Gail's previously said: 'We understand the concern around chains, but our view is that a healthy high street is one with a diversity of quality offers each delivering their best.

'High streets evolve over time and we open our small bakeries often in closed banks or stranded restaurants.

'All of our bakeries exist in areas where the choices are wide and growing - we should be celebrating the improvement in our food landscapes'.
The world's oldest living person, Spanish pensioner Maria Branyas Morera, who was born in the United States and survived a plague epidemic and two world wars, has died at the age of 117, her family has revealed.

'Maria Branyas has left us. She died as she wished: in her sleep, peacefully and without pain,' her family wrote on her account on X. 'We will always remember her for her advice and her kindness,' they said.

Branyas lived her last two decades in the Santa Maria del Tura nursing home in the town of Olot in northeastern Spain, and celebrated her 117th birthday there back in March.

Experts had marveled at her mental and physical health, but in a heartbreaking final message to her social media followers on Tuesday, she warned that she felt 'weak'.

'The time is near. Don't cry, I don't like tears. And above all, don't suffer for me,' she said on the account, which is run by her family. 'Wherever I go, I will be happy.'

Maria Branyas Morera, who was the oldest person in the world, celebrating her 117th birthday in March

Branyas was born in San Francisco in 1907. Pictured: Branyas in 1925 when she was just 18

Branyas became the world's oldest person following the death of French nun Lucile Randon in January 2023

When she was 113, Ms Branyas tested positive for Covid-19 during the global pandemic, but avoided developing severe symptoms

Guinness World Records had officially acknowledged Branyas's status as the world's oldest person in January 2023 following the death of French nun Lucile Randon aged 118.

In the wake of Branyas's death, the oldest living person in the world is Japan's Tomiko Itooka, who was born on May 23, 1908 and is 116 years old, according to the US Gerontology Research Group, which validates details of people thought to be 110 or older.

The title of the oldest person to have ever lived belongs to Jeanne Louise Calment whose life spanned 122 years and 164 days, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Branyas was born in San Francisco in 1907 while the city was suffering from a second wave of the Bubonic plague.

Her family took the decision to return to Spain in 1915 during the First World War after her father Josep fell ill.

He ended up dying of tuberculosis on the ship they were crossing the Atlantic on, with his now-centenarian daughter injuring herself in a fall during the same voyage and later discovering she had lost her hearing in one ear.

She went on to survive two world wars, the Spanish flu pandemic, the Spanish Civil War, and most recently Covid-19.

She married Catalan doctor Joan Moret aged 23 in 1931. Her husband died more than 46 years ago when he was 71.

Ms Morera married Catalan doctor Joan Moret aged 23 in 1931

Ms Morera when she was 87 in 1994 playing the piano

She wrote on his anniversary that she will 'always carry him in my heart every day'

She had three children, 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, attributes her old age to 'order, tranquility' and 'staying away from toxic people'.

She has prioritised living a stress-free existence and lived in sheltered housing in the Catalan town of Olot since she was 92.

She played the piano, read newspapers and exercised every morning until she was 105.

Unusually for her age, Ms Morera was an active user of social media site X, formerly Twitter, and regularly gave her more than 16,000 followers updates on her health and wellbeing.

Branyas became the oldest person ever to recover from Covid in May 2020 - but that record was broken by Sister Andre later that year

Her X account is called 'Super Catalan Grandma' and bears the description: 'I am old, very old, but not an idiot.'

Branyas survived a health scare when she tested positive for Covid-19 just weeks after her 113th birthday during the global pandemic in 2020.

Thankfully, she avoided developing the severe symptoms that claimed the lives of millions, and recovered within days.

It made her the world's oldest Covid-19 survivor at the time - but that record was broken by Sister Andre later that year.

Branyas' nursing home told the Guinness Book of World Records at the time that they would be hosting a 'small celebration behind closed doors' to commemorate the achievement.

In December 2022, Branyas shared tips on diet and hailed the health benefits of one particular food to her army of followers.

She wrote on X: 'And a piece of advice, if you'll allow me. In an age when diets and miracle foods for well-being and health are constantly emerging, it is necessary to rescue yoghurt, a lifelong food with an infinite number of positive properties for the body.'

Pictured here with her mother in 1922 when she was 15

Yoghurt is a good source of calcium and protein, which is good for bone and muscle health, according to the NHS. But there isn't any evidence that eating yoghurt will help you live longer.

Branyas celebrated her 117th birthday in March with a cake, and posted to mark the occasion: 'Good morning, world. Today I turn 117 years old. I've come this far.'

Late in her life, Branyas agreed to undergo testing by scientists who hoped to learn more about the secrets to a long life.

They collected samples of her saliva, blood and urine to compare with her daughter, who is in her eighties, in the hope that they might help with developing drugs to fight age-associated diseases.

Scientist Manel Esteller told Spanish news outlet ABC at the time: 'She has a completely lucid head.

Pictured celebrating her 115th birthday

'She remembers with impressive clarity events from when she was only four years old, and she does not present any cardiovascular disease, common in elderly people.

'It is clear that there is a genetic component because there are several members of her family who are over 90 years old.'

Her youngest daughter, Rosa Moret, also once attributed her mother's longevity to 'genetics'.

'She has never gone to the hospital, she has never broken any bones, she is fine, she has no pain,' Moret told regional Catalan television in 2023.

Responding to news of her death today, the head of the regional government of Catalonia, former health minister Salvador Illa, expressed his 'heartfelt condolences' to Branyas's family in a message posted on X.

'We lose an endearing woman, who has taught us the value of life and the wisdom of the years,' he said, calling her 'Catalonia's grandmother'.

In the days before her death, Branyas' family said she told them: 'I don't know when, but very soon this long journey will come to an end.

'Death will find me worn down from having lived so much, but I want to meet it with a smile, feeling free and satisfied.'
A 99-year-old Nazi known as the 'Secretary of Evil' has failed in her bid to overturn a conviction for being an accessory to over 10,000 murders at the infamous Stutthof concentration camp during World War II.

Germany's Federal Court of Justice upheld the conviction given to Irmgard Furchner, who was a secretary to the SS commander of the concentration camp, which sat on Poland' northern coast.

An estimated 63-65,000 people, made up of Jewish people, political prisoners, accused criminals, gay people and Jehovah's Witnesses, were slaughtered at the camp between 1939 and 1945.

She was accused of being part of the apparatus that helped the camp near Danzig, now the Polish city of Gdansk, function. She was convicted of being an accessory to murder in 10,505 cases and an accessory to attempted murder in five cases.

At a federal court hearing in Leipzig last month, the Nazi's lawyers tried to cast doubt over whether she could really be considered an accessory to the atrocities committed at the camp, and whether she had been fully aware of what was going on.

Germany's Federal Court of Justice upheld the conviction given to Irmgard Furchner (pictured), who was a secretary to the SS commander of the infamous Stutthof concentration camp

An estimated 63-65,000 people died in Stutthof during World War II

Furchner (pictured in 1944) was 18 and 19 when she worked as a secretary at the camp

She was tried in a juvenile court as she was 18 and 19 at the time of the alleged crimes, and the court couldn't establish beyond a doubt her 'maturity of mind' then.

But the court ruled that Furchner 'knew and, through her work as a stenographer in the commandant's office of the Stutthof concentration camp from June 1, 1943, to April 1, 1945, deliberately supported the fact that 10,505 prisoners were cruelly killed by gassings, by hostile conditions in the camp,' by transportation to the Auschwitz death camp and by being sent on death marches at the end of the war.

In September 2021, she was detained for several days by Germany police after she tried running away at the start of her trial.

Furchner ran away from her care home in Norderstedt, northern Germany, and tried to take a taxi to the city's railway station, but did not make it far.

She was held for five days, with the start of the trial being delayed thanks to her attempted escape.

In September 2021, she was detained for several days by Germany police after she tried running away at the start of her trial

Furchner's case may be one of the last Nazi war crime cases that ever get pushed through

A view of the former Nazi German Stutthof death camp

While she reportedly remained silent through much of her trial, she said toward the end: 'I'm sorry for everything that happened. I regret that I was in Stutthof at the time. I can't say anything else.'

Furchner's case may be one of the last Nazi war crime cases that ever get pushed through.

A special federal prosecutors' office in Ludwigsburg tasked with investigating Nazi-era war crimes says just three more cases are pending with prosecutors or courts in various parts of Germany.

Many Nazis who took part in the systematic killing of millions of people during the Holocaust are now either dead or near the end of their lives, raising questions over whether they are fit to stand trial.

Furchner's upheld conviction is one of several in the last decade that builds on legal precedent from 2011 that established that helping a concentration camp function was enough to be an accessory to murder.

The camp was run by the Nazis from the start of World War II

Stutthof has now been turned into a museum to ensure the memory of the Holocaust lives on

The landmark case saw former Ohio autoworker John Demjanjuk get convicted for his role as a guard at the Sobibor death camp in eastern Poland.

Demjanjuk, who denied the allegations, died before his appeal could be heard.

German courts previously required prosecutors to justify charges by presenting evidence of a former guard's participation in a specific killing, often a near-impossible task.

However, prosecutors in the 2011 case successfully argued that helping a camp function was enough to convict someone as an accessory to murders committed there.

A federal court subsequently upheld the 2015 conviction of former Auschwitz guard Oskar Groening on the same reasoning.
A trainee doctor who pocketed almost 10,000 in sick pay while moonlighting at two different hospitals 160 miles away has been cleared to return to medical duties.

Dr Tracy Landu-Landu, 30, falsely claimed taxpayer-funded handouts over a four-month period from the NHS in Merseyside despite working 38 locum shifts of up to 13 hours each in Lincolnshire.

Investigators discovered that Landu-Landu received 9,865.52 in sick pay while she worked a total of 350 hours at the Pilgrim Hospital in Boston and the Covid-19 ward at the Lincoln County Hospital.

It emerged Landu-Landu's partner had even warned her she faced the sack if her deceit was discovered but it was claimed she carried on fiddling the public purse. She also lied to officials who confronted her about working while off sick.

In October last year at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester, Landu-Landu, who lived in Grantham, was found guilty of serious professional misconduct and was suspended for nine months.

Tracy Landu-Landu, 30, falsely claimed taxpayer-funded handouts over a four-month period from the NHS in Merseyside despite working 38 locum shifts of up to 13 hours each in Lincolnshire.

But today it emerged she had been deemed fit to return to work after a review hearing last month was told she had since become the subject of a media 'storm', online 'trolling' and 'real-world social stigma' over her behaviour. She is currently working as a doctor in Norway.

In a statement Landu-Landu said: 'I have come to realise that with my actions, I have abused my employers, my colleagues and the public's trust in the medical profession.

'I have displayed a terrible lapse in judgement, inexcusable by whatever personal or prevailing circumstances I might have had. I have repeatedly reflected on my actions, and I wish to state in all honesty, that I am very sorry.'

The scam occurred between August and December 2020 while Landu-Landu was employed as a GP specialty trainee by St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

At the time her start date was delayed when she took a period off work due to an undisclosed illness and she received occupational sick pay from the Trust totalling 9,865.52.

But unknown to the health authority Landu-Landu was working locum shifts of between eight and 13 hours at a time for United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS.

In one month alone Landu-Landu got 3,971.83 in sick pay and and in another 2,498.41 whilst treating patients at the Pilgrim Hospital in Boston (pictured) and the Covid-19 ward at the Lincoln County Hospital

She was referred to the GMC in April last year following an investigation into her sick pay claims which lasted up to 16 months.

At the hearing Landu-Landu admitted taking the money but said she had been suffering from stress due to 'recent life events.'

She insisted the conversation she had with her former partner about being dismissed if she worked whilst claiming sick pay took place after the investigation had started.

Landu-Landu claimed she did not think she was on official sick leave at the time but was asked by HR staff at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to get a sick note. She said she knew she had acted wrongly but refuted claims she did not correct her actions when she was made aware.

She later admitted lying to an HR official who recorded Landu-Landu had denied working while claiming sick pay.

She said she had contacted the Trust and commenced repayment, but she had 'some difficulties arranging to pay'.

In a character reference to the MPTS a colleague known only as Dr B said: 'She has been honest about her mistake to those around her, and shown that she understands the gravity of it and has also weathered the storm that came with this scandal, from online trolling, to real-world social stigma.

Landu-Landu was working locum shifts of between eight and 13 hours at a time for United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (pictured is the Lincoln County Hospital)

'Please give her a second chance to redeem herself and continue to do what she loves'.

MPTS chairman Ms Sharmistha Michaels said: 'The Tribunal is satisfied that Dr Landu-Landu has reflected on the gravity of the misconduct, including the impact of that misconduct on her colleagues, the public and the profession and has developed full insight into these matters.

'She has been regularly making repayments to the Trust and intends to complete repayment early next year.'

The Tribunal also took into consideration that Dr Landu-Landu has worked in her current role in Norway since 2022, initially part time, managing both acute short stay and chronic long stay patients, and that she had informed the Norwegian Medical Licensing Body of her suspension.

Landu-Landu was described as of 'good medical knowledge' and well liked by colleagues, patients and relatives, the tribunal heard.

'The Tribunal is satisfied that there has been no repetition of the misconduct and that Dr Landu-Landu has taken sufficient steps to remediate it,' added Ms Michaels

'There is little risk of repetition of the behaviour that was the subject of the October 2023 hearing. This Tribunal has therefore determined that Dr Landu-Landu's fitness to practise is no longer impaired by reason of misconduct.'
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A doctor sacked from a private hospital he was caught giving Botox to a friend so she could 'look good on holiday' has lost his claim for unfair dismissal.

Bristol-based Emile Aboud injected the woman with the beauty treatment in a physio room before starting his shift at the hospital where he worked, an employment tribunal heard.

The 'well respected' medical professional administered the beauty treatment to his friend and fellow healthcare worker - referred to only as Angela - at the Spire Healthcare hospital despite her being a private patient.

He was caught after leaving a box containing his Botox equipment at the Spire Healthcare Limited's Bristol reception.

He was subjected to a disciplinary hearing and was subsequently fired for gross misconduct.

Bristol-based Emile Aboud injected the woman with the beauty treatment in a physio room before starting his shift at the Spire hospital where he worked (pictured)

Dr Aboud told the tribunal he had been delivering Botox to his friend Angela for years

The doctor then sued for unfair dismissal claiming the issue was 'hardly misconduct' but an employment judge dismissed his claims and said the hospital were right to fire him.

The tribunal, held in Southampton, Hampshire, heard Dr Aboud had worked for Spire Healthcare Limited in Bristol for 14 years before his dismissal.

The doctor worked as a Senior Resident Medical Officer and was part of a team which provided 24 hour medical cover for patients and staff.

It was heard Dr Aboud was not authorised to admit patients or carry out procedures himself unless he was given permission by hospital management, and that Angela was not a patient at Spire.

Instead, he used hospital premises to administer Botox he had bought himself.

The hearing was told that in October 2022, Dr Aboud was contacted by Angela requesting that he administer Botox to her that day.

The doctor told the tribunal that he had been injecting her for some years and would often go to her home to carry out the treatment.

On this occasion, he was unable to do that as he was travelling from London to Bristol to start work at 7pm.

The tribunal heard Angela was 'insistent' that he treat her that day and so it was agreed that he would see her at the hospital, prior to commencing his shift that evening.

It was also noted that Angela worked for Nuffield Health, which was one of the hospital's 'main competitors'.

Dr Aboud met with his friend at the closed outpatient area and escorted her into a private physiotherapy room where he administered Botox - that he had purchased privately - to her face.

The tribunal heard he was in the room for around 25 minutes and after the treatment, he walked Angela off the premises, through the reception area, where he left a box of his equipment.

The doctor worked as a Senior Resident Medical Officer and was part of a team which provided 24 hour medical cover for patients and staff

Dr Aboud met with his friend at the closed outpatient area and escorted her into a private physiotherapy room where he administered Botox (stock image)

The following day, a member of staff found the box and reported this to her managers.

CCTV was viewed which showed Dr Aboud 'escorting a woman in and then subsequently out of the reception area'.

Employment Judge Catherine Rayner said: 'We find that he was paid for administering Botox to his friend.

'The [hospital] realised that the box suggested that Dr Aboud had been administering Botox and some further inquiries raised two issues in addition to his attendance at the hospital on the Sunday night.'

Dr Aboud was asked about the events of that Sunday evening in a later meeting and he told them he had doing private Botox and fillers for many years.

He said this patient had wanted Botox at short notice, but he couldn't meet with her so she came to the hospital.

The doctor confirmed that he had charged his friend for the service.

The matter was further investigated and on November 8, he was sent a suspension letter.

The hospital's director, Phil Curran, was interviewed and he told the investigating officer that Dr Aboud worked an 'enormous amount of hours' and was both well-known and well-respected.

Mr Curran said the doctor was both 'reliable and dependable' but said in bringing his own Botox in, he was 'misappropriating Spire premises for the delivery of a service that they had not commissioned him to do'.

During an investigation meeting, Dr Aboud said there was an 'urgency' in carrying out the treatment as Angela 'was going away and she wanted to look good on her holiday'.

Dr Aboud agreed that he should not have administered the Botox in the hospital and said 'that in retrospect he should not have done it'.

The doctor was asked about insurance and he said while he was not insured specifically to administer Botox, he was insured for his medical profession.

Dr Aboud's boss said there was no legitimate reason for him to carry out any Botox procedures on site and was, therefore, a 'fundamental breach in procedure' which had the potential to bring Spire Healthcare into 'disrepute' as well as compromising patient safety.

In a disciplinary hearing, Dr Aboud made what he later relied on as 'protected disclosures' in relation to a 'bad incident' involving a patient.

In the meeting, he asserted that he had not compromised patient safety because the individual is a friend of his, not a Spire patient, so he said that it was 'hardly misconduct'.

On December 9, he was fired.

He tried to sue his bosses for unfair and wrongful dismissal but this was rejected.

Employment Judge Rayner said: 'We conclude that [the chair of the discplianry hearing] formed a genuine belief, based on reasonable grounds that Dr Aboud's conduct, which had been admitted, was in breach of a number of the hospitals rules and procedures.

'That the breach was a serious one and that whether or not there was any actual or possible reputational damage, the behaviour alone was sufficient to amount to gross misconduct.'

She added: 'We all agree on the evidence before us, that he had committed gross misconduct. The sanction of instant dismissal did not therefore breach his contract and his claim of wrongful dismissal fails.'
A mischievous and yappy pooch has saved her owner's life by alerting neighbours when he suffered a serious medical episode and collapsed.

Vaughn Marshall had just returned to his home in Frankston in Melbourne after walking his seven-month-old Jack Russell puppy, Luna, when he collapsed in the driveway.

Mr Marshall managed to get back up and walk a few more steps before collapsing again.

He recalled Luna sniffing him as he laid on the concrete before she ran off.

The quick-thinking pup raced to a neighbour's home at the end of the street and barked until she grabbed their attention.

She led the neighbour back to Mr Marshall, who had managed call triple zero before his condition quickly deteriorated.

He was rushed to Frankston Hospital, where doctors found a blood clot between his heart and lung.

Without intervention, the clot would have led to a cardiac arrest and Mr Marshall may have died.

Melbourne father Vaughn Marshall, has credited his seven-month-old Jack Russell Luna (both pictured) for saving his life after collapsing during a medical episode

Mr Marshall felt 'incredibly frightened' and couldn't breathe during his medical episode.

'I just felt dizzy ... I remember just, it's just such a horrible feeling not being able to breathe,' he told Seven News.

The dad had low oxygen levels and blood pressure and 'was probably minutes away' from cardiac arrest.

'Time is of the essence in these situations ... the outcome could have been very different had Luna not been there,' Frankston Hospital intensive care consultant Dr Craig Johnston said.

Luna ran to a neighbour's home and barked until she gained their attention and led them back to her owner before he suffered a cardiac arrest

Mr Marshall was discharged from hospital five days later and couldn't wait to get home to spoil his heroic puppy.

'If she wasn't my best friend she is now, we absolutely love her,' he said.

'I'm just incredibly lucky and incredibly grateful.

'Without her, I wouldn't be here.'
Boeing has been forced to ground its entire 777X test fleet due to a failed 'structural component' linking the planes' wings and engines - the latest in a series of blows to the embattled manufacturer.

The 777X, Boeing's latest and most state-of-the-art aircraft, first took to the sky in 2020 but faced delays in certification by the Federal Aviation Administration, the Seattle Times reported.

The FAA this summer gave the plane the go-ahead for test flights needed before launching passenger service.

Boeing had planned to deliver the fleet in 2025, but the discovery of a failed component connected to the jet's engine has some buyers not expecting the jet until mid-2026.

The find was made over the weekend, after one of the test planes landed in Hawaii.

Subsequent inspections found the same issue on two other active test plane engines. The news service Air Current first reported the news.

Boeing has been forced to ground its entire 777X test fleet, the manufacturer said

'During scheduled maintenance, we identified a component that did not perform as designed,' Boeing said in a statement to DailyMail.com.

'Our team is replacing the part and capturing any learnings from the component and will resume flight testing when ready.

'We are keeping the FAA fully informed on the issue and have shared information with our customers.'

The 777X features new GE9X engines, new composite wings, and increased cabin width and seating from its predecessors.

The component in question, a titanium piece called a 'thrust link,' connects to the GE9X engines made by General Electric (GE).

A partnership between the companies that began in 2014 saw GE become Boeing's sole engine maker for larger jets like the 777X.

In an effort to save fuel, the companies worked to make aircraft more wedded to specific engine models, to build more efficient machines that would benefit both carriers and customers.

The component in question, a titanium piece called a 'thrust link' (circled in red), connects to the GE9X engines made by General Electric (GE)

The path of the Friday test flight over Hawaii

Paul Adams, the head of aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, pointed out that as planes get more technically sophisticated, 'the optimization of the engine and the aircraft becomes more relevant,' as the equipment meant to mount the engines on wings and the rest of the plane is integrated to minimize drag and increase fuel efficiency.

The 'thrust link' meets this criteria, and is responsible for transferring the thrust of the engine to the airframe, through a titanium link mounted on a pylon beneath the wings.

In its statement, Boeing reiterated that each of the plane's two engines boast two of the parts, 'so there is redundancy.'

A representative further pointed out that the part is custom to the 777-9, one of two 777X variants, bigger than the 384-seat 777-8, with 426 seats.

The plane - seen here during a test flight in 2020 - was supposed to start commercial service that year, but has been repeatedly delayed

The GE-9X itself is an enormous engine, weighing about 11 tons and featuring a front fan made by GE that, at 11 feet in diameter, is the biggest of its kind.

The 777-9, meanwhile, first flew in 2020, but the FAA has yet to grant it full certification, as deliveries continue to be well behind schedule.

In 2019, the fuselage of one the aircraft completely ruptured in pressure tests, a setback that contributed to the delay of the long-haul jet by several months, sources told AFP at the time.

At the time, images showed the fuselage skin ripping wide open and causing the passenger door to fall out, during tests that deliberately took stress to extremes to ensure the strength of construction materials.

As a result of the incident, the plane sustained damage behind the wing, as several sources, who insisted on anonymity, told AFP that the wing was damaged when Boeing put the aircraft body through pressure tests.

'There was a structure around the exit door that also blew off during the tests, which means there was a structure failure,' said one of the sources of the September 2019 test.

'There was a depressurization of the aft fuselage; the structure that supports the door blew off,' added a second source. 'It was not just the door; it's very serious.'

In 2019, the fuselage of one of the new aircraft completely ruptured in pressure tests, a setback that contributed to the delay of the long-haul jet by several months, sources said at the time

Since then, Boeing planes, like the 737 MAX, have continued to experience technical failures, with that plane grounded by the FAA for two years following two crashes in 2018 and 2019 that collectively killed 346.

Clearing them to fly again in 2021, officials deemed the crashes to be the result of a combination of oversight, design flaws, and inaction by Boeing brass.

A door blowing off a brand-new 737 MAX in January, however, sparked a renewed probe by the FAA.

Then, in July, the FAA said it would be granting authority to Boeing to commence a sequence of test flights for the 777X, in a bid to get it approved for passenger service.
A prestigious London school is 'in shock' after former student Hannah Lynch went missing alongside her British tech billionaire father when their yacht sank.

A spokesperson for Hannah's old school has said they are 'incredibly shocked' in a kind message to her family after it emerged she is among the missing after the luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily.

The academically gifted pupil, who attended Latymer Upper school where school fees are 25,000 per year, had been a star student at the competitive secondary school.

The 18-year-old has won a number of prestigious school from 2017 until 2024 including outstanding academic achievement while in lower sixth form and the William C Smith award for poetry.

The school for 7-18 year olds said in a statement: 'We are all incredibly shocked by the news that Hannah and her father are among those missing in this tragic incident and our thoughts are with their family and everyone involved as we await further updates.'

The West London private school - whose alumni includes Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman - was founded in 1624.

Hannah had just completed her A-Levels and gained a place to study English at Oxford before the tragedy when the huge Bayesian overturned during a severe thunderstorm on Monday morning.

Mr Lynch and his wife Angela Lynch were also frequent donors to the school, contributing to Latymer Upper Schools bursary fund in 2023, 2022 and 2021.

It comes as rescuers face a 'very complicated' search for the six missing passengers on the superyacht owned by Hannah's father, British billionaire Mike Lynch.

It comes as:

Hannah Lynch attended the prestigious Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith

The huge Bayesian overturned during a severe thunderstorm on Monday morning

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch (pictured) and his daughter are missing after his yacht sank

The school was founded in 1624 and charges 8,633 per term

The vessel - which had been carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers - had been moored just 300 metres from the coast near Palermo when it was hit by a terrifying waterspout at around 5am, with the ship's captain saying those on board were blindsided and 'didn't see it coming'.

Tornado-speed winds flipped the superyacht so quickly that people on board were left swimming for their lives with those who made it off stranded in the pitch black water as the storm raged around them.

One maritime expert has said suggested that despite potentially facing winds of up to 100mph as a result of the extremely rare phenomenon the boat should have been able to withstand the force of the gales, raising questions about how it ended up sinking.

Search teams have already found the body of one man, thought to be an onboard chef, and there are fears that more bodies will be found in the hull of the ship by specialist divers today, while some survivors - including the captain - remain in hospital.

Mr Lynch, once dubbed the British Bill Gates and worth an estimated 852million, had taken his family and friends on the 'victory' trip after being acquitted of fraud charges.

There are fears that more bodies will be found in the hull of the ship by specialist divers today

Tornado-speed winds flipped the superyacht so quickly that people on board were left swimming for their lives

Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer (pictured), and his wife are also missing

Lynch's attorney Christopher Morvillo (pictured) and his wife Neda are also missing

However, the dream trip, hosted by the 59-year-old father-of-two from Suffolk who claimed he was living a 'second life' after almost a year under house arrest, turned into a nightmare and tragedy struck.

In an extraordinary twist, the sinking comes days after Stephen Chamberlain, an ex-colleague of Mr Lynch  who he had successfully fought the fraud case with  was fatally injured when he was hit by a car while running on Saturday morning.

Police have said there's nothing to suggest anything suspicious in his death and no arrests have been made after the driver of a car stayed at the scene following the collision. Mr Chamberlain later died of his injuries.

Also among the missing are Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo who represented Mr Lynch in his recent legal battle, along with both of their wives.

During yesterday's frantic search it was reported that bodies had been seen through the portholes in some of the cabins, although it is believed that divers have not been able to get inside the vessel due to furniture obstructing the way in.

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue

The superyacht was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when a waterspout hit

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Firefighter divers trained to work in tight spaces were flown in from Rome and Sardinia to aid in the operation yesterday, but in their first search below the surface they failed to gain access to the vessel.

Officials have said those on board the boat were in 'the wrong place at the wrong time', with hope already fading that anyone else will be found alive this morning.

The yacht sank as a fierce storm battered the area overnight, with local meteorologists warning that 30C temperatures - warmer than normal - had amplified the risk of an extreme weather event.

Survivors were dramatically rescued from the water in the aftermath including one woman who heroically saved a one-year-old British boy.

Mr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares, 57, who was among the rescued, recalls the boat suddenly 'tilted' at around 4am, before glass began shattering.

One maritime expert has said that the sinking of the boat was 'unprecedented' and that a vessel the size of the Bayesian should not have been able to capsize in that weather.

Those involved in the rescue efforts have compared the incident to the 'Costa Concordia disaster on a smaller scale', adding that they would do 'everything to recover the bodies' amid worsening weather conditions.

It is believed the ship sank after its mast - one of tallest in the world at an enormous 246ft-high - snapped during the brutal incident and keeled over, taking the hull beyond the 'down-flooding angle', according to nautical experts.

Inspector Marco Tilotta, leading the Palermo Fire Brigade's diving unit, has likened the grim search operation to the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster in 2012 which claimed the lives of 33 people.

Eerily, the specialist cave divers called in for the search and rescue operation found 'virtually everything intact' on board, with little sign of damage, and 'no rips in the side, no signs of impact,' he told MailOnline.

Over the next few hours and days, the accident investigators will have to work out how it was possible that the vessel sank while others were hardly affected and how come it was still intact.
A woman has been arrested over the alleged murder of an American millionaire believed to have died after being fatally drugged in a 'Goodnight Cinderella' scam.

D'Wayne Antonio Morris, 43, was found dead in his rented apartment in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 8 this year. He was drugged before reportedly convulsing and foaming at the mouth.

Police say Morris and a friend had been lured by two women who then drugged them with GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate), a powerful nervous system depressant, in an attempt to rob them. His companion survived the attack.

Leticia Clara Bento da Silva, 23, whom is understood to have met the pair at a local bar has now been arrested over Morris' murder.

A second suspect, whom was caught on surveillance camera leaving the apartment with a woman believed to be da Silva, has not been identified and remains at large.

Morris, from Minneapolis, was the founder of Blue Waters Consulting and Soul Community Development Corporation and managed a $14million portfolio of businesses.

D'wayne Antonio Morris, 43, (left) was found dead in his rented apartment in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 8 this year. Leticia Clara Bento da Silva, 23, (right) has now been arrested over his murder

Two women are believed to have drugged Morris with GHB, a powerful nervous system depressant, and fled the scene. Morris and his friend are seen on CCTV footage entering the rented apartment where he was found dead with two women - who are suspects in his murder

He had travelled to Brazil on business when he fell victim to a tourist drugging scheme allegedly carried out by da Silva and an unidentified accomplice.

The two women are believed to have drugged Morris with GHB, a powerful nervous system depressant, and fled the scene.

Morris was with a friend in the Lapa neighborhood when he encountered da Silva and her friend in the early hours of the day of the incident.

Reports suggest the group had drinks at a bar before heading to the rented apartment where Morris was later found dead.

The entrepreneur's friend, feeling unwell, left for another location. He later told cops he felt dizzy and disoriented.

Morris and the two women arrived at the apartment around 20 minutes past midnight on August 8.

Surveillance camera footage showed the two women exiting the building alone just two hours later. A doorman can be seen letting them out as they enter a black vehicle waiting for them.

Surveillance camera footage showed the two women exiting the building alone just two hours later and entering a black vehicle waiting for them (pictured)

Leticia Clara Bento da Silva is pictured in a series of photos released by authorities. Police say she has a criminal record for similar offences and was a suspect in several cases involving drug-induced thefts

A second suspect, (pictured) whom was caught on surveillance camera leaving the apartment with a woman believed to be da Silva, has not been identified and remains at large

Morris, a father-of-one, was found unconscious in the apartment later that morning. He was dead by the time authorities made it to the scene.

Police say that after being drugged, Morris convulsed and foamed at the mouth, The Atlanta Black Star reported.

Witness accounts and investigations pointed to da Silva, who police report has a criminal record for similar offences and was a suspect in several cases involving drug-induced thefts.

Morris, pictured in his US passport photo, had travelled to Brazil on business. He was the founder of Blue Waters Consulting and Soul Community Development Corporation and managed a $14million portfolio of businesses

The US Consulate in Rio de Janeiro has confirmed Morris' death and offered, in a statement, their 'sincerest condolences' to his family.

'We offer our sincerest condolences to the family for their loss and stand ready to provide consular assistance,' the consulate said.

'We are closely monitoring local authorities' investigations regarding the cause of death. Out of respect for the family during this difficult time, we have no further comment.'

Morris' life partner Tamatha Richman paid tribute to the businessman, telling CBS News last week that 'to be a partner with D'Wayne is really to share him with the world'.

She shared how their family had 'traveled to a variety of countries' and were often very safe, keeping 'well aware of the things that are necessary as you become an international traveler'.

'It doesn't make sense. D'Wayne was in the country less than 24 hours. D'Wayne had not even spent the night in Brazil,' she said of his murder. 'This is a definitely situation where D'Wayne was targeted.'

Richman, who is organizing a celebration of life for Morris in Minnesota, said the family has faced several challenges bringing his body home. He will later be buried in Jamaica, where has was born, on his family's land.

'The Embassy and local authorities have informed us that this process may take some time,' she wrote on a GoFundMe page created in his honor. She said the family will keep everyone updated on the situation.

The crowdfunder, which aims to help the family with expenses during this difficult time, has already raised more than $30,000.

Morris' life partner Tamatha Richman (pictured with Morris) says their family 'traveled to a variety of countries' and were often very safe, keeping 'well aware of the things that are necessary as you become an international traveler'. She said his murder 'doesn't make sense'

A GoFundMe account aiming to help the family bring Morris' body home has already raised more than $30,000. Pictured: D'Wayne Morris

'Good night, Cinderella' is a contemporary Brazilian slang for Rohypnol, GHB, or any drug that incapacitates another person, rendering them vulnerable to assault or robbery.

GHB can also cause amnesia, meaning that when people recover from the drug's effects, they may not remember what happened.

It further slows the transmission of messages between the brain and body, and at higher doses, it can cause sedation, confusion, loss of consciousness, and respiratory depression, resulting in death.
Scott Peterson has broken his silence from prison 21 years after his wife and unborn son were killed in a Christmas Eve tragedy - doubling down on a theory that she was abducted by strangers who burgled a neighboring home.

The expectant father was convicted of killing his college sweetheart Laci, who was eight months pregnant at the time with a son they planned to name Conner.

He has always maintained his innocence - and is serving a life sentence for murder.

In a new Peacock documentary, Face to Face with Scott Peterson, the now 51-year-old has spoken publicly for the first time since his 2003 arrest, maintaining his long-held belief that a group of burglars are responsible for his wife's death.

He told interviewer Shareen Anderson over video call from jail: 'There was a burglary across the street from our home. There was a lot of people involved. And I believe Laci went over there to see what was going on, and thats when she was taken.'

Scott Peterson has broken his silence from prison 21 years after his wife and unborn son were killed in a Christmas Eve tragedy

Peterson said he and Laci (pictured) would often refer to each other with pet names and argued detectives who thought that was strange 'must have really sad marriages'

Two men were arrested and pled guilty to the crime, but detectives on the case ruled out any link to Laci, believing the duo burgled the home two days after she vanished, on December 26.

Peterson, his family, and a contingent of his supporters have long argued police were too quick to rule out the burglars' involvement in Laci's disappearance.

One witness - who police have consistently said lacked credibility because details of her recollection varied - said she saw three men at the burgled home who did not match the physical appearances of the two men later convicted of the crime, Steven Todd and Donald Pearce.

She also said she saw a van parked out the front. Police said she initially thought the van was white, but later said it may have been tan or brown.

Peterson and his supporters argue that van could hold the key to Laci's death.

He said: 'Todd and Pearce, the two that we know burgled the house across the street. We dont know who else was in that burglary. We know there were others.

'There was no desire to pursue the evidence that was in front of them. It was the evidence they just decided to ignore.'

Laci with her husband Scott - who killed her just weeks before welcoming their baby boy to the world. The couple met in 1994 at Cal Poly and dated for two years before moving in together

In a new Peacock documentary, Face to Face with Scott Peterson, the now 51-year-old has spoken publicly for the first time since his 2003 arrest, maintaining his long-held belief that a group of burglars are responsible for his wife's death

Peterson's theory hinges on several key pieces of testimony which his team argues should have been further explored during the investigation.

This includes a witness who claims he reported seeing a pregnant woman being 'bundled into a van' on the day of Laci's disappearance, and a corrections officer who heard rumors in prison that she had confronted burglars in her neighbor's home.

But detectives immediately hit back, saying they had no specific recollection of the first report, and that the corrections officer 'recanted his statement' at the time.

The final piece of evidence, Peterson said, is a burnt-out van found a mile from their home the day after Laci's disappearance. Detectives at the time ruled out any links to the case.

'We want some DNA tests done, so well be filing for that. We want further discovery, so well be asking for that as well,' he said.

Peterson is allowed to give 15-minute video phone calls from Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California, where he is serving a life sentence - which makes up the basis for the new bombshell documentary.

He was quizzed about parts of the investigation and case against him - including his final voicemail to Laci, his affair with Amber Frey, and the newly-bought boat that he used to dump his wife's body in the water after murdering her.

Peterson was trawling for fish in the San Francisco Bay when his wife went missing 90 miles away on the morning of December 24, 2002.

Peterson called Laci at 2:15pm on the day she went missing, leaving her a gushy voicemail saying he would 'see her soon' as he came home from the marina.

Detectives have always theorized that it was 'staged' to make things seem normal.

But Peterson said: 'That was common with us, she would call me cutie, I'd call her beautiful. We loved one another, we enjoyed one another. We were great friends.

'They [detectives] thought it was too sweet of a message for a married couple? They have really sad marriages if they think that. Frankly I feel bad for them.'

Prosecutors said Peterson killed Laci (pictured together) to escape married life and fatherhood

Peterson was initially sentenced to death before a judge overturned the decision in 2020 and sentenced him to life without parole

When asked why he bought the new boat on December 9, Peterson claimed it was for him and his father-in-law Ron Grantski to use.

Specifically, he said it would be a way for his unborn son to bond with his family.

Speaking from prison, Peterson said: 'I wanted him [Ron] to have a relationship with Conner.

'And part of that would be fishing because Ron really enjoyed it. It was something to bring us together as well.'

Conner is the name Peterson and Laci had planned to call their son - whose full-term remains were found on the shoreline of the Bay alongside Laci's body weeks after she vanished.

As the investigation continued, Peterson said he believed detectives had already pinned him as guilty.

'They had this assumption,' he said. 'They came into our house not to look for Laci but to look for evidence against me.

'They did a search of the house, they found absolutely no forensic evidence against me, no blood, no struggle, and yet, they continued to focus on me.'

In the bombshell documentary, Peterson rebuked the theory that he killed Laci because he didn't want to be a father, or fit into the domestic role of a husband.

Peterson said in the clip: 'That's so offensive, so disgusting. It's absolutely not true.'

And speaking on his infidelity, Peterson admitted two decades later that he 'regrets' his extramarital affair with Amber Frey, and that the consequences of those actions 'haunt' him to this day.

'I didnt tell people because I wanted the search to continue,' he said.

But Peterson rebukes any suggestion that he had a relationship with Ms Frey, insisting it was 'just sex' to him.

'I understand why she tried to turn it into a relationship after the fact made claims it was something more. But it simply wasnt. Thats a massive misconception I think.

'Its a horrible truth. These are the thoughts that haunt me. Its devastating actually such shame and guilt at me having had sex with Amber Frey caused all that, that they didnt look for her alive.'

Scott Peterson and Amber Frey, pictured together at a holiday party on December 14, 2002

Amber had been introduced to Scott by a friend, and their relationship was great from the beginning - with the San Diego-born man buying her flowers and talking about their future

Pictured: The boat that Scott Peterson bought on December 9, 2002. This is the same vessel he used to take his dead wife's body out into the San Francisco bay. He bought it on the same day he told his mistress he 'lost' his wife

Amber and Scott snuggle up together at a holiday party in 2002 - all while his pregnant wife was at another party. Scott killed his wife and their unborn son days after this photo

He said: 'I certainly regret cheating on Laci. It was childish, lack of self-esteem, selfish... traveling somewhere, being lonely that night because I wasn't at home...someone makes you feel good cause they want to have sex with you.

'That's what it was to me.'

But Peterson kept up his affair with Amber, despite Laci being dead for weeks.

He revealed that he kept up the relationship with her because he believed if she went to the police, it would make him seem more guilty.

'Staying in contact with Amber I thought... she would ruin the search,' he said.

'The search for Laci is going to stop as soon as the police or public know I was having sex with another woman. The knowledge of her [Amber] was a time bomb.'

On April 13, 2003, the body of a full-term male infant washed up on the shoreline of the San Francisco Bay.

One day later, the body of a recently pregnant woman washed up one mile away. The body was missing the head and arms. DNA testing confirmed it was Laci Peterson.

A pathologist confirmed that the fetus had died in utero.

Scott Peterson was arrested on April 18, 2003. He went to trial, and on November 12, 2004, the jury convicted him of two counts of murder.

The first was first-degree murder with special circumstances for killing Laci, and second-degree murder for killing the fetus she carried.

Scott was given a death sentence - but this was overturned in 2020, and he was re-sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Laci Peterson is pictured before her tragic death in 2002

Laci and Scott are pictured on their wedding day

The Peacock documentary airing Scott's jailhouse interviews comes just one week after Netflix also presented their own true crime docuseries on the case.

Last week's dive into the haunting case honed in on Amber Frey, now 49, who was unknowingly Scott's mistress for weeks before he killed his heavily-pregnant wife.

A trove of Frey and Peterson's intimate phone conversations were made public - revealing how Amber cunningly kept her relationship going while helping police nail Scott as the suspect in the chilling murder case.

During their courtship, which she said started around November 2002, Amber asked Scott if he had ever been married - and he said no.

She revealed that in the early days of dating, Scott would show up to her home with three dozen roses and was a real romantic - until his lies started to unfold.

Amber said that on December 9, 2002, she got a worried phone call from Scott saying there was 'something he needed to tell her.'

She recalled that they were holding hands at the table in her home when he told her he 'lied about being married,' while choking up and crying.

But his unnerving lies continued.

Amber said: 'He said he had "lost" his wife and this would be the first holidays without her. I remember just comforting him.

'With all his emotions, I thought "I don't want to pry, he will share what he feels comfortable with."

'He was sorry he had lied to me and hoped that it hadn't changed anything.'

Amber, then 28, said that she continued on with their relationship, forgiving him for what she believed was just a white lie he told about not being married before.

But when she realized her boyfriend may have been complicit in the disappearance of his wife, she went to cops and helped them by tapping her phone calls with Scott.

In a phone call from January 2003, Scott said on the crackled call to Amber: 'Sweetie, you think I had something to do with her disappearance?'

'I am not evil like that.'
Sir Keir Starmer is continuing to face a backlash over scrapping winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners as he boasts of making Britain an 'energy superpower'.

The Prime Minister visited a wind farm in Wales today as he promoted Labour's plans to establish Great British Energy - a state-owned clean energy firm.

He pointed to Wales's 'natural resources', 'shallow seas', and 'skilled' workforce as providing a 'massive opportunity' to boost the country's energy production.

But, as he joined with new Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan at the Brechfa Forest Wind Farm near Carmathen, Sir Keir was accused of a 'cruel' attack on pensioners.

The Government is axing winter fuel payments for around 10 million pensioners as Chancellor Rachel Reeves looks to fill a 22billion 'black hole' in the public finances.

Previously the payments were universal for all pensioners in England and Wales but they will now only be available for those on means-tested benefits.

The Tories blasted Labour for 'desperate' attempts to 'mitigate' the impact of their decision after ministers launched a new awareness campaign.

Sir Keir Starmer is continuing to face a backlash over scrapping winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners as he boasts of making Britain an 'energy superpower

As he joined with new Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan at the Brechfa Forest Wind Farm near Carmathen, Sir Keir was accused of a 'cruel' attack on pensioners

The PM pointed to Wales's 'natural resources', 'shallow seas', and 'skilled' workforce as providing a 'massive opportunity' to boost the country's energy production

Pensioners are being urged to check if they are eligible for pension credit, which qualifies them for the winter fuel payment worth up to 300.

They would need to apply by December 21, the last date for making a backdated claim for pension credit, to receive the fuel payment.

Around 1.4 million pensioners are already receiving pension credit but the Department for Work and Pensions estimates up to 880,000 further households are eligible for the support.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall will work with local authorities and charities for a 'pension credit week of action' in September and aim to identify eligible households yet to claim.

Ms Kendall said: 'The 22billion black hole in the public finances we have inherited has required us to take difficult decisions, but I am determined to ensure low-income pensioners are supported.

'That's why I urge any pensioner, or their loved ones, to check if they could get pension credit.

'This Government remains completely committed to pensioners which is why we're protecting the income of over 12 million pensioners through the triple lock.'

But Tory MP Laura Trott, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, called on Labour to 'come clean' about the 'damage' of their action.

'The Government is absurdly trying to claim it is committed to pensioners,' she said.

'The only thing it is committed to is increasing pensioner poverty whilst spending billions acquiescing to every union demand.

'Instead of desperately trying to mitigate the impact of their own decisions, the Chancellor should come clean and publish the internal impact assessment so the public can truly see the damage of this policy.'

Priti Patel compared Labour's 'cruel and nasty' attack on pensioners to the Government's recent agreement of bumper pay deals for millions of public sector workers

More than 400,000 people have now signed a petition, organised by charity Age UK, calling for the Government to 'halt' their change to winter fuel payments

More than 400,000 people have now signed a petition, organised by charity Age UK, calling for the Government to 'halt' their change to winter fuel payments.

Tory leadership contender Priti Patel compared Labour's 'cruel and nasty' attack on pensioners to the Government's recent agreement of bumper pay deals for millions of public sector workers.

'Starmer's cruel and nasty plan to subsidise his trade union paymasters by stripping millions of pensioners of their winter fuel allowance is the clearest demonstration of Labour's real agenda,' Dame Priti wrote in an article for the Daily Express.

'It shows that the Labour Party will never change. They will punish hard-working people and instead give taxpayers' cash to any union baron who asks for it.'

Speaking in Wales today, Sir Keir revealed how he is eyeing Wales's natioral resources as part of Labour's bid to decarbonise the UK's electricity grid by 2030.

The PM told journalists: 'There's a huge opportunity here for Wales which has got the resources, it's got the natural resources, it's got the shallow seas, and it's got the skilled people here in Wales that can operate this.

'This is a massive opportunity and we intend to work together to take that opportunity on behalf of everybody living in Wales.'

Ahead of his visit, Sir Keir vowed to put Wales 'at the very heart of our mission to make Britain an energy superpower'.

'We have inherited an incoherent energy policy that has left homes up and down the country vulnerable to rocketing energy bills,' he said.

'But the Welsh Government has made important strides that we can now build on, and I am determined that Wales is at the very heart of our mission to make Britain an energy superpower, with renewables powering homes right across the country.

'Great British Energy will put the whole of the UK on the right path to deliver the independence we need, while helping to deliver lower bills for households and businesses and creating the next generation of skilled jobs.'
A 24-year-old father a month away from meeting his second child was killed in a freak lightning strike while out boating with his brother and best friend in Utah.

Skyler Granath, of Ogden, was out fishing with his brother Bridger Granath, 20, and friend Jacob Coe on Bear River on Sunday when a lightning strike struck their boat and flipped the vessel shortly after midnight.

Coe and Bridger managed to safely get to shore with 'non-life-threatening injuries,' while Skyler 'went under the water and could not be located,' Box Elder County Sheriff's Office said.

Granath's fiancee, Maddie Palmer, paid tribute to the young father and her 'best friend,' writing: 'Skyler was the best dad, the best husband, brother, son, and friend. He was my best friend and will forever be the love of my life.

'All I want is to cuddle him to sleep like I do every night. And have him kiss the baby bump to sleep,' Palmer wrote in an emotional Facebook post. 'Rest easy, my love, please watch over us.'

The pair share a two-year-old daughter and are expecting a second child.

Skyler Granath, of Ogden, (pictured with fiancee) was out fishing with his brother Bridger Granath, 20, and friend Jacob Coe on Bear River on Sunday when a lightning strike struck their boat and flipped them out of the vessel shortly after midnight

Bridger attempted to bring Skyler (pictured) back to shore, but was struck by another bolt, forcing them to separate

Skyler and Bridger's grandfather, Arnold Mutti, said Bridger 'flipped three times up in the air before he hit the water' after the bolt capsized their boat.

'Flipped all three of them out of the boat into the air,' Mutti told KSL-TV.

The three men saw the storm and started heading to shore when the lightning bolt struck them, according to the local outlet.

Bridger attempted to bring Skyler back to shore, but was hit by another bolt, forcing them to separate, Mutti said.

Skyler's body was at 5:30am after authorities used sonar and diving teams to find him, police said.

The 24-year-old leaves behind fiancee, Maddie Palmer, and their two-year-old daughter. The young man was just short of meeting his second child, who is expected to arrive within a month

Skyler's body was at 5:30am after authorities used sonar and diving teams to find him, police said. Coe and Bridger managed to safely get to shore with 'non-life-threatening injuries'

Palmer told the outlet that they often spent their weekends tubing or on the boat and having a 'really fun time.'

'[He] was just the funniest person ever,' Palmer, who is a stay-at-home mom, told KSL-TV.

They were also preparing to get married right after their second baby was born.

'I realized throughout the eight years we've been together, there hasnt been one night Ive been without him for the last six years,' Palmer wrote on Facebook.

The pair was preparing to get married right after their second baby was born

The family has opened a memorial account under Granath's name at America First Credit Union to help pay for funeral expenses.

'I usually would never ask for money but right now we are really struggling for funeral funds and to pay house payments and any and all bills,' she wrote on Facebook.

'All I wanted to be was a stay-at-home mom and Skyler was giving me that opportunity. But Now that everything has happened I will need a little extra help till I can get back on my feet.'
The son of a businessman who was partners with missing tech tycoon Mike Lynch has vowed to finish the run his father was doing when he was mowed down in car crash.

Stephen Chamberlain, 52, was six miles into a morning run when he was hit by a vehicle on Newmarket Road in the Cambridgeshire village of Stretham on Saturday morning.

It happened days before the Mr Lynch's superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily in a freak thunderstorm, with the millionaire businessman missing and feared dead.

The pair had both been acquitted of fraud charges in the United States in June in relation to the sale of their business Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard, with Mr Lynch reportedly using his yacht to host a 'victory trip' holiday in celebration.

Today the Mr Chamberlain's family paid tribute to the 'much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend' after he passed away in the early hours of this morning when his life support was turned off in hospital.

Stephen Chamberlain, pictured, was hit by a car during a run on Saturday

His son, Teddy, today posted on Strava appealing for well-wishers to complete the run as a tribute to his father

Stephen Chamberlain died after being hit by a car on Newmarket Road (pictured) in Stretham when he was six miles into his run

Mr Chamberlain was the business partner of Mike Lynch (pictured) the tech tycoon

His son Teddy said today that his loved ones were going through 'unimaginable' pain before vowing to finish the jog his father, who was a keen runner, was doing at the time of his death.

Police say there was 'nothing untoward' about the crash and have spoken to the driver, who stopped at the scene.

Teddy wrote in a public post on Strava: 'We are planning to complete this run for dad, if any of you would like to pay tribute and run it with us I will keep you updated. I'm sure we will make a post about the day and time at a later date. He was such an incredible man and the pain we feel is unimaginable.'

Relatives of Mr Chamberlain said in a separate tribute released through police that he was a 'much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend'.

'He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible,' his family said.

'He made a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. He will be deeply missed but forever in the hearts of his loved ones.'

Mr Chamberlain was vice president of finance at Autonomy, the tech firm founded by Mr Lynch, and faced the same charges of fraud and conspiracy for allegedly scheming to inflate the company's value before a 9billion sale to Hewlett-Packard.

Both men were left elated after being acquitted of all 15 charges by a San Francisco jury after having the threat of jail hanging over them for 13 years, prompting Mr Lynch to say he had been granted a 'second life'.

Police have said there's nothing to suggest anything suspicious in his death and no arrests have been made after the driver of a car stayed at the scene following the collision

Posts on Strava account show the 52-year-old was six miles into a morning job in Cambridgeshire before his trail stopped on Newmarket Road in the village of Stretham

Mr Chamberlain was enjoying one of his regular jogs when he crossed the A1123 Newmarket Road near a humpback bridge over a river and was hit by a car.

He was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge with serious injuries.

at about 10.10am on Saturday.

Cambridgeshire Police are appealing for witnesses to the crash, which they said happened

The 49-year-old female driver of the blue Vauxhall Corsa that was travelling between Stretham and Wicken involved in the accident remained at the scene and is speaking to officers

The woman, who has not been charged, tested negative for drink or drugs. Sources said there was 'nothing untoward' about the circumstances.

Mr Chamberlain's Strava account showed his activity coming to an end near Gravel Farm Self-Catering Cottages.

A woman at Gravel Farm Self-Catering Cottages said: 'I saw the police arrive and the air ambulance arrive but I didn't see anything else.'

The businessman's life support was switched off early this morning with his family gathered around the bedside, MailOnline understands.

Gary Lincenberg, Mr Chamberlain's lawyer, said in an earlier statement: 'Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running.

'He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

'Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.'

Mr Chamberlain was a keen runner who took part in a '100k continuous challenge' race just over three years ago, with his wife Karen commenting online: 'Amazing achievement, 5th out of 500+ competitors. Well done Steve Chamberlain.

It is not known if Mr Lynch had been informed of his former colleagues accident before he himself went missing yesterday morning.

In his first interview after being acquitted, the tycoon had said that it would have been 'difficult to survive' prison - where the men could have faced a 25-year sentence.

He told The Times: 'I'd had to say goodbye to everything and everyone, because I didn't know if I'd ever be coming back. If this had gone the wrong way, it would have been the end of my life as I have known it in any sense.'

Rescuers are today facing a 'very complicated' search for Mr Lynch, who was once known as the 'British Bill Gates' and remains missing alongside his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, who represented Mr Lynch in his recent legal battle.

Hannah had just completed her A-Levels and gained a place to study English at Oxford before the tragedy.

Mr Chamberlain's family have described him as a 'much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend'

Mr Chamberlain was vice president of finance at Autonomy, the tech firm founded by Mr Lynch

The Bayesian (pictured earlier this year) was anchored off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, Sicily, when a waterspout struck the area just before 5am on Monday, wrecking the boat and causing it to rapidly disappear beneath the waves

Mr Lynch is still missing. His wife Angela Bacares (right) was among the 15 people who were rescued from the yacht

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Specialist divers involved in the search operation say the 30million vessel, called the Bayesian, has come to rest on the seabed 164ft (50 metres) below the surface with 'virtually everything intact', with furniture blocking attempts to get inside.

The luxury yacht capsized early on Monday morning after being hit by a waterspout at around 5am, with the captain of the doomed vessel saying 'we didn't see it coming' after he and 15 others were rescued from the water.

Those involved in the rescue efforts have compared the incident to that of the Costa Concordia disaster, the cruise ship which capsized in Italian waters in 2012 at the cost of 33 lives.

Tornado-speed winds flipped the superyacht so quickly that people on board were left swimming for their lives with those who made it off stranded in the pitch black water as the storm raged around them.

The ship's chef Recaldo Thomas was found dead in the sea by search teams yesterday and hopes that survivors will be found alive in trapped air pockets are rapidly fading as the rescue operation continues.

It is believed the ship sank after its mast - one of tallest in the world at an enormous 246ft-high - snapped during the brutal incident and keeled over, taking the hull beyond the 'down-flooding angle', according to nautical experts.

James Catfield was named by Italian media as one of fifteen crewmembers and passengers who were rescued from the raging seas by another ship after they bailed out of the superyacht.

Speaking from a hospital room in the town of Termini Imerese close to Palermo, the captain, in a state of grief and shock, could only utter one sentence.

'We didn't see it coming,' he told La Repubblica.

Former shipyard manager and maritime technical inspector Gino Ciriaci told Italian daily Corriere Della Sera said once the mast had fallen, the vessel was far more prone to pitching and rolling as it was battered by waves without the sails to steady it.

The businessman was fatally injured on Saturday but had his life support switched off early this morning, MailOnline understands

He was cleared of the same charges of fraud and conspiracy as his former boss

Mr Lynch, who was often referred to as the 'British Bill Gates', was on holiday with family when tragedy struck and 'freak' waterspout took down his luxury boat

Two men in a coastguard vessel head out of the harbour in Porticello this morning, more than 24 hours after Mr Lynch's superyacht sank

A life raft is seen docked at the harbour near the port where the emergency and rescue workers are launching their search operation

In the case of the Bayesian, he said the waterspout was so violent that the boat, dragged down by its broken mast, tilted until the edge of the deck slipped under the surface.

The entire ordeal likely lasted only a few minutes, with the ship sinking rapidly as it took on seawater.

Specialist divers had reached the ship yesterday afternoon but their search efforts were met with unexpected complications.

'Access was limited to the bridge, due to the difficulty represented by the presence of furnishings obstructing the divers' passage,' the fire crews said in a statement.

The search operation was made yet more difficult because the ship was resting on the seabed at a depth of 50 metres, which limits the amount of time divers can be underwater, said fire rescue spokesperson Luca Cari.

In the meantime, survivors of the tragedy were taken to various hospitals on the island of Sicily and began recounting their terrifying ordeal.

Among the 15 rescued was one-year-old baby Sofia, who was kept afloat by her mother, 36-year-old Charlotte Golunski.

Ms Golunski, an Oxford graduate and senior associate at Mike Lynch's company Invoke Capital, yesterday told of her fight to prevent her child from drowning.

'For two seconds I lost my baby in the sea, then I immediately hugged her again in the fury of the waves,' Ms Golunski said.

'I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched up to keep her from drowning,' she added.

'It was all dark. In the water I couldn't keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.'
Maine has found itself in a bind over how to reign in floating 'camps' that are blocking homeowners' waterfront views and clogging the state's many lakes, ponds and rivers.

Many of the structures, which are increasingly popping up, aren't houseboats because they don't have motors. Instead, they are anchored to lakebeds or tied to the shore. They're often fitted with decks, planter boxes and even second stories, the Bangor Daily News reported.

State officials say the camps pose pollution risks - with some speculating that their inhabitants are dumping sewage into the water - while also creating congestion at public docks and boat ramps. Some camps are even being used as rental properties.

Because they're not on land, the camps are exempt from typical private property laws and shore regulations that govern pollution. Maine also doesn't have a clear definition of what is and what is not a boat, meaning floating camps are in a regulatory gray area and cannot be removed.

Multiple state regulators recognized the problem more than two years ago, but can't act without concrete legislative action.

This floating camp sits on the popular Moosehead Lake and is a year-round rental

A floating camp is pictured on the Androscoggin River, which flows through New Hampshire and Maine

More millionaires than ever are buying and building lavish lakefront homes in the Northeast state

More millionaires than ever are buying and building lavish lakefront homes in the Northeast state.

Now it appears Maine lawmakers are set to tackle the floating camps in the next legislative session.

They'll take inspiration on how to crack down on the 'non-water-dependent floating structures' from a 2023 report penned by a group of state agencies.

The descriptor means the camps can exist and be functional outside the water, something true houseboats aren't capable of.

'The group identified a need to define and regulate these non-water-dependent floating structures in order to protect Maine's waters, and this will take a collaborative approach involving the public, the Legislature and various state agencies,' DIF&W Deputy Commissioner Tim Peabody told the Bangor Daily News.

The report points out that the mishmash of state and local agencies currently regulating Maine's waters and boats is insufficient and has allowed for people to carve out a loophole.

The floating camps were described as 'non-water-dependent floating structures' in a report penned by a group of state agencies.

Another floating camp on Hadley Lake in East Machias, Maine

A floating camp that is extremely close to shore and serves as a rental

DIF&W Deputy Commissioner Tim Peabody, pictured, said state agencies worked together to find a way to better regulate floating camps. Now it's up to the legislature to implement their suggestions or not

'Currently, there is no singular agency with clear regulatory authority to prevent the use of these structures; and...There isn't one statute or rule that covers all the scenarios,' according to the report.

The first suggestion the report recommends is to clearly stipulate that the camps cannot legally qualify as houseboats because they can't freely navigate through the water.

This would allow actual houseboats, which have been permitted in Maine for decades, to remain legally protected.

Next, it says lawmakers should ban floating camps under the new definition, while also prohibiting them from being registered as motorboats.

Finally, the report asks for lawmakers to give police the authority to conduct inspections on alleged floating camps so if new ones continue to pop up after the law change, they can actually be removed.
The King has paid tribute to the victims of the horror knife attack in Southport as he visited the town today and met with survivors of the stabbings in which three young girls were killed.

The monarch was greeted with cheers and applause as he briefly viewed floral tributes before holding a private meeting with the children, their families and others who were at the Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop on July 29 when three were fatally stabbed and ten others seriously injured.

Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, lost their lives at the dance class at the Hart Space Community Centre.

On Wednesday, the King will meet the bereaved families in London.

On arrival at Southport town hall, Charles was greeted by Dr Ruth Hussey, the vice lord lieutenant of Merseyside, and counsellor June Burns, the mayor of Sefton.

He then viewed a large makeshift memorial dedicated to the victims, gesturing in appreciation at the scale of it. One member of the public gave him three cheers and another shouted 'thank you for coming' as he greeted the crowds.

The King affectionately patted one young girl on the shoulder as he shook hands with many of the hundreds gathered to see him.

One little boy, Max, eight, gave him a small red silk heart he had made himself, prompting the King to gently pat his head in thanks.

The monarch was also given some pink hearts crocheted by a woman and promised to give them to Kate and Charlotte.

The King will travel from Scotland to Southport today to meet with affected children and their families. He pictured visiting the floral tributes to the victims on Tuesday

King Charles appeared moved by the huge number of floral tributes left in Southport

The King opened his hands as he spoke of his amazement at the floral tributes left in Southport

It comes after a fatal stabbing attack on a Taylor Swift themed dance class which left three children dead, including Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven (pictured)

Bebe King, six, was also killed in the horror attack in Southport last month

Alice Aguiar, nine, died in the early hours of the morning after being rushed to hospital following the attack

King Charles signs a book of condolence during his visit to Southport Town Hall following the horror attack

He told one woman: 'Look at all the flowers' and said he hoped people had not been waiting too long.

The colourful display of flowers, plants and cuddly toys outside the town hall has been maintained ever since the attacks, with the soft bears and dolls regularly collected by local volunteers and redistributed in dry weather.

The King was then shown inside to meet the children and adults who witnessed last month's attack as well as the family liasion officers who have been supporting those affected.

People began to gather outside the town hall from about 11.30am to catch a glimpse of the King.

On July 30, the day after the attack, the King released a written statement saying he was 'profoundly shocked' to hear of the 'utterly horrific incident'.

He added: 'We send our most heartfelt condolences, prayers and deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who have so tragically lost their lives, and to all those affected by this truly appalling attack.'

Wearing a grey suit and tie, the King appeared moved as he walked through the floral display - with hundreds of bouquets left at outside the Atkinson Art Centre Southport.

Earlier, he arrived outside a sunny Southport town hall to a rapturous welcome.

Some members of the crowd clapped while others cheered and shouted: 'God save the King,' as His Majesty walked around the sea of floral tributes, teddy bears and balloons.

He stopped to shake the hands of some members of the public, including local Linsey Hislop, 43, who asked him about his health and how he was feeling following his cancer treatment.

'I'm not too bad,' the King replied.

King Charles stopped to shake the hands of some members of the public during his trip to Southport

Charles, 75, who is still undergoing cancer treatment, is expected to fly from Balmoral. The King is pictured at the floral display in Southport on Tuesday

The monarch also appeared to read some of the messages and tributes left in Southport

The huge display has been left in the wake of the tragic killings of three girls who were stabbed during a Taylor Swift-themed summer party in the town last month

The King waited to visit Southport until the region's police were less stretched by unrest

King Charles is pictured in the background of the floral display, which also includes a number of balloons and cuddly toys

King Charles appeared moved when he saw the scale of the tributes left for those killed in the attack

He was seen speaking to members of the public as he examined floral tributes in Southport

King Charles waved from the window of his car as he left Southport this afternoon

Mrs Hislop, a foster carer, said she was a 'big Royalist' and wanted to come out to show her support.

'I love the Royal Family, and my son is a police officer who was working during the riots so it's really good of the King to come,' she said.

Other members of the crowd appeared emotional and were in tears as King Charles stopped to speak to them.

Southport College worker, Louise Watson, 44, had come down to see the King with her two sons, and two nieces. Running through their names, she laughed, saying, 'you're going to love this, we've got Charles, Megan, and Harry it wasn't intentional!'

'It's lovely, it's great for the kids to see it,' she said, 'I think it's really nice, I think it's showing respect for the families that have been affected.'

'I think it'll mean a lot to the town and particularly for any families that have been involved,' she added.

King Charles 'waved straight at' her other niece, Eleanor, 10, who said: 'It was really nice to see the King, how he cares, and he's going to speak to the families.'

Watson's son, and the King's namesake, 17-year-old Charles, added: 'It's nice that he's come to show his respect and condolences for what's happened, it's a bit of a motivator, a pick-up for Southport.'

'It's a wonderful thing, that he's doing to come,' Gina Wallwork, 77, said. 'I do think it'll mean a lot to everyone in the town, it was right for him to come.'

She added that everyone had been feeling 'just really sad' since last month's attack.

King Charles had tea as he met with community leaders this afternoon and thanked emergency services for their hard work

Britain's King Charles III meets with representatives from Merseyside's emergency services and local community groups at the Community Fire Station in Southport

King Charles was seen speaking with police officers who had been involved in the response to the riots

The King spoke with emergency responders after a difficult few weeks for the town

Representatives from local police, ambulance services and firefighters were all present

His Majesty met with those affected by the attack and riots alongside thanking front-line emergency staff for their ongoing work

Charles shook hands with a young girl in Southport and greeted her as he arrived in the town

Hundreds of people, including children on their summer holidays, turned out to greet the King

Residents young and old came together to thank Charles for visiting the town just weeks after the fatal tragedy

The King stopped to talk to locals who had waited hours for a glimpse of him outside the town hall

At one point, the King appeared to read one of the messages of tribute left on one of the bunches as he slowly walked through the floral display

Dozens of balloons and stuffed animals - which are only brought out during good weather - were also on display outside the town hall

Members of the public had been waiting since 11.30am for the King to arrive in order to greet him

'It's a wonderful thing the King is doing, to come personally,' her husband Peter Wallwork, 79, added, 'and it was a pleasant surprise.'

At one point, he appeared to read one of the messages of tribute left on one of the bunches as he slowly walked through the floral display.

Pink ribbons adorned lampposts and flower beds were filled with paper windmills in tribute to the victims of the tragedy.

Balloons in the shape of stars, hearts, a disco ball and the girls' ages were among the tributes and messages outside the Town Hall, including one which read: 'God has gained three beautiful new angels. May you dance forever in heaven and be at peace.'

Charles has already expressed his shock and sympathy at the events, and has been keen to make a personal visit for some time.

But he wanted to wait until those affected were ready for a royal visit and there was less strain on emergency services in the region.

Charles, 75, who is still undergoing cancer treatment, is understood to have flown down from Scotland where he is spending the summer for today's event.

Following his walkabout the King went inside the Town Hall to meet some of the children and adult survivors caught up in the atrocity at the Taylor Swift-themed event three weeks ago.

Charles spent about 45 minutes meeting survivors before signing a book of condolence in the town hall. He signed his name, adding: 'In deepest sympathy.'

Outside the building before he left, the King met members of the community who had helped in the aftermath of the attack.

Paige Whitby, Harriet Neal, Naomi Taylor, all 13, and 10-year-old Emie Todd said they had raised 2,000 for Alder Hey Children's Hospital by selling lemonade.

Naomi said: 'It was shocking to meet the King. We were excited and nervous.

'He asked us about school and whether we were enjoying our holidays.'

Joanne Martlew was there with son Harvey, seven, who presented Charles with a pair of Scottish cufflinks.

Ms Martlew, a retired emergency service worker, said she had been driving past the dance class on the day of the attack when she saw victims coming out and went to help, assisting six of those injured.

She said Harvey, who had witnessed some of the aftermath, took ice creams to police officers in the days after the incident and they took teddies which had been left in tribute near the scene to Alder Hey Children's Hospital.

She said: 'It was brilliant to see the King. I last saw him in 2008 when he was prince. He was just really pleasant.'

Members of the Lord Street in Bloom gardening group, who have been looking after the flowers outside the town hall, were also there to meet the King.

Helen Marshall, 71, said: 'I think it's very important he is here. We're under a cloud and we need something to boost morale.

'The last few weeks have been devastating but the community spirit is the thing keeping us going.'

Pauline Morris, 60, added: 'There have been thousands of flowers left. It has been an honour and a privilege to work there.'

King Charles is pictured inspecting some of the floral tributes in Southport on Tuesday

The King was accompanied by members of his security team and the press

King Charles III waved as he arrived in Southport to meet local community and emergency services

His Majesty arrived earlier on Tuesday to meet with the survivors and families of the victims of the tragic attack. King Charles is pictured arriving in Southport

The crowd welcomed the monarch as he arrived, with some singing 'God Save The King'

Charles is seen surrounded by locals during his visit to Southport on Tuesday

Siblings Antony and Jenna Johnson, who distributed free ice creams from their family business Triviso to children in Southport in the days after the attack, also met the King.

Mr Johnson said: 'We feel super-privileged to be here. It was lovely to meet the King, he was so nice to speak to. He said we'd done a fantastic job.

He added: 'It was nice for the children whose homes had been destroyed and they didn't know why.

'It brought people out to chat together, creating a space where there was no fear. One little girl said she hadn't left her house but came out to get an ice cream.'

Ms Johnson added: 'We wanted to give out ice creams after the riot because the kids had all been terrified and we wanted to give them something to come out of the house for.'

Faye Priestley, an account manager for Travis Perkins, organised donations of building supplies to those whose homes were damaged in the riots and also helped to mend the fence at the mosque.

She gave the King a Travis Perkins cap, prompting him to chuckle and say: 'You get these sales people everywhere.' Ms Priestley then gave him her business card, causing more laughter as the King said: 'They should be very proud of you.'

Charles was also introduced to Angela Bayliff, 48, a cleaner at Southport Football Club whose seven-year-old granddaughter witnessed the attack and was among those meeting the monarch inside the town hall.

Ms Bayliff said she had organised for all of the condolence cards attached to the flowers left in tribute to be laminated and collected in folders and on pin boards donated by five local shops.

Then he met members of the emergency services at the town's fire station and will talk to faith leaders, including imams who came under attack at a local mosque in the immediate aftermath of the stabbing.

Members of the public stopped and waved as the King's convoy drove past them in Southport

Charles took time to do a walkabout in the town centre and speak to residents, many of whom asked after his health

The King was seen laughing and in good spirits as he spoke with members of the public

Earlier this month it was revealed that the King had asked for 'daily updates' on the riots sparked by the Southport atrocity

He was met on arrival by regional leaders including the Mayors of the Liverpool City Region and Sefton, Steve Rotheram and Councillor Jane Burns, Sefton MP Patrick Hurley and Sefton Council leader, Marion Atkinson.

More than 50 police officers were injured as up to 1,000 people gathered outside a mosque after misinformation was spread online over the identity of the suspect in the killings.

More than 1,000 arrests were made nationally as the disorder spread and more than half of those charged.

Earlier this month it was revealed that the King had asked for 'daily updates' on the riots sparked by the Southport atrocity and could visit affected communities in the future on government advice.

It was understood that he was keen to be kept updated on the rapidly evolving situation.

He was also said to be engaging 'privately' around the issues that the shocking national unrest and violence had generated.

Buckingham Palace declined to go into detail of what form that engagement is taking.

But sources stressed that that His Majesty has spent much of his life, both as King and as Prince of Wales, working to encourage community cohesion and interfaith dialogue.

It came amid calls by some for the Royal Family to take a lead amid the national crisis.

However others pointed out that the King must be seen to be impartial, particularly given the vitriolic and hugely divisive level of political discourse around the rioting.

The King asked for daily updates on the riots which broke out after the fatal attack in Southport

In the town far-right yobs set a police van on fire as more than 1,000 people gathered following false information being shared on social media

The King was also said to be engaging 'privately' around the issues that the shocking national unrest and violence had generated

A tribute to those killed in the Southport attacks was held on the same night as unrest broke out in the town

Queen Elizabeth, notably, did not intervene by issuing any public message during the equally explosive summer 2011 riots, sparked by the killing of Mark Duggan by the Metropolitan Police.

She would also have refrained from speaking publicly around the issue on official advice.

Sources stressed that His Majesty was acutely conscious any immediate reaction to the trouble should by led by the Government.

He issued a public message in the aftermath of the tragic attacks.

But given the security requirements around a royal visit - and with policing stretched to the limit in affected areas - it would only happen at a time when it did not place any additional burden on frontline emergency services or risk inflaming the situation on the ground while the country was still such a tinderbox.

Axel Rudakubana, 18, from Banks, Lancashire, will stand trial next year after being charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place.
A 'creepy' and 'weird' Kentucky lawmaker has been accused of sending hundreds of raunchy late-night texts to female staffers.

Three women aged between 26 to 28 have made sexual harassment allegations against 45-year-old married state Rep. Daniel Grossberg, who is being investigated by the state's Legislative Research Commission.

Grossberg has denied the claims, which refer to incidents spanning the last couple of years, but also apologized for making anyone feel 'uncomfortable'.

His attorney has defended the interactions by saying the texts do not contain anything 'inappropriate', while adding that he is autistic.

The women, who are all involved in Democratic politics in the Kentucky capital of Frankfort, shared a tranche of communications from Grossberg - totaling 63 texts and 68 direct messages sent on X - with the Lexington Herald Leader.

They described Grossberg's messages as 'creepy' and 'weird' - ranging from telling staffers he found them 'beautiful', to asking for nudes while warning one 26-year-old that if she were to find out his porn preferences she would 'never forgive him'.

Three women aged between 26 to 28 have made sexual harassment allegations against 45-year-old married state Rep. Daniel Grossberg, (shown with his wife)

The woman who received the communication about his porn preferences said the comment left her feeling 'deeply uncomfortable and increasingly unsafe'.

'His power within the party, combined with the nature of his questions and comments, left me feeling threatened and concerned for the future of my career,' she told the Herald-Leader.

She revealed that the married lawmaker had encouraged her to download Snapchat, where messages and photos disappear soon after sending.

'I like chats that can't be used against me. lol,' he wrote to her on December 1, 2023.

The 26-year-old said Grossberg had been 'relentlessly' asked her to send nudes.

The accusers, who are all involved in Democratic politics in the Kentucky capital of Frankfort, shared a tranche of communications from Grossberg - totaling 63 texts and 68 direct messages sent on X - with the Lexington Herald Leader .

She described Grossberg as 'scary', adding that his actions had 'caused me significant distress and left me with a deep sense of vulnerability'.

Another woman revealed messages from Grossberg calling her 'beautiful' while saying he had a 'crush' on her back in 2021, when she was 24.

She said the onslaught came despite the fact she 'barely knew him', but she felt she couldn't push back because of Grossberg's powerful position in Kentucky politics.

The woman said Grossberg also texted her just before midnight in August 2022 saying she was 'beautiful, beautiful'.

'Being referred to as 'beautiful, beautiful' in a text message at 11:37 pm by a married man is something I wish to not happen to me,' she told the Herald-Leader.

'I remember waking up to that text and thinking how gross that was, but never said anything to him or anyone, because I didn't know who to say anything to.'

In January this year, Grossberg allegedly asked the woman out for a drink in another late-night text, and probed her about the year she graduated high school - before making an even creepier comment.

Grossberg has denied the claims, which refer to incidents spanning the last couple of years, but also apologized for making anyone feel 'uncomfortable'. (Pictured: Grossberg walking on the beach with his wife on their wedding day)

She replied the next morning agreeing to get a drink - though she said this meeting never materialized - and he responded saying: 'there's something about' girls from that school, along with a wink face emoji.

The woman also detailed how Grossberg told her in December 2023 that his feelings for her had escalated. 'My crush on you just went to 11,' he allegedly wrote.

Speaking about the moment she read this message, the woman said: 'I remember the feeling of my heart sinking to my stomach as I sat in my office at work, getting ready to eat the leftover Indian food I had just warmed up.

'I remember losing my appetite. I remember my entire body shaking from anxiety. I remember wanting to go home.'

The woman said she even went to the length of recruiting two male friends to protect her from Grossberg at campaign events.

'I looked at these two friends and made them swear to me they would not let him get near me,' she said.

The staffer added that she was speaking up for 'those who are scared of his power since he is a sitting lawmaker', adding that Grossberg's behavior has 'got to stop'.

Other allegations against Grossberg include instances of him allegedly inviting staffers back to his office and pouring spirits before getting wasted in front of them.

In one such encounter, he allegedly asked one lesbian staffer several sex-related questions, including one about her genitals.

He told the woman she was very attractive, adding that it was a 'shame' she didn't like men.

Grossberg, who is autistic, has denied the sexual harassment claims, which refer to incidents spanning the last couple of years, but apologized for making anyone feel 'uncomfortable'

Three women aged between 26 to 28 have made sexual harassment allegations against 45-year-old married state Rep. Daniel Grossberg, who is being investigated by the state's Legislative Research Commission. (Pictured: Grossberg with his wife)

The third female staffer to come forward is trans, and she said the lawmaker had made her feel uncomfortable by probing her at length while drunk about her genitals, sex life and whether she had had gender reassignment surgery.

He added that he did not find the post-operative vaginas of trans women 'convincing,' the woman said.

'At this point I realized I was in a tenuous situation,' she told the Herald-Leader.

'As a 26-year-old trans woman, I was alone with an inebriated middle-aged male state representative in his office, asking me about my sexual identity and history.

'I felt trapped.'

Grossberg has pushed back against the claims but also issued an apology.

'I deny any allegations of sexual harassment or abuse of office,' he emailed to the Herald-Leader.

'I sincerely apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable because of something I said or wrote.'

Grossberg added in his statement that he is 'fully cooperating' with an ethics investigation into his conduct and said he's determined to hold himself 'to a higher standard and am committed to listening to women's voices.'

House Democrats voted to temporarily suspend Grossberg from their caucus as the investigation continues.

His attorney, Anna Whites, has said his texts did not contain any 'sexually harassing or inappropriate' content.

'It's very easy to make accusations and take comments out of context,' she told the Herald-Leader.

Whites previously said Grossberg has a 'neuro-divergent diagnosis' meaning he is on the autism spectrum.
Horrific torture complexes used by Russian army commanders to force terrified citizens to fight and die on the frontlines in Ukraine for Vladimir Putin's special military operation have been revealed in a damning new investigation.

Independent media outlet ASTRA uncovered a slew of what it described as 'torture basements' where mobilised soldiers are allegedly handcuffed, beaten and forced to go to the war.

In one particular site - a destroyed building on the territory of the headquarters of the 272nd motorised rifle regiment in the Nizhny Novgorod region - the men are illegally detained and subjected to heinous violence.

Shocking footage shows the interior of this factory of suffering, along with another site in Russian-occupied Ukraine where handcuffed inmates are seen cowering.

Officially, neither of the sites exist. But they are designed to break the will of each and every inmate, forcing them to accept being sent to the meatgrinder.

Independent media outlet ASTRA uncovered a slew of what it described as 'torture basements'

Footage shows the interior of this factory of suffering

Inmates at the facility are illegally detained and subjected to heinous violence to force them back to war

The squalid conditions are seen in the Nizhny Novgorod facility

In Nizhny Novgorod, men are kept under the supervision of the military police for days without water, food or toilet facilities, according to the outlet's investigation.

They are 'kept like cattle' under the supervision of the ruthless Captain Bogdan Romanov, the outlet suggested, adding the inmates are often barred from medical examinations or surgery, even though many have war wounds.

One maimed soldier was even kept there despite losing a leg, according to ASTRA.

At least three of the detainees had their ribs broken with a police baton and were then sent back to the war, while others were terrorised with powerful Airsoft grenades that look exactly like the real article.

Meanwhile, at another 'concentration camp' in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region, a 'torture conveyor' operates in the disused Petrovskaya mine.

Among the inmates are soldiers who refused to take part in notorious Russian 'meat-grinder' assaults on the frontline.

Others are held because they had tried to escape, or for other supposed transgressions.

The Petrovskaya site is also a place where people seen as enemies of Russia are abused or exterminated.

An inmate sits on a military cot in the Petrovskaya mine in Donetsk

This image shows how inmates are handcuffed together, with some also chained to bedframes and pipes to prevent their escape

Ilya Ivanov, an alleged mastermind of the Russian 5th brigade torture camp in Donetsk

The torture complex in Donetsk is believed to be overseen by Ilya Ivanov, deputy commander of the 5th Motorised Rifle Brigade.

His commanders force their subordinates to go on 'meat assaults' by torturing them, according to some troops unfortunate enough to have passed through.

'They bring the soldiers there with bags over their heads,' said a former prisoner.

'They don't feed them. They give you a bag if you want to go to the toilet.

'When they locked me up, they hung us up by the arms and legs from the ceiling with chains.'

But this prison is also used by the commanders of the brigade to cash in on the war, according to the ASTRA report.

Donetsk human rights activist Maksim Vedoprav said of the purpose of the torture mine: 'It's not just sadism. There is one main reason  money.'

The terror jail operates a scam receiving Russian army salary and compensation payments for intimidated men in its dungeons, he said.

'You shoot a man in the legs  you get 3 million roubles [25,500] for the wound. They write out a power of attorney for their people.

'A man dies  you get 6 million roubles [51,000] for the dead.

'And while he serves them, but in reality sits in a basement [cell], they receive 200,000 [1,700] for him [in salary payments] every month.

'Excellent business. In fact, for everyone who sits in the basement, the first thing they do to them is take away their salary card or force them to rewrite a power of attorney for payments to fictitious persons.

'Every single one of them is in the basement, but none of them receive their money.'
This is the moment a pair of brazen robbers stole a car while its owner was filling up at a petrol station.

Two masked men are seen threatening the unidentified owner before throwing their belongings out the car and driving off, in CCTV footage captured at an Asda petrol station in Tipton, West Midlands.

Police have called on the public to help them identify the men seen in the incident which happened last month.

A clip released by West Midlands Police begins with the men approaching their target from either side of the petrol pump, when one snatches the keys from their hand.

After they initially fell on the floor, one of the suspects then threw the keys to their accomplice, who jumped into the driver's seat and switched the engine on.

Do you know the driver? Email matthew.cox@mailonline.co.uk

This is the moment a pair of brazen robbers stole a car while its owner was filling up at an Asda petrol station in Tipton, West Midlands

A clip released by West Midlands Police in an appeal begins with the men approaching their target from either side of the petrol pump, when one snatches the keys from their hand

The owner appeared to try to approach one of the men as he got in the passenger side of the vehicle, before he seemingly threatened them with something

After a struggle, the owner stumbled away from the car and the two men drove off with the petrol pump still inserted

The owner appeared to try to approach the other man as he got in the passenger side of the vehicle, before he seemingly threatened them with something.

However, the masked man then opened one of the rear doors and the car's owner attempted to get into the passenger seat again, before being pulled out in a struggle.

They stumbled away from the car as the two men drove off, all while the petrol pump was still inserted.

The thieves were caught on CCTV stealing the vehicle from the petrol station in Brickhouse Lane South at around 9.15pm on Tuesday, July 23.

Local police said they hope the men can be identified even though they were wearing masks.

A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: 'Do you recognise these two men?

'We want to speak to them after a vehicle was stolen from a petrol station on Brickhouse Lane South, Tipton at around 9.15pm on 23 July. We appreciate the men are wearing face coverings but we hope someone may recognise their clothing.

'Anyone with any information is asked to contact us via Live Chat on our website or call 101 quoting 20/693761/24.'

Information can also be given anonymously by calling Crimestopppers on 0800 555 111.
Dramatic video shows the moment Ukrainian forces launch a devastating attack on Russian positions in a village in occupied Kursk.

President Zelensky's men are continuing to push forward with their incursion into Russian territory, so far capturing hundreds of square miles of land in a major embarrassment for Moscow's military top brass.

Thousands of troops smashed through border defences in a surprise attack on August 6, and have since claimed more territory in two weeks than Russia has in Ukraine during this entire calendar year.

More than 122,000 people have left the region after authorities ordered mass evacuations, state news agency TASS quoted the emergencies ministry as saying.

Paratroopers have been fighting near the village of Mala Loknya - around eight miles from the border - for several days, with new video now showing their bombardment of Russian hide-outs, which they claim to have carried out with German tanks.

Smoke and flames rise from buildings in the village of Mala Loknya, in Russia's Kursk region

The intense Ukrainian bombardment of the Russian positions was caught on camera

The attack left the buildings - which Ukraine said Putin's troops were using as hide-outs - almost completely destroyed

Kyiv has claimed that their aim in the campaign is to create a buffer zone to prevent further cross-border attacks by Moscow.

Ukraine has also sought to capture as many prisoners of war as possible in order to replenish an 'exchange fund' in the hope that it can help bring soldiers home in future swaps.

Earlier this week, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, expressed hope about capturing 'a lot' of Russian prisoners in Mala Loknya.

Images of his troops' assault on the settlement have now emerged after they were released by Ukraine's Command of the Airborne Assault Troops.

'The video shows fire being conducted from a BMP 'Marder' during assault operations in the village of Mala Loknya, Sudzhansky district, Kursk region,' it said in a statement.

Germany gifted dozens of Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine last year. Despite their age, they are regarded as some of the toughest fighting vehicles on the battlefield due to their quality, armour, cannons and weight.

Polissya paratroopers used the tanks to launch a 'powerful strike' on 'well-equipped firing points and combat positions of the Russian forces,' the statement went on.

'The enemy suffered significant losses in personnel, equipment, and other material resources,' it said.

A Ukrainian soldier stands in front of a Marder infantry fighting vehicle after they were gifted to Kyiv last year

It comes after a bridge along the same river was destroyed in an attack on Friday, with Ukraine claiming responsibility

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles southeast in Russia's Rostov region, authorities struggled Tuesday to put out a massive fire in the southern Rostov region for a third consecutive day after an oil depot was hit by Ukrainian drones.

The fire at the depot in the town of Proletarsk burned across an area of a hectare (2 1/2 acres), according to Russian state news agencies.

There are 500 firefighters involved in the operation, and 41 of them already have been hospitalized with injuries, according to the Russian state-owned news agency TASS, citing local officials.

Ukraine's Army General Staff claimed responsibility Sunday for attacking the oil depot, which was used to supply the needs of Russia's army, calling it a measure 'to undermine the military and economic potential of the Russian Federation.'

In recent days, Ukrainian forces have struck three key bridges on the Seym River, which have been crucial to Putin's army for troop transfers.

While successes in the Kursk region have been a major morale boost for Ukraine, Kyiv's forces face a bleak situation in the Donbas region.

Local residents clear broken glass from their balconies after a Russian bombardment of a residential neighbourhood in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, on August 20

Russia has been bearing down on the city of Pokrovsk, forcing Ukrainian troops to pull back and civilians to be evacuated.

The relentless six-month slog across Ukraine's Donetsk region following the capture of Avdiivka has cost Ukraine heavily in troops and armor.

Ukrainian defenders have no choice but to pull back from positions blown to pieces by Russian artillery, missiles and bombs.

Pokrovsk is one of Ukraine's main defensive strongholds and a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region.

Its capture would compromise Ukraine's defensive abilities and supply routes and would bring Russia closer to its stated aim of capturing the entire Donetsk region.

Russia wants control of all parts of Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk, which together make up the Donbas industrial region.
Two Good Samitarians have described the moment they chased down a kidnapper who stole a truck with a 10-year-old child inside in California.

Gernaro Cortes and his brother, who was not identified, jumped into action after hearing a father's desperate cries when a man got into his running red pickup truck with his son.

The Slymar dad was dropping something off at his neighbor's house around 7pm Monday near Bradley and Oswald Street, according to NBC Los Angeles.

'I left the truck in the driveway, and honestly, it just happened in a second,' the father, who asked to remain anonymous, told the outlet.

The thief was riding his bike down the street when he noticed the running vehicle and seized the opportunity.

The two men hopped in their car and chased after the man after flagging down a police officer.

The father (pictured with son) had left the truck running with the door open and his kid inside while dropping something off at his neighbor's house around 7pm. The thief was riding his bike down the street when he noticed the running vehicle and seized the opportunity

They claim the thief began driving erratically after noticing them following.

'My brother found them and said: "Hey, that's the car,"' Cortes said. 'So I bust a U [turn], as I'm coming down, he's just going, this guy is just going.'

They followed the man through several lights before crossing several lanes to turn onto a different road.

The Cortes eventually lost the car after getting stuck at red light before finding it abandoned on Jessie Street in San Fernando, the child shaken, but safely inside, according to NBC Los Angeles.

The boy was then reunited with his father just 20 minutes after the fright began. The thief abandoned the vehicle with the boy inside in San Fernando

Gernaro Cortes (right) and his brother, who was not identified, (left) took off after an alleged criminal who stole a red pickup truck with a child inside near Bradley and Oswald Street on Monday after hearing the father's desperate cries

'I get out the car, I noticed theres no guy there  I went straight to the kid, he was just shocked,' Cortes told NBC Los Angeles.

'He doesnt really know me. He saw my brother and he was like "ok," he unlocked the car and I grab him and he just breaks down, and I have two kids, so I was just broken down.'

The boy was then reunited with his father just 20 minutes after the fright began.

'Thank God, the boy is safe and sound,' the father said.

No arrests have been made and police are still searching for the suspect.
The family of a carpenter placed in a coma after a horror moped crash while holidaying in Bali have revealed they face an anxious waiting game.

Shane Ramsey, 30, was riding a moped in in Seminyak on his way to watch the UFC with mates on Sunday when disaster struck.

The Perth tradie crashed into a pole and was rushed to hospital to be treated for a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain, blood in his lungs, and severe brain damage.

He underwent emergency neurosurgery before he was placed into a coma, where he is expected to remain for days to allow the intense brain swelling to subside.

Doctors remain unsure of the extent of the damage caused to his brain.

Mr Ramsey was in Bali to be a groomsman at a mate's wedding and had plans to buy a place when he returned home.

His mother Catherine was on a flight to Bali within hours of receiving the harrowing news to join her son's friends at his hospital bedside.

'They've been his friends all the way from childhood, these guys have not left the hospital. They've been here 24/7, they're an incredible group,' she told 7News.

The family of Perth carpenter, Shane Ramsey (pictured), have revealed the horrifying extent of his injuries after crashing his moped while on holiday in Bali

The young tradie is in a coma (pictured) after suffering a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain, blood in his lungs, and severe brain damage

She added that her son has 'done a lot of damage, there's no question about that'.

A GoFundMe was launched on Monday to help pay for Mr Ramsey's medical bills and a future medical evacuation home as he didn't have travel insurance.

'Surgery alone cost $53,000, every night in hospital is an additional $9,000,' organiser Amyleigh Mitchell wrote.

The fundraiser also aims to help fund the $150,000 needed for an air ambulance to bring Mr Ramsey back home when his condition improves.

His mother told Nine News that she's prepared to sell her house to raise the funds needed to get her son home.

She has been blown away by the support after more than $70,000 was raised within 24 hours.

Shane Ramsey was excited about his new career and had dreams of buying his own home

'I'm his mum, I love him no matter what, but to hear that he is so selfless is amazing,' Ms Ramsey said.

'We've received incredible messages and donations from people we don't even know, people even offering to fly over to be with him.'

She also pleaded with Aussies heading to Bali to steer clear of moped and motorbikes.

'Don't do it, it's just too dangerous,' she said.

Mr Ramsey's harrowing story also prompted WA Premier Roger Cook to plea for holidaymakers to get travel insurance before heading abroad.

'It's the easiest way to protect yourself and keep yourself safe overseas,' he said.

Shane Ramsey (pictured) remains in a coma to allow the swelling on his brain to subside

Mr Ramsey had just completed a three year apprenticeship and was looking forward about the future ahead.

The carpenter's former boss also took to Facebook on Monday to raise awareness about the fundraiser.

He recalled bumping into his former apprentice a few weeks ago as he described Mr Ramsey as a great guy.

'You forget how f***ing fragile life can be (and) how quick everything can change,' he wrote.
A sex trafficking victim who said she was legally allowed to murder her abuser has been sentenced to 11 years in prison today.

Chrystul Kizer contends that she met Randall Volar, 34, on a sex trafficking website when she was 16-years-old. He had been molesting her and selling her as a prostitute over the year leading up to his death, she said.

She told detectives that she shot Volar dead at his Kenosha, Wisconsin home in 2018 after he tried to touch her. She then burned his house down and stole his BMW.

Kizer was charged with multiple counts, including first-degree intentional homicide, arson, car theft and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

But her attorneys argued she couldn't be held criminally liable for the crimes because of a state law that absolves trafficking victims for any offenses committed as a direct result of having been trafficked.

Kizer, now 24, was today sentenced to 11 years of initial confinement followed by 5 years of extended supervision after previously pleading guilty to a reduced count of reckless homicide. She was given credit for 570 days of time served.

Chrystul Kizer, pictured in court in May, was today sentenced to 11 years of initial confinement followed by 5 years of extended supervision after previously pleading guilty to a reduced count of reckless homicide

Kizer contends that she met Randall Volar, 34, (pictured) on a sex trafficking website when she was 16-years-old. He had been molesting her and selling her as a prostitute over the year leading up to his death, she said

Kizer pleaded guilty in May to second-degree reckless homicide in Volar's death, allowing her to avoid trial and a possible life sentence.

A Kenosha County judge did not make Kizer eligible to participate in any early release programs at the Department of Corrections, and she should be released in 2033, according to the Wisconsin State Public Defender's office.

According to court documents, Kizer put a gun in her bookbag in June 2018 and told her boyfriend that she was going to shoot Volar because she was tired of him touching her.

She traveled from Milwaukee to Volar's home in Kenosha, shot him in the head, burned down his house and stole his BMW, the filings stated.

Kizer was 17 at the time, old enough to be considered an adult in Wisconsin's criminal justice system.

She maintained that on the day of the murder, she was allegedly drugged and nearly raped. She added that she did not go to Volar's house armed with the intent to kill him.

Her attorneys sought to invoke Wisconsin's immunity law, arguing she that under a 2008 state law that absolves sex trafficking victims of 'any offense committed as a direct result' of being trafficked that she couldn't be held liable for the charges.

Most states have passed similar laws over the last 10 years providing sex trafficking victims at least some level of criminal immunity.

Kizer traveled from Milwaukee to Volar's Kenosha home in June 2018, shot him in the head, burned down his house and stole his BMW, court documents say. Pictured is his charred house

Kizer, pictured during a hearing in the Kenosha County Courthouse in 2019, maintained that on the day of the murder, she was allegedly drugged and nearly raped. She added that she did not go to Volar's house armed with the intent to kill him

Anti-violence groups flocked to Kizer's defense, arguing in court briefs that trafficking victims feel trapped and sometimes feel as if they have to take matters into their own hands. Pictured are advocates with the Free Chrystul Kizer group at a demonstration a few years ago

Prosecutors countered that Wisconsin legislators couldn't possibly have intended for protections to extend to homicide.

Anti-violence groups flocked to Kizer's defense, arguing in court briefs that trafficking victims feel trapped and sometimes feel as if they have to take matters into their own hands.

The state Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that Kizer could raise the immunity defense during trial. But by accepting a plea, she avoided trial.

The prosecution also claimed that after the murder, Kizer posted a selfie outside Volar's house captioned 'my mug shot', The Washington Post reported.

Additionally, Prosecutor Michael Gravely told the court he believed that Volar was simply a sex trafficking 'customer', claiming investigators found 'no evidence of sex trafficking for business purposes'.

Kizer is scheduled for a restitution hearing on November 8.
The Bayesian superyacht tragedy has claimed the life of one person while six others are feared dead - including British tech tycoon owner Mike Lynch.

The 30million superyacht was struck by a terrifying waterspout at around 5am, with the ship's captain emotionally claiming 'we didn't see it coming' from his hospital bed.

All 15 who survived the disaster have been named and some were able to escape in a liferaft from the luxury yacht that inflated as the doomed vessel rapidly sunk 50 metres to the seabed.

Dive teams today are searching for missing six but only have 12 minute windows in which to scour the wreck.

While engineer Nick Sloane, who led the salvage operation for the Costa Concordia disaster, warned the next 24 hours would be critical and gave faint hope that survivors may be trapped in 'air pockets' on board.

Here is what we know about the 22 passengers on board the Bayesian.

Luxury sailboat Bayesian was docked off the coast of Porticello when a waterspout struck the area just before 5am on Monday (The handout photo of the boat above does not show it sinking)

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Missing

Mike Lynch

The British tech tycoon, 59, had recently beaten the odds after he was acquitted in one of the biggest ever fraud trials.

He had invited guests from legal firm Clifford Chance as well as his own company Invoke Capital to celebrate him being acquitted in June, vindicating the entrepreneur after a 13-year legal battle over the 8.6billion sale of his firm, Autonomy, to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

Dubbed 'Britain's Bill Gates', worth an estimated 852million, and if found guilty, it could have landed him 25 years in a US jail.

Mike Lynch (pictured) invited family and friends on his superyacht to celebrate his triumph over fraud charges in the US. Lynch is missing alongside his 18-year-old daughter Hannah

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch (pictured) and his daughter are missing after his yacht sank

He had invited guests from legal firm Clifford Chance as well as his own company Invoke Capital to celebrate him being acquitted in June

The entrepreneur - who also owns a home in Chelsea - had spoken of his 'indescribable' relief at being acquitted and joy at returning to Britain, and texted one friend saying it was 'so wonderful to be home'.

He has also spoken at his delight at being able to spend time with his two daughters, 21 and 18, and their six dogs.

The nerdy multi-millionaire entrepreneur named his superyacht after the 'Bayesian' statistical theory on which he built his software fame and fortune.

Lynch had been looking forward not only to getting back to running his businesses and the farm where he raises rare breed pigs and cattle, but to adding his voice to the growing fury over the wildly uneven extradition arrangements between the US and the UK.

Hannah Lynch

Mr Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, a former pupil at Latymer Upper School in West London, who received her A-Level results last week and was offered a place at Oxford.

She had been a star student at the competitive secondary school where fees are 25,000 per year,.

She had won a number of prestigious school from 2017 until 2024 including outstanding academic achievement while in lower sixth form and the William C Smith award for poetry.

Hannah Lynch attended the prestigious Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith

The superyacht was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when a waterspout hit

Today, a spokesman for the school said they were 'incredibly shocked' by the news of the sinking and shared their thoughts with 'her family and everyone involved'.

The school for 7-18 year olds said in a statement: 'We are all incredibly shocked by the news that Hannah and her father are among those missing in this tragic incident and our thoughts are with their family and everyone involved as we await further updates.'

Chris and Neda Morvillo

Wealthy American couple Mr and Mrs Morvillo have not been seen since the Bayesian foundered off Palermo Monday morning after being caught in bad weather.

Mr Morvillo, 59, worked as a lawyer for Mr Lynch, who had chartered the vessel to celebrate a recent legal victory.

He is a partner at the prestigious Clifford Chance law firm, which has offices around the world.

Neda and her husband Christopher are both missing in the wake of Monday's superyacht sinking off the coast of Sicily

Mr Morvillo previously served as an assistant US attorney for the Southern District of New York between 1999 and 2005

Mr Morvillo previously served as an assistant US attorney for the Southern District of New York between 1999 and 2005.

His wife, 57, has her own luxury jewellery line run under her maiden name, Neda Nassiri.

The couple have an apartment on New York's Upper East side. They also own a luxurious four-bedroom, five bathroom home worth $2.3 million in South Kent, Connecticut.

They have two daughters - 27 year-old Sabrina, a voice actress, and 23 year-old Sophia, who studied the prestigious theater course at Northwestern University.

The couple's identities were first revealed by the Daily Mail on Monday evening.

A spokesperson for law firm Clifford Chance said it is 'deeply saddened' by the sinking of superyacht Bayesian off he coast of Sicily.

A spokesperson said: 'We are in shock and deeply saddened by this tragic incident.

'Our thoughts are with our partner, Christopher Morvillo, and his wife, Neda, who are among the missing.

Neda, 57, has her own luxury jewellery line run under her maiden name, Neda Nassiri

'Our utmost priority is providing support to the family as well as our colleague Ayla Ronald, who together with her partner thankfully survived the incident.

'Our thoughts extend to the other passengers and crew and all those affected.

'We have no further comment at this time.

'We, and the families, ask that their request for privacy is honoured during this period.'

Jonathan and Judy Bloomer

Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy are still missing.

Mr Bloomer, a close friend of Lynch, was also confirmed missing by Italian Authorities.

According to his Linkedin profile, Mr Bloomer is the chairman of insurance provider Hiscox and was formerly the chief executive of Prudential before being ousted in a boardroom coup in 2005.

'Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our Chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing,' Aki Hussain, Group CEO of Hiscox, which Bloomer also chaired, said in a statement.

Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer (pictured), and his wife, Judy, are also missing

Mrs Bloomer is a supporter and former board member of the Eve Appeal, a charity that raises awareness and funds research into gynaecological cancer

According to his Linkedin profile, Mr Bloomer (pictured in 2004) is the chairman of insurance provider Hiscox and was formerly the chief executive of Prudential before being ousted in a boardroom coup in 2005

Judy Bloomer has been described as a 'brilliant champion for women's health' by a charity she works with.

Mrs Bloomer is a supporter and former board member of the Eve Appeal, a charity that raises awareness and funds research into gynaecological cancer.

'Judy is a brilliant champion for women's health and medical research, and has been an incredible supporter, committee member and trustee of our charity for over 20 years,' chief executive Athena Lamnisos said.

'We are deeply shocked to hear the news that our very dear friend and her husband Jonathan are among those missing.

'Our thoughts are with Judy and Jonathan's family, as well as all those who are still waiting for news after this tragic event.'

Survivors

Angela Bacares

The 57-year-old wife of tech tycoon Lynch is now reportedly recovering from her injuries in a wheelchair.

She revealed that the first sign of the freak waterspout that sunk the luxury sailboat Bayesian just before 5am this morning was a 'slight tilt' that woke her up.

Mr Lynch pictured with his wife Angela Bacares (right) in 2002 who was among the 15 people who were rescued from the yacht

Mr Lynch's wife told La Repubblica that she and her husband woke up at 4am when the boat suddenly 'tilted'.

Mrs Bacares said that they were not worried at the time, but that she still got up to see what was happening, until glass shattered and created confusion on board.

She sustained abrasions on her feet - likely after walking on glass shards during the sinking - which have left her unable to walk and sitting in a wheelchair, La Repubblica reports, while she also has bandages on others part of her body.

Charlotte Golunski, James Emslie and their baby daughter Sofia

Among the 15 who survived include a one-year-old British baby called Sofia, who was kept afloat by her mother, 36-year-old Charlotte Golunski.

Charlotte Golunski, 36, (pictured) her husband and her one-year-old baby also survived

Mrs Golunski, an Oxford graduate and senior associate at Invoke, also survived after fighting to prevent her child from drowning.

She is listed as working for Mr Lynch's company Invoke Capital on Linkedin, and described how she momentarily lost her daughter in the 'fury of the waves', before finding her and managing to get them both to safety.

The mother told Italian newspaper Republicca: 'I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

'It was all dark. In the water I couldn't keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.'

Mrs Golunski's British husband James Emslie, 36, also survived the tragedy.

They are all English and are in the Children's Hospital.

Dr Domenico Cipolla, director of the emergency department at Di Cristina Children's Hospital, said Ms Golunski had told him more details about the sinking of the yacht.

He told RAI news: 'The mother said while she was sleeping with her daughter, they found themselves in the water in just a few moments.

'She held the little girl tightly. The light was gone. For a few seconds the little girl slipped from her hands and she held her with her arms in the air. Within seconds they reached the yacht's life raft.'

Mrs Golunski, an Oxford graduate, described how she momentarily lost her daughter in the 'fury of the waves', before finding her and managing to get them both to safety

He said the baby had 'slept well' last night.

Mrs Golunski 'had injuries that we treated', according to Dr Cipolla, with reports saying she suffered an injury to her shoulder.

'[She] only has abrasions and a wound that needed stitching,' Dr Cipolla said.

Mr Emslie, the child's father, was taken 'to the adult emergency room where his wounds were sutured' before he was reunited with Mrs Golunski and their daughter Sofia, Dr Cipolla said.

'We reunited the whole family in a room in the emergency room. They are here with us,' he added.

Ayla Ronald

Another survivor is Clifford Chance lawyer Ayla Ronald, 36, who was part of the successful legal team invited to go sailing with Lynch, according to her father Lin.

Mr Ronald told The Telegraph: 'I have texted with my daughter and she hasn't given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said to me that there are deaths, and she and her partner are alive.

'The only other information I've got is that Ayla's phone is apparently the only one that's had a battery, and so she's been acting in some fashion as a co-ordinator with the medics.'

Mr Ronald said his daughter was also a keen sailor. 'She just passed her captain's ticket a few months ago in Greece. She's not an active sailor, but she loves it.'

Lawyer Ayla Ronald, 36, (pictured) who was part of the successful legal team who were invited to go sailing with Lynch, is one of the survivors

Her father Lin Ronald said that Ayla (pictured) was part of Dr Lynch's successful legal team who were invited to go on the sailing trip

Mr Ronald told the Telegraph: 'I have texted with my daughter. She has only said to me that there are deaths, and she and her partner are alive' (pictured: Ayla Ronald)

She took the tragic final picture on board the doomed Bayesian yacht and shared it to her Instagram story the evening before a freak storm.

Ms Ronald, 36, from London, and her partner were among those rescued after the tech tycoon's 30million superyacht sank just 300 metres off the coast of the Italian island early on Monday morning.

Leah Randall On-board hostesses Leah Randall, 20, from South Africa, also survived the tragedy.

Heidi Randall, Leah's mother, told Sky News: 'I'm beyond relieved that my daughter's life was spared by the grace of God.

'It doesn't make it any easier living with heartache of those who have lost their lives or missing.'

Leah was photographed leaving the coastguard headquarters yesterday alongside a fellow crew member.

On-board hostess Leah Randall, 20, from South Africa, was also on board and survived

Other survivors

Other survivors included Irish woman Sasha Murray, 29, Matthew Fletcher, 41, from London, captain James Calfield 51, from New Zealand, Myin Htun Kyaw, 39, from Myanmar and the Matthew Griffith.

Speaking from a hospital room in the town of Termini Imerese close to Palermo, Mr Calfied, in a state of grief and shock, could only utter one sentence.

'We didn't see it coming,' he told La Repubblica.

Rescuers claimed that survivors spoke of the ship going down in 'two minutes' and that it appears that the yacht 'wasn't anchored in a safe place' at the time of sinking.

They were rescued by crews from nearby boats including that of Karsten Borner, the captain of a sailing ship anchored near the Bayesian, who said his team struggled to keep their boat afloat when the tornado hit.

Fabio Cefalu, a fisherman in Porticello who witnessed the tragedy unfold, said he saw a waterspout  a sort of mini-tornado  that lasted about 12 minutes shortly before 4am.

At around 4.10am he said he saw a red flare go off from Bayesian but by the time he was able to reach the area about 20 minutes later the yacht had all but disappeared. 'We found only the cushions, and a few planks floating in the water,' he said.

Three more survivors were named as on-board hostesses Leah Randall, 20, from South Africa, Katya Chicken, 23, from Germany, and Leo Eppel.

Both Leah and Katya have been interviewed by officials from the CoastGuard investigating the circumstances of the sinking.

On Tuesday evening two crew members, Tus Koopmans and Eaton Parker, were also named as survivors. No age or nationalities were provided.

Dead

Recaldo Thomas

The Palermo Port Authority told Canadian broadcaster CBC News officials recovered the body of Mr Thomas, who is believed to have been the vessel's Canadian chef.

He was reportedly from Canada but was living in Antigua.
A one-year-old child walking on a beach near a San Diego park was left with severe burns on his feet and legs after he stepped on burning coal hidden in the sand.

Sennan Goldberg was rushed to the hospital with second-degree burns after the child accidentally stepped on hot coals buried under a pile of sand and dirt at Kellogg Park last week.

His mother, Sarah Goldberg recounted: 'Full-thickness second-degree burns through the middle of his feet. Through the sides, over on top of his toes.

'The skin fell off within minutes. We're lucky that we live so close that we rushed him to the ER. He's in a lot of pain. He's screaming at night; he's got severe separation anxiety.'

Sennan Goldberg was rushed to the hospital with second-degree burns after the child accidentally stepped on hot coals buried under a pile of sand and dirt at Kellogg Park, San Diego

The little boy is held by his father as his mom Sarah Goldberg speaks about their ordeal

As a result, the young toddler has been forced to cover his injuries in layers of gauze under thick socks and visit burn specialists nearly every day.

Since then, the family has begun for a total ban on outdoor charcoal fires - especially those occurring in public places.

'I'm advocating now for a complete ban on charcoal grills in the vicinity of where children are encouraged to play.

'The two are just not compatible,' the distressed mother told 10News.

According to the City of San Diego's municipal code, 'it is unlawful for any person to build, maintain, use, or be within ten feet of a fire in any beach area that is not in a City-provided fire ring or contained within a portable propane-fueled device, unless approved in writing by the City Manager.'

The law also states that all unused fire material, refuse or rubbish adjacent must be removed from the beach area and the adjacent public areas of the beach or park.

Since then, the family has begun for a total ban on outdoor charcoal fires - especially of those occurring in public places

His mother, Sarah Goldberg recounted: 'He's in a lot of pain. He's screaming at night; he's got severe separation anxiety'

But it seems that the city law is seldom followed as San Diego Burn Institute's Carlos Olivares revealed that multiple people end up injured by stepping on hot coals at the beach every year.

'It's not always red when it's hot. Sometimes it could be gray and it could be steaming hot still, so it's very dangerous. My suggestion is to always throw it and dispose it into the coal areas assigned by the county,' the expert noted.

This beach tragedy comes months after a seven-year-old girl died after the sand hole she was digging collapsed on top of her in Florida.

Her nine-year-old brother was also trapped in the hole on the beach at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, when it collapsed but he survived.

The parents said their toddler is in a lot of pain since burning his foot on the coals

The City of San Diego's municipal code states that all unused fire material, refuse or rubbish adjacent must be removed from the beach area and the adjacent public areas of the beach or park

Witnesses said the children were digging the hole and playing inside of it when the ground gave way. Cell phone footage show the moment a crowd of desperate beachgoers started trying to dig them out before firefighters arrived.

Other children stood and watched as the dreadful scene unfolded before their eyes.

They were both rushed to hospital but the girl was declared dead on arrival.

Spokesperson for Pompano Beach Fire, Sandra King, told DailyMail.com that the hole was about five to six feet deep when it collapsed leaving the boy buried up to his chest with the girl completely buried beneath him.
This is the first photo of a luxury superyacht chef who was killed when the vessel sank after being hit by a freak storm off the Sicilian coast.

Recaldo Thomas, a Canadian citizen working in Antigua, is the first confirmed victim of the disaster yesterday morning.

Tributes poured in to him today, with a friend hailing him as a 'very special person' who 'had so much to give'.

Others shared photos of the chef on his travels around the world, during which he would regularly post on social media about his stunning culinary creations.

Six people including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, as well as a Morgan Stanley boss, remain missing after the 30million Bayesian sank amid a freak thunderstorm early on Monday morning.

Recaldo Thomas, a Canadian citizen working in Antigua, is the first confirmed victim of the disaster yesterday morning

A file photo showing the Bayesian sailing off Palermo, Sicily

Search teams say the boat is marooned 164ft below the surface on the seabed and is so deep that dive teams can only go down for 10 minutes at a time, with their efforts being hampered by furniture blocking the entrances.

One expert has claimed that the ship, which is almost completely intact despite not being 'anchored in a safe place' before it sank, could have trapped pockets of air inside that might allow survivors to stay alive after the 'unprecedented' disaster.

Nick Sloane, an engineer who led the salvage operation on the Costa Concordia, said 'the next 24 hours are critical' if any of the missing people are to be found alive, with a time limit of 'two to three days' before anyone who has found an air pocket runs out of oxygen.

There have been instances in the past of people surviving for days underwater in these circumstances, but rescue divers have warned that they are prepared to find bodies instead of living, breathing survivors.

Despite the sliver of hope, Italian Coastguard officials have said they believe the six people who are still missing have died and their bodies are inside the wreck.

Vincenzo Zagarola said: 'We think they are still inside the boat, that is our very hard idea.

'Our search and rescue activity by sea and air has gone on for around 36 hours. Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly.

'We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat.'

Asked about the likelihood of them being alive, he replied: 'Never say never, but reasonably the answer should be not.'

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch is still missing. His wife Angela Bacares (right) was among the 15 people who were rescued from the yacht

Engineering expert Nick Sloane, who led the salvage operation for the Costa Concordia, has claimed that there is a chance there may be survivors trapped in air pockets inside the wrecked ship

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Among those missing is Mr Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, a former pupil at Latymer Upper School in West London who received her A-Level results last week and was offered a place at Oxford.

Today, a spokesman for the school said they were 'incredibly shocked' by the news of the sinking and shared their thoughts with 'her family and everyone involved'.

Also believed to be in the wreck is Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, who represented Mr Lynch in a recent legal battle and his wife Neda, and Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy.

Athena Lamnisos, CEO of Gynaecological cancer research charity Eve Appeal, where Ms Bloomer has been a trustee for more than 20 years, today hailed her a 'brilliant champion for women's health'.

Mr Lynch had invited family and friends onto the yacht to celebrate his 'second life' after being acquitted of all charges in a US fraud trial, and in an extraordinary twist his co-defendant Stephen Chamberlain - who was also cleared of the charges - has also died after being hit by a car while running in England over the weekend.

Those who could escape piled into the Survitech Zodiac liferaft, which self-inflated on hitting the water in an emergency. The French-made device comes packed in a compact cube the size of a large suitcase and is rated to hold 12 people.

However, in the chaos 15 people were forced to take shelter on the craft before they were rescued by a nearby yacht and taken to shore.

The injured who were rescued by the medics and taken to hospital are James Emsilie, 35 years old with his wife Sharlotte Golunski 35 years old and little Sophia, one year old. They are all English and are in the Children's Hospital.
A hunter in Alaska was seriously injured after he was mauled by a brown bear and shot as he and his hunting companion opened fire in an attempt to fight it off.

The 32-year-old man is recovering in hospital after the attack on the Kenai Peninsula, southwest of Anchorage on Saturday, Alaska State Troopers said.

The man and his hunting companion opened fire during the attack and the bear was killed.

The man was shot in the leg but it is not immediately clear who fired the shot that struck the man, troopers spokesman Tim DeSpain said in a statement.

Mr DeSpain said the mauling occurred in a remote area off the Resurrection Pass trail and the circumstances that led to it are unknown.

There are around 32,000 brown bears living in the US with approximately 30,400 of those in Alaska. Pictured: Stock photo of brown bear

The mauling occurred in a remote area off the Resurrection Pass trail (pictured) and the circumstances that led to it are unknown

The injured hunter, whose identity has not been released, was flown by helicopter to an Anchorage hospital.

There are two subspecies of brown bears that live in North America - the grizzly bear and the Kodiak bear.

How to stay safe around bears There are around 32,000 brown bears living in the US with approximately 30,400 of those in Alaska. Although bear attacks are rare, the animals' behavior is sometimes unpredictable. Keeping the bear calm, is key to staying safe. - Identify yourself: Talk calmly to the bear so it knows you are human and not prey -Stay calm: Do not scream or make sudden movements as this may trigger an attack -Pick up small children -Do no run, drop your pack or climb a tree -If you are attacked by a brown bear PLAY DEAD. If you are attacked by a black bear DO NOT PLAY DEAD and try to escape Source: National Park Service Advertisement

Both types of live in Alaska but Kodiak bears tend to favor coastal areas, according to the North American Bear Centre.

To avoid bear attacks, people are advised to keep food, garbage and anything with a scent out of tents and stored in bear-resistant containers or vehicles.

The attack in Alaska comes after a three-year-old girl was mauled by a black bear as she slept in a tent at Yellowstone last weekend.

In an image shared by her mother Carly Findley-Dickson via a GoFundMe page the young girl can be seen asleep in a hospital bed with what appears to be an injury on her head.

She wrote on the fundraising site: 'On Saturday, August 10 at 9.00pm, my precious daughter Madison was attacked by a black bear while camping while she was asleep'.

Officials from the department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks revealed the family's tent had lots of 'unsecured attractants' that would lure bears in, among them unsealed food and drink, bags of garbage and dirty diapers.

Ms Findley-Dickson said she had started the GoFundMe 'for medical and gas bills for when we go back home', noting that 'my husband is currently starting a new job, in need of financial help due to Madison having tons of upcoming doctors appointments for her recovery.'

Madison and her family had been at Perry's RV campground just north of Yellowstone National Park.

The campground was evacuated and traps were placed in the area with a bear believed to have been involved then captured and euthanized two days later.

In May of this year, Shayne Patrick Burke, 35, suffered serious injuries as a result of an attack in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

He revealed in a post to Instagram how he was in the 'wrong place at the wrong time' when a mother grizzly bear attacked him.

Three-year old Madison Findley-Dickson was attacked by a bear at Yellowstone on Saturday night

The campground (pictured) was evacuated and traps were placed in the area with a bear believed to have been involved then captured and euthanized on Monday

The young girl had been in a tent at Perry's RV campground just north of Yellowstone National Park

The full-grown animal had been protecting her cub, he said - resulting in a vicious attack the combat veteran said was the 'most violent' thing he's ever experienced.

He credited a can of bear spray with saving his life, administered as the beast was gnawing on his hands, legs, and the back of his neck, nearly ending him then and there.

The attack, he added, occurred on Signal Mountain - an isolated summit standing some 7,720 feet above sea level in Grand Teton National Park.

Once there for an hour in search of a Great Grey Owl to photograph, he had the surprise encounter with the brown bear, he wrote online.

After investigating the incident, the National Park Service (NPS) said it would not attempt to capture or kill the grizzly, as the animals are typically only aggressive when threatened, especially when it comes to their young.
Horrifying CCTV shows the Bayesian superyacht being engulfed by the vicious storm that would sink it 'in 60 seconds'.

Six people including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, as well as a Morgan Stanley boss, are missing after the 30million vessel capsized early yesterday morning.

Footage taken from a CCTV camera on a villa just 200 yards from where the boat sank shows the ship anchored in the distance - its blinking lights just visible beyond the torrential rain.

The homeowner told local newspaper: 'In just sixty seconds you can see the ship disappear. By chance, after the uproar of the news, I looked at the cameras. My children told me.

'Of about twenty cameras installed in the house, only one was not disturbed by the wind and the rain. You can clearly see what is happening. There was nothing that could be done for the vessel. It disappeared in a very short time'.

There is a second video - which has not been published - showing the boat sinking, reports Giornale di Sicilia.

It comes as rescuers frantically searching for trapped survivors warned that the next 24 hours are 'critical' if there is to be any hope of finding anyone alive, with the distant possibility there could still be an air pocket inside the wreck.

It comes as:

CCTV captured the last moments of the Bayesian superyacht before it sank beneath the waves during a ferocious storm early on Monday morning

The superyacht was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when it was hit by an over-sea tornado, known as a waterspout

A life raft is seen docked at the harbour near the port where the emergency and rescue workers are launching their search operation

Rescue workers look at the plans of the the Bayesian as they organise a search operation for six people who are still missing after the superyacht sank

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch is still missing. His wife Angela Bacares (right) was among the 15 people who were rescued from the yacht

Engineering expert Nick Sloane, who led the salvage operation for the Costa Concordia, has claimed that there is a chance there may be survivors trapped in air pockets inside the wrecked ship

Search teams say the boat is marooned 164ft below the surface on the seabed and is so deep that dive teams can only go down for 10 minutes at a time, with their efforts being hampered by furniture blocking the entrances.

One expert has claimed that the ship, which is almost completely intact despite not being 'anchored in a safe place' before it sank, could have trapped pockets of air inside that might allow survivors to stay alive after the 'unprecedented' disaster.

Nick Sloane, an engineer who led the salvage operation on the Costa Concordia, said 'the next 24 hours are critical' if any of the missing people are to be found alive, with a time limit of 'two to three days' before anyone who has found an air pocket runs out of oxygen.

There have been instances in the past of people surviving for days underwater in these circumstances, but rescue divers have warned that they are prepared to find bodies instead of living, breathing survivors.

One person is confirmed to have died after the 30million superyacht was struck by a terrifying waterspout at around 5am, with the ship's captain emotionally claiming 'we didn't see it coming' from his hospital bed.

The luxury sailboat was anchored just a few hundred metres off the coast of Porticello on calm seas when it was suddenly struck by a violent waterspout just before 5am on Monday.

It is believed the ship sank after its mast - one of tallest in the world at an enormous 246ft-high - snapped during the brutal incident and keeled over, taking the hull beyond the 'down-flooding angle', according to nautical experts.

Engineer Nick Sloane, who led the salvage operation of the cruise ship Costa Concordia in 2012, told Sky News that despite this there may be a slim chance that there are survivors.

He said: 'They've got a very small window of time to try to find people stuck inside with hopefully an air pocket, and they could be rescued.

'You've got a maximum of two to three days to try to get someone out, so the next 24 hours are critical.

'If the yacht is on its side, it might have more air pockets than if it's upright. She's got quite a large keel, and that will deflect and put her on her side, I'm sure.'

There is precedent for this to happen - in 2013 cook Harrison Odjegba Okene was remarkably rescued three days after his tugboat sank to the bottom of the Atlantic when he found safety in an air pocket.

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Christopher Morvillo, left, works for Clifford Chance, a prestigious law firm. His wife Neda, right, runs her own high-end jewelry line using her maiden name Neda Nassiri

Neda Morvillo and her husband Christopher Morvillo are both missing in the wake of Monday's superyacht sinking off the coast of Sicily

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue

A handout photo made available on August 19 by Perini Navi Press Office shows the 'Bayesian' sailing boat, in Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Despite the sliver of hope, Italian Coastguard officials have said they believe the six people who are still missing have died and their bodies are inside the wreck.

Vincenzo Zagarola said: 'We think they are still inside the boat, that is our very hard idea.

'Our search and rescue activity by sea and air has gone on for around 36 hours. Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly.

'We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat.'

Asked about the likelihood of them being alive, he replied: 'Never say never, but reasonably the answer should be not.'

Divers attempting to get inside the superyacht have found their progress impeded with furniture blocking the entrances and exits, and the depth meaning that they can only spend 10 minutes at the wreck before having to return to the surface.

Those in charge of the operation say the specialist divers are struggling to reach the cabins where survivors might be and are having to drill their way into the lounge.

Luca Cari, head of emergency communications for Italy's fire and rescue department, said divers can see nothing inside the yacht from the outside and have only been able to inspect the bridge deck - the room from which the captain navigates.

Describing the challenges faced by the divers, she told local news agency Ansa: 'They can stay underwater for a maximum of 12 minutes, two of which are needed to go up and down. So the real time to be able to carry out the search is 10 minutes per dive.'

Among those missing is Mr Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, a former pupil at Latymer Upper School in West London who received her A-Level results last week and was offered a place at Oxford. Today, a spokesman for the school said they were 'incredibly shocked' by the news of the sinking and shared their thoughts with 'her family and everyone involved'.

Also believed to be in the wreck is Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, who represented Mr Lynch in a recent legal battle and his wife Neda, and Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy. Athena Lamnisos, CEO of Gynaecological cancer research charity Eve Appeal, where Ms Bloomer has been a trustee for more than 20 years, today hailed her a 'brilliant champion for women's health'.

Mr Lynch had invited family and friends onto the yacht to celebrate his 'second life' after being acquitted of all charges in a US fraud trial, and in an extraordinary twist his co-defendant Stephen Chamberlain - who was also cleared of the charges - has also died after being hit by a car while running in England over the weekend.

Those who could escape piled into the Survitech Zodiac liferaft, which self-inflated on hitting the water in an emergency. The French-made device comes packed in a compact cube the size of a large suitcase and is rated to hold 12 people.

However, in the chaos 15 people were forced to take shelter on the craft before they were rescued by a nearby yacht and taken to shore.

The injured who were rescued by the medics and taken to hospital are James Emsilie, 35 years old with his wife Sharlotte Golunski 35 years old and little Sophia, one year old. They are all English and are in the Children's Hospital.

Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer (pictured left), and his wife are also yet to be found, as is Lynch's attorney Christopher Morvillo (pictured right) and his wife

In a cruel twist in the yacht tragedy, it was revealed last night that Mr Lynch's ex colleague and co-defendant in his US fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain (pictured), has died in hospital after being hit by a car on Saturday

Lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his jewellery designer wife Neda Morvillo are both missing in the wake of Monday's superyacht sinking off the coast of Sicily

Dr Domenico Cipolla, director of the emergency department at Di Cristina Children's Hospital, said Ms Golunski had told him more details about the sinking of the yacht.

He told RAI news: 'The mother said while she was sleeping with her daughter, they found themselves in the water in just a few moments.

'She held the little girl tightly. The light was gone. For a few seconds the little girl slipped from her hands and she held her with her arms in the air. Within seconds they reached the yacht's life raft.'

He said the baby had 'slept well' last night.

Others who made it onto the raft include the wife of Mr Lynch, 57-year-old Angela Baccares, Sasha Murray, Myin Htun Kyaw, Ayla Ronald, Michael Griffith, Matthew Fletcher and the ship's captain James Calfield.

Speaking from a hospital room in the town of Termini Imerese close to Palermo, Mr Calfied, in a state of grief and shock, could only utter one sentence.

'We didn't see it coming,' he told La Repubblica.

Rescuers claimed that survivors spoke of the ship going down in 'two minutes' and that it appears that the yacht 'wasn't anchored in a safe place' at the time of sinking.

Inspector Marco Tilotta, leading the Palermo Fire Brigade's diving unit, has likened the grim search operation to the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster in 2012 which claimed the lives of 33 people.

Eerily, the specialist cave divers called in for the search and rescue operation found 'virtually everything intact' on board, with little sign of damage, and 'no rips in the side, no signs of impact,' he told MailOnline.

Rescuers said that from what they can see, there appears to be no bodies on the bridge of the yacht, and divers are now working to break into the lounge area.

The boat is resting on the seabed on its starboard (right hand) side, 164ft below the waves, and the first efforts of the dive teams were unsuccessful in moving furniture impeding their access to the cabins below, said Insp. Tilotta.

The rescuers still hope that survivors might be found, against all odds, in trapped air pockets, but Insp Tilotta admitted 'it is a race against time and the quality of the oxygen will be bad'.

His choice of words however told the unpleasant truth: 'We will do everything to recover the bodies. The weather conditions are worsening but we hope to continue operations without problems'.

As the first shift of divers returned from the site, storm clouds threatened overhead.

'We have just finished the first dive, now we do a briefing and continue for the whole day,' he added.

'We checked the hull from the outside, visibility is good, now our objective is to penetrate inside the vessel'.

In the next few hours and days, the accident investigators will have to work out how it was possible that the vessel sank while others were hardly affected and how come it was still intact.

The whirlwind has been defined as 'extremely intense, sudden and very localised', the Inspector told Il Messaggero.

It is up to the group of cave divers from Rome and Sassari, who have specialist training and equipment, to enter the yacht to take stock of the situation. Some of them, the inspector says, also worked on the case of the Costa Concordia.

Some locals have claimed the vessel was 'not anchored in a safe place' when it sunk, Sicilian journalist Piero Messina told Sky News.

Meanwhile, climate expert have said warm weather and poor visibility played a role in the sinking, and claimed the crew should have paid more attention to weather warnings.

One rescuer has compared the incident to the Costa Concordia disaster which took place in Italian waters in 2012 (pictured)

A fire service helicopter stands close to the harbour in Porticello this morning as specialist divers from the emergency service take over search operations

Two men in a coastguard vessel head out of the harbour in Porticello this morning, more than 24 hours after the superyacht sank

A police vessel and coastguard ship seen in the waters off Sicily this morning as the search resumes for those missing after the sinking of the Bayesian

A fire service vessel and a smaller boat float in the water as divers continue their efforts to get into the wreck of the Bayesian today

Search divers head out to the scene of the wreck near Porticello this morning as the operation to find the bodies of those missing continue

An emergency and rescue service boat navigates on the sea near the site where a luxury yacht sank, off the coast of Porticello, near the Sicilian city of Palermo, Italy, August 19

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue operations with helicopters and ships to find the missing people after the Bayesian sank

The superyacht was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when a waterspout hit the area just before 5am Monday morning

A weather map shows how Mike's Lynch's superyacht was buffeted by winds of up to 150mph before it sank

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One maritime expert has said that the sinking of the boat was 'unprecedented' and that a vessel the size of the Bayesian should not have been able to capsize in that weather.

Matthew Schanck, Chairperson for the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, said the tornado over water, known as a waterspout, that struck the 184ft yacht with 22 people on board should not have caused it to sink.

He told GB News: 'It's sort of unprecedented, really, to have a vessel of that size, being certified and commercially operated, to suffer such a significant event in weather that was pretty severe by all accounts, but should have been within the limits of the vessel itself.'

He also told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the sinking itself appears to have happened 'very, very quickly'.

'There isn't really much the captain or the crew could do to prepare for these events given how rare they are,' he said.

'Reports that people who were in the life raft have had to enter the life raft from the water, and that indicates to me that this emergency has happened very, very quickly. People haven't had time to enter the life raft from the vessel, they've had to enter from the water.

'My understanding is that the flare has gone up from the life raft, according to the reports. We don't know if the vessel had time to send out any electronic distress signals, to use its radio or any other equipment to alert the authorities, but the eyewitness accounts from the shore and the anchorage state they saw the red flare.

'One of the captains from the anchorage said he saw the vessel there one minute and then the next minute the vessel was gone and all he saw was the red flare which indicates to me that this has been a catastrophic incident which has gone very quickly.'

One expert at the scene of the disaster who declined to be named said an early focus of the investigation into what happened would be whether the yacht's crew had had time to close access hatches into the vessel before the storm struck.

Former shipyard manager and maritime technical inspector Gino Ciriaci told Italian daily Corriere Della Sera said once the mast had fallen, the vessel was far more prone to pitching and rolling as it was battered by waves without the sails to steady it.

In the case of the Bayesian, he said the waterspout was so violent that the boat, dragged down by its broken mast, tilted until the edge of the deck slipped under the surface.

The entire ordeal likely lasted only a few minutes, with the ship sinking rapidly as it took on seawater.

Divers operate in the sea to search for the missing, including British entrepreneur Mike Lynch, after a luxury yacht sank off Sicily, Italy August 19

The Bayesian, which was previously known as the Salute, was a 56m long vessel built in Viareggio, Tuscany, by luxury shipmaker Perini Navi in 2008

Nautical maps show the last known location of the Bayesian just after 2am local time on Monday, when it was at anchor

Specialist divers had reached the ship yesterday afternoon but their search efforts were met with unexpected complications.

'Access was limited to the bridge, due to the difficulty represented by the presence of furnishings obstructing the divers' passage,' the fire crews said in a statement.

The search operation was made yet more difficult because the ship was resting on the seabed at a depth of 50 metres, which limits the amount of time divers can be underwater, said fire rescue spokesperson Luca Cari.

In the meantime, survivors of the tragedy were taken to various hospitals on the island of Sicily and began recounting their terrifying ordeal.

Among the 15 rescued was one-year-old baby Sofia, who was kept afloat by her mother, 36-year-old Charlotte Golunski.

Ms Golunski, an Oxford graduate and senior associate at Mike Lynch's company Invoke Capital, yesterday told of her fight to prevent her child from drowning.

'For two seconds I lost my baby in the sea, then I immediately hugged her again in the fury of the waves,' Ms Golunski said.

'I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched up to keep her from drowning,' she added.

'It was all dark. In the water I couldn't keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.'

The British-flagged Bayesian is thought to have arrived in Porticello after a stopping in Milazzo, around 100 miles up the coast towards the Italian mainland

Tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who was often referred to as the 'British Bill Gates', was on holiday with family when tragedy struck and 'freak' waterspout took down his luxury boat

Charlotte Golunski, 36, and her young daughter Sofia were two of 22 people aboard the superyacht when it was battered in a storm before sinking a few hundred metres from the port of Porticello on Monday morning

A survivor leaves the Coast Guard Headquarters after a sailboat sank in the early hours of Monday, off the coast of Ponticello, near the Sicilian city of Palermo, Italy, August 19

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue operations with helicopters and ships to find missing people after a yacht sank on Monday due to a storm east of Palermo in southern Italy on August 19

Golunski, who yesterday received treatment for a minor shoulder injury sustained in the evacuation, described the experience as 'terrible' and detailed how 'in a few minutes the boat was hit by a very strong wind and sank shortly after... (We were) terrified by the thunder, the lightning, the waves that made our boat lurch.'

She added that her family had survived because they were on the deck when the ship began to sink, rather than trapped in the cabins below.

That is where the five missing passengers - Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley's Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, one of Lynch's US lawyers, Christopher Morvillo of legal firm Clifford Chance, and Morvillo's wife - are believed to have drowned.

Lynch, 59, was once hailed as the UK's king of technology and is frequently referred to as 'Britain's Bill Gates'.

He was cleared in June of fraud and conspiracy charges in a US federal trial related to Hewlett Packard's $11 billion takeover of his company, Autonomy Corp.

The yacht trip appeared to be something of a celebration after Lynch's acquittal, with guests including members of his legal team as well as friends, family and witnesses who stood by Lynch throughout the trial.

Lynch's wife Angela Bacares, 57, was among the 15 people who were rescued from the 180ft yacht.

The Bayesian's hull and the superstructure, the part above the main deck, were made from aluminium

The enormous 246ft-high aluminium mast on Mike Lynch's superyacht (pictured from above) could have been what caused the vessel to capsize and sink rapidly, according to an expert

Charlotte Golunski, 36, (pictured) her husband and her one-year-old baby also survived

Karsten Borner, the captain of a ship that rescued the 15 survivors of the Bayesian disaster, told the BBC: 'After the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone'

She revealed that the first sign of the freak waterspout that sunk the luxury sailboat owned by her company Revtom Limited was a 'slight tilt' that woke her up.

Speaking to Italian media from a wheelchair last night, Bacares - who needed significant medical treatment for several injuries including lacerations on her feet, a cut eyebrow and bruising across her body - said she was not initially worried until she heard glass shattering.

She got up and left her cabin to see what was happening - a decision that almost certainly saved her life - but within seconds the ship was being battered by the waterspout.

'Everything was falling, becoming slimy, soaked in the waves that were carrying you away. I managed to get back up, to get out of that cage, but without being able to help...' she said.

The 15 people who escaped the Bayesian miraculously managed to inflate a life raft and were plucked from the sea by the Sir Robert BP, a Dutch sailing ship which had been anchored nearby and saw the tragedy unfold.

Karsten Borner, the captain of the rescue boat, described how his vessel was battered by strong gusts, with his team working to stabilise it and manoeuvre it to avoid hitting the Bayesian nearby.

Borner told the BBC: 'After the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone.'

Fisherman Fabio Cefalu said he had seen a flare from shore at around 4.30am and immediately set out to the site but by the time he got there, the Bayesian had already sunk, with only cushions, wood and other items from the superyacht floating in the water.

'But for the rest, we didn't find anyone,' he said from the port hours later, adding that he immediately alerted the coast guard and stayed on-site for three hours, but didn't find any survivors.

'I think they are inside, all the missing people,' he said.

Mr Lynch had been celebrating after a court victory in the United States after being accused of fraud following the disastrous $11billion (8.3billion) sale of his company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

In an extraordinary twist, the tragedy comes days after Stephen Chamberlain, an ex-colleague of Mr Lynch  who he had successfully fought a fraud case with  died after being hit by a car.

The legal battle endured more than a decade, and in March this year Lynch found himself in a San Francisco courtroom to defend himself against fraud and conspiracy charges.

The 59-year-old tycoon had spent much of the previous year living under house arrest with an electronic tag attached to his ankle.

Mr Lynch had potentially faced up to 20 years in a US prison if found guilty of 16 counts of conspiracy, and securities and wire fraud, which he denied.

In June he was cleared of all charges - a major victory for the tech guru.

Mr Chamberlain was fatally injured just days before billionaire tech tycoon Lynch went missing off the coast of Sicily when a superyacht was caught in a freak 'whirlwind'.

Keen runner Mr Chamberlain, Autonomy's vice president of finance alongside chief executive Lynch, was hit by a car in Cambridgeshire on Saturday morning and was placed on life support before passing away.

Chamberlain had faced the same charges of fraud and conspiracy as his former boss Lynch

In a tribute released through Cambridgeshire Constabulary, his family said: 'Steve was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.

'He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible.

'He made a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.

'He will be deeply missed but forever in the hearts of his loved ones.'

Chamberlain was hit by a car in Cambridgeshire on Saturday morning and has now died

Cambridgeshire Police appealed for witnesses after a collision between a pedestrian and a car in Newmarket Road in Stretham, Cambridgeshire, saying a man in his 50s had been taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The force has said there is 'nothing to suggest anything suspicious at this stage', adding that the driver stayed at the scene and is helping with enquiries. No arrests have been made.

In a statement issued on Monday, Chamberlain's lawyer Gary Lincenberg told MailOnline: 'Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running.

'He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

'Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.'

Chamberlain faced the same charges of fraud and conspiracy as his former boss for allegedly scheming to inflate a company's value before it was sold. Both the men were acquitted of all 15 charges by a jury in San Francisco in June.

After leaving the company, Autonomy, in 2012, Chamberlain worked as chief operating officer for cybersecurity firm Darktrace and volunteered as a finance director for Cambridge United soccer club, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The law firm that represented Chamberlain in his trial did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Disgraced former New Jersey Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez, 70, has officially resigned from the Senate weeks after being charged in an international corruption and bribery scheme.

The ex-chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was found guilty on 16 counts related to taking bribes in exchange for helping local businessmen and the countries Qatar and Egypt.

One of the charges included acting as a foreign agent. He faces 222 years in prison for his crimes and his sentencing is expected in late October.

Now, finally coming to grips with his fate after an overwhelming barrage of calls for him to resign by his closest colleagues, the decades-long senior New Jersey senator officially stepped aside Tuesday.

He had indicated he would be out of the Senate by the end of the day.

Menendez used his high-profile position as the former Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman to help one man negotiate a contract with Egyptian officials and his connections in New Jersey to hamper investigations into another's business

His official Senate website had been taken down as of Tuesday evening and redirected to Senate.gov.

The 70-year-old senator is now reportedly considering his options to get out of a lengthy prison sentence.

One of those potential plays could be pleading with his former Senate colleague President Joe Biden.

Still, the prospects are slim, as many quickly lined up against Menendez for his crimes.

'In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign,' the powerful Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote in a statement after the case closed in mid July.

Menendez's resignation was previously coordinated with party leadership to give the Senate and the state time to figure out a replacement for the Democrat.

Last week, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy decided on a replacement, appointing his former chief of staff George Helmy for the interim role.

Helmy will be expected to be sworn in upon the chamber's return from the August break.

However Helmy's tenure will be short-lived as the current frontrunner in the election for Menendez's Senate seat is Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., and he will likely win the six-year term come November.

Menendez sat for over eight weeks in a New York federal courtroom as witnesses and prosecutors revealed the scintillating details of his alleged plan to reward multiple New Jersey businessmen with favors in exchange for payment.

He faces a maximum of 222 years in prison for all charges

Menendez previously faced another federal trial for corruption but escaped charges in 2017 on a hung jury

He used his high-profile position as the former Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman to help one man negotiate a contract with Egyptian officials, prosecutors explained at trial.

And he used his influence as the New Jersey's senior senator to quash a state investigation into another accomplice's state insurance fraud case, prosecutors said.

Menendez's defense, meanwhile, argued the Democrat had a fear of going without and his Cuban heritage as the reason he stored gold and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash at his home.

The New Jersey Democrat and his wife had been under investigation for allegedly accepting bribes of cash, gold bars and a luxury car over the last five years to carry out favors for three businessmen who are also charged in the case.

In June 2022, the FBI raided the senator's home uncovering the fruits of his corrupt labors.

They claimed the 13 gold bars, nearly half a million dollars in cash and the convertible Mercedes-Benz found during the search were all bribery payments to Menendez and his wife Nadine.

The long-time lawmaker sat for over eight weeks in a New York federal courtroom as witnesses and prosecutors revealed the scintillating details of his alleged plan to reward multiple New Jersey businessmen with favors in exchange for payment, prosecutors alleged

A jury reached has reached a verdict in the bribery trial of New Jersey Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez, who has been accused of participating in a years-long foreign corruption scheme that earned him gold bars, cash and a new car

The Menendezes pleaded not guilty to the corruption scheme.

Nadine Menendez will be tried in a separate trial due to her recent breast cancer diagnosis.

Two of the New Jersey businessmen indicted alongside the Menendezes, Wael 'Will' Hana - a halal meat mogul - and Fred Daibes - a real estate developer - also pleaded not guilty.

Jose Uribe, a former insurance broker, pleaded guilty in the case earlier this year and since has testified that he bribed the Menendezes.

'I agreed with Nadine Menendez and other people to provide a car for Nadine in order to get the power and influence of Mr. Menendez,' Uribe told the court.

Cash was found in envelopes inside a jacket with the senator's name on it

Some of the gold bars found in Menendez's New Jersey home

Bob and Nadine Menendez pictured at a reception honoring the Greek prime minister at the White House in 2022

He got her a convertible Mercedes-Benz for helping him 'kill' investigations into several of his associates by the New Jersey attorney general's office.

As it would turn out, through both prosecutor's and Menendez's attorneys, Nadine was central to the case's alleged bribery arrangements - often acting as a go between for her husband and his criminal associates.

After a jury ruled a mistrial in a previous federal corruption trial in 2017, Menendez, who has held his seat as New Jersey Senator since 2006, was ready to make himself anew.

Part of that makeover involved a thrilling new relationship with Nadine Arslanian in 2018.

Nadine, a tall, striking blonde Lebanese-American woman 13-years younger than Bob, was also divorced.

She separated from real estate Raffi Arslanian in 2005 after getting together in 1989 and having two children, USA Today reported. The divorce left her with debt and little money.

But her luck turned around when she began dating the wealthy and powerful Menendez in February 2018.

Nadine introduced her future husband to Wael 'Will' Hana and quickly coordinated dozens of meeting between the two.

A Mercedes Menendez and his wife allegedly received in the widespread bribery plot

Cash found in the Menendez house following the FBI raid

An image of the lawmaker's bedroom with closets open. Bribes were found stored all over the Democrats house, prosecutors testified

Hana, a halal meat mogul, was well connected with Egyptian officials and Menendez's role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, was surely a helpful connection to have - prosecutors said.

By the summer of 2018, Nadine and Hana had coordinated meetings with the Senator and Egyptian officials at the Democrat's D.C. Senate office and elsewhere.

In May, Menendez requested State Department information on the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and then passed it along to Egyptian military officials.

But his lawyers pushed back on this arguing the information was already public.

Later in July, the Senator met again with Egyptian military officials who wanted a $100 million deal for tank munitions.

Gold bars discovered at the Menendez home later found to be bribes

After the meeting, which was coordinated by Nadine, Menendez texted her 'Tell Will I am going to sign off this sale to Egypt today.'

Nadine sent the message to Hana, who later sent it to Egyptian officials, who gave it a thumbs up response.

The couple kept close tabs on each other, tracking one another using their iPhones. At times Menendez would text Nadine if her tracker went dark.

'I lost you,' Menendez once texted Nadine.

Prosecutors argued the tracking helped reassure the Democrat that his go-between was executing on his illicit deals, while the Senator's defense said Nadine's ex poses a threat to her, and Menendez was instead concerned about him.

The Lebanon-born 57-year-old at times caused 'too much drama,' according to Menendez's lawyers. She has been known to party and socialize with cast members of 'Mob Wives' and 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey.'

In December 2018 Nadine got into a car crash, leading to the death of a 49-year-old Richard Koop.

After the crash she needed a new car because, and the couple could not free up cash quickly to buy her a new one, so they turned to get some help.

Thousands of dollars in cash were found in the home, much of it stored in bizarre locations

Menendez and his wife Nadine arrive for the State Dinner with President Joe Biden and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House in June 2023

Prosecutors say cash was found scattered all over his house, including in a boot

Hana and former insurance executive Jose Uribe had an answer.

'I remember saying to her, if your problem is a car, my problem is saving my family,' Uribe said during the trial.

He went on to tell the jury how he handed Nadine $15,000 in cash at a restaurant parking lot.

Uribe added that he financed Nadine's new Mercedes-Benz C 3000 convertible for years.

In return, the former insurance broker asked that Menendez quash investigations by the New Jersey attorney general into his friends.

Uribe recounted meeting the Senator at his home and discussing the investigation when Menendez rang a bell to summon Nadine.

After hearing the chime she came out with papers. Menendez then wrote down the names Uribe told him, met with the New Jersey attorney general the next day.

Later in 2019 the Menendezes went out to dinner at Morton's Steakhouse in Washington D.C., with Hana and Egyptian officials.

Unbeknownst to the couple, businessman or officials an FBI agent was at an adjacent table monitoring the entire meeting.

'What else can the love of my life do for you?' Nadine asked the men at the table, the agent later testified.

The Menendezes out to dinner with Jose Uribe in 2019

Days later Menendez called a Department of Agriculture official to urge him to rethink an export contract that would benefit Hana.

As time went on, Nadine and the Senator's relationship progressed, leading to the Democrat proposing to the blonde divorcee outside of the Taj Mahal in India.

The two wed in 2020, embroiling Nadine in more of the senators affairs.

Some of those affairs included negotiations with Fred Daibes, a businessman accused of bribing the Menendezes with gold bars and cash to quash investigations into federal banking charges and to connect with Qatari officials.

Daibes and Hana were both found guilty on all charges against them Tuesday.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called on the lawmaker to resign.

'I reiterate my call for Senator Menendez to resign immediately after being found guilty of endangering national security and the integrity of our criminal justice system. If he refuses to vacate his office, I call on the U.S. Senate to vote to expel.'

But exiting the courthouse in New York Tuesday afternoon, Menendez said the bribery saga is not over just yet.

'I have never violated my public oath,' he told reporters.

He then pledged to appeal his guilty verdict.

Menendez's sentencing will take place a week before the election on October 29.
A small Michigan town has erupted with fury after a nearby landfill revealed it will process radioactive waste from the Manhattan Project.

The Wayne Disposal facility in Van Buren Township will be processing low-radiation atomic bomb byproducts from the 1940s Manhattan Project, which developed the bombs used in WWII and whose lead scientist inspired the Christopher Nolan blockbuster Oppenheimer.

The same facility also processed some of the waste from the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment, which released toxic chemicals into the air during the fire.

Residents are unhappy with the new developments, saying it's 'scary' and they worry about the health and safety of their families and neighbors, they told WXYZ.

'I don't like it,' Bonnie Coughlin, who has lived in the township for 70 years, told the outlet. 'I got my kids living next door, grandkids, and our neighbors. It's always been scary with that dump there.'

The Wayne Disposal facility (pictured) in Van Buren Township will be processing low-radiation atomic bomb byproducts from the 1940s Manhattan Project

'I don't like it,' Bonnie Coughlin (left), who has lived in the township for 70 years, told the outlet. 'I got my kids living next door, grandkids, and our neighbors. It's always been scary with that dump there.' Anthony Pauldebias (right), who has lived in the area for nearly 40 years, said he's worried about his health and the smell.

Coughlin lives roughly a mile away from the facility but doesn't plan on moving anytime soon.

Although the Wayne facility, which is run by Republic Services, is federally approved, it doesn't make Coughlin feel any better as there's no 'guarantee something is not going to harm us.'

Anthony Pauldebias, who has lived in the area for nearly 40 years, is equally concerned.

'I'm just worried about my health, the health of others, and the value of our houses,' he told the local outlet. 'I have to shut my windows at night, it's so terrible, you can smell the smell.'

'Why don't they drive it somewhere else?' Coughlin said. '"I ain't moving, this my home, I've been here for 71 years, I ain't going nowhere. But we do need to try and stop it.'

The waste will be coming from the Niagara Falls Storage Site - located in Lewiston, New York - which became the primary location for uranium ore byproducts related to the Manhattan Project.

The same facility also processed some of the waste from the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment (pictured), which released toxic chemicals into the air during the fire

Last year, more than 218,000 gallons of toxic liquid waste was delivered to the Wayne facility from the East Palestine derailment (pictured)

The transportation plan says 25 vessels of waste will be dropped off each week in lined trucks between July and January. Each truck will have to be decontaminated before it can leave the facility, according to US Army Corps of Engineers.

Roughly 6,000 cubic yards of soil and concrete and 4,000 gallons of groundwater with elevated radiation levels will be disposed at the facility.

Republic Services said in a statement to WXYZ that the 'material will be accepted' from the site as it 'falls within the permit guidelines and will be managed safely, responsibly, and in compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations.'

It also insisted the facility is 'highly engineered with multiple safety measures in place and frequent inspections and systems tests to ensure everything is operating as it should.'

In 2018, the US Army Corps of Engineers dumped 124,000 tons of radioactive soil and materials from Luckey, Ohio at the Michigan facility.

Then last year, more than 218,000 gallons of toxic liquid waste was delivered to the site.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) has criticized the upcoming horror film 'Heretic' starring Hugh Grant, claiming it misrepresents the religion.

The A24 film, set for release in November, centers on two young Mormon missionaries, played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, who encounter Mr. Reed, a sinister character played by Grant. Both Thatcher and East were former members of the Church but are no longer practicing.

The Utah-based church expressed concern over Hollywood portrayals that often rely on stereotypes and inaccuracies, potentially leading to harmful misconceptions about the faith.

While acknowledging that some depictions have been 'fair and accurate', LDS emphasized that sensationalized portrayals of missionaries and core beliefs are irresponsible and in poor taste.

In a statement, LDS said that the misrepresentation of the safety and conduct of its missionaries are detrimental to its mission of spreading the gospel.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) has criticized the upcoming horror film 'Heretic' starring Hugh Grant , claiming it misrepresents the religion

The Utah-based church expressed concern over Hollywood portrayals that often rely on stereotypes and inaccuracies, potentially leading to harmful misconceptions about the faith

Although LDS did not point to a specific movie or show, their statement is speculated to be a reference to Grant's upcoming movie.

'We understand the fascination some in the media have with the Church, but regret that portrayals often rely on sensationalism and inaccuracies that do not fairly and fully reflect the lives of our Church members or the sacred beliefs that they hold dear,' LDS said in a statement.

The institution also encouraged the public to seek reliable information about its teachings and members.

'Listen to the voices and authentic experiences of individuals and families who find great joy and satisfaction in living these principles,' the Church's statement continued. 'The true story of our faith is best seen in the countless lives of those who strive daily to follow our Savior Jesus Christ.'

Despite the Church's concerns, Thatcher insisted on avoiding cliches about the religion in her portrayal.

'I feel like we both did a good job of making it real and grounded and not a joke,' Thatcher told ELLE Magazine in the interview.

LDS has a history with Hollywood. The 2013 drama 'The Saratov Approach' depicted the true story of two young LDS missionaries held captive in Russia. Additionally, the miniseries 'Under the Banner of Heaven' starring Andrew Garfield explored a detective's investigation into a Utah murder, examining the complexities of faith.

In recent news, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has sparked fierce backlash from some members of the LDS church over its depiction of the religion.

LDS said that the misrepresentation of the safety and conduct of its missionaries are detrimental to its mission of spreading the gospel. Although LDS did not point to a specific movie or show, their statement is speculated to be a reference to Grant's upcoming movie.

Although the controversial reality show doesn't premiere until September, it's already caused a firestorm online and ignited discussions about what it means to be a modern day Mormon.

The series follows a group of glamorous influencer moms who have their faith and friendships rocked by a couple-swapping scandal.

The cast's social media accounts have been flooded with negative comments since Hulu announced the show on July 29, calling out the cast for portraying LDS in a negative light.
Nigel Farage today defended jetting off to the US for the second time in just over a month as the new Clacton MP said he 'works seven days a week'.

The Reform UK leader, who was elected to Parliament for the first time on 4 July, is heading to Scottsdale, Arizona, this weekend for a lucrative speaking gig.

It will be the 60-year-old's second visit to America since entering the House of Commons as his Essex constituency's representative at Westminster.

Last month, Mr Farage travelled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to meet up with his friend Donald Trump just two weeks after becoming an MP.

He headed across the Atlantic straight after attending the State Opening of Parliament on 17 July.

Some of his new constituents in Clacton were left furious by Mr Farage's decision to head to America so soon after being elected.

Nigel Farage has defended jetting off to the US for the second time in just over a month as the new Clacton MP said he 'works seven days a week'

The Reform UK leader, who was elected to Parliament for the first time on 4 July, is heading to Scottsdale, Arizona, this weekend for a lucrative speaking gig

It will be the 60-year-old's second visit to America since entering the House of Commons as his Essex constituency's representative at Westminster

The former UKIP leader's upcoming visit to Scottsdale will see him attend a 'Keep Arizone Free Summit' as the keynote speaker on Saturday

The former UKIP leader's upcoming visit to Scottsdale will see him attend a 'Keep Arizona Free Summit' as the keynote speaker on Saturday.

Mr Farage has already earned nearly 12,000 for the speaking engagement, with the five-figure sum paid to him as a deposit.

Speaking to The Mirror, the politician said he had 'absolutely no idea' how much his final fee will be and said his staff deal with the 'admin'.

Defending his trip, Mr Farage told the newspaper: 'I have previous commitments, contracts I have signed, which I will honour, because I am not the sort of person who lets people down otherwise you get a terrible reputation.

'They advertised the fact I was coming a long, long time ago. So, number one, I don't breach things that I have previously agreed to. Number two, unlike everybody else I work seven days a week.'

He added: 'I shall be in Clacton all day tomorrow, I shall be in Clacton all day Thursday, I will leave Clacton at midnight on Thursday and getting an early flight on Friday.

'I'm there [Clacton] a couple of days a week which is about as much as most MPs, I would have thought.

'At the moment I'm not living there but that takes a bit of time and that's in the process, as we speak.'

Mr Farage said he had 'a couple' of other speaking engagements booked, and nothing 'firm' booked beyond the end of the year.

His register of interests as an MP, published last week, revealed he had been paid an 11,783.55 deposit by the AZ Liberty Network for the Scottsdale meeting.

It also revealed a 98,000 payment for his work at GB News, and 16,500 earned for recording personalised videos via the Cameo website.

Mr Farage also receives a salary of 91,346 a year as an MP.

Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, who was Labour's candidate in Clacton at last month's general election, said Mr Farage's latest trip to the US was 'deeply frustrating and infuriating'.

He told the newspaper: 'We spoke to many people on the doorstep, and it was clear that people wanted an active and dedicated MP.

'Whilst he claims record amounts of money, people are still struggling with their cost-of-living during holiday time, proving his commitment has always been to himself rather than those who sent him to serve.'
An Albanian drug farmer stayed illegally in the UK to get free NHS dental treatment before joining a gang who set up a 200,000 cannabis farm.

Xhafer Furriku and two others have been jailed for a total of nine years after turning a disused public swimming pool into a massive drug factory.

Dundee Sheriff Court was told that Furriku - a retired painter and decorator - had initially travelled to the UK on a legitimate visa to visit his adult sons in Huddersfield.

But he stayed on after the visa ran out in order to take advantage of free dental work on the NHS before travelling to Forfar to help with the cannabis cultivation.

Furriku was part of a gang who took over the abandoned Forfar swimming pool and turned it into a cannabis farm

Solicitor David Kinloch, defending, told the court: He came to the UK by plane to Liverpool airport on 23 September 2022 in order to visit his children.

Expiration of the visa took place, but he did not return home. I am not being humorous, but he said he had extensive dental work to be done and, because he was in the UK, the NHS covered that dental work.

He was offered employment as a painter and decorator at the Forfar location in July 2023. He travelled by bus to Forfar and met the two former co-accused for the first time.

He was informed he was there to tidy up and to paint and he was not allowed to leave. This wasnt a case where he was trafficked. He overstayed his welcome.

Furriku, 65, was jailed for three years and ordered to be deported after he admitted tending to the 187,500 cannabis crop at Forfar Swimming Pool on 8 August 2023.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard that the gang installed a 'complex' system of wiring to keep the farm running

Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith said: You pled guilty to the production of a controlled drug, namely cannabis, at the disused swimming pool in Forfar.

There was a complex electrical system of wiring, switches and transformers... There were heat lamps on the ceiling and fans attached to the walls. There was a ventilation system in place.

This was a large-scale commercial enterprise. You entered the country legally to visit family. It is unclear exactly how you became involved in this commercial enterprise.

Courts in this country will not tolerate criminal gangs from wherever they might emanate. Deterrence is an important consideration when sentencing.

Fiscal depute Sarah Wilkinson told the court: This is a disused swimming pool, sitting empty for a number of years. The property is boarded up to prevent members of the public accessing it.

Intelligence was received by police about its suspected purpose for a cannabis cultivation and a drugs search warrant was granted.

Prior to entry the power was cut to make the area safe. An angle grinder was used to force entry by cutting two handles off the disabled access door.

Officers made their way to the basement area of the building where they discovered a significant cannabis cultivation. It was within the disused swimming pool and changing area.

They traced the accused and two others were apprehended as they attempted to flee from the area. It was established the accused could not speak any English.

When officers were eventually able to quiz Furriku about being in Scotland and monitoring the drug farm, he said: I came here to clean and paint.

Mrs Wilkinson told the court that another room was also full of plants and in total the farm amounted to 250 plants with a potential yield worth 187,500.

Illegal immigrants Hajri Musa and Gerald Daci have already been jailed for a total of six years for their role in the swimming pool drug growing scheme.

The disused pool, which had been gifted to the town by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, had lain empty since 2017 and had been sold off by Angus Council to a mystery buyer for 50,000 just months before the cultivation came to light.

Fiscal depute Gavin Letford previously told Dundee Sheriff Court that both men were Albanian nationals who had entered the United Kingdom illegally.

Receipts were found in the hastily-assembled living area which showed the gang had bought supplies from Asda and B&Q to set up the sophisticated operation.

Solicitor Ali Short, for 39-year-old Musa, from Paisley, said her client had submitted an asylum claim but had no status in the UK and would continue to be held in custody by the Home Office.

Daci, 21, from London, was said to have been in the UK illegally for a number of years and had already notched up a previous conviction for a firearms offence.
A group of migrants concealed in a refrigerated van were heard screaming for help as they were being starved of oxygen on board a ferry, a court has heard.

Anas Al Mustafa, 43, is on trial accused of smuggling the group of seven people into the UK in a specially adapted van.

He allegedly took the group on a ferry between Dieppe, in France, and Newhaven, in East Sussex, on February 16.

Jurors at Lewes Crown Court heard how the crew on the Seven Sisters ship heard banging and pleas from inside a van on deck.

They used an axe to break down the fake partition inside the van that was hiding the migrants in order to get them out.

Anas Al Mustafa, 42, was arrested after seven migrants had to be freed from the back of a van at Newhaven ferry port

Several police vehicles, ambulances and Border Force rushed to the scene in a full-scale emergency response

The incident happened on Friday February 16 as the Seven Sisters ferry travelling between Dieppe in France and Newhaven docked in the East Sussex port

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Al Mustafa, who moved to the UK from Syria in 2011 and lives in Swansea, denies assisting unlawful immigration to the UK.

A court previously heard Al Mustafa came to the UK on a visa after marrying a Greek woman and was given permanent residency in 2017.

Opening the case, prosecutor Nick Corsellis KC said the hidden compartment was two metres' wide, 194cm tall and 37cm wide, meaning the migrants were forced to stand and could scarcely move.

They also were not provided water, the prosecutor said.

Mr Corsellis told the court: 'The heat created by seven people in such a small space and the lack of sufficient air/oxygen had created a highly dangerous situation.

'It was no doubt this mortal emergency that forced the migrants to call for help in desperation.'

The group were rescued at around 9.20am and by that point two of the migrants had lost consciousness, the prosecutor added.

Anas Al Mustafa, 42, denies assisting unlawful immigration to the UK

The handyman spoke through an Arabic interpreter to confirm his name, date of birth and his address during a previous court appearance

Meanwhile, efforts had been made to contact the driver, Al Mustafa, on the ship, but the crew allegedly had no response.

Passengers on board the ship however responded to a call for assisting the crew, with Australian nurse Sari Gehle helping to provide oxygen and medical supervision.

The court heard it was a 'confusing situation' where the only migrant able to speak spoke Vietnamese, while Ms Gehle spoke English and the ferry's crew spoke French.

Mr Corsellis also said Ms Gehle noticed that one person 'stood out' in the situation. She described them as an Asian man wearing a puffer jacket, who was 'sitting on the ground seemingly scrolling through his mobile telephone and was remarkably calm in her view'.

Mr Corsellis said that the man was the defendant.

The migrants were taken to hospital and treated, he added.

Al Mustafa denies assisting unlawful immigration to the UK. The trial continues.
An Uber Eats driver in Texas couldn't hold back her anger after a customer decreased his tip after placing a $143 order which included five cases of water.

Dawn Garza was filmed arguing with the man called Eric in a TikTok video after she accused him of 'tip baiting.'

The phenomenon sees customers place big tips on the app to encourage riders to prioritize their order but then reduce it before it arrives.

Garza films herself arriving at Eric's workplace in the clip to discuss why the $21 up-front tip was reduced to 'nothing' upon delivery.

'They do this all the time. They tip bait so that way people will take their orders so they can be cheap,' Dawn said.

Dawn Garza, and Uber Eats driver, argued with a shopper named Eric in a TikTok video, and insisted nothing was changed after he put in his order

Garza claimed customers have tip-baited her 'all the time,' as she called for the company create a better system for tip reduction.

She dropped the $143 Target order at a DART operating facility in Dallas but returned to the building once she received the tip reduction notification.

She walked up to an unidentified female employee and told her that she was only paid $5.59 for a trip that should've been around $21.

The employee immediately went back into the building to look for Eric.

'This is a business... Why are you taking away money from hardworking,' Garza said before she spoke with Eric.

Eric claimed he hadn't touched the app since she dropped off his order.

He added that he didn't know what to do and had not received notifications from Uber Eats since the order drop-off.

But Garza alleged Uber Eats sent a message to her with its 'sincere apologies,' confirming that Eric did reduce the tip. She showed screengrabs appearing to be from Uber Eats confirming this.

'He says he didn't know what I'm talking about, but Uber says otherwise,' Garza wrote.

Tip baiting is when someone places an order on apps like Uber Eats or DoorDash with a large tip, only to reduce or get rid of it after the deliverer brings them their items.

One common reason delivery app users tip bait is to have a driver prioritize their order.

The unfortunate method for food delivery is becoming more common, and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi was even a victim while working undercover in California.

Apps have begun implementing new systems to lower tip baiting, and drivers who run errands for customers at Walmart keep 100 percent of their tips.

'We understand tipping is an important part of the driver experience and are proud that most customers leave tips, with the majority of tip changes resulting in a higher tip for drivers,' a Walmart spokesperson told Business Insider earlier this year.

'Driver feedback has been influential in the development of current tipping features on the platform, and we're continuously exploring new features and enhancements to give drivers the best possible experience.'

TikTok users have advised Garza to try and use other apps like DoorDash or Instacart.

At least five TikTokers also praised the delivery driver for her calmness when speaking with Eric and the other female employee.

'You're better than me because I couldnt do this because my anger gets a hold of me,' one wrote.

Others revealed they've tip-baited in the past but explained the reason behind their decision to do so.

'I only reduced my tip once. I was staying at a hotel, and they refused to communicate with me,' wrote a TikToker.

Garza dropped off the $143 Target order at a DART operating facility in Dallas but returned to the building once she received the tip reduction notification

She walked up to an unidentified female employee and told her that she was only paid $5.59 for a trip that should've been around $21

'They left my food outside with the bag open when no one was around, and it looked like somebody ate it.'

DailyMail.com reached out to Uber Eats for comment.
Geordies have slammed Newcastle University for urging researchers to bid 'Auf Wiedersehen, Pet' after bosses deemed the slang term sexist.

Diversity chiefs labelled the Tyneside lingo 'patronising' in an equality and inclusion toolkit issued to researchers.

Their seven-page guide instructs readers to 'avoid... terms, such as girls, pet, or ladies' and asks that groups are referred to as 'friends or colleagues' instead.

The advice appears in a section named 'Talking about Gender' which says: 'Sexism can often be subtle in conversations, and we can all be guilty of it without realising.'

Paul Thorne, 52, a hospital worker in the city said the move was 'totally stupid'.

Geordies have slammed Newcastle University for urging researchers to not use the word 'pet' after bosses deemed it sexist and 'patronising' in an equality and inclusion toolkit

Paul Thorne, 52, a hospital worker in the city said the move was 'totally stupid'

Catherine Harris, 73, a retired teacher, said: 'I would say tell universities to stick to your studies. The word pet belongs to North Eastern dialect and it would be unfortunate to label it derogatory'

'It's a local word,' he continued, 'what do you expect them to say at Newcastle University? They are going to use Newcastle words.

'I have never thought of the word as sexist. It's a local slang word, we use it all the time.

'Most of the lecturers are probably from Newcastle so you would think they would understand it. It's a friendly word.'

The seven-page guide was produced by 13 members of an inclusion team and was accompanied by a 44-term glossary gender-related terms researchers might come across.

Catherine Harris, 73, a retired teacher, said: 'I would say tell universities to stick to your studies.

'I'm not sure that it's a very progressive step, the word pet belongs to North Eastern dialect and it would be unfortunate to label it derogatory.

'Like many things it depends on the tone and the context of the words.'

Amy Siddall, 21, a law student at nearby Northumbria University who lives in Newcastle, said: 'I don't think the word is offensive. If someone called me pet I wouldn't think "how dare they, they shouldn't do that to anyone". It's fine.

'Universities want to push boundaries and make sure everyone is equal, I understand that, but local language in areas like Newcastle defines them.

'There aren't many locals at Newcastle University in comparison to the University of Northumbria.

'If I was at that uni being told I couldn't use terms mainly used by Geordies I wouldn't want to go there.'

Amy Siddall, 21, a law student at nearby Northumbria University who lives in Newcastle, said: 'I don't think the word is offensive. If someone called me pet I wouldn't think "how dare they, they shouldn't do that to anyone". It's fine'

The university released the guidance after leaders in research reported their concerns about using the 'wrong' language when discussing equality, diversity and inclusion topics.

The toolkit also discusses gender, sexual orientation and race.

Pat, 78, a retired priest from Morpeth said: 'I wouldn't be offended by the word but I'm of a certain generation.

'I would say it's endearing. Words like love, duck or pet is an add on to acknowledging that you are an individual.

'The university should just be accepting of the local dialect just as when you go somewhere else you accept that someone will talk to you in their dialect or colloquialism.

'It's a word of place, place is important to people who are of that place.'

Peter, 74, a retired transport planner, also from Morpeth, said: 'It's similar to the word duck, which is what I would use when I was younger which applied to men and women equally.

'It meant a mate or friend. It's friendly. There are ways of being which is antagonistic but that isn't, it says "you're one of us".'

However, 79-year-old retiree Alan White says he does not use the word and claims the guide can help students navigate new terms.

However, 79-year-old retiree Alan White says he does not use the word and claims the guide can help students navigate new terms

The Newcastle native said: 'I find it patronising, I'm not keen on it being used at shop tills.

'It's a word that has no meaning to me - I don't like the word being used.

'People in the market who serve me always say it.

'Language is so complicated now that you have to be careful what words you use.'

A Newcastle University spokesperson said: 'We have not banned these terms. Our researchers asked for advice on using inclusive language in a professional capacity and the guide was created to help them do that.'
A fundraiser for the family of a rioting yob who hurled objects at police officers has been shut down after fury erupted online.

People were previously enraged to discover a fundraiser had been created for Dominic Capaldi, who attacked police when they stopped him entering a hotel housing asylum seekers.

The shocking footage shows crowds at Castle Park, Bristol shouting in unison: 'send them back'.

Dominic Capaldi, 34, was handed 34 months after pleading guilty to a charge of violent disorder.

A friend of the thug then launched a CrowdFunder for his family, with the total soaring past 3,000 in a matter of days.

However the fundraising platform have since pulled the fundraiser, which had controversial social media personality Tristan Tate in its list of donors.

A CrowdFunder created for the family of thug Dominic Capaldi has been pulled from the site after soaring past its 3,000 target

Capaldi (Pictured throwing items at police) pleaded guilty when he appeared at Bristol Magistrates' Court on August 10 and was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court to two years and 10 months in prison

A CrowdFunder spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Crowdfunder yesterday (August 19) made the decision to close the fundraiser related to the recent conviction of Dominic Capaldi, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 34 months in prison for his involvement in the Bristol riots.

'This project was found to be in violation of Crowdfunders terms and conditions. As a result, the fundraiser has been closed, and all donations to the project have been refunded.

'We remain committed to maintaining the integrity of our platform and ensuring it is used to support positive and lawful causes'

The CrowdFunder was initially launched by a friend - according to the Independent -to help the shameless thug's family raise 1,000.

But by midday the next day, the fundraiser - which alleged Capaldi's sentence was unlawful = had already soared past 3,000.

The CrowdFunder page read: '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 children's 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.'

34 people have made donations, including Tristan Tate, who is currently expected to stand trial on charges of rape, as well as human trafficking. He has denied these accusations.

According to the Independent, Tate announced his 2,500 donation to his three-million followers on X (formerly Twitter).

However many were left enraged by the fundraiser, with one person penning: 'Was he not throwing stuff at police? Is that not a crime?'

A second noted: 'He plead[ed] guilty. He didn't have to do that, could have taken it to trial. He obviously thought he was caught bang to rights.'

'This guy went rioting so that we immigrants would be kicked out of this country. No thanks, I'd rather donate to the local mosque,' a third quipped.

'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.

During Capaldi's sentencing last Wednesday, Bristol Crown Court was told the repercussions of his crimes would have a 'significant' effect seven-year-old son as well as his wider family.

The fundraising page set up for Capaldi's family by a friend surpassed 3,000

Among the 34 donors includes Tristan Tate (Pictured left) - the brother of controversial internet personality of Andrew Tate (Pictured right) - who donated 2,500

Mr John Stokes, defending 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.'

Capaldi pleaded guilty when he appeared at Bristol Magistrates' Court on August 10 and was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court to two years and 10 months in prison.

Judge Martin Picton said: '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 continued: '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 harm's way to protect others.
Millions of employees of smaller firms could be exempt from Labour's plan to grant workers a 'right to switch off', it has been revealed.

Under a swathe of workers' rights reforms being pushed by Deputy PM Angela Rayner, staff will be able to ignore bosses' messages outside working hours.

Following the surge in home-working since the Covid pandemic, the Government wants to prevent Brits' homes becoming '24/7 offices'.

Critics of Labour's 'New Deal for Working People' have warned against burdening firms with more red tape and stunting economic growth.

But, according to the i newspaper, smaller firms could be made exempt from following new rules on the 'right to switch off'.

Under a swathe of workers' rights reforms being pushed by Deputy PM Angela Rayner , staff will be able to ignore bosses' messages outside working hours

Following the surge in home-working since the Covid pandemic, the Government wants to prevent Brits' homes becoming '24/7 offices'

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former Tory business secretary, welcomed the prospect of smaller firms being exempt from 'ridiculous' new rules

Under its plans, Labour has vowed to copy countries such as Belgium and Ireland, which allow workers to avoid emails, texts and phone calls received out of hours, without fear of reprisals.

In Belgium, the 'right to switch off' rule applies to companies with 20 or more members of staff.

The newspaper reported the Government is considering whether to follow this and exempt smaller firms in the UK from the new policy.

According to the Department for Business and Trade, 1.17million businesses are classed as 'micro' - meaning they have under 10 employees.

As of 2023, these employed 4.2 million workers.

The newspaper said the Government is not looking to impose an arbitrary cut-off point but is considering different approaches for different types of businesses.

This could also apply to different industries, or specific roles, where demands are different, it added.

A No 10 spokeswoman yesterday said the Government is 'looking at a range of models that are used and already in place in other countries, for example, Ireland and Belgium'.

She added: 'The focus behind that is on improving productivity.

'We know good employers understand that to stay motivated and productive [workers] do need to be able to switch off and the culture of presenteeism can be damaging to productivity.

'Of course, different companies [and] people's roles will vary. So that's why we're looking at the kinds of arrangements that they have in place elsewhere.'

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former Tory business secretary, welcomed the prospect of smaller firms being exempt from new rules.

He told MailOnline: 'The whole idea is ridiculous, flexibility is at the heart of successful businesses but exempting smaller companies is always welcome.'

Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake, the shadow business secretary, said: 'The Government must listen to the concerns of businesses before pressing ahead with their French-style union laws that could stunt growth.

'Labour have failed to strike the right balance between flexibility and productivity  and as usual, it will be businesses picking up the bill.'

Ben Willmott, head of public policy at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, said: 'It's important that any new 'right to switch off' is introduced with sufficient flexibility to enable employers to contact employees outside normal working hours where unforeseen circumstances require this, for example due to sickness absence.

'It seems most likely the Government will introduce this new right through a code of practice, which should allow employers to develop approaches which work for both them and their staff.

'There will be different demands for this type of flexibility depending on the sector and the nature of people's jobs, which would need to be recognised in the code of practice.

'Developed in the right way, in consultation with employers, such a code can help promote what is already adopted as good practice in many organisations and support workers' work-life balance and wellbeing.

'Employers will need to ensure they have clear policies which are aligned to any new code, clarifying the circumstances where managers can and cannot contact staff outside their usual working hours.'
A 'vampire serial killer' who police said confessed to killing 42 women has escaped from custody in Kenya in a mass jail break.

Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, 33, was arrested in July after ten bodies and several body parts wrapped in plastic sacks were found in a rubbish dump in a Nairobi slum.

Jumaisi was being held at a police station in the capital when he escaped along with 12 other inmates who were all Eritrean nationals, officials have said.

The prisoners fled by cutting through the wire mesh roof and scaling the perimeter wall - an escape which national police chief Gilbert Masengeli said was 'aided by insiders'.

He told reporters that eight officers on duty at the time have been suspended and 'placed in custody', adding that the matter was being investigated by the Internal Affairs Unit.

Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, 33, is escorted to the Kiambu law Courts in Kiambu, Kenya, on July 16

Ten bodies are retrieved from a landfill in a slum in Nairobi on July 13

Crime detective unit officers work at the scene at Gigiri police station after the escape

Police said they discovered the breakout when officers made a routine visit to the cells at around 5 am to serve the prisoners breakfast.

'On opening the cell door, they discovered that 13 prisoners had escaped by cutting the wire mesh in the basking bay,' police said, referring to a covered courtyard area in the station where detainees could get access to fresh air.

The 12 Eritreans had been arrested for being in Kenya illegally, police said, adding that four others who did not escape were helping with the investigation.

The police station is located in the upmarket Nairobi district of Gigiri, home to the regional headquarters of the United Nations and numerous embassies.

It is the second time in barely six months that a suspect in a high-profile case has escaped from custody in Kenya.

Kenyan national Kevin Kangethe, who is accused of murdering his girlfriend in the United States last year and leaving her body in an airport car park, fled a police station in February before being caught about a week later.

Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, 33, was arrested in July after ten bodies and several body parts wrapped in plastic sacks were found in a rubbish dump in a Nairobi slum

Officials remove the bodies that were found in plastic sacks from the rubbish dump on July 13

Gilbert Masengeli briefs the media at the Gigiri police station following the escape

Crowds gather following the gruesome discovery in the Nairobi slum of Mukuru

A police officer enters the Gigiri police station, after the prime suspect in the Kware murder case Collins Jumaisi escaped from custody

Jumaisi had appeared in a court in Nairobi on Friday, when the magistrate ordered him to be held for a further 30 days to enable police to complete their investigations.

The head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Mohamed Amin, said after his arrest on July 15 that Jumaisi had confessed to murdering 42 women over a two-year period from 2022, with his wife his first victim.

'We are dealing with a vampire, a psychopath,' Amin said at the time.

Jumaisi said he had been molested and tortured, his lawyer told AFP last month.

A spokesman for the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said in a statement when the bodies were found: 'We want to assure the public that our investigations will be thorough and shall cover a wide range of areas, including but not limited to the possible activities of cultists and serial killings.

Onlookers gather at the dumpsite where bodies were found in the landfill in Mukuru slum, Nairobi, in July

Tensions ran high at the Mukuru site, with local media reports that police fired into the air to try to disperse an angry crowd

Locals expressed concern after the more bodies continued to be discovered from the rubbish

Some people on social media have described them as victims of femicide

Officials inspect the bodies while being watched from a crowd of locals

'We appeal to the members of the public to remain calm and give our detectives a chance to deliver justice to the victims of this horrendous scene.'

The identities of the dead or how long the bodies had been at the quarry are not yet known.

The grisly find shocked Kenyans, already reeling from the so-called Shakahola forest massacre after the discovery of more than 400 bodies in mass graves near the Indian Ocean coast.

A Kenyan cult leader is accused of inciting his followers to starve themselves to death in order to prepare for the end of the world and 'meet Jesus'.

He faces numerous charges including terrorism, murder and child cruelty along with dozens of co-defendants.
A woman miraculously survived after she was thrown off a children's roller coaster in southeastern Brazil.

A bystander filmed Karine Brock, 37, sitting in the first cart of the ride behind two children moments before she was ejected and fell on top of the tracks on August 11 in Alem Paraiba, Minas Gerais.

The footage showed Brock, a psychologist, recording with her cell phone as the roller coaster slowly took off and slightly ascended before it made a turn.

The roller coaster ride later went downhill at a faster speed and made a left turn when Brock was suddenly thrown off.

Karine Brock suffered facial, head and rib injuries after the was thrown from her roller coaster cart seat on August 11 at an amusement park in Alem Paraiba, a city in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. The 37-year-old psychologist shared an Instagram post on Monday and indicated that the lap bar didn't lock over her legs to prevent the accident

A bystander filmed Karine Brock sitting in the second row of the first cart on the roller coaster and filming as the ride took off moments before she was thrown off and fell on the tracks. The 37-year-old suffered a seizure on the scene and was rushed to a hospital before being transferred to a second facility, where she remains hospitalized

Despite the accident, the roller coaster continued the ride and made another turn moments before it abruptly came to a full stop.

Brock suffered a seizure while paramedics were assisting her and was rushed to Salvador Hospital, where she received initial treatment for fractured ribs and a head injury. She was then transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital in Juiza da Fora, where she is being monitored by a neurosurgeon.

On Monday, Brock uploaded a black and white photo to Instagram, revealing for the first time the extent of her facial injuries.

'I arrived here and went straight to the ICU, where I stayed for two days,' she wrote. 'When the doctor came to see me, his first question was if I believed in God, because given the fractures, injuries and the results of the MRI on my head, it was a true miracle that I was alive.

'Hearing from people about the accident didn't really sink in, until a doctor said that I wasn't supposed to be alive due to the circumstances,' Brock added.

Psychologist Karine Brock said she didn't remember being thrown off the children roller coaster ride

On Monday, Karine Brock posted a series of photos from her hospital room and said 'it was a true miracle that I was alive' after having been thrown off a roller coaster ride

Two children remained seated in the roller coaster cart while the second row remained empty after Karine Brock was thrown off the ride after the lap bar failed to lock in

Brock said the lap bar that is shifted backwards and rests slight over the rider's lap 'didn't work as it should have  even though I had lowered it.'

'I'm still hospitalized, with no set date for discharge, but I feel the presence of God by my side at every moment,' she said.

In an interview with Brazilian news outlet G1, Brock that she didn't remember anything from the accident.

'The doctor was very concerned about the blow to my head because, judging by the marks I have, it was quite severe, but, thank God, by a miracle, I won't need any surgery for now,' Brock said.
Roald Dahl's classic children's novels usually involve good eventually triumphing over evil, but the author's grandson discovered this week that in Labour's lawless Britain, criminals behave with impunity.

On Tuesday, Ned Donovan was nursing his wounds after intervening to apprehend a pickpocket stealing from tourists in the shadow of the Palace of Westminster.

Even though Ned, who is married to a Middle Eastern princess, managed to stop the thief, he was set upon by fellow gang members.

To Ned's horror, instead of coming to his aid, passers-by filmed the incident on their mobile phones.

'Walking across Westminster Bridge, I saw a man in the act of pickpocketing a female tourist,' he says. 'I grabbed him and stopped him before he could disappear.

On Tuesday, Ned Donovan (pictured) was nursing his wounds after intervening to apprehend a pickpocket stealing from tourists in the shadow of the Palace of Westminster

Even though Ned, who is married to a Middle Eastern princess, managed to stop the thief, he was set upon by fellow gang members

Ned, 30, who is a Special Constable, adds: 'Sadly, dozens stood around watching and filming, but no one attempted to help'

Members of the Dahl Family, Liccy Dahl (2nd Wife of Roald Dahl), Sophie Dahl (Grand Daughter of Roald Dahl), Orphelia Dahl (Daughter of Roald Dahl), and Grandson's Luke and Ned, attend the charity auction of Roald Dahl's private photographs at Christie's auction house on December 13, 2004 in London

'Unfortunately, several of his accomplices appeared and began to punch me, kick me and choke me to get me to release their friend, which I wasn't going to let happen.

'One up-and-coming black eye, bloody nose, marks on the neck, a scratched eye socket and cuts from him biting my wrist later, I'm recovering and very grateful to the Metropolitan Police and the NHS for all their help and hard work.'

Ned, 30, who is a Special Constable, adds: 'Sadly, dozens stood around watching and filming, but no one attempted to help.'

The amiable son of Roald's daughter Tessa Dahl by her second marriage to late boulevardier Patrick Donovan, Ned is the half-brother of writer and model Sophie Dahl.

He married Princess Raiyah of Jordan, youngest daughter of the late King Hussein and Queen Noor of Jordan, in 2020.

Princess Raiyah, who is eight years Ned's senior, was schooled at Atlantic College in Glamorgan before taking a degree in Japanese at Edinburgh University. She met Ned in India in 2018.

He served as a Special Constable during Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022, helping to keep the crowds safe in The Mall. He regularly flies in from Jordan to perform his duties in London.

Special Constables are unpaid volunteer police officers with the same powers on and off duty as a regular police officer.
Divers desperately trying to find the six passengers missing after Mike Lynch's superyacht sank have tried to smash through a breach in the boat's hull to reach the cabin.

Luxury sailboat Bayesian was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, Italy, when a 'whirlwind' hit the area just before 5am on Monday morning, wrecking the boat and causing it to rapidly sink.

While 15 of the 22 people on board were rescued by nearby ships, the yacht's chef tragically died while six people including tech British billionaire Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah remain missing.

The Italian coastguard has insisted it is continuing its search, even though a positive outcome after nearly two days is 'difficult to imagine'.

Frigate Captain Vincenzo Zagarola told Italian radio station RTL: 'Given the time that has passed and the circumstances of the event, it is naturally difficult to imagine that things can go well but we are not giving up, so we are busy [searching] with naval and air resources.'

Meanwhile, an engineer has claimed the missing passengers could still be alive in air pockets, meaning divers are competing in a race against time.

Nick Sloane, who worked on the Costa Concordia salvage operation, said divers are entering a 'critical' 24 hours to rescue anyone who might still be alive.

Scuba divers on the scene amid the search for the missing sailboat in Porticello, Italy, today

Rescue workers and divers from the Italian fire brigade work tonight as a rescue operation continues for the missing people who were on board

A rescue boat on the water tonight as the huge search operation continues

The superyacht (pictured) was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when it was hit by an over-sea tornado, known as a waterspout

Emergency services at the scene of the search for the missing sailboat in Porticello, southern Italy

Rescue workers look at the plans of the the Bayesian as they organise a search operation for six people who are still missing after the superyacht sank

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue

Search divers head out to the scene of the wreck near Porticello this morning as the operation to find the bodies of those missing continue

CCTV captured the last moments of the Bayesian superyacht before it sank beneath the waves during a ferocious storm early on Monday morning

'They've got a very small window of time to try to find people stuck inside with hopefully an air pocket, and they could be rescued,' he told Sky News.

'You've got a maximum of two to three days to try to get someone out, so the next 24 hours are critical.'

Divers from Napoli and Messina are assisting with the huge search operation.

A helicopter was seen flying over Porticello this afternoon, while an underwater vehicle has been helping divers search for missing passengers.

Italian rescue workers are using a remotely operated underwater vehicle in their search.

In a statement, the coastguard said five patrol cars, one helicopter and divers had been working since the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Despite the sliver of hope, Italian Coastguard officials admitted they believe the six people who are still missing have died and their bodies are inside the wreck.

Vincenzo Zagarola said: 'We think they are still inside the boat, that is our very hard idea.

'Our search and rescue activity by sea and air has gone on for around 36 hours. Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly.

'We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat.'

Asked about the likelihood of them being alive, he replied: 'Never say never, but reasonably the answer should be not.'

It is believed the ship sank after its mast - one of tallest in the world at an enormous 246ft-high - snapped during the brutal incident and keeled over, taking the hull beyond the 'down-flooding angle', according to nautical experts.

Among the 15 who survived include a one-year-old British baby called Sofia, who was kept afloat by her mother, 36-year-old Charlotte Golunski.

Mrs Golunski, an Oxford graduate and senior associate at Invoke, also survived after fighting to prevent her child from drowning.

Mike Lynch (pictured) invited family and friends on his superyacht to celebrate his triumph over fraud charges in the US. Lynch is missing alongside his 18-year-old daughter Hannah

Lynch's attorney Christopher Morvillo (pictured) and his wife Neda are also missing

Neda and her husband Christopher are both missing in the wake of Monday's superyacht sinking

Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer (pictured), and his wife are also missing

Judy Bloomer, who is missing, is a supporter and former board member of the Eve Appeal, a charity that raises awareness and funds research into gynaecological cancer

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch is still missing. His wife Angela Bacares (right) was among the 15 people who were rescued from the yacht

Luxury sailboat Bayesian was docked off the coast of Porticello when a waterspout struck the area just before 5am on Monday

A life raft is seen docked at the harbour near the port where the emergency and rescue workers are launching their search operation

The mother told Italian newspaper Republicca: 'I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

'It was all dark. In the water I couldn't keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.'

Mrs Golunski's British husband James Emsilie, 36, also survived the tragedy.

Another survivor is Lynch's wife Angela Bacares, who is now reportedly recovering from her injuries in a wheelchair.

She revealed that the first sign of the freak waterspout that sunk the luxury sailboat Bayesian was a 'slight tilt' that woke her up.

Lynch's wife told La Repubblica that she and her husband woke up at 4am when the boat suddenly 'tilted'.

Mrs Bacares said that they were not worried at the time, but that she still got up to see what was happening, until glass shattered and created confusion on board.

She sustained abrasions on her feet - likely after walking on glass shards during the sinking - which have left her unable to walk and sitting in a wheelchair, La Repubblica reports, while she also has bandages on others part of her body.

Another survivor is Clifford Chance lawyer Ayla Ronald, 36, who was part of the successful legal team invited to go sailing with Lyncchah, according to her father Lin.

Charlotte Golunski, 36, (pictured) her husband and her one-year-old baby also survived

Mr Ronald told the Telegraph: 'I have texted with my daughter. She has only said to me that there are deaths, and she and her partner are alive' (pictured: Ayla Ronald)

On-board hostess Leah Randall, 20, from South Africa, was also on board and survived

On-board hostesses Leah Randall, 20, from South Africa, also survived the tragedy.

Heidi Randall, Leah's mother, told Sky News: 'I'm beyond relieved that my daughter's life was spared by the grace of God.

'It doesn't make it any easier living with heartache of those who have lost their lives or missing.'

Leah was photographed leaving the coastguard headquarters yesterday alongside a fellow crew member.

Other survivors included Irish woman Sasha Murray, 29, Matthew Fletcher, 41, from London, James Calfield 51, from New Zealand, Myin Htun Kyaw, 39, from Myanmar and the French Captain Matthew Griffith.

Speaking from a hospital room in the town of Termini Imerese close to Palermo, Mr Calfied, in a state of grief and shock, could only utter one sentence.

'We didn't see it coming,' he told La Repubblica.

Rescuers claimed that survivors spoke of the ship going down in 'two minutes' and that it appears that the yacht 'wasn't anchored in a safe place' at the time of sinking.

They were rescued by crews from nearby boats including that of Karsten Borner, the captain of a sailing ship anchored near the Bayesian, who said his team struggled to keep their boat afloat when the tornado hit.

Fabio Cefalu, a fisherman in Porticello who witnessed the tragedy unfold, said he saw a waterspout  a sort of mini-tornado  that lasted about 12 minutes shortly before 4am.

At around 4.10am he said he saw a red flare go off from Bayesian but by the time he was able to reach the area about 20 minutes later the yacht had all but disappeared. 'We found only the cushions, and a few planks floating in the water,' he said.

Two more survivors were named as on-board hostess Katya Chicken, 23, from Germany, and Leo Eppel.

Katya has been interviewed by officials from the CoastGuard investigating the circumstances of the sinking.

On Tuesday evening two crew members, Tus Koopmans and Eaton Parker, were also named as survivors. No age or nationalities were provided.
Kamala Harris will hit a full month without a sit-down interview or press conference on night three of the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday.

And while the vice president's campaign says she will do an interview by the end of the month, Rep. Byron Donalds says it's not soon enough and predicted she will sit-down with a friendly personality that will give her 'puff' questions.

'Hold on, I'm going to check my watch to see how long now it's gonna take,' Donalds said when speaking with DailyMail.com at Trump Tower in Chicago on Tuesday.

After looking at his wrist watch, the Florida congressman said: 'So 10 more days. So she would have been their nominee for, what, seven weeks before she does a sit-down?'

Despite the wait, Donalds thinks Harris can make-up for it by doing an interview with someone he thinks will give the Democratic nominee some 'hard-hitting questions.'

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) told DailyMail.com who he thinks should be the first time hold a sit-down interview with Vice President Kamala Harris since announcing her 2024 candidacy

The list of those proposed by Donalds are conservative media personality Tucker Carlson, his fellow former Fox host Megyn Kelly or a live stream with Elon Musk on his X Spaces.

One thing the Republican congressman thinks is nonnegotiable is that Harris' first proper press interview after becoming the Democratic presidential candidate on July 21 should make her answer tough questions.

Donalds also wants to see Harris participate in a town hall  but refrained from giving the Democratic rival to Donald Trump too much advice.

'What she should do, is she should sit down with Tucker Carlson. If she wants a hard hitting interview, she should sit with Tucker. That's what she should do,' he told DailyMail.com after serving as a Trump surrogate speaking at a press conference on rising crime on the sidelines of the DNC.

'If you don't want to go Tucker route, okay, that's fine,' he conceded. 'I would actually think Megyn Kelly would be a great interview for her. Megyn Kelly is tough. She's fair, but she's tough. She's been tough with Donald Trump. She'll be tough with Kamala Harris.'

'She should go do an X space with Elon,' he also suggested. 'I know she might not want to do something with Elon. But she should do something live, but do it for like an hour where people get to hear you unfiltered in expounded thought.

Donalds predicted: 'I think it's about if she does some puff interview, that's just not good enough. But that's what I anticipate is going to happen.'

'She's going to do a sit down interview with somebody who's going to have kid gloves with her. They're not going to press her very often. It will be edited to tape, so they'll edit out the key things they want to show. It won't be a wide-ranging discussion.'

It's been nearly a month since Harris jumped into the presidential race and she has still not done an official interview with the media or held a press conference since launching her White House bid

The top Trump ally questioned if 60 Minutes host Lesley Stahl will be the one speaking with Harris  or another media personality he views as equally 'friendly' to Democrats.

Asked if a town hall to hear questions from voters would suffice instead of an interview or press conference, Donalds said: Well, I don't want to give her any advice.'

'I think you know, for somebody who has never gotten a vote to be a nominee ever, and by Thursday, she's going to officially be the Democrat nominee, she should actually be doing town halls around the country,' he added.

'The American people got to know who she is,' Donalds told DailyMail.com.
A private security guard employed to patrol a cathedral city head-butted and handcuffed a 15-year-old boy in a Superdrug store in an 'unlawful' and 'unjustified' use of force, a court heard yesterday.

'Town ranger' Jake De-Geus allegedly worked together with colleague Edwin Hirst allegedly to pin down the boy after following him and his friends into the shop where there had been a report of shoplifting.

The 'almighty struggle' in Chichester, West Sussex sparked outrage online at the time in March last year after a video of the incident went viral on social media.

The pair are accused of 'over-stepping' their powers by acting 'unlawfully and injuriously' as De-Geus, 30, allegedly 'swung' the schoolboy into a stand before handcuffing him.

Hirst, 40, is also accused of assault by beating having punched another teenager who tried to intervene in the testicles. He denies the charge.

'Town ranger' Jake De-Geus (pictured outside Portsmouth Crown Court) allegedly worked together with colleague Edwin Hirst allegedly to pin down the boy after following him and his friends into the shop where there had been a report of shoplifting

Edwin Hirst (pictured outside Portsmouth Crown Court), 40, is also accused of assault by beating having punched another teenager who tried to intervene in the testicles. He denies the charge

The 'almighty struggle' in Chichester, West Sussex sparked outrage online at the time in March last year after a video of the incident went viral on social media (file image of the Superdrug store on East Street in Chichester)

Opening the trial, prosecutor Paul Fairley told Portsmouth Crown Court the two men were both working as 'town rangers' and employed by a private security firm called Blayde.

He said they were 'not police officers' and had the same powers as normal citizens, with the ability to carry out a citizen's arrest if it was lawful.

'They are the eyes and ears and able to engage with people', the prosecutor said. 'They don't have any police powers.'

Mr Fairley added: 'They went into Superdrug on the date in question for a perfectly good reason.

'They are allowed to be there - there was a report of shoplifting of an electric toothbrush.'

The court heard three teenage boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, came into the shop as one of them needed to buy shampoo.

'He says the rangers began following them,' Mr Fairley said.

The court heard the defendants accept that they began following the youths around the shop to make sure they weren't stealing, and Mr Fairley said the teenagers 'started being cheeky...picking up things, suggesting they were going to take them.'

The court heard they put a bottle in somebody else's pocket, which was retrieved by De-Geus, before there was an 'almighty struggle'. Jurors were shown CCTV of the incident.

Mr Fairley said products were knocked off shelves as De-Geus 'swung' the boy - who was described as sporting an 'afro' hairstyle - into a display.

Members of staff arrived to find the teen 'shouting' as he was being 'detained face down on the floor in handcuffs'.

The prosecutor said De-Gues claims the lead complainant 'squared up' to him and head-butted him, 'But the Crown says it's the other way around.'

De-Geus (pictured in October 2023), from Chichester, and Hirst, from Fareham, Hampshire, both deny charges of false imprisonment and assault by beating following the incident in Chichester, West Sussex

Hirst (pictured outside Portsmouth Crown Court this week) has also denied a charge of assault by beating of another teenager at the store

When police arrived at the scene, the boy told them De-Gues had headbutted him.

Mr Fairley added: 'This case is about these two men, De-Geus in particular who led matters, when they over-stepped those powers considerably.

'There was no justification for even purporting to detain and arrest (the boy).

'The fact he assaulted (him) before doing anything else and so thereby there's assault by both of these defendants.

'They assaulted him by unlawfully applying force.'

De-Geus, from Chichester, and Hirst, from Fareham, Hampshire, both deny charges of false imprisonment and assault by beating following the incident in Chichester, West Sussex.

Hirst has also denied a charge of assault by beating of another teenager at the store.

The week-long trial continues.
The King expressed his profound shock at the killing of three little girls in Southport and the resulting riots today.

But he also spoke of his heartfelt appreciation of the way in which the local community has rallied around its own as he met with emergency services personnel, faith leaders and some of those who opened their doors in unmitigated acts of kindness.

Among them were Diane, 50, and her husband Dan, 48, whose home backs onto the Hart Community Centre, where the violence occurred.

Their 12-year-old daughter, who was home at the time, witnessed events as her bedroom looks down on the scene.

The King suspended his traditional Balmoral break to hold a private meeting with some of the injured young children and their families and spent a moment looking at floral tributes left to the three victims.

Nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Bebe King, six, were killed in the attack several weeks ago.

Patrick Hurley, MP for Sefton, which includes Southport, met the King with other local leaders at a fire station, and said afterwards: 'He was very keen to express his sympathy and empathy. Very keen to make sure the people of Southport know that from the symbolism perspective, the country's heart goes out to the people here.'

The King will travel from Scotland to Southport today to meet with affected children and their families. He pictured visiting the floral tributes to the victims on Tuesday

King Charles appeared moved by the huge number of floral tributes left in Southport

The King opened his hands as he spoke of his amazement at the floral tributes left in Southport

It comes after a fatal stabbing attack on a Taylor Swift themed dance class which left three children dead, including Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven (pictured)

Bebe King, six, was also killed in the horror attack in Southport last month

Alice Aguiar, nine, died in the early hours of the morning after being rushed to hospital following the attack

King Charles signs a book of condolence during his visit to Southport Town Hall following the horror attack

Diane and Dan comforted the families of some of those who tragically lost their lives or were injured on the day, and have continued allow police to use their facilities as investigations continued.

The couple are unable to speak in detail about events of the day due to the ongoing police enquiries.

But Diane said: My husband and daughter actually witnessed some of it. My daughters bedroom window looks down on it, we cant discuss what she saw but as parent it is very traumatising. I came straight home from work and we have been within the police cordon for the last three weeks. The barriers have just gone up yesterday.

Its a bit surreal. Its as if everything is going to back to normal but for us it will be quite a thing to get over.

It was a surreal conversation with the king because weve opened our doors to the six or eight police officers who were manning the cordon each day. We have opened our front door all day for them to use our facilities. They get tea and coffee and food but nowhere to go to the toilet. At night we leave our back door open for them to use the toilet too. The king laughed and I said well everyones got to go!

The King said he was shocked, really shocked at what happened, and said it was kind of us to open our house. We said it was the right thing to do.

You dont imagine it happening in our own town, let along at the end of your backyard. My husband and daughter were there and I rushed back from work to see a couple of people still being treated before being put in ambulances and taken away.

'We were able to be there even in a small way for one of the deceased parents. We were able to support them. I just said to them if you want to come and sit in the quiet. I wont repeat what happened or what was said but as a parent your heart goes out to them. Its heartbreaking.

We are Christians and Ive prayed for the families of the deceased but Ive also prayed for his parents [the accused] as effectively they have lost a son. Imagine being the parent of the children who done it?

The King said it was a very kind thing for us to do and was shocked at what had happened. We think a lot of the royal family. His visit shows that they have a compassionate heart and the fact that Charles, Camilla and William and Kate all put out statements after it happened was touching.

Hes very easy to talk to, I was surprised. I think [criticism of him not coming down earlier] is undeserved. This was the right time. 

King Charles stopped to shake the hands of some members of the public during his trip to Southport

Charles, 75, who is still undergoing cancer treatment, is expected to fly from Balmoral. The King is pictured at the floral display in Southport on Tuesday

The monarch also appeared to read some of the messages and tributes left in Southport

The huge display has been left in the wake of the tragic killings of three girls who were stabbed during a Taylor Swift-themed summer party in the town last month

The King waited to visit Southport until the region's police were less stretched by unrest

King Charles is pictured in the background of the floral display, which also includes a number of balloons and cuddly toys

King Charles appeared moved when he saw the scale of the tributes left for those killed in the attack

He was seen speaking to members of the public as he examined floral tributes in Southport

King Charles waved from the window of his car as he left Southport this afternoon

The event took part at the community fire station in Southport where His Majesty was met by regional leaders including the mayors of Liverpool City Region and Sefton.

The King met with staff from each of the three emergency services, the fire brigade, ambulance and police.

Were you there? He asked several of them, adding: I hope you are not too exhausted. Were your teams there on the night? When you do finally get off duty? Its all my fault, I am sure.

Imam Ibrahim Hussein of the Southport Mosque was present when it was attacked by rioters the day after the killings.

He said: They targeted our mosque because of what was circulating in the [social] media. They targeted our mosque and wanted to kill us and destroy the mosque. We were terrified obviously because the whole building was shaking. Fire bombs were thrown at the mosque. It was awful, the slogans and the shouting and the chanting. I thought that [kind of behaviour] was over with. We thought we were in multi-cultural Britain. We dont expect that at all. We dont expect them the pick on a minority. We were at a loss really what was happening.

I was one out of seven that was actually there and we felt every blow and very brick that was thrown at the mosque. We felt the whole thing shaking. We had to do our prayers in the middle of this. We could feel the anger. 

King Charles had tea as he met with community leaders this afternoon and thanked emergency services for their hard work

Britain's King Charles III meets with representatives from Merseyside's emergency services and local community groups at the Community Fire Station in Southport

King Charles was seen speaking with police officers who had been involved in the response to the riots

The King spoke with emergency responders after a difficult few weeks for the town

Representatives from local police, ambulance services and firefighters were all present

His Majesty met with those affected by the attack and riots alongside thanking front-line emergency staff for their ongoing work

Charles shook hands with a young girl in Southport and greeted her as he arrived in the town

Hundreds of people, including children on their summer holidays, turned out to greet the King

Residents young and old came together to thank Charles for visiting the town just weeks after the fatal tragedy

The King stopped to talk to locals who had waited hours for a glimpse of him outside the town hall

At one point, the King appeared to read one of the messages of tribute left on one of the bunches as he slowly walked through the floral display

Dozens of balloons and stuffed animals - which are only brought out during good weather - were also on display outside the town hall

Members of the public had been waiting since 11.30am for the King to arrive in order to greet him

He added: The community is the source of our strength. Unity was more than we expected. What they did brings tears to your eyes. They were there before we were cleaning up and tidying up. People even brought food and drink. I do not believe how people can be supportive and so nice. It was incredible. 

He said of the kings visit: It means quite a lot actually. For His Majesty to take time from his heavy schedule and visit a small town such as this means a lot to us. His Majesty has always been championing the cause of the Muslim and Islam. He always praises and brought out the good side and what the Muslims have contributed to humanity. A lot of people are ignorant. We are very grateful to him.

I think this is the right time for the visit. If the king had come earlier that would be a bigger burden on the services. We are very grateful to him.

I think he can make a difference.we are grateful for his contribution to inter faith relationships and the protection of Islam. He is the right person and His Majesty is listened to and people appreciate his words.

His message has been seen here. We in the mosque have been visited by the synagogue and the churches a few times and we are very well connected together. We know each other by name. I have the pleasure of receiving a nice cheque from the Jewish community that was presented to me. No matter what is thrown at us we respect each others faith.

The Imam said he has always felt safe before but now in the back of my mind worried as he walked around town.

But normally i am very happened to walk like this [in his traditional dress] but these are very strange times. Last night at 3.30 some kids were riding bikes and threw some things at her security guards. Maybe it is a copycat but it is troubling. 

After meeting the king he said: He was referring to community and how terrifying it must have been for us. How scary and terrifying it must have been for us and our mosque and our community.'

King Charles is pictured inspecting some of the floral tributes in Southport on Tuesday

The King was accompanied by members of his security team and the press

King Charles III waved as he arrived in Southport to meet local community and emergency services

His Majesty arrived earlier on Tuesday to meet with the survivors and families of the victims of the tragic attack. King Charles is pictured arriving in Southport

The crowd welcomed the monarch as he arrived, with some singing 'God Save The King'

Charles is seen surrounded by locals during his visit to Southport on Tuesday

The King also spoke to Chanaka Balasuriya, 48, and his wife, Thanuja, 47, who run a mini mart in Southport that was attacked by looters, along with neighbours Rose Tucker, 32, who runs a nail salon next door and has raised almost 15,000 times get them open again.

He described how they closed the shop early on the Tuesday as they were expecting some sort of demonstration and watched in horror on CCTV from home nearby as it was attacked, looted and almost entirely destroyed inside.

Mrs Balasuriya said: We had never faced something like this in our life. From our house we could see the smoke in the area put the CCTV on. It was heartbreaking to see. Our children. 12 and nearly 19, were crying when they pushed through the front door. We have built up our business from scratch. 

Miss Tucker said she felt compelled to help and she knew what it was like to set up a small business and how tough things were.

I knew they would have to start from scratch. They tried to set it alight, all the stock was ruined. I knew the expense of it. But we also wanted to show them thats not what we are like. Thats not the people of Southport. We set up a Go Fund Me and have been overwhelmed at the donations, she said.

'Its been a bit of light in a very dark tunnel.

Mr Balasuriya said people had come from day one to help with flowers, chocolates and food and even giving them money to help get the shop open again.

Its been very touching, he said.

Members of the public stopped and waved as the King's convoy drove past them in Southport

Charles took time to do a walkabout in the town centre and speak to residents, many of whom asked after his health

The King was seen laughing and in good spirits as he spoke with members of the public

Earlier this month it was revealed that the King had asked for 'daily updates' on the riots sparked by the Southport atrocity

The King asked for daily updates on the riots which broke out after the fatal attack in Southport

In the town far-right yobs set a police van on fire as more than 1,000 people gathered following false information being shared on social media

The King was also said to be engaging 'privately' around the issues that the shocking national unrest and violence had generated

A tribute to those killed in the Southport attacks was held on the same night as unrest broke out in the town

His wife said: We feel really blessed to be around this amazing community. We didnt know that many people knew us and that we had a shop. We have had postcards even from around the country after seeing what happened and saying what they feel. They say if they ever happen to visit Southport they will come to see us. Its very reassuring. 

Miss Tucker said the kings visit had brought some light. It shows what happened will not be tolerated, we are different from that. It does so much for different communities. It shows he is about action not just words, she said.

Mr Balasuriya said it has been an honour for us. Its been a huge support, he added.

His wife added: It shows he is aware of what happened. He could see we were nervous and put us at ease. Its reassuring. He knew what had happened to us. We value that he cancelled his holiday and has come here despite having cancer. Its surreal and comforting.

He said I am sorry about what had happened. He wanted to meet us because he knew what happened to our shop.

Many locals told him how much they appreciated his visit. Thank you so much for coming, it means an awful lot, said one.

Linsey Hislop, 43, asked him about his health, to which the King replied: Im not too bad.

King Charles will meet with the grieving families of the three dead girls at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday after they were invited by Taylor Swift  who has also expressed her devastation at the tragedy  to attend her concert in the capital.

The King is then expected to return to Balmoral.

Axel Rudakubana, 18, from Banks, Lancashire, will stand trial next year after being charged with three counts of murder and ten counts of attempted murder.
Security camera footage shows what federal prosecutors in San Francisco claimed was a man breaking into an FBI vehicle on Natoma Street. FBI

Federal prosecutors accused a San Francisco man of breaking into a parked FBI vehicle and stealing multiple items in exchange for methamphetamine earlier this month.

In an affidavit, an FBI agent claimed that surveillance footage showed Gregory Acosta Alvarez breaking into a white FBI van parked near 442 Natoma St. just after midnight on Aug. 7.

Acosta Alvarez was charged with theft of government property, documents show.

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The FBI reported a number of items stolen from the vehicle, including a robotically controlled camera, multiple saws, a torch kit, a box of flashbangs, a glass cutter, a green camouflage ballistic vest and a pair of ballistic plates.

Hours after the alleged break-in, FBI agents said they stumbled across multiple items strewn across Natoma Street that were housed in the FBI van, documents show.

San Francisco police officers later obtained surveillance camera footage that allegedly depicted Acosta Alvarez entering the Sunset Hotel on Sixth Street with items matching what was stolen from the van, including one of the saws.

Acosta Alvarez was reportedly occupying a room in the Sunset Hotel.

San Francisco police officers executed a search warrant of his room and allegedly located a number of items, including a bag of flash bangs, a pole camera, a gas accessory, a green automated external defibrillator, a cordless drill and other items.

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All of the items were federal government property, according to the affidavit.

In the document, FBI agents wrote that the stolen Ogura tool was worth $3,000, the stolen body armor was worth $1,500 and the stolen flash bangs were worth $2,300.

Acosta Alvarez allegedly told officers that he sold the ballistic vest and gas gun to an individual for $20 worth of crystal methamphetamine.
A Pakistani web developer has been arrested in Lahore for allegedly spreading fake news that the Southport knifeman had arrived in the UK via boat and that he was on an MI6 watchlist.

Farhan Asif allegedly worked for news aggregation website Channel3Now, which published false articles about the identity of the Southport stabber, ITV News reports.

Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, were killed in the July 29 attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, which sparked the riots after online misinformation wrongly said it had been committed by a Muslim migrant.

Channel3Now reported that the suspect was a '17-year-old asylum-seeker' called Ali al-Shakati, who allegedly arrived in the UK by boat in 2023 and allegedly was on an MI6 watch list.

More than 50 police officers were injured as up to 1,000 people gathered outside a Southport mosque after the fake news over the identity of the suspect in the killings was shared online.

Farhan Asif (pictured above as he is being confronted by journalists) allegedly worked for news aggregation website Channel3Now, which published false articles about the identity of the Southport stabber, ITV News reports

Bebe King, six, was killed in the horror attack in Southport last month

Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven (pictured) was another victim of the knife attack on the Taylor Swift-themed dance class

Alice Aguiar, nine, died in the early hours of the morning of July 30 after being rushed to hospital following the attack

Asif was uncovered as a significant figure in the Channel3News website in an ITV News investigation, which found that he ran the website - which has since been shut down - from his luxurious housing estate in Lahore.

'I don't know how such a small article or a minor Twitter account could cause widespread confusion,' he told ITV News journalists after being confronted about the fake news the website spread.

'Channel3Now mentioned that [the suspect was] a Muslim and an immigrant, but this has no connection to the chaos, which is being caused by people in his own country.

'If there was misinformation, it could have been addressed calmly. Why was there such an uproar?'

Pakistani authorities have now confirmed that Asif had been arrested, with a senior official in the local police force telling the Telegraph that he had been detained over allegedly spreading fake news that resulted in violent riots.

He has since been handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency.

Asif denied writing the article about the Southport knifeman and told ITV News that he understands that the article was deleted a day after it was posted and that an apology was issued.

He claims that four people from the information search team were fired over the fake news article.

A police van set alight on July 31 as trouble flares during a protest in Southport, after three children died and eight were injured in a 'ferocious' knife attack during a Taylor Swift event at a dance school

Pakistani newspaper Dawn said their own investigation into the fake news showed that Asif was not the source of the information and had simply copy and pasted it from a social media post.

Ten others seriously injured during the attack on the dance class at the Hart Space Community Centre in Southport a the end of July.

A 17-year-old male, who the police said was born in Britain, was charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and one of possession of a bladed article.

The UK's worst unrest in more than a decade led to some 1,100 arrests.

The government pledged that rioters who hurled bricks at police, looted shops and attacked mosques and hotels used to house asylum-seekers would feel 'the full force of the law.'
An American Airlines flight was redirected to land in Los Angeles after a mechanical malfunction

American Airlines flight 1272 from San Diego to Dallas had to make an emergency Landing at LAX after one of the plane's engines failed.

A terrified X user, Jack, posted a screenshot Tuesday at 12:16 pm of what he thought would be the last he'd ever receive from his wife who was onboard the flight with their son.

'One of the engines went out on our plane,' the text read. 'Emergency landing in LA. Love you.'

'If anything happens, please take great care of [redacted].

American Airlines flight 1272 from San Diego to Dallas had to make an emergency Landing at LAX after one of the plan's engines failed, according to an X user claiming to be a family member of two onboard passengers.

The terrified X user, Jack, posted a screenshot Tuesday at 12:16 pm of what he thought would be the last he'd ever receive from his wife who was onboard the plane with their son

'My world is on that plane - wife and son,' Jack said in a follow up tweet.

About a half hour after his initial tweet, Jack reported that the plane had landed successfully.

'Not sure of all happenings, with the plane, but grateful that it sounds like the pilots handled the situation,' he said.

In a statement to DailyMail.com, American Airlines said: 'American Airlines flight 1272, with service from San Diego (SAN) to Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) diverted to Los Angeles (LAX) due to a possible mechanical issue.

'The aircraft landed safely and taxied to the gate, where our maintenance team is conducting an inspection. Safety is our top priority and we apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.'

The aircraft, which was an Airbus, carried 189 passengers and 6 crew members. The flight will continue to DFW this afternoon using a different aircraft.

About a half hour after his initial tweet, Jack confirmed that the plane had landed successfully

This incident comes shortly after another American Airlines flight from Boston to Rochester was forced to emergency land after smoke was spotted in the cabin.

The flight was forced to land at Syracuse Hancock International Airport in Syracuse, New York, following the incident.

The plane, an Embraer RJ145, landed without incident and was taxied to the gate by the airports fire and rescue teams.

The 48 passengers onboard the flight were then bussed from Syracuse to the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport.
The Democratic National Convention was hit with a security scare on Tuesday as cops investigated multiple bomb threats in downtown Chicago.

At least 14 hotels near the convention site reported getting threatening statements that sparked searches from the police.

The threats said pipe bombs had been placed in the Hotel Chicago West Loop and the Hyatt House Chicago, Fox 32 reported. Officers also searched the Nobu Hotel.

The popular hotels in the area are packed full of Democratic leaders, lawmakers journalists, delegates and supporters of the Biden-Harris administration.

A heightened police presence in the neighborhoods near the convention arena was observed by DailyMail.com.

The Democratic National Convention was hit with a security scare on Tuesday as cops investigated multiple bomb threats in downtown Chicago

Cops are investigating 'anti-Semitic' statements and warnings pipe bombs were placed at hotels

Additional security fencing and a no flying drones sign have been added to the perimeter next to Park #578, located north of the United Center near where the Democratic National Convention is being held

Police cars near where bomb threats were made in Chicago

The threats mentioned the four-day DNC happening at the United Center and made 'anti-Semitic statements'.

The city is already on edge with an enormous police presence and thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters turning up every day.

On Monday there were also at least nine shootings across a city that has been plagued by gun violence.

US President Joe Biden speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention

During the opening day of the convention on Monday dozens of protesters broke through a security fence near the site.

It came as thousands took to the streets to voice their opposition to the war in Gaza.

Families with babies in strollers, students, elected leaders and others holding signs and flags joined the march to the United Center, where the convention is being held, to call for a ceasefire.

As the larger group marched peacefully, a few dozen who broke away tore down pieces of the security fence.

Several protesters who had managed to get through the fence were detained and handcuffed by the police.

A pro-Palestinian rally on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention

Officers put on gas masks as some protesters tried to bring down a second fence set up in front of police.

Authorities said the inner security perimeter surrounding convention site was not breached and there was no threat to those attending the convention.

Police in riot gear prepare to hold off a group of protesters near the exterior perimeter during a protest calling for a ceasefire in Gaza on the opening day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said some of the protesters who took down the fence threw water bottles and other items at police.

Police de-escalated the situation without using their batons or chemicals, he said.

'When you have people infiltrate a crowd and they want to commit acts of violence, vandalism we are going to stop them,' said Snelling.

'We are not going to tolerate anyone who is going to vandalize things in our city.'
A teenage schoolgirl took her own life after swallowing a poison she ordered online from Ukraine, a coroner ruled today.

Sophia Gurung, 16, was a 'quiet, hard working and positive student' at the prestigious and private Queen Anne's School in Reading, Berkshire, where she boarded during the week.

She was pronounced dead in the early hours of July 26, 2023, following a sudden and mysterious collapse while staying at home in Abingdon, Oxfordshire with her parents over the summer term.

Coroner for Oxfordshire Darren Salter told an inquest into the teenager's death that a later police investigation found that Sophia had ingested a lethal chemical she ordered online and have it delivered to her home address.

The poison is believed to be linked to more than 130 UK deaths since 2019 and has raised concerns about the online exploitation of vulnerable people by unscrupulous 'poison sellers' abroad.

Sophia Gurung, 16, attended the prestigious Queen Anne's School in Reading, Berkshire

Coroner Mr Salter told the inquest: 'An investigation revealed the drug appeared to have been ordered to the address, with the parcel thought to have originated from Ukraine.

'During a search of Sophia's bedroom, conducted with her parents' consent, a package of white powder was located in Sophia's personal handbag, which was wrapped in polystyrene.

'It appears Sophia has ordered and received this package and has ingested its content.'

The coroner hard that Sophia had been suffering from 'low mood and some suicidal thoughts' for several years and was being assisted at school by a counsellor to whom she talked weekly, as well as her GP.

At the end of June, 2023, she had sat her final GCSE exam and felt positive about her results, the inquest heard.

Mr Salter said: 'The last time she was seen by her counsellor, she was observed to be visibly relieved that her exams had finished, relaxed, and more open to speak, more free.

'She and the counsellor talked about things she could do over the summer term that would give her more time to herself, like walking the family dog.'

However, the police investigation later found Sophia had already ordered the poison online, which she received in a parcel at her home the next day on June 30.

The schoolgirl's father, Nishan Gurung, gave police a statement in which he recalled waking up in the middle of the night to the 'sounds of Sophia in clear distress, struggling to breathe.'

Sophia's parents rushed to her bedroom where they found her 'lying in bed in a straight line, with her eyes closed, and breathing short breaths.'

As he tried to shake his daughter awake in vain, Sophia's father called 999 and performed CPR until paramedics arrived.

The schoolgirl was rushed to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and was sadly pronounced dead at 2.18am on July 26, 2023.

A first post-mortem examination found no external signs of injury and the cause of death remained undetermined until information emerged that Sophia had apparently ordered a potentially lethal chemical online.

A toxicological examination later found high levels of the poison present in her body prior to her death, indicating that Sophia had indeed poisoned herself.

The coroner told the inquest: 'Sophia suffered from low mood and some suicidal thoughts and had been seen and supported by her GP.

'There was support from agencies, including the school and of course the parents, and therefore it is all the more tragic that Sophia had died in this way by ingesting the poison on the evening of July 25.'

Following Sophia's death, a spokesman for Queen Anne's School said it was 'shocked and saddened' by their student's sudden passing.

The lethal chemical Sophia used to end her life has been connected to more than 130 UK deaths since 2019, according to scientist Professor Amrita Ahluwalia, an expert in vascular pharmacology at Queen Mary University of London.

In an interview published on the university's website, the Professor said: 'The so-called 'poison' is being misused and mis-sold by unscrupulous people to vulnerable individuals.

'Something should be done to ensure that this substance can't be easily acquired for negative purposes.'

Sophia was rushed to the John Radcliffe Hospital (pictured) in Oxford and was sadly pronounced dead at 2.18am on July 26, 2023

In March this year, a BBC undercover reporter tracked down and confronted a Ukrainian man, Leonid Zakutenko, suspected of selling the same poison to vulnerable people by advertising his services in online forums.

Known in these online circles as 'the Ukraine supplier', Zakutenko is alleged to be sending five parcels of poison a week to the UK from Kyiv.

The British authorities have known about the chemical and the online trade since at least September 2020, when they were alerted by a coroner who examined the death of 23 year-old Joe Nihill.

Since then, coroners across the country have written to different Government departments on at least five occasions calling for action to be taken about the poison and its online trade.
You did not have to be an expert in reading faces to detect his fury.

Angus Robertsons words may have been conciliatory and his tone calm, but the look in his eyes told the truth.

Not only was he humiliating himself to satisfy idiots in SNP ranks, with every word he spoke he made his party sound more ridiculous.

On August 8, the External Affairs Secretary met with Israels Deputy Ambassador to the UK, Daniela Grudsky.

Mr Robertson was - of course - happy to pose with Ms Grudsky for a photograph which she later posted on social media.

Angus Robertson has come under fire from his SNP colleagues for meeting with Israels Deputy Ambassador to the UK, Daniela Grudsky

The Deputy Ambassador wrote that they they had discussed the release of Israeli hostages - seized during the murderous Hamas invasion of last October 7 - and that her nation was 'looking forward to cooperating' with Scotland in a number of ways.

There has long been anger from the SNPs opponents over its decision to intrude into foreign affairs, which are reserved to the UK government.

I happen to think this rather short-sighted. Scotland has much to sell the world and investing time in shouting about the best of our country on the world stage seems worthwhile to me.

However, when rage erupted over this meeting, it wasnt coming from the other side but from within nationalist ranks.

There were howls of anger and each one made the SNP and Scotland look that bit smaller.

The BBC reported one colleague describing Mr Robertson as an absolute disgrace and called for him to be sacked.

Former minister and current Highland MSP Emma Roddick said her heart just sank when she saw the photo, while the MSP for Aberdeen Central Kevin Stewart posted a long message on social media in which he wrote: I hope Angus Robertson also demanded an immediate ceasefire, castigated the IDF for bombing hospitals and schools and told you that Israel should comply with all of the UN Resolutions that have been passed over decades.

When complaints about the meeting began emerging, the instinct was to think - perhaps hope - that we were hearing from a small but vocal minority.

We live in a complicated, often dangerous world and if members of the SNP think that Scotland is too wee and too weak to participate as a full member then that is a matter for them to come to terms with.

Mr Robertson, confident and experienced in dealing with foreign dignitaries and politicians has no such doubts about his country.

But uproar over this meeting was not confined to a handful of cranks. Soon a chorus of angry voices was demanding that if Robertson would not resign, First Minister John Swinney should sack him.

How very strange. Did these people - including former ministers - really believe that Mr Robertson, acting on his volition, decided to accept an invitation to and attend a meeting with Ms Grudsky without the knowledge of the First Minister?

Astonishingly, on Monday night, Mr Robertson apologised for the way in which the meeting had proceeded.

He was sorry that it had not been limited to talks about a ceasefire in Gaza.

It was a most remarkable about turn, humiliating to Scotland and deeply offensive to a democratic ally.

Anyone watching Mr Robertson grind through an interview on the matter could not be blamed for considering him a buffoon.

I am afraid the SNPs problem is far greater than that. Events of the past few days have, in fact, shown us that Mr Robertson is one of very few serious politicians within his party. Those of his colleagues who continue to call for his resignation should, instead, be thanking him.

He humiliated himself for their own good, because the incoherent rage of people whose view of conflict in the Middle East was cemented in the student union was beginning to become dangerous and offensive.

The murderous Hamas attacks on Israel last October 7 inevitably sparked a huge retaliation.

Yet, even in the hours after we saw those horrific images of the bloodied bodies of raped and murdered Israelis, the scale of the reaction was being questioned.

When tens of thousands of people took to the streets in protest in the days that followed, they were not calling for the released of Israelis - including babies - seized by Hamass barbarians.

They were not calling for the world to unite with Israel in the face of such horror. No, they were attacking Israel for defending itself and making clear their contempt for Jews.

Those people were activists and thugs. They have nothing of value to bring to this horribly difficult and painful situation.

Mr Robertson is not an activist but a politician of some ability. As leader of the SNP at Westminster, he was considered a first class performer, frequently besting whichever Tory minister he faced.

I may sometimes make light of Mr Robertsons rather puffed-up demeanour (although, off camera hes actually a very funny man who walks a line between overweening self-confidence and deadpan self-deprecation) but I do not doubt his credentials as a serious politician, eager to engage with the world in all its complexity.

Whats more, he has the receipts to prove this. Back in 2016, for example, he led the first SNP delegation to Palestine and Israel.

Were I Mr Robertson, Id be angry with First Minister John Swinney who has shown a woeful lack of leadership over this matter.

The First Minister was not ambushed by news of this meeting. Rather, he was invited to meet Ms Grudsky and, unable to attend, sent Mr Robertson in his stead.

An eyewitness might have reported the sight of the First Minister throwing Mr Robertson under a bus on Monday evening.

Rather than trying to take the heat out of the situation, his only significant intervention seems to have been convening a crisis meeting with SNP members including councillor Nadia El-Nakla, wife of former First Minister Humza Yousaf, at which he promised there would be no further meetings with Israeli diplomats under present circumstances.

It is difficulty to imagine a more remarkable display of political ineptitude. Mr Swinney sent Mr Robertson to a perfectly appropriate meeting and the outcome is that the Scottish government appears to be loudly taking sides in the war on the Middle East.

This is not, I think, how diplomacy is supposed to work.

The Israeli Deputy Ambassador has every right to be furious, even distressed, not only about the reaction to the meeting but about Mr Robertsons apology for the way in which it proceeded.

She did not compel Mr Robertson to attend and the way in which this matter has played out is indefensible, no matter ones view on war between Israel and Palestine.

Angus Robertson humiliated himself for his party. But the shame lies with those of his colleagues whose behaviour has been a matter of national embarrassment.
A drunk Michigan driver who admitted to killing a pastor in a car crash was seen apologizing to the victim's family during his sentencing.

Marcel D. McMillan, 30, pleaded no contest to driving while intoxicated and causing the death of Dean Elliott, 63, after crashing into him on US-131 near Burton Street in April 2023.

Elliott, who had pastored in many parishes in West Michigan, succumbed to his injuries at the scene.

In front of Elliott's devastated family in court, McMillan apologized for his actions - and said that 'it's not purposely done' because he 'didn't mean to do it.'

Marcel D. McMillan speaks in court, apologizing to the family of his victim Dean Elliott

Left to right: Nathan, Lauren, Brenda and Dean pose together in a family picture

During the killer's sentencing, Elliot's crying wife Brenda recounted how the events of the fateful day unfolded for her.

She tearfully told court: 'Curious, I opened up my news app to see if there was a backup on the highway, only to read the breaking news the expressway was closed due to a crash that killed someone because of a wrong-way driver.

'I headed toward the crash scene in an effort to reach my husband.

'During that time, I contacted the Kent County Deputy Sheriff. I tearfully gave the deputy the information from the news report, said Dean's car information and asked if they would find out if my husband was involved in the crash.

'I also shared my location, and was advised to find a place to park after I exited the expressway.

'I sent a text to the deputy after I parked, begging to know if Dean was the one who had died. I waited another torturous 10 minutes until the Michigan State Police car pulled in, when the trooper and I got out of our cars.

'It was like a very tragic and sad movie, but it was my reality.'

Afterwards, both the victim's children, Nathan and Lauren Elliott, shared how their life has been since the tragedy.

Marcel D. McMillan, 30, (pictured) pleaded no contest to driving while intoxicated and causing the death of Dean Elliott, 63, after crashing into him on US-131 near Burton Street in April 2023

Dean Elliott, who had pastored many parishes in West Michigan, succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the crash

During the killer's sentencing, Elliot's wife Brenda as well as his two children, Nathan and Lauren shared how the past year had been for them

As the family shared their remorse, McMillan also began to apologize for what had happened and said he did not try to harm the family on purpose - despite being a habitual offender

'My wedding, New Year's Eve, 2023 a seat with a sign, instead of having my father supporting me through the entire wedding, giving a speech at the rehearsal dinner. Spending time with me on the best day, he was replaced by the memory,' said Nathan.

Lauren also told onlookers: 'Since that day, I have had a decreased ability to focus, with an impaired ability to maintain multiple tasks at once, and having even more depleted emotional energy for my husband, family friends, due to using it to serve my community.'

As the family shared their remorse, McMillan could also be seen getting emotional as he pleaded no contest to the charges of operating while intoxicated causing death.

The rash driver also began to apologize for what had happened and said he did not try to harm the family on purpose - despite being a habitual offender.

'It was like a very tragic and sad movie, but it was my reality,' Brenda had tearfully told the court

After hearing McMillan's apology, Brenda stepped forward and told him that he was forgiven but his 'actions have consequences that require justice'

'I just want to apologize to the family, because it's not purposely done. I know I got to put you guys get through a lot. I didn't mean to do it. I'm sorry,' he told Elliott's family.

After hearing McMillan's apology, Brenda stepped forward and told him that he was forgiven but his 'actions have consequences that require justice'.

'Marcel, I have forgiven you, however your actions have consequences that require justice and society deserves protection from your continued dangerous and illegal choices. I truly hope during that time, Mr. McMillan will choose to change the direction of his life,' she said.

Due to the killer's record of being a habitual felony offender, he received a maximum sentence of 22 and half years in prison.
A group of Pro-Palestinian protesters who caused over 1million of damage at a Scots weapons factory were jailed for a total of five years and two months yesterday.

Stuart Bretherton and Eva Simmons, both 25, Calum Lacy and Erica Hygate, both 23, and Sumaya Javaid, 22, scaled the Thales UK building in Glasgow in June 2022.

The quintet, of whom two were Scottish, remained on the roof, unfurled banners and erected flags as well as ignited pyrotechnics.

The building, in Govan, had its fire alarm activated after Hygate and Javaid entered the building prompting an evacuation.

A smoke bomb was thrown into the area staff were gathering causing panic.

The protesters set off smoke bombs on the roof of the building during their protest in 2022

Two of the protesters remained at the building overnight and glued themselves to the roof after refusing to engage with police.

A total of 1,130,783 of damage with the premises shut amid safety concerns.

Bretherton, of Kilmacolm, Inverclyde, Simmons, of London, Lacy who is from Edinburgh plus Hygate and Javaid, both of Birmingham, pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to conducting themselves in a disorderly manner.

Hygate further admitted to a malicious mischief charge as did Javaid who also separately pled to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

Javaid was jailed for 14 months while the rest received 12-month sentences.

A total of six police officers and five security staff were in the courtroom.

Some of the protesters and members of the public gallery were emotional after the sheriff gave his verdict followed by encouraging shouts of You are preventing genocide and chants of free, free Palestine as the accused were led into custody.

Sheriff John McCormick said police had spotted the protesters in the perimeter dressed in overalls, some with rucksacks and balaclavas at 6.25am.

Officers witnessed them scaling the fence using ladders adding: You were confined to the roof of the main building, you attempted to climb on a derelict water tower and beckoned others.

You unfurled banners and unveiled flags. Palestinian protesters gathered adjacent to the site and showed support for you.

Multiple police resources arrived and were positioned around the building.

Miss Hygate and Miss Javaid entered the building through the roof and caused damage including to parts essential to submarines.

Fire alarms were activated which caused an evacuation and confusion as well as panic among staff.

You set off pyrotechnics and smoke bombs - some thrown in the area where staff where evacuated.

The smoke was dangerously close to the members of staff.

He added Bretherton, who ran an online campaign to raise funds to pay for his legal fees, Simmons and Lacy were seen moving on the rooftop before gathering their belongings claiming they were about to climb down.

But Hygate and Javaid refused to budge and remained overnight after refusing to engage with a police liaison.

Sheriff McCormick added: You glued your hands to the edge of the roof and remained there until officers were able to take your hands away.

Miss Javaid was obstructive and required leg restraints.

Palestinian flags were flow on the roof of the Thales UK building in Glasgow

The court has to have regard to the major impact this had - the impact on employees as well as police and emergency services resources.

A total of 20 constables, one inspector and two sergeants were there over two days or four shifts.

The premises were shut due to safety concerns and disrupting business activities which included matters of nationwide security.

The damage caused cost 1,130,783 which does not include the cost to the public purse, police or emergency service personnel.

The sheriff stated that in one background report, one of the protesters claimed their actions were non violent.

Disagreeing, he added: Throwing pyrotechnics at areas where people are being evacuated to cannot be described as non violent.

He told the group they were young and intelligent and that everyone had the right to lawful protest, concluding: You expressed a high level of regret to your actions and I give weight to that.

Due to the gravity and the consequences, there is no suitable alternative to custody.
Californians are reacting angrily to revelations that migrants who entered the US illegally could soon benefit from a taxpayer-funded state scheme to help hard-up residents buy homes.

Democrats on the California Senate Appropriations Committee have approved a bill to move forward that would open up the California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan program to non-legal migrants.

The scheme was launched last year and has already provided thousands of first-time homebuyers with loans of up to 20 percent of a house's purchase price for down payment or closing cost.

San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond said the bill was a waste of taxpayers' money.

'Once again, California has chosen to prioritize illegal immigration and fiscal irresponsibility over the needs of its citizens,' Desmond posted on X.

Non-legal migrants could soon be eligible for a tax-funded home-buying scheme in California

California is home to nearly 2 million irregular and illegal migrants, according to Pew Research Center estimates.

'Expanding this program to include illegal immigrants is not just another handout  it's a massive overreach that shifts the financial burden onto law-abiding taxpayers.'

Meanwhile, Golden State residents and others took to social media to brand the plan 'insane,' 'nonsense,' and 'evil.'

One critic called for a 'taxpayer revolt,' while another said the funds should flow instead to 'homeless veterans.'

The amended bill AB1840 has already passed in the Assembly and will go to a floor vote in the state Democrat-run Senate.

Then it would land on Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk.

The taxpayer-funded scheme is hugely popular in a state where a single-family home costs an eye-popping $904,000 on average.

The loans are aimed at people who would otherwise not be able to get on the property ladder, and are interest free and don't require monthly payments.

Instead, when the mortgage is refinanced or the property is sold again, the borrower pays back the original sum of the loan plus 20 percent of the increase in the home's value.

When applications for the $300 million program launched for some 2,300 first-time buyers in May 2023, the funds ran dry in less than two weeks, according to the LA Times.

California officials later tightened the program's rules by requiring at least one of the applicants to be a first generation home buyer. They also introduced a lottery to select recipients.

San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond said the bill was a waste of taxpayers' money.

The California Senate Appropriations Committee approved the bill to move forward last week.

Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, a Fresno Democrat, in January introduced his bill to expand the scheme's eligibility to undocumented migrants.

The amendment alters the program by stating that applicants 'shall not be disqualified by the agency solely based on the applicant's immigration status.'

In California, that amounts to 1.85 million migrants without legal papers, according to Pew Research Center estimates.

'Homeownership has historically been the primary means of accumulating generational wealth in the United States,' Arambula told the LA Times earlier this year.

'The social and economic benefits of homeownership should be available to everyone.'

Though the scheme requires loans are repaid when the property is sold or remortgaged, it remains unclear how its expansion to non-legal migrants will increase the number of applicants and running costs.

California has been battling budget deficit for years. Newsom signed a budget deal last month to close an estimated $46.8-billion deficit through $16 billion in spending cuts and upping taxes on some businesses.
President Joe Bidens historic letter announcing he was ending his campaign left out a crucial element  an endorsement  longtime Rep. James C. Clyburn counseled him, he revealed while recounting the critical private talk.

Clyburn is a longtime loyalist who helped deliver South Carolina to Biden in 2020 to vault him to the White House. This year, when the president was under fire after his debate disaster, We stuck with Joe Biden, Clyburn said in an Axios event outside the Democratic convention.

When Joe Biden decided to leave the stage, he called me  read me his statement right around one oclock. I will never forget it because it was my 45th anniversary of my 39th birthday, he quipped.

The statement finally told the country that Biden had seen what many party leaders had pressed: that he woudl step down in the 'best interest' of his party and country.

I got that call, he read me his statement. I told him theres a little thing missing  I said you cant leave the stage not endorsing. He said I will put out a second statement within the hour. And that second statement came out at 1:46. At 1:47 I was on the phone. And I roped in my little kitchen cabinet. I said we are all in for Kamala, Clyburn said.

Rep. James C. Clyburn spoke about the phone call he had with President Joe Biden when Biden gave him a head's up he was ending his presidential run

Clyburn's comments didn't say whether Biden had already made up his mind about the second statement when they spoke.

He posted on X at 2:13 on July 21 that Harris had his 'full support and endorsement.'

In a previous description of the call, Clyburn said Biden 'informed me at that time' about about the second statement. Without getting into his own role pointing out the 'missing part.'

Clyburn, 84, is an influential member of the Congressional Black Caucus who has been tirelessly in Bidens corner. But his July 3 statement about a mini primary should Biden drop out helped fuel conversations among Democrats about going forward after a withdrawal.

Clyburn said he had seen Harris had 'arrived' following her major speeches in the last year

The letter that Biden ultimately released mentioned his vice president, but didnt include an explicit endorsement. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me, he wrote.

But his backing soon thereafter helped set in motion the extraordinary rallying around by top party leaders, which soon ended the chance of a chaotic fight to succeed him.

Clyburn has known Harris for years, but said he gained a new appreciation for her seasoning after the Tennessee House voted to expel black lawmakers last year.

The night she jumped on that plane and flew down to Tennessee when those two young African American brothers  were denied or kicked out of the legislature, the speech she gave that night. I'm sitting there and right in the middle of that speech, I said, "she has arrived," Clyburn said.

I saw it, I felt it, and then she responded to Dobbs. I said, she's cooking, you know? So it was easy for me.
Footage shows the moment a single mother's home collapsed following historic flooding in Connecticut.

Homeowner Randi Marcucio, 39, said she had to look on helplessly as it happened - but not before retrieving her only son's teddy bear as the rest of their belongings were lost.

Marcucio, a nurse, recalled the harrowing ordeal to several local outlets in her native Oxford Tuesday, two days after the disaster.

The town of 12,000 lost two residents, both of whom were found dead after being swept away by the floods.

Marcucio was spared despite rushing in minutes before her home collapsed Sunday. She said that her three-year-old son happened to be with her parents at the time.

Footage shows the moment a single mother's home collapsed following flooding in Connecticut

Homeowner Randi Marcucio, 39, said she had to look on helplessly as it happened - but not before retrieving her only son's teddy bear as the rest of their belongings were lost

'I got my son's teddy bear,' she told WTNH Tuesday while standing outside the savaged residence.

'[B]ut we didn't go too hard grabbing everything,' she acknowledged, before speaking to several other news outlets as the clip of the home collapsing continued to spread.

'He doesn't know, but he knows something is wrong because he hasn't seen me in a couple days now,' Marcucio added of her son.

'I don't know how to tell him,' she continued.

'We [once] lost a ball down the river and it was devastating to him.'

In another interview, the woman recalled looking on as the water kept rising - to 16 inches in some places.

It came without warning, she said, in a community that typically only gets 52 inches of rain, on average, per year.

Marcucio, a nurse, recalled the harrowing ordeal to several local outlets in her native Oxford

'Sunday afternoon was any rainy Sunday afternoon and then things just started happening,' Marcucio said

'Sunday afternoon was any rainy Sunday afternoon and then things just started happening,' Marcucio told NBC Connecticut.

'The water got faster and got higher and before I knew it, a tree had taken out our bridge and then the deck and the oil tank and the bottom half of the basement.'

The ground around the home eroded and the home caved in, all of which was caught on camera by a neighbor.

The home was located right on the edge of Fivemile Brook, which feeds into the Housatonic River.

Marcucio told Channel 3 that she did not have flood insurance and lost everything.

She added that several others on the street who did not lose their homes were left stranded by more than a foot of raging floodwater.

Footage from around the town showed cars completely submerged on roads that looked more like rivers.

Marcucio said that several others on the street who did not lose their house were left stranded by more than a foot of raging floodwater

Footage from around the town showed cars completely submerged on roads that looked more like rivers

The town, located 14 miles northwest of New Haven, saw several dramatic rescues as multiple cars were abandoned.

'This is a tragic and devastating day for Oxford,' the town's first selectman, George Temple, said Monday, as a major clean-up mission commenced.

Weather.com meteorologist Danielle Banks said that 'the combination of a slow moving system and plenty of moisture set the stage' for the weather event, which consisted of several isolated showers and thunderstorms, 'some of which dumped out incredibly heavy downpours.'

This proved fatal for 65-year-old Ethelyn Joiner and 71-year-old Audrey Rostkowski, both of whom were swept away Sunday and found dead shortly after the flooding subsided.

Marcucio, meanwhile, has since launched a GoFundMe campaign in hopes of rebuilding her and her son's lives.

'I'm happy the community is coming together to help,' she told NBC of the support she's received from neighbors.

'I'm happy the community is coming together to help,' she said of the support she's received from neighbors

'I'm happy that all of our lives here on this hill have been spared,' she continued.

'I'm sad for my loss and the other people in surrounding towns that have suffered this travesty as well.'

A statewide effort to repair affected roads and structures is now underway.
Huge numbers of sea lions have taken over the San Carlos Beach in the tourist heart of Monterey. Courtesy of NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

A crowd of sea lions has taken over San Carlos Beach in Monterey, carpeting the sand with their rotund bodies and filling the air with their scents and loud barks. The city was forced to close the beach on Monday.

We want residents and visitors to be safe while visiting the coastline, and remind you to enjoy and watch the sea lions from a distance of at least 50 yards, the city said in a social media post that referenced federal law protecting the animals. Please remember, we humans are sharing this space with other species.

San Carlos Beach sits on the south end of Cannery Row in the tourist heart of Monterey. Its popular with scuba divers, many who posted on social media that they had never seen so many of the pinnipeds at the beach. The marine mammal invasion, which began last week, coincided with an infiltration of a different kind: Monterey Car Week, when automotive enthusiasts flock to the Monterey Peninsula for luxury car shows and motorsport events. (That event wrapped up Sunday.)

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One observer called it Pinniped-geddon and described a wild scene Saturday night, as vehicles there for Car Week inched along nearby Foam Street.

It was traffic gridlock with streams of exotic cars revving their engines and backfiring. With each loud pop the sea lions would begin to bolt towards the ocean, wrote Stephen Pacetti on the Monterey Bay Area Scuba Divers Open Facebook group. Car Week in Monterey is not consistent with the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Environmental experts are imploring the public to give a wide berth to the sea lions that have shown up en masse on a Monterey beach. Courtesy of NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Pacetti narrated a video of the beach showing a sign that read STAY BACK. Sea lions are wild animals and will bite. The diver also expressed concern that the closure, and sea lion crowding, could impact an upcoming underwater photography contest for divers this coming weekend.

Volunteers for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary have been out at the beach talking to people about the importance of giving the sea lions space, both for the animals protection and their own, said Lisa Uttal, head of public relations and outreach at the sanctuary.

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Last week, the sanctuary sent out alerts to local divers and scuba stores about the sea lions and let them know they were mostly large males. Uttal called the beach one of the most popular with divers in Monterey Bay.

I dont think the scuba divers know that theyre breaking a federal law if they get too close. Its also a safety issue, she said. Unlike the harbor seals that lug along on the beach, these guys have pectoral fins and they can rise up on them and move if they need to.

The beach closure was first reported by television station KION.

Sea lions and harbor seals have taken over other California beaches, including in La Jolla and Oxnard, often leading to emotionally fraught situations about whether humans or nature have ultimate access to the shore.

But in Monterey, many who took to social media urged their fellow divers to be respectful of the animals, including one named Suzanne E. Frey:

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The explosion of a rocket during engine tests on Shetland came as a shocking surprise to many observers.

But bosses at Britains most northerly spaceport said yesterday that the expensive fireball had been fully anticipated.

The scheduled nine-engine static hotfire test at SaxaVord, in Shetland, on Monday evening ended with the rocket section engulfed in flames.

An investigation has now begun to identify what caused the anomaly that led to the loss of the stage.

A spokesman for the spaceport, which is located on the island of Unst, last night said it was a fully anticipated part of operating in space and will not set us back.

Testing at the SaxaVord spaceport in Shetland resulted in a dramatic explosion

SaxaVord is the UKs newest spaceport based at Haroldswick on Unst, Shetland

He said SaxaVord and German aerospace firm Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), which carried out the ground-based ignition test, were two companies which are extremely resilient and following an investigation into the cause of the explosion, they will be ready to move on to the next stage.

RFA said it was too early to say why the test failed and they will first need to look at the data ourselves and define the next steps.

One local resident, who witnessed the launchpad explosion, described it as quite a display as flames and plumes of black smoke could be seen swirling around the rocket, which was destroyed in a matter of minutes.

Many others on the remote island, which has a population of less than 650, were unaware of what had happened until the following morning.

The German aerospace company confirmed that no one was injured during the test and said they intend to return to regular operations as soon as possible.

It said the launchpad had been saved and secured and that any immediate danger has been mitigated.

The failed test comes just three months after an initial test was deemed a success when RFA fired its rocket engines for eight seconds.

A spokesman said: We are now working closely with SaxaVord Spaceport and the authorities to gather data and info to eventually resolve what happened.

We will take our time to analyse and assess the situation. We develop iteratively with an emphasis on real testing.

'This is part of our philosophy and we were aware of the higher risks attached to this approach.

SaxaVord is the UKs newest spaceport based at Haroldswick on Unst, after it was given regulatory approval to launch rockets in December last year.

Earlier in 2023 the remains of what was believed could have been a Bronze Age ritual cremation cemetery were discovered during ground works for the site.
A group of Pro-Palestinian protesters who caused over 1 million of damages at a weapons factory were jailed for a total of five years and two months.

This comes after Stuart Bretherton, 25, Eva Simmons, 25, Calum Lacy, 23, Erica Hygate, 23 and Sumaya Javaid, 22, scaled the Thales UK building in Glasgow's Govan on June 1 2022 and staged a demonstration on its roof.

The five protestors unfurled banners and erected flags and ignited pyrotechnics.

The building had its fire alarm activated after Hygate and Javaid entered the building and threw a smoke bomb into the area where staff were being evacuated.

Two of the protestors remained at the building overnight and glued themselves to the roof after refusing to engage with police.

Activists occupy the roof of the Thales UK arms factory on June 1, 2022 in Glasgow, Scotland

The French-based Thales, one of the world's largest suppliers of military weapons, was targeted by activists with Palestine Action Scotland because of its work with Israeli weapons company Elbit Systems on the Watchkeeper Drone project, according to published reports

The group of Pro-Palestinian protesters who caused over 1 million of damages at a weapons factory were jailed for a total of five years and two months

A total of 1,130,783 of damage was caused and the premises were shut due to safety concerns.

Bretherton, of Kilmacolm, Inverclyde, Simmons, of London, Lacy of Edinburgh as well as Hygate and Javaid of Birmingham, pleaded guilty to conducting themselves in a disorderly manner.

Hygate separately pleaded guilty to a vandalism charge, while Javaid also pleaded to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

All but Javaid received 12 month sentences while she was jailed for 14 months.

A total of six police officers and five security staff were in the courtroom.

Some of the protestors and members of the public gallery were emotional after the sheriff gave his verdict.

This was followed by shouts of 'You are preventing genocide' and a repeated chant of 'Free, free Palestine' as all five were led into custody.

Sheriff John McCormick said: 'At 6.25am, police saw you in the perimeter dressed in orange or red overalls, some had rucksacks and balaclavas.

Protestors show support for activists occupying the roof of the Thales UK arms factory on June 1, 2022 in Glasgow, Scotland

Workers are forced to leave the Thales UK arms factory after protesters occupied the roof of the facility on June 1, 2022 in Glasgow, Scotland

'Police saw you quickly scale the fence using ladders which you discarded.

'You were confined to the roof of the main building, you attempted to climb on a derelict water tower and beckoned others.

'You unfurled banners and unveiled flags. Palestinian protestors gathered adjacent to the site and showed support for you.

'Multiple police resources arrived and were positioned around the building.

'Miss Hygate and Miss Javaid entered the building through the roof and caused damage including to parts essential to submarines.

'Fire alarms were activated which caused an evacuation and confusion as well as panic among staff.

'You set off pyrotechnics and smoke bombs - some thrown in the area where staff where evacuated.

'The smoke was dangerously close to the members of staff.

'Mr Bretheron, Miss Simmons and Mr Lacy were seen to mov back and forth on the rooftop. They were seen to gather their belongings and stated their intention was to climb down a ladder.

'Miss Hygate and Miss Javaid of you refused to desist and remained overnight after refusing to engage with a police liaison.

'You glued your hands to the edge of the roof and remained there until officers were able to take your hands away.

'Miss Javaid was obstructive and required leg restraints.

'The court has to have regard to the major impact this had - the impact on employees as well as police and emergency services resources.

'A total of 20 constables, one inspector and two sergeants were there over two days or four shifts.

'The premises were shut due to safety concerns and disrupting business activities which included matters of nationwide security.

'The damage caused cost 1,130,783 which does not include the cost to the public purse, police or emergency service personnel.'

The sheriff stated that in one background report, one of the protestors claimed that their actions were non violent.

He responded: 'Throwing pyrotechnics at areas where people are being evacuated to cannot be described as non violent.'

The sheriff told all five that they were 'young and intelligent' and that everyone had the right to lawful protest.

However, Sheriff McCormick added: 'You expressed a high level of regret to your actions and I give weight to that.

'Due to the gravity and the consequences, there is no suitable alternative to custody.'

Bretherton had recently set up a fundraiser for help with his legal fees ahead of his trial, and thanked his supporters after achieving his target of 5000.

'With our trial beginning in just over a fortnight, I'm preparing for the mental challenge of the process. And hoping I can do justice to myself and those impacted by Thales' destruction', he wrote.

He also said that: 'Israels assault on Gaza has continued to escalate with our political leaders complicit in war crimes by continuing to supply the military. But signs are emerging of our international pressure being felt and achieving the demand of a proper ceasefire.'
Schoolfriends of 18-year-old Hannah Lynch are anxiously waiting for updates on her safe return after the teenager went missing alongside her tech billionaire father when his superyacht suddenly sank.

Luxury sailboat Bayesian was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, Italy, when a waterspout hit the area just before 5am on Monday morning, wrecking the boat and causing it to rapidly sink.

While 15 of the 22 people on board were rescued by nearby ships, the yacht's chef tragically died while six people including Hannah and her father Mike Lynch are still missing.

The prestigious Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, west London, said it is 'in shock' after former pupil Hannah was one of the six to disappear following the 'whirlwind'.

A spokesperson for the 25,000-a-year school said: 'We are all incredibly shocked by the news that Hannah and her father are among those missing in this tragic incident and our thoughts are with their family and everyone involved as we await further updates.'

Hannah had just completed her A-Levels and gained a place to study English at Oxford before the tragedy.

Hannah's parents Mike Lynch and Angela Bacares (pictured) were on board with their daughter. Mrs Bacares survived while Lynch is still missing

Latymer Upper School (pictured) in Hammersmith was founded in 1624 and charges 8,633 per term

The superyacht (pictured) was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when it was hit by an over-sea tornado, known as a waterspout

Search divers head out to the scene of the wreck near Porticello this morning as the operation to find the bodies of those missing continue

Hannah Lynch attended the prestigious Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith

The teenager was on board the superyacht with her father Lynch and mother Angela Bacares, who survived the tragedy and is now in a wheelchair due to her injuries.

Hannah was an academically gifted pupil and had won a number of awards at the school between 2017 and 2024, including outstanding academic achievement while in lower sixth form and the William C Smith award for poetry.

Mr Lynch and his wife Angela Lynch were also frequent donors to the school, contributing to Latymer Upper School's bursary fund in 2023, 2022 and 2021.

The vessel - which had been carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers - had been moored just 300 metres from the coast near Palermo when it was hit by a terrifying waterspout at around 5am, with the ship's captain saying those on board were blindsided and 'didn't see it coming'.

Tornado-speed winds flipped the superyacht so quickly that people on board were left swimming for their lives with those who made it off stranded in the pitch black water as the storm raged around them.

One maritime expert has said suggested that despite potentially facing winds of up to 100mph as a result of the extremely rare phenomenon the boat should have been able to withstand the force of the gales, raising questions about how it ended up sinking.

Search teams have already found the body of one man, thought to be an onboard chef, and there are fears that more bodies will be found in the hull of the ship by specialist divers today, while some survivors - including the captain - remain in hospital.

The huge Bayesian overturned during a severe thunderstorm on Monday morning

Scuba divers on the scene amid the search for the missing sailboat in Porticello, Italy, today

Rescue workers look at the plans of the the Bayesian as they organise a search operation for six people who are still missing after the superyacht sank

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue

Mike Lynch (pictured) invited family and friends on his superyacht to celebrate his triumph over fraud charges in the US. Lynch is missing alongside his 18-year-old daughter Hannah

Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer (pictured), and his wife are also missing

Lynch's attorney Christopher Morvillo (pictured) and his wife Nada are also missing

Neda and her husband Christopher are both missing in the wake of Monday's superyacht sinking

Judy Bloomer, who is missing, is a supporter and former board member of the Eve Appeal, a charity that raises awareness and funds research into gynaecological cancer

Charlotte Golunski, 36, (pictured) her husband and her one-year-old baby also survived

Mr Lynch, once dubbed the British Bill Gates and worth an estimated 852million, had taken his family and friends on the 'victory' trip after being acquitted of fraud charges.

However, the dream trip, hosted by the 59-year-old father-of-two from Suffolk who claimed he was living a 'second life' after almost a year under house arrest, turned into a nightmare and tragedy struck.

In an extraordinary twist, the sinking comes days after Stephen Chamberlain, an ex-colleague of Mr Lynch  who he had successfully fought the fraud case with  was fatally injured when he was hit by a car while running on Saturday morning.

Police have said there's nothing to suggest anything suspicious in his death and no arrests have been made after the driver of a car stayed at the scene following the collision. Mr Chamberlain later died of his injuries.

Also among the missing are Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo who represented Mr Lynch in his recent legal battle, along with both of their wives.

During yesterday's frantic search it was reported that bodies had been seen through the portholes in some of the cabins, although it is believed that divers have not been able to get inside the vessel due to furniture obstructing the way in.

Another survivor is Clifford Chance lawyer Ayla Ronald, 36, who was part of the successful legal team invited to go sailing with Lyncchah, according to her father Lin.

On-board hostesses Leah Randall, 20, from South Africa, also survived the tragedy.

Heidi Randall, Leah's mother, told Sky News: 'I'm beyond relieved that my daughter's life was spared by the grace of God.

Mr Ronald told the Telegraph: 'I have texted with my daughter. She has only said to me that there are deaths, and she and her partner are alive' (pictured: Ayla Ronald)

On-board hostess Leah Randall, 20, from South Africa, was also on board and survived

'It doesn't make it any easier living with heartache of those who have lost their lives or missing.'

Leah was photographed leaving the coastguard headquarters yesterday alongside a fellow crew member.

Other survivors included Irish woman Sasha Murray, 29, Matthew Fletcher, 41, from London, James Calfield 51, from New Zealand, Myin Htun Kyaw, 39, from Myanmar and the French Captain Matthew Griffith.

Speaking from a hospital room in the town of Termini Imerese close to Palermo, Mr Calfied, in a state of grief and shock, could only utter one sentence.

'We didn't see it coming,' he told La Repubblica.

Rescuers claimed that survivors spoke of the ship going down in 'two minutes' and that it appears that the yacht 'wasn't anchored in a safe place' at the time of sinking.

They were rescued by crews from nearby boats including that of Karsten Borner, the captain of a sailing ship anchored near the Bayesian, who said his team struggled to keep their boat afloat when the tornado hit.

Fabio Cefalu, a fisherman in Porticello who witnessed the tragedy unfold, said he saw a waterspout  a sort of mini-tornado  that lasted about 12 minutes shortly before 4am.

At around 4.10am he said he saw a red flare go off from Bayesian but by the time he was able to reach the area about 20 minutes later the yacht had all but disappeared. 'We found only the cushions, and a few planks floating in the water,' he said.

Two more survivors were named as on-board hostess Katya Chicken, 23, from Germany, and Leo Eppel.

Katya has been interviewed by officials from the CoastGuard investigating the circumstances of the sinking.

On Tuesday evening two crew members, Tus Koopmans and Eaton Parker, were also named as survivors. No age or nationalities were provided.
In a shocking turn of events, Mica Miller's husband was named the personal representative of her estate, even as ardent followers of the case still don't trust the pastor.

John-Paul Miller, 44, will manage his late wife's estate thanks to a settlement with Mica's sister, Sierra Francis, ABC 15 reported.

Ever since he bizarrely revealed his wife's death to his own congregation at Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, John-Paul has been under a microscope, both for his actions preceding Mica's passing and after.

Mica, 30, was found dead with a gunshot wound in Lumber River State Park over the state border in North Carolina on April 27.

John-Paul (left) has been accused of abuse and grooming Mica (right), whom he met when she was just 14 years old as a member of his youth church group

Miller, 30, was discovered with a fatal gunshot wound on April 27 in Lumber River State Park, North Carolina

John-Paul has been accused of abusing and grooming Mica, whom he met when she was just 14 years old as a member of his youth church group.

Francis herself has said she believes John-Paul began grooming her sister 'when she was 14 or 15.'

He vehemently denies these allegations, telling ABC 15 in late July that he never abused Mica in any way.

His lawyers have previously said the grooming allegations 'couldn't be farther from the truth,' citing Mica's first marriage that lasted until she got divorced at age 21.

Weeks before her death, Mica shared a video speaking generally about abuse within marriages as claims emerged she was being harassed and was 'afraid for her life.'

Francis, who reached the settlement allowing John-Paul to become the personal representative of Mica's estate, was once allegedly the target of his fiery temper.

Screenshots of text messages sent by John-Paul to Francis roughly 18 months before his and Mica's marriage broke down reveal the pastor's state of mind at the time.

He let her know that he was he was coming to her home 'armed' and 'ready,' DailyMail.com reported.

The messages were posted online by Francis, who contacted authorities after receiving them.

Mica's sisters are pictured together. Sierra is wearing a pink dress and stands second from the left

Messages show Miller sent a text to Sierra saying he was on her way to her house, where Mica was staying in November 2022

In one chilling message, Miller warned Sierra that he was 'armed' and 'ready' and insisting that Mica 'can fix all of this'

It is unclear what triggered the altercation, but messages show Miller alluding to 'one' particular 'bad' incident that occurred a month earlier

On a 911 call obtained by NewsNation, Sierra can be heard telling officers that Mica came to visit her because she was having 'issues' with her husband.

After the threats were made, John-Paul went on to try to bargain with Mica through Francis, begging his wife to come home and promising to take off the rest of the year, go to counseling and travel to Iceland.

He added: 'I also desperately want a child with you. I'm just scared of this. This is the only reason I wouldn't. I'm scared of divorce or putting the child through things like this where you leave and aren't willing to do whatever it takes.'

Mica, 30, filed for separation from John-Paul days before her death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

She also filed in October 2023, citing adultery, but withdrew it in February 2024.

John-Paul has been accused of having a cavalier attitude after his wife's death

The pastor was seen on a date with a new woman four days after Mica's suicide

Photos obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com show him having dinner with another woman, identified as Suzie Skinner, on May 1

This evidence of Mica wanting to split up, plus John-Paul's cavalier attitude following her death - including going out on a date with a new woman four days after Mica's suicide - had Mica's family and dozens of dedicated protestors outside the Solid Rock Church questioning what happened to her.

After Mica's family spent months demanding a more robust investigation into her death, they ultimately reached a settlement with John-Paul at the end of July.

Both parties agreed to end litigation and not file any lawsuits against one another in the future.

This marked a unexpected reversal in the case, since the family was previously adamant that John-Paul was somehow involved with Mica's demise.

After surveillance footage was circulated in late May of Mica making a routine stop at a gas station mere hours before she was found dead, Mica's father wasn't convinced she was suicidal.

In an interview with NewsNation in July, John-Paul claimed he tried to resurrect Mica while she was in the morgue

Pictured: The moment when John-Paul revealed to his stunned parishioners that Mica, who had been a fixture at the church for years, was dead

'I believe that it was all staged. I believe that the whole thing was premeditated,' Mica's father, Michael Francis, told NewsNation at the time.

When John-Paul was discovered to have been publicly wearing a necklace Mica wore the day of her death, Mica's sister Destinee Barrientos said he was wearing it as 'a trophy.'

John-Paul confirmed to NewsNation in June the necklace was in fact Mica's and that 'the hospital gave it to me when I saw her body,' adding, 'I immediately put it on, to feel close to her. She loved that necklace.'

In a July interview, he claimed he tried to raise Mica from the dead while she was in the morgue.

He also made the bizarre claim that his wife would have been 'in an incredibly euphoric attitude' when she killed herself, while dismissing speculation that he had any role in her death.
Porn star Sophia Leone's tragic death has reportedly been ruled an accidental overdose.

The 26-year-old adult film star was found unresponsive inside her apartment in March, prompting revelations from her mother that she'd struggled with suicidal thoughts and bouts of heavy drinking in the past.

But police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, have reportedly told TMZ that toxicology reports have confirmed Leone suffered an accidental overdose.

Porn star Sophia Leone's tragic death has reportedly been ruled an accidental fatal overdose

Leone was allegedly scouted by an agent while attending a music festival in Miami and after some research decided to join the industry

It is not clear what substances were involved.

Leone's death was confirmed by her stepfather Mike Romero via GoFundMe, where he described her as a loving friend to those who knew her.

'Sophia was found unresponsive in her apartment home on March 1, 2024 by her family,' he wrote.

The Latina actress reportedly began her career before she turned 20 and had a net worth of over a million dollars.

Leone was scouted by an agent while attending a music festival in Miami, and after some research, decided to join the industry.
A new Canadian Army logo, widely mocked online as resembling a bear having sex with a moose, was greenlit by top military brass without a single objection, according to leaked documents.

Approved in March 2024 and unveiled in May, the pixelated maple leaf design ignited a firestorm of criticism.

National Defense claims the logo is a direct representation of the Army's new camouflage pattern. It is composed of brown pixels arranged to form a maple leaf, taken directly from the pattern itself.

Social media erupted with ridicule, comparing the logo to everything from a pile of feces to Minecraft graphics.

Online critics lambasted the new Army logo, with some vehemently protesting what they believed to be a replacement of the official emblem.

A new Canadian Army logo, widely mocked online as resembling a bear having sex with a moose, was greenlit by top military brass without a single objection, according to leaked documents

National Defense claims the logo is a direct representation of the Army's new camouflage pattern. It is composed of brown pixels arranged to form a maple leaf, taken directly from the pattern itself.

Due to the public backlash, the Canadian Armed Forces did apologize for the confusion. However, they still defended the logo and claimed it was a supplementary design, not a replacement for the official emblem.

But internal documents obtained by Ottawa Citizen reveal a carefully planned and executed initiative, approved by the deputy army commander and top leadership.

The new logo was greenlit by the deputy army commander on March 21, 2024.

It underwent further review at a public affairs town hall before receiving final approval from top military brass on April 12. Remarkably, no concerns were raised about the design at any stage of the process.

However, internal documents stipulated strict usage guidelines, inexplicably forbidding the logo from being flipped horizontally or vertically.

Amidst the uproar, questions swirled about the logo's origin and approval, with some demanding the responsible parties be fired.

While opposition politicians accused the Liberal government of imposing the design, leaked documents reveal it was an in-house Army project.

Despite the controversy, the Canadian Armed Forces confirmed the logo's continued use in various internal and external applications.

National Defence spokesman Alex Tetreault told the Ottawa citizen that the new logo is in use.

'The icon design will be displayed in the bottom left corner of various internal and external products and presentations,' he stated in an email to the Ottawa Citizen. 'It will also be used in video animation and content generated for social media.

Social media erupted with ridicule, comparing the logo to everything from a pile of feces to Minecraft graphics.

Due to the public backlash, the Canadian Armed Forces did apologize for the confusion. However, they still defended the logo and claimed it was a supplementary design, not a replacement for the official emblem.

The logo was a component of a broader Army rebranding effort aimed at 'establishing and maintaining credibility,' according to the service's May public affairs strategy, authored by then-commander Lt. Gen. Jocelyn Paul.

The Army has opted against conducting a post-mortem analysis to assess the rollout or understand the reasons behind the negative reaction, according to Tetreault.

While acknowledging the logo was developed in-house at no additional cost to taxpayers, former senior military public affairs officer Brett Boudreau maintained the overall initiative was a failure.

'Not conducting lessons-learned on initiatives such as this to understand the positive and negative is an abdication of professional responsibility and a failure of senior leader oversight of the communications function,' said Boudreau.

'Going forward, it essentially guarantees a repeat of bad process, decisions, planning and outcomes in similar undertakings.'
Rep. Jared Moskowitz suggested an adversary might be behind the raucous protests outside of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago.

The Democrat, who sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, revealed to DailyMail.com why Iran could be paying protestors to assemble.

'Everyone has a right to protest, but there are also professional agitators involved,' he told DailyMail.com after pro-Gaza protesters at one point breached the security perimeter.

'We know that the Iranians are paying people to do this. How come they weren't protesting at the other convention, just here? And so look, this is an extension of the campus protests.'

The Florida Democrat has been one of Israel's staunchest defenders from the left at a time when Middle East policy has caused a rift in the Democratic Party.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz suggested Iran might be at play at the raucous protests outside of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago

'That doesn't mean that there isn't suffering in Gaza. It doesn't mean that innocent people haven't been killed. I just believe that's Hamas' fault.'

'I want to cease fire in exchange for the hostages. Hamas won't agree to that because they want to remain in power. And so look, they have a right to protest. They don't have a right to violence.'

Moskowitz also shrugged off any concern that a Harris administration would be less of a friend to Israel than Joe Biden.

'You know, people are trying to put that out there, but there has been no shift in policy, none. In fact, if you go look at the platform, it's almost the identical platform as it's been in the past, the DNC platform.'

'It's one of the most pro-Israel platforms that we've had. And so I don't expect any shift from the Vice President on Israel policies.'

Chicago police arrested multiple demonstrators who attempted to break through the security fence, sources on the ground told DailyMail.com on Monday.

Pro-Gaza protests were far lighter outside the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee last month.

President Biden, meanwhile, shouted out the protesters and their cause in his Monday night address.

'Those protesters out in the street, they have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides,' he said.

Gaza health authorities say that over 40,000 Palestinians have died in Israel's offensive campaign since the Hamas attacks on October 7.

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said last month that groups linked to Tehran have posed as online activists, encouraged protests and have provided financial support to some protest groups.

'Iran is becoming increasingly aggressive in their foreign influence efforts, seeking to stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions,' Haines said.

The police intervention came after thousands of protestors joined the 'March on the DNC' demonstration, terminating blocks from the United Center arena where President Joe Biden is expected to speak Monday evening.

Chaos ensued after protestors broke down the first layer of fencing around the convention, but got caught in between another layer of fencing.

The activists had nowhere to go and were neatly pushed back by authorities, who made several arrests.

Hundreds of police faced off with thousands of protestors at a pro-Palestinian march to the Democratic National Convention Monday

'Demonstrators breached a portion of anti-scale fencing along the Democratic National Convention's outer perimeter near the United Center on Aug. 19,' the Chicago Police Department wrote in a statement Monday.

'Law enforcement personnel were immediately on-scene and contained the situation. At no point was the inner perimeter breached, and there was no threat to any protectees.'

'The National Special Security Event plan employs a multi-layered approach. Each NSSE plan is unique and includes multiple layers,' the statement continued.

'One of these redundancies include the outer perimeter fence, which was erected to prevent entry into the inner perimeter.'

'The Chicago Police Department remains on-scene and is working to clear the area.'

Police formed lines to eventually force demonstrators from the park

Protestors broke down the outermost barricade to the DNC and swarmed the area before being pushed back by authorities.

Chicago police watch as protesters gather during the Democratic National Convention on August 19, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Multiple protests are planned during the DNC, which is being held at the United Center from August 19-22

The police action came after most of the demonstrators had marched back to the event's starting point.

The remaining activists - many wearing N-95 face masks, black glasses and other clothing to hide their identities - remained, yelling at CPD.

Some activists threw debris over the fence where the police were standing; broken wooden handles from signs, water bottles and trash were all hurled.

A long row of black fencing ran across the southern portion of a park that sits blocks from the United Center and it quickly became the object of the demonstrator's outrage.

Violently shaking it back and forth the activists were able to dislodge portions of it, and through these holes in the barricade they climbed over into a buffer space of roughly 20 feet before another line of fencing.

It was in this in-between space where many of the pro-Palestine and anti-DNC protestors linked arms and began chanting.

Police responded by quickly sending in roughly a hundred or so before lining up to disperse the unruly newcomers.

After standing sternly for some minutes the police slowly began inching forward on the arm-linked activists.

Protestors often ran away rom police as they closed in

Police distribute signs telling anti-DNC protestors to disperse

Specialized police with riot gear attachments like visors compelled the activists to leave the park

Soon after the law enforcement began moving the protestors began fleeing, some running for fear of not wanting to be arrested or apprehended.

After the protestors were removed from the DNC security perimeter police began replacing some of the dislodged fence pieces and the cops regrouped.

As some remained yelling at police, though at this time far fewer than before, the police began encircling the remaining protestors at the park before pushing them out.

Finally, the cops began distributing fliers indicating the recipients were 'being ordered to disperse by the Chicago Police Department.'
A deli worker has stabbed a neighbouring businessman to death after a 14-year-long 'antagonism', a court has been told.

Prosecutors claim the row between workers at the two firms at the Tyne Tunnel Industrial Estate in North Tyneside started in 2010, with a dispute about parking.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the long-standing trouble ended in tragedy when Alder Willis, 68, who worked at The Deli Sandwich Shop, fatally stabbed Andrew Darn, 35, who was employed at Easy Access Garage Doors, on March 27.

Willis, of Alanville, Camperdown, North Tyneside, denies murder and is being tried by a jury.

Prosecutor Francis Fitzgibbon KC told the court the build up to the deadly confrontation started the day before, on March 26, when a worker at the Garage Door company threw some food out for seagulls and hit an employee from The Deli, which sparked trouble between the two men.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the long-standing trouble ended in tragedy when Alder Willis, 68, who worked at The Deli Sandwich Shop, fatally stabbed Andrew Darn (pictured), 35, who was employed at Easy Access Garage Doors, on March 27

Prosecutors claim the row between workers at the two firms at the Tyne Tunnel Industrial Estate (police pictured at the scene) in North Tyneside started in 2010, with a dispute about parking

The stabbing happened when they arrived at the industrial estate to start work the following morning, jurors heard.

Mr Fitzgibbon told the court: 'On March 27 this year at about 8am the defendant Mr Willis and a man named Andrew Darn confronted each other in the street outside their neighbouring places of work at the Tyne Tunnel Industrial Estate.

'Mr Darn threw a punch at the defendant. The defendant responded by pulling a knife that he had in his pocket and stabbing Mr Darn, once.

'The knife went up through Mr Darn's rib cage and went into the area around his heart and into his aorta.

'He managed to get into his car, where he died as a result of the stab wound.

'The defendant doesn't dispute that he is responsible for Mr Darn's death. He hardly could because the stabbing was captured on a security camera.'

Jurors heard Willis is likely to maintain he was acting in self defence.

Mr Fitzgibbon told jurors the stabbing happened after 'long standing antagonism between the members of staff of each of the two neighbouring premises on the industrial estate where the two men worked'.

He added: 'Sadly, trouble between the people in the two premises goes back a number of years, to 2010, when they had a dispute about parking outside the premises. It seems to have rumbled on over the years since then.'

Mr Fitzgibbon said on March 26, the day before the killing, Mr Darn's boss Linda Hedgcock had been at the doorway of their workplace throwing out pieces of food for seagulls.

Prosecutor Mr Fitzgibbon told the court: 'On March 27 this year at about 8am the defendant Mr Willis and a man named Andrew Darn (pictured) confronted each other in the street outside their neighbouring places of work at the Tyne Tunnel Industrial Estate'

Police at the scene on the Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate in North Shields, North Tyneside in March this year

The court heard Willis' partner Susan Clark, who also worked at the Deli, walked past and a piece of the food 'seems to have hit her'.

Mr Fitzgibbon said Mrs Clark reacted by hitting Mrs Hedgcock, who was using a crutch, on the side of her head and added: 'It was a silly incident really'.

The court heard during that incident Willis made a threat to stab Mr Darn and is accused of following the Garage Doors worker's VW Passat in his Berlingo van when they left work that day.

Mr Fitzgibbon said when the men arrived to start work the following day the deadly confrontation happened outside and was captured on security cameras, footage from some of which was played in court.

Mr Fitzgibbon said after the stabbing Mr Darn was able to walk back to his car and added: 'The dashcam in his car picks up what happens to Mr Darn. It shows him collapsing and eventually dying in the front seat of his car.'

The court heard Willis claims he had been holding the knife to use to open packages for his workplace and did not realise he had stabbed Mr Darn, who died from catastrophic internal bleeding, until later that day.

Mr Fitzgibbon told the court Willis had said to his partner on the day of the stabbing 'I will see you in 15 years time' and told someone else 'It doesn't look like I'm going to Benidorm, I think I've killed someone'.

The trial continues.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has said the criminal justice system requires 'considerable investment' as hundreds of jailed rioters continue to put pressure on overcrowded prisons.

In a piece for the Times newspaper, Stephen Parkinson defended the 'brisk' nature of the disorder prosecutions - saying cases such as rape and domestic violence take longer to build and are more 'complex'.

Following a large number of rioters being jailed over the past few weeks, Operation Early Dawn, a long-standing plan which allows defendants to be held in police cells and not summon them to magistrates' court until a space in prison is available, was activated for the North of England on Monday.

The scheme is in place to help the prison service until September, when it is understood up to 2,000 prisoners are expected to be released under the new early release scheme, known as SDS40.

The SDS40 scheme, which will exclude sex offences and serious violence offences that have resulted in at least four years in prison, is due to be reviewed after 18 months, and will see 5,500 released between September and October this year.

Following a large number of rioters being jailed over the past few weeks, Operation Early Dawn was activated for the North of England on Monday (pictured: A police officer attempts to extinguish a wheelie bin that has been set alight by anti-migration protesters in Rotherham)

In a piece for the Times newspaper, Stephen Parkinson defended the 'brisk' nature of the disorder prosecutions - saying cases such as rape and domestic violence take longer to build and are more 'complex'.

Up to 2,000 prisoners are expected to be released under the new early release scheme known as SDS40 (pictured: A prison guard walks through a cell area at HMP Berwyn)

A Ministry of Justice (MoJ) spokesman said everyone released will be 'strictly monitored' and face 'tough licence conditions', such as electronic tagging and curfews.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Tuesday, Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens said the Government continues to anticipate that suspects will be held in a police cell 'no longer than a day after being charged' despite Operation Early Dawn being triggered.

Questioned on the maximum length of time someone could expect to be held in a police cell rather than being taken to magistrates' courts, Ms Stevens said: 'We would anticipate that this should be no longer than a day after being charged.

'That's the basis on which we're working. Anyone who poses a risk to the public will obviously not be bailed.

'They'll be held in a police station until they're summoned to court, and that should be no later than the day after being charged.'

In his article for the Times, Mr Parkinson said the swift justice seen in the case of rioters over recent weeks requires 'considerable investment'.

He wrote: 'Some may ask why all crime isn't punished so briskly.

'Some cases take longer because they are complex.

'Not every crime is as obvious as pushing a flaming wheelie bin at police, or is captured on multiple body-worn cameras.

'Crimes like rape and domestic violence often take deeper, specialist work to build a case and ultimately prove - something we are working with police to do better.

'And candidly, in the long term, swift justice at the pace and scale we have seen in recent days requires considerable investment in the criminal justice system.'

Courts have continued to be packed with defendants after far-right yobs took to high streets in towns and cities across the UK following the killings of three young girls in Southport on July 29.

Rioters took part in the mayhem that erupted in Bristol city centre on August 3 during the Enough is Enough demonstration (Pictured: Police detain a protestor)

Rioters were also seen trying to tip over a police van during the violence two weeks ago

The attack was wrongly blamed on a fictitious Islamist migrant, a theory spread through online misinformation.

Accused Axel Rudakubana, born in Cardiff to Christian parents from Rwanda, has been charged with three counts of murder, ten counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed weapon.

Following the tragedy, far-right activists began targeting mosques and accommodation for asylum seekers.

Violence broke out in cities across England and also in Northern Ireland - and has been followed by a hundreds of charges including for children as young as 12, while those arrested also include a 69-year-old accused of vandalism in Liverpool.

In one case, an ex-soldier was jailed for 18 months after he threw stones at the police in Hartlepool and was then later identified from the T-shirt he was wearing which had his name on the back.

Qualified tank driver Joel Bishop, 27, who served with the Royal Logistic Corps, admitted a charge of violent disorder and two counts of possessing offensive weapons, namely rocks and a plank of wood at Teesside Crown Court.

Video footage shown in court showed the father-of-two joining in on attacks on police officers in riot gear, throwing stones or a plank at them three times and referring to them as 'black c****'.

Qualified tank driver Joel Bishop, 27, who served with the Royal Logistic Corps, admitted a charge of violent disorder and two counts of possessing offensive weapons, namely rocks and a plank of wood

Bishop was identified from footage afterwards because he had his name on the back of his green T-shirt, as well as by his distinctive tattoo

Manufacturing engineer Liam Gray, 20, was caught on video repeatedly charging police with riot shields outside the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, near Rotherham, on August 4

Bradley McCarthy has been jailed for for 20 months at Bristol Crown Court after he joined an anti-immigration march in Bristol on August 3

Elsewhere, an engineer who fought officers outside a hotel housing asylum seekers and a thug who shouted in a police dog's face are among the latest rioters put behind bars.

Manufacturing engineer Liam Gray, 20, was caught on video repeatedly charging at a line of police with riot shields outside the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, near Rotherham, on August 4.

He has now been jailed for three years at Sheffield Crown Court, after being seen trying to grab officers' shields in the violent disorder in the South Yorkshire town.

Another of then latest defendants was a man who shouted in a police dog's face during rioting that marred Bristol and called opponents 'p*** c****' and has now been jailed for 20 months.

Bradley McCarthy, 34, joined an anti-immigration march on August 3 and was involved in clashes with counter-protesters and police in Castle Park and on Bristol Bridge.

An MoJ spokesman said: 'We inherited a prison system in crisis and have taken difficult but necessary action to make sure we can keep locking up dangerous criminals and protect the public, and since then the Probation Service has been planning for these releases.

'Everyone released will be strictly monitored, face tough licence conditions like electronic tagging and curfews and could be recalled to prison if they breach licence conditions.'
Police have launched an investigation after a body was found in a unit block.

Officers were called to a western Sydney unit block in Cabramatta about 9.45pm Tuesday following a report of concern for welfare.

The body of a man, who is yet to be formally identified, was found upon arrival at the St Johns Road unit block.

A crime scene has been established and an investigation is underway into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

NSW Fire and Rescue crews, including HAZMAT, also attended the scene.

Police have urged anyone with information to come forward.
A humpback whale dives near a cargo ship in San Francisco Bay in August. The protected whales have been close to shore this summer, putting them at risk of being struck and killed by ships. Courtesy of Michael Pierson A humpback whale dives near a cargo ship in San Francisco Bay in August. Courtesy of Michael Pierson A humpback whale dives beneath the Golden Gate Bridge in August. Courtesy of Michael Pierson A humpback whale dives near a windsurfer beneath the Golden Gate Bridge in August. Courtesy of Michael Pierson A humpback whale dives under the Golden Gate Bridge in October 2019. Courtesy of Tim Markowitz/NOAA Research Permit 21678 A humpback whale lunge feeds under the Golden Gate Bridge in October 2019. Courtesy of Tim Markowitz/NOAA Research Permit 21678 A humpback whale lunge feeds near Fort Point in San Francisco in October 2019. Courtesy of Tim Markowitz/NOAA Research Permit 21678

This summer, large numbers of humpback whales have been diving and lunge-feeding near shore as they follow massive schools of anchovies that have been swarming the bay and coastal waters.

The problem is, they particularly like to feed right under the Golden Gate Bridge, where there is a lot of fish activity and also lots of shipping traffic, said Michael Pierson, a naturalist who leads whale watching tours most days of the week.

Its a little bit like whales are trying to have dinner in the middle of a freeway, said Pierson, who photographed a whale swimming dangerously close to three cargo ships earlier this month while leading a trip for San Francisco Whale Tours.

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Having so many fish and humpback whales skirting the coast is a relatively new phenomenon thats a blessing for whale watchers and a curse for the whales themselves, because it puts the threatened marine mammals close to dangerous shipping traffic. Theyre showing up in high numbers especially near Pacifica, as well as around the Golden Gate Bridge and the area to the east of it known as the Central Bay, where all manner of vessels travel at high speeds to shuttle goods, people and oil across the water.

Especially in the bay, its really challenging because its a busy corridor and relatively small compared to the rest of the ocean, Pierson said.

When ships and ferryboats travel too quickly, whales may not hear them in time to get out of the way, and necropsies of whales that wash ashore show that ship strikes are a leading cause of death. The federal government created a voluntary seasonal speed limit in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary off the San Francisco coast and other marine sanctuaries to protect endangered blue, fin and humpback whales after research found that 80 such whales are estimated to be killed by ships each year. Many shipping companies have complied with the speed reduction.

But the slowdown zone has a carve out that leaves out the bay, the entrance to the bay where many whales congregate, and the coast off Pacifica where one marine scientist recently saw 15 whales in one day.

Many large commercial vessels actually speed up once they leave the voluntary slowdown zones and go into port, according to researchers who published a recent study on the increasing presence of humpback whales in the busy urban environment of San Francisco Bay.

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I think (it) has to do with a business model that time is money, said Tim Markowitz, a co-author of the study who is a field research associate at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito and a lecturer at UC Berkeley.

The Marine Mammal Center and the National Marine Sanctuary also encourage other vessels, including private boats, to mind their speeds and listen on the radio for whale sightings in the bay.

Whenever they see a whale, Pierson and others on SF Whale Tours boats make a note in an app called Whale Alert, run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They also radio the Coast Guard, which runs Vessel Traffic Services on Yerba Buena Island, which is basically like air traffic control for the bay and alerts vessels.

Boaters who see marine mammals should not only slow down but put engines in neutral when whales approach to pass, according to a recent advisory from the sanctuary following increased whale sightings. It also advised vessels, paddleboarders and kayakers to never follow marine wildlife nor approach animals head-on, and to keep a distance of 100 yards.

To watch whales safely from shore, Markowitz said you can try to spot them from the Golden Gate Bridge, especially around high tide. In Pacifica, theyve been sighted between the area around Mussel Rock and the pier.

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Humpback whales began showing up in the bay and other near-shore areas in large numbers in 2016 in the middle of a historic marine heat wave that drew anchovies and other bait fish close to shore, Markowitz and other researchers say. The migratory pattern of both the fish and the whales has shifted ever since. Pierson said he has noticed a larger number of whales near shore in summers following an El Nino winter like this years.

While humpback whales are doing well as a species after the passage of the Marine Mammal Act and other laws, the ones that come to the Bay Area between roughly April and November are part of two population groups that still have federal protections. One is an endangered group of whales that migrate from Central America, and the other is a threatened group that comes from Mexico. Both breed and have their babies in the warmer waters in winter and early spring and then travel up to feed on the abundant California coast.

Another group of humpbacks that breed in Hawaii and feed in Alaska is almost back to historic numbers, Markowitz said.

Their migratory route is basically over open ocean, whereas the animals that we study here, their migratory route is along the coastline, and into congested areas where whales are subject to other human-caused dangers like entanglement in fishing lines, he said.

Following these changes in migration, data collected by scientists and other whale watchers show 61 individual humpback whales have visited the bay between 2016 and 2018 (the humpbacks can be identified by unique markings on their tails, according to the study). The researchers found that the whales concentrate in a particularly busy zone from the Golden Gate Strait, west of the bridge, to the Central Bay near Alcatraz and Angel islands.

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Despite the dangers, Markowitz is encouraged by shipping companies willingness to slow down, and said the abundance of humpback whales and other marine mammals like harbor porpoises, bottlenose dolphins and gray whales, in the bay is generally a cause for celebration. When he was growing up in the Bay Area in the 1970s and 1980s, no whale dared enter the bay because it was so polluted. Their presence signals the bays ecological recovery, he said.
Divers desperately trying to find the six passengers missing after Mike Lynch's superyacht sank have managed to smash through a 3cm-thick porthole with the help of a local blacksmith with experience working on boats.

The blacksmith made special jacks for the divers that enabled them to enter the hull of the vessel and its common areas through the glass window tonight, but they have not yet reached the cabins due to obstructions, according to Italian media.

Luxury sailboat Bayesian was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, Italy, when a 'whirlwind' hit the area just before 5am on Monday morning, wrecking the boat and causing it to rapidly sink.

While 15 of the 22 people on board were rescued by nearby ships, the yacht's chef tragically died while six people including tech British billionaire Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah remain missing, thought to be trapped in their cabins.

An engineer has claimed the missing passengers could still be alive in air pockets 164ft below the surface, meaning divers - who can only remain underwater for ten minutes per dive due to the depth of where the wreck is - are competing in a race against time.

Nick Sloane, who worked on the Costa Concordia salvage operation, said divers are entering a 'critical' 24 hours to rescue anyone who might still be alive.

Meanwhile, school friends of missing Hannah are anxiously waiting for updates on her safe return, with her prestigious Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, west London, saying it is 'in shock' after its former pupil disappeared.

A spokesperson for the 25,000-a-year school said: 'We are all incredibly shocked by the news that Hannah and her father are among those missing in this tragic incident and our thoughts are with their family and everyone involved as we await further updates.'

Hannah had just completed her A-Levels and gained a place to study English at Oxford before the tragedy.

Emergency and rescue service officials work at a port near the site where a luxury yacht sank, in Porticello, near the Sicilian city of Palermo, Italy, August 20

Scuba divers on the scene amid the search for the missing sailboat in Porticello, Italy, today

Rescue workers and divers from the Italian fire brigade work tonight as a rescue operation continues for the missing people who were on board

A rescue boat on the water tonight as the huge search operation continues

The superyacht (pictured) was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when it was hit by an over-sea tornado, known as a waterspout

Mike Lynch (pictured) invited family and friends on his superyacht to celebrate his triumph over fraud charges in the US. Lynch is missing alongside his 18-year-old daughter Hannah

Emergency services at the scene of the search for the missing sailboat in Porticello, southern Italy

Rescue workers look at the plans of the the Bayesian as they organise a search operation for six people who are still missing after the superyacht sank

Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue

CCTV captured the last moments of the Bayesian superyacht before it sank beneath the waves during a ferocious storm early on Monday morning

The Italian coastguard has insisted it is continuing its search, even though a positive outcome after nearly two days is 'difficult to imagine'.

Frigate Captain Vincenzo Zagarola told Italian radio station RTL: 'Given the time that has passed and the circumstances of the event, it is naturally difficult to imagine that things can go well but we are not giving up, so we are busy [searching] with naval and air resources.'

'They've got a very small window of time to try to find people stuck inside with hopefully an air pocket, and they could be rescued,' Mr Sloane told Sky News.

'You've got a maximum of two to three days to try to get someone out, so the next 24 hours are critical.'

Divers from Napoli and Messina are assisting with the huge search operation, which is being made more difficult due to cables and furnishings obstructing the way to the cabins, Italian media reported.

After inspecting the command bridge, which is outdoors, the cave divers descended into the main lounge from an internal ladder.

But inside, they were obstructed by floating objects from chairs and cushions to utensils and plates.

'Access to the hull is difficult, getting inside, going down to the compartment below through the narrow stairs and going into all the cabins to analyse centimetre by centimetre is really hard and difficult work,' said Marco Tilotta, inspector of the Palermo Fire Department's diving unit.

A helicopter was seen flying over Porticello this afternoon, while an underwater vehicle has been helping divers search for missing passengers.

Italian rescue workers are using a remotely operated underwater vehicle in their search.

In a statement, the coastguard said five patrol cars, one helicopter and divers had been working since the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Despite the sliver of hope, Italian Coastguard officials admitted they believe the six people who are still missing have died and their bodies are inside the wreck.

Vincenzo Zagarola said: 'We think they are still inside the boat, that is our very hard idea.

'Our search and rescue activity by sea and air has gone on for around 36 hours. Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly.

'We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat.'

Asked about the likelihood of them being alive, he replied: 'Never say never, but reasonably the answer should be not.'

It is believed the ship sank after its mast - one of tallest in the world at an enormous 246ft-high - snapped during the brutal incident and keeled over, taking the hull beyond the 'down-flooding angle', according to nautical experts.

Among the 15 who survived include a one-year-old British baby called Sofia, who was kept afloat by her mother, 36-year-old Charlotte Golunski.

Mrs Golunski, an Oxford graduate and senior associate at Invoke, also survived after fighting to prevent her child from drowning.

Search divers head out to the scene of the wreck near Porticello this morning as the operation to find the bodies of those missing continue

Emergency and rescue service officials work at a port near the site where a luxury yacht sank, in Porticello, near the Sicilian city of Palermo, Italy, August 20

Lynch's attorney Christopher Morvillo (pictured) and his wife Neda are also missing

Neda and her husband Christopher are both missing in the wake of Monday's superyacht sinking

Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer (pictured), and his wife are also missing

Judy Bloomer, who is missing, is a supporter and former board member of the Eve Appeal, a charity that raises awareness and funds research into gynaecological cancer

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch is still missing. His wife Angela Bacares (right) was among the 15 people who were rescued from the yacht

Luxury sailboat Bayesian was docked off the coast of Porticello when a waterspout struck the area just before 5am on Monday

A life raft is seen docked at the harbour near the port where the emergency and rescue workers are launching their search operation

The mother told Italian newspaper Republicca: 'I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

'It was all dark. In the water I couldn't keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.'

Mrs Golunski's British husband James Emsilie, 36, also survived the tragedy.

Another survivor is Lynch's wife Angela Bacares, who is now reportedly recovering from her injuries in a wheelchair.

She revealed that the first sign of the freak waterspout that sunk the luxury sailboat Bayesian was a 'slight tilt' that woke her up.

Lynch's wife told La Repubblica that she and her husband woke up at 4am when the boat suddenly 'tilted'.

Mrs Bacares said that they were not worried at the time, but that she still got up to see what was happening, until glass shattered and created confusion on board.

She sustained abrasions on her feet - likely after walking on glass shards during the sinking - which have left her unable to walk and sitting in a wheelchair, La Repubblica reports, while she also has bandages on others part of her body.

Another survivor is Clifford Chance lawyer Ayla Ronald, 36, who was part of the successful legal team invited to go sailing with Lyncchah, according to her father Lin.

Charlotte Golunski, 36, (pictured) her husband and her one-year-old baby also survived

Mr Ronald told the Telegraph: 'I have texted with my daughter. She has only said to me that there are deaths, and she and her partner are alive' (pictured: Ayla Ronald)

On-board hostess Leah Randall, 20, from South Africa, was also on board and survived

Survivors Leo Eppel (in the black t-shirt) and Katja Chicken (in the green top) as they leave the Coast Guard Headquarters on August 19

On-board hostesses Leah Randall, 20, from South Africa, also survived the tragedy.

Heidi Randall, Leah's mother, told Sky News: 'I'm beyond relieved that my daughter's life was spared by the grace of God.

'It doesn't make it any easier living with heartache of those who have lost their lives or missing.'

Leah was photographed leaving the coast guard headquarters yesterday alongside a fellow crew member.

Leah and 22-year-old crew member Katja Chichen, from Germany, said as they were questioned by investigators: 'We are alive by a miracle,' according to Italian news agency ANSA, who reported that one of the girls sobbed as she said: 'It was terrible.'

Other survivors included Irish woman Sasha Murray, 29, Matthew Fletcher, 41, from London, James Calfield 51, from New Zealand, Myin Htun Kyaw, 39, from Myanmar, crew member Leo Eppel and the French Captain Matthew Griffith.

Speaking from a hospital room in the town of Termini Imerese close to Palermo, Mr Calfied, in a state of grief and shock, could only utter one sentence.

'We didn't see it coming,' he told La Repubblica.

Rescuers claimed that survivors spoke of the ship going down in 'two minutes' and that it appears that the yacht 'wasn't anchored in a safe place' at the time of sinking.

They were rescued by crews from nearby boats including that of Karsten Borner, the captain of a sailing ship anchored near the Bayesian, who said his team struggled to keep their boat afloat when the tornado hit.

Fabio Cefalu, a fisherman in Porticello who witnessed the tragedy unfold, said he saw a waterspout  a sort of mini-tornado  that lasted about 12 minutes shortly before 4am.

At around 4.10am he said he saw a red flare go off from Bayesian but by the time he was able to reach the area about 20 minutes later the yacht had all but disappeared. 'We found only the cushions, and a few planks floating in the water,' he said.

Two more survivors were named as on-board hostess Katya Chicken, 23, from Germany, and Leo Eppel.

Katya has been interviewed by officials from the CoastGuard investigating the circumstances of the sinking.

On Tuesday evening two crew members, Tus Koopmans and Eaton Parker, were also named as survivors. No age or nationalities were provided.
Advances by Vladimir Putin's forces across eastern Ukraine gathered pace yesterday with reports they had seized another key town.

Russian flags were seen flying over Niu York, a Donetsk region settlement named after the US city, after what Moscow's defence ministry described as 'intense action'.

Away from the headline-grabbing incursion into southern Russia by Ukrainian troops, Kremlin forces have swept across Donetsk in recent weeks.

The Russians heavily outnumber defending troops in eastern Ukraine and are well supplied with artillery and weaponry.

By contrast, Ukrainian units have reported shell shortages, leading to rationing.

Russia's tempo of operations in Ukraine has accelerated despite the shock counter-invasion by President Volodymyr Zelensky's regime.

Ukrainian soldiers prepare a vehicle adapted to fire helicopter shells as the Russia-Ukraine war continues in the direction of Toretsk, Ukraine

Vladimir Putin's Russian troops heavily outnumber those defending in eastern Ukraine and are well supplied with artillery and weaponry

Russia's rapid advance has already forced tens of thousands of Ukrainians to leave their homes (Pictured: A young woman stays in line for evacuation train in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region)

To escape the advancing Russian forces, Ukrainians boarded trains and buses (Pictured: A woman comes into evacuation train in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region)

While many observers expected the Kremlin to withdraw thousands of troops from eastern Ukraine to stem the tide of Kyiv's advance, this has not transpired.

These soldiers have remained in situ, pressing ahead night and day in a bid to capture the whole of the Donetsk province by November - a target set by the Kremlin.

Russia's rapid advance has already forced tens of thousands of Ukrainians to leave their homes - and last night there were fears Moscow-led troops could also seize the industrial town of Toretsk, near Niu York.

Ukraine's military chief General Oleksandr Syrsky said his country's forces were 'doing everything necessary' in a bid to protect Toretsk, while President Zelenksy described the situation there as 'difficult'.

In the last 24 hours, some 14 separate advances by Russian troops have been reported in Toretsk and 34 in nearby Pokrovsk, which has a population of 53,000.

The most advanced Russian troops are just six miles from Pokrovsk, according to the latest reports.

Katerina Yanzhula, a government official in Pokrovsk, said: 'Russian forces are moving towards the outskirts, it is no secret. Maybe the situation there will change somehow.

'We hope the enemy will stop and our troops will repel them.'

Russia's tempo of operations in Ukraine has accelerated despite the shock counter-invasion by President Volodymyr Zelensky's (pictured) regime

A Ukrainian tank near the Russian border. Ukrainian forces have been engaged in a military incursion into Russia's Kursk region since August 6

Ukrainian forces are understood to be outgunned in these areas because ammunition and equipment was prioritised for the Kursk invasion.

To escape the advancing Russian forces, Ukrainians boarded trains and buses. Many people were seen weeping as they waited to depart. Soldiers helped the elderly and disabled.

Natalya Ivaniuk, who fled her village with her two young daughters, said: 'We barely got out. It was terrifyingly scary.'

While the incursion into Kursk has gained precious Russian territory and scored points politically, Kyiv's forces are in retreat in the eastern provinces of Ukraine.

Appealing yet again for further Western assistance, President Zelensky said: 'If our partners lifted all the current restrictions on the use of weapons on Russian territory, we would not need to enter Kursk.'

His troops are unable to use their UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles due to objections put forward by the United States. By contrast, the Ukrainians can use their long-range French rockets in Kursk.
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A man has been shot in the neck by an apparent stranger following a night of chaos in Sydney's west, with the shooter reportedly turning the gun on himself.

Police say the violence began when the man fired several shots into a home on Antwerp Street in Auburn just before 10pm on Tuesday.

Neighbours told Daily Mail Australia they heard a man and woman shouting at the home just moments before bullets were fired.

After fleeing the scene, the man encountered a 55-year-old man sitting in his car on nearby Mona Street and tried to enter the vehicle.

The man shot at the car, striking the innocent driver in the neck.

'Police have been told the 55-year-old was confronted by an unknown man who then fired a shot at the car, striking him in his neck,' NSW Police said.

The gunman reportedly fled to the banks of Duck Creek where he turned the gun on himself.

Officers discovered his body in thick bushland off Mona Street just after 2am.

Police say the violence began when the man fired several shots into a home on Antwerp Street in Auburn just before 10pm on Tuesday (pictured, a shattered window at the home)

Forensics are seen taking photos of the home on Antwerp street that was shot at hours earlier

The man then shot at a car (pictured) striking a 55-year-old man sitting inside in the neck

A firearm was also found and seized for evidence.

A man who lives on Antwerp Street told Daily Mail Australia his sister-in-law was leaving their property when she heard two to three loud bangs.

Afraid, she ran back into their home before the family watched as an argument unfolded at a nearby property.

'There was a man in his car, reversing erratically in the street,' one person said.

'He kept reversing in and out of his driveway, then in and out of the driveways next to him. Then he pulled into the driveway and was arguing with the people inside.'

The man said he understands there are three people living at the home.

He said that the man driving erratically appeared to be one of the permanent residents of the home, yelling to be let in.

'The other residents were inside holding a big stick and they wouldn't let him in. There was also a younger couple with them, the man appeared to be injured because he was walking with a limp and the woman was helping him,' he said.

The man called police, at which point the older man was let into the house and stayed there for several hours with officers as they scoured the scene.

Other neighbours said they heard bangs and looked outside to see a short man running away from the scene on Antwerp Street.

They said they were shocked and that an elderly couple had lived at the four-bedroom, single-storey home for more than 30 years.

'They are a nice couple, very hard working,' one resident said.

Officers are seen arriving at the home on Antwerp Street after shots were fired just after 10pm

Forensic officers are seen inspecting a shattered glass window at the front of the home

The innocent man injured remains in a serious condition at Westmead Hospital.

Forensic officers were seen inspecting a shattered glass window at the front of the Antwerp Street home on Wednesday morning.

Police believe the domestic incident, random shooting and apparent suicide are linked and have made a public appeal for information.

'While the investigation is ongoing, the man's death isn't being treated as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the Coroner,' police said in a statement.

'There is no ongoing risk to the public.'

The shootings came just hours after a man's body was discovered in a unit block in Cabramatta at about 9.45pm following a report of concern for welfare.

The man is yet to be formally identified as an investigation continues into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

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Award-winning political columnist David Brooks said Joe Biden received rapturous ovations for his DNC speech Monday because the crowd was relieved he was quitting the race.

Brooks, who began his career as a more moderate and conservative standard bearer, has drifted left to the point of famously having a 'bromance' with Biden's old boss Barack Obama.

He summed up the president's address as 'unsmiling, haranguing.' The headline called it a 'reminder that he couldn't win' the 2024 election.

The opinion columnist has the same praise for Biden as he did Obama, calling him a 'superior' president but he was ultimately left dissatisfied with Biden's swan song and felt others might agree.

'On Monday, Biden offered people a vision of what his campaign might have been. I suppose the vast majority of Americans will be glad we are spared it,' he wrote.

Award-winning political columnist David Brooks said Joe Biden received rapturous ovations for his DNC speech Monday because the crowd was relieved he was quitting the race

Brooks (pictured), who began his career as a more moderate and conservative standard bearer, has drifted left to the point of famously having a 'bromance' with Biden's old boss Barack Obama

Brooks admitted in the New York Times essay that he was still sore over how he felt Biden had been 'pushed' from the nomination and cited Nancy Pelosi by name as the one to blame.

However, he said that America is getting past what he seems to define as Trump and Biden's era of politics, as polls seemed to show with Trump leading Biden but Harris quickly erasing the deficit in her month as a candidate.

'But on Monday it was clear there has been a shift in the spirit of the times, and Biden hasn't quite caught it. Anger and indignation is not the spirit America is hungering for now. The culture has moved on.'

He also critiqued the content of Biden's speech as emblematic of this era and out of touch with what he sees as Kamala Harris and Tim Walz's more positive efforts.

'I was hoping for something in the spirit of the Harris campaign  ebullient and joyful. Near the end, he got a little sentimental and said, "America, I gave my best to you." But largely he delivered an unsmiling, haranguing speech.'

Biden cried at the Democratic National Convention last night as he gave one of his final major addresses as president.

The 81-year-old took the stage in Chicago to pass the torch to Democratic nominee Kamala Harris on a night of delays that bumped his historic farewell remarks into the dead of night.

He began by wiping away a tear as his daughter Ashley introduced him in front of thousands of supporters chanting 'we love Joe' in the packed United Center.

Biden cried at the Democratic National Convention last night as he gave one of his final major addresses as president

His eyes were visibly watery during parts of his speech as the oldest president in US history was overcome with emotion.

Biden admitted he had made 'a lot of mistakes' in his career. 'But I gave my best to you,' he said. 'For 50 years, like many of you, I gave my heart and soul to the nation.'

The president insisted he was not angry about stepping aside after a growing chorus of senior Democrats had demanded he drop out.

Biden said he was acting for the good of the country, adding that serving as commander in chief has been the 'honor of my lifetime' and that he has 'a lot to do' in his last five months in office.

'I promise I will be the best volunteer Harris and Walz's campaign has ever seen,' he said.

First Lady Jill Biden also revealed how she watched her husband 'dig deep into his soul' as he decided to drop out of the race.

In an emotional speech before the president she also urged Americans to unite with 'faith in each other, hope for a brighter future, and love for our country'.

Biden ended what will be one of the last major speeches of his 52-year career in national politics with Democratic nominee Harris and a flurry of his family members, including son Hunter, by his side on stage.

President Joe Biden gets emotional as his daughter Ashley Biden welcomes him to the stage on the first day of the Democratic National Convention

Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris greets Hunter Biden's son, Beau Biden, after U.S. President Joe Biden's remarks, at the Democratic National Convention

First daughter Ashley Biden introduced her father, calling him 'the O.G. girl dad.'

Ahead of the president's appearances, his family members filed into a special box along the side of the convention hall.

Grandchildren Naomi, Finnegan, Maisy, Natalie, little Hunter and baby Beau were on hand, alongside Hunter Biden's wife Melissa Cohen, Naomi's husband Peter Neal and Ashley Biden's husband Howard Krein.

Hunter remained out of sight until the president wrapped up his remarks, but then led the Biden clan onstage.
An Ohio teenager suffered a freak death after she stepped outside her home in bare feet - just over five years after her brother died of cancer at the age of 11.

First responders say Olivia Bright, 17, was electrocuted while stepping into a camper in the yard near her family's East Toledo home on Sunday at around 9pm.

Firefighters blamed faulty wiring in an empty lot outside her home as well as a recent storm which caused the yard to be wet, according to WTOL.

Water is a conductor of electricity, and it's suggested Olivia could have stepped in a live puddle, although investigations are ongoing.

Olivia Bright, 17, suffered a freak death after she stepped outside her East Toledo home in bare feet on Sunday night

he Bright family are reeling from the unexpected loss of the teenager, who was just a few months away from turning 18 (Olivia pictured as a child)

Olivia was transported to a local hospital with burns on her right hand while in cardiac arrest. She was later pronounced dead.

But her mother has doubts about her teenage daughter's cause of death.

'All I know is that Toledo Edison cleared my power, they cleared my electrical,' Kimberly Bright, told 13 ABC.

She also noted that police did not find any charring on the door of the camper, which was unplugged.

The family will now check in with the coroner for an official cause of death.

'All I want to know is how my daughter passed - that's the answers I want,' Kimberly said.

Her mother, Kimberly, says she has doubts about her daughter's cause of death

Olivia was stepping into a camper near her yard when officials say she was electrocuted

In the meantime, the Bright family are reeling from the unexpected loss of the teenager, who was just a few months away from turning 18.

They have described Olivia as a bit of a handful, but overall a good kid who was outspoken, loved music - especially Carrie Underwood - and was well-loved.

'It's hard,' Kimberly said of her daughter's passing. 'Five-and-a-half years ago, I buried my son Brandon. He was the age 11. He died of glioblastoma.

'Now I have to go and make arrangements for my daughter Olivia.'

Olivia's death comes just over five years after the death of her brother, Brandon, who died of brain cancer at the age of 11 in 2019

An online fundraiser has been set up to help the family with the funeral arrangements, noting: 'This is extremely hard for our family because we have lost her brother at age 11 in 2019 due to brain cancer.'

An obituary for Brandon says he 'enjoyed many things in life, especially Batman, NASCAR, wrestling, Fast & Furious, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kane Brown, Blake Shelton [and] monster trucks.'

Kimberly said she is now holding onto her other children and grandchildren to get her through this rough time.

'All I'm saying is treasure your children while they're here,' she pleaded to other parents.

'Be there for your kids, because they could be here today and gone tomorrow, like mine was, and she was only 17.'
David Lammy was snubbed by Benjamin Netanyahu last week after the UK withdrew its objections to arrest warrant proceedings against the Israeli prime minister.

The Foreign Secretary was met by Mr Netanyahu on his first visit to Israel last month, and the pair were pictured shaking hands.

But the Israeli prime minister declined to meet Mr Lammy when he travelled to Jerusalem last week.

He was reportedly 'stung' by the UK's decision to withdraw its objection to the International Criminal Court prosecutor's request for arrest warrants for Mr Netanyahu.

The Israeli PM, defence minister Yoav Gallant and two senior Hamas figures are facing arrest warrants for alleged war crimes.

The Foreign Secretary was met by Benjamin Netanyahu on his first visit to Israel last month, and the pair were pictured shaking hands

The Israeli prime minister (pictured next to his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant) declined to meet Mr Lammy when he travelled to Jerusalem last week

Lammy and Sejourn held talks with the country's foreign minister Israel Katz, and repeated calls for a ceasefire in Gaza (pictured: smoke rises amid the advance of Israeli military vehicles in an area sheltering internally displaced Palestinians, in Khan Yunis)

Downing Street said last month that the UK will not intervene in the International Criminal Court's request for an arrest warrant against Mr Netanyahu.

The announcement was a reversal of plans announced by former prime minister Rishi Sunak.

'This was a proposal by the previous government which was not submitted before the election, and which I can confirm the government will not be pursuing in line with our long-standing position that this is a matter for the court to decide,' a spokesman for Sir Keir Starmer said in July.

Mr Lammy visited Israel last week alongside French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne.

The pair held talks with the country's foreign minister Israel Katz, and repeated calls for a ceasefire.

But The Times reported that Foreign Office officials had requested a meeting between Mr Lammy and Mr Netanyahu, though the bid was left unanswered.

Mr Lammy visited Israel last week alongside French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne

Mr Netanyahu was reportedly 'stung' by the UK's decision to withdraw its objection to the International Criminal Court prosecutor's request for arrest warrants for Mr Netanyahu, Mr Gallant and two senior Hamas figures

Britain's relationship with Israel has been under strain since Sir Keir restored funding for the United Nations' Palestine relief agency UNRWA, which had been suspended by Mr Sunak's government in January.

The Labour Prime Minister has also said the Palestinian state has an 'undeniable right' to be recognised as part of a peace process.

But the decision to withdraw objections to the arrest warrant proceedings against Mr Netanyahu at the Hague appears to have been the most damaging.

'He was stung more by the ICC decision than anything else,' a UK source said, according to The Times.

The Foreign Office said there were 'no plans to meet prime minister Netanyahu during this visit'.
Swiss police have discovered a stash of 121 stolen phones hidden in tin foil as a man allegedly tried to smuggle them into Italy.

The 71 iPhones and 29 Samsung devices were discovered by police in Chiasso, Switzerland individually wrapped in foil inside the suspect's suitcase as he travelled by train from Zurich to Milan.

Italian police released footage of the dozens of the wrapped phone packages.

The suspect, an unnamed 40-year-old Romanian man, was arrested at the scene.

The phones were all believed to have been stolen during Zurich's Street Parade music festival on August 10, and efforts are now being made to return them to their rightful owners.

Swiss police have discovered a stash of 121 stolen phones hidden in tin foil as a man allegedly tried to smuggle them into Italy

The 71 iPhones and 29 Samsung devices were discovered by police in Chiasso, Switzerland

The phones were all believed to have been stolen during Zurich's Street Parade music festival on August 10

This comes as phone theft has swept through Europe in recent months, including the UK.

In particular, London has been plagued by a terrifying spate of phone snatchings, where e-bike crooks use high-powered vehicles to steal the devices and make quick getaways.

Figures have shown that a mobile phone is reported as stolen in London every six minutes.

Nearly 52,000 devices were stolen in the capital last year as criminals use violence and distraction techniques to target victims.

Criminals often target pedestrians in busy locations such as outside stations, shopping centres or concert venues, and usually approach from behind, meaning victims aren't aware of how vulnerable their phone is until it's too late.

Mobile phones stolen on UK streets are reportedly being shipped in huge numbers to warehouses in southern China where they are broken down in parts, reassembled and sold on at knock-down prices.

An insatiable demand for second hand phones in the electronics hub of Shenzhen is being fuelled by handsets snatched by gangsters targeting busy areas in Britain, including music festivals.

After being shipped into the city by criminal accomplices exploiting its lax approach to enforcing laws around stolen goods, the handsets are sold second hand if they can be unlocked and returned to factory settings.

If they cannot be sold whole, they are dismantled and the component parts - such as the screen, motherboard and speaker - used for repairs or even pieced together into entire new handsets.

Shenzhen is located in the south of China next to the border with Hong Kong. Known as the country's 'Silicon Valley' due to its expertise in electronics, it is also home to large retail outlets selling used consumer goods.
At the bottom of a picturesque cemetery on the outskirts of their hometown, the graves of Erin Patterson's alleged victims remain unmarked more than a year after their deaths.

On Wednesday, Patterson will front the Supreme Court of Victoria for the first of a series of preliminary hearings to pave the way for her eventual jury trial next year.

The 49-year old faces three counts of murder over the deaths of her father-in-law Don Patterson, mother-in-law Gail Patterson and extended relative Heather Wilkinson, after inviting the trio to a lunch at her home in July last year.

She is also accused of the attempted murder of her estranged husband Simon Patterson, who was invited but did not attend, and two other alleged attempts in 2022, and another in 2021.

Patterson is also accused of the attempted murder of pastor Ian Wilkinson, who was at the lunch but survived after a long fight for his life in hospital.

Their final resting places of her alleged victims are positioned towards the rear of the cemetery among its lush lawns, a stone's throw from a grassy cow paddock.

While the bodies of Patterson's in-laws Don and Gail Patterson were buried within a month of their deaths, Ms Wilkinson was not buried until October.

It remains unknown why headstones have still not yet been arranged for the three, more than a year after their deaths.

The lonely burial sites of Don and Gail Patterson (top left) and Heather Wilkinson (centre bottom) on Monday

Erin Patterson is accused of murdering her in-laws at a deadly lunch in July 2023

A memorial for the Pattersons was held five weeks before Ms Wilkinson's, with hundreds attending the service at the Korumburra Recreation Centre.

A similar crowd attended Ms Wilkinson's memorial on October 4, where the survivor Mr Wilkinson was seen for the first time since the alleged poisoning.

Simon Patterson

Mr Wilkinson used a walking frame to attend the funeral service for his wife, just weeks after he was released from hospital.

While he did not address the gathering then, he will be compelled to give evidence if he is called to the witness box at Patterson's forthcoming trial.

On Monday, neither Mr Patterson nor Mr Wilkinson would discuss their scheduled appearances at the upcoming pre-trial hearings.

Warning signs posted at the gates of their respective homes in Korumburra - 120km south-east of Melbourne - threaten media representatives with prosecution for trespassing if they attempted to approach the properties.

Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges and will appear in court on Wednesday via videolink.

The mum-of-two had lived at a property situated among bush and lush green fields in Leongatha - a short drive from Korumburra - at the time of the alleged murders.

On Monday, a warning sign on her gate remained stuck to the electronic gate of her home.

The once prestigious home of Erin Patterson in Leongatha now appears to be overgrown

A legal notice remains cable-tied to Erin Patterson's front gate

Patterson's alleged victims are buried in unmarked graves at the Korumburra Cemetery

While Patterson is understood to still own the property, she no longer lives there and it appears to be unoccupied, abandoned and overgrown, with long grass surrounding the property.

It was the same home where police have accused Patterson of murdering her alleged victims with a Beef Wellington laced with poisonous mushrooms.

The first of Patterson's pre-trial hearings is expected to wind-up on Monday, with further hearings planned for later this year, ahead of a trial next year.

But evidence from the hearings will be kept secret from the public to ensure potential jury members do not hear information that is not disclosed at the trial.

Don and Gail Patterson were both allegedly murdered by Erin Patterson

Heather and Ian Wilkinson. Mr WIlkinson survived the deadly lunch that claimed the life of his wife

The graves of Patterson's alleged victims remain unmarked more than a year after their deaths

The Korumburra General Cemetery is nestled among rolling green hills

The case garnered worldwide attention when news of it broke at the end of July last year, attracting journalists from across the globe.

When the actual trial gets underway next year, the world's press will be granted full access to proceedings, with US-based documentary crews among the many expected to be in the media pack.

Patterson has always denied any wrongdoing and broke down in tears when she broke her silence prior to her arrest last year.

'The loss to the community and to the families and my own children who have lost their grandmother I just can't fathom what has happened,' she said at the time.

'Im so sorry that they have lost their lives. I just cant believe it.'
During her trip to Jersey last month with King Charles, Queen Camilla tucked into a small tub of ice cream.

Her Majesty enjoyed the sweet treat before she had to be whisked away due to a security scare that turned out to be a false alarm.

It was far from the first time that the royals have tucked into food - or helped with serving it - during engagements.

Prince William has previously served vegetarian burgers out of a van and also answered the phone at an Indian restaurant.

The Princess of Wales showed off her pancake flipping skills in Slough and even tasted a food dubbed 'nature's Viagra' when in the Bahamas.

As for Charles, he once turned down a slice of cake that contained insects.

Camilla tucking into a Jersey ice cream last month before being whisked away after a security scare

Will speaking, table for two?

During a visit to an Indian restaurant in Birmingham with Kate last year, Prince William picked up the phone to a potential diner.

The phone rang unexpectedly while the pair were trying a range of dishes at the family-run Indian Streatery.

The Prince of Wales answered the call after asking: 'Should I take the order?'

William had a friendly chat with the future customer and then asked the restaurant staff: 'Do we have a seat for two right now?'

The Prince and Princess of Wales were left giggling after William picked up the phone at an Indian restaurant

Prince William checks his watch as he speaks to a customer over the phone and arranges a time for their booking

'Half past two?' he suggested. 'Does that work for you? No, apparently not right now.

'You've got a train at 3? If you could get in at half past two that would be fine. For two people? Maybe a quarter past two, and you could make the train at three?'

Even though William gave the wrong street name, the diner, Vinay Aggarwal and his wife Ankita Gulati, managed find the venue and were surprised to discover they had been talking to Prince William.

A prince in a burger van

Prince William serving veggie burgers to customers during an event with YouTube channel Sorted Food

Shocked diners stare in surprise when they realise they are being served by a prince

Taking a table reservation isn't the only time William has tried out a customer service role.

Last year the Prince of Wales served customers during an event with YouTube channel Sorted Food to spotlight the work of three wnners of his Earthshot Prize.

William, dressed in a pale blue shirt, was inside the food van in central London and turned to pass some burgers over the counter.

One diner was so shocked she put her hand to her mouth when she recognised the Prince, while others stared in surprise.

The partnership saw them develop the Earthshot Burger - which was made using Kheyti greenhouse vegetables, cooked on a cleaner-burning portable stove, and presented in a biodegradable box.

Pancake flipping princess

Princess Kate attempting to flip a pancake on Shrove Tuesday last year at a care home in Slough

Kate, wearing a floral facemask, laughs with the chef as she navigates cooking the pancake

When she visited a care home in Slough on Shrove Tuesday last year, Kate tried - and failed - to flip a pancake.

The princess burst into laughter after attempting to flip the treat and then said: 'Definitely don't eat this one.'

Two care home residents watched on as Kate placed her pancake next to two others made by the head chef and added: 'All the ones made earlier are much nicer'.

The royal, who wore a floral face mask once inside the care home, also met with staff and residents.

Kate trying 'nature's Viagra'

Prince William and Princess Kate looking at a local delicacy 'conch pistol'  said to have the same effect as Viagra

The Princess of Wales tries local food in the Bahamas during the royal tour with Prince William in 2022

Feeling adventurous, Kate tucked into 'conch pistol' during a tour of the Bahamas in 2022.

The local delicacy is from inside of the conch and is commonly said to be its male genitalia genitals.

Before taking a bite, the princess said: I'm a little bit more adventurous than William is.' As the pair joked around, he said: 'I can handle it.'

She then helped a stall owner prepare a conch salad before she and William tried some, calling it 'delicious'.

Prince William was also keen to try the local drink and stopped at a bar where he was offered a Gully Wash - made from coconut juice with condensed milk.

Prince William and a pregnant Kate put their pinnies on

William and Kate wear aprons as they help prepare meals for a community lunch at St Luke's Community Centre in London in 2018

The couple putting garnishes on the dishes being prepared for the community lunch

During her final engagement before maternity leave in 2018, Kate and William helped to prepare meals for a community lunch at St Luke's Community Centre in London.

The royal couple both got stuck in with their aprons as they took part in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Big Lunch.

The event was designed to encourage communities around the world to make friends and meet their neighbours over a meal together.

They put garnishes on the dishes being prepared in the kitchen before they were taken out for locals to eat.

William chops carrots

Prince William preparing to chop and peel carrots with homeless charity The Passage in London in 2019

The prince joining volunteers and serving hot meals in the cafeteria

Prince William got stuck in again during a visit to homeless charity The Passage, in London in 2019.

He rolled up his sleeves before peeling and chopping vegetables while wearing a white apron.

Afterwards, he then joined volunteers on the food counter and served hot meals in the cafeteria.

The father of three first visited the charity with Princess Diana in 1993 and has returned many times since.

Insect cake, your Majesty?

Then Prince Charles looking at the cake made from lemon, yellow courgette and ants during a mini-tour in East Devon in 2018

Charles laughing and politely declined a piece of the insect cake after discovering the ingredients

King Charles was offered a piece of lemon and yellow courgette cake during a mini-tour in East Devon in 2018.

However, he politely turned it down after the then Prince of Wales discovered it also contained ants.

He laughed at the discovery and said: 'Insects?!'

Charles was attending a festival designed to showcase the finest food and crafts of the area.

Though he declined the insect cake, Charles did try other treats, including a fruit juice, while Camilla enjoyed a glass of local sparkling wine.

Prince Harry and Meghan try the local food

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle try samosas during a tour in Cape Town in 2019

The pair sat down to a snack inside the District 6 museum in Cape Town

Meghan and Harry have been known to get in on the food action too, and did so during their trip to South Africa in 2019.

The pair sat down to a snack inside the District 6 museum in Cape Town.

Their plates boasted Cape Malay koesisters, a local pastry similar to a doughnut, and samosas.

They sampled other cuisine made by locals including, mutton and tomato stew and butter bean stew

Meghan and Harry also tucked into a dessert of potato pudding.
The demonstrators accused of blocking the Golden Gate Bridge to protest the war in Gaza have called for San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins to recuse herself, citing gifts she received from the Israeli government. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

The 26 people charged with blocking the Golden Gate Bridge for hours this spring to protest the war in Gaza are demanding District Attorney Brooke Jenkins remove herself from the case, saying gifts of wine she received from Israeli government officials present a conflict of interest.

In a letter sent to Jenkins on Tuesday, the groups team of defense attorneys said Jenkins and members of her staff had shown bias against Palestinians and that the charges against their clients were disproportionately aggressive when compared to previous similar cases.

We are concerned and believe that your office cannot prosecute the Golden Gate Bridge 26 in the fair and impartial manner that the Constitution requires, the attorneys said in the letter, which was obtained by the Chronicle. Accordingly, we urge you to recuse yourself from this case.

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The protesters adopted the Golden Gate Bridge 26 moniker shortly after the charges were filed.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the DAs office said Jenkins meetings with consular staff does not create a real or apparent conflict of interest and that public officials in San Francisco meet routinely with consulates representing numerous countries to discuss safety of consulates, consulate staff, and their citizen populations, the statement said.

The statement did not include details of Jenkins discussions with the Israeli consulate.

This case is being handled like every other case based on the facts, evidence and the law. The charging decision here was made after an extensive investigation by the California Highway Patrol and based solely on the facts from that investigation and the laws that currently exist, the statement said.

The defense teams letter comes 10 days after Jenkins announced a host of criminal charges for each member of the group, who are accused of blocking traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge for hours on April 15 to protest the war in Gaza and the U.S. militarys support of Israel.

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Eight members of the group were charged with felonies, and the rest were charged with misdemeanors. All of the defendants face 38 counts of false imprisonment, a number meant to represent some of the scores of people who were stuck on the bridge that day.

On two separate occasions last year, Jenkins accepted gifts of wine from the Consulate of Israel, according to her most recent statement of economic interests.

One of the self-reported gifts, labeled as wine and valued at $17.49, was given to Jenkins on Dec. 12, 2023, the document states. Jenkins also reported an earlier gift of Mid Bar Syrah Wine for $60, which she received on Feb. 1, 2023.

Three days after receiving the December gift, Jenkins office charged 80 people with unlawful public assembly and other misdemeanors for shutting down the Bay Bridge in November while calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.

It is unclear whether Jenkins met with Israeli consulate officials on the dates she received the gifts, or what, if anything, she has discussed with them.

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The defendants in the Bay Bridge case were only charged with misdemeanors, and only one person was named as a victim. In March, the defendants struck a deal with prosecutors that allowed them to avoid going to trial in exchange for paying restitution and participating in community service.

The letter sent by the attorneys representing the Golden Gate Bridge protesters cites additional statements by Jenkins and members of her staff that defense attorneys say show bias against Palestinians, including a former prosecutor who called Arabs hate mongers who need to be sent back to their native homelands and out of Israel.

The defense team that signed onto the letter includes 26 private and public defenders, including Jeff Wozniak, who represented the defendants in the Bay Bridge case, and John Hamasaki, who unsuccessfully ran against Jenkins for district attorney in 2022.

Wozniak said the defense team intends to file a formal motion for Jenkins to be recused from the case after they receive more information about her meetings with the Israeli consulate.
A Texas woman who was mistaken for a lookalike thief who swindled $1.2million from her company to fund her TikTok career has spoken of her shock.

People have been flocking to the TikTok account of a user who goes by @stacy7676, wrongly believing she is Staci Blackmon, a Dallas woman who just pleaded guilty to embezzling the large sum from her former employer, reported Fox 4.

The felon burned through most of the money buying TikTok coins, an in-app currency that she gifted to influencers in hopes of getting more of her own followers.

Staci Lynne Blackmon, 39, (left) was sentenced to 35 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to stealing $1.2 million to try to attain internet fame. She bears a striking resemblance to the TikTok user (right)

After Blackmon was sentenced to 35 years in prison for her crimes this week, a different woman who is her lookalike and shares her name on TikTok was flooded with comments and views.

'Y'all need to get better FBI skills and continue trolling because y'all have stumbled upon the wrong one,' Stacy said in her Southern drawl in a video posted to her account.

'My name is Stacy: S-T-A-C-Y. The lady that was arrested in Dallas is S-T-A-C-I. Her last name starts with a 'B.' Mine starts with a 'C,' and we do not look anything alike.'

However, new followers of Stacy with a 'Y' were quick to disagree with her in her comment section.

'You def look alike if you guys did not remotely favor each other, ppl would keep passing by,' posted @Oyg.

'You absolutely DO look like her,' posted @Shrimp.

But while her status as a doppelganger is up for debate, the two women do share another thing in common-- their love of social media attention.

'But, I love all the views I've gotten, the comments. Thanks for boosting everything,' Stacy with a 'Y' clapped back in her video.

Staci with an 'I' was in search of the very same thing, according to prosecutors.

'She spent her money on TikTok,' a disgusted Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney Lori Varnell told the local outlet.

'She didnt buy any assets. She didnt put the money anywhere and had nothing to offer, to payback, that was comparable to the amount that she stole. She went ahead and stole another $400,000 from the business as well.'

Starting in 2020, she began funneling money from an account at her job with SCH Homes, a luxury home builder based a suburb called Southlake, to TikTok.

She bought $900,000 worth of TikTok coins to tip influencers with large followings during live streams.

Blackmon believed doing so would help her get more of her own followers.

It's unclear how big a fan base she was able to build, but her employer eventually caught on-- noticing the missing money.

She was indicted in 2022, and had then had blown the money on social media, a luxury suite at the a Dallas Mavericks game, home furniture and on several vacations.

The failed social media star will instead spend 35 years in prison, although she plans to appeal her punishment.
Archaeologists have uncovered 'surprising' new evidence that suggested Neanderthals were smarter than previously believed.

Excavations near the Pyrenees mountains in Spain produced over 29,000 artifacts, including stone tools and animal bones, which proposed the ancient hominin primates were skilled and intelligent hunters.

The animal bones uncovered at the site showed our ancestors planned their meals based on the surrounding environment and developed tools specific to killing large animals like bison or smaller ones like rabbits.

'The findings revealed Neanderthals were able to adapt to their environment, challenging the archaic humans' reputation as slow-footed cavemen and shedding light on their survival and hunting skills,' researchers said.

Excavations near the Pyrenees mountains in Spain produced over 29,000 artifacts, including stone tools and animal bones, which proposed the ancient hominin primates were skilled and intelligent hunters

Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) have been combing the foothills of Abric Pizarro, a site dating from 100,000 to 65,000 years ago during a period called MIS 4, for clues about the extinct species.

The region is home to a large number of caves and rock shelter sites that were home to Neanderthals.

'Our surprising findings at Abric Pizarro show how adaptable Neanderthals were,' lead author Dr Sofia Samper Carro said.

'The animal bones we have recovered indicate that they were successfully exploiting the surrounding fauna, hunting red deer, horses and bison, but also eating freshwater turtles and rabbits, which imply a degree of planning rarely considered for Neanderthals.'

According to the researchers, these new insights challenge widespread beliefs that Neanderthals only hunted large animals, such as horses and rhinoceros.

'Through the bones that we are finding, which display cut marks, we have direct proof that Neanderthals were capable of hunting small animals,' Dr Samper Carro said.

'The bones on this site are very well preserved, and we can see marks of how Neanderthals processed and butchered these animals.

'Our analysis of the stone artefacts also demonstrates variability in the type of tools produced, indicating Neanderthals' capability to exploit the available resources in the area.'

'The findings revealed Neanderthals were able to adapt to their environment, challenging the archaic humans' reputation as slow-footed cavemen and shedding light on their survival and hunting skills,' researchers said

The team created a 3D map to plot where each artefact was found at the dig, allowing them to more accurately interpret each Neanderthal tool and meal's possible relationship to one another.

'We 3D plot every single remain found larger than one to two centimeters. This makes our work slow, and we have been excavating some of these sites for over 20 years, but it turns into a uniquely precise recording of the sites,' Dr Samper Carro said.

'We are interested in how the different data relates to each other, from stone tools to bones and hearths.

'This more thorough excavation gives archaeologists information on how Neanderthals lived and how long they were in an area.

'It's not only the individual materials that give us clues, but also where exactly they are found in relation to other materials on the site that helps us understand how and when Neanderthals were visiting these sites. Were they settled there or just passing through?'

Shedding light on this crucial transitional period helps archaeologists edge closer to solving a mystery that has plagued researchers for decades: what drove the Neanderthals to extinction?

According to the researchers, finding sites like Abric Pizarro, from this specific and not well-recorded period, gives information about how Neanderthals lived when modern humans were not in the area yet and shows that they were thriving.

To aid the new study, over 29,000 artifacts larger than 2-centimeters each, including stone tools and animal remains like teeth and bone, were plotted in 3D across the dig site. This 3D map helped interpret each Neanderthal tool and meal's possible relationship to one another

'The unique site at Abric Pizarro gives a glimpse of Neanderthal behavior in a landscape they had been roaming for hundreds of thousands of years,' Dr Samper Carro said.

'Neanderthals disappeared around 40,000 years ago. Suddenly, we modern humans appear in this region of the Pyrenees, and the Neanderthals disappear. But before that, Neanderthals had been living in Europe for almost 300,000 years.

'They clearly knew what they were doing. They knew the area and how to survive for a long time.

'This is one of the most interesting things about this site, to have this unique information about when Neanderthals were alone and living in harsh conditions and how they thrived before modern humans appeared.'
The true face of an ancient Egyptian mummy who died screaming in agony can be seen for the first time in 3,500 years, after scientists rebuilt her likeness.

Known as the Screaming Woman, the mummy was found in 1935 in Deir Elbahari, Egypt, in the family tomb of the royal architect, Senmut.

Unusually for a mummy, her organs were left inside her, so it was long thought that her mouth was left agape by careless embalmers.

But after a recent study revealing that an agonising death was to blame for her contorted expression, scientists decided to rebuild her living face.

Cicero Moraes, the Brazilian graphics expert behind the reconstruction, said the end result was a 'pleasant face' made by combining several approaches.

The true face of an ancient Egyptian mummy who died screaming in agony can be seen for the first time in 3,500 years, after scientists rebuilt her likeness

The mummy was found in 1935 in Deir Elbahari, Egypt, in the family tomb of the royal architect, Senmut

He said: 'I used a technique that combines elements from traditional schools of facial reconstruction with new approaches based on CT scan data from living people.

'These projections allow us to discover the spatial limits of structures such as the ear, eyes, nose, mouth, and the like.

'In addition, some structures are also traced in profile, such as the nose and lateral face.

'The data is complemented by the anatomical deformation technique, where the head of a virtual digital donor is adjusted to the skull to be approximated.

'Generally, there is a compatibility between all the data, with small differences, so the final face is an interpolation of all the information.'

Mr Moraes created various versions of the face.

One is objective, with eyes closed, and in greyscale to avoid making judgements about skin tone or eye colour.

Another is more subjective, showing the woman as she might have appeared in life, in colour, wearing the wig she was buried in.

Mr Moraes created various versions of the face. One is objective, with eyes closed, and in greyscale to avoid making judgements about skin tone or eye colour (right). Another is more subjective, showing the woman as she might have appeared in life, in colour, wearing the wig she was buried in (centre). And a third captures her scream, revealing how she might have looked when she was first interred (left)

CT images estimated that she was approximately 48 years old at the time of her death and had suffered from mild arthritis of the spine

And a third captures her scream, revealing how she might have looked when she was first interred.

Mr Moraes knows that his choice of skin tone may prove controversial in the latter depictions.

He said: 'The issue of the skin colour of ancient Egyptian people is a source of much controversy, with the discussion shifting from the scientific to the cultural and political.

'To avoid these problems, I have sought an approach based on publications on the subject, data collected from studies of local groups, and ancient Egyptian art.'

Sahar Saleem of Cairo University, lead author of the recent study into the Screaming Woman, blamed a cadaveric spasm for the mummy's pained expression.

'She was embalmed with costly, imported embalming material,' said Dr Saleem.

'This, and the mummy's well-preserved appearance, contradicts the traditional belief that a failure to remove her inner organs implied poor mummification.'

She continued: 'The mummy's screaming facial expression in this study could be read as a cadaveric spasm, implying that the woman died screaming from agony or pain.

Cicero Moraes, the Brazilian graphics expert behind the reconstruction, said the end result was a 'pleasant face' made by combining several approaches

Mr Moraes said: 'I used a technique that combines elements from traditional schools of facial reconstruction with new approaches based on CT scan data from living people'

'This mummified Screaming Woman is a true 'time capsule' of the way that she died, revealing some of the secrets of mummifications.'

The cause of her painful death, however, is lost to history.

Using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy on the remains, Dr Saleem and her colleagues revealed that the body was embalmed with juniper and frankincense.

These were costly, with the former imported from the Eastern Mediterranean, and the latter from East Africa or Southern Arabia.

The mummy also wore a wig made of fibres from the date palm, which were treated with quartz, magnetite, and albite crystals.

This was probably to stiffen the locks and turn them black, a colour thought to represent youth by ancient Egyptians, Dr Saleem said.

Her remains were discovered in the tomb of Senmut at Deir Elbahari, alongisde the remains of her parents

The woman's coffin did not identify her by name, but her burial place near the mortuary temple of the great female pharaoh Hatshepsut offers a clue

She added: 'The excavation notes mentioned she was wearing two rings with jasper scarabs set on gold and silver respectively.

'The material used for these amulets and jewellery denote the person's wealth and socio-economic status.'

The woman's coffin did not identify her by name, but her burial place near the mortuary temple of the great female pharaoh Hatshepsut offers a clue.

She was interred alongside the parents of Senmut, overseer of royal works and the temple's architect, who's reputed to have been the pharaoh's lover.

'She was likely a close family member of Senmut to share his parents' eternal resting place,' said Dr Saleem.

Mr Moraes praised Dr Saleem and her co-author, Samia El-Merghani of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, for their 'inspiring' work.

He said: 'I really enjoy two things, reading scientific papers and writing them.

'I had the opportunity to read the paper published by Saleem & El-Merghani, who provided the detailed data of the discovery, under a Creative Commons license.

'I decided to do my part by putting a face to the discovery.'

Mr Moraes published his study in the journal OrtogOnLineMag.
Last night, stargazers around the world were dazzled by an exceptionally rare blue supermoon.

But if you missed out on last night's spectacular display, there is no need to panic - as this is just the first of four upcoming lunar events.

A supermoon like last night occurs when the moon reaches 90 per cent of its closest distance to Earth.

Luckily, these events tend to come in clusters so there will be one to watch each month from now until November.

So, if you fancy getting in on the skygazing action, here are the key dates to make sure you have blocked off in your calendar.

Last night the rare blue supermoon lit up the skies in a spectacular display, as seen here from Copenhagen. But if you missed out, experts say there are more opportunities to come

What is a supermoon? The moon doesn't orbit Earth in a circle but rather in an ellipse. As it orbits it changes its distance from Earth. At its closest point to Earth, astronomers say the moon is at its perigee, while its furthest point is called its apogee. Whenever the moon is at 90 per cent of apogee this is called a supermoon. Supermoon isn't a real astronomical term but was actually coined by an American astrologer called Richard Nolle in 1979. Advertisement

Since the moon's orbit around the Earth isn't exactly circular the distance between the two changes throughout the year.

Normally, the moon remains around 238,600 miles (384,000 km) but during a supermoon that distance is significantly reduced.

Dr Edward Bloomer, senior astronomy manager at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told MailOnline: 'Due to the changing Earth-Moon distance, the Moon can appear slightly larger or smaller from the point of view of an observer on the Earth.

'Supermoon isn't actually a precise astronomical term, but in common usage, it is when the full moon occurs when the Moon is within 90 per cent of its minimum distance or maximum size.'

During yesterday's supermoon, the moon was 14,300 miles (23,000km) closer than normal, a difference equivalent to almost twice the diameter of the Earth.

That difference causes the moon to appear 30 per cent brighter and 14 per cent larger to an observer on Earth.

Last night, photographers all around the world took advantage of this rare opportunity to capture stunning photos of the moon.

During a supermoon, the moon appears up to 30 per cent brighter and 14 per cent larger to an observer on Earth. Pictured, yesterday's supermoon in Copenhagen, Denmark

Since the moon's orbit is elliptical its distance to Earth changes throughout the year. When the moon is within 90 per cent of its closest point, this is called a supermoon

When are the next supermoons this year? Name Date and Time Distance from Earth Harvest Moon September 17, 02:34 GMT 222,131 miles (357,486) Hunter's Moon October 17, 11:26 GMT 222,055 miles (357.364 km) Beaver Moon November 15, 21:29 GMT 224,853 miles (361,867 km)

In many of these images from the Northern Hemisphere, the moon also appears to be glowing red due to smoke from North American wildfires in the upper atmosphere.

However, many keen stargazers in the UK were left disappointed as thick cloud cover made it impossible to see anything throughout the night.

Thankfully, there is no need to feel any astronomical FOMO.

Dr Bloomer explains that supermoons tend to come in clusters of three or four because the moon cycles through its phases in a much shorter time than it takes to shift its elliptical orbit.

The difference is subtle but observers on Earth are able to see the difference between the moon at its closest point, or perigee, and its most distant point, or apogee

'The "90%" criteria often allows for us to get a few consecutive full moons which qualify as a supermoon before the elliptical nature of the orbit means that those full moons are too far away to count as supermoons,' says Dr Bloomer.

'And at the other extreme, you can get a cluster of "micromoons", where the full moon is occurring when the Earth-Moon distance is close to its maximum.'

Firstly, yesterday's supermoon will still be full for the next two days so with a better forecast over England and Wales this evening there is still time to see the blue supermoon.

Then, each of the next three full moons will be within 90 per cent of the moon's closest distance to Earth, also called its perigee, meaning they all count as supermoons.

Last night's moon also appeared red or orange for many in the Northern Hemisphere due to the buildup of wildfire smoke in the atmosphere. Pictured, the supermoon above Boston, Massachusetts

If you want to catch these spectacular events, the dates to add to your diary are September 17, October 17, and November 15.

The October supermoon will be the biggest of the year as the moon reaches a distance of just 222,055 miles (357,364 km) from Earth - the closest it will get all year.

However, it is September's supermoon which promises to be one of the most spectacular.

Not only will the moon be exceptionally close at just 222,131 miles (357,364 km) from Earth, but the full moon will also coincide with a partial lunar eclipse.

An eclipse of the moon occurs when the Earth moves directly between the sun and the moon, casting its shadow over the entire lunar surface.

Experts say there will be three more supermoons this year in September, October, and November. Pictured, the supermoon over Ankara, Turkey

During a partial eclipse, the moon passes through the outer edges of Earth's shadow in a region called a penumbra.

Small regions of the moon can also be darkened by the complete shadow of the Earth or umbra.

During the September 18 partial eclipse, the maximum will occur at 03:44 am BST during which just 3.5 per cent of the moon will be in the umbra.

Since this will only lead to partial darkening of the moon it can be hard to spot so be sure to give yourself plenty of time to find a good view.

Dr Bloomer says: 'There are plenty of apps available to let you know about the time and direction to best look for the Moon, so essentially a bit of planning ahead will help enormously.

To get the best view try to catch the moon while it is low to the horizon like this image of the supermoon over Athens, Greece. Due to an effect called the Moon Illusion, this causes the moon to appear larger

'Then, it's a case of trying to find a nearby area which doesn't suffer from obscured views - a nice flat horizon is great.'

Due to an effect called the 'moon illusion' the moon appears to be larger while it is close to the horizon.

By timing your viewing around the moonrise, you can make use of this phenomenon to get an even more spectacular view.

You don't need any special equipment to see the supermoon since they are so large and bright but using binoculars or a small telescope can help pick out some of the moon's features.

A lot of your success will depend on getting clear skies so be sure to check the weather forecast before you head out.

Since the moon will appear full for three days you can be careful to choose an evening when you have the best weather.
Humans have done everything from splitting the atom and photographing a black hole, yet our understanding of why we dream remains something of a mystery.

Perhaps one of the most perplexing dreaming habits is 'lucid dreaming'  the ability to control exactly what happens.

Depicted in films such as 'Inception', lucid dreaming could provide a useful link between the real world and the dream world.

MailOnline readers have shared their own experiences of lucid dreaming, with one saying it's like 'being the director of your own 3D film'.

From turning bullets into flowers to Peter Andre making a moussaka, here are some of the most weird and wonderful lucid dreams.

Lucid dreams let more have more enjoyable 'trips' or psychedelic adventures when they go to sleep (depicted here by an AI)

What is a lucid dream? A lucid dream is a type of dream where the person is aware that they are dreaming. It lets them experience a state of 'heightened awareness' during sleep that allows them to control what happens within the dream. Lucid dreaming lets people banish nightmares, eliminate post-traumatic stress, or generally have more enjoyable 'trips' when asleep. Lucid dreaming contrasts with a normal dream, where the dreamer is an observer with no control and has no idea that they are dreaming. Advertisement

Rachel Alexander, CEO and founder of AI firm Omina Technologies in Antwerp, Belgium, said she taught herself to start having lucid dreams as a teenager with help from a psychologist.

'When I was about 16 I started having nightmares that someone would chase me and try to kill me and I would wake up in a cold sweat,' she told MailOnline.

'The psychologist explained to me how I could become lucid in my dreams and so I started doing it and it really worked.

'When someone was chasing me and trying to kill me in my dreams I would become lucid and turn the bullets into flowers, or turn on my assailant and give him or her a hug.

'I was able to turn nightmares into happy dreams and I slept better, and eventually after a few years I stopped needing this trick anymore.'

According to Tore Nielsen, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Montreal, being chased is a common dream scenario, but it may prime us for certain situations ever happening real life.

'By simulating a threatening situation, the dream of being chased provides a space for a person to practice perceiving and escaping predators in their sleep,' Professor Nielsen said.

The idea of controlling your dreams might sound like the plot of the latest science fiction blockbuster. But this mysterious gift is a reality for around 20 per cent of people, who are able to go on exciting trips in impossible worlds (file photo)

Depicted in films such as 'Inception' starring Leonardo DiCaprio (pictured), lucid dreaming could provide a useful link between the real world and the dream world

Other sources suggest being chased in a dream is related to anxiety in life, or avoiding acknowledging the cause of that anxiety.

But instead of fleeing, legendary Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung suggested we 'should by no means resist when this element faces them'.

Mrs Alexander said that her school psychologist had been unable to identify the source of her troubling chase nightmares  although she forgot to tell her about one traumatic incident.

'When I was 13 I got lost in Puerta Vallarta [Mexico] and a guy pulled a gun on me,' she told MailOnline.

'I am GenX, born in 1972  it didnt even occur to me that this might be considered a traumatic experience!' she told MailOnline.

Mrs Alexander said she hasn't had a lucid dream in more than 30 years' and 'I cant seem to make it happen anymore'.

Lucid dreaming helps people banish nightmares or generally have more enjoyable 'trips' when they go to sleep (file photo)

Meanwhile, when she read about lucid dreaming, Lisa Frankel, based in Henderson, Nevada, had thought 'everyone was able' to control their dreams.

'I can pop out if theyre too scary and be back in bed and I can fly in dreams if I want sometimes,' she told MailOnline.

According to classic dream analysis, flying suggests the sleeper has a desire for more freedom in their waking life, or new opportunities.

It's estimated that 50 per cent of people have experienced a lucid dream in their lives, while 20 per cent have one at least once a month and 1 per cent enjoy them more than once a week.

Kiri Pryde, based in Wrexham, Wales, said she has lucid dreams most nights and can control them 'if I don't like where it's going'.

'My dreams are a land I travel to at will and can change their course in one waking moment,' she told MailOnline.

Lucid dreaming contrasts with a normal dream, where the dreamer is an observer with no control and has no idea that they are dreaming (artist's depiction)

'I am well aware that I am dreaming and will actively go back into a dream if I wake and I was enjoying it.

'A particularly memorable one was Peter Andre making me a moussaka.'

Meanwhile, an anonymous lucid dreamer in Santa Clara, California, said they experienced 'floating in space surrounded by galaxies'.

'Was amazing until I decided to meet God,' they said. 'A humming started and got louder and louder as I approached the Deity.

'Realizing that this was "the End" I struggled to wake myself.'

Another person in Glasgow called lucid dreaming 'magical' as you can fly, lift heavy objects like feathers and 'jump across cities and planets into space'.

Other more unusual lucid dreams included walking with Salma Hayek on a tropical beach and racing cars on tracks in Europe.

Lucid dreaming is fairly rare, as most people experience a normal dream where they're asleep.

Studies have shown that 50 per cent of people have experienced a lucid dream in their lives, while only 20 per cent have one at least once a month and fewer still (around 1 per cent) enjoy them more than once a week.

Research also suggests lucid dreamers have a bigger prefrontal cortex  a part of the brain linked to logic and reasoning  suggesting they're better at determining a scenario is false when they're asleep.
To some historians, the Turin Shroud is one of Christianity's most holy relics, said to have been used to wrap the body of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion.

But to others, the relic is nothing more than an elaborate hoax.

This week, researchers from Italy's Institute of Crystallography have reopened the 600-year-old debate once again.

Using a technique called Wide-Angle X-ray scattering, the scientists claim to have discovered fresh evidence that the shroud really does date back to the time of Jesus' life.

So, is the Turin Shroud a genuine relic or just an elaborate fake? MailOnline takes a look at the best evidence on either side of the discussion.

The Shroud of Turin (pictured) is believed by many to be the cloth in which the body of Jesus was wrapped after his death, but not all experts are convinced it is genuine.

What is the Turin Shroud?

The Turin Shroud, also known as the Holy Shroud, is a piece of linen measuring 4.3 metres (14 feet 3 inches) long and 1.1 metres (3 feet 7 inches) wide.

What makes it unique is that it appears to portray two faint, brown images of a 5ft 7' man seen from the front and the back.

According to the Bible, after Jesus was killed by the Romans, his body was carried in a linen shroud and placed in a tomb.

Many claim that these images are evidence that this is the very piece of cloth used to wrap Jesus' body after his death.

The shroud first appeared in 1354 in France. After initially denouncing it as a fake the Catholic church has now embraced the shroud as genuine. Pictured, Pope Frances touches the Shroud of Turin during a visit in 2015

The first evidence of the shroud's existence emerged in 1354 when it appeared in the possession of a knight named Geoffroi de Charnay.

At the time, the local Bishop denounced the shroud as a fake and claimed that it had been painted by a local artist.

However, by the 1400s the authenticity of the shroud was taken for granted and it became an object of worship.

The shroud was extensively damaged by fire and water in December 1532 when its chapel burned down and the material had to be repaired with patches.

Since 1578, the shroud has been stored at the royal chapel of the cathedral of San Giovanni Battista in Turin, Italy where it is occasionally put on display.

According to the biblical interpretation, the markings on the shroud were created when the linen was wrapped lengthways around the body of Jesus

Scientists obtained small samples of the shroud of Turin (left) and exposed it to Wide-Angle X-ray radiation to create an image of the linen sample (right) which was used for dating

Why has it hit the headlines this week?

The shroud has gathered renewed international attention this week due to recent research which hints that it may be a genuine artefact.

Scientists at Italy's Institute of Crystallography of the National Research Council assessed a small sample of the shroud using a technique called wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS).

This method is designed to look at the way that cellulose within the flax fibres naturally ages.

Cellulose is made of long chains of molecules which slowly break down into smaller sugar molecules as time passes.

By shining an X-ray through the linen samples, the investigators revealed details of the linen's cellulose patterns and predicted the material's age.

According to this latest study, the shroud's material dates back to around the time of Jesus' life.

This analysis suggests that the Turin Shroud is really 2,000 years old which means it could have been made around the time of Jesus' death

Researchers then compared the cellulose breakdown in the shroud to other linens found in Israel that date back to the first century.

In their study, published in the journal Heritage, the researchers write: ''The data profiles were fully compatible with analogous measurements obtained on a linen sample whose dating, according to historical records, is 55-74 AD, found at Masada, Israel [Herod's famous fortress built on a limestone bedrock overlooking the Dead Sea]'.

Why do some experts believe it's the cloth Jesus was buried in?

Since the 1980s when the Vatican began encouraging scientific study of the shroud, more than 170 peer-reviewed academic papers have been published about the linen sheet.

This makes it one of the most intensely studied man-made objects on Earth, with masses of evidence pointing in either direction.

Beyond the recent WAXS analysis, some of the most compelling evidence for the shroud's veracity has focused on the microscopic properties of the material.

This year, analysis of the flax fibres in the shroud revealed that they were likely grown in the Middle East.

Recent studies have used isotope analysis of the fibres in the shroud to show that the the flax was grown in the Levant, an area now comprised of Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon

Alternative theories which propose that the shroud is a medieval hoax generally suggest that it was made in Western Europe.

However, isotope analysis of fragments of cloth indicates that the flax actually originated from the western Levant, an area now comprised of Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and parts of Jordan and Syria.

The study was commissioned by William Meacham, an independent American archaeologist and member of the board of directors of the Shroud of Turin Education and Research Association.

Mr Meacham told the Catholic Herald: 'With a probable near Eastern origin, new doubts must be raised about interpreting the shroud as simply a fake relic made in medieval Europe, and new questions arise about what the image on the cloth signifies.

'The possibility that this cloth is actually the burial shroud of Jesus is strengthened by this new evidence.'

Some suggest that the blood stains on the shroud (shown in this negative image) are clear evidence that the cloth was used to wrap an injured person

Other studies have focused on the presence of supposed blood stains on the cloth.

While many debate their origin, studies have shown that the reddish stains on the cloth do contain various blood components including haemoglobin, albumin, and immunoglobulin.

In 2017, a group of researchers also from the Institute of Crystallography, claimed to have discovered 'nanoparticles' which indicated the blood came from a torture victim.

Their research suggests that the blood was unusually high in creatinine and ferritin, which are typically found in patients who suffer forceful traumas.

Dr Elvio Carlino, a researcher at the Institute of Crystallography in Bari, Italy, says the tiny particles reveal 'great suffering' of a victim 'wrapped up in the funeral cloth'.

Co-author professor Giulio Fanti, of the University of Padua, said at the time: 'Hence, the presence of these biological nanoparticles found during our experiments point to a violent death for the man wrapped in the Turin Shroud.'

If true that would be consistent with the Biblical interpretation that the shroud contains the blood of Jesus after he was tortured to death on the cross.

Recent analysis has tried to use forensic approaches to recreate the kinds of blood spatters that are seen on the shroud

What is the Shroud of Turin? The Shroud of Turin is a 14-foot-long linen cloth with a faint image of a crucified man. The image on the shroud is believed to reflect the story of Jesus' crucifixion, giving rise to the belief that the cloth is the burial shroud of Jesus himself. The authenticity of the shroud has been frequently brought into question over the years but there are also many studies claiming to validate its origin. It is considered to be one of the most intensely studied human artefacts in history. Since it first emerged in 1354 Vatican authorities have repeatedly gone back and forth on whether it should be considered the true burial shroud. The shroud is currently stored at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin but is only publicly displayed on special occasions. Advertisement

Why are some experts sceptical?

Not all experts are convinced by the evidence in favour of the shroud's veracity.

The most famous argument against the shroud being real was made in 1988 when the Vatican provided three research labs with samples of the cloth for testing.

Each of these labs subjected the fabric samples to a process called Carbon-14 dating which is used to determine the age of archaeological artifacts.

On Earth, carbon exists in the form of two stable isotopes: C-13 and C-12.

However, when carbon in the atmosphere is struck by cosmic rays it can be transformed into unstable, radioactive C-14.

All living organisms absorb this isotope at a steady rate and, once they die, the isotope decays in a predictable pattern.

This allows scientists to work out how long the biological material in an artefact like the Turin Shroud has been dead.

However, when the labs tested the shroud for C-14, all three came back with the result that the shroud was actually made sometime between 1260 and 1390 AD.

This result would also be consistent with the first recorded appearance of the shroud since it would suddenly appear in 1354 after having supposedly been missing for more than 1,000 years.

Naturally, many researchers have thought to undermine the results of the C-14 study and find reasons why this should not be accepted.

However, other research has also called into doubt the veracity of the garment's supposed blood stains.

Modern forensic analysis has found that the blood stains on the shroud are not consistent with any single body position, suggesting they were added later

Research published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences that the bloodstain patterns were also not consistent with a face-down corpse.

Using techniques from modern crime scene investigations, the researchers found that the blood spatters on the garment could not have been produced in a way that matches the Biblical version of the story.

Dr Matteo Borrini, a forensic scientist at Liverpool John Moores University, told Buzzfeed News: 'Even a crucified or hanging person should leave a distinct blood pattern on the cloth, which would be fascinating information to have.'

However, Dr Borrini's analysis found that the blood patterns were not consistent with any single pose.

This indicates that someone who had been standing was used to print the patterns at different angles for the hands feet and chest.

This suggests that the shroud did not get its distinctive marks by being used as a burial shroud, supporting the idea that it is a medieval hoax.

Will we ever know the truth?

Unfortunately, even with our best modern analysis, we will never arrive at a perfect understanding of the shroud's origin.

Research published in 2015 found that the shroud contained animal and plant DNA from all around the world.

Researchers discovered that, either directly or indirectly, DNA from Europe, North and East Africa, the Caucus, the Middle East, and India had come into contact with the shroud.

Since its discovery, so many people have touched and handled the shroud that it has been thoroughly contaminated.

That makes any DNA analysis of the shroud or the blood stains to look for evidence of Jesus completely useless.

Likewise, many argue that radiocarbon dating of the shroud is now impossible due to its long and tumultuous history.

Historians know that the shroud was definitely patched during the 1500s but are not entirely sure which sections are the patched parts.

This led many to object to the C-14 study on the grounds that the Vatican had accidentally taken part of the patch and not the original cloth.

It isn't clear why the Vatican would fail to provide evidence which would give hard evidence of Jesus, but these complaints are indicative of the kinds of confusion which surround this artefact.

The extensive bacterial buildup on the shroud may also make any form of chemical analysis extremely difficult.

Professor Stephen Mattingly, of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center, has suggested that a thousand-year-old ecosystem of microorganisms is constantly adding more C-14 to the shroud.

This would make it nigh on impossible to use traditional radiocarbon dating to figure out when the shroud was manufactured.

Without conclusive DNA evidence or an improvement in techniques it seems unlikely that scientists will ever be able to conclusively prove that the shroud is genuine

Some researchers suggest that modern isotope analysis could be used on limestone dust found on the shroud to work out if it had spent time in Jerusalem.

But even if we could prove that dust from the Middle East had made it to the shroud there is no way of proving how this dust got there since it has been touched and venerated by so many travellers.

Nor could we ever prove that the person wrapped in the shroud, provided there was such a person, was the Jesus Christ described in the Bible.

Ultimately, no matter how much evidence we gather, the origins of the Shroud of Turin are likely to remain a matter of faith.
From Harry Potter to The Jetsons, flying cars have been staple features of science fiction blockbusters for years.

But with these futuristic vehicles rapidly getting closer to becoming a reality, a key question remains  where will they operate?

In the hopes of making air travel simpler, Skyports Infrastructure has revealed plans to build the UK's first permanent 'vertiport'.

The vertiport will be built in Bicester, Oxfordshire, starting this autumn and will serve as a base for electric air taxis.

Duncan Walker, chief executive of Skyports, said: 'The tests and trials we conduct at this facility will be instrumental to the future of quiet, electric, vertical flight.'

In the hopes of making air travel simpler, Skyports Infrastructure has revealed plans to build the UK's first permanent 'vertiport'

While building won't start until this autumn, concept images give a hint of what it might look like. Passengers waiting for their flying taxis to arrive will bide their time in a compact 160 square metre passenger terminal, with large windows looking out to the landing pad

The vertiport will be built at the 444-acre Bicester Motion estate in Bicester, following the approval of planning permission from Cherwell District Council.

While building won't start until the autumn, concept images give us a hint at what it might look like.

Passengers waiting for their flying taxis to arrive will bide their time in a compact 160 square metre passenger terminal, with large windows looking out to the landing pad.

Outside, flying taxis will take-off and land vertically, meaning there's no need for a long runway, and instead the landing pad is more compact.

In the renders, Vertical Aerospace's latest VX4 prototype is featured, which will be the first electrical vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to fly at the vertiport.

The vertiport will be built in Bicester, Oxfordshire, starting this autumn and will serve as a base for electric air taxis

The vertiport will be built at the 444-acre Bicester Motion estate in Bicester, following the approval of planning permission from Cherwell District Council

The VX4 has enough space for a pilot plus four passengers, and can hit impressive speeds of up to 150mph, with a range of up to 100 miles.

According to Vertical Aerospace, it could transport passengers from Battersea to Heathrow in just 12 minutes in the future.

'The Skyports vertiport is a critical piece of infrastructure, helping to get our VX4 aircraft up into the air and demonstrate to the world that the future of flight is electric,' said Michael Cervenka, Chief Commercial & Technology Officer at Vertical Aerospace.

'We're excited to see what the vertiport will look like as we move into an important phase of the industry  making this real.

'The tests we carry out here in Bicester with our VX4 will advance our understanding of electric aviation and revolutionise how we travel  paving the way for zero emissions, quiet flight.'

Pricing for the vertiport is yet to be disclosed, although Skyports recently secured 103 million in funding to build vertiports and accelerate its drone business.

The VX4 has enough space for a pilot plus four passengers, and can hit impressive speeds of up to 150mph, with a range of up to 100 miles

A Skyports spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We are not sharing build cost estimates at this time.'

While this is the first permanent vertiport approved in the UK, it comes two years after a temporary vertiport dubbed Air-One opened in Coventry.

The 17,000 square-foot structure was outfitted into several 'zones', including a passenger lounge, cafe, retail pop-up, cargo logistics hub, electric and hydrogen air vehicle hangar, security screening, command and control centre.

Rather than having to trek to their gate as they would at an airport, passengers simply climbed a short flight of steps and were straight on the launch pad.

The rising central launch pad, which measured 56-feet in diameter, was the focal point of the vertiport.

Flying cars or flying taxis would be wheeled out while the launch pad was at ground level, allowing customers to comfortably board.

Once the flying taxi was ready to take to the skies, the entire launch pad then rose up 19ft using a synchronised link-lift system, allowing the eVTOL to take off more easily.
British filmmaker David Rolfe has been documenting the Shroud of Turin since 1978, capturing decades of scientific research aimed at proving the linen's authenticity

Filmmaker David Rolfe was a self-professed atheist when he set out to make a documentary about one of the most revered religious artifacts in history - the Shroud of Turin.

With the 1978 movie, the photography expert set out to find a prosaic explanation as to how a blood-soaked imprint of a man matching Jesus Christ's description manifested onto the cloth relic.

Instead, he was so convinced of its authenticity he converted to Christianity and has since made several documentaries and published books on the shroud.

'I started off as an atheist, and then became an agnostic. And I'm now a Christian, because I cannot possibly understand anything else that could have produced that image,' said Rolfe.

The 14-foot-long shroud features a faint, brownish image of a five-foot, six-inch tall man with sunken eyes, wounds on various parts of his body that match the injuries suffered during Jesus' crucifixion.

Rolfe, from England in the UK, has put up a $1 million prize for anyone who can recreate the shroud's image of a crucified man without showing traces of ink, paint or other agents.

He recently launched a contest in the US, calling on Americans to recreate a photographic negative image of 'a crucified man' on a 14-foot-by-three-foot piece of linen. The shroud was found to be a fake by researchers in teh 1980s who tested a sample from it

Prominent research in the 1980s appeared to debunk the idea that the shroud was used to wrap Jesus' body because testing dated it to the Middle Ages, long after Jesus' death.

However, as DailyMail.com revealed this week, more recent analysis using modern X-ray techniques once again placed the cloth's origin back to the time of Christ.

Rolfe explained that the 1980 research focused on a small corner of the shroud which had been repaired some time between 1200 and 1400 due to wear and tear.

It was paraded by bishops throughout history during religious ceremonies in Turin, Italy, where it is housed.

This meant the fabric tested was older the the rest of the material, explained Rolfe.

Rolfe has offered the British Museum - which was involved in what he called that 'flawed' analysis - $1 million to reproduce the shroud with its famous imprint.

'They haven't attempted, not even for a million dollars,' he said.

'I am convinced [the Shroud of Turin] is authentic, I personally have no doubt,' said Rolfe who recently released a new documentary called 'Who Can He Be?'

Last year, backed by his film company, Rolfe opened up the $1m prize to anyone who could reproduce the shroud with all of its 'characteristics.'

By 'characteristics' he means the imprint of the wounded man.

For some believers, including Rolfe, the outline Jesus' body was miraculously imprinted onto the fabric when he was resurrected over 2,000 years ago.

The shroud also does not show signs of ink or dye that would suggested it was a fake - no visible trace of any paint, ink, dye, stain or pigments.

'Contestants must match both the pattern of bloodstains seen on the Shroud of Turin, and the composition of blood, including hemoglobin, bilirubin, immunoglobulin, and albumin,' according to the rules of the challenge.

'In addition, the largest blood stains should exhibit surrounding areas of ultraviolet fluorescence as noted on the Shroud.

'When light and shade are reversed as in a photographic negative, the image must appear as a realistic and anatomically accurate representation of a body.'

Rolfe told DailyMail.com that no one in his native Britain had claimed the prize.

'No one has come forward either from America to claim it,' he added.

'Once they realize what the actual image characteristics are on the cloth, they quickly realize that they can't reproduce it.'

The Bible states that, Joseph of Arimathea wrapped the body of Jesus in a linen shroud and placed it in a new tomb as shown in this painting by Giovanni Battista della Rovere in the 1500s

More than 170 peer-reviewed academic papers have been published about the mysterious linen since the 1980s, with many concluding it to be genuine. Who the cloth relic belonged to is another matter, however.

Testing in the 1970s looked at whether the images were made through painting, scorching or other agents, but they none could be confirmed.

Another group of experts from the Institute of Crystallography announced in 2017 that they had found evidence that the shroud featured the blood of a torture victim.

They claimed to have identified substances like creatinine and ferritin that are usually found in patients who suffer forceful traumas.

The alleged findings contradicted claims the face of Jesus was painted on by forgers in medieval times.

The burial cloth has captivated the imagination of historians, church chiefs, skeptics and Catholics since it was first presented to the public in the 1350s.

French knight Geoffroi de Charny gave it to the dean of the church in Lirey, France, proclaiming it as the Holy Shroud.

Rolfe has become fascinated by the mystery of the shroud, not that he does not believe it to be real, but in that he hopes to provide more evidence to support his case.

Recreations must show the same color intensity on the back and front of the cloth, with no visible trace of any paint, ink, dye, stain or pigments

In 1997, he asked Dr Robert Bucklin to conduct an autopsy using images of the shroud and the report was published before the scientist died in 2001.

'I took to him full-size photographs, both positive and negative, of the shroud,' said Rolfe.

'He carried out an autopsy based on the image and the wounds, showing [the mechanics of crucifixion].

'When you were crucified, you died of suffocation because you were nailed by your feet.'

He continued to explain that in this position, blood from wounds will trickle down the body a certain way, which was what Dr Bucklin had uncovered.

'Upon examining the chest, the pathologist notes a large blood stain over the right pectoral area,' the autopsy report reads.

'A close examination shows a variance in intensity of the stain consistent with the presence of two types of fluid, one comprised of blood, and the other resembling water.

There is distinct evidence of a gravitational effect on this stain with the blood flowing downward and without spatter of other evidence of the projectile activity expected from blood issuing from a functional arterial source.

'This wound has all the characteristics of a postmortem type flow of blood from a body cavity or from an organ such as the heart.

'At the upper plane of the wound is an ovoid skin defect which is characteristic of a penetrating track produced by a sharp puncturing instrument.'

The Bible states that a Roman soldier pierced Jesus' side to ensure he was dead on the cross before removing him.

Rolfe also mentioned that the autopsy identified three straight lines on the person's back, which aligns with Jon 12:1 which reads, 'Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.'

The Romans used a flagrum, which was a whip with three leather bands, each with a lead ball on the end.

'[The Roman flagrum] made a straight line of three and left as scars and blood marks on the back,' the filmmaker said.

'The detail is just amazing, you can actually calculate the height of the people who carried out flagellation by these marks on the cloth.'

The burial cloth has captivated the imagination of historians, church chiefs, skeptics and Catholics since it was first presented to the public in the 1350s. IT is housed in Turin, Italy inside this chapel

Dr Bucklin's report determined the back image of the shroud showed 'traumatic injuries which extend from the shoulder areas to the lower portion of the back, the buttocks, and the backs of the calves.'

'These images are bifid and appear to have been made by some type of object applied as a whip, leaving dumbbell-shaped imprints in the skin from which blood has issued,' the scientist continued.

'The direction of the injuries is from lateral toward medial and downward suggesting that the whip was applied by someone standing behind the individual.'

Rolfe has made over 90 documentaries during his career but said his latest 'Who Can He Be?' made the biggest impact on him.

The filmmaker said he realized the Shroud of Turin was just like a photographic negative, which is created by energy in the form of light that shines on a specific paper to produce an image.

'In a way, that's what I saw in the shroud image, and especially the fact that it was a negative,' said Rolfe.

'There'd been a vast amount of energy and light would have been part of that and it wasn't a chemical reaction. It was a scorch, but basically it was very similar to what it might have been as I'd done in my own darkroom.'

He likened the scorched shroud to leaving an iron on a piece of clothing for too long.

Leaving the iron on for a few seconds will not leave a mark behind, but longer than that and the board will scorch that goes through the cloth.

Rolfe continued to explain that the iron only scorches the surface of the cloth when held for a split second and does not penetrate the other side.

'That's what you have on the shroud,' he said. 'It's only the top of the fiber of the shroud that is actually scorched. The rest of the fiber isn't scorched because [the burst of energy] was so powerful and fast.

'It could only be done by a process that we can't possibly understand because it was the thing that created Christianity. It was the resurrection. It was a dead man who came to life, and it was a miracle.'
A new report has claimed that Apple's iPhone 16 could be cheaper than previous models when it launches next month.

The price reduction is due to the tech giant moving some production of the high-end models to India, which could cut the cost by up to 10 percent for locals.

However, the relatively low demand for iPhones in Asian nation means these lower-priced models will likely be exported to buyers in other countries including the US at a reduced cost, the report claimed.

The iPhone 16 Pro is expected to start at $1,099 and costs for the Pro Max will likely begin around $1,200.

Apple is shifting its iPhone production to India which can cause the 16 series price to drop by as much as 10 percent

Apple has ramped up production of its Pro iPhone 16 models in India for the first time since it started moving its production to the country from China in 2022.

Foxconn, the companys main supplier, has begun training thousands of workers at its Tamil Nadu factory as it rushes to produce the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max alongside the global release.

Historically, iPhones havent been manufactured in India, leaving residents with no choice but to purchase the newest model from abroad and pay higher prices for it.

Apple has to dish out a 22 percent customs duty charge and a 10 percent surcharge on basic to import the devices, which forces the company to keep the price tag much higher in the country.

But by locally assembling the devices, Apple reportedly aims to reduce the cost of the newest iPhone by up to 10 percent in India where the average cost is $1,550.

The production of Pro models in India will increasingly encourage customers to buy locally instead of purchasing the devices overseas as the price gap narrows, Sanyam Chaurasia, an analyst at research firm Canalys told Bloomberg.

Several financing options, particularly during festive seasons, will drive higher domestic sales for Apple.

The iPhone 16 is set to come out next month and its planned assembly in India marks the first time the Pro models have been manufactured outside of China

Although Apple has assembled iPhones in India since 2018, this marks the first time it has manufactured its iPhone Pro models outside of China.

Other Apple partners, like Pegatron and the Tata group, will also reportedly begin assembling the iPhone 16 pro models in India shortly after the launch.

Indias production is still a small fraction of whats being done in China but Apple reportedly hopes to increase the output to 25 percent by next year.

Meanwhile, an unnamed source told the The Economic Times that Apple may even exclusively produce the iPhone 17 in India.

The move comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced financial incentives offering $28 billion in subsidies to entice companies to start manufacturing their products in the country.

The prime minister said that companies should focus on design in India, design for the world and urged them to create products that can cater to both international and domestic markets.

India is known for its best quality. Now we have to focus on the field of design in India for the world, said Modi, the Business Standard reported.

We have to try to make sure that the Indian Standard should become the International Standard.

This will depend on the quality of our production, service, and our approach, he continued.

The day is not far when India will be the hub of industrial manufacturing and the world will be looking towards it.
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This high-rated face sunscreen deserves its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. SPF is the one daily beauty step you can not skip out on, so finding the right one is a top priority. After doing our research, there is one clear top runner that stands out as best in the show, the EltaMD viral face sunblock.

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The detailed formulation process is oil-free, paraben-free, dye-free, and hypoallergenic. Users are seeing positive results too, with the UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46, with one saying: 'I love this sunscreen and use it every day! No white cast! Works great under makeup, does not cause my skin to break out.

If you are looking for a little extra shine with all the same protection, then the new EltaMD UV Clear Tinted Broad-Spectrum 46 and EltaMD UV Clear Deep-Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 are for you. Available in two shades and designed to give your skin an effortless sun-kissed glow all day long, you will not be disappointed.

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Celebrate the 15th Anniversary of EltaMD's famous UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46, giving your skin the gift of UV protection all year long. Score their OG and new versions now on their site.
Former U.S. congressman George Santos pleads guilty to fraud charges

Xinhua) 10:01, August 20, 2024

NEW YORK, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. Representative George Santos, who was expelled from Congress last year, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft on Monday.

The guilty plea came just weeks before the New York Republican was set to stand trial on 23 federal felony counts, including allegations of fraud related to COVID-19 unemployment benefits, misusing campaign funds and lying about his personal finances on House disclosure reports.

"I betrayed the trust of my constituents and supporters. I deeply regret my conduct," Santos said at a Long Island courtroom in New York.

The former congressman's sentencing hearing is set for Feb. 7, 2025.

Santos, 36, faces more than six years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines and owes at least 370,000 U.S. dollars in restitution, according to The Associated Press.

In December 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 311-114 to expel Santos from Congress over his lies, scandals and alleged campaign finance crimes.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A San Francisco man was sentenced to 242 years in prison after his conviction for 18 felony counts of child sexual abuse. Robert Daly/Getty Images

A San Francisco man was sentenced to 242 years to life in prison for child molestation.

Jonathan George Taylor, 54, was convicted of molesting multiple victims over the course of 15 years, according to the San Mateo District Attorneys Office.

Taylor molested and raped a 4-year-old girl multiple times between 2011 and 2013. The victim, who now lives out of state, first reported the crimes in 2019.

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A police investigation located two additional victims who are sisters. One was molested by Taylor in 2003, when she was 9 years old. The other was molested between 1998 and 2001, when she was also around 9 years old. She was later raped by Taylor when she was 17 years old.

Two other victims came forward in 2020 and reported attacks that resulted in four additional counts of child molestation.

Taylor was previously convicted of sexual battery and lewd acts with a child in 2007.

A jury in June found Taylor guilty on 18 felony counts. Prosecutors urged a maximum sentence based on Taylors many victims, previous conviction for a similar crime and lack of remorse.

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Budget doesn't have to mean bland.

As Jill McElroy, StudentUniverse's travel expert, reveals.

Here she shares her top five quirkiest European hostels, from a converted Boeing 747 to a former military prison that's so cheap to stay in it's criminal.

Jill also reveals an amazing cave-style property in Santorini and a hostel in Portugal with wine-barrel-shaped beds.

Scroll down for the full list.

Karosta Prison, Latvia

Karosta Prison hotel (above) is billed as the only former military prison open to tourists

LEFT: A hallway leading to accommodation rooms at Karosta Prison. RIGHT: One of the prison bedrooms

Jill says: 'Ever fancied living it up like it was your last night of freedom? Well, the Prison Hotel in Latvia will leave you feeling like it genuinely is.

'As the only [former] military prison open to tourists, this stay is truly one-of-a-kind, with the hotel embedded into the functioning prison itself.

'Bonus points are awarded to this hotel as the staff are instructed to treat you as they would a real prisoner, stripping you of your belongings, and punishing "misbehaviour".'

Beds cost from 15 (12.70/$13.72) for a wooden bench in a cell or 30 (25.39/$32.40) for a single cell. Visit: karosta.lv.

Jumbo Hostel, Stockholm, Sweden

Located only 20 metres from Stockholm-Arlanda Airport, travellers will feel a part of the action at Jumbo Hostel (above)

The cockpit has been converted into a cosy room (left) and the main cabin transformed into a hang-out space (right)

Jill says: 'This hostel features a refitted Boeing 747 jumbo jet! With the cockpit converted into a cosy cabin, and the cabin itself with spacious bedrooms, bathrooms, and even a hang out space, this stay will feel far removed from the 33 inches of legroom we are used to in the sky.'

The hostel is positioned 20 metres from Stockholm-Arlanda Airport and travellers will enjoy views of operational planes speeding down the runway.

Beds cost from 450SEK (33.58/$42.83). Visit: jumbostay.com/rooms.

Clink Noord, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Clink Noord, moments from Amsterdam Centraal Station, is inside a former Shell laboratory complete with features from the original 1920's building

Beds at Clink Noord cost from 40.50 (40.50/$43.74). Pictured right - ZincBar, where 'DJ's create a vibe'

Describing the Netherlands hostel of her choice, Jill remarks: 'Clink Noord is located only moments from Amsterdam Centraal Station, and along one of the city's iconic canals, so you won't find a better spot in the city.'

The hostel is inside a former Shell laboratory and features from the original 1920's building have been enhanced.

Jill adds: 'DJ's create a vibe at ZincBar, and the plant-filled atrium serves as a great spot to rest after some yoga  all included in your stay.' There's a cafe, restaurant, library, cinema, self-service kitchen and nightclub, too.

Beds cost from 40.50 (40.50/$43.74). Visit: clinkhostels.com/clinknoord.

Caveland Hostel, Santorini

Above - 'upmarket' Caveland Hostel on Santorini, which features rooms that 'feel like contemporary caves'

Caveland's 'expansive pool'

Caveland Hostel is located on the popular Greek island of Santorini.

Jill comments: 'The Caveland feels upmarket, with an expansive pool, rooms that feel like contemporary caves, and an extensive events program, featuring movie nights, Grecian sampling dinners, yoga and more.

'Caveland also happens to run numerous green initiatives, aimed at limiting the environmental impact of the property such as a complete ban on single-use plastics, waste composting, paperless admin, and sustainable water management.

'Embodying Grecian island life, this affordable hostel is ideal for those wanting to feel as if they are staying in a traditional homestead.'

Beds cost from 31.50 (26.51/$34.45) per night. Visit: cave-land.com.

The House of Sandeman, Porto, Portugal

At The House of Sandeman beds are shaped like wine barrels

It's located at the Sandeman wine cellars - one of Porto's most iconic buildings

This hostel is located at the Sandeman wine cellars inside one of the most iconic buildings in Porto, Portugal.

And each bed is shaped like a wine barrel, to make matters extra corking.

Jill says: 'Expect individualised pods for sleeping, spacious rooms, an open-air bar and nightly Portuguese family dinners with free wine.

'Only five minutes from Porto's ever-popular historic centre, the Sandeman couldn't be better located, with views overlooking the river Douro.'

Beds cost from 31.50 (26.60/$34). Visit: thehouseofsandeman.pt.
It's a bucket list like no other - all 1,223 Unesco World Heritage sites.

And American couple Haley Crowley and Zachary Fisher are determined to visit every single one.

The pair have visited 114 sites so far and have been documenting their travels on their @haleyandzach_ TikTok account, where they've raked in over 80,000 followers.

They reveal to MailOnline Travel the ups and downs of their odyssey, including the two best and worst sites and the places that surprised them.

Haley and Zach's 'Unesco hunt' has taken them to 58 countries, from Montenegro and Myanmar to Chile, Cambodia and China. They said: 'It forces us to truly explore a country and, in turn, has led us to have some crazy experiences.'

Haley Crowley and Zachary Fisher are on a 'lifelong quest' to visit every Unesco World Heritage Site. The pair have visited 114 sites so far and have been documenting their travels on their @haleyandzach_ TikTok account. The couple are pictured above in Torun, Poland

The couple's 'Unesco hunt' has taken them to 58 countries, from Montenegro and Myanmar to Chile, Cambodia and China. One of their favourite spots is The Great Wall of China (above)

Haley is pictured left at The Great Wall of China, which the couple described as 'incredible'. The pair are pictured right sliding down the Great Wall on the Mutianyu toboggan

The couple's number one spot on the extensive list is The Great Wall of China, perhaps the country's most iconic landmark, which was constructed during the Ming Dynasty and spans over 13,000 miles.

The couple said: 'You hear about the wall, how big it is, how far it stretches, but to see it twist and wind through the mountains as far as your eye can see. Truly incredible.'

Another standout site for the couple is Old Bagan, an ancient city in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar, which served as the capital of the Pagan Kingdom from the 9th to 13th centuries.

The city was once home to more than 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries at its peak. Today, the ruins of over 2,000 temples and pagodas remain.

The couple said: 'Due to the civil war in Myanmar, we were some of the only tourists and often had these incredible sites all to ourselves.'

Some 'honourable mentions', according to the couple, are Angkor Wat, a Hindu-Buddhist temple complex in Siem Riep, Cambodia; Machu Picchu in Peru; and the Plain of Jars in Laos, an archaeological landscape known for its thousands of large stone jars.

One standout site for the couple is Old Bagan, an ancient city in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar, which served as the capital of the Pagan Kingdom

The couple said: 'Due to the civil war in Myanmar, we were some of the only tourists and often had incredible sites all to ourselves.' They're pictured left with a local in Old Bagan

Haley is pictured above at the Plain of Jars in Laos, an archaeological landscape known for its thousands of large stone jars

They also highlighted Upper Svaneti, a region in the mountainous area of Georgia renowned for its well-preserved medieval villages.

While Haley and Zach's quest has led them to plenty of incredible places, they noted: 'Some of the sites are much better preserved or restored than others.'

One of their least favourite spots is the Chinchorro mummies in Arica, northern Chile. They are the oldest examples of artificially mummified human remains, having been buried up to 2,000 years before the Egyptian mummies. They said: 'It is interesting, but how can it stack up to Macchu Picchu?'

Another site that failed to live up to their expectations is Tiwanaku, a pre-Columbian civilisation that existed between 300 AD and 1100 AD.

The city, which is located in current-day Bolivia near Lake Titicaca, was one of the most significant Andean civilisations. It now contains several ruins, including the Akapana Pyramid and the Kalasasaya Temple, but, according to Haley and Zach: 'There is not much left of it to see.'

The couple have also been surprised by several sites, including The Sewell Mining Town, which is located 2,200 metres (7,217ft) above sea level in the Andes and sits above the world's largest underground copper mine, El Teniente.

Tiwanaku (above), a pre-Columbian civilisation that existed between 300 AD and 1100 AD, failed to live up to the couple's expectations. They said: 'There's not much left to see'

The pair mentioned the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia as one of their favourite Unesco sites. Hayley is pictured above at the site

FOR MORE FROM HALEY AND ZACH To see more from Haley and Zach visit them on TikTok at tiktok.com/@haleyandzach_, or Instagram at instagram.com/haleyandzach_/. Advertisement

They said: 'The effort and energy to be able to build this city this high up in the Andes truly impressed us.'

Kotor, a fortified town on Montenegro's Adriatic coast, also blew them away. They described it as 'incredibly beautiful' and, in a TikTok video, claimed it had 'the best views in Montenegro'.

Haley and Zach have been travelling the world full-time since 2022 and are funding their 'huge trip' with their savings. They said: 'Both of us got jobs straight out of university and saved aggressively.

'We have started to earn some money from social media, but it is a very small amount.'

Their day-to-day typically requires multiple bus rides, hitchhiking or lots of walking to get to a Unesco site or a nearby city.

They said: 'The more remote sites are usually not very straightforward to access and this makes it hard to plan. A lot of 'planning' requires speaking to locals as there is not always readily available information online.'

They travel on a budget and stay in hostels, guesthouses or couch surf - which they typically book just hours before they arrive in each city.

The couple have been surprised by several sites, including The Sewell Mining Town, which is located 2,200 metres above sea level in the Andes (above)

The couple described Kotor, a fortified town on Montenegro's Adriatic coast, as 'incredibly beautiful'

Haley is pictured left in Upper Svaneti, a region in the mountainous area of Georgia renowned for its well-preserved medieval villages. Zach is pictured right exploring the Bay of Kotor

While moving around so often can feel 'exhausting', the pair said: 'We absolutely love this type of travelling, and even when things go wrong, we always laugh about it later.'

What has been their favourite part of the journey? 'All of the people we have met along the way,' the couple said.

'We have been helped by total strangers who have given us rides when we were in the middle of nowhere, fed us, and housed us for the night simply because we are in their town and want to get to know us.'

Unesco sites are landmarks and areas protected and recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for their cultural-historical or scientific value.

Countries that have signed up to the World Heritage Convention can submit proposals for sites they want to be recognised, and the list is updated every year.
Sunset on the Indian Ocean and a beach bonfire crackles beneath a slowly rising orange moon. A candlelit table for five sits on the sand, a bottle of wine chills in the cooler.

Oh my goodness, look, yells my son Felix, 12, rocketing from his chair.

A hand clasps my shoulder. Madam, could you please move your family? An elephant is coming.

I spin round and there he is. Five tons of elephas maximus maximus, 20ft from the tablecloth. We scatter as hotel rangers follow his progress by torchlight. Hes on his way to a freshwater lake.

At least hes not heading to reception, says our waiter. Last time, he spent two hours drinking out of the pond and no one could get back to their rooms.

Animal magic: Sri Lanka is home to the 'largest elephant gathering in the world', reveals Fiona Hardcastle, who travels around the country on a tour organised by Uga Resorts

Small islands are not meant to have large animals but Sri Lanka is full of surprises  leopards, sloth bears, blue whales, sperm whales, whopping great crocodiles and the largest elephant gathering in the world.

Another eye-opener is that, with three climatic regions, you can avoid the monsoon that hits the south west between May and August by heading to the dry and lesser developed east coast.

Here, the 30C heat of its unspoilt white beaches is soothed by a sea breeze and the national parks are home to some of the best big-game safaris outside Africa.

Throw in a mesmerising melting pot of culture and cuisine and, I assure my husband and three children, we are destined for a holiday like no other.

Our 10-day trip is organised by Uga Resorts, a stylish chain of boutique hotels dotted around the island. With travel advice now declaring Sri Lanka safe after years of unrest, there is no better time to explore.

On Fiona's tour, Uga Riva, 'a sensitively restored 180-year-old manor house' (above) in Negombo, is her first stop

Fiona's daughters relax from their 11-hour flight in Uga Riva's swimming pool, pictured here, which they describe as 'perfect'

First stop Negombo, a short hop from the runway in Colombo, with more Virgin Marys than the Vatican (the roadside shrines and Catholic Churches a legacy of Portuguese colonial days) and lodgings that breathe poise and peace.

No sooner are we under the sloping roofs of Uga Riva, a sensitively restored 180-year-old manor house, than Im eyeing up the fixtures and fittings. This is perfect! cries Rose, 18, from the swimming pool as she and Evie, 16, float away the 11-hour flight from the UK.

Next morning, our expedition begins in earnest  to the Cultural Triangle, home to Sri Lankas greatest ancient cities.

We kick off with Dambulla, where the climb to its fabled rock temple pings my husbands dormant fitness app into life.

Youre off to a great start, reads the understatement of the year as we stand short of breath but full of wonder in the first of five caves bursting with golden Buddhas on their way to Paradise. Theyre not the only ones.

Onward to the rural retreat of Ulagalla and a pilgrims welcome. Candles are lit, blessings bestowed, bells are rung. It could be an initiation ceremony, I joke, adding that I would happily join whatever was going if it meant living out my days in this special place.

Home for the next three nights is one of 25 palatial villas dotted around 58 acres of woodland with its own lily pond, plunge pool and paddy field. I havent the heart to tell the children about the 4am alarm call to go and see a rock. Sigiriya, built as a fifth century kings fortress 650ft up in the air, is Sri Lankas most dramatic sight and there is only one way to do it  climb the metal staircases bolted onto the rock face, and dont look down.

Fiona climbs the stunning Sigiriya rock fortress (pictured) - 'Sri Lanka's most dramatic sight'

Again, my husbands fitness app registers unusual activity, but as we reach the summit, I cant help thinking a little more fanfare is in order.

Vertigo is one thing, ignoring repeated warning signs of Wasp Attack: Be Quiet is another. How King Kashyapa, said to have kept 500 concubines in his skyline palace, got so many women to the top is beyond me. Mind you, as King K no doubt told the girls, The views amazing, baby. As are opportunities for scavenging.

A troupe of Grey Langur monkeys skitter along the edge. We watch, impressed, as one reaches into a womans bag before making off with her sandwiches. Its definitely time for breakfast.

Back to base to fortify with egg hoppers  crispy bowl-shaped pancakes into which we spoon curries, pickles and dahls  platters of fruit and king coconut juice.

Theres kayaking, horse-riding and sundowners to come in what Rose calls her happy place  an open-sided Land Cruiser on the banks of Nachchaduwa Lake.

Fiona stays at Uga Bay Resort (above), which is set on over two miles of private beach. It 'has the sort of powder-white, palm-lined sands that would make the heart of any sunbather soar', she writes

Above left is one of Uga Bay Resort's sprawling beach villas with a private pool, while on the right is one of the bedrooms

Our final night and a feast in the Kamatha, a piece of bare land at the heart of the paddy field, where the rice harvest comes to rest.

We pull up cinnamon stick chairs as sisters Manel and Diluka welcome us into their mud hut kitchen and explain how ladies of the household gather to prepare the evening meal for their menfolk after a days work in the fields. My husband, provider of all meals at home, raises an eyebrow. The spread of 25 dishes that follows knocks us for six. Our banana leaf-lined bowls are scraped clean.

Time to leave the wilds that have won our hearts and onto the breathtaking beaches. Our next stop, Uga Bay on the east coast, has the sort of powder-white, palm-lined sands that would make the heart of any sunbather soar.

Set out over two miles of private beach, its 44 rooms and suites all have private balconies that look out onto the calmest of bays. A mornings snorkelling session on a catamaran with a friendly crew of five from Sail Lanka takes us to deeper waters.

Fiona visits Uga Chena Huts, seen here, an 'exclusive' safari setting of 18 rooms

Inside one of Chena Huts' villas - pictured is one of the bedrooms (left) and a bathroom (right) - within the Sri Lankan jungle 'on the doorstep of Yala National Park'

Fiona sees a native leopard 'slinking out of the undergrowth' in Yala National Park. 'It's a memory that will stay with us,' she writes

TRAVEL FACTS Turquoise Holidays offers one night at Uga Riva on arrival, three nights at Ulagalla, three nights at Uga Bay, two nights at Uga Chena Huts and one night at Uga Riva from 11,999 per family of four, including flights and transfers (turquoiseholidays.co.uk). Full-day tours with Sensory Indulgences tour of Colombo from 49pp (sensoryindulgences.com). A three-hour private yacht tour with Sail Lanka is around 762 with taxes. Includes snacks, canapes and water activities (sail-lanka-charter.com). Advertisement

Its finally time for the big boys of the jungle and two nights at Chena Huts, an exclusive safari setting of 18 rooms on the doorstep of Yala National Park. Our first morning game drive gets off to a serendipitous start as a family of warthogs, my personal favourite, hurries past.

The next three hours could come straight from The Jungle Book. Crocodiles and buffaloes bathing in one lagoon, a trio of elephants playing in another, chattering monkeys crashing through trees, more peacocks than you can shake your tail feather at.

Then we see him. Slinking out of the undergrowth, crossing in front of us, the unmistakable mass of muscle and menace that is Sri Lankas native leopard. A glare fit for the fear of God and he is gone. Along with our jumbo encounter on the beach that night, its a memory that will stay with us.

But like Mowgli, we must leave the jungle. To the big smoke of Colombo, a blur of chaos and construction, and a lightning tuk-tuk tour before our final billet at the Uga Residence, an oasis of colonial calm.
Several Australian A-listers have revealed the reason they skipped the Logies this year.

Media stars such as reality TV host Abbie Chatfield, Jackie O Henderson, and Kyle Sandilands were conspicuously absent from Australian TV's night of nights.

FBoy Island host Chatfield, 29, previously revealed she was not attending for a shock reason.

'I'm not going. I don't want to work for free, too much faff. So much faff! My boyfriend gets home, so I'll probably have dinner at home,' she told Yahoo Lifestyle.

On Monday, Abbie also shared a video to Instagram further elaborating on her reasons for not going.

'I wasn't f***ing nominated so why would I go?' she said in the expletive-laden rant.

Meanwhile, Jackie O Henderson, 49, and Kyle Sandilands, 53, reacted to Chatfield's comments on Monday's Kyle & Jackie O Show.

After playing the recording of FBoy Island host's tirade, Kyle asked Jackie why she didn't go.

Several Australia A-listers have revealed the reason they skipped the 2024 Logies. Media stars such as reality TV host Abbie Chatfield, Jackie O Henderson (pictured), and Kyle Sandilands have candidly revealed their conspicuous absence from Australian TV's night of nights

FBoy Island host Chatfield, 29, previously revealed she was not attending for a shock reason. 'I'm not going. I don't want to work for free, too much faff. So much faff! My boyfriend gets home, so I'll probably have dinner at home,' she told Yahoo Lifestyle. Pictured: Abbie Chatfield

'I just didn't feel like going, it was as simple as that. I really really enjoyed it and had a great time last year,' she told her co-host, who also did not attend the ceremony.

After attending last year's Logies, Jackie confessed she went straight from the after-party to work at the breakfast program.

In a video shared to social media at the time, the radio star told her followers she had 'pulled an all-nighter.'

On Monday, Abbie also shared a video to Instagram further elaborating on her reasoning for not attending. 'I wasn't f***ing nominated so why would I go?' she said in the expletive-laden rant

Kyle shared Jackie's reluctance to attend the awards show, but for a very different reason.

'I just can't be bothered,' he revealed on Monday's show after pulling out of presenting at last year's ceremony to stay home and care for his young son.

Kyle also revealed that Sam Pang replaced him with Dave Hughes as a form of revenge.

Meanwhile, Jackie O Henderson, 49, and Kyle Sandilands, 53, reacted to Chatfield's comments on Monday's Kyle & Jackie O Show. After playing the recording of FBoy Island host's rant, Kyle asked Jackie why she didn't go. 'I just didn't feel like going,' she told her co-host

'He got so angry, he put Hughesy on. So the whole thing was a waste of time,' he said.

Other stars also curiously absent from the exclusive event included three-time Gold Logie winner Daryl Somers and Channel Nine veterans Eddie McGuire, Tracy Grimshaw and Sylvia Jefferies.

Event host Sam Pang, 50, took a cheeky dig at Somers' joking comments at last year's ceremony, in which he said nominees could participate in an 'auction' for a Logie award.

Kyle shared Jackie's reluctance to attend the awards show, but for a very different reason. 'I just can't be bothered,' he revealed on Monday's show after pulling out of presenting at last year's ceremony to stay home and care for his young son. Kyle also revealed that Sam Pang replaced him with Dave Hughes as a form of revenge. Pictured: Kyle Sandilands

'Australian television royalty Daryl Somers who playfully attempted to auction off the Gold statue to the seven nominees,' Sam began.

'Now, we won't be doing that again this year... simply because last year it started as a live auction but finished as a silent auction.'

Elsewhere, several Married At First Sight stars were said to be 'devastated' they didn't receive an invitation to the exclusive red carpet event.

This year's extraordinary ceremony saw Channel Seven's presenter Larry Emdur take home the coveted Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television.

Taking the stage at the Logies ceremony in Sydney, The Morning Show host had the crowd roaring, making light of the number of times his programs have been axed over the years and his wide range of questionable hosting gigs.

Meanwhile, New Zealand actress Rebecca Gibney won the TV Week Hall of Fame Award in a milestone achievement.
Bianca Censori's friends have been left deeply concerned for her safety after her husband Kanye West chose to make an impromptu stop at a demonstration in support of Donald Trump over the weekend.

The divisive rapper, 47, and the architectural designer, 29, left onlookers stunned on Saturday when they stopped to speak with fans of the former president at a gathering in Beverly Hills, California.

While West - who now goes by Ye - looked happy to speak with the supporters from the window of his Tesla Cyberstruck, Censori appeared far less animated and kept her gaze focused on her husband throughout the interaction.

Now, insiders have told DailyMail.com that their brief appearance at the demo has 'terrified' friends of the Australian beauty who believe it is further proof that the Censori they once knew has been 'lost.'

'Bianca was not onboard with the idea of stopping at the Trump rally,' the source explained. 'She is clearly not a conservative woman. Her overt display of sexuality and the fact that she believes a woman should be able to do whatever she wants with her own body isn't exactly on board with Republican beliefs.'

Bianca Censori 's friends have been left deeply concerned for her safety after her husband Kanye West chose to stop at a Donald Trump demonstration over the weekend

West, 47, and Censori, 29, were cheered by demonstrators but the rapper has irked some Trump fans with his recent outbursts, prompting concern from Censori's loved ones

DailyMail.com previously reported that those closest to her are fearful she has turned to alcohol to deal with the stress of her marriage, and now they are 'concerned Kanye is putting her in danger by stopping and winding his car window down at a Trump demo.'

'This is after he denounced Trump and spoke out against him, and after Trump called Kanye someone who needs help,' the source said, before asking: 'How is this safe?'

The insider highlighted how Censori's freedom of expression when it comes to her dress sense and her behavior in public could prove controversial for Trump supporters.

The insider continued: 'For the most part, Trumps supporters, and some Republicans, believe that it is okay for a man to decide what a woman should do, how she should behave, her role in the family, what she should and shouldnt wear and how she should and shouldnt act.

'This is terrifying to her loved ones as they feel this is how Kanye seems to view women  or at least Bianca.

'But this is the woman she is now, not the person she was before Kanye. Her friends feel like they have lost her.'

Saturday saw West and Censori interact with Trump's supporters, holding American flags and signs in favor of the Republican presidential candidate who is fighting Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris in the race for the White House.

The crowd began chanting West's name when they recognized he was behind the wheel.

While West looked happy to speak with the supporters from the window of his Tesla Cyberstruck, Censori was far less animated and kept her gaze focused on her husband

The source stated: 'Bianca was not onboard with the idea of stopping at the Trump rally. She is clearly not a conservative woman' (West pictured with Trump in 2018)

A clip of the brief exchange was posted to TikTok by a user under the handle @ali.aam.06.

The clip was captioned: 'WE SAW KANYE AT THE TRUMP RALLY IN BEVERLY HILLS WHAT THE F****.'

West has not publicly addressed the current election cycle, but has previously been an outspoken supporter of Trump in the past.

However, the relationship between Trump and West appeared to falter after the rapper brought white nationalist Nick Fuentes, who has in the past denied the Holocaust, to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate for a dinner in November of 2022.

Trump took to his Truth Social platform calling West 'seriously troubled' for making headlines over a series of anti-Semitic remarks spread over multiple outlets in the weeks preceding the Mar-a-Lago meeting.

Censori has seemingly stuck by West despite a furor over his anti-Semitic outbursts and lyrics on his album, Vultures.

His views were one of many concerns raised by Censori's loved ones since the couple secretly tied the knot in December 2022.

The source continued: 'Her overt display of sexuality and the fact that she believes a woman should be able to do whatever she wants with her own body isn't exactly on board with Republican beliefs'

Concerns for Censori have been raised repeatedly since the couple secretly tied the knot in December 2022 due, in part, to her provocative fashion style

She has shocked with her provocative style, with restauranteurs vowing to ban her earlier this year after she dined out braless in a sheer bodysuit.

Months prior, she engaged in what appeared to be a sexual act with West on a boat in Venice, which sparked calls for the couple to be banned from Italy.

Fears for Censori were renewed last month after Wests ex-chief of staff made a slew of allegations against the rapper in a bombshell affidavit filed to the California Dental Board.

He claimed the musician is addicted to nitrous oxide  or 'laughing gas'  having allegedly been supplied with the narcotic by his dentist, Thomas P. Connelly, who has vehemently denied the claim.
Matthew Perry was nobody's victim.

We're learning a lot about how he died, all of it sordid: The doctors who prosecutors say illegally supplied him with hardcore opiates; the live-in personal assistant who often injected him with drugs; the near-death experience that did nothing to deter his dealers, enablers, or Perry himself.

'Shoot me up with a big one.'

That was Perry's final instruction to his assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, on the day he died  having already received two ketamine shots, one at 8.30am and another around 12.30pm that same day.

The third shot, the 'big one' at Perry's demand, was injected by Iwamasa just 40 minutes later. Iwamasa then left to run errands.

Perry, high and alone, climbed into his hot tub.

All of which leads me to wonder: Perhaps he wanted to die?

We're learning a lot about how Matthew Perry died, all of it sordid: The doctors who illegally supplied him with opiates; the live-in personal assistant who often injected him with drugs; the near-death experience that did nothing to deter his dealers, enablers, or Perry himself.

'Shoot me up with a big one'. That was Perry's final instruction to his assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa (pictured), on the day he died - having already received two ketamine shots, one at 8.30am and another around 12.30pm that same day.

To be clear: If guilty, those who are charged with supplying Perry with black-market ketamine, Dr. Salvador Plasencia and Dr. Mark Chavez especially, should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. They exhibited craven greed at the expense of a very sick man.

At one point, Plasencia  who has pleaded not guilty and was known as 'Dr. P'  gloated about aggressively overcharging Perry, texting Chavez: 'I wonder how much this moron will pay.'

But Matthew Perry was hardly a moron. He knew exactly what he was doing.

It was Perry who demanded the ketamine, at whatever price  an eye-popping $55,000 to Plasencia in a single month.

And it was Perry who found another source of supply, street-dealer Erik Fleming, who allegedly connected the actor and his assistant with Jasveen Sangha  the so-called 'Ketamine Queen of LA'.

In the weeks leading to his death, Perry was shot up in the back seat of a car parked outside an aquarium in Long Beach, California.

Days later, he froze up, unable to move or speak, after a home injection by Plascencia  hours after Perry had taken a supervised dose of ketamine at a medical facility.

He was getting injected by Iwamasa six to eight times per day and was found unconscious at least twice.

Matthew Perry felt the rules just didn't apply to him.

'I think about all the doctors and nurses at the UCLA Medical Center for saving my life,' he wrote in his 2022 memoir. 'I am no longer welcome in that hospital for getting caught smoking in there one last time.'

This is the same guy who crashed his Porsche into someone's living room and walked away with no arrest, no criminal charges.

Why wouldn't he feel entitled? He was rarely, if ever, held to account.

The third shot, the 'big one' at Perry's demand, was injected by Iwamasa just 40 minutes later. Iwamasa then left to run errands. Perry, high and alone, climbed into his hot tub.

'Perry wasn't able to deal with the tough love,' one Alcoholics Anonymous source told the New York Post. 'I feel for him, but [] sometimes 'helping' someone is really enabling.'

True. But all evidence points to Perry, at the end, refusing help  instead indulging the very darkest parts of himself.

Perry wrote of his own amazement at being alive: the 55 Vicodin per day, more than 65 detoxes, $9 million spent trying to get sober, 14 surgeries, an exploded colon and 9 months with a colostomy bag.

'Addiction has ruined so much of my life it's not funny,' he wrote. 'I will always have the bowels of a man in his nineties the scars my stomach looks like a topographical map of China.'

He knew that touching alcohol or drugs would only end one way.

'I don't have another sobriety in me,' he said. 'It's going to kill me.'

He knew. Perhaps that's why he pushed so many people away.

'Angry and mean,' one friend said of Perry's demeanor in his final days.

He allegedly threw a coffee table at his fiancee, Molly Hurwitz, when she confronted him about cheating with a 19-year-old on Raya and broke off their engagement.

His longtime sober companion, a woman named Morgan Moses, was described by Perry as 'the single nicest person in the world'. He reportedly shoved her into a wall, then onto a bed.

That's to say nothing of the very young women Perry was asking to deliver him drugs. Or the nurse who quit the profession after working with him. Or the ex-girlfriend who threatened to sue him for getting her hooked on drugs and was only silenced by a settlement and an NDA.

Or of allegedly throwing things and punching walls in fits of rage, or telling terrified women in his life: 'If I wanted to hurt you, I would have.'

Perry, it's clear, had problems with women. He also hated himself.

'Most of the time I have these nagging thoughts,' he wrote. 'I'm not enough, I don't matter, I am too needy I need love, but I don't trust it. If I drop my game, my Chandler, and show you who I really am, you might notice me, but worse, you might notice me and leave me So, I will leave you first.'

Perry would have turned 55 on Monday. It's quite possible he wanted to die young, or at least knew he would, leaving before doing more harm  to others, maybe, but also to himself, and his legacy.

He allegedly threw a coffee table at his fiancee, Molly Hurwitz (pictured), when she confronted him about cheating with a 19-year-old on Raya and broke off their engagement. He also reportedly shoved his sober companion into a wall, then onto a bed.

It's quite possible he wanted to die young, or at least knew he would, leaving before doing more harm - to others, maybe, but also to himself, and his legacy. (Pictured: with Morgan Moses).

He never seemed to have grown beyond 'Chandler', beyond 'Friends', beyond envisioning himself as Batman  'Mattman' was his preferred nickname.

He never outgrew his teenage longing for wealth and celebrity as the ultimate drug.

'I was pretty sure that fame would change everything,' he wrote, 'and I yearned for it more than any other person on the face of the planet. I needed it. It was the only thing that would fix me. I was certain of it.'

Fame, and Perry's attendant wealth, were probably the worst things that could have ever happened to him.

It's how he got away with being a drunk, drug-addled wreck on 'Friends'  admitting to downing at least 16 drinks a day while on set  only sober, by his claim, for one season.

Co-star Jennifer Aniston, per his memoir, confronted him about it.

'We can smell it,' she told him. He was so unintelligible during one table read that the whole cast forced an intervention. But 'Friends' was such a cash cow that it's easy to imagine network executives being unwilling to remove Perry from filming, even temporarily.

'I would show up blindly hungover,' Perry told Diane Sawyer in 2022. 'Like shaking and crazy hungover.'

But the show must go on, right?

After 'Friends', Perry found another show to perform: That of a finally clean, chastened megastar who was just here to help.

He claimed to have been 18 months sober while promoting his memoir, selling a lie that was, perhaps, his last and greatest high.
Dr. Salvador Plascencia could face up to 120 years in federal prison if convicted

Perry's two doctors had their registrations to prescribe canceled last week

Two doctors charged in connection with the death of Matthew Perry can no longer prescribe medications.

Dr. Mark Chavez and Dr. Salvador Plascencia have had their registrations to prescribe medications revoked, the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) told TMZ on Monday.

The publication previously reported over the weekend that both men were still able to write prescriptions.

However, according to the DEA, their ability to write prescriptions was stripped last week.

DailyMail.com has contacted the DEA requesting comment.

Dr. Mark Chavez and Dr. Salvador Plascencia had their registrations to prescribe medications revoked last week, the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) told TMZ on Monday, after they were charged in connection with Matthew Perry's death; Perry seen in 2022 in West Hollywood

Chavez and Plascensia are still licensed physicians, but the Medical Board of California has launched investigations into the two.

Although they have now been stripped of their ability to prescribe medications, their circumstances differ.

Sources who spoke to TMZ said Chavez voluntarily surrendered his registration as part of a plea deal.

The physician will plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine as part of a plea deal when he is scheduled to be arraigned on August 30.

At sentencing, he will face up to 10 years in federal prison, the US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California announced in a statement last week.

Plascencia is reportedly facing a stiffer sentence. He 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, which could amount to up to 120 years in federal prison if he is convicted on all counts.

Plascencia was reportedly released on bond on Friday.

Chavez, 54, already admitted to diverting supplies from his clinic by filling out fake prescriptions while Plascencia scrambled to fulfill Perry's orders.

Sources who spoke to TMZ said Chavez (pictured) voluntarily surrendered his registration as part of a plea deal. He'll allegedly plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine at his arraignment on August 30, and he faces up to 10 years in federal prison

Plascencia (pictured) is reportedly facing a stiffer sentence. He is charged with seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation, for up to 120 years in federal prison if convicted

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.'

Iwamasa has since admitted being the one who administered the fatal doses to the actor, after being trained how to deliver them by Plascencia.

Chavez and Plascensia are still licensed physicians, but the Medical Board of California has launched investigations into the two (Perry seen in 2017)

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.

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, according to the affidavit.

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,' according to the affidavit.

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 submitted with court documents. 'It's listed as the cause of death.'

The update 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, the affidavit claims.

But on October 10, the three men met at a car lot in Long Beach where Plascencia injected Perry inside a parked car, it adds.

Two days later Plascencia issued his warning after Perry's near-fatal overdose  but then handed Iwamasa with more bottles before leaving.

According to the affidavit, 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,' the affidavit alleges.

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.

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.

Perry's cause of death was eventually determined to be 'the acute effects of ketamine' (seen in 2017)

Fleming admitted to obtaining the ketamine from Sangha and distributing it to Iwamasa, who admitted then giving the drug to the star, prosecutors said in their announcement.

Iwamasa and Fleming will face up to 15 years and 25 years, respectively, when they are sentenced in their federal cases, the US Attorney's Office said.

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.

'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.

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

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.'
The worlds of two different dating reality shows on two different networks have collided.

Bachelor Nation's Chad Johnson, 37, was spotted cozying up to 90-Day Fiance's Sophie Sierra at a concert in Orange County, California.

Johnson was the villain on JoJo Fletcher's season of the ABC dating show, while Sierra has been in an on and off relationship with Rob Warne since her time on the TLC show wrapped.

TMZ reported that the two reality TV stars showed up to a Yung Bleu show together over the weekend and were seen flirting all evening.

Johnson and Sierra left the venue together and later uploaded a TikTok where he playfully gave her a rose, Bachelorette/Bachelor style and then snatched it away from her.

The worlds of two different dating reality shows on two different networks have collided

Bachelor Nation's Chad Johnson, 37, was spotted cozying up to 90-Day Fiance's Sophie Sierra at a concert in Orange County, California

Four years ago, Johnson was booked on four counts of domestic abuse involving his ex-girlfriend Annalise Mishler.

Chad was arrested following a drunken encounter where he allegedly punched a hole into Annalise's wall the night before after getting drunk for the first time in 50 days.

He told US Weekly at the time that he was, 'completely out of character,' when he allegedly punched a hole in the wall.

'I was just spiraling from stress and having lost my relationship with Annalise that morning. I made a promise to myself and to Annalise to no longer drink,' he said.

He added, 'Ive apologized to Annalise for my behavior. Im looking into some outpatient processes that can help me. Annalise and I are not back together but we are going looking into couples therapy now.'

He eventually entered a plea of no contest and charges against him were dropped.

Meanwhile, Sophie and her partner Rob Warne called it quits on their marriage on an episode of 90-Day Fiance: Happily Ever After last month.

The former couple had a volatile relationship from the start and couldn't even live under the same roof without fighting.

The UK native moved in with her bisexual friend Kae who revealed in a confessional that she intended to marry Sophie once her divorce from Rob was final.

Johnson was the villain on JoJo Fletcher 's season of the ABC dating show, while Sierra has been in an on and off relationship with Rob Warne since her time on the TLC show wrapped

TMZ reported that the two reality TV stars showed up to a Yung Bleu show together over the weekend and were seen flirting the entire evening

Johnson and Sierra left the venue together and later uploaded a TikTok where he playfully gave her a rose, Bachelorette/Bachelor style and then snatched it away from her

The UK native married Rob Warne, but they split for good last month

'Sophie's been saying that she needs time after having so much time already. It just feels and seems like she's trying to pull this cloak over my eyes and just keeps pulling me along,' Warne said in a confessional on the show.

'You know, I'm about to break up with my wife. I'm about to end this relationship and it is very scary.

'I don't want to make the wrong decision, but you know, Sophie and I have been teetering on this breakup for a while, but she's not going to call me,' he said.

'She's not going to volunteer to talk about this stuff. I have to make this decision for us,' he continued.
Jessica Alba looked stylish on Monday as she did press for her show home improvement show Honest Renovations in New York City.

The 43-year-old actress-turned-entrepreneur  who recently vacationed in Greece  showed off her cleavage in a low-cut black top with large stone accents along the bustline.

En route to the show Late Night with Seth Meyers, she tucked it into matching wide-leg, high-waisted pants.

Jessica rounded out her ensemble with a pair of pointed-toe black leather heels.

The silver screen siren's long golden blonde hair was parted down the center and styled in uniform waves that stretched past her waist.

Jessica Alba looked stylish on Monday as she did press for her show home improvement show Honest Renovations in New York City

The 43-year-old actress-turned-entrepreneur showed off her cleavage in a low-cut black top with large stone accents along the bustline

The Honey actress looked typically beautiful in a full face of glowy makeup that included a glossy lipstick.

She accessorized with an understated black leather purse and stone drop earrings that coordinated with her outfit details.

Alba launched the Roku TV series Honest Renovations with her best friend Lizzy Mathis in August 2023.

The logline reads: 'Parenting is tough, and it's even more challenging when a family's home doesn't meet people's needs. That's where best friends Jessica Alba and Lizzy Mathis come in.'

It goes on to say, 'They're surprising parents with renovations that take their homes from cluttered and chaotic to functional and fabulous.'

The show synopsis details: 'This isn't the average home renovation show.

'This duo gets honest about the pain points of parenting and the pressure points of a family home, with heartwarming moments and plenty of laughter along the way.'

Teasing season two, Jessica appeared on Instagram on Monday to share a brief video clip with Lizzy.

En route to the show Late Night with Seth Meyers, she tucked it into matching wide-leg, high-waisted pants and rounded out her ensemble with a pair of pointed-toe black leather heels

The silver screen siren's long golden blonde hair was parted down the center and styled in uniform waves that stretched past her waist

She wrote in a caption to her 20.6 million followers, 'Were backkkkkk! We missed you. Chatting all things @honest_renovations with my girl @lizzymathis week.'

The mother-of-three, who is married to Cash Warren, added, 'Season 2 dropping August 23rd - mark your calendars!!'

The title is an extension of the multihyphenate's Honest Company, from which she recently stepped down as Chief Creative Officer to 'shift her creative energy to new endeavors.'

Jessica promoted her spot on Late Night with Seth Meyers in Instagram posts as she shared Polaroid pictures taken backstage

Teasing season two, Jessica appeared on Instagram on Monday to share a brief video clip with Lizzy

Hours later, Jessica was seen rocking a denim bottoms, a blue blazer and blouse, and a Chanel handbag and matching heels

She styled her long locks in waves, center parted and loose around her

In addition to her entrepreneurial pursuits, Jessica is the matriarch of her family with husband Cash.

The longtime couple share daughters Honor Marie, 16, Haven Garner, 12, and son Hayes, six.

Earlier this year they celebrated 16 years of marriage.

She took to social media to share throwback photos with her husband in a sweet tribute to their union. '16 years of marriage, 20 years together and forever to go Happy Anniversary @cash_warren,' she wrote in the caption.

'I'm proud of us for making it this far,' added Alba. 'There is no real set of rules or guidance that can ever prepare you for what it means to commit to another person and choose to be family.'
Machine Gun Kelly said that his decision to stop using drugs came after his daughter Casie confronted him on his substance abuse.

The 34-year-old musical artist/actor, whose real name is Colson Baker, shares Casie, 15, with ex Emma Cannon.

MGK, appearing on Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast on Sunday, said that Casie had been around 11 or 12 when she told him she was aware he was using.

'It started with my daughter saying, "Dad, you know I can tell when you're high" - it broke my heart,' said the Lonely Road artist. 'It was the ultimate let down.'

MGK said that from the time Casie had spoken to him about his drug use, 'It took [him] a while afterward' to make the life changes necessary to adapt to a sober lifestyle, 'because obviously drugs have a vice grip on you.'

Machine Gun Kelly, 34, said that his decision to stop using drugs came after his daughter Casie, 15, confronted him on his substance abuse, appearing on Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast on Sunday

The musical artist/actor, whose real name is Colson Baker, shares Casie with ex Emma Cannon. Pictured in November 2021 in LA

The Rap Devil artist said of the confrontation with Casie, 'That was step one for me.'

He added: 'As a father and as a man, to be the father I wish my dad would have been, I have to break this generational curse for my kid.'

MGK, who is dating actress Megan Fox, 38, took to Instagram on July 24 with a post commemorating his daughter turning 15 with a shot from her birthday bash and others throughout the years.

'The world spins but when i look at you it stops,' MGK said in the caption of the post.

MGK earlier this month spoke about celebrating a year's sobriety while appearing on the podcast Dumb Blonde with Bunnie XO.

The musical artist said on the August 5 podcast that following a stint in rehab, he's been 'completely sober from everything.'

The Bad Things performer said that he's also abstained from alcohol consumption, saying, 'I don't drink anymore - I haven't drank since last August.'

MGK said that he decided to go to rehab after concluding with his tour in Europe last year, and 'didn't tell anybody outside' of his inner circle.

The Lonely Road artist said, 'It started with my daughter saying, "Dad, you know I can tell when you're high" - it broke my heart'

MGK said that from the time Casie had spoken to him about his drug use, 'It took [him] a while afterward' to make the life changes necessary to adapt to a sober lifestyle

The candid entertainer said, 'Obviously drugs have a vice grip on you'

The Bad Things performer took to Instagram on July 24 with a post commemorating his daughter turning 15 with a shot from her birthday bash

He added: 'That was my first time I ever went to rehab. They just gave me so many ways to operate the body and show where this anger is coming from and methods to quell it.'

The entertainer detailed his interactions with mental health professionals: 'I met with a lot of psychiatrists, some who gave up on me and many therapists who did the same.

'But I ended up falling into an awareness of what my condition is and have made peace with it. It's a constant tightrope walk.'

In the appearance, the musical artist said that substances he abused included alcohol, marijuana and pills.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, SAMHSA's helpline can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP.
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown Jr. exits a vintage car during a 2021 news conference on Lakeside Drive in Oakland. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown is to be honored with a new sculpture by artist Bip Apollo.

Apollo, who lives in San Francisco and Monaco, told the Chronicle he was commissioned by a group of Browns friends to create a bust of the longtime California politician. Brown plans to announce the placement of the work after the elections in November.

I worked very hard creating the portrait, not only to show the strength and power of Mayor Brown as a leader, but also to show the warmth, generosity and amazing sense of wit he exhibits so effortlessly, Apollo said. I tried to keep the development discreet as I would with all my patrons, but it was impossible. Wherever I went with my work, citizens immediately recognized his face and almost everyone had a story to tell of how he helped their community.

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The 70-pound silicon-bronze bust was created using lost wax casting, an ancient process where the artist creates a design in wax, makes a mold from the material, casts the sculpture at a foundry in bronze, then finishes it with a flame patina process. The work shows Brown, a former Chronicle columnist, smiling, with the top buttons of his shirt collar casually undone.

A new bust of former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown by artist Bip Apollo will be unveiled in November. Bip Apollo

Videos on Apollos Instagram show the artist polishing the work to a gleaming shine.

Apollo produces work internationally and is best known for his giant murals. His 2015 mural Self Consuming Self  Dave on the San Francisco City Center Hostel Building at 685 Ellis St. is seven stories high and depicts a man examining his own heart under a microscope. His 2016 mural Vintage, showing 91-year-old Oakland resident Emma Levy listening to a trash metal album, covers five stories of the Academy of Chinese Culture in downtown Oakland, but has since been obscured by a neighboring high-rise.

Perhaps his best known Bay Area work is his 2017 mural on the San Francisco Centre mall, No Ceiling, showing a young African American girl with hulking, muscular arms.

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Apollo called the bust of Brown one of his favorite projects and said he hopes to do more portraits of political leaders.

I hope that San Francisco children see this and dream a little bigger, because of him, said Apollo.

Brown has been in the news in recent weeks since Donald Trump claimed earlier this month that the pair had been involved in a near-accident during a shared helicopter ride during which Brown allegedly said disparaging things about Vice President Kamala Harris, whom Brown used to date. Brown contends the helicopter ride and conversation never happened.

On Saturday, Aug. 17, Brown, alongside his longtime attorney Joe Cotchett, announced during a news conference he is considering suing Trump if the former president continues repeating the nonsense claims.
Emma and Matt Willis showed the Love Is Blind cast how it's done as they packed on the PDA for a steamy new photoshoot on Tuesday.

The couple, who have recently teamed up to co-host the Netflix show, looked incredible in the racy black and white snaps for HUNGER magazine's digital cover.

Photographed by Rankin, Emma, 48, wrapped her arms around her shirtless husband, 41, before going in for a kiss and biting his lip.

Emma wowed in a sexy mesh mini dress, teamed with a sleeveless leather jacket and fishnet stockings.

Matt opted for a smart white shirt and suit before he stripped off his top and showed off his muscular tattooed back.

Emma and Matt Willis stripped off and shared a passionate kiss for a VERY racy new photoshoot for Hunger magazine

The couple, who have recently teamed up to co-host Love is Blind UK, looked incredible in the black and white snaps as they passionately kissed

Photographed by Rankin, Emma, 48, wrapped her arms around her shirtless husband, 41, before they shared a racy kiss

From the front, Matt showed off a large Ace of hearts tattoo, which is a sweet tribute to his son Ace.

The couple, who married in 2008 and have three children, Isabelle, 14, Ace, 12, and Trixie, seven, are currently fronting Love Is Blind UK.

They are at the helm to guide viewers through the popular reality series, which sees couples meet for the first time 'sight unseen' before one pops the question.

Emma started her career as a model before branching out into television early on - and has stayed faithful to presenting, appearing on some of the biggest shows on TV including The Voice and Big Brother.

However, Matt, who is eight years younger than his wife, is still most famous for his pop star hellraising as part of pop punk trio Busted, and continues to tour with the band, with gigs in Margate and Newmarket lined up this summer.

Emma and Matt Willis packed on the PDA for a steamy new photoshoot on Tuesday

She looked sensational in a mesh mini dress, with a sleeveless leather jacket and fishnet stockings.

Matt opted for a smart white shirt and suit before he stripped off his top and showed off his tattooed back

Now, after years of focusing on their separate careers, the couple have joined forces professionally, a decision which could be all the more lucrative.

This week, Emma Willis dissolved into tears as she gushed about wonderful a father her husband Matt was on The Newlyweds Podcast.

Appeared together on the latest episode of married couple Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo's podcast, they revealed how their romance began and opened up on their nearly two decade relationship.

But at one point, Emma became visibly emotional and also reduced Jamie, Sophie and Matt to tears as she talked about having children.

After Jamie confessed his nerves about starting a family, the TV host said: 'You remind me of Matt a little bit. I don't really know you, but you seem a bit of an excitable puppy.'

The couple, who married in 2008 and have three children, Isabelle, 14, Ace, 12, and Trixie, seven, are currently fronting Love Is Blind UK

They are at the helm to guide viewers through the popular reality series, which sees couples meet for the first time 'sight unseen' before one pops the question

She continued: 'That's what Matt's like and the minute we had kids it's like his best mate had arrived.

'He is my partner and my equal and sometimes he's like my fourth kid. And I mean that in the best possible way, because he's like that when he's with his kids.'

Emma began to get choked up and teary, as she added: 'So he just gets down on their level and he's f***ing phenomenal with them.'

She reached over to Matt, who looked close to tears himself, and added: 'Honestly, it'll make you the best version of yourself.'
Teenage Los Angeles gang members charged with murdering General Hospital star Johnny Wactor incriminated themselves in the horror attack through recorded jailhouse conversations, law enforcement sources have said.

Robert Barceleau, 18, and Sergio Estrada, 18, members of the Florencia 13 gang, were both charged with murder, among other alleged crimes, in connection to Wactor's death.

Wactor, 37, was gunned down by thieves attempting to steal the catalytic converter on his vehicle in Downtown Los Angeles on May 25 as he left his bartending job at the Moxy Hotel.

Two other men, Leonel Gutierrez, 18, and Frank Olano, 22, were charged with lesser crimes in connection to the beloved actor's 'senseless' death.

'The loss of this talented young actor, who was in the prime of his life and had so much to offer the world, is deeply felt by all of us,' Los Angeles County District Attorney Georg Gascon announced Monday.

Robert Barceleau, 18, and Sergio Estrada, 18, were both charged with murder, among other counts, in connection to Johnny Wactor's death

Wactor, 37, was gunned down by thieves attempting to steal the catalytic convertor on his vehicle in Downtown Los Angeles on May 25 as he left his bartending job at the Moxy Hotel

'Mr. Wactors work and presence touched the lives of many, and our hearts go out to his family, friends and the entire community who mourn this devastating loss. '

At the time of the brazen attack, Wactor, who thought he was being towed, confronted a group of men who had jacked up his car after finishing a late night bartending shift nearby with co-worker and long-time friend Anita Joy.

Joy, who witnessed the horror shooting, said Wactor asked the men to leave and held up his hands to show he was not a threat before being shot at close range in the chest.

According to Gascon, Barceleau was the one who allegedly shot the TV soap actor. Wactor was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, Gascon said.

Barceleau, Gutierrez and Estrada were arrested and booked on suspicion of murder on Thursday, nearly three months since the slaying. Olana was also arrested on suspicion of being an accessory to murder.

Barceleau, also known as 'Smallz', has been identified as a member of Florencia 13- a South Los Angeles street gang- according to a search warrant.

Outside the courthouse on Monday, fellow actor Micah Parker (pictured) and the organizer of 'Justice for Johnny Wactor,' said that anyone involved in Wacker's death should never be able to walk free

Barceleau, Estrada and Gutierrez's fingerprints were a match from the floor jack left at Wactor's car, the search warrant detailed.

Authorities said that both Gutierrez, or 'Tripps', and Estrafa, known as 'Prieto', are also members of the gang, LA Times reported.

Witness descriptions pinned Gutierrez as a suspect in the slaying after describing a visible 'F' tattoo on his face, which stands for Florencia, police said.

Barceleau, of Huntington Park, was charged with murder, including a special circumstance allegation of killing in the commission of robbery, attempted robbery and grand theft, both while armed with a firearm.

If convicted, the accused shooter faces life in prison without possibility of parole.

Estrada was charged with one count of murder with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm, one count of attempted robbery with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm, and one count of grand theft with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm.

Gutierrez was charged with attempted robbery and grand theft with allegations of a principal armed with a firearm while Olano was charged with accessory to murder.

'While this was not an easy case for anyone involved, I am confident that we have the right people on the right charges,' LAPD Chief Dominic Choi said.

Wactor portrayed Brando Corbin on the ABC soap opera 'General Hospital' in 164 episodes from 2020 to 2022

At the time of the brazen attack, Wactor, who thought he was being towed, confronted a group of men who had jacked up his car after finishing a late night bartending shift nearby. (pictured: Wacker with his family)

'To the family and loved ones of Johnny Wactor: We know that no legal action can ever bring back the person you have lost, but we hope that todays announcement brings some measure of comfort in knowing that those responsible will be held accountable for their actions,' he added.

Outside the courthouse on Monday, fellow actor Micah Parker and the organizer of 'Justice for Johnny Wactor,' said that anyone involved in Wacker's death should never be able to walk free.

'I dont think it is right that these suspects, whoever killed Johnny, ever gets freedom ever again,' Parker said.

Wactor died a hero - with his relatives previously telling DailyMail.com he had positioned himself to shield Joy from the gunfire.

Joy said after the shooting she asked if he was okay.

He could only respond, 'Nope! Shot!'

Joy took to social media to share his courageous final moments, describing how her friend of eight years 'fought to stay alive' before dying.

'Everything happened in an instant,' she wrote of the attack.

'I've come to describe it as a glass of water that gets tipped over and you're scrambling to grab it and save it from spilling out completely but it just runs through your fingertips and is gone.'

She said she finds solace in the fact that she was with him and that Wactor did not die alone but added that she remains 'heartbroken and so very angry.'

Joy, Wactor's long-time friend and co-worker, said she finds solace in the fact that she was with him and that he did not die alone but added that she remains 'heartbroken and so very angry'

'My only other peace will be seeing these awful men brought to justice.'

Wactor portrayed Brando Corbin on the ABC soap opera 'General Hospital' in 164 episodes from 2020 to 2022.

He also appeared in a variety of films and TV series, including 'Station 19,' 'NCIS,' 'Westworld' and the video game 'Call of Duty: Vanguard.'

Violent crime in Los Angeles has been on the rise, with the LAPD recording a 2.9 per cent increase at the end of March 2024, compared to the same time last year.

Around 600,000 catalytic converters are stolen each year.

Most cars are equipped with one converter but those with a dual exhaust system require two. Larger vehicles such as SUVs and trucks may have more than two.

According to the New York Times, stolen catalytic converters are passed through 'middlemen, smelters and refineries in the United States and overseas.'

They can be stolen in under a minute and cost around $1,000 to replace.
Sexyy Red shocked as she announced the relaunch of her Northside Princess beauty brand this week - complete with extremely NSFW names.

The 26-year-old Get It Sexyy rapper shocked fans by giving the glosses names including 'gonorrhea', 'blue b*llz', and a reference to being intimate while menstruating.

Sexyy Red (born Janae Nierah Wherry) provocatively posed on a table at her Northside Princess headquarters while wearing a black sheer blouse, matching bicycle shorts, and heels.

The U My Everything rapper wore her signature red wig with businesswoman-style glasses and she rocked her massive 'ghetto princess' diamond medallion necklace.

Sexyy Red certainly raised eyebrows in her native St. Louis when she first released the glosses circa 2019-2020, and she's simply capitalizing on her newfound fame to move the 'new and improved' stock.

Sexyy Red shocked as she announced the relaunch of her Northside Princess beauty brand this week - complete with extremely NSFW names

Even in 2020, the NXT Battleground host was defiant when reacting to online hate over the graphic names she chose.

'Okay? I like the names!' Sexyy Red - who boasts 9.7M social media followers - clapped back.

Sexyy Red is scheduled to kick off her 26-date Sexyy Red 4 President Tour this Thursday at the WaMu Theater in Seattle, WA - which is in support of her third mixtape In Sexyy We Trust.

The Pound Town rapper will compete for two Moonperson trophies at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, which will be broadcast September 10 from the UBS Arena in Elmont, NY.

Sexyy Red - who gets 14M monthly listeners on Spotify - scored nominations for best collaboration and best hip hop due to her contribution to Drake's song Rich Baby Daddy also featuring SZA.

The SkeeYee rapper last made headlines on June 8 when she was arrested for disorderly conduct stemming from a brawl inside Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.

On the personal front, Sexyy Red is a single mother to a four-year-old son and six-month-old daughter, whose names have not been released.

Sexyy Red (born Janae Nierah Wherry) provocatively posed on a table at her Northside Princess headquarters while wearing a black sheer blouse, matching bicycle shorts, and heels

The 26-year-old Get It Sexyy rapper shocked fans by giving the glosses names including 'gonorrhea', 'blue b*llz', and a reference to being intimate while menstruating

The U My Everything rapper wore her signature red wig with businesswoman-style glasses and she rocked her massive 'ghetto princess' diamond medallion necklace
Gemma Collins has said she is 'very lucky to have survived' after getting caught up in the terrifying storm that hit Sicily on Monday.

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are still missing after his luxury superyacht capsized near Porticello.

Six people, understood to be four Britons and two Americans, remain unaccounted for while 15 passengers were rescued by a nearby ship including a British mother and her one-year-old daughter. One body has been recovered.

Gemma, 43, and her nephew Hayden, 15, who were onboard another luxury ship, were left shaken after being stranded at sea for four hours.

In an update shared to Instagram, she wrote: 'Holiday update. My heartfelt condolences to the people involved in the tragic disaster at sea in Sicily.'

Gemma Collins has said she is 'very lucky to have survived' after getting caught up in the terrifying storm that hit Sicily on Monday

Gemma continued: 'I was very lucky me and my nephew to have survived the storm at sea.'

'I am shaken and returning to the UK tomorrow god was on our side today we was stuck for 4 hours can you imagine what was going through my mind. Thank you @bluediamondcruise for getting us back safely.'

Specialist divers involved in the search operation said on Tuesday that the 30million vessel, called the Bayesian, have come to rest on the seabed 164ft (50 metres) below the surface with 'virtually everything intact', with furniture blocking attempts to get inside.

The luxury yacht capsized early on Monday morning after being hit by a waterspout at around 5am, with the captain of the doomed vessel saying 'we didn't see it coming' after he and 15 others were rescued from the water.

Those involved in the rescue efforts have compared the incident to the 'Costa Concordia disaster on a smaller scale', adding that they would do 'everything to recover the bodies' amid worsening weather conditions.

Tornado-speed winds flipped the superyacht so quickly there was no time for those on board to raise the alarm or call for help before they were left swimming for their lives, with those who made it off stranded in the pitch black water as the storm raged around them.

The ship's chef Recaldo Thomas was found dead in the sea by search teams yesterday and hopes that survivors will be found alive in trapped air pockets are rapidly fading as the rescue operation continues.

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch (pictured in 2019) and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are still missing after his luxury superyacht capsized near Porticello

Gemma, 43, and her nephew Hayden, 15, who were onboard another luxury ship, were left shaken after being stranded at sea for four hours

In an update, she wrote: 'My heartfelt condolences to the people involved in the tragic disaster at sea in Sicily. 'I was very lucky me and my nephew to have survived the storm at sea'

She shared a video showing how the boat's staff helped Gemma and her nephew get back to shore safely

Gemma wrote: 'I was very lucky me and my nephew to have survived the storm at sea'

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British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo who represented Mr Lynch in a recent legal battle have been named missing.

Lynch had invited family and friends onto the yacht to celebrate his 'second life' after being acquitted of all charges in a US fraud trial, and in an extraordinary twist his co-defendant Stephen Chamberlain - who was also cleared of the charges - has also died after being hit by a car while running in England over the weekend.

The luxury sailboat was anchored just a few hundred metres off the coast of Porticello on calm seas when it was suddenly struck by a violent waterspout just before 5am on Monday.

It is believed the ship sank after its mast - one of tallest in the world at an enormous 246ft-high - snapped during the brutal incident and keeled over, taking the hull beyond the 'down-flooding angle', according to nautical experts.

Inspector Marco Tilotta, leading the Palermo Fire Brigade's diving unit, has likened the grim search operation to the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster in 2012 which claimed the lives of 33 people.

Eerily, the specialist cave divers called in for the search and rescue operation found 'virtually everything intact' on board, with little sign of damage, and 'no rips in the side, no signs of impact,' he told MailOnline.

The boat is resting on the seabed on its starboard (right hand) side, 164ft below the waves, and the first efforts of the dive teams were unsuccessful in moving furniture impeding their access to the cabins below, said Insp. Tilotta.

The rescuers still hope that survivors might be found, against all odds, in trapped air pockets, but Insp Tilotta admitted 'it is a race against time and the quality of the oxygen will be bad'.

His choice of words however told the unpleasant truth: 'We will do everything to recover the bodies. The weather conditions are worsening but we hope to continue operations without problems'.

As the first shift of divers returned from the site, storm clouds threatened overhead.

'We have just finished the first dive, now we do a briefing and continue for the whole day,' he added.

'We checked the hull from the outside, visibility is good, now our objective is to penetrate inside the vessel'.

Now it is up to the group of cave divers from Rome and Sassari, who have specialist training and equipment, to enter the yacht to take stock of the situation. Some of them, the inspector says, also worked on the case of the Costa Concordia.

In the next few hours and days, the accident investigators will have to work out how it was possible that the vessel sank while others were hardly affected and how come it was still intact.

The whirlwind has been defined as 'extremely intense, sudden and very localized', the Inspector told Il Messaggero.

The captain of the ship, named by Italian media as James Catfield, said those on board had been blindsided by the sudden chaos on Monday morning.

Speaking from a hospital room in the town of Termini Imerese close to Palermo, the captain, in a state of grief and shock, could only utter one sentence.

'We didn't see it coming,' he told La Repubblica.

Former shipyard manager and maritime technical inspector Gino Ciriaci told Italian daily Corriere Della Sera said once the mast had fallen, the vessel was far more prone to pitching and rolling as it was battered by waves without the sails to steady it.

In the case of the Bayesian, he said the waterspout was so violent that the boat, dragged down by its broken mast, tilted until the edge of the deck slipped under the surface.

The entire ordeal likely lasted only a few minutes, with the ship sinking rapidly as it took on seawater.

Specialist divers had reached the ship yesterday afternoon but their search efforts were met with unexpected complications.

'Access was limited to the bridge, due to the difficulty represented by the presence of furnishings obstructing the divers' passage,' the fire crews said in a statement.

The search operation was made yet more difficult because the ship was resting on the seabed at a depth of 50 metres, which limits the amount of time divers can be underwater, said fire rescue spokesperson Luca Cari.

In the meantime, survivors of the tragedy were taken to various hospitals on the island of Sicily and began recounting their terrifying ordeal.

Among the 15 rescued was one-year-old baby Sofia, who was kept afloat by her mother, 36-year-old Charlotte Golunski.

Golunski, an Oxford graduate and senior associate at Mike Lynch's company Invoke Capital, yesterday told of her fight to prevent her child from drowning.

'For two seconds I lost my baby in the sea, then I immediately hugged her again in the fury of the waves,' Ms Golunski said.

'I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched up to keep her from drowning,' she added.

'It was all dark. In the water I couldn't keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.'

Golunski, who received treatment for a minor shoulder injury sustained in the evacuation, described the experience as 'terrible' and detailed how 'in a few minutes the boat was hit by a very strong wind and sank shortly after... (We were) terrified by the thunder, the lightning, the waves that made our boat lurch.'

She added that her family had survived because they were on the deck when the ship began to sink, rather than trapped in the cabins below.

That is where the five missing passengers - Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley's Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, one of Lynch's US lawyers, Christopher Morvillo of legal firm Clifford Chance, and Morvillo's wife - are believed to have drowned.

Lynch, 59, was once hailed as the UK's king of technology and is frequently referred to as 'Britain's Bill Gates'.

He was cleared in June of fraud and conspiracy charges in a US federal trial related to Hewlett Packard's $11 billion takeover of his company, Autonomy Corp.

The yacht trip appeared to be something of a celebration after Lynch's acquittal, with guests including members of his legal team as well as friends, family and witnesses who stood by Lynch throughout the trial.
Strictly Come Dancing appears to finally be emerging from a string of scandals that have engulfed the show in recent months, as the shortlist for the National Television Awards was revealed on Tuesday.

The upcoming 20th series was thrown into chaos when professional dancers Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice were accused of abusive behavior by celebrity partners, with a verdict on an investigation into the latter expected to be announced within days.

And while the claims sparked fears that the upcoming series would struggled to recover, it appears that Strictly is beginning to shake off the scandals, as it landed three NTA nominations.

The show has been nominated in the Talent Show category, while Claudia Winkleman is up for Best Presenter and judge Anton Du Beke has received an Expert nod, with the winners set to be announced during a live ceremony on September 11.

In the fallout of the scandal, the BBC has introduced a stringent set of new welfare policies to protect the stars, including the employment of chaperones during rehearsals.

Strictly Come Dancing appears to finally emerging from a string of scandals that have engulfed the show, as the shortlist for the National Television Awards was revealed on Tuesday

Professional dancers Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice (pictured) have both been accused of abusive behavior by celebrity partners during training

The Strictly scandal erupted in January when actress Amanda Abbington accused her professional partner Giovanni Pernice of abuse after she unexpectedly quit the show just five weeks in.

Sherlock actress Amanda, 50, a has made a series of accusations about Giovanni's teaching methods and has described his behaviour as 'unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean'. He strongly denies all of the claims.

In one interview, Amanda compared the dance show to 'the trenches' telling Channel 4 News that BBC producers had been left 'horrified' by clips that also allegedly exhibited 'humiliating behaviour of a sexual nature'.

Then, in July, it emerged that Graziano Di Prima had been sacked from Strictly for 'kicking' his partner, Love Island star Zara McDermott.

A Strictly source said: 'Graziano's abuse was ongoing, he kicked and hit her. There were multiple occasions where both physical and verbal attacks were made. It was more physical than verbal but all of it was dreadful.

'There were occasions where he did some terrible things, it really was awful. What he did makes Giovanni look like a pussy cat.'

Graziano has since claimed he does not know the full particulars of what he is supposed to have done.

The BBC will not give further details due to the 'confidential nature of the circumstances' in which the information was provided and their 'obligations' to 'third parties'.

The show has been nominated in the Talent Show category, while Claudia Winkleman is up for Best Presenter and judge Anton Du Beke has received an Expert nod

NATIONAL TELEVISION AWARDS 2024: THE WINNERS AUTHORED DOCUMENTARY Beckham Rhod Gilbert: A Pain in the Neck Robbie Williams Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Change Kate Garraway: Derek's Story - WINNER BRUCE FORSYTH ENTERTAINMENT AWARD Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway The Graham Norton Show I'm a CelebrityGet Me Out of Here - WINNER The Masked Singer Michael McIntyre's Big Show COMEDY Brassic The Gentlemen Ghosts Mrs Brown's Boys - WINNER Not Going Out DAYTIME The Chase - WINNER Deal or No Deal Loose Women This Morning The Repair Shop DRAMA PERFORMANCE Brenda Blethyn (Vera) Jessica Gunning (Baby Reindeer) Michelle Keegan (Fool Me Once) Toby Jones (Mr Bates vs the Post Office) - WINNER Vicky McClure (Trigger Point) EXPERT Anton Du Beke (Strictly Come Dancing) David Attenborough (Mammals) - WINNER Kaleb Cooper (Clarkson's Farm) Martin Lewis (The Martin Lewis Money Show) Torvill And Dean (Dancing on Ice) FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT Clarkson's Farm Gogglebox Martin Lewis Money Show Live Sort Your Life Out - WINNER The Yorkshire Vet NEW DRAMA Baby Reindeer Fool Me Once Mr Bates vs The Post Office - WINNER One Day Red Eye QUIZ GAME SHOW The 1% Club - WINNER Ant and Dec's Limitless Win Beat the Chasers Michael McIntyre's The Wheel Richard Osman's House of Games REALITY COMPETITION The Apprentice Celebrity Big Brother Love Island Race Across the World The Traitors - WINNER RETURNING DRAMA Bridgerton - WINNER Call the Midwife The Crown Trigger Point Vera SERIAL DRAMA Casualty Coronation Street EastEnders Emmerdale - WINNER Hollyoaks SERIAL DRAMA PERFORMANCE Angela Wynter (EastEnders) David Neilson (Coronation Street) Diane Parish (EastEnders) Eden Taylor-Draper (Emmerdale) Peter Ash (Coronation Street) - WINNER TALENT SHOW Britain's Got Talent The Great British Bake Off MasterChef Strictly Come Dancing - WINNER The Voice UK TV PRESENTER Alison Hammond (This Morning) Ant And Dec (I'm a Celebrity) - WINNER Bradley Walsh (The Chase) Claudia Winkleman (The Traitors) Stacey Solomon (Sort Your Life Out) IMPACT AWARD Mr Bates vs The Post Office SPECIAL RECOGNITION Davina McCall Advertisement

This week it was reported that Amanda found BBC bosses line of questioning 'highly offensive' amid their misconduct probe.

It was reported that the actress has been quizzed for a second time about an illicit video shared with her by Giovannie as well as a 'lewd remark' he made about another celebrity contestant when the video was sent.

The dancer is also reported to have made a crude comment about a member of Amanda's own family, only for her to 'effectively be asked' by BBC bosses whether the dancer meant the remark as light-hearted banter.

A source told The Sun: '[Amanda] found this line of questioning highly offensive.'

In regards to the alleged video they told the publication: 'The BBC can't ignore the fact the video was sent. There seems to be a trail of evidence'.

'Even if it is established the footage was shared with innocent intentions, the BBC are concerned this could constitute a breach of conduct according to the contract handed to the pro dancers.'

A BBC spokesman said: 'As we have said before, we will not be commenting on individuals or engaging in speculation'.

Elsewhere, Michelle Keegan scored an impressive award show hat trick, after being nominated for three awards, including a Best Drama Performance nod for her record-breaking series Fool Me Once.

The Coronation Street actress fronted the Netflix adaptation of Harlan Coben's mystery novel in January.

Michelle has received a nod for her performance as military wife Maya Stern - who is grieving her murdered husband when she spots him on a nanny cam in her home.

The series has also received a nomination in the New Drama category, while Brassic - in which Michelle plays Erin Croft - has been nominated for Best Comedy.

Fool Me Once became one of Netflix's biggest ever hits with over 100million views - and kicked Michelle's drama career into gear.

The soap star has been nominated for four NTAs previously, three for Coronation Street and one for BBC's Our Girl.

Toby Jones also receives a nod in the drama performance category for his role as former subpostmaster Sir Alan Bates, one of more than 550 claimants who have brought legal action against the Post Office.

The ITV drama will face tough competition from Netflix hit Baby Reindeer, romantic drama One Day and Fool Me Once and Red Eye for the prize.

Meanwhile, Jones will go up against actress Jessica Gunning, who has also been nominated for the drama performance gong for her role as Martha Scott in dark comedy thriller Baby Reindeer, in which her character stalks comedian Donny Dunn after he offers her a free cup of tea in the pub where he works.

Elsewhere, Michelle Keegan scored an impressive award show hat trick, after being nominated for three awards, including a Best Drama Performance nod for Fool Me Once

Claudia Winkleman will have to overcome a tough challenge from the likes of Alison Hammond, Bradley Walsh, Stacey Solomon, and longtime winners Ant and Dec (pictured)

While Claudia Winkleman - whose other show The Traitors is nominated for Reality Competition - is listed in the TV presenter field, she will have to overcome a tough challenge from the likes of Alison Hammond, Bradley Walsh, Stacey Solomon, and longtime winners Ant and Dec.

The Geordie Duo have won the award 22 times now, and they'll be chasing their record 23rd victory.

They could also claim a win with the Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award, as Saturday Night Takeaway is up against I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! - another of their shows - along with The Graham Norton Show, Michael McIntyre's Big Show and The Masked Singer.

Joining BBC megahit The Traitors are The Apprentice, Celebrity Big Brother, Love Island and Race Across The World in the Reality Competition Category.

Elsewhere, in the Serial Drama Performance category, Coronation Street's Peter Ash is nominated for his role as Paul Foreman, who has faced a devastating battle with Motor Neurone Disease.

He will be up against EastEnders' Angela Wynter, Coronation Street's David Neilson, EastEnders' Diane Parish and Emmerdale star Eden Taylor-Draper.

Former England football captain David Beckham and pop star Robbie Williams are also shortlisted for NTAs in the Authored Documentary category for their Netflix docuseries, as well as actress Rose Ayling-Ellis for her documentary which explores attitudes to the deaf community, and comedian Rhod Gilbert, for his, which explores his cancer treatment.

The shows will go head-to-head with Kate Garraway, who has been nominated for a third time in the Authored Documentary category, for Derek's Story, which followed the final year of her late husband's life before he passed away in January.

The 2024 National Television Awards will take place on Wednesday, September 11th at London's O2 Arena.
Controversial Olympian Rachael 'Raygun' Gunn is 'being courted' by I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Australia producers to appear on their upcoming series.

The breakdancer, 36, soared to global fame for her disastrous performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which became the competition's most talked-about moment.

And Channel Ten is 'very interested' in signing the Sydney-born athlete, as they think she would make a great addition to the show, an insider told this week's New Idea magazine.

'Raygun would be the ideal campmate. The public will want to hear her story in the jungle. Love her or loathe her, she has everyone talking,' they began.

They added Raygun's unique style had quickly captivated audiences and that her addition to the show would be sure to draw people in.

'It's these viral moments and water-cooler conversations that IAC will want to capitalise on.'

Raygun's unique Olympic routine, which featured kangaroo hopping and saw her at one point slither across the floor like a snake, led to an onslaught of ridicule online.

Her routine also failed to impress the judges and earned her zero points, placing her dead last in the gruelling competition.

Controversial Olympian Rachael 'Raygun' Gunn (pictured) is 'being courted' by I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Australia producers to appear on their upcoming series

Gunn made a surprise appearance at the 2024 TV Week Logie Awards on Sunday night as she alluded to the controversy.

In a surprise video tribute to the celebrity nominees, Raygun urged them all to 'pull out her signature moves' to celebrate their Logies victories.

She told the crowd: 'Australia, Raygun here. I just want to say congrats to all the Logie nominees and best of luck tonight.

An insider told this week's New Idea Magazine that Channel Ten is 'very interested' in signing on the Sydney-born athlete, as they think she would make a great addition to the show. (Pictured: IAC hosts Julia Morris and Robert Irwin)

'Please feel free to pull out of my signature moves in celebration. Have fun and look after each other.'

While Raygun faced huge backlash for her Olympics performance, she also garnered the attention of huge stars.

The likes of Adele, Fatboy Slim and American chat show host Jimmy Fallon have all spoken in support of the athlete.
Jax Taylor is ready to move back home after seeking help at a mental health facility last month.

The 45-year-old Vanderpump Rules star plans to check out of the inpatient facility later this week, sources close to him told TMZ on Monday.

His current plans are to allegedly check out on Thursday, August 22, and then move back to his home in Los Angeles.

The sources added that Jax is looking forward to spending some quality time with his three-year-old son Cruz, whom he shares with his estranged wife Brittany Cartwright  who recently sparked romance rumors with a former Bachelorette suitor.

DailyMail.com has contacted Jax's representative requesting comment.

Jax Taylor, 45, plans to check out of a mental health treatment facility on Thursday, sources close to him told TMZ on Monday; pictured in April in Washington, DC

He's said to be most excited about spending time with his son Cruz, three (pictured). Jax will also be going back to work on The Valley, but only when he's ready, as it's not a major priority

Although Jax is eagerly anticipating some bonding time with Cruz, there's no indication of a thawing between him and Brittany.

The sources close to him said he plans to move back into the family home, where he had been living prior to entering the treatment facility, but Brittany will continue to live close by in a property she has been renting recently.

In addition to spending as much time with Cruz as possible, Jax is also reportedly looking forward to getting back into the swing of his regular life after having his life completely shaken up while in treatment.

Part of getting back to his previous routines includes going back to work, though the sources noted that it's not one of his highest priorities.

Jax has missed out on much of the filming of season two of The Valley, the Vanderpump Rules spinoff series that he and Brittany headline with fellow fired Vanderpump Rules alumna Kristen Doute and several newcomers, as it returned earlier this summer and continued while he was away receiving treatment.

Although Brittany and the rest of the cast continued without him, he will be rejoining them in front of the cameras once he checks out of the facility.

However, he won't be in a rush to get back on camera until he's fully situated with the rest of his personal life.

The sources added that Jax is planning to reveal the details of what led him to need to go into inpatient treatment in the first place, but he's going to take his time before sharing.

They indicated that viewers can expect a particularly poignant episode when he is ready to open up about what has been going on in his personal life.

Earlier this month, Jax confirmed reports that he had checked into a mental health treatment facility with a moving Instagram post for his son Cruz.

The former Vanderpump Rules star shared a sweet photo of himself holding the thee-year-old boy as he planted a kiss on his cheek.

Jax shares Cruz with his estranged wife Brittany Cartwright (pictured), who will continue to live at a nearby rental property while he moves back into the family home

He missed much of the filming of their Vanderpump Rules spinoff The Valley, but he will reportedly be back to reveal why he went into treatment when the time is right; pictured with Brittany in April in Washington, DC

Late last month, a representative for Jax shared with TMZ that he was 'seeking in-patient treatment' for 'mental health struggles.

'Working on getting better for you buddy, I love you ,' he wrote lovingly in the caption.

Cruz looked happy to spend some time with his father, as he displayed a soft smile for the camera while munching on an apple.

On Tuesday, a representative for Jax shared with TMZ that he was 'seeking in-patient treatment' for 'mental health struggles.'

'Jax has always been candid about his mental health struggles, especially during the past few months on his podcast,' they shared.

'He has made the decision to seek in-patient treatment. This is a particularly sensitive time for him and his family. They ask for privacy and respect until he is ready to speak more on this matter.'

The decision to get help followed a concerning visit from the police to the home where Jax had lived with his wife Brittany Cartwright for some time after their separation in February, though she later moved out into an Airbnb after tensions between the two became too high to overcome.

He was reportedly seen speaking to police officers, who carried a brown envelope with them, before he headed to the gym for a workout.

Earlier this month, DailyMail.com revealed that their $1.9 million Los Angels home had been slapped by the California Franchise Tax Board with a lien in the amount of $35,239.88.

The tax lien was filed on June 12 of this year.

Brittany previously said that she was responsible for all of the bills for the home, while Jax was the one taking care of its mortgage payments.

DailyMail.com reached out to Cartwright's representatives at the time, who declined to comment.

According to documents detailing the lien, 'further interest and fees will accrue' until it is paid off in full.

Jax previously said he misses his family 'a lot' while speaking with TMZ. Brittany has been living separately in an Airbnb since their split; pictured in July 2021

The couple's $1.9 million LA home was hit with a $35K tax lien in June

Last month, Jax detailed some of the strategies he and Brittany were working on in hopes of saving their marriage, including therapy, on their When Reality Hits podcast.

Brittany and Jax's relationship dates back to 2015, but they hit a speed bump in 2017 when he admitted to having an affair with their Vanderpump Rules costar Faith Stowers.

The couple eventually reconciled and had gotten engaged by the following year, before they were married in Kentucky in 2019. They went on to welcome little Cruz in 2021.

Following their firing from Vanderpump Rules in 2020, the couple began documenting the dissolution of their marriage earlier this year in the spinoff series The Valley, which also stars another former Vanderpump Rules alumna, Kristen Doute.
Ben Affleck has been putting all of his attention on his eldest daughter Violet amid his ongoing marital woes with Jennifer Lopez.

Despite the swirling rumors about a possible divorce, the actor, 52, is choosing to prioritize and and focus on his 18-year-old daughter as she prepares to start her freshman year at college.

The teenager, who is the eldest of three children he shares with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, will be starting classes soon at Yale University.

And over the weekend, he was all smiles as he reunited with his ex-wife in New Haven, Connecticut to commemorate their major family milestone.

The Batman star 'has been very focused on getting Violet ready for move-in,' a source told People on Monday.

Ben Affleck has been putting all of his attention on his eldest daughter Violet amid his ongoing marital woes with Jennifer Lopez; seen in March 2023

Despite the swirling rumors about a possible divorce, the actor, 52, is choosing to prioritize and and focus on his 18-year-old daughter as she prepares to start her freshman year at college. The teenager, who is the eldest of three children he shares with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner , will be starting classes soon at Yale University; seen in December 2022

'It's, of course, a huge deal for the whole family, and they've all been so excited the last few weeks,' the insider added.

After traveling with them to the college town, Affleck was seen in high spirits as he enjoyed a family dinner with Garner as well as Violet and their 15-year-old kid Fin.

Notably, he was not wearing his wedding ring during their outing.

Affleck and Garner's third child, son Samuel, 12, was not seen with them at dinner, and nor was Lopez despite her close bond with Violet.

As Affleck was enjoying family time, the songstress was seen looking downbeat on a solo outing in Los Angeles amid their ongoing marriage turmoil.

Their recent sightings come amid rumors that Affleck and Lopez  who shares 16-year-old twins Max and Emme with ex-husband Marc Anthony  are heading towards an 'imminent' divorce.

Even though the pair have not publicly commented on speculation about the turmoil in their marriage, they have been spending a lot of time apart in recent months.

The couple are said to be living separately, and DailyMail.com previously reported they have prepared divorce documents to file at a later date.

Their recent sightings come amid rumors that Affleck and Lopez  who shares 16-year-old twins Max and Emme with ex-husband Marc Anthony  are heading towards an 'imminent' divorce; seen at the Golden Globes in January

hey did not celebrate their two-year wedding anniversary together nor was Affleck around to help Lopez ring in her birthday in July. However, the pair did reunite last week for Affleck's birthday celebration at his Brentwood rental property. Garner and their kids were in attendance, and Lopez quietly arrived shortly thereafter; seen in November 2023

They did not celebrate their two-year wedding anniversary together nor was Affleck around to help Lopez ring in her birthday in July. However, the pair did reunite last week for Affleck's birthday celebration at his Brentwood rental property; seen in May 2023

Affleck notably purchased a $20.5 million home in the Pacific Palisades back in July while the Atlas actress has been staying at their marital mansion in Beverly Hills  which has been listed on the market for $68 million.

They did not celebrate their two-year wedding anniversary together nor was Affleck around to help Lopez ring in her birthday in July.

However, the pair did reunite last week for Affleck's birthday celebration at his Brentwood rental property.

Garner and their kids were in attendance, and Lopez quietly arrived shortly thereafter before spending that night with her girlfriends at a Bruno Mars concert for the opening of the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

And for Violet's high school graduation in May, Affleck and Lopez did put on a united front for that as they held hands while arriving together for the celebration.
TV presenter Barry Du Bois has shared a heartbreaking post to social media, in which he revealed the helplessness he feels as a parent struggling to help his bullied child.

The Living Room star, 64, shared the gut-wrenching post to Instagram on Tuesday, where he described how his 12-year-old daughter Arabella was being picked on at school.

'I just watched my little girl walk out the gate of our home, a place where I know she is safe and feels a sense of security and belonging,' Barry began.

'She is heading to a place that doesn't offer that same security, her school. As a parent, I'm supposed to protect and guide her through difficult times, but this morning, I am lost.

'Yesterday, Arabella came home from school claiming she was sick. This isn't the first time it has happened. She wasn't actually sick but is instead being bullied again.'

Barry then made the painful admission he didn't know how to help her and asked his followers for some advice.

'What do you say to a child when you've already said, "Don't let them upset you. Just keep being kind. You are not the horrible things they say".'

'She said, "I don't want to be special; I just want to be liked",' Barry added.

TV presenter Barry Du Bois (right) has shared a heartbreaking post to social media, in which he revealed the helplessness he feels as a parent struggling to help his bullied child

He also admitted he felt 'weak, angry, confused and a little fearful'.

Several of Barry's celebrity friends took to the comment section to offer their advice on how to resolve the situation.

'My mate sent his daughter to Jiu Jitsu after being bullied. She fell in love with it and gained another level of confidence,' wrote The Bachelor Australia star Tim Robards.

'Bullying is not okay, we need to go to the bottom of the problem, who has done it and why. Speak to their parents and take action, we can't allow behaviour like this,' added celebrity chef Miguel Maestre.

'Sometimes you've just got to go up to the parents and say, "your kid bullies mine",' added Married At First Sight's Ryan Gallagher.

The Living Room star, 64, shared the gut-wrenching post to Instagram on Tuesday, where he described how his 12-year-old daughter Arabella (left) was being picked on at school

Barry shared a heart-wrenching post to social media and asked his followers to comment their suggestions on how to help

According to a 2020 OECD report, Australian schools have some of the highest bullying rates in the world.

To effectively address schoolyard bullying, schools should promote a positive culture, implement clear anti-bullying policies, educate students and staff and provide support for victims.

The veteran presenter star shares his twins Bennett and Arabella with wife Leonie, who he married in 1999.
Dave Hughes has exploded after he didn't get an invite to the 2024 Logies.

The 53-year-old comedian appeared on The Fox's Fifi, Fev & Nick on Tuesday when he called this year's celebrity attendees a bunch of 'losers'.

Hughesy then launched into a tirade at his invitation snub, exclaiming he hosted the event four times and had now been overlooked.

He officially hosted the Logie Awards in 2007 with Fifi Box and gave the opening monologue at the Logies from 2016 to 2019.

'I've enjoyed doing the Logies in the past and look, I wasn't invited on Sunday night. So, I was just at home,' he said.

The comedian then began yelling about not getting an invite.

'I hosted it four times in a row and no invite. No invite! Not even an invite! The amount of losers in that room...' the comedic rant continued.

'I presented for twenty years in a row and didn't even get an invite!'

Dave Hughes, 53, (pictured) has exploded after he didn't get an invite to the 2024 Logies. The comedian was asked about Australian TV's night of nights on Fox FM's Fifi, Fev & Nick on Tuesday

Host Brendan Fevola then tried to reason with Dave.

'You've got no shows on TV though, why would you get invited?'

But Hughesy had a response to this, saying that while he may not host a show, he is ubiquitous on television.

Hughesy launched into a tirade at his invitation snub after exclaiming he had hosted the event four times and had now been overlooked. Pictured with Nick Cody

Host Brendan Fevola (pictured) then tried to reason with Dave. 'You've got no shows on TV though, why would you get invited?' But Hughesy said he is ubiquitous on television

'Mate, I pop up on things. I. POP. UP. ON. THINGS. I'm a pop up guy!'

Hughesy isn't the only Australian celebrity who didn't make it to this year's Logies.

Today show reporter Karl Stefanovic did not attend as he was celebrating his 50th birthday out of Sydney, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Channel Seven star David Koch, whose contract with the network is believed to be coming to an end, and Mark Ferguson, who is believed to be stepping away from the news desk, also skipped the event.

Lisa Wilkinson did not make an appearance following her controversial 2022 Logies speech where she mentioned alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins.

Kerri-Anne Kennerley, Australian Idol's Ricki Lee-Coulter and Sylvia Jeffreys also gave the Logie Awards ceremony a miss.
Bi-Rites owner Sam Mogannam poses for a portrait at the companys new Russian Hill location. Its been great to see how excited people are, Mogannam said. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle Ice cream in flavors such as Bi-Rites popular salted caramel at the grocers new Russian Hill location. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle Stocked shelves inside Bi-Rites new Russian Hill location. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle

In Russian Hill, the anticipation for San Franciscos newest Bi-Rite Market is palpable. Neighbors gawk through tall glass windows to see staff stock the shelves with dry goods. A jogger stops in her tracks. A couple push a stroller inside to ask: When will the store  the third and largest location from the celebrated local grocer  finally open?

The answer, Bi-Rite owner Sam Mogannam reveals, is Aug. 29.

We leave the door open because we want people to see the store, Mogannam said. Its been great to see how excited people are.

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The new Bi-Rite Market arrives at 2140 Polk St. nearly two years after Mogannam announced plans to open the location. Inside, shoppers will find 4,000 square feet stocked with the high-quality produce, meats and pantry items the San Francisco grocer is known for. The store will also feature a kitchen, sandwich counter, fish and meat cases, and baked goods section.

Pedestrians pause to look inside Bi-Rites new Russian Hill location. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle

Mogannam took over Bi-Rites original 18th Street location from his dad and uncle in 1998, reinventing the simple Mission District market theyd owned since 1964 to focus on high-end products from cheese to wine and prepared foods. Over the following years, Bi-Rite expanded with a nearby ice cream shop, Bi-Rite Creamery, and became a symbol of the Bay Areas obsession with food. In 2013, Bi-Rite expanded to a second location on Divisadero Street in the NoPa neighborhood.

Bi-Rite signed a 26-year lease for the Polk Street location, which will also serve as the companys new headquarters. It was formerly the last location of Real Food Co., which opened at the site in 1976. Launching the Russian Hill location brings a full-scale grocery store back to one of the busiest areas of Polk Street. The new stores retail area is also roughly twice as large as Bi-Rites Mission District store, and about 50% larger than the NoPa store. When it opens, it will have around 70 employees. At full capacity, the store might have up to 100 workers. San Francisco really needs more jobs right now, Mogannam said.

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Jamie Nessel, Bi-Rites director of product and purchasing, and Brandon Jones, right, stock shelves at the companys new Russian Hill location. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle

Maintaining as much of the century-old buildings facade as possible was key for the owner. The shiny black tile at the foot of the structure, once cracked and covered in layers of dirt, was restored and buffed. Plaster ornamentation above the windows was also restored, revealing molded curves and angles that several layers of paint had concealed and dulled. Now theres a fresh coat of sky blue paint with yellow highlights.

Shoppers of the old Real Foods Co. store will notice a few major layout changes.The newly built kitchen was constructed in an adjacent hair salon, which was integrated into the property, adding an additional 1,400 square feet. (A delivery corridor and emergency exit were also built into this space.) The stairway in the middle of the store is now gone, replaced by one along the wall. Mogannam said the stairs led to an awkward layout that split the store into what felt like two separate spaces. It was a confusing layout, he said.

The exterior of Bi-Rites soon-to-open Russian Hill location. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle

Under the surface, the building got new electrical and plumbing systems, as well as a new poured concrete floor. Gutting and replacing the buildings lines prolonged work on the space and pushed the opening date back a few months. Now the building is going to last us 26 years, Mogannam said. Everything works now, and repairs wont be a pain.

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Mogannam hopes the store will be an anchor on the busy block of Polk Street. Its surrounded by several locally owned businesses including a bookstore, coffee shops, bars and a bagel bakery. Supporting these locally owned businesses and keeping money in the local economy will help keep San Francisco on a path toward economic recovery, Mogannam said.
Kyle Sandilands blasted US celebrity Eric Andre on Tuesday morning after the comedian slammed Melbourne Airport for 'racial profiling'.

The Adult Swim star, 41, accused Australian border officials of 'racial prejudice against people of colour' on Monday after he was stopped and searched.

Shock jock Sandilands slammed Eric during The Kyle and Jackie O Show as a 'whingeing piece of s**t' and insisted the search was not racially motivated.

'You were pulled out of a line with many others, which is quite common for all airports, for the random sniff search,' Kyle, 53, raged.

'No one gives a s**t you're black.

'We don't roll like that over here [Australia]. We don't care what colour you are. You're a human and being human, you get no special privileges in an airport.

'Whether you're brown, white, black, Chinese. We don't give a rat's a**e. Everyone gets checked randomly.'

Eric took his concerns to social media earlier this week after he was stopped and searched at Melbourne Airport.

Kyle Sandilands, 53, (pictured) blasted US celebrity Eric Andre on Tuesday morning after the comedian slammed Melbourne Airport for 'racial profiling'

The writer and producer unleashed a tirade on border officials for pulling him aside for a random sniffer dog search when he touched down in the city on Monday.

He claimed he was stopped by staff in terminal two following 25-hour flights from New York via Los Angeles.

'I got pulled out of a lineup and put in a special line in Melbourne where I was sniffed thoroughly by a dog,' the Florida born entertainer explained in an Instagram post.

The Adult Swim star, 41, (pictured) accused Australian border officials of 'racial prejudice against people of colour' on Monday after he was stopped and searched

'It's one of the many times I've been racially profiled at the airport.

'So this is a message for all black, brown and Indigenous people travelling through Melbourne today, especially if you're travelling Qantas International by terminal two, please be careful.

'They are searching black, brown and indigenous people.'

The Eric Andre Show host vowed to never return to Melbourne Airport alone again and requested anyone who books him in the city to also provide a police escort.
A Channel Seven News reporter has hit back after being called a shocking slur on social media.

Adelaide-based presenter Mitchell Sariovski, 27, was attacked by homophobic trolls after he posted on the Australian Radio School's Facebook page.

One troll labelled the Sunrise presenter a 'chunky homo' in one post and asked 'why do you kiss boys?' in another.

The troll also sent Mitchell a direct message which read, 'lose some weight you fat c***sucker.'

Sariovski, who lives with his fiancee Lauren and their two sons, took to Instagram to reshare the comments and clap back at the user.

Alongside screenshots of the offensive comments, the TV presenter wrote a caption putting them on blast.

'It sickens me to think how uneducated this man is,' Mitchell began.

'I've never met the guy, yet he continues to send me homophobic slurs. You shouldn't care what people are.'

A Channel Seven News reporter has hit back after being called a shocking slur on social media. Adelaide-based presenter Mitchell Sariovski (pictured), 27, was attacked by homophobic trolls after he posted on the Australian Radio School's Facebook page.

'Lesbian, gay, bisexual, straight, transgender, non-binary - it doesn't matter. Think before you speak,' the Seven reporter wrote.

Some of Mitchell's followers sounded off in the comments to the post.

'What the actual f&$? What an absolute scumbag...' wrote one commenter.

Meanwhile, another suggested the reporter take a practical step.

'Trolls. Report the comments to Facebook?'

Alongside screenshots of the offensive comments, the TV presenter wrote a caption putting the troll on blast. 'It sickens me to think how uneducated this man is,' Mitchell began

'Lesbian, gay, bisexual, straight, transgender, non-binary it doesn't matter. Think before you speak,' the Seven reporter wrote

Sariovski began his career at NBN Television in Lismore as a reporter in 2017.

He then began working with Seven as a reporter in Lismore, before moving to Albury as a police reporter for the network.

After another brief stint with Nine, he returned to Seven in 2021, and has remained working as an Adelaide-based reporter since.
Charlie Sheen's ex-wife #3 Brooke Mueller posed for a rare snap with their 15-year-old twin sons Bob and Max during her 47th birthday bash in Beverly Hills on Saturday.

'I'm very grateful for my kids,' Brooke gushed at the festivities held at the home of her mother Moira Fiore and stepfather Jon Fiore.

Mueller wore a white lace mini-dress with matching peep-toe platforms at the party.

It was revealed earlier this month that the retired actress was questioned by the LAPD about her history with ex-boyfriend Matthew Perry as part of the investigation into his October 28th death, but she was not one of the people charged in connection with his fatal ketamine overdose.

There were several arrests on Thursday in connection with Perry's death including Jasveen Sangha, AKA 'The Ketamine Queen,' and Erik Fleming.

Charlie Sheen's ex-wife #3 Brooke Mueller posed for a rare snap with their 15-year-old twin sons Bob and Max during her 47th birthday bash in Beverly Hills on Saturday

In March, authorities got a search warrant for Brooke's home in connection with Perry's death and seized Brooke's computer and phone, according to TMZ.

Mueller was in rehab at the time.

The site claimed in a new report that Brooke once spent time in rehab with Matthew. It was the same place and at the same time that Sangha and Fleming were there, the site claimed.

Jasveen was arrested Thursday in connection with Matthew's death.

Fleming, who cut a deal and pled guilty to a pair of charges, was a drug broker who delivered the ketamine from Sangha's stash house to Perry's live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, the site claimed.

On Thursday, Perry's personal assistant pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the actor's death.

Iwamasa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.

The Department of Justice has accused Iwamasa of 'repeatedly' injecting the actor with ketamine 'without medical training', including on the day that Perry passed away.

'I'm very grateful for my kids,' Brooke gushed at the festivities held at the home of her mother Moira Fiore (L) and stepfather Jon Fiore (R)

Mueller wore a white lace mini-dress with matching peep-toe platforms at the party

That same day People revealed the retired actress was questioned by the LAPD about her history with ex-boyfriend Matthew Perry as part of the investigation into his October 28th death, but she was not one of the people charged in connection with his fatal ketamine overdose (pictured in 2018)

It was Matthew who first introduced Brooke to her ex-husband Charlie Sheen (R, pictured in 2011) during a party at his house after the pair briefly dated over 20 years ago

Iwamasa is one of five defendants charged with offences related to the actor's death, which also includes Sangha and Dr. Salvador Plascencia.

Sangha has been charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises.

What's more, Sangha is facing one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine.

Plascencia, meanwhile, has been charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

Elsewhere, Mark Chavez, another doctor, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

Fleming has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death.

Fleming and Iwamasa are potentially facing 15 to 25 years in prison, while Chavez faces up to a decade in prison.

Sangha could face a possible life sentence.

Mueller and Max (R) have reportedly been filming scenes with the HIV-positive Brat Packer's ex-wife #2 Denise Richards for her new docu-series tentatively titled Denise Richards and the Wild Things, which premieres next year on the E! Network

The blonde beauty was surrounded by 10 friends and family members as she checked out the dessert table at her party

Brooke's mother Moira playfully held up a single candle for her to blow out and make a wish

A close-up of Brooke's cake at the party

Mueller was also joined by former champion boxer Sugar Ray Leonard (3-L) as well as comedy duo Cheech Marin (2-L) and Tommy Chong (3-R)

The 86-year-old comedian brought along his second wife Shelby Chong, whom he wed way back in 1975

Perry - who was best known for playing Chandler Bing on Friends opposite Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox, among others - died due to the 'acute effects of ketamine.'

An autopsy report also listed drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine effects as contributing factors in the his death.

It was Matthew who first introduced Brooke to her ex-husband Charlie Sheen during a party at his house after the pair briefly dated over 20 years ago.

Mueller and the 58-year-old Emmy nominee ended their two-year marriage in 2011 and, in January, he was granted an emergency request stating he would 'immediately' assume 'sole legal custody' of Max and Bob if she fails a drug test.

The court order reads: 'Brooke shall test for drugs and alcohol (1) as often as required by her probation officer, (2) within 24 hours of a written request (email or text) from Charlie or his attorney, and (3) at a minimum of once per week regardless.'

Charlie's legal documents also explicitly states that Mueller's 'custody/visitation will be terminated immediately following any positive test,' and any 'missed test will be considered a positive test.'

Brooke will also have to provide the 'names, addresses and telephone numbers for all her regular, historic sources of controlled substances' to Sheen's attorney.

Mueller and Max have reportedly been filming scenes with the HIV-positive Brat Packer's ex-wife #2 Denise Richards for her new docu-series tentatively titled Denise Richards and the Wild Things, which premieres next year on the E! Network.

The blonde beauty was surrounded by 10 friends and family members as she checked out the dessert table at her party.

Brooke's mother Moira playfully held up a single candle for her to blow out and make a wish.

Mueller was also joined by former champion boxer Sugar Ray Leonard as well as comedy duo Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong.

The 86-year-old comedian brought along his second wife Shelby Chong, whom he wed way back in 1975.
She's the blondie who clearly loves Blondie.

And Melanie Griffith showcased her trendy sense of style as she paid homage to the legendary 80s hitmaker during an outing in Beverly Hills on Monday.

The Working Girl actress, 67, cut a casual figure as she headed out in the graphic T-shirt, teamed with baggy jeans.

Mealnie finished her casual look with black Birkenstock sandals and a black leather studded handbag, which she slung across her forearm.

To accessorise, the beauty kept it simple with a pair of fingerless gloves and black sunglasses, which she has slided over her T-shirt collar.

Melanie Griffith , 67, showcased her trendy sense of style in a Blondie graphic T-shirt as she stepped out in Beverly Hills on Monday

The Working Girl actress cut a casual figure as she headed out in the graphic T-shirt, teamed with baggy jeans

Melanie - who is the mother of actress Dakota Johnson - added a pop of colour to her look with a deep red manicure and and pedicure.

Her outing comes after she celebrated 45 years of friendship with fellow A-lister Jamie Lee Curtis, 65.

They posed up a storm earlier this month as they were seen arm in arm at an AFI event in Los Angeles.

The acting ladies looked happy as they supported each other at the splashy red carpet party.

Melanie and Jamie have a long history together as there is an Old Hollywood link that has bonded them together over decades worth of friendship.

Both of their mothers worked with the iconic but intimidating British film director Alfred Hitchcock.

Melanie's mother Tippi Hedren was in The Birds and Marnie and Jamie's mum was in Psycho.

The duo have been pals for over 40 years.

Melanie was there when Jamie first met her husband, Christopher Guest, to whom she's been married for almost as long.

In 2021, the two sat down together for a chat for Interview magazine.

Her outing comes after she celebrated 45 years of friendship with fellow A-lister Jamie Lee Curtis, 65 (pictured right on August, 12)

They posed up a storm earlier this month as they were seen arm in arm at an AFI event in Los Angeles

Jamie asked Melanie why they call each other their nickname: Miss Kiss.

Melanie didn't seem to know why and confessed she believed her pal was 'an icon'.

She quipped: 'Yes, weve known each other for 40 years. Weve been through a lot, together and separately.

'But I have to say, I admire you so much, Jamie. Youre an icon.'
Eamonn Holmes has addressed his absence from his usual slot on GB News Breakfast.

The presenter, 64, hosts the show alongside Isabel Webster, 41, from Monday to Wednesday, however, he was notably absent on Monday.

Nana Akua, 53, filled in for Eamonn, while he took a well-earned break.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Eamonn cleared up any confusion or speculation about his absence by joking that people were 'unfamiliar with the concept of Summer Holidays.'

He added: 'See you next week!' to reassure his 1.1 million followers that he will be back on air soon.

Eamonn Holmes has now addressed his absence from his usual slot on GB News Breakfast

The presenter, 64, hosts the show alongside Isabel Webster, 41, from Monday to Wednesday, however, he was notably absent on Monday

However, Nana Akua, 53, filled in for Eamonn while he took a well-earned break alongside Isabel [pictured]

Fans quickly flocked to the comment section to show their support for Eamonn and wished him well during his break.

Regular GB News contributor Dawn Neesom, 59, also chimed in and couldn't help but roll her eyes at the news, as she quipped 'Have a lovely time' and added a cool sunglasses emoji for good measure.

Meanwhile, one fan joked: 'What you are allowed a holiday? Noticed Isabelle was missing a while back too how is that allowed?'; 'Strange when Isabella had her holidays they werent worried. Enjoy your holiday!'

Eamonn is set to make his comeback on GB News Breakfast with co-host Isabel, who has been hosting the show solo during his time off, reports the Express.

It comes after he was embroiled in a fiery clash with a guest, where he snapped: 'Don't lecture me - give me a break!' during a Union Jack flag debate.

Royal broadcaster and historian Rafe Heydel-Mankoo joined the show alongside anti-racism activist Imarn Ayton to debate whether the Union Jack flag is too divisive.

The debate began as Eamonn discussed the recent news that a village in Norfolk feels divided over whether to fly the Union Jack flag, with fears it will 'scare people away'.

The debate erupted after Imarn said the British people should reconsider flying the Union Jack flag because she claims it has 'associations with the far-right'.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Eamonn cleared up any confusion or speculation about his absence by joking that people were 'unfamiliar with the concept of Summer Holidays.'

Fans quickly flocked to the comment section to show their support for Eamonn and wished him well during his break

Regular GB News contributor Dawn Neesom, 59, also chimed in and couldn't help but roll her eyes at the news, as she quipped 'Have a lovely time'

As Eamonn halted their heated and controversial discussion, he ended the segment with his personal opinion after he grew up In Northern Ireland - which sparked Imarn to furiously hit back.

Eamonn said: 'Running a flag outside a village hall in Norfolk, you sort of think what's the big deal.'

Imarn furiously hit back: 'Be considerate. No, be considerate guys. I know you've finished your segment but Eamonn I'm not going to let you finish with that one.

'Be considerate of other people's beliefs and views. If you are considerate and sympathetic of everyone and how we perceive the world, you might find yourself leading with equality. Just so you know, I'll finish it there.'

Eamonn said: 'Let me just tell you something. You don't have to lecture me. I sit in the middle, trying to see both sides of things...' to which Imarn interjected: 'Well, I have too.'

It comes after he furiously debated with a guest as he led a Union Jack flag debate on Tuesday's GB News (anti-racism activist Imarn Ayton, left, and Ellie Costello, right)

The debate began as Eamonn discussed the recent news that a village in Norfolk feels divided over whether to fly the Union Jack flag, with fears it will 'scare people away'

Royal broadcaster and historian Rafe Heydel-Mankoo (right) joined the show alongside anti-racism activist Imarn Ayton (left) to debate whether the Union Jack flag is too divisive

The debate erupted after Imarn claimed that British people should reconsider flying the Union Jack flag because it has 'associations with the far-right'

Eamonn shouted: 'I grew up in a country...' before Imarn interrupted again: 'You should have finished with mine [opinion] but you finished with Rafe's [opinion]'.

Host Eamonn assured: 'I finished with everyone. I'm trying to say you did not grow up in Northern Ireland, where a flag represented something political and anti-to a certain religion in northern Ireland, I did.'

Imarn said: 'And just like with black people, you are not black sir and I understand racism more than you. I haven't experienced racial discrimination or prejudice or bias in regards to being white but what I have done is experienced it being black. Ahh Eamonn, we're the same babes.'

'Ahh give me a break. Let's go to the break. Back after this,' Eamonn finished.
Minnie Driver showed off her incredible figure in a black cut out swimsuit as she posed in front of an idyllic tropical beach.

The actress, 54, posted the swimsuit snaps to her Instagram on Saturday during a break from her surfing holiday in California - but all was not what it seemed.

The Serpent Queen star donned the strapless swimsuit with cut outs at the waist and paired it with black sunglasses.

She kept her dark hair loose as she posed with one hand on her hip, smiling at the camera.

In her caption Minnie joked that she had been forced to use a green screen to re-create a beach backdrop to model the one-piece and had started questioning her sanity.

Minnie Driver, 54, showed off her incredible figure in a black cut out swimsuit as she posed in front of a green screen in snaps posted to her Instagram on Saturday

The Serpent Queen star donned the strapless swimsuit with cut outs at the waist and paired it with black sunglasses as she posed with a hand on her hip

In her caption, Minnie joked that she had been forced to use a green screen to re-create a beach backdrop and model the one-piece and had started questioning her sanity

She wrote: 'When your lovely friend @maisonmarine.co sends you a [fire emoji] swimsuit, but the beach youre on requires a wetsuit so you green-screen yourself and start questioning your sanity but not your hotness or her design talent.

'This swimsuit is called the Sabine..'

Fans rushed to the comments to compliment the actress with some commenting how impressed they were with her fake background.

One said: 'The palm tree is making me giggle but the swim and the model are [fire emojis]'

While another wrote: 'Top marks all round. Including the green screen!'

And a third said: 'You look absolutely astonishing '

The swimsuit snaps come as Minnie has been enjoying a break from promoting the second season of the hit show The Serpent Queen.

Last month the Good Will Hunting star put on an effortlessly chic display with Samantha Morton at a West Hollywood screening of their series The Serpent Queen.

The swimsuit snaps come as Minnie has been enjoying a break from promoting the second season of the hit show The Serpent Queen (pictured July 9)

Last month the Good Will Hunting star put on an effortlessly chic display with Samantha Morton (pictured) at a West Hollywood screening of their series The Serpent Queen

The Serpent Queen follows The Walking Dead actress Samantha as the 16th century figure Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France and Minnie plays Elizabeth I (pictured)

Minnie wore a sleek off-the-shoulder black dress and accessorised with silver rings and drop earrings.

She finished off her form-fitting look with heeled black sandals.

The Serpent Queen follows The Walking Dead actress Samantha as the 16th century figure Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France.

Catherine married into the French Valois court at 14 and was expected to bring in a fortune in dowry and produce several heirs.

Despite many challenges, a lifetime of clever political manoeuvring allows her to rule France as queen for 30 years.

Minnie made her debut in the second series which aired last month, portraying Elizabeth I, Queen Of England.

Minnie recently opened about her past relationships and explained she dodged a budget by calling off her wedding to ex-fiance Josh Brolin.

The actress - who has only been engaged once, to Josh Brolin - told The Sunday Times that if she had gone on to get married, she thinks it would have been the 'biggest mistake' of her life.

The actress - who has only been engaged once, to Josh Brolin - told The Sunday Times that if she had got married, it would have been the 'biggest mistake' of her life (pictured 2001)

The British actress is dating her longtime love, American director Addison O'Dea, 45, who she was first linked to in 2019 (pictured March 10 at the Vanity Fair Oscar party)

The pair announced their intentions to marry in 2001, but the nuptials were called off just five months later.

The Ella Enchanted star explained that her lack of desire to marry was because her parents never married - because her father was unfaithful.

Minnie explained: 'If I look at my history, what it did was make me want to be married so much and then choose men who were so not the right men to be married to.

'So, I would carry on longing to be married and to have that conservative version [of a relationship], find men who had no interest in that, and then if one did, run a mile.'

'But now Im with someone who doesnt want to get married but who is the most devoted, loving, extraordinary Everything I could have wanted in my childhood idea of a husband, he actually is.'

The British actress is dating her longtime love, American director Addison O'Dea, 45, who she was first linked to in 2019.
The cast of Blink Twice headed to the Broadwick Hotel in Soho on Monday night for the afterparty.

Hours earlier, they had walked the red carpet for the premiere of the film, which is Zoe Kravitz's directorial debut.

Salma Hayek, 57, was pictured leaving the venue alongside Zoe's father Lenny and Zoe's fiance Channing Tatum.

The actress looked effortlessly stylish in a black pencil dress and matching jacket. Salma teamed the look with towering silver heels and an embellished shoulder bag.

Zoe, 35, cut a glamorous figure in a red silk dress and matching stilettos, while her dad Lenny, 60, went shirtless underneath a khaki suit.

The cast of Blink Twice headed to the Broadwick Hotel in Soho on Monday night for the afterparty (pictured director Zoe Kravitz)

Salma Hayek headed to the Broadwick Hotel in Soho on Monday night for the afterparty

Zoe's father Lenny was also there for the celebrations

Channing, Tessa Thompson, Daryl McCormack and Kunal Nayyar also attended the celebrations.

Blink Twice is Zoe's directorial debut and stars fiance Channing as a tech billionaire Slater King who meets cocktail waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie).

During their encounter, he invites her to join him and his friends for a hedonistic getaway on his private island.

According to the logline, wild nights soon blend into sun-soaked days. However, when strange things start to happen, Frida must uncover the truth if she hopes to make it out alive.

Speaking about Channing's role in the film, Zoe said: 'Hes so amazing in the film. Im so excited for people to see him do something different than what hes done before.

'I think working with your partner is an amazing experience, when you get to be creative together. We know theres a lot of trust there. So Im very thankful for that.'

Speaking with Access, she called the experience of completing the film 'surreal.'

The actress looked effortlessly stylish in a black pencil dress and matching jacket

Blink Twice is Zoe 's directorial debut and stars fiance Channing as the lead role

The actor looked smart in a black suit with matching tie

Zoe's dad Lenny, 60, went shirtless underneath a khaki suit and flashed a peace sign as he left the party

Salma teamed the look with towering silver heels and an embellished shoulder bag

She left the party with her security guard

In the film, Channing invites cocktail waitress Frida to join him and his friends for a hedonistic getaway on his private island but there's more to the adventure than meets the eye

'I started writing this seven years ago, so to be here now is kind of surreal,' she explained.

The Hollywood fixture, whose parents are rockstar Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet, added: 'I feel like, when you stick with something that long, it means that you really care for it and you really believe in it. So Im really proud of what weve made.'

On July 23 she took to Instagram to share a behind-the-scenes look at her time on set with her 7.7 million followers.

'ONE MONTH TILL #BLINKTWICE. IN THEATERS AUGUST 23,' she wrote.

Tessa Thompson looked lovely in a black dress and matching coat as she was spotted at the bash after the premiere

Naomi Ackie looked stunning in a black figure-hugging dress

Daryl McCormack rocked a pinstripe suit

Abbey Lee Kershaw was also pictured leaving the party. The Australian actress and model, 37, showed off her cleavage as she stepped out in a plunging black blazer
Tommy Fury's father John eerily predicted his son's future with Molly-Mae Hague as he made a brutal swipe about her not being a wife.

Last week, Molly-Mae, 25, left fans stunned as she announced her shock split with the boxer, also 25, after five years together - with it since emerging that he allegedly 'cheated' on her.

However, two years before their split, former professional boxer John, 59, seemingly foresaw the end of the couple's romance as he made a remark about them not being married.

During an episode of the family's Netflix show, At Home With The Furys - which was filmed in the summer of 2022 while Molly-Mae was still pregnant with daughter Bambi - the influencer was seen approaching John to tell him she'd learnt some traveller lingo to impress him.

Speaking to his son's then girlfriend, John said: 'Its a boxers life, its a boxers wife', to which Molly-Mae replied: 'Not a wife yet, one day!'

Tommy Fury 's father John eerily predicted his son's future with Molly-Mae Hague as he made a brutal swipe about her not being a wife [John pictured]

Last week, Molly-Mae, 25, left fans stunned as she announced her shock split with the boxer , also 25, after five years together - with it since emerging that he allegedly 'cheated' on her

John then made a savage dig about Molly-Mae's relationship status as he quipped: 'If youre not now, in the condition youre in, youre never gonna be, are ya?' before the pair then both laughed at him comment.

Tommy went on to pop the question to Molly-Mae the following year, getting down on one knee in a romantic moment in Ibiza as an emotional Molly-Mae clutched their daughter.

It comes following news that Molly-Mae has been pushing aside her feelings in order to prioritise daughter Bambi's wellbeing.

MailOnline understands that the reality star is paying it no attention to all the drama and has been pushing her thoughts and feelings about Tommy aside to focus on her 20-month-old daughter.

Amid the drama, Molly-Mae has been supported by her friends and loved ones, who have been rallying around her at her 3.5million Cheshire mansion.

A source previously told the Mail: 'She's put on a brave face and everyone is telling her she will be a strong single mum.'

Reports have claimed Tommy was dumped by his fiancee after he 'cheated on her with a Danish woman he met' on a holiday.

Onlookers have claimed to The Sun the boxer 'didn't seem to care' who saw him brazenly kiss the blonde as he downed vodka and partied at a nightclub at 2am.

Two years before their split, former professional boxer John, 59, seemingly foresaw the end of the couple's romance as he made a remark about them not being married

Speaking to his son's then girlfriend, John said: 'Its a boxers life, its a boxers wife', to which Molly-Mae replied: 'Not a wife yet!'

John then made a savage dig about Molly-Mae's relationship status as he quipped: 'If youre not now, in the condition youre in, youre never gonna be, are ya?'

Tommy went on to pop the question to Molly-Mae the following year, getting down on one knee in a romantic moment in Ibiza as an emotional Molly-Mae clutched their daughter [pictured]

Amid claims Molly-Mae was sent footage of Tommy, another onlooker claimed the reality star appeared 'agitated' after his return flight was delayed and 'didnt get off his phone'.

Molly-Mae was also said to have been growing tired of Tommy Fury 'gallivanting around the world while she was looking after their child', it has been revealed.

In recent months Tommy has travelled to Germany, Hungary, Dubai and Macedonia.

Friends of the couple say the split was a 'long time coming' as Molly-Mae grew tired of his lifestyle while she looked after Bambi, The Mirror revealed on Sunday.

A source said: 'Problems had been growing for a while. Increasingly, it seemed like they were living two very different lifestyles.'

On August 7, just seven days before their split, Molly-Mae posted a YouTube video in which she said she had been 'struggling' and 'solo parenting' Bambi

Reports have claimed Tommy was dumped by his fiancee after he 'cheated on her with a Danish woman he met while downing vodka' on holiday (stock image)

Reports have claimed Tommy was dumped by his fiancee after he 'cheated on her with a Danish woman he met' on a holiday in North Macedonia (pictured on the trip with a fan)

On August 7, just seven days before their split, Molly-Mae posted a YouTube video in which she said she had been 'struggling' and 'solo parenting' Bambi.

In a candid video posted on social media the Love Island star said she had spent weeks looking after their daughter Bambi on her own while her fiance was working elsewhere.

Molly and Tommy met on Love Island in 2019 and went on to get engaged last year, after welcoming their little girl in January 2023.

Tommy was spotted on Saturday for the first time with baby daughter Bambi as they enjoyed an ice cream in the park following his shock split.
Tom Cruise appeared in a hurry as he rushed into his helicopter to fly out of London on Monday.

While Tom, 62, continues filming another Mission: Impossible, his 18-year-old daughter Suri has been settling into her new dorm at Carnegie Mellon University.

Suri - who hasn't seen her father for over 10 years - recently decided to drop her father's last name when she graduated from high school.

The college student decided to take her mother Katie Holmes', 45, middle name Noelle, after years of no contact with her father.

Noelle is Dawson's Creek star Katie's middle name - showing Suri's solidarity with her mother.

Tom Cruise, 62, appeared in a hurry as he rushed into his helicopter to fly out of London on Monday

Tom jumped into his helicopter and prepared to fly out of the helipad across the city

While Tom continues filming another Mission: Impossible, his 18-year-old daughter Suri has been settling into her new dorm at Carnegie Mellon University (pictured on Sunday)

Top Gun star Tom has not been seen out in public with his daughter for around a decade, and sources have previously claimed he has little involvement in her life - signalled further by Suri's new moniker.

Tom's only input to his daughter's life has been financial and he hasn't been seen with his daughter since 2013, after Katie quit both the marriage and the Church of Scientology  the religion to which Tom is so devoted.

According to their divorce settlement, Cruise agreed to pay Holmes $400,000 a year until Suri turned 18 and will continue to pay for her college fees as well.

Under the terms of their agreement, though he may be physically absent from his daughter's life, he has and will continue to cover, 'medical, dental, insurance, education, college and other extracurricular costs.'

But despite having little if any relationship with her dad, Suri is, according to sources, a happy and well-adjusted teen who has loved growing up in New York City.

Katie and Tom married in a Scientologist ceremony in Italy in 2006 when the Dawson's Creek actress was 27 and the Mission Impossible star was 44.

However, during the six years they were married sources close to Katie suggested she felt increasingly intimidated by the church, in which Tom remains a powerful figure today.

When the couple split in 2012, it was reported that Katie had chosen to end the couple's marriage over fears about raising her daughter as a Scientologist.

Suri - who hasn't seen her father for over 10 years - recently decided to drop her father's last name when she graduated from high school (Mum Katie, Tom and Suri pictured in 2006)

The college student decided to take her mother Katie Holmes', 45, middle name Noelle, after years of no contact with her father (Suri and Katie pictured last week)

Top Gun star Tom has not been seen out in public with his daughter for around a decade, and sources have previously claimed he has little involvement in her life (pictured in 2010)

When the couple split in 2012, it was reported that Katie had chosen to end the couple's marriage over fears about raising her daughter as a Scientologist

The last photo of the Top Gun actor out and about with his daughter was a trip to Disneyland in 2012, the year his divorce from Katie was finalised

The last photo of the Top Gun actor out and about with his daughter was a trip to Disneyland in 2012, the year his divorce from Katie was finalised.

That same year, the Hollywood titan was reported not to have seen his daughter for more than 100 days, between a holiday they took in August and Thanksgiving in November.

DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that Suri is starting as a college freshman at Carnegie Mellon University, a private university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this month.

Her move-in day was on Sunday and she will begin classes on August 26, according to the school's website.

And the child of Hollywood movie stars will have accommodations that are very different than what she is used to in New York City, DailyMail.com can report, as Suri will be sharing a dorm room with another female student.

'Suri wants the full college experience so she is giving the dorm rooms a try and she will have a roommate,' an insider told DailyMail.com. 'She is excited for a new chapter in her life.'

Instead of mom Katie Homes' three-bedroom high-rise luxury apartment, the teenager will be in a bare-bones dorm room.
Coronation Street's future has been thrown into turmoil with the news that Sean Wilson has suddenly exited the soap, just weeks after his much-publicised return as part of Gail Platt's exit.

For 60 years the ITV soap has been a fixture on TV screens, but in recent years has faced a string of setbacks, including plunging ratings, budget cuts and a revolving door of bosses.

The Sun first reported on Friday that Sean had left Corrie, with sources revealing that he had actually left two weeks earlier, leaving cast and crew shocked and bosses barred from discussing the matter.

Both ITV and Sean's agent have stated he left the soap due to 'personal reasons,' but the exit has cast eyes on the show as it faces yet another crisis.

So, as fans wonder whether Corrie can recover from its latest crisis, MailOnline takes a look at the various set-backs that have hit the scandal-plagued show...

Sean Wilson's mysterious exit

The Sun first reported on Friday that Sean Wilson had left Corrie, with sources revealing that he had actually left two weeks earlier, with bosses barred from discussing the matter

Actress Helen Worth had announced she would be leaving the soap this Christmas, and in the wake of Sean's sudden exit, bosses have been forced to rewrite her exit

Last month, Corrie bosses announced that fan-favourite character Martin Platt would be heading back to the cobbles this autumn for a huge new storyline, paving the way for Gail's exit at the end of the year.

Actress Helen Worth had announced she would be leaving the soap this Christmas, leading fans to hope they would see Gail and Martin ride off into the sunset together.

However, these plans have now been sensationally scrapped, as it was revealed over the weekend that Sean had abruptly left the soap.

As reported by The Sun, Sean was called in for a meeting with bosses and left with 'no explanation offered' to his co-stars.

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 was reportedly axed from the show two weeks before the news broke with lawyers becoming involved, as the mystery on the cobbles deepens.

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.

It's now been reported that former star John Thomson will instead be reprising his role as children's entertainer Jesse Chadwic in a 'frantic rewrite.'

A source told The Sun: 'It's been an absolutely frantic, incredibly stressful past couple of weeks for Corrie bosses and scriptwriters.

'So many new departure storylines for Gail were mooted but they were set on a love interest one  which proved tricky as she buried five of her six ex-husbands. And the remaining living one, Martin, was obviously axed in real life.

'They wanted a recognisable name and plumped for John as his character was popular with viewers and a real blast from the past.'

Awards Snubs

Since their inception, Corrie has been a regular winner at The National Television Awards, but last year the show lost out to BBC rival EastEnders

Since their inception, Corrie has been a regular winner at The National Television Awards and British Soap Awards, however last year, eyebrows were raised when it failed to scoop a single gong at the NTAs.

Instead, BBC rival EastEnders swept the board, lifting the gongs for best serial drama, serial drama performance and rising star.

The show also failed to land a single nomination at the British Academy Television Awards back in May, while EastEnders and Emmerdale made the final cut, while BBC One's Casualty took home the Best Soap and Continuing Drama honours.

It's a far cry from Corrie's prior wins, at the BAFTA TV Awards in 2022, and the NTAs, three years ago in 2021.

While Corrie is up for two gongs at the National Television Awards next month, it remains to be seen whether they will come out on top.

Budget Cuts

While Helen made the decision herself to leave Corrie, her exit will save the soap 250,000 a year, with bosses currently pushing drastic cost-cutting measures

ITV soap stars earn a fee per episode. But that means salaries can vary wildly, with veteran stars like Helen taking home 2,000 per episode, while younger cast members are thought to be on 400

The highest paid actors on Corrie are thought to include Jack P Shepherd who plays the role of Gail's son, David Platt

Younger cast members are thought to be on 400 per episode with contracts of a minimum of 30 episodes per year (pictured Charlotte Jordan, who plays Daisy Midgeley)

While Helen made the decision herself to leave Corrie, her exit will save the soap 250,000 a year, with bosses currently pushing drastic cost-cutting measures.

Helen is thought to earn 2.5k an episode, and reportedly signed a new contact earlier this year with a guaranteed 250,000 salary.

The pay structure is the same across ITV soaps Emmerdale and Coronation Street, with actors earning a fee per episode.

But that means salaries can vary wildly, with veteran stars like Helen at the top of the sliding scale of fees, taking home around 2,000 per episode, while younger cast members are thought to be on 400.

The cast reportedly get a guaranteed number of episodes a year, which again ranges with a minimum of 30 for supporting cast members while the likes of Helen will have around 100, plus repeat fees.

Salaries can therefore range from 12,000 to well over 200,000 depending on popularity.

Michelle Keegan famously earned 60,000 a year as Corrie's Tina McIntyre before she quit the cobbles in 2014 for other roles.

The highest paid actors on Corrie are thought to be Jack P Shepherd who plays the role of Gail's son David Platt and cobbles legend William Roache who plays Ken Barlow, who like Helen are on 250,000 a year contracts.

Recent reports have claimed that show bosses are cutting down on the amount of cast members featured per episode, therefore saving money on the individual episode fees.

The ITV soap has been forced to adopt a 'minimal' approach to ensemble scenes - such as those in the Rovers Return Inn - due to cost-cutting measures, which also include limiting the number of extras used and increasing back to back episode filming which means longer hours per day for the stars.

An insider told the Sunday Mirror newspaper in April: 'The bosses have decided we will take a far more minimal approach to storylines going forward, and are cutting the number of actors who appear in them. As large numbers of the cast are paid by scene, that means paying fewer actors to be on set.

'The changes haven't gone down well with the cast. Many of them are panicking about what these cuts mean for their futures.

'The Corrie cast is absolutely massive  it has well over 50 cast members in total  and some of them haven't filmed for weeks, so they are starting to get really worried about the axe falling on them before long.'

Reports of cost cutting have been rumbling on for months. Last summer it was claimed that a host of soap stars from Coronation Street, Emmerdale and EastEnders were reportedly facing the axe.

Insiders speaking to The Sun pointed to plummeting ratings, and claimed that those stars on the higher salaries of around 200,000-a-year could be at threat.

'There is about to be a bloodbath across Corrie, Emmerdale and EastEnders  and it won't be pretty,' the source predicted in August 2023.

'All the big three have been told they need to cut their wage bills by up to 25 per cent. Now there is panic in the green rooms about who could be facing the chop.

'Some of the veterans are terrified they could be next  especially the older generation who are all earning well over 200,000. Working in soaps has never been more perilous than it is now.'

Plunging ratings

Thanks to a rise in streaming, Corrie has faced a uphill battle with maintaining their viewing figures, leading to reports the show could move to an online-first strategy in the future

Thanks to a rise in streaming, Corrie, and many other soaps, have faced a uphill battle with maintaining their viewing figures.

In August, Ofcom's Media Nations report revealed that viewers are switching off traditional television at record rates, with even loyal over-65s ditching the format for an 'all-you-can-eat broadcasting buffet' on streaming rivals like Netflix and Disney+.

With more competition than ever from streamers, the proportion of Brits watching a programme on broadcast TV each week dropped from 83 per cent in 2021 to 79 per cent in 2022 - the sharpest decline since records began.

Fewer people than ever before are tuning into the main channels, with news bulletins and soap operas failing to attract the audiences they once did.

The Ofcom Media Nations 2023 said the average time spent watching broadcast television per person per day fell from two hours 59 minutes in 2021 to two hours 38 minutes the following year.

The number of shows with over four million TV viewers has more than halved over the past eight years since 2022, which reflects fewer people tuning in to watch early and late evening TV news bulletins as well as a steady decline in viewing figures for the three most popular soaps, Coronation Street, EastEnders and Emmerdale, Ofcom said.

Overall soap audiences are down 42 per cent since 2014. The Christmas Day episode of Corrie was viewed by 2.6million - down almost three quarters from 10 years ago.

'Today's viewers and listeners have an 'all-you-can-eat' buffet of broadcasting and online content to choose from and there's more competition for our attention than ever,' said Yih-Choung Teh, from Ofcom.

'Our traditional broadcasters are seeing steep declines in viewing to their scheduled, live programmes, including among typically loyal older audiences, and soaps and news don't have the mass-audience pulling power they once had.

In response to the report insiders spilled that ITV chiefs are discussing a major shake-up of its soaps which could see them screened first, or exclusively, through online streaming.

Anxious bosses have been desperately looking at how they can attract a new audience, as even their older viewers are watching less terrestrial TV in favour of streaming giants.

In December, The Mail On Sunday also revealed that ITV were discussing a major shake-up of its soaps which could see them screened first, or exclusively, through online streaming, in a bid to rival big-hitters such as Netflix.

Its popularity led ITV to launch its online ITVX in 2022, with bosses calling it a 'huge success'. Now they are considering it as a home for soaps.

An ITV insider said: 'Soaps don't make as much advertising money as they used to.

'There are some chiefs looking enviously at all the consumer-themed documentaries Channel 5 makes and thinking that there could be better commercial opportunities in that kind of programming and using the slots allocated to the soaps for those.

'Corrie and Emmerdale are losing viewers at a drop of around ten per cent on last year.

'Budgets have already been cut on both shows and it is hard to see how they can sustain so many episodes.'

In November, in a speech to celebrate the success of ITVX, the channel's boss Kevin Lygo told of his pride at how popular it had become by putting on dramas such as Nolly  the story of Crossroads star Noele Gordon  before screening it on ITV1 this Christmas.

Last year Channel 5 axed Neighbours and earlier this year Channel 4 put its soap Hollyoaks online.

Lack of leadership

Since the start of 2024, Corrie has faced a reshuffle of its leadership, when Iain MacLeod, who had been executive producer since 2018, was promoted to oversee Corrie and Emmerdale

In March it was announced that Emmerdale's Kate Brooks had landed the job of Corrie producer, however sources claimed a number of execs turned down the job

Since the start of 2024, Corrie has faced a reshuffle of its leadership, when Iain MacLeod, who had been executive producer since 2018, was promoted to oversee Corrie and Emmerdale.

As a stop gap, MacLeod's wife and deputy on Corrie, Verity MacLeod, was filling in until they could find someone to take the job, and in March it was announced that Emmerdale's Kate Brooks had landed the job.

However, it was revealed that a number of television executives turned down the prestigious job - leaving the network with a 'huge headache.'

ITV's top drama boss and former editor of The Archers Huw Kennair-Jones was drafted in to sort the problem out and he has approached a number of top television executives working at the BBC, Channel 4 and Sky in a bid to lure them across.

Staff at ITV said that this is putting off potential candidates because they don't want to be working in between the married couple, something that is now referred to internally as the 'MacLeod sandwich.'

One insider told MailOnline: 'ITV have had conversations with a number of television executives who are currently working on other serial dramas or have in the past been at the helm of big shows.

'But no one wants to do it. One of the things putting people off is the fact that you'd be answering to Iain while having his wife as your deputy.

'It's a ''MacLeod sandwich'' that no one wants to be in the middle of and it's now become even more of a headache for ITV.'

A source also told The Sun: 'The feeling is that Kate won't have a free hand to do what's needed to improve the show while Iain is still there.

'Under Iain, the once fun-filled, jovial northern soap has become grimmer. Fans have hated the over-reliance of gangster plots and misery porn. Gangster Harvey Gaskell gunning down Natasha Blakeman after forcing Leanne Battersby into a life of drug dealing was too far. Now Leanne's in a cult and the soap isn't recognisable any more.'

Corrie has also come under fire for abandoning its loyal audience, its obsession with younger characters and a number of 'unbelievable' plot lines.

Show insiders say that there have been a number of conversations amongst the top brass at ITV that Corrie series producer Iain MacLeod had been in the job too long after joining the show back in 2018 because it is a role that has always changed hands every two to three years.

One said: 'Corrie has always been a job for two to three years. It needs that change every few years to bring in new ideas, while staying loyal to its DNA and keeping the viewers happy.

'It's one of the biggest and most prestigious jobs in television. There had been some noise for a while with talk of the 'Corrie problem' so by creating this new role ITV across both soaps it saw it as the answer to both Corrie as well as Jane Hudson's departure at Emmerdale.'

'Repulsive' storylines

In April, Corrie faced huge backlash from viewers, when it was revealed bosses had penned a grim plot which saw Toyah Battersby's character have a secret baby after being raped in 2001

In April, Coronation Street faced huge backlash from viewers, when it was revealed bosses had penned a grim plot which saw Toyah Battersby's character have a secret baby after being raped in 2001.

Corrie detailed how the poor baby was stillborn and buried in The Red Rec after the traumatic sex attack by Phil Simmonds - played by Jack Deam.

After decades of keeping her secret quiet, Toyah confessed her tragedy to Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) after his son Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan) lost Roy and Evelyn Plummer's dog, Freddie.

She joined the search party and headed to the park, where she encountered two sleuths digging up a rose bed.

Toyah lost her temper and became hysterical over the lack of respect before later revealing her traumatic experience and the name of her rapist to Nick after he witnessed the altercation.

But the storyline faced huge backlash, with one of the show's former stars branding it 'repulsive'.

Former soap star Vicky Entwistle, who played her mother Janice Battersby in the Noughties, blasted the show's producers and writers for meddling with the old plot.

Blasting the producers for meddling with the 20-year storyline, she took to X, formerly known as Twitter.

Reaching out to Bruce Jones, who played her ex-husband Les, she wrote: 'We tried to make our moments as real as they could possibly be, didn't we? I guess we failed.

'Who knew digging up dead babies would become the highlight of ITV's teatime slot.'

And fans agreed with the actress, and they called the new tale 'repulsive', 'disgusting' and 'traumatic'.

One wrote: ' Such a ridiculous and unnecessary storyline ...'

'I really question who the writers of the show are nowadays! Doesn't sound like they lived a day on a working class street in Manc. They want it to be a crime drama or doctor's waiting room pamphlet self help guide with too many eps & not lettin people act but regurgitate lines!'

'This storyline is the worst I've ever heard. The writing team must think we're all stupid changing history like this. Corrie is in such a mess. Nobody at ITV will accept this unfortunately. Its so sad to see my favourite soap falling apart like this.'

'What is stupid about this as well. Is that Toyah went through ivf with Peter and when she was told she couldn't have children she didn't mention anything about it. It's stupid that they suddenly create these storylines when it happened not that long ago in the classic Corrie'

'Not liking this story - especially as those of us old enough remember that there was no way Toyah could be pregnant. Gruesome. Sad what's happening to Corrie , especially seeing the old reruns reminding you of how great it was. xx'

Earlier this year, actress Maureen Lipman, 77, who has played Evelyn Plummer since 2018, also urged the soap to scrap gritty storylines and go back to basics.

She said: 'We've come to a point in Corrie now where people are getting murdered in knicker factories. We're having domestic abuse. Anything that ticks the box of social problems in the 21st century is going to be in your local soap.'

Speaking on the Beyond The Title podcast, she continued: 'Whereas back then you had the freedom to put Martha [Longhurst], Minnie [Caldwell] and Ena [Sharples] in the snug and have a conversation about Ben-Hur.

'It's never been political but I always like it when the women sit down and go, ''Ooh, Donald Trump, ain't his hair shocking.'

She added: 'All those wonderful expressions that your parents come out with, like my mother saying, 'Ooh, doesn't a black skirt cover a multitude of sins.' People talk like that, and we recognise it as true.'
Migrants wait to be processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents in June after crossing into the U.S. from Mexico in San Diego County at Jacumba Hot Springs. Qian Weizhong/Visual China Group/Getty Images

No matter who wins the U.S. presidential election in November, Republican or Democrat, immigrants in this country are set to suffer the biggest losses.

Of course, Donald Trump has been amplifying anti-immigrant sentiments since his first political utterance. In 2016 when he announced his first presidential run, he blamed Mexico for not sending their best and described immigrants as bringing crime and as rapists. By perpetuating the idea that some immigrants are good and some are inherently bad, he put every immigrants humanity up for debate.

But the essence of Kamala Harris platform isnt any better. Why? She and the Democrats operate under the same framework as the Republicans  that immigrants are a threat that needs to be abated.

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On the campaign trail, Harris has boasted about being tough on border security and going after transnational gangs, drug cartels and human traffickers who came into our country illegally. Some might argue that the vice president was trying to beat Trump at his own xenophobic game. Regardless of her intentions, by accepting Trumps framing of immigrants as a threat, she also perpetuates it.

Its far from the first time shes done that.

In 2021, during her first official international trip as vice president, Harris stood alongside Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei, telling would-be migrants: Do not come. Harris words conveyed animus toward immigrants back home in the U.S. while offering a three-word summary of the goal of current border restrictions. But one can go all the way back to Harris time as district attorney of San Francisco and see the same anti-immigrant perspective. Back in 2008, Harris supported a city policy that required law enforcement to turn over undocumented juvenile immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, regardless of whether they were convicted of a crime.

As a mainstream Democrat, none of this makes her unique.

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Although Democrats like to project themselves as the party of diversity and inclusion, they have long had anti-immigrant policies. President Barack Obama was called the Deporter-in-Chief and deported more people than any other president, including Trump. Meanwhile, the Biden administration continues to severely restrict individuals rights to seek asylum in the United States. And Democrats in the Senate recently did an about-face, signing off on a 370-page border bill that included $8 billion in emergency funding for ICE, $3 billion of which would go to increase detentions. As Adam Johnson wrote earlier this year in the Nation, the bill reads like a GOP wish list.

Despite the political attacks, immigrants are not the villains both parties make them out to be. Rather, they have been and continue to be the lifeblood that allows this country to thrive. In 2022, immigrants labeled undocumented paid $100 billion in taxes. Even ignoring direct financial contributions, immigrants contribute to every aspect of American life  from creating jobs and helping the economy bounce back faster from the pandemic to food diversity and civic engagement.

Instead of following the anti-immigrant vision of the GOP by supporting spending billions of dollars for detaining, deporting and harming immigrants, Democrats could actually lead on the issue by providing crucial support for immigrants while improving the economy in the process. For example, increasing access to health care and work permits would allow more immigrants to work, spurring fiscal growth in this country.

According to a 2021 report from American Progress, investing in consistent pathways toward citizenship would increase the countrys gross domestic production by up to $1.7 trillion over the next decade. Even small policy shifts would have a big impact on immigrants and the wider community. Allowing people to access drivers licenses regardless of immigration status  as Harris running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, did last year in Minnesota  would increase the annual income of immigrant families and make roads safer for everyone.

No, Harris and the Democrats are not pushing glaringly obvious anti-immigrant policies such as Trumps Muslim ban or the separation of families and children at the U.S.-Mexico border. But must the bar be that low before we push back on dehumanizing policies, whichever party is promoting them?

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Campaign speeches attest to the greatness of the United States and Democrats have a renewed enthusiasm with Harris at the top of the electoral ticket. However, immigrants know all too well that there is unlikely to be any headway toward progressive immigration reform under either candidate.

There is one point about immigration, however, that Harris and Trump get right: There is a horrendous crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. But this crisis is not of a surge of bad immigrants flooding into this country. Rather, it is a crisis of inhumane laws that are irrevocably harming individuals and families.

About Opinion Guest opinions in Open Forum and Insight are produced by writers with expertise, personal experience or original insights on a subject of interest to our readers. Their views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Chronicle editorial board, which is committed to providing a diversity of ideas to our readership. Read more about our transparency and ethics policies

As a nation, we have settled for these two nominees as the choices to steer this country and, when it comes to immigrants, neither one has indicated they have the compassionate, empathetic leadership necessary right now. The country deserves leaders willing to fight inclusively for immigrants and their human rights.

Just because every time a presidential nominee points to the crisis on the U.S. border they are banking on Americans falling for the fearmongering, it doesnt mean we have to. Instead, we can see those moments for what they are  an abandonment of our core values  and wholeheartedly reject them.
He was kicked out of the 4million mansion he shared with ex Molly-Mae Hague after she confronted him over cheating claims.

But this isn't the first time Tommy Fury, 25, has lived away from his fiancee, with the boxer having resided at a plush London flat while training for a fight.

At the time, in June 2022, Molly-Mae, 25, was forced to deny the couple had split after he moved into the new apartment, with the influencer then going on to give a tour of the pad as she visited her then boyfriend.

Showing her fans a glimpse of the abode on Instagram, Molly-Mae quipped: 'Yeah Ill be visiting a lot @tommyfury' before filming Tommy kicking back on his new bed.

The swanky flat featured floor to ceiling windows, giving a stunning view of the capital.

While he was recently 'kicked out' of his 4M mansion, Tommy Fury has previously lived away from his fiancee, with the boxer having resided at a plush London flat while training for a fight

At the time, in June 2022, Molly-Mae, 25, was forced to deny the couple had split after he moved into the new apartment, with the influencer then going on to give a tour of the pad as she visited her then boyfriend

An open-plan living room and kitchen took centre-stage in the flat, with plenty of space for cooking and entertaining should the boxer have had additional visitors.

The bedroom boasted a large, cosy bed and sizable wardrobes, with plenty of rooms for Tommy to stash his designer clothes.

Despite his stay in the east London apartment being temporary, Tommy sweetly had a picture of himself and Molly-Mae propped up against a lamp, with a smitten Molly-Mae remarking: 'Why you this cute.'

Defending their romance at the time, Molly-Mae later took to her Instagram stories, writing: 'Omg guys Tommys just training down in London. We havent split up, my dms are going mad.'

However, just over two years later, Molly left her fans stunned as she announced her shock split with the boxer after five years together - with it since emerging that he allegedly 'cheated' on her.

It was reported last week by MailOnline that Molly-Mae threw Tommy out of their plush Cheshire home after discovering he had cheated 'multiple times'.

Neighbours on the exclusive street revealed how Tommy was told to leave as distraught Molly-Mae called time on their five-year romance.

One neighbour told MailOnline: 'You don't see him very often, he comes and goes a lot.

Showing her fans a glimpse of the abode on Instagram, Molly-Mae quipped: 'Yeah Ill be visiting a lot @tommyfury' before filming Tommy kicking back on his new bed

The swanky flat featured floor to ceiling windows, giving a stunning view of the capital, with an open-plan living room and kitchen took centre-stage in the flat

Despite his stay in the east London apartment being temporary, Tommy sweetly had a picture of himself and Molly-Mae propped up against a lamp, with a smitten Molly-Mae remarking: 'Why you this cute'

Defending their romance at the time, Molly-Mae later took to her Instagram stories, writing: 'Omg guys Tommys just training down in London. We havent split up, my dms are going mad'

'But I heard that Molly has thrown him out of the house in the last week or so and he's not living there anymore.'

It comes following news that Molly-Mae has been pushing aside her feelings in order to prioritise daughter Bambi's wellbeing.

MailOnline understands that the reality star is paying it no attention to all the drama and has been pushing her thoughts and feelings about Tommy aside to focus on her 20-month-old daughter.

Amid the drama, Molly-Mae has been supported by her friends and loved ones, who have been rallying around her at her 3.5million Cheshire mansion.

A source previously told the Mail: 'She's put on a brave face and everyone is telling her she will be a strong single mum.'

However, just over two years later, Molly left her fans stunned as she announced her shock split with the boxer after five years together - with it since emerging that he allegedly 'cheated' on her [pictured in June]

Reports have claimed Tommy was dumped by his fiancee after he 'cheated on her with a Danish woman he met' on a holiday.

Onlookers have claimed to The Sun the boxer 'didn't seem to care' who saw him brazenly kiss the blonde as he downed vodka and partied at a nightclub at 2am.

Amid claims Molly-Mae was sent footage of Tommy, another onlooker claimed the reality star appeared 'agitated' after his return flight was delayed and 'didnt get off his phone'.

Molly-Mae was also said to have been growing tired of Tommy Fury 'gallivanting around the world while she was looking after their child', it has been revealed.

In recent months Tommy has travelled to Germany, Hungary, Dubai and Macedonia.

Friends of the couple say the split was a 'long time coming' as Molly-Mae grew tired of his lifestyle while she looked after Bambi, The Mirror revealed on Sunday.

A source said: 'Problems had been growing for a while. Increasingly, it seemed like they were living two very different lifestyles.'

On August 7, just seven days before their split, Molly-Mae posted a YouTube video in which she said she had been 'struggling' and 'solo parenting' Bambi

Reports have claimed Tommy was dumped by his fiancee after he 'cheated on her with a Danish woman he met while downing vodka' on holiday (stock image)

Reports have claimed Tommy was dumped by his fiancee after he 'cheated on her with a Danish woman he met' on a holiday in North Macedonia (pictured on the trip with a fan)

On August 7, just seven days before their split, Molly-Mae posted a YouTube video in which she said she had been 'struggling' and 'solo parenting' Bambi.

In a candid video posted on social media the Love Island star said she had spent weeks looking after their daughter Bambi on her own while her fiance was working elsewhere.

Molly and Tommy met on Love Island in 2019 and went on to get engaged last year, after welcoming their little girl in January 2023.

Tommy was spotted on Saturday for the first time with baby daughter Bambi as they enjoyed an ice cream in the park following his shock split.
She's known for murdering contestants hopes on The Chase Australia with her forensic trivia skills.

And Mara Lejins was spotted heading to court on Tuesday to appear in a murder trial.

'She looks like the main character in Legally Blonde, but don't judge a book by its cover,' 7News host Angela Cox said in report on Tuesday.

'She's actually a lawyer acting for the prosecution in a Sydney court and if the quiz show is anything to go by, she's a formidable opponent.'

Aside from her Chase Australia gig, Mara is currently a Prosecutor for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, a role she took on in 2023.

Her impressive resume also shows she works as a Federal Prosecutor for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.

The trivia maven also received a Master of Laws from Columbia University in 2023, graduating with Highest Honors and with the Parker Certificate in International and Comparative Law.

She also holds a Bachelor of International Relations/Bachelor of Laws as well as a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from Australian National University,

Mara Lejins, better known as the 'Smiling Assassin' on The Chase Australia, was spotted heading to court on Tuesday to appear in a murder trial. Pictured

'She looks like the main character in Legally Blonde, but don't judge a book by its cover,' 7News host Angela Cox said in report on Tuesday

Mara made an awkward blunder on-air in 2023 when she made an ill-timed joke about poisoned food.

She joked she had put her boyfriend in hospital with her bad cooking.

While the episode was filmed weeks ago, its release was poorly timed after the much publicised mushroom poisoning case in Victoria.

Mara made the unfortunate comment on the Channel Seven show as she went head-to-head with a contestant who loves to cook.

'I'm also an amazing chef and when my boyfriend gets out of hospital he'll definitely back me up. I didn't do it!' she laughed.

Mara took to Instagram the following day to address the awkward blunder.

Sharing a screenshot of a news headline about the situation, Mara said the faux pas occurred before the mushroom incident

'I promise this episode was filmed before the Death Cap debacle,' she wrote.
She instantly became a pop culture icon after bursting into the public eye as loudmouthed Page 3 girl, Jordan.

Having tried her hand at modelling, singing, presenting, campaigning and reality TV, the glamour model quickly became a household name in Britain.

Yet while Katie Price's moniker will ring a bell for both young and old, you would be forgiven for not recognising the star on sight alone, with Katie famously undergoing numerous cosmetic procedures over the years.

After two decades in the spotlight, Katie is almost unrecognisable from the naturally pretty teenager who burst on to the modelling scene at the age of 16, with her natural curls and fresh-faced beauty winning her an army of fans.

Katie, now 46, has undergone an array of procedures over the years, including rhinoplasty, a silhouette facelift, 3D, veneers, lip fillers and Botox, culminating in her first facelift in 2017.

Now, after two decades under the surgeon's scalpel, MailOnline takes a look at the many faces of Katie Price.

The many faces of Katie Price: MailOnline takes a look at the star's changing look after two decades of boob jobs, Botox and face lifts

1995 - Barefaced beauty

At the age of 17, Katie Price was a fresh-faced natural beauty looking to make it into the world of glamour modelling.

At a friend's suggestion, the teenager had professional photographs taken and was quickly snapped up by a modelling agency who landed her a Page 3 slot in The Sun newspaper the following year, sparking the creation of her glamour model alter ego, Jordan.

Speaking last year, Katie revealed she was glad that she wasn't exposed to social media at the time as she had 'no idea what Botox was or fillers', otherwise she may have started her tweaks and enhancements at an even earlier age.

1995: At the age of 17, Katie Price was a fresh-faced natural beauty looking to make it into the world of glamour modelling

1998 - First boob job

Having just turned 20, the rising glamour model experienced her first taste of cosmetic surgery, boosting her 32B cup breasts to a 32C.

The procedure cost 4,500 and it's thought her mum Amy and stepdad Paul helped pay for her to have the procedure.

Katie has since spoken out about her decision to go under the knife, admitting she was 'too young' and that she feels sorry for young girls growing up these days in a world of social media and filters.

1998: Having just turned 20, Katie experienced her first taste of cosmetic surgery, boosting her 32B cup breasts to a 32C

1999 - Second and third boob job

Despite having only just increased her breast size, Katie opted to have two more procedures the following year at the age of 21.

Katie boosted her bust from a C cup to a D cup and just a few months later went up again to a F cup.

Katie has previously claimed that she has only paid for two of her boob jobs over the course of her career - it is not known if these were the ones.

1999: Despite having only just increased her breast size, Katie opted to have two more procedures at the age of 21

2001 - Lip fillers

At the age of 21, Katie had her first cosmetic procedure on her face, opting for lip fillers.

While the glamour model did not confirm the rumours at the time, she was seen sporting a noticeably fuller pout while out enjoying the party scene.

Her overall look had also started drastically transforming, with the model sporting dramatic false lashes, bright lipstick and pale hair extensions.

2001: At the age of 21, Katie had her first cosmetic procedure on her face, opting for lip fillers

2004 - Botox

Aged 26, Katie began to experiment with Botox injections that relax the muscles in your face to smooth out lines and wrinkles.

She made no secret of her love of the procedure, announcing at the time: 'I get my forehead and around my eyes Botoxed every six months and I love it. You can't beat it. It just freezes all the wrinkles and that's what you want.'

At the time, Katie insisted she would never take things further and have a facelift, explaining: 'I'd never have a full facelift. I've seen what they can do to people and I don't want to go through that.'

2004: Aged 26, Katie began to experiment with Botox injections that relax the muscles in your face to smooth out lines

2006 - Fourth boob job

Katie went under the knife yet again to take her F cup breasts up to a G cup.

The glamour model also played around with her overall look and embraced her dark side with a new brunette hairstyle.

She also continued to dabble with fillers and Botox.

2006: Katie went under the knife yet again to take her F cup breasts up to a G cup

2007 - First nose job and veneers

At the age of 29, Katie took her love of surgery to the next level, undergoing rhinoplasty, a chemical peel and treating herself to a 25,000 set of new veneers.

'Oh my God, it burned like hell!' she said at the time. 'The next day I had this hideous red rash on my chin but two days later there wasn't a single spot left.'

Speaking about her nose job at the time, she admitted to liking her original nose, explaining: 'I liked my nose before and now. If I had a cupboard with both noses, I would alternate between them!'

2007:Katie took her love of surgery to the next level, undergoing rhinoplasty, a chemical peel and a 25,000 set of veneers

2008 - Fifth boob job

Despite gradually increasingly her bust size over the year, Katie fancied a change on her 30th and brought her bra size back down from an F cup to a C cup.

The procedure meant that Katie had returned to the size of her first boob job 10 years prior.

Katie's changing shape also coincided with the launch of her first clothing line - an equestrian range.

2008: Despite gradually increasingly her bust size, Katie fancied a change and brought her bra size back down to a C cup

2011 - Sixth boob job

Katie's smaller chest didn't last long, and at age 33 she went back under the knife again to boost her bust to an F cup.

Katie also underwent body-contouring treatment and cheek and lip fillers.

The Loose Women panelist admitted that she loved having her cheeks filled to give her a 'plumper, more youthful look'.

2011: Katie's smaller chest didn't last long, and at age 33 she went back under the knife again to boost her bust to an F cup

2015 - Seventh and eighth boob job

Just before appearing on Celebrity Big Brother, the reality star had a botched boob reduction that left her with a hole in her breast and an implant protruding from her flesh.

Katie told her shocked housemates: 'Ive got no tits anymore. Theyve gone. Theres not even anything there. If you saw what Im like underneath. The scars gone septic. My whole implant was hanging out on New Years Day.'

Shortly after leaving the Big Brother house she underwent corrective surgery and had her implants swapped for a D-cup.

2015: Just before Celebrity Big Brother, the star had a botched boob reduction that left her with a hole in her breast

2016 - Ninth boob job and tattooed makeup

Despite her surgery horror the year before, Katie was undeterred and flew to a Brussels clinic to go under the knife yet again, this time settling on a 32GG bust.

The reality star also had her eyebrows and lips tattooed, also known as 'permanent make-up', explaining that she prefers to go make-up free on a day-to-day basis.

Additionally the star has regular facial treatments, last year sharing a bloodied selfie after having a dermal roller micro-needling treatment, which sees a dermaroller with many tiny needles rolled across into the skin - designed to stimulate cells into regeneration.

2016: Despite her surgery horror the year before, Katie flew to a Brussels clinic to get another boob job, this time a 32GG cup

2017 - First face lift, new veneers and 10th boob job

Despite insisting she would never have a face lift and could rely on Botox, Katie went back on her word undergoing a 'Silhouette' face lift.

The procedure is designed to lift a sagging cheeks and blurred jawline, using 'sutures' implanted under the skin to sculpt features.

However, Katie was soon spotted with puffy features, revealing that she suffered an allergic reaction to anesthetic penicillin after having further work on her veneers. She also had her breast implants reduced from 1000ml implants to 795ml.

2017: Despite insisting she would never have a face lift and could rely on Botox, Katie went back on her word

2018 - Second face lift

Katie claimed her first face lift had been a botched job and went back under the knife the following year aged 40 to correct it.

She said at the time 'I need to get my face re-corrected after surgeon has totally f**ked my face up', admitting it had

He agent added: 'She had the thread and it really quite distorted her look. She got a lot of backlash, a lot of negative press, a lot of trolling, everyone saying shed taken it too far, when actually it was a job that had not gone to plan.'

2018: Katie claimed her first face lift had been a botched job and went back under the knife the following year aged 40

2019 - Third face lift, boob job first Brazilian bum lift and 11th boob job

Katie jetted to Turkey to overhaul her entire look with a full body transformation.

The reality star opted for a face, eye and eyelid lift, Brazilian bum lift along with a tummy tuck.

Just three months later she returned to the clinic and opted for another boob job, going back down to a D cup.

2019: Katie jetted to Turkey to overhaul her look with a face, eye and eyelid lift, Brazilian bum lift along with a tummy tuck

2020 - 12th boob job and another set of veneers

Katie returned to Turkey to have another set of veneers and revealed her real teeth had been reduced to stubs as she flashed a smile on her YouTube channel.

The mother-of-five then jetted to Belgium to correct botched surgery on her breasts, saying her surgeon was utterly shocked by the 'awful' previous procedure.

Katie said: 'They looked deformed, they were absolutely awful. That's the first time I've gone to a different surgeon. I had to go back to Frank with my head down, ashamed that I'd been to another clinic.'

2020: Katie returned to Turkey to have another set of veneers then jetted to Belgium to correct a botched boob job

2021 - Liposuction, eye and lid lifts and 13th boob job

Amid the Covid pandemic, Katie jetted off to then red-list Turkey for a complete cosmetic surgery overhaul, undergoing full body liposuction, eye and lip lifts, liposuction under her chin, and fat injected into her bum.

The reality star also visited Belgium to have her 13th boob job as well as full body liposuction with bum fat removal.

The plastic surgery - performed by Dr Frank Plovier - came just five days ahead of the glamour model's sentencing for her shocking drink-drive crash.

2021: Katie jetted to Turkey for a complete cosmetic surgery overhaul, undergoing full body liposuction, eye and lip lifts

2022 - Another brow and eye lift

Katie secretly jetted back to Belgium at the beginning of 2022 for an eye and brow lift and had been concealing her new look with her head in a bandage.

Dr Judy Todd, an aesthetic doctor at Clinica Medica in Glasgow, said: 'It appears like she's had a face lift, temporal brow lift, and possibly an upper blepharoplasty.'

It was reported last month that Katie plans to travel to Turkey imminently for yet more plastic surgery, amid claims she wanted to get some tweaks in after being unhappy with her latest work.

Sian Dellar, Brow Specialist and Founder of Sian Dellar Permanent Makeup Clinic, added: 'Katie's eyebrows, like the rest of her, have changed lots over the years!

'Back in the 90s she had a very thin over plucked brow which was the fashion at the time, and today she has an extremely thick and unnatural looking brow.

'Currently it seems the face or eye lift that shes had have pulled her brows outward which looks unnatural and makes the brows appear almost stretched.

'Of course, as with any enhancement, its personal preference but we recommend not going too many shades darker, and keeping the shape as natural looking as possible and work to create or enhance brows to frame the face.

'Katies choice to have them so thick and dark and in that unusual positioning means they dominate her face and are the first thing the eye is drawn to. I would love to see Katie take her brows back to 2015/2016 when the fuller brow became a big trend. She got it right then and they framed her face well.'

2022: Katie secretly jetted back to Belgium for an eye and brow lift and is planning to to travel to Turkey for more surgery

2023 - 16th and 'biggest ever' boob job

It's not clear if Katie lost track of the number of breast augmentations or opted to keep some of her surgery private but by 2023 it emerged she'd undergone her 16th boob job, two years after claiming to be on her 13th.

The star went under the knife in a bid to have the 'biggest in Britain' and was subsequently pictured being wheeled into surgery at the Be Clinic in Belgium.

She is said to have wanted even bigger breasts, opting for 2120 CC implants in a bid to boost her already large bust size.

Katie told OK! magazine of her boobs: 'I love them. They healed really quickly and they didn't hurt at all. That probably doesn't help. Because I heal quickly, it doesn't put me off and I have more.

'I would go bigger as well  and I will eventually. I just love having big boobs and a small body. I've always loved that look. In my eyes, if I'm having a boob job, I want them to look fake, I don't want them to look natural. I don't like the natural look.

'I just like that old-school American Playboy pin-up look. When I have surgery, that is what I'm striving for. If I could look like my airbrushed pictures, that would be amazing. But that's impossible to achieve.'

2023: It's not clear if Katie lost track of the number of breast augmentations or opted to keep some of her surgery private but by 2023 it emerged she'd undergone her 16th boob job, two years after claiming to be on her 13th

2024 - MORE facial surgery

In July 2024 Katie confirmed she is travelling to Turkey for facial surgery, to be filmed for a new documentary, after failing to attend a bankruptcy hearing.

The former glamour model was absent at a scheduled 760,000 bankruptcy court hearing having flown overseas for her latest cosmetic procedure.

A warrant was subsequently issued, with Katie admitting she's 'doing the best she can' to rectify her financial issues after receiving 'very clear warnings' that she needed to attend court.
Channel 5 has announced a major rebrand including a new name and streaming model.

To add to the overhaul, the channel, which will now go simply by 5, has promised viewers the return of two beloved shows

The UK TV channel and its streamer counterpart, My5 will be combined into one streamlined model in a move similar to rival Channel 4.

Bosses are no doubt hoping to capitalise on the increased viewing after numbers were boosted by the launch of My5.

Channel 5 will continue to operate as a traditional ad-supported channel but will feature more shows from the likes of MTV, CBS and Comedy Central, all owned by Paramount, who has taken over the the network.

Channel 5 has announced a major rebrand including a new name and streaming model, following in the footsteps of other major UK networks including Channel 4 and ITV

And to make the most of the the interest in Channel 5, as part of their rebrand, bosses have promised the return of fan favourites All Creatures Great and Small (pictured) and Dalgliesh

Viewers will be pleased to hear that Callum Woodhouse will be reprising his role as Tristan Farnon, Siegfried's (Samuel West) mischievous brother

Ben Frow, Paramount UK's Chief Content Officer, who commissions for Channel 5 and Paramount+ UK, told Deadline that the success of Channel 5 shows on streaming giant Netflix shows they still have their finger on the pulse.

The figures show 'there's a huge appetite for [Channel 5] content in the streaming world.'

And to make the most of the the interest in Channel 5, as part of their rebrand, bosses have promised the return of fan favourites All Creatures Great and Small and Dalgliesh.

All Creatures Great and Small has become a staple in the Channel 5 schedule and fans are eagerly awaiting the release date announcement which is expected in the coming weeks.

Viewers will be pleased to hear that Callum Woodhouse will be reprising his role as Tristan Farnon, Siegfried's (Samuel West) mischievous brother who signed up to serve in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.

The release date for the third series of Dalgliesh has also not been officially announced, but Bertie Carvel will return to the titular role.

Season three is based on the book Cover Her Face, which was PD James' first ever Dalgliesh novel.

The network's rebrand comes after other major UK channels also overhauled their looks.

The release date for the third series of Dalgliesh has not been officially announced but Bertie Carvel will return to the titular role for the third season based on the book Cover Her Face, which was PD James's first ever Dalgliesh novel

Last year Channel 4 rebranded it's All4 streaming services to simply Channel 4 while ITV changed its Hub platform to ITVX and increased its budget.

Sarah Rose, President of Channel 5 and UK Regional Lead, Paramount, said: 'We have seen record growth for My5 viewing over the last three years and, as more of our audience discover streaming, we think it's the right time to have a much closer relationship between our linear and streaming services.

'The new exciting content and FAST channels that we'll be offering on 5 from 2025 will build on the amazing array of homegrown Channel 5 hits we know our audience already love.'
Taylor Swift fans have said they are convinced that the superstar is going to make a huge announcement during her final night at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday.

Supporters of Taylor, 34, have been guessing when she is going to announce the re-recording of her album Reputation - referred to as Rep TV (Taylor's Version).

And people are convinced that Tuesday's show - the last on the European leg of the tour - will be when she announces the album.

Fans have been spotting major clues over the last four shows as she returned to London for a second run.

So here MailOnline takes a look at all the signs Taylor is ready to re-release Reputation...

Taylor Swift fans have said they are convinced that the superstar is going to make a huge announcement during her final night at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday

Supporters of Taylor, 34, have been guessing when she is going to announce the re-recording of her album Reputation - referred to as Rep TV (Taylor's Version)

New Midnights bodysuit

Taylor is re-recording her old albums following a dispute over her masters with Scooter Braun.

So far she has re-recorded Fearless (Taylor's Version) (2021), Red (Taylor's Version) (2021), Speak Now (Taylor's Version) (2023), and 1989 (Taylor's Version) (2023).

Rumours began to spread about when Taylor wore a new shiny bodysuit for the Midnights Era for the latest London shows.

And the day before she announced 1989 (Taylor's Version) in August 2023, she also wore a new outfit for the Midnights era.

The incredible Zuhair Murad bodysuit features stars and a sliver of a moon and shows off her sensational figure.

Rumours began to spread about when Taylor wore a new shiny bodysuit for the Midnights Era for the latest London shows

And the day before she announced 1989 (Taylor's Version) in August 2023, she also wore a new outfit for the Midnights era

It is is reminiscent of when she wore a new Midnights outfit the day before she announced 1989 (Taylor's Version) in August 2023.

She eventually released the 1989 re-recording with bonus vault tracks in October 2023.

Taylor confirmed in August 2019 that she would be re-recording her albums.

'I think that artists deserve to own their work,' she told Good Morning America's Robin Roberts. 'I just feel very passionately about that.'

Snake hand movements

Taylor was also seen making a snake shape with her arm as she performed during this era during Saturday night's show at Wembley while leaving the stage.

The last song she performs is Karma and at the end of the song she disappears under the stage.

Normally she waves goodbye to the crowds as she descends for the final time but this time she made the snake slithering movement with her hand.

She made the hand movement again as she sang Anti Hero during Monday night's show.

Snakes were a huge symbol in her Reputation era and featured in many of the big music videos amid her feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.

Taylor was also seen making a snake shape with her arm as she performed during this era during Saturday night's show at Wembley while leaving the stage

Normally she waves goodbye to the crowds as she descends for the final time but this time she made the snake slithering movement with her hand

Snakes were a huge symbol in her Reputation era and featured in many of the big music videos amid her feud with Kanye West (seen) and Kim Kardashian

She has previously said of being called a snake: 'A couple of years ago, someone called me a snake on social media and it caught on.

'And then a lot of people were calling me a lot of things on social media. And I went through some really low times for a while because of it.

'I went through some times when I didn't know if I was going to get to do this anymore.'

Reputation was in many ways a comeback album after she disappeared for over a year from public life after the feuds.

Telling surprise song choice

During her show on Saturday, she also performed a surprise track from Reputation, titled I Did Something Bad.

In a clip captured by a fan from the concert, Taylor said, she was 'going to do a song I've never done on the tour that's one of my favourite songs ever.'

Her explanation for the special song performance was, 'Just because you're that awesome and you deserve something of this calibre.

During her show on Saturday, she also performed a surprise track from Reputation, titled I Did Something Bad

Excited fans wrote on X on Tuesday: 'good morning rep tv is coming', 'Happy Rep TV Announcement day'

'It is such a dream to perform for a crowd like this, especially when there's 92,000 of you.'

Some fans thought she had chosen the song from the Reputation album as a hint of what could be to come.

One fan said after the surprise song: 'She just sang IDSB and made the same snake motion with her hands. She's done this before!!'

Secret numbers and costume hints

In addition she was seen mouthing the number 20 when she sang her hit 22 on Saturday night.

This could be a reference to her announcing it on August 20 which is the date of Tuesday's show.

There have also some major hints with the outfits that she has been wearing for these recent London shows

Taylor brought back the blue Folklore dress after 15 shows on Monday night - the outfit she wore at the show she announced 1989 Taylor's Version.

In addition she was seen mouthing the number 20 when she sang her hit 22 on Saturday night

This could be a reference to her announcing it on August 20 which is the date of Tuesday's show

During the piano set, it started momentarily raining and Taylor remarked 'I think when it rains for more than like 6 minutes we can officially declare it a rain show.'

Reputation is her sixth album so the number six is of importance there too, fans claim.

She also wore her 'this is not taylor's version' shirt for the Red Era part of the show - also after a six show hiatus.
Matthew Perry's live-in assistant Kenny Iwamasa is claimed to have cleared evidence from the scene of his death, after allegedly administering a fatal dose of ketamine to the Friends star, according to court documents.

Iwamasa is one of five people arrested earlier this month in connection with Perry's demise aged 54 on October 28, 2023 of 'acute effects of ketamine.'

Two doctors have also been charged - Salvador Plasencia, who allegedly prescribed the drug to Perry, and Mark Chavez, who is said to have supplied it to Plasencia using fake prescriptions.

Jasveen Sangha, the accused drug dealer known as the 'Ketamine Queen' who purportedly provided the dose that claimed Perry's life, was also arrested, as was Erik Fleming, the supposed go-between for Sangha and Iwamasa. Plasencia and Sangha have both pleaded not guilty, while the others have taken plea bargains.

Chilling new details have emerged from the investigation into Perry's overdose, including the events that prosecutors say transpired just after he died, via People.

Matthew Perry's live-in assistant Kenny Iwamasa is claimed to have cleared evidence from the scene of his death; Perry pictured November 2022

Iwamasa is one of five people arrested earlier this month in connection with Perry's death aged 54 on October 28, 2023 of 'acute effects of ketamine'

Fleming had allegedly been working with Iwamasa to get Perry the ketamine that was supplied by Sangha. He is said to have texted Perry's assistant: 'I wouldnt do it if there wasnt the chance of me making some money.'

On the day of his death, Perry requested a dose of ketamine from Iwamasa at 8:30 am, according to legal documents filed by the prosecution.

Perry took a second dose around 12:45 pm while watching a movie, and, finally, requested a third dose around 1:30 pm so he could be high in the hot tub.

He instructed Iwamasa to prepare the tub and 'Shoot me up with a big one,' and after complying, Iwamasa stepped out to run errands.

By the time he returned around 4 pm, Perry was dead facedown in the water - and prosecutors claim Iwamasa then set to work removing proof from the scene.

Iwamasa allegedly spoke to Fleming afterwards and informed him he had cleared away evidence of paraphernalia including syringes and vials, per court documents.

Fleming subsequently told Sangha, the accused 'Ketamine Queen': 'I never dealt with [Perry]. Only the Assistant. So the Assistant was the enabler.'

Minutes after Iwamasa called 911, paramedics arrived on the scene and declared Perry dead. Coroner's investigators would say ketamine was the primary cause of his death, with drowning a secondary cause.

Iwamasa has pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Fleming has pleaded guilty to distributing ketamine resulting in death. Both are cooperating with prosecutors.

Jasveen Sangha, the accused drug dealer known as the 'Ketamine Queen' and the purported source of the dose that claimed Perry's life, was also arrested

Two doctors have also been charged, including Salvador Plasencia, who allegedly prescribed the drug to Perry

Mark Chavez, who is said to have supplied it to Plasencia using fake prescriptions, was also charged

Chavez has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute the drug. Plasencia and Sangha, the two main targets of the investigation, have pleaded not guilty to multiple felony counts.

U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, who announced the charges against the five defendants earlier this month, says Plasencia told one of his patients that Perry's drug problem was 'spiraling out of control.'

Estrada added: 'Yet still at the same time [he was] offering to sell ketamine to Mr. Perry. I think all that conduct shows a level of greed that put the prioritized profits over the patient.'

It has emerged Perry and Iwamasa spent a minimum of $55,000 on 55 ketamine vials and related injections in the 29 days prior to the actor's fatal overdose.

Iwamasa had sent consecutive text messages seeking more of the surgical anesthetic from his suppliers, including an illegal transaction, authorities with the Department of Justice said, US Weekly reported on Sunday after reviewing court documents in the cast against Iwamasa.

In one instance, Iwamasa convened with Perry and Plasencia in a parking lot, where the actor was injected with ketamine, according to legal docs reviewed by the outlet.

Iwamasa and Plasencia 'exchanged thousands in cash for bottles' of ketamine, legal docs stated, noting that Plasencia had injected Perry with ketamine at his home on numerous occasions.

Perry and Iwamasa spent a minimum of $55,000 on 55 ketamine vials and related injections in the 29 days prior to the actor's passing at the age of 54 on October 28, 2023. Perry pictured in April of 2023 in LA

New information about Perry's intake of ketamine was released by authorities this month

Plasencia in one instance injected the Williamstown, Massachusetts native, who played Chandler Bing on the NBC series, 'within hours' of Perry already having been injected with ketamine.

The double dose led to Perry's systolic blood pressure rising to dangerous levels, according to legal docs, with the actor 'unable to speak or move' as result of the injections.

Iwamasa illegally spent $6,000 on 25 bottles of ketamine, according to legal docs, nine days after he purchased 25 ketamine vials illegally.

In that instance, Perry was injected six times in one day by Iwamasa, and 18 additional times in the next three days, legal docs stated.

New details drawn from unsealed federal court documents and a medical examiner's investigation provide a chronological look at the end of Perry's life.

On September 30, Perry and Iwamasa met at their home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles with Plasencia.

Perry had been receiving ketamine treatments for depression - an increasingly common off-label use - from his regular doctor, but wasn't able to get as much as he wanted. Plasencia texted a doctor friend in San Diego, Mark Chavez, who agreed to obtain ketamine for him.

Perry was injected with ketamine by Iwamasa three times, as he allegedly told his assistant to 'shoot me up with a big one'

'I wonder how much this moron will pay,' Plasencia texted Chavez. The two met up the same day in Costa Mesa, California - halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego - and exchanged at least four vials of ketamine.

Plasencia returned to Perry's house, where Iwamasa paid him $4,500 in cash for the vials. Plasencia gave Perry two injections of ketamine, and instructed Iwamasa on how to give the injections to the actor.

Plasencia texted Chavez that the experience 'felt like a bad movie.'

On October 2, Iwamasa texted Plasencia saying he wanted to buy not just injection sessions, but to be left with more vials of ketamine, referring to it in agreed-upon code as 'dr pepper.'

Plasencia appeared, gave Perry the injections, and left behind the vials of the anesthetic.

On October 4, Iwamasa injected Perry himself for the first time. He texted the doctor that he had found 'the sweet spot' to put the needle into his boss, but that trying different spots on Perry had led to them running out, and they needed more. Plasencia texted Chavez asking if he could keep supplying the drug so they could become Perry's 'go-to.'

On October 6, Iwamasa told Plasencia they were running low, and needed more. Plasencia went to Perry's house and sold him one or more vials.

On October 8, in a late night meetup at a Santa Monica, California shopping plaza, Plasencia sold Iwamasa four vials of ketamine for $6,000 in cash.

Perry, who had battled addiction for decades, was struggling heavily in the month leading to his death

Police were seen outside of Perry's Pacific Palisades home in the wake of his death in October of 2023

On October 10, Iwamasa drove Perry to a public parking lot in Long Beach, California where they met up with the doctor. He sold them more ketamine, and gave an injection to Perry while the actor sat in a car. On the same day, Iwamasa sought even more of the drug from an additional source of ketamine, reaching out to Erik Fleming, an acquaintance of Perry.

On October 11, Fleming messaged Iwamasa that he can get ketamine from a woman he knows.

'It's unmarked but it's amazing - he take one and try it and I have more if he likes,' Fleming wrote.

The woman, Jasveen Sangha, was known to her customers as the Ketamine Queen. Fleming texted Iwamasa that she only deals 'with high end and celebs. If it were not great stuff she'd lose her business.'

On October 12, Plasencia went to Perry's house, where he was paid $21,000 in cash, some of it owed to him for previous ketamine buys. While there he injected Perry. The actor immediately froze up and his blood pressure spiked. The assistant said the doctor told him, 'Let's not do that again.'

On October 13, Perry got a sample of Sangha's ketamine and tried it. He and Iwamasa would ask for 25 vials of it, for which he would pay $5,500. Fleming dropped it off at Perry's house a day later.

On or around October 20 - Perry received his last legal ketamine treatment from his regular physician, according to what a woman close to him whose name was redacted in official documents told medical examiner's investigators.

The woman said his previous doctor had given him treatments every other day, but his new doctor said Perry was doing well, his depression was managed, and he no longer needed so many treatments. The woman would tell investigators that she had believed Perry had been sober for 19 months and there had been no relapse.

Five people were arrested in connection with the death of the actor following a federal probe

On around October 24, Perry talked to the unidentified woman for the last time. She told investigators he had been in good spirits.

On October 25, Iwamasa asked Fleming for another 25 vials of ketamine. After picking up $6,000 from Perry, Fleming picked up the ketamine from Sangha, who told him her own source is known as Master Chef; meanwhile, Iwamasa gave Perry at least six shots of ketamine. On October 26, Iwamasa again gave Perry at least six shots of ketamine.

On October 27, the assistant again gave the actor at least six shots of ketamine. With the supply coming from Fleming and Sangha, Perry and Iwamasa had been out of touch with Plasencia for about two weeks. Plasencia would text Iwamasa saying he had more to offer: 'I know you mentioned taking a break. I have been stocking up.'

On October 28, at about 8:30 am, acting at Perry's direction, using syringes from Plasencia and ketamine from Sangha, Iwamasa gave Perry an injection. At about 11 am, Perry played pickleball, according to what Iwamasa told medical examiner's investigators later in the day, though many elements of that initial story changed in his later talks to prosecutors.

About 12:45 pm, Iwamasa gave Perry his second shot of the day, and the actor began watching a movie. Shortly before 1:30 pm, Iwamasa gave Perry his third and final injection of the day while Perry sat at his backyard jacuzzi.

'Shoot me up with a big one,' Iwamasa remembered Perry telling him. The assistant then left to run errands.

At about 4 pm, Iwamasa returned home to find Perry face down in the jacuzzi. He jumped in, pulled Perry to the steps and called 911. Paramedics arrived minutes later and declared Perry dead.
Matthew Perry's close friends are sad that he was surrounded by enablers after five were arrested in his overdose investigation.

The Friends actor was found dead face down in his jacuzzi back on October 29, 2023 and months later a medical examiner determined that the actor had died of 'acute effects of ketamine.'

Now it has been said that last week's arrests have 'brought back a lot of feelings' for Perry's closest pals according to People on Tuesday.

An insider told the weekly: 'The arrests have brought back a lot of feelings.

Matthew Perry 's (pictured September 2012) close friends are sad that he was surrounded by enablers after five were arrested in his overdose investigation according to People on Tuesday

Cast members of NBC's comedy series Friends in 2001. Pictured (l to r, seated): Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox and Matthew Perry (standing left) David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow (right) talk show host Conan O''Brien (center)

'Matthew did have true friends that loved and cared about him. They would have all tried to help him if hed reached out.'

The source went on to explain that his closest confidants were not too happy about who the actor had in his social circle around his death.

The insider said: 'It makes them sad that he was surrounded by enablers.'

This comes as it was revealed that the actor and his live-in assistant Kenny Iwamasa spent a minimum of $55,000 on 55 ketamine vials and related injections in the 29 days prior to the actor's fatal overdose at the age of 54 on October 28, 2023.

Iwamasa had sent consecutive text messages seeking more of the surgical anesthetic from his suppliers, including an illegal transaction, authorities with the Department of Justice said, US Weekly reported on Sunday after reviewing court documents in the cast against Iwamasa.

Iwamasa - one of five people arrested earlier this month in connection with Perry's passing - in one instance convened with the Friends actor and Dr. Salvador Plasencia in a parking lot, where the actor had been injected with ketamine, according to legal docs reviewed by the outlet.

Iwamasa and Plasencia had 'exchanged thousands in cash for bottles' of ketamine, legal docs stated, noting that Plasencia had injected Perry with ketamine at his home on numerous occasions.

Plasencia in one instance injected the Williamstown, Massachusetts native, who played Chandler Bing on the NBC series, 'within hours' of Perry already having been injected with ketamine.

This comes as it was revealed Perry and his live-in assistant Kenny Iwamasa spent minimum of $55,000 on 55 ketamine vials and related injections in the 29 days prior to the actor's fatal overdose at the age of 54 on October 28, 2023. Perry pictured in April of 2023 in LA

New information about Perry's intake of ketamine was released by authorities this month

The double dose led to Perry's systolic blood pressure rising to dangerous levels, according to legal docs, with the actor 'unable to speak or move' as result of the injections.

Iwamasa illegally spent $6,000 on 25 bottles of ketamine, according to legal docs, nine days after he purchased 25 ketamine vials illegally.

In that instance, Perry was injected six times in one day by Iwamasa, and 18 additional times in the next three days, legal docs stated.

Perry, on the day of his death, was injected with ketamine by Iwamasa three times, as he allegedly told his assistant to 'shoot me up with a big one,' the outlet reported, citing court docs.

New details drawn from unsealed federal court documents and a medical examiner's investigation provide a chronological look at the end of Perry's life.

On September 30, Perry and Iwamasa met at their home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles with Plasencia.

Perry had been receiving ketamine treatments for depression - an increasingly common off-label use - from his regular doctor, but wasn't able to get as much as he wanted. Plasencia texted a doctor friend in San Diego, Mark Chavez, who agreed to obtain ketamine for him.

'I wonder how much this moron will pay,' Plasencia texted Chavez. The two met up the same day in Costa Mesa, California - halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego - and exchanged at least four vials of ketamine.

Perry's live-in assistant Kenny Iwamasa was linked to the late actor's purchasing and use of ketamine in the legal docs

Perry was injected with ketamine by Iwamasa three times, as he allegedly told his assistant to 'shoot me up with a big one'

Plasencia returned to Perry's house, where Iwamasa paid him $4,500 in cash for the vials. Plasencia gave Perry two injections of ketamine, and instructed Iwamasa on how to give the injections to the actor.

Plasencia texted Chavez that the experience 'felt like a bad movie.'

On October 2, Iwamasa texted Plasencia saying he wanted to buy not just injection sessions, but to be left with more vials of ketamine, referring to it in agreed-upon code as 'dr pepper.'

Plasencia appeared, gave Perry the injections, and left behind the vials of the anesthetic.

On October 4, Iwamasa injected Perry himself for the first time. He texted the doctor that he had found 'the sweet spot' to put the needle into his boss, but that trying different spots on Perry had led to them running out, and they needed more. Plasencia texted Chavez asking if he could keep supplying the drug so they could become Perry's 'go-to.'

On October 6, Iwamasa told Plasencia they were running low, and needed more. Plasencia went to Perry's house and sold him one or more vials.

On October 8, in a late night meetup at a Santa Monica, California shopping plaza, Plasencia sold Iwamasa four vials of ketamine for $6,000 in cash.

On October 10, Iwamasa drove Perry to a public parking lot in Long Beach, California where they met up with the doctor. He sold them more ketamine, and gave an injection to Perry while the actor sat in a car. On the same day, Iwamasa sought even more of the drug from an additional source of ketamine, reaching out to Erik Fleming, an acquaintance of Perry.

Perry, who had battled addiction for decades, was struggling heavily in the month leading to his death

Police were seen outside of Perry's Pacific Palisades home in the wake of his death in October of 2023

On October 11, Fleming messaged Iwamasa that he can get ketamine from a woman he knows.

'Its unmarked but its amazing - he take one and try it and I have more if he likes,' Fleming wrote.

The woman, Jasveen Sangha, was known to her customers as the Ketamine Queen. Fleming texted Iwamasa that she only deals 'with high end and celebs. If it were not great stuff shed lose her business.'

On October 12, Plasencia went to Perry's house, where he was paid $21,000 in cash, some of it owed to him for previous ketamine buys. While there he injected Perry. The actor immediately froze up and his blood pressure spiked. The assistant said the doctor told him, 'Let's not do that again.'

On October 13, Perry got a sample of Sangha's ketamine and tried it. He and Iwamasa would ask for 25 vials of it, for which he would pay $5,500. Fleming dropped it off at Perry's house a day later.

On or around October 20 - Perry received his last legal ketamine treatment from his regular physician, according to what a woman close to him whose name was redacted in official documents told medical examiner's investigators.

The woman said his previous doctor had given him treatments every other day, but his new doctor said Perry was doing well, his depression was managed, and he no longer needed so many treatments. The woman would tell investigators that she had believed Perry had been sober for 19 months and there had been no relapse.

On around October 24, Perry talked to the unidentified woman for the last time. She told investigators he had been in good spirits.

Five people were arrested in connection with the death of the actor following a federal probe

On October 25, Iwamasa asked Fleming for another 25 vials of ketamine. After picking up $6,000 from Perry, Fleming picked up the ketamine from Sangha, who told him her own source is known as Master Chef; meanwhile, Iwamasa gave Perry at least six shots of ketamine. On October 26, Iwamasa again gave Perry at least six shots of ketamine.

On October 27, the assistant again gave the actor at least six shots of ketamine. With the supply coming from Fleming and Sangha, Perry and Iwamasa had been out of touch with Plasencia for about two weeks. Plasencia would text Iwamasa saying he had more to offer: 'I know you mentioned taking a break. I have been stocking up.'

On October 28, at about 8:30 a.m., acting at Perry's direction, using syringes from Plasencia and ketamine from Sangha, Iwamasa gave Perry an injection. At about 11 a.m., Perry played pickleball, according to what Iwamasa told medical examiner's investigators later in the day, though many elements of that initial story changed in his later talks to prosecutors.

About 12:45 p.m., Iwamasa gave Perry his second shot of the day, and the actor began watching a movie. Shortly before 1:30 p.m., Iwamasa gave Perry his third and final injection of the day while Perry sat at his backyard jacuzzi.

'Shoot me up with a big one,' Iwamasa remembered Perry telling him. The assistant then left to run errands.

At about 4 p.m., Iwamasa returned home to find Perry face down in the jacuzzi. He jumped in, pulled Perry to the steps and called 911. Paramedics arrived minutes later and declared Perry dead. Coroner's investigators would say ketamine was the primary cause of his death, with drowning a secondary cause.

Iwamasa has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute Ketamine. Fleming has pleaded guilty to distributing ketamine resulting in death. Both are cooperating with prosecutors.

Chavez has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute the drug. Plasencia and Sangha, the two main targets of the investigation, have pleaded not guilty to multiple felony counts.
Baby Reindeer's Richard Gadd took to Instagram with a slew of behind the scenes snaps from the smash hit Netflix series on Tuesday.

The actor and writer, 35, who played himself with his name changed to Donny Dunn, appeared bloodied and bruised after a scene saw him violently attacked by stalker Martha (Jessica Gunning).

Clearly pals off screen the duo later beamed as they posed together before Richard cosied up to Nava Mau who starred as his onscreen girlfriend Teri.

He then shared a glimpse of his lunch during a break in filming and ahead of grabbing the clapperboard as the cameras once again started rolling.

Richard captioned the post: 'BTS, as promised. I know it is all you want me for'

Baby Reindeer's Richard Gadd, 35, took to Instagram with a slew of behind the scenes snaps from the smash hit Netflix series on Tuesday

The actor and writer appeared bloodied and bruised in one snap after a scene saw him violently attacked by stalker Martha, played byJessica Gunning, 38 (pictured together)

Clearly pals off screen the duo later beamed as they posed together before Richard cosied up to Nava Mau (pictured) who played his onscreen girlfriend Teri.

It comes after Jessica Gunning has joked about not being offered much work since shooting to fame in the Netflix hit.

She played stalker Martha in the incredibly popular series that was binged by a whopping 90 million people worldwide - and the creator has had some incredible opportunities off the back of its success.

Netflix has reportedly offered him almost 1million to exclusively work to create more smash hit programmes for them.

However, according to The Sun, Jessica has not had quite as much luck.

According to the publication, the actress joked: 'Richard has got incredible meetings out of this and everyone's said to me, 'What have you got?'

'One was about sharks  Celebrity Infested Waters  where stars swim with sharks, the other was for an Australian touring production of Peter Pan to play Mr Smee. I was like, 'the offers are flooding in'.'

She recently lifted the lid on what it was like to experience the success of Baby Reindeer, during an appearance on the Perfect Day With Jessica Knappett podcast.

The star remarked: 'I think because I've been acting for 17 years, I'm still myself in it all.

Jessica flashed a huge smile during a break in filming

Richard grabbed the clapperboard when the cameras were ready to roll

Dressed in his characters eye catching plaid suit Richard tucked into lunch on the set

Richard and Shalom Brune-Franklin, who plays Keeley, put on an animated display for the camera

He later rehearsed a scene with co-star Nava

Richard's Baby Reindeer has been a mega-hit for Netflix, becoming one of its most-watched shows since debuting on April 11

Richard captioned the post: ' BTS , as promised. I know it is all you want me for'

'I think if this has happened maybe 10 years ago, I don't know if I would have known how to really handle much of it, but I feel okay, and really proud and just chuffed that so many people have watched it.'

Meanwhile, Richard has more success lined-up with a Glasgow drama series.

American television network HBO has boarded Lions - the working title of the next series from Fife-born Richard - and will co-produce the series with the BBC.

Richard will write and executive produce the six 45 minute episode drama series, which will span almost 40 years from the 1980s to the present day, covering the relationship between two men from their meeting as teenagers to their falling out as adults.

Lions will start production in Glasgow in early 2025 with Alexandra Brodski and Eshref Reybrouck set to direct while Wendy Griffin will produce the series.

Tally Garner and Morven Reid will act as executive producers for Mam Tor Productions, Richard, Gaynor Holmes for the BBC and Gavin Smith for BBC Scotland.

Richard's Baby Reindeer has been a mega-hit for Netflix, becoming one of its most-watched shows since debuting on April 11.

It comes after Jessica Gunning has joked about not being offered much work since shooting to fame in the Netflix hit

She played stalker Martha in the incredibly popular series that was binged by a whopping 90 million people worldwide

Speaking of Richard's reported 1million Netflix offer, a TV insider told The Sun: 'This is not a done deal, with both the streamer and Richard negotiating the details of a contract which would see him start work on a new show as soon as possible.

'The fact that it could end up being worth seven figures reflects just how much Netflix want to keep him 'in house' following the incredible response to Baby Reindeer.

'They are hoping they can come to an agreement that will see Richard produce a string of shows for them, which could prove just as successful and thought-provoking.'
Brad Pitt has reportedly landed in Italy so he can spend time with his longtime friend George Clooney.

The 60-year-old Troy actor was seen arriving via private jet in Milan, where he was escorted through the airport by security guards, a source told PageSix.

When talking to an attendant, Brad mentioned he would be spending time with Clooney in Lake Como, which is only an hour drive north from Milan.

George and his attorney wife Amal own a villa called Villa Oleandra in Lake Como.

Pitt was also alone and not with his much-younger girlfriend Ines de Ramon, 34, a jewelry executive in Los Angeles.

The site also claimed that Brad was dressed casually in a bucket hat with a dark jacket and jeans as he ran out of the airport and into a waiting Land Rover car as a Mercedes-Benz followed.

Brad Pitt has reportedly landed in Italy so he can spend time with friend George Clooney. The 60-year-old Troy actor was seen arriving via private jet in Milan, where he was escorted through the airport by security guards, a source told PageSix

George and and his wife Amal were seen near their Lake Como home called Villa Oleandra over a week ago

George and Amal were seen near their Lake Como home called Villa Oleandra over a week ago.

George and Amal tied the knot in Venice, Italy in 2014. Three years had passed when the two welcomed their twins, Alexander and Ella, in 2017.

George has been known to host Brad many times at his Lake Como villa. When he was married to Jennifer Aniston, they stayed there for several days as they dined on pasta and motor boated on the lake.

Pitt also took his second wife, Angelina Jolie, to the Como villa.

Brad and George have also worked together this year. They are co-starring with Brad in a new film called Wolfs.

The movie is a crime thriller about a 'fixer' who is hired to cover up a high-profile crime but things get out of hand when he is forced to work with an 'unexpected counterpart.'

The film, which also stars Amy Ryan, will be released on September 20.

His girlfriend Ines de Ramon, 34, was reportedly not with Pitt when he landed in Milan; seen in 2019

George and Amal tied the knot initially at the Venice City Hall, and two days later, held a lavish wedding ceremony in the the city in 2014; seen in 2023

Brad and George have also worked together this year. They are co-starring with Brad in a new film called Wolfs. The movie is a crime thriller about a 'fixer' who is hired to cover up a high-profile crime but things get out of hand'

This comes after Brad was hit was some bad news on Monday. His daughter Shiloh Jolie has legally dropped her father's surname.

Shiloh, who hired and paid for her own lawyer when she filed to drop the Pitt name on her 18th birthday in May, filed to change her name from Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt to Shiloh Nouvel Jolie.

TMZ reports there was no formal hearing for the name change - with the petition granted on Monday, per official court documents.

Last month Shiloh took out a newspaper ad marking the name change - which is a standard step before the court would approve a name change.

The notice also stated anyone who had objections to the petition should show up in court.

A source close to the matter told Dailymail.com last month: Shiloh hired her own lawyer and paid for it herself, so Angie doesnt know and cant speak for it.

This comes after Brad was hit was some bad news on Monday. His daughter Shiloh Jolie has legally dropped her father's surname. Seen in 2021

'But, if youre asking if this is connected to the abuse history or the violation of Shilohs victims rights, yes, thats part of it.

The revelation that Shiloh paid herself suggests that the ugly spat between former couple Pitt and Jolie, 48, may still rumble on in the form of legal action from the six children the couple once shared.

There have been long custody battles which ended eventually in a victory for Pitt, who got 50-50 custody in 2021 only to have it overturned on appeal.

Hes had a judge intervene to tell Angelina she mustnt listen in on his mobile phone calls with the children. The judge has also ordered reunification therapy for Pitt and the kids.

The actor set up a skate park in his home for Shiloh, and more recently an art studio to reflect their common interest in art.

Hes sent cars and security to ferry the children from her home to his whenever there is an allotted custody visit. Sadly, none of it has brought them closer.

In fact son Pax said in an Instagram post in 2016 that all four of the youngest children  thats including Shiloh  tremble with fear in his presence. The two elder ones were at that point already declining point blank to see him.

The current situation has seen the children - Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, Shiloh 18, and Knox and Vivienne, 16 - form a tight gang of seven with his former wife.

The current situation has seen the children - Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, Shiloh 18, and Knox and Vivienne, 16 - form a tight gang of seven with his former wife; seen in 2021

A central issue seems to be a notorious private jet confrontation in 2016.

An FBI report on the incident, which was published in 2022, saw Jolie accuse Pitt of physical assault while flying to California in 2016. She claimed that he was intoxicated and that he grabbed her by the head and shook her, and later pushed her down, as part of a confrontation allegedly related to their children.

Jolie told the FBI that Pitt told the children that she was 'f***ing up this family,' and she said he punched the ceiling of the airplane four times.

She claimed that at one point he poured beer on her and a blanket she was under with multiple children.

Source close to Pitt later claimed that he never hit any of the children, though they admitted that he had been drinking.

This comes amid recent claims that Pitt and Jolie's divorce - which has now dragged on for eight years - is still ongoing as neither of the stars can 'let it go.

A source told People 'their disagreements took over' in the relationship, adding that things 'turned nasty and it was not a good situation for anyone.'

'All the bitterness is partly why the divorce has dragged on for so many years. Neither will let it go. Youd think they would be over it and just settle.'

Jolie, pictured in June, has been blamed for widening the rift between her daughter and ex-husband

A separate insider said: 'Both of them were having issues with each other. The differences added up over time. It's really sad for the children, but also the parents. Divorce, especially one so high-profile, can be challenging for the whole family.

'They both care. They both care about the children.'

Pitt and Jolie began dating publicly shortly after he and his then-wife Jennifer Aniston announced their divorce in 2005.

The Mr. And Mrs. Smith costars remained unmarried for years despite having multiple adopted and biological children together, but they got engaged in 2012 and finally tied the knot in 2014.

However, it was only around two years later when the Maleficent actress filed for divorce in 2016. She and Pitt were declared legally single in 2019.
The official trailer for the nostalgic teen disaster comedy Y2K was shared on Tuesday.

The R-rated film, starring Rachel Zegler (West Side Story), Jaeden Martell (It) and Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2), envisions a world where the Y2K computer crisis predicted for the year 2000 actually unfolds.

Written and directed by Saturday Night Live alum Kyle Mooney, Y2K centers on best friends Eli (Martell) and Danny (Dennison), who decide to crash a New Years Eve party on the last night of 1999.

However, Elis hopes of impressing his crush Laura (Zegler) are abruptly derailed when the Y2K bug triggers chaos at midnight, turning everyday electronics into deadly machines.

The trailer for the Jonah Hill-produced film, set to hit theaters on December 6, arrives just a week after Zegler sparked yet another wave of controversy during the promotion of her long-delayed Disney film Snow White.

A24 unveiled the official trailer for its nostalgic teen disaster comedy Y2K starring Rachel Zegler (pictured) on Tuesday.

The R-rated film, also starring Jaeden Martell (It) and Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2), envisions a world where the Y2K computer crisis predicted for the year 2000 actually unfolds

Set to Chumbawambas iconic 1997 hit Tubthumping, the A24 clips opens with chatting with his mom Robin (Alicia Silverstone).

With the New Year fast approaching, she playfully asks if theres a 'lucky lady' lined up for his midnight kiss.

Eli then bumps into Laura at a convenience store. She casually mentions that she's heading to a New Year's party later, warning him that its likely to be 'a total sh**show.'

As the night progresses, Eli and Danny are drinking at the party when they spot Laura making out with someone else.

Suddenly, the power cuts out, signaling the start of a 'global computer apocalypse.'

The trailer then shows a range of deadly machines, from a Tamagotchi-equipped drill threatening to pierce someone's head to a VHS player launching tapes at high school students.

There's also a pink toy jeep that bursts into flames, setting someone alight.

In other scenes, wildfires rage across the hills, and two planes disastrously crash into each other, victims of the widespread tech meltdown.

Written and directed by Saturday Night Live alum Kyle Mooney, Y2K centers on best friends Danny (Dennison) and Eli (Martell), who decide to crash a New Years Eve party on the last night of 1999

However, Elis hopes of impressing his crush Laura (Zegler) are abruptly derailed when the Y2K bug triggers chaos at midnight, turning everyday electronics into deadly machines

Set to Chumbawambas iconic 1997 hit Tubthumping, the A24 clips opens with chatting with his mom Robin (Alicia Silverstone )

With the New Year fast approaching, she playfully asks if theres a 'lucky lady' lined up for his midnight kiss

Meanwhile, 23-year- old Zegler, who has repeatedly sparked anger with her woke views, waded into the Israel-Palestine conflict on X while promoting the blockbuster movie, despite branding experts warning that such antics could trigger a boycott.

The New Jersey native took to X on August 12 - two days after posting the trailer - to reply to her own post by saying: 'And always remember, free Palestine.'

The teaser trailer shows Zegler as the titular princess, the controversial CGI Seven Dwarfs, and Israeli actress Gal Gadot, 39, as the iconic Evil Queen.

Some Israeli publications have taken exception to Zegler's comment and suggested she's insulted Gadot, although there is no suggestion of any tension between the two leading ladies.

Disney has tried to move away from hot button issues after finding itself mired in a series of woke controversies blamed for tanking its share price.

Zegler herself appeared to have quietened down after angering moviegoers by declaring that she 'hated' the original 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

She branded the storyline 'weird,' while referring to the Prince character as a 'stalker' and suggested she'd ensured the remake would ensure any fairytale smooching was consensual.

The $330million Disney movie, directed by Marc Webb, was scheduled to be released in March 2024, but got delayed after executives had to have 'crisis talks' in order to do some serious damage limitation following the negative response to Zegler's stances.

Eli then bumps into Laura at a convenience store. She casually mentions that she's heading to a New Year's party later, warning him that its likely to be 'a total sh**show'

As the night progresses, Eli and Danny are drinking at the party when they spot Laura making out with someone else

Suddenly, the power cuts out, signaling the start of a 'global computer apocalypse'

There's also a pink toy jeep that bursts into flames, setting someone alight

A cast of diverse dwarves have also since been replaced by CGI alternatives which more closely-resemble the little people featured in the original movie.

The actress- who has vowed to ensure the remake was more progressive than the original version- previously faced backlash after several videos of her speaking negatively about the original film in various interviews in 2022 resurfaced online.

Speaking of her character, Zegler said: 'She's not going to be saved by the prince and she's not going to be dreaming about true love.'

As well as being labeled a 'fake feminist,' some critics accused her of 'gaslighting,' while a marketing consultant warned that Disney would 'need to be careful with how they have portrayed Snow White.'

Speaking to DailyMail.com, branding expert Carla Speight said: 'Whilst it's been clear that the original Disney Princess films hold old values, Disney have fallen for the trap of going to the opposite extreme to inflict strong and loaded messaging on the viewers - believing that's empowerment.

'There was a time when Disney actors were media trained and were thoughtful about the impact of their words, whilst sticking to key messaging about the films, but it seems with this total rewrite of Snow White, picturing her as a 'boss girl' has gone to the heads of their stars.

'Disney will need to be careful with how they have portrayed Snow White and what they do and don't allow their actors to say about it going forwards.

'They simply cannot repeat the same mistakes and allow their actors to be so vocal in their own personal opinions during promotions,' Speight added.

The $330million Disney movie was scheduled to be released in March 2024, but it got delayed after executives had to have 'crisis talks' in order to do some serious damage limitation following the negative response to Zegler's stances. (pictured: Zegler at D23 on August 9)

PR expert Nick Ede agreed with Speight and told DailyMail.com that instead of 'embracing her role' as one of the most famed fairytale characters,' Zegler 'has actively chosen to spoil the narrative.'

Speaking at the Disney D23 Expo in California in September 2022, Zegler - best known for her breakout role in 'West Side Story' said: 'The original cartoon came out in 1937, and very evidently so.

'There's a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird! Weird! So we didn't do that this time.

'We have a different approach to what I'm sure a lot of people will assume is a love story just because we cast a guy in the movie,' she continued, referring to Andrew Burnap, who plays Jonathan- Zegler's love interest in the film.

'All of Andrew's scenes could get cut, who knows? It's Hollywood, baby!' she joked, before admitting in a separate interview that she was 'terrified' when she went on the beloved Snow White ride at Disney World.

About the 1937 film, she said: 'I was scared of the original version. I think I watched it once and never picked it up again. I'm being so serious.'

'I watched it once, and then I went on the ride in Disney World, which was called Snow White's Scary Adventures. Doesn't sound like something a little kid would like. I was terrified of it, never revisited Snow White again,' she added in an interview beside Gadot.

In a subsequent interview with Late Night host Jimmy Fallon, Zegler claimed to frequently find herself in line for the Disney ride she allegedly so despises.

In yet another high-profile interview about the film, Zegler defended the film's newly forced progressive bent: 'People are making these jokes about ours being the PC Snow White ... yeah, it is - because it needed that.

Snow White remake star Rachel Zegler, 23, took to X two days after sharing a trailer sneak peak of the film and shared her political views even after facing backlash for past comments

'Our version is a refreshing story about a young woman who has a function beyond Someday My Prince Will Come.'

The Colombian-American actress faced some degree of scrutiny by critics after she was cast as Snow White, who has always been described as having 'skin as white as snow.'

In a since-deleted tweet, she wrote: 'Yes I am Snow White; no, I am not bleaching my skin for the role.'

Other than Zegler's contentious statements, the seven dwarfs caused their own backlash in the remake.

The film received negative attention after it was revealed by DailyMail.com that the dwarfs were to be replaced by seven 'magical (non-dwarf) creatures' in an effort to keep the storytelling in line with the 21st Century's commitment to political correctness.

They were originally seen on the set of the movie and included a mix of men and women of different ethnicities, with a real dwarf among their number. At first Disney denied these pictures were from the set of the movie - but eventually backtracked.

The teaser trailer shows Zegler (left) as the titular princess, the controversial CGI Seven Dwarfs , and Israeli actress Gal Gadot, 39, (right) as the iconic Evil Queen

The film received negative attention after it was revealed by DailyMail.com that the dwarfs were to be replaced by seven 'magical (non-dwarf) creatures.' In the trailer, the dwarfs are seen as CGI characters (pictured)

In the trailer, the real-life dwarfs were replaced by CGI characters, dancing and singing along with Zegler.

Disney's 1937 version of the film follows Snow White as she befriends the seven dwarfs while hiding from her wicked stepmother who later poisons her with an apple before Prince Charming wakes her from her slumber with a kiss. The plot is loosely based on the 1812 fairytale of the same name by the Brothers Grimm.

At the time of its release, it became a massive hit for Disney, earning hundreds of millions of dollars across the globe. It was also the first full-length traditionally animated feature film, and Disney's first animated feature.

The new adaptation of Snow White is set to be released in March 2025.
Efforts to restrict solitary confinement are once again hitting a wall in the California Capitol. Bebeto Matthews/Associated Press

As several thousand California prisoners remain in solitary confinement for weeks or months at a time, isolated from visitors and fellow inmates, legislative efforts to restrict the practice are again hitting a brick wall.

On Monday, the author of AB280, which would have limited solitary confinement sentences to 15 days and barred isolation of young and older inmates, said he had shelved the legislation. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who vetoed a similar measure two years ago, signaled in an email from staff obtained by the Chronicle that he was prepared to veto the latest measure.

And a separate bill that would have banned solitary confinement for pregnant prisoners is being scaled back to allow them to be held in isolation for five days. The change was sought by state prison officials, according to the authors office.

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Inmates who are placed in solitary confinement, after prison officials find they have committed certain offenses behind bars, are kept in windowless concrete cells for more than 22 hours a day, are fed through slots, are excluded from job training and other prison programs and cannot earn time-served credits for parole eligibility.

The United Nations chief official on issues involving torture says solitary confinement for more than 15 days constitutes torture. AB280 by Assembly Member Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, would have limited solitary confinement to 15 consecutive days, and 45 days in a 180-day period, and also would have banned solitary for inmates younger than 26 or older than 59.

Californias Reparations Task Force, five of whose nine members were appointed by Newsom, supported the bill as a form of compensation for descendants of slaves.

Opponents of AB280 included the state prison guards union, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, which contributed $1.75 million to Newsoms successful campaign against a Republican-backed effort to recall him in 2021. An affiliated committee also donated $1 million last year to the governors ballot measure committee. The CCPOA has spent more than $200,000 on lobbying so far this year, including on solitary confinement and AB280, according to disclosure forms.

The bill won approval from the Assembly and state Senate last year, but Holden put it on hold during negotiations with Newsom. He said Monday he will no longer seek its passage.

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AB 280 would have allowed California to join other states including New York and Colorado in ending solitary confinement for specific populations, and join the international community in recognizing that solitary confinement constitutes torture and put a limit on how long any individual can be held in isolation, Holden said in a statement.

Holden is leaving the Legislature next year because of term limits but said he hopes others will take up the issue. Newsoms office, in an email last month to advocacy groups supporting AB280, said, Unfortunately, after much internal conversation and given (prison officials) relatively recent update to their regulations  the (governors office) isnt comfortable making further changes. Advocates provided the email to the Chronicle.

Similar limits on solitary confinement were proposed in Holdens AB2632, which was passed by the Legislature in 2022. In his veto message, Newsom said the bill could have endangered other inmates and prison staff. But he also said solitary confinement was ripe for reform, a comment cited by a supporter of the now-tabled successor bill.

While Governor Newsom has claimed to believe the issue is ripe for reform, his actions have effectively killed AB 280 and undermined any attempts for change, said Hamid Yazdan Panah of Immigrant Defense Advocates.

Last October, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which runs the prisons, issued rules allowing inmates in solitary confinement to spend at least 20 hours a week outside their cells. The department said it was also reducing from 34 to 19 the number of prison offenses requiring solitary confinement and was reducing solitary sentences by 50%.

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But supporters of Holdens legislation, who call themselves the California Mandela Coalition, said the new rules still allow prisoners to be held in isolated cells nearly all day, with no contact from family or friends, for periods of many months. The group held a rally outside the state Capitol on Monday, with supporters holding banners that read Solitary is torture.

The other bill on the issue, AB2527 by Assembly Member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, D-Orinda, initially would have prohibited solitary confinement for any inmates who are pregnant  currently seven in state prisons, according to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

To be pregnant, to remain healthy, I really, truly believe that restrictive housing shouldnt be part of the equation, Bauer-Kahan told Politico earlier this month, after the bill passed the Assembly on a 63-2 vote.

But she also said she was negotiating with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, whose director was appointed by Newsom. And Bauer-Kahans chief of staff, Elise Gyore, said Tuesday that AB2527 is being amended to allow pregnant prisoners to be kept in solitary confinement for up to five days if the department decides there is a credible and imminent threat to the safety and security of the pregnant inmate.

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Al Pacino, 84, has been lauded as an 'amazing' father by his girlfriend Noor Alfallah, 30, who had his baby last year.

The Scarface actor became one of the oldest known new fathers in the world when Noor gave birth to their son Roman in June 2023.

Now, in a rare public comment about their family equation, Noor showered praise on Al's abilities as a parent to their little boy.

She has remained steadfastly private about her son - rarely allowing his face to be shown to the public - but described him as a 'combination' of her and Al.

While out and about in Beverly Hills this week, she was asked whether she would ever consider marrying Al and gave a surprising answer to TMZ.

Al Pacino, 84, has been lauded as an 'amazing' father by his girlfriend Noor Alfallah, 30, who had his baby last year; the pair are pictured August 2023

Noor had previously remarked that she had no intention of going down the aisle with Al, describing herself as 'not the marrying type' in November 2023.

However during her latest interview, she was asked again whether she might tie the knot, and this time she replied: 'I don't know.'

Noor, who was reportedly born in Kuwait but raised in Beverly Hills, has full physical custody of Roman but shares legal custody with Al.

Under the terms of their agreement, Al furnished Noor with an upfront child support payment of $110,000, according to court documents.

He was also meant to pay her at least $30,000 a month - a sum that could be increased depending on his income - plus $15,000 a year into an education fund.

Al also has three grown children - Julie, 34, with acting teacher Jan Tarrant, and twins Anton and Olivia, 23, with Coal Miner's Daughter actress Beverly D'Angelo.

Noor and Al have been romantically involved since at least April 2022 but were friends long before that, becoming especially close during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

'Al lives down the street from my house and we started spending every day together, playing chess and watching movies,' she explained to Vogue Arabia.

The Scarface actor became one of the oldest known new fathers in the world when Noor gave birth to their son Roman in June 2023; pictured this month with her toddler

Noor and Al have been romantically involved since at least April 2022 but were friends long before that; she is pictured in July 2022

'It was like film school with Al Pacino. "Did you ever see Scarface?" he asked me. "No," I answered: "Though I know the lines. Say hello to my little friend."'

Her 'favorite' film of his was Bobby Deerfield, a little-known 1977 romantic drama starring him opposite Swiss actress Marthe Keller, whom he dated.

When Noor got pregnant, Al was allegedly 'shocked' and demanded a DNA test to prove his paternity because he thought he was unable to father a child on account of his health issues, sources claimed to TMZ.

It was reported that Noor acceded to Al's request and agreed to undergo the test, establishing that the baby was in fact his.

When Noor was 22, she famously had a relationship with Mick Jagger, then 74, but she has insisted that their age gap 'didn't matter to me.'

She explained: 'The heart doesn't know what it sees, it only knows what it feels. It was my first serious relationship, but it was a happy time for me.'

Noor added that Mick was in 'great shape' for his age, describing him as 'much fitter than I am. I really respect that he is so disciplined,' via Hello! magazine.

He has never married but has been involved with a string of stars including actresses Tuesday Weld and Jill Clayburgh and supermodel Veruschka.

When Noor was 22, she famously had a relationship with Mick Jagger, then 74, but she has insisted that their age gap 'didn't matter to me.'

Al also had an on-off romance with Diane Keaton, his love interest in The Godfather trilogy, who tried to persuade him to marry her but never succeeded.

She has said she 'worked hard on' getting him to commit and eventually left him in 1990 - the year The Godfather III came out - after issuing an ultimatum.

Diane revealed that she 'was mad for him' when they first became acquainted while filming the original Godfather picture in 1971.

'Charming, hilarious, a nonstop talker. There was an aspect of him that was like a lost orphan, like this kind of crazy idiot savant,' she told People. 'And oh, gorgeous!'
Meg Ryan was effortlessly stylish she took to the red carpet at the Sarajevo Film Festival in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday.

The actress, 62, beamed ahead of being presented with Heart of Sarajevo during the event to honour her exceptional contribution to the art of motion pictures.

Meg cut a chic figure as she slipped into a tweed dress which hugged every inch of her toned physique.

Strutting her stuff in a pair of 1,000 black Prada loafers she shielded her eyes behind a pair of dark shades.

Meg oozed confidence as she strolled along the red carpet before later taking to the stage to receive her award.

Meg Ryan, 62, was effortlessly stylish she took to the red carpet at the Sarajevo Film Festival in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday

The actress beamed ahead of being presented with Heart of Sarajevo during the event to honour her exceptional contribution to the art of motion pictures

She was presented with the award by the director of Sarajevo Film Festival Jovan Marjanovic

It comes after Meg son's Jack Quaid, who she shares with ex husband Dennis Quaid, said he has no problem owning up to the 'nepo baby' label.

At the age of 31, the actor has racked up over 60 TV and film credits and is currently starring on the hit Amazon Prime Video series The Boys.

And he acknowledges that being a Hollywood offspring has put him in a 'privileged' position.

'I am an immensely privileged person, was able to get representation pretty early on, and that's more than half the battle,' Jack told the Daily Beast in a new interview on Thursday.

'I knew the door was open for me in a lot of ways that it's just not for a lot of actors. And I've just tried to work as hard as I possibly can to prove that I deserve to walk through that door.'

Jack is also aware of his privilege when he's up for a role in a romantic comedy, considering his mom Meg is the 'undisputed Queen of Rom-Coms.'

'So if that's in the rom-com space, it's got to be different enough, and I need to work my a** off,' he told the outlet.

Quaid made his film debut in The Hunger Games (2012), alongside Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, and has since gone on to build an impressive Hollywood resume.

Meg cut a stylish figure as she slipped into a tweed dress which hugged every inch of her toned physique

Meg oozed confidence as she strolled along the red carpet before later taking to the stage to receive her award (pictured with Jovan Marjanovic)

Jack is also aware of his privilege when he's up for a role in a romantic comedy, considering his mom Meg is the 'undisputed Queen of Rom-Coms.'

'So if that's in the rom-com space, it's got to be different enough, and I need to work my a** off,' he told the outlet.

Quaid made his film debut in The Hunger Games (2012), alongside Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, and has since gone on to build an impressive Hollywood resume.

More recently, he starred in the Scream (2022) reboot, the biographical thriller Oppenheimer (2023), and three seasons of the satirical superhero series The Boys.

He currently has no less than three different films in some phase of post-production that includes the sci-fi thriller Companio with Sophie Thatcher; the action thriller Novocaine co-starring Amber Midthunder and Ray Nicholson, and action-comedy Heads Of State starring Idris Elba, John Cena and Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

Ironically, it was Ryan who tried to defend her son from the nepo baby moniker by shining a light on how the term discounts the work her son has put in to his career.

'That nepo stuff is so dismissive of his work ethic, his gifts, and how sensitive he is to the idea of his privilege,' Ryan, 62, told the outlet at the time.

It comes after Meg son's Jack Quaid, who she shares with ex husband Dennis Quaid, said he has no problem owning up to the ' nepo baby ' labl

Dennis and Meg pictured together in 1997

At the age of 31, the actor has racked up over 60 TV and film credits and is currently starring on the hit Amazon Prime Video series The Boys (pictured with his mother in 2004)

While Jack more than appreciated his mother having is back, he made a point of admitting that he has benefitted from having famous parents.

'My first thought was like, she's being a mom. She's being a loving mom. But I don't think she's trying to say that I'm not a nepo baby. I think she's just trying to say that, in her opinion, it undermines my talent,' he told the Daily Beast.

'I don't think it undermines my talent. I know that I work hard, and I know I've heard 'no' way more than I've heard 'yes.' But I also know that this industry is insanely hard to break into, and I had an easier time doing that than most. Both things can be true.'

Dennis and Meg were married from 1991 to 2001 and Jack is their only child.

In 2022, Jack was among the celebrity children who were named in a New York Magazine piece last year with the headline She Has Her Mother's Eyes. And Agent: Extremely Overanalyzing Hollywood's Nepo-Baby Boom .
Kylie Jenner made a splash as she hyped up the latest bikinis joining her Khy line.

The influencer, 27, displayed her ample cleavage as she modeled a blue string bikini from her upcoming Satin Swim collection.

In snaps posted to her Instagram, Kylie - whose recent snap from the Bahamas alarmed fans - posed up a storm by the pool in the glimmering swimsuit that displayed her honed physique.

The tiny bikini top clung to her bust as she posed inside the pool, her lower body submerged in the water.

Kylie's jet black hair was slicked back into a sleek bun and her hazel eyes popped against her radiant skin complexion.

Kylie Jenner made a splash as she hyped up the latest bikinis joining her Khy line

One of the snaps saw Kylie basking in the sunshine, her head tilted back as she topped up her tan.

The swimsuit Kylie was wearing is one of several that will be included in 'Drop 010: Satin Swim.'

The ruched triangle bikini top Kylie was wearing retails for $36 while the coordinating bikini bottoms go for $34.

'TOMORROW. all new @khy satin swim drops 9am pst 08/21 on khy.com see ya thereee,' she promoted in the caption.

It comes after Kylie posted a snap from her travels to the Bahamas that worried fans.

The Kylie Cosmetics mogul flaunted her taut abs and busty cleavage as she posed in a white bikini for some sizzling photos on a yacht during a lightning storm.

'Mother storm,' Jenner captioned the post with some cloud and lightning emojis.

Fans were worried by what she was doing, however.

She threw her head back as she basked in the sunshine

The bikini top clung to her ample cleavage

Kylie leaned against the pool deck as she cooled off in the water

In another snap, the influencer sat cross-legged beside the water

Several followers pointed out that it was very dangerous for her to be leaning on a metal railing during a thunder storm.

If the lightning hit the metal, the reality TV star could be electrocuted.

Lightning can travel long distances in wires or other metal surfaces. Metal does not attract lightning, but it provides a path for the lightning to follow, according to Weather.gov.

'Most indoor lightning casualties and some outdoor casualties are due to conduction,' the site added.

'Whether inside or outside, anyone in contact with anything connected to metal wires, plumbing, or metal surfaces that extend outside is at risk.

'This includes anything that plugs into an electrical outlet, water faucets and showers, corded phones, and windows and doors.

She wore a white mesh knit bikini top with a matching belt and a billowy white skirt.

It comes after Kylie posted a snap from her travels to the Bahamas that worried fan

Jenner accessorized the look with a pair of silver costume earrings and a matching bangle high on her arm.

The Kardashians star showed some leg as she posed against the railing of her boat with lightning striking in the background.
A Taylor Swift superfan has revealed that they travelled for 19 hours to London from Hawaii without Eras Tour tickets in the hopes of some last minute luck at getting their hands on one.

Ronan Mangat, 12, from Hawaii headed to Wembley Stadium in London on Tuesday night hoping to getting some last minute tickets but failed to do so.

She stood with a sign near the location asking if anyone had a spare one and was refreshing ticket selling websites all day to no avail.

The dancer told MailOnline: 'I have been trying to get tickets since Easter last year. And I travelled from Hawaii and it was about 19 hours.'

Asked why she was excited to see the show Ronan replied: 'She is such an influential part of her life right now, she has always been big and she will always be big but things seem extra special right now so it adds another level.'

A Taylor Swift super fan (left) has revealed that they travelled for 19 hours to London from Hawaii without Eras Tour tickets in the hopes of some last minute luck at getting their hands on one

The Cruel Summer songstress, 34, is ending the European leg of her tour at Wembley on Tuesday night

Explaining how she planned to get her ticket she added: 'From 2pm I had a big poster saying I would buy them and then someone came and took it away and since then was just refreshing Ticketmaster and all the ticket sellers but nothing.

'But it hasn't started yet I still have hope...'

According to Viagogo, Swifties from over 113 countries bought tickets to see Taylor in the UK with one in 10 tickets (10%) being sold to Americans.

While visiting London for the Eras Tour fans reportedly spent up to 715 total, according to Viagogo, while attending the Love Story singers gigs.

It comes as Taylor fans are convinced that the star will announce Reputation (Taylor's Version) during her last show at Wembley on Tuesday night.

Supporters of Taylor have been guessing when she is going to announce the re-recording of the album - referred to as Rep TV (Taylor's Version).

Taylor is re-recording her old albums following a dispute over her masters with Scooter Braun.

So far she has re-recorded Fearless (Taylor's Version) (2021), Red (Taylor's Version) (2021), Speak Now (Taylor's Version) (2023), and 1989 (Taylor's Version) (2023).

Rumours began to spread about when Taylor wore a new shiny bodysuit for the Midnights Era for the latest London shows.

And the day before she announced 1989 (Taylor's Version) in August 2023, she also wore a new outfit for the Midnights era.

She was also seen making a snake shape with her arm as she performed during this era during Saturday night's show at Wembley while leaving the stage - sending fans into a frenzy.

Ronan Mangat, 12, (left) from Hawaii headed to Wembley Stadium in London on Tuesday night hoping to getting some last minute tickets but failed to do so

She stood with a sign near the location asking if anyone had a spare one and was refreshing ticket selling websites all day to no avail

During Saturday night's show she also sang a hit from Reputation - I Did Something Bad - which had never been performed on the tour up until that point.

In addition she was seen mouthing the number 20 when she sang her hit 22 - which could be a reference to her announcing it on August 20 which is the date of Tuesday's show.

Fans wrote on X: 'good morning rep tv is coming', 'Happy Rep TV Announcement day.',

'She just sang IDSB and made the same snake motion with her hands. She's done this before!!',

'Dare I say the rep tv hints are hinting especially hard today.',

'if rep tv isn't today i'm genuinely not believing any fan theory ever again.',

'Rep TV will be announced on 20th of August and we're NOT ready.',

'big day for rep tv truthers.',

Explaining how she got her ticket she added: 'From 2pm I had a big poster saying I would buy them and then someone came and took it away and since then was just refreshing Ticketmaster and all the ticket sellers...'
Jerry Seinfeld's wife Jessica has shared more candid snaps from their son's college move-in.

The couple moved their youngest child, Shepherd, 18, into Duke University - making them empty nesters.

Jessica, 52, had already shared a few snaps from the milestone moment, but on Tuesday she delighted fans with even more sweet family snaps.

'Move-in weekend. All 3 baby birds have flown. Hope all of you first timers or last timers are holding up. #classof2028,' Jessica captioned the post.

The snaps included photos of Jerry, 70, organizing his son's college dorm room closet and a heartwarming snap of the actor and his wife having a group hug with their two sons.

Jerry Seinfeld and his wife Jessica shared more candid snaps from their son's college move-in

The post contained a sweet snap of the proud parents with their three children - Sascha, Julian, and Shepherd

The post also contained a sweet family snap of the proud parents with their three children - Sascha, Julian, and Shepherd.

It turns out Shepherd, who turns 19 on August 22, is following in the footsteps of his two older siblings.

Sascha graduated from Duke last year while Shepherd is currently a student at the North Carolina university.

The recent Duke grad appeared to tag along for the move-in trip, as she was seen in various snaps.

Shepherd graduated from high school back in June, and his mother shared snaps from the commencement to her Instagram.

'Our youngest son Shepherd graduated from high school yesterday. As I posted earlier in my stories, we gave him a flip phone for graduation in hopes he will turn in his smartphone.

'Many of you have asked if this is his first phone - I wish! If I knew then what I know now, I wouldve waited until age 14 to give him a smartphone (he got handed down an old one at age 12, for the bus ride to school in the Bronx).

'In the last two slides is a phone my friend Lisa just told me about @thelightphone. Very curious about this -does anyone have one?'

The post featured a snap of the couple with their son inside his dorm room

The Seinfeld star helped organize his teenager's dorm room closet

Their daughter Sascha appeared to tag along for the move-in

In 2020 Jessica shared that Jerry wasn't a 'natural' when his first child was born.

'He wasn't immediately pushing strollers and carrying babies. He jokes that it took him a good 10 years to warm up,' she told Parents magazine.

She added that things turned for the better when the kids became teenagers.

'Jerry's strength is now, with our three teenagers. He's patient with them. Where I am weaker, he is stronger, and we complement each other. I wouldn't change anything.'
Demi Moore was spotted soaking up the sun in Greece on Tuesday.

The actress is holidaying with close friends, Greek business couple Andrea and Athanasia Steggou.

The 61-year-old St. Elmo's Fire alum  who recently faced criticism for a family dance video  radiated charm in a casual outfit while enjoying time with her beloved Chihuahua, Pilaf.

Wearing a black tank top and denim cutoffs, the Hollywood icon showcased her legs as she relaxed with friends.

She completed her look with tinted sunglasses and a radiant smile while cradling Pilaf in her lap.

The outing comes after Demi shared the first photos from her upcoming show Landman, brought to life by Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan.

Demi Moore was spotted soaking up the sun on a yacht in Greece on Tuesday

The 61-year-old St. Elmo's Fire star  who recently faced backlash over a dance video with her family  exuded charm in her casual ensemble as she carried her adorable pet pooch Pilaf

One photo captures Demi in a striking gown, attending a gala dinner with her co-star Jon Hamm, who looks dashing in a suit and tie.

'Meet Cami Miller. First look at @landmanpplus - premiering November 17 on @paramountplus!,' Demi captioned the still.

In Landman, the actress portrays the formidable wife of Jon's oil tycoon Monty Miller, set against the backdrop of a 21st-century oil boom in Texas.

'Cami is somebody who is not involved in the business but is running their entire life,' Demi said in a recent Vanity Fair interview. 'Theyre a couple that built this entire empire and family together.

'Jon said to me at one point, "I think this might be the first time Im playing a character whos actually in a good relationship, where they actually have real love, commitment, and affection,"' she added.

'Her focus is her family and their social existence. Its the ups and downs of keeping him grounded, healthy, and safe.'

The star also gushed about Taylor, saying he 'writes incredible, complex, dynamic and delicious women who are powerful, vulnerable, flawed.

The actress is holidaying with close friends, Greek business couple Andrea and Athanasia Steggou

'Taylor works in a very unique way, and every actor that he meets with  we basically sit down, we hear what hes looking to do, where hes looking to go, and we have to say yes or no based on that,' she continued. 'Theres no script.'

She added: 'He thinks way ahead. Hes thinking through not just one season. Hes thinking through an epic story.'

Landman, which Taylor adapted from the 2019 podcast Boomtown, also stars Billy Bob Thornton and Ali Larter.

In this image Demi in a striking black strapless gown, attending a gala dinner with Jon, who looks dashing in a suit and tie on their new series Landman

In Landman, Demi portrays the formidable wife of Jon's oil tycoon Monty Miller, set against the backdrop of a 21st-century oil boom in Texas; seen with Billy Bob Thornton

'Cami and Monty have done it. Theyve reached the dream. But its one thing to get thereits another to keep it. And I think Billys character is the one who has to do all the dirty work,' Demi said to the outlet.

'Billy and Ali, their dynamic is just going to be off-the-charts fantastic and kind of juicy.'

The series logline describes it as 'an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fueling a boom so big, its reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics.'

The cast includes Michelle Randolph (1923), Jacob Lofland (Joker 2), Kayla Wallace (When Calls the Heart), James Jordan (Yellowstone, Lioness), Mark Collie (Nashville) and Paulina Chavez (The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia).

Andy Garcia (Expendables franchise) and Michael Pena (End of Watch) also serve as guest stars.
A chilling teaser dropped this week for the upcoming Netflix anthology series Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story.

Co-created by Ryan Murphy, the first season of Monster was about the gay cannibal serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, played by Evan Peters in an acclaimed performance.

The show was furiously controversial, as social media users slammed the makers for earning money off the grief of the victims' loved ones.

Now, for season two, the anthology has turned its attention to another infamous true crime story - the Menendez brothers, who murdered their parents in 1989.

In the blood-curdling new sneak peek, Lyle and Erik can be seen stalking into their Beverly Hills mansion, shotguns in hand, ready for the kill.

A chilling teaser dropped this week for the upcoming Netflix anthology series Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story

Lyle was 21 and Erik was 18 when they slaughtered their parents, triggering a rollercoaster legal drama that resulted in their conviction of murder in 1996

Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch respectively play Lyle and Erik Menendez, the wealthy brothers at the center of the story.

Their parents, record executive Jose and socialite Kitty, whom they shot in their living room on the night of August 20, 1989, are played by Javier Bardem and Chloe Sevigny.

Lyle was 21 and Erik was 18 when they slaughtered their parents, triggering a rollercoaster legal drama that resulted in their conviction of murder in 1996.

Their trials were televised and attracted a feverish media frenzy - the first court cases to become the type of TV sensation later epitomized by OJ Simpson.

The Menendez brothers put forward the 'abuse excuse,' alleging that they were molested and physically assaulted by their parents for years.

Along with the brothers themselves, one of the most notorious figures to emerge from the trial was their ruthless lawyer Leslie Abramson, who is played on the new show by Winning Time actress Ari Graynor.

Ultimately, the Menendez brothers were sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole - since when Lyle has been married twice and Erik once.

In the haunting teaser for Monsters, Lyle and Erik are seen pulling into the drive of their family's sprawling Beverly Hills estate on the night of the murder.

Lyle (left) and Erik (right) are pictured with their parents Jose and Kitty, who are respectively being played by Javier Bardem and Chloe Sevigny

Nicholas Alexander Chavez (left) and Cooper Koch (right) respectively play Lyle and Erik Menendez, the wealthy brothers at the center of the story

In the blood-curdling new sneak peek, Lyle and Erik can be seen stalking into their Beverly Hills mansion, shotguns in hand, ready for the kill

When they arrive at the living room, the doors swing open, the brothers cock their guns and the screen goes to black - just as two deafening shots ring out

Their trials were televised and attracted a feverish media frenzy - the first court cases to become the type of TV sensation later epitomized by OJ Simpson; pictured 1990

Ultimately, the Menendez brothers were sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole - since when Lyle has been married twice and Erik once

Along with the brothers themselves, one of the most notorious figures to emerge from the trial as their ruthless lawyer Leslie Abramson, pictured with them in 1994

Co-created by Ryan Murphy , the first season of Monster was about the gay cannibal serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer (left), played by Evan Peters in an acclaimed performance (right)

They emerge from the car with their guns and creep through the house, the camera getting close to them, enough to hear one of them panting heavily.

When they arrive at the living room, the doors swing open, the brothers cock their guns and the screen goes to black - just as two deafening shots ring out.

Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story bowed on Netflix in September 2022 and became a runaway hit, while sharply polarizing the audience.

Many viewers were scandalized by the show's pulpy portrayal of the 'Milwaukee Cannibal,' which they regarded as disrespectful to the dead.

Compounding the controversy, the sister of the one of the victims publicly blasted the 'harsh and careless' series for 'making money off of this tragedy' out of 'greed.'

Ryan struck a defiant tone, claiming he had attempted to contact the victims' loved ones but never heard back from any of them.

'We, over the course of the three-and-a-half years when we were writing it, working on it, we reached out to around 20 of the victims families and friends trying to get input, trying to talk to people, and not a single person responded to us in that process,' insisted the Glee and American Horror Story creator.
Emily Ratajkowski hit back at a man yelled at her to 'put a shirt on' during a stroll in New York City.

The 33-year-old model and actress took to her TikTok on Tuesday to share a short video of herself walking down the street.

At the very beginning of the eight second clip Ratajkowski - - wearing $100 Guizio 'Lucky You' glasses - could be seen crossing the street as a man could be heard telling her to 'put on a shirt.'

It was an interesting comment to make as Emily was, in fact, wearing a grey tank top on the outing.

The clip then ends with Charli xcx hit 365 where the lyrics are: 'Who the f--k are you? I'm a brat when I'm bumpin' that. Now I wanna hear my track, are you bumpin' that?'

Emily Ratajkowski hit back at a man yelled at her to 'put a shirt on' during a stroll in New York City

The 33-year-old actress and model is pictured at the Met Gala in New York City back in May

Emily captioned the video: 'Wait for it: man tells me to put on a shirt.'

She also made light of the recent 'demure' online trend popularized by TikTok star Jools Lebron.

Emily added to the caption: 'famously not demure, famously not mindful.'

Just last week Emily became the latest in a long line of stars to say she is 'decentering men'.

The model and actress joins a number of young people who claim they have ditch romance in favor of a man free life, describing themselves as going 'boysober'.

On TikTok, thousands of women have avowed to go sober as part of 'self-care', with the ritual aiming to provide a year of individual healing outside of the dating world.

And the trend hasn't just hit disillusioned Gen Z women as a boy-free life has become increasingly popular with even some of the most famed and desired female celebrities opting to ditch men.

In a recent Vogue interview with the writer, Sarah Manguso, Emily confessed that she is choosing to 'decentralize' men, insisting that she no longer found the idea of a whirlwind romance interesting.

She took to her TikTok on Tuesday to share a short video of herself walking down the street when at the very beginning of the eight second clip she could be seen crossing the street as a man could be heard telling her to 'put on a shirt'

It was an interesting comment to make as Emily was, in fact, wearing a grey tank top on the outing as the clip then ends with Charli xcx hit 365 where the lyrics are: 'Who the f--k are you? I'm a brat when I'm bumpin' that. Now I wanna hear my track, are you bumpin' that?'

Emily - wearing $100 Guizio 'Lucky You' glasses - is seen walking her dog Colombo in New York City on Tuesday

During the interview, the two discussed the themes of Sarah's new book, cheating and divorce, with both reflecting on their experiences of love broken by unfaithfulness.

'Decentralizing men has been a huge part of my life,' Emily said during the interview.

'I still love men in many ways, but the Disney fairy tale I had once embraced of being chosen and building a life while being desirable to one man and keeping a man and all that, I just don't find that interesting anymore.'

Among the reasons for this decision, Emily described the unfair balance of emotional labour she has been juggling in her former relationship.

Julia Fox recently revealed she has opted out of sex with men all together, saying she has been celibate for more than two years to avoid them.

According to online videos, the cleanse is partially motivated by women's disillusionment with online dating apps such as Hinge, Tinder and Bumble, with one study revealing 90 per cent of Gen Z are dissatisfied by the apps.

Among other celebrities to have sworn off dating men, are Kate Hudson, Britney Spears, and Drew Barrymore.

According to sex therapist at Blueheart, Dr Katherine Hertlein, individuals may go celibate for a variety of reasons.

Just last week Emily became the latest in a long line of stars to say she is 'decentering men'; she is pictured in May

Julia Fox pictured in August 2024. Julia said stopped dressing for the male gaze after a realisation that she had spent her life dressing to the pleasure of men, but not wanted to 'dress for the girls'

She told FEMAIL: 'The choice to be celibate is often closely tied to religious beliefs and practices, but this is not always the case. There is evidence that younger people are having sex with fewer partners.

'In 2021, a UCLA survey showed 38 per cent of respondents aged 18-30 reported no sexual partners in the past year, up from 22 per cent in 2011.

'Celibacy can be a healthy choice, depending on your personal reasons and circumstances. It's important to consider your own needs, values, and well-being.

'Some find that celibacy helps them focus on personal growth, career goals, or emotional healing,' she concluded.

Emily - who is the author of her own feminist biography, My Body - was previously married to the film producer Sebastian Bear-McClard with who she shares a son, Sylvester 'Sly' Apollo.

Following the birth of their son, Emily said that she found herself lumbered with 'being the breadwinner while simultaneously organizing our social schedule and being the primary caretaker of our child'.

She said that since marrying and having children, She told Vogue her life had become: 'suddenly extremely small and less important, less valuable.'

The couple divorced in 2022 after it was reported that Sebastian cheated on his wife of two years, 'multiple times'.

Pictured: Emily Ratajkowski and Sebastian Bear-McClard attending the Uncut Gems premiere during the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. The two divorced in 2022 following reports that Sebastian had cheated 'multiple times'

Since the two parted ways, Emily famously pledged her commitment to the end of the romance by having her engagement remade into a set of ' divorce rings' (pictured)

Since the two parted ways, Emily famously pledged her commitment to the end of the romance by having her engagement remade into a set of 'divorce rings'.

'I don't think a woman should be stripped of her diamonds just because she's losing a man,' the model told Vogue after the ring repurposing.

Despite her promise to decenter men, the mother-of-one has been embroiled in a number of rumured romances, including the latest suggestion that she is dating country rapper Shaboozey,

Since her divorce, Emily has been romantically linked to Brad Pitt, Harry Styles, Pete Davidson, Eric Andre and Jack Greer.
The Kingdom: The Worlds Most Powerful Prince (BBC)

Rating:

Who is 45th in line to the British throne? It's probably Danny Dyer, but the question is irrelevant because in our new, slimline monarchy, they'll never stand on the palace balcony.

But in Saudi Arabia, the question has proved crucial ? because the nation's founder and first absolute ruler, King Saud, had 45 sons by more than 20 wives... and they were all in line to succeed.

The opening ten minutes of The Kingdom: The World's Most Powerful Prince briefed us on the country's next six monarchs, all of them half-brothers - because the line of succession ran sideways, sibling by sibling, instead of passing down through the generations. The current king, Salman, was Saud's 25th son.

He's now 88 and, with no surviving brothers, he will be succeeded by his own son Mohammed bin Salman al Saud... who has had to dispose of a good many cousins, one way or another, to ensure his inheritance.

The founder of Saudi Arabia and first absolute ruler, King Saud, had 45 sons by more than 20 wives... and they were all in line to succeed.

Kig Saud will be succeeded by his own son Mohammed bin Salman al Saud - who has had to dispose of a good many cousins to ensure his inheritance

Most of this complicated but intriguing documentary, the first of two, comprised a portrait of the Crown Prince, told partly by those who know him - both friends and enemies - but chiefly through archive news footage and Morven Christie's narration. Next week's episode covers the notorious murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Mohammed likes to be referred to by his initials, MBS. That seems a strange choice, since it makes him sound like a furniture store with a perpetual sale.

He has much cooler nicknames, such as the Bullet Guy (because reputedly he once sent a judge an envelope with a bullet in it, as a hint to make sure a court ruling went his way).

After he launched an attack on Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen, giving his U.S. allies just 12 hours' notice of his intentions, the Saudi media began calling him the Prince of Decisiveness. That's a title the Duke of Edinburgh might have envied.

Typical MBS policy veers from public relations coups to mafia tactics. In April 2016, wielding his elderly father's autocratic powers, he defanged the Saudi religious police - eliminating their influence with a single decree.

He then gave the go-ahead to a superhero convention where men and women were allowed to mix in public for the first time - to the fury of ultra-conservatives.

But he is also notorious for taking rivals hostage and intimidating them into submission. Dissent is forbidden, and the law is enforced by kidnap squads.

Experts including the UK security adviser Sir Kim Darrouch and former head of MI6 Sir John Sawers offered guarded insights, helping to unravel the contradictions of MBS's personality.

He's a smiling playboy, who loves the Maldives and owns a South African game reserve. But one former high-ranking Saudi insider now in exile claims he also once proposed assassinating his father's predecessor as king.

The murder weapon was to be a handshake - while wearing an antique Russian ring armed with a poison-tipped needle.

You're unlikely to hear a stranger tale all week.
Skye Wheatley has announced she is going on a social media break after being left 'raging' by her TikTok account being deleted.

The influencer, 30, has spent the last two months documenting her trials of trying to get her TikTok account restored after she was banned from the platform.

Now, she has revealed she is stepping back from social media after being left 'fuming' over being unable to get her TikTok back up and running.

The I'm A Celebrity Australia 2024 winner took to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday to announce her break with her 668,000 followers.

She penned: 'Hi, not posting on social media for a bit need a break and absolutely fuming and raging about my TikTok and in a big ''f**k you'' mindset hehe.

'Love you all, TikTok you need to work on your s**t, I've been on Instagram for 20+ years and have never had the same issues. Posting all the same content though. Make it make sense.'

Skye went on to vow to get her TikTok restored as she promised not to give up on her battle, though she did not detail the reasons behind the account being banned.

'I WILL get my account back also just taking a break because I'm extremely off it,' she concluded.

Skye Wheatley has announced she is going on a social media break after being left 'fuming' by her TikTok account being deleted

The I'm A Celebrity Australia 2024 winner took to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday to announce her break with her 668,000 followers in a 'raging' statement

Skye recently had a run-in with a scam account while trying to restore her TikTok account and was forced to apologise to her followers after the gaffe.

In June, she issued a grovelling statement after recommending an account to her fans that was actually a con, with one of her followers falling victim to the scam.

Skye begged her fans to ignore her recommendation of the account and said she hadn't 'rationally' thought about the post due to her ADHD.

The former Big Brother star shared a screenshot of an account offering engineering services which she alleged had scammed her after she tried to get help from them in restoring her taken-down TikTok account.

Detailing her error, she shared: 'I feel really bad now because I'm going through some s**t and I'm like oh my f**king God, I shouldn't have posted what I posted.

'But because of my ADHD I have what my mum calls knee-jerk reactions so I do things without thinking it through realistically and rationally.'

The influencer has spent the last two months documenting her trials of trying to get her TikTok account restored after she was banned from the platform

She claimed the account was recommended to her by one of her followers, who said they would help her to restore her account after she was 'banned'.

Skye apologised as she shared a message exchange with a fan who revealed that her boyfriend had fallen victim to the alleged scam artist.

'Sorry for posting guys,' Skye captioned a screenshot of her exchange with the follower.

She continued: 'Now I have to live with this guilt, if he took anyone else's money.

'F*** I feel sick to my stomach. I 100 per cent thought he was going to help me. It's a scam guys and I paid him $300.'

The internet personality has had an unfortunate run with alleged scams over the years, buying fake medical eye drops from a clinic in Thailand earlier this year and suffering a botched boob job in 2015.
Shira Stein is the San Francisco Chronicle's Washington correspondent, covering California's role in national politics and policy from the nation's capital. She writes about issues that matter to California residents  like housing, abortion and LGBTQ rights  and California's influence on Congress and the White House. She was the primary chronicler of the last year of Sen. Dianne Feinstein's life, including her health, familial financial feud, and death.

Shira was born and raised in the Bay Area and now lives in Washington, D.C. She joined the Chronicle in 2022 after spending four years as an award-winning health care reporter for Bloomberg Law, where she was key in its coverage of the Covid-19, the fall of Roe v. Wade and health costs. She is a graduate of American University and interned at the Washington Post, Bloomberg Law and the Colorado-based Durango Herald.
Brisbane businesswoman Lauren Hall is set to walk down the aisle for a second time in a dramatic twist that promises to shake up Married At First Sight 2025.

Lauren is hotly tipped to return to the show as an intruder bride after her original groom, Eliot Donovan, abruptly quit during their honeymoon.

Lauren, who runs the successful corporate gifts business Mayfair Lane Gifts, was left blindsided when her 'handsome' groom Eliot packed his bags and left the show, mere days after they tied the knot.

Insiders reveal that producers at Endemol Shine Australia were left scrambling after Eliot's sudden exit, which has thrown the show's carefully laid plans into disarray.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, a source close to the production said: 'Eliot was unimpressed from the moment he laid eyes on Lauren. It was clear from the get-go that this was a complete mismatch.

'By the next morning, he was doneno second thoughts, no hesitation. Everyone was in shock, asking, "WTF is going on?"'

The same insider revealed that Eliot felt he had been 'stitched up' by the show's producers.

Eliot always had reservations about being on the show. After realising the mismatch he didnt want to stick around just to milk the 15 minutes of fame. He just wanted out.

Brisbane businesswoman Lauren Hall (pictured) is set to walk down the aisle for a second time in a dramatic twist that promises to shake up Married At First Sight 2025

Lauren is hotly tipped to return to the show as an intruder bride after her original groom, Eliot Donovan, (pictured) abruptly quit during their honeymoon

Lauren, described by friends as 'super fun and entertaining' and 'really good at what she does,' was reportedly devastated by the turn of events.

Producers, who had high hopes for her to be a standout bride this season, are now considering bringing her back as an intruder to inject some fresh drama into the already chaotic series.

An insider revealed: 'Producers were gutted for Lauren. They were banking on her being a star of the show, but her dreams of reality TV were cut short.

Lauren, who runs the successful corporate gifts business Mayfair Lane Gifts, was left blindsided when her 'handsome' groom Eliot packed his bags and left the show, mere days after they tied the knot

Insiders reveal that producers at Endemol Shine Australia were left scrambling after Eliot's sudden exit, which has thrown the show's carefully laid plans into disarray

Poll Should Channel Nine give Lauren another wedding? Yes, she deserves it No, move on Should Channel Nine give Lauren another wedding? Yes, she deserves it 16 votes

No, move on 22 votes Now share your opinion





'Now, they're thinking of bringing her back as an intruder to give her another shotand to keep the drama levels high.'

This season of MAFS has already been labelled the most chaotic in the show's history, with producers struggling to keep a lid on the turmoil.

It comes after Daily Mail Australia previously exclusively revealed that Lauren has a surprising connection to the Channel Nine dating show.

She previously dated Jonathan McCullough, who was paired with Lauren Dunn on last year's season of the Channel Nine experiment.

Lauren previously dated Jonathan McCullough (both pictured) who was paired with Lauren Dunn on last year's season of the Channel Nine experiment before finding love with Ellie Dix

The pair dated for about three months before breaking up in January 2023, reportedly on good terms after realising they were 'too different.'

A production insider hinted at some behind-the-scenes drama, claiming that casting producers were aware of Lauren's past with Jono and asked her to erase any traces of him from her social media.

'Production was hoping to quietly sweep it under the rug, but word got around that she was appearing on the show and that she and Jono knew each other,' the source revealed.

During his time on MAFS, Jono formed a connection with bride Ellie Dix after his romance with Lauren failed, and the pair are now in a relationship.
A Colorado bakery has closed after 75 years in business, leaving locals devastated.

Home Style Bakery in Grand Junction served its last batch of sweet treats on Saturday.

When word of the business' impending closure spread, residents flocked to the bakery, leaving its owners of 50 years run off their feet.

Customers young and old waited patiently in a line that stretched out of the door for one last taste of their favorite delicacies.

'It's a national heritage site as far as I'm concerned,' John Rundle, who has been coming to the bakery since 1971, told CPR.

Home Style Bakery in Grand Junction, Colorado, closed its doors on Saturday

By 8:30am on August 17 the car park was full as desperate customers scrambled to join the line.

'I'm just hoping to get whatever's left,' regular customer Gwyn Nishimura said.

'Whatever I can get my hands on!'

Some customers decided to stock up on their favorites, since they won't be available again.

Dick Southwell told CPR he ordered a large batch of 'the best apple fritters in town.'

'It's dying art,' he said of the bakery's from-scratch methods.

'Everything seems to be the big stores nowadays. And the way they bake stuff just isn't the same.'

Others picked up boxes of cannolis, gingerbread men and chocolate chip brownies.

Owners Jan and Don Wilke bought Home Style Bakery from the previous owners in 1976.

'The relationship is everything you know, you can make the best product in the world, but if you don't have customers who appreciate it and return,' Jan told Western Slope Now.

'We know so many people by first name and even the ones I don't know by name I know by sight. So it's a very wonderful feeling.'

The couple decided to close the bakery to have more time to devote to family concerns.

'We have health issues in our family that need to be addressed and need more time for,' Jan told the outlet.

Jan Wilke bought Home Style Bakery with her husband in 1976

Customers picked up picked up boxes of cannolis, gingerbread men and brownies

The bakery closed its doors for the last time on Saturday

Loyal customers formed a queue out of the door to pick up their favorite treats

Jan and Don's son Andrew told the outlet about his treasured childhood memories at the bakery.

'My first crib was a 140-quart mixing bowl. I grew up in the bakery.

'I used to come out and greet everybody and I would after the end of the day, I would crawl under the freezers and look for the pennies that people dropped.'

It comes amid a slew of restaurant and store closures across the US - many as a result of the rising costs of food and labor.

Popular Italian restaurant Buca di Beppo filed for bankruptcy earlier this month - just days after it abruptly shut 13 underperforming locations.

World of Beer Bar & Kitchen was named among the fastest growing restaurant chains in the US in 2013.

It also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this month, saying it owed suppliers as much as $50 million.

Companies are battling falling sales as Americans increasingly eat out less after two years of punishing price rises.
Massive protests erupted at Badlapur in the adjoining Thane district of Maharashtra over the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old girls by a sweeper in the toilet of a leading nursery school and the delay in police action. Irate residents staged a rail roko, agitation crippling suburban train services between Badlapur and Karjat and disrupting normal life in Mumbais satellite town.

The citizens took to the street at Badlapur, after the news of the alleged sexual assault on girls in the kindergarten school run by Adarsh Vidya Prasarak Sanstha (AVPS) by a contractual sweeper on August 12 and 13 spread like wild fire in the satellite town, which is located 68 km away from south Mumbai.

It was the delay on the part of the local police to initiate action in connection with the incident that sparked protests.

Based on the complaint of the parents of the victim girls, the police registered an FIR on August 16  three days after the incident  under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. A day after the registration of the incident, the accused identified as one Akshay Shinde (23)  was arrested.

The protesters laid siege to the Badlapur railway station for ten-long hours  from 8 am to 6 pm. The protesters squatted on the railway tracks, disrupted train services. At one stage in the evening, the police resorted to lathi-charge to quell the protestors. We will resume the train services between Badlapur and Karjat after the protesters disperse, a senior Central Railway official said.

The protests spilled to Badlapur town, where people  including a large number of women  barged into the controversial school premises, by breaking the main gate of the school. They ransacked the premises, smashing the window panes and damaging the furniture and other items. Raising slogans against the school management for its failure to ensure safety to the girl children studying in its kinder-garten school, the protesters raided the classrooms and virtually went on a damaging spree.

Elsewhere outside the school, the protesters blocked the roads and highway and hurled stones at the police personnel who tried to quell the angry citizens. The Badlapur town observed a spontaneous bandh, with shops, hotels and other business establishments remaining closed.

Given that the Badlapur incident has come on the heels of the much-discussed rape and murder of a junior doctor in a Kolkata medical college, the BJP-led MahaYuti government found itself on the defensive with the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) demanding the dismissal of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the State Home portfolio.

Having gone into a damage-control mode, Fadnavis swiftly announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Aarti Singh, a senior IPS officer of the rank of Inspector General of Police, to investigate the Badlapur sexual assault incident.

Simultaneously, Fadnavis asked Thane Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dumbare to submit a proposal to the state government to fast track the case and prosecute the accused before a special court.

Speaking separately to the media, chief minister Eknath Shinde said: We have taken serious cognisance of the incident. We have already set up an SIT to investigate the case. We will fast-track the case and prosecute the accused in as quick a manner as possible. No one will be spared in the case.

Meanwhile, the school management has suspended the principal, a class teacher and a female attendant in connection with the sexual assault incident.

In a related development, Leaders of the Opposition MVA -- comprising Congress, NCP (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT)  came down heavily on the BJP-led MahaYuti government for the  very shocking and serious incident.

NCP (SP) Working President Supriya Sule said the incident is very shocking and serious and the state home department must take note of the citizens anger.

Apart from stern action against action against the accused, a case should also be registered against the management of the institution who tried to suppress this matter, Sule said.

Congress Leader of Opposition (Assembly) Vijay Wadettiwar demanded the suspension of a woman police official who reportedly made the victims parents sit in the police station for nearly 12 hours before taking their complaint last week.

This case must be taken up by a fast track court to hear it in three months and the accused must be given the death sentence, Wadettiwar said.

Leader of Opposition (Council) Ambadas Danve asked the state government to ensure the strongest possible punishment for the accused to serve as a deterrent and book all others found guilty.

The fear of the law has gone out of the minds of criminals. They feel that if others can get away, they also will not be caught and punished, Danve said.

The number of crimes against women is also increasing, but the state Home Minister and the government are not at all concerned. It is not enough to simply say Ladaki Baheen and sit with rakhi in hand; If the government wants to preserve the true relationship with the sisters, it also has to fulfill the responsibility of keeping them safe as a true brother, Congress MP and Mumbai President Varsha Gaikwad said.

Alleging that there was a complete collapse of law-and-order in the state, SS (UBT)s spokesperson Kishore Tiwari demanded the immediate resignation of Fadnavis and forming a SIT to probe the shocking case.

The law and order does not exist due to corruption and cash deals to get desired police postings The CM is like a rubber stamp as theres complete collapse of law and order due to hostile corruption and cash and getting the desired posting. The BJP is responsible for the present messy situation, Tiwari said

Demanding the resignations of both chief minister Eknath Gaikwd and Deputy chief minister Fadnavis, Chief Spokesperson of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) Siddharth Mokle said the incident was a blot on humanity but the government is only obsessed about winning the forthcoming State Assembly polls at any cost and is not at all bothered about law and order matters in the state
Pulling up judges for expressing personal views and preaching, the Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside a Calcutta High Court judgment acquitting a man who had sex with a minor girl and also junked the High Courts controversial remarks advising adolescent girls to control their sexual urges.

The court ordered setting up of an independent committee of experts, including one from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, to ascertain the wish of the victim whether she intended to continue with the accused or was willing to be rehabilitated. The court also directed West Bengal Government to give details to the committee on the income and accommodation they would provide the victim and the child if she decides not to reside with the accused.

The impugned judgment of the High Court is set aside and the judgment of the Special Court is restored to the extent of the conviction of the accused for the offences punishable under sub-sections (2)(n) and (3) of Section 376 of the IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act. Accordingly, the accused stands convicted. The acquittal of the accused for the offences punishable under Sections 363 and 366 of the IPC is confirmed, a bench comprising justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said.

The bench also directed the West Bengal Government to constitute a committee of three experts, including a clinical psychologist and a social scientist. The State Government may take the assistance of NIMHANS or TISS for constituting the committee. A child welfare officer shall be appointed to assist the committee as its coordinator and secretary; (c) The committee shall be formed within three weeks from today, it said.

Holding the accused guilty of the offences punishable under sub-sections (2)(n) and (3) of Section 376 of the IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act, the bench said the issue regarding sentencing will be considered after the committees report is received.

In its judgement, the Calcutta High Court bench of Justices Chitta Ranjan Dash and Partha Sarathi Sen 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.

Justice Oka, who pronounced the verdict on behalf of the bench, said that directions have been issued to the States to implement provisions of Section 19 (6) of POCSO Act along with Sections 30 to 43 of the Juvenile Justice Act that deal with issues related to a childs need for care and protection and setting up of shelter homes.

Taking suo moto cognizance of the case titled In Re: Right to Privacy of Adolescents, the Supreme Court said the observations were not only highly objectionable but also completely unwarranted, as they violated the rights of adolescents under Article 21 of the Constitution. The Court expressed concern over the High Courts deviation from its remit to decide solely on the merits of the appeal, criticizing the judges for expressing personal views and preaching.

Justice Oka wondered how the High Court used its power under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973,  that gives High Courts the power to prevent the abuse of the legal process and to ensure justice  to overturn the conviction in the case on the grounds that POCSO should be amended to recognize adolescent sexuality.

This extraordinary situation was created because the State machinery did not follow the provisions of law starting from sub-section (6) of Section 19 of the POCSO Act. The importance of rehabilitation of the victims of offences under the POCSO Act, which is a mandatory requirement of law, is being overlooked by all stakeholders. Perhaps, at levels, there is a need for introspection and course correction. We include even the Judiciary in that< read the order.

In an observation on the language used by the High Court in its judgment, Justice Oka said that guidelines have been issued regarding how to write judgments. Justice Oka further said that a committee of experts have been constituted to help the victim in the case to make an informed choice.

The State of West Bengal also filed a special leave petition challenging the High Courts judgment on its merits.
Terming the incident of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata as horrific and horrendous and a systemic failure of the State machinery, the Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to formulate a protocol for safety of doctors and healthcare workers at workplace.

The SC came down heavily on the Mamata Banerjee Government in West Bengal, slamming it for its lackadaisical approach to the case all through.

The top court also directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is currently investigating the matter to submit a status report by August 22. The task force will submit its interim report within three weeks and the final report within two months. The top court also appealed to the medical community, including doctors protesting across the country, to call off the strike and resume work.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was hearing matters related to the

incident after it took suo motu cognisance of the incident, which has triggered a nationwide strike by doctors and other health workers.

The SC passed the order saying the nation cannot wait for another rape to happen for things to change on the ground.

The bench said, There are legislations to protect medical professionals but they do not address the systemic issues. Medical associations have consistently raised the issue, the court observed pointing out that medical professionals in the course of performance of their duties have been unfortunate targets of various forms of violence.

The constitutional value of equality brooks no compromises on the health, well-being and safety of those who provide healthcare to others. The nation cannot await a rape or murder for real changes to happen on the ground, the bench said.

The SC asked the NTF to formulate an action plan under two sub-heads  preventing violence, including gender-based violence against medical professionals; and providing an enforceable national protocol for dignified and safe working conditions for interns, residents, senior residents, doctors, nurses and all medical professionals. The NTF shall be at liberty to make recommendations on all aspects of the action-plan highlighted above and any other aspects which the members seek to cover. They are at liberty to make additional suggestions, where appropriate.

The NTF shall also suggest appropriate timelines by which the recommendations could be implemented based on the existing facilities in hospitals. The NTF is requested to consult all stake-holders, the bench said. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will provide all logistical support, including making arrangements for travel, stay and secretarial assistance and bear the expenses of the members of the NTF, it said.

All State Governments and UT Governments, through their Secretaries, in the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare and the Central Government, through the Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare must collate information from all hospitals run by the State and the Central Government, respectively on how many security personnel are employed at each hospital and each department.

Whether there is a baggage and person screening mechanism in place at the entrance of the medical establishment. The total number of resting/duty rooms in the hospital and specific details of the number in each department. The facilities provided in the resting/duty rooms, the bench said. The data as submitted shall be tabulated and filed with an affidavit by the Union Government within one month of this order, it said.

The court also appealed the protesting doctors to call off the strike and resume work. The bench said abstention from the work of doctors affects those segments of the society that are in need of medical care. We earnestly appeal to all the doctors that we are here to ensure that their safety and protection is the matter of highest national concern. Please trust us, that is why we have not left the matter to the high court. We felt this is not just a matter of a serious offence but which affects the institution of healthcare pan India. Therefore the need for the Supreme Court to take up the matter, the bench said.

The 10 members of the task force are Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, Director General, Medical Services (Navy), Dr D Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director, Asian Institute of Gastroenterology and AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, Dr M Srinivas, Director of Delhi AIIMS, Dr Pratima Murthy, Director, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Dr Goverdhan Dutt Puri, Executive Director, AIIMS Jodhpur, Dr Saumitra Rawat, Chairperson, Institute of Surgical Gastroenterology, GI and HPB, Onco-Surgery and Liver Transplantation and Member, Board of Management, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi.

The other members are Professor Anita Saxena, Vice-Chancellor, Pandit B D Sharma Medical University, Rohtak, former Dean of Academics, Chief Cardio thoracic Centre and Head Cardiology Department AIIMS, Delhi, Dr Pallavi Saple, Dean, Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals, Mumbai, and Dr Padma Srivastava, formerly Professor at the Department of Neurology, AIIMS Delhi.

It said the Cabinet Secretary and the Home Secretary to the Union Government, Secretary, Ministry of Health, Chairperson, National Medical Commission and president, National Board of Examinations, shall be the ex-officio members of the task force.
A total of 2,556 aspirants have applied for the Congress ticket for the 90-member Haryana Assembly polls slated for October 1. In comparison to the previous Assembly elections, the number of aspirants for Congress tickets has increased for the upcoming State Assembly elections.

The Congress party had won five of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana recently. The Lok Sabha poll results have led to a spurt in the number of aspirants for the Congress party tickets in the majority of the assembly segments in the State. State Congress president Udai Bhan has applied for Hodal and besides him, one more application has been received from there.

Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) media head Kewal Dhingra, talking to The Pioneer on Sunday, said that MLAs, former legislators, the kin of political stalwarts, advocates, doctors, retired bureaucrats, superannuated judges, teachers, besides a few journalists have applied for grand old partys nomination. The names of the candidates would be decided on the parameters set by the party, he added.

Dhingra further said that the last date to apply for the Congress ticket was August 10, 2024. The highest 88 applicants of the party are from Nilokheri (reserved) segment in Karnal district followed by 86 ticket seekers for Julana. Overwhelming response also indicates that the party is on a good wicket and this is also because the workers sense the party has a good chance of retaining power. It is indeed a positive and encouraging sign ahead of the Assembly election, he added.

Senior Congress leader further said that the Congress has got 743 applications for 17 reserved seats with an average of around 44 applications per seat while a total 1,813 aspirants have applied for the remaining 73 general seats with an average of around 25 applications per seat. Large number of women party workers has also applied for poll tickets. There was also good response for the SC reserved seats, he added.

On the other hand, sources in BJP said that the party is leaving no stone unturned to choose the right candidate for the upcoming Assembly election in the State. Party gives tickets to the right candidates in each constituency. Party also involves its leaders and ground workers in the candidate selection. Performance of local MLAs is being reviewed. Opinions of local people are also being taken in the selection of candidates. Additionally, the local party leaders and workers are asked to vote for the three most suitable candidates from their respective assembly segments. Finally, the results of the internal survey are used to identify the most favored candidates within the party as there are hundreds of ticket aspirants, he added.

Another Congress leader said that the party has received on an average 19 applications more in each constituency reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) than general ones. A total 17 out of 90 Assembly seats are reserved for the SCs.

The Congress had won seven seats, BJP five, JJP four while Independent candidate romped home victorious on one seat in 2019 Assembly elections.

The SC votes in a good number went in favour of the Congress in the recent Lok Sabha polls, which helped the party wrest five seats from the BJP. The Congress also clinched both reserved seats  Sirsa and Ambala  in the elections. Total 56 aspirants have applied for Shahabad (Kurukshetra), 57 for Uklana (Hisar), 45 for Guhla (Kaithal) and 44 for Narwana (Jind); while 78 aspirants had applied for the Congress ticket for Bawani Khera (Bhiwani), 52 for Bawal (Rewari), 42 for Pataudi (Gurugram), 38 for Ratia and two for Hodal (Palwal).

A total 88 applications received for Nilokheri (Karnal) being represented by an independent in the Vidhan Sabha was the highest not only in reserved category but also in the general category, he added.

He further said that as many as 55 aspirants have applied for Kalanaur (Rohtak), 54 for Kharkhoda (Sonepat), 46 for Mullana (Ambala), 33 for Israna (Panipat), 27 for Sadhaura (Yamunanagar), 14 for Kalawali (Sirsa) and 12 for Jhajjar.

Moreover, according to the list released by the HPCC, in Faridabad, the number of ticket seekers in the nine assembly segments in Faridabad and Palwal districts has been recorded at 106. The average number of aspirants has been over 11. This has been two to three times higher than the last time. While the highest number of 22 persons have registered for ticket in Faridabad segment (constituency number-89), the lowest number is two for Hodal (83), a SC reserved seat.

Prithla segment of Faridabad district and Hathin in Palwal are placed at the second spot with 20 applicants each. Ballabgarh segment has got as many as 14 applicants. With NIT having 10 applications, Badkhal and Tigaon have got eight and seven respectively.

Entry of three-time former MP Avtaar Singh Bhadana, who has sought a ticket from NIT, has made things interesting or difficult for the party high command, as Neeraj Sharma is sitting Congress MLA from here and is very close to former Chief MinisternHooda.

Talking to journalists, senior Congress leader Hooda recently said that the Congress party will give tickets to loyal, dedicated and winning candidates. Only one person will get a ticket on one Assembly seat and remaining aspirants will work to make the Party's candidate win, he added.
India and Malaysia on Tuesday decided to elevate their ties to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim.

The two sides inked a number of pacts, including one on employment and repatriation of workers and another on boosting cooperation in the area of digital technologies.

Ibrahim began his three-day visit to India on Monday night. It is his first visit to India as prime minister.

The larger focus of the Modi-Ibrahim talks was to expand trade and investment and explore cooperation in new and emerging areas.

We have decided that the India-Malaysia partnership will be elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Modi said in his media statement, adding there is a lot of potential for cooperation in the economic sphere.

Modi also described Malaysia as an "important partner" of India in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and Indo-Pacific region. We agreed that review of the free trade agreement between India and ASEAN should be completed in a timely manner.

The prime minister also said that work will be done to link India's payment system UPI with Malaysia's PayNet.

The two sides also deliberated upon new possibilities of cooperation in the defence sector as well.

We have unanimous views in combating terrorism and extremism, Modi said.

In an apparent reference to the situation in South China Sea, Modi said: "We are committed to freedom of navigation, overflight as per international laws and favour resolution of all disputes peacefully."

In his remarks, Ibrahim said all issues, sensitive or likewise, were discussed in reflection of the true meaning of friendship between the two countries.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday alleged that "lateral entry" in bureaucracy was aimed at filling up posts with those inclined towards the RSS, the ideological parent organisation of the BJP.

The former Bihar deputy chief minister was also unimpressed with the Union government's request to UPSC to "withdraw" the recent advertisement for recruitments through lateral entry which had triggered a major controversy.

"How did the UPSC bring in such an advertisement, in the first place? The Centre is enacting a drama after its agenda against reservations and the Constitution got exposed," Yadav told PTI video here.

He alleged: "The plan was to fill up posts in bureaucracy with people supported by the RSS. I had registered my opposition as soon as the advertisement came out. We will continue to thwart the government's attempts to implement its hidden agenda".

Yadav, who is the leader of the opposition in the Bihar Assembly, also accused NDA partners like Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union ministers Jitan Ram Manjhi and Chirag Paswan of keeping silent over the issue.

Raking up the developments in the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat riots, the RJD leader said, "Chirag Paswan should think what would have been the response of his late father Ram Vilas Paswan who did not bat an eyelid before giving up his cabinet berth in protest against atrocities on minorities".

He also flagged a notification issued last week in which more than 300 posts were advertised for the ICAR, which functions under the Union Agriculture Ministry.

"The advertisement clearly says that all the posts are unreserved. This is another example of the government stealthily pushing its agenda. It is so unfortunate that Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the agriculture minister, is keeping mum over the issue despite being an OBC," said Yadav.

He added: "We will continue our fight against this government that thinks underdogs should clean toilets and have no access to government jobs. Leaders in the BJP and the NDA, who are staying silent to enjoy power, will be called out."
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has directed "surrendering of the services" of an IAS officer at the disposal of Department of Personnel and Training for repatriation to his parent cadre over his alleged "lackadaisical approach" in finalising a tripartite agreement.

In a communication to DDA Vice-chairman Ashish Kundra, Principal Secretary to LG Saxena said several meetings were held under Saxena over utilising drone surveys.

"I am writing to address a critical issue regarding utilising drone surveys to generate and analyse the data to determine the current status of the land, including encroachments, unauthorised constructions, change detection etc, which was discussed and deliberated in meetings chaired by the Lt Governor on June 6, August 2, and August 16," read the communication.

These meetings attended by the chief secretary of Delhi, commissioners of the MCD and other senior officials, focused on expanding the scope of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) dated August 23, 2019, between the DDA and the Survey of India (Sol) into a tripartite agreement by including the MCD.

"This expansion is intended to ensure that the outputs of the drone surveys benefit all concerned government organisations and citizens of Delhi.

"It has been noted with grave concern that despite commitment in June itself to finalise the tripartite agreement of the DDA, MCD and Survey of India within a week and to start the work on ground, nothing has happened in this regard," it noted.

The communication alleged that in a meeting on August 16, the commissioner land management, DDA, "tried to cover up regarding agreement not being done by stating that Survey of India had flagged some issues", whereas, the officials present in the meeting said they have not even received a copy of the agreement yet.

"His contribution in the work assigned to him has been sub-par. Hon'ble Lt Governor has desired that his services may be surrendered at the disposal of Department of Personnel and Training for repatriation to his parent cadre immediately," said the communication.

The letter also emphasised the "continued delay on flimsy grounds" undermines the directives issued by Saxena stressing upon the use of advanced technologies for maintaining records for land management, and also, the directives issued by the High Court of Delhi in different cases, "which is unacceptable".
The Delhi High Court has directed the MCD commissioner to examine if a cooperative like Amul or Mother dairy can be involved in setting up a collection centre at Ghogha Dairy here so that dairy owners have a ready consumer for their produced milk.

The court, which recently asked the city authorities to place before it a plan on expeditious allotment of plots in the Ghogha Dairy colony to those who are willing to shift there from Bhalswa Dairy, was shown a master plan of Ghogha Dairy in northwest Delhi by the counsel for the MCD.

The counsel said the layout plan for each plot is being prepared for submission to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House and the final plan would be filed in the court by August 25.

"In the proposed master plan, the grazing area has not been demarcated as also an area for a cooperative society to enable collection of daily production of milk.

"The commissioner, MCD is directed to examine if a cooperative, such as Amul or Mother Dairy, or any other organisation can be involved for setting up a collection centre at Ghogha Dairy so that the dairy owners have a ready consumer for their produce as this would make the dairy colony self-sustaining," a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora said.

The court was also dealing with various applications filed by people claiming to be residents of the Bhalswa Dairy colony and aggrieved by the authorities' direction of demolition or sealing, which would render them homeless.

The applications were filed in a pending petition relating to the poor condition of nine designated dairy colonies in Delhi -- Kakrola Dairy, Goela Dairy, Nangli Shakrawati Dairy, Jharoda Dairy, Bhalswa Dairy, Ghazipur Dairy, Shahbad Daulatpur Dairy, Madanpur Khadar Dairy and Masoodpur Dairy.

The court said from the applications, it seems that the focus of the present petition and the intent of this court have not been understood by many people.

It made it clear that the petition deals with the health and well-being of the next generation of Delhi and with the food cycle of its citizens.

The intent of the petitioners is that animals not be treated cruelly and that the citizens of Delhi get healthy milk to drink and not contaminated milk, the court said.

It said cows and buffaloes that eat toxic waste cannot produce healthy and wholesome milk.

"Can we have infants drink milk from cows who are feeding on toxic waste from the Bhalswa landfill? The milk from these animals is being sold across the city to make formula milk for children and goes into making milk items like mithai etc. for thousands of consumers.

"It is in this context that the court has directed dairies situated next to sanitary landfills to be shifted. The intent of this court is to ensure that the next generation is healthy and does not suffer from life-threatening diseases," it said.

The bench said it was also trying to ensure that the Delhi government and the MCD provide the best infrastructural facilities at the place where the dairy owners are to be resettled and rehabilitated by providing a grazing area, a biogas plant, sewage and drainage facility, a veterinary hospital and a fully-integrated milk plant.

"The present matter does not deal with real estate, it deals with the health, hygiene and safety of common people and prevention of cruelty to animals," it added.

Earlier, the court had directed the shifting of the Bhalswa dairy colony in view of the "inability" of the statutory authorities, including the MCD and the city government, to take action to stop milch cattle from feeding on garbage from the sanitary landfills near the Bhalswa and Ghazipur dairies, as also the removal of all unauthorised constructions from all dairy colonies.

In its earlier order, the court had taken note of the "dingy" and "unhygienic" conditions of the dairy units, along with the existence of commercial constructions there.

The MCD has identified 800 illegal structures in the area and plans to relocate more than 400 dairies, which are believed to house hundreds of animals, to Ghogha Dairy on the outskirts of Delhi.

According to the MCD's land-use rules, a dairy plot can only be used for running cattle sheds and cannot be converted into a dwelling unit.

Perusing photographs, the court had noted that there were large-scale constructions and urbanisation in some of the dairy colonies, including salons, showrooms, gymnasiums and cyber cafes.

It had said the character of the colonies had ceased to be that of dairy colonies as commercial showrooms were operating there and superstructures as high as four-storeyed had come up for residential and commercial purposes.
The Chronicles Senior Political Writer Joe Garofoli checks in on day two of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. San Francisco Chronicle Staff

CHICAGO  There was a lot of love for President Joe Biden on Monday for his 52 years in politics.

Thank you, Joe was the refrain of the first day of the Democratic National Convention. (Lock him up! was a close second, referring to former President Donald Trump.)

But despite all of the emotion and gratitude showered on the president, nobody felt bad that hes not running.

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A Fox News poll out last week said around 93% of Democrats are happy he left the race. Beneath the bouquets Monday, the Democrats completed their bloodless coup of Bidens reelection campaign.

President Joe Biden wipes a tear from his eye after joining daughter Ashley Biden onstage prior to delivering a speech at the United Center in Chicago on Monday. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Overtly, it was a night for thanks.

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain thanked Union Joe for being the first president to walk the picket line. Hillary Clinton saluted him as democracys champion who brought dignity, decency and competence back to the White House. Bidens daughter Ashley praised him as the O.G. girl dad who fixed the place settings before her wedding. New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez thanked him for his leadership. Jill Biden said she fell in love with him all over again when he ended his run and endorsed Kamala Harris.

We owe him a great debt of gratitude, said South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, whose early support of Biden in 2020 saved his floundering campaign at its nadir.

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We love Joe! the crowd chanted throughout Bidens speech as they waved banners saying the same. Their gratitude was as genuine as the four-minute ovation they greeted him with.

Delegates chant We love Joe! as President Joe Biden delivers a speech on the first evening of the DNC in Chicago on Monday. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

But so was their desire  and need  for change.

Democrats may not have been able to stop protesters from crashing the barricades outside the United Center on Monday, stranding several thousand delegates and others outside for hours after the convention started, but they avoided curling into a circular firing squad over the past month to seamlessly line up behind Harris, united by one undeniable, universal truth: The Joe Biden of 2024 wouldnt have beaten Trump. At least Harris gives them a shot.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi brushed off concerns earlier Monday when asked what shed say to Democrats disappointed that Biden abandoned  or was shoved from  his reelection campaign.

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I just want to win this election, Pelosi said. So if theyre upset, Im sorry for them, but the country is very happy.

Pelosi praised Bidens selfless act and said he would be remembered as one of the greatest, most consequential presidents in our countrys history.

But Pelosi said she heard from a House member from Illinois who in turn told her that they heard from 1,100 new volunteers immediately after Biden dropped out.

Were seeing that all over the country, Pelosi said, so I dont know who is complaining about the change.

Democrats want to win because they are terrified of what damage Trump, recently armed by his acolytes on the Supreme Court with absolute immunity for any official acts he takes in office, could wreak.

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So Biden had to go. To save America from Trump.

Biden, the lifelong public servant, nodded to that truth himself.

I love the job, but I love my country more, Biden said. All this talk about how Im angry at all those people (who) said I should step down  thats not true. I love my country more, and we need to preserve our democracy in 2024.

After wiping a tear from his eye as he embraced his daughter onstage, Biden sounded stronger, clearer and more forceful than he has in months. He shook his fist and, nearly hollering, he recalled Trump referring to those who died in war as suckers and losers.

Who in the hell does he think he is? Who does he think he is? Biden exclaimed.

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President Joe Biden takes the stage to deliver a speech at the DNC in Chicago on Monday. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

He pounded the lectern as he said he was working tirelessly to end this war in Gaza, even as protesters outside blamed him for his support of Israel prolonging it. Biden said the protesters out in the street have a point: Theres a lot of innocent people being killed. Both sides.

Much of the speech was a review of his sizable legislative accomplishments. Biden passed a massive infrastructure law while noting that Trump never built a damn thing, and he secured the largest ever investment to fight climate change and build microchips domestically. He said he was proud, after a half century of public service, to finally beat Big Pharma and enable Medicare to negotiate drug prices. He boasted about nominating the first Black woman, Ketanji Brown Jackson, to the Supreme Court and sending $16 billion to historically Black colleges and universities.

When the crowd reacted by chanting, Thank you, Joe, Biden corrected them: Thank you, Kamala, too!

President Joe Biden addresses the crowd on the first evening of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Monday. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Biden said asking Harris to be his running mate was the first decision he made after being named the partys nominee and the best one of his career.

But after the fallout of his disastrous June debate performance, he realized it was time to finally be that bridge to the next generation of leaders that he promised to be four years ago.

America, Biden said, I gave my best to you.
Several hospitals, including AIIMS and Safdurjung, and a mall in Delhi on Tuesday received bomb threat emails, prompting authorities to launch searches on their premises, officials said.

A call was received at 1.04 pm from a hospital in Nangloi and another from Primus Hospital at 1.07 pm in central Delhi's Chanakya Puri informing that they had received bomb threats, a Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official said.

Fire tenders, bomb detection teams and police rushed to the spots. A thorough checking is being conducted, the official said.

The mailing list mentioned around 50 government and private hospitals, including AIIMS, Safdarjung, Apollo, Moolchand, Max and Sir Ganga Ram hospitals, police said.

"We have placed many explosives inside your building. They are placed in black backpacks. The bombs are set to go off in a few hours," the email, sent through Gmail at 12.04 pm, stated.

"You will end up in a pool of blood, none of you deserve to keep living. Everyone inside the building will lose their lives. I incessantly have nothing other than scam for humanity. Today will be your last day on earth," it said.

The email claimed that a "group named 'COURT' is behind this massacre".

"We won't stop causing terror. Give out group's name to News Outlets," it stated.

A police officer said the pattern of these threat emails matches with those sent earlier to hospitals, schools, universities and other government buildings, where the sender did not mention the dateline in the email.

Another police officer said that in the afternoon, a call was received regarding a similar bomb threat at central Delhi's Canakya Mall. The mall was also searched but nothing suspicious was recovered, the officer said.

Some of the hospitals have already been searched and nothing suspicious has been found yet, the officer said, adding that a thorough checking is underway in other hospital premises.
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has emphasised the importance of strengthening economic cooperation and regional integration with Japan to India, with a special focus on deepening ties with New Delhi, as his country seeks to emerge from bankruptcy.

Wickremesinghes comments came as he was virtually addressing the Head of State Session of the 3rd Voice of Global South Summit, held under the theme An Empowered Global South for a Sustainable Future. From the north-central town of Anuradhapura yesterday.

The conference, chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, brought together heads of state from various countries.

Reflecting on Indo-Sri Lankan relations, the President emphasised the vision

statement shared between the two nations, which celebrates their historical

cooperation and lays the foundation for future collaboration. He expressed optimism that this vision will lead to stronger integration between Sri Lanka and India across various sectors.

President Wickremesinghe highlighted Sri Lankas strategic commitment to expanding economic partnerships across Asia, particularly through the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

The President noted that as the Bay of Bengal region emerges as a hub of economic growth, the significance of BIMSTEC continues to rise.

Sri Lanka, as a member, seeks closer economic integration with India and is exploring economic cooperation agreements extending from Japan to India, his office said in a statement.

President Wickremesinghe also expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Modi and

the people of India for their support during Sri Lankas recent economic crisis. The

President acknowledged that Indias assistance played a vital role in helping Sri Lanka

navigate the challenges of the past two years and emerge from bankruptcy.

Sri Lanka thanks India for hosting the third virtual seminar on Voices of the Global South. This series enables us to engage with each other to understand our different viewpoints while also helping us arrive at a common stance

on many issues confronting the South, he said.

We have reached a point where the West can no longer dominate global leadership and, furthermore, has become part of the problem. Ukraine and Gaza are prime examples, which I will not address as they have already been discussed by previous speakers. In this context, we must appreciate Indias efforts to strengthen the Global South.

Deliberating on the economic crisis, Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka had reached

agreements with the Official Creditor Countries, the Export-Import Bank of China, the

International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank to emerge from bankruptcy.

At this stage, I must acknowledge the generosity of Prime Minister Modi and India, whose contributions made it possible for us to survive the two years of bankruptcy, which imposed a heavy burden on our people. The Vision Statement agreed upon by both our countries outlines the path for closer relations, emphasizing our 2,000-year history of cooperation. This will ultimately lead to deeper integration between our nations across many sectors. Sri Lanka will be finalising the Comprehensive Economic and Technological Agreement with India, he said.

We will also inaugurate connectivity in power, transport, and land, and we will focus on the development of Trincomalee Harbour, among other projects we have agreed upon. These efforts will help us upgrade our knowledge and technology, enabling us to move towards a digital economy. I must express my gratitude to India for the assistance it has provided.

I must thank India, which, since its independence, has worked to unite Afro-Asian countries and for the role it continues to play in forging closer unity among all of us, he added.
Allstate (NYSE:ALL  Free Report) had its target price boosted by Piper Sandler from $188.00 to $196.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. Piper Sandler currently has an overweight rating on the insurance providers stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. Roth Mkm reissued a buy rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of Allstate in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Allstate from $205.00 to $200.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Allstate from $199.00 to $204.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Allstate from $191.00 to $205.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Allstate from $177.00 to $175.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $191.94.

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Check Out Our Latest Report on ALL

Allstate Stock Performance

NYSE:ALL opened at $180.69 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. Allstate has a 12-month low of $104.29 and a 12-month high of $184.30. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $166.79 and a 200 day moving average price of $165.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.48.

Allstate (NYSE:ALL  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The insurance provider reported $1.61 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.33 by $1.28. Allstate had a return on equity of 24.05% and a net margin of 5.03%. The company had revenue of $15.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($4.42) earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 12.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Allstate will post 13.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Allstate Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be issued a $0.92 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $3.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.04%. Allstates dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 81.24%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Suren Gupta sold 45,775 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $177.28, for a total value of $8,114,992.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 89,930 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $15,942,790.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.80% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Allstate

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ALL. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Allstate in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in Allstate during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Allstate during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new stake in Allstate during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in Allstate by 70.9% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 188 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.47% of the companys stock.

Allstate Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

The Allstate Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides property and casualty, and other insurance products in the United States and Canada. It operates in five segments: Allstate Protection; Protection Services; Allstate Health and Benefits; Run-off Property-Liability; and Corporate and Other segments.

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Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE:BDN  Free Report) had its target price upped by Evercore ISI from $5.00 to $5.50 in a report published on Friday, Benzinga reports. They currently have an in-line rating on the real estate investment trusts stock.

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Brandywine Realty Trust from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Brandywine Realty Trust has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $5.75.

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Brandywine Realty Trust Stock Performance

Brandywine Realty Trust stock opened at $5.17 on Friday. Brandywine Realty Trust has a 12-month low of $3.62 and a 12-month high of $5.67. The company has a market capitalization of $889.78 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.23 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a current ratio of 2.07 and a quick ratio of 2.21. The firms fifty day moving average price is $4.69 and its 200 day moving average price is $4.54.

Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE:BDN  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The real estate investment trust reported $0.17 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.22 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $125.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $119.47 million. Brandywine Realty Trust had a negative return on equity of 12.16% and a negative net margin of 32.27%. Brandywine Realty Trusts revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.29 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Brandywine Realty Trust will post 0.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Brandywine Realty Trust Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 18th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 3rd were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 3rd. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 11.62%. Brandywine Realty Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -49.18%.

Institutional Trading of Brandywine Realty Trust

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Point72 Asset Management L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Brandywine Realty Trust by 7,435.2% in the 2nd quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 2,087,242 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $9,351,000 after purchasing an additional 2,059,542 shares in the last quarter. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Brandywine Realty Trust by 25.8% in the 2nd quarter. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners LLC now owns 200,849 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $900,000 after purchasing an additional 41,252 shares in the last quarter. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Brandywine Realty Trust by 50.6% in the 2nd quarter. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC now owns 640,000 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $2,867,000 after purchasing an additional 215,000 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its holdings in shares of Brandywine Realty Trust by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 65,866 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $295,000 after purchasing an additional 4,249 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Brandywine Realty Trust in the second quarter worth approximately $71,000. 87.27% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Brandywine Realty Trust

(Get Free Report)

Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE: BDN) is one of the largest, publicly traded, full-service, integrated real estate companies in the United States with a core focus in the Philadelphia and Austin markets. Organized as a real estate investment trust (REIT), we own, develop, lease and manage an urban, town center and transit-oriented portfolio comprising 160 properties and 22.6 million square feet as of September 30, 2023 which excludes assets held for sale.

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Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI cut its position in shares of BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK  Free Report) by 26.6% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 8,815 shares of the asset managers stock after selling 3,191 shares during the period. Parsons Capital Management Inc. RIs holdings in BlackRock were worth $6,940,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of BLK. Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC raised its holdings in 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 buying an additional 40 shares during the period. OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of BlackRock in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $439,000. Zhang Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 24.0% in the 1st quarter. Zhang Financial LLC now owns 883 shares of the asset managers stock worth $736,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its position in shares of BlackRock by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 237,740 shares of the asset managers stock worth $192,997,000 after purchasing an additional 1,647 shares during the period. Finally, Farrow Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in BlackRock in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,228,000. 80.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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BlackRock Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of BlackRock stock traded down $2.41 during trading on Monday, hitting $870.08. 456,024 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 600,893. The stock has a market cap of $129.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.32. The firms 50-day moving average price is $820.38 and its 200 day moving average price is $803.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 5.32 and a quick ratio of 5.32. BlackRock, Inc. has a 12-month low of $596.18 and a 12-month high of $885.10.

BlackRock Announces Dividend

BlackRock ( NYSE:BLK Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 15th. The asset manager reported $10.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates 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 business earned $9.28 EPS. BlackRocks revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that BlackRock, Inc. will post 41.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm 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 $5.10 dividend. This represents a $20.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.34%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 9th. BlackRocks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 51.84%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on BLK. UBS Group lowered their price target on BlackRock from $842.00 to $837.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on BlackRock from $915.00 to $934.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 16th. TD Cowen reduced their price target on shares of BlackRock from $974.00 to $969.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Argus lifted their price objective on shares of BlackRock from $880.00 to $910.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of BlackRock from $912.00 to $937.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $874.07.

View Our Latest Stock Report on BLK

Insider Buying and Selling at BlackRock

In other news, Director Mark Wiedman sold 27,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $834.42, for a total value of $22,529,340.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 6,480 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,407,041.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, Director Pamela Daley sold 1,531 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $842.08, for a total transaction of $1,289,224.48. Following the transaction, the director now owns 5,732 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,826,802.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Mark Wiedman sold 27,000 shares of BlackRock stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $834.42, for a total value of $22,529,340.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,480 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,407,041.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 81,042 shares of company stock worth $68,587,117 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.90% of the companys stock.

BlackRock Profile

(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.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BLK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK  Free Report).

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Beazer Homes USA (NYSE: BZH) recently received a number of ratings updates from brokerages and research firms:

8/5/2024  Beazer Homes USA was downgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a hold rating to a sell rating.

8/5/2024  Beazer Homes USA was downgraded by analysts at Zelman & Associates from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating.

8/2/2024  Beazer Homes USA had its price target raised by analysts at Wedbush from $33.00 to $41.00. They now have a neutral rating on the stock.

8/2/2024  Beazer Homes USA had its price target lowered by analysts at B. Riley from $38.00 to $37.00. They now have a buy rating on the stock.

Beazer Homes USA Stock Down 1.3 %

Shares of NYSE:BZH traded down $0.40 on Tuesday, reaching $29.57. The company had a trading volume of 76,847 shares, compared to its average volume of 371,999. Beazer Homes USA, Inc. has a 52-week low of $22.03 and a 52-week high of $34.89. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $29.12 and its 200-day simple moving average is $29.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $932.84 million, a PE ratio of 5.71, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 2.16. The company has a current ratio of 13.50, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88.

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Beazer Homes USA (NYSE:BZH  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The construction company reported $0.88 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $595.68 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $597.67 million. Beazer Homes USA had a return on equity of 12.75% and a net margin of 6.63%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.24 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Beazer Homes USA, Inc. will post 4.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Beazer Homes USA

In other Beazer Homes USA news, EVP Keith L. Belknap, Jr. sold 13,300 shares of Beazer Homes USA stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.17, for a total transaction of $414,561.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 150,819 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,701,028.23. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . In other news, EVP Keith L. Belknap, Jr. sold 13,462 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.73, for a total value of $413,687.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 164,119 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,043,376.87. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link . Also, EVP Keith L. Belknap, Jr. sold 13,300 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.17, for a total value of $414,561.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 150,819 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,701,028.23. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . 6.99% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. USA Financial Formulas increased its stake in Beazer Homes USA by 4,947.1% during the 4th quarter. USA Financial Formulas now owns 858 shares of the construction companys stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 841 shares in the last quarter. AJOVista LLC purchased a new stake in Beazer Homes USA during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Beazer Homes USA during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $88,000. Aigen Investment Management LP purchased a new stake in Beazer Homes USA during the 4th quarter worth approximately $201,000. Finally, Belpointe Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Beazer Homes USA during the 4th quarter worth approximately $207,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.65% of the companys stock.

Beazer Homes USA, Inc operates as a homebuilder in the United States. It designs, constructs, and sells single-family and multi-family homes under the Beazer Homes, Gatherings, and Choice Plans names. The company also sells its homes through commissioned new home sales counselors and independent brokers in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, Indiana, Delaware, Maryland, Tennessee, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

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Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT  Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 831,000 shares, a growth of 7.1% from the July 15th total of 775,700 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 261,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.2 days. Approximately 2.2% of the companys stock are short sold.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Applied Industrial Technologies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AIT. Quarry LP bought a new position in Applied Industrial Technologies during the second quarter worth about $39,000. Creative Planning boosted its stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 13.2% in the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 8,839 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,715,000 after purchasing an additional 1,034 shares in the last quarter. Algert Global LLC grew its holdings in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 55.6% in the 2nd quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 34,451 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $6,683,000 after purchasing an additional 12,314 shares during the last quarter. Dundas Partners LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth about $46,805,000. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 57.6% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 52,476 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $10,120,000 after purchasing an additional 19,169 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.52% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

AIT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Northcoast Research started coverage on Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Monday, July 1st. They issued a neutral rating on the stock. Loop Capital upped their price objective on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from $215.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, KeyCorp upped their price target on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $226.67.

Applied Industrial Technologies Price Performance

Shares of Applied Industrial Technologies stock opened at $199.32 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 3.77 and a quick ratio of 2.70. The company has a market cap of $7.69 billion, a PE ratio of 20.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.06. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $196.98 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $192.49. Applied Industrial Technologies has a fifty-two week low of $144.90 and a fifty-two week high of $223.15.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The industrial products company reported $2.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.52 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $1.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.19 billion. Applied Industrial Technologies had a net margin of 8.36% and a return on equity of 23.69%. The firms revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.35 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Applied Industrial Technologies will post 9.62 EPS for the current year.

Applied Industrial Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 15th will be given a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.74%. Applied Industrial Technologiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.51%.

About Applied Industrial Technologies

(Get Free Report)

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc distributes industrial motion, power, control, and automation technology solutions in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. It operates in two segments, Service Center Based Distribution, and Engineered Solutions. The company distributes bearings, power transmission products, engineered fluid power components and systems, specialty flow control solutions, advanced automation products, industrial rubber products, linear motion components, automation solutions, tools, safety products, oilfield supplies, and other industrial and maintenance supplies; and motors, belting, drives, couplings, pumps, hydraulic and pneumatic components, filtration supplies, valves, fittings, process instrumentation, actuators, and hoses, filtration supplies, as well as other related supplies for general operational needs of customers' machinery and equipment.

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Blackrock Silver Corp. (CVE:BRC  Get Free Report)s stock price traded up 5.5% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as C$0.29 and last traded at C$0.29. 104,500 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 66% from the average session volume of 304,213 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.28.

Blackrock Silver Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of C$74.26 million, a P/E ratio of -13.75 and a beta of 3.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 3.14 and a current ratio of 8.68. The stock has a 50 day moving average of C$0.26 and a 200 day moving average of C$0.28.

Blackrock Silver Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Blackrock Silver Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Canada and the United States. It primarily explores for gold and silver deposits. The company's flagship property is the Tonopah West silver-gold project comprising 100 patented and 83 unpatented lode mining claims covering an area of 10.3 square kilometers located in the Walker Lane trend of western Nevada.

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Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI increased its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG  Free Report) by 5,032.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 12,830 shares of the restaurant operators stock after purchasing an additional 12,580 shares during the period. Parsons Capital Management Inc. RIs holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill were worth $804,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4,260.5% during the second quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 3,132,332 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $196,241,000 after buying an additional 3,060,498 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 0.9% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,732,471 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $7,942,665,000 after acquiring an additional 25,238 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates grew its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 5,217.4% during the 2nd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 1,528,604 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $95,767,000 after acquiring an additional 1,499,857 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 1,125,974 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $2,575,057,000 after acquiring an additional 8,541 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Swedbank AB lifted its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 5,270.8% in the 2nd quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 997,350 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $62,484,000 after purchasing an additional 978,780 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.31% of the companys stock.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance

NYSE CMG traded up $0.19 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $52.83. 993,997 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 15,132,570. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a 1 year low of $35.37 and a 1 year high of $69.26. The stock has a market cap of $72.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $122.32 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $80.74.

Insider Activity

Chipotle Mexican Grill ( NYSE:CMG Get Free Report ) last posted its 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.94 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 44.01% and a net margin of 13.23%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $12.65 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 18.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 1.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, insider Curtis E. Garner sold 17,394 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.68, for a total value of $951,103.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 358,300 shares in the company, valued at $19,591,844. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.02% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on CMG shares. Loop Capital dropped their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $58.00 to $53.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $59.72 to $62.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $57.00 to $55.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Truist Financial restated a buy rating and set a $69.00 price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. Finally, Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $61.00 to $56.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $62.36.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle Mexican Grill Company Profile

(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.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CMG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG  Free Report).

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Dakota Wealth Management grew its position in shares of The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW  Free Report) by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 43,662 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 258 shares during the quarter. Dakota Wealth Managements holdings in Charles Schwab were worth $3,217,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of SCHW. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Charles Schwab by 0.9% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 120,963,133 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $8,750,473,000 after buying an additional 1,042,823 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 4.2% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 72,306,560 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $5,230,657,000 after acquiring an additional 2,946,327 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 30,994,967 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,132,454,000 after acquiring an additional 1,219,015 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Charles Schwab by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 18,627,667 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,281,584,000 after acquiring an additional 296,317 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Charles Schwab during the 4th quarter worth $950,192,000. 84.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Charles Schwab Stock Performance

SCHW traded down $0.72 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $64.86. 1,340,307 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,959,656. The Charles Schwab Co. has a 52 week low of $48.66 and a 52 week high of $79.49. The company has a current ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $68.97 and a 200 day moving average of $70.05. The stock has a market cap of $115.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.44, a PEG ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 0.99.

Charles Schwab Dividend Announcement

Charles Schwab ( NYSE:SCHW Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.73 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.68 billion. Charles Schwab had a net margin of 26.30% and a return on equity of 18.14%. The companys quarterly revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.75 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 9th will be paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 9th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.54%. Charles Schwabs payout ratio is currently 41.84%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on SCHW. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised Charles Schwab from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and raised their price objective for the company from $76.00 to $84.00 in a research report on Monday, July 8th. JMP Securities reduced their price target on Charles Schwab from $85.00 to $82.00 and set a market outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Charles Schwab from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Friday, May 24th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Charles Schwab from $72.00 to $66.00 and set an underperform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Charles Schwab from $91.00 to $90.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $74.27.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on Charles Schwab

Insider Activity

In other Charles Schwab news, CEO Walter W. Bettinger acquired 25,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 17th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $66.26 per share, with a total value of $1,656,500.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 827,377 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $54,822,000.02. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Walter W. Bettinger acquired 25,000 shares of Charles Schwab stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 17th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $66.26 per share, with a total value of $1,656,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 827,377 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $54,822,000.02. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Bernard J. Clark sold 77,431 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.94, for a total transaction of $5,492,955.14. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 121,666 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,630,986.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 185,231 shares of company stock valued at $12,638,320. Insiders own 6.60% of the companys stock.

About Charles Schwab

(Free Report)

The Charles Schwab Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a savings and loan holding company that provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Investor Services and Advisor Services.

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La Mediterranee has been serving food in San Franciscos Fillmore District for 45 years. Legacy businesses, like this restaurant, could be forced to move as an investor buys property in the area. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

The first thing that Pacific Heights resident Gabriel Wolf recalls when asked about his mid-pandemic move to Upper Fillmore Street is discovering signs of a friendly and engaged community that he found comforting during a time of great uncertainty.

He points out a ginkgo tree dubbed Bartholome that the owner of Cielo lobbied the city to have planted on the sidewalk in front of her clothing boutique, and the string lights that a customer of adjacent Ten-Ichi installed outside the 46-year-old sushi restaurant. Across the street, 45-year-old La Mediterranee restaurant refurbished its parklet with a mural depicting a serene sunset.

S.F. Bay Area property map: Here's who owns every building in the region

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These businesses obviously care about this neighborhood and the people in it, Wolf said.

Now the future for some of these businesses is uncertain.

When a mysterious web of connected limited liability companies started buying up building after building on a three-block stretch of Fillmore, small business owners and residents in the area were hopeful that the infusion of capital could help buoy and revive the close-knit retail community that had been struggling since the pandemic.

But, months after the properties traded hands, the vision of Upper Fillmores newest investor is coming into focus, and one thing appears certain: It does not include several of the mom and pop businesses that have anchored the street for decades.

Earlier this year, stealthy entities spent upwards of $40 million on acquiring more than half a dozen aging buildings on Fillmore between Clay and Pine streets, including the defunct Clay Theater at 2261 Fillmore. For now, theyre adding to the streets shuttered storefronts by displacing a handful of long-time small businesses in an apparent bid to ultimately bring more high-end retailers into the area.

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A vacant storefront at 2225 Fillmore St., in San Francisco. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

The investor said to be behind the tangle of shell companies  identified by the Information as Pacific Heights resident and venture capitalist Neil Mehta  is reportedly on a quest to revitalize the area, which, like other parts of San Francisco, has yet to fully recover from the pandemic downturn and has seen commercial real estate values plummet and vacancies rise. As a result, many of the streets landlords, particularly those with deferred maintenance at their properties, are eager to sell, multiple commercial tenants have told the Chronicle. Some are asking their longtime tenants to vacate, even though their buildings have yet to trade hands.

Mehta, the managing partner of Greenoaks Capital whose investments have fueled companies like Stripe and Rippling, has neither confirmed nor denied his involvement in the recent deals. He has not responded to multiple inquiries from the Chronicle, including questions about whether he is using limited liability companies to purchase properties in the neighborhood.

However, most of these companies can be linked to nightlife entrepreneur Cody Allen, who raised $100 million for a fund started in January. Individuals with insight into the situation say he is working as Mehtas man on the ground on Fillmore. Allen also has not responded to the Chronicles inquiries.

While the exact details of their larger plan for the area have not been disclosed, some businesses who have been part of the community for decades say they are being forced out of the area.

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The closed Clay Theater is marked for refurbishment by its new owner. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

Steve Amano usually keeps the large windows to his sushi restaurant Ten-Ichi at 2235 Fillmore wide open. On weekends, patrons can be observed playing chess in the establishment until late into the evenings. Amano and his sister Saori Amano OReilly took over the business from their parents  Japanese immigrants who worked their way up in the citys restaurant industry before launching Ten-Ichi on Fillmore in 1978  and their regular customers occasionally step in to help with repairs.

Steve often has his dog at the restaurant, Wolf said. Hes become a community staple.

About three months ago, Amano was informed by his landlords asset manager that the building is in contract to sell to a new entity: Great Stage LLC, according to Amano. Like a number of other companies that bought buildings in the area between February and April, Great Stage LLC listed Allen as its manager in an initial filing last year.

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Amano initially feared that once the building sells, the new owner would raise the rent for his restaurant space. Instead, Amano was told by his current landlords representative that his business must vacate next month. The buildings sale is still in escrow, he said.

Weve been here for 46 years. This is the opposite of what San Francisco does to long-term, legacy business tenants, Amano said. This guy is displacing us.

Steve Amano, co-owner of Ten-Ichi Restaurant and Sushi Bar in San Francisco, says his business will have to relocate after Sept. 30. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

Amano is in the process of applying for legacy business status with the city, a designation that provides long-standing small businesses with access to marketing and business help and grants. But the designation offers little protection against eviction.

Its becoming a familiar story on that street.

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In April, the 7,300-square-foot building that sits diagonally across from Ten-Ichi, at 2208-2216 Fillmore, sold for $9.7 million to Pointed Blue LLC. That building consists of three separate retail frontages, one of which houses La Mediterranee restaurant, which was recognized as a legacy business by the city in 2019. Pointed Blue LLC lists Allen as its manager.

Amano, and other individuals with insight into the business shuffle on Fillmore, said that La Mediterranee has also been told that the restaurant will not be able to stay in the building once its lease expires. La Mediterranees owner declined to comment on the situation, citing pending negotiations with his new landlord.

Two blocks down at the corner of Fillmore and Pine streets, a company called White Birches LLC in April purchased a 6,900-square-foot building that houses Mediterranean restaurant Noosh on its ground floor, for $5.5 million. When it was first created in November, the company listed Allen as its manager, though it has since been updated and now lists one of his family members.

The restaurant has been closed since at least July, and its website is no longer active. A sign posted in its storefront reads: We are closed for mechanical repairs.

When contacted for comment, Noosh owner John Litz did not offer a timeline for reopening, and declined to discuss the buildings recent sale to the limited liability company. Its simply too soon to share any details at this time, Litz said.

Cielo, the clothing store that has operated out of a building adjacent to Ten-Ichi for three decades, has already vacated its storefront, which now bears a for-lease sign. Public records show that the building has yet to trade hands, but word from other business owners in the area is that the current landlord relocated Cielo into a smaller space, four blocks down from its longtime storefront at 2225 Fillmore, in preparation for a sale.

Cielos owner declined to comment on what motivated her boutiques relocation.

From what I understand, they think they can rent or sell the building to businesses that are not food businesses, because they can afford higher rents than restaurants, said Pascal Rigo, co-owner of Apizza at 2043 Fillmore, which also closed in recent months for repairs. Instead of renting to the poor food people, they are going to try to rent to fashion, cosmetics  bigger brands with bigger margins.

Apizzas building has yet to sell, but its owner confirmed to the Chronicle that he has a buyer lined up, and declined to disclose their identity.

Rigo said that Apizza is vacating ahead of its lease expiration and that the business is moving to Divisadero Street.

Its sad  we wanted to stay there. We asked for a lease renewal, and they said, No, maybe we will sell the building, Rigo said. The interesting thing is that they dont even try to hide anything  theyre just telling you point-blank: Food places dont pay, we dont need them anymore.

Apizza at 2043 Fillmore St., is temporarily closed in San Francisco's Fillmore District. Several legacy businesses are being forced from the neighborhood after their buidlings have been purchased by an investor. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

Allen is the manager or agent for most of the companies that have bought the buildings on Upper Fillmore, though records dont directly connect Mehta with Allen.

According to public records, Allen is the founder of Diligence LTD, a real estate and hospitality company that appears to be based in San Francisco and Shanghai. His resume includes introducing the Le Baron brand to Shanghai in 2014, referring to a Western nightclub brand.

In a recent social media post, Allen published photos inside of the historic but long-shuttered Clay Theater, which sources with insight into the situation have confirmed was purchased by Mehta. The Clay and an adjacent retail building on the corner of Clay and Fillmore streets sold for $11 million to Fillmore Reserve LLC in February.

In progress, the caption below the photos reads. What the theater's reboot will look like remains a mystery  as of August, no new permits or development applications for the Clay Theater were on file with the citys Planning Department.

Business owners who have tried to negotiate new leases or buyouts with Allen or his representatives described the responses to their inquiries as not much emotion, very matter-of-fact.

Amano said that he was asked to sign a nondisclosure agreement but declined. Negotiations around a buyout to help fund Ten-Ichis relocation costs ended this month.

Their offer covers two of our fish bills  its not even a months rent. Its not enough for us to move, said Amano, who is again turning to his community for support. He launched a fundraising campaign seeking $200,000.

Steve Amano prepares sushi for customers at Ten-Ichi Restaurant and Sushi Bar in San Francisco. The business has been in operation for 46 years. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

In January, a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission revealed that Allen raised $100 million from a single investor for a limited partnership fund, called Aegis Reserve Partners LP, which is registered to an address in Las Vegas. The venture was categorized as a pooled investment fund/private equity fund, and the investor was not identified.

Some property owners on Fillmore have rebuffed sales offers, for now.

Sam Fechheimer, owner of Palmers Tavern, a restaurant directly across the street from the Clay Theater, said that he was told that his landlord and another property owner on that block were approached by Allens team but declined to sell.

On one hand, everyone is excited about the movie theater reopening, but not if that means these huge investors coming in and pushing out all the old-timers, Fechheimer said.

Last year, Palmers Tavern was forced into a temporary closure following a massive water leak, and the business remains closed. Fechheimer said that he hopes to reopen by the end of the year.

He added that the city is partially to blame for the displacement thats happening on Upper Fillmore.

The city says they want to look after small businesses and help us out, Fechheimer said. But then you see all the red tape in the permitting process and just how expensive and how bureaucratic it all is  theres really no way to compete.

Wolf, the Fillmore Street resident, is watching the evolving situation with growing concern: The building in which he lives has also been purchased by a limited liability company.
Shares of Direct Line Insurance Group plc (LON:DLG  Get Free Report) have been given a consensus rating of Hold by the six ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is GBX 208 ($2.70).

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a sector perform rating and set a GBX 195 ($2.53) price objective on shares of Direct Line Insurance Group in a research report on Monday, June 24th. Berenberg Bank reduced their price target on Direct Line Insurance Group from GBX 220 ($2.86) to GBX 215 ($2.79) and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd.

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Direct Line Insurance Group Trading Down 0.7 %

About Direct Line Insurance Group

Direct Line Insurance Group stock opened at GBX 186.60 ($2.42) on Tuesday. Direct Line Insurance Group has a 12 month low of GBX 149.25 ($1.94) and a 12 month high of GBX 240.10 ($3.12). The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 8.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.89. The stock has a market cap of 2.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 1,175.00, a P/E/G ratio of 3.44 and a beta of 0.45. The companys fifty day simple moving average is GBX 190.47 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 192.22.

(Get Free Report

Direct Line Insurance Group plc engages in the provision of general insurance products and services in the United Kingdom. The company operates through Motor, Home, Rescue and Other Personal Lines, and Commercial segments. It offers motor, home, van, landlord, rescue, pet, tradesperson, business, creditor and select, and travel insurance products, as well as commercial insurance for small and medium-sized enterprises.

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StockNews.com cut shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries (NYSE:HE  Free Report) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report published on Friday.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on HE. Evercore ISI reaffirmed an in-line rating and set a $16.00 target price on shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries from $9.00 to $14.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th.

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Hawaiian Electric Industries Stock Performance

HE opened at $12.21 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.35 billion, a PE ratio of 7.22 and a beta of 0.57. Hawaiian Electric Industries has a twelve month low of $7.61 and a twelve month high of $18.19. The firms 50-day moving average price is $12.24 and its 200 day moving average price is $11.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19.

Hawaiian Electric Industries (NYSE:HE  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, August 9th. The utilities provider reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.49 by ($0.05). Hawaiian Electric Industries had a return on equity of 9.58% and a net margin of 5.16%. The firm had revenue of $792.30 million for the quarter. The companys quarterly revenue was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hawaiian Electric Industries

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in HE. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries by 1,439.8% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 180,867 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,567,000 after acquiring an additional 169,121 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Hawaiian Electric Industries by 13.7% during the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 15,100 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $214,000 after acquiring an additional 1,820 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its holdings in Hawaiian Electric Industries by 40.0% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 10,460 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $148,000 after acquiring an additional 2,990 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries in the 4th quarter valued at $67,000. Finally, State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D boosted its holdings in shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries by 9.8% in the 4th quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 201,328 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,857,000 after buying an additional 18,027 shares in the last quarter. 59.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hawaiian Electric Industries Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the electric utility businesses in the United States. It operates in three segments: Electric Utility, Bank, and Other. The Electric Utility segment engages in the production, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, and Molokai.

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Hobbs Group Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Invesco Senior Loan ETF (NYSEARCA:BKLN  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 10,000 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $210,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Ninety One UK Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Invesco Senior Loan ETF by 106.6% in the second quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 586,800 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $12,346,000 after buying an additional 302,800 shares during the period. Ninety One North America Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Invesco Senior Loan ETF in the second quarter worth approximately $421,000. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Invesco Senior Loan ETF by 11.6% in the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 750,416 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $15,789,000 after purchasing an additional 78,167 shares in the last quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Invesco Senior Loan ETF by 11.6% in the second quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 111,806 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,352,000 after purchasing an additional 11,601 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Western Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Invesco Senior Loan ETF in the second quarter worth approximately $215,000.

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Invesco Senior Loan ETF Price Performance

NYSEARCA:BKLN remained flat at $20.89 during midday trading on Tuesday. The company had a trading volume of 9,187,246 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,428,403. Invesco Senior Loan ETF has a 52 week low of $20.61 and a 52 week high of $21.27. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $21.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $21.09.

About Invesco Senior Loan ETF

The Invesco Senior Loan ETF (BKLN) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in high yield fixed income. The fund tracks a market-value-weighted index of senior loans issued by banks to corporations. BKLN was launched on Mar 3, 2011 and is managed by Invesco.

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Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:JMHLY  Get Free Report) saw a large drop in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,300 shares, a drop of 10.4% from the July 15th total of 4,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 51,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days.

Jardine Matheson Trading Up 2.4 %

Shares of Jardine Matheson stock opened at $37.63 on Tuesday. The companys 50 day moving average price is $35.98 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $37.98. Jardine Matheson has a fifty-two week low of $34.15 and a fifty-two week high of $48.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 1.12.

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Jardine Matheson Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, August 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.55 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 23rd.

About Jardine Matheson

Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited, through its subsidiaries, operates in motor vehicles and related operations, property investment and development, food retailing, health and beauty, home furnishings, engineering and construction, and transport businesses in China, Southeast Asia, and internationally.

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Kikkoman Co. (OTCMKTS:KIKOF  Get Free Report) saw a significant decrease in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,748,000 shares, a decrease of 9.4% from the July 15th total of 1,930,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 17,480.0 days.

Kikkoman Stock Performance

Shares of Kikkoman stock opened at $10.93 on Tuesday. Kikkoman has a 12-month low of $10.71 and a 12-month high of $10.93. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $12.51 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $12.44.

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Kikkoman Company Profile

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Kikkoman Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells food products in Japan and internationally. It offers soy sauces, soy sauce soup bases, dipping and marinade sauces, and Del Monte seasonings; soy milk and Del Monte beverages; mirin and wines. The company also manufactures and sells canned fruits, corn products, and tomato ketchup; health foods; and purchases and sells oriental food products, as well as other products.

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M3 Advisory Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) by 26.0% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 702 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 145 shares during the quarter. M3 Advisory Group LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $635,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of LLY. Tidemark LLC bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Core Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 188.2% during the 4th quarter. Core Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 49 shares of the companys stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Lynx Investment Advisory bought a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company during the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC raised its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 123.3% during the 4th quarter. St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC now owns 67 shares of the companys stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Eli Lilly and Company Trading Up 2.6 %

Eli Lilly and Company stock traded up $23.57 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $945.38. The companys stock had a trading volume of 3,621,869 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,096,260. The firm has a market capitalization of $898.49 billion, a PE ratio of 140.67, 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 $967.00. 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 stocks fifty day moving average is $880.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $808.13.

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

Insider Transactions at Eli Lilly and Company

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 15th will be given a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.55%. Eli Lilly and Companys payout ratio is 76.58%.

In other 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 transaction of $197,362,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 96,943,810 shares in the company, valued at $91,109,731,514.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 210,000 shares of the 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 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 legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 750 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $819.47, for a total value of $614,602.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 7,130 shares in the company, valued at $5,842,821.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 1,214,704 shares of company stock worth $1,066,841,316 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on LLY shares. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $875.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Argus boosted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $770.00 to $840.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $900.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Bank of America boosted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $994.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, June 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $956.88.

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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.

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Southwestern Energy (NYSE:SWN  Get Free Report) had its price target decreased by investment analysts at Scotiabank from $9.50 to $9.00 in a research report issued on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a sector perform rating on the energy companys stock. Scotiabanks price target would suggest a potential upside of 41.96% from the stocks previous close.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on SWN. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Southwestern Energy from $6.60 to $7.60 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on shares of Southwestern Energy from $7.00 to $6.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Southwestern Energy in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. They set a peer perform rating for the company. Susquehanna dropped their price objective on Southwestern Energy from $7.00 to $6.50 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Finally, Mizuho boosted their target price on Southwestern Energy from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, May 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $8.27.

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Southwestern Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SWN traded down $0.02 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $6.34. The company had a trading volume of 957,898 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,985,369. Southwestern Energy has a fifty-two week low of $5.85 and a fifty-two week high of $7.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 0.53 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $6.62 and its 200 day moving average price is $6.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.65 and a beta of 1.17.

Southwestern Energy (NYSE:SWN  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The energy company reported $0.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.09 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.12 billion. Southwestern Energy had a negative net margin of 48.91% and a positive return on equity of 10.55%. Southwestern Energys revenue was down 14.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.09 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Southwestern Energy will post 0.6 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Southwestern Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of SWN. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in Southwestern Energy by 21.8% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 48,926,369 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $329,276,000 after purchasing an additional 8,741,562 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in shares of Southwestern Energy by 14.4% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 39,364,192 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $298,381,000 after purchasing an additional 4,968,002 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Southwestern Energy by 97.0% during the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 24,923,413 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $167,735,000 after buying an additional 12,270,110 shares during the period. Kopernik Global Investors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Southwestern Energy by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Kopernik Global Investors LLC now owns 21,007,377 shares of the energy companys stock worth $137,598,000 after buying an additional 143,007 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Magnetar Financial LLC grew its position in Southwestern Energy by 3,468.3% during the first quarter. Magnetar Financial LLC now owns 12,360,286 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $93,691,000 after acquiring an additional 12,013,898 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the companys stock.

About Southwestern Energy

(Get Free Report)

Southwestern Energy Company, an independent energy company, engages in the exploration, development, and production of natural gas, oil, and natural gas liquids (NGLs) in the United States. It operates through two segments, Exploration and Production, and Marketing. The company focuses on the development of unconventional natural gas and oil reservoirs located in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Louisiana.

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SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC cut its position in Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (NYSE:CP  Free Report) (TSE:CP) by 6.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,144 shares of the transportation companys stock after selling 206 shares during the quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Canadian Pacific Kansas City were worth $248,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in CP. LRI Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $32,000. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Tobam bought a new stake in shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Rational Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $52,000. Finally, Partnership Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $52,000. 72.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Canadian Pacific Kansas City Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City stock traded down $0.36 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $79.29. 591,536 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,123,424. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.51 and a quick ratio of 0.43. Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited has a 1-year low of $68.92 and a 1-year high of $91.58. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $79.85 and a 200-day moving average price of $82.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.98 billion, a PE ratio of 25.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.96.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Cuts Dividend

Canadian Pacific Kansas City ( NYSE:CP Get Free Report ) (TSE:CP) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The transportation company reported $1.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.31. Canadian Pacific Kansas City had a net margin of 24.45% and a return on equity of 8.77%. The company had revenue of $3.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.58 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.62 EPS. Canadian Pacific Kansas Citys quarterly revenue was up 13.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited will post 3.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 28th. Investors of record on Friday, September 27th will be given a dividend of $0.1373 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 27th. This represents a $0.55 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.69%. Canadian Pacific Kansas Citys payout ratio is presently 17.31%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CP has been the topic of several research reports. Raymond James lifted their price target on shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Monday, April 22nd. Susquehanna reaffirmed a neutral rating and set a $80.00 price target on shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City from $97.00 to $92.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City from $82.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, Benchmark reissued a hold rating on shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Canadian Pacific Kansas City has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $96.56.

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Canadian Pacific Kansas City Profile

(Free Report)

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates a transcontinental freight railway in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The company transports bulk commodities, including grain, coal, potash, fertilizers, and sulphur; merchandise freight, such as forest products, energy, chemicals and plastics, metals, minerals, consumer products, and automotive; and intermodal traffic comprising retail goods in overseas containers.

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Diageo plc (OTCMKTS:DGEAF  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 341,400 shares, a decline of 8.5% from the July 15th total of 373,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 11,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 29.4 days.

Diageo Price Performance

OTCMKTS DGEAF opened at $31.88 on Tuesday. Diageo has a 1 year low of $29.63 and a 1 year high of $41.92. The businesss 50-day moving average is $31.86 and its 200 day moving average is $34.36.

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Diageo Company Profile

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Diageo plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production, marketing, and sale of alcoholic beverages. It offers scotch, gin, vodka, rum, raki, liqueur, wine, tequila, Chinese white spirits, cachaca, and brandy, as well as beer, including cider and flavoured malt beverages. The company also provides Canadian, Irish, American, and Indian-Made Foreign Liquor whiskies, as well as ready to drink and non-alcoholic products.

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Vertical Aerospace (NYSE:EVTL  Free Report) had its price objective lowered by Canaccord Genuity Group from $1.75 to $1.50 in a research note published on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock.

Separately, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Vertical Aerospace from a hold rating to a buy rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $1.00 to $1.50 in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd.

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Read Our Latest Research Report on EVTL

Vertical Aerospace Price Performance

Vertical Aerospace Company Profile

Vertical Aerospace stock opened at $0.84 on Friday. Vertical Aerospace has a one year low of $0.51 and a one year high of $1.83. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $0.83 and a 200-day moving average price of $0.79.

(Get Free Report)

Vertical Aerospace Ltd., an aerospace and technology company, engages in designing, manufacturing, and selling zero operating emission electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for use in the advanced air mobility in the United Kingdom. It offers VX4, an eVTOL aircraft. The company was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Bristol, the United Kingdom.

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San Francisco Mayor London Breed is pushing a comprehensive reform of the City Charter, which outlines the powers of the mayor, the Board of Supervisors and other key officials. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

San Francisco Mayor London Breed is pushing a comprehensive reform of the City Charter, which outlines the powers of the mayor, the Board of Supervisors and other key officials. The goal is to streamline government services and boost accountability, Breeds office said.

Breed issued an executive directive Tuesday instructing the city controller and city administrator to establish a public process to vet proposed changes to city government operations and create a November 2026 ballot measure that would revise the City Charter.

Breed did not spell out what changes she would like to see made, but her directive states that proposals must be made to improve the effectiveness of government and improve the delivery of services to our residents.

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Its time we roll up our sleeves and work collaboratively, without division, to bring comprehensive charter reform to ensure government works better for the people of San Francisco, her directive reads. As elected officials, it is our duty to effectively lead, act decisively, and deliver results without making excuses.

Mayoral debate: On Sept. 19, the Chronicle and KQED are hosting an S.F. mayoral debate with the leading candidates. Click here to register for the livestream.

Breeds directive lands as the mayor faces a tough reelection fight, and the citys red tape and bureaucracy continue to concern residents and businesses. Some moderates have pointed to the structure of city government in the past as reasons why the mayor has not always been able to accomplish her objectives. Critics have said she has plenty of power and that checks and balances are needed.

The citys current charter was adopted by voters in 1995. Although its been amended dozens of times over the years for one-off proposals, this effort would result in the most substantial changes to date.

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In November, San Francisco voters will decide on eight new charter amendments that cover a range of topics, including affordable housing, retirement benefits for firefighters and city commission reform.

One ballot measure, Proposition D, would restrict the city to a maximum of 65 commissions to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy. The city currently has more than 130 appointed boards, commissions and advisory bodies. The proposition also would allow the mayor to appoint at least two-thirds of commission members, while the board would appoint one-third. The proposition would also give the mayor sole authority to appoint and remove department heads and give the police chief sole authority in determining rules governing police officers conduct.

A competing measure, Proposition E, would create a task force to provide recommendations to the mayor and Board of Supervisors about how to revise, eliminate or consolidate city commissions.

Although Breeds administration said that many of the citys recent charter amendments have been beneficial to the city, some have unintended consequences, such as adding layers of bureaucracy that create inefficiency and diffuse accountability.

A recent report from the prominent Bay Area think tank San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association, or SPUR, highlighted such inefficiencies with San Franciscos government structure and proposed potential remedies.

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The nonprofits recommendations included restoring the mayors power to hire and fire most department heads, reorganizing the mayors office to reduce the number of direct reports, and merging city departments with similar functions. Possible department consolidations proposed in the report included reintegrating the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Services with the Human Services Agency and moving the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement under the Office of Economic and Workforce Development.

Alicia John-Baptiste, president and CEO of SPUR, said such proposals are designed to provide more clarity for those working in San Franciscos complex government structure and removing barriers that restrict the city from reaching its goals.

Sometimes we look at government and we get frustrated by what we perceive is a lack of performance or lack of competence, but from where we sit, we think the question should be, What is allowing people to do their jobs, and what is not? John-Baptiste said in an interview.

San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman said hes looking forward to working with the mayor to come up with common sense reforms to meaningfully improve how City Hall functions.

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Wendy Nguyen and her fellow Silicon Valley-raised activists at Asian Americans Rise are embarking on what they believe is the largest-ever voter registration drive targeting eligible Asian American voters in seven battleground states. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

San Francisco voting access advocate Wendy Nguyen is convinced Asian American and Pacific Islander voters could play a decisive role in swinging this years presidential election.

Thats why she and her five Asian American co-founders of a new political advocacy organization are embarking on an eight-week voter registration drive aimed at reaching 300,000 Asian Americans in seven swing states who are eligible to vote.

Regardless of whoever our community votes for, I think its important that our community votes, said Nguyen, president of Asian Americans Rise, which supports Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee. I really believe we can be the margin of victory in all of the key places in this election cycle.

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As the fastest-growing bloc of eligible voters, Asian Americans could swing this years presidential race between Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump.

The number of eligible Asian American voters has more than doubled from 2000 to 2020  a higher rate of growth than eligible voters who are Hispanic, Black or white  a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census data found. Pew projected about 15 million Asian Americans are eligible to vote in 2024, a 15% increase from the 2020 presidential election.

Although Asian Americans make up only 6% of eligible voters, the population is rising in battleground states such as Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Nevada, said Karthick Ramakrishnan, a UC Berkeley researcher and executive director of AAPI Data, a data and research organization.

Asian American voters are poised to play a bigger role in presidential elections, Ramakrishnan said.

A majority of eligible Asian American voters are also foreign-born naturalized U.S. citizens. Ramakrishnan said such voters tend to be more persuadable, having not grown up in a Democratic or a Republican household.

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That said, Asian American voters lean Democratic, with 72% of English-speaking Asian voters saying they voted for President Joe Biden in 2020 compared with 28% for Trump, according to a Pew study of validated voters. A notable exception is Vietnamese American voters, who tend to lean Republican.

Harris, who is Black and Indian American, would be the first Asian American president if elected. One of her campaigns spokespeople, Andrew Peng, focuses messaging on the Biden-Harris administrations efforts to benefit Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, or AANHPI, communities. In 2023, the administration launched a national strategy to advance equity, justice and opportunities for AANHPI communities, with 32 federal agencies creating action plans for challenges faced by these groups.

Trump, for his part, hired Steven Cheung, the son of Chinese immigrants, as his top campaign spokesperson. The former president has peddled anti-Chinese rhetoric, notably using a racially insensitive term for the COVID-19 virus  kung flu  in 2020, and has adopted a hawkish position toward China this election cycle, including promising to decouple the U.S. and Chinese economies and order the FBI and Justice Department to hunt down Chinese spies.

However, Asian American Trump supporters have cited his administrations support of a federal lawsuit alleging Harvard Universitys consideration of race in admissions discriminated against Asian American applicants. The conservative-leaning Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in 2023, ending affirmative action in college admissions. Supporters also have pointed to Trumps tough stance on China, which some anti-Chinese Communist Party immigrants in the U.S. align with.

The registration effort comes as the Republican-controlled House advances legislation intended at curbing noncitizen voting, despite the fact it is already illegal, claiming without evidence that noncitizens and undocumented immigrants are voting in U.S. elections.

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The voter restriction efforts are fueled by voter-fraud conspiracy theories repeated by Trump and his supporters.

A national AAPI Data survey this year of 1,172 Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults found 79% of respondents said they wouldnt vote for a candidate who does not share their views on racism or discrimination.

Mostly, higher Asian American turnout will be a net advantage to the Democratic Party, said Ramakrishnan, whose organization conducted the survey in conjunction with the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Asian American voter registration and turnout are still significantly lower than that of the general electorate, according to U.S. Census Bureau survey data. 2016 and 2020 saw gains in turnout, with 49% and 60% of adult Asian American voters participating in those elections, respectively, compared with 61% and 67% of the general electorate.

Growing up in San Jose with Vietnamese refugee parents, Nguyen saw firsthand how the culture of political participation starts at home. Her mother had protested the Northern Vietnamese communist government before fleeing Vietnam in 1979 on a boat, Nguyen said, a story that inspired her political activism. But Nguyen said speaking out politically can be hard for immigrant families.

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Many parents who left their home countries, there was a lot of political persecution, she said. Coming to America, the idea of being civically engaged and speaking up wasnt something that was culturally learned.

Wendy Nguyen is the co-founder of Asian Americans Rise, which is looking to register 300,000 eligible voters from Asian American and Pacific Islander communities over the next eight weeks. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

In an effort to change that, Asian Americans Rise partnered with political data firm CiviTech to identify and reach Asian Americans, aged 18 to 34, who are not yet registered to vote and live in seven states key to deciding the presidential race: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Along with Nguyen, three of the groups founders are Silicon Valley-based professionals. Nguyen said they are leaning on their experience with data to guide voter outreach. For instance, she said, they are tailoring their messaging based on which ethnic subgroup a person is from.

Across the country, other Asian American activists are also mobilizing voters for the 2024 presidential election.

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Kabzuag Vaj, a Laos-born refugee raised in Madison, Wis., and co-executive director of Southeast Asian Action, is organizing voters in Wisconsin.

I do believe that the Hmong vote in Wisconsin is the margin of win, Vaj said Wednesday during an online webinar organized by Asian Americans for Democracy, a project of pro-Harris political action committee CAPA21.

AAPI Data estimates Wisconsin has about 32,000 eligible Hmong American voters. Biden beat Trump in Wisconsin by just 20,682 votes in 2020.

Mohan Seshadri, executive director of Pennsylvania-based political advocacy organization Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance, said the biggest challenge is funding. His team of more than 50 work on political outreach to Asian American voters, particularly undecided and low-propensity voters, through what he described as culturally competent messaging.

It simply costs more to work in 22 languages than one or two, Seshadri said. A piece of mail that costs 50 cents to print in one language costs his team about $1.20 to print multilingually, he said.

He added that his organization plans to make 5 million phone calls, knock on 500,000 doors and send a million pieces of mail to encourage AAPI voters to turn out for Democrats in state and federal races.

AAPI Data estimates 248,660 eligible Asian American voters live in Pennsylvania, a state Biden won back from Trump in 2020 by a narrow margin of 80,555 votes.
Forget about waterboarding, or having your teeth pulled out without anaesthetic, the first and only season of woke Star Wars series The Acolyte could be utilised by multiple intelligence agencies who need to extract information from terrorists and foreign spies.

A spokesman for an intelligence agency situated in South East Asia, who did not wish to be named, disclosed that The Acolyte is so bad and cringeworthy to watch that some captured spies actually preferred to have their fingernails pulled out with pliers.

Extracting information can be a tiresome but necessary affair, however with The Acolyte, it is easier than we thought. We simply put the person in front of a screen and have their eyes taped open so they cannot shut them. They have to watch the entire series of The Acolyte in one sitting, but many do not make it past the third episode.

The Acolyte is a very effective method for making spies crack and spill the beans, and many other agencies are now looking to use this method for their interrogation processes.

You want to see people practically crawling up the walls and pulling their hair out and begging to give you the information that you need? Use The Acolyte. It is the most effective method we have found yet, although some say it is too intensive a form of torture for information extraction. Some of the people we interrogate with this method are severely affected with PTSD, and some have even gone into a state of coma, or shaking uncontrollably after watching just one episode. We want to thank the woke pissants who created this $180 million monstrosity. The worst blood-curdling acting from the likes of woke diversity pick Amandla Stenberg, a racist piece of shit. Deluded morons Leslye Headland and Kathleen Turner. Its a work of horrific, cringeworthy grotesque wokery that not only killed off Star Wars but kills actual brain cells in people who are forced to watch it.

Thanks to The Acolyte interrogation rooms are now efficient information extraction zones where even the most hardened espionage participant cracks within minutes.

The Acolyte received an 18% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes despite paid industry reviewers giving it a 78% score. Even though the production cost $180 million (not including marketing budget of $56 million) it has only managed to recoup $24 million in costs so far.

There will not be a second series, and hopefully we will never see the cast members (apart from Carrie-Anne Moss) and producers ever again.
Young entrepreneur promotes rural development in China's Shandong

People's Daily Online) 10:36, August 20, 2024

"I'm going home to grow vegetables!"

In 2020, just months before graduating from university, Xu Duo, born in 1998, decided to return to his hometown in Weifang city, east China's Shandong Province, to grow bell peppers.

As a university graduate with a degree in finance, many around him were puzzled about why he would give up the chance to work in a big city to become a farmer, but Xu was determined.

"Shouguang, a county-level city administered by Weifang, has a long history of developing the vegetable industry. I've been fascinated by all kinds of vegetables since my childhood. Besides, in recent years, my hometown has introduced multiple favorable policies for college graduates who return home. Growing vegetables in Shouguang is bound to be a good choice," Xu said.

 : Xu Duo (L), a young entrepreneur, helps a farmer sell peaches at a peach orchard in Jinzhongzi town, Anqiu, a county-level city in Weifang in east China's Shandong Province. (Photo/Xu Qiu)

 : Xu Duo, a young entrepreneur, works in a vegetable greenhouse in Weifang, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo/Zhang Shan)

During that winter break, Xu visited several villages in Shouguang to explore vegetable farming. Xu encountered many entrepreneurs born in the 1990s in the greenhouses there. Their efforts to develop their own businesses while helping local farmers increase income through multiple channels deeply moved him.

He realized that growing vegetables could help him achieve his personal goals while also contributing to the development of his hometown.

After conducting thorough research, Xu chose to start with bell peppers in Dongzhenguan village, Luocheng subdistrict, Shouguang. He spent over two months learning cultivation techniques from Feng Huawen, an experienced farmer.

In June 2020, Xu borrowed 645,000 yuan ($90,166.94) from his father and leased 9 mu (0.6 hectares) of greenhouses in the village for the cultivation of bell peppers.

In late November of that year, he sold his bell peppers at a good price of more than 6 yuan per kilogram. In the first year, he achieved a yield of over 7,000 kilograms of bell peppers per mu, making a considerable profit.

Xu invested in smart agricultural facilities for his two new greenhouses, including a water-fertilizer irrigation system, drip irrigation equipment, and automatic spray devices. The new greenhouses increased the per-mu yield of bell peppers to 8,500 kilograms, attracting interest from villagers.

He then promoted smart agricultural facilities to villagers, guaranteeing efficient field management for them.

Having already made great progress when it came to smart agricultural facilities for both himself and the villagers, Xu turned his focus to seedlings.

In early 2024, an online vegetable seedling trading platform established by Xu's team was launched, allowing farmers to buy quality seedlings of over 20 vegetable varieties on their smart phones and consult online immediately in case of any problem.

So far, the platform has sold 300,000 yuan worth of quality seedlings, helping farmers like Liu Yongjiang from Donggaozhan village in Luocheng subdistrict.

This spring, Liu purchased over 6,000 cucumber seedlings on the platform. Upon being harvested, the cucumbers were sweet and delicious, fetching a great price at market.

Expanding his reach, Xu opened a video account to share his experiences of vegetable planting and promote his hometown. With over 1 million followers, his account has attracted multiple cooperatives and online platforms in Shouguang. At present, Xu has helped farmers in Weifang sell more than 500,000 kilograms of agricultural products online.

Recently, Xu assisted in selling peaches from Jinzhongzi town in Anqiu, a county-level city in Weifang, when they faced poor sales. Thanks to his efforts, over 50,000 kilograms of peaches were sold online in just three days.

Xu has also begun collaborating with Weifang Engineering Vocational College, teaching students majoring in e-commerce about agricultural branding and sales. Inspired by his success, Zhao Jianbo, a student from the college, plans to start a business in agriculture after graduation.

In May this year, Shouguang established an alliance of "new farmers", mostly well-educated young people with new ideas and skills, to support more young entrepreneurs returning to their hometowns. Elected as a director of the alliance, Xu aims to encourage more young people to engage in agriculture and contribute to local development.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun)
Siemens Gamesa eyes Asia-Pacific pivot as China dominates offshore wind market

Chinese offshore wind turbine manufacturers are leveraging their cost advantage to capture global market share, posing a serious threat to European competitors like Siemens Gamesa and Vestas. This aggressive pricing strategy is sparking debates over the localization of offshore wind manufacturing in Europe, the US, and across Asia-Pacific. Meanwhile, Taiwan is facing scrutiny from the European Union and the World Trade Organization (WTO) over its localization policies.

The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) reports that most of the new wind farms developed worldwide in 2023 have opted for Chinese-made turbines. China's wind energy production capacity now stands at 82 GWfour times that of Europe and well beyond its domestic needs.

Niels Steenberg, Chairman of Offshore Wind Operations Development at Siemens Gamesa for the Asia-Pacific region, noted the pervasive impact of Chinese competition globally, particularly on pricing.

China's low-cost wind turbines have made strong inroads into European markets, with similar trends observed in Japan and South Korea. This has prompted several countries to set ambitious localization targets. Japan, for instance, aims to source 60% of its offshore wind power domestically by 2040.

Steenberg acknowledged that Siemens Gamesa's Taichung nacelle assembly plant was initially established to meet Taiwan's localization requirements. However, the company quickly realized that relying solely on the Taiwanese market was unsustainable for the factory's long-term operations. The uncertainty and relatively small size of Taiwan's market led Siemens Gamesa to reposition the Taichung plant as a supply hub for the broader Asia-Pacific region. With Taiwan's offshore wind sector developing slowly and possibly facing contraction, exports have become a critical focus. Taiwan's eight domestic and international factories dedicated to offshore wind must pivot towards international markets to remain competitive.

While Taiwan's localization policies provide crucial support, Steenberg stressed that the future of these facilities hinges on transitioning beyond localization and towards export-oriented strategies. To secure a foothold in the global market, Taiwan's wind turbines must be competitive on both price and cost.

Siemens Gamesa's Asia-Pacific strategy involves not only supplying Taiwan's Hai Long Offshore Wind Project but also fulfilling orders from Japan and South Korea, though many projects are still awaiting final investment decisions. While Taiwan currently leads in offshore wind development, the combined market scale of Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea is expected to equalize by 2028, with each market projected to reach 1.5 GW in installed wind turbine capacity.

For instance, Round 3.2 of Taiwan's offshore wind development will involve 2.7 GW of projects. However, the success of these initiatives depends on developers securing stable investment sources. Steenberg likened the situation to a tripod foundation, saying, "It needs three legsTaiwan, Japan, and South Koreato be stable."

Discussing the cost differences between wind turbines manufactured in Europe and Taiwan, Steenberg noted that reducing costs hinges on whether the turbines are for domestic use or export. For export turbines, finding cost-effective suppliers is key. If Taiwan's supply chain can deliver high-quality products at competitive prices, Siemens Gamesa will turn to Taiwanese manufacturers.

Steenberg expressed hope that all components for export turbines could be sourced from Taiwan, emphasizing that the responsibility lies with the suppliers, not Siemens Gamesa.
Samsung set to launch affordable flagship Galaxy S24 FE before new iPhone SE 4

Samsung Electronics is reportedly increasing the likelihood of launching the budget-friendly flagship Galaxy S24 FE in the second half of 2024, aiming to hit the market ahead of Apple's iPhone SE 4, which is expected to be launched in early 2025. The Galaxy S24 FE is anticipated to feature Samsung's in-house AP and be released in October 2024.

According to reports from Seoul Economy Daily and Android Headlines, the Galaxy S24 FE is expected to come with a 6.7-inch display, the Exynos 2400e processor, a large 4,565mAh battery, and a thinner bezel design compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy S23 FE.

Notably, Samsung's heavily promoted AI feature, "Galaxy AI," might also be integrated into the Galaxy S24 FE. Some sources speculated that the Galaxy S24 FE's operating system (OS) will be based on One UI 6.1.1, which was developed for the Galaxy Z Fold/Flip 6, although it might also use the upcoming One UI 7.

Additionally, Samsung's French website recently featured information about the Galaxy S24 FE. The French website reportedly added a support page for a product with the model number "SM-S721B," which industry speculations believe refers to the Galaxy S24 FE.

Generally, Samsung's FE series is a simplified version of the Galaxy S flagship series. While it may reduce some performance, it's offered at a more affordable price point.

However, given Samsung's focus on promoting Galaxy AI to target the high-end market, the company might emphasize the near-high-end performance of the Galaxy S24 FE rather than just its lower price. For instance, the Galaxy S23 FE, launched in 2023, was priced starting at US$599, but most media outlets predict the Galaxy S24 FE to be priced between US$649 - $699.

Another key point to follow is Samsung's plan to expand its market influence by launching a new model in its best-selling budget Galaxy A series, the Galaxy A16. Its predecessor, the Galaxy A15, was the top-selling Samsung smartphone globally in the second quarter of 2024.

Some viewpoints believe that Samsung's recent actions and strategies might be an effort to solidify its market position early before its biggest competitor, Apple, releases new devices.

Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 16 in mid-September 2024, with its AI feature, "Apple Intelligence," anticipated to be released a month later. Interestingly, Apple is rumored to be planning to integrate AI capabilities into its iPhone SE 4, setting the stage for an "AI smartphone showdown" with Samsung.

According to Bloomberg, Apple plans to revamp its iPhone product lineup starting in 2025 and will resume its hardware sales strategy. Bloomberg believes the iPhone 16 series may merely serve as a bridge product to maintain sales stability until the new models are introduced in 2025.

However, according to a forecast from TechInsights, cited by the South Korean Institute for Information & Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation (IITP), Samsung is predicted to lead the global smartphone market with a 19% market share in 2024, ahead of Apple's 17.4%.
Taiwanese IPC maker to attend Automation Expo 2024 in India

Taiwan-based IPC maker DFI has announced its participation in Automation Expo 2024 in India.

At the event, DFI will highlight a range of products, including robotics and machine vision systems, designed to meet the high standards of modern industrial environments. The company will also present comprehensive solutions tailored to various industries.

DFI's industrial computer products, certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), adhere to Indian government standards for quality, reliability, and safety. These products are well-suited for high-demand sectors in India, such as traffic management and factory automation.

DFI plans to showcase its Windows on ARM solutions and kiosks for the Indian market. Additionally, the company will introduce a Smart Traffic Management System (ITMS) developed in collaboration with Metafusion to address local needs.
EQS-Ad-hoc: Audius SE / Key word(s): Half Year Results/Change in Forecast

audius SE: audius increases total opeRating performance in H1 2024 / 2nd quarter with clearly positive momentum / strong order intake / forecast adjustment



20-Aug-2024 / 17:22 CET/CEST

Disclosure of an inside information acc.



The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



Second quarter with clearly positive momentum in total operating performance (+15%) and EBITDA (+88%) compared to the first quarter

Total operating performance for the first half of the year increases to EUR 40.4 million (previous year: EUR 38.6 million)

EBITDA reaches EUR 3.2 million (previous year EUR 4.4 million)

Despite investments, second quarter result remains solid at previous year's level

Strong order intake leads to record order backlog of EUR 80.2 million

Forecast adjustment for EBITDA to EUR 7.0-7.5 million with total operating performance slightly below EUR 85 million

Weinstadt, 20.08.2024.

Despite a challenging environment, the audius Group once again increased its overall performance in the first half of the year and achieved a new half-year high. After an initially weaker performance in the first quarter, the second quarter showed significantly greater momentum and an improvement in earnings.



At EUR 21.6 million, total operating performance in the second quarter was 13% higher than the previous year's figure of EUR 19.2 million. EBITDA reached a value of EUR 2.1 million and was thus at the previous year's level.



The unaudited figures for the first half of the year show purely organic growth in total operating performance of 4.6% to EUR 40.4 million (total operating performance HY1 2023: EUR 38.6 million). At EUR 30.5 million, gross profit was on par with the previous year (gross profit HY1 2023: EUR 30.7 million) due to increased upfront expenditure and lower other operating income.



The operating result EBITDA amounted to EUR 3.2 million (EBITDA HY1 2023: EUR 4.4 million). audius thus achieved an EBITDA margin of 7.8% in the reporting period. EBIT amounted to EUR 2.2 million in the first half of the year (EBIT HY1 2023: EUR 3.5 million).



Earnings per share amounted to EUR 0.18 (previous year: EUR 0.44).



In addition to a challenging market environment, earnings performance in the first half of the year continued to be influenced by investments in the new business areas of mobile device management, AWS/cloud and artificial intelligence.



audius received new orders in the first half of the year, which will be reflected in a further increase in total operating performance, particularly from next year onwards. As a result, the order backlog as at June 30, 2024 increased significantly to EUR 80.2 million (June 30, 2023: EUR 54.5 million) and thus reflects the organic growth of the coming years.



audius was also able to achieve growth in the first half of the year, although the economic conditions and the start-up investments in the new business areas prevented a faster and better development in earnings. In view of this, the positive development in the second quarter and a generally good order situation, the Management Board is adjusting its forecast for the year as a whole. Total operating performance is now expected to be slightly below EUR 85 million and EBITDA in a range of EUR 7.0-7.5 million (previously total operating performance more than EUR 85 million and EBITDA more than EUR 8.5 million). This reflects the expectation of a good second half of the year, which, however, will not be able to compensate for the weak first quarter in particular.



The final figures will be made available on Tuesday, August 27, in the form of the half-year report 2024 on the company's website.



INVITATION TO THE EARNINGS CALL, THURSDAY 29.08.2024, AT 2 P.M.



Furthermore, the company will hold an earnings call on Thursday, August 29, 2024, at 2 p.m. to explain the half-year figures (in German only).



Interested investors can register at this



We look forward to your participation!





About audius

Founded in 1991, audius SE is an ITC company that operates worldwide. From network technology to specific software applications, the group of companies offers the right solutions for public-sector clients, medium-sized companies and internationally active corporations. In supporting several hundred thousand IT workstations in the DACH region, the around 600 employees at over 20 locations - 15 of which are in Germany - focus on the use of future-oriented technologies and best practices. Another business unit deals with network infrastructures, in particular the establishment and expansion of the 5G network. The Group's customers include global corporations as well as medium-sized enterprises. The strategic goal is to grow both organically and through acquisitions. The shares of audius SE are listed on the Basic Board of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and in the m:access segment for medium-sized companies of the Munich Stock Exchange.



For further information please contact



audius SE

Investor Relations



t.: +49 7151 369 00 359

ir@audius.de



https://www.audius.de/en



audius increases total operating performance in H1 2024 / 2nd quarter with clearly positive momentum / strong order intake / forecast adjustmentWeinstadt, 20.08.2024.Despite a challenging environment, the audius Group once again increased its overall performance in the first half of the year and achieved a new half-year high. After an initially weaker performance in the first quarter, the second quarter showed significantly greater momentum and an improvement in earnings.At EUR 21.6 million, total operating performance in the second quarter was 13% higher than the previous year's figure of EUR 19.2 million. EBITDA reached a value of EUR 2.1 million and was thus at the previous year's level.The unaudited figures for the first half of the year show purely organic growth in total operating performance of 4.6% to EUR 40.4 million (total operating performance HY1 2023: EUR 38.6 million). At EUR 30.5 million, gross profit was on par with the previous year (gross profit HY1 2023: EUR 30.7 million) due to increased upfront expenditure and lower other operating income.The operating result EBITDA amounted to EUR 3.2 million (EBITDA HY1 2023: EUR 4.4 million). audius thus achieved an EBITDA margin of 7.8% in the reporting period. EBIT amounted to EUR 2.2 million in the first half of the year (EBIT HY1 2023: EUR 3.5 million).Earnings per share amounted to EUR 0.18 (previous year: EUR 0.44).In addition to a challenging market environment, earnings performance in the first half of the year continued to be influenced by investments in the new business areas of mobile device management, AWS/cloud and artificial intelligence.audius received new orders in the first half of the year, which will be reflected in a further increase in total operating performance, particularly from next year onwards. As a result, the order backlog as at June 30, 2024 increased significantly to EUR 80.2 million (June 30, 2023: EUR 54.5 million) and thus reflects the organic growth of the coming years.audius was also able to achieve growth in the first half of the year, although the economic conditions and the start-up investments in the new business areas prevented a faster and better development in earnings. In view of this, the positive development in the second quarter and a generally good order situation, the Management Board is adjusting its forecast for the year as a whole. Total operating performance is now expected to be slightly below EUR 85 million and EBITDA in a range of EUR 7.0-7.5 million (previously total operating performance more than EUR 85 million and EBITDA more than EUR 8.5 million). This reflects the expectation of a good second half of the year, which, however, will not be able to compensate for the weak first quarter in particular.The final figures will be made available on Tuesday, August 27, in the form of the half-year report 2024 on the company's website.Furthermore, the company will hold an earnings call on Thursday, August 29, 2024, at 2 p.m. to explain the half-year figures (in German only).Interested investors can register at this LINK We look forward to your participation!Founded in 1991, audius SE is an ITC company that operates worldwide. From network technology to specific software applications, the group of companies offers the right solutions for public-sector clients, medium-sized companies and internationally active corporations. In supporting several hundred thousand IT workstations in the DACH region, the around 600 employees at over 20 locations - 15 of which are in Germany - focus on the use of future-oriented technologies and best practices. Another business unit deals with network infrastructures, in particular the establishment and expansion of the 5G network. The Group's customers include global corporations as well as medium-sized enterprises. The strategic goal is to grow both organically and through acquisitions. The shares of audius SE are listed on the Basic Board of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and in the m:access segment for medium-sized companies of the Munich Stock Exchange.For further information please contactaudius SEInvestor Relationst.: +49 7151 369 00 359



End of Inside Information

20-Aug-2024 CET/CEST The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.eqs-news.com


SKAN AG / Key word(s): Half Year Results

SKAN Group reaches its targets in the first half of 2024



20-Aug-2024 / 07:00 CET/CEST

Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR



SKAN Group reaches its targets in the first half of 2024

Net sales increased by 17.2% to CHF 163.7 million, EBITDA by 15.7% to CHF 21.5 million; net sales growth and EBITDA margin of 13.1% within the target corridor of the guidance.

Order intake of CHF 177.2 million well above the second half of 2023; order backlog of CHF 328.0 million offers planning security for over a year.

Both business segments with double-digit growth; Services & Consumables growing faster and more profitably in line with strategy.

Strategic initiatives for integrated process systems and a higher degree of standardization in the equipment business as well as for pre-approved services are on track.

Based on the solid half-year and the good order backlog, SKAN confirms its guidance for the full year 2024.



Allschwil, 20 August 2024  The SKAN Group AG, world market leader for high-quality isolator systems for aseptic production processes in the (bio-) pharmaceutical industry, continued its growth trajectory in the first half of 2024. The good business performance was supported by a robust environment in which the key drivers  the fundamental development of the (bio-) pharmaceutical market and the increasing importance of injectable drugs  remained strong. While a temporary reluctance on the part of customers was noticeable in the second half of 2023 because they had to digest the exceptionally high order volumes during Covid, this backlog cleared over the course of the first half of 2024 and the market is once again ordering what is needed.

Thomas Huber, CEO of SKAN Group, commented: The order intake is in line with our expectations and the order pipeline remains well-filled. It is also pleasing to note that the services and consumables business is growing very dynamically  in line with the SKAN Group's strategy. Importantly, the SKAN Group remains excellently positioned in the market thanks to its reputation, the quality and innovative nature of its systems and its unique process expertise.



Sales growth and margin within the guidance target range

The SKAN Group reported incoming orders of CHF 177.2 million for the first half of 2024. Although this is only slightly more than in the same period of the previous year, it is 47.9% higher than in the second half of 2023. The order backlog has increased by 5.1% compared to the beginning of the year and stood at CHF 328.0 million at the end of June, which continues to provide the SKAN Group more than one year of planning certainty in the equipment business.

Net sales increased by 17.2% to CHF 163.7 million in the first half of 2024. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) reached CHF 21.5 million and the EBITDA margin 13.1%. This means that sales growth and the EBITDA margin are within the target corridor of the guidance for 2024. The weakening of the margin compared to 2023 is due to the typical periodicity of major projects: In the first six months of 2024, many projects were in the early design or the completion phase. In these two phases, the billable value added is comparatively lower than during the material-intensive production phase. The SKAN Group expects a stronger second half of the year in terms of value added and profitability.

The multi-year initiative to increase the level of standardization of our systems had a significant impact on costs but will have a positive effect on profitability in the coming years. By increasing our workforce by over 150 employees in the past twelve months, we have laid the foundations for further growth. With a view to increasing customer proximity, SKAN has pushed ahead with decentralization and hired new employees  in relative figures  mainly at its locations abroad. Our in-house training program SKAN Academy was also rolled out in Germany and the USA.

Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) amounted to CHF 15.2 million in the first half of 2024, 22.5% more than in the same period of the previous year. Profit increased by 68.0% to CHF 14.7 million. The reasons for the pleasing growth were the good business performance in the first half of 2024 as well as a positive financial result and an improved tax rate.



Equipment & Solutions drives strategic initiatives forward

The Equipment & Solutions segment generated an order intake of CHF 124.9 million in the first half of 2024. This represents a slight year-on-year decline, which is attributable to customers' initial reluctance to invest. Compared to the second half of 2023, however, incoming orders increased by 46.9%. Net sales rose by 16.6% to CHF 120.1 million. The SKAN Group's delivery times have now normalized. There are still occasional backlogs in the installation and commissioning of customer projects that were ordered during Covid and have now been delivered. For SKAN, the completion of these projects and the realization of the remaining share of sales are therefore delayed.

Segment EBITDA amounted to CHF 8.9 million in the first half of 2024, resulting in an EBITDA margin of 7.4%. The year-on-year decline is due to the previously mentioned periodicity of the business. In addition, production capacity utilization in Gorlitz, Germany, was slightly lower, as customers ordered more large high-speed systems in relative terms, which are primarily manufactured at the Swiss sites.

SKAN again spent a significant amount, 7.7 percent of Group sales, on its strategic initiatives in the area of integrated process systems and standardization as well as on general research and development activities. Both initiatives are developing according to plan. The SKAN Group has set up a dedicated team for the standardization initiative, which is working with our partners to drive forward the standardization of processes and components.

Services & Consumables increases profitability

The Services & Consumables segment achieved an 11.1% increase in order intake to CHF 52.3 million in the first half of 2024. Net sales rose by 18.9% to CHF 43.6 million. As a result of this relatively stronger growth, the Services & Consumables segment's share of the SKAN Group's total sales increased further in line with strategy and now stands at 27%. EBITDA increased by 39.1% to CHF 12.6 million. This corresponds to an EBITDA margin of 28.9%.

The growth drivers in the reporting period were life cycle support and spare parts for installed SKAN isolators worldwide on the one hand, and higher sales of AT-Closed Vials and filling kits from our Belgian subsidiary Aseptic Technologies on the other. The automated process solutions for closed vials are now used for seven commercial products that have received approval in a total of 16 regions. In the reporting period, Aseptic Technologies also acquired new customers outside the traditional field of cell and gene therapies, thereby broadening its application portfolio.

The SKAN Group has made good progress with its pre-approved services project so far this year. The building has been completed. In August, the first filling equipment was brought in, on which customers will be able to carry out their stability tests in the future, and validation of the systems has begun. We expect to receive regulatory approval by the end of 2025 and to start commercial use from 2026.



Investing in the future

At CHF 22.2 million, SKAN invested more than twice as much in the first half of 2024 as in the same period of the previous year. The main reasons for this were the expansion of pre-approved services and the increase in the stake in Aseptic Technologies by 5% to 90%, which accounted for the majority of investments. The remaining funds were used to expand capacity in Switzerland and Belgium. The SKAN Group's equity amounted to CHF 178.6 million as at June 30, 2024, which corresponds to a very solid equity ratio of 50.7%.



Confident outlook and confirmation of guidance

The SKAN Group expects demand for its process solutions for the aseptic filling of biopharmaceutical active ingredients to remain at a high level. The underlying growth of the global (bio-) pharmaceutical market and the increasing trend towards injectable drugs will continue. Other market drivers include the shift from traditional cleanrooms to more advanced isolator technology and the boom in GLP-1 anti-obesity drugs, which require aseptic filling solutions. As the market and technology leader, the SKAN Group will participate in the growth of its market.

In light of this, demand for SKAN's systems, services and consumables will continue for the rest of the year, as evidenced by the well-filled order pipeline. The high order backlog makes it possible to absorb short-term fluctuations in incoming orders. Due to the typical periodicity of major projects, we expect the second half of 2024 to be stronger than the first half in terms of net revenue and profitability. Accordingly, the SKAN Group confirms its guidance for 2024 as a whole: at the net sales level, we expect an increase in the mid-to-upper teens with an EBITDA margin between 13 and 15 percent.

Consolidated key figures

in thousand CHF 1st half 2024

or 30.06.2024 in % of

net sales 1st half 2023

or 31.12.2023 in % of

net sales change in % Key figures SKAN Group Order intake 177221 175303 1.1% Order backlog 327969 312143 5.1% Net sales 163729 139738 17.2% EBITDA 21507 13.1% 18595 13.3% 15.7% EBIT 15190 9.3% 12401 8.9% 22.5% Profit for the period 14694 9.0% 8745 6.3% 68.0% Net working capital (NWC) 14685 -5885 nm1 Return on capital employed (ROCE) 7.9% 6.7% 17.1% Investments 22232 10176 118.5% Equity 178620 176362 1.3% Equity ratio 50.7% 47.2% 7.4% Cash flow from opeRating activities 694 -4967 nm1 Cash flow from investing activities -30156 7534 nm1 Cash flow from financing activities -8321 -15242 45.4% Headcount 1419 1388 2.2% Segment key figures Equipment & Solutions Order intake 124924 128228 -2.6% Order backlog 294154 289885 1.5% Net sales 120136 103075 16.6% EBITDA 8892 7.4% 9524 9.2% -6.6% Service & Consumables Order intake 52296 47075 11.1% Order backlog 33815 22257 51.9% Net sales 43592 36664 18.9% EBITDA 12615 28.9% 9071 24.7% 39.1% Stock key figures Registered shares 22483524 22483524 0.0% Earnings per share (in CHF) 0.61 0.35 75.9%

1 nicht vergleichbar (not meaningful)

Conference Call and Audio Webcast (in English)

Thomas Huber, CEO, and Burim Maraj, CFO, will explain the 2024 half-year results and provide an outlook for the current financial year. Following the presentation, they will be available for your questions. The conference call and audio webcast in English will take place as follows:

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

10.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. (CEST)



To participate in the conference call , you may pre-register under this link and will receive the dial-in details to access the call. As a participant of the telephone conference you can follow the presentation here (please mute the browser sound).

The presentation will be broadcast as a live audio webcast . To access, please use this link. Questions can be asked via the chat function. A recording will subsequently be available under the same link and on the SKAN website.

If you have any questions, please contact ir@skan.com, +41 79 703 87 28.



Download Links:

>> Half-Year Report 2024

>> Presentation Half-Year Results 2024



Contacts:

Thomas Balmer, ir@skan.com, +41 79 703 87 28

Alexandre Muller, ir@skan.com, +41 79 635 64 13



Financial calendar:

25 March 2025 Publication Annual Results 2024 5 May 2025 Annual General Meeting 2025

SKAN  together always one step ahead

SKAN is a pioneer in the field of aseptic and aseptic-toxic manufacturing processes for the (bio)pharmaceutical industry. The company is the market and technology leader for high-quality, process-critical isolator systems for filling drugs according to strict sterility standards. In addition, the company offers its customers process support, services and consumables. Innovative solutions and an efficient life-cycle support organisation make SKAN an important partner for the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, CMOs (Contract Manufacturing Organisations) and research laboratories worldwide. Founded in 1968, SKAN today employs approximately 1400 people. More than half of them work at the Allschwil headquarters in the Life Sciences Hub of the Basel region. The other employees are located among the subsidiaries in Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Japan, the USA and Brazil.
The end of a culinary era is looming for the town of Midleton, as its landmark Main Street Italian restaurant La Trattoria is to close its doors for the final time on September 1, after 50 years of trading.

Owners Pasquale and Lynda Corigliano, who have weathered economic downturns, family illnesses, Covid and, most recently, the devastating flooding of Midleton, have taken the decision to retire.

It is still emotional talking about retiring, Lynda tells me, as people pass by our table in the restaurant and wish her and the family well on hearing the news.

Well miss you, they say.

Midleton wont be the same without you, says another regular customer.

Our mother used to bring us in here for pizza and chips as kids, says one of two sisters stunned at the news.

This is a typical Italian business. Pasquales parents came from Mazara del vallo in Sicily, and opened La Trattoria in 1974.

Pasquale and his late brother Greag took over the business in 1981 when their father retired.

Pasquales mother was a fabulous cook, says Lynda, who is from Whitegate.

She taught him how to prepare and cook authentic Italian food; lasagna, pasta, pizza, spaghetti bolognese, that was served here as well as traditional Irish dishes.

Lynda is glad that she and Pasquale finally made the decision to retire, after so many years of business ups and downs.

And were still together! she laughs.

The time has come to enjoy the best years of their lives.

We just feel that it is our time now, explains Lynda.

The Corigliano family, from left, Lynda, Giana, Pasquale, Adelina, Maria, and Georgio.

We have given the business our all. Looking after family and running our business was always our life. We could never switch off at any time in 24 hours.

"An alarm might go off during the night in the restaurant, supplies might run low at a busy period, staff might fall sick without warning. We had to be there. We were committed to being open to the public day and night.

Pasquale never let up working. He began work every day at 6.30am preparing for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We never had an Easter off. We never had a St Stephens Day off, we never had a Mothers Day off, nor a Fathers Day. Weve never had lie-ins. Pasquale gave it his all and so did I for 20 years.

They have no regrets.

La Trattoria, a family restaurant, was for us a lifestyle and it gave us a good life, says Lynda. It gave us our wonderful, loyal customers who are our friends. The community here in Midleton are our friends.

The Coriglianos have a long tradition in Cork. Pasquale went to school in North Pres, and his parents ran one of the first Italian restaurants opened in the city - Lo Zio Pino at 6, Washington Street.

In 1974, they sold the restaurant in Cork and opened here in Midleton. They loved Midleton, says Lynda.

La Trattoria translates as eating house, and the Coriglianos ran a very successful one.

Pasquale was 19 when he took over the restaurant, says Lynda. His mother retired in 1999. He had a hard work ethic inherited from his parents.

And his lasagna is to die for! adds Lynda, laughing.

When he cooks for us at home it is one of my favourite dishes.

Where did Lynda meet this fabulous Italian chef?

We met in Gigis night club in 1986 - he was a good-looking Italian! We got married in 1990.

Four bambinos arrived in due course.

I reared the kids, Giana, Adelina, Georgio, and Maria in Whitegate, says Lynda.

Then I helped out in the business, managing front-of house as they got older. They all helped out here over the years. It was great training for them.

The hard grafting eventually took its toll.

When Pasquale had a serious back operation six years ago, it sowed the seeds to think about retirement, says Lynda. At 58, he got thinking, I wont be around forever. He wanted to retire at 60.

The Coriglianos had served their time.

It was our time now, says Lynda. Wed done our time.

Theyll have time now to go on holidays and spend time together.

We wont have to answer phone calls about someone out sick from work. We wont have to worry about VAT increasing or other issues that arise running a business.

What are the stand-out moments from her years in the restaurant?

The stand-outs are the friends weve made with our regular customers, says Lynda.

The stand-outs are people telling us they came in here to eat Sunday lunch with their grandparents. Now they are grandparents themselves and are bringing their own grandchildren here to eat. That is so wonderful.

Our old staff say it is the best place they ever worked.

The community of Midleton stands out too.

When we got flooded and lost our kitchen equipment, our restaurant furniture, our livelihood, the community of Midleton stepped up and helped us out as much as they could, says Lynda. The flood came so fast, we were totally unprepared.

She recalls that fateful day last October when Storm Babet wreaked havoc in the town.

People were inside having lunch, finishing up. Next minute it came in the back door, and it came in like a river. We had to get everyone out as fast as we could, chaos then.

The whole place was destroyed. It looked like an eggshell.

Neighbours, friends, customers and locals rowed in to help the family they knew so well.

The businesses all got together to help each other out, says Lynda.

The community spirit in Midleton is great.

We always sponsored local schools and sports teams, says Lynda.

The community rallied round too when Adelina had to go to Crumlin Childrens Hospital for treatment for a rare cancer of the blood when she was younger, which was successful.

Adelina is an architect now! says Lynda.

How will Lynda and Pasquale rebuild their lives from the only life they knew?

Well definitely go back to Italy on holidays, says Lynda. Pasquale can enjoy supporting Munster rugby and walking.

The kids can do the cooking.

They are all fabulous cooks, says Lynda.

What will she do?

Ill do more sea-swimming! she says.

Not in Guileen, East Cork though?

Lynda laughs.

In southern Italy. Mazara Del Vallo to be precise.

Our life here was always rewarding, adds Lynda.

Even though there were tough times and sacrifices made, we wouldnt change a thing.
A lifestyle event for people aged 50 and over will return to Cork in September, promising to put on its largest show in the two decades it has been held Leeside.

The 50 Plus Show returns to the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa in Little Island on Tuesday, September 10 and Wednesday, September 11, with more than 70 demonstrations, displays and exhibits.

Among this years headline attractions will be popular entertainer Sandy Kelly, who will perform a selection of her favourites, and former RTE legend Michael Lyster, who will interview a mix of high profile Cork personalities.

Consumer rights and property expert Sinead Ryan will be speaking and available to answer questions on areas such as inheritance, the Fair Deal scheme, and recent changes in the rules to renting out properties.

Digital skills

For those wishing to improve their digital skills, including the internet, email and mobile devices, experts from Vodafone Hi Digital will be on hand to provide easy-to-follow advice.

Other items on the shows programme will include cookery demonstrations, keep fit lessons, personal finance advice, tax, pensions, entitlements and legal advice from experts.

For the more creatively inclined, there will be five different craft workshops each day where visitors can try their hand at painting or crocheting and take home their work with them, all for free.

For collectors of stamps, coins and banknotes, international specialist Mike Kelly will be on hand to give valuations and pay for your collections.

Other areas featured will be stands providing information on health, holidays at home and abroad, joining a club or society, recruitment, volunteering, home energy, home security and mobility aids.

A free shuttle bus service is being organised from the city centre to the venue, while the hotel, which is a 10-minute walk from Little Island Train Station, has over 300 free car parking spaces.

Admission to the 50 Plus Show is free by registering at

https://seniortimes.ie, emailing brian@slp.ie, or calling 01 4969028.
Corks Elbow Lane Microbrewery, the smallest brewery in the country, has scored both a Gold Award and a Best in Ireland Award for its Elbow Larger at the 2024 World Drinks Awards.

Elbow Lager is a continental-style lager and owes its flavour to Pilsner and Munich malts and Noble hop varieties imported from Germany and the Czech Republic.

The core range of six beers at Elbow, including the award-winning Elbow Larger, is brewed according to the principles of the German purity law, meaning that only four ingredients are used; water, barley, hops and yeast.

Speaking about the win, master brewer at Elbow Lane Russell Garret said: We are delighted to win Best in Ireland for our Elbow Lager.

This is one of the first beers we made at Elbow Lane when we set up the brewery in 2014 so it is great to celebrate this win as part of our 10th Anniversary.

Meanwhile, resident mixologist and front of house manager at Elbow Lane restaurant, Joe Timbrell, also won a Silver in the Liqueur Category for his own Joes Amaretto.
The Medical Councils Workforce Intelligence Report for 2023 highlights a decrease of GPs in Cork compared to previous years, despite a rising population.

There were 4,386 GPs in Ireland in 2023, with 13% or 569 of these in Cork, but this number marks a decrease from the 2021 report when there were 590 Cork GPs.

Blackpool GP and Fianna Fail councillor for Cork City North West Dr John Sheehan told The Echo that given recent and ongoing population increases in Cork, numbers should be going up rather than down.

I suspect they will go down even further over the next couple of years before they start going up, he said, explaining a quarter to a third of all GPs are over 60, meaning they are coming up to retirement age and some may already be reducing their work commitments.

He explained that there is also high demand in other roles which GPs are often choosing to go into, explaining this may take them away from general practice in communities.

The Medical Council report backed this up, stating: Our data indicates that a substantial proportion of GPs are close to retirement age, and said increasing pressure on GPs is a result of a growing and ageing population, increased patient multimorbidity, GP retirement, poor morale and burnout.

There is an urgent need for effective action to tackle Irelands shortage of GPs, which can potentially impact the core elements of general practice, namely, continuity of care, the doctor-patient relationship and person-centred care.

Challenges

Dr Sheehan explained that there are challenges in general practice in rural areas, issues around cover for holidays or sickness and rotas  supports need to be put in place to encourage GPs to settle and work in these areas.

Its much harder to take holidays  I have colleagues who had to cancel their holidays because they couldnt get any cover, and while people will do that for a few years, after a while, people will just choose not to work there anymore. Its not a money issue, its just support.

He explained that a network whereby rural GPs were linked to a bigger practice like a primary care centre would provide holiday cover as well as general support and advice, that way, youd be part of a team  the days of a single handed practitioner in communities is ending, so we need to put structures in place.

The Medical Council report showed that nationally, nearly 36% of GPs are working more than 40 hour weeks  1,422 are working up to 30 hours a week, 1,426 work 31-40 hours, 1,039 work 40-48 hours and 544 work more than 48 hours a week.

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) said that the data from the report confirms the IMO position that more supports need to be put in place to enable newly qualified GPs to establish in practice.

Critically the system must address the work/life balance issues and flexible working arrangements if we are to have any success in retaining doctors throughout their career.

GPs in training

Dr Sheehan explained that more GPs than ever are currently in training to tackle the falling numbers and impending retirements. The number of GPs being trained is increasing significantly, this year we increased the number of trainee GPs by over 33% which is a massive increase.

It will take a few years to see changes because its a four year scheme, but in three to four years we will see the numbers increase, and a great thing is that for the last number of years, the vast majority of GP trainees are staying in Ireland.

Theyre often people who have been to Australia and come back, so theyve done their travelling and theyre looking to stay in Ireland which is very encouraging, he said, adding the course is really popular  there [were] two application[s] for every one position.
The Cork minister with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy has said the option of a mobile supervised injection facility (SIF) may be considered for the city.

It comes as The Echo today reports on an open-air drug den adjacent to a busy city centre park.

The makeshift shelter has been constructed using repurposed street fencing and plastic sheeting.

A barren patch of ground littered with used needles, spoons, and crumpled lengths of tinfoil, pocked with the burnt remnants of multiple fires, was also located in the area.

Colm Burke, Fine Gael TD for Cork North-Central and minister of state at the Department of Health, told The Echo that a pilot scheme involving a SIF in Dublin was currently in the process of being introduced.

He said no decision would be made regarding a similar facility in Cork until the progress of the Dublin facility could be assessed.

In Dublin, the building work started in early August to provide a supervised injection facility, he said.

My department will be issuing licence for that, and we have to make sure all the Ts are crossed and the Is are dotted in relation to the premises itself and in relation to the supervision that would be provided.

That will be then under review and it would probably be a full 18 months before well have a full review about how its working out.

Asked if Cork would get a SIF, he replied: That wont happen until such time as we see how best to run them.

Now there is a proposal being made to me about having a mobile supervised facility, and our main priority is getting the supervised facility in Dublin up and running, and we may very well look at the mobile facility as well, but at the moment no decision has been taken on that, but [a mobile facility] is what has been talked about for Cork, said Mr Burke.

'A piece of the jigsaw puzzle'

Fianna Fail city councillor and former Lord Mayor of Cork, Colm Kelleher, said he had been part of a multi-agency delegation which visited both a fixed and mobile SIF in Lisbon last year.

I would be in favour of a mobile SIF to start with, Mr Kelleher said.

Kit out a transit van, and its got all the requirements on board  Naloxone, which is an antidote to an overdose, clean needles  its something that is tried and tested the world over.

Its all about the prevention of transmissible diseases, hepatitis, or HIV.

And its also about the reduction of drug litter, which is very apparent in some areas across the city.

Mr Kelleher said he did not believe a SIF could be a silver bullet to address drug addiction, but it is a big piece of the jigsaw puzzle.

Beside an open-air drug den close to the city centre, one person struggling with addiction spoke about why he thinks Cork needs a supervised injection centre.

The makeshift shelter is located in an overgrown patch of waste ground.

Alongside a couch is a barren patch of ground littered with used needles, spoons, and crumpled lengths of tinfoil, pocked with the burnt remnants of multiple fires, and strewn with several used sleeping bags and duvets.

Discarded tent rods are scattered all over the ground, while a small black disposable sharps box sits beside the couch.

The drug den is located close to where 53-year-old father-of-one Timmy Hourihane was fatally injured in October 2019 when he was attacked near his tent, repeatedly kicked and stamped upon, before dying later in hospital.

It is also situated close to a public park, where children play, and is easily accessible through a metal fence which has had its vertical bars forced apart.

Kevin [not his real name] is 32 and is currently staying in a tent not far from the drug den.

He has been an addict, he said, for almost a decade.

He has lost access to his children, he said, because he is homeless, and he cannot get accommodation in the city because he is from the county.

When he speaks to The Echo, late on a weeknight in the park, Kevin is in company with five friends who are also homeless.

Of the six people, Kevin is sober and reasoned, speaking calmly and thoughtfully while his companions were all in various stages of intoxication.

'Centre would save lives'

Kevin believes that a supervised injection facility would save lives in Cork.

It would be safe, there would be less ODs [overdoses], there would be clean needles, meaning the spread of disease would go down, he says.

One of Kevins companions, Jack, repeatedly shouts that he is against an injection centre because it would normalise drug abuse, before saying there are pros and cons in every situation.

Kevin added: Im assuming it would be medically supervised, which would be brilliant because it would bring down the number of deaths massively; the violence, I reckon, would be taken out of it  the robberies, people getting beaten up and robbed, will be taken out of it.

You dont have to worry about your brother or your mother or whoever it is going through an addiction at the time, you dont have to be worried [about them], because most people going to inject are going into a ditch, theyre going into a quiet corner, Kevin says.

If they overdose, theyre there for days before anyone finds them, whereas if theres a safe injection clinic and something happens, theyre able to be revived straight away.

Its safe, it stops the spread of dirty needles, it stops many, many diseases being spread.

I think its a very good idea, and its something we really, really need in this town.

Kevin adds that it is essential that any such SIF works in conjunction with a treatment programme.

Something that starts at the bottom on basic, you work your way up to standard and then to enhanced, and then enhanced would lead on to a treatment centre, he said.

You dont want an injection centre where people come in and thats it  you want people to know that if they work hard enough, the medical staff will be there to help them get off of it.

Instead of treating people in addiction like animals who get their fix and thats it, leave them to it, we want to work together and fix the problem of their addiction.
Increasing costs and a heightened pace of delivery as well as a hike in the price of land acquisition are among the reasons for the decision to postpone road resurfacing projects in North and West Cork, a spokesperson for the Department of Transport has said.

Among the projects to be impacted are the proposed resurfacing of a section of the N71 Ballylickey to Dromkeal road near Bantry, the N72 Clonbanin to Meenskeha road, and Patrick St in Fermoy  which is also part of the N72.

This move has been met with fierce opposition from councillors in the impacted areas, as they have been campaigning for these road projects to be carried out for years.

In an email sent by a Cork County Council official to Danny Collins, the Independent Ireland councillor in West Cork, the official writes that a request came from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) via the Cork National Roads Office, requesting local authorities not to proceed to award any contracts for resurfacing projects.

Directive

This directive comes after Cork County Council confirmed earlier this year that roads in the county were only being resurfaced once every 50 years, compared to once in every 10 to 15 years in other counties.

This is because Cork has the largest road network in the country at over 12,000km, and councillors and officials alike have long complained that the county does not receive a fair allocation to carry out the repairs and resurfacing needed.

According to Fianna Fails Frank OFlynn, the physical road markings for the work had all been put in place and the plan had been to put the project  worth approximately 450,000  out to tender this month with a view to carrying out the work at night during September and October to minimise disruption.

I will continue to press this issue, and the council has written to the Department of Transport on the matter, said Mr OFlynn.

His party colleague in Kanturk/Mallow complained that the money had been allocated at the beginning of the year by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, and that this latest decision was a betrayal which would be resisted.

Greenways

Mr Collins blamed Transport Minister Eamon Ryan for the cut and suggested that the funding would instead be going to greenways.

In the statement from the Department of Transport, a spokesperson denied that the funding allocated to Cork County Council had been cut.

There has been no reduction to the overall capital funding available for national roads in 2024, which was announced at the start of the year, it stated.

A number of new road projects are facing funding pressures in 2024 due to reasons including an increased pace of delivery and land acquisition costs, as well as inflation and increased cost of materials, which are higher than when the original estimates were calculated.

This means the allocation will be spread on fewer projects than originally anticipated.

This has resulted in the need to postpone some asset-renewal works to ensure that the delivery of major new roads projects can continue.

This is particularly the case where existing contracts are in place.

It is important to note that any postponement is temporary in nature.

In a statement from TII, a spokesman said: Unfortunately, TII cannot allocate funding to progress projects until funding is available.

TII has made a request for additional funding to the Department of Transport.

A query has been sent to the Department of Transport about when a likely decision about the availability of funding for such postponed Cork projects will be taken.
Cork Airport announced Aer Lingus Regional, operated by Emerald Airlines, will fly a new four-times-weekly service to Glasgow from October 27.

The new service to Glasgow will operate on Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday using an ATR 72-600 turboprop aircraft, which is significantly more environmentally friendly than regional jets and other turboprops, emitting 40% less CO2.

Situated on the River Clyde, Glasgow is Scotlands largest city by population and home to 1.8 million people in the wider metropolitan area.

The city is well-known for its vibrant nightlife, architecture, museums and many shopping centres.

Glasgow is also the gateway to some of Scotlands most scenic regions including the Clyde Valley, Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, and Ayrshire and Arran on the west coast of Scotland.

Bristol

The airline has also announced that it will operate additional services to Bristol, bringing the existing six-times weekly service up to a nine times weekly service.

The additional services to Bristol come in response to growing demand from passengers, with a second daily service on Friday and Sunday, along with a new Saturday service.

Niall McCarthy, managing director at Cork Airport, said: We love the Aer Lingus Regional brand at Cork Airport. It now serves two vibrant UK cities, along with the eight destinations served by the Aer Lingus mainline brand.

We are growing strongly, both inbound and outbound, from Cork Airport and more routes and greater connectivity are always welcome, proving that flying from Cork is the easiest flying experience in the country.

Ian Lough, head of commercial at Emerald Airlines, said: "We are delighted to be expanding our network from Cork Airport with the introduction of our new Glasgow service. We are equally pleased to announce the increase in flights between Cork and Bristol.

Commitment

These enhancements underscore our commitment to providing our customers with more travel options and greater convenience. By expanding our offerings from Cork, we aim to meet the growing customer demand and ensure our passengers have even more opportunities when travelling from Cork Airport.

Tara Finn, head of aviation business development and communications at Cork Airport said the airport will serve more than three million passengers this year and is ambitious to continue to expand the range of destinations and airlines flying from Cork.

We plan to deliver double-digit growth again in 2025 and expect more announcements in the months ahead. Thank you to Aer Lingus Regional for this further vote of confidence in Cork Airport, she said.

Tickets for the new Cork to Glasgow service are now on sale on https://www.aerlingus.com, with fares starting from 39.99 one way.
The search for British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter has resumed after a luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily.

They are among six tourists missing after the yacht, named Bayesian, was battered during intense storms off the coast of Palermo in the early hours of Monday.

Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American.

Mr Lynch is of Irish heritage  his father was a fireman from Co Cork, and his mother was a nurse from Co Tipperary. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

The BBC reported that Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo were among those missing.

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was cleared in June of conducting a massive fraud relating to an 11 billion US dollar (8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

Mr Lynch is of Irish heritage  his father was a fireman from Co Cork, and his mother was a nurse from Co Tipperary.

In a 2015 radio interview, Mr Lynch confirmed that he was born in Ilford in London, despite a number of reports that he was born in Ireland and raised in England.

He said during the same interview that he spent childhood summers in Carrick-On-Shannon and Tipperary and has family who still live there.

His co-defendant, Stephen Chamberlain, died after being hit by a car while out running in Cambridgeshire on Saturday.

In a statement released through Cambridgeshire Police, Mr Chamberlains family said: Steve was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.

He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible.

Gary Lincenberg, Mr Chamberlains lawyer, said in a statement: He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family. The British-flagged Bayesian is resting on the seabed at a depth of 50 metres.

Search resumes

Divers loaded a rescue dinghy at the port of Porticello, near Palermo, as the search resumed on Tuesday morning.

Italys fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco said inspections of the wreck on Monday were unsuccessful due to furniture obstructing passages.

The ship was moored around half-a-mile off the coast of Porticello when it sank at about 5am local time on Monday as the area was hit by a storm.

Civil protection officials believe the yacht was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout.

Fifteen of the 22 passengers and crew onboard  including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares  were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat.

One body, reportedly belonging to the ships chef, was recovered at the scene.

The Financial Times reported that Mr Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, while media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

Mr Bloomer is also chairman of insurance provider Hiscox.

He was travelling with his wife, Judy, who is also missing.

Aki Hussain, group chief executive of Hiscox, said: We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event.

Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing, and with their family as they await further news from this terrible situation.

Italian emergency services headed out to sea towards the area off the Sicilian coast, where the search continues for British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah, who are among six tourists missing after a luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily. Photo: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

Ayla Ronald, a New Zealand national working at Clifford Chance, survived the ordeal. Her father Lin Ronald confirmed to the Telegraph she had been invited aboard as a thanks for assistance in Mr Lynchs recent court case.

I have texted my daughter and she hasnt given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said that there are deaths and she and her partner are alive, he said.

Ayla is a lawyer who is part of the legal team that were invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.

Sicilys civil protection agency told the BBC that 18-year-old Hannah Lynch was among those missing with her father, along with the yachts chef.

The yacht was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers.

The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported that the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

She said: I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

It was all dark. In the water I couldnt keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others. Charlotte and Sofia were treated in hospital, as was Sofias father, James Emsley.

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said on Monday: We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors were being deployed to Palermo.

A basic assessment of the scene would be made by the team, with no investigation launched at this stage, the PA news agency understands.
A new development will see the creation of up to 30 permanent roles in a busy Cork tourist town.

Aldi Ireland has confirmed that a new 11m store will be built on the New Road in Kinsale.

In addition to the 30 new in-store roles, the development's construction period will also support up to 50 jobs.

Cork County Council had previously granted planning permission for the project, which includes 102 car parking spaces, nine motorcycle spaces, 24 bike spaces and four electric vehicle charging points.

However, that decision was subsequently appealed to An Bord Pleanala, which upheld the council's decision.

The 1,315sq m store was designed in Aldis award-winning Project Fresh layout.

Youth cafe

The new single story retail building will incorporate a health food shop and a youth cafe, green roof, rooftop solar panels and rooftop planting, outdoor gym equipment and relatedancillary works.

Additional works will facilitate the creation of roadway access and modifications to the existing pedestrian access from the New Road to Barrack Street and all associated site development, landscaping, boundary treatment and drainage works.

Colin Breslin, managing director of buying and services with Aldi Ireland Ireland, said: We are delighted that An Bord Pleanala have given the green light for the development of our new store in Kinsale.

Every new Aldi store brings greater choice, quality, and value to shoppers, while creating important well-paid jobs in the community.

We look forward to developing and opening the store.

As outlined in our report The Financial Impact of Irelands Planning System Delays on the Irish Consumer, published last September, Aldi stores bring monthly savings of 78,333 to the communities they operate in.

Our goal is to deliver this value within reach of every town, village, and rural community in Ireland, and we have ambitious plans to expand our store network.
August 16, 2024: As of late July, Ukraine has received 85 F-16s contributed by the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark. France has sent over a dozen Mirage 2000 fighters. Most of the required Ukrainian F-16 pilots have completed their training and most of these F-16s will be operational before the end of the year. Ukraine will use these fighters to seize control of the air near the Russian border. Currently, Russian warplanes launch attacks from inside Russia using guided bombs and missiles. Ukrainian air defenses, using American and European systems, prevent Russian aircraft from entering Ukrainian airspace and intercept most of the Russian missiles launched from inside Russia.

Ukraine has lost most of its Soviet era Russian warplanes in combat since the 2022 Russian invasion. Eastern European nations which had been members of the old Soviet Unions Warsaw Pact Alliance still had some Russian-designed fighters, including Mig-29s, and sent those to Ukraine. Those were mostly lost too. After that NATO was the only source of replacement aircraft and the first of 128 F-16s began arriving earlier in 2024. The United States backed their European allies in sending F-16s to Ukraine. These countries have received new F-35s recently to replace the older F-16s. There are several hundred European and American F-16s available for shipment to Ukraine and Ukraine is eager to get as many F-16s as they can. The current Ukrainian goal is to have at least 128 F-16s. The Americans are also sending current models of missiles and bombs F-16s are equipped to use.

The American F-16 fighter is the most widely used combat aircraft in the 21st Century. An F-16 first flew fifty years ago, and the Americans didnt realize how many F-16 fans were pilots in the Ukrainian Air Force. A growing number of Ukrainian pilots have completed their training in F-16s and deliveries of dozens of F-16s have begun. F-16s have been the worlds most popular post-Cold War combat aircraft. Communist governments and the Soviet Union collapsed by 1991 and eastern European nations, recently under communist rule, wanted to join NATO so the Russians, Communist or not, would be less likely to return. Since the 1990s these former Communist controlled nations joined NATO and have been replacing their Russian weapons with Western models.

The Ukraine War that began in early 2022 was often a desperate battle for Ukrainians. Nevertheless, Russia suffered heavier casualties. Two years later the Russians have lost 370,000 soldiers and 17,000 armored vehicles, a third of them tanks. So far Russia has lost 20,000 thousand artillery systems which includes howitzers, large caliber mortars and MLRS (Multiple Launcher Rocket Systems). Ukrainian losses have been nearly half as much, but Ukraine is one third the size of Russia.

Aircraft losses have also been heavy, with over 600 manned and unmanned aircraft lost by both sides. Currently Russia has 1,100 jet fighters and strike aircraft. Russia is a large country and most of these aircraft are stationed in distant areas of Russia with about a third of the aircraft concentrated against Ukraine. Russia started this war with a larger air force than Ukraine. Russia has an aircraft production industry. While crippled by sanctions, Russia can still build some new warplanes each year and repair and refurbish even more of them.

Ukraine also produces aircraft, but those production facilities have been the target of many attacks and operate at low levels of productivity. At best, these production facilities can be used for repairing and upgrading aircraft. Ukraine depends on its NATO allies for replacement aircraft.

Eastern European NATO nations which initially had only Russian warplanes had to convert to NATO standard ones as quickly possible, and replaced their Russian warplanes with Western ones, usually the F-16. Now they are upgrading to more modern aircraft like the new F-35s and no longer need their F-16s.

Ukraine noted this and asked for preference to receive used F-16s, but had to convince the Americans that they could quickly adapt to them. Ukrainian MiG and Sukhoi pilots demonstrated that they could quickly adapt to F-16s.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has lots of experience with MiG-29s and Su-27s and used them extensively. Some have been modified to handle Western anti-radar missiles as well as GPS guided bombs. While the Ukrainians have made good use of their MiG-29s, they always wanted Western aircraft, especially F-16s.

The F-16 and MiG-29 are both considered 4th generation, 1970s and 80s, aircraft. The 5th generation, so far, consists of the American F-22 and F-35 as well as Chinas J-20. Each generation has been about twice as expensive, on average, in constant dollars, as the previous one. But each generation is also about twice as safe to fly and cheaper to operate. Naturally, each generation is more than twice as effective as the previous one. The Russians had a hard time developing their 5th generation, although some of the derivatives of their Su-27 are at least generation 4.5. Then there is the expensive and troublesome Su-57, a true 5th generation warplane. By 2024 Russia has managed to get a few dozen of these 25-ton, single seat twin-engine fighters into service. The Su-57 is the Russian equivalent of the American F-35 and, when operated by equally skilled pilots, can be lethal to opposing F-16s.

Russia and the United States are not the only ones to introduce a 5th generation aircraft. China introduced its 25-ton J-20 single seat twin-engine fighter a year or two before the Su-57. This is another example of Chinese weapons developers and manufacturers catching up with and surpassing their Russian counterparts.

Now there are three different fifth-gen fighters in service. There were several decades between fourth and fifth generation aircraft, which is partly due to the end of the Cold War in 1991 and China not becoming a major military power until two decades later.

The MiG-29 dates from the 1980s and was the last aircraft designed by the now defunct MiG company. Rival Sukhoi later introduced two new aircraft, the Su-24 and Su-35. Both performed poorly in combat over Ukraine.

The MiG-29 entered service in 1983. Some 1,600 MiG-29s have been produced so far, with about 900 of them exported. The 22-ton aircraft is roughly comparable to the F-16, but it depends a lot on which version of either aircraft you are talking about. Russia is making a lot of money upgrading MiG-29s, and not just adding new electronics but also making the airframe more robust.

The MiG-29 was originally rated at 2,500 total flight hours. At that time, Russia expected MiG-29s to fly about a hundred or so hours a year. Didnt work out that way. India, for example, flew them at nearly twice that rate, as did Malaysia. Eventually Russia offered an upgrade to the airframe so that the aircraft could fly up to 4,000 hours, with more life extension upgrades promised. This has not been easy, as the MiG-29 has a history of unreliability and premature breakdowns, both mechanical and electronic, which indicates a flawed design.

Western warplanes are built to last longer. The F-16C was originally designed for a service life of 4,000 hours in the air. Advances in engineering, materials, and maintenance techniques extended that to over 8,000 hours. Because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, F-16s sent to these areas flew over a thousand hours a year more than what they would fly in peacetime. That led to a refurbishment program to extend F-16C flight hours to 10,000 or more.

The U.S. Air Force had to refurbish several hundred of its 22-ton F-16 fighters, because their replacement, the 31-ton F-35, did not arrive on time. Most existing F-16s are old, and by 2016, many were too old to operate. Back then the average age of F-16s was over 20 years, and the average aircraft has over 5,000 flight hours on it. In 2009 the first Block 40 F-16 passed 7,000 hours. In 2008 the first of the earliest models, Block 25 F-16s, passed 7,000 hours. While older F-16s are being retired for their age, they tend to have at least twice as many flight hours as their Russian counterparts. Because of greater durability and ease of maintenance, the seemingly more expensive Western fighters are actually cheaper in the lifetime of an aircraft because they last longer and are easier to maintain than equivalent Russian designs.

The Block 70 F-16 was also sold to Slovakia which ordered 14, Bulgaria asked for eight and Bahrain received 16 new F-16s plus twenty older F-16s upgraded to Block 7o. South Korea upgraded over a hundred of its F-16s to the Block 70 standard. The F-16V was the popular choice for post-Cold War members of NATO, like Slovakia and Bulgaria, seeking to replace early model MiG-29s. New users of the F-16 also purchase spares, maintenance equipment, training, aircraft accessories, like look and shoot helmets plus tech support and assistance in setting up maintenance and support facilities. These can be used for other aircraft types and are a good investment. The sale includes air-to-air missiles and smart bombs as well.

The F-16V was introduced in 2012 as the last model of the F-16 but production of the F-16 did not go as planned in late 2016 because possible further sales of the F-16V became a reality. Additionally it became possible to upgrade some or all of the older F-16s to the Block 7o standard. These Block 7o upgrades are not always possible, or practical, for the oldest models of the F-16. These upgrades include replacing many structural elements as well as installing more powerful engines and the most modern electronics and fire control systems available.

Although production of the F-16 ceased temporarily, its manufacturer Lockheed Martin, also known as LockMart, continues to do upgrades and refurbishments, and produce new F-16Vs due to buyer demand.

The changes in the V model are considerable. The airframe is upgraded and strengthened to enable 12,000 flight hours per aircraft. The electronics undergo an even more extensive upgrade which involves replacing the mechanical radar with an AESA phased array radar, an upgraded cockpit, a Sniper targeting pod, a Link 16 digital data link and upgraded navigation gear. The newly redesigned cockpit is all digital with flat screen touch displays that replace dozens of gauges and switches and make it much easier to fly. AESA and the new fire control system make it possible to track multiple aircraft at once as well as track vehicles on land or vessels at sea. The targeting pod enables the pilot to confirm visually what is on the surface and promptly attack it with smart bombs or missiles. LockMart initially expected to get orders for at least 700 newly built F-16V or less expensive upgrades. An upgrade brings in as little as $10 million per aircraft while five or ten of these upgrades equals the price of one new F-16V. But when you have orders for hundreds of F-16V upgrades you have a lot of F-16 work.

The F-16 thus follows the path of previous best selling fighters. During the 1947-1991 Cold War Russia built over 10,000 MiG-21s and the U.S over 5,000 F-4s. After 1991 warplane manufacturing plummeted about 90 percent. However, the F-16 has been popular enough to keep the production lines going strong into the 2020s. The U.S. still has about 1,200 F-16s in service, with about half with reserve units. F-16s built so far went to 27 countries before Ukraine requested them. America has hundreds in storage, available for sale on the used airplane market. The end of the Cold War led to a sharp cut in U.S. Air Force fighter squadrons. Moreover, the new F-35 will replace all U.S. F-16s by the late 2020s. The U.S. has plenty of little-used F-16s sitting around, while many allies need low cost jet fighters. Many current F-16 users planned to replace the F-16 with the F-35, but that aircraft costs more than twice as much as a new F-16V so air forces are seeking to operate a mixed force of F-35s and late model F-16s. A current example of this is Poland, which is sending its older MiG-29s to Ukraine. These have a few good years left, which is all Ukraine needs.

Since the 1990s, most F-16s produced were for export and some cost as much as $70 million each, like the F-16I for Israel. Some nations, like South Korea, built over a hundred F-16s under license. The 16 ton F-16 also has an admirable combat record and is very popular with pilots. It has been successful at ground support as well. When equipped with 4-6 smart bombs, it is an effective bomber. Since first entering service some 4,600 F-16s have flown over 12 million hours. Despite fears that a single engine fighter would be less safe, F-16s have, in the 21st century, suffered an accident rate, meaning total loss or major damage, of 2.4 per 100,000 flight hours.

The F-16 is one of the most modified jet fighters in service. While most are still called the F-16C, there are actually seven major mods, identified by block number like 32, 40, 42, 50, 52, 60, 70 and 72, plus the Israeli F-16I, which is a major modification of the Block 52. The F-16D is a two seat trainer version of F-16Cs. The various block mods included a large variety of new components and can choose from five different engines, four sets of avionics, five generations of electronic warfare gear, five radars and many other mechanical, software, cockpit and electrical mods.

Until Block 70 came along the most advanced F-16 was the F-16 Block 60. The best example of this is a special version of the Block 60 developed for the UAE (United Arab Emirates). The UAE bought 80 Desert Falcons, the F-16Es which are optimized for air combat. It is a 22 ton aircraft based on the Block 52 model, which the KF-16 was originally, but with an AESA radar and lots of other additional useful accessories. Block 70 goes beyond Block 60, especially in terms of electronics and airframe enhancement to extend flight life.

The most successful F-16 user is Israel which set a number of combat records with its F-16s. Israel plans to keep some of its late model F-16s flying until 2030 as it retires the oldest ones. At the end of 2016, Israel retired the last of its 125 F-16A fighters. The first 70 were acquired in 1980 and 1981 and included 8 two-seater F-16B trainers. One of the F-16As achieved a record by being the single F-16 with the most air-to-air kills, 6.5, all achieved in 1982 using three different pilots. Israel received 50 used F-16As in 1994 including 14 B models and used these mainly as trainers.

The Ukrainians are well aware of the F-16s track record, especially when compared to the MiG-29. Thats why Ukraine keeps asking for F-16s.
Cork City Council has alerted the public to the possibility of localised tidal flooding over the coming days due to a combination of naturally occurring very high astronomical spring tides and the forecasted weather conditions.

The local authority said the high astronomical spring tides will continue from this evening and will last until the weekend.

Met Eireann have also advised Cork City Council due to a combination of forecasted strong winds and high waves associated with the storm front crossing the Atlantic at present, a significant storm surge may result in localised tidal flooding over the coming days, the council said.

The combination of both of these events may result is some localised tidal flooding along low lying quays in the city.

At present, the council said that property damage or road closures are not expected and that flooding will likely be restricted to ponding on the usual low-lying quays.

These areas include Morrisons Quay, Fr Mathew Quay, Fr Mathew St, Union Quay, Trinity Bridge, South Terrace, Rutland St, Sawmill St, Crosses Green, Sharman Crawford St, Wandesford Quay and South Mall, particularly the southern side.

It is highly likely that road ponding or flooding may occur in these low-lying areas particularly during the hightides tomorrow evening and Thursday evening, city council said.

This evenings high tide is at 7.02pm, while it will be at 7.23am and 7.45pm tomorrow.

On Thursday, high tide will be at 8.05am and 8.27pm and on Friday it will be at 8.48am and 9.11pm.

Cork City Council said the situation will continue to be monitored and further advice will be issued, if the situation changes.
Organisers of an annual Mass at the Holy Rosary Shrine on Lee Road welcomed one of the biggest crowds in years and said they were blessed with the weather and flower donations from the community.

The 73rd Annual Mass and Devotions on the Lee Road took place at 7.30pm on August 15, marking The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Bishop Fintan Gavin, Bishop of Cork and Ross diocese, was the chief celebrant for the Mass, which was also attended by several priests from Cork parishes and representatives from Cork City Council.

Attending the Shrine Mass along the Lee Road were Noreen Nudds, Helen Sheehan, Tess O'Donovan, Theresa O'Connor and Maureen Raymond from Kerry Pike. Picture: Howard Crowdy

Co-ordinator Colette Fitzpatrick said: We had the biggest crowd weve had for many years, and we were exceptionally lucky with the weather.

Thursday morning up to mid-afternoon, it was very dull and dark, but thankfully our prayers must have been heard because from about 4.30pm to 8.30pm, the sun shone beautifully.

Ms Fitzpatrick thanked Bishop Gavin and the many priests from Cork diocese in attendance, as well as the Clogheen Church Choir and the Cork Butter Exchange Brass & Reed Band who played at the event.

Pictured at the Lady of the Rosary Shrine Mass along Lee Road were Owen Sheehan, Lisa Looney and Colette Fitzpatrick.. Picture: Howard Crowdy

Donations of flowers to decorate the altar poured in on the day of the mass, and the altar was beautiful, she said, thanking those who had donated the flowers.

Representing the Lord Mayor of Cork at the event was Fianna Fail councillor for Cork City North West Dr John Sheehan, who told The Echo: I was delighted to deputise for councillor Dan Boyle at this Mass which is in its 73rd year.

It was a lovely evening, a real sense of summer with the sunshine obliging, and theres a great community spirit in Clogheen and Kerry Pike and their parish. They were working hard to improve the grotto and taking care of the surrounding area for the last number of weeks in preparation.

Timothy and Josephine O'Shea from Model Farm Road seen at the Shrine Mass along the Lee Road recently. Picture: Howard Crowdy

Its an annual event and people come from right across the city, I met people from the northside, from Bishopstown, Douglas and even some who had driven up from West Cork. So its not just a local event but a regional one.

The Butter Exchange band who play there every year certainly add an awful lot to the sense of occasion.

Overall the Mass gave people a bit of time to reflect. It was a very nice evening in terms of pausing and thinking back on things in life, remembering people who are not here anymore and looking forward to the future, he said.

Carmel Cleary pictured with Fr Aidan Vaughan OFM Carm and Fr Ken Cooney SMA at the Lee Road Shrine Mass. Picture: Howard Crowdy:

Also in attendance was fellow Fianna Fail councillor for Cork City North West Tony Fitzgerald, who highlighted the importance of the shrine and the annual Mass.

He told The Echo: The Lee Road shrine is a very special place for families to remember their loved ones and for those who are bereaved.

Concelebrants Fr Marius O'Reilly, Fr Ken Cooney SMA, Fr Cian O'Sullivan, Fr Kerry Murphy O'Connor, Bishop Fintan Galvin, Fr Sean O'Sullivan, Fr Aidan Vaughan and Fr Declan Mansfield pictured prior to celebrating Mass at the Lady of the Rosary Shrine along Lee Road. Picture: Howard Crowdy.

The Mass embraces a liturgical and community celebration involving lots of volunteers who not only organise the Mass but maintain and upkeep the shrine throughout the year.
A senior member of the investigation team in the case of an alleged conspiracy to import a huge consignment of drugs in to Ireland earlier this year has said that the probe is continuing at pace.

In March, 10 men were arrested in various locations in West Cork in connection with the investigation. The accused, who hail from Ireland, Spain, Serbia and the Netherlands, appeared in various courts in Cork on March 21 last.

Anuar Rahui, aged 41, of Malaga in Spain, has now appeared before a vacation sitting of Cork District Court in relation to his alleged role in the offence.

Solicitor for Mr Rahui, Aoife Buttimer, asked Sergeant Gearoid Davis what progress had been made in the investigation.

Sgt Davis told Judge John King that it was a huge investigation and that Detective Sergeant Michael Lyons was in court to give an update on its progress.

Dt Sgt Lyons said that the timeline previously presented to the court is on schedule.

The investigation is continuing at pace. We are continuing to investigate lines of inquiry. We are on schedule for submitting a file to the DPP.

Since the last court date, one of seven phones submitted to Europol has been opened and continues to be analysed.

He described the investigation as complex. He said the probe involves feedback from a forensics analyst.

Mr Rahui, who appeared in court by video link, was further remanded in custody until September 2 for DPP directions.

Mr Rahui is charged with conspiring with nine others to import drugs.

The charge in each case states: That you [defendants name] on dates between February 27 and March 14, both dates inclusive, within the state, did conspire with one or more persons, namely [nine other names] to do an act in the state that constitutes a serious offence, namely the other nine importation of controlled drugs in excess of 13,000, an offence contrary of Section 15B (1) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 as amended and contrary to Section 71 (1) (a) (4) of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 as amended by Section 4 (b) of the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023.

A Spanish interpreter translated proceedings from Cork District Court for Mr Rahui. Judge King described the length of the remand as reasonable given the complexity of the investigation.
A 12-year-old girl is in a serious condition in hospital after her home in North Cork was attacked during what has been described as a heinous and reprehensible incident.

Its understood a group of about five men, all wearing balaclavas, arrived at a house on the New Line in Charleville on Monday night and damaged a car outside the residence before proceeding to damage the front door of the house where there was a mother and young children inside.

The 12-year-old girl was injured during the course of the incident.

It is understood the men fled the scene in a vehicle and that gardai are currently trying to establish the type and make of vehicle and the direction in which they travelled.

It is believed the incident may be linked to a feud involving families in Cork and Limerick.

In a statement, a spokesperson for An Garda Siochana said gardai were alerted to a disturbance at a residence on the New Line at approximately 11:30pm and attended the scene.

Considerable criminal damage to a vehicle and house was observed, the spokesperson said.

A female child was transferred from the scene by ambulance services to Cork University Hospital.

She has since been transferred to Childrens Health Ireland at Temple Street in what is described as a serious but stable condition.

The scene of the incident was preserved and a technical examination has since been conducted by the Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit.

The Garda Superintendent overseeing the investigation, Superintendent Gary McPolin, described the incident as heinous and reprehensible and implored anyone with information to come forward.

Were appealing for CCTV [footage], dash-cam [footage], independent witnesses to come forward, he told The Echo.

Its heinous and reprehensible that this should happen to a young child inside in the private environs of their home.

Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this incident to come forward or who may have been in the vicinity of the New Line area on Monday, August 19, between 10.30pm and 12am.

Additionally, any persons with camera footage, including dash-cam footage, from the area at the time are encouraged to provide it to investigating gardai.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Mallow Garda Station at 022 31450, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

In the wake of the incident, councillors in the Kanturk-Mallow Municipal District, which takes in Charleville, moved to support the appeal for witnesses.

Fine Gael councillor Liam Madden said he was shocked to hear of the incident, urging anyone with information to contact the Gardai.

This was echoed by his party colleague councillor John Paul OShea who said he wished to offer his full support to investigating Gardai and hoped that the perpetrators would be brought to justice swiftly.
Several units of Dublin Fire Brigade spent much of the night fighting a major gorse fire in Killiney.

Three engines, a water tanker and a wildfire-response jeep attended the scene at Mullins Hill.

#Killiney



Three fire engines, a wildfire response jeep and water tanker are dealing with a gorse #wildfire on Mullins Hill.



A strong wind is driving smoke across a wide area but firefighters are working hard and making good progress at the incident. pic.twitter.com/H3oxSUc1PU  Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) August 19, 2024

Responders said a strong wind also sent smoke across a wide area.

Firefighters remained at the scene throughout the night to deal with flare-ups.

Meanwhile, an investigation is underway after gardai were called to a fire at the old Crumlin Shopping Centre.

Onlookers raised the alarm when they saw smoke coming from a number of vacant units shortly after 8pm on Monday.

The fire was brought under control, and there were no reports of injuries.
Elizabeth City, NC  Crucial funding in biofuels and transformation technologies may be coming soon, thanks to Elizabeth City State Universitys (ECSU) Margaret Young, associate professor of biology. Young co-chaired a Plant Transformation Workshop, resulting in a Department of Energy (DOE) white paper to be submitted to Congress and available to the broader community.

The DOEs Overcoming Barriers in Plant Transformation white paper, featuring ECSUs students on its cover, marks the active involvement and contributions of ECSU students in advanced biological research, and reflects the universitys commitment to providing life-changing educational and research opportunities.

Youngs leadership in co-chairing the workshop demonstrates her dedication to advancing the field of plant biology. Her expertise and vision have been instrumental in shaping the discussions, solutions and recommendations outlined in the white paper. The workshop gathered scientists, researchers and educators to explore new techniques in plant transformation, and aimed to address challenges in agriculture, sustainability and environmental conservation.

Originally, we would use this bacterium called Agrobacterium or this machine called gene gun. We would introduce genes into plants, except it would leave a little piece of the original bacteria. CRISPR is a newer technique in gene editing and leaves no trace, Young said.

Researchers have since discovered that this technique can work in any organism. According to Young, this gene editing technique is what science is moving toward.

A white paper is a persuasive and in-depth report on a specific topic and presents a problem and a solution. The significance of the white paper lies in its potential impact on future research funding. The problem is, we were not training the fundamentals of what tissue culture and transformation is. We have these new techniques, but we do not have people trained. The workshop was about trying to sell to Congress that we need to set up facilities where we do tissue culture and transformation and train people, said Young.

If approved by Congress, it could increase financial support for initiatives that enhance crop resilience, improve food security, and mitigate the effects of climate change through advanced plant transformation methods.

Youngs contributions to ECSU and the wider field of biology are an element in which she enjoys operating. When asked what motivates her, she said, I actually enjoy teaching. I enjoy doing research. I enjoy seeing undergraduates start to take ownership of it.

In and out of the lab, Youngs awareness of the importance of this work never sleeps. I used to just walk through stores, and if I saw a plant, Id think, Oh, we can tissue culture this. Ill just bring it to the lab.

Her work contributes to the universitys reputation as a place for scientific excellence and inspires the next generation of biologists. Through her mentorship and leadership, Young is shaping the future of biological research, encouraging innovation, and leading progress in essential areas of study. I like when they become curious enough that they want to go beyond what Im teaching, said Young.

Youngs role in co-chairing the Plant Transformation Workshop and the resulting DOE white paper exemplifies her commitment to advancing knowledge and positively impacting society. Hopefully, they will fund these plant transformation facilities throughout the U.S., Young said.

The stage of the white paper process is currently unknown. As Young and the team await the congressional review of the white paper, she remains optimistic about the potential funding and the transformative research opportunities it could bring. If we continue to train our students, they will have potential jobs at these facilities, said Young.

Youngs leadership and the collaborative efforts of ECSUs students and faculty contribute significantly to plant biology and beyond. Her contributions can also be viewed in other areas of science, as she was nominated and elected to secretary and treasurer of the Plant Biotechnology Section of the Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB) and to the steering committee of the Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUI) of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB).

Youngs presence on various social media platforms offers a deeper look into her discoveries taking place in the lab. Follow her work on Instagram and Twitter to stay connected with the innovative research she and her students are pioneering. For further information on the work in bioenergy crop transformation, click here.
August 10, 2024: The blockade by Yemen Houthi rebels of the Suez Canal has forced tanker companies to change their routes, and the types of ships used to carry petroleum products from the Middle East to markets in Europe. Before the Houthis became a problem in the Red Sea, many of the ships carrying cargo from East Asia to Europe were Suezmax cargo and tanker ships that were named for being the largest ships able to fit through the Suez Canal. With the Suez Canal less attractive to use because of the continuing Houthi attacks, shipping companies have switched to the use of larger ships that must travel around southern Africa to reach their customers in Europe.

This meant a lot more business for VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) of 300,000 deadweight tons (DWT) ships. This is the largest size tanker that can use the Straits of Malacca to carry oil from the Persian Gulf to East Asia. Now some of these ships are moving cargoes from the Persian Gulf around the southern tip of Africa to European markets. These ships haul over two million barrels (about 290,000 tons) of oil per trip. These ships are larger than the biggest American aircraft carriers, such as the Nimitz class which are 110,000 tons displacement and nearly 354 meters (1,100 feet) long.

The major difference between merchant vessels and warships is what equipment they have. Merchant ships are quite basic and plain. A 300,000 DWT VLCC is about the same size as a Nimitz class carrier but costs only $140 million versus over $4 billion for the carrier. It costs more to run a carrier for one year than the VLCC costs to build. Part of that has to do with crew size, with the carrier having a hundred sailors for every one sailor needed to run the VLCC. A VLCC is highly automated and the crew size is usually under fifty sailors and officers. Nimitz class carriers have crews of about 4,500 officers and sailors.

The United States is less of a factor in the tanker business because the Americans are the largest oil producers and refiners in the world. The United States is able to produce, refine and consume 90 percent of the petroleum-based fuels needed in North America. There is still a small amount of oil imported to the United States and exported to Europe because these two regions often require different types of petroleum products due to current events or changes in local conditions. Another factor is that Middle Eastern oil producers have massively increased their oil refining operations over the last two decades and most of the liquid exports are now refined products rather than crude oil.

The major export market for petroleum based products is Europe. Next to the United States, Europe is the largest consumer of petroleum products. Unlike the U.S., Europe has not developed its own petroleum transport business. Another key factor is that China is currently the largest producer of most types of seagoing transports. China has to import a lot of food and fuel to feed its population and keep its industries going. This is a major difference between the largely self-sufficient United States and the import dependent China. These two nations were not directly affected by the Houthi violence. Indirectly the demand for VLCC ships to move cargoes around Africa rather than through the Suez Canal did require some adjustments in the worldwide shipping market. Because there are so many tanker and cargo ships at work, this disruption was hardly noticed by the markets or the customers. Costs for operators and prices for customers changed very little. The only real loser is Egypt whose revenue from Suez Canal tolls has sharply declined.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, they have lost over 15,000 armored and unarmored military vehicles. Replacements have been slow in arriving and priority has gone to replacing supply vehicles. Commanders of combat units had to get creative to equip their troops with substitute vehicles for attacks. Several commanders decided to incorporate Russian or captured dirt bikes and motorcycles into mobile combat units. The bike mounted troops could be used for scouting Several Russian commanders sought to incorporate troops on dirt bikes into their units. This did not work out as expected. The Ukrainian drones, both fixed wing and quad or octocopter models demonstrated once more that the widespread use of drones, especially by the Ukrainians, meant that surprise attacks were nearly impossible to carry out.

Many Russian commanders ignored this development and were caught by the ever vigilant Russian drones. Victims included dirt bike mounted scouts, who were sometimes killed by an armed drone before they could radio back the presence of Ukrainian drones in the area. In some cases the Ukrainian drones spotted a Russian column and quickly organized an ambush using only armed drones. One of these ambushes took place in early 2024 and involved a Russian attack force of over a thousand troops including tanks and light armored vehicles with most troops traveling aboard unarmored trucks. The Russians also had several dozen troops on dirt bikes. The drones struck first and then came missiles and artillery fire. When it was all over the Russians had lost fifty armored vehicles, a third of them tanks and sixteen dirt bikes along with most of the riders.

In other instances the Russians sought to improvise a surprise attack on Ukrainian troops using armed soldiers mounted on dirt bikes. The problem was that the troops on the bikes could not effectively use their weapons while mounted and moving. The Ukrainian defenders could quickly generate a lot of fire power using assault rifles and machine-guns. This meant the armed Russian dirt bike mounted attackers were shot to pieces by the aimed firepower of the stationary Ukrainian. Dozens of the mounted Russian soldiers would be killed or wounded by the return fire. Word quickly spread among Russian troops that dirt bikes were useful as transportation and sometimes for scouting but using them during an attack was suicidal. The bikes were also shot up so badly that they could not be repaired.

The last time Russians were in a situation like this was in 1941, right after the Germans invaded. At that time Russian still had cavalry divisions and brigades. Initially some cavalry commanders believed they could successfully launch surprise cavalry attacks on the Germans. That did not work and the Russian riders were either shot off their horses or the horses were hit and went down, often injuring the rider. After a few incidents like that the Soviets decided to confine cavalry units to scouting and, later in the war, sneaking through impenetrable areas, like swamps or thick forests, to attack the German rear area troops. This approach had some success. Despite that, after the war in 1947, the Soviets disbanded their remaining cavalry units. Many of the horses were sent to collective farms where there was a shortage of animals to pull plows and wagons. During World War II the Russians still used a lot of horses to pull artillery and wagons.

Towards the end of World War II the Germans were more dependent on horse drawn transport than the Soviets. The Russians were receiving enormous quantities of lend-lease aid from the Americans. The Russians had a truce with the Japanese in nearby Manchuria which allowed the Russians to unload American transports, flying the flags of neutral nations, in Russian Pacific coast ports and move the weapons, munitions, fuel, food, armored vehicles and trucks via the Trans-Siberian Railroad to western Russia. By 1944 Russia had received so many trucks and fuel to run them that the Soviet forces were more mechanized than their German counterparts.

The Germans were suffering from the allied strategic bombing campaign against fuel and industrial targets in Germany. The American bombers came by day while the British bombed at night. The aerial bombardment began in late 1942 but by 1944 there were over a thousand American and British heavy bombers pounding German targets around the clock. This made it difficult for the Germans to build enough armored vehicles and trucks to replace those lost in combat. For transportation the German army had to fall back on horses to pull the artillery and move supplies.

The Russians advancing from the east were lavishly equipped with American trucks, which were superior to any Russia had produced, as well as jeeps and American M4 tanks. The American tanks were not as heavily armed and armored as the Russian T-34/85 tanks and their 85mm guns but were faster and more reliable. So the Russians used the American M4 tanks to exploit a breakthrough achieved by Russian artillery and slower T-34s. The M4s could more quickly reach German rear areas and shoot up stockpiles of supplies and any trucks or horse-drawn wagons they found. This was devastating for the Germans, who could not even retreat effectively with so much of their transport lost to the Russian M4s.
Conde Nast, the media conglomerate that owns publications like The New Yorker, Vogue and Wired, has announced a multi-year partnership OpenAI to display content from Conde Nast titles in ChatGPT as well as SearchGPT, the companys prototype AI-powered search engine. The partnership comes amid growing concerns over the unauthorized use of publishers content by AI companies. Last month, Conde Nast sent a cease-and-desist letter to AI search startup Perplexity, accusing it of plagiarism for using its content to generate answers.

Over the last decade, news and digital media have faced steep challenges as many technology companies eroded publishers ability to monetize content, most recently with traditional search, Conde Nast CEO Roger Lynch wrote to employees in a memo that was first reported by Semafors Max Tani. Our partnership with OpenAI begins to make up for some of that revenue, allowing us to continue to protect and invest in our journalism and creative endeavors. It's not clear how much money OpenAI will pay Conde Nast for the partnership.

The move makes Conde Nast the latest in a growing line of publishers who have struck deals with OpenAI. These include News Corp, Vox, The Atlantic, TIME and Axel Springer among others. But not everyone is on board with the idea. Last year, the New York Times filed a lawsuit against OpenAI for using information from the publishers articles in ChatGPTs responses.

Lynch has been vocal about these concerns. In January, he warned that many media companies could face financial ruin by the time it would take for litigations against AI companies to conclude and called upon Congress to take immediate action" to take "immediate action" and clarify that publishers must be compensated by AI companies for both training and output if they use their content. Earlier this month, three senators introduced the COPIED ACT, a bill that aims to protect journalists and artists from having their content scraped by AI companies without their permission.

Perplexity, which was recently accused by Forbes and Wired of stealing content, now plans to share a portion of potential advertising revenues with publishers who sign up for a newly-launched Publishers Program.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is coming to Xbox Series X/S and PC on December 9. It'll be available on Game Pass Ultimate day-one. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is also coming to PlayStation 5, but it's taking the scenic route to Sony's console: It'll hit PS5 in spring 2025.

It's been rumored for a while that The Great Circle  a game developed by Xbox subsidiary MachineGames and published by Xbox  would also come to PS5. Just in February, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said The Great Circle was not heading to PS5 or Switch, though a handful of other Xbox properties were making the cross-console leap. That hasn't stopped the rumor mill from spinning, of course.

MachineGames was swept up in Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax in 2021, alongside id Software, Arkane and Bethesda Game Studios. In June 2023, Bethesda VP Pete Hines testified in court proceedings that Disney and ZeniMax originally planned to release The Great Circle on multiple platforms, and it only became exclusive to Xbox after Microsoft's purchase of ZeniMax was approved.

Xbox is not required to release The Great Circle on PS5 or any other platform. This whole situation is separate from Microsoft's controversial acquisition of Activision Blizzard, wherein Xbox is legally mandated to release new games like this fall's Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on competing consoles.

We recently saw a 30-minute hands-off preview of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and found it to be charming as hell. It's filled with plenty of Nazi punching  and slapping, which is a nice surprise. Read the full preview for more insight.
August 20, 2024: Inside Ukraine, Russia has switched from attacking Ukrainian military forces to going after civilian infrastructure. This reduces the habitability of Ukraine and forces more Ukrainians to leave their homeland. This is another example of the old Roman adage, create a desert and call it peace. This change in Russian tactics forced Ukraine to call on NATO to supply sufficient air defense systems to thwart the increasing Russian attacks.

NATO was already working on that by developing a system called Sky Shield. Last year a coalition consisting of Germany, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovenia and Latvia and the Netherlands agreed to jointly select and purchase enough air defense systems to protect all of them from missile attacks by Russia. Switzerland also wants to join. The Swiss have stayed out of European wars for over 200 years but the recent Russian aggressiveness and frequent use of guided missiles carrying non-nuclear warheads has changed Swiss attitudes towards total neutrality.

There are another nine nations in eastern Europe making similar joint purchasing plans. The most likely purchases will be of systems like the American Patriot, the European IRIS-T, the Norwegian NASAMS and the Israeli Arrow system for use against longer range, and thus faster, ballistic missiles. In addition to the Russian threat, Iran also has guided missiles and has threatened to use them against Europe. Israel has been subject to that threat for over a decade and developed the Arrow system to deal with it. Arrow works and some European nations are looking into purchasing Arrow as well.

This effort includes improving aerial intelligence gathering. There are already systems for that in the form of existing MQ-9 Reaper drones carrying pods that can detect incoming Russian missiles at a sufficient distance to provide enough time to launch interceptor missiles or other countermeasures.

The majority of NATO nations need improved air defense systems to deal with the real Russian threat. Before the Ukraine War that threat was theoretical. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 the threat against Europe went from theoretical to real. The missiles Russia is firing into Ukraine could be aimed at nearby NATO countries. Attacking NATO seems like a suicidal option for Russia, but the invasion of Ukraine did not make sense either. As expected, that military conflict has been a disaster for Russia, which lost so many soldiers, tanks and other armored vehicles, artillery and munitions that they have had to cease launching ground attacks with troops, tanks and artillery, and instead go after the Ukrainian economy with missiles.

This unexpected war and the way it turned out has alarmed European nations. For example, it made NATO nations bordering Ukraine and Russia realize that they were unprepared to defend themselves from Russian missiles and aircraft delivered guided bomb attacks.

Until Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, Europe was not concerned about air defense systems because there was no threat. But the war in Ukraine involved heavy use of cruise and ballistic warheads with high-explosive warheads. In effect, these missiles were unmanned bombers that were difficult but not impossible to stop. Western Europeans realized that they were within range of these missiles and now they had an air defense problem they could not avoid. That led to the Sky Shield Coalition.

While Patriot has been in combat before, especially during the 2003 Iraq War, it has seen a lot of combat actions since. That enabled further improvements which made the Patriot more capable, especially against ballistic missiles. The European IRIS-T is undergoing similar evolution in Ukraine. The Ukrainians were quick to master the operation of both Patriot and IRIS-T systems they received. The Ukrainians had experience with Russian built systems and found Patriot and IRIS-T major improvements. Ukraine also obtained the Norwegian NASAMS systems, which was favored because of its adaptability.

The Ukraine War was the first time there was heavy demand for the European IRIS-T SAM (Surface to Air Missile) system. Until 2022, IRIS-T found it difficult to compete against the similar and earlier NASAMS system. While demand for NASAMS was also heavy, IRIS-T was a bit cheaper and available for NASAMS customers who did not want to wait.

NASAMS development began in 1998 when Norway pioneered the use of American AMRAAM air-to-air missiles as surface-to-air weapons and developed the fire control and launcher equipment needed to make it all work. It was a simple but very effective use of air-to-air missiles for air defense. Other air-to-air missiles have been used for ground-based air defense systems, but the Norwegian version is seen as the best of the lot.

Before the Ukraine War, Norway had six NASAMS batteries for its own defense. Eleven other nations, like Hungary, Spain, Holland, Chile, and the United States, Finland and Lithuania also bought NASAMS before the Ukraine War. Fortunately, NASAMS was still in production but its manufacturer, Kongsberg, soon found itself unable to keep up with the demand from NATO nations that had sent their NASAMs batteries to Ukraine. Each battery consists of a control center and three to twelve missile launchers, with six missiles per launcher. The heavy use of NASAMs in Ukraine proved that the system was quite capable in combat. So capable that the Ukrainians recently ran out of missiles for their NASAM batteries. NASAMS launchers can use a wide variety of surface to air or air to air missiles and NATO countries dont want to exhaust their supplies of missiles because that would make them defenseless against attack by anyone. American and European manufacturers of the missiles NASAMs can use are increasing production but dont expect to catch up with current demand until 2025. That should be sufficient because Russia does not have an endless supply of missiles. Russia has increased production of ballistic and cruise missiles but economic sanctions limit how many they can produce. Russia also has few allies. North Korea and Iran have been helpful but Iran is now at war with Israel and North Korean production facilities are limited.

NASAMS was initially developed for the Norwegian Air Force by Norwegian firm Kongsberg, in cooperation with American partner Raytheon, which produces AMRAAM. A major upgrade, NASAMS 2, officially entered service in 2007 and since then it has gained interest in more nations.

NASAMS popularity is due to a truly open architecture that, unlike the competitor systems, allows NASAMS to be used with a wide variety of radars. Initially NASAMS used the American made MPQ-64 Sentinel radar but some customers requested a system that could work with different radars and air-to-air missiles. NASAMS has been tested and configured to work with nearly 30 different radar systems and can fire just about any air-to-air missile that can be fired from NATO aircraft. All that is required are modifications to the size and electrical connections in the NASAMS launcher cells and software modification of the fire control system. Since NATO has long-established standards for NATO weapons, NASAMS takes full advantage of this.

So far NASAMS has been configured with AIM-120 AMRAAM and AMRAAM ER, AIM-9X Sidewinder and the European IRIS-T. The last one is an interesting story. Norway had a big stock of the initial air-to-air version of IRIS-T for their F-16 fighters, but the new Norwegian F-35 is not compatible with IRIS-T, so they decided to use this very modern European missile as a ground-to-air anti-aircraft missile in NASAMS systems. This example clearly shows how flexible this system is while the competitor systems are tied to a limited number of missiles and radar types.

A typical NASAMS battery consists of 12 launcher vehicles (each carrying six missiles), eight radar vehicles, one fire control center, and one tactical control vehicle. NASAMS does not provide protection for a large area because the max range of its missiles is 30-50 kilometers while range of battery radar target detection is up t0 160 kilometers.

Seven years later, in 2005, Germany introduced a similar and cheaper SSM system based on and called IRIS-T. The IRIS-T missile has a shorter range than NASAMs systems that use the American AMRAAM. Launched from the ground, AMRAAM has a range of 30 kilometers. The updated AMRAAM 2 has a 50 kilometers range. IRIS-T has a range of 25 kilometers.

Ukraine received both NASAMS and IRIS-T and found that both systems were equally effective at intercepting Russian missiles fired at cities. Ukraine also received the longer range (200 kilometers) Patriot air defense system. The Ukrainians found a way to use Patriot against Russian hypersonic missiles aimed at ground targets. The Russians did not expect this and were not pleased.

One IRIS-T battery consists of three truck-mounted launchers, carrying eight missiles each. The missiles have a range of 40 kilometers or 25 miles), and a separate command vehicle that can be positioned up to 20 kilometers (12 mi) away. A NASAMS battery is supposed to consist of six to twelve launcher vehicles, each with six missiles in storage/launching containers. These are controlled by a radar and fire control system, each mounted on trucks. The number of launchers assigned to a battery varies widely, depending on the preferences and needs of the user.




A Detroit judge has been suspended for handcuffing a teenage girl and threatening her with jail time after she fell asleep in his courtroom during a field trip.

District Court Judge Kenneth King has been temporarily removed from his duties following an internal review. Chief Judge William McConico announced Thursday that King will "undergo the necessary training to address the underlying issues that contributed to this incident."

The 15-year-old girl was in Judge King's courtroom Tuesday for a field trip organized by the Greening of Detroit, a nonprofit organization aimed at educating young people about the legal system.

A now-deleted YouTube video captured her falling asleep between sessions, prompting King to shout at her and command that she be handcuffed and dressed in a Wayne County Jail jumpsuit, according to the 'Detroit Free Press.'

"You fall asleep in my courtroom one more time, I'm gonna put you in back, understood?" King told the teen. "One thing you'll learn about my courtroom is I'm not a toy, I'm not to be played with."

After the teenager was handcuffed after seemingly responding to the judge, he then threatened to send her to a "dangerous" juvenile detention center  one he says is full of "mentally ill kids."

He told the girl that "The last time I was there, I had a kid who was actually sticking a spoon up their rectum and spreading feces on the wall."

The girl's mother explained to 'NBC News' that her daughter, whose name was not released, was exhausted due to their lack of stable housing and their late arrival at their temporary accommodation the night before. She also shared with the Free Press how the teenager "is hurt. She is feeling scared."

Read more: Ohio Judge Suspended And Indicted After Being Accused Of Unlawfully Securing Public Contracts

King's harsh response to the girl's napping has faced widespread criticism.

In an interview with 'WXYZ-TV,' King, who graduated from Michigan State University and the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, according to the district's website, stated that his issue was less with the girl sleeping and more with her "whole attitude and her whole disposition."

"That's not something that normally happens. But I felt compelled to do it because I didn't like the child's attitude," he shared with the outlet Tuesday. "I haven't been disrespected like that in a very long time."

King, who defended his actions and was not overly strict, per the outlet, said he was trying to teach the girl a lesson about the legal system.
A months-long impeachment inquiry reportedly revealed that Joe Biden committed impeachable offenses during his time as POTUS.

At just under 300 pages, the document cites that the 47th president allegedly "abused his office" and "defrauded the United States to enrich his family." The report was prepared by the House Oversight Committee, House Judiciary Committee, and House Ways and Means Committee.

According to 'Fox News,' the aforementioned parties have led the impeachment inquiry against 81-year-old Joe Biden. Per the news outlet, Republicans claimed there was "overwhelming evidence" that the president participated in a "conspiracy" to "monetize his office of public trust to enrich his family."

Read more: Donald Trump Post AI Image Of Kamala Harris Speaking At DNC Under Communist Flags Amid Controversial Policies

"The Committees have accumulated evidence demonstrating that President Biden has engaged in impeachable conduct," the report alleged, per the news outlet, which lays out evidence gathered to date.

The exposing document claims that the Biden family and their business associates received tens of millions of dollars from foreign interests under the guise that "such payments would provide them access to and influence with President Biden," per the news hub.

The investigating committees claimed Biden and his associates raked in more than $27 million from foreign individuals or entities stemming back to 2014, when Biden was vice president. "Foreign money was transmitted to the Biden family through complicated financial transactions," the report states, per 'FOX.' "The Biden family laundered funds through intermediate entities and broke up large transactions into numerous smaller transactions."

The report references a dinner Joe Biden attended for his son, Hunter, alongside Russian leader Yelena Baturina. After that dinner, the Russian oligarch reportedly wired $3.5 million to Hunter Biden's firm, Rosemont Seneca Thorton.

"Based on the totality of evidence, it is inconceivable that President Biden did not understand that he was taking part in an effort to enrich his family by abusing his office of public trust," the report states per the news outlet.

House investigators also claim that the president used his power to benefit Hunter's business dealings including partners with Ukraine, China, Russia, and other countries. 'Fox News Digital' previously reported Hunter's dealings alongside Baturina, 61, in Washington, D.C., at Cafe Milano in Georgetown in 2014 and 2015  in addition to Jonathan Li of BHR in China back in 2013.

'Reuters' has reported that the document  formally authorized in December  has been previously criticized for its lack of direct proof of any wrongdoing on Biden's behalf.
Eugene Robertson is facing serious jail time after he carried out a string of serious crimes in a Denver suburb.

According to 'The Independent,' Robertson pointed a gun at a Burger King drive-thru worker located south of East Alameda Parkway and South Buckley Road. The employee wouldn't accept drugs for payment on Oct. 17, 2022. He reportedly shot at other people the same night.

After his crime-spree, he's been sentenced to 143 years behind bars. Prosecutors announced the sentence Thursday after revealing the suspect engaged in a dangerous rampage that ensued in Aurora, a suburb 10 miles east of Denver in 2022.

In April, a jury found the 40-year-old guilty of 17 crimes, including eight counts of attempted murder. The stacking up of the sentences ultimately led to the whopping total of 143 years in prison.

Eric Ross, a spokesperson for 18th Judicial District Attorney John Kellner, believes the sentencing is justified citing his carelessness in putting so many people in fear in the midst of his mayhem. After Robertson pointed his gun at a drive-thru employee, he proceeded to walk into a convenience store and point the weapon at the clerk.

It was reported that Roberston spotted a surveillance camera and shot at the lens before departing from the store. After he left, he proceeded to shoot toward two people in a parking lot, per Kellner's office. There's no indication that Robertson had any connections to those in the parking lot.

A Denver man, Eugene Robertson, was sentenced to 143 years in prison for a series of crimes in Aurora in 2022, starting with pointing a gun at a Burger King employee who refused to accept drugs as payment.



He was convicted of 17 crimes, including 8 counts of attempted murder. pic.twitter.com/tMERUgLAcS  No Jumper (@nojumper) August 19, 2024

A witness at the convenience store in Aurora reported that something was "off" about Robertson and claimed he was allegedly "talking to God" and carrying a Bible with a purple cover. Later that night, a friend of Robertson called the police claiming shots had been fired after she refused to open the door at her apartment.

Read more: Infant Murderer Who Escaped While Being Transported To A Hospital Captured Over 100 Miles Away From Prison

He was later apprehended at that residence, as reports say he was found hiding behind bushes at her complex. "During his arrest, Eugene said he was not physically hurt, but his 'feelings were hurt,'" the affidavit said, per the 'Sentinel Colorado.'

One of the prosecutors on the case is relieved nobody was hurt in the chaotic string of violence. "It's a miracle no one was seriously hurt or killed," Taylor McCreary stated in Thursday's news release from the DA's office. "This defendant endangered countless lives that night by recklessly firing a gun."

Robertson, per 'WRAL News,' had faced a maximum sentence of more than 400 years when he was sentenced Aug. 9.
Queen Elizabeth II privately slammed Donald Trump as "very rude" and believed his marriage to his wife Melania Trump may be a business arrangement rather than one founded on love, a new royal biography has claimed.

Trump and Melania met Queen Elizabeth three times during his presidency. Their first encounter took place at Windsor Castle in July 2018 when the then-president and first lady made a working visit to the U.K.

In June 2019, Queen Elizabeth -- who passed away in September 2022 -- hosted Trump and Melania at Buckingham Palace when the couple made their first state visit to her country. Six months later, the couple returned to the palace for a NATO 70th anniversary reception hosted by the queen.

English author Craig Brown claimed in his new book, "A Voyage Around The Queen," that Trump did not leave a good impression on the then-British monarch during these meetings.

According to the book, which was serialized in the Daily Mail, the late queen shared her real thoughts on Trump during a conversation at lunch "weeks after" one of her meetings with the controversial Republican leader.

"A few weeks after President Trump's visit, for instance, she confided in one lunch guest that she found him 'very rude,'" Brown wrote in his book.

The author went on to claim that Queen Elizabeth "particularly disliked the way he couldn't stop looking over her shoulder, as though in search of others more interesting."

Queen Elizabeth also allegedly shared her speculation on why Melania stayed married to him.

"She also believed President Trump 'must have some sort of arrangement' with his wife Melania, or else why would she have remained married to him?" Brown wrote.

Enstarz could not independently verify this information. Buckingham Palace has not publicly addressed the claims.

Trump had been repeatedly condemned by royal fans and pundits after allegedly breaking royal protocol multiple times during his visits to Queen Elizabeth.

The GOP presidential nominee was slammed for failing to bow when greeting Queen Elizabeth and walking in front of her as they inspected a guard of honor of the Coldstream Guards during the 2018 visit.

Trump also raised eyebrows when he put his hand on Queen Elizabeth's back during a state banquet at Buckingham Palace the following year.

After their June 2019 meeting, Trump boasted on "Fox and Friends" that he had a "great relationship" with Queen Elizabeth and that she had a blast during his visit.

"I have such a great relationship, and we were laughing and having fun. And her people said she hasn't had so much fun in 25 years. Then I got criticized for it because they said we were having too much fun," Trump claimed at the time.

Trump also honored Queen Elizabeth after she passed away at age 96 on Sept. 8, 2022.

In a statement posted on Truth Social at the time, Trump wrote that he and Melania would "always cherish our time together with the Queen, and never forget Her Majesty's generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humor."

"What a grand and beautiful lady she was -- there was nobody like her!" the ex-POTUS continued, lauding the late monarch's "most meaningful life and exceptional service to the people."
Matthew Perry's last words before he was found dead last year have been revealed.

The "Friends" star's live-in personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa -- one of the five people charged with his death -- shared Perry's final words to him in his plea agreement with federal authorities, People reported.

"Shoot me up with a big one," Perry told Iwamasa.

Perry was declared dead at age 54 on Oct. 28, 2023, after he was found face down in his hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home in Los Angeles.

Perry's death was later attributed by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office to "the acute effects of ketamine."

On Aug. 7, Iwamasa, 59, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death in connection with Perry's passing, according to a Department of Justice press release.

He confessed to "repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training," the DOJ stated.

According to his plea agreement, Iwamasa injected Perry with ketamine -- an anesthetic that comes with medical risks -- three times on Oct. 28, 2023, the day the actor died.

Two doctors were also charged with Perry's death: Dr. Salvador Plasencia, of Santa Monica, and Dr. Mark Chavez, of San Diego.

Jasveen Sangha, who is known as "The Ketamine Queen," and Erik Fleming were also charged separately.

Chavez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and admitted to diverting ketamine from his former clinic and using fraudulent prescriptions to obtain more of the drug and sell to Plasencia.

Fleming also entered a guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death.

Sangha and Plasencia were arrested Wednesday and charged with several counts for distributing ketamine that led to Perry's death. They have since been released on bond.

Sangha has pleaded not guilty to the charges, but Plasencia has not publicly entered a plea.

Both Plasencia and Chavez have been barred from prescribing medication after being forced to give up their registrations to write prescriptions, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration told E! News Monday.

On the same day, Plasencia's clinic Malibu Canyon Urgent Care resumed operations amid the ongoing investigation, The U.S. Sun reported.

In photos shared by the outlet, a sign was posted on the entrance of the clinic stating that it was open for weight loss injections only.

A nurse at the facility reportedly confirmed to the tabloid that they "cannot see anyone for medical reasons."
A total of four suspects have been arrested in connection to the murder of a soap opera star.

Johnny Wactor, known for his role on ABC's 'General Hospital,' was shot and killed on May 25th in California.

He was 37.

Wactor, who was working as a bartender in downtown Los Angeles, was gunned down when he interrupted three individuals trying to steal his car's catalytic converter. He was leaving his job at a rooftop bar with a friend when police said one of them fired at him without provocation and killed him.

According to 'PEOPLE,' Robert Barcleau and Sergio Estrada was charged with murder. The 18-year-olds was charged Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, according to District Attorney George Gason at a news conference.

RELATED: 4 Suspects Arrested For The Murder Of 'General Hospital' Actor Johnny Wactor

"While this was not an easy case for anyone involved, I am confident that we have the right people on the right charges," said LAPD Chief, Dominic Choi, per the outlet. "Our investigators worked tirelessly to gather evidence, interview witnesses, and follow every lead to ensure that justice is served."

Aside from murder, Robert Barcleau was also charged with special circumstance allegation of killing in the commission of a robbery, which could lead to a life-without-parole prison sentenced if found guilty. He was also charged with attempted robbery and grand theft, per 'ABC 7.'

Sergio Estrada was charged with one count of murder with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm.

RELATED: 'General Hospital's' Haley Pullos Sentenced For DUI And Wrong-Way Collision On Pasadena Freeway

Two other suspects have been charged on lesser crimes associated with Wactor's murder.

18-year-old Leonel Gutierrez was charged with attempted robbery and grand theft, while the fourth suspect, Frank Olano, 22, of Inglewood, was charged with being an accessory after the fact to the killing, receiving stolen property, and three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The four men were arrested on August 15.

"The loss of this talented young actor, who was in the prime of his life and had so much to offer the world, is deeply felt by all of us," Gascon said. "Mr. Wactor's work and presence touched the lives of many, and our hearts go out to his family, friends and the entire community who mourn this devastating loss."
A Black family was enjoying their vacation in the Bay Area, San Francisco when what should have been a typical restaurant visit turned into an offensive ordeal.

Whitney Washington and her family were the only Black family patronizing the Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen on August 12, a latin flavors casual dining establishment located on Valencia Street.

After what they described as a normal visit, the family was shocked to receive their receipt with a racial slur printed at the top. "Here N*****s," the receipt read, according to 'KTVU 2.'

Per the news outlet, Washington immediately compared her receipt to others patrons to see if this was somehow common practice, but after realizing nobody else had received a note of any kind, she concluded that the incident was a targeted move.

"My daughter is actually the one who notices in the upper right-hand corner that it says what it says. 'Here the N-word,'" Washington stated, per the news outlet. "We were the only Black people in the restaurant. She showed us her receipt, and in the same spot where ours said, 'Here the N-word.' Hers only said 'here,'" Washington said of another customer's receipt.

Washington brought her concerns up with the waiter  who didn't have much to say and reportedly wasn't alarmed by the incident. "Do you know what this means?" Washington asked the waiter, who responded with a simple: "I don't know how that got there."

Although there was no manager on duty at the time of their visit, a manger caught wind of the altercation the next day, and immediately wrangled the situation. She immediately fired the waiter who served Washington and her family, admitting that the fiasco was "Totally unacceptable."

"We fired the employee right away. I didn't know what is going on," a manager 'KTVU' identified as Vena, told the outlet. Vena later stated that the employee offered no explanation for what happened, but also threatened to sue the establishment for the termination.

Taking accountability a step further, managers created a prompt for the website to address both the public and their customers of the ill-fated incident that took place at their establishment. The notice revealed they've taken steps to remedy the fiasco and will continue to welcome all customers.

"My name is Vena, the manager, and a woman minority owner of small business, Pica Pica. Pica Pica has been in the Bay Area community for 18 years, supporting the community in many different ways, including when we delivered 40,000 meals during Covid to Homeless shelters," the prompt began.

They concluded: "We are truly sorry for the harm this has caused to the customers that received this treatment and for anyone else who has been impacted by this terrible incident. We sincerely apologize for the harm and hurt this action has caused."

Washington's family returned to Maryland, admitting that the shocking incident didn't stop them from enjoying the beauty and diversity in SF.

"That is not a term I use in my home," she concluded per the news outlet. "I don't use that word, we don't call people that word and nobody calls us that word."
Since January, Blueface has been incarcerated, and he doesn't seem to mind staying there a bit longer.

The rapper, legal name Johnathan Porter, conducted a phone interview on an 'Effective Immediately' episode released Monday on YouTube.

On August 9, a judge handed down a four-year prison sentence after Blueface violated his probation in connection with the 2021 assault of a security guard. Simultaneously, Las Vegas authorities issued a warrant for his arrest related to a shooting incident in 2022. Ultimately, he received additional probation, a suspended jail sentence, and credit for the 30 days he's already served.

"I'm in my environment, you know Imma always soak up and adapt to it, it ain't really nothing. It's like a lil' break from responsibility, honestly," the 27-year-old said on the call.

He also described his daily activities behind bars, including "watching TV, eating Doritos, and using the phone. That's pretty much it." The "Thotiana" emcee revealed he watches daytime talk shows 'Sherri' and 'The Jennifer Hudson Show' and "a lot of the news."

During the conversation, Blueface revealed that he has already earned a year's credit on his sentence, reducing his prison time to three years. He also mentioned that he's only obligated to serve 33 percent of that reduced term. Based on his estimates, Blueface believes he could be released as early as March or April 2025.

He also noted a physical change, revealing that he's now 180 pounds, the heaviest he's ever been. "I'm getting sized up; I'm about to bounce out looking like a Dalmatian," he said.

Regarding his music, Blueface doesn't plan to release any of his own tracks soon but mentioned that he has a couple verses lined up for others.

During the call, the 'Chrisean & Blueface: Crazy In Love' reality TV star also shared the status of his relationship with Chrisean Rock.

"Me and Rock, we vibing right now, but you know when that fitness get involved, you know it might get a little weary," he said. The Los Angeles native admitted they "stay on a three-way" call and that she's doing "aight."

On June 10, Rock, born Chrisean Eugenia Malone, entered a courthouse in San Fernando Valley to support Blueface's court hearing. However, she was put into handcuffs and detained.

Per 'TMZ,' cops were allegedly planning on the arrival of the 'Baddies' reality star, as five LAPD officers swiftly pounced on her as soon as she arrived.

The 24-year-old was arrested on an open felony fugitive warrant from Oklahoma in addition to assault with a deadly weapon charge. 'TMZ' also reported that the "Vibe" rapper knew she was a fugitive by law, but had no intention of turning herself in.
In Maharashtra, India, police charged at protesters with batons after thousands blocked railway tracks in a demonstration against the alleged sexual abuse of two four-year-old girls by a cleaner at a school.
University of California bans encampments, masks as new academic year starts

Xinhua) 11:18, August 20, 2024

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The president of the University of California (UC) announced on Monday that the top public university systems in the United States will enforce rules to ban encampments, face masks and other activities related to protests as students return for the new school year to its 10 campuses, which were hit by waves of pro-Palestine demonstrations earlier this year.

In a letter to the university system's community, UC President Michael V. Drake said the university will take several steps to facilitate more consistency across its campuses. These include establishing policies that prohibit camping or encampments, unauthorized structures, restrictions on free movement, masking to conceal identity, and refusing to reveal one's identity when asked to do so by university personnel.

The letter said that UC is also developing a framework for consistent implementation of its policies and consistent responses to policy violations.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations spread at colleges and universities across the United States amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. UC has faced backlash for its handling of campus protests, especially after hundreds were arrested in crackdowns on pro-Palestinian protests and encampments on its campuses across California last school year.

Academic workers at UC voiced readiness for "a long fight" in June after a judge ordered their union to halt its strike over the university's handling of pro-Palestinian protests. The strike by United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 4811, representing 48,000 academic workers across the UC system, expanded to six of UC's 10 campuses.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Trump campaigns to 'Make America Safe Again' as DNC zeroes in on felony record

Former President Donald Trump pledged Tuesday to Make America Safe Again" while campaigning in Michigan as the Democrats who gathered in Chicago to nominate Kamala Harris branded him a career criminal.
Tuesday, August 20, 2024

Oh, what a tangled web they weave  publishing predators are breeding with the surge of authors now by-passing traditional publishing. Over half of books published today are by the self and indie publishers. Traditional publishers are taking notice and are now gearing up to offer their own self-publishing opportunities. Some, like Simon & Schuster, Hay House and Penguin, have had a vanity press relationship for years in place via Author Solutions (ASI). Expect to see all of this push into a higher gearafter all  there is money in wannabe authors pockets.

Its a never-ending story  the emails, phone calls, postings within the Author U Group on LinkedIn and my personal group on Facebook: Publishing with The Book Shepherd (join it)  and Ive worked with several private clients and fielded numerous phone calls/emails from authors who have issues with their publishers. In all cases, theyve been duped. Publishing Predators are growing like black moldalmost unstoppable!

When the hot Star Trek movie series kicked into gear, publishing took note. Under the umbrella of Simon & SchusterArchway Publishing revived the Star Trek: Strange New World Writing Contest last year. Devotees of Star Trek were thrilled, writers discovered what they thought was a fun way to jump on the publishing bandwagon  after all, if Simon & Schuster is involved  it had to be legit. Right? What the majority didnt know was that Archway Publishing is S&S partnering venture with Author Solutions, the kink of vanity presses and running the contest.

This gave the impression that S&S was less interested in recruiting new authors to publish than in finding new victims for Author Solutions high-pressure sales tactics, and that impression was reinforced last month by the form email sent to contest participants.

It was normal for those who entered to get the following email:

Thank you for your recent submission in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Writing Contest. We were honored to consider your short story. We received many imaginative tales that took us on different journeys through the Star Trek universe. After diligently considering each and every entry, we have selected the winners. Unfortunately, your submission was not included in the final group of stories. If you enjoy writing, Archway Publishing can still help you share your personal or other sci-fi stories as a published book. And because you participated in this contest, you can save 20% on select packages.

Authors who were wise not to take Archway up on its offer yet dont be surprised to see it resurfaceits a feeder for Author Solutions (ASI).

While Archway is actually a front company for ASI, a vanity press known as Author House Solutions with more grumblings and complaints than Hogan has goats. In my experience in working with others, fielding zillions of phone calls and emails of complaints, Ive concluded that ASI and all its offspring are out to exploit authors rather than help them sell books.

ASI operates under many imprints, including AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Archway (Simon & Schuster), Nook Press (Barnes & Noble), Partridge (Penguin), MeGustaEscribir, Book Country (Penguin), Westbow (Thomas Nelson), Trafford, Xlibris, and Balboa Press (Hay House).

Like S&Ss Archway, some of those imprints appear to be owned by an independent company, but they are actually front companies for ASI and are run by that vanity press. ASI partners include Barnes & Noble, Lulu, Penguin Random House Spain, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Hay House, Penguin India, Penguin Singapore, and Penguin Africa. Jeeze, you need to really know who you are getting in bed with.

Their publishers are really not publishers, at least in the sense that they have the infrastructure to create and support a quality book and its author; that they have their internal teamfrom editing to some semblance of book design and publishing marketing and publicity; and that they are accountable in the critical accountability departments of actual book sales and responsibility.

I attended a national conference last month whose members were speakers. Many were well-established speakersa majority was new to the industry, gobbling up information that would hopefully turn them into a star on the platform. Having a book helps. Within the Exhibit Hall, several booths proclaimed that they were publishers  they would publish your book for a small fee. What they were, vanity pressesnothing more, nothing less. The predators of the print world  and they were signing up people  their next victims, left and right.

Are you protected? Are there Red Flags that can help you spot the vanity press in sheeps clothing?

Sure, start with:

#1: We publish your book for ONLY $___. This is called pay-to-publishknow it by the true name. When you are told that there is a fee to publish/print your bookthats what is being done. Quality has zip to do with it; if you want editing, marketing, publicity, redoing mistakes found or their layout, etc., you will pay, and pay for it and anything else to fix, create at a very over-inflated cost. Just this past week I got an email from an author who signed up for one of these We publish your book for ONLY $____  and he is $3,000 into his few hundred dollars lure and still NO Book  thanks to Author House.

#2: We list your book on Amazon.com. Think big freakin deal here. Anyone can list on Amazonset aside 30 minutes, fill out the form and you are listed. Should you be listed on Amazon? Yes indeed. You can do it  anyone can do it. Vanity presses shot in the arm was Amazonotherwise, their books never got any type of national/international presence for their authors.

But, and its a big BUT, if you dream of getting your book in a bookstore, wake up. The cheap workmanship, quality of what is usually produced will never make it there.

In a phone conversation with a key person at the Tattered Cover here in Denver, CO, he said, We dont purchase vanity press booksthey usually fall apart  not to mention, they are so costly per unit and the return policy is usually not availableits a clear pass for us.

#3: We have the solution for author success. So do Iits work your tush off, although thats not what they will tell you. Their success will be to always buy all their add-on packages, driving your investment with this enterprise to many thousands of dollars. Success for them, mostly likely, not you.

#4: Publisher looking for authors. Yes, there is always the rare gem, break-through author that the media loves to profile BUT here again, this is a rarity. Publishers have authors up the Ga-zoo  what they want is an author with a Platform and a Plan  thats the part where you work your tush off.

#5: Author Beware notices from creditable sites. Start with a search on Google and put in the name of the publishing entity y ou are checking out. Follow it with the word: complaints, scam, con, lawsuits and problems and see what pops up. Make sure you read past page 1 of Google (90% dontand many pages are loaded with ads meaning that content, blogs, and comments are pushed way down and off the first few pages of your search). Websites, such as Rip-off Reports ,Writer Beware on the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America at and Reedsy will become your best friends. Ripoff Reports has a section dedicated to comments from former employees; Reedsy has an excellent blog to read; and Writer Beware includes case studies from authors sharing their ill-fated experience.

And know that these companies change their namesmeaning you need to do digging. For example, Publish Americaanother that has created mountains of complaints recently changed its name to America Star Books. Same dog, different fur.

This is where you go to your favorite browser  better yet  go to a few and check out the names of companies and publishing service providers. Make sure you go past page one to see what could be buried. Recently, I did a fast search for Author House complaints  instantly, this start to pop up:

When people are victims of scams, they often report the incidents on the Internetits time to let your fingers do the clicking. Before doing business with POD publishers, a pay-to-publisher operation or any other person or company that wants your money, make a Google search for:

(company or persons name) + Scam

(company or persons name) + Problem

(company or persons name) + Complaint

(company or persons name) + Fraud

(company or persons name) + Rip-off

(company or persons name) + Lawsuit

(company or persons name) + Better Business Bureau

Read the reports and be advised. Unfortunately, too many walk away woven with shame that they got sucked in the first place and/or so ticked that they got taken, they just want to take the shower and get as far away as possible.

Publishing predators are the T-Rex of the industrysave your sanity, your credit card and your book. Avoid.

#6 Bait and Switch. Many of these companies pitch (after all, most have a boiler room type of operationits about quotas) and you dont realize that you have to pay them to publish your book. Not until you have submitted informationfrom your name, contact, book title, even the manuscriptdo you realize you need to pony up funds to keep the process going.

#7 Partnering with a well-know name. Lets face it, authors want their books published and when a vanity press partners, or purchases one that is well known, the assumption is that its a marriage made in publishing heaven. Not likely. With the rapid growth of the self-publishing world, both large and small presses are looking for avenues to carry them to the masses of self-published authors that came through the vanity press door. Get out of the book daze and stupor and do your homework before you head down the aisle. See #6 above.

Do publishers rip-off authors? And, if so, do they do it deliberately?

The answer is simply yes  and they do it every day. Your best defense: dont get involved with anything that looks like, feels like, or acts like a vanity press. Companies like Author House/Solutions, Xlibris, iUniverse, Trafford Publishing, Palibris, Author House-UK, Word-clay and Balboa Press are to be avoided like the plague.

Publishing predators are the T-Rex of the industryavoid, avoid, avoid.

Judith Briles is known as The Book Shepherd a book publishing expert and coach. She is the Founder of Author U, a membership organization created for the serious author who wants to be seriously successful. Shes been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80s. Judith is the author of 35 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms, Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers and a speaker at publishing conferences. How to Avoid 101 Book Publishing Blunders, Bloopers & Boo-Boos has just been released.

Next years Judith Briles Book Publishing Unplugged will be held in Denver, CO June 22-24, 2017. The annual PublishingAtSea cruise is held each January. Become part of her inner circle by joining the Authors Ark and exclusive monthly webinar and coaching event. Her audio and workbook series, Creating Your Book and Author Platform is now available. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Author U  Your Guide to Book Publishing on the Toginet Network at http://tinyurl.com/AuthorURadio . Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a Like at AuthorU and TheBookShepherd on Facebook. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact Judith at Judith@Briles.com.
(The Center Square)  A coalition of states led by Kansas has sued the Biden-Harris administration to block the federal government from providing free health care through the taxpayer-funded Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, to foreign nationals in the U.S. illegally.

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota Western Division and was joined by attorneys general from 14 states. The U.S. government and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are named as defendants.

At issue is a CMS final rule change called, Clarifying the Eligibility of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Recipients and Certain Other NonCitizens for a Qualified Health Plan Through an Exchange, Advance Payments of the Premium Tax Credit, Cost-Sharing Reductions, a Basic Health Program. In it, CMS redefines the legal term of lawfully present to include DACA recipients.

When Congress enacted the ACA, it limited eligibility only to citizen[s] or national[s] of the United States [and] aliens lawfully present in the United States. By changing the definition of lawfully present to include DACA recipients, CMS is enabling them to have access to taxpayer-funded ACA coverage. Doing so violates the Administrative Procedures Act, federal law that prohibits taxpayer-funded benefits from being given to illegal foreign nationals, and the Affordable Care Act, the complaint states.

Congress has already limited eligibility coverage, which excludes DACA recipients. Additionally, DACA recipients are, by definition, unlawfully present in the United States, the complaint states. Indeed, eligibility for DACA requires unlawful presence in the United States.

Former President Barack Obama created DACA through executive order in 2012. It shielded children from deportation who were brought into the country illegally by their parents and has been in litigation for 12 years. A federal judge has twice ruled DACA is illegal. The most recent ruling was in a multi-state lawsuit led by Texas to end DACA once and for all, The Center Square reported. The U.S. Supreme Court is ultimately expected to decide the case.

Numerous reports suggest between 700,000 and 800,000 DACA recipients live in the U.S. The Los Angeles Times reports there are 578,680 on record with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as of March 2023.

In June, President Joe Biden announced he was expanding deportation protections for DACA recipients and streamlining request waivers to make it easier for them to obtain temporary visas, The Center Square reported. DACA supporters argue recipients should be granted citizenship, claiming they contribute to the U.S. economy and are constructive members of society.

Others argue those with criminal records, at a minimum, should be deported. Within the first five years of the program, nearly 80,000 DACA recipients were released into the U.S. with arrest records, The Center Square reported.

"Illegal aliens shouldn't get a free pass into our country, Kobach said. They shouldn't receive taxpayer benefits when they arrive, and the Biden-Harris administration shouldn't get a free pass to violate federal law. That's why I am leading a multistate lawsuit to stop this illegal regulation from going into effect.

If the CMS final rule takes effect Nov. 1, more than 200,000 DACA recipients would automatically become eligible for taxpayer-subsidized health plans nationwide.

The lawsuit cites data from the Migration Policy Institute, Pew Research Center and others to estimate how many illegal foreign nationals are estimated to receive public benefits and the associated costs to taxpayers in each of the plaintiff states.

The lawsuit asks the court to postpone the effective date of the rule, vacate it, enjoin the defendants from implementing it and award plaintiff attorneys the costs of their fees.

Joining Kobach are the attorneys general representing Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Frontier Agriculture, the UKs largest agronomy and grain marketing business, has now acquired the assets of Fengrain Ltd following a five-year relationship.

The acquisition sees 93,000 tonnes of combinable crop storage from the Fengrain's Cambridgeshire site now incorporated into Frontiers existing network to provide continued services in a key arable region.

It comes after Frontier became Fengrains marketing partner in 2019, with Fengrain being a farmer-owned co-op at the time providing grain storage, cleaning, drying and haulage services to its members.

Frontier will continue to offer all of these as part of its broader grain marketing business, servicing both existing and new customers.

Speaking of the development, Frontiers grain director, Simon Christensen, said the acquisition of Fengrain was positive news.

"[It] means were able to provide growers with more financial security and grain handling expertise across the East of England" he said.

Our ownership of the Wimblington site will also allow further investment into the facilities there and were very pleased to welcome the expertise of those from Fengrain into the regional Frontier team.

Richard Means, chairman of Fengrain, said the deal would "deliver the right result for our members and the future of the store."

The new storage and marketing arrangement should incentivise and provide flexibility for all who use it going forward.

"To complete this transition with support from our members in such a short time is also credit to all involved and we are looking forward to working more collaboratively with Frontier.
The first invoices for the new 'common user charge' for importing meat and plant products through Dover have started to land, with the sector warning many firms will be 'in for a shock'.

The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) said the previous Conservative government 'mislead' businesses about what the post-Brexit charges could amount to.

According to the body, the maximum of '145 per truck' claimed by ministers at the time could end up costing up to 870 depending on the product lines and consignments contained on the truck.

Peter Hardwick, BMPAs trade policy advisor, said the whole concept of a common user charge "is now just another added cost of Brexit with no added benefit".

The fact is that this is a tax, as it is charged on every consignment passing through Dover and Eurotunnel," Mr Hardwick explained.

"It is levied to pay for the previous governments over-engineered project to inspect 15-30% of consignments, when another department was already under instruction to come up with a Border Operating Model based on checks of around 2% of consignments.

"Checks at this lower level could have easily been managed at Dover and Eurotunnel, without the need for the Sevington facility or a common user charge.

However, BMPA warned of an additional charge to consider, as Boarder Control Posts (BCPs) also impose a Port Health Authority fee.

This means that at government-operated BCPs, such as Dover and the Eurotunnel, will face a double charge on every import of products, animals, food and feed (IPAFF) entry for medium and high-risk goods. None of these fees are directed back to the Dover port.

Mr Hardwick explained that this charge was levied overwhelmingly for goods that never go to Sevington and, for the most part, for documentary checks that are carried out automatically and with little or no human intervention.

He said: "This Port Health Authority charge is intended for actual documentary and physical checks and again reflect a much higher level of checking than is currently taking place.

Following the first invoices for the new common user charge, the BMPA is pushing for a fairer system of charging that is proportionate to the work being carried out.

It said the Port Health Charge for an automated, digital check of documents should be a small, standard charge, not based on the tonnage of the consignment as it is currently.
In the fashion and beauty world, Tom Pecheux is not just revered, hes worshipped. In a career spanning over three decades, he has served as Artistic Director for Japanese beauty brand Shiseido and with Estee Lauder before his current role as Global Beauty Director for YSL Beauty . In the early noughties, when the Internet put the spotlight on makeup artists, Toms work stood out. He made models look like themselves, but better.Toms foray into makeup was not intentional; growing up, he wanted to become a pastry chef. I saw my mother cook for my four other siblings, my dad and me, and I thought that was an incredible gift, he recollects. Tom soon moved from his home town rural France to Paris to hone his skills, but he grew disillusioned with the way chefs operated. Everything was happening behind the scenes; the chefs didnt want to share anything with the patrons who would come to eat, he recalls. I was very disappointed that I had no feedback, he adds. It was a chance encounter with a girl who was studying to be a makeup artist that made Tom realise that there was actually a career in makeup artistry. I didnt even know that was an actual job; I was shocked. When you plant a seed in your mind, it grows, and this one grew very quickly. I quit my job and I enrolled in makeup school. It was completely new to me  I didnt even know what lipstick was, what concealer or foundation was.Tom soon realised he had found his calling. I am totally in love with makeup, and in love with what it can do, he enthuses. The result of colour, the result of some texture or a bit of mascara or concealer is amazing. You can transform a woman who is in a bad mood into Cinderella. With just a little makeup, you turn a woman, not into a Disney princess, but into a beauty. Thats the secret of a good makeup product  it does not make you look beautiful, it makes you feel beautiful.As someone who works with different mediums  films, runway, celebrities, and campaigns  Tom looks up to designer Yves Saint Laurent. Mr Lauren kept an open mind about people, countries, religions. He was not just inspired by it all, but also respectful. He himself seeks inspiration in travel and keeps an open mind too, but he is also quick to point out his success is all a team effort. I love to share  and I love to work with a team; I love to pick other peoples brains,  he adds with a chuckle.Tom has had a career that spans over three decades, and has worked on such luminaries as Madonna, supermodel Kate Moss, and the late Princess Diana. He shares an anecdote about working with the late princess that still gives him goosebumps to this day. I was working in London, and I was called to work on a charity cover with Princess Diana, he recalls. At the shoot, we were told that the protocol was to address her as Maam, but, as a native French speaker, I was struggling with that, because it almost felt like I was calling her mother  maam is so close to Maman in French. As she sat in my chair, she said, Tom, I know your work, I know you make all those women so beautiful; make me as beautiful as them. I was so touched, but I told her how I was struggling with calling her Maam. She looked at me and said, Absolutely not! Call me Diana. And that shoot just turned out spectacular, we had so much fun shooting it with (photographer) Mario Testino.Elaborating on his current role with YSL Beauty, Tom says As a French makeup artist who never dreamed of reaching so high, I feel comfortable and happy to be here. I help develop colour  I am not a chemist  but I can recognise good texture. I want to create colours that suit everyone and also honour Mr Saint Laurent.YSL Beautys makeup line is now available in India.
The central banks of Vietnam and China yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Beijing on cooperation in local currency settlement, currency swaps and cross-border payment connectivity.

The MoU was signed by People's Bank of China (PBOC) governor Pan Gongsheng and Nguyen Thi Hong, governor of the State Bank of Vietnam, PBOC said in a statement.

The central banks of Vietnam and China yesterday signed an MoU in Beijing on cooperation in local currency settlement, currency swaps and cross-border payment connectivity. The signing occurred during the three-day visit of Vietnamese President To Lam to China. Cooperation agreements in mutual connectivity, industry, customs inspection were also signed.

The signing occurred during the three-day official visit of Vietnamese President To Lam to China.

Both leaders witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation agreements in fields like mutual connectivity, industry, finance, customs inspection and health.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said the visit reflects the great importance Lam attaches to the relations between the two parties and the two countries, and also embodies the high level and strategic importance of China-Vietnam ties.

Lam succeeded Nguyen Phu Trong, who passed away last month, and has been serving as the Vietnamese president since May.

The first stop of Lam's three-day state visit to China, which started on Sunday, took him to Guangzhou, Guangdong province, where former leader of Vietnam Ho Chi Minh spent time promoting revolutionary activities around a century ago.

Saying that the traditional friendship between the two parties and the two countries is as good as "comrades and brothers", Xi called for consistent efforts to build the China-Vietnam community with a shared future, a consensus reached between the two sides during his visit to Vietnam in December.

China regards Vietnam as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, Xi said.

Xi underlined the need for both sides to solidify a pattern for the development of bilateral relations featuring higher political mutual trust, more substantial security cooperation, deeper pragmatic collaboration, stronger public support, closer multilateral coordination and better management of differences, a state-controlled Chinese media outlet reported.

Xi also emphasised the need for both sides to step up the connectivity of railway, highway, port infrastructure and customs and work together to build secure and stable industrial and supply chains.

Lam highlighted the importance of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Filmfare was first to tell you about Fawad Khan's comeback to Indian movies. And now we've got a new update on another Pakistani actor's return to Indian films. Actress Sajal Aly, who has previously played Sridevi's daughter in the 2017 hit Mom, is set to feature in a film with Prabhas.





There has been speculation around Sajal's involvement in the project in the recent days. But Filmfare was able to speak to sources close to the development who have confirmed that Sajal indeed is part of the film. Media reports have speculated that Sajal was in contention to play the lead in Fauji, which is slated to be directed by Hanu Raghavapudi. Names of other actresses like Mrunal Thakur have also been in the news, but Filmfare can confirm that Sajal Aly is doing the project with Prabhas.



Sajal Aly was in the news recently for lending support to the justice vigil being pursued on social media with respect to a murder and rape case in Kolkata. Sajal had shared a poster on her social media account, demanding justice for the victim and suggesting no mercy for the perpetrators.

Prabhas was recently seen in the global hit Kalki 2898 AD and he's already got a big slate of releases and sequels lined up in the near future. It will be interesting to see how Prabhas and Sajal's chemistry plays out on screen in the much-awaited movie. Going by the title, Fauji should be an interesting story on India's armed forces.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas recently took to social media to share the teaser of her Marathi production, titled Paani. Alongside the teaser, Priyanka wrote, "This is very very special. Our Marathi feature film Paani is all set to release theatrically on 18th October. See you in the theatres!" The project is being directed by Addinath M. Kothare.



Check it out below:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Priyanka (@priyankachopra)

As per a leading entertainment portal, Priyanka has shown excitement for the movie. "I'm thrilled to share Paani with the world - a true passion project that tackles a vital issue. This film is special, and challenging to make but so relevant for the time we live in. This is an inspiring story of one mans journey to find solutions that will radically change the lives of all those around him," she added.

Paani isn't Priyanka's first production. The actress has previously been associated with Ventilator (2016), Sarvann (2017), The Sky Is Pink (2019) and The White Tiger (2021).
Samantha Ruth Prabhu has voiced her concerns over the horrifying Kolkata rape and murder case, urging for immediate reforms to ensure womens safety. At the World Pickleball event in Mumbai on Tuesday, Samantha expressed her frustration, stating, It is the need of the hour. I hope the change comes really soon. Her comments reflect growing discontent over repeated incidents of violence against women.







This tragic case has sparked widespread outrage among Bollywood celebrities. Kareena Kapoor Khan criticized the stagnation in justice, noting, 12 years later, the same story, the same protest. Preity Zinta called the case heartbreaking and stressed the need for strict punishments for those who are guilty.







Hrithik Roshan also advocated for severe penalties to deter such crimes, while other stars like Alia Bhatt and Kangana Ranaut have echoed similar sentiments, calling for systemic changes and swift action.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Filmfare (@filmfare)

Take a look at this:
Sobhita Dhulipala, glowing with happiness, made her first public appearance following her engagement to Naga Chaitanya. The actress attended the screening of Angry Young Men in the city, wearing a chic denim jumpsuit and showcasing her engagement ring. As she posed for the paparazzi, their playful inquiry, "Party kab hai?" made her blush, leading to a charming response of "Jald hi."







Sobhita and Naga Chaitanya, who got engaged on August 8, recently made their relationship official after months of speculation. Naga's father, Nagarjuna, took to social media to share the joyous news, welcoming Sobhita into the family with heartfelt wishes. He wrote, "We are delighted to announce the engagement of our son, Naga Chaitanya, to Sobhita Dhulipala. Congratulations to the happy couple!"







Fans and netizens have been admiring Sobhitas radiant look and happiness following the engagement. On the professional front, she was last seen in Dev Patel's The Monkey Man.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 19, 2024) - Japan Gold Corp. (TSXV: JG) (OTCQB: JGLDF) ("Japan Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Barrick Gold Corp. will focus solely on Barrick Alliance exploration activities in Japan at the Togi, Hakuryu and Ebino Projects. These projects have advanced well during the summer months and preparations are underway for drilling programs to commence in September.

"The Barrick Alliance in Japan has spent several years filtering through an extensive portfolio of exploration targets through fieldwork, geophysical surveys and drilling. The remaining targets have both the scale and surface indications of the type of system that would be of interest to Barrick, and we are excited to be able to test their potential with drilling," said executive vice president exploration, Joel Holliday.

"We are encouraged by targets identified by the Barrick Alliance, as they demonstrate the potential for new discoveries within these historic mining districts," said Mr. Fraser MacCorquodale, President and COO of Japan Gold. "The exploration completed to date highlights the advantage of leveraging off Barrick's exploration capability. We look forward to the commencement of drilling".

Togi Project - First phase of drilling planned to commence in September

The Togi Project is located in the central west part of Honshu Island on the Noto Peninsula covering the historic Togi goldfield. Gold mineralization was discovered in the Togi area in 1896, and historic records report seven separate areas of workings along a 7-kilometer trend which produced a combined 48,000 ounces of gold and 180,000 ounces of silver between 1910-211. A similar geological setting is noted 160 kilometres along strike to the northeast on Sado Island, which hosts Japan's second largest gold mine, the Sado Mine with production of 2.5 million ounces of gold and 74 million ounces of silver prior to its closure in 19744.

Deposits mined in the project area are divided into the Urugami deposits in the southwest and Hirochi deposits in the northeast, the latter now falling within the newly defined 'Akasaka target' area. Figure 1 provides a geological summary with work completed by the Barrick Alliance and historically. The Mori vein within the Akasaka target produced 16,500 ounces of gold at an average grade of 14 g/t gold and is reported to be up to 4 meters wide, with gold values ranging between 8 to 20 g/t gold1. Records show the mineralization at lower mine levels open at depth with average grades of 8.12 g/t gold and 56.9 g/t silver1, workings did not exceed 120 meters below portal level.

Exploration by the Barrick Alliance is focussed on searching for the strike extensions of the Mori vein obscured by post mineralisation cover. Recent geological mapping of the potential strike extent has identified sinter scree, and mineralized quart vein boulders and cobbles hosting gold grades up to 79.7 g/t gold, (refer to the Company's news release dated 22nd April 2021).

CSMAT geophysics was used to help target within this area of cover at the Akasaka target, and surveying was completed along a 2-kilometer section of the Mori fault. The survey highlighted resistivity features which may represent vein targets. An initial 1,000-meter 2-hole drill program has been designed to test the Akasaka target and is planned to commence in September.

Hakuryu Project - Drill program planned to test newly identified targets

The Hakuryu Project, located on the island of Hokkaido, covers the southern half of the Konomai Mine, a 16-kilometer-long vein corridor which was Japan's third largest gold mine producing 2.35 million ounces of gold at an average grade of 6.4 g/t, between 1915 and 19734, Figure 2. A total of 990,000 ounces of gold were produced from veins within the Hakuryu Project including the highest grades veins in the district, the Motoyama main vein which produced 240,000 ounces of gold at an average grade of 14.0 g/t and the Motoyama No. 2 vein which produced 348,000 ounces at an average grade of 8.0 g/t1.

Mapping completed by the Barrick Alliance in 2023 focussed on several vein prospects in the southern part of the project including the Hakuryu, Kokuryu, Yakiyama and Sekizen vein zones. The southern part of the Konomai vein corridor was the last area to be explored and developed by historical mining activity and historical records are few. Four single level adits were developed on the Hakuryu and Kokuryu group of veins with 7.8 ton of ore mined at 5.0 g/t gold and 43 g/t silver1,6. Historical production reported at Hakuryu therefore appears to have not tested the deeper and potentially higher-grade portions of the veins.

At the Hakuryu No. 3 Vein, mapping by the Barrick Alliance identified vein outcrops up to 30 meters wide and 140 meters long. Discontinuous vein outcrops up to 15 meters wide and vein scree are mapped an additional 500 meters along strike to the northeast where further strike extension is covered by younger basalt lava. To the southwest of the No. 3 Vein, vein scree was sampled along a 2.3-kilometer-long section of the Yakiyama Ridge towards the Yakiyama No. 2 Vein. No production records for the Yakiyama No. 2 vein have been located; however, sampling of scattered vein float around the rehabilitated workings has yielded up to 54.6 g/t gold. Gold grades up to 24.0 g/t were reported from float shedding off the Hakuryu No. 3 vein. Refer to Table 1 for significant rock results.

To confirm drill targeting, the Barrick Alliance recently completed a drone magnetic survey over the project in July. The survey was proposed to map out hydrothermal alteration associated with strike extensions of the discontinuously exposed veins. The survey data has just been received and is being reviewed.

Initial drill testing is planned for Q4 2024 upon receipt of necessary drill permits. A four-drill hole program of approximately 700 meters will test depth extensions of the Hakuryu No. 3 Vein.

Ebino Project - Large high level epithermal alteration zone identified

The Ebino Project is located within the Hokusatsu district of the Southern Kyushu Epithermal Gold Province. Hokusatsu is Japan's largest gold producing district with a recorded production of over 12 million ounces, including the world-class Hishikari Mine, which has produced 8.6 million ounces with an average grade exceeding 30 g/t since 1985, and is Japan's only producing gold mine operating today1-5.

The Ebino Project, located 10 kilometers north of the Hishikari Mine, includes three distinct prospects, Otsuka, KZ and Masaki, that occur along a 10 by 2.5-kilometer corridor on the east side of the project, Figure 3.

Systematic programs completed over the project by the Barrick Alliance including mapping, soil sampling and ground magnetics define an extensive epithermal alteration system. Zoned clay alteration assemblages identified including alunite + kaolinite + dickite indicate shallow level preservation and raise the potential for discovery of high-grade gold epithermal veins at depth or on the peripheries of the alteration.

Drilling is planned, once all data from the surface program has been received and fully evaluated.

References

1Gold Mines of Japan, 1989. The Mining & Materials Processing Institute of Japan

2Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., LTD. Integrated Report, 2nd August 2024

3Watanabe Y, 2005. Late Cenozoic evolution of epithermal gold metallogenic provinces in Kyushu, Japan. Mineralium Deposita (2005) 40: pp 307-323

4Garwin, S.G. et al. 2005. Tectonic setting, Geology, and gold and copper mineralization in the Cenozoic magmatic arcs of Southeast Asia and the West Pacific. Economic Geology 100th Anniversary Vol. pp 891-930

5Shikazono, N. 2003. Geochemical and Tectonic Evolution of Arc-Backarc Hydrothermal Systems, Volume 1. Elsevier, 2003

6Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), March 1990, Regional Geological Structure Survey Report Hokkaido Northern B Region, Overview of Metal Deposits, fiscal year 1989

Sampling Techniques and Assaying

Rock results presented in this news release and accompanying figures are from 1-3 kg selected grab and semi-continuous chip-channel outcrop, and selected grab of float and historic mine waste dump samples. The grab samples of float material reported in this announcement are believed to originate from the underlying bedrock of the drainage basin from which they were collected. The Company cautions that grab and float samples are selective by nature and may not be representative of typical mineralization on the property. Sample preparation and assaying were done by ALS Brisbane and Perth, Australia. Samples were crushed and pulverised and gold was analysed by 50 gram-charge Fire Assay and AAS finish. A 48 multielement analysis including silver was done by four-acid digest and ICP-MS determination.

A Chain-of-Custody was established between the Company and receiving laboratory to ensure the integrity of the samples during transportation from site to the lab.

Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) were inserted by Japan Gold at every 20th sample to assess repeatability and assaying precision of the laboratory. In addition, the laboratory applied its own internal Quality Control procedure that includes sample duplicates, blanks & geochemical standards. They report these results with the certified Assay Report. Laboratory procedures and QAQC protocols adopted are considered appropriate. The CRMs and internal QC-QA results fall within acceptable levels of accuracy & precision and are considered to lack any bias.

Qualified Person

The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Japan Gold's Vice President of Exploration, Andrew Rowe, BAppSc, FAusIMM, FSEG, who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About Japan Gold Corp.

Japan Gold Corp. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on gold exploration across Japan. The Company holds a significant portfolio of tenements covering areas with known gold occurrences, history of mining and prospective for high-grade epithermal gold mineralization. The Japan Gold leadership and operational team of geologists, drillers and technical advisors have extensive experience exploring and operating in Japan and have a track record of discoveries world-wide.

Japan Gold has an alliance with Barrick Gold Corporation to jointly explore, develop and mine certain gold mineral properties and mining projects with the potential to host Tier 1 or Tier 2 gold ore bodies in Japan.

On behalf of the Board of Japan Gold Corp.

John Proust

Chairman & CEO

Cautionary Note

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to expected or anticipated future events and anticipated results related to future partnerships and the Company's 2024 gold exploration program. These statements are forward-looking in nature and, as a result, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that include, but are not limited to, the timing and granting of prospecting rights; the Company's ability to convert prospecting rights into digging rights within the timeframe prescribed by the Mining Act; general economic, market and business conditions; competition for qualified staff; the regulatory process and actions; technical issues; new legislation; potential delays or changes in plans; working in a new political jurisdiction; results of exploration; the Company's ability to execute and implement future plans, arrange or conclude a joint venture or partnership; and the occurrence of unexpected events. Actual results achieved may differ from the information provided herein and, consequently, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein speaks only as of the date of this News Release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise forward-looking information or to explain any material difference between such and subsequent actual events, except as required by applicable laws.





Figure 1: Togi Project, simplified geology and summary map.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5665/220396_41e859ad24fb183a_001full.jpg





Figure 2: Konomai vein corridor with Hakuryu Project, historically mined vein deposits, prospects and gold in rock geochemistry.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5665/220396_41e859ad24fb183a_002full.jpg





Figure 3: Ebino Project, simplified geology and alteration map, and surrounding vein deposits.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5665/220396_41e859ad24fb183a_003full.jpg

Table 1. Hakuryu Project, significant rock sample results greater than 1 g/t gold





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5665/220396_img.jpg

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220396

SOURCE: Japan Gold Corp.
CLEARWATER, FL / ACCESSWIRE / August 19, 2024 / The Law Offices of Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes is proud to announce that attorneys Matthew Noyes and Bryan Caulfield have been named 2024 Super Lawyers, an honor to their contributions to the legal profession. This recognition is a testament to their unwavering dedication, exceptional legal skills, and commitment to justice.





Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers - Clearwater, FL







The Super Lawyers selection process is highly rigorous, involving peer nominations, independent research, and evaluations by a panel of highly credentialed attorneys.

Matthew Noyes has a remarkable career advocating for victims of car accidents, workers' compensation claims, and more. His compassionate approach and relentless pursuit of justice have earned him a reputation as one of Florida's most trusted legal advocates. He is also an author and an active and charitable member of the Clearwater community. He brings knowledge and empathy to his practice and is a valuable pillar to his clients and the community.

Bryan Caulfield has extensive experience in personal injury and wrongful death law and is renowned for his strategic legal advocacy and tireless efforts on behalf of his clients. His expertise has also been previously recognized in multiple ways, including with Board Certification as a Civil Trial Lawyer by the Florida Bar, an honor held by less than 2 percent of Florida attorneys. His dedication to protecting the rights of those who have suffered has made him a standout figure in the legal community.

As 2024 Super Lawyers, Matthew and Bryan join an elite group of attorneys with exceptional legal abilities and a commitment to ethical practice. We are proud to congratulate them on this well-deserved honor, which they have achieved through exceptional legal advocacy, unwavering dedication, and positive impacts on the lives of the community members they serve. Their inclusion in this year's list reaffirms their status as leaders in personal injury law.

About Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes, P.A.

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes, P.A. is a personal injury firm serving Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and surrounding areas in Florida. We are the first firm in Clearwater, and our legal team has 300+ years of collective experience. Our attorneys have earned an AV rating (the highest possible rating from the largest legal rating service), fought cases all the way to the Florida Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of the United States, and found justice and compensation for thousands of clients.

Our firm exclusively practices personal injury law, including car accidents, motorcycle accidents, medical malpractice, and other types of accidents. We take pride in approaching every case with, knowledge, compassion, and integrity. Contact us today for a free consultation if you need legal help in Pinellas County.

Media Contact:

Company Name: Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers - Clearwater Office

Address: 1875 N Belcher Rd. STE 201

City: Clearwater

State: Florida

Zip: 33765

County: Pinellas County

Phone: (727) 796-8282

https://usalaw.com/contact-us/

Contact Information

Mark Perenich

Attorney

perenichpersonalinjury@gmail.com

SOURCE: Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers

View the original press release on newswire.com.
GAINESVILLE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / August 19, 2024 / Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, a leading personal injury law firm helping injured clients in Florida, is proud to announce its new name. This marks a significant milestone in the firm's evolution. While the name is changing from Allen Law Firm, P.A. to Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, our firm's commitment to providing exceptional legal representation and compassionate client service remains steadfast.

Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers - Gainesville personal injury attorneys

Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers - Gainesville personal injury attorneys

Our law office is excited to embark on this new chapter in the firm's history. This new name reflects the expanded capabilities and dedication to serving clients throughout Florida. The personal injury attorneys at Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers remain committed to fighting for the rights of injury victims and securing the compensation they deserve.

The name change is evident throughout our law firm's website and prominent digital presence. The website features a user-friendly interface, comprehensive information about the firm's practice areas, and valuable resources for accident victims. Clients can also conveniently schedule a free virtual consultation with a personal injury attorney, making it easier than ever to access legal help.

Our Foundation

Our firm's attorneys have a proven track record of success, recovering hundreds of millions of dollars for injured clients since opening our law office in 2007. Our founding attorney, Bill Allen, remains committed to using an aggressive, disciplined approach when taking the fight to insurance companies and defense attorneys.

Our attorneys have been recognized among the Top 100 Lawyers by NTL and the 10 Best Attorneys for Client Satisfaction by the American Institute of Personal Injury. The firm's Florida personal injury attorneys have also earned an AV-Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating.

The firm handles a wide range of personal injury cases, including:

Car Accidents

Motorcycle Accidents

Truck Accidents

Wrongful Death

Brain Injuries

Medical Malpractice

Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers is a leading personal injury law firm dedicated to fighting for the rights of accident victims. With a team of experienced attorneys and a commitment to client service, our firm has helped countless victims pursue the justice they deserve. Our law offices are conveniently located in Gainesville and Ocala, Florida, and we offer free consultations for injured victims.

Contact Us to Learn More About Our Legal Services

Our legal team has more than 100 years of combined experience. We also take accident and injury cases on a contingency fee basis that allows you to secure our help without paying upfront costs. You only pay attorney's fees if we recover compensation for you.

Our attorneys are available 24/7 to answer your questions and help you understand your legal options. If you have been injured in an accident, don't hesitate to contact the firm for a free consultation.

Media Contact:

Company Name: Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers - Gainesville Office

Address: 2550 SW 76th St #150, Gainesville, FL 32608

City: Gainesville

State: Florida

Zip: 32608

County: Alachua County

Phone: (877) 255-3652

https://billallenlaw.com/contact-us/

Contact Information

Bill Allen

Attorney

allenpersonalinjurylaw@gmail.com

SOURCE: Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers

View the original press release on newswire.com.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 19, 2024) - (Block Height: 857,523) - Cathedra Bitcoin Inc. (TSXV: CBIT) ("Cathedra" or the "Company"), a developer and operator of high-density compute infrastructure across North America, is pleased to provide the following updates:

Operations Update

Tennessee Operations

On August 22, 2024, the Company expects to conclude a hosting arrangement with a third-party operator in Tennessee pursuant to the terms of the hosting agreement. Upon conclusion of the agreement, the Company intends to relocate approximately 1,129 of its Bitmain S19J Pro machines from the operator's site in Tennessee to a data center owned and operated by the Company in Tennessee. The move is expected to reduce the Company's effective cash operating cost for these machines by approximately 31%, from US$72.50 per megawatt hour to approximately US$50.00 per megawatt hour.

North Dakota Operations

After encountering supply chain delays, the Company expects to complete final installation of its 60-megawatt North Dakota bitcoin mining data center in September 2024. 10 of the total 60 megawatts of capacity has been energized and producing revenue since June, with the remaining 50 megawatts expected to come online between now and the end of September 2024. Through a wholly owned subsidiary, Cathedra owns a 25% stake in the 60-megawatt project, equivalent to 15 megawatts of owned capacity.

Recent Conference Appearances

In July, Cathedra leadership participated in Bitcoin 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee, the largest Bitcoin conference in the world:

Board Director Tom Masiero spoke on a panel about diversification in bitcoin mining. A recording of the conversation can be watched here.

President, COO, and Board Director Drew Armstrong appeared on a panel to discuss public versus private bitcoin mining companies. A recording of the conversation can be watched here.

Repricing of Warrants

The Company also announces that it intends to reduce the exercise price of an aggregate of 36,819,700 outstanding subordinate voting share purchase warrants of the Company (the "Warrants"). 14,794,700 Warrants were issued in connection with a bought deal that closed on March 26, 2021 (the "Bought Deal Warrants"), 16,025,000 Warrants were issued in connection with an offering of convertible debenture units that closed on November 11, 2021 (the "Debenture Warrants"), and 6,000,000 Warrants were issued in connection with private placement of units that closed on June 9, 2022 (the "Unit Warrants").

The Company intends to reduce the exercise price of the Warrants to C$0.12 and amend the Warrants to include an acceleration provision (the "Amendments"). The Bought Deal Warrants have an original exercise price of C$0.82 and expire on March 26, 2026, and the Debenture Warrants have an original exercise price of C$0.95 and expire on November 11, 2026. The Unit Warrants expire on June 9, 2027, and have various exercise prices, as follows: 1,200,000 Unit Warrants have an original exercise price of C$0.56; 1,200,000 Unit Warrants have an original exercise price of C$0.79; 1,200,000 Unit Warrants have an original exercise price of C$1.04; 1,200,000 Unit Warrants have an original exercise price of C$1.29; and 1,200,000 Unit Warrants have an original exercise price of C$1.54. The expiry date of the Warrants will not be amended.

The Company believes that the repricing of the Warrants will increase the likelihood that the Warrants will be exercised, providing the Company with proceeds that can be used to acquire additional bitcoin, develop and/or purchase data centers, and/or for working capital and general corporate purposes. Additionally, the Company believes that these amendments to the Warrants, which are currently "out of the money" by a significant margin, present only potential upside to holders of Warrants at no additional cost to such holders. As of the date of this news release, no Warrants have been exercised and no insiders of the Company hold or control the Warrants.

The Warrants will also be amended to include a mandatory acceleration provision as required under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"). The acceleration provisions will provide that, if for any 10 consecutive trading days (the "Premium Trading Days") following the effective date of the Amendments, the closing price of the Company's subordinate voting shares (the "Shares") on the TSXV exceeds C$0.15, being 25% or more of the amended exercise price of the Warrants, the amended Warrants' expiry date will be accelerated such that holders will have 30 calendar days to exercise the Warrants (if they have not first expired in the normal course). The Company will announce any acceleration of the expiry date by press release and the 30-day period will commence seven days after the last Premium Trading Day. The terms of the Warrants will remain otherwise unchanged.

The Amendments are subject to approval by both the TSXV and the holders of Warrants. All of the holders of the Debenture Warrants and Unit Warrants must consent to the Amendments for their respective Warrants. The Bought Deal Warrants were issued under a warrant indenture dated March 26, 2021, and in accordance with the terms thereof, the Company must receive the consent of holders of Bought Deal Warrants representing 66 2/3% of the outstanding Bought Deal Warrants to enter into a supplemental warrant indenture to effect the Amendments with respect to the Bought Deal Warrants. The Company is seeking the written approval of the holders of the requisite number of Warrants for the Amendments. The Company intends to issue an updated news release upon receipt, if any, of the approval of the Amendments.

The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release will not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor will there be any sale of the securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Cathedra Bitcoin

Cathedra Bitcoin Inc. develops and operates high-density compute infrastructure across North America. The Company hosts bitcoin mining clients across its portfolio of three data centers (30 megawatts total) in Tennessee and Kentucky. Additionally, Cathedra is a 25% partner in a joint venture that is developing a 60-megawatt data center in North Dakota which will also host bitcoin miners upon its expected completion in Q3 2024. Cathedra also operates a fleet of proprietary bitcoin mining machines at its own and third-party data centers, producing approximately 400 PH/s of hash rate. The Company is focused on expanding its portfolio of data center infrastructure for high-density compute applications including bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence. Cathedra is headquartered in Vancouver and its shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol CBIT.

For more information about Cathedra, visit cathedra.com or follow Company news on Twitter at @CathedraBitcoin or on Telegram at @CathedraBitcoin.

Cautionary Statement

Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. 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.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws that are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. The information in this release about future plans and objectives of the Company, are forward-looking information. Forward-looking information contained in this news release includes but is not limited to information concerning: the Company's intention to reduce the exercise price of the Warrant, the inclusion of an acceleration provision for the Warrants, the Company's beliefs with respect to the proposed Amendments, the receipt of consent of warrantholders, the intention to relocate approximately 1,129 of its Bitmain S19J Pro machines to a data center owned and operated by the Company in Tennessee and the expectation that such relocation will reduce the Company's effective cash operating cost for such machines by approximately 31%, from US$72.50 per megawatt hour to approximately US$50.00 per megawatt hour, the expected completion of the Company's 60-megawatt North Dakota bitcoin mining data center in September 2024, and the Company's belief that the repricing of the Warrants will increase the likelihood that the Warrants will be exercised, providing the Company with proceeds that can be used to acquire additional bitcoin, develop and/or purchase new data centers, and/or for working capital and general corporate purposes.. Any statements that involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information and are intended to identify forward-looking information. This forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time it was made. The Company has also assumed that no significant events occur outside of its normal course of business.

Additionally, these forward-looking statements may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of Cathedra and general market conditions. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts but instead reflect Cathedra's management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although Cathedra believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed thereon, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the Company. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements are the following: the potential impact of the announcement of the completion of the Transaction on relationships, including with regulatory bodies, employees, customers and competitors; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; changes in applicable laws and regulations both locally and in foreign jurisdictions; compliance with extensive government regulation and the costs associated with compliance; unanticipated costs; changes in market conditions impacting the average revenue per MWh, and the risks and uncertainties associated with foreign markets. Additionally, the forward-looking statements contained herein may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of Cathedra and general market conditions. Please see the Company's management information circular dated June 18, 2024 which is available for view the Company's SEDAR+ profile on www.sedarplus.ca. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended and such changes could be material. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220493

SOURCE: Cathedra Bitcoin Inc.
Der Goldpreis haussiert und schwingt sich von Hoch zu Hoch. Getrieben von geopolitischen Unsicherheiten sowie der Aussicht auf eine lockere Geldpolitik der FED gehen Experten aktuell von weiter steigenden Notierungen bis sogar in den Bereich von 3.000 US-Dollar je Unze Gold aus.



Im Schatten des Basispreises notieren Goldproduzenten aus der zweiten Reihe sowie Explorationsunternehmen noch weit weg von ihren historischen Hochststanden entfernt und bieten dadurch erhebliches Aufholpotential.



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DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / August 19, 2024 / Anderson Injury Lawyers, a personal injury law firm serving the Dallas-Fort Worth area, proudly announces the opening of its new office in Dallas, located at 6301 Gaston Ave #610, Dallas, TX 75214. This new location marks a significant step in the firm's commitment to providing accessible and high-quality legal representation to injury victims throughout the region.

Anderson Injury Lawyers Dallas Gaston Office

Anderson Injury Lawyers Dallas Gaston Office

The new Dallas office will be staffed by experienced personal injury attorneys who are well-versed in Texas law and equipped to handle a wide range of cases, including:

Car accidents

Truck accidents

Motorcycle accidents

Brain injuries

Wrongful death

We understand the impact that personal injuries can have on victims and their loved ones. With that in mind, we strive to provide excellent legal advocacy, a strong pursuit of justice, and the guidance that our clients need to begin moving forward after an accident.

Anderson Injury Lawyers is committed to making legal services accessible to all in Dallas, TX, and surrounding areas. Our Dallas personal injury attorneys offer free consultations and operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning clients pay us nothing unless we win their case.

We invite Dallas residents who have been injured in an accident to contact our new office for a free consultation and to learn more about how we can help.

About Anderson Injury Lawyers

As we continue to offer exceptional legal representation, we remain dedicated to Dallas, TX, providing exceptional, client-focused legal representation. Our founding attorney, Mark Anderson, has made this our firm's mission.

Since our inception in 2007, Anderson Injury Lawyers has been a beacon of hope for individuals and families navigating the complexities of personal injury cases. We maintain a proven track record of securing hundreds of millions in compensation for our clients. Our personal injury attorneys are also dedicated to leveling the playing field against powerful insurance companies and fighting for the rights of those who have been wronged.

Anderson Injury Lawyers is an award-winning personal injury law firm with a reputation for excellence. Attorney Mark Anderson is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law, a distinction held by only 2% of Texas attorneys. With decades of combined legal experience and a commitment to client satisfaction, the firm continues to successfully advocate for injury victims in Dallas.

Contact Our Dallas Law Office to Learn About Our Legal Services

Anderson Injury Lawyers is dedicated to providing compassionate, client-focused legal representation and fighting for the maximum compensation our clients deserve. If you were injured due to someone else's negligence, don't hesitate to get the guidance and support you need during this challenging time.

Contact our new office in Dallas, TX, online to schedule your free consultation with an experienced Dallas personal injury attorney.

Media Contact:

Company Name: Anderson Injury Lawyers - Dallas

Address: 6301 Gaston Ave., Suite 610

City: Dallas

State: Texas

Zip: 75214

Country: United States of America

Phone: (469) 457-4711

https://maafirm.com/about-us/

Contact Information

Mark A. Anderson

Personal Injury Atorney

andersoninjurylawyer@gmail.com

(817) 294-1900

SOURCE: Anderson Injury Lawyers

View the original press release on newswire.com.
New Test Format and Expert Prep Solutions to Support Students' Success

ORADELL, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / August 19, 2024 / On July 15th, the ACT organization announced significant changes to its online, digital test, set to take effect in the spring of 2025. These changes include making the Science section optional, offering new testing options, reducing the number of questions and passage lengths, and shortening the overall testing time. Despite these changes, the scoring system remains consistent, with each section reported on a 1-36 scale and the Composite score being the average of English, Math, and Reading.









The new ACT will last two hours and five minutes, not including breaks. Short breaks will occur between each section (English, Math, Reading). The new online test will be available for National Test Dates starting in Spring 2025, with District/School Day testing following in Spring 2026.

April 2025: ACT National Online Only

September 2025: ACT National Paper & International; Updated Composite Score for All ACT Tests

Spring 2026: State & District Spring 2026 Testing

As the nation's leading tutor and test prep provider, Huntington Learning Center is uniquely positioned to help students navigate these changes and achieve their highest potential scores. For nearly five decades, Huntington has been dedicated to providing personalized, results-driven tutoring and test prep services to over a million students. Our mission is to give every student the best education possible.

Huntington Learning Center offers comprehensive and individualized ACT test prep programs, available in-center, online, and in a combination of both formats, tailored to meet each student's unique needs. With over 45 years of experience, our programs cover content review, test-taking strategies, and time management, delivered through one-on-one as well as small group tutoring by highly trained tutors. By identifying strengths and weaknesses, we develop customized plans that have led to an average ACT improvement of 5.4 points for our students, who have also received an average of $71,000 in scholarship funds, accommodating their schedules to help them achieve their academic goals.

Higher ACT scores can significantly impact college admissions, often making the difference between simply attending college and getting into a dream school. With the right scores, students may also become eligible for scholarships, enhancing their college applications and standing out among other applicants. As more students apply to college, resulting in lower admission rates across all schools, the importance of strong ACT scores has never been greater. Currently, U.S. college admissions test scores are the lowest they have been in 30 years and have continued to decline each year for the past five years.

Anne Huntington Sharma, President of Huntington Learning Center, said, "In light of recent changes in the test prep landscape - ranging from test-optional policies and the digital SAT to the evolving format of the ACT - students and parents might feel overwhelmed. At Huntington Learning Center, we are dedicated to alleviating these concerns by providing expert guidance and support. Our commitment is to ensure that every student is prepared and confident, equipped with the tools needed to excel on the revised ACT and achieve their highest potential scores. As the landscape of college admissions evolves, we stand ready to help students and their parents navigate these shifts and give every student the best education possible."

For more information on our test prep programs and how we can help, please visit HuntingtonHelps.com.

About Huntington Learning Center

Huntington Learning Center is the nation's leading tutoring and test prep provider. We offer customized programs in person, online, and hybrid options. Our certified teachers provide individualized instruction in phonics, reading, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington's programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Huntington is accredited by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Learn how Huntington can help at www.HuntingtonHelps.com and for franchising opportunities, visit www.HuntingtonFranchise.com.

Contact Information

Huntington Learning Center

hlc@mbpconsultants.com

SOURCE: Huntington Learning Center

View the original press release on newswire.com.
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - August 19, 2024) - Argyle Resources Corp. (CSE: ARGL) (OTC Pink: ARLYF) (FSE: ME0) ("Argyle" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Michael Yeung as Chief Financial Officer. With over 18 years of experience in public and private debt and equity markets, Mr. Yeung has held executive roles in both public and private companies. His expertise spans across various leadership positions, including CEO, CFO, and member of the board of directors. He has demonstrated proficiency in financial oversight, strategic financial planning, risk management, and investor relations. As CFO, Mr. Yeung effectively managed financial operations, implemented financial controls, and played a pivotal role in driving the financial health and growth of the organizations he served. His strategic insights and financial acumen have been instrumental in optimizing capital allocation, enhancing financial reporting, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, contributing significantly to the overall success of the companies under his leadership.

Mr. Yeung replaces Mr. Christian Grundling. The Company thanks Mr. Grundling for his services and wishes him success in his future endeavors.

The Company is also pleased to announce that it has appointed Independent Trading Group, Inc. (" ITG ") as a market maker for its shares traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange (" CSE ").

ITG is a leading Canadian broker dealer, providing liquidity and execution services to clients around the world. As a market maker for Argyle, ITG will strive to enhance the liquidity of, and contribute to a fair and orderly market for Argyle's shares in accordance with the policies of the CSE by buying and selling Argyle's shares on the CSE as well as other alternative Canadian trading venues.

Jeff Stevens, CEO of Argyle, commented, "ITG brings tremendous experience and commitment to outstanding client service, which we believe will help Argyle deliver the best possible trading experience for our investors. This is an important step forward for the Company and we are eager to work with ITG."

"ITG is excited to be working with Argyle to provide market-making services to their growing shareholder base," said ITG's Managing Director, Jeff Gamble. "Our experienced traders and proven technology will help to provide a liquid and efficient trading environment for Argyle shares."

ITG is a wholly owned subsidiary of DVX Capital Markets. The contract with ITG is for a three month period, with automatic monthly extensions thereafter for a monthly fee of CDN $5,500. ITG will not receive shares or options as compensation for its services. ITG and Argyle are unrelated and unaffiliated entities and, at the time of the agreement for ITG's services, to the knowledge of the Company, neither ITG nor its principals have an interest, directly or indirectly, in the securities of the Company.

About Independent Trading Group

Independent Trading Group, Inc. is a Toronto based IIROC dealer-member that specializes in market making, liquidity provision, agency execution, ultra-low latency connectivity, and bespoke algorithmic trading solutions. Established in 1992, with a focus on market structure, execution and trading, ITG has leveraged its own proprietary technology to deliver high quality liquidity provision and execution services to a broad array of public issuers and institutional investors.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jeffrey Stevens

President & CEO

About Argyle Resources Corp.

Argyle Resources Corp. is a junior mineral exploration company engaged in the business of acquiring, exploring, staking and evaluating natural resource properties in North America. The Company currently holds an option to acquire up to 100% of the Frenchvale Graphite Property located in Nova Scotia, Canada and owns 100% interest in the Pilgrim Islands, Matapedia and Lac Comporte quartzite silica projects in Quebec, Canada. Argyle is engaged in a research partnership with the National Institute of Scientific Research (INRS), a high-level research and training institute funded by the Quebec government to conduct exploration programs on the Company's silica projects. The Company was incorporated in 2023 and its head office is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, the services offered under the contract and successful enhanced market conditions. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "will", "will be", "intends", "expected" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management of the Company, they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different, including receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. Although management of the Company have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220442

SOURCE: Argyle Resources Corp.
Las Vegas, Nevada--(Newsfile Corp. - August 19, 2024) - Rapper and entrepreneur Waka Flocka Flame announces the launch of Yum2Go, a fresh and new food delivery platform designed to address critical issues in the food industry. Set to debut in Las Vegas in August, Yum2Go introduces a novel business model benefiting restaurants, consumers, and delivery drivers.





Photo courtesy of Yum2Go

Yum2Go introduces a subscription-based model for restaurants. This pricing structure features a flat monthly fee and a commission that includes the merchant fee. It is designed to provide a cost-saving alternative compared to traditional percentage-based fees charged by other delivery services.

"We're here to revolutionize the food delivery game," says Waka Flocka Flame. "Our goal is to create a fairer ecosystem that supports local businesses, offers consumers better value, and ensures drivers are well-compensated."

The platform presents key features to benefit restaurants, consumers, and delivery drivers. Its flat subscription fee model provides restaurants predictable expenses and improved profit margins. The platform offers fair pricing for consumers, making food delivery more affordable by reducing the cost burden typically placed on restaurants. Current industry standards often see delivery prices averaging 25% higher than dining in.

Yum2Go also addresses a significant issue in the gig economy by offering competitive compensation to drivers. This strategy aims to enhance driver satisfaction and retention rates. Additionally, Yum2Go is launching as a national brand with a focus on community contribution and support, acknowledging the vital role restaurants play beyond merely serving food.

Yum2Go will launch nationally in August 2024, starting in Las Vegas, Nevada, and then expanding to Orlando and Miami, Florida, in September 2024. This phased rollout strategy allows Yum2Go to refine its operations and ensure a smooth user experience across different markets.

"We recognize that restaurants are more than just food service providers - they're vital to our communities," Waka Flocka Flame adds. "Yum2Go is about supporting these businesses while giving consumers the convenience they crave at a fair price."

As the food delivery space changes, Yum2Go's launch marks a significant development in the industry's ongoing transformation. The company's focus on fairness, affordability, and community support is introducing timely improvements in the food delivery market.

For more information about Yum2Go and its services, visit yum2go.com.

About Yum2Go

Yum2Go is a food delivery platform founded by rapper and entrepreneur Waka Flocka Flame. Launching in 2024, the company aims to disrupt the food delivery industry by offering a fair and sustainable model for restaurants, consumers, and delivery drivers. Yum2Go's subscription-based pricing structure and commitment to community support distinguish it in the competitive food delivery market.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/217462

SOURCE: Baden Bower
Key Highlights

Phase two of diamond drilling has commenced with primary focus on Greenfield targets at Malachite

Drill targets at Malachite focused on large, mineralised zones identified through the highly successful winter Reverse Circulation ("RC") drill program

Phase one of diamond drilling completed at the end of July 2024 with assays expected over the next couple of weeks

Till survey over highly prospective Intersection Project completed recently with assays expected over the course of the next several weeks

Airborne magnetic geophysical survey over highly prospective Bunker Hill Project currently underway along with prospecting and mapping

Airborne survey over the highly prospective, high-grade gold/antimony at Hermitage is expected to commence in the Canadian autumn of 2024

Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - August 19, 2024) - AuMEGA Metals Ltd (formerly Matador Mining Ltd) (ASX: AAM) (TSXV: AUM) (OTCQB: AUMMF) ("AuMEGA" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the start of the second phase of diamond drilling on the Cape Ray Shear Zone ("CRSZ") located in Newfoundland, Canada. The primary focus of this diamond drilling is on Greenfield targets at Malachite. The Company expects to drill between 2,000 and 3,000 metres and the total meterage will be based on results and weather conditions.

AuMEGA Metal's Managing Director and CEO, Sam Pazuki commented:

"We are very excited for this second phase of diamond drilling. Our highly successful RC winter drill program identified three, large, mineralised zones at Malachite and through our targeting workshop and detailed analysis, we have identified several drill targets within two of these zones. Our primary focus and initial drill targets are at the O-2 West area. Here, the RC program delivered the best bedrock sample and a series of additional holes on the same line and across multiple RC lines. One hole delivered 627 ppb gold along with 1.99% copper in bedrock only seven metres below surface right into a structure that splays off the main O-2 breakout structure. This was clear a standout result. In general, the RC program delivered significant gold anomalism with several gold values including the O-2 West result that ranged 25 to 200 times greater than average crustal abundance.

"In addition to O-2 West, we will be diamond drilling the O-2 East target, which was the site of the next best RC holes from the winter program and an area with significant geochemical anomalies as well as structural complexity. Additionally, we seek to drill O-2 North, which in2022, delivered one of the highest gold grain counts from a sample in Newfoundland. This drilling will target several structures splaying off the main O-2 target. As always, the number of drillholes and the amount of drilling we do will be based on results. Assay results from this drilling would be expected over a period of six to eight weeks.

"The Company completed the first phase of diamond drilling a few weeks ago at the end of July. Final assay results from this program are expected over the course of the next couple weeks. The till survey work at Intersection was completed recently and results from this work is expected in four to six weeks. Meanwhile, after some unexpected delays with equipment arrival, the airborne magnetic survey is currently underway over Bunker Hill, a sizeable area that contains some of the highest grade historic samples on the belt."

FIGURE 1: MALACHITE HIGH-PRIORITY TARGETS1

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10713/220529_51d7d3e784cbab93_002full.jpg

FIGURE 2: DIAMOND DRILLING AT O-2 WEST TARGET

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10713/220529_51d7d3e784cbab93_003full.jpg

- ENDS -

This announcement has been authorised for release by the Company's Board of Directors.

About the Company

AuMEGA Metals Ltd (ASX: AAM) (TSXV: AUM) (OTCQB: AUMMF) is utilising best-in-class exploration to explore on its district scale land package that spans 110 kilometers along the Cape Ray Shear Zone, a significant under-explored geological feature recognised as Newfoundland, Canada's largest identified gold structure. This zone currently hosts Calibre Mining's Valentine Gold Project, which is the region's largest gold deposit (+5 million ounces), along with AuMEGA's expanding Mineral Resource.

The Company is supported by a diverse shareholder registry of prominent global institutional investors, and strategic investment from B2Gold Corp, a leading, multi-million-ounce a year gold producer.

Additionally, AuMEGA holds a 27-kilometer stretch of the highly prospective Hermitage Flexure and has also secured an Option Agreement for the Blue Cove Copper Project in southeastern Newfoundland, which exhibits strong potential for copper and other base metals.

AuMEGA's Cape Ray Shear Zone hosts several dozen high potential targets along with its existing defined gold Mineral Resource of 6.1 million tonnes of ore grading an average of 2.25 g/t, totaling 450,000 ounces of Indicated Resources, and 3.4 million tonnes of ore grading an average of 1.44 g/t, totaling 160,000 ounces in Inferred Resources.

AuMEGA acknowledges the financial support of the Junior Exploration Assistance Program, Department of Industry, Energy and Technology, Provincial Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

Reference to Previous ASX Announcements

In relation to this news release, all data used to assess targets have been previously disclosed by the Company and referenced in previous JORC Table 1 releases. Please see announcements dated: Mineral Resource estimate announced on 30 May 2023, Company exploration announcements on 16 January 2024 and 23 May 2024, Malachite announcements dated 20 April 2022, 8 June 2022, 12 September 2022, 14 September 2022, 6 October 2022, 12 December 2022, 25 January 2023 and 11 October 2023, Bunker Hill announcements on 14 April 2021, 22 March 2023 and 6 April 2023, Intersection related announcements 16 January 2024 and 29 October 2020, Winter RC drill results reported on 23 April 2024 and 28 May 2024 and the Resource Corridor announcement on 5 June 2024.

In relation to the Mineral Resource estimate announced on 30 May 2023, the Company confirms that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in that announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company confirms that the form and context in which the Competent Person's findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcement.

Competent Person's Statements

The information contained in this announcement that relates to exploration results is based upon information reviewed by Mr. Spencer Vatcher, P. Geo. who is an independent consultant employed with Silvertip Exploration Consultants Inc. Mr. Vatcher is a Member of the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Newfoundland and Labrador (PEGNL) and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code 2012. Mr. Vatcher consents to the inclusion in the announcement of the matters based upon the information in the form and context in which it appears.

1 Refer ASX Announcement dated 12 June 2024 & 5 June 2024

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220529

SOURCE: AuMEGA Metals Ltd.
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, DHAKA, Bangladesh and BANGALORE, India, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TUV Rheinland is one of the first testing companies to be approved to assess manufacturers and suppliers in the photovoltaic (PV) industry according to the ESG standards of the Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI). The Solar Stewardship Initiative is an internal industry initiative with the aim of ensuring sustainability in the photovoltaic supply chain. The ESG Standard developed by the SSI is specifically tailored to the needs of the photovoltaic industry and its customers.

The newly developed ESG Standard considers both international standards and expertise from the PV industry. It assesses a company's performance in the areas of governance, business ethics, the environment and human & labour rights (environmental, social, governance, ESG). Member companies of the SSI are obliged to have two of their sites assessed in accordance with the ESG Standard by an authorised body such as TUV Rheinland within twelve months.

"The aim of the ESG standard is to contribute to a more responsible, transparent and sustainable solar value chain. We are honored to be recognized as an Assessment Body by the Solar Stewardship Initiative. This partnership aligns with our mission to support sustainable development and innovation in the solar industry. We look forward to contributing our expertise to drive forward the goals of the SSI", says Frank Dorssers, who is responsible for the global Customized Services business at TUV Rheinland.

To know more, visit: https://rb.gy/or44wt

Safety and quality in almost all areas of business and life: That's what TUV Rheinland stands for. The company has been active for more than 150 years and is one of the world's leading testing service providers. TUV Rheinland has more than 22,000 employees in over 50 countries and generates annual sales of more than 2.4 billion euros. TUV Rheinland's highly qualified experts test technical systems and products around the globe, accompany innovations in technology and business, train people in numerous professions and certify management systems according to international standards. In this way, the independent experts ensure trust along global flows of goods and value chains. Since 2006, TUV Rheinland has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact for more sustainability and against corruption.

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Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2414723/TUV_company_Logo.jpg

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R&S Group Holding AG / Key word(s): Acquisition

R&S Group agrees to acquire Kyte Powertech, a leading manufacturer of distribution transformer solutions, to broaden geographic footprint in Ireland, the UK and Western Europe



20-Aug-2024 / 06:30 CET/CEST

Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR R&S Group agrees to acquire Kyte Powertech, a leading manufacturer of distribution transformer solutions, to broaden geographic footprint in Ireland, the UK and Western Europe R&S Group agrees to acquire Kyte Powertech for an enterprise value of EUR 250 million

Combined pro forma net sales of CHF 384 million, EBITDA of CHF 81 million and EBIT of CHF 78 million 1)

Complementary acquisition that will enhance product portfolio and give access to new markets and customers, with synergies from cross-selling opportunities and operating efficiencies

The acquisition of Kyte Powertech will expand R&S Group's management capacities and capabilities, supporting the strong growth momentum

Kyte Powertech management shareholding in R&S Group proves strong commitment 20 August 2024 - R&S Group Holding AG (SIX: RSGN), a leading provider of electrical infrastructure components in focus markets in Europe and the Middle East, has entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of Kyte Powertech Limited, an Ireland-based leading manufacturer of distribution transformers. R&S Group agreed to acquire Kyte Powertech from MML Growth Capital Partners Ireland and existing management for an enterprise value of EUR 250 million on 20 August 2024. The majority of the consideration will be paid in cash secured by a bridge facility and a participation roll-over by management, a sign of strong commitment to future performance. "M&A is a strategic pillar of the R&S Group roadmap," says Markus Laesser, CEO of R&S Group. "Combining with a leader in additional markets which R&S Group is currently not serving, will strengthen the combined group and management capabilities. We are gaining in our product offering and technical expertise." Kyte Powertech, founded in 1977 and headquartered in Cavan, Ireland, is a manufacturer of distribution transformer solutions, with main markets being Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Kyte Powertech's competitive edge is built on the ability to provide designs and solutions in-house, and its engineering capabilities. These factors have resulted in strong, long-lasting relationships with leading utilities. These aspects translate into a strong increase in financial performance of 52% against prior year to EUR 165 million of net sales and EUR 33 million of EBIT in FY2024 (as of 31 March 2024)2). Kyte Powertech's competitive advantage as a well-positioned player means it can count on a significant amount of repeat and recurring business. Kyte Powertech has about 490 employees. R&S Group stays fully committed to the production facility in Cavan and its workforce, and intends to significantly invest in capacities and its technology center. Kyte Powertech's management team has committed to stay on board and invested with a participation of around 6% in R&S Group shares to ensure continuity within the business. Stephanie Leonard, CEO Kyte Powertech adds: "Over the past years we have achieved the evolution of Kyte Powertech into a European champion in the transformer industry. We are excited to join forces with R&S Group, continue our growth trajectory together and further strengthen the deep customer relationships and recognition of our brand". Strong strategic and financial rationale R&S Group's strategy is to focus on its existing capabilities when entering new markets and adding complementary applications. In addition to organic growth, acquisitions are a key pillar of value creation. The acquisition of Kyte Powertech will be complementary on several levels and represent a unique fit to R&S Group's strategy. Both companies have a long history of engineering excellence, high-quality products, close customer and supplier relationships, strong brand equity and high market shares. Kyte Powertech will give R&S Group access to an attractive product portfolio in distribution transformers, with synergies from cross-selling opportunities, procurement and R&D. It will add production capacity through a central manufacturing site in Cavan, Ireland, to capture strong demand potential. The transaction will also expand the sales network into Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and France and improve the joint service expertise. The combination will also strengthen R&S Group's management capabilities and benefit from a shared culture focusing on product quality and sustainability. Guidance R&S Group is confirming its guidance on net sales growth and EBIT margins as published on 17 May 2024. The free cash flow guidance for 2024 is currently under review due to transaction costs related to this acquisition and subsequent tax payments in Italy as well as for the mid-term due to new capital expenditure plans for the combined group. The Board of Directors of R&S Group changes the dividend policy towards a stable dividend of CHF 0.50 per share for 2024 and for the financial years 2025 and 2026 (each paid out in the following years once approved by the shareholders). Financing and expected timetable The completion of the transaction is expected to occur in the course of today and the funding for the acquisition has been secured by a bridge facility amounting to CHF 233 million as well as a rollover of a significant portion of shares held by existing Kyte Powertech management into RSGN shares. The bridge facility is expected to be refinanced by a combination of a new bank debt facility, excess cash and an equity issuance of CHF 23 million for which R&S has secured commitments and is planned to be executed in a timely manner. R&S Group is expected to receive equity proceeds from the committed execution of R&S Group warrants, among others, by Artemis Beteiligungen in the amount of CHF 9.6 million and from the partial sale of treasury shares held by the company of approximately CHF 10 million secured by a commitment of Zurcher Kantonalbank. Upon completion of the takeout of the bridge facility and the equity issuance, R&S Group's immediate net leverage is around 2.25x LTM EBITDA (as of June 2024), ensuring a prudent capital structure and balance sheet strength. The aim is to reduce this to 2x LTM EBITDA by year-end 2024. UBS acts as Exclusive Financial Advisor to R&S Group on the transaction.



1) based on June 2024 LTM (last 12 months)

2) Kyte Powertech financials reported under UK GAAP



Conference for analysts, investors and media The company will host a physical conference for analysts, investors and the media in Zurich covering the envisaged acquisition of Kyte Powertech on 20 August 2024, at 11.00 CEST, at UBS,

St. Peterstrasse 19, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland. A pre-registration by e-mail is appreciated. Alternatively, the conference can be joined online via Teams Call (LINK) . A presentation covering the key aspects of the transaction is available for download in the IR section of R&S Group's website https://ir.the-rsgroup.com/presentations/

Calendar 2024 11 September 2024 half-year report 31 October Capital Markets Day



Contact Investor and Media Relations R&S Group



Doris Rudischhauser

Phone: +41 79 410 81 88

Email: investors@the-rsgroup.com

About R&S Group



R&S Group Holding AG's ("R&S Group", the "company") operating headquarters are located in Sissach/BL, Switzerland. With six manufacturing facilities in Switzerland, Italy, Poland and the Middle East, R&S Group serves its domestic and various European export markets with small and medium power and distribution transformers and other components in the utility, infrastructure and industrial sectors. The company has been successfully positioned to benefit from the accelerating demand for energy production and distribution, driven by the global trend towards decarbonization. R&S Group has been listed on SIX Swiss Exchange since 13 December 2023 under the ticker symbol RSGN following its successful business combination with VT5 Acquisition AG, a previously Swiss-listed Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC). Further information about the R&S Group can be found at www.ir.the-rsgroup.com . About Kyte Powertech



Kyte Powertech Limited ("Kyte Powertech") is headquartered in Cavan, Ireland. With a central manufacturing facility in Cavan and further sales and service representations in Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, Kyte Powertech serves its domestic and various European export markets with utility distribution transformers across the entire mega volt ampere (MVA) spectrum. The company is well positioned to capture market growth, benefitting from long-standing customer relationships, high-quality reputation and a track record of consistent delivery for customers. Further information about Kyte Powertech can be found at www.kytepowertech.com .



Disclaimer



This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning R&S Group Holding AG and its business, including the business of Kyte Powertech Limited. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of R&S Group Holding AG to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. R&S Group Holding AG is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Additional features:





File: R&S Group agrees to acquire Kyte Powertech, a leading manu-facturer of distribution transformer solutions, to broaden geo-graphic footprint in Ireland, the UK and Western Europe

End of Inside Information
Seven-year research program proves clothes including jeans and T-shirts can last more than 50% longer [1] with gentler wash conditions.

STOCKHOLM, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- New research, published today in the fourth edition of The Truth About Laundry report, proves that choosing lower temperatures and shorter cycles, can lengthen the lifespan of clothes by more than 50%. Conducted by Electrolux Group, a leading home appliance company in sustainability, the study is part of a seven-year, science-led research program focused on extending clothing life.

Through extensive laboratory testing, different washing methods were tested on various fabrics, selected to represent common clothing types including denim jeans and cotton T-shirts. Color degradation was regularly monitored and over 600 panelists determined the point at which clothes would be disposed of.

The outcome is a new metric, the Electrolux Care Index, a new methodology that can measure the impact of different washing treatments on the durability of clothes. For example, a cotton T-shirt washed at 30C for 59 minutes will last over 50% longer than when it's washed on a regular 40C cycle, which can last up to 120 minutes. The outcome was similar for denim jeans.

"In 2021, we published a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study on Electrolux machines that revealed a 20-25% reduction in Global Warming Potential by shifting from 40C to 30C washes," says the study's lead, Elisa Stabon (M. Sc Chemistry) Head of Product Experience, Product Line Care, Electrolux Group. "We have now gone further with this new research. To reduce the significant environmental footprint of clothing, we need to keep garments in use for longer. The two simplest ways of achieving that are to firstly, wear clothes more times in between washes and, secondly, wash them in gentler conditions. Namely, lower temperatures and shorter cycles."

These results could be significant. The substantial environmental impact of the fashion industry has been widely reported. It is responsible for more annual greenhouse gas emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined [2] and contributes to 10% of global carbon emissions [3].

But it's in the home that Electrolux Group's new study could have the biggest implications. The average European [4] throws away over 6.5kg [5] of clothes [6] each year, 87% of which are either incinerated or end up in landfill [7] It's the equivalent of nearly 13.5 tons of clothes being discarded every day, long before the majority needs to be [8]. According to WRAP, a UK based climate action NGO, extending clothing life presents the single largest opportunity to reduce the carbon, water and waste footprints of clothes [9].

According to data from its fourth edition of The Truth about Laundry 2024, encouraging people to choose gentler washing programs continues to be a challenge. The study, which has been surveying up to 14,000 people across fourteen European countries since 2020, highlights most households continue to wash at higher temperatures even though millions of households have experienced laundry blunders:

59% of households across Europe claim to wash their clothes mainly at 40C and above.

Only 12% of Europeans think that cycle duration has an impact on clothing life when it can have a substantial influence.

Two thirds (66%) of Europeans have experienced that sinking feeling of opening the appliance to find an item of clothing shrunk or misshapen.

Nearly three quarters (74%) have also experienced color fading.

Nearly 8 in 10 Europeans (79%) acknowledged that laundry blunders were a result of their own actions. The most common reason cited was the temperature being too high.

The reasons behind Europe's persistent relationship with higher wash temperatures appear varied and complex. On one hand, the majority of people are happy with the results when they wash at 30C with only 12% claiming their washing did not clean as well as expected. On the other hand, when asked what stops them from washing at 30C more often, more than a third (34%) reported not being confident it would remove stains. Tellingly, the second most popular reason cited for not lowering the temperature was due to habit.

The report suggests that habit may be a major reason consumers remain committed to a 40C wash cycle. Electrolux Group's own data indicates that the 40C cottons setting is the most frequently used on washing machines, with cycle durations typically ranging from 90 to 120 minutes. Ideally, appliances should default to the lowest optimal setting. For instance, over 70% of programs in three of Electrolux's latest ranges default to 30C or 20C.

Although newer appliances allow consumers to adjust default settings, the research reveals a reluctance and a knowledge gap. Nearly 74% of Europeans stick to the default wash temperature, and almost 30% are unaware they can change it. Similarly, 78% of users adhere to the default cycle duration, with 35% not knowing it can be adjusted. The Electrolux Care Index indicates that temperature and cycle duration significantly influence clothing longevity. Generally, cooler and shorter washes help extend the life of garments.

"Our relationship with clothing goes beyond mere practicality; it encompasses environmental stewardship and responsible consumption," says Sarah Schaefer, VP Sustainability Europe and APMEA at Electrolux Group. "By adopting mindful laundry practices - such as lowering temperatures, shortening cycle duration and reducing detergent usage - we can drastically lessen the carbon footprint of our clothing care routines. Through this lens, laundry becomes not just a chore but an act of mindfulness - a way to honor the resources that went into making our clothes and the planet that sustains us."

To extend clothing life and reduce its environmental impact, Electrolux Group recommends the following five steps.

Step 1: Think. BEFORE. Wash

Common laundry blunders like shrinkage, color run, and fading lead to millions of clothes being incinerated or landfilled prematurely. Most can be avoided by choosing the right settings. For easier laundry, choose appliances with features like Electrolux's UltraQuick 59 min function, which completely removes over 50 common stains at 30C [10] in under an hour and can save up to 30% energy [11].

Step 2: Be smart(er) with technology

Most people are missing out on their appliance's capabilities. Less than half (46%) rarely consult the instructions and 22% never do. Understanding the appliance can lead to better choices but reading instructions isn't for everyone. For those households, appliances with smarter technology might be the solution. For example, Electrolux SmartSelect feature simplifies the process, guiding users to save time, energy, and water effortlessly. With just one click, it can save up to 80% of energy, 50% of time, and 20% of water [12].

Step 3: Default to 30C

With most consumers sticking to defaults, it's important to check what the default settings are. Most can be changed making it easy to lower the temperature to 30C which is suitable for most washes. For new appliances, choose ones where the defaults are already better for clothes. Across three of its newest ranges, for example, Electrolux has set the defaults of 70% of its programs to 30C or 20C.

Step 4: Reduce time

As the Electrolux Care Index reveals, shorter cycles can extend clothing life - yet only 12% of Europeans know this. They also reduce energy consumption, a concern for 77%. Being mindful to reduce the default time settings is a step households can instantly take. Or when choosing a new appliance go for one that can take the effort out of decision making. Electrolux new UltraQuick program removes over 50 common stains at lower temperatures and can save up to 30% energy [13].

Step 5: Read. Wear. Refresh.

Always consult the care label and remember that the wash temperature indicated is the maximum, not the recommended. Frequent washing wears out clothes and increases the chance of laundry mishaps. Lots of clothes including jeans, T-shirts and tops can be worn more between washes. Often, just airing clothes after wearing and treating stains separately with a damp cloth and mild detergent can suffice. Another option, when choosing a new appliance, is to consider one that has a steam function. Electrolux SteamRefresh program refreshes clothes in 25 minutes and uses up to 96% less water than washing [14]. Steam also helps reduces wrinkles [15] and odors [16].

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the report - The Truth About Laundry

Electrolux has been producing and sharing The Truth about Laundry since 2021. The findings in this latest study are based on quantitative data collected from 14,000 adults across fourteen European markets. OnePoll, a survey-led market research company - managed the research in collaboration with Electrolux and its partners. The survey was fielded between 28th November 2023 to 3rd January 2024 with data collected in the following countries: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK; general population, 1000 per country. While the data is mainly from EU countries, due to the size and scale of the research, and to maintain consistency with previous years, we have applied the findings to Europe.

The data was weighted for each country to ensure accurate representation by age, marital status, income/social class, ethnicity, and religion. For a statistic of 50% the margin of error for sampling on a sample of 1000 respondents is 3.1%. For smaller or larger statistics, the margin of error will decrease and falls to 1.9% for a statistic of 10% or 90%. This is based on all countries having 1000 respondents per market. This margin of error is small making the data highly reliable.

References

[1] Based on a 59-minute cycle at 30C

[2] Ellen MacArthur Foundation, A new textiles economy: redesigning fashion's future (2017)

[3] Textiles and the environment: the role of design in Europe's circular economy - European Environment Agency (europa.eu)

[4] EU Monitor, The impact of textile production and waste on the environment

[5] Wood Mackenzie presentation, Product developments in manmade fibres: Is cotton able to compete? (2016)

[6] Excluding footwear

[7] https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/a-new-textiles-economy

[8] Fashion Revolution

[9] WRAP, Design-extending-clothing-life

[10] Based on external test of stain removal on 50 common household stains using UltraQuick 30C?program with 5kg load

[11] Based on internal test comparing energy consumption of the 40C cotton program with the 59 min 30C?UltraQuick program

[12] Based on internal test comparing energy, time and water consumption of SmartSelect Normal setting Cotton 40 with SmartSelect Extra Light setting Cotton 20 on a 4kg cotton load.

[13] Based on internal test comparing energy consumption of the 40C cotton program with the 39 min 30C?UltraQuick program

[14] Internal test with a 1 kg load on the steam program vs the delicates program

[15] Based on Internal test comparing the number of wrinkles on 100% woven cotton fabric before and after a SteamRefresh cycle

[16] Based on external test comparing cigarette smoke odor in 100% cotton fabric before and after the SteamRefresh cycle

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

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Arlington, Virginia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 20, 2024) - Edge Total Intelligence Inc. (TSXV: CTRL) (OTC Pink: UNFYF) (FSE: Q5I) ("edgeTI", "Company"), is pleased to announce that its partner, North Wind Group, is mentioned in the Gartner webinar: Reshape Products, Customer Experience and Operations With Digital Twins 1.





Complementary Webinar Explores How Business Leaders Can Utilize Digital Twins

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"Digital Twins are a hub for digital transformation. Jim Furr, North Wind Group's CIO and President/General Manager of their IT/Cyber business line and his team transformed the corporate decision-making culture," voiced Jim Barrett, CEO of edgeTI. "Using our edgeCore platform, Jim Furr's team unites and delivers data in real-time to make better and faster data-driven business decisions. By integrating edgeCore data connections into the daily workflow of enterprise business processes, North Wind Group reduces time-to-execute and unnecessary double/triple entries while increasing accuracy and access."

According to the abstract for the Gartner webinar, which requires a business email to review on demand, "Leading enterprises innovating with digital twins contribute to process improvements, enhance business visibility and drive revenue."

Jim Barrett added, "Al Velosa, Gartner VP Analyst, does a tremendous job explaining cultural resistance and how to navigate this challenge that threatens success. What impressed me was the ability to walk away from this session with answers to vital questions and a copy of the research slides and recommended actions to achieve goals."

1Gartner Webinar: Reshape Products, Customer Experience and Operations With Digital Twins, Al Velosa, 24 July 2024

Gartner Trademark and Disclaimer:

GARTNER is the registered trademark and service mark of Gartner Inc., and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and/or internationally and has been used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About edgeTI

edgeTI helps customers sustain situational awareness and accelerate action with its real-time digital operations software, edgeCore that unites multiple software applicates and data sources into one immersive experience called a Digital Twin. Global enterprises, service providers, and governments are more profitable when insight and action are united to deliver fluid journeys via the platform's low-code development capability and composable operations. With edgeCore, customers can improve their margins and agility by rapidly transforming siloed systems and data across continuously evolving situations in business, technology, and cross-domain operations - helping them achieve the impossible.

Website: https://edgeti.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/edgeti

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/edgetechnologies

Forward-Looking Information and Statements

Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking statements or information for the purposes of applicable Canadian and US securities law. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking wording such as "may", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intend", "believe" and "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations.

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, including but not limited to business, economic and capital market conditions. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the demand for its products, anticipated costs, and the ability to achieve goals. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include the competition and general economic, and market or business conditions. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220487

SOURCE: Edge Total Intelligence Inc.
LONDON, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarivate Plc (NYSE: CLVT), a leading global provider of transformative intelligence, has appointed Melanie Margolin to the expanded role of Chief Administrative and Legal Officer. She joined the company as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer in September 2023.

Ms. Margolin successfully leverages her experience as a seasoned executive to advance key strategic programs at Clarivate. She has a proven track record of establishing strong controls for complex organizations through business-first legal advice and a sustained focus on people-centric leadership. In her expanded role, Ms. Margolin will oversee human resources, facilities, communications and brand functions in addition to global legal affairs, risk, sustainability, privacy and compliance.

"Melanie is a valued member of the executive team, and I look forward to benefiting from her insights as we continue to build on Clarivate's strong foundation and drive enhanced execution and performance," said Matti Shem Tov, Chief Executive Officer at Clarivate. "In addition to her storied legal career, Melanie has a long-standing passion for talent development, making her the natural fit for this role as we chart the path forward."

"The past year has made it clear that our team is core to our success," said Ms. Margolin. "I am deeply honored to lead our new function as we deliver integrated strategies to empower our colleagues, elevate talent and enable Clarivate to grow faster and smarter. I look forward to working closely with Matti and the entire Clarivate team to foster a culture of collaboration and growth."

About Melanie Margolin

Melanie Margolin is a legal expert and business leader with more than 25 years of experience overseeing legal, risk mitigation, corporate governance and compliance for global publicly listed companies. Prior to joining Clarivate, Ms. Margolin served as Chief Legal Officer for Thumbtack, a venture-backed leading local services marketplace. Ms. Margolin also previously served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Wabash National, Inc., an industrial manufacturing and transportation company, and as Deputy General Counsel at Cummins, Inc., a global power manufacturer and distribution business.

Ms. Margolin holds a bachelor's degree in speech communication from University of Illinois, a juris doctor from DePaul University College of Law and is a graduate of the Executive Finance Program at Harvard Business School.

About Clarivate

Clarivate is a leading global provider of transformative intelligence. We offer enriched data, insights & analytics, workflow solutions and expert services in the areas of Academia & Government, Intellectual Property and Life Sciences & Healthcare. For more information, please visit www.clarivate.com

Media Contact

Amy Bourke-Waite, Senior Director, Corporate Communications

newsroom@clarivate.com

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As businesses and industries become more conscious of their energy consumption and environmental impact, they are increasingly seeking power supply solutions that offer higher efficiency and lower energy waste. This trend is fueled by both cost-saving initiatives and regulatory pressures to reduce carbon footprints, thereby expected to boost the demand of industrial power supply market during the forecast period.

WILMINGTON, Del., Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Industrial Power Supply Market by Type (Switching Power Supplies, Unregulated Power Supplies, Linear Power Supplies and Others), Product (Panel Mount, DC/DC Converters, LED Drivers, Battery Chargers and Others), Application (Industrial Automation, Medical Devices, Telecommunication, Data Centers and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2024-2033". According to the report, the industrial power supply market was valued at $11.6 billion in 2023, and is estimated to reach $32.1 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 10.6% from 2024 to 2033.

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/A07828

Prime determinants of growth

As solar, wind, and other renewable energy technologies are increasingly integrated into power grids and industrial operations, there's a growing need for specialized power supply systems that can efficiently manage and convert the variable output from these sources. Industrial power supplies play a crucial role in this transition by providing the necessary power conditioning, voltage regulation, and energy storage solutions to ensure a stable and reliable power flow from renewable sources to industrial equipment. The expansion of renewable energy sources is significantly driving the demand for industrial power supplies market.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2024-2033 Base Year 2023 Market Size in 2023 $11.6 billion Market Size in 2033 $32.1 billion CAGR 10.6 % No. of Pages in Report 340 Segments Covered Type, Product, Application, and Region. Drivers Rising demand for energy-efficient power supplies

Increased demand for power supply reliability and stability Opportunity Rising adoption of electric vehicles Restraint High maintenance and operational costs

The switching power supplies segment is expected to experience the fastest growth throughout the forecast period.

By type, the switching power supplies segment held the highest market share in 2023 and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Switching power supplies indeed operate at significantly higher efficiency levels compared to linear power supplies, typically in the range of 80-95%. The efficiency of switching power supplies stems from their operating principle. They rapidly switch the input voltage on and off at high frequencies, typically in the range of 10 to 100 kilohertz. This switching action, combined with energy storage in inductors or capacitors, allows for efficient power conversion with minimal energy loss.

Procure Complete Report (340 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @ https://bit.ly/4g2ol3A

The DC/DC converters segment is expected to experience the fastest growth throughout the forecast period.

By product type, the DC/DC converters segment held the highest market share in 2023 and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. DC/DC converters play a crucial role in modern electronics, serving as the backbone of power management systems across a wide range of applications. Their dominance in the market stems from their versatility and essential function in converting and regulating voltage levels.

The industrial automation segment is expected to experience the fastest growth throughout the forecast period.

By application, the industrial automation segment held the highest market share in 2023 and is estimated to dominate during the forecast period. As factories and production facilities increasingly adopt automated systems, robotics, and interconnected devices, the demand for reliable, efficient, and sophisticated power solutions has skyrocketed. These automated systems require precise power management to ensure optimal performance and minimize downtime.

Asia-Pacific is expected to experience the fastest growth throughout the forecast period.

By region, Asia-Pacific was the fastest growing region in terms of revenue in 2023. Rapid industrialization across the region is a primary factor driving the demand for industrial power supplies. Countries such as China, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia are experiencing significant industrial growth, with a focus on manufacturing sectors such as automotive, electronics, and textiles. This industrial expansion necessitates reliable and efficient power supply solutions to support the increasing number of factories and production facilities. All these factors are expected to drive the demand for the industrial power supply market.

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Leading Market Players: -

Siemens AG

ABB Ltd.

General Electric Company

Schneider Electric

Eaton

Advanced Energy

Bel Fuse Inc

Delta Electronics, Inc.

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Power Integrations.

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global industrial power supply market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

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About us:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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WILMINGTON, Del., Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Vacational Rental Market by Accommodation (Home, Condos, Hometown and Villas), Price Point (Economic, Mid-Range, and Luxury), Booking Type (Online Travel Agency, Direct Booking and Others), Location Type (Resort Area, Rural Area, Small Town and Others), and End User Generation (Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2024-2033". According to the report, the vacational rental market was valued at $97.8 billion in 2023, and is estimated to reach $279.5 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 11.2% from 2024 to 2033.

Download Sample Pages of Research Overview: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/A06557

Prime determinants of growth

The primary drivers of the expansion of the vacation rental market include rise in demand for distinctive travel experiences, driven by people's need for flexibility and space, and technological developments that simplify booking procedures. Furthermore, cost-effectiveness of immersive travel experiences in comparison to traditional hotel accommodations is contributing to its increasing popularity. Moreover, maintenance of high-quality standards, address to security concerns, and adoption of several opportunities for market expansion and innovation are essential for sustained growth.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2024-2033 Base Year 2023 Market Size in 2022 $97.8 billion Market Size in 2033 $279.5 billion CAGR 11.2 % No. of Pages in Report 250 Segments Covered Accommodation, Price Point, Booking Type, Location Type, End User Generation, and Region Drivers Increased demand for unique experiences

Flexibility and space

Advancements in technology

Rise in travel trends Opportunities Enhanced guest experiences

Expansion into new markets

Innovation in technology Restraints Regulatory challenges

Dependence on the travel industry

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Segment Highlights

Travelers have access to a wide range of options across the globe due to surge in the vacation rental industry for homes. There is accommodation available to cater to every preference and financial plan, ranging from luxurious villas offering breathtaking sea views to charming cabins settled in the serene woods. Homeowners use platforms such as Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com to market their properties and interact with prospective guests interested in renting for a short period of time. These online platforms provide an effective way for homeowners to connect with a wide range of travelers who are in search of accommodation for various purposes, including holidays, business trips, or any other personal reasons. The demand for vacation rentals shows no indications of slowing down, indicating continuous expansion in the sector as travelers seek privacy, space, and immersion in the local culture increasingly.

Customers seeking mid-range vacation rental, prioritizing affordability and quality to take services. Properties usually provide cozy comforts and contemporary conveniences without the premium price tag. These rentals frequently provide dependable Wi-Fi, comfortable living areas, and well-equipped kitchens. Having a strategic location near popular attractions or scenic spots is highly advantageous for businesses. It attracts the target audience and enhances their overall satisfaction. Usually ranging from $100 to $300 per night, pricing considers the property's characteristics, location, and seasonal demand. Excellent customer service and individualized touches make rental stand out in this competitive market and encourage repeat business.

Direct reservations in the vacation rental sector provide several benefits for both hosts and guests. Hosts potentially increase their earnings by avoiding costly commission fees by rejecting third-party platforms. When guests make direct reservations with hosts, however, they frequently benefit from individualized experiences and cheaper pricing. Direct reservations encourage direct connection between hosts and visitors, which facilitates better scheduling of local suggestions, special requests, and check-in timings. Furthermore, hosts build closer bonds with their visitors, which foster greater loyalty and possibly even recommendations. In general, direct reservations encourage openness, adaptability, and a satisfying experience for all stakeholders engaged in the vacation rental industry.

Regional Outlook

Several factors drive the substantial expansion of the vacation rental market in various countries and regions. The popularity of short-term rentals in North America has increased due to emergence of places such as Airbnb and Vrbo, which attract business and leisure tourists looking for distinctive lodging. The rich cultural legacy of Europe and rise in demand for genuine travel experiences drive the continent's rapid expansion. Growth in travel and the middle class in Asia-Pacific are driving up demand, particularly in well-known travel destinations such as Thailand, Australia, and Japan. The natural beauty of Latin America and its developing tourism infrastructure are driving the region's economic growth. These developments are accompanied by digital platforms and evolving travel habits and show a global trend toward customized, adaptable housing alternatives.

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Players: -

MakeMyTrip Pvt. Ltd.

Airbnb Inc.

Tripping.com

TripAdvisor Inc.

Extra Holidays

Novasol AS

HomeToGo

9flats.com

Expedia, Inc.

Vrbo

Booking.com

Hotels. co

HotelsCombined

Hotwire, Inc.

Yatra Online Private Limited

Homestay.com

traveo GMBH

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global vacation rental market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report provides valuable insights into business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

Recent Development:

In July 2022, Avantio, a provider of services and software for managing vacation rental, was acquired by Planet, a global technology and integrated financial services supplier. This acquisition has expanded Avantio's presence in the hotel sector, allowing them to enhance their market share.

In August 2022, Bornholmske Feriehuse is a vacation rental company that Oravel Stays Private Limited purchased to increase its footprint in Europe. With over 7, 000 houses on its Traum Ferienwohnungen platform and over 1, 800 vacation homes on its Belvilla platform, Oravel Stays Private Limited sought to expand its footprint in Croatia with this acquisition.

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Adventure Tourism Market Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032

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About Us:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

Pawan Kumar, the CEO of Allied Market Research, is leading the organization toward providing high-quality data and insights. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

Contact:

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United States

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The company, which opened a new headquarters in the UK earlier this year, brings on the Royal Air Force veteran to strengthen its leadership team

Lone Star Analysis Ltd., a trusted provider of leading-edge predictive and prescriptive analytics and Evolved AI, is excited to announce the appointment of Katherine Simmonds as the company's new UK Chief of Staff. Simmonds brings experience from her distinguished career in both military and civilian roles, making her a valuable addition to Lone Star's leadership team.

Simmonds' hire aligns with the Lone Star's recent expansion in the UK market. Back in February, the company opened a new headquarters in Lincoln to better serve customers throughout the UK, the Commonwealth, Europe, and the Middle East.

"I am honoured to join Lone Star and be part of such an innovative and forward-thinking company," said Katherine Simmonds. "I am excited to contribute to our mission of delivering cutting-edge analytics and AI solutions, and I look forward to collaborating with the talented team at Lone Star to drive operational excellence and support our clients' success."

Simmonds began her career as a Royal Air Force Communications Engineering Officer, showing exceptional organisational skills and dedication, managing teams and large projects with finesse. Her ability to oversee large-scale operations and budgets, along with her expertise in stakeholder management, positions her as a key asset for Lone Star.

Throughout her career, Simmonds has managed numerous equipment programmes, controlled substantial budgets, facilitated information sharing and improved communication with external agencies. Her technical skills include IT support, database management and creating user-friendly electronic data storage systems, making her a versatile leader.

Simmonds is also notable for her strong communication and administration skills. Moving into the hospitality sector after the Royal Air Force she has coordinated high-profile events and business conferences. Her extensive experience in team management, coupled with strong interpersonal skills and attention to detail will contribute to a more efficient and high-performing team.

"We're excited to bring Katherine on board as we expand our footprint in the UK," said Robin Adlam, Managing Director of Lone Star Analysis Ltd. "Her extensive experience in both military and civilian roles, along with her exceptional management and organisational skills, make her a perfect fit for our growing team. Katherine's expertise will be instrumental in driving our operational excellence and supporting our strategic goals."

For more information, please visit: https://lone-star.uk/.

About Lone Star Analysis Ltd.

Lone Star Analysis Ltd. is the UK subsidiary of Lone Star Analysis, a leading provider of applied decision intelligence and engineering solutions. We utilise predictive and prescriptive analytics, artificial intelligence, and inherent knowledge to drive innovation, strengthen economies, and enhance global safety. Since 2004, Lone Star has been trusted by organisations across various industries, including manufacturing, aerospace, defence, energy, logistics, healthcare and transportation, to solve complex problems with actionable insights.

Our European client base features the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), Norwegian Ministry of Defence (NORMoD), major defence prime contractors, and significant offshore operators. Globally, Lone Star Analysis supports over 2,000 military aircraft, delivering solutions that aid the Aerospace Defence Industry, Military Services, the Intelligence Community, healthcare and international allies.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240820885015/en/

Contacts:

Ron Stein

Mod Op for Lone Star Analysis

ron.stein@modop.com
Rockstar Energy Drink is unveiling custom hand-painted sneakers this bank holiday weekend. Valued at over 1,000 per pair, the trainers are uniquely inspired by Creamfields headline artists, Chase & Status, and crafted by one of the world's most influential sneaker artists, Scottie Wilkinson.

LONDON, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rockstar Energy Drink, the headline partner of Creamfields festival, is set to transform festival fashion and enhance festival goers' experience at one of the world's premier electronic music events. This bank holiday weekend, the energy drink brand is celebrating its partnership with the iconic festival by unveiling intricately hand-painted sneakers that reflect the energy of the chart-topping, BRIT Award winning electronic music duo, Chase & Status.

With only three pairs in existence, these limited-edition sneakers make a bold statement, featuring the artist's signature on the heel for a personalised touch - making them the perfect collectible for fans. One pair will be gifted to Chase & Status, while the other two will be hidden at Creamfields and given away for free - with a twist. The exact locations will be shared via a what.three.words link on the artist's and Rockstar Energy Drink's Instagram handles. This exciting hunt offers two lucky fans the chance to own these exclusive kicks, which come equipped with a microchip in the tongue for authenticity verification and a scannable digital token version of the shoe.

The limited-edition shoe is inspired by the dynamic electronic music scene and the artists who have shaped it. World-renowned sneaker artist Scottie Wilkinson brings this collection to life, with each pair featuring the headliners' intricately hand-painted signature, and bold designs that embody both the vibrant essence of the energy drink brand and the spirit of Creamfields.

Scottie Wilkinson, Sneaker Artist, added: "Working on these sneakers has been an exciting creative journey. Thanks to Rockstar Energy Drink, I had the opportunity to blend my artistic style with the electrifying energy of Chase & Status. This collaboration has allowed me to explore new brush strokes, colours, and patterns that truly capture their unique sound and vibe. I can't wait for fans to get their hands on them and share this unique experience with the duo!"

Offering something for everyone, fashion and music fans can customise their own sneakers at the Rockstar Energy Drink trainer tent during the festival. Created in partnership with CANVVS, the world's first and biggest custom sneaker platform, each trainer base features Rockstar's iconic colour waves, and additional custom designs will be available for free all weekend. After a day of dancing, 500 lucky festival-goers can personalise their trainers with custom laces, lace locks, and even work with on-site artists to add handwritten touches. Plus, they'll get their trainers cleaned for free - so muddy festival fields won't be a problem for these Creamfields fans!

Vandita Pandey, Marketing Vice President of Hydration and Energy at PepsiCo, commented: "We want to enhance the festival experience by creating unique moments that allow fans to focus their energy on what they love most - enjoying the music. This customised collection and the Rockstar Energy Drink Trainer Tent do just that, offering fans the opportunity to carry the energy of the festival with them, deepening their connection to the music and the overall experience long after festival season ends."

This year, Rockstar Energy Drink partnered with Live Nation Festivals in the UK, as the official headline sponsor at six major UK events including Creamfields, TRNSMT, Park Life, Leeds Festival and Reading Festival. With a shared dedication to championing music culture, Rockstar Energy will work with Live Nation to elevate festival culture for music enthusiasts across the UK. Together, they fuel fans to 'Press Play' on the things they love the most.

For more information on the free customisable Rockstar Energy Drink and CANVVS trainers available sneakers at Creamfields, and the latest news on how to win one of the bespoke sneakers, follow @RockstarEnergyUKI on Instagram, or visit www.rockstarenergy.co.uk/.

For further information, please contact:

pepsicomediarelations@pepsico.com

NOTES TO EDITOR

About Rockstar Energy

Rockstar, founded in 2001, produces beverages that aim to fuel those who need and love to do-it-all. With over 20 Rockstar Energy products available at convenience and grocery outlets in more than 30 countries globally, Rockstar gives you a bold refreshing boost, full of benefits and loaded with flavours. PepsiCo purchased the energy beverage leader in March 2020. In addition to Rockstar, PepsiCo owns the Sting and Adrenaline Rush brands, as well as GameFuel and AMP.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $86 billion in net revenue in 2022, driven by a complimentary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the centre of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for the planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.

About CANVVS

CANVVS (pronounced Canvas) is the world's first and biggest custom sneaker platform - built by and designed for the best global artists, over a hundred of which are founding creators. The brand works with some of the best-known brands and individuals from the world of music, sport, entertainment, fashion, tech and lifestyle. Whilst initially an online platform, CANVVS will open its first store in the heart of London on Oxford Street in October this year. Ultimately the brand's goal is to continue to build their global community with the help of the very best creators, blue-chip brand collaborations, sneaker sales and the unique CANVVS CARD - a digital loyalty subscription service linked to members' smart devices. More information is available at CANVVS.com and follow their latest work @canvvs on Instagram, X and TikTok.

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Third Kind Games is set to bolster Virtuos' AAA co-development capabilities, having contributed to titles such as Sea of Thieves and Hearthstone

SINGAPORE, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Virtuos , a leading video game development company, today announced the acquisition of Third Kind Games , one of the largest independent game developers in the UK. This marks the start of Virtuos' operations in the UK, a global gaming hub with a long-established infrastructure of educational programs, communities, media and associations. Third Kind Games' location in Leamington Spa also strategically places Virtuos at the heart of the local games industry, where major titles such as Fable, Far Cry 5, Formula 1, and Forza Horizon originated.

Third Kind Games was founded in 2016 by a team of nine former Activision veterans, namely: Darren Bowen (Chief Operating Officer), Graham Watson (Chief Technology Officer), Rav Tharanee (Chief Strategy Officer), Tim Dunn (Chief Product Officer), Dan Hughes (Lead Programmer), John Roxburgh (Art Director), Mike Nimmo (Principal Programmer), Nathan Coppard (Design Director), and Sylwester Zaluga (Technical Director).

Following the acquisition by Virtuos, the nine co-founders will continue to lead Third Kind Games. The studio team of over 70 has contributed AAA co-development expertise to titles including Fable, Forza Horizon 4, Hearthstone, Predecessor, and Sea of Thieves. The team aims to double its headcount within two years in response to growing client demand for more flexibility in game development models.

Rav Tharanee, Chief Strategy Officer of Third Kind Games - a Virtuos Studio, said, "We are delighted to join forces with Virtuos, one of the largest and most globally recognised co-development partners of video games. This marks an exciting new chapter for Third Kind Games, enabling us to continue our growth and take on new and exciting AAA projects alongside Virtuos, while continuing to nurture the innovative, creative vision that has always been at the core of our identity. As Virtuos' first operation in the UK, we are proud to play a pivotal role in expanding their global footprint, and we look forward to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in gaming together."

Christophe Gandon, Managing Director of Western Region at Virtuos, said, "The co-founders of Third Kind Games exemplify the importance of a shared vision and purpose. They succeeded in one of the world's densest game development hubs, building a portfolio of homegrown and global AAA IPs over eight years. We are excited to accelerate the expansion of their co-development capabilities, which are in high demand alongside gamers' growing demand for content, and to continue growing in key markets to be closer to our clients."

The acquisition adds to Virtuos' continual growth in global footprint and service offerings, furthering its ambition of becoming the top external game developer worldwide. In the past year, Virtuos expanded into Dalat with its art production studio Glass Egg, launched a studio in Tokyo as well as engineering-focused Virtuos Labs in Warsaw and Prague . Most recently, it added real-time VFX to its lines of services with the acquisition of Beyond-FX in Los Angeles.

Aream & Co. served as the exclusive buy-side financial advisor to Virtuos in its acquisition of Third Kind Games. Third Kind Games was advised by Level Up , Hansel Henson , and Burgess Hodgson .

About Virtuos

Founded in 2004, Virtuos is one of the largest independent video game development companies. We are headquartered in Singapore with over 3,800 employees across 23 offices in Asia, Europe, and North America. Specializing in full-cycle game development and art production, we have delivered high-quality content for more than 1,500 console, PC, and mobile games. Our clients include 23 of the top 25 gaming companies worldwide. Visit www.virtuosgames.com to find out how we can make games better, together.

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The global automotive fastener/connector market is experiencing growth due to factors such as rise in lightweight vehicle manufacturing and growing vehicle production.

PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Automotive Fastener/Connector Market by Product Type (Threaded, and Non-Threaded), Characteristic (Removable Fasteners, Permanent Fasteners, Semi-Permanent Fasteners), Material (Stainless Steel, Brass, Nickle, Aluminum, Plastic, Iron, and Bronze) and Vehicle Type (Passenger Car, and Commercial Vehicle): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2024-2033".

According to the report, the automotive fastener/connector market was valued at $34.2 billion in 2023, and is estimated to reach $52.1 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 4.4% from 2024 to 2033.

Prime determinants of growth

The rise in lightweight vehicle manufacturing and growing vehicle production are the two main primary factors driving the growth of global automotive fastener/connector market. Furthermore, increasing alternatives for fasteners and rising material costs are two important factors hampering the growth of the global automotive fastener/connector market. Moreover, innovations in manufacturing technologies is providing an opportunity for the growth of the global automotive fastener/connector market.

Request Sample of the Report on Automotive Fastener/Connector Market Forecast 2033: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/A178580

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2024-2033 Base Year 2023 Market Size in 2023 $34.2 billion Market Size in 2033 $52.1 billion CAGR 4.4 % No. of Pages in Report 250 Segments Covered Product Type, Characteristics, Material Type, Vehicle Type and Region. Drivers Rise in lightweight vehicle manufacturing Growing vehicle production Opportunities Increasing innovations in manufacturing technologies Restraint Increasing alternatives for fasteners Rising material costs

Procure Complete Report (250 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures): https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/automotive-fastener-connector-market-A178580

Segment Highlights

By product type, the threaded segment dominated the global automotive fastener/connector market in 2023. This is due to an increase in automotive sales, and technological advancements in the fastener/connector industry to make them lightweight, safe, and durable. Furthermore, the rise in the manufacturing of electric vehicles is also creating high demand for threaded segments in the automotive fastener/connector industry. Meanwhile, the non-threaded segment is expected to grow at a significant rate in the global automotive fastener/connector market. This is due to the non-threaded fasteners such as clips, rivets, and snap-fit designs being lighter in weight and aligning with the industry's focus on fuel efficiency and electric vehicle design. The non-threaded segment also helps in reducing manufacturing time and cost.

By characteristics, the removable fastener segment dominated the global automotive fastener/connector market in 2023. This is because removable fasteners such as nuts, bolts, and screws offer flexibility and versatility and allow for disassembly and reassembly during maintenance, repair, and replacement of parts during automotive manufacturing. Meanwhile, the semi-permanent fastener segment is expected to grow at a significant rate in the global automotive fastener/connector market at an increasing growth rate. This is due to the increased focus on lightweight vehicles and vehicle electrification. These fasteners offer the benefits of removability and flexibility while maintaining strength and durability, making them ideal for automotive applications, particularly due to the rise of electric vehicles (EVs) and the demand for lighter, and more productive vehicles.

By material, the stainless steel segment dominated the global automotive fastener/connector market in 2023. This is because stainless steel is commonly used in applications where corrosion resistance is critical. Meanwhile, the aluminum segment is expected to grow at an increasing rate in the global automotive fastener/connector market. This is because aluminum fasteners/connectors offer the right balance between strength and reduced weight, making the fasteners increasingly relevant in the automotive manufacturing industry.

By vehicle type, the passenger car segment dominated the global automotive fastener/connector market in 2023. This is due to the large production of passenger car in the automotive industry and the increasing applications of fasteners such as body assembly, engine components, chassis, interiors, and others in automotive manufacturing. Meanwhile, the commercial vehicle segment is expected to grow at an increasing rate in the global automotive fastener/connector market. This is due to the growing demand for heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks, buses, and other heavy vehicles in areas such as logistics, construction, and transportation.

Regional Outlook

The Asia-Pacific region dominated the global automotive fastener/connector market in 2023. This is due to the region's large automotive manufacturing industry, especially in countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea. Meanwhile, the same region is growing at a significant rate due to factors such as rising middle class, urbanization, and infrastructure development.

To Talk With Our Industry Expert @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/A178580

Players: -

Maclean Fogg

TR Fastenings

Kamax Holding GmBH & Co.

Bollhoff Group

Sundaram Fasteners

Meidoh Co. Ltd.

Wurth Group

Boltun Corporation

Nipman Fasteners

SFS Group AG

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.,

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Sterling Tools Limited

Westfield Fasteners Limited

Shanghai Prime Machinery Company Limited

Kova Fasteners, Private Limited

The Philips Screw Company

Stanley Black & Decker

Lisi Group.

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global automotive fastener/connector market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, and contracts to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

Recent Developments:

In February 2022, Maclean Fogg launched thread strong wheel fastener/connector. Thread strong wheel fastener/connector are available directly to consumers through www.threadstrong.use commerce website and other selected outlets.

In July 2023, TR fastenings launched unique screw solution. Through the new solution the company wants to change the way the fastener/connector are used in the PC screen brackets, thus delivering increasing product life and improved quality. The fastener/connector joins an entire range of M3-M8 sizes in three different head styles to support various applications

In February 2024 Bollhoff Group has launched quicllock rapid release fasteners. The fastener/connector provide better efficiency and security.

In January 2023, Sundram fasteners bagged a $250 million amount order in the electric vehicle space. The company is planning to invest Rs 200 crore to support the new orders under the six-year-long purchase package involving the supply of shaft sub-assemblies and drive gear sub-assemblies. The company will ship the parts from its powertrain divisions located at Mahindra World City in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, and Sri City in Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh. The parts will be serviced from the Company's warehouse in North America.

In August 2023, Sundaram Fasteners launched fastener/connector for ISRO. The fasteners were made of alloy steel, heat-resistant stainless steel, super alloy with coatings such as silver plating, aluminum ion vapor deposition and passivation. The fastener were used in the manufacturing of Chandrayaan 3.

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Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mibro, an international smartwatch brand of ZhenShi Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd, is proud to announce its collaboration with HERE Technologies to enhance the safety and security features of their Mibro kids watch phones. This collaboration underscores Mibro's commitment to prioritizing the safety and connectivity of children while providing parents with peace of mind.

The children's smartwatch market is witnessing robust growth, driven by the rising adoption of wearable technology and heightened concerns for child safety. The upcoming Mibro kids watch phone in EMEA and Southeast Asia features a 7-system positioning capability that accurately tracks children's locations and provides real-time views of their journeys, reaffirming Mibro's commitment to kid safety.

This positioning feature is powered by HERE Location Services, where Mibro uses the HERE Network Positioning application programming interface (API) to obtain the watch's geo-location. The HERE Reverse Geocoder API translates these locations into precise addresses, which are sent to parents via the Mibro Kids mobile app. Parents can access their children's real-time location and historical data for up to 90 days, even in areas with limited traditional GPS signals

The Mibro Kids mobile app also leverages HERE SDK Explore for fast and smooth map interactions, allowing parents to ensure children's safety with ease and confidence with their phones.

Ian Ying, Vice Presient of Zhenshi Information Technology Company said, "At Mibro, ensuring the safety and connectivity of children is our top priority. Integrating HERE location services into Mibro kids watch phones perfectly complements Mibro's mission to offer high-quality smart wearable products globally."

Sammie Xi, Director and Head of Business for Greater China at HERE Technologies said, "We are excited to partner with Mibro to enhance the safety and user experience of their kids watch phones. We're dedicated to supporting Mibro with location intelligence as they introduce newer smartwatch models for the international audience."

About Mibro

Mibro is a renowned brand of Zhenshi Technology, which is invested by Xiaomi and Nokia and is one of Xiaomi's main ecological chain members. With over 200 top R&D engineers focused on the most advanced technology development on smart wearable devices, Zhenshi is proudly serving over 30 million customers across more than 170 countries worldwide. Besides, Zhenshi's strict product quality control system ensures every product meets high-quality standards. Learn more about Mibro at mibrofit.com.

About HERE Technologies

HERE has been a pioneer in mapping and location technology for almost 40 years. Today, HERE's location platform is recognized as the most complete in the industry, powering location-based products, services, and custom maps for organizations and enterprises across the globe. From autonomous driving and seamless logistics to new mobility experiences, HERE allows its partners and customers to innovate while retaining control over their data and safeguarding privacy. Find out how HERE is moving the world forward at here.com.

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/mibro-partners-with-here-technologies-to-enhance-safety-features-in-kids-smartwatches-302224973.html
LAGOS, Nigeria, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Flutterwave, Africa's leading payments technology company, has announced today that its online merchants in Nigeria can now accept American Express payments. American Express Card Members - with consumer, business, or corporate cards - will be able to make payments directly to e-commerce businesses using Flutterwave in Nigeria. This service will also be available to Flutterwave merchants in other countries including Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Uganda in the near future.

This collaboration facilitates online transactions and offers a range of benefits for both merchants and online shoppers:

Flutterwave merchants can attract business from a new customer base of American Express Card Members in Africa and around the world. This includes consumers with personal cards and spenders with business or corporate products. Terms and conditions apply.

For shoppers, there is more choice when it comes to being able to select their preferred method of payment when transacting with Flutterwave merchants. This collaboration strengthens the American Express global network and increases the number of locations across Africa that can be used by American Express Card Members to purchase a range of different goods and services.

Olugbenga 'GB' Agboola, Founder and CEO, Flutterwave, said: "At Flutterwave, we're always looking for ways to connect the world to Africa through payments. This is one of our initiatives to ensure that more people across the world can pay using Flutterwave in Africa. We understand the value of providing shoppers with payment methods that work for them, as well as helping businesses to expand their customer bases. This collaboration also provides more options of where to shop and what to buy to American Express card holders across the globe. By offering American Express as a method of payment, Flutterwave will make the payment process faster and simpler for American Express card holders, and improve the experience for e-commerce businesses using Flutterwave, helping them to start locally and sell globally."

Briana Wilsey, Vice President and General Manager of Global Network Services EMEA at American Express, said: "American Express continues to expand in Africa to enable greater payment choice for businesses and consumers. Through the agreement with Flutterwave, a trusted payment provider, we are giving e-commerce merchants in Nigeria the opportunity to reach American Express Card Members around the world. The collaboration is a win-win because it also increases the number of places where our Card Members can use their Cards in Nigeria."

About Flutterwave

Flutterwave is the leading payments technology company that enables businesses across the world to expand their operations in Africa and other emerging markets through a platform that enables local and cross-border transactions via one Application Programming Interface (API). Flutterwave has processed over 630M transactions in excess of USD $31B, serves global and African customers like Uber, Air Peace, Bamboo, PiggyVest, and across various industries. The company's key advantage is connecting businesses to various local and international payment types to enable them to expand globally. It also enables cross-border transactions from the diaspora to African countries via its SendApp product. Flutterwave processes payments via multiple payment modes, including local and international cards, mobile wallets, bank transfers, and Google Pay. The company has an infrastructure reach in 34 African countries. For more information on Flutterwave's journey, please visit www.flutterwave.com.

About American Express

American Express is a globally integrated payments company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, instagram.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/company/american-express, X.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexpress.

Key links to products, services and corporate sustainability information: personal cards, business cards and services, travel services, gift cards, prepaid cards, merchant services, Business Blueprint, Resy, corporate card, business travel, diversity and inclusion, corporate sustainability and Environmental, Social, and Governance reports.

American Express in Africa

American Express products have been in Africa for over 50 years and its presence in the region continues to expand. American Express consumer Cards and corporate Cards/solutions are issued in more than 40 countries across the region through its joint venture American Express Middle East (AEME), license agreements with financial institutions, and direct issuance of Global Dollar Cards. Through its licensees and AEME, American Express is committed to expanding the number of places where local Card Members, international travelers, and local and international businesses can use their American Express Cards for daily spending, business, or tourism in the region.

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/flutterwave-enables-its-online-merchants-in-nigeria-to-accept-american-express-payments-302226259.html
SHENYANG, China, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On August 17, the 4th Shenyang Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference opened in Shenyang, Liaoning province. The conference, themed "Vehicle-Road Collaboration Empowers New Quality Productive Forces", brought together government leaders, academic experts, and representatives from 19 pilot cities for "Vehicle-Road-Cloud Integration", including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, along with representatives from vehicle manufacturers and solution suppliers, as well as leaders from companies in communications and road infrastructure, to discuss the latest development trends and future directions of the intelligent connected vehicle industry.



The conference witnessed the signing of several strategic cooperation agreements. During the unveiling ceremony of the strategic partnership between the Shenyang Municipal Government and China Unicom in the area of "Vehicle-Road-Cloud Integration", both parties announced the first outcome of their collaboration - the establishment of the China Unicom (Shenyang) Intelligent Connected Vehicles Research Institute, which will serve as an important platform for promoting the development of intelligent connected vehicles. Meanwhile, the Shenyang Municipal Government reached strategic cooperation agreements with BMW Brilliance, Neusoft Reach, and Beijing Yizhuang Investment Holdings Limited for the application of intelligent connected vehicles and "Vehicle-Road-Cloud Integration". All parties will leverage their respective strengths to deepen cooperation in areas such as cloud control platform construction, road-cloud network infrastructure development, and joint operations, aiming to achieve deep integration of the automotive industry and information communication technology with smart cities and intelligent transportation.

During the signing session, Shenyang City reached a consensus on cooperation with 48 enterprises, covering multiple key areas of the intelligent connected vehicle industry. This collaboration will inject strong momentum into the development of Shenyang's intelligent connected vehicle industry and further promote the construction of intelligent connected road networks, the planning for autonomous driving scenarios, and the aggregation of the industry.

This conference not only injects strong momentum into the development of the intelligent connected vehicle industry in Shenyang and across the country but also provides a platform for the communication and cooperation among people from all walks of life inside and outside the industry.
EDITED is selected as a top company of forward-thinkers, redefining what it means to be a people-centric organization.

EDITED, the leading global retail intelligence platform, is thrilled to announce it has been named a winner of the 2024 Culture 100 Awards Growth Edition, recognizing the most thriving, rewarding companies to work for in the UK.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240820769578/en/

EDITED wins Culture 100 Award. (Graphic: Business Wire)

This award highlights the top 100 greatest companies to work for in the UK, honoring organizations large and small for their commitments to building a progressive, people-first workplace.

Culture 100 states that, "The Culture 100 honourees aren't simply adapting to the evolving landscape. They are the architects, building foundations for a future where companies are as passionate about their people as they are about their profits."

This year, Culture 100 assessed over 5,000 companies and interviewed over 20,000 employees as part of the judging process.

"At EDITED, investing in our people to enrich their experiences and drive collective success is our top priority. This award highlights our unwavering commitment to creating an environment where every team member feels valued and empowered. We are proud to stand among other visionary companies that prioritise their people, and we remain dedicated to innovating and evolving our approach as we continue to grow," says Charlotte Crowe, VP of People Operations at EDITED.

Learn more about working at EDITED and see open opportunities here.

About EDITED:

EDITED is the world's leading AI-powered retail intelligence platform that empowers brands and retailers with real-time insights and actionable recommendations around assortment, pricing, inventory, and site merchandising. We help retailers drive better business outcomes by providing a holistic view that is market-informed, profit-aware, and customer-centric. The world's most successful brands and retailers use EDITED's platform to get closer to their best customers and future-proof their business.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240820769578/en/

Contacts:

Press@edited.com
The global extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine market is experiencing growth due to the rise in the incidence of chronic diseases especially cardiac disease, and increase in focus of the key players toward innovative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine technologies which are expected to drive the growth of the market.

WILMINGTON, Del., Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine (ECMO) Market by Type (Veno-arterial, Veno-venous and Others), Components (Pumps, Oxygenator, Controllers and Others), and Application (Adult, Pediatric and Neonates): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2024-2033". According to the report, the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine (ECMO) market was valued at $504.2 million in 2023, and is estimated to reach $793.7 million by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 4.6% from 2024 to 2033.

Request Sample of the Report on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine (ECMO) Market Forecast 2033 - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/A284556

Prime determinants of growth

The global extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine market is experiencing growth due to several factors such as an increase in the prevalence of severe respiratory diseases, including pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) . Modern life support systems have become essential due to the rising incidence of heart failure, myocardial infarction, and other cardiovascular diseases. In addition, there are constant advancements in ECMO technology, such as better pumps, sophisticated monitoring systems, and oxygenators that are both biocompatible and efficient. Furthermore, development of portable and compact ECMO machines that can be used in various settings, including during patient transport and in field hospitals are driving the market growth.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2024-2033 Base Year 2023 Market Size in 2023 $504.23 million Market Size in 2033 $793.60 million CAGR 4.1 % No. of Pages in Report 280 Segments Covered Type, Component, Application, and Region. Drivers Increasing prevalence of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

Technological advancements in ECMO

Growth in demand for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in lung transplants. Opportunities Opportunities in developing economies Restraint High cost of ECMO procedures

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Segment Highlights

Increasing utilization of oxygenators

The oxygenator is a crucial component of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machines, serving as an artificial lung to facilitate gas exchange. Advances in design have resulted in smaller, more portable oxygenators, facilitating easier transport of ECMO patients within and between healthcare facilities without interrupting life support. In addition, development for enhancing the surface area and optimizing the flow dynamics within oxygenators improve oxygen and carbon dioxide transfer rates, crucial for patient stability during ECMO therapy.

Rise in adoption of Arterio-Venous machine

Arterio-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (A-V ECMO) machines provide several advantages in critical care, especially for patients with severe cardiac and respiratory failure. A-V ECMO can be simpler to implement than other types because it typically doesn't require cannulation of both a major vein and artery. It might be less invasive since other types involves arterial cannulation, which can be more technically challenging and carries higher risks of complications like limb ischemia.

Adult segment to dominate the market in 2033

The demand for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine is expected to rise as adults are more likely to suffer from severe respiratory conditions. In addition, the prevalence of heart failure, myocardial infarction, and other cardiovascular diseases is higher in the adult population, driving the demand for ECMO as a life-saving intervention. The aging global population, which is more susceptible to severe cardiopulmonary conditions, significantly contributes to the demand for ECMO in the adult segment. Moreover, the increasing geriatric population, is at higher risk for diseases that necessitate ECMO support, such as severe pneumonia, heart failure, and chronic respiratory conditions.

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Regional Outlook

By region, North America held the largest market share in the terms of revenue in 2023, the global extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine market revenue, and is likely to dominate the market during the forecast period. This is attributed to its advanced technology infrastructure, strong demand & availability of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine, and availability of well-developed healthcare facilities.

However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness rapid industrialization in countries like China and India which has led to the establishment and advancements and accessibility of such machines. A surge in the geriatric population, increase in the prevalence of cardiac diseases, and increase in healthcare expenditure are expected to lead to the growth of the market. Significant investments in healthcare infrastructure, especially in developing regions, are leading to the establishment of advanced critical care units equipped with ECMO machines, primarily serving adult patients.

Key Players:

Medtronic PLC

Sorin Group

Terumo Corporation

MAQUET Holding

Nipro Medical Corporation

Microport Scientific Corporation

Medos Medizintechnik AG

Getinge AB

Livanova PLC

Fresnius Medical Care

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

Recent Developments

In October 2021, Getinge launched the Rotaflow II extracorporeal life support system. The system, together with the Permanent Life Support (PLS) Set, offers up to 14 days of cardiopulmonary support in a compact, portable, safe, and reliable manner.

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Initial 3,000 metre drill program focused on the high-grade Goleta target and the Calandrias North down plunge extension

Drill program is part of campaign targeting the expansion of life of mine and total mineral resources

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / Cerrado Gold Inc. (TSX.V:CERT)(OTCQX:CRDOF) ("Cerrado" or the "Company") is excited to announce the start of a new exploration campaign at its Minera Don Nicolas ("MDN") mine in Santa Cruz, Argentina, targeting the extension of the Life of Mine ("LOM") and the increase in mineral resources. The Company has started the first drilling consisting of approximately 3,000 metres on two key high-grade targets, being the Goleta zone and the Calandrias North downward plunge extension. The drilling has the specific objective of providing additional high-grade feed to the CIL Plant. A drill rig has been mobilized to the site and is currently drilling the first hole at Goleta. Any new resources would add to the recent mineral resource estimate completed by the Company and announced on August 6, 2024, providing a 5 year mine life and US$111 million Net Present Value at $2,100 gold ($153M @$2,400Au).

Mark Brennan, CEO and Chairman commented: "With a difficult period of uncertainty now behind us, we are excited to be commencing a new exploration program at MDN where we see the potential to significantly grow the resource base beyond the current 5 year mine life outlined in the recently completed PEA. This new program is specially focused on the potential to rapidly grow high grade resources suitable to be processed at the CIL plant to extend the life of mine. This initial round of drilling is planned to support follow on programs moving forward as the Company aims to rigorously explore our extensive land package."

Figure 1. Targets Location

Goleta Zone

Goleta is a high-grade target located approximately 7 kilometres northwest of the Martinetas mill and CIL plant. Surface exploration has shown the mineralization at Goleta consists of mineralized fragments of banded quartz veins within a polymitic breccia believed to be of phreatomagmatic origin. Phreatic brecciation is late process occurring post mineralization. The exploration premise is that these large clasts are from a high-grade quartz vein system located beneath the breccia and hosted by the underlying Martinetas ignibrite.

Cerrado has conducted soil sampling, geological mapping, trenching, and detailed ground magnetics in Goleta. An IP/Res survey is currently underway to resolve the minimum resistivity contrast between potential quartz mineralized veins and the ignimbritic host rock under the breccia cover. The exploration concept for Goleta is similar to the Marianas vein discovery (Multiple hundred thousand ounces) in the Cerro Negro deposit (Newmont), also located in the Deseado Massif in Argentina. (see Figure 3)

The current plan will target to identify the potential buried primary vein system, believed to be located at lower elevations at vertical projection of areas with a higher density of large, mineralized clasts. Veins could potentially be thick and high grade, considering diameter of clast in the post mineral breccia (up to 2 metres) and Au grade in grab samples of fragments (90 g/t Au). The initial drill plan will target over 600 metres of potential strike length as shown in the figure below to determine the best locations for additional follow up drilling.

Figure 2. Plan View with planned holes by priority in Goleta

Figure 3. Conceptual Cross section Goleta Primary Vein Target hosted by ignimbritic unit sitting stratigraphically under the post mineral polymictic breccia

Calandrias Norte Deposit

The La Calandria Norte deposit, currently being mined, is a dome-hosted Au-Ag epithermal deposit, located about 600 metres north of La Calandria Sur. The deposit is defined by northeast-trending veins and vein/breccia mineralization hosted by a Rhyolite dome.

Mining at Calandrias North commenced early this year and is currently the primary source of high-grade feed to the mill and CIL plant. The open pit constrained mineral resource estimate of Calandrias North was recently updated as part of the new PEA technical report of the MDN property including 79 kt at 14.9 g/t Au (37.9 koz) of Measured and Indicated Resource; and 11 kt at 10.7 g/t Au (4.1 koz) in the Inferred category. The deposit is effectively open to the Southwest following the shallow dipping plunge that controls the high-grade mineralization.

A modest four-hole plan aims to prove the continuity of the plunging mineralized trend, characterizing grade, thickness, and overall size potential. The company sees this target as a potential low-capital underground development, utilizing the existing infrastructure in the area.

Figure 4. Calandrias North Plan view with proposed holes

Figure 5. Longitudinal Section looking to the NW, showing Au contours highlighting shallow plunging trend open to the SW.

Review of Technical Information

The scientific and technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Sergio Gelcich, P.Geo., Vice President, Exploration for Cerrado Gold Inc., who is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

About Cerrado

Cerrado Gold is a Toronto-based gold production, development, and exploration company focused on gold projects in South America. The Company is the 100% owner of both the producing Minera Don Nicolas and Las Calandrias mine in Santa Cruz province, Argentina, and the highly prospective Monte Do Carmo development project, located in Tocantins State, Brazil under option to Amarillo Mineracao Do Brasil Ltda., a subsidiary of Hochschild Mining PLC. In Canada, Cerrado Gold is developing it's 100% owned Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium project located outside of Chibougamou, Quebec.

In Argentina, Cerrado is maximizing asset value at its Minera Don Nicolas operation through continued operational optimization and is growing production through its operations at the Las Calandrias Heap Leach project. An extensive campaign of exploration is ongoing to further unlock potential resources in our highly prospective land package in the heart of the Deseado Masiff.

In Canada, Cerrado holds a 100% interest in the Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium project, which has the potential to produce a premium iron ore concentrate over a long mine life at low operating costs and low capital intensity. Furthermore, its high grade and high purity product facilitates the migration of steel producers from blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces, contributing to the decarbonization of the industry and the achievement of SDG goals.

For more information about Cerrado please visit our website at: www.cerradogold.com.

Mark Brennan

CEO and Chairman

Mike McAllister

Vice President, Investor Relations

Tel: +1-647-805-5662

mmcallister@cerradogold.com

Disclaimer

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the business and operations of Cerrado, the trading date for the Company's common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange, the performance of the Minera Don Nicolas mine, the expected grade of the Goleta and Calandrias North targets, the prospective similarity in exploration concept for Goleta to the Marianas vein discovery in the Cerro Negro deposit and the anticipated lower elevations at vertical projection areas of the targets. In making the forward- looking statements contained in this press release, Cerrado has made certain assumptions. Although Cerrado believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, Cerrado disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

SOURCE: Cerrado Gold Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
NAK's Gold Zone Drill Highlights:

NAK24-23 intercepted 40 m of 2.01 g/t Gold Equivalent ("AuEq") from Surface within 175 m of 1.03 g/t AuEq from Surface within 276 m of 0.83 g/t AuEq from Surface

NAK24-21 intercepted 130 m of 1.10 g/t AuEq from Surface within 275 m of 0.9 g/t AuEq from Surface

NAK24-19 intercepted 108 m of 1.00 g/t AuEq from Surface within 191 m of 0.76 g/t AuEq from Surface



Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 20, 2024) - American Eagle Gold Corp. (TSXV: AE) (OTCQB: AMEGF) ("American Eagle" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a significant expansion of its at-surface high-grade "Gold Zone."

The Company is reporting assay results for three recently drilled holes from the Gold Zone and two holes drilled across the Main Zone. The Gold Zone holes were drilled in different directions, and each returned well over 100 meters of 1 g/t AuEq from surface. The results significantly increase the Gold Zone's size by extending it to depth and to the north. The Company believes this near-surface high-grade gold and copper resource will be vital to unlocking the economic viability of the NAK project.

Gold Zone highlights:

NAK24-23: 175 m of 1.03 g/t AuEq from Surface

NAK24-21: 275 m of 0.9 g/t AuEq from Surface

NAK24-19: 108 m of 1.00 g/t AuEq from Surface

"The expansion of our higher-grade Gold Zone from surface at NAK continues to impress. The substantial volume of copper-gold mineralization surrounding the newly expanded Gold Zone, coupled with NAK's unique infrastructure advantages, with gentle terrain, drive-on year-round access for drilling from a logging cut-block, and proximity to full-service towns and a major transportation corridor, positions NAK for success. Simply put, NAK is easy to access and has great topography, which are major advantages relative to its porphyry peers when considering exploration costs and operational and build-out costs when evaluating NAK's economic potential. These holes represent the first few results of the program, and we expect drilling to continue through November with consistent updates on our progress," says CEO Anthony Moreau.

Plan Maps, Long Section and Drill Core Images:

Plan view of drilling to date at NAK

Plan Map of NAK's Expanding Gold Zone

Long Section of NAK's Expanding Gold Zone

Core images for Assayed 2024 Drill Core

Ongoing Drilling at the NAK Project:

Drill holes NAK24-24, -26, and -28 have visually confirmed further expansion of the Gold Zone, with NAK24-24 and NAK24-26 traversing north and northwest, respectively, of NAK24-21, beyond the gold-enriched stockwork mineralization, drilling into the south and central parts of the broader main zone of more copper-rich mineralization that extends in that direction. Due to the high tenor of gold in the Gold Zone, the Company is emphasizing Gold Equivalent (AuEq) as well as Copper Equivalent (CuEq) grades in this news release.

American Eagle expects NAK's current drill program to continue into November, with assays being released upon receipt and following QA/QC (Quality Assurance/Quality Control).

Gold Zone and Main Zone:

Historically, the Gold Zone was termed the South or Stockwork zone, and was known to carry both significant copper and gold. Given that most of the contained metal value appears to be in gold, it will be referred to as the Gold Zone. It is continuous westward and northward with the larger and generally more copper-rich northerly trending zone of mineralization that extends from it and connects to the historical North, or Copper zone, hence for the referred to as the Main zone.

Gold Zone Highlights:



NAK24-23 Assay Results (Table 1) and Details*

Hole From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) Cu Ag (g/t) Mo (ppm) AuEq (g/t) CuEq NAK24-23 37 77 40 1.45 0.36% 2.5 41 2.01 1.49% within

















NAK24-23 37 140 103 0.80 0.30% 1.7 37 1.26 0.93% within

















NAK24-23 37 212 175 0.60 0.28% 1.3 38 1.03 0.76% within

















NAK24-23 37 313 276 0.45 0.24% 1.0 43 0.83 0.61%



Cross Section of NAK24-23

* Gold Equivalent (AuEq) shown in Tables for drill intersections are calculated on a basis of US$ 3.75/lb for Cu, US$ 1,900/oz for Au, US$ 20/oz for Ag and US$ 25/lb for Mo, with 80% metallurgical recoveries assumed for all metals (Since it is unclear what metals will be the principal products, assuming different recoveries is premature at this stage). The formula is: AuEq. = Au grade in g/t + {Cu % + (Ag grade in g/t x (Ag recovery / Cu recovery) x [Ag price  31] / [Cu price x 2200]) + (Mo grade in % x (Mo recovery / Cu recovery) x [Mo price x 2200] / [Cu price x 2200])}  ([Au price  31] / [Cu price x 2200]) . The assays have not been capped.

NAK24-21 Assay Results (Table 2) and Details



From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) Cu Ag (g/t) Mo (ppm) AuEq (g/t) CuEq NAK24-21 112 242 130 0.70 0.27% 1.2 24 1.10 0.82% within

















NAK24-21 35 310 275 0.57 0.22% 1.3 26 0.90 0.67%



Cross Section of NAK24-21

NAK24-21 and NAK24-23 were collared from the same set-up, approximately 60 m north of NAK22-01 and NAK22-02. NAK24-21 was a vertical hole drilled to a depth of 419 m, while NAK24-23 was drilled toward 340 degrees at an -70-degree inclination, to a total depth of 527m. Both holes intersected classic stockwork style mineralization with quartz veining containing local centerline chalcopyrite and bornite mineralization. The upper 300 m of both holes were marked by broken core, with bornite and chalcopyrite commonly coating fracture surfaces. Lithologically, the holes were characterized by intercalated mineralized Babine porphyry stock intrusive rocks, and fine-grained sedimentary rocks. Below 300 m in NAK24-23, dykes similar in composition to the Babine porphyry stock cut intervals of chalcopyrite-mineralized conglomerate.

NAK24-19 Assay Results (Table 3) and Details

Hole From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) Cu Ag (g/t) Mo (ppm) AuEq (g/t) CuEq NAK24-19 44 152 108 0.62 0.20% 1.7 53 1.00 0.74% within

















NAK24-19 44 239 195 0.43 0.19% 1.6 48 0.75 0.55% within

















NAK24-19 44 951 907 0.11 0.08% 0.6 44 0.27 0.20%



Cross Section of NAK24-19

NAK24-19 was collared 70 m to the northwest of NAK22-01 and NAK22-02 and drilled at a 55-degree inclination toward the southeast. This hole was designed to traverse from near the western margin of the gold-enriched South (Stockwork, Gold) zone, to ultimately test the flank of the IP embayment target. Mineralization was very strong downhole to 239 m, with similar stockwork-style mineralization to that encountered in holes NAK24-21, 23, and NAK22-01 and 02, with abundant veining and fracture-hosted copper sulfides that decrease gradually downhole. Below this depth, down to approximately 700m, a sequence of silicified or siliceous fine-grained, and thin-bedded, and commonly structurally disrupted sedimentary rocks predominates. It hosts only trace chalcopyrite and molybdenite, mainly as fracture coatings and sparsely distributed veinlets. Below the fine-grained rocks, mineralization picks up and is hosted largely by conglomeratic rocks and sandstone with similarities to rocks encountered in drill holes to the west and northwest. They host disseminations and local breccia infill of chalcopyrite to a downhole depth of 950m. Notably, near the end of the hole, a 30 cm wide zone of chalcopyrite-bearing vein breccia and associated disseminations in the wall rocks returned 0.78 g/t Au and 0.77 % Cu across a one metre interval, and overall, hole NAK24-19's strongly anomalous copper at depth near the IP embayment zone is encouraging. Future testing of the zone will be undertaken from the north or northeast.

Update on NAK24-24, -26, -28:

Three additional holes have been drilled in the Gold Zone and are awaiting results. NAK24-24 was collared from the same location as NAK24-21 and 23, drilling at a 55-degree inclination to the north. This hole was allowed to continue northward through the Gold Zone as far north as what was originally known as the North or Copper zone, thereby yielding a more complete understanding of the relationship between the historical South (Stockwork, Gold) and North (Copper) zones. Visuals from the hole help support our view that mineralization is largely continuous between the zones and show that to the north and at depth (end of hole equalled 950m), the bornite-chalcopyrite rich disseminated, and vein mineralization encountered in drill hole NAK23-12 is extensive.

NAK24-26 was also drilled from the same location as NAK24-24, but at a northwest, 300-degree azimuth. As with hole NAK24-24, hole 26 was drilled from the gold-rich South zone (Gold zone), traversing into the more copper-rich mineralization characteristic of the broader northerly-trending mineralized zone at NAK (Main zone). The hole was shut down in fine-grained, weakly mineralized silicified/siliceous sedimentary rocks at a depth of 600 m.

NAK24-28 was collared approximately 100 m to the east of NAK24-24 and drilled at a -55-degree inclination to the southeast. This hole collared in the Gold Zone, in stockwork style mineralization that included local chalcopyrite-mineralized centerline quartz veins, veins containing local bornite, and local bornite-coated fracture surfaces, all accompanied by finely disseminated chalcopyrite and bornite throughout the groundmass. Downhole of the stockwork style mineralization the hole intersected disseminated chalcopyrite hosted by coarse-grained pebbly sandstone, down to a depth of approximately 500m. where weaker mineralized silicified/siliceous fine grained sedimentary rocks were intercepted. The hole was shut down at a depth of 623 m.

South to North "Main Zone" Drilling Highlights:

NAK24-18: 816 m of 0.25% CuEq , including 25 m of 2.01% CuEq and 12 m of 1.43% CuEq

NAK24-20: 316 m of 0.37% CuEq and 83 m of 0.52% CuEq within 557 m of 0.32% CuEq, all within 827 m of 0.29% CuEq.

Along with holes NAK24-18 and -20, three further holes, NAK24-22, -25 and -27, have been collared on the Main zone trend connecting mineralization in the south, at the Gold Zone and in rocks contiguous to the west (e.g., NAK23-08, -11, 17, -10, and 16), with generally more copper-rich rocks in the north in the historical Copper zone (e.g., NAK23-12 and -14). The three holes for which results are pending were drilled west to east on sections spaced 100 m apart, north from the section along which hole NAK24-20 was drilled. Overall, in these west-to-east deeper holes, mineralization has increased in abundance and tenor northward, with a concomitant increase in bornite mineralization at depth, particularly in holes NAK24-25 and NAK24-27. Consequently, the Company's systematic drilling of long holes from westerly step-outs has helped to show that mineralization in the south is continuous with that in the north. This work is also outlining a very large volume of mineralized rock that includes within it local zones of very high tenor. Beyond this drilled zone, particularly to the north, lie considerable areas which remain largely untested.

NAK24-18 Assay Results (Table 4) and Details *

Hole From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) Cu Ag (g/t) Mo (ppm) AuEq (g/t) CuEq NAK24-18 470 495 25 0.62 0.93% 8.7 797 2.71 2.01% and

















NAK24-18 848 860 12 0.09 0.94% 7.9 531 1.93 1.43% within

















NAK24-18 44 860 816 0.06 0.15% 0.8 69 0.33 0.25%



Cross Section of NAK24-18

* Copper Equivalent (CuEq) shown in Tables for drill intersections are calculated on a basis of US$ 3.75/lb for Cu, US$ 1,900/oz for Au, US$ 20/oz for Ag and US$ 25/lb for Mo, with 80% metallurgical recoveries assumed for all metals (Since it's unclear what metals will be the principal products, assuming different recoveries is premature at this stage). The formula is: CuEq. = Cu % + (Au grade in g/t x (Au recovery / Cu recovery) x [Au price  31] / [Cu price x 2200]) + (Ag grade in g/t x (Ag recovery / Cu recovery) x [Ag price  31] / [Cu price x 2200] + (Mo grade in % x (Mo recovery / Cu recovery) x [Mo price x 2200] / [Cu price x 2200]). The assays have not been capped.

NAK24-18 was collared approximately 200 m west of NAK23-16 and drilled at an inclination of 77 degrees east. Down to a depth of 620 m, the drill hole intersected a mixed sedimentary package consisting of dominant variably mineralized conglomerate interbedded with local and less mineralized, well-bedded and commonly deformed very fine-grained rocks. Local semi massive cm-scale bornite veins and zones of densely disseminated chalcopyrite disseminations occur, most notably between 470 and 495 m. Between 620 and 839 m, the hole intersected dark green fine-grained dykes/sills mineralized by local stringers and disseminations of chalcopyrite and/or bornite, after which the Babine porphyry stock was encountered. The stock itself was locally well mineralized, particularly between 848 and 860 m, which it was cut by common chalcopyrite-bornite-molybdenite bearing quartz-anhydrite veins. The hole was shut down at a depth of 915 m.

NAK24-20 Assay Results (Table 5) and Details

Hole From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) Cu Ag (g/t) Mo (ppm) AuEq (g/t) CuEq NAK24-20 192 508 316 0.17 0.18% 0.8 90 0.50 0.37% within

















NAK24-20 192 749 557 0.11 0.17% 0.8 80 0.24 0.32% within

















NAK24-20 44 871 827 0.09 0.16% 0.8 76 0.39 0.29% including

















NAK24-20 666 749 83 0.08 0.38% 1.9 103 0.71 0.52% and including

















NAK24-20 741 749 8 0.18 1.37% 10.5 411 2.52 1.87% and including

















NAK24-20 867 871 4 0.13 2.81% 14.7 323 4.38 3.25%



Cross Section of NAK24-20

NAK24-20 was collared 100 m to the north of NAK24-18, and inclined 70 degrees, drilling east. The hole intersected similar sedimentary rocks to those intersected in hole 24-18, with pebble to cobble conglomerate dominating. Mineralization was strongest between 192 and 508 m, and consistent in style to that seen throughout the NAK property, with chalcopyrite and subordinate bornite as selective replacements, primarily in the interstices between clasts. Downhole of 508 m, to approximately 666 m, a thicker sequence of fine-grained and thin-bedded sedimentary rocks hosts mineralization that occurs solely along fractures and in local meter-scale crackle- brecciated zones. Below 666 m, coarser sandstone intercalated with meter-scale intermediate dyking was intersected. Within this unit, some unique styles of high-grade mineralization were encountered, with skarn-style epidote, garnet, and magnetite appearing in association with bornite in replacements of what appear to be carbonate concretions. At approximately 800 m NAK24-20 intersected the Babine porphyry stock, and the hole was shut down at 930 m.

American Eagle's Continuing 2024 NAK Drill Program:

The ongoing 2024 drill program, which was planned for 15,000 metres, will focus on the Main zone, by continuing to link, better define, and expand upon the historical North (Copper) and South (Gold Zone) and associated mineralization to the west) zones, which the Company showed in its 2022 and 2023 drill programs to extend to considerable depths (close to 950 m below surface) along a strike length of 750 m and across a width of approximately 400 m. Intercepts from 2023 include 900 m of 0.50% Copper Equivalent from surface in the north (Link to NAK23-12 News Release) and 302 metres of 1.09% Copper Equivalent within 606 m of 0.74% Copper Equivalent starting from 98 metres downhole in the south (Link to NAK23-17 News Release).

Collar details for holes drilled in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 drill program: Table 6

Hole UTM_Grid UTM_East UTM_North Azimuth Dip TD NAK22-01 NAD83_Z9 675281 6129359 n/a -90 881 NAK22-02 NAD83_Z9 675281 6129359 340 -70 984 NAK22-03 NAD83_Z9 675201 6129658 n/a -90 941 NAK22-04 NAD83_Z9 675181 6129862 n/a -90 548 NAK22-05 NAD83_Z9 675105 6130067 n/a -90 824 NAK22-06 NAD83_Z9 675376 6129782 260 -77 920 NAK22-07 NAD83_Z9 675181 6129862 170 -81 874 NAK23-08 NAD83_Z9 675341 6129341 270 -60 881 NAK23-09 NAD83_Z9 675990 6129284 20 -65 837 NAK23-10 NAD83_Z9 675357 6129415 270 -60 855 NAK23-11 NAD83_Z9 675215 6129340 270 -60 836 NAK23-12 NAD83_Z9 674999 6129846 80 -70 929 NAK23-13 NAD83_Z9 675205 6129773 270 -60 620 NAK23-14 NAD83_Z9 675260 6129934 260 -70 749 NAK23-15 NAD83_Z9 675211 6129232 270 -60 617 NAK23-16 NAD83_Z9 675166 6129479 265 -65 743 NAK23-17 NAD83_Z9 674969 6129377 105 -73 810 NAK23-18 NAD83_Z9 674961 6129472 90 -77 914 NAK23-19 NAD83_Z9 675219 6129388 120 -55 951 NAK23-20 NAD83_Z9 674946 6129573 90 -72 933 NAK23-21 NAD83_Z9 675264 6129415 n/a -90 419 NAK23-22 NAD83_Z9 674927 6129673 84 -71 943 NAK23-23 NAD83_Z9 675264 6129415 340 -70 526 NAK23-24 NAD83_Z9 675264 6129415 340 -55 950 NAK23-25 NAD83_Z9 674930 6129766 86 -74 923 NAK23-26 NAD83_Z9 675264 6129415 300 -60 586 NAK23-27 NAD83_Z9 674898 6129857 90 -70 977 NAK23-28 NAD83_Z9 675357 6129415 115 -55 632 NAK23-29 NAD83_Z9 675062 6129481 88 -70 In Progress NAK23-30 NAD83_Z9 675021 6129939 88 -72 In Progress

QA/QC and Sampling Protocol

Sampling at NAK follows a rigorous methodology and internal QA/QC protocol. Drill core is halved on site, and samples are submitted to ALS Geochemistry in Langley, British Columbia for preparation and analysis. ALS is accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard for assays. All analytical methods include quality control standards inserted at set frequencies. The entire sample interval is crushed and homogenized, and 250 g of the homogenized sample is pulped. All samples were analyzed for gold, silver, copper, molybdenum and a suite of 45 other major and trace elements. Analysis for gold is by fire assay fusion followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) on 30 g of pulp. Analysis for silver, copper, and molybdenum is by four-acid digestion followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS). All other major and trace elements are analyzed by four-acid digestion followed by ICP-MS.

Internal QA/QC protocols dictate that individual core samples are no less than 70 cm and no greater than 3 m in length. To control standard, blank, and duplicate sample frequency, and to better constrain pass/fail re-analysis intervals, samples are submitted to the lab in 50 sample batches. Within each 50-sample batch, there is one gold-copper standard and two coarse reject duplicates, inserted at regular intervals, and two blank samples, inserted sequentially following well-mineralized samples where possible, for a total of 10% QA/QC samples. All gold and copper standard analyses from the 2023 program passed within 2 standard deviations of expected values. Where duplicate values differed significantly, the lower values from the resulting re-analyses were used.

About American Eagle's NAK Project

The NAK Project lies within the Babine copper-gold porphyry district of central British Columbia. It has excellent infrastructure through all-season roads and is close to the towns of Smithers, Houston, and Burns Lake, B.C., which lie along a major rail line and Provincial Highway 16. Historical drilling and geophysical, geological, and geochemical work at NAK, which began in the 1960's, tested only to shallow depths. Still, the work revealed a very large near-surface copper-gold system that measures over 1.5 km x 1.5 km. Drilling completed in 2022 and 2023 by American Eagle has returned significant intervals of high-grade copper-gold mineralization that lie beyond the extent of historical drilling, indicating that several zones of near-surface and deeper mineralization, locally with considerably higher grades, exist within the broader NAK property mineralizing system.

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About American Eagle Gold Corp.

American Eagle is focused on exploring its NAK copper-gold porphyry project in west-central British Columbia, Canada.

Q.P. Statement

Mark Bradley, B.Sc., M.Sc., P.Geo., a Certified Professional Geologist and 'qualified person' for the purposes of Canada's National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Properties, has verified and approved the information contained in this news release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information in this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding whether the Company will be able to complete the Offering as anticipated, the receipt of regulatory approval, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, to complete the Offering, the intended use of proceeds and intended drill program or its anticipated results at the Company's NAK project, the ability of the Company to make the qualifying expenditures as anticipated by management, and other matters ancillary or incidental to the foregoing. This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual results might differ materially from those suggested in forward-looking statements. American Eagle Gold Corp. assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward looking-statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to American Eagle Gold Corp. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in filings by American Eagle Gold Corp. with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available under American Eagle Gold Corp. profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the TSX Venture Exchange policies) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220510

SOURCE: American Eagle Gold Corp.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 20, 2024) - Provenance Gold Corp. (CSE: PAU) (OTCQB: PVGDF) (the "Company" or "Provenance") is pleased to announce that it has commenced its core drilling program on its Eldorado property in Malheur County, eastern Oregon. The planned program calls for up to 5 initial core drill holes totaling 1,000 meters or more.

The primary goals for the drill program are to extend the known mineralization downdip beyond 90 metres and to verify geological details of the mineralization that will aid in modeling and future exploration. The core obtained will provide material for more precise assaying and for additional metallurgical testing.

This first hole (EC-01) will be collared in the vicinity of Provenance's holes ED-07 and ED-11 (2023) which each averaged better than 3 g/t Au across their entire lengths of 118 and 114 metres respectively. Hole EC-01 will be angled below holes ED-07 and ED-11 to extend the mineralization downdip while potentially confirming the significant width of the high-grade zone, as suggested in hole ED-07 (Figure 1), which is believed to have been angled perpendicular to the structural trend of this high-grade zone. The 2023 drilling suggested the presence of a previously unrecognized higher grade gold zone or zones below the historic drilling, the presence of which will be initially tested by hole EC-01, which is planned for 300 meters in depth. The ultimate depth of this hole and the following holes will be determined in the field, with flexibility to extend holes depending on field observations.

.

Figure 1. First planned core hole of 2024 drill program & 2023 drill holes

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5654/220536_e4557f41247f1958_001full.jpg

Rauno Perttu, Provenance's Chairman, stated, "We have been impatiently waiting to see core of our new high-grade zone, to confirm our modeling. The size and strength of the high-grade zone were surprising, and we haven't yet put boundaries on it. These core holes, together with the just-completed IP survey, will help us to do that and will likely give us new targets to follow up on. This is an exciting time for our company, and it may be coming at a great time. I think the long-delayed stronger market for junior companies with exceptional projects is starting to develop and we will be well-poised."

This core drilling follows a very successful 2023 RC drill program and will aim to test the gold system to depth, as many of the 2023 holes ended while still in strong mineralization.

2023 Drilling Highlights

Hole ED-03: 140.208 Meters of 1.15 g/t Gold

Hole ED-04: 137.160 Meters of 1.639 g/t Gold

Hole ED-07: 114.3 Meters of 3.085 g/t Gold

Hole ED-11: 118.872 Meters of 3.278 g/t Gold

Please click here for a complete summary of our recent 11-hole RC drill program at Eldorado.

IP Survey

On July 25th the Company announced an Induced Polarization (IP) Survey, conducted by KLM Geoscience, to help locate fault structures that are believed to be important in controlling gold mineralization on the property. This IP survey has been completed with results of this IP survey to be made available in the coming days as the data is analyzed. The IP survey will also help guide the core drilling program as well as provide guidance on several other drill targets that have never been tested on the property.

Qualified Person

The technical content disclosed in this press release was reviewed and approved by Jo Price, P.Geo., M.Sc., a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101.

About Provenance Gold Corp.

Provenance Gold Corp. is a precious metals exploration company with a focus on gold and silver mineralization within North America. The Company currently holds interests in Nevada, and eastern Oregon, USA.

For further information please visit the Company's website at https://provenancegold.com or contact:

Safe Harbor Statement: Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange, nor its regulation services provider, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When or if used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220536

SOURCE: Provenance Gold Corp.
Tyvak International SRL ("Tyvak International"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP) and a leading European nano and microsatellite manufacturer based in Italy, proudly announces the successful launch and deployment of IPERDRONE.0 following its release from the launcher. First contact has been established, and the Tyvak International team is now diligently working on the commissioning of the vehicle.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240820413136/en/

Photo Credit: SpaceX

This advanced space vehicle, developed for the Italian Space Agency, was launched aboard SpaceX's Transporter 11 mission, on August 16th, 2024 from Vandenberg Space Force Base marking a significant milestone in Tyvak International's contributions to space exploration and technology. The program consortium includes Centro Italiano Ricerche Aerospaziali (CIRA) and Kayser Italia. Tyvak International is responsible for the satellite hardware and software development, assembly, integration, testing, and launch integration service. Additionally, all on-orbit operations will be planned and executed from their Mission Operations Center collocated in Turin.

The IPERDRONE Program is structured as a sequence of missions, with incremental objectives, starting with the demonstration of new technologies, moving on to the inspection of space assets, and culminating in the return of the spacecraft to Earth. The first mission named IPERDRONE.0, is focused on validation and demonstration of key technology, specifically the proximity operations algorithms, the inspection cameras, and the propulsion system. These elements create the foundation upon which the entire program can advance.

The next IPERDRONE missions will target collaborative space assets and investigate advanced control mechanisms to steer the space vehicle's downward journey and novel materials designed to shield it from the extreme temperatures encountered during atmospheric re-entry.

About Tyvak International

Tyvak International SRL, a subsidiary of Terran Orbital Corporation, is a leading European nano and microsatellite provider, based in Turin, Italy. A front runner in miniaturization and specialized in execution and delivery, Tyvak International is contract Prime of European Space Agency for the Milani mission, coordinating a team of 12 entities, universities, research centers, and enterprises in Italy and across all Europe. Learn more at www.tyvak.eu.

About Terran Orbital

Terran Orbital is a leading manufacturer of satellite products primarily serving the aerospace and defense industries. Terran Orbital provides end-to-end satellite solutions by combining satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations, and on-orbit support to meet the needs of the most demanding military, civil, and commercial customers. Learn more at www.terranorbital.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240820413136/en/

Contacts:

Juliana Johnson

Public Relations

pr@terranorbital.com

949-508-6404
CHICAGO, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Water Soluble Films Market by Type (Cold, Hot), Application (Detergent Packaging, Agrochemical Packaging, Water Treatment Chemical Packaging, Dye Packaging, Food Packaging, Laundry Bags, Embroidery, Pharmaceutical) - Global Forecast to 2029", size was USD 441.8 million in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 586.4 million by 2029, at a CAGR of 5.8%, between 2024 and 2029.

Many factors, such as growing environmental consciousness, technical developments, economic concerns, regulatory pressures, the growth of e-commerce, and the growing requirements of the healthcare and agricultural sectors, are driving the market for water soluble films. Governments are enforcing strict laws to deter the use of plastic and promote the use of biodegradable alternatives. Manufacturers have been required to change and provide alternatives for traditional packaging to fulfill the shifting needs of health-conscious consumers. The continued efforts of the companies in research and development have established the water-soluble films as a competitive alternative to traditional packaging materials for industries looking for sustainable solutions.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Water Soluble Films Market"

215 - Tables

50 - Figures

210 - Pages

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Cold water soluble films segment is projected to register the highest CAGR, in terms of value, of the global water soluble films market during the forecast period.

The market position of cold water soluble films is attributed to its technological improvements. Advancements in polymer chemistry have produced films that are more durable, moisture resistant, and soluble in cold water. Owing to these developments, a wider variety of products, particularly those requiring longer shelf lives or moisture protection during storage and transportation, can now be packed using cold water soluble films. These films are now more widely available and more reasonably priced due to the manufacturers' ability to create them in large quantities for a variety of sectors.

Agrochemical packaging is estimated to be the second-largest application of water soluble films market, in terms of value, during the forecast period.

The agrochemical packaging segment is the second-largest application in the water soluble films market. Water soluble films adoption in the agriculture sector is growing in significance for market expansion since these films are used for many vital applications, including seed coatings, pesticide delivery, and agricultural input packaging. Its capacity to lessen environmental contamination by releasing chemicals only when required is what makes water soluble films attractive in agriculture. This controlled release system reduces waste, protects any agrochemical overuse, and guarantees that these chemicals are applied precise. This not only increases the effectiveness of farming operations but also lessens the possibility of detrimental runoff, which can contaminate the land and water.

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South America is projected to register the second highest CAGR, in terms of value, during the forecast period in the water soluble films market.

South America is projected to register the second highest CAGR in the water soluble films market, in terms of value, during forecast period due to several factors. The region's economic growth is one of the primary drivers of the water soluble films market's anticipated high growth rate in South America. The countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, have seen consistent economic growth in recent times. The expansion of several industries, such as consumer goods, medicines, and agriculture, which are all major users of water soluble films, is a result of this economic progress, in turn driving the market for water soluble films.

The key players profiled in the report Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation (Japan), SEKISUI CHEMICAL CO., LTD. (Japan), KURARAY CO., LTD. (Japan), AICELLO CORPORATION (Japan), Ecopol S.p.A. (Italy), Arrow GreenTech Ltd. (India), Cortec Corporation (US), Changzhou Greencradleland Macromolecule Materials Co., Ltd. (China), Jiangmen Proudly Water-soluble Plastic Co., Ltd. (China), AMC (UK) Ltd. (UK), and Noble Industries (India).

Browse Adjacent Market: Resins and Polymers Market Research Reports & Consulting

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Recycled Plastics Market - Global Forecast to 2030

Engineering Plastics Market - Global Forecast to 2027

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Revenue of $8.4 million; Adjusted EBITDA 1 of $1.1 million.

With one of the largest footprints in Ohio amongst publicly traded peers, Vext is well-positioned to grow revenue and cash flow from operations following the August 6 th launch of the adult-use program in the state.

Vext's Ohio network currently includes a Tier 1 cultivation facility, a manufacturing facility, and two operating retail dispensaries. Upon closing of previously announced acquisitions2 and completion of additional licensing under state law for the Tier 1 cultivation facility, Vext expects reaching the state dispensary license cap in 2024.

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 20, 2024) - Vext Science, Inc. (CSE: VEXT) (OTCQX: VEXTF) ("VEXT" or the "Company"), a U.S.-based cannabis operator with vertical operations in Arizona and Ohio, today reported its financial results for the period ended June 30, 2024. All currency references used in this news release are in U.S. currency unless otherwise noted.

Summary Financial Results



Q2 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2023 Revenue $8,426,928 $8,390,023 $9,187,122 EBITDA1 $171,309 ($2,285,845) $2,264,980 Adjusted EBITDA1 $1,084,234 $1,957,074 $1,049,115 Adjusted EBITDA Margin (%)1 12.9% 23.3% 11.4%

Management Commentary

Eric Offenberger, CEO of Vext, commented, "The launch of adult-use sales in Ohio after quarter-end marks a significant milestone for Vext. Over two years of preparation and operational experience in the state have positioned us well for this transition and we're pleased with the initial results. We view Ohio as one of the most promising adult-use markets in the U.S. and look forward to the opportunities it presents for both the state and Vext."

"The first half of the year continued to present challenges for consumer-facing companies, regardless of sector and geographic concentration. I'm proud of our team's efforts to continue driving traffic in this environment through targeted promotions on a wide range of value-based products. For the remainder of 2024, we anticipate improved performance through our focus on seamlessly transitioning our Ohio dispensaries to serve both medical and adult-use markets, enhancing efficiency in our Arizona operations, and exploring growth opportunities across our footprint, which we expect will lead to increasing cash flow, and solid long-term returns for our shareholders," added Mr. Offenberger.

Summary of Recent Announcements

On August 2, 2024, the Company announced that it had secured Certificates of Operation for the dual licensing of its cultivation and manufacturing facility as well as its operated dispensaries in Jackson and Columbus and had received approval from the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control to begin selling adult-use cannabis on Tuesday, August 6, 2024.

Vext Announces Board Changes

The Company announced today that Jason Thai Nguyen has stepped down as the Chairman of the Board of Directors (the "Board"), effective August 20, 2024. Mr. Nguyen will retain his position as a Director of Vext. The Company is also pleased to report that the Board has appointed Mark W. Opzoomer, a current independent member of the Board, as non-executive Chairman of the Board, with immediate effect.

Eric Offenberger, CEO of Vext, noted, "On behalf of Vext and its Board, I would like to thank Thai for his vision, contributions and longstanding commitment during his tenure as Chairman. We are pleased that he will continue to provide his valuable insights as a director. We are equally pleased to have Mark step into the role of Chairman. Having already been a key member of our Board, his deep understanding of our business and dedication to our strategic goals have been evident. I am confident that, under his leadership, Vext will continue to drive shareholder value as we enter the next phase of growth with the launch of adult-use sales in Ohio."

Q2 2024 Financial Results Conference Call

Vext will host a conference call and webcast on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, at 08:00 a.m. ET. to discuss its second quarter 2024 financial results.

Date: August 20, 2024 | Time: 8:00 am E.T.

Participant Dial-in: +1-647-484-8814 or 1-844-763-8274

Replay Dial-in: +1-412-317-0088 or 1-855-669-9658

Conference ID: 10191819

Playback #: 1766292 (Expires on September 3, 2024)

Listen to webcast: https://www.gowebcasting.com/events/vext-science/2024/08/20/second-quarter-2024-financial-results/play

For more details, visit Vext's investor website or contact the IR team at investors@vextscience.com.



Non-IFRS Financial Measures

This news release contains certain "non-IFRS financial measures" (equivalent to "non-GAAP financial measures", as such term is defined in National Instrument 52-112 - Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Disclosure ("NI 52-112")), "non-IFRS ratios" (equivalent to "non-GAAP ratios", as such term is defined in NI 52-112), including "EBITDA", "Adjusted EBITDA" and "Adjusted EBITDA margin". These financial measures do not have a standardized definition under IFRS, nor are they calculated or presented in accordance with IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The Company defines EBITDA as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The Company defines "Adjusted EBITDA" as net income (loss) from operations, as reported, before interest and tax, adjusted to exclude extraordinary items, non-recurring items, other non-cash items, including stock-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization, foreign exchange and acquisition related costs, if applicable. The Company defines "Adjusted EBITDA margin" as Adjusted EBITDA divided by Revenue.

The Company has provided these financial measures as supplemental information and in addition to the financial measures that are calculated and presented in accordance with IFRS. The Company believes that these supplemental financial measures provide a valuable additional measure to use when analyzing the operating performance of the business. These supplemental financial measures should not be considered superior to, as a substitute for or as an alternative to, and should only be considered in conjunction with, the IFRS financial measures presented herein.

The following information provides reconciliations of the non-IFRS financial measures presented herein to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with IFRS.



Q2 2024 Q1 2024 Q2 2023 Revenue $ 8,426,928 $ 8,390,023 $ 9,187,122 Net Income after taxes $ (4,390,035) $ (6,333,412) $ 535,454 Interest (Net) 801,832 800,680 1,010,812 Income Taxes (127,244) (340,522) (1,141,064) Depreciation & Amortization 3,886,756 3,587,409 1,859,779 EBITDA $ 171,309 $ (2,285,845) $ 2,264,980 Share-based compensation 233,868 13,065 68,862 Accretion - - (6,004) Share (Profit) / Loss on JVs 118,370 162,916 13,854 (Gain)/Loss on Asset Disposal - 1,444 - Refinance of loan payable - - - Loan costs WPCU loan - - 342 FV of WPCU loan (104,150) 460,870 219,518 Loan costs EWB amortized 44,827 44,286 43,969 FV of APP1803 option - 2,022,211 - RSU Taxes - 4,199 4,274 Foreign Exchange (910) (559) 310 ERC tax credit - - (1,680,793) Relative FV adjustment to inventory - - - Change in FV of Biological 227,503 604,982 119,802 FV increment on acquired inventory sold 393,417 929,505 - Gain on acquisition of control and bargain purchase - - - Reserves on Notes Receivable and Investments in Joint Operations - - - Executive Chairman Severance - - - Adjusted EBITDA $1,084,234 $ 1,957,074 $ 1,049,115 Adjusted EBITDA Margin (%)1 12.9% 23.3% 11.4%

About VEXT Science, Inc.

Vext Science, Inc. is a U.S.-based cannabis operator with vertical operations in Arizona and Ohio. Vext's expertise spans from cultivation through to retail operations in its key markets. Based out of Arizona, Vext owns and operates state-of-the-art cultivation facilities, fully built-out manufacturing facilities as well as dispensaries in both Arizona and Ohio. The Company manufactures Vapen, one of the leading THC concentrates, edibles, and distillate cartridge brands in Arizona. Its selection of award-winning products are created with Vext's in-house, high-quality flower and distributed across Arizona and Ohio, as well as through Vext's partnerships in other states. Vext's leadership team brings a proven track record of building and operating profitable multi-state operations, with the Company having operated profitably since 2016. The Company's primary focus is to continue growing in its core states of Arizona and Ohio, bringing together cutting-edge science, manufacturing, and marketing to provide a reliable and valuable customer experience while generating shareholder value.

Vext Science, Inc. is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol VEXT and trades on the OTCQX market under the symbol VEXTF. Learn more at www.vextscience.com and connect with Vext on Twitter/X and LinkedIn.

For more details on the Vapen brand:

Vapen website: VapenBrands.com

Instagram: @vapen

Facebook: @vapenbrands

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed here and elsewhere in Vext's periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. When used in this news release, words such as "will, could, plan, estimate, expect, intend, may, potential, believe, should," and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements regarding future developments and the business and operations of Vext, including but not limited to the Company's transition to serve both the medical and adult-use markets in Ohio and the anticipated results therefrom, market projections of the cannabis industry in the jurisdictions in which the Company operates, statements about the timing and completion of the Ohio Expansion Transaction and the acquisition of additional licenses in Ohio, all of which are subject to the risk factors contained in Vext's continuous disclosure filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Although Vext has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including, but not limited to: dependence on obtaining regulatory approvals; being engaged in activities currently considered illegal under U.S. Federal laws; change in laws; reliance on management; requirements for additional financing; competition; hindered market growth and state adoption due to inconsistent public opinion and perception of the medical-use and adult-use marijuana industry; and regulatory or political change.

There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. Because of these risks and uncertainties, the results or events predicted in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. Vext disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law, and Vext does not assume any liability for disclosure relating to any other company mentioned herein.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release.

Eric Offenberger

Chief Executive Officer

844-211-3725

For further information:

Jonathan Ross, Vext Investor Relations

jon.ross@loderockadvisors.com

416-244-9851

SOURCE: Vext Science, Inc.

1 See "Non-IFRS Financial Measures" below for more information regarding Vext's use of non-IFRS financial measures and other reconciliations.

2 Vext has executed an asset purchase agreement (as amended from time to time, the "Asset Purchase Agreement"), together with other definitive agreements (together with the Asset Purchase Agreement, the "Definitive Agreements"), with the members of Big Perm's Dispensary Ohio, LLC ("Big Perm") to acquire from Big Perm two cannabis dispensaries located in Ohio, as well as all licenses and assets related to the business of such dispensaries, other than excluded assets, for cash consideration of $7.7 million, subject to adjustments in certain circumstances (the "Ohio Expansion Transaction"). Subject to receipt of required regulatory approvals and other customary conditions precedent, the Company expects that closing of the Ohio Expansion Transaction will occur in 2024.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220489

SOURCE: VEXT Science, Inc.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 20, 2024) - Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) ("Forum" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that drilling at Forum's 100% owned Aberdeen Uranium Project has continued to intersect uranium mineralization, prolific structural and lithological controls and intense alteration at the Main and West deposits along the Tatiggaq Fault (Figure 1). A recent tour of Directors to the Aberdeen project and the Kiggavik Core Storage Facility with Forum's Geological Advisor, Dr. Peter Wollenberg, who discovered two of the largest deposits at Kiggavik, verified that the uranium mineralization processes on Forum's property are identical to the Kiggavik uranium deposits (Figure 2). Seventeen holes have been completed, totalling 4,307 metres along the Tatiggaq Fault within the 1.5km by 0.7km Tatiggaq anomaly (Figure 3). A total of 685 samples have been shipped to SRC Laboratories in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for analysis. Results are expected by the end of September.

Rick Mazur, President & CEO, stated, "We thank Orano for access to their drill core storage facility for the three deposits at the 133 million pound Kiggavik deposit. Our visit to the Aberdeen project and the Kiggavik core storage area validates our view that we are in an emerging uranium district for unconformity-style uranium deposits akin to the prolific Athabasca Basin."

The Company has entered into Phase Two of its drill program. One drill has moved to the Qavvik deposit and Forum will now focus on a number of other high priority targets on the property for basement-hosted and sandstone-covered unconformity targets The Company's 30-person drill camp and crew have performed well over the summer (Figure 4). Drilling is expected to continue for another four to six weeks.

Rebecca Hunter, Ph.D., P.Geo., Forum's Vice President of Exploration and Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release.

Marketing Agreement

At the request of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") the Company wishes to provide certain disclosure with respect to an advisory agreement (the "Agreement") it has entered into with DS Market Solutions Inc. ("DS Market Solutions"), with effect as of July 1, 2024. DS Market Solutions is an equity trading advisory and liquidity provider located in Mississauga, Ontario. Pursuant to the Agreement DS Market Solutions has agreed to provide the Company with liquidity services (the "Services") in compliance with the provisions of TSXV Policy 3.4, with the object of enhancing market depth and increasing liquidity of the Company's common shares. The Agreement is on a month-by-month basis and provides for remuneration of $5,000 per month, plus applicable taxes. The $5,000 comes from the Company's working capital and DS Market Solutions has confirmed that it uses its own funds and securities in providing the Services and, other than securities used for liquidity purposes, it has no interest, directly or indirectly, in the securities of the Company nor has it any right to acquire same. It has also confirmed that, to the extent needed, DS Market Solutions provides the Services through Canaccord Direct DMA.

Figure 1 The Thelon Basin is a geologic analogue to the Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan. Orano's uranium deposits are along the same controlling structures as Forum's Tatiggaq deposit and over 20 other targets are present within the project area, which could host additional uranium deposits similar to the Athabasca Basin.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4908/220526_8742a6a574684a91_003full.jpg

Figure 2 Review of Andrew Lake uranium deposit core at the Kiggavik Core Storage Facility.

From left to right, Peter Wollenberg, Forum Geological Advisor; Brian Christie, Forum Director; Rebecca Hunter, Forum Vice President, Exploration.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4908/220526_fig2forumenergy.jpg

Figure 3 Tatiggaq gravity anomaly, 2023 drill holes and 2024 Phase One drilling to the west-southwest and the east-northeast along the Tatiggaq Fault. Ambient Noise Tomography (ANT) modelled sub-parallel east-northeast-trending faults have also been targeted.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4908/220526_8742a6a574684a91_005full.jpg

Figure 4 Forum's newly-constructed 30-person drill camp located on Aberdeen Lake at the western end of the property.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4908/220526_8742a6a574684a91_006full.jpg

About Forum Energy Metals

Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) is focused on the discovery of high-grade unconformity-related uranium deposits in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan and the Thelon Basin, Nunavut. For further information: https://www.forumenergymetals.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-Looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Forward-Looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Forum's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include but are not limited to: uncertainties related to the historical data, the work expenditure commitments; the ability to raise sufficient capital to fund future exploration or development programs; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; changes commodity prices, litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological or operational difficulties or an inability to obtain permits required in connection with maintaining or advancing its exploration projects.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Richard J. Mazur, P.Geo.

President & CEO

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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220526

SOURCE: Forum Energy Metals Corp.
CHICAGO, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rolling Stock Market, by value, is estimated to be USD 28.6 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 40.1 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 5.8% from 2024 to 2030, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Development in the hybrid trains is providing opportunities for the market growth. Train with hydrogen or battery drive technologies are still on the way to the market and offer much more sustainable and flexible alternatives to traditional diesel-powered trains. These technologies make it possible for trains to run on non-electrified sections of rail networks, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and carbon emissions. Hydrogen-powered trains, as Alstom's Coradia iLint, generate electricity from hydrogen fuel cells with water vapor as the byproduct. On the other hand, the battery train can be charged at the overhead wires or at stops to permit cleaner operations. Hybrid trains are increasing their market due to enhanced environmental awareness and an increasing demand for efficient and versatile transport solutions in different rail infrastructure environments. For instance, in April 2024, Germany launched Battery-powered train into service. The trains are Siemens Mobility Mireo Plus B battery hybrid trains, with four trains having been supplied to operate the service from Offenburg to Bad Griesbach and Offenburg to Hornbergin. Further, Innovative technologies like big data, intelligent rail systems, and connected rail are also influencing the growth of the market.

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Browse in-depth TOC on "Rolling Stock Market"

315 - Tables

84 - Figures

401 - Pages

Rolling Stock Market Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2024 USD 28.6 billion Estimated Value by 2030 USD 40.1 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% Market Size Available for 2019-2030 Forecast Period 2024-2030 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Component, Locomotive Technology, Product Type, Application, and Region Geographies Covered Asia Oceania, Europe, North America, Middle East & Africa, and Rest of the World Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Retrofitting of diesel-electric trains Key Market Drivers Rising demand for Freight Transportation

Rapid Transit segment is expected to be the largest segment in the forecast

The Rapid transit segment holds the largest market share in the product type segment. Factors such as increasing urbanization and the related need for fast, reliable public transport systems to cover spread-out metropolitan cities. With rising urban populations, the need for mass transit solutions to reduce traffic congestion and environmental pollution and to offer cost-effective and time-efficient travel options rises. Government support and investments in infrastructure development, technological development in rail systems, and increasing the focus on green and environmentally friendly transportation also fuel the growth of the rapid transit segment. Growth in existing transportation systems in cities has necessitated the demand for more rapid transit systems within metropolises. With the initiation of infrastructure projects, demand for vehicles is likely to be much stronger in emerging economies like China, Brazil, and India compared with the developed countries in Western Europe. Secondly, assimilation of smart technologies such as real-time tracking, automation, and advanced safety features enhances the attractiveness and uptake of rapid transit solutions. For instance, In July 2024, Paris transport authority Ile-de-France-Mobilities has awarded Keolis and RATP Cap Ile-de-France contracts to operate the future Grand Paris Express metro Line 18 and existing tram-train services T12 and T13 in Paris, France. Thus, with such new projects aimed toward rail connectivity, the demand for rolling stock will increase during the forecast period.

Passenger Transportation segment will hold the prominent market share in the Application segment

Passenger segments hold the prominent market share in the application segment. Countries such as Japan, India, China, and Europe are major markets for rolling stock in passenger transportation. In Japan, rolling stock is the major means of passenger transport. The availability of robust infrastructure for both urban and intercity transport for mass transit in Japan is the major factor driving the adoption of railways for passenger transportation. Globally, there has been a rise in the demand for passenger trains, including those in Japan. In January 2024, Eurostar reported that they had transported 18.6 million passengers in 2023, a 22% increase over 2022 and marking a return to pre-pandemic passenger levels. According to American Public Transportation Association, Transit riders took 7.1 billion trips on public transportation in 2023, a 16 percent increase over 2022.

Urbanization is the major driver for the growth of passenger transportation by railways. According to WHO, the urban population is estimated to account for 60% of the global population by 2030. Hence, rising urbanization is expected to further boost the market for passenger transportation in the coming years.

Europe is expected to be the second-largest market during the forecast

It is projected that Europe will hold the second-largest share of the rolling stock market, by value, in 2024. Europe hosts the largest rail supply industry in the world. Most of the trains in Europe are fitted with high-tech facilities, including eco-friendly vehicles, wireless data communications, wireless radio hookups, and comfort-enhancing facilities. Compared with Western European nations like the UK, Germany, France, and Spain, the rate of adaptation of high-end technology remains pretty low in East European nations, including Poland and the Czech Republic. Rolling stock OEMs look to exploit the prospects of the Eastern European market toward regional presence.

Further, by 2030, EU Railways aims to construct a high-speed rail track of 31,000 km. Other programs, such as FP1MOTIONAL, FP2R2DATO, and FP3IAM4RAIL, are also conceptualized to increase the growth of the European rolling stock market. The EU is also seeking to develop environmentally friendly mode of transport by aiming for a single railway area. It has been attempting to harmonize the networks of the continent as a massive effort invested by both private and public entities. Germany is foreseen to dominate the European rolling stock market during the forecast period. The country is actively promoting the use of rapid transit systems to reduce vehicle emissions and is investing in appropriate infrastructure.

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Rolling Stock Market Dynamics:

Drivers:

Rising demand for Freight Transportation

Restraints:

Refurbishment of existing rolling stock to prevent new procurement

Opportunities:

Retrofitting of diesel-electric trains

Challenge:

High overhaul and maintenance costs

Key Market Players Rolling Stock Market Industry:

Prominent players in the Rolling Stock Market include as CRRC Corporation Limited (China), Siemens AG (Germany), Alstom SA (France), Stadler Rail AG (Switzerland), and Wabtec Corporation (US).

The break-down of primary participants is as mentioned below:

By Company Type: OEMs - 40%, Tier I - 41%, Tier II - 19%,

OEMs - 40%, Tier I - 41%, Tier II - 19%, By Designation: C Level Executives - 23%, Directors - 42%, and Others - 35%

C Level Executives - 23%, Directors - 42%, and Others - 35% By Region: North America-20%, Europe-24%, Asia Oceania-36%, MEA-15%, RoW-5%

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Rolling Stock Industry Recent Developments:

In July 2024, Alstom SA (France) launched new Innovia APM 300R trains, which entered into service at the Denver International Airport. The new trains will carry travelers between the Terminal and Concourses A, B, and C.

In June 2024, Vale (Brazil) and Wabtec Corporation (US) announced a master service agreement (MSA) to increase the efficiency and operations of the Evolution Series (EVO) locomotive fleet on the Estrada de Ferro Carajas (EFC).

In June 2024, CRRC Sifang Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of CRRC Corporation Limited (China), developed a new urban smart fast rail train for the International Metro Transit Exhibition & Forum, Beijing-Nanjing (MetroTrans) in Nanjing. The 30-meter-long train consists of three structurally independent modules and features a maximum capacity of 280 passengers, a maximum running speed of 70 km/h, and an energy consumption of 3-4 kWh/km.

Rolling Stock Market Size - Key Benefits of Buying the Report:

The study also includes an in-depth competitive analysis of the key players in the market, along with their company profiles, key observations related to product and business offerings, recent developments, and key market strategies.

The report will help the market leaders/new entrants with information on the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall rolling stock market and the subsegments. This report will help stakeholders understand the competitive landscape and gain more insights to position their businesses better and plan suitable go-to-market strategies.

The report also helps stakeholders understand the market pulse and provides information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities.

This report provides insights on:

Analysis of key drivers (Rising preference for railway-based public transport aims to alleviate traffic congestion, Rising demand for energy-efficient transport, Increasing demand for comfort and safety, Increasing electrification of railway networks, Rising demand for freight transport), restraints (Refurbishment of existing rolling stock, Capital-intensive rolling stock), opportunities (Big data applications in rail industry, Increase in industrial and mining activities, Development of hydrogen fuel cell locomotives, Development of battery-operated trains, Retrofitting of diesel-electric trains), and challenges (High overhaul and maintenance costs, Requirement of high R&D investments).

(Rising preference for railway-based public transport aims to alleviate traffic congestion, Rising demand for energy-efficient transport, Increasing demand for comfort and safety, Increasing electrification of railway networks, Rising demand for freight transport), restraints (Refurbishment of existing rolling stock, Capital-intensive rolling stock), opportunities (Big data applications in rail industry, Increase in industrial and mining activities, Development of hydrogen fuel cell locomotives, Development of battery-operated trains, Retrofitting of diesel-electric trains), and challenges (High overhaul and maintenance costs, Requirement of high R&D investments). Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on upcoming technologies, research & development activities, and new product & service launches in the rolling stock market.

Detailed insights on upcoming technologies, research & development activities, and new product & service launches in the rolling stock market. Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative markets - the report analyses the rolling stock market across varied regions.

Comprehensive information about lucrative markets - the report analyses the rolling stock market across varied regions. Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new products & services, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the rolling stock market.

Exhaustive information about new products & services, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the rolling stock market. Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market shares, growth strategies and service offerings of leading players like CRRC Corporation Limited (China), Siemens AG (Germany), Alstom SA (France), Stadler Rail AG (Switzerland), and Wabtec Corporation (US) among others in the rolling stock market Page 25 of 34 strategies. The report also helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the adjacent reports such Hybrid Train Market, Autonomous Train market and provides them with information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities.

Related Reports:

Rolling Stock Management Market - Global Forecast to 2025

Connected Rail Market - Global forecast to 2027

Hybrid Train Market - Global Forecast to 2030

Train Battery Market - Global Forecast to 2030

Get access to the latest updates on Rolling Stock Companies and Rolling Stock Industry Growth

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The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing.

Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry.

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Kunstliche Intelligenz hat spatestens nach dem Raketenstart von Chat GPT das Leben aller verandert. Doch der Superzyklus steht nach Meinungen von Experten erst am Anfang. Wahrend Aktien wie Nvidia von der ersten Aufwartsentwicklung stark profitieren konnten, versprechen aussichtsreiche Player aus der

zweiten Reihe noch enormes Aufwartspotenzial.



Im kostenlosen, exklusiven Spezialreport prasentieren wir ihnen 5 innovative KI-Unternehmen, die bahnbrechende Entwicklungen in diesem Sektor pragen konnten.



Warum sollten Sie dabei sein?

Trotz der jungsten Erfolge steht die Entwicklung der kunstlichen Intelligenz noch am Beginn eines neuen Superzyklus. Experten gehen davon aus, dass der Sektor bis 2032 global auf 1,3 Billionen US-Dollar explodieren wird, wobei ein groer Teil auf Hardware und Infrastruktur entfallen wird.



Nutzen Sie die Chance!

Fordern Sie sofort unseren brandneuen Spezialreport an und erfahren Sie, welche 5 KI-Aktien das grote Potenzial zur Vervielfachung besitzen. Dieser Report ist komplett kostenlos und zeigt Ihnen die aussichtsreichsten Investments im KI-Sektor.

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Funding Co-Led by Inovia Capital & Tola Capital Brings AI-Driven Software to the Biopharma Industry With First Product Reliant Tabular

MONTREAL and BERLIN, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Reliant AI, a provider of gen AI-powered data analytics software, announced today its launch out of stealth with $11.3 million in seed funding. The new capital was co-led by Tola Capital and Inovia Capital , with participation from angel investor Mike Volpi.

Reliant AI was created by leading Natural Language Processing and Reinforcement Learning scientists and researchers Karl Moritz Hermann, Marc Bellemare and Richard Schlegel who led teams at DeepMind, Google Brain and EY Parthenon. They're passionate about how generative AI can solve information challenges to reduce repetitive mental labor and accelerate decision making for enterprises. The company is initially targeting the biopharma industry and will use the new funding to hire engineering talent to expand its technology investment and footprints in Europe and North America.

"Information and data are a critically overlooked part of making the life sciences progress to bring about a better world. The sheer amount of menial labor involved in data-intensive industries today means that many highly skilled professionals are focused on wrangling data, rather than solving complex issues. We created an AI system that understands the life sciences to radically grow its capacity to perform research at scale," said Karl Moritz Hermann , CEO and Co-Founder of Reliant AI.

Reliant AI's first product, Reliant Tabular , is an AI workbench that is attracting significant interest across key business segments in the biopharma industry. The product helps life science analysts find scientific evidence for their decisions through automated systematic reviews, asset scans, comprehensive analyses, and a customizable data platform - with Reliant AI, anything can be queried.

Features of Reliant Tabular include:

Proprietary ML models optimized to be experts in biopharma topics

Comprehensive approach to fact-finding - maximizing recall so that nothing gets missed

User interface that makes it quick and easy to reconcile generated results with ground truth evidence

Answers in a report-ready format so that teams can collaborate on analyses

"The biopharma industry has a massive and underserved information need. Reliant AI blends cutting-edge research with domain expertise to create software that makes it possible for a day's worth of data wrangling to be done in 30 seconds. Marc, Karl Moritz and their technical team bring together decades of AI expertise from the world's best research groups, such as DeepMind, Google Brain, and Meta, giving Reliant the ability to really move the needle on the application of generative AI to hard data problems," said Aaron Fleishman, Partner at Tola Capital.

"We see a significant market opportunity in the pharmaceutical sector, as companies strive to build and partner with new entrants to develop innovative solutions like those offered by Reliant AI," said Steve Woods, Partner at Inovia Capital. "This notable demand in a large and growing market underscores the potential of AI to drive impactful advancements in the biopharma industry."

"Reliant AI has significantly increased my efficiency by rapidly parsing relevant data, allowing me to focus on deeper analysis and faster turnaround times. This technology promises to revolutionize how early commercial assessments are conducted," said Miguel Silva, Strategy Director at OMass Therapeutics .

To learn more or obtain a demo, visit https://www.reliant.ai/

About Reliant AI

Reliant AI is a provider of genAI-powered data analytics software that accelerates secondary research in biopharma. With Reliant AI, anything can be queried. The company was created by Karl Moritz Hermann, Marc Bellemare and Richard Schlegel , renowned scientists and researchers who previously led teams at DeepMind, Google Brain and EY Parthenon. Reliant AI has offices in Berlin, Germany and Montreal, Canada and has raised USD $13.5M in total funding from investors including Tola Capital, Inovia Capital, Mike Volpi, Amit Agarwal, and AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio.

About Tola Capital

Tola Capital is a venture capital firm that believes in the power of software, data, and AI to transform the way the world works. Founded in 2010 by experienced software operators at the forefront of cloud computing's rise, the firm backs entrepreneurs who have enterprise technology experience and are building disruptive, industry transforming solutions with diverse teams. Tola Capital has successfully exited numerous startups, and continues to evolve as it supports founders into the era of AI. Visit www.tolacapital.com for more information.

About Inovia Capital

Inovia Capital is a venture capital firm that partners with founders to build impactful and enduring global companies. The team leverages an operator-led mindset to provide founders with multi-stage support, mentorship, and access to a worldwide network. Inovia manages over US$2.2B with operations in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, Bay Area, and London. For more information, visit inovia.vc .

Media Contact: Nicole Brunet, 408-761-1803, Press@reliant.ai

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Cognita, a leading global schools group, expands its international community with the addition of Al Ain English Speaking School in the UAE, welcoming a further 2,000 students and 250 staff to its worldwide family.

LONDON, Aug. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cognita, a leading global schools group, today announced that Al Ain English Speaking School (AAESS), in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE, has joined its worldwide community, further strengthening its presence in the Middle East. This marks the group's first-ever school in Al Ain. Established in 1978, AAESS has been providing academic excellence in the heart of the UAE to a diverse community of students, from Nursery through to Sixth Form. The school, which serves 2,000 students and employs 250 staff, now joins Cognita's thriving community of more than 100 schools across 16 countries, educating over 90,000 students.

Cognita's growing family of exceptional schools already includes six schools in Dubai, one in the city of Abu Dhabi and one in Kuwait. The addition of AAESS brings the total number of Cognita schools in the Middle East to nine.

AAESS has grown from humble beginnings in a local villa to an expansive campus boasting state-of-the-art-facilities. The school prides itself on its British-based curriculum, tailored to meet the needs of its international student body, ensuring that every child is not only academically accomplished but also globally competitive and culturally aware. Celebrating a legacy of expansion and innovation, AAESS continues to nurture the leaders of tomorrow within its vibrant, inclusive, and dynamic learning environment. The entire school community promotes growth, mutual respect, cooperation, and, most importantly, a joy for learning.

Cognita's leadership in the region is headed by David Baldwin, Chief Executive Officer for the Middle East. David has extensive experience in global education and governance, including more than 10 years in the UAE, as well as supporting Cognita's schools in the United Kingdom as Director of Education.

Speaking about this recent development, David Baldwin said: "It gives me great pleasure to announce the inclusion of Al Ain English Speaking School into our global family of schools. This marks a significant milestone for Cognita, as AAESS is the first school we've partnered with in Al Ain. We are eager to collaborate in delivering a world-class educational experience, advancing pedagogy and empowering our students, staff and families to thrive in our rapidly evolving world."

Mr Mohammed Al Ghussein, Chairman of Al Ain English Speaking School, shared the enthusiasm for this new chapter, expressing, 'We share a collective mission to enrich the educational journey of our students, ensuring they are well-equipped for success and contribute positively to the world. Whilst Cognita deeply value the unique identity and traditions of the school, they now open our classrooms to the collective wisdom of over 100 schools globally. It is exciting for the school to be part of something much bigger as it heads towards its 50th anniversary.'

By joining the Cognita family of schools, AAESS educators and students are now part of a global community rich in knowledge, opportunities, and best practices. School leaders and teachers will also have access to advanced and bespoke training programmes, including those developed with the world-leading IOE - Faculty of Education and Society at University College London.

Ends.

Notes to editors

About Cognita

Launched in 2004, Cognita is an extraordinary community of schools that span 16 countries and share one common purpose: to thrive in a rapidly evolving world. With over 100 schools in Europe and the US, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia, Cognita employs over 18,000 teaching and support staff in the care and education of more than 90,000 students. Together, Cognita schools provide a uniquely global education that goes beyond grades, to develop all-round academic excellence - equipping young people with the agency, adaptability and positive attitudes that prepares them to grow, thrive and find their success in a rapidly evolving world.

www.cognita.com

About Al Ain English Speaking School

Al Ain English Speaking School (AAESS) is a premier educational institution in Al Ain, UAE, dedicated to providing a high-quality British curriculum education to students from diverse backgrounds. With a strong emphasis on academic excellence, holistic development and community engagement, AAESS provides a nurturing and inclusive environment where students are encouraged to reach their full potential. The school's state-of-the-art facilities, experienced teaching staff and comprehensive extracurricular programs ensure that every student receives a well-rounded education, preparing them for success in an ever-changing global landscape.

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Golden Ocean Group Limited (the "Company") will publish its financial results for the second quarter of 2024 on Wednesday August 28, 2024.

In connection with the release, a conference call and webcast will be held as described below:

Conference call and webcast

A conference call will be held at 3:00 P.M. CEST (9:00 A.M. New York Time) on Wednesday August 28, 2024. The presentation will be available for download from the Investor Relations section at www.goldenocean.bm (under "Presentations") prior to the conference call/webcast.

In order to listen to the presentation, you may do one of the following:

a. Webcast

Visit the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at www.goldenocean.bmand click on the link to "Webcast", or access directly via the webcast link below.

GOGL Q2 2024 Webcast

b. Conference Call

Participants will need to register online prior to the conference call via the link below. Dial-in details will be available when registered.

GOGL Q2 2024 Conference Call

A Q&A session will be held after the conference call/webcast. Information on how to submit questions will be given at the beginning of the session.

August 20, 2024

Hamilton, Bermuda

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements of section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.




caption: Sabin Vaccine Institute Research & Development President Kelly Warfield

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Virologist and vaccine development leader Kelly Warfield has joined the Sabin Vaccine Institute as its Research & Development President to drive Sabin's current candidate vaccines toward licensure and expand its pipeline.

A member of Sabin's executive team, Warfield will manage the R&D program and team, collaborating with peers, cross-functional heads, and the Board of Trustees to shape Sabin's strategic vision. She will report to CEO Amy Finan, who has led the R&D team since 2017 and revitalized it by launching new programs, securing new funding, and enhancing its capabilities.

"With our success comes the need for a new leader with the scientific, regulatory, and business experience to propel our R&D work forward and enable me to focus on growing Sabin," says Finan. "This is the right time to make that move, and we have the right person for the role in Kelly Warfield."

A seasoned executive and scientist, Warfield brings a wealth of experience in guiding life science teams to build new competencies and advance vaccine programs across various sectors, including government, start-ups, and mid-sized biotech/pharma companies. In her most recent role as senior vice president for science & development at Emergent BioSolutions, she managed a multinational team of over 300 scientists with an annual budget exceeding $100 million, and coordinated partnerships with BARDA, NIAID, the U.S. Department of Defense, and CEPI.

"Kelly brings the strategic and scientific leadership needed to advance Sabin's two vaccine candidates to licensure and expand our vaccine portfolio. Just as importantly, she has the passion and expertise to tackle the technical and operational challenges of developing vaccines for diseases that disproportionately impact people in under-resourced settings," says Finan.

Warfield says she's honored to be Sabin's first R&D president and deeply inspired by the organization's ethos. "Throughout my career, I have focused on addressing unmet medical needs via public-private partnerships," she says. "My greatest fulfillment comes from developing vaccines to combat those emerging disease threats. So, this role at Sabin aligns perfectly with my long-held interest in using science to help those most in need."

A critical priority for Warfield will be to work with partners to bring Sabin's candidate vaccines against Marburg and Sudan ebolavirus diseases to licensure. "These vaccines, if licensed, could be game-changers, especially for communities in outbreak-prone regions of Africa," says Warfield.

Beyond her expertise in vaccine development, Kelly has a deep understanding of novel regulatory pathways, including the Animal Rule and Accelerated Approval processes. She has successfully navigated U.S. FDA and European Medicines Agency regulations for product approvals.

Prior to joining Emergent in 2014, Warfield co-founded Integrated Biotherapeutics, Inc. and led its vaccine development, specializing in the development of antivirals and vaccines for Ebola and Marburg viruses. She has also led preclinical development for a wide array of antivirals, including influenza and dengue.

Warfield began her research career as a student intern at the National Cancer Institute. As a National Research Council postdoctoral fellow at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, she developed vaccines and therapeutics for highly lethal filoviruses and received training to work in advanced biosafety (BSL-3 and BSL-4) containment laboratories.

Warfield has authored over 100 publications and book chapters and holds more than 15 patents.

In addition to her professional achievements, Warfield has served on the boards of non-profits and start-ups, and currently advises an organization that provides STEM opportunities to underserved communities.

About the Sabin Vaccine Institute

The Sabin Vaccine Institute is a leading advocate for expanding vaccine access and uptake globally, advancing vaccine research and development, and amplifying vaccine knowledge and innovation. Unlocking the potential of vaccines through partnership, Sabin has built a robust ecosystem of funders, innovators, implementers, practitioners, policy makers and public stakeholders to advance its vision of a future free from preventable diseases. As a non-profit with three decades of experience, Sabin is committed to finding solutions that last and extending the full benefits of vaccines to all people, regardless of who they are or where they live. At Sabin, we believe in the power of vaccines to change the world. For more information, visit www.sabin.org and follow us on X, @SabinVaccine.

Media Contact:

Monika Guttman

Media Relations Specialist

Sabin Vaccine Institute

+1

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/440f3fa4-a78f-4d8a-85c4-e84724a6c69b
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. ("West Red Lake Gold" or "WRLG" or the "Company") (TSXV: WRLG) (OTCQB: WRLGF) is pleased to announce the start of a 2024 surface drilling program across its 100% owned Madsen Mine Property located in the Red Lake Gold District of Northwestern Ontario, Canada.



The Company plans to drill up to 10,000 meters ("m") of NQ diamond drill core testing a number of high-priority targets across the Madsen property that were generated through a systematic evaluation of all available geologic data (Figures 1 & 2). Drill targets were selected based on 1) their position along primary structural trends, 2) proximity to the Russet Lake and Venus ultramafic units, and 3) periodicity along strike of the main Madsen structural corridor relative to known mineralized splays (Fork, McVeigh and North Austin).

The Company recently recognized this periodicity of known mineralized splays along the Madsen structural corridor through an evaluation of deposit-scale structural relationships. The average spacing between these known mineralized splays is approximately 1 kilometer ("km"). Interpretation of the regional aeromagnetic dataset, which was flown in 2014, suggests that additional splays could be present along strike from Madsen to the northeast.

Will Robinson, Vice President of Exploration, stated, "After completing a thorough review of the available geologic data for the Madsen property our team has generated some new exploration concepts and identified a number of highly prospective targets that share characteristics with known resource areas, which suggests the geologic potential for hosting high-grade gold mineralization. We are very excited to test a number of these targets this year with the surface drilling program as we strive to make meaningful discoveries and add value across the Madsen property."

TARGET DESCRIPTIONS:

Upper 8

The Upper 8 target is a shallower geologic analog to the well-known high-grade 8-Zone and positioned within the same lithologic unit (Russet Lake Ultramafic) approximately 750m up-plunge from the main 8-Zone. The Upper 8 target horizon was intercepted in only a few historic drill holes, which encountered a zone of strong shearing, alteration and quartz veining equivalent to 8-Zone style mineralization. Based on available drilling data, there does not appear to have been sufficient follow-up drilling on this target.

MJ

The MJ target is currently a high-grade portion of the Wedge resource. It is also an 8-Zone analog hosted within two concordant shear zones up to 40 m in width and characterized by deformed gold-bearing quartz veins hosted within altered and deformed basalt and peridotite within the Russet Lake Ultramafic. Current drilling has delineated these shear zones over 500 m of strike length and to 320 m depth with the structure remaining open along strike and down-dip. Drilling in 2024 will be testing the extension of MJ along strike to the northeast, which remains completely open and mostly un-drilled.

North Venus

The North Venus target is located approximately 2km northeast along strike from the North Austin zone. The geophysical signature at North Venus displays a very similar magnetic response in size, orientation and magnitude to the Fork splay. This target area is located hanging-wall to the Venus ultramafic unit and is also located near a prominent bend or inflection in the local stratigraphy, as well as the Balmer-Confederation unconformity, which bodes well for potential structural modification and/or dilation in this area.

North Starratt

The Starratt Mine is located approximately 2km southwest of the Madsen Mine and was the second largest past producer on the Madsen property with ~164 koz of gold produced between 1948-1956[1]. The North Starratt target is testing the northeast extension of the Starratt mine trend. This area is considered highly prospective but remains mostly un-drilled.

1 Website: Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry. "MDI52K13NW00011 - Ontario Geological Survey." GeologyOntario. Accessed August 15, 2024. http://www.geologyontario.mndm.gov.on.ca/mndmfiles/mdi/data/records/MDI52K13NW00011.html





FIGURE 1. Regional Targeting Map for 2024 Surface Drilling Program at Madsen.





FIGURE 2. Regional Targeting Map for 2024 Surface Drilling Program at Madsen w/ Magnetics (RTP) Tilt Derivative Overlay.

QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL

Exploration drilling completed on surface at the Madsen Mine consists of oriented NQ-sized diamond drill core. All drill holes are systematically logged, photographed, and sampled by a trained geologist at the Madsen Mine core processing facility. Minimum allowable sample length is 0.5m. Maximum allowable sample length is 1.5m. Control samples (certified standards and uncertified blanks), along duplicates, are inserted at a target 5% insertion rate. Results are assessed for accuracy, precision, and contamination on an ongoing basis. The BQ-sized drill core is whole core sampled. The NQ-sized drill core is then cut lengthwise utilizing a diamond blade core saw along a line pre-selected by the geologist. To reduce sampling bias, the same side of drill core is sampled consistently utilizing the orientation line as reference. For those samples containing visible gold ("VG"), a trained geologist supervises the cutting/bagging of those samples, and ensures the core saw blade is 'cleaned' with a dressing stone following the VG sample interval. Bagged samples are then sealed with zip ties and transported by Madsen Mine personnel directly to SGS Natural Resource's Facility in Red Lake, Ontario for assay.

Samples are then prepped by SGS, which consists of drying at 105C and crushing to 75% passing 2mm. A riffle splitter is then utilized to produce a 500g course reject for archive. The remainder of the sample is then pulverized to 85% passing 75 microns from which 50g is analyzed by fire assay and an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish (SGS Code GO-FAA50V10). Samples returning gold values > 10 g/t Au are reanalyzed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish on a 50g sample (SGS Code GO_FAG50V). Samples with visible gold or returning gold values > 30 g/t Au are also analyzed via metallic screen analysis (SGS code: GO_FAS50M). For multi-element analysis, samples are sent to SGS's facility in Burnaby, British Columbia and analyzed via four-acid digest with an atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) finish for 33-element analysis on 0.25g sample pulps (SGS code: GE_ICP40Q12). SGS Natural Resources analytical laboratories operates under a Quality Management System that complies with ISO/IEC 17025.

The Madsen Mine deposit presently hosts a National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") Indicated resource of 1.65 million ounces ("Moz") of gold grading 7.4 g/t Au and an Inferred resource of 0.37 Moz of gold grading 6.3 g/t Au. Mineral resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 3.38 g/t Au and a gold price of US1,800/oz. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Please refer to the technical report entitled "Independent NI 43-101 Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the PureGold Mine, Canada", prepared by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. and dated June 16, 2023, and amended April 24, 2024 (the "Madsen Report"). The Madsen Resource Estimate has an effective date of December 31, 2021 and excludes depletion of mining activity during the period from January 1, 2022 to the mine closure on October 24, 2022 as it has been deemed immaterial and not relevant for the purpose of the Madsen Report. A full copy of the Madsen Report is available on the Company's website and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

The technical information presented in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Will Robinson, P.Geo., Vice President of Exploration for West Red Lake Gold and the Qualified Person for exploration at the West Red Lake Project, as defined by NI 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects".

DIGITAL MARKETING AGREEMENT

The Company further reports that it has entered into an agreement with Machai Capital Inc. ("Machai") dated July 17, 2024, pursuant to which Machai will provide a digital marketing campaign (the "Machai Agreement"). The term of the Machai Agreement is for three months for a total retainer of $225,000, to be paid upfront.

Under the agreement Machai will execute a comprehensive digital media marketing campaign for the Company commencing in August including branding and content creation, data optimization services including search engine optimization, search engine marketing, lead generation, digital marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, and brand marketing.

Machai is a marketing, advertising and public awareness firm based out of Vancouver, British Columbia, specializing in advertising and public awareness in the metals & mining, technology, and special situation sectors. Machai and its principal, Suneal Sandhu are arms length to the Company and hold no interest, directly or indirectly, in the securities of the Company or any right to acquire such an interest. The engagement of Machai is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

ABOUT WEST RED LAKE GOLD MINES

West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. is a mineral exploration company that is publicly traded and focused on advancing and developing its flagship Madsen Gold Mine and the associated 47 km2 highly prospective land package in the Red Lake district of Ontario. The highly productive Red Lake Gold District of Northwest Ontario, Canada has yielded over 30 million ounces of gold from high-grade zones and hosts some of the world's richest gold deposits. WRLG also holds the wholly owned Rowan Property in Red Lake, with an expansive property position covering 31 km2 including three past producing gold mines - Rowan, Mount Jamie, and Red Summit.





ON BEHALF OF WEST RED LAKE GOLD MINES LTD.

"Shane Williams"

Shane Williams

President & Chief Executive Officer

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Freddie Leigh

Tel: (604) 609-6132

Email: investors@wrgold.com or visit the Company's website at https://www.westredlakegold.com

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.

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information generally can be identified by words such as "anticipate", "expect", "estimate", "forecast", "planned", and similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events. Forward-looking information is based on current expectations of management; however, it is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information in this news release and include without limitation, statements relating to plans for the potential restart of mining operations at the Madsen Mine, the potential of the Madsen Mine; any untapped growth potential in the Madsen deposit or Rowan deposit; and the Company's future objectives and plans. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Forward-looking information involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking information. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, market volatility; the state of the financial markets for the Company's securities; fluctuations in commodity prices; timing and results of the cleanup and recovery at the Madsen Mine; and changes in the Company's business plans. Forward-looking information is based on a number of key expectations and assumptions, including without limitation, that the Company will continue with its stated business objectives and its ability to raise additional capital to proceed. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Additional information about risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company's management's discussion and analysis for the year ended November 30, 2023, and the Company's annual information form for the year ended November 30, 2023, copies of which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

The forward-looking information contained herein is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to the Company. The forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by applicable law.

For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b917bce7-f3d9-48f8-a291-7c31a2d71861

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/08b0959b-16c3-4ffc-84e6-267c175b6a61

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3fe8810f-90b4-4c34-9b95-04f8e50125bd
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / Entergy Corporation

By: Marcus Brown  Executive Vice President and General Counsel

At Entergy, we power life. We've been in business for more than 100 years, and our purpose has never changed. We power life by creating sustainable value for our customers, employees, communities and owners. This goes beyond providing safe, reliable, affordable and sustainable energy - it also means being there for all the moments that matter. It means making a lasting impact that powers a brighter future for all.

As an industry leader, Entergy has an opportunity to help develop future generations of the energy workforce by strengthening awareness and promoting the advantages of careers in our field. We are sharpening our focus, elevating different perspectives, and ensuring that everyone with the talent and desire has an opportunity to succeed.

A sustained path forward

We have an established history of working with educational institutions to develop a workforce that not only supports our own needs, but also bolsters the continued economic development of the Gulf South region. We live here. We work here. We raise our families here. What matters to the communities we serve and to our customers, matters to us.

That's why we're proud to continue our longstanding support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities with a 10-year, $20 million commitment to elevate and empower the institutions and their students through academic scholarships, facility grants and endowments, workforce development programming, internship experiences, access to resources and financial aid and generational wealth building.

Education creates opportunities for all individuals to realize their full potential, and, to that end, we understand the vital role that HBCUs play. We want to broaden the path to employment for HBCU students by ensuring they have access to resources and experiences, and also by closely collaborating with their educators and administrators to ensure they are equipped with the relevant skills needed for success.

Through this $20 million commitment, we hope to see our partner schools increase student retention, improve graduation rates and expand post-graduation job placement opportunities. For the students, their families and their communities, we look forward to outcomes like increased access to capital, improved household economic stability and better lifetime earning potential.

Building on our past progress

Our commitment to supporting HBCUs creates opportunities through education, career readiness and workforce development. Since 2018, we have invested more than $7.4 million in HBCUs in our service area for facility and curriculum improvements, technology upgrades, mentoring programs, research study collaborations, internship/co-op opportunities and more.

For example, at Southern University, the Entergy Scholars Program provides engineering majors with hands-on skills that prepare them for early career positions. And to close the gap between academia and industry, our Entergy Faculty Extern Program regularly invites STEM educators from regional HBCUs to participate in facility tours and job shadowing, which helps them better prepare their students for careers in energy.

Investing in students, and in our communities, is core to our values, and we know that education alone is not enough. We must also work to close the racial wealth gap. That's why Entergy launched The Power of Prosperity program in 2023. The program consists of two components: removing barriers to student success through a partnership with Single Stop, a national nonprofit that connects students and their families to resources and funding from local, state and federal sources. The second component of the program consists of a partnership with Stackwell Capital through which we will equip students with the knowledge, tools and resources - including seeded investment accounts - to build generational wealth, which is a foundation for economic stability, access to opportunity and long-term prosperity. By investing more than $700,000 in the pilot program, our shareholders are helping 1,200 HBCU freshmen in New Orleans unlock new opportunities.

Today, with this new $20 million commitment, we are able to expand The Power of Prosperity Program throughout our service area so that HBCU students across Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Arkansas will have new doors opened to them through our partnerships with Stackwell Capital and Single Stop.

Through these partnerships, our goal is to help students graduate on time, with minimal debt and equipped with an investment account and the ability to build wealth with intention. By investing in our HBCU students, we are investing in the next generation of leaders who will shape our communities, drive innovation and bring about positive change.

Looking ahead

An educated, skilled and diverse workforce is critical to Entergy's long-term success, as well as the health and viability of the communities we serve. Empowering the HBCUs in our region is one of the best ways we can contribute to the quality of life in our communities.

Entergy also maintains partnerships with organizations such as the National Urban League, NAACP, the American Association of Blacks in Energy, National Society of Black Engineers and the Center for Energy Workforce Development, which all work to foster diversity and create inclusive communities.

We also continue to collaborate with local leaders and federal policymakers to ensure that funding opportunities are prioritized and that there's a regulatory environment conducive to growth. We'll continue to fight for every dollar of federal funding that we can leverage to benefit our customers and communities.

I'm proud of the progress we've made so far, but there is more work to do. Entergy will enthusiastically take on that work to create new opportunities and forge this path forward.

Learn more and stay up-to-date with Entergy's latest HBCU partnerships.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Entergy Corporation on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Entergy Corporation

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/entergy-corporation

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Entergy Corporation

View the original press release on accesswire.com
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / Sterling Metals Corp. (TSXV:SAG)(OTCQB:SAGGF) ("Sterling" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on its inaugural Phase 1 exploration campaign at its Copper Road Project ("Copper Road" or the "Project"). Located 80km north of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, Copper Road is a 25,000ha high-potential brownfield copper-molybdenum-silver-gold project associated with the Midcontinent Rift. The Project benefits from its strategic proximity to substantial infrastructure, extensive historical database and excellent project access.

Highlights

Multiple high-priority, multi-kilometer copper exploration zones have been identified and are currently being evaluated and advanced using a combination of soil trend analysis, magnetic signature data, LiDAR mapping, historical records, and new prospecting efforts.

Extensive exploration completed in Phase 1 in July includes: Collected 1,200 surface soil samples with strong copper-molybdenum anomalies emerging (Figure 1). Inversion of property-wide 3,777-line kilometer airborne magnetic survey. Advanced modeling of historical airborne electromagnetic (EM) survey data, including extraction of airborne induced polarization. Initiated interpretation of a new 10cm resolution LiDAR survey: Preliminary results identified extensive historical occurrences including 483 pits, 227 trenches, 12 adits, and 10 shafts across the property (Figure 2). Geological contacts and key structural features are now being interpreted Completed digitization of over 200,00 pages of historical documents from the last 60 years.

Advancing newly defined targets with continued mapping and sampling which have abundant outcrops and showings: Early stages of mapping have been encouraging with numerous showings with copper sulphide mineralization in the form of chalcopyrite and bornite and often associated with molybdenite and other metal minerals such as magnetite.

Existing trails leading to target areas are being cleared and reopened as the Company progresses with its soil program and prospecting.

All efforts continue to prioritize targets for ground geophysics as the Company looks to source potential high tonnage targets associated with the high grade breccias and porphyry system demonstrated most recently via drill holes J2302 and R2301 (see Figure 1).

Jeremy Niemi, SVP Exploration and Evaluation of Sterling Metals, commented, "The rapid progress we've made in advancing the Project and identifying priority copper exploration zones puts us an excellent position since closing the transaction with Copper Road Resources in May. It is incredibly rewarding to systematically integrate our new data with historical knowledge and then discover new copper showings at the surface. Our focus now shifts to pinpointing large-scale copper targets within this extensive mineralized area and advancing the priority drill targets."

Phase 1 Exploration Campaign

The Phase 1 exploration campaign at the Copper Road Project is progressing with several key activities. Soil sampling is being extended northwest of Richards Breccia, on the west side of Mamainse Lake, as well as northeast towards the Tribag mine. These areas are being targeted to expand the understanding of the copper mineralization potential across the Project (see Figure 1).





Figure 1: Soil sampling (in-progress) showcasing copper in soil anomalies [1] with historical intercepts







Geophysical targets are also being actively field-tested. Several new outcrops, which appear to contain porphyry vein types similar to those found at Jogran, have been identified. Samples from these outcrops have been collected and sent to the lab for assays, with the results expected to provide further insights into the mineralization system.

In addition to fieldwork, further interpretations of LiDAR, magnetic surveys, ZTEM, VTEM, and radiometrics are ongoing. These efforts are being integrated with current soil and rock sample data, as well as historical drilling and mining operations. The goal is to refine the targeting and focus on higher-impact zones that could host large tonnage and economically viable copper mineralization.

Mathew Wilson, CEO of Sterling Metals commented, "The more data we uncover, the more we appreciate the successful and widespread exploration efforts dating back to the early 1960s. Although we have only been on this Project for a few months, the results have been highly encouraging, and the scale of the potential targets far exceeds our initial expectations. To find large mines you need large mineral systems and there is no doubt that this is a very large copper system. Our work is now allowing us to hone in and explore new areas that could be potential sources for the extensive copper-molybdenum-gold and silver zones across this large area. We are excited to keep the market informed as we advance towards our maiden drill campaign."

Figure 2: LiDAR survey demonstrating the extensive history of mining and exploration across the property







Qualified Person

Jeremy Niemi, P.Geo., Senior Vice President, Exploration and Evaluation for Sterling Metals has reviewed and approved the technical information presented herein.

About Sterling Metals

Sterling Metals (TSXV:SAG) and (OTCQB:SAGGF) is a mineral exploration company focused on large scale and high-grade Canadian exploration opportunities. The Company is advancing the 25,000-hectare Copper Road Project in Ontario which has past production, and multiple breccia and porphyry targets strategically located near robust infrastructure and the 29,000-hectare Adeline Project in Labrador which covers an entire sediment-hosted copper belt with significant silver credits. Both opportunities have demonstrated potential for important new copper discoveries, underscoring Sterling's commitment to pioneering exploration in mineral rich Canada.

For more information, please contact:

Sterling Metals Corp.

Mathew Wilson, CEO and Director

Tel: (416) 643-3887

Email: info@sterlingmetals.ca

Website: www.sterlingmetals.ca

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, unless required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

[1] Independent Technical Report entitled "Technical Report on the Coppe Road Property", dated April 29, 2024, prepared by Kelly Malcolm, P.Geo., for Sterling Metals Corp.

SOURCE: Sterling Metals Corp.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - August 20, 2024) - Ivanhoe Electric (NYSE American: IE) (TSX: IE) President and Chief Executive Officer Taylor Melvin is pleased to announce that Mike Patterson joined the Company as the Vice President of Investor Relations and Business Development, effective August 19, 2024. Mike will be a key leader of the Company's investor relations function and the communications and business development teams in support of the Company's strategic growth initiatives. He will be based at the corporate office in Tempe, Arizona.

Mike is a seasoned professional who combines a technical background in mining engineering and operations with extensive financial experience in the natural resources sector. After graduating from the Colorado School of Mines with a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering, Mike began his career as a mining engineer where he worked for Luminant and Rio Tinto. He then transitioned into the financial sector, where he spent eight years with Denver-based private equity firm Resource Capital Funds. Mike also served recently as Business Development Manager at KoBold Metals.

Mr. Melvin commented: "We are excited to welcome Mike Patterson to Ivanhoe Electric. Mike has a strong combination of technical and financial experience in the mining sector that will be a valuable asset to our team. Mike's leadership will be instrumental as we continue to expand and improve our investor relations activities and execute our growth initiatives. I look forward to working with Mike."

About Ivanhoe Electric

We are a U.S. company that combines advanced mineral exploration technologies with electric metals exploration projects predominantly located in the United States. We use our accurate and powerful TyphoonTM geophysical surveying system, together with advanced data analytics provided by our subsidiary, Computational Geosciences Inc., to accelerate and de-risk the mineral exploration process as we seek to discover new deposits of critical metals that may otherwise be undetectable by traditional exploration technologies. We believe the United States is significantly underexplored and has the potential to yield major new discoveries of critical metals. Our mineral exploration efforts focus on copper as well as other metals including nickel, vanadium, cobalt, platinum group elements, gold and silver. Through the advancement of our portfolio of electric metals exploration projects, headlined by the Santa Cruz Copper Project in Arizona and the Tintic Copper-Gold Project in Utah, as well as other exploration projects in the United States, we intend to support United States supply chain independence by finding and delivering the critical metals necessary for the electrification of the economy. We also operate a 50/50 joint venture with Saudi Arabian Mining Company Ma'aden to explore for minerals on ~48,500 km2 of underexplored Arabian Shield in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Website: www.ivanhoeelectric.com.

Follow us on X

Ivanhoe Electric's Executive Chairman Robert Friedland: @robert_ivanhoe

Ivanhoe Electric: @ivanhoeelectric

Ivanhoe Electric's investor relations website located at www.ivanhoeelectric.com should be considered Ivanhoe Electric's recognized distribution channel for purposes of the Securities and Exchange Commission's Regulation FD.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220470

SOURCE: Ivanhoe Electric
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 20, 2024) - Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (CSE: API) (OTCQX: APAAF) (FSE: A0I0) (MUN: A0I0) (BER: A0I0) (the "Company" or "Appia") announced today the initial desorption test results from the Ionic Adsorption Clay (IAC) rare earth elements (REE) targets Maia, Electra, Taygeta and Merope at the PCH project. A total of 89 samples from 13 auger drillholes were sent to ALS Laboratories in Lima, Peru (ALS), and the results consistently confirmed the REE IAC mineralization style on all targets developed over the Ipora Granite. The results show very good recoveries of Magnet Rare Earth Oxides (MREO) and Heavy Rare Earth Oxides (HREO).

Stephen Burega, President, said, "The four (4) new targets are showing higher levels of heavy rare earths as we continue to explore to the East of the property, with excellent Dy and Tb recovery values at Merope and Taygeta targets, representing a significant increase in desorption levels. These are important results that demonstrate further that we have discovered a notable ionic clay rare earths deposit. Our project has many superior characteristics including its hosting in easy to dig clays, a desirable diversity of metals including the "rare" rare earths, the high grades encountered and the large scope of the project. Industry has a growing need for rare earths in a stable and western jurisdiction and we are committed to offer a solution."

Drill crews are working daily in order to expand the IAC mineralization over this significant project area. The Company continues to see very favourable kinetics across all of the ALS desorption testing. With these increases in Dysprosium (Dy) and Terbium (Tb) recoveries, the PCH project continues to demonstrate its potential as a future source for these extremely important minerals for the permanent magnet industry.

Highlights

Discrete desorption interval samples from auger drillholes located on Ipora Granite lithology (see Map 1) returned recoveries up to:

72% TREO on auger drillhole PCH-AH-202 from 3 to 4 metres.

TREO on auger drillhole PCH-AH-202 from 3 to 4 metres.

82% HREO on auger drillhole PCH-AH-202 from 3 to 4 metres.

HREO on auger drillhole PCH-AH-202 from 3 to 4 metres.

84% Dy+Tb on auger drillhole PCH-AH-190 from 4 to 5 metres.

Dy+Tb on auger drillhole PCH-AH-190 from 4 to 5 metres.

82% Nd+Pr on auger drillhole PCH-AH-207 from 3 to 4 metres.

The most significant recovered desorption intercepts for the main mineralized zone were:



PCH-AH-202 5m@59% TREO; 63% HREO; 85% NdPr; 72% TbDy from 3m. PCH-AH-204 4m@54% TREO; 59% HREO; 71% NdPr; 56% TbDy from 2m. PCH-AH-190 4m@47% TREO; 47% HREO; 61% NdPr; 55% TbDy from 1m. PCH-AH-194 3m@40% TREO; 38% HREO; 68% NdPr; 36% TbDy from 3m. PCH-AH-097 4m@34% TREO; 46% HREO; 55% NdPr; 48% TbDy from 2m. PCH-AH-036 7m@37% TREO; 44% HREO; 63% NdPr; 47% TbDy from 3m.





The results of the main mineralized zone and from the full auger drillhole length from all tested drillholes are presented in Table 1 below. The full set of results are available through this LINK. The auger hole coordinates are presented in Table 2 below.





Desorbability tests were conducted by ALS using an Ammonium Sulfate solution at 0.5M, pH2, for 20 minutes at room temperature.





Table 1 - Full length and main desorption zone (bold) recovery results of all drillholes tested. To view the full list of results, please click here.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5416/220528_4102f5cec4d8182f_001full.jpg

*Total Rare Earth Oxides: TREO = Y2O3 + Eu2O3 + Gd2O3 + Tb4O7 + Dy2O3 + Ho2O3 + Er2O3 + Tm2O3 + Yb2O3 + Lu2O3 + La2O3 + CeO2 + Pr6O11 + Nd2O3 + Sm2O3

*Heavy Rare Earth Oxides: HREO = Gd2O3 + Tb4O7 + Dy2O3 + Ho2O3 + Er2O3 + Tm2O3 + Yb2O3 + Lu2O3 + Y2O3

*NdPr = Nd2O3+Pr6O11

*DyTb = Dy2O3+Tb4O7

*Element to Oxide Conversion Factor - Cerium CeO2 1.2284" Dysprosium Dy2O3 1.1477, Erbium Er2O3 1.1435, Europium Eu2O3 1.1579, Gadolinium Gd2O3 1.1526, Holmium Ho2O3 1.1455, Lanthanum La2O3 1.1728, Lutetium Lu2O3 1.1371, Neodymium Nd2O3 1.1664, Praseodymium Pr6O11 1.2082, Samarium Sm2O3 1.1596, Terbium Tb2O3 1.1510, Terbium Tb4O7 1.1762, Thulium Tm2O3 1.1421, Yttrium Y2O3 1.2699, Ytterbium Yb2O3 1.1387

* ppm=parts per million and D=the desorbed Amount

* Desorbability results were conducted using Ammonium Sulfate at 0.5M, pH2, for 20 minutes.





Map 1 - Location of auger drillholes entirely tested for REE desorption from Targets Maia, Electra, Merope and Taygeta.



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Table 2 - Sampled Auger holes coordinates



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5416/220528_4102f5cec4d8182f_003full.jpg

Andre Costa, VP Exploration for Brazil, commented, "These exciting results confirm the potential for REE Ionic Desorption Clay mineralization on all tested new targets. All of them over the Ipora Granite. We are on the right path in characterizing the Maia, Electra, Taygeta and Merope targets in the PCH Project and we will continue to focus drilling on these new targets to determine recoverability and delineate their extension since they remain open on all directions."

On March 1st, 2024, the Company announced its maiden Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) on Target IV and the Buriti Zone (Click here for the Press Release), and the companion NI 43-101 technical report on the PCH Project was filed on April 16th, 2024. (Click here for the Press Release)

QAQC

Auger drillholes are vertical and reported intervals are true thickness. The material produced from auger holes are sampled at one metre intervals, resulting in average sample sizes of 5-10 kg. Quartering of the material was performed at Appia's logging facility using a riffle splitter and continued splitting until a representative sample weighing approximately 500g each was obtained, bagged in a resistant plastic bag, labeled, photographed, and stored for shipment.

The bagged samples are sent to the ALS laboratory in Goiania, Goias for initial preparation and sent to Lima Peru for final analysis. In addition to the internal QA/QC of the ALS Lab, Appia includes its own control samples in each batch of samples sent to the laboratory.

Quality control samples, such as blanks, duplicates, and standards (CRM) were inserted into each analytical run. For all analysis methods, the minimum number of QA/QC samples is two standard, one duplicate and one blank, introduced in each batch which comprises full-length hole(s). The rigorous procedures are implemented during the sample collection, preparation, and analytical stages to insure the robustness and reliability of the analytical results.

All analytical results reported herein have passed internal QA/QC review and compilation. All assay results of RC samples were provided by ALS, a Certified Laboratory, which performed their measure of the concentration of rare earth elements (REE) with the ME-MS81 analytical method that uses lithium borate fusion prior acid dissolution and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Major Element Oxides were done using ME_ICP06 analytical method using lithium borate fusion and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). Desorption analysis with ME-MS19 analytical method with samples being leached with a solution of Ammonium Sulphate at 0.5 molar, pH 2, room temperature for 20 minutes. The leached solution content was analysed using ICP-AES/ICP-MS.

The technical information in this news release, including the information related to geology, drilling, and mineralization, has been reviewed and approved by Andre L. L. Costa, Appia's VP Exploration for Brazil, with more than 29 years of relevant experience. Mr. Costa is a APEGS Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) and a Fellow of Australian Institute of Geoscientists (FAIG), a Qualified Person (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (Appia)

Appia is a publicly traded Canadian company in the rare earth element and uranium sectors. The Company holds the right to acquire up to a 70% interest in the PCH Ionic Adsorption Clay Project (See June 9th, 2023 Press Release - Click HERE) which is 40,963.18 ha. in size and located within the Goias State of Brazil. (See January 11th, 2024 Press Release - Click HERE) The Company is also focusing on delineating high-grade critical rare earth elements and gallium on the Alces Lake property, and exploring for high-grade uranium in the prolific Athabasca Basin on its Otherside, Loranger, North Wollaston, and Eastside properties. The Company holds the surface rights to exploration for 94,982.39 hectares (234,706.59 acres) in Saskatchewan. The Company also has a 100% interest in 13,008 hectares (32,143 acres), with rare earth elements and uranium deposits over five mineralized zones in the Elliot Lake Camp, Ontario.

Appia has 136.8 million common shares outstanding, 145.5 million shares fully diluted.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements: This News Release contains forward-looking statements which are typically preceded by, followed by or including the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "plans" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance as they involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements and shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such statements.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information, visit www.appiareu.com

As part of our ongoing effort to keep investors, interested parties and stakeholders updated, we have several communication portals. If you have any questions online (X, Facebook, LinkedIn) please feel free to send direct messages.

To book a one-on-one 30-minute Zoom video call, please click here.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220528

SOURCE: Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp.
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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 20, 2024) - Atomic Minerals Corporation (TSXV: ATOM) ("ATOMIC MINERALS" or the "Company") is pleased to commend U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm for her recent advocacy for the expansion of nuclear power in the United States and globally.

Georgia Power Co., in partnership with three other utilities, recently celebrated the successful commissioning of two new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, Georgia. This landmark $35 billion investment not only represents a major advance in the future of clean energy but also underscores the growing importance of domestic uranium exploration to secure a stable supply for the U.S. nuclear industry.

"Today, the call for more nuclear reactors goes beyond energy production-it's a call for decisive climate action and robust economic growth," said Clive Massey, President & CEO of Atomic Minerals. "We fully support Secretary Granholm's vision for 98 additional reactors and commend the significant milestone achieved at Plant Vogtle. This success highlights the critical role of nuclear energy in building a sustainable, low-carbon future. At Atomic Minerals, we are dedicated to advancing our U.S. uranium projects, including Harts Point, Dolores Anticline, and 10 Mile, to ensure a reliable domestic supply and contribute to a cleaner, more resilient energy infrastructure."

Clive Massey continued, "In addition to our U.S. projects, we're also making significant strides in Northern Saskatchewan, where our exploration efforts are focused on uncovering high-grade uranium deposits. These projects are crucial for bolstering North America's uranium supply, further strengthening the region's energy security. By advancing both our U.S. and Canadian initiatives, Atomic Minerals is playing a pivotal role in supporting the growing demand for clean, reliable nuclear energy, which is essential for achieving our climate goals and powering a sustainable future."

Plant Vogtle's second new reactor, Unit 4, was officially brought into commercial operation, following the earlier launch of Unit 3. Together, these reactors will provide carbon-free electricity to approximately 1 million homes and businesses, underscoring nuclear power's vital role in reducing climate-changing carbon emissions.

Speaking at Plant Vogtle, Secretary Granholm underscored the urgent need for 98 additional reactors of similar capacity across the United States to meet the nation's energy needs and dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. She also highlighted the substantial progress the DOE has made over the past two years in implementing this historic legislation, with a strong emphasis on fairness and equity in addressing the legacy of underinvestment in critical infrastructure.

"It is now time for others to follow their lead to reach our goal of getting to net zero by 2050," Granholm said. "We have to at least triple our current nuclear capacity in this country."1

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is actively supporting the nation's transition to a clean energy economy, including substantial investments through initiatives such as the Civil Nuclear Credit Program. This $6 billion program, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), aims to preserve the existing U.S. nuclear reactor fleet and protect thousands of high-paying jobs, all while contributing to the nation's energy security and environmental goals.

Atomic Minerals Corporation remains dedicated to exploring and developing uranium and other critical minerals essential for the next generation of nuclear reactors. The Company looks forward to playing a key role in supporting the global shift towards cleaner energy solutions.

Uranium is crucial to the North American economy due to its pivotal role in meeting the continent's energy needs over the next 25 years. As a primary fuel for nuclear power plants, uranium ensures a stable and reliable source of energy, essential for economic growth and energy security. With increasing demand for clean and sustainable energy sources, nuclear power, fueled by uranium, offers a low-carbon solution that can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This aligns with North America's commitment to environmental sustainability and climate goals. Furthermore, uranium's strategic importance is underscored by its ability to provide consistent and large-scale energy production, which is vital for powering industries, homes, and infrastructure across the region. As the energy landscape evolves, the significance of uranium in supporting a resilient and diversified energy portfolio cannot be overstated.

About the Company

Atomic Minerals Corp. is a publicly listed exploration company on the TSX Venture Exchange, trading under the symbol ATOM, led by a highly skilled management and technical team with a proven track record in the junior mining sector. Atomic Minerals' objective is to identify exploration opportunities in regions that have been previously overlooked but are geologically similar to those with previous uranium discoveries. These underexplored areas hold immense potential and are in stable geopolitical and economic environments.

Atomic Minerals' property portfolio contains uranium projects in three locations within North America, all of which have significant technical merit and or are known for hosting uranium production in the past. Three of the properties are located on the Colorado Plateau, an area which has previously produced 597 million pounds of U3O8; Three others are in the prolific Athabasca Basin region and nine uranium projects are located Northern Saskatchewan, encompassing a total exploration area of 6,495 hectares.

For additional information about the Company and its projects, please visit our website at www.atomicminerals.ca

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"Clive Massey"

Clive H. Massey

President & CEO

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor their Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking" statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Atomic Minerals Corporation believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Atomic Minerals Corporation management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Atomic Minerals Corporation undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

###

1 Sourced: US Energy Secretary calls for more nuclear power while celebrating $35 billion Georgia reactors

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220532

SOURCE: Atomic Minerals Corp.
Adtalem Global Education (NYSE: ATGE) today announced the appointment of Mark E. Rosenberg, MD, FASN, as dean of the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC). Dr. Rosenberg will start with AUC on September 11 of this year.

Dr. Rosenberg is a nephrologist and physician educator with over 40 years of experience in medical practice, education, research, and leadership. For the last 12 years, he served as vice dean of education and academic affairs at the University of Minnesota Medical School, where his leadership promoted innovation in teaching methods and curriculum across the medical education continuum, from pre-med and undergraduate through graduate and continuing medical education.

"We are pleased to welcome Dr. Rosenberg to AUC where he will lead the institution's strategic vision for growth, academic excellence and student outcomes," said Adtalem President of Medical and Veterinary Scott Liles. "He brings four decades of experience that will benefit our students, attract and retain first-class talent, and ultimately help achieve Adtalem's goal of expanding access to quality education that prepares the next generation of healthcare providers who will aid in combating the nationwide physician shortage."

Dr. Rosenberg served as a faculty member at the University of Minnesota Medical School since 1987, including his role as chief of medicine and director of the Primary and Specialty Medicine service line at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System from 2009 to 2012. Additionally, he was director of the Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension in the Department of Medicine, where he was a tenured faculty member. Dr. Rosenberg served on the Council of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) from 2013 to 2020 and was president of ASN in 2019. His educational accomplishments have been recognized by lifetime achievement awards from the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine and from ASN, and he received a 2020 Presidential Outstanding Service Award from the University of Minnesota.

"Having been in higher education and the front lines of healthcare for many years, I am thrilled to have this opportunity to join AUC in its mission to provide a transformative medical school experience for diverse students to realize their true potential," said Dr. Rosenberg. "In collaboration with the AUC community, I am proud to help lead a school that is committed to expanding access to education and supporting aspiring physicians in their calling to make a profound impact in healthcare and underserved communities." Dr. Rosenberg earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Manitoba Faculty of Medicine. He completed his residency and nephrology fellowship at the University of Minnesota.

About Adtalem Global Education

Adtalem Global Education is the leading provider of healthcare education in the U.S., shaping the future of healthcare by preparing a diverse workforce with high-quality academic programs. We innovate education pathways, align with industry needs and empower individuals to reach their full potential. Our commitment to excellence and inclusivity is reflected in our expansive network of institutions, serving over 80,000 students and supported by a strong community of over 300,000 alumni and nearly 10,000 dedicated employees. Discover more at Adtalem.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

About American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine

American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC), an Adtalem Global Education (NYSE: ATGE) institution, is committed to training tomorrow's physicians, whose service to their communities and patients are enhanced by international learning experiences, a diverse learning community, and an emphasis on social accountability and engagement. With campuses located in Sint Maarten and the United Kingdom, AUC has graduated more than 7,500 students and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine. Visit aucmed.edu for more information, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240819710112/en/

Contacts:

Talisha Holmes

872-213-6581

adtalemmedia@adtalem.com
Kohler Uninterruptible Power (KUP), provider of innovative UPS systems backed by exceptional support, and ZincFive, the world leader in nickel-zinc (NiZn) battery-based solutions for immediate power applications, today announced that Kohler will add the ZincFive BC Series Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Battery Cabinets to its portfolio of battery systems available for data center backup power. Nickel-zinc batteries, known for their safety and sustainability, are now available for select Kohler UPS systems, including the high efficiency, high capacity modular MF Series. This collaboration supports Kohler's mission to offer environmentally friendly options, aiding customers in their quest for safer and greener alternatives. The ZincFive BC Series UPS Battery Cabinets are now available from KUP in the UK and Ireland.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240820510500/en/

Kohler will add the ZincFive BC Series UPS Battery Cabinets to its portfolio of battery systems available for data center backup power. (Photo: Business Wire)

ZincFive's BC Series UPS Battery Cabinets are the first nickel-zinc battery energy storage solution with backward and forward compatibility with megawatt-class UPS inverters. The BC Series offers the smallest footprint in the industry compared to lead-acid and lithium-ion, has minimal maintenance requirements, and exhibits no thermal runaway. The NiZn chemistry provides reliable operation, with the battery strings remaining conductive, even with weak or depleted cells. In addition, ZincFive's NiZn batteries have a significantly lower end-to-end climate impact than lead-acid and lithium batteries, as validated by expert third-party analysis.

"With power demands increasing and footprint limitations there is a real need for battery innovation in the data center space. However, until now, safety and environmental concerns have been a significant counterweight to the adoption of non-VRLA technologies," noted Kristian Weatherley-Kaye, Business Development Manager and an experienced data center specialist at KUP. "The opportunity to work with ZincFive to offer solutions that address these concerns is a very positive development. Combining KUP's highly rated design and support capabilities, along with their innovative MF Series Modular UPS, and the benefits of NiZn batteries offers a great chance to help customers resolve the challenges they are facing."

ZincFive's CEO and co-founder, Tim Hysell, highlighted the company's dedication to innovation with their nickel-zinc battery technology, stating, "Our focus on creating powerful, safe, and reliable solutions is evident in the BC Series. This technology addresses the growing needs of modern data centers and anticipates future demands. As sustainability in data center backup battery systems becomes increasingly important, companies like Kohler are at the forefront, harnessing cutting-edge technology to benefit the market. Our shared commitment to reducing carbon emissions and operational costs without sacrificing safety or performance makes this collaboration highly beneficial for Kohler's customers."

Supporting their shared commitment, KUP will be hosting demonstration events with ZincFive at their Hook, UK, headquarters. The next one will be on September 20th contact your KUP sales contact or the KUP events team for more details via ukmarketing.ups@kohler.com.

About Kohler Uninterruptible Power (KUP)

Part of Kohler Energy, Kohler Uninterruptible Power (KUP) provides modular and standalone uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems; centralised emergency lighting inverters; associated battery and monitoring systems; design, installation and maintenance services; plus, standby diesel and renewable-fuel generators across the UK, Ireland and SE Asia. With a proven track record supporting critical applications in organisations ranging from commercial innovators to national governments, KUP is committed to service excellence that stretches from pre-concept design through lifetime support into replacement, backed by industry leading customer satisfaction and contract renewal rates. For more details, please visit www.kohler-ups.com.

About ZincFive, Inc.

ZincFive is the world leader in innovation and delivery of nickel-zinc batteries and immediate power solutions. Supported by an impressive portfolio of international patents, ZincFive technology harnesses The Power of Good Chemistry to propel the world forward. ZincFive technology leverages the safety and sustainability of nickel-zinc chemistry to provide unparalleled high power density and performance for mission critical applications. ZincFive is a privately held company based in Tualatin, Oregon. For more information, visit www.zincfive.com.

ZincFive is a registered trademark and the ZincFive logo and The Power of Good Chemistry are trademarks of ZincFive, Inc.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240820510500/en/

Contacts:

Kohler Uninterruptible Power Media Contact:

ukmarketing.ups@kohler.com

ZincFive Media Contact:

media@zincfive.com
DUBLIN and STAMFORD, Conn. and ROME, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AIP Capital ("AIP"), an alternative investment manager focused on opportunities in commercial aviation, announced it has completed a $240m debt financing to a wholly owned subsidiary of ITA Airways ("ITA") through its Private Credit strategy. The $240 million debt financing is secured by three 2024 Airbus A330-900neo aircraft with Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines.

The financing transaction will provide ITA with an innovative capital solution to further strengthen its financial position and enhance its growth. With the introduction of the latest generation eco-efficient A330neo, ITA continues its fleet modernization to meet its ambitious sustainability targets. The A330neo incorporates the latest-generation Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, new wings and a range of aerodynamic innovations which offers a 25% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

"We are proud to deepen our partnership with ITA Airways by providing a bespoke financing solution to support ITA's fleet modernization," said Michael Kittle, Managing Director, Head of Private Credit at AIP Capital. "This transaction is a testament not only to our shared mission of fostering more sustainable air travel, but to AIP's expertise in structuring innovative, scaled, capital solutions for our airline customers globally."

"This agreement represents a milestone in the expansion of ITA's new-generation fleet" said Antonino Turicchi, Chairman of ITA, "and is in line with ITA Airways' strategy of flanking shareholder equity with a balanced contribution of debt capital. This transaction is another important stride forward in ITA Airways' growth strategy, and it has been possible thanks to an increasing credibility with banks and investors which was acquired through the positive performance recorded in 2023 and in the first half of 2024. We are pleased with the trust provided to us by the AIP Team."

The new-generation aircraft are highly demanded due to their low fuel consumption, lower operating costs, and reduced emissions, enabling a significant reduction in carbon footprint. ITA has made significant progress with fleet renewal since inception in October 2021, growing from 52 aircraft to 100 aircraft today, with new-generation types representing 58% of the total fleet, delivering a 25% reduction in fuel and CO2 emissions.

AIP Capital's Private Credit business, through its global origination capabilities and long-term investor relationships, provides tailored financing solutions secured by aircraft and non-aircraft collateral to airline customers around the world.

About AIP Capital

AIP Capital (AIP) is a global alternative investment manager focused on opportunities in commercial aviation. AIP believes its unique investment strategy, relationships, and hands-on approach enable AIP to execute its mission of generating attractive risk-adjusted returns for its clients across market cycles. With offices in Stamford, Dublin, and Singapore, AIP maintains a global footprint and is backed by a full platform of professionals across finance, technical, legal, risk management and underwriting.

For more information about AIP Capital or to speak with company executives, please contact investor.relations@aipcapital.com.

About ITA Airways

ITA Airways is the Italian reference airline, wholly owned by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance. ITA Airways aims to create an efficient and innovative air carrier that will become a reference point in providing Italy with quality connectivity both in terms of international destinations, thus boosting tourism and foreign trade, and within the Country, also taking advantage of the train-air integrated mobility. ITA Airways will place the best customer service at the center of its strategy (through a strong digitization of processes that ensure a best-in-class experience and personalized services), combined with sustainability, in its environmental (new green and technologically advanced aircraft, use of sustainable fuels), social (equality and inclusion for a gender-neutral company) and governance (integration of sustainability into internal strategies and processes) aspects. ITA Airways is a member of SkyTeam alliance as of October 2021.

For press information mail to media@ita-airways.com

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METTAWA, Ill., Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brunswick Corporation, (NYSE: BC), the world's leading marine technology company, is announcing the following changes to its organization that are aimed at further broadening the experience of its senior leadership team.

Aine Denari is named Executive Vice President and President, Navico Group, and Brunswick Chief Technology Officer. Denari was previously President, Brunswick Boat Group, a role she assumed in October 2020. During her tenure, Boat Group achieved exceptionally strong operational and financial performance and successfully navigated very dynamic market conditions. In her new and expanded role, Denari will lead the next phase of evolution of the Navico Group and be responsible for Brunswick's technology strategy and advanced development activities, including maintaining the leadership of autonomy programs and assuming responsibility for the Boating Intelligence DesignLab at the University of Illinois.

Brenna Preisser is named Executive Vice President and President, Brunswick Boat Group, succeeding Denari. Since January 2019, Preisser has been Executive Vice President and President, Business Acceleration, the division housing Freedom Boat Club, Boateka, and Brunswick's financial services and related businesses. Preisser successfully led the acquisition and expansion of Freedom Boat Club from 170 locations to its current footprint of 410 locations around the world, and the creation of Boateka, Brunswick's innovative pre-owned boat sales platform. Preisser has held a number of executive positions at Brunswick over the past 20 years including Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief Strategy Officer. She will now be responsible for Brunswick's portfolio of 18 leading boat brands, including Boston Whaler, Sea Ray, Bayliner, Lund, Harris, Quicksilver, and Princecraft.

Will Sangster is promoted to Senior Vice President and President, Business Acceleration, succeeding Preisser, and will be responsible for the continued growth of the exciting portfolio of businesses within the division. Sangster was most recently President of Mercury Marine in EMEA, a position he assumed in October 2021, and prior to that he spent 14 years with Brunswick in a number of international leadership positions including as the head of Mercury Marine's ANZP region. Sangster's operational and international experience will be extremely valuable as Freedom Boat Club grows in international markets and further optimizes its operating model.

"Brunswick is fortunate to have an extraordinarily talented leadership team and a deep bench. Aine, Brenna, and Will have a proven track record of success in many previous positions and I'm proud and excited to see them all take on new and expanded responsibilities," said Dave Foulkes, Brunswick Corporation CEO. "These moves follow the recent expansion of the role of Ryan Gwillim, Brunswick's Chief Financial Officer, to include Chief Strategy Officer. Our talent remains a major competitive advantage and our talent development strategy includes broadening the scope and experience of our highest potential leaders at all levels of the Company."

Denari, Preisser, and Sangster will assume their new roles immediately. Brett Dibkey who preceded Denari as President, Navico Group will leave the company at the end of the August after assisting with the transition. We thank Brett for his leadership and many contributions to successfully integrating and restructuring the Navico Group businesses in challenging market conditions and wish him every success in his future endeavors.

About Brunswick Corporation:

Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) is the global leader in marine recreation, delivering innovation that transforms experiences on the water and beyond. Our unique, technology-driven solutions are informed and inspired by deep consumer insights and powered by our belief that "Next Never Rests". Brunswick is dedicated to industry leadership, to being the best and most trusted partner to our many customers and to building synergies and ecosystems that enable us to challenge convention and define the future. Brunswick is home to more than 60 industry-leading brands. In the category of Marine Propulsion, these brands include, Mercury Marine, Mercury Racing, MerCruiser and Flite. Brunswick's comprehensive collection of parts, accessories, distribution and technology brands includes Mercury Parts & Accessories, Land 'N' Sea, Lowrance, Simrad, B&G, Mastervolt, RELiON, Attwood and Whale. Our boat brands are some of the best known in the world, including Boston Whaler, Lund, Sea Ray, Bayliner, Harris Pontoons, Princecraft and Quicksilver. Our service, digital and shared-access businesses include Freedom Boat Club, Boateka and a range of financing, insurance and extended warranty businesses. While focused primarily on the marine industry, Brunswick also successfully leverages its portfolio of advanced technologies to deliver an exceptional suite of solutions in mobile and industrial applications. Headquartered in Mettawa, IL, Brunswick has 17,000 employees operating in 25 countries. In 2023, Brunswick was named by Forbes as a World's Best Employer and as one of America's Most Responsible Companies by Newsweek, both for the fourth consecutive year. For more information, visit www.Brunswick.com.




CHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / (NYSE:KFS) Kingsway Financial Services Inc. ("Kingsway" or the "Company") today announced that management will present at the 2024 Midwest IDEAS Investor Conference on Wednesday, August 28, 2024 at 11:30am CT in presenting room 3. The presentation will be available via webcast at: https://wsw.com/webcast/threepa44/kfs/2035044

Management will also host one-on-one investor meetings during the conference. To schedule a meeting with management, please contact your conference representative or email James@HaydenIR.com.

About the Company

Kingsway is a holding company that owns or controls subsidiaries primarily in the extended warranty and business services industries. The common shares of Kingsway are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "KFS."

The Company serves the extended warranty industry through its operating subsidiaries IWS (iwsgroup.com), Penn Warranty (pennwarranty.com), Preferred Warranties (preferredwarranties.com) and Trinity Warranty Solutions (trinitywarranty.com).

The Company serves the business services industry through its operating subsidiaries CSuite (csuitefinancialpartners.com), Ravix (ravixgroup.com), Secure Nursing Service (securenursing.com), SPI Software (spisoftware.com) and Digital Diagnostics, Inc (ddimagingusa.com).

Additional Information

Additional information about Kingsway, including a copy of its Annual Reports can be accessed on the EDGAR section of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov, on the Canadian Securities Administrators' website at www.sedar.com, or through the Company's website at www.kingsway-financial.com.

For Investor Inquiries:

Hayden IR

James Carbonara

(646) 755-7412

james@haydenir.com For Company Inquiries:

Kingsway Financial Services Inc.

Kent Hansen, CFO

(312) 766-2163

khansen@kingsway-financial.com

SOURCE: Kingsway Financial Services, Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / Dr. Summer Sitima is one of 24 siblings born to a Kenyan family in the 90s at the height of the HIV epidemic in Sub Saharan Africa. She vividly remembers the day in 1997 that she first learned one of her older sisters was living with HIV.

Still a child at the time, Summer recalls her sister's husband pounding on the front door. In his arms, he held the frail body of her sister. She was suffering from advanced and untreated HIV that she acquired through her marriage as a teenager. Summer and her family cared for her until she passed away six weeks later.

"It forever changed my life and something shifted in my mind," says Summer. "From that point on I became very interested in what healthcare looks like and how it can have an impact on people's lives."

Summer went on to become the first of her family's 13 daughters to finish high school, and she then achieved another first when she graduated from college. She defied more odds as she remained unmarried throughout her teenage years and enrolled in medical school.

Today Summer is Gilead's Commercial Operations Lead in South Africa, where 50% of new HIV diagnoses are in the adolescent population. In resource-limited countries in Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 25.6 million people are living with HIV and 91 million people are living with hepatitis B or C.

She credits her team's commitment and resilience to helping erode societal and structural obstacles to reach those in the greatest need of care in the region.

"1990s era policies in parts of Africa, built upon fear-mongering and inaccurate information, means many born since 2000 have inadequate awareness of how HIV is acquired and how to access care," Summer explains.

Gilead works with various partners to meet people where they are for testing and treatment and to raise awareness of transmission and reduce stigma. One such initiative in Nairobi trains barbers and hairdressers to become HIV educators.

"This is a space where people can find a path to care," explains Summer, adding that "Barbershops and salons are places where conversations naturally occur, and people feel like they can trust who is speaking with them."



Gilead also sponsors a charity run in Nairobi where the proceeds help students with the cost of medical school at the University of Nairobi. There, medical students learn about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in a fun way: As part of their education they host game nights with quizzes and also post social media messages to raise awareness about STIs. "It creates a boomerang effect as the info is more widely shared among their peers and then in turn it helps educate the community," explains Summer.

Another innovative program centers around the simple act of tree planting. During times of extreme drought or flooding, people often can't get to health services, making any sort of testing and treatment difficult. Summer explains how providing vegetation helps with water drainage and improves the ecosystem so people can gain better access to care services and students can get to school. "Girls are most at risk of dropping out during these periods and often become pregnant before finishing their schooling," she says.

It's been more than 25 years since her sister passed away, and Summer recognizes that women like her sister now have better information and access to care, in part because of the work of organizations like Gilead.

"I'm motivated every day to create new possibilities for women, like my sister," explains Summer. "We are changing the stories of mothers, daughters, sisters, wives and young people in Africa, and around the world."

Originally published by Gilead Sciences

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Gilead Sciences on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Gilead Sciences

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/gilead-sciences

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Gilead Sciences

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Lobyco, the global leader in grocery loyalty programs, today announced the signing of an agreement with Australian United Retailers Ltd. (AUR), a prominent collective of independently owned supermarkets, convenience, and liquor retailers. This strategic partnership will see Lobyco deliver a cutting-edge loyalty app and a comprehensive promotions platform, enabling AUR to offer localized, personalized member promotions at scale.

"We are thrilled to partner with AUR and bring our loyalty and promotions solutions to their extensive network," said Jan Madsen, CEO at Lobyco. "Our technology is designed to provide a seamless and personalized experience for members, and we are confident that AUR's customers will greatly benefit from the enhanced capabilities we are delivering."

AUR is made up of more than 550 independently owned supermarkets, convenience and liquor retailers, including well-known brands such as FoodWorks, Farmer Jack's, and LiquorWorks. With around 90% of Australians enrolled in at least one loyalty program as of 2024, AUR wanted to provide its retailers with a solution to engage better with its customers. It turned to Lobyco to help roll out the new loyalty program, which is expected to go live in early 2025, to their 550+ stores nationwide.

"AUR is committed to providing exceptional value and experiences to our members," said Rick Wight, CEO at AUR. Partnering with Lobyco allows us to leverage their expertise and technology to create bespoke, engaging, and personalized experiences for our collective customers. We look forward to the exciting opportunities this partnership will bring."

For more information about Lobyco and their solutions, please visit www.lobyco.com.

About Lobyco:

Lobyco builds engaging loyalty, promotions and checkout propositions for retailers around the world. The company's versatile and valuable marketing toolkit powers targeted and personalized customer engagement, unlocking superior experiences that keep shoppers coming back for more. Lobyco's solutions are enriched by gamification, continuity and self-checkout to ensure the customer remains at the centre of the relationship. With grocery clients in North America, EMEA and APAC, Lobyco is precisely tailored to work with grocers, grow their share of wallet and unlock new revenue streams.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240820793954/en/

Contacts:

Media:

Matter Communications for Lobyco

lobyco@matternow.com
LA CHAUX-DE-FONDS, Switzerland, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Horologer MING, an award-winning independent watch brand, continues the tradition of debuting new technology in their Special Projects Cave watches with the new MING 20.01 Series 3. It is the first watch in the world with a fused borosilicate dial containing 600 voids of varying geometry in a radial pattern, realised in partnership with Femtoprint SA. The voids are individually hand-filled with a liquid Super-LumiNova X1 mixture using syringes to create a unique dial with an intense glow.

The 20.01 Series 3 is powered by the AgenGraphe by Agenhor, one of the most significant chronograph movements available today with many advanced features such as a modular central chronograph core and proprietary coupling clutch, anti-backlash transmission as well as regulator. It is presented in a configuration unique to MING with manual winding, 5N rose gold plated bridges and main plate, and diamond polished anglage.

All of this is housed in a 18k 5N rose gold case - featuring the MING signature 'flying blade' lugs, and a contrasting DLC titanium core. The 20.01 Series 3 is completed with a matching 5N rose gold buckle and anthracite goat strap with alcantara lining by Jean Rousseau Paris.

The MING 20.01 Series 3 is priced at CHF 43,500 and available exclusively at www.ming.watch. It will also include one year of WAX Shield insurance coverage against theft, and a complimentary service within the first five years of ownership - in addition to a two-year warranty.

Production will be limited to 20 pieces, with deliveries expected to begin October 2024.

MING 20.01 Series 3 Specifications:

Case: 18k 5N rose gold and grade 5 titanium, 41.5mm diameter, 14.2mm thickness

Domed sapphire crystals with double antireflective coating

1.3mm thick fused topographical borosilicate dial, with 600 voids hand-filled with liquid Super-LumiNova X1

Agenhor for MING AgenGraphe Cal. 6361.M1, manual wind, 5N rose gold plated bridges and main plate, polished anglage, 55h power reserve

Anthracite goat leather strap by Jean Rousseau Paris

2-year warranty against defects

1 year complimentary WAX Shield insurance coverage against theft

Inclusive complimentary service within 5 years of purchase

Made in Switzerland

About MING:

Horologer MING is an independent watch brand with the goal of reviving a sense of excitement and discovery among watch enthusiasts. We are dedicated to refined aesthetics, and pushing the boundaries of materials, mechanics and engineering. This has won us many accolades including the Horological Revelation Prize at the 2019 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve. MING products are available exclusively online at www.ming.watch. Subscribe to our newsletterand follow our Instagram for the latest updates from MING.

MING is an internationally registered trademark of Horologer MING SA, Switzerland.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2484470/MING20_01S3_1.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2484471/MING20_01S3_2.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ming-launches-20-01-series-3--with-the-worlds-first-fused-borosilicate-dial-302225216.html
Addition of Ninetailed technology will accelerate AI-driven personalization capabilities and advance Contentful's innovation leadership in the content management space

Contentful, a leading composable content platform trusted by more than 4,200 customers, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Berlin-based Ninetailed, the pioneer of structured content personalization and experimentation. This move will allow Contentful to offer its customers a scalable, AI-driven personalization solution that's already integrated into the Contentful platform.

Unlike legacy solutions, the combined offering will leverage the power of composability, an API-first architecture, Generative AI, and lightning fast edge delivery. Customers will have the ability to quickly and easily identify, select, experiment, and analyze personalized experiences across channels without creating new workflows. This will enable brands to generate higher Return on Investment (ROI) from their content and data investments and ultimately increase revenue through tailored customer journeys.

"Personalization has long been a goal for marketers, but driving meaningful ROI at scale has been challenging due to fragmented tool chains, high development and content production costs, and poor customer data integration," said Karthik Rau, Contentful's CEO. "Ninetailed seamlessly integrates with Contentful, providing smooth workflows, code-free experiment creation, and robust connectivity. Ninetailed's products radically simplify personalization of digital experiences."

With an ecosystem of more than 100 integrations and plug-ins, Contentful's scalable, reliable, enterprise-grade content platform is already the solution of choice for leading organizations. With the recent launch of Contentful Studio and the addition of Ninetailed's products, Contentful will soon be the only solution in the market that offers a modern, composable platform tailored to technical users, combined with low-code experience-building and personalization products for marketing and design teams.

"Joining forces with Contentful means customers will benefit from a fully integrated, AI-native personalization solution paired with a robust composable content platform," said Ninetailed co-founder and CEO Andy Kaiser. "My fellow co-founder Alexander Braunreuther, the Ninetailed team and I are beyond thrilled to be joining Contentful where we'll have the opportunity and resources to rapidly iterate and bring category-changing innovations to market."

Many well-known brands like Kraft Heinz, Ace Tate and SumUp are already using Ninetailed technology in their Contentful-built digital experiences, driving higher click-through and conversion rates while reducing the time and effort it takes to bring tailored journeys to market. Direct-to-Consumer powerhouse Ruggable, another shared customer, increased its conversions by 25% and click-through rates by 7x by personalizing the landing pages for paid traffic. Ninetailed's technology is "integral to Ruggable's business," said Daniel Graupensperger, the brand's Associate Director of Product Management.

Ninetailed by Contentful will be generally available immediately after the deal closes in the coming days. Visit www.contentful.com for more information.

About Contentful

Contentful is a leading composable content platform that unlocks all of an organization's digital content to deliver impactful customer experiences, making content a strategic business asset. The Contentful Platform, Contentful Studio, and the Contentful Ecosystem combine the flexibility of composable content with the intelligence of AI, empowering digital teams to drive business momentum through collaboration, speed, and scale. Contentful powers innovative content experiences across brands, regions, and channels for organizations of all sizes around the world. For more information, visit www.contentful.com. Contentful, the Contentful logo, and other trademarks listed here are registered trademarks of Contentful Inc., Contentful GmbH and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240820325810/en/

Contacts:

press@contentful.com
ALLEN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / Enzolytics, Inc. (OTC PINK:ENZC) ("enzolytics.com") (the "Company") announced today that a study conducted at the Ministry of Health National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases in Sofia, Bulgaria concluded that inventor Harry Zhabilov's patented experimental cancer lyophilized pepsin treatment, exclusively licensed to Enzolytics, is effective in decreasing the growth and spread of cancer cells in breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, cancer of the larynx, as well as small cell lung cancer.

The Conclusion of the report by Associate Professor Petya Genova-Kalu and Professor Dr. Iva Hristova, in its entirety reads as follows:

"A polypeptide complex of lyophilized pepsin, causes cytopathological changes and significantly reduces the survival and/or proliferative activity of the cell cultures used as experimental models. The tested substance exhibits the strongest cytotoxic/cytostatic effect on mammary adenocarcinoma (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 lines), cervical carcinoma (HeLa line), colorectal carcinoma (CaCo-2 line) and adenocarcinoma of the prostate (PC-3). A cytotoxic/cytostatic effect was observed on cells from small cell lung cancer (A 549 line) and the line Hep-2 (carcinoma of the larynx). The observed effect was time- and concentration-dependent a response that is most likely due to the different biological characteristics of the malignant neoplasms from which the model cell lines were derived, as well as to the phenomenon of heterogeneity of tumor cells.

In conclusion, lyophilized pepsin has extremely promising biomedical potential."

Inventor and Chief Science Officer of Enzolytics, Harry Zhabilov says, "I have always believed in my product and I am so glad that such distinguished scientists as Prof. Genova-Kalu and Prof. Dr. Iva Hristova have been able to validate our findings." The study was commissioned by Rosetta Lifecare BG AD working in conjunction with the Company.

President and CEO of Enzolytics, Steve Sharabura says, "We are all here because we believe in Harry Zhabilov's science and are thrilled this report came back with such amazing results. We look forward to working towards getting this product approved."

About Enzolytics, Inc.

Enzolytics, Inc. is transitioning from a drug development company committed to commercializing its licensed proprietary proteins and monoclonal antibodies to treat debilitating infectious diseases to include the additional contracted areas of sales, marketing and distribution of medical devices, medical testing and nutraceutical products.

Forward Looking Statements

The disclosure herein includes certain statements that are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "expect," "should," "would," "plan," "predict," "potential," "seem," "seek," "future," "outlook," and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding projections, estimates and forecasts of revenue and other financial and performance metrics and projections of market opportunity and expectations, Company's ability to enter into a definitive business combination agreement and Company's ability to obtain the financing necessary to consummate the potential business combination transaction. These statements are based on various assumptions and on the current expectations of Company's management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Company. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including: Company's ability to enter into a definitive agreement with respect to the proposed business combination or consummate a transaction; the risk that the approval of the stockholders of Company for the potential transaction is not obtained; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the potential transaction, including as a result of a delay in consummating the potential transaction or difficulty in integrating the businesses of Company; the amount of redemption requests made by Company's stockholders and the amount of funds remaining in Company's trust account after satisfaction of such requests; those factors discussed in Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 under the heading "Risk Factors," and other documents of Company filed, or to be filed, with the SEC. If the risks materialize or assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that Company presently does not know or that Company currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect Company's expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date hereof. Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause Company's assessments to change. However, while Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Company's assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this disclosure statement. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Enzolytics, Inc.

Steve Sharabura, Chief Executive Officer

3002 Royal Palm

Baytown, Texas 77523

Tel: (845) 925-4597

X/Twitter: @EnzolyticsInc

SOURCE: Enzolytics, Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
News Release Highlights:

Additional mining equipment has been added to more than double the throughput

Plans are being made to expand production further in future and to add additional placer mining operations to provide additional cash flow to the Company

Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - August 20, 2024) - Green River Gold Corp. (CSE: CCR) (OTC Pink: CCRRF) (the "Company" or "Green River") has demonstrated steady advancement since commencing mining operations at the end of June 2024, achieving promising results that have led to strategic decisions aimed at bolstering our production capabilities.

About Green River Gold Corp.'s Mining Plan

In recognition of the positive outcomes realized thus far, Green River Gold Corp. has added a second trommel (See Figure 1. below) and additional support equipment to the placer mining operation. This strategic enhancement is expected to more than double production capacity for the remainder of the current mining season. This decision is in line with the Company's commitment to maximizing resource extraction while adhering to sustainable practices that benefit both the environment and our stakeholders.





Figure 1. Placer Mining Equipment on The Wabi Claim

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7403/220547_31eeb2016432387e_002full.jpg

In addition to this expansion, the Company is actively laying the groundwork to broaden its mining operations to encompass multiple locations in future seasons. This diversification strategy is designed to optimize resource utilization, mitigate risks, and drive further growth and cash flow, solidifying Green River Gold Corp.'s standing as a resilient and forward-thinking player in the mining sector.

The Wabi placer mining claims are located on the Swift River, approximately 45 minutes from Green River's field headquarters in Quesnel, British Columbia. The placer gold mining project is intended to provide immediate cash flow to the Company while it continues to explore its longer-term mineral growth projects with a focus on both critical minerals and precious metals. The Company has very strong growth platforms with the Quesnel Nickel Critical Minerals Project and the Fontaine Gold and Kymar Silver Projects.

Green River holds six contiguous placer mining claims totaling 255.94 hectares straddling the Swift River, a river which has a significant history of placer mining production dating back to the Cariboo Gold Rush in the 1870's. The Company also holds placer claims on several other creeks and rivers in the Cariboo Mining District. Several of the placer properties are already permitted and bonded. In total, Green River holds 1,110 hectares of placer mining claims along with over 228 square kilometers of mineral claims.

Green River is uniquely positioned to mine the placer claims because of its relationship with its privately held affiliate, Gold Rush Supplies Inc. The two companies share space in a fully equipped shop and office building located in Quesnel, approximately 45 minutes from the Swift River placer claims. Gold Rush Supplies Inc. builds placer mining equipment and provides mining supplies from a retail and shop location in the shared facility. The fully equipped shop and yard provides an excellent location from which to stage the mining operation and to handle all related administration and management functions. The Company's Qualified Person, Stephen P. Kocsis (P.Geo) has decades of experience in placer gold mining and has personally designed and operated placer mining operations.

"We are encouraged by the progress we have made since the launch of our operations, and the results we are witnessing are a testament to our team's hard work and dedication," stated Perry Little, President and CEO of Green River Gold Corp. "The strategic decision to integrate a second trommel reflects our commitment to scaling up production and achieving our corporate objectives, while our plans to explore and mine multiple locations next season will position us for sustained success and expansion. The success of our longer-term projects, including the Quesnel Nickel Project are only enhanced by any operating cash flow from placer mining. Our other projects, including Quesnel Nickel, are also proceeding. A drilling and exploration update will be provided shortly."

Qualified Person:

Stephen P. Kocsis (P.Geo) is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and he has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.

About Green River Gold Corp.

Green River Gold Corp. is a dynamic mining company dedicated to sustainable resource development and innovation in the mineral exploration sector. With a strategic focus on identifying and advancing high-potential mining projects, Green River Gold Corp. is committed to creating long-term value for shareholders and stakeholders.

Green River Gold Corp. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on its wholly owned Fontaine Gold Project, Quesnel Nickel/Magnesium/Talc Project, and Kymar Silver Project which are all located in renowned mining districts in British Columbia.

The Fontaine Gold and Quesnel Nickel properties cover an area exceeding 200 square kilometers and straddle a 32-kilometre length of the Barkerville and Quesnel Terranes. They are contiguous to Osisko Development Corp.'s mineral claim group containing a proposed mine location at its Cariboo Gold Project.

The Kymar Silver Project is located in southeast BC, approximately 28 kilometers west of the town of Invermere in the Golden Mining Division. The property is made up of two mineral tenures, totaling 1,625 hectares, along the southeast flank of Mount Catherine.

In addition, Green River is actively mining some of its 1,110 hectares of placer mining claims in the Cariboo Mining District of Quesnel.

Additional information about Green River Gold Corp. can be found by reviewing its profile on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca.

Forward-Looking Information: This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Expressions such as "anticipates", "expects", "believes", "estimates", "could", "intends", "may", "plans", "predicts", "projects", "will", "would" and other similar expressions, or the negative of these terms, are generally indicative of forward-looking information. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.

In addition, the forward-looking information contained in this release is based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as it is inherently uncertain, and no assurance can be given that the expectations reflected in such information will prove to be correct. The forward-looking information in this release is made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances.

The securities of the Company have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This release is issued for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

The Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220547

SOURCE: Green River Gold Corp.
The award-winning spirit offers a new, unexpected take on American whisky

NEW YORK, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Beyonce Knowles-Carter has joined forces with Moet Hennessy, a subsidiary of LVMH, to create SirDavis, a groundbreaking new whisky. The first-of-its-kind joint venture reflects a shared vision between Knowles-Carter and Moet Hennessy, two vanguards of culture and craft, around the future of American whisky.

This unique product was years in the making after Knowles-Carter, a Japanese whisky enthusiast, sought out Moet Hennessy to help craft a one-of-a-kind flavor profile that reflected her whisky ideal. Meanwhile, Moet Hennessy had been exploring ways to deepen its presence in the American whisky market, making the timing kismet for a partnership between the world-leading luxury group and Knowles-Carter.

"I've always been drawn to the power and confidence I feel when drinking quality whisky and wanted to invite more people to experience that feeling," says SirDavis Founder Beyonce Knowles-Carter. "When I discovered that my great-grandfather had been a moonshine man, it felt like my love for whisky was fated. SirDavis is a way for me to pay homage to him, uniting us through a new shared legacy. In partnering with Moet Hennessy, we have crafted a delicious American whisky that respects tradition but also empowers people to experience something new and unique in the category. You can taste it better than I could ever tell you - welcome, SirDavis."

SirDavis is named in honor of Davis Hogue, Knowles-Carter's paternal great-grandfather, who was a farmer and a moonshiner in the American South during Prohibition. He stashed whisky bottles in the empty knots of cedar trees for friends and kin to find and enjoy. For Knowles-Carter, it was this discovery that made the idea of creating a whisky brand feel predestined. Four generations later, the legacy comes to life - rather than hidden in the trees, bottles of SirDavis proudly grace the top shelves of fine purveyors of spirits around the world.

"SirDavis is not only a revelatory and exceptional American Whisky, which we are very proud of. It is also a testament of the unwavering dedication to craftsmanship, heritage and innovation shared by LVMH and Beyonce Knowles-Carter," said Bernard Arnault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of LVMH.

Moet Hennessy tapped Dr. Bill Lumsden, one of the world's most awarded and highly regarded Master Distillers for his work on Scotch whisky brands Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, to lead on whisky creation.

Lumsden selected the brand's bespoke mash bill - one of the rarest new offerings in the world of American whisky composed of 51% rye and 49% malted barley - to serve as the backbone of the liquid. Lumsden then combined traditional whisky-making techniques to impart an elegant mouthfeel and texture reminiscent of Japanese and Scotch whiskies, while retaining the robust and deep flavors typical of classic American rye.

"With SirDavis, we looked to challenge the category norms and offer something new in the space," said Lumsden. "The distinctive grain selection and unusual secondary maturation in sherry casks helped us achieve a signature profile completely unique to SirDavis, one of bold sophistication."

Moet Hennessy and Knowles-Carter's shared commitment to excellence was key to the partnership and the product. To validate SirDavis's quality, the liquid was anonymously submitted to numerous prestigious spirits competitions prior to launch. SirDavis won Best In Class for American Whiskey from the 2023 SIP Awards, outperforming over 100 other entries in the category. Awarded to only one brand per category, this award is reserved for premium spirits receiving scores in the pinnacle of their respective categories and is SIP's highest acclaim from consumer judges.

Other notable scores include a Gold Medal (95 points) from the 2023 New York International Spirits Competition and a 93-point rating from the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

Knowles-Carter also lent her visionary artistic direction to the brand's bottle design - a tall, eye-catching bottle with intentional design elements that make the vessel an unmistakable beacon of luxury.

The SirDavis bottle is striking and clean, with ribbed glass that beautifully catches light and highlights the liquid. It also features a black medallion with a regal bronzed horse, emblematic of strength and respect and symbolizing Knowles-Carter's Texas roots.

In another nod to Knowles-Carter's Southern heritage, the whisky is finished, blended and bottled in her home state of Texas. Unlike other acquired brands, SirDavis also makes history as Moet Hennessy's first spirits brand developed entirely internally by Moet Hennessy in the United States. SirDavis is headquartered out of Houston, Texas.

SirDavis retails for $89 and is available for pre-order via SirDavis.com. Product will be available at retail across the U.S. as well as in select airports (LAX/JFK/SFO) and stores in London, Paris, and Tokyo in September 2024.

ABOUT SIRDAVIS AMERICAN WHISKY

A first-of-its-kind joint venture, SirDavis reflects a shared vision between Moet Hennessy and Beyonce Knowles-Carter around the future of American whisky. With a distinctive taste profile that delights both seasoned whisky connoisseurs and new enthusiasts, SirDavis is on a mission to redefine the category and invite new consumers to feel welcome to participate in the world of luxury whisky.

Crafted with Moet Hennessy's own five-time International Whisky Competition Master Distiller of the Year Dr. Bill Lumsden, SirDavis offers a one-of-a-kind taste profile that redefines the taste of American whisky with inspiration from Japanese and Scottish styles. In an evolution from category norms, the SirDavis mash bill includes 51% rye and a noteworthy 49% barley. The spirit's secondary maturation in sherry casks resulted in its silky, sophisticated profile with layers of dark red fruits and spices like clove and cinnamon. This duality of rounding out rye's characteristically spicy notes with structured flavors of juicy red fruit offers an entirely new interpretation of this spirit, suitable for connoisseurs and newcomers alike. The award-winning liquid received Platinum and was named Best In Class by the 2023 SIP Awards, 95 points and Gold from the 2023 New York International Spirits Competition, and 93 points from the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge. SirDavis is finished, blended and bottled in Knowles-Carter's home state of Texas.

Follow SirDavis on:

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

ABOUT MOET HENNESSY

Moet Hennessy is the wine and spirits division of LVMH, which also owns renowned wine estates through "LVMH Vins d'Exceptions." Moet Hennessy is a group of twenty-seven Maisons, internationally recognized for the richness of their terroirs, the quality of their products and the craftsmanship with which they are created. For many years, Moet Hennessy has been committed to its environmental and social program, Living Soils Living Together.

Ao Yun, Ardbeg, Armand de Brignac, Belvedere, Bodega Numanthia, Chandon, Chateau d'Esclans, Chateau Galoupet, Cheval des Andes, Clos19, Cloudy Bay, Cravan, Dom Perignon, Eminente, Glenmorangie, Hennessy, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Krug, Mercier, Minuty, Moet & Chandon, Newton, Ruinart, Terrazas de los Andes, Veuve Clicquot, Volcan de mi Tierra, Woodinville.

Please enjoy responsibly.

IMAGE DOWNLOAD LINK

Photo -https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2485647/Moet_Hennessy_Sir_Davis.jpg

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/moet-hennessy-and-beyonce-knowles-carter-launch-groundbreaking-new-whisky--sirdavis-302226479.html
ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / BELAY continues to expand its Accounting Services by acquiring Fortiviti.

"Our team is thrilled to work with Fortiviti," said BELAY CEO Tricia Sciortino. "Finding a team with our shared vision and commitment to empowering entrepreneurs sealed this partnership for us."

Fortiviti supports entrepreneurs with integrated accounting and back-office solutions for companies in a variety of industries so clients can focus on serving their customers and growing their business.

"We have the best team that we've had in a very long time," said Fortiviti Founder and President Shauna Huntington. "That just makes me even more excited because I feel like we've got a really high-quality team to take into this partnership - and to take us to the next level."

"As we continue to invest in the growth of our Accounting Services offering with this acquisition - both in quality and opportunity - we hope to empower more busy leaders to let go of their accounting tasks and reap the benefits of quality accounting data from reliable financial experts and partners," Sciortino said. "And get back to growing their business."

"There are just so many compliance and administrative tasks that happen on the back end of operating a business that many business owners just don't know," Huntington added. "What's great about our team - and I think what's a little bit different about how we have serviced clients over the years - is that we provide a full accounting team and department."

And it was that dedication to exceptional, fully managed accounting service that made the acquisition a perfect fit.

"Who you work with matters," said Sciortino. "We choose partners based on what they bring to the table tactically, but we also place a huge emphasis on human connections. People and culture really matter to us, so choosing a partner based on those connections is paramount because our values are at the forefront of every client interaction."

"Our number one core value is to do the extras; our goal is to do more for our clients than they expect," Huntington said.

Launched in 2010, BELAY disrupted virtual staffing with flexible, U.S.-based solutions for businesses, nonprofits, and churches. Equipping busy leaders with the confidence to climb higher by matching them with Virtual Assistants, Accounting Services, and Marketing Assistants, BELAY has continued to expand its suite of services to better meet the needs of its clients.

"This new partnership highlights our commitment to providing exceptional value to our clients," said Sciortino. "By augmenting our Accounting Services and expertise with Fortiviti's cutting-edge solutions and service, we're set to yet again revolutionize the industry status quo and enhance our client experience.

"We don't seek to meet expectations; we constantly seek to establish new standards of excellence to exceed them."

Fortiviti, based in Kansas, was founded as the premier provider of accounting operations, recognizing that most businesses needed an accounting team with both the time and the expertise to produce reliable financial information that drives profitability and growth.

"By joining forces, BELAY now has even more opportunities to support entrepreneurs at every step of their business journey," Sciortino added. "This acquisition arms our clients with the experts, tools, knowledge, bandwidth, guidance and - most importantly - the confidence to reach their goals."

About BELAY

BELAY supports busy leaders by matching them with dedicated, U.S.-based Virtual Assistants, Marketing Assistants, and Accounting Professionals who are committed to helping them grow. Learn more at www.belaysolutions.com.

About Fortiviti

Fortiviti relieves the burden of business by providing accounting operations support to help business owners thrive. Learn more at www.fortiviti.com.

Contact Information

Ebony Clark

Marketing Manager

ebony.clark@belaysolutions.com

855.55.BELAY x.1026

SOURCE: BELAY

View the original press release on newswire.com.
JP Jenkins Ltd

GS Verde acquire Anderson Shaw Corporate Finance



20-Aug-2024 / 15:57 GMT/BST

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





20th August 2024

JPJ: GSV

ISIN: GB00B0M0J665

GS Verde acquire Anderson Shaw Corporate Finance

The GS Verde Group, a UK & Ireland based dealmaking business, has expanded with the acquisition of West Midlands based Anderson Shaw Corporate Finance.

This is the 3rd acquisition by GS Verde Group, as part of its buy and build strategy and is the latest in numerous announcements so far in 2024, including the announcement of the company's admission on the prestigious secondary markets share dealing platform, JP Jenkins.

In May this year GS Verde Group also announced the opening of an office in Cheltenham, as part of a growth plan to expand across the UK, creating a doorway into the West Midlands market, which is now become crystalised with the acquisition of Anderson Shaw.

Speaking on the acquisition, Nigel Greenaway, CEO of GS Verde Group said: "We are delighted to have acquired Anderson Shaw Corporate Finance, and to welcome Peter and his team to The GS Verde Group.

The JP Jenkins placement earlier this year has enabled us to accelerate our plans to grow through acquisition and increase our regional footprint. The move to Cheltenham, followed by the addition of Anderson Shaw to the business, has helped us to do both, by bolstering our offering and presence in the West Midlands region, and we are delighted to be able to announce this deal".

Anderson Shaw Corporate Finance was established in 2006 and was set up to support business owners in the sale of their business, as well as advising businesses seeking to grow through acquisition.

In 2017, the current Managing Director and Chartered Accountant Peter Wilson took control and ran the business, advising on multiple transactions during that time. Peter will remain with the business and become part of GS Verde's deal team.

Peter said: "We have been very impressed with GS Verde, and I am delighted that Anderson Shaw is able to join such a renowned dealmaking Group.

We work on numerous sale mandates, as well as acquisitions, but to be able to expand our offering with the provision of law, finance, tax and communications and provide a 'one team' solution, is something we are certain our clients will benefit from".

GS Verde Group is headquartered in Cardiff, but with offices in Dublin, Bristol and Cheltenham, the Group continues to roll out its unique multi-discipline M&A advisory services across the UK & Ireland.

Mr. Greenaway concluded: "We continue to identify targets for acquisition in the UK, Ireland and farther afield, and we look forward to further announcements on additional expansion plans in the coming months".

The GS Verde Group are business-focused experts in getting deals done. Combining all the services needed to complete a corporate transaction, including legal, corporate finance, tax, accountancy and even communications, GS Verde Group acts as a single advisory team and provides a truly end-to-end service.

For further information, please contact:

GS Verde Group Limited

hello@gsverde.group

+44 (0)3330 107 8498

Dissemination of a CORPORATE NEWS, transmitted by EQS Group.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.




CERRITOS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / Olympic Air Tech (OATN) is excited to announce the successful acquisition of two significant HVAC contracts in Southern California. These contracts underscore OATN's continued excellence and growing presence in the region's construction industry.

The first project involves the HVAC installation for the OC Fair Administration Office Addition, located at 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. The contract, awarded on May 23, 2024, is valued at $623,420 and is currently in progress. OATN is collaborating closely with the general contractor, Barnhart-Reese Construction, Inc., to ensure the project's success. The project is being managed by Jeff Stratton, who can be contacted at 858-588-3275.

The second project is for the OCTA Transit Security & Operation Center, located at 1460 W Lincoln Ave., Anaheim, CA 92801. OATN has been listed as the lowest HVAC contractor bidder, with a contract amount of $3,650,000 as of June 17, 2024. This project is in collaboration with Bernard's Bros, Inc., the general contractor, and is currently awaiting final contract confirmation.

These project wins highlight OATN's commitment to delivering top-tier HVAC solutions across Southern California. The company will provide ongoing updates, including project photos and videos, which will be available on the OATN website.

CONTACT:

Brian Hwang

oathvac@gmail.com

SOURCE: O.A.T., Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Regulatory News:

The Annual General Meeting and Extraordinary General Meeting will be held at Medincell's (Paris:MEDCL) headquarters (3 rue des Freres Lumiere, 34830 Jacou, France) on Thursday, September 12, 2024, at 6.00 pm, CEST.

All shareholders of the company are invited to attend the meeting or to follow it live (French only) on the company's website via the link www.medincell.com/fr/live-fr/

The secure remote voting system via the Votaccess platform will be open from Thursday, August 22, 2024, at 10:00 am to Wednesday, September 11, 2024, at 3:00 pm, CEST.

Medincell will hold a video conference (French only) on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at 6 pm to present the resolutions of the Annual General Meeting and answer questions from shareholders.

Connection link: www.medincell.com/fr/live-fr/

Terms and conditions of participation

Medincell strongly encourages all its shareholders to exercise their voting rights, either by remote voting, which must be cast before the General Meeting, or during the General Meeting for shareholders present in person.

Medincell shareholders who wish to vote by remotely may do so before the General Meeting as follows:

Internet voting will be available and should be used as a priority: the secure voting platform Votaccess will be open from Thursday, August 22, 2024, at 10 am to Wednesday, September 11, 2024, at 3 pm, Paris time. Shareholders will be able to vote by Internet or give their proxy to the Chairman of the Meeting until the day before the General Meeting (i.e., Wednesday, September 11, 2024) at 3 pm, Paris time.

Shareholders may also vote by post following the procedures set out in the notice of meeting published in the Bulletin des Annonces Legales et Obligatoires on August 5th, 2024. The deadline for receipt of forms is September 9, 2024.

All shareholders may send their written questions, either by registered letter with a return receipt requested addressed to the Chairman of the Board at the company's registered office (3 rue des Freres Lumiere, 34830 Jacou) or by e-mail to legal@medincell.com, no later than the fourth business day preceding the date of the Shareholders' Meeting (i.e., September 6, 2024). A certificate of account registration must accompany the questions.

As the company cannot control the identity of the persons attending the meeting remotely, only the persons physically present will be able to ask questions during the General Meeting.

Availability of documents relating to the General Meeting

The notice of meeting, valid as notice of convocation, which includes the agenda, draft resolutions, and the main terms of participation and voting at the Shareholders' Meeting, was published in the Bulletin des Annonces Legales et Obligatoires N. 94 of August 5th, 2024.

The preparatory documents and information relating to this General Meeting will be made available to shareholders under the legal and regulatory conditions and will be available on the website:

https://www.medincell.com/general-meeting/

Shareholders are invited to consult the section dedicated to the General Meeting on the Company's website: https://www.medincell.com/general-meeting/

About Medincell

Medincell is a clinical- and commercial-stage biopharmaceutical licensing company developing long-acting injectable drugs in many therapeutic areas. Our innovative treatments aim to guarantee compliance with medical prescriptions, to improve the effectiveness and accessibility of medicines, and to reduce their environmental footprint. They combine active pharmaceutical ingredients with our proprietary BEPO technology which controls the delivery of a drug at a therapeutic level for several days, weeks or months from the subcutaneous or local injection of a simple deposit of a few millimeters, entirely bioresorbable. The first treatment based on BEPO technology, intended for the treatment of schizophrenia, was approved by the FDA in April 2023, and is now distributed in the United States by Teva under the name UZEDY (BEPO technology is licensed to Teva under the name SteadyTeq). We collaborate with leading pharmaceutical companies and foundations to improve global health through new treatment options. Based in Montpellier, Medincell currently employs more than 140 people representing more than 25 different nationalities.

UZEDY and SteadyTeq are registered trademarks of Teva Pharmaceuticals.

www.medincell.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240820976438/en/

Contacts:

David Heuze Head of Corporate and Financial Communications, and ESG

david.heuze@medincell.com +33 (0)6 83 25 21 86

Grace Kim Head of US Financial Strategy and IR

grace.kim@medincell.com +1 (646) 991-4023

Investors Relations France

Louis-Victor Delouvrier/Alban Dufumier

medincell@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

Media Relations

Nicolas Merigeau

medincell@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94
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Finsbury Growth & Income Trust PLC - Transaction in Own Shares

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, August 20

For immediate release

20 August 2024

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announce that it has today purchased 168,132 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 837.84 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company.

The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 23 January 2024.

Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 52,868,142; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 172,123,161.

The figure of 172,123,161 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

For and on behalf of

Frostrow Capital LLP

Company Secretary

For further information, please contact:

Victoria Hale

Frostrow Capital LLP

Tel: 020 3 170 8732
JENNINGS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / The Board of Directors of JD Bancshares, Inc. (OTCQX:JDVB), the parent holding company of JD Bank (collectively the "Company"), announced today that Bruce W. Elder has submitted his resignation as the President and Chief Executive Officer effective September 30, 2024. Mr. Elder has led the Company since November 19, 2019, and is resigning for personal family reasons and not as a result of any disagreements with the Board of Directors or the Company. Mr. Elder will remain in his role as President and Chief Executive Officer through the end of September to ensure an orderly transition to the next leader. In connection with his resignation as President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Elder will also step down from his service as a director.

Mr. Elder stated "I have enjoyed my time here at the Company and will cherish the friends and relationships I have formed here in south Louisiana. When accepting this position back in 2019, I did not consider the age of my parents living on the east coast and the need for me to be closer to them. Leading this talented management team has been a rewarding experience, and I am confident that our accomplishments will form a strong foundation for the future." Chairman Donald stated, "We truly appreciate Bruce's service to JD Bank and JD Bancshares, Inc. and wish him success in his future endeavors."

The Company will follow its Board-approved succession plan to determine Mr. Elder's replacement.

About JD Bancshares, Inc.

JD Bancshares, Inc. is the bank holding company of JD Bank, a Louisiana state-chartered bank headquartered in Jennings, Louisiana. JD Bank has been serving the citizens of south Louisiana since 1947 and offers a variety of personal and commercial lending and deposit products through both physical and digital delivery channels. The Bank also offers both trust and investment services. JD Bank operates through 22 full-service branch offices and two loan and deposit production offices located along the I-10 and I-12 corridors from Lake Charles to Mandeville, Louisiana. Additional information is available on its website at jdbank.com.

JD Bancshares, Inc. (OTCQX:JDVB) trades on the OTCQX Best Market. Companies on the OTCQX Best Market meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, demonstrate compliance with U.S. securities laws, and have a professional third-party sponsor introduction. Investors can find current financial disclosure and real-time level 2 quotes for the Company on otcmarkets.com.

Contact:

Dan Donald (Chairman) 337-246-5410

Paul Brummett (CFO) 337-246-5395

Website: www.jdbank.com

SOURCE: JD Bancshares, Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) is further expanding its global footprint by participating in the 2024 International Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) Conference for the second consecutive year. Taking place from August 26 to 28 in Basel, Switzerland, this event brings together global leaders in medical education and healthcare.



This year, KFSHRC's focus is on refining clinical practices, improving patient outcomes, and enhancing learner satisfaction and safety. By sharing its knowledge, KFSHRC aims to contribute to medical education's global advancement, benefiting not only trainees and patients but also healthcare communities worldwide.

KFSHRC will highlight its success in leveraging cutting-edge technologies in medical education, such as virtual simulations and interactive learning platforms, which have significantly enhanced trainees' clinical decision-making skills. These innovations have led to notable improvements in clinical training quality, better patient safety protocols, and the development of highly competent healthcare professionals prepared to meet the sector's evolving demands globally.

Dr. Esam Albanyan, Chief of Education and Training officer at KFSHRC, emphasized that the hospital's participation aligns with its strategic goals to become a global leader in medical education and patient care. He highlighted that attending AMEE 2024 facilitates forging new knowledge partnerships and exchanging expertise with international institutions to foster medical competencies that address future healthcare challenges and drive excellence in patient outcomes and safety.

Dr. Ali AlShehri, Deputy Executive Director of Academic and Training Affairs, elaborated on KFSHRC's contributions to the conference, which include presenting advanced programs integrating technology into medical education, such as simulation and innovations in clinical training. KFSHRC will also share its successful experiences in curriculum development, adopting modern educational methods, and tackling global challenges in medical education with a focus on improving patient care.

KFSHRC's Education and Training Office has been instrumental in developing comprehensive training curricula, utilizing simulation technology for practical skills, and fostering modern training methods that actively involve trainees in decision-making. The department's efforts have enhanced patient care quality and safety while also fostering a culture of research excellence, resulting in numerous scientific publications.

KFSHRC's participation in AMEE 2024 underscores its commitment to advancing medical education, improving healthcare outcomes, and patient safety through innovation and collaboration. Its continued recognition as the leading academic medical center in the Middle East and Africa, along with top global rankings, reflects its unwavering dedication to excellence in both education and healthcare.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Essam AlZahrani, Acting Director of Media Affairs, 0555254429

Mr. Abdullah Alown, Director of Media Coordination, 0556294232

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1073be12-85b7-44e1-b619-37b9421b2fc3
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / August 5, 2024 / Medtronic

Medtronic has taken measurable steps to drive change.

Doctors have used pulse oximeters for more than 40 years, but the pandemic put the devices in the spotlight after studies found they may not be accurate across all skin tones.

"What we saw during the pandemic was health disparities," said Bradley, who works in sales in the Acute Care & Monitoring (ACM) business at Medtronic. "We recognize that patients of color were not faring as well as their lighter skin counterparts."

In her presentations, Bradley, the mother of a multiracial daughter, elaborates on why the devices can sometimes fall short. She calls it "technology bias."

There's a lot we still don't understand about what drives that bias, but we know low perfusion, or the flow of blood to cells and tissues, along with skin pigmentation, and user error, are at the core.1

While our pulse oximeter, Nellcor, has delivered monitoring solutions for decades, Medtronic can do better, ACM President Frank Chan said. It's why the company has taken measurable steps to drive change, such as participating in a U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel on the accuracy of pulse oximeters and opening a physiology lab in a racially diverse neighborhood to ensure inclusive clinical trial enrollment and participation.

"We saw all the studies coming out of the pandemic around equity and pulse oximetry and delivering safe care," said Chief Medical Officer for ACM Dr. Sam Ajizian. "We accelerated our work. In doing so, we aim to do the right thing for the patient."

What is a pulse oximeter?

Dr. Ajizian was a young physician when pulse oximeters were first introduced to the marketplace. They were a "transformative" tool that removed the guesswork in measuring the amount of oxygen in a patient's blood - and alerting doctors when more may be needed.

If you've had surgery, ridden in an ambulance, or even visited a clinic, chances are a pulse oximeter has been clipped to the end of your finger.

"It's kind of magical to be able to take something on the outside of the body and use it to measure how much oxygen is going to the tissue that's contained in the blood on the inside of the body," Dr. Ajizian said.

While pulse oximeters are essential to patient safety, not all are created equal. In a recent study enrolling healthy volunteers to measure the effects of skin pigmentation and perfusion index on pulse oximeter accuracy, one of the company's competitor's devices, for example, missed 30% of hypoxemic events, or when there's an abnormally low amount of oxygen in the blood. Nellcor pulse oximeters, on the other hand, missed 7.9%, said Vice President of Research & Development for ACM Jason Case.1

"The goal isn't to be better than everyone else," Case said. "The goal is to provide a solution that works for everybody. How do we get that 7.9% to zero, independent of if you have thick skin, dark skin, or low perfusion?"

Walking the walk

The commitment to getting it right - every time - is why the company opened a clinical physiology lab near the Five Points neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. It's a racially diverse area where community members can easily access the unassuming lab, which is embedded within a larger medical complex. Many trial participants walk to the lab from their homes.

"We decided to locate this lab in Denver, away from the central offices of Medtronic, and it has proven to be the right choice," said Lab Manager Roger Martin-Pressman. "To make it convenient for people from diverse backgrounds to access these research opportunities was really important to me."

The lab empowers the company to conduct its own clinical trials, meaning it can test devices with more speed and frequency and, in turn, innovate quickly. "We really want devices to get better based on the data we collect here," Martin-Pressman said. "And not just better so clinicians understand how to use them, but also better so that people who wear them have better outcomes."

The larger, more diverse data set being collected at the lab is critical to research and development work at Medtronic, Case said. It ensures we're approaching our work with equity before it leaves the innovation lab.

Building trust

Obioma Nwankwo is a clinical studies coordinator for the clinical physiology lab in Denver. She recruits trial participants and often leads engagement events in the community, such as hosting booths at the city's Juneteenth festival, to build trust within the community and educate about the trials and our commitment to health equity.

"Sometimes the end goal is not always getting someone in the chair and having them come and do the study," Obioma said. "Sometimes the end goal is just spreading awareness, or having a conversation."

But the community is responding; trial enrollment continues to tick upward. The lab has already enrolled more than 130 participants and will continuously recruit. The opportunity to be part of a clinical trial that could improve device accuracy across all skin pigmentations was a driving factor for Zahra Abdullahi to enroll.

"As a minority in the healthcare system, a lot of things are overlooked," said Abdullahi, a college student studying engineering. "I'm doing this not only for my safety, but for others' as well. I have siblings and friends who are also minorities and making sure they have accurate representation in healthcare is very important."

Lasting change

When Bradley first began her career in 1991, working as a respiratory therapist for neonatal and pediatric patients, she would have argued there weren't health disparities in her work.

"When I look retrospectively on it, I recognize that's not true, there probably always were some biases," she said, adding anyone who wants to be "intellectually honest" would agree there are disparities in the access and provision of healthcare.

Even though the Medtronic pulse oximetry device meets all current FDA standards, those questions about health equity are spurring broader change, and Medtronic is making meaningful contributions.

"I'm proud that Medtronic has taken a stance to say that's not good enough," Bradley said.

Not to mention, it's just the right thing to do, said Martin-Pressman, the lab manager.

"Equality is giving everybody the same opportunity, but equity is ensuring the outcome is the same," he said.

Ronda Bradley, left, with her family.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Medtronic on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Medtronic

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/medtronic

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Medtronic

View the original press release on accesswire.com


Photo 1: Zhang Zhifeng, representative from Beiwen Digital delivered a welcoming speech.



Photo 2: Matthew Tai, representative of JM Enigma Capital delivered a speech.



Photo 3: The signing ceremony of the MOU on NFT 2.0, a Chinese cultural digital asset.



Photo 4: Chen Youbai, a renowned contemporary Dunhuang colorist artist was invited to introduce the design concepts and ideas behind the Temple of Heaven NFT.



Photo 5: MOU signing ceremony for design collaboration.

HONG KONG, Aug 21, 2024 - (ACN Newswire) - To better promote Chinese culture globally, Beiwen Digital, a subsidiary of Beijing Cultural Investment Development Group Co., Ltd. and a directly affiliated enterprise of the Publicity Department of Beijing Municipal Committee, has collaborated with Hong Kong JM Enigma Capital Limited to pioneer the NFT 2.0 era of digital collectibles by integrating cultural assets with modern technology. Today, they co-hosted a press conference and formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding China's Cultural Digital Assets NFT 2.0 collaboration in Hong Kong.The press conference attracted industry elites and various media outlets. Distinguished guests in attendance included: Wang Yue, Deputy Director of Haixia Capital Mangement Co..Ltd, a subsidiary of the National Development Investment Fund Collection; Li Tao, Representative of Saibo (Beijing) Culture Technology Co., Ltd., under China Digital Culture Group; Jin Hengwei, Deputy Director of National Economic Cooperation Department of China Strategy and Management Research Association; Li Jing, Chairman of Beijing Wanhui Jinrong Artificial Intelligence; He Yi and Yin Tinghua, Director and Associate Dean of Peking University Boya economy intelligence Co., Ltd.; and and Guan Heng, General Manager of Yinsheng Digital Value Co., Ltd.Representatives from Hong Kong included: Sun Lei, Chief Executive Officer of Binson Bank; Chiu Sze Chi, Vice Chairman of Cheuk Nang Holdings Limited; Leung Tin-fu, President of the Hong Kong Art Gallery Association; Pang Po Lam, Chairman of the Asian Institute of Financial Technologists; Professor Yu Changhai, President of the Hong Kong Biotechnology Organisation; Zheng Songyan, President of the Hong Kong Computer Society; Lawyer Kenneth Leethe representative of Chan Ching-ha, member of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.China possesses a wealth of rich and unique cultural assets. By integrating these valuable cultural assets with modern technology, through creative transformation and development, NFT 2.0 can give rise to cultural products that embody the essence of Chinese culture and spirit. This initiative will facilitate the inheritance and innovation of Chinese culture, as well as enhance international exchanges and cooperation with the global community.The conference centered around the theme of presenting the innovative exploration of advancing traditional cultural industries through digitization. It elaborated on the development prospects of digital assets and NFTs in Hong Kong, elucidated on utilizing Hong Kong's common law, international arbitration law, and international arbitration courts to facilitate the transfer and trading of intellectual property related to NFTs in the international market. The event anticipated the vision of NFT 2.0's innovative development driving Chinese culture towards the global stage. The NFT 2.0 era injects fresh vitality into the flourishing development of China's digital culture. Hong Kong being an international metropolis, particularly serves as a center for cultural and artistic exchanges between China and foreign countries, thereby enhancing its role and providing a robust driving force for the better global outreach of Chinese culture.Zhang Zhifeng, representative from Beiwen Digital has emphasized that the launch of Chinese cultural digital assets NFT 2.0 marks a significant milestone, to globally showcase China's rich cultural history, spanning five millennials, within a digital format. The millennia-old Chinese civilization carries profound symbolism and cultural treasures, playing a crucial role in this digital era. Beiwen Digital's intellectual property portfolio includes iconic assets such as the Temple of Heaven, Along the River During the Qingming Festival, The Twelve Bronze Chinese Zodiac Animal Heads, Mount Wutai, and more. The company plans to collaborate with JM Enigma Capital to transform these assets into NFT 2.0 for release in Hong Kong. Beiwen Digital aims to preserve and highlight the allure of Chinese culture through digital platforms, enabling the splendour of traditional Chinese heritage to shine on the global stage.Matthew Tai, representative of JM Enigma Capital, emphasised Hong Kong's unique position as an international financial centre and cultural exchange hub. Utilising Hong Kong's economic platform and legal advantages, JM Enigma Capital will fully support the transformation and promotion of the country's precious cultural assets in the digital asset field. He stated that, as a multicultural city, Hong Kong will provide valuable resources and support for cooperation, enhancing the recognition and influence of Chinese culture in the international market.First time ever, a priceless masterpiece is being introduced worldwide through digital issuance.Integrating the ancient and the modern by embracing NFT 2.0with Digitally Inspired Treasures from Dunhuang ArtAt the conference, the Temple of Heaven, the first project of digitizing Chinese cultural assets in collaboration between Beiwen Digital and JM Enigma Capital, Chen Youbai, a renowned contemporary Dunhuang colorist artist was invited to introduce the design concepts and ideas behind the Temple of Heaven NFT. The presentation demonstrated how the colors of Dunhuang culture were integrated with the Temple of Heaven, reshaping the intellectual property union of these two cultures and transforming it into NFTs, showcasing the digitized distribution of Dunhuang art. This initiative aims to encourage individuals with aspirations to utilize these intellectual properties for commercial creation and various economic activities. Master Chen Youbai's heavy color paintings are very popular in the domestic and international auction markets, and his masterpiece "Mountain Ghost. Spring Rite was sold at auction in Hong Kong in 2013 for HK$50 million; The work "Belt and Road Style" was auctioned in Edinburgh, United Kingdom in 2023 and sold for 4.51 million. On February 2, 1986, the work "Whistling King" exhibited in Japan was purchased by a local entrepreneur for 17 million yen. In 1993, he visited Poland, Hungary and Russia, and many of his works were purchased and collected by international friends who like Dunhuang art. In October 1996, he participated in the Los Angeles Art Exchange Conference in United States, and during the preview exhibition, Duofu's works were purchased and collected by people from many countries. In September 1999, he participated in the Asian Art Expo Network Exhibition, and many works were successfully auctioned. Many of his works have also been collected by well-known dignitaries and business people in countries and regions such as the United States, United Kingdom, Singapore and Hong Kong.During the event, Representatives from Beiwen Digital, JM Enigma Capital, Beijing Wanhui Jinrong Artificial Intelligence, and Designers team signed a MOU, jointly committing to design and develop NFT 2.0, promoting the commercial development of digital cultural and artistic intellectual property rights.The strong collaboration between Beiwen Digital and JM Enigma Capital presents new opportunities and challenges for the digitization of precious cultural heritage, not only for the inheritance and innovation of Chinese culture but also for addressing and exploring the digital age. We look forward to Chinese culture flourishing with new vitality in the digital era, enabling the world to better understand and appreciate the profound, extensive, ancient, and benevolent Chinese culture.This press release is dispatched by Vivid Elite Company Limited on behalf of JM Enigma Capital Limited and Beiwen Digital.For any media enquiries, please contact:Ms. Kung, Tel: (852) 46371627, Email: vivid.elite.21@gmail.comOnsite Photo:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OLK26wnfGL_BBu9ySQTjheVTQuvzPgo8?usp=sharingAbout Beiwen Digital (Beijing) Cultural Technology Co., LtdBeiwen Digital (Beijing) Cultural Technology Co., Ltd. ("Beiwen Digital") is a national enterprise that manages national digital and cultural industries, and is a subsidiary of Beiwen Investment (a subsidiary of a state-owned enterprise). Beiwen Digital has a number of national-level cultural assets, such as: Twelve Beast Heads, Qingming Riverside Map, Wutai Mountain, Temple of Heaven, etc. It will also use Hong Kong's International financial platform and its international arbitration law center platform to digitize the national cultural assets under its management and sell them in the form of a new generation of NFT 2.0 in Hong Kong with a view to helping Hong Kong's financial market enter a new web 3.0 digital financial milestone.About JM Enigma Capital LimitedFounded in 2006, JM Enigma Capital Limited is a conglomerate that manages a range of investment initiatives of its subsidiaries. With years of experience and established recognition in the market, JM Enigma Capital Limited invests in different geographical liquidity markets and real estate markets. In recent years, JM Enigma Capital Limited has focused on the investment and development of digital assets and Web 3.0.Copyright 2024 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 20, 2024) - Mayo Lake Minerals Inc. (CSE: MLKM) (Mayo or the Company) is pleased to provide a report on its Annual & Special Meeting (Meeting) held on August 15 at 3790 Carp Road, Carp, Ontario.

The Meeting was chaired by Dr. Vern Rampton, President & CEO and attended by directors, officers, staff and shareholders. The Company's shareholders unanimously re-elected Dr. Vern Rampton, Lee Bowles, Jeff Ackert and Gregory LeBlanc as directors; the latter two being qualified as independent. Jones & O'Connell LLP was reappointed as the Company's auditor and the arms-length shareholders overwhelmingly approved the continuance of the Company's Option Plan together with its RSU/DSU Plan.

Subsequent to the Meeting, Dr. Rampton provided shareholders with an update on the Company's merger progress with WestMountain Gold, Inc., which is planned to close in the next two quarters in combination with a concurrent $7.5M private placement, the proceeds of which will be predominately applied to an aggressive drill plan to expand the estimated 1.9M ounce gold resource at WestMountain's Terra Gold Project (see press release of July 25, 2024).

https://www.mayolakeminerals.com/uploads/1/4/1/8/141817088/mayo_lake_minerals_inc._boosts_post_merger_resources_final_july_25_2024.pdf

About Mayo Lake Minerals Inc. (Mayo)

Mayo is actively engaged in the exploration and development of four precious metal projects in the Tombstone Gold (Plutonic) Belt of the Tintina Gold Province. The properties cover 190 square kilometres in the Yukon's Mayo Mining District and lie within the traditional territory of the Na-Cho Nyak Dun First Nation. Mayo and WestMountain Gold, Inc. have proposed a merger.

About WestMountain Gold, Inc. (WestMountain)

WestMountain is a junior mineral exploration and development company that is seeking to explore and develop its current prospective advanced-stage Terra Gold Project in Alaska, consisting of 339 unpatented lode mining claims and 5 leased unpatented lode mining claims. Mayo and WestMountain have proposed a merger.

For additional information, please contact

Vern Rampton, Ph.D., P.Eng. President, CEO Chairman; vrampton@mayolakeminerals.com

Tel. 613-836-2594

Darrell Munro, BB.A, LL.B Corporate Administrator dmunro@mayolakeminerals.com Tel 613-836-2594

Lee Bowles, Director: lbowles@ironstonecapital.ca. Tel 011 3462 466 9063 or 416-561 7474

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by management of Mayo and WestMountain. Although management of Mayo and WestMountain believe that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information since no assurance can be given that they will prove to be correct.

Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of Mayo and WestMountain relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. BECAUSE MAYO AND WESTMOUNTAIN HAVE ENTERED INTO A NON-BINDING LETTER OF INTENT, THERE IS NO ASSURANCE WHATSOEVER THAT THE CONTEMPLATED TRANSACTION WILL OCCUR. FURTHER, THERE IS NO ASSURANCE THAT MAYO WILL BE ABLE TO RAISE THE NECESSARY CAPITAL TO PROCEED WITH THE CONTEMPLATED TRANSACTION. BOTH MAYO AND WESTMOUNTAIN HAVE LIMITED CAPITAL.

The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

NOT TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR

DISSEMINATED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA



To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220585

SOURCE: Mayo Lake Minerals Inc.
Atlas Salt Inc. ("Atlas Salt" or the "Company") (TSXV:SALT)(OTCQB:REMRF) is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding ("Non-Binding MOU") with Scotwood Industries LLC ("Scotwood") to establish a strategic salt production offtake agreement and joint venture for the distribution and sale of packaged salt and related products ("Products") in Canada.

The Non-Binding MOU does not include the sale of bulk road de-icing salt and excludes the provinces of Newfoundland & Labrador, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, subject to certain exceptions with respect to national accounts and expansions of existing relationships that Scotwood has with retailers in the United States that have Canadian affiliates doing business in those provinces.

The Joint Venture would target annual sales volumes for the strategic offtake and distribution of Products of 1.25 to 1.50 million tonnes per annum ("Mtpa"), subject to market conditions.

About Scotwood:

Scotwood is an industry leader in the marketing and distribution of salt products in the United States, successfully operating since 1980. Scotwood is the largest packaged retail de-icing distributor in the United States, with a loyal customer base, including leading big box mass merchandisers, DIY, farm and home, grocery, hardware and automotive chains, with existing relationships averaging over 20 years.

In the United States, Scotwood utilizes a unique marketing strategy, partnering with nationally recognized consumer brands, ensuring consumer brand recognition and quality.

For more information about Scotwood in the United States, please visit https://scotwoodindustries.com.

About the Strategic Salt Production Offtake & Canadian Joint Venture (the "Business"):

The Business would take advantage of Scotwood's deep industry and client expertise, and Atlas Salt's long-life, low-cost, proximal supply to strategically serve the Canadian retail market for the distribution and sale of Products.

Atlas Salt and Scotwood would evaluate the overall Canadian market for Products to determine annual sales volume, as well as client and pricing targets for the Business, with a target product distribution volume of 1.25 to 1.50 Mtpa.

The Joint Venture would exclusively source all salt for the Products from the Great Atlantic Salt Project through a Strategic Salt Production Offtake Agreement.

About the Non-Binding MOU:

Atlas Salt and Scotwood intend to exclusively work together to negotiate binding agreements establishing and governing the Joint Venture and the Strategic Offtake, with the intention that the parties will share management of the Joint Venture and share profits equally after reasonable recovery of costs.

Rick LaBelle, Atlas Salt CEO, commented: "Since I joined the Company, I've been focused on opportunities in the retail market, where supply is more predictable, and margins are generally higher. Atlas is excited to work with Scotwood Industries, the largest packaged retail de-icing business in the United States, on a mutually beneficial strategic offtake and joint venture to provide tailored packaged salt solutions for the Canadian marketplace, by leveraging Atlas Salt's high-quality, made-in-Canada salt and Scotwood's brand strategy, industry expertise and reputation for superior customer service."

Chase Wilson, President of Scotwood, commented "Being the largest distributor of packaged retail de-icing salt in the United States we are very selective in choosing new business partners. If completed, we believe Atlas Salt's long life underground salt project would make Atlas Salt an ideal long-term partner for us in Canada."

For further information and ongoing updates, please visit https://atlassalt.com/.

About Atlas Salt Inc.

Atlas Salt Inc. is developing Canada's next salt mine and is committed to responsible and sustainable mining practices. With a focus on innovation and efficiency, the company is poised to make significant contributions to the North American salt market while upholding its values of environmental stewardship and community engagement.

For information, please contact:

Richard LaBelle, CEO

investors@atlassalt.com

(709) 739-9545

We seek safe harbor.

Cautionary Statement

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider, (as the term is defined in the Policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating to the future operating or financial performance of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate to, among other things: completion, delivery and timing of project components and requirements, and analysis and assumptions related thereto. Actual future results may differ materially. 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. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, technical, economic, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: the timing, completion and delivery of required permits, supply arrangements and financing. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these times. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

SOURCE: Atlas Salt

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 20, 2024) - Highrock Resources Ltd. (CSE: HRK) ("Highrock" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a share purchase agreement (the "Agreement") dated August 16, 2024 with Atikokan Resources Ltd. (the "Vendor") pursuant to which the Company will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares in the capital of Liberty Uranium Corporation ("Liberty Uranium") from the Vendor (the "Acquisition"). Liberty Uranium is a private company incorporated pursuant to the laws of the State of Nevada and owns 100% undivided interest in the Dry Creek uranium project (the "Property"), located in the Uravan mineral belt, one of the most prolific uranium producing districts in the U.S.A, accounting for about 77% of all uranium production in Colorado, according to the Colorado Geological Survey.

Commenting on the Acquisition, Derrick Dao, CEO of Highrock noted: "Domestic energy security concerns and increasing power demand have resulted in strong, bi-partisan, regulatory support for the domestic American uranium industry.

The acquisition of Liberty Uranium and the Property is an important first step in advancing the Company's strategy to identify, acquire and advance high-quality uranium assets in the United States and establishes Highrock as a player in the important Uravan uranium district."

Strategic Rationale for the Acquisition:

The Acquisition advances Highrock's consolidation strategy and positions the Company in the strategically important Uravan mineral belt.

Mines in the Uravan have produced over 75 million pounds of uranium from ore averaging 0.24% and over 400 million pounds of vanadium [1] .

Proximity to uranium mill infrastructure to process mine ore.

Colorado is an Agreement State of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, providing the state with nuclear regulatory authority, resulting in more efficient permitting.

Provides significant exploration upside.

About the Property

The Property is located approximately 60 miles northeast of the White Mesa Mill, located near Blanding in Utah.

The Property has all the characteristics of historic mines elsewhere in the region that are host to multi-million pound uranium-vanadium resources, including the Sunday Mine Complex, the Topaz Mine, the Burro Mine Complex amongst others. This assessment is based on the Property's location, favourable sandstone characteristics, and proximity to an inferred major redox boundary. The Company cautions investors that mineralization hosted on nearby or adjacent properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Property.

Historic and 2008 exploration drilling confirm the presence of U-V mineralization and favourable channel sandstones. Several exceptionally high vanadium mineral intercepts (13-22% V2O5) exist in the area based on historical proprietary assay data from Homeland Uranium.

Historic drill hole data within the Property includes over 20 holes drilled by Petro Nuclear and Union Carbide Corporation in the 1970s and early 1980s, and an additional 30 holes nearby. There are numerous historical small mines and prospects along the nearby faulted ridgeline to the south-southwest. The Dry Creek claims area, especially the northern part near the redox boundary, remains relatively underexplored, presenting significant exploration upside.

Two holes drilled by Union Carbide each intersected almost 1 foot of uranium mineralization that was accompanied by very high-grade vanadium mineralization between 13% and 20%. In 2008, a further drill program was completed by Homeland Uranium Inc.[2]

Terms of the Acquisition

As consideration for the Acquisition, the Company shall: (i) issue the Vendor an aggregate of 6,000,000 common shares (each, a "Common Share") in the capital of the Company; and (ii) a cash payment of $100,000 to be evidenced by an unsecured promissory note in the amount of $100,000 in favour of the Vendor.

Pursuant to the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"), the Acquisition and the issuance of the Common Shares remains subject to receipt of all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals, including the approval of the CSE. All Common Shares issued will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation.

Qualified Persons Review

The technical and scientific information contained within this news release have been reviewed and approved by James Pirie, P.Eng, a director of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The Qualified Person has not completed sufficient work to verify the historic information on the Property; however given the quality of the historic work and the reputation of crosshair the Company believes the historical resources estimates to be both relevant and reliable. The information provides an indication of the exploration potential of the Property but may not be representative of expected results.

About Highrock Resources Ltd.

Highrock Resources Ltd. (CSE: HRK) is advancing uranium assets in the USA and supporting North American nuclear energy security for a sustainable energy economy and a more technologically advanced tomorrow.

This news release contains forward-looking information which is not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required regulatory or governmental approvals, and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, including those risks set out in the Company's management's discussion and analysis as filed under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on the opinions and assumptions of management considered reasonable as of the date hereof, including that all necessary governmental and regulatory approvals will be received as and when expected. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable securities laws. We caution investors that any such forward-looking information and statements are based on certain assumptions and analysis made by the Company in light of the experience of the Company and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, and other factors management believes are appropriate.

[1] Chenoweth, William L., US Department of Energy. The Uranium-Vanadium Deposits of the Uravan Mineral Belt and Adjacent Areas, Colorado and Utah.

[2] Technical Report on the Montrose and San Miguel Counties, Colorado and San Juan County, Utah, Holdings of Homeland Uranium, Inc. Feb 2008 filings.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/220577

SOURCE: Highrock Resources Ltd.
Canada Jetlines Operations Ltd. (Cboe CA:CJET) ("Canada Jetlines" or the "Company") announced that it has filed a Notice of Intention to Make a Proposal (the "Notice of Intention") pursuant to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada) ("BIA"). Pursuant to the Notice of Intention, BDO Canada Limited has been appointed as proposal trustee on behalf of the Company and will assist the Company in its restructuring efforts. Dentons Canada LLP is legal counsel to the Company.

A Notice of Intention is the first stage of a restructuring process under the BIA, which permits the Company to pursue a restructuring of its affairs. The filing of the Notice of Intention has the effect of imposing an automatic stay of proceedings ("Stay") that will protect the Company and its assets from claims and enforcement proceedings of creditors and contractual counterparties. During the Stay, subject to certain exceptions as set out in the BIA, no creditor has any remedy against the Company or its property and no person may terminate or amend any agreement, including a security agreement, or claim an accelerated payment, or a forfeiture of the term, under any agreement, including a security agreement, by reason only that the Company is insolvent or that the Notice of Intention has been filed. The initial Stay period is 30 days and may be extended by court order. There can be no assurance that the current process will result in a transaction or, if a transaction is undertaken, that it will be successfully concluded in a timely manner, or at all.

Due to the above-mentioned filing of the Notice of Intention, Cboe Canada ("Cboe") has suspended the trading of the Company's common and variable voting shares (the "Shares") until such a time as the Company is in compliance with the Cboe continued listing requirements. There is no certainty as to timing or likelihood that the Shares will recommence trading on the Cboe, and if within 150 days of the suspension date the suspension has not been lifted, the securities of the Company will be automatically delisted without further notice.

Contact:

Percy Gyara

investor.relations@jetlines.ca

416.518.8314

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" concerning anticipated developments and events that may occur in the future. Forward-looking information contained in this news release includes but is not limited to the Company's future intentions as it relates to a creditor protection, continuing operations in the future or the resumption of trading of the Shares on the Cboe.

In certain cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" suggesting future outcomes, or other expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, intentions or statements about future events or performance. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the receipt of financing to commence creditor protection, restructuring or other formal court proceedings, the accuracy, reliability and success of Jetlines' business model; the continued compliance with the terms of governmental approvals; the legislative and regulatory environments of the jurisdictions where Jetlines will carry on business or have operations; the impact of competition and the competitive response to Jetlines' business strategy; and the availability of aircraft. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect.

Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include risks related to, the Company's negative working capital position, the ability to obtain financing, the impact of general economic conditions, domestic and international airline industry conditions, supply chain disruptions causing delays in expected timelines, future relations with shareholders, volatility of fuel prices, increases in operating costs, terrorism, pandemics, natural disasters, currency fluctuations, interest rates, risks specific to the airline industry, the ability of management to implement Jetlines' operational strategy, the ability to attract qualified management and staff, labour disputes, regulatory risks, including risks relating to the acquisition of (or compliance with) the necessary licenses from regulatory agencies, and the additional risks identified in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's reports and filings with applicable Canadian securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking information.

SOURCE: Canada Jetlines Ltd







View the original press release on accesswire.com
In an interview with Firstposts Lachmi Deb Roy for Not Just Bollywood, Rasika Dugal talks about cinema changing, her film Little Thomas showing at the Melbourne International Film Festival. She explains that around 2015 and 2016 when the streaming services had sort of started coming about, and there were lots of conversations about quote, unquote women-centric films, she wasnt sure what we were heading for. But thankfully with the OTT boom newer realistic stories were shown and audiences were loving it. With most so called A-grade stars of Bollywood wanting to be a part of OTT, she doesnt consider it to be a threat, but a space for healthy competition.

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Edited excerpts from the interview:

Im a little curious, what is the story of Little Thomas about?

Oh, well, very simply put, its the story of a family in Goa who runs a bakery. And its really a coming-of-age story for the child who desires a sibling and sort of the dynamics between this quarrelling couple and how theyre trying to navigate the ups and downs of their relationship while struggling to make ends meet.

Womens roles are changing and the different layers of vulnerability thats shown. They are no longer just ornaments. What do you have to say about this beautiful change?

I think its a change that is very welcome and long overdue, and I am totally enjoying the benefits of this change. I think in 2015 and 2016 when the streaming services had sort of started coming about, and there were lots of conversations about quote, unquote women centric films. At that time, I was sort of worried because I was like, I dont know if this is just going to be an act of tokenism. And whether this is just going to be there to check a box. And, fortunately, I think in my experience, what I found was that it wasnt that, and people were really sort of trying to experiment with newer stories and really pushing the boundaries and reimagining the way roles for women were written.

And I think that generally sort of, comes from, moving towards having more conversations about equality in society. So thats a very welcome change, and I think theres room for much, much more, but I think the attempt is in the correct direction. Sometimes Ive also seen that the intention is there, but, the intention need to be right.

But, what finally comes on screen doesnt have perfect politics because theres a long gap between the written word and what you finally see on screen. But as long as the attempt is in the correct direction and as long as it ignites conversations, which are productive, I feel like its all good. I think that OTT has helped a lot. And not just actors, even directors, filmmakers, story writers, even the guys behind the camera or technical guys, they all have benefited with the coming of OTT.

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So what do you have to say about this beautiful change by OTT? And then well come to the politics behind womens roles also.

I think what OTT did was that it had opened up a space where, there was room for newness. And when you do that automatically, it becomes better, it becomes a democratic setup. Its a healthier competitive space. So its not like there are 10 people who are ruling the roost, and theyre so comfortable and smug in their position that they dont have to question what they are making or doing. I think that every month or every couple of months, there are new directors, new writers, new actors. So therefore, people who have been have here for a while also are kept on their toes.

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So all of us have to constantly question and reimagine what we are doing, which I think is extremely important in any creative space. Because if you, sort of, feel like this is working and Im only going to follow this, then youre basically following a formula, which is what has been happening for a very long time. So I think thats what the streaming space did, and it finally gave writing the importance that was required.

Even though theres the good and bad here also, you know, theres a lot of clutter in this space as well. There are lots of shows which come out which are very formulaic, often regressive. But theres the good stuff also, and that will always happen in any space.

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Does OTT function the same way as it functions in the theatrical releases when it comes to actresses pay and actors pay?

Im not sure, honestly. Because, of course, a pay parity does exist. We have heard enough stories about it. Its been covered by the press also. And internationally also, there has been a lot of conversation around it. As far as the streaming space is concerned, I dont know if its any better or worse because, the streaming space is really a place where, it really sorts of lends itself well to an ensemble cast, and I really dont have information on how much other people are being paid. So its difficult for me to assess.

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But anecdotally also, its very difficult to come up with proof of a pay disparity. Because its not information that youre normally privy to. Its a difficult one. I often wonder whether Im being paid less than my male co-actors. But, honestly, I dont have enough information to know that. But I would think that given that this is something which has been prevalent in the media, world over and in our country for a while. But honestly, I dont have any way to prove that.

Cinema is changing, and there is no hero heroine concept. Everybody has an important role to play, take Mirzapur for instance. Every character is important, and every character is a hero in its own way. What is your view on this?

Im totally enjoying this as an actor because, really, like I said, you know, the long form, which is the series format, really let lenses lend itself well to a true ensemble. Because there are different tracks which can be edged out in a script. And, I think the female part especially has benefited a lot from this because I wonder, for example, if Beena Tripathi at the party was a character in a film, would she have been edited out? And so this is really a format which lends itself to a true ensemble and as an actor, thats a complete delight.

This role that you have played in Mirzapur, there are different layers to it. Sometimes shes nice. Sometimes shes not too nice. And she still understands family politics. So what do you have to say going back to the layer, the vulnerability that you are now able to portray effortlessly?

Of course, as an actor, if these things are not written in a script, its very hard to perform that. So, Im always looking for roles which are layered. Basically, looking for roles which are well written because if its well written, then it will be layered. And it sort of communicates to you as an actor the intention of the director and the writer. So its very interesting to have the opportunity to explore different shades to one character.

And I guess when you were talking about Bina Tripathi when you were talking about the different shades, and shes been completely a delight to play. I think its also a character which is very different from me and from all the other roles that I was being offered at the time that I was offered that one.

What do you say about these Bollywood people, the mainstream Bollywood people, mainstream, so called A grade actors coming into OTT now? Is it a threat?

I dont think its a threat at all. In fact, its a welcome thing because I feel like any healthy competitive space should have room for everyone. And I think the streaming services have that, and thats good.

So once upon a time, some actors did look down on the digital platform. Many people just said no, we are not going to come to OTT ever. But now everybody is on OTT except for a few. What do you have to say on this?

I think every actor has their own creative journey. And if you seek something at one point in your journey, you have the right to experiment with it even if you didnt want to do it earlier. So I think thats all fair to each of us. You know? And, most of the people I have interacted with in the film industry have always been very, very sort of encouraging about the kind of narratives that I have been a part of and always very appreciative of it. And Ive been very encouraged by that, you know, whether theyre A listers or not.

Ive heard many celebrities talk about a show like Delhi Crime very often and praise the show. So I think that everybody should have an opportunity to do what they want to at any point in their career and experiment as an artist and actor. Thats what creative spaces are supposed to be like.

When is Little Thomas releasing in India?

I dont know when its releasing in India, but Im very excited that its premiering at the Melbourne Film Festival. Its a festival that Ive been wanting to go to for a very long time. But there were other opportunities earlier, but, unfortunately, I couldnt make it on those occasions. And Im always excited when a piece of work is watched by an audience at film festivals because theyre a very discerning audience. And they are people who watched cinema a lot and also very passionate. So they watch your work with so much passion that it really seems good.
Amid nationwide protests and anger over the alleged rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College, CBI officials  Sampat Meena and Seema Pahuja  have taken charge of the investigations. The two have been previously been part of high-profile cases such as 2020 Hathras rape-killing and 2017 Unnao rape read more

The country's top investigative agency has entrusted the case to two of its most accomplished officersSampat Meena and Seema Pahuja. Both have previously spearheaded investigations into high-profile cases such as the 2020 Hathras rape-murder and the 2017 Unnao rape case and achieved considerable success. Image courtesy: X/@Sampatmeena and News18 Hindi

The shocking rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College has drawn national attention, with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) now at the helm of probing the gruesome case.

The countrys top investigative agency has entrusted the case to two of its most accomplished officersSampat Meena and Seema Pahuja. Both have previously spearheaded investigations into high-profile cases such as the 2020 Hathras rape murder and the 2017 Unnao rape, and achieved considerable success.

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Meena, Additional Director of CBI, is now in charge of a team of 25 officers, and will work in a supervisory capacity while the ground-level investigations will be carried out by Pahuja, an Additional Superintendent of Police.

The Kolkata rape-murder case had ignited nationwide fury with protestors including medical professionals taking to the streets, calling for justice and a fair probe.

Resident doctors hold posters and shout slogans during a protest march condemning the rape and murder of a trainee medic at a government-run hospital in Kolkata, on the street in Ahmedabad, India, August 17, 2024. Reuters

With the case now being under the CBI, lets take a look at the top officers entrusted with investigating the sensitive case.

Sampat Meena

Sampat Meena, a 1994 batch IPS officer from the Jharkhand cadre, has built a reputation as a formidable advocate for womens issues and human rights. Her sharp acumen and dedication have earned her respect within the force.

Coming from Rajasthans Sawaimadhopur district, Meenas father is a retired IPS officer, and her husband, Surendra Singh, is a 1993 batch IAS officer of the Jharkhand cadre, according to DNA.

In August 2023, Meena was promoted to the position of additional director of CBI, having previously served as a joint director of the central agency. Her association with the CBI began in September 2017 when she came on deputation for five years, later securing a two-year extension that will last until September 2024.

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Before taking on the role of CBI joint director for the Lucknow zone, Meena was Inspector General at The Bureau of Police Research & Development in New Delhi, where she played a pivotal role in combating child trafficking.

As per Deccan Chronicle, she spearheaded Operation Muskaan, a Union home ministry initiative aimed at rescuing and rehabilitating missing children. Under her leadership as IG (Organised Crime) in Jharkhands CID, over 700 children were rescued and reunited with their families.

Meenas career includes being the first woman IPS officer to serve as SSP in Ranchi. Her work extended to Naxal-affected districts of the state. Image courtesy: X/ @sampant meena

Meenas career includes being the first woman IPS officer to serve as SSP in Ranchi. Her work extended to Naxal-affected districts of the state. She held SP positions in Dhanbad, Ranchi, Deoghar, and Jamtara, as per DNA. In 2000, her contributions to the state were recognised with the Jharkhand Chief Ministers Medal for meritorious service.

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Beyond her work in Jharkhand, Meena led high-profile investigations, such as the infamous Hathras rape case of 2017, where a 19-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly gang-raped by four upper-caste men. The case, marked by controversies including the handling of the victims cremation by the Uttar Pradesh administration, eventually moved to the CBI under Meenas direction.

She also secured a conviction in the 2017 Unnao rape case, where a 17-year-old Dalit girl was kidnapped and raped by the expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment.

In recognition of her distinguished service, Sampat Meena was awarded the Presidents Police Medal in 2021.

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Seema Pahuja

Seema Pahuja, an Additional Superintendent of Police in the CBI, is celebrated as one of the agencys sharpest officers, especially in investigating complex cases under the Special Crime Unit.

According to TV9 Bharatvarsh, Pahujas career began in 1993 when she was recruited as a sub-inspector in the Delhi Police. Following rigorous training and years of service in the CBIs Anti-Corruption Branch and Special Crime Unit, she was promoted to Inspector in 1998.

In 2013, she was elevated to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), during which time she successfully tackled cases involving human trafficking, religious conversions, murders, and crimes against minors.

Seema Pahuja was awarded two gold medals for exceptional investigative work between 2007 and 2018. PTI

One of Pahujas most notable achievements came with the resolution of the Gudiya case in Himachal Pradesh, which had deeply shaken the hill state in 2017.

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The case involved the rape and murder of a Class 10 student, whose body was discovered in a dense forest after she went missing on her way home from school. The investigation, led by Pahuja, was particularly challenging, but in April 2018, her team cracked the case using advanced DNA technology for percentage and lineage matching. After questioning over 1,000 locals and testing the DNA of more than 250 individuals, they identified a match with the father of the accused.

Anil Kumar, a woodcutter, was ultimately found guilty in the case and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2021.

According to NDTV, Pahujas commitment to her work was so profound that, even when she contemplated voluntary retirement due to family responsibilities, the then CBI Director convinced her to stay, assigning her to the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Her expertise was called upon again in 2017 for the Hathras gang rape case, where the use of scientific technology for investigation played a critical role in bringing the case to its conclusion.

Her outstanding contributions have not gone unnoticed; between 2007 and 2018, Pahuja was awarded two gold medals for exceptional investigative work. Known for her integrity and an unblemished career, she has consistently resisted external pressures, making her a formidable force in any investigation she undertakes.

With input from agencies
Mike Lynch is among the 15 people who are still missing after the superyacht named Bayesian sank off the coast of Italy on Monday. The tech mogul, dubbed as UKs Bill Gates, made headlines when he sold his company, Autonomy, to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in a controversial deal read more

British entrepreneur Mike Lynch remains missing after his superyacht sank off the coast of Italy on Monday. File image/Reuters

Mike Lynch, a UK tech entrepreneur, was celebrating his acquittal in a fraud case on the superyacht Bayesian when it suddenly sank off the coast of Italy on Monday (August 19), killing one person and six others reported missing.

The 56-metre British-flagged yacht Bayesian was anchored near the port of Porticello when it was struck by severe weather, according to the Italian coast guard. The yacht was owned by Lynchs family and had 22 people on board when it sank just before sunrise.

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The superyacht quickly sank just before dawn, eyewitnesses reported. Fifteen people, including Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares, and a one-year-old girl, managed to escape. The deceased is believed to be the yachts chef, while Lynch remains missing.

But who exactly is Mike Lynch? Why is he called UKs Bill Gates?

Early life of Mike Lynch

Though he is dubbed to be UKs Bill Gates, Lynchs life has been very different than that of the Microsoft founder.

Born on June 16 1965, Lynch is the son of a nurse and a fireman, and was raised near Chelmsford in Essex. Earlier, he has been quoted as saying that his parents instilled in him an appreciation of the value of education.

He studied physics, mathematics and biochemistry at Cambridge University, eventually specialising in adaptive pattern recognition. A report in The Guardian says that his doctoral thesis is reportedly one of the most widely read pieces of research in the university library.

In 1991, he helped create a company that specialised in using computer-based detection and recognition of fingerprints. It was five years after this that he created his tech firm, Autonomy. Its software was used by companies to analyse huge caches of data and partly owed its efficacy to Bayesian inference, a statistical theory devised by the 18th-century statistician, philosopher and Presbyterian minister Thomas Bayes.

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The rise and rise of Mike Lynch

Autonomy soon became a success, which also saw it joining Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 of top UK-listed companies. In 2006, he was awarded an OBE for services rendered to enterprise.

Years later, he joined BBCs board as a non-executive director. Moreover, in 2011, he was appointed as a science advisor to then Prime Minister David Cameron. Lynch then sold Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) for $11 billion and from the money that he netted from the sale he established tech investment firm Invoke Capital.

Lynchs firm invested in the creation of British cyber security company Darktrace in 2013, where he held a seat on the board until earlier this year.

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Interestingly, Lynch had a fondness for the British super spy James Bond, which was reflected in his offices. He named conference rooms at his companies after Bond enemies such as Dr No and Goldfinger. Moreover, according to a report in The Guardian, he also had a piranha tank in the atrium of Autonomys office, in a nod to Bonds You Only Live Twice.

UK tech mogul Mike Lynch made headlines when he sold his company, Autonomy, to HP for $11 billion. However, a year later, the US giant accused him of artificially inflating the companys value. File image/Reuters

Lynchs legal battle with HP

Lynchs sale of Autonomy to HP made headlines across the world. But it also brought for the tech entrepreneur a huge legal headache. A year after purchasing Autonomy, the US giant alleged it had discovered serious accounting improprieties at the UK company.

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In 2018, US prosecutors brought charges against Lynch, accusing him of artificially inflating the companys value. They alleged he had concealed the companys loss-making business reselling hardware, and also accused him of intimidating or paying off people who raised concerns.

He spent the next few years in court defending himself, locked in some of the biggest legal battles in corporate history. In 2022, Lynch lost a civil fraud case brought by HP in the UK, during which it was said that the businessman exerted control over Autonomys former finance director, Sushovan Hussain and that it was inconceivable that Autonomys founder was unaware of the fraudulent practices alleged to have taken place at his company.

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But through it all, Lynch maintained his innocence, saying that HP was trying to pin blame on him for having buyers remorse. In simply terms, he said that the US giant was regretting how much it had paid for but that was their choice and, he insisted, it was neither conspiracy nor fraud.

It was on June 6 that he was acquitted of all charges. Notably, he told the BBC in August that he felt he was only able to prove his innocence in the US due to his wealth. The reason Im sitting here, lets be honest, is not only because I was innocent but because I had enough money not to be swept away by a process thats set up to sweep you away.

Divers operate in the sea to search for the missing, including British entrepreneur Mike Lynch, after a luxury yacht sank off Sicily, Italy. Reuters

Lynch and the Bayesian

Mike Lynch had taken friends and family on board the 56-metre yacht named Bayesian to celebrate his acquittal, reports The Telegraph when tragedy struck. The UK newspaper reports that Lynch had gathered guests from Clifford Chance, the legal firm, and Invoke Capital, his own company, after being cleared in June of fraud over the multi-billion-dollar sale of Autonomy.

Those on board the Bayesian recount that a violent storm had struck without warning.

While divers continue to search for those missing, investigators have also begun work on trying to find out why the Bayesian sank when other ships in the vicinity remained afloat. The yacht had the worlds tallest aluminium mast at almost 250 feet.

While Lynch is said to be missing, his wife has been rescued from the wreckage site. However, one of Lynchs daughters, aged 18, is also understood to be among those missing after the yacht sank.

With inputs from agencies
Amid backlash and voices of dissent from within the ruling BJP-led NDA, the Centre has asked UPSC to take back its recent advertisement for lateral entry into bureaucracy. This comes amid the oppositions demand for reservations in the lateral entry scheme read more

The Centre has asked UPSC to withdraw ad for lateral entry into the bureaucracy. Representational Image/ANI

The Centre has cancelled the recent lateral entry advertisement seeking to fill positions at various levels in the Union government. This comes after massive backlash from the opposition over the scheme. Fissures had also emerged within the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, with some allies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) speaking up against lateral entry into bureaucracy.

Union minister Chirag Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and the Janata Dal (United) had opposed the scheme, while N Chandrababu Naidus Telugu Desam Party (TDP) backed it.

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The opposition had targeted the NDA government and called for reservations in the lateral entry into bureaucracy.

In his letter to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) chairperson, Union minister Jitendra Singh recommended the cancellation of the lateral entry ad issued last week, saying that the no reservation provision in these recruitments needs to be reviewed and reformed in the context of Prime Minister Narendra Modis focus on ensuring social justice.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) writes to Chairman UPSC on canceling the Lateral Entry advertisement as per directions of PM Modi. pic.twitter.com/Qqbw0S1v7d  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 20, 2024

Lets take a closer look.

What is a lateral entry?

Lateral entry aims to recruit experts in different fields for vacant posts in the bureaucracy. In 2017, the NITI Aayog proposed hiring personnel from outside the All India Services/ Central Civil Services for middle and senior management levels in the central government.

These people would be domain experts and could be recruited from private companies, public sector utilities and state governments, as per an India Today report.

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These lateral entrants would be part of the central secretariat which until then had been dominated by career bureaucrats from the All India Services/ Central Civil Services.

These experts are initially recruited for three years, with the provision of an extendable tenure of five years.

About 63 people have been hired through lateral entry into the bureaucracy since 2018. This included eight joint secretaries in 2019 and three joint secretaries and 27 directors in 2022, according to the India Today report.

Explaining the logic behind the lateral entry, the then Minister of State for the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Jitendra Singh told the Rajya Sabha in 2019 that lateral recruitment is aimed at achieving the twin objectives of bringing in fresh talent as well as augment the availability of manpower.

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How a political row erupted

On Saturday (August 17), the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) published an advertisement seeking applications for talented and motivated Indian nationals for Lateral Recruitment to the posts of joint secretary, director, and deputy secretary in 24 ministries of the Union government.

As per Indian Express, experienced and qualified individuals from State/UT governments, PSUs, statutory organisations, research institutes, private sector and universities were eligible to apply.

The ad also noted that all posts were suitable for candidates belonging to the category of Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD).

The opposition leaders, including Congress Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Partys Akhilesh Yadav, slammed the lateral entry scheme for the lack of reservations for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates.

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NDA divided over the move

Voices emerged from within the NDA criticising the lateral entry into bureaucracy.

Union minister Chirag Paswan reportedly became the first leader from the ruling coalition to oppose the scheme in the wake of the ad.

Speaking to PTI, the LJP (Ram Vilas) president said, My partys stance on such appointments is absolutely clear. Wherever there are government appointments, the provisions of reservation must be followed. There is no ifs and buts in this.

The way this information has come to light is also a matter of concern for me because I am a part of this government and have the platform to raise these issues, he added. Speaking on behalf of my party, we are absolutely not in favour of this. This is completely wrong, and I will raise this matter before the government.

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Nitish Kumars JD(U) has also criticised the Centres lateral entry scheme. We are a party that has been asking governments to fill quotas since inception. We are followers of Ram Manohar Lohia. When people have been socially disadvantaged for centuries, why are you seeking merit? This order by the government is a matter of serious concern for us, the partys national spokesperson KC Tyagi told Indian Express.

Tyagi said that with this policy, the government had given an issue to the opposition on a platter. Those opposed to the NDA will misuse this advertisement. Rahul Gandhi will become a champion of the socially disadvantaged. We should not be giving a weapon in the hands of the Opposition, he added.

Hindustani Awam Morchas Jitan Ram Manjhi was also reportedly not hunky dory about the UPSCs decision. As per Deccan Herald, he said the government should support reservation provisions, adding that he would take up the issue with the government.

There is no grand design in this to snatch away reservations for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. If there is any talk of taking away reservations, then I am in the Cabinet and we will talk to the BJP, he said.

The TDP, on the other hand, came out in support of the decision. TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh told Indian Express, Several of these (government) departments need expertise and we are happy it (lateral entry) is being brought in. We have always been in favour of taking expertise from the private sector into the government. The government should learn from the private and vice versa. We support this move by the Central government as it will enhance the quality of governance and delivery of services to the common citizen.

Opposition trains guns on govt

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi led the oppositions attack on the Centre over the UPSCs decision, dubbing the move as an attack on Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis.

He alleged the BJPs distorted version of Ram Rajya seeks to destroy the Constitution and snatch reservations from Bahujans.

Lateral entry is an attack on Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis.



BJPs distorted version of Ram Rajya seeks to destroy the Constitution and snatch reservations from Bahujans.  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 19, 2024

In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge explained why the Modi governments Lateral Entry provision (was) an attack on the Constitution. He alleged that instead of filling jobs in government departments, BJP has eliminated 5.1 lakh posts in the last 10 years by selling off Government of Indias shares in PSUs alone.

There has been an increase of 91 per cent in casual and contract recruitment. SC, ST, OBC posts have been reduced by 1.3 lakh by 2022-23, the Congress chief said.

   Lateral Entry       ?



1.       ,  10    PSUs        - , 5.1        



Casual  Contract   91%      Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) August 19, 2024

However, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor backed the lateral entry policy, calling it an indispensable method for the government to acquire expertise.

INDIA bloc leader and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav said his party would launch a nationwide movement against the scheme on October 2 if the government does not take it back. Yadav called the policy a conspiracy by the BJP to appoint their ideological friends on top posts under the UPSC.

In fact, the whole plan is to snatch away reservation and the rights of the PDA (Pichhda, Dalits, Adivasis). Now that the BJP has realised that the PDA have risen against their plan to change the Constitution, they want to deny reservation surreptitiously by allowing lateral entry, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK leader MK Stalin said lateral entry was a direct assault on social justice. The Union Govt must halt this practice, prioritise filling backlog vacancies for OBCs and SC/STs, and ensure fair and equitable promotions, he said on Tuesday, as per The Hindu.

Centres response

Amid the oppositions scathing attack, law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal hit out at Rahul Gandhi for alleging that the government was trying to bypass reservation through lateral entry.

Whatever appointments or recruitments or selections are to be done, UPSC will do it. Where is the issue of BJP, RSS in this? Baseless allegations are being made, Meghwal told PTI on Monday.

He also reminded Rahul that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was appointed economic advisor to the finance ministry in 1971 through lateral entry.

Rahul Gandhi alleges that RSS people are recruited through lateral entry. We want to say that Dr Manmohan Singh is also an example of lateral entry. In 1976, how did you appoint him financial secretary? Your Planning Commissions vice-chairman was also on a lateral entry. You will find hundreds of such examplesyou started lateral entry, Meghwal was quoted as saying by ANI.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw called the oppositions criticism of lateral entry hypocrisy, saying it was the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) which introduced the concept.

He said the NDA only made the scheme transparent.

With inputs from agencies
The Supreme Court of India taking suo motu cognisance of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata will hear the case today. Day of the Democratic National Convention continues where Michelle and Barack Obama are expected to address the crowds. Heres what else is in store for the day read more

Medical students of Osmania Medical College protest against the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor at Kolkata's R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, in Hyderabad. File image/PTI

Its going to be a heavy news day today (August 20).

In India, a bench led Chief Justice of India DY Chadrachud taking suo motu cognisance of the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital will hear the matter today. The apex court will also hear K Kavithas bail plea in the Delhi excise policy case.

Internationally, the Democratic National Convention will continue for a second day with former US First Lady Michelle Obama to be the centre of attraction.

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Also, India and Japan will hold its 2+2 ministerial dialogue today.

Want to know what else is in store? Read on to find out.

Supreme Court takes suo motu cognisance of Kolkata rape-murder; hearing today

The Supreme Court on Sunday took suo motu cognisance of the rape and murder of a doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. And a bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud will hear the matter today.

According to the cause list of August 20 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud is scheduled to hear a matter titled In Re: Alleged rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata and related issue.

Earlier, two lawyers practising in the Supreme Court wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud urging him to take auto moto cognisance of the tape and murder of a doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College.

The letter written by advocates Ujjawal Gaur and Rohit Pandey read: The nation looks to the judiciary as the ultimate guardian of justice, the last refuge for those whose cries have been silenced by brutality. The victim in this case, a young doctor whose life was dedicated to serving others, deserves nothing less than the full measure of justice that our legal system can provide. Her death must not be in vain, it must galvanise us to act, to ensure that no other woman suffers such a fate.

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BRS leader K Kavitha leaves the Rouse Avenue Court in New Delhi. K Kavitha, arrested in March in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam, has been sent to the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation. File image/PTI

SC to hear K Kavithas bail plea in Delhi excise policy

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear today BRS leader K Kavithas pleas seeking bail in corruption and money laundering cases linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

The apex court had on August 12 sought responses from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Kavithas pleas challenging the Delhi High Courts July 1 verdict denying her bail in these cases.

Kavithas counsel had earlier sought bail contending that she has been in custody for around five months and the chargesheet and prosecution complaint have already been filed by the CBI and the ED respectively.

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The ED arrested Kavitha (46) from her Banjara Hills residence in Hyderabad on March 15. The CBI arrested her on April 11 in connection with the corruption case linked to the alleged scam.

Kavitha has denied the allegations.

Notification for first phase of J-K polls

The notification for the first phase of elections to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir will be issued today. Twenty-four assembly constituencies in the Anantnag, Shopian, Kulgam, Ramban, Kishtwar, and Doda districts will go to the polls in the first phase.

The last date for submission of nominations for this phase will be August 27, followed by the scrutiny of nominations the next day. The last date for withdrawal of candidatures is August 30, and polling will be held on September 18.

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India, Japan to hold third 2+2 dialogue

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will hold the next edition of the 2+2 dialogue with their Japanese counterparts today with a focus on further boosting overall strategic ties and reviewing the situation in the Indo-Pacific.

This is the third edition of India-Japan 2+2 foreign and defence ministerial dialogue will be held on August 20 in New Delhi.

The first edition of the dialogue was held in India in 2019 while the second one took place in Japan in 2022.

Japans foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa and defence minister Minoru Kihara will be in New Delhi to attend the 2+2 dialogue.

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Former US President Barack Obama and former US First Lady Michelle Obama will be key speakers on Day 2 of the Democratic National Convention. File image/AP

Michelle Obama to address Democratic National Convention

Former US First Lady Michelle Obama will address the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Tuesday night. Michelle Obama, one of the most popular Democratic figures, joins an all-star lineup, including her husband, former President Barack Obama, who are rallying the party in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, who is surging in polls ahead of the 2024 US election.

The partys theme on Tuesday is slated to be A Bold Vision for Americas Future.

Earlier in the year, Michelle Obama had expressed being terrified at the prospect of Republican former President Donald Trump, who succeeded her husband in the White House, returning to power. She gained considerable attention for her 2016 convention speech, where she said: When they go low, we go high.

The DNC is scheduled to run until Thursday (August 22) and will see politicians and celebrities come out and rally in support of Kamala Harris.

Chinas Li Qiang to visit Russia

Chinese Premier Li Qiang will travel to Russia today to chair the 29th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government and visit Russia and Belarus from August 20 to 23. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Li and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will exchange in-depth views on bilateral relations, practical cooperation and issues of common interest.

According to the press service of the Russian government, Russian President Vladimir Putin will also receive the visiting Chinese premier.
Though India and Malaysia have sought to deepen ties across all spheres, one issue lingers  Zakir Naik, the controversial preacher who was granted permanent residence by Kuala Lumpur after fleeing the country in 2016. Heres how Naik ended up in Malaysia read more

Zakir Naik is an Islamic preacher and a proponent of the radical Salafi school in Sunni Islam.

Malaysias Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Monday arrived in India for a state visit.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave Ibrahim a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Modi and Ibrahim will have bilateral talks and the Indian PM will also host a luncheon in Ibrahims honour.

The two countries first established relations in 1957, but the ties were elevated to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership during Modis 2015 visit.

Though India and Malaysia have sought to deepen ties in all spheres, one issue lingers  controversial preacher Zakir Naik.

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Naik, a fugitive from India, has set himself up in Malaysia.

But how did Naik become Malaysias guest?

Lets take a closer look:

Who is he?

First, lets take a brief look at Naik.

Naik is an Islamic preacher and a proponent of the radical Salafi school in Sunni Islam.

He is the head of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and Peace TV.

Peace TV, which has been banned in India, is based in Dubai.

It has millions of viewers across the globe.

Naik also holds a degree in medicine. He is usually seen on TV donning a suit and a skullcap.

According to India Today, Naik first gained fame in the 1990s for proselytising for his religion.

By 2000s his videos were gaining much attention as he preached the superiority of Islam over other religions.

Peace TV was launched by Zakir Naiks Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation in 2006.

An Urdu version was launched in 2009, followed by a Bangla version in 2011. The content in English, Urdu and Bangla is telecast from Dubai.

However, these have been banned in several nations including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh following allegations of hate speech.

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Naiks remarks on Osama Bin Laden gained him much attention.

Osama Bin Laden. AP

If bin Laden is fighting the enemies of Islam, I am for him. If he is terrorizing America, the biggest terrorist, I am with him. Every Muslim should be a terrorist," Naik reportedly said.

However, Naik claims he was misquoted.

Naik also hit headlines after demanding the death penalty for homosexuals and apostates. He argued that men have the right to beat their wives gently. He also defended the Islamic States practice of keeping sex slaves and destroying non-Muslim places of worship.

How can we allow this [churches or temples in an Islamic state] when their religion is wrong and when their worshipping is wrong, Naik was quoted as saying, as per India Today.

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Gaining international attention

However, Naik only gained international attention in 2016 after a deadly attack in Bangladesh.

As per DW, Naik was accused, through his speeches, of inspiring one of the gunmen who attacked the Holey Artisan cafe.

Naik denied the allegation and accused the Bangladesh media of sensationalism.

As per India Today, Naik fled India in 2016 mere hours after the attack.

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Naik was granted permanent residency in Malaysia after being denied visas by Britain and Canada.

Zakir Naik was accused of inspiring one of the gunmen who attacked the Holey Artisan cafe. AP

According to DW, Naik has been allegedly been receiving funds from Qatar, Turkey and Pakistan.

Malaysia, Turkey and Pakistan are somewhat modern Islamic states, which are trying to reconcile Islam with business, science and economics. They wont go against a preacher like Zakir Naik, who is ultimately promoting Islam, said Atul Singh, the founder of Fair Observer, a US non-profit media organisation told DW. He serves their interests to have cultural influence among Indian Muslims.

Turkey and Pakistan are trying to become soft powers to tackle Islamophobia. At the end of the day, Turkey, Pakistan and Malaysia are bonded by Islamic symbolism, Hajira Maryam, a researcher with Turkeys international broadcaster, TRT World added.

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In November 2016, Indias National Investigation Agency (NIA) declared the IRF an unlawful organisation in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The NIA in October 2017, filed a chargesheet accusing Naik of encouraging youth to take up terror activities, making hate speeches, and promoting enmity on communal lines.

The Enforcement Directorate also submitted a complaint against Naik under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in 2019.

Naiks name cropped up in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday blasts that left over 250 people dead.

Zahran Hashim, the leader of National Thowheeth Jamaath, the group that took responsibility for the bombings, then praised Naik, as per India Today.

Naik has caused controversy in Malaysia too.

As per News18, Naik was banned from making public speeches in August 2019 after being quizzed by the police for 10 hours.

Kuala Lumpur said the ban on Naik was imposed in the interest of national security.

Naik is said to have made controversial remarks on Malaysian Hindus and Malaysian Chinese during a talk in Kota Baru.

Responding for calls for him to be deported, Naik said the Malaysian Chinese should leave first as they were old guests.

He also claimed ethnic Hindus in Malaysia enjoyed 100 times more rights than Muslims in India.

He claimed that ethnic Hindus were more loyal to the Indian government than the government of Malaysian.

Naik, yet again, claimed to have been misquoted.

He said his critics had added strange fabrications to his remarks.

It was never my intention to upset any individual or community. It is against the basic tenets of Islam, and I would like to convey my heartfelt apologies for this misunderstanding, Naik was quoted as saying by News18.

Mahathir, who was prime minister of Malaysia at the time, said, He is stirring up racial feelings. The police will have to investigate whether it is causing tension; obviously, it is.

Mahathir said Naik, due to his status as a permanent resident, was not allowed to participate in politics.

You can preach (religiously). But he wasnt doing that, he said. He was talking about Chinese going back to China and Indians going back to India. I have never said such things. But he did. That is politics.

What has India been doing to get Naik back?

India has been repeatedly trying to get Naik extradited from Malaysia.

New Delhi in January 2018 sent Kuala Lumpur a provisional arrest request and extradition request for Naik.

As per The Hindu, Modi in 2019 directly raised the issue of Naiks extradition with then prime minister Mahathir Mohammad on the sidelines of a conference in Russia.

However, Mahathir, under whom Naik was granted permanent residency, refused New Delhis request.

Indian agencies, between 2017 and 2019, attempted to get Interpol to issue a Red Corner notice against Naik.

However, Interpol denied Indias request, saying there wasnt sufficient evidence against Naik to warrant such a notice.

India in 2020 yet again requested the extradition of Naik.

However, Malaysia did not accede to the request.

The MEA at the time was told by the Malaysian government that its appeal is under consultation.

We have requested for his extradition and time and again not only through our consultation with the Malaysian government but also through our High Commission. We have asked them to expedite the process. We have been told that it is under consultation and it is a process that will take time, he said in response to a question.

Zakir Naik was granted permanent residency in Malaysia by then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.

He was quoted as saying by The Sta newspaper as saying that Zakir in general feels that he is not going to get a fair trial (in India).

He compared the situation to Australia refusing to extradite former police commando Sirul Azhar Umar, who was sentenced to death in Malaysia in 2015 for killing a Mongolian model.

In March 2022, the Islamic IRF was ruled an unlawful association and consequently banned for five years by the Union Home Ministry.

Naiks extradition remains a sore point between the two nations.

With inputs from agencies
Chinese defense minister meets Vietnamese counterpart

Xinhua) 14:33, August 20, 2024

BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's Minister of National Defense Dong Jun on Tuesday met with his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang in Beijing.

Dong stressed the need for accelerated efforts from the two militaries to improve cooperation quality and efficiency. Work should be done to maintain the momentum of cooperation in various fields including personnel training, joint exercises and international collaboration, while expanding new areas for more practical results, Dong said.

For his part, Giang said the Vietnamese side will continue strengthening cooperation with the Chinese military in mutual visits and friendly border exchanges and promote bilateral ties to a new level.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
As Donald Trump struggles with the surge in support for Kamala Harris, some of his supporters are attacking the US vice president by alleging that she has a drinking problem. Is there any truth to these claims, though? read more

This combination photo shows Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an event, August 15, 2024, in Bedminster, N.J., left, and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at a campaign event in Raleigh, N.C., August 16, 2024. AP

Following weeks of difficulty adjusting to Vice President Kamala Harris being his opponent, Donald Trump is attempting to get back on his feet as the Democrats begin their convention in Chicago.

Trumps supporters seem to be putting out a fresh line this week in an effort to counter the wave of support for Harris.

They claim that his Democratic rival, has a drinking problem.

The unverified intoxication claim

Several videos of Harris are making the rounds online.

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A video was captured at a rally in Prince Georges County, Maryland, where President Joe Biden accompanied her, while one was from her March visit to Madison, Wisconsin.

In the video from Maryland, Harris introduces President Biden and talks about plans to bring down the cost of prescription drugs.

If anyone has been paying attention to Harris speaking lately, Im honestly wondering if she has a problem with alcoholism . And thats a legitimate struggle, but not someone who US President . pic.twitter.com/3SySjkaiGz  J.D. St. Michaels (@JDStMichaels) August 16, 2024

She is heard discussing the strength of democracy in the Wisconsin video.

Notwithstanding the circumstances, some people have labelled her as an alcoholic, pointing to these appearances as proof of their alleged alcoholism.

This is extremely serious. Someone with an unhinged drinking problem has a chance to become the President of the most powerful country on earth.



Kamala Harris has been rumored for years to show up drunk to important meetings as VP. In this clip you can hear the alcohol in her pic.twitter.com/hoV3LAfNvY  Matt Wallace (@MattWallace888) August 18, 2024

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Social media has been used by critics to raise doubts about Harris sobriety.

Some users compared her speech patterns to vodka Pelosi, while others have voiced concerns about her ability to carry out her job if she was, in fact, under the influence.

One comment absurdly speculated on the possible consequences of a drunk Commander-in-Chief.

In a video that someone uploaded, Harris is heard repeating the famous coconut tree line that her mother used frequently.

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During a speech about equality and advancement for Hispanic people, Harris asks, You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? and then breaks out into laughing.

She said that nothing exists in a silo, as if to highlight the importance of keeping a focus on the larger community.

Her supporters, known as the K-hive, made extensive use of the speech after a video of it went viral earlier this year.

New line of attack by Republicans

The third video, which was shared by several netizens on Sunday, features the vice president speaking in Pennsylvania and her three 30-second repetitions of the term democracy.

And thats what our election is about," she says in the clip, adding, Our election is about understanding the importance of this beautiful country of ours in terms of what we stand for around the globe as a democracy.

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She continues, As a democracy, we know theres a duality to the nature of democracy. On the one hand, it has incredible strength when it is intact. What it does for its people to protect and defend their rights, their liberty, and their freedom, incredibly strong and incredibly fragile.

James Blair, a Trump campaign member, appears to be the source of the unverified assertion that Harris was drunk in a post on Sunday.

A lot of rumours out there about Kamala having a serious drinking problem apparently coming into focus as campaign heats up, he wrote.

A lot of rumors out there about Kamala having a serious drinking problemapparently coming into focus as campaign heats up.



Stay Tuned  James Blair (@JamesBlairUSA) August 18, 2024

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His post went viral, receiving more than 9,000 likes, almost 4,000 shares, and more than 5.2 million views.

Collin Rugg commented, Not a good look when everyone on X is calling you a drunk.

Rob Smith added, The Kamala is a drunk theory makes more sense every second I think about it.

One Democrat responded to all the claims, by saying, You Republicans really have nothing against Kamala Harris do you?

You Republicans really have nothing against Kamala Harris do you?  Bruno Chieco (@BrunoChieco6) August 18, 2024

Senator Lindsey Graham and other Republicans are concerned that attacking Harris personally rather than concentrating on policy may backfire and undermine Trumps chances of winning the election, which is why they are launching this new offensive strategy.

Sexism at play

Kamala Harris has previously been the target of similar rumoured charges. Some misleading reports surfaced in 2020, claiming that Harris was spotted stumbling and vomiting following Thanksgiving in 2019.

Trump along with his fellow Republicans and supporters, ever since Kamala Harris was officially nominated as the Presidential candidate for the elections in November, are trying to find an angle of attack on her.

Earlier, Trump took a jab at Harris for laugh.

I call her Laughing Kamala, Trump said at a rally in Michigan last month. Have you ever watched her laugh? She is crazy. You can tell a lot by a laugh.  She is nuts.

Trump was trying to take a page out of his old playbook  trying to humiliate an opponent by bestowing on him or her a derogatory nickname.

The former president has labelled his opponents including Sleepy Joe Biden, Crooked Hillary, Crazy Nancy Pelosi, Lying Ted Cruz, Ron DeSanctimonious, Birdbrain Nikki Haley and Crying Chuck  just to name a few.

As per The Independent, Trump at a Pennsylvania rally in October 2020 aid, Is there something wrong with her? She kept laughing at, you know, very serious questions.

Trump, who has a history of making sexist statements, asserted that foreign leaders would regard Harris as a play toy, referred to her as unintelligent, and is now commenting on her appearance, according to The Conversation.

In a similar sexist vein, Trump allies have attempted to turn Harris past romantic relationships into campaign issues, with one conservative commentator on Fox Business News crudely labelling Harris the original hawk tuah girl, an obscene sexual reference.

With inputs from agencies
Aruna Shanbaug, a 25-year-old nurse at Mumbais KEM Hospital, was sexually assaulted by a ward boy in 1973. The brutal attack left her in a coma for 42 years. Her case sparked a change in Indias euthanasia laws in 2011 read more

Indian nurses gather to pay their respect for nurse Aruna Shanbaug at a hospital in Mumbai on May 18, 2015. File Photo/AFP

Taking suo motu cognisance of the brutal rape and murder of a young trainee doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the Supreme Court drew attention to the violence faced by healthcare professionals in the workplace. Calling the lack of safe working conditions for doctors deeply concerning, Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud highlighted instances of violence against healthcare workers in West Bengal, Bihar and Hyderabad.

He also mentioned the horrific rape of Aruna Shanbaug in 1973. The sexual assault on her is one of the most gruesome cases of violence against medical professionals in the workplace.

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Due to ingrained patriarchal biases, the relatives of patients are more likely to attack the women doctors and they are more susceptible to sexual violence too and Aruna Shanbaug case is a case in point. Gender violence shows (a) lack of safety for women in the system, the CJI observed on Tuesday (August 20), as per Bar and Bench.

What is this case referred to by the Supreme Court? We explain.

The assault on Aruna Shanbaug

Aruna Shanbaug, a nurse at Mumbais King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, was brutally sexually assaulted by the ward boy Sohanlal Bhartha Walmiki in November 1973.

The 25-year-old nurse was changing her uniform to meet her doctor fiance when she was sodomised by Sohanlal. He then strangled her with a dog chain before walking away.

She was discovered 11 hours later, seemingly lifeless and drenched in blood.

The brutal attack had cut off the oxygen supply to her brain, leaving her deaf, blind and paralysed.

Aruna had earlier publicly accused him of stealing food meant for dogs at the hospital, reported BBC. She had also threatened to report him to the hospital authorities.

After remaining in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) for 42 years, Aruna passed away in 2015 from severe pneumonia.

Sohanlal was caught and convicted but it was a mockery of justice. He got a total of 14 years in jail for assault and robbery but was not charged with rape or sexual molestation as sodomy was not classified as rape under Indian law at the time.

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However, the perpetrator served just seven years behind bars and walked free.

The face of Indias euthanasia debate

Arunas grim story sparked a change in Indias euthanasia laws.

She became an occupant of a room attached to ward No. 4 on the ground floor of KEM Hospital after the assault. A team of about a dozen nurses, doctors and hospital staff took care of Arunas food and other necessities.

According to an Outlook magazine report, the nurses bathed, fed and tended to her, ensuring to regularly turn her so she had no bedsores.

The nurses and the ancillary staff working the ward had become her family after she was abandoned by her own. Her doctor fiance had also moved on with his life and got married.

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Aruna Shanbaug lived in a vegetative state for 42 years in Mumbais KEM hospital. File Photo/PTI

The magazines report mentioned nurses played music throughout the day in Arunas room and read books. They also bought her cotton gowns, bedsheets and other items used by a woman.

Anjali Parade, former sister in-charge of ward number 4, told Outlook last year, We knew that she would never recover. The attack was so brutal that we would get goosebumps whenever we looked at her lying on that bed getting frail each day. Yes, there were hospital gowns and bedsheets, but each of us wanted her to experience the comfort she may have got if she was normal. None of us had a lot of money then, but the doctors helped too.

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Arunas case led to the first euthanasia plea in the Supreme Court. Journalist Pinki Virani filed a petition in the apex court in January 2011, seeking a legal end to the nurse being forcefully fed. She had argued that Aruna is not capable of experiencing life in any meaningful way, and should be allowed to die with dignity, as per NDTV.

The case stirred a national debate on the right to life, bringing Aruna to the centre stage. The mercy killing petition was vehemently opposed by the nurses who tended to Aruna over the years.

The top court rejected the euthanasia plea for Aruna in March 2011. However, the judgement allowed for  passive euthanasia in rare cases by withdrawing life support to patients in a persistent vegetative state.

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Arunas demise in 2015 finally ended her 42 years of agony. Her picture is mounted on a wall in KEM Hospital. The photograph is a reminder that women need safer workspaces. It is also a reminder that the most brutal attack took place here, which was her workplace, a nurse told Outlook.

Reacting to her death at the age of 66, Virani reportedly said in 2015, Aruna got justice after all these painful years. She has found release and peace.

With inputs from agencies
Switzerland is offering 50,000 Swiss francs (almost Rs 49,00,000) in a competition to find innovative solutions for removing thousands of tonnes of old military munitions from its picturesque lakes. Dumped between 1918 and 1964, these submerged explosives pose serious risks of environmental contamination and potential explosions read more

A Swiss Army boat patrols on Lake Lucerne during the Summit on peace in Ukraine at the Buergenstock Resort in Stansstad near Lucerne, Switzerland, June 16, 2024. File Image/Reuters

Switzerlands serene lakes have long been a haven for tourists, offering stunning alpine views and tranquil waters. However, beneath the surface of these picturesque bodies of water lies a hidden danger  tonnes of old military munitions that were dumped by the Swiss military between 1918 and 1964.

In response, Swiss authorities have launched an innovative competition to find a solution to this decades-old problem, offering substantial prize money to those who can devise safe and environmentally friendly methods to remove the submerged ammunition.

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What is the competition all about?

In an effort to address the issue of submerged munitions, the Swiss federal office for defence procurement, known as Armasuisse, has announced a competition inviting ideas for the safe recovery of these hazardous materials.

The competition, which will run until February 6, 2025, offers a total prize pool of 50,000 Swiss francs (approximately $57,800), to be shared among the three best proposals.

The CGN boat Lausanne is pictured on Lake Leman near Chexbres, Switzerland, August 19, 2024. File Image/Reuters

The winning ideas, while not immediately implemented, could serve as the foundation for future research into the removal of these munitions.

As stated by Armasuisse, With the launching of an idea competition, Armasuisse wants to increasingly involve academia and industry in the considerations on how environmentally friendly and safe recovery of deep lake ammunition could be carried out, should this ever become an issue.

How extensive is the issue?

The issue of submerged munitions is not new. In lakes such as Lucerne, Thun, and Neuchatel, vast quantities of ammunition have been resting on the lakebeds for decades.

For instance, Lake Lucerne alone is believed to contain around 3,300 tonnes of munitions, while Lake Neuchatel harbours approximately 4,500 tonnes. Some of these munitions lie at depths ranging from 150 to 220 metres, with others in Lake Neuchatel situated just six to seven metres below the surface.

Is there any danger involved?

Retired Swiss geologist Marcos Buser, who has advised the government on this issue, highlighted the dangers associated with these submerged munitions in a research paper published a decade ago, reported BBC.

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He pointed out that the munitions pose two significant risks: the potential for explosions and environmental contamination. The army did not remove the fuses before dumping the munition, Buser noted, adding that there is also a real risk of toxic TNT contaminating the water and sediment.

Overview of the Limmat river and Lake Zurich, Switzerland, March 16, 2023. File Image/Reuters

The Swiss government acknowledges these dangers, stating that factors such as poor visibility, magnetic iron, and the individual weights of the ammunition  some of which weigh up to 50 kilogrammes (110 pounds)create significant challenges for recovery efforts.

A previous assessment conducted in 2005 found that all proposed methods for recovering the munitions posed severe risks to the sensitive ecosystems of the lakes.

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What does Switzerlands history say?

Switzerlands military has a history of mishandling its munitions, leading to devastating consequences. One of the most tragic incidents occurred in 1947 in the alpine village of Mitholz, where 3,000 tonnes of ammunition stored in a mountain depot exploded, killing nine people and causing extensive damage to the village.

The explosion was so powerful that it was heard 160 kilometres (100 miles) away in Zurich. In 2020, the military revealed that 3,500 tonnes of unexploded ammunition still remained buried in the mountain and announced plans to remove it, forcing residents to leave their homes for up to a decade while the cleanup operation takes place.

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This pattern of negligence is not limited to Mitholz. The Swiss militarys Cold War defence strategy involved mining bridges and tunnels against potential invasions, which posed additional risks.

Some bridges had to be quickly demined as modern heavy goods vehicles threatened to trigger explosions. In 2001, a fire in the Gotthard Tunnel, one of Europes key north-to-south transport routes, resulted in the deaths of 11 people.

Vehicles burn inside the Gotthard tunnel near its southern end at Airolo, October 24, 2001. File Image/Reuters

While the fire was unrelated to munitions, it highlighted the dangers posed by the large quantities of explosives stored near critical infrastructure.

The problem extends even to Switzerlands glaciers, where receding ice due to climate change has revealed spent and live ammunition left over from high-altitude military training conducted decades ago. This legacy of Switzerlands armed neutrality defence strategy, which relies on a large militia army, continues to pose risks to public safety.

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Whats the next move?

The task of removing the munitions from Switzerlands lakes is expected to be long, complex, and costly, potentially running into billions of francs. The first step, however, is finding a workable plan to safely retrieve the munitions without causing further harm to the environment or risking explosions.

The Swiss defence departments competition has sparked interest from various sectors, with the public encouraged to submit their ideas. A panel of experts will anonymously judge the entries, and the three winners will be announced in April 2025.

A windsurfer is pictured on Lake Leman during the sunset in Cully, Switzerland, August 19, 2024. File Image/Reuters

As the government stated, It is not planned to implement the submitted entries immediately, but they could serve as the basis for further clarifications or for launching research projects.

Buser has suggested that Switzerland could benefit from the experience of countries like the UK, Norway, or Denmark, which have dealt with wartime wrecks containing unexploded weapons, reported BBC. Although he is now retired, Buser offered his expertise, saying, No, Im too old nowbut if they need any advice I will be pleased to give it.
The first night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) was marked by US President Joe Bidens emotional farewell and the transition of power to Kamala Harris. With stirring speeches, tributes to civil rights leaders, and attacks at Donald Trump through COVID-19 and labour rights, the convention set the stage for the Democrats 2024 battle against the Republican party read more

US President Joe Biden, Democratic presidential candidate and US Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff stand on stage during Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, US, August 19, 2024. Reuters

Day one of the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago set the stage for an eventful week with a blend of speeches, tributes, and attacks against the Republican party front with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic and labour rights in the US, while the war in Gaza was mostly sidelined.

The night was marked by the presence of prominent Democratic leaders, the transition of power from United States President Joe Biden to US Vice President Kamala Harris, and the partys ongoing battle against former US President Donald Trump.

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Heres an in-depth look at the key moments and takeaways from the first night of the DNC:

Bidens political farewell

Bidens address on the opening night of the convention was a poignant mix of personal reflection and a clear signal of the transition of power to Harris. Biden, who was met with a rousing ovation from delegates holding We love Joe placards, began his speech with a heartfelt declaration, I love you!

This affectionate opening set the tone for what would be a 50-minute speech reflecting on his accomplishments and the future of the Democratic Party.

Watch:

Bidens speech focused on his administrations major achievements, such as a significant public works package, a robust climate program, and efforts to stabilise the economy. Despite the convention running late, causing his speech to miss prime-time coverage in much of the US, Biden confidently declared, Americas winning.

He highlighted his close relationship with Harris, calling her a close friend and stating that choosing her as his running mate was the best decision he ever made. In a symbolic gesture of passing the torch, Biden promised to be the best volunteer Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have ever seen.

US President Joe Biden blows a kiss during Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, US, August 19, 2024. Reuters

Biden, who had no plans to linger at the convention, was set to depart for a vacation in Californias wine country immediately after his speech, marking the beginning of his political exit. In his closing remarks, Biden poignantly stated, I gave my best to you for 50 years, signalling the end of an era in American politics.

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Kamala Harris surprise tribute

Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on stage to pay tribute to Biden before his address. In a brief but heartfelt speech, Harris thanked Biden for his historic leadership and lifetime of service to our nation.

US Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (R) hugs US President Joe Biden after he spoke on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 19, 2024. AFP

Harriss candidacy represents a significant moment in American history. If elected, she would be the first woman, the first South Asian person, and the first Black woman to occupy the White House. Her candidacy is seen as a symbol of representation and diversity, a theme that was echoed by several speakers throughout the night.

Clinton evokes the glass ceiling

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was greeted with wild applause, delivered a fiery speech in support of Harris, evoking the glass ceiling metaphor she famously used in her 2016 concession speech. Clinton expressed hope that Harris would achieve what she could not  becoming the first female president by defeating Trump.

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Watch:

She painted a powerful vision of Harris on the other side of that glass ceiling taking the oath of office as president. Clinton closed her speech with a reflection on her own political journey, stating, I want my grandchildren and their grandchildren to know I was here at this moment. That we were here and that we were with Kamala Harris every step of the way.

The divisive Gaza conflict

While the DNC proceeded inside the convention hall, the streets of Chicago were filled with thousands of protesters demonstrating against US support for Israel during the ongoing war in Gaza.

The protest, which took place just blocks away from the United Center, highlighted a significant divide within the Democratic Party on the issue of US foreign policy in the Middle East.

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Protesters shouts pro-Palestinian slogans while marching on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), in Chicago, Illinois, US, August 19, 2024. Reuters

The protest, largely peaceful despite earlier tensions, saw demonstrators holding signs that read, End US aid to Israel! The citys initial attempts to block the protest, including denying permits for sound systems and stages, had led to a legal battle, but the demonstration proceeded without major incidents.

At one point, a small group of protesters breached the outer perimeter of the convention site, but police quickly intervened.

Watch:

Inside the convention hall, the issue of Gaza was largely unmentioned until Biden addressed it directly in his speech. Biden acknowledged the concerns of the protesters, stating, Those protesters out in the streets have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides.

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Also Read | Now, its summer. The winter has passed: Key quotes from Joe Bidens farewell speech at the DNC

His remarks were met with applause, temporarily uniting the audience on this contentious issue. Biden pledged to continue working towards ending the war in Gaza and bringing peace and security to the Middle East, a statement that resonated deeply with the convention attendees.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also touched on the Gaza conflict, praising Harris for her efforts to secure a cease-fire and bring hostages home. Meanwhile, Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia made a brief allusion to the conflict, reflecting the complex and often divisive nature of this issue within the Democratic Party.

Attacks on Trump via COVID-19 tragedies

The convention also served as a platform for Democrats to criticise former President Donald Trumps handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and his stance on labour rights. Nearly 1.2 million people in the US died from COVID-19, and Democrats did not shy away from holding Trump accountable for his response to the crisis.

US President Joe Biden attends Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, US, August 19, 2024. Reuters

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan delivered an emotional speech about losing her brother to COVID-19 in Tennessee, while Rep. Lauren Underwood of Illinois, a nurse, accused Trump of turning the COVID crisis into a catastrophe.

Rep. Robert Garcia of California, whose mother and stepfather both died of the disease in 2020, echoed these sentiments, saying, We are not going back, a slogan of Harriss campaign.

Labour rights at forefront

The convention also highlighted the importance of labour rights, an area where Democrats aimed to one-up Republicans. In a show of solidarity with the working class, United Auto Workers (UAW) president Shawn Fain led a blistering chant of Trumps a scab! and recalled Bidens support for autoworkers during their 2019 strike.

Shawn Fain, president of the United Automobile Workers attends Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, US, August 19, 2024. Reuters

Fain praised Biden for making history by joining the picket line, contrasting it with Trumps lack of support for workers.

Ocasio-Cortez, one of the nights most anticipated speakers, delivered a fiery speech attacking Trumps labour policies. She drew on her own experiences as a former waitress, describing how she struggled without health insurance and faced financial difficulties.

US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) attends Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, US, August 19, 2024. Reuters

Ocasio-Cortez accused Trump of being a union buster and a patriot who only fights for the wealthy and big business. Her speech drew some of the biggest cheers of the night, reflecting the growing influence of progressive voices within the Democratic Party.

Honouring Jesse Jackson

The first night of the DNC also paid tribute to civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, who was recognised for his contributions to the Democratic Party and his role in paving the way for leaders like Barack Obama and Kamala Harris.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and California Rep. Maxine Waters were among those who saluted Jackson, with a video montage celebrating his legacy. Jackson, who has been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease, made a powerful appearance on stage, raising his arms in triumph as the audience applauded.

Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson attend Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, US, August 19, 2024. Reuters

Harris has long admired Jackson, calling him one of Americas greatest patriots. Jacksons Rainbow Coalition speech from the 1984 Democratic convention was cited as a pivotal moment in American politics, symbolising the unity and diversity that the Democratic Party continues to champion.

In addition to honouring Jackson, the convention spotlighted the theme of diversity, with speakers like NAACP President Derrick Johnson echoing the importance of representation in the Democratic Party.

Johnsons quip, Im here to do my Black job, was a direct response to Trumps controversial remarks during the June presidential debate about immigrants taking Black jobs. The nights events underscored the Democratic Partys commitment to inclusion and its rejection of Trumps divisive rhetoric.

What next?

With Joe Biden preparing to exit the political stage, the convention served as a platform to pass the baton to Kamala Harris and attempt to reaffirm the partys commitment to key issues such as labour rights, healthcare, and foreign policy.

Democratic presidential nominee US Vice President Kamala Harris and US President Joe Biden on stage with second gentleman Doug Emhoff, left, and first lady Jill Biden, right, during the Democratic National Convention, August 19, 2024, in Chicago, US. AP

The focus on representation, diversity, and the ongoing battle against Trump will likely shape the tone of the convention in the days to come.

For now, the Democratic Party remains resolute in its mission to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as the next president and vice president of the United States. Biden stated in his speech, We saved democracy in 2020. And now we must save it again in 2024.

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With inputs from agencies
Spanish retail clothing chain, Zara, has come under fire over its vile white T-shirt with the graphic that reads the perfect snack and the strawberry: a small burst of sweet joy. Mothers of young girls have called it sexually suggestive. The brand has issued an apology and pulled the garment from its stores read more

Zara issued an apology and removed the t-shirt from their store and website. Image Courtesy: Zara

Parents have started disliking strawberries.

All thanks to Zara for its vile white t-shirt for young girls, which mothers on TikTok have called it sexually suggestive.

The Spanish retail clothing chain has issued an apology and pulled out the t-shirt from their stores.

Heres what happened.

The controversial T-shirt

The white crew-neck T-shirt in question reads the perfect snack and the strawberry: a small burst of sweet joy.

A strawberry with two halvesone from the inside and one from the outsideand the words take a bite and a burst of sweet delight, making it the perfect summer snack are written on the back.

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According to Laura Wilson, a London-based mother of two, the piece of clothing was found in the girls department of the brands Kentish Bluewater Shopping Centre store.

Wilsons displeasure with the fruity was probably influenced by the way that Gen Z interprets the word snack, which is slang for someone who is sexually attractive.

I am not one to be overly sensitive about clothing, and this was in the girls section. Just wait till you see whats on the back. If you have bought this for your child, you need serious words with yourself, in my opinion, the 32-year-old said in a clip.

Im so shocked. Take a bit, is it just me? Or is this not OK? I would never have my girls in this T-shirt, she added.

She admitted that at first, she felt like she was being too protective. On TikTok, though, many people agreed with her and referred to the clothing as vile.

She told the Dailymail, Its very suggestive. This t-shirt was for a six to seven-year-old and I dont think this is okay. Where it says, the perfect snack, this is very suggestive. You say, thats a snack and that is quite suggestive of an attraction. Thats how I took it anyway.

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Zaras response

Zara issued an apology and removed the t-shirt from their store and website.

A Zara spokesperson told New York Post in a statement, There was no intention for the use of the word snack on this T-shirt to imply anything other than the traditional meaning of the word, as evidenced by the image of a strawberry on the garment.

However, we now understand that some individuals have interpreted the term differently.

Therefore, we have removed the t-shirt from stores and our website and we apologise for any misunderstanding or offence caused.

Responding to Zaras move, Wilson told the outlet, So they should!!! it is unnecessary language for a kids T-shirt!

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She continued, I didnt reach out to Zara as I thought for a second I might be overthinking it and being an overprotective person, and maybe Im too overprotective, but Ive seen things online on T-shirts before and not seen the problem.

Past controversies

Zara is not new to controversies.

In December last year, Zara was in the news for its controversial advertising campaign after pro-Palestine activists called for a boycott of the retailer.

Mannequins with missing limbs and statues covered in a white shroud were the highlights of the advertising campaign, according to Al Jazeera.

Several activists claimed that the pictures had similarities to those taken during Israels invasion of Gaza, which has resulted in hundreds of Palestinian deaths and injuries.

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The fashion firm apologised for the misunderstanding and ended the advertising campaign. Customers, according to Zara, saw something far from what was intended when they were created.

Zara owner Inditex responded that the images were taken in September, before the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and that the update was a standard procedure for updating material.

In 2014, the luxury brand was embroiled in controversy when it released a t-shirt with the slogan White is the New Black.

Some customers were offended by the graphic tees racist overtones, even though it was most likely a reference to the well-known Netflix series Orange is the New Black or a recent fashion trend.

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The company debuted a unisex range named Ungendered two years later. It featured basic fundamental pieces of clothes and comfy loungewear.

But as many criticised it as a sloppy ad to sell basic apparel, its huge step forward for non-binary acceptance came under fire.

Similar instances by other brands

The high-end fashion brand Balenciaga issued an apology in November 2022 for advertisements in which kids were seen holding teddy bears while wearing bondage gear, and for using legal records on child sexual assault as props in other ads, according to NDTV.

Over the now-withdrawn campaigns, the brand acknowledged a series of grievous errors for which Balenciaga takes responsibility.

This led to intense internet criticism and a $25 million (21 million) lawsuit against the team behind one of the campaigns.

With inputs from agencies
While digital dementia is not officially recognised as a diagnosable condition, some experts use the term to describe cognitive changes associated with technology overuse. Multiple studies have found that increased screen time has detrimental effects on social and emotional growth, including, sleep disorders, and mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, and ability to interpret emotions read more

One study from 2022 indicated that spending more time on cognitively passive activitiessuch as watching TVwas linked to a higher risk of dementia. Image for Representation. Reuters

In a world where digital screens are an ever-present part of our daily routine, from smartphones to laptops, the allure of constant connectivity is hard to resist.

Yet, lurking behind these glowing screens is a new and alarming conditionDigital Dementia.

An umbrella term originally associated with cognitive decline in the elderly, dementia is now a term being increasingly linked to younger people, as the overuse of digital devices starts to chip away at mental health.

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But what exactly is digital dementia, and how is it affecting our brains? Lets take a closer look

Understanding digital dementia

Digital dementia, a term introduced by German neuroscientist and psychiatrist Manfred Spitzer in 2012, refers to cognitive changes that arise from excessive technology use.

While digital dementia isnt officially recognised as a diagnosable condition, the notion that overusing technology can harm cognitive functions has considerable scientific support.

Several studies have identified a connection between internet use, screen time and cognitive alterations. One study from 2022, published on PubMed, examined how sedentary activities, such as using the computer and watching TV, influence overall dementia risk.

The researchers discovered that spending more than four hours per day on screen time was linked to an elevated risk of vascular dementia, Alzheimers disease, and all-cause dementia. Image for representation/Reuters

The findings indicated that spending more time on cognitively passive activitiessuch as watching TVwas linked to a higher risk of dementia, regardless of ones physical activity levels. On the other hand, engaging in cognitively active passive taskslike using the computerwas associated with a reduced risk.

A larger study published in the BMC Public Health Journal in 2023 also studied the relationship between screen-based sedentary activities and dementia risk among 462,524 participants. The researchers discovered that spending more than four hours per day on screen time was linked to an elevated risk of vascular dementia, Alzheimers disease, and all-cause dementia.

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Additionally, the study found that increased daily screen time was associated with physical changes in specific areas of the brain.

Symptoms of digital dementia

Dr Pawan Ojha, Director of Neurology at Fortis Hiranandani Hospital in Mumbai, told The Hindustan Times, that symptoms of digital dementia are comparable to those of dementia, including short-term memory loss, trouble remembering words, and difficulty in multitasking.

A 2023 review published on PubMed further provided evidence that excessive screen use can negatively impact executive functions and working memory, particularly in children and teenagers.

Excessive screen usage has detrimental effects on social and emotional growth, including a rise in the likelihood of obesity, sleep disorders, and mental health conditions including depression and anxiety. Image for Representation.

The review noted, Excessive screen usage has detrimental effects on social and emotional growth, including a rise in the likelihood of obesity, sleep disorders, and mental health conditions including depression and anxiety. It can obstruct the ability to interpret emotions, fuel aggressive conduct, and harm ones psychological health in general."

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How excess screen time can lead to digital dementia?

Ojha explained to The Hindustan Times that persistent multitasking and rapid information processing from excessive screen time can lead to declines in memory, attention span, and learning capacity.

He mentioned that this could influence behaviour by increasing tension and anxiety, as too much screen time often overloads the brain and replaces important activities that are essential for cognitive and social development.

He further said, The blue light that screens emit can disrupt sleep cycles, which can have an impact on memory consolidation and cognitive function. Constantly switching between things when using a device might make it harder to concentrate and focus."

Preventing digital dementia

Preventing digital dementia begins with mindful management of screen time. According to Healthline, several strategies can help reduce screen time and mitigate the negative impacts of excessive technology use.

Limit passive media consumption: Apps can help curb excessive scrolling, or you might pair your favourite show with some light exercise, like using a stationary bike or small weights.

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Shift your focus: Its easy to reach for your phone or remote when boredom strikes, but when was the last time you picked up a book or went for a walk? Although these activities require a bit more effort, setting yourself up for successlike having a good book on hand or planning a fun destinationcan make all the difference.

Limit phone notifications: One way to avoid constantly being on your phone or in front of a screen is to limit the number of notifications you receive. If a certain notification isnt urgent, consider silencing it  or getting rid of it altogether.

Engage in cognitive activities: Keep your mind active by challenging yourself with puzzles, games, reading, or learning new skills. This helps maintain brain function and may even enhance cognitive resilience.

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Strengthen memory without digital aids: Challenge yourself to remember phone numbers, addresses, or important dates without relying on your smartphone.

While digital devices are an integral part of modern life, its essential to strike a balance. By understanding the risks of digital dementia and taking proactive steps, we can protect our cognitive health and ensure that our brains remain as sharp as ever in this digital age.

With input from agencies
A new and possibly more infectious strain of mpox was first detected in a mining town in eastern Congo earlier this year. The central African nation has seen 96 per cent of the worlds roughly 17,000 recorded cases of mpox this year  and yet does not have a single vaccine. Experts say the current crisis has its origins in the 2022 emergency when few doses were made available to Africa read more

The World Health Organization may have declared mpox a global health emergency last week, but the world has reacted far too slowly to the threat.

The new variant of mpox has been circulating within the Congo for months.

The vast central African nation has seen 96 per cent of the worlds roughly 17,000 recorded cases of mpox this year.

It has also recorded 500 deaths.

Making things worse is the fact that the country, till today, does not have a single vaccine.

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Lets take a closer look how the world has been slow in reacting to mpox:

Origins

According to Bloomberg, the current mpox crisis has its origins in the previous emergency.

In 2022, there were mpox outbreaks in more than 70 countries around the world, including the United States, which led the WHO to also declare an emergency.

As per Wired, there were 92,783 confirmed cases of mpox across 116 countries, leading to 171 deaths.

The 2022 global outbreak predominantly affected gay and bisexual men.

Ninety-five percent of the cases during the 2022 outbreak were among men who have sex with men, reporting exposure through sexual or close contact with another infected person, Boghuma Titanji, an associate professor in infectious diseases at Emory University, told Wired.

It was an outbreak that was very focused, which allowed vaccinations to be prioritised among that network.

There are two types of mpox  clade 1 and clade 2.

The 2022 outbreak was the latter.

The 2022 global outbreak was clade 2, and mortality was less than 1 percent, Jean Nachega, a Congolese infectious disease doctor and an associate professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh told Wired.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared recent mpox outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern after a new variant of the virus has been identified. Reuters

It was largely shut down in wealthy countries within months through the use of vaccines and treatments, but few doses were made available to Africa.

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In May 2023, the WHO declared an end to mpox as a global health emergency.

Bloomberg at the time quoted the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as saying that the continent didnt get the appropriate support.

Resurgence

Then, earlier this year, a new and possibly more infectious strain of mpox was first detected in a mining town in eastern Congo, about 450 kilometers south of Goma.

Mahoro Faustin, who runs the Bulengo camp in the region that is effectively ground zero for a series of mpox outbreaks in Africa, 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.

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Its 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 Congos, and Doctors Without Borders said Friday that Congos 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 Preventions emergency committee, said the Congo outbreak has a particularly concerning change, in that its disproportionately affecting young people.

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Children under 15 account for 70 per cent of cases and 85 per cent of all deaths in the country, the Africa CDC reported.

Despite these developments, Congo did not immediately request vaccines, as per Bloomberg.

Meanwhile, drug regulators only in June gave the go-ahead for emergency use for the shots.

Though countries, organisations and donors are trying to provide assistance, a joint response has only just begun.

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I dont think the world has learned that it didnt make sense to stop the World Health Organization emergency last year, Tulio De Oliveira, director of Stellenbosch Universitys Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation, told Bloomberg. If we had learned, we would have focused on stopping the outbreak.

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 Universitys Global Health Institute.

That includes war, illicit mining industries that attract sex workers, transient populations near border regions, and entrenched poverty.

Sarah Bagheni, in the Bulengo refugee camp in Goma, Congo, suspects she may be infected with Mpox after the World Health Organization had declared Thursday, August 15, 2024, the increasing spread of mpox in Africa a global health emergency, warning the virus might ultimately spill across international borders. AP

This region is rich in minerals and mining sites, Nachega told Wired. A significant number of the workers come from these countries. They get their paycheck at the end of the month, relax with commercial sex, and then return to their country of origin to visit their family, and so spread the disease regionally.

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.

Congo has the largest displacement camp population in Africa, and one of the largest in the world.

Seven million people are internally displaced in Congo, with more than 5.5 million of them in the countrys east, according to the UN refugee agency.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced into overcrowded refugee camps around Goma, while more have taken refuge in the city.

Beyrer said that unlike COVID-19 or HIV, theres a good vaccine and good treatments and diagnostics for mpox, but the access issues are worse than ever in places like eastern Congo.

All of Congos 26 provinces have recorded mpox cases, according to the state-run news agency. But Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said Thursday that the country doesnt 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 Gomas North Kivu provincial hospital, said they also dont 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.

Unlike the 2022 global outbreak, mpox now appears to be spreading in heterosexual populations.

What happens next?

The WHO 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.

Beyrer said the global community missed multiple warning signs.

Were 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 WHOs emergency declaration was late in coming, with more than a dozen countries already affected.

Experts are warning that this strain of mpox could be deadly.

Now were talking about a strain which can have up to 10 percent mortality, Nachego told Wired.

Its kind of becoming the new HIV, Nachega told Bloomberg. When I finished medical school, the HIV pandemic was taking off. We dont want to see this become another pandemic of a sexually transmitted infection. So thats why we need to stop this clade 1 outbreak regionally before it gets to the levels of the 2022 one, which ended up going around the globe.

Bloomberg reported that though vaccination group Gavi has been holding daily meetings about the outbreak since May, the Congo government is yet to reach out to it for vaccines.

Samuel Boland, mpox incident manager for the WHO in Africa, told Bloomberg the Congo government has asked for vaccines from the US and Japan.

We are all talking to the same donors  and thats very good news  but we need to coordinate and hopefully in the coming days there will be a coordination mechanism, Gavis chief executive officer Sania Nishtar told the outlet.

What is sad here is that the vaccines are ready to go and there are certain things that are impeding these countries to have access to them, added Javier Guzman, director of global health policy at the Center for Global Development.

Without a rapid response, the disease will spread to other countries, he warned.

Science.org quoted Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya as saying that todays situation is the result of Africa not being given appropriate assistance.

If we dont deal with mpox as we need to do, we can be surprised.

With inputs from agencies
Kolkata rape and murder case is the 10th case this year in which the Supreme Court has taken a suo motu cognisance. The top court heard three such cases in 2023. read more

The Supreme Court has been unusually active this year in taking suo motu actions in taking up cases. However, decisions have been pending in most of these cases, with some waiting to be listed for hearing. But this judicial activism has ranged from issues such as unwarranted comments by lower courts to crimes sending shock waves such as the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata.

The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance in 50-odd cases between 1991 and 2022. Ten of these cases were related to the Covid pandemic and its management by the government at various levels in 2020. In 2023, the top court took three such matters, including the one related to the management of Sariska Tiger Reserve and a popular temple within it.

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The Kolkata rape and murder case is the latest instance of the Supreme Court taking the initiative to address cases on its own accord this year. Lets look at these cases in brief.

Kolkata rape and murder case

Following a nationwide outrage over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, the Supreme Court decided to hear the case on Tuesday. This horrifying incident has sparked widespread concern about the safety of medical professionals with associations striking work, doctors holding protest check-ups on streets and many demanding to set up a separate security force for the protection of doctors and other health workers. The case comes up before Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud-led bench for examination.

Protecting adolescent privacy

The Supreme Court stepped in after a Calcutta High Court judge made highly inappropriate remarks about adolescent girls and their sexual autonomy. The judge asked adolescent girls to control sexual urge 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 Supreme Court took

Termination of women judicial officers in Madhya Pradesh

In another significant move, the Supreme Court intervened in the case concerning the abrupt termination of six women judicial officers by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Although proceedings began in December of last year, the bench, led by Justice BV Nagarathna, has yet to reach a resolution. This case is significant as it relates to gender justice and the treatment of women within the judiciary.

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Chhattisgarhs remission policy

Six months ago, the Supreme Court turned its attention to the remission policy adopted by Chhattisgarh. This policy allows for the early release of convicted individuals, but it raised serious questions about its fairness and application. The case is yet to be scheduled for a hearing.

Judicial overreach by Calcutta HC

One of the first suo motu cases this year involved a Calcutta High Court order against the Supreme Court. The high courts Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay directed the Supreme Court Secretary General to provide certain documents presented before the Chief Justice of India. The Supreme Court intervened and stayed the high court order, reaffirming its own procedural sanctity. Justice Gangopadhyay subsequently resigned and contested the Lok Sabha election as a BJP nominee.

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Inclusivity in the judiciary, 2 cases

The Supreme Court took two suo motu proceedings relating to recruitment of persons with disabilities and visually impaired in the judiciary. This was done to make the judicial system more inclusive, offering equal opportunities to all. The case is, however, yet to reach its conclusion.

Assault on Supreme Court lawyers

Responding to an incident of reported assault on the members of the Supreme Court Bar Association in Uttar Pradeshs Gautam Budh Nagar, whose district bar association office bearers were accused of beating up the top court lawyers. The altercation happened during a strike by the district bar members. The Supreme Court took up the case on its own to ensure that professional conduct is maintained in legal circles.

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New building for Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court runs from a British-era building. The court has been functioning from its current building, a Gothic-style architecture, since 1879. In May this year, the CJI Chandrachud initiated proceedings to expedite the relocation of the Bombay High Court to a new building. The high court will be moved to a modern facility in Bandra East.

A warning to Punjab and Haryana HC judge

Before taking up the Kolkata rape and murder care, the Supreme Courts last suo motu action was over Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Rajbir Sehrawats remarks. Justice Sehrawat had cast doubts on the wisdom and majesty of the Supreme Court. The CJI-led bench expunged the high court judges remarks, with a warning to the respect and decorum expected within the judicial system.
The advertisement for 45 posts of Joint Secretary, Director, and Deputy Secretary last week attracted criticism from the Opposition as no posts were reserved for the scheduled casts (SCs) or scheduled tribes (STs) read more

Amid controversy over lack of reservation for scheduled castes (SCs) and tribes (STs), the Centre has cancelled the lateral entry recruitment announced last week.

In a letter to Union Civil Service Commission (UPSC) Chairperson Preeti Sudan, the Centre said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi believed that even though there has never been a provision for reservation in lateral appointments, the recruitment of lateral entrants must be aligned with the principles of reservations and hence the last weeks recruitment drive without reservation should be cancelled.

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Dubbing reservation in public employment as the cornerstone of our social justice framework, aimed at addressing historical injustices and promoting inclusivity, the letter to Sudan said that principles of reservation must be upheld in lateral appointments for adequate representation of the marginalised communities.

The Honble Prime Minister is of the firm belief that the process of lateral entry must be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in our Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservationIt is important that the constitutional mandate towards social justice is upheld so that deserving candidates from marginalized communities get their rightful representation in the government services, said the letter to UPSC Chairperson Sudan form Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State (MoS) for Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions.

Hence, the lateral entry process must be reformed and reviewed and the last weeks advertisement for lateral recruitment must be cancelled, said Singh.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) writes to Chairman UPSC on canceling the Lateral Entry advertisement as per directions of PM Modi. pic.twitter.com/Qqbw0S1v7d  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 20, 2024

Singh said, Since these positions have been treated as specialized and designated as single-cadre posts, there has been no provision for reservation in these appointments. This aspect needs to be reviewed and reformed in the context of the Honble Prime Ministers focus on ensuring social justice. Hence, I urge the UPSC to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry recruitment issued on 17.8.2024. This step would be a significant advance in the pursuit of social justice and empowerment.

Following the publication of the advertisement, the Opposition had slammed the Centre for ignoring reservation in the recruitment. For the past one year, the Opposition led by Rahul Gandhi has turned to caste to go after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Under the motto of jitni aabadi utna haq (your rights as per your population), Rahul has sought a caste census and a redistribution of wealth across the nation.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Rahul said, Lateral entry is an attack on Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis. BJPs distorted version of Ram Rajya seeks to destroy the Constitution and snatch reservations from Bahujans.

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Centre reminds lateral entrys roots to Congress era

Even as the Modi government buckled under the Oppositions pressure over the lateral recruitment scheme, Singh in the letter highlighted that the scheme had roots in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliances (UPA) era.

In 2005, a government commission led by Congress leader Veerappa Moily had endorsed the idea of lateral entrants, said Singh.

Singh also flagged that several cases of lateral appointments during the UPA years carried allegations of favourtitism.

It is well known that the members of the infamous National Advisory Council used to run a super-bureaucracy that controlled the Prime Ministers OfficeWhile most of the major lateral entries before 2014 were made in an ad-hoc manner, including cases of alleged favouritism, efforts of our Government have been to make the process institutionally driven, transparent and open, said Singh.

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Even as the Modi government buckled under the Oppositions pressure over the lateral recruitment scheme, Singh in the letter highlighted that the scheme had roots in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliances (UPA) era.

In 2005, a government commission led by Congress leader Veerappa Moily had endorsed the idea of lateral entrants, said Singh.

Singh also flagged that several cases of lateral appointments during the UPA years carried allegations of favourtitism.

It is well known that the members of the infamous National Advisory Council used to run a super-bureaucracy that controlled the Prime Ministers OfficeWhile most of the major lateral entries before 2014 were made in an ad-hoc manner, including cases of alleged favouritism, efforts of our Government have been to make the process institutionally driven, transparent and open, said Singh.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday held the 2+2 dialogue with their Japanese counterparts and reviewed the bilateral ties besides exploring new initiatives to further strengthen the engagements between the two countries read more

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during the third edition of India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Delhi on Tuesday. ANI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday held the 2+2 dialogue with their Japanese counterparts Minoru Kihara and Yoko Kamikawa and reviewed the bilateral cooperation besides exploring new initiatives to further strengthen the engagements between the two countries.

They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest and agreed on an open Indo-Pacific region.

Addressing the third edition of India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, Jaishankar said that in the last dacade, the relationship between the two countries has assumed the form of a special strategic and global partnership.

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#WATCH | Delhi | At the 3rd India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, "...In the last decade, our relationship has assumed the form of a special strategic and global partnership. The logic of this evolution is our expanding interest and growing activities. pic.twitter.com/Z4dhCNvNmP  ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2024

The logic of this evolution is our expanding interest and growing activities. As we both step forward into a more volatile and unpredictable world, there is a need for reliable partners with whom there are substantial convergences. As a result, we have consciously sought to facilitate each others endeavours, comprehend each others objectives, said the external affairs minister.

He said the strategic partnership between India and Japan will continue to grow as both the countries embrace mutuality and display sensitivity.

Today, our cooperation is set against a larger context of a free, open and rules-based Indo Pacific. For India, this is a natural extrapolation from our Act East Policy, said Jaishankar.

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Speaking at the meeting, Rajnath Singh also echoed Jaishankars sentiments saying that the bilateral relations between the two nations have increased in all areas.

#WATCH | Delhi | At the 3rd India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh says, "...Bilateral relations between the two nations have increased in all areas. Defence has emerged as an important pillar in these relations. We have decided to make India a pic.twitter.com/kJ02kkaVgn  ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2024

Speaking specifically about defence, he said that the sector has emerged as an important pillar in the relationship between the two countries.

We have decided to make India a developed and transformed nation by 2047, on the completion of 100 years of Indias independence. Building domestic defence capabilities is a very important part of this vision. In the field of defence technology and industry, partnership with Japan will play an important role in the completion of this vision of India, said the defence minister.

The first edition of the India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue was held in India in 2019 while the second one took place in Japan in 2022.

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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.

With inputs from agencies
The Supreme Courts hearing today is a crucial step in addressing the nationwide outrage over the rape and murder of a young doctor in Kolkata focussing on safety and justice for medical professionals read more

The Supreme Court of India is set to take a crucial step on Tuesday as it hears the harrowing case of a young doctors rape and murder at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College Hospital. With the nation gripped by widespread protests and doctors rallying for justice, the apex courts involvement has heightened the stakes in this tragic incident. A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud will preside over the proceedings bringing the focus back on a case that has shaken the medical community and sparked demands for urgent reforms in security protocols at healthcare institutions. Here are 10 key points in the case so far:

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1. Supreme Court to address case at 10:30 AM: The Supreme Court will convene at 10:30 AM on Tuesday to deliberate on a suo motu case concerning the tragic rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College Hospital in Kolkata.

2. Bench composition for hearing: Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, alongside Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, will preside over the hearing of this significant case.

3. Suo motu case details: The case, officially titled In Re: Alleged Rape and Murder of Trainee Doctor in RG Kar Medical College Hospital, Kolkata and related issues, was initiated by the Supreme Court on August 18.

4. Calcutta High Court transfers investigation: On August 13, the Calcutta High Court handed the investigation over to the CBI, expressing dissatisfaction with the handling by the Kolkata Police.

5. Doctor associations involved: Several medical associations have intervened in the case, submitting recommendations to enhance the security measures for medical professionals.

6. Nationwide attention and protests: The case has garnered nationwide attention with ongoing protests by doctors calling for swift justice and increased safety in medical facilities.

7. Civic volunteer arrested: A civic volunteer was arrested by Kolkata Police on August 10 following the discovery of the doctors body in the hospitals seminar hall.

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8. Case on Supreme Courts priority list: The Supreme Court has prioritised the hearing of this case placing it at the top of the cause list for today.

9. CBI investigation commenced: The CBI took over the investigation on August 14 following the Calcutta High Courts directive to transfer the case from local police.

10. High courts concern over state machinery failure: The Calcutta High Court criticised the state machinery highlighting its failure to prevent mob violence at the hospital and questioning the polices lack of intelligence regarding the incident.
From Kolkatas tragedy to a nationwide call for reform, the Supreme Court demands urgent action to protect doctors safety read more

On Tuesday, a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud addressed the Kolkata rape and murder case, which the Supreme Court had initiated on its own accord. The court had taken suo motu cognisance of the incident involving a postgraduate trainee doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, after her tragic death.

The Supreme Courts intervention came after the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 13, 2024, following dissatisfaction with the handling of the case by the Kolkata Police. A civic volunteer had been arrested in connection with the crime.

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Here are the key points from the Supreme Courts observations and actions regarding the safety of doctors and medical professionals:

Suo motu case initiation: The Supreme Court initiated a suo motu case in response to the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College Hospital in Kolkata on August 9, 2024.

Systemic safety concerns: Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud highlighted that the case raises systemic safety concerns for doctors across India, especially women in public hospitals.

National Task Force: The apex court constituted a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to recommend measures ensuring the safety and well-being of medical professionals, particularly women. The NTF is led by Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin and is expected to submit an interim report within three weeks and a final report within two months.

National protocol for safety: The CJI emphasised the need for a national consensus and protocol to create safe working conditions for doctors stressing that the absence of safety denies women equal opportunity.

Critique of state laws: The bench noted that existing state laws, such as those in Maharashtra, Kerala and Telangana, do not adequately address deficiencies in institutional safety standards for medical professionals.

Concerns highlighted:

 Inadequate rest and duty rooms for medical professionals, especially women.

 Excessive duty hours (up to 36 hours) without basic hygiene and sanitation.

 Insufficient security personnel in hospitals.

 Lack of adequate toilet facilities for medical professionals.

 Inadequate transportation and far-off accommodation for medical staff.

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 Poorly functioning or absent CCTV cameras in hospitals.

 Unrestricted access for patients and visitors.

 Lack of screening for weapons at hospital entrances.

 Poor lighting and unsafe areas within hospital premises.

Courts appeal to doctors: The Supreme Court urged protesting doctors to return to work assuring them that their safety concerns are being addressed at the highest level.

Criticism of West Bengal government: The Supreme Court criticised the West Bengal government for mishandling the case, particularly the delayed registration of the FIR and the mismanagement of the hospital after the crime was discovered.

Concern over media conduct: The Supreme Court expressed deep concern over the unauthorised dissemination of the victims photos and videos questioning the role of the West Bengal Police.

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Acts of vandalism: The apex court questioned the West Bengal authorities about the acts of vandalism at the hospital during a public protest with the Solicitor General suggesting potential police complicity.

Call for sensitivity: The CJI urged the West Bengal government not to take coercive actions against peaceful protesters and to handle the situation with sensitivity.

Further investigations: The Supreme Court asked for a status report from the CBI on the investigation by August 22, while the West Bengal government was also asked to report on the investigation into the acts of vandalism.

Intervenors in the case: The Federation of Association of Medical Consultants of India and the Delhi Medical Association have intervened, raising broader safety concerns for medical workers across the country.
The India-Malaysia relationship had soured in 2019 over the decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmirs special status and convert it into a union territory read more

Years after the ties turned sour over Kashmir in 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim are turning a new leaf in bilateral relations.

Ibrahim is on his first visit to India since becoming the Prime Minister of Malaysia in 2022. The visit comes at a time when India and Malaysia are looking to reset their bilateral ties that were hit by the 2019 move of scrapping the special status of Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir, which was also converted into a Union Territory from a full-fledged state.

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Following their meeting, Modi on Tuesday said that India Malaysia will boost cooperation in areas such as semiconductor, financial technology, and defence production. The two leaders decided to upgrade their bilateral ties to the level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The announcement at a joint press conference in Delhis Hyderabad House assumes significance as Anwar has recently sought to move closer to China, which has been engaged with India in an adversarial border dispute. A key part of Modis foreign policy has been to deepen trade and ties with other Asian countries to push back against growing Chinese influence in the region.

Addressing the press meet with PM @anwaribrahim of Malaysia. https://t.co/7pr6RRm908  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 20, 2024

The bilateral relations soured in late 2019 following some remarks by Malaysias then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who criticised New Delhis move to scrap the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Now, the two countries seek to expand economic ties and strengthen cooperation on defence and security, the leaders of the two countries said on Tuesday.

We have decided that we will elevate our cooperation to the level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Modi said. He, however, did not specify what that would imply. But he mentioned that Malaysia had invested $5 billion in India in the past year.

Modi and Ibrahim signed a slew of new agreements, including digital technologies, tourism and traditional medicine. Anwar said the two countries have enjoyed good relations for years, adding that the leaders realised this must be strengthened in a multitude of areas including construction, agriculture and military collaborations to safeguard both nations borders.

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Modi said the two had discussed cooperation in the defence sector, and that trade and investment between the two countries should grow while they collaborate on new industries like the production of semiconductors. He also stressed how the partnership between the two countries had grown, taking on new momentum and energy" over the years.

In areas which require new and modern technology like semiconductor, fintech, defence industry, AI and quantum technology, we will increase cooperation.

Malaysia is Indias 16th largest trading partner, while India is among the top 10 largest trading partners for Malaysia. Bilateral trade between the two countries is strong at $20 billion. There are around 70 Malaysian companies operating in India and more than 150 Indian ones in Malaysia, where Indians comprise about 7% of the countrys population.
Highlighting the nature of their relationship, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday called PM Narendra Modi his brother and his friend.

Ibrahim is on a state visit to India, which is his first since assuming office in 2022. India and Malaysia upgraded the relationship to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the visit.

In a joint press-briefing with Modi, Ibrahim said that while Modi is indeed the Prime Minister of India, he has always been great to him outside of the official positions as well.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji is my dost (friend). I know he is the prime minister but he is my brother. I have said to him personally and to the colleagues that his friendship is sincere not only when I am prime minister but also when I was nobody he was very kind as a true friend, and that of course is most meaningful to me and my delegation, said Ibrahim.

After relations turned sour in 2019 when the then-Malaysian PM Mahathir bin Mohamad went after India over the revocation of the special status of Jammu and its conversion into a union territory, the current visit of Ibrahim has served as a platform for a reset of ties. This is the first visit by any Malaysian premier to India since then.

In addition to upgrading the relationship to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Modi said that the two countries will increase cooperation in the fields of modern technology like semiconductor, fintech, defence industry, AI and quantum technology.
New Delhi is hosting a flurry of diplomatic activity with five global leaders visiting, including Mauritius Vice President Marie Cyril Eddy Boissezon, Russian Navy Chief Admiral Alekseyevich Moiseyev, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Nepals Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa. Their visits focus on strengthening bilateral relations and advancing cooperation in various sectors such as trade, defence, and regional security read more

India PM Narendra Modi with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim in new Delhi. August 20. PTI

New Delhi is abuzz with diplomatic activity as five prominent global leaders are in State visits to Indian capital, Tuesday. Their visits reflect Indias growing influence on the international stage and its commitment to strengthening ties with key partners.

From discussions on regional security to enhancing economic cooperation, these high-profile meetings underscore New Delhis role in shaping global relations. Below mentioned are the leaders visiting India today:

Marie Cyril Eddy Boissezon, Mauritius

Mauritius Vice President Marie Cyril Eddy Boissezon arrived in New Delhi on Monday to participate in the 19th CII India-Africa Business Conclave, which runs from August 20-22. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) welcomed him warmly, noting that his visit signifies a milestone in the longstanding and robust ties between India and Mauritius. The conclave aims to boost Africas growth and reinforce the India-Africa partnership in global value chains.

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Admiral Alekseyevich Moiseyev, Russia

Russian Navy Chief Admiral Alekseyevich Moiseyev landed in India on Monday, where he held discussions with Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi. This comes ahead of PM Modis visit to Ukraine.

Moiseyevs visit, scheduled until August 22, focuses on enhancing maritime cooperation and exploring new avenues for naval collaboration between Russia and India. The visit is seen as a key step in strengthening bilateral naval relations and addressing regional security dynamics.

Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim arrived in New Delhi for his inaugural state visit to India. He was warmly received by Union Minister of State V. Somanna.

The visit aims to elevate the India-Malaysia strategic partnership, with events including a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan, discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and a call on President Droupadi Murmu. The visit seeks to deepen bilateral ties and chart a cooperative agenda for the future.

Arzu Rana Deuba, Nepal

Nepals Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba is in New Delhi, where she met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend an invitation from Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli for a state visit to Nepal.

Ranas official visit also included discussions with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, focusing on consolidating Nepal-India relations and expanding cooperation across trade, transit, energy, and border infrastructure.

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Yoko Kamikawa and Minoru Kihara, Japan

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defence Minister Minoru Kihara visited New Delhi on August 19 to participate in the 3rd India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial meeting.

The meeting, which underscores the strategic partnership between India and Japan, involved discussions on critical areas such as defence manufacturing, regional security, and progress on projects like the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail. Their visit highlights the ongoing commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation and addressing shared regional challenges.
A week after two girl students of a kindergarten were allegedly sexually abused by a cleaning staff in Maharashtras Badlapur, Eknath Shinde-led government on Tuesday said that it is building a water-tight case against the arrested accused who will face trial in a fast-track court read more

Police personnel try to disperse people blocking railway tracks in protest against the alleged sexual abuse of two girls at a school, at Badlapur railway station, in Thane district, Tuesday, August 20, 2024. PTI

A week after two girl students of a kindergarten were allegedly sexually abused by a cleaning staff in Maharashtras Badlapur, Eknath Shinde-led government on Tuesday said that it is building a water-tight case against the arrested accused who will face trial in a fast-track court.

The public outrage over the horrific #Badlapur incident is a clear message  violence against women & children will not be tolerated.



As a father, my heart goes out to the victims & their families. The Badlapur case is an insult to our core values as a society & nation. Schools,  Milind Deora |    (@milinddeora) August 20, 2024

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The comments came at a time when thousands of protesters on Tuesday blocked the Mumbai rail route at Badalpur railway station, bringing train services to a standstill.

The protest turned violent as agitators vandalised the school, where the alleged incident took place last week, and also indulged in stone-pelting at the Badlapur railway station.

According to an NDTV report, visuals showed protesters pelting stones at cops as they fled across the railway tracks.

Taking to X, Shiv Sena leader Milind Deora said that the public outrage over the horrific Badlapur incident is a clear message that violence against women and children will not be tolerated.

He also listed out the action taken by the Maharashtra government so far and said that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have ordered a water-tight case against the accused.

The Maharashtra Governments response so far - The accused has been arrested & will face trial in a fast-track court, An SIT under a DG Rank officer has been established, The school principal, class teacher & attendants have been suspended, Police officers who delayed action have been removed from duty, Education Minister Deepak Kesarkaris on the ground in Badlapur, CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis have ordered a water-tight case against the accused, said the Shiv Sena leader.

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He further said that Maharashtras zero tolerance policy on sexual assault remains firm  justice will be served and no one will be spared.

With inputs from agencies
The alleged sexual abuse of two young girls by a school attendant in Badlapur ignited violent protests leading to significant disruptions in local train services and sparking widespread criticism of the role of the police and school authorities in handling of the case read more

Police personnel try to disperse people blocking railway tracks in protest against the alleged sexual abuse of two girls at a school, at Badlapur railway station, in Thane district, Tuesday, August 20, 2024. PTI

The alleged sexual assault of two young girls at a school in Badlapur near Mumbai sparked severe unrest on Tuesday with protests turning violent and disrupting local train services. The protests became violent as demonstrators vandalised the school premises, breaking windows, benches and doors. At the railway station, some protesters engaged in stone-pelting, further intensifying the clash with police. Despite attempts by authorities to manage the situation and convince the protesters to disperse, the blockade continued for several hours, affecting daily commuters and prompting widespread calls for justice.

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On August 17, the arrest of a school attendant for allegedly sexually abusing two kindergarten girls, aged three and four, led to significant protests. The accused, employed as a sweeper at the school, reportedly abused the children in the schools toilet.

The accused has been charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, a comprehensive law enacted to safeguard children against sexual abuse and exploitation. The Act mandates stringent penalties for sexual crimes against minors and provides a legal framework for the protection and support of victims. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde directed that the case be fast-tracked and that attempt to rape charges be included. Additionally, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Inspector General of Police Aarti Singh has been formed to ensure a thorough and efficient investigation.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has criticised the state government for its handling of the situation pointing out the disparity between the governments safety initiatives for women and the current crisis. Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi called for the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law to be approved emphasising the need for stronger measures to protect women and children.

In response to the incident, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights announced the deployment of a team to Thane to investigate. Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo expressed strong disapproval of the local polices delay in registering the FIR, which reportedly took over 12 hours. Kanoongo vowed to personally oversee the investigation and hold negligent officers accountable.

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On sexual assault with a girl child at a school in Badlapur, NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanungo told ANI that The schools attitude in this case was insensitive. They tried to suppress the case. The concerned police station did not register an FIR in due timeA team will sent to the spotThe Deputy CM of Maharashtra has decided to remove the officers of the concerned police station. This is a positive stepAction should be taken against school administration or those responsible for not registering the FIR and suppressing the case.

After massive protests, the school management suspended the principal, the class teacher and a female attendant in light of the incident. The police response has been scrutinised for delays, leading to the transfer of station in-charge Shubhada Shitole. The delay in FIR registration and the failure to address the complaint promptly have been significant points of criticism.

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The Maharashtra government emphasised the need for effective action to prevent future incidents. Measures proposed include enhancing school safety protocols such as the installation of complaint boxes, increased scrutiny of school staff and improved reporting mechanisms for students. The chief minister also called for a review of Sakhi Savitri committees, which are intended to support and safeguard students.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday said that his country is open to any ideas and if evidence is submitted with regards to fugitive preacher Zakir Naik, Malaysia will not condone terrorism read more

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday said that his country is open to any ideas and if evidence is submitted with regards to fugitive preacher Zakir Naik, Malaysia will not condone terrorism.

He said the issue of fugitive preacher was not raised by PM Modi in the meeting today but he said PM Modi did raise the issue in the past.

#WATCH | Delhi | On the question regarding the extradition of Zakir Naik, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim says, "It was not raised by the prime minister. He did raise much earlier, many years back. But the issue is, I'm not talking about one person, I'm talking pic.twitter.com/wQH6D3Ls7P  ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2024

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It was not raised by the prime minister. He did raise much earlier, many years back. But the issue is, Im not talking about one person, Im talking about the sentiment of extremism, of compelling cases and evidence that suggests the atrocities committed by an individual or groups or parties. These are of concern to us. The atrocities of Israeli forces in Gaza, that is real We are open to any ideas and if evidence is submitted, we will not condone terrorism, said Ibrahim while addressing the 50th Sapru House Lecture on Tuesday.

He said the need of the hour is to produce a compelling case to support it and added that Malaysia has been working with India on many issues related to terrorism.

But we have to produce a compelling case to support it. We have been tough. Weve been working together with India on many of these issues against terrorism. But I dont think one case should deter us from further collaboration and enhancing our bilateral cooperation, said Ibrahim.

Radical Muslim preacher Zakir Naik moved to Malaysia from India in 2016 and reportedly secured permanent residency there. Naik is a wanted man in India and faces charges of spreading hate and money laundering.

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The Union Ministry of Home Affairs declared Zakir Naiks Islamic Research Foundation unlawful in 2022. Naik is accused of promoting hate, and disharmony, and his speeches are seen as objectionable as he has been extolling known terrorists promoting conversion and terrorism.

With inputs from agencies
Beijing must prepare to face a vehement and assertive Manila, which can no longer be manipulated by a simple carrots and sticks approach read more

For the past one year, the China-Philippines relationship has been simmering as a result of regular skirmishes between their navies in the South China Sea. During the ninth meeting of the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on July 2, the two sides reached a provisional understanding on avoiding miscalculation and miscommunication around the disputed islands in the Sea to allow for a moment of diplomatic respite. But does this provisional understanding indicate a temporary proverbial ceasefire or long-term rapprochement?

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Recent developments, more specifically the collision between the two sides vessels near the Spratly islands on Monday (August 19) suggest neither.

The military build-up

For the past one year, Chinese coast guard (CCG) vessels deployed in the area around the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, in the Spratly islands, have increasingly engaged in threatening manoeuvres to deter movement of Philippine ships in the region. Largely, the targeted vessels are used for rotation and resupply (RORE) missions in collaboration with the Philippine coast guard (PCG). Their destination is the BRP Sierra Madre, a Philippine warship deliberately run aground in the Second Thomas Shoal since 1999 to assert the island countrys claim over the feature.

Since October 2023, the CCG has resorted to ramming into PCG ships accompanied by civilian RORE vessels if they approach the Second Thomas Shoal. Additionally, since November 2023, the CCG has regularly used water cannons to blast Philippine supply ships and harass personnel on board. When water cannons were similarly used against Philippine RORE vessel Unaizah Mae-4 on March 5, it shattered the vessels windshield and caused injury to four Filipino fishermen.

In early June, the Philippines changed tact and deployed aircraft to approach BRP Sierra Madre and conduct airdrop of food supplies. However, when CCG rigid hull inflatable boats intercepted the four-part airdrop, they caught one of the food packets and dropped it into the Sea, triggering a gun-pointing response from armed Philippine navy personnel aboard the Sierra Madre.

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What is motivating such manoeuvres?

The China-Philippines dispute in the South China Sea is essentially a political conflict regarding the territorial ownership over features such as the Second Thomas and Scarborough shoals, and the resources around them. It has consistently been the Chinese position that these disputed regions have been part of Chinese territory since ancient times.

A white paper issued by the Chinese State Council Information Office (SCIO) in 2016 said: China is the first to have discovered, named, and explored and exploited Nanhai Zhudao [the South China Sea islands] and relevant waters, and the first to have continuously, peacefully and effectively exercised sovereignty and jurisdiction over them.

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This indicates that the Chinese claim over the islands goes as far back as 2nd BCE  more than 2000 years ago. The solidification of its claims has been done through official maps wherein China depicts over 90 per cent of the South China Sea area as lying within its 9-dash-line territory.

However, the Philippines contends that Chinese claims impinge on its enjoyment and exercise of sovereign rights with respect to the living and non-living resources of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf under the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS).

Hence, at the heart of the dispute is a fundamental faultline  while the UNCLOS guarantees that the areas around the disputed shoals within 200 nautical miles of the Philippines coast are part of the island nations exclusive economic zone (EEZ), China objects to such an assertion on historical grounds. It must be noted, in this regard, that the Philippines claims have the legal backing of the UNCLOS Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), which in its landmark 2016 ruling said clearly that the Chinese 9-dash-line has no legal basis, and that its obstruction of fishing or oil and gas exploration activities by Filipino vessels is in contravention to its obligations under the Convention.

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As the conflict is non-kinetic in nature with no clear political winners, the two sides also engage in nomenclature warfare to assert claims over the disputed islands. As evident from Chinas white paper, it refers to the South China Sea in most official documents as Nanhai Zhudao, and complements the usage with the assertion that China was the first to name and explore the Sea. The Philippines, on the other hand, claims its sovereignty over the area it refers to as the West Philippine Sea, which are parts of the South China Sea that lie within the countrys EEZ.

Since the Second Thomas Shoal is also at the centre of the conflict, it is often referred to in Chinese rhetoric as the Renai Jiao and by the Philippines as Ayungin Shoal. These are attempts at creating official records and setting narratives straight and the campaign accompanied by powerful public diplomacy wins.

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What does the latest understanding of principles mean?

Recently, China proposed a Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) meeting in a bid to resolve tensions. The meeting took place on July 2 in Manila, and was co-chaired by Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Xiaodong and Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Theresa Lazaro. The differing perceptions of the agreement reached at the meeting are evident from the two sides post-facto statements.

As per the statement issued by the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the two sides reached an understanding of principles and approaches that will be observed by both sides in order to avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation in the conduct of the Philippines lawful and routine rotation and resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

The Chinese statement claimed: Both sides agreed that maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea is in the interests of China and the Philippines, and also the common goal of countries in the region. China reaffirmed its sovereignty over the Nansha Qundao and its adjacent waters, including Renai Jiao, as well as its sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the relevant waters.

Each partys statement attempts to clarify their respective stances on their maritime rights and entitlements in the South China Sea. While from the Philippines perspective, China is causing miscommunication and miscalculation regarding the nations lawful RORE activities, the Chinese say the Philippines is violating Chinese sovereignty and jurisdiction by continuing such activities. In this regard, the common element in both statements was that neither side agreed to concede their positions on the dispute or believe that the principles and understandings concluded will prejudice said positions moving forward.

On a broader level, the Philippines decision to lodge a case against the Chinese government at the PCA in 2013, under the Presidency of Benigno Aquino III, led to a drastic deterioration in the relations between the two countries. However, around the time the PCA delivered a judgement favouring the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte assumed the presidency. His approach towards China was friendlier than his predecessor. In fact, in a speech he made in December 2016, Duterte argued, In the play of politics, now, I will set aside the arbitral ruling. I will not impose anything on China.

With Rodrigo Duterte stepping down as President in 2022, Manila has reinstated its firm stance on the South China Sea issue. Also the air of cooperation at the BCM has turned stale after years of its formation. In this context, policymakers on both sides have adopted a hardline stance on their national positions vis-a-vis the Sea.

Where are things headed?

In the seven years since the BCM was established, the Mechanism has seen little success in fulfilling its initial agenda of enabling proper handling of disputes bilaterally by creating room for cooperation. However, the above-mentioned developments indicate that the BCM may prove to be the right platform to avoid escalatory ladders and leave lines of communication open in an otherwise uncertain and hostile environment. The Mechanism demonstrates great potential for preventive diplomacy, and keeps deliberations on bilateral cooperation ongoing despite the existence of the maritime dispute.

However, from the Chinese perspective, a fundamental rethink of strategy is in order. Neither its deterrence tactics vis-a-vis an aggressive military posture, nor its proposal for a BCM with the Philippines, have kept tensions at bay. In fact, the most important red line the Chinese urge the Filipinos to not cross, which is to go beyond bilateral mechanisms and involve third parties in dispute resolution, has already been breached  most prominently with the involvement of the PCA.

Further, the renewal of Philippines Mutual Defence Treaty with the US indicates the shortcomings of Chinas military deterrence  that there is little it can achieve just through brute force. In this regard, Beijing must prepare to face a vehement and assertive Manila, which can no longer be manipulated by a simple carrots and sticks approach.

Anushka Saxena is a Staff Research Analyst (China) with the Indo-Pacific Studies Programme at the Takshashila Institution, Bengaluru. The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of Firstpost.
The Foreign Ministry of the Peoples Republic of China (FMPRC) published a report titled The National Endowment for Democracy: What It Is and What It Does? on August 9, 2024. The reports first sentence describes the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) as the White Gloves of the US government.

The report has over half a dozen sections, three of which (III, IV, and VII) are more elaborative and relevant concerning the PRC. Section III, titled Colluding with all sorts of elements to meddle in other countries internal affairs, gives a detailed analysis of how the NED has been instrumental in 1) cultivating pro-US forces in target countries, 2) misrepresenting the human rights situation in other countries, and, above all, 3) manipulating and interfering in other countries elections, thereby helping the US spread its tentacles across the globe.

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Interestingly, Section VII of the report under the theme NED exposed and criticised by the US and the international community narrates 1) NEDs true nature exposed by Americans (by US Congressmen, American media, etc.), and 2) NEDs misdeeds exposed and criticised by the international community. For example, Russias Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in addition to think tanks, academics, and media in countries such as Russia, France, Hungary, and Brazil, have criticised the NEDs overt and covert activities across the world, the report adds.

In Section IV (Inciting division and confrontation to undermine the stability of other countries), the Report has accused the NED of playing a dubious role in the state of affairs in Taiwan and Hong Kong in the last few years, besides colluding with Uyghurs and Tibetans, which the Chinese government considers anti-state, anti-national, and anti-China. For instance, the report has named three Uyghur diaspora organisations and their leaders as the beneficiaries of the NED for years. As per the Report, the NED has been supporting the Munich-based Uyghur diaspora organisation, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), with an average annual funding ranging from 5 to 6 million USD. Furthermore, the report mentioned that the NED invited a WUC leader early this year to speak at an event organised by it, much to the chagrin of the Chinese authorities. It is essential to mention that on 14 March 2024, the NED invited former President of WUC, Dolkun Isa, to speak at an NED-sponsored event titled Countering the Chinese communist Partys Genocide on the Uyghurs" as the author-speaker of his autobiography, The China Freedom Trap: My Life on the Run, published in 2023.

Earlier, a 29 May 2020 publication titled Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act Builds on Work of NED Grantees found on the NED Webpage mentioned that the NED has awarded $ 8,758,300 to Uyghur groups since 2004, serving as the only institutional funder for Uyghur advocacy and human rights organisations". It is therefore understood that the WUC has been receiving NED grants since its creation in 2004. Besides, the WUC was the recipient of NEDs 2019 Democracy Award, the publication adds.

The FMPRC Report further accused the NED of providing financial support to one Hidayet Oguzhan, the President of another Uyghur diaspora organisation (East Turkistan Education and Solidarity Association) headquartered in Istanbul (Turkiye), besides helping Hidayet to ramp up anti-China rallies and sow discord between China and Turkey. Similarly, the Report alleged that the NED funded Ms. Rushan Abbas, the head of a Uyghur organisation based in the USA, and even sponsored Rushans frequent visits to Turkiye to work with Uyghurs. It is important to mention that Rushan is tipped to be the next President of the WUC, the election for which will be held at the end of October this year (2024). Rushan is close to the leadership of the NED.

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So far, there has yet to be a response from the WUC or Rushan Abbas. However, as found from Hidayats social media posts, he dubbed these allegations as entirely baseless and part of a defamation campaign aimed at tarnishing our honourable struggle. He categorically denied having received any financial assistance from any state, political power, or foreign organisation". Hidayet not only slammed the PRC government for such manipulative tactics to malign those who defend their rights and to spread misinformation to the global public but also accused China of attempting distortion of facts to undermine the legitimacy of East Turkistan.

The astonishing fact is that this report mentions India a couple of times in sections III and VII. As per the Report, in the last two years, the Journal of Democracy, published under the auspices of the NED, has questioned the efficacy of Indian democracy. For example, in July 2023, the Journal published articles on Indian democracy under Is India Still a Democracy? accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modis government of dismantling democratic institutions, norms, and practices. Nine months later, in April 2024, an article under the title Why This Election Is Indias Most Important, published in the same journal, claimed that democratic governance in India has been steadily eroding since Modis second term began and that the future of India as a plural, secular democracy could be on the line if Prime Minister Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party win a third consecutive term. It is essential to mention here that the Indian government put the NED under watch list in 2016 due to its donation to NGOs in contravention of the provisions of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), the report added.

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Since its inception in 1983 as an integral part of US President Ronald Reagans Project Democracy to openly support democratic movements abroad, the NED has been at the forefront of working under respective US governments as a potential bulwark against countries that are either challenging American supremacy or which are intending to do so. It has never done any good to democracy abroad or democratic movements on foreign soil. Instead, the US has used the NED and its good offices to target, even browbeat, those countries that do not remain subservient to it. America only preaches democracy to maximise national interests or to nurse a grudge against any country it dislikes but hardly professes the core values of democracy.

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Since the report gives a clarion call to unmask NED and alert all countries to the need to see through its true colours, guard against and fight back its disruption and sabotage attempts, safeguard their national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and uphold world peace and development and international fairness and justice, it is high time the nation-states across the globe, especially democratic set-ups like India, must raise a voice against the activities of the NED and its founder and sponsor, the US.

Mahesh Ranjan Debata teaches at the Center for Inner Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
Bangladesh, once hailed as a model for development in South Asia, now finds itself at a critical juncture. The recent political upheaval and the shift in power dynamics have set the stage for a potentially volatile future. The resignation of Sheikh Hasina, one of the most influential political figures in the countrys history, has left a void that could be filled by forces threatening to destabilize the nation. This commentary seeks to explore the underlying causes of the current situation, the implications of the recent developments, and the challenges ahead for Bangladesh.

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The Last Straw and Challenges Ahead

The immediate trigger for the current crisis was Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas announcement on August 1, 2024, that the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), would be treated as militant groups. This decision, rooted in their alleged involvement in violent protests related to the governments job quota system, was seen as an attempt to curb rising extremism. Hasinas emphasis on treating these groups as militant threats was not entirely misplaced, given their past actions and conspiracies with opposition forces like the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and other anti-Hasina elements, both domestic and international. However, the decision was hasty and poorly executed, reflecting a dangerous complacency within the government, particularly regarding the potential vulnerabilities within the police and armed forces.

Violence and sporadic clashes continue across the country, with the army and police struggling to maintain order, often at the cost of casualties. With Hasinas departure, Bangladesh has entered a period of uncertainty. A caretaker government led by a Nobel Laureate, Mohammed Yunus, is now expected to oversee a smooth transition to democracy. However, the reality on the ground is stark. The new government has a major task in hand to deal with the pro-Islamist political and religious groups such as the BNP, JeI, and Hefazat-e-Islam (HeI). These religious groups and political parties are loose cannons and always nourish ambition of establishing Islamic rule in Bangladesh as they despise democracy in every form. Encouraged by the developments, embattled Jammat e Islami now carrying out campaign for his deceased leader Delawar Hossain Saeedee, convicted for war crime by previous government, with a message that peace will not return until the religion of Allah is established. This says a lot about the future course of action of JeI in Bangladesh.

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Resurging Extremism?

Extremist forces, subdued under Hasinas rule and the countrys counter-terrorism policies, see this as an opportunity to regain strength. Groups like Jamaat Mujahideen Bangladesh (Neo-JMB and other factions) and Ansar-al Islam and Harakt ul Jihadi Islami (HUJI) affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) have already begun to regroup, with propaganda materials resurfacing that call for action against the secular government. Several jihadists affiliated web portals, which were blocked or banned under the previous administration, have been reactivated and continue to publish extremist materials and translations of global jihadist literature. The emergence of newly organized terror groups such as Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya (JAFHS), which shares its objectives with the parent HuJI and AQIS, and the resurgence of another AQIS-linked faction Ansar al-Islam through its newly formed strike group Shahadat raised critical questions about the evolving threat posed by these many militant organizations in Bangladesh, especially in times like this when the caretaker government will need to settle down and navigate these challenges.

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Amidst this chaos, jihadist groups have seized the opportunity to reactivate their propaganda channels. Jihadi forums and networks affiliated with Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, especially Al-Firdaws and DawahIllah, An Nasr and other extremist groups are once again operational, spreading messages that call for action against secular and non-Islamic forces within Bangladesh. AQIS, in particular, has issued statements urging the Bangladeshi Muslim community to remain steadfast in their beliefs and to resist external influences, including those from India, which they accuse of being enemies of Islam. The present Pakistan-based AQIS leader, Usama Mahmud, in the message titled Bangladesh is the beacon of hope for the victory of Islam in the region, calls to exploit political instability by rallying support for a broader Islamist agenda. He praises the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and advocates for the establishment of a pure Islamic government, aiming to shift the protests in this direction. Mahmuds rejection of the interim government highlights AQISs strategy to dismantle secular state structures, pushing instead for a theocratic regime that aligns with their long-term objectives across the Muslim world.

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This resurgence of jihadist outreach and propaganda is a clear indication that extremist groups are capitalising on the current instability. The caretaker government should not overlook these developments and will need to act swiftly to counter these narratives and prevent these groups from gaining further ground.

Previously, on August 04, the Islamic State Khorasan province issued a message titled A Message for Bangladesh, which called on the people of Bangladesh to exploit the unrest to replace the existing government with an Islamic state as per Sharia laws. Labelling the Hasina government as corrupt and allied with anti-Islamic forces, IS urges the rejection of elections and advocates for Sharia law. This message was timed to coincide with ongoing turmoil in the country and aims at destabilising the region by inciting anger and mobilizing support for an Islamic regime.

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Rising Sectarian Tensions

The aftermath of Hasinas ouster has also seen a troubling increase in sectarian violence. Incidents of persecution against minority communities, including Hindus, Christians, and Buddhists, have surged, with over 200 cases reported across 52 districts according to the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad (BHBCOP) and Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad (BPUP) who are spearheading minority rights in the country. These incidents highlight the fragility of Bangladeshs social fabric and the potential for further violence if these tensions are not addressed. Another minority conglomerate, the Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mahazot (BJHM), representing 23 Hindu organizations, reported widespread attacks and threats against the Hindu community. On August 13, the BJHM detailed 278 incidents across 48 districts, including vandalism, looting, arson, and land grabbing, targeting Hindus amidst the shifting political landscape.

It is highly possible minority communities, along with pro-Hasina supporters, may soon take to the streets in a bid to protect themselves and counter the growing influence of Islamists and criminal elements. As these groups organise, the potential for widespread unrest increases, further complicating the task of the caretaker government.

External Influences and Vested Interests

Amid the chaos came the conspiracy theories. Unconfirmed intelligence reports from Bangladesh suggest that the blueprint for the recent regime change, triggered by mass protests over the quota system, was allegedly drafted in London with Pakistans ISI. Officials claim to have evidence of meetings between Tarique Rahman, acting chief of the BNP, and ISI officials in Saudi Arabia. The reported goal of Pakistans ISI, the Pakistan Army, and China was to destabilize the government, reinstall the pro-Pakistan BNP, and force Sheikh Hasina to flee to India. However, this conspiracy theory remains unproven. Another theory has a US angle indicating that it played an active role in ousting Hasina because it wanted control over Bangladeshs Saint Martin island in the Bay of Bengal.

While these theories can be dumped in oblivion, the leadership change in Bangladesh could benefit various vested interest groups, including influential international players and exiled political and religious leaders. Many of these individuals have long been critical of Hasinas government, and they may now see an opportunity to influence the countrys future direction. Moreover, the return of previously suppressed Islamists and jihadists could be supported by external forces seeking to destabilise the region for their strategic gains. The situation in Bangladesh bears troubling similarities to that of Pakistan, where a similar dynamic of elites versus common citizens and Islamists versus the state has played out with devastating consequences.

A Cautionary Tale for India

For India, the developments in Bangladesh are of significant concern. Instability in Bangladesh could have severe repercussions for Northeast India, West Bengal, and, ultimately, the entire country. India has always desired regional stability and has stood by Bangladesh through various challenges. However, as the situation unfolds, India must remain vigilant and prepared to respond to any spillover effects from Bangladeshs internal conflicts. India must also resist any external pressure tactics from Bangladesh or international forces seeking to influence its stance. The priority should be to ensure that Bangladesh remains stable and that extremist forces are prevented from gaining a foothold.

Conclusion

The situation in Bangladesh is fluid and fraught with challenges. The coming months will be critical in determining the countrys future trajectory. Political infighting, the resurgence of extreme Islamism, and minority discontent are likely to pose significant challenges to the caretaker government. Additionally, the ongoing Rohingya crisis and tensions with Myanmar will continue to keep the administration on edge.

As Bangladesh navigates this turbulent period, the international community, including India, must watch closely and be prepared to support efforts to maintain stability. The stakes are high, and the consequences of failure could be far-reaching for Bangladesh and the entire region.

The author is executive director, Society for the Study of Peace and conflict, New Delhi. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
This deal represents AMDs largest acquisition since it bought Xilinx for $35 billion in 2022. According to AMD CEO Lisa Su, the acquisition will bring around several top-tier engineers, allowing AMD to develop both silicon and systems simultaneously read more

AMD has taken a significant step in its ongoing efforts to challenge NVIDIAs dominance in the artificial intelligence (AI) market by agreeing to acquire ZT Systems, a major player in AI infrastructure, in a deal valued at $4.9 billion.

This acquisition, comprising both cash and stock, marks another substantial investment by AMD as it continues to bolster its position in the rapidly growing AI sector.

Strategic Move to Accelerate AI Chip Adoption

AMDs acquisition of ZT Systems is expected to enhance the adoption of its Instinct line of AI data centre chips, which directly compete with NVIDIAs widely used graphics processing units (GPUs). ZT Systems, a private company with three decades of experience, specializes in building custom computing infrastructure for AI hyperscalers.

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Although the company does not publicly disclose its clientele, its customers reportedly include tech giants like Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon, who are heavily invested in AI development.

This deal represents AMDs largest acquisition since it bought Xilinx for $35 billion in 2022. According to AMD CEO Lisa Su, the acquisition will bring around a thousand top-tier design engineers into AMDs team, allowing the company to develop both silicon and systems simultaneously.

This move is seen as a way to accelerate the deployment of AMDs AI infrastructure in data centres, a key demand from its customers.

The transaction, pending regulatory approval, is anticipated to close in the first half of 2025. Once finalized, New Jersey-based ZT Systems will be integrated into AMDs data centre business group. The deals $4.9 billion valuation includes up to $400 million contingent on the achievement of specific post-closing milestones. AMD has enlisted Citi and Latham & Watkins as advisors for the acquisition, while ZT Systems has retained Goldman Sachs and Paul, Weiss.

Competing with NVIDIA in the AI Market

AMDs move to acquire ZT Systems comes as part of a broader strategy to challenge NVIDIAs dominance in the AI data centre chip market. NVIDIA, which briefly became the worlds most valuable company earlier this year, has established a stronghold in the market by offering a comprehensive systems approach.

This includes providing end-to-end computing infrastructure, such as pre-packaged server racks, networking equipment, and software tools, making it easier for developers to build AI applications using NVIDIA chips.

By acquiring ZT Systems, AMD is signalling its intent to build out a similar systems offering. AMD introduced its MI300 line of AI chips last year and plans to launch its next-generation MI350 chip in the near future, aimed at competing with NVIDIAs new Blackwell line of GPUs. In a notable development, Microsoft adopted the MI300 for its Azure cloud platform in May, using it to run AI models like OpenAIs GPT-4. In the three months leading up to June 30, AMDs revenue from these chips exceeded $1 billion for the first time.

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Despite these gains, AMDs data centre revenue still pales in comparison to NVIDIAs, which brought in $22.6 billion in the quarter ending in April. The acquisition of ZT Systems is viewed as a crucial move to close this gap and drive the adoption of AMDs AI solutions at a faster pace.

Continued Investments in AI

In addition to the ZT Systems deal, AMD has been actively increasing its investments in AI research and development. Over the past year, the company has spent more than $1 billion to expand its AI hardware and software ecosystem. In July, AMD announced the acquisition of Finnish AI start-up Silo AI for $665 million, marking the largest acquisition of a privately held AI start-up in Europe in a decade.

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As AMD pushes forward with these strategic acquisitions and investments, the company aims to position itself as a formidable competitor in the AI market, with the goal of challenging NVIDIAs dominance and capitalizing on the growing demand for AI infrastructure.
For many students, the Mac and iPad are essential tools for navigating the complexities of their chosen fields. Whether its the visual arts, medicine, or engineering, Apples ecosystem provides the support needed to excel in various disciplines read more

The integration of Apple Intelligence this fall, which introduces powerful generative models across Mac, iPad, and iPhone, is set to offer even more capabilities to help students manage the increasing demands of their studies. Image credit: Firstpost | Mehul Reuben Das

As the fall semester approaches, Apple is encouraging college students around the world to head back to campus with MacBooks and iPads in tow. Apple emphasizes that their devices are particularly popular among students due to their longevity, portability, and reliability.

Whether students are diving into app development, taking notes in organic chemistry, editing videos, or designing presentations, they trust Apple products to meet the demands of their academic lives.

For many students, the Mac and iPad are essential tools for navigating the complexities of their chosen fields. Whether its the visual arts, medicine, or engineering, Apples ecosystem provides the support needed to excel in various disciplines.

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The integration of Apple Intelligence this fall, which introduces powerful generative models across Mac, iPad, and iPhone, is set to offer even more capabilities to help students manage the increasing demands of their studiesall while maintaining Apples high standard for privacy.

Apple has shared stories from students around the globe, highlighting how its products have become integral to their academic journeys.

From left to right: Yoora Jung, a second-year medical student at Touro University, California | Anuj Pachhel, graduate from Government Medical College Nagpur, Maharashtra | Brayden Gogis, a junior at Taylor University majoring in mechanical engineering. Image Credit: Apple

Take Anuj Pachhel, a recent graduate from Government Medical College in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Anuj found his MacBook Pro to be a game-changer in managing the rigorous demands of medical school. He particularly appreciated the devices long battery life and speed, which allowed him to handle his academic workload efficiently.

The Mac is so powerful at handling challenging tasks. I particularly love DaVinci Resolve Studio, as it uses many artificial intelligence features that tap the fast Neural Engine of my MacBook Pro, improving my editing speed, says Anuj.

Anuj used his MacBook Pro to load e-books and take notes. Anuj, who is a content creator and enjoys over a million subscribers on YouTube, and thousands of followers on Instagram, also uses uses his MacBook Pro extensively to edit videos using DaVinci Resolve Studio, a software that leverages the MacBook Pros Neural Engine to enhance his editing process.

His academic journey, documented through his iPhone and Mac, has resonated with over a million followers who tuned in to see how he balanced his studies and personal life during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Similarly, Yoora Jung, a second-year medical student at Touro University California, relies on her iPad Air and MacBook Pro for everything from note-taking to content creation. She uses her iPad Air with an Apple Pencil to take handwritten notes using the Notability app, which helps her organize lecture materials for effective study sessions.

I use iPad Air and Apple Pencil to take handwritten notes using Notability, and to organize lecture materials for effective study sessions, says Yoora.

Yoora is particularly excited about the upcoming Apple Intelligence features, which she believes will streamline her study sessions and help her craft more professional communications.

Then, we have Brayden Gogis, a junior at Taylor University majoring in mechanical engineering and biochemistry, praises the MacBook Air for its combination of portability and power.

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The more I use my Mac, the more I get out of it. I can go on my iPhone and see all of my notes for class that I type on my MacBook Air if I want to quickly study, and all of my texts, calendar events, and reminders sync between them says Brayden.

Whether hes using AutoCAD to design a new machine, taking notes in organic chemistry, or building an app in Xcode, his MacBook Air is up to the task. Brayden finds that the MacBook Air opens up new possibilities for his studies, thanks to its robust performance and lightweight design.

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To sweeten the deal, Apple is offering a limited-time promotion for college and graduate students, their parents, and teachers. Students can take advantage of discounted education pricing and save 20 per cent on AppleCare+ for added protection. Apple also provides trade-in options and 0 per cent interest financing to make these devices more accessible.

To assist students in making the best choice, Apple has introduced a new Today at Apple session and a Help me choose service. Students can also consult with Apple specialists for personalized advice tailored to their academic needs. For those looking for even more deals, AppleInsider offers buyers guides for the iPad and Mac, where students can find offers that might be even better than those directly from Apple.

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As students gear up for the new semester, its clear that Apples MacBooks and iPads are more than just toolstheyre companions that help them navigate the challenges and opportunities of college life.
During the joint press conference, Prime Minister Modi emphasised the untapped potential in the India-Malaysia relationship, particularly in the areas of emerging technologies read more

Malaysia's digital payment market has emerged as a fertile ground for fintech innovation, which has attracted several Indian startups to the region. PM Modi, with PM Anwar. Image Credit: Reuters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Malaysian counterpart, Dato Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim, took significant steps to deepen the bilateral relations between the two nations by exchanging Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements during a formal event at Hyderabad House in Delhi.

Following the exchange, a joint statement was issued which underscored the potential for greater collaboration between the two nations.

During the joint press conference, Prime Minister Modi emphasised the untapped potential in the India-Malaysia relationship, particularly in the areas of emerging technologies. He highlighted the need for enhanced cooperation in fields like fintech, semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and quantum computing.

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One of the key announcements was the plan to link Indias Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Malaysias PayNet, a move that could revolutionize digital payments between the two countries.

We have more potential in our relationship. We must increase our cooperation in the field of new technology areas, such as fintech, semiconductors, AI, and quantum We will work on integrating Indias UPI and Malaysias Paynet, said PM Modi.

Indias impact on Malaysias digital payment market

Malaysias digital payment market has emerged as a fertile ground for fintech innovation, which has attracted several Indian startups to the region. Thanks to a rather favourable regulatory environment and a growing demand for digital financial services, Malaysia presents a promising landscape for these companies.

Indian fintech firms like Pine Labs and Razorpay have already made notable inroads, particularly in the digital payments sector, but opportunities remain in areas like insurance, credit management, and short-term lending.

Razorpays acquisition of Curlec, a Malaysian recurring payment solutions provider, marked a pivotal moment in its expansion. Rebranded as Curlec by Razorpay, the company has broadened its offerings to become a full-stack digital payment gateway.

This strategic move has allowed Razorpay to serve over 700 businesses in Malaysia, including prominent names like Tune Protect and Mary Kay.

Curlec by Razorpays involvement in DuitNow, Malaysias real-time payment system which is similar to Indias UPI, further demonstrates its commitment to driving cashless transactions across the country. DuitNow is a part of the larger digital public infrastructure initiative by Malaysia, called PayNet.

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By enabling fund transfers through mobile numbers and national IDs, Curlec is contributing to Bank Negara Malaysias (BNM) vision of a cashless society.

The success of Indian fintech startups in Malaysia is not just due to their innovation but also because of Malaysias supportive regulatory framework. Authorities, particularly Bank Negara Malaysia, have been instrumental in fostering a conducive environment for fintech growth.

Expanding educational and cultural ties

In addition to fintech, the leaders also discussed enhancing educational and cultural ties between the two nations. Prime Minister Modi announced a focus on scholarships for Malaysian students and training programs for government officials.

Under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program, 100 seats will be allocated specifically for Malaysians to pursue advanced courses in fields like cybersecurity and AI.

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Moreover, an Ayurveda Chair will be established at Malaysias University Tunku Abdul Rahman, and a Thiruvalluvar Chair will be set up at another Malaysian university, further strengthening cultural and educational links between the countries.

Prime Minister Modi expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Anwar and his team for their cooperation in these initiatives, which reflect the growing partnership between India and Malaysia.
At least five Republican leaders will speak at the ongoing Democratic National Conventional (DNC) and urge fellow conservatives to vote for Kamala Harris read more

Even as Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton steal the show at the ongoing Democratic National Convention (DNC), there are five speakers who are unlikely to sweep the headlines but represent the extent to which the US politics stands polarised.

These five speakers are Republican leaders who would make a case for Kamala Harris, the Democratic Partys nominee. They are part of a growing body of moderate and mainstream American conservatives who have rejected the extremist politics of Donald Trump and the Republican Partys surrender to his far-right Make America Great Again (MAGA) platform.

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This is part of a broader trend in the US presidential election in which a bunch of Republican leaders and conservative commentators have broken away from Trump because of his extremist agenda and are calling for fellow moderate Republicans and Independents to vote for Harris.

We made a grave mistake by voting for Trump

In a speech via a recorded, conservative commentator Rich Logis told the DNC attendees that he and fellow conservatives made a grave mistake by previously voting for Trump.

Logis said that while he hated the Democrats earlier, he realised during the Covid-19 pandemic when the Trump administration did nothing to help the public that Trump had lied about nearly everything.

Lying is Trumps superpower. He has ripped apart families, communities, and the whole country. This is my message to all the Republicans and the Independents who are watching. People like me voted for and believed in Trump. I made a grave mistake. Its never too late to change your mind. You dont need to agree to everything you hear tonight to do what is right, said Logis, a former MAGA pundit.

In a video played at the DNC, former MAGA pundit Rich Logis endorsed Vice President Harris.



"I finally stepped outside the MAGA echo chamber, I stopped listening to what Trump said, and looked around with my own eyes." pic.twitter.com/amVbbFCzen  Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 20, 2024

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Republicans for Harris movements have been organised in swing states to convince moderate Republicans miffed with Trump and Independents to vote for Harris.

While we may agree with Kamala Harris on all policies or even most of the policies, in my mind, it is about do we want our kids and grandkids to be raised in a democracy that is as healthy as the one we were raised in or not? And I think I do, the NPC quoted a conservative leader as saying.

Here are the other five Republicans who will speak at the DNC and support Harris.

Mayor John Giles

John Giles is the Mayor of Mesa, Arizona.

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Giles told CNN he was excited to support Harris.

This was not something I was excited to do  but occasionally there are issues and questions that we are presented with in life that are just too compelling to be silent, said Giles.

In an article last month, Giles had endorsed Harris and said that the Republican Party under Trump had lost its way. Mentioning the false claim that Trump won the 2020 election, he said that the party had failed to correct its course regarding Trump. He said the extremism in the party challenged the fundamental freedoms.

Our party used to stand for the belief that every Arizonan, no matter their background or circumstances, should have the freedom, opportunity and security to live out their American DreamBut since Donald Trump refused to accept the outcome of the 2020 election, Republicans have yet to course correct. The Republican party with Trump at its helm continues down the path of political extremism, away from focusing on our fundamental freedoms, said Giles in an article for The Arizona Republic newspaper.

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Former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan

Duncan said that voting for Harris does not mean support for the Democratic Party but it is an act of patriotism.

Just because you vote for Kamala Harris in 2024 doesnt mean youre a Democrat. It just means youre a patriot. Youre doing your duty as an American to step up to the plate and reclaim this countrys future, said Duncan to CNN.

Former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham

Grisham served as the White House Press Secretary for under a year under the Trump administration. Overall, she worked for Donald and Melania Trump for around five years, including as Melanias chief of staff, according to CNN.

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Grisham said that she is supporting Harris because of the threat that Trump posed to the nation.

I never thought Id be speaking at a Democratic convention. But, after seeing firsthand who Donald Trump really is, and the threat he poses to our country, I feel very strongly about speaking out, said Grisham to NBC News.

Grisham further said, While I dont agree with Vice President Harris on everything, I am proud to be supporting her because I know she will defend our freedoms and represent our nation with honesty and integrity.

Olivia Troye

Troye is a former White House national security official who was a counter-terrorism advisor during the Trump administration.

Troye endorsed Harris by saying that a second Trump term will bring more turmoil to the United States. She said that while she does not agree with Harris on everything, she believes Harris will secure the fundamental freedoms of Americans.

As a lifelong Republican, I may not agree with Kamala Harris on everything, but I trust her to protect our freedoms, uphold the rule of law & provide steady leadership on the world stage. Thats why Im voting for Kamala Harris, said Troye in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

As someone who served in the Trump White House, I witnessed the destruction & chaos firsthand. A second Trump term will bring more turmoil. As a lifelong Republican, I may not agree with Kamala Harris on everything, but I trust her to protect our freedoms, uphold the rule of law  Olivia of Troye (@OliviaTroye) August 4, 2024

Previously, Troye had joined at an event in Michigan and said this was not the Republican Party she grew up with.

The extremists are not doneThis isnt the Republican Party I grew up with. This isnt the party that I supportedThe things that Im seeing that Donald Trump has implemented along the way, and I have greater concerns about whats to come, said Troye.

Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger

Kinzinger is a former Republican Congressman from Illinois. He was a lawmaker for over two years.

As a lawmaker, Kinzinger was among the 10 Republican lawmakers to support Trumps impeachment over the January 6 attack on the US Capitol that he fuelled. He also voted to create a bipartisan committee to carry out an inquiry into the Jan. 6 attack.

Last week, Kinzinger was part of the efforts that mobilised a Republicans for Harris event that had 70,000 people, according to The New Republican.
The Australia-Indonesia defence pact is aimed at boosting cooperation and interoperability among the two countries, said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese read more

Australia and Indonesia have concluded a new defence cooperation agreement that the leaders have dubbed as a historic moment in the bilateral relationship.

As neighbours that share the worlds longest maritime borders, Australia and Indonesia have long-standing relations and security cooperation. Indonesia has always been one of the first ports of call for new Australian premiers.

Highlighting the relationship at a press briefing in which the agreement was announced, Indonesias President-elect Prabowo Subianto said that there was no more important relationship than the one between our two great nations. The agreement would allow more joint military exercises and visits between the two countries.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dubbed the deal as a historic treaty. He said the deal would bolster our strong defence cooperation by deepening dialogue, strengthening interoperability and enhancing practical arrangements.

While the agreement was announced, it would be finalised in the upcoming days when Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles will travel to Indonesia to sign the agreement. The two countries had said last year that they were negotiating a new pact to replace their existing defence cooperation agreement.

Here are the five things to know about the Australia-Indonesia security agreement

1. More drills, more interoperability

The new security agreement would not just allow for more joint military exercises between Australian and Indonesian military but it would also for much more interoperability.

What this agreement will do is provide for much greater interoperability between our defense forces, it will provide for much more exercises between our defense forces, it will see us working together the global commons to support the rules-based order and, importantly, it will allow us to operate from each others countries, said Australian Defence Minister Marles.

Nothing else is known about the deal. Albanese, Marles, or Subianto did not take questions from the press after the briefing.

2. The China factor

Even as neither Indonesia or Australia have named China, it is a fact that the deal has come at a time when Australia and partners are concerned about the aggressive activities and hegemonic designs of China in the Indo-Pacific region.

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China has not been aggressive in the waters around its shores, it has also reached out to island nations in the Indo-Pacific. The Australian outreach to China should also be seen as part of efforts of contain China in the region.

Australia sees the Indo-Pacific reason as its turf and is working with like-minded partners like the United States and India to curb Chinese influence and disturbances in the region.

In his remarks, Albanese said the deal was not vital to the two countries but to also the stability of the region that we share.

3. But is the deal practical?

Even though Australia and Indonesia have reached the deal, there are questions about the practicality of the deal.

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The questions take a front-row as Indonesia does not share the same concerns regarding China as Australia or its partners.

Indonesia has also stated that it would not be part of any alliance.

Euan Graham, an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute think tank, further questioned the deals strategic value to Australia and highlighted that Indonesia has made clear that it would remain non-aligned under. He told AP that this meant that Indonesia would be part of countries that dont want to be officially aligned with or against any major power bloc such as the United States.

The issue is that Indonesia doesnt share the same threat perception as Australia towards China, said Graham.

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4. Latest Australian defence pact

In the recent years, Australia has been engaged in numerous security-related talks and agreements.

The most notable of these agreements is the AUKUS with the United Kingdom and the United States. It is geared towards Australia receiving nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy. The second part of the AUKUS is focussed on enhancing joint capabilities and interoperability in the areas of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and additional undersea capabilities.

While it is not a new treaty, another agreement has become important as the region faces a common threat from China. There exists a Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) with the Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK and commits members to consult in the case of an attack on Malaysia or Singapore.

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There is also the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue with the United States, Japan, and India. While it is not a security alliance, the increasing focus on the security and stability of the Middle East gives it a strong security dimension. Moreover, last years, the four nations held military drills together in Australia.

5. Human rights concerns

There are concerns that the Indonesian government may use the deal to the political advantage of the regime.

Indonesia is a Muslim-majority country and there are strong Islamist undercurrents in the country. There are also human rights concerns regarding rules around the Islamic headscarf hijab and the queer community in the country. The Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the Australian government should use the platform provided by the deal to urge Indonesia to fulfil the human rights-related commitments that previous Indonesian administrations had made but failed to meet.

These [human rights concerns] include some difficult issues such as the mandatory hijab rules, the crackdown on LGBT people, and the governments unwillingness to allow foreign journalists and United Nations officials to visit West Papua, said HRWs Australia Director Daniela Gavshon, as per The Guardian.

The HRW maintains that up to 100,000 Papuans have been displaced since 2018 when violence between the Indonesian forces and the militants escalated in the region, according to the newspaper.

The HRW has flagged reports of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in the region.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Egypt on Tuesday for talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza, following Israels acceptance of a US bridging proposal. Blinkens visit includes meetings with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani as the US seeks to resolve the ongoing conflict read more

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks in Tel Aviv, Tuesday Oct. 17, 2023, after an overnight meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERS/FIle Photo

Top US diplomat Antony Blinken was in Egypt on Tuesday for talks on a Gaza ceasefire after saying Israel had accepted a US bridging proposal for a deal and urging Hamas to do the same.

Blinken, on his ninth visit to the Middle East since the Palestinian militant groups October 7 attack triggered the war with Israel, flew to El Alamein, the Mediterranean city famous for a World War II battle, and began talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at his summer palace.

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Afterwards, he will head to a meeting with Qatars emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, in Doha, the scene of ceasefire talks last week.

Both Egypt and Qatar are working alongside the United States to broker a truce in the 10-month Gaza conflict.

Washington put forward the latest proposal last week aimed at after the talks in Doha.

Blinken said Monday he had a very constructive meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal.

Ahead of those talks, Hamas called on the mediators to implement the framework set out by US President Joe Biden in late May, rather than hold more negotiations.

The movement said on Sunday that the current US proposal responds to Netanyahus conditions.

At the weekend, Hamas political bureau member Sami Abu Zuhri said US optimism about the prospects for the deal was an illusion.

On Monday, the US secretary of state had said: This is a decisive moment  probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security.

- Sense of urgency -

Israel and Hamas have blamed each other for delays in reaching an accord that diplomats say would help avert a wider conflagration in the Middle East that could draw in Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

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Fears of an escalation have mounted since Hezbollah and Iran vowed to respond after an Israeli strike on Beirut last month killed a top Hezbollah commander, Fuad Shukr, shortly before an attack in Tehran blamed on Israel killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Hezbollah said it launched rocket salvos at Israeli army positions in the annexed Golan Heights, in the latest of the cross-border exchanges which have raged almost daily since the Gaza war began.

There is, I think, a real sense of urgency here, across the region, on the need to get this over the finish line and to do it as soon as possible, Blinken said.

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The Biden administration is under domestic pressure over Gaza, with pro-Palestinian protests taking place outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday.

Biden said in his farewell speech to the convention that the protesters have a point, adding that a lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides.

He acknowledged Hamas objections to the latest draft. Its still in play, but you cant predict, he said as he prepared to leave Chicago.

Israel says they can work it out Hamas is now backing away.

- Permanent ceasefire -

Israeli military operations in Gaza have continued throughout the truce talks.

Gazas civil defence agency said an Israeli strike hit a school housing displaced Palestinians and killed seven people. The Israeli military said it struck a Hamas command centre.

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Medics reported six dead in two separate Israeli air strikes in and around the southern city of Rafah.

Western ally Jordan, hostage supporters who protested in Tel Aviv during Blinkens visit, and Hamas itself have called for pressure on Netanyahu for an agreement to be reached.

Far-right members crucial to the prime ministers governing coalition oppose any truce.

The October 7 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israels retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed at least 40,173 people, according to the territorys health ministry, which does not give details of civilian and militant deaths.

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Out of 251 hostages seized during Hamass attack, 105 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the military says are dead.

The Biden framework would freeze fighting for an initial six weeks while Israeli hostages are exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and humanitarian aid enters Gaza.

Netanyahu said on Monday that negotiators were aiming to release a maximum number of living hostages in the first phase of any ceasefire.

- Bodies of six hostages recovered -

The Israeli military said it had retrieved the bodies of six hostages from the southern Gaza district of Khan Yunis in a joint operation with internal security agency Shin Bet.

The hostages were Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, Chaim Perry, previously announced dead, and Avraham Munder, whose kibbutz of Nir Oz near Gaza announced his death earlier Tuesday.

Campaign group the Hostages and Missing Families Forum called on the government to ensure the remaining hostages are returned to Israel in a negotiated deal.

The Israeli government, with the assistance of mediators, must do everything in its power to finalise the deal currently on the table, it said.
Earlier Tuesday, Afghanistans Tolo News quoted chief Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid as saying that Richard Bennett had been banned because he was appointed to Afghanistan to spread propaganda and he is not someone whose words we can trust read more

The UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan has been barred from entering the country, a diplomatic source told AFP on Tuesday.

Richard Bennett was informed of the decision that he would not be welcome to return to Afghanistan several months ago, a diplomatic source confirmed to AFP after local media reported the ban, citing a Taliban government spokesman.

Since returning to power in August 2021, Taliban authorities have enforced rules based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Women have borne the brunt of restrictions the United Nations has labelled gender apartheid which have pushed them from public life.

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Taliban authorities have systematically dismissed criticism of their policies from the UN and the international community.

However, when the ban was apparently issued months ago, the Taliban government stressed that their issue was not with human rights monitoring and reporting, but with Bennett personally, according to diplomatic sources.

Earlier Tuesday, Afghanistans Tolo News quoted chief Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid as saying that Bennett had been banned because he was appointed to Afghanistan to spread propaganda and he is not someone whose words we can trust.

He took small issues and exaggerated them for propaganda, he said.

Special rapporteurs like Bennett are independent experts within the Special Procedures body of the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) maintains a human rights monitoring and reporting function in the country.
Just ahead of PM Modis visit to Ukraine, Russias navy chief is on a four-day tour of India to bolster maritime defence cooperation between the two countries. read more

The day the government announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi upcoming Poland and Ukraine visits, Russian Navy chief Admiral Alekseyevich Moiseyev landed in India. Moiseyev arrived in India on Monday, and held talks with Indias Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan.

Modi will visit Ukraine on August 23. The visit of Moiseyev and the upcoming Ukraine tour of Modi assume critical significance as India tries to strike a balance in its diplomacy. India has a long-standing strategic partnership with Russia, which is also its leading defence supplier, and New Delhi has also spoken against the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, with Modi telling Russias President Vladimir Putin that solutions cant be found on the battlefield. While India has spoken against war and sent multiple consignments of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, it has not condemned Russia like Kyivs Western aid contributors.

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Moiseyev is in India till August 22 to explore new avenues to strengthen maritime cooperation between the two countries. Besides meeting CDS General Chauhan, Moiseyev also held discussions with Navy chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi on Monday.

The Russian navy chiefs visit has another dimension of strategic balance. India has been closely monitoring the growing proximity between Russia and China, which is trying to flex its muscles in the Indo-Pacific region to distort the rule-based order that has governed the region for decades. Chinas growing assertiveness on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India has New Delhi also concerned about its border security. China has been trying to create strategic imbalances in countries surrounding India  from Pakistan to the Maldives to Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.

In their talks, Admiral Moiseyev and General Chauhan underscored the mutual commitment towards enhancing maritime security, deepening strategic cooperation and fostering a stronger defence partnership between the two nations, the Times of India reported quoting an official.

The visit is a testimony to the longstanding relationship between the navies of Russia and India. The visit aims to strengthen bilateral naval relations, as also to explore new avenues for naval cooperation, the paper said.

A Press Information Bureau (PIB) release said, The visit is a testimony to the longstanding relationship between the navies of Russia and India. The visit aims to strengthen bilateral naval relations between India and Russia, as also to explore new avenues for naval cooperation.

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In their meeting, Admiral Moiseyev and Admiral Tripathi discussed collaborative mechanisms and measures to further strengthen Navy to Navy cooperation. Moiseyev was received with a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the South Block Lawns.

The Indian Navy cooperates with the Russian Federation Navy on many fronts, which include operational interactions, training, hydrographic cooperation, and exchange of Subject Matter Experts in various fields through the IRIGC M&MTC mechanism between the two countries, the PIB release said.

The Indian Navy has also been interacting with the Russian Federation Navy in various multilateral fora viz. IONS (Indian Ocean Naval Symposium), MILAN, IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association), WPNS (Western Pacific Naval Symposium) and ADMM-Plus (ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus), the official statement said.

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Moiseyev is also scheduled to visit the Western Naval Command and Mazagon Docks in Mumbai. It comes ahead of the delivery of two guided-missile frigates being built in Russia for India.

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has led to a delay in the delivery of the frigates and the remaining two squadrons of the five S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems for the Indian Air Force.

Moiseyev was appointed Russias navy chief earlier this year after his predecessor on the Black Sea Fleet was sacked over repeated hits on the Black Sea Fleet and the drowning of a warship by Ukraine in March.
Around 100 hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7 attacks are still understood to be in captivity in the Gaza Strip read more

Passersby observe the photos of hostages held in the Gaza Strip that are plastered to the walls of a plaza known as Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, 17 May, 2024. AP

At a time when the stalemate over the Gaza peace talks drags on, Israel on Tuesday said that it has recovered bodies of six hostages.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday said it recovered the bodies of six hostages from the Khan Younis area of the Gaza Strip. They were among around 250 people abducted by Hamas terrorists during the October 7 attack and taken to Gaza as hostages.

The six of them were identified as Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, and Haim Perry. The Associated Press noted that three of them had their family members also abducted with them but were released during a brief truce and prisoner swap in November last year.

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The rescue operation was enabled by precise intelligence from the ISA, intelligence units and the IDF Intelligence Directorate Hostage Headquarters. We will continue to operate in order to return all of the remaining hostages back home, said the IDF in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell and Haim Perrys bodies were rescued from the Khan Yunis area in Gaza. They were abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7.



The rescue operation was enabled by precise intelligence from the ISA, intelligence pic.twitter.com/SNIOlxHH1G  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 20, 2024

The recovery of six bodies means that the number of hostages who are alive is set to fall further. Of around 100 hostages still understood to be in captivity, around a third are already said to be dead, according to AP.

The ongoing talks are focussed at striking a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages in lieu of the release of Palestinians prisoners in Israeli jails. Even as the mediators the United States, Egypt, and Qatar have said that progress was made in the last weeks talks, Hamas later went on to reject the proposal and cited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus insertion of new demands as the reason.

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In a statement after the recovery of bodies, Netanyahu thanked the recovery effort and said our hearts ache for the terrible loss.

Our hearts ache for the terrible loss. My wife Sara and I send our condolences from the bottom of our hearts to the dear families. I would like to thank the brave fighters and commanders of the IDF and Shin Bet for their bravery and determined action. The State of Israel will continue to make every effort to return all of our abductees - both alive and dead, said Netanyahu in a statement in Hebrew.
Israel has accepted the USs bridging proposal for a Gaza truce, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced after meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu. With Hamas yet to agree, the conflict shows no signs of easing amid escalating violence. President Biden faces growing domestic pressure over his stance on the issue read more

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel has accepted US' Gaza proposal. File image

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Monday (August 19) that Israel has accepted a US bridging proposal aimed at securing a truce in the ongoing Gaza conflict.

Blinken, who is on his ninth visit to the Middle East since the war began on October 7, said that he had a very constructive meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli leader confirmed Israels support for the proposal.

The onus is now on Hamas to reciprocate.

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Prime Minister Netanyahu supports it. Its now incumbent on Hamas to do the same, Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv. The proposal was introduced last week following the latest round of talks in Qatar.

Mounting political pressure in Washington

Blinkens visit comes as US President Joe Biden faces increasing pressure at home, particularly as the Democratic Party begins its national convention.

Pro-Palestinian protests and concerns about losing Muslim and Arab American votes in key swing states are adding to the political challenges the Democrats are confronting in an election year.

The presidents stance on the conflict, which has been perceived by some as overly supportive of Israel, is becoming a contentious issue within his party.

Violence on the ground

Despite diplomatic efforts, the situation on the ground remains tense, with little sign of de-escalation. On Sunday (August 18) night, Hamas claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, resuming such an attack for the first time in years.

Meanwhile, Israeli military strikes continue across the Gaza Strip, with medics reporting at least 30 Palestinian casualties on Monday.

Months of on and off negotiations have failed to resolve key sticking points. Israel remains adamant that the war can only conclude with the dismantling of Hamas as a military and political entity. Conversely, Hamas insists that it will only agree to a permanent ceasefire, rejecting any temporary measures.

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Major points of contention include Israels military presence in Gaza, particularly along the border with Egypt, the free movement of Palestinians within the territory, and the terms of a potential prisoner swap.

Hamas officials have accused the US of displaying bias towards Israel, further complicating the prospects for a ceasefire.

With inputs from agencies
Azerbaijan formally applied Tuesday to join the BRICS bloc of developing economies, a day after Russian leader Vladimir Putins visit to the oil-rich South Caucasus country to shore up regional ties and secure Moscows under-pressure trade routes read more

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attend a state reception at the Gulustan Palace in Baku, Azerbaijan, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (Mikhail Tereshchenko, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via APRussian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attend a state reception at the Gulustan Palace in Baku, Azerbaijan, Monday, on August 19, 2024. AP

Azerbaijan formally applied Tuesday to join the BRICS bloc of developing economies, a day after Russian leader Vladimir Putins visit to the oil-rich South Caucasus country to shore up regional ties and secure Moscows under-pressure trade routes.

The announcement from the foreign ministry in Azerbaijans capital, Baku, comes as the BRICS alliance has seen a major expansion. For over a decade, the bloc included just five nations: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

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Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates joined in January, and Saudi Arabia has said its considering doing so as well.

The club already includes some of the worlds biggest oil producers, and accounts for well over a quarter of the worlds GDP. Its members Russia and Iran have had their relations with the West stretched to breaking point over Moscows war on Ukraine and Irans regional policies.

Business ties were high on the agenda during the meeting between Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Monday, with Aliyev announcing that $120 million had been earmarked to boost cargo transport between the two countries.

Putin increasingly depends on countries such as Azerbaijan to access global markets because of sanctions imposed on Moscow over its actions in Ukraine, according to political scientist Zardusht Alizade.

For Azerbaijan, retaining Moscows good-will is important for national security over tensions with neighboring Armenia, said Alizade.

Russia has been Armenias longtime sponsor and ally since the fall of the Soviet Union. But relations between them became increasingly strained since Sept. 2023, when Azerbaijans military took control of the Karabakh region, ending three decades of ethnic Armenian separatist rule.

Armenia accused Russian peacekeepers deployed to the region of failing to stop Azerbaijans onslaught. Moscow, which has a military base in Armenia, argued that its troops didnt have a mandate to intervene.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi on Tuesday met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and warned of the risk of the Gaza war expanding regionally in a way difficult to imagine, according to a report, citing the Egyptian presidency read more

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in El-Alamein, Egypt, on Tuesday. Reuters

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi on Tuesday met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and warned of the risk of the Gaza war expanding regionally in a way difficult to imagine, according to a Times of Israel report, citing the Egyptian presidency.

Blinken, who flew to Egypt on Tuesday, is pushing for areas of possible progress on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal in talks planned for later this week, with major areas of dispute between Israel and Hamas left unresolved.

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Egypt has been helping mediate the on-off Gaza talks for months along with the US and Qatar.

Earlier in Tel Aviv, Blinken said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted a US bridging proposal aimed at narrowing the gaps between the two sides after talks last week paused without a breakthrough. He urged Hamas to also accept the proposal as the basis for more talks.

The Palestinian militant group has not definitively rejected the proposal, but has said it backtracks from areas previously agreed and has accused Israel and its US ally of spinning out the negotiations process in bad faith.

The situation in Gaza remains dire as Israels military campaign, which began on October 7 last year, has claimed over 40,000 lives, according to Palestinian health authorities.

The conflict started when Hamas gunmen attacked Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages.

As of Tuesday, Israels military said that it has recovered six hostages bodies and added that 109 hostages remain in Gaza, with around a third presumed dead.

Israeli forces are fighting Hamas militants in Gazas central and southern regions. Recent Israeli strikes, including one on a school sheltering displaced people, have resulted in additional casualties.

Meanwhile, Gazas health ministry awaits polio vaccines amid deteriorating living conditions.

Blinken described the latest proposal as a critical opportunity for peace, urging Hamas to accept it. However, details of the proposal and its differences from past agreements remain unclear. Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan criticised the proposal, citing inconsistencies with previous terms.

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Ongoing negotiations face hurdles over Israels military presence in Gaza, the movement of Palestinians, and prisoner exchanges.

Egypt is particularly concerned about the security of the Philadelphi Corridor, and while both Hamas and Egypt oppose a prolonged Israeli military presence, the U.S. has suggested an international force, which Egypt might accept for up to six months.

With inputs from agencies
While Satinder Pal Singh Raju survived a gun attack when he was travelling in a pick-up truck on a highway in California on August 11, former president of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurudwara Raghbir Nijjars house was fired upon several times in Surrey a day earlier read more

A banner with the image of Hardeep Singh Nijjar at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple, site of his June 2023 killing, in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Reuters File

Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjars associate Satinder Pal Singh Raju, who was among the main organisers of the recently held so-called Khalistan Referendum in Calgary, was fired upon multiple times this month, the latest attack coming on him when he was travelling in a pick-up truck on a highway in California on August 11.

According to a Hindustan Times report, Raju was associated with the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and its general counsel Gurpatwant Pannun described him as close associate of Nijjar and an active organiser of Khalistan Referendum.

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Raju survived a deadly ambush when the truck he was travelling in was sprayed with bullets by the shooters, added the report, citing Pannun.

According to the Hindustan Times report, citing an incident report of the California Highway Patrol, there were reports of 4-5 shots fired while the vehicle was in Woodland in Yolo county.

The report cited Pannun, who claimed that following Nijjars killing in Surrey on June 18 last year, Raju stayed in the town until October. During that time, Raju played a key role in organising the 2023 referendum in Surrey and the one held in Calgary, Alberta, on July 28 this year.

Pannun has accused the Indian government of targeting Raju and using transnational repression to violently suppress the global Khalistan Referendum campaign, reported Hindustan Times.

Law enforcement has not announced any arrests or provided a motive related to the incident.

In another incident on August 10, the residence of Raghbir Nijjar, former president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurudwara that Nijjar led till the time of his death, was also fired upon in Surrey, British Columbia.

While the Surrey detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or RCMP reported that such an incident had taken place around 3:10 am, but it did not identify the owner of the residence, reported HT, citing a press release on August 13.

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Evidence consistent with a shooting was located at the scene along with evidence of an attempted arson," the release read.

The RCMP believes this incident may be connected to a series of extortion-related shootings targeting Indo-Canadian businesses and individuals over the past year.

According to the Hindustan Times, citing a person familiar with the incident, Raghbir Nijjar, who is from the same village as Hardeep Nijjar and is believed to be related to him, is seeking to become the president of the gurdwara again.

Hardeep Nijjars murder has strained relations between New Delhi and Ottawa.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus statement in the House of Commons three months later alleging a possible link between Indian agents and the killing was dismissed by India as absurd and motivated.

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This year, Canadian investigators have arrested four Indian nationals in connection with the murder, though no evidence has yet been provided linking them to Indian agents, and this angle remains under investigation.

With inputs from agencies
Imran Khan alleges that former ISI chief Faiz Hameed is being coerced to testify against him in connection with the May 9 incidents, potentially leading to a military court trial. Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court has delayed the verdict in Khans 190 million corruption case involving the Al Qadir Trust, allowing daily proceedings to continue read more

Pakistans Former Prime Minister Imran Khan alleged Monday that ex-ISI chief Faiz Hameed, recently detained in connection with a housing scheme scam, is being coerced into turning approver against him.

Khan suggested that Hameeds testimony might be used to implicate him in the May 9 incidents, which could lead to his trial in a military court.

In a separate development, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued a restraining order preventing an accountability court from delivering its verdict in the 190 million corruption case involving Khan and his spouse, related to the Al Qadir Trust.

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The IHC permitted the continuation of daily proceedings but warned against any attempts to delay the cases outcome.

Khan, speaking to the media from Adiala jail after being remanded in a new Toshakhana case, dismissed the charges against him in civil courts, claiming they were fabricated to implicate him through Hameed.

He stated that even if Hameed testified against him, CCTV footage could verify his non-involvement in the May 9 violence. Khan also reiterated calls for a judicial probe into the riots and criticised the current regime, accusing it of attempting to cover up alleged electoral theft.

Additionally, Khan expressed dissatisfaction with former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, accusing him of betrayal, and claimed that Hameeds transfer from the ISI was part of a deal between the then army chief and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif.

Regarding the 190 million corruption case, the IHCs division bench, comprising Justices Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb and Babar Sattar, has directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to respond to the petition filed by Khan seeking records related to the case.

The bench has permitted the accountability court to proceed with daily hearings but cautioned that the restraining order could be revoked if there were attempts to delay the case.

Former President Arif Alvi, present in court, stated he would remain in Pakistan even if charged with high treason for dissolving the National Assembly in April 2022. PTI leader Hammad Azhar called for the establishment to cease political interference and respect the public mandate, warning of potential clashes if Khan faced further actions.

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Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, another PTI leader, criticised Faiz Hameeds actions, stating that Hameeds conduct had harmed the PTI rather than benefitted it. Marwat denounced Hameeds alleged victimisation of political opponents and misuse of his position.
In the Polish media. Its the top story. Its on the front pages everywhere. This excitement is there thanks to Prime Minister Modis international stature and his profile, said Indias ambassador to Poland Nagma Mohamed Mallick read more

A day after the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Poland on August 21-22, Indias ambassador to Poland Nagma Mohamed Mallick on Tuesday said there is a lot of excitement around PMs upcoming visit and the news is also the top story in the Polish media.

Speaking to ANI news agency, Mallick said PM Modis visit is a very exciting visit and an important one, symbolically as well as practically.

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In the Polish media. Its the top story. Its on the front pages everywhere. This excitement is there thanks to Prime Minister Modis international stature and his profile. The visit is an important one because Poland is an important country in central Europe, it is a significant member of the European Union, added Mallick.

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi to visit Poland | Indian ambassador to Poland, Nagma Mohamed Mallick says, "I think it's a very exciting visit and an important one, symbolically as well as practically. In the Polish media. It's the top story. It's on the front pages everywhere. This pic.twitter.com/QWBcgcorb9  ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2024

She said India has a very good and growing bilateral trade with Poland, with a turnover of about $6 billion and the balance of trade is very much in Indias favour.

We have good Indian investments here of around $3 billion. Polish investors have also invested in India of just under a billion dollars The people who spent their childhood in India and who now call themselves the Indianapolis. They cherish their memories of India, of growing up in India. And all of these also form a kind of bedrock of affection between our people. This visit will be a very timely one and it will be something that also shows us the pathway ahead to broaden the relationship both politically and economically, added Mallick.

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Talking about PM Modis itinerary, she said after his arrival the Prime Minister will pay his homage to the three memorials in the country, including that of Jam Sahab.

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi to visit Poland | Indian ambassador to Poland, Nagma Mohamed Mallick says, "After arrival here tomorrow PM Modi will first visit pay his homage to the three memorials and he will be the first prime minister to pay his respects at all these three pic.twitter.com/tR9jnPUvGw  ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2024

After arrival here tomorrow PM Modi will first pay his homage to the three memorials and he will be the first prime minister to pay his respects at all these three memorials. He will begin by going to the memorial of the Jam Sahab. There are schools which are associated with his memory. Those schools are performing there. They are reciting the Jam Sahabs words to the children when he first met them, she said.

She said on 21st evening, PM Modi will address the Indian community in Poland.

It will be one of those rousing meetings, the community here is really excited about it, as we all are, said Mallick.

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She said on August 22 the Prime Minister will have wide-ranging talks with Poland leadership.

He will meet with and talk in detail with Prime Minister Donald Tusk. They will both then address the media, and Prime Minister Tusk will host a luncheon for Prime Minister Modi and his delegation, added the ambassador.

Mallick said India and Polands relationship is a developing one with some great moments of closeness and there have been moments of not-so-closeness.

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi to visit Poland | Indian ambassador to Poland, Nagma Mohamed Mallick says, "It is a developing relationship. It has certain strengths. It has all this wealth of history behind it, all these different ways in which our two peoples and our two governments pic.twitter.com/rvh0ttYpPW  ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2024

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It is a developing relationship. It has certain strengths. It has all this wealth of history behind it, all these different ways in which our two peoples and our two governments have known each other. There have been moments of great closeness. There have been moments of not-so-closeness. The visit today gives a great impetus. It will give a great boost to the relationship. I can see that fairly. It is a coming together of two democratic Republics, India and Poland, said Mallick.

She said both the countries are united by values and by a certain shared point in our history.

We are united now by a very vibrant economic relationship. We are also united by the Indian community in the sense that many Indians have Polish spousesI think that Prime Minister Modi will be struck by the warm-heartedness of the Polish people. They are open-minded and warm-hearted people who have a lot of affection for India and a lot of fellow feeling with us. I believe that our Prime Minister will not fail to be affected by that, to be impressed by that, added the ambassador.

Ministry of External Affairs had on Monday confirmed that PM Modi will visit Poland on August 21 and 22, and head to Ukraine on August 23.

PM Narendra Modi will be undertaking an official visit to Poland this week on 21st and 22nd August on the invitation of PM Donald Tusk. This is a landmark visit as the PM of Indian is visiting Poland after 45 years. This visit takes place as we also mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations, Tanmaya Lal, secretary (West), MEA, said in a briefing on Monday.

With inputs from agencies
Netanyahu has been accused of intentionally sabotaging the hostage deal talks by the members of Israels negotiating team, who claimed that he told the hawkish Tikva and Gvura forums that Israel wont leave the Philadelphi Corridor and the Netzarim Corridor under any circumstances read more

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused of intentionally sabotaging the hostage deal talks by the members of Israels negotiating team, who claimed that he told the hawkish Tikva and Gvura forums that Israel wont leave the Philadelphi Corridor and the Netzarim Corridor under any circumstances.

According to a Times of Israel report, citing Kan public broadcaster, a source said that Netanyahus statement is intended to blow up the negotiations and theres no other way about it.

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The prime minister knows that we are in a critical period during which were working on solutions for the Philadelphi Corridor and Netzarim ahead of the next summit, the report quoted the source as saying.

He knows there is progress  and then he puts out statements that are the opposite of what was agreed upon with the mediators, the source added.

Netanyahus maximalist remarks on maintaining control of the Gaza-Egypt border were also criticised by a US official travelling with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the Middle East, saying it was not helpful to reaching a ceasefire with Hamas.

Maximalist statements like this are not constructive to getting a ceasefire deal across the finish line, AFP quoted the the senior US official as saying.

Such remarks certainly risk the ability of implementing-level, working-level and technical talks to be able to move forward (once) both parties agree to a bridging proposal, he added.

The official said that Blinken stood by his public statement in Tel Aviv on Monday that Netanyahu had agreed to a US proposal to bridge the gaps on a ceasefire laid out on May 31 by President Joe Biden.

Netanyahu, in reported remarks to families of victims of attacks, said that Israel would insist on maintaining control of the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt which Israeli forces seized from Hamas in the more than 10-month war.

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We saw the prime ministers comments, especially on some of these items. Were not going to negotiate in public, the US official was quoted as saying.

The official said that such technical issues would need to be ironed out in further discussions.

The only thing Secretary Blinken and the United States are convinced of is the need for getting the ceasefire deal across the finish line, the official added.

There will be additional conversations on technical specifics, many of which of course are being discussed in the press, which is certainly not helpful to the process, he said.

The United States expects diplomacy to move forward this week between Israel and Hamas on reaching a ceasefire, despite uncertainties in particular on Hamass response, the official said.

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We fully expect this process to continue into this week, the official said, without confirming any formal meeting this week involving Israel and Hamas.

The White House last week, when presenting the bridging proposal in Doha, said that it expected new talks on finalising the deal to take place later this week in Cairo.

Blinken arrived in Doha late Tuesday for talks with Qatars emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, after meeting the leaders of Egypt and Israel.

With inputs from agencies
Supreme Court of India has ordered the creation of a national task force to enhance workplace safety for doctors, following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata that has led to nationwide protests. The court has also demanded a federal police report on the investigation into the incident, which has underscored ongoing concerns about sexual violence against women in India read more

A doctor holds a banner during a protest demanding justice following the rape and murder of a trainee medic at a hospital in Kolkata, in New Delhi, India, August 19, 2024. REUTERS/ File Photo

Indias Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday the setting up of a national task force of doctors to make recommendations on safety at their workplace, days after the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor sparked nationwide protests.

The court also asked the federal police to submit a report on Thursday on the status of its investigation into the Aug. 9 murder of the trainee doctor at a state-run hospital in the eastern city of Kolkata.

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Doctors across the country have held protests and refused to see non-emergency patients following the crime as part of their action demanding a safer workplace and a swift criminal probe.

A police volunteer has been arrested and charged with the crime. Women activists say the incident has highlighted how women in India continue to suffer from sexual violence despite tougher laws brought in after the 2012 gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in New Delhi.
The new military base, near the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, will accommodate up to 4,000 troops, storage and maintenance for tanks and other equipment, and shooting ranges of all sizes read more

Germany will house around 4,000 soldiers along with tanks at a new base in Lithuania (Photo: Reuters)

Lithuania on Monday began construction of a military base, which will accommodate up to 4,000 combat-ready German troops once completed by the end of 2027, in the first permanent foreign deployment for the German military since World War Two.

Germany committed to deploy troops in the NATO and European Union member, which borders Russia, last year. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius compared the decision to the posting of allied forces in West Germany during the Cold War to defend Western Europe in case of a Soviet attack.

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Lithuanian chief of defence Raimundas Vaiksnoras estimated the country would spend more than 1 billion euros ($1.10 billion) over the next three years to develop the base, in one of the largest construction projects in its history.

Its a huge investment for a nation of 2.9 million with an economy a tenth the size of Germanys, Vaiksnoras said on the sidelines of a launch ceremony.

The brigade will work as reassurance to our population and as deterrence, to push the Russians out, he added.

Housing, tanks, and storage

The base in Rudninkai, close to the capital Vilnius and only 20 km (12 miles) from Russian ally Belarus, will accommodate up to 4,000 troops, storage and maintenance for tanks and other equipment, and shooting ranges of all sizes. About a thousand more German military and civilian contractors will be posted to other sites in Lithuania.

However, only about a fifth of the compound buildings in Rudninkai have been contracted for construction, raising fears it will not be ready in time.

Defence Minister Laurynas Kasciunas told reporters his ministry will award contracts for the rest of the works by the end of this year, when his governments terms ends.

The German government has asked parliament for 2.93 billion euros to order 105 Leopard 2 A8 tanks, partly to equip the Lithuanian base, according to a confidential draft budget seen by Reuters in June.

However, budget infighting within Germanys fractious coalition is jeopardising Berlins pledge to upgrade its military.

Lithuania has upped its defence spending to 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) this year, and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonytes government hiked taxes to support defence needs, such as the base, over the next several years.

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If we are not secure, there is no security for them, Simonyte told reporters at the ceremony, referring to Germany.

($1 = 0.9063 euros)
Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up, he made his own kind of history, the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions, Clinton said. This prompted the crowd to chant lock him up. read more

The first day of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago was marked by powerful speeches from some of the partys most prominent women leaders, with Vice President Kamala Harris taking centre stage as the presidential nominee. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a strong endorsement for Harris while sharply criticising former President Donald Trump.

Hillary Clinton cheers Kamala Harris on

Hillary Clinton, who in 2016 became the first woman ever to be nominated for president by a major party, took the stage amid cheers and delivered a stirring endorsement of Kamala Harris. Clinton acknowledged the historic significance of Harriss nomination, noting that she is only the second woman ever nominated for president in the United States 248-year history. Something is happening in America. You can feel it, Clinton said, referencing the progress made by women in politics. It was something weve worked for and dreamed of for a long time.

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Well, my friends, the future is here, she declared.

Lock him up

Clinton then turned her focus to Donald Trump, drawing a sharp contrast between his record and Harris. As a prosecutor, Kamala locked up murderers and drug traffickers. She will never rest in defense of our freedom and safety, Clinton stated.

Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up, he made his own kind of history, the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions, she said. This was the most prominent mentions of Donald Trump being a convicted felon at the DNC stage.

This prompted the crowd to chant lock him up, a notable throwback to the lock her up chants that were a staple at Trumps 2016 rallies when he was running against Clinton.

We have him on the run now

Clinton continued her criticism of Trump, accusing him of engaging in lowbrow attacks on Harris, including mocking her name and laugh.

But we have him on the run now, Clinton assured the audience, signalling confidence in the Democratic Partys prospects in the upcoming election.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz cautioned against rising nationalism in eastern Germany during the groundbreaking ceremony for a major semiconductor plant in Dresden. Highlighting the importance of openness and confidence for future investments, Scholz emphasized the plants role in bolstering Germanys chip industry and reducing dependency on global supply chains read more

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attends a naturalisation ceremony, after his government shortened foreigners' paths to citizenship and ended a ban on dual nationality, in Bremen, Germany, August 19, 2024. REUTERS/File Photo

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned against nationalism in the countrys east at the groundbreaking ceremony for a semiconductor plant in Dresden on Tuesday, warning that such resentment endangered investments in key future technologies.

We still need a pro-European Germany thats open to the world, instead of nationalism and resentment, Scholz said in a speech at the site of the 10-billion-euro ($11.08 billion) plant planned with Taiwanese chip giant TSMC and other investors.

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Openness to the world and confidence - if we preserve this, if we defend it, then this major investment will certainly not be the last that we experience in Silicon Saxony and in eastern Germany, he said.

Germanys domestic chip industry is based in the eastern state of Saxony, where rising support for populist parties including the far-right AfD has rattled mainstream parties and executives ahead of local elections set for Sept. 1.

Scholz described semiconductors as crucial to the countrys industrial survival and climate targets, and stressed the importance of boosting production in Germany to reduce European dependence on others within global supply chains.

The European Commission approved 5 billion euros ($5.5 billion) in German state aid to support a new microchip plant in Dresden for the European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC).

The award for the project led by Taiwans TSMC is the biggest state subsidy granted so far under the EU Chips Act, and Germanys first.

This is a true win-win situation for all of us, EU Commissions President Ursula von der Leyen said during the inauguration ceremony for the plant.

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck praised the decision and said his government would maintain the fast pace of the project, which targets production in 2027, and finalise funding.

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ESMC is a joint venture led by TSMC, the worlds largest contract chipmaker, with European firms Robert Bosch, Infineon and NXP each taking a 10% stake.

The Dresden facility is forecast to cost 10 billion euros in total to build.
The Philippines will temporarily host a limited number of Afghan visa applicants awaiting US resettlement, according to an agreement between Manila and Washington. The US will provide support for essential services during their stay read more

A limited number of Afghans will temporarily stay in the Philippines while being processed for resettlement in the United States, Manila and Washington said Tuesday.

The timeline for the programme is still being discussed by the two governments, the US embassy in Manila said.

Both said only a limited number of visa applicants will be covered, but would not reveal the exact figures.

Under the deal, the applicants will stay at a facility operated by the US state departments Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts, an embassy spokesman told reporters.

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Washington will support necessary services including food, housing, security, medical, and transport during their stay in the country, a Philippine foreign department statement added.

Filipino ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said last year that there were about 50,000 such visa-seekers, including the families of those who had worked for the US-backed government that was toppled by the Taliban.

The US request met with domestic opposition on security and other grounds when it was made public last year.

A Philippine foreign department spokeswoman did not immediately provide further details of the agreement on Tuesday.

Tens of thousands of Afghans fled their country in the chaotic evacuation of August 2021 as US and allied forces pulled out to end Washingtons longest war, launched after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Many of those who had worked with the ousted Western-backed government arrived in the United States seeking resettlement under a special immigrant visa programme, but thousands were also left behind or in third countries, waiting for their visas to be processed.

Afghanistans Taliban rulers insist no harm will come to anyone who collaborated with Western powers or the former government, and are encouraging those who have left to return and help rebuild the country.
Polands Constitutional Tribunal ruled that lawmakers cannot question the central bank governor, Adam Glapinski, citing the need to protect the banks independence. The decision intensifies the conflict between the pro-European coalition and judges appointed under the previous nationalist government read more

Lawmakers should not be allowed to question Polands central bank chief, a top court ruled on Tuesday, setting up a fresh clash between the government and judges it says are political appointees of the previous administration.

Prime Minister Donald Tusks pro-European coalition has vowed to restore democratic standards critics say were eroded during eight years of nationalist rule which ended in December.

However, allies of the previous government in positions of power have put up resistance that has slowed down the coalitions efforts, frustrated its supporters and raised question marks over whether it can achieve its goals.

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The constitutional responsibility committee in parliament is due to start analysing a motion to put central bank governor Adam Glapinski before a state tribunal in September, and it wants to interrogate him.

Glapinski faces accusations including lacking independence from the previous government, breaking rules that bar the central bank from financing government borrowing, and misleading the finance ministry about the banks financial results.

Glapinski has dismissed the allegations as baseless.

The Law and Justice (PiS) lawmakers who brought the case heard by the Constitutional Tribunal on Tuesday argue that the fact that the motion to bring Glapinski to court is to be heard by a parliamentary committee - a political body - was against constitutional guarantees of central bank independence.

The Tribunal shared their opinion.

Subjecting the central bank to parliamentary control would constitute a violation of the central banks independence, raporteur Krystyna Pawlowicz said, adding the same rules should apply to the heads of the Supreme

Audit Office or the Broadcasting Council.

Tusks government says the Constitutional Tribunal itself became politicised under PiS and needs to be reformed, and that that verdicts issued by the court lack legitimacy. The prime ministers office did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
At his farewell speech on the first day of the DNC, Joe Biden was combative in attacking his arch-rival Donald Trump and hit out at Russias Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine read more

US President Joe Biden hit out at Russias President Vladimir for invading Ukraine in February 2022, and also slammed former US President Donald Trump for bowing down to the aggressor.

Biden told the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in his farewell speech that he believed his Vice-President and presidential nominee Kamala Harris wont do it.

Biden said, Putin thought hed take Kyiv in three days. Three years later, Ukraine is still free.

The US president said America will continue to work to keep Europe united and strengthen Nato, the trans-Atlantic military treaty group, to deal with the security threats that the two continents face.

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Hitting out at Trump, Biden said when his predecessor left the White House four years ago, the Nato was in tatters. He said his administration worked to strengthen Nato. Calling it one of his proudest accomplishments,

Biden said he rallied Nato to take on Putin.

He said, Trump bows to Putin. Kamala Harris will never do it.

Biden won a huge ovation in the farewell speech at the Democratic National Convention, after Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance to thank him for being an incredible president.

I love you, the tearful 81-year-old president told the crowd to deafening cheers, less than a month after dropping out of the White House race against Donald Trump and passing the torch to his vice president.

Biden took to the stage to chants of We love you Joe from the same party which had pushed him out over concerns about his age, in one of the biggest political shocks in US political history.

We both know we have more to do, but were moving in the right direction, he said, referring to himself and the 59-year-old Harris, who, in the space of a few breathtaking weeks, has turned the presidential race upside down.
Given the specific ways mpox is transmitted, I am certain that in Russia, with its traditional values, this epidemic disease is not something we need to fear, Anna Popova said, hinting at mpoxs incidence being higher among gay people read more

Mpox is a viral disease that can spread from animals to humans, but also human-to-human through sexual or close physical contact. File Photo/Reuters

While global health authorities escalate warnings over the resurgence of mpox, Russia appears to be downplaying the threat, attributing the viruss spread to behaviours among LGBTQ+ communities.

The head of Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, said this week that the disease poses no significant risk to Russia, a country where traditional values are heavily stressed upon.

Given the specific ways mpox is transmitted, I am certain that in Russia, with its traditional values, this epidemic disease is not something we need to fear, Popova said in a video released Monday (August 19) by the Russian Telegram channel Shot, hinting at mpoxs incidence being higher among gay people.

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According to Politico, her remarks came shortly after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the mpox outbreak in Africa a global health emergency, citing the need for a coordinated international response to prevent further spread and fatalities.

The mpox virus, previously known as monkeypox, is primarily transmitted through direct contact with the lesions of an infected person. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reports that the virus has claimed more than 500 lives and caused over 17,000 suspected cases across the continent this year alone.

In contrast to the international alarm, Russian authorities have assured the public that the virus will not gain a foothold in the country. Last Thursday, Rospotrebnadzor reiterated that there is no threat of the disease spreading in Russia and said that all necessary precautions are being taken to detect and contain any potential infections.

Russia reported its first mpox case in July 2022, involving a man who had returned from Portugal. He was quickly isolated, and officials claimed the infection was successfully contained. Popova highlighted that only three cases have been recorded in Russia, all of which were swiftly managed. For Russia, this does not present a danger, she stated, adding, Were not expecting it to spread; it wont happen.

President Vladimir Putins administration has increasingly targeted LGBTQ+ rights. Recent legislative actions include banning gender-affirming surgery and labeling the international LGBTQ+ movement as an extremist organisation by Russias Supreme Court.
Russia has furiously denounced some Western media for reporting from the area controlled by Ukrainian forces since their surprise incursion, opening a criminal probe against Italian journalists for a TV report from there read more

This photograph taken during a media visit shows a Ukrainian officer looking into a cell where Russian prisoners of war are detained at an undisclosed location in the Sumy region on August 19, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. AFP

Russia said Tuesday it had summoned a US diplomat over reports in the US media from part of its Kursk region captured by Ukraine, warning it will investigate journalists for illegally crossing its border.

Russia has furiously denounced some Western media for reporting from the area controlled by Ukrainian forces since their surprise incursion, opening a criminal probe against Italian journalists for a TV report from there.

Moscows foreign ministry said it called in the US embassys Deputy Chief of Mission Stephanie Holmes to declare a strong protest in connection with the provocative actions of American reporters who illegally entered the Kursk region.

It did not name the media but said it planned necessary investigative actions to bring them (the reporters) to justice.

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Several US media have published reports from inside Sudzha  the main town the Ukrainians have taken over  in recent days.

The foreign ministry said such actions show the US is a direct participant in the conflict with Kyiv  an argument Moscow has long used to portray Ukraine as a country which does not make its own decisions.

Russia has been rattled by Ukraines incursion into the Kursk region, launched on August 6.

Throughout Moscows more than two-year offensive in Ukraine, Russian war correspondents have reported from towns and cities Moscow has conquered.

The Kremlin does not allow any independent or critical reporting of its actions in Ukraine.
Saudi Arabias King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, state media said, for the first time since a royal decree issued by him on August 8 allowing the cabinet to convene in the absence of the king, crown prince or both read more

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz chairs a virtual cabinet meeting from his office in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on May 28, 2024. Reuters File

Saudi Arabias King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, state media said, for the first time since a royal decree issued by him on August 8 allowing the cabinet to convene in the absence of the king, crown prince or both.

Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman chaired the August 13 cabinet session.

The 88-year-old king of the worlds biggest oil exporter, a major US ally in the Middle East, received medical care for lung inflammation in May.

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Prince Mohammed later postponed an official visit to Japan due to the kings health.

The August 8 decree allowed the cabinet to convene without the king or the crown prince or his deputies.

It said that in their absence it would be chaired by the eldest member of the cabinet who is a descendant of Salmans father King Abdulaziz Al Saud, founder of the Saudi state.
A harrowing investigation by the BBC has unveiled the exploitation and trafficking of migrant workers, including Indians, by a Scottish fishing company. The report sheds light on how these workers were subjected to modern slavery while employed by TN Trawlers and its sister companies, owned by the Nicholson family in Annan, Scotland, as detailed in their recent documentary.

Plight of Indian workers

Among the individuals featured in the BBC documentary was Vishal Sharma, a 29-year-old seafarer from Punjab. Sharma had arrived in London in 2017 with a contract to work on a Belgian tanker. However, he was redirected to work on a TN Trawlers scallop trawler. Sharma reported that he was never paid and lacked the necessary experience for the job. Being literally at sea Sharma had nowhere to complain and recounted the isolation and fear faced by many workers. He also faced threats of deportation and imprisonment if he sought help. Another Indian worker, Shine Chakkappan, struggled with financial pressures due to his mothers illness and took up the job at TN Trawlers, only to be subjected to harsh conditions and mistreatment, as reported in the Times of India.

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The BBC investigation

The BBCs Slavery at Sea documentary, aired recently, revealed the grim reality faced by migrant workers on TN Trawlers. The investigation uncovered that workers from the Philippines, Ghana, India and Sri Lanka were recruited under false pretenses to work on the Nicholson familys fishing vessels. Conditions on board were described as dire: food and water were scarce, safety regulations were ignored and workers passports were confiscated. Many workers, including Indians, were either underpaid or not paid at all, with excessive working hours compounding their suffering.

Operation Alto: A case of exploitation

In the UK, Operation Alto, launched in 2012 by the police in Dumfries and Galloway, starkly illustrated the issue of modern slavery. This investigation focussed on human trafficking and labour abuse at TN Trawlers. Eighteen former employees were identified as victims of trafficking under the Home Offices National Referral Mechanism, which supports victims of human trafficking. The details of this operation were covered extensively by Scottish Legal News.

Response from maritime charities

A report by The Scotsman revealed that the maritime charity Stella Maris condemned the severe abuse and exploitation brought to light by a BBC investigation. Stella Maris, actively involved in supporting these fishermen, characterised the situation as a tragic case of exploitation. The charity emphasised its ongoing commitment to assisting these individuals, offering friendship, pastoral care and financial support. Their goal is to ensure that all fishers are treated with respect and dignity, free from any form of abuse.

Oceana UK, another marine charity, also reacted to the findings, describing the human rights violations as devastating. They expressed solidarity with the affected workers, advocating for the safety, dignity and fair treatment of fishers worldwide, highlighting the urgent need to address these appalling conditions.

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TN Groups rebuttal to allegations

A spokesperson for TN Group challenged the claims of worker mistreatment. The company maintained that it provided food and accommodation to workers, who were always free to come and go when ashore. The company emphasised that most workers reported positive experiences denying any involvement in modern slavery or human trafficking and highlighted numerous testimonials from long-term employees.

Grim statistics

The International Transport Workers Federation, representing global mariners raised concerns about potential trafficking and abuse of foreign nationals in the UK scampi fleet primarily based in Scotland. A recent report estimated that at least 138 crew members in UK waters have been affected by forced labour or human trafficking. Statistics from Police Scotland obtained through freedom of information legislation reveal that human trafficking in the fishing industry remains a significant issue. Between 2019 and 2021, 11 individualsfive Filipinos, two Ghanaians, two Indians, two Indonesians and one Sri Lankanwere referred to the Home Offices national referral mechanism for victims of trafficking.

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Ongoing efforts and future outlook

In response to the revelations about TN Trawlers and similar cases, there have been calls for more rigorous enforcement of labour rights and improved protections for migrant workers. The UK government has pledged to strengthen measures to combat exploitation in its waters. However, the lack of prosecutions and unresolved cases highlight the need for continued vigilance and systemic reforms. Advocates urge that lessons learned from these investigations be used to create stronger safeguards and support systems to prevent such abuses in the future.

The global context

The situation of modern slavery is part of a larger global crisis. According to the latest Global Estimates of Modern Slavery published by the International Labour Organisation, International Organisation for Migration and Walk Free in September 2022, approximately 50 million people worldwide were living in modern slavery. This includes 28 million in forced labour and 22 million in forced marriages.
The commission is made up of senior Senegalese government officials and experts in the oil and mining, tax and economic fields read more

Senegals new authorities have set up a commission of experts to rebalance oil and gas contracts, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said, following an election pledge to renegotiate hydrocarbon agreements.

The West African country, ranked among the 25 least developed in the world, joined the club of oil producers in June and is due to start producing natural gas by the end of the year.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who swept to victory in March on a promise of radical reform, declared an audit of the oil, gas and mining sectors as one of his first announcements as head of state.

The new authorities say the contracts signed by the former government are unfavourable to the country.

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We regretted and vigorously condemned the way in which agreements and conventions were concluded, most of the time to the detriment of the strategic interests of Senegal and its people, Sonko said at the launch of the commission which was broadcast by public television channel RTS on Monday evening.

We had made a firm commitment to revisit these various agreements, to re-examine them and to work to rebalance them in the national interest, he said.

The commission is made up of senior Senegalese government officials and experts in the oil and mining, tax and economic fields.

The logic is to work scientifically, rigorously and methodically on all aspects of these agreements. The first exercise will be to review these agreements in the light of the various legal bases on which they are based, Sonko said.

Senegal became an oil producer in June when production began at the Sangomar offshore oil field, operated by Australian group Woodside Energy.

Senegal also shares the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) liquefied natural gas field on its maritime border with Mauritania, jointly developed by British energy giant BP, the American company Kosmos Energy, the Mauritanian hydrocarbons company SMH and the Senegalese state-owned Petrosen.

Production at the gas field, on which the two neighbours are pinning their hopes for development, is scheduled to begin later this year.
The United Nations expressed concern on Tuesday about the rapid deterioration of the economic and security situation in Libya, denouncing the unilateral moves by Libyan actors that have increased tension read more

The United Nations expressed concern on Tuesday about the rapid deterioration of the economic and security situation in Libya, denouncing the unilateral moves by Libyan actors that have increased tension.

The country of 6.8 million people has struggled to recover from years of conflict after the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that overthrew longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, and remains divided between a UN-recognised government based in the capital Tripoli and a rival administration in the east, backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.

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Now, reemerging bloodshed and power struggles in the vast North African nation have raised fears of a broader escalation, threatening to deal a fatal blow to the UN-brokered political transition and push the war-torn country deeper into turmoil.

Over the past two months, the situation in Libya has deteriorated quite rapidly in terms of political, economic and security stability, Stephanie Koury, acting head of the UNs political mission in Libya (UNSMIL), told the Security Council.

Unilateral acts by Libyan political, military and security actors have increased tension, further entrenched institutional and political divisions and complicated efforts for a negotiated political solution, she added.

She cited a number of events since the beginning of August, including fighting between armed groups on the outskirts of Tripoli and attempts to forcibly expel the governor of the central bank.

The American diplomat is acting head of UNSMIL pending the appointment of a successor to Abdoulaye Bathily, who threw in the towel in April, condemning a lack of political will and good faith by Libyan leaders.

In the absence of renewed political talks leading to a unified government and elections, you see where this is heading: greater political, financial and security instability, entrenched political and territorial divisions, and greater domestic and regional instability, warned Koury.

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Libyans are frustrated with the status quo and the toll it is taking on their lives. People struggle to withdraw money from the banks and to meet their daily needs. Many express fear about war once again erupting, she said.
Divers scoured the wreck of a luxury yacht off Sicilys coast on Tuesday to find six missing people, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter, following an intense storm that sank the vessel on Monday read more

A drone view shows emergency and rescue service vehicles and personnel at a port near the site where a luxury yacht sank, in Porticello, near the Sicilian city of Palermo, Italy. Reuters

A rescue mission is underway off the coast of Sicily after the British-flagged superyacht Bayesian sank during freak weather early on Monday morning.

Divers scoured the wreck of a luxury yacht off Sicilys coast on Tuesday to find six missing people, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter, following an intense storm that sank the vessel on Monday.

The British-flagged Bayesian, a 56-metre-long (184-ft) superyacht, was carrying 22 people and anchored off the port of Porticello when it was hit by the fierce, pre-dawn storm.

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Fifteen people escaped before it capsized and the body of one person who died was swiftly recovered. That left six passengers unaccounted for - Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah; Judy and Jonathan Bloomer, a non-executive chair of Morgan Stanley International; and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda Morvillo.

One man, the vessels cook, has died and his body has been recovered, according to Sicilys civil protection agency.

Some 15 people have been rescued from the boat, while six remain missing.

Specialist divers from the Italian fire brigade resumed their search early on Tuesday morning.

Who are missing?

According to La Repubblica, the six missing people include four British nationals and two Americans.

According to the Italian daily Il Giornale di Sicilia, the vessel was carrying largely British passengers, as well as those from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland, and British-French citizens.

Several individuals on the vessel were involved in the recent trial of British entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who was found not guilty of deceit in the United States.

Mike Lynch, a UK technology entrepreneur

Lynch, 59, amassed his fortune by selling his software business Autonomy to US IT titan Hewlett-Packard in 2011 for $11 billion (8.6 billion).

Lynch was entangled in a decade-long court struggle following the acquisition. He was acquitted in the United States in June on various fraud counts, for which he faced two decades in prison.

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Hannah Lynch, student

Hannah Lynch, a student, went missing along with her father.

Of Lynchs two kids, the 18-year-old is said to be the younger.

According to the Times, she had recently passed her A-levels and been accepted to Oxford University to study English.

Chris Morvillo, lawyer

Lynchs lawyer, Chris Morvillo, defended him throughout his US trial. He has been a partner in the New York-based Clifford Chance law firm since 2011.

His profile on the firms website states that he worked as an assistant attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1999 to 2005.

During his term, he worked in the criminal investigation of the World Trade Centre attacks of 2001.

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Neda Morvillo, Jewellery Designer

Morvillos wife, American jewellery designer Neda Morvillo, has also gone missing.

Morvillos company, Clifford Chance, verified the news.

The legal company issued a statement expressing shock and sadness at the awful occurrence.

Jonathan Bloomer, Morgan Stanley International chairman

Jonathan Bloomer is the chairman of Morgan Stanley Internationals bank and insurance firm, Hiscox.

The 70-year-old Briton attended Imperial College London and has previously served on various corporate boards.

According to the Financial Times, Bloomer testified for Lynchs defence throughout the trial. According to media accounts, the two are very good friends.

Judy Bloomer, charity trustee and supporter

Judy, Jonathan Bloomers wife, is one of the six individuals missing.

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Bloomer is identified as a previous director of property developer Change Real Estate, alongside her husband.

A nonprofit with whom she has collaborated has referred to her as a brilliant champion for womens health.

(With inputs from agencies)
King Charles III will visit Southport on Tuesday to offer support following a fatal knife attack on July 29 and the subsequent riots. The visit will include meetings with affected families, emergency staff, and regional leaders as the town continues to recover from the violence read more

Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla travel the Diamond Jubilee State Coach towards Westminster Abbey to their coronation ceremony, in London, Britain May 6, 2023. REUTERS

King Charles III will on Tuesday visit Southport in northwest England, Buckingham Palace announced, three weeks after a knife attack which killed three young girls sparked nationwide riots.

His Majesty The King will travel to Southport to express his continued support for those affected by the 29th July attack and the riot which followed in the town, and to thank frontline emergency staff for their ongoing work serving local people, the palace said in a statement.

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The monarch will meet members of the Southport community outside the town hall early in the afternoon, before then meeting regional leaders, representatives from the emergency services and others.

They will include local groups and faith leaders impacted by the violent disorder which hit Southport the day after the July 29 mass stabbing.

Ahead of those public engagements, Charles will meet privately with some of those impacted by the knife attack, which claimed the lives of three young girls and injured 10 others, including eight children.

The meeting will include some of the surviving children who were present at the community centre targeted, as well as their families.

The children were attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance class when an assailant entered the building and began attacking them.

Axel Rudakubana, who was aged 17 at the time, has been charged with murder and attempted murder over the stabbing spree.

A motive for the atrocity has not been disclosed, but police have said it is not being treated as terrorism-related.

More than a dozen English towns and cities saw unrest and riots in the week that followed the events in Southport.

Officials have blamed far-right elements for helping to stir up the disorder, which targeted mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers as well as police officers and other properties.

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The authorities have cited misinformation spread online that Rudakubana was a Muslim asylum seeker for fuelling the violence.

He was actually born in Britain to parents who hail from Rwanda, an overwhelmingly Christian country.
Kyiv has been trying to curb spiritual links with Russia for years  a process accelerated by Moscows 2022 invasion, which the powerful Russian Orthodox Church endorsed read more

A monk walks past the Uspenskyi cathedral at Kyiv Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv. AFP

Ukraines parliament voted Tuesday to ban the Russian-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church, a move Kyiv says strengthens its independence as the country cuts ties with institutions it considers aligned with Moscow.

Kyiv has been trying to curb spiritual links with Russia for years  a process accelerated by Moscows 2022 invasion, which the powerful Russian Orthodox Church endorsed.

A majority of Ukrainian lawmakers approved the bill outlawing religious organisations linked with Russia, which will mostly affect the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).

Zelenskyy said the ban would boost his countrys spiritual independence and MPs hailed the bill as historic.

Russia condemned the move that its church called illegal.

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The Russian church has been furious over a 2019 schism that resulted in the creation of an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church, spiritually loyal to Moscows Istanbul-based rival Patriarch Bartholomew.

Zelenskyy, who still needs to sign the bill for it to come into force, said he will be talking to Bartholomews representatives in the coming days.

It may take years to implement the ban, causing some dismay among followers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The Moscow-backed church in Ukraine officially broke ties with its Russian counterpart in 2022, but some lawmakers have accused its clerics of collaborating with Russia.

We just come and pray

Russian Orthodox Church spokesman Vladimir Legoida condemned the vote as an unlawful act that is the grossest violation of the basic principles of freedom of conscience and human rights.

In Kyiv, believers were praying outside the Russian-affiliated part of the historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery, a regular practice since that area was closed to the public last year.

Theres no politics here. We just come and pray for our children and our loved ones Ive never seen any KGB agents, said 56-year-old Svetlana, who declined to give her name due to the sensitivity of the question.

In a lilac dress and matching headscarf, Svetlana said she had been baptised and married in the church and worried about its potential full closure.

If they close, people will still pray in the streets, maybe well put up tents, there will be prayers anyway, Svetlana said.

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Everything is political

The schism between Ukrainian and Russian-linked Churches was triggered by Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the war between Kyiv and Moscow-backed separatists in the east.

The Istanbul-based head of the Eastern Orthodox Church granted a breakaway wing, called the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), autocephaly  religious independence  from the Moscow Patriarchate in 2019.

The split has impacted church going in Ukraine.

In the Ukrainian-affiliated part of the Lavra monastery, which remains open, 21-year-old Igor said:

Everything is political. There can be no such thing as art, sports, or even religion outside politics.

I actually totally support this ban, he said, accusing the Russian Orthodox Church of being a Kremlin agent that has metastasized so much that we will be fighting it for decades.

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The bill was hailed by many Ukrainian politicians.

There will be no Moscow Church in Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyys chief of staff, said on Telegram.
Martelly, a former musician who served as president of the Caribbean nation between 2011 and 2016, abused his influence to facilitate the trafficking of dangerous drugs, including cocaine, destined for the United States, the US Treasury said in a statement read more

The US Treasury Department unveiled sanctions against former Haitian president Michel Martelly on Tuesday for trafficking drugs, including cocaine, destined for the United States.

The actions taken by Washington echo similar moves from the Canadian government, which imposed sanctions in 2022 against Martelly and two ex-prime ministers, accusing them of profiting from armed gangs.

Martelly, a former musician who served as president of the Caribbean nation between 2011 and 2016, abused his influence to facilitate the trafficking of dangerous drugs, including cocaine, destined for the United States, the US Treasury said in a statement.

He was also involved in laundering of illicit drug proceeds, working with local drug traffickers and sponsoring multiple Haiti-based gangs, the statement added.

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Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has long been rocked by gang violence, but conditions sharply worsened in February, when armed groups forced the resignation of then-prime minister Ariel Henry.

Criminal groups control some 80 percent of the capital Port-au-Prince, with residents saying they have faced threats of murder, rape and kidnapping for ransom.

Hundreds of police officers from Kenya have been deployed to Haiti, part of an international effort to bring stability to the country riven by political, social and economic chaos.

Todays action against Martelly emphasizes the significant and destabilizing role he and other corrupt political elites have played in perpetuating the ongoing crisis in Haiti, said Bradley Smith, the Treasurys acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.

It is unacceptable for Haitian political and economic elites to plunder Haitis future, US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a statement.

He added that the action taken Tuesday demonstrates the USs unwavering resolve to promote accountability for all individuals whose activities contribute to gang violence and destabilize the political environment in Haiti, regardless of their rank or stature.
So, you want some nanny stuff just not all of it. Thats going to be hard to find.



As far as the cooled seats go, really its just a fan that blows a little air up through perforations in the fabric. Sort of like how an air hockey table works. Its somewhat nice on a hot day but its not going to really cool you down quickly. And I found that debris, dirt, food, etc. will get stuck in those perforations over time and its impossible to clean without taking a needle and cleaning out each little hole which drives my OCD crazy.


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.
A woman missing four days in the high country near Norwood was found safe on Sunday.

Gina Chase, 53, of Victoria, Canada, was among a group of campers who took off alone into the backcountry. The group was told not to bring phones or electronic devices to maximize a spiritual experience with nature, according to the San Miguel County Sheriffs Office.

The group was also fasting as part of their experience.

Chase started her solo journey the morning of Aug. 14 in the Lone Cone Area outside of Norwood. When she did not return to camp as expected, the groups leader reported her missing the afternoon of Aug. 15.

Dozens of deputies, search and rescue members and officials from multiple agencies launched a search, where searching was difficult because of the dense brush and trees and harsh terrain.

Chase was located Sunday alive and uninjured in the targeted search area; she was evaluated by medics and debriefed by deputies.

Obviously, this is the outcome we were hoping for, and we couldnt be happier for Ms. Chase and her family. The ultimate success of this mission is a real testament to our responders tenacity, perseverance and dedication, San Miguel County Sheriff Bill Masters said in a news release posted on the departments social media page.

Masters agency said the Animas Valley Institute in Durango sponsored Chases outing.

A statement on the institutes website thanked authorities and stated We are overjoyed at this wonderful news.

The statement says three program guides immediately searched for Chase, then notified authorities.

The Institute is immensely grateful to the team of professionals and volunteers who led the search. Their commitment and dedication have been exemplary.

The Animas Valley Institute has operated backcountry programs in the state since 1980 without serious incident, the statement continues. We have been in direct contact with the participants family during this immensely difficult time and remain committed to supporting them over the coming days and weeks.

Masters advised the public that when going into the backcountry you should never be alone. You should always bring technology for communications. Furthermore you should not starve yourself even if a guide service suggests the opposite of these basic safety rules. Nature does not care about your safety and will kill you especially if are not properly prepared, he said.

Masters in the news release offered his appreciation to his staff and SAR volunteers and all who assisted in the search including air resources from both Highland Helicopter out of Durango, a private individual out of Norwood piloting his aircraft, and Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Controls multi-mission aircraft.

The search for Chase included a number of agencies including La Plata and Montezuma County SAR teams and their K9 teams, Dolores County SAR, Ouray County SAR, Ridgway Fire Department drone team, and the U.S. Forest Service, the release said.
China now is a trailblazer in scientific research and innovation: scientists

15:03, August 20, 2024 By Zhang Weilan, Tu Lei and Ding Yazhi ( Global Times

Photo: Chen Tao/GT

China has ramped up efforts to accelerate scientific research and innovation lately. Aided by state-of-the-art research facilities, a vast and skilled group of young and experienced researchers, as well as strong institutional support, China is now on a par with some leading developed countries in science and technology innovation, a prominent Chinese scientist said.

Surrounded by a huge reservoir and lush vegetation, an islet in Hefei, the provincial capital city of East China's Anhui Province, is an epitome of the cutting-edge research and new tech innovation that supports China's incessant breakthroughs in technological advancement.

The islet, also known as the Science Island, is home to the Steady High Magnetic Field Facility (SHMFF) at the High Magnetic Field Laboratory, the Hefei Institute of Physical Science, a research institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Global Times reporters visited this research center on the island where Chinese scientists successfully produced a steady magnetic field of 452,200 gauss, or 45.22 tesla, surpassing the previous world record set by the US (450,000 gauss) nearly 23 years ago. Generally speaking, a higher magnetic field increases the potential for new discoveries.

This success marks a significant milestone in the advancement of magnetic technology both in China and globally. The achievement marks the creation of the highest steady magnetic field, one that's over 900,000 times more powerful than the Earth's, by leveraging a hybrid magnet approach.

The SHMFF strongly supports frontier scientific explorations, including physics, material science, chemistry, and life science. The landmark achievement, announced in August 2022, was made by talented engineers and scientists at one of the world's top magnet laboratories

"The breakthrough demonstrates China's capability to provide robust support for scientific exploration of the physical world by generating powerful steady magnetic fields," said Kuang Guangli, the laboratory's director.

Currently, there are five major laboratories dedicated to steady high magnetic fields located within the US, France, the Netherlands, Japan, and China. These major scientific facilities create extreme experimental conditions essential for the study of physical science and contribute significantly to major scientific discoveries, Kuang noted.

The SHMFF began operations in 2017 and has operated more than 600,000 machine hours now, providing over 200 scientific and educational institutions at home and abroad with the experimental conditions for cutting-edge research in multiple disciplines, including physics, chemistry, and new materials.

Distinct research facilities

"Our facilities have reached the highest level in the world," said Kuang, adding that China has already caught up with or even surpassed some developed countries in terms of research facilities thanks to sustained high-level input over the past decade.

Describing their success, Kuang told the Global Times that China's scientific community is on the cusp of a significant breakthrough, with research environment quickly reaching international standards. China's scientific accomplishments are poised to make a significant impact in the world, he said.

"The explosive emergence of China's scientific research achievements is not surprising," Kuang said. Hefei has now become a microcosm of China's scientific progress.

After years of investment, China's research levels have reached an internationally advanced level. In terms of scientific equipment and environment, there is not much difference compared with those in Europe and the US, he said.

According to Kuang, large-scale scientific facilities are crucial for achieving groundbreaking results and maintaining a competitive edge in science and technology.

"Without large scientific facilities, scientific research would be just an idea on paper." Kuang believes that generating increasingly stronger steady-state magnetic field strengths will advance scientific understanding of the electric and magnetic properties of materials, allowing scientists to make new discoveries in physics.

China has made notable achievements in the construction of large-scale scientific facilities after decades of development. If all projects flagged in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) are completed, China will have approximately 70 large scientific research facilities, a number comparable to that of the US, said Wang Yifang, director of the Institute of High Energy Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Kuang compared large scientific facilities to boosters for research, noting that "they provide the necessary material and technological foundation for scientific research, accelerate the process of new technological innovation, and the research results can also be transformed into practical applications, and promote the development of high-tech industries."

Amid fierce international competition, Kuang said that China is becoming increasingly resilient and motivated in addressing key challenges in science and technology, adding that China's focus on frontier research and the hard-working spirit of the Chinese people will help drive technological development.

To boost China's strength in strategic science and technology, China will refine the system of national laboratories and better define the roles and layout of national research institutions, research-oriented universities, and leading high-tech enterprises, according to a resolution adopted by the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Joint ODNI, FBI, and CISA Statement on Iranian Election Influence Efforts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ODNI News Release No. 20-24

August 19, 2024



Joint ODNI, FBI, and CISA Statement on Iranian Election Influence Efforts

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released the following statement:

"As each of us has indicated in prior public statements, Iran seeks to stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions. Iran has furthermore demonstrated a longstanding interest in exploiting societal tensions through various means, including through the use of cyber operations to attempt to gain access to sensitive information related to U.S. elections. In addition to these sustained efforts to complicate the ability of any U.S. administration to pursue a foreign policy at odds with Iran's interests, the IC has previously reported that Iran perceives this year's elections to be particularly consequential in terms of the impact they could have on its national security interests, increasing Tehran's inclination to try to shape the outcome. We have observed increasingly aggressive Iranian activity during this election cycle, specifically involving influence operations targeting the American public and cyber operations targeting Presidential campaigns.

This includes the recently reported activities to compromise former President Trump's campaign, which the IC attributes to Iran. The IC is confident that the Iranians have through social engineering and other efforts sought access to individuals with direct access to the Presidential campaigns of both political parties. Such activity, including thefts and disclosures, are intended to influence the U.S. election process. It is important to note that this approach is not new. Iran and Russia have employed these tactics not only in the United States during this and prior federal election cycles but also in other countries around the world.

Protecting the integrity of our elections from foreign influence or interference is our priority. As the lead for threat response, the FBI has been tracking this activity, has been in contact with the victims, and will continue to investigate and gather information in order to pursue and disrupt the threat actors responsible. We will not tolerate foreign efforts to influence or interfere with our elections, including the targeting of American political campaigns. As an interagency we are working closely with our public and private sector partners to share information, bolster security, and identify and disrupt any threats. Just as this activity demonstrates the Iranians' increased intent to exploit our online platforms in support of their objectives, it also demonstrates the need to increase the resilience of those platforms. Using strong passwords and only official email accounts for official business, updating software, avoiding clicking on links or opening attachments from suspicious emails before confirming their authenticity with the sender, and turning on multi-factor authentication will drastically improve online security and safety.

The FBI and CISA encourage campaigns and election infrastructure stakeholders to report information concerning suspicious or criminal activity to their local Election Crime Coordinators via FBI field office (https://www.fbi.gov/fieldoffices), by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or online at https://www.ic3.gov. Cyber incidents impacting election infrastructure can also be reported to CISA by calling 1-844-Say-CISA (1-844-729-2472), emailing report@cisa.dhs.gov, or reporting online at https://www.cisa.gov/report. Election infrastructure stakeholders and the public can find additional resources about how to protect against cyber and physical threats at CISA's #PROTECT2024 (https://www.cisa.gov/topics/election-security/protect2024)."

###

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China's Counterespionage Law will not target normal business activities: FM

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Aug 19, 2024 10:22 PM

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday said that China's Counterespionage Law targets the very few spying activities that are harmful to China's national security, not normal business and investment activity.

The comment came in response to a media question that since the revised Counterespionage Law came into force in July 2023, the German pharmaceutical sector has feared that the GMP or good manufacturing practice Inspectors who come to China could be punished.

As long as businesses operate lawfully and their personnel abide by the law, there's no need for concern, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular news conference on Monday.

The revised Counterespionage Law took effect on July 1, 2023.

The revised law refines the definition of espionage, specifying acts such as carrying out cyberattacks against state organs, confidential organs or crucial information infrastructure as acts of espionage, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

It also properly expands the scope of targets of espionage, with all documents, data, materials and articles concerning national security and interests included for protection.

China is firmly committed to promoting high-standard opening-up and providing Chinese and foreign companies with a world-class pro-business environment that is market-oriented and law-based, Mao said.

During a press conference on Friday, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) pledged to introduce more measures to attract and encourage foreign investment.

The MOFCOM said it will continue to relax market access for foreign investment, eliminate restrictions in the manufacturing sector nationwide and expand opening-up in sectors such as telecommunications, the internet, education, culture and healthcare.

Additionally, it will revise the regulations to further relax restrictions on foreign investors' strategic investments in listed companies, and attract more high-quality foreign investment into the capital market.

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UN and partners report acute malnutrition surge in Government-controlled areas of Yemen

18 August 2024 - Acute malnutrition is escalating among children in Government-controlled areas in Yemen, UN agencies and partners said in a report published on Sunday.

The sharp increase is being driven by diseases, including cholera and malaria, high food insecurity, and limited access to safe drinking water and other essential services, according to the analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Technical Working Group.

Yemen has been mired in conflict and economic collapse for nearly a decade. As Government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and Houthi rebels, continue to battle, more than 18 million people, over half the population, require humanitarian aid to survive.

Young children going hungry

The report covers the period from November 2023 to October 2024.

It found that the number of children under five in Government-controlled areas who are suffering from acute malnutrition rose by 34 per cent compared to last year.

Overall, some 600,000 boys and girls are affected, including 120,000 who are severely malnourished. Additionally, around 223,000 pregnant and lactating women in these areas were found to be acutely malnourished.

For the first time, the most severe level of malnutrition - extremely critical acute malnutrition - was reported in two districts in the southern lowlands of Hudaydah governorate (Al Khawkhah and Hays), and another in Taiz (Al Makha).

The report noted that Mawza district in the Taiz lowlands is also projected to join them.

"These districts require immediate intervention to prevent increased morbidity and potential mortality among children under five years of age," the experts said.

Lean season fears

Hudaydah and Taiz had already been facing the highest rate of stunting, or chronic malnutrition, the report noted, indicating that repeated deprivations are also aggravating chronic malnutrition among children there.

Furthermore, the prevalence of acute malnutrition in Hudaydah soared to 33.9 per cent from 25.9 per cent year on year.

The report anticipates that all 117 districts in Government-controlled areas surveyed, all located in the south, will experience "serious" levels of malnutrition or worse during the lean season from July to October.

Investment and support

"To protect the most vulnerable women, girls and boys, an investment in and scale-up of prevention and treatment efforts are more critical than ever," said Peter Hawkins, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Representative to Yemen.

UNICEF, together with sister UN agencies the World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), are calling for urgent support and action to address the root causes of acute malnutrition in Yemen by strengthening existing social protection, health, food and water, sanitation, and hygiene systems.

At the same time, they stressed that ending the nearly decade-long conflict and restoring peace are critical to both address challenges and build the resilience of Yemen's people, who have been devastated by the lack of basic services, repeated displacements, and shattered economic and social systems.

'A wakeup call'

Dr. Hussein Gadain, FAO Representative in Yemen, reaffirmed commitment to supporting "the sustainable restoration and diversification of agricultural livelihoods to help address the urgent needs."

Meanwhile, WFP is currently forced to provide smaller rations in Yemen, and the report's findings "should be a wakeup call that lives are at stake," said Pierre Honnorat, the agency's Representative and Country Director.

"It is critical to step up support to the most vulnerable who could sink deeper into food insecurity and malnutrition if current low levels of humanitarian funding persist," he added.

Dr. Arturo Pesigan, WHO Representative to Yemen, said the rising level of acute malnutrition in Yemen's under-fives also indicates that diseases are of concern.

He stressed that addressing health and nutrition emergencies requires "integrated health and nutrition services, including childhood illness management", as well as ensuring up-to-date immunization and appropriate feeding practices.

"This is in addition to ensuring access to sufficient nutritious food and safe drinking water," he said. "Humanitarian actors and the international community must take immediate action to safeguard the future of Yemen's children."





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Oregon Army Guard Soldiers Prepare to Deploy Overseas

By Sgt. 1st Class Cory Grogan, Oregon Military Department Joint Forces Headquarters August 19, 2024

SALEM, Ore. -- Oregon Army National Guard 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team Soldiers were honored Aug. 16 as they prepared to deploy with the NATO-led Kosovo Force for a year-long mission.

During a mobilization ceremony at the Salem Armory Auditorium, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek emphasized the importance of the mission  part of KFOR's 34th rotation.

"It is these times that show us how important our freedom and safety are, whether you serve overseas or here at home," Kotek said.

Established to end the Kosovo War, KFOR was authorized to deploy an international peacekeeping force to Kosovo.

KFOR focuses on maintaining security, supporting civil authorities, and ensuring freedom of movement across the region, vital for fostering peace in Kosovo amid political negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia.

Col. Peter Helzer, commander of the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, spoke about the deployment's significance before the ceremony.

"The 41st IBCT brings a robust set of capabilities to support the people of Kosovo. From security to medical and logistical support, Oregonians will contribute to the stability and security of the region as part of the NATO effort," he said.

To prepare for their deployment, the 41st IBCT will first undergo pre-mobilization training at Fort Cavazos, Texas, followed by additional training in Germany.

Brig. Gen. Alan R. Gronewold, adjutant general of Oregon, expressed gratitude to the Soldiers and their families.

"I want to thank you for the sacrifices you and your families have made to serve the state and nation," he said.

Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also attended the ceremony. As the former 41st IBCT commander during the brigade's 2009-10 deployment to Iraq and former adjutant general of the Oregon National Guard, Hokanson praised the Soldiers for their service and highlighted that they are among the less than 1% of Americans who serve in this capacity.

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August 19, 2024

Transcript

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh Holds an Off-Camera Press Briefing

DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY SABRINA SINGH: OK. So, today Secretary Austin spoke with Ukrainian Defense Minister Umerov regarding Ukraine's military operations and discussed ongoing support from allies and partners in helping meet Ukraine's urgent military requirements. The secretary reiterated US support for Ukraine, and that the two will continue to remain in close contact. We will have a readout, hopefully posted soon, later today on Defense.gov.

Switching gears, the US Central Command sponsored exercise Regional Cooperation 2024 kicks off today in Phoenix. The Arizona Army National Guard and their state partner, Kazakhstan, will host the exercise through the end of the month. Additional participants from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Mongolia and Pakistan will participate in the exercise designed to enhance regional security and stability, increase national capabilities and commitment to interdict weapons of mass destruction, terrorist elements and narcotics, and help develop regional defense forces in international peace operations and information sharing.

Training provided during RC24 promotes cooperation and interoperability, builds functional capacity, supports stability operations, and enhances responsive  responsiveness between multinational organizations. This exercise series has been conducted annually since 2001, both in Central and South Asia and in the United States, with support of the National Guard units who are state partners of these countries.

And with that, be happy to take your questions. Tara?

Q: All right. So, has the US role expanded at all in advising the Ukrainians on their Kursk operations, since now it's not just a move forward, it's kind of a move forward and hold?

MS. SINGH: Like has our  like, what do you mean? Expanded in terms of what, like our information sharing or anything like that?

Q: Exactly.

MS. SINGH: No, nothing has changed in terms of our partnership and relationship with Ukraine. As you know, our main avenue of supporting Ukraine is through security assistance. So, presidential drawdown packages are going to continue. I don't have one to preview right now, but those have continued pretty regularly. I think we rolled out one a week  a week ago-ish, so that support is ongoing.

Q: What about like satellite imagery or things that could help them with this effort?

MS. SINGH: Well, wouldn't discuss any intelligence sharing that we would do with the Ukrainians, but we do have that relationship with them. But I'm not going to go beyond anything that, you know, we've said publicly. Other than that, we continue to work with the Ukrainians to give them the support that they need, but that is primarily through drawdown packages.

Q: So, you won't talk about whether or not we're providing additional satellite information?

MS. SINGH: Yeah, I'm not  just not going to get into that.

Q: Okay.

MS. SINGH: Okay, great. Idrees?

Q: Are you still flying ISR flights over Gaza for hostage assistance, rescue assistance?

MS. SINGH: We have been assisting with hostage efforts, but I don't have any more details to provide on that.

Q: Could you take that  if the flights are still ongoing?

MS. SINGH: I think we  look, I'm not going to detail when we do that. But we have been supporting operations to support hostage recovery and rescue, whether that's ISR or other intelligence methods.

Q: And do you have an update on the casualties from a few weeks ago  a week ago from the Syria attack? I think it was eight at last count. Has that gone up?

MS. SINGH: From Syria, from RLZ?

Q: Yes 

MS. SINGH: Or from 

Q: Yeah.

MS. SINGH: So, I believe that was  I believe, in conducting our post-strike analysis, we had 11 service members that received treatment for TBI or other smoke inhalation. Eight of those service members, which we had read out at the time, were transported to a separate location for further assessment, but now all 11 have returned to duty.

Do you have anything else or 

Q: No.

MS. SINGH: Oren?

Q: I think it was on Thursday you said part of the discussions between the US and Ukraine were to get a better understanding of the purpose and the intent of the Kursk operation. Was that part of this call with Umerov? And if so, what is the US's understanding of the purpose and intent of Ukraine with the Kursk operation?

MS. SINGH: Well, I think you saw  Oren you probably saw over the weekend President Zelenskyy spoke to their objectives in the Kursk operation, so I don't have more to provide beyond that. The secretary did get a better understanding from speaking with Minister Umerov just on what they're trying to accomplish there. But I don't have more details to provide other than that, yes, we did get some more clarity over the weekend.

Will?

Q: Gordon Black's appeal was rejected by Russia today. Any comment on that? And what is his current status with the US military?

MS. SINGH: I'd refer you to Army for that 

Q: OK.

MS. SINGH: In terms of his current status. I did see that as I was just walking out. You know, that's something that the State Department continues to work, and they're the lead on that. But I just don't have more to provide on anything additional, especially his status. I'd just refer you to the Army.

Q: On the operation in Kursk, do you have anything more, any more details about to what degree the Russians are withdrawing forces, diverting forces from inside Ukraine to help fight?

MS. SINGH: And I know you've been interested in this one. I don't have more information. We have seen movement of Russian forces, but I couldn't tell you exactly where they're pulling their forces from, other than that, you know, what they've said publicly as well is that they are going to move forces. But I just don't have more specifics to get into on where they're pulling them from.

Yes?

Q: US and South Korea kick off the large-scale exercise named Ulchi Freedom Shield today. And then can you tell me the background of this exercise, and then how many US troops join and what US asset will be involved in this exercise?

MS. SINGH: You know, for more details on that exercise  and I think we did read out a little bit of it. I want to say it was a while ago unless I'm getting my exercises confused. But for more on that specific exercise, I'd refer you to INDOPACOM to speak to that. I just don't have the specifics in front of me.

Q: So, North Korea react, this exercise kind of a provocative or drill progression. What is your reaction of this response?

MS. SINGH: Yeah. So, again, I just don't have any specifics on the exercise. I'd refer you to the COCOM to speak to it.

Q: OK.

MS. SINGH: OK. Short gaggle, five minutes. Okay. All right.

Q: Thank you, Sabrina.

MS. SINGH: I thought we were going to have a record.

Q: Just quick 

MS. SINGH: Yeah.

Q: It should be quick. Has there been any change or update to US policy in arming the Ukrainians now that they are actually fighting on US  or sorry, Russian soil in terms of weapons packages or what they can use?

MS. SINGH: No change to US policy in terms of continuing to provide support to Ukraine. The president has been very clear about, you know, our ongoing and enduring support for Ukraine and being with Ukraine for as long as it takes. The secretary later in September will convene another UDCG, and that's another opportunity for countries all across the world to convene and, you know, discuss what more they can provide Ukraine and kind of work around the table on the capabilities and resources that Ukraine needs.

But there have been no changes to US policy in terms of continuing to provide those presidential drawdown packages. That's ongoing. That continues. I don't have one to read out right now today, but, you know 

Q: But where those weapons can be used, that hasn't been a change?

MS. SINGH: There has not been a change in our longstanding policy on how weapons can be used on the battlefield or within Russia. There's been no change.

Liz?

Q: Thanks. There's now four guided missile destroyers in the Mediterranean. How long are those going to stay there? Are they just waiting this potential attack from Iran out?

MS. SINGH: So, I don't have  you know, I certainly wouldn't speak to timelines. But we did make force posture changes to move destroyers and other capabilities closer so if we need to

defend Israel, you know, they could be there. I just don't have a timeline or specifics on how long they'll be in that region.

Noah?

Q: Um-hmm. During the briefing last week, you mentioned that there was more detail that the Pentagon was seeking about the objectives of the Kursk operation.

MS. SINGH: Yeah.

Q: Were President Zelenskyy's comments during his address yesterday helpful in that? Is that sort of what you were looking for, or more details you're looking for?

MS. SINGH: So, you know, President Zelenskyy's comments I think gave an overview of their objectives. And then the secretary's, in speaking with Minister Umerov today, you know, got a little bit more granular. I think we still seek some additional details, just you know, that are more in depth. But we're working through those and, you know, we'll have a readout later today of the call.

Q: Um-hmm. And then just the follow up to that, there was an alert over the weekend from the duty officer about a non-combat related fatality I believe to an airman. Any more details on that, or is it just under investigation?

MS. SINGH: I don't have more details on that, but the Air Force might so I'd refer you to the Air Force.

Do you have another?

Q: I was just following up on the defense of Israel. In his calls with Mr. Gallant, how's the secretary kind of hold that thread? Like, what does the defense of Israel look like? Would we be shooting down incoming missiles? Does it involve US troops? I mean, how far does the US go?

MS. SINGH: When we talk about the defense of Israel in the context of an attack from Iran, we're talking about  I mean, to give you an example of what we did on April 13th, so, it is  it was shooting down drones, missiles, you know, being positioned closer to Israel, you know, to allow for that to happen. That's what we're talking about. We're not talking about anything else and not, you know, putting forces on the ground in any way.

Yeah.

Q: I actually had a question.

MS. SINGH: Okay. Eric, and I'll come back to you. Oh, and then Ellie.

Q: The Kursk incursion extends along the line  the long front lines. The Ukrainians are already defending 600 miles or so. The secretary in the past has raised concerns about how the Ukrainians deploy their forces because of this and that they're already thinly stretched. Is this one of the things  one of the areas that he's seeking more clarification on, how not  how to conduct this incursion, maintain a buffer zone, and yet not overstretch these forces since manpower's already such a critical shortage that Ukraine has?

MS. SINGH: Broadly speaking, I think battlefield dynamics are always something that comes up and how forces are being utilized just generally, and not just with Secretary Austin. You know, our  General Cavoli is also in touch with his counterpart, and that's something that they discuss pretty regularly.

In terms of this, I mean, where the Ukrainians are operating, it's still within, you know, that cross-border region where they were receiving fires from Russian forces. So, they're still operating within sort of the bounds of the policy that we set. But, you know, of course being stretched on the battlefield is something that the secretary discussed, but I just don't have more specifics.

Q: But has he raised concerns? Does he see this  if it extends over a long period of time, particularly as the reports of the Russians accelerating gains in areas in the Donbas that are significant  strategically significant 

MS. SINGH: Yeah.

Q: To that area, has he raised that as a concern? Is he pressing for more details from the Umerov on how he seeks to address that?

MS. SINGH: Yeah, he did. You know, we are always seeking and want to see all the details as much as we can. I'm just not going to get into any more specifics on their call. As you know, we always refer to the Ukrainians to speak to their operation. So, I'm just gonna have to do that.

One more here and then I'll go to Ellie. Yes?

Q: North Korean military delegate last week participating with Russian military expos in Moscow. So, do you know any result, any deal DPRK and Russia made during the expo?

MS. SINGH: Do I know of any 

Q: Result, any 

MS. SINGH: Result?

Q: Deal?

MS. SINGH: I am not. I'm not aware of  I don't know what came out of those conversations. But what I can tell you is certainly the partnership and relationship that we've seen between the DPRK and Russia continues, and it continues to deepen. And that is, of course, a growing concern for us. It's something that we monitor.

But at the end of the day, we, you know, continue to stand with Ukraine, and Ukraine has partners and allies across the world supporting their efforts, over 50, you know, countries supporting that come together through the UDCG. And I think that sends quite a strong message.

Ellee?

Q: There was a reported incident this morning in the I think Sabine Shoal between the Chinese -

MS. SINGH: Yeah.

Q: And the Philippines. They each blamed each other. Does the Pentagon have any more information on what happened and who was responsible?

MS. SINGH: So, I've seen some of the public reporting on it. Let me just see if there's anything  nope, not gonna work. OK. So, from what I've seen publicly, and it's something that  you know, we've seen this type of behavior before from PRC ships trying to intercept when it comes to Philippine ships doing either resupply in their EEZ or  you know, and lawfully doing it.

I know that there was the use of water cannons that were used. I don't think any  I think there was minor damage to some of the Philippine Coast Guard ships. Thank you. But just trying to get more information, but have just really seen only the public reporting on this right now.

Tony?

Q: Afghanistan, and I know this is not on anybody's mind, but two weeks from now you'll get questions on this. And I don't expect you to know this now. Can you check with the general counsel's office on whether that family  the survivors of the family killed in the errant drone strike three years ago have received compensation?

MS. SINGH: If you've got the name 

Q: You weren't here for this, but you remember that it was the errant drone strike.

MS. SINGH: Yeah. Yeah, I don't have anything for you on that. I know that's something that 

Q: Check into it, though. I know you don't and I'm not expecting that. But you're going to get that question and it's  you need to answer that as an institution.

MS. SINGH: Yeah. I'm not aware, Tony, of anything, but I will  I can check and get back to you.

Q: Because it's going to be topical 

MS. SINGH: Yeah.

Q: In a week and a half from now. Thank you.

MS. SINGH: Yeah.

Q: If I can follow up, if there hasn't been a payment or an evacuation, which was among the things that were promised, why that hasn't happened three years in? That was something that the secretary personally said he was committed to making happen.

MS. SINGH: Happy to take the question.

Q: Thank you.

MS. SINGH: Yeah. All right, great. Thanks, everyone.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3878234/

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August 19, 2024

Release

Department of Defense Awards $46.8 Million in Grants for Minerva Research Initiative

The Department of Defense today announced $46.8 million in grants to 19 university-based faculty teams under its Minerva Research Initiative. These three- to five-year awards support basic research in social and behavioral sciences on topics relevant to U.S. national security.

"In a rapidly changing world, social science is essential for making sense of human behavior, guiding informed decisions, and understanding societal progress," said Dr. David Montgomery, director of social science in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering "We need to explore and better understand the complex social dynamics that shape our world and provide insights useful to policymakers and others concerned with the social context of security."

Through its network of faculty investigators, the Minerva Research Initiative builds strong connections to the social science community to help DoD better understand and prepare for future challenges, guided by priorities established in the National Defense Strategy.

R&E and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy selected 19 university awardees from over 150 applicants in eight categories, using merit-based metrics that evaluated proposals for their potential to make foundational contributions to basic social science, alignment with the National Defense Strategy, and potential impact.

The awarded projects include:

Social Cohesion in Action: How Collectivists and Interdependent Communities React to Adverse Events

Topic Area: Societal Cohesion in Crisis

Principal Investigator: Delia Baldassarri, New York University How Is Organized Crime Organized? Understanding the Political Economy, Industrial Organization, and Recruitment Into Organized Crime in Colombia

Topic Area: Societal Cohesion in Crisis

Principal Investigator: Christopher Blattman, University of Chicago China's Rise and Societal Cohesion in the Indo-Pacific: Concepts, Measures, Implications

Topic Area: Societal Cohesion in Crisis

Principal Investigator: Allen Hicken, University of Michigan Mapping Societal Cohesion, Disinformation, and Adversary Influence Operations, and Group Formation in African Crisis Regions

Topic Area: Societal Cohesion in Crisis

Principal Investigator: Lewis Jacob, Washington State University Conflict Resilience Across Scales: Theory and Data to Evaluate Societal Resilience to Water and Climate Shock

Topic Area: Considering Societal Resilience at Multiple Scales

Principal Investigator: Kate Brauman, University of Alabama Modelling Scales of Societal Resilience to Concurrent Shocks in the Asia-Pacific Region

Topic Area: Considering Societal Resilience at Multiple Scales

Principal Investigator: Michael Frachetti, Washington University in St. Louis "Un"Resilience: Drawing Insights from Societal Collapse

Topic Area: Considering Societal Resilience at Multiple Scales

Principal Investigator: Jose Padilla, Old Dominion University Anticipating Coastal Population Mobility: Path to Maladaptation or Sociopolitical Stability

Topic Area: Sociotechnical Adaptation to Climate, Food, and Water Stress

Principal Investigator: Anamaria Bukvic, Virginia Technical University Modeling Climate-Induced Societal Adaptation and Population Displacement

Topic Area: Sociotechnical Adaptation to Climate, Food, and Water Stress

Principal Investigator: Erik Wibbels, University of Pennsylvania Harmonizing Research Into AI Futures and Governance

Topic Area: Social Impact of Technological Change

Principal Investigator: Nicholas Evans, University of Massachusetts, Lowell Machine-Moderated Moral Injury: Exploring the Double-Edged Sword of Algorithmic Decision-Making in National Security

Topic Area: Social Impact of Technological Change

Principal Investigator: Neil Shortland, University of Massachusetts, Lowell Randomized Controlled Trials to Examine the Impact of Generative AI

Topic Area: Social Impact of Technological Change

Principal Investigator: Alexander Volfovsky, Duke University The Language of Parasocial Influence and the Emergence of Extremism

Topic Area: Parasocial Relationships, Social Media, and Radicalization

Principal Investigator: Joshua Plotkin, University of Pennsylvania Beyond the Clock: Understanding Cross-Cultural Temporal Orientation of Military Officers

Topic Area: Temporal Orientation and Strategic Considerations

Principal Investigator: Erika Frydenlund, Old Dominion University TimeBase: Systematically Mapping and Modeling Temporal Differences in Strategic Thinking, Signaling, (Inter-) Acting between the U.S., Russia, and China, and How They Matter

Topic Area: Temporal Orientation and Strategic Considerations

Principal Investigator: Adam Stulberg, Georgia Institute of Technology Cooperation and Conflict Dynamics in Deterrence Networks

Topic Area: Evolving Contexts of Deterrence

Principal Investigator: Michael Gabbay, University of Washington Empirical Study of Deterrence in the Context of Great Power Competition

Topic Area: Evolving Contexts of Deterrence

Principal Investigator: Renard Sexton, Emory University Military Adaptation and War Termination

Topic Area: War Termination Processes and Prospects

Principal Investigator: Jacob Aronson, University of Maryland What Sustains and Ends Wars: Will to Fight to Secure Ontological Significance Versus Material Capacity to Pursue Power

Topic Area: War Termination Processes and Prospects

Principal Investigator: Scott Atran, University of Oxford

The Minerva Research Initiative is funded by OUSD(R&E)'s Basic Research Office, with additional funding and joint program administration provided by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Army Research Office, and the Office of Naval Research. Minerva also works closely with the Strategy Office in OUSD(P). Click here for more information on the Minerva Research Initiative.

About USD(R&E)

The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E)) is the Chief Technology Officer of the Department of Defense. The USD(R&E) champions research, science, technology, engineering, and innovation to maintain the United States military's technological advantage. Learn more at www.cto.mil, follow us on Twitter @DoDCTO, or visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/ousdre.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3878008/

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ECDI Announces Tender for Ammunition Production in Amari

Republic of Estonia - Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI)

19.08.2024

News, Armaments, Procurements

The Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) has published the conditions and criteria for a tender to find a manufacturer of ammunition at the Amari military base. The deadline for submitting bids is October 10, and production must begin no later than the first half of 2025.

The winner of the tender will gain access to an area of approximately 8,900 square meters in the Amari military base, including a site, a light hall, protective embankments, and communication facilities, as well as up to seven ammunition storage facilities. The conditions of the tender include leasing the site for up to five years, during which it must be used for the production of ammunition or combat ammunition containing explosives. The winner of the tender must also have the necessary permits for production by the time production begins. The production costs will be borne by the winner of the tender.

While the development of the defence industry park by the Ministry of Defence may take a few years due to special national planning and its scale, using the military base provides companies with an opportunity to start ammunition production immediately. "Amari already has the infrastructure that meets the necessary security and safety requirements, so there's no need to develop it from scratch," explained Katri Raudsepp, Deputy Director of ECDI. According to her, meetings with representatives of the Estonian defence industry have clearly indicated that local defence companies are also interested in expanding their businesses and participating in the tender.

In evaluating the bids, the detailed action plan prepared by the company will account for 60 percent of the total score. In addition, the company's turnover (including that of shareholders), the Estonian Defence Forces' need for the product, the contractual coverage of the product, and the usage fee for state property will also be assessed. A six-member committee will evaluate the bids.

The deadline for submitting bids is October 10 at 10:00 AM. The plan is to start ammunition production at the Amari military base no later than the first half of 2025.

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Hezbollah carries out fresh drone, missile attacks on Zionist targets

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Aug 19, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Lebanese Hezbollah has launched a new round of drone and missile attacks on Zionist targets in the northern parts of the occupied territories, local media reported.

In a statement issued on Monday, Hezbollah announced that the attacks were conducted in support for the Palestinian resistance in the face of the Zionist invasion.

The statement said that Hezbollah fighters targeted a Zionist base with missiles.

The resistance group also launched another attack on Al Radar base, completely destroying the spy equipment of the facility.

Zionist media also reported today that Hezbollah drones conducted a strike against a building where the soldiers of the regime were gathering.

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Qassam, Al-Quds brigades claim responsibility for Tel Aviv operation

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Aug 19, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The military wings of Palestinian resistance groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad have claimed responsibility for a resistance operation in Tel Aviv.

In a joint statement on Monday, the Al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas and the Al-Quds Brigades of Islamic Jihad said their "martyrdom operations" inside the occupied territories would return to the forefront as long as the Israeli regime's massacres and assassination policy continue.

The Israeli regime's internal security service Shin Bet (Shabak) and police said they were on high alert following the anti-Zionist operation on Sunday night.

Shabak said the attack was carried out by an individual from Nablus in the West Bank.

Meanwhile, the Popular Resistance Committees in Palestine hailed the operation, describing it as a significant intelligence and security failure for the Israeli regime.

They stated that the Tel Aviv operation marks the beginning of a new and unique phase in confronting the brutality of the Zionist enemy.

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Israeli attack on Hudaydah will not go unanswered: Yemeni FM

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Aug 19, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Yemen's Foreign Minister Jamal Ahmed Ali Amer has said a recent Israeli attack on the Red Sea port city of Hudaydah will not go unanswered.

"The cowardly and despicable military aggression by the Israeli regime against the port of Hudaydah will be met with a response," Amer, the top diplomat in Yemen's National Salvation Government, said in an interview with Al Mayadeen.

An Israeli airstrike hit oil storage facilities and a power plant in Hudaydah on July 20, killing at least nine people and wounding dozens, Yemen's al-Masirah television channel reported.

The attack came a day after the Yemeni armed forces launched a drone attack against the coastal city of Tel Aviv.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday that the Israeli airstrike on Hudaydah constituted disproportionate and reckless attacks on civilians, and potentially amounted to war crimes.

Amer also noted that the US forces have retreated from the Red Sea under pressure from Yemeni armed forces, and are now seeking an alternative location in the region.

The Yemenis have repeatedly launched drone and missile strikes at Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in a show of support for Palestinians in Gaza.

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MANZINI - Vulamasango High School has done it again.

For the second time in a row, the school will represent Eswatini in Mauritius in December 2024.The school was crowned Junior Achievement (JA) Eswatini national champions for the year 2024 yesterday, during the JA Eswatini National Competition, which was held at The George Hotel in Manzini. This was the 16th Company of the Year Competition and it was hosted by JA Eswatini, under the theme Greenovation. Vulamasango High School is one of six schools, which competed for the national champion position. The pupils built an Electro-Culture Generator. On the other hand, St Marys High School and Moyeni High School made it to the top three.

Vulamasango also won three other awards; Most Innovative Company, Best Kept Records and Excellence in Project Management. Meanwhile, Moyeni High School won the Best Theme Award, while U-Tech School took home the Most Viable Business Award. Kukhanyeni High School won the Best Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Award.

Development

Before awarding the winners, the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Manqoba Khumalo, who was represented by the Principal Secretary (PS) in the ministry, Melusi Masuku, said the theme Greenovation resonates with the nation's commitment to sustainable development and economic growth. He then commended JA Eswatini for its unwavering dedication to fostering the entrepreneurial spirit among the youth. He said the organisations efforts in equipping young minds with the skills and knowledge to create innovative and sustainable businesses were invaluable to the nation's progress.The minister said the theme Greenovation was particularly timely, as they grappled with the challenges of climate change and resource scarcity.Therefore, he said it was inspiring to see young entrepreneurs at the forefront of developing solutions that address these pressing issues, while also creating economic opportunities. The minister said government recognised the critical role of entrepreneurship in driving economic growth and job creation.

Important

He also said the JA Alumni Awards showed them that these business ideas were important. To the youth, he said: Embrace the challenges as opportunities for growth and innovation. Network with other entrepreneurs, seek mentorship and leverage available resources to scale up your businesses. He added that the innovation and pride exhibited by the participating schools in this year's competition were a testament to the transformative power of the JA programme.

He said it was also inspiring to witness the young minds of the nation ignited with entrepreneurial spirit and a deep sense of responsibility.

To the pupils, he said as they compete for the Company of the Year title, they should remember that the true victory lies in the knowledge, skills and experiences they gain throughout the competition. He said whether they won or not, they were all winners in the eyes of this nation.

Moreover, he said they had a good representation by Vulamasango High School in 2023 in Rwanda, and they look forward to the winners (Vulamasango High School) representing the nation in Mauritius in December, where they will compete with other best pupils in Africa.
Netanyahu destroys ceasefire chances: Official

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Aug 19, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative Mustafa Barghouti has said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once again destroyed the opportunity to reach an agreement for a ceasefire and the exchange of prisoners.

As long as the US does not pressure Netanyahu, the danger of a regional war will exist, Sama News Agency quoted Barghouti as saying on Monday.

He also held Washington and the Zionist regime responsible for the war in the region.

Yair Lapid, the opposition leader of the Zionist regime's cabinet, on Sunday night strongly criticized Netanyahu's actions to break the negotiations and prevent the possibility of reaching an agreement for releasing Israeli prisoners in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

He said that Netanyahu is seeking to deliberately destroy the opportunity to reach an agreement for the release of prisoners.

If Netanyahu is looking to reach an agreement to return the prisoners, he should not issue a press release every three hours to create difficulty for the Israeli negotiating team, he added.

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas stresses the need for a lasting ceasefire, the need for the complete withdrawal of the Zionist army from the Gaza Strip, and the free return of Palestinian refugees from the south and center of Gaza to their homes in the northern area through the Netzarim Corridor.

Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, as mediators of the ceasefire negotiations, in a joint statement announced the end of this round of negotiations in Doha on Friday.

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Iran: Israel has shown it has no desire for Gaza ceasefire

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Aug 19, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani says the Israeli regime has shown that it is not interested in establishing a ceasefire in Gaza and ending its months-long war in the Palestinian territory.

Kanaani made the remarks at his weekly presser on Monday, three days after the latest round of Gaza ceasefire talks were concluded in Qatar, leading to a new proposal that the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas rejected, arguing that Israel has set new conditions for a ceasefire in exchange for releasing its war prisoners held in Gaza.

"The Israeli regime showed that it has no desire to establish a ceasefire to stop the war, and the reactions after the recent negotiations showed the same. This regime has not stopped the killing of the Palestinian people, and on the other hand, Hamas has expressed its views and said that the Zionist regime has set new conditions."

The spokesman further said no one doubts that an immediate ceasefire needs to be established in Gaza, adding that Israeli crimes have continued in the Palestinian territory as a result of the inaction of the international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council, and under US pressure.

The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes any "sincere effort" aimed at establishing a ceasefire and bringing an end to the Israeli regime's brutal crimes, the diplomat noted, adding that Iran has in the past months used all its diplomatic capacity to stop the killing machine of the Zionist regime.

Kanaani also said that Iran does not consider the US as a qualified party to pursue the Gaza ceasefire talks because of the performance of Washington which supports the Israeli regime and is complicit in its crimes. The US has repeatedly shown that it is not committed to protecting regional peace and security, and instead is committed to Israel's security, he added.

If the US had the determination to help establish a ceasefire in Gaza, it would have used its power to stop the Israeli killing machine, the spokesman further said.

Ceasefire deal in Gaza

As to the truce deal in the Gaza Strip, Kanaani said that Iran welcomes any measures based on good faith on an armistice between warring sides.

The US must determine whether it helps the Zionist regime to drag out the ongoing war or it truly seeks to play a constructive role in this regard, he added.

Time will say how the US takes steps in reality, he said, noting that Hamas has not witnessed a positive approach from the Americans.

1953 coup

About the 1953 coup in Iran, which is known in the country as the 28 Mordad coup d'etat, he said that a court in the Iranian capital on Sunday held the first hearing on a lawsuit filed against the US administration and its officials for their role in the coup against the then democratically-elected government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.

The first trial was held at the 55th branch of the court dealing with International Affairs of Tehran Province simultaneously with the 71st anniversary of the coup.

The lawsuit filed by some 402,000 Iranians against American individuals and legal entities in this regard, he noted.

He said that the plot, orchestrated by the US and UK, inflicted a heavy blow on Iranians for 25 years.

To maintain its security against the aggressors, the Islamic Republic of Iran uses all its facilities based on all international principles, and the international community, especially the Security Council, has an immediate and objective responsibility to support international peace and security, and it is necessary to adhere to it, Kanaani added.

'Israeli regime threat to entire region'

Regarding the Lebanon issues, Kanaani emphasized that Iran will not hesitate to ensure the security of the region and considers the Zionist regime a threat to the entire region.

He said the Lebanese government, nation and army showed that they stand against the adventurism of the Zionist regime and will stand against any new aggression.

Iran's response to Haniyeh's assassination as an official guest of Iran and the issue of ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza war are two separate issues, Iran has been the strongest and most important regional and international supporter of the ceasefire and will continue to strive and support actions in this direction, the spokesman said.

But this issue has nothing to do with Iran's legitimate and legal right to respond to the aggressor and punish the Zionist regime for Haniyeh's assassination, Kanaani underlined.

He went on to say that Iran has the right to defend its territorial integrity and national sovereignty against the aggressor and immediately requested the emergency special meeting of the Security Council, and despite the good positions of some countries in the meeting, the United States and some other countries prevented the Security Council from fulfilling its duties.

Referring to the meeting, the spokesman went on to say that if the Security Council cannot protect the interests and security of the country that was violated, the country can use its legal and legitimate rights in fulfilling the rights.

Pezeshkian's pick for foreign minister

Further in his remarks, Kanaani said that President Pezeshkian's proposed foreign minister Abbas Araqchi is an experienced member of the ministry. The more votes of confidence Araqchi gets at parliament, the more powerfully he will act in advancing the foreign policy goals of the Islamic Republic, the spokesman added.

Kanaani also referred to the Sunday parliamentary session during which Araqchi elaborated on his plans to run the Foreign Ministry as well as key foreign policy issues including the removal of the existing sanctions.

He said the Raisi administration resumed negotiations aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal and removing the sanctions, and that Araqchi elaborated on the current status of those talks during the Sunday session. "We hope that the new Iranian administration will be able to uphold the country's rights," Kanaani added.

US-UK aggression on Yemen

The US has played an unconstructive and partial role in the Yemen crisis, and it has recently conducted acts of aggression on the Arab country, which have violated Yemen's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the spokesman said.

These acts of aggression are part of US destabilizing efforts which are condemned by Iran and under international law, he further said, adding that those who claim to be after peace in Yemen should work on it practically.

Iran-Russia comprehensive agreement

The Iranian spokesman said that the agreement is going ahead and the two sides will sign it in the future.

Tehran has received a letter from Russian president Vladimir Putin who has invited his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian to attend an October meeting of BRICS heads of state, which will enable the two presidents to exchange views on the bilateral comprehensive agreement, Kanaani said.

Iran not to attend truce deal in Gaza

Meanwhile, Kanaani said the Islamic Republic has not participated in the ceasefire deal on the war in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing it is natural that Iran does not take part in any deals in which the Zionist regime is involved.

It is on the Palestinian nation to make a decision in this regard, he stated.

Iran-Egypt diplomatic relations

Commenting on the expansion of the ties between Iran and Egypt, he hailed the process as constructive.

Multiple high-level talks have been held to this end, he said, noting that telephone conversations are being also held.

Both sides seek to work on the enhancement of the mutual ties, he added.

Restoration of ties between Iran-Bahrain

On the resumption of relations between Tehran and Manama, the official said that both sides have agreed to establish a mechanism to rebuild the bilateral relations.

Iran's response to unlawful act of Zionists

Iran's possible response to the illegal action of the Zionist regime is a legitimate and legal right, he said.

All sides who have discussed the issues with Iran during this period have acknowledged the right, he added.

Referring to the Israeli assassination of the Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month, he said the move is a violation of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of a member of the United Nations

Iran has never compromised its national security and interest, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Naturally, Iran could react based on the UN Charter, he said, noting that the country has vowed to take firm action in this regard.

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Hezbollah foils Israeli infiltration attempt on south Lebanon

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Aug 19, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah says it has foiled an infiltration attempt by a group of Israeli forces on southern Lebanon.

The movement announced on Monday that Hezbollah fighters fired rockets and mortars at Israeli soldiers, forcing them to retreat.

"Upon observing the infiltration of a group of [Israeli] soldiers into the Hadab Aita forest, the Islamic Resistance fighters confronted them ... with rockets and artillery shells, which forced them to retreat," said the statement.

Several Israeli soldiers were killed and injured, Hezbollah said, without specifying.

Earlier on Monday, the resistance movement launched drone strikes on several locations in the northern regions of the Israeli-occupied territories. The attacks are said to have caused casualties.

Hezbollah and Israel have been trading fire since October 8, a day after the regime launched its brutal war on Gaza. The Lebanese resistance movement says it aims to support the Palestinian people in the war-ravaged territory.

Fears of a full-fledged war have grown in recent weeks, especially after Israel assassinated top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr who was killed in an airstrike in a southern Beirut suburb. Hezbollah has promised to avenge his death.

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Hezbollah launches drone attack on northern Israel

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Aug 19, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Israeli media have reported drone attacks on Monday morning by Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement in the northern regions of the occupied territories.

Several drones were reportedly launched by Hezbollah at the Western Galilee and the city of Nahariya, setting off sirens.

The Israeli media outlets, citing the regime's military, claimed that some of the drones had been shot down while others impacted the Ya'ara area.

Unconfirmed reports meanwhile said several people were injured in the attacks.

Hezbollah and Israel have been trading fire since October 8, a day after the regime launched its brutal war on Gaza. The Lebanese resistance movement says it aims to support the Palestinian people in the war-ravaged territory.

Fears of a full-fledged war have grown in recent weeks, especially after Israel assassinated top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr who was killed in an airstrike in a southern Beirut suburb. Hezbollah has promised to avenge his death.

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Israel targets southern Lebanon in new airstrikes

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Aug 19, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Zionist regime has carried out fresh airstrikes on several locations in southern Lebanon in continuation of its rampant aggression against the Arab country.

The towns of Houla and Beit Leif were targeted in the latest Israeli airstrikes on Sunday night as reported by Al Jazeera network.

So far, there have been no reports of possible casualties or damage from these attacks which Zionist sources claimed were in response to a wave of rocket attacks from the southern Lebanon in northern occupied Palestine.

By publishing pictures, these media announced a massive fire in Beit Hillel town as a result of Hezbollah's missiles and rockets.

Hezbollah also announced in a statement that it fired Katyusha rockets on the Beit Hillel barracks in support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in response to Israeli attack on the town of Shabaa.

The two sides have been exchanging fire along Lebanon's southern border since the Zionist regime launched its genocidal war on Gaza in October.

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Romualdez: China's actions an affront to PH sovereignty

Philippine News Agency

By Zaldy De Layola

August 19, 2024, 5:44 pm

MANILA -- House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Monday condemned "in the strongest terms" the reckless and illegal maneuvers executed by the China Coast Guard against Philippine Coast Guard vessels, BRP Bagacay and BRP Cape Engano, in the West Philippine Sea.

"The deliberate actions of the China Coast Guard (CCG) are a direct affront to Philippine sovereignty and a blatant violation of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both the Philippines and China are signatories," he said in a press statement.

He said the Philippines has consistently upheld its commitment to peace and stability in the region, exercising maximum restraint despite repeated provocations.

However, Romualdez said these recent events are not mere incidents but "part of a troubling pattern of behavior" that escalates tensions and undermines the rule of law in the West Philippine Sea.

"It is incumbent upon us, as a nation, to stand firm in defending our rights and protecting our maritime domain," he said.

"The Philippines will not be cowed by intimidation or coercion. Our Coast Guard vessels will continue their vital missions, including delivering supplies to our outposts in the West Philippine Sea, and we will not relent in our pursuit of protecting our national interests."

Romualdez called on Beijing to "exercise restraint" and cease all actions that endanger lives and violate international norms.

"The path forward must be one of dialogue and mutual respect, not confrontation and aggression. The safety and security of our region depend on it," he said.

He also urged the international community to take cognizance of these dangerous actions that threaten not only regional stability but also the freedom of navigation in the WPS.

"We remain resolute in our commitment to uphold the dignity and sovereignty of the Republic of the Philippines. We will continue to work with our allies and partners to ensure that the rule of law prevails in the West Philippine Sea," Romualdez said. (PNA)

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China's latest harassment in WPS endangers lives: US envoy

Philippine News Agency

By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz

August 19, 2024, 4:37 pm Updated on August 19, 2024, 4:49 pm

MANILA -- US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson on Monday said the latest harassment by Chinese ships "endangered lives" aside from causing damage to two vessels of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) near Sabina Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Carlson said the US stands with the Philippines in condemning the China Coast Guard's (CCG) "dangerous maneuvers."

"We are committed to supporting the rights of our #FriendsPartnersAllies under international law," she said in a post over X, formerly Twitter.

Two PCG ships - BRP Bagacay and BRP Cape Engano - collided with CCG vessels (CCGV) 3104 and 21551 on Monday during a resupply mission en route to Patag and Lawak Islands in the Spratlys.

The first incident occurred at 3:24 a.m. when CCGV-3104 performed aggressive maneuvers against BRP Cape Engano colliding with the PCG's ship's starboard beam and creating a hole in the deck around five inches in diameter.

The second incident took place at 3:40 a.m. and involved BRP Bagacay and CCGV 21551 - the latter rammed the PCG vessel twice on both port and starboard sides, leading to minor structural damage as shown in several photos and videos.

Despite the harassment, both PCG ships continued their mission to deliver supplies to Philippine personnel.

AFP closely watching situation

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), meanwhile, condemned China's latest act of aggression, saying it is also keeping a close watch on the situation.

AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, in a message to reporters, said the CCG's actions not only endangered the lives of PCG personnel but also violated international maritime laws, particularly the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

"The AFP, together with the PCG, remains committed to sustaining our presence in the West Philippine Sea in exercising our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction. We are also working with our regional partners and allies to ensure that all actions are in line with international law and to promote stability in the region," she added.

Padilla also said the AFP is committed to supporting Filipino personnel stationed on Patag and Lawak Islands.

"We will continue to ensure that they receive the necessary supplies and support to carry out their duties. Their safety and well-being are our top priorities," she added.

She added that the incident only strengthens the AFP's resolve to enhance its. presence and ensure that all operations are conducted in accordance with international law.

PN spokesperson for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, in a separate message, said they were committed along with the PCG in maintaining the country's presence in the WPS.

"We will continue to coordinate with the PCG to ensure the safety and security of our maritime domain as we strongly condemn the aggressive actions of the CCG," Trinidad added. (with Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)

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2 PCG ships damaged in latest Chinese harassment in WPS

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno

August 19, 2024, 11:55 am Updated on August 19, 2024, 3:00 pm

MANILA -- The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) announced that two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels were damaged after being subjected to "unlawful and aggressive maneuvers" by China Coast Guard (CCG) ships while en route to Patag and Lawak Islands early Monday.

In a statement, NTF-WPS spokesperson Jonathan Malaya identified the damaged PCG ships as the BRP Bagacay (MRRV-4410) and BRP Cape Engano (MRRV-4411).

These PCG ships were tasked to resupply personnel deployed in Patag and Lawak Islands, he added.

"These dangerous maneuvers resulted in collisions, causing structural damage to both PCG vessels," he added.

Malaya, who is also National Security Council assistant director general, said the first incident took place at 3:24 a.m. as the BRP Cape Engano was navigating about 23.01 nautical miles southeast of Escoda Shoal.

At this point, the Filipino ship was subjected to aggressive maneuvers by CCGV-3104, resulting in a collision with the starboard beam of the vessel, creating a hole in the deck with an approximate diameter of five inches.

The second incident took place at 3:40 a.m. and involved the BRP Bagacay, which was then approximately 21.3 nautical miles southeast of Escoda Shoal.

This incident was more serious as the PCG vessel was rammed twice on both her port and starboard sides by CCGV 21551, leading to minor structural damage.

"Despite these incidents, both PCG vessels remain committed to and shall proceed with their mission of delivering essential supplies to personnel stationed on Patag and Lawak Islands. The PCG stands firm in its responsibility to ensure the safety and security of our maritime domain while addressing any threats to our national interests," Malaya said.

Meanwhile, Malaya said the task force is calling for restraint and adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and other relevant international laws to prevent further escalations and ensure the safety of all vessels operating in the region.

The incident followed the Aug. 8 flare-dropping of Chinese jet fighters near the flight path of a Philippine Air Force NC-212i aircraft conducting a routine maritime patrol over Bajo de Masinloc.

Disappointing

Malaya, meanwhile, said the NTF-WPS was disappointed with the latest incident which came just weeks after Manila and Beijing reached an initial understanding on easing tensions over the Ayungin Shoal.

"We are of course disappointed again with this development coming from the preliminary understanding, because we have a preliminary understanding with them in so far as Second Thomas Shoal is concerned, or BRP Sierra Madre is concerned but despite this preliminary understanding which we hope was the first page in a new chapter between (the) Philippines and PRC (People's Republic of China) relations," he added in an online forum.

Malaya also scored the CCG's announcement that the Philippines was the "provocative party" in the incident.

"Allegedly they were conducting a law enforcement operation, controlling the movement of the two ships when in fact it was not (MMRV) 4410 or BRP Bacagay who rammed (CCGV) 21551 it was the other way around, our vessel, BRP Bagacay (was rammed) two times and the physical evidence proves this," he added.

Malaya also said China would also be surprised to know that the PCG ships had members of the international media who would broadcast what really transpired regarding the incident.

"So the truth will finally come out and we again condemn this deliberate attempt by the PRC to change the narrative and create their own scenarios and reality of what happened this morning," he added.

Malaya added that China is attempting to connect the incident to the BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701)'s continued presence at Sabina Shoal (also known as Escoda Shoal), which it has already protested.

"And in the way they are framing this narrative is that the resupply ships were intended, the PCG vessels were intended to resupply the BRP Teresa Magbanua. In fact I've been hearing and been reading some opinion columnists from the PRC stating that China should no longer tolerate the presence of (the) BRP Teresa Magbanua and so on and so forth," he added.

However, he said the incident took place many "nautical miles away" and that the real purpose of the PCG ships was to resupply troops in Lawak Island.

Malaya also maintained that the presence of BRP Teresa Magbanua in the Escoda Shoal is critical as it is monitoring possible illegal reclamation and poaching activities.

"That's why the BRP Teresa Magbanua is there, protecting our rights, conducting law enforcement operations, flying the flag and I think that has been very clear by the Philippine government that what we're doing is routinary, legitimate because it's well within our exclusive economic zone and as I said its 70 nautical miles off Palawan," he added. (PNA)

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Lebanon lodges new complaint with UN Security Council over Israeli violations

Iran Press TV

Monday, 19 August 2024 4:45 PM

Lebanon has filed a new complaint with the UN Security Council (UNSC) against the Israeli regime's repeated violations of the Arab country's sovereignty.

The complaint, lodged through Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the United Nations in New York, pointed to Israeli pilots' breaking the sound barrier in the skies over Lebanese regions, including the capital Beirut.

It came at the instructions of Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.

"Israeli violations constitute a flagrant violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and airspace and Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006).

"The acts are also in breach of a number of principles of the international humanitarian law, which prohibit all forms of collective punishment and intimidation," the complaint read.

It further noted that Israel is terrorizing all civilians and spreading panic among them, which particularly affects the most vulnerable segments of society, such as children.

A state of anticipation and caution prevails in Lebanon following the assassination of senior Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in an Israeli airstrike on a building in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahieh on July 30.

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has vowed retaliation for the act of terror.

Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging deadly fire since early October last year, shortly after the regime launched the genocidal war against the Gaza Strip in response to a surprise operation by the Palestinian Hamas resistance group.

The Lebanese resistance movement has vowed to keep up its retaliatory attacks as long as the Israeli regime continues its war on Gaza, which has so far killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in the besieged territory.

Hezbollah officials have repeatedly said they do not want a war with Israel while stressing that they are prepared in case it occurs.

Two Israeli wars waged against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006 were met with strong resistance from Hezbollah, resulting in the retreat of the regime in both conflicts.

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Yemen says will surely respond to Israel's 'vicious' attack on Hudaydah

Iran Press TV

Monday, 19 August 2024 2:25 PM

Yemen says its armed forces will definitely respond to Israel's strikes against the Red Sea port city of Hudaydah.

"The response to the occupying Israeli regime's aggression and its tactics are the topics which leader of the Ansarullah resistance movement [Abdul-Malik al-Houthi] and the Yemeni army can only decide upon," Jamal Ahmed Ali Amer, the foreign minister in the National Salvation Government, said on Monday.

"Yemen's response in retaliation for the barbaric and vicious Israeli assault on Hudaydah will be delivered through any possible means."

According to Yemen's al-Masirah television channel, the July 20 Israeli attack targeted oil storage facilities and a power plant in Hudaydah.

At least nine people were killed and 87 others wounded in the Israeli air raids. The attack came a day after the Yemeni military conducted a drone attack against the coastal city of Tel Aviv in the 1948 Israeli-occupied territories.

Yemen's Supreme Political Council has pledged to respond to the attack on Hudaydah.

"This aggression will not pass without an effective response against the enemy," it said in a statement.

Elsewhere in his remarks on Monday, the top Yemeni diplomat stated that the US military had to withdraw its naval fleets from the Red Sea in light of Yemeni maritime operations, saying the Pentagon is looking for alternative options in order to hold sway in the region.

"Americans' fear and anxiety were strongly evident from the very first moment they engaged themselves in a conflict with Yemeni forces."

Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine's struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory's Palestinian resistance movements carried out a surprise retaliatory attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, against the occupying entity.

The Yemeni Armed Forces have said that they won't stop their attacks until unrelenting Israeli ground and aerial offensives in Gaza end.

Israel launched its barbaric campaign of genocide in Gaza on October 7, 2023, after Palestinian resistance groups conducted surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm into the occupied territories.

The regime has had in place a near-total siege on the coastal territory, which has reduced to a trickle the flow of foodstuffs, medicine, electricity, and water into the Palestinian territory.

So far, Israel has killed more than 40,000 Gazans, most of them women, children, and adolescents.

Houthi, the Ansarullah chief, has said it is "a great honor and blessing to be confronting America directly."

The attacks have forced some of the world's biggest shipping and oil companies to suspend transit through one of the world's most important maritime trade routes. Tankers are instead adding thousands of miles to international shipping routes by sailing around the continent of Africa rather than going through the Suez Canal.

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MBABANE - Mbabane socialite Bhekumuzi Paul Mamba, popularly known as Katso, has been arrested for allegedly conning unsuspecting land seekers a sum of E277 050.

Notably, this is Mambas second arrest for an almost similar offence and he was out on bail. Mamba, who holds himself as an estate agent, was arrested within the Mbabane Magistrates Court premises on Friday, where he had gone for a remand hearing for the previous charges against him. He made his maiden court appearance at the Mbabane Magistrates Court before Magistrate Lenhle Zulu. He is facing three charges of theft by false pretences.

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It is alleged that Mamba lured the unsuspecting landseekers into paying for non-existent land, through an advertisement placed in the Times of Eswatini around October and December 2022. In the first count, it is alleged that Mamba misrepresented to Thandeka Nokuthula Sacolo that he would sell her a two-bedroom house at Msunduza in Mbabane and a piece of land with a bedsitter at Mahwalala. It is said as a result of his misrepresentation, Mamba obtained from Sacolo a sum of E125 900. The offence was allegedly committed around December 2022, according to the charge sheet.

In the second count, it is alleged that Mamba misrepresented through a Times of Eswatini advertisement to Ntombifuthi Lungile Shabangu that he was selling a two-room house at Msunduza and a piece of land with flats at Mahwalala Zone 4. It is said that Mamba obtained from Shabangu a sum of E57 918, as a result of the misrepresentation.Mamba is also accused of having misrepresented to Douglas Mbuso Sihlongonyane through the Times of Eswatini newspaper that he would sell to him a piece of land situated at Nkwalini Zone 2 and obtained from him a sum of E93 232.

The accused was charged for contravening Section 4(1) as read with sections 76 and 89 of the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Act, 2011.

It is alleged that during the month of June 2023, at or near Mbabane, Mamba, acting individually in his capacity and being a person who knew or ought to reasonably have known that the money amounting to E277 050 obtained from the trio was or formed part of the crime of theft by false pretences.

Effect

It is alleged that Mamba was likely to have the effect of concealing, investing, managing, disguising and disposing of the amount as proceeds of crime, knowing or having reasonable grounds for believing the money to be proceeds of crime. The Crown applied that Mamba be remanded in custody until August 30, 2024, pending committal to the High Court. Mamba arrived in court escorted by plain-clothes police officers. His eyes were all over to ensure that he was not captured by cameras. Mamba, who was walking freely, rushed to a journalist and rebuked him for taking pictures of him.Ugijimela nje kungishutha without my permission, usilima, utakuny, he said in vernacular, loosely translating to you rush to take pictures without my permission. You fool. It is said that the police had been looking for Mamba for some time, when they buttonholed him during his remand hearing on Friday.

Commotion

It has been gathered from eyewitnesses that there was commotion when the officers of the law pounced on Mamba, whom they saw walking down stairs to the underground courtroom.

The police officers thought he was running away when they saw him walking down the stairs. Mbabane Police Station Desk Officer Akhona Dludlu had to intervene in order to calm down the situation, when Mamba was involved in the commotion with the police. He was then allowed to proceed to the courtroom under watch, before he was rearrested after his remand hearing, said the eyewitness.

Mamba was previously released on bail with three others for an almost similar offence.In previous charges, Mamba and his co-accused are said to have obtained from unsuspecting land seekers money amounting to E436 900, after they purportedly misrepresented that they were agents selling plots around Mbabane.

According to the charge sheet, the desperate land seekers paid monies ranging from E4 500 to E120 000.
Aug 18: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation

Iran Press TV

Monday, 19 August 2024 10:34 AM

By Press TV Website Staff

Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed over 40,100 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 Sunday, August 18, are as follows:

Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on Aug 18:

Detonated a barrel explosive device and another Sadmiyya (shock) explosive device on Israeli forces dismounted from military vehicles west of the "Al-Hawouz" area, west of Hamad City, north of Khan Younis city, southern Gaza Strip.

Targeted Israeli infantry force comprising 10 soldiers with an anti-personnel shell in the vicinity of University College in Tal Al-Hawa south of Gaza City.

Al-Quds Brigades' operations on Aug 18:

Targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles with a barrage of standard mortar shells (60 mm caliber) north of Hamad City, west of Khan Younis city, southern Gaza Strip.

Targeted "Mars" military site with a barrage of rockets.

Targeted Israeli soldiers and vehicles in the vicinity of the Al-Jiya neighborhood in the Matahin area north of the city of Khan Younis with a barrage of mortar shells.

Detonated several explosive devices against military vehicles on the axes of penetration into Balata camp.

Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces storming Balata camp from several axes with machine guns and explosive devices.

Targeted Israeli soldiers and vehicles on the "Netzarim" axis with 107mm rockets.

Targeted Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles that penetrated west of Hamad City, northwest of Khan Younis, with a barrage of mortar shells.

Targeted Israeli forces that invaded the vicinity of Hamad City, west of Khan Younis, southern Gaza City, with standard 60 caliber mortar shells.

Targeted with a barrage of mortar shells the soldiers and vehicles of the Israeli military penetrated the vicinity of the University College, south of Gaza City.

Targeted Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles that penetrated the Al-Matahin area north of Khan Younis city with mortar shells.

Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades' operations on Aug 18:

Targeted the "Eshkol complex - Nir Oz settlement" with a 107mm rocket in response to the occupation's crimes against our people.

Hezbollah's operations on Aug 18:

Targeted the 'Marj' site with rocket weapons.

Targeted command headquarters of the "Sahel" battalion in the "Beit Hillel" barracks with volleys of Katyusha rockets.

Targeted "Zarit" barracks with artillery shells.

Targeted the espionage equipment at the Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese Kfar Shuba hills with appropriate weapons.

Targeted the Malikiyah site with artillery shells.

Targeted the Jal Al-Alam site and the soldiers' deployment around it with artillery shells.

Targeted the Zebdine site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms with rockets.

Targeted the Ruwaisat Al-Qarn site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms with rockets.

Targeted the espionage equipment at the "Misgav Am" site with appropriate weapons.

Targeted buildings used by Israeli soldiers in the "Shtula" settlement with appropriate weapons.

Targeted Rahib site with artillery shells.

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Hezbollah strikes Israeli forces in fresh retaliation, causing 'multiple deaths, injuries'

Iran Press TV

Monday, 19 August 2024 10:14 AM

Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement has carried out fresh retaliatory airstrikes against Israeli forces deployed to the northern part of the occupied Palestinian territories, killing and injuring a number of the targeted troops.

The movement said it had fired "swarms of assault drones" towards the Ya'ara barracks and the Snat Jeen base in the Western al-Jalil region on Monday.

It identified the Ya'ara barracks as the headquarters of the regime's "Western Brigade 300" and the Snat Jeen base as a logistical base belonging to its Northern Command.

The retaliation "hit the targets accurately and resulted in a number of deaths and injuries among them," added the group.

Israeli media outlets said two people were critically injured as a result of the strike on Ya'ara.

Hezbollah said the reprisal had followed an Israeli drone attack against the Qadmous area east of the city of Tyre in southern Lebanon on Saturday that had reportedly resulted in the death of one person.

The regime has been conducting near-daily attacks against southern 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 movement's Monday statement likewise noted that the latest retaliation had also taken place "in support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their valiant and honorable resistance."

The regime, which waged wars against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006, has repeatedly threatened 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.

The resistance figures were martyred in separate assassination operations conducted by Tel Aviv in Lebanon's capital Beirut and the Iranian capital Tehran late last month.

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Hamas, Islamic Jihad claim responsibility for Tel Aviv attack

Iran Press TV

Monday, 19 August 2024 9:43 AM

The Gaza-based Palestinian resistance groups of Hamas and Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for a deadly bomb blast in Tel Aviv.

In a statement on Monday, the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing, said that it had carried out the operation, in cooperation with the Saraya al-Quds Brigades, the Islamic Jihad's armed wing, on Sunday evening.

It also warned of "more retaliatory attacks" in the occupied territories, as long as Israel continues its policy of massacre, assassination and displacement of Palestinians.

Earlier, Israeli police said they were "99%" sure that the deadly bomb blast in Tel Aviv was an attempted attack.

Ayalon District Police Commander Haim Bublil made the claim on Monday regarding the explosion that killed a man, in his 50s, and moderately injured a passerby on an electric scooter.

The man was carrying a bomb in a bag on his back while walking down Lehi Road in southern Tel Aviv when it went off.

Bublil told Israel's Kan Radio that the assailant may have "planned to go to a synagogue nearby or maybe a shopping center. We can't understand yet why it exploded at that point."

Meanwhile, Tel Aviv District Commander, Superintendent Peretz Amar, said at the scene that the identity of the man is critical to understanding the nature of the incident.

The Shin Bet spy agency is looking into the bomb blast that caused significant damage to a truck.

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EU warns humanitarian crisis deepening in Gaza, West Bank

Iran Press TV

Monday, 19 August 2024 8:41 AM

The European Union has warned of deepening humanitarian crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, amid Israel's ongoing genocide against Palestinians.

In a joint statement issued on the eve of World Humanitarian Day, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, referred to the Protect Aid Workers initiative the bloc established to help local aid workers who have fallen victim while carrying out their missions.

"The majority of the applications received through the platform are from the Occupied Palestinian West Bank and Gaza, where a humanitarian catastrophe has been unfolding before our eyes over the past 10 months."

Sunday's statement said, "2023 was the deadliest year on record for aid workers, and 2024 is likely to follow the same harrowing trend."

Emphasizing the crucial role played by humanitarians during disasters and conflicts, the statement said, "This selfless calling to bring relief - but also hope - to the most vulnerable must be honored and protected."

"We have stated year after year that humanitarian workers must be protected at all costs, without exceptions. But in this increasingly volatile world, words alone are not enough. It is time for action."

The statement came as the bloc's key ally, Israel, continues to conduct indiscriminate strikes on Gaza.

Israel launched the genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, 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 of others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

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Hezbollah says Israeli forces suffer casualties after infiltration in Lebanon repelled

Iran Press TV

Monday, 19 August 2024 7:31 AM

Fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement have shelled and fired a barrage of rockets at a group of Israeli forces as they were attempting to sneak across the border from the northern part of the 1948 occupied territories into southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah said in a statement early on Monday that its members carried out the operation after they closely monitored the Israeli troops that sought to infiltrate Lebanon in the Hadab Aita forest area.

The attack caused casualties and forced the Israeli troops to retreat, the resistance group noted.

On Sunday, Hezbollah claimed a series of attacks on the northern side of the occupied lands, including a rocket attack on military barracks in Beit Hillel and military positions in Jal al-Allam, al-Malikiya, Zabadani and Shtula.

Hezbollah fighters also targeted and destroyed spying devices at the Ruwaisat al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese Kfar Shuba hills with artillery shells.

Moreover, Israeli Zebdine and Ruwaisat al-Qarn military sites in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms were struck with separate rocket barrages, and the designated targets were precisely hit.

Hezbollah resistance forces also targeted espionage devices at the Misgav Am site, and shelled the Rahib site.

A state of anticipation and caution prevails in Lebanon following the assassination of senior Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in an Israeli airstrike on a building in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahieh on July 30.

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has vowed retaliation for the act of terror.

Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging deadly fire since early October last year, shortly after the regime launched the genocidal war against the Gaza Strip in response to a surprise operation by the Palestinian Hamas resistance group.

The Lebanese resistance movement has vowed to keep up its retaliatory attacks as long as the Israeli regime continues its war on Gaza, which has so far killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in the besieged territory.

Hezbollah officials have repeatedly said they do not want a war with Israel while stressing that they are prepared in case it occurs.

Two Israeli wars waged against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006 were met with strong resistance from Hezbollah, resulting in the retreat of the regime in both conflicts.

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Iraq resistance hits Israeli military sites on Golan Heights

Iran Press TV

Monday, 19 August 2024 12:57 AM

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has carried out new operations against Israeli military targets on the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

The umbrella group of resistance factions, in a statement on Sunday evening, said that the operations were in support of Palestinians and in response to Israel's massacres of civilians in Gaza.

The Islamic Resistance has repeatedly warned that if the Gaza genocide continues, its fighters will intensify their anti-Israel operations.

Regional resistance groups have repeatedly hit sensitive and important Israeli targets in occupied Palestine.

The Iraqi resistance forces have conducted dozens of strikes on the US-run military installations in both Iraq and Syria amid growing anti-US sentiments in the region over Washington's support for Israel's genocidal war against Gaza, which has so far killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

There are nearly 2,500 American troops in Iraq and some 900 in Syria as part of, what Washington claims to be, a fighting force against Daesh.

The US has maintained its presence, although, the Arab countries and their allies defeated the Takfiri terrorist group in late 2017.

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China, Philippines trade blame after ships collide in South China Sea

Beijing says the Philippines acted dangerously, but Manila insists its vessels were targeted by Chinese aggression.

By Jason Gutierrez for BenarNews 2024.08.19 -- At least two vessels were damaged when Chinese and Philippine coast guard ships collided during a standoff at sea in disputed waters Monday, officials said.

The two nations, both South China Sea territorial claimants, accused each other of instigating at least a pair of collisions in Monday's incident. It occurred after Manila and Beijing had agreed last month to establish a hotline to better manage and ease tensions in the waterway.

The incident happened before dawn when Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels BRP Bagacay and BRP Cape Engano were en route to the Flat (Patag) and Nanshan (Lawak) islands in the West Philippine Sea, Manila said. That is Manila's name for South China Sea waters within its exclusive economic zone.

"These dangerous maneuvers resulted in collisions, causing structural damage to both PCG vessels," said Jonathan Malaya, assistant director general of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea.

The first incident occurred at 3:24 a.m., about 23 nautical miles southeast of Shabina (Escoda) Shoal, when the Cape Engano was targeted with "aggressive maneuvers" by China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 3104, Malaya told a media forum Monday.

"This resulted in a collision with the starboard beam of the vessel, creating a hole on the deck with an approximate diameter of five inches," Malaya said.

Less than 20 minutes later, BRP Bagacay "was rammed twice on both her port and starboard sides" by another ship, identified as CCG vessel 21551, he said.

The Bagacay sustained a large hole, approximately 2.5 feet by three feet, said Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Philippine coast guard's spokesman for the West Philippine Sea.

"This is the biggest structural damage that we have incurred as a result of the dangerous maneuvers carried out by the Chinese Coast Guard," he said.

Both the Flat and Nanshan islands are part of the Spratly Islands, which are claimed, wholly or in part by Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.

Conflicting narratives

China blamed the PCG for the incident, saying the Philippine ships ignored repeated warnings and "acted dangerously by deliberately ramming the China Coast Guard vessel that was carrying out [a] law enforcement operation."

"The responsibility [for] causing the collision fully lies with the Philippines. China Coast Guard took necessary measures in accordance with domestic and international law," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a news conference Monday.

The Chinese coast guard said the Philippines was "entirely responsible for the collision."

"We warn the Philippine side to immediately stop its infringement and provocation, otherwise it will bear all the consequences arising from that," CCG spokesperson Gan Yu said.

Manila-Beijing deal

The latest incident occurred after both sides, in early July, had committed to calming tensions following a series of confrontations at sea.

Beijing and Manila agreed to make efforts to lower the temperature in the wake of a standoff in mid-June between Chinese and Philippine forces during a resupply mission near Second (Ayungin) Thomas Shoal in June, during which a Filipino serviceman lost a thumb.

Monday's incident came less than two weeks after two Chinese Air Force planes allegedly dropped flares in the path of the Philippine Air Force NC-212i plane over Scarborough Shoal, forcing it to turn around for the safety of its pilots and crew.

After the latest incident, the Philippines called on Beijing to adhere to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS, "to prevent further escalations and ensure the safety of all vessels operating in the region," Malaya said.

China also urged Manila to keep its agreement with Beijing to manage their sea disputes.

"We hope the Philippines will honor its commitment, earnestly observe the understandings and arrangement reached with China, refrain from taking actions that may complicate the situation, and work with China to get the situation at sea under control," Mao, the foreign ministry spokeswoman, said.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization. Jeoffrey Maitem, Mark Navales and Jojo Rinoza in Manila contributed to this report.

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.

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Cambodia arrests 30 amid warnings over anti-CLV demonstrations

Protesters are worried that the 3-nation economic zone could cede control to Vietnam.

By RFA Khmer 2024.08.19 -- Authorities arrested more than 30 people across Cambodia over the weekend after a heavy security presence was deployed in major cities to stop planned protests against an economic cooperation agreement with Vietnam and Laos.

No demonstrations were held on Sunday in Phnom Penh or elsewhere in the country over the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Triangle Development Area, or CLV.

In a Telegram message posted on Monday, Prime Minister Hun Manet thanked police, military police, soldiers and special forces for "maintaining security, public order, and social stability" by setting up checkpoints on highways and in provincial capitals.

"The planned riot by the extremist group has been thwarted through tough measures and cautious cooperation among competent authorities," National Police spokesman Chhay Kim Khoeun said.

"These individuals are currently under authorities' control and will be sent to court for legal actions," he said.

Earlier this month, overseas Cambodian activists organized protests in South Korea, Japan, Canada and Australia. That prompted Senate President Hun Sen last week to issue a warning of widespread arrests of activists.

The 1999 CLV agreement between the three countries was aimed at encouraging economic development and trade between Cambodia's four northeastern provinces and neighboring provinces across the border.

But some activists recently began expressing concerns that the CLV could cause Cambodia to lose territory or control of its natural resources to Vietnam.

'Another new defeat'

Hun Sen and other government leaders have treated the criticism as a threat to the country's stability. Three activists were arrested last month and charged with incitement after they posted a Facebook video that discussed the CLV.

Earlier this month, Hun Manet warned against protesting against the government, citing Bangladesh's recent demonstrations that led to the resignation of that country's leader.

The prime minister has said that the CLV won't result in the loss of any territory. He said on Telegram on Monday that the government has an "obligation to ensure peace, security and safety for all citizens at all costs in order to ensure normalcy of their daily lives."

Ministry of National Defense spokesman Chhum Socheat noted the lack of weekend protests in a message on Facebook on Sunday .

"This reflects another new defeat of the extremist opposition group overseas that has always been malicious in its attempts to overthrow the government by non-democratic means," he wrote.

Australia-based human rights observer Soeung Senkaruna said the large security presence may have been staged by the government to intimidate anyone from criticizing the CLV.

"This was orchestrated so as to flex the muscle of the armed forces by actively deploying weapons," he told RFA.

Little awareness in Laos

Some Cambodians are worried that multi-decade agricultural land concessions to Vietnamese or Lao investors under the CLV could result in a loss of control of large pieces of Cambodian land.

But a government official in Laos' Attapeu province told RFA on Friday that he didn't know of any Vietnamese or Cambodian investment projects there under the CLV.

The province borders Cambodia's Ratanakiri and Stung Treng provinces, as well as Vietnam's Kon Tum province.

However, the official, who requested anonymity to speak more freely about government matters, said the Lao government has sent delegates to past CLV meetings.

In February, officials from the three countries met in Attapeu province to discuss cooperation as part of the CLV in clearing unexploded ordnance clearance and preventing human and drug trafficking and illegal border crossings.

A joint coordination committee on the CLV also completed a draft master plan for socio-economic development that is scheduled to be considered at a CLV summit of top government leaders in Cambodia later this year, according to Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

RFA Laos contributed to this report. Translated by Sovannarith Keo and Phouvong. Edited by Matt Reed 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.

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Reopening Of Mitrovica Bridge Long Overdue But Must Be Done In Consultation With Allies, Says Kosovo's President

By Amra Zejneli Loxha August 19, 2024

Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani says Kosovo is in consultations with the international community on opening the main bridge in Mitrovica that divides ethnic Albanian and Serbian communities.

Osmani told RFE/RL in an interview on August 19 that opening the bridge, which has been a point of contention in Mitrovica because of concerns that it would increase already high ethnic tensions, is a priority and could turn into a "symbol of normalization" in relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

The bridge divides the Albanian-majority southern side and a Serb-majority northern side of the city, Kosovar authorities have been seeking a way to open it in a way that does not provoke conflict with Kosovo's international partners.

"Of course, we need to ask for the bridge to open very soon because we are already eight years too late," she said, adding that this doesn't mean that Kosovo has told its allies in the Quint -- an informal decision-making group consisting of the United States, France, Germany, Italy, and Britain -- that Pristina would disregard security concerns or open the bridge without working with them.

Osmani said it would not make sense for Pristina to take the step without making sure that its security partners were on board because "it would backfire" and "that is not in the interest of Kosovo."

Prime Minister Albin Kurti at the beginning of August announced plans to open the bridge to vehicle traffic despite opposition from members of both NATO and Quint. The announcement sparked protests by Serbs in northern Kosovo, who expressed concerns that the move would increase ethnic tensions and impact their safety.

NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) peacekeeping mission and the European Union have requested that the matter be taken up by Brussels, but Osmani said she opposes this given that Kosovo and Serbia already have an agreement and the two sides consider the issue closed.

Talks will continue, she said, but it will be crucial that the two sides fully coordinate with NATO.

Osmani said that she spoke about the opening of the bridge with Kurti about a month ago and they agreed that there must be coordination with NATO's presence in Kosovo, which includes EU partners that are members of NATO and others that are not, along with the United States, which she described as "our main security partner."

The current security assessment regarding the bridge is critical and open to exploitation by Serbia, Osmani said.

"There is a constant threat, as we all know, and as we've said it publicly many times, from forces that are financed, instigated, as well as pushed politically and trained militarily by Serbia," she told RFE/RL. "Of course, it is in Serbia's interest to always cause some sort of a tension in Kosovo."

She noted that Milan Radoicic, a Kosovar Serb politician who has claimed he is the sole mastermind of an armed attack on the village of Banjska in September 2023 that left a Kosovo police officer and three attackers dead, is still free.

Serbia has refused to extradite him to face charges in Kosovo despite an arrest warrant issued by Interpol, but there has been no formal decision.

She also claimed there are people in Kosovo who "still try to hide their weapons," adding that even as recently as just a few days ago Kosovar police confiscated weapons "that are hidden by certain people in the north" who cooperate with "gangs" in Serbia.

She also repeated her claim that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is the "mastermind" behind the hiding of weapons and the deadly attack in September -- a charge that Vucic has vehemently denied.

"It's not a political assumption. I know for a fact that Aleksandar Vucic is directly involved in ordering the Banjska attack" she said, adding that Kosovo's NATO partners and other Balkan countries know this as well.

"When you deal with minds like that, you need to gather around, regroup, reorganize, understand who your friends and partners are, and work with them to prevent such scenarios which are trying to bring our region back to the 1990s," she said.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kosovo-serbia-osmani- mitrovica-bridge-kurti-vucic/33084758.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Moscow Is Ready To Get Involved In Azerbaijan-Armenia Peace Process, Putin Says

By RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service and RFE/RL's Armenian Service August 19, 2024

BAKU -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said after talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on August 19 that Moscow is ready to get involved in the process of signing a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the basis of trilateral agreements reached after the 44-day war between the two South Caucasus nations in 2020.

"We also are ready to facilitate the delimitation and demarcation of the [Azerbaijani-Armenian] border, as we have possessed corresponding documents since the Soviet times; unblocking transborder routes; establishing humanitarian contacts," Putin said, stressing that "stable peace in the South Caucasus corresponds to the deep interests of all the nations in the region."

Aliyev said in turn that he was "very satisfied" with the current state of Russian-Azerbaijani relations.

The head of the Baku-based Institute of Political Management, Azer Qasimli, told RFE/RL that major issues discussed between Putin and Aliyev were related to Baku's regaining control over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in September last year, which led to the dissolution of the region's separatist ethnic Armenian government.

Qasimli added that Putin is looking for ways to sell Russian gas to Europe via Azerbaijan amid Western sanctions imposed on Russia over its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

"Russia has tried to topple [Armenian Prime Minister Nikol] Pashinian and bring pro-Russian politicians to power. It failed to work and Pashinian's government got stronger and chose the course of getting closer to the West," Qasimli said, adding that the tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia remains very high and could lead to "a new wave of clashes."

Putin arrived in Baku for a two-day official visit on August 18.

His visit comes as Azerbaijan and Armenia have been in talks over a peace treaty.

Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but was mostly populated by ethnic Armenians, used to be under ethnic Armenians' control for three decades.

Since Baku regained control over the breakaway region, ties between Russia and Armenia have been tense. Yerevan has accused Moscow of failing to meet its obligations after Russian troops stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh as part of a November 2020 cease-fire agreement avoided any involvement in Baku's victorious lightning offensive in September.

The authorities in Yerevan did not immediately react to Putin's comments in Baku, while Gagik Melkonian, an outspoken lawmaker representing the ruling Civil Contract party, dismissed them. He claimed that the Russian leader travelled to Baku to discuss further anti-Armenian moves with Aliyev.

"They handed over Karabakh to Baku and are now reminding them that Baku is in debt to them for that," Melkonian told RFE/RL's Armenian Service. "So, I personally don't expect anything good from that [Baku] meeting."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-ilham-laiyev-armenia- azerbaijan-baku-talks/33084517.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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MBABANE  The High Court has endorsed the minister of Housing and Urban Developments undertaking that Gciniwe Fakudze will not assume the CEOs duties for now.

The undertaking is now an order of court and it will be in force until the matter, in which the Municipal Council of Mbabane is challenging her appointment, is finalised. They want her appointment to be reviewed and set aside. The matter is awaiting judgment. However, the municipal council filed a notice of set down on Friday, seeking to endorse the undertaking that Fakudze would not assume her duties until the matter was finalised by the court. Mangaliso Nkomondze of Nkomondze Attorneys, who represents the municipal council, told the court yesterday that the respondents were making the matter very had, yet it was straightforward.

He explained that they had made an undertaking to preserve the status quo. Nkomondze stated that they had asked for an interim order in the notice of motion in terms of which Fakudze would have been interdicted from assuming her duties while the matter was pending. However, he said they had fears, which materialised even within 24 hours of filing the notice of set down on Friday. According to Nkomondze, they feared that the Minister of Housing and Urban Development Appolo Maphalala would not live up to the undertaking.

He said, first of all, the minister reduced the undertaking to an email, which the council felt was not formal enough and asked that it be in the form of a letter. He said that was done and they were of the idea that the minister would maintain the status quo. Nkomondze said if that was the case, there would be no need to go to court to endorse the undertaking.However, within 48 hours, the minister was quoted in the Observer disregarding the undertaking. That made our situation precarious, said Nkomondze.Minister Maphalala denied what he was quoted as having said. The minister was said to have responded to the author of the article during an interview, by saying he would not respond because the matter was still pending in court and he would await guidance from the court.It was stated in the article that the minister said he would not confirm if Fakudze would be at work yesterday or she would not.

Denied

Nkomondze said inasmuch as the minister denied what he was quoted as having said, your guess is as good as mine as to who is telling the truth. He said they were reasonable in believing what they saw in newspapers. He said they asked themselves why they had to risk hearing what the minister would say next. Why not just endorse the undertaking so that whosever acts against it would know that they are breaking the law, said Nkomondze.Assistant Attorney General Mbuso Simelane has informed the court that he had read the newspapers over the weekend, but where the minister said what he was quoted as having said.

According to Simelane, the minister was very firm in that he understood the matter to be before court and would await the judgment. He said the minister stated that he would not put the judge under pressure. Simelane said Fakudze was nowhere near the municipal council. He said he had spoken to the minister and he denied what he was quoted to have said. He said commenting on the matter would be contemptuous and said they were waiting for guidance from the court in order to move forward. The minister says he does not know where that (he would not confirm that Fakudze would be at work or not yesterday) comes from, said Simelane.

He admitted that they made an undertaking for Fakudze not to assume her duties just yet. Simelane said it was now that they wanted the undertaking to be endorsed as an order of court.

He said they were opposed to that because it was the attorney general who was making the undertaking, so we did not need to approach the court to endorse it.Simelane further told the court that employees of the municipal council were allegedly being harassed over this matter and they would need counselling. He applied that the matter be removed from the court roll. However, Judge Maseko ruled in favour of the municipal council and endorsed the undertaking as an order of court.

The notice of set down stated that the matter was set to be heard yesterday for an order in the following: By consent, granting the applicant an order in terms of prayer seven and eight of the notice of motion dated July 17, 2024, read the municipalitys notice. In a letter that was signed by Simelane, in response to letters of the former and emails exchanged by the parties thus far, he stated that: In the premise, they are not consenting to an order to that effect, as they feel that it will be justifying the impropriety of your clients application, reads part of the letter addressed to Nkomondze Attorneys.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's answer to a question from Channel One, Baku, August 19, 2024

19 August 2024 15:56

1549-19-08-2024

Question: Did the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan, Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev, discuss the Armenia-Azerbaijan settlement during their yesterday's informal meeting? Is this topic on today's agenda?

Sergey Lavrov: What the two presidents discussed yesterday during their face-to-face meeting does not concern anyone but them. They will probably share their assessment of the current state of relations between Baku and Yerevan during their press conference.

We are certain that following the trilateral agreements as concluded by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia in 20202022 in both letter and spirit is what matters the most. Their provisions cover the situation in all its aspects, as well as outstanding matters that must be resolved in order to achieve a final and exhaustive settlement.

Russia stands for concluding the peace treaty and unblocking communications as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, it is the Armenian leadership, which has been failing to abide by the provisions dealing with communications through the Syunik Province of Armenia, despite the fact that the relevant arrangements bear Nikol Pashinyan's signature. We find it hard to understand what this position means.

The trilateral meetings and documents defined a framework, and it remains relevant.

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Palestine Asks Israel for Permission for Mahmoud Abbas to Visit Gaza - Reports

Sputnik News

20240819

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has asked the Israeli authorities for permission for PNA leader Mahmoud Abbas to visit Gaza in the near future, the Walla portal reported, citing informed sources.

Abbas announced on August 15 that he intended to visit the Gaza Strip.

According to the portal, the Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Hussein al-Sheikh sent a corresponding letter to the head of the Israeli National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi. The Palestinian side has requested that Abbas enter the city through one of the Israeli checkpoints, but not through the Rafah checkpoint on the border of the enclave and Egypt.

As Walla specified, Abbas is counting on a refusal from Israel in order to "use this to criticize" the Jewish state in the future. At the same time, according to the portal, permission from Israel to enter Gaza will be a "significant political victory" for Abbas over the Palestinian movement Hamas and will serve as a signal of the possible return of the PNA to the Palestinian enclave.

This decision will be made personally by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but no comments have yet been received from his office, the publication said.

Netanyahu has previously stated on numerous occasions that after the end of hostilities in the Gaza Strip, Israel will not allow representatives from the Palestinian National Authority in the West Bank to come to power there.

The Palestinian leader has not visited the Gaza Strip since Hamas came to power in 2007. The PNA does not carry out any activity in the Palestinian enclave, except for some civil issues. The last time PNA representatives visited the enclave was in 2018, when an explosive device was used to attack the motorcade of then-Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah.

 Sputnik

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Blinken Says Netanyahu Accepted Bridging Proposal on Gaza Ceasefire

Sputnik News

20240819

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted the recent bridging proposal on reaching a ceasefire in Gaza.

"In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal," Blinken told reporters following a meeting with Netanyahu as part of his trip to Israel.

According to Blinken, it is now incumbent on Hamas to agree to the new proposal and then both parties and mediators, including the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, will complete the process of reaching clear understandings about how they will implement the commitments that they have made under this agreement.

Blinken also said he is traveling to Egypt and Qatar to consult with their leaders on steps needed to secure Hamas' support for the recent bridging proposal on a Gaza ceasefire.

"From here, I'm going on to Egypt, and Qatar ... I look forward to consulting with President Sisi [Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi], with the Emir Sheik Tamim [Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani] with other critical colleagues in both countries on the immediate steps ahead, and in particular, what needs to be done to ensure that Hamas comes along," Blinken said during the press briefing.

Blinken added that the next crucial step is for Hamas to agree to the ceasefire proposal, noting that negotiators will then work on the details of the deal.

 Sputnik

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Beirut Files Complaint to UN Over Israel's Alleged Violation of Lebanese Air Space

Sputnik News

20240819

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Lebanon's permanent mission to the United Nations filed a complaint to the United Nations on Monday regarding actions committed by the Israel air forces which allegedly violated Lebanese air space.

"[These violations] constitute a flagrant violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and airspace, and of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (issued in 2006)," according to the complaint quoted by Lebanese national news agency NNA.

The Israeli actions also go against some provisions of international humanitarian law which ban "all methods of collective punishment and psychological intimidation" allegedly carried out by the Jewish state "through terrorizing all civilians and spreading panic," especially among the most vulnerable parts of society, such as children, the mission added.

The situation on the Israeli-Lebanese border escalated after hostilities started between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in October 2023. The Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah fighters have been conducting attacks almost daily on each other's positions in areas along the border.

 Sputnik

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Netanyahu Tells Blinken Israel Will Send Negotiators to Next Round of Talks - Reports

Sputnik News

20240819

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that he intends to send his negotiators to Cairo later this week to participate in the next round of the Gaza ceasefire talks, Axios reported on Monday.

Netanyahu informed Blinken about his decision during their meeting earlier in the day as part of the top US diplomat's trip to the region to press for reaching a ceasefire deal in Gaza, according to the report.

Blinken said on Monday that the current talks between Israel and Palestinian movement Hamas may be the last opportunity to return Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip and reach a ceasefire 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. Hamas refused to attend, citing 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.

 Sputnik

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Moscow Would Be Happy to Help Sign Nagorno-Karabakh Peace Deal - Putin

Sputnik News

20240819

BAKU (Sputnik) - Moscow would be happy if it could do something to help sign a peace agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday.

"If we can do something to move ahead with signing a peace agreement, to bring things to demilitarization and demarcation of the border ... we would be very happy about that," Putin said at a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev.

It is known that Azerbaijan is aiming to resolve the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, Putin said, adding that he plans to tell Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan about the results of the negotiations in Baku.

Russia and Azerbaijan have many areas for joint work, including issues of industrial cooperation, transport and logistics, and light industry, Putin said.

"Indeed, we can talk not only about energy, but also about industrial cooperation, about transport, logistics, about light industry. We [with Azerbaijan] have many areas for joint work," Putin said at a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Aliyev's visit to Moscow gave a good impetus to relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, the Russian leader added.

"Trade and economic ties are developing successfully. I agree with you, you said at our previous meeting in Russia that four billion and a bit is a good figure, but it does not correspond to the potential of our capabilities," Putin said.

The president added that they discussed on Sunday the issue of settling the situation in the South Caucasus and will continue discussing it on Monday.

Additionally, Putin said that Moscow attaches great importance to the attention Baku is paying to the development of the Russian language and is ready to expand cooperation in the humanitarian area.

 Sputnik

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U.S. Support for the Philippines in the South China Sea

US Department of State

Press Statement

Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson

August 19, 2024

The United States stands with its ally the Philippines and condemns the dangerous actions by the People's Republic of China (PRC) against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea on August 19. PRC ships employed reckless maneuvers, deliberately colliding with two Philippine Coast Guard ships, causing structural damage and jeopardizing the safety of the crew onboard.

These actions are the latest examples of the PRC using dangerous and escalatory measures to enforce its expansive and unlawful South China Sea maritime claims. The United States calls upon the PRC to abide by international law and desist from its dangerous and destabilizing conduct.

The United States reaffirms that Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft - including those of its Coast Guard - anywhere in the South China Sea.

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Secretary Antony J. Blinken Remarks to the Press

US Department of State

Remarks

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Tel Aviv, Israel

August 19, 2024

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good afternoon, everyone. This is now my ninth trip to the region since October 7th, and President Biden asked me to come back on this trip with two main goals in mind. The first is to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to Israel's security, and that's a commitment that we've put into practice virtually every day since October 7th, including when Israel was attacked directly by Iran back in April.

In recent weeks, given the heightened tensions, we have deployed additional assets to the region. The purpose of the deployment of these assets is not to provoke aggression but rather to deter, to make sure that it doesn't happen, but also to make clear that if it does, we are fully prepared to defend Israel.

We've coupled this effort with an intense diplomatic campaign, virtually a global diplomatic campaign, working with countries around the world to send the message strongly to every concerned party not to take any steps that would escalate tensions, that would risk provoking a wider conflict. And this too has been something we've been working on from day one, since October 7th. It's been one of our primary objectives to prevent the conflict from escalating, from spreading to other places.

And so this coupling of our military commitments, our security commitments, with an intense diplomatic campaign is something that I'm pursuing on this trip, again, with the intent of making sure that we deter further conflict, but that we're also clearly prepared to defend against it if it comes. But what's most crucial now is that everyone - everyone - refrain from taking any actions that could fuel further conflict, escalate tensions, and result in the spreading of violence and conflict.

Second purpose was to further the intense efforts we're engaged in across our government to bring an agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages across the finish line. That is the single best way, obviously, to get hostages home, to get an enduring ceasefire that also reflects Israel's security interests, to relieve the terrible daily suffering of Gazans - men, women, and children desperate for food to eat, for shelter, and for staying out of harm's way.

Back in May, President Biden put before the world a detailed proposed agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages, and the entire world rallied behind it. Country after country came out in support of that agreement, the United Nations Security Council voted 14 to nothing in support of the agreement, and the heart of it is incorporated into a UN Security Council resolution.

Just last week, the President put forward a proposal with Qatar and with Egypt to try to bridge the gaps that remain between the parties so that we could get agreement to what the President put out there a couple of months ago. In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal, that he supports it. It's now incumbent on Hamas to do the same. And then the parties, with the help of the mediators - the United States, Egypt, and Qatar - have to come together and complete the process of reaching clear understandings about how they'll implement the commitments that they've made under this agreement. But the next important step is for Hamas to say yes and then, in the coming days, for all of the expert negotiators to get together to work on clear understandings on implementing the agreement.

These are still complex issues, and they're going to require hard decisions by the leaders. Ultimately it comes down to those decisions, but there is, I think, a real sense of urgency here, across the region, on the need to get this over the finish line and to do it as soon as possible. The United States is deeply committed to getting this job done, to getting it done now.

From here I'm going on to Egypt and Qatar, and these are our two critical partners in this effort to get the ceasefire agreement over the finish line, to get the hostages home, to put everyone on a better path to lasting peace and security. And so I look forward to consulting with President Sisi, with the Amir Sheikh Tamim, with other critical colleagues in both countries, on the immediate steps ahead, and in particular, what needs to be done to ensure that Hamas comes along, agrees to the bridging proposal, and that everyone then works on finalizing a clear understanding of their commitments to implement the agreement.

That's where we are, and again, I'd just say that for us, for President Biden, there's a deep sense of urgency in getting this done. And I also hear that throughout this country as well as throughout the region. It's the single best way not only to get the hostages home, to ease the suffering of people in Gaza; it's also the best way to make sure that conflict doesn't spread, that we don't see escalation, that we can actually defuse some of the pressure points that we see throughout the region, and then open prospects for trying to build a more enduring peace and security for everyone throughout the Middle East.

Happy to take some questions.

MR PATEL: Humeyra, go ahead.

QUESTION: Hello, Mr. Secretary. Just a few questions with the new information that you've just given us about Prime Minister Netanyahu accepting the bridging proposal. I just want to be very clear; there has been a longstanding disagreement between Hamas and Israel about permanent ceasefire versus temporary ceasefire. Could you confirm if prime minister has accepted the permanent ceasefire, which was what Hamas wanted? Did the prime minister assure you that Israel is not going to add further demands to the current framework in the coming days? And are you more hopeful now after having this meeting with him? And one final thing. In your comments this morning, you said - you referred to this latest round of talks may be the last opportunity for a deal. Why did you say that now? Does that mean if this one fails, the United States is going to give up on the ceasefire talks? Thank you.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, first, to take the last part of the question first, no, we're never - we're never giving up, but what we know is this. With every passing day that there's not an agreement, two things can happen: One is, of course, more hostages can perish; and second, intervening events come along that may make things even more difficult if not impossible. And we've experienced that throughout this process. So there's a - the fierce urgency of now, that's what, I think, we're all feeling. And we do see this as the best opportunity to finally get this over the finish line. We'll never give up on it, but the challenge is the longer this goes on, the more, again, hostages will suffer - possibly perish - and the more other things happen that could make things impossible. So that's why we're so intensely focused on getting this done and getting it done now.

On the first part of the question, the bridging proposal that Prime Minister Netanyahu has accepted and we look to Hamas to accept reflects what is in the ceasefire agreement that President Biden put before the world back in May, that's incorporated into a UN Security Council resolution, and that makes clear that this process will proceed in phases: a first initial ceasefire over the course of six weeks in which hostages are released, prisoners are exchanged, and negotiations commence on the conditions necessary for an enduring ceasefire. That's what the - that's what the deal says. That's what's reflected in what was put before the world and the world endorsed, the Security Council endorsed. And the bridging proposal was to try to close some gaps or to clarify different parts of this agreement that needed clarification.

Now, what the challenge - what the challenge is, besides Hamas agreeing to the bridging proposal, is to make sure that there are clear understandings on how the different parties are going to make good on their commitments, how they're actually going to implement this agreement. And that's what is so necessary and is - I don't want at all to minimize the challenge. These are complex issues, but it's also why we have expert negotiators who are working on this.

I should have mentioned as well, Prime Minister Netanyahu committed to sending his senior expert team back to either Doha or to Egypt to try to complete this process. But we look to Hamas, first and foremost, to get behind the bridging proposal and then to join everyone in trying to get a clear understanding on how the commitments will be implemented.

MR PATEL: Channel 12.

QUESTION: Thank you. Secretary Blinken, thank you. Let's talk about Hamas. You've just mentioned them. So you've put a - the final proposal in Doha on Friday. Israel has accepted this; Hamas has declined. Is there a real way to move forward? What is your message to Hamas? And if I may ask you, Prime Minister Netanyahu has said he is insist on Israeli presence of the Philadelphi Corridor. Is it an obstacle to reach an agreement, and what have you told him when you both - you met earlier today? Thank you.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: So what I would say to Hamas and to its leadership is if it genuinely cares about the Palestinian people that it purports to somehow represent, then it will say yes to this agreement and it will work on clear understandings about how to implement it. Because the single, quickest, best, most effective way to relieve the terrible suffering of the Palestinians that was instigated by Hamas's attack on October 7th and the war that ensued is to complete this agreement. So that's really the question. Is Hamas, is its leadership actually looking out for Palestinian children, women, and men who are suffering at this very moment in Gaza? And if it is, it will agree. And then we'll work on making sure that there's clarity on all sides about how the agreement will be implemented, how they're going to make good on their commitments, because not everything is spelled out in detail in the agreement. And I can't comment on specific issues that remain, but as I said, there are questions of implementation and making sure that it's clearly understood what each side will do to carry out its commitments. That's the next step, assuming Hamas agrees to the bridging proposal.

MR PATEL: Jenny, go ahead.

QUESTION: Thanks, Mr. Secretary. Following up on my colleague's question, yes or no: Have you gotten any indications from Hamas since the talks wrapped last week that they recognize the urgency of the deal on the table and that this could be the last chance? And in your meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, did you raise the escalating settler violence that we're seeing in the West Bank? The EU has suggested they would be open to sanctioning sitting Israeli officials. Is the U.S. open to doing the same?

And then if I may, I'd be remiss not to talk about the humanitarian situation on the ground in Gaza. I know you say a ceasefire is the best way to bring that to an end. But in the time that these - the war and the negotiations have been going on, officials in the Gaza Strip say 40,000 people have died. Polio has now re-emerged. It's been gone for over two decades. What is the U.S. prepared to do to ensure that the humanitarian situation is alleviated in the time that the negotiations are still going on?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: So let me take the last part first because I spent some time today on - as I always do - on the humanitarian situation, both specifically, for example, about polio because we very much share the concern about the possibility of its re-emergence, and we've been working on a detailed plan to make sure that those who need to be vaccinated against it can get vaccinated, and we're working with the Israeli Government on that. And I believe that we'll be able to move forward with a plan to do that in the coming weeks. It is urgent; it is vital.

More broadly, there are very, very important issues that continue to need to be resolved in order for people to get the assistance they desperately need, whether it's - whether it's food, whether it's medicine, whether it's appropriate shelter, whether it's dealing with things like treating the sewage that's accumulated throughout Gaza and that promotes an acute - that presents an acute health hazard, that's an incubator for disease. All of that was very much on my agenda today. I had a detailed discussion with the defense minister, with the head of the military on steps that need to be taken - must be taken - to continue to try to improve the situation for Palestinians in Gaza.

Now, again, the quickest way to do that in the most robust way possible would be through the ceasefire, because that opens up much more space to surge assistance into people and then to build something that's genuinely sustainable. But even in the absence of a ceasefire, this is an absolute imperative.

In terms of what we've heard from Hamas - so obviously we don't hear directly from Hamas, but both Egypt and Qatar are in contact with Hamas. And look, I don't want to go beyond anything we've already said except to say that tomorrow, when I see the leaders of both Egypt and Qatar, I'll get the latest from them on what they are hearing. And I can't speculate on exactly what Hamas's intentions are. We've seen public statements, but we've seen public statements before where - that don't fully reflect where the - where Hamas is.

As I said, the critical next step is for Hamas to accept the bridging proposal that Israel - Prime Minister Netanyahu has now accepted, and then to engage with everyone else on making sure that we have clear understandings of how each party would actually implement the commitments that it's undertaken in this agreement. So probably more tomorrow after we talk to our friends in Egypt and Qatar.

And I'm sorry, there was a third part to 

QUESTION: The settler violence. Did this come up in your meeting, and are you prepared to sanction sitting officials?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Oh, yes it did. It did. And this has been also something that's been a deep and ongoing concern for us - violence, intimidation as well, of the Palestinian community in the West Bank. There was an incident, as you know, just a few days ago that I think has galvanized attention from the Israeli Government, and that that is critical, and we look to see action taken - action taken to prevent this kind of violence, action taken to hold people who - responsible for it accountable, and we're looking to the government to take the necessary steps to stop the violence and to make sure that there is real deterrence in place so that it doesn't happen again.

MR PATEL: Thanks, everybody.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. Thanks, everyone.

QUESTION: Thank you very much.

QUESTION: Thank you.

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Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York

19 August 2024

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.

** World Humanitarian Day

As you all know, 21 years ago today, 22 of our UN colleagues were murdered by the terrorists who attacked the UN headquarters at the Canal Hotel in Baghdad. Since 2009, every 19 August  today  is observed as World Humanitarian Day. Earlier today, the Under-Secretary-General [for Operational Support] Atul Khare led a remembrance ceremony at UN Headquarters, in front of the UN flag that flew atop the Canal Hotel which is now displayed in the General Assembly's Visitors' Lobby. In about one hour, the Secretary-General will also mark the bombing in Baghdad with a moment of silence in the same location to honour our fallen colleagues and all of those who survived, many of whom remain working for the United Nations today.

In a message for the Day, the Secretary-General notes that wherever there is human suffering, humanitarian aid workers are striving to alleviate hardship and pain. On World Humanitarian Day, Mr. Guterres said we demand an end to attacks on humanitarians and all civilians. The Secretary-General stressed that we must all do more to protect and safeguard our common humanity.

And to mark World Humanitarian Day, more than 400 humanitarian organizations have sent an open letter to Member States of the General Assembly calling for the protection of civilians, including their staff. With 280 aid workers killed in 33 countries last year, 2023 marked the deadliest year on record for the global humanitarian community. This outrageously high number represents a 137 per cent increase compared to 2022, when 118 aid workers were killed.

Our humanitarian colleagues warn that 2024 may be on track for an even deadlier outcome. And as of 7 August, 172 aid workers had been killed this year. That's according to a provisional count from the Aid Worker Security Database. A global digital campaign launched today calls on world leaders and parties to conflict to act for humanity. Heads of humanitarian organizations and their staff in more than 40 countries stood in solidarity to spotlight the horrifying toll of armed conflicts on civilians and their colleagues.

** Yemen

And I have a statement on Yemen to share with you. The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned about the well-being of United Nations personnel, members of civil society, and national and international non-governmental organizations, diplomatic missions and private sector entities who have been arbitrarily detained by the Houthis for more than two months and he demands their immediate and unconditional release. He also strongly condemned the recent forced entry by the Houthis into the premises of the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Sana'a. We note that the Houthis handed the office back to the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen today. That handover was done today. The Secretary-General reiterates that those detained must be treated with full respect for their human rights, and they must be able to contact their families and legal representatives.

The humanitarian and development situation in Yemen is dire, with over 18 million people suffering the consequences of food insecurity, epidemics, displacement, damaged infrastructure and critical economic conditions. The UN is working tirelessly to address the impact of the situation on the people of Yemen, but the safety of our personnel must be assured. The United Nations and its partners should never be targeted, should never be arrested, and should never be detained while carrying out our mandate.

** Yemen/OHCHR Office

And, just as I mentioned that the office was handed back today to our Resident Coordinator in Yemen, Julien Harneis. According to Julien, the office appears to be in its original state, but an inventory is currently under way. The Resident Coordinator says we are encouraged by this move and renew our call for the immediate and unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained staff of UN and NGO and civil society personnel.

** Secretary-General Travels

As you know, the Secretary-General leaves tonight for a series of visits to the Pacific and East Asia. First, he will go to Samoa from 21 to 23 August where he will meet with Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa. He will then briefly be in New Zealand, in Auckland, on 23 and 24 August, where he will meet with the Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. From there, he will go to Tonga from 24 to 27 August where he will participate in the Pacific Islands Forum. He is expected to meet with Prime Minister Sovaleni of Tonga, as well as other leaders attending the Pacific Islands Forum. His visit will also serve as an opportunity to emphasize the impact of sea level rise in the region and beyond. In both Pacific countries the Secretary-General will engage with local communities and civil society representatives, including young people.

The Secretary-General will then head off to Timor-Leste from 28 to 31 August where he will take part in the commemoration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Popular Consultation in the country, which was organized, as you will recall, by the United Nations. He will then head off to Singapore for 1 and 2 September, where he will meet with the President of Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Wong Lawrence. And after that, he will be in China. Among other engagements there, he will take part in the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and that will take place in Beijing where he will highlight the importance of South-South cooperation to build solidarity and drive progress on shared development goals. While in Beijing, he will also meet with senior Government officials.

** Deputy Secretary-General/Travel

Meanwhile, our Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, is currently in Egypt, in Cairo. Upon her arrival over the weekend, she attended the opening ceremony of the forty-third World Scout Conference. Highlighting the alignment of values between the UN and the Scout Movement, she also underscored the need for meaningful engagement of youth organizations, such as the Scouts, in decision-making to foster a more equitable, peaceful, and sustainable future. The Deputy Secretary-General also participated in an intergenerational town hall, where she emphasized the importance of blending the innovative ideas of youth with the wisdom and experience of the older generation to develop more inclusive solutions to our challenges.

On the sideline of her visit, she also held bilateral meetings, including with the Foreign Minister of Egypt, Badr Abdelatty, to explore opportunities for collaboration in addressing the region's complex challenges, particularly in socioeconomic issues and the ongoing conflicts. She emphasized the need to push forward on an ambitious Pact for the Future. Additionally, she met with Dr. Amjad Barham, the Palestinian Authority's Minister for Education to discuss possibilities for getting children back to learning in Gaza and the West Bank, and among refugees in Egypt. Ms. Mohammed also met with the UN country team and regional directors. And today she is in the North Coast and the Nile Delta, to visit a UN project focused on coastal protection and the reduction of flooding.

** Gaza

Turning to Gaza, our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warn that repeated waves of displacement  combined with overcrowding, insecurity, crumbling infrastructure, active hostilities and limited services  is worsening the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which is already catastrophic. According to our colleagues working on the ground, some 13,500 displaced Palestinians across 18 sites have been affected by the latest Israeli evacuation order on Saturday. That order encompasses the entire Al Maghazi Refugee Camp, and several other neighbourhoods located in Deir al Balah area of Gaza. Initial mapping indicates that the areas newly placed under evacuation orders include five school buildings; 14 water, sanitation and health facilities; and 10 health sites, including 2 primary health care centres and 5 medical points.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that the ongoing hostilities, constant evacuation orders, and severe shortages of essential supplies are making it increasingly difficult for displaced families to access basic services at their place of arrival. Since October 2023, 86 per cent of the Gaza Strip  that's some 314 square kilometres  has been placed under evacuation orders. As you may know, Gaza's population is increasingly concentrated in a zone designated by Israeli authorities in Al Mawasi, where Palestinians have been told to go. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says the density of this area has surged to between 30,000 and 34,000 people per square kilometre, which is compared to an estimated 1,200 people prior to October 2023. Meanwhile, severe fuel shortages are forcing hospitals to postpone critical surgeries and threaten to halt the operation of ambulances, particularly in northern Gaza.

** Sudan

Just for the record, this weekend we issued a statement in which the Secretary-General commended the decision of the authorities in Sudan to reopen the Adre border crossing which is located between Chad and Darfur. It is the most direct and efficient route for humanitarian aid to reach the millions in Darfur facing record levels of acute hunger. The Secretary-General stressed that humanitarian organizations must have full, safe and unhindered access to all civilians in need across Darfur and across all of Sudan, for that matter.

** Sudan/Humanitarian

And our humanitarian colleagues have also received confirmation that the Sudanese authorities have approved the movement of 131 trucks with food and non-food relief supplies across the border from Chad at that crossing. This will meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of people during and even beyond the peak of the rainy season, as well as the lean season in August and September. Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says it is also sounding the alarm about the devastating impact of heavy rains and flooding across Sudan. More than a quarter of a million people  that's some 258,000  have been impacted across 13 of Sudan's 18 states since the onset of the rainy season in June. This includes nearly 119,000 who have been displaced by the flooding.

The rains are wreaking havoc in displacement sites, including Abu Shouk camp and Zamzam camp, where famine conditions were confirmed earlier this month. Both are located near El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. Flooding is also raising the risk of disease outbreaks. Cholera cases have started to increase in recent weeks, with hundreds of cases reported. A dozen states in Sudan are facing outbreaks of multiple diseases at once  at a time when three quarters of health-care facilities in the worst affected areas are no longer functioning.

** Noon Briefing Guest Tomorrow

Tomorrow, I will be joined virtually by our friend Imran Riza, who as you know is the Resident Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon. He will brief on the humanitarian situation in that country. That will be done virtually from Lebanon  Beirut I assume.

** Financial Contributions

Finally, after a bit of a dry spell, I am happy to offer a quiz because not one, but two Member States have paid their dues in full. One is land-locked, and the other one is sea-locked. Yes, otherwise known as an island, you are quick Benno. The land-locked African country is about the size of France, Belgium, Netherlands and Switzerland combined, and covers around 290,000 square miles. It's in the Southern Cone, I will add, to give you a bit of a hint.

On the other hand, the combined landmass of the island country, the archipelago of 155 islands that makes up the second nation is only 175 square miles, but the islands are spread over an economic exclusion zone of over 516,000 square miles. Many of the inner islands are made of granite, while the outer islands are made of coral, with no volcano material in sight. No, they're both on the African Continent. Who said Zambia? We thank our friends in Lusaka, and who else do we thank? The capital city is Victoria - the Seychelles. Oh, boy. Alright. Chris, do you have a question? No. Okay. Okay. Amelie?

** Questions and Answers

Question : Sorry. Thanks, Steph. Just a follow-up on Sudan. You said there are 100 and something trucks waiting. I mean, there's a green light, but has the truck started to...?

Spokesman : They have not crossed.

Question : They have not crossed yet?

Spokesman : So, we've received the...

Question : Green light?

Spokesman : The green light. But, once they cross, we will let you know. Edie, and then Benno.

Question : Is that expected in the next few days?

Spokesman : Let me just put it this way: it is needed right away. We would like to see it as quickly as possible. We're ready to go. The keys are in the ignition, the engines are rolling. We're waiting for them to cross the border.

Question : Does the Secretary-General have any comment on the stepped-up hopes of reaching a ceasefire in Gaza with new talks this week? The US Secretary of State saying this is the last best hope.

Spokesman : The Secretary-General very much hopes that all the parties involved will find the political courage, the political will to come to an agreement for the sake of the people of Gaza, for the sake of the people of Israel, for the sake of the hostages. Yesterday, he spoke to the Prime Minister of Qatar. He was briefed on the state of the situation and he will be staying in close touch and informed. Benno?

Question : Thank you, Steph. Today, as you know, the new Israeli ambassador received his credentials. And as you also know, the former Israeli ambassador attacked the United Nations and the Secretary-General in a very extreme and harsh manner. With a new ambassador now coming in, does the Secretary-General hope for a new start in working towards Israel?

Spokesman : I think the Secretary-General said a few words at the presentation of credentials. Ambassador Danon said a few words, so the Secretary-General answered. We've sent those quotes around. I think the Secretary-General very much wants to see a productive and constructive relationship with Israel. And as he put it, based on truth. Kristen, then Dezhi, then Abdelhamid.

Question : Thanks, Steph. This afternoon, there's a Security Council meeting on UNIFIL. I know that some UNIFIL [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon] peacekeepers were in the line of fire over the weekend. Do you have any insights on how those negotiations are going? And what does the Secretary-General think is needed for UNIFIL now to help the situation on the Lebanese border, which is so tense? What would he like to see in that resolution?

Spokesman : He would like to see a de-escalation of the firing across the Blue Line, the kinetic activity across the Blue Line, which has impacted the lives and upended the lives of thousands and thousands and thousands of people, both in Israel and in Lebanon. He would like to see a lowering of the rhetoric and I think it would be also important. Obviously, we all know how things can be linked to see a resolution on a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

Question : Is there any more UNIFIL can do that?

Spokesman : UNIFIL is continuing to implement its mandate fully, to be present on the ground. As you mentioned, we had a patrol that came under fire. Thank God no one was really injured. They continued to patrol there. The peacekeepers are out on the Blue Line robustly. The implementation of [resolution] 1701 also depends on many, many parties which need to live up to what is called for in the resolution. Dezhi, and then Abdelhamid.

Question : First, a follow-up on the Yemen office. The Houthis, they returned the office back to UN staff, but before that they stormed that office. Have they specified why they did this?

Spokesman : No. You would have to ask them.

Question : Okay. Secondly, on 18 [August]  in Tel Aviv, there was a suicide bomb now claimed by Hamas, as well as the Islamic Jihadist Group. Anything the Secretary-General wants to say on this incident?

Spokesman : As we do in all these cases, we clearly condemn this attack.

Question : And the one last thing. The US House of Representatives, a couple of the representatives, they introduced a bill that would stop funding the UN or any related agencies, that expels, downgrades or suspends memberships or otherwise restricts the participation of Israel. And they said that the United Nations has been biased and almost useless after Hamas murdered over a thousand innocent Israelis, but...

Spokesman : Dezhi, you don't need to read the whole bill, first of all, I get the sentiment. Second of all, we're not going to comment on bills that are up for a discussion in legislatures. Our relationship with the United States remains strong and productive. Abdelhamid?

Question : Thank you, Steph. I have a few questions, too. First, do you condemn with the same power, the attack of settlers on the village of Jett killing a civilian?

Spokesman : Yes, we clearly do. And also [Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process] Tor Wennesland, I think, issued a very clear language on that.

Question : And an attack by a drone on a car in Jenin killing two people?

Spokesman : I haven't seen reports on that. I will look into that.

Question : Okay. Now, why the Secretary-General did not come down to the ceremony today on the International Humanitarian Day?

Spokesman : He really wanted to. He is leaving today. They had a lot of things that had to be packed and that could not be moved. But, as I mentioned, he will not leave today without going there and paying his respects directly.

Question : Okay, my last question. The Secretary-General called for a seven-day truce in Gaza to allow a vaccination campaign of polio for Palestinian children. Where did he launch this appeal? Did he receive any response? And if not, who is responsible for not responding to this appeal?

Spokesman : Well, the fact that the fighting is going on, I think, lays in the hands of the parties who have not come to an agreement on a ceasefire. Discussion on how to operationalize this truce for the sake of fighting polio is being led by WHO [World Health Organization] and UNICEF [United Nations Children's Fund]. Monsieur Tony, go ahead.

Question : Shukran, Steph. I'll start where Abdelhamid ended, regarding the polio vaccine. Do we have any update?

Spokesman : Hold on a second. There is somebody who needs to be muted online. Go ahead, Tony.

Question : Do we have any updates on the vaccine campaign?

Spokesman : No, I do not have anything to share with you.

Question : Because the reason why I'm asking is the Israeli authorities announced Sunday that nearly 3 million doses of polio vaccines had been delivered to the Gaza Strip since the outbreak of...?

Spokesman : I will check. I've not gotten an update on that part.

Correspondent : Okay. Because we need to know who received them.

Spokesman : No, I understand. Yeah, I understand. Okay. Thank you all.

Question : Almost. Does the Secretary-General have any comment on the United States and South Korea starting military drills today on the impact in the region?

Spokesman : Our position and what we hope to see on the Korean Peninsula remains unchanged. Thank you all. Hasta manana.

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Gaza: UN warns of worsening humanitarian disaster as ceasefire talks continue

19 August 2024 - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is closely following negotiations in Doha focused on trying to end the war in Gaza, where the situation continues to remain catastrophic after more than 10 months of unrelenting war.

The UN chief's Spokesperson told journalists at the regular press briefing in New York on Monday that Mr. Guterres had spoken to the Prime Minister of Qatar yesterday.

"He was briefed on the state of the situation, and he will be staying in close touch and informed," UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

The talks, backed by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, are expected to resume on Wednesday or Thursday in Cairo, following a two-day meeting involving the three nations and Israel in Doha last week.

"The Secretary-General very much hopes that all the parties involved will find the political courage, the political will to come to an agreement for the sake of the people of Gaza, for the sake of the people of Israel, for the sake of the hostages," Mr. Dujarric added.

'Catastrophic situation'

The already catastrophic situation in Gaza, is worsening amid repeated waves of displacement, combined with overcrowding, insecurity, crumbling infrastructure, active hostilities and limited services, the UN Spokesperson said.

Gaza has been under an intense Israeli military offensive since the brutal 7 October terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on communities in southern Israel that left some 1,200 dead and more than 200 taken hostage.

As of August 9, 115 hostages remain captive, including some declared dead and whose remains are still in Gaza.

The onslaught has claimed the lives of over 40,000 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children and injured more than 92,000, according to the Gazan health ministry. In addition, close to 90 per cent of the population has been displaced - many forced to move several times.

Population 'increasingly concentrated'

"OCHA [the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] warns that the ongoing hostilities, constant evacuation orders, and severe shortages of essential supplies are making it increasingly difficult for displaced families to access basic services at their place of arrival," Mr. Dujarric said.

He added that since October last year, 86 per cent of the Gaza Strip - about 314 square kilometres - has been placed under evacuation orders.

"As you may know, Gaza's population is increasingly concentrated in a zone designated by Israeli authorities in Al Mawasi, where Palestinians have been told to go," he said, noting that according to OCHA, the density of the area has surged to between 30,000 and 34,000 people per square kilometre, compared to an estimated 1,200 people prior to the war.

'Severe' fuel shortage

Severe shortages of fuel and medical supplies continue to disrupt the functionality of remaining hospitals and primary healthcare centres, particularly in northern Gaza, OCHA reported in a humanitarian bulletin on Monday.

It cited an announcement by the Director of the Al Awda Hospital in northern Gaza that all surgeries had been postponed and an appeal made for urgent fuel supplies to avert further deaths at the facility.

Conditions are equally critical at the Kamal Adwan Hospital, where fuel and medical supply shortages are reportedly threatening critical functions, OCHA noted, adding that the UN World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners were working on getting fuel to these facilities.

Furthermore, on Sunday, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) warned that its ambulances, emergency medical clinics and relief services could grind to a halt in northern Gaza due to a lack of fuel. Its teams are already operating at minimum capacity and only two out of eight ambulances are operational, it added.

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LOBAMBA - Some senators have called for mandatory DNA testing before anyone is required to pay child maintenance through the Social Welfare Department.

The lawmakers argued that this measure is essential to prevent cases where individuals are unjustly compelled to support children who are not biologically theirs and could also help reduce gender-based violence (GBV) cases linked to disputes over the paternity of the children in question. By ensuring that child support is based on verified parentage, the senators believe this measure could bring fairness to the system and address underlying tensions that contribute to GBV. Furthermore, they criticised the Social Welfare Department, accusing it of perpetuating GBV by taking sides in maintenance cases, instead of being impartially. This was disclosed yesterday when the Deputy Prime Ministers Office (DPMO) was presenting its first quarter performance report for the 2024/25 financial year before its Senate Portfolio Committee.

Biological

A DNA paternity test uses deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), usually taken from a cheek swab, to determine a childs biological father or to show that people are related. Making submissions, Senator Chief Mvimbi Matse raised concerns, saying that the killings in the country do not end. Matse said there are always stories reported about domestic violence in families. He explained that in the 11th Parliament, they discussed this matter, to say the Social Welfare Department was allegedly perpetuating the killings among lovers. According to Matse, when one comes to report a maintenance case, the Social Welfare officers allegedly criticise that individual without addressing the case being reported.

He said in some instances, men tend to support children from birth and over the years, they learn that the children are not theirs. They are reported to the Social Welfare Office and forced to pay for the child maintenance. This happens even with wives. You stay with her but some children are not yours, without you knowing. We need to see how we can address this, where one finds himself raising a child that is not his, Matse said. He alleged that since the establishment of the Social Welfare Department, GBV cases have increased.

Matse alleged that the female officials in the office usually side with the female complainant and make sure that the male pays. Adding, he said government should find a way to assist with free compulsory paternity tests, to prevent people from raising children who are not theirs. He stated that some people may want to do paternity tests but they cannot afford, thus a need for governments intervention.

Paternity

He went on to state that free paternity tests for all could curb such scenarios, where one feeds children that are not theirs. The senator mentioned that without fixing these underlying issues in the country, killings among people would not end but increase. In my area, in 2022 during the COVID-19 era, there were nine people who experienced this challenge of raising children who are not theirs. Now we are discussing these cases where the homesteads need to be cleansed of wrongful representation, he said.

Perpetuated

On the same note, the Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Senator Chief Mphatfwa, said these social ills were a thorny issue, as they had noticed that they were perpetuated unabated.

Chief Mphatfwa blamed the Social Welfare Department, alleging that it (department) is being perceived as the cause of GBV. In some cases, you find three fathers who pay maintenance for the same child and the mother collects the monies without a problem. We understand there is a high unemployment rate, but we should not create employment through unconventional ways, which will then increase GBV, Chief Mphatfwa said.

He urged the DPMO to make it compulsory for a DNA test to be conducted once a person comes to report about non-payment of maintenance for their children. He said both parents should pay for the tests to be conducted, so that they could furnish the department with proof before payments could be made. The chairperson mentioned that this could help minimise the chances whereby one could pay for a child who is not his. On the contrary, Senator Princess Ntfombiyenkhosi briefly stated that even if one could establish that he had been raising someone elses child, that did not give them a ticket to kill a person.

Senator Isaac Magagula said women were brutally killed and the country had reached a crisis proportion. Magagula said there was a need for robust and radical interventions. He also called for a structured and organised Indaba on GBV, to discuss its causes. He went on to suggest that the DPMO should go back to the End GBV Strategy and not make it wide open, but focus on specific cases of GBV.

Treatment

The senator called for the special treatment of GBV cases in the different courts. The office should engage the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, to see if they could make special courts for these GBV cases, Magagula said. Senator Chief Gcokoma also called for community dialogues on GBV. Chief Gcokoma shared that they are pained to read in the newspapers about people beings killed every day. He explained that people in communities needed to be engaged and further capacitated on GBV issues. Adding, Chief Gcokoma urged the DPMO to start sensitisation campaigns in order to come up with solutions to this scourge.

Senate President Lindiwe Dlamini stated that there was a need to come up with solutions to this challenge. The Senate president said solutions would come through engagement with communities. In response to the submissions, the Acting Deputy Prime Minister (DPM), Jane Simelane, who is also the Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, thanked the senators for their submissions and suggestions. Simelane said GBV is a problem in the country and there is a need to address its root causes. According to Simelane, they will take the submissions as presented by the senators and work on them with the assistance of chiefs and communities.

Capacitate

She stated that they have started visiting communities to capacitate people about GBV. Adding, she assured the senators that the office would submit written responses on their submissions. According to a report that was recently tabled in Parliament by the DPM, during the reporting period, April to June 2024, 180 maintenance cases were referred to magistrates courts due to defaulting on maintenance payments, failure to attend mediation sessions, or parties not agreeing on the maintenance amount to be paid and 283 cases await finalisation.

Comparing figures from the first quarter performance report of April to June 2023, where a total number of 1 232 cases were reported against a total of 1206 reported this quarter from April to June 2024, a decline had been observed.
Guterres demands immediate release of UN staff and others detained in Yemen

19 August 2024 - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Monday for Houthi rebels in Yemen to immediately and unconditionally release UN staff, humanitarians, diplomatic personnel and others who have been detained for more than two months.

The more than 60 men and women being held are all Yemeni nationals. They include 13 UN staff and members of civil society, local and international non-governmental organizations, diplomatic missions and private sector entities.

Additionally, four other staff from the UN's human rights office, OHCHR, and its cultural agency, UNESCO, have been held since 2021 and 2023, respectively.

Dire humanitarian situation

Yemeni Government forces, backed by a Saudi coalition, have been battling with the Houthis, also known as the Ansar Allah movement, for a decade.

The UN continues to monitor the dire humanitarian and development situation in the country.

Over 18 million people, more than half the population, are suffering the consequences of food insecurity, epidemics, displacement, damaged infrastructure and critical economic conditions.

Not a target

"The United Nations is working tirelessly to address the impact of the situation on the people of Yemen, but the safety of our personnel must be assured," said the Secretary-General's Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, speaking during his daily briefing from New York.

He stressed that the UN and partners "should never be targeted, arrested or detained while carrying out their mandates."

UN rights office handed back

The UN Secretary-General also strongly condemned the recent forced entry by the Houthis into the premises of the OHCHR office in the capital, Sana'a.

Mr. Dujarric noted that the office was handed back to the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, Julien Harneis, on Monday, who reported that the office appears to be in its original state, but an inventory is currently underway.

"The Resident Coordinator says we are encouraged by this move and renew our call for the immediate and unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained staff of UN and NGO and civil society personnel," the Spokesperson told journalists.



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Remarks by UNRWA Chief of Staff, Mr. Ben Majekodunmi, at the World Humanitarian Day 2024 UN commemoration

UNRWA

19 Aug 2024

GENEVA - Dear friends and colleagues in the humanitarian community.

Thank you for recognizing UNRWA on this World Humanitarian Day.

As we know, since the early morning of 7th October - over 40,000 people, possibly far more, have been [reportedly] killed in Gaza and over 1,200 [reportedly] killed in Israel.

Within this, the humanitarian community has suffered unspeakable tragedy. At least 289 humanitarian personnel have been killed, from Palestinian and international NGOs and from the UN. At least 211 are UN staff, including 207 from UNRWA alone, and staff from WHO, UNDP and UNDSS. At least 190 UNRWA premises have been damaged or destroyed, killing over 560 people sheltering inside. Over 135 children of UNRWA staff have been killed.

______

Before the war, half of Gaza's 625,000 children went to UNRWA schools. Any chance of recovery in Gaza and of lasting peace must see them return with their teachers to school.

On 10 July, Wafa, an UNRWA teacher was killed with her husband and two children in Nuseirat.

On 18 July, Seham, an UNRWA teacher, was injured and her husband and children killed, in Bureij. Seham later died from her injuries.

On 21 July, Suha, an UNRWA teacher was injured in Nuseirat, and her husband and young daughter and son were killed. Suha died from her injuries on 30 July.

On 24 July, Ibtehal, an UNRWA teacher was killed with her 4 month-old daughter in Khan Younis.

On 19 January, but only recently reported, Ghada, an UNRWA teacher, was killed along with her husband and six children.

All had been displaced from their homes. These are five entries from UNRWA's record of staff deaths. We have two hundred more. They were teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers, cleaners, support staff, technicians.

This is by far the greatest loss of UN personnel killed in a single conflict or natural disaster since the creation of the United Nations.

______

The harm inflicted on humanitarian workers and operations has been described by competent entities in the UN and beyond as violations of international law and likely war crimes. The consequences go far beyond Gaza. In the humanitarian community we know that the reason we can work in the most dangerous places is not through force of arms, but through force of law and principles. Each day, many of us depend upon the respect for the UN flag not only by governments but also by individual fighters - in a plane above us, at a roadblock. When that respect ceases, we lose the protection required to help those who need it most. There must be accountability.

______

Within 30 seconds of entering Gaza through Rafah or Kerem Shalom, humanitarian staff walk into an active conflict. Within the 18% of Gaza not under evacuation orders, it is intensely crowded - a normally five-minute drive takes an hour. There are children everywhere. UNRWA premises, almost all converted into shelters, are filled with people trying to stay clean, trying to care for their children, trying to live. There is the constant sound of drones high in the sky, the sound of incoming fire from ships, the sound of exploding bombs near and far, or silent plumes of smoke rising from the strike of a distant missile. People risk their lives to find clean water and food. Polio spreads in open sewage. Children die from inadequate medical care, while world class hospitals are near.

Almost all UNRWA and humanitarian staff are displaced. Like the general population, they live on the floor of schools, in half destroyed buildings, in tents constructed from rugs and branches.

It is in this environment that humanitarian workers are keeping Gaza alive.

______

I asked my colleagues in Gaza what they would want me to say here.

They told me that while at work they worry all day about the safety of their families. That upon hearing each explosion they try to calculate in their minds its size, location and proximity to where their families are displaced.

They said that Gazans are angry at the international community, represented on the ground by humanitarian workers, for not stopping the destruction.

Randa and Farid talked about two dear friends among the deceased UNRWA staff - Seline, an Obstetrician, and Shahar who devoted his life to education for children with special needs. "Gaza has lost so much", they said.

Rida, an UNRWA school principal now a shelter manager, described how a missile strike on her shelter in Khan Younis killed 17 people immediately. With ambulances unable to come, Rida said she and other UNRWA staff, without medical training, provided care overnight for many others with severe trauma injuries. The worst was seeing human beings reduced to "bundles".

Eima works in movement coordination for humanitarian missions. She described how she wakes at 4 a.m to receive and transmit updated instructions on safe routes, and then spends all day worrying if the routes she shared will really keep her colleagues safe.

My colleagues told me that everyone dreams constantly of a ceasefire.

______

Amidst the pain, as humanitarians, we look for hope and light where we can find it.

Is there light in the fact that even when an UNRWA school is hit by bombs killing IDPs, and hit again days later killing more, that IDPs still remain there because, in spite of everything, they feel safer under the UN blue flag; safer with UN staff around them?

Is there light in the fact that on a single day in February, UNRWA was able to conduct over 20,000 separate patient visits at our few remaining health clinics? And that one of those clinics, in Nuseirat, on one terrible day, shifted from primary health care to serving as an ICU with staff doing improvised surgery on over 150 trauma cases that arrived within a few hours, under intense bombardment?

Is there hope in the fact that amid the horror of a polio outbreak, the humanitarian community has somehow managed to design a public health campaign to address it; now the parties to the conflict must enable the plan's implementation.

My colleagues said they have enormous pride in their work and in UNRWA and the other humanitarian operations. They said: "We are the door that is always open for the community". UNRWA is part of almost every aspect of humanitarian assistance in Gaza, through our thousands of staff. The day after each terrible moment, no matter how deeply staff are affected, including the death of their own children, they keep reporting to work.

I ask that we recognize the humanitarian personnel working in and on Gaza. From Palestinian public health and safety organizations, to international NGOs, to UN agencies and departments including WHO, UNDP, UNDSS, OCHA, WFP, IOM, UNICEF, OHCHR, UNMAS, the Resident Coordinator and the Special Coordinator and their teams, and others. And I ask that we recognize UNRWA staff who, after going through so much, still "keep the door always open".

I also recall the outstanding work, courage and commitment of humanitarian staff around the world from across the NGO and UN community, and our colleagues lost in Iraq in 2003.

______

Despite those who might abuse it, whether through attacks or through neutrality violations, the blue UN flag continues to represent the principles of human rights, of international law, and of humanity for all peoples affected by this terrible conflict, on all sides of borders and walls, and regardless of national, religious, or ethnic origins. At the risk of their lives, our colleagues in Gaza and around the world set this standard every day.

The last message I would share is of an impromptu speech made by our colleague Miranda, a Palestinian senior manager of a large UNRWA-Gaza team. During my last visit into Gaza, I listened as she gathered about 40 staff to stand around her. Ignoring the background sound of explosions, she smiled and spoke as she walked around the room looking at her team, saying "Thank you, for your dedication, for your hard work. We are strong. We are defending our organization that is our family. We will absorb the anger of our community. We are here. We will not leave our IDPs. We will leave no one behind, even though we are standing alone."

Today, on World Humanitarian Day 2024, all of UNRWA and the humanitarian community in Gaza knows that we are not alone.

Thank you.

Background Information:

UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency's area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight.

UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on.

UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.

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Secretary of the Navy Advances Maritime Statecraft in Copenhagen

US Navy - Press Release

19 August 2024

Copenhagen, DENMARK - Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro visited A.P. Moller-Maersk during a trip to the Kingdom of Denmark last week.

During the visit, he met with A.P. Moller-Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc, and stated that the U.S. Navy would continue to protect commercial ships and mariners against unprovoked Houthi attacks on civilian shipping in the Red Sea. As during each of his previous Maritime Statecraft engagements with global maritime industry leaders, Secretary Del Toro encouraged investment in American shipbuilding. Discussions were productive and centered on attracting demand and investment in constructing commercial sealift vessels in the United States.

The visit reflects ongoing efforts to renew the foundations of American seapower, since Secretary Del Toro announced his new maritime statecraft initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School on Sept. 26, 2023.

"With some of the world's most technologically advanced shipbuilders already heeding our call to invest in integrated commercial and naval shipbuilding facilities in the United States, the next step in our maritime statecraft strategy is to attract the world's foremost commercial shipping firms to signal their demand for new ships built in American shipyards," Secretary Del Toro said.

In a more recent speech to the Naval War College on Aug. 8, Secretary Del Toro explained that "long-term solutions to many of the Navy's challenges require we renew the health of our nation's broader seapower ecosystem." He added "Making naval shipbuilding more cost effective requires we restore the competitiveness of U.S. commercial shipping and shipbuilding."

Secretary Del Toro's visit follows months of collaboration with interagency partners - such as the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration - and Congress to find innovative ways to leverage existing authorities and craft new incentives to build and flag commercial ships in the United States. For example, the Department of Energy's Title 17 Clean Energy Financing program now permits the U.S. Government to offer low-interest loans for U.S.-built dual-fuel commercial ships. "Our calculus is that bringing a larger portion of the newbuild orderbooks of the world's biggest shipping firms to American shores in the coming years will offer significant returns to Navy shipbuilding and sealift."

Managed by the U.S. Maritime Administration, the Maritime Security Program (MSP) maintains a fleet of commercially viable, militarily useful U.S.-flagged merchant ships in international trade to support military sealift requirements during times of conflict or in other national emergencies.

Secretary Del Toro said he and his team were looking forward to continuing discussions with the leadership of A.P. Moller-Maersk on their next visit to the United States in the coming weeks.

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Blinken: Israel accepts US bridging proposal on Gaza cease-fire

By Nike Ching August 19, 2024

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Tel Aviv late Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted an American "bridging proposal" on a Gaza cease-fire deal, and that it was now up to Hamas to agree.

Meanwhile, a polio vaccination campaign in Gaza is expected to move forward as planned in late August and September, regardless of the outcome of the latest cease-fire negotiations.

"It's now incumbent on Hamas to do the same," and then with the help of mediators Egypt, Qatar and the United States, to "come together and complete the process," Blinken told reporters, without saying whether concerns cited by the Hamas militant group had been addressed.

Blinken's ninth visit to the Middle East since the Gaza war broke out in October 2023 came as the U.S., Egypt and Qatar sought to finalize a cease-fire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas.

The U.S. put forward a bridging proposal during last week's cease-fire talks in Doha. Negotiations are set to resume in Cairo this week.

"We're never giving up," said Blinken, when asked if time to take the deal could ultimately run out. He held a one-on-one meeting with Netanyahu for 2 hours.

Some analysts were skeptical.

"I think there's a lot of wishful thinking going on, and I think the wishful thinking is because the stakes are now so high, because there is a potential for this conflict to escalate beyond its borders," Mirette Mabrouk, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told VOA on Monday.

An Israeli government spokesperson told reporters on Monday that Netanyahu "stands firmly by the principle" that the Israel Defense Forces will maintain a physical presence in the Philadelphi Corridor  the border between Gaza Strip and Egypt  to prevent what they describe as the resupply of Hamas' deadly weapons.

Earlier, Hamas accused Netanyahu of undermining the mediators' efforts. Sami Abu Zuhri, a member of Hamas' political bureau, dismissed claims that signs of progress after two days of talks in Doha were "an illusion."

There is an increased urgency to reach a deal amid fears of broader regional escalation if Iran and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, retaliate against Israel for the assassination of a top Hezbollah operative in Beirut and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Israel has claimed responsibility for the Beirut attack but not the Tehran one, although it is widely presumed to have carried it out.

Blinken will head to Egypt and Qatar later this week to hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, as well as the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Polio threat

A planned polio vaccination campaign in Gaza is set to proceed later this month amid the growing threat of a reemergence of the virus.

"We've been working on a detailed plan to make sure that those who need to be vaccinated against it can get vaccinated," Blinken said after meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday.

The Israeli military agency responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, known by its acronym COGAT, said it would continue to facilitate the entry of medical teams and vaccines against the polio virus.

COGAT said that since the beginning of the war, 282,126 vials of the polio vaccine, sufficient for 2,821,260 doses, have been sent to Gaza. In the coming weeks, an additional 60,000 vaccines will be delivered to vaccinate more than 1 million children.

The World Health Organization and UNICEF, the United Nations' children's agency, have called for a seven-day humanitarian pause in the conflict to allow for two rounds of vaccination campaigns planned for late August and September across the Gaza Strip.

Hamas said in a statement last Friday that it would support a seven-day truce to facilitate the vaccinations. This was separate from the latest American cease-fire proposal and separate from a permanent cease-fire that Hamas has demanded.

Polio was eliminated in Gaza 25 years ago. However, in July 2024, the poliovirus was detected in environmental samples from Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, located in the south and center of Gaza. According to WHO, three children presenting with suspected symptoms of polio have since been reported in Gaza.

"Completing a successful polio vaccination campaign is quite challenging. The safe transport of vaccines in cold temperatures and the availability of fuel and communication networks are all essential for the success of the WHO/UNICEF-led campaign to vaccinate 650,000 children below the age of 8 years," Zaher Sahloul, president of humanitarian group MedGlobal, told VOA.

"A cease-fire, or at the very least a humanitarian pause, is urgently needed to give this polio vaccination campaign a fighting chance," said Sahloul, who added that MedGlobal's clinics in Gaza were expected to participate in the polio vaccination campaign.

Violence continues

Shortly after Blinken arrived in Israel on Sunday, a bomb exploded near a synagogue in Tel Aviv, killing the person carrying it and injuring a passerby, Israeli police said. On Monday, police described the bombing as a terror attack.

Also on Monday, Israel continued advances north of Khan Younis and stepped up its bombardment of Gaza City suburbs overnight, Reuters news service reported.

Lebanon's Health Ministry said an Israeli strike killed two people in south Lebanon, and Lebanon's official National News Agency reported Israeli shelling and raids in several areas.

Hezbollah announced it had launched a "simultaneous air attack" with "explosive-laden drones" on two Israeli military positions: a barracks near the border and a base near the coastal town of Acre.

VOA's Natasha Mozgovaya and Kim Lewis contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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Hamas, Islamic Jihad claim credit for Tel Aviv 'suicide operation'

By VOA News August 19, 2024

Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad took responsibility Monday for what appeared to be a failed bombing attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Sunday and threatened additional attacks if the war in Gaza continued.

The blast came late Sunday as mediators were working on a cease-fire agreement in the devastating Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The bomb seemed to go off prematurely, killing the assailant and injuring a bystander. It was unclear whether the attacker planned to carry out a suicide attack or plant the explosives and set them off remotely.

Agence France-Presse quoted the militant groups as referring to the attack as a "suicide operation."

Palestinian militants used suicide bombings in the 1990s and 2000s, killing hundreds of civilians.

Tel Aviv's district police commander, Deputy Commissioner Peretz Amar, told reporters that the bomb had gone off a few meters away from a synagogue full of people. He said possible issues with the timing of the bomb helped avoid "a very real tragedy."

Amar said the suspect had appeared on security footage walking down the street and wearing a large backpack, and that he was not previously known to police. The deputy commissioner added that authorities were working to determine where he came from and whether he received additional support.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad said similar attacks would continue "as long as the occupation's massacres, the displacement of civilians and the policy of assassinations continue." The statement appeared to refer to the war in the Gaza Strip and recent Israeli strikes that killed senior Hamas and Hezbollah militants.

The blast took place shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken touched down in Tel Aviv for cease-fire talks.

The bombing came just days after health officials in Hamas-controlled Gaza announced that the Palestinian death toll from the war had surpassed 40,000.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.

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Blinken: Current talks 'maybe the last' opportunity for Gaza truce

By VOA News August 19, 2024

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the latest Gaza cease-fire deal could be the last chance to secure the return of hostages and end the fighting between Hamas and Israel.

"This is a decisive moment  probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security," Blinken said Monday.

Blinken met Monday with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and was scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant later in the day.

This is his ninth trip to the region since the hostilities started on Oct. 7. Negotiators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar met in Doha, Qatar, last week to craft the latest version of the deal, and discussions are expected to resume in Cairo later this week.

Violence continues

Shortly after Blinken arrived in Israel on Sunday, a bomb exploded near a synagogue in Tel Aviv, killing the person carrying it and injuring a passerby, Israeli police said. On Monday, police described the bombing as a terror attack.

Also on Monday, Israel continued advances north of Khan Younis and stepped up its bombardment of Gaza City suburbs overnight, Reuters news service reported.

Lebanon's health ministry said an Israeli strike killed two people in south Lebanon, and Lebanon's official National News Agency reported Israeli shelling and raids in several areas.

Hezbollah announced it launched a "simultaneous air attack" with "explosive-laden drones" on two Israeli military positions  a barracks near the border and a base near the coastal town of Acre.

Last month, an Israeli strike near Beirut killed Fuad Shukr, one of Hezbollah's top commanders, shortly before an attack in Tehran killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. Although Israel didn't claim responsibility for Haniyeh's death, it has been blamed for the attack.

Both Iran and Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, vowed revenge for the killings. A cease-fire deal is viewed as a way to prevent a larger war in the region.

In his remarks Monday, Blinken said he was in Israel as part of "an intensive diplomatic effort on President Biden's instructions to try to get this agreement to the line, and ultimately over the line."

He said it's time for Israel and Hamas to agree to a truce.

"It's also time to make sure that no one takes any steps that could derail this process," he said. "So we're looking to make sure that there is no escalation, that there are no provocations, that there are no actions that in any way could move us away from getting this deal over the line, or for that matter, escalating the conflict to other places and to greater intensity."

Negotiators have been trying to reach an agreement for months.

The basic outline of a cease-fire deal remains the same. It is a three-phase process in which fighting would be halted for six weeks, while Hamas would begin to release the estimated 110 hostages it is still holding  including about 70 of them living  and Israel would free hundreds of Palestinians it has jailed.

The mediators are hoping to end the war that started Oct. 7 with the Hamas attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and led to the capture of about 250 hostages. Israel's counteroffensive has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to Hamas-controlled health authorities. The Israeli military says that death toll includes thousands of Hamas militants it has killed.

Natasha Mozgovaya contributed to this report. Material from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters was used in this article.

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Envoy: Absence of Sudan army delegation hobbles progress in US-mediated peace talks

By Lisa Schlein August 19, 2024

Efforts to achieve humanitarian access to millions of desperately needy Sudanese are moving forward but cease-fire negotiations remain dormant because the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) still refuse to send a delegation to the U.S.-sponsored peace talks, a U.S. official says.

U.S. special envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello told journalists at a briefing Monday in Geneva that given the urgency of the Sudan crisis, delegations from the United Nations, African Union, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been working "through the night" on issues related to humanitarian assistance and civilian protection.

Perriello said this work is paying off in that Sudan's military has agreed to open the Adre border crossing with Chad to allow food and other relief supplies to enter conflict-rattled Darfur.

"Along with many, many humanitarian and diplomatic colleagues around the world, we are now on the precipice of Adre being open with over 100 trucks ready to roll as early as tomorrow on something that would often take weeks and weeks, if not months," he said. "And that means that we can be seeing food and medicine reaching areas like Zamzam camp, where well over 400,000 people have been facing starvation and famine."

Though only the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have turned up at the talks, Perriello said that active negotiations have been going on with both warring parties since the talks began August 14.

"We have worked virtually through phones with the army to accelerate progress that save lives of the Sudanese," he said, adding that "if the army delegation were here, I guarantee we would be producing more results for the Sudanese people on humanitarian access and on civilian protection than we can do by phone."

He said the talks are prioritizing the opening of humanitarian corridors on three roads  the Adre border crossing, Dabar Road and the opening of Sennar junction and Sennar State. This, he said "collectively would ensure that 20 million people who currently are cut off completely or largely from food and medicine would be able to get that relief."

Taylor Garrett, who heads the Sudan rapid support team for the U.S. government, said, "Those routes will open up assistance to reach really the heartland of the crisis to greater Kordofan, Greater Darfur, White Nile, Blue Nile and Sennar.

"Another point that we have made clear is the need for both sides to allow assistance to flow to areas controlled by the other side, as it moves through their territory. So, regardless of territorial control, the assistance has to reach people," he said.

"We will continue to move forward on the results that matter and we hope that everyone, including the army would see that this is something that the Sudanese people will respond to very positively," Garrett said.

Since rival generals of the SAF and RSF plunged Sudan into war 16 months ago on April 15, 2023, the Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, estimates more than 18,800 people have been killed and another 33,000 injured.

It reports more than 10.7 million people are displaced inside Sudan, another 2 million refugees have fled to neighboring countries, and about 25.6 million people, more than half of Sudan's population, face acute hunger, including more than 755,000 people on the brink of famine.

"We are in a crisis of epic proportions," Perriello said. "The sooner the parties engage in full mediation for the cessation of hostilities, the better it will be for everybody in Sudan. But, we will continue to work for those protections that have to be respected even in wartime under both international law and the Jeddah declarations.

The Jeddah declaration is an agreement signed by both the SAF and RSF last year, reaffirming both group's core obligations under International Humanitarian Law to facilitate humanitarian action to meet the needs of civilians.

"That is what we are going to continue working on," Perriello said, adding that this current first round of peace talks will continue for a few more days.

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Acute malnutrition surges in southern Yemen with extremely critical conditions reported in West Coast areas

World Food Programme

19 August 2024

Diseases, high food insecurity, and limited access to safe drinking water are driving up acute malnutrition among vulnerable children

ADEN, Yemen, 18 August 2024 - Acute malnutrition is rapidly increasing in Government of Yemen (GoY)-controlled areas, with the West Coast experiencing "extremely critical" levels for the first time, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Technical Working Group in Yemen said today.

According to the latest IPC Acute Malnutrition Analysis, the number of children under the age of five suffering acute malnutrition, or wasting, rose by 34 per cent compared to the previous year across the GoY-controlled areas, affecting over 600,000 children, including 120,000 children who are severely malnourished. The sharp rise is driven by the compounded effect of disease outbreaks (cholera and measles), high food insecurity, limited access to safe drinking water, and economic decline. Additionally, in the same catchment area, around 223,000 pregnant and lactating women were found to be acutely malnourished in 2024.

The most severe level under the IPC Acute Malnutrition (IPC AMN) classification, extremely critical acute malnutrition (IPC AMN phase 5), applies to areas where the prevalence of acute malnutrition exceeds 30 per cent. For the first time, this level was reported in Hodeidah southern lowlands (Al Khawkhah and Hays districts) and Taizz lowlands (Al Makha district) during the period from November 2023 to June 2024. In Hodeidah, the prevalence of acute malnutrition soared to 33.9 per cent from 25.9 per cent year on year.

From July to October 2024 - lean season months when there is minimal agricultural activity, all 117 districts in the GoY-controlled areas covered in the survey are projected to experience "serious" levels of acute malnutrition or worse (IPC Acute Malnutrition phase 3+), and Mawza district in Taizz lowlands is also projected to slip into the extremely critical level (IPC AMN phase 5).

"The report confirms an alarming trend of acute malnutrition for children in southern Yemen," said UNICEF Representative to Yemen, Peter Hawkins. "To protect the most vulnerable women, girls and boys, an investment in and scale-up of prevention and treatment efforts are more critical than ever. We will continue to do everything we can including building on the existing multisectoral response to fight the life-threatening forms of malnutrition so that children can survive and grow to their full potential."

"The alarming rise in acute malnutrition among children under 5 in GoY areas underscores the severe impact of disease outbreaks, high food insecurity, and poor access to essential services. FAO remains committed to supporting the sustainable restoration and diversification of agricultural livelihoods to help address the urgent needs," said Dr. Hussein Gadain, FAO Representative in Yemen.

Yemen, mired in a protracted conflict and economic collapse, has been battling with some of the highest malnutrition rates in the world. The ongoing conflict, economic instability, and recurrent disease outbreaks continue to be the primary drivers of the country's malnutrition crisis.

Hodeidah and Taizz, the areas with the highest prevalence of acute malnutrition had already been facing the highest rate of stunting, or chronic malnutrition. This implies that repeated deprivations are also aggravating chronic malnutrition among children in these areas.

"WFP is currently forced to provide smaller-sized rations and these findings should be a wakeup call that lives are at stake," said Pierre Honnorat, Representative and Country Director for WFP in Yemen. "It is critical to step up support to the most vulnerable who could sink deeper into food insecurity and malnutrition if current low levels of humanitarian funding persist."

Dr Arturo Pesigan, WHO Representative to Yemen, stated, "The rising level of acute malnutrition in children aged under 5 years in Yemen also indicates that diseases are of concern. Integrated health and nutrition services, including childhood illness management and to ensure up-to-date immunization and appropriate feeding practices, are crucial to address health and nutrition emergencies. This is in addition to ensuring access to sufficient nutritious food and safe drinking water. Humanitarian actors and the international community must take immediate action to safeguard the future of Yemen's children."

Childhood diseases, along with outbreaks of cholera and measles, coupled with limited access to safe water and sanitation services, are driving up acute malnutrition rates in Yemen.

Severe food insecurity and poor feeding practices, including suboptimal breastfeeding practices, are further worsening the situation among vulnerable children in the GoY-controlled areas.

The four United Nations agencies call for urgent and sustained international support and immediate action to address the root causes of acute malnutrition, by strengthening existing social protection, health, food and water, sanitation, and hygiene systems.

At the same time, an end to the nearly decade-long conflict and the restoration of peace is critical to address the challenges and build the resilience of Yemeni people devastated by the lack of basic services, repeated displacements, and shattered economic and social systems.

Notes to Editors

The IPC Technical Working Group comprises UN agencies, NGOs and the government.

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in some of the world's toughest places, to reach the world's most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children in Yemen, visit http://www.unicef.org/yemen

About FAO

The FAO Country Representation in Yemen has been operational for 40 years. Since the beginning of operations in the country, FAO has provided support to farmers, herders and fishers and has supported the improvement of agricultural production and productivity. Today, FAO is also working with the Yemeni authorities to support sustainable restoration and diversification of agricultural livelihoods.

About WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

About WHO

Since 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been the United Nations agency dedicated to advancing health for all, and engaging all for health so that everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health. WHO leads global efforts to expand universal health coverage, guide and coordinate the world's responses to health emergencies and connect nations, partners and people to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable.

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Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre En Route Chicago, IL

August 19, 2024

Aboard Air Force One

En Route Chicago, Illinois

2:44 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Jen, welcome back.

Q Hi. Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What! It's good to see you.

Q You too.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It's like full circle now. (Laughs.)

All right. So, we're on our way to Chicago, where President Biden will deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention.

Since this is a campaign event, I would refer to you  refer you all to them for more details, but I will say more broadly that the president looks forward to addressing his party and the nation.

This is a fulfilling moment for him. He is eager to talk about the historic results he has delivered for the country alongside Vice President Harris.

You can expect President Biden to continue to talk about his  this administration's accomplishments for working families and about the difference between an agenda that would move the for-  the country forward and one that would move it backward.

With that, go ahead, Aamer. Good to see you as well.

Q Yeah, it's good to see you.

So, just one quick question. I know you can't say much on the speech, but is he do- 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q Is  is it done? (Laughter.) Is he done writing it? Are they still working on it up there or 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look  yeah. Look, the president is certainly going to continue to fine-tune the speech, if you will. He had an opportunity to work on it this past weekend with Mike Donilon and  and Vinay Reddy. And so, he's very much looking forward to this moment.

As I just said, it is a fulfilling moment for him, and he's excited. He's excited.

Q Can you say anything else about what he's going to do in Chicago? Is he going to meet with other party leaders, Vice President Harris?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, he's going to spend time continuing to prep for a big night. It's a big night, as you all know. I don't have anything beyond that.

The first lady, obviously, is traveling with him, with some family members. It's a big night. He's looking forward to it. He's looking forward to addressing the Democratic Party and  and obviously the nation. It's a big night.

Q Can you say what family members are traveling with?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I  I will not say what family members are traveling, but obviously he  the first lady and the family  family are  are going to be joining him tonight. And so, it's a big night.

He's very  he's very excited. He's looking forward to it. As I stated, he's going to talk about his vision for the country, what he's done the last couple of years, and how  you know, how he sees the country moving backward, his policy, his agenda for moving back-  for moving forward and not backwards.

Q How long a speech will it be?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It's a surprise. It's a surprise. (Laughter.)

Q Why? It's a surprise?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Tune in, tune in. It's a surprise. It's a surprise.

Q What  what do you know about  what do you know about the Gaza ceasefire talks?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, let's see. A couple of things.

As you  I don't know if you guys got to see Secretary Blinken took a couple of questions. Here's what I'll say. There's always a lot of public posturing in negotiations, and I'm not going to  to weigh in on that, just like I am not going to discuss the details of the negotiations, obviously, not from in the air on Air Force One.

As the president said last week, teams continue to techni-  to technical work, and senior officials will convene again in Cairo before the end of the week.

As  and as you've seen, as I just mentioned, Secretary Blinken is in the region to reaffirm our ironclad commitment to Israel's security and also to continue our intensive efforts to conclude this agreement.

He took some questions today, so certainly I would refer you to  to his comments.

Q What would the president's message to Hamas be about accepting the  the terms of the ceasefire?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, a couple of things. I'd point out that  and this is not about the remarks. This is more so more broadly. I'd point out that built into this deal is extraordinary and immediate relief for the people of Gaza, the fighting stops, humanitarian aid surges in and throughout Gaza, rubble is removed, essential services restored.

Hamas saying it wants to deprive the Gazans of the relief so it can continue to hold hostages is not an acceptable position, including for our fellows  our fellow mediators.

So, we will continue to work on this, working our way toward a deal, and tune out some of the public noise that's out there. It's time for this deal to be closed, and what's on the table now is aimed to get there.

Q Karine  Karine 

Q And if there is a deal, will he come back to D.C. to discuss that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, right now, we're working to get this deal. That's our  that's our commitment. That's our focus. We've been doing that  his team  the president's team has been doing that for 24/7 around the clock, leaning in.

I don't have any schedule updates to share with you. As you know, though, the president has been very much engaged talking to leaders of the region  whether it's Egypt, whether it's Jordan and  and others  trying to get this done. He spoke to some of our European partners, as you know, and allies recently. And his team is on  there's members of his team that are on the ground wanting to get this done.

This is about ending  ending the war, getting to a ceasefire, getting that humanitarian aid in. And let's not forget, there are  there are hostages there, but also American hostages, and he wants to get them home to their loved ones.

Q Karine  Karine, what (inaudible) with foreign leaders today anticipating any 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't  so, I don't have any  any  any readout for you on any conversations. If there is one, certainly we'll do what we've been doing the past several weeks, several months  is read out those conversations. I don't have anything for you today.

Q Karine, what would be the president's message to the thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters that are gathering in Chicago to protest his speech?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, a couple things. And you've heard us say this. We certainly support peaceful protests. We understand this is a difficult time for many, many different communities out there. And so, it is  it is everyone's right to peacefully protest.

We will condemn any violence. That's not what we want to see.

But this goes into what I just said. You have a president, you have an administration  his administration, you have partners in the region who are coming together trying to get to a ceasefire deal, trying to end this war. And that's what we want to see. That's what we want to see moving forward. This is about moving forward, not backwards.

And so, we want to get to that. We want to get hostages home. We want to get humanitarian aid  continue humanitarian aid into  into Gaza. And, you know, it is  it is important to end this war, as the president has said over and over and again.

And that's our policy. And that's what you're going to continue to hear from the Biden-Harris administra- 

Q (Inaudible.) Does the president think that the uncommitted group should get any type of speaking slot at the convention?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I  I'm not going to get into that. That's a  certainly a DNC political campaign. I just can't get into that.

What we will say is peacefully protest. Obviously, people have the right to do that. And we will certainly condemn any form of violence.

And what we want to see is what  our focus right now is this hostage deal. It is imperative. It's important to get that done. And that's what you've seen from this president and this administration over the past  certainly, in  over the past several weeks, but it's been some time. We've been focused on doing just that.

Q Why is he spending so little time in Chicago? Is this an intention to sort of just get out of the way of Vice President Harris?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, he's looking forward to  to tonight. He's looking forward to fulfilling that commitment. Right? The  he's in a  in a great mood. He's excited to do this  address not just the Democratic Party and the nation  and he's also going to pass that torch  right?  to Vice President for the week, and that's what you're  you've heard him say that for the past several weeks.

And so, that's what you're going to see him do: Pass that  pass over the convention to her. And so, he's looking forward to tonight. It's going to be a great night.

(Cross-talk.)

Q I'm sorry. Just briefly. He's going to California to vacation after this. There's al-  obviously always a lot going on, but there's a lot of foreign policy issues. Is he just trying to lay low for the vice president?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So  well, look, I  I mean, look, number one, he's going to spend time with his family. I think that's important for any families to do. Presidents are never on vacation. He's a president wherever he is. He's certainly going to continue to be doing the work, going to be very much focused and getting updates  for example, what's happening in the Middle East; foreign policy, more bradly  more broadly, and also domestic.

So, he'll continue to get those updates. He's ver-  very much continuing to be the president, the commander in chief. And so, that's what you can expect.

Q On the speech. How closely has he consulted with the vice president on what he's going to say, on what she wants him to say  that kind of thing?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I honestly don't have anything more to share beyond saying that he worked on this speech with Mike Donilon, Vinay Reddy, who are folks who  who work with him on his remarks. He's going to continue to  to prep. He's going to continue to fine-tune the speech. I just don't have anything beyond that.

Q And then, what are you guys looking for not just what he's doing this coming week but in the fall? Campaigning for her  will he be on the campaign trail? Will he be traveling? What's  what does  does he have anything on his bucket list he wants to get done?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I know you guys ask me about his legacy all the time, but I think if you look at the last two weeks, you see what he's been able to get done.

When you talk about the  the medication under Medicare  10 of them  talked about lowering those  those costs. You saw the president and the vice president in Maryland, in Prince George's, talk about that.

You saw him bringing hostages home, which is something that he's been very committed to the American people. You see him talking  ta-  trying to get that  that hostage deal in the Middle East.

There's so much more and work to be done. We talk about how he wants to continue to get  to continue to  to lower costs for the American people.

So, what I can ex-  say to you post  certainly, post his time spending with the family, he'll  he'll expect  you can expect aggressive implementation of historic legislation; actions, as I just mentioned, to lower costs; and a packed foreign policy agenda.

In the months ahead, the president will have an extensive domestic travel, traveling across the country, crisscrossing the country. As I've said before, and I think you've seen this from him, he loves talking directly to the American people, and you can see  you'll  you can expect the president to be out there in a robust way over the next several months.

Q Karine, is he wistful at all that it's not him accepting the nomination this week?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No. Come  no, not at all. Look, it's a great  it's going to be a great night. This is an important moment for him. It is going to be an important moment for the country, not just the Democratic nation  I mean Democratic Party, sorry  the nation, not just the Democratic Party.

And he has always talked about being a transition president. You heard him say that in the Oval Office. You heard him kind of write that down in a letter to the American people after he decided to step aside. And so, this is a continuation of that, and he's going to make the case of the moment that we're in.

I'm not going to get ahead of the president, but this is going to be a great night. He's looking forward to it. He's in great spirits, and  and I think what you'll see is a president who has put his  kind of his personal agenda aside in putting the country first. And that's who he's always been throughout his career, more than 50 years.

And so, I think  I think the American people are going to be very much looking forward, obviously, to what he's going to say and, I think, continuing to be proud of this president, as we all are.

Q Karine, would you say that  that what he's doing tonight is going to set the tone for what's ahead, where he is going to be visible but not too visible, not getting in the way too much, you know?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Laughs.) I mean, I just said  I just said after the  you know, after  going into September, he's going to be crisscrossing the country, doing domestic events. I talked about a foreign policy agenda. So, you're going to see him. I  I mean, obviously, y-  he's speaking tonight. He's going to pass the convention over to the vice president. And certainly that sets the tone first night, day one. So, obviously, his remarks is going to set the tone for the week.

And  but you're going to see him. I mean, he's going to be out there. He's going to be out there 

Q More than he has been for the past month?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I  I  yes, I could  definitely expect that. And, as I said, he's going to be doing extensive

domestic travel. The American people are going to see their president and continue to see their president. And it doesn't matter if it's a red state, blue state. He's out there, a president for everyone. And he's going to make the case  going to continue to make the case.

Q Karine, just on Russia and Ukraine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q What's the current thinking in the administration as  as far as the gamble that Ukraine has taken? While they've seized a bunch of land, picked up POWs that Zelenskyy says could be used for future trades, they're also losing territory in the east. Can they  can they hold the  can they hold the land that they've kept? And i-  do you  does the administration believe this is the right gamble to take?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I'm not going to get into  and this is something that we've been very consistent. I'm not going to get into the military operations of the Ukrainians. It's not something I'm going to do from here. We've been consistent in that. And so, I'm going to let them speak  speak to  speak to their operations  their military operations.

What I've s-  I'm going to say what I've said before  is that we are not engaged in any aspect of the planning or preparation of this operation. That is something, again, for them to speak to.

What you have seen from this administration, this president, and also more than 50 countries that this president has been able to galvanize b-  behind the Ukrainians is to make sure that they can continue to bravely defend their democracy, defend their sovereign territory. And that is what we're going to continue to  to make sure that they're able to do.

And, look, we say this all the time and I think the bottom line is this war can end if Mr. Putin would stop. He's the  he's the aggressor here. He's the one that went into Ukraine, a sovereign territory. A-  this  this war could end today if Mr. Putin would just do that.

Q Karine. (Inaudible.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Inaudible.)

Q Sorry. Given Ukraine's incursion into Russia, and  has the administration given any more thought to allowing U.S.-provided weapons to strike deeper into Russia, given that this incursion by Ukraine is  is 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't have anything to share about  about their military operation. I  I just don't have anything else to share about that.

Q (Inaudible.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I can say  wh-  hold on. Well, it is their military operation. It is that. It is. But it is their military operation. And so  and they are defending their sovereign territory and aggression from Russia that we have seen for more than two years now.

What I will say is that our policy has not changed. I just don't have anything else to add to that.

Q Republicans for Harris is going to have s-  a bit of a presence at the DNC. Is this the kind of coalition that the White House has been hoping for?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm not going to speak to that. That is a campaign  certainly a campaign event, so I would let the campaign speak directly to that.

What I will say is this is a president who has always talked about bringing people together. He's always said that he's the president  and I kind of just stated that moments ago  it doesn't matter if you voted for him or if you didn't, he is your president. And he  and I said this, again, momen-  just to add to what I've said before moments ago  repeat, actually  which is he's a president  it doesn't matter if you live in a red state or a  a blue state, if you live in rural America, suburban America, urban America. He is your  he is your president.

And I think  I think that's important to note. And that's how he sees  how  how he sees the country moving forward.

Q On that theme of togetherness. Has the president expressed any desire to talk with Nancy Pelosi about just how things went down the last month? I don't think that they've talked since then.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, but I feel like every gaggle, every  every briefing 

Q Well, (inaudible) 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, no, no 

Q  she's talking 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, no. I've answered this question many  no, no. No. No, it j-  it comes up every time.

Look, he respects and appreciates his friendship with the former speaker. And I think they both mutually have admiration for each other. She has said that, and he has said that. I don't have any conversations to  to read out.

But they have known each other for decades at this point and, again, have great admiration for each other. I just don't have anything beyond  beyond what I've stated many times before and what I'm saying right now.

And she would have to speak for herself, obviously, as she has been.

All right, guys.

Q Where  where are they staying in Santa Ynez? And is it  is it a donor's home? Or is this 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We'll have more to share upon arrival. We'll have more to  more to share. I don't have anything right now, but we'll have more to share.

All right, people.

Q Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right, friends.

Q Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Jen, welcome back.

Q Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Welcome back to this side of things.

Q Yeah.

Q She's back.

Q It's good to be here, in some ways; not in others. But 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It's exciting. It's exciting.

Q Yeah.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It's going to be a great night.

Q Yeah, no, I mean, I'm glad to  to be a part of the circus again.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What? Circus? (Laughter.) What do you mean? This is 

Q The traveling 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  exciting times.

Q I mean, it's like a traveling caravan.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, it is so much fun. Air Force One, baby. Air Force One.

Q Yeah.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right.

Q Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Thanks, everybody. See you on the ground.

Q If he does have meetings with anyone in Chicago, if people come to the hotel room, could we just get, like, a readout of 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We'll do our best. We'll do our best.

Q I know it'll be chaotic, but it 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. We'll do our best.

Q  if people stop by to say hi.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We'll do our best.

Q You know, like a pool spray with President Obama, Vice President Harris 

Q Pelosi 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, you know he came back here one time? Forty-four.

Q Yeah.

Q Are you  are you here until the end? Until January?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Do you guys not want me here?

Q No, I want to know! (Laughter.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean 

Q I want to know. I want to know. I want the inside scoop on this.

Q I kind of have a guess where you're not going. (Laughter.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. No, I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. And I say this all the time: It's a privilege and an honor to serve in this role. And I would not be in this role if it wasn't for President Biden and the first lady. And so, I will continue to stay with them until the end.

All right, guys.

Q Thanks, Karine.

3:02 P.M. EDT

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CCG restricts repeated Philippine vessel intrusions near South China Sea reefs

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun and Du Qiongfang Published: Aug 19, 2024 01:02 PM Updated: Aug 20, 2024 12:11 AM

The China Coast Guard (CCG) on Monday took legitimate, professional and restrained restrictive measures on Philippine Coast Guard ships when they consecutively intruded into waters adjacent to two Chinese reefs in the South China Sea, with experts slamming the Philippine' dangerous moves of brinkmanship that violate China's territorial sovereignty.

The Philippine Coast Guard ships MRRV-4410 and MMRV-4411 on Monday illegally intruded waters adjacent to Xianbin Jiao (also known as Xianbin Reef) of China's Nansha Qundao (also known as Nansha Islands), and the CCG conducted restrictive measures in accordance with the law, CCG spokesperson Gan Yu said in a statement on early Monday.

At 3:24 am, the MRRV-4410 ignored repeated stern warnings from the Chinese side and intentionally rammed into the CCG Vessel 21551 that was conducting normal rights-safeguarding and law enforcement activities, resulting in a minor collision, Gan said, stressing that the responsibility lies with the Philippine side.

The CCG released two videos showing the MRRV-4410's ramming into the CCG Vessel 21551.

Experts told the Global Times that the CCG vessel was clearly sailing in a straight line when the Philippine ship on its port side suddenly turned right, causing a collision.

Then at about 6:00 am, after the MRRV-4410 saw its attempt to illegally intrude waters adjacent to Xianbin Jiao blocked, it again illegally intruded waters adjacent to Ren'ai Jiao (also known as Ren'ai Reef) of China's Nansha Qundao, ignoring repeated warnings and route restrictions by the Chinese side, Gan said in a separate statement on Monday.

The CCG took restrictive measures on the Philippine ship in accordance with the law and regulations, the CCG spokesperson said.

The Philippines repeatedly made provocations and stirred up troubles, violated the temporary arrangement reached by the two sides about delivering supplies of living material to the Philippine' vessel illegally grounded on Ren'ai Jiao, seriously violated China's sovereignty, and severely sabotaged peace and stability in the region, Gan said.

Gan demanded that the Philippines stop its provocations immediately, or all consequences that could happen are to be borne by the Philippine side.

The Philippines' consecutive trespasses into waters adjacent to both Xianbin Jiao and Ren'ai Jiao are an irresponsible, dangerous escalation to the situation, analysts said.

Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Monday that the Philippines sees Xianbin Jiao as a transfer station for its resupply missions to Ren'ai Jiao, as Xianbin Jiao is located between Ren'ai Jiao and the Philippines' Palawan Province.

The Philippines thought if it moved simultaneously around Xianbin Jiao and Ren'ai Jiao, China might not be able to deal with the situation, Chen said.

But the CCG has demonstrated its capabilities in safeguarding China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, experts said. Immediate responses and official statements also displayed the CCG's rapid response.

The CCG successfully restricted the Philippines' provocative, malicious intrusion in accordance with the law and regulations in a professional, up-to-standard and restrained manner, Yang Xiao, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Strategy Studies under the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Monday.

The Nansha Qundao, of which Xianbin Jiao and Ren'ai Jiao are a part of, are China's inherent territories, and China has undisputed sovereignty over the Nansha Qundao, experts noted.

The Philippines's provocations are a kind of political brinkmanship aimed to test the possibility of US intervention under extreme conditions, Yang said.

The Philippines must give up the vile act of provoking its neighbor and testing its ally and return to a civilized way of resolving the issue through talks and negotiations, Yang noted.

US instigation

The Philippines' provocations on Chinese islands and reefs in the South China Sea started about one year ago, and from the beginning they were instigated by the US, which wants to use the Philippines as a foothold on the southern end of the first island chain to form a strategic encirclement designed to contain China, analysts said.

While the Philippines wants to get the US more involved in confronting China directly in the South China Sea, the US wants the Philippines to be the pawn and does not want to engage China militarily, military experts said.

The Philippines should understand that the US' so-called promises and commitments are only lip services, and its instigations will only push the Philippines, as well as the whole region, into tension or even conflicts, which benefit no one other than the US itself, the experts said.

Li Kaisheng, vice president of the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, told the Global Times on Monday that the reasons behind the Philippines' provocation include Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's domestic political struggle as well as the US' instigation.

However, the Philippines misjudged its own strength, as its coast guard and military are not on the same level as those of China's despite support by some other countries, Li said.

Li said that the Philippines also misjudged China's intentions, believing that China's previous restraint and goodwill of promoting a resolution to the issue through talks mean China dare not use force under international public opinion. However, China's stance on sovereignty has always been firm, and if China determines that the Philippines is no longer trustworthy, its countermeasures will be powerful enough for the Philippines to find difficult to withstand.

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French Lawmakers reject no confidence vote in govt of new PM 09 Oct 2024 | 12:00 AM Paris, Oct 8 (UNI) Deputies of the French National Assembly rejected a no confidence vote in the government of new Prime Minister Michel Barnier, put forward by the left-wing New Popular Front bloc, the results of the vote showed on Tuesday. see more..

Putin invites CIS leaders to BRICS outreach summit in Kazan 08 Oct 2024 | 10:44 PM Moscow, Oct 8 (UNI) Russia will be happy to see the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) at the BRICS outreach meeting, which will be held on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan in October, President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday. see more..

Norway raises terror threat level to second highest 08 Oct 2024 | 10:12 PM Oslo, Oct 8 (UNI) The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) raised the national terror threat level from moderate to high on Tuesday, the second-highest level in the country. In response to the heightened threat, police across Norway will be armed. see more..

iPhone 16 not yet allowed to enter Indonesian market 08 Oct 2024 | 8:02 PM Jakarta, Oct 8 (UNI) Indonesian Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said Tuesday that the Southeast Asian country had yet to allow Apple's newly-released mobile phone product, iPhone 16, to enter the market as the U.S.-based company had not met the import requirement. see more..
DFA Statement on the U.S.-Philippine Agreement Regarding the Processing of U.S. Special Immigrant Visa Applicants from Afghanistan

Republic of the Philippines - Department of Foreign Affairs

20 August 2024

MANILA 20 August 2024 -- The Philippines and the United States have agreed on allowing a limited number of Afghan nationals to transit to the Philippines to complete their visa processing for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) and resettlement to the United States. The U.S. government is supporting necessary services for those Afghans temporarily in the Philippines, including food, housing, security, medical, and transportation to complete visa processing. The agreement is currently undergoing the final domestic procedures required for effectivity. END

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Russo-Ukraine War - 19 August 2024 - Day 908

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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 on 09 August 2024, Russian media reported that the Russian Federal telecommunications regulator Roskomnadzor has blocked the encrypted messaging app Signal from use in the country. The official justification is that this is to 'prevent the use of the messenger for extremist or terrorist purposes.'

Some commentators have suggested that the ban is intended to prevent the spread of information about the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk oblast, but this is highly unlikely.

Signal is used by many independent Russian journalists and opposition activists to evade the Russian government's pervasive system of electronic monitoring, most notably the FSB's System of Operational Investigative Measures (SORM). In this context the restriction on Telegram is likely intended to increase the ability of the Russian authorities to monitor and restrict the communications of private citizens hostile to the regime.

This comes at a time when the Russian Government is proscribing independent media organisations, and disrupting YouTube and the messaging service WhatsApp; measures intended to increase government control over access to media and information in Russia.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that In total, since the beginning of this day, there have been 154 combat encounters. Ukrainian defenders continue decisively to give a detachment to the Russian opponent. The most actively Russian enemy continues to come in the Intercession direction.

Russian zagarbniki caused 71 air strikes on the territory of Ukraine, dropping 86 cabiv. In addition, 629 kamikaze drones were recruited and carried out over 3,400 shelling at the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements.

In the Kharkiv direction, Russian forces five times attacked the defensive borders of Ukrainian warriors near lipciv and vovcans ka. Four attacks have been stopped, one is still going on.

Russian forces carried out 13 offensive and assault actions in the Kupyansky direction. The most is near synkivka and glushkivka, four and five respectively.

In the Lyman direction during the day Russian zagarbniki attacked the positions of Ukrainians near seven different settlements. The most active were near Makiyivka and Nevsky. In total, in the direction of Ukrainian defenders fought 11 attacks.

In the Siversky direction during combat clashes, defenders of the Ukrainian land stopped 8 enemy attacks in the areas of Ivano-Daryivka, Spirny and Verkhnyokamiansky. Near the last, to the same, another confrontation is going on.

In the Kramators komu direction, Russian forces committed five offensive actions near Ivanivsky and Andriyivka. The Defense Forces repelled all Russian attempts to advance.

In the Toretsky direction Russians 21 times attacked Ukrainian troops in the areas of Toretsk, New York, Zaliznogo, Nelipivka and Northern. 16 boezitknen 16 - completed, five more - in progress, four of them - near Toretsk.

On the pokrovs komu direction, since the beginning of this day, tocilate 63 boezitkna. Russian forces concentrated his efforts near the settlements of Vozdvizhenko, Novogrodivka, Mykhailivka - spent almost half of the total number of attacks there. The Defense Forces in general have already stopped 60 assaults, three are still continuing.

According to preliminary information, today on the Pokrovsky direction 325 occupants were defecated, 133 of them - irrevocably. 13 vehicles, 12 UAVS of different kinds, five cannons and mortars and four armored vehicles were also destroyed. In addition, Ukrainian soldiers have significantly damaged two mortars and 14 units of Russian vehicles.

In the Kurakhiv direction, Russian forces 11 times attacked Ukrainian positions near Nevels kogo and Konstantinivka. As a result of the boezitknen  suffered defeats.

In the Vremivs komu direction, Russian forces carried out five assault actions, in particular towards Vodanogo. All the assaults are repelled.

In the Pridniprovsky direction one attack of the occupiers was unsuccessful.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Volchansk and Liptsy directions, the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the 43rd Mechanised Brigade, 92nd Assault Brigade, 36th Marine Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) near Staritsa, Okhrimovka, and Volchansk (Kharkov region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 170 Ukrainian troops, one tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, two armoured fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, two 122-mm D-30 howitzers, and one 122-mm BM-21 Grad MLRS vehicle. One depot storing UAVs was wiped out.

The Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions, and inflicted fire damage on the 43rd, 63rd, 67th, 69th mechanised brigades of the AFU, 1st National Guard Brigade near Glyshkovka (Kharkov region), Nevskoye, Stelmakhovka (Lugansk People's Republic), Grigorovka, and Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic). Two counter-attacks launched by assault groups of the AFU 63rd Mechanised Brigade and 117th Territorial Defence Brigade were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 535 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles, seven Kazak armoured fighting vehicles, five pick-up trucks, one U.S.-made 155-mm M198 howitzer, one 152-mm Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, and one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system. Seven ammunition depots were also destroyed.

The Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation, liberated the Vyemka railway station in Donetsk People's Republic and engaged manpower and hardware of the 24th and 72nd mechanised brigades, 27th Rocket Artillery Brigade, 72nd Air Assault Brigade of the AFU as well as the 116th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Konstantinovka, Chasov Yar, Yelizavetovka, Kucherov Yar, and Razliv (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 570 Ukrainian troops and six motor vehicles. In counter-battery warfare, Russian troops hit one Polish-made 155-mm Krab self-propelled artillery system, U.S.-made 155-mm M777 and M198 howitzers, two UK-made 155-mm FH-70 howitzers, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, and two 122-mm D-30 howitzers were destroyed.

The Tsentr Group of Forces has liberated one of the largest settlements in the Dzerzhinsk agglomeration of Artyomovo (Donetsk People's Republic).

Russian troops hit the 47th Mechanised Brigade, 95th Air Assault Brigade of the AFU, and the 109th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Rozovka, Druzhba, Novgorodskoye, and Ptichye (Donetsk People's Republic). ?? Eight counter-attacks launched by the 53rd and 150th mechanised brigades, 68th Jaeger Brigade, 142nd Infantry Brigade of the AFU, the 14th and 15th National Guard brigades, and Lyut Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian National Police were repelled.

The AFU losses included more than 495 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, one Kazak armoured fighting vehicle, four motor vehicles, one 152-mm Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, one 152-mm Msta-B howitzer, one 152-mm Giatsint-B gun, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer.

The Vostok Group of Forces delivered strikes against manpower and hardware of the 72nd Mechanised Brigade, 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade of the AFU, 106th and 125th territorial defence brigades near Ugledar, Prechistovka, Velikaya Novosyolka (Donetsk People's Republic) and Dolinka (Zaporozhye region).

The AFU suffered losses of up to 90 Ukrainian troops, three motor vehicles, one 155-mm Bogdana self-propelled artillery system, one 152-mm D-30 howitzer, and three Bukovel-AD electronic warfare stations. Three AFU field ammunition depots were destroyed.

The Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted fire damage on the 65th Mechanised Brigade, 128th Mountain Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, 39th Coastal Defence Brigade near Novodanilovka, Kamenskoye (Zaporozhye region) and Tyaginka (Kherson region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 75 Ukrainian troops, eight motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer. One ammunition depot has been destroyed.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged clusters of AFU manpower and military hardware in 147 areas during the day.

Air defence systems have shot down one French-made Hammer guided aerial bomb, 26 U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, and 49 unmanned aerial vehicles.

In total, 639 airplanes and 282 helicopters, 30,161 unmanned aerial vehicles, 575 air defence missile systems, 17,340 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,412 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 13,415 field artillery guns and mortars as well as 24,919 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation also reported that units of the Sever Group of Forces supported by Army Aviation and artillery fire conduct reconnaissance and search operations to locate and eliminate small enemy sabotage groups in forest belts attempting to get deeper into the Russian territory to the south of Skrylevka and Sheptukhovka.

Attacks launched by assault detachments in the direction of Olgovka, Russkoye Porechnoye, and Cherkasskoye Porechnoye were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to one tank, one infantry fighting vehicle, two armoured fighting vehicles, and more than 25 Ukrainian troops, four AFU servicemen were taken prisoner.

Aviation and artillery strikes as well as actions of defending troops inflicted losses on manpower and hardware clusters of the AFU 22nd, 61st, 115th mechanised brigades, and 80th Air Assault Brigade near Borki, Bogdanovka, Vishnyovka, Viktorovka, Kositsa, Lyubimovka, Melovoy, Snagost, west of Martynovka, and south east of Korenevo.

Operational-Tactical Aviation delivered strikes at manpower and hardware concentration areas of reserves of the AFU 82nd Air Assault Brigade, 103rd, and 129th territorial defence brigades near Basovka, Vorozhba, Kruzhok, Miropolye, Novaya Sech, and Sadki (Sumy region).

Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses amounted to more than 330 Ukrainian troops and 27 units of hardware, including four tanks, one infantry fighting vehicle, three armoured personnel carriers, 19 armoured fighting vehicles, eight motor vehicles, two artillery guns, and three mortars.

Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses amounted to up to 3,800 Ukrainian troops, 54 tanks, 26 infantry fighting vehicles, 48 armoured personnel carriers, 281 armoured fighting vehicles, 123 motor vehicles, 27 artillery guns, five SAM launchers, seven MLRS launchers, including three of HIMARS system and one of MLRS system, five electronic warfare stations, as well as four units of engineering vehicles, including two counterobstacle vehicles and one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle.

The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.

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First meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the upsurge of mpox 2024

World Health Organization

19 August 2024 Statement



The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), having concurred with the advice offered by the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR or Regulations) Emergency Committee regarding the upsurge of mpox 2024 during its first meeting, held on 14 August 2024, has determined, on the same date, that the ongoing upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and in a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the provisions of the Regulations. The communication of the Director-General regarding the determination of the above-mentioned PHEIC on 14 August 2024 is available here.

The Director-General is hereby transmitting the report of the first meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee regarding the upsurge of mpox 2024.

Noting that the Director-General will be communicating to States Parties a 12-month extension of the current standing recommendations for mpox, the temporary recommendations, issued by the Director-General in relation to the PHEIC associated with the ongoing upsurge of mpox are presented in the last section of this statement and reflect the advice offered by the Committee.

The Director-General is taking the opportunity to express his most sincere gratitude to the Chair, Vice-Chair, and Members of the IHR Emergency Committee, as well as to its Advisors.

Proceedings of the meeting

Sixteen (16) Members of, and two Advisors to, the Emergency Committee were convened by teleconference, via Zoom, on Wednesday, 14 August 2024, from 12:00 to 17:00 CEST. Fifteen (15) of the 16 Committee Members and the two Advisors to the Committee participated in the meeting.

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) joined in person and welcomed the participants. The opening remarks by the Director-General are available here.

The Representative of the Office of Legal Counsel briefed the Members and Advisers on their roles and responsibilities and identified the mandate of the Emergency Committee under the relevant articles of the IHR. The Ethics Officer from the Department of Compliance, Risk Management, and Ethics provided the Members and Advisors with an overview of the WHO Declaration of Interests process. The Members and Advisors were made aware of their individual responsibility to disclose to WHO, in a timely manner, any interests of a personal, professional, financial, intellectual or commercial nature that may give rise to a perceived or actual conflict of interest. They were additionally reminded of their duty to maintain the confidentiality of the meeting discussions and the work of the Committee. Each Member and Advisor was surveyed, with no conflicts of interest identified.

The Representative of the Office of Legal Counsel then facilitated the election of officers of the Committee, in accordance with the rules of procedures and working methods of the Emergency Committee. Professor Dimie Ogoina was elected as Chair of the Committee, Professor Inger Damon as Vice-Chair, and Professor Lucille Helen Blumberg as Rapporteur, all by acclamation.

The meeting was handed over to the Chair who introduced the objectives of the meeting, which were to provide views to the Director-General on whether the event constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), and if so, to provide views on the potential proposed temporary recommendations.

Session open to representatives of States Parties invited to present their views

The WHO Secretariat presented an overview of the global epidemiological situation of mpox, highlighting that, during the first six months of 2024, the 1854 confirmed cases of mpox reported by States Parties in the WHO African Region account for 36% (1854/5199) of the cases observed worldwide. Of these confirmed cases in the WHO African region in 2024, 95% (1754/1854) were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), that is experiencing an upsurge of cases of mpox, with more than 15,000 clinically compatible cases and over 500 deaths reported, already exceeding the number of cases observed in the DRC in 2023.

The upsurge of mpox cases in the DRC is being driven by outbreaks associated with two sub-clades of clade I monkeypox virus (MPXV) - clade Ia and clade Ib. Clade I mpox was classically described in studies conducted by WHO in the 1980's to have a mortality rate of approximately 10%, with most deaths occurring in children.

MPXV clade Ia is endemic in the DRC, the disease primarily affects children, data available for 2024 show an aggregated case fatality rate of 3.6%, and the spread is likely sustained through multiple modes of transmission including person-to-person transmission following zoonotic introduction in a community.

MPXV clade Ib is a new strain of MPXV that emerged in the DRC is transmitting between people, presumed via sexual contact, which has been spreading in the eastern part of the country. Although first characterized in 2024, estimates suggest it emerged around September 2023. The outbreak associated with clade Ib in the DRC primarily affects adults and is spreading rapidly, sustained largely, but not exclusively, through transmission linked to sexual contact and amplified in networks associated with commercial sex and sex workers.

Since July 2024, cases of mpox due to MPXV clade Ib, epidemiologically and phylogenetically linked to the outbreak in the eastern provinces of DRC, have been detected in four countries, neighbouring the DRC, which had not reported cases of mpox before: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

Additionally, in 2024, cases of mpox linked to MPXV clade Ia have been reported in the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo, and cases linked to MPXV clade II have been reported in Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria and South Africa.

The clinical presentation of mpox associated with MPXV clade Ia has historically been characterized by more severe disease than that associated with MPXV clade II. Clade IIb viruses circulated during the multi-country outbreak that constituted a PHEIC from July 2022 to May 2023. There is, as yet, insufficient information available to fully characterize mpox severity due to clade Ib as data are emerging and, so far, few deaths were recorded, precluding age-stratified analyses.

The secretariat outlined challenges in understanding the true extent of infection, epidemiologic trends and morbidity and mortality, thus cautioning overinterpretation of available data to calculate crude CFRs by different clades/outbreaks.

The assessed risk presented by the WHO Secretariat - grouping geographical areas as a result of the assessment of population groups affected, predominant modes of transmission, and MPXV clades involved -, was: "high" for eastern DRC and neighbouring countries; "high" for areas of the DRC where mpox is known to be endemic; "moderate" for Nigeria and countries of West, Central and East Africa where mpox is endemic; and "moderate" for other countries in Africa and around the world.

The WHO Secretariat additionally provided an overview of the actions already taken to support readiness and response interventions in States Parties experiencing the upsurge of cases of mpox and facing such risk. These include, inter alia: the release of USD 1.45 million from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies; initiating the process for including Emergency Use Listing two mpox vaccines; coordinating with partners and stakeholders, including to facilitate equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics; the development of a regional response plan, costed at an initial USD 15 million, and more.

Representatives of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda updated the Committee on the mpox epidemiological situation in their countries and the current response efforts, needs and challenges. Although most reported few cases of MPXV clade Ib related mpox, Burundi reported one hundred confirmed cases of mpox associated with clade Ib since July 2024, identified in multiple districts and 28% of cases were amongst children less than five years of age.

Members of, and Advisors to, the Committee then engaged in questions and answers with the presenters. The questions and discussions focused around the issues and challenges enumerated below:

The observed complex and dynamic evolution of the multiple outbreaks driving the upsurge of mpox, and related international spread, of mpox in the DRC and neighbouring countries. Elements underpinning such observation, and representing reasons for concern, including: Scientific uncertainties and evidence gaps (e.g., role of ecological changes in the spread of mpox, modes of disease transmission, transmission dynamics, risk factors, disease severity and case fatality rate associated with the different MPXV clades, outcome of pregnancy in women infected with different MPXV clades); Adequacy of capacities, recognizing capacities gained during COVID-19, and heterogeneity thereof, across States Parties for surveillance, diagnostic capacities, surveillance modalities at borders, access to clinical care, integration of HIV/STI services in prevention and treatment, and risk communication and community engagement, vaccination delivery, and other capacities to support prevention, readiness and response activities; Lack of full understanding of the geographical spread and detailed epidemiology of the dynamic mpox outbreaks, including of molecular epidemiology, to optimize targeted prevention and control measures, including risk communication and community engagement with local partners to enable appropriate support and behavior modifications, as well as the targeted use of mpox vaccines in at risk groups; Availability and access to laboratory tests that can be used in challenging environments, and where necessary, methods to distinguish between circulating MPXV clades; and An incomplete mapping of mpox-related research and development efforts underway, noting several initiatives underway, including a WHO and Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) consultation to be held in August 2024;

The unpredictability and lack of financial resources at both, national and international levels to scale up and sustain interventions to prevent and control the spread of mpox, despite the development of costed global, regional and national response plans;

The needs-based access to mpox vaccines, given the current limited available globally; the currently limited production of the vaccine, conditional to orders placed to the manufacturer; and the extensive time to develop legal agreements in relation to donation of mpox vaccines, as opposed to direct procurement. With respect to access to vaccines, the WHO Secretariat informed the Committee of its ongoing work with numerous partners through the Interim coordination mechanism for medical countermeasures (i-MCM-Net), including Gavi and the United Nations Children's Fund on the coordination of the donation and allocation process in an equitable, needs-based manner;

The access to the antiviral drug tecovirimat, considering that both, the minimum amount for orders to be placed with the manufacturer and the price of the product represent key challenges for many States Parties. While evidence is being gathered on its use for the treatment of cases of mpox, it can be accessed under protocol for Monitored Emergency Use of Unregistered and Experimental Interventions (MEURI); as well as optimized and safe clinical care; and

The need for information on the implementation, by States Parties, of the standing recommendation for mpox issued on 21 August 2023.

Deliberative session

Following the session open to invited States Parties, the Committee reconvened in a closed session to examine the questions in relation to whether the event constitutes a PHEIC or not, and if so, to consider the temporary recommendations drafted by the WHO Secretariat in accordance with IHR provisions.

The Chair reminded the Committee Members of their mandate and recalled that a PHEIC is defined in the IHR as an "extraordinary event, which constitutes a public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease, and potentially requires a coordinated international response".

The Committee was unanimous in expressing the views that the ongoing upsurge of mpox meets the criteria of a PHEIC and that the Director-General be advised accordingly.

The considerations underpinning the unanimous views of the Committee further elaborated upon issues and challenges addressed during the question and answers session.

The Committee considered the event as "extraordinary" because of (a) the increase in mpox clade I disease occurrence in the DRC and the emergence of the new MPXV clade Ib, the human-to-human transmission context in which it is occurring, its rapid spread in some settings, and available evidence suggesting that MPXV clade I is associated with a more severe clinical presentation with respect to MPXV clade II; (b) the diverse, complex, dynamic, and rapidly evolving epidemiology observed across States Parties in the WHO African Region in terms of: overall rapid increase of the number of cases reported in some settings, differences in population age-groups affected, routes and modes sustaining transmissions in different contexts; and (c) the severity of the clinical presentation in children and immunocompromised individuals, including people living with uncontrolled HIV infection or advanced HIV disease, as well as the long-term consequences of MPXV infection.

Additionally, the Committee strongly underscored that its level of concern is further heightened by (a) uncertainties and gaps in knowledge and evidence related to (i) multiple epidemiological aspects, including drivers of transmission, morbidity and mortality associated with infections with different MPXV sub-clades; (ii) the incompleteness and uncertainties of available epidemiological data and considered by the Committee, due to the limitations of current surveillance (e.g., sub-optimal levels of case detection and case reporting), the availability and performance of laboratory diagnostics, and ongoing conflicts and humanitarian challenges in certain areas of the DRC experiencing the upsurge of mpox, that, ultimately, hamper the implementation of control measures; (iii) the impact of control measures, including the targeted use of vaccines and their overall effectiveness; and (b) the risk of occurrence of additional mutations of MPXV clade I and clade II, and their subsequent emergence and spread in the context of limited capacity to implement control measures.

The Committee considered that the event "constitutes a public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease" because of (a) the documented recent spread of MPXV clade Ib from eastern DRC to Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda; (b) the limited capacity to control transmission in endemic situations and in areas of upsurge through enhanced surveillance enabling the implementation of targeted response interventions that are ultimately subordinated to (i) the unavailability of sustainable funding, and (ii) the limited ability to access vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics; and (c) the challenges in implementing concerted surveillance and response interventions in contiguous areas of bordering States Parties, in particular where borders are porous.

The Committee considered that the event "requires a coordinated international response". The Committee noted that (a) mpox is endemic in parts of Africa, with surges increasingly reported, and also resulting in a multi-country outbreak determined to constitute a PHEIC in 2022-2023; and (b) the event is occurring in the context of standing recommendations issued by the Director-General in August 2023 under IHR provisions and following the termination of the afore mentioned PHEIC; the presence of the "WHO Strategic framework for enhancing prevention and control of mpox- 2024-2027"; and the activation for mpox of the i-MCM-Net. In that light and noting the declaration of the event as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security by the Africa CDC on 13 August 2024, the Committee considered that international cooperation requires enhanced and coordination, in particular with respect to (a) the facilitation of equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics; and (b) the mobilization of financial resources.

The Committee subsequently considered the draft of the temporary recommendations proposed by the WHO Secretariat, briefly presented during the meeting. The Committee indicated that it would be giving further consideration to the proposed temporary recommendations while finalizing the report of the meeting.

The Committee noted that, in his opening remarks, the Director-General communicated the 12-month extension of the current standing recommendations for mpox, which were set to expire on 20 August 2024. The Committee also noted that, should the Director-General determine that the upsurge of mpox constitutes a PHEIC, it would be the first time, since the entry into force of the Regulations, that temporary and standing recommendations to States Parties related to the same public health risk would coexist.

Therefore, the Committee underscored that any temporary recommendation that may be issued by the Director-General should be very specific and targeted, and hence, not duplicate the standing recommendations.

Notwithstanding that both, temporary and standing recommendations constitute non-binding advice to States Parties, the Committee advised that mechanisms to monitor the uptake, implementation and impact of such recommendations should be embedded in the set of temporary recommendations to States Parties that the Director-General may issue in relation to the event considered.

Conclusions

The Committee reiterated its concern regarding the evolution of the multi-faceted upsurge of mpox, including the many uncertainties surrounding it and the capacities in place to control the spread of mpox in States Parties experiencing the outbreaks, or in States Parties that may have to do so as a result of further international spread.

The Committee recognized the critical role of coordinated international cooperation in supporting States Parties' efforts to control the spread of mpox in the WHO African Region - including in facilitating access to and use of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics; mobilizing financial resources for States Parties experiencing the upsurge of disease; and synergic initiatives by WHO and partners, including Africa CDC.

Nevertheless, the Committee indicated that the development of strategic approaches for States Parties to become more self-reliant in controlling the spread of mpox are warranted. To that effect, the Committee considers that the determination by the Director-General that the upsurge of mpox constitutes a PHEIC would stimulate States Parties facing the outbreaks to more effectively commit and employ domestic resources.

Temporary recommendations issued by the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) to States Parties in relation to the public health emergency of international concern associated with the upsurge of mpox

These temporary recommendations are issued to States Parties experiencing the upsurge of mpox, including, but not limited to, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.

They are intended to be implemented by those States Parties in addition to the current standing recommendations for mpox, which will be extended until 20 August 2025 and are presented at the end of this document for easy reference.

In the context of the global efforts to prevent and control the spread of mpox disease outlined in the WHO Strategic framework for enhancing prevention and control of mpox- 2024-2027, the aforementioned standing recommendations apply to all States Parties.

All current WHO interim technical guidance can be accessed on this page of the WHO website. WHO evidence-based guidance has been and will continue to be updated in line with the evolving situation, updated scientific evidence, and WHO risk assessment to support States Parties in the implementation of the WHO Strategic Framework for enhancing mpox prevention and control.

Pursuant to Article 3 Principle of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR), the implementation of these temporary recommendations, as well as of the standing recommendations for mpox, by States Parties shall be with full respect for the dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons, in line with the principles set out in Article 3 of the IHR.

===

Emergency Coordination

Establish or enhance national and local emergency response coordination arrangements;

Establish or enhance the coordination of all partners and stakeholders engaged in or supporting response activities through cooperation, including by introducing accountability mechanisms;

Engage partner organizations for collaboration and support, including humanitarian actors in contexts with insecurity or areas with internal or refugee population displacements and hosting communities insecure areas;

Collaborative Surveillance and Laboratory Diagnostics

Enhance surveillance, by increasing the sensitivity of the approaches adopted and ensuring comprehensive geographical coverage;

Expand access to accurate, affordable and available diagnostics to differentiate monkeypox virus clades, including through strengthening arrangements for the transport of samples, the decentralization of diagnostics, and arrangements to conduct genomic sequencing;

Identify, monitor and support the contacts of people with mpox to prevent onward transmission;

Scale up efforts to thoroughly investigate cases and outbreaks of mpox disease to elucidate the modes of transmission, and prevent its onward transmission to household members and communities;

Report to WHO suspect, probable and confirmed cases of mpox in a timely manner and on a weekly basis;

Safe and Scalable Clinical Care

Provide clinical, nutritional and psychosocial support for patients with mpox, including, as warranted and possible, isolation in care centres and guidance for home-based care;

Develop and implement a plan to expand access to optimised supportive clinical care for all patients with mpox, including children, patients living with HIV and pregnant women. This includes offering HIV tests to adult patients who do not know their HIV status and to children as appropriate, with linkages to HIV treatment and care services when indicated; the prompt identification and effective management of endemic co-infections, such as malaria, varicella zoster and measles viruses, and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among cases linked to sexual contact;

Strengthen health and care workers' capacity, knowledge and skills in the clinical and infection and prevention and control pathways -from diagnosis to discharge of patients with suspected and confirmed mpox -, and provide them with personal protective equipment;

Promote and implement infection prevention and control measures and basic water and sanitation services in health care facilities, household settings, congregate settings (e.g. prisons, internally displaced persons and refugee camps, schools, etc.), and cross border transit areas;

International traffic

Establish or strengthen cross-border collaboration arrangements for surveillance and management of suspect cases of mpox, the provision of information to travellers and conveyance operators, without resorting to general travel and trade restrictions unnecessarily impacting local, regional or national economies;

Vaccination

Prepare for the introduction of mpox vaccine for emergency response through convening of national immunization technical advisory groups, briefing of national regulatory authorities, preparing national policy mechanisms to apply for vaccines through available mechanisms;

Initiate plans to advance mpox vaccination activities in the context of outbreak response in areas with incident cases (i.e. with disease onset in the previous 2-4 weeks), targeting people at high risk of infection (e.g., contacts of cases, including sexual contacts, children, and health and health care workers). This entails the agile adaptation of immunization strategies and plans to concerned areas; the availability of vaccines and supplies; the proactive community engagement, to generate and sustain demand for and trust in vaccination; and the collection of data during vaccination according to implementable research protocols;

Risk communication and community engagement

Strengthen risk communication and community engagement systems with affected communities and local workforces for outbreak prevention, response and vaccination strategies, including through training, mapping high risk and vulnerable populations, social listening and community feedback, managing misinformation. This entails, inter alia, communicating effectively the uncertainties regarding the natural history of mpox, updated information about mpox including information from ongoing clinical trials, about the efficacy of vaccines against mpox, and the uncertainties regarding duration of protection following vaccination;

Address stigma and discrimination of any kind via meaningful community engagement, particularly in health services and during risk communication activities;

Governance and financing

Galvanize and scale up national funding and explore external opportunities for targeted funding of prevention, readiness and response activities;

Integrate mpox prevention and response measures in existing programmes aimed at prevention, control and treatment of other endemic diseases - especially HIV, as well as STIs, malaria, tuberculosis, and COVID-19, as well as non-communicable diseases -, striving, to the extent possible, not to negatively impact their delivery;

Addressing research gaps

Invest in addressing knowledge gaps and in generating evidence, during and after outbreaks, regarding the dynamics of transmission of mpox, risk factors, the social and behavioural drivers of transmission, the natural history of disease, through trials for novel therapeutics and vaccines against mpox, the effectiveness of public health interventions, with a One Health approach;

Reporting on the implementation of temporary recommendations

Report quarterly to WHO on the status of, and challenges related to the implementation of these temporary recommendations, using a standardized tool and channels that will be made available WHO.

Standing recommendations for mpox issued by the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) in accordance with the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR)

A. States Parties are recommended to develop and implement national mpox plans that build on WHO strategic and technical guidance, outlining critical actions to sustain control of mpox and achieve elimination of human-to-human transmission in all contexts through coordinated and integrated policies, programmes and services. Actions are recommended to:

Incorporate lessons learned from evaluation of the response (such as through intra- or after-action reviews) into related plans and policies in order to sustain, adapt, and promote key elements of the response and inform public health policies and programmes. Aim to eliminate human-to-human transmission of mpox by anticipating, detecting, preparing for and responding to mpox outbreaks and taking action to reduce zoonotic transmission, as appropriate. Build and retain capacity in resource-limited settings, and among marginalized groups, where mpox transmission continues to occur, to improve understanding of modes of transmission, quantify resource needs, and detect and respond to outbreaks and community transmission.

B. States Parties are recommended to, as a critical basis for actions outlined in A in support of the elimination goal, establish and sustain laboratory-based surveillance and diagnostic capacities to enhance outbreak detection and risk assessment. Actions are recommended to:

4. Include mpox as a notiable disease in the national epidemiological surveillance system.

5. Strengthen diagnostic capacity at all levels of the health care system for laboratory and point of care diagnostic conrmation of cases.

6. Ensure timely reporting of cases to WHO, as per WHO guidance and Case Reporting Form, in particular reporting of conrmed cases with a relevant recent history of international travel.

7. Collaborate with other countries so that genomic sequencing is available in, or accessible to, all countries. Share genetic sequence data and metadata through public databases.

8. Notify WHO about signicant mpox-related events through IHR channels.

C. States Parties are recommended to enhance community protection through building capacity for risk communication and community engagement, adapting public health and social measures to local contexts and continuing to strive for equity and build trust with communities through the following actions, particularly for those most at risk. Actions are recommended to:

9. Communicate risk, build awareness, engage with aected communities and at-risk groups through health authorities and civil society.

10. Implement interventions to prevent stigma and discrimination against any individuals or groups that may be aected by mpox.

D. States Parties are recommended to initiate, continue, support, and collaborate on research to generate evidence for mpox prevention and control, with a view to support elimination of human-to-human transmission of mpox. Actions are recommended to:

11. Contribute to addressing the global research agenda to generate and promptly disseminate evidence for key scientic, social, clinical, and public health aspects of mpox transmission, prevention and control.

12. Conduct clinical trials of medical countermeasures, including diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics, in dierent populations, in addition to monitoring of their safety, eectiveness and duration of protection.

13. States Parties in West, Central and East Africa should make additional eorts to elucidate mpox-related risk, vulnerability and impact, including consideration of zoonotic, sexual, and other modes of transmission in dierent demographic groups.

E. States Parties are recommended to apply the following measures related to international travel. Actions are recommended to:

14. Encourage authorities, health care providers and community groups to provide travelers with relevant information to protect themselves and others before, during and after travel to events or gatherings where mpox may present a risk.

15. Advise individuals suspected or known to have mpox, or who may be a contact of a case, to adhere to measures to avoid exposing others, including in relation to international travel.

16. Refrain from implementing travel-related health measures specic for mpox, such as entry or exit screening, or requirements for testing or vaccination.

F. States Parties are encouraged to continue providing guidance and coordinating resources for delivery of optimally integrated clinical care for mpox, including access to specic treatment and supportive measures to protect health workers and caregivers as appropriate. States Parties are encouraged to take actions to:

17. Ensure provision of optimal clinical care with infection prevention and control measures in place for suspected and conrmed mpox in all clinical settings. Ensure training of health care providers accordingly and provide personal protective equipment.

18. Integrate mpox detection, prevention, care and research within HIV and sexually transmitted disease prevention and control programmes, and other health services as appropriate.

G. States Parties are encouraged to work towards ensuring equitable access to safe, eective and quality-assured countermeasures for mpox, including through resource mobilization mechanisms. States Parties are encouraged to take action to:

19. Strengthen provision of and access to diagnostics, genomic sequencing, vaccines, and therapeutics for the most aected communities, including in resource-constrained settings where mpox occurs regularly, and including for men who have sex with men and groups at risk of heterosexual transmission, with special attention to those most marginalized within those groups.

20. Make mpox vaccines available for primary prevention (pre-exposure) and post-exposure vaccination for persons and communities at risk of mpox, taking into account recommendations of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE).

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Gunners come to grips with new howitzer

By Corporal Luke Bellman

19 August 2024

When Lance Bombadier Lachlan Kirk fired a K9 self-propelled howitzer for the first time, he realised the shock didn't compare to an M777.

"The recoil was good, it's not as full-on as the M777," he said.

Lance Bombadier Kirk was one of nine Aussie gunners on familiarisation training in South Korea to become future instructors on the vehicle.

This included each of them blasting 155mm rounds from the K9 for the first time.

Because the K9 has an automatic laying system, Lance Bombadier Kirk said it was as simple as reviewing the fire control system data, laying the gun, and pressing a button to fire it.

"The main gunner has a screen in front of them where they review the firing solution provided by the fire direction centre. They then press a button to operate and lay the gun," he said.

The self-propelled howitzer also has manual mode with a hand wheel and levelling bubbles, similar to the M777 - and a semi-automatic mode with a joystick for directional adjustments or direct fire.

They also learnt how to perform a lot of operator maintenance, such as removing the muzzle and tracks for repairs.

Lance Bombadier Kirk said it was easier to load the K9 with the K10 armoured ammunition resupply vehicle, without having to manually move the ammunition by hand.

"The K10 is loaded with 104 rounds and connects with the rear of the K9. A conveyor belt feeds rounds from the K10 to the K9," he said.

These rounds are then automatically racked inside the K9, reloading the vehicle in 20 minutes.

Sergeant Jake Brown, who has been an instructor on the M777, said the main difference was being able to shoot and move quickly.

If moving, the K9 can stop and fire within 60 seconds, or if stationary, 30 seconds.

"It will be able to fire rounds and move from that position immediately so you don't receive counter-battery fire," Sergeant Brown said.

He said the most beneficial part of the course was driver training. Tactically manoeuvring a 50-tonne armoured vehicle is something the gunners have not needed to do with the M777.

"Driving tracked vehicles is going to be new to everybody who's coming through, and getting qualified on the system," he said.

Towards the end of next year, there will be a more in-depth, train-the-trainer course for potential instructors so they can teach trainees from the 4th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery (4 Regt, RAA) at Puckapunyal.

The Australian AS9 Huntsman and AS10, which are based on the Korean K9 and K10, will have increased internal height, modernised direct fire and fire control systems, additional storage, and air conditioning.

Thirty AS9s and 15 AS10s are expected to be in service in the Army by 2028 and will be primarily operated by 4 Regt, RAA in Townsville.

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Australia - FGM-148F Javelin Missiles

Media/Public Contact: pm-cpa@state.gov

Transmittal No: 24-66

WASHINGTON, August 19, 2024 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Australia of FGM-148F Javelin Missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $100 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

The Government of Australia has requested to buy three hundred fifty (350) Javelin FGM-148F missiles (includes four (4) fly-to-buy missiles). Also included is U.S. Government technical assistance; technical data; repair and return services; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated cost is $100 million.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States. Australia is one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific. The strategic location of this political and economic power contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the region. It is vital to the U.S. national interest to assist our ally in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense capability.

The proposed sale will improve the Australian Army's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining and increasing its anti-armor capability. Australia will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The prime contractors will be the Javelin Joint Venture between RTX Corporation, located in Tucson, AZ, and Lockheed Martin, located in Orlando, FL. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Australia.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

The description and dollar value are for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded.

All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military-Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov.

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Minister of National Defence Remarks at the Aerospace, Defence, and Security Expo (ADSE)

National Defence

Speech

August 9, 2024

Thanks, Tracy, for that kind introduction.

Good afternoon everyone, bonjour tout le monde.

To Mike and the entire team at the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada a thank you for hosting this great event - the largest of its kind in Western Canada.

To our international visitors: welcome to Canada - or welcome back. We're honoured to have you here with us.

Thank you for your partnership.

Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO, is fond of saying that "without industry, there is no defence."

I couldn't agree more.

Your industry is a pillar of our ability to keep Canada safe.

Right across Canada, tens of thousands of workers in the Canadian defence and aerospace industries go to work every day, and contribute to our mission.

Our partnership is vital.

Our work together provides the Canadian Armed Forces with modern, well-maintained equipment. It bolsters our national resilience, and it grows our economy.

In fact, Canada's aerospace sector contributed roughly $29 billion dollars in GDP and close to 218,000 jobs to the economy last year alone.

Your innovation ensures that the Canadian Armed Forces have access to the most cutting-edge, modern technology available.

And your leadership ensures that Canada's military is well-equipped and well-prepared for every challenge.

Today, I'd like to speak about the work we're doing with you, and to address future of our partnership.

First, let me acknowledge that this is a truly exciting time to be an aviator in Canada.

This year, we are marking 100 years of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

And as we mark this anniversary, we're in the process of making the largest investment in the Royal Canadian Air Force since the Second World War.

We are recapitalizing and rebuilding the Royal Canadian Air Force from top to bottom - and replacing almost all of the RCAF's core fleets.

In just two years, Canada will take delivery of our first F-35 fighter jets, which will be the core of the RCAF's combat power for decades.

And in every F-35 - not just in Canada's fleet but in the global fleet of 3,000 aircraft - you will find Canadian components, built by Canadian workers, here on Canadian soil.

These jets will enable Canada to meet our NORAD and NATO commitments with a state-of-the-art fighter capability.

And each of them is a symbol of what our aerospace workers can do - and what your industry is capable of.

As we've outlined over the past few months, we're also investing in new fleets of Tanker and Transport aircraft with Airbus - which will be critical enablers for our fighter jets, and military operations across the globe.

And, as warfighting continues to evolve, modern drone capabilities are vital for militaries to maintain an edge in the battle space. Last year, we finalized contracts for a new fleet of Reaper drones, in partnership with the SkyGuardian Team of Canadian and American industry partners.

Now, as you've heard me say, Canada is the country with the largest coastline in the world - and we have an obligation to keep it safe, especially as our Arctic becomes more accessible.

In November of last year, we made the decision to acquire up to 16 P-8 Poseidon aircraft from Boeing, with the first aircraft set to arrive in 2026.

And we've developed a strong partnership with Boeing, which is bringing benefits to Canada's aerospace sector.

Just two days ago, I visited Boeing Vancouver, where Boeing announced a $61 million dollar investment in British Columbia's aviation industry.

That includes a major investment in Boeing's Vancouver facility to boost support aircraft sustainability and performance.

Boeing is also investing in skills training for Indigenous workers to help them fill highly-skilled, well-paying jobs in the Canadian aerospace sector.

In fact, over the life of this contract, Boeing will be investing approximately $5.4 billion dollars into Canada's aerospace industry a and this project is expected to generate over 3,500 jobs annually in Canada.

This project is a prime example of how investments in defence are also investments in Canadian industry, Canadian workers and the Canadian economy.

And as we continue to recapitalize our Armed Forces, and bring our defence spending up to 2% of GDP, we'll continue to focus on creating real value for Canada.

British Columbian companies are an integral part of our national aerospace industry, too.

Tracy - your company, KF Aerospace, and Montreal's CAE are working together through the SkyAlyne partnership to deliver a new training program for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Once the program is fully operational, SkyAlyne will be training a new generation of RCAF pilots, air combat systems officers, and sensor operators on more than 70 aircraft in total, both fixed-wing and helicopters.

This program will help our Air Force generate highly-skilled, professional aviators. And it will create or maintain 3,400 jobs - building up expertise and capability in our domestic aerospace industry.

Taken together, these projects form the largest recapitalization and reinvestment in the Royal Canadian Air Force since the Second World War. Indeed, in the last two years, we've finalized agreements for over 200 new aircraft for the RCAF.

As our Air Force Commander is fond of saying, the Air Force of 2035 will look almost completely different from the Air Force of today.

But I want to be clear: we've got more to do.

We've got to keep going. And we will.

With our new defence policy, Our North, Strong and Free, you've seen our path laid out clearly.

As you know, this policy invests an additional $73 billion dollars over the next 20 years to bolster our national defence - with job number one being the defence of Canada, and North America.

It's especially relevant at a time when NORAD is being called upon to intercept Russian and Chinese military aircraft operating together in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone, as occurred on July 24.

As our Arctic becomes more accessible to potential adversaries, we've got to do more.

That's why this policy invests in everything from new maritime sensors, to new defence infrastructure in the North, to new, long-range missiles.

And, this policy tells the aerospace industry exactly where we are going. With the funding in this policy, we will invest in new fleets of aircraft to help us detect threats, and respond to them.

This policy fully funds the acquisition of more modern, mobile, and effective tactical helicopters.

This new capability will provide the RCAF with a more modern aircraft to respond to natural disasters and emergencies here at home and support our Allies on missions around the world.

This policy also funds new airborne early warning aircraft, and we've already begun the process of identifying our requirements.

This capability will vastly improve our ability to detect, track and prioritize airborne threats to Canada sooner, while enhancing the effectiveness of our new fighter, sub-hunter and drone fleets.

So, there's a lot more that your industry and our department will do together. But we don't just need to do more; we also can do it better.

As we developed this policy update, I met with many of you, and many of your companies.

You told us that you needed clarity and certainty.

You told us that you needed transparency and trust.

And you told us that you needed the predictability of reliable funding, long-term contracts, and a defence procurement system that gets the job done more efficiently.

As some of you may remember from AIAC's National Aerospace Summit last fall, I told you that I'd asked my team to refine the policy.

And I was very clear: this defence policy needed to be an industrial policy too.

I sincerely hope that you have seen your input reflected in that document. Because we've taken a number of steps that I think will be transformative:

We have now locked in $9.5 billion dollars over 20 years to scale up the production of battle-decisive munitions, as an example.

With this investment, we're going to strengthen our ammunition production capacity right here in Canada so that our military will have the stockpiles it needs and so that you have the certainty that you need to scale up.

We'll also be piloting a Continuous Capability Sustainment approach to upgrading our equipment. Rather than simply upgrading our equipment in fits and starts, we intend to rapidly integrate the latest technology and innovations in far more frequent and predictable cycles that will create new opportunities for all of you.

And, we have launched a review of our Defence Procurement System, focused on making it faster and more flexible.

All of these steps will help us scale up production and build a more resilient defence industrial base.

Because we need to maintain our edge over our adversaries and competitors.

And we need to be at the forefront of innovation - in lockstep with our closest Allies and partners.

I believe that Our North, Strong and Free is more than just a defence plan.

It's an industry plan. A jobs plan.

A plan to ramp up production.

But to get the job done, we've got to do it in real partnership with you all.

We can do this. And we will do this.

With the largest investments in the RCAF in generations, we're already doing some great work together.

But we can do even more. And we can be smarter, and more strategic.

In the coming months, I want to keep hearing from industry about how we can deliver on all the projects in this defence policy across all domains.

Let us know how we can support you, and how you can support us.

And above all, let's keep this vital conversation going.

Canada's defence and security depends on our trust, and on our partnership.

Thanks again to Mike and AIAC, and to all of you. Merci beaucoup.

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Xi, Vietnamese top leader Lam reaffirm 'priority' of bilateral relations

Global Times

Two countries join hands on socialist path, expand cooperation

By Fan Anqi Published: Aug 19, 2024 11:56 PM

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, and To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Vietnamese president, reaffirmed the "prioritized" importance they attach to the China-Vietnam relations during their meeting on Monday in Beijing, and they also witnessed the signing of cooperation documents in various fields.

Lam's visit not only demonstrated that both China and Vietnam are ready to achieve more fruitful results on the basis of building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, but also proves that the new leadership of Vietnam is taking a substantial step to further develop the friendly relations between the two socialist countries, analysts said.

China is the destination for Lam's first overseas visit after taking office as general secretary of the CPV Central Committee. Xi said this fully reflects the great importance Lam attaches to the relations between the two parties and the two countries, as well as the high-level and strategic nature of China-Vietnam relations, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Amid changes in the world, China and Vietnam have maintained rapid economic development and long-term social stability, demonstrating the superiority of the socialist system and the vitality of the socialist cause, Xi said.

"China takes Vietnam as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy," Xi told Lam.

For his part, Lam said choosing China as his first overseas destination after taking the posts of CPV top leader and Vietnamese president demonstrated that the CPV and Vietnamese government always highly value relations with China, and treat China as a strategic choice and top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy.

Lam reiterated that Vietnam adheres to the one-China policy and opposes any form of "Taiwan independence" secessionist activities. Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Xizang-related affairs are all China's internal affairs and Vietnam strongly opposes interference by any external forces.

Ge Hongliang, vice dean of the ASEAN College at the Guangxi Minzu University, said he believed the relations between the two parties and the two countries are unique.

In their remarks, the two top leaders mentioned "priority," meaning that when Vietnam upholds "bamboo diplomacy" in its relations with major powers, it places China in a relatively high position in its foreign policy, Ge told the Global Times on Monday.

The China-Vietnam relationship goes beyond bilateral significance, Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday, as both are socialist countries and share the responsibility of strengthening global socialist forces and upholding the socialist path.

Vietnam faces growing external interferences and is being particularly vigilant against "color revolution" attempts, and it expects China's support in the stable development of Vietnam's socialist cause, Ge said.

Connectivity boosted

During the meeting with Lam, Xi said China is ready to expand synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, accelerate the "hard connectivity" of railway, expressway and port infrastructure, enhance the "soft connectivity" of smart customs, and jointly build a secure and stable industrial and supply chain.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at Monday's routine press briefing that the China-Vietnam freight train service, launched in 2017, has significantly shortened transportation times and brought about higher border clearance efficiency. It is serving better as a key transportation route in the region and carrying more categories of goods across borders, becoming a "fast lane" for economic and trade exchanges.

In the first seven months of 2024, a total of 6,850 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers of goods were shipped via China-Vietnam freight trains, marking a 16-fold increase year on year, according to China Railway Nanning Group Co Ltd.

Vietnam is experiencing rapid economic development, and has become a key player in regional and global industry chains. However, as the country serves more as a platform, its growth relies heavily on foreign operators - foreign enterprises hold key industries while domestic businesses remain relatively weak, Ge said.

He noted that Vietnam is acutely aware of the challenges posed by protectionism, decoupling, and "small yard, high fence" that China is facing.

In this context, collaboration with the world's second-largest economy and a fellow socialist country, particularly at enterprise level and in regard to industrial chains, is important for the Vietnamese government, Ge noted.

On Monday, Xi and Lam jointly witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation documents in various fields including party schools, connectivity, industry, finance, customs inspection and quarantine, health, media, and people's livelihoods, according to Xinhua.

China-Vietnam cooperation has achieved fruitful results in recent years. Chinese companies have established the largest overseas photovoltaic industry cluster in Vietnam and undertaken the construction of Vietnam's first urban light rail project.

The bilateral trade volume increased by 25 percent year-on-year in the first seven months of 2024. Chinese home appliances and smartphones are popular in Vietnam, while Vietnamese agricultural products such as watermelons and durians are well received in the Chinese market.

Li Yawei contributed to the story

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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on August 19, 2024

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

Updated: August 19, 2024 18:22

At the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, from August 20 to 23, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council will travel to Russia to chair the 29th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government and visit Russia and Belarus.

CCTV: You just announced Premier Li Qiang's upcoming visit to Russia and Belarus. Could you share with us the background, the program and China's expectation of the visit?

Mao Ning: This year marks the 75th anniversary of the China-Russia diplomatic ties and is the first year of the China-Russia Years of Culture. Under the strategic guidance of the two presidents, the China-Russia relations have overcome external disturbances and maintained sound and stable growth. The regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government is an important mechanism for delivering on the common understandings between the two presidents and promoting practical cooperation and people-to-people and cultural exchanges in a coordinated way. The meeting has been held annually since its launch in 1996. During the visit to Russia, Premier Li Qiang and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will co-chair the 29th regular meeting of the mechanism and have in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations, practical cooperation and important issues of mutual interest.

China and Belarus are all-weather comprehensive strategic partners. In recent years, under the personal guidance and with the commitment of both presidents, the China-Belarus relations have maintained a sound momentum of growth. Our political mutual trust has been consolidated and Belt and Road cooperation has borne fruitful results. During the visit to Belarus, Premier Li Qiang and Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko will hold talks together to have in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields.

ARD German Television: Since the revised Counterespionage Law of the People's Republic of China came into force in July 2023, the German pharmaceutical sector has feared that the GMP (good manufacturing practice) inspectors who come to China could be punished. How do you think about it? On these concerns, what kind of guarantee can China give to the medical sector in Germany?

Mao Ning: China is firmly committed to promoting high-standard opening up and providing Chinese and foreign companies with a world-class pro-business environment that is market-oriented and law-based. China's Counterespionage Law targets the very few spying activities that are harmful to China's national security, not normal business and investment activities. As long as businesses operate lawfully and their personnel abide by the law, there's no need for concern.

Reuters: According to China Coast Guard, the Philippine Coast Guard vessels deliberately collided with the Chinese Coast Guard vessel. What measures will the Foreign Ministry take? How will the incident impact the stability in the South China Sea?

Mao Ning: On August 19, two Philippine coast guard vessels, without permission from the Chinese government, intruded into the adjacent waters of Xianbin Jiao of China's Nansha Qundao and, in disregard of China Coast Guard's dissuasion and warning, acted dangerously by deliberately ramming the China Coast Guard vessel that was carrying out law enforcement operation. The responsibility of causing the collision fully lies with the Philippines. China Coast Guard took necessary measures in accordance with domestic and international law. Its maneuvers at the scene were professional, restrained and appropriate.

I would like to stress that Xianbin Jiao is part of China's Nansha Qundao. It has always been China's territory and uninhabited. The Philippines sent coast guard vessels to intrude into waters of Xianbin Jiao in an attempt to send supplies to the Philippine coast guard vessel anchoring in the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao and seek long-term presence there. The Philippines' move 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 firmly opposes it and will continue to take resolute measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and uphold the sanctity of the DOC.

Bloomberg: Just on that point, would you say that despite an interim pact between the two countries last month, the new collision suggests that the maritime conflict between the two countries remains elevated?

Mao Ning: China is committed to handling maritime disputes with the Philippines properly through dialogue and consultation. We hope the Philippines will honor its commitment, earnestly observe the understandings and arrangement reached with China, refrain from taking actions that may complicate the situation, and work with China to get the situation at sea under control.

Xinhua News Agency: We noted that in recent years China and Viet Nam forged closer connectivity. In the first seven months of this year, the monthly cargo volume carried by China-Viet Nam fast clearance freight train set new record three times, reaching a historical high of 1,922 TEUs. General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and President To Lam started his visit to China yesterday. Will the two sides talk about further enhancing connectivity cooperation?

Mao Ning: The China-Viet Nam freight train service, launched in November 2017, opened a new logistics channel between China and Viet Nam. In recent years, the China-Viet Nam freight train service has significantly shortened transportation time with higher border clearance efficiency. It is serving better as a key transportation route in the region and carrying more categories of goods across borders, becoming a "fast lane" for economic and trade exchanges.a

China and Viet Nam are both socialist countries and neighbors connected by mountains and rivers. General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee and President To Lam is on a state visit to China. Leaders of the two parties and two countries will have in-depth exchange of views on cooperation in various areas. We believe this visit will further advance connectivity cooperation between the two countries, promote more solid progress in the building of the China-Viet Nam community with a shared future and deliver more benefit to the peoples of the two countries.

Reuters: Two German military vessels plan to transit through the Taiwan Strait next month. What's the Ministry's comment?

Mao Ning: The Taiwan question is China's internal affair. The key to keeping the Taiwan Strait peaceful and stable lies in firmly opposing "Taiwan independence." China opposes attempts to undermine China's territorial sovereignty and security in the name of freedom of navigation.

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China's Xi Jinping welcomes Vietnam's top leader, stresses 'shared future'

It is To Lam's first foreign trip since he was elected general secretary of Vietnam's Communist Party on Aug. 3.

By Taejun Kang for RFA 2024.08.19 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed his Vietnamese counterpart, To Lam, in Beijing on Monday, China's state-run media reported, signaling close ties between the communist-run neighbors.

It is Lam's first foreign trip since the 67-year-old was elected general secretary of the Communist Party on Aug. 3, which "fully reflects the great importance he attaches to the relations between the two parties and the two countries," China's Xinhua news agency cited Xi as saying.

Xi also said the road would expand wider as the two countries "walk together," underscoring good working relations and a personal friendship with Lam, Xinhua reported.

"I am willing to establish good working relations and a personal friendship with you and jointly lead the creation of a China-Vietnam community of a shared future, with deeper and solid progress," Xi told Lam, according to Xinhua.

China's Global Times hailed Lam's visit as a demonstration of "practical actions" that could improve bilateral ties.

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.

China and Vietnam 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.

Vietnam has adopted a flexible approach to foreign policy, known as "bamboo diplomacy," under which it has also established comprehensive strategic partnerships with Russia, India, South Korea, the United States, Japan and Australia.

The United States became a comprehensive strategic partner with Vietnam 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.

Lam arrived in China's southern province Guangzhou on Sunday for a three-day visit that will include meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and other top officials. He visited some locations where Vietnam's independence hero Ho Chi Minh conducted revolutionary activities while in Guangzhou.

The two sides last year signed dozens of agreements when Xi visited Hanoi, covering a wide range of cooperation to strengthen defense communications and increase trade. They also discussed enhancing rail connections and building a new bridge across their border.

Edited by RFA Staff.

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READOUT: Fifth Meeting of the Financial Working Group Between the United States and the People's Republic of China

U.S. Department of the Treasury

August 19, 2024

BEIJING -- The United States and the People's Republic of China held the fifth meeting of the Financial Working Group (FWG) in Shanghai on August 15-16.

Senior officials from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the People's Bank of China led the two-day meeting, with participation from other agencies. The meetings began with a review of outcomes from technical exchanges held bilaterally in June and July on central bank climate scenario testing, financial sector operational resilience, cross-border supply of financial services, and hypothetical Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs) resolution. The Joint Treasury-People's Bank of China Cooperation and Exchange on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) met in-person for the second time since U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen announced its launch in April, and discussed beneficial ownership, updates on potential revisions of China's AML law, and other topics. Other meeting sessions included discussions on macroeconomic and financial stability, international financial institutions, cross-border payments and data, sustainable finance, and capital markets issues. U.S. officials also raised areas of disagreement during the conversations. The FWG meeting also included a roundtable of private Chinese and U.S. firms to exchange views on a range of topics related to climate financing, including transition planning and carbon markets.

The meetings concluded with Treasury and the PBOC exchanging letters in support of coordination during times of financial stress to strengthen appropriate information sharing and reduce overall uncertainty between Treasury and the PBOC regarding crisis management and recovery and resolution frameworks. The two sides also exchanged key points of contact to make it easier to quickly coordinate in instances of financial stress or operational resilience issues. The working group will continue to meet regularly and to hold additional follow up technical exercises.

The FWG is one of two working groups formed by Secretary Yellen and Vice Premier He Lifeng of the People's Republic of China last September. The FWG is co-led by Brent Neiman, Assistant Secretary for International Finance at the U.S. Treasury, and Xuan Changneng, Deputy Governor of the People's Bank of China. The FWG reports directly to Secretary Yellen and Vice Premier He, and builds on President Biden's guidance following the Bali and Woodside Summits to deepen communications between the two countries.

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Moscow, Aug 20 (UNI) Chinese Premier Li Qiang will kick off his three-day official visit to the Russian capital of Moscow on Tuesday upon the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

Li is expected to engage in the in-depth discussions with Mishustin regarding Chinese-Russian business cooperation and to address issues of mutual interest during his visit. The bilateral talks will run under the auspices of the 29th Regular Meeting of the Prime Ministers of China and Russia.

Li will also hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the visit.

The Chinese premier is also scheduled to visit Belarus from Thursday to Friday.

UNI/SPUTNIK ARN
Foreign and Defence Ministers of Japan call on Prime Minister

India - Ministry of External Affairs

August 19, 2024

H.E. Ms. Yoko Kamikawa, Foreign Minister of Japan, and H.E. Mr. Minoru Kihara, Defence Minister of Japan, called on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 19 August 2024. Foreign Minister Kamikawa and Defence Minister Kihara are on a visit to India to hold the 3rd round of India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial meeting.

Prime Minister welcomed the Japanese Ministers and underscored the importance of holding 2+2 meeting in the context of increasingly complex regional and global order, and deepening ties between India and Japan.

Prime Minister shared his thoughts and ideas on closer cooperation between trusted friends like India and Japan, especially in areas like critical minerals, semiconductors and defence manufacturing.

They took stock of progress made in various areas of bilateral cooperation including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Prime Minister highlighted the crucial role India-Japan partnership plays in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

Prime Minister also stressed upon the importance of strengthening economic cooperation and enhancing people-to-people ties between India and Japan. He looked forward to a rich and result-oriented visit to Japan for the next Summit of the two Prime Ministers.

New Delhi

August 19, 2024

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Transcript of Special Briefing by Secretary (West) on Prime Minister's visit to Poland and Ukraine (August 19, 2024)

India - Ministry of External Affairs

August 19, 2024

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Good evening friends. Thank you for coming for this Special Briefing by Secretary (West), Shri Tanmaya Lal on the visit of the Prime Minister to Poland and Ukraine. Also on the dais, we have Additional Secretaries, Shri Charanjeet Singh and Shri Arun Kumar Sahu. Mr. Singh looks after Ukraine in the Ministry of External Affairs and Mr. Sahu looks after Poland. So we have two Additional Secretaries also on the dais. With that, may I request Secretary (West) to make his opening remarks. Sir over to you.

Shri Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West): Thank you Randhir and good evening all of you. I will first start with information about the visit to Poland and then go on to the visit to Ukraine.

Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi will be undertaking an official visit to Poland this week on 21st and 22nd August. At the invitation of Prime Minister His Excellency Donald Tusk. This is a landmark visit as Prime Minister of India is visiting Poland after 45 years. The visit takes place as we also mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations between India and Poland. Prime Minister Modi had met Prime Minister Tusk on four occasions in the latter's earlier capacity as the President of the European Council. Prime Minister Modi had also held a telephonic conversation with President His Excellency Andrzej Duda in 2022. Prime Minister Tusk had visited India in 2010.

This upcoming visit builds upon a series of continuing high level exchanges between India and Poland which take place in various formats. During the first four months of this year alone, for example, there have been a couple of high level interactions. Our External Affairs Minister and Foreign Minister Sikorski had met on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in February. And Poland's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, WAadysAaw Bartoszewski, had visited India the same month.

If we look at interactions in the recent years, then External Affairs Minister had visited Poland in 2019. And the then Foreign Minister of Poland, Zbigniew Rau, had visited India in 2022. The Chairperson of India-Poland Parliamentary Friendship Group, Ms. Kinga Gajewska, had visited India in 2021. There are also regular Foreign Office Consultations between India and Poland. And the 10th round of such Consultations was held in Warsaw in December 2022. The Indian Council for World Affairs, ICWA, and the Polish Institute for International Affairs conduct a regular Strategic Dialogue. And its ninth session was held in Warsaw last year.

If we look at the institutional mechanisms for economic cooperation, then there is a Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation, JCEC, which met in Warsaw in 2022 for its sixth session. And a big Indian business delegation had also visited Poland during that year. All these interactions provide a glimpse of the range and the scope of our engagement with Poland, which is an important partner for India in Central Europe. Poland has the sixth largest economy within the European Union. And Poland will hold the next Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Poland is currently the Chair for the Weisiger Group.

Our bilateral trade is substantial. And it's of the order of US$6 billion, which makes Poland India's largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe. Indian investments into Poland are estimated at around US$3 billion. And the Polish investments into India are around US$1 billion. A number of Indian companies have active business presence in Poland. And they are engaged in a range of sectors, from IT to pharmaceuticals to manufacturing to farm vehicles to electronics, steel, metals and chemicals. Nearly 30 Polish companies have business presence in India. And some of them have manufacturing units. And these relate to, for example, hygiene and sanitary products, cosmetics, metal packaging, waste to energy and mining. There are direct flights between India and Poland, which commenced in 2019. And this, in a way, is helping the economic and commercial linkages.

There is a large Indian community in Poland, estimated at around 25,000. This includes around 5,000 students. You may recall that the government and people of Poland had offered valuable assistance during the Operation Ganga for the evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine. More than 4,000 Indian students were evacuated via Poland during 2022.

One of the unique bonds between our countries relates to the time in 1940s, during World War II, when more than 6,000 Polish women and children found refuge in two princely states in India, Jamnagar and Kolhapur. As you may be aware, Jam Sahib of Navanagar had provided shelter to more than 1,000 Polish children, and others were offered refuge in Kolhapur. There are long-standing cultural ties between India and Poland, and Indology studies in Polish universities date back to the 19th century. There is respect and appreciation in Poland for Indian culture and spiritual ethos, including yoga and Ayurveda.

In Warsaw, Prime Minister Modi will be accorded a ceremonial welcome. In addition to the talks with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Prime Minister Modi will also call on President Andrzej Duda. Prime Minister Modi will also interact with members of the Indian community, select Polish business leaders and prominent Indologists. He will also visit memorials that commemorate the very special episodes of Jamnagar and Kolhapur in our shared history which I just spoke about.

This historic visit in this landmark year for India and Polish relations will provide an opportunity for our leaders to review the bilateral partnership and offer guidance on enhancing this cooperation in diverse areas and also discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest.

I will now come to the visit to Ukraine. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will undertake an official visit to Ukraine later this week on Friday, 23rd August at the invitation of President of Ukraine, His Excellency Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This also is a landmark and historic visit since this will be the first time that an Indian Prime Minister will be visiting Ukraine in more than 30 years, since the diplomatic relations were established between our countries. The visit will build upon the recent high-level interactions between the two leaders. As you know, Prime Minister Modi and President Zelenskyy had met only a couple of months ago in June this year in Apulia at the sidelines of the G7 Summit. They had also met last year in Hiroshima on the margins of the G7 Summit. They had earlier met in Glasgow on the sidelines of COP in 2021.

The two leaders have also had multiple telephone conversations during the last four years. There have been other recent regular high-level exchanges between India and Ukraine. Less than six months ago in March this year, the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, His Excellency Dmytro Kuleba, had visited India when he held discussions with our External Affairs Minister. Last July, we had Foreign Office Consultations in Kyiv. And in April last year, the then first Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Her Excellency Emine Dzhaparova, had visited India. There have been other interactions as well in recent months. A Ukrainian business delegation had participated in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in January this year. A consular dialogue in virtual format was also held this year. The Joint Working Group on Science and Technology held its most recent meeting in June last year.

The upcoming visit of Prime Minister Modi to Ukraine will provide an opportunity to hold discussions on the entire gamut of bilateral relations, ranging from economic and business linkages, agriculture, infrastructure, health and education, pharmaceuticals, defense, culture, and people-to-people ties. This landmark visit, of course, takes place against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which will also form part of discussions. As you are aware, India has consistently advocated for diplomacy and dialogue to reach a negotiated settlement. India had attended the Summit for Peace in Ukraine, hosted by Switzerland, in June this year.

You may recall that more than 18,000 Indian students who were studying in Ukraine were evacuated during 2022 under Operation Ganga with the help of Ukrainian and other authorities. India has provided several consignments of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since March 2022, financial assistance for reconstruction and refurbishment of a school, and also for training of teachers from three different schools has also been provided. Further initiatives are also under consideration.

At this stage, for obvious reasons, we are not in a position to discuss in detail the individual elements of the program of the visit, and we request your understanding on this. Information about these elements and the actual discussions between the leaders will be shared with you upon the conclusion of the visit. This is an important visit that is expected to catalyze our ties in a whole range of sectors. Thank you.

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: So with that, we open the floor for questions.

Ayushi: Sir good evening, this is Ayushi Agarwal from ANI. I have two questions, one related to Poland and other to Ukraine. During the Prime Minister's visit to Poland, what can we expect in terms of defence announcements? Second, when the Prime Minister visits Ukraine, will there be any talks related to ceasefire and mediation from the Indian side since there has not been any breakthrough? Does India have any plans to narrow the gap and bring the parties on the same page when Prime Minister visits Kyiv. Thank you.

Snehesh: Sir, Snehesh Philip from the Print. Sir, what is the big takeaway that we are looking in Ukraine and are we also proposing a peace plan initiative just like how other countries like China has done?

Pranay: Sir Pranay Upadhyaya Amar Ujala se. Pradhan Mantri jis samay Ukraine ja rahe hain, is samay halat aur najuk hue hain, surksha ke lihaj se kya humne Russian side ko bhi inform kiya hai Pradhan Mantri ki is yatra ke baare mei?

[Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Sir, Pranay Upadhyaya from Amar Ujala. The Prime Minister is visiting Ukraine at a time when the situation has become more delicate. From a security perspective, have we also informed the Russian side about the Prime Minister's visit?

Huma: Sir, I'm Huma Siddiqui from the Financial Express. I have two questions. In Poland, what exactly would the discussions be related to in the sector of defence? And you said that in Ukraine also there will be talks about defence. So what are we going to talk in Ukraine about defence, if you can specify that?

Shri Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West): I think one question was on defence cooperation. So on Poland, the defence cooperation, it goes back a long time. And we have an Agreement on defence cooperation that was signed in 2003 and this provides for consultations in a Joint Working Group format. India has recently reopened the defence wing at the Embassy in Warsaw. And various opportunities for collaboration continue to be explored with Poland in the realm of defence cooperation.

The next question was... you had another question about the defence. So defence is one aspect of the multifaceted partnership and relations that we have with Ukraine. And this will also be part of discussions. So it is hoped, it is expected. But beyond that, at this stage, I think it will not be proper for me to comment on the specifics.

There was a question on peace plan. On that, I would like to say that India has maintained a very clear and consistent position that diplomacy and dialogue can resolve this conflict and which can lead to enduring peace. So dialogue is absolutely essential. Lasting peace can only be achieved through options that are acceptable to both parties. And it can only be a negotiated settlement. On our part, India continues to engage with all stakeholders. Prime Minister Modi has had conversations with leaders of both Russia and Ukraine, as you know. And Prime Minister had also visited Russia recently. India is willing to provide all possible support and contribution required to help find peaceful solutions to this complex issue. And at this stage, it is not for us to anticipate or prejudge what the outcome of these discussions will be between the leaders of India and Ukraine.

I think we have a substantive and independent engagement with both Ukraine and Russia. And I will leave it at that.

Sudhi: Sir Sudhi Ranjan from Bloomberg. I just wanted a clarification. If you could give us an understanding, since when has Prime Minister's Ukraine visit been under the plans? Because we have seen reports that say or indicate or allege that Prime Minister is visiting Ukraine to balance India's relationship with the West. And we have also seen reports about the United States expressing concern after or during Prime Minister's visit to Russia.

Dinakar: Sir, Dinakar Peri with the Hindu newspaper. A question on Ukraine. So you mentioned about the humanitarian assistance we have given to Ukraine in the past. And Ukraine has been asking for more assistance in terms of medical and other avenues. So can we expect some definitive announcements in the visit on this aspect?

Srinjoy: Sir, Times Now. First of all, when the three Ministers in recent times have come from Ukraine, beginning with Dzhaparova, right up to Kuleba, all three have spoken about India's involvement in reconstruction efforts in the future. Now is that issue going to come up? Because this is clearly a multi-billion dollar issue.

Secondly, many important Ministers in different parts of the world, Brazil, for instance, the Foreign Minister of Brazil, which is part of BRICS like Russia and India, have said that since India has good ties, as you also correctly mentioned, with the West and with Russia, India could play a more important role in the bringing of peace. Of course, we have said dialogue is important and there has to be diplomacy and all that. Now, is this visit a step in that direction?

Manash: This is Manash from PTI. As you said, the visit is taking place at a time when we have seen renewed global efforts to defuse the crisis in Ukraine. So what is the big focus of Prime Minister Modi's, as you described, landmark visit to Kyiv? Because there has been expectation that, in fact, India will play a significant role in addressing the conflict and to find some way out to find a solution. So, is Prime Minister Modi going to focus on resolving the conflict? That is what the global community expects him to also focus on. Thank you.

Evgeny: Sir, my name is Evgeny Pakhomov, from TASS Russian News Agency. So my question is, what's the Indian position of Ukraine's attack on Russian Kursk region? And will this issue be discussed during the talks? Thank you.

Aishwarya: Hi, Aishwarya Iyer, CNN. What message does this visit send to Moscow, at a time when Ukraine is occupying Russian territory? And two, does the Government anticipate signing any defence and security agreements with Ukraine during this visit?

Sandra: Sandra, Deutsche Welle, Germany. Question adding up on what my Bloomberg colleague already pointed out. He pointed out the alleged American pressure after the Moscow visit of the Prime Minister. I wanted to ask about the tweet by President Zelenskyy back then when the visit happened. Has that ever been addressed in the meantime? And in what respect are you going to address the concerns that President Zelenskyy voiced in his tweet back then?

Shri Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West): I think several questions regarding whether this is kind of a balance or, you know, talking about pressure or signal, etc. As I have mentioned in my opening remarks, this is a landmark and historic visit. And I also explained how this visit builds upon the continuing interactions at a very high level and also institutional exchanges between India and Ukraine in various formats over the last couple of years. And, it's a very wide range of scope of issues that are being discussed from consular to science and technology to business linkages. If you also look at, let's say, the bilateral trade, pre-2020, between India and Ukraine, it was of the order of more than 3 billion dollars. And there were large imports of sunflower oil, for example, from Poland. There was cooperation in heavy industry, in railways, in many other sectors, in defence. So this relationship has been continuous and long-standing.

And India has, as I also mentioned earlier, substantive and independent ties with both Russia and Ukraine. And these partnerships, they stand on their own. I would like to say that this is not a zero-sum game. Prime Minister had also travelled to Russia. Many ideas were discussed, Prime Minister has also met President Zelenskyy on a couple of occasions in the last one year or so, and they will now be meeting again in Ukraine. So I would like to say that these are independent, broad ties; and of course the ongoing conflict will form part of the discussions. So we would not like to frame it in the way that some of you have framed this.

There was a question about humanitarian assistance. I think 16 packages have so far been delivered ranging from medicines to power generators, medical equipment, medicines. I think 135 tons of material has been supplied so far and further initiatives are being explored and at this stage I would not like to comment on what the actual outcome will be at this stage. You will come to know at the end of the visit.

There was a question about reconstruction. India, of course, has expressed that we are willing to provide all support and contribution that may be required, not only to find the peaceful solutions but also in the recovery process later.

You had asked about the recent developments in Kursk. I can only say that the conflict is ongoing, and we believe that the resolution to this conflict can only come through dialogue and diplomacy. Prime Minister Modi has said, as you all know, that this is not the time for war and solution cannot be found on the battlefield. This is a clear and consistent position that India has taken and we believe that a vast majority of countries share this view.

Sanjeev: Sir I am Sanjeev from News24. Will the Prime Minister be having a diaspora meeting in Ukraine as well. And secondly if I may repeat the question of my colleagues whether he is going there with a plan to mediate, do we have a peace plan to work?

Pranay: Sir Pranay Upadhyaya. Aapne kaha ki 18000 Bhartiya chhatron ko humne Operation Ganga ke dauran wahan se nikala tha surakshit, lekin bahot saare chhatr wapas gaye the. Kai Bhartiya chhatr abhi bhi wahan medical ki padhai kar rahe hain, unke vishay ko lekar, unke bahot saare mudde hain, unko lekar bhi kya Pradhan Mantri ke agenda mei koi vishay hain, charcha hum karenge ki unki suraksha bhi ho aur jo education related unke issues the woh bhi address ho sake?

[Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Sir, Pranay Upadhyay. Sir, you mentioned that during Operation Ganga, we safely evacuated 18,000 Indian students from there. However, many students had had returned. Many Indian students are still pursuing medical education there. They have various concerns. Is there anything on the Prime Minister's agenda to discuss their concerns? Would we discuss their safety and their education-related concerns?

Shri Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West): Regarding the question on the peace plan, I think I have already spoken about that issue.

On the question of the Indian students, of course Indian students have been studying in Ukraine for a long time. After the start of the conflict as you also mentioned, India had evacuated around 18,000 students, who were studying there, under Operation Ganga. The National Medical Council, they had facilitated the transfer of students to other universities and countries, when they came back. We now understand that around 2,100 Indian students are enrolled with the Ukrainian universities at this stage and of this, a little over 1,000 Indian students are currently pursuing these studies in person in Ukraine. Our Embassy continues to maintain regular contact with the Indian students and the Ukrainian authorities and of course, we appreciate the help that had been provided by the Ukrainian authorities during the Operation Ganga itself and also later in facilitating, for example, the qualification exams to be held outside Ukraine. We continue to remain in close touch with the authorities and also the Embassy continues to maintain contact with the students.

Dinakar: Sir, if I can add one more question, Dinakar with the Hindu sir. Last year, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy had proposed a 10-point peace formula. What is our take on that? And is that going to be part of the discussions now that the Prime Minister is actually visiting the country?

Banna: Sir I am Banna from Madhyamam. How many students had written the exam outside Ukraine, you have mentioned earlier?

Shri Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West): As I had mentioned and as you know, India had participated in the Summit for Peace in Ukraine that was held in Switzerland, and we have maintained that the only way forward is a negotiated settlement which will involve both parties. We continue to engage with all stakeholders. I will reiterate that Prime Minister Modi had visited Russia recently and now he is travelling to Ukraine. So, many ideas are being discussed and then let's see. We will be able to brief you about the outcome after the visit has taken place.

About the students, exact number of how many they have, I am afraid I don't have the exact number at this stage, but we will try and get back to you on that.

Pia: Hi, this is Pia with the Print. Sir, we have seen reports of Nepali citizens who were in the Russian Army and then captured by Ukrainian forces. Are there any similar cases of Indians who are in the Russian Army who have faced the same fate and if so, will this be raised in the talks when PM visits Ukraine? So far, we know that there are 69 Indians who are in the Russian Army and want to come back. So, just a clarification on this would be great.

Shri Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West): I think there has already been a discussion on this in the Parliament. So, I would refer you to the statements made over there and that contains the details.

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: With that, we come to the close of this Press Briefing, but please do keep in touch over social media; and several of you are also travelling to that part of the world. We will have Press Briefings both in Poland and in Ukraine, and look forward to keeping you updated on the visits. Thank you.

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VISIT BY ADMIRAL ALEKSANDR ALEKSEYEVICH MOISEYEV, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF RUSSIAN FEDERATION NAVY

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

Posted On: 19 AUG 2024 7:06PM by PIB Delhi

Admiral Aleksandr Alekseyevich Moiseyev, Commander-in-Chief, Russian Federation Navy is on an official visit to India from 19 to 22 Aug 24. The visit is a testimony to the longstanding relationship between the navies of Russia and India. The visit aims to strengthen bilateral naval relations between India and Russia, as also to explore new avenues for naval cooperation.

Admiral Aleksandr Alekseyevich Moiseyev called on Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy on 19 Aug 24 at New Delhi and held discussions on collaborative mechanisms and measures to further strengthen Navy to Navy cooperation. He was received with a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the South Block Lawns.

Indian Navy cooperates with Russian Federation Navy on many fronts, which include operational interactions, training, hydrographic cooperation, and exchange of Subject Matter Experts in various fields through the IRIGC M&MTC mechanism between the two countries. Indian Navy has also been interacting with Russian Federation Navy in various multilateral fora viz. IONS (Indian Ocean Naval Symposium), MILAN, IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association), WPNS (Western Pacific Naval Symposium) and ADMM-Plus (ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus).

The C-in-C, Russian Federation Navy is also scheduled to meet the Chief of Defence Staff, the Defence Secretary, the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, and the National Maritime Security Coordinator of India, as part of his official engagements in New Delhi.

In addition to New Delhi, the C-in-C, Russian Federation Navy, will also visit Mumbai, where he will hold bilateral discussions with the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, as well as visit indigenous warships & submarines; Naval Dockyard; and M/s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited.

*****

VM/SKY



(Release ID: 2046733)

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Iran will punish Israel in due time and place for assassinating Haniyeh: IRGC cmdr.

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Aug 19, 2024

Abadan, IRNA -- Deputy Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Ali Fadavi says his country will definitely punish the Israeli regime in due time and place for assassinating Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

The senior military official made the comment on Monday in the southwestern province of Khuzestan where he visited the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iraq. He was speaking with reporters on the sidelines of his visit.

"The fake and child-killing Zionist regime continued its stupidity and martyred Haniyeh on Iranian soil, and we will give an appropriate response in due time and place", Fadavi said.

The Hamas chief was martyred in Tehran on July 31, a day after he attended the inaugural of Iran's new president Masoud Pezeshkian. Haniyeh lost his life in an Israeli attack on his accommodation.

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IRGC: Stronger response awaits Israel for Hamas leader's assassination

Iran Press TV

Monday, 19 August 2024 9:43 PM

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has vowed to respond to the Israeli regime's assassination of senior Hamas' leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in the Iranian capital Tehran with a reprisal that would be stronger than the previous time when the Islamic Republic retaliated against Tel Aviv's aggression.

"The usurping Zionist regime committed a great crime by assassinating martyr Haniyeh, and will be punished more severely than the last time," the Corps' Deputy Commander Brigadier General Ali Fadavi said on Monday.

He asserted that the punishment would come "at the proper time and in the right place."

"It is us who will decide the time and place of the revenge," the commander noted, adding, "It will definitely take place."

Haniyeh, the Palestinian resistance movement's former Political Bureau chief, was assassinated in a targeted killing operation in Tehran late last month. He was in the Iranian capital to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The Israeli regime has denied responsibility, but Iran has held it squarely responsible for the atrocity and vowed to serve it with a harsh response.

Earlier this year, the IRGC targeted the occupied Palestinian territories with a barrage of drones and missiles in a set of retaliatory strikes dubbed Operation True Promise.

The operation had come after the regime carried out terrorist airstrikes on the consular section of Iran's Embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus, killing two of the Corps' generals as well as five of their accompanying officers.

Still addressing the issue of Iran's pending response over Haniyeh's assassination, Fadavi said, "There is such turmoil in the occupied territories" as the regime was awaiting the prospect "day and night."

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The Meeting between PM Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has Concluded

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Press Releases

The 37th Government

19.08.2024

The meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary Antony Blinken has concluded; the meeting was positive and was held in a good atmosphere.

The meeting lasted approximately three hours. The Prime Minister reiterated Israel's commitment to the current American proposal on the release of our hostages, which takes into account Israel's security needs, which he strongly insists on.

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Statement by PM Netanyahu

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Press Releases

The 37th Government

19.08.2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening:

"I had a good and important meeting today with Secretary of State Blinken. I greatly appreciate the efforts that the US is making in regional defense against the Iranian axis. This is important, of course, for the State of Israel.

I also greatly appreciate the understanding that the US has shown for our vital security interests as part of our joint efforts to bring about the release of our hostages.

I would like to emphasize: The efforts to release a maximum number of living hostages - already in the first stage of the deal."

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Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Gallant

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

August 19, 2024

The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv. The Secretary and Defense Minister discussed ongoing efforts to de-escalate regional tensions. The Secretary reaffirmed the United States' ironclad commitment to Israel's security and discussed how continued escalation is in no party's interest. The Secretary reiterated the urgent need to reach an agreement on the ceasefire deal to secure the release of hostages, allow a surge of humanitarian assistance, and create the conditions for broader regional stability.



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Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Israeli President Herzog

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

August 19, 2024

The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv. The Secretary reaffirmed the United States' ironclad commitment to Israel's security and efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region. The Secretary reiterated the urgent need to finalize the ceasefire agreement that would release the hostages, allow a surge of humanitarian assistance, and create the conditions for broader regional stability.





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Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Israeli President Isaac Herzog Before Their Meeting

US Department of State

Remarks

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Tel Aviv, Israel

August 19, 2024

PRESIDENT HERZOG: Good morning, Mr. Secretary. Welcome again to Israel. I must say that we feel you are a part of our nation in coming here again and again, and so showing such great friendship and support for the state of Israel, and we are indeed grateful for that.

In the last 24 hours, we have witnesses ongoing terror attacks by Palestinian terrorists. We have suffered the loss of Gideon Perry, a 38-year-old father of three, husband, a lover of music, who went to work in a plant and one of his pals in the working place decided to murder him simply because he's a Jew and an Israeli - a very great tragedy. Last night we've witnessed a suspected major terror attack in Tel Aviv, which is under investigation, with a possible suicide bomber. And this morning our soldiers have been attacked in Ya'ara - Ya'ara is on the border with Lebanon - by Hizballah terrorists with drones, and there are some - there is information that we have suffered possible casualties. We are under review of this. And this is the way we are living these days; we are surrounded by terror from the four corners of the Earth and we are fighting back as a resilient and strong nation.

And it also reflects - is reflected in the attitude of Hamas in the negotiations for the release of our hostages. Because one has to remember the refusal, the adamant refusal - and I've been following your statements on this for months. At the end, at the bottom line of it, people have to understand it starts with the refusal of Hamas to move forward.

We are simply still very hopeful that we can move forward in the negotiations that are held by the mediators, and I want to thank the United States, Egypt, and Qatar for their efforts on this - on behalf of this noble cause. There is no greater humanitarian objective and there's no greater humanitarian cause than bringing back our hostages home, as they should have returned long ago. We want to see them back home as soon as possible. There's no greater prayer and there's no greater hope and no greater effort, doing everything possible to bring them back home - and it is in fact the top agenda of world affairs these days, as projected by Security Council resolution which you, Mr. Secretary, brought forward and passed in a historic step, as well as, of course, the conclusions of all the leadership of the world and the G7 on this issue. So let's try our best and all our efforts to bring them back home alongside with protecting Israeli security interests.

And finally, Mr. Secretary, I want to thank the President of the United States of America, my good friend President Joe Biden, and the administration, the leadership of the United States, for supporting Israel in these very dire and complicated times. You have amassed a very powerful and impressive coalition of armies, navies, and powers that are here to protect the interests of the coalition of nations that wants to move towards peace and a better future in the Middle East against the empire of evil which starts and emanates in Tehran. I want to thank you personally, and I want to thank the President for showing and projecting power in this region, as should - as the message should be clear that no one should attack Israel or meddle with our clear, inherent right of self-defense.

Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, Mr. President, thank you very much. It's always good to be with you and good to be back in Israel. This is my ninth visit since October 7th to Israel, to the Middle East. And this is a decisive moment - probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire, and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security.

I'm here as part of an intensive diplomatic effort on President Biden's instructions to try to get this agreement to the line and, ultimately, over the line. It is time for it to get done. It's also time to make sure that no one takes any steps that could derail this process, and so we're working to make sure that there is no escalation, that there are no provocations, that there are no actions that in any way could move us away from getting this deal over the line or, for that matter, escalating the conflict to other places and to greater intensity.

I know this is a fraught moment in Israel with deep concern about the possibility of attacks coming from Iran, coming from Hizballah and other sources. And as you heard the president say, the United States has taken decisive action to deploy forces here to deter any attacks and, if necessary, to defend against any attacks.

But the focus of my visit is intensely on getting the hostages back, getting the ceasefire done. It is time for everyone to get to yes and to not look for any excuses to say no. I look forward to the day ahead, seeing the prime minister, defense minister, other senior officials. But as always, a pleasure to start the day with you.

And let me say, finally, that we mourn the losses that the president has just shared over the last 24 hours.

Thank you.

PRESIDENT HERZOG: Thank you very much.





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New Delhi, Aug 20 (UNI) The Congress party on Tuesday paid rich tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 80th birth anniversary.

While remembering the former Prime Minister, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said in a post on X that he was a great son of India, who ignited a ray of hope in crores of Indians and, with his unprecedented contribution, brought India into the 21st century.

"His many notable initiatives, like lowering the voting age to 18 years, strengthening the Panchayati Raj, the telecom and IT revolution, computerisation programmes, continuing peace accords, women empowerment, universal immunisation programme and new education policy with emphasis on inclusive education brought about transformational changes in the country," Kharge said.

Earlier, party leaders, including Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal, Rajiv Shukla, and others, paid rich tributes to the former Prime Minister at the Central Hall, Samvidhan Sadan.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on his social media handle X said, "A compassionate personality, an epitome of camaraderie and goodwill."

"Papa, your teachings are my inspiration, and your dreams for India are my own - I will fulfill them, with your memories in my thought," Rahul said.

UNI RBE ARN CS1531
Bangladesh vows to continue to support Muslim Rohingya refugees

Iran Press TV

Monday, 19 August 2024 11:07 AM

Bangladesh's new leader Muhammad Yunus has vowed to continue to support the Muslim Rohingya refugees living in his country.

"Our government will continue to support the million-plus Rohingya people sheltered in Bangladesh," Yunus said Sunday in his first major policy address.

"We need the sustained efforts of the international community for Rohingya humanitarian operations and their eventual repatriation to their homeland, Myanmar, with safety, dignity, and full rights," he added.

The Muslim-minority Rohingya community has been subjected to persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar for decades. Nearly a million of them have fled their homes following a military-led genocide in 2017.

Close to a million Rohingya refugees are currently residing in overcrowded camps located in the Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh, which shares a border with Myanmar, while many seeking asylum have scattered throughout neighboring countries like India.

The military leaders in Myanmar consider the Rohingya people as outsiders and have refused to grant them citizenship.

The 84-year-old Yunus, who took office after a student-led revolution toppled his predecessor prime minister Sheikh Hasina, also stressed that Dhaka will maintain support for the country's vital garment trade, as suppliers shifted orders out of the country.

"We won't tolerate any attempt to disrupt the global clothing supply chain, in which we are a key player," Yunus said.

Bangladesh's 3,500 garment factories account for about 85 percent of its $55 billion in annual exports.

Bangladesh's protests began in early July against a quota system that reserved over half of all government jobs for certain groups. The unrest later escalated into wider calls for Hasina's resignation.

More than 450 people died and thousands of people were arrested as security forces sought to quell the unrest.

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New junta 'security' committee would arm Myanmar's local communities

A leaked document describes a body tasked with 'expanding forces' at the ward and village level.

By RFA Burmese 2024.08.19 -- Myanmar's junta has set up a committee to oversee security in the country's villages and wards by arming and training troops, according to a recently leaked document, but observers say the move is aimed at "tricking people into joining the military" and will create greater instability in local communities.

Amid mounting battlefield losses since its 2021 coup d'etat, the junta enacted a draft law in February to shore up troop shortages and has since trained around 9,000 recruits, with more conscripts on the way. But the military has been devastated on the ground and can't draft soldiers fast enough to fill the void created by casualties and defections.

According to a document signed by junta Secretary General Aung Lin Dwe and leaked on Facebook, the military on Aug. 16 formed the People's Security and Counter-Terrorism Central Committee to establish and arm "supervisory bodies" in the capital Naypyidaw, as well as other regions, states, districts and townships.

The committee will distribute weapons and other military equipment according to the needs of conflict zones, the document says, as well as provide food and conduct combat and medic training, although it does not specify who will receive the supplies.

Additionally, the committee will be tasked with "expanding forces" and "recruiting experts capable of using high-tech military equipment."

But experts on the ground predicted that ultimately the plan will get more weapons into the hands of civilians - essentially arming them to fight the rebels.

"They [the junta] have realized that they no longer have the capacity for battles, and that more troops will surrender," said Zin Yaw, a former army captain who advises the opposition. "They are attempting to trick people into joining the military to serve as human shields."

True intentions?

The junta has made no public announcement of the committee's formation and attempts by RFA Burmese to contact junta spokesperson Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment went unanswered Monday.

But a former military officer confirmed the committee's formation for the purpose of increasing "security" in Myanmar's wards and villages, where he said residents are under regular threat of danger from conflict.

"Any government can only carry out military operations successfully when security prevails in local communities," said the former officer, who spoke to RFA on condition of anonymity due to safety concerns. "I assume that the [junta] officials formed this committee after realizing this."

RFA has received reports of civilians being forcibly recruited to the Pyu Saw Htee - a militia group formed by the junta in 2022 under the pretext of maintaining peace and stability in rural areas.

In reality, the bands have been responsible for some of the junta's worst atrocities in its scorched earth offensive against the armed opposition. The proxy groups regularly torch villages, loot property, and torture and kill residents, allowing the military to claim that its regular troops do not target civilians.

The establishment of the People's Security and Counter-Terrorism Central Committee, as outlined in the leaked document, may be the clearest evidence to date of the junta's efforts to arm and train civilian proxy forces under the guise of security enforcement.

Violence will increase under plan

Maung Maung Swe, the deputy secretary of the shadow National Unity Government's ministry of defense, agreed that the plan shows the junta is becoming more desperate amid worsening troop shortages.

"There are several reasons for the formation of this committee, but the primary one is the deteriorating situation of the ... junta on multiple fronts," he said.

But he suggested that the logistical requirements of such a roll-out make it "unlikely to succeed" and come with the risk of arming communities opposed to military rule.

"Even if military equipment were provided, it could very well backfire," he said.

Other observers warned that funneling weapons into local communities would inevitably worsen the conflict.

"Arming communities will lead to an increase in urban violent attacks, as well as greater instability and complications within those communities," said political commentator Than Soe Naing.

According to the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners, which monitors the conflict in Myanmar, junta authorities have killed at least 5,518 civilians since the military seized power more than three years ago.

Translated by Aung Khin. 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.

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Myanmar military launches heavy airstrikes to recapture town from rebels

Tens of thousands of people are forced from their homes in the latest fighting in Sagaing.

By RFA Burmese 2024.08.19 -- Myanmar junta forces launched air strikes to drive pro-democracy insurgents out of a town hours after they captured it, insurgents said on Monday, while elsewhere about 20,000 people fled from another town after anti-junta fighters launched an offensive to capture it.

Myanmar's military has in recent months come under unprecedented pressure from pro-democracy guerrillas and allied ethnic minority forces battling to end army rule after the ouster of an elected government in a 2021 coup.

Fighters in a People's Defense Force, or PDF, one of numerous militias that have sprung up around the country to battle the military since the 2021 coup, captured the town of Tabayin in the Sagaing region early on Sunday but the junta responded with fierce air attacks.

"We had to retreat or be badly hit by the airstrikes. They were continuously striking by air," Bo Kyar Gyi, the leader of Tabayin-based PDF, told Radio Free Asia.

The military tried to send reinforcements to the town, about 120 km (75 miles) north of the city of the city of Mandalay, under cover of fire from an Mi-35 attack helicopter, which was believed to have been sent from the Northwestern Regional Command headquarters in the town of Monya, he said.

RFA telephoned Nyunt Win Aung, a junta council spokesman, to ask about the situation at Tabayin and elsewhere in the Sagaing region but he declined to comment, saying he was too busy to talk.

PDF joint forces captured the town of about 14,000 people after four days of attacks on six positions where the military and junta-backed militia forces were stationed, a PDF under a shadow civilian government, the National Unity Government, said in a statement.

The last junta soldiers abandoned their positions early on Sunday and pro-democracy forces captured two pro-junta militia members along with 123 junta administration workers and their relatives. PDF members said more than 20 junta soldiers and pro-junta militia members and two PDF members were killed in the fighting.

Many houses and other buildings were destroyed in Tabayin town in the airstrikes, residents and PDF members said.

'Everyone has fled'

The fighting had died down by Monday and junta troops were deployed in three monasteries -- Mya Thein Tan, Kone Thar Oo and Poba Yone -- because the town's police compound was destroyed in the bombing, they said.

Tabayin is a hub with roads linking it to Monywa, Ye-U, Budalin, Ayadaw, Kani and Shwebo townships. One resident estimated that about 20,000 people, including residents of villages along the main road to Ye-U, had fled from their homes.

To the north, about 20,000 people had fled from the town of Indaw, 250 km (155 miles) north of Mandalay, after PDF fighters launched an offensive to capture it, residents said.

The insurgents launched their attack on Indaw's police and military positions on Friday and junta forces had responded with airstrikes there too, they said.

"The military junta bombarded the town with planes and everyone has fled," said one resident who declined to be identified.

"Most people fled towards Kachin state. No one's left in the town," said the resident, adding that he had no information about casualties.

Indaw is on the main road between Mandaly and Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin state in the north.

The United Nations says about 3 million people have been forced from their homes by conflict in Myanmar, many since fighting increased significantly at the beginning of the year.

Editing by RFA Staff.

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.

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Widespread floods and uptick in fighting deepen humanitarian crisis in Myanmar

By Vibhu Mishra

19 August 2024 - A surge in conflict combined with torrential rains and floods is deepening the crisis in Myanmar, leading to a surge in displacement, UN humanitarians have said.

Overflowing rivers have submerged towns and villages, impacting nearly 400,000 people, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported.

Critical infrastructure has been damaged - including roads and railways - along with wide swaths of cropland, threatening both livelihoods and food security.

"Across Myanmar, people are facing the painful consequences of widespread conflict and devastating disaster. The spiralling crisis has pushed many people into survival mode," the Office of the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator said in a statement on Monday, applauding aid workers and host communities.

"Local and national humanitarian organizations are at the forefront of this response, showing tireless determination to help those in need...Host communities across Myanmar are providing crucial support...They are often the first responders in this crisis and a lifeline to affected people," the statement added.

More than three million displaced

Across Myanmar, some 3.3 million people are internally displaced, with many living without proper shelter and in areas affected by fighting, such as Sagaing province in the north, which hosts about 1.25 million.

Fresh fighting has been also reported there, as security forces launched a fresh offensive against ethnic armed groups opposing the military junta, forcing about 10,000 people to flee their homes this month alone.

Clashes also displaced thousands in the country's third most populous province of Mandalay, including in the capital Mandalay City.

Clashes have also intensified in Rakhine state, the site of a brutal crackdown by the military against the minority Muslim Rohingya community in 2017 that claimed thousands of lives and drove several hundred thousand more into neighbouring Bangladesh as refugees.

Across the country, more than 18.6 million people - about a third of the population - urgently require humanitarian assistance, including six million children.

The situation in Myanmar has been in a freefall since the military overthrew the elected government in February 2021 and imprisoned top leaders, including President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

Spike in deadly diseases

Meanwhile, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) reported a sharp rise in cases of cholera and acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) in parts of Myanmar, including in Yangon, the country's largest city and business hub.

More than 2,400 people have been hospitalized in the city and nearby areas for AWD, with cholera confirmed in some of the cases, the agency said earlier this month, citing national health authorities.

A "notable surge" is also reported in Rakhine state, including patients suffering from severe dehydration as a result. The presence of cholera has also been confirmed in an unspecified number of cases.

In response, WHO has offered trainings on infection prevention and control to partners in Yangon. It also supplied some 500 oral rehydration salt kits and 201 40-kilogramme drums of bleaching power to civil society and health authorities.

The agency cautioned that there is a lack of access to real-time disaggregated data which is proving a major impediment to effective planning and disease response.



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Pakistan: Gunfight with militants near Afghan border kills 3 troops

By Ayaz Gul August 19, 2024

Pakistan reported Monday that at least three soldiers had been killed in clashes with militants attempting to cross over from Afghanistan.

A military statement said that Pakistani forces had intercepted the predawn infiltration attempt in the Bajaur border district and "effectively engaged and thwarted" it. The ensuing intense gunfight also killed five assailants and wounded several others, it added.

The reported militant casualties could not be immediately confirmed by independent sources, nor were there any claims of responsibility for the attempted incursion.

However, the military blamed fugitive militants associated with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a globally designated terrorist organization, for carrying out the attack from their bases on the Afghan side of the border.

"Pakistan has consistently been asking [the] interim Afghan government to ensure effective border management on their side of the border," the military stated, referring to the neighboring country's de facto Taliban rulers.

The statement renewed Islamabad's call for Kabul to "fulfill its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by Khwarij (official reference to TTP in local language) for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan."

Taliban authorities deny the Pakistani allegations, asserting they have secured and "firmly" control the entire Afghan territory.

"Afghanistan is not a threat to any country," Taliban-run state TV quoted Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy government spokesperson, as saying Monday.

"The Islamic Emirate has made it clear that it does not allow the territory of Afghanistan to be used against the security of any other nation," Fitrat stated, using the official title of their government, which is not recognized by any country.

Pakistan has reported a dramatic surge in TTP attacks in the country since the Taliban reclaimed power in Kabul three years ago. The violence has killed and wounded several thousand civilians and security forces, according to official and independent reports.

The rise in militancy has strained relations between the two countries, sharing a nearly 2,600-kilometer (1,616-mile) border.

The United Nations has backed Islamabad's complaints and, in a security assessment released last month, described TTP as "the largest terrorist group" in Afghanistan.

The report stated that up to 6,500 TTP militants operate on Afghan soil with the growing support of the Taliban government to launch cross-border attacks in Pakistan. The U.N. noted that the militants are being equipped and trained in al-Qaida-run training camps in Afghanistan.

The de facto Kabul authorities dismissed the U.N. findings as propaganda at the time.

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South Korea, US kick off military drill amid Pyongyang's criticism

About 19,000 South Korean military personnel will participate in the drills from Monday to Thursday.

By Taejun Kang for RFA 2024.08.19 -- South Korea and the United States began annual military exercises on Monday, seeking to boost their combined defense capabilities against nuclear-armed North Korea, which accused the allies of practicing to invade it.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which will last until Aug. 29, come as North Korea races to advance its nuclear and missile programs and seeks to launch reconnaissance satellites, while boosting its military cooperation with Russia.

The drills will include both computer-simulated war games and more than 40 types of field exercises, including live-fire drills, according to the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

They will also focus on enhancing readiness against various North Korean threats, including missiles, GPS jamming and cyberattack, it added.

About 19,000 South Korean military personnel will participate in the drills, which will be held concurrently with civil defense and evacuation drills from Monday through Thursday that will include programs based on North Korean nuclear attack scenarios.

The U.S. military has not confirmed the number of its troops taking part. There are about 28,500 U.S. military personnel in South Korea.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol urged a thorough readiness posture against North Korea, calling it "the most reckless and irrational country" in the world.

"Through this exercise, we must build up our readiness and capabilities to respond strongly to any North Korean provocations," Yoon told a cabinet meeting, noting the North's recent progress in its nuclear and missile programs, as well as its continued propaganda and incitement against South Korea, including sending balloons carrying trash over the border.

"As the United States and South Korea have safeguarded peace on the Korean Peninsula through an ironclad joint defense posture and a strong deterrent force against North Korea, this exercise will allow us to examine our defense posture in various ways and demonstrate the strength of our alliance," he added.

The exercise began hours after North Korea's foreign ministry issued a statement repeating the North's contention that such exercises are provocative war drills for aggression.

It said North Korea's nuclear ambitions were thus justified, adding that it was crucial to "constantly maintain the balance of power for preventing a war by stockpiling the greatest deterrence."

South Korea and the U.S. did not immediately comment on the North Korean statement but described their joint drills as defensive in nature adding that they have been expanding and upgrading their training in recent years to cope with the North's evolving threats.

During last year's exercises, Pyongyang conducted ballistic missile tests that it described as simulating scorched earth nuclear strikes on South Korean targets.

Edited by RFA Staff.

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.

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South Korea appoints escapee as 'governor' of North Korean province

Once a child beggar, Ji Seong Ho steps into the largely ceremonial role to help support other escapees.

By Han Do Hyung for RFA Korean 2024.08.19 -- A North Korean escapee who served in the South Korean National Assembly has been appointed as governor of his home North Korean province.

Ji Seong-ho, 42, will have no actual authority over North Hamgyong province, in North Korea's northeastern corner, where he grew up on the streets as a beggar child before escaping to China in 2006.

Both the North and South Korean governments claim jurisdiction over the entirety of Korea, and since 1949, Seoul has been appointing governors in what it sees as its territory occupied by the enemy.

In his largely ceremonial role, Ji will mainly help escapees who have resettled in South Korea. However, it is a vice-minister level position under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and will be treated the same as other provincial governors in South Korea.

At the inauguration ceremony last week in Seoul, Ji blasted North Korea's supreme leader, Kim Jong Un.

"A leader who cannot feed people until they are filled is not qualified to be a leader," he said. "As governor, I want to create a world where residents of North Hamgyong province can eat meat soup with rice."

Meat and rice are easy to come by in South Korea, but for North Koreans frequent food shortages mean that anything other than dried corn is considered a luxury.

Seeking unification

Ji also said he would actively support South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's North Korea policy, which aims at denuclearization and improving the human rights of residents in the North.

"As governor, I will do my best to make this a reality," he said. "Even if North Korea's Workers Party General Secretary Kim Jong Un does not want unification, South Korea wants unification and is prepared for it."

After resettling in South Korea, Ji became involved in the North Korean escapee community, founding Now Action & Unity for Human rights, a non-governmental organization that advocates for escapees, in 2010.

Ten years later, he won a seat in the National Assembly, and served a term in that role until 2024.

In his address last week, Ji urged North Korean officials in charge of North Hamgyong Province to "accept liberal democracy" and encouraged North Korean residents to "wake up and stand up."

"I will play an important role in improving the lives of North Korean people and protecting their human rights," he said. "If unification is achieved, a world will open where we can live like human beings."

Most North Korean escapees who settled in South Korea have come from North Hamgyong, Ji said.

An escapee going by the pseudonym Park said he found Ji's story inspiring.

"North Korean people probably won't believe at all that a North Korean escapee who used to be a kotjebi (child beggars) came to this country and became a member of the National Assembly and even a governor," Park said. "I hope that all of this can be conveyed" to people in the North.

Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong 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.

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Russian-Azerbaijani talks

Vladimir Putin and President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held talks at the Zagulba Residence.

August 19, 2024

14:50

Baku

The talks began in a restricted format and continued in an expanded format.

Later the presidents oversaw the exchange of signed intergovernmental agreements and other documents.

The documents signed include intergovernmental agreements on cooperation in healthcare, medical education and science, as well as plant quarantine and protection. Additionally, the relevant agencies of both countries signed an agreement on cooperation in food safety.

The sides also signed interagency memorandums of understanding with regard to climate change, low-carbon development, and labour inspection, as well as a Memorandum of Understanding between the Russian Direct Investment Fund and the Export and Investment Promotion Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev adopted a Joint Statement.

The presidents also made statements for the media.

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Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev made statements for the media

Following bilateral talks, the leaders of Russia and Azerbaijan made statements for the media.

August 19, 2024

15:00

Baku

An exchange of documents signed during Vladimir Putin's state visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan was conducted in the presence of the heads of state.

The documents signed include intergovernmental agreements on cooperation in healthcare, medical education and science, as well as plant quarantine and protection. Additionally, the relevant agencies of both countries signed an agreement on cooperation in food safety.

The sides also signed interagency memorandums of understanding with regard to climate change, low-carbon development, and labour inspection, as well as a Memorandum of Understanding between the Russian Direct Investment Fund and the Export and Investment Promotion Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

* * *

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev: Mr Putin, ladies and gentlemen, friends,

Once again, I would like to warmly welcome our dear guests. The President of the Russian Federation is here on a state visit to Azerbaijan, which holds particular significance. Our top-level meetings are a regular occurrence: this year alone, we have met twice - once in Moscow and once during an international event. However, a state visit is a special occasion, underscoring the high level of our interstate relations.

The documents adopted today, particularly the presidents' Joint Declaration, reaffirm the friendly and allied nature of our relationship.

The provisions of the Declaration on Allied Interaction, signed in February 2022, are being effectively implemented. Our countries continue to act as allies, friends, close partners and neighbours.

Today, we thoroughly discussed a broad spectrum of interstate relations. The diversity of our delegations alone highlights the extensive range of activities undertaken by our interstate agencies.

We conducted a detailed analysis of trade and economic relations, noting that the growth in trade, both last year and in the first half of this year, reflects significant potential for further cooperation. Last year, we surpassed the US$4 billion mark, and we agreed that this is definitely not the limit.

Cultural and humanitarian cooperation remains a key focus of our partnership. In Azerbaijan, 324 schools offer instruction in Russian, educating around 160,000 students. Additionally, over 800,000 students study Russian as a second language. Russian-language departments function in 26 Azerbaijani universities, accommodating more than 15,000 students.

Branches of Lomonosov Moscow State University and Sechenov Medical University are also thriving. Today, we discussed further advancing our cooperation in the field of education.

During our meeting held in a restricted format, we delved into regional security issues. Since September of last year, a completely new situation has emerged - Azerbaijan has fully restored its sovereignty and territorial integrity. This new reality naturally presents fresh opportunities for establishing strong and lasting peace in the South Caucasus. The stability and security of the entire South Caucasus region heavily rely on close cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan.

We also thoroughly examined the progress of the North-South project, which is crucial for our interstate relations and for matters concerning regional transport corridors and routes.

I must say that both railway and road sections of the North-South corridor have been successfully launched on the territory of Azerbaijan. Today, we are working actively to upgrade the railway section of this corridor in order to increase its capacity. This means a possibility of transporting 15 million tonnes of cargo or more, up to 30 million, per year, which is quite realistic. In this case, I hope that both Russia and Azerbaijan and other participants in this corridor will continue their activities together.

I must also say that this year we have already allocated about US$120 million (in dollar equivalent) of funds to upgrade this railway section in order to reach the required capacity.

There are 20 daily flights between various cities of Russia and Azerbaijan. I must say that even during the Soviet era there were not so many mutual flights. Moreover, they are distributed approximately equally between Azerbaijani and Russian carriers, which proves that contacts between people are regular. Today, we also see an increase in mutual visits between the two countries' citizens.

As for the energy sector, the situation was analysed in detail both in the oil and gas sector and in the power industry. We are actively working in this area, and I am confident that we will continue to coordinate our activities.

We have also discussed an issue, which is of concern to both sides: the ecological situation on the Caspian Sea and its drastic shallowing.

From the window of the room where we were holding talks, I showed President Putin the rocks that were underwater just two years ago, and today are already a metre above the surface. We can see this happening along the entire coast of the Absheron Peninsula and more, along the entire coast of Azerbaijan. We have agreed to jointly analyse the situation and outline ways both in a bilateral and five-party format in order to prevent a potential environmental disaster. That is, we can already see this environmental disaster with the naked eye.

I have thanked the President of Russia and the Russian side in general for supporting Azerbaijan as a candidate venue to hold the COP-29 Climate Change Conference [of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change]. Russia's support was extremely important, and we are now working on issues related to the preparation of this climate conference, including in the bilateral format.

I would like to extend my gratitude once again, Mr President, for accepting my invitation and coming to Azerbaijan on a state visit. This is a historical visit without a doubt, which will make a significant contribution to promoting the relations of friendship and alliance between our countries.

Thank you for your attention.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Aliyev, friends, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to express my gratitude to Mr Aliyev once again for the invitation to make a state visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan. It is a pleasure to be on the welcoming soil of Azerbaijan and to admire the remarkable sights of Baku, which has flourished under your leadership.

I want to emphasise that Russia attaches great importance to developing a comprehensive and friendly relationship with Azerbaijan. This relationship is based on the principles of equality, respect for each other's interests, and, of course, the close personal and cultural ties that have brought our nations together for centuries now.

During our talks today - and actually yesterday too since they began yesterday - I want to express my gratitude for the warm, almost familial atmosphere created for our meetings and joint work. Today, we have continued our business discussions in the same positive environment. During our talks, we addressed a broad spectrum of bilateral issues in a thorough and professional manner.

The Joint Statement we adopted outlines ambitious goals for advancing our bilateral relations dynamically. Additionally, the documents signed today will support the achievement of these goals.

During the talks, we paid great attention to stepping up mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation, which is natural, because Russia and Azerbaijan are important economic partners for each other. As I said at the beginning of our meeting today, trade has exceeded US$4 billion and is steadily growing, adding 17 percent in the first six months of this year. Furthermore, over US$4 billion has been directly invested in the Azerbaijani economy. The presence of nearly 1,300 enterprises [with Russian participation] in the Azerbaijani market indicates positive development and a promising outlook.

The President of Azerbaijan has just spoken about the areas in which we are working. Each of them has strategic importance for us.

The key economic cooperation issues are constantly monitored by our colleagues on the intergovernmental commission. Its latest meeting, held in Baku ahead of our visit, was highly productive.

As I have mentioned, Russia is among the largest investors [in the Azerbaijani economy], and we are very pleased with this.

Russian companies feel quite comfortable operating in the Azerbaijani market. Companies such as LUKOIL and KAMAZ, which have set up assembly production, have already been mentioned. Sollers and UAZ vehicles are being produced. These endeavours have been successful and offer further opportunities for development. We appreciate the efforts of Azerbaijani authorities to create favourable conditions for their work.

In February, Transmashholding signed another contract to produce a large batch of Russian cars for the Baku metro. I hope that those who will use these trains will also be satisfied.

As President Aliyev also mentioned, Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation, together with the Baku Shipyard, is launching the construction of modern river-sea class tankers for the transportation of petroleum products. Their use, including along the Azov-Black Sea and Caspian routes, will significantly increase the supply of energy resources to global markets.

I would like to especially note our joint plans regarding the implementation of the North-South project. This will allow us to reach the shores of the Indian Ocean and use these routes for mutual benefit and mutual interest.

Cultural ties are actively expanding. In June, Azerbaijan successfully hosted Days of Russian Culture, featuring exhibitions, concerts, theatrical performances, and other vibrant cultural events.

As per tradition, we would like to invite our Azerbaijani friends to take part in the 10th St Petersburg International Cultural Forum this September.

The Russian language is used widely and freely in Azerbaijan. We can feel that this trend is consistently supported by the leadership of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Mr President, thank you for this attention to the Russian language. There are more than 300 schools providing instruction in Russian in the country, and branches of Moscow State University and Sechenov Moscow Medical University have been opened.

We have just discussed the initiative to establish a Russian-Azerbaijani university in Baku during the expanded-format meeting. The President of Azerbaijan has supported this idea. I hope that we will implement it fairly quickly. St Petersburg State University is ready to join this project from our part.

Russia is also doing a lot to train highly qualified personnel for Azerbaijan. Today, about 8,000 young Azerbaijanis are studying at Russian universities, including more than a thousand at the expense of the Russian federal budget.

Our countries honour the feat that the Soviet people accomplished during the Great Patriotic War. The people of Russia and Azerbaijan remember how our fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers defended our common Motherland together and made a decisive contribution to saving the world from Nazism. President Aliyev and I agreed to celebrate the upcoming 80th anniversary of our common Great Victory on a grand scale.

As I said, a number of issues on the regional agenda were also considered during the talks, certainly taking into account the role that Azerbaijan plays in the Caspian region and in Transcaucasia.

We also touched upon current international developments. In foreign policy, both our countries firmly adhere to the principles of the supremacy of international law, the sovereignty of states and non-interference in their internal affairs.

Russia and Azerbaijan closely coordinate their efforts at key multilateral platforms, including the United Nations and naturally, the Commonwealth of Independent States. We will be delighted to see the President of Azerbaijan at the meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council in Moscow in October, as well as at the outreach meeting to be held in the same month as part of the BRICS summit in Kazan.

We could not fail to discuss the current state of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. I would like to emphasise that Russia will continue to make utmost efforts towards the normalisation of Azerbaijani-Armenian interaction and the conclusion of a peace treaty based on the well-known trilateral agreements reached by the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia between 2020 and 2022.

We are also ready to assist in the delimitation and demarcation of the border, considering that we have the relevant documents dating back to the days of the Soviet Union, the unblocking of cross-border routes, and the establishment of humanitarian contacts.

We believe that lasting peace and stability in the South Caucasus fully meet the fundamental interests of all nations in this region.

In conclusion, I would like to underscore once again that we are certainly satisfied with the results of the visit. I am sure that the talks held and the agreements reached today will serve to further strengthen the strategic partnership between Russia and Azerbaijan.

Thank you for your attention.

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Beginning of Russia-Azerbaijan talks in expanded format

August 19, 2024

14:10

Baku

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev: Mr President, delegation members, once again, I warmly welcome you to Azerbaijan.

Yesterday and today, we reviewed the bilateral agenda, addressing numerous key issues of our cooperation. Now, we will continue our discussions in expanded format.

First and foremost, I want to extend another warm welcome to you. While this is not your first visit to Azerbaijan, it is your first state visit, and it holds exceptional importance for the advancement of our bilateral relations.

Today, we have already shared our views and expressed satisfaction with the progress of relations between our countries, relations between friends, neighbours, and allies. We observe positive developments across all areas. The composition of our delegations is also quite telling, reflecting the breadth of our discussions and the growing scope of our mutual activities. The range of topics for cooperation continues to expand every year.

We are dedicated to enhancing our cooperation across all areas, and I am confident that your visit will be an important step forward in further strengthening the bonds between our countries and peoples.

Once again, welcome.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much, Mr President.

Thank you very much for the invitation. As you have noted, our delegation is highly representative, as is yours. The Government of the Russian Federation is here in nearly full composition.

We have already mentioned that just ten days ago, the intergovernmental commission held a meeting, which confirmed that our relations are progressing. Moreover, it was noted that we fully honour the provisions of the 2022 Declaration, as well as the agreements reached during your visit last April.

Working with such a large delegation allows us to plan for the near future more effectively. Even though our discussions were held in a restricted format, we have already addressed several top-priority issues.

We still need to sign a number of documents. Our colleagues have had the chance - both informally yesterday evening, as we did, and throughout the day today - to engage with one another and outline the next steps.

So, thank you very much.

<...>

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New Delhi, Aug 19 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defence Minister Minoru Kihara ahead of the third India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers Meeting here tomorrow.

In a post on X, the PM said they took stock of the progress made in bilateral defence and security ties, and reaffirmed the crucial role the partnership plays in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

Delighted to meet Japanese Foreign Minister @Kamikawa_Yoko and Defense Minister @kihara_minoru ahead of the 3rd India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting.

Took stock of the progress made in India-Japan defense and security ties. Reaffirmed the role India-Japan partnership plays in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

According to a readout of the meeting:

Foreign Minister Kamikawa and Defense Minister Kihara are on a visit to India to hold the 3rd round of India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defense Ministerial meeting.

Prime Minister welcomed the Japanese Ministers and underscored the importance of holding 2+2 meeting in the context of increasingly complex regional and global order, and deepening ties between India and Japan.

Prime Minister shared his thoughts and ideas on closer cooperation between trusted friends like India and Japan, especially in areas like critical minerals, semiconductors and defence manufacturing.

They took stock of progress made in various areas of bilateral cooperation including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Prime Minister highlighted the crucial role India-Japan partnership plays in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

Prime Minister also stressed upon the importance of strengthening economic cooperation and enhancing people-to-people ties between India and Japan.

He looked forward to a rich and result-oriented visit to Japan for the next Summit of the two Prime Ministers, the statement said.

UNI RN
Meeting with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev

Vladimir Putin and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held a meeting at the Zagulba Presidential Residence.

August 19, 2024

12:10

Baku

Taking part in the restricted-format talks on the Russian side were Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister, Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan Alexei Overchuk, and Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov.

On the Azerbaijani side, the talks were attended by Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, and Presidential Aide Hikmet Hajiyev.

* * *

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev: Mr President,

Once again, I warmly welcome you to Azerbaijan.

Our meetings are regular, and we have already met twice this year. Today, as part of your state visit, we continue our dialogue. In fact, we began our discussions yesterday with an in-depth exchange of views on key issues of our bilateral agenda and regional security. Today, we will carry on with these discussions in both restricted and expanded formats.

I want to note that we are very pleased with the level of cooperation between our countries. The Declaration on Allied Cooperation, which we signed in February 2022, is being effectively implemented in both the political and economic areas. We are witnessing positive developments and strong results.

Naturally, our cooperation extends to the energy and transport sectors. We pay special attention to cooperation in humanitarian sphere and in many other areas, so today we will thoroughly review the agenda once more.

I am sure that your visit will be both enjoyable for you and beneficial for our relations. Once again, welcome.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much, Mr President.

First of all, I would like to thank you very much for the invitation. We have agreed on this visit a long time ago, and I am pleased to be in Baku to once again enjoy the city that continues to impress with its development, something you and your spouse devote significant attention to, as I know from personal experience. It is clear that the city is flourishing and emerging as a vibrant oasis in the region.

Our relations are progressing guided by the Declaration we signed in early 2022. Its successful implementation has been further bolstered by your visit to Moscow this past April, which gave a strong boost to our bilateral ties.

Our trade and economic relations are developing successfully. I agree with what you said at our last meeting in Russia that the US$4 billion plus was a good indicator, but it does not correspond to our potential. It is true that we can discuss not just the energy sector, but also industrial cooperation, transport, logistics, and the light industry. There are many areas in which we can work together.

The figure of over US$4 billion of direct Russian investments in the Azerbaijani economy is also a good indicator. There are over 1,270 enterprises with Russian capital operating in Azerbaijan, and, of course, this is not the limit.

As for humanitarian ties, we believe they are very important and would like to thank you for the attention you devote to promoting the Russian language. There are 300 schools that teach Russian, as well as branches of our leading higher educational institutions operating in Azerbaijan. Thousands of young Azerbaijanis are studying at leading Russian universities, and we are ready to expand this cooperation.

An intergovernmental commission is working successfully. Recently, just ten days ago, Baku hosted its regular meeting. It is working well.

I know that the Days of Russian Culture were held in Azerbaijan in June 2024. Thank you very much for organising this event.

There is also the settlement process in the South Caucasus, a topic that we mentioned yesterday and continue to discuss today.

It is widely known that Russia is also facing crises, first of all on the Ukrainian track. However, Russia's historical involvement in the events in the South Caucasus, even during the recent years, makes it necessary for us to participate where needed by the sides, without a doubt.

If there is anything we can do to facilitate the signing of a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, to reach a delimitation or demarcation of the border, and resolve logistical and economic issues, as previously discussed on multiple occasions, we are more than willing to assist.

Once I return from my visit to Azerbaijan, I will contact Prime Minister [Nikol] Pashinyan and inform him about the outcomes of our talks.

I know well that Azerbaijan aims to complete all procedures for a full settlement. We will discuss this.

Overall, I would like to once again thank you for the invitation. I am sure that this will be a highly useful discussion, and I can also see that the situation in the city is favourable. We like Baku. It is a beautiful city, and most importantly, it is developing in a way that many other large cities could only envy.

Ilham Aliyev: Thank you very much.

<...>

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Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's answers to questions from Izvestia television channel, Baku, August 19, 2024

19 August 2024 14:23

1547-19-08-2024

Question: What are the questions Germany must answer regarding the Nord Stream pipelines?

Sergey Lavrov: Germany must answer all the questions. They categorically refuse to share facts they have at their disposal, and must stop doing so. When they fail to provide the information we are requesting from them via official channels, while it surfaces in newspapers - with as many as three German and one US title spreading the news - this suggests that it was all a set-up. This whole operation was designed to mislead the German and international public opinion in order to shield the actual perpetrators, the culprits and those who ordered the terrorist attacks. We will insist on carrying out a transparent international investigation.

What a shame for Germany to just silently swallow the fact that it was deprived of what formed the long-term foundation for its energy security and economic prosperity. For many decades, stable supplies of Russian gas at affordable prices served as a key factor in the country's development. But Berlin accepted the attacks without saying anything.

Today, we are witnessing attempts to shift the blame on some officers, alleging that they invited some business executives for a drink and then either hired someone, or decided to take up diving on their own. This is not serious. Even if some of those who were mentioned by the German media (it talked about Ukrainians) was involved in one way or another, it is clear that they could not do it on their own. They needed an order coming from the very top in order to carry out an attack of this kind. For the West, this means from Washington.

Question: Considering the invasion of the Kursk Region and reports that there could be a provocation involving a dirty bomb, can Ukraine be viewed as a terrorist state? Can we plead with the international organisations to designate Ukraine as such?

Sergey Lavrov: In international organisations, the decision-making mechanism requires approval by the member states. The West has veto power within the UN Security Council, which means that they would block any decision, which runs counter to the interests of their puppets in Kiev.

It is clear for us that this is a Nazi, terrorist regime resulting from a government coup organised with the direct support of the United States. Those who came to power in February 2014, rushed to declare war on their own citizens by threatening to ban the Russian language, which they actually did, and to throw the Russians out of Crimea.

The subsequent statements by the Poroshenko and Zelensky regimes, as well as their official representatives, were expressions of genuine Russophobia and hatred towards anything Russian. There is no doubt that this is a criminal regime.

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Opening ceremony of Selenga 2024 joint Russian-Mongolian military exercise held in Mongolia

19.08.2024

The opening ceremony of the Selenga 2024 joint Russian-Mongolian military exercise was held in Mongolia The ceremony was held at a field camp near the town of Choibalsan.

This is the first time that Mongolia has hosted a joint exercise involving the armed forces of a foreign state.

At the opening ceremony, the national flags were raised and the anthems of both participating states were performed. The right to raise the flag of the joint exercise was given to tactical group commanders Ravil Tukayev and Boldasaikhan Galbarakh.

'I am convinced that the upcoming exercise will be a continuation of the glorious traditions of our grandfathers and fathers, will contribute to better and more fruitful cooperation aimed at strengthening security in the region and raising Russian-Mongolian relations to a new level,' Colonel Ivan Taraev, Assistant Commander of the Eastern Military District troops, addressed the audience.

He also congratulated the exercise participants on the transition of the tactical level of the event to a joint level. Ivan Tarayev noted that almost all military branches were present at the opening.

It is worth noting that the Selenga 2024 joint Russian-Mongolian exercise is given special importance. It is aimed at combating international terrorism and is being held on the eve of the 85th anniversary of the victory of Soviet-Mongolian troops over militaristic Japan during the battle on the Khalkhin Gol River.

The official part of the opening ceremony was followed by a rich programme of cultural events with the participation of creative teams from Russia and Mongolia, as well as military personnel of the two countries.

For the first time this year, the joint exercise involves units of the Land Forces, Aerospace Forces and Special Forces of Russia and Mongolia. About 700 servicemen will take part in the event and about 200 units of military equipment will be deployed.

Department for Media Affairs and Information

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Strengthening Russia's Northern Fleet Capabilities is Priority in Arctic - Kremlin Aide

Sputnik News

20240819

MURMANSK, Russia (Sputnik) - Strengthening the combat readiness of the Northern Fleet against the background of the growing military presence of the West in the Arctic is one of the priorities of ensuring Russia's national interests in this region, Russian presidential aide Nikolai Patrushev said on Monday.

"Strengthening the capabilities of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, including increasing the combat readiness of the Northern Fleet... is one of the priorities of ensuring national interests in the Arctic," Patrushev said in Murmansk at a meeting on ensuring Russia's national interests in the Arctic.

The United States and its allies have blocked Russia's chairmanship of the Arctic Council, the aide noted.

"The United States and its allies have in fact blocked Russia's chairmanship of the Arctic Council," Patrushev said at the meeting.

Russia is ready for dialogue and constructive cooperation with Arctic countries based on respect for its interests, the official said.

"At the same time, we are ready to resume dialogue and constructive interaction and cooperation with the Arctic states in the interests of peaceful development of the Arctic based on respect for our national interests," he added.

A Sputnik

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Russia Files Claim Against Germany on Nord Stream Blasts Probe

Sputnik News

20240819

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia has officially filed a claim against Germany regarding the investigation into the Nord Stream bombing, Oleg Tyapkin, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Third European Department, said in an interview with Sputnik.

Russia is seeking to hold talks on Germany fulfilling its international obligations in the fight against terrorism, Tyapkin added.

"The German authorities have put one of the alleged perpetrators of terrorist attacks in the Baltic Sea, who is a citizen of Ukraine, on the wanted list. Judging by the fact that the German media has long and methodically promoted the narrative that these individuals were not associated with any state, the German investigation will also be closed without identifying the true order givers of the Nord Stream bombings. That is, in fact, Germany will let it slide," he said.

Russia does not intend to put up with this state of affairs, Tyapkin said.

"We have raised the issue of Germany and other affected countries fulfilling their obligations under the UN anti-terrorist conventions. We have officially made corresponding claims on this matter bilaterally, including to Berlin. We are seeking to hold negotiations in accordance with current international regulations. Our further steps will depend on the reaction of the West," he emphasized.

German media reported earlier that the German prosecutor's office had issued an arrest warrant for Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Z. in the case of the gas pipeline explosions. One of the publications published his photo, which made it possible to establish that he was a diver Volodymyr Zhuravlev from Kyiv. It is also alleged that his accomplices were a married couple a Svetlana and Yevgeny Uspensky.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the German investigation into the explosions at Nord Stream was focused on the former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valery Zaluzhny, and his aides. The publication said that the CIA had allegedly demanded that Volodymyr Zelensky cancel the order to sabotage the pipelines, which he had agreed to, but Zaluzhny had disobeyed. At the same time, the publication also said, citing sources, that the idea of aablowing up the Nord Streams came to senior Ukrainian officers under the influence of alcohol.

The explosions on two Russian export gas pipelines to Europe a Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 a occurred on September 26, 2022. Germany, Denmark and Sweden did not rule out deliberate sabotage. Nord Stream AG, the operator of Nord Stream AG, said that the destruction of the gas pipelines was unprecedented, and it was impossible to estimate the repair time. The Prosecutor General's Office of Russia initiated a case on an act of international terrorism. Russia has repeatedly requested data on the explosions on the Nord Streams, but has never received it, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

A Sputnik

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PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

ROC Ministry of National Defense

2024/08/20

PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

1.Dateis

6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Monday to Tuesday, Aug. 19-20

2. PLA activitiesis

5 PLA aircraft, and 11 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 1 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities.



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Warship and submarine readiness boost by small British businesses

Small British businesses are to benefit from a new warship and submarine agreement, Defence Minister Maria Eagle has announced today.

19 August 2024

UK SMEs able to bid for work under large new framework.

More than 180,000 different items requiring delivery around the world.

Greater Royal Navy fleet readiness to simultaneously support UK economic growth.

The agreement, which will enhance economic growth across the UK, will also boost overall availability of the UK's warships and submarines. It will see far greater access from the Ministry of Defence directly to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), allowing them to bid for work under a seven-year framework worth up to A850 million.

The Marine Systems Transformation (MaST) programme delivers support and spares to non-combat equipment aboard UK warships and submarines, covering 180,000 different items from propulsion systems to galley equipment.

Across the framework, between a third and half of the suppliers are based outside the south of England with the majority being Midlands or North of England-based, and additional suppliers based in Scotland and Wales.

Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle said:

The spares and repairs that keep our warships submarines at sea are critical, and this agreement will ensure that more British small businesses - from Southampton to Aberdeen - will be at the heart of supporting the Royal Navy. By backing our defence industry, we will keep the nation safe and support more than 200,000 jobs.

Today's changes open the market for 39 companies to bid for work through Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) - the MOD's procurement arm. Greater warship and submarine availability will be delivered through:

Improved access to spare parts, both for planned and unplanned maintenance;

Access to specialist equipment-related technical advice and expertise globally; and

Reductions in cost without compromising safety or availability.

The Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle, announced the new agreement on a visit in Birmingham, to Somers Forge - manufacturer of bespoke naval parts and one of several businesses based in the Midlands that can bid for work under the new framework.

Managing Director of Somers Forge, Samson Folkes said:

Being selected for the MAST framework represents a huge opportunity for our business. We have been a defence supplier since 1912 and are incredibly proud of our heritage supporting the Royal Navy. For Somers Forge, winning contracts through MAST can help us sustain vital jobs and apprenticeships in the Midlands as well as underpin our growth ambitions.

MaST allows direct access to SME suppliers to deliver value for money for the taxpayer and to drive economic growth through defence industry organisations of all sizes across the UK.

Toni Gray, Navy Acquisition, Equipment Support Programmes Director, said:

The MaST frameworks will deliver vital spares, repairs and post design services to support the Royal Navy's fleet of ships and submarines. The frameworks will widen our market, enable us to contract direct to SMEs, and critically, offer never seen before levels of customer choice to how we sustain our key equipment's.

Dr Simon Dakin, DG - Core at DE&S, said:

The MaST frameworks are a game-changer to spares procurement and in service support to Royal Navy warships and submarines. It brings the agility to respond to increasingly uncertain world events and meet a demanding operational schedule while driving value for money in our procurement approach to the goods and services that we just need to deliver repeatably, cost effectively and well.

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August 19, 2024

By Jim Garamone, DOD News

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary: Austin Has Discussed Ukraine's Actions in Russia With Ukrainian Counterpart

U.S. support to Ukraine will continue as Ukrainian service members drive into Russia, said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh today.

Singh told the news media at the Pentagon that Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has spoken with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. The two men "discussed ongoing support from allies and partners in helping meet Ukraine's urgent military requirements," she said. "The secretary reiterated U.S. support for Ukraine and that the two will continue to remain in close contact."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave a description of the objectives of the Ukrainian counteroffensive into Kursk on Saturday. "There have already been several reports by Commander-in-Chief [Ukrainian Col. Gen. Oleksandr] Syrskyi about the frontline situation and our operation in the Kursk region" of Russia, Zelenskyy said in his daily report to the Ukrainian people. "We see that the occupier is suffering losses, and this is helpful a very helpful a for our defense. It is about destroying the logistics of the Russian army and draining their reserves."

Ukrainian forces must inflict maximum damage on all Russian positions, he said. The Ukrainian forces are tenaciously defending the Donbas region even as they advance in Kursk. "We are eliminating the Russian military presence in the area of our operations there and replenishing 'the exchange fund' for our state," he said.

The "exchange fund' is replenishing units with personnel, ammunition and supplies.

The United States will continue to support Ukraine in its fight against the Russians, Singh said. "Our main avenue of supporting Ukraine is through security assistance," she said. "Presidential drawdown packages are going to continue."

Singh said there has been movement of Russian forces in Ukraine, "but I couldn't tell you exactly where they're pulling their forces from."

Zelenskyy said Ukraine will fortify the area in Kursk and use it as a buffer zone to prevent Russian forces from firing into Ukraine. In his Aug. 18 report, he said Ukrainian forces have achieved "good and much-needed results" in destroying Russian equipment.

"All this is more than just defense for Ukraine. It is now our primary task in defensive operations overall to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and conduct maximum counteroffensive actions," he said. "This includes creating a buffer zone on the aggressor's territory: our operation in the Kursk region."

Zelenskyy took an expansive view of actions against Russia. "Everything that inflicts losses on the Russian army, Russian state, their military industrial complex, and their economy helps prevent the war from expanding and brings us closer to a just end to this aggression, a just peace for Ukraine," he said.

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Russia says Ukraine hit 3rd bridge over Seym river in Kursk region

Iran Press TV

Monday, 19 August 2024 2:45 PM

Ukrainian forces have hit a third bridge over the Seym river in Kursk region, as Russia declares a state of emergency in Proletarsk.

"On August 18, as a result of targeted shelling with the use of rocket and artillery weapons against residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in the Karyzh village...a third bridge over the Seym river was damaged," a representative for Russia's Investigative Committee said on Monday.

In their attacks, the Ukrainian forces have used Western rockets, likely US-made HIMARS, to destroy the bridge over the Seym river in the Glushkovo district, according to a statement by the Russian foreign ministry on Friday.

In a separate video statement on Sunday, a representative for Russian investigators said a second bridge over the Seym near the village of Zvannoe in the Kursk region, used to evacuate civilians, had been "damaged" by US-made HIMARS.

Thousands of Ukrainian forces on August 6 invaded neighboring Russia in a surprise attack on the Kursk region.

Russian troops have been fighting the invading Ukrainian forces since, stopping their further advancement deeper into Russian territory.

Ukraine's air force commander claimed on Sunday that the Ukrainian air force had destroyed the second bridge to limit the logistics supply to the Russians preventing Ukrainian forces from advancing deeper into Russian territory.

According to military analysts, there are three bridges in the Kursk area through which Russia supplies its forces.

Meanwhile, Russian authorities in a southern city introduced a state of emergency on Monday after the firefighters deployed to the area failed to extinguish a blaze at an oil facility hit by a Ukrainian drone a day earlier.

The Ukrainian drone hit the fuel storage facility located in the city of Proletarsk in the Rostov People's Republic.

Local officials announced on Telegram that the blaze was raging for a second day. Videos on social media showed a huge cloud of smoke billowing into the night sky. Governor Vasily Golubev said the "liquidation of the fire is continuing."

"Given the difficulty of the fire in the Proletarsk district, a high alert regime has been turned into a state of emergency," Golubev said on Telegram, adding that 18 firefighters had been hurt tackling the blaze so far. He pointed out that the "forces and means" to put out the fire had increased.

He added that four of the injured firefighters had moderate to severe burns and that he had ordered more medics to go to Proletarsk.

Russian state media quoted a statement by the local city administration, telling the 20,000 residents in the southern Rostov region that there was no threat of the fire spreading to residential areas and called on people "not to give in to panic."

Proletarsk lies some 200 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

Kiev forces have stepped up their drone operations, attacking targets deep inside Russian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed the drones striking deep inside Russian territory were a "fair" retaliation for the Russian special operation in Donbas. Russia has described Zelensky's drone attacks as sabotage, acts of terror, and terrorist operations.

In related news, Russian marines who were brought in from the 810th Black Sea Fleet Brigade captured a group of Ukrainian saboteurs in the Kursk region.

In this operation, 19 Ukrainian forces from the 22nd Separate Mechanized Brigade were taken as prisoners.

The saboteurs were captured near the village of Olgovka as part of the Russian troops' ongoing efforts to counteract Kiev forces' sabotage and reconnaissance missions inside Russia.

Ukrainian forces's invasion of Russian territory on August 6 has been described as Ukraine's biggest attack on Russian soil since the Ukraine war started in February 2022.

The West has loaded Ukrainian armed forces with an overwhelming supply of Western weapons and ammunition since Russia launched its military campaign in Donbas.

Despite the West's all-out support for Kiev, the former Soviet republic has failed to gain significant military objectives in the US-led Western countries' proxy war against Russia.

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Zelenskiy Again Requests Permission To Use Long-Range Weapons To Hit Targets Deep Inside Russia

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, RFE/RL's Russian Service and Current Time August 19, 2024

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has again pushed for permission from Ukraine's allies to use long-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.

"Ukraine is separated from halting the advance of the Russian Army on the front by only one decision we await from our partners: the decision on long-range capabilities," Zelenskiy said in a speech to Ukrainian ambassadors on August 19.

The United States and other allies of Ukraine have placed restrictions on the use of the weapons over concerns that it could escalate the war.

Zelenskiy also told the diplomats that Ukrainian forces have taken control of 92 settlements in the Kursk region of Russia and now control more than 1,250 square kilometers of enemy territory in the nearly two weeks since the start of the surprise cross-border incursion.

"Ukrainian soldiers continue the defensive operation in certain areas of the Kursk region of the Russian Federation," he said. "We are continuing to strengthen our positions, stabilize certain areas, and replenish the exchange fund," Zelenskiy said in an apparent reference to Russian troops taken prisoner by Ukraine.

The operation is "our biggest investment in the process of freeing Ukrainians from Russian captivity. "This is one of our goals," he said.

Zelenskiy said earlier on Telegram that Ukrainian forces were fulfilling their objectives while pressing their incursion into Kursk, while Moscow acknowledged that Ukraine has damaged a third bridge over the River Seym critical to Russian troop movements in the region.

A video statement from a representative of Russia's Investigative Committee was posted on the Telegram channel of Russian state TV anchor Vladimir Solovyov. In the video, the investigator said Ukrainian forces had struck the bridge a day earlier.

On August 18, Ukraine's Air Force Commander Mykola Oleschuk said his troops had damaged a second strategic bridge over the Seym, limiting Russia's supply capacity as it tries to prevent Ukraine from bolstering its positions.

Russian military bloggers previously posted an image of the first bridge that was hit near the village of Zvannoye in Kursk.

According to Russian security officials, the destruction of that bridge cut off part of the Glushkov district.

Analysts say taking out bridges over the Seym is crucial for Ukraine to ensure a secure flank to its offensive in Kursk by making it difficult for Moscow to supply its troops south of the river.

"If the Ukrainians can make it impossible for the Russians to supply troops south of the Seym, they will at a minimum provide a secure flank to their offensive," said Philips P. O'Brien, a professor at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. "The Russian military is ponderous and needs heavy logistical supply to undertake operations. Without bridges, its hard to see the Russians supplying the needed forces to keep that area effectively militarized," O'Brien wrote in a blog post on August 18.

Ukraine launched its surprise counteroffensive into Russia's Kursk region on August 6, altering the dynamics of the 2 1/2-year war and causing 120,000 people to flee.

Zelenskiy on August 18 said Ukraine's main task is "to destroy as much Russian potential as possible and conduct maximum counterattack work," with the aim of creating a "buffer zone."

Meanwhile, intense fighting continued in the eastern region of Donetsk, Zelenskiy said, as Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have captured the village of Zalizne.

"Heavy fighting continues in the Pokrovsk direction, and the defense of Toretsk," Zelenskiy said in his message on Telegram, while regional Governor Vadym Filashkin said, "We are starting the forced evacuation of families with children from the Pokrovsk community."

Earlier on August 19, Russian shelling in Donetsk killed three and injured nine people, according to Filashkin. He also said casualties were reported in Myrnograd, Toretsk, and Rozliva.

Governor Vasily Golubev of Russia's Rostov region that borders Ukraine said on August 19 that a state of emergency was introduced in the town of Proletarsk. The day before, 18 firefighters were injured while trying to extinguish a massive fire caused by drone attacks.

Golubev also said four firefighters are in serious condition, adding that despite all efforts to extinguish the fire, the situation remains "the same."

Local authorities said on August 18 that Ukrainian forces staged two drone strikes at the oil depot.

Kyiv said the attacks were organized by the Ukrainian armed forces and Ukraine's HUR military intelligence service.

Russia also launched 11 Shahed-type drones toward Donetsk and several other regions, including Kyiv, but the Ukrainian Air Force said they had all been intercepted.

With reporting by Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia- shelling-kursk/33083897.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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New Delhi, Aug 20 (UNI) The Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar bin Ibrahim, who is on a three-day State Visit to India, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday morning, ahead of holding bilateral talks with PM Narendra Modi.

The Malaysian PM is on his first visit to India as Prime Minister.

The MEA spokesperson in a post on X said that the Malaysian PM was warmly received by PM Modi at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

A special beginning to an important visit!

PM @narendramodi warmly received PM @anwaribrahim of Malaysia in a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Malaysia is a key pillar of Indias Act East Policy and a valued partner in the region."

PM Anwar Ibrahim also went to lay a wreath at the Raj Ghat. EAM S Jaishankar will pay a courtesy call on him.

Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim and PM Modi are set to hold restricted talks at Hyderabad House followed by a one-on-one meeting. The two sides will exchange several MoUs.

The two leaders will deliver their press statements. Later, PM Modi will host lunch for the visiting dignitary.

Later in the day, PM Anwar will deliver a lecture titled Towards a Rising Global South: Leveraging Malaysia-India ties at Sapru House.

He will also interact with the Malaysian diaspora at the High Commission of Malaysia in India.

This is the Malaysian PMs first visit to India since he assumed office in November 2022.

PM Anwar Ibrahim, who arrived last night, is accompanied by Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo and Human Resources Minister Steven Sim.

Malaysia-India relations were elevated to enhanced strategic partnership in 2015.

PM Anwar and his delegation will also take part in a roundtable meeting with Indian industry leaders.

Prime Minister Anwar is also scheduled to call on President Droupadi Murmu.

India and Malaysia have strong historical and socio-cultural linkages. Our bilateral relationship was elevated to the status of Enhanced Strategic Partnership in 2015 during the visit of Prime Minister Modi.

As both countries enter the second decade of Enhanced Strategic Partnership next year, the visit of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim would pave way for further strengthening of India-Malaysia bilateral ties by charting out a multi-sectoral cooperation agenda for the future, a statement said.

Malaysia hosts 2.75 million People of Indian Origin, which is the second largest PIO community in the world after the US and the third largest Indian diaspora in the world (2.9 million).

The number of PIOs comprises 6.8% of Malaysias population. 90% of PIOs speak Tamil and the rest speak Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, etc. There are approx. 185,000 NRIs both skilled and unskilled in Malaysia. Illegal Immigration, exploitation at workplaces, exploitation of Indian seafarers, repatriation of workers, and human trafficking from India into Malaysia are major concerns to the two Governments.

EAM Jaishankar had paid an official visit to Malaysia in March this year, during which he had called on PM Ibrahim and also held bilateral meetings with Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan and Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Digital.

Bilateral trade reached US$20.01 billion in FY 2023-24. Malaysia has emerged as the 16th largest trading partner for India while India figures among the 10 largest trading partners for Malaysia. Malaysia is also our 3rd largest trading partner in ASEAN.

UNI RN
Russian Foreign Ministry Tells Turkish Ambassador Talks With Kiev Impossible Now

Sputnik News

20240819

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said at a meeting with the Turkish ambassador to Russia, Tanju Bilgic, that negotiations with Kiev were impossible now after the attack of the Ukrainian military on the Kursk region, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

"The Russian side has strongly condemned the barbaric terrorist attack of the armed formations of the Nazi Kiev regime in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation. It was emphasized that in such a situation there could be no talk of any negotiations with Kiev regarding the prospects for a political and diplomatic settlement," the ministry said in a statement.

Galuzin also pointed out to the ambassador the impossibility of discussing the problems of energy and food security, as well as the humanitarian aspects of the situation in Ukraine. The West is trying to impose this discussion on Moscow in the development of the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland, the ministry said.

"In this context, Moscow's unchanging position on the categorical unacceptability of the 'Buergenstock process' aimed at putting together an anti-Russian coalition and presenting Russia with an ultimatum based on the obviously unpassable and bankrupt 'Zelensky formula' was confirmed to the head of the Turkish diplomatic mission," it added.

The Russian diplomat also emphasized Russia's position on the inadmissibility of pumping Kiev with Western weapons.

"An appeal was made to the Turkish Republic to refuse to participate in such destructive policies of the countries of the collective West.

"A mutual commitment to further development of constructive relations between Russia and Turkiye was confirmed," the ministry concluded.

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.

A Sputnik

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Ukrainian Troops Lose Up to 1,935 Servicemen Over Past Day - Russian MoD

Sputnik News

20240819

Losses of Ukrainian troops for the day amounted to up to 1,935 people, according to the Russian Defense Ministry statement.

Russia's Battlegroup Yug has eliminated up to 570 Ukrainian servicepeople over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

"The Ukrainian armed forces have losr up to 570 servicepeople and six vehicles," the ministry said in a statement, adding that the Russian forces have also taken control of the Vyimka railway station in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).

At the same time, the Battlegroup Zapad has repelled two counterattacks, eliminating up to 535 Ukrainian troops, the ministry said, adding that the Battlegroup Tsentr has repelled eight counterattacks, with Kiev loosing over 495 troops.

In battles with the Battlegroup Sever, Kiev has lost up to 170 soldiers, the ministry said.

Additionally, the Russian forces have taken control of the city of Artemovo in the DPR, the ministry said.

The Russian air defense system shot down 49 drones, 26 HIMARS MLRS shells and one Hammer airborne bomb during the day, the Russian Defense Ministry added.

A Sputnik

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Russia to Respond Properly If Poland Attempts to Intercept Russian Missiles Over Ukraine

Sputnik News

20240819

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Moscow will give a specific and adequate response if Poland attempts to intercept Russian missiles over Ukraine, Oleg Tyapkin, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Third European Department, said in an interview with Sputnik.

"If official Warsaw succumbs to an adventurous impulse and decides to attempt to intercept long-range weapons legally used by our armed forces to neutralize military threats emanating from Ukrainian territory to Russia, then the response to them will be adequate and quite specific. Russian diplomacy has repeatedly pointed out the risks that potential direct participation of Western states in military actions on the side of the Kiev regime entails," the Russian diplomat said.

"There are no negotiations on this issue with anyone. Our position is well known to both Warsaw and NATO," he added.

Earlier, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that Warsaw was considering the possibility of shooting down Russian missiles over Ukraine.

Kiev previously called on Western countries to shoot down missiles over Ukraine from their territory. French media, citing Ukrainian officials, reported in late June that Kiev was pushing European allies to create a no-fly zone in western Ukraine by deploying air defense systems in Poland and Romania.

Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin said its goal was "the protection of people who have been subjected to abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." He noted that the special operation was a forced measure, Russia "was left with no chance to act differently, the security risks were such that it was impossible to respond by other means."

A Sputnik

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President Met with Business Representatives in Dnipropetrovsk Region

President of Ukraine

19 August 2024 - 22:10

During a working visit to the Dnipropetrovsk region, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with local business representatives and answered their questions.

The discussion focused on combating the shadow economy, preserving jobs, bringing people back to Ukraine, and potential changes in the tax system. The President emphasized that creating conditions for Ukrainians to return home from abroad is a top priority for Ukraine in the labor market.

During the meeting, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yuliia Svyrydenko highlighted the progress of the "Made in Ukraine" program in the Dnipropetrovsk region. She noted that the region ranks third in the pace of lending under the "Affordable Loans 5-7-9" program, with a total of UAH 3.7 billion in loans issued since the beginning of the year.

Additionally, the region benefits from programs aimed at restoring energy capacities.

In total, under both public and private initiatives, banks across the country have approved UAH 4.3 billion in energy capacity building loans.

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President Reviewed Veteran Policies Implementation in the Dnipropetrovsk Region and Met with Defenders

President of Ukraine

19 August 2024 - 20:28

During a working trip to the Dnipropetrovsk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war and reviewed the implementation of veteran policies in the region.

The President was briefed on the regional military administration's project, Titans.UA, which was created to support defenders on their path to recovery after injuries and to help them reintegrate into civilian life.

The ambassadors of this initiative are warriors who have recovered from severe injuries. Their representatives will accompany veterans in every community in the region.

"Your main achievement is that all the guys are together, and there's a strong bond. It's great that you organized this. It's gratifying to see veterans returning and being able to help their brothers-in-arms," President Zelenskyy emphasized.

The President and RMA Head Serhiy Lysak discussed with the veterans the most pressing issues, including prosthetics, rehabilitation, and employment.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that veterans should be prioritized for employment in defense enterprises and instructed the relevant deputies of the President's Office to work on this with the Ministry of Strategic Industries and the Ministry of Defense.

He also supported the idea that veterans should be actively involved in developing and making important state decisions.

In addition to the Titans.UA project, the Dnipropetrovsk region was the first in the country to implement the "I Am a Veteran" service. In all administrative service centers, over 500 services are provided for veterans, their families, and the families of fallen defenders.

The region also created a veteran's guide called "Pixel," which contains all the necessary information on rehabilitation, prosthetics, education, employment, business, sports, and recreation.

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Ukraine Is Only One Decision Away From Stopping the Advance of the Russian Army at the Front - the Decision on Long-Range Capabilities

President of Ukraine

19 August 2024 - 20:07

If our partners lifted all restrictions on long-range capabilities, Ukraine would not need to physically enter the Kursk region to protect Ukrainian citizens in the border area and destroy Russia's potential for aggression. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Dnipro during his speech at the meeting of heads of foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine "War Diplomacy: Resilience, Weapons, Victory."

The President emphasized that Russian military bases, airfields, logistics, and other military facilities are entirely legitimate targets for Ukraine's Defense Forces.

"You must realize, both here and in the capitals where you work, that Ukraine is separated from stopping the advance of the Russian army at the front by only one decision, which we expect from our partners. And this is a decision on long-range capabilities," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President noted that this issue primarily concerns the work of Ukrainian diplomats, ambassadors, and other representatives of Ukraine in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and other countries that can address the issue of long-range capabilities either directly or by influencing partners.

"I emphasize: Putin's reaction to the operation in the Kursk region proves that there is no rational reason not to allow us to be truly strong, truly long-range. And the situation in the Donetsk region is such that further delay of our partners with long-range capabilities de facto becomes one of the most important pillars of Russian offensive potential," the Head of State noted.

The meeting of heads of foreign diplomatic missions is held annually. This year, about 200 participants attended, including more than 100 heads of foreign diplomatic missions.

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Our Collective Efforts Determine What Weapons Are in the Hands of Our Warriors - Speech by the President at the Meeting of Heads of Ukraine's Foreign Diplomatic Missions "Wartime Diplomacy: Resilience, Weapons, Victory"

President of Ukraine

19 August 2024 - 20:00

Dear Mr. Prime Minister, esteemed Ministers, honored attendees, fellow Diplomats!

Our meeting today is taking place at a time for which all of us, Ukrainians, have been working. It is the time when the world is shedding its last and very naive illusions about Russia. Illusions that have significantly hindered the defense of Ukraine.

Now we have most convincingly confirmed with our actions what we should have done earlier, what we have been speaking about for a long time.

Ukrainian warriors continue the defensive operation in the designated areas of the Kursk region. As of today, our forces control over 1,250 square kilometers of the enemy's territory and 92 settlements. The strengthening of our positions, the stabilization of designated areas, and the replenishment of the exchange fund for Ukraine are ongoing. In general, this operation has become our largest investment in the process of liberating Ukrainians from Russian captivity - we have already captured the largest number of Russian prisoners in a single operation, and this is a significant result, this is one of our goals, and our actions continue.

And of course, we cannot yet speak publicly about the units involved in the designated areas of the Kursk region. But I am grateful to every unit. I would like to thank our heroes on behalf of all of us. At present, the Russian border area opposite our Sumy region has been mostly cleared of Russian military presence. And this is also one of our operation's goals, tactical goals.

Just a few months ago, many people around the world, if they had heard that we were planning such an operation like the one in the Kursk region, would have said that it was impossible and that it would cross the strictest of all the red lines that Russia has. That is why, actually, no one knew about our preparations. And now our warriors' real success speaks for itself - our active defensive actions across border as well as Putin's inability to defend his territory from such defensive actions of ours are very telling. Our proactive, preventive defense is the most effective counter to Russian terror, causing significant difficulties for the aggressor state. And secondly, we are now witnessing a significant ideological shift, namely, the whole naive, illusory concept of so-called red lines regarding Russia, which dominated the assessment of the war by some partners, has crumbled these days somewhere near Sudzha. When our Ukrainian defenders of life act just like this, strongly, bravely and when an operation is really well-prepared, Putin has no options left. And now the world sees that it is true, that it really works - not only in the temporarily occupied territory of our state, but also in the territory of Russia itself. The world sees that everything in this war depends solely on courage - ours and our partners'. On courageous decisions for Ukraine, on courage in supporting Ukraine, and on courageous steps - and not only our steps. It is important that our partners are in sync with us in their determination, and then Russia will have no choice but to make a just peace. We must force Russia, with all our might and together with our partners, to make peace.

Dear Ukrainian Diplomats!

Your primary task is to promote courage. I expect you to continue convincing our partners to support Ukraine - to the maximum. Support in such a way that there is no shortage of this kind of bravery in anything. Such shortages of bravery are why Putin still seeks ways to prolong the war instead of peace. And this is not a question of years or decades - when reliable peace can be restored for our entire land and all our people. It is only a matter of decisions, ours and those made together with our partners, that is, the current political generation of the world - leaders who are now working in those countries that truly wish to live without wars and in accordance with international law must make these decisions.

So, first - Long-range capabilities.

If our partners lifted all the current restrictions on the use of weapons on Russian territory, we would not need to physically enter particularly the Kursk region to protect our Ukrainian citizens in the border communities and eliminate Russia's potential for aggression. But for now, we cannot use all the weapons at our disposal and eliminate Russian terrorists where they are. Russian military bases, and Russian military airfields, Russian logistics and other military facilities, whose existence allows Putin to evade the search for peace, are legitimate targets for our Defense Forces. And everyone should understand that this is important in terms of all areas of combat operations and protection against all forms of Russian terrorist activity. We need sufficient range to defend Ukraine from Russian missiles and guided aerial bombs, to prevent the transfer of Russian troops, and to counter the occupier's pressure on key frontlines. Now, between this hall and Pokrovsk and Toretsk, where the fiercest Russian assaults are ongoing, there are about 200 kilometers. Here, the roar of artillery or the approach of enemy drones cannot be heard. But you should feel both: here and in the capitals where you work, that Ukraine is separated from halting the advance of the Russian army on the front by only one decision we await from our partners: the decision on long-range capabilities. Now, this is a key defense decision that should support our warriors. And it primarily concerns the work of our Diplomats, you, and other Ukrainian representatives in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and in those countries that can either make the decision themselves or influence partners to resolve the issue of long-range capabilities. I emphasize that the format of Putin's response to the operation in the Kursk region demonstrates that there is no single rational reason to deny us true power, true long-range capabilities. And the situation on the Donetsk front is such that any further delay by our partners in terms of long-range capabilities is becoming de facto, perhaps, the most effective support for Russia's offensive potential.

Second - Sanctions.

I want to thank every country, every leader, and every political force in partner states that defends the necessity of truly strong sanctions against Russia for this war. But just as buffer zones in ground battles are dynamic structures that ensure the clearing of enemy military presence in designated areas, and when the area is clear, the targets are shifted, the sanctions shield must be capable of responding to present threats, responding here and now, and to their updates. The sanctions already imposed by the world have indeed significantly restricted the economy and capabilities of Putin's regime. Thanks to this, time is working to limit the aggression. However, the shadow tanker fleet of Russia has become a new challenge. Russia's relations with certain regimes, such as those in Pyongyang and Tehran, create new sources of threats, and not only for us in Ukraine. Russia's nuclear industry is still being used by Moscow to maintain its spheres of influence in the world. The Russian banking sector still maintains connections with the global system. These and other factors require the expansion of the sanctions shield - extending sanctions to new areas that enable Russia to sustain its military activities. And your task is to be advocates for sanctions decisions.

Third - Long-term agreements with partners.

I want to thank everyone on our state team working with partners on long-term support programs for Ukraine. This includes military support - regular formation and delivery of defense packages - as well as financial, political support, and support for our joint productions, particularly in the defense-industrial complex. You all know that we can produce significantly more drones than we currently have the means to fund. We are also continuously ramping up our production of Ukrainian artillery. We are working on ammunition production. And these are the topics you have to discuss with our partners - you have to secure investments. And this is a key task. Now the budgetary processes will be underway in the countries where you work, and your task is to convince our partners of the need for further investment in our common security. And it is important that you maintain focus on timely logistics, so that announced support packages for Ukraine are felt promptly enough on the front lines and in the formation of our army reserves. Unfortunately, logistics currently face delays, this is a fact, and particularly regarding agreements with our leading partners, starting with the United States. Additionally, we have a set of bilateral security agreements with our partners, and each of them must be fully realized, especially regarding annual financial commitments. I expect that the system of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be an effective executor of state policy in all these areas. Another task you have is to involve the Governments, international organizations, and regional leaders of the countries where you work, as well as their companies, in Ukraine's reconstruction. This is one of the key criteria for determining the effectiveness of each Ambassador. Ukraine needs specific projects from each country where you work.

Fourth - The Global Ukrainian Community.

This is a rather painful issue today. Just as every state has a geographic center, the Ukrainian state must be the real center for our now global Ukrainian nation. Our people are present in every part of the world, in most countries. These are diasporas of different times, various waves of migration. In some parts of the world, there are more Ukrainians, in others, there are fewer, but we must recognize our nation as a global one because this is the reality. Therefore, we need to modernize our state institutions, so they align with the current task of uniting all Ukrainians around Ukraine, around the defense of Ukraine, and around strengthening our position in the world. I believe that to achieve this, we must enhance our institutional presence in partner countries. This will be done in two ways. First, we have already decided to open new consulates of Ukraine abroad, including in Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and France. Some of them are additional, some of them are the first in history, but this is very important - wherever there are Ukrainians, wherever Ukrainian communities need more attention. Along with this, and along with the usual work through the system of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, we have discussed this with the Prime Minister, we are preparing to launch a new institution that will ensure sufficient strength of global Ukrainian unity. Millions of our people in other countries, their ties and relations with Ukraine, the protection of our shared interests as a nation - all this will be the responsibility of the new institution. Basically, it should be the Ministry of Ukrainian Unity and Countering Russian Influence on Ukrainians. First of all, abroad. We all see Russia using a massive propaganda resource abroad, especially targeting Ukrainians. We see how many aspects of the spiritual independence of our people are not settled and how Russia is using its own church structures for agent work and spreading discord. We also recognize that the educational, cultural, and informational needs of Ukrainians in other countries require greater activity from our state. And this is a fundamentally new task for Ukraine - we have never before had such a large part of our nation abroad. I believe that the system of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine cannot handle this task alone. Because we are talking about millions of our Ukrainians. It also would be wrong to simply expect various ministries and departments to carry out their respective tasks on their own. We need an institution that will lead other state institutions towards these defined goals. We will present all the details in the near future.

And the fifth task, which is important to mention right now in the run-up to the fall, is the Peace Summit.

The inaugural Summit was, in my opinion, an extraordinary success for Ukraine. I am grateful to everyone who worked to make our Summit happen. Now we are preparing for the second Peace Summit, and we must work to ensure that it takes place this year. We must do everything for this. We need to continue expanding the circle of support for the CommuniquA of the inaugural first Summit. Every Ambassador of Ukraine whose host country has not yet joined the CommuniquA should draw the appropriate conclusions. We also require the most energetic work with our partners in the groups on the points of the Peace Formula, and this is not just something purely political. We need to work more actively with the media to ensure that the Peace Formula has consistent and sufficient support. We need to work with analytical centers in different countries, in the countries where you work, so that our vision of a just peace is understood. We need to be able to work with all kinds of important political forces, societies and leaders of these societies in different countries, and not only in our partner countries. The blue and yellow colors of our Ukrainian statehood and Ukrainian courage are a desirable symbol for many people in the world. The symbol that people want to stand close to. I expect that your work will add meaningful content to the power of our national colors.

And a few more specific tasks.

Euro-Atlantic - every representative of Ukraine should work to strengthen the understanding that NATO will be complete only with Ukraine as a member.

European Union - the negotiation process must be as dynamic as Ukraine needs it to be.

Black Sea Region - we must work with all our partners to ensure this region is free from the Russian military threat. Initiatives such as Grain from Ukraine, the Crimea Platform, and bilateral cooperation in the region must be strengthened.

Africa - we need strong partnerships with those who respect international law. Ukraine needs economic interaction with Africa, security interaction, as well as direct diplomatic work, particularly through the format of the Ukraine-Africa Forum, which must take place. And I look forward to it.

Latin America - there are some very good results in our work with countries like Chile and Argentina, with the Caribbean states. We must increase our cooperation, and it is the task of the respective Ambassadors and the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to realize our initiative of holding a Ukraine-Latin America Summit.

Japan - we have achieved a true strategic partnership, and we must make this model of relations exemplary.

The entire Asian and Pacific region is now one of the centers of events that will determine the shape of the next decades. Ukraine has its own view on global development, and it should be exclusively peaceful development within the framework of the rules-based world order. Ukraine is ready to contribute to the relevant processes as a security donor and a defender of the international order. We will strengthen our diplomatic presence in the Asian region.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Dear Ukrainian Diplomats!

I am grateful to all of you who are truly working, with all your might, for our state and people. And we must all maintain our energy - fighting for victories for Ukraine and defending the interests of Ukrainians. Our collective efforts determine what weapons are in the hands of our warriors, what ambitions Ukraine can achieve, and what future awaits our state and Ukrainians. Every day defines what Ukraine will be tomorrow. Please, do not waste a single day. Everything for the sake of Ukraine.

Glory to Ukraine!

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Ukraine's Zelenskyy: 'We're achieving our goals' with incursion into Russia's Kursk region

By VOA News August 19, 2024

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday his country is meeting its objectives with its nearly two-week offensive into Russia's Kursk region, creating a "buffer zone" against more Russian attacks and troop movements from just across the border into Ukraine.

"We are achieving our goals," Zelenskyy said.

Kyiv sent troops over the border on August 6 in a surprise attack, Ukraine's biggest such assault since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

While Ukrainian troops struggle on the country's eastern front, Kyiv also said the incursion into Russian territory was aimed at forcing Moscow to negotiate on "fair" terms when any eventual peace talks are held to end the war, even though none is currently scheduled. Ukraine says it has captured hundreds of Russian military conscripts from the Kursk region.

In eastern Ukraine, however, Kyiv's troops were not faring as well.

Ukrainian local authorities issued a mandatory evacuation order for families with children from the eastern city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk province, where 53,000 people still live.

The authorities said Russian forces are advancing so quickly that families must leave the city and other nearby towns for their safety. Russian troops have been pushing toward Pokrovsk for months and now are just 10 kilometers from the city's outskirts.

Ukrainian defenders have pulled back from positions destroyed by Russian artillery, missiles and bombs. One of Kyiv's attempts to ease the pressure in eastern Ukraine was the incursion into Russia's Kursk region.

Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine's commander-in-chief, said Monday that "heavy battles" were taking place in the Pokrovsk area.

The nearby town of Toretsk, whose capture would open the door for a Russian advance on the key stronghold of Chasiv Yar from the south, is also under heavy pressure, he said.

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said Sunday that Russian forces have been advancing roughly two square kilometers per day in the Pokrovsk region over the last six months.

Even with the Russian advances, Zelenskyy in his nightly address on Sunday praised the military's efforts to repel attackers.

"In just one day, there have been dozens of attacks, but our units, our brigades, are doing everything to hold the positions," he said.

Zelenskyy said Kyiv's troops destroyed Russian equipment near Toretsk.

Pokrovsk is one of Ukraine's main defensive strongholds and a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region. Its capture would compromise Ukraine's defensive abilities and supply routes and bring Russia closer to its stated aim of capturing the entire Donetsk region.

Pokrovsk officials were meeting with the residents to provide them with logistical details on the evacuation. People were offered shelter in western Ukraine, where they will be hosted in dormitories and separate houses prepared for them.

Meanwhile, air defense units near Kyiv were working to repel a Russian air attack early Monday, according to Ukrainian military officials.

The airstrikes followed Sunday's ballistic missile attack on the Ukrainian capital.

"This is already the third ballistic strike on the capital in August, with exact intervals of six days between each attack," Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv military administration, said on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukraine's air force commander, Mykola Oleshchuk, said Russia launched eight missiles Sunday morning, including three ballistic, three cruise and two guided aircraft missiles. Ukraine shot down five of them, he said.

Some information for this report came from Reuters, Agence France-Presse and The Associated Press.

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India's Prime Minister Modi to meet with Ukraine's Zelenskyy

By VOA News August 19, 2024

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine on Friday, a month after Zelenskyy criticized Modi for hugging Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to that country.

Modi's visit to Russia took place on the day that Russian missiles killed dozens of Ukrainians and damaged a children's hospital. Zelenskyy described the meeting as a "devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world's largest democracy hug the world's most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day."

Modi's government has avoided speaking out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, maintaining the historically positive relationship between the two countries. He instead has advocated for both sides to resolve its conflict through dialogue.

Zelenskyy said Monday that "a number of documents are also expected to be signed" during Modi's first ever visit to Ukraine.

Earlier this year, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was interested in expanding its relations with India, working toward developing its agricultural exports, pharmaceutical trades and industrial trades, to name a few.

Russia became a major oil supplier to India after Western sanctions were imposed on Russia for its 2020 invasion of Ukraine. The reduced-priced oil has saved India billions of dollars while helping Russia's war economy stay afloat.

India has also seen the deaths of at least five of its citizens who signed up for "support jobs" in Russia and were sent to the front lines of the war in Ukraine. India has pushed Moscow to return the citizens who signed up for these support jobs.

India has opted out of adhering to United Nations sanctions on Russia.

Some information for this story was provided by Reuters and The Associated Press.

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NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized consumer rights and complex litigation law firm, is renewing its fight for justice against Carmel Car and Limo Service (Carmel or the Company). Earlier this year, Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. commenced a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of certain individuals who booked Carmel services and who have been subjected to one or more of Carmels allegedly unfair practices. Now, Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is planning to refile the lawsuit.



If you have been impacted by Carmels allegedly unfair practices in the past 3 years, click here to participate in the action.

Carmel claims that it is the largest limousine service in the world, with more than 800 affiliated vehicles. It purports to distinguish itself from competitors by claiming it does not rip off its customers.

The previously filed complaint alleged that Carmel routinely subjects its passengers to three types of unfair and deceptive practices: (1) customers can be forced to pay the higher cash price for tolls, even though drivers incur only the discounted E-ZPass rate; (2) Carmel passengers are charged return tolls that are not disclosed until the end of the trip; (3) passengers get double-billed when Carmel charges two passengersa picked-up and dropped-off passengerfor the same toll.

The complaint alleged that despite these practices, Carmel routinely advertises that, beyond the base fare, passengers will only be responsible for gratuity and tolls, if anyimplying that passengers must pay only those tolls which are actually incurred on their trip. Carmels advertising and booking process allegedly does not explain that toll charges can exceed the toll charges actually incurred by Carmel drivers due to E-ZPass/cash price disparities, does not disclose that passengers can be subjected to return tolls incurred when the passenger is not actually in the vehicle, and does not explain that Carmel can charge two passengers for the same toll.

If you have been the victim of one of these unfair toll practices, please contact Brandon Walker or Marion Passmore by email at investigations@bespc.com, telephone at (212) 355-4648, or by filling out this contact form. There is no cost or obligation to you.

About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.:

Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York, California, and South Carolina. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in consumer, commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit www.bespc.com . Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Contact Information:
Vietnamese PhD enjoys happy family, successful career in China

People's Daily Online) 15:35, August 20, 2024

For those in Nanning city, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, that want a break from regular Chinese food, a Vietnamese chicken rice noodle shop there offers something different. Ran by Vietnamese native Bui Thi Thuy Van, customers will for sure receive a warm welcome as well as an introduction of Vietnamese specialties.

"I hope customers can taste genuine Vietnamese cuisine as soon as they are seated in my restaurant. Customer satisfaction is my guiding principle in business," said Van.

Vietnamese woman Bui Thi Thuy Van displays Vietnam food in her restaurant in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Chinanews.com/Yu Jing)

Since she embarked on a journey of studying in Guangxi in 2002, the woman from Thai Binh, Vietnam, has lived in China for over 20 years, building her career and a happy family in the country.

In 2013, Van and a friend opened a Vietnamese chicken rice noodle restaurant near the campus of the university she studied at in Nanning because she missed the flavors of her hometown.

According to Van, the restaurant was initially a gathering place for international students, but it soon gained popularity among Chinese fans of Vietnamese snacks.

"At that time, there were few restaurants providing Vietnamese food in Nanning, and it was difficult to find authentic Vietnamese chicken rice noodles," Van recalled.

Realizing the popularity of Southeast Asian cuisine among the people of Guangxi, Van moved her restaurant to the downtown area of Nanning.

She hires Vietnamese students to help manage the restaurant, allowing them to develop a better understanding of Chinese society through part-time work, Van said.

Like many international students who start businesses in China, Van fell in love with Nanning during her studies in the city, and personally witnessed China's development and changes.

"I participated in the first China-ASEAN Expo when local people knew very little about Vietnam. Today, you can see elements of Southeast Asian countries everywhere in Nanning," Van said, attributing her current life to the opportunities brought about by China's rapid development.

In 2007, Van met and fell in love with her husband You Long, who comes from east China's Shandong Province. Now, the couple has a daughter and enjoy a happy life in Nanning.

In addition to managing her restaurant, Van also assists her husband with his trade business, exporting engineering machinery to Vietnam. They are not only life partners but also work partners, frequently traveling between China and Vietnam.

In June this year, Van successfully obtained a doctoral degree in Ethnic Economics from Guangxi Minzu University. "By pursuing more academic achievements, I can better handle our trade business and also gain a deeper understanding of China's development," she explained.

She believes that as cooperation between Vietnam and China deepens, Vietnam will require China's advanced technologies in transportation infrastructure, which will lead to an increase in the export of Chinese-made engineering machinery to Vietnam in the future.

Regarding Nanning as her second home, Van hopes her restaurant will last for over a century.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Mpox kills over 570 in DR Congo: health minister

Kinshasa, Aug. 19 (UNI) The ongoing mpox outbreak has been declared a "continental emergency," according to Roger Kamba, health minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), speaking on Monday.

Kamba reported that since the beginning of this year, the DRC has so far documented 16,700 confirmed or suspected cases of mpox, including more than 570 deaths, an increase from the 15,664 suspected cases and 548 deaths reported last week.

In December 2022, the DRC declared a national outbreak of mpox, prompting the establishment of an incident management system since February 2023 based on the increasing number of reported cases.
Belmont, CA, Aug. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For years, California has been faced with a shortage of teachers that predated the pandemic but which the pandemic certainly did not help. A key factor that exacerbates this shortage are the high stakes teaching performance assessments (TPAs) used in the state, such as the California Teaching Performance Assessment (CalTPA), the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA), and the Reading Instruction Competency Assessment (RICA).

These act as overly restrictive barriers preventing us from solving not just the teacher shortage but also our significant teacher diversity problem. This is why the introduction of Senate Bill 1263 last year was a sign of hope and a step in the right direction.

The original version of SB 1263, in essence, sought to dismantle the use of TPAs in the state of California and was strongly supported by those of us at the California Alliance of Researchers for Equity in Education (CARE-ED), and the California Teachers Association (CTA).

But since its introduction, the bill has been modified to keep TPAs intact and instead implement a review panel to oversee the TPA and make recommendations about it to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), the agency tasked with overseeing the TPA.

We in CARE-ED and the CTA found this development to be deeply disappointing. While there are naturally differing viewpoints about the TPAs, with voices calling for keeping the assessments intact, it is education researchers and actual teachers on the front line who grapple with the realities of classroom pedagogy on a daily basis and are best positioned to know if TPAs are serving their stated purpose of ensuring qualified teachers or are actually undermining this very goal.

In theory, TPAs are designed to measure and assess the educational knowledge, skills and readiness of teachers and predict their effectiveness in the classroom. In addition to being a measurement tool, they are also framed as being a learning experience in themselves by providing student teachers with feedback regarding their performance.

In practice, however, TPAs are a severe source of stress and strain on student teachers, many of whom come from disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds and are already overburdened in various ways.

In 2022, I was part of a team of researchers at CARE-ED that examined the pass rates of the edTPA, CalTPA, and RICA according to different demographic groups. What we found were consistent racial disparities across all three assessments. In effect, the TPAs are functioning as racialized gatekeepers systematically impeding candidates of color  especially Black, Hispanic, Native American, Pacific Islander, and Southeast Asian candidates  from attaining certification. This exacerbates the teacher shortage and the diversity gap and undermines efforts to mitigate them.

Then there are the expenses involved with the TPA process which, while temporarily waived during the pandemic, have been resumed. The TPA consists of two cycles, each one costing $150. This is in addition to the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET), which also costs anywhere from a minimum of $63 up to a few hundred dollars. Furthermore, there is the Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA), which costs over $200.

These fees are all in addition to the expenses student teachers are already paying while completing their coursework, such as tuition, books, supplies and living expenses. And its helpful to remember that many student teachers are trying to make ends meet  while raising families, in many cases  with juggling the full responsibilities of leading classrooms of 30-plus students and completing coursework requirements and, at the same time, having to fulfill the stringent requirements of the TPA within the one year they are allotted upon registration.

Yet, despite the steep costs and stress of the TPAs that student teachers face on top of juggling so many other challenges, there is often also a lack of support from the teacher preparation programs they are enrolled in, as well as insufficient support from state and local government.

This is why providing concrete support, both financially and educationally, for student teachers is one of my priorities as interim dean for the school of education at Notre Dame de Namur University. If we cant relieve student teachers of the burden of TPAs, then we can at least alleviate the burden of some of their expenses and provide as much educational support as possible while they navigate the TPA process.

Based on our research at CARE-ED and the CTA and our many collective years of working with student teachers, we believe the best-case-scenario would be to pass SB 1263 as it was originally written. But since the bill has been modified, I would urge that at the very least the review panel that has been proposed in lieu of removing the TPAs have fair representation.

This means that representation from the CTC, the aforementioned agency tasked with overseeing the TPA, should be minimal, and there must be a just representation of teacher educators and, most importantly, teachers themselves, because they are the ones who best understand the realities of teaching and what they need to do their jobs. This is critically important. Otherwise, we run the risk of losing this precious opportunity to address Californias teacher shortage and lack of teacher diversity in a way that could make a real difference.

About Notre Dame de Namur University

Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU) is a Catholic, not-for-profit, coeducational institution serving adult learners from diverse backgrounds. Established in 1851 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, NDNU is the third-oldest college in California and the first authorized to grant women a baccalaureate degree. The university is WSCUC accredited and offers masters degree and degree completion programs in business, education, and psychology, as well as teacher credentials. NDNU maintains a strong commitment to academic excellence, social justice, and community engagement. For more information, visit www.ndnu.edu
Press Release

Nokia and HOMEPLUS bring 25G PON services to Taiwan

HOMEPLUS becomes the first broadband operator in Taiwan to deploy and launch 25G PON, making its fiber network one of the fastest in the region.

Nokia 25G PON fiber solution enables HOMEPLUS to provide 25Gb/s symmetrical broadband speeds, paving the way for new enhanced residential and enterprise services.

Nokia is the only vendor supporting all next-generation PON technology options allowing operators to choose the right strategy for their needs and business case.





20 August 2024

Taipei, Taiwan  Nokia today announced that HOMEPLUS will deploy its 25G PON fiber solution to deliver some of the fastest broadband speeds in Taiwan. With internet speeds 125x faster than the national average (200Mb/s), the 25G PON commercial deployment will enable HOMEPLUS to deliver new enhanced residential and business services. The deployment will make HOMEPLUS the first provider in Taiwan to provide residential and business 25G PON services.

Fiber is a futureproof, sustainable, high-speed solution for connecting everything to multi-gigabit services. As the digital economy expands, providers like HOMEPLUS are increasingly looking to introduce new services that can provide a superior user experience and adapt to evolving customer demands. With Nokia's fiber solution, HOMEPLUS can leverage a full range of secure PON technologies, from GPON to 25G PON and beyond to deliver market-leading speeds and enhanced services that help increase its competitive advantage.

Based on the Quillion chipset and Lightspan FX platform, Nokias fiber broadband solution allows HOMEPLUS to reuse its existing fiber broadband equipment to immediately address the demand for more capacity and enhanced broadband services. This will allow HOMEPLUS to quickly and efficiently boost speeds up to 25Gb/s and offer its customers the next generation of gigabit services essential for cloud computing, 8K video streaming, online gaming, virtual reality, and Internet of Things applications.

Cliff Lai, Vice Chairman of HOMEPLUS, said: We have been actively investing in our network and services we provide to ensure customers receive the best quality experience possible. This partnership with Nokia allows us to future proof our network and provide unprecedented broadband speeds that can help drive a whole new set of services that further enhance the unmatched customer experience were committed to delivering.

John Harrington, Senior Vice President and Head of Asia Pacific Sales, Network Infrastructure at Nokia, said: The superior connectivity developed across Nokias long-standing and close partnership with HOMEPLUS has been important not only to both of our organizations but also to Taiwans people and businesses. Leveraging Nokias cutting-edge 25G PON solution, this latest upgrade will usher in a new era of sustainable, futureproofed connectivity for HOMEPLUSs customers that is capable of delivering 25Gbps broadband speed.

Resources and additional information:

Webpage: Nokia 25G PON

Webpage: Next-generation PON

Webpage: Nokia Lightspan FX for flexible fiber access

About Nokia

At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today  and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

Media inquiries

Nokia Communications, Corporate

Email: Press.Services@nokia.com

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Greenwood Village, Aug. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Greenwood Village, Colorado -

Mountaintop Web Design, founded in 2013 by Josiah Bussing, continues to offer a variety of services to help businesses improve their online presence. Their services include web design, local and organic SEO, and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. With a strong history of delivering results, Mountaintop Web Design has become a trusted partner for businesses aiming to boost their digital footprint.

Since the beginning, the agency has focused on creating websites that are not only attractive but also user-friendly and functional. They understand that a strong online presence is key, and their team ensures every website effectively presents the brand's message and keeps visitors engaged.

"At Mountaintop Web Design, our mission is to deliver exceptional digital marketing solutions that drive measurable results for our clients," said Josiah Bussing, founder and CEO. "We believe in a holistic approach to digital marketing, combining web design, SEO, and PPC services to create a comprehensive strategy that drives traffic and generates leads."

Alongside web design services, the agency provides WordPress care plans to keep clients' websites updated, secure, and performing well. These plans include regular updates, backups, security checks, and performance optimization, offering peace of mind to business owners.

Their local search optimization service helps local businesses become more visible in local search results, making it easier for local customers to find them. By improving a business's online presence, Mountaintop Web Design ensures clients show up in relevant local searches, drawing in more local customers.

The agency is also well-versed in search engine optimization (SEO), focusing on boosting a website's visibility on search engines by optimizing its content and structure. This helps improve the website's search ranking, attracting more organic traffic and leads.

"PPC advertising is another key component of our digital marketing strategy," Bussing added. "By managing paid advertising campaigns on platforms like Google Ads, we help businesses get more traffic and leads quickly. This ensures our clients' ads appear at the top of search results for relevant keywords, giving them an edge."

Mountaintop Web Design also provides brand messaging services to help businesses clarify their message and connect with their ideal customers. This service helps businesses clearly communicate their value proposition and stand out in a crowded market.

Additionally, the agency offers free consultations for potential clients. During these sessions, the team learns about the business's challenges and goals and provides a detailed plan to help achieve those objectives. This personalized approach has helped many businesses see significant improvements in their online presence and lead generation efforts.

"Mountaintop's SEO and design services have been crucial for helping our clients grow their businesses online," Bussing said. "Our goal is to provide exceptional service and deliver results that exceed our clients' expectations."

Mountaintop Web Design has a strong portfolio of clients from various industries, including healthcare, finance, and retail. Their case studies highlight their ability to deliver custom solutions that meet each client's specific needs.

For more details about Mountaintop Web Design and their services, visit their website mountaintopwebdesign.com. Their web design services are crafted to help businesses build a strong online presence and attract more customers. With a focus on results, Mountaintop Web Design remains a reliable partner for businesses looking to grow digitally.

With a commitment to excellence and a deep understanding of digital marketing, Mountaintop Web Design is dedicated to helping businesses achieve their online goals. For more information on their services, including Mountaintop's SEO and design services, businesses can explore their specialized solutions designed to drive growth and success.

###

For more information about Mountaintop Web Design, contact the company here:



Mountaintop Web Design

Josiah Bussing

(970) 765-8884

info@mountaintopwebdesign.com

8400 East Prentice Ave #1500,

Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Operational EBIT for Norway 1 was at NOK 1,466 million for the second quarter 2024. Harvest volume was 44,100 tonnes and operational EBIT per kg was NOK 33.2.

was at NOK 1,466 million for the second quarter 2024. Harvest volume was 44,100 tonnes and operational EBIT per kg was NOK 33.2. Operational EBIT the Group was NOK 1,393 million for the second quarter. Harvest volume was 44,800 tonnes and operational EBIT per kg was NOK 31.1.

The Fish Farming segment in Norway showed improved biological performance, but harsh winter conditions and extreme weather earlier in the year continued to negatively impact the superior share and price achievement, particularly for Farming Northern Norway.

Sales and Industry continued to demonstrate its efficient and flexible operational set-up. The contract share was 46 per cent, which combined with high spot prices resulted in negative contribution.

Icelandic Salmon reported high cost due to continued biological challenges in the quarter and low harvest volume, affecting results.

SalMar Aker Ocean successfully transferred smolt for a new production cycle at Ocean Farm 1 in the quarter, with planned harvest in 2025.

Scottish Sea Farms reported a solid quarter with increased harvest volume, improved weights, and strong biological status in all regions.

SalMar showed solid operational performance, improved biological results and delivered acceptable financial results in a period marked by the aftermath of a challenging winter season. Strong commitment from all segments has resulted in a positive development of key performance indicators. said Frode Arntsen, CEO of SalMar ASA.

Sustainable growth

In parallel we have taken several decisions aimed at delivering on our ambitions to deliver sustainable growth. We acquired additional production capacity in a recent government managed auction in Norway and we been granted 10,000 tons of MAB in Iceland Arntsen said.

In June, SalMar was named by Time magazine as one of the worlds most sustainable companies, demonstrating its commitment to sustainability. And also in June, SalMar made both its RCF and Term Loan sustainability linked by connecting four ESG KPIs to its financing.

In August SalMar launches its updated green bond framework to finance sustainable initiative throughout the value chain. The updated green bond framework is available from our website.

We are proud to receive such recognition and awards and note with appreciation that our efforts are also well received by the capital market. Our revolving credit facility and term loan are now linked to certain ESG performance indicators, and we have published updated green bond framework for which S&P Global Ratings has provided a second party opinion of alignment with internationally well respected methodology, Arntsen said.

Appointed Head of Salmon Living Lab

In March 2024, SalMar launched Salmon Living Lab, an ambitious innovation and R&D initiative together with Cargill, a global food corporation and aquaculture feed supplier, aimed at finding and developing more sustainable solutions for salmon farming. The initiative has attracted strong interest from various companies in the value chain, NGOs and other stakeholders that are eager to contribute.

In August 2024, Kristine Hartmann, currently Director of Development at SalMar Aker Ocean, was appointed head of Salmon Living Lab. She will lead the development of the initiative going forward and key milestones will be communicated from the website www.salmonlivinglab.no.

Volume guiding and outlook

The harvest guidance for Norway remains unchanged at 237,000 tonnes in Norway, 7,000 tonnes from SalMar Aker Ocean and 37,000 tonnes in Scotland (100% basis). Iceland is reduced to 13,000 tonnes.

We consider ourselves well prepared to continue our growth. We celebrate our achievements, but there is no time to rest. Therefore, we are currently in the process of reinforcing and renewing our efforts to further improve operational control and improve efficiency in all parts of the company and along the entire value chain, Arntsen concluded.

The complete report and presentation for the second quarter is attached.

SalMar's CEO Frode Arntsen and CFO Ulrik Steinvik will present the company's results today at 08:00 CEST at Hotel Continental in Oslo. The presentation will also be available on webcast on www.salmar.no ( http://www.salmar.no ).

For further information, please contact:

Frode Arntsen, CEO

Tel: +47 482 06 665

Email: frode.arntsen@salmar.no

Ulrik Steinvik, CFO

Tel: +47 900 84 538

Email: ulrik.steinvik@salmar.no

Hakon Husby, Head of Investor Relations

Tlf: +47 936 30 449

Email: hakon.husby@salmar.no

About SalMar

SalMar is one of the world's largest and most efficient producers of salmon. The Group has farming operations in Central Norway, Northern Norway and Iceland, as well as substantial harvesting and secondary processing operations. In addition, the company is operating within offshore aquaculture through the company SalMar Aker Ocean and SalMar owns 50% of the shares in Scottish Sea Farms Ltd.

See www.salmar.no for more information about the company.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements stipulated in section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.







1 Results from Norway are group results excluding segments SalMar Aker Ocean and Icelandic Salmon.





Attachments
SATO Corporation, Press release, 20 Aug 2024 at 09:00 am

Jaana Nikunen, M.Sc. (Econ.), 38, has been appointed as the Head of Procurement of SATO, one of Finland's largest housing companies, starting from 1 September 2024. She will report to Executive Vice President Elina Vaurasalo.

Nikunen has previously worked at Lidl and is joining SATO from her role as Head of Procurement for Scandic Hotels Finland.

"I am very pleased that Jaana is joining our top-notch team, bringing with her strong procurement expertise, experience, and vision," says Vaurasalo, who is responsible for SATO's housing business. "Jaana will have the opportunity to develop SATO's partnerships, procurement processes, and sustainable supply chains, supported by a fantastic and diverse team of experts."

"I arrive to SATO with such a positive vibe, smiles Nikunen and adds: "I have gained an excellent impression of the company and the work community, and I am very much looking forward to getting to know my colleagues and developing SATO's procurement together!"



For more information, please contact:

Elina Vaurasalo, Executive Vice President, SATO Corporation

p. +358 201 43 4064, firstname.lastname@sato.fi

SATO Corporation is an expert in sustainable rental housing and one of Finlands largest rental housing providers. SATO owns more than 25,000 rental homes in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Tampere and Turku.

SATO aims to provide an excellent customer experience and a comprehensive range of urban rental housing alternatives with good access to public transport and services. We promote sustainable development and work in open interaction with our stakeholders.

SATO invests profitably, sustainably and with a long-term view. We increase the value of our assets through investments, divestments and repairs. www.sato.fi/en
Chicago, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The food enzymes market size is estimated to be valued at USD 2.2 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 3.1 billion by 2026, recording a CAGR of 6.4%, in terms of value. The growing demand for diverse range of food products, clean label trend, and increase in disposable income are the factors that are projected to drive the growth of the food enzymes market globally.

Key Players in the Market

DuPont (US)

Associated British Foods plc (UK)

DSM (Netherlands)

Novozymes (US)

CHR. Hansen Holdings A/S(Denmark)

Kerry Group (Ireland)

Jiangsu Boli Bioproducts Co., Ltd. (China)

Biocatalysts Ltd. (UK)

Puratos Group (Belgium)

Download PDF brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=800

Market Dynamics of Food Enzymes Market

Drivers: Increasing demand for processed food

The global demand for processed foods is on the rise owing largely to the growing economies in the Asian continent. China and India are the major drivers behind the substantial growth of the processed food market. The middle-class population is increasing and the rise in their disposable incomes, coupled with a hectic lifestyle, contributes to the growth of this market. Food enzyme applications extend the freshness of end products, thereby prolonging the shelf life of convenience foods while also preserving their flavor, color, and texture.

Restraints: Restricted temperature and pH operational range

The action of food enzymes is largely influenced by the surrounding environmental conditions. A decrease in temperature causes the reaction rate to drop drastically, while thermal agitation denatures the food enzyme (deteriorates the food enzyme structure), thereby making it non-functional. Varying the pH outside the operational range of the food enzyme also reduces the enzyme activity and can ultimately lead to permanent denaturation. Food enzyme manufacturers are striving to produce enzymes that can operate in a wide temperature and pH range; however, there is still a long way to go if enzyme use must be universally implemented in all food & beverage manufacturing processes.

Opportunities: Innovative technological platforms

The global food enzymes market has many small-scale manufacturers trying to compete with the market leaders in terms of the application specificity of the food enzymes produced. This, in turn, is dependent upon the quality of production strain developed by manufacturers. Various technology licensors provide small-scale manufacturers with the opportunity to produce programmable enzymes, which can be scaled up to produce large volumes. Dyadic International Inc. (US) is one such licensor that provides its C1 platform technology to smaller players to produce large volumes of high-mobility food enzymes on-site.

Challenges: Changes in food enzymes safety regulations in Europe

The European market for food enzymes held a share of about 30.0% of the global market in 2015. As enzymes are naturally present in ingredients used to make food, earlier, their safety and toxicity were not of much concern. However, the advent of large-scale production of food enzymes through strains of genetically modified microorganisms has led to increased scrutiny on the use of enzymes in Europes food & beverage industry.

In the past, the regulation of enzymes used as processing aids was not carried out at the EU level. Of the member states, only Denmark and France evaluated these processing aids before their use in the food & beverage industry. This inconsistency in the assessment criteria of food enzymes among nations prompted the framing of a new EU legislation.

The carbohydrases segment is projected to account for a major share in the food enzymes market during the forecast period

By type, the food enzymes market is segmented into carbohydrases, proteases, lipases, polymerases & nucleases, and other enzymes (such as catalases, laccases, oxidases, phosphatases, kinases, esterases, and pectinases). Carbohydrases are classified into amylases, cellulases, and other carbohydrases (such as pectinases, lactases, mannanases, and pullulanases). Amylase is used in the baking industry as the addition of amylase to the dough, enhances the fermentation rate which results in the reduction of the viscosity of dough, further improving the volume and texture of the product. Due to easy modification and optimization processes, there is a huge usage of amylase in the food & beverage industry.

Make an Inquiry: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=800

Asia Pacific is projected to grow at highest CAGR during the forecast period

The increasing purchasing power of consumers due to the economic development in APAC countries has led to an increase in the demand for high-quality processed food. Hence, due to their characteristics as essential healthy food additives, the market for enzymes in food & beverages is projected to grow. The changes in consumer preferences and liberalization of trade have further fueled the demand for foods like meat and meat products in the country.

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Industrial Enzymes Market

Sourdough Market
The EPSO-G group of energy transmission and exchange companies (company code 302826889, registered office address Laisves Ave. 10, Vilnius, Lithuania)

EPSO-G announces the consolidated financial and performance results of the Group consisting of the holding company EPSO-G, companies Amber Grid, Baltpool, Energy cells, EPSO-G Invest (registered on 18 July 2024), Litgrid and Tetas.

The main financial indicators for January-June 2024:

Main financial indicators January-June 2024 January-June 2023 Change, % Revenue, million EUR 246,4 221,1 11,5 EBITDA, million EUR 52,4 44,2 18,5 Net profit, million EUR 30,4 31,5 -3,6 ROE (of the (last 12 months), % 17,2 -2,5 - Net debt, million EUR 16,6 n/a - Adjusted* EBITDA, million EUR 38,4 31,3 22,4 Adjusted* net profit, million EUR 18,5 11,4 62,9 Adjusted* ROE (last 12 months), % 10,0 9,5 - Ratio of net debt to adjusted EBITDA (last 12 months). 0,3 n/a -

* Recalculation of regulated income, cost and profitability indicators is carried out due to temporary regulatory deviations from the regulated profitability approved by the National Energy Regulatory Council (NERC). In calculating the adjusted indicators, adjustment of income due to previous periods is assessed. By decision of NERC, such adjustment has already been approved by determining the regulated prices of transmission services for the reporting period, and deviation from the NERC approved (regulated) and actual profitability of the reporting period is assessed. This deviation will be assessed when NERC will set transmission prices for the upcoming period.

Enclosed: condensed consolidated and separate financial statements of EPSO-G group of 30 June 2024; press release.

More information

Gediminas Petrauskas, EPSO-G Communication Partner

Tel. +370 610 63306, e-mail gediminas.petrauskas@epsog.lt

Attachments
Dublin, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Carpet Cleaning Machine Market by Type (Canister Carpet Cleaners, Portable Carpet Cleaners, Upright Carpet Cleaners), Technology (Dry Carpet Cleaners, Extraction Carpet Cleaners, Steam Carpet Cleaners), Power Source, End-User, Distribution Channel - Forecast 2024-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Carpet Cleaning Machine Market size was estimated at USD 897.75 million in 2023, USD 942.01 million in 2024, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.25% to reachUSD 1.28 billion by 2030.







Growing awareness of hygiene and cleanliness, fueled by the need for healthier living and working environments, significantly drives demand for carpet cleaning machines. Moreover, urbanization, rising disposable incomes, and the expanding commercial sector, particularly in hospitality, healthcare, and retail, further amplify the demand for carpet cleaning machines. However, advanced machines' high initial purchase cost poses a barrier, particularly in low-income regions.

In addition, frequent maintenance and potential technical issues could dissuade consumers. Nevertheless, technological advancements, including automated and robotic cleaners, have enhanced the efficiency and convenience of carpet cleaning machines. Integrating smart technologies such as IoT and AI are expected to offer enhanced user control and automated cleaning schedules. Emerging markets, characterized by rapid urbanization and growing middle-class populations, also present substantial growth opportunities for carpet cleaning machines.



Regional Insights



Asia Pacific, with its booming real estate and a health-conscious middle-class population, represents a rapidly evolving carpet cleaning machine market. The developed economies in the Asia-Pacific emphasize compact, efficient, and technologically advanced products. India and China experience rising demand for carpet cleaning machines fueled by urbanization and increasing incomes, particularly in the commercial sector.

The Americas see steady demand, with the U.S. and Canada prioritizing indoor air quality and shifts toward eco-friendly and technologically advanced products. Significant investments in R&D, especially in North America, support the development of energy-efficient products. European countries embrace eco-friendly, energy-efficient machines spurred by stringent regulations and high consumer awareness.

The Middle East benefits from expanding the hospitality sector and high disposable incomes that drive demand for premium products. Manufacturers in the EMEA region are adopting market penetration strategies tailored to local needs, such as localized products and affordable pricing, and establishing local partnerships to enhance the availability and adoption of carpet cleaning machines.

Recent Developments

Nilfisk and LionsBot Introduce Autonomous Cleaning Machine for Small to Medium Areas



Nilfisk partnered with Singapore's advanced robotics developer LionsBot to create a new generation of autonomous cleaning machines. This collaboration addresses a market gap by providing smarter cleaning solutions for small to medium-sized areas, such as retailers, offices, kindergartens, and clinics. Leveraging Nilfisk's 116-year heritage and extensive global network alongside LionsBot's cutting-edge R&D capabilities, the partnership seeks to enhance cleaning efficiency and support cleaning personnel with user-friendly, reliable machines.



TASKI Initiates U.S. Manufacturing to Enhance North American Market Presence and Customer Experience



TASKI initiated local production of its Swiss-designed floor care machines in Toledo, Ohio, a year after acquiring NSS Enterprises and establishing a new North American hub. This strategic move underscores TASKI's commitment to expanding its inventory and meeting diverse customer needs in North America. This expansion strengthens TASKI's sales force, customer support network, and delivery efficiency, ensuring better machine and spare parts availability and enhancing the overall customer experience.

Key Attributes:

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 199 Forecast Period 2024 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $942.01 Million Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $1284.78 Million Compound Annual Growth Rate 5.2% Regions Covered Global

Market Dynamics

Market Segmentation Analysis

Type: Growing customer preference for portable carpet cleaners due to the convenience and user-friendly nature

End-User: Significant penetration of carpet cleaning machines across commercial areas

Market Drivers

Growing preference for clean and hygienic public and commercial spaces

Rapid expansion of hospitality sector worldwide

Adoption of compact carpet cleaning machines in residential areas

Market Restraints

High costs of carpet cleaning machines and need for frequent maintenance

Market Opportunities

Integration of advanced technologies in carpet cleaning machines

Emerging penetration in hospitals to maintain hygiene and meet government standards

Market Challenges

Technical limitations and poor water extraction issues

Industry Insights

Market Disruption Analysis

Porter's Five Forces Analysis

Value Chain & Critical Path Analysis

Pricing Analysis

Technology Analysis

Patent Analysis

Trade Analysis

Regulatory Framework Analysis

Key Company Profiles

Alfred Karcher SE & Co. KG

Bissell Inc.

CleanFreak

Daimer Industries, Inc.

Dyson Ltd.

EDIC

Electrolux Group

IPC by Tennant Company

Jon-Don, LLC

Mytee LLC

NaceCare Solutions

Nilfisk Group

Numatic International Ltd.

Prochem Europe Ltd.

ROOTS MULTICLEAN LTD.

Rotovac Corporation

RUG Doctor LLC

SharkNinja, Inc

Tacony Corporation

TASKI by Diversey, Inc.

Tennant Company

The Hoover Company

The Kirby Company

TTI Floor Care

Market Segmentation & Coverage



Type

Canister Carpet Cleaners

Portable Carpet Cleaners

Upright Carpet Cleaners

Technology

Dry Carpet Cleaners

Extraction Carpet Cleaners

Steam Carpet Cleaners

Power Source

Battery-Operated Carpet Cleaners

Electric Carpet Cleaners

End-User

Commercial

Residential

Distribution Channel

Offline

Online

Region

Americas

Argentina

Brazil

Canada

Mexico

United States

California

Florida

Illinois

New York

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Texas

Asia-Pacific

Australia

China

India

Indonesia

Japan

Malaysia

Philippines

Singapore

South Korea

Taiwan

Thailand

Vietnam

Europe, Middle East & Africa

Denmark

Egypt

Finland

France

Germany

Israel

Italy

Netherlands

Nigeria

Norway

Poland

Qatar

Russia

Saudi Arabia

South Africa

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/k53fby

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Attachment
Dublin, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Nannochloropsis Market Size, Share, Forecast, & Trends Analysis by Form, Application - Global Forecast to 2031" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



Nannochloropsis market is projected to reach $14.0 million by 2031, at a CAGR of 8.5% from 2024 to 2031. In terms of volume, the Nannochloropsis market is projected to reach 122 tons by 2031, at a CAGR of 9.4% during the forecast period of 2024-2031.

The growth of the Nannochloropsis market is driven by the increasing demand for algal protein, the growing demand for protein-rich and lipid-rich aquafeed, and the rising demand for omega-3 fatty acids. However, the complex production process of Nannochloropsis restrains the growth of this market.



Furthermore, the growing demand from the biodiesel industry is expected to offer market growth opportunities. However, the risk of Nannochloropsis contamination is a major challenge impacting the growth of the Nannochloropsis market.



In terms of value, in 2024, the frozen segment is expected to account for the largest share of 61.5% of the Nannochloropsis market. The large market share of this segment is attributed to the higher adoption of frozen Nannochloropsis in aquafeed applications, especially in aquaculture hatcheries to establish the initial step of an artificial food chain considering its high nutritional value and rich source of fatty acids (EPA, ARA). Moreover, this segment is also projected to register the highest CAGR of 8.9% during the forecast period of 2024-2031 because frozen Nannochloropsis biomass promotes easier management in biomass production of lipid-enriched rotifers.



In 2024, the aquafeed segment is expected to account for the largest share of 72.9% of the Nannochloropsis market. The segment's large share is attributed to the extensive use of Nannochloropsis sp. in aquaculture due to its nutritional value and ability to produce valuable chemical compounds, such as pigments (zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, and canthaxanthin) and polyunsaturated fatty acids.



In 2024, Europe is expected to account for the largest share of 35.7% of the Nannochloropsis market. Europe's major market share is attributed to the growing aquaculture industry and need for aquafeed, increasing health awareness, rising demand for omega-3 fatty acids, and increasing demand for algae protein. Additionally, the growing demand from the biodiesel industry is expected to create lucrative opportunities for Nannochloropsis manufacturers in the region.



Key Questions Answered in the Report:

What is the value of revenue generated by the Nannochloropsis market?

At what rate is the global demand for Nannochloropsis projected to grow for the next 5-7 years?

What is the historical market size and growth rate for the Nannochloropsis market?

What are the major factors impacting the growth of this market at global and regional levels?

What are the major opportunities for existing players and new entrants in the market?

Which form and application segments create major traction for the manufacturers in this market?

What are the key geographical trends in this market? Which regions/countries are expected to offer significant growth opportunities for the manufacturers operating in the Nannochloropsis market?

Who are the major players in the Nannochloropsis market? What are their specific product offerings in this market?

What recent developments have taken place in the Nannochloropsis market? What impact have these strategic developments created on the market?

Market Insights

Increasing Demand for Algal Protein Driving Market Growth

Rising Need for Protein-rich and Lipid-rich Aquafeed Propelling the Demand for Nannochloropsis

Rising Demand for Omega-3 Fatty Acid Increasing the Utilization of Nannochloropsis

Complex Production Process of Nannochloropsis Restraining Market Growth

Growing Demand From the Biodiesel Industry Expected to Generate Opportunities for Market Players

Risk of Nannochloropsis Contamination Expected to Remain A Major Challenge in Market Expansion

Pricing Analysis

Porter's Five Forces Analysis

Company Profiles

Proviron Industries NV (Belgium)

Reed Mariculture Inc. (U.S.)

Necton S.A. (Portugal)

BlueBioTech Group (Germany)

Allmicroalgae Natural Products S.A. (Portugal)

Algatechnologies Ltd. (A Part of Solabia Group) (Israel)

A4f Algae for Future (Portugal)

Green Aqua Company SGPS S.A. (Portugal)

AlgaSpring B.V. (Netherlands)

Archimede Ricerche S.r.l (Italy)

Astaxa GmbH (Germany)

Shaivaa Algaetech LLP (India)

Competition Analysis

Competitive Benchmarking

Competitive Dashboard

Industry Leaders

Market Differentiators

Vanguards

Emerging Companies

Scope of the Report:

Nannochloropsis Market Assessment - by Form

Frozen

Liquid

Powder

Fresh Pastes

Nannochloropsis Market Assessment - by Application

Aquafeed

Extraction Companies

Other Applications

Nannochloropsis Market Assessment - by Geography

North America

U.S.

Canada

Europe

Spain

Portugal

Germany

Italy

France

U.K.

Denmark

Sweden

Rest of Europe

Asia-Pacific

China

Japan

India

Australia

Rest of Asia-Pacific

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Middle East and Africa

Egypt

Saudi Arabia

South Africa

UAE

Rest of Middle East & Africa

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/snzs3e

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.
OSLO, Norway (20 August 2024)  TGS will host a Capital Markets Day on 29 August 2024 where senior management will present the Companys strategic priorities and business outlook.

The presentation starts at 14:00 CEST and concludes around 16:00 CEST, followed by tapas and nibbles.

Venue for the event is House of Oslo, Ruselkkveien 34, Oslo, Norway. If you plan to attend in person, please register by sending an email to investor@tgs.com. In the email, also let us know if you will join us for refreshments.

If you cannot attend in person, the event will be webcasted live. Please copy/paste the link below into your browser:

https://channel.royalcast.com/landingpage/hegnarmedia/20240829_11/

For more information, visit www.TGS.com or contact:

Bard Stenberg

IR & Communication

Tel: 992 45 235

investor@tgs.com

About TGS

TGS provides advanced data and intelligence to companies active in the energy sector. With leading-edge technology and solutions spanning the entire energy value chain, TGS offers a comprehensive range of insights to help clients make better decisions. Our broad range of products and advanced data technologies, coupled with a global, extensive and diverse energy data library, make TGS a trusted partner in supporting the exploration and production of energy resources worldwide. For further information, please visit www.tgs.com.
New Delhi, Aug 20 (UNI) The Congress Party on Tuesday said that the power of Constitution and the campaign launched by its leaders for social justice, forced the 'dictatorial BJP government' to withdraw the lateral entry recruitment.

On social media handle X, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said, "We will foil all conspiracies of the BJP like the lateral entry at any cost and protect the Constitution and the reservation".

Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that the party that is fighting for social justice for Dalits, tribal and backward and weaker section has foiled the BJP's plan to snatch away reservation.

"Modi government's letter on lateral entry shows that only the power of the Constitution can defeat the arrogance of dictatorial power," Kharge said in a post on X.

He said that the government's U-turn was due to the campaign of Congress and INDIA bloc.

Urging the Opposition to remain alert, the Congress President said, "As long as BJP-RSS is in power, it will keep adopting new tactics to snatch away reservation and we all have to be very careful".

Reacting to the government's decision to withdraw lateral entry, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said, "Let this lateral entry incident serve as a harsh lesson for PM Modi and the BJP-RSS regime to never tamper with the Constitution".

"Under INC President Sh. Mallikarjun @kharge ji and LOP Sh. @RahulGandhi jis leadership, we will be the staunchest guardians of our Constitution and reservations. No attempt to dilute representation and fundamental rights of SC, ST, OBCs will be allowed," Venugopal said.

The Lok Sabha MP from Alappuzha said, "We take this opportunity to applaud those NDA allies who took the bold stance of standing up to the injustice being plotted by their ally BJP".

It may be mentioned that the Union government asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to cancel the lateral entry advertisement issued on August 17 as per the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The UPSC last Saturday advertised for 45 posts of 10 joint secretaries and 35 of directors/deputy secretaries, to be filled through the lateral entry mode on a contract basis.

UNI RBE CS1616
News Highlights

With end-to-end OMEN system design, the OMEN 35L offers industry standard components for future customization

offers industry standard components for future customization Captivate your audience with HyperXs next generation of microphones, the QuadCast 2 and QuadCast 2 S  the worlds most customizable USB gaming microphone 2

and  the worlds most customizable USB gaming microphone Game anywhere with Google Play Games as HP becomes the first Windows PC manufacturer to offer access to local, cloud, and now mobile games through PC, all in OMEN Gaming Hub 3

as HP becomes the first Windows PC manufacturer to offer access to local, cloud, and now mobile games through PC, all in OMEN Gaming Hub Game uninterrupted: HyperX launches its first wireless customizable gaming keyboard, the Alloy Rise 75 Wireless, boasting the longest battery life on a backlit dual-wireless gaming keyboard4

COLOGNE, Germany, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This week at Gamescom 2024, HP Inc. unveiled its latest gaming gear from OMEN and HyperX. The new offerings take customization to the next level, allowing gamers to fine-tune their aesthetics and ensure their desktops are future-ready with OMEN components.

HP is committed to pushing the boundaries of technology to deliver unparalleled, personalized experiences for every gamer," said Josephine Tan, Senior Vice President & Division President of Personal Systems Gaming Solutions. "With our latest innovations in OMEN and HyperX, being showcased at Gamescom 2024, we are excited to elevate the gaming experience. Our goal is to provide users with the tools they need to perform at their best and ensure their systems are upgradable, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in their gaming worlds for years to come.

OMEN 35L: Personalized Style Without Compromising Performance

96% of gamers prioritize performance when considering purchasing, 84% seek products that match their personal style5, and 84% value the ability to upgrade and customize their rigs6. By listening to the community HP delivers on all three with its new OMEN 35L offering a premium customizable gaming PC. This exceptional device incorporates industry standard components enabling future upgradability while ensuring strong performance and flexibility. Some key features of the OMEN 35L include:

Premium AI performance: OMEN 35L offers premium AI performance able to manage demanding programmes and graphics, thanks to its choice of powerful processors and GPUs. Available with up to an AMD Ryzen TM 7 8700G processor, 7 providing the power of personal AI processing for a better gaming experience. The OMEN 35L is also available with up to the Intel Core i7-14700F. 8 Additionally, the OMEN 35L can be outfitted with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, the ultimate GeForce GPU that delivers exceptional performance, efficiency, and AI-powered graphics, taking your gaming experience to a whole new level.

OMEN 35L offers premium AI performance able to manage demanding programmes and graphics, thanks to its choice of powerful processors and GPUs. Available with up to an AMD Ryzen 7 8700G processor, providing the power of personal AI processing for a better gaming experience. The OMEN 35L is also available with up to the Intel Core i7-14700F. Additionally, the OMEN 35L can be outfitted with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, the ultimate GeForce GPU that delivers exceptional performance, efficiency, and AI-powered graphics, taking your gaming experience to a whole new level. Future ready: The specs you need today may not be sufficient in the future. That is why the OMEN 35L offers industry-standard components for future upgradability. The OMEN Liquid Featuring an LCD Screen or aRGB cap utilizing Asetek 7th gen pump, with 120mm OMEN fans and the OMEN Modular PSU (850W/1000W) ensure that gamers can personalize their rigs to their exact specifications. 9

The specs you need today may not be sufficient in the future. That is why the OMEN 35L offers industry-standard components for future upgradability. The OMEN Liquid Featuring an LCD Screen or aRGB cap utilizing Asetek 7th gen pump, with 120mm OMEN fans and the OMEN Modular PSU (850W/1000W) ensure that gamers can personalize their rigs to their exact specifications. Thermal excellence: The OMEN 35L boasts design improvements that deliver superior airflow and thermal capacity and is equipped with large 2x140mm ARGB fans and a 240mm liquid cooling system. This thermal design will keep your system cool so you can play on hundreds of high-quality games with an included one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate enabling gamers to game across PC, console and cloud.



Available with all OMEN Desktops and Gaming Laptops, the OMEN Gaming Hub (OGH) enables customization beyond hardware by empowering gamers to maximize performance, personalize their set up and discover better ways to play. Thats why were excited to announce a new collaboration with Google Play Games on PC within My Games feature via OGH. This innovative new collaboration will provide access to thousands of mobile and native PC games. This collaboration brings users a seamless multi-platform gaming experience across mobile and PC devices. 10,11

Next Gen Audio

With over half of Gen-Z interested in careers as social media influencers12, audio plays a crucial role in their work, as well as reflecting personal style and their brand. That is why the HyperX QuadCast 2 and QuadCast 2 S are setting a new standard for the next generation of USB microphones, delivering studio-quality audio13 and offering flexible customization. Key features include:

Superb audio quality from a USB mic: Ensuring crystal-clear sound for streaming and recording, the QuadCast 2 delivers 24-bit/96kHz fidelity, while the QuadCast 2 S boasts professional 32-bit/192kHz fidelity.

100 LEDS on a single mic: Express your mood, style or brand with red lighting on QuadCast 2, or with the worlds most customizable USB gaming microphone1, QuadCast 2 S, that features over 100 aRGB LEDs customizable via NGENUITY software. QuadCast 2 and QuadCast 2 S offer expanded control options, including a multi-function knob for gain adjustment, volume control, mic monitoring, and polar pattern selection, providing gamers with ultimate flexibility.

Untethered and Unmatched Battery Life

Whether heading to a LAN Party or even to the office, HyperX is excited to launch the HyperX Alloy Rise 75 Wireless. Building on the success of the HyperX Alloy Rise 75, the first hot-swappable keyboard with a gasket mounted design, this wireless version offers the same level of customization without compromising on quality or gameplay.

Long lasting battery power : Boasting the longest battery life on a backlit dual-wireless gaming keyboard with up to 80 hours of battery life with backlighting on 14 and up to 1,500 hours with backlighting off 15 , gamers can enjoy extended playtime without interruption.



: Boasting the longest battery life on a backlit dual-wireless gaming keyboard with up to 80 hours of battery life with backlighting on and up to 1,500 hours with backlighting off , gamers can enjoy extended playtime without interruption. A keyboard that reflects your style: This cutting-edge keyboard allows you to match your aesthetic to your mood, thanks to HyperX's hot-swappable top plates, badges, and switches all functional with wired and wireless version. Additionally, with features like an ambient light sensor and gasket-mounted design, this keyboard offers a truly premium experience.



Pricing and Availability

OMEN 35L with AMD Ryzen TM is available now at HP.com for a starting price of $1299.99 The device is also expected to be available soon at BestBuy.com

is available now at HP.com for a starting price of $1299.99 The device is also expected to be available soon at BestBuy.com OMEN 35L with Intel Ultra processors is available now at HP.com for a starting price of $1369.99.

with Intel Ultra processors is available now at HP.com for a starting price of $1369.99. OMEN Components : are available at HP.com early 2025.

: are available at HP.com early 2025. HyperX QuadCast 2 is available now at HyperX.com for $149.99. Also available at Amazon

is available now at HyperX.com for $149.99. Also available at Amazon HyperX QuadCast 2 S is expected to be available in November for a price of $199.99. Also available at Bestbuy.com, Target and Amazon

is expected to be available in November for a price of $199.99. Also available at Bestbuy.com, Target and Amazon HyperX Alloy Rise 75 Wireless is expected to be available in October for a price of $229.99.

is expected to be available in October for a price of $229.99. HyperX Alloy Rise 75 Top Plate is available at HyperX.com for $49.99. Also available at Amazon

is available at HyperX.com for $49.99. Also available at Amazon HyperX Badge Pack is available now at HyperX.com for $24.99. Also available at Amazon

About HP

HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) is a global technology leader and creator of solutions that enable people to bring their ideas to life and connect to the things that matter most. Operating in more than 170 countries, HP delivers a wide range of innovative and sustainable devices, services and subscriptions for personal computing, printing, 3D printing, hybrid work, gaming, and more. For more information, please visit: http://www.hp.com.

Disclaimers

1 Based on all USB microphones that are advertised for gaming and have at least two of the following: USB connection, built-in control and mute, and direct monitoring output in the market as of 08/2024. Customization is measured by addressable RGB lighting.

2 Based on all USB gaming microphones (includes USB connection, built-in control and mute, direct monitoring output, addressable aRGB) in the market as of 08/2024

3 Google Play account required for access to Google Play Games on PC and library. Game availability varies by region and/or PC compatibility. See g.co/googleplaygames for more details

4 Based on HPs internal analysis of backlit keyboards advertised for gaming that support dual-wireless though 2.4Ghz and Bluetooth connectivity as of 08/2024. Battery life tested by HP with backlighting on, ambient light sensor off, and 50% brightness. Battery life is an estimate and varies depending on many factors, including number of active, idle and asleep hours of use, number of applications running, environmental conditions and features used; actual battery life will vary with usage and environmental condition. The maximum capacity of battery will naturally decrease with time and usage.

5 Source: HP Gamer Segmentation Study 2024, n=3207

6 Source: Qualitative Focus Groups with DIY Gamers 2024

7 Multicore is designed to improve performance of certain software products. Not all customers or software applications will necessarily benefit from use of this technology. Performance and clock frequency will vary depending on application workload and your hardware and software configurations. AMD s numbering is not a measurement of clock speed.

8 Multicore is designed to improve performance of certain software products. Not all customers or software applications will necessarily benefit from use of this technology. Performance and clock frequency will vary depending on application workload and your hardware and software configurations. Intels numbering, branding, and or naming is not a measurement of higher performance.

9 OMEN Components including OMEN liquid cooler/ OMEN PSU/ OMEN Fan will be included with OMEN 35L, plan to sell separately in early 2025

10 Sync your in-game progress across mobile and PC - Available for select games on compatible devices

11 Account required. See OMEN Gaming Hub terms and conditions. Not all features are available in all editions or versions of Windows. Systems may require upgraded and/or separately purchased hardware, drivers, software or BIOS update to take full advantage of Windows functionality. Windows is automatically updated and enabled. High speed internet and Microsoft account required. ISP fees may apply, and additional requirements may apply over time for updates. See http://www.windows.com.

12 More Than Half of Gen-Z Interested in Careers as Social Media Influencers - https://www.parents.com/gen-z-wants-to-be-social-media-influencers-8349212#:~:text=More%20Than%20Half%20of%20Gen%2DZ%20Interested%20in%20Careers%20as,They're%20probably%20not%20alone

13 Based on all USB microphones that are advertised for gaming and have at least two of the following: USB connection, built-in control and mute, and direct monitoring output in the market as of 08/2024. Audio resolution is measured by sample rate and bit depth.

14 Battery life tested by HP with backlighting on, ambient light sensor off, and 50% brightness. Battery life is an estimate and varies depending on many factors, including number of active, idle and asleep hours of use, number of applications running, environmental conditions and features used; actual battery life will vary with usage and environmental condition. The maximum capacity of battery will naturally decrease with time and usage.

15 Battery life tested by HP with backlighting off. Battery life is an estimate and varies depending on many factors, including number of active, idle and asleep hours of use, number of applications running, environmental conditions and features used; actual battery life will vary with usage and environmental condition. The maximum capacity of battery will naturally decrease with time and usage.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/64b0a384-8e45-4474-af33-f64efafa50f4

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b0d35593-ae16-4b04-9c0d-c53b10e96c8d



https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/064a1583-1dd9-4f47-a497-4273bfcd12c4



https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9dbf80d2-ca4e-4bba-b8d1-e4fdda39570b



https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/08ea4ac3-ea8b-4205-922d-fcbd462ed3be



https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bf966fa4-c0b5-437d-9589-a03f4f086ea5



https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/44acb2a1-89c4-480b-9743-a7f4b5218653



https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4c7c10b9-9f74-4458-b440-54cdd40ef8cc


LAGOS, Nigeria, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a move that signals a significant shift in the global financial landscape, the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), a payments clearing house primarily owned by the Central Bank of Nigeria, has joined Africas first regulated blockchain network for payments, built by Nigerias decentralised payment infrastructure company Zone. This partnership marks one of the world's first instances of regulatory participation in a private blockchain consortium, potentially redefining how financial regulations and decentralisation intersect on a global scale.



The partnership involves NIBSS utilising Zones blockchain network to enhance its Payment Terminal Service Aggregation (PTSA) operations. PTSA is a regulatory oversight function in Nigeria assigned to NIBSS and requiring all payments made at Point-of-Sale (PoS) terminals to pass through an aggregator before reaching the cardholders bank for authorization. This arrangement ensures enhanced oversight and compliance with the Central Bank of Nigerias payment standards. This unprecedented move to adopt blockchain demonstrates NIBSSs progressive and innovative disposition, which became evident when NIBSS launched one of the worlds first instant funds transfer services back in 2013. Hosting a Blockchain node on the Zone Network and deploying relevant smart contracts will allow NIBSS to decentralise its PTSA function which will eliminate the existing central failure point in transaction routing while preserving and even enhancing the regulatory monitoring and reporting capabilities required by the CBN guideline on PTSA.

Zones blockchain network has some of Africas biggest Banks as members, and offers several key advantages, such as decentralized routing, which enables direct exchange of financial messages between participating Banks without an intermediary. Additionally, the network facilitates real-time settlement, ensuring instant transaction finality and immediate value for each successful transaction. The automated reconciliation feature of Zones network leverages the transparency and consistency of Blockchain to continuously reconcile counterparties and preemptively resolve potential customer disputes in real-time.

This development represents a significant step towards the integration of blockchain technology into mainstream finance, potentially inspiring similar moves by regulatory bodies worldwide. NIBSS's direct involvement on Zones blockchain network demonstrates a new model for regulatory oversight, allowing real-time monitoring and more efficient compliance enforcement. The partnership underscores the growing acceptance of blockchain technology in traditional financial services and highlights the potential for blockchain to gain regulator buy-in but also enhance regulatory functions and achieve mainstream adoption on a global scale.

Premier Oiwoh, MD/CEO of NIBSS, commented: These partnerships and collaborations with key industry players represent a significant milestone in our mission to drive innovation and enhance the efficiency of the payment system. The strategic alliances will revolutionize the ecosystem, offering improved operational efficiency, cost savings and enhanced financial inclusion, ultimately positioning Nigeria at the forefront of the global payment space.

Obi Emetarom, CEO and Co-founder of Zone, stated: This partnership with NIBSS is a testament to the transformative power of blockchain technology in payments and more generally in the financial sector as a whole. It demonstrates how blockchain technology can enhance regulatory oversight functions while simultaneously streamlining operations for service providers and delivering delightful experiences to end-users.

As the world moves towards more digital and decentralized financial systems, this partnership stands as a landmark example of how traditional financial institutions and new innovative technologies can work together to shape the future of finance. The fact that an affiliate of a Central Bank is joining a Fintech-led blockchain consortium as well as other trends like CBDC pilots and Bank-led Blockchain initiatives around the world, hint at the inevitable impact of blockchain on the way people will manage money in the future.

About NIBSS

The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) is the backbone of the Nigerian financial system, providing interbank payments and settlement solutions. NIBSS is committed to facilitating secure and efficient payment systems, contributing to the stability and growth of Nigeria's financial sector.

About Zone

Zone is a regulated blockchain network that enables payments and acceptance of digital currencies. Its Layer-1 Blockchain network digitises Fiat payments and enables the transition to digital currencies while connecting previously excluded financial institutions into an all-inclusive payment ecosystem. Zone, Africas first decentralised payment network, allows participating institutions to connect directly with each other and perform payment transactions without an intermediary while completely automating settlement, reconciliation, and dispute management. The Company is working with the brightest minds on the continent to lay the foundation for the decentralised future of financial services. Its mission is to connect every monetary store of value by harnessing the power of blockchain.

Contact: oosoba@zonenetwork.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1c71b90d-ade3-4015-b5bf-1f11ea3465ef
Dublin, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Semi-Flexible Cable Market - Forecasts from 2024 to 2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global semi-flexible cable market is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.18% over the forecast period to reach US$2.81 billion by 2029, increasing from estimated value of US$1.81 billion in 2024.







Semi-flexible cables are becoming more predominant in different industry businesses due to various key variables. One of these variables is the miniaturization of electronic devices. As electronic gadgets proceed to diminish in size, conventional rigid cables are now not practical. Semi-flexible cables give a space-saving solution that can be effectively directed through tight spaces, tending to the challenges posed by contracting electronic components.



Another driving factor is the requirement for expanded functionality in modern electronic gadgets. Today's devices are prepared with more features than ever before, requiring cables that can bolster complex functionalities while maintaining adaptability. In addition, progressions in medical devices are pushing the development of semi-flexible cables. The medical industry is focused on creating new mehods that are negligibly invasive, requiring cables that are adaptable and reliable.



Market Drivers:

The growing demand for data transmission is anticipated to propel the global semi-flexible cable market growth.



The growing demand for data transmission is a major driver for the semi-flexible cable market. These cables can handle the high bandwidth requirements of applications such as 5G communication and data centers. Despite the demand for mobile broadband, fixed broadband accounts for 83 percent of all traffic, as per the ITU. According to the same source, the monthly average fixed-broadband traffic per subscription reached 257 gigabytes (GB) worldwide, the increase in the average annual was a sharp 21%, from 2019 to 2022.



As per the data given, it is observed that fixed broadband traffic in exabytes was, 1005 exabytes for the Americas, 2182 exabytes for Asia Pacific, and 861 exabytes for Europe in 2022. This high consumption of data in various regions is due to domestic, commercial, industrial, and governmental usage of data for various purposes. Further, these purposes correspond to aerospace and defense, education, public healthcare systems, research organizations, etc. This leads to the overall demand for semi-flexible cable worldwide.



The rising utilization in the aerospace and defence sector will bolster the market of semi-flexible cable.



The aerospace and defence industries are expected to use semi-flexible cables, which will drive market expansion. It is anticipated that the market will grow rapidly due to the high development of next-generation communication technologies like satellite navigation, radar networks, and surveillance radar networks. It is widely employed in many different areas due to its resistance to corrosion and capacity to withstand extreme weather conditions without degrading. Among its many excellent mechanical properties is electromagnetic interference (EMI).



In order to improve the Indian Air Force's operational capabilities, the Ministry of Defence signed a pair of contracts with Bharat Electronics Limited in March 2023 at a total cost of more than INR 3,700 crore. The first contract, valued at more than INR 2,800 crore, is for the Indian Air Force's purchase of Medium Power Radars (MPR) called "Arudhra." The second contract is for 129 DR-118 Radar Warning Receivers (RWR) and has an approximate total cost of INR 950 crore.



Moreover, the semi-flexible cable market growth for aerospace and defence has been fueled by increased military spending. Additionally, it is expected that throughout the projected time, the creation of innovative aircraft solutions will support market expansion. For example, the United States Department of Defence reports that the defence sector's budget climbed from US$747 billion in 2022 to US$773 billion in 2023.



The market for semi-flexible cables is very competitive, with numerous large original equipment manufacturers meeting the needs of the aerospace and defence sectors. Additionally, Pasternack provides a 12-inch length of semi-flexible precision cable for radio frequency assembly between SMA male and SMA male, using PE-SR405FLJ coax, LF solder, and RoHS. When it comes to same-day ship coaxial cables for millimeter wave, microwave, and radio frequency interconnect solutions, Pasternack offers one of the widest selections. Pasternack coaxial cable assemblies are utilized in high-end applications such as RF tests and measurements in laboratories and are designed for the military and defence industries.



Asia Pacific region is predicted to hold a considerable market share.



India's Vision 2040 strategy aims at creating infrastructure that is able to carry a five-fold increase in airports and is able to handle more than a billion passenger trips a year. The growing tourism in India and the expanding demand for well-developed airport infrastructure are additionally anticipated to propel the market within the anticipated period.



The telecommunications segment in India is encountering fast development and is anticipated to become one of the country's largest businesses within the near future. As per information from Invest India, the telecom industry contributed roughly 6.5% to India's GDP within the fiscal year 2022-23. Amid the last quarter of the fiscal year 2022-2023, the industry recorded a net revenue of INR 85,356 Cr ($11.38 Billion). This considerable expansion within the telecommunications and IT segments in India is expected to drive the requirements for semi-flexible cables within the forecasted period.



Moreover, the Indian Information Technology (IT) market is also experiencing rapid growth which can be another factor influencing the market in the projected period. For instance, according to Investing India, Indian technology market revenue was US$ 245 billion in the financial year 2023. The technology sector is projected to experience a growth rate of 9.4% when measured in reported currency terms. In the fiscal year 2021-22, the computer software and hardware sectors garnered the highest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflow. Hence, the following factors are expected to increase the market for the semi-flexible cable market in India.



Key Attributes:





Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 114 Forecast Period 2024 - 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $1.81 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $2.81 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 9.1% Regions Covered Global





Key Topics Covered:



1. INTRODUCTION



2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY



3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



4. MARKET DYNAMICS

4.1. Market Drivers

4.2. Market Restraints

4.3. Porter's Five Forces Analysis

4.4. Industry Value Chain Analysis

4.5. Analyst view



5. GLOBAL SEMI-FLEXIBLE CABLE MARKET BY TYPE

5.1. Introduction

5.2. Less than 2.15mm

5.3. Between 2.15mm to 6.20mm

5.4. More than 6.2mm



6. GLOBAL SEMI-FLEXIBLE CABLE MARKET BY INDUSTRY VERTICAL

6.1. Introduction

6.2. Aerospace and Defence

6.3. Information Communication and Technology



7. GLOBAL SEMI-FLEXIBLE CABLE MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY



8. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT AND ANALYSIS

8.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis

8.2. Market Share Analysis

8.3. Mergers, Acquisitions, Agreements, and Collaborations

8.4. Competitive Dashboard



9. COMPANY PROFILES

RFAC Solutions

Choice Right Electronic Inc.

Totoku Electric Co.

Habia Cable

Zhuhai Hansen Technology Co., Ltd

Kingsignal Technology Co., Ltd.

To-Conne Co., Ltd.

Rosenberger

Radiall

Waka Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ykdscx

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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Customers can now get paid cash for posting about the unique vintage boutique, Zoes Vintique, on the Thumzup app.



Los Angeles, CA, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thumzup Media Corporation ("Thumzup" or the "Company") (OTCQB: TZUP), a leader in innovative social media branding and marketing solutions, is excited to welcome Zoes Vintique as one of its most recent advertising partners on its proprietary social media AdTech platform.

The boutique prides itself on its curated selection of one-of-a-kind pieces from around the world. Customers will now have the unique opportunity to earn money by sharing their experiences at the vintage shop through the Thumzup app.

Founded ten years ago, Zoe's Vintique began from humble beginnings, selling clothing from home and at the Melrose Trading Post in Los Angeles. Established with a storefront over two years ago, the boutique has become a destination for those seeking distinctive vintage and modern clothing, with each item personally selected by owner Zoe Guillory.

Were excited to welcome Zoes Vintique to the Thumzup platform, said Robert Steele, CEO and Founder of Thumzup. The boutique offers a unique shopping experience for Angelenos, featuring a curated collection of hand-picked vintage clothing. Not only does this partnership enhance engagement with shoppers seeking truly one-of-a-kind fashion treasures, but it also aims to help Zoes retain a loyal customer base.

The Thumzup app is available for download on the App Store and Google Play .

About Thumzup

Thumzup Media Corporation (Thumzup) is democratizing the multi-billion dollar social media branding and marketing industry. Its flagship product, the Thumzup platform, utilizes a robust programmatic advertiser dashboard coupled with a consumer-facing App to enable individuals to get paid cash for posting about participating advertisers on major social media outlets through the Thumzup App. The easy-to-use dashboard allows advertisers to programmatically customize their campaigns. Cash payments are made to App users/creators through PayPal and other digital payment systems.

Thumzup was featured on CBS News Los Angeles and is a publicly traded company (OTCQB stock ticker: TZUP). For more information, please visit https://www.thumzupmedia.com .

Legal Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include, without limitation, statements about its potential growth, impacts on the advertising industry, plans for potential uplisting, and planned expansion. These statements are identified by the use of the words "could," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "may," "continue," "predict," "potential," "project" and similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that these plans, objectives, expectations or intentions will be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical experience and present expectations or projections. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements and the trading price for our common stock may fluctuate significantly. Forward-looking statements also are affected by the risk factors described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Contact Info

investors@thumzupmedia.com

800-403-6150

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Dublin, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Southern Africa Safari Tourism Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Adventure Safari, Private Safari), By Accommodation (Safari Resorts & Lodges, Treehouses), By Group (Couples, Families), By Booking Mode, By Country, And Segment Forecasts, 2024 - 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Southern Africa safari tourism market size is expected to reach USD 23.10 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 9.8% from 2024 to 2030

Safari tourism in southern Africa contributes significantly to local economies, conservation efforts, and community development, making it a pivotal sector in regional tourism. Safari tourism plays a key role in Africa, particularly in countries like Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana, and South Africa, where it serves as a critical pillar of the national economies. Safari tourism contributes substantially to GDP, provides employment to hundreds of thousands, and supports local communities dependent on the industry's economic influx.







Marketplace booking platforms have emerged as a popular choice for booking Southern Africa safaris, offering a wide range of safari lodges, tours, and activities from various operators on one centralized platform. Platforms like SafariBookings.com, Booking.com, and Expedia aggregate listings from different safari operators, allowing travelers to compare options, read reviews, and book directly through the platform.



A prominent digital and technology trend in Southern Africa's safari tourism market is the use of GPS tracking and digital surveillance for wildlife management and conservation. For example, in Kruger National Park, GPS collars are fitted on rhinos to track their movements and protect them from poaching. GPS tracking collars are also fitted on elephants in the Greater Kruger area. These collars use global positioning satellites to pinpoint the elephants' locations and transmit this data via cell phone networks to a central website, allowing researchers to download and monitor their movements.



Governments across Southern Africa have been instrumental in supporting safari tourism through various initiatives aimed at infrastructure development, conservation efforts, and promotional campaigns.Namibia is gearing up to enhance its profile in the tourism sector with the upcoming First Africa Hospitality Investment Forum, hosted for the first time in Windhoek from June 25-27, 2024 at the Movenpick Hotel Windhoek. This forum marks a strategic opportunity for Namibia to attract global hotel investors and showcase its vast potential as a tourism destination.



Infrastructure development, encompassing investments in airports, roads, and accommodations, is a pivotal growth driver for the safari tourism market in Southern Africa. Enhanced accessibility to remote safari destinations, facilitated by expansions like the modernization of airports in South Africa and improved road networks. has streamlined travel logistics for tourists.



CemAir's upcoming direct flights between MalaMala Game Reserve in Southern Africa and Johannesburg, starting June 1, mark a significant development in enhancing accessibility to this premier safari destination. The introduction of scheduled flights using a Dash-8-100 aircraft on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays will streamline travel for guests visiting MalaMala, which shares a boundary with Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Nature Reserve. This initiative not only addresses the challenge of limited connectivity due to previous reliance on charter services but also supports multiple lodges and camps in the surrounding area, including Kirkmans, Londolozi, and Leopard Hills.



Southern Africa Safari Tourism Market Report Highlights

The market is projected to grow at a significant CAGR in the forecast period. Growing awareness and concern for wildlife conservation and environmental sustainability have fueled the demand for responsible and sustainable tourism experiences

Adventure tourism held a significant share in 2023. The demand for adventure tourism is on the rise, with Booking.com's 2023 poll showing 73% of travelers planning trips outside their comfort zones This growing trend bodes well for adventure safaris in Southern Africa, offering unique opportunities for wilderness survival experiences, active wildlife tracking, and immersive nature excursions.

Demand for accommodation in safari camps is anticipated to increase rapidly in the forecast period from 2024-2030. There are various kinds of these camps, but the three main kinds are mobile tented safari camps, seasonal camps, and permanent tented camps. These are typically found next to magnificent natural settings where wildlife can graze in abundance.

Couples constituted the largest visiting group for safaris in southern Africa in 2023. The combination of luxury accommodations, breathtaking scenery, and the chance to see wildlife up close creates a romantic and unforgettable experience for newlyweds. Some safari lodges and camps offer wellness and relaxation amenities, such as spa treatments and yoga sessions, allowing couples to unwind and rejuvenate amidst nature's beauty.

Marketplace booking is expected to be increasingly utilized in the market in the forecast period. This provides travelers with a convenient and accessible platform to search, compare, and book safari experiences. Most marketplace booking platforms provide customer support services, including assistance with booking, itinerary changes, and addressing any concerns or issues that may arise before, during, or after the safari experience.

A significant portion of Southern African safari tourism was accounted for by South Africa. This country is renowned for its incredible natural splendor and abundant wildlife. The parks in South Africa adhere to eco-cultural concepts and make knowledge-related contributions to local institutions and authorities. For instance, the Kruger Park in South Africa is home to the Big Five animals. The park is also home to the study of different species, their cohabitation, and reproduction. It has also constructed eco-friendly infrastructures and provides accommodations made of natural materials to welcome tourists.

Companies Featured

Wilderness

Thomas Cook Group

Singita

Acacia Adventure Holidays

Rothschild Safaris

&Beyond

Abercrombie & Kent USA, LLC

Thompsons Africa

Discover Africa

Go2Africa

Key Attributes:

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 85 Forecast Period 2023 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $11.7 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $23.1 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 9.8% Regions Covered Africa



Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1. Methodology and Scope

1.1. Market Segmentation& Scope

1.2. Market Definition

1.3. Information Procurement

1.4. Information Analysis

1.5. Market Formulation & Data Visualization

1.6. Data Validation & Publishing



Chapter 2. Executive Summary

2.1. Market Snapshot

2.2. Segment Snapshot

2.3. Competitive Landscape Snapshot



Chapter 3. Southern Africa Safari Tourism Market Variables, Trends & Scope

3.1. Market Lineage Outlook

3.1.1. Parent Market Outlook

3.2. Industry Value Chain Analysis

3.2.1. Booking Mode Trends And Outlook

3.2.2. Technology and Regulatory Landscape

3.2.2.1. Technology Trends

3.2.2.2. Regulatory Framework

3.3. Market Dynamics

3.3.1. Market Driver Analysis

3.3.2. Market Restraint Analysis

3.3.3. Industry Challenges

3.3.4. Industry Opportunities

3.4. Industry Analysis Tools

3.4.1. Porter's Five Forces Analysis

3.5. Market Entry Strategies



Chapter 4. Consumer Behavior Analysis

4.1. Demographic Analysis

4.2. Consumer Trends & Preferences

4.3. Factors Influencing Buying Decisions

4.4. Consumer Product Adoption Trends

4.5. Observations & Recommendations



Chapter 5. Southern Africa Safari Tourism Market: Type Estimates & Trend Analysis

5.1. Type Movement Analysis & Market Share, 2023 & 2030

5.2. Southern Africa Safari Tourism Market Estimates & Forecast, By Type, 2018 to 2030 (USD Million)

5.2.1. Adventure Safari

5.2.2. Private Safari

5.2.3. Others



Chapter 6. Southern Africa Safari Tourism Market: Accommodation Type Estimates & Trend Analysis

6.1. Accommodation Type Movement Analysis & Market Share, 2023 & 2030

6.2. Southern Africa Safari Tourism Market Estimates & Forecast, By Accommodation Type, 2018 to 2030 (USD Million)

6.2.1. Safari Resorts & Lodges

6.2.2. Safari Camps

6.2.3. Treehouses

6.2.4. Others



Chapter 7. Southern Africa Safari Tourism Market: Group Estimates & Trend Analysis

7.1. Group Movement Analysis & Market Share, 2023 & 2030

7.2. Southern Africa Safari Tourism Market Estimates & Forecast, By Group, 2018 to 2030 (USD Million)

7.2.1. Friends

7.2.2. Families

7.2.3. Couples

7.2.4. Solo



Chapter 8. Southern Africa Safari Tourism Market: Booking Mode Estimates & Trend Analysis

8.1. Booking Mode Movement Analysis & Market Share, 2023 & 2030

8.2. Southern Africa Safari Tourism Market Estimates & Forecast, By Booking Mode, 2018 to 2030 (USD Million)

8.2.1. Direct Booking

8.2.2. Agents and Affiliates Account

8.2.3. Marketplace Booking



Chapter 9. Southern Africa Safari Tourism Market: Regional Estimates & Trend Analysis

9.1. Vitamin C Serum Market: Regional Outlook

9.2. Angola

9.2.1. Key country dynamics

9.2.2. Market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million)

9.3. Botswana

9.4. Mozambique

9.5. Namibia

9.6. South Africa

9.7. Zambia

9.8. Zimbabwe



Chapter 10. Southern Africa Safari Tourism Market - Competitive Landscape

10.1. Recent developments & impact analysis, by key market participants

10.2. Company Categorization

10.3. Participant's Overview

10.4. Financial Performance

10.5. Product Benchmarking

10.6. Company Market Share Analysis, 2023 (%)

10.7. Company Heat Map Analysis

10.8. Strategy Mapping

10.9. Company Profiles

10.9.1. Company Overview

10.9.2. Financial Performance

10.9.3. Product Benchmarking

10.9.4. Strategic Initiatives

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1rizuj

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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ORLANDO, Fla, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ThreatLocker, a leading provider of Zero Trust cybersecurity solutions, today announced CEO and Co-Founder, Danny Jenkins, has been recognized by the Orlando Business Journal as one of the Most Influential Leaders of 2024.

Jenkins received this prestigious honor for significant contributions to the growth of his company, positive involvement and impact in the community, and for driving cybersecurity industry leadership.

"I share this special recognition with our growing Cyber Hero team at ThreatLocker and our supporters, said Jenkins. To be recognized not only for my leadership at ThreatLocker, but for the impact weve made in our local community and the cybersecurity industry, at large, is truly rewarding.

As an advocate for protecting businesses from powerful cyberattacks, CEO Danny Jenkins is committed to delivering industry-leading technology and expertise to companies to best protect their businesses, applications, and software from being compromised. ThreatLocker provides this protection through its Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform, which enables organizations to stop ransomware and other cyberattacks by controlling what software can run in their environments.

Under Jenkins' leadership, the Orlando, Florida-based company has scaled its US operations to serve a global customer base, delivered award-winning technology solutions to over 50,000 organizations and has grown the team to over 450 employees since its founding in 2017.

From a community impact perspective, Jenkins has stimulated the local Orlando community by creating a financially durable company that has employed several hundred people and continues to grow rapidly. ThreatLocker also participates in meaningful philanthropic efforts such as supporting the Ronald McDonald House.

Jenkins and the other honorees will be recognized at a special luncheon on November 7, at the Orlando Hilton.

About ThreatLocker

ThreatLocker is a global cybersecurity leader, providing enterprise-level Zero Trust cybersecurity tools to improve the security of servers and endpoints. Founded in 2017 by Danny Jenkins, Sami Jenkins, and John Carolan, ThreatLocker now serves thousands of organizations globally and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida, USA. For more information, visit: https://www.threatlocker.com/

Follow ThreatLocker on: LinkedIn, X, Meta, and Instagram

Media Contact:

Stefany Strong, Media Relations Manager

407-784-2109

stefany.strong@threatlocker.com

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Dublin, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "UK Health Check-up Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Test Type (Blood, Urine, Body Fluid Tests, Imaging-based Tests), By End-use (Enterprise, Individual), And Segment Forecasts, 2024 - 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The UK health check-up market size is anticipated to reach USD 3.0 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 6.08% from 2024 to 2030

The market is driven by the rising prevalence of chronic diseases and the need to provide preventive screening solutions. For instance, according to UK Health indicators, the top four most prevalent chronic conditions in the UK for both men and women are allergies, hypertension, lower back disorders, and depression.

Allergies emerged as the most frequently reported chronic issue among both genders, with rates of 30.4% for men and 36.0% for women. Nearly half of the UK population, comprising 45.7% of men and 50.1% of women, disclosed experiencing a persistent condition. A higher proportion of women (22.3%) indicated experiencing some activity limitations due to health issues in the past six months compared to men (18.5%).







Rising government initiatives to provide healthcare solutions is further anticipated to drive market growth. For instance, in February 2024, the National Health Service (NHS) announce the launch of a digital version of the health check-up program for citizens in England. This initiative, known as the NHS Health Check, is designed for individuals aged 40 to 74, which translates to approximately 15 million people across the country. The check-up process typically involves an appointment with a general practitioner (GP), where patients are assessed for potential risks related to type 2 diabetes, strokes, kidney disease, and certain forms of dementia.



Moreover, the introduction of telemedicine in general healthcare practices has fueled the demand for home-based testing solutions. The healthcare ecosystem's digital connectivity framework has further empowered the market during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rising incidence of life-threatening diseases is a major driver for the market. This includes the growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.

This combination of the increased availability of telemedicine and home-based testing, the escalating prevalence of life-threatening diseases, and the need for early detection of asymptomatic conditions are collectively expected to drive the growth and expansion of the market. These factors have enabled individuals to manage their health proactively and have contributed to the overall development of the healthcare ecosystem during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.



Furthermore, the rising strategic initiatives undertaken by the key players in the market, such as enhancing healthcare services and fostering collaborations between the public and private sectors, are expected to drive the overall development and expansion of the market. Additionally, the introduction of direct-to-customer testing solutions is anticipated to contribute to the growth and accessibility of check-up services during the forecast period. For instance, in June 2023, NHS announced the launch of home-based digital health checks. This new digital health check has been introduced with the aim of delivering an additional one million checks in the first four years.



UK Health Check-up Market Report Highlights

Blood, urine, body fluid tests segment dominated the test type segment and is anticipated to grow at the fastest growth rate over the forecast period owing to the rising adoption and usage of blood, urine, and body fluid samples in preventive care diagnosis.

Individuals dominated the end-use segment; this is attributed to the growing awareness for preventive health among the population.

Out-of-pocket dominated the individual end-use segment owing to the rising out-of-pocket spending expenditure by customers for personal check-ups.

Enterprise segment held a significant share in end-use segment owing to the growing number of companies providing insurance to their employees.

Companies Featured

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

SYNLAB International GmbH

OPKO Health, Inc.

Eurofins Scientific

UNILABS

Sonic Healthcare Limited

ARUP Laboratories

Q2 Solutions

Key Attributes:





Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 125 Forecast Period 2023 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $1.99 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $3 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 6.0% Regions Covered United Kingdom





Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1. Methodology and Scopeources

1.10. Objectives



Chapter 2. Executive Summary

2.1. Market Outlook

2.2. Segment Outlook

2.2.1. Test Type and End-use outlook

2.3. Competitive Insights



Chapter 3. UK Health Check-up Market Variables, Trends & Scope

3.1. Market Lineage Outlook

3.1.1. Parent market outlook

3.1.2. Related/ancillary market outlook

3.2. Market Dynamics

3.2.1. Market Driver Analysis

3.2.1.1. Increasing prevalence of diseases

3.2.1.2. Growing investments in population screening

3.2.1.3. Growing geriatric population

3.2.1.4. Adoption of digital technology

3.2.2. Market Restraint Analysis

3.2.2.1. High cost associated with screening

3.2.2.2. Psychological Factors And Knowledge, Attitudes, & Beliefs

3.2.3. Market challenge analysis

3.2.3.1. Lack of awareness

3.2.4. Market Opportunity Analysis

3.2.4.1. Rising medical tourism

3.3. UK Health Check-up Market Analysis Tools

3.3.1. Industry Analysis - Porter's Five Forces

3.3.2. PESTEL Analysis



Chapter 4. UK Health Check-up Market: Test Type Estimates & Trend Analysis

4.1. UK Health Check-up Market: Test Type Dashboard

4.2. UK Health Check-up Market: Test Type Movement Analysis

4.3. UK Health Check-up Market by Test Type, Revenue

4.4. Blood, Urine, Body Fluid Tests

4.5. Imaging-based tests (Xray, CT, US, MRI)

4.6. Non-imaging Tests (ECG, CPET, NCS, EMG, EEG)



Chapter 5. UK Health Check-up Market: End-use Estimates & Trend Analysis

5.1. UK Health Check-up Market: End-use Dashboard

5.2. UK Health Check-up Market: End-use Movement Analysis

5.3. UK Health Check-up Market by End-use, Revenue

5.4. Enterprise

5.4.1. Enterprise market estimates and forecasts 2018 to 2030 (USD Million)

5.4.2. Private (Corporate) Sector

5.4.3. Government Sector

5.4.4. Insurance

5.5. Individual

5.5.1. Individual market estimates and forecasts 2018 to 2030 (USD Million)

5.5.2. Out of Pocket- Direct Payment for Health Check

5.5.3. Individual Health Insurance Plan



Chapter 6. Competitive Landscape

6.1. Recent Developments & Impact Analysis, By Key Market Participants

6.2. Company/Competition Categorization

6.3. Vendor Landscape

6.3.1. List of key distributors and channel partners

6.3.2. Key customers

6.3.3. Key company market share analysis, 2023

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/3cvdqq

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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PRESS RELEASE

20 August 2024, Copenhagen, Denmark





FLSmidth to deliver concentrate and tailings filters to South32s Hermosa critical minerals project in the United States

This new FLSmidth order will contribute to an increased supply of critical minerals such as zinc and manganese supporting the continued electrification of society. The mine operation is designed to minimize its environmental impact, and the equipment that FLSmidth will deliver plays a critical role in supporting this.

FLSmidth has received an order to deliver five AFP2500 concentrate and tailings filters to the Hermosa critical minerals project in the Patagonia Mountains of southern Arizona, US.

A key requirement for South32 is to utilise the most efficient process technologies with the lowest environmental impact. The projects design is expected to result in ~75% less water consumption compared to other mines in the region, and FLSmidths filter tailings technology will be a key enabler of this.

A key element in enabling sustainable mining is among other to reduce water consumption. Consequently, South32s ambition of developing a mine operation with a low environmental impact, including a significantly reduced water consumption, is fully aligned with our MissionZero ambitions. Tailings filtration is one of the core competencies of FLSmidth, and therefore we are obviously pleased to support the development of this important project, comments Chris Reinbold, Products Business Line President at FLSmidth.

The value of the order has not been disclosed.





Contacts:



Media Relations

Rasmus Windfeld, +45 40 44 60 60, rwin@flsmidth.com

Investor Relations

Jannick Lindegaard Denholt, +45 21 69 66 57, jli@flsmidth.com

Andreas Escherich Holkjr, +45 24 85 03 84, andh@flsmidth.com

Therese Mollevinge, +45 41 37 16 38, tmo@flsmidth.com





About FLSmidth

FLSmidth is a full flowsheet technology and service supplier to the global mining and cement industries. We enable our customers to improve performance, lower operating costs and reduce environmental impact. MissionZero is our sustainability ambition towards zero emissions in mining and cement by 2030. We work within fully validated Science-Based Targets, have a clear commitment to improving the sustainability performance of the global mining and cement industries and aim to become carbon neutral in our own operations by 2030. www.flsmidth.com.

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MENLO PARK, Calif., Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SPARK NS today announced the five projects and principal investigators selected for the 2024 SPARK NS Parkinsons Disease Translational Research Program, a two-year immersive program designed to advance academic discoveries in Parkinsons disease from the lab to the clinic. Participation in the program includes milestone-based funding of up to $2,000,0001 for each project, education and training in drug development and translational research, mentoring from 50+ industry expert advisors, and scientific and business networking opportunitiesresources that improve the odds promising therapeutics will make it to market and benefit patients.

A typical drug development process takes 10 to 12 years and costs more than a billion dollars, said Daria Mochly-Rosen, PhD, a Board Director and Chief Scientific and Education Advisor of SPARK NS. Despite all the time and money spent, just 14% of lab discoveries that advance to clinical trials2 make it to market. In our experience, one reason for the low success rate is lack of knowledge, know-how, and tangible support needed to translate academic discoveries into realistic solutions. Academic studies of biomedical breakthroughs published in even the highest impact journals often fail to attract the interest of pharmaceutical companies in drug development efforts.

Added Dr. Mochly-Rosen, Funding is essential, but its not enough. SPARK NS programs provide comprehensive resources and collaborative experiences that prepare academic researchers for the challenging process of drug development.

Dr. Mochly-Rosen is the founder of the SPARK model of translational research, a unique approach to drug development refined over two decades at Stanford University. The SPARK model has an unprecedented success rate of 50%3 at advancing academic projects to licensing and/or clinical trials.

Projects and principal investigators selected for the 2024 Program are:

Reducing Alpha Synuclein Spread in Parkinsons Disease

Alice S. Chen-Plotkin, MD, Parker Family Professor of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania

Bio

Design of Small Molecule Degraders of Synuclein mRNA

Matthew D. Disney, PhD, Institute Professor and Chair, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, (University of Florida)

Bio

Small Molecule for Autophagy Enhancement for Parkinsons Disease

James H. Hurley, PhD, Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology and Kirsch Springer Chair in Biological Sciences

Bio

Preventing Dopamine-Induced Neurotoxicity in Parkinson's Disease

Gary W. Miller, PhD, Vice Dean for Research Strategy and Innovation, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University

Bio

Axonal Reinnervation Therapy in Parkinsons Disease

David Sulzer, PhD, Professor of Neurobiology, Columbia University

Bio

Stephen Kargotich, PhD, MBA, LLB, Executive Director of SPARK NS, said of the projects selected for the 2024 program, The projects are stellar examples of the work being done by academic researchers in the Parkinsons disease research community on treatments for Parkinsons. SPARK NS will launch a new program every year to ensure the translation of more academic discoveries into therapies that improve the quality of life for the millions of people around the world with Parkinsons and other neurological disorders.

SPARK NS 2024 Program Selected Projects



Principal Investigators for projects are (from left to right): Gary W. Miller PhD, Columbia University; David Sulzer, PhD, Columbia University; Matthew D. Disney, PhD, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology (University of Florida); Alice S. Chen-Plotkin, MD, University of Pennsylvania; and James H. Hurley, PhD, University of California, Berkeley.

See our SPARK NS 2024 program selected projects on our website here. Learn more about SPARK NS programs here.

About SPARK NS

Founded in 2023, SPARK NS is an independent non-profit translational research organization dedicated to efficiently advancing promising neuroscience discoveries from the lab to the clinic. Through two-year immersive programs, SPARK NS provides academic researchers with funding, extensive education, mentorship, and networking opportunities to close gaps in knowledge and know-how and eliminate barriers that slow or prevent promising discoveries from directly benefiting patients. For more information, visit us at www.sparkns.org and follow us on LinkedIn.

1Not all funds awarded go directly to PIs laboratories. For example, work done by vetted research organizations or academic research facilities are paid for by SPARK NS directly to the organizations from awarded funds.

2Wong, C.H., Siah, K.W, and Lo, A.W. Estimation of clinical trial success rates and related parameters. Biostatistics 20, 273-286, (2019).

3Kim, J.S., Kargotich, S., Lee, S.H. et al. SPARKing academic technologies across the valley of death. Nature Biotechnology 42, 339-342 (2024).

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/adf45de8-7e64-4728-ae95-f19622c129ef




DALLAS, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lone Star PACE, a leading administrator of Texas Property Assessed Clean Energy program, today announced it facilitated $27M in retroactive C-PACE financing for the award-winning HALL Arts Hotel in the Dallas Arts District.



Financing proceeds will recapitalize previously installed sustainable upgrades that save energy and water, including improvements to the buildings envelope, electrical, lighting, HVAC and plumbing systems.

Lee McCormick, president of Lone Star PACE, said: It was an honor to partner with HALL Group on this groundbreaking luxury hotel in Downtown Dallas burgeoning Arts District. Retroactive C-PACE financing is the perfect complement to projects that aim to advance sustainable development without sacrificing returns in the process.

C-PACE helps reduce energy and water consumption at commercial and industrial buildings by providing low-cost, long-term, fixed-rate financing for sustainable upgrades. Property owners can use C-PACE to finance new construction as well as building renovations or retrofits.

Designed by HKS Architects with interiors by Bentel & Bentel, the 11-story HALL Arts Hotel includes 183 guest rooms and 19 suites, all featuring privately curated art collections. In addition to lodging, HALL Arts offers premier event space for corporate and social gatherings. An award-winning eatery, Ellies Restaurant & Lounge, is also available on-site.

Mike Canning, senior vice president of capital markets for HALL Group, said: "We are proud to partner with Lone Star PACE on the PACE financing for HALL Arts Hotel. C-PACE continues to be a positive product for advancing sustainability goals and an efficient form of financing in todays environment.

About Lone Star PACE

Lone Star PACE serves as a program administrator for city and county Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) programs in Texas. We help local governments, economic development corporations, chambers of commerce and trade associations promote economic development and conservation by facilitating C-PACE projects with property owners, PACE lenders, contractors and other stakeholders. Our goal is to promote sustainability and increased property values while positively impacting cash flow and utility savings for property owners. To learn more, visit www.lonestarpace.com



About HALL Group

HALL Group is a Dallas-based, multibillion-dollar, private company made up of a diverse group of subsidiaries spanning real estate, finance, winemaking, and venture capital. Founded in 1968, the company focuses on four key areas: development and ownership of office, multifamily and hospitality real estate assets including HALL Park, a 162-acre, mixed-use development in Frisco, Texas with a masterplan underway that, when complete, will include 10 million square feet of commercial assets; HALL Structured Finance, a national commercial real estate construction and bridge loan lender, primarily in the hotel and multifamily sectors; HALL Family Wines, a producer of high-quality California wines that includes the HALL, WALT and BACA brands; and angel- and seed-round funding for select venture capital investments. HALL Group also owns the HALL Collection, an immense compilation of local and international artwork on display throughout the companys properties. For more information, visit www.hallgroup.com.

Media Contact

Olivia Lueckemeyer

Director of Marketing & Media Relations for Lone Star PACE

Olivia@lonestarpace.com

970-497-6667

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d59d813d-b6f3-4cc9-b9f6-096342095c1c
The recent display of academic timidity during a congressional hearing has laid bare a disconcerting truth: America's elite universities no longer hold the moral high ground.

As a recent survey indicates, public trust in the leadership of these institutions has eroded significantly. This raises a critical question: how can institutions that fail to provide strong leadership produce future leaders capable of navigating complex moral questions?

The Ideological Capture of Higher Education

A concerning trend highlighted by the survey is the ideological capture of higher education by socialist, Marxist, and liberal ideologies. The outcomes of this ideological shift are alarming, with rising rates of atheism, antisemitism, anti-Americanism, and moral abolitionism among recent generations. The once-proud institutions that fostered thought leaders and innovators have transformed into breeding grounds for conformity to politically correct ideologies, stifling intellectual diversity.

The Role of University Presidents as Leaders

University presidents are entrusted with the responsibility of being leaders. However, the current landscape reveals a lack of moral clarity among these figures. The essence of leadership lies in a commitment to truth, facts, and eternal realities. It is the duty of university presidents to create an environment that encourages exploration, discovery, and the celebration of diverse perspectives rather than one dominated by politically correct conformity.

The Void of Steadfast Leadership

In a time of unprecedented division, reminiscent of pre-Civil War tensions, the need for steadfast and unabashed leadership is paramount. The current state of academia falls short in producing leaders capable of unifying a divided nation. The consequence is a generation of befuddled students lacking moral clarity and strong leadership models. The article questions where the next morally anchored leader, akin to President Lincoln, will emerge in a system that prioritizes equivocation over moral conviction.

Embracing Objective Moral Clarity

President Lincoln's leadership, deeply rooted in moral clarity, serves as a stark contrast to the current post-modern approach prevalent in elite institutions. Today's universities, with their fluidity of post-modern personal truth, have neglected the pedagogy dedicated to sorting out right from wrong. The article emphasizes that the search for objective moral clarity leads to the understanding that obedience to eternal truth aligns with a higher purpose, guiding leaders to act justly.

The Dangers of Moral Equivocation

The article delves into the consequences of moral equivocation among today's graduates, who question everything without taking a stand on firm moral ground. The failure to recognize that not taking a stand is, in fact, taking a stand, leaves these graduates adrift in a sea of indecision. The survey results indicate that the only ones endorsing the value of today's college education are those indoctrinated to believe in the subjective worth of their degrees.

Hope Outside Elite Institutions

While elite institutions may have lost their way, the article finds hope in leaders outside the traditional halls of academia. Colleges and universities committed to embracing and promoting eternal truths offer a beacon of promise. Graduates from these institutions, equipped with a strong understanding of right and wrong, are positioned to tackle the complex challenges facing the nation.

In the quest to reverse the tide of division and moral confusion in society, the article argues for a reevaluation of where leadership is cultivated. Rather than relying on elite colleges and universities, the focus should shift to institutions and leaders with the fortitude to stand for fairness, justice, and truth. It is through a commitment to objective moral clarity that the rising generation can be equipped to lead with conviction and address the pressing issues that confront the nation.
Dublin, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "U.S. And Europe On-body Injectors Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Technology (Spring-based, Motor-driven, Rotary Pump), By Application (Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease), By End Use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2024 - 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The U.S. and Europe on-body injectors market size is anticipated to reach USD 5.45 billion by 2030 and is projected to grow at a CAGR 11.27% from 2024 to 2030. Primarily, the rising incidence of chronic illnesses such as diabetes and cancer has amplified the demand for advanced drug delivery systems.







According to June 2024 data from the American Heart Association, over 184 million people, or more than 61% of the U.S. population, are projected to have some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Total CVD-related costs are expected to triple to USD 1.8 trillion by 2050. On-body injectors provide a convenient and less intrusive way to administer medications, appealing especially to patients needing regular self-administration, thereby enhancing treatment adherence and overall therapeutic effectiveness. Moreover, the increasing elderly population in these regions underscores the necessity for effective drug delivery solutions, further driving market expansion.



In addition, the regulatory environment in the U.S. and Europe has been supportive of the development and commercialization of on-body injectors. Regulatory bodies such as the FDA and EMA have established clear guidelines and streamlined approval processes for these devices, ensuring their safety and efficacy. This regulatory support has encouraged manufacturers to innovate and bring new products to market more swiftly. Furthermore, the harmonization of regulatory standards across these regions has facilitated easier market entry and expansion for global companies, contributing to the overall growth of the on-body injectors market.



Moreover, market players such as BD, Stevanato Group, and Coherus BioSciences are leading in innovation, introducing advanced on-body delivery systems. Developments include customizable dosing options, enhanced connectivity features, and improved user interfaces to optimize patient convenience and treatment adherence. These advancements cater to the rising demand for efficient drug delivery solutions, particularly in managing conditions such as diabetes and autoimmune diseases.

For instance, in October 2022, Nemera and Zollner entered into a partnership to create electronic drug delivery devices, commencing with Nemera's Symbioze, a high-capacity wearable injection device. Under this collaboration, Zollner will manage the electronics and software development for the Symbioze device. Such collaborative efforts are crucial in addressing the complex needs of chronic disease management, thereby driving the growth of the on-body injectors market in the U.S. and Europe.



Furthermore, increasing investment in healthcare infrastructure and the rising adoption of advanced medical devices in both the U.S. and Europe have fostered market growth. Governments and private entities are allocating substantial resources to modernize healthcare facilities and improve patient care standards. This investment includes the adoption of cutting-edge medical technologies, such as on-body injectors, which streamline treatment processes and reduce hospital stays.



U.S. And Europe On-body Injectors Market Report Highlights

The spring-based segment held the largest share of 40.89% in 2023, spring-based on-body injectors are effective devices offering numerous benefits to both patients and healthcare providers. One of the primary factors contributing to the market growth includes the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes and autoimmune disorders, which require regular & precise medication delivery

The diabetes segment held the largest share of 25.45% in 2023. On-body injectors are effective tools in diabetes management because they ensure precise and consistent delivery of medication. The rising healthcare expenditure on diabetes care further supports the adoption of advanced technologies such as on-body injectors

The hospitals & clinics segment held the largest share of 46.76% in 2023. With the population expanding and aging, there is an increasing demand for healthcare services, especially for chronic ailments such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and autoimmune disorders

U.S. on-body injectors market dominated the overall market and accounted for the 51.15%-revenue share in 2023, driven by several factors, including increased healthcare spending, government initiatives, and higher disposable incomes. Additionally, favorable reimbursement scenarios, a rise in chronic diseases requiring long-term care, and high per capita income are expected to further stimulate market expansion

Companies Featured

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.

BD

Stevanato Group

Enable Injections

Nemera

Debiotech SA

AbbVie, Inc.

Coherus BioSciences, Inc

Gerresheimer AG

E3D Elcam Drug Delivery Devices

Key Attributes:





Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 99 Forecast Period 2023 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $2.65 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $5.45 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 11.2% Regions Covered Europe, United States





Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1. Methodology and Scope



Chapter 2. Executive Summary

2.1. Market Outlook

2.2. Segment Outlook

2.2.1. Technology outlook

2.2.2. Application outlook

2.2.3. End Use outlook

2.3. Regional outlook

2.4. Competitive Insights



Chapter 3. U.S. and Europe On-body Injectors Market Variables, Trends & Scope

3.1. Market Lineage Outlook

3.1.1. Parent Market Outlook

3.1.2. Related/ancillary market outlook

3.2. Market Dynamics

3.2.1. Market Driver Analysis

3.2.2. Market Restraint Analysis

3.3. U.S. and Europe On-body Injectors Market Analysis Tools

3.3.1. Industry Analysis - Porter's

3.3.2. PESTEL Analysis



Chapter 4. U.S. and Europe On-body Injectors Market: Technology Estimates & Trend Analysis

4.1. Segment Dashboard

4.2. U.S. and Europe On-body Injectors Market: Technology Movement Analysis

4.3. U.S. and Europe On-body Injectors Market by Technology Outlook (USD Billion)

4.4. Market Size & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2018 to 2030 for the following

4.5. Spring-based

4.6. Motor-driven

4.7. Rotary Pump

4.8. Expanding Battery



Chapter 5. U.S. and Europe On-body Injectors Market: Application Estimates & Trend Analysis

5.1. Segment Dashboard

5.2. U.S. and Europe On-body Injectors Market: Application Movement Analysis

5.3. U.S. and Europe On-body Injectors Market by Application Outlook (USD Billion)

5.4. Market Size & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2018 to 2030 for the following

5.5. Oncology

5.6. Diabetes

5.7. Cardiovascular Disease

5.8. Autoimmune Disease



Chapter 6. U.S. and Europe On-body Injectors Market: End Use Estimates & Trend Analysis

6.1. Segment Dashboard

6.2. U.S. and Europe On-body Injectors Market: End Use Movement Analysis

6.3. U.S. and Europe On-body Injectors Market by End Use Outlook (USD Billion)

6.4. Market Size & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2018 to 2030 for the following

6.5. Hospitals & Clinics

6.6. Home Care Settings

6.7. Others



Chapter 7. U.S. and Europe On-body Injectors Market: Regional Estimates & Trend Analysis

7.1. Regional Dashboard

7.2. Regional U.S. and Europe On-body Injectors Market movement analysis

7.3. U.S. and Europe On-body Injectors Market: Regional Estimates & Trend Analysis by Technology, Application & End-use

7.4. Market Size & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2018 to 2030 for the following

7.5. U.S.

7.6. Europe



Chapter 8. Competitive Landscape

8.1. Market Participant Categorization

8.2. Key Company Profiles

8.2.1. Company overview

8.2.2. Financial performance

8.2.3. Product benchmarking

8.2.4. Strategic initiatives

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lwtl6l

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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Boulder, Colorado, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Twenty-four-year-old entrepreneur Jackson White has introduced Treasure Tracker. Released in early 2024, it promises to change how families share their most cherished heirlooms and the memories that accompany them. The innovative platform is bound to connect generations by bringing treasures to life and ensuring that the stories behind individuals most valued possessions are never forgotten.

The motivation behind the apps creation stems from its founders experience. In December 2023, Jackson witnessed the Marshall Fire ravage the Boulder area in Colorado. It claimed two lives and destroyed over a thousand homes, making it one of the most destructive fires in the states history. Living in Boulder at the time, Jackson recalls, I was working at a liquor store, and a customer shared how devastated he was to celebrate New Years Eve in a hotel room because their home had been reduced to ashes.

The catastrophic impact of the fire on the residents was palpable months after the unfortunate event. Many were overwhelmed with filing insurance claims as they struggled to recall the details of the possessions they had lost. This challenge sparked Jacksons initial idea for Treasure Tracker. He aimed to create an app that could serve as a home inventory solution, providing users with an organized, digital record of their belongings to ease the burden in case of future disasters.

Jacksons vision for Treasure Tracker later developed from a purely practical tool into something more meaningful after an unforeseen instancethe passing of his beloved grandfather, a brilliant computer science professor, world traveler, and loving husband of over 50 years. My family was sorting through my grandpas belongingsold books on computer science, racquetball gear, and other memorabilia. We realized many of these items held stories we would never fully know. I was so regretful for not being able to ask him about the history of these things while he was still alive, he shares.



Treasure Trackers focus then shifted to emphasizing the emotional value of heirlooms. The app encourages users to record the stories behind their precious items to preserve memories, hence the tagline, Connecting generations by bringing treasures to life.

The platform allows users to document and share the memories, emotions, and experiences associated with their belongings through individualized voice recordings and written messages. Through these stories, family members are connected by rediscovering the sentimental value of their possessions. Treasure Trackers input capabilities also enable adding detailed information about each item, such as valuations or receipts. It streamlines insurance claims by keeping all necessary documentation at users fingertips. Treasure Tracker further stands out with its estate planning section. This innovative feature helps ensure that items are passed down according to owners wishes and ties together the mission of connecting families.

Treasure Trackers team is dedicated to the ongoing evolution of the app. They assess feedback from beta testers and collaborate with a network of industry professionals to continue meeting users needs. They will soon introduce a notification and gamification feature, encouraging users to set personal goals for tracking items.

Another upcoming feature is access management. It will help with sharing inventories among family members. My grandfather inspired the access management feature. I remember receiving a voicemail from him in 2014 while volunteering in high school. It just said, Im proud of you. I love you. I saved that message on all of my phones and computers. Its still the oldest file I have. Its a living memory of him that I will cherish forever, Jackson fondly shares.



Jackson and his team of experts are also exploring AI integration to improve the user experience. An exciting prospect is the incorporation of optical AI. It would allow users to scan a room and automatically identify and catalog items, enabling them to focus more on the stories behind their treasures and less on the tedious task of data entry.

Treasure Tracker is available to download with a free trial period, allowing everyone to experience its full suite of features before committing to a subscription. They can explore the apps capabilities, create their digital catalogs, and begin preserving their familys history.

Media Contact

Name: Jackson White

Email: jackson.white@mytreasuretracker.com








Scottsdale, Arizona, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Black Rock Coffee Bar, known for its premium roasted coffees, teas, smoothies and flavorful Fuel energy drinks, is pleased to announce the opening of its new store in San Antonio, Texas on Wednesday, August 21, 2024. This expansion underscores the boutique coffee chains rapid growth within the Lonestar state.

Located at 12030 Culebra Rd, STE 106 at Alamo Parkway in San Antonio, this is Black Rocks fourth store in the San Antonio metro area and the 37th location in Texas. To celebrate its grand opening, Black Rock will offer customers free 16-ounce drinks throughout the day at this location, with various promotions scheduled for the week.

"We are thrilled to open our fourth store in San Antonio, a city that perfectly complements our brand's ethos," said Mark Davis, CEO Black Rock Coffee Bar. "San Antonio's rich culture and vibrant community align seamlessly with our mission to connect with the local culture while providing fast and friendly service. Our rapid growth in Texas is a testament to the dedication of our team and the loyalty of our customers."

To enhance the guest experience, Black Rock Coffee Bar recently announced the relaunch of Black Rock Rewards, making it easier for rewards members to order and get rewarded quicker whether in-store, online, or through the new mobile app. Special offers and promotions will continue post-opening through this program.

The new 2000-square-foot Black Rock Coffee Bar store showcases the boutique coffee chains signature industrial modern design. This design philosophy is aimed at ensuring that visitors can not only enjoy their favorite beverages but also relax, work, or socialize in a laidback and inviting environment.

With 142 stores across the U.S., the popular coffee chain is set to become the go-to destination for all coffee enthusiasts seeking fast and friendly service. The skilled team of baristas at Black Rock are committed to enhancing the overall customer experience making it their mission to brighten their customers' day. Black Rock Coffee Bars mission is to be a positive force in the communities it serves.

Founded in 2008 in Portland, Oregon, an area of the Pacific Northwest known for its coffee excellence, Black Rock Coffee Bar continues its rapid expansion in the West and into the Sunbelt with locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Texas and Washington. The boutique coffee chain recently was named the Fastest Growing Private Company in Oregon and SW Washington in 2021 by the Portland Business Journal. In 2023, Black Rock Coffee Bar ranked 1179th among Americas Fastest-Growing Private Companies by Inc. Magazines 5000 Annual List.

The Black Rock culture prides itself on providing opportunities for young people to learn how to lead, run a business, and develop people skills.

About Black Rock Coffee Bar

Black Rock Coffee Bar is a national boutique coffee shop that is known for its premium roasted coffees, teas, smoothies and flavorful Fuel energy drinks. Founded as a family owned and operated business in Oregon in 2008, Black Rock Coffee Bar has grown to 142 retail locations in seven states.

The Black Rock culture prides itself on not only being a positive force for the communities it serves, but also the team members that fuel their locations day in and day out. An important aspect of their team mission is to recognize those that go above and beyond by displaying the 4Gs of Black Rock - grit, growth, gratitude, and grace.

For more information, visit https://br.coffee/

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New Haven, CT , Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New Era Rehabilitation Center, a leading provider of behavioral health and substance abuse treatment, offers comprehensive outpatient medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs in Bridgeport and New Haven, Connecticut. These programs include Methadone, Suboxone, and Vivitrol treatments, providing essential support for individuals seeking recovery from Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and Alcoholism and other Substance Use Disorders like Cocaine and Amphetamines.

Comprehensive Outpatient Methadone Treatment

New Era Rehabilitation Center provides an outpatient Methadone treatment program designed to help individuals overcome Opioid Use Disorder. Methadone, an FDA-approved medication, prevents withdrawal symptoms, reduces cravings, and blocks the effects of other opioids. Patients visit New Eras clinics daily to receive their prescribed dose, with the potential for take-home medication as they stabilize. This treatment is complemented by ongoing counseling and group therapy sessions, offering a holistic approach to recovery.

Innovative Outpatient Suboxone Treatment

In addition to Methadone, New Era offers outpatient Suboxone treatment for individuals battling OUD. Suboxone, a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone, is an effective MAT option that helps reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings while blocking the effects of opioids. Patients receive their Suboxone prescription under medical supervision and participate in personalized counseling and therapy sessions to support their recovery journey.

Effective Vivitrol Treatment for Alcoholism

New Era also provides Vivitrol treatment for individuals struggling with alcoholism. Vivitrol, an injectable form of naltrexone, helps reduce cravings and prevent relapse by blocking the euphoric effects of alcohol. Patients receive monthly Vivitrol injections as part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes counseling and support services, ensuring a well-rounded approach to recovery.

Accessible Locations in Bridgeport and New Haven

New Era Rehabilitation Center is committed to providing accessible, high-quality addiction treatment to those in need of help. With facilities in both Bridgeport and New Haven, individuals seeking help can easily access outpatient MAT programs. The dedicated staff, consisting of licensed mental health and substance abuse professionals, work closely with patients to develop personalized treatment plans tailored to their unique needs.

Insurance and Payment Options

New Era accepts various insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, and offers private payment options to ensure that financial barriers do not hinder access to treatment. Patients are encouraged to contact New Era to verify their benefits and explore available options.

About New Era Rehabilitation Center

Founded in 2002 by Board Certified physicians, New Era Rehabilitation Center Inc. is a comprehensive behavioral health and mental health facility specializing in opioid treatment, methadone maintenance, and counseling services. New Era is dedicated to helping individuals reclaim their lives from addiction through compassionate, effective, and personalized care.

Contact Information

For more information about New Era Rehabilitation Center and its outpatient MAT programs, please visit www.newerarehabilitation.com or contact:

Media Contact:

Company Name: New Era Rehabilitation Center

Contact Person: Dr. Christina Kolade

Phone: 203-344-0025

Address: 311 East Street

City: New Haven

State: Connecticut

Postal Code: 06511

Country: US

Website: https://www.newerarehabilitation.com/


Montreal, Canada, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VOSKER, a leading provider of cutting-edge surveillance solutions, has today announced the latest evolution of its camera, the VKX, which includes new features like on-demand mode, better image quality for both day and night usage, a 2X larger solar panel and new front-access design.

The VKX can operate 100% autonomously for up to 6 months without an external power supply. Due to the cameras larger, frameless solar panel, setup doesnt require any wires or even a wifi network, only LTE cellular connectivity. The new front access design means a sturdier build with fewer components, allowing for quick battery swaps without needing to dismantle the entire camera from its mounting bracket. This highly compact evolution of the technology is more portable than ever and allows the user to install or upgrade the camera without compromising any existing security measures. Its designed for customers who have a need for portable security, in remote places without wifi or access to power. Not only do these new key features allow for an easier installment and rapid deployment, but they reflect VOSKERs continued dedication to evolving their product.

The VKX is something weve really been looking forward to sharing with our customers, says VOSKER co-founder, President and CEO Jimmy Angers. This newest generation was heavily influenced by their feedback on previous products. We take our customers input on the product very seriously because, ultimately, it's for them and were always looking to improve their experience when using our products. Were very proud of the improvements weve made on this new camera and look forward to continuing to find innovative ways to keep building on this success.

The launch of VKX comes just a few short months after VOSKER announced its latest financing round of USD $125M with participation of EDC, The Royal Bank of Canada and Scotiabank. The significant infusion in capital is aimed at the companys growth and accelerating the development and market expansion of new technologies like the VKX.

The VKX is also supported by an updated version of the VOSKER app, which has been improved to help users quickly get the information that matters most to them  the changes include updates to search, filters and notifications.

They push the boundaries of whats possible in the world of surveillance technology, ensuring that customers receive the most advanced and reliable solutions available.

About VOSKER:



VOSKER is a leading provider of innovative surveillance solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of todays security landscape. With a commitment to cutting-edge technology and unparalleled customer service, VOSKER empowers businesses and individuals to protect what matters most. To learn more, visit www.vosker.com.
Surrey, BC, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Safe Software is proud to announce that it has achieved official B Corp certification, earning an impressive score of 83.0. The organization will join a Global Movement of companies committed to balancing profit and purpose. This prestigious certification is a testament to Safe Softwares continuous commitment to meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency, in tandem with their enterprise mission to help solve the worlds data challenges.

The B Corp certification recognizes businesses that create a positive impact on their employees, customer base, communities, and the environment. Safe Softwares achievement underscores its commitment to corporate responsibility and sustainable practices.

It is not easy for a Technology company to achieve B Corp status, so this is a significant milestone for our company, said Don Murray, CEO and Co-Founder of Safe Software.This recognition reflects our commitment to ensuring eco-consciousness and positive social change are crucial aspects of our business model. We are proud to join a global community of businesses that prioritize purpose alongside profit and look forward to continuing our journey toward making a meaningful impact.

Safe Softwares accomplishment underscores its committed effort towards corporate responsibility and a holistic approach to success across the five pillars of B Corp:

Governance: Safe Software upholds high standards of corporate governance, ensuring accountability, transparency, and ethical business practices. Serving over 25,000 customers and 200,000 users across 121 countries, we are committed to making data accessible and usable worldwide. Workers: We foster an inclusive workplace culture, prioritizing employee well-being and professional growth. Benefits include mental health programs, counselling, EFAP, extra seasonal vacation days, and community event participation. Our diverse team enriches our workplace, and we ensure equitable compensation through regular market data assessments. Community: Safe Software actively supports local communities, contributing to causes such as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Surrey Hospital Foundation, Burns Bog Conservation Society, and SFU Surrey Campus Food Security Fund, as well as sponsoring a member of the Canadian Mens Alpine Ski Team, Cameron Alexander. Environment: We implement sustainable practices to reduce environmental impact, exemplified by our Certified LEED Gold Building. Initiatives include temperature control, green rooftop patio, rainwater harvesting, efficient energy use, HVAC efficiency, and reducing plastic waste. Customers: We deliver high-quality solutions that empower individuals and organizations. Our technology supports diverse industries, including nonprofit organizations, emergency services, government, transportation, engineering, and aviation, showcasing our commitment to meaningful, impactful work.

As a Certified B Corporation, Safe Software is dedicated to continuous improvement and will continue to seek ways to enhance its social and environmental impact.



"Safe Software's certification as a B Corporation showcases their unwavering dedication to creating a positive impact in the tech industry. Their commitment to responsible business practices is truly exemplary," said Max Hayes, Community Growth Manager, B Lab United States & Canada.

About Safe Software:



Safe Software is the creator of FME, the only Enterprise Integration Platform with comprehensive support for spatial data. The FME Platform has built-in support for thousands of systems and 800+ out-of-the-box transformers, allowing users to build and automate custom integration workflows without having to code. Whether your data challenges involve spatial data, big data, stream processing, cloud migration, or business intelligence, FME is here to help you spend more time using data and less time fighting it.

Over 20,000 organizations worldwide have trusted FME technology for their enterprise integration solutions. Through our international partner network, FME is used in 120+ countries around the world and has been localized into multiple languages. For more information, please visit www.safe.com and follow us on LinkedIn

About B Corp Certification:

B Corp Certification assesses the overall social and environmental impact of a company. To achieve B Corp Certification, a company must meet a score of at least 80 points in the B Impact Assessment, an evaluation of a companys positive impact, and pass a risk review, an evaluation of a companys negative impact.

It must change its corporate governance structure to be accountable to all stakeholders, not just shareholders, and exhibit transparency by allowing information about their B Corp Certification performance to be publicly available on their B Corp profile on B Labs website. B Corps recertify every three years and, once certified, are expected to increase their score over time as they progress towards becoming more equitable, inclusive, and regenerative businesses.

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PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LevLane Advertising, one of Philadelphia's largest independent full-service advertising agencies, today announced the results of its "2024 Future of Banking Survey." The survey is the second of two national surveys that explore generational perspectives and expectations about the future of banking.

The survey of 500 U.S. adults was commissioned by LevLane Advertising using Survey Monkey.

"Like the first survey in our series, which discovered a surprising alliance between Generation Z and baby boomers, we again found similarities between the youngest and oldest generations," said Liz Weir, chief marketing officer at LevLane. "While millennials and Generation X are leading the charge toward digital-only banking, 65% of Gen Z, who are thought of as more digitally savvy, would actually prefer having branch access, aligning them more closely with boomers."

Despite the rapid growth of digital banking, the results highlight the importance of local bank branches across all age groups, revealing insights that banks can leverage to balance their physical and digital investments.

Access to a local branch is crucial for most respondents across all generations (75%), with most needing it daily or weekly.

Notably, only 30% of survey respondents feel "very comfortable" using digital-only banking services, with Gen X leading this trend at 42%.





Millennials show a mixed response: 32% report feeling "somewhat comfortable," and only 18% are "very comfortable." This suggests that while they are open to digital banking, there is still room for increased adoption and confidence among younger users.

A strong preference for human interaction is evident across all age groups, particularly those aged 45-60. An overwhelming 88% of Gen X prefer human interaction over AI.

"Trust in AI features is significantly higher among millennials compared to Gen Z, added Weir. While 21% of millennials completely trust AI-driven banking features, less than 5% of Gen Z share that trust. As AI advances, understanding these trust issues is crucial for banks aiming to improve adoption rates. What it underscores is that despite the rise of digital banking, physical branches and human interaction still play a critical role in customers' banking needs."

Additional Survey Findings:

Branch Visits for Account Management : Baby boomers are significantly more likely to visit a branch for opening or closing accounts (36%) compared to Gen Z (16%).

: Baby boomers are significantly more likely to visit a branch for opening or closing accounts (36%) compared to Gen Z (16%). Financial Advice: Baby boomers are more likely to visit a branch for financial advice (13%) compared to other generations, with only 5% of millennials doing so.

Baby boomers are more likely to visit a branch for financial advice (13%) compared to other generations, with only 5% of millennials doing so. Withdrawals: Millennials are the most likely to visit a branch for withdrawals, with 36% citing this as their primary reason, while Gen Z is less likely at 23%.

Millennials are the most likely to visit a branch for withdrawals, with 36% citing this as their primary reason, while Gen Z is less likely at 23%. Loan Services: Gen Z shows the highest likelihood of visiting a branch for loan services (8%) compared to other generations, indicating a potential interest in in-person consultation for financial decisions.

For a full copy of the survey results, please email lstralo@levlane.com

About LevLane Advertising

LevLane Advertising is a full-service independent advertising agency headquartered in Philadelphia that has been building brands people love for nearly 40 years. The award-winning agency integrates traditional creative expertise with cutting-edge digital capabilities in its services, including search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), programmatic media, strategy, creative and branding, media and analytics, social media, content marketing, and public relations.

For more information about LevLane and its capabilities, connect with us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

Media Contact:

Lauren Stralo

PR Director

lstralo@levlane.com

484-747-0172

Charts accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/55aa5a6d-9475-4a04-bd77-7d164904d341

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2a4cb2a2-6d5a-4d7a-b1bb-477ded60d068
BILLINGHAM, UK, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, a world leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for biologics, vaccines, advanced therapies, and oncolytic viruses, today hosted a celebration for the opening of its microbial fermentation manufacturing facility in Billingham. This new facility triples existing microbial production throughput with the addition of a new production line equipped with 2 X 4000 L fermenters, primary separations suite and a modular purification suite with an investment over 100 million GBP.

To support further expansion, the facility is built with the flexibility to accommodate new projects to meet the emerging needs of FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies partners, and to provide supply chain resilience.

This expansion was customized, in part, to support a large pharmaceutical partner with a highly specialized ophthalmic therapeutic for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Wet AMD is an eye disorder that causes blurred vision in the central vision. AMD is the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK, affecting more than 700,000 people, with 39,800 patients developing wet AMD each year[1].

With the completion of this project, we are fulfilling our commitment with our partner, and supporting the commercialization of its ophthalmic therapeutic, said Lars Petersen, president and CEO, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies. This is a prime example of our partnership-based business model, a key element in our Partners for Life strategy, to help our customers bring their life-impacting medicines to patients.

Sight loss is devastating for the quality of life, and the confidence, of those who suffer from it. The specialised therapeutics that will be made at Billingham, thanks to this investment, could eventually help thousands of people who suffer from wet age-related macular degeneration, said Science Minister Lord Vallance. This news is also proof of the economic value of our life sciences clusters  pulling investment into places like Teesside and building on the world-class expertise that is already in the area.

Securing capacity in strategic locations to support our customers needs now and in the future is a key element of our Partners for Life strategy, said Kenneth Bilenberg, chief operations officer, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies. Todays celebration underscores our commitment to our BioCampus in Billingham where we are progressing on expansions for our Process Development and Quality labs as well as an expansion focusing on late stage clinical and commercial cell culture drug substance manufacturing.

Our broad capabilities in microbial process development and commercial manufacture, the depth of our experience, and our innovative and proprietary technologies and systems, such as the Paveway PLUS expression systems[2], are crucial to ensure that we are able to support the short-and-long term needs of our partners to ensure a secure supply to advance clinical trials, and bring patient medicines to market, said Jonathan Haigh, UK site head, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies.

About FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies

FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, a subsidiary of FUJIFILM Corporation, is a world-leading contract development and manufacturing organization partner for the development and manufacture of biologics, vaccines, cell and gene therapies, and oncolytic viruses. The company operates a global network with major locations in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Denmark and it is building a new manufacturing site in Holly Springs, North Carolina, USA. FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies has over thirty years of experience in the development and manufacture of recombinant proteins, vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, among other large molecules, viral products and medical countermeasures expressed in a wide array of microbial, mammalian, and host/virus systems. The company offers a comprehensive list of services from cell line development using its proprietary Paveway microbial and ApolloX cell line systems to process development, analytical development, clinical and FDA-approved commercial manufacturing. For more information, go to: www.fujifilmdiosynth.com.

About FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation

FUJIFILM Corporation is a subsidiary of FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation. FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, leverages its depth of knowledge and proprietary core technologies to deliver innovative products and services across the globe through the four key business segments of healthcare, electronics, business innovation, and imaging with over 70,000 employees. Guided and united by our Group Purpose of giving our world more smiles, we address social challenges and create a positive impact on society through our products, services, and business operations. Under its medium-term management plan, VISION2030, which ends in FY2030, we aspire to continue our evolution into a company that creates value and smiles for various stakeholders as a collection of global leading businesses and achieve a global revenue of 4 trillion yen (29 billion USD at an exchange rate of 140 JPY/USD). For more information, please visit: www.fujifilmholdings.com.

For more information about Fujifilms Sustainable Value Plan 2030, click here.

[1]First NOD Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) audit annual report| NOD Audit. 2003. https://nodaudit.org.uk/node/4174#:~:text=AMD%20is%20the%20biggest%20cause,affects%20one%20person%20in%20five.

[2] Paveway PLUS is a well proven E. coli expression system with >150 different therapeutic proteins successfully expressed with a variety of accumulation routes, including intracellular soluble, intracellular insoluble and periplasmic secretion. In addition to the potential for reduced costs of goods, Paveway also makes possible antibiotic-free cGMP production without compromising yields and versatility.

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Ottawa, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHAT: Member delegates of The Royal Canadian Legion from across Canada will gather to elect new national officers to two-year terms; review national committee reports; hear from various stakeholder group representatives; and vote on resolutions to help support the organizations work to serve Veterans and families, promote Remembrance and support communities.

WHEN: Sunday August 25 - Wednesday August 28

Starting at 10:00 am AST on Sunday, August 25: Commemorative parade and ceremony at Market Square, 1 Market Square, Saint John, NB.

WHERE: Opening ceremonies, presentations and closing ceremonies at TD Station, 99 Station St., Saint John, NB.

WHO: Close to 1,000 Legion branch delegates from Canada and abroad

Day 1  Sunday, Aug. 25: Starting at 1:00 pm AST. Convention Opening ceremony and guest speakers. Includes Legion Grand President Larry Murray; Legion Dominion President Bruce Julian; NB Lieutenant Governor, Hon. Brenda Murphy, NB Premier Blaine Higgs; NB Minister of Military Affairs Mary Wilson; Saint John, NB Mayor Donna Noade-Reardon; Legion NB Command President Antonin Chevalier.

Day 2  Monday, Aug. 26: Starting at 8:55 am AST. Includes election of Dominion President, Executive and National committee reports, guest speakers. Keynote Address 1 from Assistant RCMP Commissioner DeAnna Hill at 10:20 am AST. Keynote Address 2 from Canadian Armed Forces Chief Warrant Officer, Bob McCann at 11:50 am AST.

Day 3 - Tuesday, Aug. 27: Starting at 8:50 am AST. Includes election of Dominion First Vice President and Vice Presidents, national committee reports, voting on resolutions, guest speakers.

Day 4  Wednesday, Aug. 28: Starting at 8:40 am AST. Includes election of Dominion Treasurer, Dominion Chair, national committee reports, voting on resolutions, guest speakers, installation of newly elected officials, closing ceremony. Keynote address 3 from Minister of Veterans Affairs, Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor at 12:00 pm AST.

Learn more:

2024 Dominion Convention

For media inquiries: including more detailed guest speaker information and to attend any part of the proceedings in person, please contact: nbond@legion.ca / 343-540-7604 - Nujma Bond

About The Royal Canadian Legion

Founded in 1925, the Legion is Canadas largest Veteran support and community service organization. We are a non-profit organization with a national reach across Canada as well as branches in the U.S. and Europe. With 250,000 members, many of whom volunteer an extraordinary amount of time to their branches, our strength is in our numbers.

Legion.ca

Facebook.com/CanadianLegion

X.com/RoyalCdnLegion

Instagram.com/royalcanadianlegion

youtube.com/user/RCLDominionCommand

Linkedin.com/company/royalcanadianlegion
MIAMI and PALM BEACH, FL, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Forman Capital, a leading private direct real estate lender, funded an $8.36 million pre-development bridge loan secured by a Miami residential development site. The borrower, Dan Kodsis Royal Palm Companies (RPC), plans to develop a condo-hotel project on the properties.

The transaction closed on Aug. 16. Chief Investment Officer/Partner Scott Mehlman and Vice President Ty Regnier closed the financing on behalf of Forman Capital.

Forman Capital is excited to collaborate with a sponsor we have a longstanding relationship with, Mehlman said. Given Miamis continued population growth and year-round tourism, this branded condo-hotel development should be extremely successful. We are particularly bullish on the product type and Miamis urban core overall.

The site, which consists of two contiguous parcels totaling 0.49 acres just north of downtown Miami, is entitled for the development of up to 245 residential units. RPC is working with the City of Miami to increase the sites density to accommodate up to 360 units.

RPC was founded by Kodsi in 1978 and has delivered over 9,500 units with $4.7 billion in real estate investments. The project site, located at 1317-1353 N. Miami Ave., is less than a mile from the I-95/I-395 interchange and near museums, parks, shopping, dining, Kaseya Center - the Miami Heats home arena, PortMiami and much more.

Two existing commercial buildings operated by two restaurant supply tenants are currently located on the overall project site.

This is one of the more attractive undeveloped sites in the Greater Downtown Miami market, Forman Capital Partner Ben Jacobson said. The combination of the sites appeal, the developers track record and pent-up demand for additional high-end condo-hotel inventory bodes well for the projects sales activity.

Link to Images: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/yigwh4cwf28e0iiajcx5h/AJX68_IZd92Qn8gcr3oOAno?rlkey=67efyoyg7zkltsh6r2xpfl6rf&st=dbatg6j7&dl=0

About Forman Capital

Palm Beach-based Forman Capital is a provider of private commercial real estate debt and equity financing for transactions ranging from $5 million to $100 million. The firm focuses on short-term construction financing, mezzanine debt, and preferred equity across various real estate asset classes and geographies. Company principals Brett Forman and Ben Jacobson have closed more than $2.8 billion in commercial real estate transactions since 2004. For more information, visit www.formancap.com .

Media Contact:

BoardroomPR

Todd Templin: ttemplin@boardroompr.com, 954-370-8999

Eric Kalis: ekalis@boardroompr.com, 954-370-8999




For the past two years, readers of Newsweek may have noticed that the publication has developed an extraordinarily niche interest in the activities of Olivet University, a small Christian college located in California, and its founder, the Korean-American pastor David Jang.

Newsweek's interest has led to the skewing of editorial priorities. Apparently, news about Olivet is of greater import than the war in Ukraine and the fallout from the overturning of Roe vs Wade.

So what lies behind this extraordinary interest?

In a public statement in 2022, Newsweek's Global Editor-in-Chief Nancy Cooper, explained: "We've been accused of being a partisan actor in the shareholder dispute because we've committed resources to covering a little-known Christian sect whose latest troubles have drawn scant attention from other media outlets. If these controversies had no connection to Newsweek's owners, we'd likely not cover them either. But it's crucial for us to report on our proprietors. We absolutely cannot be in the position of knowing about law-enforcement activity related to the company and failing to report on it."

Since 2013, Newsweek has been owned by IBT Media Inc. At the time IBT Media Inc. was owned by Etienne Uzac and Johnathan Davis. IBT maintains that Pragad's current claim of ownership of Newsweek issued from a 2018 agreement is invalid.

Until recently, Uzac, Davis and Pragad were all members of the Olivet church founded by Jang.

In 2020, Olivet University pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges (and not money laundering). The university has not been charged with any other crimes before or since.

Had Cooper made her statement in 2017 or 2018, it would have made sense. However, Cooper was writing in mid-2022, by which time Pragad had ended his association with Jang and Olivet. Davis followed suit just a few months later.

"It's crucial for us to report on our proprietors" is clearly not the real reason for the continued coverage of Olivet and Jang. Both apparent proprietors have severed their connections with Jang and Olivet, and yet the coverage continues.

So what is the real reason?

We now turn to a shareholder dispute and Pragad.

Pragad has been accused of reneging on a 2018 deal to return Newsweek to Uzac and of effectively making off with the brand without paying a penny. A lawsuit followed, which was dismissed, but more legal challenges are likely.

Davis, whose wife is a former president of Olivet University, initially sided with Uzac and challenged Pragad's management of Newsweek in the courts. Pragad was found to have awarded himself exorbitant pay and bonuses without board approval. In mid-2023, Davis and Pragad came to an undisclosed settlement agreement.

However, when the dispute began in early 2022, Pragad allegedly began making threats via mutual acquaintances to use Newsweek's editorial and institutional power to get what he wanted.

In her statement, Cooper said, "No one outside the newsroom has any influence on these stories" and that they were "clearly the product of an independent newsroom."

But Cooper's claim that the stories relate to holding her proprietors to account are clearly not true - no proprietor is being held to account in the Olivet stories. It is also clear that the beginning of Newsweek's intensified interest in Olivet and Jang coincided almost exactly with Pragad's threats to use the newsroom to his advantage (16 stories in the last two years, compared to none in the previous four).

So when Cooper says, "No one outside the newsroom has any influence on these stories," is she lying or has she been lied to?

The two key figures here are Naveed Jamali, a self-described former double agent, and Newsweek congressional correspondent Alex Rouhandeh.

Both figures appear to have developed a certain modus operandi when it comes to Olivet-related stories. The basic maneuver is to spread allegations (whether founded or not) about Olivet to interested parties and then report on the outraged reaction as if it was news.

A Freedom of Information request made to the New York State Education Department by Olivet in 2022 revealed an email exchange between Jamali and NYSED officials regarding unsubstantiated claims of money laundering, trafficking and visa fraud. NYSED ultimately decided not to renew Olivet's permission to operate in the state, leading to the departure of the school from New York.

A follow-up Newsweek article dated July 2, 2022, written by Jamali, portrayed the non-renewal as a "shut down" of Olivet. This led to multiple inquiries being opened, but most of the state agencies closed those inquiries, leaving Olivet in good standing.

More recently, Rouhandeh's reporting about alleged human labor trafficking at Olivet is based on accusations by four ex-students of the university. These students were formerly anonymous but revealed their identities in a civil lawsuit filed against the school on Sept. 14, 2023, which the university has called frivolous and without merit. On Oct. 26, 2023, the university also filed a cross-complaint against the former students alleging fraud.

According to a university employee, Rouhandeh's reporting on the topic was secretive and unusual.

"Many neighbors have contacted school personnel, commenting on the 'strangeness' of Rouhandeh's secretive behavior and actions while in town. Rouhandeh did not always disclose his purpose when meeting with people. On occasions when he did admit that he came to write a story about Olivet, Rouhandeh indicated that he was not interested in contacting the school itself directly nor stepping foot onto its campus, despite it being the subject of his story. This puzzled some residents of the town," they said.

University staff also said neither Rouhandeh nor any other reporter visited the campus while he was in town writing his story.

The four ex-students' civil lawsuit was dismissed in a "motion to demur" in California state court due to lacking such basic details as names, times, and places about the alleged events. The civil lawsuit was then amended and refiled, but the attorney for the students stayed his own case on April 2, 2024.

Newsweek had previously published sensationalized headlines accusing Olivet University of human trafficking, but this has shown to be untrue. Newsweek writers then quietly downgraded their rhetoric to accusations of "human labor trafficking."

Pragad and Davis may have come to an agreement, but litigation continues to rage between Pragad, Newsweek, Uzac, Jang and Olivet. It is clear that elements of the Newsweek newsroom have been deployed at Pragad's behest either to secure his position at Newsweek or simply because this has become a vendetta for him.

Far from seeking the truth or speaking truth to power, as journalists like to say, Jamali, Rouhandeh and quite possibly Cooper, are engaged in spreading highly contested allegations in order to dirty Olivet's reputation, all in the service of the private interests of a businessman who is known to have paid himself vast amounts of company money without board approval. This last fact, of course, has not been reported by Newsweek.

William Dove is a journalist based in the United Kingdom. He helped found IBTimes UK.
CALGARY, Alberta, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Helium Evolution Incorporated (TSXV:HEVI) ("HEVI" or the "Company"), a Canadian-based helium exploration company focused on developing assets in southern Saskatchewan, announces the filing of the Companys interim condensed financial statements and associated managements discussion and analysis for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 (the Q2 Report).



Complete details of the Q2 Report are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, and on HEVIs website .

Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2024 Highlights:

Three months ended Six months ended Tabular amounts in thousands of Canadian Dollars, except share and per share amounts



June 30, 2024



June 30, 2023



June 30, 2024



June 30, 2023 Financial Net loss 254 331 493 642 Net loss per share, basic and diluted 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Cash 4,766 7,728 4,766 7,728 Working capital 4,708 8,781 4,708 8,781 Total assets 10,863 13,027 10,863 13,027 Total liabilities 374 375 374 375 Weighted average shares outstanding Basic and diluted1 96,033,974 96,033,974 96,033,974 96,033,974

1The weighted average number of common shares outstanding is not increased for outstanding stock options and warrants when the effect is anti-dilutive.

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, HEVI continued to execute on its focused strategy of developing the Companys 5.6 million acres of helium rights in southern Saskatchewan. With three recent helium discoveries, HEVI has made considerable progress on its ultimate goal of producing and selling helium, generating cash flow and driving positive returns for shareholders. HEVI has remained committed to maintaining ongoing financial flexibility, as evidenced by the Companys positive working capital position of $4.7 million at June 30, 2024, excluding $0.8 million of tubing and casing that was pre-purchased but not yet utilized.

Operations Update

HEVI is also pleased to provide an operations update, including stimulation results from the helium discovery well at 9-18-3- 8W3 (the 9-18 Well) at Mankota, in which HEVI maintains a 20% working interest alongside its partner and the operator of the 9-18 Well, North American Helium Inc. (NAH).





HEVI and NAH are strategically planning to embark on an ambitious drilling program, with up to nine joint development wells (the New Wells) that are expected to build on the three existing helium discoveries in the Mankota area of Saskatchewan, each of which is described in more detail below. To date, surface and environmental restrictions have prevented access to certain parts of Mankota, resulting in some deferrals of drilling, testing and other operating activities in the area. Given this seasonal shift, go forward development at Mankota will be targeted through the upcoming winter months, when restrictions are eased and access allowed.

For context, the map shown here demonstrates the positioning of each of HEVIs helium discovery wells, future drilling targets and the processing facility licensed at 12-30-2-8W3 (the 12- 30 Facility).

Helium Discovery - 9-18 Well

Following stimulation in July 2024, the 9-18 Well achieved a last flowing rate of 685 thousand standard cubic feet per day ( Mscf/d ) at 690 kilopascal ( kPa ) flowing tubing pressure with a helium concentration of 0.87%, a 12% increase from the initially measured helium concentration of 0.78%.

) at 690 kilopascal ( ) flowing tubing pressure with a helium concentration of 0.87%, a 12% increase from the initially measured helium concentration of 0.78%. Preliminary results indicate no formation water, which suggests a positive outlook for the future productive potential of the well.

Several positive strategic and geological advancements have been provided through the 9-18 Well results, including: Trap confirmation : The existence of a trap, or cap rock, has been proven, which helps to further derisk the Mankota land base and solidify the potential for future helium extraction; Multiple helium-bearing zones : Three distinct helium-bearing zones have been confirmed at Mankota, highlighting the rich helium potential across HEVIs land base in the area; Helium-charged fairway: A helium charged fairway, extending over 20 kilometers, has been identified, emphasizing the extensive nature of helium deposits in the Mankota area; and Validation of exploration strategies: the 9-18 Well was drilled on a structural high, mirroring other successful helium discoveries that have been delineated downdip into onlapping sands, which have proven to be productive and commercial reservoirs.







Helium Discovery - 2-31 Well

HEVIs helium discovery well at 2-31-2-8W3 (2-31 Well) tested at approximately 4,000 Mscf/d at 5,500 kPa flowing tubing pressure with a helium concentration of 0.95% after stimulation, more than three times the 0.3% level deemed commercially viable. Negligible volumes of water were produced at the 2-31 Well, a positive indication for helium recovery and processing.





Helium Discovery - 9-35 Well

HEVIs helium discovery well at 9-35-3-9W3 ( 9-35 Well ) flow tested at approximately 7,000 Mscf/d and 9,000 kPa flowing tubing pressure with a helium concentration of 0.64%.



) flow tested at approximately 7,000 Mscf/d and 9,000 kPa flowing tubing pressure with a helium concentration of 0.64%. A pressure transient analysis (PTA) conducted revealed further positive indications, as announced on April 10, 2024 , indicating no reservoir pressure depletion or reservoir boundaries which highlights a potentially expansive and productive reservoir. The PTA also calculated an absolute open flow potential of 13.3 MMscf/d. Additionally, the absence of formation water during the test period is a favorable factor for helium recovery and processing.





New Well Drilling and Seismic Program

HEVI and NAH intend to drill up to nine New Wells on the joint lands noted in the map herein. The New Wells are expected to be drilled in proximity to NAHs producing Mankota pool and as a continuation of the trend being developed at Mankota.

As noted above, it is anticipated the New Wells will be drilled in the upcoming winter months, given surface and environmental access restrictions.

In addition to the New Wells, HEVI is finalizing potential drilling locations on four sections of recently acquired land, in which the Company holds a 100% working interest (4 Crown Sections) and anticipates shooting additional seismic over the 4 Crown Sections in early 2025. The 4 Crown Sections are strategically located in a central portion of the Mankota helium fairway. In addition, HEVI is pursuing seismic studies in the Fox area and exploring promising leads in both Glenbain and Fox (both outside of the map area shown here), each of which are adjacent to notable NAH discoveries.







Looking ahead, HEVI remains strategically positioned and highly differentiated due to its successful partnership with NAH, Canadas leading helium driller and producer in Saskatchewan. With a sizeable land base, healthy working capital and numerous catalysts on the horizon, the Company remains excited about the future.

HEVI wishes to thank all shareholders and stakeholders for their continued support and looks forward to providing future updates on its exploration and development activities.

Stay Connected to Helium Evolution

Shareholders and other parties interested in learning more about the Helium Evolution opportunity are encouraged to visit the Companys website , which includes an updated corporate presentation , and are invited to follow the Company on LinkedIn and X for ongoing corporate updates and helium industry information. Helium Evolution also provides an extensive, commissioned deep-dive research report prepared by a third party whose background includes serving as a research analyst for several bank-owned and independent investment dealers. In addition to recent media articles , HEVI maintains a profile on the Investing News Network platform, where further information, editorial pieces and industry reviews are available.

About Helium Evolution Incorporated

Helium Evolution is a Canadian-based helium exploration company holding the largest helium land rights position in North America among publicly-traded companies, focused on developing assets in southern Saskatchewan. The Company has over five million acres of land under permit near proven discoveries of economic helium concentrations which will support scaling the exploration and development efforts across its land base. HEVIs management and board are executing a differentiated strategy to become a leading supplier of sustainably- produced helium for the growing global helium market.

For further information, please contact:

Greg Robb, President & CEO

Kristi Kunec, CFO Phone: 1-587-330-2459

Email: info@heliumevolution.ca

Web: https://www.heliumevolution.ca/ Cindy Gray, Investor Relations heviinfo@5qir.com | 1-403-705-5076



Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur.

Forward-looking statements in this document include statements regarding the Companys expectations regarding the Company's ultimate goal of producing and selling helium, generating cash flow and driving positive returns for shareholders, future production from the 9-18 Well, the 2-31 Well and the 9-35 Well, the Companys expectations regarding scalable helium production from its land generally, the Company and/or NAHs plans with respect to the 9-18 Well, the 2-31 Well and the 9- 35 Well, potential drilling locations on the 4 Crown Sections, water production in the 9-18 Well, the 2-31 Well and the 9-35 Well, the Companys expectations regarding recoverability of helium, the size and nature of the reservoir, the Company and/or NAHs ability to identify future exploration and drilling targets including the New Wells, exploration strategies and delineation, productivity and commerciality of downdip reservoirs, productivity of multiple helium bearing zones, presence of a trap or cap rock in the Mankota area, the size of the helium fairway, the Company and/or NAHs plans with respect to drilling the New Wells, the Companys ability to identify seismic studies, shooting seismic over the 4 Crown Sections and the timing thereof, the success of the partnership with NAH, the Company's intention to provide further updates regarding significant updates and developments, the Company becoming a leading supplier of sustainably-produced helium, the timeline of future updates, the Company's beliefs regarding growth of the global helium market and other statements that are not historical facts. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance, achievements or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, among others: NAH and/or HEVI may be unsuccessful in drilling commercially productive wells; the Company and/or NAH may abandon or defer plans for continuing the completion, testing and evaluation of the 9-18 Well; the Company and/or NAH may choose to defer, accelerate or abandon its exploration and development plans including the New Wells and/or wells on the 4 Crown Sections; the Company may abandon, defer or accelerate its plans to acquire or shoot seismic; the Company and/or NAH may determine not to bring the 9-18 Well, the 2-31 Well and/or the 9-35 Well onto production; the Company may abandon its plans to shoot seismic and/or acquire seismic studies; new laws or regulations and/or unforeseen events could adversely affect the Companys business and results of operations; stock markets have experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the performance of companies and such volatility may adversely affect the price of the Company's securities regardless of its operating performance; risks generally associated with the exploration for and production of resources; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to expenses and the Companys working capital position; constraint in the availability of services; commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations; adverse weather or break-up conditions; and uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures.

When relying on forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors, risks, other uncertainties and potential events. The Company has assumed that the material factors referred to in the previous paragraphs will not cause such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. 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. The Company does not intend, and expressly 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.

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.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d150c6fe-eea4-440f-8967-e35643ab67f7

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ca6f9f51-b693-4a7b-a99d-e11b64d52f07
Perth, Aug. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --



Perth, Western Australia/ August 21, 2024/Perseus Mining Limited (ASX/TSX: PRU) wishes to update the estimates of the Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves at each of its African operations as summarised in Table 1 and Table 2 below, and detailed in this report. Highlights

Perseus Mining has delivered another year of organic growth from resource definition drilling and studies, leading to new Measured and Indicated (M&I) Mineral Resources and Proved and Probable Ore Reserves, adding to the long-term sustainability of the Groups production profile.

The Groups total M&I Mineral Resources at 30 June 2024 are estimated to be 115.9 Mt grading 1.31 g/t gold, containing 4.9 Moz of gold, compared with the estimate of 30 June 2023 of 122.8 Mt grading at 1.31 g/t Au for 5.2 Moz of gold.

Group Proved and Probable Ore Reserves are now estimated at 64.9 Mt at 1.39 g/t gold for 2.9 Moz, compared to the estimate of 30 June 2023 of 73.8 Mt at 1.45 g/t gold for 3.4 Moz of gold.

Inorganic growth during FY24 included the acquisition of OreCorp Limited including its primary asset, the Nyanzaga Gold Project. In compliance with Canadian Instrument NI 43-101 these Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves remain treated as Foreign Estimates, not current Perseus estimates, until further work can be completed.

Table 1: Perseus Mining Mineral Resources1,2,4,5

PROJECT







MEASURED RESOURCES INDICATED RESOURCES MEASURED & INDICATED RESOURCES INFERRED RESOURCES QUANTITY GRADE GOLD QUANTITY GRADE GOLD QUANTITY GRADE GOLD QUANTITY GRADE GOLD Mt g/t gold 000 oz Mt g/t gold 000 oz Mt g/t gold 000 oz Mt g/t gold 000 oz Edikan 13.8 1.03 457 37.7 1.05 1,273 51.5 1.04 1,731 6.4 1.5 317 Sissingue3 3.1 1.48 147 5.7 1.62 294 8.7 1.57 441 0.2 1.4 11 Yaoure 5.9 0.78 146 49.8 1.60 2,565 55.6 1.52 2,711 17.4 1.7 926 Total 22.8 1.03 751 93.2 1.38 4,132 115.9 1.31 4,883 24.1 1.6 1,254

Table 2: Perseus Mining Ore Reserve1,4,5

PROJECT







PROVED PROBABLE PROVED AND PROBABLE QUANTITY GRADE GOLD QUANTITY GRADE GOLD QUANTITY GRADE GOLD Mt g/t gold 000 oz Mt g/t gold 000 oz Mt g/t gold 000 oz Edikan 5.8 1.03 193 19.6 1.13 716 25.4 1.11 909 Sissingue 3 2.2 1.67 116 2.2 1.98 139 4.3 1.82 254 Yaoure 5.9 0.78 146 29.3 1.68 1,584 35.2 1.53 1,730 Total 13.8 1.02 455 51.1 1.48 2,438 64.9 1.39 2,893

Notes for Table 1 and Table 2:

1 Refer to Notes to individual tables of Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves in respect of each project presented below.

2 Mineral Resources are inclusive of Ore Reserves.

3 Sissingue Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves include the Fimbiasso and Bagoe Projects in addition to the Sissingue Gold Mine.

4 The Company holds 90% of Edikan Gold Mine (EGM), 86% of Sissingue Gold Mine (SGM) except Bagoe at 90%, and 90% of Yaoure Gold Mine (YGM).

5 Excludes Foreign/Historical Estimates

The change in Group Ore Reserve estimate from June 2023 to June 2024 is shown below in Figure 1. Perseus Group Ore Reserves have been estimated at a gold price of $1,500/oz for existing pits and $1,700/oz for some new or updated designs. Please refer to individual tables below for details of which price applies to individual Ore Reserves.

Figure 1: Change in Group Ore Reserves by Project  June 2023 to June 2024

Technical Disclosure:

All Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources were calculated as of 30 June 2024 and have been calculated and prepared in accordance with the standards set out in the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves dated December 2012 (the JORC Code) and in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators (NI 43-101). The JORC Code is the accepted reporting standard for the Australian Stock Exchange Limited (ASX).

The definitions of Ore Reserves and Mineral Resources as set forth in the JORC Code (2012) have been reconciled to the definitions set forth in the CIM Definition Standards. If the Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources were estimated in accordance with the definitions in the JORC Code, there would be no substantive difference in such Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources.

Competent Person Statement:

The information in this report that relate to Mineral Resources for the Edikan Gold Mine and the Sissingue Gold Mine (including Bagoe but excluding Fimbiasso and the Airport West Deposits) is based on, and fairly represents, information and supporting documentation prepared by Matt Bampton, a Competent Person, Director of Cube Consulting Pty Ltd and Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Mr Bampton, has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken, to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves and to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101). Matt Bampton consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

The information in this report that relates to Mineral Resources for the Yaoure Gold Mine, and the Fimbiasso and Sissingue Airport West Deposits (as part of the Sissingue Gold Mine) is based on, and fairly represents, information and supporting documentation prepared by Daniel Saunders, a Competent Person who is a Fellow of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr Saunders is a full-time employee of Perseus Mining Limited. Mr Saunders has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken, to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves and to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101). Mr Saunders consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

The information in this report that relates to Ore Reserves for Edikan Gold Mine and the Bagoe Project (as part of the Sissingue Gold Mine) is based on information compiled by Mr Quinton de Klerk, a Competent Person who is a Fellow of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr de Klerk is a full-time employee of Cube Consulting. Mr de Klerk has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activities which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves and a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. Mr de Klerk consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

The information in this report that relates to Ore Reserves for Yaoure Gold Mine and Sissingue Gold Mine (including Fimbiasso and Airport West) is based on information compiled by Mr Adrian Ralph, a Competent Person who is a Fellow of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr Ralph is a full-time employee of Perseus Mining Limited. Mr Ralph has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activities which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves and a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. Mr Ralph consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

The Company confirms that the material assumptions underpinning the estimates of Ore Reserves described in Technical Report  Edikan Gold Mine, Ghana dated 6 April 2022, Technical Report  Yaoure Gold Project, Cote dIvoire dated 18 December 2023, and Technical Report  Sissingue Gold Project, Cote dIvoire dated 29 May 2015 continue to apply.

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Information:

This report contains forward-looking information which is based on the assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management of the Company believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made by the Company regarding, among other things: the price of gold, continuing commercial production at the Yaoure Gold Mine, the Edikan Gold Mine and the Sissingue Gold Mine without any major disruption, the receipt of required governmental approvals, the accuracy of capital and operating cost estimates, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used by the Company. Although management believes that the assumptions made by the Company and the expectations represented by such information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, the actual market price of gold, the actual results of current exploration, the actual results of future exploration, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents. The Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the Companys ability to carry on its exploration and development activities, the timely receipt of required approvals, the price of gold, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Perseus does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

ASX/TSX CODE: PRU



REGISTERED OFFICE:



Level 2

437 Roberts Road

Subiaco WA 6008



Telephone: +61 8 6144 1700

Email: IR@perseusmining.com



ABN: 27 106 808 986



www.perseusmining.com CONTACTS:



Nathan Ryan



Media Relations

+61 4 20 582 887

nathan.ryan@nwrcommunications.com.au



Jeff Quartermaine



Chairman & CEO

jeff.quartermaine@perseusmining.com

Attachment
TORONTO, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Northland Power Inc. (Northland or the Company) (TSX: NPI) confirms that at approximately 10:00 AM local time on August 20, 2024, an incident occurred at the Hai Long Changhua onshore substation, part of its offshore wind project in Taiwan. While the details of the incident remain under investigation, the preliminary information available cited a leak of carbon dioxide from the fire suppression system, which affected approximately 17 on-site workers.

In alignment with established emergency response protocols, emergency services were immediately notified, and first aid measures were promptly administered on-site. The affected individuals were quickly transported to nearby hospitals, where they are currently receiving emergency treatment.

The project team is fully cooperating with local authorities to investigate the cause of the incident and ensure the safety of personnel and the surrounding community. The incident has been contained, and all work at the onshore substation is suspended until further notice while investigations are ongoing.

The safety and well-being of our employees and partners remain our top priority, said John Brace, Executive Chair. Our current focus is on the well-being of the affected workers and their families. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as more information becomes available.

Northland is committed to maintaining the highest safety standards across all its operations and construction programs and is working diligently to address this incident with the utmost urgency and care.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains statements that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (forward-looking statements) that are provided for the purpose of presenting information about managements current expectations and plans. Readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. Northlands actual results could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements may or may not transpire or occur. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or include words such as expects, anticipates, plans, predicts, believes, estimates, intends, targets, projects, forecasts or negative versions thereof and other similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as may, will, should, would and could. These statements may include, without limitation, statements regarding Northlands expectations for the completion of construction and anticipated costs thereof, the timing for and attainment of commercial operations, the expected generating capacity of the project, and the future operations of the project, all of which may differ from the expectations stated herein. These statements are based upon certain material factors or assumptions that were applied in developing the forward-looking statements, including the design specifications of development of projects, the provisions of contracts to which Northland or a subsidiary is a party, managements current plans and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors, estimates, and assumptions that are believed to be appropriate in the circumstances. Although these forward-looking statements are based upon managements current reasonable expectations and assumptions, they are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. Some of the factors include, but are not limited to, those described in the Risks Factors section of Northlands Managements Discussion and Analysis and Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2023, which can be found at www.sedarplus.ca under Northlands profile and on Northlands website at northlandpower.com. Northland has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from current expectations, however, there may be other factors that cause actual results to differ materially from such expectations. Northlands actual results could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, and Northland cautions you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements contained in this release are, unless otherwise indicated, stated as of the date hereof and are based on assumptions that were considered reasonable as of the date hereof. Other than as specifically required by law, Northland undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after such date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise.

ABOUT THE HAI LONG OFFSHORE WIND PROJECT

Located approximately 45  70 kilometers off the Changhua coast in the Taiwan Strait, Hai Long consists of two phases, Hai Long 2 and Hai Long 3, with an expected combined generating capacity of 1,022 MW. Hai Long 2A benefits from a 294 MW 20-year PPA with Taipower under a Feed-in-Tariff, and Hai Long 2B and 3 (728 MW) benefits from a 30-year Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA) with an investment grade counterparty. Hai Long will play an important role in helping Taiwan achieve its renewable energy target of 15 GW of offshore wind to be constructed between 2026 and 2035. Once operational, Hai Long will be one the largest offshore wind facilities in Asia, and will provide enough clean energy to power more than one million Taiwanese households including industrial facilities.

ABOUT NORTHLAND POWER

Northland Power is a global power producer dedicated to helping the clean energy transition by producing electricity from clean renewable resources. Founded in 1987, Northland has a long history of developing, building, owning and operating clean and green power infrastructure assets and is a global leader in offshore wind. In addition, Northland owns and manages a diversified generation mix including onshore renewables, natural gas energy, as well as supplying energy through a regulated utility. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with global offices in eight countries, Northland owns or has an economic interest in approximately 3.2GW (net 2.8GW) of operating capacity. The Company also has a significant inventory of projects in construction and in various stages of development encompassing approximately 12GW of potential capacity. Publicly traded since 1997, Northland's common shares, Series 1 and Series 2 preferred shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols NPI, NPI.PR.A and NPI.PR.B, respectively.

Media Contact

Dario Neimarlija, Vice President, FP&A and Investor Relations

P: 647-288-1019

investorrelations@northlandpower.com

Victor Gravili, Head of Global Brand & Integrated Communications

P: 647-288-1105

communications@northlandpower.com
TORONTO - Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc. (TSX.V: LME and OTCPINK: LMEFF) ("LAURION" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that, further to its press release dated August 24, 2023, the Corporation has entered into an engagement letter with a financial advisory firm, pursuant to which this firm shall continue to act as LAURION's lead advisor for exploring transactional opportunities that may be strategically beneficial to the Corporation and its stakeholders. This financial advisory firm and its affiliates together form a global, full-service private financial group specializing in providing corporate finance, asset management, and capital formation services.

Having completed its due diligence investigations regarding LAURION over the past year, this financial advisory firm is aiming to facilitate the procurement of a potential strategic transaction involving the Corporation. More specifically, they will identify and introduce third parties for possible mergers & acquisition (M&A) and/or investment opportunities.

LAURION's primary focus is to identify and explore opportunities to maximize shareholder value. As such, on August 24, 2023, the Corporation announced the establishment of a Special Committee to undertake a strategic review process intended to maximize shareholder value. On February 15, 2024, the Corporation announced the completion of a new independent technical report on the Ishkoday Project, which is entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report of the Ishkoday Gold Project, Northern Ontario, Canada". The technical report is available under the Corporation's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Corporation's website at www.laurion.ca.

LAURION is committed to enhancing shareholder value and is looking at a variety of opportunities. The Corporation remains open to pursuing an acquisition or other significant transaction if it would be in the best interests of LAURION and its stakeholders. The Corporation will promptly issue a news release if and when any material change occurs.

About LAURION Mineral Exploration Inc.

The Corporation is a junior mineral exploration and development company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol LME and on the OTC under the symbol LMEFF. LAURION now has 267,271,735 outstanding shares of which approximately 72% are owned and controlled by insiders who are eligible investors under the "Friends and Family" categories.

LAURION's emphasis is on the exploration and development of its flagship project, the 100% owned mid-stage 57 km2 Ishkoday Project, and its gold-rich polymetallic mineralization.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:



LAURION Mineral Exploration Inc.



Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin - President and CEO

Tel: 1-705-788-9186

Fax: 1-705-805-9256

Douglas Vass - Investor Relations Consultant

Email: info@laurion.ca

Website: http://www.LAURION .ca

Follow us on X: @LAURION_LME and Instagram laurionmineral

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the Corporation's current expectations regarding future events, including with respect to LAURION's business, operations and condition, management's objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions, the Corporation's ability to advance the Ishkoday Project, statements regarding the Corporation's strategic review process and the potential outcome of this strategic review process and the Corporation's engagement of the above-referenced financial advisory firm, approval of any transactions resulting from the strategic review process, the possible impact of any potential transactions referenced herein on the Corporation or any of its stakeholders, and the ability of the Corporation to identify and complete any potential acquisitions, mergers, financings or other transactions referenced herein, and the timing of any such transactions. Actual events and future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements could differ materially from those projected herein including as a result of a change in the trading price of the common shares of LAURION, the TSX Venture Exchange or any other applicable regulator not providing its approval for any of the potential transactions referenced herein, the interpretation and actual results of current exploration activities, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future prices of gold and/or other metals, possible variations in grade or recovery rates, failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, the failure of contracted parties to perform, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration, as well as those factors disclosed in the Corporation's publicly filed documents. Investors should consult the Corporation's ongoing quarterly and annual filings, as well as any other additional documentation comprising the Corporation's public disclosure record, for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. Subject to applicable law, the Corporation disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

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 THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
TSX Venture Exchange: BSK

Frankfurt Stock Exchange: MAL2

OTCQB Venture Market (OTC): BKUCF

VANCOUVER, Aug. 20, 2024 - Blue Sky Uranium Corp. (TSXV: BSK) (FSE: MAL2) (OTC: BKUCF), "Blue Sky" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on activities at its Amarillo Grande Uranium-Vanadium Project ("AGP") in Argentina. Field work is currently concentrating on surface exploration while the updating of environmental permits for further drilling is underway. The aim of the on-going program is to apply different techniques to detect the presence and continuity of blind uranium mineralization at depth. The recent work included mapping, soil and pit sampling, auger drilling and the first isotopic survey. The isotopic technique uses geochemical analysis of soils to detect uranium at depth based on its natural decay into specific lead isotopes detectable in surface samples, a method that has been successfully demonstrated in other uranium districts. Blue Sky's work to date was concentrated in the Ivana sector, where anomalous isotopic patterns or footprints identified at the Ivana deposit will be compared with samples collected at other areas of known mineralization, like Ivana Central, in order to identify new drill targets. If successful, this technique will be used as a regional tool to identify new targets and vector drilling for the potential discovery of blind uranium mineralization throughout the 145-km long AGP. Final results of sample analyses and interpreted target generation from the program are in progress.

"This new program is another step in the execution of our strategic plan to discover and develop a cluster of deposits that could feed a central processing facility at Ivana and expand the proposed development scenario presented in the recent positive PEA. Once the Company closes the proposed JV transaction with COAM, and in light of the recent positive tax measures in Argentina, summarized below, we anticipate advancing Ivana towards pre-feasibility, and, if positive, then feasibility and development, as quickly as possible," commented Nikolaos Cacos, Blue Sky President & CEO.

These exploration activities continue while the Company works towards finalizing the transaction with Corredor Americano S.A. ("COAM"). As announced on June 10, 2024, Blue Sky has signed a binding term sheet with COAM, an Argentine affiliate of Corporacion America Group, to complete an option agreement in respect to the Company's Ivana Uranium-Vanadium deposit. The transaction provides COAM the option to earn up to a 50% indirect interest in the Property by advancing Ivana through to completion of a feasibility study. Following a positive feasibility study, COAM can earn an additional 30% interest by funding 100% of the estimated capital costs to achieve commercial production.

In addition, the term sheet includes a call-option that will allow COAM to fund the exploration programs at targets located in adjacent areas of the Ivana deposit over the next five years.

Both companies are currently advancing the transaction towards the conclusion of due diligence and finalization of the definitive agreement.

New Argentina Investment Legislation:

On June 28, 2024, Argentine President Javier Milei obtained approval of his main legislative initiative, termed the Bases Law (Ley de Bases), that includes a package of proposed changes over a significant number of laws and regimes in Argentina. In particular, the Bases Law contains an Incentive Regime for Large Investments (RIGI) applicable to new investments over US$200 million in mining, among others, presented within the next 2 to 3 years. The RIGI grants 30-year special status for these investments, including tax stability, reduction of income tax (25% tax rate rather than general scale which ranges from 25-35%), exemptions of import-export duties, accelerated depreciation, staged ability to keep export proceeds in foreign currency reaching 100% after 3-4years, and the option to settle disputes using international arbitration courts, as the main benefits.

The Amarillo Grande Project is located in Rio Negro Province, which was the first province to adopt the RIGI shortly after the approval of the new law. By the end of July, the joint-venture between YPF, the national oil and gas (O&G) company, and Petronas, the Malaysian O&G national company, chose Rio Negro as the location in which to invest US$30 billion on the construction of a liquification plant for the exportation of the unconventional natural gas produced from the Neuquen basin.

Qualified Persons

The design of the Company's exploration program was undertaken by the Company's geological staff under the supervision of David Terry, Ph.D., P. Geo. Dr. Terry is a Director of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. The technical contents of this news release have been reviewed and approved by Dr. Terry.

About the Amarillo Grande Project

The Company's 100% owned Amarillo Grande Uranium-Vanadium Project in Rio Negro Province, Argentina is a new uranium district controlled by Blue Sky. The Ivana deposit is the cornerstone of the Project and the first part of the district for which both a Mineral Resource Estimate and a Preliminary Economic Assessment have been completed. Mineralization at the Ivana deposit has characteristics of sandstone-type and surficial-type uranium-vanadium deposits. The sandstone-type mineralization is related to a braided fluvial system and indicates the potential for a district-size system. In the surficial-type deposits, mineralization coats loosely consolidated pebbles, and is amenable to leaching and simple upgrading.

The Project includes several other target areas over a regional trend, at or near surface. The area is flat-lying, semi-arid and accessible year-round, with nearby rail, power and port access. The Company's strategy includes delineating resources at multiple areas and advancing the project to prefeasibility level.

For additional details on the project and properties, please see the Company's website: www.blueskyuranium.com.

About Blue Sky Uranium Corp.

Blue Sky Uranium Corp. is a leader in uranium discovery in Argentina. The Company's objective is to deliver exceptional returns to shareholders by rapidly advancing a portfolio of surficial uranium deposits into low-cost producers, while respecting the environment, the communities, and the cultures in all the areas in which we work. Blue Sky has the exclusive right to properties in two provinces in Argentina. The Company's flagship Amarillo Grande Project was an in-house discovery of a new district that has the potential to be both a leading domestic supplier of uranium to the growing Argentine market and a new international market supplier. The Company is a member of the Grosso Group, a resource management group that has pioneered exploration in Argentina since 1993.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Nikolaos Cacos"

______________________________________

Nikolaos Cacos, President, CEO and Director

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, statements about the Company's plans for its mineral properties; the Company's business strategy, plans and outlooks; the future financial or operating performance of the Company; and future exploration and operating plans are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and, even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: the impact of COVID-19; risks and uncertainties related to the ability to obtain, amend, or maintain licenses, permits, or surface rights; risks associated with technical difficulties in connection with mining activities; and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Readers are encouraged to refer to the Company's public disclosure documents for a more detailed discussion of factors that may impact expected future results. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, unless required pursuant to applicable laws. We advise U.S. investors that the SEC's mining guidelines strictly prohibit information of this type in documents filed with the SEC. U.S. investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on our properties.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blue-sky-uranium-provides-update-on-activities-and-informs-about-new-positive-investment-legislation-in-argentina-302225942.html

SOURCE Blue Sky Uranium Corp.
VANCOUVER, August 20, 2024 - ESGold Corp. ("ESGold" or the "Company") (CSE: ESAU, Frankfurt: N2W, OTC: SEKZF), is pleased to provide a corporate update outlining management's plan for operations over the next 6 to 12 months.

Current market conditions for gold, silver and mica are currently exceptionally strong with projections indicating sustained strength and potential for even greater increases. These three (3) resources are the major biproduct of processing the tailings at the Company's Montauban Plant and are central to ESGold's operations.

In July 2023 ESGold commissioned a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") that highlighted significant positive value and strong Internal Rate of Return (IRR). Since then, gold has increased by 43% (US$1,750 per ounce to US$2,500 per ounce), silver has risen by 43% (US$21 per ounce to US$30 per ounce) and mica prices have soared by 165% (US$530 per ton from US$200 per ton FOB China) These price increases directly impact the revenue from the project, while operational costs, paid in Canadian dollars, effectively decrease in relative terms..

Given these favorable economic conditions and the advanced stage of the project, the Company is focused on commencing production at Montauban within the next nine (9) to twelve (12) months. To achieve these ambitious targets, the Company has begun mobilizing the necessary resources, equipment and personnel required to take the Montauban Plant into production.

The Company will need to complete two (2) financings. The first is a small equity financing of up to $500,000 that offers an ESGold Unit at a price of $0.10 that is comprised of one (1) common share and one (1) whole warrant priced at $0.15 for a period of a year. This financing is almost complete and is targeted to close on August 31, 2024. The proceeds will be used to prepare the Company to begin construction and develop a focused marketing campaign. Please refer to the Company's press release dated August 8, 2024 for further details. The Offering is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the Canadian Securities Commission (the "CSE").

Brad Kitchen, President of ESGold Stated, "ESGold is in a very unique situation where the Company epitomizes its commitment to ESG initiatives (Environmental, Social and Governance), as it will process tailings to create revenue for its shareholders, while removing harmful toxins from the environment and creating well-paying employment for the community." Kitchen continued, "It is incumbent upon management not only to take Montauban into production but also make sure the capital markets understand the significant value of the Company. We will use all forms of media to reach not only traditional resource investors but tap into the large and growing community of ESG engaged market participants. Management will actively participate in all forms of marketing from traditional investor shows, increased social media presence, participation in ESG related panels and providing regular detailed information on the Company's operations."

The second round of funding will be essentially construction financing. The Company is currently using its team of Investment Banking and Corporate Finance specialists to secure potentially non-dilutive financing. The Company will target to close this round in October or November of this year.

ESGold has secured a C$2.0 million operating credit facility to support the commencement of production at the Montauban Plant. Once construction of the processing circuit is underway, management will shift focus to advancing the underground resource within its expansive 13,116-hectare claim area in Notre-Dame-de-Montauban, Quebec. This includes compiling recent and historical exploration data to create a detailed resource model. ESGold's geologists will then execute a comprehensive drilling program to gather the necessary data for resource modeling. Management anticipates that this work could extend the operational life of the Montauban Plant by 9 to 12 years, with the potential to access ore of a significantly higher grade than the tailings currently being processed.

Pour une traduction francaise de ce communique de presse, veuillez visiter notre site Web a www.esgold.com.

About the Company

ESGold Corp. is a Canadian environmentally aware resource exploration and processing company. Management has demonstrated expertise in advancing gold exploration projects into acquisition targets, most notably in the province of Quebec. ESGold's principal restoration and recovery project is the Montauban property situated in Quebec, just 80 kilometers west of Quebec City.

For more information on ESGold Corp. please contact the Company (+1 514-712-1532) or visit the website www.esgold.com for the French version of this press release, for past news releases, 3D model of the Montauban processing plant, media interviews and opinion-editorial pieces. To keep up with what's going on with ESGold please join our shareholders chat room on telegram :https://t.me/+SQeyLoDRjIAwMDVh

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

ESGold Corp.

"Paul Mastantuono"

Chief Executive Officer

"John Stella"

Investor contact

Tel: +1 514-712-1532

Email: info@esgold.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
The Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History at Boston College is set to host a four-day international conference in Hong Kong, focusing on the Christian heritage of East Asia. Participants will also have the opportunity to join "two evening historical site tours" with a special emphasis on the Christian history of Macau.



This four-day conference will take place from December 10 to 13 in Hong Kong and is co-organized by the Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History at Boston College and the Department of Chinese at the University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Arts. The theme of the conference is "The Historical Legacy of Christianity in East Asia: Bridging the Next Generation of Scholars and Academia."



The conference will feature multiple lectures delivered by senior scholars and include interactive sessions. These sessions will feature senior editors from Brill Academic Publishers, a Dutch academic journal and book publisher, along with other scholars. Additionally, invited experts will provide individual mentorship to attendees.



The conference will be conducted in English, and participants will have the opportunity to join "two evening historical site tours" focused on the Christian history of Macau.



Scholars interested in attending this conference must meet certain qualifications, including having completed a PhD and dissertation defense, or having earned a PhD within the past five years and currently engaged in research or teaching, such as postdoctoral researchers, independent scholars, or early-career academics.



As part of this initiative, the Ricci Institute has launched the focal series "East Asian Christian History Studies," which aims to delve deeper into topics within this field.



According to the Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History's online information, the primary goals of this academic event include:


Five Columbia University students have filed a class-action lawsuit against the organizers of an anti-Israel encampment on campus earlier this year. The students allege harassment and bullying, claiming the protests, which involved chants supporting Hamas and threatening Jewish students, forced the university to move classes online and cancel graduation.

The lawsuit, filed July 26, names several defendants, including Democratic U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman and Ilhan Omar, accusing them of inciting and encouraging the protests. Columbia University is not a defendant in the suit, according to court documents obtained by the New York Post.

Instead, the case targets student groups like Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine and faculty organizations that allegedly defended the protesters. The lawsuit also names various external organizations and activists believed to have supported the encampments.

The protests, which occurred in April, involved chants such as "Death to Jews" and "Hamas we love you," according to the lawsuit.

Demonstrators are accused of threatening Jewish students, blocking access to campus facilities and creating a hostile environment. The plaintiffs, two of which are Jewish, argue that these actions led to the university's decision to shut down in-person classes and restrict access to campus. The lawsuit does not specify the exact damages sought, but organizers told Fox News that they are seeking $30 million in compensation.

"This case is brought on behalf of the students who were forced to pay that high price by the tortious acts of on-campus students and faculty and their off-campus allies who conspired to organize and continue the two-week encampment. That encampment, and the safety threat that it created, forced Columbia to move classes online, restrict access to campus immediately before finals, and ultimately cancel commencement," the suit states.

The university has yet to comment on the lawsuit.
Suk Yi Pang, Executive Secretary of the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China, shared her insights at a World Council of Churches (WCC) meeting, emphasizing that nurturing the next generation of ecumenical leaders involves more than imparting knowledge. She stressed the importance of recognizing and accepting differences, proposing a renewed perspective on understanding and respecting these differences. Pang also revealed plans to launch the Theological Education 2025 initiative.



The WCC's Commission on Ecumenical Education and Formation held its meeting in June at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. During the meeting, Suk Yi Pang shared her views on nurturing future ecumenical leaders with the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China. She highlighted that fostering unity is not just about passing on knowledge to the younger generation but also about recognizing them as central figures in both theological theory and practice. She pointed out that engaging with emerging scholars to discuss their backgrounds and collectively reflect on faith, theological traditions, and the current state of the global church is crucial for cultivating a sense of unity.



Pang, who recently joined the WCC's Commission on Ecumenical Education and Formation, expressed optimism about the commission's future. "It's incredibly fascinating, and I am very confident that this commission will contribute greatly not only to us but also to the entire educational ministry of the WCC," she said. She referred to the "sparks of difference" as a core value of the commission and looked forward to the Theological Education (GETI) 2025 initiative, set to launch at the WCC's Faith and Order Conference in Egypt. She believes this initiative will bring valuable contributions to the WCC's educational ministry.



Reflecting on the early history of the modern ecumenical movement, Pang expressed her admiration for the openness and diversity of that time. She noted that the diversity within the ecumenical movement is its source of vitality, and the variety of voices from early missionary fields and young churches added richness to the unity movement.



Suk Yi Pang emphasized that contemporary society's understanding of differences may differ from the past, necessitating a renewed recognition and acceptance of diversity. She believes a fresh perspective is needed to truly see and embrace differences, and she hopes the commission will provide new insights to help the ecumenical church better understand and respect diversity.


This week marks the 80th anniversary of the passing of renowned Chinese evangelist John Sung, who died in 1944 at the age of 42 due to complications from an anal fistula. Known for his unwavering faith and selfless dedication, Sung left a profound impact on China and Southeast Asia. His famous saying, "As long as my compatriots are saved, I am willing to die," highlights his deep commitment to God.



Bringing the Gospel from China to Southeast Asia



Born in Hongchi Village, Putian City, Fujian Province (1901-1944), John Sung was the son of a Methodist pastor. He became an itinerant evangelist and was actively involved in evangelistic work in China during the Japanese invasion. Sung was known for holding long Bible meetings and leading an ascetic lifestyle. His frequent clashes with other missionaries also sparked controversy.



According to G. Wright Doyle, director of the Global China Center and editor of the Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Christianity, while John Sung was not perfect, he brought hope to many who were suffering and destitute, allowing them to experience God's power and love. His influence continues to this day.



Doyle noted, "The current underground church has inherited some of the characteristics of John Sung's ministry, such as adherence to biblical teachings, fervent prayer, constant evangelism, belief in God's healing power through prayer, and a longing for Christ's return. Understanding John Sung's ministry is key to grasping the vitality of these churches." Historically, Southeast Asia has had a profound impact on the Chinese church. A century ago, Dr. John Sung left China to bring the gospel to Southeast Asia, establishing thriving churches and imparting blessings to local believers. Today, the churches in Southeast Asia look forward to returning the favor by blessing the Chinese church.



"As Long as My Compatriots Are Saved, I Am Willing to Die"



In 2021, the 120th anniversary of John Sung's birth, the Chinese Pastors Fellowship hosted an online conference themed "Remembrance, Repentance, and Revival." On the first day of the conference, Pastor Wang Tiansheng, John Sung's grandson, encouraged believers to prioritize life over knowledge in the revival movement, sharing stories of John Sung's unwavering dedication to the gospel and his fearless sacrifice. He expressed hope that the Chinese church would be filled with the Holy Spirit.



Wang Tiansheng shared his grandfather's testimony of rebirth. John Sung joined the Student Evangelistic Band on November 14, 1920, and studied at a liberal seminary in New York. Influenced by rationalism and knowledge, he began exploring Buddhism and Taoism. However, after attending an evangelistic meeting by Arthur Booth-Clibborn in 1926, his spirituality was reignited, and through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, he recognized his own sin. During a period of treatment in a mental hospital, his pride was shattered, and he resolved to devote his life to evangelism in China, declaring, "As long as my compatriots are saved, I am willing to die."



Filled with the Holy Spirit, John Sung preached the gospel with great power, revealing people's sins through the Holy Spirit's revelation, leading them to repentance and turning to God. He practiced repentance daily, believing that only by cleansing the heart of sin could the holy water enter, which was the necessary path to holiness. He read 11 chapters of the Bible every day, seeking the Holy Spirit's enlightenment after each chapter, reflecting on whether he had confronted the sin within, and viewing Bible reading as a mirror for self-examination.



Wang Tiansheng expressed his high hopes, anticipating that today's church would cultivate more preachers like John Sung, who would proclaim the message of repentance, uphold the truth of the cross, and live a life committed to it. He prayed that under the Holy Spirit's blessing, today's believers would be more empowered to turn John Sung's vision into a shared aspiration for all.


F1 pundits say Zhou doesn't deserve race seat

Two outspoken motor racing pundits are unanimous - Guanyu Zhou does not belong on the Formula 1 grid.

Guanyu Zhou, Belgian GP 2024

 Sauber

Technically, the Chinese driver is still in the running to stay at Audi-owned Sauber next year, and he has also been linked with the 2025 Alpine seat.

Nothing's been decided, Zhou said just before the August break. We're talking and there's options, but we need to wait and see.

The 25-year-old admits that a reserve seat might also be an option for 2025 - and 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve thinks that's a realistic option.

Based on the results, Zhou doesn't deserve a seat in F1, said the Canadian. If a team can get all that sponsorship money that Zhou brings with him, even as a reserve driver, then it's a great result for them.

Dutch racing personality Tom Coronel agrees, declaring that at least politically , he understands why a Chinese driver is valuable to Formula 1.

We saw what happened at the Chinese GP, he told the Dutch magazine Formule 1. "Full grandstands. Politically, I understand that there has to be a Chinese in Formula 1.

"But let him drive for half a season for all I care. It will be a financial story as well as a political one, but based on quality, he has absolutely no business in Formula 1.

I rank him lower than (Valtteri) Bottas, because with his track record, you can't say he's a pancake, Coronel added. "But I don't see the potential in Zhou.

Believe me, in five years we'll all have forgotten him. He leaves nothing behind. No great overtaking moves - nothing.

(GMM)
Hockenheim thinking about reviving German GP

The new 75 percent owners of the Hockenheim circuit say they are proceeding with "great caution" in trying to revive the German GP.

Start, German GP 2019

 RV Press

In April, investment group Emodrom revealed that five medium-sized companies had purchased most of the historic Formula 1 circuit for EUR 5.5 million - also making them responsible for about 20 million euros in debt.

Die Welt newspaper now says the local council has finally approved the deal.

Of course we are also thinking about Formula 1, said Emodrom Group's managing director Tim Brauer.

We will not embark on any financial adventures, but we will also try to find models for how we can bring Formula 1 back to Germany, he added.

Hockenheim's last grand prix was held in 2019, and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has said multiple times since then that the sport is keen to return.

We have never broken off contact and talks with Formula 1, explained Hockenheim boss Jorn Teske, "but we are taking things slowly and seriously. We have to make sure that we do not run a deficit.

That is why we are initially concentrating on other projects. We are thinking in cycles of 20 to 25 years - not on the short term.

Winning over Domenicali and F1 owner Liberty Media, however, would almost certainly require investment to dramatically upgrade the Hockenheim facility.

I have already been in contact with the new investors, revealed Hermann Tilke, the most well-known Formula 1 circuit designer. "It would be great if we could hold a Formula 1 race there again in Germany.

But Formula 1 today requires additional criteria, not just a decent race track. Instead of 2,000, you now need at least 4,000 to 5,000 VIP seats, fan zones, space for concerts, tents, kitchens and so on.

Tilke estimates that a new pit building alone could cost the track 50 million euros.

There would be enough space for it, he explained, and the track itself is absolutely suitable for Formula 1.

(GMM)
Marko plays down new Vettel-to-Audi rumours

Dr Helmut Marko has played down reports suggesting Sebastian Vettel might be seriously in the frame to return to Formula 1 with Audi.

Max Verstappen, Belgian GP 2024

 Red Bull

Osterreich newspaper had cited information from Marko, the Red Bull F1 consultant, suggesting the retired quadruple world champion might be in talks with Audi-owned Sauber.

Auto Bild reached out to Marko, 80, for clarification.

It's no longer a secret that Sebastian asked one or two top teams about free cockpits, Marko replied. "With regard to Audi, however, I generally spoke about the positive effect of a German driver and also mentioned Mick Schumacher.

But this name was apparently forgotten in the report.

Marko admits that Vettel, who won his four titles with Red Bull before moving on to Ferrari and Aston Martin, reached out to Red Bull and Mercedes.

Sebastian has been gone for two years, Marko said. "(Nico) Hulkenberg had been gone for even longer, but he is not a four-time world champion, so he is even hungrier.

And to be honest: Sebastian next to Max (Verstappen) in the Red Bull - I didn't want to put him through that.

Another driver suddenly linked to Sauber-Audi in recent days was Alex Palou, an Indycar driver who not too long ago looked to be heading for an F1 future.

It's all fake, the Spanish driver told the Indianapolis Star newspaper. "I know you cannot take my word, but I promise. It's all fake.

"I've had no contact with Audi. Zero.i

Meanwhile, Sport1 suggests Audi is courting F1 sponsorship from both Adidas and Puma, with a deal with only one of the well-known sporting brands likely.

(GMM)
Two college students from Oklahoma are back in the U.S. after falling seriously ill while vacationing in Mexico last week. Their families, who suspect they were drugged, paid nearly $60,000 to get them to safety.

The incident began when the two young women, Kaylie Pitzer and Zara Hull, along with friends, landed in Cancun on Thursday, according to News 9. After enjoying their first day at the beach, they went to their resort's pool the next day, where they had drinks and later felt unwell.

"The last thing they remember is they had asked for a glass of water," Stephanie Snider, whose son's girlfriend was among those affected, told KOCO News 5. The girls experienced severe symptoms, including convulsions, and Hull rushed to a local hospital.

The next morning, Pitzer recounted, "It hurt to open my eyes, I was very nauseous, I couldn't move."

Hull was rushed to a local hospital after experiencing convulsions and was later intubated.

"Once she was there the hospital demanded $10K just to look at her to help her and start treating her. The money was sent. By the next morning we were told more money was needed to continue treatment," Snider wrote in a social media post.

After several days with no improvement, the U.S. Embassy advised the family to medevac Zara to Dallas. The evacuation and medical treatment in the U.S. cost around $60,000, with $28,000 covered by a family friend.

"We have spent over $50,000 in desperate need to get her back," Snider said.

The families are still seeking answers, with the girls' doctors suspecting their drinks were spiked with synthetic fentanyl. They say doctors have conducted multiple tests but have not received the toxicology report from Mexico, which was supposedly performed.

"We have come to the realization that we probably aren't going to get any answers. We're just dealing with what we have now," Snider said.

Pitzer, who landed in Dallas on Monday, reunited with Hull at the hospital.

"It's so scary because, there's times, I am like am I going to make it out of this?" Hull said.

"This could happen to anyone," Pitzer said.

The families have set up a GoFundMe for anyone who wishes to help with medical costs
Tuna tartare is hiding within. Photo: Courtesy of Amo

When choosing from the hundreds of Italian restaurants in New York, the first question that comes to mind is red sauce or regional? Its the difference between bread and butter and house grissini, tomato sauce on breaded veal versus simmered with al dente paccheri, or chicken francese versus couscous alla Trapanese. Even when the boundaries arent abundantly clear, the citys Italian food is recognizable as a particular type of New York Italian. Over in Actual Italy, of course, all of the food is Italian, and so chefs can afford to be less beholden to tradition. When a restaurant like Amo, which opened around the corner from Union Square at the end of July, takes a similar approach, its willingness to break free from Italys greatest hits can feel like a welcome surprise.

Its not just because Amo is run by Italians, which it is, including chef Pasquale Cozzolino, whose other restaurant, Neapolitan pizza parlor Ribalta, sits a block away. At Amo, Cozzolino wanted to focus on seafood, which the menu achieves with an eccentric dedication to the bit spread across the four-page menu. Headings include Mediterranean sashimi and Neapolitan ceviche mixed in among the swordfish Milanese. Even the focaccia has anchovies.

Amos mozzarella in tempura is one dish that really does not exist in the context of New York Italian food. For one thing, the term tempura is mostly poetic since this ball of bufala mozzarella is in reality coated with panko crumbs. Then, hidden within a layer of still-cool cheese, is tuna tartare seasoned with lemon zest and sansho pepper, flecked by basil and bits of tomato. To make it, Cozzolino gently heats fresh mozzarella to make it pliable so you can work on it as a piece of art, he says. He forms the cheese into a sheet to swaddle the tartare before the mozza, or cinching of the ball. Its then breaded and gently fried before service, when the cheese ball gets sauced at the table.

Raw tuna plus fried mozzarella is an atypical combination here, probably because it goes against the widespread (and often debunked) adage that cheese and fish dont belong together in Italian cooking. (See: San Sabinos shrimp Parm, or Mareas lobster-and-burrata salad.) I think that the whole story started because clam spaghetti was the most famous Italian dish in the U.S. and people were asking for Parmesan on it, Cozzolino muses. I would never put parmigiano on pasta with clams. Never. But theres no hard-and-fast rule back home, where you find mussels with pecorino in Puglia and burrata with anchovies in Campania. I think mozzarella works perfectly with seafood in Italy, he says.

Here, the tuna tartare does manage to hold its own next to the milky cheese. As did raw red shrimp tartare on spaghetti. Cozzolino has gone to great lengths to preserve the shrimps natural sweetness and luscious texture by sourcing what he calls cryogenically frozen seafood, blast-chilled as soon as it is fished, often while still on the boat. The process has historically been more commonly used with fish destined to become sashimi; importing his desired Mediterranean seafood this way has only become an option for Cozzolino in the past few years. Its hibernating, once thawed, its like fresh seafood, he says. To serve it at Amo, he essentially had to create his own supply chain from the fish distributor in Italy  the shipping container that brings it across the ocean and the truck that gets it to the restaurant each must maintain the -60 C temperature that preserves the fish rather than merely freezing it.

The freshness of it is amazing. Its something that you couldnt find before in New York City, boasts Cozzolino, who started working on the transport logistics two years ago before he started building the actual restaurant in January. In the Mediterranean Sea, the content of salt is higher so the flavor of the seafood is a little different, in a better way. As far as he knows, hes the only chef using this type of product, but he compares it to opening Ribalta in 2012, when people thought he was making a mistake by selling Neapolitan pizza in the land of the New York slice. I was right, he says. The people loved it.

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Samsung's Galaxy A16 5G ran Geekbench not once but twice already, with two different chipsets no less - the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 and the Samsung Exynos 1330. And now, through the Chinese 3C certification, we have found out what its battery capacity will be.

Surprising absolutely no one, the Galaxy A16 5G will be rocking a 5,000 mAh cell (certified as 4,860 mAh rated capacity, to be advertised as 5,000 mAh typical capacity). That's the de facto standard these days for most Android smartphones, so it's hardly shocking. It's also the exact same capacity seen in the Galaxy A15 5G.

The Galaxy A16 5G's two versions, with the two different SoCs, are likely to launch in different markets, though it's unclear what Samsung is getting out of this strategy. Speculators are speculating that the Exynos variant will be headed to Asia and/or Africa, but nothing is confirmed just yet.

The Galaxy A16 is apparently going to be made official in December, if we go by a recent rumor. So there's still plenty of time for leaks to reveal all of its specs until then.

Via
Students at the 21 Guam Department of Education schools that start online classes or alternating days on Thursday will still get free school lunches, GDOE Superintendent Erik Swanson announced.

On days when class is not in session, parents of students at the 14 elementary schools going to an alternating day schedules will be able to pick up lunches from their school.

Food for kids from both host schools and visiting schools will be provided at the host school campus, Swanson told the media during a Tuesday education update.

Juan M. Guerrero Elementary School and Chief Brodie Elementary School will not be going to alternating day schedules, despite an earlier GDOE announcement. Swanson said the 17-acre Juan M. Guerrero campus is large enough to accommodate both student bodies at the same time.

Students from the seven middle and high schools going online this Thursday can pick up lunches from the closest elementary school to them which has passed a health inspection and opened up.

There may be some change to pick-up spots, as the Mayors Council of Guam on Tuesday had just agreed to help distribute lunches, according to Barbara Adamos, GDOE deputy superintendent for educational support and community learning.

Swanson stressed that school lunches will only be provided to students that are enrolled at the school where they are picking up lunch.

Its not an open community feeding program, the type seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, and schools would be verifying enrollment.

The program is entirely locally funded by GDOE, Swanson said.

Guam Education Board vice chairman Angel Sablan said there will be enough food to accommodate every student at each school that is either online or off for the day.

Lets say one school has 600 students, there will be 600 meals for that school, Sablan said.

Here are the visiting and hosting elementary schools that start alternating days next week:

Machananao Elementary School at Astumbo Elementary School

D.L. Perez Elementary at Wettengel Elementary School

Upi Elementary School at Adacao Elementary School

J.Q. San Miguel Elementary School at C.L. Taitano Elementary School

H.B. Price Elementary at M.U. Lujan Elementary School

P.C. Lujan Elementary School at B.P. Carbullido Elementary School

Finegayan Elementary School at Maria Ulloa Elementary School

6,000 kids headed online

Schools have already started distributing laptops at the request of students, according to Joe Sanchez, GDOE deputy superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

He said that around 6,000 students will start online classes on Thursday, though GDOE is aiming to only have them online for a few weeks time.

The following schools will go online starting Aug. 22:

Inarajan Middle School

Benavente Middle School

Jose Rios Middle School

F. B. Leon Guerrero Middle School

Okkodo High School

Southern High School

George Washington High School

Laptops are only being provided upon request, as a large number of students have opted to attend classes using their cell phones.

Sanchez said that students that already have a laptop checked out from GDOE which has not been reconciled or reported stolen cant get another one.

There are about 4,000 Mi-Fi devices that could be distributed to students, though the subscription for the devices expires on Sept. 22 and there is no money for an extensions, Sanchez said.

But even with the Mi-Fis, roughly half of the 6,000 students going to online classes will have to spend some or all of their time doing entirely hard copy work without online instruction.

Connectivity is a concern for many, but Mi-Fis and laptops arent the only things holding kids back from attending online classes, Sanchez noted.

Poverty, homelessness and unstable home environments were very prevalent in the school district, and prevented kids from being online on a regular basis.

Its not uncommon for kids to have to go to another parent, in another place, that might not have electricity or consistent electricity, Sanchez said. Thats why were really trying our best to get them in school as quickly as possible.

GDOE has set a target of getting kids back to class in their home campus, or in double-session in the case of F. B. Leon Guerrero and Okkodo High School, by Sept. 30.

Swanson said that with additional support from the government of Guam and Joint Region Marianas, GDOE is ahead of schedule on inspections, and we hope to stay that way.

Four $100,000 purchase orders are out for various materials needed to get schools ready to pass inspection.

Southern High School and Okkodo High School started inspections as of Thursday, and George Washington High School would begin inspection next, Swanson said.

As soon as those are finished, well start into the elementary, middle schools that have not been inspected yet, he said.
Two men have been charged with second-degree manslaughter following the death of Jonathan Rodriguez, a 21-year-old student at The Evergreen State College.

Rodriguez died from carbon monoxide poisoning on Dec. 11, caused by a poorly installed tankless water heater in his on-campus apartment, according to court records.

Frank McCutcheon, 53, and Brett McCutcheon, 32, who were employed by Olympia Sheet Metal, are accused of causing Rodriguez's death by incorrectly installing the water heater at his on-campus apartment a week earlier. Investigators found that the unit lacked proper ventilation, causing dangerous levels of carbon monoxide to build up.

"That deficient installation caused the death of Jonathan Rodriguez by introducing into the residence levels of carbon monoxide over 20 times the acceptable limit," Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Filak wrote in a probate cause statement.

Two other students in the building, as well as a responding Evergreen police officer, were also treated for carbon monoxide poisoning at the time.

A March report by Washington State Patrol identified further issues that contributed to Rodriguez's death. The report noted that the carbon monoxide detectors, which activated on Dec. 11, were incorrectly treated as faulty rather than a serious warning, and were silenced by Evergreen staff. Additionally, the report highlighted a lack of training and understanding among Evergreen employees and residence maintenance personnel regarding the functions of the fire alarm and carbon monoxide systems.

"This was a tragic yet avoidable situation," Chief John R. Batiste said in a statement at the time. "The State Fire Marshal's office is a part of the Washington State Patrol and on behalf of State Fire Marshal Chad Cross, we urge everyone to make sure they have properly working smoke/fire and CO alarms in their homes and businesses and understand their operations and maintenance. When you hear the alarm, get out. Treat each event with the urgency it deserves. Lives depend on it."

In a statement following the State Patrol's report, school officials called Rodriguez's death a "devastating loss" and promised to improve training protocols.

"[The Washington State Patrol's] investigation found that lack of training and insufficient protocols for responding to carbon monoxide alarms contributed to this tragic accident. As a result, we are taking numerous steps to ensure our students' safety - including improving training on incident detection and updating alarm response protocols," the college said.

The McCutcheons were charged with second-degree manslaughter on July 11. Frank McCutcheon appeared in court on Aug 6., where he pleaded not guilty. Brett McCutcheon's arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 3.




Haiti - Turks and Caicos : 217 Haitian migrants intercepted and significant seizure of marijuana





Since Friday, August 16, 2024, 217 migrants from Haiti in an irregular migratory situation have been intercepted during several attempts to disembark on the British territory of the Turks & Caicos Islands. Police have also seized more than $2 million worth of marijuana.



The marijuana was discovered during two separate interceptions of illegal Haitian migrants from the north coast of Haiti on Friday and Saturday.



The first interception took place on Friday, August 16 at around 11:40 p.m. in Bird Rock on the island of Providenciales; 15 migrants were on board the boat, as well as marijuana with a street value of $131,660.



On Saturday, August 17, officers intercepted two other vessels carrying undocumented Haitian migrants around 5:00 p.m. Officers arrested 41 migrants, including 3 minors, 6 women and 32 men on board the boats, as well as marijuana with an estimated street value of $2,704,932.



On Sunday, at around 10:17 p.m., police with the assistance of the Royal Bahamas Defense Force, intercepted a fourth overloaded boat with 144 migrants on board (111 men, 32 women and 5 minors) near the island of West Caicos. The vessel was escorted to Providenciales and the migrants were handed over to the Border Force for processing. And repatriation to Haiti.



"The trafficking of illicit contraband, such as cannabis, into the Turks and Caicos Islands is an offense with serious penalties," said Edvin Martin, the archipelagos police commissioner. The police and their law enforcement partners, he added, "are resolute in finding the people involved in the smuggling of people and trafficking of illegal drugs and will pursue all leads to bring them to justice."



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Haiti - Corruption : The Haitian State ordered to pay 28 million dollars to Preble-Rish Haiti S.A. continues its investigation





Fils Aime Ignace Saint Fleur, the Director General of the Bureau de Monetisation des Programmes dAide au Developpement (BMPAD) committed to collaborating in the ongoing investigation into the dispute between the Haitian State and the company Preble-Rish Haiti S.A. for "suspected corruption" appeared on Friday, August 16 at the invitation of the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) accompanied by his lawyers.



For nearly 5 hours, Saint Fleur answered, with serenity and calm, the investigators questions and demonstrated to them that his administration worked in complete transparency and in compliance with the laws of the Republic. He also reassured the ULCC of his availability and willingness to provide all useful additional documents and information that could support the facts and reestablish the truth.



In addition, he explained to the ULCC investigators, that he had done everything, within the limits of his prerogatives, to preserve the higher interests of the Haitian State in this case. This is why he did not authorize any payment that did not comply with the prices indicated in the minutes of the opening of the tenders of April 30, 2020, signed by all the members of the tender opening committee as well as by all the bidders of the petroleum products order contract including the official representative of Preble-Rish Haiti S.A. having won the public contract and published on the official website of the BMPAD.



It should be recalled that this investigation was requested by Prime Minister Garry Conille to shed light on payments made for Preble-Rish Haiti S.A. without authorization from the BMPAD and outside the contract concluded. In June 2023, New York Federal Judge P. Kevin Castel upheld a $28 million arbitration award against the Republic of Haiti to be paid to Preble-Rish Haiti S.A.



Given the stakes and importance of this case for the country, it is to be hoped that the investigators' work will be carried out with the greatest possible professionalism, rigor and impartiality.



BMPAD welcomes the investigation and calls on everyone's good faith and probity to create an environment conducive to its completion with complete impartiality. BMPAD, like all of Haitian society, expects truth and justice to triumph.



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Haiti - News : Zapping...





Grenadieres FIFA ranking

In the latest FIFA Women's World Ranking, published on August 16, 2024, the position of our Grenadieres remains unchanged at 53rd place with 1,481.87 points (having not played a single match since their elimination in the Nations League (October 2023). On the podium, the United States takes back the lead in the ranking with 2,076.9 points followed by England (2,023.42) and Spain in 3rd position (2021.09).



HUEH closed for 5 months

Nearly 5 months since the doors of the State University Hospital of Haiti (HUEH), the largest hospital center in the country, closed. Felix Levi Milo, President of the Federation of Health Workers, says he is outraged to see that the hospital remains closed because of insecurity and repair work that has still not started and asks the authorities to do what is necessary to reopen the hospital.



Escape : Latest report from the St-Marc City Hall

According to the latest report published by the acting Mayor of Saint Marc Myriam Fievre, during the escape attempt on Friday, August 16 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43002-haiti-flash-bloody-escape-at-saint-marc-prison.html , 14 inmates were killed in exchanges of fire with the police, 8 wounded by bullets including two police officers were reported. 4 inmates are still on the run. Furthermore, the Mayor denies the allegations that a police officer was fatally injured during this incident.



Follow-up meeting with the Inter-American Defense College

On Monday, August 19, 2024, advisors Pierre Michel Bonnet, Jean Bernard Henry, and Sherlo Antoine of the Permanent Mission of Haiti to the Organization of American States (OAS) had a follow-up meeting with Colonel Ricardo Lebron (retired from the United States Armed Forces), head of external relations for the Inter-American Defense College. This meeting is part of the strengthening of cooperation between Haitian security institutions and the Inter-American Defense College, and the preparation of the visit of a Haitian delegation to Washington in the coming days.



Denial by the City of Mirebalais

Lochard Laguerre, the interim Mayor of Mirebalais denies the information suggesting that the city has established toll booths at the entrance to the city. He explains that these are 4 checkpoints set up in collaboration with the police authorities to inspect vehicles at intersections providing access to the city's entrances and exits. Affirming that no driver has been forced to pay money at his checkpoints.



Message from the Embassy of Mexico in Haiti

Due to the demonstrations against gang violence, Monday, August 19, in Port-au-Prince and its surroundings, the Embassy of Mexico in Haiti, as a precautionary measure, remained closed. People with an appointment scheduled for Monday, August 19, will be received on September 2nd, the Embassy specifies.



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One of the four Columbia University deans involved in exchanging "deeply upsetting" texts with "antisemitic tropes" will remain on staff, while the other three have resigned.

Susan Chang-Kim, former vice dean and chief administrative officer of Columbia College; Matthew Patashnick, former associate dean for student and family support; and Cristen Kromm, former dean of undergraduate student life, left their positions on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Columbia College Dean Josef Sorrett plans to stay on staff.

The controversy erupted after the Washington Free Beacon reported that the deans had exchanged sarcastic messages about student complaints of antisemitism during a panel discussion on Jewish life at Columbia last May. The messages were later publicly released by a congressional committee investigating antisemitism at Columbia.

Chang-Kim dismissed the students' concerns, texting, "comes from such a place of privilege... hard to hear the woe is me."

Patashnick suggested Jewish students were exploiting the situation for "huge fundraising potential." Kromm commented, "Amazing what $$$$ can do."

Sorrett also replied "LMAO" to one of Chang-Kim's other messages seemingly mocking Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life Executive Director Brian Cohen.

The texts were revealed during a period of heightened tension on campus, following pro-Palestinian protests that had led to arrests and significant media coverage. The messages were exchanged during a campus event titled "Jewish Life on Campus: Past, Present, and Future," where Jewish campus leaders voiced their concerns about antisemitism.

In a statement last month, Sorrett apologized for the part he played in the exchange.

"I am deeply sorry that this happened in a community that I lead and that I was part of any of the exchanges, and I pledge to spearhead the change we need to ensure this never happens again," he said.

In July, university President Minouche Shafik called the texts "unacceptable" and that the school was taking action to hold those involved accountable.

"Whether intended as such or not, these sentiments are unacceptable and deeply upsetting, conveying a lack of seriousness about the concerns and the experiences of members of our Jewish community that is antithetical to our University's values and the standards we must uphold in our community," Shafik wrote.

University Provost Angela Olinto also said her office would launch new anti-discrimination training that includes antisemitism training for faculty and staff this fall.
A former employee of Erie County Community College is suing the institution, alleging racial discrimination as well as sexual harassment by the school's president.

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court in Erie, Pennsylvania, Marieka Jones, who worked in the finance department starting in 2021, accused college President Christopher Gray of "repeatedly and intentionally" touching his genital area over his pants during private meetings in her office in 2022.

Jones reported the behavior to her supervisor and the head of human resources in November of that year. Following these reports, Gray ceased visiting her office and interacted with her only in public settings, according to the suit.

Approximately two weeks after reporting her experience to human resources, Jones was written up for allegedly sending inappropriate emails to a co-worker. However, the lawsuit claims, no such emails existed. Jones was then placed on a performance improvement plan the same month.

After completing the plan and transitioning into a new position in December 2022, Jones claims she was told she couldn't call out of work despite having personal time available.

Jones, who is Black, has additionally claimed racial discrimination after she reportedly questioned the head of human resources about the lack of observance of Black History Month in February 2023.

The suit alleges that a dean described her inquiries as "aggressive" and that Jones felt she was perceived as an "angry Black woman" for asking.

Jones emailed a discrimination complaint about discrimination to Gray and two board members. The lawsuit claims she was terminated in March 2023 for ineffective communication, a reason Jones disputes, asserting that her dismissal was in retaliation for her complaints.

In a statement to the Erie Times-News, the school called the allegations "baseless."

"Since our inception and opening, EC3 has worked incredibly hard to create a welcoming workplace for all," the institution said. "EC3 strongly refutes these baseless allegations and believes this suit is without merit."

Jones is asking for her job to be reinstated, back pay and other monetary damages.
The researchers argue that the government proposal would erode the relative benefits of electric vehicles in circumstances where the electric vehicle stock has to grow rapidly if national emission reduction targets are to be met.

FINLAND is on path to become a laggard in emission reductions if the government follows through with its proposal to levy higher taxes on electric vehicles, warn researchers from VATT Institute for Economic Research and the Finnish Centre of Excellence in Tax Systems Research (FIT).

The proposed tax change can be expected to steer the development of transport emissions in the opposite direction than is required to comply with EU commitments, they wrote.

The Finnish government decided last spring to raise taxes on fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in order to generate additional tax revenue. The raise is to be implemented through the annually paid vehicle tax, which consists of the basic vehicle tax and  in the case of vehicles powered by something else than petrol  the tax on driving power.

The Ministry of Finance proposed this summer that the basic vehicle tax be raised by about 53 euros and the tax on driving power by 35 euros for electric-vehicle owners. The basic vehicle tax for plug-in hybrids would be roughly 38 euros, but the tax on driving power would change dramatically  increasing by 40 euros for petrol-driven hybrids but falling by 140 euros for diesel-driven hybrids.

Overall, the changes are expected to generate 35 million euros in tax revenue.

The public comment period for the government proposal ended on Thursday. The government is looking to present the finalised proposal to parliament in late September.

Researchers from FIT and VATT stressed in their comment that it is important to provide incentives that encourage motorists from shifting away from transport fuel toward electric vehicles.

Electrifying the vehicle stock quickly enough will require strong incentives. Without sufficient incentives we will not reach our climate targets on time, said Tuomas Kosonen, a research professor at VATT.

Earlier, the government scrapped an incentive designed to subsidise electric vehicle purchases.

The proposed change in the vehicle tax, together with earlier decisions, will directly influence the purchase decisions of consumers and slow down the vehicle stocks electrification, said Marita Laukkanen, a research professor at VATT.

The government opted not to scrap the tax benefit designed to encourage companies to electrify their fleets of company cars.

The Finnish Information Centre of Automobile Sector has published data indicating that the number of fully electric vehicles rose above 100,000 in July, accounting for 3.6 per cent of the entire vehicle stock of Finland.

Although the share of electric vehicles remains relatively high in Finland, the registrations of fully electric vehicles have decreased by about 30 per cent compared with the first half of last year, said Tero Kallio, the managing director of the Association of Automobile Industry in Finland.

Forecasts concerning the development of the stock vary. The Ministry of Transport and Communications issued a rather optimistic forecast last spring, declaring that it expects the number of fully electric vehicles to soar to 600,000 by the end of the decade. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland on Friday indicated that the forecasts should be revised down.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
She was particularly critical of the structural costs incurred by the 21 counties, hinting that in future consolidations may be necessary.

MINISTER of Finance Riikka Purra (PS) said on YLE A-studio on Monday that the social and health care reform that transferred the responsibility for organising social and health care services from municipalities to well-being services counties was unsuccessful.

Im sure it isnt a secret that Im not a big fan of this whole thing, she said to the public broadcasting company.

The current government, however, is not intent on or even capable of making radical changes to the social and health care system.

Any changes will have to be implemented over a longer period of time, according to Purra.

One of the most important themes of the next parliamentary elections will be what should be done about this, she predicted, adding that the current government will simply try to cope with the structure.

The minister also expressed her concerns about recent revelations about the gaping budget deficits of the counties. The government, she stated, is monitoring how the financial situation develops and is prepared to assume a more active role if necessary.

Theres currently an inability to rein in costs, and that probably means that the government will have to engage in more steering in regards to the counties, said Purra.

YLE reported earlier this month that most of the counties are operating on wider-than-expected budget deficits this year, with the total deficit estimate increasing by roughly 50 per cent in the second half of the year to 1.25 billion euros. A number of well-being services counties have resorted to consultative negotiations due to the difficult financial situation.

On Monday, HUS Group, the joint municipal authority responsible for specialised health care in Uusimaa, confirmed that it is looking to axe almost a thousand employees to create 50 million euros in savings.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
Sweet Briar College students are criticizing the school's new admissions policy, calling it transphobic.

The private women's college states on its website that applicants are eligible for admission "if she confirms that her sex assigned at birth is female and that she consistently lives and identifies as a woman."

The college's previous policy only required a birth certificate indicating female, according to Campus Pride. Campus groups, including the Student Government Association, have voiced their opposition on social media, especially concerning the new admissions requirement for incoming students to consistently identify and present as women.

"Recently, Sweet Briar College changed its admission criteria to exclusively admit individuals who live as women and present themselves as such. While we are aware of the college's historical context and mission, we must also recognize the evolving diversity and complexity of gender identities and expressions in our community," the SGA wrote in a statement. "... The verbiage is alienating, unnecessary, and it reflects a rise in transphobia in our country. Admitting trans and non-binary students, only to invalidate their identities based on narrow perspectives, is beyond disheartening."

In a statement to ABC13, Sweet Briar officials said: "As Sweet Briar College approached the beginning of the new 2024-2025 academic year, it needed to confirm its admission policy to meet the new requirements of the Common Application for admission for students entering college in the fall of 2025. That application now lists multiple gender options. The confusion this creates for applicants seeking admission to a women's college like Sweet Briar, necessitated a review of the College's admission policy by the Board and administration of the College. Sweet Briar College affirmed that it will continue its 123-year commitment to only admit women. Since political and other influences now call the meaning of the term "woman" into question, the College affirms that it understands the term in its historic and traditional way consistent with the intentions of our founder."

It's unclear whether the college's decision violates Title IX - a 1972 federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs that receive federal funding.

Under the new rules that went into effect Aug. 1, Title IX now explicitly includes protections against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. This particular provision has faced pushback from conservative groups and states, resulting in multiple lawsuits that have stalled the implementation of the revised regulations in 26 states, including Virginia where Sweet Briar is located.

On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court also rejected a request by the Biden administration to enforce the new provisions on states involved in litigation over the specific changes.
On September 17, 2024, it will be two years since the first batch of eight Cheetahs arrived in Madhya Pradeshs Kuno National Park from Namibia, in what was the worlds first attempt to re-wild the big cats in a totally different climatic zone. A dozen more Cheetahs from South Africa arrived later.

The last two years have shown that the big cats have adapted to wet and humid climate conditions  compared to drier African conditions  after a difficult first year when the animals struggled to adjust to the marked differences in weather.

This monsoon the growth of fur on their bodies, which coincides with the winter months of July to September in Africa, has been less, showing physical adjustments. Unable to adjust to the new conditions including high humidity levels during their first monsoon in Kuno in 2023, a few cheetahs succumbed to deadly infections.

It has been different this year because the growth of fur on them was less and dehumidifying conditions were provided in Kuno, officials said.

The Kuno National Park (KNP), named after the river that flows through the wildlife habitat, now has 25 cheetahs  13 adults and 12 cubs  with only one of them, Pawan, living in the wild within the national park.

As per the Project Cheetah action plan, all the adult big cats in Kuno should have been like Pawan, flourishing in the wild, searching for territory and making the Vindhayas their homes.

That has not happened as the KNP authorities have literally caged these animals in a zoo where they are fed meat on a daily basis, jeopardising their hunting skills. It is rare for a big cat to breed in an enclosure having survived the toughness of the wild.

On paper, Project Cheetah in Kuno has done better than the parameters and goals, which were set before the programme was implemented. The cheetah population has exceeded the anticipated annual growth rate of 5% and the survival rate of 65% is higher than the anticipated rate of 50%.

However, the parameters were for cheetahs living in the wild and not for them in a protected environment with a 6 square kilometre enclosure (Boma) where their movements are being monitored and health facilities are being provided around the clock.

In fact, the animals, known for their speed, have been reduced to Boma (an enclosure for animals) cheetahs.

While the Madhya Pradesh government and Union environment ministry will celebrate September 17  which is also Prime Minister Narendra Modis birthday  claiming success for the project, wildlife experts are sceptical.

Wildlife experts, who were not willing to come on record, said the high-level panel on Cheetahs led by former member secretary of National Tiger Conservation Authority, Rajesh Gopal, has failed to provide a date for the release of the adult cheetahs into the wild, even 10 months after they were brought back to the enclosure.

They said the cheetahs in the enclosure are not fit to survive in the wild, as their hunting abilities are compromised. And if they are released in the wild, they may not be able to compete with close to 80 wild leopards in Kuno, a native flagship predator ranked above cheetah.

A quick proliferation of the cheetah population may look good but experts point out that it could lead to inbreeding that increases vulnerability to diseases and reduces gene diversity.

Indications are there that the cheetahs will never be released into the wild with the Madhya Pradesh forest department planning a cheetah safari in Kuno. Roads have been developed to take tourists around the enclosure; resorts and hotels have come up to cater to tourists.

In fact, these developments create an impression that the original idea of bringing cheetahs to Kuno was wildlife tourism  and a scientific experiment to see whether African cheetahs can survive in the Indian wilderness was a facade.

The MP government is planning to acquire more cheetahs from Africa for a Kuno-like enclosure in the Gandhi Sagar National Park in Nimuch district for a safari. Also, the park will acquire some excess cheetahs from Kuno to improve gene diversity and survival rates, state government officials said.

The so-called success of Project Cheetah in a Boma in Kuno could lead to a similar demand for importing cheetahs for safaris from other state governments. The Gujarat and Rajasthan governments have approached the external affairs ministry to allow them to import cheetahs to populate grasslands identified by the M K Ranjitsinh committee.

While for politicians and bureaucrats Kuno may be a success, wildlife experts term it a limited success, if not a failure. A Delhi-based wildlife biologist, who has worked extensively in Kuno for close to 30 years, said: Kuno has been destroyed for Cheetahs. Now, in the middle of a free-flowing wildlife habitat, we have a big cheetah zoo.

Chetan Chauhan, national affairs editor, analyses the most important environment and political story in the country this week
U.S. Democratic National Convention kicks off in Chicago amid pro-Palestinian protests

Xinhua) 15:47, August 20, 2024

CHICAGO, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicked off at the United Center in Chicago, the U.S. state of Illinois on Monday, as thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near the venue to express their dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The convention, where Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to formally accept the Democratic presidential nomination, is scheduled for Aug. 19-22. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will formally accept the party's vice presidential nomination.

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in a neighborhood park to voice their discontent and anger toward the Biden administration's Israel policy, as the Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has surpassed 40,000 since the outbreak of the current conflict on Oct. 7, 2023.

Chicago police said that arrests were made but didn't specify the number.

On the opening day of the DNC, both former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and United Auto Workers president Sean Fain gave prime-time speeches.

President Joe Biden, greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of delegates, delivered a nearly hourlong keynote speech in which he highlighted his accomplishments since taking office, lashed out at former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, and urged voters to support Harris in her bid for the White House.

"She's tough, she's experienced and she has enormous integrity," Biden continued. "Her story represents the best American story. And like many of our best presidents, she was also vice president," Biden said.

As Biden concluded his speech, he was joined on stage by his family, including Jill Biden, as well as Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff.

As Democrats gathered for the convention, Trump took to social media to criticize his opponent.

"Kamala Harris can't answer how she'd pay for any of her new liberal spending schemes that will bankrupt our country!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Harris unveiled a sweeping economic agenda on Friday, which includes measures to cut taxes for the middle class, reduce grocery costs, take on price gouging, and lower the costs of owning and renting a home, among others.

In the key swing states that could decide the results of the election, the race between the two remains tight.

According to the latest poll data compiled by Real Clear Politics, Harris leads Trump by 1.0 percentage points in Wisconsin and by 2.0 percentage points in Michigan. In Pennsylvania, Harris trails by 0.2 percentage points.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A North Carolina historically Black university has under two weeks to raise $250,000 for financial aid and scholarships after experiencing its highest enrollment in years.

Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte is urgently calling for donations to assist at least 300 students in registering for classes before the fall semester begins on Aug. 30, the school announced on Sunday.

The university's goal is to raise $250,000 for its General Scholarship Fund, which offers emergency financial aid for tuition, housing, books, and other essential needs. Without these funds, many students may be unable to register for the semester.

"The Emergency Fund was sparked by a record number of incoming students for the 2024-2025 academic year," Cheryl Butler-Brayboy, director of university communications and marketing, told University Herald on Monday.

JCSU, which has had an enrollment of between 1,000 and 1,100 students in recent years, is expecting a significant increase to approximately 1,350 students this year, university President Valerie Kinloch told WBTV.

Kinloch will host a special Zoom call on Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. to provide more details about the fund.
Even as this meeting adjourned with parties set to reconvene in Cairo next week, a joint statement from the three states asserted that the talks were serious and constructive, with parties focused on a bridging proposal that can lay the foundations for a ceasefire which they expect to finally conclude in Cairo. The positive undertone in both this statement as well as one by the White House, has been seen as part of an attempt to further check Irans hand and ward off its promised retaliation against Israel.

Indeed, it is now close to 20 days since Ismail Haniyehs assassination in Tehran on July 31 and Irans subsequent declaration of its intention to harshly punish Israel. In the weeks since then, numerous news reports and analyses have speculated on whether Iran will respond. However, Irans acts thus far prove that it is a far more cautious actor than anticipated.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is a pragmatic actor; its self-declared war against Israel is timeless and historic, meaning that Irans fight is not defined by the need to act decisively or comprehensively at any particular point in time. This has long allowed Iran to weather multiple losses to Israel (such as the assassinations of its nuclear scientists) and adopt what Khamenei has roughly termed strategic patience  the term freshly did the rounds in January, following the Kerman bombings.

To understand whether this concept is presently at work, it is necessary to re-look at what retaliation might mean for Tehran as well as its current strategic priorities.

First, the semantic of retaliation in the current context needs to be re-evaluated, since Iran has evidently let the early window of attack pass. While a replication of Irans drone missile barrage in April (with any variation of scale) remains on the table, Iran is not bound by this precedent. In any case, Hezbollah itself is arguably already having its revenge  it has fired salvos of 50-100 rockets in numerous exchanges with Israel in the weeks since Fuad Shukrs killing. Beyond the April template, Iran itself is left with few substantial options that go beyond symbolism  short of a full-scale war.

This column showed in April that Irans priorities then were to establish deterrence, with Tehran letting 13 days pass before retaliating against Israel for its strike against Irans consulate in Damascus. Presently, Iran has kept up a dual approach  repeating its commitment to responding against Israel, while also indicating that it does not wish to adversely affect ceasefire efforts.

The latter is evidenced both by the Iranian Ambassadors statement at the UN as well as the time elapsed since Haniyehs killing. This approach allows Iran to inject a fresh variable into the ceasefire talks, adding pressure on states to push Israel towards a deal and making them more wary of regional escalation. Both the post-Doha joint statement, as well as direct appeals from the UK, France, and Germany to Tehran, have ensured that Iran is factored in even more as a direct actor with leverage.

For Iran, playing up its rhetoric of retaliation and punishment is yielding enough value as a pressure point, allowing Tehran to assert its strategic patience. Notably, in an August 14 commemorative gathering, Khamenei ventured into Quranic concepts of war strategy. He asserted that retreating from the enemy for non-tactical reasons would incur divine wrath; easily read as a commitment to military engagement with Irans enemies. Interestingly, however, Khamenei stressed on clarifying that retreats made for tactical reasons are justified. Regardless of whether these reflect Irans calculus in the current context vis-a-vis Israel, they reaffirm the fundamentals of Irans outlook towards its opponents.

Second, Irans hostile relationship with the United States has not changed, but its immediate priorities have shifted to requiring sanctions relief, even as it keeps up appearances. Since January of this year, Irans behaviour has been privately conciliatory beneath public hostility, with the United States keeping Iran engaged through indirect backchannels. Even as Iran has decisively moved away from the question of reviving the old nuclear deal, it now appears even more open to Western engagement for sanctions relief. A cabinet shuffle in Masoud Pezeshkians new government has brought in Abbas Araghchi as foreign minister a seasoned veteran of the 2015 nuclear deal, one that he has publicly defended as having benefited Iran.

Pezeshkians appointment of Araghchi, a well-travelled (western-educated) diplomat with significant experience engaging the West, is a far-cry from former President Raisis earlier appointment of Hossain Abdollahian, an IRGC thoroughbred with relatively limited global experience. While Araghchi himself carries battlefield experience with the IRGC and is firmly loyal to Irans revolutionary values and to Khamenei, his appointment has only furthered Pezeshkians image as the potential harbinger of small openings.

Hence, while Iran has seemingly made its response contingent on the success/failure of ceasefire talks, any significant Iranian retaliation after a ceasefire is even harder to envision. It will allow Israel to focus more assets on Iran and Hezbollah, risk Irans detente with Arab partners, jeopardize the ceasefire itself (along with a prisoner-hostage exchange), and unarguably derail Irans potential engagement with Washington on sanctions relief.

With a revival of strategic patience, Iran can choose to either symbolically retaliate with sufficient elements of escalation control or let the pressure from its rhetoric itself act as an instrument of coercion. While its long, grand, fight with Israel continues, Irans focus on economic betterment while simultaneously also furthering its nuclear programme, is arguably garnering more benefits for Tehran than any full-scale war with Israel presently can.

Within Iran at least, as a Tehran Times column put it, its April template with Israel was viewed as being a sub-threshold response; on the line between deterrence and escalation. Presently, as it considers its own long- and short-term interests, such sub-threshold options continue to work best for the Islamic Republic. Moreover, like in April, any Iranian attack at this point can expectedly meet stiff resistance from Israel and its allies, given increased preparations in anticipation of an Iranian attack.

Bashir Ali Abbas is a research associate at the Council for Strategic and Defense Research, New Delhi, and a South Asia Visiting Fellow at the Stimson Center, Washington DC. The views expressed are personal.
On August 15, a video of people dancing in front of former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Mujibs memorial, Dhanmondi 32 in Dhaka went viral across social media. The video also showed a crowd thrashing and driving away people who came to pay respect to the father of Bangladesh's liberation movement on his death anniversary. The incident clearly shows the prevailing mood and the challenges that confront the new interim regime headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who took oath on August 8.

Though Yunus was initially reluctant, the student protestors had persuaded him to provide leadership at this critical juncture. A 17-member interim government led by Yunus was sworn in on August 8.

It took almost a week for the violence against minorities and looting to be controlled as police personnel  who had abandoned their duty fearing reprisal attacks  rejoined duty at police stations after appeals by the newly appointed police chief, Mainul Islam.

Still, the blame game continues. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general Mirza Fakhrul accused the Awami League of being behind the attacks on minorities and claimed the chaos near the India-Bangladesh border to cross over to India was staged by the party.

Challenges ahead

The interim regime embodies the aspirations of many who want to see real change in Bangladesh. But the last two weeks reflect the interim governments inability to stop the vandalism and harassment of political workers of Awami League as they are made to bear the brunt of Hasinas decision.

Yunus is working hard to bring back a semblance of order. He visited Dhakeshwari temple and met leaders of the minority Hindu community to assure them of his governments commitment to protect them. In a heartening gesture, students also attempted to protect places of worship belonging to minorities after the initial attacks.

On Friday, president Shahabuddin Ahmed administered the oaths of office and secrecy to the four new members as advisors to the interim government: economist Wahiduddin Mahmud, former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumdar, retired power secretary Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan and Lt Gen (retired) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury. Several political appointees have vacated their positions which will help the interim regime to clean up politicised institutions.

There is an expectation that the interim regime will investigate corruption, and excesses of Hasinas regime and look into several cases of disappearances and politically motivated arrests. Syed Refaat Ahmed, the senior most high court judge, has already taken over as the new chief justice along with new judges. Some ambassadors and other foreign service officials posted abroad are also recalled back to Bangladesh, including Mohammad Imran, ambassador to the US; Kamrul Hasan, ambassador to Russia; and Javed Patwary, ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Despite the overhaul in government, financial woes loom. Ahsan H Mansur, the newly appointed Bangladesh bank governor stated that the economy is not doing well, particularly acknowledging the country's foreign exchange reserves crunch. Private banks have almost collapsed due to unpaid loans.

The life of this interim regime is not yet fixed. Electoral reforms would be an essential first step. But whether such reforms would endure to establish a healthy democratic culture is doubtful. After all, the previous military-backed caretaker regime in power between 2007 and 2008 undertook reforms with little consequence.

The roadmap to restore democracy through election has not yet been announced. The interim regime however embodies the hope of the new generation that they can engender a transformative democratic change.

Second Liberation?

While Yunus has termed the ouster of Hasina as the second liberation, the law-and-order situation in the country had deteriorated, with killings and plundering soon after the army chief announced the former PMs resignation.

On the day of Hasina's ouster, widespread arson attacks and looting were prevalent in Dhaka and elsewhere, and calls for help flooded social media. Not only Sheikh Mujibs statue was dismantled, but his Dhanmondi 32 memorial was burnt and statues of seven other bir protiks (Idols of courage) who had valiantly fought the 1971 liberation war were defaced, raising several questions on the identity of the people who were behind these attacks.

The situation has reversed in a matter of a week. The BNP is organising rallies as the AL supporters are hiding. Murder and genocide cases have been filed against Hasina and her cabinet colleagues with the United Nations set to send a fact-finding team next week to probe atrocities committed during the student-led protests in July and early this month.

The interim government cancelled August 15 which is observed as national mourning day as a holiday. It needs to be noted after Hasinas fall, 326 people were killed in just two days between August 4-6, in attacks by miscreants belonging to political parties as part of revenge killing.

It appears nothing has changed in Bangladeshs political culture after the second "liberation". Despite positive signs due to the overhaul in Bangladesh's government, the worrying trend of reprisal attacks and the killing of previous regime supporters continues.

Smruti S Pattanaik, is research fellow, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies & Analyses (MP-IDSA). The views expressed are personal
The Justice Hema Commission report on the systemic abuse of women in the Malayalam film industry was released by the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government on Monday. The commission was led by retired high court judge K. Hema, veteran actress Sarada, and former civil service official K B Vatsalakumari.

For the local film industry, the report had been a looming threat for the past five years. Since the commission submitted the report to chief minister Vijayan on December 31, 2019, influential people in the industry have been trying, overtly and covertly, to bury it.

Despite pressure from the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) and other women's organisations in the state, the Vijayan government took its time to release the report. However, there have been hints from the beginning that it contains sordid exposures of sexual harassment and coercion.

Now, a day after the government released the report after expunging crucial portions, including testimonies given against top actors and directors, accounts in it reveal widespread sexual exploitation, large-scale drug abuse and the heightened presence of mafia groups in the industry.

The report has put the film industry leaders in the state on the defensive and could become a powerful political tool against Vijayan and his cultural affairs minister, Saji Cheriyan.

Critics said the government had been aware of the report's troubling content for five years but failed to take any action to address the issues faced by women in the industry. The opposition Congress and various women's organisations in the state have questioned the government's motives for keeping the report hidden all these years, possibly due to pressure from top industry leaders.

If anyone deserves credit for releasing the report, albeit edited to remove names, it would be A A Hakkim, one of the state's information commissioners. While hearing a petition on the Hema committee report, he ordered its immediate release. A producer and a female actor had approached the state high court seeking injunctions against its release, but the court vindicated Hakim's position.

When HT contacted Cheriyan, he claimed that he had not read the full report and that it was in the custody of the Information Commissioner. He said that no female actor had approached him or his predecessor, A K Balan, with any harassment complaint in the last five years, so the government didn't feel any urgent need to release it to the public. He also cited legal obstacles for not making the report public so far. However, he now promises to take follow-up actions to clean up the industry within the next month.

The State Women's Commission chairperson, P. Satheedevi, also a senior leader of the ruling LDF, termed the report shocking. She assured that the commission would demand strict measures from the government to rectify the issues in the film industry. She emphasised that the commission would no longer tolerate harassment and discrimination against women in the film industry.

Meanwhile, a group of youth Congress leaders filed complaints with the commission and state police, seeking to register harassment cases against the offenders mentioned in the unedited report.

The industry's response to the developments was lukewarm as expected. When HT contacted the influential Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) general secretary, actor Siddique, he said he could only comment on the commission's findings after speaking with its executive and going into further detail on the charges mentioned in the report.

AMMA president and Malayalam superstar Mohanlal was also contacted, but his family said he had been hospitalised for over a week and could not speak.

Superstar Mammootty, who is usually outspoken about social issues and holds the chairman post on the CPI(M) affiliated television channel Kairali, was unavailable for comment despite repeated attempts.

No major actor in the Malayalam film industry has publicly shared their stance on the committee report so far. The spokesperson for AMMA and well-known actor, K. B. Ganesh Kumar, currently serves as the transport minister in the Vijayan government. Another actor, Mukesh, is an MLA for the ruling front. Both have refrained from making any public comments.

The report reveals unsavoury aspects of the local film industry, including the existence of an all-male power group. This group comprises 15 famous individuals, including directors, producers, and leading actors, who have been accused of not respecting women's rights.

The three-member commission found that this power group, which includes a superstar, determines who should work in the industry and be cast in films.

Director Vinayan told HT that he has reasons to believe the distressing details about sexual harassment of women in the industry, targeting both actors and technicians, as explained in the report.

"It's quite disheartening to see cinema organisations and top stars remaining least concerned. I have seen several instances of drivers with a criminal background and goons infiltrating the industry and working as proxies for top actors. The government must hold the sector accountable for the shocking instances of sexual harassment, drug peddling, and mafia influence," he said.

Dubbing artist Bhagyalakshmi told HT that she was sexually harassed on multiple occasions and her refusal to yield caused her to lose opportunities.

"It is true that victims of harassment are often hesitant to approach the police as they fear losing their livelihood. I agree with the critical issues such as pay disparities, lack of privacy, and inadequate facilities for women in the industry, which are highlighted in the report," she said.

The WCC said the release of the report was significant progress in creating a professional environment that is respectful, fair, and free from exploitation. The report was based on the accounts of 51 people, mostly members of the WCC.

The committee was established in response to the unfortunate incident in 2017 when an actor was abducted and sexually assaulted in a moving car near Kochi. This incident received widespread media attention as it was the first in Kerala. The survivor filed a First Information Report (FIR) after the incident.

After the incident, the police detained all of the suspects. This incident not only sparked a conversation about workplace harassment in the film industry but also led to the formation of the WCC, the first collective of its kind.

Following the incident, several artists, including Rima Kallingal, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Geetu Mohandas, Padmapriya Janakiraman, and Revathi, as well as filmmaker Anjali Menon and editor Beena Paul, came together. They approached Vijayan, requesting an investigation into cases of sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the industry.

``Numerous female actors testified before the commission, stating that they were often asked for sexual favours in exchange for job opportunities, creating a hazardous and unequal environment. Despite being aware of the report's contents, the chief minister and cultural affairs minister chose to keep it a secret to protect the interests of influential men in the industry,'' said Kerala's opposition leader, V. D. Satheesan.

Women's rights activist PE Usha has accused the government of trying to protect individuals named in the report by withholding their details. "The government delayed the release of the report to shield influential figures in the industry. They have now made it public, but significant details have been concealed, and an action taken report has not been provided. This has not resulted in any progress for women," she said.

Women's rights activists emphasise that several of the committee's findings necessitate follow-up police action, as the charges fall under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act 2013 (POSH Act).
Thousands of lives were lost during the Partition of India. Those who survived displacement had to rebuild their material reality in the midst of immense suffering. The intergenerational impact of the event lingers on and it continues to be one of the major themes in literature from the Indian subcontinent. Unsurprisingly, women bore the brunt of the violence. Refugees leaving New Delhi for Pakistan in 1947. (HT Archive)

Is there such a thing, then, as a gendered telling of Partition? asks Urvashi Butalia in her pioneering work, The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition of India (1998). In it, she notes that after conducting several interviews she realised the difference between the speech of men and of women. Each genders priorities were different. While men focused on broad political realities, women brought up a child lost or killed. There was a world of difference and that difference remains even when Partition narratives are retold by women today.

Centralised on the small, the individual voice in the annals of history, Butalia also quotes from James E Youngs Writing and Rewriting the Holocaust: Narrative and the Consequences of Interpretation (1988): Whatever fictions emerge from the survivors accounts are not deviations from the truth but are part of the truth in any particular version. The fictiveness in testimony does not involve disputes about facts, but the inevitable variance in perceiving and representing these facts, witness by witness, language by language, culture by culture.

Interestingly, this sits as adequately for fiction as it does for oral history, for theres an undeniable kernel of truth in fiction. For the most part, fiction reveals a hitherto inaccessible history. Heres a list of literary works by women writers that look at the Partition.

Rosarita by Anita Desai

499; Picador

Desai creates a universe with a few words. In Rosarita, her latest novel in two decades, she introduces the Partition of India in a dialogic manner when Bonita  an Indian student in Mexico  meets a flamboyantly-dressed stranger, Victoria (aka Vicky), who recognises her as her friend Rosaritas daughter. While Bonitas intergenerational memory of the Partition is invoked and alluded to through a variety of means, the impact of the Mexican revolution of the 1910s and the violence that followed is reflected in Vickys voice. The ghost of the past intervenes in the present. An interesting mix of conversations and remembrances makes Rosarita a riveting read.

Kashmir: Book 3 of the Partition Trilogy by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar

499; HarperCollins

Sodhi Someshwars Partition Trilogy, which includes Lahore: Book 1, Hyderabad: Book 2, and Kashmir: Book 3, not only tells the story of the Partition of India but also informs readers about the drama that unfolded during the accession of an array of states to India. This concluding part of the trilogy offers concrete historical facts about a variety of actors such as Maharaja Hari Singh, Karan Singh, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The complex ethnic demography of Kashmir, the conflicting interests of major stakeholders, the beauty of the Valley, and the cost of male-centric, myopic decision-making can all be witnessed in abundance in this novel.

A Lost Peoples Archive by Rimli Sengupta

399; Aleph

Sengupta notes that this, her debut novel, was sparked by a found notebook and is based on the true story of a woman and a man. The woman is the authors grandmother, Dida, who this man  Ramesh Chandra Chatterji (aka Shishu)  used to call Noni-di. In their early youth, books bound them together. But theres a hint of something more than that: an innocent love that lingers between the two. However, fate has other ideas. Shishu murders a police inspector as part of Indian revolutionaries attempt to attain freedom and Noni-di is married off at 16. They last saw each other in 1927 but meet again in 1991 when Shishu comes looking for Noni-di after all these years. She has lived a life populated with children and grandchildren while he has remained a bachelor. During their last meeting, Shishu hands over his notebook to his friend and lifelong muse. Its this notebook that Sengupta leverages for this work of fiction.

The Book of Everlasting Things by Aanchal Malhotra

799; HarperCollins Publishers

His nose woke up first, thus begins this multigenerational saga centred not only around the Partition of India but also on perfumery, referring to a subliminal link between memory and the role a fragrance in recollections of the past. Divided into five parts and spread across several continents and decades, The Book of Everlasting Things is imbued with both cinematic appeal and the shared culture of post-Partition India and Pakistan. The richness of the romance between Samir Vij and Firdaus Khan comes from the years Malhotra has invested in researching the impact of the Partition of India in her non fiction.

Ladies Tailor by Priya Hajela

309; HarperCollins Publishers

What distinguishes Hajelas debut novel from other books on the Partition is the fact that its centred on the spirit of rebuilding. As in reality, here too, refugees from either side of the Punjab border negotiate everyday material reality without addressing the traumatic effects of the Partition and eventually, created an identity for themselves. With her rich imagination and a few real-life elements thrown in, Hajela, centralises the story of Gurudev to present the enterprising spirit of a people who have dealt with immeasurable loss.

Moth by Melody Razak

235; Weiden & Nicolson

In the Brighton-based British-Iranian novelists Moth, Ma and Bappu are teachers at the University of Delhi. While they raise their daughters  Alma and Roop  with a feminist bent of mind, the grandmother in the story fears the worst, given the times they live in. Set in Delhi in 1946, Moth is an exceptional literary work that shows the cracks in a society where it is becoming increasingly dangerous for anyone considered gullible and vulnerable  Muslims, girls, women, the underprivileged and historically marginalised people. The voices of children are also heard in this novel, which serves to give the women characters greater agency.

Victory Colony, 1950 by Bhaswati Ghosh

499; Yoda Press

The canon of Partition literature  at least in the English language  is overwhelmed by stories from Punjab. Ghoshs debut novel directs readers attention to the Partition of Bengal. As the title suggests, this is a narrative of refugees resilience and organising spirit during a trying time. With its evocative and nimble prose, Victory Colony is the story, not just of its protagonist Amala, but also of myriad communist leaders, feminists and everyday people who direct their energies towards the rebuilding process in the aftermath of tragedy.

Saurabh Sharma is a Delhi-based writer and freelance journalist. They can be found on Instagram/X: @writerly_life.
Infosys launched a power programme for colleges with differential hiring under which the IT major is offering packages of up to 9 lakh per annum, it was reported. Citing two people in the know, Economic Times reported that the company's entry-level fresher pay packages are between 3-3.5 lakh which makes the new programme different. A person in the know told the outlet, The focus of these categories of hiring is on coding and software challenges, programming skill testing and other specialised skill tests for both tests and interviews. For Infosys, these pay packages offered are between 4-6.5 lakh and 9 lakh. Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of Infosys logo in this illustration.(Reuters)

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) also has a similar initiative names Prime which focuses on specialised hiring of freshers for software development profiles and offers salaries in the range of 9-11 lakh per annum . TCS hires freshers under three categories- Ninja with packages around 3.6 lakh, Digital at 7.5 lakh and Prime.

This comes as Infosys plans to hire 15,000-20,000 graduates in FY25. Jayesh Sanghrajka, chief financial officer at Infosys, said in the firms post June quarter (Q1) earnings conference call last month, As you know, in the last multiple quarters, we have moved to the agile hiring base. That basically means we hire freshers both from the campus and off the campus."

In 2024, top five IT companies in India have reduced the number of employees in total by more than 70,000. TCS witnessed an improvement in the June quarter with 5,452 additions but at Infosys, the headcount dropped by nearly 2,000 during April to June. HCLTech said it added 1,078 freshers in the first quarter of FY25 compared to 3,096 in the previous quarter.
Amid the Karnataka BJPs demand for CM Siddaramaiah's resignation, deputy CM DK Shivakumar extended his support to the former and said that he would continue to be the chief minister of the state. He said that the BJP is trying to damage Siddaramaiah's popularity by making false accusations against him. Siddaramaiah will continue as chief minister: DK Shivakumar on BJP's demand in MUDA scam

Speaking to reporters, DK Shivakumar said, There is no question of Siddaramaiah stepping down as chief minister. He will continue in his position and work for the people of Karnataka.

Also Read - Bengaluru will lead gaming & animation industry in India: Priyank Kharge

Shivakumar also said that he has full trust in the judicial system and said that the court will grant complete relief to Siddaramaiah. We respect the court; we respect the law of this country. The High Court will give us relief. There is nothing wrong with the CM. There is no need for prosecution. The enquiry will be conducted. Let all the papers be submitted in high court, DK Shivakumar added.

Also Read - No action against Siddaramaiah in MUDA scam until petition against governor's order is heard: Karnataka HC

Meanwhile, in an X post, Siddaramaiah said that truth will prevail soon. He said, As a law-abiding citizen with faith in the Constitution and the judiciary's power to uphold justice and fairness, I approached the High Court of Karnataka against the illegal and politically motivated decision of the Governor of Karnataka to permit an inquiry and prosecution based on trumped-up allegations against me.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court on Monday paused action on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the MUDA scam case until a petition against the governor's sanction is heard. It posted the matter for hearing on August 29 and asked the lower court to defer all related proceedings until then. I am pleased that the Hon'ble High Court heard the matter and passed interim orders directing the concerned court to defer the proceedings and further instructing that no precipitative action be taken under the impugned sanction, Siddaramaiah said.
The Uttarakhand police on Tuesday constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the alleged rape and murder of a 33-year-old nurse hailing from the Rudrapur area of US Nagar district on July 30, said police. The body of the victim was recovered near the Uttarakhand-UP border on August 8. (Representational image)

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) US Nagar, Manjunath TC said a SIT has been constituted to investigate the alleged loot, rape and murder case of the nurse who worked at a private hospital in Rudrapur.

For a thorough investigation in this sensitive matter and to clear any doubts and suspicions of the victims family, we have formed a SIT into the rape and murder case. The SIT will be headed by SP (city) Manoj Katyal. SP(crime) Chandrashekhar Ghodke will supervise the SIT. SIT will collect all quality evidence through technical and forensic angles so that the court awards the accused punishment. SIT will also look into suspicious involvement of other people in the murder and conspiracy, the SSP said.

On August 13, the US Nagar police arrested a man from the Jodhpur area of Rajasthan for allegedly raping and murdering the nurse near the Uttarakhand-Uttar Pradesh border on the UP side, while she was returning home. According to police, the 33-year-old woman used to work as a nurse in a private hospital on Nainital Road in the Rudrapur area of US Nagar. She went to work on July 30 but didnt return home. The next day, her sister filed a missing complaint at Rudrapur police station as she hadnt come home the previous night.

Later her body was recovered from near a colony in the Bilaspur area of UP near the Uttarakhand-UP border on August 8. The body was identified but her purse and mobile phone were missing. Rudrapur police started an investigation into the matter and found her mobile phones location in the Jodhpur area of Rajasthan. Police reached Jodhpur and tracked the man. He was identified as Dharmendra Kumar (28) of Shahi in Bareilly district. He is a daily labourer. During questioning the accused revealed that finding the nurse alone on July 30 he first looted her, then raped her and at last, strangulated her to death.

Five teams of the Uttarakhand Police had to check footage of over 500 CCTV cameras, carry out an intense surveillance to nab the accused before travelling to Jodhpur, around 800 kms from the crime scene.
Parts of Delhi and Noida witnessed severe waterlogging following heavy rainfall in the early hours of Tuesday. The downpour resulted in traffic congestion and people faced problems commuting due to the heavy rain. Severe waterlogging was witnessed near Ashram Bridge after incessant rainfall. Delhi NCR Rains: Commuters step out during morning rain at ITO and ring road.(Photo by Raj j K Raj / Hindustan Times)

Waterlogging on Minto Road led to parked vehicles getting submerged in water.

Visuals coming in from the agencies showed several locations like Ashram, Patel Chowk, and the New Delhi railway station facing severe waterlogging after slight rains.

Pedestrians try to wade through waterlogged roads. (Photo by Raj j K Raj / Hindustan Times)

Commuters step out during morning rain , at ITO India, on Tuesday, August 20, 2024. (Photo by Raj j K Raj / Hindustan Times)

Delhi rain: Check traffic diversions below

In light of waterlogging at several places, the Delhi traffic police issued advisories on traffic diversions.

Also read | Delhi rains: Unraveling the cloudburst conundrum

Traffic is affected on Rohtak Road in the carriageway from Nangloi towards Tikri Border and vice versa due to potholes and waterlogging. Moreover, a cluster bus also broke down near Pillar No 510. Kindly avoid Mundka and take an alternate route accordingly.

Diversions were also put in place in places like Connaught Place outer circle, Minto Road, A Point (ITO Chowk), Rohtak Road, Geeta colony, and alternate routes were opened.

Traffic coming from Connaught Place on Minto Road can be diverted on Outer Circle Connaught Place, Barakhamba Road towards Turkman Gate/Kamla Market via Ranjeet Singh Flyover.

Traffic coming from R/A Kamla Market on Minto Road can be diverted on DDU Marg towards Connaught Place via Ranjeet Singh Flyover.

Traffic coming from W-Point/Tilak Marg will not be allowed on IP Marg and will be diverted on Bahadurshah Zatar Marg (BSZ Marg).

Traffic coming from Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg (DDU Marg) and Delhi Gate (BSZ Marg) will not be allowed on IP Marg and will be diverted on Bahadurshah Zafar Marg (BSZ Marg).

Commuters coming from Bahadurgarh destined to Peeragarhi are requested to take Jharodha-Najafgarh route or via UER-II and then Najafgarh-Nangloi Road to reach Peeragarhi.

Similarly, commuters coming from Peeragarhi are requested to take Outer Ring Road-District Centre Janakpuri-Najafgarh to reach Bahadurgarh or Tikri Border.

The commuters may use the Rajghat Side towards ISBT Kashmiri Gate.

Commuters coming from Trans Yamuna & Rajghat Depot side (Barricading at loop coming towards Outer Ring Road on Raja Ram Kohli Marg).

Also read | Delhi, Gurugram flooded after another spell of rain

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted widespread light/moderate rainfall for the entire Delhi and southwest NCR on Tuesday. The IMD has warned of a moderate-to-intense spell over Central and East Delhi in the morning hours.

Earlier on Tuesday, the IMD warned of heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places over Uttarakhand. Heavy rain at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. Thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The Delhi high court has permitted a 27-year-old woman to abort her 22-week foetus, on the grounds that the continuation of her pregnancy posed a risk to her mental well-being. The woman in question had married in 2016 and gave birth to a girl in 2017, but her husband abandoned her and their daughter, and his whereabouts are not known to her. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The court said the pregnancy, from a transient live-in relationship, was complicating her circumstances further amid prevailing social stigmas. A bench of justice Sanjeev Narula opined that the womans plight demonstrated a compelling case of an unwanted pregnancy arising under uniquely challenging circumstances that imposed severe distress and hardship.

The court is of the opinion that the continuation of the ongoing pregnancy of the petitioner poses a risk to her mental well-being considering the reasonably foreseeable environment for both the petitioner and the unborn child, the court said in its August 16 order, released on Saturday.

The woman in question had married in 2016 and gave birth to a girl in 2017, but her husband abandoned her and their daughter, and his whereabouts are not known to her. She later started living with another man, and her petition before the court stated that her fresh pregnancy was unwanted as it had arisen from a live-in relationship.

In her petition, the woman stated that she had not realised her ongoing pregnancy till such a belated stage due to health concerns, which led to an irregular menstrual cycle. Once she became aware of the pregnancy, she went to various doctors and clinics seeking medical termination, which was denied by all doctors on the grounds of limitations under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act.

Under the Act, women can legally undergo abortions till 20 weeks of pregnancy following the opinion of a registered medical practitioner, and up to 24 weeks for certain women defined under MTP Rules. Rule 3B(2) of MTP allows a woman to terminate her pregnancy between 20 and 24 weeks on account of a change in marital status through widowhood or divorce, mental anguish, rape, assault, and health complications, among other reasons.

The womans petition added that she was not able to raise and nurture a second child as she was already raising her seven-year-old daughter on her own with financial hardships and difficulties.

Taking note of the womans condition, the high court on August 13 had directed the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to constitute a medical board and examine her condition. In its report, AIIMS had stated that though no congenital anomalies were detected in the foetus, there was no indication of any determination of the womans actual, foreseeable environment or the impact of her particular situation on her mental health.

In the order, justice Narula observed that the AIIMS medical opinion could not be considered as a comprehensive or a complete assessment of the womans health in terms of her foreseeable environment.

The petitioner has made it clear that she is already struggling to financially take care of her first child, even working multiple jobs to sustain her child and herself. As such, the reasonably foreseeable environment of the petitioner should have been factored in by the medical board in their opinion of the physical and mental health of the petitioner, the court maintained.

While granting the woman liberty to undergo the termination at a medical facility of her own choice, the court in its 13-page order also dealt with the fundamental right to personal liberty encompassing the right to make reproductive choices, including termination of pregnancy under conditions that pose a risk to the health.

The Supreme Court of India has affirmed these rights, emphasising the importance of considering the womans current health, her life conditions and her future well-being while making such decisions. Therefore, it is clear that a pregnant womans bodily autonomy and right of self-determination is an intrinsic part of her fundamental rights enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution, the court said.
New Delhi, Several hospitals, including AIIMS and Safdurjung, and a mall in Delhi on Tuesday received bomb threat emails, prompting authorities to launch searches on their premises, officials said. HT Image

A call was received at 1.04 pm from a hospital in Nangloi and another from Primus Hospital at 1.07 pm in central Delhi's Chanakya Puri informing that they had received bomb threats, a Delhi Fire Services official said.

Fire tenders, bomb detection teams and police rushed to the spots. A thorough checking is being conducted, the official said.

The mailing list mentioned around 50 government and private hospitals, including AIIMS, Safdarjung, Apollo, Moolchand, Max and Sir Ganga Ram hospitals, police said.

"We have placed many explosives inside your building. They are placed in black backpacks. The bombs are set to go off in a few hours," the email, sent through Gmail at 12.04 pm, stated.

"You will end up in a pool of blood, none of you deserve to keep living. Everyone inside the building will lose their lives. I incessantly have nothing other than scam for humanity. Today will be your last day on earth," it said.

The email claimed that a "group named 'COURT' is behind this massacre".

"We won't stop causing terror. Give out group's name to News Outlets," it stated.

A police officer said the pattern of these threat emails matches with those sent earlier to hospitals, schools, universities and other government buildings, where the sender did not mention the dateline in the email.

Another police officer said that in the afternoon, a call was received regarding a similar bomb threat at central Delhi's Canakya Mall. The mall was also searched but nothing suspicious was recovered, the officer said.

Some of the hospitals have already been searched and nothing suspicious has been found yet, the officer said, adding that a thorough checking is underway in other hospital premises.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
by Jochen Szangolies

Modern physics in its full mathematical splendor introduces an array of unfamiliar concepts that daunt the initiate, and often even bewilder the pro (or is that just me?). A part of it is just that its a complex topic, and its objects of study are far removed from everyday experience: a quark or a black hole or a glueball is not something youre likely to find on your desk. Well, maybe the latter, if youve been sloppy while crafting recently, but as so very often, physicists further confuse things by giving familiar names to unfamiliar concepts (spin, Im looking your way).

But saying its complicated is merely a fig leaf. Lots of things are complicated, and we manage to navigate them with ease. Many jobs involve reams of specialist knowledge, from plumbing to hedge-fond management, and even just navigating our webs of social relationships comes with considerable overhead. So what is it that makes physics special?

There is, of course, the already mentioned issue of the remoteness of its central concepts. Many of the complicated tasks we solve are so ingrained to us that we scarcely notice their complexitythe act of throwing a ball, or catching it out of thin air in flight, involves calculations that, in a realistic setting, stymied the efforts of robotics engineers for a long time. Likewise, the acquisition of languageeven present-day Large Language Models (LLMs) still need to read tens of trillions of words to acquire a degree of language fluency a human child can pick up just from what is spoken around them in their first couple of years. By comparison, an average reader would take something like 80.000 years of continuous reading time to ingest the text on which an LLM is trained!

These are tasks that, in some manner, are performed natively by the human brain, without us noticing their complexity. Such tasks are sometimes classed as System 1-tasks in the dual-system psychology popularized by Daniel Kahnemann in his bestselling popular science book Thinking, Fast and Slow. In contrast, solving a mathematical equation or reasoning through a logic puzzle are step-by-step, explicit System 2-tasks you have to concentrate ontheyre not performed by themselves the way catching a ball is.

But System 2-tasks can migrate to System 1: think about how you used to have to reason through tying your shoelaces (the bunny runs around the tree), but now, it is an automatic task you dont have to pay attention to. The reason for this is simple training: repeat something often enough, and it becomes part of your internal repertoire. (Indeed, this may be very much akin to training in the neural network sense, an analogy Ive explored previously.) This training is also what allows the plumber to navigate the complexities of their job with (greater) ease, and, crucially, what allows the physicist (or mathematician) to grapple with the abstract objects they encounteras the polymath John von Neumann, widely held to be one of the greatest scientists and mathematicians of the 20th century, once remarked: In mathematics you dont understand things. You just get used to them.

Thus, for some fluency in the abstracta of mathematics and physics, repeated exposure is key. If you meet something again and again, in different contexts, and apply it in different ways, you eventually get a handle at itlike tying your shoelaces, it becomes part of your repertoire.

But here, we reach a kind of impassetheres lots and lots of training you need to become a true expert at any given subject, which is infeasible for an interested observer to engage in. This leads to two problems: first of all, there are lots of people interested in physicsin what it has to say about our world, the discoveries made, the puzzles encountered. But the training these interested outsiders have access to is, by and large, really bad. Traditionally, it tends to fall into one of two groupsnontechnical and inaccurate, or accurate and impenetrable. The first one is the category of popular science books with unhelpful metaphors, such as rubber-mat spacetimes or famous physicists navigating conference crowds. The second are the dense missives of the physicists themselves, communicating ideas among one another, rife with jargon and symbols, and short on intuition and explanation.

Within the second group, Ben Orlin from Math with Bad Drawings has recently put his finger on one particular issue with technical writing: it preserves only the hard edges of thought, without presenting the actual work done to arrive at the final, pristine construction. A mathematical theorem as presented in the literature is something like a keystone arch: without any hint at the scaffolding used to erect it, its construction seems a mystery. How did the builders keep the stones from toppling over to insert the keystone giving it stability?

Compare this to the situation with plumbing. Most people simply arent that interested: your pipes leak, you call a pro to fix them. What arcane methods are used to do so simply arent a matter of concern. On the other hand, some do have an interest in enabling themselves to perform such fixes: these have a huge repertoire in DIY-books, YouTube-videos, ELI5-explainers and the like, focused on how to, you know, actually do stuff. These materials bridge the middle ground between high-level metaphor and professional, technical writing, and enable the DIYer to get started without having to immerse themselves in the full pro-level literature.

It is this middle ground where we find a mismatch between supply and demand in the literature on physics (and mathematics). However, in recent years, this situation has seen some improvement: perhaps starting with The Road to Reality by Nobel laureate Roger Penrose, a series of books has sought to explain the concepts of physics to the interested layperson without resorting to too many white lies. This has resulted in a corpus of works that can be used to bridge the gap: starting with fairly illustration-heavy works such as the aforementioned one by Penrose, eventually leading up to texts that dont shy away from graduate-level mathematics, but presents it in a way thats rich in example and intuition, like Anthony Zees Quantum Field Theory, as Simply as Possible.

While this is undoubtedly a welcome development, it doesnt seem to have had much impact on short form science writing, so far. There, we still find mostly a division between classic pop-sci level articles, and the terse, technical missives we physicists use to communicate among ourselves. One reason for this is that there is not much reward to writing such texts: the physicist typically has their plate full with writing the technical articles, not to mention grant proposals and project outlines, on top of actually doing the work theyre communicating; while most science journalists cant be simultaneously expert enough in all the fields they need to cover to produce in-depth, but still approachable writing.

So were faced with a mismatch: a public with great interest in a topic in need of the training data to build the internal models to navigate its complexities, and a lack of incentive to produce this data, in the form of sharing the intuitions that guide the technical workthe scaffolding to hold up the two halves of the arc before the keystone is placed.

With this (somewhat lengthy) preamble in mind, I want to share some of the background ideas behind a concept thats become important to some of my recent ideas, which also gives me an opportunity to talk about a notion thats hugely important in modern physics, but which has scarcely found its way into popular writingthe idea of a fibre bundle, and more concretely, the so-called Hopf fibration.

Decorating Space

Physics is, broadly speaking, the study of stuff moving through space (and time). (And sometimes, also how space and time reacts to stuff moving within it, but well ignore that for the moment.) So if we think of space as the arena of where things happen, we need a way to represent whats going on at each point of space. A structureless point particle will just trace out some curve through space: we can describe it just by the set of points it occupies at successive instances of time. But physically interesting objects generally have more structure than that: they have a certain spin, or a particular charge, for instance. Thus, we need a way to keep track of these additional data; but space alone gives us only the position. We need some way to augment our description.

That augmentation comes in the form of a fibre bundle. To build some intuition, think of space as an empty field, and then sow some wheat: at each point, a wheat stalk grows. Viewed from far away, this turns the initially two-dimensional plot of land into a three-dimensional block, whose thickness is given by the wheat fibres. The two-dimensional base is still used to give the position of a particle, but now, we have an extra degree of freedom along the length of the stalkthe fibreto use for our description.

Now, this sort of bundle is still too simple for our purposes. One reason is that its a so-called trivial bundle: the fibre is attached to the base everywhere in the same way. If you know one patch of the field, you know all there is to know. But in physics, there are often also global notions that arent obvious from such a local perspective. Roughly speaking, this is needed to account for the fact that if you change the parameters of a system in such a way that at the end, they return to their original values (you take a loop through some abstract parameter space), not everything is equal: there might be a memory of this trip in the change of some quantity.

An example of this can be given as follows: extend your arm forwards, palm open, thumb pointing up, as if you were very stiffly aiming to shake hands with someone. Then rotate the arm by ninety degrees up, so that your extended fingers point straight at the ceiling. Now rotate it to the side, so that it lies on the axis of your shoulders; your thumb now points backwards. Then bring it back to the front: your arm now points in the same direction as before, but your thumb has been rotated by ninety degrees. Another everyday example is the way a cat manages to right itself in falling: if its feet point up at the start, and it has zero angular momentum, it will perform a series of internal twists that leads it through a rotation of 180, even though it has no angular momentum at any point throughout the fall, since thats a conserved quantity. (Please dont drop any cats by way of experimental confirmation. Theyre abused enough in physics as is.)

We can model this behavior in the following way. Take a not-too-wide strip of paper, and mark a point at some random place (but not exactly in the center of its height). Then draw a line through the point so that it stays at a constant height.

Then, glue the edges of the strip together, so that it forms a cylinder. We can interpret this cylinder as a fibration: the base space, a circle, has a line segment attached to every point.

We can view this as transporting a point around the base circle, while keeping its image in the fiber at constant height. Once we come back to the original point, nothing has changed: its image returns to the same point. (Think of wheat stalks planted in a circle.)

But now cut the strip apart vertically through the marked point, give one of the ends a twist of 180, and glue them back together. The resulting shape is the famous Mobius strip, a non-orientable surface, meaning that it has no front- and back-side (you can trace along the entire surface without lifting your finger).

Now, the point will no longer return to its original spot: the prescription of walking along the circle at a constant height of the fiber suddenly ends up at a different place, because the fiber itself twists around the base space. (In mathematical terms, just so youve heard the jargon, this illustrates the anholonomy of the Mobius strip.) This is just as with the cat: after taking a journey through shape space, returning back to its original shape, it has acquired an overall rotation.

Thus, it is only by introducing this twist that we can capture phenomena where the global structure of the total space introduces relevant changes. Note, though, that locally, the Mobius strip is still a circle with line segments glued to each pointwhich illustrates that the phenomenon is a truly global one and not visible on the purely local level. This is what makes the Mobius strip a simple example of a nontrivial fiber bundle, in which the local structure of a point and its attached fiber doesnt suffice to tell the whole story.

Wheels Within Wheels

In physics, fiber bundles come into their own in the description of elementary particles and the forces between them by means of so-called gauge theories. I will not go further into detail here, except as to note that, implicitly, we have already made acquaintance with this notion: in my discussion of how electric forces emerge from interference effects, the phase degree of freedom attached to an electron can be viewed as a fiber consisting of a circle attached to the base space giving its path. Then, the fact that one can sometimes move an electron along a loop back to its origin and acquire a difference in phase (a so-called Berry phase) is testament to the nontriviality of the entire bundle.

One bundle of particular interest is the so-called Hopf fibration, after German mathematician Heinz Hopf, who discovered it in 1931. Its fiber, as in the description of the electron above, is just the circle, S1 in mathematics. Its base space is the sphere in three dimensions, S2that is, the two-dimensional surface of a ball in three dimensions. Thus, an entire S1 is attached to every point of S2, but again, in a nontrivial waythe fibers twist around one another. Moreover, the entire spacebase and fiberyield the four-dimensional sphere, S3, i.e. the set of all points in four dimensions a constant distance (the radius) from the origin. Thus, we can decompose the four-dimensional sphere into a base consisting of the three-dimensional sphere with a circle as fiber in a nontrivial way, just as we can decompose the Mobius band in terms of a circle as the base space, and a line segment as fiber.

The Hopf fibration was one of the first examples of a nontrivial fiber bundle. It turns out to have interesting connections to physics: for one, it gives the state space of a single qubit, the most simple quantum mechanical system. But what I find more intriguing is that there are just two straightforward generalizations of this construction: the description of the eight-dimensional sphere S7 as an S3-bundle over an S4-base, and the description of the 16-dimensional sphere S15 as an S7-bundle over an S8-base. Beyond these, no further spheres are describable in terms of such a fibration.

Moreover, each of these can also be interpreted in terms of quantum mechanics: as a system of two and three qubits, respectively. This might seem surprising, at firsttwo parameters are enough to describe a single qubit as a point on S2, so what do the extra coordinates needed to parametrize S15 amount to? As it turns out, these keep track of the entanglement between the qubits in a systematic manner. Additionally, as a final teaser, once we fix which coordinates describe the qubits, and which describe the entanglement, that fixing has a natural symmetry given by the group SU(3)  SU(2)  U(1)the same symmetry defining the forces of the Standard Model of elementary particles (in essentially the same manner as we have previously seen the group U(1) alonethat is, the group of rotations through a circlegive rise to the electromagnetic force).

Is that a coincidence, or something that, like the matching shape of the continental outlines of Africa and South America, hints at some deeper connection? I have argued that it might well be the latter. But digging into this somewhat further will have to wait for another time.
The 15-year-old boy who died on Monday after being stabbed by his classmate in Udaipur last week in an incident that led to a communal conflagration in the Rajasthan city was cremated by his family on Tuesday morning after they were assured of quick justice for the victim, officials said. The Udaipur police have appealed to the public to maintain peace in the area. (PTI)

The victims family had refused to accept his body, demanding capital punishment for the accused and suitable compensation, following which a four-hour-long talk took place between the family and administrative officials on Monday evening.

A 5,100,000 compensation along with a contract-based government job to one of the family members will be provided to the victims family. As per their demand, the administration also agreed to take the case in Fast Track Court and also under the SC/ST Act. They will also be provided with round-the-clock security by the police. We will ensure a stringent punishment for the accused. The government will support the family by all means, said Udaipur MLA Tara Chand Jain.

The family also demanded the removal of the staff of the school where the incident took place and a permanent job for one of the family members for which a proposal will be sent to the state government, said the MLA.

I lost my child. My whole future is over. Now my child is no more. I want the strictest actions to be taken against the accused. What happened to my son should not happen to anyone else. He has been murdered with full planning, said the victims father while speaking to the reporters on Tuesday.

The boy was undergoing treatment in the ICU of Udaipurs MB Hospital and died on Monday at around 4.40 pm when his health suddenly deteriorated.

Despite all our efforts, we couldnt save the boy. He succumbed to his injuries and excessive loss of blood on Monday afternoon. An autopsy of the body was also conducted on Monday night following which it was handed over to the family at 4 am on Tuesday and he was cremated at 7 am, said hospital superintendent Dr RL Suman said.

During the cremation in the Mokshadham area, a group of people were seen protesting and demanding stringent action against the accused.

Udaipur inspector general Ajay Lamba appealed to the public to maintain peace in the area. An additional force was deployed across the area including the hospital and local market areas. We are taking necessary measures to maintain the law-and-order situation of the city. I appeal everyone to stay peacefully at home.

The stabbing incident happened on Friday when an argument between the two minors escalated. They had been at loggerheads for a few days as the accused asked for a homework copy, but the victim shared it with someone else. On Friday, when the two engaged in a heated argument, the accused stabbed the victim, leading to serious injury in his abdomen, Udaipur superintendent of police Yogesh Goyal said.

The victim was rushed to the MB Hospital. On Saturday, two teams of doctors from Jaipur and Kota were appointed to oversee his treatment.

A case under sections 109, 115, and 126 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was filed against the accused. The minor and his father were detained on Friday, with the police interrogating the father on how the 15-year-old procured and carried a dagger to the school. The police officials could not immediately be contacted about the further addition of any new section in the case after the victims death.

The accused and his father are under police detention.

The internet connection remained suspended on Tuesday as well considering the tense situation of the area. Additional police forces were seen across the city on Tuesday as well while section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) has been in place in the area since Friday, along with suspension of mobile internet.

The police also conducted a drone patrol in the city during the cremation of the body in the morning. The kins were also surrounded by a heavily armed police force while heading towards the crematorium. An additional RAC force was also deployed in the area in the morning. Meanwhile, the markets and the schools remained closed on Tuesday.

He further added that the case was transferred to the Case Officer Scheme to ensure swift justice for the victim. The scheme is a special policy of the Rajasthan government, started in 2004, under which serious crime cases with hardcore criminals are handed over to a case officer who is responsible to ensure that the trial of the case finishes as quickly as possible.

The incident sparked communal tension in the area. A day later, the city administration demolished the rented house of the accused.

District collector Arvind Poswal said the residence of the boy and his family was razed because it was built illegally on government land and that the measure was needed to send a message to the criminals.

The actual owner of the house, Rashid Khan, who was sent a notice mere hours before the demolition, questioned the action saying: I had no role in this case.
Shimla, A silent candle march was taken out at midnight on Monday by a group of people here at The Ridge to demand justice for the Kolkata doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered. HT Image

Besides seeking capital punishment for the accused, the peaceful and symbolic demonstration aimed to raise awareness in society and reclaim public places.

People from diverse backgrounds, under the banner of Shimla Collectives, came out with candles to demand capital punishment for the accused, quick delivery of justice and martyr status for the victim.

Capital punishment and speedy justice are the only deterrent to crimes like rape. We are here at this hour to reclaim public places and make them safe for women irrespective of whether it is day or night, former deputy mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation Tikender Panwar told PTI.

It is not a crime against a doctor or a woman but a crime against humanity. Many people blame the victims clothes as one of the reasons behind such brutal acts but in this case, a resident doctor was raped and murdered at her workplace, Swati Sharma, a doctor, said.

Are we safe at night, can I roam at night safely without causing concern to my parents, I do not think so and we want things to change this time, Saina Malhotra, who joined the candle march, said.

The march has been organised on the festival of Raksha Bandhan when we tie a thread on the wrist of our brothers for protection. On this day, I would like to call upon all the men in the country to protect every woman because she is someones sister and daughter, so respect every woman, she added.

Umang, a sitting councillor of the SMC, said that the people have come with a hope that the mindset can be changed.

All of us are here at midnight to give a message that Shimla is still a place where women can move freely even at midnight and would request our brothers to support us to make our country safer for women, she said.

Lalita Ahuja, an elderly woman, urged parents to inculcate good values in their children and said that it is now time to have rigid laws such as in Dubai to ensure the safety of women in the country.

Besides justice, the demonstrators also sought martyr status for the victim who had worked 36 hours before the incident.

On August 9, the body of the postgraduate trainee doctor was found in the seminar hall of the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. A civic volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime the next day. Later, the Calcutta High Court handed over the case to the CBI.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The BJP on Tuesday announced the name of Manan Kumar Mishra, a senior advocate in the Supreme Court and chairman of the Bar Council of India (BCI), as the second Rajya Sabha candidate of the NDA from Bihar. Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra (PTI)

The name of former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha had already been announced earlier as the NDA candidate.

Both will file their nomination papers on Wednesday, the last date for the exercise. The papers will be scrutinised on August 22. The bypolls for the two seats are scheduled on September 3.

The two seats fell vacant following the election of BJPs Vivek Thakur from Nawada and RJDs Misa Bharti from Pataliputra in the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year.

Given the numbers of MLAs in the state who form the electoral college for the election of a Rajya Sabha MP, both seats are certain to go to the NDA (National Democratic Alliance).

While Thakurs seat has two years of the term left, Bhartis seat has four-year term left. In the bypolls, both the seats will be treated individually, as had been clarified by the Election Commission of India earlier.

Mishra, a native of Gopalganj who was unanimously elected as the member representative to the BCI for a third consecutive time, emerged as a dark horse after the high-level meeting in New Delhi.

Both the deputy chief ministers of Bihar  Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha  and a few other senior BJP leaders were in New Delhi to attend the meeting.

Mishra has been the BCI chairman for a decade. He will have a tenure of four years, as he will replace Bharti in the Rajya Sabha.

Kushwaha, who will replace Vivek Thakur in the RS, will have a tenure of two years, a senior BJP leader said, requesting anonymity.

This will be his second stint in the Rajya Sabha. Earlier, he has been the member of the Lok Sabha, Bihar legislative assembly as well as the Council.
There is little redemption in sight for the West Bengal administration in the RG Kar Hospital rape and murder case. It has now had to backtrack on the vindictive notice issued to Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, a Rajya Sabha member from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), over spreading misinformation through a social media post. In a post on X, Roy had sought custodial interrogation of the police commissioner over mishandling of the probe, including an allegation of delayed inspection of the crime scene by sniffer dogs. The police latched on to this bit, saying it was untrue, and Roy had to approach the Calcutta high court for protection. On Tuesday, Roy told the high court that he would delete the post and the administration said that for its part, it would not take any coercive action. Kolkata, India - Aug. 20, 2024: 'No Safety No Duty' banner is seen on the gate at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital where doctors continue there protest over rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, India, on Tuesday, August 20, 2024. (Photo by Samir Jana/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Possible judicial stricture seems to have pushed the ruling dispensation to stand down. Instead of trying to soothe public anger over the crime and its inept handling of the aftermath, the administration chose to signal that it will brook no criticism. But this is hardly surprising given the previous instances of a heavy-handed approach, whether it is the arrest of a professor for sharing a cartoon lampooning the chief minister or the chief minister labelling a critical student as Maoist. Unless it wishes to stoke further public anger and judicial ire, the administration should pay heed to the Supreme Courts words: It must not unleash the power of the State on protesters, and, rather, deal with them with great sensitivity in this moment of national catharsis.
The S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), a constituent of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, concluded its legacy Autumn placement cycle for the combined Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) and Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Business Management (PGDM (BM)) 2025 cohort. SPJIMR concluded its legacy Autumn placement cycle for the combined Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) and Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Business Management (PGDM (BM)) 2025 cohort which witnessed record stipend offers. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A total of 341 students secured autumn internships with leading companies, with an average stipend of 3,15,000.

Moreover, a total of 390 offers were made by 75 companies, of which the FMCG sector dominated placements, with 35 percent of participants placed in the sector.

Also read: Fluctuations,lack of transparency,reliance on self reported data among inconsistencies in NIRF:Study

This was followed by consulting companies, where 21 percent of students were placed with offers reaching a record high of 3,10,000, marking a 3.5% increase from the previous year.

The top 50 percent of the batch secured an average offer of 4,17,000.

A press release issued by the SPJIMR informed that recruiters from diverse sectors offered projects in Corporate Strategy, Investment Banking, Private Equity, Product Management, Analytics, E-Commerce, General Management, Corporate Finance, Corporate IT, Healthcare, Sales & Marketing, Branding, Operations, and Supply Chain roles.

Furthermore, the number of Investment Banking/Private Equity and Product Management offers reached record highs, increasing to over 110% and 400% respectively, compared to the previous year.

Also read: RRB Para Medical Recruitment 2024: Apply for 1376 Nursing Superintendent & other posts

Some of the prominent recruiters in these sectors include DC Advisory, Nomura, JM Financials, Edelweiss Alternatives, American Express, Intuit, Tata Digital, and Samsung Research, informed the release.

Additionally, there were 22 first-time recruiters who participated in the internship cycle this year. These include National Infrastructure Investment Fund (NIIF), Info Edge, Motilal Oswal, HSBC, Kenvue, Lupin, Lenskart, Titan, Angel One Wealth, Henkel, and Aequitas Investments.

Prof. Varun Nagaraj, the Dean of SPJIMR, expressed his gratitude to the students and industry partners for their continued support.

He said, I encourage our students to make the most of their internships, leveraging this invaluable experience to grow both professionally and personally.

Also read: IIT Madras scholarship programmes every engineering aspirant needs to know, check list here

Prof. Renuka Kamath, the Associate Dean of Full-time Programmes at SPJIMR, highlighted that an increased batch size as well as the support of industry partners demonstrated SPJIMRs strong and steadfast relationships, but also served as a testament to the significant contributions of graduates in developing the leadership pipeline within organisations.

Prof. Ashita Aggarwal, PGDM and PGDM (BM) Chairperson said it was heartening to witness the performance of students during the Autumn recruitment process as they secured opportunities aligned with their skills and aspirations.

The final Autumn Internship Cycle for the PGDM and PGDM (BM) batch of 2024-2026 is scheduled for September 2024.

Highlights:
New Delhi, Lack of mechanisms to directly assess teaching quality, huge fluctuations in rankings, inadequate transparency in methodology and reliance on self-reported data, are among the inconsistencies in the education ministry's ranking framework for higher education institutions, according to a research paper. Fluctuations,lack of transparency,reliance on self reported data among inconsistencies in NIRF:Study

Authored by former IIT-Delhi director and current vice chancellor of Birla Institute of Technology and Science V Ramgopal Rao, the paper has been published in the 'Current Science' journal. It has been co-authored by Abhishek Singh, also from BITS, Pilani.

The ninth edition of the National Institutional Ranking Framework was announced earlier this month.

"While the NIRF rankings aim to enhance transparency and accountability, the present study has identified several inconsistencies, thus raising concerns about their reliability," said the paper titled 'Unpacking inconsistencies in the NIRF rankings'.

"These include huge fluctuations in the rankings, overemphasis on bibliometrics neglecting non-traditional research outputs, subjective nature of perception rankings that introduces biases, challenges in the regional diversity metric, overlooking teaching quality, inadequate transparency in methodology, questions about data integrity and limited global benchmarking," it noted.

The academicians noted that NIRF rankings lack specific mechanisms to directly assess teaching quality, overlooking crucial aspects such as classroom observations, student evaluations and alumni feedback.

"The omission of these evaluation methods hinders a comprehensive assessment of teaching effectiveness, leading to an incomplete depiction of the educational prowess of an institution.

"Moreover, the NIRF rankings overlook the practical dimension of teaching, a crucial aspect in various disciplines," the paper said.

The study has also flagged the variability in the positions of institutions from year to year.

"While some fluctuations may be attributed to genuine changes in performance, others might result from factors beyond the control of an institution, such as temporary variations in data reporting or interpretation errors.

"Unlike some international ranking systems, such as the QS World University Rankings, which utilise a damping mechanism to spread large, interannual swings in data, the NIRF rankings lack a similar mechanism," it said.

The absence of a comparable mechanism in the NIRF framework raises questions about the ability of the system to correct for anomalies and errors, potentially impacting the stability and reliability of the rankings, the study said.

The paper noted that reliance on self-reported data raises pertinent questions regarding the consistency and accuracy of the information presented.

"Institutions varying in size, structure and resources may interpret and report data differently, potentially leading to disparities in the ranking outcomes. The absence of stringent mechanisms for verifying the accuracy and uniformity of the submitted data introduces an element of uncertainty into the rankings," it said.

Without standardised reporting practices, the rankings may inadvertently favour institutions adept at presenting data in a favourable light rather than those genuinely excelling in academic parameters.

This, in turn, has profound implications on the credibility of the rankings, as their reliability depends on the accuracy and consistency of the data underpinning the evaluation process, it added.

The study noted that while the NIRF rankings have certainly proven to be a a valuable tool for assessing and comparing educational institutions in India, a cautious and discerning approach is essential.

"The identified inconsistencies underscore the need for an ongoing dialogue and refinement of the ranking framework. It is essential to acknowledge that the rankings, by their nature, subtly influence perceptions.

"Thus, the identified issues, if left unaddressed, may impact the credibility and relevance of the NIRF rankings, potentially affecting the perceptions of stakeholders such as students, parents and policymakers," it said.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The August 9 rape and murder of the 31-year-old post-graduate junior doctor at Kolkatas state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital has brought under focus a number of unnatural deaths at the 138-year-old institute in recent years. Students protest demanding justice in the murder of a woman postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. (PTI)

In 2020, the body of a post-graduate female student was found on the ground outside the same emergency building where the body of the August 9 victim was found at the third-floor seminar hall of the chest department, a doctor from the hospital said on condition of anonymity.

Read: Kolkata rape-murder case: Timeline of events so far

The police and the hospital authorities said the student died by suicide. Although no suicide note was found on the victim, it was said that driven by depression, she jumped from the sixth floor, the doctor added.

Read: Kolkata rape-murder case: CBI to conduct polygraph test of accused Sanjoy Roy | 10 points

There was no protest in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The matter died down in a few down, said Dr Suvankar Chatterjee, a former student of RG Kar Medical College who is now leading an agitation on behalf of the All India Democratic Students Organisation, a Leftist group, demanding justice for the August 9 victim.

In 2003, a 23-year-old male under-graduate student died of a fall from the hostel building. This, too, was declared as death by suicide. The police said after investigation that the student, a resident of Suri in Birbhum district, apparently injected sedatives into his veins and then sliced the veins with surgical scissors before jumping off the hostel roof. The victims classmates claimed he used to stay aloof most of the time.

The investigating officers went through his belongings but found nothing that could indicate why the student died by suicide, K L Tamta, the then deputy commissioner (headquarters) of the Kolkata Police told the media in 2003.

There was no agitation after the 2003 incident but the hospital was rocked in 2001 when another male student, Soumitra Biswas, died an unnatural death. The body was found hanging by the neck inside his hostel room. I was a student at that time, Dr Chatterjee said.

It was widely alleged that Biswas was murdered for protesting against a racket comprising a section of students and hospital staff who were involved in all sorts of illegal activities including shooting adult videos in some specific hostel rooms. Sex workers used to be hired and brought into the premises for this, a doctor currently attached to the hospital said on condition of anonymity.

Some powerful leaders of the then ruling CPI(M) protected the racketeers. The investigation didnt make much headway and it was declared that Biswas had died by suicide, the doctor added.

A lot of people are digging up the past and seeking probe into these incidents. I feel we should focus on the August 9 victim and the CBI probe or else the peoples movement, which is gaining momentum, will get diverted, Dr Koushik Chaki, a member of the West Bengal Doctors Forum, said.
Mallika Sherawat's old statement from over a decade ago has resurfaced on social media, and is now being widely shared online. The actor had said that 'India is regressive' for women as there are so many rape cases that make the headlines of newspapers. Mallika took to her Instagram and shared the clip, stating that she was 'attacked and bullied' for making the statement so many years ago. (Also read: Alia Bhatt, Parineeti Chopra, Ayushmann express shock over rape-murder of Kolkata doctor: Women aren't safe anywhere) Mallika Sherawat shared a video clip of her statement from a decade ago.

What Mallika said

Posting the clip of her old statement, which also had the mention of the case of rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, Mallika wrote in the caption: I still cant forget this moment when I was attacked & bullied by a certain section of the Indian press for speaking out against gang rapes and sexual violence in India !!Some WOMEN in the press and some very big names Bollywood FEMALE ACTRESSES joined the chorus & publicly attacked me for speaking out against gang rapes & sexual violence.

This behavior perpetuates a culture of silence

Mallika went on to add, This phenomenon highlights a troubling dynamic where instead of supporting someone whos advocating for change, these women in influential positions are engaging to silence the voice of women like me! This behavior perpetuates a culture of silence & complicity that allows sexual violence to continue. Its crucial for women especially women in the public eye to stand in solidarity & use their platforms to support rather than vilify, those who speak out against such injustices.

The video was from the year 2013 when the actor was addressing the press for the Indian reality show, The Bachelorette India. In it, she said to a journalist who asked her why she finds Indian society to be regressive, "With female foeticide and infanticide happening in almost a daily basis, with gangrapes making the headlines of every newspaper Today I read in the paper, according to UNFPA, 40 percent of Indian women are married below the age of 18, I think it is a very, very regressive state for women. And I stand by it.

Mallika's statements have resurfaced in the wake of the case of a post-graduate trainee doctor who was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. The family has alleged that the victim was raped and murdered. In a strong display of support, doctors across the nation continue to protest, demanding justice for the victim.
Sobhita Dhulipala and Naga Chaitanya made headlines with their low-key engagement ceremony earlier in August. The couple pleasantly surprised fans by announcing the engagement. Sobhita, known for keeping her personal life private, was recently spotted in Mumbai at the screening of Angry Young Men. The actor blushed when a photographer teased her by asking about Chaitanya. (Also read: Naga Chaitanya, Sobhita Dhulipala are engaged, first pics out; Nagarjuna blesses couple) Sobhita Dhulipala blushed at Angry Young Men screening as paps asked her about Naga Chaitanya.

Pap teases Sobhita about Naga Chaitanya

In the video, as Sobhita came out of her car, the photographers started screaming, Sobhita ji congratulations (Congratulations on your engagement Sobhita).

As she smiled and posed for them, one of the hotographers asked, Sobhita ji Naga Sir kaha hain (Sobhita, where is Naga Chaitanya)? The actor smiled and blushed as she flaunted her engagement ring. She waved to the photographers before entering the screening of Angry Young Men. Sobhita opted for a denim jumpsuit for the event.

Sobhita's engagement with Naga Chaitanya

Sobhita and Chaitanya got engaged on August 8. While sharing their first picture from the close-knit ceremony, his father, actor Nagarjun, wrote, We are delighted to announce the engagement of our son, Naga Chaitanya, to Sobhita Dhulipala, which took place this morning at 9:42 a.m.!! We are overjoyed to welcome her into our family. Congratulations to the happy couple! Wishing them a lifetime of love and happiness. God bless! 8.8.8A beginning of infinite love.

Sobhita and Chaitanya also shared a joint post a day after their engagement and captioned it, What could my mother be to yours? What kin is my father to yours anyway? And how did you and I meet ever? But in love our hearts are as red earth and pouring rain: mingled beyond parting.  From Kurunthogai, translated by A K Ramanujan.

Sobhita Dhulipala's acting career

Sobhita mde her acting debut with Anurag Kashyap's Raman Raghav 2.0. She has worked in movies like Ponniyin Selvan - 1, Ponniyin Selvan - 2 and Monkey Man. Sobhita will be next seen in Vandana Kataria's Sitara.
Recently, a social media post claiming Shreyas Talpade's death emerged on social media, and was widely shared. Now, the actor has quashed the death hoax, assuring his well-wishers that he is alive, happy, and healthy. Also read: My recovery still in progress: Shreyas Talpade on resuming work after heart attack Shreyas Talpade suffered a heart attack in 2023.

The actor took to Instagram to share a note, wherein he slammed trolls for using humour to hurt him and hurt the feelings of his close ones.

Shreyas dismisses the rumours

Sharing his disappointment on the rumours, Shreyas wrote, Dear All, I want to assure everyone that I am ALIVE, HAPPY, and HEALTHY. Ive become aware of a viral post claiming m demise.

While I understand that humour has its place, when its misused, it can cause real harm. What may have started as a joke by someone, is now creating unnecessary worry and playing with the emotions of those who care about me, especially my family, he added.

Calls out the trolls

The actor, who will be next seen in Kangana Ranauts Emergency, was photographed attending the trailer launch event in Mumbai.

He said the fake news left his daughter worried. Shreyas, who suffered a heart attack in 2023, shared, My little daughter, who goes to school every day, is already anxious about my well-being, constantly asking questions and seeking reassurance. This false news only deepens her fears, forcing her to confront more questions from her peers and teachers, stirring up emotions that weve been trying to manage as a family.

To those pushing this content further, I ask you to pause and consider the impact. Many people have genuinely prayed for my well-being, and its disheartening to see humour used in a way that can hurt sentiments, cause distress to my loved ones, and disrupt our lives. When you spread such rumours, it doesnt just affect the person targeted-it also affects their family, especially young children who might not fully understand the situation but feel the emotional toll nonetheless, he added.

The actor wrapped up the post with a warning, while thanking his loved ones who checked on him after reading the fake post.

To the trolls, I have a simple request: please stop. Dont joke around at the cost of others, and dont do this to anyone else. I wouldnt want anything like this to happen to you ever, so please be sensitive. Chasing engagement and likes should never come at the expense of others feelings, he ended.

On the work front

At the moment, Shreyas is looking forward to the release of his next, Emergency. In the film, Shreyas will play the role of former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The film will be released in theatres on September 6.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitts daughter, Shiloh Jolie, has been granted permission to change her last name legally. Her petition to drop her fathers surname was delayed due to an incomplete background check. Shiloh Jolie Officially drops 'Pitt' fro her name.(AFP)

Angelina and Brad share six kidsMaddox, 22, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, Pax, 20, Knox, 15, and Vivienne, 15.

Also Read: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolies daughter Shiloh seeks legal help to drop Pitt from her surname

Shiloh legally drops fathers last name

Shiloh was born Shiloh Nouvel Jollie-Pitt but will now legally go by Shiloh Jolie as her petition to drop her fathers last name got approved. She first filed the petition in May when she turned 18 years old. The petition was approved on Monday, August 19 which was a rescheduled date after a complete background check.

Shilohs lawyer, Peter Levine, at that time, informed, Everyone undergoing a name-change request needs to have a background check conducted by the court clerk, and because of clerical error, Shiloh's hearing has been continued to a new date.After filing the petition in May, the process continued in July according to Californias name change which required her to publish an announcement in the Los Angeles Times stating she was changing her name to Shiloh Jolie.

The California law for name change states that the individual the legal forms must be published in a newspaper for one month before a judge approves the petition to change name. After publication, the request will appear in the legal notice section of the newspaper.

Also Read: Matthew Perry found 'unconscious' multiple times before his fatal overdose, here's what happened

Brad Pitt was aware of his daughters petition

Shortly after the teenager filed the petition, a source close to Brad told the actor was aware of the petition. The source said, Hes aware and upset that Shiloh dropped his last name. The reminders that hes lost his children, is of course not easy for Brad. He loves his children and misses them," as reported by People. Shiloh joined her siblings who continued the actor from their lives recently.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner came together for a pre-college send-off dinner with their kids, flaunting their amicable co-parenting. The former couple was seen enjoying a relaxed evening with their children just days before their eldest moves into college. Recently, the family was reported to have travelled to Japan. Violet is set to attend Yale University, the esteemed Ivy League school in New Haven. Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez has kept a low profile since Afflecks birthday on August 15. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's awkward Halloween encounter at children's school.(X)

Affleck enjoys dinner outing with Garner and kids

For the Accountant 2 star, who recently celebrated his birthday, nothing is more important right now than his kids not even his crumbling marriage with Lopez, according to sources. The actor was photographed on Sunday in New Haven, Conn., ahead of his 18-year-old daughters freshman year.

Also read: Tom Cruise rushes out of London in helicopter as daughter Suri drops his last name and is ready for

Over the weekend, he was spotted with ex-wife Garner and their two eldest childrenViolet and Seraphina, 15enjoying a fun-filled east cost outing, as reported by Page Six. Their third child, 12-year-old son Samuel, did not appear to be present for the family dinner.

Affleck-Garner all smiles before daughters college move-in

In the photos from their Sunday outing, the Daredevil co-stars appeared deeply engaged in conversation. Garner, 52, opted for a laid-back look in a striped tee tucked into jeans. Affleck donned an unbuttoned green shirt over a grey tee with khakis, while Violet flaunted a comfy maxi dress. Their daughter, Seraphina, also dressed comfortably in a graphic tee and cargo shorts.

The family looked radiant with happiness and smiles. Just two months ago, Violet captured everyone's attention with her high school graduation and Garners emotional selfies from the event. Following this, rumours began swirling that she would be attending Yale after she was seen wearing the university's merchandise.

Also read: Prince William will not be foolish enough to not invite Harry to coronation despite frustrating

Where is Jennifer Lopez amid Afflecks family reunion?

While Affleck has been focused on family, Lopez has been noticeably absent from the spotlight. The couple, who tied the knot following a rekindled romance, have reportedly been living separate lives since May and have put their shared home on the market. Sources suggest that Lopez is struggling to come to terms with the potential end of their relationship, and is feeling humiliated.

Speaking of Afflecks closeness with his ex-wife, a source told Fox Digital, 'Theyre best friend exes and the epitome of good co-parenting.' The 13 Going on 30 actress is also believed to play a key role in bringing Lopez and Affleck back together.
Los Angeles, British star Michaela Coel is teaming up once again with HBO and BBC, four years after collaborating with them for her critically-acclaimed limited series "I May Destroy You". Michaela Coel sets up new show 'First Day on Earth' with HBO and BBC

Coel has created and stars in "First Day on Earth", a ten-episode drama series co-produced by HBO and the BBC, a press release stated.

In the new show, the 36-year-old actor plays the role of British novelist Henri, who feels stuck as work has dried up and her relationship is going nowhere.

"When she's offered a job on a film in Ghana, West Africa - her parents homeland, where her estranged father lives - she can't resist the chance to reconnect with him and the country of her heritage.

"But when she arrives neither the job nor her father turn out the way she expected, and soon Henri has to deal with danger and hypocrisy, form new friendships, lose her illusions, and create a new sense of identity - one that might leave her stronger, but could also break her," read the official ploline.

Coel, also known for starring in films such as "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" and "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever", has executive produced the new show alongside Jesse Armstrong, Phil Clarke and Roberto Troni for Various Artists Limited , in association with A24.

"'First Day on Earth' is another very personal story for me which I hope will engage viewers from all over the world, and I cant wait for audiences to go on Henris journey with her," the actor said.

Amy Gravitt, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO & Max Comedy Series, lauded Coel for her ability to "transport the reader like no other".

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue the conversation that began with I May Destroy You, alongside our close collaborators at VAL, A24 and the BBC. With Henri as our guide, 'First Day on Earth' is as lyrical as it is visceral in its excavation of the idea of home," she added.

Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, said, Michaela is one of those exceptional I May Destroy You is one of the reasons I wanted to join the BBC! In 'First Day on Earth', Michaela has created another unmissable series - truly original, heartfelt, hilarious, poetic storytelling and told in a way that only Michaela can. I cant wait for everyone to see it."

Coel had created, written and played the main role in "I May Destroy You", which received glowing reviews upon its premiere in June 2020. She had won an Emmy award in the outstanding writing for a limited series category for the series.

In the HBO show inspired by her own story, Coel starred as Arabella, a young woman who seeks to rebuild her life after she recalls being drugged and raped at a local nightclub.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Sobhita and Naga got engaged earlier this month in a ceremony that celebrated Telugu culture and traditions. The event began with a pooja attended by the couple and their close family members, followed by a traditional vegetarian lunch. The festivities continued with the Daggubati clan hosting a warm high tea at their residence.

Warm high tea

"The Daggubati-Akkineni clan gathered at the Daggubati residence for a warm high tea, with Suresh Babu, Venkatesh, and their families in attendance. It was a joyful occasion that highlighted the strong bond between the two families," said a source close to the family.

Later, Nagarjuna hosted a dinner for the Akkineni family at his home, further celebrating the close-knit relationship and shared joy of the occasion.

From the warm high tea hosted by the Daggubati clan to the intimate dinner with the Akkineni family, the festivities were attended by their family members and very close friends.

About the buzz

Sometime back, there were rumours that there is tension between the Akkineni and Daggubati families. Several reports stated that the entire Daggubati clan, including Venkatesh Daggubati, Rana Daggubati and even his sister Malvika Daggubati, do not follow Sobhita on social media, with some adding that they continue to follow Nagas former wife Samantha Ruth Prabhu.

There were also some claiming that the only member of the Daggubati family in attendance at Chay and Sobhita's engagement was Chay's mother, Lakshmi, along with her second husband.

About the couple

Sobhita and Chay got engaged on August 8. Up until the official news of their engagement broke, Sobhita and Chay never directly addressed their equation, rumours regarding which had been rife for a while. On August 8, veteran actor Naga Chaitanya, father to Chay, took to his social media handles to share glimpses from the couple's intimate engagement ceremony, welcoming Sobhita to the family and wishing them love in their journey together.

The actor couple first sparked dating rumours back in the Summer of 2022. This was followed by a handful of sightings together though the two always made it a point to bypass any questions about their love life. The first time the two acknowledged their relationship was on August 9, when they shared a series of photos from their engagement ceremony.
By Hanna Rantala 'Pachinko' ups the stakes and character count for Season Two

LONDON, - Critically acclaimed TV series "Pachinko" returns for a second season with a much bigger cast and higher stakes for some of its protagonists, the show's creators said ahead of the new episodes' debut this week.

Based on Min Jin Lee's best-selling novel of the same name, the show's multi-generational story is told in three languages; Korean, Japanese and English, and Season Two opens in Osaka, Japan, in 1945.

"We always said the heartbeat has to be the same, no matter what, but I think the biggest difference is just how much bigger the world has become for our characters," writer and executive producer Soo Hugh told Reuters.

"We added so many more characters in Season Two because that's how families grow."

With World War Two aggravating the already strained circumstances of central character Sunja, who is played by Kim Min-ha, and her family, Sunja gets back in contact with her former lover Hansu , a businessman with criminal connections.

In a parallel storyline, Sunja's grandson Solomon tries to climb his way back to the top in late 1980's Tokyo, while the now elderly Sunja is energised by a new friendship.

"With Solomon's storyline in the present day, the stakes feel more dire for him," Hugh said.

For Kim, expressing the growing maturity of young Sunja, now a mother-of-two was a challenge.

"I have never been a mother before, so it took quite a long time for me to figure out how to be like a mother," said Kim, 28, who drew inspiration from the women in her own family.

Lee, one of South Korea's biggest stars, said Hansu, a character "who is always looking forward, never back" also felt different from the first season.

"It felt like taking on a new character," said the 37-year-old actor.

"'Pachinko' came to me at a time when I needed new energy and provided me with new perspectives and ideas. It's very meaningful work for me," he added.

The first episode of Season Two is out on Apple TV on Friday, with new episodes released weekly. Apple Inc

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
High crime rates reflect the failure of the State at different levels. Typically, poverty, income inequalities and inadequate legal systems are supposed to have high correlation with crimes. However, the crime rates reported by the World Population Review shows higher crime rates (per 10.000) in developed countries like the United States at 49.2 and 54.6 in France against 44.4 in India or 37.5 in Nepal. Clearly there are other factors as well that influence crime. Crime (HT File Photo)

There have been multiple perspectives and reasonings explaining crime. Studies in the economics of crime look at how and why a rational individual may choose to commit crime to maximise their utility. Noted Economist, Gary Becker, in his article, Crime and Punishment suggests that a useful theory of criminal behaviour can dispense with special theories of anomie, psychological inadequacies, or inheritance of special traits and simply extend the economists usual analysis of choice. Subject to the constraints or risks of being caught in the criminal act and the probability of punishment, an individual chooses between legal and illegal alternatives so as to maximise the total benefits. The probability and the severity of punishments act as constraints and are known to deter crimes among risk averse individuals planning crime. It is in this space where economics and the law intersect to provide solutions to minimise crime.

The approach of a rational cost-benefit analysis of criminal behaviour explains a lot of organised crimes such as property related crimes or tax evasions. However, it does not help understanding many unplanned and impulsive crimes or crimes as consequences of irresponsible behaviour. This is especially true when discussing juvenile crime.

The Juvenile Justice Act was introduced to deal with matters concerning children in need of care and protection and children in conflict with the law. The law defines a Child in Conflict with the Law (CICL) as a child who is alleged or found to have committed an offence and who has not completed eighteen years of age on the date of commission of such an offence. Juvenile crime is a separate domain because children cannot be said to understand the result of their actions and cannot foresee the repercussions of their misdeeds. Therefore, it becomes imperative to protect rather than punish and rehabilitate rather than reprimand. The primary point of discussion arises when it comes to heinous crimes. The brutal Delhi gang rape and murder case saw the peak of this issue, where one of the accused was a minor. There were widespread calls for trying the accused as a major and meting out the same punishment to him as that of the other co-accused. The recent case of a Pune teenager speeding while in an inebriated state and killing two innocent bystanders has reignited this debate. The difference between the two cases lies in the legislative context during the respective periods. Post the gang rape case, The Juvenile Justice Act was amended to try juveniles aged 16-18 accused of heinous crimes as adults. Section 15 of the Act mandates that if a minor above the age of 16 years is alleged to have committed a heinous crime, the Juvenile Justice Board shall conduct a preliminary assessment to ascertain the capacity of such child to commit and understand the consequences of the alleged offence. If the preliminary assessment leads the Board to believe that the child is to be tried as an adult, then the board orders for the case to be transferred to a childrens court that would try the child as an adult. The child on conviction would be kept in a place of safety until they turn 21, after which they would be transferred to jail.

In the year 2022 alone, 37,780 juveniles were apprehended in India. Of these, 7,844 children were apprehended for cognisable crimes committed under the Indian Penal Code (IPC); 1,346 of these children were under 16 whereas 6,498 children were below 18. 90 children below 16 were apprehended for heinous crimes such as murder and rape, and 433 children below 18 were apprehended for the same. There is also an upward trend in the reported juvenile crime rate from 0.9% in 2000 to 6.9% in 2022.

The economic impact of crimes borne by the society is immense. There are directs costs in the form of lost lives or incapacitated lives, medical costs and loss of productivity that have an explicit pecuniary component. There are also indirect costs such as reduced productivity, reduced economic activity and reduced confidence in investments, that may not be easily measurable in monetary terms but certain harm the economy. Juvenile crimes are more expensive to the society simply owing to the greater number of productive years lost in the present as well as in the future. The Juvenile Justice Act provides for the establishment of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) that serve as special homes and places of safety meant to rehabilitate children in conflict with the law. In case of heinous crimes, children await their attainment of majority (21 years), after which they are transferred to a regular prison. As of 2021, there are 77,615 CCIs in India with a bulk of 13,819 CCIs in Tamil Nadu. Juvenile Justice is now a concurrent subject and the central government alone issues grants of more than 2,000 per child per month for their maintenance apart from spending on other infrastructural requirements.

A more realistic and reasonable explanation of crime is offered by an emerging field of economics called behavioural economics that conceptualises the choices of an individual under the assumptions of bounded rationality meaning the individual is rational given the context and circumstances around them. The behaviour of a bounded rational person is an outcome of both cognitive and emotional processes. Cognition explains the risk seeking and loss averse behaviour among criminals and therefore very unambiguous and heavy penalties have known to deter crimes. Qatar as a country, with a low crime index at 14.3 and a high safety index at 85.7, exemplifies this where punishments are not just certain but also severe. On the other hand, emotions prompt behaviour that are more impulsive, in the flight or fight mode. Negative emotions like anger, greed and vengeance persuade criminal behaviour while emotions like guilt and shame, that are also negative, may dissuade illegal behaviour. Integrating emotions of guilt and shame in social norms may said to be more efficient in enforcing certain desirable practices. Japan, for instance, does not have to deal with littering in public since it is ingrained as a social norm while Singapore succeeded in creating litter-free clean roads through heavy penalties. Positive emotions like gratitude, empathy and sympathy, on the other hand, also serve as strong deterrents to criminal thinking.

Most juvenile crimes can be said to be motivated by emotions. Irresponsibility is an emotion imbibed in the risk-loving behaviour of children, especially in the age group 16-18 years. This is more conspicuously visible in metropolitan cities where the number of juveniles apprehended for death caused by negligence is 11.8% or rash driving on public way is 16.7% of the total. In the framework of behavioural crime model that incorporates cognition and emotion, two solutions emerge to tackle juvenile crime. The first one emerges from the risk-taking behaviour that ventures into crime where there is uncertainty in the form and extent of punishments being met out. Any form of ambiguity in the deterrents imposed or on the punishment given once apprehended will attract more irresponsible behaviour. The other aspect of emotion instigating crime needs to be worked from the micro unit level. In order to ingrain legal compliance into the social fabric the role of family, schools and universities become paramount and indispensable. Countries like Belgium that boast of having one of the lowest juvenile crime rates, have the prevention strategy at the core of their juvenile justice system. With numerous projects and initiatives targeted at the pre-delinquent juveniles, perceived as the risky, anti-social teenagers vulnerable to commit crimes, they claim to have managed juvenile crime. A study on the impact of these initiatives in Belgium revealed that youngsters perceived informal actors such as friends and parents to be the most important preventive actors, more than the formal projects and initiatives.

Cultivating positive emotions and building emotional resilience among young minds, providing sufficient curiosity to pursue meaningful aspirations, and finally fostering habits that encourage accountability in children will act as significant deterrents to criminal behaviour.

This article is authored by Pushkarni Panchamukhi, associate professor and associate dean, School of Economics, RV University, Bengaluru and Prahlad Nimalan, law student, NALSAR, Hyderabad.
Former MP Imtiaz Jaleel from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) said the party is keen to join hands with the opposition's Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance for the upcoming Maharashtra state assembly elections, news agency PTI reported. Imtiaz Jaleel (File)((Facebook) )

Jaleel said the aim is to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is a part of the ruling Mahayuti coalition that includes Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's faction of Shiv Sena and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

"The BJP has damaged the country, so we want to keep them away from the government by any means," he said when asked if the party does not have any issue with Hindutva preaching MVA constituent Shiv Sena (UBT).

Also read | Third front, smaller parties could spell trouble for MVA in Maharashtra polls

He was talking to Marathi news channel ABP Majha after a meeting of the party in Mumbai. In reply to a question on the possibility of an alliance in Maharashtra, Jaleel said, "We had said this during the Lok Sabha elections and we are giving an offer to the MVA again to join hands as we want to defeat the BJP. But it is up to them whether to include us in the alliance or not."

Jaleel said the MVA taking AIMIM as part of its alliance will only benefit the former, adding that the party will contest the elections alone if the offer is not accepted. "If they think we have some power and have a vote bank, then they will ask us, otherwise they will not," Jaleel added.

The AIMIM leader targeted the ruling Mahayuti government's Ladki Bahin scheme calling it just a deal to fetch votes for the alliance in the upcoming elections. "After so many years Chief Minister Eknath Shinde realised that he has so many sisters in the state. Now after providing financial assistance to women, those in power are openly asking people to vote for them (Mahayuti)...It shows that there is no love for the sisters. It is just a deal," he said.

Also read | VBA & AIMIM fail to make a mark as MVA strategy pays off

Jaleel, however, refused to ally with Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). The VBA contested 35 seats in the 2024 general elections in Maharashtra and extended support to the MVA. The party failed to win a single seat and its chief Prakash Ambedkar was defeated by a margin of 2.76 lakh votes against the Bhartiya Janata Partys (BJPs) Anup Dhotre in Akola.

Both AIMIM and the VBA were not a part of either the NDA or the INDIA bloc for the 2024 general elections.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that the cooperation between India and Japan is set against a larger context of a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific.



In his opening remarks at the third India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Meeting, the minister said,"For India, this is a natural extrapolation from our Act East policy. Indeed, the proportion of our activities and interests East of India has been steadily growing." External affairs minister S Jaishankar speaks at the press conference after the 2+2 India-Japan ministerial meeting.(PTI screengrab)

Jaishankar, who met his Japanese counterpart Kamikawa Yoko earlier in the day, said in the last decade, India-Japan ties assumed the form of a Special Strategic and Global Partnership.



ALSO READ: QUAD countries agree to expand maritime domain awareness initiative to Indian Ocean



The logic of this evolution is our expanding interests and growing activities. As we both step forward into a more volatile and unpredictable world, there is a need for reliable partners with whom there are substantial convergences, the external affairs ministry quoted Jaishankar as saying.

As a result, we have consciously sought to facilitate each others endeavours, comprehend each others objectives, strengthen each others positions and work with other nations of shared comfort. Our Strategic Partnership will continue to grow as we embrace mutuality and display sensitivity, the minister added.

During the press interaction, Jaishankar once again reiterated a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific as the top priority for both the countries.



We explored the possibility of coordinating our respective security and development assistance where our interests converge, he added.

Terrorism

Jaishankar said both India and Japan are resolute in their opposition to terror, including cross-border terrorism. We discussed strengthening our capacity-building cooperation, including on dealing with challenges emanating in the cyber space and through the misuse of digital technologies, he said.



We have underlined our interest in deepening information-sharing, and cooperation for protection of critical information infrastructure, Jaishankar added.



I am happy to share with you that in order to nurture our growing people-to-people ties, we will open a new Consulate in the city of Fukuoka. I requested Foreign Minister Kamikawa for her support to make this Consulate operational at an early date, the minister said.
Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam will be the special public prosecutor in the Badlapur case, according to Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Ujjwal Nikam (File Photo).

Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis has announced that the unfortunate incident in Badlapur will be speedily investigated and the case will go to a fast-track court. It has been decided to appoint senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam as the special public prosecutor, the deputy CM's office posted in Marathi on X (formerly Twitter).

Nikam, 71, has previously handled several high-profile cases; he was the public prosecutor in the trial of Ajmal Kasab, the only terrorist caught in the November 26, 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

The senior lawyer successfully argued for a death penalty. Kasab, a member of the Pakistan-based terrorist group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, was executed in Pune's Yerawada Jail in November 2012.

Nikam, a recipient of the Padma Shri, the country's fourth-highest civilian honour, contested this year's Lok Sabha elections for the ruling BJP from the Mumbai North Central constituency. However, he was defeated by Varsha Gaikwad of the Congress in an extremely close contest.

Meanwhile, Badlapur in Thane district witnessed a massive protest on Tuesday over the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old girls by a cleaner of their school. Angry protesters stormed the Badlapur railway station and blocked the tracks, leading to train services being disrupted.

Also, they clashed with police and vandalised the school where the alleged assault occurred. In the evening, after several hours of blockade, police lathi-charged the crowd and cleared the tracks.

Fadnavis, Maharashtra's deputy CM and the home minister of the state, has also suspended three police personnel for the initial delay in lodging the FIR. He also announced that a special team under senior IPS officer Arti Singh, will investigate the case.
Amid widespread protests at Badlapur railway station on Tuesday against the sexual assault of two children by a male school attendant, former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray invoked the Shakti Bill, asserting that he would have passed it himself if not for the government being toppled by rebels. People block railway tracks to protest against the alleged sexual abuse of two girls at a school at Badlapur railway station in Thane on Tuesday.(PTI)

He said that it is the responsibility of those who toppled his government and are now in power to pass the Shakti Bill and take the strictest action.

Last week, two kindergarten girls at a school in Badlapur were sexually assaulted by a male attendant. The children confided in their parents, who subsequently filed an FIR.

Read: What happened in Badlapur? Sexual abuse case, protest explained

Hundreds of parents from the school in Badlapur have been staging a rail roko protest at Badlapur railway station since this morning. They are demanding strict action against the accused and the protest has disrupted the movement of suburban trains.

Maharashtra minister Deepak Kesarkar said that the principal, class teacher and two assistants of the school have been suspended. Whatever report I have received from our education officer, the incident happened between August 13 to August 16. The complaint was filed on August 18. For nearly 8-12 hours, the cognisance was not taken by the local police station, Kesarkar added.

NCP (SP) demands high-level inquiry

I am shocked, saddened, outraged and very perturbed. Women are often told to go outside only at a certain time, with safety, wear certain types of clothes and it was women's fault. These were just 4-year-old girls. Every parent believes that school is the place outside home, where girls can feel safe, PTI quoted Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi as saying.

NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Anil Deshmukh said that whenever young girls go to the washroom in schools, there should be an attendant with them.



We want to know what facilities were available for the children? The state government should conduct an inquiry into all of this as soon as possible. After the inquiry, whoever is found guilty should face strict action, said Anil Deshmukh.

Meanwhile, Baramati MP Supriya Sule has called for a high-level investigation into the matter and criticized the police for not registering the FIR for over 18 hours after the incident. She stated that the government should resign if it fails to ensure security and justice for the state's daughters.
The Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) has so far refused to return five Indian nationals whose boat strayed into Bangladeshs territorial waters despite several flag meetings on Sunday and Monday with Indias BSF (Border Security Force), officials aware of the matter said on Monday. The BGB personnel cited the current political situation in Bangladesh and declined to release the five men, a senior Indian officer aware of the matter said, adding that this is the first time in recent years that the BGB has refused to return Indian boatmen who strayed into Bangladesh accidentally. (PTI)

The BGB personnel cited the current political situation in Bangladesh and declined to release the five men, a senior Indian officer aware of the matter said, adding that this is the first time in recent years that the BGB has refused to return Indian boatmen who strayed into Bangladesh accidentally.

Senior BSF officials aware of the case said that on the night of August 17, BSF personnel of the 115 battalion at Malda hired five boat operators in two boats to rescue cattle that was smuggled into Bangladesh via the riverine border.

Our personnel noticed a suspicious object floating in the Ganga River. The jawan immediately alerted the Quick Reaction Team (QRT) and the Engine-Fitted Country Boat (EFCB) Party via radio. In response, two EFC boats, manned by five boatmen, arrived at the scene and discovered that cattle were being smuggled across the river, tied to banana stems. While attempting to save the cattle, one of the EFC boats developed technical defects after hitting a whirlpool in the surging river and was quickly carried away by the strong currents. The second EFC boat tried to tow the defective boat, but due to the increased water level and strong flow of the river, both boats inadvertently crossed into Bangladeshi territory, where these boatmen were apprehended by the Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB), another official said.

The South Bengal frontiers headquarters and senior officials informed the BGB personnel over the phone. When BGB jawans, who had caught the five Indian nationals, refused to release the men, a flag meeting was held.

A flag meeting was promptly held between BSF and BGB officials, during which BSF officials explained that the detained individuals were employed by the BSF as EFCB operators. They clarified that due to an engine failure while seizing cattle in the Ganga river, the boat operators accidentally crossed the international border into Bangladesh. The BSF emphasised that the incident occurred during official duty, and the operators had no ill intentions. They urged the BGB to return the operators in the interest of maintaining coordination and good relations between the two border guarding forces. However, BGB officials refused to return the operators, citing the current situation in Bangladesh and handed them over to local police authorities, the official added.

When contacted, AK Arya, deputy inspector general (DIG) of the BSFs South Bengal frontier, confirmed the incident and said, Several flag meetings were held subsequently and BGB was asked to return the Indian boatmen in the interest of maintaining good relations between the forces but BGB declined to hand over the Indian boatmen to us. This is the first time that BGB has not returned the Indian boatmen who crossed into Bangladesh inadvertently.

Since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas ouster from her government on August 5 and the regime change in Bangladesh, the BSF in its statements has maintained that the BGB personnel have been taking steps to protect Indian nationals and those from minority communities in Bangladesh. But many mid-level officials in the BSF that HT spoke to are apprehensive that the regime change could lead to changes in the BGB too and recalled that the relationship between the two forces was not amicable in the years when Hasina was not in power during the early 2000s.
The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) on Tuesday accused the West Bengal government of trying to safeguard the perpetrators in the Kolkata trainee doctors alleged rape and murder case. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi. (File)

BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said the country is devastated and disgusted by the atrocity in West Bengal and held the state government responsible for the incident itself, safeguarding the incident, destruction of evidence, hooliganism, and threat statement.

While the TMC is heartlessly safeguarding the perpetrators, the INDIA alliances character is also clear, he said, referring to Kapil Sibal, member of Parliament representing the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh who happens to be the lawyer of the TMC. (SP leader) Akhilesh Yadav, (Congress leaders) Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhihow can you stand by a lawyer who is defending such heinous acts? This shows the kind of sensitivity you have, he said.

The 31-year-old doctor was raped and murdered on August 9 at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and her body was found hours later. The incident prompted sweeping protests, mostly by doctors, in the city and across the nation. The Central Bureau of Investigation is probing the case on the directions of the Calcutta high court.

The victim used to journal and share these diary notes with her father. However multiple pages from the diary, including those from the day of the incident are missing, Trivedi said.

The principal along with over 40 other doctors was immediately transferred to another college hospital, the FIR was filed many hours after the incident, the body was cremated before time, even the director wasnt consulted, and more importantly, interrogation is being conducted over the people raising these questions, he said referring to Sagnik Laha and Kirti Sharma, who were arrested by the Kolkata Police for offensive posts about Mamata Banerjee.

He also accused the TMC of allegedly dismissing Santanu Sen, spokesperson of the TMC, from his position, after he commented against the college, and putting their own MP, Sukhendu Sekhar under interrogation after he raised questions about the incident.

I urge people to think about why their politicians are passing remarks against them when TMC minister Udayan Guha says fingers raised against Mamata Banerjee will be broken, he said.

I, with a lot of disappointment and seriousness, urge the people of India, to think how much our Constitution is in danger in West Bengal, he added.

Slamming the INDIA bloc, he further said, Whatever is happening from Kannauj to Kolkata. It would be a scary sight in case they (the INDIA) had a government at the Centre.

There was no immediate reaction from the TMC to Trivedis charges.

On Monday, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said: Mamata Banerjees resignation is being sought by those who have time and again failed to win elections and gain control through democratic means. The BJP-Left alliance is now dreaming of coming to power by raising strange demands.

Reports indicate the victim suffered severe injuries, including broken limbs and gouged eyes. Initial police statements suggested the woman had died by suicide; however, reports later revealed evidence of sexual assault, including the presence of 150 mg of semen.

The case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 13. The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the CBI to file a status report by August 22.
New Delhi, A pregnant woman's bodily autonomy and right of self-determination are an intrinsic part of her fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution, the Delhi High Court has observed while allowing a woman to terminate her 22-week pregnancy from a transient live-in relationship. Bodily autonomy is fundamental right, says HC; allows woman to terminate 22-week pregnancy from live-in

The court was informed that the 27-year-old woman, though legally married, has been abandoned by her husband and this pregnancy was from a live-in relationship, but her partner has since become untraceable.

The woman, who was nurturing her seven-year-old daughter single-handedly, sought termination of her pregnancy under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act.

When the woman had approached doctors for termination of pregnancy, they refused as the gestation period was over 20 weeks which is the permissible limit for termination of a foetus.

The high court opined that the continuation of the ongoing pregnancy of the woman poses a risk to her mental well-being considering the reasonably foreseeable environment for both the petitioner and the unborn child.

As a single mother abandoned by her husband, whose current whereabouts remain unknown, the petitioner faces formidable financial and societal challenges.

"Struggling to support her first child on a limited income, she has made a considered decision to seek the termination of her pregnancy at a gestational age of 22 weeks, invoking the provisions of the MTP Act, as amended in 2021, Justice Sanjeev Narula said.

The court said the womans plea was also rooted in her fundamental rights under the Constitution, which guarantees personal liberty and this liberty encompasses the right to make reproductive choices, including termination of pregnancy under conditions that pose a risk to the woman's mental health and well-being.

The Supreme Court has affirmed these rights, emphasising the importance of considering the womans current health, her lifes conditions and her future well-being while making such decisions.

"Therefore, it is clear that a pregnant womans bodily autonomy and right of self-determination is an intrinsic part of her fundamental rights enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution, the high court said.

The woman, in her plea, said on August 8, she felt uneasy and consulted a doctor after which she got to know through an ultrasound scan that she was 21 weeks and 4 days pregnant.

She said that it was an unwanted pregnancy as it was from a live-in relationship and she was worried due to the social stigma and ostracisation she would have to face.

The woman said she comes from a poor background and has serious financial constraints due to which she cannot raise and nurture a second child.

The instant writ petition is allowed. The petitioner is permitted to undergo medical termination of pregnancy at a medical facility of her choice.

"The counsel for the petitioner has confirmed that she who has joined the proceedings via video conferencing mechanism understands the possible complications of the procedure for termination at this stage. She has nonetheless decided to undergo the procedure at her own risk and consequences, Justice Sanjeev Narula said.

The court referred to a Supreme Courts decision which held that the interpretation of the MTP Act and Rules must be attuned to the evolving societal norms and further the principles of social justice.

The high court said the apex courts analysis of Rule 3B of the MTP Rules, 2021, emphasised that this provision acknowledges the profound impact of changes in a womans marital status on her life circumstances, which can materially alter during an ongoing pregnancy.

Such change in circumstances during an ongoing pregnancy has been held to be inclusive of a scenario where the woman has been abandoned by her partner as well as cases where a woman separates from her partner, it said.

The high court said the petitioners plight demonstrated a compelling case of an unwanted pregnancy arising under uniquely challenging circumstances that impose severe distress and hardship.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, hearing the rape and murder of a doctor in a state-run hospital in Kolkata, observed that the nation cannot wait for another rape case for "things to change on the ground". Kolkata doctor rape-murder: A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra.(PTI)

CJI Chandrachud also noted that existing enactments do not address institutional safety standards for doctors and medical workers.

He said due to patriarchal biases, women doctors are targeted more.

"As more and more women join the workforce, the nation cannot wait for another rape for things to change on the ground," he observed.

The Supreme Court bench later constituted a 10-member task force to formulate a national protocol for ensuring safety and facilities for doctors.

The court said a national consensus must be evolved after consultation with stakeholders.

The Supreme Court had taken a suo moto cognizance of the grisly murder of the doctor.

The trainee doctor had gone to the seminar hall of the RG Kar hospital to rest amid her 36-hour-long shift when she was raped and murdered. The police have arrested a civic volunteer for the crime.

The Supreme Court today told the Bengal government to not unleash its powers on protesting doctors. It asked the doctors to resume work, saying their concerns are being received with utmost importance.

It said the task force will submit its interim report within three weeks and the final report within two months.

The ten members of the task force include surgeon Vice Admiral RK Sarian, Dr Reddy, Managing Director Asian Institute of National Gastrology, Dr M Srinivas, Director AIIMS, Delhi, Dr Prathima Moorthy, NIMHANS, Bangalore among others.

The bench said the cabinet secretary and the home secretary to the Union government shall be the ex-officio members of the national task force.

With inputs from PTI, ANI
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, while hearing the Kolkata doctor's rape and murder case, observed on Tuesday that if women are not able to go to work and the conditions are not safe, "we are denying them equality". The Supreme Court of India. (PTI photo)

CJI Chandrachud said the matter was not just about a particular rape issue in a hospital, but it deals with the systemic issue of safety of doctors across India.

"We know they are all interns, resident doctors and most importantly women doctors....most of the young doctors are putting in 36 hours ....we must evolve a national protocol to ensure safe conditions of work are provided," he observed, according to Live Law.

"If women are not able to go to work and conditions are not safe, we are denying them equality," he added.

The Supreme Court termed the doctor's rape and murder in the state-run RG Kar hospital "horrific" and "horrendous". It pulled up the West Bengal government over the delay in the registration of FIR.

The court has proposed setting up a national task force to frame guidelines for ensuring safety and protection of medical professionals across the country.

The court also appealed to the protesting doctors to return to work.

"We want them to trust us. Their safety and protection is a matter of highest national concern," the court added.

The court also expressed concerns over the fact that the name of the victim, the photographs and videos were all over the media.

CJI Chandrachud said the principal tried to pass the murder off as suicide and the parents were not allowed to see the body.

The trainee doctor was found murdered inside the seminar hall of the state-run hospital in Kolkata. Autopsy revealed she was subjected to forceful penetration, which indicated sexual assault.

The woman had gone to the hall to rest amid her 36-hour-long shift in the hospital. The police have arrested a civic volunteer named Sanjoy Roy for allegedly committing the grisly murder.

Also read: Kolkata doctor rape-murder | What was the principal doing?: Supreme Court pulls up Bengal government over FIR delay

The Central Bureau of Investigation has been grilling the ex-principal of the hospital, Dr Sandip Ghosh, to find out if a larger conspiracy led to the rape and murder. The agency has asked the doctor why he showed the body of the victim to her parents after a delay of three hours.
A 24-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly trying to sexually assaulting a 21-year-old college student while she was returning from a party in Koramangala on Sunday, a police officer said. The incident took place at around 1:15am on Sunday when she was returning to her accommodation, she drove her friends car but struggled to control the vehicle and accidentally bumped into three auto-rickshaws (File photo)

Bengaluru south east division DCP Sarah Fathima said the accused, identified as Mukeshwaran, is a dance choreographer in the city.

She said: The accused, identified as Mukeshwaran, attempted to rape the woman, daughter of an army officer, who had taken a lift while returning home. He was arrested on Sunday. The accused, originally from Tamil Nadu, has been residing in Bengaluru since 2003 and works as a dance teacher in the city. He had no prior criminal record.

On Sunday, additional commissioner of police (East Zone) Raman Gupta said the woman, originally from Maharashtra, is a student at a private college in the outskirts of the city.

The incident took place at around 1:15am on Sunday when she was returning to her accommodation, she drove her friends car but struggled to control the vehicle and accidentally bumped into three auto-rickshaws. This led to a confrontation with the auto drivers, prompting the woman to call the police helpline, 112, out of fear.

In a state of panic, the young woman decided to leave the scene and sought help from passing bikers to get home. The first biker she approached declined to assist, but a second biker agreed to drop her off, Gupta said.

He further said that the biker, however, took an unexpected route away from the main road, stopped near an isolated shed and attempted to sexually assault the young woman.

He said: Sensing the potential danger, she activated an emergency alert app on her phone, sharing her live location with her friend and father. The quick response from her friend, who informed the police, allowed police personnel to track her location and reach the scene.

The attacker fled the area upon hearing the approaching police vehicle. He had, however, assaulted her, tore her clothes, and left her in a distressed state, he said, adding that the police rushed the woman to a private hospital in Hebbagodi for treatment.

DCP Sarah Fathima on Monday said that the police were able to track down the accused and arrested him based on CCTV footage and the vehicle description provided by the victims friends.

The victim was treated at a private hospital in Bommasandra and is currently recovering, she said.

An FIR has been registered under the appropriate sections at the HSR Layout Police Station, and the case remains under investigation, the officer added.
The Delhi Police said on Tuesday that various shopping malls in the national capital received a bomb threat via email. The police are probing the emails and are searching the premises. (Representational)

According to the Delhi police, Chanakya Mall, Select CityWalk, Ambience Mall, DLF, Cine Polis, Pacific Mall, Primus Hospital and Unity group received threat emails, reported ANI.

"The explosive will go off in a few hours," the mail reads.

The police said the authorities of the premises informed them as soon as they noticed the emails.

The Delhi police initiated an investigation immediately after being informed. Bomb Disposal Squad and fire tenders have arrived on the spot. No bomb has been detected yet.

According to a senior police officer, initial investigation suggests that the same pattern has been followed. The mail has been sent to many malls and other places. An investigation is currently underway, he added.

This came three days after Gurugram's Ambience Mall received a bomb threat No suspicious thing was found during the search.

"The administration of Ambience Mall received an email which says that a bomb has been planted in the mall. When we received the information, all the teams including the bomb detection and disposal squad, dog squad, and SWAT team came to the spot," ACP Vikas Kaushik told reporters.

We started sanitising the mall. Till now, we haven't found anything suspicious in the mall. Our cyber teams are tracking the sender of the email. We got the information at 10 in the morning, he added.

On August 2, an email was received by a school in Delhi's Greater Kailash area, threatening to blow it up with a bomb, officials said. According to the Delhi Police, the email said that a bomb was planted in the school.

A spate of emails threatening bomb blast in schools, colleges, malls and hospitals have been received all across the country over the past few months. All of them have so far turned out to be hoaxes.

With inputs from ANI
Two back-to-back earthquakes with magnitudes 4.9 and 4.8 jolted Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district early Tuesday morning, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said. The epicentre of the earthquake was in the Baramulla district, close to district headquarters. (Gile)

The first earthquake at 4.9 magnitude on the Ritcher scale occurred at a depth of around 6:45 am. The second tremor was recorded at 4.8 magnitude, and occurred at a depth of around 10 km, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said.

There have been no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage. Authorities are monitoring the situation for any further developments.

Earthquake Vulnerability of India

India is highly vulnerable to earthquakes due to its geographical setting. The country sits on the Indian tectonic plate, which is constantly colliding with the Eurasian plate.

The country's northern and northeastern regions are highly prone to earthquakes due to mountainous terrain. India is divided into four seismic zones, and most of the northern and northeastern region falls under Zone 4 and Zone 5, which are considered to be highly active seismic zones.

Jammu and Kashmir falls in Zone 5, the most seismically active region in the earthquake vulnerability map of India. Population density in highly undulating terrain increases the damage potential of earthquakes in the region.
An FIR has been registered in Kengeri against nine people for allegedly harassing, kidnapping a 19-year-old college student and then extorting money from him for a year while allegedly pretending to be affiliated with Mohammed Nalapad, state youth Congress president, a police officer said. FIR filed against 9 for kidnapping, extorting from college student

Kengeri police inspector Sanjiv Gowda said the matter began last year when the victim, identified as Jeevel Jain, a BBA student, had reportedly borrowed 3 lakh from Ayush Srinivas for an event. He said: The situation escalated when the group led by Ayush Srinivas, who claimed ties to Mohammed Nalapad, the state youth Congress president, coerced Jeevan into a betting scheme and later kidnapped him and forced him to strip while filming a nude video.

The group threatened to release the footage unless he paid additional amounts. Despite paying 6 lakh to the group, Jain continued to be harassed for 10 lakh and was even threatened violence, he said.

He said that Jeevan was also reportedly summoned to a hotel last week where he was assaulted. He then filed a complaint accusing nine people of kidnapping, extortion, and harassment on Saturday.

Gowda said: We received the victims complaint on Saturday and have booked the accused under IPC sections including 506 (Criminal Intimidation), 341 (Wrongful Restraint), 34 (Acts Done by Several Persons in Furtherance of Common Intention), 504 (Intentional Insult with Intent to Provoke Breach of Peace), 384 (Extortion by Force), 323 (Voluntarily Causing Hurt), 342 (Wrongful Confinement), and 363 (Kidnapping).

The accused have since gone into hiding, and a team has been formed to apprehend them. Their alleged political connections will be clarified once they are arrested, he added.
New Delhi: It was the peak of Covid-19 pandemic and then Chief Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Bipin Rawat got to know that former Army Chief General S Padmanabhan was having a tough time handling the disease in his two bedroom apartment in Chennai. Gen Rawat sent a message to his former Chief that he could arrange a transfer to R & R hospital in New Delhi for his proper treatment. But the soldier Gen Paddy, as he was fondly called, declined the offer from another gem of the Indian Army. Gen Padmanabhan passed into military history on August 18 in Chennai. Former Army Chief General S Padmanabhan

Cut to 1996 winter when Gen Paddy was the Northern Army Commander that the then Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav decided to pay a visit to Siachen Glacier with his entourage. Mulayam Singh and his entourage decided to make an aerial survey of the Glacier upto Kumar Post amidst nice sunny weather. Clearly, the Pakistanis did not like the idea of the Indian Defence Minister and his military commanders surveying the glacier and as soon as Yadav touched down at the Base camp helipad, the enemy opened fire with artillery shells on the Indian positions in the glacier. Given that the Pakistanis are sitting on the other side of the Saltoro Ridge, the artillery shells were taking a parabola trajectory and landing near the posts on the glacier. Without telling anyone, General Paddy called the Siachen Brigade commander and within a few minutes all the 155 mm and 130 mm batteries erupted from the base camp as Indian riposte to Pakistani perfidy began. Gen Paddy believed in giving it back to Indias enemies.

Even as a 15 Corps Commander at Badami Bagh cantonment and as DG Military Intelligence, it was Gen Paddy who raised the counter-insurgents like Kuka Parrey to tackle the Pakistani jihadists during the early 1990s. This was the time when the Indian media was more sympathetic towards the jihadists and their Hurriyat leaders and was virtually towing the western line of Kashmir. But Gen Paddy had no time for the media and knew how to fight the terrorists and beat (or kill) them at their own game in Jammu and Kashmir. It was a treat to discuss Kashmir terrorism with Gen Paddy over smokes and drinks as the General despite being from artillery (considered less than armored and infantry at that time) knew his enemy and his men. He always believed in calling spade a spade and could be brutal to adversaries.

He took over as Indian Army Chief on October 1, 2000 and retired on December 31,2002. It was during his tenure that India faced the worst terror attacks from Pakistan ruled by dictator Gen Pervez Musharraf. The J & K Assembly attack in 2001, the Parliament attack, the Kaluchak massacre and the unprecedented mobilization of Indian armed forces under Operation Parakram. Gen Paddy was ready to take on the enemy from the word go but the Vajpayee government at that time decided to let coercive diplomacy win. Gen Paddy simply was never afraid.
The government wants the content creator economy to flourish and will hold extensive consultations with a diverse set of stakeholders on the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Monday. Govt may reconsider new broadcast bill

We are very flexible. We are very, very open-minded. We want this entire new medium to flourish. We want people to know things in a more interesting, better [manner]. We want more and more things to be known. Which means that we will have very, very extensive consultations, Vaishnaw said.

The governments aim, he said, is to encourage the creator economy. In March this year, the government had awarded National Creators Awards to influencers and content creators across twenty categories for their impactful contributions to Indias digital landscape.

That is a new, growing sector that we encourage. Our intent is not to discourage it, our intent is to encourage it. Our intent is that this is giving more opportunities to express, opportunities to share, opportunities to create new IP [intellectual property]. Thats the way we look at it, he said.

A senior government official indicated that if after the wide and extensive consultations, it is felt that a new bill is not required, a new bill will not be proposed. This person said that the bill will not be introduced in Parliament this year.

The latest version of the bill, first reported by HT on July 26, drew significant concerns over some of the provisions and how the consultation process was being carried out. The most controversial provisions ran the risk of tagging all online content creators as broadcasters, irrespective of the content they dealt with.

On August 12, the MIB, in a tweet had said that it would publish a fresh draft after detailed consultations and invited comments until October 15, hours after it had asked stakeholders to return watermarked physical copies of an updated version that was circulated between July 24 and 25.

The consultation process on the bill has been on since November 2023, when the first draft was uploaded by the ministry and the MIB is seeking comments on it until October 15.

The senior government official cited above said that the MIB had started working on the Broadcasting Bill when the Telegraph Act, 1885, was in the process of being replaced by the Telecommunications Act, to address any regulatory gaps that may have arisen. However, no regulatory gaps related to broadcasting were observed, this person said.
A political controversy over recruitment of public servants through lateral entry intensified on Monday as the Union government pushed back on criticism by the Opposition that the move was diluting caste-based reservations and named some prominent members brought in by previous administrations, even as ally and Union minister Chirag Paswan opposed the scheme saying quotas were sacrosanct. LJP (RV) chief Chirag Paswan. (File)

The row began after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) last Saturday advertised 45 posts -- 10 of joint secretaries and 35 of directors/deputy secretaries -- to be filled through the lateral entry mode on a contract basis. On Sunday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the government was attacking the Constitution by snatching away reservations. Government servants are usually recruited through the civil services exam process but lateral entrants  typically experts in a particular field  are inducted directly. No quota is currently applicable on these appointments.

On Monday, the government hit back and called the allegation false and baseless, even as it released a list of 10 prominent people brought in through lateral entry by the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The list included former Reserve Bank of India governors Bimal Jalan and Raghuram Rajan, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former member of the finance commission NK Singh, and former deputy chair of the planning commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, among others.

Lateral entry is not something that we have started and lateral entry is not something which is a mainstream thing. Starting with the very famous name of Dr Manmohan Singh, who was brought in as finance secretary; Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia was brought in as finance secretary; Mr RV Shahi was brought in as power ministry. We have seen Mr Vijay Kelkar brought in as finance secretary. Large number of examples exist, [from] well before this particular notification of UPSC, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Monday.

He said that lateral entry openings did not cut into the roster of any civil services or impact the reservation system for regular openings. He said these positions were temporary and created for only three years.

These new job openings do not cut into the rosters of any service. What is the roster? Roster is the how many SC candidates, how many ST candidates, how many OBC candidates will have to be taken and balance is general. The roster is created keeping in mind that every next candidate taken is from a reserved category, the minister told reporters.

Saying that misleading imputation that Congress is doing is baseless and false, the minister said, This (the lateral entry) was done in the UPA government, and before that NDA government and before that Congress government. They had lateral entry also but were done in an un-systemic manner. What we have done is to make it systemic and transparent by giving it UPSC.

He also clarified that these were just temporary, and contractual positions did not affect the promotions of civil servants.These positions are created where expertise is required and for three years. They can be extended for a maximum of two years, he added.

But the scheme was opposed by his Cabinet colleague and Union minister Chirag Paswan, also the chief of the Lok Janshakti Party (RamVilas). Reservation provisions must be there in any government appointment. There are no ifs and buts in this. No reservation exists in the private sector and if it is not implemented in government positions as well... The information came up before me on Sunday and it is a matter of concern for me, he told news agency PTI.

Paswan said as a member of the government, he had the platform to raise the issue and he would. As far as my party is concerned, we are absolutely not in support of such a measure, he added.

This is the second time Paswan has openly opposed a move by its ally the Bharatiya Janata Party, the first being a diktat by the Uttar Pradesh government asking all shops on the Kanwar route to display names and details of owners.

Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal attacked the Congress. He said former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who joined as economic adviser in the finance ministry in 1971, joined the government through lateral entry. We want to say that Dr Manmohan Singh is also an example of lateral entry. In 1976, how did you appoint him finance secretary? Your Planning Commissions vice-chairman was also on a lateral entry. You will find hundreds of such examples...you started lateral entry, he said.

The government also named entrepreneur Sam Pitroda, technocrat V Krishnamurthy, economist Kaushik Basu, economist Arvind Virmani, and technocrat Nandan Nilekani as other members the UPA government brought in through lateral entry.

Meghwal accused Congress of trying to mislead the people from SC, ST and OBC communities. He said that the Second Administrative Reforms Commission, which was formed in 2005 when Congress-led UPA government was in power, had suggested recruiting experts to fill the gaps that require specialised knowledge.

But the Congress and other opposition parties kept up their attack.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that while his party-led government had brought in lateral entry to appoint select specialists and experts in some sector-specific posts as per their utility, the BJP government has made provision for it to snatch the rights of Dalits, tribals and backward classes.

Instead of filling jobs in government departments, the BJP has eliminated 5.1 lakh posts in the last 10 years by selling the share of Government of India in PSUs alone, he said.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged that the governments move was an attack on Dalits, tribals and OBCs.

Lateral entry is an attack on Dalits, OBCs and adivasisThe BJPs distorted version of Ram Rajya seeks to destroy the Constitution and snatch reservations from bahujans, the former Congress chief said.
Bengaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot should function like a representative of the President of India and not the central government. He said the Governor should not pick and choose and be selective in the matter of granting sanction for prosecution. Governor is a constitutional post and we respect it. What we say is that he should work as a representative of the President of India and not the Central government, Siddaramaiah told reporters here. Gehlot on August 16 granted sanction permitting investigation against Siddaramaiah under 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act and prosecution under Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority site allotment 'scam.' The Chief Minister recalled that the Karnataka Lokayukta had sought Governors approval to prosecute Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy on November 23, 2023 in connection with Sri Sai Venkateshwara Minerals case but till now no permission has been granted. The state ombudsman on Monday again submitted a proposal to the Governor seeking his permission to file a charge-sheet against Kumaraswamy, who had allegedly granted mining lease to the private firm when he was the Chief Minister in 2007 in violation of law. Siddaramaiah also pointed out that the Governor did not give permission to the Lokayukta to prosecute former BJP Ministers Shashikala Jolle, Murugesh Nirani and G Janardhana Reddy. On the other hand, T J Abraham lodged a complaint against me with the Governor on July 26 at 11 am and 10 hours later I was served a show-cause notice. Isnt it discrimination? Thats the reason that the Governor was told not to use pick and choose and should not do it selectively, Siddaramaiah said. In his writ petition challenging the Governor's order in the High Court on Monday, the Chief Minister submitted that it was issued without due application of mind, in violation of statutory mandates, and contrary to constitutional principles, including the advice of the Council of Ministers, which is binding under Article 163 of the Constitution of India. Siddaramaiah, who has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, said the Governors decision is legally unsustainable, procedurally flawed, and motivated by extraneous considerations. On the petition filed by him, the High Court passed interim orders directing the trial court to defer proceedings on complaints against him and further instructing that no precipitative action be taken pursuant to the sanction till August 29. The BJP has demanded the Chief Minister's resignation to pave way for a transparent and unbiased investigation.

Guv can''t "pick & choose" and be "selective", says CM on prosecution sanction against him
The Karnataka high court on Monday ordered a trial court to refrain from taking any action against chief minister Siddaramaiah until August 29, two days after state governor Thawar Chand Gehlot sanctioned prosecution against him in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam. Siddaramaiah had approached the high court challenging the prosecution sanction, arguing that the decision was illegal and without the authority of law and could potentially result in the political destabilisation of an elected government. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah addresses a press conference after a cabinet meeting over Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot's decision to grant sanction for prosecution of the CM. (PTI)

The allegations against Siddaramaiah stem from allegations from social activists Pradeepkumar SP, TJ Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna who claimed irregularities in the allotment of plots of land to the chief ministers wife Parvathi by the urban authority in 2017.

The charges centre around 14 plots in Vijaynagar area in Mysuru, ostensibly given as part of a 50:50 scheme that entailed allotting developed land to those who lose undeveloped acquired land. Critics claim that the property value of the allotted land was significantly higher than that of the land MUDA acquired from Siddaramaiahs wife; charges he has vehemently denied. To be sure, the state government has set up a single-member inquiry commission led by former high court justice PN Desai to investigate the allegations on July 14.

After Gehlot gave prosecution sanction on August 17, a petition filed by Abraham and Krishna was meant to be heard by a special court of public representatives on Tuesday.

In its order on Monday, however, a Karnataka high court bench helmed by justice M Nagaprasanna said, It was argued that the proceedings before the trial court are up for orders on whether a sanction should be granted to prosecute the Chief Minister. Any order permitting action to proceed further against the Chief Minister, would frustrate the proceedings before this court. Since the proceedings are pending before this court, the trial court shall defer its proceedings till the next date of hearing. There shall be no precipitative action qua these complaints. The order will stay in force till August 29, when the High Court will next hear the case.

In his petition, argued before the court by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Siddaramaiah said that the prosecution sanction was issued without due application of mind, violated statutory mandates and ignored constitutional principles such as acting on the advice of the council of ministers. You do not need any provision of the Constitution to destabilize the governments milords if a sanction is given like this, Singhvi said in court.

Singhvi also told the court that the governor had failed to enumerate reasons for the grant of sanction. You have an elected government; the elected government has the mandate of the people. Anybody on the street comes with a complaint. That complaint is made decades and decades after an incident. A friendly Governor gives sanction, Singhvi said.

He pointed out that the complaint brought against Siddaramaiah was acted upon immediately, while other pending complaints with completed investigations were ignored. He (the Governor) selectively plucked out this complaint. He said he was not bound by the sanction of the cabinet. I have not even received the complaints yet, which have become part of the governors order, he argued.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, who represented Gehlot, however argued that in cases involving the chief minister, the governor can act independently of the cabinets advice if there is a reasonable suspicion of bias. He said that the governors order was reasonable, made by a constitutional authority, and must not be interfered with.

The allegations against Siddaramaiah have snowballed into a raging political controversy in Karnataka, with the chief minister insisting that he had done nothing wrong and that the allegations were a political conspiracy. I have been a minister for 40 years and there is not a single black spot in my political life during this period. I am engaged in the service of people with their blessings. My political life is like an open book...I am fully confident of getting relief in the court, Siddaramaiah said.

BJP, JDS and the central government have conspired against me using the Raj Bhavan...The reason for the fear of the opposition is that I am in favour of the poor. The successful implementation of guarantee schemes is troubling them, he said.

Workers of both the BJP and the Congress took to the streets in Karnataka on Monday  the former asking for the chief ministers resignation, and the latter raising slogans against the governor. The BJP state chief BY Vijayendra and leader of opposition in the assembly R Ashoka held a protest near Mahatma Gandhis statue in the Vidhana Soudha.

This Congress government is for the corrupt, by the corrupt, and of the corrupt, said Vijayendra.

The Congress meanwhile held foot-marches and rallies in district headquarters including in Bengaluru, Udupi, Mangaluru and Mysuru. Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief, led a march in Bengaluru which included several ministers of the state cabinet. We have confidence that the court would deliver justice, he said.

(With agency inputs)
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at several Union ministers on Tuesday, saying that those who had criticised former prime minister Manmohan Singh over lateral entry recruitment issues were now compelled to praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi following the Centres cancellation of the latest recruitment drive. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh attacked Union ministers over lateral entry.(PTI file)

His remarks came after Union minister Jitendra Singh wrote to the chairperson of Union Public Service Commission on cancelling the lateral entry advertisement as per directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The move came a day after Bharatiya Janata Party ally and Union minister Chirag Paswan on Monday voiced concern over making any appointments in government posts without providing reservation, as the political row over lateral entry escalated, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleging it was an attack on the Dalits, OBCs and adivasis.



Till last evening, Dr Manmohan Singh was being blamed by Union Ministers for the mass lateral entry scheme into the bureaucracy. Some friendly commentators expectedly even extended the line of blame back to (Jawaharlal) Nehru, Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X (foremerly Twitter).

Now the very same ministers have suddenly been derailed and are being forced to hail the non-biological PM as a champion of social justice. Hypocrisy ki koi seema nahin hai (There is no limit to hypocrisy)! he added.

He said that lateral entry was promoted by the NITI Aayog in 2017 and introduced the next year as a major reform intended to revamp the civil service.

Since 2019, there have been 63 appointments through lateral entry. A further 45 were planned this year but these have just been cancelled, Ramesh said.

The non-biological PM is now trying to do much damage control. His drumbeaters are trying to shift responsibility, while the plain and simple truth is that it was hailed as one of Mr Modi's transformational initiatives when it was launched, said Jairam Ramesh.

In his post on Sunday, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had said the Congress's criticism of the lateral entry system in senior bureaucracy shows its hypocrisy and asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government has created a transparent method to implement the concept developed by the UPA dispensation.

With PTI inputs
Perched on the banks of the Mahananda river is Purbandar Jodi, a village of nearly 1,200 people in West Bengal. Across the rippling waters is Tetulia town in Bangladesh. For decades, the river has acted as a natural border, demarcating the two nations but also facilitating the movement of people across the two villages, helping families maintain ties of kinship and commerce.

On August 5, Hasina fled the country as protesters stormed her residence amid widespread violence. (HT Photo)
India and Malaysia on Tuesday agreed to elevate their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim discussed ways to expand cooperation to new fields such as digitalisation, defence manufacturing, semiconductors and AI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim in New Delhi. (Arvind Yadav/ HT Photo)

The two sides signed eight agreements, including a crucial memorandum of understanding (MoU) on recruitment and employment conditions for Indian workers, and agreed to work on connecting Indias Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Malaysias Payments Network (PayNet) for digital transactions.

Today, we have decided that our partnership will be elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership. We believe that there is still a lot of potential in economic cooperation. Bilateral trade and investment should be expanded, Modi said at a media interaction after his talks with Ibrahim.

Pointing to the steady progress in bilateral trade, Modi said investments from Malaysia to India were worth $5 billion last year and the two sides had commenced trade in national currencies. We should increase mutual cooperation in new technological areas such as semiconductors, fintech, defence industry, AI and quantum, he said, speaking in Hindi.

Ibrahim, who referred to Modi as mere dost (my friend) and my brother, said the friendship between the two leaders had facilitated frank and no holds barred discussions on many matters, including sensitive issues. Both Malaysia and India are multicultural and multi-religious countries, and their commonalities extend beyond trade and investments, he said.

Malaysia and India, from the days of Jawaharlal Nehru and Tunku Abdul Rahman, have established good relations but we realised...that this must be further strengthened in a multitude of areas which covers...digital, investments, trade, construction, modern agriculture, education, research, and all fields, including military collaboration in terms of joint operations to safeguard our borders, Ibrahim said.

The two sides signed an MoU on the recruitment, employment and repatriation of workers, a labour pact that had been negotiated over the past few years. The agreement assumes importance following complaints about violation of rights of Indian workers in Malaysia. There are about 1,85,000 Indian nationals in Malaysia, including skilled and unskilled workers.

Todays agreement on employment of workers will promote the recruitment of workers from India as well as the protection of their interests, Modi said. The two sides have also simplified visa procedures to facilitate the movement of people, he said.

The two sides also signed agreements for cooperation in digital technologies, tourism, youth affairs and sports, public administration and governance reforms, ayurveda and traditional medicine, and culture, arts and heritage.

They also decided to set up a Digital Council to facilitate cooperation in digital technology and to create a Startup Alliance. Steps will also be taken to speed up the review of the bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, while Modi called for the review of the India-Asean free trade agreement to be completed in a timely manner.

We both have talked about new possibilities of mutual cooperation in the defence sector. We are also unanimous in the fight against terrorism and extremism, Modi said.

Describing Malaysia as an important partner within the Asean framework and in the Indo-Pacific region, Modi added, We are committed to freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international laws. We support the peaceful resolution of disputes.

Ibrahim thanked India for considering Malaysia as a great and true friend, and said, I must give you this assurance that it is reciprocal, and we will reinvigorate working relations in all fields.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday named former general secretary Ram Madhav and Union minister G Kishan Reddy as in-charges for the upcoming assembly elections in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.



"BJP national president JP Nadda has appointed Ram Madhav, former national general secretary, and Union minister G Kishan Reddy as election in-charge for upcoming assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir," a statement issued by the party's general secretary Arun Singh said. Ram Madhav (left) and G Kishan Reddy will be poll in-charges for the Jammu and Kashmir elections

"This appointment comes into effect immediately," the statement added.



Hailing from Andhra Pradesh, Madhav was inducted into the BJP from its ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 2014 after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office.



ALSO READ: J&K assembly elections: BJP candidates names this week, says Union minister



Jammu and Kashmir had last held an assembly election in 2014, when it was a state. After the polls that year produced a hung verdict, Madhav was instrumental in bringing together BJP and Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's People's Democratic Party (PDP) to form a coalition government that lasted from 2015 to 2018.



ALSO READ: Canvassing picks up pace in Jammu after assembly polls announcement



Madhav served as BJP national general secretary during 2014-20 period. He was responsible for handling the political affairs of Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and other Northeastern states.

In a reshuffle on September 26, 2020, the BJP dropped Madhav and several other general secretaries to bring in new faces in its team.



Reddy is currently Union minister of coal and mines in the Narendra Modi government.

J&K Assembly elections

The elections to the legislative assembly of Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 4.



The elections in J&K are being held amid rise in terror-related incidents, including in the Jammu region. The Centre has deployed nearly 300 companies of paramilitary forces for election duties in the Kashmir valley, officials told PTI.

The companies have been deputed in Srinagar, Handwara, Ganderbal, Budgam, Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipora, Anantnag, Shopian, Pulwama, Awantipora, and Kulgam, they said.



(Witth PTI inputs)
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said his partys campaign forced the government to seek cancellation of the advertisement for lateral entry of bureaucrats even as he cautioned the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological fount, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), will keep adopting new tactics to snatch away reservation as long as they are in power. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge with party leader Rahul Gandhi. (HT PHOTO/FILE)

Long live the Constitution! The Congresss fight for social justice for our Dalits, tribals, backward and weaker sections has foiled the BJPs plans to snatch away reservation. He referred to Union minister Jitendra Singhs letter to Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) chairperson Preeti Sudan urging the cancellation and said it shows that only the power of the Constitution can defeat the arrogance of dictatorial power.

Kharge tagged Rahul Gandhi, the Opposition leader in Lok Sabha, and said the government has taken a step back due to the campaign of Congress and Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance parties. He called for the need to be careful.

Kharge said the power of the people and the Opposition was saving the country from the Modi government, citing the removal of indexation benefits for capital gains tax on property, referral of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee, or putting of the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill on the back-burner.

In his letter to Sudan, Jitendra Singh said the cancellation of the advertisement for lateral entry recruitment would be a significant advance in the pursuit of social justice and empowerment.

The recruitment of public servants through lateral entry triggered a controversy with the Opposition saying the move was aimed at diluting caste-based reservations. Union minister Chirag Paswan was among those who opposed the scheme.

On Saturday, UPSC advertised 46 posts to be filled through the lateral entry mode on a contract basis. Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged that the government was attacking the Constitution by snatching away reservations.

Government servants are usually recruited through the civil services exam process but lateral entrants, typically experts in a particular field, are inducted directly. No quota is currently applicable to these appointments.

Jitendra Singh underlined in his letter to Sudan the importance of upholding the constitutional mandate towards social justice so that deserving candidates from marginalised communities get their rightful representation in government services. Since these positions have been treated as specialized and designated as single-cadre posts, there has been no provision for reservation in these appointments, he wrote. He added this aspect needs to be reviewed and reformed.

The government on Monday released a list of 10 prominent people the previous United Progressive Alliance government brought in through lateral entry.
Kolkata doctor rape-murder: The Supreme Court on Tuesday is scheduled to hear on Tuesday a suo motu plea related to the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata on August 9, in the RG Kar Medical Hospital. The plea has been listed as the first matter, and will likely be heard at 10:30am on August 20. Supreme Court will hear the Kolkata rape-murder case today (Sanchit Khanna/HT)

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, which had taken cognisance of the incident, has kept the matter on top of the cause list for hearing on Tuesday.

The suo motu case in the matter is titled In Re: Alleged rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, and related issue. The plea seeks to widen the scope of judicial scrutiny in the case, and asumes significance in view of the fact that Calcutta High Court is already in action and has transferred the probe into the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The plea also keeps in mind the nationwide outrage regarding the horrific murder of the postgraduate student at the medical college, and the doctor's protests and their demands of safety at hospitals.

Read more: Midnight candle march taken out in Shimla demanding justice for Kolkata doctor

Doctors' bodies the Federation of Association of Medical Consultants of India (FAMCI) and the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA), and lawyer Vishal Tiwari have also moved the top court by filing interim applications in the suo motu case.

In its plea, the FAMCI raised concerns regarding the safety of healthcare workers inside hospitals and the risky environment of medical facilities. Doctor's bodies demanded for a central law to address these concerns, and urged the Indian government to address the gaps in state-wise laws for doctor's safety.

The plea also sought framing of guidelines for enhancing security measures at medical colleges and hospitals across the country to prevent such incidents in the future.

On August 9, the body of a 31-year-old postgraduate doctor was found in the seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, West Bengal, with severe injuries. The autopsy report said that the doctor had been raped. A civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the case the following day.

The horrific nature of the crime sparked a nationwide outrage and a strike by doctors across India, demanding more safety inside hospitals.

On August 13, the Calcutta high court transferred the case investigation to the CBI, showing discontent on the handling of the case by the Kolkata Police.

(With inputs from PTI)
Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: As the investigation and protests continue over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, the mother-in-law of the accused Sanjoy Roy, claimed that he used to beat his ex-wife. She also alleged that Sanjoy Roy bashed his three-month-pregnant wife and caused a miscarriage. The mother-in-law demanded that Sanjoy Roy be hanged for his crime. Central Bureau of Investigation sleuths grilled arrested accused Sanjoy Roy on Monday,

She, however, suggested the involvement of more people in the alleged rape and murder of the 31-year-old trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital as she said Sanjoy Roy could not have done it alone.

Recounting her daughter's experience with Sanjoy Roy, the woman told news agency ANI that the relationship with him was tense, adding that Roy had thrashed her daughter against which a police complaint was filed.

"My relations with him were very tense," she said. "Initially, everything was good for six months. When she was three months pregnant, he caused a miscarriage. He thrashed her, and a police complaint was registered for the same. Following this, my daughter continued being ill, I bore all her expenses for medicines," ANI quoted the woman as saying.

Also Read | Kolkata doctor rape-murder: Supreme Court to hear plea today, keeps matter on top

Sanjay was not good. Hang him or do whatever you want with him. I won't speak about the crime. He could not have done it alone. He can't do it alone, she added.

CBI grills accused Sanjoy Roy

Central Bureau of Investigation sleuths grilled arrested accused Sanjoy Roy on Monday, as the probe agency tries to ascertain whether he was alone while allegedly committing the crime.

The investigators also went to the Kolkata Police's headquarters at Lalbazar and spoke to officers who were part of the investigation when they were probing the matter, an official said.

Meanwhile, a local court here on Monday granted CBI permission to conduct a polygraph test on Roy. The CBI is yet to schedule a date for the test, another official told news agency PTI.

As per norms, the accused has to be brought before a magistrate, who will ask the person if he agrees to a polygraph test, the official added.

The rape and murder of the trainee doctor have sparked widespread outrage and protests across various cities, with calls for justice and punishment for the accused. The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the case, with a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud scheduled to hear on Tuesday.

On August 18, the CBI team examined and conducted 3D laser mapping in the emergency ward of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

West Bengal government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct an enquiry/investigation into the allegations of financial irregularities in RG Kar Hospital during the period between January 2021 till date.

According to a Home and Hill Affairs Department notification, the SIT will have the liberty to access any relevant document from govt departments and private agencies required for expeditious completion of the enquiry. It further said that the SIT is directed to submit its first report to the state government within a month from the date of its constitution.
Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, is in more trouble as the West Bengal government formed a Special Investigation Team on Monday to investigate financial irregularities at the hospital from January 2021 to the present. Dr. Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, has been questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation about the rape-murder of the trainee doctor.(ANI)

The move comes even as Central Bureau of Investigation officers questioned the Sandip Ghosh for the fourth consecutive day on Monday in connection with its probe into the alleged rape and murder of a 31-year-old woman trainee doctor at the health facility.

An order from the West Bengal government said a SIT has been formed to conduct the probe the alleged financial irregularities, and will submit a report within a month.

A notification from the Bengal government's home and hill affairs department internal security branch, said the SIT, headed by inspector general of police Pranav Kumar, will have the liberty to access any relevant document from government departments and private agencies required for expeditious completion of the inquiry.

"The SIT will submit its first report to the State Government within a month from the date of its constitution," the order read.

BJP reacts

Reacting to the state government move, Bharatiya Janata Party IT cell head Amit Malviya suspected the the West Bengal Police would arrest Sandip Ghosh to stop the CBI from taking him in custody.

Now, WB Govt constitutes a SIT to probe allegations of financial irregularities by Dr Sandeep Ghosh, the disgraced Principal of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital. 4 IPS officers are part of the SIT. How are police officers equipped to investigate financial crimes? This is nothing but Mamata Banerjees move to save Ghosh. WB Police will arrest Sandeep Ghosh, just in time, to stop CBI from taking him in custody, Amit Malviya wrote on social media platform X.

Unless Mamata Banerjee resigns, free and fair probe in the rape and murder of the lady doctor is not possible. She must resign now, he added.

Sandip Ghosh questioned again

Sandip Ghosh, who reached the CBIs Kolkata office at CGO Complex in the morning, was grilled till late in the evening, for around 13 hours, an official said.

Among other queries, he was asked to specify his role after getting the news of the death of the doctor, who he had contacted thereafter and why he made the parents wait for nearly three hours before getting to see her body, an official told news agency PTI.

The former principal was also questioned on who had ordered renovation of rooms adjacent to the seminar hall, after the postgraduate trainees body was found there on August 9, he said.

Sandip Ghosh, who had resigned from the post on August 11, has been grilled for several hours in the last three days by officers of the central probe agency.

Some of his version does not match with that of the others who are being interrogated in the case, the official said. The call records and his chat details are also being investigated.

Later in the evening, a team of CBI officers visited the RG Kar hospital to take a closer look at its Trauma Care Unit, and also collected samples.

(With inputs from agencies)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to conduct the polygraph test of Sanjoy Roy, the accused in the Kolkata rape and murder case, on Tuesday, August 20. On Monday, the CBI was granted permission to conduct the test on the accused, a civic volunteer, who allegedly raped and murdered a 31-year-old trainee doctor inside the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Artists and others take part in a protest against the alleged sexual assault and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor in Kolkata, at Balurghat in Dakshin Dinajpur district, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (PTI Photo)(PTI)

The CBI court got the nod to conduct a polygraph test on the accused by a local court, days after the agency conducted a psychoanalysis test on him. The polygraph test will be conducted to further determine the involvement of the accused in the case.

Till now, the CBI probe found no one else involved in the case other than Sanjoy Roy, making him the sole accused. Meanwhile, the victim's parents have alleged that it was a gang-rape, claiming multiple people in from the hospital were involved.

Kolkata rape-murder case: 10 points

The CBI is likely to conduct the polygraph test on accused Sanjoy Roy on Tuesday. On Sunday, the agency conducted a psychoanalysis test on the accused, where he was questioned by a team of experts from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL). The mother-in-law of the accused said Sanjoy Roy was not a good person, and he used to hit his wife. She also alleged that Roy thrashed her daughter and caused a miscarriage. Protest against the West Bengal government escalated on Monday after Kolkata Police intensified its crackdown on social media misinformation, and arrested a person for disclosing the identity of the victim and threatening chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Senior doctors Kunal Sarkar and Subarna Goswami, who had posted about the incident on social media, appeared before police after leading a march of hundreds of healthcare professionals from Calcutta Medical College.



Read more: Kolkata doctor's rape-murder: Sandip Ghosh, grilled by CBI, faces more trouble as Bengal SIT to probe hospital finances As the police continued its crackdown against social media users, the opposition parties - BJP and Left Front - termed it as an attempt to silence the dissent against the government. Till now, there has been no let-up in the protests across the nation against the rape and murder of the junior doctor. The doctor's strike is continuing in Kolkata as out-patient departments saw a massive rush amid shortage of staff. Healthcare services remained affected at state-run hospitals in West Bengal as junior doctors continued their cease-work protest. CBI officers questioned the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip Ghosh, for the fourth consecutive day on Monday till late evening. He was asked why he made the parents of the victim wait hours before seeing the body, and ordering a renovation near the scene of the crime. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose reached Delhi on Monday night as speculation remain rife that he might meet with President Droupadi Murmu and senior government leaders to discuss the case. The Union health ministry has allowed enhancement of security deployment by 25 per cent at all Union government hospitals to ensure the safety of doctors amid the ongoing uproar.

(With inputs from agencies)
Kolkata doctor's rape-murder case hearing: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered setting up a 10-member national task force to make recommendations on prevention of violence and safe working conditions for medical professionals, days after the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor in Kolkata sparked nationwide protests. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra during hearing on a suo moto case related to the alleged sexual assault and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor in Kolkata, at the Supreme Court in New Delhi, (PTI)

The task force will submit its interim report within three weeks and the final report within two months, the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said.

The Supreme Court said the doctors panel will frame guidelines for ensuring safety and protection of medical professionals and health care workers across the country.

Protecting safety of doctors and women doctors is a matter of national interest and principle of equality. The nation cannot await another rape for it to take some steps, the CJI said.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the case, the top court said this incident raises systematic issue regarding safety of doctor across India.

A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, which had taken cognisance of the incident, said if women are not able to go to work and working conditions are not safe, we are denying them equality.

The Supreme Court also came down heavily on the West Bengal government over delay in filing FIR in the rape-murder case, and asked what were hospital authorities doing.

"It appears crime was detected in early hours, medical college principal tried to pass it off as suicide," the bench comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra observed.

The bench rapped the Kolkata Police and asked how a mob of thousands entered the RG Kar Medical College.

Members of the national task-force are

Surgeon Vice Admiral RK Sarian

Dr Reddy , Mangaing Director Asian Institute of National Gastrology

Dr M Srivas, Director AIIMS, Delhi

Dr Prathima Moorthy, NIMHANS, Bangalore

Dr Puri, Director, AIIMs, Jodhpur

Dr Ravat, Managing member of Gangaram Hospital

Prof Anita Saxena, VC of Pandit BD Sharma College

Dr Pallavi

Dr Padma Srivastav

DY Chandrachud said the following shall be the ex-officio members of the national task-force: (a) the cabinet secretary to the GOI; (b) the home secretary of GOI; (c) secretary of ministry of family welfare

The Supreme Court also directed the CBI to submit a status report on the probe into the Kolkata rape-murder case on August 22. The court also asked the West Bengal government to asked to submit its explanation regarding the vandalism at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Doctors and medics across India have been holding protests, candlelight marches and even temporarily refused care for non-emergency patients since August 9 when the killing in Kolkata. The doctors say the assault highlights the vulnerability of health care workers in hospitals and medical campuses across India.

The rape and killing of the 31-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital has also focused rage on the chronic issue of violence against women.

A police volunteer has been arrested and charged with the crime.

Thousands of people, particularly women, have marched in the streets of Kolkata demanding justice for the doctor. They say women in India continue to face rising violence despite tough laws that were implemented following the gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in Delhi in 2012.

That attack had inspired lawmakers to order harsher penalties for such crimes and set up fast-track courts dedicated to rape cases. The government also introduced the death penalty for repeat offenders.

Despite tougher legislation, sexual violence against women has remained a widespread problem in India. In 2022, police recorded 31,516 reports of rape  a 20 per cent jump from 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.
Kolkata doctor rape-murder case highlights: Amid nationwide protests against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar hospital in Kolkata, a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud is hearing a suo motu case related to the RG Kar hospital incident. Meanwhile, West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose has arrived in Delhi to address the issue with President Droupadi Murmu and national leaders....Read More

Also Read: Rape, murder of junior doctor brings R G Kar Medical College and Hospitals dark past under lens

On Monday, during a Raksha Bandhan event at Raj Bhavan, the governor said, "In West Bengal, democracy is degenerating. This cannot go on. Today, we have to take a pledge to protect our daughters, sisters."

The trainee doctor's parents criticised the the alleged attempts to silence protestors and said they were disappointed in the handling of the rape-murder case by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Health services across the country have been hit as doctors' strikes enter their 10th day. The Union health ministry has approved a 25 per cent enhancement in security deployment at central hospitals, in response to doctors demands to ensure safety.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently conducting an investigation into the case, taking over from Kolkata police as per a Calcutta high court order. The CBI has been given permission to conduct a polygraph test on accused Sanjoy Roy.

The TMC government in West Bengal have faced scrutiny after their alleged involvement in stifling protests. Senior TMC leader Arup Chakraborty during a rally, warned doctors that if public anger were to turn against them, they would not save them. He also threatened those criticising Mamata Banerjee, saying their fingers would be broken, inviting ire from various other parties.
Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar will join Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as the Congress is set to launch its campaign for the Maharashtra assembly polls in Mumbai on Tuesday, August 20. Opposition's Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray during a press conference after the bloc leaders meeting, in Mumbai(ANI)

The Congress rally, marking the birth anniversary of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, will also be attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and AICC in-charge for Maharashtra, Ramesh Chennithala.

Uddhav Thackeray and Pawar are expected to share a stage with Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai as the alliance gears up for the assembly election in Maharashtra, and the MVA continues to mull over a chief minister face for the upcoming elections.

The MVA constituents- the Congress, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT)- had declared to contest the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections together. Deliberations for the sharing of seats are yet to gather momentum.

The Congress has announced a meeting at 3pm at the Shanmukanand Auditorium in Mumbai, followed by a rally in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). The Congress has planned several programmes in Mumbai, the birthplace of Rajiv Gandhi, to mark his birth anniversary.

MVA allies attended a meeting on Friday in which Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray demanded the alliance declare its Chief Ministerial face in advance. The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief said the CM face should be picked out without waiting for the scorecard of each constituent in the assembly elections.

The MVA trounced the Mahayuti alliance in Lok Sabha elections by bagging 30 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, with the BJP losing 14 constituencies of the 23 it had won in 2019.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on August 16 announced the dates for the Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana assembly elections, leaving out Maharashtra from the poll date announcement. The Election Commission of India (ECI) said that the elections in Maharashtra, due in October-November, stand delayed due to the monsoon season.

Last time, Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections were held together. At that time, J&K was not a factorThe other factor is that there was heavy rainfall in Maharashtra and there are several festivals lined up too, CEC Rajiv Kumar said during the press conference.

(With inputs from PTI)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday lashed out at Rahul Gandhi after the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha told reporters not to distract him after he was reportedly asked about the Kolkata rape and murder case.



Gandhi is in his parliamentary constituency Raebareli wherein he met the family of a Dalit youth who was shot dead. I am here for this matter. I know you don't want to raise this issue. You want to distract me. You don't want to give space to the voices of Dalits. I have come here to protect the Dalits and raise their issues, PTI quoted Gandhi as saying.



Kolkata murder case LIVE coverage



I won't allow any distraction. I will speak on the Kolkata case in days to come, he added.



ALSO READ: 'Can't wait for another rape': SC's strong observation on Kolkata doctor murder Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.(PTI)

Shocking beyond imagination: BJP



Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonwalla hit back at Gandhi, calling his remarks shocking.

It is shocking beyond imagination that when asked about the RG Kar Medical College case, Rahul Gandhi says don't ask me about this, it is a distraction...This kind of attitude towards the issue that has shaken the conscience of the country...Is the Supreme Court indulging in distraction? How dare he call this a distraction? the BJP leader told ANI.

The same Rahul Gandhi, when it comes to UP, MP he goes but to Bengal where it is important to save the constitution, there they will not go...He cannot speak a word about TMC who is the alliance partner of INDI alliance...This is an insult to not just the women who are protesting but the family and victim herself. He must apologise, he added.



ALSO READ: Kolkata horror | Accused's mother-in-law reveals shocking details: Hang him



On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, triggering nationwide strikes. Civil societies and doctors across the States protested against the incident, demanded severe punishment for the accused, and sought safety and security for themselves.
Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reaffirmed his commitment to the Constitution drafted by BR Ambedkar by implementing reservation principles in Union Public Service Commission lateral entry. Union information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. (Hindustan Times)

Prime Minister Modi has consistently demonstrated his commitment to social justice, leading to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) being granted constitutional status, he said.

Ashwini Vaishnaw mentioned that under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, the government has ensured that reservation principles are applied to admissions in NEET, Sainik Schools, and various other institutions.

PM Modi ensured that Babasaheb Ambedkars five sacred places are given their proper status. We are also proud that the President of India comes from a tribal community, Vaishnaw told ANI.

He said that under PM Modis principles of saturation, which aim to reach every welfare programme to the poorest and most marginalised sections of society, the SC, ST, and OBC communities have received the maximum benefits.

Before 2014, the decisions of the Congress government had no focus on reservation principles. Finance secretaries were inducted through lateral entry and reservation principle was not taken into consideration. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and then Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia entered service through the lateral entry route, said Vaishnaw.

PM Modi viewed lateral entry through UPSC as a means to introduce transparency and by incorporating the principle of reservation, it now clearly reflects a commitment to social justice, claimed the Union minister.

Centre asks UPSC to cancel lateral entry advertisements

The Centre earlier asked the UPSC to withdraw the latest advertisement for lateral entry in bureaucracy, amid a row over reservation in the advertised posts.

Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh wrote to Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Chairman Preeti Sudan and asked her to cancel the advertisement so that marginalised communities get their rightful representation in government services.

The UPSC had on August 17 issued a notification for recruiting 45 joint secretaries, directors and deputy secretaries through lateral entry -- referred to as appointment of specialists (including those from the private sector) in government departments.

The decision had ignited criticism from opposition parties, which claimed it undermined the reservation rights of OBCs, SCs and STs.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will board Train Force One, the luxury train from Poland to travel to Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Friday, August 23. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands during the G7 leaders' summit in Hiroshima, Japan on May 20, 2023. File Photo(via REUTERS)

The train has previously been used by world leaders such as US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron for their trips to Kyiv.

Train Force One features impressive interiors that match its prestigious guest list. The train boasts wood-panelled cabins designed for both work and relaxation.

Read: PM Narendra Modi to be ferried in luxury rail service on Ukraine trip

Amenities feature a large table for crucial meetings, a plush sofa, and a wall-mounted TV. The sleeping arrangements are also thoughtfully designed for comfort.

PM Modi will visit Ukraine on August 23, marking the first visit by a senior Indian leader since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. The visit is expected to last around seven hours, with nearly 20 hours spent traveling by train.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky frequently relies on the railway network for his international diplomatic trips.

Trains operate smoothly despite threats

Ukraine has switched from electric locomotives to diesel engines due to significant damage inflicted on the countrys electricity networks and power generation facilities by Russia. This change has increased the travel time for trains from the Polish border to Kyiv.

Originally built in 2014 for tourists in Crimea, these luxury carriages were repurposed after Russia's annexation to transport world leaders and VIPs through a war-torn country.

Under Oleksandr Kamyshin's leadership, the Ukrainian railway system has managed to maintain train operations with minimal delays despite ongoing threats and frequent power outages.

He gained prominence for managing a rail system that has evacuated millions fleeing west, transported many leaders and diplomats, and kept the country's transport running smoothly despite the ongoing Russian aggression.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Modi met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy in June and previously at the G7 Summit in Japan last year.

They also connected during the COP meeting in Glasgow in 2021. Additionally, Ukraines foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba visited New Delhi in March to encourage India to play a larger role in ongoing peace efforts.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make official visits to Poland and Ukraine beginning Wednesday.



Modi, who was recently sworn in as prime minister for a third successive term, is the first Indian PM after Morarji Desai to travel to the European country in 45 years. The year 2024 marks the 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Poland. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky met on the margins of the G7 Summit in Italy in June and they also met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Japan last year. (PTI file)

What's on agenda?

The external affairs ministry's secretary (West) Tanmaya Lal informed on Monday that PM Modi during his visit will hold meetings with his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk. He will also meet the Polish president Andrzej Duda and the Indian community. Modi will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at Polish capital Warsaw. He will also interact with business leaders and prominent ecologists during the visit.

Indian community in Poland estimated at around 25,000. This includes around 5,000 students. The government and people of Poland had offered valuable assistance during 'Operation Ganga' for the evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine. More than 4,000 Indian students were evacuated via Poland in 2022, Lal added.

Modi's Ukraine visit

From Poland, PM Modi will travel to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on a train called Rail Force One, which will take around 10 hours. The return trip will be of the same duration.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on his first visit to Ukraine since Kyiv was attacked by Russian forces in the spring of 2022.

It will be the first visit to Ukraine by an Indian prime minister since diplomatic ties were established between the two countries 30 years ago. Modi's visit comes at a time when Kyiv has carried out a fresh military offensive into the Russian territory.



ALSO READ: India may not directly mediate between Russia, Ukraine but likely to pass messages

MEA's secretary (West) Tanmaya Lal said that PM Modi's talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky are expected to focus on the entire gamut of India-Ukraine ties including in areas of agriculture, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, health and education, defence, and people-to-people ties.

Asked whether India is interested in the reconstruction of Ukraine, Lal said New Delhi is willing to provide all support and contribution that may be required not only to find a peaceful solution to the conflict but also in the recovery process.



Modi had met Zelensky along the sidelines of G7 summit in June this year. During the interaction, the prime minister had said that India continues to encourage a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, and New Delhi will continue to do everything within its means to support a peaceful solution".



Last month, PM Modi met Vladimir Putin in Moscow, wherein he nudged the Russian president to return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy, saying no solution can be found on the battlefield.



(With agency inputs)
Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Ukraine this week is expected to last about seven hours and the trip will involve spending close to 20 hours on a train that has ferried world leaders such as US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron to Kyiv, people familiar with the matter said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Modi met on the margins of the G7 Summit in Italy in June and they also met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Japan last year. (PTI)

Modi will be in Ukraine on August 23 for the first visit by a senior Indian leader since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. After weeks of speculation, the visit was formally announced by the external affairs ministry on Monday.

Preparations for what is perhaps the first visit to by an Indian premier to an active warzone began several weeks ago and has involved close coordination on security matters and complex logistics, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity. The Indian premier is expected to travel on the overnight train that was dubbed Rail Force One after it carried Biden from Przemysl Gowny in Poland to Kyiv in February 2023.

Ukraine has replaced electric locomotives with diesel engines since Russia inflicted considerable damage on the countrys electricity networks and power generation facilities, thereby increasing the time taken by the train to travel from the Polish border to Kyiv, one of the people cited above said.

The journey now takes close to 10 hours and Modi is expected to leave for Ukraine on August 22, after concluding his official meetings in Poland, the first stop on his two-nation tour. He is expected to reach Kyiv in the morning on August 23 and will spend about seven hours in Ukraine, before again taking the train operated by Ukrzaliznytsia or Ukrainian Railways to return to Poland.

Modis visit to Ukraine is widely being seen as a balancing act following his trip to Moscow during July 8-9 for the annual India-Russia Summit with President Vladimir Putin. That visit had triggered outrage in the West as the Indian leaders arrival in Moscow had coincided with a Russian strike on Kyivs largest childrens hospital.

This landmark visit, of course, takes place against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which will also form part of discussions, Tanmaya Lal, secretary (West) in the external affairs ministry, told a media briefing. He declined to discuss details about the elements in the programme for Modis visit.

Lal sidestepped questions on whether Modi will propose a peace plan while in Ukraine and whether the visit is a balancing act in the face of pressure from the West, especially the US, and said India has consistently pushed for diplomacy and dialogue to find a negotiated settlement. In this context, he noted that India had attended the Summit for Peace in Ukraine hosted by Switzerland in June.

Dialogue is absolutely essential. Lasting peace can only be achieved through options that are acceptable to both parties and there can only be a negotiated settlement...India continues to engage with all stakeholders, he said.

Modi has had conversations with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, and India is willing to provide all possible support and contributions to help find a peaceful solution to this complex issue. At this stage it is not for us to anticipate or prejudge what the outcome of these discussions will be between the leaders of India and Ukraine, Lal said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Modi met on the margins of the G7 Summit in Italy in June and they also met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Japan last year. Earlier, they met on the margins of the COP meeting in Glasgow in 2021, while Ukraines foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba visited New Delhi in March to push India to take on a greater role in ongoing peace efforts.

Before the Russian invasion, bilateral trade between India and Ukraine was worth more than $3 billion. India was one of the largest importers of sunflower oil from Ukraine and there was cooperation in areas such as heavy industry, railways and defence. There were also about 18,000 students in Ukraine at the start of the conflict and most of them were evacuated through neighbouring countries. About 1,000 students are currently pursuing courses in Ukraine.

Defence cooperation and bolstering trade will figure in Modis discussions with Polands top leadership, including Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Andrzej Duda. This will be the first visit by an Indian premier to Warsaw in 45 years and comes at a time when both countries are marking the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

Two-way trade is worth about $6 billion, making Poland Indias largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe. Indian investments in Poland are estimated at $3 billion, while Polish investments in India are around $1 billion. Poland is also home to an Indian community of about 25,000, including 5,000 students.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned until August 27 the hearing on Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavithas bail pleas in the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) cases related to alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped 2021-22 Delhi liquor policy. K Kavitha being produced in a Delhi court. (ANI/File)

Additional solicitor general SV Raju, appearing for both agencies said, the CBI has filed its affidavit while the ED affidavit was in the pipeline while seeking a week to file the counter affidavit.

The court issued notice on Kavithas bail plea on August 12 as it was inclined to take up bail pleas in both the CBI and ED cases together. It directed the ED to file its response by Thursday and allowed a day for Kavithas lawyers to file a reply. We do not understand the tendency to file long counter affidavits. In the high court, just the case diary is produced and the matter decided.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Kavitha said, she is a co-accused in the same case in which former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was granted bail this month. She is the only woman accused. She is entitled to the exception from the rigours of bail under Section 45 of PMLA [Prevention of Money Laundering Act] being a lady.

A bench of justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan observed the high court has given elaborate reasons why she was not entitled to that relief while posting the matter for hearing next week. The Supreme Court refused to consider her prayer for interim bail until it heard both the CBI and ED.

The Delhi high court refused Kavitha bail on July 1 in both cases. Kavitha has been in jail for five months. She is accused of being part of the conspiracy in formulating the excise policy to benefit private liquor retailers.

The high court rejected her bail plea citing the statement of one of the accused Sharat Chandra Reddy, who later turned approver. Reddys company allegedly paid 80 lakh to her NGO Telangana Jagruthi after she allegedly gave an assurance to support his business in Delhi.
New Delhi, Amid spiralling nation-wide protests over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a 10-member National Task Force to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of doctors and other health care professionals. SC raps WB govt over doc's rape and murder, forms panel to mull over safety of medical professionals

Terming the incident as "horrific", the apex court excoriated the state government over the delay in filing the FIR and allowing thousands of miscreants to vandalise the state-run facility.

It also asked the West Bengal government to not unleash the "power of the State" on peaceful protesters and to deal with them with "great sensitivity in this moment of national catharsis".

The 10-member task force headed by Vice Admiral Arti Sarin has been asked to submit its interim report within three weeks.

The Supreme Court, which directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to submit a status report on the progress made in its investigation into the killing, also asked the state government to submit a report on the action it has taken against the vandals.

The court also expressed its deep concern over the name of the victim, her photographs and video clips showing her lifeless body having been splashed all over the media.

Taking a serious note of mob violence in the hospital and the allegation that the Kolkata police fled the scene, the top court ordered deployment of Central Industrial Security Force at the hospital to enable doctors to resume work.

"In the aftermath of the brutal incident and the demonstrations which followed, the State Government was expected to ensure the deployment of the state machinery to prevent a breach of law and order.

"It was all the more necessary to do so since investigation of the crime which took place in the precincts of the hospital was under way. We are unable to comprehend how the State was not prepared to deal with the incident of vandalisation of the premises of the hospital," the top court said.

The bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud criticised the ex-principal of RG Kar Medical College Dr Sandip Ghosh for trying to pass off the case as that of suicide and not letting the parents of the deceased to see her body for several hours.

"What was the principal doing? Why was this inaction to first pass this as suicide and not registering an FIR. Body is handed to the parents for cremation late in the night. On the next day, the doctors are on protest and a mob assembles at the hospital.

"The hospital is invaded and critical facilities are damaged. What was the police doing? A serious offence has taken place and the crime scene is within the hospital. The police should have protected the crime scene. How can the police allow vandals to enter the hospital. After the principal resigned, he is sent to another hospital. When his conduct was under scrutiny, how was he appointed to another college immediately," the bench, also comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, observed.

The bench said what has taken place in Kolkata is not just a horrific murder but an incident which has raised systemic issues about the safety of doctors.

"We are deeply concerned that there is a virtual absence of safe work conditions across the country, particularly in public hospitals. Most of the young doctors have to put in 36 hours of work.

"We find that there are no duty rooms available, or separate restrooms for men and women doctors and nursing staff. We must evolve a national consensus that there must be a national standard protocol so that safe work conditions are provided," the bench said.

If women cannot go to their place of work safely, then we are denying them equality, the apex court said.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the West Bengal government, refuted the observations and submitted that Kolkata police took all necessary action. He said he will place on record all the facts.

"Photos and videos were circulated before the police reached the crime scene. We didn't allow anything to happen and cordoned off the area. Inquest was done and a case of unnatural death was registered immediately. We caught the culprit who was a civic worker. This is not adversarial litigation," Sibal told the court.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said a mob of 7,000 people could not have assembled at the hospital without the knowledge and consent of the police.

"Let West Bengal government not be in denial mode, there is complete failure of law and order in the state. A girl has lost her life due to a sexual pervert and an animal," Mehta said.

Sibal said over 50 FIRs have been registered following the vandalism incident and 37 people have already been arrested.

The top court asked the West Bengal government to not take coercive action against people holding peaceful protests and speaking up on social media.

"Let not the power of the State of West Bengal be unleashed upon peaceful protesters. Let us deal with them with great sensitivity. This is a moment for national catharsis," the apex court said.

Sibal said a lot of misinformation is beng spread in the media about the case and the state government is only taking action against those involved in it.

The court then said,"We expect that West Bengal government shall observe necessary restraint in the face of peaceful protests being conducted by any quarter of the society bearing on the issues which form the subject matter of the incident in Kolkata."

The trainee doctor's body with severe injury marks was found inside the seminar hall of the hospital's chest department on August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata Police the following day for his alleged involvement in the rape-murder incident.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Shocking findings by Justice Hema committee on the conditions of women in the Malayalam cinema have ignited a debate on gender equality and exploitation in the workplace. Justice Hema Committee members handing over the report to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan(ANI)

The committee was formed in response to a petition by the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), in the wake of a sexual assault on a woman actor inside a moving vehicle in Kerala. Actor Dileep is currently facing trial in the case.

The Hema Committee was tasked with studying issues faced by women in cinema, including working conditions, remuneration, and participation in technical fields. It was also asked to suggest measures to ensure gender equality and improve safety and security.

Also read | Malayalam film industry: Kerala HC allows release of Justice Hema Committee report

It faced significant challenges like contacting individuals from the industry, a lack of key personnel like a stenographer, and delays by key individuals in responding to the committee's queries.

Findings by the committee

According to women in cinema, the harassment starts from the very inception, the report notes based on the statements of various witnesses.

Lack of toilet facilities and safe changing rooms: The report notes a lack of adequate toilet facilities for women in particular and suggests setting up e-toilets in sufficient numbers.

Women actors do not feel safe due to the lack of safe changing rooms and the report recommended setting safe temporary changing rooms in every filming location.

Adjustment and compromise: When a production controller or whoever approaches the woman/girl with a role or a woman approaches any person in cinema seeking a chance, she is told that she has to make "adjustments" and "compromise" to take her in cinema and also grow to heights.

"Compromise" and "adjustment" are two terms which are very familiar among women in the Malayalam film industry and they are asked to make herself available for sex on demand," the report notes.

Also read | Kerala HC refuses to cancel Dileeps bail in actress assault case

Knock on the door: Women actors are accompanied by their friends or close relatives as they do not feel safe staying alone in their accommodations.

"In most of the hotels where they are staying, the doors are knocked by the men working in cinema who would be mostly under intoxication. Many women have stated that knocking will not be polite or decent but, they repeatedly bang at the door, by force. On many occasions, they felt that the door would collapse and men would make an entry into the room by force", the report said.

The report also notes an instance where an actress had to act as a wife to a male actor, who had sexually assaulted her before. Because of what was done to her during the shooting, her resentment and hatred had reflected on her face. 17 retakes had to be taken for just one shot. The director criticised her for the situation, notes the report.

Greater the stardom, more the embarrassment: It notes that victims of sexual assault do not report to the police for fear of threat to their lives and also serious consequences to their family members. They are more embarrassed than ordinary women because they are public figures who can be subjected to various harassment including cyber attacks. Even those men who ask why not the woman go to the police would know that if any sexual assault is made against any woman in their own family, nobody rushes to the police station with the complaint, the report adds.

Power nexus - The report alleges that an all-powerful nexus comprised of a handful of producers, directors, actors, and production controllers control the industry. When sexual harassment is perpetrated by someone in the power nexus, the women are too scared to complain lest they should be ousted not just from that particular movie in which the incident happened, but from all movies produced by others too, thus leading to termination of their careers, the report notes. Several aspiring actors, including men, have been victims of this power nexus.

Begging for full remuneration: The committee notes an absence of a written contract except in cases of top stars. Women and junior actors are not paid their full wages and they find it difficult to enforce wage obligations due to lack of written contracts. The report also mentions an instance when a female actor had to beg to get her rightful wage.

The report concludes that addressing these issues is not just about ensuring justice for women but also about creating a more equitable and inclusive film industry in Kerala.
New Delhi, Slamming the Modi government for the "rampant adoption" of machine-manufactured polyester flags, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday called for the restoration of khadi as the only fabric with the distinction of bearing the tricolour and asserted that the fabric must find its rightful place as an embodiment of national pride. Sonia bats for khadi as sole fabric for tricolour

Penning an article in The Hindu, Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's renewed call for a 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign in the week leading up to the Independence Day offers an opportunity to collectively introspect on the national flag and its significance to the country.

"His moral duplicity in paying deference to the national flag while pledging allegiance to an organisation that has remained, indifferent to it, is one matter. The rampant adoption of machine-manufactured polyester flags, with raw materials often imported from China and elsewhere, is another," she said.

The Flag Code of India has historically required the national flag to be made of "hand spun and hand-woven wool/cotton/silk khadi bunting", she pointed out.

Khadi, that coarse but versatile and sturdy fabric which the Mahatma himself spun and wove in his leadership of the national movement, is imbued with a special meaning in our historical and cultural memory, she said.

Khadi is at once a symbol of our storied past, and an icon of Indian modernity and economic vitality, the Congress Parliamentary Party chief asserted.

It was in deference to this eternal symbolism that the tricolour once bore the Mahatma's charkha as its centrepiece, and that the modern-day Indian flag used to insist on khadi as its sole fabric, Gandhi said.

"In 2022, on the auspicious occasion of the 75th anniversary of our Independence, the Government amended the code to include 'machine made...polyester ... bunting' and simultaneously exempted polyester flags from the Goods and Services Tax . Thereby, it put them on the same tax footing as khadi flags," she said.

At a time when it would have been appropriate to bind ourselves afresh to the service of our country's national symbols, the Government chose to set them aside and pursue mass-market, machine-made polyester fabric, Gandhi said.

She pointed out that the Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha in Karnataka's Hubballi district, the country's sole national flag manufacturing unit accredited by the Bureau of Indian Standards , had to resort to an indefinite strike to call attention to the state-sponsored murder of India's khadi industry.

This decision came at a time when India, far from its glory days as a global hub for polyester manufacturing, became a net importer of polyester yarn in 2023 and 2024, she said.

"We thus have the real misfortune of importing polyester yarn, primarily from China, and then weaving this imported yarn to produce cloth for our national flag. This shameful inversion of our national pride occurred at the time of grave encroachments by the Chinese armed forces on our borders, and at the peak of the Prime Minister's 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat spectacle," Gandhi said, in a scathing attack at the Centre.

"The hollowness and inadequacy of the government's vision has had direct and calamitous consequences for the Mahatma's foremost legatees - our khadi spinners and weavers," she said.

The case of our national flag is not an exception, rather, it is a vividly poignant illustration of this government's general disinterest in cultivating India's storied handloom and handicraft traditions -khadi or otherwise, she said.

Since 2014, the government has led a consistent effort to support big corporate interests and oligopolisation, and structurally dismantle our nation's micro, small and medium enterprises sector, home to our handloom industries, the Congress leader said.

"Demonetisation, a punitive GST, and the unplanned COVID-19 lockdown saw thousands of our handloom workers quit their professions. Our handloom traditions, a material testament to our shared history as a society and polity, have been unravelled by the high-handedness of this uncaring government," she alleged.

The GST continues to be a burden on our handloom workers, with tax having been introduced on the final product as well as on raw materials such as yarns, dyes, and chemicals, she said.

"Our workers' consistent demands to exempt handlooms from GST have fallen on unsympathetic ears, even as surging costs, particularly of electricity and cotton fibre, squeeze them out," Gandhi said.

The recently launched Vishwakarma Yojana, itself deficient on multiple accounts, fully excludes handloom spinners and weavers from its ambit, she noted.

"Meanwhile, in a perversion of the Mahatma's vision, the Government has taken no effort to empower our khadi spinners and weavers to form their own cooperatives outside of existing khadi institutions to market and sell their product," she said.

Government procurement of khadi has fallen as departments choose to ignore or overrule mandates that require them to do so, she said.

"More worryingly, the government has failed to build a global audience for Indian handlooms. At a time when consumers across the world are beginning to prize sustainable sourcing and fair trade, the fabric on which Gandhiji's satyagraha was founded should have been globally treasured. Instead, even in his very own nation, Bapu's khadi is being denied its identity," she said.

The Government has failed to regulate the market and khadi spun from semi-mechanised charkhas is being sold indiscriminately, and under the same tag as traditional hand-spun khadi, Gandhi said in her article.

This is to the detriment of our khadi spinners, whose wages do not exceed 200- 250 a day despite their back-breaking manual labour, she said.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside the controversial judgment by the Calcutta high court delivered on October 18, 2023, asking adolescent girls to control their sexual urges. The apex court heard a suo motu case titled In Re: Right to Privacy of Adolescents, which was initiated after the controversial remarks by the high court last year. Lawyers at the Supreme Court of India in New Delhi. (PTI Photo)

A Supreme Court bench consisting of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan set aside the high court's judgment asking girls to control their sexual urges and acquitting 25 year old man for engaging in sexual activities with a minor girl.

The bench said guidelines have been issued regarding how to write judgements, especially in cases of sensitive nature. Further, Justice Oka said that the conviction of the accused has been restored under Section 6 of the POCSO Act, Sections 376(3) and 376(2)(n) of the Indian Penal Code.

An expert panel has also been constituted to help the victim in the case take informed decisions, the top court said on Tuesday.

The Calcutta high court in October last year sparked a controversy when it overturned the conviction of a 25-year-old man under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012, and made remarks regarding the sexual behavior of teenage girls.

The high court bench consisting of Justices Chitta Ranjan Dash and Partha Sarathi Sen said in its judgement, It is the duty/obligation of every female adolescent to control sexual urge/urges as in the eyes of the society she is the looser when she gives in to enjoy the sexual pleasure of hardly two minutes.

Sex in adolescents is normal but sexual urge or arousal of such urge is dependent on some action by the individual, may be a man or woman. Therefore, sexual urge is not at all normal and normative, the bench further noted.

The high court further noted the need of provisions in the POCSO Act to address consensual, non-exploitative relationships between adolescents aged 16-18.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday also heard the plea regarding the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata earlier this month. The Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation of the case to CBI after expressing discontent with the investigation carried out by the Kolkata Police.
Lateral entry ad cancelled: Union minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday wrote to the chairperson Union Public Service Commission or UPSC on cancelling the lateral entry advertisement as per directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The UPSC last Saturday advertised for 45 posts to be filled through the lateral entry mode on a contract basis.

The UPSC last Saturday advertised for 45 posts  10 of joint secretaries and 35 of directors/deputy secretaries  to be filled through the lateral entry mode on a contract basis. This scheme is aimed at appointing specialists (including those from the private sector) in government departments.

"While most of the major lateral entries before 2014 were made in an ad-hoc manner, including cases of alleged favouritism, efforts of our government have been to make the process institutionally driven, transparent and open," the letter read.

"The Prime Minister is of the firm belief that the process of lateral entry must be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in our Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation," it added.

The move comes a day after Bharatiya Janata Party ally and Union minister Chirag Paswan on Monday voiced concern over making any appointments in government posts without providing reservation, as the political row over lateral entry escalated, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleging it was an attack on the Dalits, OBCs and adivasis.

The Centre, on its part, accused the Congress of making misleading claims on the biggest tranche of lateral recruitment in bureaucracy being undertaken by it, and asserted that the move will not affect the recruitment of SC/STs in the all India services.

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said lateral entry in bureaucracy has been happening since the 1970s during the Congress-led governments and former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Montek Singh Ahluwalia were prominent examples of such initiatives taken in the past.

Law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal hit out at Rahul Gandhi for his claim that the government was trying to bypass the reservation system, reminding the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha that Manmohan Singh was made the finance secretary in 1976 through the lateral entry route. "You started lateral entry. Prime Minister Modi made it methodical," he told news agency PTI.

What is lateral entry?

Lateral entry into bureaucracy refers to the recruitment of individuals from outside the traditional government service cadres, such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), to fill mid and senior-level positions in government departments.
The Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti will observe a day-long Bharat Bandh (pan-India shutdown) on Wednesday, August 21, to protest the Supreme Court's recent judgment on reservations. Dalit and Adiwasi organisations have called for the Bharat Bandh (Representational Image)

On August 1, a seven-judge bench of Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, ruled by a 6:1 majority that further sub-classification of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes by states can be permitted to ensure quota for more backward castes within these groups.

Here's all you need to know:

(1.) The National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organsiations (NACDAOR) has released a list of demands, including a reversal of the verdict.

(2.) Arguing that the ruling threatens the constitutional rights of SCs and STs, the body has also said that the central government should reject this judgment.

(3.) Some of its demands are: justice and equity for SCs, STs, and Other Backward Classes; a new Act of Parliament on reservations; release of caste-based data on SC/ST/OBCs in central government jobs; a target of 50% representation for these groups in the higher judiciary; filling up of backlog vacancies in central/state government jobs, as well as public sector undertakings.

(4.) At least three political parties have extended their support for the bandh. These are BSP, JMM, and RJD.

(5.) According to Zee News, three states  Rajasthan, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh  will be impacted the most.

(6.) There is no official announcement regarding what will be open and what will be closed. Public transport may get hit at some places.

(7.) Emergency services such as hospitals, ambulances, and medical facilities, will remain functional.

(8.) There is no announcement from governments on closure of banks and government offices.

(9.) Educational institutes will also open.

(10.) Organisers have urged people to participate in large numbers, and peacefully.
Women artists and actors in the Malayalam film industry were routinely asked for sexual favours in exchange for opportunities, told to compromise, dealt with force exhibited by their male colleagues and threatened with bans if they attempted to sue, a landmark report on working conditions of women movie professionals in Kerala said on Monday. Representational Image/Pixabay.

The justice Hema committee report was released roughly four-and-a-half years after it was submitted to the Kerala government and recounted stark revelations about sexual harassment and abuse women faced within the industry, a powerful all-male lobby, unauthorised banning of artists, poor treatment of junior artists and absence of legal remedies to address grievances.

The publishing of the 235-page report  the first instance of a government-ordered gender audit in cinema in India  came after the division bench of the Kerala high court on Monday dismissed an appeal filed by actress Ranjini against a verdict of the single-judge bench and asked her counsel to file a writ petition instead. Though the writ petition was filed before justice VG Arun, he declined to hear the matter as it was yet to be numbered.

Compromise and adjustment are two terms which are very familiar among women in the Malayalam film industry and thereby, they are asked to make herself available for sex on demand, the report read.

Underlining that women do not find their accommodations arranged near film sets safe, the report said they were forced to be accompanied by their family members or close relatives in fear of being attacked. Those who testified before the committee said they were taking a risk by disclosing their experiences within the industry.

...if the facts stated by them reach the ears of those who tortured them, as many of the perpetrators are very influential. It was a shocking experience for us to listen to the nature of sexual assault and harassment which women in cinema have gone through, it read.

The Kerala government constituted the panel after the 2017 actress assault case involving actor Dileep to study issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality in Malayalam cinema. It comprised retired high court justice K Hema, veteran actress Sarada and retd IAS office KB Valsala Kumari.

The three-member panel was instituted in 2017 in the wake of the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of a leading Malayalam actress in a moving car near Kochi. One of the prime accused in that case, currently under trial, is actor Dileep who faces charges of conspiracy, tampering of evidence among other offences.

The panel alleged there was a power nexus consisting of a handful of producers, directors, actors and production controllers. It highlighted that women were denied basic human rights on film sets such as access to clean toilets and changing rooms. Female artists faced a tough time during menstruation and learnt to avoid drinking water for long periods to prevent the urge for urination, it said.

The offer to act or for doing any other job in cinema comes to a woman coupled with demand for sexual favours. As I already mentioned, the woman would be asked to adjust and compromise, thereby she is asked to surrender to sexual demands, the report said.

The committee hit out at the state film industry, accusing it of being under the clutch of certain actors, producers, and directors  all male.

They control the whole Malayalam film industry and they dominate other persons working in cinema. They can even coerce and threaten the persons who work in the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) to deal with the complaint, in the manner they demand. If any one of them who is part of ICC does not act according to dictates of those in power, their future can be ruined and they will be even wiped out of the industry as they are capable of doing it. This situation in cinema is very shocking, it said.

A prominent actor referred to the all-male lobby as a mafia that can pronounce illegal and unauthorised bans on anyone in the industry. Such bans are operated by mouth-to-mouth secret communication from one person to another and enforced upon producers easily, the report said.

The government-instituted audit also shone light on the plight of junior artists who were subjected to inhumane treatment on the sets.

The committee report  originally 295 pages long  was cut short by 66 pages to redact the names and information of those who testified and others against whom allegations were made.

The report recommended the enactment of a statute and the formation of a tribunal under it to solve the issues faced by women in the industry. It underlined that contrary to other sectors, where sexual harassment happened at the workplace, women cinema professionals were subjected to abuse even before she was selected for a role.

The committee said the tribunal must act as a civil court and be headed by a retired district judge, preferably a woman, who has at least five years of trial experience. The new law must provide for safe accommodations and transport options for women, access to toilets and changing rooms, ban on drugs and alcohol on film sets and strict adherence to work contracts especially for junior artists.

An artist added that if they take up the matter before the court or the police, they will face worse consequences, including threat to life. The artist added that threat to life will not only be against the victims but even their close family members will be in danger, the report said.

The report sparked a furore in Kerala.

There is no doubt that the recommendations by the committee call for serious introspection. In two months, we plan to hold a cinema conclave in Kochi where persons from different areas of cinema will come together. There will be extensive discussions and the government will take a decision on its implementation. said culture minister Saji Cheriyan.

The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), an outfit on whose demand the Hema committee was formed, hailed the report.

It has been a long journey for us. We believed that our fight for justice for all women wanting a dignified professional space in the film industry was the right fight. Today we stand vindicated.

Actor Siddique, general secretary of the influential body of actors Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, said, We will thoroughly study the report and then make a detailed response. It is a sensitive issue.
New Delhi: The extradition from Malaysia of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik was not raised by the Indian side and this issue shouldnt deter the two countries from enhancing bilateral relations, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during a press conference in Delhi on Tuesday. (Bloomberg)

Naiks presence in Malaysia, where he was granted permanent residency by the previous government led by Mahathir Mohamed, had become a major irritant in bilateral relations in recent years. India had on several occasions demanded the extradition of Naik, who has been wanted since 2016 for alleged involvement in money laundering and inciting extremism.

While responding to a question on the case of Naik during an interaction at the Indian Council of World Affairs, Ibrahim indicated his government would be willing to consider any evidence submitted by India against the preacher.

Firstly, it was not raised by the [Indian side], Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] did raise it much earlier, some years back. But the issue is Im not talking about one person, Im talking about the sentiment of extremism, of a compelling case and evidence that suggest the atrocities committed by an individual or group or faction or parties, Ibrahim said.

The Malaysian side is open to any ideas and evidence submitted, he said without going into details.

We will not condone terrorism...We have been tough and we have been working together with India on many of these issues, against terrorism. But I dont think this one case should deter us from further collaboration and enhancing our bilateral cooperation, Ibrahim said.

After leaving India, Naik initially travelled to Saudi Arabia before moving to Malaysia.

During the same event, Ibrahim was scathing in his criticism of Israels offensive in Gaza that has killed some 40,000 Palestinian civilians and what he described as the sheer hypocrisy of the West.

The atrocities of Israeli forces in Gaza  thats real, killing 40,000 people. That is an atrocity, he said.

We must give a very clear message that this hypocrisy must end. You cant talk about genocide in Ukraine because of the bombing of some villages, and 40,000 people killed [in Gaza as] the impact of war and you can condone that, he said while responding to a question from a Palestinian diplomat.

This is shocking and I call it sheer hypocrisy. It is long-standing but it has to end. It doesnt matter whether the victims are Muslims or Christians or Hindus or Buddhists or whatever. Theyre human beings and in this age for us [to say] that Im sorry, nothing can be done, is atrocious, Ibrahim said.

There is no right for any country, for whatever reason, to conquer, control, dispossess any other society or country. Why [make] an exception for Palestine and Gaza? he added.
Bollywood made a stylish splash for Raksha Bandhan yesterday, with stars like Kareena Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan, Alia Bhatt and more dazzling in stunning ethnic outfits. However, Ananya Panday kept it refreshingly simple, opting for a classic white kurta as she tied Rakhi to her brother, Ahaan Panday. The Call Me Bae star always delivers fresh fashion goals, and this easy-breezy look is no exception. Proving that festive fashion doesn't need to be over-the-top, she nails minimal aesthetics like a pro. Let's dive into her latest look and snag some style tips from the diva. (Also read: Ananya Pandey makes bold fashion statement in chic black bralette and mini slit skirt, proves her mastery of Gen Z style ) Ananya Panday stuns in minimalist white kurta for Raksha Bandhan celebrations.(Instagram/@ananyapanday)

Decoding Ananya Pandey's minimal Raksha Bandhan look

On Monday, Ananya gave her fans a sweet surprise as she took to Instagram and uploaded a series of adorable pictures accompanied by the caption, "obsessed since day 1  happy Rakhi Ahaani, you're so annoyinggggg I love you." The post also featured throwback childhood pictures of Ananya and Ahaan, showcasing their adorable sibling bond. Let's check out her heartwarming post!

Ananya's white kurta is all about effortless elegance with its keyhole neckline, sleeveless design, and pure mulmul cotton fabric. The straight-fit kurta is adorned with embroidered floral motifs and scallop lace on the hem and pleated neckline. She paired it with white pants, perfectly completing her simple yet stunning ethnic look. If you loved Ananya's look and want to add it to your wardrobe, you're in luck! Her outfit is from the brand Mulmul and comes with a budget-friendly price tag of 5,950.

Ananya Pandey's white kurta is from the brand Mulmul and costs 5,950.(www.shopmulmul.com)

Keeping her accessories minimal, Ananya styled her look with a pair of simple stud earrings. Her makeup featured mascara-coated lashes, nude lipstick, defined brows, and blushed cheeks. With her luscious tresses pulled into a neat bun, she completed her minimal look to perfection.

On the work front

Ananya Panday is set to shine in several exciting projects. Besides Call Me Bae, she will star in Vikramaditya Motwane's cyber thriller CTRL on Netflix and continue her work with Dharma Productions in the period film Shankara, where she will appear alongside Akshay Kumar.
A barrier erected in Japan to block a popular view of Mount Fuji has been taken down -- for now -- after succeeding in discouraging unruly tourists, a town official said Tuesday. Japan's Mount Fuji is seen covered with snow from Nakai town, Kanagawa prefecture. Japan relaxes tourist control, removes barrier blocking Mount Fuji view (REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo)

Fujikawaguchiko put up the large screen in May after residents complained about streams of mostly foreign visitors causing problems while trying to snap photos of Japan's famous volcano.

The town lowered the screen on August 15 ahead of a typhoon and has decided not to put it back up.

"We wanted to see what would happen," the town official told AFP.

"There are still some people who come to the place. But we no longer find many people suddenly rushing out into the traffic to cross the road," he said.

Pictures taken from the narrow pavement in front of a dentist's office were popular online, with the snow-capped mountain rising photogenically into the sky from behind a convenience store.

The town's struggle with unruly tourists made international headlines as record numbers of tourists headed to Japan over the summer, creating some opposition among locals.

The Fujikawaguchiko official said the town can put up the screen again if tourists return and cause more problems.
Alarm bells rang earlier this year within the ministry of finance and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) over slowing deposit growth at a time when credit growth was robust. Banks need the fodder of fresh deposits to keep lending going. As Indian economic activity picked up after the Covid shock, and with both bank and corporate balance sheets getting cleaned up, there has been a pick-up in bank credit. But, over the past decade, a mix of investor choices and an increased focus on third-party product sales by bank branch staff have reduced the growth rate of deposits. The fall is sharp enough for both RBI and the finance minister (FM) to worry about it. In fact, the FM met the heads of public sector banks this week and asked them to use innovative methods to drive deposit growth. Though recent data shows a small uptick, the underlying problem of bank deposit growth slowing over the long term has deep roots: Lack of innovation, rules that punish investors for changing their mind, and a general lack of trust in bank branches due to the hard-sell of insurance products add to the problem. RBI must look in the mirror to see how a lack of regulation of third-party sales and inadequate competition in the banking industry have led to the current situation. The banking lobbys act of getting the ministry of finance to change tax rules around debt funds in order to make them less attractive to investors as compared to deposits has not done much to nudge investors to change their behaviour. The issue is discussed in my previous column in this paper and can be read at https://shorturl.at/4oJMC. FILE PHOTO: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) seal is pictured on a gate outside the RBI headquarters in Mumbai, India, February 2, 2016. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui/File Photo (REUTERS)

It is everybodys experience that bank branch staff are highly incentivised to sell life insurance products. They have steep targets for policy sales and their career growth depends on how well they do in steering people away from deposits into life insurance. They usually sell money-back or endowment policies that can technically have a commission value of up to 100% of the first premium. Its no surprise that in the financial year 2022-23 (FY23), the first-year premium through the banking channel totalled nearly 81,000 crore. This is 5.5% of the total bank time-deposit growth over the previous year. If the investors who were sold insurance had done a fixed deposit (FD) instead, time-deposit growth would have been higher by 5.5% or almost 81,000 crore.

RBI has taken a view that the oversight of third-party sales (insurance, mutual funds) rests with the product regulators, but does not answer the question of how another regulator will monitor the behaviour of bank staff. RBI has not put in place an effective penalty structure for unsuitable sales of third-party products through the bank branches. A toxic experience in the branch serves to reduce trust in banks and nudges investors to seek other avenues of accessing investment products outside of the banking pipelines. This too should worry banks since they are large distributors of mutual funds, selling to individuals around 1.9 lakh crore worth of mutual funds in FY24.

In addition to issues of trust, there are also unfair rules that punish depositors for changing their mind mid-way in a fixed deposit. For example, if an investor breaks a five-year FD at the end of two years, she loses about 1% in interest  that is fair. But she also loses the five-year deposit rate and gets paid out interest for a two-year deposit. But she has already paid tax on the interest income as calculated for a five-year deposit. By comparison, in a debt fund, she would get the mark-to-market price on the day of the exit, making that option more attractive to the non-risk-averse investor.

Another factor is the lack of innovation in attracting deposits. FDs remain a suitable product for money needed within three to five years and are a great product for keeping emergency money for millions of middle-class Indians. Making the FD a targeted goal-oriented product and selling it like that would possibly make the more financially aware middle-Indians more open to the use-case of the product.

Finally, banks will have to compete in a very aggressive financial market where there are plenty of choices of products and pipelines that connect people to products. Most banks give access to mutual funds through their platforms but mostly sell regular plans  or those that carry trail commissions. But, along with this cost, the required advice on portfolio construction and management is seldom available. Savvy investors prefer to go directly through apps or other platforms that allow the choice of a direct plan that has no transaction fees or trail commissions. In a competitive marketplace, relying on the strength of lobbying to get tax rules changed to benefit deposits is a short-term win for the banks and RBI.

Banks actually are poised in a strategic place to offer advice to investors to manage their portfolios. There is still trust in the institution and the branch network allows for the use of technology-aided advisory service that keeps the customer from wandering off elsewhere. The share of the pie will be divided between various assets of course, and there is always a market for the risk-averse investor, but a greater focus on the investor rather than the banks current bottom-line will be a longer-term win for both. And finally, how much risk people take with their money should be a matter of personal choice rather than a moral lecture from a regulator.

Monika Halan is the author of the Lets Talk Money book series.The views expressed are personal
Kamala Harris comes from the finest political traditions embedded in the United States (US), the Caribbean, and India. Irrespective of whether she wins or loses, whether you agree or disagree with her politics, or what you think she means for India-US ties, Harriss candidacy is a moment to celebrate Americas openness, pluralism, and progress. It is also a moment to reflect on the remarkable connections that exist between anti-colonial, anti-racist, and anti-xenophobic movements across three geographies. TOPSHOT - US Vice President and Democratic Presidential candidate Kamala Harris delivers the keynote speech at Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.'s Grand Boule event at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 24, 2024. (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP) (AFP)

Her father, a Jamaican, and her mother, an Indian, were born when their countries were still a part of the British Empire. Both were inspired by the anti-colonial movements that won their homelands political independence. Harriss Black father and Brown mother met on a liberal American campus just as the civil rights movement, under the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr, was picking up. They spent time marching at protests and in a study circle that included pioneers of what was to become an academic discipline dedicated to studying Black history.

On the African-American side of her identity, when Harris was born, it was a time when school desegregation had just happened in theory but rarely in practice. The 1964 Civil Rights Act had just been passed, outlawing race-based discrimination a full century after slavery had been abolished  a century in which Blacks continued to be treated as less than human. Voting restrictions still disenfranchised Blacks. And, in the American South, state authorities were still collaborating with White supremacists to violently attack Blacks.

On the Indian side of Harriss identity, around the time her mother came to the US in 1958, there were just 12,000 Indians in America. A 1917 Act barred Asians from migration; a 1924 law and then national quotas favouring northern Europeans were hurdles too. The hostility to Indians, particularly Hindus and Sikhs, had been most intense in California. It was only a year after Harris was born that the Immigration and Nationality Act was passed in 1965, abolishing national quotas and opening the floodgates for immigration from India.

Now, think of the hidden connections here. If the sun wasnt setting on the British Empire in the middle of the 20th century, two former subjects of the Empire would probably never have met in another land that had liberated itself from the Crown in the late 18th century. If Mahatma Gandhi hadnt pioneered satyagraha, Martin Luther King Jrs civil rights movement wouldnt have taken the non-violent form it did, which inspired Harriss parents. If there was no civil rights movement that empowered Blacks, there wouldnt have been an Immigration Act that opened doors for Indians in America, a debt that liberal Indian-Americans remember; for them, Harris is particularly special given the fusion of these traditions.

Add to this the mood of the 1960s, where American liberalism and conservatism were at war on Vietnam, on welfare, on rights, on the nature of love, on campuses, on the streets, in popular culture, and across institutions.

This was the America that Kamala Harris was born in and the context in which she grew up. This was the America that allowed Harris to feel comfortable with her multiple identities. This was the America that inspired Harris to march against apartheid in South Africa as a student at Howard University in the 1980s. This was also the America where dissenters didnt necessarily turn to radical militancy but found hope in the Constitution, law, and institutions to create space for the formerly enslaved and currently excluded.

And this is the America that Harris is championing as the America of Donald Trump challenges her. As someone who was both in Milwaukee covering the Republican convention and now is in Chicago covering the Democratic convention, the contrast couldnt be starker. Trumps Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement looked like, felt like, and sounded like Make America White Again (MAWA) or Make America Christian Again (MACA). Harriss party looks like, feels like, and sounds like an America at peace with its breathtaking racial, religious, ethnic, and sexual diversity.

While the historicity of Harriss candidacy is recognised, whats not well recognised is that she is an institutionalist. She respects movements and is comfortable with progressives. But she is also someone who is comfortable seeking incremental reforms.

No Communist, as Trump brands her, would go to law school only to become the face of a states criminal justice system as a prosecutor and then attorney general. No Communist would become a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. And no radical would move so quickly to the centre, which Harris did both as vice president and as she is doing today as a presidential candidate on issues ranging from energy to health care. Only a smart politician will.

And thats why Harris is a product of her times, of the exhilarating era against imperialism and racism that shaped her parents, of the spirit of justice that animated her generation that was also conscious of the perils of extremism, of the professionalism that marks politicians who came of age in the 1990s and 2000s, and of the new liberalism that has placed identity, class, and gender at the centre of politics more recently. And that is why Kamala Harris represents the most honest ideological challenge that the Democrats have posed to Donald Trump. She is the face of the America he doesnt like. But, this week has shown that America, too, is alive and vibrant.

The views expressed are personal
The latest edition of the Economic Survey and Annual Survey of Unincorporated Enterprises (ASUSE) for 2021-22 and 2022-23 warns of high unemployment, rising inequality exacerbated by Covid, and large unorganised-sector job losses, to the tune of 1.65 million. The survey also highlighted the opportunities for skilling workers in the unorganised sector. Focusing on their skilling will directly benefit migrants and their families, given migration is a major feedstock for the countrys unorganised sector. India is expected to have a migration rate of around 40% in 2030 and an urban population of around 607 million, with the bulk of this increase attributable to migration. [ Photo by Dheeraj Dhawan / Hindustan Times ] (Hindustan Times)

The draft National Youth Policy (2021) reserves a special focus on the migrant youth workforce and recognises them as a separate and significant youth category. Therefore, skilling, reskilling, and upskilling these migrant youth will keep them attuned to the changing needs of industry, improve employment opportunities, and enhance their bargaining power.

In the post-pandemic period, a unique programme for the skilling of migrants impacted by the pandemic was launched under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). Short-term training under this programme was based on migrants demands. By the end of 2021, 1.21 lakh migrants had been trained.

The budget this year allocated 1.48 lakh crore specifically for education, employment, and skilling. Though the skilling of youth is a long-term investment and a key priority, continued focus on special programmes for the young migrant workforce in the governments funding decisions is a no-brainer. Unfortunately, the silence on migrants in this years Union government outlays is disappointing. In the future, PMKVY might undertake a few skilling programmes for migrants. However, a specific budgetary allocation would have provided migrants with robust support in terms of skill development.

Rural distress and poverty are prevalent in the country and ultimately force distress migration of poor rural households. The ministry of rural development has focused on multi-dimensional action such as the provision of improved infrastructural facilities, equitable dispersal of resources to remove regional disparities, employment generation, imparting of skills, encouraging entrepreneurial activity, undertaking land reforms, enhancing literacy, and providing easy access to financial assistance and credit facilities. However, it also needs solid budgetary support. A micro-analysis of the allocations of 2.66 lakh crore for the rural development and 1.52 lakh crore for the agriculture and allied sectors from migrants perspective shows the government may not have thought so. To illustrate, despite the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) playing a crucial role in enhancing the livelihood security of poor rural households, strengthening local employment, and, thereby reducing out-migration of rural and tribal youth, it didnt find budgetary favour, with allocations plateauing at last years level. Another programme that has a salutary effect on reducing rural migration is the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM). This programme has helped empower women by mobilising them through self-help groups (SHGs). It did see an increase in outlay, but it remains to be seen if it proves enough to meet the challenge of effective implementation by identifying specific intersectional vulnerabilities among rural women and building capacity on non-traditional skills and entrepreneurship.

The governments financial planning for this fiscal, surprisingly, completely overlooked the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM). The SPMRM focuses on cluster-based integrated development through spatial planning to reduce migration, and eventually facilitate reverse migration. In 2020, the NITI Aayog proposed a new and extended programme for over 1,000 clusters in the next three years. Such a significant programme remains unnoticed due to the lack of a special funding push.

The International Labour Organization warned earlier this year that the rates of urbanisation and migration in the country are expected to increase considerably in the future. India is expected to have a migration rate of around 40% in 2030 and an urban population of around 607 million, with the bulk of this increase attributable to migration. The governments funding plans for the current fiscal should have served to signal an intent to address the specific challenges of this migration-driven urbanisation, but it remains largely silent on this. The government intends to empower every section of society. However, can this goal meet fruition if a significant proportion of the countrys human capital doesnt seem to be on the radar of the governments funding decisions?

S Irudaya Rajan is chair, and Kuldeepsingh Rajput is senior research fellow, International Institute of Migration and Development (IIMAD), Kerala. The views expressed are personal
A lot of nonsense is spoken about food in India. But in no area are the myths and misconceptions as prevalent as they are in the case of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food habits. People still like to claim that the majority of Indians are vegetarians. If they are challenged, they say that anyway, the majority of Hindus are vegetarians. It is Muslims and Christians who skewer the numbers. Regional variations are subject to as many misconceptions. South Indians tend to be vegetarians, we will be told. Punjabis are largely non-vegetarians. Sikhs love nothing more than butter chicken. Every single one of those assertions is, of course, totally wrong. (Also read: The Taste by Vir Sanghvi: The story of Natwar Singh ) Despite the widespread belief that India is predominantly vegetarian, the reality is quite different.(Freepik)

Lets start with vegetarians. According to a survey conducted by Pew Research last year six out of ten Indians said they would not describe themselves as vegetarian. Pew left it to the respondents to define vegetarianism. So, even if a person ate a little fish now and then, for instance, but if he or she considered himself or herself a vegetarian, that was okay with Pew.

But even going by this loose definition (and allowing for the fact that people from strict backgrounds may not want to admit to eating meat) only 39% of all Indian adults surveyed said that they would describe themselves as vegetarians. The majority of Indians said they were non-vegetarians. So, why is there this myth about vegetarians? Why do people claim that because India is a vegetarian country, meat should be banned in some residential buildings and at schools?

Well, it could be because the proportion of vegetarians among upper caste Hindus is higher than the national average. If, for instance, you were to look at a list of Indias richest people, then I guess that seven out of 10 would be vegetarians (or may be eight out of 10). In India, vegetarianism is associated with certain caste groups such as banias, the traditional business community. Seven out of ten of Indias richest people are banias. Two out of two of Indias most powerful politicians are vegetarians.

But because billionaires are vegetarians, it does not follow that the majority of Indians are also vegetarians. Its not even true of the majority of Hindus. According to that same Pew survey, over half of all Hindus surveyed (56%) did not consider themselves to be vegetarians. Keep in mind that such surveys rarely penetrate into Dalit and tribal areas where more people are non-vegetarians. (Also read: The Taste by Vir Sanghvi: Traditional vs. modern; the debate over plating Indian cuisine )

As for the view that all Sikhs like butter chicken, Pew found that 59% of Sikhs considered themselves to be vegetarians. That is to say, a higher proportion of Sikhs than Hindus are vegetarians. In fact, of India's religious communities Sikhs were second only to Jains in the percentage identifying as vegetarians.

If you dont trust a survey conducted by a foreign agency, here are some statistics from the Indian governments own ministry of statistics and programme Implementation. According to the ministry, the average person in Punjab eats 205 grams of chicken every month. This is less than half of chicken consumption in Bihar where the figure is 518 grams per person.

The national average is 210 grams of chicken per person per month. It shoots up in the Northeast to 684 grams of chicken per head per month. But even in Gujarat, where propaganda suggests that the figure should be near zero, an average of 145 grams of chicken per person is consumed every month.

It is interesting that the figures for Punjab and Gujarat are much closer than you might think. The figure for Punjab, as we have seen is 205 per month while the Gujarat figure is close at 145 grams. The ministrys figures also demolish the myth of non-vegetarian North Indians and vegetarian South Indians. Chicken consumption in Haryana is 133 grams per month. In Rajasthan it is as low as 85 grams per head. But in the five South Indian states 681 grams of chicken per head are consumed every month. With 823 grams consumed every month, Kerala is near the top of the list.

According to an analysis of the ministrys survey by Nikhil Rampal in The Print, what many miss is that rural India is consuming much more non-vegetarian food than we realise. While meat, eggs and fish only accounted for 9% of rural India's monthly food budget in 2011-12, which was the last time the ministry conducted this survey, that figure has doubled to 18% in the current survey. (The figures for urban Indians are nearly almost the same in both surveys.)

What do these figures tell us?

Well, several things, One: It is time to finally polish off the myth of a vegetarian India. Not only do the majority of Indians not identify as vegetarians, even the majority of Hindus dont say that they are vegetarians.

Two: We have to stop drawing conclusions about the whole of Indian society by looking at certain caste groups like banias. Even brahmins in some Indian states are not vegetarians.

Three: Nearly every regional generalisation  about Punjabis or South Indians or whoever  is wrong. Let's stop dealing in caricatures.

Four: Despite the intolerance, the pro-vegetarian bigotry and the propaganda of the last decade, India's basic eating habits have not changed. We have not become more vegetarian. And in villages, the consumption of non-vegetarian food has actually gone up.

Five: Let's stop this hypocrisy about how vegetarianism is spreading. Even Gujarat is much less vegetarian than people may think. No matter how much effort has been poured into replacing biryani with khichdi, it hasnt worked. In the end people will never waver from the basic principle. We eat what we enjoy. And it is nobody elses business except our own.
KPMG Indias Breaking Barriers: Women in IT (2023), an intensive study found that 72% of women who had mentors believed it helped them overcome gender bias at the workplace, and 65% credited their mentors for their career advancement. Mentored women were 80% more likely to stay in the tech industry long-term, highlighting the role of mentorship in retention. Systemic biases and underrepresentation in leadership positions undermine the work that women do in the corporate world and keep them at arms length. Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of Salesforce India, leads the conversation on driving change and empowering women at the Trailblazing Women Summit held in 2023, highlighting the pivotal role of women in transforming industries and shaping the future.

The right mentor can serve as a wise counselor, offering invaluable insights, advice, and support. Those who have been through the corporate wringer can help their mentees navigate complex organizational structures, develop leadership skills, and build confidence. An overlooked aspect of mentorship is mentors creating a safe space for their women mentees to share their challenges and aspirations without fear of judgment.

ASSOCHAM Indias "Women in Technology: Bridging the Gender Gap" (2023) report found that 62% of women in tech with mentors felt that these relationships were instrumental in overcoming gender-related barriers at work, and 58% noted increased job performance due to mentorship.Mentorship was linked to a 25% reduction in attrition rates among women in tech, with mentored women being 48% more likely to stay in their roles for five years or more.

Beyond the Glass Ceiling

Mentorship in tech roles for women can significantly impact their careers by providing the guidance, support, and resources needed to navigate the unique challenges of the industry. Through mentorship, women gain access to experienced professionals who can offer insights on career advancement, skill development, and overcoming obstacles related to gender disparities. This relationship fosters confidence, encourages growth, and helps women build a robust professional network, ultimately leading to greater representation of women in leadership roles. Moreover, mentorship helps create a more inclusive and supportive workplace culture, driving innovation and diversity within the tech industry.

Investing in the Future

To maximize the impact of mentorship, organizations should create a culture that supports and encourages these relationships. This can include providing resources, training, and opportunities for mentors and mentees to connect. By fostering a workplace environment where diversity and inclusion are valued, organizations can reap the multifold benefits of mentorship programs.

The driving force behind this ethos at Salesforce is the vision of Arundhati Bhattacharya herself. She believed, In a corporate world dominated by men, the journey to the top is often lonely for women leaders. In that space, a mentor can be a trusted companion who shares the weight of expectations and celebrates every milestone."

The biggest fillip for women dreaming big is the success of other women in the field. With this in mind, Salesforce is bringing together a panel of inspirational women who have risen above the unique challenges that women face to achieve unprecedented success in the corporate world.A key focus of the event is mentorship and how the right kind of mentorship from the right leader can help accelerate corporate careers for women. Arundhati Bhattacharya believes, Mentorship is not just about sharing knowledge; it's about igniting potential. By investing in the growth of other women, we create a ripple effect of empowerment that transforms industries and societies.

Hosted by Salesforce India the event Trailblazing Women: Igniting Innovation will bring together leading women and allies from across India for an empowering day of conversation, learning, and connection. The summit will feature industry leaders sharing invaluable career advice to help other women in the field blaze their own innovation trail. Renowned award-winning actress Shefali Shah will inspire the audience with her journey and views on equality in todays world.

Do register here for the event to interact with global leaders and be a part of the summit.

Disclaimer: This article has been created as part of a communications partnership with Salesforce.
Reddit has become a virtual dumping ground for tenants' tales of landlord woes. From unresponsive property managers to exorbitant rent hikes, the platform is flooded with horror stories. Yet, amidst the sea of complaints, a rare gem occasionally shines through. A recent post by a tenant praising his landlord's exceptional behaviour took Reddit by surprise. The heartwarming account has garnered widespread attention and sparked discussions about the importance of good landlords. A Bengaluru landlords sweet gesture for his tenant sparked a discussion on Reddit. (Unsplash/vishwanth07)

My landlord bought me dinner today. This is a wholesome moment for me and I wanted to share how much of a good guy (sic) my owner is. He's 65+ years old and I have been staying in his building for the last 5 years. Today, he showed up at my door just now with a parcel and said he bought me dinner. I couldn't stop smiling, the Reddit user wrote. He shared a few more things about his Bengaluru landlord in the following line.

Also Read: Bengaluru woman makes 1 kg Kimchi for tenant as a welcome gift

And the most awesome part, he didn't ask for a raise in rent in 5 years. I'm basically paying the same rent as I was paying in 2018, he added. He also shared how the landlord sometimes tells stories about his very successful daughters.

Take a look at the entire post here:

With over 1.5 upvotes, the post has captured people's attention. Reddit users responded with varied comments, reacting to this mans story about his landlord.

How did Reddit users react to this post on a Bengaluru landlord?

Meanwhile, my landlord raises rent every year, posted an individual. Replying, another Reddit user wrote, Meanwhile, my landlord scrutinizes our income during renewal, judges our bank accounts, takes weeks for major repairs, then raises rent by $800 for the next family when we finally leave.

A third person added, I have a landlord. Who hasn't hiked the rent since 2012. A fourth wrote, This is so sweet! My landlady offered to help me and my friends unpack and offered to send us lunch when we first moved in back in 2016. Fortunately, the previous house's cook had prepared a huge box of biryani for us. Rent was negotiated at least twice during the last 8 years so that it doesn't put us in a tough spot, although it was always 5-7% increase p.a.

What are your thoughts on this mans post on his landlord?
An advocates X post to IndiGo about Cute fee has captured peoples attention. Its not just the mans post that has intrigued people but also his reaction to the airlines reply explaining this charge. An advocates heated interaction with IndiGo over Cute Fee has gone viral. (Unsplash/photografi_chi, X/@_shrayanshsingh)

Dear IndiGo, What is this 'Cute Fee'? Do you charge users for being cute? Or do you charge because you believe that your aeroplanes are cute? X user and advocate Shrayansh Singh wrote. He also asked about the User Development Fee and Aviation Security Fee while expressing outrage.

How did IndiGo react?

Hi, we would like to inform you that the Cute charges refer to the Common User Terminal Equipment charge. It is basically the amount that is charged for the use of metal-detecting machines, escalators, and other equipments that are being used at the airport, the airline replied.

Dissatisfied with the reply, Singh responded, Isn't this a part of airport security? Aren't the metal detectors a property of the CISF, which is a security organisation of the govt. for the security of airports too?

The equipment being used at the airport, including the airport buildings itself, are public utility infrastructure. They are supposed to be maintained by the tax paid by us, he added.

Take a look at the interaction here:

Since being shared, the viral posts have gathered many comments and prompted many to share their reactions. While some took the mans side, others showed support for the airline.

What did X users say about this post on IndiGo?

Wondering what next usage charges for fuel nozzles at petrol pumps. Oh sorry I should not be giving ideas to them like this, posted an X user.

What about breathing charges? The passenger is breathing oxygen in the airport and plane? Where is that tax break up? joined another.

A third commented, These types of questions come when someone suddenly buys an Air ticket instead of a Bus ticket. CISF is not providing free services like in USA, where TSA charges per pax. In several countries, Airport tax is used instead of UDF / PDF and CUTE charges.

A fourth wrote, Airlines are not to be blamed here. CUTE/User Development Fee/Passenger Service Fee all are levied by Airport Authority to maintain the Airports. Airlines are acting mere agents & collecting on behalf of them with price of tickets which they are authorised to collect.

What are your thoughts on this mans post to IndiGo about Cute fee?
A video of a man singing Salman Khan's hit song Tadap Tadap Ke in front of an Ola Electric showroom has gone viral on social media. The video of the dissatisfied customer, Sagar Singh was posted on X by Pankaj Parekh. Parekh claimed that the scooter had issues every other day, and despite several attempts, Ola didn't provide any after-sales services. When Singh did not receive any response from the company, he took the scooter and protested by singing in front of the showroom. A customer sings Salman Khan's hit song 'Tadap Tadap Ke' in front of an Ola Electric showroom to protest regarding the after-sales services.(X/DhanValue)

Pankaj Parekh posted this video with the caption, Sagar Singh bought an Ola Electric Scooter. The scooter had some issue or the other every day, and Ola didnt provide any after-sales service. So, Sagar loaded the scooter onto a trolley and protested by singing in front of the scooter showroom.

Watch the viral video here:

The viral video has more than 19 lakh views, with over 2,200 likes and numerous comments.

(Also Read: Bhavish Aggarwal says Ola is world's 4th largest EV company - but wait till you read the fine print)

Here's how people reacted to the video:

Reacting to the viral video, X user CMA Venkatesh Alla commented, Ola electric share price hitting upper circuits. If post sales service is this much poor, in no time, it will go to less than 50. What kind of a company this is? Why you guys are not focusing post sales service?.

A second user, Jay, commented, Ola service is worst and @bhash is a clever fox I don't know why they are top in sales and now in IPO. This company is seriously the worst and very bad. I own their S1 Air, very worst aftersales service and I must say boycott Ola products either buy China items but not Ola.

Another X user, Yogesh Singh, also posted a complaint against Ola electric scooter. He wrote, I registered my complaint before 17 days but no reply couldn't come through Ola. I purchased ola scooter on 1 April 20224 but RC could not delivered.

Yogesh Singh's and Sagar Singh's complaints add to the growing dissatisfaction among customers, highlighting ongoing concerns with Ola electric scooters.
Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, during a campaign stop, gave a glimpse about one of the future members of his cabinet if he gets elected. Trump declared that he would offer Elon Musk a cabinet post if he made it to the White House in November. Following the announcement, X has been buzzing with various kinds of posts. The Tesla CEO replied to one such share in his signature style, and the post went viral. Elon Musk shared this meme after an X user reacted to Donald Trump saying he would offer the Tesla CEO a role in his administration if elected. (X/@elonmusk)

An X page posted, Donald Trump says he would offer Elon Musk a cabinet or advisory role if elected President. To which, an X user with the handle name Sir Doge of the Coin reacted and wrote, Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) along with a laughing out loud emoticon.

What did Elon Musk say?

The SpaceX CEO reshared the post with a short but interesting quote. Perfect name, he wrote.

Take a look at the post here:

Musks reply, since being shared a few hours ago, has gone viral. Till now, it has accumulated more than 4.5 lakh views - and the numbers are quickly increasing. The share has further prompted people to post varied comments.

How did people react to Elon Musk's reply?

The most entertaining outcome is the most likely," posted an X user. Another added, S**t just got real." A third commented, Doge coin to the moon. A fourth wrote, We definitely live in a matrix.

Besides, people have started posting memes after Elon Musk's reaction. The Tesla CEO, too, joined in on the frenzy:

Here's how some others reacted to the news:

A few days ago, Elon Musk and Donald Trump created chatter after the tech billionaire interviewed the politician on his platform X. During their conversation, Trump praised Musk for his anti-union stances. The chatl which was initially delayed for about 40 minutes after a DDOS attack, a type of cyberattack, went on for about two hours. Among other things, they also spoke about the assassination attempt on the former president.

What are your thoughts on Elon Musk's reply to a post about Donald Trump's announcement?
American billionaire and PayPal founder Peter Thiel once famously called restaurants the worst businesses to invest in. Cutthroat competition, slow growth and low wages all combine to make restaurants an unattractive investment, according to Thiel. For at least one Indian immigrant, however, opening a restaurant in the US was a life-changing decision that turned him into a millionaire. An Indian restaurant in the US proved to be a successful business for its owner. (Representational image)

An X user named Sunil shared the story of his Gujarati friend who immigrated to the United States, opened a Gujarati restaurant, and now lives a comfortable life in the land of opportunity.

Sunil was comically rueful about his own masters degree and habit of listening to podcasts as he recounted the success story of his friend who, despite studying only till the 10th grade, managed to achieve entrepreneurial success.

Met a Patel friend who runs a restaurant in New Jersey. He was in his late 40s and 10th pass. I am engineer with masters degree who listens to podcasts, Sunil wrote on X.

I told him that Peter Thiel said that the worst business one can do is open a restaurant. Very high failure rate and customers are very unpredictable.

When I mentioned Peter Thiels name, he raised his eyebrows to think. Obviously, he doesnt know who Peter Thiel is.

An immigrant success story

He said opening a restaurant is a sure-short way to be millionaire for him, the X user elaborated.

Patel explained to his friend Sunil that he has at least 50 families who are regular customers. Dismissing Thiels opinion that restaurant customers are unpredictable, the Gujarati entrepreneur explained that if, one day, his food is low on salt, his customers will simply ask him to add more salt. They wont stop coming to his restaurant because of this oversight.

The restaurant owner further spoke about the advantage of a good location in the restaurant business. His own establishment is located strategically on the way to a popular temple in New Jerseys Robinsville township.

A lot of Gujaratis from New York and Pennsylvania hire tourist buses when they have to go to visit Swaminarayan Temple in Robinsville. On the way to Robinsville, they make a stop at his restaurant to eat delicious Gujarati thali. Thats 50-75 people per bus, Sunil explained.

He explained that all his friend has to do is wake up every morning, cook dal, chawal, roti, sabzi and dhokla - and in 10 years he is a millionaire.

Thats 10th pass immigrant for you. No MBA, no listening to podcast. Just common sense, intuition and ability to take calculated risk, Sunil concluded.

His post has gone viral with over 3 lakh views on X.

Most of the educated people are trapped in the analysis paralysis - waiting for the perfect start. If we can just focus on the basics and continue working towards it, success will follow, wrote X user Ram Joshi.

Absolutely. A friend, who after getting fired from a software developer job in a brokerage firm, developed businesses like small stores and public laundromats. Made more money than what he was making earlier, another said.
An Indian man has expressed his bemusement after stumbling upon Made in Pakistan merchandise at USAs Harvard University. Content creator Ishan Sharma, who has been documenting his trip to the United States on social media, said he visited the Ivy League institute to buy merchandise. YouTuber Ishan Sharma paid a visit to Harvard's merchandise shop.(X/@ishansharma7390)

On reaching The Harvard Shop, which is the official student-run merchandise shop at Harvard, Sharma was surprised to see first the price tag, and then the label revealing where the clothing was manufactured.

The Indian YouTuber shared photos of himself wearing a Harvard jacket in the institutes signature crimson and black. One picture shows the label on the jacket which reads Made in Pakistan.

Came to Harvard to buy merch. This one's is Rs. 12,000! But Made in Pakistan?! Sharma wrote on X.

Social media amused

His post sparked a flurry of amused reactions.

Indian goes to America to buy made in Pakistan clothes, interesting, wrote X user Mahesh.

Even Harvard has been outsourcing to Asia, a user joked. Another joined in with: Now all south Asian moms can say we have Harvard at home.

One person criticized the quality of merchandise. Quality is real bad. I picked a few last year and 2-3 washes and they all are now good to mop the floor. Official merch, the X user commented.

Some people pointed out how many clothes are exported from the subcontinent to western nations. Most of the things one buys in America, including the luxury brands are manufactured in subcontinent especially Bangladesh, a user said.

Ishan Sharma had earlier expressed his disappointment with the lack of hospitality in American hotels, calling it his biggest cultural shock during his trip.
In another incident that sparked food safety concerns, a live cockroach was found in the daal served on the Vande Bharat Express train. Upon the discovery of the insect inside the food, the passenger immediately filed a complaint with the railway authorities and demanded action. A video of the passenger expressing his dissatisfaction was posted on social media. A photo of the meal was also posted along with the clip. Snapshot of the cockroach found in the meal served on Vande Bharat Express train.

The video shows the man explaining to the railway authority and a policeman that his relative found a dead cockroach in the meal. He also questioned the authority over food safety and the risk involved with consuming insects. He cites his 80-year-old grandfather and asks the people if they would consume the food. He also complained about the sour curd.

The post also shows the complaint receipt filed by the passenger with IRCTC. He mentioned that he found a live cockroach in daal and a dead cockroach in other food and was given sour curd. (Also Read: Vande Bharat passengers claim finding dead cockroach in meal, IRCTC imposes penalty on service provider)

Take a look at the post here:

This post was shared on August 20. Since being posted, it has gained more than 73,000 views. The post also has over 1,100 likes and comments. Many people were baffled to see the cockroach in the food.

Here's how people reacted to it:

An individual wrote, "Why are they forcing people to eat such food? Let them order outside food through an online application that already delivers food on the train."

Another X user commented, "Going on a train is a nightmare. In 2nd or 3rd class, people without tickets will occupy your seat and block the washroom. Even in the so-called pride of India, the Vande Bharat train, you might find a cockroach in your food. I suggest avoiding trains; opt for a bus or flight instead. Although it's costlier, it's safer."

"This is what you can actually see. Imagine what could be happening behind the curtains. I will never dare to consume Indian railway food," posted user Ashutosh Vishwakarma.
Mike Lynch, one of the UKs best-known tech tycoons, has been reported missing after his luxury superyacht sank off the coast of Italy on Monday. His disappearance comes hours after Stephen Chamberlain, his co-defendant in a US fraud trial, was killed after being hit by a car while jogging. Two freak accidents in quick succession were deemed too big of a coincidence on social media, where conspiracy theories swirled thick and fast after Lynchs disappearance. FILE - British tech magnate Mike Lynch walks into federal court in San Francisco, March 26, 2024, (AP Photo/Michael Liedtke, File)(AP)

According to Reuters, Mike Lynch spent more than a decade building Britain's biggest software company and then almost as long again fighting fraud charges related to its multi-billion pound sale.

Lynch founded Autonomy from his ground-breaking research at Cambridge University in 1996. He sold it to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion 15 years later. But in late 2012, HP stunned Wall Street and the City of London by alleging a massive accounting scandal at the business, and writing off $8.8 billion of its value.

After a 12 year legal battle, Lynch was acquitted of criminal charges by a jury in San Francisco in June. The billionaire was celebrating the verdict on his luxury superyacht off the coast of Sicily when it sank due to bad weather.

News of his disappearance came hours after Stephen Chamberlain, the former VP of finance at Autonomy, died after being hit by a car. Chamberlain, 52, was hit by a car while out running on Saturday.

Social media platform X has been flooded with conspiracy theories.

Can't be a coincidence

Sorry but this is just too weird. It can't possibly be a coincidence that BOTH Mike Lynch and Stephen Chamberlain were killed in freak accidents within a couple of days of each other, Professor Katherine Schofield said.

Im not much of a conspiracy theorist normally, but Mike Lynch and Stephen Chamberlain both disappearing/dying so close together after being declared innocent over the Autonomy sale definitely got me thinking this morning  wrote X user Clive Ansell.

X user Mike Cosgrove also raised doubts on whether the two accidents were a coincidence. So the minute he gets a Not Guilty verdict, and starts talking about US control over UK government and UK legal processes, Mike Lynch suddenly goes missing, he wrote.

Bayesian, the superyacht owned by Lynch, had 22 people aboard when it capsized after being struck by a waterspout off the Italian island of Sicily. Fifteen people were rescued, one found dead, and six  including the British tech tycoon  remain missing.

(With inputs from agencies)
Who said the following? You graduate from a college, I think you should get, automatically as part of your diploma, a green card [permanent residence in the United States]. The surprising answer is Donald Trump. Whether he meant it or notand his record in office suggests nothis words suggest that even a nativist politician understands, at some level, that highly skilled foreigners can be useful. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 14: An American flag is seen waving in the wind (Getty Images via AFP)

In fact they are extra-useful, since their skills tend to complement those of locals. They bring different experiences, knowledge and contacts, making local co-workers more productive. A Harvard study tried to measure this by looking at what happened to researchers when a colleague died. The loss of an immigrant brainbox reduced co-workers productivity (measured in patents) by nearly twice as much as the loss of a native. From this, the study estimated that immigrants in America, though only 14% of the population, are responsible for a colossal 36% of innovation. As the globalisation of capital stagnates, the flow of brains across borders becomes an ever-more important way for new ideas to spread.

Most rich countries are reluctant to let in many more labourers or asylum-seekers, but claim to be eager to attract top talent, especially in fields deemed strategic (such as AI) or of obvious benefit to voters (such as medicine). America, China and most European countries all profess to welcome such people. Monaco even has an attractiveness secretary to lure high-flying entrepreneurs.

Yet other priorities often intrude. Chinas obsession with security has made life irksome for foreigners there. Police snoop on them, their local lovers are warned they may be spies, and consultants they hire may be arrested for sharing information subsequently deemed a national secret. In Britain an obsession with cutting overall migration has led the Labour government to urge tech firms to hire fewer foreign engineers, on the false premise that this will create more high-tech jobs for natives. As for America, though it has the worlds most attractive labour market, it has one of the worlds most dysfunctional immigration systems.

The border brain barrier

When a company applies for an H-1B (temporary work visa) on behalf of a highly skilled worker with a six-figure job offer, there is a 75% chance it will be rejected. But not quickly. It can take a year of faffing: an eternity in the tech business. And if the over-achiever in question eventually wants permanent residenceso she can settle in, plan for the future and not worry about her children being deported when they turn 21 and are no longer deemed dependantsshe had better not be from a populous country. Thanks to a ludicrous rule that no more than 7% of work-based green cards may go to any one country each year, Indian citizens can expect to wait 134 years for one.

Many give up and go elsewhere. Some 73% of foreign graduates of American universities tell pollsters they want to stay in America, but only 41% actually do so. The blockage in the pipeline from campus to job is one reason why American universities, though the best in the world, have been losing market share to Australian and Canadian ones for two decades.

Contrast this with Dubai, where anyone with a salary above a certain threshold can get a work visa in a week. Settling in is easya fully digitised system lets you obtain a driving licence, open a bank account and so forth in a few days. Expats can sponsor nannies for work visas, so both halves of a power couple can work. This extraordinarily welcoming system has helped turn Dubai from an obscure port on the edge of the desert into a global business hub in barely a generation.

Democracies cannot simply copy autocratic Dubai. Voters like to feel in control, and would not tolerate being outnumbered nearly nine to one by migrants. And few welfare states could get by without an income tax. Nonetheless, Dubai is a useful benchmark for how a government can make an immigration system nearly frictionless for the people it most wishes to attract. Its success is an implicit rebuke of places that still have paper forms and surly border officials, such as America. If they want to, democracies can quickly improve their immigration systems, as Portugal has, turning itself from a relative backwater into an oasis for digital nomads in a decade or so.

A smart system for attracting talent should observe two principles. First, removing obstacles is more effective than offering inducements for specific professions, as many governments do. Second, the criteria for deciding whom to admit should be as simple and objective as possible. For example, a country could accept anyone who earns more than a certain amount, or who has graduated from a reputable university. Some guardrails are needed, to avoid salaries being faked or diploma mills offering shoddy degrees solely for the purpose of obtaining work visas, as Canada has found. But objective measures are quicker and fairer than allowing too much bureaucratic discretion. Immigration officials are poor judges of business plans or research projects.

The downsides of attracting more talent are mostly manageable. If expat bankers bid up the price of housing, allow more house-building. Another worry, that talent-poaching rich countries may leave poor places bereft of human capital, is more complex. When scientists move to better labs, they innovate more, to the greater benefit of humankind. When people emigrate from poorer countries they earn more and send money home, often paying for their relatives education.

Studies find that developing countries benefit from a brain drain of up to about 10% of their graduates, meaning India and China could afford to lose a lot more. Many poorer nations suffer from higher outflows, though the migrants themselves benefit hugely, and it is not obvious that their countries interests should trump theirs. In any case, it is not altruism that stops most rich countries from poaching footloose talent more effectively. It is incompetence. Those that fail to roll out a better welcome mat will squander a chance to speed the spread of knowledge and make themselves more prosperous.

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* Blinken in Egypt seeking progress towards Gaza ceasefire deal

Blinken meeting Egypt's President Sisi after talks in Israel

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On-off negotiations seek ceasefire Gaza, return of hostages

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Hamas criticises US 'bridging proposal' as ambiguous

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Gaps remain over border security, Israel's military presence

By Humeyra Pamuk

ALAMEIN, Egypt, - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken flew to Egypt on Tuesday, pushing for areas of possible progress on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal in talks planned for later this week, with major areas of dispute left unresolved.

Blinken arrived in Egypt from Tel Aviv, where he said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted a U.S. "bridging proposal" aimed at narrowing the gaps between the two sides after talks last week paused without a breakthrough. He urged Hamas to also accept the proposal as the basis for more talks.

The Palestinian militant group has not definitively rejected the proposal, but has said it backtracks from areas previously agreed and has accused Israel and its U.S. ally of spinning out the negotiations process in bad faith.

In Egypt, Blinken was meeting President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, whose country has been helping mediate the on-off Gaza talks for months along with the U.S. and Qatar.

At stake is the fate of tiny, crowded Gaza, where Israel's military campaign has killed more than 40,000 people since October according to Palestinian health authorities, and of the remaining hostages being held there.

The war in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen stormed into Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and abducting about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

On Tuesday, Israel's military said it had recovered the bodies of six hostages from southern Gaza, adding that 109 hostages remained in the Palestinian territory, of whom Israel around a third are believed already to be dead.

In Gaza, Israeli forces battled Hamas-led militants in central and southern areas, and Palestinian health authorities said at least 12 people had been killed early on Tuesday in Israeli strikes, including on a school housing displaced people.

Israel's military said it had struck militants in a Hamas centre embedded in the school.

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said on Tuesday it was still waiting for polio vaccines to arrive after the disease was discovered in the territory, where most people now live in tents or shelters without proper sanitation. It echoed a call by the U.N. last week for a ceasefire to allow the vaccination campaign.

PROPOSAL

Blinken has called the latest push for a deal "probably the best, possibly the last opportunity", and said his meeting with Netanyahu was constructive, adding it was incumbent on Hamas to accept the bridging proposal.

U.S. officials have not spelled out what is in the proposal or how it differs from previous versions. "There are questions of implementation and making sure that it's clearly understood what each side will do to carry out its commitments," Blinken said on Monday.

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan criticised the latest developments, saying the U.S. bridging proposal that Netanyahu accepted raised ambiguities because it was different from what the group had previously agreed.

Months of on-off talks have circled the same issues, with Israel saying the war can only end with the destruction of Hamas as a military and political force and Hamas saying it will only accept a permanent, not temporary, ceasefire.

There are disagreements over Israel's continued military presence inside Gaza, particularly along the border with Egypt, the free movement of Palestinians inside the territory, and the identity and number of prisoners to be freed in a swap.

Egypt is particularly focused on a security mechanism for the Philadelphi Corridor, the narrow border strip between Egypt and Gaza that Israeli forces seized in May.

Both Hamas and Egypt are opposed to Israel keeping troops there, but Netanyahu has said they are needed on the border to stop weapons being smuggled into Gaza.

Egyptian security sources said the U.S. has proposed an international presence in the area, a suggestion the sources said could be acceptable to Cairo if it was limited to a maximum of six months.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Chicago: Thousands were on the streets demanding peace in Gaza and an end to genocide. Clashes took place between police and protesters when some crossed the security perimeter. A delegate inside the hall of the Democratic National convention in Chicagos United Center held a huge banner protesting the genocide even as President Joe Biden was speaking and had to be first drowned with signs that thanked Biden and then escorted out. Several delegates wore T-shirts that said Democrats for Palestinian Rights. And in the speeches from the podium, a call for a ceasefire was heard more than once. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) near the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Monday. (Bloomberg)

To be sure, the 2024 convention hasnt seen either the scale of protests or clashes that took place during the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago against the Vietnam war, the shadow of Gaza, where Israel has killed over 40,000 Palestinians and over two million have been displaced, has reached middle America and mainstream American politics.

Mohammad Khatib, a Democratic delegate from Florida who is Palestinian-American, told HT that he wanted Democrats to win and get the support of Arab-American, Muslim-American and progressive Americans. But Joe Biden lost their support and confidence. They hope Kamala Harris will be more vocal and bring a better view. If the party doesnt regain the support of these communities, it will lose the elections.

Asked how Democrats should balance the competing demands of various groups, including Jewish-Americans, Khatib said, This is a matter of principle: Killings of tens of thousands is never acceptable.

He added that Arab Americans didnt want Donald Trump to win, but feel Democrats have betrayed them.

On the convention floor, HT asked Amin Ghoneim, a delegate from Georgia, the extent of the fracture the issue was causing within Democratic ranks. It is an issue for sure. Many feel it is a big concern. But Muslim communities are willing to give Harris a fresh start. The fracture would have been deeper if Biden was still the candidate, he said.

Biden clearly had read the room, and kept track of the protests outside, for he addressed the issue in his speech later on Monday night. He said that the protesters outside had a point, for a lot of innocent people were being killed on both sides. But he again expressed the hope that his proposal for a package deal involving hostage return and a ceasefire would happen and sustain.

We will keep working to bring hostages home and end the war in Gaza and bring peace and security to the Middle East. As you know, I wrote a peace treaty for Gaza. A few days ago, I put forward a proposal that brought us closer to doing that than weve done since October 7th. Were working around the clockto prevent a wider war and reunite hostages with their families and surge humanitarian health and food assistance into Gaza now, to end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people and finally, finally, finally deliver a ceasefire and end this war.

Whether Biden actually succeeds in sealing the deal, how Palestinians and protesters in America feel about it, and the manner in which the issue translates into voting decisions in swing states of America are all to be seen. But there is little doubt that this is one issue where Democrats have continued to be in the defensive in an otherwise celebratory week.
Toronto: The car carrying an associate of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the pro-Khalistan figure killed last year, was fired upon multiple times this month. Satinder Pal Singh Raju, also among the main organisers of the recent so-called Khalistan Referendum in Calgary, was a passenger in the pick-up truck that was targeted on a highway in California on August 11. Satinder Pal Singh Raju (left) with Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Meanwhile, in another incident a day earlier, the residence of a former president of the gurdwara that Nijjar led till the time of his death, was also fired upon in Surrey, British Columbia.

Raju was associated with the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and its general counsel Gurpatwant Pannun described him as close associate of Nijjar and an active organiser of Khalistan Referendum. He said Raju had survived a deadly ambush when the truck he was travelling in was sprayed with bullets by the shooters.

According to an incident report of the California Highway Patrol, seen by the Hindustan Times, there were reports of 4-5 shots fired while the vehicle was in Woodland in Yolo county.

Pannun said that after Nijjars killing on June 18 last year in Surrey, Raju had camped in the town till October and helped organise the referendum held there in 2023 as well as that in Calgary, Alberta, on July 28 this year.

Pannun accused the Indian government of targeting Raju and engaging in transnational repression to violently suppress the global Khalistan Referendum campaign. No arrests have been announced with regard to the incident by law enforcement nor any motive attributed.

Meanwhile, on August 10, the home of Raghbir Nijjar, former president of the Guru Nanak Sikh temple in Surrey, was fired upon several times.

While it did not identify the owner of the residence, in a release on August 13, the Surrey detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or RCMP, said it occurred at 3:10 am. Evidence consistent with a shooting was located at the scene along with evidence of an attempted arson, the release added.

It also said it believes this incident may be linked to the extortion series, which has involved numerous such shootings targeting Indo-Canadian businesses and individuals over the past year.

Raghbir Nijjar, a person familiar with the incident told the Hindustan Times, was from the same village as Hardeep Nijjar and they are believed to be related. He is also attempting to become the president of the gurdwara again, the person said.

Nijjars murder led to fracturing of relations between New Delhi and Ottawa after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus statement in the House of Commons three months later that there were credible allegations of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing. India has dismissed those allegations as absurd and motivated.

Four Indian nationals have been arrested by Canadian investigators this year in connection with the murder. However, they have yet to provide evidence of the Indian connection though that angle continues to be probed.

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BBC Royal Correspondent Michael Cole has highlighted Princess Lilibet's "great tragedy" as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wrapped up their controversial Colombia tour. The Sussexes visited Colombia after being invited by the countrys vice president, Francia Marquez. During their visit, they spoke on the problem of online harm for children. Lilibet's great tragedy revealed as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wrap up Colombia tour (Alexi Lubomirski / Courtesy Archewell Foundation)

While attending the Afro Women and Power Forum, the Duchess of Sussex claimed that her three-year-old daughter Lilibet has "found her voice. "Were so proud of that, because that is how we create the conditions in which theres a ripple effect of young girls and young women knowing that someone else is encouraging them to use their voice and be heard, Meghan added.

Lilibet's great tragedy

Cole discussed Meghans remarks on GB News, and claimed that Lilibet's "great tragedy" is the fact that she has not met the royal family, or her grandfather Thomas Markle, yet. "I think what that little child won't be saying is 'hello, grandpa', which is a great, great tragedy, because she hasn't met King Charles, she hasn't met Thomas Markle, her maternal grandfather - it's such a shame, Cole said. "They go around the world and they're trying to do good, and we welcome the good, but you've got to actually take that home."

Speaking about the continued rift between the Sussexes and the royal family, Cole said that if they "can't make bridges within their own family", then "what hope have they got in making bridges to other communities, other faiths, and other beliefs.

Cole said that had Meghan and Harry stayed with the royal family, their activism on global issues  like what they did in Colombia  would have been a "great asset" to the family.

Before Harry and Meghans Colombia trip, critics pointed out that it was a surprising decision as Colombia is plagued by crime, civil unrest, and kidnapping. It was especially shocking as the Sussexes have refused to return to the UK, citing security concerns. The trip was also blasted by some as quasi-royal since the couple is no longer members of the royal family.
Thank you JoeThank you JoeWe love you JoeWe love you Joe, thousands of Democratic delegates chanted, as they gave a standing ovation to the leader who was meant to deliver his acceptance speech this week, but instead, delivered a farewell speech capping over half a century in Democratic politics. First Lady Jill Biden and US President Joe Biden wave to the audience during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on Monday. (AFP)

On Monday night, at the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicagos United Center arena, President Joe Biden, the new Democratic nominee for president, Kamala Harris, and party members grateful for Bidens service, but also grateful for his decision to drop out of the presidential race, came together for an emotionally charged evening.

In a speech that traced his administrations achievements and offered a warning about the threats that American democracy faced from Donald Trump, Biden acknowledged the elephant in the room where an incumbent president was giving way in one of the most unusual transitions in politics.

Its been the honour of my lifetime to serve as your President. I love the job, but I love my country more. I love my country more, Biden said.

And all this talk about how Im angry with all those people who said I should step down  thats not true.

Later in the speech, he brought up his age: I have either been too young to be in the Senate because I wasnt 30 yet and too old to stay as President.America, I gave my best to you. I have made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you. For 50 years, like many of you, I have given my heart and soul to our nation, Biden said, as many delegates teared up and responded with chants hailing the president once again.

Praises Kamala Harris

He also offered a ringing endorsement of Harris and said that picking her as his running mate was the first decision he took when nominated, and it was the best decision of my career. She is tough, she is experienced, she has enormous integrity. Her story represents the best American story. Biden said Harris would be president that children could look up to, that world leaders would respect, that everyone could be proud of, and who would put her own stamp on Americas future.

Biden told delegates to give the campaign everything. Join me in promising your whole heart to this effortI promise I will be the best volunteer Harris and (Tim) Walzs camp have ever seen.

Focusing on the urgency of the moment and the critical nature of this election, Biden said, We saved democracy in 2020, and now we must save it again in 2024. The vote that each of us cast this year will determine whether democracy and freedom will prevail. Its that simple. Its that serious. And the power is literally in your hands.

Through his speech, Biden focused on his administrations record. These included, among other steps, taking on Russia and supporting Ukraine, strengthening Europe and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato), helping the country recover from the pandemic, bringing back manufacturing to America, ensuring record job creation, stock market levels and economic growth, investing in infrastructure through a landmark law, investing in technology through the Chips Act, passing the most significant climate legislation ever, passing a gun safety law, supporting veterans, besting pharma to bring down prices for seniors, supporting unions.

Biden calls Trump a loser

Biden called Trump a loser for painting America as a country that was losing. Think of the message he sends around the world when he talks about America being a failing nationName me a country in the world that doesnt think were the leading nation in the world. He called out Trump for lying, and said that crime rates were higher under the Republican president. Biden said that illegal immigration was higher when Trump demitted office than now and said that Trump had killed the strongest bipartisan border security bill negotiated with Senate Republicans because he feared this would benefit Biden. Typically Trump, once again, putting himself first and America last.

Biden also focused on reproductive freedom, perhaps the single biggest vulnerability for the Republicans in this election. MAGA Republicans found out the power of women in 2022. And Donald Trump is going to find out the power of women in 2024. Watch, the president said as the hall erupted in applause. He also warned America that if Trump won, he would ban abortion nationwide, prices would go up due to his tariffs.

Before Biden spoke, First Lady Jill Biden told delegates, in the arena filled with placards that said Jill, that she had been with the President for 50 years, but still fell in love with him again when he dug deep into his soul and decided not to seek re-election. Ashley Biden called her father the OG girl dad and spoke about how he had always respected, valued, trusted and empowered women.

And Harris herself made a surprise appearance earlier in the evening and said, I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe BidenJoe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do, we are forever grateful to you. Thank you, Joe!

That sentiment carried over till the end of the evening, when Biden was joined by his family and Harris and her husband at the end of his speech. Biden then left for California for a vacation, walking into the night as Democrats prepared to celebrate his successor over the next three days.
BBC Royal Correspondent Michael Cole has said that if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had stayed with the royal family, their activism on global issues  like what they did during their Colombia tour  would have been a "great asset" to the family. The Sussexes stepped down from the royal family and moved to the United States. The feud between the royal family, and Harry and Meghan, is ongoing. Meghan Markle would have been a great asset to royal family, expert reveals how (Photo by Raul ARBOLEDA / AFP)(AFP)

Speaking of Meghan, Cole said on GB News, "She would have been a great asset had she chosen the wider stage and the bigger stage that Buckingham Palace could have given her, instead of scooting off to Canada and then to America.

"At one stage Meghan wanted to work for the State Department, the American Foreign Office, and she did a stint in Buenos Aires in the embassy there. Sometimes plays come in three acts. She had the acting career, then of course, she was a royal duchess. Is she preparing for something else?" he added.

Cole suggested that the Duchess of Sussex could step into US politics next, and said that America could "do with a talented and good-looking candidate" on the Democratic ticket. "In California, there have been people like Schwarzenegger, and not to mention Ronald Reagan - both of them actors of some skill, who went on to be governors of California, he said.

The Sussexes will be reflecting on the semi-royal tour of Colombia and counting it a success

Despite their good intentions, however, Harry and Meghan faced massive criticism over their Colombia tour. The trip was blasted as quasi-royal since the couple is no longer members of the royal family.

"The Sussexes will be reflecting on the semi-royal tour of Colombia and counting it a success. And in their terms, of course, it was. They were met by people who were delighted to see them, nothing went wrong, Cole said of the trip. "They ticked all their boxes, she wore some very nice expensive outfits, and it was quite a show and she's no doubt the star of the show. She was smiling with a permanent smile, you can't get away from it.

He added, "The Prince looked a little bit more hesitant. But when he was with children, planting trees and drumming drums, and with his wounded veterans who go to the entirely admirable Invictus Games, which he set up, he looks happier."
MANILA, - A former mayor of a Philippine town being investigated for her alleged ties to Chinese criminal syndicates has fled the country, prompting the Philippine president's office to order the cancellation of her passport on Monday. Philippines says ex-mayor accused of Chinese crime links has fled the country

Alice Guo, also known as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, arrived in Malaysia from Indonesia on July 18, then arrived in Singapore on July 21, and then travelled to Batam, Indonesia, via a ferry from Singapore on Aug. 18, a spokesperson for the Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission said, basing the information on immigration records in those countries.

"In the interest of justice," the Office of the Philippine President in an Aug. 20 memo addressed to the justice and foreign ministers, directed "that appropriate action be taken for the cancellation" of Guo's passport.

It's unclear what date she left the Philippines.

But Guo's lawyer Stephen David insisted she remains in the Philippines. She has denied the allegations against her.

"Thus, without further evidence to prove that she has indeed left the country, our reliance in good faith on the assurances by our client remains," David said in a statement, without providing details.

Indonesia's Immigration agency declined to confirm the travel information, saying that data is private, while its foreign ministry did not immediately respond to request for comment on whether it had been contacted by Philippine authorities about the case.

Guo is the subject of a Senate arrest warrant for refusing to appear at hearings investigating her alleged ties with Chinese criminal syndicates - a case that has captivated the nation amid tensions between Manila and Beijing.

The investigation began in May after authorities raided a casino in Guo's sleepy farming town of Bamban in March, uncovering what the authorities said were scams being perpetrated from a facility built on land partially owned by the former mayor.

Guo, who was recently removed from office by the Ombudsman for grave misconduct, has denied links to criminals and said she is a natural-born Philippine citizen. She has written to the Senate that she was the subject of "malicious accusations".

Her case comes at a time of growing Philippine suspicion about China's activities following an increasingly tense dispute over reefs and shoals in the busy waterway of the South China Sea, where both nations have claims.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Several friends of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have expressed sharp criticism over the couples outrageous public disclosures about the Royal Family. Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)(AP)

Since stepping back from their royal duties in 2020 and relocating to Montecito, California, where they now reside with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, the Sussexes have repeatedly dropped bombshells about their experiences within the Royal Family through several TV interviews, the Duke's 2023 memoir, Spare and Netflix's tell-all docu-series, Harry and Meghan.

And these public commentaries have sparked considerable backlash, particularly from those who were once close to the Duke of Sussex.

ALSO READ| Meghan Markle gushes about Princess Lilibet during Columbia tour with Prince Harry, She has

One Sussexes' pal claims Harry really misses UK

With Harry's upcoming 40th birthday, The Times interviewed several of his former friends.

One expressed deep disappointment, stating, I cant believe hed stoop so low. Its outrageously disloyal. Oprah, Netflix, and then the book? Three strikes and youre out.

Another former friend speculated on the Duke's current state of mind, suggesting, Hes an angry boy. Things havent turned out how he wanted. I think he misses being over here [in Britain] desperately and wants to be admired more, and added, Anyone who knows him feels he'd rather be top of the pops here with everyone loving him, as they do with William and Kate.

Harry and Meghan could have left with dignity and decency and not trashed the institution. The conclusion is theyve made money from trashing his family, another one remarked.

Prince Harry and Meghan were banned from

Prince Harry and Meghan repeatedly face royal snub due to their tell-all behaviour. However, they also faced royal snubs in the days leading up to Queen Elizabeth's funeral.

ALSO READ| Prince Harry desperately wants to be admired more like Prince William and Kate

Although they had stepped down from their royal duties, the couple initially received an invitation to a royal event. Their invitation to a gathering for world leaders on the eve of the funeral was later revoked, exacerbating tensions within the family. According to reports, the Palace clarified that the event was exclusively for "working royals," which led to the withdrawal of their invitations since they no longer met the specified criteria.
Toronto: Indo-Canadian community groups have expressed anger over pro-Khalistan elements openly targeting the countrys Hindus, as evidenced by a protest at the India Day Parade in Toronto on Sunday. Visitors to the India Day Parade at Nathan Phillips Square in downtown Toronto, Canada on Sunday. (HT photo)

A pro-Khalistan group gathered at the venue for the event, a celebration of Indias Independence Day and were heard shouting, Canadian Hindus go back to India, among other slogans.

That demonstration was part of the so-called Khalistan Rally, and flyers circulated in the days preceding it called for a face-off between Khalistan Sikhs and Canadian Hindus.

That display was condemned by community groups. In a statement, the Coalition of Hindus of North America or CoHNAs Canadian unit, said such blatant Hinduphobia persists unchallenged in Canada as politicians look the other way.

Whether its a memorial service for Canadas deadliest terror attack or Hindu festivals like Diwali and Holi, Khalistani protesters are there to harass and disrupt these gatherings with #Hinduphobic chants. Over and over we see the pretext of political speech against India used to target ordinary Canadians of the Hindu faith. If such rhetoric was directed against any other group, politicians would swiftly condemn it, it added.

Security at the India Day Parade, organised by the umbrella organisation Panorama India to mark Independence Day, was maintained by Toronto Police personnel.

Another group, Canadian Hindu Volunteers also expressed outrage over the incident, as it said, Such rhetoric, if directed at any other community, would undoubtedly prompt swift and decisive action from elected officials and law enforcement.

Describing the episode as despicable, it added, We implore Canadian authorities and elected representatives to recognise the severity of this issue, take immediate action to curb these hateful acts by extremist groups, and ensure that Hindu Canadians can live safely and with dignity. The persistence of this bigotry is a stain on Canadas commitment to multiculturalism and must be addressed without delay.
By Andrew Osborn Russian military says it takes control of strategic Ukrainian town of 'Niu-York'

MOSCOW, - The Russian military said on Tuesday that its forces had taken control of what it described as the strategically important logistics hub of Niu-York in eastern Ukraine, part of Moscow's grinding drive to capture the entire Donetsk region.

Even as Ukrainian troops seek to advance in Russia's Kursk region after a surprise cross-border attack launched on Aug. 6, the fate of Niu-York - which Reuters could not independently confirm - is a reminder that Russian forces are pressing on with their own offensive in eastern Ukraine regardless.

Russia refers to Niu-York, which Ukraine gave back its original name in 2021, as Novgorodskoye, the Russian spelling of the settlement's Soviet-era name.

"As a result of intense action by units of the 'Centre Grouping' of troops, a large grouping of enemy troops was crushed and one of the largest settlements in the Toretsk agglomeration and the strategically important logistics hub of Novgorodskoye ... was liberated," the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The Ukrainian military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the current status of the settlement.

With a pre-war population of just under 10,000, Niu-York is on the railway line to Sloviansk, one of the cities in eastern Ukraine which Moscow has long wanted to take.

The Ukrainian military said earlier on Tuesday that heavy fighting was underway in the Toretsk sector, including in Niu-York, amid reports from Russian military bloggers that Moscow's forces were engaged in mopping up operations in Niu-York.

In a morning report, Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces said on Telegram that Russian forces had tried to advance 24 times in various areas, including Niu-York.

On Monday, Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-backed official, posted video of a Russian soldier hoisting the Russian flag atop what looked like an administrative building in Niu-York while a charred Ukrainian flag lay on the pavement outside.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The United States on Monday announced its approval of a $3.5-billion sale to South Korea of up to 36 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and related equipment, including missiles. US President Joe Biden(AFP)

"The proposed sale will improve the Republic of Korea's capability to meet current and future threats by providing a credible force capable of deterring adversaries and participating in regional operations," the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement.

The sale will improve "the security of a major ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific region," the statement said, using the US foreign policy term for the Asia Pacific region.

The State Department approved the possible sale of the helicopters to South Korea, and the DSCA on Monday provided the required notification to Congress, which still needs to sign off on the transaction.

The principal contractors for the deal will be Boeing and Lockheed Martin, the DSCA said.

The announcement came on the same day that Washington and Seoul began major annual joint military drills, with new exercises aimed at containing the nuclear-armed North.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise runs until August 29 and will involve thousands of military personnel.
Former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and second gentleman Doug Emhoff will speak Tuesday on the second day of the Democratic National Convention, turning the partys attention toward Vice President Kamala Harris and her faceoff against Republican Donald Trump. Former President Barack Obama hugs Vice President Kamala Harris during an event to mark the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act in the East Room of the White House on April 5, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)(AFP)

The pivot toward the presidential campaigns final 76 days follows an opening night that was designed to give a graceful exit to the incumbent president, who was greeted with a heros welcome for stepping aside for Harris.

Speaking clearly and energetically, Biden appeared to relish the chance to defend his record, advocate for his vice president and assail Trump. His delivery was more reminiscent of the Biden who won in 2020 than the mumbling and sometimes incoherent one-time candidate whose debate performance against Trump in June sparked the downfall of his reelection campaign.

Biden, in his remarks, repeated his 2020 theme that were in a battle for the very soul of America, and pressed the case for why Harris and her running mate Tim Walz were best prepared to wage it.

Because of you, weve had the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period, Biden declared. And then he interjected, I say we, I mean me and Kamala, sharing the credit for his most popular successes with the vice president to whom he handed over his political operation.

Harris made a brief, unannounced appearance at the convention on Monday to thank Biden for his leadership. She later joined him on stage, where the two spoke and hugged.

Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all youll continue to do, she said. We are forever grateful to you.

The opening day ran more than an hour behind schedule and forced some planned speakers, including musician James Taylor, to be dropped from the program, which convention organizers attributed to sustained applause for speakers.

Harris will travel Tuesday to Milwaukee for a rally in the swing state of Wisconsin before returning to Chicago late in the evening.

The Harris campaign said Tuesday that it will spotlight trusted messengers from key battleground states over the conventions three remaining days. They include Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada; Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Gary Peters and Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan; Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. From Arizona, Sen. Mark Kelly will speak along with John Giles, the Republican mayor of Mesa.

Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina will be the last speaker before Harris accepts the Democratic nomination on Thursday.
The Democratic National Convention 's first night showcased speeches from the last Democrat to lose to Donald Trump and the last one to beat him. Joe Biden holds US Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris hand after delivering the keynote address, as the Biden family stands alongside, on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 19, 2024. (AFP)

Hillary Clinton spoke hopefully of finally breaking the glass ceiling to elect a female president. Joe Biden laced into Trump and directly acknowledged the concerns of protesters against the war in Gaza who demonstrated a few blocks from the convention hall.

Here are some takeaways from the first night of the convention.

Biden begins long political exit

President Joe Biden wrapped up the conventions opening night by beginning his long political farewell with an address that both framed his own legacy and signaled he was ready to start ceding control of the party to Vice President Kamala Harris.

He took the stage to a long, raucous ovation from delegates hoisting We love Joe placards and told them in turn, I love you! After the affectionate opening, Biden spent long stretches of his 50-minute speech hitting Trump, returning to a key theme of the reelection campaign hes no longer running.

Biden ticked through many of his administrations achievements, including a major public works package and climate program, and shared the credit with Harris. He said picking Harris as his running mate was the best decision he ever made and promised to be the best volunteer that Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz have ever seen.

His closing message to those still listening as the convention stretched late into the night: I gave my best to you for 50 years.

A surprise Harris appearance to pay tribute to Biden

The vice president made an unscheduled appearance onstage to pay tribute to Biden ahead of his own address to the convention. She told the president, Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all youll continue to do.

On a night meant to honor the president who stepped aside to make way for Harris, the vice president added, We are forever grateful to you.

Gaza gets little attention inside DNC hall  except from Biden

Thousands of marchers churned through Chicagos streets protesting U.S. support for Israel during the war in Gaza. But inside the convention hall, the combustible issue went largely unmentioned until Biden got to the microphone.

Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez got cheers when she praised Harris for working tirelessly to get a cease-fire in Gaza and get the hostages home. Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia made a brief allusion to the conflict.

A handful of delegates who ran on an uncommitted ticket protesting Bidens position on the war unfurled a banner during his speech that read Stop Arming Israel. But it was blocked by supporters waving Biden signs before it was wrestled away and the lights over that section of the audience were shut off.

Biden himself addressed the issue head-on, saying hed keep working to end the war in Gaza and bring peace and security to the Middle East.

Those protesters out in the streets have a point, Biden said. A lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides.

The crowd cheered, and for a moment the war didnt seem like it was dividing the party at all.

Clinton revives talk of breaking that glass ceiling

Clinton was greeted with wild and sustained applause that lasted for more than two minutes before she quieted the crowd. She delivered a fiery speech hoping that Harris could do what she could not - become the first woman president by beating Trump.

Clinton evoked her 2016 concession speech by referencing all the cracks in the glass ceiling that she and her voters had achieved. And she painted a vision of Harris on the other side of that glass ceiling taking the oath of office as president.

She closed her speech with a striking desire for someone whos stood at the pinnacle of American politics and power: I want my grandchildren and their grandchildren to know I was here at this moment. That we were here and that we were with Kamala Harris every step of the way.

Clinton dipped into traditional political attacks in her speech, including mocking Trumps criminal record. That led to chants of lock him up  mirroring the ones that Trumps supporters directed at Clinton in 2016.

Tracing a line from Jesse Jackson to Kamala Harris

An early theme of the evening was celebrating the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a longtime civil rights leader in Chicago and former presidential candidate in 1984 and 1988. Many Democrats credit him with blazing a trail that helped Barack Obama win the White House in 2008 and Kamala Harris become the first woman of color nominated for the presidency.

Jackson was saluted from the stage by several speakers, including Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and California Rep. Maxine Waters. There was a video montage of Jacksons career and legacy that played before the 82-year-old Jackson himself came to the stage in a wheelchair, thrusting his arms skyward and grinning. Jackson has been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease.

During the 1984 Democratic convention in San Francisco, Jackson gave a speech declaring that America is like a quilt: Many patches, many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven and held together by a common thread. The address became known as the Rainbow Coalition speech, and Jackson used momentum from it to seek the Democratic nomination again in 1988.

Harris has called Jackson one of Americas greatest patriots.

Remember COVID? Democrats dont want voters  or Trump  to forget

Democrats opted to shine the convention spotlight on the harrowing subject of the coronavirus pandemic.

It was a reflection of Democratic frustration at how Trump has portrayed his tenure in office as a golden age for the country, even though hundreds of thousands of Americans died of COVID-19 during the last year of his term.

There are plenty of risks for Democrats in hammering the pandemic. Even more people died of the virus during Biden's presidency than during Trump's, voters have shown an eagerness to move on and some preventative measures championed by Democrats  like school closures and masking  are not popular in retrospect.

Still, the lineup of early speakers focused on Trumps performance during the pandemic. Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan recalled how her brother was the second person in Tennessee to die of the disease and how she couldnt visit him or hold a memorial service. Rep. Lauren Underwood of Illinois, a nurse, said of Trump: He took the COVID crisis and turned it into a catastrophe. We can never ever let him be our president again.

Rep. Robert Garcia, whose mother and stepfather died of the disease in 2020, recalled Trumps missteps and concluded with one of the slogans of Harris young campaign: We are not going back.

Democrats one-up Republicans on labor

Trumps convention last month featured a rare appearance from a union leader at such a GOP event: Teamsters President Sean OBrien. Thats reflective of how Trumps populism has cut into Democrats advantage with union households.

In that speech, OBrien did not endorse Trump. But he criticized both major political parties for not doing enough to help working people.

Democrats didnt invite OBrien to their convention, but they countered with a half-dozen other union leaders onstage Monday. And then Shawn Fain, head of the United Auto Workers, led a blistering chant of Trumps a scab! while wearing a red T-shirt emblazoned with those words.

Fain noted that Biden visited a UAW picket line last year and, when autoworkers struck in 2019, Harris, not Trump, walked the picket lines. Donald Trump is all talk and Kamala Harris walks the walk, Fain said.
Thai student studying TCM in China aspires to benefit more Thai people with his skills

People's Daily Online) 10:49, August 20, 2024

Inside a massage room, a Thai student named Chatchawat was practicing massage under the guidance of his teacher. A classmate, who assumed the role of a patient, laid on the massage bed while Chatchawat skillfully applied various techniques such as pushing, kneading, pinching, and grasping.

Chatchawat practices massage at a massage room in Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. (Photo provided by Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine)

Born in 1996, Chatchawat studied traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Thailand and furthered his education at Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, located in northeast Chinas Liaoning Province. He plans to pursue a doctoral degree at the university.

Chatchawats father, an experienced TCM practitioner in Thailand, frequently treated patients using TCM techniques, especially massage. Witnessing the positive impact that TCM had on Thai patients ignited Chatchawats deep interest in the field from a young age.

"After studying TCM at university, my understanding of massage has greatly expanded, Chatchawat said. To master the diagnostic and therapeutic methods of massage, he reads extensively. He also takes a comprehensive approach to get the best results from the massages, analyzing and diagnosing the patients ailment and changing his massage treatment to best help.

Chatchawat practices massage at a massage room in Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. (Photo provided by Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine)

After obtaining his doctoral degree, Chatchawat plans to return to Thailand and work alongside his father in the field of TCM.

"I hope to bring the TCM knowledge and skills that I learn here to Thailand and help more Thai people benefit from TCM, Chatchawat said.

TCM, as a unique healthcare resource in China, has been closely related to the health and happiness of the people. As a medical system with a long tradition and unique theories and methods, TCM has spread to more than 190 countries and regions, becoming a strong representation of Chinese culture that people all over the world can embrace.

Liaoning, where TCM culture thrives, draws numerous international students each year who come from afar to study there. After they return home, the students apply the TCM skills they acquired to enhance the well-being of local residents and promote the global recognition of TCM, enabling people worldwide to enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Joe Biden, the outgoing US President, made a powerful yet memorable speech at Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, where he arrived with First Lady Jill Biden to back Democratic party's presidential candidate Kamala Harris ahead of the November elections. President Joe Biden stands with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and first lady Jill Biden during the first day of Democratic National Convention, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)(AP)

The US President and FLOTUS were also accompanied by their son and daughter, Hunter Biden and Ashley Biden. This was surely a key moment in Biden's political history as his four-year term is nearing an end. While Biden faced a lot of criticism over his debacle performance during a debate with Republican rival Donald Trump, he was overwhelmed with the warmth and love he received at the DNC. He even shared a heart-touching moment with his daughter Ashley who introduced him to the stage. He was even seen wiping his tears with handkerchief. Here are the key highlights:

Biden addresses Americans as he passes torch to Harris

Addressing the audience, Biden asserted that he devoted his life to serving the US, and had never felt more hopeful about the country's future.

Admitting that he made several mistakes in her political career, he told Americans that he gave his best for 50 years with his heart and soul.

Like many of you, I gave my heart and soul to our nation, and Ive been blessed a million times in return in the support of the American people, the President noted.

He went on to mention that he was "too young" to be in the Senate as he wasn't even 30 years old and now "too old" to stay as president.

But I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you. I can honestly say, and I mean this in the bottom, giving my word as a Biden, I can honestly say Im more optimistic about the future than I was when I was elected as a 29-year-old United States senator.

Biden calls picking Harris as his VP the best decision of his career

Making Kamala Harris his vice presidential nominee, according to Biden, was the best decision he has made in his more than five decades in politics.

Selecting Kamala was the very first decision I made  when I became our nominee, and it was the best decision I made my whole career, the POTUS said.

Biden told Democrats that Harris and her running mate Tim Walz would continue to his work on his objectives including voting rights protection, access to abortion, and taxing the superrich.

Later, Harris gave a hug to Biden after the mentioned that he would be the best volunteer for her campaign against Republican opponent Donald Trump.

I promise I'll be the best volunteer Harris and Walz's camp have ever seen, the 81-year-old Commander-in-Chief declared as he concluded a powerful, nearly one-hour televised speech to party delegates in Chicago, during which he handed over the nomination torch to his VP.

Biden's take on anti-Israel protestors

Biden showed his empathy for anti-Israel demonstrators by stating that they "have a point" and that he was actively pursuing a truce.

Stating that those demonstrators on the street do have a valid argument, he noted, Those protesters out in the street, they have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides.

Demonstrators had breached a barricade on the DNC's outer perimeter, to voice their opposition to American backing for Israel.

Now I'll keep working to bring hostages home and end the war in Gaza and bring peace and security. The Middle East. As you know, I wrote a peace treaty for Gaza a few days ago. I put forward a proposal that brought us closer to doing that than we've done since October 7th, he said.

Also Read: Barack Obama made his DNC debut 20 years ago. He's returning to make case for Kamala Harris

Biden says Democracy has prevailed under his admn, labels Trump as loser

Calling Biden a loser for characterising the US as a nation in decline, Biden said, When he talks about America being a failing nation, he says, were losing. Hes the loser. Hes dead wrong.

He mentioned the challenges he faced as the President, recalling the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol and COVID-19 outbreak.

Reiterating his anti-Trump remarks, he said, You cannot say you love your country only when you win.

Biden reminded the Democrats of everything that had happened in the three and a half years since he assumed office following the attack on January 6.

With a grateful heart, I stand before you now on this August night to report that democracy has prevailed. Democracy has delivered, and now democracy must be preserved.

When he told the crowd about his efforts and Harris to reduce prescription drug prices, the crowd chanted, thank you Joe!

Thank you Kamala, Biden replied.

Biden hailed for his powerful speech

Biden was lauded for delivering a powerful speech at the DNC as passed the torch to Harris.

One of the X users wrote: I've never seen President Biden THIS angry before, gritting his teeth and shaking with rage as he recalls trump's suckers and losers.

Here are some more reactions:
According to a report, multiple hotels in Chicago, reportedly used to accommodate Democratic National Convention attendees, were hit with bomb threats on Tuesday, the event's second day. Around noon, police officers and K9 units began searching the Nobu Hotel at 155 North Peoria Street. The threat, which was emailed to Fox 32, specifically referenced the DNC happening in the city this week. Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz (L) gestures alongside US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris during a campaign event at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on August 9, 2024. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)(AFP)

Alleged bomb threat at near west side hotels during DNC

An email was sent to a news outlet just before noon, claiming pipe bombs had been placed at the Hotel Chicago West Loop and the Hyatt House Chicago in West Loop and the University District. Law enforcement responded swiftly, deploying K-9 units to sweep at least one of the hotels. No suspicious devices have been found thus far, but investigations are ongoing.

The U.S. Secret Service is aware of threats made to various locations in the Downtown area. Law enforcement personnel are screening the affected areas and examining the credibility of the threat," the Chicago police department currently investigating the threat told the POST.

Also read: Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore dodging floating poo, drinking recycled urine while stuck in space

The threats included anti-semitic statements

The threat reportedly included anti-Semitic statements, prompting officers to search the Nobu Hotel. This incident has heightened concerns, especially since Chicago has been on edge with more security and tension this week. There have been protests in the city against the Biden administration for supporting Israel in the Gaza conflict, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire. Several activists got arrested after they ripped down part of a security fence.

Also read: And they lived happily ever, NYC lawyers haunting last post before vanishing on Bayesian yacht with wife

On Tuesday, a group of protesters cut into Tim Walz, who's running with Harris, while he was speaking at the Democratic Women's Caucus meeting. The city is has the biggest Palestinian community in the country, with more than 15,000 people of Palestinian descent residing in the state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Police and K9s at the Nobu Hotel in west loop  our news desk received an email claiming a pipe bomb threat at this and three other west loop / near west side hotels, political correspondent Paris Schutz posted on X.
Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that he would approach Tesla CEO Elon Musk a Cabinet post or advisory role in the White House if gets elected this November, according to Reuters. While Donald Trump has announced that he would offer Elon Musk a cabinet role, the Tesla CEO Musk had earlier denied that he had discussed a White House advising role with the former President.

The remarks comes few days after after Musk conducted an interview with Trump on his platform X. In the interview, Trump lauded Musk's automobiles, stating that although not everyone ought to acquire an electric car, Musk nonetheless produces great products.

According to The Washington Post, Musk had earlier stated that he supported President Joe Biden in the 2020 contest. However, he quickly changed his position and supported Trump after an assassination attempt on him, writing on X, I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery.

Trump told Reuters on Monday that he typically doesn't think tax breaks and credits are a good idea, but clarified he isn't making any final decisions on the $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit, which Biden has since increased. I'm a big fan of gasoline-propelled cars, and also hybrids and whatever else happens to come along, he declared. He also expressed his love for electric vehicles.

Also Read: Trump blasts comrade Kamala Harris, Democrats for staging 'first ever Coup' in US, claims Biden was told 'Sorry Joe'

Will Musk accept the offer?

In a post on X earlier this year, Musk denied that he had discussed a White House advising role with Trump. He stated, There have not been any discussions of a role for me in a potential Trump Presidency. However, Trump indicated that he would be open to offering Musk a position in his administrationpossibly as a member of a government efficiency commission during their live chat on X last week.

Trump responded that he would love it when Musk brought up the notion of forming a commission to make sure taxpayers money...is spent in a good way and said he would be happy to help out on.

According to Forbes, Musk is the richest person in the world with a net worth of $248.6 billion as of on Monday.

As the announcement sparked flurry of responses on X, one of the posts received a peculiar reply from Musk, which caused his post to go viral.

When an X user suggested, "Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)" for Musk, the billionaire said: Perfect name

In another post Musk wrote, I am willing to serve and then said, Sometimes I wonder if Im too defiant.

Netizens react as Musk expresses willingness to serve

Just like Trump, Musk's response too garnered thousand of response from the social media users.



The most entertaining outcome is the most likely, one X user wrote.

One of the followers, even commented: Just two dudes saving America!

Make it happen Elon. DOGE TO THE MOON, a third user chimed in.
Stephanie Grisham, the former White House Press Secretary for Donald Trump, is set to speak on Day 2 of the Democratic National Convention. As the 48-year-old will show her support for Kamala Harris, she has encouraged her fellow Republicans to join her. In addition to the ex-Trump aide, Adam Kinzinger, Geoff Duncan, and John Giles are among other GOP leaders slated to make appearances at the DNC. US Vice President Kamala Harris arrives for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. The race for the White House will reach a fever pitch this week, with Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump battling for momentum, and attention, around the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg(Bloomberg)

Ex-Trump aide, other GOP leaders to show support for Harris at Day 2 of DNC

Grisham, who served as a press aide for the Trump administration in 2016, said in a statement ahead of her appearance at the DNC, I never thought Id be speaking at a Democratic convention. But, after seeing firsthand who Donald Trump really is, and the threat he poses to our country, I feel very strongly about speaking out.

While I dont agree with Vice President Harris on everything, I am proud to be supporting her because I know she will defend our freedoms and represent our nation with honesty and integrity, Grisham added per NBC News. She also confirmed her DNC appearance on X, saying, We'll, I'm doing a thing tonight.

ALSO READ: Barack Obama, Michelle and Doug Emhoff to headline Day 2 of Democratic National Convention

Kinzinger, a former Republican congressman for Illinois, also issued a statement on Tuesday, confirming his attendance at the DNC on Thursday. I can now report that I will be speaking Thursday at the Democratic National Convention. True conservatism has been replaced with a cult. Ill be making that clear, Kinzinger wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

ALSO READ: Jill Biden pays tribute to Joe Biden in emotional DNC speech, officially endorses Harris

Meanwhile, Duncan, a Republican former lieutenant governor of Georgia, told Fox News, As a lifelong conservative Republican, I do not recognize my own party. Donald Trump does not care about Americas working families; he only cares about revenge and retribution. Americans know Donald Trumps extremist agenda is a threat to our country, and its time to move past his incoherence and division.

Another key Republican figure who is set to make an appearance at the DNC in support of Harris is Giles, the mayor of Mesa, Arizona. Ive been a Republican all my life. But since Donald Trump refused to accept the results of the 2020 election, the Republican Party has spiraled further and further into political extremism, Giles said in a statement.
Doug Emhoff faced criticism from Republicans after being photographed hugging his daughter, Ella, at the Democratic National Convention. Critics took issue with Ellas outfit and the pose, labelling it as "weird" and creepy on social media. The 25-year-old model has been getting a lot of attention lately for multiple reasons including her past political stance, standing up for her stepmom, Kamala Harris, and fighting for Palestinian refugees among others. Stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris Ella Emhoff (2nd R, top) gestures to her father US Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff (L) as he arrives to his seat.(AFP)

Doug Emhoff faces Republican scrutiny at DNC

Monday marked the big night for Democrats as they gathered for the first night of the DNC with Kamala Harris as the presidential nominee. In Chicago, Harris husband, Doug Emhoff, who also attended the event was seen hugging his daughter, Ella, sparking a social media uproar among the MAGA supporters. The criticism extended to remarks about the family's appearance and behaviour, especially following the recent scandal involving Mr Emhoff's alleged affair with his children's nanny, which came to light a few weeks ago.

Also read: Trump's Pennsylvania lead pulls a Houdini, and Vance knows whom to blame, but it's not Harris

Charlie Kirk shared a photo of the father-daughter embracing each other and wrote, Totally not weird. The comment was potentially a swipe at Harris and Walz who repeatedly brand Trump and his running mate JD Vance as weirdos.

Second Gentelman (sic) Doug Emhoff and his daughter.. Creepy, political commentator Benny Johnson joined in the conversation.

Harris' stepdaughter Ella stands out in the DNC crowd

Ella, who previously defended Kamala Harris against JD Vances childless cat ladies comment, poured her support for her Mamola at the DNC in Chicago. The 25-year-old fashion designer made a statement with her outfita $40 cap that went viral for the Democratic campaign, paired with a sleeveless nude top and matching pleated trousers.

Some comments, however, took issue with the visibility of her armpit hair and questioned Doug Emhoffs hand placement, with critics saying things like He attempted to pull away but she clung to him and labelling the situation as freakish."

This is how Kamala Harriss stepdaughter (she has no kids of her own) dressed tonight for his fathers wifes big night. This family is competing with Biden for the title of trashiest family to occupy the White House, a person commented. Why is she clinging so much ewww, chimed in another. What a showoff after this person cheated on her mother with nanny, said the third.

Also read: And they lived happily ever, NYC lawyers haunting last post before vanishing on Bayesian yacht with wife

Harris fans point out the Trump-Ivanka moment in defence move

While Republicans were all over Emhoff and Ellas photo, Harriss fans served up some counterpunches, pointing out Trumps problematic behaviour toward his daughter Ivanka. They dusted off a 2006 The View interview where Trump allegedly quipped, If Ivanka werent my daughter, maybe Id be dating her, while sitting next to her. One social media user responded to Kirks tweet with a photo of Trump gazing at Ivanka with his hands on her waist, commenting, Sometimes its best to sit out certain innings, Chuck.

Sorry your dad never hugged you, dude. But actually, that kind of explains a lot. Were not mad at you. Were certainly not scared of you. Were a lil bit annoyed by you. But mostly, Charliemostly we just pity you, another wrote.
Hillary Clinton drew a stunning response from the crowd at Democratic National Convention (DNC) as she made a sharp contrast between Trump and Harris, saying that the former fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up, he made his own kind of history. As Hillary Clinton was taking a dig at Donald Trump for being the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions, her remarks incited boisterous cries of lock him up" at DNC. (REUTERS)

As she was taking a dig at Trump for being the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions, her remarks incited boisterous cries of lock him up, which were reminiscent of the lock her up chants during Trump's 2016 campaign rallies. After trying for a while to ignore the chanting, Clinton appeared to chuckle a little as the audience went crazy and kept yelling, lock him up.

She hailed Harris for locking up murderers and drug traffickers while working as a lawyer. She will never rest in defense of our freedom and safety, Clinton said of the US VP.

Hillary Clinton rips Trump for mocking Harris name and laugh

Continuing her tirade against Trump, she bashed the former President for making derogatory remarks for Harris.

On her first day in court, Kamala said five words that still guide her: Kamala Harris for the people. That is something that Donald Trump will never understand, she asserted, adding that "he is lying about Kamalas record," which is not surprising.

Also Read: Nancy Pelosi gives weird response when asked about residual bad blood between her & Biden, netizens say Youre done

Hes ridiculing her name and even her laugh. She quipped that Trump's attack sounds familiar.

But we have him on the run now, she noted.

The former US secretary went on to tell the crowd and Democratic party supporters that they all need to work harder than they have ever had over the next 78 days.

We need to beat back the dangers that Trump and his allies pose to the rule of law and our way of life. Dont get distracted or complacent. Talk to your friends and neighbors. Volunteer, be proud champions for the truth and for the country that we all love, she added, receiving loudest cheers from the crowd.
An illegal immigrant from Mexico has been accused of raping a 10-year-old boy in Mississippi. The Pontotoc County Sheriffs Department confirmed that the illegal alien  Filiberto Gonzalez  was arrested by its deputies on August 12. Illegal immigrant Filiberto Gonzalez allegedly rapes 10-year-old boy in Mississippi (Pontotoc County Sheriff's Department)

At present, Gonzalez, 34, is in the sheriffs custody pending his upcoming hearing, New York Post reported. His hearing will be on two charges of rape. It is unclear when the suspect entered the United States, and where.

Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Miss., said the Biden-Harris administration is responsible for the alleged rape. The Biden-Harris Administrations border crisis is destroying lives! We need to return to the strong border policies of the Trump Administration, Kelly wrote on X.

She is a terrible border czar

The X account Trump War Room shared the news, where many took to the comment section to blast Kamala Harris.

Kamalas America. She is a terrible border czar, one user commented, while another questioned, How many children have to be raped before We Close the Border @kamalaHQ @VP @KamalaHarris ?? Real question Mrs Harris how many ?? One angry user wrote, Harris says let em in!!!

Everyday every single day I see multiple stories like this on the news, one user wrote, while another said of Harris, And she will keep importing many more if she gets elected. This is why we need Trump. This shouldn't have happened it's sick, one user wrote. Another said, Close the border now. Protect our children. This is outrageous illegal behavior by another illegal border crosser. When are Americans going to stand up! We cannot sit back any longer and look the other way.

This incident comes just days after a homeless woman was allegedly raped at knifepoint by a migrant in Brooklyn. The 46-year-old woman broke her silence recently, saying she felt the suspect with a sex assault history was trying to kill her. 24-year-old Nicaraguan migrant Daniel Davon-Bonilla was charged with the assault.
US President Joe Biden, who stepped down from the race after receiving intense backlash over concerns around his age, made an emotional appearance at Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago. Biden was introduced at DNC by his daughter, Ashley Biden, who said: You always tell us, but we dont tell you enough, that you are the love of our lives and the life of our love.(Reuters)

The POTUS received a warm welcome at the stage after First Lady Jill Biden's speech. The Democrats and crowd in attendance were very excited to see Biden.

They held placards that read: We love Joe. The President responded, saying thank you, thank you, thank you I love you!

Biden was introduced by his daughter, Ashley Biden, who said: You always tell us, but we dont tell you enough, that you are the love of our lives and the life of our love.

The 81-year-old Commander-in-Chief wiped his eyes as he joined his daughter Ashley onstage and then made touching statement about his children and his wife, Jill, to kick off his speech. The father-daughter duo exchanged hug and words with his daughter. He then took out a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed his eyes.

Biden hails Kamala Harris, asks supporters are you ready to vote for freedom?

Biden begun his address by asking the crowd: Are you ready to vote for freedom, democracy and America? The response from the audience was a big yes!

Let me ask you, are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz? This time, the yes! was even louder.

Biden reminded the Democrats of everything that had happened in the three and a half years since he assumed office following the capitol riots.

He recalled the challenges he faced after assuming the office, by mentioning about COVID-19, historic joblessness, a call for racial justice, threats to democracy.

With a grateful heart, I stand before you now on this August night to report that democracy has prevailed. Democracy has delivered, and now democracy must be preserved, the POTUS remarked.

Biden shifted her focus to Harris but also bragged about his own accomplishments.

The POTUS lauded Harris and attacked Donald Trump's recent criminal record, after discussing how violent crime had been decreasing nationally.

He said, the murder rate is falling faster and crime will continue to decline when we put a prosecutor in the Oval Office instead of a convicted felon.

Biden labeled Trump a loser for saying that the US is a declining nation.

When he talks about America being a failing nation, he says, were losing. Hes the loser. Hes dead wrong.
John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania Senator known for his pro-Israel stance, decided to skip the Democratic National Convention (DNC) to keep his party away from any disputes regarding the Israel-Hamas war. US Senator John Fetterman claimed that there is no link between his absence from the DNC and his views on Israel.(AFP)

Speaking during an interview with the Free Press, the Democratic leader stated that there is no link between his absence from the DNC and his views on Israel. He, however, gave a strange excuse, claiming that he is not in Chicago because he wants to spend these four days with his kids.

He claimed that the decision to skip the convention was made well in advance of the CNN debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

Fetterman, who is not Jewish, strongly denounced the cowardly, horrifying, unprovoked attacks on Israel by Hamas in a statement following the October 7 attack in Israel. Fetterman lost support within his party after Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested that he is a bully.

Fetterman expressed his frustration with some of his members' decisions over how to handle the Israeli problem. I dont agree with a lot of their views, but whatever kinds of political choices or any kind of political costs that Ive incurred throughout all that, I dont care.

Meanwhile, hundreds of anti-Israel demonstrators breached the initial fence line outside the DNC. While some of them were later arrested by Chicago police, others were driven back by cops who were behind them in order to maintain the safety of the perimeter.

After their arrival at Union Park earlier on Monday, the demonstrators marched to Park 578, which is a short distance from the United Center. This comes as President Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and other speakers will address a crowd of up to 4,000 Democratic delegates on Monday.

Demonstrators breached a portion of anti-scale fencing along the Democratic National Conventions outer perimeter near the United Center on Aug. 19. Law enforcement personnel were immediately on-scene and contained the situation. At no point was the inner perimeter breached, and there was no threat to any protectees, the police said in a statement.

Also Read: Trump blasts comrade Kamala Harris, Democrats for staging 'first ever Coup' in US, claims Biden was told 'Sorry Joe'

Fetterman's spokesperson reacts, says 'I don't agree with'

Carrie Adams, Fetterman's director of communications, told the Free Press that I don't agree with his opinion on Israel and Palestine.

Carrie Adams informed him of her disagreement after which the Senator hung the call, as per the report.

I have a sense that his international views are a lot less nuanced than my generation, because when he was growing up, it was might makes right, and for my generation and younger who, of course, are the ones protesting this, they have a much more nuanced view of the region, Adams said.

Adams began working with Fetterman following the resignation of the senator's former director of communications due to Fetterman's overt support of Israel.

According to Republican communications strategist Erin Perrine, it is big deal when employees criticize their employer.

But when the person whose job it is to speak for the boss, defend their decisions, and manage the press does it -- Thats an unparalleled level of hubris, Perrine wrote on X.

In a post on X, Democratic strategist Symone Sanders-Townsend asked if Adams should be fired after her remarks.

Not saying I disagree with her viewpoint. Rather. Since when does the comms director call up reporters to say I disagree with the principal? he wrote.

Meanwhile, Columnist John Podhoretz of the New York Post noted that Adams' X feed is temporarily private.
Hunter Bidens ex, Lunden Roberts shared her experience of being left mid-pregnancy and her intimate friendship with the former in her new memoir titled Out of the Shadows: My Life Inside the Wild World of Hunter Biden. Roberts shares a 5-year-old daughter with Hunter named Navy Roberts. While she has been called names for a brief relationship with Hunter for years, in her memoir she described herself as just a woman in love. Lunden Roberts described her relationship with Hunter and related struggles and criticism in her new memoir.(Lunden Roberts/Instagram)

Also Read: America I gave my best to you: Biden bashes loser Trump, gives Harris remarkable endorsement in powerful DNC speech

Lunden Roberts describes her relationship with Hunter

In her memoir, Roberts recalled that her first meeting with Joe Bidens son was at a party in Washington DC where she was pursuing an advanced degree in crime scene investigation. The now 54-year-old was in the throes of his cocaine addiction. She said, He was in a very, very dark place. I saw him during that time and I empathized with him and I loved him." She described her intimate relationship with Hunter where he would spoil her and her friend by purchasing expensive purchases.

Roberts became deeply involved in Hunters life, working as his assistant and helping with his personal issues, including those with his sister-in-law Hallie Biden. She spent time at the Biden family's Delaware home and eventually fell in love with Hunter. In January 2018, as she began to recognize her feelings, Roberts discovered she was pregnant. Despite initial support, Hunter soon distanced himself and stopped responding, leading Roberts to return to Arkansas to be with her family and have the child.

Also Read: Joe Biden gets teary-eyed as he shares heart-touching moment with daughter Ashley at DNC

Roberts faces criticism

The court filing, discovered by a local news outlet, led to national attention as DNA testing confirmed Biden was the Navy's father, despite his initial denials. Roberts said, I just wanted Hunter to take accountability, and I just wanted Hunter to accept a child that he fathered and he knew he fathered. I didn't want the toxic litigation, I didn't want my child being thrown in the middle of this, as reported by People. She confessed that she has always been a private person.

However, the litigation brought her a lot of criticism from Donald Trump and the conservatives. She got frustrated with everyone drawing their conclusions with little information about her. She said, It's not political for me, it's personal. I'm not a MAGA supporter, I'm not a big conservative."

Also Read: US president's son faces new charges, Hunter Biden was hired by Romanian businessman to 'influence' US agencies

New beginnings for Navy and Hunter Biden

The legal battle and unwanted attention had a silver lining as it forced Hunter to have the much-needed dialogue with her. She said, Everything made a full circle when I was able to sit there and talk to [Biden], eye to eye and face to face, and look him in the eyes and tell him, 'I've hated you for so long and I've been so mad at you. And that day I was able to let that hate go because that's something that I had held onto."

The legal battle concluded with a settlement in 2023 with Hunter agreeing to provide child support in the form of some of his paintings and agreeing to a Zoom call with her daughter as his first step to getting to know her. She said, Seeing her and him on Zoom calls and being able to see that look on her face and when she's able to actually talk to him ... it's worth giving all the grace in the world," she says. "I'll always care about him, he's my child's father. I want what's best for him."
Nancy Pelosi gave a weird response to a question regarding bad blood or resentment that might still exist between her and Joe Biden after her attempts to persuade the president to drop his candidacy for the White House. Nancy Pelosi hailed Joe Biden for withdrawing from the race, stating that he made decision for the country. (AFP)

Anita Dunn, a former senior White House counselor to Biden, stated earlier in the day that nobody wants to have a fight with Pelosi at this time.

During her appearance at CNN, host Jake Tapper grilled Pelosi about her equation with Biden and the fact that she hadn't spoken to him for long.

It was four weeks and one day ago that he stepped aside. And I know that it's been very difficult for him. That's been made very clear by some of his top aides, Tapper stated,

Sometimes you just have to take a punch for the children, she said ahead of Biden's unprecedented speech Monday night at the Democratic National Convention.

Her response made anchor Dana Bash burst into laughter as she asked, Who's punching right now?

Reacting to her question, Pelosi hailed Biden for making the decision for the country. She remarked: My concern was not about the president, it was about his campaign. He has seen the exuberance, the excitement that has come forth in our country.

Pelosi then wondered, Why are we even talking about it?, making Tapper to quip that they're holding my cat hostage.

Pelosi, 84, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Biden, 81, in May, and the incumbent President referred to her as the "greatest speaker of the House of Representatives in history."

However, Pelosi forced Biden to withdraw from the race following his appalling performance in a June debate against former President Donald Trump. The duo hadn't communicated since he stepped down from the race, according to a story published in the New York Times last week, and some sources even suggested he wasn't happy with her.

Netizens react to Pelosi's remarks

Meanwhile, social media users expressed their anger over Pelosi's remarks, with one writing on X, Stay home, Nancy. Youve lost all credibility.

She's acting like the excitement in the party is because of her. It's not. She didn't even want Kamala. Biden was the one who endorsed Kamala in his withdrawal statement, another commented.

Also Read: Kamala Harris gets rousing welcome at DNC, avers this is going to be a great week as Hillary Clinton ridicules Trump

Ive supported @SpeakerPelosi since the late 80s but no more. You or way over your skis. Youre done with me, a third user reacted.

One of the users referred to Anita Dunn's statement about Pelosi, writing: They are so afraid of this little old woman.

What children was she taking a punch for? an user asked, stating that she was the one doing the punching.
At the Democratic National Convention, New York Governor Kathy Hochul launched a scathing attack on former President Donald Trump, branding him as a serial fraud, philanderer, felon and a disgrace to his home state. Kathy Hochul calls Donald Trump a "felon" at DNC. (Pablo Esparza/AP Content Services for OGS, Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)

Hochul, who hails from the Empire State herself, did not hold back in her critique of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, accusing him of betraying the working-class values that New Yorkers hold dear. Donald Trump was born a New Yorker but ended up a fraud, a philanderer, and a felon, she said.

If you think youre tired of Donald Trump, talk to a New Yorker. Weve dealt with him for 78 long years.

ALSO READ| Taylor Swift won't appear at the Democratic National Convention despite rumours

The NY Gov accused Trump of cheating the state out of millions, a pattern of dishonesty she claimed continued during his tenure in the White House.

Weve seen him stiff contractors, rip off workers, Hochul said. He abuses women, brags about it, then takes away their rights. Its no wonder he had to flee to Mar-a-Lago.

Hochul touts Biden-Harris achievements in manufacturing revival

Hochul shared the convention stage with US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and used her own background to contrast herself with Trump, framing her upbringing in blue-collar Buffalo as a testament to the values of hard work and integrity.

She recounted, Like other families in my community, they believed that with hard work they could build a better future.

Im proud of my roots and the values I learned: grit, determination, compassion.

ALSO READ| Trump blasts comrade Kamala Harris, Democrats for staging 'first ever Coup' in US, claims Biden was told 'Sorry Joe'

Hochul also took the opportunity to praise President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their efforts in revitalizing American manufacturing, particularly in New York.

She also highlighted the recent announcement of a Micron chip-manufacturing plant in Syracuse, which is expected to create 50,000 jobs.

Trump talked big about bringing back manufacturing jobs, Hochul noted. But you know who actually did it? President Biden and Vice President Harris.
The royal rift between Prince William and Prince Harry has deepened in recent years, thanks to The Spare, the Oprah Winfrey interview, and the Netflix documentary. As the countdown to William's eventual coronation begins, palace insiders suggest that despite his personal feelings about not wanting Harry there, the Prince of Wales is unlikely to exclude his brother from the historic event. One of the expert believes William wont make a foolish mistake, even though he wants his coronation to look and feel different. A file photo of Prince William, left, and Prince Harry.(AP)

William not foolish enough to exclude Harry from coronation

One close pal of William earlier told the UK Sunday Times that the brothers' estrangement is "dreadfully sad." Despite this, royal author Christopher Andersen remains hopeful that William will ultimately extend an olive branch to Harry on his big day.

"Despite all the bad blood between the brothers, Im convinced that, when the time does come, William will not be foolish enough to exclude his only sibling, now fifth in line to the throne, from his coronation," he told the Fox News.

Prince William and Prince Harry are currently at their most strained. As per the source, William and Charles have jointly decided to distance themselves from Harry and his wife for now, with no imminent prospects for letting it go, and it seems that everyone involved has come to terms with this reality.

Also read: Prince William doesn't want Harry at his coronation, but 'Kings capacity to forgive his son is undimmed

William and Charles have pretty much made the joint decision to effectively cut Harry out of their lives, at least for the time being. There is no sign of a reconciliation on the horizon, and everyone involved seems to have pretty much come to terms with that.

Harry and Meghans royal-like tours frustrate King and William

Royal insiders claim that King Charles and Prince William have been increasingly frustrated and angered by the Sussexes' public behaviour, particularly their attention-grabbing ways to maintain a royal-like image despite stepping down as senior royals.

Also read: Prince Harry desperately wants to be admired more like Prince William and Kate

The Prince of Wales has stepped up and is now taking on a bigger role in the royal family, handling all the royal tasks and going out in public more as the family battles with health crises. Meanwhile, Prince Harry has chosen a different route. It's clear now how different their lives are, especially as William prepares to ascend the throne following his fathers death.

"That being said, we have to remember that William is carrying a very heavy psychological burden at the moment," Andersen continued. "He is deeply upset that his wife and his father are battling cancer at the same time. He must keep a brave face not only for his three young children but also for the sake of the monarchy."
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have been stranded in space for more than two months now. The NASA astronauts docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5 as part of Boeing Starliner's inaugural test. Their stay was initially due for just eight days. But, the capsule experienced an unexpected fault with its thrusters, forcing it to remain docked indefinitely. Amid the growing tensions about their return to Earth, an expert has revealed three horrific scenarios that could happen should they proceed with the faulty Starliner. (FILES) NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore (R) and Suni Williams, wearing Boeing spacesuits, depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center for Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to board the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft for the Crew Flight Test launch , on June 5, 2024. Two astronauts stranded in space may sound like the start to a big-screen science thriller, but the Boeing Starliner mission is no work of Hollywood fiction. Astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams were originally scheduled to spend a little more than a week aboard the International Space Station as part of the debut crew flight test of the Starliner. However, the spacecraft encountered several issues during the flight, and now the two astronauts will likely have to extend their stay aboard the ISS for several months. (Photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP)(AFP)

NASA astronauts stranded in space could be vaporized if they return to Earth on Boeing Starliner

The US space agency is debating whether to continue with Boeing Starliner's return to Earth mission or launch the Space X rescue mission. Rudy Ridolfi, former US military Space System Commander, has laid out three horrific scenarios that may unfold should Williams and Wilmore embark on their journey back to Earth in the faulty spacecraft.

In a recent interview with Daily Mail, Ridolfi explained that in order for the Boeing Starliner to reenter Earth safely, its service module must put the capsule at an angled altitude.

So long as the capsule is lined up correctly for reentry, everything's fine, Ridolfi told the outlet, adding, [If the capsule is not lined up] they either burn up or bounce back into space. If the Starliner Service Module places the capsule in too steep of a reentry window then the capsule ablative heat shield would probably fail.

Scenario one would involve the Boeing Starliner being stuck in space with failed thrusters and a 96-hour oxygen supply. This scenario is likely to occur if the spacecraft attempts to reenter Earth at the wrong angle, causing the capsule to bounce off the atmosphere.

Secondly, the spacecraft could bounce off the Earth's atmosphere should its service module fail to line up for re-entry. Lastly, the worst-case scenario would be the astronauts being vaporized to death in space. Ridolfi noted that the horrific incident could take place if the angle is too steep, leading to an increase in friction and chances of the Starliner burning.
A grand Pran Pratishtha ceremony was held in Houston, Texas, on Sunday, August 18, where a 90-foot-tall Hanuman statue was inaugurated. This is the third tallest statue in the United States, according to Latestly. Texas gets 90-ft-tall Hanuman sculpture (@OnTheNewsBeat/X)

The statue was named Statue of Union, and it commemorates Lord Hanumans role in reuniting Sri Rama and Sita. The temple has been built at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas. The visionary behind the project happens to be His Holiness Sri Chinnajeeyar Swamiji.

More about the statue

The website of Statue of Union says that this statue is North Americas tallest statue of Lord Hanuman, who is an embodiment of strength, devotion, and selfless service. This is an opportunity for us as a community to etch a path for future generations to seek the divine blessings of Lord Hanuman, the website says,

Describing the statue, the website says, Located at Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas, the Panchaloha Abhaya Hanuman will stand at 90 feet tall  radiating benevolence, strength, and hope. The Statue of Union is about creating a spiritual epicenter where hearts find solace, minds find peace, and souls find a path to transcendence.

Lets bring the vision of North Americas tallest Hanuman Statue to life, and together, lets continue to create a world filled with love, peace, and devotion, it adds.

Hanuman is generally worshipped in shrines dedicated to the deity himself, or as a subsidiary figure in temples dedicated to Rama. The story of Hanuman has been adapted by various cultures over the decades. However, the oldest is found in the Sanskrit Ramayana of Sage Valmiki.

In the quest to rescue his wife, Rama, along with his brother Lakshman, ally with an intelligent monkey warrior race known as Vanaras, amongst whom is Hanuman. As Hanuman exhibits extraordinary abilities in Ramas service throughout the adventure, including speed, strength, courage, and wisdom, the friendship between the two develops and deepens, proving ultimately that Hanumans greatest ability is, in fact, his incredibly staunch loyalty and devotion, the Hindu American Foundation says.
Thomas Matthew Crooks was spotted several times at Donald Trumps Pennsylvania rally before he opened fire in an attempt to assassinate the former president. One such video has been recently released, where the shooter can be seen walking around the Butler rally location. Thomas Matthew Crooks was seen walking around the Pennsylvania rally location before the shooting (Bethel Park School District via AP)

Collin Rugg, who shared the video on X, said that it appears that the original video came from a small business owner who was selling patriotic hats before the rally. The business owner made the discovery upon going back through the footage.

Other times that Thomas Matthew Crooks was spotted at the rally

Another video that was previously released appeared to show Crooks suspiciously walking around before attempting to assassinate Trump. This video surfaced at a time when a report claimed Crooks was spotted with a rangefinder before the shooting. Minutes before the tragedy unfolded, a sniper from a local tactical team that had been deployed to assist the Secret Service at the former presidents rally took a photo of the gunman and saw him looking through a rangefinder.

Another chilling video, released a few days back, showed a figure running across the AGR International roof outside the rally grounds shortly before the assassination attempt on Trump. The video, taken by James Copenhaver, who was eventually injured in the shooting, appeared to show Crooks running along the rooftop and then crouching down to take position over the rally. Crooks seemed to be in clear view of Trump, who was on the stage.

Secret Service snipers managed to kill Crooks, but only after he had already wounded the former president. Firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed, while two bullets struck Copenhaver, 74, and another two hit attendee David Dutch, 57.

Meanwhile, a recent report claimed that Crooks practised firing rounds at his local gun club dozens of times before carrying out the attack, including on Christmas Day. The 20-year-old reportedly dedicated about 80% of his time to rifle practice, visiting the Clairton Sportsmens Club in Pennsylvania. Sen. Chuck Grassleys office said in a statement that Crooks was involved in intense preparation before the attack.
In a long-awaited revelation, Donald Trump has announced that his son Barron Trump will be heading to college this fall in New York. The former president confirmed the news in a recent talk with the POST, stating that an official announcement about Barrons college choice is imminent. Details about Barron Trump's university which he will attend this fall remain private. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)(AP)

Previously, Trump suggested that the college search for Barron had been influenced by recent pro-Palestinian protests on campuses across the country. However, this announcement finally puts an end to the months of speculation surrounding where the youngest Trump would pursue his education.

Barron Trump to attend college in NYC

Although the specific school has not been disclosed, Trump revealed in an exclusive chat with The Post that Barron will attend a college in the Empire State. He mentioned that his team will announce the exact institution soon. When asked if he was hinting at NYU, the region's most renowned campus, Trump simply smiled and said he wasnt ready to share more details at this time.

Also read: Harris's husband Doug Emhoff slammed for weird and creepy interaction with daughter at DNC

Hes all set in a certain school thats very good, the Republican nominee informed the outlet. Hes always been a very good student, hes smart, he added.

Barron Trump is set to embark on his college journey soon

Trump and Melania's only son graduated from high school in May and was poised to launch his political career as a Florida delegate at the RNC, a move instantly vetoed by his mother. Now, standing at 6 feet 7 inches, Barron, who has garnered attention for his height, charismatic personality, and occasional political appearances, continues to receive praise from his father. According to Trump, Barron was accepted to every institution to which he applied.

Also read: Democratic National Convention hotels in Chicago hit with bomb threats and 'anti-semitic statements: Report

Earlier, the presidential candidate suggested that his son might consider the University of Pennsylvania, where he himself studied at the Wharton School. However, this option was potentially reconsidered following a series of pro-Palestinian protests on campus. Barrons half-siblingsDonald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, and Tiffany Trump had attended either the University of Pennsylvania or Georgetown University.
If Donald Trump wins the election in November, a Trump administration rule in 2020 that was designed to price H-1B visa holders and employment-based immigrants out of the United States labour market offers clues to US immigration policy. The rule is blocked on procedural grounds. However, companies were alarmed when the rule boosted the required minimum salary for foreign-born professionals beyond the pay of similar United States employees. Trump's H-1B visa wage rule offers clues to immigration policy if ex-prez wins in November(REUTERS)

The US Department of Labour in October 2020 published a rule that went on to raise the minimum wage needed for employers to pay H-1B visa holders and employment-based immigrants. At present, by law, employers are required to pay H-1B professionals the prevailing wage or actual wage paid to similar US workers. For employers to sponsor employment-based immigrants for permanent residence, the latter needs a prevailing wage determination. There was no change in the law, but the Trump administration wrote a regulation that led to the salaries required to be paid to foreign-born scientists and engineers to significantly increase.

The rule was published, following which immigration attorneys found that Trump officials had directed DOL to hijack the mathematical formula that had to be used to determine prevailing wages, Forbes reported. After the formula was changed, employees were required to pay high-skilled foreign nationals much more than the market wage. This became clear under the Trump rule upon comparing private sector salary surveys to federal government wage determinations.

According to the DOL website, the prevailing wage is the average wage paid to similarly employed workers in a specific occupation in the area of intended employment. That means statistics, not politics, should control the prevailing wage, said Kevin Miner of Fragomen when the rule was published. The new DOL regulation artificially pushes the prevailing wage well above what the data shows it to be.

More about the rule

Upon close examination, it was found that several cases under this rule would possibly become impossible when hiring an H-1B visa holder or sponsoring a foreign national for permanent residence. An analysis by the National Foundation for American Policy found that under the DOL rule, the required salary for a petroleum engineer rose by 100% at Level 1, minimum annual salaries rose by 200% or more for some common occupations, and more.

The DOL wage rule was published by the Trump administration as interim final, making the rule more vulnerable to litigation. However, on December 1, 2020, the DOL wage rule was vacated and set aside by US District Judge Jeffrey S. White, as was a separate Department of Homeland Security rule that restricted the H-1B visa category. Defendants [the Trump administration] failed to show there was good cause to dispense with the rational and thoughtful discourse that is provided by the APAs [Administrative Procedure Act] notice and comment requirements, Judge White said.

Subsequently, in January 2021, the Trump administration attempted to salvage the DOL regulation by moving directly to a final rule before Trump left office. The final rules main objective was similar to the original ones  pricing H-1B visa holders and employment-based immigrants out of the US labour market.

In March 2021, the US Chamber of Commerce and other organisations filed an amended complaint saying the DOL final rule went against the statutory language by rendering H-1Bs available only to those individuals that are paid commensurate with skills equivalent to a masters degree, among other things. This is a naked attempt to substantially raise the eligibility criteria for H-1B visas, he added.

The Joe Biden administration did not oppose vacating the rule and the DOL regulation was delayed until November 2022. The Department of Labour in April 2021 sought information from the public to calculate the prevailing wage for H-1B visa holders and employment-based immigrants.

SHRM reported in JUne 2023, The Department of Labor has moved its proposal to raise prevailing wage rates for the H-1B visa and PERM programs to its long-term agenda, historically the first step to a proposal being shelved permanently. No other action has been taken on the rule by DOL.
The US State Department, in partnership with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), recently confirmed that all available visas in the Employment-Based Fifth Preference (EB-5) unreserved category for fiscal year 2024 have been issued. The US State Department and USCIS confirmed that all EB-5 unreserved and EB-3 visas for fiscal year 2024 have been issued, with issuance resuming on October 1, 2024.(Representational Image)

EB-5s are vital for foreign investors who seek to establish businesses in the United States, contributing to job creation and economic growth nationwide.

President and CMO of US Immigration Fund (USIF), Nicholas Mastroianni III told HindustanTimes.com that EB-5 ensures you're not at the mercy of corporate layoffs and can secure a stable future in the U.S.

U.S. visa landscape is a minefield, and relying solely on the H-1B visa is a gamble with your future.

ALSO READ| HT Exclusive: US Immigration Fund President shares tips to crack E-B5 and other visas

Unreserved visa categories exhausted, EB-5 issuance halted

The issuance of these visas is governed by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which sets annual limits on the number of employment-based immigrant visas. For the EB-5 category, this limit is 7.1 percent of the total employment-based visas available globally.

Within this allocation, 68 percent is designated for unreserved visa categories, including classifications like C5, T5, I5, R5, RU, and NU. Furthermore, the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 allows for the inclusion of unused EB-5 reserved visas from fiscal year 2022 in the unreserved categories for fiscal year 2024.

As all EB-5 unreserved visas for this fiscal year have now been allocated, U.S. embassies and consulates will halt the issuance of visas in these categories for the remainder of the fiscal year. However, with the onset of the new fiscal year on October 1, 2024 (FY 2025), the visa limits will reset, and the issuance of immigrant visas in these categories will resume for qualified applicants.

EB-5 investors can breathe easy in harsh US visa landscape

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, managed by USCIS, was created by Congress in 1990 to boost the U.S. economy through job creation and capital investment from foreign investors. A key component of this program is the Regional Center Program, first introduced as a pilot in 1992 and regularly renewed since then.

Investors can obtain EB-5 classification by investing through USCIS-designated regional centers that promote economic development. The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act, signed into law by President Biden on March 15, 2022, as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, introduced new regulations for the EB-5 visa category and extended the Regional Center Program's authorization through September 30, 2027.

Indian American visa podcaster, Rahul Menon warned while talking with HindustanTimes.com, EB-5 is not a program that is easily accessible to a lot of people. You need to invest $800,000 to be able to qualify for that program. Even if you had the money and filed concurrently, it will still take a few months to get their Employment Authorization Document (EAD).

The State Department and USCIS also announced that all legally available visas in the Employment-Based Third Preference (EB-3) and Other Workers (EW) categories for fiscal year 2024 have been issued. Mostly, what we can these visas are worker's visas.

ALSO READ| Why Queen Elizabeth II thought very rude Donald Trump had some sort of arrangement with Melania

The INA sets specific annual limits on the number of employment-based immigrant visas that can be issued each year. For the EB-3 category, this limit is 28.6 percent of the total employment-based visas available globally, with a maximum of 10,000 visas allotted for the EW category.

With the exhaustion of EB-3 and EW visas for fiscal year 2024, U.S. embassies and consulates will cease issuing visas in these categories until the new fiscal year begins on October 1, 2024. At that time, the annual visa limits will reset, and qualified applicants will once again be able to apply for immigrant visas in these categories.
A new biography of Queen Elizabeth II has revealed surprising details about her interactions with former US President Donald Trump, shedding light on the late monarch's private thoughts about the controversial leader. U.S. President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and Britains Queen Elizabeth pose at the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in London, Britain June 3, 2019.(Doug Mills/Pool via REUTERS)

In his book, A Voyage Around The Queen, author Craig Brown claims that Queen Elizabeth found Trump to be very rude and had particularly disliked his behaviour.

Why Queen Elizabeth found Trump very rude

The Queen, who hosted Trump twice during his presidency, reportedly confided in a guest at a lunch that she disliked how Trump looked over her shoulder as if in search of others more interesting.

ALSO READ| Big upset for Kamala Harris on day 1 of Democratic National Convention

Brown also recounts that the Queen speculated about Trump's relationship with his wife, Melania, musing that they must have some sort of arrangement but exactly what she wasn't able to fathom. She also believed President Trump must have some sort of arrangement with his wife Melania, or else why would she have remained married to him? the book claimed.

A few weeks after President Trump's visit, for instance, she confided in one lunch guest that she found him very rude: she particularly disliked the way he couldn't stop looking over her shoulder, as though in search of others more interesting, Brown further claimed.

The claims, which have not been commented on by Buckingham Palace, are part of a broader narrative in Brown's book, where he discusses how Queen Elizabeth entertained a wide range of controversial foreign leaders throughout her reign: Over the course of her reign, Her Majesty entertained many controversial foreign leaders, including Bashar al-Assad, Robert Mugabe, Idi Amin, Donald Trump, Emperor Hirohito and Vladimir Putin.

Queen didn't find Trump's company very convivial

Brown suggests that while the Queen may not have found the may not have found their company convivial and she may even have voiced a discreet word of disapproval once they left.

Trump has often spoken of his admiration for Queen Elizabeth. He first met the Queen in 2018, a year after taking office as the 45th U.S. President. However, the visit was not without controversy, as it was marked by protests in London, including the infamous baby blimp that depicted Trump as an infant. The visit was officially classified as a working visit rather than a full state visit.

ALSO READ| Donald Trump claims Kamala Harris turned down Fox News debate against him: Not surprised by this development because

During this first meeting, Trump had tea with the Queen at Windsor Castle, where there were no other senior royals present. The encounter, however, was marred by several protocol breaches, including Trump reportedly keeping the 92-year-old monarch waiting in the heat and walking in front of her during an inspection of the guard of honour, causing her to sidestep to catch up.

Trump has often claimed that he had a great relationship with the Queen. When Queen Elizabeth passed away, Trump issued a statement expressing his deep sadness and admiration for her, describing her as a grand and beautiful lady.
The world's oldest living person, Spain's Maria Branyas Morera, who was born in the United States and lived through two world wars, has died at the age of 117, her family said Tuesday. World's oldest person dies in Spain at 117

"Maria Branyas has left us. She died as she wished: in her sleep, peacefully and without pain," her family wrote on her account on social network X.

"We will always remember her for her advice and her kindness," they said.

Branyas, who had lived for the last two decades in the Santa Maria del Tura nursing home in the town of Olot in northeastern Spain, had warned in a post on Tuesday that she felt "weak".

"The time is near. Don't cry, I don't like tears. And above all, don't suffer for me. Wherever I go, I will be happy," she added in the account which is run by her family.

Guinness World Records had officially acknowledged Branyas's status as the world's oldest person in January 2023 following the death of French nun Lucile Randon aged 118.

In the wake of Branyas's death, the oldest living person in the world is Japan's Tomiko Itooka, who was born on May 23, 1908 and is 116 years old, according to the US Gerontology Research Group.

Branyas, who lived through the 1918 flu, World War I and World War II and Spain's civil war, got Covid-19 in 2020 just weeks after ringing in her 113th birthday and was confined to her room at the home but made a full recovery.

Her youngest daughter, Rosa Moret, once attributed her mother's longevity to "genetics".

"She has never gone to the hospital, she has never broken any bones, she is fine, she has no pain," Moret told regional Catalan television in 2023.

Branyas was born in San Francisco on March 4, 1907 shortly after her family moved to the United States from Mexico.

The entire family decided to return to their native Spain in 1915 as World War I was under way, which complicated the ship voyage across the Atlantic.

The crossing was also marked by tragedy her father died from tuberculosis towards the end of the voyage, and his coffin was thrown into the sea.

Branyas and her mother settled in Barcelona. In 1931 five years before the start of Spain's 1936-39 civil war she married a doctor.

The couple lived together for four decades until her husband died aged 72. She had three children, including one who has already died, 11 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

Manel Esteller, part of a team of researchers from the University of Barcelona who studied Branyas' DNA to determine the causes of her longevity told daily Spanish newspaper ABC in October 2023 he was surprised by her good health.

"Her mind is completely lucid. She remembers with impressive clarity episodes from when she was only four years old, and she has no cardiovascular disease, which is common in the elderly. The only things she has are mobility and hearing problems. It's incredible," the genetics professor said.

The oldest verified person to have ever lived was Frenchwoman Jeanne Louise Calment who died in 1997 at the age of 122 years and 164 days old.

al/ds/yad

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
A teenager in New Mexico was charged with murder over a year ago after she allegedly threw her infant son, Alex Fierro, in a hospital trash can, but for now her trial isn't moving forward.

Alexee Trevizo was scheduled for pre-trial on Tuesday; however, it's been put on hold while the Supreme Court determines whether specific evidence can be used in this case, reported KOAT News.

Trevizo, 20, was still a teenager when her child was found dead in a bathroom trash can by staff at Artesia General Hospital in January 2023, according to NewsWest9.

In June, a district court ruled in Trevizo's favor after deciding to suppress all statements made by the teen to her medical providers due to doctor-patient privilege, as well as all statements made by Trevizo to her doctor in front of police.

The doctor in question has even been accused of acting as a police agent, according to court documents.

"It was just wrong. I mean, all of us want to protect, or should want to wish to protect, our medical history. It's not something we want broadcast to the rest of the state, and hers was broadcast not just to the rest of the state but to the rest of the world," said Gary Mitchell, Trevizo's lawyer.

Mitchell told the news outlet that these conversations should have been protected and has since organized a lawsuit against the hospital for malpractice.

"According to our experts, the baby didn't have a chance of survival and didn't survive. The morphine and the negligence of the hospital was the direct and true cause of death," he added.

"I found videos taken at the hospital. I found records from the hospital, I found interviews of doctors and nurses-one doctor and several nurses-at the hospital. I couldn't believe the violation that I saw," Mitchell stressed.

Dianna Luce, the district attorney on the case, doesn't see it that way and appealed the ruling, stating privilege was waived when the teen continued to make statements in the presence of her mother and officers in the room.

Mitchell believes the Supreme Court's decision played a bigger role than just this case.

"If the state is successful in this case and gets that overturned by our New Mexico Supreme Court, women's rights in the state of New Mexico, protecting the right of confidential medical advice, confidential medical treatment, will go by the wayside. So, it is a critical issue for the women of the state of New Mexico," Mitchell said.

While the Supreme Court has unlimited time to decide whether or not they'll overturn the ruling, Mitchell suspects it may take a few months.
A looming labor dispute involving Canada's two largest railroads threatens to disrupt cross-border trade with the United States as Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and Canadian National (CN) begin preemptive shutdowns of key shipping operations. According to NBC News, the Teamsters union's ongoing contract negotiations with these rail giants have escalated, pushing both railroads toward potential lockouts or strikes that could cause significant supply chain disruptions if left unresolved.

CPKC and CN, which together transport millions of tons of freight across the U.S.-Canada border, have already begun halting shipments of hazardous materials and refrigerated goods. On Saturday, CPKC announced plans to cease all shipments originating in the U.S. destined for Canada starting Tuesday. Meanwhile, The Canadian Press reported that CN on Friday barred container imports from its U.S. partner railroads, highlighting the gravity of the situation as both companies brace for a possible work stoppage beginning Thursday if no agreements are reached.

Negotiations between the rail companies and the union have been ongoing since last November, following the expiration of contracts at the end of 2023. Talks have continued without resolution, with crew scheduling, worker fatigue, and rail safety emerging as central issues. Teamsters Canada, which represents nearly 10,000 workers at both railroads, said that the dispute has now shifted from a possible strike to a "near certain lockout" by the railroads.

The potential impact on U.S. supply chains could be substantial. Jeff Windau, an industrials analyst with Edward Jones & Co., told NBC News that while the work stoppage may initially last only a few days, any extended disruption could pose major risks. "By and large, the rails touch pretty much all of the economy," Windau noted, highlighting that the railroads collectively handle approximately 40,000 carloads of freight daily, valued at around $1 billion. If negotiations drag on, sectors such as automotive, chemicals, forestry, and agriculture could be particularly hard-hit, especially with harvest season approaching.

While the trucking industry might offer some relief, Windau cautioned that its capacity cannot fully replace rail, especially for long-haul shipments. CPKC and CN have both emphasized their commitment to avoiding a full-blown stoppage but are also taking precautions. According to a CPKC spokesperson, shutting down parts of the network will allow the company to safely remove hazardous goods from their lines ahead of a potential lockout.

According to CBS News noted, the dispute carries implications not only for Canadian trade but also for broader North American supply chains, given that CPKC's network serves the U.S. and Mexico as well. Despite ongoing talks scheduled through Sunday, the prospect of a lockout remains high, leaving businesses on edge as they prepare for a supply chain crisis that could strain an already fragile system.
A 4-year-old Oklahoma boy is reportedly recovering from a rare medical condition that left him near death while vacationing in Mexico with his family  which faces hospital bills of up to $8,000 a day for his treatment.

Griffin Brothers of Tulsa and his parents all came down with a stomach bug that unexpectedly turned serious for the youngster, local TV station KTUL-TV reported.

"We had recorded a video saying hello to the grandparents and he was very lethargic," father Andrew Jones-Brothers said. "And I hadn't really realized it because I think we had been with him but my mother called me very upset and she said, 'He looks yellow. There's something wrong with him. Please take him back to the doctor.'"

At a local hospital, Griffin began suffering kidney failure and related complications, prompting an emergency transfer to a pediatric hospital in Guadalajara, according to an message posted Aug. 8 on the GoFundMe website.

There, a doctor told his parents, "When you brought him to us he was extremely near death," Jones-Brothers said.

The boy was diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome, KTUL said.

The rare condition usually affects children under 10 after a digestive tract infection that's caused by a type of E. coli bacteria found in raw milk, unwashed raw fruits and vegetables, contaminated juice and undercooked meat, according to the Johns Hopkins Medicine website.

Nothing can stop the syndrome from progressing but treatments include medications, intravenous fluids and a feeding tube, blood transfusions and kidney dialysis.

Griffin has received multiple dialysis treatments and the doctors treating him "are saying it's miraculous how far he's come," Jones-Brothers said.

The most recent update on his GoFundMe page, posted Aug. 14, said Griffin had been moved out of the pediatric intensive care unit and "his numbers are continuing to show improvement every day."

Jones-Brothers said it was unclear how much longer he'd have to remain hospitalized.

Griffin's doctor also said he should remain in the area for daily blood tests after he's discharged, according to the GoFundMe update.
Philippine ships sustained serious damage Monday in pre-dawn collisions with Chinese vessels near a disputed reef, Manila's coast guard said, as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims in the South China Sea.

China and the Philippines have had repeated confrontations in the waters in recent months, including around a warship grounded years ago by Manila on the contested Second Thomas Shoal that hosts a garrison.

Beijing has continued to press its claims to almost the entire South China Sea despite an international tribunal ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

On Monday both countries said that their coast guard ships had collided near the disputed Sabina Shoal, located 140 kilometres (86 miles) west of the Philippine island of Palawan and about 1,200 kilometres from Hainan island, the closest Chinese landmass.

Manila said it was the first hostile action by Beijing against it near Sabina, where both sides have stationed coast guard vessels in recent months and where the Philippines fears China is about to build an artificial island.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, a spokesman for Manila's coast guard, said the Chinese vessel had smashed a hole into the hull of the Philippine ship BRP Bagacay during their first collision.

A second collision then dented the ship and damaged its railings, he added.

In a separate collision, a second Filipino vessel, the BRP Engano, suffered a 1.1-metre (3.6-foot) hole in its right side as well as damage to its engine exhaust, Tarriela said.

Manila also released images showing what Tarriela said was the heavy damage sustained by the ships.

China Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu accused the Philippine vessels of acting "in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, resulting in a glancing collision".

"The China Coast Guard took control measures against the Philippine vessels in accordance with the law," he insisted.

Chinese footage of the incident showed one ship, identified as a Philippine vessel by the Beijing side, apparently running into the left side of a Chinese ship before moving on.

Another 15-second clip appears to show the Chinese vessel making contact with the rear of a Philippine ship.

Beijing accused Manila's ships of "illegally" entering its waters without permission and having "deliberately collided" with the Chinese ship.

"We sternly warn the Philippine side to immediately cease its infringement and provocations," spokesperson Gan said.

Philippine National Security Council assistant director-general Jonathan Malaya disputed the Chinese account, telling reporters "it was not (BRP Bagacay) who rammed it, it's the other way around".

"The physical evidence proves this," he said.

The BRP Bagacay was "rammed twice" by a Chinese coast guard vessel and suffered "minor structural damage", Malaya said.

The Filipino crew were unhurt and proceeded with their mission to resupply Philippine-garrisoned islands in the Spratly group, he added.

Manila's National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea accused the Chinese vessels of conducting "unlawful and aggressive manoeuvres" near the Sabina Shoal.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that the incident took place at 3:24 am local time (1924 GMT Sunday).

It also said a Philippine coast guard ship had then entered waters near the Second Thomas Shoal around 6 am.

That shoal lies about 200 kilometres from Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometres from Hainan.

It was the site of a violent clash in June that led to a Filipino sailor losing a thumb.

And earlier this month, Manila said two Chinese air force warplanes had buzzed and dropped flares near a Philippine maritime patrol plane above the China-held Scarborough Shoal further north.

The repeated clashes in the South China Sea have sparked concern that Manila's ally the United States could be drawn into a conflict.

Analysts have said Beijing's aim is to push eastwards from the Second Thomas Shoal towards the neighbouring Sabina Shoal, encroaching on Manila's exclusive economic zone and normalising Chinese control of the area.

The situation has echoes of 2012, when Beijing took control of Scarborough Shoal, another strategic feature in the South China Sea closest to the Philippines.
The Democratic National Convention is off to a hoped-for rousing march to the night Vice President Kamala accepts her party's presidential nomination. Until then the stars of the party from Barack and Michelle Obama to Bill Clinton and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker will take the stage to rev up the troops.

Here's what's up Tuesday at the DNC:

While Democrats will be doing the nuts-and-bolts work during the day Tuesday to hammer out details on various policies, soothe any simmering tensions among the youth, women, rural and disability caucuses, and listen to presentations, the big events for the public will unfold each night during convention programming from 6:15-11 p.m. ET.

A final list and exact timing of speakers have not yet been announced as convention planners hope to spring some surprises on receptive viewers.

Michelle and Barrack Obama at the convention

Both Michelle and Barack Obama are expected to speak Tuesday night, along with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and First Gentleman Doug Emhoff.

The theme for the night is "A Bold Vision for America's Future."

Democrats plan to focus on two very different visions for America's future. They'll target in particular the hard-right Project 2025 plan for the Trump administration that would further slash rights for women and the LGBTQ community, fire thousands of federal workers to replace them with conservative "loyalists," and eliminate the federal Department of Education. Trump has distanced himself from the plan from the Heritage Foundation.

The convention will covered by the networks and livestreamed on several sites. The convention's streaming site can be accessed here.

CSPAN will stream the entire convention. CNN will also provide nearly 24/7 live on-air coverage of the DNC, including special live coverage each night from 8 p.m.-midnight ET

Primetime coverage by CBS News 24/7 will air each night of the convention through Thursday from 8-11 p.m. ET.

ABC will air an hour of primetime coverage from 10-11 ET Tuesday night. The network's streaming channel ABC News Live will stream primetime coverage from 7 p.m.-midnight all four days.

NBC News Now will air live coverage beginning at 4 p.m. ET.

Fox News will offer a nightly hour-long wrap-up of the day's event at 10 p.m ET each night, and will cover each night's speeches in full on its subscription streaming platform, Fox Nation.

USA Today is steaming the entire convention on YouTube and offering a second video version with a Spanish translation.
Car owners in three states are expected to get sticker shock this year when their insurance policies are renewed.

Insurance marketplace website Insurify said California, Missouri and Minnesota could see insurance rates spike more than 50% in 2024.

Damage from severe storms and wildfires contributes to rising rates in the states.

Another factor affecting California rates is car thefts. The National Insurance Crime Bureau says the state had the most vehicle thefts in 2023.

The state has also been behind other states in approving rate increases.

"During COVID-19 shutdowns, states like California put a freeze on rate increases. That's why so many people saw drastic rate hikes in 2023 after those restrictions were lifted," said Mallory Mooney, director of sales and service at Insurify. "Insurers are still playing catch-up, and it's too little too late for a lot of them. Insurers have had to pull out of some markets completely."

Nationally, the cost of full-coverage car insurance increased by 15% in the first half of the year. Insurify noted that costs have risen despite industry expert predictions that rate hikes could slow in 2024.

The average annual full-coverage premium now costs $2,329.

Increasingly severe and frequent weather events are driving up auto insurance premiums. Hail-related auto claims represented nearly 12% of all comprehensive claims in 2023, up from 9% in 2020, according to CCC Intelligent Solutions.

Maryland has the highest car insurance costs in the U.S., with an average full-coverage rate of $3,400 annually. The state saw an 8% increase in traffic deaths in 2023.

New Hampshire drivers pay the least, at an average of $1,000 annually.

Vehicle maintenance and repair costs have increased by nearly 38% over the past five years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index. Higher repair costs mean insurers pay more expensive claims and policyholders see higher premium hikes.
A Tennessee couple is under arrest in a shocking child abuse case involving a child with autism.

Mikki Dee Moody, 36, and Sean David Moody, 39, were being served a search warrant on their home last week by officers from the Carter County Sheriff's Office assisted by agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

They discovered a nonverbal and autistic 7-year-old child also living in the home.

When authorities searched the residence, they found the living conditions to be extremely unsanitary.

"Multiple electrical wall outlets contained exposed wiring, and animal and human feces were discovered on the floor coverings," said CCSO Inv. Preston White.

The Department of Children's Services was notified and warrants were obtained charging the couple with aggravated child abuse, neglect, and child endangerment.

"Information obtained during the initial investigation led to the discovery of a brown-colored storage trunk in the living room area," added White.

According to information received by investigators, the 7-year-old child would be locked in the storage trunk with food.

The trunk contained urine-soaked blankets, a pillow, a half-eaten pizza and clothing that contained a substance consistent with blood.

Investigators booked the pair into the Carter County Detention Center on Thursday.

Mikki Moody was released from custody after posting a $75,000 bond.
A jury was quick to convict an Illinois father of beating his teen daughter to death over an argument triggered by her desire to attend senior prom.

On Friday, Mohammed Almaru, 42, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the brutal slaying of his 17-year-old daughter, Mia Maro, according to prosecutors, WGN-TV, WLS-TV and the Chicago Tribune reported.

He will be sentenced at a later date.

Almaru was driven to fatally beat Mia with a metal pole and rubber mallet at their family's Tinley Park, Illinois home in May 2022, because he suspected the teen was keeping secrets from him and no longer loved him, prosecutors said in court.

Days before she was killed, Almaru had given Mia permission to attend her high school prom, but later rescinded the offer, prompting a disagreement between the father-daughter to escalate and turn deadly.

Mia was found dead by her aunt.

Almaru confessed to his son that he accidentally hit Mia in the head, "then I laid down with her, was unconscious and woke up to her cold body," court documents read, according to the Tribune. "I f up big time I'm sorry," he said.

When police arrived, Almaru was found lying next to his daughter's dead body with his throat and wrists slashed from apparent self-inflicted box-cutter wounds. He had also taken narcotics, said authorities, but was stabilized later at the hospital.

Loved ones described Mia as a "beautiful soul and the light of our lives. She was a 17-year-old girl who had a thirst for life. Mia was an amazing daughter, niece, sister, granddaughter and the best friend anyone could encounter," according to a GoFundMe launched to help offset burial expenses.

The teen was also the primary caregiver of her disabled mother, family said.
A Catholic friar in New York is accused of running an unholy scam that bilked donors of at least $650,000 they thought would fund charitable medical clinics in Lebanon.

But Pawel Bielecki  who took a vow of poverty to join the Province of St. Mary of the Capuchin Order  allegedly spent the money on luxuries that included trips to the Hamptons, meals at fancy restaurants, liposuction and a $334-a-month gym membership.

The province, based in suburban White Plains, says on its website that its friars are "inspired by the life and ideals of St. Francis of Assisi" and "dedicated to serving those in need, living a simple life together as a community of brothers, and drawing closer to the Lord through prayer."

For at least the past nine years, Bielecki, 48, of Manhattan, allegedly portrayed himself as a priest and physician who was operating two clinics in Beirut to help Christians, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York said Monday.

Bielecki repeatedly appeared on local radio shows and used crowdfunding websites to solicit donations for medicine, food and equipment, including baby incubators and an ambulance, authorities said.

He also falsely claimed to have been seriously injured by the massive, August 2020 explosion at Beirut's port, according to to the criminal complaint against him.

Bielecki even allegedly lied to the Province of St. Mary, where his personnel file contains a fake medical school diploma, authorities said.

The province  which provided Bielecki with a monthly, $250 stipend and a credit card for "friary-related expenses"  uncovered his alleged fundraising scheme, contacted law enforcement and has cooperated with the investigation, according to the complaint.

It didn't return immediately a request for comment Tuesday.

Bielecki was arrested Saturday on charges of wire fraud and mail fraud, which each carry a maximum, 20-year prison sentence.

During a court appearance later that day in U.S. District Court in White Plains, he agreed to remain in custody pending a future bail application, according to court records.

Bielecki was represented at the hearing by a public defender, who didn't immediately return a request for comment on Tuesday.

Bielecki was advised during the hearing to hire his own lawyer "promptly" but hasn't yet done so, records show.
A New Jersey man accused of hacking his girlfriend to death with a machete while her child watched has been charged in her grisly slaying.

Alex J. Williams, 25, has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose (machete) and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, in connection with the death of Briana Greenwood, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office announced Tuesday.

Greenwood  a mom of two  was allegedly slaughtered in an apartment complex parking lot in Wall Township, New Jersey, in May.

Williams called 911 after he allegedly attacked his girlfriend with a machete in front of her 3-year-old daughter, who was sitting in her car.

"... just come get me," Williams allegedly told dispatch, the Daily Voice reported, citing the criminal complaint.

A witness told police she overheard Williams screaming, "You cheated on me. You cheated on me, you b. You cheated on me," and saw Greenwood slumped against a car.

Responding officers found Greenwood between two vehicles suffering from serious injuries to her face and arm, and Williams was arrested nearby.

Despite undergoing an 18-hour surgery, the victim died at the hospital a week later, loved ones said, according to a GoFundMe.

"Brianna's untimely departure serves as a stark reminder of the gravity of domestic violence," the fundraiser description read. She, her children, and her family did not deserve to suffer at the hands of such cruelty."

Greenwood also leaves behind an 8-year-old child.
A former American NATO commander says Ukraine's ongoing incursion into Russia shows Moscow can't "do much" about it  as reports Tuesday said more than 122,000 residents have fled the region and Ukraine damaged its last key bridge.

Retired Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a staunch supporter of Ukrainian resistance to Russia's February 2022 invasion, said on social media that America has "failed to help Ukraine win because of excessive fear that Russia might escalate."

"UAF has shown that Russia can't/wont do much," Hodges wrote on X Monday, using an abbreviation for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

UAF are exposing our continued self-deterrence. We've failed to help Ukraine win because of excessive fear that Russia might escalate. UAF has shown that Russia can't/wont do much. https://t.co/ffQG7zhCc3  Ben Hodges (@general_ben) August 19, 2024

Hodges' comments were followed Tuesday by a report that said more than 122,000 residents have abandoned their homes in Russia's Kursk region since Ukraine launched a cross-border offensive there on Aug. 6.

Russia's Tass news agency, also said the refugees were being housed in "temporary accommodation centers" spread across 24 regions, citing Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Hours later, the Associated Press reported that Ukrainian forces had damaged the last of three bridges over the Seym River in Kursk.

"As a result of targeted shelling with the use of rocket and artillery weapons against residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in the Karyzh village...a third bridge over the Seym River was damaged," an unidentified representative of Russia's Investigative Committee said in a video clip posted on the Telegram messaging website, AP said.

Russian military bloggers and pro-war users of Telegram also said the third bridge had been damaged, according to AP.

The development raises the possibility that Russian troops could wind up trapped between the Seym and advancing Ukrainian forces.

Ukraine's top military commander, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, said its army controlled 488 square miles of Russian territory and 93 settlements, up from 386 square miles a week ago.

Syrsko later met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy, who said in a video address afterward that Ukraine was achieving "set goals" in Kursk.

On Sunday, Zelenskyy said for the first time that Ukraine was trying to create a demilitarized buffer zone there to keep Russia from launching cross-border attacks.
A Michigan woman who was caught on video flinging cat feces at her neighbors denied the unsavory allegations.

Speaking with WJBK-TV, the unidentified woman said the animal poop wasn't directed at any particular house in her Redford Township, Michigan neighborhood, but rather, the street.

"Totally untrue about me throwing it at anybody else's property," she alleged, according to the station.

"The street is public property. Nobody owns the street. So by throwing it out into the street, we're not throwing it on anyone's property," her husband clarified.

According to her next-door neighbor, Mark Dellamora, the woman has targeted his family multiple times with her alleged fecal attacks, ever since he and his wife began to "put out a little makeshift cat shelter for strays, and a bowl of food and water," several years ago.

Dellamora said the incidents  including the latest one on Sunday  were completely "unprovoked. We've never had any bad blood with them."

The woman and her husband alleged the Dellamoras' makeshift cat shelter  which has since been removed  attracts feral cats who defecate on their lawn, ruining the grass.

"On a bad week, there might be five or six spots that need to be cleaned up  piles," the husband explained. "And they're not just normal; these feral cats, they've got diseases. They don't defecate like a normal household cat would. It's a mess. It stinks, and it's like a cow pie."

"When they defecate, it is messy and it smells; it's very sour," he added.

The couple has reached out to the city for direction on the matter.

At the same time, Dellamora said: "I sincerely doubt one bowl of water on my porch is leading to any extra animals in the area."
Andrea Colla has been promoted to General Manager at The St. Regis Red Sea Resort. Since 2023, Colla has served as Resort Manager, where his effective leadership and dedication to luxury hospitality have made a significant impact on both the team and the guest experience. His promotion is a testament to his valuable contributions and paves the way for continued excellence at the resort. Before joining The St. Regis Red Sea Resort, Colla was Head of Hospitality at Bapco in Bahrain from June 2021 to March 2023. His career also includes key roles at The Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons.
Stephanie has a career in luxury hospitality for nearly 25 years under her belt. Originally starting out as a Spa Director, she's worked her way up as GM and Director of Residences for some of the world's most known brands, including Rosewood, Montage Hotel & Resorts, Mandarin Oriental, Pendry Hotels & Resorts, and Auberge Resorts. She's lived across the world from Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Santa Fe. In her new role as Director of Residences at Mandarin Oriental Residences, Beverly Hills, Stephanie has now entered uncharted territory. This is the first time Stephanie has worked in a role where residences are not attached to an accompanying hotel.

Stephanie has noticed that many residents at the property love the Mandarin Oriental hotel brand, and they are drawn to this same level of service in their daily lives but without the hotel attached. So no busyness of weddings, conferences, etc that you'd normally see in a hotel but all of the same spa and beauty, housekeeping, fitness etc services they would get at a Mandarin Oriental hotel. Because the property still offers all of the same Mandarin Oriental hotel services, Stephanie feels as though she is running a small hotel but with permanent guests. She's really had an opportunity to connect with the residents and build personal relationships - as they aren't hotel guests just there for a few days at a time. Her team offers services to them ranging from coordinating spa treatments, grocery shopping services, dog walking, home manager communication, party planning, etc. These homeowners have several homes and they want an easy life - they want to be able to just lock up and leave and not worry about any home maintenance - Stephanie and her team make that happen.
The Westin and Le Meridien City Centre Bahrain welcomed Paul Dunphy as the new Complex General Manager of the two hotels in Seef. Dunphy most recently occupied roles with Millennium Hotels and Resorts in Dubai and was the Area General Manager for the Eastern Province at the InterContinental Hotel, Al Khobar.

The hotelier boasts two decades of experience with Marriott International, serving as an Executive Assistant Manager at The Westin Dublin Hotel. He was part of the Sheraton brand in Ireland and the UK before moving to the GCC, serving as the General Manager of the Sheraton Riyadh Hotel & Towers.
The Chancery Rosewood is pleased to announce the appointment of Jake Leslie Director of Food & Beverage, an exciting addition to the hotel's esteemed leadership team.

With a wealth of experience in the luxury hospitality industry, Jake is set to play a pivotal role in shaping the culinary landscape of The Chancery Rosewood, a landmark Grade II listed building that is being reimagined as a new retail destination and Rosewood Hotels & Resorts property. The hotel will offer a diverse portfolio of luxury outlets and partners, establishing itself as a cornerstone of the Mayfair community.

Prior to joining The Chancery Rosewood, Jake was the Director of Food & Beverage at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, overseeing an operation exceeding $400 million, of bars, fine dining and casual restaurants, with partners including Nobu, Gordon Ramsay and Giada De Laurentiis. Before this, Jake held the position of Director of Restaurants at The Bellagio Hotel & Casino, where he oversaw 20 dining outlets, three of which being recipients of one and two Michelin stars.

In his new role at The Chancery Rosewood, Jake will lead the hotel's Food & Beverage division, which will feature a carefully curated selection of dining options.

ake's experience in managing high-profile culinary operations is well-aligned to him leading The Chancery Rosewood's varied Food & Beverage offerings. His hands-on approach will be instrumental in overseeing this operation, which will be a main driver of establishing the hotel as the heart of the Mayfair community.
The UN Tourism Global Conference on Wine Tourism is set to return to focus on traditions and cultural heritage. The eighth edition of the Conference, co-hosted by the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia, will be held in Yerevan (11-13 September 2024).

This year's conference will focus on the theme Heritage in Every Bottle: Crafting Authentic Wine Tourism Experiences, highlighting the importance of developing strategies that both preserve cultural traditions and benefit local communities. A key focus will be on reviving traditions in the evolving landscape of wine tourism, balancing modernization with cultural heritage.

Wine tourism continues to grow, both in popularity with tourists and as a pillar of rural growth and protector of cultural heritage. The Global Conference on Wine Tourism will once again bring together the most exciting leaders of the sector, and I look forward to welcoming them all to Yerevan, Armenia. UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili

Armenia is honored to host the 8th UN Tourism Global Conference on Wine Tourism. With our millennia-old winemaking tradition and rich cultural heritage, Armenia is uniquely positioned to showcase its innovative practices and exceptional wine culture. This conference offers a unique platform for collaboration, learning, and advancing the global discourse on wine tourism. Susanna Hakobyan, Acting Head of the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Armenia

Iconic wine regions and top experts represented

The conference will showcase successful initiatives and provide a platform for exchanging expertise and developing innovative projects. Representatives from iconic wine regions, including the Strada del Barolo (Italy); Bourgogne (France), and Mendoza (Argentina), will present examples of best practices. Iter Vitis - Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, will also share insights from a network perspective.

Participants will explore strategies for attracting and engaging visitors, as well as fostering coordinated efforts among stakeholders to effectively promote wine routes and experiences and maximize their positive impact on local economies and communities.

The conference will feature prominent industry leaders, such Catena Zapata, named World's Best Winery for 2023. Attendees will be able to attend masterclasses at renowned Armenian wineries, such as the historic Areni-1 cave, the oldest known winery in the world. Topics will range from the application of e-commerce strategies in wine tourism to the integration of technology in sustainable wine tourism.

Discussions will also focus on developing effective communication strategies to reach a global audience. Digitalization expert Jochen Heussner (Italy) will engage in discussions with renowned wine tourism specialists, including Alder Yarrow, an acclaimed wine writer (USA), Paul Wagner, from the Culinary Institute of America and Napa Valley College (USA), and Gergely Szolnoki, a Professor of Market Research at Geisenheim University (Germany).

Related links

About UN Tourism

The World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UN Tourism promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.

Our Priorities

Mainstreaming tourism in the global agenda: Advocating the value of tourism as a driver of socio-economic growth and development, its inclusion as a priority in national and international policies and the need to create a level playing field for the sector to develop and prosper.

Promoting sustainable tourism development: Supporting sustainable tourism policies and practices: policies which make optimal use of environmental resources, respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities and provide socio-economic benefits for all.

Fostering knowledge, education and capacity building: Supporting countries to assess and address their needs in education and training, as well as providing networks for knowledge creation and exchange.

Improving tourism competitiveness: Improving UN Tourism Members' competitiveness through knowledge creation and exchange, human resources development and the promotion of excellence in areas such as policy planning, statistics and market trends, sustainable tourism development, marketing and promotion, product development and risk and crisis management.

Advancing tourism's contribution to poverty reduction and development: Maximizing the contribution of tourism to poverty reduction and achieving the SDGs by making tourism work as a tool for development and promoting the inclusion of tourism in the development agenda.

Building partnerships: Engaging with the private sector, regional and local tourism organizations, academia and research institutions, civil society and the UN system to build a more sustainable, responsible and competitive tourism sector.

Our Structure

Members: An intergovernmental organization, UN Tourism has 160 Member States, 6 Associate Members, 2 Observers and over 500 Affiliate Members.

Organs: The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the Organization. The Executive Council take all measures, in consultation with the Secretary-General, for the implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the General Assembly and reports to the Assembly.

Secretariat: UN Tourism headquarters are based in Madrid, Spain. The Secretariat is led by the Secretary-General and organized into departments covering issues such as sustainability, education, tourism trends and marketing, sustainable development, statistics and the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), destination management, ethics and risk and crisis management. The Technical Cooperation and Silk Road Department carries out development projects in over 100 countries worldwide, while the Regional Departments for Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East serve as the link between UN Tourism and its 160 Member States. The Affiliate Members Department represents UN Tourism's 500 plus Affiliate members.

UN Tourism Communications Department

+34 91 567 8100

UN Tourism
In todays competitive travel market, standing out to potential guests at the right moment is crucial for driving bookings. With TravelAds Sponsored Listings used as a single solution or in tandem with our other powerful solutions like hotel display ads, you can effectively reach your target audience at the most impactful moments of their booking journey.

Weve mapped out how our hotel advertising solutions can enhance your propertys visibility with your intended audience, drive more engagement, and ultimately boost bookings. Lets look at how you can incorporate these solutions into your hotel marketing plan and create cost-effective, results-oriented hotel ads.

TravelAds tips and tricks to boost hotel bookings Source: Expedia Group Media Solutions

Why should I incorporate TravelAds into my hotel marketing strategy?

By integrating pay-per-click sponsored listings into your hotel marketing plan, you can create a more comprehensive and effective strategy to attract and engage potential guests. As the leading travel media network, we provide exclusive traveler data and powerful solutions that work together to help you differentiate your property and reach the audience you target.

An overview of targeting capabilities in TravelAds

With TravelAds advanced targeting capabilities, you can connect with travelers based on how they search and interact across our 200+ travel websites and apps.

You can target travelers by:

Geography thats based on traveler origin, destination, and more.

thats based on traveler origin, destination, and more. Airline attributes based on how they book.

based on how they book. Trip details like start and end date, trip length, and more.

like start and end date, trip length, and more. Hotel attributes and booking choices, from amenities and ratings to property type.

and booking choices, from amenities and ratings to property type. Device types so you can connect with travelers on the same phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops they use to look and book.

Targeted advertising solutions empower you to maximize your ad spend by reaching your ideal travelers. Our flexible targeting options also enable you to retarget specific travelers throughout your campaign.

Stay competitive with automated bidding

To help make your ads more competitive without guesswork, we developed automated bidding, a TravelAds feature that helps you maximize your ad performance within your budget. Turning on automated bidding can help you reach travelers more effectively, especially when you combine it with our targeting capabilities. Remember, bidding helps increase the likelihood of travelers seeing your listing.

Download the TravelAds guide

Success story

The opportunity: Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, a global luxury chain, wanted to fill rooms at their 600+ room Monte Carlo location. They needed to find a way to attract their target audiences of leisure travelers and corporate groups during the low season.

The solution: A TravelAds campaign in combination with hotel display ads to increase the hotels visibility.

The results: The robust targeting capabilities of TravelAds and display ads enabled the team to reach their target audiences, and the property saw an 85% year-over-year (YOY) increase in rooms booked, more than 800,000 impressions, and a 28% increase in average revenue per occupied room.

Our revenue and room nights are growing a lot thanks to TravelAds. It helps us drive business during the times we need, so its an essential tool for us. JOELLE SALLES DUCRAUX, DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER

Source: Expedia Group Media Solutions

Maximize your hotel advertising efforts with co-op campaigns

We also offer co-op campaigns to help hotel marketers make the most of their marketing spend.

Our experts match you with other brands in the region that have similar goals and desired audiences to participate in customized campaigns. These collaborative campaigns use our solutions and powerful targeting features to reach travelers while aligning with each advertisers marketing budgets and business objectives.

With co-op campaigns, hotel marketers stay informed throughout the campaign process  from start to finish  without having to do any heavy lifting.

Success story

The opportunity: In 2018, the Hawaiian Islands experienced a series of natural disasters, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tropical storms, and hurricanes that caused a significant decline in travel demand. Consequently, this resulted in a 29% drop in room night bookings.

The solution: Various brands, including Hyatt, Marriott, and Outrigger, collaborated with Media Solutions to create a custom co-op campaign as they sought to restore tourism to the islands.

The results: Through the integrated use of compelling offers, co-op campaigns, and TravelAds, the participating hotels were able to increase bookings. The campaign generated a 29% increase in YOY room nights on Black Friday, and an 18% jump YOY in room nights booked during the promotion period.

Boost brand awareness among your target audience with Accelerator

If youre looking to fill rooms within a specific date range, Accelerator can help maximize your propertys bookings and revenue by targeting certain booking windows. The solution serves as a budget-friendly model that increases visibility and helps hotels reach travelers.

With its pay-per-stay structure, Accelerator boosts a propertys position in search results for a selected check-in time frame, making it easier for travelers to find and book the property based on targeting parameters like booking windows.

Success story

The opportunity: Le Capitole Hotel is a 5-star hotel in the heart of Old Quebec City known for their fine dining options and rooms that provide spectacular cityscape views. After a year of renovations and border restrictions, the hotel was eager to reopen its doors, but they found it challenging to fill their rooms and re-establish brand awareness with international guests.

The solution: Le Capitole worked with our team of experts and found that Accelerators pay-per-stay structure enabled the hotel to customize the dates of their campaigns to address periods with low room bookings and reach the audience they needed at the right time.

The results: This initial Accelerator campaign generated a 275% increase in search impressions and page views, allowing the hotel to reach more travelers and increase room night bookings. By using Accelerator in their hotel marketing strategy, they could adapt their strategy monthly with varying check-in date windows and compensation levels based on market trends and pre-existing bookings.

Using the Accelerator tool in Partner Central made it easy for me to increase my hotels listings visibility during slower times of year. KARINE HOUDE, GENERAL MANAGER, LE CAPITOLE HOTEL

 Source: Expedia Group Media Solutions

Targeting multiple channels with hotel display ads

Raise your visibility with your target audience throughout the various stages of their purchasing journey with our display advertising solution.

With hotel display ads, advertisers work with our team to create custom user experiences that align with a brands budget and goals. Our ads are designed with the traveler in mind and provide a cohesive experience for travelers whether theyre looking or booking their next trip.

Our display solutions are structured to ensure that a hotel is continually building brand awareness while targeting travelers at every stage of their journey. Its also important to make sure your hotel marketing strategy includes having a mobile presence to engage customers from the inspiration stage to the booking stage.

One way to stand out to your target audience at every turn is with in-app hotel advertising. This display ad opportunity helps you maximize conversion and connect with millions of high-intent travelers from the moment their buying journey begins across our branded mobile apps.

Success story

The opportunity: Blinkup is a digital marketing consulting agency that manages hotel advertising campaigns for Place of Charme, a group of six hotels in the Tuscany region of Italy. Blinkup wanted to help increase Place of Charmes presence in the areas competitive market and connect with international travelers.

The solution: The agency worked with our team of advertising experts to deploy a display advertising campaign that highlighted the hotels. This included a custom landing pages and precisely targeted ads showcasing each propertys unique features and nearby attractions.

The results: The hotel display advertising campaign generated a return on ad spend of 6:1, prompting the agency to select a combination of additional solutions that drove nearly 2 million impressions.

Using different Media Solutions products enabled us to capture several market opportunities and connect with travelers through all stages of their journey, ultimately driving a near 600% increase in room nights. EDOARDO DAL NEGRO, BLINKUP CEO

We understand that every hotel is different, and so are your target audiences. Thats why we offer multiple solutions that can scale to your unique needs and ensure that youre able to connect with the travelers you want.

With over 20 years of travel advertising media experience, we can help you find an option that meets your targeting goals while maximizing your budget. To learn more about the array of advertising solutions we provide, connect with one of our experts today.

About Expedia Group Media Solutions

Expedia Group Media Solutions is the world's leading travel media network. We connect advertisers with hundreds of millions of travelers across the globe. Our exclusive first-party data on traveler trends, search behavior, and booking data provides travel marketers with unique insights to inform their strategies. We offer a full-funnel suite of solutions to help you convert travelers, and our digital experts can help you create advertising campaigns that deliver.

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Nadim Jamous - Image Credit Rotana Hotels

Rotana announces the promotion of Nadim Jamous as Corporate Vice President Architecture and Design, effective 1 August 2024.

In his new role, Jamous will lead a team of architects, interior designers and engineers, ensuring Rotanas existing and upcoming projects are aligned with the brands standards, vision and aspiration. Additionally, Jamous will coordinate project management efforts with both internal and external stakeholders for timely completion of projects at the highest standards. He will also develop and implement the overall design and architectural strategy, aligned with the companys goals. Under his leadership, Jamous will continue to promote a culture of creativity and continuous improvement within the architecture and design team.

Commenting on the announcement, Philip Barnes, CEO of Rotana said, "It is with great pleasure that I announce Nadim Jamous promotion to Corporate Vice President - Architecture and Design at Rotana. Since joining us in 2015, he has played a leading role in the consolidation of the Design Guidelines and Brand Standards that our team continues to rely on to this day. In this new role, Jamous will continue overseeing all design-related projects across our portfolio, ensuring that each hotel delivers on Rotanas singular brand promise of Treasured Time for our guests.

Jamous joined Rotana in 2015 as Director of Projects and has since played a pivotal role in the company's growth and development across the region. Under his leadership, Jamous has been instrumental in the successful delivery of numerous Rotana projects such as the luxurious Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas in Abu Dhabi, the impressive Johari Rotana in Dar Es Salam, and the recently opened Bomonti Arjaan in Istanbul. He was subsequently promoted to Corporate Director Projects in March 2024. Jamous holds a Master's Degree in Architecture from ALBA University in Lebanon, and has a wealth of experience in design, construction and project management.

Reflecting on his new role, Jamous said, "I am honoured to take on this new responsibility at such an exciting time for Rotana. Our ambitious expansion plans present tremendous opportunities to showcase innovative design and architecture that reflect the essence of our brand. I look forward to leading our talented team in delivering projects that meet the highest standards of quality and excellence."

Rotana currently operates 80 hotels across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Turkiye, serving millions of guests annually.
Everhome Suites Continues To Expand With Three New Locations Breaking Ground in Texas, Kansas, and Kentucky - Image Credit Choice Hotels

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) continues to strengthen its leadership position in extended stay with three new Everhome Suites breaking ground in San Antonio, Texas; Bowling Green, Kentucky; and Wichita, Kansas.

All three were developed in collaboration with Highside Companies. In total, Choice Hotels has four Everhome Suites open, 65 in the pipeline, over 20 under construction, and more than 15 expected to open within the next 12 months. As of the end of Q2 2024, Choice has nearly 400 hotels in the pipeline across four extended stay brands.



Choice continues to break ground and open Everhome Suites extended stay hotels across the country. The Everhome Suites San Antonio marks the sixth property under construction in Texas. This will be Choice's second Everhome Suites in Kentucky and the first in Kansas.

"These three new locations speak to our continued leadership in new construction midscale extended stay," said Ron Burgett, senior vice president, extended stay development, Choice Hotels. "We're opening hotels at a rapid pace and providing franchisees and collaborators like Highside with exceptional operational know-how in the category."

"We're proud to join Choice on the forefront of extended stay delivery with a continued wave of new Everhome Suites openings and groundbreakings, with a total of 25 in the current pipeline," said Justin Roberts, chief executive officer of Highside Companies.

"Choice's first-mover advantage ensures we're able to capitalize on extended stay demand in key markets and continue to cement our leadership position in the category," said Matt McElhare, vice president and lead for extended stay brands, Choice Hotels. "These three groundbreakings in Bowling Green, San Antonio, and Wichita will provide a great extended stay experience to a myriad of travelers looking for an affordable and flexible option whether they are traveling for business or leisure."

The hotel details are as follows:

Everhome Suites Bowling Green is located at 1699 Charlie Court and will have 115 rooms. Demand in the market is primarily driven by manufacturing and Bowling Green is home to Fruit of the Loom corporate headquarters and production facility, as well as General Motors, Henkel Corporation, Georgia-Pacific, Ball Corporation and Toyota facilities. The property is also close to Western Kentucky University, University of Kentucky College of Medicine and many hospitals such as Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital, TriStar Greenview Regional Hospital, The Medical Center at Bowling Green, and Southern Kentucky Rehab Hospital. The hotel is expected to open in November 2025.

is located at 1699 Charlie Court and will have 115 rooms. Demand in the market is primarily driven by manufacturing and Bowling Green is home to Fruit of the Loom corporate headquarters and production facility, as well as General Motors, Henkel Corporation, Georgia-Pacific, Ball Corporation and Toyota facilities. The property is also close to Western Kentucky University, University of Kentucky College of Medicine and many hospitals such as Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital, TriStar Greenview Regional Hospital, The Medical Center at Bowling Green, and Southern Kentucky Rehab Hospital. The hotel is expected to open in November 2025. Everhome Suites San Antonio is located at 619 N Hunt Lane and will have 115 rooms. The Everhome will be located alongside Texas Highway 151 and Highway 410, which serves as San Antonio's beltway and connects to San Antonio International Airport and Lackland Air Force Base, the sole location for U.S. Air Force enlisted basic military training. It is also within a five-mile radius of major corporate hubs such as JPMorgan Chase Operations Center, Nationwide Insurance, Capital Group, and a 1 million square foot Wells Fargo Home Mortgage operation and connection center, one of only two such facilities in the country. The hotel is expected to open in November 2025.

is located at 619 N Hunt Lane and will have 115 rooms. The Everhome will be located alongside Texas Highway 151 and Highway 410, which serves as San Antonio's beltway and connects to San Antonio International Airport and Lackland Air Force Base, the sole location for U.S. Air Force enlisted basic military training. It is also within a five-mile radius of major corporate hubs such as JPMorgan Chase Operations Center, Nationwide Insurance, Capital Group, and a 1 million square foot Wells Fargo Home Mortgage operation and connection center, one of only two such facilities in the country. The hotel is expected to open in November 2025. Everhome Suites Wichita is located at 3880 N Rock Road, about three miles southwest of Wichita State University, and will have 123 rooms. Hotel demand in this market comes from a mixture of military, manufacturing, and healthcare, with Spirit Aerosystems, Textron Aviation, and Bombardier Learjet headquarters and manufacturing facilities in the city. It is also home to McConnell Air Force Base. The hotel is expected to open in the fall of 2025.

Everhome Suites offers the comforts of home along with many other convenient amenities, including:
The Hospitality Show Announces 2024 Sustainability Programming, Initiatives - Image Credit AHLA

The Hospitality Show announced a slate of sustainability programming and initiatives for this years event, including the co-location of the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliances Autumn Summit at The Show, which will be held in San Antonio, Texas, Oct. 28-30, 2024, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

World Sustainable Hospitality Alliances Autumn Summit will convene senior leaders from across the global hospitality industry, including CEOs and C-suite members from leading hotel companies, real estate owners, investment funds, technology companies, procurement specialists, and marketing agencies, as well as legal and consulting firms. Participants will engage in critical discussions on Net Positive Hospitality in action, sharing best practices, exploring opportunities for innovation, and forging new collaborations.

Sustainability is a crucial strategy for hotel operations, reducing costs through energy efficiency and waste reduction while appealing to eco-conscious travelers and enhancing guest satisfaction. The Hospitality Show is committed to serving as a living case study and a powerful inspiration for hoteliers seeking to implement profit-driving sustainable practices at their properties.

AHLA sustainability programs Green Key Global and Responsible Stay will have a presence at The Show.

Operated jointly by AHLA and the Hotel Association of Canada, Green Key Global is the only environmental certification program designed specifically for the hotel industry. It provides credibility to hotels existing sustainability initiatives and equips properties with a plan for continued improvement.

is the only environmental certification program designed specifically for the hotel industry. It provides credibility to hotels existing sustainability initiatives and equips properties with a plan for continued improvement. AHLAs Responsible Stay initiative is dedicated to uniting Americas hotel brands, owners, operators, and employees in an effort to reduce carbon emissions, lower energy usage, conserve water, and source responsibly, to provide guests with innovative and sustainable experiences and events.

Questex has integrated its Quest Zero initiatives into The Hospitality Shows operations this year, as it did for the inaugural 2023 Show. This program is part of Questexs pledge to the Net Zero Carbon Event initiative and the companys commitment to reach Net Zero by 2050. These practices include reducing waste by removing carpet and reusing nearly 95% of onsite graphics, minimizing food waste through diligent planning and donations, and community involvement to help reduce onsite waste and travel emissions by encouraging carbon offset donations upon registration.

The Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center itself was chosen for its commitment to sustainable practices, including LEED Silver Certification, waste reduction, energy and water conservation, green purchasing, and contributions to the city's Climate Action & Adaptation Plan aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050.

The Show 2024 will also feature several other sustainability-minded initiatives, including:

A Green to Gold: Sustainability as Profit breakout session that will focus on how going green can boost hotel profits, featuring MindClick Founder and CEO JoAnna Abrams , Guest Worldwide President Kevin Korab , and BWH Hotels Senior Vice President of Brand Management and Member Services Michael Morton .

, , and . Insight on sustainability trends in hospitality from the Considerate Group, a data-driven sustainability consultancy working in the hospitality, real estate, and destination sectors.

The official launch of the World Academy for Sustainable Hospitality (the Academy) with the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE). The Academy is a ground-breaking sustainable training system that will empower the hospitality industry and translate vision into action.

A networking event in The Show Expo in partnership with Clean the World to build 1,000 hygiene kits made from recycled soap that will be donated to a local shelter.

Were honoured to be holding our Autumn Summit at The Hospitality Show in collaboration with the AHLA and Questex, said Glenn Mandziuk, CEO of the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. It is significant to be holding our summit in the United States  a first for the Alliance since its recent rebrand with a global reach  as we look to continue growing our US-based membership. We look forward to mapping out our ambitions and actions for 2025 with our members, partners and senior leaders, charting the future of the industry. We also look forward to strengthening our relationship with the AHLA and forming a critical new partnership with Questex, as we seek to drive sustainability across the industry.

These features of The Show 2024 build upon the successful sustainability initiatives launched at the inaugural event last year. Key sustainability achievements from The Show 2023 include:
Voices in Food Equity Event at BCC

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts will host its third Voices in Food Equity event on Wednesday, Aug. 21, from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM at Berkshire Community College.

The panel discussion brings together community leaders and residents to discuss school-and college-age food insecurity in the region. The event is sponsored by Adams Community Bank, Berkshire Community College, Guido's Fresh Marketplace, Stone House, and Wheeler & Taylor.

Voices in Food Equity will feature a panel discussion with prominent voices in food equity who will share their insights and experiences specifically addressing food insecurity for children, youth, and college- students.

"I am excited to moderate the Voices in Food Equity, together we can brainstorm solutions addressing food insecurity and food inequity in our most vulnerable population," said Mary Feuer, Director of WIC and Family Services at Community Health Programs Inc, Berkshires, and member of the Food Bank Board of Directors. "Everyone deserves to have access to and to eat healthy nutritious, culturally diverse foods of their choosing."

The event will be held in the Connector, located between Hawthorne and Melville Halls.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Please visit foodbankwma.org to reserve a spot.

Panelists include:

Lois Daunis - President of the Al Nelson Friendship Center Food Pantry Board of Directors

Aaron Oster - Instructional Program Manager for Food, Culture, and the Local Community at BCC

Jenny Schwartz - Operations Manager and Volunteer Coordinator at Berkshire Bounty

Jess Vecchia - Executive Director and Co-Founder at Roots Rising

A Q&A session will follow the discussion.

"We invite everyone who is concerned or passionate about food equity to join us for an evening of thoughtful dialogue and networking," said Andrew Morehouse Food Bank Executive Director. "Together, we can create a Western Massachusetts where no one faces food insecurity, and everyone always has access to nutritious food."
An artist's conception of the view from Fort Hoosac Place looking east toward the planned Williams College Museum of Art in winter. A slide discussing pedestrian traffic to the planned Williams College Museum of Art that was presented to the Williamstown Zoning Board of Appeals on Thursday. PreviousNext

Williamstown ZBA Passes Art Museum Project



A historical marker commemorates a French and Indian War fort on the site where Williams College plans its new art museum. The college has plans to update the marker, similar to the new marker explaining the Haystack Monument installed last year on campus. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  The Zoning Board of Appeals on Thursday approved plans for a new Williams College Art Museum on the former site of the Williams Inn.

On a vote of 5-0, the board granted the college the two special permits it needed and finalized the body's development plan review, wrapping up a hearing that began in July.

The decision cleared the way for the college to break ground on the project in September with a planned opening in 2027.

First, the college's development team addressed some questions raised by the board during the opening of the hearing and responded to concerns raised by abutters in the Main Street and Fort Hoosac Place neighborhood to the west of the museum site.

As it did in July, the ZBA pressed college representatives for details on how pedestrian safety would be maintained in what amounts to an extension of the campus across the junction of Routes 2 and 7 (Main Street and North Street) at the Field Park rotary.

"Our anticipation is the current crosswalk at the intersection of 2 and 7 will be the primary crosswalk, and there will be improvements to make that more robust," architect Jonathan Molloy of the New York firm SO-IL told the board.

"This includes some of the classic features of a blinking light with buttons.  Ultimately, we might decide to do something different and more effective."

Later in the discussion, Molloy talked about the possibility that raised crosswalks at the crossing could be part of the solution, emphasizing that the college would be coordinating with the town on how to make the intersection safe.

The board also had asked for more details around the landscaping plan for the museum, particularly as it relates to providing the 90 percent opacity screening from parking specified by the town's bylaw.

"You can see it's diverse in its application along the [west edge of the property]," Molloy said of the preliminary planting plan. "Ultimately, it's consistent with the intent of reforesting this edge, bringing back a healthy ecology that is grown and designed not just for current climate conditions but changing climate conditions."

Williams' in-house landscape ecology coordinator told the board that plan is to plant trees of varying height, ranging from 10 feet to 30 feet.

"The understory will be a variety of native shrubs planted in large drifts," Felicity Purzycki said. "Plants tend to be healthier and do better when planted with other species like themselves. A lot of evergreens will be planted, a lot of species with berries. There will be significant fall color. There will be springtime flowers.

"It will bring a lot of ecological integrity we don't currently have along that area."

Density of the planting was a concern for the neighbors, who worried that the new museum would be too visible from their homes.

A focus on Thursday night was the handful of accessible parking spaces near the museum's entrance on the west side of the building.

Fort Hoosac Place resident Jeffrey Strait asked the board to amend its draft motion approving the museum to include language specifying that "dense shrubs" be added on top of a retaining wall framing the west side of the property along the driveway.

ZBA Chair Keith Davis responded by bringing out a point that was made a couple of times at both sessions addressing the application.

"You are not looking for any relief from the screening requirements in the bylaw, are you?" Davis asked college counsel Jamie Art.

"No," Art replied.

"It's covered in the bylaw," Davis told Strait.

Davis also noted that the college could satisfy the town's 90 percent opacity rule with fencing or a concrete wall instead of using foliage and topography, as the board determined the current plan succeeds at doing.

The town's zoning administrator, Community Development Director Andrew Groff, will be responsible for making sure the resulting project has the 90 percent screening specified by the bylaw. Art, later in Thursday's hearing, said the college would continue to take input from neighbors as it achieves that goal.

"With the precise location and specimens still being in the works, I will say what the college has said to other neighbors along the way in terms of plantings on boundaries," Art said. "The college will work with you on placement to the extent that it can, to soften impacts, to broaden screening. If that means adding a few evergreens, I think we can work that out in the scope of the project."

A new issue raised in Thursday's hearing concerned a pair of historical markers on college property commemorating the "West Hoosac Fort" for which the nearby road is named.

Andrew Hoar, a former chair of the ZBA who no longer serves on the board, sent a letter asking why the development plan did not include mention of the markers.

After Art mentioned that the college planned to turn over the current markers to its archivists and create a new commemoration that recontextualizes the French and Indian War battle, Main Street resident Patrick Bandy weighed in.

"I would express a desire to have history preserved rather than reinterpreted," Bandy said. "'Reinterpreted' is a word I hear that sounds similar to 'rewrite.' One thing I learned from those plaques is the rich history of Williamstown and the genesis of the European settlers who came here. I also have learned about the Native American people who owned the land first.

"I think proper context is important. At the same time, living in a house from 1840, I feel an obligation to update my kitchen and preserve the foundation."

Both Art and Groff likened the recontextualization process to the work the college has done to add updated signage near the Haystack Monument, which commemorates the role of Williams students in founding an American missionary movement in 1806.

"I think the college's approach to this has been, in the past, to make sure an appropriate and full explanation of the historical context of the site is preserved and presented in a thoughtful way," Art said. "There is no desire to erase history or sequester something in a way as to hide it. At the same time, there will be a lot of thought given to how the history is presented.
Lee Bank Announces Promotions and Internal Reorganization

LEE, Mass.  Lee Bank announced promotions and internal reorganization to reimagine their consumer banking division.

Key Promotions:

Michelle "Shelly" Bombardier  Lee Branch Manager

Shelly Bombardier has been promoted to the position of Lee Branch Manager. With a combined 17 years of experience at Lee Bank, Shelly brings a deep understanding of our customers' needs and a strong local connection. Shelly's ability to anticipate and problem solve will further strengthen our team's ability to better foresee and support our customers' needs. Outside of work, Shelly enjoys traveling to visit her granddaughter in Boston and watching her participate in her favorite sports. When she isn't helping customers and visiting her granddaughter, she is spending time with family and friends.

Shelly's promotion follows the retirement of Lorita Trombly, who has dedicated 11 years to managing the Lee branch of Lee Bank, always with excellence and our customers in mind. After devoting over 40 years to the banking industry, Lorita looks forward to enjoying more time with her family and engaging in volunteer work during her well-earned retirement. Lorita's positivity and smiling face in the branch will be missed. The Bank and customers alike thank Lorita for her many years of service to our community and wish her the very best in this new chapter.

Alison Brigham  VP of Brand Experience and Community Impact

Alison Brigham has been promoted to Vice President of Brand Experience and Community Impact. In Alison's seven years at Lee Bank her work has helped the Bank embody our core values. As we enhance our processes and delivery channels, she will ensure we remain true to our roots and the brand that has brought us where we are today. Additionally, Alison's role involves showcasing our community impact through the Lee Bank Foundation's contributions, which provide valuable funding to the local non-profit ecosystem. In her personal time, Alison is dedicated to community service, serving on various boards including Link to Libraries, Flying Cloud Institute, New England Financial Marketing Association, EforAll, and the Finance Committee for the Town of Lenox. She is also an accomplished equestrian, competing in regional and national riding competitions with her horse, Eloise, and enjoys reading and spending time outdoors.
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Robert Harriss enthralling new novel may be one of his three best, and I write as someone who has read virtually all 16 of them. There was 1992s Fatherland, imagining a world where the Nazis won the Second World War, and 2022s Act of Oblivion, an epic set in the aftermath of the regicide of Charles I. And now theres Precipice, in which he has found another slam dunk of a plot. It is based upon the true episode of 60-year-old prime minister HH Asquiths infatuation with an aristocratic young woman 35 years his junior, to whom he wrote more than 700 letters over a three-year period  sometimes as many as three letters a day.

What makes the story so extraordinary is that Asquith was prime minister during the run-up to the First World War  and throughout those first two catastrophic years of combat  but still found time to compose handwritten notes during cabinet meetings in Downing Street; letters that became increasingly obsessive as the Great War progressed, and that frequently contained the most confidential information on British strategy and affairs of state.

With astonishing recklessness, the married Liberal PM enclosed top-secret dispatches from ambassadors, generals and royals to engage his paramour.

The Hon Venetia Stanley, daughter of Lord Sheffield, was an unlikely recipient of his ardour: a lively, barely educated, time-rich socialite, living at home with her parents between two stately homes and a Mayfair mansion, awaiting a suitable husband. Today she would probably be an Instagram influencer, entitled but enticing.

Remarkably, the letters from Asquith still survive, and Harris uses his actual correspondence throughout  dozens of sentimental, yearning missives addressed to My darling love ... I love you more than words can say, with every fibre, and whatever I have that is worth having and giving; Venetias replies to Asquith do not survive, since he destroyed them all on his final day in office, but Harris does a convincing job of recreating them.

open image in gallery Prime minister Asquiths infatuation with Stanley is at the centre of the latest novel by Harris ( Corbis via Getty )

Their passionate correspondence, and the fact of their friendship, was suspected only by their innermost circle. Privacy was easier to maintain in those days. If the prime minister today took up with a young woman less than half his age, the headlines would be merciless: Pervy PMs pash on aristobabe. Or Prime minister groomed posh bird with 700 steamy letters. And in no time, there would be censorious newspaper columns citing power imbalance, safeguarding in Downing Street, and the rest.

Harriss cleverness lies in his psychological sophistication, carrying the reader along the twists and turns of this dubious love story, while the greater drama of the war in the trenches, vast casualties and the disastrous landing at Gallipoli plays off stage. There is an excellent cast of supporting characters: Winston Churchill, perpetually reckless and hungry for war; Lloyd George, ambitiously untrustworthy; the poet Rupert Brooke, dating an Asquith daughter; the artist John Lavery in war-artist mode; King Edward VII, by whom Asquith is appointed PM at a casino in the south of France.

Intriguingly, we are never told whether the Asquith-Stanley relationship ever became sexual. It was challenging in pre-war Britain for an aristocratic single girl to spend time alone with any man, and when they were prime minister, more difficult still.

It is hinted that they may have spent a sexy hour alone in a grassy hollow in the woods at Penrhos, the castellated Stanley estate near Holyhead, Wales, but Harriss novels seldom include graphic bedroom action. He implies that their sexual relationship may have stopped at frottage, popular amongst the landed classes at the time, which involved the woman exciting the clothed man through his trousers, with vigorous friction until he found relief; the woman was frequently pleasured in a similar style, thus avoiding the danger of pregnancy.

Harris is masterful at authentic dialogue, across all classes. There is not a false note in this novel. He also explains the mechanics of covert communication in this pre-email, pre-text, pre-WhatsApp, pre-Paula Vennells world. The Post Office in 1914 provided twelve collections and deliveries of letters per day in London, and generally three per day in the countryside, and Stanley and her maid spend much time hanging about the letterbox, waiting for the latest love bomb from the prime minister.

open image in gallery Precipice by Robert Harris ( Hutchinson Heinemann )

One of the great injustices about Harriss vast oeuvre is that he has won almost no major literary prizes. Infinitely more informed than most Booker winners, and at least as emotionally perceptive, with a historical gravitas worthy of the Duff Cooper Prize  which goes to superlative non-fiction works, including history  his books slip down a crevice in between: too popular and enjoyable for the Booker, too readable and part-fictional for the Duff Cooper. There is something very British about constantly inventing new, and ever more niche, literary awards to applaud books that sell modestly, at the expense of big, quality blockbusters that shift by the truckload.

If Harriss novels formed part of the school history syllabus, they could inspire a whole generation for whom history is drudgery.

Precipice by Robert Harris is published on 29 August by Hutchinson Heinemann
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The journalist who called out Blake Lively over an uncomfortable sit-down has named the celebrity who was, on the other hand, the most wonderful person to interview.

Last week, Norwegian journalist, Kjersti Flaa, posted a clip of a 2016 interview with Lively, which made her want to quit her job. Flaa was met with huge support from viewers who criticised the Gossip Girl star for being rude.

In a new video posted on Monday (19 August), the reporter thanked people who had been sending her supportive messages. She said that people who bullied and had mean girl energy should be called out in Hollywood and held to account.

She then went on to reveal that it was the sweet actor Kristen Stewart who saved the day following her disastrous chat with Lively. The interviews were in promotion of the 2016 film Cafe Society, directed by Woody Allen, in which Lively starred opposite Parker Poesy and Stewart.

I want to shout out Kristen Stewart who was the person I interviewed after the horrific incident, and she was the most wonderful, wonderful person to interview, Flaa said.

She saved my day, you know I was terrified walking into that interview because I had just experienced what I had, so for her to just treat me like, she was so sweet. So, Im happy I interviewed her afterwards.

Many questioned why Flaa had shared the clip so many years after the interview was first conducted, particularly as it emerged just as Lively had been facing criticism for a tone-deaf approach to promoting It Ends With Us.

( YouTube/ Kjersti Flaa )

She explained: I got so many questions from people asking why I decided to post that interview now, eight years later, and the reason for that is that I got contacted by another reporter who told me a story that was a little similar to this one that he had experienced and then we started talking about it and comparing notes.

And then I felt like you know, its not ok to behave like that and I think it needs to be called out. Also, it took me a while to be honest with you to actually get over it, it affected me for a while because it made me nervous while interviewing other people after that.

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Flaa calimed that she was not aware of the drama surrounding It Ends With Us.

I blamed myself for it for a long time because I felt like I did or said something wrong and thats the reason why I waited so long, she said. I actually hadnt read up about all the other controversy that was going on.

( YouTube/ Kjersti Flaa )

In the wake of her clip going viral, Flaa has begun to sell anti-bullying merchandise on Etsy, including T-shirts with the viral #littlebump phrase printed on them, in reference to a particuarly awkward moment in the interview.

Prior to the chat, Lively had announced that she was pregnant with her second baby with her husband Ryan Reynolds in May. Flaa began the interview by congratulating the actor on her little bump to which Lively sarcastically responded: Congrats on your little bump.

Livelys negative publicity comes amid rumours of an ongoing feud between the actor and her co-star and director Justin Baldoni, with Baldoni reportedly having hired Johnny Depps crisis manager, and PR veteran Melissa Nathan, according to Deadline.

One person wrote in the stars defence: One thing about me. I will defend Blake Lively. Do I agree with certain ways shes promoted this movie? No I dont. But ripping a women apart, bringing up old videos etc. Its not OK.

Lively has also been defended by one of her It Ends With Us co-stars.
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Ryan Reynolds has revealed the emotional reason he was determined to pay tribute to Rob Delaneys late son in Deadpool & Wolverine.

The Catastrophe actors two-year-old Henry, who he welcomed with his wife Leah, died in January 2018, following two years of treatment for a brain tumour.

Reynolds admitted he had always regretted not honouring Henrys memory with a tribute in Deadpool 2, which was released the same year and in which Delaney plays the diabetic superhero Peter Pool.

Writing on Instagram this week, Reynolds said: Theres more to Rob Delaney than some realise. Hes one of the most subversively funny people I know. Hes a beautiful, acerbic and vulnerable writer.

The Deadpool star continued: If you stayed through the credits of Deadpool & Wolverine, you might notice a credit saying, For Henry Delaney. Henry was Robs son. And Rob lost his little boy to a brain tumor in 2018. Right as we finished Deadpool 2.

Ive always kicked my own a** because I didnt place a tribute to Henry over the end credits, Reynolds added.

If theres a bright side, even more people are seeing Henrys name in the credits of Deadpool & Wolverine. And at long last, father and son are sharing the same screen.

Praising Delaneys 2022 unfiltered, rageful, loving, sad and hilarious memoir, A Heart That Works, the actor concluded: Im lucky to know Rob. And Im lucky to have friends willing to put themselves on the line to make others feel less alone.

Henry first showed symptoms of a brain tumour at 11 months old, when he began repeatedly vomiting.

Delaney said doctors told him they suspected a tumour on 27 April, 2016  the day after he won a Bafta Award for Catastrophe with co-writer with Sharon Horgan.

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Describing the day he and Leah received the results from the MRI scan in his book, Delaney said it was the heaviest pain in the world.

Grief drove a bus through the part of my brain where memories are stored, Delaney said.

After the MRI, Dr Anson confirmed that Henry had a large tumour in the back of his head, near his brain stem. He delivered the news calmly, and ended by saying a paediatric brain surgeon would come to see us within a few hours.

We sank inside ourselves. The heaviest pain in the world. I felt like I had suddenly quadrupled in weight, and an oily, black whirlpool began to swirl where my heart had been.

Henry underwent an operation to remove the tumour, and was able to move back home in June 2017. A follow-up scan in September, however, found that the cancer had returned.

open image in gallery Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool & Wolverine ( Marvel )

Recalling the familys final few days with Henry, Delaney said: I lay with him, and Leah held him and danced with him. His brothers read to him and played with him.

The toddler died peacefully at home in January 2018.

Henry opened his eyes and looked into Leahs eyes around five the next morning. Then he died, Delaney wrote.

I am so happy Henry died at home. I am so happy that he did so in the arms of his beautiful mother, who loved him desperately.

I am so happy that he lay between us afterward and we could kiss and hold him and stroke his beautiful, long, sandy-blonde hair.
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Reservoir Dogs star Michael Madsen was arrested in Malibu on Saturday morning on domestic violence charges.

Madsen, 66, was reportedly taken into custody following a disagreement between the actor and his wife, DeAnna Madsen, 64.

Shortly after midnight on August 17, officers from the Lost Hill Sheriffs Station in Malibu responded to a call and subsequently arrested Madsen for a domestic battery misdemeanor.

The actor was booked at 1:40am, and was later released after posting a $20,000 bond.

In a statement to Variety, a representative for Madsen said: It was a disagreement between Michael and his wife, which we hope resolves positively for them both.

The Independent has contacted Madsens representatives for further comment.

open image in gallery Michael Madsen in Beverly Hills in January 2020 ( Getty Images )

Madsen is best known for his collaborations with Quentin Tarantino, which include Reservoir Dogs, both volumes of Kill Bill and The Hateful Eight. He also made a cameo appearance in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Speaking to The Independent in 2020, Madsen recalled being upset when he learned that his character Mr Blonde would be killed by Tim Roth in Reservoir Dogs.

I was very affected by old films, he said. I was a huge fan of Humphrey Bogart, Robert Mitchum, Lee Marvin... I knew all those guys were very careful in their roles, and who they acted with or who they got killed by onscreen. Thats how you became leading men.

Madsen also revealed that Harvey Weinstein tried to have him removed from the casts of Tarantinos films.

Harvey never liked me, he said. I dont know if he ever liked anybody, but I know for a fact he didnt like me. He never wanted me in any of Quentins movies. I think Im only in them because Quentin stood up for me every single time and said Im going to use Michael whether you like it or not.
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Taylor Swift bid farewell to London with the first live performance of her song So Long, London, from her latest hit album The Tortured Poets Department.

The US pop star concluded the UK and European run of her record-breaking Eras Tour with her eighth concert at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday (20 August).

Fans had been speculating whether she would perform the track, which is widely believed to be about the end of her relationship with actor Joe Alwyn, whom she split from last year.

Lyrics include the lines: I left all I knew, you left me at the house by the Heath/ I stopped CPR, after all its no use/ The spirit was gone, we would never come to/ And Im pissed off you let me give you all that youth for free.

Swift, 34, and Alwyn, 33, dated for six years from 2016 to early 2023.

The former couple were rumoured to have hunkered down at a rented home in Primrose Hill during coronavirus lockdowns, while Swift is said to have enjoyed walks on Hampstead Heath during her visits to the UK.

Elsewhere during her final Wembley show, Swift brought out Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine for a surprise first-time performance of their collaborative track Florida.

She was later joined on stage by her friend and longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff for an acoustic duet of Death by a Thousand Cuts and Getaway Car.

Swift and Alwyn split in early 2023 ( Getty Images )

At an earlier London show on Friday 16 August, she shocked and delighted fans with a rendition of her song London Boy, believed to have been written about Alwyn during happier times.

The song from her 2017 album Lover details how Swift was introduced by Alwyn to some of her favourite spots in the capital, from strolls around Camden Market to nights in Brixton and pints in Soho.

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Ive never played this on the Eras Tour before, Swift told her 92,000-strong crowd, before beginning the track.

Alwyn addressed his split from Swift publicly for the first time in a recent interview with The Sunday Timess Style Magazine, in which he hoped people would be able to emphathise with their situation.

I would hope that anyone and everyone can empathise and understand the difficulties that come with the end of a long, loving, fully committed relationship of over six and a half years, he said. That is a hard thing to navigate.

He continued: What is unusual and abnormal in this situation is that, one week later, its suddenly in the public domain and the outside world is able to weigh in.

So you have something very real suddenly thrown into a very unreal space: tabloids, social media, press, where it is then dissected, speculated on, pulled out of shape beyond recognition.

And the truth is, to that last point, there is always going to be a gap between what is known and what is said. I have made my peace with that.

Following her split from Alwyn, Swift briefly dated The 1975 frontman Matty Healy, assumed to be the subect of a number of songs on The Tortured Poets Department.

Many songs on Poets are believed to be about The 1975 frontman Matty Healy (right) ( Getty Images )

She has been in a relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce since September 2023, with the pair supporting each other at his games and Swifts concerts.

After London, Swift will fly out to perform a string of shows in the US and Canada, including Miami, New Orleans and Indianapolis. Her final Eras concert will take place in Vancouver on 8 December, a week before her 35th birthday.

Taylor Swift performs during an Eras show ( PA Wire )

She disabused fans of the prospect that the Eras tour might continue into 2025 during her 100th performance, in Liverpool in June, as she called the tour the most exhausting, all-encompassing but most joyful, most rewarding, most wonderful thing that has ever happened in my life.

Celebrating the 100th show, she said it meant this is the very first time Ive ever acknowledged to myself and admitted that this tour is gonna end in December. Like, thats it.

And that feels so far away from now, she continued. But then again, it feels like we just played our first show on this tour. Because you have made this so much fun for us that we wanted to do a hundred shows, 150-something shows that we have on the whole tour.

The Tortured Poets Department recently marked its 15th week at the top of the Billboard 200 chart, tying Carole Kings Tapestry for the third-most weeks at No 1 for female artists.

Only Adele and the late Whitney Houston have albums that have claimed more weeks at the top of the charts: Adele with her 2011 album 21, and Houston with her 1992 soundtrack for The Bodyguard.

In a five-star review for The Independent, critic Helen Brown praised Poets as a terrific reminder of [Swifts] storytelling powers.
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Netflix has released a first-look teaser at Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the follow-up to Ryan Murphys controversial 2022 series Dahmer  Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.

The second season in Murphys Monsters anthology will tell the harrowing story of brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were convicted in 1996 of murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty, in 1989.

In the clip, shared on Tuesday (August 20), the two brothers are shown driving up to their parents house in the middle of the night.

On August 20, 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez murdered their parents, the screen reads.

As they quietly make their way inside, they walk toward a set of doors and open them before pulling the trigger on a shotgun.

Javier Bardem and Chloe Sevigny will star as parents Jose and Kitty Menendez, with Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch playing Lyle and Erik Menendez respectively.

The gripping murder case captivated the nation in the Nineties, with the two wealthy brothers from Beverly Hills, California, standing trial for killing their parents.

During the trial, they said that they committed the crimes because they were fearful their father would kill them after they threatened to out him for years of sexual, emotional and physical abuse. The prosecution argued they did it to access their fathers multimillion-dollar estate.

The brothers were eventually convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. To this day, Lyle, 56, and Erik, 53, remain locked up in San Diegos Richard J Donovan Correctional Facility.

open image in gallery Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch will star as brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story ( Netflix )

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which lands on Netflix on September 18, comes two years after Murphy released the Emmy-nominated Dahmer  Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.

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While the latter became an instant sensation for the streamer, it was also condemned by many viewers who felt it was exploitative.

Starring Evan Peters as the notorious real-life serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, the 10-episode series told the story of his heinous crimes largely through the perspective of his victims.

Families of Dahmers victims also spoke out, saying the series was re-traumatizing.

Im not telling anyone what to watch, I know true crime media is huge right now, but if youre actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbells) are pissed about this show, Eric, the cousin of Dahmers 19-year-old victim Errol Lindsey, tweeted at the time.

Its retraumatizing over and over again, and for what? How many movies/shows/documentaries do we need?
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Chinese gymnast Zhou Yaqin, who came to global attention for her medal-biting moment after making the podium at the Olympics, has gone viral again  this time for waiting tables at her familys restaurant in Hunan province.

A video, reported by CGTN, showing the 18-year-old serving food in the restaurant while wearing her uniform from the Olympics has captured the attention of social media users, with some calling her humble and others labelling her innocent.

Zhou was visiting her family in Hengyang and helping out at their restaurant, according to a post on social media.

The video has garnered nearly three million views since it was posted on 13 August and over 20,000 likes.

One user wrote on X: Its touching to see Zhou Yaqin balancing her Olympic triumph with family duties. Such humility!

Some called it a marketing move. A commentator wrote: She earned a silver medal but shes giving gold-level service to the customers at her parents restaurant. She even wore her sportswear  what a clever marketing move for the restaurant!

The video was reportedly first shared by a user called Shanghai Panda with the caption: Remember that cute Chinese gymnast Zhou Yaqin? After winning the Olympic silver medal, she has returned to her parents home for a vacation. Of course, you cant call it a vacation. Because she needs to help work in the restaurant run by her parents.

An X user noted: Working hard and earning for the family is a noble job. She should be proud. Her medal moment is immortalised in the world of the internet.

Another said: Her family and community must be proud.

A few users, however, felt something was not right about the video, without elaborating.

After winning a silver medal in the womens gymnastics balance beam event on 5 August, Zhou went viral for her adorable reaction to cameras capturing the moment that Alice DAmato, 21, and Manila Esposito, 17, took obligatory bites of their new medals.

Zhou seemed surprised by the tradition, with the cameras capturing her eyes widening in shock. She then tried her hand at the tradition without actually biting the medal.

On X, people adored Zhous golden retriever and little sister energy.

Just holds it in front of her mouth! one user wrote. I love it.
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Taiwans military launched surface-to-air missiles in live-fire drills conducted Tuesday in response to growing military pressure from China.

The exercises took place at the Jiupeng Military Base in a remote area in southern Taiwan. Among the missiles launched were Taiwans domestically made Sky Bow III anti-ballistic missiles along with the US-made Patriot PAC II and surface-to-air Standard missiles.

China claims the democratically ruled island of Taiwan as its own territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary and ramped up its military threat in recent years.

US-made MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile is launched during a live fire exercise at the Chiupeng missile base in Pingtung county ( AFP via Getty Images )

( AP )

Beijing in particular dislikes Taiwans new President Lai Ching-te, who took office earlier this year and whom Beijing has called a separatist.

Taipei has boosted its deterrence capabilities in response. Missiles, both domestically built and US-made, are key to its defense strategy.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang said all the missiles launched Tuesday hit their targets.

This shows our training is very strict and solid, he said.

Beijing did not immediately react to Taiwans drill. China sends military jets and vessels near Taiwan frequently in what critics call an intimidation tactic.

( REUTERS )

( AP )

Taiwans Defense Ministry said early Tuesday it spotted five Chinese military jets and 11 ships close to its shores over the previous 24 hours. One aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial demarcation zone between the two sides.

While its military is dwarfed by Chinas, Taiwan has bought high-tech weaponry from the United States, revitalized its domestic arms industry and extended the length of mandatory military service from four months to one year.

The US is bound by its own laws to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself and considers all threats to the island as a matter of great concern.
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A North Korean soldier reportedly defected to South Korea on Tuesday by crossing the heavily militarised border on the Korean peninsulas east coast.

South Korean guards, who had been monitoring his movements, took him into custody in Goseong county, the Yonhap news agency reported.

The South Korean military has also confirmed that they are questioning the individual, believed to be a North Korean staff sergeant, to understand his motives for defecting.

The South Korean military spotted the soldier north of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) within the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) along the eastern border and carried out an operation to assist his entry into South Korea, the agency noted, citing the military.

The DMZ is a strip of land spanning the Korean Peninsula, acting as a buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea. Serving as a de facto border, the DMZ roughly splits the Korean Peninsula in half. The Military Demarcation Line (MDL) runs through the centre of the DMZ, marking the front line as it stood when the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed in 1953.

Defections across the border are rare and risky, with most North Korean escapees typically fleeing through China or other third countries.

Tuesdays defection comes just over a month after it was reported that a North Korean diplomat stationed in Cuba defected to South Korea along with his family in November last year.

In a brief statement, the National Intelligence Service confirmed to a South Korean newspapers report that Ri Il Kyu, 52, North Korean counsellor of political affairs in Cuba, defected last year.

As a counsellor, Mr Ri was tasked with blocking rival South Korea and old ally Cuba from forging diplomatic ties, Chosun Ilbo reported.

Mr Ris defection is the latest in a series of defections from North Korea. Human rights groups and successful defectors report that those caught attempting to flee the country face harsh penalties, including the possibility of execution.

Earlier this month, it was reported that a North Korean resident defected to South Korea after crossing the heavily guarded western maritime border.

According to a report by Yonhap, two North Koreans initially attempted to cross the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea, the de facto inter-Korean sea boundary off the west coast, but only one successfully reached a South Korean border island on foot during low tide.

In June this year, South Koreas military reported that between 20 and 30 North Korean soldiers crossed the border, but retreated after South Korean forces fired warning shots.

More recently, South Korea appointed a former North Korean diplomat as a vice minister, making him the countrys highest-ranking defector. President Yoon Suk Yeol named Tae Yongho as the secretary general of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, which advises the president on policies for peaceful Korean unification.

Mr Tae, 62, previously served as North Koreas deputy envoy to the UK before defecting in 2016. He fled to avoid subjecting his children to miserable lives in North Korea. Mr Tae expressed his disillusionment with leader Kim Jong-uns alleged executions of officials and pursuit of nuclear weapons. In response, Pyongyang condemned him as human scum and accused him of embezzlement and other crimes.

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Last year, 196 North Korean defectors came to Seoul, down from nearly 2,700 a decade ago, according to data from the South Korean government.

The relations between the two neighbours have also recently deteriorated due to the balloon wars. North and South have been sporadically flying balloons filled with propaganda material across their shared border since the Korean war in the early 1950s. They have also used radio broadcasts, loudspeakers and leaflets to influence each others citizens, promoting their ideologies and social systems and encouraging soldiers to defect.

The latest exchange began in May this year when North Korea floated 200 balloons filled with trash in a tit-for-tat response to activists in the South, sending balloons carrying propaganda material about their democratic society and memory devices with K-pop music videos.
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The death of an adult female elephant in India has sparked an outcry after a mob of locals fired flaming spears and spiked iron rods at the animal while chasing it away following the death of an elderly person in an elephant attack.

Officials said the elephant died shortly after the attack from locals in Jhargram in the eastern state of West Bengal on Thursday, leading to questions about rising human-elephant conflict.

A viral video of the attack showed dozens of locals chasing a herd of tuskers with massive flamethrowers in their hands on Thursday. Another video posted on social media showed the attacked elephant falling to the ground crying in pain from an open wound likely made by an iron rod. It also showed several iron nails on the injured elephants lower back.

The elephant succumbed to its injuries eight hours after the attack, local activists said, citing efforts by the forest department to rehabilitate it, reported national daily The Times of India.

Police officials have registered a first information report (FIR)  one of the first steps in any police procedure in India  against unknown people and said an investigation was underway to identify the people who attacked the elephant.

At least six elephants, including two calves, were targeted in Jhargrams Raj College colony after one of the males of the herd attacked and killed a local in the early hours of Thursday.

In a bid to control the situation, the forest department called on local people tasked with chasing away animals using torches or percussion instruments, known as the hulla (noise) team. At least 35 people appeared with massive flaming torches and hunted down the elephants. Targeting of wildlife animals by using and throwing fireballs is banned under Indias wildlife protection law.

The team also darted one of the male elephants with a tranquiliser spear on Thursday afternoon. Indian wildlife activists and animal rights groups have slammed the incident and the killing of the elephant.

This is against the law (Wildlife Protection) Act, 1972. The Supreme Court of India has completely banned, outlawed the use and throwing of fireballs for driving elephants... and for what it is worth, I am the petitioner, said Prerna Singh Bindra, a wildlife conservationist who challenged the use of fireballs in taming wild animals in Indias Supreme Court in 2018.

She added: We claim to protect, worship elephants  but we cant provide them habitat, cant give them space, either physically, or in our hearts.
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Japan's ruling party said Tuesday it will hold a vote on September 27 to choose its new leader after Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas surprise announcement that he will be stepping down.

The internal election must be held by the end of September, which marks the end of Kishida's three-year term and will only include the party's parliamentarians and its 1.1 million dues-paying members. The winner will be the head of the Liberal Democratic Party and the country's prime minister as the party and its smaller coalition partner control Japan's two-chamber parliament.

Last week, Kishida  who took office in October 2021  said he was bowing out of the race to pave the way for a new leader to form a united LDP to make a fresh start to regain public trust, badly hurt by the party's extensive corruption scandal, causing his support ratings to dip below 20%.

Within days of the prime minister's declaration, local media has speculated nearly a dozen possible candidates, with some already announcing their interest in leading a party desperate for public support.

A younger lawmaker, former Economic Security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi, 49, was the first to announce his candidacy Monday. Others whose names have been floated around as possible candidates include former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, 43, three of the party's female veterans, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi and former Gender Equality Minister Seiko Noda, as well as past runner-ups, Digital Minister Taro Kono as well as former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba who is an all-time favorite among the general public.

This combination of photos show Japanese lawmakers (top L to R) Shigeru Ishiba, Shinjiro Koizumi, Yoko Kamikawa and (bottom L to R) Sanae Takaichi, Toshimitsu Motegi and Taro Kono, who have been reported as possibly candidates for the head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership ( JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images )

Each candidate needs support from 20 party lawmakers to run which usually requires time to drum up.

The LDP election committee chief Ichiro Aisawa said Tuesday that his party takes seriously the loss of public trust due to the scandals and that it has set a 15-day campaign period, instead of the usual 12 days, beginning Sept. 12 so voters have more time to study the candidates visions and policies. He also called on potential candidates to make their campaign as frugal as possible, taking into consideration the public criticisms over money and politics.

Voters will cast their ballots in a system that divides power between the partys elected lawmakers and its membership at large, with each group getting 50% of the vote

The scandal that engulfed the LDP centered on unreported political funds raised through tickets sold for party events. It involved more than 80 LDP lawmakers, mostly belonging to a major party faction previously led by assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
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The Philippines has detected its first case of mpox since the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued its highest alert over the virus last week.

It is the first reported case since December last year, Manila's health department said on Monday, adding that it was awaiting test results before being able to determine the strain.

The patient has been identified as a 33-year-old Filipino male with no travel history outside the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) said. "We are awaiting sequencing results and will update once available," spokesperson Albert Domingo said.

The man's symptoms started more than a week ago with fever, which was followed four days later by a "distinct rash on the face, back, nape, trunk, groin, as well as palms and soles", the Philippine DOH said in a statement.

"The patient did not travel abroad, that means the virus is already here in the Philippines," health secretary Teddy Herbosa added.

The health department said it was the 10th laboratory-confirmed case since the detection of the first mpox case in July 2022.

The WHO on Wednesday declared mpox a global public health emergency following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa that had spread to neighbouring countries.

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.

Health officials are concerned about a new deadlier strain of the virus, formerly known as monkeypox, that has spread through several African countries.

A case of the new variant was confirmed on Thursday in Sweden and linked to a growing outbreak in Africa, the first sign of its spread outside the continent. Officials said the risk to the general public was considered "very low" and that they expected sporadic imported cases to continue.

Pakistan has reported at least two cases of the mpox virus, one of them in a patient who had returned from a Gulf country.

The health ministry confirmed that so far no cases of the new Clade 1 strain have been diagnosed as it awaited the test results of the second patient. The virus has been classified as Clade 2b, the health ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Congo, which currently needs three million doses of vaccine, will receive the first doses from the US next week, health minister Roger Kamba said on Monday. He added the US and Japan have offered to send vaccines, without providing further details.

The WHO has reported over 17,000 mpox cases and over 500 deaths worldwide this year. More than 96 per cent of all cases and deaths have been in Congo, whose health system has long struggled to contain disease outbreaks over the country's vast area and poor infrastructure.

Children under 15 account for more than 70 per cent of the cases and 85 per cent of deaths in Congo.

Meanwhile, India has directed all airports, ports and border authorities to remain vigilant amid the rising cases of mpox.
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Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed an emergency declaration on Monday afternoon following deadly flash floods that killed two women.

In a statement, the Democrat said that historic flooding had also washed out bridges and damaged multiple structures. As of mid-Tuesday morning, 15 state roads and two state parks remained closed in and around southwestern Connecticut.

Connecticut State Police Commanding Officer Col. Daniel Lockman said Monday that the women were swept away by floodwaters in the town of Oxford. Their bodies are believed to have been recovered but their identities have not been made public. Hundreds of others were rescued in swift water evacuations and the state opened several shelters in response to the crisis.

We are talking about rainfall, in some areas, in the thousand-year level, Brenda Bergeron, the DESPP deputy commissioner, explained. So its really historic, unprecedented flooding.

This photo provided by Beacon Hose Co. No. 1, a fire station in Beacon Falls, Connecticut, shows members of Beacon Hose Co. rescuing people from the Brookside Inn in Oxford, Conn., Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. ( (Beacon Hose Co via AP) )

The National Weather Services New York office wrote on social media that local rainfall amounts totaled over 10 inches in southwestern Connecticut and northwestern Suffolk County. The fast-moving thunderstorms also hit New York City, flooding public transportation and city streets.

While the severe flooding was unusual, extreme rain and flood events are expected to increase in severity and frequency due to climate change.

Last year, flooding in California, Florida, the Northeast, and the eastern U.S. cost billions of dollars. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) Center for Environmental Information said 2023 saw the most billion-dollar disasters in the first seven months of any year since 1980.

Vehicles cross over a flood control basin that has almost reached the street as Tropical Storm Hilary hits the area on Aug. 20, 2023, in Palm Desert, Calif. ( AP )

As the Earth continues to warm, bringing record temperatures, more water is able to evaporate from our oceans. Evaporation is the process that changes liquid water to water vapor.

Heat from the oceans also rises, making an environment more hospitable to storm formation.

The vertical transport of heat and moisture in the atmosphere is known as convection, but convection and thunderstorms are commonly interchangeable, according to NOAA. Still, the agency notes that thunderstorms are only one of the forms of convection.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Center for Global Change Science have said existing climate models show that approximately one-third of the anticipated global warming from increased carbon dioxide levels  the most dominant U.S. greenhouse gas  is brought by an increase of water vapor due to more evaporation with rising temperatures. They said increased evaporation was likely to lead to increased convection.

The United Nation flag waves in the wind on the top of a UN building in Geneva, Switzerland ( AP )

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes Sixth Assessment Report said human influence has likely increased the chance of compound extreme events since the 1950s, including compound flooding, drought, and heatwaves.

The report said that the most vulnerable people and systems have been disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change.

The Independent will be revealing its Climate100 List in September and hosting an event in New York, which can be attended online.
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King Charles III is visiting the seaside town of Southport to meet with survivors of the stabbing rampage that killed three young girls and sparked more than a week of unrest across the U.K.

The monarch traveled to the community northwest of Liverpool on Tuesday for a private meeting where he will hear the experiences of some of the children who were attacked at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29.

Crowds cheered for the king as he arrived at Southport Town Hall, where mourners have placed bunches of flowers and cuddly toys in tribute to the slain children.

Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, were killed in the attack which was followed by rioting in Southport and across the country.

Violence rocked Britain for more than a week after the stabbings, with crowds spouting anti-immigrant and Islamophobic slogans clashing with police. The disturbances were fueled by misinformation spread by right-wing activists using social media to falsely claim that a Muslim immigrant was behind the attack.

Charles is also expected to meet with police, paramedics and other emergency service workers who responded to the attack and the disorder that followed. Local faith leaders will also attend.

The U.K.s worst unrest in more than a decade led to some 1,100 arrests. The government pledged that rioters who hurled bricks at police, looted shops and attacked mosques and hotels used to house asylum-seekers would feel the full force of the law.
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A coroner has revealed a prisoner serving an abolished indefinite sentence took his own life after learning the government had rejected proposals to resentence IPP prisoners.

In his suicide note, Sean Davies, 30, blamed the hopelessness of the controversial Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences, which were scrapped in 2012 amid human rights concerns.

But the abolition of the policy did not affect those already sentenced, leaving thousands trapped in jail for years beyond their original prison terms.

These include Mr Davies, who said he hoped his death would trigger reform for almost 3,000 IPP prisoners languishing in jail with no hope of release.

In 2022 the cross-party justice committee issued recommendations to the then-Tory government to resentence all remaining IPP prisoners  branding the sentences irredeemably flawed.

But former justice secretary Dominic Raab rejected their proposals in February 2023.

After hearing the news that the government had rejected the recommendation, Mr Davies took his own life inside medium security HMP Swaleside in Kent.

Another IPP prisoner, Yusuf Ali, now 50, has been driven to hunger strike as he loses hope of ever being freed ( Jacqueline Ali )

He refused to participate in further psychological assessment at the specialist unit where he was being held after he was informed of the governments rejection on 10 February 2023 and died around two weeks later.

Mr Davies, who was handed a five-year minimum tariff for a violent offence in 2012, had served some 11 years at the time of his death.

In a Prevention of Future Deaths report sent to the Ministry of Justice, a senior coroner said there had been a lack of communication during staff handovers and insufficiently completed welfare checks on the night he died.

Patricia Harding, senior coroner for mid Kent and Medway, wrote: Mr. Davies left a note stating that he had taken his own life because of the IPP sentence.

He expressed frustration at the slow progress of his sentence, re-categorisation and concerns about how the parole board would view this and his past behaviour.

He saw no chance of being released. He went on to say that he hoped that his death would contribute for them to change the laws of the IPP sentence.

She noted HMP Swaleside was housing some 55 IPP prisoners, who are known to be at a higher risk of suicide and self-harm after 90 people have died by suicide as they lose hope of being released.

Dr Alice Jill Edwards assumed the post of UN special rapporteur on torture last August ( UN Human Rights Council screengrab )

The report comes as a UN Special Rapporteur on Torture called for the recently elected Labour government to urgently reconsider a resentencing exercise.

Lambasting the scandal which has left thousands of people to languish without hope in prison as a terrible indictment of the UKs justice system, Dr Alice Jill Edwards appealed directly to the prime minister to end the injustice in remarks to The Independent on Tuesday.

Given the crimes many IPP prisoners were originally convicted for, it is beyond belief that more than 2,700 prisoners remain detained without a release date despite IPP sentences being abolished in 2012, she said.

The UK justice system is meant to be an exemplar of the rule of law  that so many individuals languish without hope is a terrible indictment of the system.

Tragic injustices highlighted by The Independent include Thomas White, who set himself alight after serving more than 12 years for stealing a mobile phone, and Abdullahi Suleman, who has spent 19 years behind bars for a laptop robbery.

Yusuf Ali has twice starved himself in desperation after serving 16 years after being handed a three-year minimum tariff.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Sean Davies.

The Lord Chancellor is committed to working with organisations and campaign groups to ensure the appropriate course of action is taken to support those still serving rightfully abolished IPP sentences. We will consider the findings of this report in due course.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
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A Black presenter has disappeared from his slot on GB News after he called former home secretary Suella Braverman a racist.

Albie Amankona, 30, co-hosted GB Newss flagship debate programme The Saturday Five on 20 July and expressed his opinion during a discussion about Ms Braverman.

The presenter described the Conservative politician as divisive, adding I believe she is actually racist and a thoroughly bigoted woman.

People like that should not be in the Conservative Party. She said British Pakistani men had a problem with grooming. She basically said that child grooming was a problem with the British Pakistani community, he continued.

That is a racist comment and many Pakistani people in this country thought it was a racist comment and I agree with them.

Mr Amankona hasnt presented his show since then, sparking concerns among social media users that he has been sacked. GB News declined to comment when approached by The Independent, as did Mr Amankona.

Co-host Darren Grimes interrupted Mr Amankona numerous times, saying, we absolutely have to strongly deny that Suella Braverman is a racist, that is your opinion, you cannot sit on this show and call someone a racist and we are not getting into this.

Mr Amankona proceeded to ask guest panellist Quesha Nicholls, who is of Pakistani heritage, if she thought the comments were racist and she agreed.

I do, she replied. When you group everyone together, based on their skin colour or heritage, then it is, she said, adding that a lot of Ms Bravermans rhetoric is racist.

The broadcaster issued a swift apology to Ms Braverman, saying that the comment crossed a line between robust debate and causing unnecessary offence.

On last weeks edition of The Saturday Five, one of our commentators stated in very strong terms that he considered Suella Braverman to be a racist and in doing so, in our view, crossed a line between robust debate and causing unnecessary offence, the station said in a Twitter/X statement published on 27 July.

GB News is and will always be the home of free speech, but free speech  as our editorial charter makes clear  does not mean causing unjustifiable offence, and in this case we feel a line was crossed, for which we apologise to Mrs Braverman who was understandably upset by the comment made about her.

Around this time, Mr Amankona removed all reference to GB News from his social media biographies and has not been on air since.

He first appeared on the station as a commentator in June 2021 and regularly contributed to various shows before becoming a permanent anchor on The Saturday Five, which was launched in March 2023.

Mr Amankona is also the co-founder of Conservatives Against Racism for Equality (CARFE).

Some online commentators have suggested that the host has been dismissed from his role and criticised GB Newss decision.

Personally I wholeheartedly believe that Suella Braverman isnt a racist person at all, but at the same time I strongly believe that it was also entirely the wrong decision for this man to lose his job over it, one person wrote.

Moreover, campaigners have drawn a link between Ms Bravermans divisive comments on race, such as the politician calling migration an invasion, with the recent riots.

Suella Braverman was understandably upset by being called a racist, according to GB News ( PA )

Questions have been raised about the approach of GB News to other commentators who have expressed strong opinions on race.

Last year, GB News commentator Carole Malone called Labour MP Diane Abbott a bigot during an on-air discussion about the politicians suspension from the Labour Party at the time, following her comments suggesting Jewish, Irish and Traveller people are not subject to racism all their lives.

The broadcaster did not issue an apology to Ms Abbott or suspend Ms Malone from its platform.

She is a bigot, she is what a bigot looks like, Ms Malone said. She has pulled the race card many times in her career.
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King Charles made a poignant visit to Southport on Tuesday, and met the survivors and families of the recent knife attack which killed three children and injured other children and adults.

The monarch arrived at Southport town hall shortly after 1.30pm where he heard first hand the harrowing experiences of children who were attacked at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July.

Charles, 75, laid flowers for the three children killed in the attack  Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine.

The King stopped to look at the memorials and greet some of those gathered before going inside the building to meet some of the children who survived the attack, their families and the police liaison team working with them.

He took the opportunity to view the sea of floral tributes left in memory of the children, including one message that read: God has gained three beautiful new angels May you dance forever in heaven and be at peace.

The attack, on 29 July, was followed by misinformation about the identity of the attacker. That sparked anti-immigration riots throughout the country, which were subsequently condemned by the victims families.

The family of the last child released from hospital condemned the attacks on police officers, saying: When the horrific events unfolded, our police officers were the first on the scene.

While Charles has not publicly commented on the riots, a spokesperson confirmed that he was monitoring the situation closely and receiving daily updates.

The monarch had a warm reception when he arrived at 1.30pm this afternoon ( AFP or licensors )

Charles viewed the sea of floral tributes for the victims of the Southport attacks ( AFP or licensors )

In phone calls with Sir Keir Starmer, who described the attacks as far-right thuggery, the King called for unity and praised the community spirit of those who opposed the rioters.

Today, the monarch heard the personal accounts of survivors of the incident and their families as well as police officers who attended the scene.

He will also privately meet with the bereaved families of the children who lost their lives in London tomorrow.

The King will have a private meeting with the families who lost children in the attacks tomorrow ( AFP or licensors )

British-born Axel Rudakubana, 18, was arrested shortly after the attacks.

He is charged with three counts of murder, the attempted murder of yoga class instructor Leanne Lucas, businessman John Hayes, and eight children who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

The 18-year-old has also been charged with the possession of a kitchen knife with a curved blade.

While 17 at the time of the attack, the decision was made to lift Rudakubanas anonymity after a false rumour spread that a Muslim immigrant had been arrested over the stabbings.

Rudakubana remains in custody until his next hearing on 25 October at Liverpool Crown Court.

A provisional trial date has been scheduled for 20 January.
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Workers will soon be able to ignore work-related emails and calls outside office hours under new rules to be introduced by the Labour government.

Meeting the partys right to switch off campaign pledge, the plan will see workers empowered to disconnect from their jobs outside regular hours, including the right to refuse to take on extra work at the weekends.

The plan has received renewed backing from Keir Starmer this week, with the prime ministers deputy spokesperson saying: This is about ensuring people have some time to rest.

Good employers understand that for workers to stay motivated and productive they do need to be able to switch off, and a culture presenteeism can be damaging to productivity.

The plans are expected to cover workers annual leave, meaning bosses would not be allowed to ask employees to carry out work-related tasks while on holiday.

They will come as part of the governments Plan to Make Work Pay, thought to be spearheaded by new deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.

Other measures in the package were outlined during the Kings Speech in July. They include banning exploitative zero-hours contracts, ending fire and rehire, and making sick pay available from day one of any job.

The new plans are thought to be spearheaded by new deputy prime minister Angela Rayner ( PA Wire )

Unlike those measures, however, the right to switch off will not be enshrined in law. Instead, it will likely be recommended in the codes of practice for businesses.

The Trades Union Congress general secretary Paul Nowak said: No one should be pushed to the brink because of their job.

Ever-increasing hours, pace and expectations at work are causing problems up and down the country. This is a recipe for burnt-out Britain.

So we welcome these measures to tackle work intensity. Introducing a right to switch off will let workers properly disconnect outside of working hours.

The policy is popular among voters, with a recent Savanta poll finding 69 per cent supported the right to switch off outside of working hours.

In the UK, there is no currently no official right to disconnect from work, but employers can implement their own policies. Current legislation states that a working week should be no more than 48 hours on average, calculated over a 17-week period.

However, if a boss wants to contact their employee outside of these hours, they can. In theory, they can also pressure them to respond or take on additional work without being sanctioned.

Labour said the policy will ensure that working from home does not become homes turning into 24/7 offices, adding that it is inspired by models in Ireland and Belgium.

The code of practice for employers in Ireland gives workers the right not to be regularly required to perform work duties outside normal hours or to be penalised for refusing to do so.

The right to disconnect in Belgium is set in law for all public sector workers and those employed by businesses with at least 20 employees.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner at 10 Downing Street (Ian Vogler/Daily Mirror/PA) ( PA Wire )

Will Stronge, director of The Autonomy Institute think tank and author of Overtime, said: These kinds of things are really important steps to put boundaries on the working day.

There should be much more strict limits to when the working day finishes, given that in today's world of remote work, there is often blurring between work and life: answering 'just one more email' and so on.

The conversation around work-life balance is really important in this country. Were seeing a huge health epidemic around overwork, workload stress and anxiety.

However, the director also said the effectiveness of the policy will come down to the detail, adding he would like to see a stricter version of the policy like the one that is in place in France.

Under French laws, it is illegal for an employer to reprimand a worker for not responding to out-of-hours calls  and the offence can carry a fine.

British firm Rentokil was fined 60,000 by a French court in 2021 for failing to respect the right to disconnect of an employee based in the country. It was the first fine under the law which came into place in 2016.

The statutory workers rights laid out in the Kings Speech are expected to come into place in spring, with the new right to switch off likely to come around the same time.
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It was supposed to be a summer celebration.

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch had gathered his tried and trusted lawyers who had been with him every step of the way helping him emerge unscathed from a gruelling 13-year legal battle. Twelve guests had flown into the picturesque Italian port of Porticello, near Palermo from the UK, the US, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland, to mark the end of the fraud trial that had consumed much of their lives.

But now a manslaughter investigation has been launched as Mr Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among the seven people who died after the vessel capsized during bad weather in the early hours of Monday morning.

The yacht Bayesian (left), before it sank (Fabio La Bianca) ( PA Media )

Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judith Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo also died.

Italian public prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio, from nearby town Termini Imerese said his office has opened an initial investigation into manslaughter and negligent shipwreck.

The group had been welcomed on board the six luxurious suites of Bayesian, a 56-metre-long 30 million superyacht, by the ten crew. Boasting the tallest aluminium mast in the world - higher than Nelsons Column - experts now speculate it may have caused her to topple and become pinned underwater in an unpredictable, ferocious storm.

The ship was named after the statistical method, the Bayesian inference, an 18th-century theory that helps forecasters predict outcomes more reliably. Mr Lynch based his entire PHD thesis around it, later amassing his huge fortune after selling his company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in 2011.

He had improbably beaten the odds in a bitter US legal dispute with the technology giant, convincing a jury that he was not guilty of claims of massive fraud after a long legal fight that finally came to an end in June. Two months ago he emerged from court with tears in his eyes a free man he pledged to restructure extradition laws that brought him to the US in cuffs.

Mike Lynch is one of six missing tourists after the Bayesian luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily ( PA Archive )

Disaster struck at around 5am when a freak tornado over the sea known as a waterspout rocked the superyacht, according to Sicilys civil protection agency. The crew fired off disaster flares causing local fishermen and others to navigate the storm to come to the aid of survivors.

Recommended NYC lawyer who died in yacht disaster wrote haunting LinkedIn post weeks before

The captain of a nearby boat said that when the winds surged, he had turned on the engine to keep control of his vessel and avoid a collision with the Bayesian, which had been anchored alongside him.

We managed to keep the ship in position and after the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone, Karsten Borner said.

(PA Graphics) ( PA Graphics )

The other boat went flat on the water, and then down, he added. He said his crew then found some of the survivors on a life raft and took them on board before the coast guard picked them up.

This included a one-year-old girl named Sophie one of the 16 survivors, so far.

Her mother, Charlotte Golunski, 36, told how she battled to keep her child above the dark and raging Mediterranean while calling for help amid the awful piercing screams of other struggling guests and crew.

Captain Karsten Borner rescued the survivors ( REUTERS )

For two seconds I lost the baby in the sea, then I immediately held her again in the fury of the waves, she told Giornale di Sicilia. I held her tightly, tightly to me, while the sea was raging. So many were screaming. Fortunately, the lifeboat inflated and 11 of us managed to get on it.

This left six passengers unaccounted for - Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Morgan Stanley International non-executive chairman Jonathan Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, and their wives Judy and Neda.

The worn-out Captain of the yacht, James Catfield said simply: We didnt see it coming.

Divers try to reach the wreck in a crucial 24 hours ( EPA )

The wind was very strong. Bad weather was expected, but not of this magnitude, a coast guard official in the Sicilian capital Palermo said the next day.

Local fisherman Giuseppe Cefalu told how he saw a tornado close to the port on Monday morning. Mr Cefalu said he and his brother Fabio saw a flare in the sky at around 5am.

The pair aided efforts to locate people in the water after the yacht vanished beneath the waves, but Mr Cefalu said he only saw cushions and a buoy.

He said weather conditions on the morning of the sinking were fierce, with very strong wind and rain.

The Bayesians huge mast may have contributed to the disaster experts believe ( EPA )

The luxury superyacht is practically intact on the seabed despite sinking, Marco Tilotta, a firefighter diver from Palermo, has told Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.

He said in an interview that the multi-million yacht was lying on its side at a depth of 48 metres, but that divers were unable to gain access because of floating furnishings and other debris inside the yacht.

The fear is that the bodies got trapped inside the vessel, which was lying 49 metres deep, Salvatore Cocina, head of civil protection in Sicily, added.

The biggest difficulty we have is due to the depth, which does not allow long times of intervention, fire department diver Marco Tilotta told reporters. We plan ... to search centimetre by centimetre.

Now they enter a critical 24 hours according to Nick Sloane, a lead diver in the Costa Concordia wreck. He told Sky News that survivors might be trapped in air pockets inside the ship, but that time is running out fast to rescue them.

Theyve got a very small window of time to try to find people stuck inside with hopefully an air pocket, and they could be rescued.

If the yacht is on its side, it might have more air pockets than if its upright. Shes got quite a large keel, and that will deflect and put her on her side, Im sure.
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The family of missing Mike Lynchs co-defendant in his US fraud trial have paid tribute to their much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend after he was struck by a car as he ran along a rural Cambridgeshire road.

The family of Stephen Chamberlain, 52, issued an emotional tribute following his death after being hit by a car in Stretham, Cambridgeshire on Saturday.

His family said: Steve was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.

He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible.

He made a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.

He will be deeply missed but forever in the hearts of his loved ones.

For latest updates on the sunken yacht, follow our live blog by clicking here.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a collision between a pedestrian and a blue Vauxhall Corsa on the A1123 Newmarket Road in Stretham.

Stephen Chamberlain was struck on Newmarket Road in Stretham. ( Google Maps )

The driver of the car, a 49-year-old woman from Haddenham, remained at the scene by the Great River Ouse and is assisting with enquiries.

Stephen Chamberlain, Autonomys former vice president of finance, who worked alongside chief executive Mr Lynch, was killed after being hit by a vehicle while out running his lawyer, Gary Lincenberg said.

Paying tribute Mr Lincenberg said: He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.

Mr Chamberlain faced the same charges of fraud and conspiracy as his former boss for allegedly scheming to inflate the companys value before it was sold.

Mr Lynch negotiated an 11 billion US dollar (8.64 billion) sale of Autonomy to Silicon Valley pioneer Hewlett Packard (HP), which generated a more than 800 million US dollar windfall for him.

The Bayesian sunk on Monday morning ( EPA )

But the sale also kicked off a 13-year legal saga. Both the men were acquitted of all 15 charges by a jury in San Francisco in June. They faced more than 20 years in US prison if convicted of the fraud and conspiracy allegations.

The tributes came as the search for Mr Lynch and his daughter resumed after his luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily.

Italian emergency services prepare to head toward the search area off the Sicilian coast ( Jonathan Brady/PA Wire )

They are among six tourists missing after the yacht, named Bayesian, was battered during intense storms off the coast of Palermo in the early hours of Monday.

British technology tycoon Mike Lynch is one of six missing tourists (Yui Mok/PA) ( PA Wire )

Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American.

The BBC reported that Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo were among the six missing.

Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer (Hiscox/PA) ( PA Media )

Divers loaded a rescue dinghy at the port of Porticello, near Palermo, as the search resumed on Tuesday morning.

Italys fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco said inspections of the wreck on Monday were unsuccessful due to furniture obstructing passages.

This UGC picture taken on August 18, 2024 and released as a courtesy by Fabio la Bianca ( BAIA Santa Nicolicchia/AFP via G )

The ship was moored around half-a-mile off the coast of Porticello when it sank at about 5am local time on Monday as the area was hit by a storm.

Civil protection officials believe the yacht was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout.

Fifteen of the 22 passengers and crew onboard  including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares  were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat.

One body, reportedly belonging to the ships chef, was recovered at the scene.
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The UN special rapporteur on torture has urged Sir Keir Starmer to review the cases of thousands of people trapped in prison indefinitely under Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences.

Dr Alice Jill Edwards appealed directly to the prime minister to end the injustice, criticising the scandal which has left thousands of people to languish without hope in prison as a terrible indictment of the UKs justice system.

First introduced by Tony Blairs government in 2005 to allow courts to hand offenders jail terms with a minimum length but no maximum time limit, IPP sentences were scrapped in 2012 over human rights concerns.

But some 2,734 people are still incarcerated under the abolished sentence as of June, down just 6 per cent on the previous year. An estimated 700 people have served at least 10 years longer than their minimum tariff.

This publication has highlighted numerous such cases, including those of Thomas White, who set himself alight after serving more than 12 years for stealing a mobile phone, and Abdullahi Suleman, who has spent nearly 20 years behind bars for a laptop robbery.

Shaun Lloyd recently expressed fears he could be hauled back to jail for the fourth time for stealing a phone almost 20 years ago, while Leighton Williams finally had his sentence quashed in May after serving more than 15 years in prison for a drunken fight at the age of 19.

Another tragic case highlighted by The Independent includes Yusuf Ali, who did not eat for 61 days as he lost hope of ever being freed. When he was handed the IPP sentence in 2008 for seriously injuring another prisoner, he was told he must serve a minimum of three years. But almost 16 years later, after five failed parole bids, he is still inside.

Abdullahi Suleman, 41, has been in custody for 15 of the last 19 years under an indefinite jail term as he battles mental health problems ( Bernadette Emerson )

Dr Edwards said: Many of the cases that The Independent has highlighted in recent months demonstrate why an urgent resentencing exercise must be undertaken for IPP prisoners without any further delay. At the least, a partial resentencing exercise that focuses on the least serious crimes should take place.

Given the crimes many IPP prisoners were originally convicted for, it is beyond belief that more than 2,700 prisoners remain detained without a release date despite IPP sentences being abolished in 2012.

The UK justice system is meant to be an exemplar of the rule of law  that so many individuals languish without hope is a terrible indictment of the system.

Dr Edwards said Sir Keirs past role as director of public prosecutions and justice secretary Shabana Mahmoods career as a barrister make them uniquely placed to understand and tackle this problem, adding: I hope that they will do this as a matter of urgency.

With ministers bringing in desperate emergency measures to free up cells in full-to-bursting prisons, experts and rights groups have urged Sir Keir to set up a committee of experts to advise on resentencing all IPP prisoners, as first recommended by MPs on the Commons justice committee in 2022.

The previous governments refusal to heed the cross-party committees calls on public safety grounds was criticised at the time as misleading by Dr Edwards, as official figures revealed that just 83 of the thousands of IPP prisoners released since 2012 had been convicted of a serious further offence.

Dr Alice Jill Edwards assumed the post of UN special rapporteur on torture in 2022 ( UN Human Rights Council screengrab )

In remarks issued after the government initiated emergency one in, one out prison measures, codenamed Operation Early Dawn, Dr Edwards said she found it extremely disappointing that recent steps to ease overcrowding did not include IPP prisoners.

IPP sentences can cause severe distress, fear, depression and anxiety, including for inmates families, and may result in physical and psychological damage, including incidents of self-harm, suicide attempts and suicides, Dr Edwards said.

Pointing to the new Victims and Prisoners Act as providing measures which could help to start bringing IPP sentences to an end, Dr Edwards said: I encourage the swift implementation of these measures and remain ready to support the authorities in any effort to finally end these sentences, while ensuring rehabilitation and access to adequate reparations for affected prisoners.

But despite agreeing that the new acts measures should be implemented quickly in order to further reduce the risk of recalls to prison, which remain high, former Tory justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland told The Independent: The full re-sentencing of offenders, however, is not the right option.

The vast majority of IPP prisoners were jailed for serious violent or sexual offences and a better option would be for more resources to be deployed on rehabilitation programmes that will lead to successful parole applications.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said Ms Mahmood is committed to working with organisations and campaign groups to ensure the appropriate course of action is taken to support those still serving rightfully abolished IPP sentences.

We will carefully consider the points raised and respond in full in due course, they added.
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Staff who are consistently contacted by bosses outside of normal working hours could be in line for thousands of pounds of compensation under Labour plans.

The governments plans to introduce a right to switch off, establishing a barrier between workers professional and home lives, could see staff securing bumper payouts at employment tribunals.

The policy, which will see employees and employers agree to an expected set of hours during which they can be contacted, has been based partly on examples in Belgium and Ireland.

Angela Rayner said Labour will bring together workers and businesses for the good of the economy ( Getty Images )

And, according to The Times, employers who repeatedly breach an agreement could have thousands of pounds added to their compensation bills if they are taken to tribunal.

Breaching an out-of-hours code of practice is unlikely to warrant litigation alone but employees could use it as an aggravating factor in a wider claim, boosting their chances of winning and increasing their potential compensation, the paper reported.

Under the current system, if companies are shown to have ignored codes of practice, the amount of compensation awarded in tribunals can increase by 25 per cent, with breaches seen as aggravating factors.

Experts told The Times that breaching agreements on out-of-hours working could result in payments reaching into the thousands.

Ben Smith, senior associate at the employment law firm GQ Littler, said: I expect [the changes] will include a new code of practice from Acas which will put the onus on employers to implement policies and practices. I expect, though, that this will be fairly broad guidance on principles and best practice, and would give employers the scope and flexibility to find the right balance for their business  but there will be tricky issues to think through.

Government sources said the policy would have to be specific to each workplace when implemented, with ministers aware of the disproportionate potential impact on smaller companies.

The right to switch off is part of a suite of reforms to workers rights being introduced by Labour. Other measures include a ban on exploitative zero-hour contracts, ending fire and rehire, and boosting the minimum wage. It will also offer rights to sick pay, parental leave and protection against unfair dismissal from day one after probation.

The Department for Business and Trade said the government is proud to be delivering the biggest upgrade to workers rights in a generation.

A spokesperson said: Our plan to make work pay will consider a range of approaches on the right to switch off that work for businesses and employees alike. We will set out further details in due course.
The prime minister anointed Eluned Morgan the new Labour first minister of Wales on Tuesday, making a two-day visit to the principality on his return from Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, has renewed his assault on the SNP government, which he hopes to replace in Scottish parliament elections in 2026.

After six weeks of a new government of the UK, let us take stock of how devolution might work differently under a Labour prime minister.

What is happening in Northern Ireland?

Keir Starmers visit to Northern Ireland was his second as prime minister because he toured all four parts of the UK in the days after the election. The two visits to Belfast in a short time show a commitment to making a success of the newly restored executive, led by Michelle ONeill, the Sinn Fein first minister, and Emma Little-Pengelly, the DUP deputy, who is of constitutionally equal status.

Starmer is said to have a good understanding of Northern Irish politics from his time as an adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board, 2003-06.

However, devolution to Northern Ireland is a special case, tied up as it is with the power-sharing agreement that ended the IRAs campaign of violence in 1998, and complicated as it now is with the post-Brexit status of the province, simultaneously part of the UK and part of the EU single market.

What about Wales?

This was Starmers second visit as prime minister to Wales as well. When he listened to a school choir with Vaughan Gething immediately after the general election, it was taken as a vote of confidence in the first minister. Gething was under pressure from fellow Labour members of the Senedd over a donation from a company accused of breaking environmental law. Starmers support failed to save him, however, and he stood down after 118 days.

So this time the prime minister looked at wind turbines with Morgan, and declared that Wales would be central to his ambition to make Britain a green energy superpower. The relationship between Westminster and Cardiff has been reset  the Conservative UK government constantly used Labours poor record of managing the NHS in Wales as a deflection from its own problems with the NHS in England. But the switch of rhetoric hasnt made any of the problems of the NHS in either England or Wales magically better.

Equally, the change of national government has not yet made any difference to Tata Steels plan to close the blast furnace at Port Talbot next month.

And Scotland?

The advent of a Labour government in London has undoubtedly changed Scottish politics. One of the strongest drivers of nationalist sentiment since 2010 has been resentment of a Tory government in Westminster; a Labour government of the UK offers Scottish Labour the chance to sell the benefits of cooperation rather than confrontation.

Sarwar seized that chance the day after the general election, declaring: These new Scottish Labour MPs arent going to Westminster to sit on the opposition benches to shout, to protest and ultimately come back with nothing.

These Scottish Labour MPs are going to Westminster to sit on the government benches, to sit round the table, make decisions and help deliver for the people of Scotland. Thats the change that people have voted for.

The SNP, already on the defensive after the collapse of Nicola Sturgeons government, continues to be so. Shona Robison, the finance secretary, imposed emergency spending controls last week, and confirmed that the Scottish government would follow the UK government in means-testing the winter fuel allowance. This was despite the SNP having the power under devolution law to raise taxes to keep the payment.

Are the devolution plans for England realistic?

Devolution to those parts of England that do not already have directly elected mayors was promised in Labours manifesto, under the cheeky slogan, Take Back Control. The manifesto also promised to deepen devolution settlements for existing combined authorities.

Critics see these plans as a bath of warm words about taking decisions closer to the people, when the new government also imposes national house-building and infrastructure targets and reduces the power of local people to object.

Until we find out how this apparent contradiction plays out in practice, it will be hard to judge what Labour meant in its manifesto when it promised: We will deepen our democracy by reforming parliament and devolving power to communities.
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Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has suggested the UK could rejoin the EU in the medium to long term, in a departure from Labours stance on Brexit.

Last month, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said he wants to reset relations with European allies. But he also noted negotiations on trade arrangements will not involve re-joining the bloc or a return to freedom of movement.

Sir Keir added he did not believe Britain would return to the EU in his lifetime.

However, Mr Khan said in the medium to long term, there will need to be a conversation about whether we have a better future inside the EU or outside of it, while conceding this would not be possible in the short term.

The prime minister has previously said the government wants to repair the damage to relations with Europe caused by Brexit wrangles and strike a better deal with the EU than the botched trade agreement signed by Boris Johnson.

Before the election, Labour rejected the possibility of an EU-wide youth mobility scheme scheme, saying the party would seek to improve the UKs working relationship with the EU within our red lines  no return to the single market, customs union or free movement.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and prime minister Sir Keir Starmer ( Getty Images )

Asked whether he agreed with Sir Keir, Mr Khan told the New Statesman: Well, I hope Keir has a very long lifetime! I dont want any conspiracy theories about how long I want Keir to live for.

But its not possible in the short term for us to rejoin the EU. I think referendums are once-in-a-generation issues. In the medium to long term, there will need to be a conversation about whether we have a better future inside the EU or outside of it.

Earlier this month, the EU warned Sir Keir his attempt to repair relations with the bloc may fail if he does not meet a list of eight demands.

Although the European Commission has welcomed the prime ministers approach to repairing relations, it issued a list of tests through which the UK can demonstrate real government commitment to its withdrawal agreement with the EU.

The list, revealed by the Financial Times, said Britain must fully implement existing post-Brexit agreements on Northern Ireland and the rights of EU citizens living in the UK.

EU diplomats told the paper the two measures would be seen as a test of good faith in the new relationship.

It also listed the need for a High Court ruling, that EU citizens in Britain should not have to make separate applications for settled status after living in the UK for five years, to be implemented in full.
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Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick has admitted he previously used the Ozempic weight-loss jab but didnt particularly enjoy it.

The former immigration minister confirmed he took the medication for around six weeks last autumn to shed some pounds.

Mr Jenrick was addressing rumours about his sudden weight loss over the past year after he reappeared in Westminster with a noticeably slimmer figure since leaving government.

The MP for Newark, who resigned as immigration minister last year over Rishi Sunaks now-scrapped Rwanda plan, revealed he didnt enjoy the treatment.

Robert Jenrick admitted he took Ozempic jabs for six months but didnt enjoy it ( Getty Images )

He told Politico: To be honest, I was overweight. I took Ozempic for a short period of time, didnt particularly enjoy it, but it was helpful.

Mr Jenrick said he lost four stone in a year by exercising and eating better, adding: Since then Ive just lost weight in the normal way by eating less, eating more healthily, doing some exercise  going to the gym, going running. Ive lost four stone in 12 months.

Ozempic, a brand of semaglutide, can only be prescribed for patients with type 2 diabetes, and is not licensed as a weight loss drug in the UK or the US, although the UK government acknowledges: It is not authorised for weight-loss, but it is used off-label for that purpose.

Experts claim the drugs are prescribed for those with severe obesity, type 2 diabetes or health problems as a result of their weight  with doctors just recommending them for those with a BMI over a certain rate.

His rival Tom Tugendhat previously ruled out using Ozempic in an interview with the Sunday Times, amid Westminster rumours of its use by Tory leadership candidates.

The MP for Newark said he lost four stone by exercising and eating healthy ( PA Wire )

Mr Jenrick is one of six Conservative MPs vying for the post alongside Kemi Badenoch, Mel Stride, James Cleverly, Priti Patel and Mr Tugendhat.

Mr Cleverly has emerged as the favourite to take over as Tory leader among party members, a major poll of the contest has shown, while Mr Tugendhat appears to be the most popular among the wider public.

In the first poll of Conservative Party members since the race began at the end of July, 26 per cent of respondents put the shadow home secretary as their first choice. In second place was Priti Patel, with 20 per cent.

Conservative MPs will narrow down the number of candidates to just two in a series of votes in September and October, before the contest goes to a vote among Tory members to elect a leader by 2 November.

The Independent has approached Robert Jenrick for comment.
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A pre-dawn police raid targeting the home of a Paraguayan lawmaker in a notorious drug smuggling haven near the country's border with Brazil turned into a chaotic shootout on Monday, authorities said, leaving the lawmaker dead and the nation on edge.

The killing of Eulalio Lalo Gomes, a 67-year-old rancher and lawmaker from Paraguays long-ruling Colorado party, also served as a grim reminder of the web of collusion between politicians' families and organized crime in Paraguay, experts said.

This is not an isolated case, on the contrary, it's the continuation of many other cases linking politics to narco-trafficking and organized crime, said Paraguayan lawyer and political analyst Leonardo Gomez Berniga.

Security forces equipped with firearms and search warrants arrived simultaneously at the separate homes of Gomes and his son, 32-year-old Alexandre Rodrigues Gomes, early Monday in the lush borderland to look for evidence in what authorities described as a wide-scale investigation into drug smuggling and money laundering in local real estate.

Officers said Gomes greeted them with a hail of gunfire. Police fired back, fatally wounding the conservative Colorado lawmaker.

We have a community in turmoil, a public who needs answers, Emiliano Rolon, Paraguay's public prosecutor, said as he emerged from the morgue of Asuncion, Paraguay's steamy capital city some 276 miles (445 kilometers) southwest of Pedro Juan Caballero, the border outpost where the raid took place. We're dealing with organized crime, and that's not an easy thing.

Rolon said his office had issued an indictment just before Monday's raid charging Gomes and his son, along with three other suspects, in the trafficking scheme that entangles the gang of a prominent Brazilian cocaine kingpin imprisoned across the porous border.

Brazilian authorities have helped investigate the case, he said, the latest example of how growing regional cooperation against drug-trafficking has ratcheted the pressure up on Paraguay to play its part.

As a lawmaker, Gomes was immune from prosecution. His son Alexandre had opened fire at officers and fled the scene before ultimately turning himself into police in the department of Amambay, authorities said. There were no other injuries in the gun battles, which erupted at the two houses some 10 blocks apart.

The Gomes family denies the allegations of narco-trafficking and accuses the police of using excessive force.

My dad was hiding and the police just killed him," Larisa Gomes, the daughter of the slain lawmaker, choked out through sobs before retreating back into the morgue to wait for autopsy results.

The family lawyer, Oscar Tuma, questioned why the police squad launched the raids in the dead of night, kicking down the front gates of the homes rather than summoning the father and son for interrogation. The conditions were not correct and there was no urgency for this raid to be carried out at 3 a.m. when our national deputy was sleeping with his wife," he said.

Public Prosecutor Rolon said that police had no choice but to conduct the raid when they did. During the day, he said, Gomes had bodyguards armed to the teeth patrolling his white mansion in Amambay  an isolated province with a homicide rate roughly 10 times Paraguays national average, according to government figures.

Monday's botched drug-bust and deadly shootout captivated Paraguayns because of Gomes' status as a lawmaker in the dominant right-wing Colorado party led by tobacco tycoon Horacio Cartes, who served as the country's president from from 2013 to 2018.

But experts said the dramatic episode reveals something quite ordinary about Paraguay, which ranks 136th out of 180 countries on Transparency Internationals corruption perception index, among the lowest in South America.

Corruption and clientelism have long characterized Colorado governance in the South American country, where the capital's roads and power lines are in precarious shape and petty embezzlement runs rampant among low-paid public servants.

This is entrenched through all political parties, at all levels, said Christopher Newton, an investigator at Colombia-based research organization InSight Crime. "When it comes to people who have the power to make changes, a lot of those people are the ones who will likely benefit from not making changes.

As the country's corruption fight stalls, outside pressure is mounting.

Last year, the U.S. government accused Cartes and former vice president Hugo Velazquez of significant corruption," and barred U.S. companies from doing business with them. This month, the Biden administration unveiled new sanctions on Tabesa, a major Paraguayan cigarette producer, for funneling millions of dollars in payments to Cartes. The former president denies allegations that he built his vast wealth through money-laundering.

Over the past decade, Europol, the European Unions police agency, has increasingly traced major trans-Atlantic drug busts back to Paraguays river ports.

The seizures shine a spotlight on the country's institutional weaknesses and insecurity even as it tries to tout its success story as one of Latin America's fastest-growing economies. Earlier this month, Moodys rating agency became the first to upgrade the countrys credit score to investment grade, handing a victory to President Santiago Pena, a former International Monetary Fund official.

But the mayhem Monday in Pedro Juan Caballero once again exposed a very dangerous dimension, said Gomez Berniga, the analyst. Political and business sectors and judicial authorities are all under intense scrutiny to see how diligently they end up resolving this. ___

Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
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An Illinois man was convicted of beating his 17-year-old daughter to death during an argument after he told her that she was not allowed to go to the prom.

A jury found Mohammed Almaru, 42, guilty of first-degree murder on Friday after prosecutors portrayed him as a father who believed that his daughter Mia Maro was hiding secrets from him and that she no longer loved him before he beat her to death in 2022, according to the Cook County States Attorneys Office.

Maro, who was a senior at Andrew High School, initially got permission from her father to attend the prom on April 29, 2022. But then he changed his mind, prosecutors said.

The next day, Almarus sister, who was also one of his wifes caregivers, became concerned after not hearing from them and drove by the home on 167th Street where she noticed the blinds were closed. She thought that was odd because Maro usually opened the blinds in the morning, the filing noted.

When she returned on May 1, 2022, her brother answered the door and he appeared to be disheveled. He asked her to sit with his wife so that he could do some paperwork. But after an unknown amount of time, the sister went to her brothers room and said she began to hear gurgling.

Mia Maro, who was a senior at Andrew High School, was killed by her father during an argument over whether or not she would attend senior prom in 2022 ( GoFundMe )

Thats when she found her nieces body on the floor, covered with a blanket. Almaru was on the floor next to her with an arm draped over her body.

Maro was covered in numerous bruises including injuries to her head, arms, legs and feet, according to court documents obtained by The Chicago Tribune. She had suffered extensive hemorrhaging and bleeding of the brain, and evidence suggests her father used multiple objects to inflict the wounds.

In the minutes before responders arrived at the house, Almaru texted his son a photo of himself holding a letter in which he blamed his incapacitated wife for leading their daughter to believe her father no longer loved her, according to the filing.

He explained that he went through his daughters phone and discovered she was lying to him, causing him to get out of control and beat the information out of her.

Almaru went on to say that he had beaten Maro and accidental hit her in the head and then I laid down with her was unconscious and woke up to her cold body, according to the document.

I (fouled) up big time Im sorry, he added.

Tinley Park police said they had no prior calls to the home except a medical call involving Maros mother ( Tinley Park Police Department )

First responders found Almaru with superficial wounds to his wrists and neck. He had also taken several narcotic pills.

A box cutter, along with a bent metal pole and a mallet, both covered in blood and hair, were found in the home, according to the filing.

Tinley Park police said they had no prior calls to the home except a medical call involving Maros mother, who suffered a medical emergency in spring 2019, which required her to have round-the-clock care, according to court documents. Almarus two sisters were the primary caregivers.

Almaru, who has been in custody since his arrest, is expected to be back in court on October 7 when post-trial motions will be reviewed. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
White lotus becomes thriving industry in Guangchang, E China's Jiangxi

People's Daily Online) 13:14, August 20, 2024

Farmers harvest white lotus seedpods in Zhangshu village, Ganzhu township, Guangchang county, Fuzhou, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Photo/Zeng Henggui)

Guangchang county in Fuzhou city, east China's Jiangxi Province, boasts a rich history of white lotus cultivation spanning over 1,300 years. It has emerged as the largest hub in the country for white lotus scientific research, production, distribution, and price formation.

In the county's white lotus industrial development center, Zheng Xingwen, a senior agronomist, leads a research team in conducting white lotus breeding experiments.

The research team started to conduct space-induced mutation breeding research on the white lotus in the 1990s. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the researchers, the development center has successfully cultivated space-bred lotus varieties.

"The latest generation of space-bred lotus has achieved a 10 percent increase in yield compared to previous varieties. It boasts large grains, excellent quality, good disease resistance, and strong adaptability. This variety is currently being widely promoted and applied," said Zheng.

To further enhance the white lotus industry, Guangchang county has established collaborations with 11 domestic academic and research institutions.

Today, Guangchang county maintains a stable white lotus planting area of around 110,000 mu (about 7,333 hectares), with an annual yield of 9,000 tonnes of lotus seeds, valued at 830 million yuan (about $116 million).

Beyond improving the yield of white lotus, the county has also looked to increase value through improved processing methods.

In early August, Guangchang county's white lotus harvest season began. Like the past, workers went around hand picking the pods. From there though, the process has been modernized.

Workers process and pack frozen lotus products at a factory in Guangchang county, Fuzhou city, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Photo/Zeng Henggui)

Before, the harvesters would go door to door selling the lotus ponds and seeds. Now, they can happily deliver the fresh lotus pods directly to nearby mechanized processing points.

"In the past, processing lotus seeds required a lot of manual labor and was costly. Now, with the processing factory, we can send the daily harvest to be processed and receive high-quality lotus seeds in just a few hours. It's convenient and affordable," said Xie Wenliang, a lotus grower from Changqiao township of the county.

Currently, there are 10 white lotus processing centers in Guangchang that provide comprehensive services such as peeling, shell removal, core removal, roasting, and sales for growers. This has significantly increased the collective income of each village by more than 200,000 yuan.

Guangchang county has set up one white lotus production demonstration base in every township. By introducing a mechanism that combines leading enterprises, cooperatives, and farmers, the county has developed over 30,000 mu of white lotus cultivation bases. As a result, more than 12,000 households in the county have seen their income rise by an average of over 3,000 yuan.

The county has also looked to improve the white lotus industry through expanding the value chain, including the growth of fruit lotus picking.

Liang Ning, chairman of an agricultural product company in Guangchang county, is one of the leaders in fruit lotus production.

"After I returned to my hometown to start a business, I boldly ventured into the field of fruit lotus. With efficient logistics, these freshly picked fruit lotus can reach major supermarkets nationwide within just 24 hours," explained Liang.

According to Liang, in 2023, the company sold 80,000 kilograms of fruit lotus, generating sales revenue of over 2 million yuan.

To broaden sales channels, Guangchang county actively supports local businesses in establishing partnerships with large supermarkets. It has embraced new business models such as live-streaming sales and online group buying, revolutionizing the way agricultural products are distributed.

In an effort to enhance brand recognition and accelerate the integration of different industries, Guangchang has leveraged the ecological advantages of lotus flowers.

It has organized the Guangchang Lotus Tourism and Cultural Festival for 19 consecutive years, and introduced travel routes themed on lotus.

In 2023, the county welcomed a total of 4.38 million tourist visits, raking in a comprehensive tourism revenue of 2.91 billion yuan.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
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Investigators have discovered human remains during a search of home in southeastern Michigan that belongs to a man whose wife disappeared more than three years ago and is presumed dead.

Dee Warners family reported her missing in April of 2021. Her husband, Dale John Warner, 56, was charged in November with open murder and tampering with evidence in her disappearance. He has pleaded not guilty.

Michigan State Police said in a statement Sunday that they recently searched Dale Warners property in Lenawee County and found human remains.

The remains are currently in the process of being recovered and there will be a great deal of work and testing completed before positive identification is made, the agency said in a social media post. The family of Dee Warner has been contacted and advised of the findings. This continues to be an ongoing investigation.

Dale Warner, 56, has been charged in connection with the murder of his wife, Dee Warner, 52. On Friday, authorities said that they found a body in a tank on the mans property ( WDIV )

Family members told WTVG-TV and WTOL-TV that the remains were found on Friday in a sealed, empty tank meant for anhydrous ammonia, which is used as fertilizer for crops. Chemicals were not in the tank at the time, a family member said. It had been sealed with a tag that said: do not use.

The womans brother, Gregg Hardy, said investigators showed his family an X-ray of the tank with a body inside of it.

What weve now discovered is so far-fetched, who would have thought? You know who could have even dreamed that up, he told WTVG.

Dee Ann Warner went missing in April. On Friday, authorities said that they found a body in a tank on her husbands property ( Michigan State Police )

Dale Warner would have been the only person who could have accessed the tank, the brother said.

According to police information and court records, the woman was planning to discuss divorce with her husband before authorities suspect he killed her.

Dale Warner admitted to fighting with his wife about money and infidelity but cops said every statement he made on the subject was inconsistent. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.

Dee Warner, a mother of five, was 52 when she was last seen on the morning of April 25, 2021, on a road in Franklin Township, about 110km southwest of Detroit. Since then, she has had no contact with her family or friends. She was declared legally dead earlier this year.

Dale Warner remains held in the Lenawee County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in court on September 4 for a pretrial hearing.

We believe that a fair and objective review of the evidence  or more precisely the lack of evidence in this case  will show that Mr Warner did not kill his wife, his attorney, Mary Chartier, told the Associated Press when he was charged in November.

Speaking to the latest discovery, an attorney for Dale Warner told WTVG on Sunday: This appears to be another tragic turn of events for all those who loved and cared for her.
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Walt Disney Co on Monday agreed to have a court decide on a wrongful death lawsuit, brought by a widower in Florida, after earlier arguing the case belonged in arbitration because the man signed up for a trial of streaming service Disney+ in 2019.

The lawsuit was filed by the husband of a woman who died last year from an allergic reaction after eating at a restaurant in the Disney Springs shopping complex in Orlando.

We believe this situation warrants a sensitive approach to expedite a resolution for the family who have experienced such a painful loss, Josh DAmaro, Chairman, Disney Experiences told Reuters in an emailed statement.

As such, weve decided to waive our right to arbitration and have the matter proceed in court, DAmaro added.

The case began when Jeffrey Piccolo, his wife Kanokporn Tangsuan and her mother ate at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant on October 5, 2023, allegedly selecting the eatery because both Disney and Raglan advertised that it made accommodating people with food allergies a top priority.

Josh DAmaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences ( The Walt Disney Company/Getty )

Despite alleged assurances from the waiter that Tangsuans order was allergen-free, she had an acute allergic reaction and died of anaphylaxis from elevated levels of nut and dairy in her system, the complaint in Orange County court said.

They got confirmation that the food would be safe to eat numerous times, the lawsuit said: When the waiter returned with [Tangsuans] food, some of the items did not have allergen-free flags in them and [Tangsuan] and [Piccolo] once again questioned the waiter who, once again, guaranteed the food being delivered to [Tangsuan] was allergen free.

Shortly after finishing their meals, Piccolo went back to their hotel room while his wife and mother went shopping.

After splitting up to go into different stores with the intention of meeting up afterwards, Tangsuan collapsed on a shop floor struggling for breath, around 45 minutes after having eaten.

She self-administered an epi-pen before she was rushed to hospital, but tragically died. According to the legal suit, her death was confirmed by a medical examiner as a result of anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system.

In its initial response in April to the complaint, Disney made no mention of arbitration, instead arguing it was not liable because it has no control over Raglans operations or management and merely serves as its landlord.

In another filing in late May, Disney offered a new defense: that the complaint is subject to arbitration based on Piccolos Disney+ subscription, as well as his use of the companys website in 2023 to buy theme park tickets.
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Prosecutors on Monday charged two teenagers with the murder of actor Johnny Wactor, who was shot dead as he walked a co-worker to her car in Los Angeles in May.

Robert Barceleau and Sergio Estrada, both 18, were charged in a Los Angeles court, district attorney George Gascon said.

They were also charged with grand theft and attempted robbery.

Mr Barceleau fired at the General Hospital actor without provocation and killed him, police said. His charges included murder during an attempted robbery and personal use of a firearm that could lead to a life sentence without parole. Estrada faces life in prison.

There are two that are facing life in prison, one life without the possibility [of parole], Mr Gascon said.

One of them fired a weapon, the other one was there.

He described Wactor's murder as a "senseless shooting".

Mr Barceleau and Mr Estrada were said to be associated with a notorious South Los Angeles street gang called Florencia 13, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Johnny Wactor was shot dead in May ( AP )

Wactor, 37, was shot dead in the early hours of 25 May near Pico Boulevard.

He and a coworker came upon a group of four men attempting to steal his cars catalytic converter, which contains precious metals like rhodium, platinum and palladium, police said. The actor confronted them and was killed.

Leonel Gutierrez, 18, and Frank Olano, 22, the two other men allegedly involved in the incident, were charged with lesser crimes, including grand theft and attempted robbery.

All four men had faced arrests in the past.

Los Angeles police interim chief Dominic Choi said at a news conference on Monday that the investigation was an "ongoing and relentless pursuit" in a "very difficult case".

Wactor's coworker, Anita Joy, said the actor saw his car being towed and asked the men to leave.

He was shot despite showing open hands to indicate he wasn't a threat, Ms Joy said.

When Ms Joy asked him if he was fine, Wactor responded: "Nope, no, I've been shot."

A group of family and friends calling itself Justice for Johnny" held a rally last week calling for more urgency in the investigation and another on Monday morning calling for aggressive prosecution.

Im asking that anybody that knows anything please come forward, his mother, Scarlett Wactor, said at a news conference.

It will help me and his brothers in our healing to know that they have been captured and convicted.

Mr Barceleau will be held without bail while Mr Estrada's bail was set at just over $1m (769,865).
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The mayor of Thomson, Georgia was arrested for providing alcohol to inmates by putting gin in a ditch near where the inmates were working.

Mayor Benjamin Benji Cranford, 52, was arrested on August 14 and charged with furnishing prohibited items to inmates and criminal attempt to commit a felony, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said.

Cranford drove to Rimpys Store and purchased a 750-milliliter bottle of Seagrams Extra Dry Gin. He then put the bottle in a ditch along Cobbham Road, in the path of prisoners work detail, according to the August 14 indictment.

The arrest came after the Thomson Police Department requested that GBI conduct an investigation in June following an allegation that Cranford had given alcohol to an inmate work detail.

The case was given to a grand jury, which issued an arrest warrant for the mayor on August 14. GBI officers put Cranford in handcuffs at the Thomson City Administration Office and booked him into the McDuffie County Jail that day.

He secured his $5,000 bond by 6pm that evening and was released, according to WRDW-TV.

He has not yet entered a plea.

Days after his arrest, Cranford told the outlet that he intends to continue serving as mayor. He also said he denied the claims made in the indictment: Ive done nothing wrong.

I dont know no prisoner in Jefferson County. Didnt know of no detail that day. That was months and months ago. I dont even remember that day. Who remembers what they doing every day? he told the outlet.

As we understand the charges in this case are not related to Mr. Cranfords duties as an elected official, we do not have a comment, a city spokesperson told the Associated Press.

The Independent has emailed Mayor Cranford for comment.
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An Indiana man was allegedly poisoned by his wife and stepdaughter for around two months before dying on the duos fifth try, police have claimed.

Harold Peanut Allen, 52, died on 22 December 2022 after drinking a root beer laced with ethylene glycol, an unscented, clear but sweet-tasting liquid commonly found in antifreeze.

Although his obituary says he passed away suddenly, investigations have revealed his death was long-awaited by his wife, Marsha Allen, 52, and her daughter, Ashley Jones, 30, according to officials.

Prosecutors say that on 14 September 2022, Jones allegedly ordered from eBay pong pong seeds - just one kernel of which can contain a fatal dose of the toxin cerberin, making the plants deadly and earning it the nickname of the suicide tree.

The pair allegedly ground the seeds up using a coffee grinder before baking them into a batch of brownies on 26 November 2022.

Court documents reportedly reveal that Allens wife sent her daughter a photo of Allen that same day, with a half-eaten brownie on a paper plate sitting on his stomach in the photo.

Harold became sick after eating the brownie and ended up in the emergency room the next day, the documents read.

He slowly recovered, spending time in and out of hospital, much to the annoyance of his alleged murderers.

Police claim the pair exchanged text messages on 28 November, with Marsha reportedly saying: I am irritated and cant sleep peacefully.

I need this to be over, the mother and wife continued. I wish it would reach its climax and be done lol, to which Jones allegedly replied that she agreed.

Two days later Allen was back in the emergency room, but doctors put his symptoms down to inflammation in his intestines.

Turning to another potent plant, the mother and daughter, according to officials, decided to try hemlock - purchasing it this time via Etsy.

But after allegedly using it three times in December - in a bowl of chili, a glass of soda and a margarita - with no result, Jones supposedly decided to order the ethylene glycol on 13 December, planning to add it to a root beer.

Seven days later, Allen was dead.

Ashley Jones (left) stands accused of a litany of crimes after allegedly teaming up with her mother, Marsha Allen, (right) to poison the pairs stepfather/husband, Harold Allen ( Jackson County Sheriffs Office/Obituary )

But nearly one year afterward Marsha Allen suffered a break-in and burglary at her Freetown home, located around 40 miles outside Bloomington, with police arresting Steven Andrew White, 29, and Nathaniel Kane Napier, 28, on suspicion of committing the burglary.

However, police claim White and Napier were not alone, with Jackson County Sheriff Rick Meyer saying late last year the two men committed the burglary at the direction of and with the assistance of Marshas daughter Ashley Jones.

Marsha Allen told police she suspected her daughter from the start because the burglars allegedly had the combination to a gun safe, claiming Jones was the only other person who knew the code.

However, White told an investigator that Jones not only put him and Napier up to the burglary, but he claimed she said her mother had previously poisoned Allen to death.

Her mother denied the allegations and turned her phone over to law enforcement, also turning over what investigators say is telltale evidence of the alleged conspiracy to kill Allen.

It was on her phone where officials discovered the text messages the pair sent each other in December 2022.

According to the sheriffs office, Jones has admitted to ordering the ethylene glycol that would be used to kill her stepfather but insisted it was her mother who committed the act by lacing his drink with it.

Allens wife died of suspected suicide the same day that a search warrant for her home was put into effect in October 2023, following the arrest of Jones for allegedly instigating the burglary of her mothers house.

Jones now faces an abundance of charges, namely two counts of murder, one count of conspiracy to commit murder, one count of consumer product tampering, and two counts of attempted murder.

A trial for Jones is scheduled to begin on 7 January 2025.
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Matthew Perrys former personal assistant has admitted that he found the Friends actor "unconscious" on more than one occasion in the weeks before his ketamine-induced death.

Kenneth Iwamasa is one of the five people charged in Perry's death, as it was he who administered the dose of ketamine that killed the actor on October 28. He recently entered a guilty plea for a count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, Page Six reports.

According to a plea agreement Iwamasa signed, he injected Perry with "significant quantities of ketamine"  he estimated around "6-8 shots per day"  in the final days before the actor's death.

Iwamasa also told investigators that he found Perry unconscious twice in October.

On the day Perry died, Iwamasa reportedly asked for a ketamine injection around 8:30am and then again around 12:45pm.

Matthew Perry was found dead at his Los Angeles home in October 2023 ( Getty Images )

Approximately 40 minutes after that, Perry allegedly asked his assistant to prepare his jacuzzi and "shoot me up with a big one," meaning another dose of ketamine.

Those are reportedly Perry's final words.

That was Perry's third shot of ketamine that day. Once the actor was sedated, Iwamasa left the house to run errands. When he returned hours later, he found Perry floating facedown in the jacuzzi.

Four other people have been charged in Perry's death: Erik Fleming, Dr Mark Chavez, Dr Salvador Plasencia and Jasveen Sangha  known as the Ketamine Queen.

Both doctors have been accused of conspiring with the others to distribute ketamine to Perry.

Plasencia  who was reportedly known colloquially as "Dr P"  saw Perry as a cash cow, the DOJ's 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.

"Matthew Perrys journey began with unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust because they saw him as a payday, to street dealers who gave him ketamine in unmarked vials," the DOJ said in a statement announcing the arrests.

Fleming is a film director and was a friend of Perry's. Investigators believe he obtained the ketamine that killed Perry from another defendant, the "Ketamine Queen" Sangha.

On October 12 last year, Plasencia injected Perry with a large dose of ketamine that unexpectedly caused the actor to freeze up, and spiked his blood pressure, rattling the doctor, according to the indictment. When Plasencia began having supply issues, Perrys go-betweens branched out to Sangha, who said she had a master chef cooking up ketamine for her, the indictment states. And since Perry bought a lot of her product, Sangha provided him with ketamine lollipops as an add-on, the indictment states.

In the days leading up to Perrys death, Iwamasa administered at least 15 shots of ketamine to him, all of which were supplied by Sangha, according to the indictment. It says Iwamasa gave Perry the final three doses of ketamine purchased from Sangha, using needles provided by Plasencia, on October 28, 2023, the date the actor was found dead in his hot tub.

Later that same day, the indictment says Sangha, 41, messaged Fleming on Signal, writing: Delete all our messages.

Sangha's alleged propensity to sling ketamine may have not only contributed to Perry's death, but also to the 2019 death of a personal trainer living in LA.

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 reports. Plasencia could be imprisoned for up to 10 years for each ketamine-related count and for up to 20 years for each records falsification count he faces. Sangha could face between 10 years to life in prison if she is convicted on her charges.
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A federal jury in New Orleans is hearing arguments in court this week about whether or not the city should be held responsible for the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl by a police officer who took her to the hospital for rape kit.

The trial, which began Monday, centers around the officer, Rodney Vicknair, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to violating the teenagers rights by sexually abusing her in 2020.

He died in prison earlier this year after being diagnosed with brain cancer, only serving six months of his sentence.

Vicknairs victim, who was only identified by The Washington Post by her middle name Nicole, and her lawyers, filed a lawsuit against the city in 2021 for what they claimed was a failure by NOPD to supervise Vicknair and properly vet him before he was hired.

The trial centers around Rodney Vicknair, a cop who was sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to violating the teens rights by sexually abusing her in 2020 ( St. Tammany Parish Sheriffs Office )

Federal prosecutors said that in 2020, Vicknair, then 53, escorted a then-14-year-old victim to a hospital for a rape examination after she was assaulted by another man. The cop then offered to become the girls friend and mentor and often showed up at her house unannounced, prosecutors said.

Over time, Vicknair began making comments to her that were sexual in nature, eventually persuading her to send him sexually explicit pictures of herself that he kept on his phone.

I try to keep him happy, Nicole later told a forensic interviewer, according to a videotaped recording obtained by the Post. Hes a cop, so its not like hes going to get in trouble for any of this.

In September 2020, when Nicole was 15 years old, Vicknair allegedly showed up at her house, told her to get in his truck and then locked the door, leaned over her and intentionally touched her genitals under her clothing, according to a Justice Department news release and court records.

The authorities were later contacted after Nicoles mother found a photo of Vicknair pressing the teen into his body, according to the Post. She revealed her discovery to Nicoles therapist who then contacted the Office of the Independent Police Monitor, a civilian oversight agency that responds to complaints about police officers.

An investigation into Vicknair was launched  but not until three days later, The Post found. Meanwhile, Vicknair remained on duty.

Two days later, Vicknair visited Nicole while he was on duty, then returned to her house after work where he later admitted that he once again locked the doors to his car so she couldnt leave and groped her under her clothing.

Vicknair admitted to sexually assaulting the 15-year-old girl more than once ( New Orleans Police Department )

Nicole, who is expected to testify at the trial this week, has stated in court filings that Vicknair assaulted her four times. Two of those times, Vicknair was in uniform, she said.

She also stated that she hoped her lawsuit would force New Orleans to reexamine how its officers are allowed to interact with vulnerable kids.

The lawsuit comes as New Orleans officials are working to end a consent decree with the Justice Department that has kept its police department under federal monitoring for more than a decade, the Post reported.

An investigation by the Post revealed that just five days before Vicknair assaulted Nicole, then-Superintendent Shaun Ferguson was alerted about potential abuse of a minor by an officer. He is also expected to testify this week.

Susan Hutson, who was leading the oversight agency at the time, testified in a deposition that she texted and spoke on the phone with Ferguson, making it clear that there was an urgent danger and that something needs to be done, the Post reported.

City attorneys have denied that the department is liable for the abuse, and argue that Vicknair was not on duty at the time and that he was not acting on behalf of NOPD while performing any of the inappropriate actions alleged against him.

The Post found that Vicknair was hired at the police department despite an arrest for aggravated assault charges and a conviction for battery on a juvenile. Three of Vicknairs family members told the Post this stemmed from a sexual relationship with a minor.

While attorneys have defended the departments vetting process, they admitted in court documents that Vicknairs conviction did not appear on his background check when he was hired in 2007. Its unclear why.

The Posts investigation found that Vicknair is among more than 1,800 officers who were charged with crimes involving child sexual abuse from 2005 through 2022 and that law enforcement agencies across the country have done little to address the risk of child predators.

Vicknair was the sixth officer in the New Orleans Police Department to be convicted of crimes involving child abuse since 2011, the outlet reported.

An NOPD sergeant testified in a deposition earlier this year that the department has not changed any policies or training methods to prevent another Officer Vicknair.
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Disgraced congressman George Santos suffered another legal blow after a federal judge threw out his lawsuit against late-night show host Jimmy Kimmel on Monday.

Santos, 36, sued Kimmel, 56, after he requested Cameo videos from Santos, following his exit as a federal lawmaker. Santos was expelled from the House of Representatives in December 2023 following allegations he engaged in criminal conduct.

To make money, Santos joined the Cameo platform, which allows people to purchase video messages from high-profile figures for a fee.

In a February lawsuit, Santos alleged Kimmel requested videos from him under a false name, engaging in deliberate deception and wrongful appropriation and then broadcasted them on his ABC show.

The lawsuit claims Kimmel committed copyright infringement, fraudulent inducement, breach of contract and unjust enrichment.

During his show, Kimmel called the lawsuit preposterous.

A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit that George Santos (right) brought against Jimmy Kimmel (left) after the talk show host ordered Cameo videos from him as part of a bit ( Jimmy Kimmel Live, ABC )

We did a nice thing, because we supported him by ordering his cameo videos, Kimmel added.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! aired the videos as part of a segment called Will Santos Say It? One of Kimmels requests included asking Santos to congratulate a friend who had won a beef-eating contest in Clearwater, Florida.

The former congressman requested $750,000 plus damages. Kimmel requested to have the suit thrown out in a motion filed in June.

District Judge Denise Cote dismissed the suit in a 27-page decision on Monday, stating that Kimmels use of the content was protected under the fair use clause to copyright protections.

A reasonable observer would understand that JKL showed the videos to comment on the willingness of Santos  a public figure who had recently been expelled from Congress for allegedly fraudulent activity including enriching himself through a fraudulent contribution scheme  to say absurd things for money, the judge wrote.

Thus, the videos were used for political commentary and criticism, purposes that do not supersede the objects of the original videos.

Santos will appeal the ruling, his attorney Andrew Mancilla said in an email to The Independent.

Santos also pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in a federal fraud case on Monday in New York.

I betrayed the trust of my constituents and supporters. I deeply regret my conduct, Santos said as he entered his plea in a Long Island courtroom.

Santoss sentencing is scheduled for February 7. He faces over six years in prison under sentencing guidelines and owes at least $370,000 in restitution.
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The son of a 51-year-old American woman is demanding answers following her mysterious death after she traveled to Haiti to participate in a Vodou ritual.

Dana Jackson left the US on July 1, her son Timothy Jackson, told USA Today.

Her goal had been to become a Manbo priestess  a female ritual specialist in the Haitian Vodou tradition who performs ceremonies, initiations, healings and divinations. Haitian Vodou is derived from African Vodou and was developed in the country between the 16th and 19th centuries, primarily focusing on ancestral remembrance and healing.

Jacksons role would have also allowed her to become a spiritual guide for people who come into contact with Vodou gods through possession.

Jackson had been preparing for the trip for years, her son revealed.

Four years ago, my mom started to do a little bit of research on the African traditional spiritual belief systems and Vodou was a part of that, he said.

She had kind of been on this path of just kind of doing research and practicing, or at least, just doing her due diligence as far as research is concerned.

Timothy Jackson said his mother made the trip with a group of people who had previously gone to Boston together.

These werent strangers that she went down there with, her son said. These are people that shes built a relationship with.

Dana Jackson, 52, died after going to Haiti in July to participate in Vodou rituals ( GoFundMe )

Timothy Jackson said that his mom sent him a message on the July 13 telling him that she was going to church for several days to take part in the sacred ceremony and so would not be able to speak to him during that time.

She said she would contact him on July 21.

That day, Timothy Jackson said his mom texted her telling him to pray for her.

The following day, his grandmother called him to tell him his mom had died.

She had been scheduled to return to the US on July 26.

Timothy Jackson reached out to one of the groups leaders to confirm the news about his moms death and said that the person immediately wanted to know how much he knew about the situation.

Now, he fears something sinister happened on the retreat.

To be completely honest with you, my initial thought was my mom went down to Haiti, they did this last piece of the ceremony, and something sinister happened, he told the outlet.

Timothy Jackson said he was told that, during the ceremony, his mother became unwell, lost consciousness, and when she came to, she didnt know where she was. At one point, a member of the group asked her where she was and she responded Virginia. Timothy Jackson said neither him or his mom had lived in Virginia for over a year.

The group eventually took her to a hospital, where she began to have seizures, suffered a heart attack and a stroke.

Timothy Jackson has raised doubts about the version of events being told by the members of the group.

He said he was told his mom forgot her medicine, prompting her declining health  yet he said he wasnt aware of any medication his mom was taking.

He was now started a GoFundMe to help with the costs of repatriating his moms body to the US. According to the fundraising site, the US Embassy has not been involved in arrangements to help bring the body back.

So far, the page has raised just over $11,000 out of a $50,000 goal.
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US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may have lost track of thousands of children who immigrated to the country as unaccompanied minors, imperiling both the childrens safety and the effectiveness of the immigration process, an internal watchdog report found.

Between 2019 and 2023, more than 32,000 unaccompanied minors failed to show up for their immigration court hearings, and ICE was not able to account for all of their locations, according to a report from the ICE inspector generals office.

During that period, more than 448,000 unaccompanied children overall immigrated to the US and were transferred from ICE custody to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the agency responsible for placing them with a sponsor or in foster care.

Once they were handed off to HHS for settlement, ICE couldnt determine all of these childrens locations, and more than 291,000 of the kids were not placed into removal proceedings because ICE had never served them notices to appear or scheduled a court date for them.

"Without an ability to monitor the location and status of [unaccompanied migrant children], ICE has no assurance [they] are safe from trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor," Inspector General Joseph Cuffari wrote in the report.

A Border Patrol agent gives a group of unaccompanied minors water after they were apprehended near the highway on February 4, 2024 outside Eagle Pass, Texas ( AFP via Getty Images )

Failure to appear in court can also lead to the children facing deportation orders.

ICE agreed with some of the reports recommendations to incorporate more automated tracking mechanisms, but argued the watchdog had misunderstandings about the process.

While we concur with the Inspector Generals recommendations to improve information sharing within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and externally with HHS, we are concerned that the reports findings are misleading and may be misconstrued because they fail to acknowledge key facts, an ICE spokesperson told The Independent.

The agency said in comments on the report that it sometimes delays seeking removal orders to give children time to find legal representation, seek relief from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and to avoid backlogging immigration courts. It also pointed to dedicated field officials who are tasked with resolving issues over unaccompanied minors who dont show up in immigration court.

Since last year, ICE has taken steps to automate information sharing related to unaccompanied childrens attendance at immigration court proceedings, the ICE spokesperson added. We will continue to improve these procedures and implement the OIGs recommendations.

The youth described in the DHS report are separate from the children intentionally split from their families while crossing the border during the Trump years, under that administrations zero tolerance border policy.

The initiative was criticized for unintentionally separating US citizen children from their parents, and officials took years before they were able to reunite families split apart by the policy.

As of late last year, there were 68 children of US citizen parents still separated from their families, and 297 children who are US citizens separated from their non-citizen parents.

As part of a settlement in December, a federal judge barred officials from imposing family separation for the next eight years.
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Instagram has failed to remove up to 93 per cent of violent, racist and misogynistic comments hitting out at female politicians in the US, according to new research.

A study, by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate, reported 1,000 abusive comments  which featured racism, sexism and violence  aimed at leading Republican and Democratic women politicians in six months.

Some 77 per cent of the comments included gendered terms like b*tch, rape, and wh*re.

Researchers discovered 93 per cent of the comments could still be seen on the social media giant which is owned by Meta a week after they reported them despite the remarks all demonstrably infringing the platforms policies.

Prominent women on Instagram have come to expect misogynistic, hateful abuse and threats of sexual violence to them and their loved ones. Hateful abuse, targeting gender, race or sexuality, is not part of normal political discourse. Imran Ahmed

The study looked at abuse directed at the following Democrat politicians - Vice President Kamala Harris, ex-House Speaker Representative Nancy Pelosi, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Jasmine Crockett. While the Republican women researchers focused on were Marjorie Taylor Greene, Maria Elvira Salazar, Lauren Boebert, Senator Marsha Blackburn and Anna Paulina Luna.

Our study shows that Meta is not interested in removing identity-based abuse and harassment. Even when users or researchers flag hate, Meta is doing less than the bare minimum to address users concerns, Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said.

Prominent women on Instagram have come to expect misogynistic, hateful abuse and threats of sexual violence to them and their loved ones. Hateful abuse, targeting gender, race or sexuality, is not part of normal political discourse.

These trolls are not attacking women politicians for their policy stances or perspectives and are seeking to send a message to women more generally.

Comments identified included Hope someone leaves you fordead in a ditch, She would sound better with a f*cking gag in her mouth, and You complete evil f***ing b*tch, the devil has a hot place in hell reserved for you.

Researchers warned social media platforms inability to take action on gendered abuse has fostered a culture of impunity for those who fire off vitriol.

The study found some 221 of the 1,000 accounts reported by researchers to Instagram were repeat offenders and had targeted politicians several times in the space of half a year.

Researchers discovered Ms Harris endured recurrent abuse  with harassment including abusers pushing wholly false misogynistic stereotypes about the politician sleeping her way to the top and frequent derogatory remarks about her ethnicity.

They reported 102 abusive comments directed at Ms Harris  with as many as 92 per cent still up after a week.

Researchers selected the top five politicians from the two main parties with the highest average post engagement between January and June for the study.

Cindy Southworth, head of womens safety at Meta, said: We provide tools so that anyone can control who can comment on their posts, automatically filter out offensive comments, phrases or emojis, and automatically hide comments from people who don't follow them.

"We work with hundreds of safety partners around the world to continually improve our policies, tools, detection and enforcement, and we will review the Centre for Countering Digital Hate report and take action on any content that violates our policies.
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Mike Lynch, a British tech tycoon embroiled in legal battles for over a decade until just months ago, is presumed dead after boarding a superyacht that capsized off the Sicilian coast.

The 184-foot vessel sank early Monday morning due to a violent storm off the coast of Palermo. Crews rescued 15 people in the immediate aftermath, but Lynch was nowhere to be found. The Italian Coast Guard said several people, including Lynch have been presumed dead as of Tuesday afternoon, the Wall Street Journal reports.

This includes Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and lawyer Chris Morvillo. Lynchs daughter, Bloomers wife and Morvillos wife were also missing and now presumed dead, according to the Journal.

The tragedy struck just two months after Lynch was acquitted in a major US fraud trial over his tech company Autonomy. One of his fellow executives, Stephen Chamberlain, died on Saturday morning after being struck by a car while jogging.

Heres everything we know about Lynchs legal troubles leading up to Mondays tragic accident:

Emergency crews search the area where a superyacht capsized with Lynch on board ( AP )

Early investigation

The Lynch saga goes back to 1996 when the Cambridge graduate founded the technology company Autonomy. Lynch built out the company for over a decade before selling it to Hewlett-Packard in 2011 for $11 billion.

A year later, HP claimed they discovered serious accounting improprieties by Autonomy and took an $8.8 billion write-down, wiping out their profits for that quarter,The Guardian reported at the time.

Lynch denied any wrongdoing at the time, instead blaming HP for the error, Reuters reports.

HP, claiming to have been misled about the companys value, asked the UKs Serious Fraud Office to investigate the case in early 2013. After two years, the office determined there wasnt enough evidence for Lynch to be convicted.

As we have always said, HPs allegations are false, and we are pleased that after a two-year review of the material presented by HP, the SFO has concluded that there is not a case to pursue, Lynch said at the time, according to the BBC.

Lets remember, HP made allegations of a $5bn fraud, and presented the case in public as a slam dunk, he continued. HP now faces serious questions of its own about its conduct in this case and the false statements it has made.

The office then handed over the investigation to US authorities.

Lynch founded Autonomy in 1996 before selling the company to HP in 2011 for $11 billion ( POOL/AFP via Getty Images )

US indictment, executive convicted

In 2018, Autonomy Chief Financial Officer Sushovan Hussain was found guilty of several fraud charges. A federal judge later sentenced him to five years in prison.

Prosecutors said he falsely inflated Autonomys revenues to make it appear Autonomy was growing when it really was not between 2009 and 2011.

That same year, US prosecutors criminally charged Lynch and Chamberlain, former vice president of finance for Autonomy, with fraud.

Officials claimed Lynch fraudulently earned $815 million. They also accused Lynch and Chamberlain of inflating Autonomys revenues while lying to regulators and analysts, the BBC reported.

Lynchs attorney disputed the charges, calling them a travesty of justice and accusing HP of scapegoating his client, according to the BBC.

The next step for US authorities was to seek Lynchs extradition from the UK.

London civil case

As US officials sought extradition, HP brought a civil case against Lynch and other Autonomy executives in Londons High Court, seeking $5 billion in damages. The 2019 case was considered the UKs biggest civil fraud trial, the BBC reported.

In the case, HP claimed Lynch and Hussain artificially inflated Autonomys reported revenues, revenue growth and gross margins.

HP won the case, but the judge said their damages would likely be far less than the $5 billion requested. Lynchs attorneys called the ruling disappointing and vowed to appeal at the time, the BBC reported.

The company still has not received any damages, even after reducing its claim to $4 billion in February of this year.

Lynch was extradited last summer to face a US criminal fraud trial ( REUTERS )

Lynch extradited, acquitted in US case

After several years of back-and-forth and appeals from Lynch, he was extradited to the US in May 2023. There, he was placed under house arrest in San Francisco, California.

As he had previously argued, Lynch told the court that the dip in Autonomys worth was due to HPs mismanagement of the company after buying it.

Lynchs attorney, Reid Weingarten, said prosecutors were approaching the case as if its black and white.

And you know what? Youre going to see in this trial that aint the way the world works, Weingarten told the court. The world works in grey. The world is complicated.

Meanwhile, prosecutors argued that HPs management of Autonomy was irrelevant and that Lynch had orchestrated a major fraud scheme over several years, according to The Guardian. Lynch faced two decades in prison if found guilty

Ultimately, a jury acquitted Lynch of all charges in June of this year.

I am looking forward to returning to the UK and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field, he said at the time.
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A Georgia hospital took out and lost a piece of a mans skull during a brain surgery operation, according to a bombshell negligence lawsuit filed by a couple earlier this month.

Fernando Cluster was diagnosed with an intracerebral hemorrhage, a type of life-threatening stroke caused by a bleed on the brain, the lawsuit says.

In September 2022 he underwent a procedure  a decompressive hemicraniectomy  at Emory University Hospital Midtown, Atlanta, which involved removing a portion of his skull, with another scheduled to re-implant the bone flap.

But, on November 11 2022, as he was being prepared for the cranioplasty, hospital personnel could not identify Plaintiff Mr Clusters bone flap, according to the suit.

When Emorys personnel went to retrieve the bone flap, there were several bone flaps with incomplete or missing patient identification and therefore, Emory could not be certain which if any of these belonged to Mr Cluster, the lawsuit states.

After a delay, Plaintiffs were ultimately informed that Mr Clusters bone flap could not be found.

Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta, Georgia, (pictured) has been accused of negligence after a bone flap was removed from a patients head and misplaced ( Google Maps )

The lawsuit alleges that the hospital then replaced the piece of skull with a synthetic alternative and charged Cluster $19,000 for the replacement piece and the additional time spent in the hospital during the delay.

The synthetic flap also caused an infection which required Cluster to undergo further surgery.

This is a simple negligence action arising from Emory University Hospital Midtown losing a piece of Fernando Clusters skull, the lawsuit alleges.

Said negligence has caused Plaintiffs extensive damages, including ongoing physical and emotional pain and suffering, and unnecessary medical bills.

Fernando and his wife Melinda Cluster have not asked for a specific amount in the suit, but are seeking both general and special damages.

In a statement shared with NBC News, a spokesperson for Emory Healthcare said it does not comment on pending litigation but is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care for patients and those we serve in our communities.
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A New York City lawyer who died after a yacht sank off the coast of Sicily wrote a haunting post on LinkedIn two months before he joined the doomed voyage.

In one of his only posts on the site, Christopher Morvillo, 59, thanked his legal team after they helped British tech tycoon Mike Lynch win a fraud trial and discussed living happily ever after.

Lynch owned the luxury yacht Bayesian, which sank early on Monday.

Five bodies, believed to be those of Lynch, Morvillo, Morvillo's wife Neda, British banker Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy have now be recovered by authorities, according to The Associated Press. One woman remains missing. She has not been identified, but Hannah Lynch, Lynchs 18-year-old daughter, is reportedly unaccounted for.

The remaining passengers have all been found. One person, the ship's chef, died in the storm.

In the LinkedIn post, Morvillo thanked his legal team and his family, and ended with a now poignant flourish.

And, finally, a huge thank you to my patient and incredible wife, Neda Morvillo, and my two strong, brilliant, and beautiful daughters, Sabrina Morvillo and Sophia Morvillo," he wrote. None of this would have been possible without your love and support. I am so glad to be home. And they all lived happily ever after.

Emergency services at the scene of the search for a missing boat, in Porticello, southern Italy ( AP )

Morvillo was a partner at Clifford Chance, a white-collar law firm with offices on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. He previously worked as a federal prosecutor who investigated the September 11 terror attacks, according to the New York Post.

A statement from Clifford Chance, obtained by US outlet People, read: We are deeply saddened and still coming to terms with this terrible loss. Our utmost priority is to continue to support Chris's family at this very distressing time. Our thoughts extend to the families and loved ones of all those affected.

The spokesperson added: We wish to express our deepest condolences and our love and support to Chriss family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. We also want to thank the Italian authorities and rescue teams for everything they have done."

The Independent has reached out to Clifford Chance for comment.

Prior to his death, Morvillo and his legal team successfully defended Lynch from fraud allegations brought by Hewlett-Packard stemming from the tycoon's sale of his Autonomy company to HP for $11bn in 2011.

This verdict closes the book on a relentless 13-year effort to pin HPs well-documented ineptitude on Dr. Lynch. Thankfully, the truth has finally prevailed. We thank Dr. Lynch for his trust throughout this ordeal and hope that he can now return home to England to resume his life and continue innovating. Morvillo and his co-counsel wrote in a press release after winning the case.

Rescue divers had to descend to a depth of 164 feet underwater during operations, but can only spend 12 minutes that deep, officials said ( EPA )

The 160-foot luxury sailboat was off the cost of Porticello, Italy  near Sicily  when it ran afoul of a small waterspout in the Mediterranean. The Bayesian likely capsized after its mast was broken by the storm, Salvatore Cocina, the head of Sicily's Civil Protection, told CNN.

The ship's hull sank to a depth of 164 feet underwater. Rescue trips to the hull had been slow going as divers can only spend 12 minutes that deep before having to resurface, according to fire rescue officials.

A statement shared by Lynchs lawyers on behalf of his family read: The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends. Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy.

They would like to sincerely thank the Italian coastguard, emergency services and all those who helped in the rescue. Their one request now is that their privacy be respected at this time of unspeakable grief.
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A Texas jury found the parents of school shooter Dimitrios Pagourtzis not liable on Monday for allowing their mentally ill son access to their firearms, knowing all the while he was beset by violent tendencies.

Pagourtzis was himself found liable for the deadly shooting; online ammunition retailer Luckygunner was found partially liable. The jury had begun deliberations on Friday afternoon.

On May 18, 2018, Pagourtzis, then 17, shot and killed eight students and two teachers at Santa Fe High School, near Houston. He wounded 13 more during the rampage. Now 23, Pagourtzis was charged with capital murder but has been in custody at a state hospital since November 2019 after being found incompetent to stand trial.

In the meantime, relatives of the deceased and injured filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos, Pagourtzis mother and father, as well as Pagourtzis himself, to pursue some modicum of accountability while the criminal case is on hold.

Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos in court on August 16 (  2024 Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News )

The elder Pagourtzis and Kosmetatos refused to accept any responsibility, plaintiffs attorney Clint McGuire said during closing arguments last Friday, reminding jurors that it was their son under their roof with their guns who went and committed this mass shooting.

To demonstrate, McGuire displayed the T-shirt that Pagourtzis wore while carrying out the massacre, which read: Born to Kill.

He recited passages Pagourtizs had written in his journal: "What I do will both have an immeasurable impact and be incredibly miniscule. I will have destroyed bloodlines spanning thousands of years.

Dimitrios Pagourtzis attorney, Roberto Torres, said during his closing arguments that his client did something monstrous, but was not a monster. He described him as severely mentally disturbed, enduring the mother of all psychotic hurricanes when he committed the mass shooting.

Lets blame the sick guy, Torres said.

Santa Fe High School, site of Pagourtzis deadly 2018 rampage. (  2018 Houston Chronicle )

Attorney Lori Laird, who represents Pagourtzis parents, said neither of them had any inkling their son was planning such a heinous act. The two didnt pull the trigger, their teenage son did, she told the jury.

Earlier this year, the parents of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley were convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to a minimum of 10 years for buying their son the gun he used to kill four students at Oxford High School in November 2021, and ignoring red flags about his mental health along the way.

McGuire appealed to the jury for accountability, telling them their decision would reverberate with schoolkids across the nation. Theres no possible way Pagourtzis parents were unaware of their sons spiraling mental health, as his hygiene deteriorated, he began failing classes, and started skipping school, he said. (Neither parent is accused of a crime.)

School shooter Dimitrios Pagourtzis is responsible for his own actions, a jury declared on Monday. ( AP )

Dimitrios did this because he was filled with rage, McGuire said. ... He wrote about hating how he was treated, how he was treated by the opposite sex. He was angry.

The last witness to take the stand before jury deliberations was a psychiatrist specializing in childhood disorders, who interviewed Pagourtzis in 2019. He said Pagourtzis suffered from severe psychosis and believed his mind was being controlled by the CIA. But Pagourtzis did not tell anyone about his delusions, which also included a demigod named Natasha, for fear they would think he was making it up.

As defense lawyer Alton Todd told the jury on Friday: Who was in the best position to make sure this didnt happen? Who should have known Dimitrios best? His parents. If you dont look, you wont see.
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A New York City man got a full-back tattoo he claims the artist botched so badly, it put him into therapy to deal with the trauma, according to a lawsuit obtained by The Independent.

When 30-year-old Samvel Sarhsian decided to get tattooed, he chose Inked NYC, a famed shop on the West Side of Manhattan. The parlor has inked everyone from 50 Cent to Post Malone to Nick Cannon, the former Mr. Mariah Carey, and is an offshoot of a national magazine called, appropriately, Inked.

But instead of the top-shelf backpiece he was expecting, Sarhsians lawsuit says half his torso wound up covered in a patchy image with blurred features and notably distorted facial elements. In the suit, Sarhsian accuses the artist of, among numerous other failings, further making a hash of things by overlooking the natural curvature of Plaintiffs spine.

At the same time, getting the offending piece lasered off poses significant health risks for Sarhsian, because, the lawsuit states, his back is covered with small moles, making the procedure more complicated and potentially dangerous.

Samvel Sarhsians tattoo after one day of work ( Courtesy Samvel Sarhsian )

[My client] is very distressed about it, Sarhsians attorney, Vano Haroutunian, told The Independent. Ive seen what it was supposed to be, and it was completely wrong. This guy was supposed to be, like, a master. He was quite disappointed.

Through a translator, Sarhsian, whose first language is Armenian, said his back has become a source of humiliation and ridicule from his friends, who say the tattoo  for which Sarhsian said he paid $7,500 looks like it was done in a basement somewhere.

When Sarhsian first saw what had been done to his back, he said he felt anger, then disappointment, regret, and now, shame.

The tattoo is nothing like what I was promised, he told The Independent. It looks nothing like what they said it would look like.

Inked president Don Hellinger told The Independent he was unaware that Sarhsian had filed suit until being contacted on Monday for comment, and is looking into this matter now.

Samvel Sarhsian asked for a tattoo identical to this photo ( Courtesy Samvel Sarhsian )

I havent read the entire complaint yet, but we will do our best to reach an agreement with this gentleman, Hellinger said.

On October 9, 2023, Sarhsian arrived at Inked NYC for an appointment with well-known South American tattooist Gian Villena, who was in town from Sao Paulo and doing a residency at the shop, the lawsuit states. The job would take five to six sessions, and Sarhsian put down a $500 deposit to secure his spot. He showed up at Inked NYCs 22nd Street location around noon and sat down with Villena to discuss the tattoo he wanted, according to the suit.

However, both Villena, a Portuguese speaker, and Sarhsian lacked sufficient proficiency in English to effectively communicate, the lawsuit contends. So, it continues, the Inked NYC studio manager facilitated the conversation between them about the details of Sarhsians desired ink. She was Ukrainian, according to Sarhsian, who said he lived in Ukraine as a child and can speak the language.

Before the work could get started, Sarhsian was given a legal release form to sign, which was also in English.

Samvel Sarhsian was especially upset about his tattoos blurred features and notably distorted facial elements, the suit says ( Courtesy Samvel Sarhsian )

Once the paperwork was squared away, Villena began inking Sarhsians back, according to the lawsuit.

But, it alleges, Instead of meticulously hand-drawing the high-quality image, Villena used automatic lines through digital means, likely with a standard iPad program like Procreate Villena applied a sketch with random lines, some unrelated to the original composition, and significant blurring due to the image transformation technique used by Villena.

Sarhsian at one point looked at his back in the mirror, and had major concerns about what he saw, the lawsuit states. He surveyed the employees at Inked NYC about the allegedly shoddy work, but everyone there assured him that Villena was a skilled artist and encouraged him to trust the process, according to the suit.

Samvel Sarhsian walked away before the tattoo was complete, fearing an even worse outcome were he to stay until the end ( Courtesy Samvel Sarhsian )

When Villena was done, Sarhsian was distraught with the outcome, which the lawsuit says was of low and unworkmanlike quality.

Villena made errors, including mirroring the image horizontally, not centering the tattoos composition, and overlooking the natural curvature of Plaintiffs spine, the suit states. ... Villena deviated from the agreed-upon proportions, failed to achieve smooth, realistic transitions, and his work lacked the necessary contrast to highlight the images form.

Further, the suit claims, Villenas prolonged work with a very light pigment further resulted in Plaintiff experiencing skin trauma.

Hellinger said on Monday that he was under the impression Sarhsian still had several sessions to go before the tattoo would be completed. Sarhsian conceded he abandoned the project before the piece was done, but claims he requested a different artist finish the job but was rebuffed. When he threatened to sue, Sarhsian claims the shop stopped returning his calls altogether.

Samvel Sarhsian requested an exact copy of an existing tattoo he had been coveting. The result was not at all what he wanted ( Courtesy Samvel Sarhsian )

As a result of Villenas reckless and negligent actions, Sarhsian suffered severe emotional distress and psychological trauma, for which he was and is being treated, according to the lawsuit. He now has anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and gets severe headaches, the suit states, adding, Since the date of the incident, Plaintiff has been unable to overcome the fear of receiving tattoo work.

Earlier this year, a Canadian woman sued a Las Vegas tattoo parlor over an artist she claims was under the influence when he tattooed her with an image wholly unlike the one she agreed to. In that instance, the tattoo artists license had expired, opening up a pathway to a lawsuit, which remains pending. Other lawsuits have been filed by customers who said their tattoos left them scarred , or caused infections . In one 2014 incident, a Staten Island senior sued over a permanent makeup tattoo that allegedly left her with an asymmetrical eyebrow .

In Sarhsians case, the suit says Inked NYC handed him over to a tattoo artist  Villena  who had not been sufficiently instructed, trained, and supervised to properly perform his duties. The tattoo Sarhsian was given, according to the lawsuit, constitutes misconduct of an egregious nature that exceeds all bounds usually tolerated by a civilized society.

Inked NYC and Villena now have 20 days to file a response to Sarhsians allegations.
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Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton represented the old and new guard of Democratic women pushing for Kamala Harris to become Americas first female president during the first night of the partys convention.

The dual speeches showed an effort to unite the partys establishment with its progressive insurgent wing.

Ocasio-Cortez, New York Democrat and self-proclaimed democratic socialist, received ovation after ovation and chants of her initials AOC as she praised President Joe Biden, Harris, and her running mate Tim Walz while also lambasting former president Donald Trump.

Ocasio-Cortez sought to tie her own background as a bartender before she entered politics with Harriss working-class background.

I am here tonight because America has before us a rare and precious opportunity, she said. In Kamala Harris, we have a chance to elect a president who is for the middle class because she is from the middle class.

Ocasio-Cortez, a supporter of Palestinian rights, also sought to assure progressives that Harris shared their concerns amid the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

She is working tirelessly to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and bringing hostages home, she said. Ocasio-Cortez also blasted for Trump for trying to make himself seem like a vanguard of the working-class.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) delivered a rousing address to assure progressives that Harris would be on their side on everything from Gaza to taking on Wall Street ( (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) )

We know that Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing palms of his Wall Street friends, she said. And I for one am tired of hearing about how a 2 bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day."

Ocasio-Cortezs star-turn comes four years after she was given only a minute to speak on behalf of voters who supported Bernie Sanders, the two-time Democratic presidential candidate who lost the nomination to Biden in 2020 and Clinton in 2016.

Clinton, for her part, fired up the crowd, leading chants of keep going to not give up the goal of shattering one of Americas last glass ceilings: the election of a woman to the highest office.

Clinton was greeted by a standing ovation and one of the loudest cheers of the evening as she took the stage. In her remarks, she tied Harriss candidacy to suffragists who fought for womens right to vote, to female trailblazing politicians Geraldine Ferraro, the first female vice presidential nominee, and Shirley Chisolm, the first woman to run for president in 1972, as well as Harriss mother  and her own. Both of whom, Clinton said, she wished could see this moment.

Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton delivered a rousing address connecting Vice President Kamala Harriss candidacy with womens rights, womens suffrage and Clintons own 2016 candidacy ( AFP via Getty Images )

I wish my mother and Kamalas mother could see us, she told the United Center. They would say, Keep going!

Clinton called the acceptance of the Democratic nomination for president in 2016 the greatest honor of [her] life, and went on to celebrate her performance in the election that year as a mark of progress in American history, despite her defeat to Trump.

Nearly 66 million Americans voted for a future where there is no ceiling on our dreams, Clinton told the cheering audience, adding: Together, we put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling.

The former senator of New York, first lady and secretary of state said that progress was not guaranteed.

We have to fight for it. And never, ever give up, she said.

The two speeches came on the first night of the convention before Biden took to the stage to give the headline speech.

Last month, he announced that he would not run for the Democratic nomination for president and endorsed Harris.

Since then, Democrats have overwhelmingly rallied behind Harris. At the same time, a contingent of Democrats who voted uncommitted in the primary as a protest against Bidens support for Israel continued to express their objections and hopes that Harris would shift policy.
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Bill Maher has said that the day of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was one of his favorite days of 2024.

The comedian has denounced the shooting several times in the weeks since a 20-year-old would-be assassin opened fire during a Trump rally in Butler, rural Pennsylvania, on July 13, nearly killing the former president, whose ear was grazed by a bullet.

But while being interviewed on The Daily Beast podcast Friends In High Places, Maher revealed: That is gonna be one of my favorite days of 2024.

Host Matt Friend then interjected and asked: The Trump assassination attempt?

Yeah that day, becauseIt would be different if he got killed, he didnt Maher responded.

I love that day because I remember it was a Saturday, we flew to Minneapolis, I had a show that night. As soon as the car pulled up to the hotel, before we got the bags out of the back, the guy from the hotel said Trumps been shot!

He went on to explain how once he learned Trump was stable, he had two hours to write a new 10-minute segment for the show about the shooting.

Thats something I couldnt have done at 26, he said.

A 20-year-old would-be assassin opened fire during a Trump rally in rural Pennsylvania on July 13, nearly killing the former president, whose ear was grazed by a bullet ( AFP via Getty Images )

Maher told the podcast that, while others might have made jokes saying what a shame they missed, he never would have gone down that route.

He said: You dont fool around with this kind of thing and its not funny and its not right.

Nobody is more against Trump being president than me, but that is not something you fool around with Liberals dont laugh at other people being shot even if they dont like them. So I was glad I staked my opinion on that.

But he quipped at the end: The other reason I said I am glad he is ok is because now I can keep doing jokes about him.

Bill Maher has repeatedly denounced the assassination attempt on Trump but made the latest quip on a podcast ( Real Time with Bill Maher )

Hours after the assassination attempt, 68-year-old Maher warned his audience at his comedy show that the gunman has done so much damage to the left.

Whoever was the shooter has done so much damage to the left, Maher said. Lost a lot of moral high ground in the youre the violent people. You know, liberals dont shoot people, liberals dont solve it that way.

But he also condemned the violent rhetoric on both sides of the aisle.

The 2025 Project that is the plank of the Republican Party, which starts their convention tomorrow in Milwaukee, he continued, referring to the RNC.

The guy who wrote [the 2025 project], he said This is our new plank. He said, This is our new revolution of America, and he added, Itll be bloodless as long as the liberals let it happen.

He added: Thats not cool either. This s*** has got to stop because none of this violence happens in a vacuum.

Maher also said that Trump was the luckiest motherf***** that ever walked the face of the earth.
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A former staffer of the Obama-Biden administration with a rare neurological disorder made an impassioned plea for relentless activism in order to elect Kamala Harris this November.

Brian Wallach, who has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrigs disease, appeared on the first night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) alongside his wife Sandra Abrevaya.

The couple met while working on the first presidential campaign of Barack Obama. Wallach joined the campaign in 2007 as its deputy political director for the New Hampshire primary. After the campaign, he worked at a law firm before joining the White House counsels office in 2011 and then became a federal criminal prosecutor in the US Attorneys Office in Chicago.

Wallach received his diagnosis in 2017 and was given six months to live. On Monday, he appeared on stage in a wheelchair and received a standing ovation from convention attendees.

Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya, health care advocates and founders of I Am ALS, speak during the Democratic National Convention Monday ( AP )

Weve seen just how relentless activism can beat the odds just like what Brian has been doing for seven years and that is what we need right now to elect Kamala Harris, Abreyava said.

We all want to make life better for the next generation and believe that people like Brian can be the first generation of survivors, and we can make life better for our caregivers too.

Following their appearance, Obama posted a clip of their speech to X, writing: Brian and Sandra are the epitome of hope.

When Brian was diagnosed with ALS, he turned tragedy into action by launching @iamalsorg and leading a movement to find a cure. Im inspired by these twoand after you hear their story at the @DemConvention, you will be, too.

The couple met while working on the first presidential campaign of Barack Obama ( AP )

ALS gradually robs a patient of their motor skills until the ability to walk, talk, stand and eat are gone. About 5,000 people in the US are diagnosed every year.

In January 2019, Wallach and Abreyava launched I Am ALS, a nonprofit galvanizing the voices of people living with the disease and their loved ones. Its tagline is, "ALS is relentless. So are we."

On December 23, 2021 Joe Biden signed the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act (ACT for ALS) into law, which promised one billion dollars to fund new research and earlier access to treatments for terminally ill patients.

We will also keep fighting alongside patients living with Parkinsons, early onset dementia and Alzheimers, Abrevaya told the DNC.

This November we are voting for our future, she said, adding on Wallachs behalf, because we plan to be around for it.
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When Barack Obama visited the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, he couldnt even get a floor pass. The young Illinois state senator had just lost a bruising congressional primary to Bobby Rush.

By 2004, he was back at the DNC in Boston, giving the keynote address. This time round, he was the self-proclaimed skinny kid with a funny name turned Democratic nominee for an Illinois Senate seat, and delivered the speech that would ultimately define him.

Theres not a liberal America and a conservative America  theres the United States of America, he said at the time. Theres not a Black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America. Theres the United States of America.

Four years later, Senator Obama approached the convention stage in Denver as a conquering hero. It preceded the monumental victory that made him the first Black person to become president and occupy a building built by enslaved people who looked like him.

But despite this, Obama remained largely an outsider. He had defeated Hillary Clinton, and by proxy, Bill Clinton.

As president, he often chafed at the typical glad-handing and building of relationships with Congress, handing it off to his vice-president Joe Biden, who had been a senator for 36 years.

In 2004, Barack Obama delivered the keynote address to the Democratic National Convention in Boston. It catapulted a little-known state legislator to national prominence ( AP )

Yet, at the DNC in the United Center in Chicago on Tuesday, Obama heaped praise on his more garrulous former right-hand man.

Looking back, I can say without question that my first big decision as your nominee turned out to be one of my best  and that was asking Joe Biden to serve as my vice-president, Obama said.

The speech was delivered without Biden in the arena after the president had decided not to seek re-election last month and endorse his own vice-president Kamala Harris for the top of the ticket.

Biden delivered his farewell address on Monday night, reportedly after Obama and other senior Democrats not-so-gently nudged him off the stage.

President Joe Biden did not attend his former boss Barack Obamas speech after weeks of tension about whether Biden should step aside and make way for Kamala Harris ( Reuters )

Now, 20 years after his first keynote address, Obama was back in his hometown to speak to a party that he fundamentally reshaped.

I am feeling hopeful because this convention has always been pretty good to kids with funny names who believe in a country where anything is possible, he said.

As he took the stage at the United Center, crowds of delegates and supporters shouted Yes we can  Obamas iconic chant.

Im feeling fired up. Im feeling ready to go, he told the crowd.

When the crowd booed one of his remarks on Donald Trump, he reiterated another of his famous lines: Dont boo, vote.

The no-drama Obama approach that once frustrated Democrats now stands in stark contrast to the frantic and ad-hoc presidency of Trump that came after. And Obama could not help but take a swipe at his successor who had questioned whether the first Black president was born in the United States.

Barack Obama hugs his wife and former first lady Michelle Obama after she introduced him on the second day of the Democratic National Convention. The former first lady also delivered a stirring speech where she made some of her most targeted shots at former president Donald Trump ( Getty )

We dont need four more years of bluster and chaos, he said.

Weve seen that movie and we all know that the sequels usually worse, he said.

He also compared Trump to a neighbor who keeps running his leaf blower outside your window every minute of every day.

Obamas return to Chicago  the city where he moved as a young man after college to become a community organizer and where he fell in love with a lawyer named Michelle Robinson  was also a moment for him to endorse the future of the party.

Obama heralded Kamala Harris, who attended the 2007 announcement of his candidacy in Illinois.

Like him, she is a biracial candidate who earned comparisons to him almost as soon as he was elected. While much of Californias Democratic establishment got behind Hillary Clinton, Harris got behind Obama.

Now the torch has been passed, Obama said on Tuesday. America is ready for a new chapter. America is ready for a better story. We are ready for a president Kamala Harris.

Toward the end of the speech, Obama played the hits from his original 2004 speech, talking about being the grandson of a white woman born in a tiny town called Peru, Kansas, and about his mother-in-law Marian Robinson, who passed away earlier this year  and tied it into Harris and Walz.

Lets get to work, he said.

Obama once again had the party on its feet.

As former Democratic congressman Steve Israel told The Independent: Its poignant, particularly given the fact that he just emerged as a superstar on the political scene.

And is now kind of the north star for the Democrats.
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Elon Musk has posted an AI image of himself and declared he is willing to serve after Donald Trump said he would consider giving the billionaire a role in his administration if he takes back the White House in November.

In the image, Musk is seen standing in front of the American flag at a podium branded: Department of Government Efficiency.

He captioned the post: I am willing to serve.

The controversial Tesla CEO, who reinstated Trumps X account after he was banned following the January 6 Capitol riot, has already publicly endorsed the former president in the 2024 presidential election.

On Monday  the same day that his political rivals descended on Chicago for the first day of the Democratic National Convention  Trump said he would certainly consider giving Musk a cabinet or advisory role in his potential future administration and called the X owner brilliant.

Hes a very smart guy. I certainly would, if he would do it, I certainly would. Hes a brilliant guy, Trump told Reuters in an interview after a campaign event in York, Pennsylvania.

Last week, Trump had shared an AI deepfake video of him and Musk dancing  one of a growing number of AI-generated images he has shared in recent days.

In one Truth Social post, Trump shared AI-generated images of Taylor Swift and her dedicated fanbase sporting Swifties for Trump T-shirts, alluding that the star has become an unlikely follower of the MAGA movement.

Despite her vast political influence  particularly resonating with Gen Z  the Shake It Off hitmaker has yet to officially endorse any presidential candidate for the 2024 election cycle, after backing President Joe Biden in 2020.

Trump shared several deepfake images in the post, which included a propaganda-style poster of Swift dressed like Uncle Sam, pointing to the viewer and overlaid with the message: Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.

Trump later shared a conspiracy theorist video that suggested that Swift fans who formerly voted Democrat have switched allegiance to Republicans after a string of canceled concerts following a foiled terror plot in Vienna.

The Tesla CEO has already publicly endorsed Trump in the US presidential election ( AP )

If Trump was in office, this would have never, never happened, the woman says in the video, despite the three cancelled Eras Tour shows being in Austria  not the US.

There is no hard evidence to suggest which way Swift or her fans are voting.

Trump also posted another AI-generated image on Sunday, which showed Harris speaking to a crowd of communists with a huge banner adorned with the Soviet Union hammer and sickle in the background.

Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of Kamala Harris presiding over a USSR-like rally after calling her a communist during a rally speech ( Donald Trump/Truth Social )

Musk interviewed Trump on X Spaces last week, though critics have called it more of a friendly chat rather than a grilling of the Republican presidential hopeful, where he admitted to ramping up his involvement in politics this year.

Ive not been very political before, he said.

After acquiring X, Musk reinstated the accounts of people who were previously banned and dismantled the social media platforms fact-checking features.

Among them, Trumps X account was restored and the former president has returned to posting on the platform again.
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Supporters of Kamala Harris shouldnt feel too confident about recent polls that put her ahead of Donald Trump, according to the president of one of the largest super political action committees (PAC) backing her.

Chauncey McLean, of Future Forward USA, told a panel hosted by the University of Chicago Institute of Politics that internal polling numbers are much less rosy than what the public sees.

We have it tight as a tick, and pretty much across the board, McLean said.

His comments came as the vice-president was due to be crowned as the partys candidate at this weeks Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Polling consolidated by FiveThirtyEight shows Harris with a nearly 3-point lead over Trump, RealClearPolitics has Harris leading by 1.5 points and Cook Political Report shows Harris has a less than 1-point lead.

Recent polls by The New York Times/Siena College, Emerson College and CBS/YouGov have affirmed that Harris is leading Trump by a minimal margin  even in some key swing states. Those numbers are a fairly significant change from just a month ago when Trump led Joe Biden by several points.

Kamala Harris campaigns in North Carolina, a key swing state that the president of Future Forward said she needs to win ( Getty )

Bidens exit from the 2024 race was in part due to his polling numbers, which suffered significantly after his faltering performance in the first election debate.

Since he dropped out and endorsed Harris, Democrats have seen an uptick in polling numbers, boosting their confidence in winning the election.

But McLean says Future Forwards polling operation indicates the race is still extremely tight.

Since the vice-president became the nominee, we talked to 375,000 Americans, McLean said. What you see in the public polls  you know, a large public poll is [only] 1,000 surveys.

But Harriss entrance into the 2024 race has opened up several pathways to victory that Biden did not necessarily have. That is thanks to newfound support from young people of color, McLean said.

But still, Harris will need to win one of three key swing states, Georgia, North Carolina or Pennsylvania, in order to win, Reuters reported.

McLean said Future Forward has at least $250m left to spend, which they plan on doing through a digital and television advertising campaign to begin Labor Day and go through Election Day.

So far, the super PAC has raised $134m in advancement of the Harris campaign, according to OpenSecrets.
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Pro-Palestine activists were encouraged on the first night of the Democratic National Convention when speakers mentioned Gaza, but say they want to see concrete policy changes.

During her speech in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York listed off the priorities where Harris agreed with progressives such as herself. She is working tirelessly to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and bring hostages home, Ocasio-Cortez told the crowd in Chicago on Monday evening.

Likewise, Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia spoke about his desire to see Israelis and Palestinians live freely.

I need all of my neighbors children to be okay, he said. Poor inner-city children in Atlanta and poor children of Appalachia. I need the poor children of Israel and I need the poor children of Gaza, I need Israelis and Palestinians, I need those in the Congo, those in Haiti, those in Ukraine, I need American children on both sides of the track to be okay.

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) spoke onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention and was one of two speeches to mention Palestinians. ( Getty Images )

The closing part of Warnocks address drove everyone, including the vice president and her running mate Governor Tim Walz, to their feet.

President Biden has received plenty of criticism because of his steadfast support for Israel during a war in Gaza that has killed more than 40,000 people, by most estimates. Indeed, a slice of Democratic voters in states like Michigan, North Carolina and Minnesota used their states primaries to vote uncommitted in protest  and a number of uncommitted delegates have shown up, hoping to voice their ongoing concerns about US foreign policy.

Pro-Palestine activists at the DNC, many of whom could be spotted at the convention wearing keffiyehs, said they were pleased with developments so far. At the same time, they underlined their desire for concrete policy changes under a potential Harris presidency.

We are seeing millions of people around the world protesting about one issue, and that one issue is the indiscriminate bombing of innocent civilians funded by our tax dollars, Sabrene Odeh, an uncommitted delegate, told The Independent. This is supposedly a progressive party that is supposed to stand for what the people want.

Odeh said that she has mostly received a positive reception from people.

Folks are walking up to us [uncommitted delegates] and thanking us without us even approaching them when they see our keffiyehs or when they see some pins, thanking us for our work, telling us they stand with us, signing on to our letter, she said, in reference to activists open letter that calls for an arms embargo on Israel and an immediate ceasefire.

I think we're a moment of real opportunity where Vice President Harris can turn the page on what has been a disastrous chapter in President Biden's administration, Margaret DeReus, the executive director for the Institute for Middle East Understanding Policy Project, told The Independent.

Some protesters outside the Democratic National Convention carried signs that said Abandon Harris 24. ( Middle East Images/AFP via Getty )

DeReuss organization hosted a meet-and-greet and panel about Israel and Gaza on Tuesday morning. During that panel, she said that the encouraging words must also reflect deeds from Harris  and Biden.

I think [Biden] should realize that if he wants Vice President Harris to win in November, there are things that he could do as president now to make that more likely, she said. And I think she can indicate, and should indicate, how her administration would be different in terms of its policies on Gaza.

Tariq Habash, who was the first political appointee in the Biden administration to resign over the Gaza war, told The Independent that Harriss speaking out on the number of Palestinian civilians who have died has made him hopeful for change.

I think her tone has shown that she is very interested and open to approaching the issue a little bit differently, Habash said. She just hasn't communicated with voters, with the Democratic Party people, about what those policy changes are going to be.

Despite this positive talk, there are also a number of activists who remain unmoved about Harris and who believe she will fail to meaningfully change policy. As attendees filed into the United Center on Tuesday, some pro-Palestine protesters held up signs saying Abandon Harris.
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Vice President Kamala Harris will go head-to-head with Donald Trump in less than a month as Americans cast their votes in the 2024 election.

A new set of polls from the New York Times finds that Harris is leading by a thin margin, but also, that she represents change to the public more than Trump.

In another twist, it has recently been a tumultuous period for Florida in the presidential race. With multiple polls showing a dwindling Trump lead with Harris just 2 points behind, the latest NYT poll has reversed expectations, once again putting Trump ahead by a mile.

While one new poll suggests that many Republicans may vote Democrat next month, how will Harris and Trump fare in November?

Harris has a 2.6-point lead over Trump in the latest average of national polls, collated by FiveThirtyEight. On average, Harris has been marginally ahead of Trump in national polls for several weeks.

The latest polls from the New York Times/ Siena College have Harris ahead by 3 points, at 49 per cent and Trump at 46 per cent.

The nationwide poll of 3,385 voters shows the most positive result for Harris since she entered the race, but is still within the 2.4 margin of error and represents a highly competitive race.

Most interestingly, the candidates are both promising change, but Trump has typically had more success in developing that reputation than Harris.

Yet this poll shows that Harris is now more likely to represent change (46 per cent) than Trump (44 per cent). In particular, 52 per cent of women view Harris as representing change, while 52 per cent of men feel the same about Trump.

Unstable polls in Florida

There was a flurry of interest around polls in Florida in the past few weeks, with Harris appearing to encroach on Trumps lead in his home state.

In particular, figures from the historically Republican pollster RMG Research showed Trump with 50 per cent of the vote and Harris with 48 per cent in Florida, which is home to Mar-a-Lago and several key Republicans.

However, this mornings polls from the New York Times show Trump ahead by a strong +13 points in the sunshine state, at 55 per cent to Harriss 41 per cent.

Though this is out of line with several recent polls in the state, New York Times analyst Nate Cohn suggests that this poll is not an outlier, saying:

Mr Trump [excels] in states where Republicans performed well in the 2022 midterm elections  as they did in Florida. As a result, this poll is not the usual outlier.

If Florida becomes more solidly Republican in 2024, it suggests that the upheaval during and after the pandemic has had a lasting effect on American politics.

Vance wins the VP debate and a popularity boost

Last weeks debate between Ohio senator Vance and Minnesota Governor Walz turned expectations on its head; with betting markets and pre-polls eyeing Walz as the presumed winner.

Not only did Vance win the debate, but his performance appears to have done wonders for his public perception, which had been suffering for months.

Our analysis before the debate found that Walz led Trump, Vance, and even Harris in terms of favorability.

Vance received an +11 point boost in favorability from last weeks debate, according to the latest poll from YouGov.

This leaves Vance in a neutral position, while voters had an overall 11 per cent unfavorable opinion of him before the debate.

Most interestingly, Vance improved his favorability by an astonishing +19 points among Democrats. Although, overall, he is still at a net 52 per cent negative score among this group.

Walz also received a more modest 3-point boost, reaching 15 per cent favorability in YouGovs poll.

Although Walzs performance was not debate-winning, he is still the most-liked candidate, and he even improved his favorability among independent voters following the debate.

Among his own party, though, he lost approval from 7 per cent of voters, still ending up at a net-positive position of 72 per cent favorability with Democrats.

Snap polls following the debate show that viewers were split on both candidates and Vance came out a few points ahead.

A CBS/YouGov poll found that 42 per cent of viewers considered Vance the debate winner, compared to 41 per cent for Walz.

However, Walz did emerge as more in touch with the average American, and more likely to share voters vision for America.

For the full post-debate polling analysis, click here.

Key issues for voters

Regardless of political affiliation, the economy is the most important issue impacting how people will vote in this election.

A poll from Redfield & Wilton Strategies, of 2,500 US adults up to September 26, shows that abortion is considered the second most important issue, for 37 per cent of voters, followed by immigration at 34 per cent.

For Trump voters, however, these priorities are flipped.

Over half (57 per cent) of Trump voters view immigration as one of the biggest issues, amid border security tensions and recently debunked claims from Trump and Republicans about Haitian migrants.

Interestingly, healthcare and abortion are tied as the next most important issues for Trump voters  at 23 per cent each.

Though Trump has advocated for overhauling Obamacare, with unsuccessful attempts during his presidency, he was unable to outline an alternative healthcare policy at the September presidential debate.

Meanwhile, abortion is front and center for Harris voters (55 per cent), with Harris herself critical of abortion bans, following the overturning of Roe v Wade.

Healthcare is also a top priority for Harris voters (40 per cent), followed by housing (23 per cent).

Battleground states

Recent polls from the swing states by Bloomberg/Morning Consult have Harris ahead by +3 points on average, ranging from neck-and-neck with Trump to a +7 point lead.

The poll of more than 6,000 registered voters in the swing states was conducted from September 19-25, with margins of error ranging from 1 to 4 per cent in each state.

In Pennsylvania, which hosted the first Harris-Trump presidential debate, Harris has seen her lead increase from +4 points to +5 points since August.

The state had previously been leaning towards Trump when President Joe Biden was on the Democratic ticket.

Harris has the strongest 7-point lead over Trump in Nevada, with 52 per cent of the vote to 45 per cent.

In Georgia, the two candidates are tied at 49 per cent each, while Harriss 5-point lead in Wisconsin has shrunk to 3 points ahead of Trump.

Harris is also 3 points ahead in Michigan and Arizona and 2 points ahead in North Carolina.

While the economy remains the top issue for swing-state voters, the perceived competency gap is shrinking: 45 per cent of swing-state voters think Harris can better handle the economy, slightly behind Trump at 49 per cent.

Who will vote?

A YouGov/Economist poll has Harris with a three-point lead among registered voters, at 47 per cent and Trump at 44 per cent. The poll shows a wide 25-point margin for Harris among young voters, aged 29 and under.

However, according to the same poll, the younger generations are also the least committed to voting, with 13 per cent of the 18-29-year-olds surveyed saying they will maybe vote, while 3 per cent will not vote or are still unsure.

This amounts to 16 per cent who are on the fence or not voting, higher than any other age group, and higher than the average of 9 per cent. Just 65 per cent of the 18 to 29-year-olds polled said they would definitely vote in November.

This is in comparison to 77 per cent of 30 to 44-year-olds, 85 per cent of 45 to 64-year-olds, and 94 per cent of the 65+ age group.

Though the numbers may seem dismal, and represent a degree of hesitancy among younger voters, the overall picture is significantly more engaged than in 2020.

The same YouGov/Economist poll at this stage in the 2020 presidential election showed that nearly a third of young people (27 per cent) were not committed to voting in November, with 10 per cent maybe voting and 17 per cent definitely/probably not voting.

Arizona: key issues

In Arizona  a historically Republican state that has 11 electoral college votes and flipped for Biden in 2020  polls have shown inconsistent leads for both Harris and Trump.

The Trump campaign has made frequent stops in the state over the summer.

In a state that borders Mexico, one in five (19 per cent) of Arizona voters say that immigration is the most important issue affecting their vote, according to the same poll.

This is second to the economy, which is the number one issue impacting voters statewide and nationwide.

The majority (51 per cent) of Arizona voters believe that Trump is better equipped to handle the top issues, which has flipped since August when Harris was slightly more trusted.

This indicates that, despite the overall enthusiasm for Harriss debate performance, Arizona voters may favor Trump and his approach to key issues. As a generally Republican state, this is unsurprising.

Make sense of the US election with The Independents experts in our exclusive virtual event Harris vs. Trump: who will make history? Reserve your space here.
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Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett joked that alliteration is back in style during her speech at the Democratic National Convention  in a reference to her viral spat with Marjorie Taylor Greene where she coined the now-notorious phrase bleach blonde bad-built butch body.

Speaking on the opening night of the DNC in Chicago, the Democrat laid into Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and debuted a new alliterative tongue-twister.

Will a vindictive vile villain violate voters vision for a better America or not? I hear alliteration is back in style, she said.

We deserve better. We deserve a president who can be a bright light in a sea of darkness. One who can pull us forwards, because we wont go back.

Crockett, 43, who sits on the House Oversight Committee, went viral back in May when she got into a war of words with MAGA lawmaker Taylor Greene on the House floor.

The spat began when the Republican mocked the Democrats fake eyelashes.

In response, Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asked for Taylor Greenes words to be stricken from the record, saying they violated a rule about making personal attacks in the congressional chamber.

Jasmine Crockett speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention ( AP )

Crockett then asked Republican Chairman James Comer, in a barb at Taylor Greene : If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebodys bleach blonde, bad-built butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct?

The phrase instantly went viral on social media and Crockett even launched a line of merch featuring the slogan.

The Republican responded by posting a video on X of her working out, writing: Yes my body is built and strong NOT with nips, tucks, plastic, or silicone, but through a healthy lifestyle.

Crockett later told The Independent in an interview that she came up with the insult impromptu-ish after she realized Comer would not punish Taylor Greene for the personal attack on her.

Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene mocked Crocketts fake eyelashes ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Once I realized Comer was going to do the wrong thing, I looked over at [Greene] from head to toe, I wrote down [the insult] and said it, she said.

Crockett has emerged as part of what Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, has dubbed the Truth Squad, a group of Democratic freshmen under his and AOCs tutelage who work to push back on the misinformation promoted by Republicans on the Oversight Committee.

Since then, shes become a rising star, regularly appearing on talk shows and going viral on social media.

In her speech at the DNC on Monday night the Texas representative began by comparing the resumes of Trump and Kamala Harris.

Marjorie Taylor Greene claps back at Crockett with workout video: My body is built and strong

One candidate worked at McDonalds while she was in college at a HBCU. The other was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and helped his daddy in the family business. Housing discrimination, that is, she said.

She became a career prosecutor while he became a career criminal  with 34 felonies, two impeachments and one porn star to prove it.

Crockett, who began her career as a public defender, added: Shes lived the American Dream while hes been Americas nightmare.

At one point Crockett was overcome with emotion when recalling how Harris comforted her the first time they met during a photo opportunity at the vice presidents residence.

Jasmine Crockett wipes away a tear while giving a speech at the DNC ( REUTERS )

Wiping away a tear, she told the packed convention hall: The most powerful woman in the world wiped my tears and listened.

She then said, among other things: Youre exactly where God wants you. Your district chose you because they believe in you, and so do I.

The next month I went viral for the first of many times to come for hitting Republicans with a dose of their own medicine. That brief but impactful interaction gave me my legislative legs and Ive been running ever since.
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JD Vance has now been accused of committing a crime against humanity after he stopped by a famed Philadelphia cheesesteak joint and asked why they dont have Swiss cheese.

The Republican vice presidential candidate cracked the joke at Pats King of Steaks during a campaign stop on Monday, having worked up an appetite by making a speech at a waste management facility.

I dont like Swiss cheese either, but everybody says its insulting, Vance asked at the Pats register, according to The Daily Beast.

Why do you guys hate Swiss cheese so much?

Founded by two brothers in 1930, Pats credits itself as the originator and inventor of the steak and cheesesteak sandwich, and serves its sandwiches with only American, provolone or cheez whiz.

We dont hate it, we just dont use it. We usually use cheez whiz, responded the employee taking Vances order.

Vance appears to have been intentionally making reference to the notorious faux pas made by John Kerry during his 2004 presidential campaign, when he asked for a cheesesteak sandwich with Swiss cheese during a visit to Pats.

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance makes a stop at Pats King of Steaks ( AP )

Kerry went on to lose the election to George W Bush, getting 48.3 per cent of votes.

While Pats manager, Sammy Garcia, brushed off the quip, saying the team thought it was funny to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Democrats, anti Trump-Vance Republicans and social media users dragged Vance for the gag.

Today, in my beloved city of Philadelphia, Democrat Philadelphia representative Brendan Boyle posted on X.

JD Vance committed a crime against humanity, he added, along with the hashtag #WorstVPpick.

Meanwhile, Republicans against Trump simply but damningly wrote: Trump just lost Pennsylvania.

He sunk his battleship, another person chimed in.

Hes weirder than we thought, added another, playing off the line first coined by Tim Walz that Republicans are weird.

The cheesesteak saga comes as Donald Trump and his running mate are fielding several controversial comments and bizarre moments as they ramp up their campaign for the White House.

One day earlier, Vance raised eyebrows when he likened Vice President Kamala Harris to late pedophile Jeffrey Epsteinin a wild interview on Fox News Sunday.

Giving Kamala Harris control over inflation policy, its like giving Jeffrey Epstein control over human trafficking policy, Vance told host Shannon Bream  before launching into claims that polls showing him and Trump trailing Harris are fake.

This comes after he continues to face backlash for his comments about women.

In a Fox News interview in 2021, which has resurfaced since he was tapped as Trumps running mate, Vance claimed that the US was being run by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives.

Republicans against Trump weighed in on Vances moment at the cheesesteak joint ( Republicans against Trump )

The comments  directed at Harris and other Democrats  prompted outrage with the ex-wife of Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and Hollywood star Jennifer Aniston weighing on the matter.

Vance then came under further fire when an unearthed 2020 podcast also came to light, revealing the Ohio senator agreeing with the notion that raising grandchildren was the whole purpose of the postmenopausal female.

Republicans are said to be mulling whether Vance may have been a bad running mate choice for Trump, with polls now showing he is the least popular vice presidential candidate in modern history.

Overall, national polls have shown that Harris pulling away from Trump on a 2.5 point lead, going into the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week.

The convention got under way on Monday night, with President Joe Biden passing the Democratic partys torch to Harris.

Are you ready to vote for freedom? he asked the crowd. Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America? Let me ask you, are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?
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Watch as JD Vance spoke at a news conference at Kenosha City Courthouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, 20 August.

Donald Trump's Republican vice presidential nominee held a crime and safety press conference and was joined by US Senate nominee Eric Hovde, Rep. Bryan Steil, and Kenosha County Sheriff David Zoerner.

The former president will later deliver remarks on the same issues in Howell, Michigan.

Mr Trump and Mr Vance's speeches came days after the VP pick made a speech to the Milwaukee Police Association, which has endorsed Mr Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump's opponent Kamala Harris returns to Milwaukee for a campaign visit on Tuesday in her third trip since launching her 2024 campaign.

It comes after the current vice president gave a surprise speech at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, in which she thanked Joe Biden for his "historic leadership" as US president.

She will accept the Democratic partys nomination for the presidency later this week.
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Fox News host Jesse Watters has echoed Donald Trumps claims that recent polling reporting Kamala Harris in the lead is inaccurate  even as experts say their methodology was reliable.

Watters, one of Fox News most-watched anchors, said on Sunday that pollsters are dramatically oversampling Democrats and then burying the samples so you cant see it. This comes after he claimed earlier this month that the media is juicing the polls.

Watters then referenced a recent New York Times/Siena College poll, which showed Harris holding a four-point lead in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

The Trump campaign criticized that poll earlier this month, arguing it did not include enough people who voted for Trump in 2020 and skewed the results in Harris favor as a result.

But, polling experts told The Independent that criticisms of the Times/Siena poll arent valid.

Jesse Watters repeated arguments by Donald Trumps campaign that recent polls showing Kamala Harris leading in swing states must be inaccurate ( Fox News )

The Times/Siena survey is one of the most accurate polls that we can rely on, according to Dr. Andrew Crosby, professor and survey methodology expert from the University of California, Riverside.

The Trump campaign is basically alleging that their sample is not what it should be, Crosby told The Independent. Theres not any truth to that.

The polls trustworthiness comes from use of random selection and the high number of people who responded, Crosby said. Another strength is that they ask people to list their political party, which helps ensure the poll is representative of a states population, he noted.

Party identification is a more reliable survey metric than reported past voting, Crosby explained. This is because people can forget who they voted for, or dont want to admit that they voted for a certain candidate, among other reasons, he said.

In response to the Trump campaigns criticisms, the New York Times made a similar argument, noting that relying on reported past voting to ensure their 2020 and 2022 polls were representative would have made them less accurate.

Times/Siena polls are reputable and the pollsters are certainly heavily invested in using the proper methodology, according to Dr. Costas Panagopoulos, a political science professor at Northeastern University.

Whats also interesting is that, as far as I know, the Trump organization was not contesting polls when Trump was ahead, Panagopoulos told The Independent.

Trump was ahead in five key swing states before President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race, aTimes/Siena poll from May showed.

Ultimately, polls are a snapshot in time and can easily change, according to Dr. Christian Grose, a professor of political science at the University of Southern California.

This doesnt make a poll wrong or poorly conducted, he said. It just means enthusiasm levels may have changed, or key events like debates and campaign rallies changed voters minds.

It doesnt mean the poll is wrong, it just means the poll was not asking people on election day, Grose told The Independent.

The Times/Siena poll isnt the only survey indicating Harris is ahead of Trump. The vice president has a 2.5-point lead over Trump, according to an average of five national polls.

A new CBS/YouGov poll, which surveyed up to August 16, also indicates a growing gender divide between voters, with more men supporting Trump and more women voting for Harris.
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President Joe Biden was supposed to have spent the evening watching the start of a convention built around propelling him to four more years in the White House.

Instead, he was on stage delivering an emotional address as an animated crowd inside Chicagos United Center poured out their gratitude at his decision to stand aside and pass the torch to Kamala Harris.

In remarks that revisited many of his campaign themes, and as Harris looked on from a box alongside running mate Tim Walz, Biden told the Democratic National Convention that despite the threats that inspired his 2020 presidential run, democracy has prevailed and democracy has delivered.

And now, democracy must be preserved, he said.

Are you ready to vote for freedom? Biden asked the audience. Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America? Let me ask you, are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?

After an introduction by his daughter Ashley, Biden walked on stage and embraced her to the sounds of Jackie Wilsons (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher and deafening chants of Thank you Joe! He took a tissue from his pocket to wipe his eyes.

First daughter Ashley Biden and president Joe Biden embrace on stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19 ( Getty )

Family is the beginning, the middle, and the end, he said after praising his daughter and his rock, first lady Jill Biden. And America, I love you.

His remarks championed his support for labor unions, his major economic and infrastructure-boosting accomplishments, and the democratic advocacy that puts him in stark contrast to Donald Trump.

Because of you, weve had one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period, he said. And when I say we, I mean Kamala and me.

Biden raged at his Republican rival for his efforts to tank bipartisan legislation for US-Mexico border security, and for his false claims surrounding the 2020 election, which fueled political violence.

Joe and Jill Biden address supporters at the Democratic National Convention ( Reuters )

You cannot say you love your country only when you win, he said.

According to a source familiar with Bidens plans, his remarks were crafted over the last week with the aid of Mike Donilon, his longtime aide and former White House counselor, as well as other close confidants.

In her remarks, first lady Jill Biden praised her husband of nearly 50 years. Joe knows that our nations strength doesnt come from intimidation, she said. It comes from the small acts of kindness that heal deep wounds, from service to the communities that make us who we are ... Kamala Harris knows that, too.

Biden is not expected to attend any of the remaining three days of convention activities. Instead, he is set to travel to Santa Ynez, California, where he and his family will remain for a summer vacation.

Its a remarkable exit from the stage for Biden, who has directed his White House staff to devote the remaining five months of his term  the home stretch of a full half-century in public life  to focus on completing his administrations work and burnishing his legacy.

Two months ago, Biden appeared to be coasting towards his partys nomination as an incumbent president whod won every single primary contest save one, with the support of nearly all of the delegates whod select the Democratic Partys standard-bearer.

But after a month of pressure from the highest ranks of his party  and after reviewing polling data that showed that Harris could mount a credible campaign against the man Biden defeated four years ago  he made the decision to stand down days after the Republican convention wrapped last month.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris embrace after the presidents remarks at the Democratic National Convention ( Reuters )

While Trump has spent the weeks since that day suggesting that Biden is so angry about having to step aside that he would try to reclaim the nomination  something that would be impossible under both Democratic Party rules and numerous state laws governing ballot access  the president hasnt displayed so much as a hint of anger over the situation.

He told convention-goers that serving as president had been the honor of a lifetime for him.

I love this job, but I love my country more, he said, before flatly denying any hard feelings over his ouster.

All this talk about how Im angry at all those people who said I should step down  thats not true, he said.

Harris and Walz, he added, would continue to lead America forward, creating more jobs, standing up for workers, growing the economy, and would lower the cost to American families so they just have a little more breathing room.

We made incredible progress. We have more work to do, and Kamala and Tim will continue to take on corporate greed and bring down the cost of food. Theyll keep taking on big pharma, making insulin $35 a month, not just for seniors but for everyone in America, he said.

Joe Biden walks with his grandchild after his remarks to the Democratic National Convention ( Reuters )

Recalling the Oval Office address he delivered after announcing that he was standing aside, Biden reminded the crowd that their votes will determine whether democracy and freedom will prevail.

Its that simple, its that serious, and the power is literally in your hands. History is in your hands, he said.

His voice growing emotional as he brought his remarks to a close, Biden said that the country he has led for the last four years is, and always has been, a nation of possibilities.

Kamala and Tim understand that this nation must continue to be a place of possibilities, not just for the few of us but for all of us. Join me in promising your whole heart to this effort, he said, adding that he would be the best volunteer the Harris-Walz campaign would ever see.

Ive made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you for 50 years, he said. Like many of you, I gave my heart and soul to our nation, and Ive been blessed a million times in return with the support of the American people ... I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you.
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Democrats are making abortion a top issue in the 2024 election as they try to win over voters who believe the Supreme Court overstepped when it overturned Roe v Wade.

Former president Donald Trump has shared his concern that the issue could be a vote-loser for the Republicans even as he picked a staunch abortion opponent to be his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance.

President Joe Biden dropping out and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket has completely changed the race, particularly when it comes to abortion.

Heres where Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, stand on the issue of reproductive rights.

Kamala Harris

The vice president is backing legislation that would protect reproductive rights across the US as Roe v Wade did before the 1973 Supreme Court ruling was overturned in summer 2022.

After the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, she quickly became the Biden administrations top spokesperson on the issue of abortion.

She visited an abortion clinic in March, believed to be the first such visit by a president or vice president, according to The New York Times.

Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (L) speaks as her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz looks on during a campaign bus tour in Rochester, Pennsylvania, on August 18. Both are strong supporters of abortion rights ( AFP via Getty Images )

As a senator, she co-sponsored legislation that, if passed, would have banned often-used restrictions on the state level.

In 2019, when she ran for president, she said that states that have imposed abortion restrictions in violation of Roe, which was the law of the land at the time, should have to pass what is called pre-clearance for new laws governing abortion, meaning they would have to be federally approved, a proposal which ceased to be a possibility with the overturning of Roe.

Harris supports restoring Roe, the law which protected abortion until fetal viability around 22 weeks.

In an interview with Face the Nation on CBS in September 2023, Harris said: I am being precise. We need to put into law the protections of Roe v Wade. And that is about going back to where we were before the Dobbs decision.

We, who believe in reproductive freedom, will stop Donald Trumps extreme abortion bans because we trust women to make decisions about their own bodies and not have their government telling them what to do, Harris said in Massachusetts last month, according to Politico. If there are those who dare to take the freedom to make such a fundamental decision for an individual, which is about ones own body, what other freedoms could be on the table for the taking?

Tim Walz

The Minnesota governor has expanded reproductive rights in his state, signing a law that codifies abortion rights and other kinds of reproductive healthcare following the overturning of Roe.

He also put in place legislation to protect abortion providers and patients from legal action started in states that have banned abortion. Walz repealed essentially all of Minnesotas restrictions on the practice, such as parental consent and a 24-hour waiting period.

During the rally in Philadelphia introducing Walz as her running mate, Harris praised the governor for being the first in the country to sign a new law that enshrined reproductive freedom as a fundamental right following Dobbs.

She added that she would put in place a similar law on the federal level if she wins the presidency and Democrats take control of Congress.

Walz and his wife did fertility treatments for seven years before having their first child and the campaign has noted his personal connection to IVF.
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Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on stage at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, stepping out to the sounds of Beyonces Freedom and thanking President Joe Biden before his remarks to close out the first night of the week-long event in Chicago.

This is going to be a great week, I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president Joe Biden, she said.

Thank you for your historic leadership, for our lifetime of service to our nation, for all you continue to do. We are forever grateful to you, said Harris, who was not on Mondays schedule of speakers.

Harris, who will be accepting the partys nomination for the presidency this week, said the crowd of Democratic delegates and supporters in the United Center arena displayed the beauty of our great nation.

People of every corner of our country, and every walk of life, are here, united by our shared vision of the future for our country, she added. This November we will come together and declare with one voice, with one people, that we are moving forward, with optimism, hope and faith.

Kamala Harris steps out for a surprise appearance at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19. ( AP )

Harris was surrounded by signs in the crowd reading when we fight, we win.

A camera inside the arena panned to her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who appeared delighted as the crowd erupted. Harriss husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, appeared to shrug and say I dont know.

After President Biden ended his re-election campaign and endorsed his vice president, Harris moved quickly to secure a majority of delegate votes and key endorsements from Democratic officials, with record-breaking fundraising numbers that eclipsed her rival Donald Trump.

Biden  who just weeks ago was expected to headline the DNC with the partys nomination for his second term  is now passing the torch to Harris and a new generation of Democrats as the conventions closing night act.

Kamala Harris waves to supporters at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago during a surprise appearance at the event on August 19. ( Getty Images )

Mondays lineup at the convention included union leaders and a host of influential Democratic women from across the country, underscoring the historic moment ahead of Harris when she formally accepts the partys nomination this week.

Moments earlier, Harriss longtime friend and California Senator Laphonza Butler, who is the only Black woman in the upper chamber of Congress, said that Kamala Harris has always understood the assignment.

No matter if she were the underdog, no matter the bullying or the name calling, she added. She never doubted that our best was still ahead. She knew a better future, a better future was possible if we stood side by side with our neighbors and we fought for it.

Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who accepted the partys nomination in 2016 before losing to Trump that fall, told the crowd that Harris has the character, experience and vision to lead us forward.

The story of my life and the history of our country is that progress is possible, she said. But not guaranteed. We have to fight for it. And never, ever give up.
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Protesters have broken through a fence set up by police at the site of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on its opening day in Chicago as thousands took to the streets to voice their opposition to the war in Gaza.

Footage posted online showed a few dozen people breaking away from a larger march, and taking down pieces of the erected security fence. Police later confirmed that multiple people had been arrested.

The protests happened on Monday, ahead of an address by President Joe Biden, who has previously been the target of intense criticism from pro-Palestinian groups.

Biden, you cant hide. We charge you with genocide, the marchers chanted amid the beating of drums. They also referred to him as Genocide Joe and lodged similar chants at Vice President Kamala Harris.

Protesters said their plans have not changed since Biden left the race and the party quickly rallied behind Harris, who will formally accept the Democratic nomination this week, closing the convention with remarks on Thursday.

Protesters break through security fence on the first night of Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois ( REUTERS )

Activists said they were ready to amplify their progressive message before the nations top Democratic leaders.

We have to play our part in the belly of the beast to stop the genocide, to end US aid to Israel and stand with Palestine, said Hatem Abudayyeh,spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the DNC, which includes hundreds of organizations.

The heavy police presence at the march included Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, who walked in a group of officers ahead of the protesters on Monday.

Snelling later told reporters that the force would not tolerate those commiting acts of violence. They breached the fence, they were trying to get to the inner perimeter, officers responded swiftly to make sure that didnt happen, he said. Our job is to make sure the DNC stays safe.

We have no idea what they would have done if they would have gone if they had gotten onto the other side but as I said before we are not tolerate anyone who is going to vandalize things in our city.

Demonstrators stand in front of riot police officers during the rally March on the DNC on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention on Monday ( REUTERS )

We are not going to tolerate anyone who is going to commit acts of violence and we will act swiftly on that, as you saw today. Our officers acted professionally, and it was a great job.

Snelling confirmed that multiple people were arrested but did not provide an exact number. He added that he was not going to associate this with the march as a whole.

A statement put out by Chicago police read: Demonstrators breached a portion of anti-scale fencing along the Democratic National Convention's outer perimeter near the United Center on Aug. 19. Law enforcement personnel were immediately on-scene and contained the situation.

At no point was the inner perimeter breached, and there was no threat to any protectees.

It added: The National Special Security Event plan employs a multi-layered approach. Each NSSE plan is unique and includes multiple layers. One of these redundancies include the outer perimeter fence, which was erected to prevent entry into the inner perimeter.

The Chicago Police Department remains on-scene and is working to clear the area.

Some protesters, dressed in black with their faces covered, dragged pieces of the fence back to a park near the United Center, where the convention is being held ( REUTERS )

Organizers had hoped at least 20,000 people would take part in Mondays rally and march, but it appeared that only a few thousand were present when the march began, though city officials declined to give a crowd estimate.

The Chicago area has one of the largest Palestinian communities in the nation, and buses were bringing activists from all over the country, according to The Associated Press.

Taylor Cook, an organizer with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, traveled from Atlanta for the march. Cook told the AP that the group was pushing all Democrats to call for an end to aid to Israel, with a particular focus on Harris.

Were saying to Kamala, she has been complicit in this. People think its just Joe Biden, but she is vice president, Cook said. So were saying, you need to stop if you want our vote.

Medea Benjamin, who traveled to Chicago from Washington DC, with a women-led group of protesters calling for peace, said she was shocked that the Biden administration recently approved an additional $20 billion in weapons sales to Israel.

Theres an incredible discrepancy in what people are calling for in this country and what the administration is doing, she told the AP ahead of the rally in Union Park. Were so disgusted by this.

Another large protest is scheduled for Thursday, when Ms Harris is expected to accept the nomination.

Pro-Palestinian supporters have for months protested the Biden administrations military and financial support for Israel during its war against Hamas, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza health officials.

Israel launched the offensive after it was attacked on October 7 by Hamas militants who killed 1,200 people, according to Israel tallies.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s presidential campaign is seemingly holding on by a thread with campaign spending outweighing donations and the number two on the ticket floating the idea of teaming up with Trump.

Recent filings with the Federal Election Commission indicate the campaign is struggling to keep up with its spending and combined with ballot access challenges, the campaign will need to make tough decisions.

Theres two options that were looking at, Kennedys running mate Nicole Shanahan said on the podcast Impact Theory.

One is staying in, forming that new party but we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and Walz presidency because we draw votes from Trump. Or we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump, she added.

As a third-party independent candidate, Kennedy and Shanahan knew they were going to face an uphill battle to acquire even a small percentage of votes in the general election. But Shanahans admission on Tuesday could lead to further instability in the campaign.

Jeff Hays, who has given the campaign more than $300,000 told ABC News that Shanahans statement absolutely killed fundraising. He told the news outlet he was no longer holding a fundraising event for Kennedy next month.

Nicole Shanahan, RFK Jrs running mate, admitted that the Kennedy campaign was looking at teaming up with Donald Trump ( Tom Bilyeu / YouTube )

The stakes are getting high as the election draws closer. Its unclear how long Kennedy can remain a competitive contender.

At the end of last month, RFK Jr.s campaign had $3.9 million cash on hand but owed $3.4 million, a sign that the independent presidential candidate is struggling to bring in money as the November election rapidly approaches.

In July, Kennedys campaign spent more than $7 million, according to raw FEC data, but only brought in roughly $5.6 million. Approximately $2.5 million of that was given directly by Shanahan.

FEC filings indicate that Shanahan is one of the largest donors to Kennedys campaign. She has poured millions of dollars into Kennedys campaign, donating thousands of dollars each month.

In an effort to cut back costs, Kennedy has not held many in-person rallies, opting for digital events  like a live stream on TikTok or X, or going on podcasts.

But as the stakes get higher and the two main candidates in the race, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, get access to more money and resources its unclear how long Kennedy can remain a competitive contender.

Already, Kennedy is facing problems getting his name on the ballot in several states. In New York, challengers accused him of using a sham address while filing out forms to appear on the ballot, leading a judge to remove him from the ballot.

Kennedy is said to have tapped up both the Trump and Harris campaigns in hopes of the promise of a cabinet position ( Getty Images )

Similar challenges could be brought against the independent candidate in Georgia.

That is in addition to his polling numbers, which show his unfavorability rate is increasing as more embarrassing stories from his past become headlines. Earlier this year, Kennedy shared that doctors once found a dead brain worm inside him. He also admitted to leaving a dead bear cub in Central Park, solving a decade-long mystery.

With time and money running out, rumors emerged that Kennedy has spoken with both Trump and Harris about a potential position in their administrations in return for his endorsement.

A spokesperson for Harris said they have no intention of negotiating that possibility.

Kennedy wrote on X that he is willing to talk with leaders of any political party to further his goals of protecting free speech, cleaning pollution from the environment, ending chronic disease epidemics and more.

In a text to ABC News, Shanahan clarified that, It would require a significant commitment by Trump to give Bobby true authority to execute.
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Rudy Giuliani failed to appear at a pre-motion conference in the Southern District of New York after he refused to respond to a subpoena, according to a lawyer for the plaintiffs.

Eight Capitol Police officers filed a civil suit in Washington, DC federal court in December 2021 against Donald Trump over the events surrounding the Capitol riot. Former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani was subpoenaed in the case, but has failed to comply, prompting the plaintiffs to file a motion to compel in a separate court in New York. Giuliani failed to attend a conference regarding a hearing compeling him to comply with the subpoena.

The 2021 civil suit accuses Trump and other defendants of violating the Ku Klux Klan Act when he deliberately and persistently made false claims of election fraud following the 2020 election made and encouraged false claims and supported acts of violence, knowing full well that among his supporters were extremist groups and individuals.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani departs the U.S. District Courthouse after he was ordered to pay $148 million in his defamation case in Washington in December 2023 ( REUTERS )

The plaintiffs delivered the subpoena to Giulianis doorman on April 26, 2024 at his New York City home. This delivery came after the group twice attempted personal service on Mr Giuliani at his Florida residence on October 18, 2023 and on March 28, 2024.

Three months after giving the subpoena to Giulianis doorman, on July 19, the plaintiffs said they have yet to receive any response from him. The cash-strapped ex-mayor had been required to respond or object to the subpoena by May 10, 2024. Since that date has passed, he can no longer make objections to the subpoena.

The group then contacted four lawyers representing the former mayor in other cases but each of them indicated they would not be representing him in this matter, the lawyers wrote.

We now have no alternative but to move to compel, they said in an August 1 letter to the judge in New Yorks Southern District Court, requesting a pre-motion conference about the plaintiffs intended motion to enforce Giulianis subpoena.

With awareness of Defendant Trumps strategy to overturn the election results, Mr. Giuliani and other co-conspirators actively participated in spreading Trumps false claims of election fraud, including by filing baseless lawsuits challenging election results, the eight officers alleged.

The documents and communications relate to the events surrounding the claims made in the suit against Trump as well as information that the former mayor shared with the January 6 House Select Committee.

This information is discoverable with minimal burden to Giuliani but is crucial to Plaintiffs claims, the August letter stated.

On August 5, the judge ordered the pre-motion conference to be held on August 20 at 10am. The plaintiffs lawyers were required to provide a copy of the order to Giuliani.

A lawyer for the plaintiffs told The Independent that Giuliani was not present for Tuesdays hearing. Its not immediately clear if Giulianis attendance was required.

The Independent has reached out to a spokesperson and a lawyer for Giuliani.

This legal battle is the latest in Giulianis haze of legal cases related to his lies about the stolen 2020 election.

He faces criminal charges in Georgia and Arizona related to schemes to overturn Trumps election loss in the states. Giuliani is also listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal criminal case surrounding Trumps attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

After defaming a pair of election workers in Georgia and being ordered to pay them $148 million in damages, the former mayor filed for bankruptcy in December. His seven-month-long bankruptcy case was dismissed last month, resulting in him having to pay $400,000 in administrative expenses.

On top of these suits, Giuliani also is being sued by voting technology companies Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic for defamation.
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Donald Trump griped in a new social media post about Kamala Harris declining to participate in a Fox News debate on September 4.

His post comes amid weeks of public disagreement over when the two presidential candidates will actually debate as the election quickly approaches.

Comrade Kamala Harris has just informed us that she will NOT do the FoxNews Debate on September 4th, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Monday night.

I am not surprised by this development because I feel that she knows it is very difficult, at best, for her to defend her record setting Flip-Flopping on absolutely everything she once believed in, the former president continued, claiming she has changed her tune on issues like fracking and the border crisis.

The Republican nominee then announced he would be holding a town hall on the network rather than a debate. Rather than the debate on September 4th, I have agreed to do a Tele-Town Hall, anchored by Sean Hannity, for Fox. It will take place in the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania - Details to follow!

Trumps Monday post comes days after the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz campaign declared the debate about debates is over. On August 15, the campaign sent out a statement announcing that both the Democrats and the Donald Trump-JD Vance campaign had agreed to three debates: two presidential and one vice presidential.

Harriss campaign said theyve agreed to three debates ( AP )

Assuming Donald Trump actually shows up on September 10 to debate Vice President Harris, then Governor Walz will see JD Vance on October 1 and the American people will have another opportunity to see the vice president and Donald Trump on the debate stage in October, the Harris-Walz campaign said.

The more they play games, the more insecure and unserious Trump and Vance reveal themselves to be to the American people. Those games end now, the campaign added.

For weeks, it was unclear whether Trump and Harris would agree on a debate. ABC News announced in May that the network would host a debate between Trump and President Joe Biden on September 10. When Biden stepped aside, Harris said shed take his place at the ABC debate. But earlier this month, Trump aired frustration with ABC News hosting the face-off given his beef with anchor George Stephanopolous. In March, Trump filed a defamation lawsuit against ABC News and Stephanopoulos.

So, Trump shot back that hed like to debate Harris on Fox on September 4.

In response, the Harris campaign accused Trump of running scared from the ABC News debate and instead choosing Fox News to bail him out.

The last debate, which took place on June 27 on CNN between Trump and Biden, was a disaster for the president, ultimately resulting in his decision to bow out of the 2024 race following questions about his fitness for another four years in office. Some also criticized CNNs handling of the debate, due to its lack of live fact-checking. Trump was later found to have lied 30 times in the 90-minute event.

Meanwhile, Kamala Harris is days from accepting her partys nomination in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention.

The Independent has emailed the Harris-Walz campaign for comment.
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Donald Trump is showing signs that correspond with his family history of dementia, according to Fred Trump III, the former presidents nephew.

The warnings signs are evident, Fred Trump III said during an interview on The Dean Obeidallah show on Friday, accusing the former president of spewing craziness and failing to stick to the script during campaign appearances.

I know what I saw in my grandfather. I know what I saw in Donalds older sister, my Aunt Maryanne, Fred Trump said.

I just, I know the warning signs from both of my grandfathers, he added. Donalds cousin, John Walters had dementia. It runs in the family. Im not happy about it.

Donald Trump is showing signs of his family history with dementia, his nephew says ( AP )

The Independent has contacted the Trump campaign for comment.

Fred Trump III is the brother of psychologist and author Mary Trump, and the eldest son of Donald Trumps late older brother, Fred Trump Jr. He has emerged as another vocal critic of the former president from within his own family.

In July, Fred Trump III endorsed his uncles rival for the White House, Kamala Harris.

And in a memoir which came out the same month, All in the Family: The Trumps and How We Got This Way, the former presidents nephew accused Trump of musing aloud about whether people with disabilities would be better off dead instead of causing expenses for their caregivers.

The comment came as a shock, Fred Trump writes, because his own son William was diagnosed as an infant with a rare seizure disorder that has caused significant cognitive and physical damage.

Fred Trump (right) accused Donald Trump of making disparaging remarks about people with disabilities like his son, William. ( Courtesy of Gallery Books )

Donald Trump has said that he supported Fred Trump III, contributed to a fund to support William, and introduced the family to officials from the National Institutes of Health who might offer assistance.

I helped him so much, more than anyone else in his life, and this is the thanks I get. I even set up [a] meeting with NIH and top doctors in the country talking about his son, who is disabled, Donald Trump said in a statement to The Washington Post, accusing fellow family critic Mary Trump of convincing Fred to write his book.

The issue of age and mental ability has been central during the 2024 presidential race as numerous Democrats questioned whether Joe Biden had the mental fitness to win before he stepped down from his reelection campaign.
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Donald Trump has shared AI-generated images of Taylor Swift and her dedicated fanbase sporting Swifties for Trump T-shirts, alluding that the star has become an unlikely follower of the MAGA movement.

Swifts popularity transcends the world of pop music with one Instagram post urging her 283m followers to register to vote last September resulting in more than 35,000 online sign-ups, according to Vote.org.

Despite her vast political influence  particularly resonating with Gen Z  the Shake it Off hit-maker has yet to officially endorse any presidential candidate for the 2024 election cycle, after backing President Joe Biden in 2020.

Trump, however, appears to believe that Bidens stepping off the Democratic ticket might have swayed Swift, and her fanbase of Swifties, to vote Republican.

He shared several deepfake images which included a propaganda-style poster of Swift dressed like Uncle Sam, pointing to the viewer and overlaid with the message Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.

Another shows several AI-generated fans smiling and wearing Swifties for Trump T-shirts along with a headline which is labelled satire which reads: Swifties turning to Trump after ISIS foiled Taylor Swift Concert.

Writing on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump captioned the post: I accept!

One of the images shared does however show a real Trump-Swift supporter. Jenna Piwowarczyk, 19, is both a self-styled Swift Supremacist and an ardent supporter of Trump.

The photograph of her wearing the White Swifties for Trump T-shirt has gone viral on X, with the teenager claiming to have met the former president while wearing the top, with him responding, she is great.

Piwowarczyk confirmed to The Independent that the photo of her reposted by Trump is legitimate and was taken in Racing, Wisconsin in June during a Trump rally.

Jenna Piwowarczyk (R) sporting her Swifties for Trump T-shirt during a Wisconsin rally in July ( Jenna Piwowarczyk )

Trump later shared a conspiracy theorist video which suggested that Swift fans who formerly voted Democrat have switched allegiance to the Republicans after a string of cancelled concerts following a foiled terror plot from Islamic State.

If Trump was in office, this would have never, never happened, the woman said in the video, despite the three cancelled Eras Tour shows being in Vienna, Austria.

There is no hard evidence to suggest which way Swifts fans are voting.

An unofficial Swifties for Trump account on X has less than 4,000 followers, while an unofficial Swifties 4 Kamala account, also created in July, has over 60,000 followers on the platform

Kamala Harriss campaign has allegedly been in contact with Swifties for Kamala, with the groups co-founders telling CNN the vice presidents team reached out to us asking how they can support in our initiative.

Swift has yet to publicly endorse either candidate with less than 80 days until Americans head to polling stations ( Getty Images )

Following Trumps 2016 presidential victory, Swift noted that she was completely blindsided and vowed we will vote you out ahead of the 2020 election  which Biden subsequently won.

Swift also urged the public to not vote for Republican Marsha Blackburn as she ran for the Tennessee Senate in 2018 and two years later branded her Trump in a wig in her Netflix documentary Miss Americana.

Trumps reposting of the AI images marks an effort to undermine Harriss campaign before the Democratic National Convention gets underway on Monday, with rumours swirling about Swift  and Beyonce  potentially performing on stage.

Trump also posted another AI-generated image on Sunday which showed Harris speaking to a crowd of communists with a huge banner adorned with the Soviet Union hammer and sickle in the background.

The Independent has contacted Swifts representatives for comment.
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On Monday the Progressive Democrats of America held their conference at the Chicago Teachers Union hall, where Senator Bernie Sanders would keynote the two-day event, ahead of the official kickoff of the Democratic National Convention.

But the hall remained only half full. So speakers urged attendees to tell their friends to come down to the hall for Sanderss speech.

It was indicative of setbacks that progressives in the Democratic Party have faced in recent months. While progressives have been thrilled at Harriss selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a former moderate who passed a series of liberal policies, progressives have seen other setbacks.

Earlier this month, Representative Cori Bush of Missouri, a member of the so-called Squad, lost her primary thanks to an onslaught of pro-Israel money. This came after Representative Jamaal Bowman of New York, another Squad member, lost his primary in the most expensive primary election in history.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will speak on Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention. But Rep. Jamaal Bowman Bowman (D-NY) lost his primary earlier this year thanks to an onslaught of money from pro-Israel groups. ( (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images) )

In addition, while Representative Delia Ramirez of Illinois, another Squad member, touted Medicare for All and the Green New Deal, Harris has backed away from both of those proposals after she co-sponsored them as a senator.

Representative Pramila Jayapal, chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus who delivered a barnburner speech at the conference, told The Independent that it was important to get behind candidates who will save our democracy and with whom they could organize.

It doesnt mean were going 100 percent of what we want in the agenda, but we are going to make real progress, she said.

In the same spirit, progressives have seen their push for a ceasefire in Gaza amid Israels war with Hamas continue to fall flat.

Last month, Michigan Democrats convened a call to endorse Harris. During the call, Abbas Alawieh, a leader of the Uncommitted Movement, tried to speak up and voice his concerns when another delegate reportedly told him to shut up, a*****.

The pro-ceasefire advocates held a press conference on Monday and celebrated the fact there would be a panel on Palestine. But they have yet to get two of their major concessions: support for a ceasefire or an arms embargo on Israel.

This is a question of whether Vice President Harris will take the opportunity to unite our party in a manner that is wildly popular among Democratic voters, Alawieh told The Independent at the press conference.

We want to help Vice President Harris beat Donald Trump, he said.

But Alawieh warned that if they did not get concrete commitments from Harris, that he and his allies will not be able to make an affirmative case to voters in places like Michigan, which has a large Arab-American presence.

Absent that, we dont have the credibiity to go back and tell to those voters, and affirmative that embraces Vice President Harriss plan because we dont know what her plan is, he said.

Israel is not the only area where progressives are frustrated with Harris. Since she launched her presidential campaign, she has pledged to sign a bill that would severely restrict immigration and asylum.

Pro-immigrant groups have criticized her embrace of the bill and Democrats overall rightward turn on immigration as it remains a point of strength for Republicans and Trump. When Harris spoke in Arizona earlier this year, she said she supported comprehensive reform approach to immigration that includes strong border security and an earned pathway to citizenship.

Lilian Jimenez, a state representative for Illinois and an immigration lawyer, said she wants Harris to support a humane immigration policy.

I just say human rights, she told The Independent. I want her policies to reflect that we should treat everybody equally. We should give people an opportunity, and we should give people due process and ability to apply for status to stay in this country. And at this point, I don't care what you call it. But let's see some movement on the policy.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) will speak on the first night of the Democratic National Convention during prime time. ( (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) )

But at the event on Monday, many progressives were celebrating the selection of Walz as Harriss running mate including activists from Minnesota.

I was one of the earliest members to come out for Governor Walz, Jayapal said. I do think she recognize all the things we all saw in Governor Walz, which is hes from a red rural district and hes implemented some of the most progressive policies in the state of Minnesota.

But there has been steps forward for progressives. On Monday night, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain will address the convention.

Progressive Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will address the crowd in Chicago, as well as Representative Jamie Raskin, both of whom voted against giving additional aid to Israel.

And in a sign of the future of the progressive movement, after Sanders left the conference, Maxwell Frost, the youngest member of the House, delivered a speech that got people on their feet.
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A man in Australia has been charged with 110 offences for allegedly filming girls and women with a camera hidden inside his walking stick.

The Queensland man, 56, inappropriately photographed and filmed scores of girls and women between November 2023 and January 2024, police.

The mans alleged behaviour came to light after a 12-year-old girls family contacted police complaining that he had filmed her on an escalator at Mt Ommaney Centre in Brisbane in January.

The man, who has not been named, filmed the girl using a small camera attached to the end of a walking stick, police said in a statement.

He was arrested on 11 January and police seized the camera fitted at the end of the walking stick.

Police later searched a home in Jamboree Heights in the citys southwest and found videos and photos of girls and women on an electronic storage device.

They conducted an examination of all seized devices, CCTV footage and other evidence which led to additional charges against the man. He had initially been charged with five offences.

The child protection and investigation unit also charged him with a number of offences.

In all, he has been charged with 110 charges, including 106 counts of inappropriate observations or recording in breach of privacy, a count each of indecent treatment of a child under 16, and two counts of stalking.

Investigations remain ongoing with detectives appealing for anyone with information or anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity at a shopping centre in Mount Ommaney between November 2023 and January 2024 to contact them, police said.

The man appeared in court on 28 February and was remanded in custody. He is due to appear again on Friday.
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The identities of five bodies found inside the wreck of the luxury superyacht Bayesian have now been confirmed, and include British technology tycoon Mike Lynch.

Also confirmed dead is Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judith Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, all of whom were aboard when the boat sank in a severe storm off the coast of Sicily.

Mr Lynchs 18-year-old daughter Hannah remains missing, with search efforts resuming on Thursday morning and Salvatore Concina, the head of Sicilys civil protection agency, saying it remained their priority to find her.

The 50-metre vessel sank as a fierce storm battered the area overnight, and was flying a British flag, according to ship-tracking site Marine Traffic.

For the latest updates on this story, follow The Independents live blog

What do we know about the missing people on the yacht?

Mike Lynch was among the six tourists who were initially missing after disaster struck. The British technology tycoon founded software giant Autonomy in 1996 and was made an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006. In June, he was cleared of conducting a massive fraud relating to a $11 billion (8.64bn) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

One man, the yachts chef Recaldo Thomas, was the first person confirmed dead, after his body was discovered on Monday in the hours after the sinking.

Loved ones have paid tributes to Mr Thomas, a Canadian-born man who had been living in Antigua, on social media. One said: Rest in Power big man. I dont know what else to say except I love you, and I always will. Another wrote: Going to miss you so much Recaldo Thomas still finding this so hard to believe.

Have you been affected by this story? Email rachel.hagan@independent.co.uk

It is understood that Mr Lynch had planned the superyacht cruise as a celebration with family, employees and lawyers who supported him during the decade-long trial.

Among the 15 survivors rescued from a lifeboat was Mr Lynchs wife Angela Bacares. Another survivor, Charlotte Golunski, 35, told Italian journalists how she saved her one-year-old daughter Sofia from drowning.

The Bayesian sailing boat ( EPA )

She told La Repubblica she lost Sofia for two seconds, adding: I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning. It was all dark. In the water I couldnt keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Ms Golunski is a partner at Mr Lynchs firm, called Invoke Capital.

Charlotte, Sofia and Charlottes husband, James have now been discharged from hospital.

Ayla Reynold, from New Zealand, working at Clifford Chance, also survived the horror with her partner. Her father Lin Ronald confirmed to The Telegraph she had been invited aboard as thanks for assistance in Mr Lynchs recent court case. He said that his daughter had not given many details about what happened, but said: There are deaths and she and her partner are alive.

Two more survivors have also been named as Leah Randall and Katja Chicken. They are both reportedly South African and worked as crew members on the Bayesian.

Where did the yacht sink?

The luxury yacht sunk off the coast of the Sicilian capital of Palermo in Italy.

The 56-metre-long sailboat sank with 22 people on board shortly before sunrise, the Italian coast guard said in a statement.

Map showing where superyacht sank off Sicily ( PA Graphics )

The wind was very strong. Bad weather was expected, but not of this magnitude, a coast guard official in Palermo told Reuters.

Storms and heavy rainfall have swept down Italy in recent days  with floods and landslides causing major damage in the north of the country  after weeks of scorching heat.

The boat left the Sicilian port of Milazzo on 14 August and was last tracked east of Palermo on Sunday evening, with a navigation status of "at anchor", according to vessel tracking app Vesselfinder.

The Bayesian superyacht

The luxury boat, which had been cruising along the Italian coastline, was owned by Revtom, a company registered to Mr Lynchs wife Angela Bacares, which is based on the Isle of Man.

The Bayesian is 56 metres long, according to VesselFinder.

The superyacht can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites and is listed for rent for up to 195,000 euros (166,000) a week.

Bayesian completed several sailings in recent days, calling at various ports in Sicily.

Formerly known as Salute, or health in Italian, its 75-metre mast is the tallest aluminium mast in the world, Italian shipbuilder Perini said on its website.

The route of the Bayeasian yacht took in its final hours before the storm ( vessel finder )

Perini constructed the boat in 2008 and it was last refitted in 2020 and was managed by yachting company Camper & Nicholsons.

Camper and Nicholsons International, confirmed to The Independent that the Bayesian sailing yacht encountered severe weather and subsequently sank.

What do we know about the search

Body bags were seen being taken to the port of Porticello on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning.

Mr Concina said there will be an investigation in due course, but the priority is finding the missing teenager.

As the body bags were taken back to the port, dozens of emergency services staff were waiting, and one bag was seen being put in the back of an ambulance.

Inspections of the yacht's internal hull took place on Wednesday morning after divers succeeded in smashing through a glass window to enter it amid a reportedly difficult search operation.

Five bodies were found in the wreck of the sunken Bayesian yacht on Wednesday ( PA Wire )

A helicopter was drafted in to help the search effort as divers from the local fire service entered the water with torches attached to their headgear. A police boat and divers also entered the water on Wednesday afternoon.

Fire crews said they had been accessing the vessel through natural entrances, without making openings. Remotely controlled underwater vehicles have been used, with naval units and cave divers also taking part in the search, the coastguard said.

A team of four British inspectors from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) also arrived in Porticello to look at the site of the sinking. The MAIB is looking into what happened because the Bayesian was flying a British flag, it is understood. The Italian Coastguard said the MAIB is not involved in the search for the missing people, and that it has not been requested to assist.
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Ukraine has damaged or destroyed three bridges in the Russian region of Kursk as they attempt to consolidate positions gained during their ambitious cross-border assult and cut off supplies to Moscows troops.

The first bridge was destroyed in the village of Glushkovo, around eight miles west of Ukrainian troops inside of Russia, on Friday.

The second was destroyed on Saturday in the village of Zvannoye, a further five miles westward.

The third bridge reportedly destroyed on Sunday night is in the village of Karyzh, a further four miles westward.

All three bridges run over the Seym river that runs through the Kursk region. If Ukraine confirms the destruction of the third bridge, that would mean that Russian forces are now reliant on receiving military equipment via a makeshift pontoon bridge, according to analysts.

The purpose of targeting these bridges is to sever Russian supply lines and trap Moscows troops.

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When Ukraines air force posted footage of the second bridge being blown up on Saturday, their commander Mykola Oleschuk wrote on the Telegram messenger app: 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!

Russian forces fighting between the Seym River and the Ukrainian border may now be stuck, trapped by the waterway behind them and running along their left flank, and the Ukrainian forces trying to advance in front of them and the Ukrainian border on the Russians soldiers right flank. The Seym and the Ukrainian border intersect near the Ukrainian town of Hirky, around six miles from the allegedly latest bridge strike in the Russian village of Karyzh.

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.

If Ukrainian forces were to take that area, roughly 221 square miles worth of territory, it would enlarge the area of the Kursk region that they control by almost 50 per cent.

Previous estimates from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US-based think tank, suggested that Ukrainian forces had taken around 300 square miles. The attack, which appears as a bulge into mainland Russia, is around 37 miles wide and almost 17 miles deep.
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British tech tycoon Mike Lynch is among the six people missing after a superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily, The Independent understands.

The 59-year-old is known for founding Invoke Capital and Autonomy Corporation and has been in the headlines after he was cleared of charges in a high-profile fraud case.

Mr Lynch was on the boat, named Bayesian, which sank in bad weather in the early hours of Monday near the Sicilian capital Palermo.

There were 12 guests and 10 crew on board - of whom 15 have been rescued including Mr Lynchs wife, The Independent understands.

Sources have also confirmed that Mr Lynch is the owner of the vessel.

A body, believed to be that of the superyachts chef, has been found, according to local media, with pictures showing a body bag being brought to shore where ambulances were stationed.

Once dubbed the British Bill Gates, Mr Lynch and his wife Angela Bacares were valued at 852m in 2023 by the Sunday Times Rich List.

Mike Lynch in 2011 ( PA Archive )

His disappearance following the superyacht sinking comes just weeks after he was cleared of all charges by a US jury related to the sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.

Mr Lynch founded Autonomy in 1996 using technology he developed as a Cambridge student. HP claimed, just a year after the sale, that Mr Lynch had used accounting tricks to artificially inflate its value before the sale

He was then extradited to the US last May for a trial that acquitted him on all 15 counts over the 11-billion dollar (8.64 billion) purchase of his company.

Mr Lynch said on Radio 4 that being acquitted was indescribable and believed he could only clear his name because of his huge wealth.

He said most people, even if they sold all their assets, would run out of funds in a matter of months, to cover the legal fees, a situation that he said has to change.

Have you been affected by this story? Email rachel.hagan@independent.co.uk

Born near Chelmsford, Essex, to a nurse mother and father fireman, Mr Lynch said his father regretted not having the chance to attend university. He told LeadersIn: "He realised the importance of education so that was something that was very much fostered in my home.

When he was 11 years old, he won a scholarship to study at Bancroft's School in Woodford Green and then studied natural sciences at the University of Cambridge.

He set up his first company in the 1980s, with a 2,000 loan from the manager of a band, producing audio products for the recording industry, The Guardian reported.

Mr Lynch has a string of accolades including being awarded an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006. That same year, he was appointed to the BBCs board. He was also elected to former prime minister David Camerons council for science and technology in 2011.

A representative for Dr Lynch declined to comment.
 Close Final moments of seven who died in Bayesian tragedy revealed by fire service boss

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The captain of the Bayesian has insisted that he did everything possible to save those on board the superyacht, according to local reports.

Sources close to James Cutfield, 51, told the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera that the 51-year-old New Zealander is currently living through the darkest days of his life as he is under investigation for possible manslaughter and culpable shipwreck charges.

They reportedly said Mr Cutfield repeatedly insists that he did not abandon any of the 22 passengers and crew and that he did everything could could to save them.

However, there reached a point when he could do little as the vessel had taken on too much water, they added.

Since Wednesday, Tim Parker Eaton, the engineer who was in charge of securing the yachts engine room, and sailor Matthew Griffith, who was on watch duty on the night of the disaster, are also under investigation for the same possible charges, their lawyer said on Friday.

British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among the seven people who were killed after his superyacht capsized and went down on 19 August within minutes of being hit by a pre-dawn storm off the coast of Sicily.
The Ukrainian village of Bilopillia is about four miles from the border with Russia, opposite the Kursk region, where Kyivs troops are two weeks into an attack that caught Russia by surprise.

Bilopillia is now paying the price for that audacious assault, as Vladimir Putins forces carpet the border region with aerial strikes.

Piotr Kaszuwara  the head of a Polish humanitarian aid group called UA Future, which has been delivering food and medicine to Bilopillia  says the village has suffered intensive airstrikes involving rockets and deadly glide-bombs. Ive been coming to Ukraine since 2022, and this was the worst bombing I was under. At times I thought I wouldnt get out alive, he says.

Bilopillia lies northwest of Sumy City, the regions capital, and the road there was suspiciously free of any military traffic when The Independent arrived. Soon afterwards, four glide bombs hit the village, but it was unclear why it had been targeted, given it was free of any visible Ukrainian military presence.

A little later, we learnt that Ukrainian forces, who had probably been hiding in forests and deserted houses for days, had attacked the Russian town of Tetkino, just over the border, to throw the Russian troops responding to the incursion into Kursk off kilter. There had not been any military traffic so as not to arouse the suspicions of Russian forces monitoring the area with surveillance drones.

A Su-34 bomber belonging to the Russian air force drops a glide bomb on Ukraines Sumy region, in video released by the Russian defence ministry ( Via AP )

In recent days, Alla, 52, and her husband Sasha, 61, have seen their house damaged by the strikes. The glide bomb fell some 80yds behind their home  a 40-year-old man sustained bad leg and head injuries and was taken to the hospital. Windows in their home are blown out, and plaster from the ceilings and walls covers the floor.

The people of the village have set up an alert system of their own, monitoring the many official and unofficial websites that assess the military situation and provide warnings about aerial threats. While we are there, Allas neighbour tells her that another alert has gone out, saying that six glide bombs are heading in their direction.

As we hurry inside the house, Sasha suggests: Lets go to the cellar, but theres no light. Alla is concerned, too: This place is so rickety that if anything hits it, it is going to collapse on top of us and well be buried alive.

The group disperses across a number of ground-floor rooms, avoiding large windows that could splinter into dangerous shards. Alla sits on the edge of the bath in the couples bathroom, trying to adhere to the rule of two walls. Ukrainians are advised to shelter with an outer wall and at least one inner wall between them and the potential blast.

She is trembling uncontrollably, and holds out her hands to show how much they are shaking. Sorry, she says, struggling to summon a smile. Its been like this whenever theres an alert since our house was hit.

Residents work to fix damaged homes in Bilopillia ( Reuters )

Within a few minutes, there are four big explosions. Perhaps the other two bombs exploded far away, or they were duds, or the information was wrong. Whatever the case, they have done their job  to instil terror. Later, we hear that two people were wounded in that strike, and the village railway station was damaged.

Some time after my colleagues and I left, a glide bomb landed near Alla and Sashas home, shaking it and shattering some of the remaining windows. They were unhurt, but a male neighbour who had greeted us was killed, and his daughter was seriously injured. Emergency services dug the two out from beneath the rubble of their home, and said it appeared that the father had sheltered his daughter with his own body, creating a protective cavity that enabled her to survive.

The Independent contacted Alla and Sasha to check on them. They said they were unharmed, but asked for a replacement phone, as theirs had been damaged, and for some modest supplies  tea, coffee, tinned food.

Ukrainian forces say their assault on Kursk is still gaining ground  albeit at a much slower pace than during the first days of the attack  as Moscow sends in more of its own forces backed by large quantities of armoured vehicles, artillery and planes. The situation around Tetkino is unclear, with Moscow denying that Ukraine has made substantial inroads in that area.

Ukrainian servicemen ride atop an armoured vehicle at the Russian-Ukrainian border in Ukraines Sumy region ( AP )

While the Kursk incursion has definitely been a morale booster for Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, its too early to call it the total success that Kyiv is trumpeting. It has likely achieved one of its main aims  to show that Ukraine can use the equipment supplied by the West superbly if allowed to use it freely, thereby prompting Western allies to give more... much more.

However, the operation has not yet fully succeeded in another of its major aims  to force Russia to redeploy its troops to Kursk from the Donetsk area of eastern Ukraine, where the Russians are pushing on relentlessly and making small, but cumulatively important, advances (albeit at a very high cost to themselves in men and materiel).

The Kursk operation was intended to shake up and break out of this almost static but bloody attritional situation  which currently favours Russia, because Putin appears indifferent to how many Russians die.

Some Russian forces have apparently been redeployed from battlefields in Ukrainian occupied territory, but not in the kind of numbers that will significantly relieve the situation for Ukrainian defenders, who have lost a string of small villages and ground in the past week.

The Ukrainian military has prepared fallback positions from important locations such as Chasiv Yar and Pokrovsk, with some units who have spoken to the press warning that they may have to withdraw in the coming weeks. Remaining civilians in Ukrainian-held areas close to the intense fighting have been urged to evacuate as rapidly as possible.

But on the border between Sumy and Kursk, Sasha, an ethnic Russian, says he is pleased that the Ukrainians have gone into Russian territory: Let [the Russians] feel some of the pain they have been inflicting on innocent people here for years.
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British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among the people initially unaccounted for after his superyacht Bayesian sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday.

On Saturday morning, Italian authorities announced a manslaughter investigation had been launched into the deaths of seven people, after a five-day operation that has seen divers carefully navigating their way into the cabin bedrooms.

After a decade-long legal battle which had seen him extradited to the US to face an $11bn fraud case, Mr Lynch had celebrated by inviting his close friends, colleagues and those who helped him on his legal team aboard his boat as a gesture of gratitude.

Mike Lynch missing ( PA Archive )

Yet a week of sunshine along the Italian coastline would soon turn to horror after the boat capsized shortly before dawn, only offering those onboard a few minutes to get themselves to safety.

British tech mogul Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among the seven people who died after the Bayesian superyacht sank near Porticello at about 5am local time on Monday.

Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judith Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo also died.

The British-flagged vessel named Bayesian was carrying 12 passengers and 10 members of crew when it sank at around 5am local time near the Sicilian capital of Palermo.

The yachts chef, Recaldo Thomas, is already confirmed to have died after his body was recovered from the wreck on Monday, while 15 survivors were rescued.

Here's what we know about the 22 people on board:

Mike Lynch

Hannah and Mike Lynch ( Supplied )

British technology tycoon Mike Lynch had been in the headlines long before the boat incident following being the centre of a high-profile fraud case.

The 59-year-old is known for founding Invoke Capital and Autonomy, and his disappearance comes just weeks after he was cleared of all charges by a US jury related to the sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.

HP claimed, just a year after the sale, that Mr Lynch had used accounting tricks to artificially inflate its value before the sale. He spent 13 months under house arrest before being extradited to the US last May for a trial that acquitted him in June this year on all 15 counts.

Mr Lynch told a Sunday Times journalist last month that he was about to go on a very long holiday.

In June, he spoke of his indescribable relief at being back at home in Suffolk with his wife, daughters and their six dogs. He told reporters: I am looking forward to returning to the UK and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field.

Angela Bacares

Mike Lynch and Angela Bacares ( Desmond O'Neill )

Wife of Mike Lynch, 57-year-old Angela Bacares managed to escape to safety and is in a wheelchair with abrasions on her feet that prevent her from walking, according to la Repubblica.

The newspaper said she told doctors that at 4am, the boat had tilted and she and her husband were woken up.

Under Angela Bacares name, the couples estimated wealth is 852m, the Sunday Times Rich List revealed in 2023. They have a house in Chelsea, west London, but primarily live on their farm in Suffolk with their six dogs and rare breeds of pigs and cows.

Hannah Lynch

Hannah Lynch ( Supplied )

Mr Lynch was travelling with his daughter Hannah, whose body was lifted ashore on Friday afternoon.

The 18-year-old had just completed her A-levels and secured a place to read English at Oxford University. Hannahs former English teacher Jon Mitropoulos-Monk said she was one of the best English students in the country having scored 100% in her English Literature GCSE.

Patrick Jacob, a family friend, paid tribute to her on Friday, saying: Hannah was charming and ferociously intelligent with an insatiable thirst for life and knowledge. She was also warm, loving and deeply considerate; remarkably for her age. I am 50 years older than her and in my life I have never met anybody like Hannah. We have lost one of our brightest stars whose future held so much promise. Her loss is unbearable.

Chris Morvillo

Neda Morvillo and Chris Morvillo ( Patrick McMullan via Getty Image )

Chris Morvillo is a lawyer who represented Mr Lynch in his US trial. He is a partner at the Clifford Chance law firm who confirmed on Tuesday he was among the six missing.

In his most recent LinkedIn post, he thanked the legal team that helped win Mr Lynchs trial. At the end of the post, he thanked his family for their support: And, finally, a huge thank you to my patient and incredible wife, Neda Morvillo, and my two strong, brilliant, and beautiful daughters, Sabrina Morvillo and Sophia Morvillo.

None of this would have been possible without your love and support. I am so glad to be home. And they all lived happily ever after.

Neda Morvillo

Chris Morvillos 57-year-old wife Neda was with him on the holiday. She has a luxury jewellery brand, which she runs under her maiden name Neda Nassiri.

Her husbands firm Clifford Chance said in a statement: Our thoughts are with our partner, Christopher Morvillo, and his wife Neda who are among the missing.

Jonathan Bloomer

Jonathan Bloomer ( PA Media )

Another of those confirmed to be dead is lawyer Jonathan Bloomer who is the chairman of investment bank Morgan Stanley International.

He is also chairman of the insurance provider Hiscox, which confirmed he is missing. Its group chief executive Aki Hussain said they were deeply shocked and saddened by the news.

Mr Bloomer was a defence witness for Mr Lynch during his US criminal trial and the pair are believed to be good friends, according to the Financial Times.

Judy Bloomer

Jonathan and Judy Bloomer ( Family Handout/PA )

Jonathan Bloomers wife Judy was also on board the yacht and has been confirmed dead.

Mr Hussain said in his statement: Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing.

Mrs Bloomer is on the board of The Eve Appeal charity, which focuses on gynaecological cancers. The charity described her as a brilliant champion for womens health and medical research... an incredible supporter, committee member, and trustee of our charity for over 20 years.

Recaldo Thomas

Recaldo Thomas ( Facebook )

Recaldo Thomas was the superyachts chef and the first person whose death was confirmed.

The Canadian-Antiguan national was found by the Italian coastguard near the sunken boat. A friend of Mr Thomas, who asked to remain anonymous, said the yachting community has been saddened by his death.

She told The Independent: He was a one-of-a-kind special human being. Incredibly talented, contagious smile and laugh, an incredible voice with a deep love of the ocean and the moon. I spoke to him nearly every day. He loved his life his friends and his job.

Ayla Ronald

Ayla Ronald ( Clifford Chance )

Ayla Ronald and her partner are two of the 15 who survived the yacht disaster, law firm Clifford Chance confirmed.

The 36-year-old worked defended Mr Lynch in court and was on the trip as part of the celebration for his acquittal.

Clifford Chance said in a statement: Our utmost priority is providing support to the family as well as our colleague Ayla Ronald, who together with her partner, thankfully survived the incident.

She is originally from Christchurch, New Zealand, but lives in London, her father Lin Ronald told The Telegraph, saying she was very shaken.

Mr Ronald said that she was invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.

Matthew

Aylas partner Matthew also survived the boat disaster. There is little more known about his background or condition.

Charlotte Golunski

Charlotte Golunskys face covered by an officer from the British embassy as she leaves hospital in Italy ( REUTERS )

Charlotte Golunskis testimony of the ordeal on the ship were some of the first to be published after she was rescued along with her one-year-old daughter, Sofia.

She spoke to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, confirming she survived the yacht sinking and told how she kept her daughter alive after she was rescued. She said: I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning. It was all dark. In the water I couldnt keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.

The 35-year-old is a partner at Invoke Capital, one of Mr Lynchs law firms, and has worked there since 2012, according to her LinkedIn profile.

James Emsley

Ms Golunksis partner James Emsley was also rescued from the yacht, according to Sicilys civil protection agency. There is little information on him, but it has been confirmed the 36-year-old is the father of her one-year-old daughter.

Sofia

One-year-old Sofia was rescued from the water by her mother and subsequently looked after in hospital.

Ms Golunski told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that her family survived only because they were on deck when the yacht sank after encountering a heavy storm.

Dr Domenico Cipolla told local media that the family have had a physical and psychological upheaval of their lives.

He said the hospital provided toys for the baby, cuddles, and fed them because they were frightened and hungry.

The family of three left the Di Cristina Childrens Hospital in a black van on Tuesday via a back entrance today. They were accompanied by an officer from the British embassy, who covered the familys faces with a jacket to hide them from a huddle of photographers.

James Catfield

The captain of the superyacht James Catfield survived the horror and broke his silence on Tuesday with just five words.

He said: We didnt see it coming and was described as limp as he waited outside an emergency room in the Sicilian town of Termini Imerese, according to local media.

Leo Eppel

The Italian coastguard confirmed on Tuesday evening that Leo Eppel, a crew member, also survived the yacht sinking.
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Six people are missing and one is dead after a super yacht capsized off the coast of Sicily last night. A violent storm led the vessel  named Bayesian  to capsize in the early hours near the port of Porticello.

Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer is amongst the missing, alongside UK tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and Salvatore Cocina, who is head of the civil protection agency in Sicily. The boat was carrying 22 people when it capsized, with 15 now rescued.

The incident comes after Mr Lynch, 59, was cleared in a high-profile fraud case in June. The Autonomy founder was acquitted of charges related to the 2011 multi-billion dollar sale of his company to HP.

Rescue operations continue after the luxury yacht sank off Sicily ( REUTERS )

If convicted by a jury, Mr Lynch would have been facing up to 20 years in prison. He had invited colleagues and family on board the yacht to celebrate his legal victory, with several onboard being involved in the trial.

Amongst these was Mr Bloomer, 70, who was called to the stand by Mr Lynchs team during the trial. The British banking boss was chairman of Autonomys audit committee during its sale to HP, and told the jury that Mr Lynch wasnt particularly interested in the finance side.

For the latest updates on the story, follow The Independents live coverage

Mike was mostly interested in the strategy, new products, new areas to look at  he didnt come to the audit committee, he had added.

Mr Bloomer now remains one of the six missing passengers of the Bayesian, with British and Italian authorities working to find them. A spokesperson for for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected.

Who is Jonathan Bloomer?

Jonathan Bloomer speaking in 2002 ( Getty Images )

Mr Bloomer has been the chairman of Morgan Stanley International since 2018, and last year was also made chairman of the Hiscox international insurance group.

He began his career at the now-defunct American accounting firm Arthur Andersen, working there for 20 years from 1974 to 1994. Mr Bloomer then spent the next ten years at Prudential, an insurance firm based in the UK, eventually becoming group CEO until 2005.

Mr Bloomer has held several other roles since 2005, and alongside his chairman roles at Morgan Stanley and Hiscox, he also chairs property company SDL Group Holdings.

The businessman was chair of Autonomys audit committee from September 2010 until its sale in October 2011. This is likely where he met and became friends with Mr Lynch.
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Israel must agree a ceasefire deal now and bring the remaining hostages home before they all die, families and friends said on Tuesday as the bodies of six more captives  including a British-Israeli citizen  were retrieved from Gaza.

Nadav Popplewell, 51, who is originally form Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was retrieved by Israeli forces in an overnight operation along with Yagev Buchshtab, 35; Alexander Dancyg, 76; Avraham Munder, 79; Yoram Metzger, 80; and Chaim Perry, 80.

We need to start bringing people home alive and not dead  and that needs to happen soon, said Adele Raemer, an American-Israeli teacher who lived three doors down from Mr Popplewells family in Kibbutz Nirim and was a family friend.

The Israeli military has already done a lot of damage in Gaza, and I expect progress. [The hostages] have been there long enough, she said.

It came as US secretary of state Antony Blinken was in Egypt seeking to keep truce talks on track, while inside Gaza at least 12 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school that was housing displaced people in northern Gaza City. Israel said it had targeted a Hamas command centre at the site.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called out prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not acting quicker in talks, saying the recovery of the bodies shows that a deal is needed now.

Enough with the briefings, enough with the tweets, enough with the rhymes in front of cameras, he said. All of Netanyahus attempts to sabotage the negotiations should stop. A deal now, before they all die.

Gil Dickmann, whose cousin Carmel Gat, 39, is among the remaining hostages, said the news that all six hostages were confirmed dead and the bodies returned was devastating for the families of those who are still held in the bombarded strip.

A body is carried from the site of the Israeli strike on a school in Rimal, Gaza City on Tuesday ( Getty )

It shows how urgent it is to get the others out. There are still tens of hostages held in [Hamass] tunnels who may be breathing their last breath now, he told The Independent. Its unjust that we have let them rot for more than 300 days, with no solution on the horizon.

Calling it a global obligation to get them out, Mr Dickmann also criticised Mr Netanyahu for suggesting there may be no hostage deal on the table.

If we dont push for a deal now we are going to lose the lives of more hostages. Its not too late to save many of them.

These six hostages should have been saved if there had been a deal on time in November. There are tens of hostages that are alive and in the hands of Hamas. If we dont act quickly, they will share the same fate.

In May, Hamas released a video claiming that Mr Popplewell, who was among the 250 taken hostage during its 7 October attack on Israel, died after being wounded in an Israeli airstrike in April. A month later the Israeli military confirmed Mr Popplewells death saying he was among four hostages killed while together in the area of Khan Younis during our operation there against Hamas.

Mr Popplewell, a diabetic, was captured along with his 79-year-old mother, Channah Peri; she was freed during a November ceasefire in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. His brother was killed in the attack.

Palestinians carry their children as they flee after the Israeli strike on a school in Rimal, Gaza City ( Getty )

In a statement about the recovery of the bodies, Mr Netanyahu said our hearts ache for the terrible loss.

Inside Gaza, the civil defence authority  first responders operating under Hamas  said rescuers were struggling to recover missing people believed to be trapped under the rubble at Mustafa Hafez school in western Rimal after the Israeli strike. Among the dead was Hamza Murtaja, a Palestinian journalist whose family said he produced news reports from Gaza for multiple foreign media outlets.

Moatassim Murtaja said his brother Hamza had gone to the school to record interviews with some of the 700 displaced civilians who were sheltering there.

The Israeli military bombed the school as he was working. I called the civil defence to find out what happened and they told me my brother had been killed, he told The Independent. He said his other brother, Yasser Murtaja, also a journalist, had been killed in 2018.

I am begging the world to stop the violence and the killing of the journalists. This the second brother who is a journalist that I have lost.

Israels military said it had conducted a precise strike on militants operating within a Hamas command and control centre which had been embedded inside the school and was used to plan attacks against its troops and Israel. It said numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians.

Israel also continued its offensive in the southern Gaza Strip, with further intense fire reported in Khan Younis.

Egypts president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi with US secretary of state Antony Blinken on Tuesday ( Getty )

Ahmad, a Palestinian fleeing the area following Israeli evacuation orders, told The Independent: Even in the so-called humanitarian areas which arent under evacuation orders the drones were shooting everywhere, we had bullet holes in our tent.

We had to flee by foot as there were so many cars blocking the road.

Israels bombardment of Gaza following the Hamas attack has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the strip. Air and ground operations have caused an unprecedented level of destruction and forced the vast majority of the enclaves 2.3 million residents to flee their homes, many of them multiple times.

In Egypt, Mr Blinken met President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, whose country has been helping mediate the on-off talks for months, along with the US and Qatar. Mr Sisi said after the meeting that it was time to put an end to the war and warned of the conflict expanding in the region, with the Middle East still waiting for Iran to retaliate against the killing of a Hamas leader on its soil.

But challenges clearly remain over a deal. Mr Netanyahu is said to have told a group of families of fallen soldiers and Gaza hostages opposing a ceasefire deal that he is not sure there will be a breakthrough.

Meanwhile, Hamas said the latest proposal presented to it was a reversal of what it previously agreed, and accused Washington of acquiescing to what it called new conditions from Israel.
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The US secretary of state Antony Blinken says Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted a bridging proposal for a ceasefire deal in Gaza,

Mr Blinken said a two-and-a-half hour meeting with Mr Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Monday had been very constructive and urged Hamas to also accept the proposals.

He had warned earlier in the day that the latest Gaza ceasefire talks are maybe the last opportunity to secure a hostage release and truce agreement and are a decisive moment.

The talks in Qatar, also involving Egypt, paused at the end of last week without a breakthrough, with Hamas casting doubt on the prospects of a deal, but have resumed this week based on what Washington has called a bridging proposal.

Mr Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv: In a very constructive meeting with prime minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal, that he supports it.

Blinken meets with Israel's president Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv on Monday ( AP )

Its now incumbent on Hamas to do the same, and then the parties, with the help of the mediators  the United States, Egypt and Qatar  have to come together and complete the process of reaching clear understandings about how theyll implement the commitments that theyve made under this agreement.

On his ninth trip to the region since the start of the war in Gaza, Mr Blinken has already talked to Israels leaders, seeking to get Mr Netanyahu to sign off on a deal. Mr Netanyahus office said the three-hour meeting was held in a good atmosphere and that Israel backed Washingtons proposal. The secretary of state also met with Israeli president Isaac Herzog.

Hamas has accused Mr Netanyahu of thwarting the mediators efforts, and Turkey said after meeting Hamas envoys that Gazas ruling group had told it that US officials were painting an overly optimistic picture of the talks. Mr Netanyahu told Israels cabinet on Sunday that we are conducting negotiations and not a scenario in which we just give and give, suggesting that all the optimistic talk may not yet be reflected in the ceasefire talks themselves.

However, a US official, when asked by Reuters if the Hamas comments amounted to a rejection of the deal, responded that Washington believes the bridging proposal it outlined last week addresses various concerns and would iron out difficult implementation aspects.

The war in Gaza was triggered by a Hamas attack inside southern Israel on 7 October during which around 1,000 people were killed and another 250 were taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. Of those, some 110 are still believed to be in Gaza, though Israeli authorities say around a third are dead. More than 100 hostages were released in November during a weeklong ceasefire.

In response to the Hamas attack, Israel has launched an air and ground offensive and a blockade, which health officials in Gaza say has killed more than 40,000 people and devastated the besieged strip, forcing the majority of Gazas 2.3 million residents out of their homes.

The main UN agency in Gaza, UNRWA, said on Monday that 207 of its staff had been killed since the war began. They were engineers, teachers, medical staff. They were humanitarian workers, it said in a statement.

Speaking in Tel Aviv before meeting Mr Herzog, Mr Blinken said he was also working to de-escalate other regional tensions fuelled by the war in Gaza.

The US diplomat described the current moment as probably the best, maybe the last opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security.

An Israeli strike in central Gaza on Sunday ( Reuters )

He said Mr Biden had sent him to get this agreement to the line and ultimately over the line.

The Gaza conflict has put the entire Middle East region on edge, triggering months of border clashes between Israel and Lebanons Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, and threatening a wider escalation involving major powers.

Tensions have been further stoked by the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil late last month, which Tehran has blamed on Israel, vowing revenge. Possible retaliation from Hezbollah  with Israel having killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut a few hours before Haniyeh was assassinated  is also contributing to the growing concerns over a wider war.

Mr Blinken acknowledged that it was a fraught moment for Israel, where there are concerns about potential attacks by Iran and Hezbollah. He said: Were working to make sure that there is no escalation, that there are no provocations, that there are no actions that in any way move us away from getting this deal over the line, or for that matter, escalating the conflict to other places and to greater intensity.

The evolving multi-phase truce deal has several main principles, including Hamas releasing all hostages abducted during its 7 October attack and Israel withdrawing its forces from Gaza and releasing Palestinians held in its jails.

Hamas accuses Israel of adding new demands, such as maintaining a military presence along the Gaza-Egypt border to prevent arms smuggling and along a line bisecting the territory so it can search Palestinians returning to their homes in the north. Israel said those were not new demands but clarifications of a previous proposal.

Officials said the US has presented proposals to bridge all the gaps remaining between the Israeli and Hamas positions. Formal responses to the US outline are expected this week and could lead to a ceasefire declaration, unless the talks collapse, as has happened with a number of previous efforts.

Mr Blinken is due to visit Egypt on Tuesday.
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A rocket has exploded in a huge fireball during a test at a UK spaceport.

The spacecraft was engulfed in flames after what its creators said was an anomaly that had led to the loss of the stage.

The spacecraft company behind the test at the Shetlands spaceport says that it is looking to return to regular operations as quickly as it can.

On Monday at 9.42pm, Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) announced one of its spacecraft had been launched as part of a test at SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Isles, but an anomaly led to the loss of the stage.

Nobody was injured during the incident.

A spokesperson for RFA said: On Monday evening, RFA (Rocket Factory Augsburg) conducted a hot fire of its first stage at their launch site at SaxaVord Spaceport.

This resulted in an anomaly that led to the loss of the stage. No-one was injured in the process.

The launch pad has been saved and is secured, the situation is under control, and any immediate danger has been mitigated.

RFA says it is now working with the spaceport and the authorities to find out what led to the incident.

The RFA spokesperson added: We develop iteratively with an emphasis on real testing.

This is part of our philosophy and we were aware of the higher risks attached to this approach. Our goal is to return to regular operations as soon as possible.

We will keep you updated on our channels. Until them we kindly ask for your patience.

A spokesperson for SaxaVord said: This was a test, and test campaigns are designed to identify issues prior to the next stage.

We will work with RFA to understand and learn from the causes and support them as they move forward to the next phase of their preparations.

Additional reporting by agencies
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The FAA has issued a mandatory inspection order for Boeing 787 Dreamliners after 50 people were injured in a nosedive incident earlier this year.

A LATAM Airlines flight from Sydney, Australia to Auckland, New Zealand abruptly dropped midair in March. 50 of the 263 passengers and crew on board were injured, with several people flying out of their seats and hitting the roof of the plane.

The FAA said the dive was caused by a seat in the cockpit jolting forward and disconnecting from the autopilot system, NBC News reports. The FAA has received four additional reports of similar issues since.

At the time, the pilot reported losing control of the plane after the gauges went blank.

Now, plane operators are required to complete inspections of all 787s within 30 days. This will impact 158 planes in the US and another 737 worldwide, Reuters reports.

We fully support the FAAs Airworthiness Directive which makes mandatory a suppliers guidance to 787 operators, a Boeing spokesperson told The Independent. A seat manufacturer had sent guidance on inspection procedures to operators last month.

open image in gallery A paramedic walks on board the LATAM Airlines flight that suddenly dropped midair, injuring 50 passengers in March ( Brian Adam Jokat via REUTERS )

One passenger described a harrowing experience when the plane dropped.

The plane, unannounced, just dropped. I mean it dropped unlike anything Ive ever experienced on any kind of minor turbulence, and people were thrown out of their seats, hit the top of the roof of the plane, throwing down the aisles, passenger Brian Jokat told the BBC.

My neighbor who was in the seat two over from me, there was a gap in between us, as soon as I woke I looked and he was on the ceiling and I thought I was dreaming, he continued.

The FAA investigated Boeings 787 Dreamliners earlier this year, looking into whether the company completed the required inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records. The investigation came after Boeing told the FAA in April that some employees may have skipped proper examinations of electrical safeguards in the joins between the wings and the fuselage.

Scott Stocker, head of Boeings 787 program, said the missed inspections were due to employee misconduct and said that those responsible had received swift and serious corrective action.

Meanwhile, Boeing is burning through more than $1 billion a month, as parts shortages and other issues leave the company with some 200 unfinished jets, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The company is also reeling from a high-profile incident earlier this year.

On January 5, a door plug fell off a Boeing 737 Max mid-flight. While there were no deaths on board the Alaska Airlines flight, the incident left several passengers traumatized.

Several whistleblowers then came forward, including Sam Salehpour, a quality engineer who told a US Senate subcommittee that his boss threatened him after he voiced concerns.

Whistleblower Roy Irvin, a Boeing quality investigator, previously told The Independent there are other things hiding in the bushes that may cause future disaster.

I hope theres no more but I feel there may be other things hiding in the bushes, he told The Independent. The door blowout really hit home for me because I predicted this.

Irvin said the aircraft manufacturer was infested with yes men and bean-counters, and that the company would tear down and rebuild to make significant progress.

Meanwhile, a Boeing spokesperson told The Independent at the time they take allegations of unsafe work practices very seriously.

We continuously encourage employees to report concerns as our priority is to ensure the safety of our airplanes and the flying public, and we will take any necessary action to ensure our airplanes meet regulatory requirements, the spokesperson said.
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Japans New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido experienced major disruptions after a pair of scissors went missing from a store near the boarding gates on Saturday.

The security checks were halted for about two hours in the morning, leading to the cancellation of 36 flights and the delay of 201 others, which left thousands of travellers stranded.

Passengers reportedly had to retake security screenings due to the missing pair of scissors.

The airport was particularly busy on the day as people were returning home after the Bon holiday  a traditional Japanese festival celebrated to honour deceased ancestors.

The Hokkaido airports management confirmed that all domestic flights were grounded for two hours due to suspended security checks.

A store in the departure lounge misplaced the scissors, leading to the suspension of security checks shortly after 10am, The Japan News reported.

The pair of scissors was found the next day in the same store by a worker, but the airport only announced their recovery on Monday after verifying they were indeed the lost pair.

New Chitose Airport is a major hub, handling over 15 million passengers in 2022.

Many affected travellers expressed their frustration, hoping for better safety practices in the future. One traveller said: I dont think we have any choice [but to wait], but I do hope they are a bit more careful about it.

Another said: So many things to worry about these days it never ends. And I dont feel safe until I get home.

The ministry of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism has requested an investigation into the incident to prevent future occurrences.

The international airport acknowledged that the problem was due to inadequate storage and management and emphasised the importance of safety protocols.

A spokesperson was quoted as saying by the BBC: We recognise that this occurred as a result of insufficient storage and management systems at the store. We are aware that this is also an incident that could be linked to hijacking or terrorism, and will once again work to ensure thorough management awareness.

Despite the disruption, several social media users praised the airports handling of the situation, highlighting the effectiveness of Japans aviation safety measures.

On Saturday, around 30 passengers were forced to spend the night at the airport due to the disruption to flights. To accommodate them, the airport reportedly provided sleeping bags and mats on the fourth floor of the terminal, according to the Dimsum Daily.

The Independent has reached out to the New Chitose Airport for comment.
Joe Bidens daughter, Ashley, described him as the OG girl dad in an emotional speech at the Democratic National Convention on Monday 19 August.

Ashley and first lady Dr Jill Biden spoke directly ahead of the 46th president in Chicago, discussing how he led their family through dark times  the same way, they said, he had led the Democratic Party and the nation.

The presidents youngest child also recalled her fathers support for her as an independent woman growing up.

Joe Biden is the OG girl dad, Ashley said.

He told me I could be anything, and I could do anything.
He finally said it, right at the end of a speech that confirmed the wisdom of those who forced him to step aside as the Democratic Partys candidate: he was too old to stay as president. Joe Biden has not, until now, given a reason for his withdrawal from the election.

It was a poor speech, not because he slurred his words and stumbled over phrases, but because it was one-note  literally a single, slightly shouted tone. But also metaphorically: one long, self-righteous tirade tinged with bitterness.

On the surface, the anger was aimed at Donald Trump and the threat he poses to democracy, but it wasnt hard to hear the resentment at being pushed out of the arena to which Biden has devoted his entire adult life.

It was audible despite the repeated tributes to Kamala and Tim. He opened by asking delegates at the Democratic National Convention if they were ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. (They were.) He boasted of his record in office: We have had one of the most extraordinary periods of progress ever  when I say we, I mean Kamala and me.

He gave the vice-president-soon-to-be-president star billing in the story of how we finally beat Big Pharma, as she cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate to cut prescription drug prices.

She was even the beneficiary of the only humour in the 45-minute speech. Like many of our best presidents, she was also a vice-president, he said, referring to his eight years as Barack Obamas deputy. Thats a joke, he added, too hastily.

But everyone knows that he had to be pushed into giving way to her. The Democratic Partys guilt about what it, collectively, had done to its leader was expressed in an extravagant display of gratitude. The start of his speech, already long delayed, was held up further by five minutes of cheering and chanting  We love Joe and Thank you, Joe  and occasionally interrupted by more of the same.

Prominent among the wavers of We  Joe placards was Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the House of Representatives who played the decisive role along with Obama in easing Biden out as the partys candidate. Politics can be brutal sometimes.

The placards and chants were magnificently double edged, praising him while pleading with him to go quietly. Thank you, Joe for realising that your position had become untenable and for doing the right thing, rather late in the day, to improve the chances of defeating Trump. We love you, Joe for going with good grace, or at least the best grace you can muster publicly, and for refraining from dividing the party, which, as president, you could so easily do.

Despite the effusive show of love for Biden on the convention floor, party managers had done their best to relegate his speech, putting it in the graveyard TV slot of 11.30pm Eastern Time.

'Democracy has prevailed', Joe Biden says in DNC speech

That means that most Americans will see only short clips: of Biden saying that the US is at an inflection point and that this election will determine the fate of the nation and the world for decades to come; or of him praising Harris as tough, experienced and with enormous integrity; or of him attacking Trump: Trump says hell refuse to accept the result if he loses again  he means it; we cant let that happen.

They wont see or hear the repetitive lists of Bidens own achievements. They wont hear him mangle the one attempt by his speech writers at a poetic analogy: Now its summer  an echo of Ronald Reagans Its morning again in America  as Biden reported that democracy has prevailed now democracy must be preserved. And they wont hear the unmistakeable, sustained note of anger underlying the long, unstructured address.

They may not hear why it was a speech that showed that the party was right to force him to step aside.
Firm swings back into the black after difficulties arising from Russias war

Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine led to the sanctions. Photo: Getty

The Irish arm of aircraft lessor Boc Aviation last year recorded pre-tax profits of $308.19m (278.8m), mainly due to a $258m insurance payment received concerning 11 aircraft detained in Russia.

New accounts filed by the Dublin-based Boc Aviation (Ireland) Ltd show that the pre-tax profit of $308.19m followed a pre-tax loss of $347.3m in the prior year  a positive swing of $655m.

The lessor returned to profit in 2023 as the $258m insurance settlement proceeds from a Russian insurance company contributed to revenues and other income increasing by 14pc from $623.2m to $710.6m.

The directors state that insurance proceeds were in respect of 11 of the 15 aircraft owned by the firm and detained in Russia.

The insurance settlement concerning the 11 aircraft coincided with the companys professional fee costs increasing by 194pc from $2.7m to $7.98m.

The directors state that it is continuing to pursue claims in respect of aircraft currently or formerly detained in Russia.

In the prior year, the losses were due to the firm recording a net write-down of $420.5m concerning the 15 aircraft which had their leases terminated in March 2022 in compliance with sanctions imposed on Russia by several nations arising from its invasion of Ukraine.

In 2023, the companys leases fee income was down marginally from $383.55m to $380.04m and the directors state that in general, 2023 saw a return to growth across the industry with traffic recovery near to 2019 levels.

At the end of December last, the company had a total of 120 owned and managed aircraft, including 88 owned aircraft.

The firm is a subsidiary of a public quoted firm based in Singapore and the company recorded a post-tax profit of $269.68m after incurring a corporation tax charge of $38.5m

The pre-tax profit takes account of non-cash depreciation costs of $167.67m and finance costs of $176.78m.

The firm last year recorded profits of $32.18m from $276.66m realised from the sale of aircraft.

The firm employs nine here and staff costs last year increased by $425,000, or 15pc, from $2.73m to $3.16m.

Directors pay last year declined from $1.09m to $818,000, which was mainly made up of $638,000 in emoluments.

The firms cash funds last year declined from $183.64m to $119.65m.

The business paid out no dividend last year and this followed no dividend paid out in 2021.

Total assets increased by 11pc to $5.38bn and the firms owned and managed aircraft were mainly made up of Boeing and Airbus aircraft.

Globally in 2023, Boc Aviation recorded revenues and other income of $2.6bn, which was a 7pc increase on 2022. The firm enjoyed record post tax profits of $764m.

The global business had 684 owned and managed and on order aircraft at the end of 2023.

The business recorded the revenues on the back of a customer base of 91 airlines in 45 countries and regions in the owned and managed portfolios.

At year end, the global entity had commitments to purchase 95 aircraft and had an order book of 224 aircraft.
Move would create the worlds top operator of about 100,000 stores

Could the Japanese firm be taken over? Photo: Getty

Circle K operator Alimentation Couche-Tard has launched a takeover bid for larger rival and 7-Eleven owner Seven & i Holdings in what would be the biggest foreign takeover of a Japanese company.

Canadas Alimentation Couche-Tard is one of the biggest forecourt operators in Ireland since acquiring the former Topaz chain from businessman Denis OBrien in 2015 in a deal thought to have valued the Irish business in the region of 450m, including paying 258m in cash.

A merger with the owner of 7-Eleven would create the worlds top operator of roughly 100,000 convenience stores.

Valued at the equivalent of $31bn before news of the offer emerged, Seven & i shares jumped 23pc yesterday. The company said the bid was preliminary and non-binding, without disclosing terms.

A special committee of independent outside directors will make a prompt, careful and comprehensive review of the proposal, Seven & i said.

Couche-Tard confirmed it made a friendly, non-binding proposal but gave no details, and said it is not certain an agreement will be reached.

Although Couche-Tard is smaller than Seven & i, with about 14,000 stores compared with more than 85,000 for the Japanese retailer, the Canadian company enjoys a bigger valuation of about $58.5bn.

Foreign takeovers of Japanese companies are extremely rare, but recent changes in guidelines for merger and acquisition proposals, and activist investors pushing companies to boost value  including at Seven & i  could boost the odds of a deal that would create a global convenience-store behemoth.

It all depends on the price, and I guess the weak yen has made it more attractive and anything north of 7 trillion, the management would have a tough time rejecting, said Amir Anvarzadeh, a strategist at Asymmetric Advisors.

Shares of Seven & i posted their largest gain on record following a report on the bid. Neither offered details on the value of Couche-Tards offer.

Before yesterdays jump, the stock had dropped 21pc since the end of February, making the company more attractive to a possible suitor.

Seven & i has come under pressure from activist fund ValueAct Capital Management LP over perceptions that its assets could be worth more and to narrow its focus to 7-Eleven stores, saying that as a standalone listed company the convenience-store business could be worth as much as 8,500 per share. Seven & i shares closed at 2,161 yesterday.

In reaction, it has taken restructuring measures and initiated a buyback after fending off efforts to oust CEO Ryuichi Isaka. Although headquartered in Tokyo, Seven & i gets the majority of its revenue from North America compared with 25pc from Japan.

Couche-Tard, Canadas most valuable retailer, operates convenience stores around the world under its own brand, as well as Circle K and Ingo. It has a history of expansion overseas, and bought almost 2,200 stations in Europe from TotalEnergies SE for 3.1bn last year. It previously made a $20bn bid to buy Carrefour, which was blocked by the French government.
Irish billionaire Dermot Desmond famously sold the airport in 2006 for 1bn having bought it for just 30m in 1995. Photo: Getty

The United Kingdom government has approved plans to expand capacity at London City Airport by 2.5 million passengers, overturning parts of a previous local-level decision but maintaining a ban on Saturday afternoon flights.

The airport, located in the Docklands area just east of central London, had sought to expand annual capacity to nine million passengers, up from 6.5 million, by 2031.

It wanted to take a number of measures, including seeking permission to push back a curfew on flights on Saturday afternoons from 12.30pm to 6.30pm local time.

Yesterday a document published on the government website stated: The secretaries of state agree with the inspectors conclusions, and agree with their recommendation.

They have decided to grant planning permission, subject to revised conditions that maintain the existing Saturday curfew period.

The decision is one of the first big infrastructure planning calls made by the new Labour government elected in July.

Since taking office, ministers have pledged to streamline planning processes and boost construction in all sectors, but have also been forced to cancel some projects due to funding constraints.

London City Airport said it welcomed the increase to the passenger cap but was disappointed the government had not approved extended Saturday operating hours, saying it would cause airlines to introduce cleaner and quieter aircraft more slowly at the site.

The plan was initially rejected in July 2023 by Newham Council, which runs the borough in which the airport operates, over a range of objections such as the potential impact of the expansion on climate, air quality and noise.

The airport then sought to appeal, resulting in yesterdays decision by the central government. Newham Council did not immediately comment.

London City Airport is owned by a consortium made up of AIMCo, OMERS, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan and Wren House Infrastructure.

It was previously owned by Irish billionaire Dermot Desmond, who famously sold it in 2006 for 1bn having bought the airport for just 30m in 1995.
Credit unions have managed to grow their mortgage lending despite arbitrary restrictions being placed on them by the Central Bank.

Mortgage lending at credit unions increased by 10pc in the three months to June, and mortgages now account for almost 10pc of overall credit union lending, the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) said.

Chief executive of the league, David Malone, said the member-owned lenders were managing to grow their mortgage books despite what he said were restrictions imposed by the Central Bank.

The ILCU credit union mortgage loan book has increased by 10pc in the three months to June, to 518m, when compared with the previous quarter.

And when compared with last year, the mortgage loan book is up 62pc.

Mortgages now make up nearly 10pc of the total loan book of the sector.

Mr Malone said public demand for credit union mortgages continues to grow, driven by competitive rates and a personalised service with quick turnaround times.

However, credit unions are restricted by arbitrary crisis-era regulations, that limit the amount they can lend in respect of mortgages, he said.

These limits are actively prohibiting competition and are not in the best interests of financial stability or enhanced consumer protection.

It is imperative that targeted proportionate changes are made to the existing regulatory limits by the Central Bank, he said.

Credit unions already offer the cheapest mortgage rates in the market, but many end up having to turn away customers because they quickly exhaust what they are allowed to lend to members.

Finance Minister Jack Chambers is among those calling on the regulator to relax the tough limits it has imposed on each credit union.

Under the Central Bank regulations, credit unions are restricted in the amount they can loan out for mortgages, but banks are not subject to the same strict lending limits.

Asked about the mortgage lending restrictions, the Central Bank said it put the lending measures in place in January 2020.

Since then, we have seen growth in this area of lending, it said.

However, significant capacity still exists within the existing concentration limits for further home and business lending.
14 more Roses took to the stage in Kerry tonight, before the winner was announced

The New Zealand Rose, who has been announced as the 2024 International Rose of Tralee, said it will bring her closer to Irish culture and heritage.

Keely O'Grady (21), a fourth-year Speech and Language Therapy student at Canterbury University, has become the third New Zealand Rose to take the title.

Speaking to the Irish Independent just after the show at the MTU Kerry Sports Academy, she said: "When I heard my name called, it felt unreal. It was like an out-of-body experience."

The 2024 International Rose of Tralee Keely OGrady selected on stage at the Kerry Sports Academy, MTU during the Rose of Tralee International Festival on Tuesday night. Photo: Domnick Walsh  Eye Focus LTD

"The shock comes from the fact that I'm standing alongside these 31 beautiful, amazing, talented women, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

"That could have been any one of them, and the fact that the judges saw something in me while standing alongside those other 31 incredible women that really means a lot to me," she added.

Mrs O'Grady said she didn't expect to win the title of the Rose of Tralee.

"Not that I don't believe in myself or think that I'm capable of it, but I just think that every single one of those women out there had something incredible to offer.

"I just thought it was a one-in-32 chance for any single one of us. It's a bit of a small chance at the end of the day," she added.

Keely O'Grady was presented with her sash by the 2023 Rose of Tralee Roisin Wiley on Thursday night. She said winning the title "means making her family proud".

The 2024 International Rose of Tralee is Keely OGrady selected on stage at the Kerry Sports Academy, MTU during the Rose of Tralee International Festival TV Rose Selection night on Tuesday 20th of August. Photo By : Domnick Walsh

"It's harder in New Zealand to stay connected with your Irish culture and your Irish heritage, we're so far away on the other side of the world, and for me, that half of my Irish family, and it's something that you have to actively go out and seek to connect with.

"Whereas people in Ireland, I feel like that's something they may take for granted because you're surrounded by it on a day-to-day basis.

"For me, it means an opportunity to hold this title and celebrate my Irishness at a level that I wasn't able to before, and I think it will bring me a lot closer to my family and a lot closer to my Irish culture, my Irish heritage," she said.

The winner added "that no one in New Zealand knows" what the Rose of Tralee is but she would explain it as a beauty pageant thats not about beauty but about ambitions, aspirations, self-worth and talent.

It's about the strength of woman, and it's about celebrating a shared culture, connection and heritage that we all have, all the girls that enter the competition, she said.

She said she received loads of support from her family and friends throughout the festival.

"My seven beautiful flatmates that I live with are the most incredible women  plus these 31 new women that I met.

"When I told them I was entering it, they were so supportive. I was doing fashion shows in the lounge for them, showing them every single dress that I bought and talking about all the things that I was learning about Rose of Tralee along the way.

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"There was a huge amount of support from them. And then my family supports me in absolutely everything I do, there's nothing I've ever done where they haven't been my number one supporters," she added.

What connects Ireland and New Zealand are very similar cultures and similar experiences with colonisation, she said.

"That's something that I've expressed throughout my time in Ireland, during the Rose tour and the festival, talking to people who would come up to me and share their experiences of being in New Zealand.

"Every single one of them would pretty much say that Ireland and New Zealand are very similar in terms of their people, their food, their landscape.

"New Zealand and Ireland have really similar experiences with colonisation and the cultural revitalisation efforts that they're putting in place today in terms of revitalising the indigenous languages, Te Reo Maori and Irish, traditions and arts, that is something that is reflected very similarly in both countries.

Showing the interconnectedness of these two cultures just shows the strength that Irishness has, the fact that it can be so well represented when intertwined with other cultures like Maori and New Zealand, she said.

After the announcement, Mrs OGrady said: We've only had two New Zealand Roses selected as the International Rose of Tralee, the last in the 1980s, this really means so much to me.

The 2024 Rose left the MTU just after winning on Tuesday night for celebration across the streets of Tralee for the Midnight Madness and a fireworks display.

Rose of Tralee in pictures:

Kildare Rose Catherine Cunningham. Photo: Domnick Walsh

Sharon Shannon pictured on stage at the Kerry Sports Academy, MTU during the Rose of Tralee International Festival TV Rose Selection night on Tuesday 20th of August. Photo: Domnick Walsh

Derry Rose Darcy Taylor. Photo: Domnick Walsh

Kildare Rose Catherine Cunningham. Photo: Domnick Walsh

Tipperary Rose Tara Brady

Dublin Rose Casey Harris. Photo: Domnick Walsh

Yorkshire Rose Clidna Bailey-Doyle. Photo: Domnick Walsh

Kerry Rose Emer Dineen pictured on stage Photo By: Domnick Walsh

Ohio Rose Aoife Zuercher pictured on stage Photo By: Domnick Walsh

San Francisco Rose Maggie Baglin. Photo: Domnick Walsh

Rose of Tralee presenters Daithi O Se and Kathryn Thomas. Photo: Domnick Walsh

Donegal Rose Niamh Shevlin on stage at the Kerry Sports Academy, MTU, with Daithi OSe during the Rose of Tralee last night. Photo: Domnick Walsh

Leitrim Rose Shauna Murtagh on stage with Kathryn Thomas and James Patrice on Monday night. Photo: Domnick Walsh

Tipperary Rose Tara Brady pictured on stage at the Kerry Sports Academy, MTU with Daithi OSe and James Patrice during the Rose of Tralee International Festival TV Rose Selection night on Tuesday 20th of August. Photo By : Domnick Walsh

Westmeath Rose Grace O'Connor pictured on stage at the Kerry Sports Academy, MTU with Kathryn Thomas during the Rose of Tralee International Festival TV Rose Selection night on Tuesday 20th of August. Photo By : Domnick Walsh
I watched the Rose of Tralee for the first time and these were the six things that surprised me the most

As a first time viewer of the Rose of Tralee live broadcast selection night, our writer talks about the most unexpected parts of the show and why she will definitely be tuning in next year

Kathryn Thomas and the Roses on stage. Photo : Domnick Walsh

Azmia Riaz Tue 20 Aug 2024 at 14:31

I have never been one for beauty pageants  I see enough women being judged by their appearance on a daily basis. But Ive been hearing whispers about the Rose of Tralee and how its a beauty pageant thats not about physical beauty since I moved to Ireland three years ago.
In cinemas; Cert 12A

With just 94 minutes on the clock, Mrs Robinson sets itself a near-impossible challenge. Informative and engaging, Aoife Kellehers film is, essentially, a lovingly crafted profile of Irelands first female president.

There are highs and lows, celebrations and commiserations. Mary Robinson tells her story, in her own words, and its a hell of a yarn. Its also the story of contemporary Ireland, and therein lies the challenge.

Thats an epic tale and too big, perhaps, for an hour-and-a-half feature documentary. Some issues are bound to slip out of focus; others might get in the way.

Would Mrs Robinson have worked better as a mini-series? Maybe. Does it succeed in its current format? For the most part, yes. Its OK to be conflicted about these things. Documentaries are notoriously difficult to make, but Mrs Robinson embraces these difficulties with a breezy, charismatic confidence.

Mary Robinson pictured in 1983

It sets out its stall with panache. Warm, gracious and articulate throughout, Robinson brings us back to her childhood home in Ballina, Co Mayo.

This is the house she grew up in, where she spent hours sitting by the window, staring out over the River Moy dreaming dreams of a future that had not yet been decided. Her future, Irelands future; they would go hand in hand.

Mrs Robinson, then, is a film about looking back, about holding up a mirror to the past and examining all the things we got right  and some of the things we wish we had done differently.

It flies along. Never-before-seen home videos fold into grainy images of a teenage Mary Bourke studying law at Trinity. In the late 1960s, Mary is awarded a fellowship to attend Harvard Law School  along the way, she encounters a rebellious cartoonist named Nick Robinson. A loving friendship eventually blossoms into a giddy romance. Marys parents disapprove, but Nick is to be her husband, her lifelong partner and  as this film occasionally reminds us  her rock.

It will hardly come as a surprise to hear Kellehers documentary is at its best when providing a snappy, vibrant collage of Robinsons electrifying presidential campaign.

Kelleher paints a tidy picture of this extraordinary era. The old-school Fianna Fail boys didnt see it coming. They didnt expect the public to get behind Robinson, and to turn their backs on Charles Haughey and Brian Lenihan.

Barack Obama presents the Medal of Freedom to Mary Robinson in 2009. Photo: Getty

Robinsons victory marked the beginning of a new Ireland. Within three years of her inauguration, homosexuality was finally decriminalised. Within six years, the ban on divorce was lifted following a referendum. As a lawyer and a senator, Robinson went above and beyond; as president of Ireland she helped create a better country.

Mrs Robinson does not shy away from critical questions. Powerful, influential figures arent usually quick to admit their shortcomings but there are no such concerns here, and Kelleher examines the rocky period towards the end of Robinsons presidential tenure, when she was appointed United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The former secretary general of the UN Kofi Annan wanted her on the job as soon as possible, and so Robinson resigned from her presidential post in September 1997, three months before she was supposed to step down. Not the smartest move, and here Robinson admits she should have finished out her term.

What holds this ambitious account in place is its central storyteller

She also revisits the infamous Princess Latifa episode. In 2018, Robinson gave an interview to the BBC in which she described Dubais Sheikha Latifa as a troubled young woman.

Unbeknownst to Robinson, however, Latifa  who had tried to escape Dubai  was being held against her will by her father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, prime minister of the UAE. Invited to a family lunch, Robinson was misinformed about the princesss wellbeing. Kellehers film gives her another chance to explain and apologise.

Not a full-on hagiography, then. The films biggest flaw is that it crams in more than it can handle. Kelleher showcases Robinsons ongoing human rights activism, and her tireless climate justice campaign.

These are worthy additions, for sure, but it all starts to feel a little hurried, a little messy.

What keeps us glued and holds this ambitious account in place is its central storyteller. When Mrs Robinson talks, the rest of us listen. Thats how it will always be.

Four stars
Unfair to make us lock our children into forestry forever: Why this Cavan farmer wants mandatory replanting axed

Balancing forestry with a 21-cow suckler herd, Derek and Yvonne McCabe are building for the future  but they say more consultation is needed for farmers

Derek McCabe at his farm and forestry business in Mountnugent in Cavan. Photo: Arthur Carron

Niall Hurson Tue 20 Aug 2024 at 03:30

Just 35 years ago, Derek and Yvonne McCabe from Mount Nugent in Co Cavan hadnt a single acre of land to their name.
More and more growers will be forced out if we dont get a proper support package
As cases rise sharply in Africa, how ready is Ireland to cope with dangerous mpox virus strain?

Mpox: all you need to know about the disease formerly known as monkeypox

Eilish O'Regan Tue 20 Aug 2024 at 03:30

Doctors and hospitals in Ireland are being urged to be on alert for suspected cases of the new dangerous strain of mpox, the illness caused by the monkeypox virus.
Gardai have described as "vile and heinous" an attack on a family home in Cork which left a 12 year old girl in hospital with serious injuries.

The incident in Charleville involved a group of up to five men who forced their way into a family home, terrifying a family before the little girl was assaulted.

She suffered a serious head injury during the incident shortly after 11.30pm on Monday evening.

The youngster was treated at the scene by paramedics before being rushed to Cork University Hospital (CUH) by ambulance.

However, such was the nature of the child's injuries that she was later transferred to Dublin for specialist care.

The youngster is now being treated at Temple Street Children's Hospital.

It is understood the little girl underwent emergency surgery for her injury.

Her condition is described as serious but stable.

Gardai described the attack on the family home as "shocking".

"This is a new low where children are targeted," a senior garda warned.

"We regard this as a vile and heinous attack and we would urge everyone within the Charleville community to help us bring those responsible to justice."

It is understood the child was in the property with relatives when the house was attacked by the group of men.

The group forced their way into the property and threatened the occupants.

Gardai were alerted to a disturbance at a residence on the New Line at approximately 11:30pm on Monday and officers raced to the scene.

Initial reports were that a group of up to five men had forced their way into a family home in the area.

The individual being sought by the men was apparently not in the area at the time.

Gardai immediately sealed off the scene at a property on the New Line in the town on the Cork-Limerick border to allow for a full forensic and technical examination.

Detectives are investigating the alleged assault and a series of criminal damage incidents in the area in which both a Volkswagen car and home were targeted.

The 12-year-old girl suffered injuries as the incident unfolded at the property.

When a patrol unit attended the scene, considerable criminal damage was visible both to a parked vehicle and a local property.

The little girl was discovered at a property with a serious head injury.

The men involved are understood to have fled the scene on foot before leaving the area in a waiting vehicle.

Gardai commenced door-to-door inquiries in the area and a number of people have given statements about the precise sequence of events involved.

Charleville gardai have now appealed for anyone with information to assist their inquiries.

"Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this incident to come forward or who may have been in the vicinity of the New Line in Charleville town on Monday between 10.30pm and 12.00am midnight," a spokesperson said.

"Additionally, any persons with camera footage (including dash-cam footage) from the area at the time are encouraged to provide it to investigating Gardai.

"Anyone with information is asked to contact Mallow Garda Station at 022 31450, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station."

Locals admitted they were deeply shocked by the incident and the fact a young girl was hospitalised.

"Everyone here is stunned by what happened," one Charleville resident said.

"This is a quiet area and people just cannot believe it. Everyone is praying for that poor child and that she makes a full recovery."
Couple who waged war of harassment against dentist say news coverage unfair

Michael De Sousa, (36), and Emma Maun, (28), who have a child and live together were given fully suspended four-year jail sentences

Emma Maun

Alan Sherry Tue 20 Aug 2024 at 09:54

A former couple who waged a bizarre campaign of intimidation and harassment against their dentist have moaned that news reports about their behaviour were not fair.
I needed as much help as I could get  how Irelands first baby bank provides a lifeline to women struggling with costs of having a baby
A woman in her 60s has been arrested in connection with the alleged harassment of Taoiseach Simon Harris at his home in Co Wicklow.

Protesters gathered outside the house in Greystones on May 2 of this year as Mr Harriss children were preparing for bed.

The Taoiseach lives with his wife and two small children in the Co Wicklow town.

More than a dozen people were part of a group who gathered at his home, holding banners with slogans including close the borders, house the Irish first and Eire will no longer run by EU puppets.

A garda spokesperson said: This afternoon, Tuesday, August 20, 2024, gardai arrested a further individual for alleged offences contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act, as part of ongoing investigations into the alleged harassment of an elected representative on 2nd May 2024.

The woman is currently detained at a garda station in County Wicklow under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

She is the third person to be arrested in connection with the incident. A woman in her 50s was detained on August 15 as part of the garda probe.

An Garda Siochana has no further comment at this time.
Gardai carried out a search in Ballyfermot and arrested a male, aged in his 30s, as part of the investigation. Photo: Stock image

A two-year-old girl was hospitalised following an aggravated burglary in Dublin yesterday morning during which a suspect used pepper spray.

Detectives have launched an investigation into the incident that happened in the Rathmines area at around 10am.

A man was later arrested and questioned in relation to the crime but released from garda custody last night.

Emergency services were alerted to reports of the aggravated burglary in the area, with paramedics and gardai dispatched to the scene.

A woman was found at the property in a distressed state and informed gardai that she had been pepper-sprayed by a man known to her.

A young girl, understood to be just two years old, was also allegedly hit with the pepper spray during the aggravated burglary and later taken to hospital as a precaution.

Today's News in 90 seconds - 20th August 2024

As part of the inquiry, gardai carried out a search in the Ballyfermot area later that morning and arrested a male, aged in his 30s, as part of the investigation.

The Irish Independent understands that the suspect is known to the victim and gardai are not treating the incident as random.

A source said: Pepper spray was used during this incident in front of the young child and (she was) hit by it, but thankfully neither her nor the woman suffered serious injuries.

This is a troubling incident in which pepper spray was indiscriminately sprayed, leading to concerns for the girl.

She was taken to hospital to be assessed as a precautionary measure.

Both are understandably shaken by this ordeal.

Gardai investigating the incident yesterday questioned a man on suspicion of carrying out the aggravated burglary.

A garda spokesperson confirmed they are investigating the incident, and that the child was taken to hospital.

Gardai are investigating an aggravated burglary at a residence in Rathmines, Dublin 6W, that occurred this morning, Monday, August 19.

A short time later a male in his 30s was arrested at a residence in the DMR West and detained at a Dublin garda station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.

Following the incident, a female child was conveyed to Childrens Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin for assessment. No injuries were reported.

The arrested male has since been released from custody and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Charges that gardai can try to pursue in this case include aggravated burglary and possession of pepper spray, which is illegal under firearms legislation.
A family who let other people live in an apartment for higher rent without their landlords permission while they were on holiday have been awarded damages after they were unlawfully evicted.
More than one in three pubs across Dublin say they will reduce staff if the Government increases the minimum wage in the next Budget.

A survey by publicans representative group, the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA), also found more than a fifth of the pubs surveyed in the capital (21pc) said they would hire fewer new staff than previously planned, after a 1-an-hour increase was flagged for Budget 2025.

Some 36pc claimed they would actually cut staff numbers as a result, while nearly half (46pc) said they would have to increase their prices.

The Low Pay Commission recommended an increase in the minimum wage from the current wage of 12.70 to at least 13.70 to meet the Governments target of achieving a living wage for workers.

Government sources have said that the commission proposed more than a 1 increase but less than a rise of 1.20.

In 2022, then Tanaiste and enterprise minister Leo Varadkar announced the introduction of a national living wage for employers.

The first step towards the new living wage was an 80c increase to the national minimum wage from January 1 last year to 11.30 an hour. This was followed by an incremental 12.4pc increase of 1.40, bringing the minimum wage to 12.70 on January 1 of this year.

Almost all the 350 pubs surveyed said the various changed to employment conditions including the planned minimum wage hike, changes to sick pay and employers PRSI and pension auto-enrolment were too fast.

The survey also showed that close to two-thirds of pubs suffered an increase in their insurance premium at their most recent renewal.

LVA chief executive Donall OKeeffe said that the proposed minimum wage rise, along with a range of other measures, could negatively impact the hospitality industry.

Hospitality businesses simply cant cope with the increased cost of doing business that is being foisted on them by the Government, he said.

Over the last year there have been increases in VAT, sick pay, employers PRSI and minimum wage, with significant further increases to come. This simply isnt sustainable, and it should come as no surprise that so many hospitality businesses are closing in this environment.

Mr OKeefe said that while he supports a move towards a living wage it should be done more incrementally over a five-year period as he repeated his call for a return to the 9pc rate of VAT for hospitality businesses.

According to the trade union SIPTU, Ireland has one of the highest rates of low pay in the European Union (EU). A recent report by St Vincent de Paul Society found that more working people in full-time employment are accessing food banks and homeless services.
Decision by Finance Minister Jack Chambers will be seen as a major election sweetener for farmers, but also a win for land speculators hoarding sites in the hope the value will increase in line with record house prices

Finance Minister Jack Chambers made the land tax decision after talks with the Housing Minister and the Agriculture Minister. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Taoiseach Simon Harris climbing out of a pen containing Kerry Bog pony during a visit to The Tullow Agricultural Show in Carlow. Picture date: Sunday August 18, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story IRISH Health. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Taoiseach Simon Harris has said it is offensive to describe farmers as land-hoarders as he confirmed the Government is delaying the introduction of Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT).

Mr Harris said he listened to the legitimate concerns of farmers who faced their land being taxed despite it being used for agricultural purposes.

He said the three Government leaders will come to a decision on RZLT before the Budget and Department of Finance officials are drafting alternative legislation so active farmers are not impacted by the new tax.

As long as Im Taoiseach no active farmer will pay Residential Zoned Land Tax  simple as, the Taoiseach said at a Fine Gael event promoting supports for families.

Im absolutely committed to the tax but I need the Department of Finance to listen to the real and legitimate concerns of farmers.

It is offensive to tell a farmer they are a land hoarder when farming is such an important part of our economy, he added.

The Government has decided to defer the introduction of the landmark Residential Zoned Land Tax for a year

The tax, which would see land zoned for residential development taxed at 3pc of its market value, was a government attempt to unlock more sites for housing construction and prevent speculators from hoarding serviced land.

It was announced in Budget 2022 and was due to come into effect next February, with tax bills due to be paid by May.

However, there was backlash among farmers whose land was zoned for residential development but was being used for agricultural purposes.

Farmers could apply to their local authorities to have their land rezoned, but a government source said the process yielded only limited changes, with many active farmers still within scope.

Mr Harris said the Irish Farmers Associations (IFA) position on the RZLT is very reasonable because they differentiate between an active farmer and someone who claims to have farmland to avoid tax.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty said the decision to delay the tax is disgraceful while the housing crisis is on-going.

This is a direct result of this governments abject failure over the past three years to exempt actively farmed land from this tax, he said.

Sinn Fein has repeatedly raised this problem with the government for the past three years but no action was taken.

That the government has again delayed this tax for another year is a boon to land hoarders and will only deepen their housing crisis, he added.

This comes as the Government decided to defer the introduction of the RZLT for a year.

The decision by Finance Minister Jack Chambers will be seen as a major election sweetener for farmers who feared land they were working would be hit with significant taxes under the scheme.

However, it will also be a win for land speculators hoarding sites in the hope the value will increase in line with record levels of house prices.

Mr Chambers decided to pause and defer the tax for another 12 months following high-level discussions with Housing Minister Darragh OBrien and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue.

Mr Chambers and Mr OBrien also agreed to revise the legislation so that it will permanently exclude farmers. This process will progress in tandem with the development of the National Planning Framework when it is published later this year.

A senior government source said there is considerable concern within the higher levels of the Coalition that the tax will place a disproportionate burden on active farmers whose land has not yet been de-zoned.

This will be a key measure and priority for Fianna Fail in the Budget to ensure we partner with farmers and rural communities. We must protect active farmland and food production systems from any disproportionate levy or tax, the source said. Many farmers have expressed concern that leaving this measure in place without intervention would put the viability of their farm at risk. Fianna Fail will be ensuring this Budget addresses these concerns. 

Before the Dail rose for the summer recess, the Fine Gael parliamentary party passed a motion committing to exempting farmers from the Residential Zoned Land Tax.

Former rural affairs minister Michael Ring, who tabled the motion, said farmers who use their land for food production are not property speculators or developers and should not be treated as such.

After the vote, Mr Ring said: There was widespread agreement from colleagues and ministers that farmers should not be financially punished for a tax which was aimed at those who were sitting on idle land.

Farmers are most certainly not doing that, they are critical to this countrys financial prosperity and well-being.
The Government will reflect on calls for a public inquiry into alleged sexual abuses by prolific abuser Michael Shine, the Taoiseach has said.

Simon Harris described Shine (93) as a vile paedophile who has brought pain and misery to many of his victims.

Shine worked as a senior registrar at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Co Louth, from 1964 to 1995.

A number of men who were allegedly sexually assaulted by Shine told The Journal.ie that they want a public inquiry into the cases. Many of the survivors claim that the Medical Missionaries of Mary religious order, which was in charge of the hospital, was aware of the alleged abuse for years.

At two trials in 2017 and 2019, Shine was convicted of assaulting nine boys.

More than 200 victims have settled civil actions against the order.

Belfast firm Phoenix Law has formally written to Justice Minister Helen McEntee seeking a commission of investigation to be opened into the actions of Michael Shine.

At the opening of a new bypass in Co Kerry, Mr Harris said: Michael Shine is a vile paedophile, prolific abuser who has brought pain and misery to many.

His victims have today spoken with courage and in a vivid manner, and I want to thank them for that. I think their intervention is really important.

Im conscious that there have been matters before the court, civil and criminal. Im conscious that there have been reports and consideration given by government departments, but in light of the very strong comments by the victims of Shine today, the Government will no doubt reflect on this and see what actions are appropriate.

Mr Harris said he understands how the victims feel frustrated over how the allegations of abuse were handled.

He added:

There is always that balance between not wishing to do anything to prejudice a matter that is before the court... Having said that, I think the victims request that we would now take stock of where we are now at, and as a Government, to consider these matters, is something we will now reflect on.
The new services will take off as part of Cork Airports forthcoming winter schedule

Aer Lingus Regional has announced a new, four-times weekly service between Cork Airport and Glasgow.

The year-round route will take off from October 27, using an ATR 72-600 operated by Emerald Airlines  the turboprop aircraft seats up to 72 passengers.

Fares will start from 39.99 each-way, the airport says. Aer Lingus Regional also flies to Glasgow from Donegal Airport (Aer Lingus and Ryanair fly to the Scottish city from Dublin), but the new route is the only such service in Munster.

It adds 30,000 extra seats to Corks winter schedule, furthering a post-pandemic recovery that sees it on course to welcome three million passengers this year.

The airport clocked 328,200 passengers in July, 9pc higher than the same month last year. This summer is set to be its busiest ever for overseas travel.

We plan to deliver double-digit growth again in 2025, said Tara Finn, its Head of Aviation Business Development & Communications  adding that more route announcements are on the way.

In July, Cork Airport also cut the ribbon on a newly refurbished cafe and wine bar, Roasted Notes, set in the departures lounge between Gates 4 and 5.

Emerald Airlines is the exclusive operator of Aer Lingus Regional services  it added new routes to Rennes and Brest in France as part of its largest ever summer schedule from Dublin Airport this year.

The airline has also announced a further 20,000 seats on its existing service between Cork and Bristol this winter, with a second daily flight on Friday and Sunday, and a new Saturday flight.

We love the Aer Lingus Regional brand at Cork Airport, said Cork Airports Managing Director, Niall MacCarthy.

"It now serves two vibrant UK cities, along with the eight destinations served by the Aer Lingus mainline brand.
Illustration by Tom Halliday

Towards the end of 2020, the most extraordinary controversy erupted. A local paper reported that a secondary school in Carlow had told its female pupils not to wear leggings to PE class because the male teachers found them distracting.
Dublin City Councillors voted for Harbour Court to be closed to the public back in January. Pic: Gerry Mooney

A laneway in Dublins north inner city, notorious for being a public loo and a spot for open drug use, remains open to the public seven months after councillors voted for its closure.

Harbour Court, off Abbey Street, has become a focal point for intravenous drug use, according to Dublin City Council (DCC).

Councillors made a majority decision in January to close off the laneway, running between Marlborough Street and Eden Quay, which links to the back of multiple properties.

The decision was driven by the laneway being an open space for drug use, prostitution, and a hotspot for drug paraphernalia, along with multiple complaints lodged by pubs, restaurants, and other businesses that directly face the street.

Some reported having to regularly contact emergency services following incidents of overdose, stabbings and assaults.

They also noted that the street operates as a public toilet and recalled regularly having to power wash the street, describing it as filthy.

Businesses like Wynns Hotel, as well as many other pubs and restaurants located on Harbour Courts doorstep, had been lobbying for its closure since 2009.

In January, local businesses they told the Irish Independent they were delighted to hear the news of Harbour Courts closure.

Fast forward more than seven months, and the street remains completely open to the public, with no physical indication of its closure.

Council officials agreed that gates would need to be installed at the entry points, meaning access would be limited to property owners and businesses that use the lane for bin storage.

The council said these gates would be installed by the end of September and confirmed the decision to close the laneway to the public still stands.

The decision to close off public access to the laneway was disputed by some councillors, including Green Party councillor Janet Horner, who said she was strongly against the proposal.

She called for a plan to be created for its eventual reopening, with suggestions for new lighting, murals, and more garda patrols.

Social Democrats councillor Daniel Ennis echoed Ms Horners sentiments.

Harbour Court lane is a black spot for anti-social behaviour and open drug use, but so is much of the city centre, he said.

Is our answer to close off our main thoroughfare, OConnell Street, where there is open, unopposed drug dealing? Close off the Luas stops that see anti-social behaviour every day?

Do we close down the streets and main arteries into the city, where Im witnessing open drug taking? So many of my neighbours and constituents are living with these issues on their doorsteps, every single day.

Do we just allow our streets and housing complexes to be taken over or closed off? We need to tackle the issues our city is facing.

The closing off of streets, laneways, and other parts of the city is a complete failure of the gardai, the local authority, and the Government to address these issues.

Another example of the extreme neglect of the north inner city, he added.
Vivienne Morgan was sentenced to eight months in prison at Dublin District Court. Photo: Stock image

A mother of four who kicked a female garda in the face when she was arrested for public order offences in Dublin has been jailed for eight months.

Vivienne Morgan (36) was not in her right state of mind when she lashed out at the officer, a court heard.

Judge Bryan Smyth sentenced her at Dublin District Court.

Morgan, with an address at Whitworth Road, Drumcondra, pleaded guilty to assault.

The court heard gardai were called to Granby Place in the north inner city on May 17 this year, when Morgan was highly intoxicated and walking out into traffic.

She was abusive to the gardai and a danger to herself so she was arrested.

While being brought to a garda station, she became more aggressive and kicked a garda in the face.

The officer did not require medical treatment and remained on duty, the court heard. She did not wish to make a victim-impact statement.

Morgan also admitted to a series of unrelated public order and theft offences on dates this year.

The court heard that on May 6, gardai found her refusing to get into an ambulance at South King Street after she was found intoxicated and unsteady on her feet.

She became verbally aggressive to the gardai and paramedics in front of members of the public and was arrested.

When gardai spoke to Morgan on Abbey Street Upper on April 28, she became abusive, calling them knackers and tinkers and was again arrested.

She went to Lidl on Moore Street on April 30, took 24 worth of groceries and left without paying.

On June 14, gardai on patrol were again called to the same shop where Morgan had put two bottles of vodka in her backpack before passing all points of payment. She was viewed on CCTV and stopped by security. She took 43 worth of alcohol from the same shop on another date.

Morgan took an eight-pack of Orchard Thieves cider worth 15 from Dunnes Stores in St Stephens Green Shopping Centre on June 22 this year.

The goods were all recovered.

The court heard she had 86 previous convictions for theft, public order and other offences.

She had a history of homelessness and drug abuse and had suffered an assault that led to her poor mindset at the time of the offences, her solicitor David Bassett said.

She wasnt in her right state of mind when she lashed out at the garda, Mr Bassett said.
File photo from Storm Barra in Fenit. Photo by Domnick Walsh.

Kerry County Council has said they are monitoring the flooding situation in Kerry following a High Tide Advisory for all coasts by Met Eireann.

The High Tide Advisory covers the period from 12 noon on Wednesday August 21 to 12 noon on Friday, August 23.

A period of supermoon spring tides, expected to be among the highest during 2024, are the primary cause of elevated and high coastal tides.

In addition Ireland is forecast to be affected by strong winds and increased storm surge from the remnants of Hurricane Ernesto in the Caribbean.

The combination of strong onshore winds, high spring tides and high waves may result in coastal flooding and wave overtopping.

Kerry County Council has activated its Severe Weather Assessment Team protocol and is monitoring the situation.

Property owners and residents at known coastal flooding risk locations are advised to take the usual necessary precautions during this High Tide Advisory.
Check out all the images in our gallery

Polly the Pony obliges her local passengers, Hanorah Curtin and Alice O'Keeffe with Darragh McGoldrick, Brosna; Amy Rose Mangan and Kayla Roche, Knocknagoshel at the annual Knocknagoshel Horse Fair on Friday. Photo by John Reidy

Roger Sampson from Galbally, Co. Limerick was i lar an aonaigh with his trio of Argentine native Falabella ponies at the annual Knocknagoshel Horse Fair on Friday. Photo by John Reidy

Tim Doyle, Listowel (left) pictured with Michael Sugrue, Abbeydorney and Pat White, Athea, selling at the annual Knocknagoshel Horse Fair on Friday. Photo by John Reidy

Enjoying all the fun of the annual Knocknagoshel Horse Fair on Friday were cousins: Emma Fitzsimons, Dublin and Knocknagoshel and Leah McCarthy, Castleisland. Photo by John Reidy

Mikayla Maunsell with her pony 'Mollie' at the annual Knocknagoshel Horse Fair on Friday with: Marie Cronin, Kilmanihan; Jerh Brosnan, Mikayla's grand-dad; Anthony McAuliffe, Knocknagoshel; Denis Bradley, Ballymacelligott and Patrick Hallissey, Lyreacrompane. Photo by John Reidy

Horse talk: Local girl Makayla Maunsell with 'Mollie' met Michael Healy Rae, TD with her grand-dad Jerh Brosnan at the annual Knocknagoshel Horse Fair on Friday. Photo by Sheila Costello

Denis Brosnan, Knocknagoshel and the UK (right) laying out his stall of vintage items and fair relevant goods at Knocknagoshel Horse Fair on Friday with locals from left: Pat Griffin, Paul Doogan, Ger Brosnan and Teddy Moynihan. Photo by John Reidy

Denis Brosnan, Knocknagoshel and the UK (right) laying out his stall of vintage items and fair relevant goods at Knocknagoshel Horse Fair on Friday with locals from left: Pat Griffin, Paul Doogan, Ger Brosnan and Teddy Moynihan. Photo by John Reidy

Local singer and farmer, Jim Lyons was strolling through the annual Knocknagoshel Horse Fair on Friday. Photo by John Reidy

Tim Doyle, Listowel (left) pictured with Michael Sugrue, Abbeydorney and Pat White, Athea were selling at the annual Knocknagoshel Horse Fair on Friday. Photo by John Reidy

Taking in all the happenings at the annual Knocknagoshel Horse Fair on Friday were from left: Jim O'Connor, The Gap of Dunloe; John McAuliffe, Knocknagoshel and Bill Clifford, Abbeyfeale. Photo by John Reidy

Polly the Pony obliges her local passengers, Hanorah Curtin and Alice O'Keeffe with Darragh McGoldrick, Brosna; Amy Rose Mangan and Kayla Roche, Knocknagoshel at the annual Knocknagoshel Horse Fair on Friday. Photo by John Reidy

The day before the fair Ted and Pauline O'Leary from Ballinasloe, Co. Galway arrived in Knocknagoshel a day early for the annual horse and had to return home that same evening. Photo by John Reidy

Enjoying all the fun of the annual Knocknagoshel Horse Fair on Friday were cousins: Emma Fitzsimons, Dublin and Knocknagoshel and Leah McCarthy, Castleisland. Photo by John Reidy

There's a deal in the making in this scene from the annual horse fair in Knocknagoshel on Friday. Photo by John Reidy

Thinking of stepping into Eddie Walsh's Bar in The Mall during the annual Knocknagoshel Horse Fair on Friday were: John O'Keeffe (left) with Der Keane and Richie Curtin. Photo by John Reidy

Roger Sampson from Galbally, Co. Limerick was i lar an aonaigh with his trio of Argentine native Falabella ponies at the annual Knocknagoshel Horse Fair on Friday. Photo by John Reidy

Mikayla Maunsell with her pony 'Mollie' at the annual Knocknagoshel Horse Fair on Friday with: Marie Cronin, Kilmanihan; Jerh Brosnan, Mikayla's grand-dad; Anthony McAuliffe, Knocknagoshel; Denis Bradley, Ballymacelligott and Patrick Hallissey, Lyreacrompane. Photo by John Reidy

Father and son Paddy and John Morrissey from Charleville, Co. Cork were at the annual Knocknagoshel Horse Fair in Kerry on Friday. Photo by: John Reidy

Four year old Hanora Curtin is getting lots of attention at the annual Knocknagoshel Horse Fair on Friday from Brenda Leahy, Noreen Murphy, Sheila Curtin, Antoinette O'Keeffe and Richard Curtin. Photo by John Reidy

Horse talk: Local girl Makayla Maunsell with 'Mollie' met Michael Healy Rae, TD with her grand-dad Jerh Brosnan at the annual Knocknagoshel Horse Fair on Friday. Photo by Sheila Costello

When a handful of local residents of the beautiful village of Knocknagoshel decided to reinstate a long lost fair day tradition around its Pattern Day festivities in 2012 it sparked a debate.

The debate was anchored on the fact that Knocknagoshel did, once upon a time, have a fair day tradition.

However, the question was: did the village ever host a stand alone horse fair ?

The sub text to the question was: are we reviving a village tradition or are we making history here ?

Then it was generally thought that there hadnt been a fair of any description held in the village for over half a century  or more  depending on those whose opinions you heard or sought.

In fact, it was said that the village was making its own bit of history by holding its first ever horse fair. Horses had been sold in the village before but always as part of the usual cattle fair.

The now 12 year old and history making horse fair made its 2024 return to the street of The Mall on Friday.

The strangeness an event like this brings to an area was widely appreciated and welcomed by all ages - as was the balmy weather - at the end of a long week of celebration surrounding their dearly treasured Pattern Day festivities.

The fair day enthusiasm of one Co. Galway couple got the better of them and they arrived down from Ballinasloe to the hill-top village to attend the fair  but a day too early.

Unfortunately for Pauline and Ted O'Leary they had to return home the same day due to business which wouldnt wait.

Theyre regular attendees at the November 1st fair in Castleisland and theyre looking for an AirB&B in or close to the town for a couple of nights.

One of the most dedicated supporters of the Knocknagoshel Horse Fair locals is Anthony McAuliffe and he was his usual busy self i lar an aonaigh on Friday.

And, talking about fair day lore: Anthony made his own bit of village history by milking his goat in O'Connor's Bar and sharing the milk with the customers  which must surely have set them up for the rest of the day and the remaining hours of the Knocknagoshel Pattern festivities of 2024.
The group of the clergy from the Diocese pictured with Bishop Ray Browne and Bishop Emeritus Bill Murphy who took part in the ordination service of Sean Murphy in Saint James' Church Glenbeigh on Sunday last.Photo by Michael G Kenny

Sean Murphy a native of Glencar who was ordained into the priesthood by Bishop Ray Browne in a cermony in Saint James's Church Glenbeigh on Sunday.Photo by Michael G Kenny

Bishop Ray Browne sounded a positive note in Glenbeigh on Sunday as 29-year-old local man Fr Sean Murphy became the third person ordained in the Diocese of Kerry in six years.

The ordination took place, as Fr Murphy had wished, at St James Church in Glenbeigh on Sunday, and as has been the case throughout his journey to this point, the Glencar native was ably supported by friends and family alike on Sunday as he entered the priesthood.

An opening message to the congregation on behalf of the local parish council welcomed Bishop Browne and the Clergy of the Diocese, not least those from the parishes where Fr Murphy gained his pastoral experience.

Classmates and priests from Maynooth in attendance included National Seminary Rector Fr Tomas Surlis, while others travelled from England and Belfast.

Bishop Browne also welcomed Fr Murphys parents, Mairead and Dennis; siblings, Maire and David, the latter of whom gave the first reading; niece, Lillian; and extended family, some of whom had tuned in from as far afield as Boston.

This is a great day for the Diocese of Kerry, said Bishop Browne. We thank God for Seans faith and his vocation to the priesthood. We thank God for the faith of his family and the faith in the parish here of Glenbeigh/Glencar. This day we pray that Sean may have a lifetime of ministry among us, a lifetime that brings him joy and fulfilment.

Following his ordination and before the celebration of Mass, former student of Boleshill National School and Milltowns Presentation Secondary School received a hug from his colleagues in the priesthood, including Fr Kieran OSullivan, who himself spoke on the day and thanked the many people who made Sundays occasion a successful one. Among those thanked were the choir, whom Fr OSullivan said had spent three years preparing for Sunday; and Glenbeigh/Glencar GAA club, who provided parking and even moved a match so their grounds would be available on ordination day.

Ordinations have become rare events throughout the country, but while Bishop Browne acknowledged the obstacles facing the church, he added that there is reason for optimism within the Kerry Diocese.

Its a challenging and exciting time to be ordained a priest, he said. Challenging because we have so few ordinations and, thus, we have so very few young priests in our Diocese. Challenging, also, because theres a continued decline in the public practice of all aspects of the faith by people of all ages. Its noticeable especially at weekend Masses.

Exciting, because this is our third ordination in six years, and we also are enriched by the presence of two young Kenyan priests here todayExciting also because, as a Diocese, we are responding to the challenge by promoting, more and more, lay ministry, the ministry of all the baptised.

We have 25 people entering their final year of formation to be voluntary pastoral leaders, and we have five lay men entering their final year of formation to join the six permanent deacons we already have.
A significant number of Ukrainian families in Kerry have been forced to move from the homes and locations they had been living in for the past two years as the government ends accommodations contracts.

The plight of Ukrainians living in Fels Point apartments in Tralee came to light recently when up to 50 were informed they had to move, including up to 20 children, the majority of whom has settled in news schools.
Tony Healy of the award-winning Dundalk Bay Brewery has criticised the grip held by the two giants of the drinks industry on the Irish market.

"Its really the elephant in the room and up until now nobody has been talking about it, he says as he highlights the problem faced by independent breweries in getting their beers into Irish pubs and hotels.

Tony Healy of Dundalk Bay Brewery

He made the comments in the week that the owner of a small Co Laois craft brewery hit the headlines when he accused the organisers of Electric Picnic of punching down on small, independent breweries.

David Walsh-Kemmis, owner of Ballykilcavan Brewery, was so fed-up with being refused permission to sell his craft beer to festival goers that he set up his own glamping site 3km from the Stradbally estate.

Tony Healy, who co-founded Dundalk Bay Brewery and Distillery with his daughter Faye in 2015, knows only too well the frustration of trying to get Dundalk Bay Brewerys award-winning beers, ales and lagers into Irish pubs.

Theyre available in a small number of pubs locally but we really cant compete with Diageo and Heineken. Well have discussions with publicans and hoteliers and theyll tell us that they have no free lines or anywhere to put in our kegs.

Tony and Faye Healy, each holding a glass of Brewmaster lager in Dundalk Bay Brewery, Finnabair Business Park. Photo: Aidan Dullaghan/Newspics.

"I should be able to go into a pub and sell my beer but publicans seem to be tied into a deal with Diageo or Heineken and theyll say their hands are tied. All the craft breweries in the county will tell you the same story. A lot of the craft beer is being forced into the retail outlets as they cant get into bars or hotels.

This is particularly galling for Tony as the company recently added to its impressive haul of awards when they won gold for their nitro stout and gluten free lager and bronze for their IPA at the World Beer Awards in London recently. Their nitro stout has also been shortlisted for the Blas na hEireann Good Taste awards.

The company produces 20,000 hectolitres of beer a year and are hoping to double that in the near future.

As well as their own range of craft beers, they also produce beers under contract for some well-known names and retailers.

Dundalk Bay Brewerys own products can be found in a limited number of bars in Dundalk, Dublin and Galway, and consumers can buy them in Supervalu and Centra stores, particularly in Leinster.

Much of their own beer is made for export and they sell to Italy, Sweden, France, Spain and the United States.

"I can sell our beer in Italy but I cant sell it in Ireland, its ridiculous! says Tony. I feel Irish owned companies are getting a raw deal. More than 90pc of people think Guinness is Irish. Its not  its owned by Diageo, an English company, although its made here.

Likewise the iconic Cork stouts Murphys and Beamish are now owned by Heineken, leaving independent breweries like Dundalk Bay and the Pearse Lyons Alltech brewery, which is also based in Dundalk, and a host of micro-breweries around the country, carrying the flag for Irish beer.

Dundalk Bay Brewery is continuing the proud Dundalk tradition of brewing. Tony, whose background is in engineering, says they set up the brewery as their sister company Spectac had been manufacturing equipment for craft breweries.

We decided it made sense to move into that zone ourselves.

"We started out seven years ago and have grown from a very small brewery to a medium-sized brewery and theres still potential for more growth. Weve invested 5.5million of plant and equipment in it and a lot of people dont even know we exist!

"Theres plenty of competition but each brewery finds its own niche and were filling the gap between that produced by the big companies and the smaller craft breweries, says Tony.

There are three full-time brewers and a chemist working at the brewery which is based in the Finnabair Industrial Estate. Its their job to create the recipes for the different beers produced under the Dundalk Bay Brewery and to oversee those produced under contract.

We do very nice 4pc/4.5pc ABV beers which appeal to the majority of mature drinkers. We also do specials from time to time that would have a higher ABV.

They also produce non-alcoholic and gluten-free beers to meet the growing demand for these products.

Its not just beer thats made on the site as theres also a bespoke 1000L Irish copper pot still for producing Ravenrock gin, vodka and seltzers as well as Healys whiskey.

"We have two of our Healys own brand whiskeys, a 46pc single malt and a 40pc blend, says Tony.
Its been a bumper year for walking in Sligo, and as the tourists descend on the town and further afield, they have been directed to the many walks and outdoor activities that can be done throughout the county.

Sligo has definitely had a bump in tourism numbers this year and because walking is a healthy (and free!) activity that people can enjoy as individuals or groups, the younger and older generations alike, this has seen a rise in popularity for many of our walks.

Last week, we took a walk on Knocknarea (twice in the one day).

And while the evening was windy and wet and therefore less busy, earlier in the day the old car park on Glen Road was full and the trail up to the cairn was full of people of all ages.

And it was great to see that all of them seemed to have read the signs asking people not to climb the cairn, and there wasnt a single person who wanted to do the entirely pointless exercise of climbing the cairn to get a slightly better view of the countryside.

Similarly Killaspugbrone, Hazelwood (now with a new enlarged car park), Benbulben Forest Walk and Mullaghmore, all of which weve walked in the past couple of weeks, have all had plenty of walkers, suggesting that the people in the tourism office are doing their work well in guiding people to the Great Outdoors as a healthy introduction to Sligos part of the Wild Atlantic Way.

In addition, the tourism authorities have also been running their own free daily guided tour of Sligo during the Summer, and this has once again proven to be a great draw, and it has been a clever move by the Sligo Tourism Ambassadors to move a gazebo onto the pedestrianised area in front of the Discover Ireland building to improve visibility and get chatting to visitors.

Over the past while Tread Softly has been running many events, and these have included walks at Streedagh, on Knocknashee and at Aughris, three special and very diverse walks.

The caves of Keash

And from now until next Sunday, Heritage Week will take place with many of our heritage sites open to the public and these include walks and other kinds of experiences where we can connect with nature and the built environment of our ancestors.

Later on today (Wednesday) renowned environmentalist Michael Bell will lead a guided walk on the Drumcliffe Estuary (meet at Yeats Tavern in Drumcliffe at 7:30pm).

Earlier, at 6pm Hazelwood Heritage Society will guide a walk to the incredible court tomb at Deerpark in Calry, another excellent event.

And at 9pm this evening a Bat Walk has been organised by Ruth Hanniffy, Biodiversity Officer with Sligo County Council at Ballymote Trail Station.

These three walks show the diversity of the free events being offered on our walks during Heritage Week, not to mention the many public spaces like Carrowmore and Sligo Abbey that are also open and have lots of information on our locality and history for us to self-explore at our leisure.

Many towns and cities around the country have also seen increases in tourism numbers and Sligo needs to take some lessons on board.

Currently a debate is ongoing as to why the expansion of Dublin Airport is important.

The argument being put forward - one we dont agree with - is that tourists want to come to visit Dublin, therefore it makes sense to expand the facilities there to meet the demand.

However, a counter argument can be made that if tourists from abroad were encouraged to enter the country using other airports, then this might even out the spread of tourists around the country.

Most other countries seem to adapt this policy, where multiple options are available to access a country, and not just through the capital city.

Improving the rail network and increasing the options to fly into Ireland West Airport would be two ways to offer tourists the option of coming directly into the region.

That way they dont have to get stuck in Dublin first before leaving the city to head west.

There is much better awareness of the Wild Atlantic Way, and particularly Sligos place on it as something of a hidden gem, but we have to enable people to come directly into the region.

And once they get here, strategic planning is also needed to ensure that visitors are encouraged to visit the entire county, not just the tourist hot spots.

Anyone who has visited the Caves of Keash or Carrowkeel or the Miners Way marvel at the beauty and history associated with those places.

So we must always be conscious of ensuring that the entire county is promoted.

Sligos tourism potential is only now being realised and theres lots of scope to welcome many visitors into the future.

But we need to ensure that strategic planning is central to the development of tourism - and the place walking has within it - to ensure that our walks can be properly developed, maintained and promoted for one and all to enjoy.

For information on over 50 walking trails on Sligo visit SligoWalks.ie.
Results of Summerhill College students in computer science will be of interest to company

A local company is taking a keen interest in the results of Summerhill College students in Leaving Certificate computer Science on Friday.

Its the first time the college has computer science students receiving their results and local firm Beyond (formerly known as Overstock) has a more than passing interest in how they do.

The firm has played a role in supporting computer science as a subject in the school, and wishes to promote the subject in other schools across Sligo.

Back in 2018, when the plans for Leaving Cert computer science were being drawn up, it was suggested that schools should partner with industry to provide teachers with the necessary resources to learn the new subject and to give them experience in the field so they could show students what it is really like to work in ICT

When word of this reached Beyond, they were quick to jump on board and collaborate with local schools.

In 2022, maths teacher Keelan Waters, eager to introduce computer science as a subject in Summerhill College Sligo, reached out to Beyond, and they immediately offered him their full support.

Regular meetings were organised between himself and member of staff Shane McVeigh in order to help him throughout his training.

During the summer of 2023, Keelan carried completed a three month internship in Beyond to put into practice everything he had learned, and to get a glimpse into what it was like to work as a software engineer.

Beyond, continued to offer their support by facilitating class visits, tours of the office and talks on the careers available from studying computer science.

Mr McVeigh, Senior Software Engineer, said:Before Computer Science was introduced as a Leaving Cert subject, students had no prior exposure to it and had to take a leap of faith when choosing it in college.

According to a report carried out by NUIG last year, only 15% of schools offer computer science as a Leaving Cert subject today, a whole five years after it was first introduced.

Beyond believes that every school should be offering some kind of education in computer science.

The firm says it is one of the most employable areas in Ireland today, and it can be related to every aspect of modern life. It points out that there isnt a job that doesnt use computers in some capacity, so it would be beneficial to people in all disciplines to have a better understanding of computers.

Beyond is also dedicated to helping bridge the gender gap in computer science.

Currently only 30% of students who study computer science for Leaving Cert are girls, and this gap only widens as they continue their career; just under 20% of programmers and software developers are women.

One of the biggest barriers to getting young women and girls into computer science is a misunderstanding of what the subject is about.

According to Emma Dukes, a software developer at Beyond, the subject is seen as a boys subject.

It is important to make young women and girls more aware of what computer science really is, and the best place to do that is in our schools.

We have been delighted with the uptake of computer science as a LC subject in Summerhill and would love to be able to provide similar support and mentoring to another school in the region to help future generations take their steps towards the IT industry, said Lucia Macari,

Director of Beyond Ireland. Beyond inc, is committed to actively supporting schools who are looking to introduce computer science as a Leaving Cert subject and will continue to offer young people the opportunity to discover what it means to work in the field of ICT through their annual TY programme, class visits, and more.

Beyond, Inc. (NYSE:BYON), based in Midvale, Utah, is an ecommerce expert with a singular focus: connecting consumers with products and services that unlock their homes potential.

The company owns Overstock, Bed Bath & Beyond, Baby & Beyond, Zulily, and other related brands and associated intellectual property. The Sligo office is Beyonds European Technology Centre, with functions and roles in software and data engineering, ML engineering, data science and site reliability engineering.
It was an emotional but joyful occasion at Enniscorthy Greyhound Track for the Murphy family of Glenbrien, who organised a fundraiser for the Irish Hospice Foundation in honour of Thrush and Jim Murphy, who they cared for graciously with the help of the charity in their last days.

Daughter Mary Murphy, says the foundation is an organisation that the family hold very close to their hearts, grateful that they could fulfil her mothers dying wish to be at home with her family.

Only one in four can spend their last days at home, so Mammy was very lucky. She was down in Waterford hospital and then one day the foundation got her back to the house. Her dying wish was to be at home with her family. And she passed away surrounded by her children and she was happy, she said.

And although Jim, who passed away before Thrush, passed away in Wexford hospital, the care he received from the hospice nurses was phenomenal.

She would love to make plans to hold another event in the future as support is essential for such an important foundation.

I cannot even tell you just how grateful I am, she added.

Collectors Sandra and Hannah Murphy and Lauren Power at the Irish Hospice Foundation Dogs Night at Enniscorthy Dog Track.

Besides gratefulness towards the foundation, the crowd of supporters, and the generous sponsors, she was also filled with a sense of pride towards her nephew Danny Power who was instrumental in the organisation of the event.

He is one in a million. He did an amazing job bringing us all together for the night. He has a good head on his shoulders for only being 21 years of age. We are so proud of him, she said.

Mr Power said he was in awe of the support from the community they received, as he did not expect even half of the crowd to turn up on the night.

We have been planning this event since March, and I said that I would be happy to get some sponsors from Enniscorthy, but we received sponsorship from businesses and organisation from Gorey, Wexford, and right across the county for prizes, raffle tickets and ads in the booklet. Even businesses who had nothing left in their charity fund, donated something from their own pocket, he said.

Rebecca O'Neill and Aleeah Lafferty enjoying the Irish Hospice Foundation Dogs Night at Enniscorthy Dog Track.

The event received a flurry of prizes and sponsorship from businesses including Power Plant Hire, Gus Byrne Electrical, Enniscorthy Credit Union, Curvy Closet Boutique and much more. The main prize was provided by Treacys Hotel who offered a two-night stay in any of their hotels across the country.

Despite the joy of a successful night, Mr Power admitted that it was a heavy night filled with emotion.

It was a very emotional night  a bit bittersweet. It was a nice event of course, but heavy all the same, he added.

The family hopes that the money raised from the event will make a difference in another familys life, just like how the foundation helped theirs for the better. With the funds raised in 2023, the foundation were able to provide nurses for 2,920 nights of care, distributed 10,000 Think Ahead planning packs, and support 90 families through Rosabels Rooms after the loss of a child.

The peace they were able to give us  if the money we raised could help even one other family get the same peace and support we were given that would be amazing, he said.

He took to social media to thank everyone involved, writing:  tonight has been about more than just raising funds; its been about community, support, and remembering two incredible people who are dearly missed. Thank you all for being a part of this.

He is also very thankful to the staff of the Enniscorthy dog track who were able to accommodate such a big event.

Like my grandfather used to say go big or go home, he added.
Celebrity chef Kevin Dundon is set to headline the second Kilanerin Food and Heritage Festival taking place over the weekend of Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15.

The two-day event which attracted more than 1,500 visitors to Kilanerin from Wexford, Wicklow and beyond last year, will once again feature everything from old-style bread making to modern-day cookery demonstrations, and from archive photos and videos to steam engines and vintage tools.

Roz Williams, a member of the organising committee, said she is delighted that this years event promises to be even bigger and better than their inaugural event last year.

A committee of local volunteers have been working together to once again bring to life a family-orientated, fun and engaging community festival with local food, farming and heritage at its heart."

We received a fantastic reaction last year, so we have tried to repay all the generosity and support by making this years event even more special. We are delighted that Kevin Dundon and so many of our local food producers are coming to Kilanerin to showcase their skills and wares. Visitors are in for a real treat, said Roz.

Following hot on the heels of Ballymaloes Rachel Allen who headlined last year, the star attraction of the weekend is Wexfords own celebrity chef, Kevin Dundon, who is making the trip from the award-winning Dunbrody House Hotel for a cookery demonstration on Saturday evening at Kilanerin Community Centre.

Additions to the festival this year will be a Smokin Soul BBQ demonstration, Dancing with Declan, and a local history and heritage exhibition which will feature photos and videos of some well-known local faces, and well as material from days gone by that promises to bring visitors on an emotional trip down memory lane.

Newly-installed National President of the Irish Countrywomens Association, Mary Darcy from Kilanerin, will continue where she left-off last year by making traditional and delicious brown bread on an open fire.

Apart from the Kevin Dundon event, the organisers are planning cookery and food demonstrations by local chefs and producers; an artisan food market with the best of local producers; food trucks offering tasty hot food; and a series of talks on everything from beekeeping to fermentation.

Other exhibitions and demonstrations over the two days will include woodturning, blacksmithing, butter-making, flour grinding, and a demonstration of old tools and how they were used. There will be steam engines and other machinery on display throughout the weekend.

Organised by, and in aid of Kilanerin Tidy Towns and Kilanerin Ballyfad Community Development Association (KBCDA), the two-day event is suitable for all ages and will feature live music, talks and demonstrations and plenty of kids activities including competitions, face-painting and pot planting.

This years festival is part funded through Failte Ireland in partnership with Wexford County Council  Festival Grant Scheme 2024. Entrance to the Kilanerin Food and Heritage Festival which will run from 11am to 4pm on both days is 10, with kids going free and complimentary car parking.

The Kevin Dundon evening is a special ticketed event and includes a glass of champagne on arrival and a chance to win special prizes. Doors open from 6.30p.m., with the demonstration starting at 7p.m.

Tickets cost 25 plus booking fee can be purchased in advance at the gr8events website or by calling Kilanerin Community Centre on 0402 44555. People are also asked to follow @kilanerin_tidy_towns and Kilanerin Community Centre on Facebook or Instagram for festival updates and demonstration timetables.
Senator Malcolm Byrne with Congressman Buddy Carter from Georgia and Howard Keeley of Georgia Southern University at The Duck restaurant in Gorey.

Their meeting is as a result of Wexfords developing educational and trade links with Savannah, Georgia in the United States with a lot of it driven by the decision of Georgia Southern University to build a campus in Wexford town.

"It was a privilege to have the Member of Congress for Savannah to the county for his first time in Ireland. He was attending a conference in Dublin but it was important for him to see the growing links between our regions. I have been very supportive from the start of Georgia Southern setting up here and sending their students here and we are now seeing that developing into real trade links with business being done and jobs being supported," said Senator Byrne.

A number of companies between south east Ireland and Georgia have now started doing business with the numbers expected to grow in the years ahead.

These developments were the subject of discussion when Senator Malcolm Byrne welcomed Congressman Buddy Carter to Gorey for lunch at the Duck at Marlfield House on Friday, August 16. Mr Carter represents the city of Savannah which is part of Georgia's first congressional district in the US House of Representatives.

They were joined by a team from Georgia Southern University. Senator Byrne paid tribute to the work of Wexford County Council in supporting initiatives to enhance collaboration between the two regions.

He added that the Congressman was very impressed by Ireland and the warm welcome that he received and wanted to support any further trade opportunities.
"No Matter What" was one of nine Irish number one hit singles for Boyzone.

1 No Matter What Boyzone

2 Come With Me Puff Daddy feat. Jimmy Page

3 Save Tonight Eagle-Eye Cherry

4 Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are) Pras Michel ft Ol Dirty Bastard and introducting Mya

5 Viva Forever Spice Girls

6 The Boy Is Mine Brandy and Monica

7 Life Desree

8 Everythings Gonna Be Alright Sweetbox

9 Cest La Vie B*witched

10 Cafe Del Mar 98 Energy 52

Boyzone already had five number one singles under their belt in Ireland when their biggest hit No Matter What soared to the top of the charts towards the end of August, 1998.

The single, from the 1996 musical Whistle Down The Wind, was part of the boybands incredible four-year Irish chart run which saw 18 of their first 20 singles reach the top five in their homeland.

Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman, No Matter What was Boyzones fourth number one in the UK where it topped the charts for three straight weeks and finished the year as the top selling single of 1998.

It sold 277,500 copies in its first week and has gone on to sell around 1.2 million in the UK and more than 3 million worldwide.

In an Official Chart Company list of the biggest selling singles by Irish acts in the UK of the past 20 years, published in 2017, No Matter What ranked number one ahead of Snow Patrols Chasing Cars, Hoziers Take Me To Church and B*witcheds Ce La Vie, in that order.

It was the only Boyzone single to have an impact in the US where it featured on Americas edition of the soundtrack to 1999 film Notting Hill.

Thanks to the Jim Steinman connection, No Matter What was recorded by Meat Loaf and featured in his 1998 compilation album The Very Best of Meat Loaf and on a couple of his b-sides. During Meat Loafs Dublin concert in 1998, Boyzone joined the US star onstage for No Matter What.

The band also duetted with Luciano Pavarotti in Italy for the concert and album Pavarotti & Friends for Guatemala and Kosovo.

Featuring shared lead vocals by Ronan Keating and Stephen Gately, No Matter What was not included on the original UK pressing of Boyzones third studio album Where We Belong, but was added to the second pressing in November 1998. Where We Belong was a top ten hit in eleven countries and topped the UK album charts for three weeks.

The album was Boyzones last to feature Stephen Gately who passed away in 2009 at the age of just 33 as a result of an undiagnosed heart condition.

With nine number one hits in Ireland, Boyzone rank fourth in the list of artists with most Irish No.1 hits, alongside Cliff Richard, Michael Jackson, Eminem and Ed Sheeran. U2 are on top, with 21, followed by The Beatles and Westlife (13 each) and ABBA , with 12.
Ralph Riegel outside Villa Park, Birmingham, with his wife Mary, who he met at Slane Castle during a Bruce Springsteen concert 39 years ago

Superfans of Bruce Springsteen will take to the stage at the Kennedy Summer School in New Ross on Friday, August 30, to outline the American rockers Irish heritage.

With journalist Lise Hand as moderator, a panel of guests will delve into the Irish heritage of one of Americas most iconic musicians.

One of the contributors is genealogist Fiona Fitzsimons, who is the co-founder of Eneclann and the Irish Family History Centre at EPIC emigrant museum in Dublin. She has led the Eneclann research team and established their work as a benchmark in family history in Ireland and internationally. Clients include the White House President Obama and President Biden administrations.

Author and a journalist with RTE David McCullagh first saw Bruce Springsteen play in Slane in 1985 and has seen him more than 40 times since, as well as interviewing him twice.

Ralph Riegel is the southern correspondent for The Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent and other Mediahuis titles.

A Springsteen fan since 1982, he attended his first concert aged 17 years at Slane Castle in 1985, just days before his Leaving Cert  and says he has since been privileged to attend over a half-century of Boss concerts in Ireland, US, UK, Italy, Spain, Norway, Germany, Sweden and Canada

Kirk Curnutt joined the faculty of Troy Universitys Montgomery campus in 1993 and was for the first stretch of his career the youngest tenured professor in the system. He is the author of several works of fiction and criticism of popular music. He teaches both online and on the Troy campus, focusing on creative writing, American literature, senior seminar, andfinally, after many years of begging the music department to let himthe history of rock and roll.

For further details and tickets for the 2024 events see www.kennedysummerschool.ie or call St. Michaels Theatre on 051 421255. The Kennedy Summer School and Festival is run in association with the Office of Public Works, Failte Ireland, New Ross District Council, Wexford County Council and Purdue University.
Ambrose and Marian Condron unveiled plaque in memory of stuntman John Condron at the castle in Taghmon on Saturday. Pic: Jim Campbell

Paraic O'Donohoe performed at the unveiling of a plaque in memory of stuntman John Condron at the castle in Taghmon on Saturday. Pic: Jim Campbell

Joe Condron, brother of the late John Condron addressing the crowd during the unveiling of a plaque in memory of stuntman John Condron at the castle in Taghmon on Saturday. Pic: Jim Campbell

Stuntman Neville B. Tough pictured at the unveiling of a plaque in memory of stuntman John Condron at the castle in Taghmon on Saturday. Pic: Jim Campbell

The Condron family and organising committee pictured at the unveiling of a plaque in memory of stuntman John Condron at the castle in Taghmon on Saturday. Pic: Jim Campbell

A large attendance at the unveiling of a plaque in memory of stuntman John Condron at the castle in Taghmon on Saturday. Pic: Jim Campbell

Some of the people who attended the unveiling of a plaque in memory of stuntman John Condron at the castle in Taghmon on Saturday. Pic: Jim Campbell

Gemma Condron, sister of the late John Condron addressing the crowd during the unveiling of a plaque in memory of stuntman John Condron at the castle in Taghmon on Saturday. Pic: Jim Campbell

Cllr Jim Codd (Cathaoirleach Rosslare Municipal District) with members of the Historical Society pictured at the unveiling of a plaque in memory of stuntman John Condron at the castle in Taghmon on Saturday. Pic: Jim Campbell

A large crowd gathered at the foot of Taghmon Castle on Saturday. Forty-two years beforehand, professional stuntman John Condron looked out over the top of Taghmon Castle at almost exactly the same spot. He took a final pull on his cigarette, passed his belongings to his friend and colleague Neville B Tough and told him hed see him at the bottom and leapt.

Tragically, his jump would not go to plan and the 23-year-old died after falling nearly 60 feet from the top of the castle.

While reported on nationally at the time, it was an incident which had an indelible impact on the village of Taghmon. It was never forgotten. Long after the national press had moved on to the next story, locals spoke with sadness about that fateful day at the Mardi Gras Festival in 1982.

It was therefore fitting that 42 years on, locals gathered with the Condron Family and with Johns friend and colleague Neville B Tough to officially unveil a plaque in honour of the Dublin native.

Stuntman Neville B. Tough pictured at the unveiling of a plaque in memory of stuntman John Condron at the castle in Taghmon on Saturday. Pic: Jim Campbell

There had been a lot of dialogue between Taghmon Historical Society and the Condron family which culminated in the plaque on the castle wall and his six brothers and sisters were present at the unveiling, along with nieces, nephews and extended family from Dublin, Offaly and Galway.

One sister made the journey from Canada to be there on the special day, while another travelled from the UK, an indication of how much the gesture meant to them.

Chairman of Taghmon Historical Society Michael Doyle addressed the assembled crowd, which also included some of the organising committee of the 1982 Mardi Gras, and spoke of the events of that fateful day.

It was an emotional occasion for the Condron family who spoke of John's adventurous spirit and recited a poem in his memory, while Fr Robert McGuire said a reflective prayer with Padraig ODonoghue from Davidstown playing a lament on the uilleann pipes.

Cathaoirleach of the Rosslare Municipal District and local councillor Jim Codd told the family of the impact that Johns death had had on the local community.

The Condron family pictured at the unveiling of a plaque in memory of stuntman John Condron at the castle in Taghmon on Saturday. Pic: Jim Campbell

"Even though so much time has lapsed, people clearly remember this terrible tragedy, he said. There was a huge crowd including family, friends and locals that wished to mark what happened and a big word of thanks is due to Taghmon Historical Society for all they've done in organising this day.

"Rest in peace John, he said with a glance to the freshly erected plaque. You have not been forgotten.
Wicklow Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore is again calling on the HSE to prioritise the establishment of the much-needed neurorehabilitation centre in Bray as a matter of urgency, as the county still has no community rehabilitation teams available for neurological patients.

Community neurorehabilitation teams are multi-disciplinary teams that provide vital care to support recovery and prevent disability for people with neurological conditions.

According to national neurorehabilitation strategy, nine teams are required nationwide but only two have been delivered. This means that only 15pc of neurological patients in Ireland have access to a community neurorehabilitation team.

Community Health Organisation 6 (CHO6), which includes Wicklow, Dun Laoghaire and Dublin South East, still does not have a neurorehabilitation team in place, despite funding being made available.

Recruitment for the CH06 region neurorehabilitation team had been signed off on in May 2023 but was subsequently delayed by the HSE hiring freeze. With the end of this hiring freeze announced in July, Deputy Whitmore has called for the HSE to immediately recommence the hiring process for this service.

I have written to the HSE asking them for a timeline and opening date for the neurorehabilitation centre in Bray and asking them for an update on the recruitment process.

At present, there are no community rehabilitation teams available for neurological patients in County Wicklow and the commencement of this service in Bray must be urgently prioritised by the HSE, commented Deputy Whitmore.

The establishment of this community-based neurological service would allow hundreds of people across the county to access rehabilitation services following stroke and brain injuries, as well as Parkinsons patients and others in need of physical or speech therapy.

I have met with the Neurological Alliance of Ireland (NAI) on several occasions, and they have highlighted the positive, life-changing impact that this essential healthcare service could have on neurological patients in Wicklow, she continued.

The signing off on the recruitment process for the CH06 neurological rehabilitation centre in May 2023 was a positive step towards the establishment of this service in Bray.

But the delays to this process, caused by the HSE hiring freeze, have been devastating for the patients and families desperately in need of the establishment of this community-based service.

I raised these ongoing delays with the Minister for Health earlier in the year and asked for him to sign a derogation so that the CH06 neurological rehabilitation team recruitment would be excluded from the HSE hiring freeze.

Now that the hiring freeze has been lifted, we need the recruitment of this team to be a priority so that neurological patients in Wicklow can receive the care and treatment that they need within their community, concluded Deputy Whitmore.
Cllr Jason Mulhall, Laura Bowen, Steven Matthews TD, Yvonne Whitty, Cormac Allen, Lisa Edden, Deirdre Byrnes from Wicklow Heritage and Cllr Patsy Glennon at St Kevin's Church in Hollywood. Photo: Barry Hamilton

Heritage Week kicked off over the weekend and the packed schedule for Wicklow included tours of St Kevin's Church of Ireland in Hollywood, which dates back to the seventeenth century.

It remains one of the few surviving churches from that era and remains in use to this day, having retained much of its original structure.

There was a steady stream of visitors throughout Saturdays open day, keen to learn all about the story behind the church. St. Kevins is the traditional starting point for the Camino de Glendalough, following the medieval pilgrimage route, St. Kevins Way. Many pilgrims receive a blessing at the church before journeying to Glendalough.

The church has featured in films such as Dancing at Lughnasa, Braveheart, The Siege of Jadotville, Michael Collins and The Wonder.

An art exhibition, talks, lectures and musical recitals also took place throughout the day.

There are still plenty of Heritage Week events lined up for the coming days and weekend in west Wicklow. On Wednesday, August 21, you can join Liz Tiernan for an Irish trees and Ogham art presentation taking place in Dunlavin Library from 2.30pm to 3.30pm.

Ita OBoyle hosts a family history clinic in Blessington Library on Friday, August 23, from 1.30pm to 4.30pm.

On Saturday, August 24, a heritage hike leaves from outside St Kevins Church following follow in the footsteps of the pilgrims who once gathered on Church Mountains sacred summit. Isabel Clissmann will lead the moderate 14km hike which commences at 12 noon.

You can connect your child with nature on this fun guided walk along the native tree trail at the beautiful lakeshore site at Wild Eala, Baltyboys, taking place from 11am to 12.30pm on Saturday, August 24.

Saturday also sees a storytelling telling and craft event taking place for 7 to 10 year olds by Carmel Stephen in Blessington Library from 2.30pm to 4.45pm.
The Federal Court of Justice has upheld the conviction of Irmgard Furchner for being an accessory to more than 10,000 murders in her role as a secretary to the SS commander of the Nazis Stutthof concentration camp (Christian Charisius/Pool/AP)

A German court has rejected an appeal by a 99-year-old woman who was convicted of being an accessory to more than 10,000 murders in her role as a secretary to the SS commander of the Nazis Stutthof concentration camp during the Second World War.
Ukraine troops in Kursk have taken 92 settlements

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces captured more than 1,250 sq km in a defensive operation in Russias Kursk region and urged allies to allow Western weapons strikes deep inside the country.

Two weeks after Ukrainian forces launched a shock incursion into Russias western region, Mr Zelensky said the operation no one knew about proved there were no red lines of the Kremlin to be wary of.
LATEST | Superyacht sinking: For two seconds I lost the baby in the sea, then I held her again  mum tells how she saved infant

One body recovered so far confirmed as that of Antiguan chef Ricardo ThomasIrish woman (20s) reported among those rescued after storm hit the boat off coast of Sicily, leaving one dead and six missingBritish technology tycoon Mike Lynch, chairman of Morgan Stanley International MS.N Jonathan Bloomer and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo were also among the missing peopleGroup were celebrating Mr Lynchs acquittal in an $11bn fraud case in June

Charlotte Golunski (38), a senior associate at Invoke, Mr Lynchs venture capital firm

Crispian Balmer, Giulia Segreti and Connor Stringer Telegraph.co.uk Tue 20 Aug 2024 at 03:30







A mother has told how she kept her one-year-old daughter alive in the sea off the coast of Sicily after a luxury yacht sunk, with an Irish national among those rescued.
Lebanon under fire: I am used to being a humanitarian worker, but now Ive been displaced by air strikes in my own country
This could be the last real chance for peace deal, says Antony Blinken as talks over Gaza ceasefire continue

Benjamin Netanyahu accepts proposal as top US diplomat urges Hamas to so same

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, meets with Israel's President Isaac Herzog, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (Kevin Mohatt/Pool Photo via AP)

Humeyra Pamuk and Nidal al-Mughrabi Tue 20 Aug 2024 at 03:30







US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted a bridging proposal presented by Washington designed to close disagreements to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to do the same.
China says firmly opposes Philippines' intrusion into waters of Xianbin Jiao

Xinhua) 08:07, August 20, 2024

BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes Philippine coast guard vessels' intrusion into adjacent waters of Xianbin Jiao, and will continue to take resolute measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday.

Mao made the remarks at a press conference when answering a media query.

Mao said that on Aug. 19, two Philippine coast guard vessels, without permission from the Chinese government, intruded into the adjacent waters of Xianbin Jiao of China's Nansha Qundao. In disregard of China Coast Guard's dissuasion and warning, they acted dangerously by deliberately ramming the China Coast Guard vessel that was carrying out law enforcement operation.

The responsibility of causing the collision fully lies with the Philippines, Mao said, adding that China Coast Guard took necessary measures in accordance with domestic and international law, and its maneuvers at the scene were professional, restrained and appropriate.

"I would like to stress that Xianbin Jiao is part of China's Nansha Qundao. It has always been China's territory and uninhabited," Mao said.

She added that the Philippines sent coast guard vessels to intrude into waters of Xianbin Jiao in an attempt to send supplies to the Philippine coast guard vessel anchoring in the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao and seek long-term presence there.

The Philippines' move 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, Mao said, adding that China firmly opposes it and will continue to take resolute measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and uphold the sanctity of the DOC.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A man arrested on suspicion of killing up to 42 women and dumping their bodies in an old quarry escaped from police custody in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Tuesday, police said.

Collins Jumaisi was arrested last month in connection with the discovery of at least six bodies wrapped in plastic bags in Kware quarry, which is now used as a rubbish dump.
Indias Draft Personal Data Protection Rules Likely to be Released Within a Month

India is expected to release a draft of the rules under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act) within a month for public review.

Draft data protection rules to be issued by Government of India within a month

Indias Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the media on August 19 that the central government is expected to release a draft of the rules under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act) within a month.

The intention appears to be to simplify the rules and pass it on for public consultation. After the rules are published, the public consultation period may last between 45-60 days, subject to further extensions, to draw out comprehensive feedback.

The government intends to review all feedback and begin implementing the DPDP Act within this financial year, with plans to establish a Data Protection Board during this period.

The final draft of the DPDP Act was last reviewed by the government last week, per a report in the Business Standard. The supporting digital infrastructure being developed by the Digital India Corporation (DIC) and the National Informatics Center (NIC) has moved beyond the beta testing phase according to Vaishnaw.

The entire implementation structure has to be digital right from the beginning. That entire digital framework has now been completed from inception and is now fully operational.  Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishanw

What lies ahead

The finalized rules will detail the processes for filing complaints, appealing decisions, and other essential procedures.

The current version of the DPDP Act provides specialized protections for children and individuals with disabilities. It defines a child as anyone under 18 years old. Section 9 requires data fiduciaries to obtain consent from a parent or legal guardian and verify the childs age before processing a minors data.

However, the implementation of the DPDP Act has been delayed due to the need for additional clauses and rules.

Background

The DPDP Act is designed to safeguard personal data and privacy. Originally introduced on December 11, 2019, and passed by the Parliament in August 2023, the legislation sets forth strict guidelines for data protection, sharing, and storage, ensuring the security of individuals private information nationwide.

There have been discussions about possibly diluting the legislation, sparking concerns among privacy advocates. How these issues will be addressed in the parliamentary process remains to be seen.

The DPDP Act prohibits any private or public entity from using an individuals data without their explicit consent, emphasizing the need to safeguard personal information. It also includes provisions for using data in matters of national security and judicial processes.

Key definitions compared to EU GDPR

The DPDP Act, while similar to the EUs GDPR, differs in its terminology and definitions:

Data Fiduciary: This entity determines the purpose and methods for processing personal data. It is akin to a data controller in the GDPR. The government can designate certain data fiduciaries as significant data fiduciaries (SDFs) based on factors like data volume, sensitivity, and broader societal impacts. SDFs face stricter compliance requirements.

This entity determines the purpose and methods for processing personal data. It is akin to a data controller in the GDPR. The government can designate certain data fiduciaries as significant data fiduciaries (SDFs) based on factors like data volume, sensitivity, and broader societal impacts. SDFs face stricter compliance requirements. Data Processor: An entity that processes personal data on behalf of a data fiduciary.

An entity that processes personal data on behalf of a data fiduciary. Data Principal: The individual whose personal data is collected and processed, similar to a data subject under GDPR.

The individual whose personal data is collected and processed, similar to a data subject under GDPR. Consent Manager: A registered individual who manages consent on behalf of data principals, allowing them to give, review, and withdraw consent through a transparent and interoperable platform.

Comments on the Broadcasting Services bill

Minister Vaishnaw also spoke to the media about the contentious draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill. He stated that the government will undertake new efforts, adopting a broader and more inclusive consultation process to ensure transparent dialogue in the content creation sector.

Also read:
Photo Courtesy: PIB

New Delhi: Sources from the Finance Ministry on Tuesday dismissed a media report suggesting that the ministry was considering forming a panel to investigate allegations made by Hindenburg Research against SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch, according to a Moneycontrol report.

Earlier in the day, the news service Informist had reported, citing a senior government official, that such a panel might include members from SEBI and government officials.

The official noted that if allegations were made against the chairperson, it wouldnt make sense for a statement to be issued under her leadership, even though eight other members are part of SEBIs board.

The potential panel could include both full-time and part-time members of SEBI's board, as well as government officials.

This development stems from allegations made by the U.S. short-seller Hindenburg Research on August 10, accusing Buch and her husband of having investments in obscure offshore funds that were allegedly involved in the Adani money siphoning scandal.

These latest accusations are related to Hindenburgs January 2023 report, which accused the Adani Group of financial misconduct and stock manipulation.

Hindenburg claimed that SEBI had avoided thoroughly investigating these past allegations due to Buchs conflict of interest.

Buch, SEBI, and the Adani Group have all denied these recent allegations.

In a related issue, on August 16, Reuters reported that Buchs earnings from a consultancy firm, while serving as part of SEBI, violated the organizations rules.

Buch joined SEBI in 2017 and was appointed its chief in March 2022. Hindenburg's report highlighted two consultancy firms: Agora Partners, based in Singapore, and India-based Agora Advisory, both run by Buch and her husband, Dhaval Buch.

According to documents from the Registrar of Companies, Reuters previously reported that Buch, during her seven years at SEBI, held a 99% stake in Agora Advisory and earned Rs 3.71 crore in revenue, which violates a 2008 SEBI policy prohibiting its officials from earning income from other professional activities.

Buch has stated that she made all necessary disclosures. Reuters further reported that Buch transferred her shares in Agora Partners to her husband in March 2022 but retained shares in the Indian unit, which a former top bureaucrat, Subhash Chandra Garg, described as a "very serious" breach of conduct.
Mumbai: JSW Cement Ltd plans to more than double its cement grinding capacity in India, increasing it from the current 20.60 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to nearly 41 mtpa, as stated in its draft initial share sale documents.

This expansion will be achieved through a combination of greenfield and brownfield investments.

The company, part of the JSW Group, noted that it expects to benefit from synergies with the group's steel and port operations and sees significant growth potential in "green cement" products, such as ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS).

JSW Cement plans to expand its presence in northern and central India, aligning with the broader industry trend of becoming a pan-India operator.

The expansion plan, approved by the board, includes the establishment of six new greenfield units in Rajasthan, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Dolvi, Maharashtra, as well as a brownfield unit in Vijayanagar, Karnataka, adding a total of 20.25 mtpa of cement grinding capacity.

Currently, of the 20.60 mtpa cement grinding capacity, 11 mtpa is situated in South India, with facilities in Nandyal (Andhra Pradesh), Salem (Tamil Nadu), and Vijayanagar (Karnataka), the latter being adjacent to a major JSW Steel manufacturing plant. Other major capacities are located in the eastern part of the country, at Jajpur (Odisha) and Salboni (West Bengal).

There is also a grinding unit at Dolvi, near a minor port managed by JSW Infrastructure.

Additionally, JSW Cement plans to increase its clinker production capacity from 6.44 mtpa to 13.04 mtpa. The new facilities in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, located in Nagaur and Hatta, will each contribute 3.30 mtpa to this expansion.

The companys subsidiary, Shiva Cement, also owns a clinker unit in Odisha.

Clinker, an essential component in the cement grinding process, is produced from limestone and other minerals. In addition to its clinker capacity in India, JSW Cement operates a clinker facility in the United Arab Emirates, which supplies its Dolvi cement grinding operations in Maharashtra via a shipping route.

In its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP), JSW Cement emphasized its reliance on synergies within the JSW Group, including steel, power, and port operations, to support its growth. The company has previously leveraged these synergies, such as co-locating near JSW Steel facilities at Vijayanagar and Dolvi, providing access to affordable blast furnace slag and integrated logistics through existing road, rail, and port infrastructure.

The proposed locations for expansion are strategically chosen to integrate with other group companies, with the greenfield unit in Odisha being situated at JSW Steel's subsidiary Bhushan Power and Steel in Sambalpur, and additional units planned for Dolvi and Vijayanagar.

The expansion plans also consider proximity to limestone reserves, with JSW Cement operating a limestone mine in Madhya Pradesh and holding mining rights or letters of intent for limestone mines in Nagaur (Rajasthan) and Kutch (Gujarat).

The company has an estimated 1.1 billion tonnes of aggregate limestone reserves as of the end of FY24.
Bengaluru: Infosys is set to earn over $100 million as a key partner in a $1.1 billion cloud migration deal between Coca-Cola and Microsoft, according to an Economic Times report.

This agreement, finalized in April, underscores the increasing involvement of Indian IT service providers in major global technology initiatives.

In a regulatory filing, Coca-Cola Euro Pacific Partners PLC, a subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company, disclosed a commitment of 167 million to Microsoft for Azure cloud migration services over a six-year period, with an additional 25 million earmarked for Infosys as a supporting partner. This collaboration highlights the growing strategic significance of cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for Indian IT firms, particularly when working alongside global tech leaders like Microsoft.

The Coca-Cola-Microsoft partnership, announced in April, represents a five-year collaboration designed to align Coca-Colas core technology strategy with cutting-edge innovations, enhancing global productivity.

As part of this alliance, Coca-Cola has committed $1.1 billion to Microsoft Cloud and its generative AI capabilities, with plans to explore new technologies like Azure OpenAI Service to create innovative AI solutions across various business functions.

Meanwhile, regulatory filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have disclosed that Infosys is expected to earn over $27 million from its involvement in the Euro Pacific region alone.

The report indicates that if Infosys expands its services to other areas covered by the global deal, its total earnings could surpass $100 million. Additionally, IT service providers like Infosys typically capture around 15-20 percent of cloud migration deals. Infosyss role in this deal follows its announcement of a partnership with Microsoft in September last year to support enterprises in adopting an AI-first approach.
Sandesh. Alur Dom. Morog Polao. Rosogolla. These are just some of the iconic foods that reflect the rich Bengali culture and cuisine.

On Saturday (Aug 10), Canadians got a taste of that culture at what the organizers claimed was the first-ever North American Bengali Food Festival in Toronto.

Organizers estimate that about 700 people attended at various points, trying delicious fare from several vendors. Spicy aromas wafted through the Tagore Centre venue all day, beckoning people to keep coming back for more.

Its a unique food festival, said Suman Das, one of the organizers. Its the first time in the history of North America that we have started a Bengali food festival. Its a huge success.

Billed as an extraordinary gastronomic adventure, the event was presented by Bong (meaning Bengali) Point, an organization started by a group of friends who attended South Point School together in Kolkata and now live in the Toronto area.

Deputy Consul General of India in Toronto K. P. Singh was the chief guest who inaugurated the food festival.

This is exciting. I am happy to be here, he said lighting the ceremonial lamp and digging in to some of the scrumptious dishes at the festival.

While most of the vendors hail from Canada, one, Taste of Bengal, traveled hundreds of miles from Charlotte, North Carolina, for the event, which began at 2 p.m. and lasted into the night.

Food was the main attraction. Many attendees stayed for hours chatting and sampling various foods and drinking masala chai and lassi. But people also got the chance to listen to interviews with vendors, view delectable entries in a cooking contest and watch friends stuff their faces in two timed eating competitions.

Deputy Consul General K. P. Singh inaugurated the food festival.

There were also performances by local children, including a food-themed Bengali dance.

We had a great, great crowd. They came in and enjoyed our food and everything, Das said.

Bengali culture is all rooted in music, theatricals and food. Bengalis are people who love food.

Besides introducing that food to the wider community, organizers hope to help vendors find new customers and grow.

Bengali kitchens we are trying to promote so they can be commercialized, Das said. At the festival, almost every food was sold out. And we got feedback from all the vendors: They are quite happy.

Organizers hope the event is just the first of many.

This is our starting year. We are pretty much looking forward to having our next event in July 2025. And we are hoping the Bengali food festival will be ongoing every year in different areas and we are looking to spread it to major cities in the U.S.

Das said hes sure Bengali food will only grow more popular as more people taste it.

Food has no borders, he said.

India Blooms News Service (IBNS)- Canada was the media partner of the event.
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Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from YouTube video

Kolkata/IBNS: The Kolkata Police has registered a corruption case against Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital where the 31-year-old junior doctor was raped and murdered, media reports said.

The police will be probing into the financial irregularities in the hospital.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed by police to probe into the financial irregularities during Dr. Ghosh's tenure.

Slamming the move, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT Cell head Amit Malviya posted on X, "Now, WB Govt constitutes a SIT to probe allegations of financial irregularities by Dr Sandeep Ghosh, the disgraced Principal of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital. 4 IPS officers are part of the SIT. How are police officers equipped to investigate financial crimes?

"This is nothing but Mamata Banerjees move to save Ghosh. WB Police will arrest Sandeep Ghosh, just in time, to stop CBI from taking him in custody. Unless Mamata Banerjee resigns, free and fair probe in the rape and murder of the lady doctor is not possible. She must resign now."

Now, WB Govt constitutes a SIT to probe allegations of financial irregularities by Dr Sandeep Ghosh, the disgraced Principal of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital. 4 IPS officers are part of the SIT. How are police officers equipped to investigate financial crimes?



This is pic.twitter.com/26BUsI9KP0  Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 19, 2024

Dr. Ghosh, who came under massive fire from the protests who have gone into an indefinite strike demanding justice, was summoned for four consecutive days after the Central Bureau of Investigation took charge of the case as per the Calcutta High Court order.

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 lashed out at the government's move and asked Dr. Ghosh to go on leave.

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: Wikimedia commons

New Delhi/IBNS: The Supreme Court has questioned the West Bengal government and administration over the delay in filing an FIR in the rape and murder of 31-year-old junior doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

A three-judge Supreme Court bench has questioned the administration as to why the FIR was filed three hours after the dead body was cremated.

"Why was the FIR not filed in the first place," the top court asked the state government's advocate.

The top court has taken a suo-motu cognisance of the incident that has sent shockwaves across the country and triggered widespread nationwide anger and protests.

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.

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.

As per the Calcutta High Court order, the CBI is now investigation into the rape-murder that has brought the Mamata Banerjee government under scanner over the handling of the case and the alleged cover-up.


Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from YouTube video of Supreme Court

New Delhi/IBNS: The Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily upon the West Bengal government, which is at the receiving end of the public anger, over the 31-year-old lady trainee doctor's rape and murder at Kolkata's major state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital questioning the delay in filing of the First Information Report and inaction against the controversial ex-principal of the college.

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud asked the government counsel why there was a three-hour delay in filing the FIR from the time (8:30 pm) when the dead body was handed over for cremation.

CJI Chandrachud said, "What was the principal, and the hospital board, doing during this time?"

"It appears crime was detected in the morning. The hospital's principal tried to pass it off as suicide and the parents were not allowed to see the body. No FIR was filed," the CJI added.

The government counsel Kabil Sibal argued the information was incorrect and the FIR was registered immediately.

The Supreme Court, which took suo-motu cognisance of the incident, has questioned the state government's reappointment of Dr. Sandip Ghosh as the principal of Calcutta National Medical College within hours after he resigned from the same post at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Dr. Ghosh was asked to take leave by the Calcutta High Court, which has directed a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the rape-murder.

The top court, which has now taken up the case from Calcutta HC, has asked the CBI to file a report by Thursday (August 22), the day when the next hearing has been scheduled.

The court has asked the state to file a report on the proceedings of investigation into the vandalism of RG Kar Hospital by Thursday.

Photo courtesy: IBNS File

Meanwhile, a National Task Force comprising top doctors has been constituted by the apex court for recommendations on doctors' safety.

The task force has been asked to file an interim report within three weeks and a final report within two months.

"Medical professions have become vulnerable to violence. Due to ingrained patriarchal biases, women doctors are targeted more.

"As more and more women join the workforce, the nation cannot wait for another rape for things to change on the ground," CJI Chandrachud said.

The Supreme Court has also come down hard on the state administration, which is facing allegations of cover-up, over the vandalisation of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital by miscreants in the intervening night of August 14 and August 15 when lakhs of women and men took to streets across the state for night vigil demanding justice.

The Supreme Court has questioned the government counsel why the police didn't have the intel input of a march by 7,000 people, the figure revealed by the Kolkata Police days ago.

Kolkata Commissioner of Police Vineet Goyal last week claimed 7,000 people barged into the RG Kar Hospital and his team had no intelligence input of it.

Though over 30 people have been arrested in connection with the vandalism, the Kolkata Police has been accused of being a mute spectator while the rampage went on for about an hour.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has urged the protesting students to resume their duty as the nationwide strike threatens to disrupt the medical system.

The junior doctors, particularly in West Bengal, went on a strike demanding justice for the 31-year-old, who is now referred to as Tillotama, cripping the medical system of the state.

Not just the students, people from diverse fraternities are conducting rallies in Kolkata and neighbouring districts on a regular basis with one-point demand, justice for the victim.
Photo Courtesy: X page video grab

Police allegedly resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd which had assembled at a railway station in Maharashtra's Thane to protest against the sexual abuse of two nursery students in their school last week.

According to reports, the demonstrators blocked railways and vandalised the school after the incident came to light.

The Badlapur station reportedly changed to a war zone with a section of the protesters pelting stones at police.

The Maharashtra government formed a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the case of sexual abuse in the school amid outrage over the incident.

Mumbai suburb Badlapur (Thane Distt) erupts in huge protests after two 3-year-old girls were sexually assaulted by a male cleaning staff member in their school's girls toilet. Accused arrested. Massive rail-roko. pic.twitter.com/IdOTO3TY33  Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) August 20, 2024

The police have reportedly filed a case and arrested the male cleaning staff member who is accused of assaulting the children in the toilet.

Also Read: Why was the delay in filing FIR? Supreme Court raps Mamata govt over RG Kar rape-murder

According to reports, the incident happened on August 12 or August 13 when the girls were in the toilet.

The accused was identified as Akshay Shinde.

He has been sent to three-day police remand.

The parents, however, claimed they had to wait for 11 hours in a police station before the FIR was launched, media reports said.

The government has reportedly suspended three cops over alleged dereliction of duty in the probe..

Speaking to India Today TV over phone, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, "I spoke to the Commissioner of Police in the morning and said the accused should be charged under the strictest sections. The case will be fast-tracked. The accused will be given the strictest punishment and, as people have demanded, we will seek capital punishment so that such incidents do not happen again."

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Chairperson Priyank Kanungo said: "Taking cognizance of the incident, has decided to send a team for investigation. I will personally monitor the investigation and ensure that all the guilty police officers who were negligent are punished."

The school administration has suspended the principal, the class teacher and the staff responsible for transporting the children, reported India Today.

The incident occurred at a time when severe protests and demonstrations are sweeping the nation following the rape and murder of a PG trainee doctor in Kolkata's state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Image Credit: Videgrab of Badlapur railway station protest over the incident/ courtesy: X

New Delhi/IBNS: The parents of a nursery girl student who was sexually assaulted in a Thane school said they came to know about the horrific crime after the parents of a fellow nursery student, who was also abused, told them they would file a police case.

The parents then took their child for a medical test, which confirmed sexual assault, they said in the first information report (FIR) filed with the police in Maharashtra's Thane district's Badlapur city.

What's more shocking as per the parents was the police's long delay in filing the FIR. While the sexual assault happened on August 13, the police filed the case only on August 16.

The parents were allegedly also made to wait for 11 hours before they were allowed to file the FIR, the Opposition parties have claimed.

"Atrocities are committed on a three-and-half years old girl, a four-year-old girl, and at the police station, they (parents) are made to wait for 11 hours when they seek to file a complaint... Is there any sensitivity left? I spoke to the police commissioner and told him that the woman police officer responsible for this delay must be suspended immediately," Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly Vijay Wadettiwar alleged.

The two four-year-old girls told their parents that a "dada", referring to an unknown man, in the school sexually assaulted them.

A huge protest broke out in Thane over the incident as thousands of protesters had flocked to the local train station in Badlapur in the morning and blocked the movement of trains.

Also read: Police resort to lathi-charge in Badlapur station to disperse violent protesters who were demonstrating against sexual abuse of 2 nursery girls in school

According to reports, the demonstrators blocked railways and vandalised the school after the incident came to light.

The Badlapur station reportedly changed to a war zone with a section of the protesters pelting stones at police.

Mumbai suburb Badlapur (Thane Distt) erupts in huge protests after two 3-year-old girls were sexually assaulted by a male cleaning staff member in their school's girls toilet. Accused arrested. Massive rail-roko. pic.twitter.com/IdOTO3TY33  Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) August 20, 2024

The Maharashtra government formed a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the case of sexual abuse in the school amid outrage over the incident.

The police arrested the male cleaning staff member Akshay Shinde as the accused. He has been sent to a three-day police remand.

The government has reportedly suspended three cops over alleged dereliction of duty in the probe.

Speaking to India Today TV over the phone, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, "I spoke to the Commissioner of Police in the morning and said the accused should be charged under the strictest sections. The case will be fast-tracked. The accused will be given the strictest punishment and, as people have demanded, we will seek capital punishment so that such incidents do not happen again."

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Chairperson Priyank Kanungo said: "Taking cognizance of the incident, has decided to send a team for investigation. I will personally monitor the investigation and ensure that all the guilty police officers who were negligent are punished."

The school administration has suspended the principal, the class teacher and the staff responsible for transporting the children, reported India Today.

Also read: Power of Bengal govt should not be unleashed on anti-RG Kar rape-murder protesters: Supreme Court

The incident occurred at a time when severe protests and demonstrations are sweeping the nation following the rape and murder of a PG trainee doctor in Kolkata's state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Photo courtesy: X/@RDA_UP

New Delhi/IBNS: The doctors' body is not yet ready to call off its protest even after the Supreme Court's appeal to them over returning to work notwithstanding in connection with the brutal rape and murder of the female trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital and Medical College.



The court, which initiated a hearing on the massive row over the heinous crime, had tried to balance the security of doctors with patient care, calling for a national protocol for safety at workplaces.

However, the doctors made their position clear.



One of the doctors' bodies -- the All-India Residents and Junior Doctors' Joint Action Forum -- has not minced words.

"The Supreme Court's directive for increased security at hospitals, while well-intentioned, does not address the core problems plaguing our healthcare system," read a communique from the Forum.

"The real issue is a public healthcare system that has been systematically neglected, underfunded, and understaffed for decades. While the CJI's call for enhanced security in hospitals is a response to the immediate crisis this cannot be a permanent and feasible solution," it added.

Calling for a "comprehensive overhaul of the system", the organisation said, it will "continue the movement until our demands are met... We will not rest until the real culprits are brought to justice, and the systemic issues that plague our healthcare system are addressed."

The resident doctors of RG Kar Medical College made it clear that they will not take a step back for now.

"Our cease work will continue resolutely until the Supreme Court delivers its verdict on Thursday. This is not just a protest; it is a stand for the safety, dignity, and rights of every medical professional in our country," read its note to the media.

FORDA (Federation of Resident Doctors Association) said it has already held a meeting with representatives of 35 Resident Doctors' Associations.

"The representatives will now consult with Resident Doctors for their feedback, before a follow-up meeting," it said, underscoring that the movement will continue to be guided by the 'collective voices" of our resident doctors.

The top court, which has taken note of the huge row on its own, explained its reasons for doing so. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, who led the three-judge bench, said, "Why we decided to take suo motu though High Court was hearing it because this is not just a case of a horrific murder in the Kolkata hospital...but this is about systemic issue about safety of doctors across India."

The judges said: "Since the court is considering matters related to the safety and welfare of all doctors, we request those doctors who are currently away from work to resume their duties as soon as possible. The absence of doctors affects the section of society that needs medical care. Doctors and medical professionals can be assured that their concerns are being addressed by the Supreme Court".

Also read: Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: SC directs CISF to provide security at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital to enable doctors to resume work

"It is essential to maintain safe conditions for doctors to pursue their duty. Thus we have been assured by SG Mehta that CISF shall be deputed in sufficient numbers to guard the facility of RG Kar Medical college ..Mr Sibal says there is no objection since the aim is to safeguard the place. Any concern regarding to their safety can be placed by an email to the registrar judicial of this court," the CJI said.

Earlier on August 14 midnight, a mob vandalised the hospital and Kolkata Police personnel deployed there allegedly fled the scene during the attack, due to which the court has asked for added security, especially since many residents have left their place of duty.

The Supreme Court came down heavily on the West Bengal government over the delay in filing FIR in the horrific rape-murder case and ordered the setting up of a National Task Force to look into the safety of healthcare staff in hospitals across the country.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently probing both rape-murder and hospital vandalism cases, having taken over from Kolkata Police based on a Calcutta High Court order.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has established a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital when ex-principal Sandip Ghosh was in charge.

The junior doctors, particularly in West Bengal, went on a strike demanding justice for the 31-year-old, who is now referred to as Tillotama, cripping the medical system of the state.

Not just the students, people from diverse fraternities are conducting rallies in Kolkata and neighbouring districts on a regular basis with one-point demand, justice for the victim.
Canada, once heralded as an example of multiculturalism and tolerance, is now facing a troubling reality: the rise of extremism within its borders.

The recent disruption of the India Day Parade in Toronto, where dozens of pro-Khalistan protesters clashed with Indian diaspora members celebrating their countrys independence, is a stark reminder of how far the nation has strayed from its ideals.

This incident is not an isolated one but part of a growing pattern that threatens to erode the very fabric of Canadian society.

The parade at Torontos Nathan Phillips Square, was intended to be a joyous celebration of Indias independence, showcasing the vibrant diversity of the Indian states and uniting the diaspora in pride. Instead, it became a flashpoint for tensions that have been simmering beneath the surface for months. The presence of the largest Indian flag outside India should have been a symbol of unity, but the planned counter-rally by pro-Khalistan groups turned the event into a battleground for competing ideologies.

This is not the first time Canada has witnessed such tensions. On Indias Independence Day last year, another confrontation erupted between Indian supporters and Khalistan separatists in Surrey, British Columbia. These incidents are not just local disruptions; they are symptomatic of a deeper issue within Canadian societyone where extremist groups are given the space to grow, recruit, and propagate their divisive ideologies.

The situation has only escalated since last September, when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made baseless comments about allegations linking Indian agents to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a pro-Khalistan extremist. This diplomatic fallout has further strained relations between Canada and India, with the latter calling on Ottawa to take decisive action against groups that openly promote secessionism and violence.

The rise of pro-Khalistan activities in Canada is not merely an internal issue; it has significant international implications. India, one of Canadas key allies and trading partners, has repeatedly expressed its concerns over the unchecked growth of extremist ideologies within Canadas borders. Yet, the Canadian governments response has been tepid at best, seemingly caught between upholding free speech and addressing the growing menace of hate-driven extremism.

This lack of decisive action is not only damaging Canadas international standing but also eroding the trust of its citizens. Multiculturalism, once Canadas proudest achievement, is now under threat as extremist groups exploit the countrys freedoms to sow discord. The very values that once made Canada a model for the worldopenness, tolerance, and inclusivityare being weaponized by those who seek to divide.

It is time for Canada to take a hard look at itself and address the growing cancer of extremism within its society. This is not about curtailing free speech or marginalizing any community; it is about protecting the rule of law, safeguarding the peace, and ensuring that Canada remains a place where diverse communities can coexist without fear of violence or intimidation.

The incidents at the India Day Parade in Toronto should serve as a wake-up call. Canada can no longer afford to be complacent in the face of extremism. The countrys leaders must act swiftly to curb the influence of hate groups and restore Canadas reputation as a land of peace and tolerance. Failure to do so will not only further strain international relations but also risk tearing apart the social fabric that has made Canada a global symbol of unity in diversity.

(Image and text courtesy: Khalsavox.com)
Image Credit: YouTube Screenshot

Kolkata/IBNS: National award-winning filmmaker and theater personality Utpalendu Chakrabarty died on Tuesday at his home in Kolkata. He was 78.

Father of Bengali film actress Ritabhari Chakrabarty and ex-husband of director-activist Satarupa Sanyal, Utpalendu Chakrabarty was famous for his contributions to arthouse films like 'Chokh' in the 80s .

His long-time associate Argya Mukhopadhyay told Anandabazar Online that the noted filmmaker had his usual evening tea and suddenly felt sick. Doctors said Chakrabarty suffered heart failure.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed grief over the demise of Chakrabarty.

"Sad at the demise of eminent Film Director Utpalendu Chakrabarty. His films were critically acclaimed and received distinguished awards. His demise will create void in our film industry. My condolences to his family and friends," she posted on X.

Sad at the demise of eminent Film Director Utpalendu Chakrabarty.



His films were critically acclaimed and received distinguished awards. His demise will create void in our film industry.



My condolences to his family and friends.  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) August 20, 2024

While studying at the Scottish Church College, under the University of Calcutta, Chakrabarty was involved in student politics and spent time in Purulia among the tribals.

Although he started as a teacher, his passion was cinema. He made several documentaries and films.

His most noted film was 'Chokh' (The Eyes) in 1983 starring Om Puri, Anil Chatterjee, Shyamanand Jalan, and Sreela Majumdar in lead roles.

The film was set in 1975 about the oppression and exploitation of Jute mill workers in Kolkata.

At the 30th National Film Awards, the Chokh won the Best Feature Film prize as well as the honor for Best Direction.

His other feature films included 'Prasab', 'Chandaneer', 'Phaansi', 'Debshishu', and 'Maina Tadanta'.

Chakrabarty also made several documentaries like The Music of Satyajit Ray in 1984, Debabrata Biswas in 1983, Mukti Chai in 1977, and Sunilo Sagore (On The Life of Sunil Gangopadhyay).

Chakrabarty married Indrani Chakrabarty and later got divorced.

He then married director-activist Satarupa Sanyal and was separated in 2000. His daughters Chitrangada Satarupa and Ritabhari Chakrabarty revealed that they had no connection with their biological father.
Photo Courtesy: IDF X page

The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday said the bodies of six hostages, who were taken into custody during the October 7 attack, have been recovered during an oversight military operation in Khan Younis.

The IDF released images of the six hostages.

Sharing the development, IDF posted on X: " Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell and Haim Perrys bodies were rescued from the Khan Yunis area in Gaza. They were abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7."

Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell and Haim Perrys bodies were rescued from the Khan Yunis area in Gaza. They were abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7.



The rescue operation was enabled by precise intelligence from the ISA, intelligence pic.twitter.com/SNIOlxHH1G  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 20, 2024

"The rescue operation was enabled by precise intelligence from the ISA, intelligence units and the IDF Intelligence Directorate Hostage Headquarters," the security forces said.

The IDF said it will continue to operate in order to return all of the remaining hostages back home.

Israels Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that the IDF and ISA had entered a tunnel in Khan Younis to conduct the complex operation when the bodies were recovered.

"The IDF and ISA conducted a complex operation, entering Hamas tunnels in Khan Younis to rescue the bodies of hostages Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, and Haim Perry- of blessed memory. I share in the deep grief of their families and loved ones," the minister said.

He said: " This operation reflects the determination and courage of our troops. We will continue working to achieve the goals of this war - returning the hostages to Israel and dismantling Hamas."

There are currently 109 Israeli hostages being held in Gaza, including 36 believed to be dead, according to data from the Israeli Government Press Office, reported CNN.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is closely following negotiations in Doha focused on trying to end the war in Gaza, where the situation continues to remain catastrophic after more than 10 months of unrelenting war.

The UN chiefs Spokesperson told journalists at the regular press briefing in New York on Monday that Guterres had spoken to the Prime Minister of Qatar yesterday.

He was briefed on the state of the situation, and he will be staying in close touch and informed, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

The talks, backed by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, are expected to resume on Wednesday or Thursday in Cairo, following a two-day meeting involving the three nations and Israel in Doha last week.

The Secretary-General very much hopes that all the parties involved will find the political courage, the political will to come to an agreement for the sake of the people of Gaza, for the sake of the people of Israel, for the sake of the hostages, Dujarric added.

The already catastrophic situation in Gaza is worsening amid repeated waves of displacement, combined with overcrowding, insecurity, crumbling infrastructure, active hostilities and limited services, the UN Spokesperson said.

Gaza has been under an intense Israeli military offensive since the brutal 7 October terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on communities in southern Israel that left some 1,200 dead and more than 250 taken hostage.

As of 9 August, 115 hostages remain captive, including some declared dead and whose remains are still in Gaza.

Intense Israeli bombardment has claimed the lives of over 40,000 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children and injured more than 92,000, according to the Gazan health ministry. In addition, close to 90 per cent of the population has been displaced  many forced to move several times.
The World Sindhi Congress (WSC) hosted a critical webinar on Forced Land Grabbing & Karoonjhar Mining in Sindh, drawing attention to alarming trends of land seizure and environmental degradation in the Sindh province of Pakistan.

The online seminar featured a distinguished panel of speakers, including Mr. Naseer Memon, a renowned writer and environmentalist; Mr. Khalique Junejo, Chairman of the Jeay Sindh Mahaz; Prof. Inam Bhatti, a senior leader of the Sindh United Party; and several other prominent figures, including Dr. Rubina Shaikh, Chairperson of WSC and President of the UNPO.

The webinar addressed the troubling issue of forced land grabbing in Sindh, which has seen an unprecedented scale of land acquisition, particularly by the military and influential real estate developers. Notably, in 2024 alone, the military has seized 6,000 acres in Karachis Hawksbay area for the Defence Housing Authority (DHA), despite already having multiple DHA phases in the city. This follows a pattern of military expansion that includes hundreds of thousands of acres for cantonments and agricultural ventures.

In a significant move, the military has also forcibly vacated hundreds of acres in Sakrand, Sindh, to build a new cantonment, and acquired 52,700 acres of agricultural land for corporate farmingan action sanctioned by a caretaker government lacking the legal authority to make such decisions. The armys plans to acquire an additional 2 million acres in the Nara taluka of Khairpur district further underscore the scale of the land grab.

The speakers also discussed the controversial Karoonjhar mining operations. The Karoonjhar mountain range, a site of immense ecological, historical, cultural, and economic importance, has been subjected to illegal mining activities, particularly in collaboration with the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), a subsidiary of the Pakistani military. Despite multiple court decisions banning the cutting of Karoonjhar, the government is now attempting to permit excavation in Khasar, a region integral to the Karoonjhar ecosystem.

The panel warned that these activities would have severe consequences for the Sindhi population. The forced displacement of communities, destruction of centuries-old villages, and irreversible damage to rare ecosystems are just a few of the anticipated impacts. The destruction and land grabs could exacerbate existing poverty and socio-economic issues, significantly altering the demographic and cultural landscape of Sindh.

To address these challenges, the speakers called for a unified response from political parties, human rights organizations, and civil society. Dr. Rubina Shaikh concluded the webinar by emphasizing that the only sustainable solution is the right of self-determination for the Sindhi nation. According to Dr. Shaikh, all other measures would be temporary and inadequate in preventing the continued exploitation and suppression of Sindhi resources.

The webinar brought to light the urgent need for collective action to protect Sindhs land and cultural heritage from ongoing threats.

(Image and text courtesy: Khalsavox.com)
Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

Singapore Police have said foreign syndicates, involving Chinese nationals, are appearing to be involved in the recent spate of housebreaking cases in Singapores private residential estates, media reports said.

Three people have been arrested in connection with the crime so far.

Police are trying to locate 14 others who are currently outside Singapore.

The police are engaging the assistance of the Chinese authorities to obtain more information and locate them. Any members of the public with information on them are encouraged to provide this information to the police, police were quoted as saying by South China Morning Post.

The suspects are believed to be transient travellers who had entered Singapore as Social Visit Pass holders, usually one to two days before committing the offence, the police said.

Police said it seems these syndicate members try to escape the nation once the crime is committed.

Before the recent cases, housebreaking crimes were on a downward trend, the police said.

The stolen items in the 10 cases were valued at S$3.85 million (US$2.92 million), of which about S$1.36 million worth of items have been recovered, the newspaper reported.

The arrested people were identified as Long Zhihua, 38, and Luo Changchang, 43 and Wu Jinxing.
Watched Gyaarah Gyaarah on Zee5?? If you have recently watched the show on OTT, you must be aware that it is inspired by the Korean series Signal. Another fact that is making the rounds on social media is that the series that inspired Kritika Kamra and Raghav Juyal's web series is partially based on real events. Yes, you read it right.

All about the real-life events shown in Signal (2016):

Just as shown in Gyaarah Gyaarah and its inspiration Signal (2016), South Korea in 2015 actually announced the removal of the time limit on criminal cases pendiong from 25 years.

Also Read: What Comes After Love OTT release date Coupang Play: When to watch this Korean love story

Here are the criminal cases from which first Signal and then Gyaarah Gyaarah were inspired:

Signal has taken inspiration from many real-life criminal cases in Korea, including the Hwaseong serial murders.

1. The Hwaseong case

This case was about a South Korean serial killer well-known for the Hwaseong serial murders between 1986 and 1994. The murderer killed almost fifteen women and girls.

2. The Itaewon case

This case took place in 1997, when a student was stabbed to death.

3. The Miryang case

The Miryang gang rape case was a famous case that took place in South Korea in 2004. Around 120 male students gang-raped many other schoolgirls. The case was a well-known controversy in South Korea.

Where to watch Signal and Gyaarah Gyaarah:

The Signal series is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, and if you want to watch the recently released show Gyaarah Gyaarah, which is inspired by Signal, you can stream it on Zee5.

Ever since Gyaarah Gyaarah got released on OTT, it has been one of the most loved shows.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


From pages to screens! We all know Millie Bobby Brown 'the actor' but very few people know Millie Bobby Brown, 'the writer'. The actress is planning to turn her debut bestselling novel, Nineteen Things, into a feature film for OTT. And if reports are anything to go by, then Variety states that she will be collaborating with Netflix for the release.

Through her firm PCMA Productions, she will produce Nineteen Things, and according to Deadline, she is in talks to star in the film adaptation. While reports state that it's a Netflix project, the media outlet says that the streaming platform has refused to comment on the same. Before work on the film gets started, lets know all about the best selling novel.

All you need to know about Millie Bobby Browns novel Nineteen Things

Nineteen Steps, which was published in September 2023, is a World War II drama that draws inspiration from the life of Millies grandmother. The narrative centers on eighteen-year-old Nellie Morris, who lives in the Bethnal Green neighborhood of east London and develops feelings for Ray, an American airman. After surviving the Bethnal Green Tube accident, which claimed the lives of 173 civilians who were seeking refuge during an air raid, her world has completely changed.

Additionally, the book is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller.

Millie Bobby Browns upcoming project

Popularly known for Stranger Things, the actress was last seen in Damsel. She is next expected to star in Russo Brothers, The Electric State.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


Crime documentaries are incredibly powerful, and one particular Netflix series has left viewers with a ton of questions. A few days ago, Netflix released American Murder: Laci Peterson, a series based on a brutal murder. It soon shot to the top of the streaming service's weekly chart because of how well made it was and also because of the topic it covers. The documentary series narrates the tale of an eight-month pregnant woman who vanished without warning. Who is the likely culprit? her husband. The entire search for Laci has been detailed on the show, and it was discovered that her spouse and true love, Scott Peterson, was linked to the murder. The docu-series leaves us wondering: Where is Scott Peterson now? Here's everything you need to know.





American Murder: Laci Peterson - Dissaperance Explained

What happened to Laci Peterson and her unborn child?

While walking her dog near her house on December 24, 2002, eight-month pregnant Laci Peterson vanished. Four months later, in April 2003, things took a terrifying turn. The local authorities found her body in the San Francisco Bay, along with the body of her unborn child, Conner.

In the middle of it all, her husband Scott Peterson was being questioned about his wifes disappearance and the police were trying to understand if Scott was behind all of it.

I watched #AmericanMurder #LaciPeterson on #Netflix. A sad reminder of the banality of sheer evil. Laci's mom Susan Rocha is amazing and inspiring with her focus on Laci's life. "For those that got out in time, and those that didn't." pic.twitter.com/ftXqMg9RLc  Ellen ONeill (@MaPeel) August 15, 2024





Where is Scott Peterson now? Did he kill his wife Laci Peterson?

On April 18, 2003, Scott Peterson was taken into custody just a few days after the bodies of Laci Peterson and her unborn child were found in San Francisco Bay. Scott entered a not guilty plea after being charged with two counts of murder. He was given the death penalty by a judge in 2005 after the jury recommended it. The initial decision was overturned by the California Supreme Court in 2020, noting "a series of clear and significant errors in jury selection."

watching American Murder: Laci Peterson and whew. i was only like 10 when it happened but i remember the coverage. that mf clearly did not want that baby and wanted to be with the other woman & shouldve just divorced instead of killing her and their unborn child. hell awaits.  HAW! (@ashhbashhh_xo) August 19, 2024

Scott received a new sentence that included a life sentence for killing Laci and a 15-year sentence for the unborn child's death. At Mule Creek State Prison, he is presently serving a life term, with no chance of parole.

Till day, as the docu-series states, Scott maintains his innocence.

You can watch American Murder: Laci Peterson on Netflix.

Also read: Upcoming OTT releases this week: Movies and web series you can watch on Netflix, Prime Video and other streaming platforms

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


Krishna Janmashtami, also known as Janmashtami or Gokulashtami, is a highly revered Hindu festival celebrated with great devotion across India. This day marks the birth of Lord Krishna, one of the most beloved deities in Hinduism. In 2024, Krishna Janmashtami will be celebrated on August 26th, with festivities including prayers, rituals, and cultural events. Devotees eagerly await this special day dedicated to Lord Krishna and his teachings.

Janmashtami is usually celebrated over two days. The first day is for those following the Smarta Sampradaya, and the second day is for those following the Vaishnava Sampradaya. This two-day celebration allows different communities across the country to honour their traditions.



Krishna Janmashtami 2024 Date and Timings

In 2024, Krishna Janmashtami falls on Monday, August 26th. The festival is observed on the 8th day (Ashtami) of the dark fortnight in the month of Bhadrapada, according to the Hindu lunar calendar. This year marks the 5251st birth anniversary of Lord Krishna.

Ashtami Tithi Begins: August 26, 2024, at 03:39 AM

Ashtami Tithi Ends: August 27, 2024, at 02:19 AM

Rohini Nakshatra Begins: on August 26, 2024, at 03:55 PM

Rohini Nakshatra Ends: August 27, 2024, at 03:38 PM

Midnight Moment: August 26, 2024, at 11:48 PM

Moonrise Time: August 26, 2024, at 11:07 PM

Nishita Puja Time: August 26, 2024, from 11:26 PM to 12:11 AM on August 27th

Parana Time: August 27, 2024, at 03:38 PM

For those observing Dharma Shastra, the alternative Parana time is August 27, 2024, at 05:30 AM. Parana, the breaking of the fast, is traditionally done after Nishita Kaal, and some people may do it early in the morning.

The Significance of Krishna Janmashtami 2024

Krishna Janmashtami 2024 is a day of great spiritual importance. It marks the birth of Lord Krishna, the 8th avatar of Lord Vishnu, who was born to bring peace and righteousness to the world. According to Hindu scriptures, Krishna was born in Mathura to Devaki and Vasudeva at a time when the Earth was burdened by evil forces. His birth symbolises the triumph of good over evil, as he eventually defeated his tyrannical uncle, King Kamsa, and protected humanity.

Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated with great fervour in Mathura, Vrindavan, and other places associated with Krishnas life. Devotees across the world remember his divine leelas (playful acts), teachings from the Bhagavad Gita, and his central role in the Mahabharata.

Krishna Janmashtami 2024 Rituals and Celebrations

Credit: Freepik

The rituals and celebrations of Krishna Janmashtami are vibrant and full of devotion. Temples and homes are decorated beautifully, and special prayers are offered to Lord Krishna. Devotees fast throughout the day and break their fast at midnight, believed to be the exact time of Krishnas birth. The idol of Lord Krishna is dressed in new clothes and adorned with jewelry, and placed in a decorated cradle.



Many people draw small footprints leading to their homes, symbolising Krishnas arrival. Bhajans, kirtans, and dance dramas depicting Krishnas life are performed, adding to the joyous atmosphere. In Maharashtra, the famous Dahi Handi ritual, where a pot of curd is hung high and broken by human pyramids, is a major attraction.

Celebrating Krishna Janmashtami 2024 Across India

Krishna Janmashtami 2024 will be celebrated with grandeur across India. While Mathura and Vrindavan are the epicentres of the festivities, states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu also witness grand celebrations. In Maharashtra, the Dahi Handi event is particularly famous. The festival is equally significant in regions like Manipur, Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, and Kerala, where Krishna devotees reside.

Krishna Janmashtami 2024: A Glimpse into the Past

The history and significance of Krishna Janmashtami are deeply rooted in Hindu mythology. According to the scriptures, Lord Krishna was born to rid the world of evil, particularly the tyranny of King Kamsa. Despite numerous attempts on his life, Krishna survived and grew up in Gokul, where he performed many miracles. His teachings in the Bhagavad Gita and his role in the Mahabharata highlight his divine mission.

Why Krishna Janmashtami 2024 is Celebrated

Krishna Janmashtami 2024 is not just about celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna; its a day to reflect on his teachings and values. Devotees believe that observing fasts, performing pujas, and singing hymns on this day bring blessings, happiness, and prosperity. This festival continues to inspire millions, reminding them of the eternal values of love, faith, and righteousness.

Krishna Janmashtami Puja Vidhi: A Simple Guide

The puja vidhi for Krishna Janmashtami holds great significance as it focuses on the birth of Laddoo Gopal (Lord Krishna). To help you perform the puja correctly and receive maximum blessings, here is a simplified and rearranged guide:

Begin the day by taking a bath and wearing fresh clothes.

In the evening, start by decorating Lord Krishna's palna (cradle) and cleanse the puja area using Gangajal.

Place the idol of Lord Krishna respectfully on the palna. If you don't have a cradle, a wooden chowki can be used instead.

Begin the puja with dhyana (meditation) to focus your mind and spirit.

Offer padya, which means washing the Lord's feet with water.

Perform achaman by offering water to Lord Krishna and then drinking it.

Pour Panchamrit (a mixture of milk, curd, honey, ghee, and Gangajal) over the idol to perform the Lords snana (bathing ceremony).

Prepare the Panchamrit with the five ingredients and set it aside as prasad.

Dress the idol in new clothes and ornaments, an essential part of the deitys shringaar.

Offer a sacred janeu (holy thread) to the Lord, followed by applying Chandan paste on the idol.

Adorn the idol with a crown, jewelry, mor pankh (peacock feather), and bansuri (flute).

Light an incense stick and an oil lamp, and offer flowers and Tulsi leaves to the deity.

Present bhog to the Lord, which includes Makhan (butter) and Mishree (sugar crystals).

Offer a tambulam made of coconut, betel nuts, haldi (turmeric), paan (betel leaves), and kumkum (vermilion) to the deity.

Sing the aarti of Kunj Bihari and perform a parikrama (circumambulation) around the idol.

Conclude the puja by praying to Lord Krishna, asking for protection and blessings for you and your family.

By following this simplified puja vidhi, you can ensure a meaningful and spiritually fulfilling Krishna Janmashtami celebration.

Krishna Janmashtami Date For the Next 5 Years

Krishna Janmashtami Date For the Next 5 Years Krishna Janmashtami in 2025 Friday, 15 August Krishna Janmashtami in 2026 Friday, 4 September Krishna Janmashtami in 2027 Wednesday, 25 August Krishna Janmashtami in 2028 Sunday, 13 August Krishna Janmashtami in 2029 Saturday, 1 September

Celebrate Krishna Janmashtami 2024 with devotion, joy, and a heart full of love for Lord Krishna!

Happy Krishna Janmashtami to all!

(Note: Dates/timings may be subject to change; details mentioned here are as per the information available.

For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events worldwide, please visit Indiatimes Events.
There is a lot of enthusiasm among Apple fans as the unveiling of the latest iPhone, the iPhone 16 series, is just weeks away. The iPhone 16 series, which will include the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max, is expected to make its debut in September.

CREDIT: REUTERS

iPhone 15 price drop

However, if you are not keen on waiting for the latest iPhone, this might be the best time to buy the iPhone 15 series. Ahead of the iPhone 16 series launch, the price of the iPhone 15 has dropped in India. You can buy an iPhone 15 (128 GB) from Flipkart at a discounted price of 64,999, down from the original price of 79,900. The iPhone 15 (256 GB) is available for 74,999, and the 512 GB version can be yours for 94,999.

CREDIT: BCCL

5 per cent cashback on Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card

In addition to the discounted price, if you are a Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card user, you can get an additional 5 percent cashback on all three models.

CREDIT: FLIPKART

Other offers

There are also EMI offers starting as low as 2,286 per month for the iPhone 15 (128 GB).

For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
General Sundararajan Padmanabhan, fondly referred to as Paddy within army circles, passed away at the age of 83 in Chennai, as confirmed by a close source on Monday. Known for his straightforward and cerebral approach, General Padmanabhan served as the Chief of Army Staff from September 30, 2000, to December 31, 2002.

When General Padmanabhan dismissed Pakistans nuclear threats

During his tenure, he made headlines for his bold dismissal of Pakistans nuclear sabre-rattling during Operation Parakram, which was initiated after the December 2001 terror attack on the Indian Parliament. In January 2002, at the customary Army Day press conference, General Padmanabhan was asked how India would respond to a potential nuclear attack.

He stated that any perpetrator would face such severe punishment that its continued existence in any form would be doubtful. When questioned about India's preparedness for a second strike, he confidently affirmed, "Yes, we are ready for a second strike," emphasizing that India had sufficient nuclear weapons.

This statement caused significant reactions both within South Block and internationally. Although Operation Parakram was later viewed as "coercive diplomacy" by the then Vajpayee government to pressure Pakistan into halting cross-border terrorism, the operation brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war twice during that period.



General Padmanabhans distinguished military career

Born on December 5, 1940, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, General Padmanabhan had an illustrious military career. He was an alumnus of the Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC), Dehra Dun, and the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla. He was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery after graduating from the Indian Military Academy (IMA) on December 13, 1959.



Throughout his career, General Padmanabhan held numerous prestigious command, staff, and instructional positions. He commanded an Independent Artillery Brigade, a Mountain Brigade, and was a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington in 1973 and the National Defence College (NDC) in New Delhi. He led the Gazala Mountain Regiment from September 1977 to March 1980, one of the oldest artillery regiments in the Indian Army, which had participated in several wars.



A great loss indeed! A grateful nation pays homage to General Sundararajan Padmanabhan PVSM, AVSM, VSM. https://t.co/h7dvLNWSAX  Mohd Haries  (@AspirantIps) August 19, 2024

As an instructor at the School of Artillery in Deolali and the Indian Military Academy (IMA), he was recognized for his expertise in gunnery. He also served as Brigade Major of an infantry brigade, Colonel General Staff of a Mountain Division, and Chief of Staff of the 3 Corps. For his exceptional service, he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) during his tenure as the 15 Corps Commander in the Kashmir Valley, where the Army made significant gains against militants.

Also Read: East Bengal and Mohun Bagan fans join film stars in rally for justice in Kolkata doctor rape-murder case

General Padmanabhan also held the post of Director General of Military Intelligence (DGMI) and was the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of both the Northern and Southern Commands. He retired on December 31, 2002, after over 43 years of dedicated military service. The Army, in a statement on Monday, honored his legacy, saying, "He leaves behind a legacy of exemplary leadership to the nation. His legacy is marked by his commitment to the welfare of soldiers."



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Rajya Sabha MP and wife of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, Sudha Murthy, on Monday found herself on the receiving end of heavy criticism on social media after posting about the origins of Raksha Bandhan. In a video posted on X, Murthy said: Raksha Bandhan has a rich history. When Rani Karnavati was in danger, she sent a thread to King Humayun as a symbol of sibling-hood, asking for his help. This is where the tradition of the thread began, and it continues to this day."

Raksha Bandhan has a rich history. When Rani Karnavati was in danger, she sent a thread to King Humayun as a symbol of sibling-hood, asking for his help. This is where the tradition of the thread began and it continues to this day. pic.twitter.com/p98lwCZ6Pp  Smt. Sudha Murty (@SmtSudhaMurty) August 19, 2024

However, this did not go down well with a large section of social media users, who accused her of distorting history.

Sudha Murthy clarifies on Raksha Bandhan comment

Though Murthy later clarified that the story she shared was one of many tales associated with the festival and not its origin, the controversy refuses to die down.

The story I shared on Raksha Bandhan is just one of many tales associated with the festival and certainly not its origin. As I have said in the video clip, this was already a custom of the land. My intention was to highlight one of the many stories I learnt about when growing up,  Smt. Sudha Murty (@SmtSudhaMurty) August 19, 2024

Sudha Murthy's simplicity

This is not the first time the 74-year-old has found herself in the middle of a social media storm. Murthy, who until recently was mostly known as the wife of the Infosys co-founder, started making news headlines in recent years for her simplicity. It started with simple anecdotes about her modest appearance, such as when a co-passenger thought she couldn't afford a business-class flight or when a UK immigration officer refused to believe her when she said her son-in-law lived at 10 Downing Street, the British Prime Minister's official residence.

Also read: Sudha Murthy shares her two cents on gender equality, compares bicycle's two wheels to life

CREDIT: BCCL

But after a point, such claims triggered a meme fest, and many even started questioning if she was just making them up.

When Sudha Murthy touched feet of RW leader

In 2022, a video surfaced online showing Murthy touching the feet of controversial Maharashtra right-wing leader Sambhaji Bhide. An aide of Murthy later clarified that she did not know who Bhide was and that she bowed out of respect for an elder.

Sudha Murthy's spoon comment

In July 2023, Murthy once again found herself in the midst of a controversy after she claimed that as a pure vegetarian, she carries her own food as she is concerned if the same spoon is used for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.

CREDIT: BCCL

Sudha Murthy to decide what students will study

Controversy continued to follow Sudha Murthy when she was nominated by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) as one of the panel members to shape the curriculum and textbooks for classes 3 to 12. Many questioned her credentials to be on the panel.

Also read: Sudha Murthy Gets Nominated To Rajya Sabha On Women's Day

How did she get nominated to Rajya Sabha

A similar controversy erupted earlier this year when she was nominated by the President of India as a Rajya Sabha member, with many wondering what the reason behind her nomination was.

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Believe it or not there are people who don't see a risk as a deterrent whether it comes to their personal life or even starting a business. In a recent post, X user Sunil highlighted the importance of pure grit and common sense when taking on a new Why the post blew up online is because Avaria said he was an "engineer who listens to podcasts" while his Gujarati friend, a "10th pass," had the confidence and guts to start a business in the U.S., miles away from home ground.

Why did the post go viral?

Advantage of being a Gujarati:



Met a Patel friend who runs a restaurant in New Jersey.



He was in his late 40s and 10th pass. I am engineer with masters degree who listens to podcasts. 



I told him that Peter Thiel said that worst business one can do is open a restaurant.  Sunil (@sunilavaria) August 18, 2024

Sunil took to the popular social media platform to share how even the most qualified person gets in their own way when it comes to pursuing something with high associated risk. The crux of his post was that sometimes all it takes in life is "common sense," "intuition" and the "ability to take a calculated risk."

Calling it the "advantage of being a Gujarati," Sunil started off by saying: "Met a Patel friend who runs a restaurant in New Jersey. He was in his late 40s and 10th pass. I am engineer with masters degree who listens to podcasts."

He then spoke about Peter Thiel, the former CEO of PayPal and how he called restaurants a bad investment, but if Thiel were to know his friend's story, he might rethink that. "I told him that Peter Thiel said that worst business one can do is open a restaurant. Very high failure rate and customers are very unpredictable. When I mentioned Peter Thiels name, he raised his eyebrows to think. Obviously, he doesnt know who Peter Thiel is," he explained.

But his friend had the courage of conviction to carry on, and was very clear in his mind when he said "opening a restaurant is sure short way to be millionaire for him."

His reason? Seeing an opportunity in front of himself. "He himself has 50 families who are his relatives that live in New Jersey who will come to his restaurant for a good Gujarati food. If salt is less, they will not stop coming. They will simply tell him to add more salt."

"A lot of Gujaratis from New York and Pennsylvania hire tourist bus when they have to go to visit swaminarayan temple in Robinsville. In the way to Robinsville, they make a stop at his restaurant to eat delicious Gujarati thali. Thats 50-75 people per bus," he went on in the post.

And, so, how he became a millionaire is by simply keeping his restaurant open. "All he has to do is open restaurant in morning, cook dal Chawal sabzi roti, dhokla, tea for 10 years and he is a millionaire."



"Thats 10th pass immigrant for you. No MBA, no listening to podcast. Just common sense, intuition and ability to take calculated risk," he finished making anyone reading the post realise how sometimes even the most brilliant, talented and qualified people can lose out on opportunities if they don't take any risk.

How did the internet react?

Shared on August 18, the post has raked in 440.2 k views, 6k likes and comments to match, some of which are shown below:

Credit: X/@sunilavaria

Credit: X/@sunilavaria

Credit: X/@sunilavaria

What are your thoughts on this? Hit us up in the comments section below and let us know.



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On August 18, a massive 90-foot-tall statue of Lord Hanuman was unveiled at a Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Houston, Texas, in the U.S. According to various reports, it is now the third tallest statue in the U.S. and North America's tallest statue of Lord Hanuman. Named the 'Statue of Union,' it is the "embodiment of strength, devotion, and selfless service," all qualities associated with Lord Hanuman and his role in reuniting Lord Ram and Sita.

What statue was recently unveiled at the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Texas, US?

Prana pratishtha held today in Houston, Texas for this 90ft tall Hanuman murthi



It is now the 3rd tallest statue in the United States pic.twitter.com/N7sNZaikBF  Journalist V (@OnTheNewsBeat) August 19, 2024

His Holiness Sri Chinnajeeyar Swamiji is the brain behind the project, as per reports. The huge 90-foot-tall 'Statue of Union,' featuring a bronze-coloured statue of Lord Hanuman standing with both his palms facing forward, resides within the premises of the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas.

Revealing further details about the statue, the website says, "Located at Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas, the Panchaloha Abhaya Hanuman will stand at 90 feet tall  radiating benevolence, strength, and hope. The Statue of Union is about creating a spiritual epicenter where hearts find solace, minds find peace, and souls find a path to transcendence."

"Lets bring the vision of North Americas tallest Hanuman Statue to life, and together, lets continue to create a world filled with love, peace, and devotion."



The website called it an opportunity for us as a community to etch a path for future generations to seek the divine blessings of Lord Hanuman.

SANATAN RISING 



A 90 feet tall statue of Hanuman ji is made in Houston, Texas, USA.



This statue is named as Statue of Union.



Jai Shri Ram  pic.twitter.com/aVtElS4LrD  Sunanda Roy  (@SaffronSunanda) August 20, 2024

Where is the tallest Hanuman statue in the U.S.?

Credit: Financial Express | Weighing a whopping 45 tonnes, the statue was transported from Hyderabad to New York by sea

A 25-foot-tall statue of Lord Hanuman, the tallest in the U.S., was installed in Delaware in June 2020, according to Financial Express. Weighing a whopping 45 tonnes, the statue was transported from Hyderabad to New York by sea.



The statue was installed in Hockessin, in New Castle County, Delaware. Patibanda Sharma, President of the Hindu Temple of Delaware Association told ANI, " It has been shipped from Warangal, Telangana to Delaware."



A priest from Bengaluru performed the rites and rituals during a 10-day installation ceremony that saw over 300 devotees from across the city. According to reports, the total cost of making the statue and transporting it amounted to $100,000.



What are your thoughts on this? Hit us up in the comments section below and let us know.



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British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, famously known as the "British Bill Gates," has disappeared following the sinking of the Bayesian superyacht. The luxury yacht, carrying 22 people, including two Americans and a Canadian, sank off the coast of Sicily during a violent storm on Monday. Mike Lynch, a well-known UK billionaire and founder of Autonomy Corporation, was among those on board.

His wife, Angela Bacares, was also present but was one of the 15 people rescued from the 56-meter yacht. Tragically, one body was found near the wreck, while six others remain unaccounted for, according to Luca Cari, spokesperson for the Italian fire rescue service, who spoke with The Guardian.

Who is Mike Lynch? The British Tech Mogul

Credit: FT

Mike Lynch, widely recognized as the British Bill Gates, co-founded Autonomy, a software company that played a significant role in the UK tech scene during the mid-90s. His contributions to business and technology earned him numerous accolades. In 2006, Lynch was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for his services to enterprise. In 2011, he was appointed to the science and technology council of then-Prime Minister David Cameron.

The 59-year-old tech billionaire was also elected as a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2008 and the Royal Society in 2014. Despite his success, his career was marred by allegations of inflating sales figures, misleading regulators, and deceiving Hewlett-Packard, the company that eventually bought Autonomy. First charged in 2018, Lynch faced a legal battle that culminated in June this year when he was acquitted in a US trial on 15 counts of fraud related to the $11.1 billion sale to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

Lynch, a father of two daughters aged 18 and 21, is also a dog lover with two dachshunds and four sheepdogs. According to reports, he owns a home in the upscale London district of Chelsea and also has a farm in Suffolk.

Mike Lynch's Net worth

Credit: Yahoo

Lynch appeared on the Forbes billionaires list in 2014 and 2015 with an estimated net worth of $1 billion, but he dropped off the list in 2016. According to the latest Sunday Times "Rich List", the UK tech giant is worth 500 million ($965 million). He became famous for his software company, Autonomy, which he sold to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in 2011.



How the Bayesian Superyacht Sunk

The Bayesian superyacht, flying the British flag, sank near Porticello around 5 a.m. during a severe storm on Monday. Despite rescue efforts, the yacht went down, prompting a major search operation. Of those rescued, eight, including a one-year-old child, were taken to local hospitals, where they were reported to be in stable condition.



The Bayesian, a luxurious yacht built in 2008 by the Italian company Perini Navi, initially had a price tag of 35 million euros (30 million). The yachts interior features a "Japanese-style" design, with space to accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites, along with ten crew members. In 2009, the Bayesian won the award for best exterior styling at the World Superyacht Awards.

Ownership of the Bayesian Superyacht

The Bayesian superyacht has close ties to Mike Lynchs family. According to the BBC, the yacht is connected to Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares. Maritime data service Equasis shows that the yacht is owned by Revtom, a firm registered on the Isle of Man. Angela Bacares is listed as the sole legal owner, with a registered address in London.

As authorities continue searching for the missing UK tycoon Mike Lynch and others, the incident has drawn global attention, adding another dramatic chapter to the story of the British Bill Gates, Mike Lynch.

For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here
Greece's Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) has significantly ramped up its tax audit efforts nationwide, conducting over 48,000 on-site inspections and uncovering more than 20 million million in concealed income.

This initiative, part of the agency's broader commitment to safeguarding public

interests and ensuring government revenues, involves deploying a specialized team of experienced auditors to high-risk areas.

Equipped with tablets running the ELEGXOS live system, auditors have access to comprehensive data on the entities being audited, streamlining their work and enhancing efficiency.

A dedicated operational unit at AADE further supports these inspections by analyzing data from the e-send system and POS transaction records to identify discrepancies and potential tax evasion.

The "Citizen Complaints" platform and the Appodixi application provide additional tools for combating tax evasion. So far, these efforts have led to fines exceeding 1.34 million and penalties in 628 cases, including the suspension of operations for 490 businesses and financial sanctions for 138 others.

Vigilante Justice in Response to Illegal Parking

Frustration over illegal parking in Greece has reached a boiling point, with some residents resorting to extreme measures to express their discontent.

While stickers and raised windshield wipers have become common tactics to shame those who disregard parking rules, some have escalated to using spray paint to vandalize vehicles.

Messages such as "I'm delulu and park wherever I want" scrawled across car windows serve as a stark reminder of the growing tension between those who park illegally and those affected by their actions.

However, while the paint may seem like a harmless form of protest, it often requires specialized cleaning agents and considerable effort to remove, effectively damaging the vehicle.

   iefimerida.gr
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has reached a consensus to formally notify the federal government of its intention to embark on a fresh strike.

During a National Executive Council meeting held at the University of Ibadan in Oyo State, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) made the decision, as reported by Daily Trust.

According to NEC meeting attendees, the federal governments unfulfilled pledges led to their decision to strike again.

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Speaking anonymously to Daily Trust due to lack of authorisation, one of the officials clarified that the warning was sent out in compliance with the Trade Dispute Acts provisions.

He added one of their complaints was that, despite the Presidents directive to withdraw university teachers from Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, IPPIS, the platform was still being utilised to pay their wages.

According to him, the platform has continued to deduct their members salary, and there are many other outstanding issues on ground.

READ MORE: Davidos Father Donates N1bn To Cherubim & Seraphim Church In Memory Of Late Mother

You and I know that there are many unresolved issues on the ground. We wont hesitate to embark on another strike if our demands are not met.

Our demands are very clear, but the government thinks they are smart and play on our intelligence, the university lecturer said.

Daily Trust was informed by another official that the Federal Ministries Education and Labour will receive the letter of notice on Tuesday unfailingly.

Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, President of ASUU, and Mrs Patience Onuobia, spokesperson for the Labour Ministry, could not be reached for comment.

Several phone calls to the ASUU President went unanswered, and as of Monday night, he was yet to respond to a text message given to him.

Also, phone calls to Mrs Onuobias mobile phone did not connect, and she did not respond to a text message sent to her at the time of publishing this report.
The Governor of Ogun state, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has commiserated with the family of the late Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the state, Barrister Olaniyi Ijalaye.

INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that Olaniyi slumped and died in Abuja on Monday evening after he attended a meeting with other RECs at the INECs headquarters.

According to Daily Trust, the deceased had returned to his hotel room, when the tragic incident occurred.

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It was gathered that Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of INEC, during the meeting, focused on two off-cycle governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States, and seven vacant positions in the National and State Assemblies.

The REC, an Indigene of Ondo State was said to have participated actively during the meeting and was in good spirit before the death later in the evening.

The Ogun states Governor, while reacting to the incident, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Lekan Adeniran, also condoled INEC for the loss, saying Ijalayes death came to him as a rude shock.

Abiodun described the late REC as an honest, committed, and cerebral public servant with a high level of humility and patriotism, as well as an exemplary, uncompromising nature.

READ MORE: Oyo APC Chairman, Omodewu, Dies In US

He therefore prayed for the repose of his soul and the necessary fortitude for his immediate family, friends, and colleagues to bear the irreplaceable loss.

The statement reads: I sympathise with the entire Ijalaye dynasty, the people, and the government of Ondo State on the passing of their great and illustrious son; indeed, Barrister Ijalaye was an exemplary figure of diligence, commitment, and honesty in public service.

While his death came as a rude shock to us in Ogun State, we take solace in the fact that he lived a fulfilled life of integrity and indelible impact; may God rest his soul and protect the family he left behind.
A trailer driver who was engaged in a hit-and-run incident at Anthony Oke heading towards Oshodi has been arrested by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA.

Mr Taofiq Adebayo, Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment at LASTMA, acknowledged this in a statement on Monday.

According to Adebayo, the driver of a trailer owned by Honeywell Flour Mill Plc (registration number JJJ 764 XV) was caught after colliding with a pedestrian attempting to cross the highway.

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He added that the incident was near the Total Filling Station at Anthony Oke, inward Oshodi.

The incident, which occurred in the early hours of the morning, sparked significant concern among witnesses and commuters.

The pedestrian, who sustained a serious injury, including a broken left leg, was promptly attended to by personnel from the Lagos State Ambulance Service and transported to a nearby hospital for urgent medical treatment.

LASTMA officials on duty at the time responded swiftly, pursuing the fleeing driver and apprehending him at Oshodi.

He has since been handed over to officers from Mosafejo Police Station for further investigation and prosecution, he said.

He stated that LASTMA remains committed to maintaining the safety and security of all Lagos road users.

READ MORE: Davidos Father Donates N1bn To Cherubim & Seraphim Church In Memory Of Late Mother

He declared that the agency would continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies to bring traffic violators to justice.

Our thoughts are with the injured pedestrian and we urge all road users to adhere to traffic laws and prioritise the safety of pedestrians and other motorists.

For complaints, comments, or commendations on traffic management across the state, please contact the LASTMA Toll-Free Call Centre, he said.
The Ogun State Police Command have apprehended two suspects in Sango-Ota, Ado-Odo-Ota Local Government, for alleged cult-related activities.

The suspects, Abiodun Salami and Destiny Adeola, were apprehended by the Ogun State Anti-Robbery Squad following a tip-off from residents of Ijoko.

The state Commands Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, confirmed this in a statement on Monday, claiming that the two people were caught on August 8, 2024.

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Odutola stated that the suspects, together with other members of the Eiye Confraternity, had assembled at a location in Ijoko.

He said When they spotted the squad, they scattered in different directions. Salami and Adeola were apprehended.

During questioning, Adeola revealed that he was initiated into the Eye Confraternity in 2022 at Atan-Ota.

READ MORE: Jude Okoye Distances Himself, Addresses Royalties Dispute Among Brothers, Psquare

Odutola added that the police had increased their attempts to apprehend the other members who fled.

He reported that objects obtained at the scene included a toy silver pistol, locally manufactured amulets, and suspected Indian hemp.


The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), on Monday, invited for interrogation, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), Joe Ajaero, over alleged criminal conspiracy.

Ajaero was also summoned by the NPF over terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion and cybercrime.

The letter of invitation signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Intelligence Response Team (IRT), directed the NLC President to report at the IRT office on Tuesday, August 20, warning that if he fails to honour the invitation, he would be arrested.

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Signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Adamu Muazu, on behalf of the Deputy Commissioner, the letter dated August 19, read in part; This office is investigating a case of Criminal Conspiracy, Terrorism Financing, Treasonable Felony, Subversion and Cybercrime in which you were mentioned.

READ ALSO: NLC Hires Forensic Expert To Search For Bugs After HQ Raid By Police

You are therefore invited to interview the undersigned on Tuesday 20th August, 2024 by 10:00 am prompt, at IRT Complex, Old Abattoir by Guzape Junction, Abuja, through the Team Leader with telephone no 08035179870 in connection with the above investigation.

Be informed that in the event of failing to honour this letter, this office will have no alternative than to activate a warrant of arrest against you please.



Recall that the Police invaded the Labour House, ransacked the complex in Abuja and later claimed that its personnel went there in search of a foreigner involved in subversive activities.

Reacting to the letter, Omoyele Sowore, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), in a post on X, said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government was fast turning to a fascist regime.

Sowore further called for action against the government saying: We must all together stop him now. The Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu regime is going completely fascist.


President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Monday, departed Abuja, the nations capital, to Paris, France aboard the new presidential jet.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to Tinubu on Information and Strategy , said in a statement that the jet replaces the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700 purchased under former president Olusegun Obasanjo.

Onanuga said the airbus A330 will save Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly in servicing the old aircraft.

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According to Premium Times, the new jet landed at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The aircraft was received by officials of Nigerias Presidential Air Fleet, led by their commander, Olayinka Olusola, an air vice marshal.

READ ALSO: Chinese Firm Releases One Of Seized Presidential Jets For Tinubus France Trip

The aircraft deal was brokered by L & L International LLC, an American aviation firm based in Miami, Florida, which saw Nigeria purchase the aircraft for over $100 million.

As revealed by the platform, a presidency official described the acquisition as an excellent deal for Nigeria, putting the aircrafts real market value in the region of $600 million.

The multi-engine prestige jet, which has an elaborate VIP configuration, is now Nigerias Air Force One, with registration number 5N-NGA.

The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence had in June asked the Federal Government to purchase new aircraft for Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima.


The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has summoned an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting following the invitation of its National President, Joe Ajaero, by the police for allegedly financing terrorism.

The NEC meeting will be held on Tuesday with all heads of affiliates and State chapters of NLC expected to be in attendance.

The notice of the meeting titled, Notice of emergency National Executive Council meeting, was signed by the NLCs Secretary General, Emmanuel Ugboaja.

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READ ALSO: Unravel Entanglements Of Fuel Subsidy Policy, Stop Confusing Nigerians  Atiku To Tinubu Govt.

The notice read, I bring you fraternal greetings from the congress headquarters.

You are invited to the emergency National Executive Council Hybrid meeting scheduled as follows:Tuesday, August 20, 2024; 8am, Olaitan Oyerinde Hall, Labour House.

Ajaero was invited by the police on charges connected to criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, reasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime.
Bill and Debbie Smith, who met in the sixth grade, have operated Mustache Bill's Diner in Barnegat Light, N.J., for more than 50 years. Read more

Bill Smith has spent more than half a century behind the griddle at Mustache Bills Diner in Barnegat Light on the northern tip of Long Beach Island. Hes invented novel ways to cook everything from pancakes to eggs, including a UFO-shaped hybrid of the two called the Cyclops. Hes seen the rise and fall of trends and ably adapted, perfecting the egg white omelet and gluten-free specialties.

But the secret to the enduring success of Mustache Bills  the first diner to be named an Americas Classic by the James Beard Foundation in 2004  has been his determination not to change too much.

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People always ask me, Whats new? Well, certainly not the turkey gravy, said Smith, 73, who says even Guy Fieri admired how he still makes gravy the old-fashioned way, from pan drippings and stock, when the TV star featured Mustache Bills in a 2009 episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.

If someone comes in and enjoys a dish, theyll want the exact same thing the next time. And thats the key: You dont want to surprise them. Surprise is not good.

Smith broke his own rule in the spring of 2023: He and wife Debbie, 72, decided that it was time to retire and put Mustache Bills up for sale. They listed with Oceanside Realty, asking $3.5 million for the 50-seat 1959 Fodero diner and its half acre of prime real estate in the shadow of the Barnegat Lighthouse.

The farewell parade of columns lamenting the end of an era started rolling in immediately for the Jersey Shores most storied diner. A collection box at the local post office gathered hundreds of tribute cards and letters to the Smiths and their long-running crew, including Smiths younger sister, Dorothy Dottie Zauli, a grill cook who also has worked there for more than 50 years.

I read every one and I recognized so many of the names and pictures of 7-year-old kids holding pancakes shaped liked mermaids, whales, and ships, Bill said. Ive fed generations.

But then? Well ... not so fast.

Earlier this summer, I was simultaneously stunned and delighted to find the old place at Broadway and West Eighth Street still humming with vibrant diner life, its celery-colored Naugahyde stools and booths occupied with customers devouring fresh chowders, chicken cheesesteaks, local fluke tacos, and bread pudding.

Weve had no offers, Debbie said with a shrug from the cashiers stand.

Weve not even had a nibble, Bill said, an odd thing to consider for a man who still serves up to 800 people on a busy summer day.

The empathetic part of me wishes the Smiths a happy and well-earned retirement. Bill started working in the diner at age 14 as a summer dishwasher. In 1972, after a few years loading clam trucks and mating ships, he returned at age 21 to buy it, changing the name from Jacks to Bills during the Nixon administration.

The couple, who met in sixth grade in Ship Bottom, N.J., (where Debbies father was the schools principal), have worked tirelessly side-by-side for decades, with Bill rising early each weekend morning to prep the diner for its 6 a.m. opening. The diner now serves only Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays during the season; the Smiths live much of the year in Florida.

The nostalgic part of me, who hungrily devoured a fluffy Trenton omelet studded with nubs of pork roll and fresh tomatoes and then dove into a cloud of creamed chipped beef  a recipe handed down to Bill from his Army dad, who ran the mess hall at what was then named Fort Bragg  is also simply grateful that this slice of true Americana is still cooking with the same passion for freshness it always has.

That [dual sentiment] seems to be the consensus, Bill said, with a note of both pride and resignation. Theyd put the diner up for sale because, well, Im getting older and it seemed like the right thing to do.

But knowing how much Mustache Bills is still appreciated fuels his willingness to keep going.

If you dont love doing this, it would be impossible to do it for 50 years. When I wake up at 4:20 a.m. each day, its not like, Oh God, not this! Not me! I get up and I just do it. Im paying attention. Im present. Im thinking about what specials Im going to run. You gotta be involved. You cant fake it. Youre either in or youre out. And if you dont love it enough, you should just go do something else.

The Demise of the Diner has been a long-unfolding American tragedy, at least until recently, as these affordable neighborhood mainstays and community hubs face the tides of changing tastes, competition from chains, the blows of the pandemic, and rising real estate pressure. Mustache Bills sits on four buildable lots.

The land is the value here, Smith acknowledged. Believe me, nobody wants to pay that price and work this hard.

He is hopeful that someone will buy the vintage structure and move it elsewhere to still operate it as a diner. But few, if any, take as much satisfaction in the no-shortcuts scratch cooking that has always set Mustache Bills apart.

People are eating what youre putting in front of them. This is an intimate affair. So, youve got to care a little bit. Actually, more than that. Its not a show, Smith said.

They crack whole eggs here instead of the pre-mixed cartons of liquid eggs most high-volume restaurants use. Smiths pancakes show the fluffy resilience of a batter made with fresh ingredients, as opposed to the typical just-add-water mixes that result in squishy cakes.

A great pancake recipe is, of course, essential to one of Smiths great innovations: the Cyclops, a ring-shaped pancake with an egg in the middle. He created it on the spot one morning to save space on his griddle when eight orders for pancakes and eggs came in at the same time. He has since invented a dispenser to drop a perfect batter ring on the grill, like a giant doughnut, and also refined the art of cooking eggs right to order.

The Cyclops wasnt Smiths only innovation. He has refined a distinctive technique for cooking omelets on a flat-top grill, swiftly scraping, shaping, and folding eggs into a rectangle and then forming them into a roll to be set aside over low heat for the bake, to finish cooking. It lends the eggs an extra puff uncommon for a folded omelet cooked on a griddle.

Mustache Bills has also been credited by some with originating the term waitron in the early 1970s. That may sound somewhat dystopian these days, but in the era of DEVO and Lost in Space, it was a quirky and progressive attempt at gender equality. The service at Mustache Bills could not be warmer or more personal, which is why progress has its limits in this bastion of retro hospitality.

Smith isnt looking forward to the moment he finally does sell the diner.

I have not imagined that day and Ive been here so long  my entire life, really  that it confuses me to even think about it.

A recent flare-up in his left knee, though, straining the pivot he makes hundreds of times daily to put cooked orders up on the pass, is yet another reminder that retirement may have its benefits.

The plan is Im going to keep doing this until somebody else digs me out of here, he said. But Im glad I did it. I still get tremendous satisfaction when I make something that people enjoy.

Mustache Bills Diner, Broadway and West Eighth Street, Barnegat Light, N.J. 08006. Hours: Friday through Sunday, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., through the end of the 2024 season on Oct. 31. Information: 609-494-0155 or mustachebills.com.
Emily Wilson (left) prepares orders for a line of customers during a neighborhood bake sale in West Philadelphia on Sunday, June 23, 2024. The line began 30 minutes before she opened and stretched down the block for the duration of the sale. Read more

On a recent Sunday morning, Emily Wilson left her West Philadelphia apartment at 5 a.m. for a church in Wayne, Delaware County, where she grew up. Shes there to bake. The church basement, it turns out, has a massive professional-quality kitchen.

A team of one, Wilson moves quickly from speed rack to table to oven, and back again. Her hands fold the dough in silence. She doesnt use timers anymore, just knows when things are done. She usually finishes about 150 pastries and other baked goods in three hours.

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After leaving behind a tray for the church, she fills her car with pastries and heads home.

By 9:45 a.m., ahead of the 10 a.m. start time, 30 people lined the 4600 block of Cedar Avenue, waiting to get their hands on Wilsons pastries. Wilson stood behind her folding table, laughing, greeting friends and regulars, selling her Em Wilson brand of bakes: danishes, turnovers, cookies, cakes, and West Philly pretzels.

Some heard about Wilsons bake sale through word of mouth, social media, or walking by. They came for a pastry and got even more: The block buzzed with energy and chatter as neighbors greeted each other, friends ran into one another, and a pop-up espresso machine whirred.

Wilson had sold out by 10:30 a.m. Thats standard at her West Philly bake sales these days.

Bake sales are a third space for her customers

Theres a sense of community around her table, which Wilson describes as a third space for her customers  who she says are mostly queer, young families, and, curiously enough, several of the areas doulas. She doesnt have a brick-and-mortar storefront, so whenever and wherever she pops up, people come. For some, its a ritual.

There arent any rules, Wilson said. Ive set that expectation with my customers. You dont know where Im going to be or what Ill have, but come along for the ride.

You dont know where Im going to be or what Ill have, but come along for the ride. Emily Wilson

Wilsons pastries reflect what shes learned over her 10-year career in the restaurant industry. Some are inspired by her Italian American roots  like her brown butter orange cardamom pizzelle adapted from her pop-pops anise seed version and her mamas meatballs danish, crispy and topped with seasoned ricotta, mini meatballs, red sauce, and pecorino.

Some bakes stay around long enough to become crowd favorites, while others, like her cardamom passion fruit danish and passion fruit custard topped with cardamom cream cheese, are whimsical and temporary. Seasonality is prioritized, like this summers peach basil twice-baked croissant.

Wilsons business was born out of discontent with the restaurant industry. She cut her teeth in highly acclaimed Philadelphia bakeries where she said she was often pushed beyond her limits. She developed carpal tunnel syndrome that knocked her out of work twice in an industry that has not traditionally accepted sick days. Business owners would prioritize their own vision or profits over the people that are supporting them, she said.

Wilson decided to leave her last restaurant job and go it alone. No financial backers, no investors, no loans.

I dont need to be busting my existence for somebody elses vision, where decisions are being made incorrectly, she said. Ill take that power away from someone above me. And I will make all the decisions. If I mess up, its on me. If I do well, I reap the benefits.

Feeding her West Philly neighbors first

She first set up a bake sale in front of her West Philly apartment in August 2023. She sat outside for hours, asking passersby if they wanted a pastry.

One woman asked what Wilson was raising money for. My rent, she responded.

As she fed her neighbors, Wilsons popularity grew.

Now her past experience is influencing her process, goals, and ingredients. Shes determined to not give into increasing demand at the expense of her health or ethics.

Everybody deserves to have delicious pastries. Emily Wilson

Wilson isnt interested in opening a storefront or hiring employees. She said that saves her from being forced to make decisions that are ethically compromising. She cant afford to pay people a living wage or offer health care.

And shes transparent on social media  a window into her struggles of running a for-profit business as a self-described anticapitalist  where she has shared her yearly financials. This year, she said, she made less than $20 an hour  what is considered a living wage  a total of about $22,000 before taxes.

To keep things affordable, she buys ingredients from Aldi, including butter. Her passion fruit puree is from Targets frozen section.

If Im immersing myself in the community, it has to be a response to the community, Wilson said. Im already a part of gentrification just by being here. Everybody deserves to have delicious pastries.

Her pastries are irresistible

Rachel Brandoff, who has lived on Cedar Avenue for about eight years, stood in awe of the treats like brown butter cinnamon snails with cream cheese frosting. She told a neighbor she heard the twice-baked pepita croissant filled with pepita frangipane is life-changing.

The neighbors have a group chat where they congregate their orders. When one is away, others will make sure they still get their bakes. Your baked goods nourish us and bring us together, Brandoff said to Wilson.

Among the neighbors that Sunday was Nathan Winkler-Rhoades, co-owner of Pitruco Pizza. His daughter, Nina, 8, wore an Em Wilson butter T-shirt.

Winkler-Rhoades tasted Wilsons pretzels as she refined them. They were free at first. He called the final result a novelty.

Theyre irresistible. Theyre perfect. She nailed it, he said.

Wilsons bake sales have become a jumping off point for other sellers in the pop-up scene. The protocol: Just bring a table.

On that Sunday, Finn Shealy sold his collage artwork alongside Wilson and her table. The clientele is gay and all in love with each other. And were all gonna kiss after we eat a pastry, Shealy said.

Some were unfortunately left without a pastry that Sunday. Wilson is respecting the limits of her capacity and fighting the urge to produce more.

This is the hardest thing shes ever done, she said. Shes tired. But so far she hasnt felt any carpal tunnel symptoms come back.

I have yet to cry in my own kitchen.
Philadelphia City Hall photographed in August 2019. City officials say they are close to hiring candidates for several health-related agencies whose directors have departed in the last year. Read more

After several high-level departures in the last year, Philadelphia officials are looking to fill top jobs at crucial agencies that deal with the health of the nations poorest big city, where homelessness, poverty, and racism contribute to poor outcomes for many residents.

Temporary leaders are currently in charge of four city agencies tasked with improving Philadelphians health, investigating deaths, and expanding housing opportunities.

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Turnover in the top positions at the citys operational departments is typical in a new mayoral administration, and Philadelphia officials say they have a short list of candidates to lead three of these agencies and expect to announce a hire for at least one soon.

The departments play an essential role in Philadelphia, where nearly 4,500 people in 2022 experienced homelessness and 10% were uninsured, and where there are significant racial disparities in a number of health outcomes, including life expectancy.

 READ MORE: Our city ranks one of the worst in the country for health. We can do better, and heres how

Scandals within some of these departments in recent years have also raised the stakes for how important it is to find Philadelphias next public health leaders.

Public health experts say these jobs require a unique skill set that combines financial and management know-how with public health expertise and a deep understanding of what makes Philadelphians tick.

Philadelphians are demanding of our public officials, as well we should be, said Greg McDonald, a former assistant medical examiner in the city. You have to be able to have a pulse of what Philadelphians are like.

Exodus of public health leaders in Philly

Liz Hersh, who led the Office of Homeless Services (OHS) for eight years, left the office in October 2023.

Chief Medical Examiner Constance DiAngelo was just a year into the job when she resigned two months later, in December.

The director of the Department of Public Health, Cheryl Bettigole, left her position in February after nearly three years leading the agency.

And Jill Bowen, the head of the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) left for a position in Vermonts state government in March.

Scandals in several of these departments in the last several years underscore the complexity of hiring new leaders into these roles.

In 2021, Bettigoles predecessor, Thomas Farley, was at the center of multiple scandals, starting with the collapse of a partnership with Philly Fighting COVID. That group, led by a 22-year-old Drexel University student and responsible for overseeing the citys largest vaccination site, failed to tell city officials that the personal information patients entered into its registration portal could be sold.

Months later, Farley resigned after revealing that, in 2017, he had ordered the cremation of remains of victims of the 1985 MOVE bombing that had been stored in the medical examiners office for decades  without telling the victims families. (An employee disobeyed the cremation order, and the remains were later found at the office.)

Sam Gulino, then the chief medical examiner, also left his position in 2021 over the handling of the remains. City officials did not give a reason for why DiAngelo, his replacement, left after just a year on the job.

More recently, following the departure of Hersh, the former director of the Office of Homeless Services, city officials learned that the agency had overspent its budget by $15 million. The agency is currently involved in three separate financial mismanagement investigations.

The Health and Human Services Department, which oversees collaboration between all these agencies, has identified candidates to lead the health department, DBHIDS, and OHS, city officials say.

They are on track with their timeline and have identified an impressive list of candidates now on the short list, a spokesperson for the Managing Directors Office said in a statement, adding that the city expects to announce its pick for OHSs executive director soon.

The chief medical examiner job is a civil service position and subject to a different hiring process, the city said.

These searches and decisions require a significant vetting process, given the size of the departments and the many programs [they] both manage and implement, the spokesperson wrote. All interim leaders are doing an excellent job as they continue to focus on all priorities of the departments and the new Parker Administrations.

The city declined to make the interim directors available for an interview.

A difficult job market

Leaders who can navigate the stress of a public-facing health job are in high demand and short supply, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, said Lori Freeman, the CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO).

The pandemic really had an impact on our public health workforce. It was a stressful time, a time when physicians had to deal with a lot of local, regional, and state politics in the way, and they wear you down, Freeman said.

About a third of state and local public health employees said in a 2021 national survey that they were considering leaving their organization, and only 5% said it was because they were retiring. Among those looking to leave their jobs, 39% said the pandemic had contributed to their decision.

Its a situation mirrored in the forensic fields. Forensic pathologists often make less money than another highly specialized doctor would, despite the fact that they attend medical school and undergo extensive training afterward, deterring many from the profession.

There are 700 to 800 board-certified forensic pathologists in the whole country, said McDonald, the former Philadelphia assistant medical examiner. He now is Montgomery Countys chief forensic pathologist and is the dean of the School of Health Sciences at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Philadelphias long-understaffed MEs office has attempted to attract more hires in recent years. When DiAngelo resigned in late 2023, the city noted that it had recently received new funding to hire more staffers, with an aim to prioritize homicide investigations.

And the offices new facilities at police headquarters on North Broad Street could be another draw: Its much better than when I worked there, said McDonald.

A specific skill set in high demand

Experts say that leading a big-city health agency requires a specific skill set that goes beyond understanding public health.

Big-city public health officials who oversee large agencies with millions of dollars in funding are often required to act like CEOs  but without the commensurate pay of one at a for-profit corporation. They must be skilled in management, finances, and strategic thinking, Freeman said.

The job can be a delicate balancing act, said James Buehler, who served as health commissioner under Mayor Michael Nutter and is now a teaching professor of health management and policy at Drexel University.

You have to understand how local government works, and the position of your agency within that, he said. You need a bit of a thick skin and ready sense of humor and patience to navigate all those complexities.

Good public health leaders, like good doctors, must understand their patients, Buehler said. They should have a deep knowledge of the health inequities in places such as Philadelphia, where poverty and racism have contributed to poor health for large segments of the population, and of historical injustices such as the MOVE bombing, he added.

When I was health commissioner, my patient was the whole city of Philadelphia, he said.

Staff writer Max Marin contributed to this article.
Authorities have arrested three people who allegedly conspired to kill a South Jersey woman in an acid attack that occurred last month, the Gloucester County Prosecutors Office said Tuesday.

William DiBernardino, 49, of Boynton Beach, Fla., is accused of hiring two other people to commit the attack against the 42-year-old Monroe Township woman, who had been in a relationship with DiBernardino, the prosecutors office said in a statement.

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The woman, who was not identified, is still being treated at a burn center for her injuries.

Betty Jo Lane, 38, and Jmarr McNeil, 39, of Jacksonville, Fla., along with DiBernardino, were taken into custody in Florida and have been charged with first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree criminal attempted murder, and related offenses. They have waived extradition and are awaiting transfer to New Jersey, the prosecutors office said.

The victim was attacked July 26 in the driveway of her home in the Forrest Hills development of Monroe Township, police said.

She had just returned from work, and as soon as she opened her car door. she was approached by an unknown woman who threw a cup and its liquid contents directly at the victim, police said. The unknown woman then fled in a silver or gray vehicle.

The victim was airlifted to the burn center with chemical burns over 35% of her body. Investigators believe the liquid was a highly corrosive acid.

Investigators identified the suspect vehicle as belonging to a rental agency in Florida, and said it was allegedly used by Lane and McNeil to drive to New Jersey for the attack. The pair were recruited and compensated by DiBernardino, the prosecutors office said.

Authorities ask that anyone with information contact Detective Jordan Plitt of the Gloucester County Prosecutors Office at 856-384-5583 or Detective Jennifer Skala of the Monroe Township Police Department at 856-728-9800 ext. 534. Information can also be emailed to the Gloucester County Prosecutors Office at tips@co.gloucester.nj.us.
Photo from 2020 of the home on North Simpson Street in West Philadelphia where 7-year-old Zamar Jones was struck in the head by a stray bullet. Read more

A 31-year-old man was sentenced Monday to 25 to 50 years in state prison for initiating a gun battle that led to a stray bullet killing 7-year-old Zamar Jones in West Philadelphia in 2020.

In a deal with prosecutors, Christopher Linder pleaded guilty Monday before Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Giovanni Campbell to criminal attempted murder, voluntary manslaughter, and illegal possession of a firearm. Linder was about to face a jury trial when he made his plea agreement.

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On Aug. 1, 2020, Zamar Jones was playing on the porch of his home on the 200 block of North Simpson Street when he was struck in the head by a bullet. He died at the hospital less than two days later.

Prosecutors said Linder was in a pickup truck on Simpson Street when he started firing at Michael Banks and missed. Banks returned fire at Linders fleeing truck and instead shot the boy.

A second man, Damar B. Jones (no relation to Zamar), also fired shots at Linders truck.

Banks pleaded guilty last year to criminal attempted murder and related offenses, court records show. His sentencing is scheduled for next month.

Damar Jones also pleaded guilty last year to firearms violations and was sentenced to three to six years in prison.

Following Linders plea, Assistant District Attorney Cydney Pope said: This closes a chapter for the family of Zamar Jones, and it allows us to look forward and not back.

Linders attorney, Eileen Hurley, said that Linder was extremely remorseful and that he had been struggling with significant mental health issues at the time of the shooting  issues he had been seeking treatment for at the time he pulled the trigger.

Hurley said that Linder, in court on Monday, apologized to Jones relatives while entering his guilty plea and addressing the judge.

This was an absolutely tragic case, Hurley said.
CHICAGO  Many of the folks who began pouring into this citys Union Park ahead of Mondays major protest against U.S. support for Israels war in Gaza traveled great distances, like the bus convoy that left Minneapolis and drove all night straight to the park, or a man I met whod come from California  by train. Some were protest veterans like the Code Pink posse, on the march since George W. Bushs Iraq War, and some were even boomers whod marched against the Vietnam War.

But Nick Lopez, 23, who graduated from college a year ago and still hasnt found a job, and who lives here in Chicago, decided to pop on down to the March on the DNC, on the first day of the Democratic National Convention, all by himself. Before he left, he penned his protest message on both sides of a large sign, complaining about both his sizable student debt and the continued backing of leading Democrats for sending weapons to Israel, arguing in his scrawl that the DNC is unfair.

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I want to show my solidarity with the Palestinians, and call on the Democratic Party, who say theyre fighting for democracy, to enact an arms embargo, he told me, expressing moral outrage over the killing in Gaza, but also questioning Americas priorities.

Bro, Ive been unemployed since graduation, I have $21,000 in unpaid student loans, and the Democratic Party thinks it can maneuver the money to Israel to buy bombs, but I cant get a student loan bailout? We cant get a public works project like before?  They want to put on this grand show, but theres going to be a vast majority of constituents telling you to do this.

I spent most of Monday in Union Park, soaking up the August sun and breathing the windswept dirt from the softball infield at a rally with a cheerful vibe that felt more like a Lollapalooza concert than an angry mob, except for the lack of a beach ball to bat around and the Palestinian music that warmed up the crowd.

I listened to speeches and walked with marchers past the endless thin blue line of bike cops. But mainly, I came to meet some of the estimated 5,000 to 6,000 marchers  a good crowd, but far short of the 20,000 some organizers hoped for  and to listen. Thats because ever since this war began with the unconscionable Hamas assault of Oct. 7, demonstrators on college campuses and elsewhere have been portrayed by TV pundits mostly as cartoon characters, mysteriously propelled by nothing more than their alleged antisemitism.

Heres the deal. The harsh views of many marchers toward Israel and its current leaders as well as the concept of Zionism that led to Israels origin in 1948, and the Democrats and their nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris  dubbed Killer Kamala on Monday by some chanting protesters  would offend and trouble many voters who dont agree with them. At the same time, I never saw or heard anything offensive toward Jewish people, or even the words Jew or Jewish mentioned over five hours. Except when several of the attendees told me they were Jewish.

 READ MORE: In Chicago, the ghosts of 1968 are still haunting American democracy | Will Bunch

Im a Jewish person, and have been anti-Zionist my whole life  as soon as I found out what it was, said Ly Baumgardt, a 23-year-old activist from Minneapolis who is active in the Democratic Socialists of America. Like nearly every protester I spoke to, Baumgardt has a very specific grievance: that Israels months of assaults on Gaza have killed thousands of women and children, that the U.S. is paying for a lot of this with foreign aid and arms deals, including a new $20 billion multiyear sale supported by President Joe Biden, and that Biden and Harris need to listen to the millions of Americans morally outraged by this. We could just house the homeless with that much money; that could go to people who are here who need it, instead of bombing children, they said.

Officials in Gaza say that more than 40,000 have been killed there since October, the majority of them civilians. Most of those who marched on the DNC Monday believe that is a genocide, and said that belief morally obligates them to speak out.

Carol Walker saw the infamous anti-Vietnam War protests at 1968s Chicago DNC on TV, and in November 1969 she joined the roughly 250,000 people who descended on Washington, D.C., for the massive moratorium protest. Now 73, she belongs to a group called Women Against Military Madness. I think we need to put pressure on our politicians for a cease-fire and a weapons embargo.

Most political experts question whether protests will have any influence on Harris, who has met with some pro-Palestinian activists but has given no indication she would change the current U.S. policies of bomb shipments and other aid to Israel. And many rank-and-file Democrats are angered by the tenacity of these protests, which they argue only aid the potential second coming of Donald Trump, who would not only curb democracy but also offer an even more militaristic Middle East policy than Biden.

Indeed, the only major political figure who joined the nearly two-hour procession of pre-march speakers was independent presidential candidate Cornel West, the leftist academic who Democrats fear will siphon votes away from Harris in any state he qualifies for the ballot. West gave a passionate and eloquent defense of the Gaza movement. This is about not some Machiavellian politics or utilitarian calculation about an election, he said. This is about morality! This is about spirituality.

Gaza protesters have a story to tell that you rarely hear on cable TV or elsewhere in the mainstream media. The folks who marched on Monday truly believe their opposition to U.S. support for Israel in Gaza is why Biden dropped out of the presidential race last month  because his lack of support from young people and Black and brown voters who oppose the war was the reason he hopelessly trailed Trump.

There is something to that idea, although I think its far from the only reason Harris has surged past the GOP ex-president in the polls. But I do think the marchers are 100% right about this: When first Biden and then Harris reject a position that, according to one recent poll, is held by 77% of everyday Democrats who want the U.S. to stop sending weapons to Israel, then something is broken with American democracy.

On Monday night, DNC delegates voted, without any serious debate, for a platform that was hashed out before most of them had even arrived in Chicago, that doesnt address any of the protesters concerns. Such a debate might spoil the reality show of preapproved TV speechifying, which has become the only function of what used to be conventions. Thats not democracy. What is democracy is what 6,000 angry citizens did here Monday afternoon: exercising their First Amendment rights to speak freely, to assemble, and to air their grievances with a government that isnt listening.

Over the course of the 21st century, those rights have been reduced to a size where they could be drowned in a bathtub zone. Free speech on the things that matter has been squeezed into narrow zones, kettled and occasionally tear-gassed, and surrounded by massive displays of militarized police force backed by concrete barriers that make downtowns look like a Grand Prix course. On Monday, police arrested at least four marchers who tried to bust loose.

That didnt happen with the group I marched alongside, who went off midafternoon squeezed onto cramped streets several significant blocks away from the United Center delegates they so desperately wanted to hear them. That seemingly endless phalanx of hundreds of bicycle cops walled off the entire route. It felt like the healthy red blood cells of dissent were trying to force their way through a clogged artery, crimped by the fatty tissue of a decadent republic. Show me what democracy looks like? This is what todays democracy looks like.
Delaware prides itself as the First State, a nickname earned by its quick ratification of the United States Constitution just 82 days after it was drafted. Yet, when it comes to critical issues like education and access to health care, the state has been falling behind.

As Democratic voters cast their ballot for governor in next months primary, The Inquirer endorses New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer as the best candidate to move the state forward once again.

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In his two terms in office, Meyer has led county government through the pandemic, created the HOPE Center  the largest shelter in Delaware  got vacant homes back onto the market, created a behavioral health task force for law enforcement, and appointed the most diverse leadership team in county history.

Even before his time in office, his dedication to service was evident, with stints as a public school math teacher and as a diplomat embedded with the U.S. Army in Iraq. Meyer has detailed and extensive plans to fix problems in Delawares education system  which was recently ranked 45th in the nation by the Annie E. Casey Foundation  as well as the demonstrated political skill to get it done.

Collin OMara, the president and CEO of the National Wildlife Foundation, is another impressive candidate, whose focus on the environment is welcome and buoyed by his time as the states secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. On the issue of paper temporary license plates originating from Delaware  which can be easily forged, creating a problem that affects law enforcement across the region  OMara had the clearest answer during an interview with the Editorial Board, promising to stop issuing paper tags after taking office. But while OMara has served in a cabinet post, this would be his first elected office.

The front-runner in the race, Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, balances her own inspiring life story with some significant red flags. Hall-Long, who grew up in rural Sussex County at the southern end of the state, is rightly proud of her record as a rare nurse-politician. Still, multiple issues with her husband, Dana Long, make voter support for her difficult.

The states Department of Elections released a letter detailing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of misstatements on Hall-Longs campaign finance reports, including the omission of significant payments to her husband.

In an interview with the Editorial Board, she described these as reimbursements for expenses, citing her familys working-class background vs. her opponents ability to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their campaigns. If thats the case, it only makes it more important that these reports were filed accurately.

This isnt Longs first run-in with controversy. In 2014 he was arrested after removing Republican campaign signs from a roadside near Odessa, Del. In 2016, after being appointed a housing inspector for housing choice voucher rentals, Long and then-County Executive Tom Gordon were accused of using housing records to solicit votes. While politicians arent responsible for every misstep by a spouse or family member, in this case, Longs actions were done in support of his wife, and he remains the treasurer of her campaign.

Hall-Longs conduct has come under scrutiny, too. Emails obtained by the Associated Press show her office staff, whose salaries are paid for by taxpayers, engaged in campaign activities while on the clock, in violation of Delaware law and basic political ethics. Long was deeply involved in those issues, as well, the emails show.

Delawareans simply cant afford four years of a governor who would likely spend more time answering questions about her husbands conduct than pushing the state forward.

For voters in the Democratic primary for governor, Matt Meyer is the best choice.
CHICAGO  In President Joe Bidens inaugural address in January 2021, he said America was in a winter of peril and possibility. It was nearly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, months of racial unrest, and just weeks after a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Now, less than four years later, Biden used his valedictory address to share a hopeful update: its summer in America, and winter has passed.

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With a grateful heart, I stand before you now on this August night to report that democracy has prevailed, Biden said, with tearful eyes. Democracy has delivered. And now, democracy must be preserved.

The 81-year-old president was welcomed to the stage with a nearly five-minute standing ovation from the crowd, after hours of speakers thanking him for what they called his selfless decision to drop out of the presidential race. He took a victory lap through his accomplishments, threw his favorite jabs at former President Donald Trump, and passed the torch to his chosen successor, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Its been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your president, Biden added. I love the job, but I love my country more.

In a 45-minute address that recalled familiar lines from his stump speeches over the last five years, Biden said the country was at an inflection point, in the battle for the soul of America.

He said he ran to rebuild the middle class, and lauded the work his administration did during the COVID pandemic, and to create jobs and boost manufacturing. There is still more that needs to be done, he granted, under a Harris presidency.

Throughout the night  and during Bidens speech in particular  the crowd broke out into chants of Thank you, Joe or We love Joe. Delegates waved signs with similar sayings on the blue carpeted floor of the United Center. Pennsylvania and Delawares delegations sat in neighboring sections close to the stage, representing the two states the president has called home. When he took the stage, the Delawareans sported his signature aviator sunglasses.

Biden said choosing Harris as his running mate was the best decision I made in my whole career. He complimented her as a well-respected world leader and strong prosecutor who would be a historic president, if elected, as the first president that was a woman or woman of color.

And like many of our best presidents, she was also a vice president, Biden said to laughs.

Pa.s third senator

The night was much different than what Biden had expected just weeks earlier: Instead of accepting the Democratic nomination for a second term, he gave his curtain call, capping his 52 years in national politics.

Biden dropped out of the race in a letter posted to X on July 21 after mounting pressure from within his party, including from some people he considered top allies.

His decision to withdraw made him the first sitting president since Lyndon Johnson in 1968 to forgo his partys nomination.

The departure caps a career in politics that began in 1972 when, at age 29, he was elected to represent Delaware in the U.S. Senate, becoming one of the youngest senators in the nations history, which he reflected on as part of his speech.

Ive either been too young to be in the Senate, because I wasnt 30 yet, and too old to stay as president, Biden said. I can honestly say Im more optimistic about the future than I was when I was elected as a 29-year-old United States senator.

Through the following decades, Biden became an elder statesman of the Senate, leading the Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committees. He maintained a close connection to his Scranton roots  which he noted in his speech Monday  and was often called the third senator from Pennsylvania.

While campaigning, he was adept at connecting with everyday voters, often speaking of his blue-collar upbringing and his personal story marked by tragedy. Bidens first wife and a daughter were killed in a 1972 car crash and, in 2015, his son Beau died of cancer.

After unsuccessfully seeking the presidency twice, Biden in 2009 became vice president, serving alongside Obama, the nations first Black president.

In 2020, Biden tried for a third time, running against the incumbent Trump on a pledge to restore decency to the White House and to navigate the nation out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bidens victory was sealed days after the election when he won Pennsylvania, the state where he was born. In Philadelphia, where a batch of mail ballots put Biden over the top, his supporters danced in the streets.

No where else in the world could a kid with a stutter and modest beginnings in Scranton, Pa., and Claymont, Delaware, grow up to sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, Biden said. Thats because America is and always has been a nation of possibilities. Possibilities. We must never lose that. Never.

Thank you, Joe

Party luminaries called Biden a patriot, a president who restored a struggling country, and a leader who put that country ahead of his ego by dropping out of the presidential race last month.

Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, your lifetime of service to our nation and for all you will continue to do, said Harris in a surprise appearance at the first night of the Democratic National Convention. We are forever grateful to you.

As Democrats praised him, Republicans continued to slam the Biden-Harris record, calling huge government spending during his tenure the trigger for inflation and high mortgage rates.

We keep hearing about their economy, Trump said in York on Monday. Their economys terrible and the inflation is eating everybody alive.

Trump said Biden dropping out amounted to a coup.

Much of the first night of the DNC was an ode to Biden for his sacrifice by stepping out of the race, a look back at where the country was when he took the White House in 2021, and a vision for the future under Harris where Democrats promised theyre not going back to a presidency under Donald Trump.

As speakers listed Democratic accomplishments under Biden, they tacked on Harris name, crediting each win to the Biden-Harris administration. Biden himself did this at points: When the crowd interrupted him to chant Thank you, Joe he responded, Thank you, Kamala.

Pennsylvania delegates credited Biden with preserving American democracy by stepping aside and endorsing Harris, who has reignited engagement in the presidential election for apathetic Democrats.

The Rev. Charles Quann, an 85-year-old pastor from Montgomery County, said Biden saved America, when he dropped out of the race.

In all honesty he probably would have lost to Donald Trump, Quann said from the floor. But Kamala Harris has really put a lot of energy back in a short span of time and given us hope so we can win this election, thats because Biden did a remarkable thing to step down and save America.

Justin Douglas, another delegate and a Dauphin County Commissioner, said Biden has a long track record of serving people that should be remembered but he called his stepping down a particularly noble final act.

Were seeing a legacy, you know, come to an end and I think his willingness to show humility and step back and hand it off is something that is not ever seen or thought about in this sphere of power, of grabbing and fighting each other for advancement. Its just a beautiful thing to see.

Staff writer Anna Orso contributed to this report.
Ive known Craig a very long time, and he is one of the most passionate people Ive ever met in terms of developing young adjusters careers, so he really is the ideal fit for this vital role within our business, he said. He importantly knows adjusting like the back of his hand, having been an adjuster his entire career, and creating this role frees him up to be totally focused on our people [and] their development and enhancing the overall quality output that Crawford offers clients.
This gives brokers the opportunity to learn from a serious outage that has likely not affected many of their insureds, said Jabobi. My recommendation would be for brokers to familiarise or re-familiarise themselves with the terms and conditions of the various cyber insurance policies in the market.
Conflict of interest disclosures

The proposed legislation will require strata managers to confirm that any benefits they accept do not conflict with their obligations under the Property and Stock Agents Regulation 2022, which mandates that managers must not place their own interests above those of their clients.
With over 12 years of experience in direct PEO sales, Kitowski brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her new role. She holds several insurance licenses and certifications, and has been actively involved in the payroll and PEO industry since 2007.
Harriet Sharp (pictured above), head of political violence and crisis management at Chaucer, noted that Bakers industry knowledge and underwriting expertise would be pivotal as the company seeks to expand its footprint in the US market. She expressed anticipation for working closely with him to advance Chaucers growth objectives.
S&P Global Ratings indicated that it could lower the ratings in the next two years if Enact Re's capitalization falls below the 99.95% confidence level on a sustained basis, if there is a weakening in underwriting discipline or a significant increase in risk, if the company's capital and risk management strategy becomes overly dependent on reinsurance, or if economic stress results in higher-than-expected losses that impact capital or operating performance compared to peers.
A neighbor reported smelling gas to a utility company the night before a home exploded in Bel Air, Maryland, killing two people, The Baltimore Sun has reported.

Residents near the home have been saying that they smelled gas Saturday night, but the State Fire Marshals office stated they had no record of anyone reporting that to either 911 or Baltimore Gas and Electric.

One resident, Carline Fisher, told the newspaper that she reported the gas smell to BGE Saturday night and spoke to a worker who arrived in response. Given that information, a fire marshals spokesman contacted investigators looking into the explosion who told him that BGE indeed received a call at 8:24 p.m. Saturday, the Sun reported.

Ray Corkran, the homeowner, and a BGE contractor, Jose Rodriguez-Alvarado, died in the explosion Sunday morning.

Fisher told The Sun she immediately smelled gas when she left her home to walk her dogs around 8 p.m. Saturday. Fisher, who lives about a third of a mile away from Corkrans home, said that as she walked she continued to smell gas.

A BGE spokesperson declined to comment to the newspaper, citing an ongoing investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. He referred questions to the NTSB, which is among the agencies and other entities that have been investigating the incident. An NTSB spokeswoman said she did not have immediate answers to The Suns questions about how BGE handled the report of a gas smell on Saturday night.

Oliver Alkire, a spokesperson and master deputy with the State Fire Marshals office, had said since earlier this week that he was told by investigators from his agency and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosions, that there were no calls either to 911 or BGE about a gas odor that night.

But on Thursday, Alkire said, the investigators told him they had indeed interviewed Fisher, and she had told them about calling BGE.

It fell through the cracks, Alkire said of the investigators initially not relaying to him what Fisher had said.

There might have been some confusion over BGEs presence in the neighborhood Saturday night because the utility company had sent a truck there about an electrical issue at Corkrans house, Alkire said.

At least one resident who said he had smelled gas Saturday night told The Sun he didnt report it because he saw a BGE truck on the street and assumed it had responded to someone else reporting the odor.

Jennifer Gabris, a spokesperson for the NTSB. said Thursday its investigation was continuing and that the team remained on the scene. She said she expected a preliminary report of the NTSBs findings would be released in about 30 days.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Maryland
An upstate New York jury has awarded more than $287 million in punitive damages and other compensation to a man and the estate of his deceased girlfriend following a fatal accident involving their Harley-Davidson trike motorcycle.

The Livingston County Supreme Court jury ordered Harley-Davidson to pay Harold Morris of Batavia, New York, $120 million in punitive damages and pay an additional $120 million in punitive damages to the estate of his longtime companion Pamela SinClair. The jury also awarded compensation for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, medical expense reimbursement, future medical reimbursement and future pain and suffering. Additional compensation was awarded to the family of SinClair.

In June, 2020, 75-year-old Morris and SinClair were involved in a tragic accident while riding a 2019 Harley-Davidson trike motorcycle, which is so-named because it has three wheels. SinClair was killed in the accident and Morris sustained catastrophic injuries.

Morris contended that a trike malfunction caused the accident. He also claimed they had experienced the very same malfunction in an accident riding the same bike a year earlier but he and SinCalir were not seriously injured that time. Morris claimed that an unintentional activation of one rear brake by the traction control system caused both accidents.

Following the first crash, Harley-Davidson issued a recall concerning the trikes traction control software system and Morris took the bike to a local shop for repairs. The second fatal accident happened a few months later.

Harley-Davidson maintained the accidents were Morriss fault. The company denied the bike was defective and claimed that Morris never proved Harley-Davidson was liable for any manufacturing or design defect, an inadequate warning, breach of express warranty or that a bike malfunction was the proximate cause of the crash. The manufacturer also argued it was not responsible for the repair shops actions.

Morris said that because of his injuries he had no memory of the accident until five or six weeks after it happened.

Morriss attorney Edelstein issued a statement after the August 13 verdict was announced: This is small town justice in a big-time way. For over four years, Harley-Davidson has been claiming that both accidents were Harolds fault, which we knew not to be true. So, the first thing we had to do was exonerate Harold. The second thing was to make sure these horrific events would not happen to anyone else. The message this jury sent was super, super powerful. Companies putting out unsafe and dangerous products must and will be held accountable.

Harley-Davidsons attorneys told the Livingston County News that the verdict would be appealed.
Las Vegas set a heat record of 117 degrees Fahrenheit (47.2C) in 1942, and for 82 years no weather system could budge it. Thermometers registered the same temperature four more times, all since 2005, without setting a new high. Then 2024 happened.

The heat record was broken  and not by just a little. On July 7, the temperature at Harry Reid Airport in Paradise, Nevada, jumped to 120F.

Records are breaking the world over this summer following a 13-month streak of hottest-ever monthly global average temperatures. At least two major scientific agencies recently determined that July set another high-temperature mark while also logging the two hottest days worldwide in recorded history. Theres now a greater than 95% chance this year beats 2023 as the hottest since data-keeping began.

But its not just that heat records are being set more often than before. Many of these temperature spikes are breaking local records by noticeably large margins. And thats fueling fresh interest among scientists who model future heating as the planet continues to rapidly warm.

Record-smashing extreme heat has become an expected consequence of the pace of climate change among scientists who study it. Climate scientists usually frame dangers by talking about the level of warming, comparing conditions that would develop after average temperatures rise by 2C or 3C. But when it comes to the scale of new heat records in coming decades, the rate of warming may have the upper hand.

Its a fundamental question raised by the research of Erich Fischer, a climate scientist at ETH Zurich. Fischer began to wonder several years ago if the world was seeing records falling more dramatically. Simulating extreme heat waves in the US led him to a conclusion so unusual he initially rejected it. He observed in his data the possibility in coming decades of record-shattering extremes, nearly impossible in the absence of warming, he and other researchers wrote in a 2021 paper.

That analysis has held up against real-world events. Four weeks after a journal accepted his paper, western North America experienced an anomalous heat wave at the very scale he projected. A British Columbia village broke Canadas 84-year-old heat record of 45C (113F) three days in a row, reaching 49.6C (121.3F). The next day, a wildfire leveled much of the town, killing two people. A team of scientists later declared it among the six most intense heat waves ever recorded.

The climate currently behaves like a guy who would come and jump a meter farther than anyone before, Fischer said. You would think its an athlete on steroids.

Fischer found that such extreme leaps might be up to seven times more common by 2050, compared with the last 30 years, if the world continues a high level of greenhouse gas emissions. That lines up with other findings about the big role climate change plays in these extra-large spikes. The Las Vegas heat in July was made 22 times more likely by the warming climate, according to research nonprofit Climate Central, while a springtime heat wave in Vietnam was 38 times more likely because of climate factors. Malis capital of Bamako set four daily high records in April during a month of heat made 90 times more likely by the changing climate.

As new extremes arrive, Fischer predicts previously rare high-end temperatures will become more commonplace. A 1-in-1,000-year heat wave any time between 1951 and 2019 will have shifted to a 1-in-100-year event by around 2020, according to his study. That not-so-unusual heat wave will move again to a 1-in-40-year event in the mid-2020s.

A small number of scientists are working on the question of runaway heat records. Fischer and others expect, based on their understanding of climate physics, to see examples accumulate in coming decades.

Its not a trivial task to monitor the margins of new heat records, in part because there are so many ways to define a heat event. One-day maximum temperature? An average high over three days? And over how large an area? Even in well-monitored regions, including the US and Europe, the data are inconclusive.

Take the UK as an example. Temperatures hit 40C (104F) for the first time in 2022, and the number of days above 30C (86F) has more than tripled. Yet the amount of data that scientists would need to determine climate change is causing a leap in margins is immense, said Mike Kendon of the UK Met Office.

For now, there arent enough outlier weather episodes for the phenomenon to be conclusively observed in real-world data rather than projected in scientific models. But the examples that have occurred just in the last year focus the imagination: Africas hottest-ever June temperature of 50.9C (123.6F) descended on Aswan in Egypt, smashing a 63-year-old national record by 0.6C. Costa Rica hit 41.5C (106.7F) in March, 1.1C higher than its 2010 mark.

It all adds up to big heat jumps globally. Last September beat the worldwide record by such a vast margin that a US climate scientist memorably called it absolutely gobsmackingly bananas.

Mingfang Ting, a climate professor at Columbia University, is among the researchers who expects future data to show a shift in the margins. My personal feeling is that I think we are seeing it, but we dont have a long enough record to prove that yet, she said.

Photograph: A dried up pond in Bac Lieu Province, Vietnam. The country endured a springtime heat wave, which was made far more likely by climate change. Photo credit: Linh Pham/Bloomberg

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.
Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer is among those missing, along with UK tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, as Italian authorities continue to search the wreckage of the luxury yacht that sank during a storm off the coast of Sicily.

Specialist divers from Palermos fire and rescue service told local media that search operations resumed Tuesday morning. Firefighters said gaining access to the yacht, which is 48 meters (157.5 feet) below the surface, was complex.

The head of the civil protection agency in Sicily, Salvo Cocina, said in a message to Bloomberg that the six passengers still missing are Bloomer and his wife Judy, Clifford Chance partner Chris Morvillo and his wife Nada, as well as Lynch and his daughter Hannah.

Of the 12 guests and 10 crew who were on the yacht named Bayesian, at least one person has died. Lynch and his family were aboard with a small group of his financial and legal advisers celebrating the tycoons recent acquittal from fraud charges when the violent storm hit.

Prosecutors in Sicily opened a probe into the sinking of the yacht and have spoken at length to a skipper who was on board, Italian media reported on Tuesday. They believe the most likely explanation is that the Bayesians mast snapped during an extraordinary bout of bad weather.

The UKs Marine Accident Investigation Branch has also sent a team of inspectors to the area.

 #Porticello #Palermo, riprese alle 8 di #oggi le immersioni dei #sommozzatori speleo dei #vigilidelfuoco per le ricerche dei 6 dispersi. Complesso lingresso nello yacht, in atto la pianificazione per aprire accessi piu agevoli e ispezionare linterno [#20agosto 11:00] pic.twitter.com/QRTdGtO8r2

 Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) August 20, 2024

The Bayesian, which at 56 meters (184 feet) long was one of the worlds largest sailing yachts, had been anchored in waters hit by a marine spout, a column of air and water mist that can cause intense damage.

Bloomer, 70, has worked in the finance industry for five decades. Hes been chairman of Morgan Stanleys European business since 2018, and was named to lead British insurer Hiscox Ltd.s board last year. He is a friend of Lynch and was a witness for the defense in the long-running legal battle with Hewlett Packard.

Lawyer Morvillo served as co-counsel for Lynch, successfully defending him from criminal charges that he duped HP into overpaying for his software firm, Autonomy Corp. His colleague Ayla Ronald  who was also part of the team acting for Lynch  and her partner were also aboard and survived, a Clifford Chance spokesperson said.

Morgan Stanley and Hiscox also said in separate statements that they were shocked and saddened by the news and awaiting further developments.

From 1995 to 2005, Bloomer held senior roles at Prudential Plc  first as the firms finance chief and later its chief executive officer. He left after clashing with shareholders over a decision to raise money through a rights offer to help fund expansion in the UK instead of Asia.

Photograph: Jonathan Bloomer, chair of Morgan Stanley and Hiscox; Photo credit: Andy Shaw/Bloomberg

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.
Thunderstorms are forecast across the Mediterranean from Corfu to Sicily, where a luxury yacht sank off the coast on Monday after being struck by a waterspout, a form of tornado.

Orange storms alerts are in place for a swath of Italy, including Calabria and Puglia, but also further north along the Adriatic coast. Six people including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch are missing after the yacht named Bayesian sank near Porticello in Sicily.

Italy is struck by about 100 tornadoes a year, according to AtmosphericG2, a company that provides weather data to traders. On average, just over 70 are marine spouts, occurring off the coast, with another 30 onshore.

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat waves, triggering extreme weather events from violent storms to wildfires. Countries around the Mediterranean Sea  which reached a record average temperature last week  are some of the most severely impacted as fossil fuel emissions warm the planet.

Record rain triggered a danger alert last week on the Spanish island of Menorca, while more than a dozen boats were driven on to the coast of Formentera as a heat wave gave way to violent storms.

Heat warnings are still in place across southern Spain, with temperatures climbing as high as 40C (104F). Red alerts for heat also cover parts of Romania.

On Tuesday, heavy rain and intense storms are forecast for northern Greece, including the city of Thessaloniki, as well as the Ionian Sea islands. A large waterspout was seen off the coast of Zakynthos on Monday.

Parts of the Balkans are also under warnings for severe thunderstorms on Tuesday.

At the same time, Athens and the surrounding Attica region face a high risk of wildfires, along with most of Peloponnese and the islands of Rhodes, Crete and Evia. There were 25 blazes in 24 hours to 6:30 p.m. on Monday.

Later on Tuesday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will preside over a meeting in Penteli north of Athens to discuss measures for managing and restoring those areas east and north of the capital that were devastated by a huge fire last week.

Following initial inspections, 55 homes will need to be demolished, while 91 require rebuilding after being damaged by the blaze.

The wildfire risks arent confined to southern Europe. By Thursday, there will be an extreme wildfire danger across parts of the UK, including London, according to the Copernicus climate change service.

Photograph: Italy is struck by about 100 tornadoes a year, according to AtmosphericG2. Photo credit: Antonio Masiello/Getty Images

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.

Topics Windstorm
Specialist Risk Group (SRG), the London-based insurance intermediary, announced the acquisition of Anthony James Insurance Brokers, subject to regulatory approval.

Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. This latest acquisition further expands and strengthens SRGs retail pillar, Specialist Risk Insurance Solutions (SRIS).

Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Loughborough, England, Anthony James Insurance Brokers has built a strong reputation for providing comprehensive insurance services for businesses across the UK, SRG said. Its expertise spans a wide range of sectors including commercial, corporate, and high-net worth personal lines, making Anthony James a valuable addition to SRGs existing portfolio.

Chairman and founder, Steve Boorman, and managing director, Jacob Duckworth, will continue to lead the business, aiming to accelerate growth both organically and through acquisitions. Their team of 50 staff will also transition to SRG, maintaining operations from the Loughborough and Nottingham offices as they establish and strengthen SRGs presence in the East Midlands.

Anthony James becomes SRGs fifth acquisition since it announced its new investment partners, Warburg Pincus and Temasek, in May this year, SRG noted.

Steve, Jacob and the team at Anthony James are a brilliant addition to our growing group. They have built a fast growing and profitable business that we have admired for a number of years, and we are delighted to welcome them to SRG, commented Lee Anderson, SRG group deputy CEO, in a statement.

Source: Strategic Risk Group

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Agencies
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  Kansas will pay $50,000 to settle a federal anti-discrimination lawsuit filed by a former state Highway Patrol employee who claimed to have been fired for coming out as transgender.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and eight leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature unanimously approved the settlement during a brief online video conference Thursday. The state attorney generals office pursued the settlement in defending the Highway Patrol, but any agreement it reaches also must be approved by the governor and top lawmakers.

Kelly and the legislators didnt publicly discuss the settlement, and the amount wasnt disclosed until the state released their formal resolution approving the settlement nearly four hours after their meeting. Kellys office and the offices of Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins did not respond to emails seeking comment after the meeting.

The former employees attorney declined to discuss the settlement before state officials met Thursday and did not return a telephone message seeking comment afterward. The lawsuit did not specify the amount sought, but said it was seeking damages for lost wages, suffering, emotional pain and loss of enjoyment of life.

The ex-employee was a buildings and grounds manager in the patrols Topeka headquarters and sued after being fired in June 2022. The patrol said the ex-employee had been accused of sexual harassment and wasnt cooperative enough with an internal investigation. The lawsuit alleged that reason was a pretext for terminating a transgender worker.

The settlement came four months after U.S. District Judge John Broomes rejected the states request to dismiss the lawsuit before a trial. Broomes ruled there are genuine issues of material fact for a jury to settle.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that a landmark 1964 federal civil rights law barring sex discrimination in employment also bars anti-LGBTQ+ bias.

Court documents said the former Highway Patrol employee, a Topeka resident sought to socially transition at work from male to female. The ex-employees last name was listed as Dawes, but court records used a male first name and male pronouns. It wasnt clear Thursday what first name or pronouns Dawes uses now.

In a December 2023 court filing, Dawes attorney said top patrol leaders met a couple of months before Dawes firing to discuss Dawes being transgender and firing Dawes for that reason.

The patrol acknowledged the meeting occurred but said the leaders decided to get legal advice about the patrols responsibilities in accommodating Dawes in socially transitioning at work, according to a court filing by a state attorney in November 2023.

Court filings said the meeting wasnt documented, something Dawes attorney called a serious procedural irregularity.

The patrol said in its court filings that Dawes firing was not related to Dawes being transgender.

It said another female employee had complained that in May 2022, Dawes had complimented her looks and told her how nice it was to see a female really taking care of herself. Dawes also sent her an email in June 2022 that began, Just a note to tell you that I think you look absolutely amazing today! The other employee took both as sexual advances, it said.

Dawes acknowledged the interactions, but Dawes attorney said Dawes hadnt been disciplined for those comments before being fired  and if Dawes had been, the likely punishment would have only been a reprimand.

The patrol said it fired Dawes for refusing the first time an investigator sought to interview him about the other employees allegations. The patrol said Dawes claimed not to be prepared, while Dawes claimed to want to have an attorney present.

Dawes was interviewed three days later, but the patrol said refusing the first interview warranted Dawes firing because patrol policy requires full cooperation with an internal investigation.

Dawes can point to no person who is not transgender who was treated more favorably than transgender persons, the state said in its November 2023 filing.
Security is always tight at Chicagos Accenture Tower, a skyscraper that connects to a downtown transportation hub and houses the Israeli consulate. This week it will resemble a fortress.

Located less than two miles (3.2 kilometers) from where Vice President Kamala Harris will speak at the Democratic National Convention, the tower is bracing for protests. Pro-Palestinian groups are planning a mass demonstration outside the building, urging followers to Shut Down the DNC for Gaza! and decrying Harris over her support for Israel in its war against Hamas.

The protests will now become a major test for Harris, who has been on a swift ascent since President Joe Biden stepped aside from the race amid concerns about his age and mental acuity. The tension between her bid for party unity and the activists goal of upsetting the festivities also puts the spotlight on Chicagos security plans  and concerns from police and Democratic leaders over the risk of disruptions and the images they would present to the world.

The worries are exacerbated by memories of two events that rocked Chicago: The Vietnam War protests that erupted into police brutality when the city hosted the 1968 Democratic convention and the riots that spread across town in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd.

We will not allow people to come here and destroy the city, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling told reporters this week. The moment that starts, were going to intervene. Im not going to wait until it gets out of control.

The planned demonstration outside the Israeli consulate is just part of a broader protest effort that activists say will bring thousands of people from across the country. While most pro-Palestinian protests across the US this year have been peaceful, there have been high-profile incidents of antisemitism and thousands of arrests, including at Chicago universities.

Organizers of a march said the event would be inclusive and peaceful. They struck a deal with the city on Friday that would allow protesters to use a stage, speaker system and portable toilets in Union Park during the demonstrations.

Our protest is made up of the broadest, most diverse audience, including children and seniors, people of all physical abilities, people of all immigration statuses, said Hatem Abudayyeh, national chair of the US Palestinian Community Network and a spokesman for the March on the DNC.

Harris has tried to adopt a more sympathetic tone toward the plight of Palestinians in Gaza, but her continued support of Israel has angered the activists.

Kamala, Kamala you cant hide! We wont vote for genocide, a group of them yelled at a campaign rally in Detroit earlier this month. The visibly annoyed vice president responded: You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, Im speaking.

Read more: $80 Billion Will Be Needed to Rebuild a Destroyed Gaza

There are about 50,000 people coming to Chicago during convention week, with expectations they will fill its hotels, bars and restaurants. The plans include private events such as a party headlined by John Legend and a panel hosted by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who starred as Selina Meyer in HBOs political satire Veep.

There will also be speeches from Biden, Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, her running mate, drawing contrasts with their Republican opponents: former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance.

While police prepare for protests, Democratic officials planning the convention have been reaching out to uncommitted delegates representing voters who opposed Biden in the primaries, the New York Times reported. Most withheld support from the president over what they viewed as his staunch support for Israel amid the rising death toll in Gaza.

Ensuring the event goes smoothly will also be key for Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, who is often cited as having future presidential aspirations. Hes using the convention to showcase the best of Chicago, even as the third-largest US city  famous for its architecture, vibrant music scene and deep-dish pizza  grapples with high crime and retail vacancies in its ritzy Magnificent Mile.

Police Presence

In preparation for the Democratic gathering, police studied the failures of 2020 and implemented enhanced training for about 2,500 officers. Chicago is also bringing in as many as 500 police from outside the city, who will be placed around the convention. Some will come from Milwaukee, where Chicago sent officers last month to help with the Republican National Convention.

In Chicago, the clashes of 1968 werent limited to the streets, said Craig Sautter, who 56 years ago witnessed violence between demonstrators and police officers during the Democratic gathering that has long scarred the city. There was discord inside the convention as well, said Sautter, co-author of the book Inside the Wigwam: Chicago Presidential Conventions 1860-1996.

Thats unlikely to happen this year given that disagreement over the Vietnam War was pervasive and this weeks convention is about party unity around Harris, he said.

Inside the convention will be calm, said Sautter, who teaches a class on 1968 at Chicagos DePaul University. Outside there could be some chaos.

The protesters say they are being driven to action by civilian deaths in Gaza as a result of Israels military assault in the seaside enclave. The conflict erupted after Hamas fighters attacked the Jewish state on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people. Israels retaliatory response has killed about 40,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, which doesnt distinguish between combatants and civilians.

rotest planners have been wrangling with the city over the details of their events. At Accenture Tower, Behind Enemy Lines, Palestine Action US and Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network have called for a protest outside the Israeli consulate for 7 p.m. on Aug. 20.

Accenture itself is temporarily closing its Chicago office. The consulting company did the same at its Milwaukee office during the Republican convention last month, which was held just a few days after Trump was injured in an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally.

California-based KBS, which owns the Chicago building, has increased security coverage there. It has modified systems to restrict access to the office tower portion of the building, upgraded security cameras and limited dock access, said Luke Hamagiwa, asset manager of the building and a senior vice president at KBS. Even food deliveries are being redirected.

The Israeli consulate said its been working diligently to promote the Midwest-Israel relationship after the Oct. 7 attacks. A spokeswoman declined to provide hours and operations during the Democratic convention.

Corporate Precautions

Chicago has plenty of experience with big crowds. Its held more presidential conventions than any other US city. Just this month, the city hosted the Lollapalooza music festival, plus a massive air and water show that drew about 1 million people to the shore of Lake Michigan. Taylor Swifts Eras Tour came last year for three nights of shows.

You can control for like 90-95% of the security issues you might have, and theres always going to be 5% that is very hard to control for, said Anne Caprara, Pritzkers chief of staff. That being said, we have for years hosted very large events with very large security concerns and weve always done it successfully.

Companies in Chicago are taking precautions, not just out of safety concerns but also because road closures are expected to snarl traffic in a city already plagued by construction on a key highway.

Kimberly-Clark Corp., Deere & Co., Conagra Brands Inc. and Kraft Heinz Co. are allowing or advising staff to work from home. The Chicago Public Schools system is pushing back the start of the school year by about a week because of the convention.

The Shedd Aquarium, a prized cultural attraction, will be open during the DNC but plans on beefing up security. The central business district known as the Loop will add volunteer patrols.

CME Group Inc., the largest US derivatives exchange, and options powerhouse Cboe Global Markets Inc. plan to keep their downtown trading floors open, but they can shift to electronic trading if necessary.

Economic Impact

Despite the potential disruptions from protests, Chicago is angling for a boost for local businesses. The citys tourism arm is estimating an economic impact of $150 million to $200 million.

So far, restaurants are underwhelmed. Bookings during the week are only about 14% higher than a year earlier, Tock data showed. Lettuce Entertain You, which has 50 restaurants in Chicago, is predicting little impact on its business since the increase in out-of-town visitors is likely to be offset by the decline in locals who stay home to work.

This is not going to be the Lollapalooza of politics for local bars and restaurants, said Pat Doerr, director of the Hospitality Business Association of Chicago.

But the outlook for hotels is better. As of Aug. 5, occupancy on the books for the four nights of the convention was as high as 70%, according to CoStar, a provider of real estate data. At the same time last year, those four nights were trending at around 40%.

Demand has been improving because of enthusiasm around a convention dominated by Harris, as opposed to a repeat coronation of Biden, said Michael Jacobson, chief executive officer of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association.

Weve heard from multiple hotels that their phones have been ringing off the hook since Harris assumed the ticket, he said.

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.
Pilgrims Pride, one of the largest U.S. poultry processors, agreed to pay $100 million to settle claims it conspired with rivals to underpay chicken farmers, the final and by far the largest settlement in the seven-year-old antitrust case.

A preliminary settlement was filed on Friday with the U.S. District Court in Muskogee, Oklahoma. It requires approval by U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby, who normally sits in Utah. Pilgrims Pride denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle.

The litigation addressed accusations that large poultry producers conspired to keep farmers pay artificially low, by sharing confidential information about compensation and by agreeing not to actively recruit each others farmers.

Pilgrims Pride is the last remaining defendant. If its settlement is approved, the total recovery will be $169 million, minus legal fees and other expenses.

Tyson Foods, Sanderson Farms, Koch Foods and Perdue Foods previously settled for $21 million, $17.75 million, $15.5 million and $14.75 million, respectively.

Pilgrims Pride, based in Greeley, Colorado, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Gary Smith, a lawyer for the farmers, called the settlement an outstanding result that he believed was the largest antitrust settlement by any meatpacker or poultry processor.

The settlement covers a certified class of 24,354 so-called growers from Jan. 27, 2013, through Dec. 31, 2019, court papers show.

Growers provide land, labor and equipment to raise chickens until the animals are ready for slaughter, and then return the animals to poultry producers.

The case is In re: Broiler Chicken Grower Antitrust Litigation (No. II), U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Oklahoma, No. 20-md-02977.

Topics Agribusiness
Ryan Specialty said it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire certain assets of Greenhill Underwriting Insurance Services from Alera Group, Inc.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Houston-based Greenhill is a technology-enabled managing general underwriter focused on the allied health industry. The Greenhill team will be a part of Sapphire Blue, Ryan Specialtys healthcare managing general underwriter.

Founded in 2014, Greenhill is a managing underwriter of small-to-mid-sized allied healthcare policies with a growing portfolio of product offerings. Greenhill underwrites coverages in the surplus lines market for allied healthcare, such as home healthcare and physical therapy, and social service organizations. Greenhills business is enabled by a proprietary web-based technology, Triton.

Alera acquired Greenhill in 2022.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Insurance Wholesale
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP)  A Mississippi poultry processing plant has agreed to a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor that requires it to pay $164,814 in fines and put in place enhanced safety measures following the death of a 16-year-old boy at the facility.

The agreement, announced Friday in a news release, comes after an investigation of Mar-Jac Poultry by the departments Occupational Safety and Health Administration into the death of an underaged worker who was pulled into a machine as they cleaned it July 14, 2023.

Tragically, a teenage boy died needlessly before Mar-Jac Poultry took required steps to protect its workers, said OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer in Atlanta. This settlement demands the company commit to a safer workplace environment and take tangible actions to protect their employees from well-known hazards. Enhanced supervision and increased training can go a long way toward minimizing risks faced by workers in meat processing facilities.

Mar-Jac was aware of these safety problems for years and had been warned and fined by OSHA, yet did nothing. Hopefully, Mar-Jac will follow through this time so that no other worker is killed in such a senseless manner, Jim Reeves, an attorney for the victims family, told WHLT-TV.

OSHA initially fined the plant $212,646, but that was reduced after hearing from the company. Mar-Jac has a history of safety violations. In this case, the firm has said that teenagers are prohibited from working hazardous jobs and Mar-Jac blames Onin Staffing for illegally hiring Perez. But Onin denies it was Perezs employer.

The victims family sued Mar-Jac Poultry MS LLC, and Onin Staffing earlier this year. The lawsuit alleges that Perez was killed due to Mar-Jac ignoring safety regulations and not turning off machinery during sanitation. The suit also claims Onin Staffing was negligent in illegally assigning the 16-year-old to work at the plant.

Headquartered in Gainesville, Georgia, Mar-Jac Poultry has raised live birds for poultry production since 1954 at facilities in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi for food service customers in the U.S and abroad, the DOLs news release said.

A telephone call Friday to the company seeking comment about the settlement was not answered.

Photo: Mar-Jac Poultry in Hattiesburg. (Lici Beveridge/Hattiesburg American via AP)

Related: OSHAS Dirty Dozen Unsafe Employers Putting Workers at Risk

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Workers' Compensation Mississippi
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  The family of a South Carolina woman struck in the head and killed by a rotting 70-year-old utility pole will get $30 million through a wrongful death settlement reached Thursday.

Electric company Dominion Energy, which installed a light on the pole, and communications company Comporium, which owned a drooping pole line in downtown Wagener that was no longer in use, both signed off on the agreement, which resolved a wrongful death suit brought by Jeunelle Robinsons family, according to documents filed in Aiken County.

Last August, a truck snagged the line, pulling it like a rubber band until it broke the poles and launched one into the air, striking Robinson, who was grabbing lunch during her break as a social studies teacher at Wagener-Salley High School, authorities said. The truck had a legal height, they said.

Surveillance video from a nearby store shows Robinson, 31, try to dodge something before the pole strikes her, flipping her body around violently. She died a short time later at the hospital.

We appreciate the leadership of Dominion and Comporium for working with us to ensure Jeunelles family would not have to relive this tragedy in court unnecessarily, the familys lawyer, Justin Bamberg, said in a statement.

The settlement agreement does not detail how much each company will have to pay of the $30 million settlement, and Bambergs law office said that would not be released.

The exact age of the poles isnt known because records are no longer available. Markings on them havent been made in over 60 years. However, the 69-year-old mayor of Wagener said shortly after Robinsons death that he recognized a bottlecap he had nailed to one of the poles when he was a boy.

A little more than a month before Robinsons death, Dominion announced a plan to begin replacing equipment that was more than 60 years old in Wagener, a town of 600 people about 35 miles (55 kilometers) southwest of Columbia.

Bamberg said he hopes Dominion and Comporium will use the tragedy to pay attention to inspecting and replacing aging utility poles and other infrastructure that are potentially dangerous, especially in small towns.

Dominion spokeswoman Rhonda Maree OBanion said in a statement that the company was pleased to resolve the case and extended its deepest sympathies to Robinsons family.

Comporium is glad to have resolved the lawsuit, and our prayers have been with the family of Ms. Robinson and the many lives she touched since this accident occurred, Chief Operating Officer Matthew Dosch said in a statement.

The family plans to use some of the settlement to create the Jeunelle Robinson Teachers Hope Fund to provide school supplies and other items to teachers around the country.

They remembered how Robinson worked her way up from a substitute to her job teaching at the high school and how she often spent her own money and time for her students.

She loved her class. She loved her students, Robinsons father, Donovan Julian, said in March when the lawsuit was filed. She was a light taken too soon. She was a joy.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Scott Bloomquist, a dirt track race car driver who was known for his bravado and for being one of the sports best, died Friday in a plane crash on his familys farm in Mooresburg, Tennessee, friends and local officials said.

Bloomquist, 60, stood out with his long hair and a race car that was emblazoned with the number zero and a skull and crossbones. He was also known for winning.

Jerry Caldwell, president and manager of Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee, said Friday that Bloomquist was arguably the greatest dirt late model racer in the sports history.

In another tribute, fellow racer Tony Stewart said Bloomquist was probably the smartest guy Ive ever been around when it comes to dirt racing.

What he could do behind the wheel of a racecar was matched by the ingenuity he put into building his racecars, Stewart wrote on social media. He was a force on the track and off, with a personality as big as his list of accomplishments.

The plane that Bloomquist was flying crashed into a barn, and the remains of its sole occupant are believed to be that of Bloomquist, the Hawkins County Sheriffs Office said in a statement. The National Transportation Safety Board said in its own statement that it is coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the crash of the Piper J3C-65.

Reid Millard, a fellow race car driver and a funeral home director in Missouri, stated on Facebook that Bloomquists mother asked him to announce the death. Along with Scotts daughter Ariel his parents his sister and along with all of you who knew and loved Scott  you are in our hearts and prayers, Millard wrote.

In dirt-track racing, drivers have to steer right for the car to go left. Going through turns, the front left tire comes off the track and the left rear tire provides traction.

The cars weigh about 2,300 pounds and supply 800-plus horsepower. At Eldora Speedway, the Ohio racetrack owned by Stewart, the cars reach top speeds of about 150 mph.

The vehicles have two-speed transmissions and no windshields, only short plastic shields to protect drivers from rocks. It can be a rough, contact sport.

Rubbing is racing, said Gerald Newton, president of the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame, in a phone interview with The Associated Press. Its door to door. Youre slinging it sideways and slinging dirt.

Bloomquist was in the 2002 class of the hall of fame. Newton said Bloomquist was like an older brother to him and had known the racer for nearly 40 years. He also designed Bloomquists official merchandize as senior vice president at Arizona Sport Shirts.

Bloomquist was born in Iowa and later lived in California, where his father worked as an airline pilot, Newton said. The family wanted to move east and purchased the farm in Tennessee.

Newtown said Bloomquist got into racing through a car that his father bought but soon lost interest in, passing it along to his son.

He would do work for people, make a little bit of money to buy a tire, go win a race, Newton said. Hed take that money, reinvest in the team. The rest is history.

Besides winning, Bloomquist became known for being cocky and kind of a bad boy, Newton said. His persona was somewhat built around the skull that was painted inside the zero on his race car.

In the year 2000, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote Bloomquist looks like Tom Cruise, drives like Dale Earnhardt and speaks out like Darrell Waltrip.

Waltrip was a NASCAR driver who aggravated his competitors by beating them on the track and then running his mouth out of the car.

He always told me its not boasting or bragging if its fact and you can back it up, Newton said of Bloomquist. And he did.

Newtown said Bloomquists accolades will never be exceeded.

The world has lost a great racer, a great friend, a great dad, Newton said. And heaven has gained a great angel.

Like a lot of drivers in the sport, Bloomquist suffered various injuries over the years. But he was still racing and planned to compete in next months World 100 at Eldora Speedway.

He still felt like he could win a race, Newton said.

Photo: Scott Bloomquist at the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals in 2022. (David Crigger/Bristol Herald Courier via AP, File)

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Tennessee
Small-scale cannabis farmers in California are calling it quits, crushed by crop damage from devastating wildfires and sliding prices, and industry experts expect the exodus to continue near-term in the largest pot market in the United States.

Unlike for traditional crops, pot cultivators cannot claim government monetary support for damage from extreme weather because cannabis remains on the federal list of controlled substances.

These operators dont have the ability to go to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to get reimbursement for losses in a federal disaster zone because of the federal classification, said Anthony Coniglio of NewLake Capital Partners.

California has also seen prices plummeting since 2021 due to oversupply.

The Golden State has witnessed an influx of new producers as demand peaked during the pandemic, when wholesale flower prices went above $2,000 per pound, but the buzz has waned and prices are currently around $1,200 per pound.

The lower price point of wholesale doesnt create enough margin for people to take on risk of wildfires. As we continue to see elevated risk of wildfires, fewer people will invest in outdoor grows, Coniglio said.

Climate change is also raising insurance costs for cannabis farmers, who are already restricted to a limited pool of insurers.

Related: A $29 Billion Weed Market Fights to Diversify Amid Legal Hurdles

Weve seen increased costs, such as electricity, water, and labor, which has not pushed through to crop pricing pressuring margins and causing more farmers to exit, said Morgan Paxhia, co-founder and managing partner, Poseidon Investment Management.

Many have surrendered cultivation permits and left Lake County in northern California, a once popular growing region, several farmers told Reuters.

In Q1 2024, active business licenses declined over 20% year-over-year, according to cannabis data firm CRB Monitor.

California sold $5.3 billion worth of cannabis products in 2023, according to the states tax department, versus nearly $6 billion recorded in 2021, losing the top spot to Colorado in the first quarter this year.

Industry dynamics continue to pose significant challenges for legal cannabis operators in California. As a result, other state markets are seen as more attractive, said Verano founder and CEO George Archos.

(Reporting by Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru; editing by Arpan Varghese and Pooja Desai)

Topics Catastrophe California Natural Disasters Wildfire Agribusiness
Aer Lingus Regional will fly a new year-round service from Cork Airport to Glasgow, the airline announced on Tuesday.

The four-times weekly service will begin on the October 27 and will add 30,000 extra seats to Cork Airport's winter schedule. It will also be the only service connecting Glasgow with Munster and the South of Ireland.

In addition, Aer Lingus Regional, which is operated exclusively by Emerald Airlines, has also announced additional services to Bristol, bringing its existing six-times weekly service up to nine times per week.

Additional services to Bristol come in response to growing passenger demand, Cork Airport said, with a second daily service on Friday and Sunday, along with a new Saturday service.

Aer Lingus Regional will operate the Cork to Glasgow route using an ATR 72-600 turboprop aircraft which it says is "significantly more environmentally friendly" than regional jets and other turboprops, emitting 40% less CO2.

Welcoming the announcement, Managing Director at Cork Airport, Niall MacCarthy said: [Aer Lingus Regional] now serves two vibrant UK cities, along with the eight destinations served by the Aer Lingus mainline brand.

"We are growing strongly, both inbound and outbound, from Cork Airport and more routes and greater connectivity are always welcome.

Head of Aviation Business Development & Communications at Cork Airport, Tara Finn added: Cork Airport will serve over three million passengers this year. We are very ambitious to continue to expand the range of destinations and airlines flying from Cork. We plan to deliver double-digit growth again in 2025 and expect more announcements in the months ahead."
Jackson Hole is a remote valley located in the rural US state of Wyoming. Known for its beauty and wildlife, the area comprises ski slopes, a national park and natural hot springs, making it a major tourist attraction.

In addition to its outdoorsy visitors, for more than 40 years, Jackson Hole has been home to the Federal Reserve's annual three-day economic symposium, hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

One of the most significant and longest-standing central banking conferences in the world, this year's event will take place from Thursday August 22 to Saturday 24.

Each year, the symposium chooses one important issue facing the global economy, with the topic for 2024 being "Reassessing Effectiveness & Transmission of Monetary Policy," an issue of particular relevance now given the increased activity of central banks in the last few months in response to falling inflation.

As the symposium often features speeches by Fed chairs and other key policymakers, several significant monetary changes have been hinted in the past at Jackson Hole.

The conference is attended by around 120 people and draws several high-profile participants, with this year's speakers including Fed Chair Jerome Powell, Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey and chief economist of the European Central Bank, Philip Lane, who will address the conference on Saturday.

Why does it matter?

As the symposium often features speeches by Fed chairs and other key policymakers, several significant monetary changes have been hinted in the past at Jackson Hole.

In 2022, Mr Powell took his speech as an opportunity to warn the market of low-trend growth as the Fed battled high inflation, adding that doing so would "bring some pain," to businesses and households. Similarly, in 2016, Janet Yellen, the then-chair of the Federal Reserve also used her speech at Jackson Hole to warn the market of rate hikes, which began later that year.

This year, the Fed is expected to express confidence in achieving its target of 2% inflation and signal a potential rate cut in September. Given recent market events, most notably the stock market plunge earlier this month triggered in large part by a weaker-than-anticipated US jobs report, Bank of America is forecasting a shift in focus from inflation control to the labour market stability, with the market anticipating "limited resistance to rate cut pricing."

Market Reaction

With mixed signs on the US economy, the judgment call on when to ease and by how much becomes all the more challenging, which is reflected in futures markets in the run-up to Jackson Hole.

Federal funds futures for a year forward are swinging around by the most this year. According to Bloomberg, the 30-day realized volatility for the contracts jumped to 1.86 last week, the highest since June 2023, when it was elevated in the wake of the regional US banking crisis. The current reading is almost triple the average in data going back to 1991.

Meanwhile, gold prices, which have gained more than 22% this year to over $2,525 (2,275), hit another high ahead of this week's symposium, with widely expected rate cuts often seen as a positive for non-interest bearing bullion.

The next Fed interest rate decision is due on September 18. Markets are currently pricing in between three and four quarter point cuts this year from the current range of 5.25-5.5%, marking their highest level in 23 years.
As cybersecurity companies report a 30% year-on-year increase in cyber attacks globally, reaching 1,636 attacks per organisation per week, the victims have inevitably included some farmers.

In the US, the FBI has reported an 8.2% increase in ransomware attacks in the USA's agricultural sector. In surveys, almost half of farmers say concerns about cybersecurity are the biggest obstacle to digitalisation of agriculture.

Nevertheless, agriculture, one of the oldest human activities, is under pressure to reinvent itself for the digital age. For example, there are estimated to be more than 35,000 robotic milkers worldwide, providing digital data and insights that observation of animals alone cannot. The robot stores data such as milk yield, health status, and pregnancy information, and alerts a farmer to any unusual cow behaviour.

However, a farmer in Switzerland recently discovered to his cost that even milking robots can now be targeted, in the runaway global wave of cybercrime. It has been widely reported how Vital Bircher, a 70-cow dairy farmer in Hagendorn, between Zurich and Lucerne, became the victim of a ransomware attack.

Unknown cybercriminals (possibly in the suspected main cybercriminal locations such as Russia, Ukraine, China, the USA, Nigeria, or Romania) hacked Bircher's milking robot software. The cybercriminals encrypted the stored data and demanded a ransom of $10,000 dollars for decryption.

The milking system manufacturer confirmed that Bircher's robot had been hacked. He decided not to pay the ransom, because not receiving data, for example on the amount of milk produced, was not an emergency situation, and the robots can operate without a computer or network connection.

The hackers were defeated and left empty-handed. But Bircher estimated that the cyberattack cost him nearly 7,000, not least because he lost a cow and her unborn calf, which he blamed on not having access to the robot's data on insemination dates.

With the help of an old version of the software, the farmer was able to recover some of the lost data. But his veterinary costs and the purchase of a new computer added to his costs. Cyberattacks in agriculture can affect digitally connected agricultural vehicles, milking robots, etc.

The ageing population of farmers can also leave agriculture more vulnerable to what is becoming a relentless onslaught of cyberattacks worldwide, growing by the day due to cybercriminals using ever more advanced techniques like artificial learning and machine learning, and due to new attacks being fueled by geopolitical tensions.

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd, a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions to corporate enterprises and governments globally, says cyberattacks have increased year-on-year by 35% in Europe, with Latin America (53%) and Africa (37%) even worse hit.

Read More Crime gangs target farm equipment to sell abroad

It reported an average of 1,999 weekly attacks per organisation in the healthcare sector, in the second quarter of this year, 15% higher than last year. Hackers like to target smaller hospitals which are underfunded and understaffed to handle a sophisticated cyberattack, which can be particularly lucrative if the hacker retrieves health insurance information, medical records numbers, and social security numbers.

An 8.2% increase in ransomware attacks in the second quarter of 2024 in the USA's agri-sector was revealed when the Omaha, Nebraska field office of the FBI organised a symposium about the potential cyber threat to the country's national food supply.

Eugene Kowel, special agent in charge of the FBI's Omaha office, said: There are three things I will point out about cyber threats facing agriculture today. They include the halting of your farm and ranch operations and food processing facilities due to ransomware attacks, the theft of farm data, and the risk posed by countries like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, implanting malware on any of our industrial control systems and halting our food production. This becomes a national security concern.

China has stolen trillions of dollars across many different areas of sophisticated US technology. And we know China wants to acquire US agriculture technology and overtake US agriculture companies.

"In recent years, we identified and indicted an executive of a company working on behalf of the Peoples Republic of China, attempting to steal proprietary corn seed from a rural field in Iowa. The threats are real, Kowel said.

The FBI recommended security updates for operating systems, software, and firmware, without delay; multi-factor authentication access to websites or applications; and no random clicking of links or use of unknown websites, to avoid covertly downloaded software intended to damage or disable devices; making backups of collected data (to protect against human error, hardware failure, virus attacks, power failure, and natural disasters); and having a cyber incident response plan ready (including calling the FBI).

The FBI is the lead federal agency in the USA for investigating cyberattacks and intrusions. It has issued particular warnings of business email compromise scams (one of the most financially damaging online crimes) that exploit people's reliance on email for personal and professional business.

Identity theft can be used to commit theft or fraud; spoofing and phishing can trick you into providing sensitive information to scammers; and online predators are a growing threat to young people.

Ways to prevent cyberattacks
Irish businesses, particularly those in the beef and forestry sectors, are set to encounter significant regulatory hurdles due to the new EU deforestation regulations.

With the potential for severe penalties, the stakes have never been higher for Irish exporters, advisory firm Baker Tilly has warned.

Chief operating officer of Baker Tilly Ireland Vivian Nathan explained that the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which will take effect on December 30, 2024, is "designed to combat forest degradation by imposing strict compliance obligations on businesses trading in specific goods with the EU".

"For Ireland, this means that companies exporting beef products, wood, and other related commodities will need to demonstrate that their products are deforestation-free.

"This regulation imposes stringent requirements for Irish businesses, particularly those in the beef and forestry sectors.

"Products like beef and processed beef items and wood products must be certified as 'deforestation-free'.

"This certification means they must not have been produced on land deforested after December 31, 2020. Failure to comply could result in severe penalties, including fines, confiscation of goods, and exclusion from public procurement opportunities."

Mr Nathan said that the impact on Ireland is "significant", due to its strong agricultural and forestry sectors.

"Farmers and businesses involved in beef production, wood processing, and other related industries will need to undertake rigorous due diligence to meet these new standards," he continued.

"This includes gathering geolocation data and other documentation to prove compliance.

The new regulations represent a significant shift for Irish exporters, especially those in the beef and forestry industries."

Impact

Items such as steaks, minced beef, liver, and canned luncheon meat must now be proven to come from sources that are not contributing to deforestation.

Given Irelands significant beef export market, this regulation could place additional pressure on farmers and processors to ensure compliance, Baker Tilly said.

Products such as building materials (sheets of wood, laminated wood, wood flooring), wooden packaging (crates, pallets), and wooden household items (tableware, ornaments) must also meet the stringent deforestation-free criteria.

Chocolate products, coffee, printed materials (books, brochures, newspapers), and wooden furniture will also fall under the scope of the EUDR. For businesses exporting these goods, the compliance burden will be significant, the firm warned.

Penalties for non-compliance

The EUDR outlines a range of penalties for non-compliance, including:

Fines proportional to the environmental damage and value of the commodities, with escalating penalties for repeated offences;

Confiscation of non-compliant products and revenues from their sale;

Temporary exclusion from public procurement processes and access to public funding for up to 12 months;

Prohibition from placing products on the market or exporting them in the event of serious or repeated infringements.

"Businesses, especially those in the beef and forestry sectors, must start preparing now," Vivian Nathan said.

"The first step is understanding the EUDRs impact on your operations and gathering the necessary data for the due diligence system.

This includes verifying the geolocation of raw materials against the EUDR map to confirm compliance.

The EUDR is more than just a regulatory hurdle; its a transformative challenge for Irish exporters.

"By taking proactive steps, maintaining clear communication within supply chains, and ensuring all products meet the deforestation-free criteria, businesses can safeguard their operations and continue to thrive in the European market.
All transitions are hard. Even in adulthood, we can struggle to adjust to even the slightest change in our environment, making us risk-averse. The better the devil you know philosophy is why many people stay in a job they do not enjoy or remain in a joyless relationship.

Change involves vulnerability. However, as adults, most of our changes involve choice and decision-making. The same is not true for children and teenagers. Whether its a house move or a new school, the adults in childrens lives often make the big choices. However, just because children have little or no say does not change the magnitude or potential for vulnerability. It may be more challenging as the young person has no control over the process or outcome.

Child development and parenting manuals emphasise the importance of consistency, reliability, and predictability. Yet change is inevitable, including the transition from primary to secondary school.

The significance of the shift from the comfort of primary school to the bustling chaos of secondary school cannot be overstated. The child, who up until now only had one teacher each year, must get to know 10 new teachers, in many cases in different classrooms, and master this while making friendships, learning new rules, and being surrounded by students who can be up to twice their size. Its a daunting change that most of us would struggle with, even as adults.

Interrupted academic growth and performance decline are common after the move to secondary school. A 2020 study by Professor Jindal-Snape and colleagues in Dundee, Scotland, considered primary-secondary transition one of the most stressful events in a young persons life.

Difficulty adjusting to school transition is also associated with disengagement and drop-out. A study by Robert Hahn and Bendict Truman, from the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), in the US, determined that a difficult transition to secondary school can have long-term implications for health and economic wellbeing in adolescence and later life.

However, transitions also represent unique windows of opportunity and sensitive periods of development, during which intervention can significantly increase positive outcomes for all children, particularly those at greater risk.

First year is defining

Children with additional needs can find this life stage particularly difficult. Along with the social challenges, they are often concerned about being understood by teachers.

In a landmark policy advice paper published in January, the National Council for Policy Education stated that: Detailed transition planning should be undertaken at key points in a students educational pathway, and particularly in the context of transfer to a special class or special school, and when transferring from primary to post-primary schools.

While children with additional needs may require extra support with academics and fitting in, every possible intervention should be explored.

All first-year students need support. Most children find this degree of transition difficult, and some anxiety is inevitable. If the child knows peers from their primary school, it can make the first few weeks easier.

However, an overreliance on primary school friends can have disadvantages later in the year if children dont branch out and make new connections.

Suppose a child has had difficulties with a peer in primary school who is now attending the same secondary school. In that case, the anonymity of the larger groups can be less intense than in the primary school environment and less problematic.

However, anonymity also comes at a cost, as some children can become invisible in larger groups.

The patterns formed in the first year are crucial, and its good to see schools going out of their way to support the new students. Schools should allow leniency if students get lost on the way to class, let them out to lunches a little earlier, and give them the opportunity to master the dreaded locker area without having a sixth-year student breathing down their neck. These might seem like small gestures, but they mean a lot to the anxious first-year.

Investing in group activities in the first year is crucial. The most sustaining parts of secondary school life are friendships and relationships. If schools invest heavily in promoting these connections, the resultant relationships will pay off throughout the students school journey. I have met many students who struggled in secondary school, but described their close friendships as a protective factor or lifeline in negotiating those challenges. We often wait until the transition year for these activities, but a similar model in the first year would go a long way.

Lets not forget that the most recent batch of first-year students had their educational journey disrupted by pandemic lockdowns and an explosion of screen-mediated communication. They may not be as adept at communicating and forming relationships as previous cohorts, so they may need more scaffolding and support than groups before 2020.

School values crucial

Beginnings are important, so this is the time to be clear and robust on the values expected from students, including zero tolerance for bullying or exclusion, and to behave kindly and respectfully. This discussion must go beyond just listing rules to foster the schools philosophy.

I vividly recall my secondary school principal, a kind yet formidable figure, informing us in the early days that wearing the school crest on our jumper signified acceptance of a behavioural standard, where our actions reflected not only on ourselves, but the entire school community. In time, I realised that this community had a dual nature: we were to respect it as ambassadors, knowing the institution would support us when needed.

There is little parents can do to support their child during this transition. It is their voyage into independence, and we need to respect it. Of course, if your child has additional needs or is experiencing serious difficulties, you must be a staunch advocate and speak on their behalf. Still, during this transition, the most important and challenging parenting task is stepping back and letting them develop the skills necessary to navigate their unfamiliar environment. It is crucial to allow them, within reason, to make mistakes, figure things out, and make choices.

My son completed his first year in secondary school last June. While it was not without its challenges, the difference in his sense of independence has been quite remarkable.

It was the most noticeable growth spurt I have witnessed. Not only physically, where he is now the same height as me, but socially and emotionally. He has grown into himself.

Successful transitioning into secondary school is about children developing meaningful autonomy and, hopefully, a sense of responsibility, resulting in a degree of maturity. This change can only occur when they can make mistakes and connections and, more importantly, do it alone. Little is more pleasing as a child than mastering a challenge single-handedly. It gives them confidence and belief in themselves.

As parents, we must enable, facilitate, and empower our children to have those opportunities. The most significant support comes from the school, not the parents. Ideally, we want schools to be as supportive as possible in developing students autonomy and social connectedness. We also want the parents to step back and allow their children to flourish and grow, no matter how uncomfortable that makes them feel.

No change or progress can occur without vulnerability: sometimes, the vulnerable feelings we need to manage are our own, not just our childrens.

Dr Colman Noctor is a child psychotherapist
The search for Irish-linked British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter will resume on Tuesday after a luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily.

The pair are among six tourists missing after the yacht, named Bayesian, was battered during intense storms off the coast of Palermo in the early hours of Monday.

The BBC, which reported searches are due to resume later on Tuesday morning, said Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo were among those missing.

Italys fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco said on X that early inspections of the wreck were unsuccessful due to limited access to the bridge and furniture obstructing passages.

#Palermo, naufragio imbarcazione a Porticello: proseguono da parte dei #vigilidelfuoco le ricerche delle 6 persone segnalate come disperse. Giunti da Cagliari, Sassari e Roma i #sommozzatori speleo [#19agosto 19:30] pic.twitter.com/7WY30ckxcK  Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) August 19, 2024

A body, believed to be that of the vessels cook, has been discovered.

Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, Italian news website la Repubblica stated.

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was made an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006.

In June, he was cleared of conducting a massive fraud relating to an $11.1bn (10bn) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

The Financial Times reported Johnathan Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, while media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

Mr Bloomer is also chairman of insurance provider Hiscox. The Daily Mail reports his wife is also unaccounted for.

Ayla Ronald, a New Zealand national working at Clifford Chance, survived the ordeal. Her father Lin Ronald confirmed to the Telegraph she had been invited aboard as thanks for assistance in Mr Lynchs recent court case.

I have texted my daughter and she hasnt given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said that there are deaths and she and her partner are alive, he said.

Ayla is a lawyer who is part of the legal team that were invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.

Sicilys civil protection agency told the BBC that 18-year-old Hannah Lynch was among those missing with her father, along with the yachts chef, Ricardo Thomas.

The yacht was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers.

Fifteen people including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued, according to local media.

The British-flagged superyacht capsized at about 5am local time on Monday morning off the coast of Palermo when the area was hit by a tornado.

(PA Graphics)

A spokesperson for Mr Lynch said there was no comment.

The yacht sank as a fierce storm battered the area on Monday night.

Fabio Cefalu, a fisherman who witnessed the freak storm, told Italian media he stayed on site for several hours.

After 10 minutes we saw a flare in the sky, we waited about 10 minutes to see the intensity of the tornado and we went out to sea, he said.

We were first to give rescue but we found no one at sea, we only found cushions and the remains of the boat.

The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported that the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from Ireland, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and British-French citizens.

Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs has said it is aware of the incident and is providing consular assistance.

Rescue operations in the stretch of sea near Palermo (Italian Coast Guard/AP)

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

She said: I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

It was all dark. In the water I couldnt keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.

Charlotte and Sofia are being treated in hospital, as is Sofias father, James Emsley.

Karsten Borner, captain of a nearby boat, told journalists those missing included the Bayesians owner and a child, news agency Reuters reported.

He said his crew took on board some survivors who were on a life raft, including three who were seriously injured.

The Bayesian, left, was built in 2008 (Fabio La Bianca/PA)

He added: I think they are inside, all the missing people.

Bayesian completed a number of sailings in recent days, calling at various ports in Sicily, according to ship-tracking website VesselFinder.

The superyacht can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites, and is listed for rent for up to 195,000 a week.

She was built in 2008 by Italian company Perini Navi. Her registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd, which is based on the Isle of Man.

It has since emerged that the co-defendant of Mr Lynch in his US fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain, died after being hit by a car whilst out running on Saturday.

Gary Lincenberg, Mr Chamberlains lawyer, said in a statement provided to the PA news agency: Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running.

He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.

Mr Lynch is of Irish heritage  his father was a fireman from Co Cork, and his mother was a nurse from Co Tipperary.

In a 2015 radio interview, Mr Lynch confirmed that he was born in Ilford in London, despite a number of reports that he was born in Ireland and raised in England.

He said during the same interview that he spent childhood summers in Carrick-On-Shannon and Tipperary and has family who still live there.
The EU could do more to stop Israels war in Gaza but has decided not to, the Taoiseach has said.

Simon Harris has been critical of the EUs response to the ongoing crisis in Gaza, as talks remain ongoing for a ceasefire between Hamas and the Israeli Government.

Im also very conscious that when it comes to things like trade and the likes, that is done at an EU level. Ill be clear  I do not believe the world, including the European Union, has done enough to bring about a ceasefire, Mr Harris said.

I believe when we look back at this period in time, it will be a time of dark shame for the world because there are levers that could be pulled at a European level that have not been.

Mr Harris also signalled he did not believe the Israeli Government was in compliance with the human rights clauses of the EU-Israel association agreement.

What message do we send out to the world when we have human rights clauses in trade association agreements that don't seem to kick in. They're not there to make the document longer and they have to have meaning, Mr Harris said.

"There is more that the EU could do today and so far, as a collective, has decided not to do.

Asked directly if he thought the agreement should be suspended, Mr Harris said:

I understand the process and the process is that there needs to be a review. But let me be clear, youre hardly going to review the agreement and find that its in compliance.

The Taoiseach did welcome comments made by US secretary of state Antony Blinken, who said there had been a very constructive meeting with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Taoiseach Simon Harris: 'I find that the scenes that are happening in the Middle East to be grotesque and almost unimaginable in terms of the scale of catastrophe and violence.'

However, he said countries must reflect seriously over concerns by Mr Blinken that this opportunity for a ceasefire in Gaza could be the last.

I find that the scenes that are happening in the Middle East to be grotesque and almost unimaginable in terms of the scale of catastrophe and violence, Mr Harris said, adding the actions of Israel had been utterly disproportionate.

The Taoiseach said countries like Ireland, Spain and Slovenia do want to see a review of the EU-Israel association agreement, and he hoped if efforts to reach a ceasefire do fail that other EU countries will join them.

Recent figures show trade between Ireland and Israel remains at a high level, with 3.6bn of Israeli goods entering the State in 2023. For the first two months of 2024, there were 608m worth of Israeli goods imported into the country.

Mr Harris also raised concerns about the slowdown in the amount of aid reaching civilians in Gaza over the summer months.

After the International Court of Justice ruling, after all the condemnation of the world, there is less aid coming through Gaza as was the case just a number of months ago.

In recent days, the death toll in Gaza from Israeli attacks has topped 40,000, meaning one in 50 residents have been killed.

However, there are further concerns from humanitarian organisations that the death toll could be higher, with thousands of people believed to be unaccounted or trapped under rubble in Gaza.
A man who was fatally injured during a violent incident at a west Dublin restaurant last Christmas died as a result of a combination of a blunt force head injury and stab wounds to his body, an inquest has heard.

Tristan Sherry (26) died in Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown on December 24, 2023, as a result of injuries he sustained during an incident at Brownes Steakhouse in Blanchardstown, Dublin earlier that evening.

The deceaseds sister, Savanna Hand, gave evidence at a sitting of Dublin District Coroners Court on Tuesday of formally identifying her brothers body to gardai in the early hours of Christmas Day.

Detective Garda Shane Guinan told the brief hearing into the inquest into the death of Mr Sherry how he had brought the deceaseds mother, Mary Hand and her daughter, Savanna to the hospital. He confirmed that the dead mans sister had formally identified her brothers body at 20 minutes past midnight on Christmas Day.

No details about the incident at the restaurant were outlined during the five-minute hearing. Detective Inspector Liam Donoghue of Blanchardstown Garda station applied for an adjournment of the inquest under Section 25 (2) of the Coroners Act as criminal proceedings in relation to Mr Sherrys death have been instituted.

The coroner, Clare Keane, granted the application and adjourned the case until related criminal prosecutions have concluded.

Dr Keane confirmed that the results of a post-mortem examination showed Mr Sherry had died as a result of blunt force head injury combined with sharp force injuries to his trunk.

Offering her condolences to relatives of the deceased on the death of Mr Sherry, she adjourned the case until a date to be fixed at a future point.

Mr Sherry, a father of one from Finglas, was overpowered and assaulted by a number of individuals at Brownes Steakhouse because he was the suspected gunman in the shooting of Jason Hennessy Senior (48) who was dining in the restaurant with a group of family and friends.

Mr Hennessy, a well-known criminal from Corduff, Blanchardstown, subsequently died from shotgun injuries to his neck and upper body 11 days later at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin.

He was due to face money laundering charges at a trial before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court next year in relation to the activities of a criminal gang of which he was a key member.

The accused

A total of four men have been charged with Mr Sherrys murder as a result of a Garda investigation into his death.

The four accused include Noah Musueni (18) of Corduff Park, Blanchardstown who was a Leaving Certificate student at the time of the fatal incident.

The others are David Amah (18) of Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, Co Dublin; Michael Andrecut (22) of Sheephill Avenue, Blanchardstown and Wayne Deegan (26) of Linnetsfield Avenue, Phibblestown.

Another youth and four other males are also facing a series of charges arising out of the same incident including assault, violent disorder and production of a weapon during the incident.

One of them Juares Kumbu (18) of Brookhaven Grove, Blanchardstown, is accused of possession of a submachine gun after he allegedly took the weapon used by the deceased out of the restaurant and was driven away from the scene.

Jonas Kabangu (18) of Corduff Park, Blanchardstown, is charged with violent disorder at the same location and date as is a juvenile who cannot be named.

The son of the other victim, Brandon Hennessy (20) of Sheephill Avenue, Blanchardstown, is also charged with violent disorder and producing an item capable of inflicting serious injury, namely a commercial dust pan and brush with steel handles.

All accused are due to face trial before the non-jury Special Criminal Court after the DPP ruled that the ordinary criminal courts were inadequate to secure the effective administration of justice.
Securing the oldest murder prosecution in Irish history, identifying a man on a crime spree across Europe, and bringing Ashling Murphys killer to justice  they were all in a years work for the States forensic scientists.

The 2023 annual report of Forensic Science Ireland reveals the depth and range of criminal prosecutions and missing persons cases the agency worked on during the year.

Nora Sheehan

Nora Sheehan was last seen alive on June 6, 1981, after leaving the South Infirmary Hospital Cork.

Nora Sheehan's body was found by forestry workers in undergrowth at The Viewing Point, Shippool Woods, Co Cork

Six days later, her body, naked and bruised, was found by forestry workers in undergrowth at The Viewing Point, Shippool Woods, Co Cork. Ms Sheehan was 54 years old.

Noel Long, a former British army soldier, with an address at Maulbawn, Passage West, Co Cork, was identified at the time as a suspect. He had been seen in the area at the time of Ms Sheehans disappearance.

His car was technically examined and paint samples, fibres and a wooden toolbox were removed. Forensic reports were produced but a prosecution was never pursued.

In 2022, a cold case review and technological advances involved a fresh examination of fibre and paint samples taken from Ms Sheehans clothing. They matched fibres and paint from Longs car.

Noel Long was convicted of the murder of Cork woman Nora Sheehan after a cold case review reexamined DNA samples taken from her clothing.

These examinations confirmed the findings of the original reports and assisted in providing a weight to the significance of the findings, given what was alleged, the report said.

Overall, the trace evidence findings offered very strong support for the view that Nora Sheehan was in Noel Longs motorcar rather than she was not. A partial DNA profile was obtained from semen found on Nora Sheehans body that matched that found on Noel Longs clothing taken in 2021.

The report added: In 2023, Noel Long was convicted by a unanimous jury decision and as it stands is the oldest murder prosecution in Irish history.

Crime spree

In 2003 a burglary was committed in Co Wexford. The criminal remained unknown on the National DNA Database System, which was set up in 2015.

In October 2019, Ireland began sharing DNA data with other EU states under the Prum Treaty. This allows the exchange of judicial and police information and by providing mutual assistance, including automated searches on various databases, including DNA systems.

If there is a match, personal data and case information can be exchanged.

The report said after sharing the 2003 sample, it matched to a person on the German DNA database.

There followed matches to a person on the Austrian database. Then came matches to crime stains (samples from crime scenes) on the Dutch and French databases.

This is an example of the effective power of database sharing across Europe, which can track international movement of repeat offenders, the report said.

Serial killer

Yousef Palani murdered Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee in Sligo in April 2022. He also seriously assaulted Anthony Burke, by stabbing him in his left eye with a kitchen knife.

Aidan Moffitt, and Michael Snee were murdered by Yousef Palini in April 2002.

In his murder trial, the court heard Palanis motivation was the result of his "hostility and prejudice" towards homosexual men.

The court heard while Palani told gardai his religion forbids homosexuality, investigators were satisfied he was not radicalised.

Palani told gardai in interviews that Muslims could not be homosexual and vehemently denied being gay, despite using gay dating apps.

DNA evidence helped convict Yousef Palini for the murders.

The report said the FSI provided key evidence, including blood on footwear recovered from Palanis home, which gave a DNA profile matching that of Mr Moffitt.

Blood found on a tracksuit bottoms matched the profile of Mr Snee.

The report said: Wearer DNA recovered from the tracksuit bottoms matched the DNA profile of Yousef Palani. A blue blanket, recovered from a scene, was stained with semen matching Yousef Palanis DNA.

Ashling Murphy

A large number of FSI staff played a key part during the investigation, and subsequent prosecution, into the murder of Ashling Murphy in January 2022.

The 23-year-old was jogging along on the banks of the Grand Canal in Tullamore, Co Offaly, when she was stabbed 11 times in the neck.

Forensic Science Ireland staff played a key part during the investigation into the murder of Ashling Murphy, leading to the conviction of Jozef Puska.

Their contribution included urgent and out-of-hours work to perform forensic DNA and fingerprint analyses on a large number of exhibits, the report said.

These analyses provided significant findings including a male specific DNA profile (Y-DNA profile) match between Jozef Puska and samples from Ashling Murphys fingernails.

In addition, DNA and fingerprint matches were obtained between Jozef Puska and a bicycle left at the scene.

It said two current FSI scientists, a seconded Garda member and a retired FSI scientist presented significant forensic findings at the murder trial, resulting in Puska, a Slovak national, being convicted of murder.
A senior member of the investigation team in the case of an alleged conspiracy to import a huge consignment of drugs in to Ireland earlier this year has said that the probe is continuing at pace.

Ten men were arrested in various locations in West Cork last March in connection with the investigation. The accused, who hail from Ireland, Spain, Serbia and the Netherlands, appeared in various courts in Cork on March 21 last.

Anuar Rahui (41) of Malaga in Spain has now appeared before a vacation sitting of Cork District Court in relation to his alleged role in the offence.

Solicitor for Mr Rahui, Aoife Buttimer, asked Sergeant Gearoid Davis what progress had been made in the investigation.

Sgt Davis told Judge John King that it was a huge investigation and that Dt Sgt Michael Lyons was in court to give an update on its progress.

Dt Sgt Lyons said that the timeline previously presented to the court is on schedule.

The investigation is continuing at pace. We are continuing to investigate lines of inquiry. We are on schedule for submitting a file to the DPP.

Investigation is 'complex'

"Since the last court date one of seven phones submitted to Europol has been opened and continues to be analysed.

He described the investigation as "complex." He said the probe involves feedback from a forensics analyst.

Mr Rahui, who appeared in court by video link, was further remanded in custody until September 2 for DPP directions.

Mr Rahui is charged with conspiring with nine others to import drugs.

The charge in each case states: That you (defendants name) on dates between February 27 and March 14, both dates inclusive, within the state, did conspire with one or more persons, namely (nine other names) to do an act in the state that constitutes a serious offence, namely the other nine importation of controlled drugs in excess of 13,000, an offence contrary of Section 15B (1) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 as amended and contrary to Section 71 (1) (a) (4) of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 as amended by Section 4 (b) of the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions ) Act 2023.

A Spanish interpreter translated proceedings from Cork District Court for Mr Rahui. Judge King described the length of the remand as reasonable given the complexity of the investigation.
The woman at the centre of one of the longest unsolved mysteries of the Rose of Tralee competition has played down the mystery surrounding her whereabouts.

Little was known about what happened to Swiss national Claire Dubendorfer after she was crowned the 1972 Rose of Tralee.

As a result, a mystery grew around her, especially as one of the last people to see her in Tralee was someone who saw her being driven away from the town on the back of a motorbike.

She is now 74 and the former winner goes by Claire Schmid Furrer. Now married, and a grandmother, Mrs Schmid has returned to Tralee and is one of at least 25 winning roses attending this years festival.

She told the Irish Examiner: There is a certain amount of truth about what has been said. But I am not so sure about it being a big mystery.

When I won, there wasnt social media or the immediacy of phones like there is today. It is so long since I won that it is a bit of a blur.

But I did attend the party after I won, so it's not true that I walked off the stage and left town. Then I would have stayed with my mother in her bed and breakfast.

Claire Dubendorfer, the 1972 Rose of Tralee winner. Picture: Domnick Walsh

We did a bit of sightseeing and then we left for the airport and flew back to Switzerland.

As far as the motorbike was concerned, she does vaguely remember being driven around on it, possibly when she did a tour of the Ring of Kerry with her friend, Marcus. Although he has been described as her boyfriend, she says he was just a friend.

As for reports of him following the rose bus around on his motorbike, she said she cant remember that and said it was unlikely.

Part of the mystery stems from failed attempts to contact her. 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 as "person unknown".

Despite attempts by other winning roses over the years, nobody had been able to track her down. So little was known about her that she merited little more than 100 words in what is regarded as the definitive history of the contest.

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.

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. She has now said that her link with Ireland is through her mother Margaret Hanna, who was from Dublin and was an orphan.

Discussing the failed efforts to contact her, Ms Schmid Furrer said: This was a time long before social media and instant messaging. It was a time of letters.

I also have had a lot going on  I've been very busy in so many areas with families and split-ups, and this and that.

"I taught textiles for a long time, and I had a fashion fabric business for a long time. So, there was a lot of things going on."

She added: I had a partner who died of cancer 30 years ago this month, and that was a difficult time. Also, in the early days, there really wasnt much of an effort as there is today to get hold of past Roses.

She is now in touch with a lot more Roses and is also in a WhatsApp group set up by several rose winners and fellow contestants.

She said that she hopes one of her six grandchildren  Yamira  will one day be a rose for Switzerland.

She is aged six now, and is her son Jeremias daughter, and she has an Irish passport. It would be great, she said. "I would love her to be a rose when she reaches 18."
A 12-year-old child is in a serious condition in hospital with a suspected fractured skull after her home was attacked by a gang of up to five masked men in north Cork.

The garda superintendent overseeing the investigation into the shocking incident which has rocked the town of Charleville appealed to the public for help tracking down her attackers.

A child, in her own home with her mother and siblings, was caught in the crossfire here, Supt Gary McPolin said.

It was an obscene and appalling incident, and a shocking invasion of this familys privacy.

Anybody that can assist us in this investigation has a moral obligation, they are duty bound in a case like this, to assist us. There can be no bystander apathy here.

A major garda investigation is now underway into the assault and a linked incident of criminal damage at the house on the New Line, just off main street in Charleville.

Gardai say they were alerted to a disturbance at the house at around 11.30pm on Monday.

It is believed that a gang of up to five men, all wearing balaclavas, arrived at the house and began using a range of implements to smash up a car which was parked outside.

The gang then began attacking the house. The child, her mother and at least two other children were inside at the time.

It is believed the child was standing in the hallway when one of the gang kicked in the front door. She suffered a head injury during the course of the incident.

The gang fled before gardai arrived. An ambulance was also called to the scene.

Paramedics rendered immediate emergency medical treatment for her head injuries and rushed her by ambulance to Cork University Hospital.

However, the full extent of her injuries only became apparent after detailed scans revealed a suspected fractured skull and possible brain bleed, it was decided that she be transferred to Childrens Health Ireland at Temple Street in what gardai described as a serious but stable condition.

The house and surrounding area was sealed off and preserved overnight by gardai to facilitate a technical and forensic examination which was conducted on Tuesday by the Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit in the hunt for forensics.

Door to door enquiries were conducted in the area, and CCTV has been harvested from several local businesses in a bid to identify the gangs vehicle, and to trace its movements in the hours before and after the attack.

Detectives are also trying to establish a motive for the attack which its believed may be linked to a feud involving families in Cork and Limerick, with one strand of the investigation exploring if the Charleville incident was in retaliation for a similar incident earlier this month when a gang attacked a car and a house in Patrickswell in Co Limerick.

Gardai, who have established an incident room at Mallow Garda Station, appealed for witnesses to the incident, or for anyone with information that could help track down those responsible, to contact them.

Supt McPolin issued a specific appeal for anyone who may have witnessed the incident, for anyone who may have been in or around the New Line area of Charleville on Monday between 10.30pm and 12midnight, or to anyone with camera footage, including dash-cam footage, from the area at the time to contact the investigation team at Mallow Garda Station at 022 31450, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
Its one of the most charming river names in the country: the Argideen literally translates from Irish as the little silver river. But the Argideen in West Cork has a problem that is both far from charming, and decades in the making.

Barry OMahony grew up in the village of Shannonvale, a couple of kilometres outside Clonakilty. As a child, he swam in the Argideen, and played football in the riverside park in the village. Locals including his father regularly maintained the area, installing a barbeque and planting flowers.

Today, the small park is fenced off from the public, and Barry has recorded videos of himself in wellies on the site, shin-deep in sewage, tracing rivulets of effluent as they run into the Argideen.

Hundreds of worms lay dying or dead in the muddy sewage puddles along the embankments of the River Argideen in Shannonvale. Picture: Chani Anderson

Its a problem that has plagued Shannonvale for much of Barrys life. In fact, when he decided to run in the local elections in 2024 as an independent candidate for Skibbereen-West Cork, he had the dubious honour of recreating a vintage photo taken of his father Dan 25 years earlier, standing on the bridge in the village holding a pint glass of sewage at arms length.

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Barry has been campaigning, like his father before him, for a solution to the sewage problem at the heart of his birthplace for the past eight years. In the 1970s, the local authority had installed a septic tank for a row of nine cottages in Shannonvale, he explains.

Every time it leaked, Cork County Councils solution was to dump more and more soil onto it to hide the problem, he says. But that actually compacted the soil underneath so that it cant soak away.

"The retaining walls of the septic tank itself are now crumbling, so theres groundwater leaking into it, and sewage leaking out of it, and theres storm water getting into it too, so the whole thing is an engineering nightmare, to be honest.

An 'open cesspit'

The result is that what was once an idyllic river amenity at the heart of village life has become an open cesspit, basically, Barry says.

I grew up in those houses and later came back and lived there as an adult and I can tell you: its misery. During the winter, the rain is getting in and you can see the sewage, and in the summer theres the smell and the flies. Theres no time of year that youre not just absolutely haunted by that scandal.

The Argideen is one of 87 river bodies in the Bandon/Ilen catchment, and its amongst the 22% of the Bandon-Ilen catchment to only have moderate water quality: the sampling point closest to Shannonvale was characterised as at risk of not meeting its water quality targets in the latest EPA catchment report of May 2024.

Its also the source of the drinking water for the Clonakilty area: the Jonesbridge water treatment plant that serves Clonakilty and other West Cork towns takes in water from the Argideen just over a kilometre downstream from Shannovale, Barry points out.

We want to highlight that its not just Shannonvale thats affected by this, he says.

Last year, some area residents formed a new group called Clean Water Clonakilty. They filed Freedom of Information requests and, in documents seen by the Irish Examiner, Uisce Eireann released a list of 40 dates between 2020 and the end of January 2024 that the Jonesbridge water treatment plant shut down automatically due to high levels of ammonia in the water.

Members of the community group, Clonakilty Clean Water (left to right) Eoin Landers, Evie Nevin, Barry OMahony, Jack Hanly, Alan Dromey and Karen Whooley, on a bridge over the River Argideen in Shannonvale, an area badly affected by pollution caused by raw sewage. Picture: Chani Anderson

Obviously ammonia can also come from farm run-off and things as well, but 40 times in four years seems a bit extreme, Barry says. I think that the Shannonvale problem is part of it.

The length of time that the sewage problem is ongoing and the lack of urgency in finding a permanent solution is, he says, frustrating and infuriating.

When he first started campaigning for a wastewater treatment upgrade, Irish Water and Cork County Council had dual responsibility for water services: it was only in January 2023 that Irish Water changed their name to Uisce Eireann and took charge of all wastewater treatment in the country.

Almost seven years ago, Irish Water had agreed to include Shannonvale in their next round of feasibility assessments.

We had a commitment from them that it would go through their five-stage process where they assess it for viability, and then go to costing and then on. Shannonvale had gone to stage three, in other words, they had selected the option that made the most sense, and costed it, and then it had gone to the business case assessment, where they had to justify the budget.

Delays

But after a year with no news, Barry got back in touch: he was told their solution, to install a sewage pump at Shannonvale and pipe the waste over the bridge and connect it to Clonakilty sewage mains, had been deemed unworkable in a workshop with Cork County Council, and had gone back to phase one of the process.

It took five years to get through the first two phases, and we were back to the drawing board, Barry says.

Green algae caused by pollution floats on the surface of the River Argideen in Shannonvale. Picture: Chani Anderson

The first step in this process was held in December 2021 and this assessment will continue during 2024 before progressing to the Stage 2 Preliminary Business Case. Once the Stage 2 assessment for a project is complete, further updates on the budget and timelines for delivery will be available.

"Uisce Eireann governance steps must be completed when moving from one project stage to the next, which takes due regard for priority, available funding, and value for money, Uisce Eireann said in a public response to an EPA report on Shannonvale in April of this year.

Ian OMahony, regional operations manager for Waste Water in the Southwest for Uisce Eireann, tells the Irish Examiner that he would hope that Shannonvale and other at risk areas in the Bandon/Ilen catchment, including Dunmanway where the WWTP has been discharging raw sewage into the Bandon river this summer, would have assessments completed in time to be included in their 2025-2029 funding cycle.

Uisce Eireann are planning a further 400m investment in water service upgrades throughout Cork county in their next funding cycle, building on the 400m they spent in 2020-2025.

It can be frustrating, but we have to make sure were doing it right and that its the right solution and it has to meet all the processes like environmental assessments and that does take time, Mr OMahony says. Typically, a project will take between five and 10 years to deliver.

The Bandon/Ilen catchment of which the Argideen is a part is unusual for rivers in the west of Ireland, where lower population densities generally result in less pressure on water bodies: it has seen a worsening in overall water quality in recent years.

The catchments with the best river water quality are located mainly in the west and southwest of the country. However, there has been a notable decline in three catchments that were previously noted as having the best water quality, namely; the Bandon-Ilen, Dunmanus-Bantry-Kenmare, and Blacksod-Broadhaven catchments, the EPA commented in their 2016-2021 catchment report.

A growing human population and mounting pressure on outdated WWTPs seems to be part of the problem.

Boats gathering for the start of the Ilen River rowing race at the West Cork Hotel in Skibbereen during the Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival. Picture: Denis Minihane

Cork County Development Plan 2022-2028 actually sets targets for population growth of up to 20% for towns and villages throughout West Cork, while simultaneously acknowledging shortfalls both in wastewater treatment and in drinking water capacity in Bandon/Ilen towns, including Dunmanway and Skibbereen.

But as with all of Irelands 46 river catchments, there are more pressures on the Bandon/Ilen than wastewater treatment alone: agriculture is again counted as the single biggest threat to the 87 river bodies in the catchment, with anthropogenic pressures the second highest risk and urban waste water listed as third: hydromorphology, or manmade changes to water courses, was listed as fourth.

Olympic Gold

The Ilen in Skibbereen has of course got an illustrious claim to fame as the river that trained Olympic medallists Paul ODonovan, Fintan McCarthy and Gary ODonovan: Skibbereen rowing club lies on its banks on the outskirts of the market town.

The EPAs data for the Ilen up until 2021 saw the river body, which flows into the sea at Baltimore, achieve the highest possible water quality, worthy of a gold medal standard.

But in the summer of 2021, a fish kill on the river saw over 2,000 dead sea trout, salmon, eel and flounder found along a 2km stretch of the Ilen.

Rowers Gary O'Donovan (left) and Paul O'Donovan of the Skibbereen Rowing Club in West Cork. Picture: Denis Scannell

In 2022, West Cork Distillers, operating on the Marsh Road on the banks of the river, pled guilty to three offences of discharging liquids into the river but denied the fish kill.

Although Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) was set to prosecute, as reported by Mick Clifford and others in this paper in April of this year, the case fell apart at Skibbereen District Court when counsel for the IFI told the judge that they had to withdraw their case against the whiskey makers due to difficulties within Inland Fisheries Ireland.

An internal issue within the IFI meant that 55 cases around the country were dropped.

Irelands Fintan McCarthy and Paul ODonovan during the Mens Lightweight Double Sculls Heats at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium at the Paris Olympics. Picture: INPHO/Morgan Treacy

The IFI South Western representative did not want to comment for this article, saying that comment on water quality within catchments was a matter for the EPA.

The Bandon/Ilen catchment is an important habitat both for the endangered Atlantic Salmon and the Freshwater Pearl Mussel, an extremely threatened water-filtering bivalve that is only found in water of high quality.

In 2022, the Office of Public Works (OPW) flood relief works in Bandon town itself were subject to a court case: Wills Bros Ltd, contracted to the OPW, were held responsible for killing 200 fish who were trapped right at the start of the Bandon Flood Relief Scheme works in 2017.

Years later, when the 31.4m flood relief scheme was complete, it was discovered that the 130-metre rock ramp fish pass installed during the works, such a vast construction that it was dubbed the whale pass by locals, was doing the exact opposite of its job and actually trapping migrating salmon in pools below the town, right in the middle of the salmon run season.

As an emergency measure, the OPW installed a row of boulders in the river to form a new pool near the pass that the OPW said would create a pool from which the fish can pass with greater ease.

But last summer, in 2023, anglers were again warning local media that water levels on the Bandon downstream from the flood relief works were dangerously low for wildlife.

30 years later, a little silver river?

Back on the Argideen, Barry OMahony was so incensed by the lack of movement at Shannonvale that he ran as an independent candidate in the 2024 local elections: he didnt get in, but he does say the awareness he brought to the sewage problem in the village was worth running for.

If Uisce Eireann include Shannonvale in their 2025-2029 expenditure, works may even be completed in time for the 30th anniversary of Barrys dad first launching a campaign to solve the problem in 1998.

For a recent arrival to Shannonvale, Jack Hanly, the secretary of Clean Water Clonakilty, the issue is not only one of water quality, but of quality of life for the next generation.

Members of Clonakilty Clean Water (left to right) Karen Whooley, Jack Hanly and Alan Dromey in front of the newly named 'Uisce Eireann Park' in Shannonvale where the community group have erected signs to draw attention to unchecked and serious environmental sewage issues which have affected the village for 27 years. The park is on the banks of the River Argideen, and the group say the raw sewage runs into the river where it continues upstream to the areas water treatment plant. Picture: Chani Anderson

Mr Hanly, originally from Wales, moved to the area in December 2022, and quickly became involved when Clean Water Clonakilty was formed under a year later. He and his wife, who is from Kilbrittain, moved to West Cork when their first daughter was a toddler and they now have two little girls of two and four.

I want them to have somewhere to play, Mr Hanly says. If you look at old photos of how the area used to be, you really see the potential for what Shannonvale could be if they solved the issue. Its sad, and pretty horrendous, to be honest, that things have been left to get to this stage.

Barry has told me how all the local kids used to learn to swim in the river, and it would be great if my daughters could do the same.
Think back to late June and early July.

The French far right was favored to win a snap parliamentary election. Trumpist judges in the United States were conveniently resolving the legal woes of the former president, who seemed to be gliding to victory after President Joe Bidens disastrous debate performance. And while Britain was getting a Labour government, a new anti-immigration party led by the chief Brexiteer, Nigel Farage, had made unprecedented gains.

Faced with it all, pundits warned that a wave of populist, anti-incumbency rage was sweeping across the worlds democracies.

The commentariats bleak outlook should since have been tempered by new sources of political hope. Not only is there little evidence of a populist wave  a metaphor that conjures images of far-right parties inevitably rising to power in many countries  but recent experience suggests workable strategies for countering such forces.

France

One lesson from the past few months might sound like a truism: All parties that value democracy must unite to face down anti-democratic threats. This is what happened in France, to many pundits surprise.

Left-wing parties formed the New Popular Front, evoking memories of the fight against fascism in the 1930s, when the socialist leader Leon Blum led a coalition of Communists, socialists, and liberals to defend the republic.

After President Emmanuel Macrons surprise decision to dissolve the National Assembly, the left got creative, while Marine Le Pens far-right National Rally was caught flat-footed.

But more to the point, the New Popular Front did not merely appeal to abstract democratic values; it also repeatedly called attention to the far rights pro-business plans, making clear that the National Rally is not the pro-worker party that it claims to be.

USA

A second lesson comes from the US, where few anticipated the enthusiasm and outpouring of joy that would greet the new Democratic ticket. Vice President Kamala Harris, an incumbent, has masterfully presented herself as a representative of change, in contrast to both former US President Donald Trump and the sitting president, Biden.

Her pick for vice president, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, has delighted many with his characterization of the Republican ticket, particularly Trumps vice-presidential pick, J.D. Vance, as weird. Finally, it seems, Democrats play the kind of rhetorical hardball that the right always has.

Of course, self-declared centrists preaching civil discourse are less pleased. They are reminding Democrats that Hillary Clintons comments about deplorables came to haunt her 2016 campaign. Yet to condemn the weird label as childish name-calling misses the point. In the fight against far-right populism, this particular epithet can be especially effective.

After all, in claiming to speak for the real people or the the silent majority, far-right populists are presenting themselves as the representatives of normality.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris' pick for vice president, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, has delighted many. File photo: AP/Julia Nikhinson

In Germany, one of the far-right Alternative fur Deutschlands slogans is: Deutschland, aber normal. The populists supposed base comprises what are always presented as ordinary people who are threatened by nefarious elites and dangerous "others".

That is how populists incite fear of already-vulnerable minorities, be they refugees or transgender people.

The loud minority

Savvy anti-populists should concentrate their rhetorical fire on populist leaders, rather than on their supporters. Vance is weird because he is obsessed with controlling womens bodies and punishing the childless, and because he appears sympathetic toward monarchists and other assorted alt-right figures.

The GOP now holds many positions that are far out of step with US political traditions; open admiration for autocrats is an obvious example. One can point all this out without suggesting that Republican voters themselves are weird. The point is to dispute the claim to normality by leaders who are anything but.

The far-right populists who claim to speak for the silent majority in fact represent a loud minority. There is nothing wrong with that as such; plenty of progressive movements started the same way. But movements that pretend to speak for the majority while vilifying everyone else pose a threat to democracy.

It is no accident that populists who lose at the ballot box often resort to accusations of fraud. Since they supposedly represent the silent majority, an electoral loss can be attributed only to foul play, usually by liberal elites who supposedly somehow silenced the majority.

Anti-populists should recognize that majorities do not in fact support far-right populist forces. The new Labour governments first few weeks in power in the UK have confirmed this salutary insight. The country has experienced its worst riots in more than a decade, as disinformation has fueled racist violence.

While being careful not to endorse violence directly, Farage has made it sound like the rioters have legitimate grievances shared by the silent majority. But polls show that only one in three Britons support the broader anti-migration protests, whereas opposition to the riots is overwhelming.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage arrives at the House of Commons in Westminster in July. His new anti-immigration party made unprecedented gains in the UK's recent elections.

True, the argument We are more!  a slogan coined by anti-populist protesters in Germany  only goes so far. While the far right falsely claims a monopoly on normality, the truth is that far-right parties are becoming normalized as more centre-right politicians copy their rhetoric or enter coalitions with them.

A stance focused on defending democracy is necessary, but not sufficient, to counter this trend; one must offer a positive vision, too. That is what the French left and UK Labour both did this summer.

Those canvassing for Harris will be asked on doorsteps what she truly stands for, beyond being an alternative to Trump-Vance weirdness. It is a legitimate question, and one for which anti-populists must provide a good answer.

Read More Democrats open their convention transformed by Harris ascendance but facing lingering questions
An Bord Pleanala has granted Aldi Ireland full planning permission for a new 11m store in Kinsale.

The new development, which will have a gross floor area spanning 1,819 sq m, will see the creation of 30 new permanent jobs in the town, with up to 50 jobs supported during the construction period, the retailer said.

Cork County Council had previously granted local authority planning permission for the project, which includes 102 car parking spaces, 24 bike spaces and four electric vehicle charging points.

The development, located at New Road & Barrack Street, in Kinsale, will also include a single-storey retail building with a gross retail area of 226 sq m, comprising a health food shop and a youth cafe, with six car parking spaces, including a disabled space, and four covered cycle spaces.

The new store will also have a green roof, rooftop solar panels and rooftop plant.

Commenting on the decision, Colin Breslin, Managing Director of Buying & Services, ALDI Ireland said: We are delighted that An Bord Pleanala have given the green light for the development of our new store in Kinsale. We look forward to developing and opening the store."

The discount retailer currently employs 4,650 people across 161 Irish stores. In addition to its Kinsale development, Aldi has also invested 73m in 11 new stores in Dublin, resulting in the creation of 350 new full-time jobs over the next five years, the company said.
An emotional Joe Biden has taken to the stage at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Illinois to deliver his valedictory address at the conventions opening night.

A refreshed Democratic Party gathered on Monday night at the United Centre in Chicago as Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to take up the mantle as the partys presidential candidate in November.

But, after 52 years of rising to the pinnacle of influence within his party, Mr Biden, 81, received a heros welcome for the act of stepping aside for Ms Harris.

A visibly emotional Mr Biden was greeted by a more than four-minute-long ovation and chants of Thank you Joe.

America, I love you, he replied.

In his keynote speech, the US President urged the thousands of attendees to put the most important thing first at the ballot box in November: democracy.

Democracy has prevailed, democracy has delivered, and now democracy must be preserved, he said.

President Joe Biden on Monday, August 19 at the DNC in Chicago (Paul Sancya/AP)

He also took time to reflect on his tenure as President before handing the reins over to Kamala Harris, Mr Bidens Vice President and the Democratic presidential nominee.

Because of you, weve had the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period, he said, before adding: I say we, I mean me and Kamala, sharing the credit for his most popular successes with the vice president who will replace him on the ticket come election day.

Mr Biden ran through his achievements during his time in the Oval Office, telling the crowds during his Monday night speech that he ran to rebuild the backbone of America, the middle class and went on to forge the strongest economy in the entire world in the wake of the Covid-19 global pandemic.

President Joe Biden delivers the keynote address (Stephanie ScarbroughAP)

He reflected on his infrastructure Bill, spoke of his work with the unions, and took aim at gun control.

More children are killed in America by gunshot than anywhere else,, adding that he is proud of the legislation passed during his presidency to make America a safer place for all.

Now its time to ban assault weapons, he added,

He also touched on immigration and the ongoing war in Gaza, before shifting focus to his decision not to run for a second term.

Its been the honour of my lifetime to serve as president, Mr Biden told the crowds, adding he was not hurt or upset with those who pushed for him to take a step back.

He faced growing concerns about his mental and physical acuity after struggling to complete sentences during his debate against Donald Trump.

I love the job, but I love my country more, Mr Biden said, before calling on voters to beat Donald Trump and elect Kamala and Tim.

And, in the final moments of his speech, the President summed up his 50-year career in politics with: America, I gave my best to you.

Kamala Harris appears during the first day of the DNC (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Ms Harris made an unannounced appearance onstage as the conventions prime-time programme earlier on Monday evening to thank Mr Biden for his leadership in advance of his speech later on.

Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all youll continue to do, she said.

We are forever grateful to you.

The Democrats are looking to the week-long event to slingshot Ms Harris towards a faceoff with Republican candidate Mr Trump, whose comeback bid for the White House is viewed by Democrats as an existential threat.

Having taken over the ticket just one month ago, Ms Harris must now win over a divided country that is viewing her more positively but still making up its mind about the election.

Not even a month ago, the Democrats were deeply divided over foreign policy, political strategy and Mr Biden himself, who was holding on after a disastrous debate by claiming he had a better chance than any other Democrat  including Ms Harris  of beating Mr Trump.

Ms Harris as she took the DNC 2024 stage (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

The convention programme also honoured the civil rights movement, with an appearance from Reverend Jesse Jackson, the founder of the Chicago-based Rainbow Push Coalition.

There were several references to Fannie Lou Hamer, the late civil rights activist who gave a landmark speech at a Democratic convention in 1964.

Ms Hamer was a former sharecropper and a leader of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, a racially integrated group that challenged the seating of an all-white Mississippi delegation at the 1964 Democratic National Convention.

Ms Hamer spoke on August 22, 1964  exactly 60 years before Ms Harris was set to accept the Democratic nomination and become the first black woman and first person of South Asian descent to be the presidential nominee of a major party.
The Democratic national convention kicked off Monday in Chicago, just one month after Joe Biden withdrew his candidacy and paved the way for Kamala Harris to take over the ticket.

The first night of the convention included speeches from Biden, Hillary Clinton and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the convention.

Here are key takeaways from the day:

1. Joe Biden passed the torch: America, I gave my best to you

As the president took the stage at around 10:30pm, the crowd broke out into enthusiastic Thank you, Joe and We love Joe chants, with drawn-out cheers that repeatedly prevented him from continuing his remarks.

Biden revisited some of the darkest chapters of the Trump administration, including the January 6 insurrection, and attacked Trumps vision of America, saying, He says were losing. Hes the loser.

He earned loud applause for his praise of Kamala Harris, saying selecting her as vice-president was the best decision I made my whole career, and, Crime will keep coming down when we put a prosecutor in the office instead of a convicted felon.

Speakers throughout the night heaped praise on Biden. Dr Jill Biden, the first lady, praised her husband for withdrawing from the race, saying she watched him dig deep into his soul as he weighed the decision.

The president said of his decision: I love the job, but I love my country more.

Toward the end of his speech, he said, America, I gave my best to you.

2. Ocasio-Cortez energized the crowd and praised Harriss ceasefire efforts

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and his wife Gwen Walz applaud as first lady Jill Biden speaks during the first day of Democratic National Convention, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Ocasio-Cortez gave one of the most energetic speeches of the night, talking about her roots as a bartender and saying: America has before us a rare and precious opportunity in Kamala Harris. We have a chance to elect a president who is for the middle class, because she is from the middle class. She understands the urgency of rent checks and groceries and prescriptions. She is as committed to our reproductive and civil rights as she is to taking on corporate greed.

The progressive congresswoman and Squad member also earned loud applause for saying that Harris was working tirelessly to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and bringing hostages home.

3. Hillary Clinton said Kamala Harris will break the glass ceiling

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during the first day of Democratic National Convention, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and 2016 presidential candidate, also gave an impassioned speech, outlining the historic nature of Harriss nomination: I see the freedom to look our children in the eye and say, In America, you can go as far as your hard work and talent will take you, and mean it. And you know what? On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris, raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our 47th president  Because when a barrier falls for one of us, it falls and clears the way for all of us.

Clinton drew a sharp contrast between Harris, a former prosecutor, and Trump who fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up, he made his own kind of history  the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.

The remark sparked lock him up chants, a throwback to the lock her up chants Clinton faced in 2016 at Trump rallies.

4. Democrats rallied around abortion rights and stopping Project 2025

Speakers from red states gave personal accounts of the impacts of abortion bans. Hadley Duvall, from Kentucky, described how she was raped by her stepfather and became pregnant at age 12: I cant imagine not having a choice. But today, thats the reality for many women and girls across the country because of Donald Trumps abortion bans.

She noted Trumps previous remarks calling abortion bans a beautiful thing: What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parents child?

Minyon Moore, right, chair of the 2024 Democratic National Convention Committee, and Jaime Harrison, left, chair of the Democratic National Committee, gavel in to start the first day of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Speakers also repeatedly tied the Trump and the Republican agenda to Project 2025, the roadmap for a second Trump administration crafted by former Trump officials.

Mallory McMorrow, a state senator from Michigan, held a copy of the Project 2025 document and assailed the plan to turn Donald Trump into a dictator.

Congressman Jim Clyburn called Project 2025 Jim Crow 2.0. Biden noted that the project calls for the dismantling of the US department of education.

5. Kamala Harris gave surprise remarks

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris raises her arms as she walks on stage during the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance at the convention on Monday night to thank Joe Biden for his service: Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do, we are forever grateful to you. Thank you, Joe!

Harris, who is due to give her formal speech at the end of the week, electrified the crowd when she entered the stage, with Beyonces Freedom playing in the background.

Looking out at everyone tonight, I see the beauty of our great nation. People from every corner of our country and every walk of life are here united by our shared vision for the future of our country, the vice-president said.

6. Thousands protested outside the DNC

Protesters march to the Democratic National Convention after a rally at Union Park Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the Democratic National Convention, calling for a ceasefire and arms embargo on Israel.

Dozens of protesters appeared to break through one security fence near the convention site and several demonstrators were handcuffed and detained. During Bidens speech, demonstrators unfurled a Stop Arming Israel banner, but the speech continued uninterrupted.

There was limited talk of Gaza on the convention floor, though Biden reiterated his efforts to secure a ceasefire and said, Those protesters out in the street, they have a point  a lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides.

The Democratic partys official platform released before the convention did not include an arms embargo, a key demand by uncommitted delegates.

Chris Stein contributed reporting.
A man who police said confessed to killing 42 women and was being detained over the discovery of dismembered bodies in Kenyas capital has escaped from custody, officials said on Tuesday.

Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, 33, was being detained at a police station in Nairobi after a court allowed detectives seven more days to investigate his alleged crimes before charging him.

Mohamed Amin, the head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, told the Associated Press it was unfortunate that Khalusha had escaped along with 12 other inmates after they cut through wire mesh in the cells and scaled the perimeter wall early on Tuesday morning.

This was a high-value suspect who was to face serious charges. We are investigating the incident and will take action accordingly

This was a high-value suspect who was to face serious charges. We are investigating the incident and will take action accordingly, he said.

Acting police inspector general Gilbert Masengeli said disciplinary measures have been taken against eight officers, including the area and station commanders and officers who were on duty.

Our preliminary investigations indicate that the escape was aided by insiders considering that officers were deployed accordingly to guard the station, he said.

Khalusha was arrested in July after 10 bodies and several body parts were found wrapped in plastic sacks in the Kware area of Nairobi.

Police said Khalusha confessed to killing 42 women, including his wife.

Khalushas lawyer told journalists his client was tortured and forced to confess and maintained he is not guilty.

Two other suspects who were arrested after being found with mobile phones belonging to some of the dead women will return to court on August 26.
The family of Stephen Chamberlain, the co-defendant in the US trial of missing tycoon Mike Lynch, said he would be deeply missed after he was hit by a car and died at the weekend.

Cambridgeshire Police said 52-year-old Mr Chamberlain died in hospital after he was struck by a car in Stretham on Saturday.

A statement from his lawyer said he was hit while out running.

It comes as Mr Lynch was confirmed as one of the six tourists missing on Monday after the Bayesian luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily.

Mr Chamberlain was cleared earlier this year, alongside Mr Lynch, of conducting a massive fraud over the sale of software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.

Relatives of Mr Chamberlain said in a tribute released through police that he was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.

He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible, his family said.

Mike Lynch was confirmed on Monday as one of six missing tourists after the Bayesian luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily (Yui Mok/PA)

He made a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.

He will be deeply missed but forever in the hearts of his loved ones.

Cambridgeshire Police are appealing for witnesses after Mr Chamberlain  a pedestrian  was in collision with a blue Vauxhall Corsa car on the A1123 Newmarket Road in Stretham.

The force said the car was travelling between Stretham and Wicken when the collision happened at about 10.10am on Saturday.

Mr Chamberlain was taken to hospital with serious injuries and later died.

Police said the driver of the car, a 49-year-old woman from Haddenham, remained at the scene and was assisting with inquiries.

Gary Lincenberg, Mr Chamberlains lawyer, said in an earlier statement: Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running.

He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.

HP acquired Cambridge-based Autonomy, founded by Mr Lynch in 1996, for $11bn (10bn), but later wrote down its value by $8.8bn (8bn) and asked the US justice department to investigate fraud.

Cambridgeshire Police said Mr Chamberlain, 52, died in hospital after he was hit by a car in Stretham on Saturday (Sam Russell/ PA)

Mr Chamberlain, a former vice-president of finance at the company, was accused of artificially inflating Autonomys revenues and making false and misleading statements to auditors, analysts and regulators in 2018.

Both he and Mr Lynch were found not guilty of the charge in June following a trial at a federal court in San Francisco, California.

Mr Lynch was previously made an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006.

The British-flagged superyacht, named Bayesian, capsized at about 5am local time off the coast of Palermo on Monday when the area was hit by a tornado.

Anyone with information or dashcam footage of the collision in Stretham, Cambridgeshire, or of the moments before or after, is asked to contact police.

People are asked to call 101 and request to speak with Detective Constable Kevin Drury in the serious collision investigation unit.
Police divers searching for Irish-linked British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and five others who were on a luxury yacht which sank in a tornado are trying to access the ships cabins.

Italys fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco said it is developing a plan to enter the wreckage of Bayesian, which is resting on the seabed off the coast of Sicily at a depth of 50 metres.

It described the operation as complex, with divers limited to 12-minute underwater shifts.

Rescue crews said they assume the six missing tourists will be found in the cabins, which they were unable to enter on Monday due to debris.

Bayesian was moored around half-a-mile off the coast of Porticello when it sank at about 5am local time on Monday as the area was hit by a storm.

Civil protection officials believe the yacht was battered by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout.

Local fisherman Giuseppe Cefalu told the PA news agency through a translator that he saw a tornado close to the port of Porticello, and he and his brother Fabio saw a flare in the sky at around 5am.

 #Porticello #Palermo, riprese alle 8 di #oggi le immersioni dei #sommozzatori speleo dei #vigilidelfuoco per le ricerche dei 6 dispersi. Complesso lingresso nello yacht, in atto la pianificazione per aprire accessi piu agevoli e ispezionare linterno [#20agosto 11:00] pic.twitter.com/QRTdGtO8r2  Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) August 20, 2024

The pair aided efforts to locate people in the water after the yacht sank, but Mr Cefalu said he only saw cushions and a buoy.

He said weather conditions on the morning of the sinking were fierce, with very strong wind and rain.

Fifteen of the 22 passengers and crew onboard  including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares  were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat.

One body, reportedly belonging to the ships chef, was recovered at the scene.

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was cleared in June of conducting a massive fraud relating to an 11 billion US dollar (8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

Stephen Chamberlain died after being hit by a car (Cambridgeshire Police/PA)

The boat trip appears to have been a celebration of his acquittal.

The missing tourists are: Mr Lynch; his daughter, Hannah Lynch; Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife Neda Morvillo.

The Financial Times reported that Mr Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch while media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

The British ambassador to Italy, Ed Llewellyn, met some of the survivors of the sinking at a hotel.

He said: Ive spoken to some of the British survivors both yesterday and today  I want to express my deep sympathy from myself and colleagues at the British Embassy for whats happened.

(PA Graphics)

Were doing what we can to support them in this incredibly sad and difficult situation to help them with contacts from the Italian authorities at a practical level.

A spokesperson for Morgan Stanley said the bank was shocked and saddened, while Clifford Chance said it was a tragic incident.

Mr Lynchs co-defendant Stephen Chamberlain died after being hit by a car while out running in Cambridgeshire on Saturday.

In a statement released through Cambridgeshire Police, Mr Chamberlains family said: Steve was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.

He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible.

Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer (Hiscox/PA)

Ayla Ronald, a New Zealand national working at Clifford Chance, survived the ordeal.

Her father Lin Ronald confirmed to the Telegraph she had been invited aboard as a thanks for assistance in Mr Lynchs recent court case.

I have texted my daughter and she hasnt given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said that there are deaths and she and her partner are alive, he said.

Ayla is a lawyer who is part of the legal team that were invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.

The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported that the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.

Italian emergency services heading towards the area off the Sicilian coast where a luxury yacht sank in a tornado (Jonathan Brady/PA)

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

She said: I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

It was all dark. In the water I couldnt keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.

Charlotte and Sofia were treated in hospital, as was Sofias father, James Emsley.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors have been deployed to Palermo.
Irish-linked British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and five others are feared to have died, with their bodies trapped inside a luxury yacht which sank in a tornado.

Vincenzo Zagarola of the Italian Coastguard said this was the working theory of officials on Sicily because it is believed the boat sank quickly and search and rescue efforts by sea and air have so far delivered no results.

He told the PA news agency: We think they are still inside the boat, that is our very hard idea.

Our search and rescue activity by sea and air has gone on for around 36 hours.

Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly.

We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat.

Asked about the likelihood of them being alive, he replied: Never say never, but reasonably the answer should be not.

Bayesian was moored around half-a-mile off the coast of Porticello when it sank at around 5am local time on Monday as the area was hit by a storm.

The missing tourists are: Mr Lynch; his daughter, Hannah Lynch; Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife, Neda Morvillo.

Italys fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco said it is developing a plan to enter the wreckage of Bayesian, which is resting on the seabed off the coast at a depth of 50 metres.

It described the operation as complex, with divers limited to 12-minute underwater shifts.

Fifteen of the 22 passengers and crew onboard  including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares  were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat.

(PA Graphics)

On Tuesday, an inflated orange lifeboat was docked at the harbour near where search crews are being dispatched.

One body, reportedly belonging to the ships chef, was recovered at the scene of the sinking on Monday.

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was cleared in June of conducting a massive fraud relating to an $11bn (10m) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal.

The Financial Times reported that Mr Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, while media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

A spokesperson for Morgan Stanley said the bank was shocked and saddened while Clifford Chance said it was a tragic incident.

Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer (Hiscox/PA)

Mr Lynchs co-defendant Stephen Chamberlain died after being hit by a car while out running in Cambridgeshire on Saturday.

In a statement released through Cambridgeshire Police, Mr Chamberlains family said: Steve was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.

He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible.

Ayla Ronald, a New Zealand national working at Clifford Chance, survived the ordeal.

Her father Lin Ronald confirmed to the Telegraph she had been invited aboard as a thanks for assistance in Mr Lynchs recent court case.

Italian emergency services heading towards the area off the Sicilian coast where a luxury yacht sank in a tornado (Jonathan Brady/PA)

I have texted my daughter and she hasnt given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said that there are deaths and she and her partner are alive, he said.

Ayla is a lawyer who is part of the legal team that were invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

Charlotte and Sofia were treated in hospital, as was Sofias father, James Emsley.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors have been deployed to Palermo.
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A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
08/20/2024



Dr. Don C. Killingsworth, Jr. and Mayor Johnny L. Smith Signing Agreement

JACKSONVILLE  Jacksonville State University (Jax State) and the City of Jacksonville have reached a significant milestone in their longstanding partnership with the signing of a land agreement on Tuesday morning. The agreement, signed by Jax State President Dr. Don C. Killingsworth, Jr., and Jacksonville Mayor Johnny L. Smith, paves the way for constructing a new fire station on the corner of Pelham Rd N and 11th St NW. The signing ceremony took place at the newly opened Jacksonville City Hall.

The new fire station, set to replace the current Fire Station No. 2 at 506 Chinabee Ave SE, will provide the Jacksonville Fire Department with a modern, spacious facility. This upgrade will significantly enhance the department's ability to serve the campus and the community, ensuring a safer and more secure environment for all residents.

Dr. Killingsworth underscored the mutual benefits of the agreement, stating, "This partnership is a testament to the strong relationship between Jacksonville State University and the City of Jacksonville. The new fire station will not only improve response times for our campus community but also contribute to the overall safety and well-being of the city. We are excited about the positive impact this will have on our campus and the city as a whole."

The strategic location of the new fire station within the current campus footprint is expected to reduce response times to Jax State. Additionally, the new station's placement will help alleviate traffic congestion in the northern part of the city, minimizing the need for emergency vehicles to navigate through the square and campus as frequently. It would also allow the city to house its largest engine, which is best equipped to service facilities closer to campus and taller structures, including Houston Cole Library.

"The new station will cut down our response times to the north side of the city, helping us cover the residential areas there and the campus," said Jacksonville Fire Chief Keith Kadle. "It will be a better distribution of our assets, and create an evenly distributed overlap in our service area."

City leaders hope to see construction finish in as little as 18 months. This collaboration underscores the shared commitment of Jax State and the City of Jacksonville to enhance public safety and improve the quality of life for residents and the university community alike.

About Jacksonville State University

Founded in 1883 as a state teachers college, Jacksonville State University has grown from humble beginnings into the Alabama regional university with the highest percentage of accredited programs. Located in the Appalachian foothills midway between Birmingham and Atlanta, Jax State offers more than 150 courses of study, including over 40 online programs, at the undergraduate and graduate level. To learn more, visit www.jsu.edu, call 1-800-231-JAX1 or e-mail jaxfacts@jsu.edu.

About the City of Jacksonville

Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachians, Jacksonville is known for its rich history, educational excellence and commitment to an active lifestyle. The city is home to Jacksonville State University and first-rate public and private schools, offering a dynamic educational environment. The city also hosts dozens of parks and recreational facilities, with easy parking and access to the Chief Ladiga Trail, over 30 miles of scenic biking and hiking path running all the way to the Georgia state line. Visit jacksonville-al.org to see what Jacksonville has to offer.
08/20/2024

Jacksonville State University (Jax State) proudly announces the appointment of Dr. Rob Landry, Distinguished Professor of Finance in the College of Business and Industry, as Editor-in-Chief of the American Business Law Journal (ABLJ), effective August 2024. The ABLJ is a premier triple-blind, peer-reviewed journal recognized globally as one of the most prestigious academic publications in the legal studies field.

As Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Landry will lead the ABLJ's editorial board, oversee fifteen staff editors, and coordinate the efforts of over 300 ad hoc reviewers. The journal receives 300 to 400 submissions annually and maintains an acceptance rate of less than 5%, publishing only 12 to 16 articles each year across its four issues. During Dr. Landry's tenure, the College of Business and Industry at Jax State will serve as the intellectual home of the ABLJ, enhancing the university's standing in academic and professional circles.

The American Business Law Journal is highly esteemed in the academic community. The Australian Business Deans Council lists it as an A-ranked journal, and the Washington and Lee Law School Journal Rankings place it second among business and corporate law journals, behind only the Yale Journal on Regulation.

Reflecting on his new role, Dr. Landry said, "It is a privilege to be able to help lead the American Business Law Journal over the next year. The ABLJ has played an important role in my development as a scholar and a teacher. This new role allows me to continue that development while providing service to the ABLJ and other scholars. I am grateful for the unwavering support from Jacksonville State University, particularly from my department head, Julie Staples, Dean, Dr. Cunningham, and the entire administration. This opportunity also elevates JSU and the College of Business and Industry to the national and international stage in the legal studies field, and I am proud to represent and promote our university in this academic endeavor."

Dr. Brent Cunningham, Dean of the College of Business and Industry at Jacksonville State University, praised Dr. Landry's appointment, stating, "Dr. Rob Landry's appointment as Editor-in-Chief of the American Business Law Journal is a testament to his academic excellence and leadership in the field of legal studies. His role will not only elevate the journal but also enhance the reputation of our College of Business and Industry. We are incredibly proud of his accomplishments and look forward to the impact he will continue to make on our students, faculty, and the broader academic community."

Dr. Landry's academic and professional credentials are equally impressive. He holds a Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from The University of Alabama School of Law, and a Master of Laws, with Distinction, from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He also earned a PhD from Auburn University. An expert in bankruptcy and commercial law, Dr. Landry has published over fifty academic articles in leading journals, including the ABLJ, as well as numerous law school journals from institutions such as the University of Florida, University of Virginia, Texas Tech University, Emory, American University, and Catholic University. At Jax State, Dr. Landry teaches courses in business law and real estate law.
Human Rights Watch  (Beirut)  The Israeli airstrikes on Yemens Hodeidah port on the evening of July 20, 2024, were an apparently unlawful indiscriminate or disproportionate attack on civilians that could have a long-term impact on millions of Yemenis who rely on the port for food and humanitarian aid, Human Rights Watch said today.

The Israeli strikes came a day after a Houthi drone strike, which may amount to a war crime, on a Tel Aviv residential neighborhood that killed one civilian and wounded four others. The Israeli airstrikes, which killed at least six civilians and reportedly injured at least 80 others, hit more than two dozen oil storage tanks and two shipping cranes in Hodeidah port in northwest Yemen, as well as a power plant in Hodeidahs Salif district. The attacks appeared to cause disproportionate harm to civilians and civilian objects. Serious violations of the laws of war committed willfully, that is deliberately or recklessly, are war crimes.

The Israeli attacks on Hodeidah in response to the Houthis strike on Tel Aviv could have a lasting impact on millions of Yemenis in Houthi-controlled territories, said Niku Jafarnia, Yemen and Bahrain researcher at Human Rights Watch. Yemenis are already enduring widespread hunger after a decade-long conflict. These attacks will only exacerbate their suffering.

Human Rights Watch interviewed 11 people about the Hodeidah attack, including a Houthi official in Yemens oil industry and four United Nations agency staff with knowledge of the port. Human Rights Watch also analyzed satellite imagery of the targeted locations and photographs of potential weapons remnants collected by the nongovernmental organization Mwatana for Human Rights. Human Rights Watch sent its preliminary findings to Israeli authorities on July 31 and to the Houthis on August 7. Neither has replied.

The Israeli attacks killed Ahmed Abdullah Musa Jilan, Salah Abdullah Muqbil al-Sarari, Abdul Bari Muhammad Yusuf Ezzi, Nabil Nasher Abdo Abdullah, Abu Bakr Hussein Abdullah Faqih, and Idris Dawood Hassan Ahmed, all Yemen Petroleum Company employees. The Houthi drone strike on Tel Aviv killed 50-year-old Yevgeny Ferder in an apartment building.

An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, said that the Houthi drone was an Iranian-made Samad-3 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The Samad-3s guidance and targeting capabilities are unclear, and the Houthis target was uncertain, making it difficult to determine whether the strike hit its intended target. The Houthis did not indicate that it was attacking a military objective, but stated that they had struck an important target, possibly a reference to the US Embassy branch office in the vicinity.

The Houthi attack, which deliberately or indiscriminately harmed civilians and civilian objects, may amount to a war crime. In recent months, the Houthis have indiscriminately launched numerous missiles at the Israeli port towns of Eilat and Haifa.

Human Rights Watch found that Israeli forces damaged or destroyed at least 29 of the 41 oil storage tanks at Hodeidah port, as well as the only two cranes used for loading and unloading supplies from ships. The airstrikes also destroyed oil tanks connected to the Hodeidah power plant, causing the power plant to stop operating for 12 hours.

A remnant that Mwatana for Human Rights collected at the site bore the markings of Woodward, a US manufacturing company, and matches remnants collected in other contexts of the GBU-39 series bomb made by the US company Boeing. The GBU-39, known as the small diameter bomb, is a guided, airdropped munition.

Human Rights Watch also wrote to Woodward and Boeing on August 14 but did not receive a response

The Hodeidah port is critical for delivering food and other necessities to the Yemeni population, who depend on imports. About 70 percent of Yemens commercial imports and 80 percent of its humanitarian assistance passes through Hodeidah port, which UN Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative Auke Lootsma said was absolutely crucial to commercial and humanitarian activities. Rosemary DiCarlo, under-secretary-general for the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, described the port as a lifeline for millions of people that should be open and operating.

A UN agency official said that about 3,400 people, all civilians, work at the port. The official said on July 30 that he had not seen a single new vessel entering the port since the attack, which is an alarming indication for humanitarian aid provision. Other Yemeni ports lack the same capacity to manage imports, and the damage and destruction of the oil tanks, loading cranes, and broader damage to the ports facilities would take significant funding and time to rebuild.

The Houthi oil industry official said that the early evening strikes were carried out while dozens of civilians were there, including staff who run these tanks, and truck drivers who were there to take oil to transport to other governorates.

Human Rights Watch analysis of satellite imagery found that the oil tanks burned for at least three days, posing environmental concerns. Musaed Aklan, an environmental expert at the Sanaa Center, a Yemeni research group, said that the toxic fumes resulting from the burning of thousands of tons of fuel  undoubtedly pose a serious risk to public health. He said that oil leaks from the tanks into surrounding areas risk contaminating nearby water sources, soil, beaches, and marine habitats.

Hagari, the Israeli military spokesperson, described the target of attack as Al Hudaydah Port, used by the Houthis as the main supply route for the transfer of Iranian weapons from Iran to Yemen. He said the Israeli air force struck dual-use infrastructure used for terrorist activities, including energy infrastructure. Israels necessary and proportionate strikes were carried out in order to stop the Houthis terror attacks. The Israeli government has not provided information to substantiate these claims.

Under UN Security Council Resolution 2534 (2020), the UN Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement is mandated to oversee Hodeidah city and port to ensure that no military personnel or material are present. An official for a UN agency that monitors the port said that the agency had never found evidence of a Houthi military presence in the port. He said that another UN agency that inspects vessels before they enter the port had not found any weapons. Two UN officials who operate in Hodeidah noted that Houthi authorities provide prior approval for UN access and accompany UN officials on inspections.

The oil industry official said that the oil tanks at the port are not owned by the Houthis but by Yemeni businessmen who import the oil and resell it to fuel stations and other institutions. Aid organizations also own some of the oil and use it for their operations. A WFP official said that the organization lost 780,000 liters of fuel in the attack, which it was using to support hospital generators and water and sanitation infrastructure across Yemen. The remaining oil is used for various other public purposes, said the oil industry official and Mwatana. Two UN agency officials said that the oil at the port was imported from the United Arab Emirates.

The Israeli airstrikes also struck the main power plant in Hodeidah. Two people knowledgeable about Hodeidah said that the power plant was the citys main source of electricity, providing electricity to hospitals, schools, businesses, and homes. The climate in Hodeidah governorate is among the hottest in Yemen, making electricity critical for fans, air conditioning, and refrigeration.

The applicable laws of war prohibit deliberate, indiscriminate, or disproportionate attacks on civilians and civilian objects. An attack not directed at a specific military objective is indiscriminate. An attack is disproportionate if the expected civilian loss is excessive compared to the anticipated military gain of the attack. When used by an armed force or non-state armed group, port facilities, oil storage tanks, and electrical power plants can be valid military objectives.

No information has been made public indicating that weapons or military supplies were being stored at or delivered to the port, or that the oil and electricity, monitored under Resolution 2534, were being diverted to the Houthi military, which would make the Israeli attack unlawfully indiscriminate. However, even if the attack were against valid military objectives, the harm to the civilian population likely made the attack disproportionate. In addition to the reported civilian casualties, the damage to the port facilities would appear to inflict excessive immediate and longer-term harm for large swaths of the Yemeni population who rely on the Hodeidah port for survival.

Israels allies, including the United States and the United Kingdom, should suspend military assistance and arms sales to Israel so long as its forces commit systematic and widespread laws-of-war violations, including in Gaza and in Lebanon, with impunity. Governments that continue to provide arms to the Israeli government risk complicity in war crimes.

The UN Panel of Experts on Yemen has also previously found that Iran is likely supplying weapons to the Houthis. Iran should not provide missiles to the Houthis so long as the Houthis continue to use them in unlawful attacks.

The Israeli airstrikes on critical infrastructure in Hodeidah could have a profoundly devastating impact on many Yemeni lives over the longer term, Jafarnia said. Both the Israelis and the Houthis should immediately halt all unlawful attacks affecting civilians and their lives.

Via Human Rights Watch



Bonus video added by Informed Comment:

Israeli Strikes damage Fuel Depot at Hodeida
By Christopher Mallan, The University of Western Australia | 

(The Conversation)  The years 2023 and 2024 will certainly be remembered as some of the darkest in the long and often violent history of Gaza.

The recent destruction of schools and universities in the Gaza strip has attracted the attention of the media and concern from the United Nations, which has raised the question of whether the damage may be considered scholasticide.

Such reports are cause for reflection on the intellectual history of the city  something rarely discussed outside academic circles. This is a shame, as there was a period in the late Roman Empire (5th and 6th centuries CE) when Gaza was one of the great intellectual centres of the Mediterranean world.

Gaza and the Roman Empire

This history of Gaza under the Roman Empire dates from the re-foundation of the city in the 60s BCE, after it had been destroyed decades earlier by Alexander Jannaeus (the ruler of the neighbouring Kingdom of Judaea), as narrated by the Jewish historian Josephus.

Under the relative peace of the Roman Empire, the city was no longer prey to the imperial attentions of its more powerful neighbours, be they Egyptian, Greek, Judaean, or indeed Roman. Gazans were able to capitalise on their position on one of the great geographical crossroads.

Gaza was positioned on the major route from Egypt to the historic cities of the Levant, which correspond to modern-day Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Syria. It also provided access to the Mediterranean Sea at the end of one of the major trade routes from Arabia, via the city of Petra.

Gaza seems to have primarily been a commercial centre until sometime in the 5th century, at which point it became noteworthy for its schools as well as its trade.

Between pagan and Christian

The Late Roman Middle East was a hotbed of intellectual activity.

During this time the schools of Alexandria (in Egypt), Constantinople (Istanbul), Antioch (Antakya) and Gaza can be thought of as the Ivy League of their day.

Although there were no formal universities as we think of them today, these ancient intellectual centres hosted famous teachers who would attract the best and brightest of the Roman elite.

If you wanted to make it in the Late Roman World (and if you didnt command an army of Goths), your entry into the civil administration of the newly powerful Christian Church was largely determined by your education.

We know quite a bit about the educational syllabus of the Gazan schools. At the heart of this elite ancient education was the study of literature and rhetoric.

The curriculum focused on Classical Greek texts (as opposed to Latin or Syriac ones). Young men would be taught how to compose speeches on various topics.

In some instances these speeches would address the emperor. But these speeches were not only exercises in flattery; we know of one school teacher, Timothy of Gaza (or grammatikos, to use his Greek title), who wrote a speech addressed to the Emperor Anastasius (who reigned between 491518 CE) petitioning him to abolish the tax on merchants.

Other examples of Gazan eloquence were less obviously political. The bulk of the curriculum involved writing on themes suggested by ancient Greek literature, mythology or history.

The retention of pagan (in this case non-Christian) elements in the syllabus is important. As a rule, the Later Roman Empire was not noted for its religious tolerance, whether between Christians and non-Christians, or between Christians of differing theological persuasions.

We know from an ancient biography of a 5th-century bishop named Porphyry that this bishop participated in the demolition of the remaining pagan temples in Gaza. Yet, as a whole, Gazan intellectuals were able to balance their Christian beliefs with their love of Classical (pagan) culture.

At least two Christian Gazan intellectuals, whose works survive, explore Biblical accounts of creation written in the style of Platos dialogues from the 4th century BCE. These works incorporate predominantly pagan neo-Platonic philosophy with Christian interpretations.

Procopius and the wondrous clock

The greatest, or at any rate the most influential, of the Gazan intelligentsia was Procopius of Gaza. Procopius was a prolific writer and teacher. He is thought to have invented a type of biblical commentary, known as a catena, which linked passages of earlier scholars in a sort of precursor to todays Bible commentaries.

However, if there is one work that sums up the educational endeavours of the schools of Gaza while also presenting a picture of the city, it is Procopius description of Gazas clock.

One of the important exercises in Roman education was learning how to describe an object, something called ekphrasis. Procopius ekphrasis of the clock became something of a textbook example of this and caught the attention of ancient readers.

The clock itself was a mechanical marvel. Situated in Gazas main marketplace, it seems to have been a monumental version of a cuckoo clock with a figure of Hercules appearing on the hour.

Hercules appearance at each hour corresponded to one of his mythical labours, whether that be the slaying of the Nemean lion or the clearing of the Augean stables.

Procopius likens the (otherwise unknown) inventor of this clock to a latter-day Hephaestus  the Greek god of craft. The clocks mechanism was driven by water power.

This clock, like the famous schools of Late Roman Gaza, eventually disappeared. We dont know when this occurred, but the centuries after Gazas intellectual golden age saw a return of conflict.

Almost 1,500 years have passed since the days of Procopius, his students and the engineer who designed the clock. Yet Gaza remains a living city, with poets and teachers.

One may hope that in the near future the modern schools of Gaza will reopen and intellectual life will once more be allowed to flourish.

Christopher Mallan, Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History, The University of Western Australia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Featured Image: The Medaba Map (6th century CE) is part of a floor mosaic in the church of Saint George in Madaba, Jordan, containing the oldest surviving cartographic depiction of Jerusalem.

Wikimedia/Paul Palmer
Start of tenure comes on heels of IBAT commencing operations of world's first commercial modular Direct Lithium Extract (DLE) plant and first commercial DLE Plant in North America

CEO to accelerate global expansion of commercial DLE operations

Jancik brings large-scale water infrastructure expertise

VANCOUVER, BC and HOUSTON, Aug. 20, 2024 /CNW/ -- International Battery Metals Ltd. (CSE: IBAT), announced its new CEO, Iris Jancik, has taken the helm of the company, effective today, following her June 3 appointment. Jancik will be focused on expanding commercial deployment of IBAT's patented modular direct lithium extraction (DLE) plants and engaging with potential partners and buyers.

Now that IBAT has achieved its first commercial operations, she will advance ongoing discussions the company has held with large industrial companies, including automakers, as well as oil and gas majors and brine-resource owners, and seek additional prospects and potential stakeholders. Jancik succeeds Garry Flowers as CEO. Flowers joined IBAT for a two-year period, starting as president in July 2022 and then named CEO in December 2022.

IBAT established a global lithium industry milestone in July when it announced it achieved first lithium from the only modular DLE operation in the world and the first commercial DLE operation in North America at a facility outside Salt Lake City, Utah. The landmark plant is co-located at the operations of US Magnesium LLC and is successfully extracting lithium from a complex byproduct magnesium chloride/ lithium chloride resource derived from historic magnesium production.

"The timing of IBAT's breakthrough technology is ideal given soaring demand for lithium batteries to power EVs and energy storage. I look forward to accelerating our growth as we expand commercially to meeting this demand with an unmatched lithium extraction technology that can be cost-effectively and quickly deployed, sustainably operated to respect water resources, and easily scalable in a variety of brine resources," Jancik said. "I can think of no one better to partner with on this journey than our chief technology officer, founder and DLE pioneer, John Burba."

Prior to joining IBAT, Jancik served as CEO of IDE Americas, a subsidiary of IDE Technologies, a global desalination and water treatment solutions company, where she was responsible for the development and operations of major infrastructure projects, including San Diego County Water Authority's Carlsbad Desalination Plant in Carlsbad, Calif., as well as other municipal and industrial water treatment plants. An engineer with extensive global contracting and management experience, she holds an M.B.A. in international business from Texas A&M University.

Poised for growth

"Given her track record of business growth and infrastructure development, Iris is the right person at the right time to lead IBAT and marshal expansion in the right places," said Burba. "With Iris' leadership, we are well positioned to realize our vision of mass production of cost-effective and sustainable lithium required for the energy transition."

Jancik, based in Texas, will immediately engage with colleagues, partners and potential partners in the U.S. and abroad. Her initial schedule includes travel to Europe, followed by a speaking engagement at the Financial Times Live Mining Summit in London, September 26-27.

More sustainable lithium extraction

IBAT's DLE technology selectively extracts lithium ions via absorption with a proprietary crystal structure, resulting in a lithium-chloride solution with the requisite feedstock purity to produce battery-grade lithium. The technology has been independently verified by SLR and Mehos Consulting to extract more than 97% of available lithium from Smackover brine.

IBAT's proprietary absorbent does not require chemicals in the extraction process. The technology extracts lithium from brine sources and returns the lithium-depleted brine back to its source. Due to the plant's advanced water recovery rate of up to 98% of water recycled, IBAT's technology is highly protective of sensitive water resources, based on Smackover brine testing by SLR and Mehos.

The modular system's small footprint can be installed at a variety of lithium brine resources around the world, including formations with active or inactive oil and gas operations. The system is easily scalable by adding modules for expansion.

About International Battery Metals Ltd.

IBAT is an advanced technology company focused on the development of environmentally responsible methods of extracting lithium compounds from brine. IBAT has developed a patented modular direct lithium extraction (DLE) plant which allows for rapid deployment to a resource holders production site. IBAT is working with resource holders of oilfield brines, brine aquifers, and industrial customers with brine by-products. IBAT believes the modular design of its DLE plant provides significant initial costs savings to customers and the proprietary DLE technology lowers operating costs by selectively extracting lithium from the brine while efficiently removing contaminants.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Iris Jancik, CEO

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may contain assumptions, estimates, and other forward-looking statements regarding future events. Such forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and are subject to factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control that may cause actual results or performance to differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.

Forwardlooking and cautionary statements

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state in the United States in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. This release may contain statements within the meaning of safe harbour provisions as defined under securities laws and regulations.

This release may contain certain forward-looking statements with respect to certain of the plans and objectives of the Company, including statements with respect to the expected timing for commencement of production, and the production capacity of IBAT's initial DLE plant deployment with US Mag, expectations about the future operations of IBAT, and statements relating to anticipated future global lithium demand. The use of any of the words "will", "expected", "view", "believes" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by forward-looking information as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Additional information regarding risks and uncertainties of the Company's business are contained in the Company's public filings which are available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The statement made in this press release are made as of the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be expressly required by applicable securities laws.
Val-d'Or, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - August 20, 2024) - International Prospect Ventures Ltd. (TSXV: IZZ) (the "Company" or "IZZ"), is pleased to provide an update on its gold prospects in the Eastern Pilbara of Western Australia. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary Valroc Ventures Pty Ltd. ("Valroc"), currently holds 14 tenements (8 Exploration and 6 Prospecting licences) totalling approximately 11,790 hectares in the Eastern Pilbara (the "Properties"); all 14 tenements, referred to as the Mosquito Creek Properties ("MCP"), overlie prospective areas of the Mosquito Creek Basin (aka Mosquito Creek Formation).

The MCP are located between approximately 22 km and 55 km northeast of Calidus Resources Limited's ("Calidus") Nullagine Gold Project (acquired in December 2023 from Novo Resources) and cover regional gold-bearing structural trends (e.g., the Middle Creek Fault, Blue Spec Fault, and the Eastern Creek and Woods Creek areas) with historically reported gold-bearing quartz veins (leaders) and multiple shear/structural zones (DMIRS, WA, 2024).

The MCP are proximal to several of Calidus' exploration projects, including the Blue Spec (190 koz at 24.3 g/t Au) and the Parnell-Vulture Trend (near Valroc tenements P46/2101 and E46/1390), both located along the Blue Spec Fault. Additional Valroc tenements are located close to the Middle Creek Fault which is host to multiple historical gold occurrences and historical small-scale mines.

On 21 January 2022, Novo Resources reported Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling results from the Parnell-Vulture property of 7.0 m at 7.75 g/t Au from 31.0 m, 4.0 m at 10.19 g/t Au from 31.0 m, 13.0 m at 2.51 g/t Au from 21.0 m, and 8.0 m at 10.02 g/t Au from 4.0 metres.

The Parnell-Vulture Trend is just one of a number of structural trends that are part of Calidus' Nullagine Gold Project which is targeting more than 24 greenfield and brownfield exploration opportunities northeast of its 1.8 Mt per year Golden Eagle oxide gold ore processing pant which was put on care and maintenance in August 2022.

Calidus acquired the Nullagine Gold Project from Novo Resources to provide an immediate option to restart production at Golden Eagle on a campaign basis to process free-milling ore sources, and also a longer-term option of a centring a new future production hub at Nullagine to treat sulphide ores. Having a gold processing plant in the immediate area of the MCB could be beneficial to future production opportunities for Valroc and IZZ.

As of June 2024, Calidus reported current free-milling mineral resources (oxide, mixed and sulphide) from the Nullagine Gold Project of 260 kt at 4.02 g/t Au Measured (34 koz Au), 3.84 Mt at 2.21 g/t Au Indicated (273 koz Au), and 2.77 Mt at 1.89 g/t Au Inferred (168 koz Au) from six deposits including Beatons Creek. There are 16 additional historical resources, outside of the current resources reported by Calidus, that are yet to be updated and reported (Calidus news release dated 14 June 2024).

Tenement Exploration (June 2023-August 2024)

Since the last update of June 2023 (IZZ news release dated 19 June 2023), the Company has continued to use its symbiotic relationships with its WA-based network of independent local prospectors ("Fossickers") to complete prospecting and metal-detecting on its tenements. Since June 2023, Valroc has received more than 38 direct prospecting requests and Section 40E Permits from Fossickers. The Fossickers have been identifying prospective areas on Valroc's tenements, such as gold-bearing and potentially gold-bearing structures, and areas with high density of gold nuggets. This is a low-cost and effective way to develop target areas for follow-up.

The Company is also working closely with a WA prospector who holds an approved Programme of Work (POW) on Valroc's tenement E46/1197. The POW is being worked through mechanical methods (ground disturbance) including "dry-blowing" - in the absence of water, this technique takes advantage of gold's high density, using air to separate the gold nuggets from their host gravels and sands- and has discovered numerous nuggets, some several ounces in weight (Figure 1).

The Company is planning more conventional exploration programs to be deployed over the target areas as circumstances and financings permit.

Gold Nuggets and Visible Gold in Quartz Veins

Since 2019, Valroc has engaged third-party prospectors to explore and report on results found on tenements within the Mosquito Creek Formation. To date, third party prospecting has reported more than 2,059 gold nuggets ranging from 0.1 g to more than 250 g, the two largest nuggets being about 250 g and 119 g and totalling approximately 2,367 g of gold (approx. 2.4 kg or 76 oz Au).

In addition to gold nuggets, prospectors have continued to locate quartz veins or leaders (IZZ news release dated 19 June 2023) containing visible gold; further prospecting work is being planned for these areas. A selection of photos provided by the third-party prospecting parties are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Selection of photos from third party prospectors (Fossickers) working Valroc's 14 Mosquito Creek Gold Properties. (A) Largest nugget reported to date at more than 250 grams gold. (B) Multiple gold nuggets ranging for 0.05 to several grams, typical of nugget discoveries on the tenements. (C) Latest large nugget and second largest to date at nearly 119 grams gold. (D) Multiple gold nuggets - note the irregular, angular shapes suggesting they are derived from a local source. (E) Prospectors (Fossickers) ready for the challenging field conditions in the Eastern Pilbara. (F) Visible gold (yellow circles) in quartz vein/leader.

Mosquito Creek Formation

The Mosquito Creek Formation ("MCF") is a succession of Archaean siliciclastic rocks (sedimentary sequences) that occupies much of the central part of the Mosquito Creek Basin ("MCB") in the northern part of the eastern Archaean Pilbara Craton of Western Australia. The exposed part of the MCF is at least 60 km long and 30 km wide, multiply deformed, and has been metamorphosed under low-grade conditions (Bagas et al., 2004).

The MCF correlates with the sedimentary De Grey Supergroup and is interpreted to extend at least 20 km eastward and 100s of km westward beneath cover rocks of the Hamersley Basin, and Eriksson et al. (1994) interpreted the MCB as a forearc basin and accretionary complex situated to the north of a subduction complex. The MCF is host to numerous small-to moderate-sized disseminated, vein- and shear-hosted mesothermal gold deposits, interpreted to have formed at ca. 2.90 Ga.

The majority of deposits within the MCF are situated proximal to two major east-northeast trending thrust fault / shear zones; the Middle Creek Fault (Shear) and the Blue Spec Fault (Shear). The Middle Creek Fault is host to all of the current mineral resources reported by Calidus, excluding Beaton's Creek. Mineralisation in general is characterized by sulphidic auriferous quartz veins contained within altered sericitic and chloritized sandstone, pelite, siltstone and shale from the turbiditic sequences of the MCF. Gold is variably associated with pyrite  arsenopyrite and minor chalcopyrite, in veins that form en echelon and ladder structures within shear and fault strike corridors, defining lodes of mineralisation. Mineralisation is considered syn-deformational to the main structural features of the MCF (Calidus news release dated 14 June 2024).

The Beatons Creek deposit is outside of the MCB, hosted within the Hardey Formation of the Hamersley Basin, which unconformably overlies the MCB. The Hardey formation comprises a sequence of sandstones and conglomerates, with lesser interbedded siltstones and shales (Calidus news release dated 14 June 2024).

Future Exploration Plans

The Company plans to continue to acquire additional tenements to add to its already 14 tenements and aims to add value to its Western Australia Eastern Pilbara tenements with the completion of early-stage exploration programs. Valroc will also continue work in cooperation with local third-party local prospectors and fossickers, which to date has proven to be a very effective exploration "tool". In addition, the Company is actively seeking industry partners to further advance its current properties, while retaining Net Smelter Return royalties, and is constantly reviewing new opportunities in Western Australia within and outside of the Pilbara.

Qualified Person

Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans, (P.Geo., PhD, PMP), a Director and Vice-President Exploration for the Company, is a Qualified Person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release as it relates to the Properties. Results reported herein are from third-party prospectors and have not been independently verified by the QP.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or realities may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 20, 2024) - MAX RESOURCE CORP. (TSXV: MAX) (OTC Pink: MXROF) (FSE: M1D2) ("Max" or the "Company") is pleased to announce assay results from 10 continuous channel samples collected at the recently discovered AM-13 target on its Sierra Azul Copper-Silver Project (formerly known at the Cesar Project) located in Northeastern Colombia (refer to Figures 1 to 4 and Table 1).

AM-13 Highlights

Results from 10 mineralized outcrops from the Cedro Valley include: 1.8% Copper & 7.2 g/t Silver over 48.0m (AM13_CS08, continuous saw-cut channel) Including 3.4% Copper & 14.0 g/t Silver over 15.0m and 3.5% Copper and 15.7 g/t Silver over 5.0m 1.0% Copper & 5.7 g/t Silver over 26.0m (AM13_CS01, continuous chip channel) 1.1% Copper & 4.3 g/t Silver over 9.0m (AM13_CS04, continuous chip channel)





Classification and size potential In addition, Max has identified a 44.0m wide mineralized outcrop (assays are pending) in the Mapurito valley, 1.2-km northeast and along strike from the Cedro Valley discovery. AM-13 hosts Manto-style mineralization and alteration, similar to deposits in the Tocopilla - Taltal region of northern Chile, a mineralized corridor that extends well over 100-km and hosts several economic deposits including Mantos Blancos (500mt at 1.18% Copper and 12 g/t Silver).





High-grade copper minerals Primary copper minerals observed include native copper and chalcocite (80% copper by weight) (refer to Figure 1). These minerals indicate the depositional environment was sulphur poor, thus leading to the precipitation of these high-grade copper minerals.





AM-13 is top priority drill target, next steps : Establish continuity of the mineralization between the Cedro valley and Mapurito valley outcrops with detailed mapping, soil sampling and ground geophysical surveys.

:

Max cautions investors copper-silver mineralization at Mantos Blancos is not necessarily indicative of similar mineralization at Sierra Azul.

"The AM-13 discovery is a significant achievement by the Max team working with Freeport-McMoRan Exploration Corporation (Freeport), which is earning in at the Sierra Azul Copper-Silver Project to unlock Sierra Azul's potential, which we believe is host to one of the world's largest underexplored sedimentary and volcanic copper-silver systems," commented Brett Matich, CEO of MAX.

"The 48.0m width at 1.8% copper at Cedro valley are quite remarkable and the discovery of a 44.0m outcrop of similar mineralization in Mapurito valley 1.2-km to the northeast, speaks the target's potential to be a world-class deposit," he continued.

"The Max property position covers a mineralized belt of rocks similar in length to the Jurassic age belt in northern Chile which hosts no less than 5 economic deposits. The current exploration program is focused on confirming mineralization continuity Cedro and Mapurito valleys to establish the full mineralization footprint and prepare the target for drill testing," he concluded.

Figure 1: Mineralized rock sample from AM-13 with visible native copper and chalcocite. These ore-forming minerals contribute to the high copper grades at AM-13

Target AM-13 Description

AM-13 is located in the AM District, the northern most exploration area of the Sierra Azul Project. The mineralization is hosted in an andesitic tuff (a type of volcanic rock) that strikes 50, dips 70 northwest and has been structurally prepared by faulting. In June 2024, the first mineralized outcrops were discovered in the Cedro valley and subsequent continuous saw-cut channel sampling returned 1.8% Copper & 7.2 g/t Silver over 48.0m (AM13_CS08).

Native copper and chalcocite are the primary copper bearing minerals observed in the outcrops include (refer to Figure 1). Trace amounts of bitumen (a type of hydrocarbon) were also observed in the mineralized rocks which is believed to be critical to the deposition of copper minerals from fluids that circulated within the Cesar-Rancheria basin. The presence of native copper and chalcocite indicates the mineralized fluids were sulphur poor leading to the precipitation of these high-grade ore-forming minerals.

The alteration of the host rocks and the copper bearing minerals observed at AM-13 appear to be similar to the Manto deposits of northern Chile, including Mantos Blancos, which began production over 60 years ago and is estimated to have contained a total of 500mt at 1.18% Copper and 12 g/t Silver (Reference material on the Mantos Blancos deposit available here). Manto Blancos is one of a series of 8 manto copper-silver deposits in the Jurassic age volcanic and volcano-sedimentary rocks of northern Chile (Reference material on Manto deposits of northern Chile available here).

Exploration teams prospecting the Mapurito valley, 1.2km to the north, discovered a 44.0m wide outcrop of andesitic tuff with similar mineralization in July 2024 (refer to Figure 2), suggesting AM-13 has significant size potential. Rock channel sampling of the Mapurito valley outcrop is underway. Assays will be released when received.

The current exploration objectives are:

Determine the footprint of AM-13 with initial efforts focused on establishing the continuity of mineralization between Cedro and Mapurito valleys. The work program includes detailed geological mapping, continuous channel, as well as ground geophysical surveys and detailed structural analysis.

Continue to systematically evaluate the entire Sierra Azul project through regional soil sampling (7,500 samples) and stream sediment sampling (up to 1,600 samples). In addition, a regional structural analysis will be conducted, followed by geological mapping and prospecting to identify additional mineralized outcrops.

Results from a total of 109 rock channel samples collected across 10 mineralized outcrops in the Cedro valley in June 2024 are summarized in Table 1. Samples were collected perpendicular to bedding with each sample representing a one-metre interval. Saw-cut channels had an approximate depth of 2 cm and a thickness of 5 cm.

Table 1: Summary of AM-13 Channel Sample Assay Results

Rock Channel Sample No. Sample Method Width Copper Silver (m) (%) (g/t) AM-13_CS01 chip-channel 26.0 1.0 5.7 AM-13_CS02 chip-channel 3.0 1.1 3.9 AM-13_CS03 saw-cut-channel 3.0 1.3 6.1 AM-13_CS04 chip-channel 9.0 1.1 4.3 AM-13_CS05 chip-channel 3.0 1.5 8.3 AM-13_CS06 chip-channel 2.0 1.1 4.2 AM-13_CS07 chip-channel 2.0 1.2 4.8 AM13_CS08 saw-cut-channel 48.0 1.8 7.2 including 15.0 3.4 14.0 and 5.0 3.5 15.7 AM-13_CS09 chip-channel 2.0 1.2 3.8 AM-13_CS10 chip-channel 2.0 0.8 3.7

Figure 2: Target AM-13 Location Map

Figure 3: Target AM-13 Mineralized Outcrop Locations

Background

The Sierra Azul Copper-Silver Project comprises three districts: AM, Conejo and URU. Collectively the three contiguous districts stretch over 120-km in NNE/SSW direction (refer to Figure 4). Max Resource's land tenure at Sierra Azul includes 188 km2 of mining concessions and 1,141 km2 of mineral concession applications.

On November 7, 2023, Max executed a Share Exchange Agreement pursuant to acquiring all the issued and outstanding shares of Bay Street Mineral Corp. ("Bay Street") an arms length Canadian Corporation in exchange for 14,000,000 common shares in the capital of Max. Bay Street held an underlying 3% net smelter royalty over 19 mining concessions covering 184-km and 31 mining concession applications covering 796-km of the Company's wholly owned Sierra Azul Copper-Silver Project.

On May 13th, 2024, Max announced that it had entered into an Earn-In Agreement ("EIA") with Freeport, a wholly owned-affiliate of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE: FCX) relating to Max's wholly owned Sierra Azul Copper-Silver Project. Under the terms of the EIA, Freeport can earn an 80% interest in the Sierra Azul Copper-Silver Project in two stages by spending an aggregate amount of $50 million and paying a total of $1.55 million in cash to Max.

2024 Exploration Program and Budget

The US$4.2 million exploration program is underway.

There are two main objectives for the 2024 exploration program: Conduct systematic regional exploration over the entire Sierra Azul Project Area (>1,300 sq-km). Define priority targets for drilling.



Figure 4: Location and Scale of the 120-km Sierra Azul Copper-Silver Project, NE Colombia

AM District

Starting in the far north of the Jurassic basin, classic stacked red bed outcrops with extensive lateral continuity have been rock sampled over many kilometres within the AM District. Highlight values of 34.4% copper & 305 g/t silver from outcrop samples have been documented in the sedimentary sequences. The Company confirmed that stratiform red-bed style mineralization continues at depth with two scout drill holes completed earlier this year (Max News Release dated April 4, 2023). Colombian field crews have identified a 15-km mineralized corridor encompassing 14 priority targets (AM-01 to AM-14) (Max News Release dated May 25, 2023 and Max News Release dated June 22, 2023). In addition, Max has recently discovered Manto-style targets of significant size in the AM district.

Conejo District

Midway south, the Conejo District is the most recent to be recognized and is characterized by structurally controlled mineralization hosted in intermediate and felsic volcanic rocks. Numerous mineralized outcrops have been discovered over 3.7-km at the primary target in the district with surface samples averaging 4.9% copper (2% cut-off). No drilling has been conducted at Conejo, but it has emerged as an area of focus for the Company.

URU District

Mineralization within the URU District is hosted in intermediate volcanic rocks and is structurally controlled, similar to deposits in the Central African Copper Belt. At URU-C, a 9.0m of 7.0% copper & 115 g/t silver surface discovery was confirmed at depth by drill hole URU-12, which intersected 10.6m of 3.4% copper & 48 g/t silver. At the URU-CE target, 750m to the east, 19.0m of 1.3% copper discovered in outcrop was confirmed by drill hole URU-9, which intersected a broad zone of copper oxide returning 33.0m of 0.3% copper from 4.0m, including 16.5m of 0.5% copper (Max News Release date January 24, 2023).

Qualified Person

The Company's disclosure of a technical or scientific nature in this news release was reviewed and approved by Tim Henneberry, P.Geo (British Columbia), a member of the Max Resource advisory board, who serves as a qualified person under the definition of National Instrument 43-101.

About Max Resource Corp.

Max Resource Corp. (TSXV: MAX) is a mineral exploration company advancing the newly discovered district-scale Sierra Azul Copper-Silver Project. The wholly owned Sierra Azul Project sits along the Colombian portion of the world's largest producing copper belt (Andean belt), with world-class infrastructure and the presence of global majors (Glencore and Chevron).

Subject to TSX Venture approval, Max has executed a Definitive Agreement to purchase 100% of the Floralia DSO Iron Ore Project, located within the Iron Quadrangle in Brazil. Channel sampling of excavated mining pits in 2023 resulted in the definition of a geological target estimated at 8,052,041 tonnes to 12,184,160 tonnes using a density of 2.71 g/cm3 at an average grade of 58% Fe (see news release here).

Max cautions investors the potential quantity and grade of the iron ore is conceptual in nature, and further cautions there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and Max is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource.

Source: National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") independent Technical Report entitled "Floralia Project", District of Floralia, Municipality of Santa Barbara, Minas Gerais, Brazil by Qualified Person ("QP") Warren D. Robb, P.Geo. (BC) with an effective date of May 29, 2024. The Technical Report is available for review on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and on the Company's website (www.maxresource.com).

For more information visit: https://www.maxresource.com/

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law.

Forward-Looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-Looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the TSXV. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the commercialization plans for Max Resources Corp. described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein.

The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedarplus.ca.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 20, 2024) - Nexus Uranium Corp. (CSE: NEXU) (OTCQB: GIDMF) (FSE: 3H1) (the "Company" or "Nexus") is pleased to announce the receipt of a three-year exploration permit from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment for the Cree East uranium project in the Athabasca Basin of Saskatchewan, Canada (the "Cree East" or the "Project"). Nexus has the right to earn up to a 75% interest in the Project from CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. ("CanAlaska") (TSX: CVV).

The permit, including the Ministry of Environment Crown Land Work Authorization, was issued under CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. and are valid through July 31st, 2027. The permit allows the Company to conduct mineral exploration activities including geophysics and drilling, in addition to the construction of camps to facilitate the various planned programs.

The Company is currently reviewing data to finalize targets for an upcoming drill program. A successful fieldwork program was completed in July which included the relogging of drill core which will be combined with the reinterpretation of prior airborne and ground geophysical surveys currently being conducted by Condor Consulting Inc., is nearing completion. Subsequent to which, the Company will finalize the location of drill targets.

"The receipt of permits ahead of expectations is a testament to the team our partners at CanAlaska have assembled and the relationship they have fostered with both the various First Nations groups and the Saskatchewan Government" commented Jeremy Poirier, CEO of Nexus Uranium. "We look to finalize drill targets for our upcoming drill program on the receipt of the reinterpreted geophysical data."

About Nexus Uranium Corp.

Nexus Uranium Corp. is a multi-commodity development company focused on advancing the Cree East uranium project in the Athabasca Basin and the Wray Mesa uranium-vanadium project in Utah in addition to its precious metals portfolio that includes the development-stage Independence mine located adjacent to Nevada Gold Mine's Phoenix-Fortitude mine in Nevada, the Napoleon gold project in British Columbia, and a package of gold claims in the Yukon. The Cree East project is one of the largest projects within the Athabasca Basin of Saskatchewan spanning 57,752 hectares (142,708 acres) and has seen over $20 million in exploration to date. The Wray Mesa project covers 6,282 acres within the heart of the prolific Uravan mining district in Utah and has extensive historical drilling of over 500 holes defining multiple mineralized zones. The Independence project hosts an M&I (measured and indicated) resource of 334,300 ounces of gold (28M tonnes at 0.41 g/t gold) and an inferred resource of 847,000 ounces (9M tonnes at 3.22 g/t gold) of gold with a substantial silver credit. A 2022 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) outlined a low-cost heap leach operation focusing on the near-surface resource with total production of 195,443 ounces of gold at an all-in sustaining cost of $1,078 (U.S.) per ounce of gold. The Napoleon project comprises over 1,000 hectares and prospective for multiple forms of gold mineralization, with exploration in the area dating back to the 1970s with the discovery of high-grade gold. The Yukon gold projects are comprised of almost 8,000 hectares of quartz claims prospective for high-grade gold mineralization with historical grab sampling highlights of 144 g/t gold.

Nexus Uranium cautions investors the preliminary economic assessment is preliminary in nature, it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized. The Company further cautions investors Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability and further cautions investors the quantity and grade of the reported inferred Mineral Resources are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define these inferred Mineral Resources as indicated Mineral Resources.

The Company cautions investors it has yet to verify the historical data and further cautions investors grab samples are selective by nature and are unlikely to represent average grades of sampling on the entire property.

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Warren D. Robb, P.Geo. (BC), a Director and VP Exploration of Nexus Uranium Corp. and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101.

This news release includes certain statements and information that may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "occur". All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding future estimates, plans, objectives, timing, assumptions or expectations of future performance are forward-looking statements and contain forward-looking information, including, but not limited to: planned permitting and exploration at the Cree East Project; any exercise of the option to acquire the Cree East Project and the anticipated potential for discovery of high-grade unconformity-style uranium mineralization at the Project.

Forward-looking statements are based on certain material assumptions and analysis made by the Company and the opinions and estimates of management as of the date of this news release, including, but not limited to: the assumption that the CSE will approve the Option Agreement; the assumption that the Project has the potential for high-grade unconformity-style uranium mineralization; the assumption that the Company will be successful in obtaining all necessary permits to complete exploration; and the assumption that such exploration will be able to commence this year.

These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including, but not limited to: the risk that the CSE will not approve the Option Agreement and inherent risks associated with the mining industry and the results of exploration activities and development of mineral properties, stock market volatility and capital market fluctuations, general market and industry conditions, as well as those risk factors discussed in the Company's most recently filed management's discussion & analysis.

Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial outlook that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
VANCOUVER, BC  TheNewswire - August 20, 2024  Giant Mining Corp. (CSE: BFG | OTC: BFGFF | FWB: YW5) (Giant Mining or the Company) is pleased to announce the successful completion of Hole MHB-31 (MHB-31) to a depth of 1,086 feet (331 meters). MHB-31 is the second hole of the diamond core drilling program (the Core Program) planned for the Majuba Hill Porphyry Copper Deposit (Majuba Hill) in Pershing County, Nevada.

Big Sky Exploration, LLC (Big Sky) of Eureka, Nevada, drilled MHB-31, which has been quick-logged, sampled, and tagged on-site. A downhole survey confirmed that MHB-31 maintained the planned 310 azimuth and -50 inclination.

The core was transported to Woods Process Services, LLC (Woods Process) for sawing and processing before being sent to ALS Global Services (ALS Labs) in Elko, Nevada, for comprehensive laboratory analysis.

Figure 1: MHB-31 Core

We are very pleased with the progress of our drilling program at Majuba Hill, particularly with the successful completion of MHB-31 at a depth of 1,086 feet," said David Greenway, CEO of Giant Mining. "The drilling is proceeding exceptionally well, thanks to the drillers, the hard work and dedication of Buster and his geological team. We look forward to receiving the lab results from ALS Global Services, which will further our understanding of the deposit and its potential."

Giant Mining's ongoing drilling investment is pivotal in refining the geological model of Majuba Hill, directly strengthening our resource evaluation process. This program is strategically focused on collecting high-quality data to deliver a more precise understanding of the deposits size, structure, and mineralization. The insights gained will enable us to update mineralization grades and tonnage estimates with greater accuracy, reducing geological uncertainties and bolstering confidence in the projects potential.

Figure 2: Giant Mining historic in red and planned drilling green (RC) and blue (Core)

Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Measures, Chain of Custody

The Company utilizes a QA/QC program using best industry practices at the Majuba Hill Project. The samples are placed in cloth or plastic sample bags and are transported from the Giant Mining secure warehouse or directly from Woods Process to the ALS Labs Sample Prep Facility in Elko, Nevada. ALS then transports the prepared pulps to their analytical lab in North Vancouver, B.C.

Drill core samples are sawn in half lengthwise and one half is placed in labeled cloth sample bags. All samples are analyzed for copper, gold, silver, and 33 other elements. Gold is determined by ALS Labs method Au-AA23 which is a fire assay with an AAS finish on a 30-gram split. Copper, silver, and the remaining 31 elements are determined by ALS Labs method ME-ICP61 which is a four-acid digestion and ICP-AES assay. Approximately 10% of the submitted samples are drill duplicates and copper-gold-porphyry commercial standard reference material pulps. The sample rejects and remaining pulps will be retrieved from ALS Labs.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by E.L. Buster Hunsaker III, CPG 8137, a non-independent consulting geologist who is a Qualified Person as such term is defined under National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43- 101).

About Giant Mining Corp.

Giant Mining Corp. is engaged in the identification, review and acquisition of latter stage copper and copper/silver/gold assets. This is in direct response to the growing worldwide demand and lack of supply for precious metals fueled by the Green New Deal in the US and most other developed nations with similar programs aimed at addressing climate change. Such programs are heavily reliant on silver, gold and especially copper to produce Electric Vehicles and other renewable power sources, as well as building infrastructure to provide clean and affordable electricity.

The flagship project is the Majuba Hill copper, silver and gold District located 156 miles (251 km) outside Reno, Nevada, USA. Management has been mandated to focus on safe, mining friendly jurisdictions where government regulations are supportive of mining operations.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

On Behalf of the Board of Giant Mining Corp.

David Greenway

David C. Greenway

President & CEO

For further information, please contact:

Joel Warawa

VP of Corporate Communications

E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

P: 1 (855) 475-0745

VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS

www.giantminingcorp.com

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Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking" statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Giant Mining Corp. believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Giant Mining Corp. management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Giant Mining Corp. undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 20, 2024) - Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. (TSXV: PEX) (OTCQB: PEXZF) (FSE: PQWN) ("Pacific Ridge" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its inaugural diamond drill program at the Chuchi copper-gold project ("Chuchi" or the "Project") has commenced. Chuchi is road accessible and is located 35 km to the northwest of Centerra Gold Inc.'s ("Centerra") Mount Milligan mine in B.C. (see Figure 1).

Highlights:

Pacific Ridge plans to drill approximately 3,000 m in five or six drill holes over an 800 m strike length at the BP Zone (see Figure 2).

Chuchi is only a two-hour drive from Fort Saint James and the drill program is completely ground-supported, which significantly reduces the Company's all-in drilling cost.

The last major drill programs at the Project took place from 1989-1991. Most of the drilling was shallow, average vertical depth of 140 m, and many of the holes ended in mineralization.

Drill highlights include drill hole CH-90-27 which returned 194.0 m at 0.21% copper ("Cu") and 0.21 g/t gold ("Au") and drill hole CH-91-42 which intersected 229.2 m at 0.10% Cu and 0.61 g/t Au (see Table 1).

Pacific Ridge believes that Chuchi has significant, untested potential for porphyry copper-gold mineralization along its strike length and at depth as many of the historical drill holes were shallow and ended in mineralization.

Quote

"What a wonderful discovery opportunity for shareholders and potential shareholders," said Blaine Monaghan, President and CEO of Pacific Ridge. "I'm unaware of any road accessible copper-gold porphyry projects in B.C. that have returned these kinds of intervals and remained relatively underexplored for more than three decades. Based on our compilation of historical data and exploration work, we are confident that we can extend the known mineralized extents along strike and to depth."

Figure 1: Location of Chuchi and Pacific Ridge's Other Copper-Gold Projects

Figure 2: Location of BP Zone and Other Targets at Chuchi

Table 1

Drill Highlights1

Hole No. From (m) To (m) Width (m) Cu (%) Au (g/t) CuEq (%)2 AuEq (g/t)3 CH-89-07 38.0 138.0 100.0 0.27 0.37 0.51 0.76 Includes 82.0 98.0 16.0 0.71 1.32 1.60 2.37 CH-90-27 32.0 226.0 194.0 0.21 0.21 0.35 0.52 Includes 156.0 226.0 70.0 0.31 0.34 0.54 0.80 CH-90-30 98.0 256.0 158.0 0.22 0.10 0.29 0.43 Includes 182.0 256.0 74.0 0.26 0.13 0.35 0.52 CH-90-33 54.0 304.5  250.50 0.21 0.12 0.29 0.44 Includes 64.0 152.0 88.0 0.36 0.21 0.51 0.75 CH-90-37 54.3 262.1  207.8 0.22 0.12 0.30 0.45 Includes 110.0 154.0 44.0 0.35 0.18 0.47 0.70 CH-91-40 50.0 130.0 80.0 0.30 0.29 0.49 0.73 Includes 50.0 114.0 64.0 0.35 0.33 0.57 0.85 Includes 64.0 104.0 40.0 0.45 0.41 0.73 1.08 CH-91-42 91.4 320.6  229.2 0.10 0.61 0.51 0.76 Includes 94.0 144.0 50.0 0.09 2.10 1.50 2.23 Includes 94.0 122.0 28.0 0.07 3.61 2.49 3.70 And 200.0 242.0 42.0 0.13 0.55 0.50 0.74 CH-19-003 91.5 411.0  319.5 0.16 0.14 0.25 0.37 Includes 341.0 401.0 60.0 0.26 0.24 0.42 0.63

1Sources: Chuchi project historical drilling database; BC Geological Survey (Branch) Assessment Reports 20018 (CH-89-7), 21113 (CH-90-27, CH-90-30, CH-90-33, CH-90-37); Placer Dome Inc. database (CH-91-40, CH-91-42), 39061 (CH-19-003). The Company has not independently validated all historic work, and the reader is cautioned about its accuracy.

2CuEq = ((Cu%) x $Cu x 22.0462) + (Au(g/t) x AuR/CuR x $Au x 0.032151) / ($Cu x 22.0462).

3AuEq = ((Au(g/t) x $Au x 0.032151) + ((Cu%) x CuR/AuR x $Cu x 22.0462) / ($Au x 0.032151).

Commodity prices: $Cu = US$3.25/lb and $Au = US$1,800/oz.

 End of hole

There has been no metallurgical testing on Chuchi mineralization. The Company estimates copper recoveries (CuR) of 84%, and gold recoveries (AuR) of 70% based on the average recoveries from Kemess Underground, Mount Milligan, and Red Chris.

Factors: 22.0462 = Cu% to lbs per tonne and 0.032151 = Au g/t to troy oz per tonne.

Summary of Pacific Ridge's Exploration Work at Chuchi

Since optioning Chuchi from Centerra (see Pacific Ridge news release dated May 9th, 2022), Pacific Ridge has completed a 726 line-km helicopter-borne ZTEM geophysical survey, at 250 m line-spacing covering the entire Project, a 3D inversion model of the ZTEM survey, two Induced Polarization ("IP") survey lines (6.7 line-km) in BP Zone, and 3D inversion modelling of the combined 2015 (Kiska Metals Corporation) and 2023 IP survey lines. The 2D and 3D geophysical inversion models have been compiled to review their relationships in 3D model space and compared against historical geological mapping and drilling results for an updated interpretation of the system geometry and structural controls of copper-gold mineralization in BP Zone. Based on this modelling, the Company believes that there is potential for mineralization to extend to as much as 800 m depth over the kilometre-long central trend of mineralization that follows the North Central Fault and calc-potassic alteration domain

Outside of the BP Zone, Pacific Ridge has completed a reconnaissance surface sampling grid over the eastern half of the Project at 350 m sample spacing, completed mapping and sampling at the Klaw zone and completed 15 line-km of IP survey at Chuchi South (see Figure 2).

2024 Drill Hole Planning

The planned 2024 diamond drilling program at Chuchi will comprise approximately 3,000 m in five or six drill holes in the BP Zone (see Figures 3 and 4). Drill holes will be distributed over a strike length of 800 m across the highly prospective BP Zone and will be collared near the best historical drilling results. These holes are designed to confirm these results and test them to greater depth.

Drilling will also test the interpretation, from the combined 3D geophysical inversion models (ZTEM and IP) and the grade shell model of historical drilling, that BP Zone mineralization forms a tabular shaped body with a high degree of northeast-trending structural control, is steeply northwest-dipping, northeast plunging, and is deep rooted.

Further, drilling will also test for evidence that the BP Zone is structurally segmented with greater preservation potential in downthrown blocks within a north-south trending fault valley on its east side where higher-level porphyry system indicators have been intersected in historical drilling.

Description of the Planned 2024 Drill Holes at Chuchi

Planned #1 (azimuth 081, inclination -60, planned length 600 m) is collared on a historical drill trail on the northeastern side of the BP Zone (see Figures 3 and 4), on the northern edge of the calc-potassic domain, and near the transition into the Digger subzone. Drilling will test increasing Cu-Au ratios at depth in drill hole CH-91-42, and if the latter represents a downthrown piece of alkalic lithocap alteration-mineralization. Drill hole CH-91-42 (azimuth 179.3, inclination -74.2, length 320.6 m, vertical depth 308.5 m) returned 28 m of 0.07% Cu and 3.61 g/t Au from 91.4 m and 42.0 m of 0.13% Cu and 0.55 g/t Au from 200.0 m within 229.2 m of 0.01% Cu and 0.61 g/t Au from 91.4 m. There are no preserved drill hole logging reports for CH-91-42. Drilling will test a deep-rooted chargeability high domain in the 3D IP model (see Figure 5).

Planned #2 (azimuth 090, inclination -70, planned length 600 m) is collared on a historical drill trail near the centre of the BP Zone, within the calc-potassic alteration domain, and near historical drill hole CH-91-40 (azimuth 090, inclination -59, length 203.1 m, vertical depth 174.5 m) which returned 40 m at 0.45% Cu and 0.41 g/t Au within 80 m of 0.30% Cu and 0.29 g/t Au from 50 m depth (see Table 1). The planned drill hole targets:

the centre-to-eastern margin of a steeply west-dipping 550 m E-W x 500 m N-S x 600 m deep stock-shaped conductivity low and magnetic high feature in the 3D ZTEM inversion model (see Figure 6), a break in chargeability high signature in the 3D IP inversion model thought to be representative of the prospective North Central Fault corridor (see Figure 5), a resistivity moderate-high gradient zone and moderate deep root feature in the 3D IP model.

Planned #3 (azimuth 088, inclination -80, planned length 600 m) is collared on a historical drill trail at the southern side of the BP Zone, within the potassic alteration domain, and in the area of historical drill hole CH-89-07 (azimuth 180, inclination -46, length 210.9 m, vertical depth 151.7 m) which returned 16 m at 0.71% Cu and 1.32 g/t Au within 100 m of 0.27% Cu and 0.37 g/t Au from 38 m depth (see Table 1). The planned drill hole is collared 72 m SSW of the CH-89-07 collar and drills to the east. It targets:

the southern margin of the steeply west-dipping stock-shaped 3D ZTEM conductivity low and magnetic high feature, a break in chargeability high signature in the 3D IP inversion model thought to be representative of the 070 Fault corridor, a moderate-low resistivity domain towards a deep higher resistivity shoulder in the 3D IP inversion model.

Planned #4 (azimuth 090, inclination -75, planned length 600 m) is collared on a historical drill trail at the southwestern side of BP Zone, within the calc-potassic alteration domain, and in the area of historical drill hole CH-90-27 (azimuth 265, inclination -46, length 304.5 m, vertical depth 219.0 m) which returned 70 m at 0.31% Cu and 0.34 g/t Au within 194 m of 0.21% Cu and 0.21 g/t Au from 32 m depth (see Table 1). The planned drill hole is collared 195 m west of CH-90-27 and drills in the opposite direction. It has similar targeting objectives as listed for Planned #2.

Planned #5 (azimuth 300, inclination -70, planned length 600 m) is collared on a historical drill trail on the northeastern side of BP Zone, within the calc-potassic alteration domain, and near historical drill hole CH-90-30 (azimuth 278, inclination -68.5, length 272.2 m, vertical depth 253.3 m) which returned 74 m at 0.26% Cu and 0.13 g/t Au from 182 m depth (see Table 1). The planned drill hole is collared 40 m south of CH-90-30 and drills to the northwest. It has similar targeting objectives as listed for Planned #2 but targets the northeastern margin of the stock-shaped 3D ZTEM conductivity low and magnetic high feature; it also tests the central core and dip direction of the grade shell model of historical drilling results for BP Zone.

Planned #6 (azimuth 270, inclination -75, planned length 600 m) is collared on a historical drill trail on the northeastern side of the BP Zone, within the calc-potassic alteration domain, and near historical drill hole CH-90-33 (azimuth 273, inclination -60, length 304.5 m, vertical depth 263.7 m) which returned 88 m at 0.36% Cu and 0.21 g/t Au from 64 m depth (see Table 1). The planned drill hole is steeper than CH-90-33 and targets:

the eastern margin of the stock-shaped conductivity low and magnetic high feature in the 3D ZTEM inversion model, the western margin of deep-rooted chargeability high domain in the 3D IP model and the break in chargeability high signature thought to be representative of the North Central Fault corridor, a resistivity moderate-high gradient zone and moderate deep root feature in the 3D IP model.

Figure 3: 2024 Drill Plan in BP Zone Showing Aeromagnetic Grid



Figure 4: 2024 Drill Plan in BP Zone Showing Resistivity Grid

Figure 5: 2024 Drill Plan in Cross Section Showing 3D IP Chargeability Inversion Model

Figure 6: 2024 Drill Plan in Cross Section Showing 3D ZTEM Inversion Model

About Chuchi

Chuchi is over 160 km2 in size and comprises three mineral tenure blocks, Chuchi, under option from Centerra, and Chuchi South and Chuchi West, under option from American Copper Development Corporation (ACDX: TSXV) and a private individual. The Project is road accessible and is located 35 km northwest of Centerra's Mount Milligan mine. Chuchi has seen less than 15,360 metres (89 drill holes) of historical drilling to an average vertical depth of 140 m. Most of this drilling was completed in 1989-1991. The Project hosts several compelling exploration targets within a six-kilometre-long porphyry trend, including the BP Zone. The Company believes that Chuchi has significant untested potential for porphyry copper-gold mineralization at depth as many of the historic drill holes were shallow and ended in mineralization. Further, the porphyry centre has yet to be identified.

About Pacific Ridge

Our goal is to become B.C.'s leading copper-gold exploration company. Pacific Ridge's flagship asset is its 100% owned Kliyul copper-gold project, located in the Quesnel terrane close to existing infrastructure. In addition to Kliyul, the Company's project portfolio also includes the Chuchi copper-gold project, the 100% owned RDP copper-gold project, the 100% owned Onjo copper-gold project, and the 100% owned Redton copper-gold project, all located in British Columbia. The Company would like to acknowledge that its B.C. projects are located in the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Gitxsan Nation, McLeod Lake Indian Band, Nak'azdli Whut'en, Takla Nation, and Tsay Keh Dene Nation.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Blaine Monaghan"

Blaine Monaghan

President & CEO

Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The technical information contained within this News Release has been reviewed and approved by Danette Schwab, P.Geo., Vice President Exploration, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 policy.

Forward-Looking Information: This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, which address exploration drilling and other activities and events or developments that Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. ("Pacific Ridge") expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements in this news release include the planned 3,000 m drill program at Chuchi. Although Pacific Ridge believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include market prices, exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. These statements are based on a number of assumptions including, among other things, assumptions regarding general business and economic conditions, that one of the options will be exercised, the ability of Pacific Ridge and other parties to satisfy stock exchange and other regulatory requirements in a timely manner, the availability of financing for Pacific Ridge's proposed programs on reasonable terms, and the ability of third party service providers to deliver services in a timely manner. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Pacific Ridge does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 20, 2024) - Kingsmen Resources Ltd. (TSXV: KNG) (OTCQB: KNGRF) ("Kingsmen" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Mark J. Pryor as a director to the Company. With his extensive experience in the exploration and development of mining projects, particularly in the Mexican silver belt, Mr. Pryor brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Kingsmen.

Mr. Pryor is a distinguished geologist with a 40-year track record of successfully advancing multiple precious metal projects from discovery through to exploitation, including a position at the Electrum Group based in New York.

Mr. Pryor has played a key role in the development of several brownfield projects, including the Los Gatos Mine, located in the central Mexican silver belt. His experience aligns with Kingsmen's exploration focus in similar geological settings, making him a valuable addition to the team. His comprehensive understanding of the region and proven track record of project advancement will significantly contribute to Kingsmen's strategic goals.

Mr. Pryor's extensive career includes roles with major mining companies such as Anglo American, Placer Dome, and Antofagasta Minerals. His extensive knowledge of brownfield projects and proven success in transitioning discoveries into operational mines will be invaluable to Kingsmen.

Scott Emerson, CEO of Kingsmen, commented, "We are thrilled to welcome Mark to our team. His extensive experience in the Mexican silver belt and his successful track record in advancing exploration projects align perfectly with our goals at Kingsmen Resources. Mark's expertise will be instrumental in enhancing our strategic initiatives."

Mr. Pryor graduated from Aberdeen University in 1981 with a degree in Geology & Mineralogy. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society, a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists, a member of the Institute of Directors, and a Qualified Professional under the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions.

About Kingsmen Resources

In line with Kingsmen's organic-growth strategy, the Company's focus is on exploration and development, and is currently focused on district-scale exploration for high -margin metallic mineral deposits in the prolific mining districts of Parral Mexico. In addition, the company has a 1% NSR on the La Trini Project located within the Los Ricos North project in Mexico operated by GoGold Resources Inc. The Company's leaders have extensive experience in the mining and financial sectors. Kingsmen is a publicly-traded company (TSXV: KNG) (OTCQB: KNGRF) and is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia.

On behalf of the Board,

"Scott Emerson"

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statement:

All statements, trend analysis and other information contained in this press release about anticipated future events or results constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitation, statements regarding the completion of the acquisition of the Las Coloradas Project and receipt of regulatory approval, are forward-looking statements. Although Kingsmen believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and/or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements since Kingsmen can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements, including the risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in Kingsmen's periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators, and assumptions made with regard to: Kingsmen's ability to make the required payments under the definitive agreements; and Kingsmen's ability to secure the necessary regulatory approvals. Forward-looking statements are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Kingsmen's expectations include risks associated with the business of Kingsmen; risks related to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions to the closing of the acquisition of the Las Coloradas Project; non-completion of the acquisition of the Las Coloradas Project; risks related to exploration and potential development of the Las Coloradas Project; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; fluctuations in commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; the need for cooperation of government agencies in the exploration and development of properties and the issuance of required permits; the need to obtain additional financing to develop properties and uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; the possibility of delay in exploration or development programs and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time and additional risks identified in Kingsmen's filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedarplus.ca). Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. Kingsmen does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
August 20, 2024  TheNewswire - Vancouver, Canada  Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. (GCC or the Company) (CSE-GCC, OTC-GCCFF, WKN-A0RLEP) is pleased to provide a summary of drilling to date, following a review and evaluation of the intercepts at its Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine property (the Property) near Hixon, British Columbia.

A total of 4,144.4m in 15 diamond drill holes have been completed on three separate zones since commencement of drilling on the Property by the Company. Six holes (QGQ22-2 to -3, 23-4 and 24-5 to -7 were drilled to test the Main zone in the vicinity of the historical workings dating from 1866 to 1939. The best results were obtained drilling to the southeast, perpendicular to previous drilling of 2,201m in 13 holes conducted between 1983 and 2008; the latter drilling targeted the northwest trending andesite/metaclastic sedimentary contact.

Phase 1 drilling has been completed and the drill crew is on break after which Phase 2 will commence. Drilling equipment remains on site.

Consequently, QGQ23-04 intersected a broad zone of pyritic fault hosted mineralization, below the historical gold bearing Koch vein in underground workings, returning 1.35 g/t gold (Au) over 41.0m (134.5 ft) , including 4.65 g/t Au over 7.15m (23.5 ft) and 1.12 g/t Au over 18.7m (61.4 ft) (April 30, 2024 News Release) 30m to the south of the 0.69 g/t Au over 22.3m (73.2 ft) intercept obtained in QGQ22-02 (April 25, 2023 News Release). A zone of quartz-carbonate veinlets was encountered below the pyritic fault mineralization in QGQ23-04, yielding 2.77 g/t Au over 6.25m (April 30, 2024 News Release).

Three holes (QGQ22-1 and 24-8 to -9) were drilled on the North Hixon zone, initially targeting the Companys 2019 discovery of magnetite-pyrite bearing float which yielded 9.8 g/t Au. Although the source was not intersected the hole did intersect zones of pyritic fault mineralization and quartz-carbonate veinlets; the latter is associated with dominantly sericite-pyritesilica altered metaclastic sedimentary rocks within broad zones of ankerite alteration, proximal to the contact with andesitic tuffs. Results included: 0.87 g/t Au over 32.0m, ending in mineralization, in QGQ22-1 and; 0.58 g/t Au over 61.4m and 0.43 g/t Au over 89.7m, including 0.99 g/t Au over 24.6m, all within an anomalous zone of 0.29 g/t Au over 263.1m in QGQ22-8 (July 16, 2024 News Release). Visible gold was identified associated with sphalerite in QGQ22-8. The zone was interpreted to trend 135/70SW, resulting in true widths of approximately 50%, but true width is not definitively known. There is an extreme paucity of outcrop throughout the property area and initial difficulties were encountered drilling oriented core.

The Halo zone, discovered by the Company 830m northwest of the Main zone in late 2022, returned 1.01 to 5.08 g/t Au from a 6m deep trench from four grab samples of a strongly limonitic fault zone with minor quartz-carbonate (May18, 2023 News Release). The Halo zone was targeted by six holes (QGQ24-10 to -15), with the three more westerly directed holes intersecting quartz-carbonate veinlets with visible gold (July 18, 2024 News Release) below the fault zone, dominantly hosted by sericite-pyrite-fuchsitesilica altered andesitic flows within broad zones of ankerite alteration, similar to that encountered at, and probably representing a sub-parallel zone to, the North Hixon zone. If the zone trends similarly to that at North Hixon, the true widths at the Halo zone are possibly 50-70% of the downhole lengths. Minor sphalerite, commonly associated with the visible gold, and minor chalcopyrite and trace galena have been noted within the veins. Logging has been completed and sampling is still in progress. Results are pending. The mineralization and alteration encountered, show strong similarities to the Main zone, from which the best intercepts were drilled southeasterly (at 090 to 134 to the Halo drill holes).

A preliminary analysis of the intercepts indicate major, probable first order, northwest trending faults which commonly follow lithological contacts. Northeast vein trends have been recognized at the Main zone and southeast directed holes were successful in intersecting mineralization. Based on this and the interpreted orogenic style of the mineralization in which second order structures are generally associated with mineralization, the main mineralized structures are thought to strike northeasterly.

Consequently, drilling is currently planned to target the southeast strike extent of the Halo zone from the west to intersect it perpendicular to the overall trend using an oriented core system. Following this, drilling will also be conducted with southeast directed holes to target the second order structures. Good potential exists over the 830m towards the Main zone as well as to the northwest of the Halo, and to the southeast of the Main zone, none of which have been previously drilled.

Phase 1 completed and drill crew on break after which Phase 2 will commence. Drills remain on site

The technical information in this news release has been reviewed by Jean Pautler, P.Geo., a qualified person with respect to NI 43-101.

About Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd.

Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. is rediscovering the Cariboo Gold Rush by proceeding with highly targeted drilling and trenching programs on its Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine property which is almost fully encircled on 3 of 4 sides by Osisko Development (NSE-ODV/TSXV-ODV). Historically, over 101 placer gold creeks on the 90 km trend from the Cariboo Hudson mine north to the Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine property have recorded production and successful placer mining continues to this day.

Golden Cariboos Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine property is 4 km northeast of, and road accessible from, Hixon in central British Columbia. The Project includes the Quesnelle Quartz gold-silver deposit, which was discovered in 1865 in conjunction with placer mining activities. Hixon Creek, which dissects the old workings, is a placer creek which has seen small-scale placer production since the mid 1860s.

For further information please contact:

GOLDEN CARIBOO RESOURCES LTD

J. Frank Callaghan

J. Frank Callaghan, President & CEO

Tel: 604-669-6463

Neither the CSE Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statements

This news release contains statements which constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to future business activities and plans of the Company. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words may, would, could, should, will, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect or similar expressions and includes information regarding; the expectation that the Company will receive all necessary exemptions and approvals to complete the Offering; the expectation that the Company will complete the Offering on the terms disclosed, or at all; the expectation that the proceeds will be used for property exploration and for general working capital; the Companys exploration plans with respect to its Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine property; and the anticipated participation of the insider in the Offering.

Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions of management, including, without limitation, that the Company will receive all necessary exemptions and approvals to complete the Offering; that the Company will complete the Offering on the terms disclosed, or at all; that the proceeds will be used for property exploration and for general working capital; that the Company will have the resources required to proceed with its exploration plans; that the Company will not run into regulatory or other barriers in carrying out its business plans; that the insider will participate in the Offering, on the terms and conditions and in the amount currently expected by management; and that the Company will be able to rely on the exemption from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements on the basis anticipated.

Additionally, forward-looking information involve a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, without limitation: that the Company will not receive the necessary exemptions and approvals to complete the Offering; that the Company will not complete the Offering on the terms disclosed, or at all; that the Company will be unable to use the proceeds for property exploration and for general working capital; that the Company may incur unanticipated costs; that the Company may not have the resources required to pursue its exploration plans; that the Companys operations could be adversely affected by possible future government legislation policies and controls or by changes in applicable laws and regulations; that the insider may not participate in the Offering on the terms and conditions and in the amount currently expected by management, or at all; and that the Company may not be able to rely on the exemption from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements on the basis currently expected. Such forward-looking information represents managements best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Neither the Company nor any of its representatives make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, sufficiency or completeness of the information in this news release. Neither the Company nor any of its representatives shall have any liability whatsoever, under contract, tort, trust or otherwise, to you or any person resulting from the use of the information in this news release by you or any of your representatives or for omissions from the information in this news release.

The forward-looking statements herein speak only as of the date they were originally made. The Company has no intention and undertakes no 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.
>90% of holes on Saloon Shear Zone intersect anomalous radioactivity

KELOWNA, BC, Aug. 20, 2024 /CNW/ - FISSION URANIUM CORP. ("Fission" or "the Company") is pleased to announce completion of the summer 2024 regional exploration drill program at its PLS high-grade uranium project, in the Athabasca Basin region of Saskatchewan, Canada. A total of fifteen holes (~6,428m) were completed with fourteen holes targeting the Saloon Shear Zone and one hole testing the Far West target (Figure 1 and Table 1). Of note, thirteen holes intercepted anomalous radioactivity. Of particular note, three holes (PLS24-680, 682 and 684B) located in the Saloon East area ~4km southeast of the Triple R deposit, hit strongly anomalous radioactivity in multiple zones over significant widths with peaks of 10,428 cps, 5,842 cps, and 12,777 cps respectively. Importantly, the results at Saloon East represent the strongest radioactivity intersected on the PLS property to date outside of the Triple R deposit.

Drilling Highlights

Summer regional exploration drilling tested ~8.8km of the Saloon Shear Zone with 14 holes, with >90% of the holes intersecting anomalous radioactivity in multiple intervals in each hole. These results represent the strongest hydrothermal alteration and radioactivity encountered to date at PLS outside of the Triple R deposit.

Drilling along the Saloon Shear Zone intersected anomalous radioactivity along 8km of strike length with most prospective results at Saloon Main and East areas.

Saloon Main  tested by 5 holes and all encountering anomalous radioactivity associated with strong hydrothermal alteration.

Hole PLS24-679A intersected a total composite of 65.5m of anomalous radioactivity with peaks up to 4,077 cps. Hole PLS24-661 intersected a total composite of 137.4m anomalous radioactivity over a 394.6m interval, with peaks up to 3,254.1 cps, suggesting the Saloon Main shear zone remains prospective to a depth of at least 540m below surface.



Saloon East  Tested by 3 holes and all encountering anomalous radioactivity associated with strong hydrothermal alteration.

Hole PLS24- 684B intersected five intervals of anomalous radioactivity over considerable widths, with the strongest results from an 11.6m wide interval with a peak of 12,677.6 cps and a 4m wide interval with peak of 6,737.7 cps. Hole PLS24-680 intersected eight intervals of anomalous radioactivity over a total composite width of 25.9m , with the strongest results from a 6.8m wide interval with a peak 10,428.7 cps and a 1.1m wide interval with a peak of 7,833.6 cps. Hole PLS24-682 encountered six intervals of anomalous radioactivity with the best results from a 5.1m wide interval returning a peak of 5,841.8 cps.



Ross McElroy, CEO for Fission, commented, "The Saloon Shear Zone continues to deliver extremely encouraging signs associated with high-grade uranium mineralization. With the 2024 exploration program, we have tested over 8.8km of strike length of the Saloon Shear Zone and intersected anomalous radioactivity over 8km. In particular, the exceptional results at the Saloon Main and East areas located 5km to the southeast and ~4km to the southeast of the Triple R deposit respectively, give our exploration team a tremendous amount of optimism for the discovery of additional high-grade mineralization. The Saloon trend continues to be considered the top priority focus for future exploration activity."

Table 1: S2024 Regional Exploration Drill Hole Summary

TARGET AREA Collar Basement Unconformity

Depth (m) Total

Drillhole Depth (m) Downhole Gamma Probe Results (>500 cps / >0.3 m minimum) HOLE ID Easting (UTM

NAD83) Northing (UTM

NAD83) Elevation (masl) Az Dip From (m) To

(m) Width (m) CPS Peak

Range Saloon Main PLS24-654 595592 6385529 550 313 -56 152.0 502.3 406.2 406.5 0.3 706.3 - 1,118.0 410.6 412.7 2.1 <500 - 2,084.0 PLS24-657A 595747 6385697 552 313 -57 140.0 464.0 367.9 369.4 1.5 <500 - 694.7 370.4 371.2 0.8 <500 - 711.0 451.5 452.8 1.3 574.0 - 1,016.0 PLS24-661 595355 6385682 548 142 -86 115.8 768.2 145.9 146.4 0.5 511.3 - 947.1 157.8 176.0 18.2 <500 - 2,344.7 182.6 209.6 27.0 <500 - 3,254.1 259.2 259.7 0.5 554.1 - 702.4 261.5 262.0 0.5 508.2 - 729.4 265.1 265.6 0.5 534.1 - 975.0 269.1 285.2 16.1 <500 - 1,656.3 295.4 306.5 11.1 <500 - 2,175.3 314.2 328.2 14.0 <500 - 2,500.0 331.2 336.8 5.6 <500 - 1,248.2 342.8 343.1 0.3 591.1 - 851.1 346.7 370.9 24.2 <500 - 1,843.5 378.6 379.1 0.5 583.8 - 857.5 402.9 403.3 0.4 515.3 - 582.4 440.9 443.2 2.3 <500 - 2,441.3 486.1 486.5 0.4 592.9 - 695.3 490.7 494.7 4.0 <500 - 1,168.2 497.2 498.9 1.7 <500 - 1,341.2 508.0 511.0 3.0 <500 - 748.8 515.3 516.6 1.3 <500 - 777.6 521.5 523.1 1.6 <500 - 1,176.3 525.1 527.6 2.5 <500 - 1,404.8 539.4 540.5 1.1 <500 - 658.8 PLS24-679A 595381 6385720 548 156 -80 125.0 380.0 205.7 216.9 11.2 <500 - 4,077.3 236.9 243.9 7.0 <500 - 2,572.0 246.5 253.1 6.6 <500 - 1,221.9 258.9 264.2 5.3 <500 - 2,655.2 272.5 277.3 4.8 <500 - 1,241.9 285.4 296.9 11.5 <500 - 1,916.2 313.8 315.6 1.8 524.8 - 845.7 323.5 337.9 14.4 <500 - 1,601.9 341.6 343.6 2.0 <500 - 1050.0 350.2 351.1 0.9 531.8 - 3,402.7 PLS24-681 595321 6385676 548 141 -82 114.4 332.0 195.4 196.0 0.6 <500 - 750.9 226.9 227.4 0.5 503.8 - 872.4 292.1 292.4 0.3 774.3 - 1,098.1 296.3 302.1 5.8 <500 - 2,830.5 320.7 321.2 0.5 508.2 - 700.0 Saloon East PLS24-680 601969 6388620 510 310 -59 107.3 410.0 269.4 274.4 5.0 <500 - 1,670.0 277.8 282.3 4.5 520 - 3,349.5 284.7 292.0 7.3 <500 - 3,990.0 300.6 300.9 0.3 <500 - 577.3 305.1 305.6 0.5 600.0 - 1,806.7 306.7 313.5 6.8 <500 - 10,428.7 325.3 326.4 1.1 723.8 - 7,833.6 360.0 360.4 0.4 527.6 - 624.8 PLS24-682 601968 6388620 510 310 -55 47.0 344.0 253.2 254.0 0.8 551.4 - 902.0 265.1 265.7 0.6 580.0 - 988.6 267.7 273.3 5.6 <500 - 1,950.5 277.4 277.7 0.3 590.9 - 700.0 296.1 301.2 5.1 <500 - 5,841.8 303.2 303.5 0.3 <500 - 519.1 PLS24-684B 601969 6388619 510 306 -63 20.0 401.0 141.4 141.7 0.3 <500 - 752.6 278.0 289.6 11.6 <500 - 12,677.6 296.2 297.7 1.5 517.8 - 935.8 309.8 311.9 2.1 <500 - 1,022.1 315.4 319.4 4.0 <500 - 6,736.7 Saloon PLS24-651 595010 6384707 543 317 -70 122.5 458.0 369.1 369.4 0.3 530.0 - 591.7 442.0 442.3 0.3 <500 - 745.6 PLS24-667 594695 6383617 550 319 -63 130.6 389.0 No anomalous radioactivity PLS24-670 598520 6385949 538 350 -57 110.6 364.0 223.4 224.4 1.0 <500 - 1,059.0 226.9 227.2 0.3 <500 - 676.0 245.8 246.4 0.6 868.6 - 2,668.0 249.5 249.8 0.3 <500 - 761.9 PLS24-672 598491 6386034 552 336 -75 115.3 252.7 147.7 148.0 0.3 <500 - 589.1 148.8 149.9 1.1 525.7 - 625.0 185.1 189.8 4.7 <500 - 2,860.9 PLS24-674 598441 6386221 555 326 -69 97.8 486.6 297.7 298.1 0.4 561.0 - 725.7 357.3 357.6 0.3 <500 - 663.0 409.4 410.1 0.7 750.5 - 1,461.9 425.1 425.6 0.5 530.0 - 1,522.7 447.3 447.6 0.3 <500 - 587.0 PLS24-678 600423 6386943 558 316 -74 115.6 506.0 173.3 173.9 0.6 530.0 - 589.3 232.3 232.5 0.3 <500 - 585.3 Far West PLS24-683 592865 6387008 550 309 -72 98.0 371.0 No anomalous radioactivity

Saloon Shear Zone

The Saloon Shear Zone is a linear, multi-kilometer long, southwest-northeast trending structural zone up to ~1km in width, that is parallel to and located ~4km south of the shear zones that hosts the Triple R deposit and the Arrow deposit within the Patterson Lake Corridor. The Saloon Shear Zone is interpreted to be the same shear zone that hosts high-grade uranium mineralization at the PCE discovery on the Rook1 property to the northeast along strike.

The Saloon Shear Zone has been a major focus of Fission's 2024 exploration drilling, with 16 holes (2 holes during winter and 14 holes during the summer programs), testing along ~8.8km of strike length. Over 90% of the holes (14 of 16 holes) encountered anomalous radioactivity in multiple intervals associated with intense hydrothermal alteration along ~8km of strike length of the shear zone. Within this 8km of strike length, two prominent areas have been identified that look to be particularly prospective; Saloon Main and Saloon East areas.

Saloon Main  The area is located ~5km to the southwest of the Triple R deposit. In 2024 total of 7 holes have tested the Saloon Main area; two during the winter program (PLS24-638 and 641) and five during the summer program (PLS24-654, 657A, 661, 679A and 681). Six of the 7 holes intersected anomalous radioactivity in multiple intervals associated with intense hydrothermal alteration. Hole PLS24-679A intersected multiple intervals of anomalous radioactivity for a total composite of 65.5m anomalous radioactivity over 145.4m interval, with peaks up to 4,077.3 cps. Hole PLS24-661 intersected anomalous radioactivity over a 394.6m interval, with peaks up to 3,254.1 cps, suggesting the Saloon Main shear zone remains prospective to a depth of at least 540m below surface.

Saloon East  The area is located ~4km to the southeast of the Triple R deposit. The Saloon East area boasts the strongest radioactivity intersected on the PLS property to date, outside of the Triple R deposit. Three holes (PLS24-680, 682 and 684B) tested the target area, and all three intersected multiple intervals of anomalous radioactivity associated with intense hydrothermal alteration. The strongest results were from PLS24-684B where downhole gamma survey recorded radioactivity ranging from <500 cps to peaks up to 12,677.7 cps within an 11.6m interval.

Far West

The Far West target area is located ~4km west of the R1515W, along trend of the Triple R deposit. Prospective features present at this target area consists of a major northeast trending electromagnetic (EM) conductor that is crosscut by an interpreted north-northeast trending fault. Hole PLS24-683, is the only drill test on the Far West target to date.

Technical Summary for All Holes

Saloon Main

PLS24-654 was drilled 100m northeast of the main Saloon target, along the same EM trend that hosts anomalous uranium concentrations at Saloon. The drillhole intersected bedrock at a depth of 152.0m, consisting of an interfingered mafic, intermediate orthogneiss and quartz-feldspar-biotite-garnet gneiss upper zone. A thick graphitic fault zone was intersected from 243.7m to 261.8m, which is a previously untested graphitic fault zone at Saloon. This graphitic fault zone was underlain by a variably silicified sequence of orthogneiss, quartz-feldspar-biotite-garnet gneiss and sheared granitoids to 408.4m. A second graphitic fault zone was encountered at this depth, which continued to 424.3m, underlain by quartz-feldspar gneiss and intermediate orthogneiss to a final depth of 502.3m. The lower graphitic fault zone is associated with two intervals of anomalous radioactivity, from 406.2m to 406.5m and 410.0m to 412.7m with maximums of 1,118 cps and 2,084 cps, respectively.

PLS24-657A was drilled 300m northeast of the main Saloon target and tested the southern graphitic fault zone intersected in PLS24-654 along trend. Bedrock was intersected at a depth of 140.0m and consisted primarily of variably silicified quartz-feldspar-biotite-garnet gneiss, intermediate orthogneiss and mafic gneiss. Two intervals of graphitic mylonite were intersected, from 194.0m to 203.7m and 244.4m to 250.4m, which likely represent the extension of the southern graphitic fault zone seen in PLS24-654. The drillhole as terminated at a final depth of 464.0m in a thick sequence of variably silicified quartz-feldspar-biotite-garnet gneiss. Three zones of anomalous radioactivity were identified on the downhole gamma probe, from 367.9m to 369.4m, 370.4m to 371.2m and 451.5m to 452.8m, with maximums of 694.7, 711.0 and 1,016 cps, respectively.

PLS24-661 was drilled directly at the main Saloon target and was planned to drill parallel, down-dip, of the main fault zone hosting anomalous uranium concentrations at Saloon. Bedrock was intersected at 115.8m and consisted of intensely hematite and clay altered, variably silicified breccias and mafic gneisses to 490.7m, followed by an interfingered sequence of coarse garnet quartz-feldspar-biotite gneiss, sheared granitoid and pegmatites to the end of the hole at 768.2 m. A total of 137.4m of total composite radioactivity was detected on the downhole gamma probe in 23 separate zones over a 394.6m long core interval between 145.9m and 540.5m. The strongest intersections occurred between 157.8m to 176.0m and 182.6m to 209.6m with maximums of 2,344.7 and 3,254.1 cps, respectively.

PLS24-679A was drilled at the main Saloon target area, targeting the strongest radioactivity intersected in PLS24-661 30m along strike to the northeast. Bedrock was reached at a depth of 125.0m downhole and consisted of alternating extremely silicified to clay-hematite breccia to mylonitic rocks throughout the drillholes entire length to a final depth of 380.0m. A total of 65.5m of anomalous radioactivity was detected on the downhole gamma probe, with the best intervals occurring between 205.7m to 216.9m, 285.4m to 296.9m and 323.5m to 337.9m with peaks of 4,077.3 cps, 1,916.2 cps and 1,601.9 cps, respectively.

PLS24-681 was drilled at the main Saloon target area, testing the strongest radioactivity intersected in PLS24-661 30m along strike to the southwest. Bedrock was intersected at a depth of 114.4m and like other drillholes in the Saloon area, consisted of alternating very strongly silicified, hematite-clay altered, brecciated to mylonitic rocks to the end of the drillhole at 332.0m. Five zones of anomalous radioactivity were intersected, with the best occurring from 296.3m to 302.1m with a peak of 2,830.5 cps.

Saloon East

PLS24-680 tested a strong EM conductor along the South Patteson trend. It is interpreted that the top 80m of bedrock in this drillhole, consisting of Cretaceous mudstone and altered bedrock were washed away during drilling, and solid basement was intersected at a depth of 107.3m. Basement units consisted of an upper sequence of variably chlorite-clay altered intermediate orthogneiss and quartz-feldspar-biotite-garnet gneiss with wet-rock style alteration, followed by graphitic cataclasite and an intensely silicified unit. The silicified "hanging wall" was underlain by a clay altered graphitic fault zone and then mafic gneiss, sheared granitoid and quartz-feldspar-biotite-garnet gneiss to the end of the hole at 410.0m. Eight zones of elevated radioactivity totaling 25.9m were intersected between 269.4m and 360.4m. Strong radioactivity was detected from 306.7m to 313.5m hosted in the clay altered graphitic fault zone with a maximum of 10,428.7 cps, and from 325.3m to 326.4m hosted in a hematite-clay altered shear zone with a maximum of 7,833.6 cps.

PLS24-682 was drilled to test 25m up-dip of the strong radioactivity intersected in PLS24-680. Bedrock was encountered at 47.0m downhole and consisted of Cretaceous mudstone to 89.0m, followed by a similar hanging wall sequence of chlorite-clay altered intermediate orthogneiss and quartz-feldspar-biotite-garnet gneiss with wet-rock style alteration, graphitic cataclasite and a strongly silicified "hanging-wall". The silicified hanging wall was underlain by a clay altered graphitic fault zone and then sheared granitoid, mafic granofels and quartz-feldspar-biotite-garnet gneiss to the end of the hole at 344.0m. Six zones of anomalous radioactivity were encountered, with the best occurring from 267.7m to 273.3m and 296.1m to 301.2m returning peaks of 1,950.5 cps and 5,841.8 cps, respectively.

PLS24-684B was drilled to test 25m down-dip of the strong radioactivity intersected in PLS24-680. Bedrock was encountered at 20.0m downhole and consisted of Cretaceous mudstone to 68.0m, followed by a hanging wall sequence of chlorite-clay altered intermediate orthogneisses and quartz-feldspar-biotite-garnet gneiss with wet-rock style alteration, graphitic cataclasite and a strongly silicified zone. The silicified zone was underlain by a thin clay altered graphitic fault zone and then primarily quartz-feldspar-biotite-garnet gneiss to the end of the hole at 401.0m. Five zones of anomalous radioactivity were encountered, with the best occurring from 278.0m to 289.6m and 315.4m to 319.4m returning peaks of 12,677.6 cps and 6,736.7 cps, respectively.

Saloon - General

PLS24-651 was drilled 1 km southwest of the main Saloon target area, testing an airborne EM conductivity high coincident with a magnetic low running along the southern flank of a broad magnetic high. The drillhole intersected bedrock at a depth of 122.5m downhole, consisting of an upper sequence of mafic and quartz-feldspar gneisses to 214.0 m, a variably silicified and graphitic zone to 325.3m and quartz-feldspar gneisses to the end of the hole at 458.0m. Two 0.3m zones of anomalous radioactivity were detected on a 2PGA-1000 gamma probe, with maximums of 591.7 counts per second (cps) and 745.6 cps at 369.1m and 442.0m, respectively.

PLS24-667 tested a northeast trending EM conductor located south of the main Saloon target, within a broad magnetic low. Bedrock was intersected at a depth of 130.6m and consisted of an upper package of coarse garnet quartz-feldspar-biotite gneiss and intermediate orthogneiss to 223.2m, followed by variably graphite altered and structurally deformed mafic gneiss, intermediate orthogneiss and mylonite to the end of the hole at 389.0m. No anomalous radioactivity >500 cps was detected on the downhole gamma probe.

PLS24-670 tested northeast of the main Saloon target area, along a strong EM conductor coincident with a magnetic low. A 1.4m thick lens of Cretaceous mudstone was intersected at 110.6m downhole and basement units consisted primarily of intermediate orthogneiss and mafic gneiss to the final depth at 364.0m. Two broad fault zones with moderate to strong clay and graphite alteration were intersected between 194.1m to 223.4m and 251.4m to 275.0m. Four thin zones of anomalous radioactivity were detected on the downhole gamma probe associated with the graphitic damage zones, with a peak of up to 2,668 cps between 245.8m and 246.4 m.

PLS24-672 tested the clay altered, graphitic fault zones intersected in PLS24-670 up-dip near the top of bedrock. Bedrock was intersected at a depth of 115.3 m downhole and consisted primarily of variably altered intermediate orthogneiss and mafic gneiss to the final depth at 252.7 m. Strong graphite-clay alteration was intersected in a fault zone between 191.0 and 227.8 m. Three zones of anomalous radioactivity were detected on the gamma probe, including a continuous 4.7 m thick interval between 185.1 and 189.8 m with a peak of 2,860.9 cps.

PLS24-674 was drilled 290m north of PLS24-670 and 672 testing a parallel northeast trending EM conductor system, termed the South Patterson trend. A 15.2m thick lens of Cretaceous mudstone was intersected starting at 97.8m, followed by a complex, interfingered sequence of variably chloritic, silicified quartz-feldspar-biotite-garnet gneiss, intermediate orthogneiss and mafic gneiss cut by numerous strongly graphitic shear zones to a final depth of 486.6m. Interpreted dravite breccia, occurring as cm veins to 10's of cm thick breccia was intersected throughout the drillhole. Five thin zones of anomalous radioactivity were intersected with peaks up to 1,522.7 cps between 425.1m and 425.6m.

PLS24-678 tested the same trend as PLS24-670 and 672, 2 km to the northeast. Bedrock was intersected at a depth of 115.6m and consisted of an interfingered sequence of weakly to moderately chlorite altered intermediate orthogneiss, quartz-feldspar-biotite-garnet gneiss, granitoid and mafic gneiss to the end of hole depth at 506.0m. Numerous zones of graphite alteration or graphitic fault zones were intersected throughout the length of the drillhole. Two thin zones of radioactivity were detected, between 173.3m to 173.9m and 232.3m to 232.5m, with peaks of 689.3 and 585.3 cps, respectively.

Far West

PLS24-683 was drilled at the Far West target area and represents the furthest west exploration drilling the Company has performed along the PLG-3B main trend which also hosts the Triple R deposit. Bedrock was intersected at a depth of 98.0m and consisted of a similar sequence of rocks which host Triple R; quartz-feldspar-biotite-garnet gneiss which gradually becomes more silicified underlain by a main graphitic shear zone and finally footwall quartz-feldspar-biotite-garnet gneiss with sheared granitoid to the final depth of 371.0m. Moderate chlorite and clay alteration was pervasive throughout all of the basement units and is deemed prospective by the Company, however no anomalous radioactivity was detected.

Natural gamma radiation that is reported in this news release was measured in counts per second (cps) using a Mount Sopris 2PGA-1000 Single Gamma probe, which allows for accurate measurements of downhole radioactivity. The reader is cautioned that gamma probe readings are not directly or uniformly related to uranium grades of the rock sample measured, and should be used only as a preliminary indication of the presence of radioactive materials.

All intersections are down-hole depths. All depths reported of core interval measurements including radioactivity and mineralization intervals widths are not always representative of true thickness.

Samples from the drill core will be split in half sections on site and where possible, samples will be standardized at 0.5m down-hole intervals. One-half of the split sample will be sent to SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories (an SCC ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 Accredited Facility) in Saskatoon, SK for analysis which includes U 3 O 8 (wt %) and fire assay for gold, and includes a 63 element ICP-OES analysis and boron. The other half of the split core remains on site for reference.

PLS Mineralized Trend & Triple R Deposit Summary

Uranium mineralization of the Triple R deposit at PLS occurs within the Patterson Lake Conductive Corridor and has been traced by core drilling over ~3.18km of east-west strike length in five separated mineralized "zones", which collectively make up the Triple R deposit. From west to east, these zones are R1515W, R840W, R00E, R780E and R1620E. Through successful exploration programs completed to date, Triple R has evolved into a large, near-surface, basement-hosted, structurally controlled high-grade uranium deposit. The discovery hole was announced on November 05, 2012, with drill hole PLS12-022 from what is now referred to as the R00E zone.

The R1515W, R840W and R00E zones make up the western region of the Triple R deposit and are located on land, where overburden thickness is generally between 55m to 100 m. R1515W is the westernmost of the zones and is drill defined to ~90m in strike length, ~68m across strike and ~220m vertical and where mineralization remains open in several directions. R840W is located ~515m to the east along the strike of R1515W and has a drill-defined strike length of ~430m. R00E is located ~485m to the east along strike of R840W and is drill defined to ~115m in strike length. The R780E and R1620E zones make up the eastern region of the Triple R deposit. Both zones are located beneath Patterson Lake, where water depth is generally less than six metres, and overburden thickness is generally about 50m. R780E is located ~225m to the east of R00E and has a drill-defined strike length of ~945m. R1620E is located ~210m along strike to the east of R780E and is drill defined to ~185m in strike length.

Mineralization along the Patterson Lake Corridor trend remains prospective along strike in both the western and eastern directions. Basement rocks within the mineralized trend are identified primarily as mafic intrusive rocks with varying degrees of alteration. Mineralization is both located within and associated with mafic intrusives with varying degrees of silicification, metasomatic mineral assemblages and hydrothermal graphite. The graphitic sequences are associated with the PL-3B basement Electro-Magnetic (EM) conductor.

Patterson Lake South Property

The 31,039-hectare PLS project is 100% owned and operated by Fission Uranium Corp. PLS is accessible by road with primary access from all-weather Highway 955, which runs north to the former Cluff Lake mine.

Qualified Persons

The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed on behalf of the company by Ross McElroy, P.Geo., President and CEO for Fission Uranium Corp., a qualified person.

About Fission Uranium Corp.

Fission Uranium Corp. is an award-winning Canadian uranium project developer and 100% owner of the Patterson Lake South uranium property  a proposed high-grade uranium mine and mill in Canada's Athabasca Basin region. Fission's common shares are listed on the TSX Exchange under the symbol "FCU" and trade on the OTCQX marketplace in the U.S. under the symbol "FCUUF" and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol 2FU.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Ross McElroy"

Ross McElroy, President and CEO

Cautionary Statement

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". Forward looking statements contained in this press release may include statements regarding the future operating or financial performance of the Company which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market conditions and other risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and 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 expressly required by applicable securities legislation.
Sudan's health minister on Saturday declared a cholera epidemic after weeks of heavy rain in the war-torn country, in a video released by his ministry.

"We are declaring a cholera epidemic because of the weather conditions and because drinking water has been contaminated," Haitham Ibrahim said in the video.

He said the decision was taken in conjunction with authorities in the eastern state of Kassala, United Nations agencies and experts after the "discovery by the public health laboratory of the cholera virus".

The northeast African country has been engulfed in a war since April 2023 between the Sudanese army under the country's de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

The conflict has unleashed one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with more than 25 million people -- upwards of half the population -- facing acute hunger.

Famine has been declared in a displacement camp in the vast western region of Darfur.

For weeks the country has seen torrential rainfall, with Kassala state badly hit. The authorities there have appealed for "immediate" and "urgent" international aid.

Thousands of people have been displaced by flooding, causing an increase in sickness including diarrhoea, especially in children.

Cholera causes severe diarrhoea, vomiting and muscle cramps, and generally arises from eating or drinking food or water that is contaminated with the bacterium, according to the World Health Organization.

It can cause severe dehydration, leading in some cases to death within a few hours.

The WHO, a UN agency, said 307,433 cases of cholera and 2,326 deaths have been reported in 26 countries up to July 28.

Sudan's war has greatly hampered the work of international humanitarian organisations.

Both sides in the conflict have been accused of committing war crimes, including indiscriminate bombardment of built-up areas.

The war has 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 have been displaced by the fighting.

Ceasefire talks began on Wednesday in Switzerland, hosted by US, Saudi and Swiss mediators, although the Sudanese army refused to take part.

Previous negotiations in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia failed to produce an agreement.

Sudan faces what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis in recent memory, as the fighting shows no sign of abating.
Yulia's husband was different from most Ukrainians captured by the Russian army, usually prisoners of war whose fate moved crowds.

He was serving time for assault in a prison in the Kherson region in southern Ukraine when Russian troops took control of the area in 2022.

Ahead of the liberation of the territory by Ukrainian forces later that year, Russian forces moved him inside Russia -- to Yulia's despair and to general indifference.

"I got so scared and started crying. How can that happen? Why would they take him? That's not legal, is it?" Yulia said.

The 32-year-old declined to give their family name to protect the safety of her husband Yuri, father to her five-year-old daughter Nastya.

There were over 3,000 Ukrainian convicts in 11 penitentiary centres that have fallen to Russian forces since 2022, Ukraine's justice ministry and NGOs said.

Rights organisations estimate around 2,000 of them were taken to Russia.

Russian authorities have been releasing those who purged their sentence -- but they face a Kafkaesque path back.

Their stories shed a light on the wartime treatment of a population often treated as outcast, whose only support comes from families and cross-border grassroots solidarity.

- 'We'll simply shoot you' -

Yulia said Yuri never spoke about detention conditions in Russia to avoid worrying her.

Former prisoners and NGOs however painted a grim picture.

They witnessed abuse, restricted access to medication, and pressures to take on Russian citizenship.

"They beat us simply for being Ukrainian," said Yuri Patsura, another prisoner who had been jailed for stealing in the Kherson region.

A report based on over a hundred interviews, produced by the Danish Institute Against Torture and a consortium of NGOs, has established the "systematic and widespread nature of physical and psychological torture and other ill-treatment against detainees."

The report said that the forced transfer of civilian prisoners to Russia may constitute a war crime.

"They forced us at gunpoint. The recalcitrant were told: if you resist and don't get into the car that will take you to Russia, we'll simply shoot you," said Patsura.

The Russian penitentiary service and Russian human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova did not respond to AFP's requests for comment.

- 'Everyone is silent' -

Ukraine's Deputy Justice Minister Olena Vysotska conceded the return of common-law criminals had taken a backseat to other returnees.

"In terms of priority: children, prisoners of war and civilian prisoners," Vysotska said.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) last year issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin on allegations of war crimes over the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Hanna Skrypka, a lawyer at the NGO Protection for Prisoners of Ukraine, said she is working on a similar complaint to the ICC to bring justice and attention for the "unpopular" convicts.

She accused Ukrainian authorities of failing in their responsibility toward inmates.

"Everyone knows about it, and everyone is silent... they simply closed the topic," said Skrypka.

She works out of a small office in Kyiv with her colleague Oleg Tsvily, their conversation constantly interrupted by phone calls from families and ex-convicts needing guidance.

- 'No one for you' -

The six-people NGO developed a network of volunteers, including in Russia, ready to jump into action whenever Ukrainian prisoners get released.

Unless they accept a Russian passport, freed inmates face an immediate challenge in their journeys: convincing authorities of their identity.

Many spend weeks back in detention, Skrypka said, awaiting documents allowing their transfer initially to Georgia, a neighbouring country with close ties to both Russia and Ukraine.

They spend more weeks in a buffer zone at the border between Russia and Georgia as Ukrainian authorities verify their identities.

"They were able to confirm their identity and jail people for whatever evil they did. But confirming that they are Ukrainian simply for them to come back to Ukraine... they can't do that," Patsura said.

The freed convicts are eventually allowed to enter Georgia where they have to wait again until the authorities issue them with travel documents.

Patsura stayed to help his fellow former inmates, in cooperation with the NGO Volunteers Tbilisi.

"It's so hard when there is no one for you, when no one tells you anything," he said.

- 'Like a normal person'-

People who finish their sentence in occupied territories had previously tried to make their way to Ukrainian-held areas through the only open crossing point between Russia and Ukraine but that has now been closed because of Ukraine's incursion into Russia.

When they are released, they rely on help from volunteers.

"They are thrown out of the colony and end up on the street in a prison robe," said Olga Romanova, who oversees the Russian prisoners' rights organisation Rus Sidyashchaya from exile in Berlin.

Romanova said the former inmates are "without money, often without shoes. Those who are disabled don't even have a wheelchair".

Anna Pritkova, who spent over two years in a Russian-held jail in Melitopol, managed to cross into Ukraine before the humanitarian corridor was closed.

She came back to Kyiv train station on a bright day in June, after Protection for Prisoners of Ukraine sent her documents across borders.

"Now I will go home to my kids," she told AFP. "I will find work and live like any normal person."

Many hope for a similar fate.

Yulia faces an anguishing wait as Yuri still has years left to serve on his sentence.

"It's really hard to always wonder about what he's going through, hoping it's all fine... If he's even alive, if they haven't killed him."
Sudan's army-aligned government said Tuesday it would send a delegation to Cairo to discuss implementing a previous humanitarian deal, despite boycotting ongoing talks in Switzerland seeking to end the army's 16-month war with paramilitaries.

The United States is currently brokering ceasefire talks in an undisclosed location in Switzerland, which the army's adversaries the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are attending, but the army has shunned.

War has raged since April 2023 between the army, under the country's de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, which is commanded by Burhan's former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Sudan's ruling Transitional Sovereignty Council said in a statement that the delegation in Cairo would discuss "the government's vision for implementing the Jeddah Agreement", which was negotiated last year in a bid to protect civilians.

Though fighting has continued unabated, the warring parties had agreed in May 2023 during talks in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah to respect humanitarian principles and allow in badly needed aid.

The decision came "based on communication with the American government, represented by US envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello, and communication with the Egyptian government requesting a meeting with a government delegation in Cairo," it added.

Burhan has repeatedly rejected the Swiss-hosted talks, vowing there will be no peace "without the withdrawal of every last militia fighter from the cities and villages they have plundered and colonised".

His government has accused mediators of trying to legitimise the RSF and circumvent the Sudanese state.

The government has also rejected the presence of the United Arab Emirates as an observer in the ongoing talks in Switzerland, after months of accusing Abu Dhabi of backing the RSF.

Yet despite the army's no-show, Perriello told AFP Thursday that discussions are ongoing in "virtual proximity talks", where brokers speak to each side separately.

There has been relative progress on humanitarian access to Sudan, where over 25 million people face acute hunger, with the army agreeing Thursday to re-open the crucial Adre border crossing between the country's western Darfur region and Chad.

Egypt -- which is also part of the steering group in Switzerland along with the UAE, the African Union, the United Nations, and co-host Saudi Arabia -- has historically been Burhan's strongest backer.

The fighting in Sudan, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced a fifth of the population, has continued unabated despite the ongoing mediation efforts.

Both forces have been accused of war crimes, including targeting civilians, indiscriminately shelling residential areas and looting or obstructing aid.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Azerbaijan's capital Baku on Sunday for a two-day state visit, Russian news agencies reported.

Russian television broadcast images of the Russian president's plane as it arrived in Baku in the evening.

His visit to the Caucasus country, a close partner of both Moscow and Turkey but also a major energy supplier to Western countries, comes against the backdrop of an unprecedented Ukrainian military offensive on Russian soil.

Putin is due to hold talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on bilateral relations and "international and regional problems", the Kremlin said.

The two leaders are dining Sunday evening at the Azerbaijani president's official residence, local official news agency Asertac said.

On Monday, Aliyev and Putin will sign joint documents and make statements to the press, said Russian agency Ria Novosti.

Putin will also lay a wreath on the tomb of Heydar Aliyev, father of the current leader, who was president from 1993 to 2003.

Earlier, the Kremlin said they would also discuss "the question of settling (the conflict) between Azerbaijan and Armenia".

Azerbaijan reconquered the mountainous enclave in September 2023 from the Armenian separatists who had held it for three decades.

Armenia accused Russia of inadequate support in its conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Since then, Armenia has sought to deepen its ties with Western countries, especially the United States, much to the annoyance of Moscow, which considers both former Soviet republics to be in its sphere of influence.

Azerbaijan is a major producer of natural gas, to whom many European countries turned to make up for the sharp reduction in Russian deliveries after the start of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022.

It is also hosting the COP29 climate conference in November.

Putin's last visit to Azerbaijan was in September 2018.

Putin has been under an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court since March 2023 for the "deportation" of Ukrainian children to Russia, an accusation the Kremlin denies.

While the threat of arrest has limited Putin's travels abroad, Azerbaijan is not a signatory to the Rome Statute treaty that established the ICC.
A Bangladeshi war crimes tribunal set up by ousted premier Sheikh Hasina has launched three "mass murder" probes into its founder over the unrest that forced her to flee the country, its investigator said Monday.

More than 450 people were killed -- many due to police fire -- during a month of student-led protests against Hasina's 15-year autocratic rule, before she quit as prime minister and fled to India on August 5.

"We are collecting preliminary evidence at this stage," said Ataur Rahman, deputy director of the tribunal's investigation cell, adding the cases were related to "mass murder".

"After this, we will go to the site of the crimes," Rahman told AFP.

All three cases were brought by private individuals, and several of Hasina's former top aides have also been named in the cases, he said.

The cases relate to violence in suburbs or nearby districts of the capital Dhaka, in Mirpur, Munshiganj and Savar.

In addition, local police units across the country have filed at least 15 cases against Hasina, according to local media reports.

Some relate to cases that predate the recent unrest, and charges include murder and "crimes against humanity".

Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) was set up by Hasina in 2010 to probe atrocities during the country's liberation war against Pakistan.

Under Hasina, the ICT sentenced more than 100 people to death, including several of her political opponents.

The court was often criticised by rights groups for not following international conventions.

Hasina's government was accused of widespread human rights abuses, including the extrajudicial killing of thousands of her political opponents.

The United Nations said Friday there were strong indications that the Bangladeshi security forces used unnecessary force in tackling the student-led uprising.

"There are strong indications, warranting further independent investigation, that the security forces used unnecessary and disproportionate force in their response to the situation," the UN human rights office said in a preliminary report.

"Alleged violations included extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detention, enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment," it added.

Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus has said his administration would "provide whatever support" the UN investigators need.
A British diplomat based in Ireland resigned over arms sales to Israel with his email circulated online saying the UK's foreign office "may be complicit in war crimes", it emerged Monday.

Images of his resignation email sent to colleagues were posted online, with Mark Smith, who was based in the British embassy in Dublin, writing there was "no justification for the UK's continued arms sales to Israel".

Smith, who describes himself as an expert in arms sales policy, was a second secretary dealing with "counter terror", a relatively junior position in the foreign office (FCDO).

Issuing a follow-up statement, Smith said he had "written to the foreign secretary informing him of my resignation and urging him to urgently review the UK approach to the situation in Gaza", according to the BBC on Monday.

"Each day we witness clear and unquestionable examples of war crimes and breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza perpetrated by the State of Israel," Smith wrote in the resignation email.

He said concerns regarding the legality of arms sales that he raised "at every level" of the FCDO were "disregarded", and accused the UK government of failing to have a "robust and transparent" arms exports licensing regime.

- Legal review -

An FCDO spokesperson said that while it did not comment on individual cases, the "government is committed to upholding international law".

"We have made clear that we will not export items if they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law," the spokesperson added in a statement sent to AFP on Monday.

After taking office last month, Foreign Secretary David Lammy ordered a legal review of whether UK-issued arms export licences to Israel were at risk of facilitating breaches of international humanitarian law.

"We will provide an update as soon as that review process has been completed," the FCDO said in its statement.

Lammy has previously indicated that there would be no "blanket ban" on arms sales to Israel, but that he would "consider the issues in relation to offensive weapons in Gaza".

The UK has issued 42 military licenses to Israel between October 7 -- the date of Hamas's deadly attack on Israel -- and the end of May, according to government data.

Since October 7, Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed over 40,000 people, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.




Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - Veteran filmmaker Abel Mutuas wife, Judy Nyawira, has made it clear that she has no intention of having more children.

Judy, a mother of one, made the revelations during a question-and-answer session with her husband and firmly stated her position on expanding their family.

Abel and Judy were discussing the possibility of having another child in response to a hypothetical scenario Abel posed.

In a video posted on Abels YouTube channel, he asked Judy if she would consider having another child if offered KSh 100 million.

Would you have another child if KSh 100 million was on the table? Abel asked.

Judy said she has already made up her mind that she will not give birth again.

To be very honest. I think that chapter is completely closed for me. I dont think money can change that, Judy said.

When Abel upped the hypothetical offer to KSh 200 million, Judy laughed even more, playfully questioning if he was testing her commitment.

The couple has a teenage daughter named Stephanie.

In the past, Judy Nyawira opened up about her journey to motherhood, revealing that she became pregnant while studying at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC) over a decade ago.

During an interview with broadcaster Oga Obinna, Judy recounted that she was in her third year of college when she first suspected her pregnancy.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.






Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - American actor, Matthew Perry and his live-in assistant Kenny Iwamasa spent a minimum of $55,000 on 55 ketamine vials and related injections in the 29 days prior to the Friends actor's fatal overdose at the age of 54 in October 2023.

Iwamasa had sent consecutive text messages seeking more of the surgical anesthetic from his suppliers, including an illegal transaction, authorities with the Department of Justice said, US Weekly reported on Sunday after reviewing court documents in the cast against Iwamasa.

Iwamasa, one of five people arrested earlier this month in connection with Perry's passing - in one instance convened with the Friends actor and Dr. Salvador Plasencia in a parking lot, where the actor had been injected with ketamine, according to legal docs reviewed by the outlet.

Iwamasa and Plasencia had 'exchanged thousands in cash for bottles' of ketamine, legal docs stated, noting that Plasencia had injected Perry with ketamine at his home on numerous occasions.

Plasencia in one instance injected the Williamstown, Massachusetts native, who played Chandler Bing on the NBC series, 'within hours' of Perry already having been injected with ketamine

The double dose led to Perry's systolic blood pressure rising to dangerous levels, according to legal docs, with the actor 'unable to speak or move' as result of the injections.

Iwamasa illegally spent $6,000 on 25 bottles of ketamine, according to legal docs, nine days after he purchased 25 ketamine vials illegally.

In that instance, Perry was injected six times in one day by Iwamasa, and 18 additional times in the next three days, legal docs stated.

Perry, on the day of his death, was injected with ketamine by Iwamasa three times, as he allegedly told his assistant to 'shoot me up with a big one,' the outlet reported, citing court docs.

New details drawn from unsealed federal court documents and a medical examiner's investigation provide a chronological look at the end of Perry's life.

On September 30, Perry and Iwamasa met at their home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles with Plasencia.

Perry had been receiving ketamine treatments for depression - an increasingly common off-label use - from his regular doctor, but wasn't able to get as much as he wanted. Plasencia texted a doctor friend in San Diego, Mark Chavez, who agreed to obtain ketamine for him.

'I wonder how much this moron will pay,' Plasencia texted Chavez. The two met up the same day in Costa Mesa, California - halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego - and exchanged at least four vials of ketamine.

Plasencia returned to Perry's house, where Iwamasa paid him $4,500 in cash for the vials. Plasencia gave Perry two injections of ketamine, and instructed Iwamasa on how to give the injections to the actor.

Plasencia texted Chavez that the experience 'felt like a bad movie.'

On October 2, Iwamasa texted Plasencia saying he wanted to buy not just injection sessions, but to be left with more vials of ketamine, referring to it in agreed-upon code as 'dr pepper.'

Plasencia appeared, gave Perry the injections, and left behind the vials of the anesthetic.

On October 4, Iwamasa injected Perry himself for the first time. He texted the doctor that he had found 'the sweet spot' to put the needle into his boss, but that trying different spots on Perry had led to them running out, and they needed more. Plasencia texted Chavez asking if he could keep supplying the drug so they could become Perry's 'go-to.'

On October 6, Iwamasa told Plasencia they were running low, and needed more. Plasencia went to Perry's house and sold him one or more vials.

On October 8, in a late-night meetup at a Santa Monica, California shopping plaza, Plasencia sold Iwamasa four vials of ketamine for $6,000 in cash.

On October 10, Iwamasa drove Perry to a public parking lot in Long Beach, California where they met up with the doctor. He sold them more ketamine, and gave an injection to Perry while the actor sat in a car. On the same day, Iwamasa sought even more of the drug from an additional source of ketamine, reaching out to Erik Fleming, an acquaintance of Perry.

On October 11, Fleming messaged Iwamasa that he can get ketamine from a woman he knows.





'Its unmarked but its amazing - he take one and try it and I have more if he likes,' Fleming wrote.

The woman, Jasveen Sangha, was known to her customers as the Ketamine Queen. Fleming texted Iwamasa that she only deals 'with high end and celebs. If it were not great stuff shed lose her business.'

On October 12, Plasencia went to Perry's house, where he was paid $21,000 in cash, some of it owed to him for previous ketamine buys. While there he injected Perry. The actor immediately froze up and his blood pressure spiked. The assistant said the doctor told him, 'Let's not do that again.'

On October 13, Perry got a sample of Sangha's ketamine and tried it. He and Iwamasa would ask for 25 vials of it, for which he would pay $5,500. Fleming dropped it off at Perry's house a day later.

On or around October 20 - Perry received his last legal ketamine treatment from his regular physician, according to what a woman close to him whose name was redacted in official documents told medical examiner's investigators.

The woman said his previous doctor had given him treatments every other day, but his new doctor said Perry was doing well, his depression was managed, and he no longer needed so many treatments. The woman would tell investigators that she had believed Perry had been sober for 19 months and there had been no relapse.

On around October 24, Perry talked to the unidentified woman for the last time. She told investigators he had been in good spirits.

On October 25, Iwamasa asked Fleming for another 25 vials of ketamine. After picking up $6,000 from Perry, Fleming picked up the ketamine from Sangha, who told him her own source is known as Master Chef; meanwhile, Iwamasa gave Perry at least six shots of ketamine.

On October 26, Iwamasa again gave Perry at least six shots of ketamine.

On October 27, the assistant again gave the actor at least six shots of ketamine. With the supply coming from Fleming and Sangha, Perry and Iwamasa had been out of touch with Plasencia for about two weeks.

Plasencia would text Iwamasa saying he had more to offer: 'I know you mentioned taking a break. I have been stocking up.'

On October 28, at about 8:30 a.m., acting at Perry's direction, using syringes from Plasencia and ketamine from Sangha, Iwamasa gave Perry an injection.

At about 11 a.m., Perry played pickleball, according to what Iwamasa told medical examiner's investigators later in the day, though many elements of that initial story changed in his later talks to prosecutors.

About 12:45 p.m., Iwamasa gave Perry his second shot of the day, and the actor began watching a movie. Shortly before 1:30 p.m., Iwamasa gave Perry his third and final injection of the day while Perry sat at his backyard jacuzzi.

'Shoot me up with a big one,' Iwamasa remembered Perry telling him. The assistant then left to run errands.

At about 4 p.m., Iwamasa returned home to find Perry face down in the jacuzzi. He jumped in, pulled Perry to the steps and called 911.

Paramedics arrived minutes later and declared Perry dead. Coroner's investigators would say ketamine was the primary cause of his death, with drowning a secondary cause.

Iwamasa has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute Ketamine. Fleming has pleaded guilty to distributing ketamine resulting in death. Both are cooperating with prosecutors.

Chavez has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute the drug. Plasencia and Sangha, the two main targets of the investigation, have pleaded not guilty to multiple felony counts.




Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - Detectives have made a significant breakthrough after arresting a suspected serial killer who has been on the police radar for his alleged involvement in a series of brutal murders in Nakuru.

The 19-year-old suspect identified as Ezekiel Kwame Mwangi is believed to be the mastermind behind several heinous crimes.

On July 14, 2024, he allegedly murdered five-year-old Alice Ayuma Blessing and dumped her body in a maize plantation in the Mwangaza area.

On August 7, 2024, in Kalyet, he is suspected of killing 34-year-old Mueni Mwalimu by striking her on the head with a blunt object and stabbing her in the stomach.

Mueni was a staff at Cooperative Bank in Nakuru.

Her body was found dumped in a maize plantation, about 1 kilometer from her home.

The following day, on August 8, 2024, at Mustard Seed in Kiamunyi, along the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway, Mwangi allegedly murdered 28-year-old Moraa Mugambi by hitting her on the head with a rungu.



The suspect is currently being held at Menengai Police Station undergoing processing pending arraignment.









The Kenyan DAILY POST.






Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - A New Jersey Transit bus driver was filmed pummeling a passenger and putting him in a chokehold after the passenger apparently spat on him.

The driver, Toron Walker, was arrested after the violent altercation with the male passenger erupted on a crowded bus in Newark on Friday afternoon, August 16, RLS Media reported.

Footage of the ordeal allegedly showed the driver pinning the male passenger down to one of the seats by his neck before slamming him down in the middle of the aisle.





The driver then landed several blows to the passengers head, one clip shows.

You f***ed up. What the f**k is wrong with you? You want to spit? Walker could be heard shouting as he continued to punch the commuter.

At one point, Walker was filmed getting the man in a chokehold as horrified passengers screamed for him to stop.





Cops eventually boarded the bus, which was stopped at Court Street near Broad Street, and found Walker allegedly still pummeling the passenger, Newarks Department of Public Safety said.

He was cuffed and later slapped with an aggravated assault charge.

The victim, meanwhile, didnt suffer any severe injuries.






Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - Chelsea are in talks to sign Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix for 40million plus add-ons.

If they reach an agreement, Chelsea will look to revive Conor Gallagher's sale to Atletico Madrid.

Felix spent the second half of the 2022-23 campaign on loan at Stamford Bridge and scored four goals in 20 appearances for the Blues.

The 24-year-old Portugal forward played for Barcelona last season following another loan move but he has since returned to Atletico.

Chelsea will look to strike a deal for Joao Felix in the region of 40million, in a move that would allow Conor Gallagher to complete his switch to Atletico Madrid.

Gallagher, also 24, had been on the verge of joining Atletico this summer and even travelled to Madrid, but complications surrounding Samu Omorodion's proposed transfer to Chelsea saw the deal stall at the last minute.

The move hinges on Atletico raising funds by selling either Omorodion or Felix after they splashed out 81m to sign Julian Alvarez from Manchester City on Monday.

As a result, the English midfielder returned back to London with his future unclear.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said before Sunday's 2-0 defeat by Manchester City: 'Conor is back. He is training apart [from the rest of the group].




Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - One of former Prime Minister Raila Odingas close confidantes has called for the sacking of Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Mohamed Amin after murder suspect Collins Jumaisi and 12 others escaped from Gigiri Police Station.

According to preliminary reports, Jumaisi, the main suspect in the murder of 42 women in Nairobi, cut through a wire mesh at the basking bay around 5:30 am on Tuesday morning, leading to their escape.

Some police officers who requested anonymity claimed that the daring escape was an inside job orchestrated by Police Constable Gerald Mutuku.

Reacting to the embarrassing incident that indicted the police force and particularly the DCI, Kileleshwa Ward MCA, Robert Alai called for the resignation of DCI Mohamed Amin over incompetence.

How does someone escape pale Gigiri? Its full of Kenyan and foreign security agents. How do you escape from that station with the 4 doors?

"Halafu from the police station compound you walk to Ruaka or what? This doesnt make sense, Alai wrote on X.

The DCI boss should just be sacked or he should resign. Wah! Hii ni Sarakasi. Why was such a murder suspect not in a better facility? Alai added

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - Kenya Airways surprised Kenyans on Monday by announcing that it has made a profit for the first time in 10 years.

The struggling airline had been posting losses for the past decade, but on Monday, CEO Allan Kilavuka announced a Sh513 million half-year profit.

The growth represents a 102% rebound from the Ksh.21.7 billion loss that the airline posted in a similar period last year.

What many Kenyans didnt know is that the airline allegedly manipulated the accounts to please the Kenya Kwanza Alliance government (its largest shareholder) and to distract Kenyans from the potential takeover of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) by Adani Holdings.

Yes it is not the actual account of Kenya Airways but you know the government has a major stake here and it makes decisions, said one accounting intern who requested anonymity.

The source also revealed that Kenya Airways management has been under pressure from the State House to present the airline as profitable, despite ongoing losses amounting to billions.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Tuesday, August 20, 2024  Kenyans were treated to some drama yesterday after businessman and politician Jimi Wanjigi arrived at Nairobi Area Regional Police Headquarters for grilling.

This is after Wanjigi clashed with police officers who were ordering him to enter his car as journalists stood by anticipating to interview him.

A seemingly infuriated Wanjigi confronted the officers, clearly displeased by the incident.

"Do not order me and do not touch me. Have respect," Wanjigi told one of the officers.

The police officer kept on pressing the Safina Party leader to enter the vehicle, but Wanjigi stood his ground, saying, "What if I don't enter?"

The officer then later pleaded with Wanjigi before he finally agreed to enter the vehicle.

The businessman had arrived for grilling over alleged funding of the Gen Z-led anti-government protests that rocked the country previously.

Wanjigi has admitted to funding the Gen Zs to destabilize President William Rutos government.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - Former Donald Trump's staffer, Anthony Scaramucci has revealed the reasons he thinks the Republican politician would lose to Kamala Harris in the U.S. Presidential election in November.

Veteran Fox News analyst, Brit Hume joined the Mooch and veteran GOP pollster Frank Luntz as Republicans expressed concerns about Trump's campaign on Sunday.

Scaramucci, who spent 11 days as White House Press Secretary in 2017, has turned anti-Trump, and said Sunday that he thinks his old boss is headed for defeat in November.

'I predict he's gonna lose because he's getting boring. He's getting old. He's getting tired,' he told Fox 5 DC.

He noted that while Trump remained a strong candidate, America has different demographics than when he shocked the world defeating Hillary Clinton eight years ago.

'The electorate has changed since 2016,' he added. 'We've lost over 20 million baby boomers since 2016.'

'At the same time, Generation Z has come into the fold to the tune of 40 million. So that's been a big mixture of lower aged voters into the mix. And they seem interested in politics.'

Also on Sunday, Fox News' veteran conservative commentator Hume was responding to a poll that said 65% of Americans were dissatisfied with the state of the country.

Why, he was asked, is Trump starting to lose ground in polls to Harris? Hume said bluntly: 'Because he's Trump.'

'When you get down to it, the past eight to 10 years have been about Donald Trump. Everything has been about Donald Trump,' he added.

The latest polling average from Real Clear Politics shows that Harris has a 1.4 percent lead over Trump.

'Donald Trump, no matter how enthusiastic his supporters are, nonetheless, is not a majority candidate. He might win, but he's not a majority candidate,' he said.

Hume claimed that Trump had a hardcore base but that it didn't make up more than 40-45 percent of voters.




Tuesday, August 20, 2024  Former Prime Minister Raila Odingas diehard supporter Nuru Okanga is over the moon.

This is after he received a generous gift from Kapsaret Member of Parliament and President William Rutos friend Oscar Sudi.

Sudi extended a generous hand to Nuru Okanga, gifting him a 3-bedroomed house and a cash token of Ksh1.3 million.

The heartwarming gesture was made public during a candid sit-down on the popular Obinna show, where Sudi demonstrated his commitment to uplifting the lives of those in need.

During the interview, Sudi expressed his desire to see Okanga, who has been a vocal supporter of political causes, start a new chapter in life.

The lawmaker instructed Okanga to find a suitable 3-bedroomed house within one of Nairobi's ongoing affordable housing projects, emphasizing the importance of choosing a location that would best serve his family's needs.

"Do you want KSh 1.3 million? Give me your account, and I will deposit the money for you. Not immediately; I will do it later. However, regarding what I have arranged for you, do this: go and look for a house under the affordable housing scheme; find a three-bedroom house."

"And I want you to go to Kibera or Mukuru Kwa Njenga and look for a three-bedroom house. I have bought this for you as if I bought it for the children, and you should now start life and continue. Go and furnish everything. There is no place where affordable housing has not been launched," Sudi stated.

In addition to the house, Sudi requested Okanga's bank account details, promising to deposit Ksh1.3 million to further support him.

"That's what I thought I should help you with so that you understand matters of money. Go and look, then come to my office tomorrow; there is a lawyer there who will guide you, explain the options, and help you find a house I can buy for you, even if it takes a year to complete.

"We will find one that is ready, and I will give you KSh 1.3 million, and then we will see," the MP stated.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - An insider has written to Robert Alai revealing the plight of about 300 employees of Standard Media Group who were fired at night.

Read the post.

Hi Alai, Please bring this to the attention of Kenyans. Many Kenyans are aware that a few days ago, a content creator threatened to commit suicide at the Standard Group offices because of salary arrears - stretching to eight months.

The man who had climbed up the storey building was immediately paid and the company issued a statement immediately. Look at the extent he had to go to get his dues.

So here is the story about the Standard. On Tuesday, 30th July, 2024 at 11PM, the Standard Group shared a statement that said it was planning to lay off 300 employees under the guise of redundancy.

This came as a shock to many and some were not aware until the next morning as the statement was shared when they were asleep.

"The redundancy notice takes effect upon expiry of the one-month notice issued today (July 31, 2024) and is expected to affect more than 300 employees across various departments. All the affected employees will be duly informed in writing," the company said.

On Wednesday, July 31st, people reported to work. At around 3PM, people started receiving letters from the HR. Less than 16 hours since issuing the statement.

The employees were sent on leave immediately. Even those who were at work were required to vacate.

As Management seeks to effect the changes in the review process, you are required to proceed on leave with immediate effect as from 31st July 2024.

"Further communication will be shared with you as the organizational reviews take place. BY ORDER OF THE BOARD, the email from the HR read in part.

They had no option but to leave. They went home in numbers. My sister who we depend on entirely as we are still in school came home unable to talk. She was in tears and that broke me down. Why am I writing this?

1. The Standard Group sent home the 300 employees, sent them on mandatory leave. This did not come with any notice.

They forced them to go home without outlining how long the leave was to last.

2. The Standard Group forced my sister and her colleagues on leave so that the company would not compensate their leave days.

3. The Standard Group immediately deactivated their work emails yet they are still employees. They are still in company WhatsApp groups seeing people planning life after them - Mental Torture.

4. The company deactivated their access. Their job tags which they use to open the gates stopped working that evening. Those who tried to gain access to the premises to pick up their stuff from the lockers were repulsed by a contingent of police officers.

Why treat your employees as thugs? Employees who have stood by you when you were sinking. This serves as a reminder, to never be loyal to an employer.

5. These people were sent on mandatory leave without any pay. They were sent home without any salary or even half of it. Speaking to my sister, she has not been paid for six months and counting.

Who sends you away end month without even a shilling? Why cant they pay them and let them go? My sister does not know what her fate is. She does not know if she will ever get her money.

She has suffered for that company to the extent ni kama anakuwa mwenda wazimu. Currently, our house is being locked. Hana pesa na pia mimi bado niko shule.

Worse off she has been so quiet and drinking herself out with the cheapest of liquor. Juzi we had to rush her to hospital. She has no medical cover, no nothing. Not even NHIF. The company does not remit NHIF, NSSF, PAYE.

Hawa wasee wanaishi kama mbuzi.

They have no savings, no cover, no nothing. Wakigongwa kwa barabara hakuna tofauti na mbuzi.

Tafadhali, let us call out that company. We need justice for our siblings. If they want to sack them, wawalipe waende. They have not refused. Just pay them and let them go.

Many men in that company have lost their families.

They have been divorced.

Some have sent their children back home.

Do all the employees need to go and pull drama before being paid?

The new CEO is also quiet on this. Sad. Oooh Standard!!! Lipeni watu.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.






Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - Almost four years after the gruesome m8rder of two Johannesburg businesswomen who were killed in a hail of bullets, their killers, including the husband of one of the victims, have been given life sentences.

The Limpopo High Court Polokwane on Friday, August 16, 2024, sentenced Stanley Thabo Leshabane (58), Mbekelezi Ndodo Buthelezi (28), Emmanuel Thembelani Dlamini(33), and Bhekizenzo Sfiso Phiyose(36), to life imprisonment on two counts of m8rder and Ndodo was sentenced to three years on two counts of possession of firearms and one year on count of ammunition.

On 10 October 2020, around Polokwane Industrial area, near Zune street the deceased persons, Chartered accountant, Makoena Mabusela-Leshabane and her business partner, Tebogo Mphuti were shot and k!lled while seating inside a Mercedes-Benz by hitmen hired by the deceased Makoena's husband, Stanley Leshabane. The two deceased were inspecting a certain property.

The state led evidence of 22 witnesses in an attempt to prove its case. Evidence was led that on the 10 October 2020, the two deceased met with an estate agent at Zune Street in Polokwane.

The estate agent testified that she met with the deceased and they were viewing a property that they wanted to rent for purposes of a business. After the deceased viewed the building, they went to their vehicle.

She further testified that she saw three African male approaching the deceased vehicle. They were carrying something that looked like firearms and they started shooting at the two deceased who were sitting inside the motor vehicle.

Another state witness Dipenaar testified that he heard gun shots near the property where he was working. After hearing the shots, he observed and saw the estate agent trying to reverse her car.

He further saw three guys running towards the maroon car which was moving slowly. They entered inside the maroon vehicle and it sped off. The investigating officer W/O Kotze testified that they investigated near the crime scene and found that the buildings nearby had CCTV cameras.

After viewing the CCTV cameras, he requested an expert to download it and proceeded to investigate at the toll gates. The investigations established that the accused vehicle passed through the toll gates. The witness applied for section 205 of Act 51 of 1977 to obtain the registration number of the accused's car.

Thereafter, they applied to various tracking companies to ascertain if the car has a tracking device. The police received a tracker report of the accused's vehicle.

It was discovered that the car was owned by Richard Zulu. Richard Zulu died before the commencement of the trial. Several police witnesses proceeded to the address where the car used to park on a daily basis. Further, they used GPS coordinates which led them to the arrests of Ndondo Buthelezi, Thembelani Dlamini and Sfiso Phiyose.

During the arrest of Zulu, Dlamini, Buthelezi and Phiyose, their cellphones were confiscated by the police. The witnesses testified that during the investigations, they established that the deceased vehicle was fitted with a tracking report and they applied for the report.

The state led evidence of two experts from tracking companies. They testified that the vehicle of the accused followed that of the deceased from the hotel where the deceased slept until to the crime scene.

The state led evidence of cellphone expert and he testified that from Gauteng the cellphone of the Dlamini, Zulu and Phiyose moved parralel with the car that was spotted at the crime scene. The cellphone records of the accused activated the towers from Germiston on the 10 October 2020 and proceeded to activate various towers along the way to Polokwane.

The accused and one deceased cellphone activated the same tower at the crime scene almost before they were killed. Immediately after, the cellphone activated the towers along the way until Germiston.

The state led evidence of Mamphoka who testified that Zulu called him on the 10 October 2020 during the day and confessed to him that he is from Polokwane to kill the wife of Leshabane.





He further testified that Stanley Leshabane contracted him to k!ll his wife and kept on insisting to do so. The state led evidence during trial within a trial of the confession of Stanley Leshabane.

The confession statement was admitted as evidence and on the confession Leshabane narrated the planning of the offense. Stanley Leshabane handed a photograph of the deceased, registration number and location of the deceased to the accused. He paid them a deposit of R5000 to k!l his wife. The total amount agreed upon for the killing was R65 000

The cellphone expert testified about exchange of incoming and outgoing calls amongst the accused persons. The accused in their defense alleged that they did not know each other.

The state further led evidence of ballistic expert, and during the evidence it was established that the firearm that was found in possession of accused Buthelezi is not the firearm that fired the cartridges recovered at the crime scene.

The court accepted the evidence of the state witnesses and rejected the evidence of the accused. The court convicted all the accused of murder of both Makoena Mabusela Leshabane and Tebogo Mphuti.

The accused Ndondo Buthelezi was convicted on the charges of possession of firearms and ammunition, Leshabane, Dlamini and Phiyose were acquitted on possession of firearms and ammunitions charges.

The Court Preparation Officer (CPO), Morongwe Moifo gave emotional support to the witnesses in court. Two Victim Impact Statement were facilitated and completed. Witnesses were brave to take the stand to tell the court about the impact of crime suffered as the results.

In aggravation of sentence, the stepson of Leshabane testified that himself and his siblings are surviving by getting counselling and the children are asking themselves why their mom was killed.

Senior State advocate George Sekhukhune argued that the crime was carefully planned. The accused choose the location far away from Gauteng where the deceased was residing. They carefully planned the execution location so that they may not be easily traced.

He further argued that the community of ga-Matlala suffered a great loss by not getting the library. The deceased Makoena was providing jobs to the community when she hired people to work at her event company and also dedicated her R300 to the orphanage to support children who were left behind by their parents.

Furthermore, her minor children are surviving by receiving trauma counselling bi-weekly at their school. He further argued that gravity of the offence is far outweighed the personal circumstances of the accused persons. He concluded by saying that the court should not deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence.

The Judge Geriet Muller sentenced the accused persons to direct life imprisonment.

The NPA welcomed the sentence and the Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Ivy Thenga said that the punishment fits the crime and justice has been prevailed.

Adv. Thenga further commended the investigating team which was led by Captain Richard Boshomane and Adv. Sekhukhune.




Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - The Supreme Court has temporarily suspended the decision by the Court of Appeal that declared the Finance Act 2023 unconstitutional.

In a ruling on Tuesday, Chief Justice Martha Koome-led court granted a stay of the lower court's decision, allowing the Finance Act 2023 to remain in force.

A conservatory order is hereby issued suspending and staying the declarations in Orders iii, iv, vi, vii & ix(i) issued in the Court of Appeal judgment dated 31st July 2024 in Civil Appeals Nos. E003, E016, E021, E049, E064 & E080 of 2024 (Consolidated) pending the hearing and determination of the consolidated appeal before this Court," read part of the ruling.

The consolidated appeal is scheduled to be heard on September 10 and 11, 2024, starting at 9:00 a.m. on both dates

Reacting to the ruling, renowned Nairobi lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi stated the Supreme Court is a graveyard of cases since the judges are bribed to rule in favour of the bribe giver.

In the Supreme Court of Kenya... You can't overcome JurisPESA. Don't waste your time.

"Unfortunately, great judgments of the Court of Appeal are buried at the Supreme Court, Ahmednasir wrote on his X (formally Twitter).

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohammed has refuted claims that President William Ruto was using the same woman in launching multiple products.

In the last five days, a section of Kenyans called out the Head of State, accusing him of using the same face over and over and blaming him for hoodwinking them in project launches.

Hussein dismissed the claims as fake, providing photo evidence of different women the president met and had tea with in their homes.

"Do not mislead Kenyans Dictator Watch (an X account) and others. Its not true that same woman was at different locations of the Presidents development tours," he stated and presented the facts.

In his explanation, Hussein revealed that the President met Ruth Moraa, whose face had gone viral, on August 13 when Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) upgraded her posho mill by installing an electric motor.

Moraa was in the company of her husband William in Kisii County.

On the day of the visit, two photos were taken of the Head of State having breakfast with the couple and then inspecting the posho mill.

"Same homestead; different photos; having breakfast, Mama Moraas posho meal & family photo. She was not in Embu," she explained.

In a separate set of photos, the spokesperson revealed that Ruto visited the family of Mama Lydia during the commissioning of the Last Mile Projects in Mbeere North at Cianthia village in Embu County on August 7.

"The project serves 171 households, Cianthia Primary School, and Cianthia Secondary School. See photos below," he added.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - Kanye West is showing support for Donald Trump again and this time he and wife Bianca Censori made a surprise appearance at a Donald Trump rally in Beverly Hills, California.

According to a TikTok video shared by a Trump supporter who attended the rally on Saturday, August 17, the Gold Digger rapper and his wife pulled up to the gathering in his Tesla Cybertruck.

Fans who were waving Make America Great Again flags quickly flocked to the couples vehicle and were shocked to see West and Censori inside.

In the clip, the Yeezy founder spoke to the crowd but his words could not be heard over the screaming fans.

Meanwhile, Censori, 29, seemed uncomfortable as she sat in the passenger seat, looking away from the crowd.

After a few seconds, West quickly drove off as the fans screamed, We love you, Kanye!

Though West, 47, has been quiet about the upcoming presidential election between Kamala Harris and Trump, 78, he previously threw his support behind the former president.

In 2016, Kanye told the crowd at his San Jose, California, concert that if he had voted, he would have cast a ballot for Trump.

Over the years, West has also rocked the red Make America Great Again and visited Trump at the White House to discuss prison reform and other issues.

In 2022, Trump slammed Kanye West for inviting far-right activist Nick Fuentes to the former presidents Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida for dinner.

At the time, Trump called Kanye a "seriously troubled man".

So I help a seriously troubled man, who just happens to be black, Ye, who has been decimated in his business and virtually everything else, the politician wrote on Truth Social at the time, and who has always been good to me, by allowing his request for a meeting at Mar-a-Lago, alone, so that I can give him very much needed advice.

Trump added: He shows up with 3 people, two of which I didnt know, the other a political person who I havent seen in years. I told him dont run for office, a total waste of time, cant win. Fake News went CRAZY!

West reportedly asked Trump to be his 2024 running mate at the dinner.
Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - The main suspect behind the Kware killings in Nairobi, Collins Jumaisi, has escaped from the Gigiri Police Station.

Jumaisi, along with 12 other suspects, escaped police custody on Tuesday morning.

Police came to know of it as they woke up the suspects in custody for morning tea.

They had cut a wire mesh that forms part of security to the cells and scaled a perimeter wall to escape.

Director of DCI Mohamed Amin confirmed the incident, saying a fresh hunt had been launched for the suspects.

It is unfortunate this has happened but we are pursuing the matter for action, he said.

Top police officers rushed to the scene upon receiving the news.

Jumaisi was a top and high-value suspect and had been remanded there pending plea taking on Friday.

Police sources said the escape appeared to be an inside job.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - A Milwaukee woman who confessed to killing a man she claimed trafficked her has been sentenced to 11 years in prison Monday in Kenosha.

Kenosha County Judge David Wilk sentenced 24-year-old Chrystul Kizer to an additional five years of state supervision after she pleaded guilty in May to a count of reckless homicide in Randall P. Volar's June 2018 death.

Kizer was 17 when she killed the 34-year-old Volar in Kenosha.

Kizers case has attracted national attention, with advocates for survivors of sexual trafficking supporting her and pushing for the charges to be dropped.

The court is well aware of your circumstances surrounding your relationship with Mr. Volar, Wilk said as he delivered his sentence.

You are not permitted to be the instrument of his reckoning. To hold otherwise is to endorse a descent into lawlessness and chaos.

At the hearing, Kizers mother spoke of the difficult upbringing the family had when they moved from Indiana to Milwaukee.

Chrystul, who her attorney said was baptized recently in prison, invoked the Bible in a written statement read to the court, quoting the Book of Genesis and Psalms.

I dont know where to start, but Im asking for your generosity in my sentence today. I understand that I committed sins that put the Volar family in a lot of pain, she said.

The prosecutor and defense attorney offered their telling of how the incident came to pass in the hearing.

Kizers defense attorney, Jennifer Bias, pointed to her adverse childhood, the effects of trafficking and how it affects Black women specifically when asking for a gentle sentence. Advocates and the legal team have said she lashed out after years of being trafficked by Volar.

At the hearing, Bias said Volar paid her bail for a prior offense and used it as leverage to traffic her to other men at a hotel in Milwaukee. Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley disputed the idea during his statement, saying no electronic evidence existed proving that.

There is no other conclusion to draw from the evidence that is available to us in this matter involving (the two) that Chrystul is a sex trafficking victim, Bias said.

Graveley said Kizer had acted out of a grab for notoriety and for material gain. Graveley said texts, social media videos, and other statements from others suggested Kizer acted for those purposes.

He did not recommend any length of prison time, just asked Kizer receive some length of imprisonment.

We in no way ask the court to consider Mr. Volar to be blameless in this case, Graveley said. The fact that he is not blameless as a victim in no way excuses the conduct.

Judge Wilk also issued an order that Kizer receive about a year and a half of credit for time served during her case. This means she will be in prison for just under 10 years.

Kizer was just 17 when she initially was charged in the case with first-degree intentional homicide and the case garnered significant international attention through its six years.

Claudine OLeary, an independent sexual trafficking survivor consultant who worked with Kizer and attended the hearing, said she was saddened by the sentencing.

She has worked for the last several months to organize community resources Kizer could rely on if released into the community.

The Wisconsin prison system does not have adequate resources to support survivors of sexual trafficking, she said.

OLeary also said she works with many trafficking survivors who already dont trust the court system and Mondays sentencing would worsen that.

Theyre getting from the court system is to say My life doesnt matter if I defend myself, I have to be prepared to go to prison, she said. Theres just a profound lack of understanding of the kind of harm that people actually experience.

At the hearing, Kizers defense attorney said Kizer was first trafficked at 16, when she posted an ad on a website later seized by the FBI as a forum for prostitution. It offered her money she used to buy food for her siblings, she said.

Kizer's previously said she didn't know who would respond since she was new to the site and had to have another girl show her how to use it.

Anti-violence groups jumped to Kizers defense, arguing in court briefs that trafficking victims feel trapped and sometimes feel as if they have to take matters into their own hands.




Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - NARC Kenya Party Leader Martha Karua may be considering rejoining Azimio after leaving the coalition due to Raila Odingas perceived betrayal.

This is after she hosted Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka in Kirinyaga County.

Kalonzo was accompanied by MPs Gathoni Wamuchomba and Jessica Mbalu, Eugene Wamalwa, and other leaders.

"It was wonderful sharing a cup of tea with my good friend Martha Karua and her parents in Kimunye, Kirinyaga County after a blessed Church Service and wonderful interaction with the people of Kagia," Kalonzo stated.

The leaders held a meeting before they proceeded to tour Kirinyaga County.

At the same time, a faction of leaders who had accompanied Kalonzo earlier said that they would work with the former vice president since Raila Odinga was going to the AU.

"I can clearly say that Raila has decided to go to AU, we wish him well, we are not going to work without him.

"We shall remain with those who are crying that the country is headed in the wrong direction, it is not in doubt where we are going because the leader of Azimio is with us here and is Kalonzo Musyoka," Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni said.

The Azimio team affirmed that they would not join the government despite Raila working closely with President William Ruto under the broad-based government.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Tuesday, August 20, 2024  ODM leaders have defended Raila Odinga against accusations that he lied about former President Uhuru Kenyatta asking him to join President William Rutos government.

This is after other Azimio leaders, led by Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka, refuted Railas allegations that Uhuru encouraged him to support Ruto to quell the Gen Z protests.

ODM warned Kalonzo, Jeremiah Kioni, and Eugene Wamalwa to stop using Raila as a human shield to cover their party problems.

As a party, we will not accept any continued attempt to use Raila Odinga as a human shield and any continued attempt to arm-twist him into endorsing anybody at this stage or any continued attempt to use him as an excuse of the failure of leadership in individual constituent parties of Azimio, Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga stated.

Wanga, who was confirmed as ODM's chairperson, asserted that they are still in the opposition and that their involvement with the Government does not mean they have ceased being in Azimio.

Led by Jubilees Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni and Democratic Action Partys (DAP) leader Eugene Wamalwa, the Kalonzo-led faction has dismissed Raila as the leader of the opposition after joining the government.

They questioned how one can oversight a government they are in.

"They warned politicians supporting the Government to stop invoking the name of Uhuru Kenyatta to gain validation from the public.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - A 72-year-old Ohio man has been taken into custody twenty years after he was charged in a 2004 shooting death, and allegedly fled the country.

Antonio Riano, 72, has been on Ohio's "Most Wanted" list for 20 years now, since the 2004 shooting death of Benjamin Becarra, 25.

Riano's story was told on TV's America's Most Wanted in 2005 but he continued to evade law enforcement for nearly two more decades, even as he worked as one of them.

On August 1, 2024, Riano was finally arrested and taken in after US Marshals reported finding him working as a police officer in his hometown of Zapotitlan Palmas, State of Oaxaca, Mexico.

Riano was wanted for homicide by the Butler County Sheriff's Office after the December 2004 shooting, but allegedly fled to Mexico to avoid prosecution.

According to the US Marshals Service, the sheriff's office partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of International Affairs, who then worked with law enforcement in Mexico to arrest and extradite Riano.

He is now being held Butler County Jail without bond pending additional court proceedings.

"The United States Marshal Service, through our violent fugitive task forces, assists our state and local law enforcement partners to apprehend the areas most dangerous fugitives," said US Marshal Michael D. Black in the statement.

"This arrest is the result of the ongoing sharing of information between the agencies and the determination of the investigators who refused to give up on this case."

Dubbed "The Devil" as his story was featured on AMW, Riano's trail went cold after US Marshals attempted to capture him with a 2006 warrant.

They'd tracked him to his mother's house in Mexico, but by the time Marshals arrived, Riano was no longer there.

The cold case picked up heat in January 2024 when the Butler County Prosecutor's Office received its reapplication for the provisional warrant.

At that time, Chief Investigator Paul Newton and his team used social media, including Facebook, to track Riano down. While purportedly working as a police officer in Mexico, according to the US Marshals' release, Riano had left behind a wife and three kids in Hamilton, Ohio.

Newton said Riano "has been the most challenging just in the simple fact that he really dug in then and went underground."

After the 2006 attempt failed, Newton said Riano moved again.

"We really didnt see any evidence of him until 2023," he said. "I think he thought he was home free."

Now that he's captured, Riano is facing two counts of murder and felony assault charges for the December 19, 2004 shooting of Becarra outside the Roadhouse Bar.

Police say they found the gun used in the shooting in a hidden compartment under the kitchen floor of Riano's apartment in Hamilton with bullets beside it.

Riano reportedly tried to step in to help a bartender after Becarra was asked to leave the premises since he'd been part of a fight there a few weeks back. As Riano and Becarra allegedly began to argue, the bartender purportedly asked them to take the dispute outside.

Shortly after, gunshots were heard and Becarra was found lying face down on the sidewalk. Surveillance footage at the time showed Riano leaving the scene, but authorities were unable to locate him.




Tuesday, August 20, 2024  ODM Senator Richard Onyonka has admitted former Prime Minister Raila Odingas role in the government of President William Ruto.

This comes even as Raila is still flip-flopping whether or not he has joined Rutos government.

Speaking during an interview, Onyonka openly acknowledged that ODM is indeed running the government.

He dismissed the notion that ODM had merely "donated" some of its members to the government as Raila Odinga claimed.

"ODM is in government. Its no longer just a rumour. As an oversight officer, it's difficult to know how to navigate this situation because I still have to oversee the government, including our own members like John Mbadi," Onyonka stated.

Similar sentiments were echoed by UDA MP Geofrey Ruku, who emphasized the significance of ODM's involvement, pointing to President Ruto's decision to hand the Treasury docket to John Mbadi.

ODM is running the government. It is part of the government.

"As some of you know, Treasury is one of the critical documents of any government in the world.

"Whether it is the Kenyan government or the United States of America government, the Treasury is a key component, a very critical docket of running government affairs. You understand the PSS and other CSs queue at the Treasury, asserted Ruku.

The controversy surrounding ODMs involvement in the government has thrown the Opposition into disarray.

The canceled Azimio Council meeting, which was set to address the partys role in the government, has only added fuel to the fire.

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta, who was supposed to lead the meeting, was forced to switch to a virtual format after ODM members refused to participate.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - Kapsaret Member of Parliament, Oscar Sudi, has pledged to assist Raila Odingas diehard supporter Nuru Okanga in starting a business and securing a new home for his family.

Sudi was hosted on Obinnas show alongside Okanga, where he promised to provide him with Ksh 1.3 million to venture into business and a house worth Ksh 3 million.

Of the Sh1.3 million in funding, Sh300,000 will be allocated to open a salon for his wife.

The remainder will be invested in ventures such as a posho mill and a car wash in Okangas rural home.

Sudi advised Okanga to focus on growing one business at a time.

No matter how clever you are, you cannot successfully launch multiple businesses simultaneously.

"You must nurture one business until it is sustainable before moving on to another. I will provide the funds, but you need to heed my advice. Dont let money cloud your judgment, Sudi said

Additionally, Sudi will purchase a three-bedroom house for Okangas family under the Affordable Housing Program.

He instructed Okanga to go and look for a house of his choice and then liaise with a lawyer.

Go and look, then come to my office tomorrow; there is a lawyer there who will guide you, explain the options, and help you find a house I can buy for you, even if it takes a year to complete, Sudi said.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.




Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has reportedly snubbed a meeting convened by Azimio One Kenya Alliance chairman, former President Uhuru Kenyatta, to address issues affecting the opposition coalition.

The meeting was scheduled to begin at 4 pm on Monday, but instead, some of Raila Odinga's loyalists held a press conference at 1 pm, strongly warning against any attempt to remove Raila as the Azimio party leader.

Uhuru was to lead a physical meeting in Nairobi, but since he was not available, he opted for a Zoom meeting.

Representatives of major parties affiliated with the coalition party, including Wiper, Jubilee, DAP-K, KANU, and PNU, were on hand.

But hours before the Zoom meeting, the other affiliate parties were stunned to get wind of the hard-hitting news conference in which ODM officials led by Chairperson Gladys Wanga said they were not aware of the Azimio meeting and warned against any attempts to oust Raila from the coalition partys leadership.

Raila lieutenants insisted only the Azimio Council Secretary General Junet Mohamed had the powers to convene the meeting.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - House Republicans on Monday, August 19 issued a blistering report accusing President Biden of committing at least two offenses that would justify his impeachment, just hours before he speaks on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention.

Republicans launched the investigation last September after evidence came out that Biden, 81, repeatedly interacted with his relatives foreign business partners during his vice presidency and following allegations from two IRS investigators of a far-reaching Justice Department coverup.

Biden engaged in abuse of power and obstruction of justice or obstruction of Congress by corruptly abetting and concealing a $27 million influence-peddling racket which warrant proceedings that could result in his removal from office, the 291-page report by three House committees says.

Joe Biden has exhibited conduct and taken actions that the Founders sought to guard against in drafting the impeachment provisions in the Constitution: abuse of power, foreign entanglements, corruption, and obstruction of investigations into these matters, the report says.

The Committees investigative work has revealed that the Biden family  with the full knowledge and cooperation of President Biden  has engaged in a global influence peddling racket from which they made millions of dollars.

The congressional impeachment inquiry kicked off in September 2023, and the US House of Representatives ratified it by a partisan vote in December 2023, with all Republican lawmakers voting it through.

It compiled interview transcripts from 30 witnesses, involved the issuing of another 30 subpoenas to compel testimony and resulted in millions of pages of business contracts, bank records and other documents.

The report accuses Biden of aiding the shady business ventures of first son Hunter, 54, and first brother James Biden, 75, and then attempting to cover the familys tracks by resisting oversight from Congress.

Biden, who announced his retirement July 21 after a Democratic mutiny over his mental state, knowingly participated in a conspiracy to monetize his office of public trust to enrich his family during and after his time as vice president in the Obama administration, the report says.

Joe Bidens participation in his familys influence peddling represents  as quantified by sheer dollar amounts flowing to a public officials personal interests  one of the most egregious abuses of power uncovered in the history of the United States, it alleges.

As much as $18 million allegedly flowed from foreign entities to shell companies and other accounts linked to first family members from corrupt dealings that sold the Biden brand to associates in Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Russia and China.

Biden family associates including former Hunter Biden business partners that testified to the panels got another $9 million in profits.

The president met, spoke on the phone and at times dined with the foreign patrons, implying to them that in exchange for the payments they had access to Joe Biden that could project their business interests, the report by the House Oversight, Judiciary and tax-focused Ways & Means Committees says.

Biden is not expected to be impeached by the House where Republicans hold a narrow 220-212 mainly because of the diminished political relevance now that Biden has dropped his bid for a second term.

Some of the foreign dealings are likely to be probed in detail next month at Hunters federal tax trial in Los Angeles for allegedly evading $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019.

Those charges and a gun felony case in Delaware, which resulted in Hunters conviction June 11, were brought after IRS agents Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler alleged preferential treatment of the first family and false testimony to Congress by Attorney General Merrick Garland about the independence of a years-old probe.

Hunter initially agreed to a probation-only plea deal, but walked away from it last July over demands for broader immunity, including for alleged foreign-agent counts that could implicate his dad.

The Republican report serves as a blemish to the legacy of the chief executive who has repeatedly claimed in public that he never spoke about business with his son or brother and that he did not interact with their business partners despite a trove of evidence suggesting otherwise.

The report says that [t]he Biden familys influence peddling was vast and involved entities and individuals from some of Americas greatest adversaries, such as China and Russia.

Clearly aware of the political risks associated with Joe Bidens participation in this scheme, the Biden family and their business associates sought to conceal his involvement by funneling money through an extensive network of shell or third parties companies, using code names, and engaging in other obfuscatory tactics designed to maintain, as James Biden described, plausible deniability,' it says.

The Committees present this information to the House of Representatives for its evaluation and consideration of appropriate next steps.

Democrats have argued that Biden did nothing wrong and that hes just a more than a supportive father to his son Hunter, who has struggled with addiction to alcohol and drugs, while pointing out that members of other first families have had dealings with state-linked foreign firms during or shortly after their powerful relative held office.




Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - Veteran lawyer, Joe Khaminwa, has accused President William Ruto of returning the country to the dark days of late Dictator Daniel Arap Moi.

This follows the arrest of businessman Jimi Wanjigi on Monday, despite a court order barring his arrest.

Wanjigi was arrested for not renewing his firearm licenses and was detained at the notorious Kamukunji Police Station.

While addressing the press on Monday, Khaminwa said the country is returning to the era of 'arbitrary' arrests.

"Those orders are still in force but what is happening now is despicable.

"The things happening are those which used to happen during past administrations which I thought as a country we have now got over, but it appears as if we are going back to that era," Khaminwa added.

At around 4:20 pm on Monday, Wanjigi posted on his X account that the police were detaining him.

The DCI has illegally arrested me despite numerous court orders barring the same arrest, he said.

Police had on August 8, tried to arrest him at his Muthaiga home in vain.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp, has responded to concern raised by Kenyan musician and content creator Michael Bundi over the monetization program rollout promise in Kenya beginning early this month.

President William Ruto had announced that the program would be rolled out on August 6, 2024, following his meeting with Meta chiefs at State House a few months ago.

Beginning today, Kenyan content creators can monetize their videos on Meta platforms.

"We urge our creatives to take advantage of this opportunity to not only enhance their incomes but also create job opportunities for others.

"We will continue to seek more opportunities for our youth to explore their talents. the president stated on August 6.

On Sunday, August 18, Bundi shared his frustrations over an email he received from Meta, indicating that the monetization program was not yet available in Kenya.

Hi Michael, thank you for contacting us again. At the moment, you are pre-registered for ad breaks.

"Your country is not supported at this time but the program is expanding! You will automatically gain access if we expand to your country. The email read.

Expressing his disappointment, Bundi reacted, Unfortunately, the in-stream ads monetization announced by William Ruto and Moon Baz has not taken effect in Kenya.

"This is the latest message I have received from Facebook. As a creator, I am very disappointed. No words!

Moon Baz acknowledged the issue and assured users that the company was addressing it.

We are looking into this, Baz responded to Bundi, without offering any timelines.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.




Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - It is now emerging that a senior Government Official reportedly asked NIS detectives to investigate the loss of $8 million (Ksh 1 billion) from his Equity Bank account on July 10.

The brief given to top officials of NIS at the Ruaraka headquarters was that unknown people had hacked into the personal account of the senior official and siphoned the cash.

The money, according to security forces, had been converted into bitcoins and then moved into different offshore accounts.

Coincidentally, Ksh 1.5 billion was fraudulently withdrawn from the bank on the same day the senior government official lost his money.

Its not however clear whether the two incidents are related.

In the Ksh 1.5 billion heist, court documents reveal that the internal control department detected a flurry of suspect transactions from the banks salaries account.

According to the DCI, there were 47 withdrawals from the banks payroll account and the funds were quickly transferred to multiple accounts held in other banks.

All the transactions lacked corresponding credits from the source entities or individuals, which raised suspicion from the internal controls team reviewing the transactions for confirmation details.

The Head of Security Kevin Mwangi reported the matter to the Banking Fraud Investigation Unit at the DCI.

David Machiri Kimani, Equity Banks manager at the Group Processing Centre, Salary Processing Unit, was questioned by DCI after his credentials were used to conduct the heist.

He was taken to court and released on bond.

Machiri was later abducted by suspected NIS operatives from his home in Thogoto Kiambu and his whereabouts remain unknown.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.




Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - Orange Democratic Movement(ODM) Secretary General, Edwin Sifuna, has asked the Judiciary to stand firm and stop criminals from ignoring court orders.

Sifuna, reacting to the Monday arrest of businessman Jimi Wanjigi, stated that there were existing court orders barring his arrest, which should have been respected.

Sifuna, who is also the Nairobi County Senator, said disobeying these orders is a violation of the Constitution of Kenya.

He went on to call on the Judiciary to ensure the businessman was released immediately.

"I dont like #Wanjigi. But I like court orders and the rule of law.

"There are existing court orders barring this arrest.

"The Kenyan Judiciary must set him free immediately after he is presented to them," Sifuna said on X.

Wanjigi was Monday arrested and detained at Kamukunji Police Station despite having obtained orders to stop his arrest.

The businessman's arrest was related to a revoked firearms license, which the Firearms Licensing Board had allegedly requested him to return.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed has addressed recent allegations surrounding the launch of the Metembe-Marani-Kegogi-Nyaore Road by President William Ruto during his visit to Kisii County.

The allegations, which have sparked debate on social media, were prominently raised by Lawyer Morara Kebaso, who accused local leaders of misleading the public about the project.

Kebaso, who has been actively verifying government projects across the country, expressed his concerns on social media, stating that local leaders were celebrating President Ruto for launching projects by the former head of state.

"Abagusii leaders were busy simping and praising Ruto like a Lord.

"This is Metembe-Marani-Kegogi-Nyaore Road. Launched in 2016 by Uhuru, launched again juzi when Ruto came to Kisii.

"Those leaders should stop playing with our minds. Which development did the president bring to Kisii? Tell us," Kebaso stated.

In response, Hussein Mohamed provided a detailed explanation of the road's history and the circumstances leading to its recent relaunch by Ruto.

According to Hussein, the 64.6 km road, which crisscrosses Kitutu Chache North and South constituencies in Kisii County, was initially awarded on May 11, 2016, with construction commencing on August 5, 2016, following its launch by then-President Uhuru Kenyatta.

However, Hussein clarified that the original contract was mutually terminated on May 16, 2023, due to the contractor's non-performance.

By the time of termination, only 27 km of the road had been completed, despite the 30-month contract period extending over 77 months.

The road was subsequently re-tendered, and a new contract was awarded on March 14, 2024, with works resuming on June 22, 2024.

The State House Spokesperson emphasized that the recent ceremony where Ruto relaunched the road was a formal event marking the commencement of the newly awarded contract.

"A project launch is often just a ceremonial event, and it sometimes occurs after works have already begun, hence the phrase OFFICIAL LAUNCH. Dont overly concern yourself with plaques," he noted.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - A taxi driver showed extraordinary reflexes preventing a 56-year-old woman from jumping off the Atal Setu Bridge, also known as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link in Mumbai, India.

The incident, which took place on Friday, August 16, was captured on the bridges security cameras.

The woman, identified by the police as Mulund resident Reema Mukesh Patel, was seen sitting dangerously on the edge of the bridges security barrier.

In camera footage, Patel is seen throwing an unidentified object into the sea, apparently ready to end it all.

Seconds later, she jumps off the edge, but the taxi driver, whose name has not been released, rushes towards her, grabbing her hair to prevent her from falling.

The taxi drivers quick action was supported by the immediate intervention of the traffic police in the vicinity, who helped get Patel safely back over the barrier.

Watch the video below.






Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - In a significant blow to the British retail landscape, Ted Baker, the once-celebrated clothing chain, will close its remaining 31 stores in the UK and Ireland, leading to job losses for more than 500 employees. The news was confirmed by the companys administrators on Monday, August 19.

The decision comes after Ted Baker entered administration in March due to mounting debts and challenging trading conditions across Europe. The consultancy firm Teneo, which is overseeing the administration process, announced that the store closures will begin on Tuesday, August 20, marking the end of the brands physical presence in the region.

This latest development follows the closure of 15 Ted Baker stores in Britain in April, which resulted in the loss of 245 jobs. The ongoing financial struggles of the brand have led to this unfortunate outcome, despite efforts to restructure and stabilize the business.

Ted Baker, founded in 1987, has been embroiled in crises for several years, including a damaging s3xual harassment scandal in 2019 involving its founder Ray Kelvin. The scandal, which led to Kelvin's resignation, severely impacted the brand's reputation and contributed to its financial difficulties.

The brand was acquired in 2022 by Authentic Brands Group (ABG) for 211 million ($268 million). ABG, which also owns Reebok and Juicy Couture, has been unable to turn the tide for Ted Baker, leading to the current closures.

Separate receivership proceedings are ongoing in continental Europe and North America, where Ted Baker still operates a few stores. The closures in the UK and Ireland mark a significant chapter in the brand's decline, leaving its future uncertain on the global stage.






Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - John Aprea, known for portraying a young Salvatore Sal Tessio in The Godfather Part II, has d!ed at the age of 83.

Aprea d!ed of natural causes on Monday, Aug. 5 in Los Angeles surrounded by his loved ones, his manager Will Levine confirmed to Fox News Digital.

I am very saddened by the dath of Mr. Aprea, Levine told Fox News Digital. He was an incredibly talented actor and loved by his friends. One of the classiest guys I knew.

Aprea was born to Italian immigrants in Englewood, New Jersey, in 1941, and landed his first break in the industry in the 1968 Steve McQueen classic San Francisco cop drama, Bullitt.

He then went on to play young Tessio in The Godfather Part II.

When cast for the role, Aprea reportedly phoned Abe Vigoda, who played the older version of the role in Part I, to ask for character insight.

Vigoda told Aprea, I dont know what I did. Just have a good time, kid.

In addition to soap opera dramas, Aprea starred in a number of crime sagas.

He worked for decades as Alexander Nikos and Lucas Castigliano on the long-running daytime hit, Another World.

In addition to his work as a tough guy, Aprea played John Stamos father on the family sitcom Full House.

Years later, he reprised his role when the series was picked up for a Netflix reboot for Fuller House.

Aprea is survived by his wife and partner of 25 years, Betsy Graci, daughter Nicole from a previous marriage, and stepchildren Marika Parker and Valentino Graci.




Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has tasked the multinationals to explain why they are opposed to the introduction of an eco levy.

In a statement, Mbadi noted that the eco levy was aimed at boosting responsible behaviour by manufacturers in preserving the environment.

He revealed that when the levy was introduced earlier this year, multinationals opposed the 10 percent imposition on imported goods, threatening to leave the country.

"They will tell us why they oppose us because you know, they are in business but we also have an interest as a country. This country is not a dumping place," Mbadi emphatically stated.

"We are saying that if you are injurious to the environment, then you must pay for helping make good the harm that you have caused."

The CS further assured the public that concerns raised by Gen Zs during the protests would be considered.

For instance, concerns about eco levy being applied to bread packaging and sanitary pads would be taken into account.

"In Eco Levy, we will target those areas that will not affect the common mwananchi (citizens)," he told the press.

"Eco levy has some meanings; we will just make sure that they are levied on those items which pollute the environment."

During the public participation process, the multinationals including a beverage maker argued that the eco levy would create a volatile environment.

That, in return, would lower investor trust in Kenya and affect their strategic planning.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - Newly appointed Orange Democratic Movement chairperson, Gladys Wanga, has warned former President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka against ousting Raila Odinga as Azimio leader.

Addressing the media on Monday, Wanga said there is an attempt by some individuals in Azimio to have the former Prime Minister endorse them.

The Homa Bay Governor also said the party will not allow the use of Railas AU bid to make ill-intentioned remarks on Azimio matters.

As a party, ODM will not accept any continued attempts to use Raila Odinga as a human shield, any continued attempt to arm-twist him into endorsing anybody at this stage, or any continued attempt to use him as an excuse for the failure of leadership in individual constituent parties of Azimio.

And we will not accept the use of Raila's bid for AUC chairmanship to be used to pass ill-intentioned remarks disguised as good wishes and to arm-twist him on Azimio matters, Wanga stated.

Uhuru and Kalonzo are said to be pressuring Raila Odinga to resign as Azimio party leader and concentrate on his AUC bid.

The Kenyan DAILY POST
I remember these words as if it were yesterday. Those memories are etched into my mind forever. I cant forget them, nor do I want to, because I know that these experiences are not unique to me but happen all too often.

When my second child was four days old, I had her home with me, surrounded by family. It had been a busy few weeks because, for this pregnancy, I refused to give birth in the city where I lived and practiced. Instead, I received some prenatal care in a city an eight-hour drive away from where we lived at that time. Why? Because countless previous experiences had taught me that I would receive substandard care in the city where I had lived for decades, especially when it came to pregnancy and delivery.

After being away for over a week, we were finally home. I remember feeding my baby, burping her, and placing her on my lap. All was well until I realized moments later that my baby wasnt breathing, her color was off, and she was stiff as a board. I panicked, and the fear was palpable. I screamed for my husband to come as I proceeded to do CPR on my four-day-old baby. Thank God she came back to us, and at that point, we made the decision to go to the hospital that we had tried so hard to protect our babies from.

My baby was admitted to the pediatric ward. It was a quiet ward, as there were not many children admitted just days after Christmas. My baby was placed in a crib and hooked up to monitors. It wasnt long before the monitors went offher oxygen levels kept dropping to critically low levels. This happened eight times during her admission. Her levels dropped to as low as 51 percent. I remember there were times when I would try to nurse my daughter, and her little body would go limp, and her eyes would roll back. Frantically, I would call for help from the triage desk, and they told me she was fine. The nurses even changed the oxygen monitor, citing that the monitor was faulty, but it wasntthe new monitor read the same critical readings.

I questioned the nurse, thinking to myself that this was not reflux, as they told me. The nurse said, Your daughter is fine; her lips are not blue.

To this day, these words haunt me.

I wonder how many other brown-skinned babies have been impacted because critical signs do not always look like those of white babies.

Some may say I overstepped my boundaries, but at this point, I didnt care. I was already accustomed to taking the heat for doing the right thing for the patient. I called a fellow colleague, who happened to be a Black pediatrician. She was unaware of my situation and shocked that the attending pediatrician had not once been called during this ordeal. She was the one who called the attending pediatrician.

Between hearing, Your baby is so cute and She looks fine, I heard many reasons why my baby was just fine. Thankfully, my baby decided to seize in the presence of one of the nurses, and then they realized that, in fact, something serious was going on. Moments later, they decided that my now five-day-old baby needed ICU care and intubation.

My point is that we need to do better when treating all patients, regardless of skin color. As a society, we are only as strong as our weakest.

Im inspired by the work of Chidiebere Ibe, a medical student and medical illustrator from Nigeria because he sheds light on necessary discussions in our diverse world. Known for his famous illustration of a Black pregnant woman with a Black fetus, Ibes work is a testament to his passion for both medicine and art. His contemporary illustrations of Black people are a crucial addition to medical textbooks and public health materials, bringing much-needed diversity and representation to the field. Chidiebere Ibes advocacy for equal representation, inclusion, and diversity in health care practice is vital in challenging and changing the status quo.

The fact is, a patient could look normal and still be sick. The fact is, a patients labs and vitals could be within normal limits, and they could still be sick. The truth is we should treat the whole patient and listen to them. If the patient cant speak, listen to the people who know the child bestin my case, it was me, the mother. My baby wasnt fine, and her lips were not blue.

My baby starts kindergarten this year, and Im eternally grateful.

However, health advocacy starts with us, and our stories need to be told. Only by sharing our experiences can we hope to improve our systems and ensure that every patient receives the care they deserve.

Tomi Mitchell is a board-certified family physician and certified health and wellness coach with extensive experience in clinical practice and holistic well-being. She is also an acclaimed international keynote speaker and a passionate advocate for mental health and physician well-being. She leverages over a decade of private practice experience to drive meaningful change.

Dr. Mitchell is the founder of Holistic Wellness Strategies, where she empowers individuals through comprehensive, evidence-based approaches to well-being. Her career is dedicated to transforming lives by addressing personal challenges and enhancing relationships with practical, holistic strategies.

Her commitment to mental health and burnout prevention is evident through her role as the host of The Mental Health & Wellness Show podcast. Through her podcast, Dr. Mitchell explores topics related to mental fitness and stress reduction, helping audiences achieve sustainable productivity while avoiding burnout.

Dr. Mitchell is also an author. Her book, The Soul-Sucking, Energy-Draining Life of a Physician: How to Live a Life of Service Without Losing Yourself, addresses the unique challenges faced by health care professionals and provides actionable solutions for maintaining personal well-being in demanding careers.

Dr. Mitchells expertise and advocacy have been recognized in her role as an executive contributor to USA Today, Thrive Global magazine, KevinMD, OK! Magazine, and Brainz Magazine, as well as across various television and radio platforms, where she continues to champion holistic wellness and mental health on a global scale.

Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and book a discovery call to explore how she can support your wellness journey. For those interested in purchasing her book, please click here for the payment link. Check out her YouTube channel for more insights and valuable content on mental health and well-being.
YESTERDAYS crash at Barnhill just south of Castledermot was the seventh fatality on Kildare roads this year, which is more than twice the number (3) who died on Kildare roads in 2023.

Gardai and emergency services were at the scene within 30 minutes of the two-vehicle collision involving a car and a truck, and the R448 from J4 of the M9 to Castledermot was closed until 7.30pm.

The driver of the car, a man aged in his 40s was fatally injured in the collision, and his body has since been removed from the scene to the mortuary in Naas General Hospital where a post mortem will take place in due course.

The driver of the truck was conveyed to St Luke's Hospital Kilkenny, for treatment of injuries believed to be non-life-threatening at this time.

No other injuries were reported at the time.

A local source could not formally identify if the deceased was local or passing through, but believes the truck might have been heading for Morrisseys Quarry.

Local politician Cllr Veralouise Behan offered her condolences, but said that the scene of the fatality was a historical accident stretch.

Weve seen so many accidents at Barnhill, its a big long straight road, and periodically youll hear of an accident locally, but then you hear its Barnhill again, she said.

Cllr Behan was also unable to offer any clue as to where the deceased came from, but said: the community is devastated, and our hearts go out to the relatives.

Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward.

Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling in the area between 8.45am and 9.45am on the morning of Monday 19 August are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardai.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Kildare Garda Station on 045 527 730, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
Sean McCarthaigh

A well-known Dublin criminal who was discovered unresponsive in his bed in a homeless hostel in Dublin two years ago died from multi-drug toxicity, an inquest has heard.

Jeffrey Mitchell (49), was pronounced dead at Aldborough House, Swords Road, Santry  a hostel run by the Peter McVerry Trust - on November 10th, 2022.

A sitting of Dublin District Coroners Court on Tuesday heard a hostel worker had checked on the room where Mr Mitchell was sleeping at around 9am on November 10th, 2022.

Nicola Laird told the inquest into Mr Mitchells death that she could not see his face where he was lying on a bottom bunk bed in the room and did not answer when she tried to wake him.

She told the coroner, Dr Clare Keane, that she alerted the emergency services after trying to turn him over in the bed but was unable to do so because he was so stiff."

He was formally pronounced dead at 11:06am.

No references to Mr Mitchells criminal past were made during the hearing.

However, the inquest heard he was a known drug user with a heroin addiction who had been living in the hostel since 2020.

In reply to questions from the coroner, Ms Laird said she had last seen the deceased the previous day, but that like all residents of the hostel, he would have been checked every hour during the night.

However, Ms Laird said he was not under any special observations that would have resulted in more frequent checks.

She said Mr Mitchell tended to keep to himself.

He didnt really cause any issues, she said.

Taking drugs

Ms Laird said residents were allowed to remain staying in the hostel even if they were known to be taking drugs.

She confirmed that residents were provided with lockers where they could store their own medication, but that hostel staff had no role in overseeing that any prescribed medicines would be taken by residents.

In a written statement, the other resident sleeping in the bunk above Mr Mitchell, John OConnor, said he last spoke to his roommate at 6pm the previous evening.

Mr OConnor said Mr Mitchell had come back into the room at 10.15pm before leaving again.

He recalled getting up at 6:15am and going out before returning at 7am and going back to bed when Mr Mitchell appeared to be still asleep.

The inquest heard the deceased had been treated in hospital about a month before his death for a lung infection but was discharged after 24 hours.

Dr Keane said postmortem results showed that Mr Mitchell had chronic, long-term lung disease which might be linked to the fact that he was a smoker.

The coroner told relatives of the deceased who attended the inquiry that there were a lot of substances in his system.

They included cocaine, benzodiazepines, morphine and other drugs which were markers for heroin, but there were no traces of any alcohol.

The deceased wife, Norah Fennell, questioned if her late husband had died from a heroin overdose as she pointed out that there were reports at the time of his death that a quantity of the drug was found at the scene.

Media reports at the time quoted sources which claimed that around 50,000 worth of heroin was discovered in Mr Mitchells room in the hostel.

However, Garda Luke Hughes gave evidence that nothing of evidential value was found at the scene.

Garda Hughes also confirmed that there was nothing suspicious in relation to the death of the deceased.

Different medications

The coroner said it was most likely that the combination of different medications had caused Mr Mitchells death rather than that he took an overdose of any single drug.

Dr Keane said none of the individual drugs in his system were of a quantity that would be considered in the lethal range.

Ms Fennell said she had seen her husband on the day before his death when he was in a great mood.

He was in better form than usual, she recalled.

Returning a verdict of misadventure, the coroner said Mr Mitchell had died from multi-drug toxicity with his chronic lung disease considered a contributory factor.

Mr Mitchell, who came originally from Monasterboice Road, Crumlin had been living in Ballymun in recent years, but the inquest heard his address was given as no fixed abode.

Dangerous criminal

He was regarded as a dangerous violent criminal who was one of the biggest suppliers of heroin in Dublin and was understood to control the drugs scene in his native Crumlin during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The deceased had over 70 convictions including assault, robbery, possession of a firearm and handling stolen property.

He was also suspected of working closely with other senior criminals including Shane Coates and Stephen Sugg  the leaders of the notorious Westies gang who were both murdered in Spain.

Mr Mitchell was released from prison in 2019 after serving three years for assaulting a woman in 2013 as she walked home late at night after being out in a pub in Phibsboro with friends.

The court heard he had drunk 30 vodkas on the night as well as taking heroin.

He was also believed to have been involved in at least two murders including that of Neil Hanlon (19) a heroin addict who was tortured and mutilated in 2001 before his remains were discovered in a park in Crumlin.

The deceased was also regarded as the prime suspect for the murder of a criminal associate, David McGreevey (23) who was shot dead outside his home in Belgard Heights, Tallaght in February 2002.

He was also the target of a number of murder attempts during his life.

In 2001, he survived an attempted assassination when three men broke into his family home while he was staying with his mother in Crumlin.

Mr Mitchell managed to escape via the roof and ran across the rooftops of neighbouring properties but the gunmen shot his pet dog in front of his mother.

In the same year, his criminal gang was the target of Operation Jumbo which was established after gardai suspected they were shipping in an estimated 40kg of heroin into Ireland every month.

Three years later he suffered life-threatening injuries after his throat was slashed when he was violently attacked by several inmates in the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise.

While he was serving one sentence in prison, eight members of his family including both his parents died over an eight-month period.

*This article was amended at 7.30pm on Wednesday, August 20th, 2024.
Aodhan O'Faolain

Leitrim County Council has sourced emergency accommodation for a family who claim they have nowhere to go because they cannot stay at a property which they claim is harming their health, the High Court has heard.

The court also heard that the council have offered them a transfer to another property, but that house will not be ready until a date in September.

Thomas and Louise Stokes, who along with their five young children, had sued the Council claiming that they can no longer reside at a property provided for them by the local authority in Mount Temple, Carrick on Shannon, Co Leitrim.

They claimed that they had to leave that house, and most recently had been staying with relatives.

However, the family, represented by Nuala Egan SC, claim they are currently in dire need of suitable accommodation.

Earlier this month, the family launched proceedings challenging the council's decision that they are not homeless.

They also seek orders quashing the council's alleged refusal to agree to their request for a social housing transfer, and that they be provided with emergency family-appropriate accommodation that is fit for human habitation.

They further seek declarations including that the council's decision that they are not homeless, is irrational unreasonable, disproportionate and in breach of the applicants' Constitutional rights, rights under the European Convention on Human Rights, and the EU's Chater of Fundamental Rights.

When the matter returned before Mr Justice Rory Mulcahy during Tuesday's vacation sitting of the High Court, counsel for Leitrim County Council Christopher Hughes Bl said that his client had sourced emergency accommodation for the family, which will be available to them in the coming days.

Counsel also told the court that the family have been offered a transfer to another property, which they have yet to decide on.

Counsel, who said his client needed some time to fully respond to the claims against it, said it was hoped that this transfer offer could resolve much of what has been raised in the proceedings.

In reply, Ms Egan for the family said that while they welcomed the provision of emergency accommodation, the family needed more information about the suitability of the new property being offered to them before they can accept the transfer.

In the meantime, they were anxious for the case to remain live before the courts.

Mr Justice Mulcahy agreed to adjourn the matter to a date in early September.

In their action, the family claims that since they moved into the Mount Temple property five years ago their health has been adversely affected due to dampness and mould in the house.

They claim that the mould was so bad that they were forced to sleep downstairs rather than in the upstairs bedrooms of the property.

They complained about the problem to the local authority. They also claim that the council carried some works to alleviate the problems, such as improve ventilation in the house and remove the mould.

Those works, the family claim, were insufficient, and that when they had lived there the property was not fit for human habitation.

Their children's health was severely affected, and some of them needed to be hospitalised due to respiratory problems.

They left the property for periods and went to live with relatives. They did return, but claim that problems persisted, and left again earlier this year.

The family claims they are homeless and require emergency accommodation.

They claim that the council does not accept this and has failed to lawfully consider their requests for a social housing transfer.

As a result, the family, who are members of the Irish Traveller Community, have brought High Court Judicial Review Proceedings against the Council.

In their proceedings the family seeks various orders and declarations from the court, including an order quashing the council's decision that the family are not homeless within the mean of the 1998 Housing Act.
The Post reports:

There are cyclists, keen cyclists, then there is Richard Martin but even he is aghast at Wellington City Council spending $84,000 on a bike rack that is barely used.

The bike rack in question is beside Freyberg Pool in Oriental Bay. Martin took photos of the rack twice a day, for five days last week.

Six times there were no bikes, three times there was one, and once  and this was the most he had ever seen  there were two.

Martin describes himself as a biker of old. Until a decade ago he was riding about 300km a week and now regularly takes 30km rides around Miramar Peninsula.

But it was the unnecessary cost that irked him at a time Wellington pipes were falling apart. Last summer, Wellington was under strict water restrictions and faced the chance of water outages with excessive leaks in the system of ageing pipes blamed.
Displaced Palestinians watch from a makeshift camp as shells fired from Israeli tanks hit an area near the Hamad residential complex in Khan Younis in southern Gaza on August 18,.
Shares of American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG  Get Free Report) have been assigned an average rating of Moderate Buy from the fifteen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $83.47.

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on American International Group from $79.00 to $77.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on American International Group from $96.00 to $90.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 12th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on American International Group from $88.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, May 13th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of American International Group from $81.00 to $82.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, TD Cowen cut their target price on shares of American International Group from $83.00 to $80.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On American International Group

In related news, major shareholder International Group American sold 30,000,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.20, for a total value of $876,000,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 294,203,636 shares in the company, valued at $8,590,746,171.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website . Insiders have sold a total of 39,964,738 shares of company stock valued at $1,132,432,195 in the last quarter. 0.61% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AIG. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its holdings in shares of American International Group by 199.2% in the 2nd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 359 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 239 shares during the last quarter. Y.D. More Investments Ltd acquired a new position in American International Group in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in American International Group during the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of American International Group by 303.3% in the 1st quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 367 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 276 shares during the period. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of American International Group by 326.0% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 443 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares in the last quarter. 90.60% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American International Group Price Performance

American International Group stock opened at $74.45 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $49.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.07. American International Group has a one year low of $57.02 and a one year high of $80.83. The business has a fifty day moving average of $74.84 and a two-hundred day moving average of $75.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a current ratio of 0.29.

American International Group (NYSE:AIG  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The insurance provider reported $1.16 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.30 by ($0.14). American International Group had a positive return on equity of 9.37% and a negative net margin of 1.54%. The company had revenue of $1.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.75 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that American International Group will post 6.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American International Group declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, May 1st that allows the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the insurance provider to repurchase up to 19.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the companys board believes its stock is undervalued.

American International Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 16th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 16th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.15%. American International Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.88%.

American International Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report

American International Group, Inc offers insurance products for commercial, institutional, and individual customers in North America and internationally. It operates through three segments: General Insurance, Life and Retirement, and Other Operations. The General Insurance segment provides commercial and industrial property insurance, including business interruption and package insurance that cover exposure to made and natural disasters; general liability, environmental, commercial automobile liability, workers' compensation, excess casualty, and crisis management insurance products; and professional liability insurance.

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Shares of Caledonia Mining Co. Plc (NYSEAMERICAN:CMCL  Get Free Report) rose 6.8% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $12.24 and last traded at $12.14. Approximately 201,695 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 231% from the average daily volume of 60,908 shares. The stock had previously closed at $11.37.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded Caledonia Mining from a hold rating to a speculative buy rating and set a $13.50 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, April 29th.

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Read Our Latest Research Report on CMCL

Caledonia Mining Trading Up 6.8 %

Caledonia Mining Announces Dividend

The stock has a market capitalization of $155.76 million, a P/E ratio of 173.43 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 1.24 and a quick ratio of 0.71.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 12th were paid a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 12th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.61%. Caledonia Minings dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 800.00%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CMCL. Significant Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Caledonia Mining during the 4th quarter worth $1,611,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC purchased a new position in Caledonia Mining in the second quarter valued at about $656,000. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its position in shares of Caledonia Mining by 7.9% during the 2nd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 732,352 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,118,000 after acquiring an additional 53,678 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Caledonia Mining during the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,510,000. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new position in Caledonia Mining in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $384,000. 31.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Caledonia Mining

(Get Free Report)

Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc primarily operates a gold mine. It also engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties for precious metals. The company holds a 64% interest in the Blanket Mine, a gold mine located in Zimbabwe. It also owns 100% interests in the Maligreen project, a brownfield gold exploration project located in the Gweru mining district in the Zimbabwe Midlands; the Bilboes, a gold deposit located to the north of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe; and the Motapa, a gold exploration property located in Southern Zimbabwe.

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Carnegie Investment Counsel grew its holdings in shares of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW  Free Report) by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 15,789 shares of the industrial products companys stock after buying an additional 179 shares during the period. Carnegie Investment Counsels holdings in Illinois Tool Works were worth $3,741,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Security National Bank bought a new stake in Illinois Tool Works during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc purchased a new position in shares of Illinois Tool Works during the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new position in shares of Illinois Tool Works in the 1st quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, General Partner Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Illinois Tool Works in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $35,000. 79.77% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Illinois Tool Works

In other Illinois Tool Works news, Director David Byron Smith, Jr. acquired 775 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 13th. The shares were bought at an average price of $238.82 per share, with a total value of $185,085.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 121,506 shares in the company, valued at approximately $29,018,062.92. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.88% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Argus upgraded Illinois Tool Works to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $230.00 to $236.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $275.00 to $240.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $267.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on Illinois Tool Works from $268.00 to $260.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $250.22.

View Our Latest Stock Report on ITW

Illinois Tool Works Stock Performance

Shares of Illinois Tool Works stock traded up $0.22 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $242.88. 335,990 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,147,298. Illinois Tool Works Inc. has a 1 year low of $217.50 and a 1 year high of $271.15. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $240.87 and a 200-day simple moving average of $249.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.17, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $72.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.93, a PEG ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 1.10.

Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.54 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.45 by $0.09. Illinois Tool Works had a net margin of 19.15% and a return on equity of 99.74%. The firm had revenue of $4.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.08 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.41 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Illinois Tool Works Inc. will post 10.25 EPS for the current year.

Illinois Tool Works Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 11th. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th will be given a dividend of $1.50 per share. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.47%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. This is a boost from Illinois Tool Workss previous quarterly dividend of $1.40. Illinois Tool Workss dividend payout ratio is 59.17%.

About Illinois Tool Works

(Free Report)

Illinois Tool Works Inc manufactures and sells industrial products and equipment in the United States and internationally. It operates through seven segments: Automotive OEM; Food Equipment; Test & Measurement and Electronics; Welding; Polymers & Fluids; Construction Products; and Specialty Products.

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The Berkeley Group (OTCMKTS:BKGFF  Get Free Report) and Century Communities (NYSE:CCS  Get Free Report) are both consumer cyclical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, risk, dividends, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations and earnings.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares The Berkeley Group and Century Communities top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio The Berkeley Group N/A N/A N/A $2.62 23.37 Century Communities $4.08 billion 0.73 $259.22 million $9.01 10.39

Century Communities has higher revenue and earnings than The Berkeley Group. Century Communities is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than The Berkeley Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score The Berkeley Group 0 0 0 0 N/A Century Communities 0 1 1 0 2.50

This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for The Berkeley Group and Century Communities, as provided by MarketBeat.

Century Communities has a consensus target price of $101.50, suggesting a potential upside of 8.45%. Given Century Communities higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Century Communities is more favorable than The Berkeley Group.

Profitability

This table compares The Berkeley Group and Century Communities net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets The Berkeley Group N/A N/A N/A Century Communities 7.90% 14.00% 8.10%

Institutional and Insider Ownership

45.9% of The Berkeley Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 99.5% of Century Communities shares are owned by institutional investors. 11.9% of Century Communities shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Dividends

The Berkeley Group pays an annual dividend of $1.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.9%. Century Communities pays an annual dividend of $1.04 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.1%. The Berkeley Group pays out 68.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Century Communities pays out 11.5% 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.

Summary

Century Communities beats The Berkeley Group on 10 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About The Berkeley Group

(Get Free Report)

The Berkeley Group Holdings plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the residential-led and mixed-use property development and ancillary activities in the United Kingdom. The company is involved in land selling activities. It operates under the Berkeley, St Edward, St George, St James, St Joseph, and St William brand names. The Berkeley Group Holdings plc was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cobham, the United Kingdom.

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.

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Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. reduced its holdings in shares of Bloom Energy Co. (NYSE:BE  Free Report) by 17.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 18,242 shares of the companys stock after selling 3,874 shares during the quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd.s holdings in Bloom Energy were worth $223,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of BE. Millburn Ridgefield Corp raised its stake in shares of Bloom Energy by 64.0% in the first quarter. Millburn Ridgefield Corp now owns 3,296 shares of the companys stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 1,286 shares during the period. BNP Paribas bought a new stake in shares of Bloom Energy in the first quarter valued at $38,000. ORG Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Bloom Energy in the second quarter valued at $40,000. Quest Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Bloom Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $51,000. Finally, Mather Group LLC. bought a new stake in shares of Bloom Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at $66,000. 77.04% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Bloom Energy

In other news, insider Shawn Marie Soderberg sold 2,094 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.53, for a total value of $30,425.82. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 168,867 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,453,637.51. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 8.81% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BE has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Bloom Energy from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th. BTIG Research boosted their price objective on Bloom Energy from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, June 6th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Bloom Energy from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and set a $15.00 price objective on shares of Bloom Energy in a research note on Thursday, June 20th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their target price on Bloom Energy from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $16.08.

View Our Latest Research Report on BE

Bloom Energy Trading Down 3.7 %

Shares of NYSE BE traded down $0.44 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $11.35. The company had a trading volume of 1,443,485 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,133,965. Bloom Energy Co. has a one year low of $8.41 and a one year high of $18.14. The company has a quick ratio of 2.97, a current ratio of 4.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.56. The firms fifty day moving average price is $12.99 and its 200-day moving average price is $12.01. The stock has a market cap of $2.58 billion, a PE ratio of -8.73 and a beta of 2.80.

Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported ($0.06) earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of ($0.06). Bloom Energy had a negative return on equity of 19.32% and a negative net margin of 22.27%. The company had revenue of $335.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $307.73 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted ($0.32) EPS. Bloom Energys revenue for the quarter was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Bloom Energy Co. will post -0.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Bloom Energy Profile

(Free Report)

Bloom Energy Corporation designs, manufactures, sells, and installs solid-oxide fuel cell systems for on-site power generation in the United States and internationally. The company offers Bloom Energy Server, a solid oxide technology that converts fuel, such as natural gas, biogas, hydrogen, or a blend of these fuels into electricity through an electrochemical process without combustion.

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Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. cut its holdings in iShares Silver Trust (NYSEARCA:SLV  Free Report) by 26.2% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 9,000 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 3,200 shares during the period. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd.s holdings in iShares Silver Trust were worth $238,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in iShares Silver Trust by 103.8% during the second quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 135,500 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $3,600,000 after buying an additional 69,000 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of iShares Silver Trust by 17.8% in the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 1,352,014 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $35,923,000 after buying an additional 204,606 shares during the last quarter. Milestone Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of iShares Silver Trust by 54.9% in the second quarter. Milestone Asset Management LLC now owns 82,225 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $2,185,000 after buying an additional 29,126 shares during the last quarter. Zhang Financial LLC acquired a new position in iShares Silver Trust during the second quarter worth approximately $306,000. Finally, MONECO Advisors LLC acquired a new position in iShares Silver Trust during the second quarter worth approximately $2,561,000.

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iShares Silver Trust Price Performance

SLV stock traded up $0.03 on Tuesday, hitting $26.86. 14,856,164 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 23,002,373. iShares Silver Trust has a twelve month low of $18.97 and a twelve month high of $29.56. The businesss fifty day moving average is $26.66 and its two-hundred day moving average is $24.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.01 and a beta of 0.43.

iShares Silver Trust Company Profile

iShares Silver Trust (the Trust) owns silver transferred to the Trust in exchange for shares issued by the Trust. The Trusts each share represents a fractional undivided beneficial interest in its net assets. The assets of the Trust consist of silver held by the Trusts custodian on behalf of the Trust.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SLV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Silver Trust (NYSEARCA:SLV  Free Report).

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Lennar Co. (NYSE:LEN  Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of Hold by the seventeen brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $169.13.

LEN has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Lennar from $157.00 to $154.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 20th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on Lennar from $237.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Monday, July 15th. Raymond James downgraded Lennar from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $183.00 price target on shares of Lennar in a research note on Tuesday, June 18th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Lennar from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Lennar Trading Up 2.2 %

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Rise Advisors LLC raised its position in Lennar by 484.0% during the 1st quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 146 shares of the construction companys stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp bought a new position in shares of Lennar in the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. bought a new position in shares of Lennar in the 1st quarter worth about $32,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Lennar in the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its position in shares of Lennar by 223.6% in the 2nd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 233 shares of the construction companys stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. 81.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Shares of NYSE:LEN opened at $175.47 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $48.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.93, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.60. Lennar has a 1 year low of $102.90 and a 1 year high of $182.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 4.93 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $160.87 and its 200 day simple moving average is $159.36.

Lennar (NYSE:LEN  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, June 17th. The construction company reported $3.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.20 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $8.77 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.57 billion. Lennar had a return on equity of 15.93% and a net margin of 11.58%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Lennar will post 14.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lennar Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 19th. Investors of record on Friday, July 5th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 5th. Lennars dividend payout ratio is currently 13.60%.

About Lennar

(Get Free Report

Lennar Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a homebuilder primarily under the Lennar brand in the United States. It operates through Homebuilding East, Homebuilding Central, Homebuilding Texas, Homebuilding West, Financial Services, Multifamily, and Lennar Other segments. The company's homebuilding operations include the construction and sale of single-family attached and detached homes, as well as the purchase, development, and sale of residential land; and development, construction, and management of multifamily rental properties.

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Okeanis Eco Tankers Corp. (NYSE:ECO  Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Monday, August 12th, Wall Street Journal reports. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 21st will be given a dividend of 1.10 per share on Thursday, September 5th. This represents a $4.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 13.96%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 21st.

Okeanis Eco Tankers Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ECO opened at $31.51 on Tuesday. Okeanis Eco Tankers has a twelve month low of $22.00 and a twelve month high of $36.69. The stocks 50 day moving average is $31.12 and its 200-day moving average is $31.26. The company has a quick ratio of 1.61, a current ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.01 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.52.

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Okeanis Eco Tankers (NYSE:ECO  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 9th. The company reported $1.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.33. Okeanis Eco Tankers had a net margin of 32.84% and a return on equity of 31.86%. The firm had revenue of $111.99 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $100.71 million. Sell-side analysts forecast that Okeanis Eco Tankers will post 4.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, B. Riley raised their price target on shares of Okeanis Eco Tankers from $38.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, May 17th.

Get Our Latest Analysis on ECO

Okeanis Eco Tankers Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Okeanis Eco Tankers Corp., a shipping company, owns and operates tanker vessels worldwide. It operates a fleet of 14 tanker vessels comprising six modern Suezmax tankers and eight modern VLCC tankers focusing on the transportation of crude oil. The company was incorporated in 2018 and is based in Neo Faliro, Greece.

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VAALCO Energy, Inc. (LON:EGY  Get Free Report) declared a dividend on Tuesday, August 6th, Upcoming.Co.Uk reports. Investors of record on Thursday, August 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.06 per share on Friday, September 20th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.97%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 22nd. The official announcement can be seen at this link.

VAALCO Energy Price Performance

EGY stock opened at GBX 506.50 ($6.58) on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 19.09, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 0.74. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 499.54 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 473.31. The stock has a market cap of 524.02 million, a PE ratio of 1,077.66 and a beta of 1.32. VAALCO Energy has a one year low of GBX 330 ($4.29) and a one year high of GBX 590.11 ($7.67).

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About VAALCO Energy

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VAALCO Energy, Inc, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in Gabon, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, and Canada. The company holds 58.8% interest in the Etame production sharing contract related to the Etame Marin block covering an area of approximately 46,200 gross acres located offshore in the Republic of Gabon in West Africa.

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Hwang Jung-min reprises detective role in hit cop movie after 9 years

By Baek Byung-yeul

I, the Executioner, a sequel to the 2015 hit cop movie Veteran, will hit theaters next month, right before the start of the Chuseok holiday season, targeting fans hoping to see detective Seo Do-cheol (Hwang Jung-min) once again coolly smack down the bad guys.

Hwang, who reprises his role of detective Seo in nine years, said he focused on maintaining the character's continuity for fans.

"I thought the audience shouldn't see any changes when watching the sequel. So I used the same costumes and hairstyle from the previous work," Hwang said during a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday.

Released in 2015, "Veteran" was the highest-grossing film in Korea that year, garnering over 13.4 million viewers. The film, which followed detective Seo and his colleagues apprehending Jo Tae-oh (Yoo Ah-in), a sadistic third-generation heir of a fictional conglomerate who commits evil acts, delivered a strong sense of satisfaction to the audience.

In "I, the Executioner," Hwang pairs up with rookie detective Park Sun-woo (Jung Hae-in), chasing a serial killer.

Despite nine years passing, the veteran actor reassured fans that they would find Detective Seo as vigorous as ever.

"Nine years have passed, but it's Hwang Jung-min who's aged, not Seo Do-cheol," Hwang said. "To show Seo Do-cheol as he was, I tried my best to stay young and maintain energy."

The film's director, Ryoo Seung-wan, explained the delay in the sequels release, noting the challenge of balancing the original's success with fresh elements.

"The previous work was so well-loved and one of the reasons it took so long was that we couldn't just repeat the success of the previous work, but at the same time, we couldn't pursue only new things. It took a long time to find that balance," Ryoo said.

The director, known for his works such as The Berlin File, The Battleship Island and Smugglers, added that Jung displayed good chemistry with Hwang.

"Jung fit well with the overall film. He was someone who blended in and mixed well. We needed such a fresh person," he said.

Jung also revealed that while filming this movie, he felt a lot of pressure due to the popularity of the previous work, but he believes that many viewers will also like this sequel.

"It would be a lie to say I didn't feel pressured about the success of the previous work," Jung said. "This pressure was helpful on set. I tried to use this pressure in reverse, and I think overcoming such pressure is also part of what I need to do as an actor."

I, the Executioner" will hit theaters on Sept. 13.
By Yi Whan-woo

A retired civil servant in his late 60s, Jeong Shin-mook, has been working night shifts as a security guard on weekends at an office building in Seoul for years after his retirement.

Although he works less than 30 hours a week, he finds these hours "long enough to earn a sufficient amount of pocket money in addition to my pension."

I also like this job because I can freely spend the daytime with my family or friends, which would be unthinkable if I was hired as a full-time employee, he said.

In contrast, Park, a man in his 30s from Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, says he has had no choice but to take on various temporary, part-time jobs, as he has struggled to secure a regular position for years after graduating from college in Seoul.

I took jobs whenever they were available, including food delivery on motorbikes and serving at restaurants, because otherwise I cant pay my rent and sustain a living, Park said, refusing to give his full name.

Both Jeong and Park are among the millions of workers who, whether by choice or necessity, hold temporary and part-time jobs amid the shifting employment trends in Korea.

This trend aligns with the gig economy, which refers to a labor market characterized by freelance and side-hustle work.

The term "gig" is slang for a job that lasts only for a specified period of time.

These jobs are known for their flexibility and independence. However, a significant downside is that workers often have little or no job security, including limited access to health coverage.

According to Statistics Korea, the number of people who worked less than 36 hours per week reached 6.8 million in July, representing an increase of 357,000 from the previous year.

The 2024 figure also represents an all-time high for any July since Statistics Korea began compiling the data in 1980.

It can be said more than one out of four employees in Korea are gig workers, Statistics Korea explained, noting that the number of employed individuals nationwide stood at 28.41 million in 2023.

What was even more intriguing, according to the agency, was that those with so-called micro jobs also reached record 2.55 million in July.

Employees in this category work less than 17 hours per week, including those who work as little as one hour per week.

The statistics agency assessed that the growth of the gig economy is largely driven by two factors: the increasing difficulty for younger jobseekers to secure their first job and the rising demand for part-time work among retired individuals in an aging society.

For those aged 15 to 29, it took 11.5 months on average as of May to get a job after graduation.

The time gap this year was 1.1 months longer than a year ago, as businesses prefer experienced workers to rookies to save training costs.

In turn, the number of gig workers in the age group ticked up 5.5 percent year-on-year to 1.06 million as of July.

For those in their 30s, the number of gig workers increased by 11.4 percent year-on-year to 688,212 over the same period.

The number of gig workers among those in their 60s or older stood at 2.78 million in July, up 5 percent from a year earlier.
Financial watchdog to inspect KB Financial Group, Kookmin Bank starting Thursday

By Jun Ji-hye

More banks are moving to advance their systems to strengthen internal controls amid repeated reports of financial crimes involving embezzlement and breach of trust. The move came as such incidents seriously harm brand image, which can be devastating for banks that operate based on customers' trust.

According to data the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) provided to Rep. Kang Min-kuk of the ruling People Power Party, embezzlement incidents at banks from 2018 to 2023 amounted to a total of 152.5 billion won ($114 million).

In 2022 alone, the figure came to 73.97 billion won, as a Woori Bank employee was found to have embezzled some 70 billion won at the time.

Embezzlement cases have continued this year, with the total amount tallied at 770 million won as of June 14.

In addition to embezzlement, other financial incidents also occur during the loan process. At NH NongHyup Bank, there have already been three breach of trust incidents in the first half of this year, amounting to a total of 17.4 billion won.

Whenever a financial incident occurs, banks emphasize the importance of strengthening internal control.

In particular, after Woori Bank was mired in controversy recently over inappropriate loans worth 61.6 billion won given to relatives of the former chairman of Woori Financial Group, it is moving faster to strengthen internal control and freshen up its brand image.

The firm has expanded the insider reporting channels for improper loans through the internet and mobile platforms. It also increased the frequency of unannounced inspections at branches across the country.

"We will make every effort to restore customer trust by strengthening employee ethics training and other measures," a Woori Bank official said.

In a similar move, NH NongHyup Bank has strengthened accountability for financial incidents among office heads and division managers, and introduced the so-called ethics certification system to enhance ethical culture. Additionally, it established a special audit team.

KB Kookmin Bank has collaborated with major accounting firm KPMG and law firm Kim & Chang to upgrade its monitoring system, while Shinhan Bank plans to deploy at least 0.8 percent of the total workforce to its compliance monitoring department by the end of next year.

Hana Bank, which began overhauling its internal regulation system in February 2023, completed the process last month.

Kim Byoung-hwan, the chief of the Financial Services Commission (FSC), the country's top financial regulator, also raised the necessity for banks to strengthen internal controls to restore trust from customers.

"Banks must always be at the pinnacle of trust, yet recent issues have challenged their credibility," Kim said during a meeting with the heads of banks, Tuesday.

"With a determination to undergo a thorough transformation, it is essential to completely reassess and overhaul the internal control systems."

The FSS, for its part, will conduct regular inspections of KB Financial Group and KB Kookmin Bank for the first time in three years. Starting on Thursday, the financial watchdog will deploy approximately 40 investigators for about six weeks to carry out the inspections.

The FSS typically conducts regular inspections of financial institutions every three years. KB last underwent a regular inspection in June 2021.

"Since regular inspections are comprehensive in nature, they will cover all aspects of management and operations," an FSS official said.
By KTimes

Korea's budget airliners, better known as LCCs in the country, are increasingly accommodating pets. This shift is significantly impacting the airline industry, reflecting a growing trend among pet owners wishing to travel with their furry companions.

Jeju Air reported that from January to July this year, 11,324 passengers traveled with pets, a 10.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year (10,210 instances). This figure is nearly 2.7 times higher than in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The majority of Jeju Air's pet-inclusive flights are domestic, with 95.1 percent (10,772 instances) of these trips being on domestic routes, compared to only 4.9 percent (552 instances) on international flights.

Another LCC, Eastar Jet, expanded on July 15 its pet-friendly policy from domestic routes to international flights. The airline has seen the number of 'paw'ssengers more than double from an average of 200 to 300 cases per month last year to 600 to 700 cases this year.

In response to this growing demand, Eastar Jet has extended its pet-friendly services to most of its international routes.

More pets traveling on international routes

The trend is similar among full-service carriers. Korean Air recorded 33,252 cases of pets traveling in passenger seats from January to July this year, a 19.2 percent increase from the same period last year.

Korean Air has observed that more pawrents are choosing to travel with their pets on international routes than domestic ones, with 63.6 percent, or 21,141 cases, of pet-inclusive flights being international, compared to 36.4 percent, or12,111 cases, on domestic flights.

It's important for pet owners to note that each airline has slightly different policies regarding pets on board.

Jeju Air, Korean Air and Eastar Jet all limit in-cabin pets to dogs, cats and birds. Pets must remain in carriers placed under the seat in front of the passenger and cannot be taken out during the flight.

Exceptions include Jeju Air's special pet-only flights from Gimpo to Jeju, operated in partnership with LG Uplus and the Korea Tourism Organization in April and June, with another scheduled for the end of this month.

Weight limits for pets, including the carrier, vary by airline, with Jeju Air and Korean Air allowing pets weighing up to 7 kilograms, while Eastar Jet allows up to 9 kilograms.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by staff at The Korea Times.
A North Korean soldier crossed the border into South Korea early Tuesday in the latest defection amid Seoul's propaganda campaign in response to Pyongyang's s repeated launches of trash-carrying balloons.

The South Korean military detected the soldier from north of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas in the eastern section of the border and conducted an operation to help him arrive in the South.

The North Korean, wearing a military uniform, is believed to have walked southward through a path located near the Donghae road along the east coast  one of the two rare roads connecting the two Koreas where the North has installed mines and removed street lights.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirmed the defection of the soldier, reportedly a staff sergeant, and said relevant authorities are conducting an investigation into how the defection took place. It did not provide further details on the defector.

No unusual movements by the North Korean military have been detected so far, the JCS added.

The defection came just 12 days after a North Korean resident defected to the South by crossing the neutral zone of the Han River estuary located west of the inter-Korean land border.

It also came as South Korea has been conducting full-scale anti-Pyongyang broadcasts, including news and K-pop music, daily through its border loudspeakers since mid-July in response to the North's repeated launches of trash-carrying balloons.

The loudspeaker campaign has reportedly included news on the defection of a former North Korean diplomat at Pyongyang's embassy in Cuba, as well as a message urging North Korean soldiers to escape from their "slave-like lives."

The broadcasts are believed to be audible in the North's front-line areas where troops have been deployed since April to plant mines and erect walls presumed to be anti-tank barriers, as part of efforts to deter North Korean residents and soldiers from crossing the border.

Following the Aug. 8 defection, a JCS official said further analysis is needed to determine whether the broadcasts affected the move.

North Korea has launched more than 3,600 trash balloons since May 28 in a tit-for-tat move against balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets flown by North Korean defectors in South Korea.

The inflow of North Korean defectors has continued amid chronic food shortages and harsh political oppression in the North. In the first half of the year, the number of North Korean defectors arriving in the South reached 105, slightly up from 99 the previous year. (Yonhap)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to be shifting the responsibility for the latest flood damage to provincial officials on concerns that his leadership could be undermined amid increased public discontent, South Korea's unification ministry said Tuesday.

The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, reported that Kim called for the country to consider a disaster prevention project as a grave issue related to the political ideology, not just as a struggle against nature.

Late last month, heavy rains flooded large areas along the Amnok River in North Pyongan, Jagang and Ryanggang provinces, with some South Korean media outlets reporting that the number of those who died or went missing could exceed about 1,000.

The ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs said North Korea appears to be shifting the responsibility for the flood damage to related officials on concerns that the latest downpours could undermine Kim's leadership.

"This could mean that North Korea's flood damage is very significant and people's discontent remains high," a ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, the ministry said there is no imminent sign for North Korea to prepare to launch another military spy satellite.

In May, North Korea made a botched attempt to launch a spy satellite following the success in putting its first such satellite into orbit last November. The country earlier said it will launch three more spy satellites in 2024. (Yonhap)
Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said Tuesday the ministry plans to unveil plans to reform the country's ailing pension system early next month.

"We will present the government's plan on reforming the pension system, including both basic and retirement pensions, by early September," Cho told lawmakers.

Details of the potential pension reform are still scant, but media reports said the government may require old wage earners to pay more and young workers to pay less.

Korea is set to see its huge pension fund depleted faster than expected, hit by rapid aging and a record-low birthrate. (Yonhap)
Korea's health authorities said Tuesday they began requiring people with mpox symptoms who arrived from eight African nations to report to officials, while redesignating mpox as an infectious disease subject to border screening.

The move comes after the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) vowed last week to ramp up containment measures against the virus, following the World Health Organization's declaration of mpox outbreaks in Africa as a global health emergency.

Under the measure, arrivals who have visited the eight countries  Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, Kenya, Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo  will be required to report to officials if they show symptoms related to mpox, such as fever, muscle aches and swollen lymph nodes

The KDCA will also deploy health officials to the arrival gates for direct flights from Ethiopia and implement supplementary monitoring measures, such as inspecting wastewater from the planes.

As of Aug. 9, Korea had reported 10 mpox cases this year, a decrease from 151 in 2023, according to the KDCA. (Yonhap)
The industry ministry said Tuesday that it has resumed negotiations with Malaysia to secure a bilateral free trade agreement as Korea aims to broaden its trade portfolio.

The fourth round of negotiations for the FTA kicked off in Kuala Lumpur for a four-day session, marking the first meeting since September 2019, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Korea already has an FTA with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, but the country is seeking to deepen economic ties with individual members through separate free trade deals.

During the meeting, the two countries will discuss a wide array of agendas, including services and investment. They will also explore ways to bolster exchanges in the digital, green and bio industries, the ministry added.

"Korea is expected to strengthen its trade and investment ties with ASEAN by securing an FTA with Malaysia under a mutually beneficial trade system," the ministry said. (Yonhap)
Experts say shift from 2020 stance reflects growing skepticism about complete denuclearization goal

By Lee Hyo-jin

The U.S. Democratic Party's newly unveiled platform has omitted its long-standing goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, raising concerns among experts in Seoul about how Vice President Kamala Harris, the party's presidential candidate, might handle North Korea's nuclear threats if elected.

Experts said Tuesday that while the omission does not necessarily indicate that Washington will abandon the goal of denuclearizing North Korea, it could suggest a shift in U.S. policy toward nuclear disarmament agreements under a potential Harris administration.

This could lead to subtle differences with the South Korean government's approach, as President Yoon Suk Yeol has maintained that negotiations with Pyongyang should only move forward if North Korea demonstrates substantial progress toward denuclearization.

The Democratic Party released its platform ahead of a four-day national convention in Chicago, which began on Monday (local time), where President Joe Biden officially passed the torch to Harris as the party's presidential candidate.

The 92-page document, outlining Team Harris' policy priorities, references South Korea seven times and North Korea six times.

It highlights strengthened trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo under the Biden administration, emphasizing efforts to ensure stability on the Korean Peninsula. It also sharply criticizes former President Donald Trumps approach to North Korea, accusing him of embarrassing the U.S. on the global stage by flattering North Korean leader Kim Jong-un through the exchange of what it calls love letters.

Notably absent from the document is any mention of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which was included in the Democratic platform in 2020 when Biden ran for president.

At that time, the platform committed to building a sustained, coordinated diplomatic campaign to advance the longer-term goal of denuclearization, along with support for humanitarian aid and efforts to pressure the North Korean regime to cease human rights abuses.

The omission of denuclearization from the 2024 platform has sparked concerns among experts in Seoul.

Some analysts have warned that this shift reflects a growing consensus among Democrats that managing North Koreas nuclear capabilities through a disarmament deal might be more pragmatic than pursuing the increasingly elusive goal of complete denuclearization.

Denuclearization is becoming more of a rhetorical stance in the U.S. not just among Republicans but also Democrats, said Cho Han-bum, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, a state-funded think tank.

After the U.S. presidential elections, regardless of which party wins, we may see Washington shift toward disarmament negotiations to break the stalemate. The focus of their goal would be to freeze North Koreas nuclear weapons so they do not pose direct threats to the U.S.

Such a move could undermine Yoons audacious initiative, which sets North Korea's genuine steps toward denuclearization as a precondition for any discussions, Cho said.

He suggested that the Yoon administration should prepare a Plan B, possibly involving negotiations with the U.S. to secure support for South Koreas acquisition of nuclear arms or the redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons, in return for Seoul's tacit recognition of Pyongyangs nuclear status.

Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, expressed concerns that North Korean issues may be sidelined under a potential Harris administration.

"It seems to reflect the broader situation in the U.S., where critics argue that a complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) on the Korean Peninsula is becoming increasingly unrealistic. A growing number of American scholars suggest that clinging to unrealistic goals should be replaced by a focus on moving toward nuclear disarmament," he said.

"The resignation of U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Jung Pak in July, without the immediate appointment of a successor, was seen as a sign that North Korea is not a priority for Biden  and the Democratic Party platform suggests it may not be for Harris either."

However, some analysts argue that it is premature to judge the Democratic Party platform  finalized on July 16 before Biden withdrew from the race and endorsed Harris  as clearly reflecting the vice president's policy priorities.

It seems far-fetched to conclude that Harris would abandon the goal of denuclearization or recognize North Korea as a nuclear state, especially considering that maintaining the non-proliferation regime is a cornerstone of the Democratic Party's policy, said Cha Du-hyeogn, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

The party's fundamental approach to Pyongyang remains focused on resolving issues through dialogue and negotiation. Harris is likely to continue most of Bidens North Korea policies."

South Korea's foreign ministry said that the commitment of both the South and the U.S. to North Korea's denuclearization remains steadfast.

"Regardless of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, we will continue to maintain close communication and cooperation with the U.S. on policies regarding North Korea and its nuclear program," ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said during a briefing, Tuesday, when asked about the Democratic Party platform.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering visiting South Korea in September to hold talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol, Kyodo news agency said, citing unnamed diplomatic sources.

Kishida, who said last week he would step down next month, aims to reconfirm cooperative ties between the two east Asian neighbours before leaving office, Kyodo said. (Reuters)
By Jung Min-ho

The government should eliminate the requirement for labor officials to report undocumented foreigners to the immigration office for deportation, in order to safeguard the rights of those who are owed unpaid wages, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea said Tuesday.

In a statement, the commission said introducing such a measure would be crucial for protecting from exploitation migrant workers who are in the country unlawfully. Many of these workers avoid seeking government assistance for unpaid wages due to the fear of deportation.

This follows the commissions investigation into a metal-processing factory owner, who was accused by an undocumented migrant worker of failing to pay over 10 million won ($7,500) in wages.

The migrant worker, who was in the country without a proper visa, recently decided to leave due to health reasons. After not receiving the wages owed to him, he sought assistance from the regional labor administration. However, following the employers report, he was subsequently detained by the police for violating immigration laws.

Theres a need to protect the rights of undocumented migrant workers like him during the investigations by labor officials, the commission said. To prevent similar incidents, the National Human Rights Commission urges the Ministry of Justice to revise the rules concerning reporting obligations.

Under the immigration control law, all government officials are required to report cases of foreign nationals staying illegally in the country to the immigration office, which handles deportations. Exceptions include minors and victims of crimes, who are not subject to this reporting requirement.

The commission advises the ministry to include victims of exploitation  one of the most common issues among undocumented foreigners  among those exempt from the reporting requirement.

The prompt recovery of the right (to receive back wages) is critical for migrant workers, as unpaid wages directly threaten the livelihood of workers as well as their families, the commission said. If government officials continue to be obligated to report undocumented migrant workers, the risk of deportation could lead many to give up the redress process or to an increase in the number of employers seeking to exploit their vulnerable situations.

However, according to rights activists, even if the ministry complies with this recommendation, it is unlikely to lead to a significant reduction in such malpractices.

Thats because in many cases, it is the employer who reports the undocumented workers, not labor officials, to the immigration office, one activist told The Korea Times.

A commission official suggested that such workers could be permitted to remain in Korea on a G-1 visa, which can be issued to individuals undergoing medical treatment due to industrial accidents or those involved in legal disputes, among other circumstances.

But getting that visa is not easy for many migrant workers, particularly undocumented ones who are facing immediate risk of deportation, another activist said.

Although the commissions recommendation should be welcomed, it is difficult for many to get that visa, which would not be approved unless theres an ongoing litigation, he said.
The United States has approved a potential sale to Korea of Apache attack helicopters and related logistical and other elements to help improve the Asian ally's defense capabilities, a government agency said Monday.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) under the Department of Defense announced that the State Department has made the decision on the potential government-to-government Foreign Military Sale (FMS) estimated to cost $3.5 billion.

Korea has made a request to buy up to 36 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, 76 T700-GE-701D engines, 456 AGM-114R2 hellfire missiles, 152 AGM-179A joint air-to-ground missiles and 40 AAR-57 common missile warning systems among others, according to the agency.

"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific region," DSCA said in a release.

"The proposed sale will improve the Republic of Korea's capability to meet current and future threats by providing a credible force capable of deterring adversaries and participating in regional operations," it added.

DSCA delivered the certification notifying Congress of the possible sale earlier in the day as the sale requires congressional endorsement. (Yonhap)
Army aims to upgrade defense readiness by replacing aging weapons: expert

By Anna J. Park

The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of 36 AH-64E Apache Helicopters as well as related logistics and program support to Korea at an estimated cost of $3.5 billion, the U.S.-headquartered Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said.

The sub-agency under the U.S. Department of Defense announced Monday (local time) that South Korea had requested to purchase as many as 36 Apache helicopters, along with other necessary related elements and services. The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale deal to Korea.

Also included on the list of proposed purchase are up to 76 T700-GE-701D engines (72 installed, four spares); up to 36 AN/ASQ-170 Modernized Target Acquisition and Designation Sight/AN/AAR-11 Modernized Pilot Night Vision Sensors; up to 14 AN/APG-78 Fire Control Radars (FCR) with Mast Mounted Assembly (MMA) and up to 14 AN/APG-78 FCR with Radar Electronic Units (REU), among others.

The estimated total cost of the proposed sale is $3.5 billion.

The DSCA said the proposed sale is expected to serve national interests and national security objectives of both the U.S. and South Korea by enhancing political stability and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific region.

"The proposed sale will improve the Republic of Koreas capability to meet current and future threats by providing a credible force capable of deterring adversaries and participating in regional operations. Korea will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces," the DSCA stated.

Aiming to strengthen defense capabilities against N. Korea

The Apache, which is evaluated as the highest-performing attack helicopter currently in existence, capable of day and night and all-weather operations, has a maximum cruising speed of 269 kilometers per hour. In terms of armaments, it can carry up to four Stinger air-to-air missiles in addition to Hellfire missiles.

Previously, the Republic of Korea Army imported 36 AH-64E Apache helicopters from the U.S. and has been operating them since 2017.

In 2022, Seoul's Ministry of National Defense approved the basic strategy for the AH-64E upgrade project, aiming to significantly enhance the capabilities of the AH-64E Guardian attack helicopters currently operated by the country's Army.

Thus, the approved proposed purchase of another 36 Apache helicopters by South Korea included not only the sale of the additional helicopters but also operational support systems for upgrading the performance of the existing Apaches currently in operation.

A military expert commented that this purchase can be seen as replacing the aging Cobra helicopters currently used by the ROK Army.

"Given that North Korea has more tanks than South Korea, and that the Apache Guardian is crucial for blocking their hovercraft in the event of an emergency, this purchase would strengthen South Koreas military capabilities in that regard," Kim Dae-young, a military analyst, told The Korea Times, Tuesday.

"This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Apache attack helicopter being operational in the U.S. military. As the Apache has undergone continuous upgrades, while the current Apache Guardian may look similar on the outside, it is essentially a completely new helicopter with entirely upgraded internal systems."

The U.S. sells military weapons overseas through either Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sales (DCS). In the FMS process, the foreign government importing the weapons makes a contract directly with the U.S. government, and final approval is required through a U.S. congressional review process. Korea's proposed purchase of the Apache helicopters also goes through the FMS method.

The DSCA administers the FMS program for the Department of Defense. Under FMS, the U.S. government uses the Defense Department's acquisition system to procure defense articles and services on behalf of its partners. Eligible countries may purchase defense articles and services with their own funds.
An appellate court on Tuesday upheld a life imprisonment sentence for the perpetrator behind last year's deadly stabbing rampage in Bundang, south of Seoul.

The 23-year-old, Choi Won-jong, was charged with smashing his mother's car into passing pedestrians outside a busy department store in early August in Bundang and going on a stabbing spree inside the department store building.

Two women, aged 20 and 65, respectively, at the time, died while undergoing treatment after being struck by the car, and 12 others were injured in the car crash and stabbing rampage.

The district court sentenced Choi to life in prison in February, but the prosecutors appealed the decision and demanded the death penalty for Choi.

The court at the time said that Choi had been in a state of mental vulnerability due to his chronic schizophrenia but dismissed his appeal for leniency.

On Tuesday, the Suwon High Court upheld the previous ruling, saying a lower court's judgment should be respected in case it has not deviated from the reasonable boundaries of discretion. (Yonhap)
Prosecutors on Tuesday indicted the driver of a car that rammed into pedestrians and killed nine near Seoul City Hall last month, determining that he mistook the accelerator for the brake.

The 68-year-old driver, surnamed Cha, was charged with negligent driving resulting in deaths and injuries in the July 1 crash in which his car darted in the wrong direction on a one-way road before crashing into sidewalk guardrails, hitting pedestrians, and ramming into two other cars.

Five people were also injured.

Cha, who was arrested last month, has consistently blamed sudden unintended acceleration.

But the investigation found no mechanical defect in the brake system. It also found that the brake was not applied at the time and the pattern imprinted on the outsole of the driver's shoe also matched that of the accelerator.

The car's brake lights were not illuminated while it was being driven, but an experiment on the vehicle conducted by the National Forensic Service found the brakes and brake lights functioned properly even when the brake booster, which boosts the performance of brakes, did not work. (Yonhap)
The Seoul city government said Tuesday it will turn Gwanghwamun Square in the heart of the capital into a national symbol space that represents free democracy and world peace and connects the nation's past and future.

The government said it will ensure the new national symbol space honors the dedication of U.N. troops who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War to protect freedom and peace and remembers the sacrifices that became the foundation for the nation's prosperity.

The space will also convey those meanings to future generations who visit the square, the government said, disclosing public opinions collected on the project.

But the government did not present any plan to build a specific national symbolic structure on Gwanghwamun Square, following its earlier decision to review a controversial plan to set up a 100-meter-high pole topped with the Taegeukgi, the national flag, there due to criticism over excessive nationalism.

The government said it will finalize the design of the national symbol space by year's end before completing the construction by September next year. (Yonhap)
City to finalize plan for national symbolic space in December

By Jung Da-hyun

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will move forward with plans to establish a national symbolic space at Gwanghwamun Square, although the inclusion of a 100-meter-tall flagpole remains uncertain, officials said Tuesday.

The city government is also considering alternative features, such as a media facade to display national symbols on a screen, considering public suggestions gathered during the consultation process.

However, controversy continues to swirl, with debates not only about the flagpole's installation but also about the broader concept of creating a symbolic space at the square. Additionally, the process of gathering public opinions has faced criticism, with doubts raised about the representativeness of the feedback collected.

The city announced the results of a public consultation Tuesday, revealing that around 59 percent of respondents support the creation of a national symbolic space, while about 40 percent believe that the Korean national flag, the Taegeukgi, should be a central feature of the space.

The proposal, first mentioned by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on June 25 during a meeting with Korean War veterans, has since sparked controversy. Critics have raised concerns about excessive displays of patriotism and potential budget waste over installing a giant flagpole.

In response to growing concerns and criticisms, Oh held a press briefing on July 11, stating that the city government would reconsider its plans and explore all possibilities for creating the symbolic space.

Subsequently, the city government sought public opinions on the creation of a national symbolic space for a month from July 15 to Thursday through its official website.

A total of 522 opinions were submitted, with 59 percent, or 308 respondents, expressing support for the city's plan, while 210 respondents, or 40 percent, opposed the idea.

Regarding potential features for the symbolic space, 41 percent, or 215 respondents, favored the inclusion of the national flag, followed by the national flower, the mugunghwa, as the second-most-popular choice, with 11 responses. The national emblem and national seal were each selected by two respondents, while one person suggested the national anthem.

Other ideas included the Hunminjeongeum, a 15th-century manuscript that introduced the Korean script, a pine tree, Dokdo and the national flags of the 22 countries that participated in the Korean War.

Additionally, 28 proposals addressed the design of the symbolic space, with many suggesting the use of cutting-edge technology, such as installing a media facade or media wall.

However, 40 percent of respondents opposed the city's proposals, with 146 individuals arguing that Gwanghwamun Square should retain its current status.

Additionally, 47 respondents argued that the city's budget should be allocated to more pressing issues, such as addressing the low birthrate and supporting the socially vulnerable.

The process of gathering public opinions has also faced criticism over its representativeness, as key demographic information such as age and gender, which could indicate the sample's representativeness, was not disclosed.

Meanwhile, the city government emphasized its focus on creating a national symbolic space that represents free democracy and world peace while connecting the nation's past and future.

"The space will honor the dedication of U.N. troops who fought in the Korean War to protect freedom and peace and commemorate the sacrifices that laid the foundations for the nation's prosperity," Oh said.

He also remained open to various possibilities regarding the features of the symbolic space, stating that the city government will continue considering diverse ideas for its creation while accepting ideas through a design contest.

The city government plans to conduct a design contest next month, following consultations with experts on the public opinion survey findings. The design for the space is expected to be finalized by the end of this year, with construction targeted for completion by September next year.
The government and the ruling party agreed Tuesday to set aside a record budget to issue discount coupons for small businesses next year to boost spending and revitalize the economy.

During a meeting between senior government officials and the People Power Party at the National Assembly, the two sides agreed to issue a record 5.5 trillion won ($4.13 billion) in "Onnuri" gift certificates, which offer discounts for goods at traditional markets and small shops.

They will also ease the number of restricted business types eligible for the coupons from the current 40 to 28.

At the meeting, both sides also agreed to consider cutting commission fees for electronic kiosks for small businesses and the self-employed.

For families with two or more children, they consented to provide up to 6 million won in subsidies for purchasing electric vehicles (EV) and to raise the discount rate for public transportation passes to up to 50 percent for those with three children.

In addition, they agreed to increase the distribution of EV chargers with fire prevention functions to 90,000 units in response to the recent surge in EV fires and to allocate additional budget for purchasing unmanned water cannons and other equipment. (Yonhap)
Im Jong-seok, a former chief of staff for preceding President Moon Jae-in, appeared before prosecutors Tuesday over allegations surrounding Moon's former son-in-law, condemning the prosecution probe as a "political retaliation."

Im arrived at the Jeonju District Prosecutors Office in Jeonju, about 190 kilometers south of Seoul, at 1:30 p.m. to be questioned as a witness about the suspicion that Moon's ex-son-in-law was unfairly hired as an airline executive in exchange for favors for the firm's founder. Im served as Moon's top secretary from May 2017 to January 2019.

Prosecutors reportedly asked Im whether he played any role in the appointment of Lee Sang-jik, founder of Korean budget carrier Eastar Jet and its Thai affiliate, Thai Eastar Jet, as head of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) in 2018. Following Lee's appointment, Moon's then son-in-law, surnamed Seo, was hired as an executive director of Thai Eastar Jet, triggering skepticism about its background.

Prosecutors suspect that the decision to appoint Lee as the KOSME chief was probably made during an informal meeting of presidential secretaries in late 2017.

Before entering the prosecution office, Im told reporters that the investigation against the preceding government is obviously "excessive and political" and appears to reflect President Yoon Suk Yeol's intentions. He then warned that everyone will be unhappy if the politically retaliatory investigation continues. (Yonhap)
By Ahn Ho-young

President Yoon Suk Yeol attended the NATO summit held in Washington, D.C., July 9-11. On the occasion of the summit, Yoon had one-on-one meetings with the leaders of seven countries, and discussed issues of the defense industry, supply chain, semiconductors and nuclear energy. Important progress was made to further strengthen security and economic cooperation with those countries. In fact, the discussions led to Korea winning its bid for a Czech nuclear power project. On top of all of these, an important agreement was signed to implement the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) formed in April last year on the occasion of Yoons state visit to the U.S.

Presidents Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden had a separate meeting in Washington and endorsed the tremendous progress that the two countries had achieved in the first year of the NCG, as evidenced by the signing of the ROK-US Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula. According to Korea's Ministry of National Defense, the U.S. extended deterrence to Korea, which used to be limited to deterrence, now extends to operations in times of crisis and contingency thanks to the signing of the guidelines. It was also stated that the Korea-U.S. alliance has now evolved to become a nuclear-based alliance. I agree with those statements.

First of all, it is because of the contents of the guidelines. The guidelines provide for the allocation of the kind of U.S. strategic assets depending upon the nature of the contingency. Korea will provide conventional support to U.S. nuclear operations in a contingency through conventional-nuclear integration. The presidents of Korea and the U.S. will communicate immediately in case of crisis and contingency on the Korean Peninsula. On such a basis, the two countries will conduct exercises, simulations, training and risk reduction practices. A major concern undermining Korean citizens confidence in the U.S. extended deterrence has been the perception that it is a one-way commitment from the U.S. to Korea over which Korea does not have any voice. The guidelines remove such a concern by ensuring that extended deterrence will be provided through joint planning and joint implementation between the two countries.

The NCG commands a high level of attention in the right places in the U.S. government. On the occasion of my visit to the U.S. in late June, I had the opportunity to meet with a large number of former and present military leaders and scholars dealing with the U.S. nuclear strategy. Many of them took note of a recent speech made at the Arms Control Association by Pranay Vaddi, senior director for Arms Control, Disarmament, and Nonproliferation at the National Security Council. They highly appreciated the speech as the one setting down a clear marker in the history of U.S. nuclear strategy. In that historic speech, Vaddi spoke at length about the NCG and emphasized the importance of the arrangement in the U.S. nuclear strategy.

The NCG commands high attention in the U.S. Congress as well. There is a bill that Congress must pass every year for the budget for the U.S. military, which is the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). For that reason, it is called as a must-pass bill. In this years deliberations on NDAA, senators paid high attention to the important role played by the NCG, how the NCG was agreed upon and how it is being implemented. The senators interest in the NCG will be taken note of by U.S. officials working on the group.

The NCG provides a more dependable deterrence than NATO-style nuclear sharing in the context of the Korean Peninsula. Under the NATO arrangement, tactical nuclear weapons are widely spread and stored on the ground in five NATO member countries, namely Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Turkey. An apparent issue with the arrangement is that the weapons are vulnerable to enemy attacks. Such vulnerability would be only more acute in the terrain like South Koreas, which is geographically far tighter than Western Europes.

In case of the NCG, the strategic assets allocated for Korea include the nuclear triad of land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and strategic bombers, significantly reducing the risk of vulnerability. The ultimate decision to use U.S. nuclear weapons can be made only by the president of the U.S. The same principle applies to either the tactical nuclear weapons deployed in Europe or the strategic assets allocated for Korea.

One determining factor for maintaining extended deterrence, whether through NATO-style nuclear sharing or the NCG, is confidence between and among the allies. The critical issue thus comes down to how to maintain the confidence as allies between Korea and the U.S. in the strategic environment undergoing tumultuous changes.

Ahn Ho-young is a chair professor at Kyungnam University. He served as Korean ambassador to the United States and vice foreign minister.
Gov't strives to sell corporate stakes under its management, but breakthrough seems unlikely

By Nam Hyun-woo

The family of Nexon's founder sold their 645 billion won ($485.3 million) stake in the video game giant to the holding company NXC. This sale is intended to help cover approximately 6 trillion won in inheritance taxes.

When combined with the 4.7 trillion won in NXC shares that the family paid to the government in February last year, the family has now completed the payment of the enormous amount of inheritance tax that it owed. However, questions remain as to whether the owner family will be able to reacquire these stakes and maintain their control over their gaming empire.

NXC said in a regulatory filing on Monday that it bought back more than 120,000 of its shares from Nexon founder Kim Jung-jus widow Yoo Jung-hyun, the NXC board chair, and their two children. The combined value of those shares amounts to 645 billion won.

NXC said the buyback is aimed at stabilizing the groups management and the inheriting family members prompt payment of the inheritance tax.

After Kim passed away in 2022, the bereaved family reportedly inherited approximately 10 trillion won in assets, mostly shares of NXC and other affiliates of Nexon Group. Since the countrys law imposes a maximum 60 percent inheritance tax when a conglomerates largest owner passes down assets for their family, the Nexon owner family had to pay 6 trillion won in tax to the government.

Korea allows inheritors to pay taxes in shares, and in February, the Nexon owner family handed over 29.3 percent of their stake in NXC, valued at 4.7 trillion won, to the government. This made the government the second-largest shareholder of the company.

The government, through the Korea Asset Management Corp. (KAMCO), put these shares up for sale. Despite auctioning the NXC shares twice, no bids were placed. The sales attempts failed primarily because NXC is not a listed company, making its valuation challenging. Additionally, none of the eligible entities could afford the 4.7 trillion won to pay for a non-controlling stake.

For similar reasons, there are 309 cases of corporate shares that have been paid for inheritance tax but have yet to be sold, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

To address these government-held corporate stakes, Korea has been running a program since 2019, which grants inheritors five years of exclusive rights to reacquire the stakes they paid as taxes. However, no one has applied for this program, as it is limited to companies with annual revenue below 300 billion won.

In an effort to encourage buybacks, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok announced on Aug. 14 that the government will expand eligibility for the buyback program to include all companies not classified as conglomerates. Additionally, the government will offer up to a 50 percent discount on stakes if their auctions fail two or more times.

This, however, will not be the case for Nexon, which is categorized as a conglomerate by the Fair Trade Commission. Nexon is Koreas 43rd-largest conglomerate with its total assets standing at 11.9 trillion won.

Given that the owner family still owns a controlling stake in NXC and that anyone becoming the second-largest shareholder receives no benefits except for dividends, industry officials said that there is a fair chance of the owner family being able to buy back the shares or the government carrying out other measures to encourage the sale.

Under the current circumstances, the NXC stakes do not seem attractive, which is a burden for the government as well, an industry official said. Though the government recently announced improvements to programs related to inheritance taxes, the fundamental problem is the extremely high tax rate.
Amorepacific, Korea's leading cosmetics firm, said Tuesday it has launched its luxury Hera brand in Thailand as part of its expansion into Asian markets.

The first Hera outlet in Thailand is located at the Central Chidlom department store in Bangkok, with more outlets set to be added in the Southeast Asian country, the company said in a statement.

Last month, Amorepacific introduced its Hera products through the local online platform Lazada while planning to sell them at Shopee and Tiktok Shop later this year, it said.

Thailand is the second market for Amorepacific to enter with the Hera brand, following Japan last August.

Most of Amorepacific's products, except for the Hera brand, have been available in global markets.

In recent years, the company has been exploring ways to offset a sharp sales decline in China following a diplomatic dispute over the deployment in Korea of a U.S. anti-missile system called THAAD in 2017. (Yonhap)
Korea's rice production to fall for third year in 2024: data
By Park Jae-hyuk

According to the corporate tracker Leaders Index, the proportion of employees in their 20s at major Korean conglomerates decreased to 21.6 percent in 2023 from 23.4 percent in 2021, while the share of workers aged 50 or older increased to 22 percent from 20.8 percent.

During the period, Samsung Electronics, LG Display, Samsung Electro-Mechanics and SK hynix showed the sharpest declines in the number of employees aged under 30, it explained.

The corporate tracker revealed the findings after analyzing the sustainable management reports of 123 companies  among Koreas 500 largest firms by revenue  which detailed employee age groups over the past three years.

According to the analysis carried out, the number of Samsung Electronics employees aged under 30 dropped to 72,525 in 2023 from 89,897 in 2021.

The tech giant has not disclosed the number of its workers aged 50 or older.

However, its sustainable management report showed that the number of its employees aged 40 or older has increased to 81,461 from 68,288 during the same period.

The number of LG Displays employees aged under 30 fell to 28,493 from 34,929 during the period, while the number of its workers aged 50 or older rose to 1,461 from 1,061.

The number of Samsung Electro-Mechanics employees aged under 30 decreased to 13,932 from 18,048. The subsidiary of Samsung Electronics has not disclosed the number of its workers aged 50 or older, just like its parent firm.

The number of SK hynixs employees aged under 30 fell to 9,833 from 11,934, while the number of its workers aged 50 or older increased to 2,921 from 1,815.

In contrast, carmakers, shipbuilders, steelmakers, construction firms and machinery manufacturers, which have relied heavily on skilled older workers, showed an increase in the proportion of their workers in their 20s.

However, the proportion of their employees in their 50s remained high.

Although the number of Kias employees aged under 30 rose to 2,539 in 2023 from 1,017 in 2021, the proportion of its workers aged 50 or older reached 55.4 percent last year, nearly eight times higher than the proportion of the carmakers employees aged under 30.

These results can be attributed to the tendency of Korean firms looking for skilled workers instead of new employees and to their sluggish expansion to new businesses, amid demographic changes caused by the low birthrate and aging population, a Leaders Index official said.
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance at the party's national convention on Monday night, drawing cheers from the crowd as she vowed to defeat Republican rival Donald Trump in the November election.

"Let us fight for the ideals we hold dear and let us always remember, when we fight we win!" Harris, the U.S. vice president, said in brief remarks that drew roars from the crowd.

She had been expected to appear later with President Joe Biden, the keynote speaker on Monday, the first night of a four-day event in Chicago.

Biden's appearance at the start of the four-day event caps a dramatic handover to his No. 2 after he was pressured to quit the race last month by party leaders worried the 81-year-old incumbent was too old to win or serve another four years.

Having served as vice president to the first Black U.S. president, Barack Obama, Biden bowed out of the race to allow his own second-in-command to try to make history as the first woman, a Black and Asian American, to hold the nation's highest office.

Hillary Clinton, who became the first woman to secure a major U.S. party's presidential nomination, was due to address the gathering later on Monday.

Clinton fell short two times, losing the party's nomination to Obama in 2008 and the election to Trump in 2016 in a bitter disappointment for the pioneering but polarizing political figure.

During a walkthrough of the convention center on Monday afternoon, Biden was asked if it was a bittersweet moment.

"It is a memorable moment," he told reporters.

Due to speak at 10:50 p.m. Eastern time, Biden will portray the Republican former president as a threat to American democracy while touting the achievements of the Biden-Harris administration.

While Democrats gathered for their national convention, thousands of people assembled at a nearby park to protest the party's military support for Israel's Gaza offensive.

The pro-Palestinian protesters were fewer than the tens of thousands that organizers had predicted, but a splinter group left the main march and breached a security perimeter near the convention center, drawing riot police who detained four people.

The protests injected a note of uncertainty into what is otherwise likely to be a week of celebration, with

some on the party's left flank angry over the Biden administration's support for Israel's actions in Gaza.

Hala Hijazi, a business executive from San Francisco, broke down in tears as she spoke to a panel on the war in Gaza attended by 300 people.

"I'm here because I've had over 100 of my family killed in Gaza, two just last week," Hijazi said. "I'm here in their honor. I'm here because they can no longer speak, because that's the least I can do as an American, as a person of faith and as a Democrat."

The protesters appeared unlikely to pressure Democrats to change. The party voted on Monday to approve a 92-page policy platform that does not call for an arms embargo against Israel, a demand of pro-Palestinian groups. The United States approved $20 billion in additional arms sales to Israel on Tuesday.

Harris is riding a historic whirlwind into the convention: her campaign has broken records for fundraising, packed arenas with supporters, and turned opinion polls in some battleground states in Democrats' favor.

Harris' vice presidential running mate, popular Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, was greeted with chants of "We're not going back" on Monday when he met with groups of delegates.

One prominent backer, however, cautioned fellow Democrats not to be overly optimistic. "Our numbers are much less rosy than what you're seeing in public," said Chauncey McLean, who heads Future Forward, a committee that has raised hundreds of millions of dollars to help elect Harris.

Biden abandoned his reelection bid after his disastrous debate against Trump on June 27 prompted longtime allies, major donors and other party supporters to demand he step aside.

Polls a month ago showed Trump with a clear lead over Biden, but Harris has closed the gap both nationally and in many of the highly competitive states, including Pennsylvania, that will play a decisive role in the election.

"Democrats are fired up," Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers told reporters. "We have a Republican candidate that is sitting there talking gibberish."

Harris will call this week for raising the U.S. corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, her campaign said, which would partially undo one of Trump's signature accomplishments during his 2017-2021 White House tenure.

Trump, meanwhile, plans to campaign this week in battleground states that are likely to determine the outcome of the election.

Some major allies and donors have been urging Trump to steer clear of racial and gender-based insults of Harris and focus his attacks instead on her policy record.

At a small business in southern Pennsylvania, he repeatedly referred to Harris as "Comrade Kamala" in an effort to paint her as a communist at an event to discuss economic policies. (Reuters)
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump pledged on Monday to rescind a Biden administration rule limiting power plant pollution and reiterated a promise to block Nippon Steel's planned purchase of U.S. Steel.

In the most detailed economic remarks he has offered on the campaign trail so far, Trump also ratcheted up his pledge to radically limit foreign access to domestic markets, saying he would ensure the supply chain for essential goods would be 100 percent American if he wins the Nov. 5 election.

He did not elaborate on how he would accomplish that goal beyond advocating broad measures, like imposing tariffs on other nations.

The former president spoke to a crowd of supporters on a factory floor in the working-class city of York, Pennsylvania. The speech was the first stop in a tour of battleground states this week aimed at steering the spotlight away from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and slowing the momentum of his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Some allies and advisers have pressed Trump to steer clear of personal attacks on Harris  particularly any broadsides related to race and gender  and instead focus on policy issues.

He largely followed that advice on Monday. While Trump called Harris a "communist" and denigrated her policy stances, several of which he misrepresented, he attacked her in personal terms just once, when he insulted her laugh about 45 minutes into the hour-long speech.

Trump in February had signaled he would move to block the Nippon-U.S. Steel deal, a potential merger that has stirred anxiety among some unionized workers, a key voting bloc in Pennsylvania and the other "Rust Belt" swing states likely to determine the results of the election.

"I will stop Japan from buying United States Steel," Trump said. "They shouldn't be allowed to buy it."

U.S. Steel said in a statement after Trump's remarks that it is "committed to the transaction with Nippon Steel, which is the best deal for our employees, shareholders, communities, and customers."

The company added the "partnership with Nippon Steel, a long-standing investor in the United States from our close ally Japan, will strengthen the American steel industry, American jobs, and American supply chains, and enhance the U.S. steel industry's competitiveness and resilience against China."

Shares in U.S. Steel had been trending lower and fell after Trump's planned remarks were reported, closing down about 6 percent. President Joe Biden in March said it is vital for U.S. Steel "to remain an American steel company that is domestically owned and operated."

Trump also pledged to eliminate rules published by the Environmental Protection Agency in April, which limit air and water pollution from power plants and are designed to cut over 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2047. The electricity sector is responsible for nearly a quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas pollution, according to the EPA.

"It's a disaster for our country," Trump said. "Instead of shutting down power plants, we will open dozens and dozens more, and they'll happen fast."

Trump said his administration would bring more "advanced small, modular nuclear reactors" online and that he would invoke the Defense Production Act to ramp up production of essential products.

Even as he pledged broad tax cuts for families, businesses, Social Security disbursements and tips, he said he would slash the deficit, a claim that good government experts have cast doubt on.

In a brief interview with Reuters following the event, Trump said he would consider rescinding a $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle purchases. He also said he would bring Elon Musk into his administration if the billionaire was willing. Musk, the CEO of EV manufacturer Tesla and a vocal Trump backer, would stand to lose business if the tax credit were rescinded.

Pennsylvania has emerged as one of the most important states in the presidential election, with Harris and Trump effectively neck-and-neck, according to most opinion polls.

In a sign of the state's importance, Trump campaigned in the northeastern part of the state over the weekend, while Harris barnstormed the western part. On Monday, Trump's running mate, Senator JD Vance, addressed supporters in Philadelphia. (Reuters)
Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump on Monday praised a tariff extension on Korean pickup trucks as a key economic policy feat during his presidency, claiming that absent it, Korea and China would be "destroying us."

Trump made the remarks during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, referring to the extension of 25 percent import tariffs on Korean pickup trucks until 2041  an outcome of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA) revision in 2018.

"I was the one with Korea. They got the tax put on and extended on the small trucks," Trump said. "If I didn't get that tax, Korea and China would be destroying us."

Trump has often cited the FTA renegotiation as one of his key policy achievements as he has underscored his negotiation chops stemming from his business background.

His mention of the tariff extension came as the Democratic National Convention kicked off its four-day run in Chicago to fete Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the Democratic nominees for president and vice president for the Nov. 5 general election. (Yonhap)
One man died and six people were missing, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter, after a luxury yacht was struck by an unexpectedly violent storm and sank off Sicily early on Monday.

The British-flagged "Bayesian," a 56-meter-long (184-feet) sailboat, was carrying 22 people and was anchored just off shore near the port of Porticello when it was hit by ferocious weather, the Italian coast guard said in a statement.

Eyewitnesses said the yacht vanished quickly beneath the waves shortly before dawn. Fifteen people escaped before it went down, including Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, who owned the boat, and a one-year-old girl.

The names of the dead and missing were not immediately released, but a person familiar with the rescue operation confirmed that Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, were not accounted for.

Salvatore Cocina, head of the Civil Protection in Sicily said Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance were also among the missing people.

Italian media said the dead man was the yacht's onboard chef.

Morgan Stanley did not immediately respond to a phone call and email seeking comment after hours. Clifford Chance did not return a request for comment.

The Italian coast guard said the missing had British, American and Canadian nationalities. Survivors said the trip had been organized by Lynch for his work colleagues.

"The wind was very strong. Bad weather was expected, but not of this magnitude," a coast guard official in the Sicilian capital Palermo told Reuters.

The captain of a nearby boat told Reuters that when the winds surged, he had turned on the engine to keep control of his vessel and avoid a collision with the Bayesian, which had been anchored alongside him.

"We managed to keep the ship in position and after the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone," Karsten Borner told journalists. The other boat "went flat on the water, and then down," he added.

He said his crew then found some of the survivors on a life raft  including a baby girl and her mother - and took them on board before the coast guard picked them up.

Lynch, aged 59, is one of Britain's best-known tech entrepreneurs. He built the country's largest software firm, Autonomy, from his ground-breaking research at Cambridge University, and became known as Britain's Bill Gates.

He sold the firm to HP for $11 billion in 2011, before the deal unravelled spectacularly following the acquisition, with the U.S. tech giant accusing him of fraud.

Once lauded by academics, scientists and politicians, Lynch spent much of the last decade in court defending his name. He was acquitted by a jury in San Francisco in June, after he spent more than a year living effectively under house arrest.

He said at the time that he was "elated" to be cleared in the criminal trial in which he denied any wrongdoing and blamed HP for botching the integration of the two companies.

Divers inspect wreck

The coast guard said divers were inspecting the wreck of the Bayesian, which was lying at a depth of 49 meters.

Prosecutors in the nearby town of Termini Imerese have opened an investigation to look into what had gone wrong.

Storms and heavy rainfall have swept down Italy in recent days after weeks of scorching heat, which had lifted the temperature of the Mediterranean sea to record levels, raising the risk of extreme weather conditions, experts said.

"The sea surface temperature around Sicily was around 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), which is almost 3 degrees more than normal. This creates an enormous source of energy that contributes to these storms," said meteorologist Luca Mercalli.

"We can't say that this is all due to global warming but we can say that it has an amplifying effect," he told Reuters.

The Bayesian was built by Italian shipbuilder Perini in 2008 and was last refitted in 2020. Its 75-meter mast is the tallest aluminium mast in the world, Perini said on its website.

The shipspotting.com website said the boat was owned by a firm called Revtom Limited. Lynch's wife Bacares is named as the sole shareholder of the firm on company documents.

The yacht's name would resonate with Lynch because his PhD thesis and the software that made his fortune was based on Bayesian theory.

The ship won a string of awards for its design and can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites and a crew of 10, according to online specialist yacht sites.

The boat left the Sicilian port of Milazzo on Aug. 14 and was last tracked east of Palermo on Sunday evening, with a navigation status of "at anchor," according to vessel tracking app Vesselfinder. (Reuters)
President Joe Biden delivered his valedictory address to the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, saying, I gave my best to you and basking in a long ovation that reflected the energy released by his decision to cede the stage to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Biden, 81, received a heros welcome weeks after many in his party were pressuring him to drop his bid for reelection. One month after an unprecedented mid-campaign switch, the opening night of the convention in Chicago was designed to give a graceful exit to the incumbent president and slingshot Harris toward a face off with Republican Donald Trump, whose comeback bid for the White House is viewed by Democrats as an existential threat.

On Monday, Biden insisted he did not harbor any ill will about the impending end of his tenure  despite reports to the contrary  and called on the party to unite around Harris.

I made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you, Biden said.

Speaking clearly and energetically, Biden relished the chance to defend his record, advocate for his vice president and go on the attack against Trump. His delivery was more reminiscent of the Biden who won in 2020 than the mumbling and sometimes incoherent one-time candidate whose debate performance sparked the downfall of his reelection campaign.

Visibly emotional when he took the stage, Biden was greeted by a more than four-minute-long ovation and chants of Thank you Joe.

America, I love you, he replied.

He called his selection of Harris as his running mate four years ago the very first decision I made when I became our nominee, and it was the best decision I made my whole career.

Shes tough, shes experienced and she has enormous integrity, enormous integrity, he said. Her story represents the best American story."

And like many of our best presidents, he added in a nod to his own career, she was also vice president.

Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff came out after his address to embrace him and his family.

Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all youll continue to do, she said earlier in the evening. We are forever grateful to you.

Biden's speech, billed as the marquee event of the evening, was pushed into late night as the convention program lagged more than an hour behind schedule. The delay led convention organizers to cancel a performance from legendary musician James Taylor.

He celebrated the successes from his administration, including a massive boost in infrastructure spending and a cap on the price of insulin. The spending resulted in more money going to Republican-leaning states than Democratic states, he said, because the job of the president is to deliver for all of America.

The president recalled the 2017 unite the right rally, when torch-carrying white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, an episode he cites as cementing his decision to run for president in 2020 despite his ongoing grief over the death of his son Beau Biden.

First lady Jill Biden alluded to her husband's wrenching decision to leave the race in her remarks minutes before Biden took the stage. She said she fell in love with him all over again "just weeks ago, when I saw him dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris.

A long list of high-profile speakers tried to connect both Biden and Harris to what the party sees as the governing pair's most popular accomplishments.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was greeted with prolonged applause, saluted Harris while noting her potential to break the highest, hardest glass ceiling to become Americas first female president. Clinton was the Democratic nominee in 2016, but she lost that election to Trump.

Together, weve put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling, Clinton said, invoking a metaphor she referenced in her concession speech eight years ago. On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the United States. When a barrier falls for one of us, it clears the way for all of us.

Clinton also saluted Biden for stepping aside, saying, Now we are writing a new chapter in Americas story.

Highlighting the partys generational reach, Clinton, 76, followed New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 34, who endorsed Harris while delivering the first mention of the war in Gaza from the convention stage, addressing an issue that has split the partys base ever since Hamas Oct. 7 attack and Israels resulting offensive.

Outside the arena, thousands of protesters descended on Chicago to decry the Biden-Harris administrations support for the Israeli war effort.

Israels counterattack in Gaza after more than 1,200 were killed and about 250 taken hostage on Oct. 7 has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Pro-Palestinian activists held a panel earlier Monday in which they discussed the plight of Gaza, in what organizers called a first for the DNC.

A couple of protesters from the Abandon Biden movement unfurled a protest sign late Monday that read, STOP ARMING ISRAEL a few minutes after Biden began his speech.

The sign was quickly wrestled away from the protesters and the lights in that section of the convention were turned off. Others in the hall responded to the protest by chanting We love Joe and holding up their banners in support of the president.

Biden acknowledged the protests as he spoke, saying, Those protesters out in the street have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides." He reiterated his push to get Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire deal that would also see the release of hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7.

Meanwhile, Democrats also looked to keep the focus on Trump, whose criminal convictions they mocked and who they asserted was only fighting for himself, rather than for the people  the night's official theme.

Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow hoisted an oversized copy of Project 2025  a blueprint for a second Trump term that was put together by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank  onto the lectern and quoted from portions of it.

Democrats kept abortion access front and center for voters, betting that the issue will propel them to success as it has in other key races since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. Speakers Monday included women whose healthcare suffered as a result of that decision, and one woman who was raped and became pregnant by her stepfather attacked Trump for trying to roll back access to abortion. The convention program included a video of Trump praising his own role in getting Roe struck down.

The convention program also honored the civil rights movement, with an appearance from the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the founder of the Chicago-based Rainbow PUSH Coalition, who is ailing with Parkinsons disease. There were several references to Fannie Lou Hamer, the late civil rights activist who gave a landmark speech at a Democratic convention in 1964.

Hamer was a former sharecropper and a leader of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, a racially integrated group that challenged the seating of an all-white Mississippi delegation at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. Hamer spoke on Aug. 22, 1964  exactly 60 years before Harris is set to accept the Democratic nomination and become the first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent to be the presidential nominee of a major party. (AP)
The leaders of China and Vietnam pledged to further their economic ties and gave a nod to their shared communist ideology during the first visit by Vietnams new president to Beijing on Monday.

To Lam, who took office in May, made China the destination of his first state visit, signaling the continuing importance the Southeast Asian nation places on its giant neighbor despite ongoing territorial frictions in the South China Sea.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Li Yuan, hosted a ceremony for Lam and his wife, Ngo Phuong Ly, at Beijings vast Great Hall of the People, replete with flags, flowers and a marching band.

Xi remarked on the deep friendship between Vietnam and China and said Vietnam was a priority for Beijings neighborhood diplomacy.

As two ruling Communist parties in the world today, the two parties of China and Vietnam should  continue their traditional friendship  and jointly promote the development of the worlds socialist cause, Xi said. I believe that our road will expand wider as we walk further.

Lams three-day visit to China comes about two weeks after he was confirmed as general secretary of Vietnams Communist Party, the countrys top political position. He succeeded Nguyen Phu Trong, who died last month after 13 years as leader.

Lam told Xi the relationship with China was the top priority of Vietnams foreign policy.

As a brother, we always observe every step of Chinas development, and we are happy for the achievement that the party and the government and the people of China have made under your leadership, Lam said in his opening remarks before meeting with Xi.

The two leaders oversaw the signing of 14 cooperation agreements in areas such as political education, infrastructure, health care and banking. China is Vietnams largest trading partner, with total bilateral trade of $172 billion last year.

Lam said Vietnam supported Chinas claim over self-ruled Taiwan, known as the One China principle, and that any issues pertaining to Hong Kong and the regions of Tibet and Xinjiang constitute Chinas internal affairs.

Lam is expected to continue his predecessors strategy of balancing ties with China, the United States, Russia and others.

The U.S. and its ally Japan have been developing closer ties with Vietnams communist government  Americas former foe in the Vietnam War  as they seek partners in a growing economic and strategic rivalry with China.

When Xi visited Vietnam in December, the two countries announced they would build a shared future that carries strategic significance. The agreement, which Chinese state media has described as an elevation of ties, was seen as a concession by Vietnam, which had resisted using that wording in the past.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Lam in Vietnam in June after visiting North Korea on a rare overseas trip for the Russian leader, who has been ostracized by many countries because of the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine .

Lam began his China trip on Sunday in Guangzhou, a major manufacturing and export hub near Hong Kong. He also visited sites in the southern city where Vietnams former communist leader Ho Chi Minh spent time in the 1920s and '30s.

Although both are one-party communist states, Vietnam and China have sparred repeatedly over territory that both claim in the South China Sea. China also briefly invaded parts of northern Vietnam in 1979.

A Vietnamese coast guard ship recently took part in joint drills in the Philippines, which has had a series of violent encounters with China over contested territory in the South China Sea.

Still, Vietnam has benefited economically from investment by Chinese manufacturers, which have moved production to the Southeast Asian country in part to skirt U.S. restrictions on solar panels and other exports from China. (AP)
The German Federal Court upheld a 99-year-old woman's conviction for accessory to murder over her role as a typist at a Nazi concentration camp in the last two years of World War II.

In 2022, Irmgard Furchner was handed a two-year suspended sentence for aiding and abetting the murder of 10,505 people during her time as an 18- and 19-year-old secretary at Stutthof concentration camp.

The Federal Court rejected her lawyer's argument that her involvement did not go beyond carrying out "everyday" activities as a typist. Its ruling upholding the lower court's decision is final and cannot be appealed.

"The principle that typical, neutral professional activities of an 'everyday nature' are not criminal does not apply here, since the defendant knew what the main perpetrators were doing and supported them in doing it," judges at the Leipzig court wrote.

Some 65,000 people died of starvation and disease or in the gas chamber at the camp in Stutthof, near Gdansk, at that time still the German city of Danzig. They included prisoners of war and Jews caught up in the Nazis' extermination campaign.

Many were transported from there to be gassed at Auschwitz.

Furchner's failure to appear for the opening of her trial in 2021 made her, at 96, one of the world's oldest fugitives, leading judges to issue an arrest warrant for her.

She is the latest in a series of nonagenarians to have been charged with Holocaust crimes in what is seen as a rush by prosecutors to seize the final opportunity to enact justice for the victims of some of the worst mass killings in history. (Reuters)
Japan's ruling party said Tuesday it will hold a vote on Sept. 27 to choose its new leader after Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas surprise announcement that he will be stepping down.

The internal election must be held by the end of September, which marks the end of Kishida's three-year term and will only include the party's parliamentarians and its 1.1 million dues-paying members. The winner will be the head of the Liberal Democratic Party and the country's prime minister as the party and its smaller coalition partner control Japan's two-chamber parliament.

Last week, Kishida  who took office in October 2021  said he was bowing out of the race to pave the way for a new leader to form a united LDP to make a fresh start to regain public trust, badly hurt by the party's extensive corruption scandal , causing his support ratings to dip below 20 percent.

Within days of the prime minister's declaration, local media has speculated nearly a dozen possible candidates, with some already announcing their interest in leading a party desperate for public support.

A younger lawmaker, former Economic Security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi, 49, was the first to announce his candidacy Monday. Others whose names have been floated around as possible candidates include former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, 43, three of the party's female veterans, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi and former Gender Equality Minister Seiko Noda, as well as past runner-ups, Digital Minister Taro Kono as well as former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba who is an all-time favorite among the general public.

Each candidate needs support from 20 party lawmakers to run which usually requires time to drum up.

The LDP election committee chief Ichiro Aisawa said Tuesday that his party takes seriously the loss of public trust due to the scandals and that it has set a 15-day campaign period, instead of the usual 12 days, beginning Sept. 12 so voters have more time to study the candidates visions and policies. He also called on potential candidates to make their campaign as frugal as possible, taking into consideration the public criticisms over money and politics.

Voters will cast their ballots in a system that divides power between the partys elected lawmakers and its membership at large, with each group getting 50 percent of the vote.

The scandal that engulfed the LDP centered on unreported political funds raised through tickets sold for party events. It involved more than 80 LDP lawmakers, mostly belonging to a major party faction previously led by assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (AP)
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On 19 August the Nicaraguan government outlawed 1,500 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and seized their assets through a resolution that was published in the official gazette.

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Several cars became disabled Tuesday morning after their drivers all filled up at the same Bethlehem Township gas station, according to police.

Township police Capt. Shaun Powell told lehighvalleylive.com the incident happened just after 11:15 a.m. along Freemansburg Avenue. Officers initially were dispatched for disabled vehicles in the area of the Raceway gas station at 3608 Freemansburg Ave., he said.

While en route, officers found over 10 disabled vehicles along Freemansburg Avenue and adjacent roads, Powell said. All drivers reported just buying some quantity of gasoline at the Raceway on Freemansburg Avenue, he said.

The vehicles were towed. The gas stations pumps were blocked by cones, pending an investigation into the issue by the Northampton County Division of Weights & Measures, Powell said.

The investigation was ongoing with the Pennsylvania Weights & Measures Division, Northampton County Deputy Director of Administration Brittney Waylen told lehighvalleylive.com.

The gas station will be closed down until the state can perform testing and results are back to normal, she said Tuesday afternoon. Testing will be done tomorrow morning. Results may take two weeks to come back.

A Raceway representative did not immediately respond to a request for information Tuesday afternoon.

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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.
Traveling this fall just got a whole lot cheaper  but youll have to book your flight ASAP.

JetBlues Big Fall Sale is back with major discounts on one-way flights and roundtrip flights with two-day hotel stays starting at $34 from now through Friday, Aug. 23.

The flights out to Europe have dropped significantly with this deal. You can book a flight to Paris from New Yorks JFK airport starting at $249 one-way or $818 for a roundtrip flight and hotel for two nights.

Or pack your bags for a flight from JFK airport to Dublin for as low as $199 one-way and $596 for round-trip flight and two-night hotel stay. If youd prefer a jaunt in Edinburgh, London or Amsterdam, you can book one-way flights to these cities from JFK for $249 one-way.

If youre opting for a vacation in paradise outside of Europe this fall instead, you can book a flight to Bermuda starting at $69 one-way or $766 for a roundtrip flight and two-night hotel stay. Or fly out to Aruba for $119 one-way or $461 roundtrip with a two-night hotel stay.

But there are a few catches to consider before you snag these crazy low deals. Your departing and return dates must fall between Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024 and Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024.

Also, Thursday, Friday and Sunday departure and arrival days are excluded so youll have to fly out and return on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday. This also depends on the destination, as some only exclude Tuesday and Thursday departures and returns so its best to click each destination youre interested in to see what is available.

Plus, the lowest flight fees are for Basic Blue economy seats, which are limited on the perks, like only one carry-on is included in the price, no free checked bags are included, no changes are permitted, you are charged for cancellations, and you cant choose your seat.

But for deals as low as this, the pros of getting to your dream destination on a budget outweigh the cons.

You can find more details and book your next flight during JetBlues Big Fall Sale here.

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Editors Note: This story first appeared on Armchair Lehigh Valley and is being published on lehighvalleylive.com as part of a partnership with the website, which aims to give voters factual information in a nonpartisan way to help them make informed decisions at the polls. Armchair Lehigh Valley is run by publisher Katherine Reinhard and editor Robert H. Orenstein, two longtime journalists who formerly worked at The Morning Call in Allentown. Learn more about Armchair Lehigh Valley and subscribe here.

Lehigh Valley Republican Bill Bachenberg, who chaired a group of unauthorized electors in 2020, has been chosen by former President Trump to be a member of the Electoral College in Pennsylvania for the 2024 presidential race.

The co-owner of Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays in North Whitehall was among 19 Republicans certified by the GOP nominee to cast votes for him should he prevail on Nov. 5. He had been on Trumps list in 2020 as well.

Bachenberg was the leader of 20 Republicans who anointed themselves as so-called alternate electors in Pennsylvania in 2020 after Joe Biden won and Trump asserted the election had been stolen, despite evidence that the results were valid. Such self-appointed members also have been labeled fake electors.

Bachenberg did not respond immediately to an email seeking comment.

Another Lehigh Valley Republican on the 2024 list is Bernadette Comfort of Fogelsville, who is the vice chair of the Republican Party. Like Bachenberg, she was slated to serve as an elector in 2020 if Trump had won and then became one of the unauthorized 2020 electors.

The group, which included Bethlehem attorney Tom Carroll, gathered to vote for Trump on Dec. 20, 2020  the same day that authorized Electoral College members cast their votes for Biden.

Unlike Arizona, Georgia and Michigan, where alternate electors are facing charges related to filing false paperwork, Pennsylvanias unauthorized electors have avoided legal repercussions because their certificate of the votes clearly stated they would not be recognized unless Trump prevailed in his lawsuits to overturn Bidens win.

Still, Bachenberg was subpoenaed to testify about his role as chair before a select committee of the U.S. House of Representatives looking into the events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. There is no record in committee records that he testified.

Trumps current list includes three other members of the 2020 unauthorized group who were also certified electors that year  Ash Khare, Patricia Poprik and Andrew Reilly.

Electoral College process

U.S. presidents are officially elected through the Electoral College. A candidate must reach 270 votes out of 538 electoral votes to win.

All states, except for Maine and Nebraska, have a winner-take-all policy, according to the National Archives.

The distribution of Electoral College members is based on the U.S. Census. Each state receives two votes for its two U.S. senators plus a number of votes equal to the amount of U.S. House members it has, according to the National Archives.

Pennsylvania had 20 Electoral College members in 2020, but now has 19 because it lost a U.S. House seat in 2022 after the latest census.

Under Pennsylvania law, each presidential candidate must submit a list of certified members for the Electoral College within 30 days of being officially nominated. Harris was nominated on Aug. 5 so she has time to turn in her list.

On Election Day, voters technically vote for Electoral College members, not the candidate. The candidate who wins in most states gets all of their Electoral College votes.

Bachenberg a Trump loyalist

Bachenbergs appearance on the list signals Trumps support to loyalists who back his claim that the 2020 election was rigged against him.

Bachenberg is a defendant in a federal lawsuit filed last year by a New York cybersecurity company called XRVision and its president Yaacov Apelbaum in the U.S. District Court in Michigan.

The company sued Bachenberg and Michigan lawyer Stefanie Lambert for failing to pay it for a forensic analysis of voting machines in Pennsylvanias Fulton County after results did not show evidence of fraud. Fulton County has been involved in protracted lawsuits over the 2020 results despite Trumps overwhelming win there.

The lawsuit alleges that Bachenberg agreed to pay for attorney fees and expenses in various election fraud investigations and lawsuits and provided a $1 million line of credit to Lamberts law firm.

Bachenberg and Lambert have denied the allegations in court filings. A trial is scheduled for January 2025.

A summary of an Arizona State Senate hearing regarding an audit of the 2020 election results includes a Sept. 27, 2021, email that Bachenberg wrote on the subject.

It said, in part, Attached is a high-level Summary of the AZ Senate hearing and Auditor reports presented Friday in one easy to read Summary. Please distribute to all your friends, they need to hear the truth. PA will be one of the next dominos to fall.

Bachenberg, who is first vice president of the NRA, has actively supported Republican candidates, hosting political rallies at Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays. In the 2020 presidential campaign, Donald Trump Jr. attended a rally there to launch a Sportsmen for Trump coalition. And in April Bachenberg hosted a rally for Republican David McCormick, who is making a second bid for the U.S. Senate and is trying to unseat incumbent Democrat Bob Casey.

He has also contributed heavily with more than $500,000 over the last 25 years going to Republican PACs, groups and candidates, including Donald Trumps first two presidential campaigns, according to Federal Election Commission data. He has not donated to Trumps campaign in 2024, according to a review of federal data. Last year, he gave $7,500 to a PAC supporting a slate of Republicans running for school board in Parkland. The slate lost.

His closeness with Trump includes allegedly being in Washington, D.C., at the Trump International Hotel the day before a riotous group broke through gates and police to enter the U.S. Capitol, temporarily disrupting the certification of Bidens win.

In testimony before the House select committee, Alexandra Preate, a Steve Bannon associate, said Bachenberg was at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 5, 2021.

When asked whether VIPs other than Trump family members came to an event that day at what was called the townhouse, she said she only remembered this guy, Bill Bachenberg because he was from Pennsylvania. Preate is the daughter of former Pennsylvania Attorney General Ernie Preate.

Trumps full list of certified Republican electors

William Bill Bachenberg, Allentown

Vallerie Biancaniello, Broomall

Curt Coccodrilli, Jefferson Township

Bernadette Comfort, Fogelsville

Robert Gleason, Johnstown

Joyce Haas, State College

Fred Keller, Middleburg

Ash Khare, Warren

Jondavid Longo, Slippery Rock

Robin Medeiros, Clarks Summit

Rochelle Pasquariello, Lehighton

Patricia Poprick, Doylestown

Andrew Reilly, Media

Carol Lynne Ryan, New Castle

Carla Sands, Camp Hill

James Jim Vasilko, Johnstown

T. Lynette Villano, West Pittston

Christine Wilkins, East Stroudsburg/Analomink

Samuel JimWorthington, Newtown

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Editors Note: This story first appeared on Armchair Lehigh Valley and is being published on lehighvalleylive.com as part of a partnership with the website, which aims to give voters factual information in a nonpartisan way to help them make informed decisions at the polls. Armchair Lehigh Valley is run by publisher Katherine Reinhard and editor Robert H. Orenstein, two longtime journalists who formerly worked at The Morning Call in Allentown. Learn more about Armchair Lehigh Valley and subscribe here.

Lehigh Valley delegates attending the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that began Monday will witness history as Vice President Kamala Harris is the first woman of color to accept the partys presidential nomination.

Im looking forward to being in the midst of all the positive energy  and being in the room as history is being made, said Carmen Bell of Allentown and second vice chair of the Lehigh County Democratic Committee.

Its a very historic candidacy, and I am very happy to see her at the top of the ticket, said Baron Vanderburg of Palmer Township and chair of the Northampton County Black Caucus.

Bell and Vanderburg are two of seven delegates elected in the April primary to represent the Lehigh Valley areas 7th Congressional District at the convention.

The states delegation totals 187, with 105 selected in the primary by congressional district and the rest selected by the state Democratic Party officials as at-large members or by being a party leader or elected official.

Nearly 4,700 delegates and a total of 50,000 people will be in Chicago for the four-day convention.

The gathering is the 26th major party convention hosted by Chicago, with the first coming in 1860, when Republicans nominated Abraham Lincoln as their presidential candidate. The last was in 1996, when Bill Clinton was nominated for a second term as president.

One traditional task the delegates wont do at the convention: officially choose their partys ticket for president and vice president. That roll call was completed online by Aug. 5 to meet an Aug. 7 deadline to get Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on the Ohio ballot. There will still be a ceremonial roll call vote on Tuesday, however.

In addition to Bell and Vanderburg, the other delegates from 7th District are: Leslie M. Altieri, chair of Bethlehem Township, Freemansburg, Saucon Valley/Hellertown Democratic Committee; Julian Alexander Guridy, who works for the state Senate; Aidan Levinson, a political consultant from Zionsville and 2020 delegate; Lori McFarland, chair of the Lehigh County Democratic Committee; and Anne Wakabayashi, a political consultant from Bethlehem who also was a delegate from Philadelphia to the 2016 DNC.

The local delegates had backed Biden but shifted their support to Harris after she replaced the president on the ticket following the presidents poor performance in a June 27 debate and calls from many Democratic leaders that he step aside.

After his decision to step down and immediately endorse Kamala Harris, it was very easy for me to do the same as did all of our delegates representing District 7 here in the Lehigh Valley, said McFarland, who will attend her first convention.

Levinson, a Biden delegate in 2020, agreed.

I am equally excited about Vice President Harris as our nominee. She has unlocked a major sense of joy and excitement, and we are in great position with her as our partys nominee, he said.

Both Vanderburg and Wakabayashi emphasized the significance of Harris background as a daughter of a Black father from Jamaica and a mother from India for the Democratic Party and the nation.

As an AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) woman and as a person who has worked hard to increase the level of diversity in our party, I could not be more thrilled that our ticket is being led by Kamala Harris, who will hopefully make history as our first AAPI and first woman president, Wakabayashi said.

Vanderburg said he did not advocate for Biden to bow out of the race for president, believing Biden had a path to victory on Nov. 5. However, he is now fully behind Harris.

I believe the momentum that has come around Harris being on the top of the ticket is unmatched .  Im very happy to see Kamala engaging sections of voters that werent formally engaged, he said.

He added, I think the intersectionality of Kamala Harris is a strength for the top of the ticket and for the American presidency. We have a long history of [mostly] old white men who have held the highest office in the land, and not only are we overdue for a different perspective in the White House, we are  (seeing) somebody who is incredibly qualified to hold that space.

How to watch the convention

The convention will be aired and streamed by major broadcast and cable news networks.

The DNC will livestream the event at www.dem.convention.com as well as on other sites such as YouTube. Convention organizers also issued press credentials to 200 social media influencers to present their perspectives on events through TikTok, Instagram and other similar sites.

Speakers include Hillary Clinton, the partys presidential nominee in 2016, and President Joe Biden, on Monday; former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, on Tuesday; former President Bill Clinton on Wednesday, followed by vice presidential candidate Walz. Harris will deliver her acceptance speech Thursday night.
A New York man faces driving-under-the-influence and assault charges after striking another vehicle head-on while driving the wrong way on Interstate 78, then climbing over a concrete highway barrier in an attempt to avoid arrest, Pennsylvania State Police said.

Jamal Linton, 35, of Brooklyn, is charged with felony aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI; misdemeanor DUI/unsafe driving; misdemeanor reckless endangerment; misdemeanor accidents involving personal injury; misdemeanor resisting arrest and related offenses.

State police at Fogelsville said the two-vehicle accident happened shortly before 5 a.m. Sunday on I-78 West near mile 47.4 in Upper Macungie Township. Multiple witnesses reported seeing a 2024 Buick Encore allegedly driven by Linton headed east in the westbound lanes of I-78 at mile 44, which is in Weisenberg Township, court records state.

Linton struck head-on a 2001 Suzuki Esteem driven by a 66-year-old Allentown man, state police said. The impact tore the Suzuki in half, with the front cabin and engine bay found about 100 feet west from the rear half of the vehicle, according to police.

The Suzuki driver was injured and found lying near his vehicle on the ground when investigators arrived. He reported to police the offending vehicle was coming right at him in the wrong lane, according to court records. The victim suffered deep cuts to his head, arms, hands and face and was taken for treatment at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township, police said.

The victim was listed in critical condition at the hospital, court records state.

Investigators found Linton by his SUV and immediately detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath and observed his eyes to be bloodshot and glassy, police wrote in court records outlining probable cause to arrest him. Linton allegedly told police he was the sole occupant and driver of the SUV.

Linton at some point threw a bottle containing what appeared to be an alcoholic beverage into the woods, police said. He allegedly told investigators he didnt know where he was or what state he was in. After being asked twice about what he threw into the woods, Linton began to run, court records state.

Troopers unsuccessfully deployed a Taser to try to keep Linton from running into traffic, police said. Linton then hopped over a concrete barrier, with troopers once again trying to restrain Linton with the Taser, according to police.

Linton eventually fell back over to the westbound side of I-78 while still standing and holding onto the concrete barrier, court records state. He resisted arrest and ignored troopers commands before eventually being handcuffed and taken into custody, according to the court records.

Linton suffered minor injuries and also was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest for treatment, state police said.

Linton was arraigned Sunday before District Judge Todd Heffelfinger, who set bail at $200,000. In lieu of bail, Linton was taken to the Lehigh County jail. Court records indicate he has since posted bail.

He is due back in court for a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled for Sept. 19 to determine if theres sufficient evidence to send the charges toward trial in the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas.

Court paperwork did not immediately list an attorney for Linton. Efforts to reach him for comment by telephone were unsuccessful.

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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.
A U.S. Postal Service mail carrier who formerly lived in Allentown was sent to federal prison Tuesday for participating in a scheme to file bogus tax returns to claim $182,000 in refund checks, court records say.

Callistus Joseph, 67, was sentenced to one year plus a day in prison, according to a U.S. Attorneys office spokeswoman and defense attorney Molly Heidorn, of Easton. Records say Joseph accepted bribes to participate in the scam between January 2019 and August 2020. He pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to steal public funds and bribery.

Josephs willingness to sell his position and misuse the U.S. postal system contributes to the perception that the mail system is inhabited by corrupt actors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Terri A. Marinari wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed Aug 13.
One of the hottest ZIP codes in America is right here in the Lehigh Valley, according to a report released Tuesday by Realtor.com.

Of course, thats no surprise to the folks whove already bought homes here, committing themselves to the region. And its certainly no surprise to anyone born and raised in or always returning to the area.

Enter Rebecca Jarvis. This morning, the ABC News Good Morning America correspondent revealed that among realtor.coms Hottest ZIP Codes 2024, the Macungie areas 18062 rounds out the top-10 list of most coveted across the nation.

The realtor.com report highlights the markets where homebuyers are shopping like crazy and making offers at record speed due to an areas affordability, excellent amenities and other desirable attributes.

And for perspective, the United States has grown to 41,618 ZIP codes.

The Hottest ZIP Codes list was compiled by analyzing housing market supply and demand using realtor.com listing data from January to June 2023. The economic research team assessed the number of views each listing received and the speed at which homes were sold. To keep things competitive, the list was limited to just one ZIP code per metropolitan area.

Macungie is part of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area that covers Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties in Pennsylvania and Warren County in New Jersey.

The websites top 10 2024 Hottest ZIP Codes in America, in rank order, are:

43230  Gahanna, Ohio

63021  Ballwin, Mo.

01970  Salem, Mass.

07920  Basking Ridge, N.J.

14609  Rochester, N.Y.

08054  Mount Laurel, N.J.

01453  Leominster, Mass.

01085  Westfield, Mass.

46322  Highland, Ind.

18062  Macungie, Pa.

Macungie  offers a close-knit community and scenic surroundings, perfect for those who enjoy a quiet, suburban lifestyle, the report highlights in its description of the community. The town has beautiful parks, events like the annual Das Awkscht Fescht car show, and convenient access to the Lehigh Valleys larger cities for additional amenities and opportunities.

Our 2024 Hottest Zip Codes of 2024 report is here! 



Homes in the hottest zips saw 3.7x the page views per property on avg and homes sold more than a month faster compared to the typical U.S. home in the first half of '24 



 Get the full report: https://t.co/kBUjhuzIWB pic.twitter.com/CyTYEStIfo  Realtor.com (@realtordotcom) August 20, 2024

This is the second consecutive year  and only the second time in the lists history  that the top 10 ZIP codes are represented by just two regions. This year the regions were found in the Northeast and the Midwest. Home prices were a primary indicator of that change, realtor.com Senior Economic Analyst Hannah Jones said.

Prices have skyrocketed across the board in recent years, even in those ZIP codes that are more affordable for now.

Relatively high demand pushed home prices on average 7.4% higher in the hottest ZIPs in the first half of the year, compared to just 0.4% median listing price growth nationally, Jones said.

More than half of this years 10 Hottest ZIP Codes boast median list prices below the current national median of $439,950 as of July. Four markets were priced higher, with one  Basking Ridge, about 40 minutes from Manhattan  nearly twice the median, at $967,000.

Listings in the Hottest ZIP Codes garnered about 3.7 times more views than the average national listing, and flew off the market a whole month faster compared with the typical U.S. home in the first half of 2024. Homes spent between eight and 18 days on the market in the Hottest ZIP Codes; the typical home nationwide spent 50 days on the market in July.

Macungies growing appeal is a testament to its vibrant community, excellent opportunities for education, and proximity to key amenities, making it a prime destination for homebuyers, said 2024 Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors President-elect Michael Bernadyn. The demand for homes in the area has continued to surge.

According to the July 2024 market report published by the GLVR Multiple Listing Service, Macungie has produced gains across nearly all key housing metrics compared to 2023. To date, pending sales have grown 6.6% (363 to 387) as did the average sale price by 8.6% to $428,842. New listings climbed 21.4%, from 383 in 2023 to 465 in 2024 and, by comparison, July inventory soared 71.7% from 46 to 79. Of the key metrics, only closed sales dipped by 3.3% (367 to 355), as of July 2024.

2024 is definitely a stand-out year for Macungie and a big improvement over a slower 2023, Mallory Seigfried, GLVRs director of communication, said in a response to an inquiry from lehighvalleylive.com. Things definitely lean toward a potential historical run, but I cant say definitely without doing more digging. One could imagine how the numbers would look if there was more inventory and/or if the price point (a victim of the inventory) was more first-time buyer friendly.

Glenn Epps can be reached at gepps@lehighvalleylive.com or glenn_epps_on X (formerly known as Twitter.com), Facebook and Threads.

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The promotor of Electric Picnic in Laois has described the difficulty of keeping illegal drugs out of his festival, to the recent overdoses by prisoners in Portlaoise prison campus.

Melvin Benn was questioned about the presence of drugs after the HSE issued warnings about extra dangerous MDMA and Blue Punisher circulating in the 2024 Electric Picnic.

"You've got to educate them and what's been great is the response from the audience and the positive feedback we've been getting about having been given that information. If that information saves someone from being unwell or saves someone even worse, fantastic.

"Drugs are part of society. I don't have the walls and the barbed wire fences that Portlaoise jail have and they get them in there. Drugs are everywhere. It's shocking but it's true. Illegal drugs, there is no other way about it, they are dangerous. If we can tell them something is particularly dangerous, I think that's the best thing to do," Mr Benn said.

The warnings came via the HSE tent which carries out on-site testing of samples of drugs dropped in voluntarily by festival goers.

Eleven prisoners were rushed to Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise on August 13 after taking the same drug.
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The search for British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter continues after a luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily.

Mr Lynch and his daughter Hannah are among six tourists missing after the yacht, named Bayesian, was battered during intense storms off the coast of Palermo in the early hours of Monday morning.

A body, believed to be that of the vessels cook, has been found and police divers are trying to reach the hull of the ship, which is resting at a depth of 50 metres.

Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, Italian news website la Repubblica stated.

Sicilys civil protection agency told the BBC that 18-year-old Hannah Lynch was among those missing with her father, along with the yachts chef, Ricardo Thomas.

The yacht was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers.

Fifteen people including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued, according to local media.

The British-flagged superyacht capsized at about 5am local time on Monday morning off the coast of Palermo when the area was hit by a tornado.

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was made an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006.

In June, he was cleared of conducting a massive fraud relating to an 11 billion dollar (8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

A spokesperson for Mr Lynch said there was no comment.

The yacht sank as a fierce storm battered the area overnight.

The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported that the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.

Salvo Cocina of Sicilys civil protection agency said: They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

She said: I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

It was all dark. In the water I couldnt keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.

Charlotte and Sofia are being treated in hospital, as is Sofias father, James Emsley.

Karsten Borner, captain of a nearby boat, told journalists those missing included the Bayesians owner and a child, news agency Reuters reported.

He said his crew took on board some survivors who were on a life raft, including three who were seriously injured.

Fisherman Francesco Cefalu said he sailed from the shore to the scene after seeing a flare at about 4.30am, but by the time he arrived Bayesian had already sunk, with only items such as cushions and wood floating in the water.

He added: I think they are inside, all the missing people.

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said on Monday: We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors were being deployed to Palermo.

A basic assessment of the scene will be made by the team, with no investigation launched at this stage, the PA news agency understands.

Bayesian completed a number of sailings in recent days, calling at various ports in Sicily, according to ship-tracking website VesselFinder.

The superyacht can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites, and is listed for rent for up to 195,000 euros (166,000 ) a week.

She was built in 2008 by Italian company Perini Navi.

Her registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd, which is based on the Isle of Man.

It has since emerged that the co-defendant of Mr Lynch in his US fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain, died after being hit by a car whist out running on Saturday.

Gary Lincenberg, Mr Chamberlains lawyer, said in a statement provided to the PA news agency: Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running.

He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.

Mr Lynch is of Irish heritage  his father was a fireman from Co Cork, and his mother was a nurse from Co Tipperary.

In a 2015 radio interview, Mr Lynch confirmed that he was born in Ilford in London, despite a number of reports that he was born in Ireland and raised in England.

He said during the same interview that he spent childhood summers in Carrick-On-Shannon and Tipperary and has family who still live there.
The search for British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter has resumed after a luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily.

They are among six tourists missing after the yacht, named Bayesian, was battered during intense storms off the coast of Palermo in the early hours of Monday.

Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American.

The BBC reported that Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo were among those missing.

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was cleared in June of conducting a massive fraud relating to an 11 billion US dollar (8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

His co-defendant, Stephen Chamberlain, died after being hit by a car while out running in Cambridgeshire on Saturday.

In a statement released through Cambridgeshire Police, Mr Chamberlains family said: Steve was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.

He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible.

Gary Lincenberg, Mr Chamberlains lawyer, said in a statement: He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.

The British-flagged Bayesian is resting on the seabed at a depth of 50 metres.

Divers loaded a rescue dinghy at the port of Porticello, near Palermo, as the search resumed on Tuesday morning.

Italys fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco said inspections of the wreck on Monday were unsuccessful due to furniture obstructing passages.

The ship was moored around half-a-mile off the coast of Porticello when it sank at about 5am local time on Monday as the area was hit by a storm.

Civil protection officials believe the yacht was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout.

Fifteen of the 22 passengers and crew onboard  including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares  were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat.

One body, reportedly belonging to the ships chef, was recovered at the scene.

The Financial Times reported that Mr Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, while media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

Mr Bloomer is also chairman of insurance provider Hiscox.

He was travelling with his wife, Judy, who is also missing.

Aki Hussain, group chief executive of Hiscox, said: We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event.

Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing, and with their family as they await further news from this terrible situation.

Ayla Ronald, a New Zealand national working at Clifford Chance, survived the ordeal. Her father Lin Ronald confirmed to the Telegraph she had been invited aboard as a thanks for assistance in Mr Lynchs recent court case.

#Palermo, naufragio imbarcazione a Porticello: proseguono da parte dei #vigilidelfuoco le ricerche delle 6 persone segnalate come disperse. Giunti da Cagliari, Sassari e Roma i #sommozzatori speleo [#19agosto 19:30] pic.twitter.com/7WY30ckxcK  Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) August 19, 2024

I have texted my daughter and she hasnt given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said that there are deaths and she and her partner are alive, he said.

Ayla is a lawyer who is part of the legal team that were invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.

Sicilys civil protection agency told the BBC that 18-year-old Hannah Lynch was among those missing with her father, along with the yachts chef.

The yacht was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers.

The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported that the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

She said: I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

It was all dark. In the water I couldnt keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.

Charlotte and Sofia were treated in hospital, as was Sofias father, James Emsley.

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said on Monday: We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors were being deployed to Palermo.

A basic assessment of the scene would be made by the team, with no investigation launched at this stage, the PA news agency understands.
Ground broken, small businesses forgotten: Over 260,000 Canadian small businesses severely impacted by construction in recent years





TORONTO, Aug. 20, 2024 /CNW/ - Nearly seven in ten (68%) small businesses have experienced disruptions due to local construction projects in the past five years, marking a 27% increase since 2018, finds a new report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) titled Hard hats and hard times: Public construction impacts on small businesses.

Of those affected, 22% report these disruptions have had a major impact on their business, which equates to 266,953 SMEs across the country. When public construction projects extend beyond their established timelines, it prolongs the impact of these disruptions. On average, small firms endured 508 days of construction-related disruptions over the past five years.

"Small businesses face a myriad of issues when local construction projects take place, from traffic congestion and dust and debris, to losing customers and navigating logistical disruptions," said Emily Boston, Senior Policy Analyst at CFIB and report co-author. "Now, imagine dealing with it for over 500 days! Sadly, this is a reality for too many small businesses across Canada."

Small firms lost on average 22% of their revenues during the most significant construction project affecting them over the past five years and on top of that, spent around $10,000 in extra expenses such as cleaning and repairs.

While each construction project is unique in its duration, scale and disruptiveness, the most common issues affecting 58% of businesses are traffic congestion, dust, debris, and noise. Customers and staff having trouble accessing their business or finding parking (49%), significant stress (23%) and lack of notice (33%) also impact small businesses in construction zones.

"We're not asking governments to stop upgrading roads or repairing sewers. Public infrastructure projects are important, but when they drag on for years, it's difficult for businesses to survive in the meantime," Boston added. "A large portion of construction costs can be avoided with better planning, execution, and by giving more consideration to the reality of local businesses."

Over two-thirds of businesses (68%) say they should be compensated by government when a public construction project has a major impact on their business operations. CFIB urges governments to support small businesses during periods of major construction by establishing comprehensive construction mitigation plans, which should include funding to offset costs for impacted businesses, improved planning and communication strategies, and more clarification on how each level of government will be involved.

"All too often it seems as though levels of government punt the responsibilities of construction projects back and forth. There needs to be a clear directive as to who is responsible for the construction mitigation of projects and what mitigation tools will be used," Boston concluded. "Improving how construction projects are handled would benefit local businesses, municipalities, provincial governments and citizens alike."

About CFIB

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada's largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 97,000 members across every industry and region. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners' chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca.

SOURCE Canadian Federation of Independent Business

20 august 2024 at 07:30

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Eaton helps Dallas Fort Worth International Airport build new electric Central Utility Plant and accelerate progress toward net zero carbon emissions





Intelligent power management company Eaton announced it won a contract to help Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) build its innovative electric Central Utility Plant (eCUP). The project aims to help DFW achieve its ambitious net zero carbon emissions goal by 2030 and is supported by partial funding from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Eaton's equipment contribution to the project is valued at nearly $10 million and expected to be installed in the spring of 2025.

The central utility plant is planned to be fueled primarily by electricity the airport purchases from 100% renewable sources and will provide additional capacity to address future heating and cooling demand as the airport grows.

"We're proud to be part of this pioneering sustainability project that demonstrates how to simultaneously expand a critical building's footprint while reducing environmental impact," said Angie McMillin, president of Energy Solutions and Services at Eaton. "There's substantial federal support for infrastructure investments enabling far more resilient and sustainable energy systems. Providing the solutions, services and expertise needed to help the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport make this project a reality showcases our ability to help customers reduce emissions while improving reliability and return on investment."

Eaton is providing DFW with the electrical infrastructure, services and expertise needed to help safely construct the central utility plant, including:

- Vital power distribution equipment, including medium- and low-voltage assemblies, panelboards, medium-voltage transformers, busway and more to establish a safe, reliable electrical backbone for the utility plant

- Engineering services and consultation to safely startup equipment and perform essential power system, electrical safety studies

- Experienced support as a longtime government contractor to meet the federal government's funding requirements for infrastructure projects

Eaton is helping customers simplify compliance with federal guidelines for critical infrastructure projects. To streamline this project, Eaton helped DFW demonstrate compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Project (AIP) funds and domestic preference requirements. Learn more about Eaton's solutions for federal clean energy, stimulus and infrastructure initiatives.

Eaton is an intelligent power management company dedicated to protecting the environment and improving the quality of life for people everywhere. We make products for the data center, utility, industrial, commercial, machine building, residential, aerospace and mobility markets. We are guided by our commitment to do business right, to operate sustainably and to help our customers manage power ? today and well into the future. By capitalizing on the global growth trends of electrification and digitalization, we're accelerating the planet's transition to renewable energy sources, helping to solve the world's most urgent power management challenges, and building a more sustainable society for people today and generations to come.

Eaton was founded in 1911 and has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange for more than a century. We reported revenues of $23.2 billion in 2023 and serve customers in more than 160 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

20 august 2024 at 08:35

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Federal government invests in upgrades to Bay St. George YMCA





STEPHENVILLE, NL, Aug. 20, 2024 /CNW/ - The Bay St. George YMCA is getting an upgrade after an investment of $2.3 million from the federal government through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program.

This was announced by Minister Gudie Hutchings, Mayor Tom Rose, and Bay St. George YMCA Operations Director Cheryl Johnson. This project will improve the accessibility and energy efficiency of the facility, and add amenities accessible to the whole community.

The YMCA upgrade will feature a 3,100 square foot (290 square metre) expansion of the building to provide new multi-purpose space for community groups. The project will include the refurbishment of the hardwood gym floor and upgrades to improve the accessibility of the building. This work will enable community programs to have an increased access to multi-purpose space and indoor court time

The building will also see a series of energy efficiency improvements including the removal of the existing asbestos cladding, the installation of new insulation and siding, the replacement of existing HVAC units, and the installation of a new solar-powered lighting system. As a result of these upgrades, the Bay St. George YMCA will significantly reduce its energy consumption costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

Quotes

"The Bay St. George Y is an important part of the community in the Stephenville area. It has everything from childcare to physical activities to meeting places. The funding announced today by your federal government will give our local communities more space to gather, help the YMCA provide the services folks rely on, and keep their operating costs down at the same time. That's a win-win."

The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

"The Town of Stephenville is extremely pleased with this extensive support to expand the YMCA facility and to improve its energy efficiency and sustainability. Our ability to continue high-quality fitness and recreational programming for the people of our Town and region is enhanced with this support from Minister Hutchings and the Government of Canada. We are thankful and are very pleased that this initiative helps deliver a more energy efficient facility and continued quality programming into the future."

His worship Mayor Thomas Rose of the Town of Stephenville

"This project demonstrates the power of partnership and community. The Bay St. George YMCA is grateful to the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Federal Government Program and the support of the Town of Stephenville for their commitment to undertake this project. Not only will this project enhance the physical infrastructure of our facility and reduce our impact on the environment, but it will also enable us to continue with our mission of promoting health, wellness, and inclusivity for all members of our community."

Cheryl Johnson, Operations Director, Bay St. George YMCA

Quick Facts

The federal government is investing $2,301,197 in this project through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program.

in this project through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program. These enhancements are expected to reduce the facility's energy consumption by an estimated 80.7% and greenhouse gas emissions by 208 tonnes annually.

The GICB program was created in support of Canada's Strengthened Climate Plan: A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy. It is supporting the Plan's first pillar by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing energy efficiency, and helping develop higher resilience to climate change.

Strengthened Climate Plan: A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy. It is supporting the Plan's first pillar by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing energy efficiency, and helping develop higher resilience to climate change. The program launched in 2021 with an initial investment of $1.5 billion over five years towards green and accessible retrofits, repairs or upgrades.

over five years towards green and accessible retrofits, repairs or upgrades. Budget 2024 announced an additional $500 million to support more projects through GICB until 2029.

to support more projects through GICB until 2029. At least 10% of funding is allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres.

The GICB program will launch its third intake of applications on August 1, 2024 , for small and medium retrofit projects with eligible costs ranging from $100,000 to $2,999,999 .

, for small and medium retrofit projects with eligible costs ranging from to . Applications for large retrofit projects, ranging from $3 million to $25 million in eligible costs, to upgrade existing community buildings or to create new, energy-efficient buildings will be accepted starting on September 4, 2024 .

to in eligible costs, to upgrade existing community buildings or to create new, energy-efficient buildings will be accepted starting on . Both intake streams will close on October 16, 2024 at 15:00 Eastern Time .

at . For more information, please visit the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada website at: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada - Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program.

The funding announced today builds on the federal government's work through the Atlantic Growth Strategy to create well-paying middle-class jobs, strengthen local economies, and build inclusive communities.

Federal funding is conditional on the signing of the contribution agreement.

Associated Links

Green and Inclusive Community Buildings

Strengthened Climate Plan

Federal infrastructure investments in Newfoundland and Labrador

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn

Web: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada

SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

20 august 2024 at 08:45

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Beryl's Bite, Jorge's Balm: FedEx Hero Delivers for Jamaica





When Hurricane Beryl unleashed its fury on Jamaica, the island nation was left reeling. Homes were destroyed, lives were disrupted, and urgent humanitarian aid was desperately needed. Miles away, in the heart of Memphis, Tennessee, the FedEx Global Citizenship team faced a daunting challenge: getting critical supplies to those affected as quickly as possible.

Enter Jorge Palacios, a project engineer based in Miami. Unfamiliar to the Global Citizenship team, Jorge's name was quietly passed along by a colleague in Freight Movement. Little did they know, they were about to witness an extraordinary display of dedication and expertise.

Jorge was no stranger to the devastation wrought by hurricanes. Having lived through the aftermath of a similar disaster in Puerto Rico, he understood the urgency and the profound impact such events have on communities. His empathy, coupled with his deep knowledge of FedEx operations across Latin America and the Caribbean, made him the ideal person to lead this mission.

Tasked with shepherding an eight-pallet shipment containing over 2,000 wound care kits and hygiene supplies to Jamaica on behalf of International Medical Corps, Jorge went above and beyond. He coordinated with the operations team, ensuring a smooth journey for the critical cargo. His meticulous attention to detail was evident as he navigated the complex logistics, including customs clearance.

When the shipment finally arrived in Jamaica, relief washed over the International Medical Corps team. Grateful for the timely assistance, they extended their thanks to Jorge. With characteristic humility, he responded, "It was our honor/pleasure to serve your organization and the people of Jamaica during this operation."

Back in Memphis, the FedEx Global Citizenship team was equally impressed by Jorge's efforts. His commitment to helping those in need was evident in every interaction. As they expressed their gratitude for his extraordinary work, Jorge simply stated, "It's my pleasure and honor to assist those in need during this crisis. I have been on the other side (living in Puerto Rico) and understand the urgency and needs of those that are living this type of tragedy."

Jorge Palacios' actions during the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl serve as a powerful reminder of the human spirit. His story is a testament to the positive impact one individual can make. As the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season unfolds, the FedEx Global Citizenship team finds solace in knowing they have a true champion in Jorge, ready to step up once again if needed.

Click here to learn about FedEx Cares, our global community engagement program.

Downed power lines outside a hospital in St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica. (Photo credit: International Medical Corps.)

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from FedEx Corporation on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: FedEx Corporation

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/fedex-corporation

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: FedEx Corporation

20 august 2024 at 10:00

View the original press release on accesswire.comNews published onand distributed by:
Environics Analytics Appoints New Chief Product Officer





TORONTO, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Environics Analytics (EA) is pleased to announce the promotion of Teresa Sinopoli to Chief Product Officer. With over 20 years of experience in geodemography, marketing analytics and GIS, Teresa has been instrumental in leading the development of numerous products from ideation through to execution and implementation.



Teresa's dedicated work in product development over the last several years has been particularly impactful. As the lead product manager, she spearheaded the creation and deployment of our groundbreaking marketing analytics platform, ENVISION, and is currently driving progress on the next generation, ENVISION 2.0. Her strong leadership, innovative approach, and analytical skills have enabled her to consistently make a key contribution to our growth.

Teresa has emerged as a key leader by designing initiatives, and building teams, fostering collaboration across the company. The progress on ENVISION 2.0 is a testament to her ability to bring together a complex and diverse set of skills and contributors.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Teresa is committed to mentoring young women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). On International Women's Day, she had the honour of speaking at the University of Toronto's Association of Women in Math and was recently delighted to address students at Toronto Metropolitan University as an alumna. These engagements highlight her dedication to empowering women and the next generation of leaders.

"It has been a great pleasure to work with Teresa for a long time ? she is a true leader. Her dedication to empowering her team has enabled us to do great things. She is the first woman to lead our product management team ? and has the confidence of everyone as she takes on this crucial role," remarks Jan Kestle, President and CEO.

About Environics Analytics

Environics Analytics (EA) is the premier marketing and analytical services company in Canada, helping thousands of customers across every industry sector turn data and analytics into strategy, insights, and results. Established in 2003, we specialize in using best-in-class data, analytics expertise, and purpose-built software (including software-as-a-service platforms ENVISION and SPOTLIGHT) to address key challenges in areas such as consumer profiling and segmentation, multichannel media planning and execution, trade area analysis, merchandising strategies and site location decision-making. Environics Analytics is a Bell Canada company.

Contact:

Mike Williams

Special Advisor to President

[email protected]

20 august 2024 at 11:00

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Perseus Mining Updates Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves





Perth, Aug. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --



Perth, Western Australia/ August 21, 2024/Perseus Mining Limited (ASX/TSX: PRU) wishes to update the estimates of the Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves at each of its African operations as summarised in Table 1 and Table 2 below, and detailed in this report. Highlights

Perseus Mining has delivered another year of organic growth from resource definition drilling and studies, leading to new Measured and Indicated (M&I) Mineral Resources and Proved and Probable Ore Reserves, adding to the long-term sustainability of the Group's production profile.

The Group's total M&I Mineral Resources at 30 June 2024 are estimated to be 115.9 Mt grading 1.31 g/t gold, containing 4.9 Moz of gold, compared with the estimate of 30 June 2023 of 122.8 Mt grading at 1.31 g/t Au for 5.2 Moz of gold.

Group Proved and Probable Ore Reserves are now estimated at 64.9 Mt at 1.39 g/t gold for 2.9 Moz, compared to the estimate of 30 June 2023 of 73.8 Mt at 1.45 g/t gold for 3.4 Moz of gold.

Inorganic growth during FY24 included the acquisition of OreCorp Limited including its primary asset, the Nyanzaga Gold Project. In compliance with Canadian Instrument NI 43-101 these Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves remain treated as Foreign Estimates, not current Perseus estimates, until further work can be completed.

Table 1: Perseus Mining Mineral Resources1,2,4,5

PROJECT







MEASURED RESOURCES INDICATED RESOURCES MEASURED & INDICATED RESOURCES INFERRED RESOURCES QUANTITY GRADE GOLD QUANTITY GRADE GOLD QUANTITY GRADE GOLD QUANTITY GRADE GOLD Mt g/t gold ?000 oz Mt g/t gold ?000 oz Mt g/t gold ?000 oz Mt g/t gold ?000 oz Edikan 13.8 1.03 457 37.7 1.05 1,273 51.5 1.04 1,731 6.4 1.5 317 Sissingue3 3.1 1.48 147 5.7 1.62 294 8.7 1.57 441 0.2 1.4 11 Yaoure 5.9 0.78 146 49.8 1.60 2,565 55.6 1.52 2,711 17.4 1.7 926 Total 22.8 1.03 751 93.2 1.38 4,132 115.9 1.31 4,883 24.1 1.6 1,254

Table 2: Perseus Mining Ore Reserve1,4,5

PROJECT







PROVED PROBABLE PROVED AND PROBABLE QUANTITY GRADE GOLD QUANTITY GRADE GOLD QUANTITY GRADE GOLD Mt g/t gold ?000 oz Mt g/t gold ?000 oz Mt g/t gold ?000 oz Edikan 5.8 1.03 193 19.6 1.13 716 25.4 1.11 909 Sissingue 3 2.2 1.67 116 2.2 1.98 139 4.3 1.82 254 Yaoure 5.9 0.78 146 29.3 1.68 1,584 35.2 1.53 1,730 Total 13.8 1.02 455 51.1 1.48 2,438 64.9 1.39 2,893

Notes for Table 1 and Table 2:

1 Refer to Notes to individual tables of Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves in respect of each project presented below.

2 Mineral Resources are inclusive of Ore Reserves.

3 Sissingue Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves include the Fimbiasso and Bagoe Projects in addition to the Sissingue Gold Mine.

4 The Company holds 90% of Edikan Gold Mine (EGM), 86% of Sissingue Gold Mine (SGM) except Bagoe at 90%, and 90% of Yaoure Gold Mine (YGM).

5 Excludes Foreign/Historical Estimates

The change in Group Ore Reserve estimate from June 2023 to June 2024 is shown below in Figure 1. Perseus Group Ore Reserves have been estimated at a gold price of $1,500/oz for existing pits and $1,700/oz for some new or updated designs. Please refer to individual tables below for details of which price applies to individual Ore Reserves.

Figure 1: Change in Group Ore Reserves by Project ? June 2023 to June 2024

Technical Disclosure:

All Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources were calculated as of 30 June 2024 and have been calculated and prepared in accordance with the standards set out in the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves dated December 2012 (the "JORC Code") and in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators ("NI 43-101"). The JORC Code is the accepted reporting standard for the Australian Stock Exchange Limited ("ASX").

The definitions of Ore Reserves and Mineral Resources as set forth in the JORC Code (2012) have been reconciled to the definitions set forth in the CIM Definition Standards. If the Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources were estimated in accordance with the definitions in the JORC Code, there would be no substantive difference in such Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources.

Competent Person Statement:

The information in this report that relate to Mineral Resources for the Edikan Gold Mine and the Sissingue Gold Mine (including Bagoe but excluding Fimbiasso and the Airport West Deposits) is based on, and fairly represents, information and supporting documentation prepared by Matt Bampton, a Competent Person, Director of Cube Consulting Pty Ltd and Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Mr Bampton, has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken, to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the ?Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'" and to qualify as a "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101 ? Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Matt Bampton consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

The information in this report that relates to Mineral Resources for the Yaoure Gold Mine, and the Fimbiasso and Sissingue Airport West Deposits (as part of the Sissingue Gold Mine) is based on, and fairly represents, information and supporting documentation prepared by Daniel Saunders, a Competent Person who is a Fellow of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr Saunders is a full-time employee of Perseus Mining Limited. Mr Saunders has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken, to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the ?Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'" and to qualify as a "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101 ? Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Mr Saunders consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

The information in this report that relates to Ore Reserves for Edikan Gold Mine and the Bagoe Project (as part of the Sissingue Gold Mine) is based on information compiled by Mr Quinton de Klerk, a Competent Person who is a Fellow of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr de Klerk is a full-time employee of Cube Consulting. Mr de Klerk has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activities which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the "Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves" and a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. Mr de Klerk consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

The information in this report that relates to Ore Reserves for Yaoure Gold Mine and Sissingue Gold Mine (including Fimbiasso and Airport West) is based on information compiled by Mr Adrian Ralph, a Competent Person who is a Fellow of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr Ralph is a full-time employee of Perseus Mining Limited. Mr Ralph has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activities which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the "Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves" and a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. Mr Ralph consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

The Company confirms that the material assumptions underpinning the estimates of Ore Reserves described in "Technical Report ? Edikan Gold Mine, Ghana" dated 6 April 2022, "Technical Report ? Yaoure Gold Project, Cote d'Ivoire" dated 18 December 2023, and "Technical Report ? Sissingue Gold Project, Cote d'Ivoire" dated 29 May 2015 continue to apply.

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Information:

This report contains forward-looking information which is based on the assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management of the Company believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made by the Company regarding, among other things: the price of gold, continuing commercial production at the Yaoure Gold Mine, the Edikan Gold Mine and the Sissingue Gold Mine without any major disruption, the receipt of required governmental approvals, the accuracy of capital and operating cost estimates, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used by the Company. Although management believes that the assumptions made by the Company and the expectations represented by such information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, the actual market price of gold, the actual results of current exploration, the actual results of future exploration, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents. The Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the Company's ability to carry on its exploration and development activities, the timely receipt of required approvals, the price of gold, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Perseus does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

ASX/TSX CODE: PRU



REGISTERED OFFICE:



Level 2

437 Roberts Road

Subiaco WA 6008



Telephone: +61 8 6144 1700

Email: [email protected]



ABN: 27 106 808 986



www.perseusmining.com CONTACTS:



Nathan Ryan



Media Relations

+61 4 20 582 887

[email protected]



Jeff Quartermaine



Chairman & CEO

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20 august 2024 at 18:40

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Irmgard Furchner, accused of being part of the apparatus that helped the Nazis' Stutthof concentration camp function, appears in court for the verdict in her trial in Itzehoe, Germany, December 20, 2022. CHRISTIAN CHARISIUS / AP

A 99-year-old former Nazi camp secretary on Tuesday, August 20 lost her appeal against her conviction for complicity in the murder of more than 10,000 people, in what could be the last judgment of its kind in Germany.

Irmgard Furchner was handed a two-year suspended sentence in December 2022 for her role in what prosecutors called the "cruel and malicious murder" of prisoners at the Stutthof camp in occupied Poland. Her defense had filed an appeal to the Federal Court of Justice against the judgment, handed down by a regional court in the northern town of Itzehoe.

But the higher court, whose job was to examine whether certain points of law had been applied correctly, on Tuesday upheld the judgment. "The conviction of the defendant... to a two-year suspended sentence is final," presiding judge Gabriele Cirener said.

Read more Subscribers only Germany: Conviction of former Nazi camp secretary upheld

Between June 1943 and April 1945, Furchner took the dictation and handled the correspondence of camp commander Paul Werner Hoppe while her husband was a fellow SS officer at the camp. An estimated 65,000 people died at the camp near today's Gdansk, including Jewish prisoners. Delivering the verdict in 2022, presiding judge Dominik Gross said that "nothing that happened at Stutthof was kept from her" and that the defendant was aware of the "extremely bad conditions for the prisoners."

Furchner tried to abscond from her trial as the proceedings were set to begin in September 2021, fleeing the retirement home where she was living. She managed to evade police for several hours before being apprehended in the nearby city of Hamburg. But she expressed regret as the trial drew to a close, telling the court she was "sorry about everything that happened."

Furchner was a teenager when she committed her crimes and was therefore tried in a juvenile court. Almost 80 years after the end of World War II, time is running out to bring to justice criminals linked to the Holocaust.

In recent years, several cases have been abandoned as the accused died or were physically unable to stand trial. The 2011 conviction of former guard John Demjanjuk, on the basis that he served as part of Hitler's killing machine, set a legal precedent and paved the way for several trials. Since then, courts have handed down several guilty verdicts on those grounds rather than for murders or atrocities directly linked to the individual accused.

Read more Subscribers only Berlin's impossible task: Getting rid of Goebbels' villa
Doctors shout slogans during a protest demanding justice following the rape and murder of a trainee medic at a hospital in Kolkata, in New Delhi, India, August 19, 2024. ADNAN ABIDI / REUTERS

India's Supreme Court on Tuesday, August 20, ordered a national task force to examine how to bolster security for healthcare workers after the "horrific" rape and murder of a doctor sparked medical strikes and furious protests.

The discovery of the 31-year-old doctor's bloodied body at a state-run hospital in the eastern city of Kolkata on August 9 has stoked nationwide anger at the chronic issue of violence against women. Doctors' associations from government-run hospitals in many cities across India have launched strikes that cut non-essential services, with protests in their second week.

Demonstrators have given the murdered doctor the nickname "Abhaya," meaning "fearless." Protesters marched through Kolkata on Tuesday, holding up signs demanding "justice," while the country's top court issued orders in the capital New Delhi. "The brutality of the sexual assault and the nature of the crime have shocked the conscience of the nation," the three-judge bench said in its order, calling the details "horrific."

Chief Justice D. Y. Chandrachud read out the order, which called for the formation of a "national task force" of top doctors to prepare a plan to prevent violence in healthcare facilities and draw up an "enforceable national protocol" for safe working conditions.

Read more Subscribers only India in shock after rape and murder of doctor

The court said it had been forced to step in as the issue was of national concern. "With the involvement of systemic issues for healthcare across the nation, this court has had to intervene," it added.

'Cannot await a rape'

"The lack of institutional safety norms at medical establishments, against both violence and sexual violence against medical professionals, is a matter of serious concern," the court order read.

"With few or no protective systems to ensure their safety, medical professionals have become vulnerable to violence," it added, highlighting a lack of CCTV cameras and a failure to screen visitors to hospitals for weapons. "Lack of security personnel in medical care units is more of a norm than an exception," it said.

The murdered doctor was found in the teaching hospital's seminar hall, suggesting she had gone there for a break during a 36-hour-long shift. An autopsy confirmed she had been sexually assaulted and, in a petition to the Kolkata High Court, her parents said they suspected their daughter was gang raped.

Many of the protests have been led by doctors and other healthcare workers but have also been joined by tens of thousands of ordinary Indians demanding action. "As more and more women join the workforce in cutting-edge areas of knowledge and science, the nation has a vital stake in ensuring safe and dignified conditions of work," the court said. "The nation cannot await a rape or murder for real changes on the ground," it added.

Read more Protests widen over Indian doctor's rape and murder

Doctors have also demanded the implementation of the Central Protection Act, a bill to protect healthcare workers from violence. One man, who worked at the hospital helping people navigate busy queues, has been detained.

Medics paint slogans inside Kolkata Medical College and Hospital campus condemning the rape and murder of a trainee medic at a government-run hospital, in Kolkata, India, August 19, 2024. SAHIBA CHAWDHARY / REUTERS

'Violence'

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. And conditions in some hospitals are grim. The court highlighted grueling 36-hour shifts where "even basic needs of sanitation, nutrition, hygiene and rest are lacking."

It is also common in India for relatives to accuse healthcare workers of negligence when a patient dies, with the court noting such allegations are often "immediately followed by violence."

Among the examples it listed, the court recounted how a nurse in Bihar state was pushed off the first floor of a hospital in May by the family of a pregnant patient who had died.
Britain's King Charles III reacts as he views tributes outside Southport Town Hall, during his visit to meet with members of the local community, following the July 29 attack at a childrens's dance class, in Southport, northwest England, on August 20, 2024. PETER POWELL / AFP

King Charles III offered his "deepest" sympathies on Tuesday, August 20, as he met survivors of a devastating UK knife attack that killed three young girls and sparked nationwide anti-immigration riots.

The 75-year-old monarch inspected a vast sea of floral tributes laid outside Southport town hall in memory of the victims  Bebe King, 6; Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7; and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9. All three died in the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the town just over three weeks ago that also left 10 people injured, eight of them children. As well as the children, the king also met their families and police liaison officers working with them.

Buckingham Palace said he also wanted to thank "frontline emergency staff for their ongoing work serving local people." Charles had earlier been criticised by some for not issuing a public statement on the riots. Although the monarch conveyed his condolences to the families of the three girls killed, he did not comment on the unrest until nearly two weeks later. Traditionally, the monarch does not comment on anything that could cause political controversy.

But in calls with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and police chiefs, the king later said he had been "greatly encouraged" by the reaction "that countered the aggression and criminality from a few with the compassion and resilience of the many."

Read more Subscribers only Stringent legal crackdown after UK's far-right riots

Charles spent about 45 minutes meeting survivors before signing a book of condolence in the town hall. He signed his name, adding: "In deepest sympathy." Outside the building before he left, he met members of the community who had helped in the aftermath of the attack.

The children were attending the dance class at the start of the school summer holidays when an assailant entered the building and began attacking them. Axel Rudakubana, who was aged 17 at the time, has been charged with murder and attempted murder over the stabbing spree.

Arrests

A motive for the atrocity has not been disclosed, but police have said it is not being treated as terror related. More than a dozen English towns and cities saw unrest and riots in the week that followed the events in Southport. Officials have blamed far-right elements for helping to stir up the disorder, which targeted mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers as well as police officers and other properties.

The authorities have cited misinformation spread online that Rudakubana was a Muslim asylum seeker for fuelling the violence. He was actually born in Britain to parents who hail from Rwanda, an overwhelmingly Christian country.

Read more Subscribers only Fear among Birmingham's Muslims after racist riots

The riots have led to more than a thousand arrests and hundreds of convictions, after Prime Minister Starmer vowed those who participated would be quickly called to account. The king is due to meet with the three bereaved families in London on Wednesday.
LTA Acting Board of Commissioners seated at the high table prior to the signing ceremony of first major regulations in the telecom sector.
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Imagine your car's air conditioning falters in the middle of a relentless heatwave, or your tyres struggle to grip the road during an unexpected snowfall. As disconcerting as these scenarios might be, they are becoming more plausible as weather patterns shift due to the intensifying impact of climate change.

India has witnessed an unusual summer this year with northwest and east India recording a maximum average temperature of 47-48 degree Celsius until the Southwest monsoon hit the Kerala coast on 30 May, two days before the scheduled date.

Now, with the extremely heavy rainfall across the nation, especially in southern India and hilly regions like Himachal Pradesh are dealing with disasters caused by floods, landslides and cloudbursts which climate scientists term man-made. India has so far received 3% more than above-normal precipitation at 632.5 mm since 1 June.

This is also the scenario the automotive industry is working to avoid, so two of its critical componentsair conditioning systems and tyrescan keep pace with the increasingly harsh and unpredictable climate. And as electric vehicles (EVs) become more common, another layer of technology to adapt to gets thrown into the mix.

Extreme testing, evolving standards

Car AC manufacturers are now pushing their systems to the limits, rigorously testing them for resilience against extreme temperatures, prolonged usage, and erratic weather. These systems must not only survive these harsh conditions but also meet stringent energy efficiency and performance standards evaluated by agencies like JD Power. As the climate continues to evolve, so too will the testing parameters, Shraddha Suri Marwah, chairperson and managing director of Subros, Indias largest manufacturer of car AC systems.

When we design products for India, we take into account the countrys vast climate diversity. Our products are tested to withstand temperatures ranging from minus 20 to plus 50 or 55 degrees Celsius now, compared to the rest of the world, which typically designs for temperatures from -30 to +30 degrees. It's a regional issue. So we have to ensure our systems work in the harshest environments. We test in Jaisalmer, for instance, where we see temperatures actually hit 52 degrees Celsius. Testing standards are becoming more rigorous as climate change impacts grow, and were already preparing for the next wave of challenges, including harsher winters and longer rainy seasons," Marwah said.

Marwah notes that Subros testing parameters will continue to adapt as climate change progresses, emphasizing that the robustness of materials like rubber, aluminum, and steel will become increasingly crucial. A lot of work is happening on this front right now. Were constantly working on light weighting, making products more resilient, while also ensuring they meet the ever-stricter standards set by testing agencies," she said.

Tyre makers' challenges

Tyre manufacturers are grappling with their own set of challenges, particularly concerning the quality of natural rubber. Extreme weather conditions are affecting rubber production, leading to issues with both the quantity and quality of the raw material required for manufacturing tyres.

"Yields and production of natural rubber are getting hit primarily due to two extreme climatic conditionstorrential rainfall and extreme temperature. This has been the case this year, which may result in at least 20-30% production loss in Kerala. There are other reasons like diseases and pest attacks which are directly associated with climate change causing extreme weather conditions," said Jacob Mathew, managing director at Kerala State Rubber Co-operative Ltd. "This, however, may not impact supply-demand dynamics, impacting price as tyre companies already have their stocks. Some impact might be noticed next year. However, it cannot be said that lower production could alone be a cause of price rise if at all."

Natural rubber production is highly sensitive to weather conditions," Anuj Kathuria, president, JK Tyre, told Mint. Tropical climates with consistent rainfall and moderate temperatures are ideal, but deviations from these conditions can impact the rubber's quality. To address this, we have launched the Inroad Project, which involves setting up rubber plantations over 200,000 hectares in northeastern India. This initiative aims to secure a stable supply of high-quality natural rubber domestically."

Kathuria also highlights the importance of proper storage, Maintaining optimal temperature and humidity conditions is crucial for both raw materials and finished products. We utilize renewable energy sources like solar and wind power to manage the increased energy needs and ensure sustainability. Proper storage facilities help prevent issues like oxidation and ozone attacks, which can lead to premature failure of tyres."

"Affordability plays a key role here and the life of the product does not because you are anyway going to replace the product after 10 years or so. That way manufacturers know that it is something which is not of mass attraction today," Vibha Dhawan, director general of The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri), said.

Heat problems of electric vehicles

For electric vehicles, managing heat generated by a high volume of electronic components used in the vehicles is key. EVs typically have more electronic components than traditional cars due to advanced battery management systems, power electronics, electric drive controls, and sophisticated infotainment and driver assistance features.

Batteries generate heat because they are exothermic by naturewhether theyre charging or discharging, they produce heat. This is less than the heat generated by internal combustion engines, which can reach temperatures as high as 110 to 150 degrees Celsius in the engine compartment. However, EVs still require effective heat management for their electronic components," Anand Kulkarni, chief product officer at Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd, explained.

Even though the intrinsic cooling demands of an EV are lower, proper heat management is crucial to prevent electronic components from malfunctioning at high temperatures. Effective cooling is essential to maintain the reliability and longevity of these components," he said.

At Uno Minda, we implement rigorous multi-environmental testing on all our components to guarantee impeccable performance even in the face of extreme weather conditions. This entails meticulously assessing functionality across a spectrum of environmental extremes, including temperature fluctuations from frigid to searing, elevated moisture levels, and ultraviolet exposure. Our meticulous design verification procedures, coupled with cutting-edge environmental testing apparatuses, ensure that our products surpass user demands under any weather condition," Ravi Mehra, deputy managing director, Uno Minda.

We are also offering unique temperature-controlled seats for two-wheelers to provide comfort even in extreme weather conditions," he added.

"First of all, what we experienced this summer in Delhi was unusual and most air conditioners are made for 45 degrees and not 47-48 degrees and cannot run 24x7. If such electronic goods are running continuously, they are bound to get overheated and thus have problems. Additionally, wires cannot take that much of a load under such changes in weather. When the manufacturers say that it will work, they have done the testing for 2-3 hours and not 18 hours," Teri's Dhawan said.

"There are many problems. India has become a dumping ground for other countries. Samsung and other companies are bringing comparatively energy inefficient earphones and selling them in our country. India is a very price-sensitive market. If you look at the price difference between four-star and five-star refrigerators, it's almost 20%. You get a four-star refrigerator at 14,000 and the same product with five-star costs you 18,000-19,000. So, your immediate calculation is you are spending 4,000-5,000 more and how much will your savings be in energy," Dhawan added.
IPO-bound MobiKwik is planning to expand its financial services offerings to small businesses in tier-2 and tier-3 cities as part of its strategy to focus on growth in the merchant segment, as it recorded its first full-year profit in 2023-24, a

The fintech company clocked a net profit of about 14 crore in FY24, the first since its inception in 2009, following a loss of 83.8 crore in the previous financial year. Total income grew nearly 59% to 890.32 crore in FY24.

As it attempts to maintain its growth momentum, MobiKwik is now working on making more financial products and services available to merchants of small businesses, Upasana Taku, co-founder and CFO of MobiKwik, told Mint in an interview.

We want to create more value for our users, particularly for smaller merchants and small businesses in towns and cities across India. Our goal is to bring all the financial products they need directly to them, through the MobiKwik app," she added.

MobiKwik, which started experimenting with the merchant lending business a year ago offering credit services like Merchant Cash Advance, currently provides payments products like online checkout, QR (quick response) codes , soundbox, EDC (electronic data capture) machine, and payment gateway services through Zaakpay.

Taku said that the company will soon look at extending its investing, savings and insurance products, currently available to retail customers, to merchants as well. It also plans to expand its existing working capital loans and credit services for such small-business owners through its app.

We are committed to continually expanding and scaling these offerings on our platform, within the limits of regulations and while managing all the risks associated with running a large fintech platform," she added.

Earlier in June, Taku had also told Mint that the company has scaled up its acquisition of small merchants, hiring teams and contract workers in tier-2 and 3 cities, as it plans to boost lending to this segment.

Growth fares better

The company has also improved its revenue growth rate from a mere 3.3% last year, when a delay in a potential payment aggregator licence from RBI impacted business through its wholly owned subsidiary Zaakpay.

We did not receive the licence from the regulator in the first round. In FY22, there was more than a hundred crore of revenue coming from the payment gateway business. In FY23, that 140 crore is missing. The business has grown 3% without this payment gateway revenue," said Taku.

RBI, in October 2023, gave approval to Zaakpay to operate as a payment aggregator and onboard new merchants.

Taku added that over the last three years, the company has seen about 3x growth in income while also turning profitable.

To be sure, the company has also been on a path to profitability over the last few years. MobiKwik had reduced its losses last financial year by about 35%. In fact, the company clocked a profit after tax of 8 crore for the first half of FY24, Mint reported in October last year.

Also read | Mobikwik to be profitable in FY24, says cofounder Upasana Taku

In the year ended 31 March, the company managed to scale and become profitable, even as its operating expenses rose. In FY24, MobiKwiks payment gateway charges, lending operations and financial guarantee expenses together rose by 51% to 505 crore from 335 crore in the previous fiscal.

Our contribution margins have increased from 40.34% in FY23 to 43.32% in FY24. This along with reduction in (percentage of fixed costs to revenue) fixed costs from 50.31% in FY23 to 39.14% in FY24, has led to sharp increase in both Ebitda profitability and PAT profitability in FY24," the company said.

The companys fixed costs, which include both employee benefit expenses and other costs like advertising expenses, meanwhile, also grew by about 23% in FY24 to 349 crore.

Payments and Credit looking good

Founded in 2009 by wife and husband duo Taku and Bipin Preet Singh, MobiKwik is a mobile wallet and financial services company. Through its payments business that makes up about 36% of revenue, it allows retail customers and merchants to send and receive money, and pay various utility bills.

It also offers digital credit, investments, and insurance products such as MobiKwik ZIP--its Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) credit, and ZIP EMI that provide personal loans, merchant cash advances, wealth management, and insurance distribution. This segment makes up 64% of MobiKwiks revenue.

The companys payments business has boomed over the last few months amid a regulatory crackdown on competitors like Paytm, and with the regulator allowing wallet interoperability over UPI, Mint earlier reported.

Read more | MobiKwik boosts ad spend to race ahead in digital wallet business

On the credit business, Taku said, We have improved our risk analytics to better understand and predict user credit behavior, identifying who is likely to pay on time and who is not. Our collection processes are also much stronger. We've taken a measured approach in upgrading our users' credit products. For example, users who were given smaller ticket loans in 2021 or 2022 and repaid them on time have now qualified for higher ticket and longer tenure products," said Taku.

Taku said that as a result, both the payments and financial services businesses have turned profitable on standalone levels.

Wait for IPO

One MobiKwik Systems Ltd, MobiKwiks parent entity, in January filed its draft papers with the Securities Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to raise 700 crore in an initial public offering.

The company, which is making a second attempt at the bourses with a reduced offer size, is waiting for Sebi's approval.

We are at the top of the queue, according to the Sebi website. We are looking at this very keenly and carefully, and hoping that we receive the approval soon," said Taku.

MobiKwik had initially filed for a public listing in late 2021. It had received a regulatory nod then, but did not proceed with the IPO.

Also read | Mobikwik files for 700 cr IPO
Boeing found cracks in the structure of its 777X jetliner in initial test flights, the latest setback for the long-delayed airplane.

The company said it would ground its four-plane test fleet while it replaces the faulty component and sorts out what went wrong.

Boeing has orders for 540 of the new aircraft that it plans to start delivering in 2025. It is unclear what impact the issue could have on the planes launch date.

The 777X, designed for airlines wanting to connect the globes major cities and to carry some 400 passengers more, is already years behind. Boeing unveiled the plane in 2013 and said it would start delivering the model in 2020.

The company started flight-certification testing in July.

During scheduled maintenance, we identified a component that did not perform as designed," the company said. Our team is replacing the part and capturing any learnings from the component and will resume flight testing when ready."

The company described the part as a structural component between the engine and the airplane. It said no test flights were planned in the near term on any of the aircraft, and that it has notified federal regulators and customers.

The development was earlier reported by trade publication the Air Current.

Boeings efforts to launch new aircraft iterations face fresh delays amid a quality crisis that has engulfed the jet maker following Januarys near catastrophe on an Alaska Airlines flight. The company also is awaiting federal certification of its MAX 10 and MAX 7 jets, also behind schedule.

Write to Sharon Terlep at sharon.terlep@wsj.com
Larsen & Toubro announced on Tuesday that the Bombay High Court has nullified a GST demand of 2,237 crore imposed on the company.

"The Company had filed a Writ Petition in the Bombay High Court against the show cause notice issued by the Principal Commissioner of GST and Service Tax, Mumbai towards Service tax demand of 2,237 crore, on an erstwhile subsidiary, in respect of Tax already paid by the Company with respect to certain transactions undertaken post demerger," L&T said in an exchange filing.

Subsequently, the company received the High Court's order on August 19, granting approval to the Writ petition filed by the company and nullifying the show cause notice issued by the GST authorities, according to the filing.

We wish to inform that the Company on August 19, 2024, has received an order of the Honble Bombay High Court, allowing the Writ petition filed by the Company and has quashed & set aside the show cause notice issued by the GST authorities, the company added.

Last month, Larsen & Toubro reported a 12 percent increase in net profit for the first quarter of FY25, which was slightly below expectations, as the company's revenue from operations grew by 15 percent in the April-June period.

Driven by higher revenues, L&T's net profit rose to 2,786 crore in the three months ending June 30, up from 2,493 crore a year earlier, though slightly below the estimated 2,876 crore. Its revenues increased by 15 percent to 55,120 crore, surpassing the forecast of 52,518 crore.
The US government has sought the deposition of Larsen and Toubro Ltds chair S.N. Subrahmanyan to ascertain if Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. routed illicit payments through Indias largest construction company to government officials between 2013 and 2015.

Subrahmanyan was the head of L&Ts construction business when some of the companys employees are alleged to have bribed Indian government officials in return for faster approvals to build Cognizants office campuses in Chennai and Pune.

The development comes barely a year after Subrahmanyan took over as chair and managing director of L&T on 1 October, succeeding A.M. Naik, who had been the construction and engineering companys chairman since 1999.

The US government has also sought the deposition of four other L&T employeesRamesh Vadivelu, Adimoolam Thiyagarajan, Balaji Subramanian, and T. Nanda Kumarand two former Cognizant employeesVenkatesan Natarajan and Nagasubramanian Gopalakrishnan, show New Jersey court filings reviewed by Mint.

View Full Image S.N. Subrahmanyan took charge as L&T chair on 1 October.

Indias ministry of home affairs had rejected the US State Departments letter of rogatory or formal request sent in March last year, show court filings reviewed by Mint. This prompted the US Department of Justice to seek help from its Indian counterpart under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty between the two countries.

The MLAT request was made on 11 January but disclosed in court filings in July for the first time by a lawyer for former Cognizant chief operating officer Gordon Coburn, who sought the postponement of the trial from September to March next year.

Coburn resigned from Cognizant in October 2016 when the information technology company informed American authorities that some payments made in India could have breached the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The law prohibits US citizens and entities from bribing foreign government officials.

As the Indian government has refused to process the letters rogatory authorized by this Court, the sole means to compel testimony from these witnesses is through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between the United States and India," Coburns attorney, James P. Loonam, a partner at New York-headquartered law firm Jones Day, said in a submission. Without question, evidence fundamental to a fair trial, in this case, is located in India."

The filing, dated 15 July, was made in a court in New Jersey.

No respite for former Cognizant COO

In early 2019, Cognizant agreed to pay $25 million to the US Securities and Exchange Commission to settle the bribery charges.

However, the US Department of Justice charged Coburn and former Cognizant chief legal officer Steven Schwartz with approving a $2 million payment to an Indian official in return for planning permits to speed up construction of Cognizants office campuses in Chennai in 2014.

Both Coburn and Schwartz deny any wrongdoing. But the DoJ relied on thousands of documents shared by Cognizant and interviews with current and former company executives to establish that the two executives approved the illicit payments by its contractor, L&T, to Indian officials.

[A]n adjournment until approximately February 2025 would increase the likelihood that the jury will be able to evaluate the testimony of the witnesses in India, subject them to cross-examination, and preclude the potential for the admission of rank hearsay," Coburns attorney Loonam told the court on 26 July.

Finally, last week, the judge presiding over the corruption case in a New Jersey court agreed to defer the start of the trial to March next year and asked the US government time to file its reply about the MLAT request before 25 November.

Jury selection shall commence on March 3, 2025," said Judge Michael Farbiarz in his order dated 15 August. Trial shall commence immediately following jury selection."

While Cognizant is headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey and has a global workforce of more than 336,300 employees, 245,500 of them were based in India as at the end of June. Earlier this month, the company reported better-than-expected growth for the June quarter but signalled that the market for technology services remained challenging.

Coburns lawyer, L&T, and Indias ministry of home affairs did not reply to Mints emails.

Subrahmanyans earlier denial

Subrahmanyan rose through the ranks at L&T after joining the companys engineering construction and contracts division in 1984 as an engineer. He was mentored by Naik and was appointed CEO and managing director of L&T on 1 July 2017, before taking over as chair on 1 October last year.

On 21 May 2018, Subrahmanyan was formally interviewed" in Singapore by officials from the US Attorneys Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Subrahmanyan, who headed L&Ts infrastructure business during the years when the company is alleged to have made the bribes, told the US officials that he does not remember discussing the planning permit" and did not hear anything about a request from a government official for improper payment", Mint wrote in its edition dated 7 August 2023.

Mint first wrote about L&Ts alleged role in facilitating the illicit payments in its 17 February 2019 edition. Subsequently, L&Ts board conducted an internal probe and concluded that the company did not have proof of any executives involvement in the alleged bribes to unnamed Indian officials.
Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, has revealed that his new drone startup, White Stork, plans to support Ukraine by developing AI-driven attack drones. According to a report from Business Insider (BI), Schmidt's company aims to create advanced drones capable of identifying targets autonomously, reducing the need for traditional ground battles.

Also Read | Eric Schmidt says Google is falling behind on AIand remote work is why

During an April lecture at Stanford University, Schmidt expressed his frustration over the destruction caused by the Russian military in Ukraine, saying, "Watching the Russians use tanks to destroy apartment buildings with little old ladies and kids just drove me crazy, according to the BI report.

Also Read | Former CEO Schmidt blames remote working for Googles lagging AI performance

Schmidt, who is now a licensed arms dealer, remarked humorously, A computer scientist, businessman, arms dealer. I do not recommend this in your career path, I'd stick with AI, as quoted by the report.

Livemint could not independently verify this news development.

White Stork, co-founded with Udacity CEO Sebastian Thrun, focuses on mass-producing sophisticated drones at lower costs. Schmidt emphasised that these drones, supported by government backing, would be deployed directly to Ukraine to fight the war, as per the report.

Schmidt previously chaired the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence and served as Google's CEO from 2001 to 2011 as per the report.

Eric Schmidt previous statements

Schmidt made headlines recently when he said his former company is losing the artificial intelligence race and remote work is to blame, as per a WSJ report.

Google decided that work-life balance and going home early and working from home was more important than winning, Schmidt said at a talk at Stanford University. The reason startups work is because the people work like hell," as per WSJ report.
New Delhi: Singapore-headquartered renewable energy major Sembcorp Industries has signed an agreement with Kyushu Electric Power Co. to export green ammonia from its India facility to Japan. Kyushu will use the ammonia to reduce coal consumption at its thermal power plants.

The signing event was chaired by union minister of new and renewable energy Pralhad Joshi. The heads of terms (HoT) agreement was signed between Sembcorp Industries, Sojitz Corp, Kyushu Electric Power Co., and NYK Line, solidifying a cross-border green ammonia supply partnership from India to Japan, according to a ministry statement.

"This agreement represents the first such collaboration between the two nations, underscoring Indias growing prominence in the global green energy landscape," it added.

Sembcorp will lead the production of green ammonia in India (at its Tamil Nadu plant), utilizing renewable energy sources. Kyushu Electric has committed to integrating this green ammonia into their energy mix, partially replacing coal consumption at their thermal power plants in Japan.

"Sojitz Corp. will act as the business intermediary, facilitating the connection between the ammonia producer and the offtaker. NYK Line will oversee the maritime transportation of green ammonia from India to Japan," the ministry said.

Also read | Sembcorp eyes ReNews green energy projects

Speaking at the event, Joshi emphasized the importance of the partnership. This agreement will help establish a robust supply chain from production in India to consumption in Japan, paving the way for future collaborations in the green energy sector.

Joshi said a tender for 750,000 tonnes of green ammonia per annum is currently active, and additional tenders for 450,000 tonnes per annum have also been issued.
Often, tax officials and tax payers interpret the same law differently, or the industry practice differs from the official view. In such cases, senior field officers who investigate the matter must sound out the top authority before issuing show cause notices, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) said.

The CBIC's reminder comes nearly five months after it first flagged the need for caution, a period which has seen a flurry of tax notices to high-profile companies. Some of these include Infosys Ltd ( 32,400 crore); HDFC Bank, Go Digit, Star Health and Policybazaar ( 2,250 crore); and a set of foreign airlines ( 10,000 crore.) On 17 August, Mint reported that tax authorities have issued over a thousand notices to businesses across sectors in the weeks till 5 August, the due date for issuing notices for any shortfall in tax payment for FY18.

On Sunday, Economic Times reported that the Union education ministry has stepped in after a GST notice for 120 crore was served on the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, one of several educational institutions which have receivedtaxnotices.

Taking notice

According to the latest CBIC communication, when senior field officers raise the tax matter before their superiors, the CBIC's top brass, as well as the GST Council which includes the Union finance minister and state finance ministers, come to know of the legal issues underlying the proposed show cause notices.

The CBIC's reminder to follow instructions aimed at maintaining ease of doing business while engaging in investigations with regular tax payers" signifies greater attention being paid at the highest level to the sustainability of tax notices issued to many companies.

Quoting from its previous instruction, the CBIC explained to all principal chief commissioners, principal director generals and other senior officers that there can be instances where the investigation is based on an interpretation of the tax law or rule or an order, and may be headed towards proposing non-payment of tax but the tax payer may be following a particular interpretation followed in that industry. This results in more than one interpretation and the likelihood of litigation, CBIC said.

The CBIC's reminder comes nearly five months after it first flagged the need for caution, a period which has seen a flurry of tax notices to high-profile companies

In such cases, the senior field officer has to make a reference to the GST policy wing or the Tax Research Unit of CBIC. Efforts to make such reference before concluding the investigations and as much in advance as feasible of the earliest due date for issuing show cause notice, may be useful in promoting uniformity or avoiding litigation" if the reference also gets placed before the GST Council, the instruction said. CBIC also told officials that this procedure should be followed whenever such a scenario comes up during a GST audit, including ongoing ones.

This move aims to create a more predictable business environment by reducing inconsistencies in audit findings, minimizing litigation, and streamlining the overall audit process. CBIC's emphasis on standardized interpretation underscores its commitment to fair business practices while ensuring robust GST compliance," said Saurabh Agarwal, tax partner, EY.

On 13 August, Mint reported that after issuing a pre show cause notice to Infosys for 32,400 crore over alleged tax dues for the five years ended FY22, the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) is set to decide on its tax liability for each year separately, signalling protracted tax wrangle. Infosys is currently in the process of filing its responses for the period after FY18.

GST Council's clarification

After the flurry of tax notices to insurance companies raised an outcry, the GST Council on 22 June clarified that co-insurance premium apportioned by lead insurer to the co-insurer and ceding commission or re-insurance commission between insurer and the re-insurer are not taxable. The Council also then decided to regularize past cases on as is where is basis, giving relief to the insurance industry.

Tax issues and India go hand in hand," Willie Walsh, director-general of the International Air Transport Association (Iata) said in June. "We are very concerned that some of the proposals would actually lead to airlines withdrawing from the market because (they would be exposed to) the complexity of tax rules, the extent of taxes, and the risk of double taxation, which most air service agreements set out to avoid."

Walsh's comments came after the DGGI last year searched the Indian offices of airlines including Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways, as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion linked to services imported from the airlines' overseas headquarters to their Indian branches. This year, DGGI summoned the Indian staff of Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and British Airways and others, over alleged non-payment of GST.

The latest effort to step up oversight of the interpretation of law forming the basis for tax notices suggests the government is keen to avoid controversies and demands that will not stand up to judicial scrutiny. Field officers and investigating agencies issuing tax notices are bound by the law, and often tend to go for the interpretation that favour the exchequer.
India's tax authorities are on a warpath against businesses that exist only on paper. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) has announced a nationwide special drive targeting fake GST registrations. Set to run from 16 August to 15 October, this initiative seeks to safeguard government revenues and ensure the integrity of the tax system.

The move, in accordance with Instruction No. 02/2024-GST dated 12 August 2024, follows the success of a similar campaign last year that uncovered nearly 22,000 fake registrations and over 24,000 crore in suspected tax evasion.

Understanding fake GST registrations

GST registrations are deemed fake or bogus when entities are established solely to defraud authorities by falsely claiming Input Tax Credit (ITC) without any actual supply of goods or services.

These fraudulent set-ups often use shell companies to manipulate invoices and inflate turnover. The department employs risk profiling and scrutiny of taxpayers to detect such entities, focusing on red flags like multiple GST identification numbers (GSTINs) for a single address or discrepancies between declared premises and the volume of goods transacted.

Key objectives of the special drive

The CBICs special drive will focus on identifying and eliminating suspicious GST registrations. Upon detection of non-existent or fictitious entities, the following measures will be implemented:

Read this | Seven years of GST: Its adoption has been a remarkable success

Suspension and cancellation of registrations: Under Section 29 of the CGST Act, 2017, fraudulent GST registrations will be suspended and subsequently cancelled.

Blocking of Input Tax Credit (ITC): ITC linked to these fake registrations will be blocked in accordance with Rule 86A.

Recovery actions: The department will deny ITC to recipients who have transacted with these bogus entities, recovering the availed credit along with interest and penalties.

Provisional attachment of assets: To protect government interests, authorities may temporarily attach bank accounts and properties under Section 83 of the CGST Act during ongoing investigations. This allows the authorities to freeze these assets during ongoing investigations or proceedings. If your property is attached, it cannot be transferred or sold until the proceedings conclude. The provisional attachment will be lifted once the commissioner determines there is no longer a risk of revenue loss.

And this | Reset GST to make it a 'good and simple tax'

During the drive, CBIC will leverage advanced data analytics and risk assessment tools to identify high-risk GSTINs. This will be followed by physical verification of the principal place of business by GST officers to confirm the legitimacy of operations and compliance with GST regulations.

Precautionary measures for taxpayers

While the crackdown targets fraudulent activities, compliant businesses must take certain precautions to avoid adverse consequences during the drive:

Prominent display of GSTIN: Ensure your GSTIN is clearly displayed at your primary and additional business locations.

Visible GST registration certificate: The GST registration certificate should be easily accessible and visible at your business premises.

Maintain essential documents: Keep key documents, such as PAN, Aadhaar, electricity bills, rent agreements, and municipal tax bills, readily available.

Adherence to documentation requirements: Follow the documentation guidelines under Section 35 of the CGST Act, 2017.

Potential penalties for non-compliance

Non-compliance during the GST Special Drive could result in significant penalties:

Display and documentation penalties: Failure to display the GSTIN or GST registration certificate can lead to penalties of 25,000 each for CGST and SGST.

ITC violations: Incorrectly claiming ITC without a valid invoice can attract a penalty equal to the higher of 10,000 or the amount of ITC availed, plus 18% interest.

Tax payment shortfalls: Non-payment or underpayment of tax (without fraudulent intent) could result in penalties of the higher of 10,000 or 10% of the tax involved.

Also read | Uttar Pradesh tops Tamil Nadu in GST collection: Myth and reality

General violations: General breaches of GST provisions may incur penalties up to 25,000 each for CGST and SGST.

If a registration is found to be fake, it will be cancelled, and penalties will be applied as per Sections 122 to 128 of the CGST Act, along with the necessary interest charges.

Dainik Gohel is managing partner at DGNM & Associates LLP.
On 18 July, Suhana Nongrum, a third-year MBBS student from Shillong, found herself in a desperate situation. Studying in Sylhet, Bangladesh, Nongrum and a group of fellow Indian students had to make a hasty decision to leave their hostel, joining the exodus of scholars who had fled the day before. In a minute-long phone call to her father, Nongrum asked him to wait at the border in the wee hours of the morning.

The drive to the border, usually a brisk 40 minutes, stretched into a tense hour. Police roadblocks added to the anxiety as officers stopped the students near the campus, questioning their decision to leave. "They wouldnt let us go until we said we were leaving at our own risk," Nongrum recalls. "There was no help from them; they were just following procedure."

Nongrum and her friends had to wait for about three hours at the border, till the authorities opened it.

The student-led protests and subsequent violence that erupted in Bangladesh in July left thousands of Indian nationals stranded, half of them students like Nongrum, caught in a struggle to return home. Thousands of Indian students were similarly caught in a quandary when Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022they could try and return to India, but what happens to their education after?

Over 7,200 Indian students have returned to India till 1 August 2024, minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said in a written response in the Rajya Sabha earlier this month.

External affairs minister S. Jaishankar informed the Lok Sabha on 6 August that around 19,000 Indian nationals, including 9,000 students, remain in Bangladesh.

Growing crisis

The chaos in the neighbouring country has left many Indian students anxious about whether they will be able to return to Bangladesh to complete their studies. Besides their safety, they are worried about the loss of their academic year and the recurring threat of internet shutdowns, which sever their only connection to loved ones back home. Reports of attacks on Hindus have also fuelled fears among Indian students.

As the violence escalated, many students who had planned to begin their studies in Bangladesh this year are now reconsidering their options, looking at other countries for a safer alternative.

Preetha Vijayasankar, who returned to her hometown in Madurai, said even if the situation normalizes, she may not go back to Bangladesh till the Indian government notifies that the neighbouring country is safe for students.

The unrest in Bangladesh began over a month ago when students demanded the removal of a controversial quota system that reserved 30% of government jobs for the families of those who fought in the 1971 War of Independence. The Supreme Court eventually overturned the rule, but the protests quickly spiralled into a larger movement against the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The violence that ensued left over 300 dead, with thousands arrested, culminating in a mass protest that led to Hasinas resignation and her flight to India. On 7 August, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was appointed the countrys interim leader, tasked with restoring order.

Nearly 650 people have died in the Bangladesh violence between 16 July and 11 August, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Office has said in a report.

Quest for affordable education

For many Indian students, the decision to study in Bangladesh was driven by the lack of affordable options back home. Nongrum, for instance, had cleared the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Neet) twicein 2020 and 2021but failed to secure a seat in a government medical college. Thousands of students face the same dilemma every year, turning to countries like Bangladesh, where medical education is more affordable than in India's private colleges.

The numbers tell a stark story: More than 2.4 million students appeared for Neet this year, competing for only about 100,000 government seats. For those who don't make the cut, the cost of studying in private medical colleges in India can range from 25 lakh to as much as 1.5 crore, depending on the institution's reputation, ranking, and location.

Nongrum will be spending over 32 lakh for her entire five-year MBBS course in Bangladesh, including accommodationan option still feasible for her family. Nearly 40% of Nongrums batchmates in Bangladesh are fellow Indians, many of whom chose the country for similar reasons.

While several aspiring doctors from India also opt for countries like Russia and Germany, the travel costs, living expenses, and language barriers lead many students, especially those from smaller towns and cities, to opt for Bangladesh.

Every year, 20,000-25,000 Indian students go abroad for MBBS, with the number expected to grow by 10% annually between 2023 and 2028, said Mamta Shekhawat, founder of Gradding, an organization that helps students study abroad.

Popular courses among students aspiring to go abroad include MBBS, MBA, engineering, computer science, and IT with countries such as China, Russia, Ukraine, Nepal, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, being the preferred countries due to affordability issues.

In recent years, countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, and Bangladesh have also become increasingly popular destinations for MBBS students, especially among those from smaller towns and cities.

In 2024, around 1.34 million Indian students were pursuing higher studies abroad, up from about 1.32 million in 2023, and 907,000 in 2022, according to the ministry of external affairs.

A key reason why students choose Bangladesh for MBBS is the relatively high success rate in the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), a requirement to practice medicine in India.

"About 30% of medical students attain their degree in the first attempt," noted Shekhawat. However, FMGE has turned rather challenging over the years, with only 20.89% of students passing this year.

She says this years budget allocation for education also remains disappointingly low, and incidents such as the recent NEET fiasco have discouraged students from pursuing medical studies here. Private colleges need significant enhancements to match the standards required and in terms of affordability," Shekhawat added.

Saba (name withheld), a third-year MBBS student who is now back in her hometown, Srinagar, has taken a loan to complete her studies. This situation will delay my tenure. We were supposed to have our next term in September and by November we would have started our fourth year, but now we have no clue on what is going to happen next."

MBBS students had faced a similar situation during the Russia-Ukraine war. Around 18,282 Indian nationals, mostly medical students, were evacuated from Ukraine to India. But, after India could not offer a solution to all these students, Russia offered these students to complete their studies.

Companies, such as Leverage.biz which runs the study abroad platform Leverage Edu, have been assisting students in finding alternative study options during this crisis.

Several students who took admission in Bangladesh this year have withdrawn their admission applications, and a sizable portion has enrolled in Indonesia, which already has over 1,500 medical students, said Shekhawat.

Uzbekistan is another favoured destination for Indian students, with around 3,000 aspirants taking admission to the Samarkand Medical University in 2023, according to a report by PTI.

For now, as violence and political instability escalate in Bangladesh, thousands of Indian students remain in limbo, torn between the uncertainty of returning to complete their education and the harsh realities of limited opportunities at home.
Hospitality major Oberoi Group announced the launch of The Oberoi Group Scholarship Program to honour the legacy of its founders and empower the next generation of hospitality leaders on the occasion of its 90th anniversary. Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi founded the hospitality giant, and Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi carried on the legacy.

To honour the legacy of two leaders, The Oberoi Group offers two distinct scholarships. According to a press statement issued by the Oberoi Group, the details of the scholarship programs are as follows:

Also Read: Oberoi Group partners with EESL to implement energy efficient initiatives

Oberoi Group Scholarship details:

- Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi - Dare to Dream Scholarship: Named after the pioneering founder, this scholarship is open to hotel operations employees outside The Oberoi Group in India. It encourages individuals to dream big and pursue excellence in their careers, reflecting Rai Bahadur's belief in the power of ambition and hard work.

- Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi - Be the Best Scholarship: Named in honour of the visionary leader who put India on the international luxury travellers map, this scholarship is available for hotel operations employees from The Oberoi Group in India and overseas. It is designed to motivate employees to strive for the highest standards of excellence, embodying Oberoi's commitment to setting new benchmarks in luxury and service.

The scholarships offer an opportunity to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Hospitality at Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne (EHL). The scholarship recipient will be able to pursue a two-year MBA program that combines virtual learning with an immersive three-week on-site experience at the EHL campus in Lausanne, Switzerland.

During the two years, the recipients will also stay and experience some of the finest hotels in the world on the Best Practice Tour, gaining insights into global best practices in hospitality.

According to the press statement, the Oberoi Group has set the standard for luxury and service in the hospitality industry for 90 years. Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi often hailed as the father of the Indian hotel industry built the group based on a commitment to quality and personalized service.
SEOULWanting to halt defections to neighboring South Korea, North Koreas Kim Jong Un has ordered the construction of new border walls, rearmed guard posts and installed more land mines. But North Koreans keep finding creative ways to flee.

The latest escape unfolded in spectacular fashion early Tuesday morning: A North Korean soldier, on foot, navigated the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone to his freedom. It was the first defection by an active-duty soldier since 2019. A U.S. soldier, Travis King, had more recently crossed over the DMZ, having done so last year before ultimately being released.

A recent rise in defections from North Koreas protected classes are reinforcing outside assessments that Kim is contending with internal discontent that could ultimately threaten his grip on power. North Koreans are battling food shortages, a sanctions-hit economy and a further backslide in human rights. The regime in recent years has increased security and issued shoot-on-sight orders, deterring civilians from attempting to flee.

But those rare North Koreans with the means to leave are increasingly taking the opportunity. So-called elite defections, including diplomats and overseas students, have hit their highest number in years, according to South Koreas Ministry of Unification.

The unnamed North Korean soldier crossed into South Korea on the easternmost part of the DMZ that stretches about 150 miles long and more than 2 miles wide. He is believed to be in his 20s and holding the relatively low rank of staff sergeant, local media reported, citing unnamed officials. The soldier likely had to wiggle around barbed wire, traipse past land mines and sneak past patrol guards. South Korean soldiers guided his final steps to freedom.

A military defection pierces Kims hopes of presenting North Korea as a powerful country and socialist paradise. The regime is sustained from a tight control on information, blind loyalty from the military and nuclear advances that deter a potential invasion. North Korea remains largely isolated from the outside world, with the exception of some allies such as Russia and China.

North Korean soldiers face harsh conditions in the military. Several soldiers have died from land mine explosions and heat-related illness, according to Seouls military, resulting from punishing work around the DMZ to add new barriers and land mines. In response to thousands of trash-filled balloons flown by North Korea, South Korea has cranked on loudspeaker broadcasts that blast everything from anti-Pyongyang propaganda to BTS hits and weather forecasts.

The growing discontent is clear, as North Koreans take extreme routes despite border controls, such as dashing across the border or taking a risky sea voyage on a wooden boat, said Kang Dong-wan, a former director of a resettlement support center for North Korean defectors.

The border barriers are proof that the Kim regime is aware of internal discontent and wants to block defections," said Kang, who is now a political-science professor at South Koreas Dong-A University.

Before the pandemic, more than 1,000 North Koreans relocated to the South every year. But just 105 have done so in the first half of this year, according to Seoul government figures. Fewer than 200 did so in all of 2023.

The dwindling number of escapes have relied on more unconventional routes. Earlier this month, a North Korean managed to cross over the western maritime border by foot, to a nearby South Korean island during low tide. Last year, a group of North Koreans crossed the maritime border in a wooden boat and a North Korean diplomat stationed in Cuba made a daring escape to South Korea.

Many North Koreans used to flee through China, crossing the border with help from brokers. But during the pandemic, new fences and watchtowers were installed to expand surveillance. Human-rights groups said China forcibly sent back hundreds of North Koreans to their home country last year.

Kim has made clear South Korea is the last place his people should dream of, labeling Seoul as the countrys No. 1 enemy in January, intensifying crackdowns on South Korean content and cutting all communication lines with its neighbor.

The North Korean leaders shift in inter-Korean policy aims to refocus frustrations of the countrys woes toward South Korea instead, said Kim Yung-ho, South Koreas unification minister. The North Korean peoples distrust in the regime appears to be intensifying," Kim told lawmakers in June.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol revealed a new vision for unification last week, aimed at inducing change within North Korea as part of the national unification strategy. He vowed to get more outside information into North Korea while also proposing dialogue. North Korea hasnt responded.

Yoons initiative to expand North Koreans access to information is closely aligned with U.S. policies that have pushed for the spread of democratic values, which Washington has long believed could put an end to dictatorships like the Kim regime, said Hwang Ji-hwan, a professor of international relations at the University of Seoul.

The U.S. may view signs of regime insecurity as an opportunity for dialogue which would give Kim some legitimacy," Hwang said. But in the current climate its likely North Korea will turn to Russia or China instead."
New Delhi: Nearly two thousand new products have been registered under the 'India Handloom' brand since its inception in 2015 to promote exports of indigenous textiles, the ministry of textiles said on Tuesday.

The government noted 1,998 new registrations under 184 product categories within the 'India Handloom' brand in August 2015, a press release said.

Also read | National Handloom Day: A quick guide on the weaves of India The registration of new products under an indigenous brand is a part of the government's effort to promote exports, the press release said. The government's collated plan for textiles involves empowering the handloom industry by decreasing the costs of production, providing credit, as well as social welfare benefits for the people in the industry, as per the press release.

Financial aid As a part of this plan, the government's National Handloom Development Programme has provided financial assistance to eligible handloom workers or organisations for upgraded looms & accessories, solar lighting units, construction of workshed, product & design development, technical and common infrastructure, and marketing of handloom products in India as well as the world, the press release said.

At the same time, the ministry has provided a concessional credit scheme - MUDRA Loans - to handloom organisations or workers, for loans over a three-year period. The textile ministry has also provided subsidised raw material to producers, the press release said. "Under the Raw Material Supply Scheme, the Ministry provides transport subsidy, for transportation of yarn to the doorstep of the beneficiary, and 15% Price Subsidy on Cotton Hank Yarn, Domestic Silk, Woollen and Linen yarn and blended yarn of natural fibres," the press release said.

Also read | A gallery that tells why antique textiles are living traditions only in India The government has also provided social welfare benefits like health and life insurance products, as well as scholarships for higher education of handloom workers' wards. Additionally, the government has positioned itself to be a key buyer of handlooms by onboarding producers on e-marketplaces "to enable them to sell their products directly to various Government Departments and organizations," the press release said.

Also read | The versatility of Indias handlooms The government also mandated its offices to procure a fifth of all textile procurements from local handloom clusters, co-operative societies, or self-help groups. States and UTs were requested to direct their State Handloom Corporations/Co-operatives/Agencies to purchase the finished inventory available with the handloom weavers, the press release said.
Indias smartphone exports soared above $15 billion in 2023-24, from $11 billion a year prior, data released by the government last month showed. A significant chunk of this was probably from Apples manufacturing plants in India, and by early 2024, exports were averaging $1.6 billion a month.

But that doesnt mean India is a major smartphone manufacturing hub like China, yet. It is still importing a large chunk of the components that go into a smartphone.

Smartphone exports from India picked up speed in the latter part of 2020, and crossed $1 billion a month in late 2022. According to news reports, Apple assembled 14% of its iPhones, worth $14 billion, in India last year. The government attributes this to the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, which began in 2020 and which provides subsidies to firms that meet production targets.

Also read: Dixon is becoming Indias Foxconn

But much of the global manufacturing for electronics does not take place in any one country  it's split up across the world. It's therefore critical that Indian manufacturing be a part of such global value chains. A quantitative metric used in this context is global value chain-related trade, in which plants import raw materials, process them, and re-export them to their final markets. According to the World Bank, Indias total global value chain-related trade in manufacturing is about 50% of its total gross manufacturing trade. In electrical and optical equipment, the share is slightly lower, but it shows how entwined such trade is. In the context of smartphones, Indian manufacturers are still importing critical parts rather than making them here.

Value surge

Indias smartphone exports have also jumped in volume terms. In 2023-24 the country exported about 52 million smartphones, up from 49 million in 2022-23 and 44 million in 2019-20. But perhaps more importantly, the average value of each smartphone exported has increased sharply, from $85 per unit in 2019-20 to $296 per unit in 2023-24.

This is almost certainly due to the fact that Apple has become a major smartphone exporter from India. It manufactures various models, from iPhone 12 to iPhone 15 here, though not the high-end Pro and Pro-Max models, according to a report by Bloomberg. Ultimately, Apple reportedly intends to manufacture a quarter of its iPhones in India over the next couple of years. According to a Moneycontrol report, it's also looking to shift part of its iPad and AirPods manufacturing to India.

American primacy

In 2023-24, about a third of smartphone exports from Indiaabout $5.5 billion, equivalent to around 13 million unitswent to the US, according to government data. This was a dramatic increase from 2019-20, when mobile phone exports to the US were around $100 million. That year, Indias main export market for mobile phones was the United Arab Emirates (exports of $2 billion), followed by Russia ($496 million).

Also read | Mint Explainer: Raghuram Rajan is right about Indias mobile phone exports

The UAE remains Indias second-largest market, but Russia is no longer in the top 10, which now features a clutch of European markets. Interestingly, the average export value of a smartphone differs significantly depending on the country it is sent to. Among Indias top markets for smartphone exports, the average value in 2023-24 ranged from $192 for Austria to $419 for the US.

Importing exports?

In a 2023 paper, Rahul Chauhan, Rohit Lamba and Raghuram Rajan pointed out that along with smartphone exports, imports of smartphone components had shot up, showing that India was still just an assembly hub. In 2023-24, this pattern likely continued, with imports of circuits and other electronic components coming in at $33 billion, or more than double that of finished exports.

Also read: Google sees India crucial for its overall biz, slashes prices of Pixel phones

These components are likely being used in other electronic devices as well, but the fact that the uptick in their imports coincided with the PLI scheme indicates that this import demand is being driven by PLI-linked manufacturers. That India is still largely an assembly hub for finished smartphones is not necessarily a bad thing. But it does show that India still has some way to go, and needs to target an increasing share of global value chains of components that go into electronic devices.

www.howindialives.com is a database and search engine for public data.
QVC Exports IPO: Ferroalloys provider QVC Exports Ltd is set to launch its initial public offering (IPO) on August 21 to raise 24.07 crore from the primary market. QVC Exports IPO is an SME IPO and the equity shares of the company will be listed on NSE SME.

The bidding for QVC Exports IPO will commence on Wednesday, August 21, and conclude on Friday, August 23. The IPO allotment date is August 26 and the listing date is August 28.

QVC Exports IPO price band has been fixed at 86 per share. The company plans to raise 24.07 crore from the fixed price issue which is a combination of fresh issue of 20.5 lakh equity shares worth 17.63 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) component of 7.49 lakh shares aggregating to 6.44 crore.

The IPO lot size is 1,600 and the minimum investment amount required by retail investors is 137,600.

The net proceeds from the Issue will be utilized primarily for funding of repayment of unsecured loans of the company and working capital requirements.

The IPO will mark the beginning of a new phase in our journey and enable us to further enhance our operations, expand our market reach, and invest in new opportunities that will drive future growth, said Nilesh Kumar Sharma, Chairman And Managing Director of QVC Exports Ltd.

Khandwala Securities Ltd is the book running lead manager of the QVC Exports IPO, while Cameo Corporate Services Limited is the IPO registrar.

Nilesh Kumar Sharma, Madhu Sharma, Priti Sharma, Matashree Mercantile Private Limited and Unity Vyapaar Private Limited are the promoters of the company.

Also Read | Investing in Orient Technologies IPO? Here are 10 key points to know from DRHP

QVC Exports IPO GMP QVC Exports shares are commanding a decent premium in the unlisted market ahead of the IPO opening. QVC Exports IPO GMP today, or grey market premium today, is 50 per share, according to stock market experts. This indicates that QVC Exports shares are trading at 136 apiece in the grey market, a premium of 58.14% to the IPO price of 86 per share.

About QVC Exports QVC Exports Ltd specializes in Ferroalloys, including High Carbon Silico Manganese, Low Carbon Silico Manganese, High Carbon Ferro Manganese, High Carbon Ferro Chrome, and Ferro Silicon, as well as raw materials essential for steel manufacturing.

The company derives the majority of its revenue from exports to prominent global steel manufacturers in markets, including Taiwan, Japan, and the United Kingdom, among others.
Paras Defence & Space Technologies Ltd seems to have attracted renewed investor interest after the company said on Friday it won an order worth 305 crore from Larsen & Toubro. However, analysts are unsure about the optimism.

The contract is to manufacture opto-electronic components for L&Ts close-in weapon system programme, a critical component of the Indian navys defence infrastructure.

The stock hit the upper 5% circuit on Monday to end at 1,268.75. It had reached the upper circuit on Friday, too. The shares fell 1.3% to 1,251 at 12:57 IST on Tuesday.

Analysts said investor optimism over the companys valuation has already outpaced its fundamentals and it is only a matter of time before they realise this.

Jyoti Gupta, a research analyst at Nirmal Bang Institutional Equities, recommended a sell" rating on the stock following Paras Defences Q1 earnings this month, when it reported its highest quarterly revenue of about 84 crore.

The (defence) stocks, including Paras, peaked out in July. Ever since then, the stock (Paras) has been falling," Gupta told Mint. However, strong retail buying has stopped it from falling enough. It should be trading at a lower price right now."

Both the stock and the benchmark Nifty India Defence index have fallen 5% in the past one month, according to Bloomberg data, indicating a broader correction in the sector. However, analysts remain wary of the pockets of froth still building up in this sector.

Even though there is good earnings visibility for the overall sector, from here on, it is largely going to be a stock-specific play in the defence sector," Kranthi Bathini, director of equity strategy at WealthMills Securities, told Mint. This is a sector where valuations have been stretched based on huge revenue and high return on capital expectations."

However, companies including Paras Defence are yet to meaningfully execute their contracts to be commanding such high premiums, analysts told Mint.

Orderbook exuberance

Paras Defence designs, manufactures and exports products and solutions mainly for government entities in the defence and space sector. The companys optics and optronic systems division produces highly sophisticated components and subsystems like gratings and mirrors for spaceships and periscopes for submarines, among other things. The defence engineering segment manufactures drones, hollow tubes for rockets and missiles, and remote-control border systems.

In April, the companys order book was at 600 crore and the company expects to execute 50-60% of its current contracts by FY25. Paras Defence expects its order book to swell to 2,500 crore by FY28, and it plans to deliver 60% of its contracts by then.

Much of the hype is built around the order book as it offers some revenue visibility. However, people are overlooking whether they (Paras) will be able to successfully execute these orders," Gupta said. In (the) defence (sector) anything can go wrong at any point. An entire order can get halted if geopolitical scenarios change."

Moreover, since the products are sophisticated, it takes time to produce them. As a result, companies often realise their actual revenue quite late, analysts said.

Since the government is the main customer and the market is not expansionary, it is difficult for companies such as Paras Defence to continually increase their margins. The profit margin will stabilise after a point, irrespective of the size of the order book, analysts said.

Stretched valuation

In Q1 of FY25, the company delivered one submarine periscope worth 30 crore, which led to a 73% on-year rise in revenue to 84 crore. Net profit in the quarter ended June rose 147% on year to about 15 crore, mainly due to the statistical effect of a low base. However, profitability improved 650 basis points on year to 29% owing to a fall in raw material costs.

Gupta expects the companys earnings to fall in the next two quarters as it continues to focus on orders for its defence engineering division, which is less profitable than its optics and optronic systems division.

The defence segment contributed 54% to the companys Q1 revenue, while the remaining came from the optics division, according to Nirmal Bang.

According to an ICRA report published in April, rising employee costs have eaten away the companys profit margin. A delay in collection of payments from customers forced the company to use a larger portion of its operating income to fund its working capital needs.

A drop in the unencumbered cash balance forced the company to use about 92% of its available credit line, increasing its reliance on borrowed funds. The rating company revised Paras Defences credit rating outlook to negative from stable, while maintaining an A- rating on its long-term loans.

Based on its Q1 performance and current fundamentals, analysts said the stock is overpriced and there is no need for additional exuberance.

Currently, Paras Defence has a trailing 12-month P/E ratio of 154, while its benchmark Nifty India Defence index trades at a P/E ratio of 67, according to Bloomberg data.

The governments focus on self-reliance in the defence sector is going to sustain for at least the next 7-8 years. This notion has been driving the bull run and exuberance in the defence sector over the last couple of years," Bathini said.

But how long this will sustain the lofty valuation of Paras Defence is anybodys guess.
This earnings season was a bumper harvest for companies that make air-conditioners . Leading firms such as PG Electroplast and Epack Durable reported more than 70% year-on-year growth in the June quarter.

These companies design and make air-conditioners for famous brands such as Voltas, Blue Star and Samsung, apart from washing machines and electronic appliances. They are called original design manufacturers (ODM).

Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) is another term used for companies that design, manufacture, test, distribute, and provide services for electronic components and assemble them for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

In the case of ACs, Voltas, Blue Star and Samsung command more than 90% of the ODM market. With the Make in India push and PLI scheme support, these companies have undertaken significant capacity expansion.

The reason these companies had blockbuster results was the rise in heat waves across the country, which caused the demand for ACs to spike. Much of this demand was from tier-2 towns and villages. What used to be a luxury is now a necessity. Neither the leading brands nor the ODMs had anticipated this, but as demand outstripped supply, their order books overflowed and they made huge money.

India, despite its harsh summers, has very low AC penetration. It stands at just 8%, versus 100% in China and 90% in the US and Japan. India also lags economies such as the Philippines and Mexico on this metric. So even if similar demand is not seen next year, AC penetration in India has a long way to go.

View Full Image Source: Frost and Sullivan analysis

One way to bet on this is by investing in companies such as Voltas, Blue Star, and ODMs such as Amber, PG Electroplast and Epack Durable.

Exciting as this opportunity may be, one should be wary of these companies high valuations. With their stocks almost priced to perfection, some of them offer underwhelming returns despite the PLI support. A less harsh summer next year could lead to a correction in some of these stocks.

View Full Image Source: Ace Equity

So, are there other ways to ride this trend? Well, yes. Consider these electronics proxy stocks for your watchlist.

Styrenix Performance Materials is a company makes engineering thermoplastics. These are used to manufacture home appliances, automobiles, consumer durables, healthcare products, packaging, and stationery.

The companys clients include LG, Samsung, Haier, Godrej, Daikin, Havells, IFB, Orient, Crompton, Kent, Eureka Forbes, Hero, Honda, Bajaj, TVS, OLA, Yamaha, Aether, Maruti Suzuki, Tata, Mahindra and Ashok Leyland.

It has a strong balance sheet with almost no debt. Its return on equity and return on capital employed are 24% and 32.5%, respectively.

Bhansali Engineering Polymers is another stock that deserves to be on your watchlist.

It makes engineering plastics used in automobiles, home appliances, electronics, healthcare and kitchenware. It has a debt-free balance sheet, an 18% return on equity and a 24% return on capital employed.

The new gold rush

Proxy investing or pick-and-shovel investing traces its origin to the California gold rush of the 1800s. While many seekers wasted months digging for gold in gruesome conditions, some smart people found another way of profiting from the rush. Instead of searching for gold, they got into the business of supplying the tools (picks and shovels) needed to mine gold.

An outstanding example of this is the rise of Levi's jeans. These were designed especially for gold miners in the California rush, who needed pants that were highly durable. While the gold rush is a story of the past, the Levis brand lives on to this day.

If you open your eyes to the broader supply chain, there are multiple megatrends unfolding in India, driven by similar proxy players.

Do note that this article does not intend to share any view on the stocks in question. You should keep industry-specific risks in mind before you consider any investment.

Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only. It is not a stock recommendation and should not be treated as such.

This article is syndicated from Equitymaster.com
Shares of Hi-Tech Pipes, one of Indias leading steel processing companies, continued their bullish streak for the ninth consecutive trading session, climbing 5.5% in todays intraday trade to reach a fresh all-time high of 192.8 per share. This surge follows the companys announcement of securing an order worth 105 crore to supply ERW steel pipes.

The order was placed by key customers in the renewable energy sector, as revealed in the companys exchange filing today. The company informed investors that these orders will be fulfilled over the next three months from its new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Sanand Unit II Phase I.

The company highlighted that this new facility, equipped with cutting-edge technology and efficient production processes, is set to produce high-quality steel pipes that meet the rigorous standards of the renewable energy sector.

Commenting on the development, Mr. Ajay Kumar Bansal, Chairman, Hi-Tech Pipes Ltd," We are thrilled to be chosen as a preferred supplier of ERW steel pipes for such a pivotal sector. Our Sanand Unit represents a major investment in both our capabilities and our commitment to sustainability. These contracts not only demonstrate the confidence our clients place in us but also highlight our role in advancing renewable energy infrastructure.

"The steel pipes will be utilized in various applications within the renewable energy sector, including wind farms, solar installations, and other green energy projects. Hi-Tech Pipes is dedicated to providing products that not only meet but exceed industry standards, ensuring durability and performance in the most demanding environments," he added.

Plans to raise  600 crore On Monday, the company announced that its board of directors has approved a proposal to raise up to 600 crore by issuing various types of securities. This capital could be raised through the issuance of equity shares or other equity-linked instruments, such as convertible preference shares, fully or partly convertible debentures, non-convertible debentures with warrants, or other eligible securities.

The fundraising efforts may be conducted through several methods, including private placements, Qualified Institutional Placements (QIPs), further public offerings, rights issues, or any other legally permissible avenues.

The proposal is contingent upon receiving the necessary approvals from shareholders, as well as statutory, regulatory, and other relevant authorities.

Posted robust numbers in Q1 The company posted a 35% jump in its revenue from operations, reaching 866.98 crore in Q1 FY25, compared to 642.16 crore in Q1 FY24. Its profit after tax (PAT) surged by 125% to 18.05 crore, up from 8.02 crore in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year.

Total sales volumes rose by 45% YoY, with 1,22,155 tonnes sold in Q1 FY25, compared to 84,489 tonnes in Q1 FY24. The company's EBITDA experienced a notable increase of 101%, reaching 42.69 crore in Q1 FY25, up from 21.19 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

The EBITDA per tonne improved by 31%, reaching 3,494 in Q1 FY25, compared to 2,508 in Q1 FY24.

The company attributed its strong performance in the June quarter to contributions from the recently commissioned Sanand Unit II Phase 1 plant and its focus on increasing the share of value-added products.

Looking ahead, the company anticipates that the upcoming brownfield expansion in Sanand Unit II Phase 2, along with a new greenfield manufacturing facility in Sikandrabad, Uttar Pradesh, will further enhance its production capabilities. These developments are expected to help the company meet the growing demand for its products and expand its market share.
China is a shining example when discussing the blueprint for economic reform in developing countries. The nations journey from turmoil to triumph offers invaluable lessons on how to build a resilient and powerful economy.

Between 1700 and 1900, China was a dominant force globally, ruling not just in territorial expansion but also in economic influence. However, by the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the country lost its footing, becoming a shadow of its former self. The formation of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949 marked a new beginning, a fresh start that paved the way for economic reforms that would later fuel one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

The seeds of these reforms began to bear fruit by 1979, propelling China onto the global stage as a financial powerhouse among developing nations. Chinas rise was so significant that when the MSCI Emerging Markets ETF index (EEM) was conceptualised in 2001, China was given the highest weight among the 24 countries includeda position it still holds.

However, the winds of change are blowing. India, Taiwan, Brazil, and South Korea are positioning themselves as the new pillars that will elevate the EEM to greater heights. According to the MSCI Emerging Markets report published on 31 July, China commands a 24.54% weight, followed by India at 20.01%, Taiwan at 18.45%, Brazil at 4.32%, and others collectively at 20.58%.

Can these markets, particularly India, lift the EEM higher? The answer appears promising.

Sensex: The Atmanirbhar beacon of emerging markets

Indias Sensex, often referred to as the Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) index, has emerged as one of the most resilient and outperforming indices, not just against other emerging markets but also when compared to developed countries.

View Full Image Sensex weekly chart. (TradePoint, Definedge)

On the weekly chart, the 30-stock Sensex broke out of a rising channel pattern, retested the breakout level, and resumed its bullish momentum. This pattern indicates a strong, long-term bullish trend, with bulls firmly in control.

Indias weight in the MSCI Emerging Markets index has risen from 8% in 2020 to 20% this year, reflecting the growing global influence of the countrys economy. Given the Indian governments $5-trillion GDP vision and the long-term trend of the Sensex, it wouldnt be surprising if Indias weight on the EEM eventually surpasses Chinas.

TAIEX: A bullish outlook

The Taiwan Capitalization Weighted Stock Index (TAIEX) is a key indicator of Taiwan's stock market performance, reflecting the economys overall health. TAIEX is another critical component of the EEM, with an 18.45% weight.

View Full Image TAIEX weekly chart (TradePoint, Definedge)

On the weekly chart, TAIEX has shown remarkable resilience, particularly in 2020 and 2022, where it rejected levels below the 200WEMA (200 weeks exponential moving average) and rallied strongly. This history seems to be repeating, with the index now testing the 50WEMA and heading northwards, suggesting that the bulls are once again taking charge.

From a technical analysis perspective, the Dow Theorys higher high and higher low structure on TAIEX charts indicates a robust bullish trend. With Taiwans significant weight in the EEM, the combined influence of TAIEX and Sensex, totalling 38%, surpasses that of China, marking a potential shift in the balance of power within the EEM.

Brazils BOVESPA: A breakout in the making

Brazils Bolsa de Valores de Sao Paulo (BOVESPA) index has been an underperformer within the EEM, hovering around its highs from 2021 to 2023.TradePoint, Definedge

View Full Image BOVESPA weekly chart (TradePoint, Definedge)

The weekly chart suggests that this period of consolidation might soon end. The index is on the verge of breaking out from a Cup and Handle pattern. This technical analysis formation often signals the continuation of a bullish trend after a period of consolidation. The Cup and Handle pattern, characterised by a rounded bottom followed by a smaller consolidation, is an indicator that the Brazilian market is poised for an upward move.

Although Brazils weight in the EEM is only 4.32%, when combined with India and Taiwan, it strengthens the case for a bullish trend in emerging markets.

KOSPI: A bullish resilience

South Koreas Korean Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) is another key player in the emerging markets arena.

View Full Image KOSPI monthly chart (TradePoint, Definedge)

Despite short-lived bearish momentum on the monthly chart, the bulls have maintained control of the long-term trend. The golden crossa technical indicator where the 50 months moving average crosses above the 200 months moving averageis a strong sign of a long-term bullish trend on the monthly chart.

Historically, the KOSPI has found support within the 50EMA and 200EMA bands, acting as a long-term demand zone, as seen in 2004, 2008, and 2020. According to the Dow Theory, the index is trending within this demand zone, forming a higher high and higher low structure.

Additionally, the golden ratio of the Fibonacci retracement at 61.80% is providing support, with the index heading northwards. The recent reversal at the 50MEMA reinforces the bullish outlook, suggesting that the KOSPI is ready to join forces with India, Taiwan, and Brazil in driving the EEM higher.

MSCI Emerging Markets Index: The dawn of a new bullish era

The MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Index is currently amid a significant bullish trend. The 65-week consolidation between January 2023 and April 2024 culminated in a breakout in late April, triggering an 8% rally.

View Full Image MSCI EEM weekly chart (TradePoint, Definedge)

A breakout rally in the EEM was followed by a retest, forming a Bullish Belt Hold candlestick pattern in the first week of August and suggesting a possible reversal of a downtrend. The bullish follow-up last week confirms that the retest phase is over, and the index is now in the resumption phase of its bullish trend.

A golden cross in July after two years of a death cross, reflecting price weakness, coupled with the bullish range breakout adds further weight to the argument that the EEM is entering a robust bullish phase.

On the indicator front, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) is also trending bullish, having reversed northwards after testing the median line of 50, signalling strength in the current uptrend.

A new era of emerging markets

China has long dominated the narrative of emerging markets, but the tide is turning. As India, Taiwan, Brazil, and South Korea take the reins, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index is poised for a new era of growth.

The combined weight of these four markets is not just a statistical figure; it represents the shifting dynamics of global economic power.

The technical indicators are aligning, the charts are breaking out, and the bullish momentum is building. The EEM is on the cusp of a new chapterone where the rise of other emerging giants balances Chinas dominance.

The journey ahead looks promising, with the potential for higher returns and stronger market performances. Investors and economies stand to benefit as these emerging markets continue to rise, taking the EEM to new heights.

Note: The purpose of this article is only to share interesting charts, data points and thought-provoking opinions. It is NOT a recommendation. If you wish to consider an investment, consult your adviser. This article is strictly for educational purposes only.

Brijesh Bhatia has over 18 years of experience in Indias financial markets as a trader and technical analyst. He has worked with the likes of UTI, Asit C Mehta Financial Services, and Edelweiss Securities. Presently he is an analyst at Definedge.

Disclosure: The writer or his dependents may or may not hold the stocks/commodities/cryptos/any other asset discussed in this article.
The initial public offering (IPO) of Orient Technologies will open for subscription on August 21 and will remain open for subscription until Friday, August 23. The company aims to raise 214 crore. The issue is a combination of a fresh issue of 0.58 crore shares aggregating to 120.00 crores and an offer for sale of 0.46 crore shares aggregating to 94.76 crores.

The price band for the offer has been fixed at 195206 per equity share, with a face value of 10 each. The net offer will be reserved for qualified institutional buyers at 50% of the total offer size, non-institutional investors at 15%, and retail investors at 35%.

Retail investors have the opportunity to submit bids for up to 13 lots, with each lot containing 72 shares. At the upper end of the IPO price band, at 206, retail investors are required to make a minimum investment of 14,832 per lot.

Let us take a look at some of the key points mentioned in the Orient Technologies IPO DRHP.

Objectives of the issue The company proposes to utilize the net proceeds towards the acquisition of office premises in Navi Mumbai. Additionally, the funds will be used to meet capital expenditure requirements, including the purchase of equipment for setting up a Network Operating Centre (NOC) and a Security Operation Centre (SOC) at the Navi Mumbai Property, as well as acquiring equipment and devices to offer a Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) offering (collectively referred to as capital expenditure).

The remaining proceeds will be allocated for general corporate purposes.

About Orient Technologies Orient Technologies is an information technology (IT) solutions provider headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, incorporated in 1997. It offers a wide-ranging and diversified bouquet of product and service offerings and classifies its business into three verticals: IT infrastructure, ITeS, and cloud and data management services.

Its products and services in IT infrastructure comprise data center solutions and end-user computing. While the IT Infrastructure segment is the business segment with the longest operational track record and, in Fiscal 2023, Fiscal 2022, and Fiscal 2021, its largest revenue-generating segment, it has broad-based its offerings significantly even within this segment and continually added new products.

Expanding and augmenting its product and services portfolio The company has recently ventured into Device as a Service (DaaS). Under DaaS, it provides desktops, laptops, tablets, printers, scanners, smartphones, and servers, bundled with software, along with managed services on a pay-per-use model, i.e., on a subscription basis.

The DaaS market in India is at a very nascent stage and is currently fragmented. The company expects to benefit from its experience of continually developing new products to develop the necessary scale in its DaaS segment.

The company proposes to utilize 695.71 million from the net proceeds for its DaaS segment through the purchase of equipment such as SD-WAN and switches, notebooks, servers, storage devices, and printers for operating lease

Expanding its geographic footprint Its business operations are, currently concentrated in India, and its revenues are predominantly generated in India. While it caters to a large number of multinational companies and transnational corporations, and has a branch in Singapore, the company has yet to significantly expand its international operations.

The Indian IT services industry is predominantly an export-oriented sector, with exports accounting for 8385% of the total revenue, with North America and Europe being key geographies.

Also Read | Forcas Studio IPO booked 61x on the second bidding day led by retail investors

According to NASSCOM, Indian software product companies offer products that are well-accepted by global companies and provide value for money. The Indian IT sector provides value propositions such as cloud-ready software, integrated ready-made solutions, and hassle-free implementation.

Client portfolio As of December 31, 2023, the company had a diverse customer base spanning both public and private sector entities across various industries, including BFSI, information technology, IT-enabled services, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals. Among its public sector clients are Coal India, Mazagon Dock, and the Joint Commissioner of Sales Tax (GST Mahavikas) in Mumbai.

In the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, the company serves clients like ACG and Jyothy Labs. In the BFSI sector, its clients include Bluechip, Tradebulls, VJS Bank, and VKS Bank.

Competitive landscape and market position The company operates in a highly competitive industry, facing challenges from a wide range of large, mid-sized, and small operators. It competes with Indian multinational companies, domestic Indian firms, and transnational corporations.

Some of its competitors, particularly the Indian multinational companies and transnational corporations, are significantly larger than Orient, benefiting from economies of scale due to the size of their operations.

Also Read | Forcas Studio IPO booked 61x on the second bidding day led by retail investors

Additionally, the company competes within India against numerous small and mid-sized companies, many of which have a strong presence in specific regions, whether or not they operate on a pan-India scale.

Key competitors across its various business verticals include Dynacons Systems & Solutions, Wipro Limited, HCL Technologies, LTIMindtree Limited, Allied Digital Services Limited, Dev Information Technology Limited, Tech Mahindra Limited, and Silicon Rental Solutions Limited.

Financial performance The company's revenue from operations experienced robust growth, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 47.09% between fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2023. During the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, the revenue from operations stood at 263 crore, while for Fiscal 2023, Fiscal 2022, and Fiscal 2021, it was 535 crore, 467 crore, and 247 crore, respectively.

The profit after tax for the six-month period ended September 30, 2023, was 16.3 crore. For Fiscal 2023, Fiscal 2022, and Fiscal 2021, the profit after tax was 38 crore, 33.4 crore, and 1 crore, respectively.

Key risks Here are some of the key risks highlighted by the company in its DRHP report:

The company is heavily reliant on its top 10 customers, and the loss of any of these customers or a significant reduction in their purchases would have a materially adverse impact on its business.

It has a large workforce, and employee benefit expenses represent a significant portion of its fixed operating costs. An increase in these expenses could reduce profitability. Additionally, any IT system failures or lapses on the part of employees may lead to operational interruptions, inefficiencies, or reputational harm.

The company operates in a competitive industry, and any inability to compete effectively may result in a lower market share or reduced operating margins.

Allotment and listing details The allotment for the IPO is expected to be finalized on Monday, August 26, 2024. The shares are scheduled to be listed on both the NSE and BSE, with a tentative listing date of Wednesday, August 28, 2024. Elara Capital (India) Private Limited is the book-running lead manager of the Orient Technologies IPO, while Link Intime India Private Ltd. is the registrar for the issue.
In 1950, Alan Turing, who later came to be known as the father of theoretical computer science, published the seminal paper  Computing Machinery and Intelligence  which considered the question: Can machines think?.

His Turing Test was the first serious proposal in the philosophy of artificial intelligence. But it was a few years later, at a 1956 summer workshop at Dartmouth College in the US, widely considered the birth of AI, that marked the formal inception of Artificial Intelligence as an academic discipline.

Also read: WWDC 2024: Everything you want to know about Apple Intelligence Since then, as computing evolved, the field has experienced several hype cycles along with more than one AI winter. But the recent wave of generative AI marks a definitive turning point in the journey. This has led to the evaluation of the potential impact of AI  for individuals, societies, businesses, economies, and governments  as well as kickstarted conversations around ethics and responsible AI.

Heres a selection of books and podcasts that will help you gain a better perspective into this existential innovation of our times.

Read The Singularity Is Nearer: When We Merge with AI

Ray Kurzweil | Viking According to Bill Gates, Ray Kurzweil is the best person at predicting the future of artificial intelligence. Afterall, he is one of the greatest inventors of our time and his predictions about technological advancements in the previous edition of this book in 2005 have largely come true.

But this is an entirely new book. The Singularity is Nearer is a visionary  and mostly an optimistic  book that explores how this exponential growth of technology will transform humanity in the decades to come.

The book assesses his 1999 prediction that AI will reach human level intelligence  superintelligence  by 2029 and by 2045, we will be able to connect our brains directly with AI  singularity  expanding our consciousness in ways we can barely imagine. Grounded in decades of meticulous research with data and persuasive logic, the book is the culmination of Kurzweils six decades of research on AI, and crowning contribution to this domain.

Kate Crawford's book reveals the hidden costs of artificial intelligence.

Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence

Kate Crawford | Yale University Press Its neither artificial, nor quite intelligent. Atlas of AI is an important correction to much of the hype surrounding AI. An Australian research professor and a senior principal researcher at Microsoft Research, Crawford is a leading scholar of the social implications of AI.

The book isnt a technology dissertation but a political perspective on how AI is reshaping the world. It is about the ethics of AI along with criticism of Big Tech for exploitation of natural resources and human labour, building datasets without consent, and training AI systems on incorrect or biased data.

The book reveals the hidden costs of artificial intelligence  from natural resources to low-wage labour  with complex conundrums around privacy, equality, and freedom. Crawford explains how the AI revolution is driving the society towards undemocratic governance and increased inequity.

The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemma

Mustafa Suleyman & Michael Bhaskar | Crown

Mustafa Suleyman is the CEO of Microsoft AI and has previously co-founded DeepMind, one of the world's leading AI companies.

The Coming Wave is an excellent and accessible guide as we approach the age of powerful, fast-developing new technologies and details the threats these technological forces will pose to the global order and the nation-state, despite the immense prosperity they might enable.

The groundbreaking book focuses on AI and biotechnology trying to fold the two into a wave that will have a huge impact on society and governments. It confronts the most essential challenge of our age  if it is possible to contain the threat of AI while we have the chance. There are containment solutions, even though they might just be utopian dream. Its a deeply researched and pragmatically argued effort that is also a highly accessible and important read around this existential dilemma.

Ethan Mollick's book is a blueprint and a lucid and practical guide to navigating the revolution that is unfolding right now.

Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI

Ethan Mollick | Portfolio Co-Intelligence captures the essence of our evolving relationship with AI. Mollick is a professor of management at Wharton, specializing in entrepreneurship and innovation, and is one of the most prominent and provocative voices on the practical aspects of generative AI.

The book is a blueprint and a lucid and practical guide to navigating the revolution that is unfolding right now. It also acts as an authoritative catalyst for mastering the skills and elevating the capabilities of any team or business.

He explores AIs profound impact on business and education and offers a comprehensive guide to current trends and future expectations in AI. It is a definitive playbook, with lucid explanations and practical examples of AI in action, to harness the technologys evolving capabilities for building a more intelligent and humane future.

Listen

MLST is hosted by Tim Scarfe and Keith Duggar.

Machine Learning Street Talk MLST is about intellectual curiosity around advanced AI, cognitive science, neuroscience, and philosophy of mind. Co-hosts Tim Scarfe (past stints in Microsoft and founded several tech startups) and Keith Duggar (past stints at IBM Research, Wall Street, and Microsoft)  both PhDs  engage in fascinating discussions and indulge in in-depth analysis with preeminent figures in the field of AI.

Scarfe kicked this off as a weekend project in 2021 during the pandemic but is doing it full-time now, considering the show is one of the top AI podcasts on Spotify. The podcast used to be slightly more engineering-focussed in its early days but has been more theoretical in the recent past.

Eye on AI Eye on AI is a biweekly podcast hosted by New York Times correspondent Craig S. Smith where he talks about how AI is changing our world. For every episode, Craig talks to some of the people making a difference in the space, prominent AI researchers and such, asking questions that listeners might be interested in.

Id particularly recommend episode #201 with Danny Halawi where Craig and his guest, a PhD student at UC Berkeley, dive into the world of AI forecasting  using large language models (LLMs) to predict future events with accuracy, rivalling human forecasters and prediction markets.

Me, Myself, and AI The idea of this podcast is to answer the question  Why do only 10% of companies succeed with AI? Created by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and MIT Sloan Management Review and hosted by Sam Ransbotham (Boston College) and Shervin Khodabandeh (BCG), this podcast series on AI in business covers strategy, deployment, human-and-machine collaboration, and scaling.

Each episode features a discussion with a leading practitioner achieving big wins with AI in their organizations who share actionable insights about the same. Do check out the conversation with Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Romer in the episode titled AI Hype and Scepticism, where he debunks some myths about the hype around AI and predicts that the most promising future for the technology is in education.

Bonus: Watch AI Tipping Point In this Curiosity Stream documentary, top experts talk about AI and its potential impact on the world  both good and bad  including the perceived threat to humanity and as a force for good to solve some of the biggest challenges we face.

AI has the potential to revolutionize many industries, but the documentary calls upon the stakeholders to consider the ethical implications of this technology and to ensure that AI is developed and used in a way that benefits all of humanity. It is crucial to have open conversations about AI, it insists.

AI supremacy: The artificial intelligence battle between China, USA and Europe A DW production, this documentary explores the global race for supremacy in AI among China, the United States, and Europe. The 90-minute-long feature highlights the rapid advancements in AI and underscores the economic and geopolitical implications of this technological race, with countries vying for dominance in AI research and development.

It features interviews with experts, researchers, and industry leaders who discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by AI and delve into the ethical considerations surrounding AI, raising concerns about potential job displacement, privacy issues, and the impact on society.
Luxury is something that's rare and hard to achieve. But during the covid pandemic, the definition became more progressive. Today the definition, or rather the world of luxury, also encompasses that which is environmentally neutral, socially beneficial and culturally sustainable.

Keeping these three aspects in mind is where the industry found the need gap of the preloved/ preowned luxury market.

Globally, this trend is driven by several factors: environmental concerns, quality/ longevity, economic benefits, shifting consumer behaviour, digitalisation/technology advancements, brand repositioning. As of 2023, the global pre-loved luxury market was estimated to be valued at approximately $37 billion. This market is expected to continue to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 10-15% over the next few years.

In India, the pre-owned luxury market was valued at $1.5 billion last year. By 2025, it is likely to hit $3 billion.

Also read: The latest brag in fashion? A secondhand luxury bag Mapping the highs and lows The main driving factors for this growth are a shift in demographics, accessibility, rise in disposable income and middle-class expansion, conscious consumerism, awareness led by digitalisation, and quality and value proposition.

One of the major challenges faced by the luxury market for the pre-owned category has been authentication and trust issues owing to market fragmentation and cultural attitudes.

Today, the global secondhand market is flooded with counterfeit products, affecting sales and trust between brands and consumers. While technology has mostly been a boon to the luxury industry, advanced manufacturing techniques enable counterfeiters to produce replicas all over the globe that closely mimic authentic luxury products, be it leather or canvas.

Today, some of the well-known companies ruling the market in pre-owned goods are RealReal, Vestaire Collective who have a plethora of brands on their website, from Hermes to Jacquemus. Theres also Rolex, which has launched a platform for preloved/collectors items.

In India, some of the key and noted players are Confidential Couture and Luxepolis that have steadily built a strong and loyal client base across the country.

But the common concern across both the platforms, international and national, remains the lack of uniformity or absence of universally accepted standards for verifying the authenticity of pre-owned luxury items.

This, coupled with limited availability of expertise with the necessary knowledge and articulation to authenticate luxury goods accurately, leads to mass circulation of counterfeit items. Another challenge faced in the pre-owned industry is the absence of original purchase documents in most cases. Lack of provenance information for many pre-owned items, along with the factors mentioned earlier, make it difficult to prove the authenticity of a product.

Lastly, most preowned platforms operate a C2B2C model. Here there are two essential steps: shipments of the product by its seller to the platform, which then verifies and confirms the authenticity of the product followed by shipment from the platform to the buyer. This entire process involves costly human mobilisationquite the opposite of consciousness consumerism.

As the secondhand luxury industry is growing at a rapid rate, the very essence of authenticity can be well addressed by formulating robust solutions to have a near perfect circular economy in the pre-owned marketplace.
For the ultra-wealthy, credit cards are more than plastic; theyre status symbols, keys to exclusive experiences, and, occasionally, instruments for earning rewards. Axis Banks new Primus card is all of these, but with a twist: its so exclusive that the bank seems almost reluctant to sell it.

With a joining fee of 5.9 lakh and an annual renewal of 3.54 lakh, Primus has positioned itself as Indias most expensive credit card. This ultra-premium offering is aimed squarely at the countrys elite, and its closest rival, the American Express Centurion, charges even more for membership, with a joining fee of 8.26 lakh and an annual fee of 2.95 lakh.

Read this | Cashback, discounts and rewards: The benefits of co-branded credit cards

Both cards cater to ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) who value exclusivity and privilege above all else.

But Axis Bank is playing hard to get. Primus is invite-only, a strategy that reinforces its status as a trophy asset for the super-rich. The bank is targeting a microscopic clientele  a few hundred high-net-worth individuals  and is in no hurry to expand its user base.

View Full Image (Graphics: Pranay Bhardwaj/Mint)

Exclusivity for the affluent

Axis Bank isnt concerned about the steep pricing deterring potential customers.

Considering that Primus is meant for a niche set of users, it is launched at the price point its pegged at for the value proposition it offers. It is for the ultra-high net worth individuals with very high spending power," said Sanjeev Moghe, president and head - cards & payments, Axis bank, in an interaction with Mint. Its features are built to cater to the bespoke needs and expectations of the most discerning of Indias ultra-elite. This segment comprises a few hundred people and we will only target them. Given that it is an ultra luxury proposition, we have kept it as an invite-only card."

Primus is for the affluent Indian with high spending power. Its features are built around the lifestyle and luxury of the rich. This segment comprises a few hundred people, and we will target only them. We dont want to sell this card to just about anyone and hence, we have kept it as an invite-only card."

The bank plans to keep the cards user base limited to a few thousand, following a philosophy similar to that of the Amex Centurion, which reportedly has only about 2,000-2,500 active users in India. Mint was unable to independently verify this.

This level of exclusivity ensures that Primus remains a status symbol among the elite.

Rewards that elevate luxury

In the world of super-premium cards, lifestyle privileges often take precedence over monetary benefits. However, Axis Primus is attempting to balance both by offering high rewards alongside luxury perks.

Primus offers an impressive earning and redemption rate, rewarding customers on all spends with no exclusions. For every 100 spent, cardholders earn 1 EDGE Mile (EM), which can be converted to partner points at a 1:5 ratio. According to Sumanta Mandal, founder of TechnoFino, a platform specializing in credit card reviews, this translates to a substantial 5% rewards rate for partner transfers, making it a highly attractive proposition.

Axis Bank has partnered approximately 20 international airlines and hotel chains, including prominent names like Etihad, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, Air India, Marriott, Accor, ITC, and IHG Hotels & Resorts, among others.

In addition to regular rewards, Primus offers milestone bonuses of 15,000, 25,000, and 35,000 EMs for quarterly spends of 20-30 lakh, 30-50 lakh, and over 50 lakh, respectively. Even at the lowest spending band, the reward rate can climb to an impressive 8%.

More here | Does SBI Cards new credit card go the extra mile for travellers?

A standout feature of Primus is the Complimentary Companion airfare on First or Business class tickets. Tejas Ghongadi, co-founder of The Points Code, a platform advising credit card users on optimizing reward points, highlights the significant value this offers to UHNWIs.

Mandal concurs, noting, For those who travel internationally first or business class, unlimited free companion tickets in the same cabin is an amazing benefit." The complimentary companion airfare allows a cardholder to bring a guest along in the same class at no extra cost.

Beyond these rewards, Primus also offers an array of luxury benefits, including concierge services, unlimited airport transfers, meet-and-greet services at airports, memberships to Taj Epicure and Bloomberg, unlimited lounge access at both domestic and international airports, discounts at Michelin-star restaurants, zero forex markup, and complimentary stays at select hotels.

Verdict: Ambitious offering with room to grow

Primus is undoubtedly a bold move by Axis Bank, positioning itself alongside global heavyweights like the J.P. Morgan Reserve and Amex Centurion. The primary allure of expensive lifestyle credit cards lies in the exclusivity they offer. With Primus, experts are adopting a cautious "wait and see" approach to evaluate Axis Banks ability to deliver the level of service expected at this price point.

People take these cards for extreme credit limits and exceptional global concierge service that doesnt give no as an answer to any request the cardholder makes. While Amex and J.P. Morgan have proven track records on both these fronts, Axis doesnt have a good reputation for their customer service. It needs to be seen what the bank will deliver with Primus," noted Ghongadi.

When it comes to lifestyle benefits, theres a consensus that more could have been offered. Mandal agreed, stating, Given the fees, the lifestyle benefits fall short."

However, despite the shortcomings in lifestyle perks, Primus stands out for its rewards programme. Axis has compensated for the lack of lifestyle benefits with a strong rewards programme. If our client is offered Primus, we will definitely suggest they take it, as we prioritize credit card rewards over exclusivity," Ghongadi said.

Primus' rewards programme is particularly notable compared to the Centurion, which, while offering outstanding concierge services and elite hotel statuslike Hilton Honors Diamond Elite and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elitedoesnt match Primus in this area.

Also read | Hey baby, can I get your number? And by that, I mean your credit score

Ultra-luxury credit cards are typically known more for their luxury benefits than their rewards programmes, but Axis has taken a different approach by trying to balance both," Mandal observed. In any case, a good rewards rate with no capping is a strong proposition for Primus, especially since its designed for UHNWIs who are already high spenders and dont need to manufacture spends for rewards."
At least 14 people fell ill after allegedly consuming 'spurious' liquor in Odisha's Ganjam district, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place at Moundpur village in Chikita area late on Monday night. All the affected persons hailed from Karbalua village. They had consumed country liquor. Some of them complained of uneasiness and severe vomiting. They were rushed to the community health centre at Chikiti.

Later 14 of them were shifted to the MKCH Medical College Hospital here. While 12 people were being treated at the medicine ward, two had been admitted to the ICU, police said.

Excise Commissioner Narasingha Bhol and Ganjam district collector Dibyajyoti Parida visited the hospital.

"Some people have been arrested on charge of selling illicit liquor. Samples of the liquor have been collected and sent for laboratory test", the district collector said.

The excise commissioner said stringent action to be taken against the people undertaking illegal liquor business in the area. A joint action team comprising police and excise department officials to be set up to intensify raids on the illegal liquor joints in the district, Bhol said.
In the sensational 1992 Ajmer sex scandal case, six more men were sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday by a POCSO court.

The case involves rape and blackmailing of more than 100 girls by a gang of 18 members.

Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court judge Ranjan Singh also slapped fines of 5 lakh on each of the accused.

Nafees Chishti, Naseem alias Tarzan, Salim Chishti, Iqbal Bhati, Sohail Gani and Sayed Zameer Hussain were convicted of being involved in the crime, prosecution counsel Virendra Singh said.

Iqbal Bhati was brought to Ajmer from Delhi in an ambulance.

There were a total of 18 accused in the case.

The first chargesheet in the case was filed against 12 accused, said the prosecution counsel.

The gang of accused persons used to victimise the school and college-going girls aged between 11 and 20 years after its members befriended the girls, shot their photographs in compromising situations, and later raped them.

The victims studied in a famous private school in Ajmer. They were called to a farmhouse, where they were raped.

The second chargesheet in the case was filed against Nafees Chishti, Salim Chishti, Iqbal Bhati, Sohail Gani, Sayed Zameer Hussain, and Almas who is still at large, said Virendra Singh.

The lawyer also said that a separate trial for these six accused was conducted because the investigation against them was kept pending at the time of the filing of the first chargesheet.

Also Read | Breaking down the Jeffrey Epstein case: 170 names revealed in new court docs

Among the 12 accused, Jahur Chishti was found guilty under Section 377 (unnatural sex) and his case was transferred to another court.

Farooq Chishtis trial ran separately after he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and he was given a life term in 2007.

One of the accused committed suicide.
Massive protests erupted over a sexual abuse incident at Thane school. Two girls studying in the kindergarten at a school in Badlapur in the Thane district of Maharashtra. The police arrested the attendant at the school in connection with the incident. According to the complaint, he abused the girls in the toilet of the school.

The incident reportedly happened last week. The parents came to know about the incident on August 18 and filed an FIR. According to news agency PTI, the girls had told their parents that the attendant touched them inappropriately, following which a complaint was lodged and a case was registered against him. The accused was later arrested, police said.

Here's all that we know so far about the sexual abuse case in Thane school. 1. Hundreds of parents of the children studying in the school at Badlapur have been staging a 'rail roko' protest at Badlapur railway station since Tuesday morning to condemn the incident of sexual abuse and to demand strict action against the accused.

2. A protest was held at Badlapur Railway Station on Tuesday. Local trains were stopped and agitators blocked the tracks after an alleged sexual assault with two minor girls in a school in Badlapur last week.

CPRO Central Railway said, "Local trains stopped at Badlapur railway station where protesters agitated against the alleged sexual assault incident with two minor girls at a school in Badlapur.".

3. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde appealed to the parents to exercise restraint as the rail blockade was hampering the functioning of local trains.

4. Heavy security deployed to control the crowd protesting against the alleged sexual assault incident with a girl child at a school in Badlapur.

5. Amid the mass protests, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said he has directed the police that the accused arrested for sexually abusing two girl students be booked under the attempt to rape charge.

"I have spoken to the Thane Commissioner of Police. The accused has been arrested. I have asked the case to be fast-tracked and book the accused under the charges of attempt to rape and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act," he was quoted by news agency PTI as saying. The Thane Police Commissioner also ordered to submit a proposal on Tuesday to take the case to a fast-track court, ANI reported.

6. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Inspector General of Police level senior IPS officer Arti Singh to investigate the incident that took place in Badlapur.

7. Thane district's guardian minister Shamburaj Desai said, "Two probes will be conducted - one by the education department and second by the zonal deputy commissioner of police to ascertain as to why there was a delay in registering the offence as alleged by the parents."

8. School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar said a police official was transferred because no cognisance was taken for 12 hours after the parents lodged the complaint with the police. "A notice has also been served to the school, and its principal and a class teacher have been suspended," he was quoted by PTI as saying. "He said he has ordered setting up of Vishaka committees in the schools," Kesarkar said.

9. Opposition leader Priyanka Chaturvedi urged the President Draupadi Murmu "to approve the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law".
Badlapur News: Train services from Badlapur railway station near Mumbai on Central Railway lines, which remained affected for nearly 10 hour after massive protests against the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old girls by the school sweeper in the washroom, resumed on Tuesday late evening.

Train services towards Badlapur-Karjat have been resumed, said Central Railway's Mumbai Division in a post on X.

The first suburban train reached Badlapur station at 8:05 pm, almost 10 hours after the services were suspended, PTI quoted Swapnil Nila, chief public relations officer of Central Railway.

The Maharashtra Police lathi-charged to disperse protesters around 6pm, who had gathered at the railway station since morning, after they hurled stones while rejecting pleas to call off the agitation.

The protestors had refused to vacate the area demanding strict action. A few people were also seen pelting stones at the police.

A large number of police and RPF personnel were deployed around station area.

Also Read | Badlapur News: All you need to know about protests over sexual assault

However, the Opposition has slammed the Maharashtra government over the lathi-charge.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Maharashtra Legislative Council Ambadas Danve said the action on protestors was wrong.

He also questioned a visit by BJP leader and Minister Girish Mahajan at the protest site instead of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde or Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. "Who is Girish Mahajan? Why was he here? Is he the Home Minister? The entire Maharashtra govt is not good, the CM, and DCMs, don't have the right to be in the govt," ANI quoted Danve as saying.

Danve said the Maharashtra CM is promoting Ladki Bahini Yojana and here Ladki Bahin are being targeted and tortured. They are our sisters.

Also Read | Badlapur sexual abuse case: Milind Deora lists steps taken by govt amid outrage

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) headed by senior IPS officer Arti Singh.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said action will be taken against the school. He said that the case will be fast-tracked and the guilty wont be spared.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray invoked the Shakti bill and said that the incident at Badlapur school should not happen anywhere in the country.
Badlapur News: Massive protests erupted on Tuesday at Badlapur railway station in Maharashtra's Thane district, and stones were pelted at police as 'rail roko' agitation intensified over the alleged sexual assault of two nursery kids by a male attendant at a local school.

Several local trains were stopped as agitators blocked the tracks.

Also Read | Massive protest over sexual abuse of Thane school girls: What we know so far

According to reports, two nursey students were sexually assaulted by a male attendant at a Badlapur school last week. The parents came to know about the incident on August 18 and filed an FIR.

The Maharashtra Police arrested the attendant at the Badlapur school for allegedly abusing the girls studying in the kindergarten at the school.

Also Read | Mumbai local train update: Local trains in Badlapur affected on THIS route

According to the complaint filed by the parents, the male attendant had sexually abused the girls in the toilet of the school. The girls later confided in their parents that the attendant touched them inappropriately, following which a complaint was lodged and a case was registered against him. He was later arrested, the police said.

The Central Railway chief public relations officer Swapnil Nila told news agency PTI that protesters had occupied the Badlapur railway tracks since 10 am in the morning of 20 August.

The rail roko agitation affected train services between Ambernath and Karjat. The local trains on this route have been suspended and the long-route trains have been diverted, Nila said.

"We have requested the protesters to vacate the tracks to resume the rail services in these routes," Nila added.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said he has directed the police that the accused arrested for sexually abusing two girl students at a school in Badlapur in Thane district be booked under the attempt to rape charge.

Further, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered the formation of an SIT headed by Inspector General of Police level senior IPS officer Arti Singh to investigate the sexual abuse incident that took place in Badlapur.
A massive protest was held at Badlapur railway station on Tuesday over the alleged sexual assault incident involving two kindergarten girls at a school in Maharashtras Thane district.

The protest turned violent as angry demonstrators vandalised the school where the alleged incident occurred last week and pelted stones at the Badlapur railway station. The protesters blocked railway tracks, halting train services on the KalyanKarjat section of Central Railway.

At least 10 mail-express trains, including Solapur-CSMT Vande Bharat Express, were diverted via Karjat-Panvel-Thane stations, and local train services between Ambernath and Karjat stations were suspended from 10:10 am, according to the chief public relations officer (CRPO) of Central Railway.

Also Read | Badlapur sexual assault case: Maharashtra govt orders suspension of 3 cops

The Maharashtra government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged sexual abuse of the minor girls and directed the Thane police commissioner to prepare a proposal to try the case in a fast-track court.

"I have spoken to the Thane commissioner of police. The accused has been arrested. I have asked the case to be fast-tracked and book the accused under the charges of attempt to rape and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act," Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said.

The chief minister also directed the Thane commissioner of police to check whether the Sakhi Savitri committee have been formed in schools or not.

Meanwhile, Vijay Wadettiwar  Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly  alleged that the parents of a girl who was sexually abused were made to sit at the police station for 11 hours to file their complaint.

Also Read | Badlapur sexual abuse case: Milind Deora lists steps taken by govt amid outrage

Taking to microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Wadettiwar posted, "The parents of the victim girls were kept in the police station for eleven hours without taking any complaint. The demand has been made to the commissioner of police that the female police officer who neglected this matter should be suspended."

"Our demand is that the case should be fast-tracked within three months and the accused should be sentenced to death, Wadettiwar added.

Here's what we know about the case so far Two girls, three and four years old, were allegedly sexually abused by a male attendant in the school toilet.

The accused is a 23-year-old male cleaning staff member.

No female staff were appointed by the school for the girls toilets.

The incident came to light when a victim complained of pain in her private parts. The victim later informed her parents that the accused touched her private parts when she had gone to use the toilet.

The parents contacted the parents of the girl's friend. They told the former that their daughter was also scared to attend the school.

Alarmed parents got the girls examined by a local doctor, who revealed that both the minor girls had been allegedly sexually assaulted.

The Maharashtra Police arrested the school attendant under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Also Read | Massive protest in Badlapur over sexual assault of 2 kids, stones thrown at cops

The management of the school suspended its principal and two staffers following the protest of angry parents after the alleged sexual assault.

The school management tendered an apology over the episode and blacklisted the firm which has been given the contract for housekeeping.

The Badlapur police also transferred the police station in-charge for allegedly failing to act when the parents approached the police.

Angry protests vandalised the school and stone-pelted at the Badlapur railway station. The protesters blocked railway tracks, halting train services on the KalyanKarjat section of the central railway.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) said it will dispatch a team to Thane following the alleged sexual assault in the school. The apex child rights body has also questioned the delay in the registration of an FIR in the matter.

Suspension of three police officials: The state government today ordered the suspension of three police officials, including a senior police inspector, for alleged dereliction of duty in probing the sexual abuse of two girls at the Badlapur school amid massive protests. "The orders of immediate suspension of the senior police inspector, assistant sub-inspector and head constable attached to Badlapur police station for the dereliction of duty have been issued," Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis posted on X.

The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) warned of legal action if the school's management is found negligent.

The chief minister instructed the Thane police commissioner to ensure the case was handled with utmost urgency and efficiency. Additionally, the chief minister has called for a review to confirm whether Sakhi Savitri committees, which are designed to support and safeguard students, have been established in schools, the CMO stated.
Bharat Bandh 2024: The Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti has announced a Bharat Bandh on August 21, i.e, today, as a mark of protest against the Supreme Court's ruling on SC/ST reservations. The SC/ST groups in Rajasthan, have extended support for the bandh.

According to a report by The Times of India, police have been asked to increase deployment across all the districts, to avoid any tension. DGP UR Sahoo also said that instructions had also been given to the SPs to ensure law and order situation in connection with the Bharat Bandh.

We have asked our officials to organise meetings with groups calling for the bandh, as well as with market associations, to facilitate better cooperation, the DGP told TOI.

Why the Bharat Bandh According to several reports, the Supreme Court's ruling allowed states to create sub-categories within the SC and ST groups, stating, "Those who really need it should get priority in reservation."

The decision has sparked widespread debate and reports stated that the main objective of the Bharat Bandh is to challenge the Supreme Court's decision on the reservation and demand its reversal.

The Bharat Bandh is expected to get the support of various social and political organizations. The purpose of the protest is to highlight the unjust decision of the court.

Bharat Bandh 2024: Security measures

In view of the possibility of violence during the bandh, top police officials held a meeting for preparation through video conferencing. All divisional commissioners, district magistrates and senior police officers attended the meeting, stated reports.

Western Uttar Pradesh has been considered particularly sensitive, due to which the police have been put on high alert there. Officials are taking extensive steps to ensure the safety of the public during the protests.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to cancel an advertisement issued by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the appointment of joint-secretary-level officers and other key positions through the lateral entry process.

The decision, conveyed in a letter from union minister Jitendra Singh to UPSC chairperson Preeti Sudan, marks a significant shift in the way senior officials are appointed to crucial ministries such as finance and electronics.

Lateral recruitment for joint secretaries, directors and deputy secretaries in the union government was introduced in 2018. According to a Lok Sabha reply dated 24 July, 63 appointments have been made this way so far, including 35 from the private sector. Currently, 57 of these appointees are still serving in their respective ministries or departments.

In his letter, Singh noted that lateral entry was endorsed by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission in 2005 and recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission in 2013. He said the practice began during the term of the Congress-led UPA government, and that key appointments, including Nandan Nilekani's as chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), were made this way.

Singh wrote, For the prime minister, reservation in public employment is a cornerstone of our social justice framework, designed to address historical injustices and foster inclusion.

He added, "It is crucial to uphold the constitutional mandate for social justice to ensure that deserving candidates from marginalised communities receive appropriate representation in government services."

Addressing the Opposition's charges, he clarified that since these positions were specialised and designated as single-cadre posts, no reservation provision applied to them. "This aspect needs to be reviewed and reformed in the context of the prime minister's focus on ensuring social justice, he said.

UPSC's recruitment notice In a recruitment notice on 17 August, the UPSC advertised joint secretary positions across sectors including emerging technologies, semiconductors and electronics, environmental policy and law, digital economy, fintech, cybersecurity, economic affairs, shipping, science and technology, and industry. These positions were in ministries such as steel, renewable energy, policy and planning, and the National Disaster Management Authority.

The posts of directors and deputy secretaries are currently vacant in various departments, including those focused on climate change, forestry, integrated nutrients management, natural farming, rain-fed farming systems and organic farming.

The government invited applications from "talented and motivated Indian nationals eager to contribute to nation-building," as well as from state/UT officers and employees of public sector undertakings. For those from the private sector, the appointment was to be on contract, while other candidates were to be posted on deputation. The initial appointment period was three years, extendable up to five years based on performance. Directly recruited central government employees were not eligible for these positions.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Monday offered condolences on the demise of a CRPF inspector during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur.

In her post on X, Priyanka Gandhi said that the news was extremely sad, and also that she condemns terrorism. She further called on the country to act as one voice, and said that the entire country is united against terrorism.

The news of the martyrdom of CRPF Inspector Kuldeep Kumar during an encounter with terrorists in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir is extremely sad. May God grant peace to the departed soul. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family. The entire country is united against terrorism and strongly condemns it in one voice, wrote Priyanka Gandhi on X.

Also Read | Jammu and Kashmir: CRPF inspector killed in terror attack in Udhampur

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) inspector died during an intense gunfight with terrorists in the Cheel and Dudu regions of Udhampur district on August 19. Following the encounter, security has been tightened in the region.

According to sources, a joint team of CRPF and J&K Police personnel was on its way to an under-construction police post in Chill village in Dudu subdivision near Kathua districts Lohai Malhar area, reported the ANI.

Also Read | Indian army captain killed amid Doda encounter, terrorist gunned down

The joint party was on it's routine visit, when terrorists hiding in the forest opened fire around 2:45 pm. Kuldeep Kumar died in the firing.

Trying to neutralise the threat Udhampur-Reasi Range DIG Rayees Mohammad Bhat said, that the forces were facing various challenges. This is very sad, but it is part of our duty. It is a jungle area, without roads and networks. Here, we are facing various challenges. We are using technology and drones, and we are trying to neutralise the threat as soon as possible, said Bhat, reported ANI.
In the wake of the rape and murder of a doctor at a Kolkata hospital where she worked, the Union health ministry has directed all central government hospitals and medical colleges to enhance security measures to ensure a safe environment for healthcare professionals.

The ministry has instructed hospitals to display boards outlining the penal provisions of relevant state legislation, install high-resolution CCTV cameras, establish a control room for rapid emergency response, and rigorously monitor entry and exit points to prevent violence against doctors.

Hospitals are required to employ adequate number of trained security guards to ensure proper monitoring, patrolling, and surveillance of the premises. Only one or two attendants should be allowed with a patient at any time, including during visiting hours. This should be managed through an attendant pass system, the ministry said in a statement.

To enhance safety, the ministry emphasized the need for well-lit areas within hospital campuses, particularly in locations where female healthcare staff are on duty, as well as in parking lots and entryways. Hospitals are also urged to develop comprehensive emergency response plans, conduct regular mock drills, and train staff to recognize and respond to security threats.

The ministry also instructed hospital administrations to ensure a coordinated response to incidents by working closely with local police and emergency services.

Also this | Indias economic emergence will depend on how safe women feel

Hospitals should provide well-secured duty rooms with basic amenities for female healthcare professionals. Night shifts should involve more than one female staff member, who should be escorted within the premises and provided with secure transport when required, it said.

The Kolkata incident, which has sparked a national outcry, is being compared to the 2012 Delhi gangrape and murder that prompted India to toughen laws against sexual assault.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday, pulled up the West Bengal government over the delay in registration of FIR, and subsequent destruction of the crime scene, while hearing the case of the deceased PG doctor, who was raped and murdered at R.G Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, on August 9.

The Chief Justice, D.Y Chandrachud, termed the incident as horrific, and horrendous. The next hearing has been scheduled for August 22.

SC hearing on Kolkata doctor case: Top updates 1.Supreme Court urges striking doctors to call off their strike, saying their concerns are receiving the highest importance before the top court.

2.The court further asked the West Bengal government to refrain from "unleashing the power of the state" on peaceful protestors and others commenting on the incident.

3.The apex court directed the CBI to submit a status report on the probe on August 22. It has also asked the West Bengal government to submit an explanation regarding the vandalism at R.G Kar Medical College and Hospital, that took place after the city staged multiple peaceful protests.

4.The Supreme Court directed to form a 10-member national task force to make recommendations on prevention of violence and safe working conditions for medical professionals. The task force constitutes five women, and several heads from different specializations in healthcare.

5.The task force has been asked to submit its interim report within three weeks from August 20, and the final report by two months thereafter.

Also Read | Kolkata tragedy: Health ministry orders enhanced security in central hospitals

6.Women are being denied equality, if they are unable to go to work, and working conditions are unsafe, said CJI.

7.The Chief Justice further sought the need for a national protocol. We know they are all interns, resident doctors and most importantly women doctors....most of the young doctors are putting in 36 hours ....we must evolve a national protocol to ensure safe conditions of work are provided, he observed.

8.The Supreme Court referred to healthcare laws in Kerala, and said that 7000 protesters was a situation of law and order.  There are several states like Kerala which acts protecting the healthcare workers; (2) even in a well organised function if we want the presence of 500 persons, we know it should be well organised, 7000 persons in the hospital (protesting) ....this is a law and order situation, ruled SC.

9.The court slammed Sandip Ghosh, ex R.G Kar principal for the delay in registering the FIR, in connection with the case. ..autopsy reveals that this is case where doctor is murdered..the FIR is registered at 11:45 PM? what was the principal, board in the hospital doing? said the CJI.

10.SC says the perpetrator had an animal like instinct. Let us not trivialize, we are dealing with a young doctor's rape by a sexual pervert but also had an animal like instinct. I don't want to make this a political issue, 3 hours of the parents waiting, said the court.

11.CJI referred to the Nipun Saxena case, while mentioning that it was a protocol to not disclose the identity of the rape victim. He expressed concern that the deceased victim's photo was all over the social media. First, we are deeply concerned of the fact that the name of the victim has been all over the media, the photographs and videos are all over the media, this is extremely concerning, he said.

12.The Chief Justice said that Kolkata doctor rape case has become an issue of safety of doctors across India. Now not just a matter relating a particular rape issue in hospital, but it deals with systemic issue of safety of doctors across India, said Chandrachud.

13.The Supreme Court hearing began today at 10:30 am, after the apex court took suo moto cognizance of the matter on August 18, as protests by doctors erupted across the country, significantly affecting healthcare services.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with his Malaysian counterpart on Tuesday with a focus on expanding cooperation in several sectors. The two countries have signed at least eight pacts amid PM Anwar Ibrahim's visit  including an agreement on promoting recruitment of Indian workers in Malaysia and protection of their interests. The two leaders also stressed the need to complete review of the free trade agreement between India and the ASEAN in a timely manner.

Today we have decided to elevate our partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. We believe that there is still a lot of potential in economic cooperation. The bilateral trade and investment should be expanded. We should enhance our mutual cooperation in areas of new technology, such as semiconductors, Fintech, defense industry, AI and quantum. We have emphasized upon stepping up the review of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement between India and Malaysia. It has been decided to establish a Digital Council and to create a Start-up Alliance for cooperation in digital technology. Work will also be done on connecting India's UPI and Malaysia's Paynet, read an excerpt from the press statement released by PM Modi.

The talks are viewed as a bid to reset ties that came under some strain during the prime ministership of Mahathir Mohamad. The two countries also discussed new possibilities of mutual cooperation in the defense sector and stressed the need for an unanimous fight against terrorism and extremism.

Also Read | PM Modi to travel in Rail Force One: All about luxury train

The President expressed satisfaction that both sides have decided to upgrade their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and are working towards an action-oriented roadmap for its implementation across various sectors of cooperation, added President Droupadi Murmu after a meeting with Ibrahim.

The President also reiterated India's commitment towards shared goals of a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region as Malaysia assumes the ASEAN chair in 2025. Murmu noted that the other country is a key partner for India within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and an important country in the Act East Policy and in the Indo-Pacific vision.

Meanwhile Ministry of External Affairs official Jaideep Mazumdar said that Malaysia supported India's bid to become a permanent member in a reformed UN Security Council. He also explained during a press briefing that Kuala Lumpur had agreed to consider India as a source for procuring various defence platforms and hardware.
Kolkata Rape Case SC Hearing: Terming the rape and murder case of a medic at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital as horrific, the Supreme Court on Tuesday called out the patriarchal biases and said, Women doctors are targetted more.

CJI DY Chandrachud noted, Medical professions have become vulnerable to violence....due to ingrained patriarchal biases, the women doctors are targetted more.

CJI further stressed hierarchy in the medical field.

CJI observed, As more and more women join the workforce.....the nation cannot wait for another rape for things to change on the ground. Existing enactments do not adequately address the institutional safety standards for doctors and medical workers, LiveLaw reported.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the case, the top court said this incident raises systematic issue regarding doctor safety across India.

A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, which had taken cognisance of the incident, said if women are not able to go to work and working conditions are not safe, we are denying them equality.

The top court slammed the West Bengal government over the delay in filing an FIR in the rape-murder case and asked what the hospital authorities were doing.

"It appears crime was detected in early hours; medical college principal tried to pass it off as suicide," the bench comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra observed.

The bench rapped the Kolkata Police and asked how a mob of thousands entered the RG Kar Medical College.

The apex court said most young doctors are putting in 36 hours of work and there was a need to evolve national protocol to ensure safe conditions at workplace.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said West Bengal should not be in denial mode and there was a complete failure of law and order in state.

The medics body, showing severe injury marks, was discovered inside the seminar hall of the hospital's chest department on August 9. The Kolkata Police arrested a civic volunteer in connection with the case the following day.

On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the investigation from the Kolkata Police to the CBI, which began its probe on August 14. This decision was made while the court was considering petitions, including one from the victims parents requesting a court-monitored investigation.
Badlapur News: Due to the ongoing protests against the sexual abuse of two nursery kids in Badlapur schools, at least ten mail express trains have been diverted via Karjat-Panvel-Thane station. This includes 22160 MAS (Chennai)-CSMT Mumbai Express, 22731 Hyderabad-CSMT Mumbai Express, among others.

Also Read | Massive protests in Badlapur against sexual assault, stones thrown at cops

The Mumbai division of the Central Railways announced that local trains between CSMT Mumbai and Ambarnath are being run normally. They further informed that trains services on Badlapur to Karjat Services are suspended.

Also Read | Mumbai local train update: Local trains in Badlapur affected on THIS route

LIST OF TRAINS DIVERTED IN MUMBAI The diversion of trains due to public agitation at Badlapur Railway station via Karjat - Panvel - Thane include Surat to Mumbai Vande Bharat express.

Traine No Date Traine Name 22160 19.08.2024 MAS - CSMT MUMBAI EXPRESS 22731 19.08.2024 HYB - CSMT MUMBAI EXPRESS 22226 20.08.2024 SUR - CSMT Vande Bharat 11014 19.08.2024 CBE - LTT EXPRESS 11019 20.08.2024 CSMT - BHUBANESWAR Konark EXPRESS 22732 20.08.2024 CSMT - HYDERABAD EXPRESS 22497 19.08.2024 SHRI GANGANAGAR - TIRUCHCHIRAPPALLI JN. EXPRESS 19667 19.08.2024 UDAIPUR CITY - MYSORE JN EXPRESS 12164 19.08.2024 DR. MGR CTL CHENNAI - CSMT 22159 20.08.2024 CSMT - MAS EXPRESS 12263 20.08.2024 Pune - NZM DURANTO EXPRESS

Badlapur sexual assault Angry protesters resorted to rail roko agitation in Badlapur station. They were demonstrating against the sexual assault of two nursery kids at their schools. Maharashtra Chief minister has directed Maharashtra Police to invoke the attempt to rape charge against the accused arrested.

Also Read | Massive protest over sexual abuse of Thane school girls: What we know so far

Two girl students of a kindergarten at the school in Badlapur were allegedly sexually abused by a male attendant. The children had informed their parents, following which the latter filed an FIR. The accused was arrested last week.

Police on August 17 arrested an attendant at the school for allegedly sexually abusing two girl students of the kindergarten, aged three and four years. As per the complaint, he abused the girls in the toilet of the school.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kyiv, the capital city of war-hit Ukraine, on August 23, 2024, at the invitation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It would be the first visit by any Indian prime minister to Ukraine in more than 30 years since New Delhi established its diplomatic relations with the second-largest European country after Russia.

PM Narendra Modi will undertake an official visit to Ukraine later this week on Friday, August 23, on the invitation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the MEA said on Monday.

The MEA also revealed that Prime Minister Modi will spend seven hours in Kyiv.

According to NDTV, the Indian prime ministers visit to Kyiv will involve a 20-hour train journey, during which he will board the Rail Force One overnight train.

This specially designed high-security train offers a comfortable journey through war-torn Ukraine. Equipped with luxurious amenities, executive-level work and relaxation facilities, Rail Force One has been used in past facilitate movement of US President Joe Biden to Kyiv via Poland on a diplomatic visit in February 2023.

In addition to US President Biden, more than 200 foreign diplomatic missions have used this train service to arrive in war-hit Ukraine so far. These include former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italys Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky regularly uses this train when he has to visit abroad.

With commercial air links cancelled and the skies too dangerous to fly politicians in and out of Ukraine, this rail network has become the countrys diplomatic highway.

'Rail Force One' According to media reports, the interior of Rail Force One is as impressive as its guest list. It has wood-panelled cabins with everything needed for work and relaxation. Its amenities include a spacious long table for meetings, a plush sofa, a TV mounted on the wall, and comfortable sleeping arrangements.
Pune Porsche crash: Pune Commissioner of Police, Amitesh Kumar, on Tuesday said that two people have been arrested for allegedly tampering with blood samples in the case.

The minor accused of killing two IT professionals by crashing his Porsche into a motorcycle in a drunken state in Pune on May 19 has completed a 15-day safe driving programme as ordered by the court.

Also Read | Teen driver behind Pune Porsche accident submits 300-word essay on road safety

Two people from Madhya Pradesh, Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta were flung into the air and landed on parked vehicles, after the minor's Porsche crashed onto the duo's motorcyle. One of them died on the spot whereas the other passed away during treatment. The incident sparked nationwide outrage.

Pune Porsche crash: Juvenile's bail conditions According to the bail conditions set by the Juvenile Justice Board, the minor was required to write a 300-word essay on road accidents and receive guidance from the regional transport office on traffic rules and regulations.

A top RTO official was quoted as saying that the juvenile had completed the safe driving programme, while the operation was kept discreet for privacy issues.

The juvenile accused completed the safe driving programme with the RTO. With respect to the guidelines of the court, the operation was kept discreet as it could have led to issue of privacy of the juvenile, said the official, reported the PTI.

The official further mentioned that the juvenile's training programme covered road safety measures, importance of a driving license, the meaning of road signals and symbols, and other related activities.

Pune Porsche bail on lenient terms According to a report by the Hindustan Times, the Porsche crash in Kalyani Nagar had triggered nationwide outrage, partly because the accused was granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board on lenient terms. The report further stated that police investigation had uncovered attempts by the juvenile's family and some doctors to cover up the crime.
Kolkata doctor rape case: The Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Tuesday flagged the fact that the identity of the victim of rape and murder at RG Kar hospital had been rampantly shared across the nation. It is to be noted that sharing the details of rape or any sexual assault victims is illegal under the law.

The image and name of the RG Kar sexual assault victim was widely shared on social media. Initially the trainee doctor was tagged as Nirbhaya 2, drawing from the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder incident. However, social media users opposed the same, citing she is not a movie sequel.

Several users had also encouraged taking the name of the trainee doctor who died a painful death after being on duty for 48 hours at RG Kar hospital.

YouTuber Dhruv Rathee had also shared posts revealing the victim's identity. Rathee's post received significant engagement, with 66,000 likes and over 12,000 retweets.

Further, a complaint has been filed against the former principal of Kolkatas R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, Dr Sandip Ghosh, accusing him of disclosing the identity of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor who was raped and killed on the hospital premises, reports Indian Express.

Kolkata Police have issued summonses to former BJP MP Locket Chatterjee and two renowned doctors  Dr Kunal Sarkar and Dr Subarna Goswami  for allegedly spreading rumours and disclosing the identity of the woman doctor.

What is the punishment for sharing rape victim's identity? Disclosing the identity of a sexual assault victim is a criminal offense.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which replaced the Indian Penal Code, criminalizes such disclosure.

According to Section 72 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita anyone who prints or publishes the name or any information that could reveal the identity of a victim of offences like rape or sexual assault could be punished with imprisonment for up to two years.

Why rape victim's identity is protected? The Supreme Court has shed light on the severe societal issues encountered by survivors of sexual assault, emphasizing that they are frequently marginalized and shunned by their communities.
August 20, marks a day of significant legal, political, and diplomatic events both in India and internationally. From the crucial Supreme Court hearing on the RG Kar Medical College rape-murder case to the Jammu and Kashmir Election process and the India-Japan '2+2' dialogue in New Delhi, here's a roundup of the key events scheduled for today.

Supreme Court takes up Kolkata rape-murder case The Supreme Court is set to hear a suo motu case regarding the rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud will lead the bench in the case, which has drawn national attention. The court's intervention comes after two Supreme Court lawyers urged the Chief Justice to take action. "The nation looks to the judiciary as the ultimate guardian of justice, the last refuge for those whose cries have been silenced by brutality," two lawyers practising in the Supreme Court and a doctor from Telangana wrote in a letter to the CJI.

Also Read | Donald Trump hints at Cabinet or Advisory position for Tesla CEO Elon Musk

BRS Leader K Kavitha's bail plea on court docket The apex court will also consider the bail pleas of BRS leader K Kavitha in cases related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. Kavitha, arrested earlier this year, has been in custody for about five months and is seeking bail in both corruption and money laundering cases.

Also Read | Kolkata rape case LIVE: SC to hear plea related to the case today

Jammu and Kashmir election process begins The election process for Jammu and Kashmir's Legislative Assembly kicks off today with the issuance of notification for the first phase. Twenty-four assembly constituencies across six districts will participate in this initial phase, with polling scheduled for September 18.

India-Japan '2+2' dialogue in New Delhi Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will host their Japanese counterparts for the third India-Japan '2+2' dialogue. This high-level meeting aims to strengthen strategic ties and discuss the Indo-Pacific situation.

Hindustan Zinc Board to deliberate on interim dividend Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL), a prominent player in the mining and metals sector, has announced a crucial board meeting for Tuesday, August 20. The primary agenda for this gathering is to discuss and potentially approve an interim dividend for shareholders.
US Presidential elections 2024: Kamala Harris opening remarks at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago centred on honouring the legacy of the man she has supported for the past three and a half years.

Here are the top ten updates:

1. As reported by AP, echoing other Democrats, Harris used her initial time on stage to express gratitude to Joe Biden, praising what she referred to as his historic legacy.

2. Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation and for all you will continue to do, Harris said, addressing Biden. We are forever grateful to you.

3. Latino leaders noted the number of Latinos who took the stage to promote Vice President Harris. I am very happy to see as many Latinas on the stage this evening. I think Ive seen five already, said Juan Proano, chief executive officer of the League of United Latin American Citizens.

4. Weve actually seen some really great Latinas in leadership positions from around the country being highlighted and having an equal time and platform as other elected officials, Proano added. He added that, while immigration has emerged as a top issue in the election, he was glad that the Latino speakers were not pigeonholed and discussed wages and salaries, things that every other American wants.

5. Democrats are hoping that the weeklong convention will propel Harris into a direct contest with Republican Donald Trump, whose bid for the White House is seen by Democrats as a major threat. With Harris taking over the ticket just a month ago, she now faces the challenge of winning over a divided nation. While her support has improved recently, the public is still forming its opinion on the upcoming election.

6. The convention represents a crucial moment for the party and its new nominee. A misstep could undermine Harris campaign when she is experiencing a surge of funding, momentum, and enthusiasm. Key questions remain about the strength of her support, the breadth of her coalition, and the overall viability of her campaign.

7. Just weeks ago, Democrats were grappling with internal divisions over foreign policy, political strategy, and Biden himself, who, despite a challenging debate performance, argued that he was the Democrat best positioned to defeat Trump.

8. As part of the process of introducing Harris and Walz, the convention will first give a graceful exit to the incumbent president, who is set to deliver the main address on Tuesday.

9. The Democratic Party would likely be in a much more challenging position if Biden had chosen to remain the nominee. Concerns about his mental and physical capabilities had intensified, especially after he struggled with his speech during a debate against Trump.

10. By stepping aside and endorsing Harris, Biden will instead receive a heros sendoff in his final major appearance, 52 years after being elected to the Senate from Delaware. Bidens aides indicated that he plans to use his speech to highlight Harris as a crucial partner in his administration's achievements and to argue for her need to defeat Trump in November. During a walkthrough of the arena, Biden told reporters that the moment was "memorable" and expressed his readiness to pass the baton to Harris.
Kolkata Rape Case SC Hearing: The Supreme Court, while hearing a suo motu plea on Tuesday in connection with the rape and murder of a junior postgraduate doctor in Kolkata, said that deeply concerned about the fact that name, a photograph of the victim is all over India.

CJI said, Deeply concerned of the fact that name, photograph of the victim is all over the India. We are deeply concerned about the fact that the name, photo and video clip of the Kolkata rape victim was published all over. The law prohibits publishing victims' names. Is this the way we provide dignity to the young doctor who has lost her life?

SC terms the Kolkata doctor's rape and murder "horrific" and horrendous, pulling up the West Bengal government over the delay in the registration of FIR and destruction of the crime scene.

SC will pass an order for the National Task Force to make recommendations that morality should be followed all over the country to ensure safety at theworkplace, said CJI.

National Task Force members and roles In the National Task Force, these are the following members are constituted:

1. Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, AVSM, VSM, Director General of Medical Services in the Indian Navy.

2. D Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman of Asian Institute of Gastroenterology and AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad.

3. M Srinivan, Director, AIIMS Delhi.

4. Dr Pratima Murty, National Institute of mental health and neuroscience, Bengaluru.

5. Govardhan Dutt Puri, Executive Director, AIIMS, Jodhpur.

6. Dr. Saumitra Rawat, Chairperson. Institute of Surgical Gastroenterology, GI and HPB Onco-Surgery and Liver Transplantation.

7. Anita Saxena, Dr Anita Saxena, Vice-Chancellor of Pt. B.D. Sharma University of Health Sciences in Rohtak.

8. Pallavi Sanwle, Dean, JJ School of Hospital, Mumbai.

9. Padma Srivastava, Padma Shri Dr. (Prof.) M.V Padma Srivastava, is currently the Chairperson of Neurology at Paras Health Gurugram.

SC also questions the Principal of the college for trying to pass it off as suicide, and the parents were not allowed to see the body.

SC directed that the NTF shall make action plans on two heads - (1) preventing violence, including gender-based violence against medical professionals; (2) providing an enforceable national protocol for dignified and safe working conditions for interns, residents, senior residents, doctors etc.

A bench presided by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra has kept the matter on top of the cause list for hearing of the petition filed on August 9. The plea aims to expand the scope of judicial scrutiny, reported HT.

The case related to rape and murder of a doctor at state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital is titled In Re: Alleged rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, and related issue.

The Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 13.
(Adds comment from ASB Bank chief executive in paragraph 8)

By Lucy Craymer

WELLINGTON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - New Zealands four largest lenders do not face strong competition in the personal banking sector and the government should make it easier for new entrants, the countrys competition watchdog said on Tuesday.

The New Zealand Commerce Commission report outlined 14 recommendations including boosting capital for government-owned Kiwibank, the country's fifth-largest lender, lowering barriers to entry and ensuring open banking is fully operational by June 2026.

Commission Chair John Small said open banking - which involves banks making customer data available to third parties on request so customers can better shop around - was a key reform for the long-term, while a stronger Kiwibank would improve choice in the short term.

We believe that the best prospect for driving change in the sector will come over time from accelerating open banking and ensuring that the regulatory environment better supports competition, he said in a statement.

In the shorter-term, we see the capitalisation of Kiwibank providing the sector with the disruptive maverick thats currently missing. Longer-term, it is through open banking."

New Zealand's banking system is dominated by four large Australian-owned banks: Westpac Banking Corp, Commonwealth Bank of Australia-owned ASB Bank, National Australia Bank's Bank of New Zealand, and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group.

ASB Bank Chief Executive Vittoria Shortt said she was looking forward to the government's response to the report. Westpac, Bank of New Zealand, and ANZ did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The New Zealand Commerce Commission's report, commissioned by the previous government in 2023, said that improving competition required multi-faceted solutions.

Overseas experience suggests that the scale and brand advantages of large banks and consumer inertia are difficult to overcome, even where open banking is well-established, the report said.

New Zealand Banking Association Chief Executive Roger Beaumont said the report had provided useful insights into the New Zealand banking sector.
(Bloomberg) -- A new study that found evidence of a higher rate of suicidal thoughts among patients taking Novo Nordisk A/Ss popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs is adding to a debate among doctors about the drugs safety.

The study published Tuesday in JAMA Network Open is the first to mine the World Health Organizations global database of suspected drug side effects for reports of suicidal thinking in patients who have taken the drugs. It found a bigger proportion of such reports from patients whod taken semaglutide, the drug Novo markets as Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss, than from those who took other medicines.

The US Food and Drug Administration said this year that a preliminary evaluation didnt find evidence that use of drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy causes suicidal thoughts or actions. Still, the agency said it cant rule out a small risk and is continuing to investigate. In April, the European Medicines Agencys risk assessment committee found no added risk of suicide or self-harm for people taking the drugs.

The EMA and FDA findings line up with data from clinical trials, Novo Nordisk said in an e-mailed statement. The company said it will work with regulators to monitor the safety of the medicines, including surveillance of data from ongoing studies and real-world use.

WHOs database lacks important information that would put the results in perspective, such as how long patients had been treated, the authors of the JAMA Network Open report acknowledged. The data might have been biased because it relied on self-reporting from patients and their doctors, they said.

Still, the study findings should prompt physicians to be more cautious about prescribing semaglutide to people with a history of depression or suicide attempts, Francesco Salvo, a pharmacologist at the University of Bordeaux, wrote in an editorial published alongside the results.

Other doctors called the evidence in the paper weak and inconclusive.

It has major limitations, said Stephen Evans, an emeritus professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, in a comment distributed by the Science Media Centre. Spontaneous reports from patients like those in the WHO database are very subject to bias, including effects of media reporting, Evans said.

In the study, the authors looked at more than 32 million reports of possible side effects to the WHOs VigiBase, a database used to track potential dangers of drugs that have reached the market. Reports to the database of suicidal thoughts and behavior as linked to semaglutide were 45% higher than other treatments.

Such reports were higher than those linked to a group of other diabetes and weight-loss treatments. The difference was greatest among patients who were taking antidepressants along with semaglutide.

The findings dont mean that Ozempic and Wegovy are dangerous or that they induce thoughts of suicide. For example, losing a large amount of weight alone may have an emotional impact, according to Stephen Burgess, group leader at the University of Cambridges MRC Biostatistics Unit.

We need to understand whether these results represent a specific side-effect of these drugs, or an uncommon but tragic consequence of some individuals weight loss journey, he said in remarks published by the Science Media Centre.

(Updates with additional results in final three paragraphs.)

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
Queen Elizabeth thought Donald Trump was very rude. She reportedly disliked how he acted during their meetings, especially when he looked past her, seeming uninterested. She also speculated that Trump and his wife, Melania, might have some some sort of arrangement that kept their marriage intact.

These claims have been made in Craig Brown's book Voyage Around the Queen, which is being serialised in the Daily Mail.

The revelation comes as Donald Trump is trying to get re-elected as the president of the United States. He admired Queen Elizabeth and often expressed his respect for her dedication.

A few weeks after President Trump's visit, for instance, she confided in one lunch guest that she found him "very rude": she particularly disliked the way he couldn't stop looking over her shoulder, as though in search of others more interesting, the publication quoted Brown as writing.

She also believed President Trump "must have some sort of arrangement" with his wife Melania, or else why would she have remained married to him? Brown added.

Interestingly, Donald Trump believed he was the Queen's favourite guest ever, Brown wrote. The then-US president mentioned later that Fox News claimed people had never seen the Queen more lively or enjoying herself than during his visit.

Donald Trumps meeting with Queen Donald Trump, while he was the US president, had his first meeting with Queen Elizabeth in 2018, when they connected over tea. While outside Windsor Castle, the Queen was observed checking her watch as she waited for Trump, who was around 12 minutes late.

During their time together, Trump and the 92-year-old Queen exchanged briefly while inspecting the troops at Windsor Castle. Trump disregarded Royal protocol by stepping ahead of the Queen while they reviewed the Queen's Guard.

During their time together, Trump and the 92-year-old Queen exchanged briefly while inspecting the troops at Windsor Castle. Trump disregarded Royal protocol by stepping ahead of the Queen while they reviewed the Queen's Guard.|#+|
Mpox: The Indian government has directed authorities at international airports and ports to monitor passengers entering the country from Bangladesh and Pakistan for mpox symptoms, PTI reported citing sources from the Union Health Ministry.

India so far has no detected cases of mpox, officials told PTI, adding that current assessment shows that the risk of a large outbreak of the disease, with with sustained transmission is low.

An official told PTI, The virus strain this time is different and is more virulent and infectious. But the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low in the country as per the current assessment.

Mpox is not airborne and usually spreads through close, skin-to-skin contact between people.

Outbreak in Congo, 3 Million Vaccines Needed The Democratic Republic of Congo (DNC or Congo) has reported the majority of mpox globally and requires 3 million vaccine doses to tackle its outbreak, AP reported.

Congo's Health Minister Roger Kamba told the media that the United States and Japan have offered to donate vaccines, and said the first consignment from the US is expected next week. He did not specify how many vaccines doses are expected or when the delivery from Japan would arrive, the AP report added.

New Strain Found, 4 New Countries Identify Cases Last week, a new variant of the mpox virus was detected in Sweden and while officials said risk to general public is low, they expect sporadic imported cases to continue, AP reported.

Notably, scientists are also concerned about a new mpox variant in Congo that might be more easily transmitted, the report added.

The new variants, caused milder symptoms and lesions on the genitals, unlike previous mpox outbreaks, where lesions were mostly seen on the chest, hands and feet. This makes it harder to detect and people may infect others without being aware that they themselves are infected.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) also noted recent detection of mpox for the first time in four East African countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda  all linked to the epidemic in Congo.
Bollywood actor-director Shreyas Talpade is in the spotlight again after a false report surfaced, claiming the actor passed away on Monday afternoon.

I want to assure everyone that I am ALIVE, HAPPY, and HEALTHY. I've become aware of a viral post claiming my demise. While I understand that humor has its place, when it's misused, it can cause real harm, Shreyas Talpade said, responding to the death hoax report shared recently. He urged people to refrain from spreading such harmful rumours.

Disappointed over the viral fake news, he penned a letter and posted it on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday. The four-page letter states, What may have started as a joke by someone, is now creating unnecessary worry and playing with the emotions of those who care about me, especially my family.

In the heartfelt post, he discussed the impact of this death hoax on his young daughter, who is already worried about her father's health after he suffered a heart attack a few months ago. Emphasising that false news has deepened her fears, forcing her to confront more questions from her peers and teachers, Shreyas Talpade said that he, along with his family, is making efforts to bring the situation under control.

The post further stated, My little daughter, who goes to school every day, is already anxious about my well-being, constantly asking questions and seeking reassurance.

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The 'Golmaal' actor pointed to the emotional toll this prank has taken on families, particularly on children who might not be fully capable of understanding the situation.

Assuring that he is alive, happy and healthy, the actor noted that what might have started as a joke is now causing unnecessary worry and distress for his family. Meanwhile, expressing gratitude to all those who showed concern and love, he urged people to be sensitive and refrain from chasing engagement and likes at the expense of others' feelings.
A recent social media post by an advocate has captured widespread attention, questioning IndiGo Airlines about a charge labeled as the "Cute Fee." The advocate's witty yet pointed inquiry, along with the airline's response, has ignited a lively discussion online.

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"Dear IndiGo, What is this 'Cute Fee'? Do you charge users for being cute? Or do you charge because you believe that your aeroplanes are cute?" wrote Shrayansh Singh, an advocate, on X (formerly Twitter). Singh also raised concerns about other fees, including the "User Development Fee" and the "Aviation Security Fee," expressing his frustration over these charges.

In response, IndiGo clarified, "Hi, we would like to inform you that the Cute charges refer to the Common User Terminal Equipment charge. It is basically the amount that is charged for the use of metal-detecting machines, escalators, and other equipment that are being used at the airport."

However, Singh was not satisfied with this explanation. He replied, "Isn't this a part of airport security? Aren't the metal detectors a property of the CISF, which is a security organisation of the govt. for the security of airports too?"

He further argued, "The equipment being used at the airport, including the airport buildings itself, are public utility infrastructure. They are supposed to be maintained by the tax paid by us."

How did netizens react? The exchange quickly went viral, attracting numerous comments from other users. Some sided with Singh, while others defended the airline.

One user remarked, "Wondering what next usage charges for fuel nozzles at petrol pumps. Oh sorry I should not be giving ideas to them like this."

Another added, "What about breathing charges? The passenger is breathing oxygen in the airport and plane? Where is that tax break up?"

Yet another commenter noted, "These types of questions come when someone suddenly buys an Air ticket instead of a Bus ticket. CISF is not providing free services like in USA, where TSA charges per pax. In several countries, Airport tax is used instead of UDF / PDF and CUTE charges."
Former US President Donald Trump expressed interest in bringing Tesla CEO Elon Musk into a potential cabinet or advisory position if he wins the US Presidential Elections.

In a recent interview following a campaign event in York, Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump, now a Republican presidential candidate, shared his thoughts on electric vehicle (EV) tax credits and potential cabinet appointments.

When asked about the current $7,500 tax credit for EV purchases, Trump expressed scepticism, stating, "Tax credits and tax incentives are not generally a very good thing." He indicated that if elected, he might reconsider this policy.

Trump also spoke positively about Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who recently endorsed him. When asked if he would consider Musk for an advisory or cabinet role, Trump responded affirmatively: "He's a very smart guy. I certainly would, if he would do it, I certainly would. He's a brilliant guy."

Also Read | Elon Musk reacts to post on Donald Trumps promise of cabinet position

Regarding his stance on electric vehicles, Trump clarified, "I'm not making any final decisions on it. I'm a big fan of electric cars, but I'm a fan of gasoline-propelled cars, and also hybrids and whatever else happens to come along."

The former president also discussed potential changes to auto industry policies, including measures to discourage vehicle exports from Mexico and prevent Chinese automakers from establishing plants there for the U.S. market. He explained, "If you put tariffs on those cars, they're going to make it here. It's very simple. It's not complicated. If you tell Mexico, 'look, you're stealing our car industry,' which they're doing now."

Trump expressed openness to foreign automakers building vehicles in the United States, stating, "We're going to give incentives, and if China and other countries want to come here and sell the cars, they're going to build plants here, and they're going to hire our workers. We will make our own cars. I want to make our own cars."

Also Read | Trump to reiterate he will stop US Steel sale to Nippon

Regarding TikTok, Trump acknowledged the complexity of banning the app, saying, "It's very hard to ban something like that, because you're talking about free speech. You're talking about a lot of different things (that) go into that equation, but TikTok has treated me very well."
Elon Musks pro-Trump super political action committee is hiring canvassers in North Carolina, a sign that the former presidents allies are concerned about his slipping support in one of the most Republican-friendly battleground states.

Come work at America PAC  the Super PAC working to elect Donald Trump and defeat Kamala Harris, according to job postings on Indeed for roles in North Carolina cities, including Winston-Salem, Wilmington and Fayetteville.

The jobs posted by Blitz Canvassing, one of the vendors working with Musks super PAC, pay $22-$30 an hour. The company is also hiring in Detroit, Grand Rapids and East Lansing, Michigan, which has been among the most competitive states in recent presidential cycles.

Musk, the chief executive officer of Tesla Inc. and SpaceX, created America PAC, which is funding get-out-the-vote efforts for Trump. Neither America PAC nor the Trump campaign responded to requests for comment.

North Carolina is one of the seven swing states that both parties are eyeing as the path to the presidency, but it is widely viewed as the easiest for Trump to win. The state has only voted for a Democrat for president twice in the past 50 years.

Democrats believe North Carolina has become increasingly competitive since Harris replaced President Joe Biden on the party ticket and she has gained ground on a polling lead Trump has held for much of the race.

Trump led Harris in the state 48%-46% in late July, according to a Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll. In April, Trump led Biden by 10 percentage points in the state, according to the poll.

Musk has increasingly been deploying his wealth and influence to aid Trumps bid to return to the White House. The billionaire entrepreneur endorsed Trump after the failed assassination attempt against the former president in July and last week hosted a conversation with the Republican nominee on the X social-media platform he owns.

Musk donated to America PAC in July but the amount will not be known until the group files its next quarterly report with the Federal Election Commission in October.

Harris spoke in Raleigh, North Carolinas state capital, on Friday, in a campaign event focused on the economy. Trump is to speak in Asheboro, North Carolina, this Wednesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake official visits to Poland and Ukraine from August 21-23, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday.

Here are the top ten updates:

1. The Ministry of External Affairs has said that this trip will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Poland in 45 years. It also coincides with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Warsaw, which will be celebrated in 2024.

2. Speaking on defence cooperation between the two countries, the MEA said, Defence cooperation goes back a long time. We have an agreement on defence cooperation that was signed in 2003. This provides for consultations and a joint working format. India recently reopened the defence wing at the embassy in Warsaw.

3. In addition to talks with PM Donald Tusk, PM Modi will also call on President Andrzej Duda. Prime Minister Modi will interact with Indian community, business leaders, and prominent endologists," he further said.

4. MEA Secretary (West) Tanmaya Lal said the Indian community in Poland is estimated at around 25,000, including around 5,000 students. As reported by ANI, Karishma, a member of the Indian diaspora, said PM Modi has contributed a lot to India's development and thatIndia is growing very well. She said that meeting PM Modi would be a dream come true for her.

5. She said, "First of all, the Prime Minister is coming here after 40 years. And we didn't even think about it because usually when there is a foreign visit of the Prime Minister, Poland is usually ignored. But this time he is coming, we are very excited. Many people who live outside Warsaw are also coming here especially to see them, to meet them. So we are really looking forward to it."

6. Following the visit to Poland, PM Modi will head to Ukraine at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This will be first visit by Indian PM to Ukraine after the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1992.

7.  Prime Minister's engagements in Kyiv will touch a range of aspects of bilateral ties including political, trade, economic, investments, education, cultural, people-to-people exchanges, humanitarian assistance and others. Prime Minister will also interact with Indian community, including students during the visit. PM's landmark visit to Ukraine will help further consolidation and expansion of bilateral ties, the MEA stated in a release.

8. Being asked about India's humanitarian support to war-hit Ukraine since the start of the conflict, the MEA informed that 16 packages and 135 tons of material have been delivered so far. "16 packages have so far been delivered (to Ukraine) ranging from medicines to power generators and medical equipment. I think 135 tons of material has been supplied so far and further initiatives are being explored," the MEA Secy further said.

9. During the visit, in particular, the talks with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be held to discuss issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation. It is also expected that a number of documents between Ukraine and India will be signed, it added.

10. The official website of the Ukrainian President has confirmed that PM Modi's visit will coincide with Ukraine's National Flag Day on August 23. During the visit, both sides will discuss bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and multiple agreements are expected to be signed between India and Ukraine.
Last fall, an army recruit from rural Russia named Anatoly Shchetinin was told he would soon be sent to the front lines in Ukraine. Shchetinin didnt like the sound of that and devised a different plan. He fled his base in southern Russia for Armenia, thinking he would be safe there.

Russian authorities werent done with him, however. Police threatened his family and called his sister Anna in for questioning. Whatever happens, well find him," they told her.

They made good on their promise. Today, the 26-year-old is back in Russia after being detained by Russian military officials in Armenia, preparing to either stand trial for desertion or be sent to fight in the waran example of the lengths Russia is going to in order to meet its voracious need for manpower in Ukraine.

Russias vast professional army has been hollowed out after 2 years sending waves of men to break down Ukraines defenses with a warfare attrition strategy. Infantry are thrown into risky assaults with little apparent care for their survival, and advances are often counted in yards instead of miles.

Russias inability to push out Ukrainian forces that have now been occupying parts of its southwest for two weeks has exposed the severity of this manpower shortage. U.S. officials say it will need at least 20,000 properly trained personnel to retake the Ukrainian-held land, which exceeds 400 square miles. It has failed to do so even after shifting part of its invasion force from Ukraine to aid the effort.

The war has been deadly for both sides. At least half a million Russians have been killed or wounded in the conflict, according to a senior Western intelligence official, who declined to reveal numbers for Ukraine. Kyiv has also struggled to raise enough troops to hold back the Russians, despite lowering the mobilization age and raising pay.

Throughout the war, Russia has deployed aggressive measures to keep its own numbers strong in the face of so many deaths. It emptied prisons with the promise of early release to convicts, and froze criminal trials for defendants willing to serve. It dangled rich incentives to lure Russians into signing up, tripling recruitment bonuses in some regions and offering soldiers families subsidized housing and spots in the best schools. It fast-tracked foreigners citizenship applications as a reward for military service.

With a population three times that of Ukraine, Russia has used such measures to keep around half a million soldiers in and around Ukraine, according to Ukrainian estimates. British and Ukrainian intelligence says Russia is now recruiting at least 25,000 men a month, though few have combat experience.

Hundreds on trial

But the Russian replenishment push isnt only about incentives. It has also amped up a campaign to punish draft dodgers and hunt down those unwilling to fight, in an effort that now spans borders. When deserters are tracked down, the Russians calculate whether to imprison or redeploy them.

The punitive approach begins even before military service begins. Army summonses issued online automatically bar recipients from going abroad. Conscripts are often coerced into signing contracts by officers who are sent enlistment quotas from their superiors in Moscow, according to lawyers who defend Russian soldiers in court.

With no end date for their military service, recruits are stuck indefinitely on the front lines. Desperate for a reprieve, some 50,000 have deserted or refused orders to fight, say rights activists and groups that help soldiers flee. Lawyers who defend them say the numbers are much higher, since many are quietly persuaded to return through promises of lenient treatment or threats against their families back in Russia.

In 2022, Russia passed new laws toughening the punishment for desertion and insubordination, including prison sentences of up to 15 years and the confiscation of the property of fleeing soldiers. Authorities have launched more than 10,000 criminal cases on such charges, according to court statistics viewed by the Journal and compiled by MediaZona, a news outlet run by Russian exiles and focused on the countrys criminal justice system.

Court press releases show that hundreds are on trial, while many more are in Russian jails pending proceedings. In May, a court sentenced one soldier to 10 years in prison for repeated absences without leave.

Some suffer far worse fates.

A soldier recruited by Russias Wagner paramilitary force was executed on camera by blows from a sledgehammer after publicly backing Ukraine then being handed back to Russia in a prisoner exchange in 2022.

In February, a Russian pilot who had defected to Ukraine was gunned down in Spain. Spanish authorities havent arrested anyone in connection with his murder. Just after his death, Russian spy chief Sergei Naryshkin said that the pilot, Maksim Kuzminov, became a moral corpse at the very moment when he planned his dirty and terrible crime."

Despite this, many still take their chances.

Among conscripts and soldiers alike, theres a view that if you come back to base after vacation, youre an idiot," said Artem Mugunyants, a lawyer who represents Russian soldiers. The possibility of criminal charges is seen as a much lesser evil than the likelihood of death."

He never wanted to serve

Raised in Kamchatka in Russias remote Far East, Shchetinin was shunted between abusive relatives and state institutions after his single mother drowned in a hot spring following a bout of late-night drinking when Shchetinin was three, according to his sister Anna Shchetinina.

He joined the military in November 2022 when his boss at Kamchatkas forestry serviceresponding to pressure from local officialssaid Shchetinin would otherwise lose his job. He signed a three-year contract soon after. He was pressured into it, said Anna: He never wanted to serve."

Last October, when another unit was sent to Mariupol in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine in preparation for front line combat, Shchetinin learned he would be among the next to go. He responded by asking for a leave of absence and heading to one of the few countries Russians can enter without a passport: Armenia.

As a country seeking to weaken its reliance on Russia, Armenia seemed like a haven for Russian draft-dodgers and deserters, many of whom have recently settled there. A bilateral treaty obliges Armenia to detain Russian soldiers placed on Moscows wanted list, and report back to Russia on their status. But because there is no automatic extradition for deserters, most are released after questioning.

The sense of security Shchetinin and other Russian exiles felt in Armenia was shattered last December, when Russian deserter Dmitry Setrakov was detained at the capitals main airport and, contrary to protocol, handed over to officials from Russias Federal Security Service, or FSB, which has helped Armenia patrol its borders since it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Setrakov was taken to a Russian military base in Armenias north, opened in 1995 on the former grounds of a Russian imperial outpost. At the bases entrance hangs a photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a quote: Russias growing military might is a steadfast guarantee of global peace." Within weeks, Setrakov was returned to Russia to face trial on charges of desertion.

Blindsided, the Armenians pushed back. We cannot tolerate illegal actions on our territory," Armenian President Nikol Pashinian said in February, warning of consequences for Russia. His government later demanded Moscow remove FSB personnel from the airport. Their withdrawal was finally completed last month.

Meanwhile, Armenian rights activists began reporting that Russian military officers were harassing local Russian men. One man who fled Russia for Armenia during the 2022 mobilization said two men approached him in April identifying themselves as officials from the prosecutors office. They demanded he accompany them to the police station on suspicion of drug possession. With the help of a local, he evaded the men, who he believes were FSB officers. I dont feel completely safe here any more," he said.

Russias defense ministry did not answer a request for comment about the detentions of deserters sheltering abroad.

Well find him

After his escape to Armenia, Shchetinin struggled to make ends meet with odd jobs, relying for money on his sister Anna in Kazan, a city 500 miles east of Moscow. Then, in March, Russian police summoned Anna and threatened their family with unspecified consequences if Shchetinin didnt give himself up.

That rattled Shchetinin. He began thinking of surrendering. In a message to his commander on March 5, he asked: What happens if I give myself up? Will I also be sent to Mariupol?

His commander said he would be put on trial and likely evade jail by agreeing to fight in an assault unit, according to screenshots of the exchange Shchetinin shared with Anna. Another military official told him he might get away with a fine.

In social-media posts throughout March, Shchetinin expressed suicidal thoughts. He shared dark memes and song lyrics about loneliness and regret over his actions, and wrote in one post: After all the mistakes Ive made, at a certain point I simply stopped understanding myself."

Anna worried that he also didnt understand the consequences of surrendering.

On March 29, he handed himself in to the Russian consulate, which immediately put him under guard at the Russian base.

I know its risky to go back, but I want to go home," Shchetinin said in a phone interview in May, when he was on the Russian base and said he was away from military officials. This life on the run is no life at all."

Soon, news that another Russian had been detained in Armenia prompted an uproar in the country. This time, the Armenian government blocked Shchetinins transfer to Russia.

Others who were hiding abroad were also being rounded up. In May, Kamil Kasimov, a 23-year-old Russian deserter who had fled to Kazakhstan last year, was arrested in the capital Astana by Russian military officials. In December 2023, the commander of Kasimovs base wrote to the soldiers relatives urging them to reveal his whereabouts. The letter called Kasimov a traitor who had chosen the path of disgrace and cowardice."

The Russians detained him on a Russian base in the southern part of Kazakhstan and later flew him to Omsk in Siberia, where he is now standing trial for desertion. Rashit Kasimov, his brother, said Kasimov plans to request a plea bargain that will allow him to avoid a potential 15-year prison term in exchange for service on the front line.

Mariana Katzarova, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Russia, said Russian authorities have been implicated in virtually kidnapping" deserters abroad.

Those who are captured are often pressured to return to combat. One serviceman facing 10 years in prison for abandoning his base told Go By The Forest, a group helping Russian soldiers desert, that state investigators promised him a suspended sentence if he agreed to atone for his guilt" by fighting in Ukraine, according to a phone conversation the group recorded and shared with the Journal. The man fled to Armenia.

Shchetinin, the Russian held in Armenia, spent his days on the Russian base playing games on his phone while Armenia and Russia jostled over his fate. He was accompanied by Russian military police wherever he went. When rights activists visited him at the base and tried to convince him to accept legal assistance to resist being transferred, he refused, saying he wants to face justice in Russia.

I dont need defense," the serviceman wrote in a message to the Journal. Im not a criminal."

Russias defense ministry did not answer a request for comment about the detentions of deserters sheltering abroad.

In April, he appeared in a video broadcast by a Kremlin-controlled news outlet. Standing in a black jacket and hoodie at the base beside a Soviet-era propaganda display, he expressed remorse for his escape and pledged to redeem himself by fighting in Ukraine.

Im a Russian soldier," he said. Given the chance, I will atone for my guilt before the motherland."

Armenia ultimately lifted Shchetinins exit ban at his request, after Russia removed his name from its wanted list. In June, he flew in a Russian military plane to Rostov-on-Don in south Russia, where he is now in a special detention center for insubordinate soldiers, awaiting trial on desertion charges.

In a letter to the investigator dealing with his case in July, Shchetinin wrote that he was willing to redeem himself by fighting in Ukraine, and asked to be transferred from detention to a Russian military base for training.

The investigator told him he will stand trial like the others.

Im desperate. I want to live," Shchetinin wrote in a message from Rostov in late June. And this is not my war."

Write to Matthew Luxmoore at matthew.luxmoore@wsj.com
US Elections 2024: Kamala Harris will be a 'historic president', United States President Joe Biden said at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on August 19, PTI reported. He received an emotional standing ovation when he came on stage at the DNC in Chicago. Illinois on Monday night.

Biden, 81, formally passed the baton to Harris, 59, his Vice President and the Democratic Party's presidential candidate for the 2024 US elections. He added that she would be a "historic president" and described Harris as the "best person to save democracy".

Harris is scheduled to formally accept her party's nomination on August 22 (Thursday) against rival and Republican candidate Donald Trump, 78, in the November 5 election.

Biden passes the baton to Harris Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris as the President of the United States of America," Biden said, amidst cheers from thousands of members and leaders of the Democratic Party at its national convention here in this windy city as he urged his countrymen to vote and elect his deputy of four years. Biden said Harris would be a "historic president".

I love my job. I love my country more. We need to preserve our democracy. We need you to beat Donald Trump and elect Kamala and Tim as President and Vice President of the United States," Biden said.

"Trump is going to find out the power of women in 2024. Harris will soon serve as the 47th President of the United States. We saved democracy in 2020 and we must do it again in 2024. Americas future is in your hands. America, America, I gave my best to you. I made a lot of mistakes in my career. But I gave my best to you," Biden added.

Let me ask you: Are you ready to vote for freedom? Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America? And let me ask you: Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz as president and vice president? he asked.

Biden appeared to wipe away a tear as he hugged his daughter Ashley Biden who introduced him at the four-day convention.

Biden Makes Strong Pitch For Harris Observing that the decisions being made now would determine the fate of the world and the country, Biden said he and Harris had made four years of extraordinary progress in the United States.

Making a strong pitch to elect Harris as the next US President, Biden said Trump promised infrastructure week every week for four years. "He never built a damn thing. He (Trump) is the looser," he alleged.

Together, we are building a better America, he said as he listed out some of the key achievements of the Biden-Harris Administration.

You cannot say you love your country only when you win. More Americans have health insurance today than ever before. And after fighting for 50 years to give Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, we finally beat Big Pharma. Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking vote," he said.

"America is winning. America is prosperous. America is safer today than was under Donald Trump," he said as he accused Trump of killing the strongest border security bill in the history of the country.
During a campaign stop, former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump hinted at a potential cabinet appointment if he wins the White House, stating he would offer Elon Musk a position.

The announcement sparked a flurry of activity on X, with many posts discussing the possibility. Musk responded to one of these posts in his distinctive style, leading to the post going viral.

An X page shared, Donald Trump says he would offer Elon Musk a cabinet or advisory role if elected President. In response, an X user named Sir Doge of the Coin commented, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), accompanied by a laughing out loud emoji.

The SpaceX CEO reposted by adding, Perfect name.

In a recent interview after a campaign event in York, Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump, now a Republican presidential candidate, discussed his views on electric vehicle (EV) tax credits and potential cabinet appointments.

Trump spoke positively about Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who recently endorsed him. When asked if he would consider Musk for an advisory or cabinet role, Trump responded affirmatively: He's a very smart guy. I certainly would, if he would do it, I certainly would. He's a brilliant guy.

Former President Trump's Twitter/X account was suspended in 2021 for violating the platform's policies, leading to his removal following the January 6 attacks on the US Capitol.

After being banned, Trump launched his own platform, Truth Social, and also sued Twitter to have his account reinstated, but was unsuccessful. He was later reinstated on Twitter/X after Elon Musk's acquisition of the company but has since posted infrequently, favoring communication through Truth Social.

His only tweet since his reinstatement was a mugshot from his arrest related to attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential results.
In many parts of the world, convergence theory is playing out, with developing economies experiencing faster growth and gradually catching up to their wealthier counterparts.

As posited in growth theory, this convergence trend is not unique and usually applies to regions that typically begin with low-performance levels on an important outcome such as gross domestic product (GDP) or GDP per capita.

The global literature on convergence theory suggests that these regions should experience quicker growth on that outcome over time, helping catch up with regions that began with higher starting points. Beta convergence is a form of convergence that suggests that poorer regions are growing faster than richer ones.

However, when we look at Indian states, especially those in the eastern region, we find that despite their vast mineral wealth and strategic locational advantages, they remain economically underdeveloped compared to other regions.

This demands immediate attention. It further underscores the urgent need for decisive state government intervention to stimulate economic growth in the lagging region.

In 202223, the combined GDP of the eastern region was about $579 billion in exchange rate terms, compared to $185 billion in 201112. The regions share has remained unchanged at about 17%.

However, as the country moves toward becoming a developed economy by 2047, which translates to around $30 trillion of GDP if it grows annually by around 9.6% nominally, it becomes imperative to examine what this regions growth will be and the significant role it can play in Indias economic future.

Looking ahead to 2047, if the region grows every year at 9% and its share in Indias GDP remains unchanged at 17%, its output could reach around $5 trillion. This growth potential, if realized, could be a game-changer in Indias journey to a developed economy status by 2047.

The eastern regions growth is not just a possibility but necessity for Indias economic future. However, if the region continues to grow at a more modest rate of 5%, its GDP would only be around $1.8 trillion. This underscores the need for immediate policy changes to align the regions growth with the national goal.

For the Indian economy to reach its goal of $30 trillion by 2047, the rest of the states in India have to grow at double-digit rates, or the eastern region needs to contribute more. The former seems unattainable given the regional disparities at the state, inter- and intra-district levels.

States are at different stages of development, and prioritising growth without social progress is difficult. Therefore, it becomes imperative for the eastern region to grow around 9%.

Ensuring solid and sustainable growth in this region is challenging, as the combined GDP of the states in the Eastern region has grown at a compounded average rate of about 5.5% in the last 11 years.

The lower social progress rankings for eastern states further underline the critical need for focused development strategies to address performance on socioeconomic indicators.

The Social Progress Index (SPI) assesses the performance of states and Union territories on aspects of social development and ranks them relative to their performance with economic peers. Insights from SPI reveal that no state from the eastern region is among the high tiers of social progress i.e. Tier 1 and Tier 2.

Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha rank slightly higher in tiers 4 and 5 of social progress i.e. lower middle and low social progress. Bihar and Jharkhand rank the lowest among all states and UTs. They are in Tier 6 of social progress i.e. very low performance.

The poor performance of the Aspirational Districts on social progress in these states drives this. On further examining the performance of 112 Aspirational Districts, we found that most of the districts of Bihar and Jharkhand are in the bottom 20 districts across the country. These figures underscore persistent socioeconomic challenges in the states, revealing significant disparities with the eastern region.

Moreover, it is also crucial to address the labour market issues in these regions. Most states in the eastern areas had a labour force participation rate (LFPR) for the population aged 15-59 in 2022-23 above 60%, except for Bihar, for which it stood at 50.9%, indicating relatively lower workforce engagement.

However, any assessment of labour market dynamics is incomplete without an examination of the quality of the workforce. According to PLFS data for 2022-23, these states have over 83% of the workforce in the semi-skilled" category, which indicates that the labour force predominantly possesses a low share of intermediate and high skills, ones that can drive productivity and labour mobilization.

Bridging these gaps is essential to enable these regions to contribute more productively to Indias goal of becoming a developed economy by 2047.

Achieving beta convergence in economic performance and human development is crucial for the eastern regions to realise their potential in a developed Indian economy.

These states are plagued by lower performance in social progress, GDP per capita, the composition of their economy and weaker contribution to the skilled workforce.

These underscore the urgent need for state governments to intensify their efforts to address regional disparities, particularly in states like Bihar and Jharkhand, thereby reduce inequities and foster shared prosperity across the eastern part of the country.
Pro-Palestinian organizers have vowed to flood the streets of Chicago with thousands of protesters during the Democratic National Convention, which [began Monday]. If successful, they will make headlines, but they also will almost certainly alienate allies as they attempt to box in Vice President Kamala Harris on Gaza.

Harris has already taken a firmer stand than President Joe Biden in demanding Israel focus its attacks on Hamas rather than the Palestinian people.

She made a point of skipping Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus July address to a joint session of Congress. Later, after she met with him privately at the White House, she used tougher language than Biden had ever used when talking about the Israeli leader.

We cannot allow ourselves to be numb to the suffering, and I will not be silent," Harris said. While Israel has a right to defend itself, how it does so matters."

Elianne Farhat, a senior adviser to the Uncommitted National Movement, told me she was encouraged by Harris words. Im hearing a real shift in tone, a renewed commitment to a cease-fire in Gaza since she took over," Farhat said.

The uncommitted movement has evolved rapidly since I travelled to Detroit in February, where its forerunner, Listen to Michigan, was just starting to organize. Now active in nine states, Uncommitted will send 30 delegates to the convention.

While thats a fraction of the nearly 5,000 convention delegates who will be in Chicago, it represents more than 650,000 voters nationwide. About half of those primary votes came from key swing states. In 2020, Biden beat Trump by just over 20,000 votes.

Since those heady days, little has happened to alter Biden administration policy or the trajectory of the war.

On 10 August, Israeli forces bombed a school being used as a shelter, killing more than 100 Palestinians, including children. The Israeli military said it was targeting Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants it claimed were operating in the school.

[Last week], the Biden administrationof which Harris remains partapproved $20 billion in arms sales to Israel that include fighter jets and advanced missiles.

Harris faces the same pincer that trapped Biden and split his base. On one side is a decades-long allyship with a nation that provides a strategic toehold in an often hostile region.

On the other is a mounting humanitarian crisis in which that ally has slaughtered tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians in its rush to destroy Hamas and seek vengeance for the brutal 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel.

Yet Harris must somehow forge her own path. She has maintained ties with pro-Israel groups, but she also hired Nasrina Bargzie, an Afghan American lawyer and refugee, to lead Muslim and Arab voter outreach for her campaign.

Harris has taken a tougher line with Netanyahu, but she has also shown that she wont be pushed around by protesters. When protesters disrupted a campaign rally in Detroit, Harris at first listened, noting that everyones voice matters. But when they continued to disrupt her speech, Harris fired back, If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, Im speaking."

The crowd erupted in cheers, which was the first serious indication that the protesters may have crossed the line with those whose sympathy they had hoped to earn.

Democrats who are excited about a Black woman potentially becoming president, who eagerly await a new political chapter, and who fear a second Trump administration may be unwilling to risk it all by forcing Harris into an untenable position on Gaza.

Farhat and other organizers need that broader coalition to amplify their own voices. Polls have shown that most Americans are revulsed by the carnage and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They favour a cease-fire and a return of the hostages. Are they willing to make a complete break with Israel over it? Unlikely.

Imam Mikail Stewart Saadiq, who leads the Muslim Center mosque in Detroit, told me in February that he was a big Biden guy" in 2020 and was proud to use his influence to turn out the vote. But he became disillusioned over Gaza. Now Saadiq tells me he is truly excited about Kamala Harris becoming president."

Harris appears prepared to take a tougher stand with Netanyahu. Making weapons and other US support conditional on clear passage of humanitarian aid to the region would be a good start. But Palestinian supporters must recognize that to do anything at all, Harris must first win. bloomberg
Iran projects power through a web of allied militias that it influences with money and weapons. But as the region sits on the brink of a wider conflict, the degree to which it can rely on its partners will be tested as never before.

Isolated and subject to international sanctions, Iran has aimed to exert influence by building up a coalition of militias ideologically aligned with Tehrans anti-Western agenda and designing low-cost missiles and drones to make up for its limited air defenses. These allied militias fight directly against Israel, the U.S. and other Western interests, allowing Iran to avoid direct responsibility that would encourage a response targeting its own soil.

But cracks are now beginning to show in the strategy.

Iran blamed an attack that killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Israel, and its vow to retaliate has put the entire region on edge. It marked the second time this year that Israel attacked Iran directlyIsrael targeted an air-defense system near a key Iranian nuclear facility in Isfahan after Iran sent more than 300 missiles and drones into Israel in mid-April.

Now, as Iran weighs how it responds to Haniyehs killing, it needs to figure out how to hit Israel enough to establish deterrence without encouraging a reprisal on Iranian soil. The varied interests of various allied militiasincluding those in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemencould complicate things.

Irans doctrine is premised on pushing insecurity away from its borders, aiming for violence to remain contained, bleeding out its adversaries but avoiding all-out war," says Thomas Juneau, an Iran-focused professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa.

An attack on Iran proper could cause significant damage, as Tehran has struggled to demonstrate its defenses can respond to a break into its airspace.

In January, after Tehran struck jihadist targets in Pakistan, Islamabad responded with an airstrike of its own on Irans border areas. Then came Israels attack on Isfahan in April.

Most combat aircraft and air-defense systems were bought in the 1970s before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency. As a result, the DIA says, Tehran concentrated on equipping its armed forces with niche capabilities emphasizing asymmetric tactics such as using drones and missiles that can target Israel but are of no use to protect its airspace.

Most of [Irans] combat aircraft and their weapons are obsolescent," said Douglas Barrie, a senior fellow for military aerospace at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. In addition, given the large area of the country, providing complete air defense of all potential targets isnt possible."

In a rare foreign-defense import, Iran was able to purchase a small number of Russias S-300 defense systems in 2016, which provided Iran with its first capability to defend against a modern air force. But even that seems to be insufficient. The air base in Isfahan, where Israel struck in April, was equipped with S-300s, according to the IISS.

The so-called Axis of Resistance was born in the 1980s after Iran, a Persian nation in an Arab-dominated Middle East, found itself isolated in its war with Iraq. Since then, Iran has funded and armed militias in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria as well as the Islamist Palestinian group Hamas. The Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7 set off the chain of events that has now brought the region close to war.

The stakes of a regional war would be particularly high for the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, which sits on Israels northern border. The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, meanwhile, whose survival largely depends on Iran and its militias, has told Iran it doesnt want to get dragged into a war, according to a Syrian government adviser and a European security official. Damascus has been battling an economic crisis brought by years of sanctions, which has led to protests and discontent among large segments of its population, and has its leadership has lost control of vast enclaves in the north and east of the country.

But Iranian-allied militias in Iraq and Houthi rebels in Yemen appear to be itching for a more aggressive approach, not only toward Israel but toward U.S. troops stationed in the region and other Western interests. This seems to be unsettling Tehran.

Iran is a bit like a chariot drawn by a band of unruly horses," says Andrew Tabler, a former Middle East director at the White Houses National Security Council. Iran is holding the reins but its allies often disagree on the pace and direction of travel and that could lead to crashes."

Yemens Houthis have been wanting to carry out massive strikes on U.S. warships and Israeli ports not just in revenge for Haniyehs killing but also for an Israeli strike on a key port last month, according to Houthi and European officials. That strike by Israel came after the Houthis launched a drone that killed one person in Tel Aviv.

The Yemeni faction has launched a campaign of harassment on commercial shipping sailing through the Red Sea, which it says is in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The Houthis are very reckless and ambitious," said Osamah Al Rawhani, a director for the Yemen-focused Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies. They are emboldened by the fact they are in full control of their territory and sit in a strategic location that has been causing harm to the global trade through their hostilities against the shipping routes."

Iran is facing the same challenge with Iraqi allies, the Popular Mobilization Forces, whose main focus has been attacking U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria as it seeks to expel American forces from the region.

Finding the right response to the killing of Haniyeh will be crucial, both to avoid a reprisal from Israels better-equipped forces and to maintain the respect of its allies.

Israel has called Irans bluff now multiple times this summer and Israel has demonstrated escalation dominancethe ability to credibly out-threaten Iran and Hezbollah," said Michael Knights, co-founder of the Militia Spotlight platform, which looks at Iran-backed militias in the Middle East. Iran will have to demonstrate a new level of effectiveness or precision."

Write to Benoit Faucon at benoit.faucon@wsj.com
Vladimir Putin isnt new to leadership crises. The first came 24 years ago this month, when Russias Kursk submarine sank in the Barents Sea, killing 118 crew members. Mr. Putin was vacationing on the Black Sea and slow to responda public-relations disaster.

Yet the latest crisisUkraines unanticipated invasion of Russias Kursk district and the forced evacuation of thousands of civiliansmay test his grip on power as never before. Pro-Kremlin military bloggers have begun to question Moscows defense establishment, and at least one oligarch has publicly denounced the war.

Mr. Putin has had to deal with discontent since the conflict began. His security team, including then-security council secretary Nikolai Patrushev, was noticeably uneasy when the president previewed his Ukrainian invasion at a televised meeting in February 2022. The posse got in line, but discontent emerged again when Mr. Putin failed initially to rein in Wagner Group mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in June 2023.

Mr. Patrushev gave a speech in November discussing Mr. Putin only in the past tense, which spawned rumors of the Russian leaders death. Around the same time he lamented the exodus of scholars and scientists from Russia because of the war. Mr. Patrushev got his due in May, when Mr. Putin removed him from his security council leadership post and gave him the ignominious job of advising the president on shipbuilding.

Yet the choir of discontent gained a new member this month when Oleg Deripaskaone of Russias richest businessmenspoke up. In an Aug. 5 interview with Nikkei Asia, he criticized the Kremlins defense spending, called the Ukraine war mad," and urged an immediate, unconditional cease-fire."

This isnt the first time Mr. Deripaska has criticized the war. Shortly after the invasion, he wrote on Telegram that we need peace as fast as possible." According to Nikkei Asia, however, he hasnt been as publicly critical since Russian authorities seized a hotel complex he owned in Sochi in December 2022."

His recent comments, coming as the Kremlin was caught off guard by Ukraines invasion, thus caused a stir on Russian social media. Alexander Dugin, a Russian political philosopher and activist, wrote on Telegram on Aug. 9: Previously, Deripaskas position on the SVO"a Russian acronym for special military operation," as Moscow refers to the Ukraine warwas ambiguous. Now he has made up his mind. He is on the other side. This is a stab in the back of our people and assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces terrorists who invaded the Kursk region. What an oligarchy we have here."

Mr. Deripaska rose to prominence in the 90s, founding the investment group Basic Element in 1997 and Rusal, an aluminum company, in 2000. He marriedand later divorcedthe daughter of Valentin Yumashev, Boris Yeltsins son-in-law and former chief of staff. Mr. Deripaska earned Mr. Putins favor when Basic Element did much of the construction for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Robert Mueller later investigated him as part of the probe into Russias potential involvement in Americas 2016 election, owing to his connections with Donald Trumps former campaign manager Paul Manafort. The U.S. Treasury in 2018 imposed sanctions against himalong with Basic Element and several of his other companiesin response to Russias worldwide malignant activity."

Mr. Putin likely wont dispose of Mr. Deripaska as he might other figures, say, in a plane crash or a push out of a window. As Mr. Deripaska told Nikkei Asia, [The Kremlin] dont touch me, and we [businessmen] stay out of politics." He likely wouldnt have spoken so candidly if other members of the business and political elite didnt agree with him. As political analyst Abbas Gallyamov observed on Telegram, Deripaska is a very analytical person, so before saying such things, he always absorbs the mood of other elites." This is not the voice of Deripaska alone."

Mr. Patrushev, popular among Russian security and intelligence circles, may be among those elites. In a November meeting with security officials he expressed concern with Ukrainian sabotage in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions. He noted that damage from attacks had cost more than seven billion rubles and advocated systematic measures to protect these regions. One can imagine Mr. Patrushev uttering I told you so" under his breath when Mr. Putin discussed Ukraines surprise attack at a security council meeting this month.

Russia has made only modest military progress after 2 years of conflict, which has spread across Russias borders. It has suffered around 500,000 casualties and is draining its coffers. Ordinary Russians, fed a steady stream of propaganda about defending their country against the evil" West, are unlikely to protest. But Mr. Putins support among elites, essential to his remaining in power, is less certain. He shouldnt assume they will always back a war with no end in sight.

Ms. Knight is author, most recently, of The Kremlins Noose: Putins Bitter Feud With the Oligarch Who Made Him Ruler of Russia."
An air of quiet piety hangs over Rongwo Monastery in the western province of Qinghai. The streets near this ancient complex draw pilgrims and Tibetan Buddhist monks in dark red robes. Local believers make circuits around the monasterys yellow walls, turning a line of wooden prayer-wheels as they walk.

On a recent Monday afternoon, though, chattering schoolchildren thronged this sacred neighbourhood in the heart of Tongren, a small mountain city known to Tibetans as Rebkong. Youngsters in red scarves and uniform tracksuits bought fruit and snacks from market stalls, most without a parent in sight. Teenage high-schoolers and pupils half their age hauled small suitcases or sat in weary groups beside piles of schoolbags, bringing the bustle of a railway station to streets around the monastery.

Government policy explains the hundreds of unaccompanied minors filling Tongrens historic centre. This particular Monday was a public holiday for pupils across China, as the country marked the Dragon Boat Festival with a long weekend. But these youngsters were overwhelmingly ethnic Tibetans. As a result, on an overcast holiday afternoon they had already bid their families goodbye and were now heading back to one of Tongrens dozen or so boarding schools, in time for classes the next morning.

An ever-larger majority of Tibetan youths attend state-run boarding schools at the primary and secondary level, and in extreme cases pre-schools. That is true whether they live in the harshly policed Tibet Autonomous Region, or in the parts of historical Tibet that the Communist Party carved off and handed to the neighbouring provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan (these are run as Tibetan autonomous prefectures). At least 78% of Tibetan pupils board, according to official data collected by the Tibet Action Institute, an overseas campaign group.

Lessons in these schools marginalise Tibetan culture. Over the past few years Mandarin Chinese has replaced Tibetan as the medium of instruction, with Tibetan taught only as a language, alongside English. All pre-schools, including in ethnic areas, have used Mandarin since 2021, to seize the key period of language learning in early childhood, as the education ministry puts it.

Authorities call boarding schools very convenient for Tibetan farmers and herders children who would otherwise face long and arduous journeys to school. Officials insist that parents freely choose whether children board. In Qinghai, a rugged place with Han Chinese, Tibetan, Hui Muslim and Mongolian populations, the provincial government declared in 2018 that in principle children should board only when necessary, that they should not board until the fourth grade (ie, age 11), and that in remote pastoral areas school policies should follow the wishes of the masses.

Tibetan exiles and activists challenge this narrative. They cite state-media reports boasting of motherly care given to four- and five-year-olds in Tibetan boarding schools. They describe parents being threatened with fines or with a denial of schooling later on if they do not send children to board. Many Tibetan families see Mandarin as a path to employment. But as recently as the early 2000s Qinghai officials pursued that goal in more humane ways. To reduce drop-out rates and raise exam scores they expanded bilingual education, hired Tibetan teachers and accredited schools run by monks. Not now. Private Tibetan schools have been closed and teachers sacked for teaching Tibetan beyond the curriculum. This has sparked parent protests, including near Tongren in 2020.

Chaguan travelled to Tongren to weigh claims that coercive assimilation is now the norm. While in Qinghai he was followed by up to five unmarked cars. Tibetan-speaking officers (one of whom flashed a police badge) filmed and eavesdropped on conversations. In Huangnaihai, a hilltop village near Tongren, an officers curt intervention silenced a school headmaster who had been asked how Tibetan parents view Chinese-language schooling.

Despite the officers efforts, holes appeared in the official narrative. Start with those pupils in Tongren. Though some stepped off long-distance buses, others turned out to be locals, undermining claims that Tibetan boarding-school construction is solely explained by the need to spare herders children from long journeys. Then consider two boarding schools in a river valley below Rongwo Monastery that serve Hui Muslim and Tibetan pupils, respectively. Hui pupils who live in Tongren do not have to board, but rules are different for Tibetan pupils, your columnist was told.

Building schools to forge souls In a Tongren suburb stands the Nianduhu Township Boarding Primary School. Its gates are flanked by murals showing pupils saluting the national flag, the Great Wall of China and the slogans: I will become a great Chinese person and The motherland in my heart. The Tibetan-majority school is building dormitories. From the autumn 400 students will live in them, a local education official said. Asked about first- and second-graders, aged eight and nine, he replied that county authorities still need to decide whether those youngest pupils will board, but the other students will all be boarding. That includes children with families nearby.

Such policies reflect an assimilationist logic. In 2015 the State Council (Chinas cabinet) called for faster boarding-school construction to fulfil the goal that students of all ethnic minorities will study in a school, live in a school and grow up in a school. That serves a larger ambition: to forge a strong sense of the community of the Chinese nation. That is party-speak for promoting a single national identity to defend social stability and national security. Though clunky, the phrase is enshrined in the party constitution as a guide to ethnic work in the Xi Jinping era. If Tongren residents forget the slogan they need only look up. It is spelled out in big red characters on the hill opposite Rongwo Monastery.
Whohasnt heard about Open AIs ChatGPT? The viral tech took everyone by storm. Even those who arent into Artificial Intelligence stood up and took notice. But today, we are not talking about ChatGPT. We are talking about the brains behind ChatGPT- Mira Murati. Mira is one of the most innovative tech leaders of our time. She has helped to scale OpenAI and build innovative technologies and AI products. Miras journey is an example of the incredible impact women can have in tech.

Salesforces role in igniting innovation and promoting inclusivity is a game-changer for women in tech. By driving technological advancements and fostering a culture of equality, Salesforce is not only shaping the future of the industry but also paving the way for more women to lead and succeed in tech.

Salesforce has consistently pushed the boundaries of technology with its advanced AI, cloud computing, and automation solutions. These innovations are not only transforming how businesses operate but also creating new opportunities for women in the tech industry. By championing cutting-edge solutions, Salesforce is helping to break down traditional barriers and offering women greater access to leadership roles and influential positions in technology.

In India, the representation of women in the tech industry is similarly concerning, with various studies highlighting the gender disparity at different career levels. According to the Nasscom Diversity and Inclusion Summit 2023 report, women make up only 34% of the tech workforce in India, with their presence diminishing significantly as they climb the corporate ladder. The report notes that at the entry-level, women occupy about 45% of tech roles, but this percentage drops drastically as they move into mid-level management, where they represent only 25% of roles. The gap becomes even more pronounced at the senior leadership level, where women account for a mere 11% of position

Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chairperson and CEO of Salesforce India, is set to ignite innovation on August 23rd, 2024 at the Trailblazing Women event, where she will inspire and lead discussions on driving change and breaking barriers in the tech industry.

These statistics reflect broader challenges women face in tech. These include limited access to opportunities, unconscious bias, and a lack of role models. Lets unpack some of these challenges and try to find out the best way for women to thrive in tech.

Persistent Challenges for Women in Tech Despite some progress, women in tech continue to face significant hurdles, including pay disparity, exclusion from decision-making, and limited opportunities. Over the past 35 years, the ratio of women to men in tech roles has declined, with nearly half of women leaving the industry by age 35 due to a lack of inclusivity (Accenture). Additionally, women face more obstacles in career advancement; for every 100 men promoted to managerial role.

This trend is further supported by a 2024 study from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore, which reveals that women hold less than 20% of the senior leadership roles in Indian tech companies. The study emphasizes the need for targeted mentorship programs and leadership development initiatives to bridge this gap and foster a more inclusive tech environment in India.s, only 52 women receive the same opportunity (McKinsey, 2022).

Navigating these challenges requires action at all levelsorganizational, societal, governmental, and individual.

Building astrong network could be a good starting point. It is an ongoing process, so start early. Find a mentor who can offer guidance and advice. Look for professional groups online, on platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter, or attend events and conferences. Reach out to colleagues you admire for resources and advice. Maintain these relationships by checking in regularly and seeking collaboration opportunities.

A good way to strengthen your network is by attending conferences and summits, where women professionals can meet their peers. For instance, Trailblazing Women: Igniting Innovation is one such annual summit. Hosted by Salesforce India CEO Arundhati Bhattacharya, Trailblazing Women will unite influential women and their allies from across India for a day of empowerment, insight, and networking. The summit will be held on August 23.

The 'Trailblazing Women' summit is a pivotal platform for igniting conversations and driving change. By bringing together leading women and allies, we foster a community dedicated to breaking barriers and creating opportunities for future generations in tech, marked Arundhati Bhattacharya.

Featuring unforgettable speakers youll be among hundreds of fellow leaders and gain invaluable career advice to keep blazing your own trail of innovation.

Register Now! to join the virtual livestream of the summit.

Arundhati Bhattacharya aptly sums it up"True leadership in the tech industry requires us to challenge the status quo and advocate for change. By amplifying the voices of women and addressing systemic barriers, we can build a future where diversity and innovation go hand in hand."
TEL AVIVIt took Israeli combat engineers hours of night-time digging deep inside a 650-foot long tunnel in Khan Younis to unearth what they were looking for: the dead bodies of four men and one woman. All were Israeli hostages that had been kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7.

The grisly discovery last month came after a Palestinian detained by Israeli forces in Gaza told the soldiers where to look.

Its hard to get the smell out of your head," said a reservist with the militarys 98th division who took part in the operation. Its also psychological because you know its the smell of a human being."

Such operations are becoming more frequent. On Tuesday, the Israeli military said it retrieved the bodies of six dead hostages from Khan Younis, in a similar operation to the one in July. In total, Israel has recovered 30 dead bodies.

Rescue operations for the living remain far more rare, as they require more detailed intelligence and there is a lot more that can go wrong. To date, Israel has rescued seven hostages alive out of some 250 that Israeli authorities say were taken on Oct. 7.

Israeli security officials believe more hostages will come home dead if a deal to rescue them doesnt happen soon.

In the haze after the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack, Israel didnt know which of the thousands of people missing were kidnapped or dead. Ultimately, Israel said militants killed 1,200 people as well as taking hostages. More than 10 months later, and after a costly military operation that has killed over 40,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health officials, and laid waste to much of Gaza, Israeli intelligence has increased.

Israel has obtained troves of valuable Hamas data as it has unearthed laptops, cellphones and documents from Gaza, using AI to comb through it. And with American help, it has boosted its signals intelligence. Human intelligence has also been keyrecovered from Palestinians arrested by Israel inside Gaza and others who provide information to Israeli forces.

These bodies were there for a few months, and it took time for us to put the picture together and conduct such a mission," said Israel Ziv, a retired Israeli general who gets briefed by military officials, referring to the operation in July.

The Israeli military said Tuesday that the bodies of the six hostages were recovered overnight in an operation enabled by intelligence gathered by Israels internal security agency, known as Shin Bet.

Most of the men were elderly between the ages of 75 to 80 and would have met the criteria to be released as part of a humanitarian cease-fire that has been negotiated for months without success. Some of the men had appeared in hostage videos released by Hamas and were seen in the tunnels by released hostages who spoke to The Wall Street Journal.

Three of hostages whose bodies were recovered Tuesday were killed earlier this year while the Israeli military was operating in Khan Younis, the Israeli military said in June.

The military has said it is still investigating the precise circumstances of their deaths. Guy Metzger, the son of one of the hostages recovered Tuesday, said the military told him it was investigating whether his father, Yoram Metzger, was killed as a result of an Israeli military operation. Meanwhile, he said, he is arranging his fathers funeral.

Israels initial understanding of the whereabouts and status of its hostages was limited in the early days of the war, said two former Israeli officials involved in the efforts. Thousands of people were classified as missing" in the days after the attack. Israels National Center of Forensic Medicine worked nonstop as bodies arrived on trucks for identification.

The country was still in chaos, as fighting with militants continued for days inside Israeli territory.

As the government reeled from the attack, regular Israelis stepped in to help collecting information on hostages.

Karine Nahon, an Israeli information scientist from Reichman University in central Israel, established a team of volunteers who scanned social media and developed algorithms to comb through 200,000 videos to identify missing people. The team then shared their findings with intelligence officials.

In the beginning nobody worked with us," said Nahon. The state wasnt there."

A couple of weeks after the Oct. 7 attacks, a committee of health experts was tasked with viewing classified intelligence and determining whether hostages were dead or alive to notify families and inform negotiations. The committee has so far determined that more than 40 hostages are dead based on security-camera footage in Israel, videos taken by Hamas militants that were found in Gaza and DNA evidence, according to Ofer Merin, who is director general at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem and a member of the committee.

In one case, the committee was able to determine that hostage Shani Louk was dead after they found a piece of her skull, which led them to determine that she wasnt alive, inside Israeli territory. Her body was ultimately recovered in May.

When Israel invaded Gaza on Oct. 27 after an intensive campaign of airstrikes, intelligence was still limited and the countrys aggressive military response proved fatal for some hostages, said the two former officials. The Journal previously reported that three hostages were killed in an Israeli strike targeting a Hamas commander in November.

A special-intelligence directorate headed by Gen. Nitzan Alonwho is also one of the Israeli negotiators in the hostage talkswas established to collect and analyze information on the hostages, their whereabouts and status and sometimes provided families with proof of life. This directorate helped with intelligence sharing between different security agencies.

Israel was also aided by the U.S., who increased its interceptions of phone calls in Gaza in the days after the war, a recently retired U.S. intelligence officer said. That information helped Israel to determine where hostages were being held.

Ziv, the former general, said that Israeli intelligence efforts had improved because the ground operation in Gaza brought in information from cellphones, computers and documents found inside the enclave. The invasion also allowed Israel to get information from Gazans who provide intelligence to Israel or through prisoner interrogations.

In recent months, allegations of abuse of Palestinian detainees have mounted, leading to outcry from international rights organizations. A document from June signed by the head of Israels Shin Bet service viewed by the Journal acknowledged that conditions in Israeli prisons verge on abuse."

Israeli security officials say human intelligence is critical for conducting rescue operations since this type of information is very precise.

Israel has also expanded its use of AI to help process, analyze and comb through the large amounts of visual, signals and human intelligence coming out of Gaza because it understood it couldnt process it all by hand, said people familiar with the matter.

Despite the improvement, Israeli intelligence collection still faces challenges.

Hamas is careful with its methods of communications to evade signal-intelligence collection, and its leader, Yahya Sinwar, only communicates by messages sent via a courier, according to Arab mediators. Sinwar cut off communications with Hamass leadership due to mistrust and a belief that there was a spy in the ranks following the killing of Marwan Issa, deputy commander of Hamass military wing in March.

Another obstacle is that hostages are spread throughout the enclave and are moved around to make locating them harder. Released hostage Aviva Siegel told the Journal that she was held in 13 different locations both above and below ground during her 51 days in Gaza.

Rescuing hostages alive is considered very challenging, but locating captives bodies can also be complex since they are often hidden. In December, the bodies of two hostages were found in garbage bags in a tunnel in northern Gaza, according to Orin Gantz, the mother of one of the hostages.

Even when Israel has all the intelligence in place, it doesnt always choose to launch a rescue mission.

A rescue of hostages in Rafah in February was ready for a long period before being carried out but delayed in hope that a hostage deal would come through. Officials had wondered if they should risk the lives of two elderly hostages in a military rescue operation when they could be freed more safely in a cease-fire deal.

Most security officials still insist that a deal is the only way to free the remaining 105 taken on Oct. 7, many of them already dead.

Most of the hostages wont come back without a deal," said a former Israeli intelligence official. You need such a level of intimate intelligence that its almost impossible to conduct all these operations. There is no way you will know the details of where the hostage is, where the guards are, where the window is."

Shlomo Alfassa, 57, brother in-law of Maya Goren, a kibbutz kindergarten teacher whose body was returned last month, was driving to work when he received a phone call from the military telling him to come home. Goren had been seriously wounded in the Oct. 7 attack and had already been declared dead in December.

The military met with Alfassa and his family and briefed them on the mission that brought back her body. They said that new intelligence had surfaced about her location and the army had waited for the right opportunity to go in.

He had wondered if he would ever get her body back. There was a lot of crying," said Alfassa.

Nancy Youssef and Summer Said contributed to this article.

Write to Anat Peled at anat.peled@wsj.com
Google may be making some major changes to its app that could see the removal of the bottom search bar that has become a familiar sight on all Android devices. The new change comes as the Sundar Pichai-led company continues to add new features to its Gemini AI-powered search.

The update was first spotted by tipster Assembly Debug (via Android Headline) in the Google beta app for Android version 15.32.37.28.arm64. While Google is reportedly working on many layouts, none of them feature the search bar at the bottom of the page.

Also Read | Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidts startup White Stork aims to arm Ukraine with AI-powered attack drones

While Google hasn't officially confirmed the new change, let alone given a reason for removing the familiar search bar, the tipster suggests that the new UI changes are driven by data analysis and "modelled after how actual users interact with the app".

This doesn't mean that the search bar will no longer be available in the Google app. The only part likely to be affected by the new update is the search option in the Discover section or when browsing collections. Even the search widget is likely to remain intact and work as before.

Also Read | AI Tracker: Pixel 9 series shows Google means serious business

The new changes come shortly after Google made major design changes to the Play Store, removing the search bar from the top of the screen and adding a new search tab at the bottom.

Meanwhile, a recent report from 9to5Google revealed that Google is rolling out a new update that would limit users' ability to customise the search bar widget on Android. The update is said to be rolling out to Pixel and Samsung devices first, before making its way into the stable version of the app for all users.

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Parishioners turned out in large numbers on Saturday evening for Fr PJ Hughes' last Mass in St Josephs church, Loughduff before he moves down the road to Dromard.

Speaking before the mass his good friend and former college mate Fr Simon Cadam commended Fr PJ for his devotion to his ministry and his unfailing duty to bring the faith to people of all ages. As he wished him well in his new parish and thanked him for his time here he echoed the sentiments of parishioners who are sorry to see him going.

During his five years in Mullahoran he became one of our own and his dedication to his congregation and the community especially the school children and the aged was very much hands-on.

Later the community centre was packed out for a tea party in his honour and no Party would be complete without a special cake and despite the poignant occasion there was a jovial atmosphere at this meet and greet occasion as MC Con Halton welcomed all where they enjoyed a cup of tea and a lavish spread.

It was also notable Con said that he was known only as Fr PJ during his time here.

A tribute was read by Raymond Brady detailing some of Fr PJs exploits during the five years and of course a mention of keeping the church doors open once upon a time.

Also read: Mullahoran priest fined by gardai for celebrating public Mass vows to continue

On behalf of the parishioners two of our senior citizens Betty Wilson and Mary Mulligan presented Fr PJ with an engraved plaque and also the proceeds of a voluntary collection from the various organisations and parishioners.

In reply Fr PJ said he was overwhelmed with the turnout and the occasion itself and that he would have liked to remain on as he had settled well and made many friends but the call came and so be it.

Also read: Longford couple surprise their families by getting married alongside the Baptism of their daughter

He spoke about future planning and encouraged all to be positive in their chosen way of life because no one knows what tomorrow brings as in his case. He thanked everyone for their acceptance of him as he knew no one when he came and thanked them for their friendliness and support as he leaves behind so many wonderful memories and good friends.

One of his great interests was the local community choir and as they sang Lean On Me he joined in and his rendition of What A Wonderful World was typical of his love of music and song.

And so we say Gods Blessing be with you Fr PJ we will miss you but in the new diocesan pastoral division which includes Dromard and Mullahoran our paths will surely cross.

Also read: Highly regarded Longford priest to retire as Bishop announces wide ranging Diocesan changes
Health & Wellness, Press Releases

By Long Island Published: August 20 2024

A 24-year-old man from Babylon died after his Jeep crashed into a light pole in Brightwaters early this morning, with Suffolk County Police seeking information on the incident.

Suffolk County Police Third Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that killed a man in Brightwaters early this morning.

Bryant Dorman was driving a 2018 Jeep westbound on Union Boulevard, near Johnson Lane, when his vehicle crossed into the eastbound lane, left the roadway and struck a light pole at 2:43 a.m.

Dorman, 24, of Babylon, was transported to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore where he was pronounced dead.
Suffolk Legislator Sanin Partners with Local Labor Unions, Nonprofits, Community Members to Donate Over 1,100 Backpacks to Families in Need

Community, Charity & Cause

By Chris Boyle Published: August 20 2024

Education is the cornerstone of community development, and by equipping our students with the necessary tools to succeed, we are investing in our future, said Legislator Sanin.

Suffolk County Legislator Rebecca Sanin, in a significant community outreach initiative, has partnered with the New York State Laborers' Employers Cooperation and Education Trust (LECET), Laborers Local 66, the Knowledge Project, and generous community members from across the 16th Legislative District to provide over 1,100 backpacks filled with school supplies to children across Suffolk County.

This generous donation underscores Legislator Sanins commitment to supporting educational resources for families in need.

The backpacks and essential school supplies have been distributed as follows:

117 backpacks to the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless , to be distributed to children and families in need across Suffolk County.

105 backpacks to Long Island Head Start , to support students in Head Start programs in the Town of Huntington.

505 backpacks to Helping Hands Rescue Mission , to be distributed to families at Huntington Assembly of God Church from August 19 to August 22. For more information on how to receive a backpack, contact Helping Hands at (631) 351-6996 or to, to be distributed to families at Huntington Assembly of God Church from August 19 to August 22. For more information on how to receive a backpack, contact Helping Hands at (631) 351-6996 or kimberlygambino@hhrm.org

390 backpacks to the district 1 Youth Advisory Board, with distribution at Iglesia La Luz Del Mundo on August 24 from 10 AM to 2 PM. Distribution is first-come, first-serve, with a limit of 3 backpacks per family.

Education is the cornerstone of community development, and by equipping our students with the necessary tools to succeed, we are investing in our future, said Legislator Sanin. I am profoundly grateful to NYS Laborers LECET, Laborers Local 66, the Knowledge Project, and all the generous constituents of the 16th district who contributed to this drive for their partnership and unwavering support in this endeavor.

This initiative not only supports educational efforts but also strengthens the bond between labor unions and the community, highlighting the impact of collaborative efforts on local families.
Israeli forces operate in the Gaza Strip on August 18. (IDF photo)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) recovered the bodies of six more hostages, the IDF said on August 20. Throughout 10 months of operations in Gaza, Israeli forces have sought to recover hostages, both living and dead. In Jabaliya in May, for instance, the IDF recovered the remains of seven hostages.

The bodies of the hostages Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, and Haim Perry were recovered from Khan Younis in southern Gaza, the IDF said. The remains were recovered in an operation that took place overnight between August 19 and 20. The 98th Division, which knows Khan Younis well from eight months of fighting, led the operation, which included a mix of paratroopers, combat engineers, and other units.

The recovery took place as Israel has called on civilians to leave areas near Khan Younis over the last several days. It also happened as the IDF expanded a raid into central Gaza in Deir al-Balah, one of the areas Hamas has controlled since October 7 and where the IDF has not previously operated in force. The 7th Armored Brigade is taking part in fighting in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis. The troops are eliminating terrorists, destroying combat compounds above and below ground. In one such compound, troops of the 603rd Battalion located dozens of rockets, launchers, and several anti-tank missiles, the IDF noted.

The raid uncovered a tunnel around a mile long. Along the tunnel route, an active compound of Hamas terrorists was located where weapons, explosives, and equipment for long-term stay were foundused by the terrorists who left the compound as the troops arrived, the IDF said.

The latest find illustrates how Hamas continues to operate tunnels in Gaza. While many of these underground passages have been demolished in northern and southern Gaza, tunnel networks remain, and some have not been fully uncovered or explored. In central Gaza, the IDF has not operated extensively in areas such as Nuseirat, Deir al-Balah, Bureij, or Maghazi, meaning the underground infrastructure that existed prior to October 7 may be largely intact.

In the past, air strikes have not been effective at destroying tunnels. The IDF learned this lesson in Khan Younis and Jabaliya, where it took large ground operations to uncover and demolish the tunnel infrastructure.

The discovery of the mile-long tunnel and the operation to recover the hostages remains happened as Hamas rejected the latest ceasefire deal. Thus, the IDF will continue operations in Gaza for the foreseeable future. The current tempo of operations is less intense than earlier in the war, now consisting of precise raids and limited airstrikes.

Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDDs Long War Journal. He is the senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post, and author of The October 7 War: Israel's Battle for Security in Gaza (2024).
Its been about five minutes since we last checked so hows it going with AI?

Well, funny the Macalope should ask. It seems that at least in some circles, were starting to see some pushback. Take for example, Procreates proclamation anti-AI pledge posted to X:

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I dont like whats happening to the industry, and I dont like what its doing to artists. Were not going to be introducing any generative AI into our products, Procreate CEO James Cuda

[Long, sustained applause]

The Verge here mentions two concerns the creative community has about AI: that its generated using their content without permission and that itll reduce the need for artistic jobs. The Macalope thinks theres a third one thats equally valid: AI tends to generate generic results, all in the same vapid style that results when stealing everyones work, sticking it in a blender and pouring it into a plastic Arbys cup.

Procreate could be trying to hold back the tide, or it could really be tapping into something. New studies show that customers dont really want AI.

Why do I need AI in my coffee maker? AI-labeled products can scare away customers, study finds

The answer to Why do I need AI in my coffee maker? is, of course, because they want to sell you a new coffee maker, preferably one that will be obsolete in 15 minutes when their next generation AI comes out.

On the stealing aspect of AI, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently spoke at a conference at Stanford University where he told attendees to not worry about it. One of the things he suggested is making a TikTok clone and populating it by using AI to steal everything already on TikTok. If you become rich off of it, he said, you can lawyer up to the point youll be fine and if you dont get rich, no one will care.

IDG IDG IDG

The Macalope sometimes goes on flights of fancy so he feels he must point out that this is an actual thing that Schmidt actually said out of his actual speaking hole in his actual face. Please love our tech overlords who are simply better than us. They didnt get where they are today simply by being the absolute worst, why would you say that?

(Remember Schimdt also once said that Android was more secure than iOS and that developers would soon publish on Android first. So, the guys not exactly known for being a font of rightness.)

Theres been a lot of talk recently about an AI bubble. If you can imagine. Some people say the bubble is bursting. Some say its going to burst soon. Some say there is no bubble, AI is great, I have a fetish for six-fingered women and Ive never been happier than right here, right now, at this moment in history with my beloved six-fingered AI wife.

Some say that.

The Macalope is sure there are many genuine uses for AI (if were calling whatever improves Siri AI then thats one right there), but as with so many technologies before it, AI has been treated like a new gold rush when its really more akin to finding your mom didnt throw out your Chris Claremont X-Men comics after all. I will make hundreds of dollars. (May or may not be based on an actual story.)

So, while many have called Apple late to AI, its timing is actually pretty good. If a party is going to be mid, its just as well to show up late. And possibly leave early. Apples approach to AI has been somewhat at arms length and with good reason. Venture capitalists and tech bros and Wall Street all love to jump on the next big thing, hoping to land on the thing with long-term growth potential or at least make a quick buck before everyone else figures out its just this years netbooks or crypto or NFTs or having a child with Elon Musk. You might get something out of it, but its not going to be long-term and it might not be what you expect.
Six popular Microsoft apps for the Mac have security vulnerabilities that could allow a hacker to gain any privileges already granted to the affected Microsoft applications, according to a report by Cisco Talos.

The apps affected are Microsoft Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, and Word. Microsoft runs an entitlement that disables macOSs hardened runtime, which provides security against Dynamically Linked Library hacks. This can allow a hacker to install malicious software into Microsofts apps.

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The attacker could send emails from the user account without the user noticing, record audio clips, take pictures or record videos without any user interaction, according to Cisco Talos. The security firm stated that Microsoft considers these issues low risk, and that the company, has declined to fix the issues.

Microsoft has updated Teams and OneNote to address the entitlement issue, but the other apps still have the vulnerability.

How to protect yourself from hackers

Microsoft doesnt seem willing to prioritize a fix for this issue, so users need to be conscientious. Dont let unknown people access your Mac, and dont plug in suspicious devices like USB drives. Check for software updates, since they may include security patches. If you purchased Microsoft Office through the App Store, you could check there for updates.

Apple has protections in place within macOS and the company releases security patches through OS updates, so its important to install them when they are available. If Apple pulls back an update, the company will reissue it as soon as it is properly revised with corrections.

Macworld has several guides to help, including a guide on whether or not you need antivirus software, a list of Mac viruses, malware, and trojans, and a comparison of Mac security software.
Below, we publish a joint statement issued by Lucha de Clases (Venezuelan section of the RCI) and Junta Patriotica de Salvacion, on the current political crisis in Venezuela. In this statement, we put forward a class position in the face of government authoritarianism and the false democratic disguise that the pro-imperialist right wing is trying to flaunt today.

[Originally published in Spanish at luchadeclases.org.ve]

Before 28 July, the working people were torn between choosing between maintaining the ongoing disaster of Maduros government, at the service of the nouveau riche in the PSUV; and an ultra-liberal, pro-privatisation option, under the leadership of the traditional bourgeoisie and their imperialist masters. Both options represented two sides of the same coin, the continuation of the cuts and austerity for the working masses, making workers pick up the bill for the crisis of Venezuelan capitalism.

At the end of the electoral process, the CNE declared President Nicolas Maduro the winner without publishing the tally sheets of each polling station, according to the parameters established by law. The CNE and the state officials have consistently claimed to have been the subject of cyber-attacks, but have suspended the planned audits that were supposed to provide evidence of such allegations. Maduro then filed a contentious appeal with the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) in an attempt to buy time.

On Monday 5 August, the CNE submitted the alleged voting records to the judiciary, for supposed evaluation behind closed doors, at the hands of an institution totally subordinated to Miraflores [the presidential palace]. Meanwhile, the pro-imperialist right wing has created a website where it has published more than 80 percent of the alleged voting tallies that show a victory for its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez. The dispute between the old and the new rich has opened a new institutional crisis that is plunging the country into a spiral of conflict, from which the working people have nothing to gain.

US imperialism has declared their puppet, Maria Corina Machado, as the winner. Their position has been replicated by several Latin American governments that are subordinate to its interests. It has also signalled through its spokespersons that the patience of the United States and the international community is wearing thin. It is our duty to condemn these threats coming from the most reactionary power on Earth, that has a long track record of genocides, invasions and coups. Its plan is to plunder our natural resources on an even wider scale, and impose on us a dictatorship of its banks and multinationals.

After the issuing of the first results bulletin by the CNE, people in neighbourhoods and impoverished areas expressed their discontent in what was clearly a popular uprising. Unlike the reactionary guarimbas [barricades] of 2014 and 2017  which were always concentrated in upper middle class neighbourhoods  on 29 July, Venezuelas poor took to the streets to reject a result they did not recognise. The governments brutal anti-people austerity policies, combined with repression and repeal of democratic rights, has pushed a majority of the poor into the arms of the rancid right wing.

This is a reality that cannot be hidden. Popular discontent has taken an important qualitative leap, and the consequences of this will largely determine the course of events. It is necessary to separate the massive popular protest of 29 July from the expressions of vandalism, looting and destruction that followed as a result of the infiltration of elements of the lumpenproletariat, which distorted the initial character of the demonstrations. In addition, there have been murders and hate crimes against pro-Maduro popular activists, which we categorically reject.

The government didn't hesitate in its repressive deployment of police and paramilitary police groups / Image: Confidencial, Wikimedia Commons

The government didn't hesitate in its repressive deployment of police and paramilitary police groups, resulting in 24 deaths and dozens of wounded, as well as more than 2,000 arrests in less than a week. The government has regained control of the situation on the streets for the time being. Since then, Caracas neighbourhoods in particular have been under police and paramilitary patrols and surveillance. Repressive state forces are raiding homes and arresting protesters without warrants. In many cases, the authorities do not report where the detainees are being held, preventing their families from immediately locating them. The detainees are being prosecuted for hate crimes and terrorism, without allowing them the legitimate right to legal defence and review of their files. The President of the Republic has announced that the detainees will be transferred to the prisons of Tocuyito and Tocoron, marking an a priori condemnatory remarks that ignore the principle of presumption of innocence. In addition, he has encouraged the PSUV rank and file to denounce their neighbours through a window in the VenApp application, which we strongly condemn.

We strongly condemn all violations of the democratic rights of the people in these neighbourhoods, repression, arbitrary arrests and raids, violations of due process, and charges against more than 2,000 people who are about to be convicted of serious crimes in trials riddled with flaws. It is our duty to demand the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained citizens and the annulment of the judicial proceedings against them.

At all times, the parties of the pro-imperialist bourgeoisie have distanced themselves from the protests in the neighbourhoods and popular areas, showing their fear of the initiative of the poor masses and the possibility of being overtaken by them. They have backed the statement of Fedecamaras, in which the country's largest employers association implores these peaceful protesters not to disrupt their businesses. The right wing has not said a word about the arbitrary arrests in the barrios and has limited itself to denouncing the arrests of witnesses or leaders of PUD parties [PUD, Democratic Unitary Platform, is an alliance of opposition parties]. This tells us all we need to know about the anti-working class character of these reactionaries.

Due to exceptional circumstances, today they enjoy the undeserved electoral support of millions of workers and the poor, which they have clearly betrayed with their silence.

The organisations presenting this statement believe it necessary to put forward a consistent class position, dissociating ourselves categorically from both the traditional right wing  which hopes to regain power to unleash all the revanchist anger of reaction, not only against Chavistas, but also against the whole of the working people  and also from government authoritarianism, which has led us into this impasse. We do not believe in the false democratic disguise of a right wing that in the past organised repeated coups d'etat in Venezuela, called for invasion by foreign military forces, and promoted financial sanctions against its own country. But we also repudiate the false talk of victimhood by the same government that has pulverised wages and labour rights, ended trade union freedom, aligned itself with the interests of the big landowners, bureaucratically suffocated all instances of popular participation, plundered the public treasury for the benefit of the PSUV's layer of nouveau riche, and emanates a conservative, anti-rights line, while negotiating with Fedecamaras, Consecomercio and Conindustria.

We demand that the will of the majority of the people expressed at the ballot box be respected, while calling for maximum distrust of the pro-imperialist right wing. The complete independence of the working class is necessary, in order to fight the authoritarianism of the government with its own demands. While we demand the restitution of the democratic rights violated in the last period, we call on the workers of the city and the countryside to organise to win better wages and labour rights, for quality public services, for the right to land for the peasants, and for education and decent jobs for the youth. Only the struggle and organisation of all the oppressed will open the way to a better future.

At present, dialogue scenarios are opening up under the auspices of the governments of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico. If they materialise, the right wing and the government would negotiate the future of the country behind the backs of and to the detriment of the working people. For this reason, we reject and ignore all negotiations behind closed doors. Enough with the national and international elites controlling our destiny!

The absence of the political subjective factor representing the interests of the workers and the people has prevented the oppressed classes from defending and positioning their interests in society. We openly call for the construction of a revolutionary alternative, which is capable of uniting the forces of the working class and the people to defeat the old and the new rich, and to build a society that guarantees the satisfaction of the needs of the majority. All workers, peasants, communards and consistent revolutionaries willing to join us in this great endeavour are called upon to participate. We call on the Chavista people who today feel betrayed to support us in this titanic task, which will be the only one that guarantees that the interests of the poor of the country will not continue to be trampled upon. We must only rely on our own strength.

Respect for democratic rights and full freedom for the protesters!

Respect for the majority will of the people!

Maximum distrust of the pro-imperialist bourgeoisie!

Whoever governs, rights are defended!

No to the dialogue of elites!

Let us build the revolutionary alternative!
Heading to Boston for Labor Day weekend? Turns out youre not the only one.

The capital of Massachusetts is among the top 10 destinations in the U.S. for Labor Day travel, according to AAA booking data.

Other top Labor Day destinations include Orlando, New York, Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago and San Francisco.

Seattle is the No. 1 Labor Day weekend destination, with travel to the city being up nearly 30% from last year when it also topped the list, according to AAA.

While overall domestic travel over Labor Day weekend is up 9% compared to last year, the cost to travel domestically is down 2%, AAA reported.

The price of gas is also expected to be lower this Labor Day weekend in comparison to 2023. Last year the national average was $3.81 over the holiday weekend and this year it could hover around $3.50, according to AAA.

Meanwhile international travel of Labor Weekend is down 4% compared to last year, per AAA booking numbers.

The cost to travel internationally is up 11% and AAA found that most travelers are heading to Europe. In fact, eight out of the top ten international destinations booked through AAA are European cities.

Below are the top 10 domestic and international destinations for Labor Day travel.

Top 10 domestic destinations

Seattle, Washington Orlando, Florida Anchorage, Alaska New York, New York Boston, Massachusetts Las Vegas, Nevada Denver, Colorado Chicago, Illinois Juneau, Alaska

Top 10 international destinations
HOLYOKE  A former Holyoke city councilor, who fled to the Russian army in January rather than face child pornography charges, is in a new propaganda video criticizing American support of Ukraine.

We have an election coming up, Wilmer Puello-Mota said in the video, referring to the November contest between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The video, posted Monday and noticed widely around the world, is evidence that Russia sees Puello-Mota as a propaganda gold in a burgeoning information war, experts say.

Speaking English in a chatty, conversational tone, Puello-Mota says his callsign nickname is Boston, based on where hes from, and he describes his decade in the Air Force, service in Afghanistan and his time on the Holyoke council, while never mentioning the Paper City by name.

I dont consider myself a traitor, he said The United States and Russia are not at war.

But, he said, Americans shouldnt think it is in the United States interest to have tanks rumbling around killing people, a reference to U.S. support of Ukraines efforts to repel a Russian invasion, now in its second year.

Former Holyoke Ward 2 City Councilor Wilmer Puello-Mota seen at a May 5, 2022, event. (Frederick Gore photo)

While the videos will be seen in Russia, the primary audience are right-wing Americans back home, said Sarah Oates, associate dean for research, professor and senior scholar at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland.

He is propaganda gold for the Russians, said Oates, author with Gordon Neil Ramsay of the new book Seeing Red: Russian Propaganda and American News. Americans who choose to push Russian propaganda are very valuable to the Russian state.

Russian propaganda finds particular traction among conservative American audiences, she said.

It often echoes a lot of the same conspiracy theories and wishes about how the world should be, Oates said. If you have an American voice, that can be so valuable.

Puello-Mota reinforces that in the new video, describing an America that is in debt and collapsing.

Oates said it all plays into presidential politics.

The fulcrum for that is Trump, she said. Trump supports Russia.

Trump believes he was unfairly accused of colluding with Russia in the 2016 election, and he admires strong, male dictators.

Then his followers also tended to admire Russia and engage more with Russian propaganda, said Oates, who began following the Puello-Mota case because Holyoke is her fathers hometown.

Ryan McBeth, U.S. Army veteran, author and intelligence analyst with a big social media following of his own, said information is a weapon of war.

McBeth said hes given speeches and gone to military conferences explaining the need to start targeting disinformation factories.

If Russia wants to prevent arms from being sent to Ukraine, they could bomb an American artillery plant, McBeth wrote in an email. That would cause a war. But if you use a disinformation factory to make the American people think that Ukraine is corrupt, and we shouldnt be sending them weapons, it has the same effect as a bomb.

Russia needs to use this kind of asymmetric warfare, because they cant win with conventional weapons, he said.

They must use information war, McBeth wrote.

Mondays video came out at a time when Russian forces might be looking for some good publicity. Ukraine has pushed into the Russian Kursk region, destroying Russian capabilities, taking and holding territory, and putting neighboring Ukrainian villages out of artillery range.

Puello-Mota, 28 and father of a daughter, tells the unheard interviewer in the most recent video that hes sure his comrades in the Russian army have his back.

But Oates said Puello-Mota is playing a dangerous game, especially if hes seen as less useful or if his message loses its desired effect.

Hes taking a risk, though, because he might end up in a prison camp, she said. And I dont think the U.S. authorities would work very hard to get him out, given the choices hes made.

Puello-Mota fled in January  traveling first to Turkey then to Russia  rather than face a trial in Rhode Island of possession of child pornography, obstruction of the judicial system, forgery and counterfeiting.

He later told his Rhode Island defense attorney that Russia was a better choice than staying home, where his record as a sex offender would curtail job prospects. The defense attorney later relayed that conversation to The Boston Globe.

Had he been convicted, Puello-Mota could have received up to five years in prison.

Puello-Motas criminal trouble started with a May 2020 arrest at a hotel in Warwick, Rhode Island, after he called police to report a stolen firearm.

Police investigating his report discovered Puello-Mota was at the hotel to meet a 17-year-old girl hed met online. The girl told police Puello-Mota was her sugar daddy.

Police found nude photos and videos of the girl in a trash folder on Puello-Motas phone. They charged him with possession of child pornography.

The girl told police Puello-Mota had given her money, and there was evidence of payments made by Puello-Mota to the girl through the app Venmo. Puello-Mota told police at that time that he believed the girl was 22, and he had just learned she was 17.

Puello-Mota was later accused of obstruction of the judicial system, forgery and counterfeiting. Prosecutors said he forged documents and impersonated his commander in a phone call while a member of the 104th Air Wing in Westfield in an attempt to get a favorable disposition on the child porn charges.

A technical sergeant for the 104th, Puello-Mota worked in base security.

Massachusetts State Police arrested him on May 11, 2022, at the entrance of Barnes. He was separated from the Air National Guard soon after.

In 2022, he ended up in a Rhode island jail for violating bail while fighting  successfully  in a Massachusetts court to stop his fellow councilors from kicking him out of office. While staying on, he earned a rebuke from the Rhode Island attorney general for attending a childrens Halloween party despite being told to stay away from children while the charges were pending.

He was a Holyoke Ward 2 councilor until the end of 2023. He did not run for reelection.
A well-known Italian chain in the Boston area will replace a French restaurant that opened in Fenway less than a year ago.

Chef Douglass Williams unveiled D.W. French at 1391 Boylston St. in October 2023, but the restaurant closed for business on Sunday, Aug. 18, according to a press release.

D.W. French will be replaced with a fourth location of Williams popular restaurant Italian MIDA.

The new MIDA, which is slated to open in The Fenway this October, will join its other locations in Bostons South End, Newton and East Boston.

DW French will always hold a special place in our hearts, Williams said in the press release. At the same time, we are thrilled to bring MIDA to The Fenway and are excited for our local community and the many visitors to the neighborhood to experience MIDAs menu, which draws inspiration from the various regions of Italy and the simplicity of classic Italian cooking, the release said.

D.W. French was intended to reflect Williams immersive journey through Paris by stripping back the over-complexities that some diners often associate with the cuisine.

He told MassLive last October that his vision was to demystify French cuisine and show how that at its core, its about warmth, love, and the joy of shared meals.

However the concept wasnt sticking, and after 10 months, Williams and his business partner, Seth Gerber, decided to close D.W. French.

We love D.W. French, but as a business, we need to have an eye on the future, Williams said in a statement to Eater Boston. We know MIDA will really resonate with both residents and visitors and were excited to bring it to The Fenway.

The enthusiastic response to MIDAs handcrafted Italian cuisine made it clear that this is the ideal fit for The Fenway, Gerber said in the press release. Were excited to bring MIDA to such a vibrant and rapidly evolving community.

MIDA is known for its scratch-made pastas and Italian-influenced neighborhood dining. The menu focuses on serving dishes from across Italys regions.
After getting a code and anxiously waiting in a queue in September 2023, a Peabody woman finally scored coveted tickets to the Noah Kahan concert at Fenway Park in July.

A month later, she found out she was pregnant  her due date two days before the concert.

I feel like most people hope they go into labor early, but I was like, you know what? I hope Im a little bit late so I can go to this concert, Chloe Stanko said.

Kahan, a Vermont native, returned to New England for two sold-out shows at Fenway Park in Boston on Thursday, July 18, and Friday, July 19.

Stankos due date came and went. She scheduled her induction a week later  hoping her son would wait until then.

I said, OK, Im going to this concert if Im not in labor, she said.

Chloe Stanko attended the Noah Kahan concert with her husband at Fenway Park in July. She then went into labor.Chloe Stanko

On July 19, Stanko said she felt OK, so she and her husband, Ben Longo, went to the concert. But while there, Stanko began having back pain and having to sit down.

She was in labor.

The couple stayed at the concert, even riding the MBTA home. When 2 a.m. hit, she knew it was time to go to the hospital.

It wasnt long until the world welcomed another Noah  Noah Longo.

We actually decided early on. We both just really liked the name, Chloe Stanko said. And then it worked out.

Noah isnt officially named after the Stick Season pop star but Kahan certainly gave the couple, who also went to see him in concert in Saratoga Springs, the idea.

Chloe Stanko attended the Noah Kahan concert with her husband at Fenway Park in July. She then went into labor.Chloe Stanko

The new parents didnt share their babys name with friends or family before he arrived. But it was too fitting and people figured it out, she said.

We didnt tell anybody the name, but a lot of people kept saying, Oh, imagine you go into labor at the concert and you name your baby Noah, she recalled. And I was just laughing, because I was like, well, that is the plan.

Stanko posted on TikTok for the first time to share her story after she was encouraged by her sister.

We met a boy in the heat of July, she wrote, playing off of a Noah Kahan lyric. Welcome to the world Noah.

The video has more than 1.2 million views as of Monday, including being seen by Kahan.

My bad dawg, Kahan wrote as he duetted her TikTok using his account, apologizing for sending her into labor during his concert. He also commented that hes so happy for her and told her the baby was cute.

Stanko began smacking her husbands arm as he was sleeping to tell him about the TikTok. He woke up in a panic, she said.

I was freaking out, she said.

She said the fact that he shared her video shows just how nice and humble of a person he really is.

Plus, itll be a great story to tell her little Noah one day.

Im going to tell him that his very first concert was Noah Kahan. And then, when he was a little less than a month old, he became famous from it, she said.

And, of course, theyll all be going to more of Kahans concerts in the future.
Get ready to Float On with Modest Mouse as the indie rock band embarks on a special anniversary tour this year in honor of one of its most iconic projects.

Modest Mouse has announced the Good News For People Who Love Bad News 20th Anniversary Tour in honor of the bands 2004 album Good News For People Who Love Bad News.

The tour will start on Oct. 28 in Honolulu, Hawaii and end in early November with three nights at New York Citys Brooklyn Steel.

In between these dates, Modest Mouse will perform at MGM Music Hall in Boston on Nov. 19. Tickets for the tour go on sale Friday, Aug. 23 at 10 a.m. local time.

Labeled by The New York Times as the best Modest Mouse album, Good News for People Who Love Bad News is hailed as an alternative classic.

The album has received universal acclaim from music critics according to Metacritic, which gave the project a rating of 83 out of 100.

Good News for People Who Love Bad News has been certified double platinum by the RIAA and spawned the five-time platinum-selling hit Float On as well as the gold-selling singles The World At Large, and Ocean Breathes Salty.

Good News for People Who Love Bad News was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 2004.

An expanded digital version of the album, called Good News For People Who Love Bad News: 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition, was released earlier this year featuring eight bonus tracks.

The album was also released and remastered for vinyl in opaque baby pink and opaque spring green. The package includes an alternate album cover, an 8-page booklet, and five of the new remixes.

A full list of tour dates can be found below:
It has been less than a month since former Hopkinton police Sgt. Timothy Brennan was sworn in as a police officer in Milford. But last week, the state police oversight commission voted to suspend his certification over his decision not to report rape accusations against Hopkintons former deputy chief, preventing Brennan from working as a police officer in Massachusetts.

Earlier this year, after an emotional public hearing and several hours of painstaking decision-making, the Hopkinton Select Board voted to fire Brennan over his failure to report rape allegations against ex-Deputy Chief John Jay Porter, who was indicted on child rape charges in the spring of 2023 and is barred from working in policing in Massachusetts while his case moves forward. Brennan has admitted that he learned of some of the allegations against Porter  which date back to 2004  as far back as 2017, but never reported them to law enforcement.

In reports and public meetings, Brennans detractors argued that, through his inaction, he allowed Porter to escape accountability and be promoted to the second-highest position of power in the Hopkinton Police Department. Brennan and his attorneys have countered that the sergeant acted in the victims best interest by following her request that he not report the allegations and that his support is what led her to eventually report Porter to the Middlesex County District Attorneys Office.

Last year, an independent investigation found that Brennan broke Hopkinton Police Department policies by not reporting the rape allegations, but it was up to towns select board to make the final decision on whether to fire him. Ultimately, the board followed Hopkinton Police Chief Joseph Bennetts recommendation and voted four to one to fire Brennan  a decision which the former sergeant has publicly called the controversial decision unacceptable.

In late July, Brennan  who has over 30 years of policing experience  began working as a patrol officer in the neighboring town of Milford, according to Milford Daily News. At the time, Milford Police Chief Robert Tusino told the newspaper he was aware of why the former sergeant was fired, but said he believed in Brennans integrity and work ethic as a police officer.

But on Thursday, Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST) Commission suspended Brennans certification as a police officer, finding that doing so was in the best interest of the safety and welfare of the public. The commission has yet to make a final decision as to whether the former sergeant should be permanently decertified, which would result in his name being added to a national registry of decertified police officers in addition to barring him from working in policing in Massachusetts ever again.

Brennan can request a hearing to have his suspension revoked before a final decision is made, but until as of Thursday, he cannot work as a police officer in the state. Neither Brennan nor Tusino could not be reached for comment on this article.

On Friday, Tusino criticized the POST Commissions decision and reiterated his support for Brennan in comments to Milford Daily News.

He did what was right. He protected the victim. He was always making sure the victim was safe and going to proper channels, the police chief told the newspaper. " ... All this does is confirm that police officers shouldnt go to outside agencies. They shouldnt listen to the victims and advocate for victims. They should just be robots and do exactly what the administration tells them to do and thats wrong.
Boston area residents concerned about scores of flying ants shooting through the skies should know that while it is their mating season, theres ways to have them stop being pests.

Residents around several Boston neighborhoods, including Jamaica Plain, Roslindale and Hyde Park, as well as in communities like Cambridge and Dedham, have seen a large influx of these insects, according to the Boston-based website Universal Hub.

It reported that three Facebook community groups in some of these areas are "full of accounts of people and vehicles getting stuck in a mating frenzy of zillions of tiny flying ants...

People are sharing photos of cars covered in the bugs and accounts of the tiny bugs winding up in their noses and hair and buried in their dogs fur, the post read. One man enjoying a frappe outside J.P. Licks in Jamaica Plain reported one of the ants hit his face and then bounced into his drink.

Also known as winged ants, or alates, are reproductive ants that are created by ant colonies in order to move between colonies and start new colonies, according to F&W Pest Control, based in Framingham.

Speaking specifically about the insects presence in Needham, the company said on its website that the flying ants are commonly seen during mating season between late June and early August.

New queens look for a mate in order to settle a new ant colony, growing wings in anticipation, according to the Natural History Museum in London.

So each year, alates emerge from nests and take flight. They arent interested in people or picnics - they are just looking for a mate, the museum wrote online. The large-winged females and the smaller-winged males are often seen flying joined together. This is known as the nuptial flight.

After the nuptial flights are over, the mated queens chew off their own wings and search for the right location to nest and set up a new colony, according to the museums website.

Areas considered ideal for nesting and mating rely on a food source, such as sweet nectars and sugary foods and drinks like fruits and soft drinks, F&W Pest Control wrote.

How to minimize the flying ants presence

An initial step in keeping flying ants away is to remove any sources of sugar and other foods that could attract them, according to F&W Pest Control. This includes picking up any fallen fruits and fix leaky pipes or faucets that attract the insects.

Store away compost piles and, if necessary, use peppermint or bay leaves around outside walls to keep the flying ants away. F&W Pest Control does not recommend using ant repellents for stopping flying ants, as they can attract flying ants from other colonies.

If the insects are still being a nuisance, seal off the insects from getting inside the home, the company said.

This includes sealing any cracks or crevices around windows and doors and making sure that weather strips are tight enough to keep ants from entering the home, pest control employees said.

Of course, another option to keep flying ants away is to use insecticides and baits. These will help kill off the ants and prevent them from reproducing and colonizing faster, F&W Pest Control wrote.
A call, later determined to be a swatting incident, claimed there were multiple bombs placed at the First Congregational Church of Hanover Monday afternoon, according to Hanover Police Department and the churchs pastor.

The Hanover Police Department and Hanover Fire Department responded to the call at 1:37 p.m. The Rev. Peter Johnston said in a Facebook post that the caller claimed that bombs had been placed in the education building and the meeting house of First Congregational Church of Hanover.

The police, including bomb sniffing dogs swept both buildings, and found them secure and free of incendiary devices, Johnston wrote.
A Revere man who had a federal license to sell and repair guns pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday to conspiring to traffic guns illegally and to buy guns on behalf of a person who was barred from buying firearms, according to acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua Levys office.

Cory Daigle, 29, pleaded guilty to one count each of trafficking in firearms, illegal possession of a machine gun, receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm, conspiracy to make false statements in records required to be kept by a firearms licensee and one count of aiding and abetting making false statements in records required to be kept by a firearms licensee, Levys office said in a statement.

In January 2023, Daigle, Gustavo Rodriguez and Shakim Grant were charged in connection with the scheme to illegally purchase guns. At the time, prosecutors said they traced guns used in a shooting in Bostons Hyde Park neighborhood to Steelworks Defense Solutions in Littleton, the site of an old mill, where Daigle sold guns.

Between August and November 2022, Daigle and Rodriguez created fake entries in records required to be kept by Daigle to hide the illegal sale of multiple guns through Grant to Rodriguez, who could not legally buy or own guns. Specifically, both Daigle and Grant crafted and signed forms that concealed Rodriguezs identity as the buyer.

Daigle also attempted to conceal the illegal purchase by giving false information to law enforcement, according to the statement.

After the sale, one of the guns sold by Daigle was used in a shooting outside Rodriguez residence, and prosecutors say, was later taken from a person under the age of 18 by New Bedford police. During a January 2023 search of Daigles home in Revere, officials seized multiple guns found in numerous safes as well as on furniture, in bedrooms, in drawers and in open areas throughout his home.

Both Grant and Rodriguez have pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme, according to Levys office.

Daigle faces up to 45 years in prison following the guilty plea, according to Levys office.
One person died and another was seriously injured after an incident in North Andover on Monday afternoon, according to the Essex County District Attorneys Office.

The incident happened at a home on Turnpike Street involving two victims. The injured victim was brought to the hospital, district attorney spokesperson Michael Keefe-Feldman said in a statement.

North Andover police and state police detectives are in the early stages of an investigation, Keefe-Feldman said.

Authorities are asking the public to stay away from the area.

No further details were released by the Essex district attorneys office as of 7 p.m.
You have to look and listen closely, but a subtle disclaimer at the end of a recent campaign ad in support of Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Deaton can tell you a lot about a well-funded group playing a big role this campaign season.

The ad was paid for by a super PAC known as The Commonwealth Unity Fund, with support from the cryptocurrency industry. And its pouring big money into Deatons long-shot effort to defeat U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

The PAC, founded by crypto-friendly attorney James Murphy, has so far spent more than $1 million on the Swansea lawyers behalf, according to an analysis by the website Open Secrets.

The PAC dropped $450,000 on a direct mail blitz to voters statewide, and $500,000 on a media buy earlier this month, according to CoinTelegraph, a trade publication, citing reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

That spending came on top of the $300,000 the PAC spent in July, the trade publication reported.

The goal of all that spending is a pretty straightforward one: To replace Warren, a vocal critic of the industry, with a friendlier voice on Capitol Hill.

And Warren has not been shy about those criticisms.

Crypto has become the payment method of choice for rogue nations, drug lords, ransomware gangs, and fraudsters to launder billions of dollars in stolen funds, evade sanctions, fund illegal weapons programs, and profit off of devastating cyberattacks, Warren said in a 2023 statement on her Senate website.

Warren piled on during a U.S. Senate hearing in July, where she called for stricter anti-money laundering protections aimed at keeping the industry from undermining U.S. national security.

Cryptomining is a disaster for the environment, and it can pose national security risks as well, Warren, whos sponsoring an anti-money laundering bill, told the Senate Banking Committee on July 25.

The industry has pushed back, writing in a February letter to Congress that Warrens legislation, aimed at foreign threats, risks our nations strategic advantage, threatens tens of thousands of U.S. jobs, and bears little effect on the illicit actors it targets.

To be clear, the digital asset industry strongly supports U.S. efforts to address illicit activities within the blockchain space, the letter, signed by industry leaders, pols, and policymakers, reads. To achieve this effectively, its crucial for the industry to develop within the United States, governed by domestic laws and regulations.

Both Deaton and Quincy City Council President Ian Cain, who also is seeking the GOPs nomination in September, have ties to the industry.

Robert Antonellis, a conservative activist, also is running.

Deaton defended tech firm Ripple Inc. in a high-profile court fight with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission.

In his memoir, Food Stamp Warrior, Deaton explained his support for, and interest in, cryptocurrency, saying the industrys story is one much like my own: it is a story of survival and evolution, not just for the few but for the many.

The more I learned about it, the more I realized that our entire financial world sat on a precipice. This was something important, he wrote. A whole new world was about to be born, and the powers that be did not want us to know about it.

The industry has recognized him for that support.

Campaign finance records showed Deaton had $974,769 on hand through the end of June. And his backers included some of the industrys biggest names.

Anthony Scaramucci, a former Trump White House aide-turned podcast host, and founder of the investment firm SkyBridge Capital, donated $6,600 to Deaton in March, Federal Election Commission records showed.

Other high-profile donors included financiers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss; investor Trent Herren; real estate magnate Jeff Wilhelms, and Chris Larsen, the executive chairman of the tech firm Ripple Inc., FEC filings showed.

Ripple also kicked in $1 million to the Commonwealth Unity Fund, as did Winklevoss Capital Management, records show.

On his campaign website, Cain described himself as the founder of a technology startup incubator.

The company, Quincy-based QUBIC Labs, says its mission is to [bring] together people, business, government, and academia to fuel a global hub for blockchain technology, development, and innovation.

While it can be used for other purposes, blockchain technology is most often employed as a record-keeping system for cryptocurrency transactions.

Speaking to Politico in April, Cain said he wouldnt be a single-issue candidate, arguing that crypto will not be the No. 1 issue on the minds of Massachusetts voters.

And I think if theyre both [Deaton and Warren] leading on both ends of this, then theyre not the right people [for the job], he told the online news organization.

In addition to Massachusetts, the industry also is active in other key Senate races nationwide.

Defend American Industry, one of three affiliated super PACs funded by the crypto industry, announced last week that it will spend at least $12 million on behalf of GOP U.S. Senate hopeful Bernie Moreno.

Moreno is looking to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in a closely watched contest in Ohio that could determine the balance of power in the upper chamber.

All told, the industry is set to spend more than $80 million this cycle to elect friendly candidates and protect its interests, Politico reported.

National Republicans, meanwhile, also are recognizing the industry.

The partys official platform, adopted at last months Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, declares that the GOP will defend the right to mine bitcoin, and ensure every American has the right to self-custody of their digital assets.

Republicans also vowed to end [the] Democrats unlawful and unAmerican (sic) Crypto crackdown and oppose the creation of a Central Bank Digital Currency.

Former President Donald Trump also has embraced the industry.

Financial disclosures made public last week showed that the Republican presidential nominee earned $7.2 million in an NFT licensing deal, and owns crypto valued at between $1 million and $5 million.

For the industry, winning a favorable regulatory and legislative environment is an existential question, Lee Reiners, an economics professor and crypto skeptic, at Duke University, told MassLive.

Thats because a stronger regulatory environment could spell financial doom for some companies, Reiners argued.

Meanwhile, failing to regulate the industry strongly enough could sow the seeds for the next financial crisis, Reiners said.

The fact that they are spending so much money and putting so much money into lobbying, and getting favorable legislation passed, is reflective of the broader problem that cryptocurrency is not actually useful yet, Reiners said.

And at least for right now, with most voters unplugged from the issue, theres almost no downside for politicians who support the industry.

And even with Warrens resistance, their ranks are now starting to include some Democrats.

The industry views this as a fight for its survival, Reiners said.
The crypto guy. The city councilor. The conservative activist. What do they have in common?

All three of them are Republicans. All three are looking to unseat long-serving U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

And on Sept. 3, theyll duke it out in Massachusetts GOP U.S. Senate primary. The winner advances to the Nov. 5 general election.

No matter which of the candidates emerges victorious from the primary  John Deaton, the crypto guy; Ian Cain, the city councilor, or Robert Antonellis, the activist  one thing is certain, theyll face an uphill battle in heavily Democratic Massachusetts, where the political topography favors Warren, a deep-pocketed and deeply entrenched, incumbent.

With Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket, expect a bigger turnout of young voters in Massachusetts, UMass Amherst political scientist Ray La Raja said. Thats not a happy situation [for Republicans].

Heres whos running, and what you need to know about the race.

Senate candidate John Deaton speaks at the Student Prince and The Fort in Springfield on July 13, 2024. The candidate running against U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, held a meet and greet at the restaurant. (Sophie Markham / Special to The Republican)Sophie Markham

John Deaton

Deaton, 56, a former Marine-turned-attorney, whos hoping to add U.S. Senator to the hyphenated titles he already bears, moved from Rhode Island to Swansea to mount his campaign.

In an interview with MassLive in April, he described himself as a Charlie Baker-type Republican, referring to the Bay States socially moderate and fiscally prudent former chief executive.

I am tired of these presidential candidates not representing the people that I care about  thats the working class and the poor, Deaton told MassLive. I got in this race because they are not being represented, he said. When you look at the Senate, you do not see someone who has been working 50 hours a week, and yet you feel like you cant get ahead.

Deaton supports abortion rights and marriage equality. And while hes a Republican, he doesnt support former President Donald Trump.

He said he also 100% believes that President Joe Biden was the legitimate winner of the 2020 presidential election. Its a position that puts him at odds with many in the partys MAGA base.

In May, Deaton took on the states migrant crisis in a campaign advertisement taking Warren and other career politicians to task for failing to get a deal on immigration reform.

Hundreds of migrants overwhelm our border every day, right where Im standing nearly 12 million over the last three years, Deaton, who once served at a border installation in Yuma, Ariz., intoned over news footage in the 90-second spot shared on YouTube and other social media channels. Our health care system and social service agencies break under the weight of this crisis.

Deaton has said he favors a path to citizenship for so-called dreamers, the young people who were brought to the United States as children; requiring asylum-seekers to remain in Mexico while their cases are adjudicated, and ending the Biden administrations catch-and-release program.

Were a country of laws, he said.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ian Cain (YouTube screen capture).Screen Capture

Ian Cain

Cain, 41, jumped into the race in April, positioning himself as an independent voice, and a pragmatic alternative to Warren, who will [get] s**t done and [fight] for us.

Cain, who launched with a two-minute introductory video, is the only Black and openly gay candidate. Like Deaton, he has an affinity for tech and crypto. His video featured him dressed in the obligatory fleece vest uniform beloved by the FinTech set.

Like Deaton, Cain is a recent convert to Republicanism. He joined the party in late February, according to the Boston Globe. Prior to that, he had been an unenrolled voter and a Democrat.

Like Deaton, Cain has said he wants to end the states migrant crisis by [securing] our border with physical and technological barriers, [reinstating] Remain in Mexico, and [restoring] a simpler process for legal immigration that prioritizes our needs first.

When it comes to questions of energy and the economy, Cain has said the nation needs to invest in diversified energy, a secure and expansive digital network, and build in a way that looks towards the future, not tries to fill holes from the past.

Robert Antonellis

Antonellis, 62, an engineer from Somerville, stands alone among the primary pack as a confirmed Trump supporter.

The big differentiating litmus test is whether someone supports the head of the ticket, which is why Im wearing this hat, Antonellis, sporting a red Make America Great Again hat, said during a debate sponsored by CBS News Boston.

Im the [only] one on the stage here who plans to vote for Donald Trump in November, and hes the head of the ticket, Antonellis said.

On his campaign website, Antonellis vows, if elected, to [offer] up his powerful [problem-solving] abilities, his absolutely unique intellect and his special brand of charisma as a bulwark against the endless attacks Americans now face, on a daily basis, from a self-serving and dangerous, rogue government.

Antonellis, who has said he supports American energy independence, has called for banning offshore and onshore wind farms in all 50 States, U.S. Territories, and U.S. Territorial waters.

The massive environmental devastation, onshore and offshore, is not worth the meager amount of undependable energy provided, not even counting the permanence of the landfill created, the candidate asserted on his website. The zero net impact to global warming reveals the whole operation was a hoax, giving billions of dollars to China and mostly foreign oil giants, like British Petroleum.

The polling

Warren, the two-term incumbent, has held a steady polling lead in the closely watched contest.

The Cambridge lawmaker led her eventual Republican opponent 52.8% to 32.8% in a Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll released in May.

The poll, at the time, suggested that the GOP primary field had plenty of ground to make up, with nearly 9 in 10 respondents to the poll (86%) saying they were undecided.

A Mass Amherst/WCVB poll released in May showed Antonellis leading the primary pack, taking 19% support, with voters leaning toward a particular candidate factored into the equation.

That was before Deaton, with the assistance of a friendly super PAC, began blitzing the airwaves with advertisements.

In hypothetical, head-to-head match-ups, Warren led Antonellis 50%-23%; had a 48%-24% advantage over Cain; and would defeat Deaton 47%-24% in an election held today, according to the poll.

The money game

Warren was sitting on a cool $4.9 million as her 2024 re-election race entered the hottest months of summer, MassLive reported after new campaign finance tallies became available in July.

Warren raised more than $1.3 million through the end of June, putting her well ahead of her Republican challengers as she looks to win a third term in heavily Democratic Massachusetts.

About three-quarters of the 31,903 donors who gave to Warrens campaign between April and June gave $25 or less.

Deaton had $974,769 on hand at the end of June, according to his Federal Election Commission filing. Most of that came from a $1 million loan that Deaton made to his campaign, records showed.

Deaton raised $656,109 through the end of June, his campaign filing showed.

Thanks to his support from the cryptocurrency industry, Deaton saw contributions from some of the sectors biggest names.

That included Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, the cryptocurrency pioneers; investor Trent Herren; real estate magnate Jeff Wilhelms, and Chris Larsen, the executive chairman of the tech firm Ripple Inc., election filings showed.

Ripple also kicked in $1 million to a super PAC, the Commonwealth Unity Fund, supporting Deatons candidacy. It was founded by attorney James Murphy.

Deaton defended Ripple during a court fight with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission.

A separate political action committee, the Deaton Victory Committee, an effort between the candidate and the state and national GOP, raised a little more than $123,000, according to FEC filings.

Election filings showed Cain with $48,392 on hand at the end of June. Cain raised $359,146 during the second quarter of the year, and spent $312,722.

Cains donors included Josh Kraft, son of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who has been mentioned as a potential challenger to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

Antonellis had $9,666 on hand at the end of June, after raising $43,352 and spending $37,249, filings showed. Antonellis loaned his campaign $24,296.
The Red Sox released first baseman Dominic Smith on Tuesday, four days after they designated him for assignment. He is now a free agent.

Boston DFAd Smith when they reinstated Triston Casas from the 60-day injured list. It wasnt feasible to carry two left-handed hitting first baseman.

Smith batted .237 with a .317 on-base percentage, .390 slugging percentage, .706 OPS, six homers, 20 doubles, 34 RBIs, 29 runs, 25 walks and 65 strikeouts in 83 games (278 plate appearances). He batted .284 with a .340 on-base percentage, .505 slugging percentage and .845 OPS in his final 33 games (103 plate appearances) for Boston dating back to July 4.

The 29-year-old initially signed with Boston on May 1, 11 days after Casas landed on the IL with some fractured cartilage which connects his ribcage to his sternum. Smith opted out of a minor league deal with the Rays before signing with the Red Sox.
An uptick in COVID-19 cases in Western Massachusetts prompted Baystate Health to move their masking policy to yellow tier on Monday, which requires masking for direct patient care at all Baystate Health Hospitals and the DAmour Center for Cancer Care.

Masking will also be required of care partners and other visitors over the age of 5, the hospital said in a press release.

Community testing and wastewater surveillance data demonstrated that high numbers of COVID cases are likely to continue and reinforced Baystates decision to change to yellow tier protocol.
CHICOPEE  The criminal case of Jason Chapdelaine, who is facing a murder charge for allegedly stabbing to death his girlfriend Eileen Monaghan in April, is ongoing. He is now also facing a civil case.

Monaghans estate filed a wrongful death suit against Chapdelaine in June. The complaint also named the Chicopee Contributory Retirement Board, which is named as a defendant only in a claim to allow funds in Chapdelaines city retirement account to go toward a judgment if there is one. Last week, the board filed a motion to dismiss the single count it faces.
WESTFIELD  The City Council on Aug. 15 approved an easement on Medeiros Way for the proposed Streamfield battery bank, despite concerns over the project.

Councilor William Onyski, who chairs the Legislative and Ordinance Committee, said the easement would allow Texas-based Jupiter Power, which is proposing the facility on Westfields North Side, to run power lines through a trench under the public road, connecting the two parcels it is hoping to develop.

Onyski said his subcommittee strictly stuck with the easement in its discussion, not any other aspect of the project. He said subcommittee members and Jupiter representatives discussed the best way to install and cover trenches. The plan has been approved by the citys Board of Public Works. Jupiter will pay the city $5,000. The council vote authorizes Mayor Michael McCabe to execute the easement agreement.
A 14-year-old girl from Sierra Leone is free to follow her dreams of becoming a doctor after having a facial tumor removed by international health charity Mercy Ships.

Without the timely surgery, the tumor would likely have continued to grow to the point of causing airway obstructions, and ultimately, death by suffocation.

Dr Didier-David Malis, a Mercy Ships volunteer oral maxillofacial surgeon from Switzerland who removed Lucys tumor, said it was: It is an aggressive tumor, which could change her appearance from a functional and visual standpoint, impacting her relationship with others and dysfunction in terms of swallowing and speaking. Her eye has also been affected by being pushed away from the bed by the tumor. 

The condition, which affected her bone and soft tissues, started as a severe pain in one of Lucys teeth. The aching tooth eventually fell out, but the pain remained.

It began to swell. I got her local herbs, but that did not help,  explained Lucys mother, Isatu.

The swelling continued to grow, eventually becoming a bone tumor on Lucys right cheek, likely caused by infection. Going to the hospital may have helped, but her family could not afford it.

We never went to the hospital. We did not have the money to go, shared Isatu.

The facial tumor was impossible to hide or ignore. The pain led to frequent absences from school, where her classmates became increasingly uncomfortable with her condition. Lucy became quiet and withdrawn.

Isatu said: Lucy is bold, but when the other children started to laugh at her, she became very quiet.

According to a study in 2022 (https://apo-opa.co/3YKpNkR), Sierra Leone faces a critical shortage of oral care service delivery and dental education with only one hospital with a fully staffed dental clinic and approximately three whole-time equivalent public sector dentists for the whole country, with an additional 47 dentists working in private sector. Amongst other factors, Lucys condition became worse because of a lack of proper medical care and education.

Thankfully, Sierra Leones government is working to strengthen its surgical and dental care system through strategic partnerships with organizations like Mercy Ships, which focuses on long-term education, training, and advocacy.

With the arrival of the worlds largest civilian hospital ship, the Global Mercy, to Sierra Leone, Lucys family heard the news they had been hoping for, free surgery would be possible.

The five-hour extensive surgery was a success. Lucy continued to stay on board the Global Mercy in one of the hospital wards, regaining her strength as she healed.

The constant presence of her mother and the commitment of the volunteer crew helped Lucy recover as quickly as possible. The nurses noted her strong personality.

American Jeri Harper, a pediatric nurse volunteer, said: Shes the first person that ever got me up dancing at work because when she wanted you to do something, you did it.

Shes kind to other people. She became the center of everything that went on in that ward.

After making a full recovery and leaving the hospital ship, Lucy was welcomed home by a cheering crowd. Amazed by her transformation, her uncle couldnt help but exclaim, Lucy! Lucy! Is that you?

While she has missed a lot of school, her class teacher says she is catching up quickly in her classes.

In no time, Lucy regained her confidence. I wasnt feeling good when I had that thing on my face, because I did not like the shape of my face. I was ashamed because among my friends nobody has it, I was the only one with the big thing on my face. Now, after the surgery, I feel good, she celebrated.

Lucy was excited to return to school and reclaim her future dream. She said: I miss school so much. My favorite subject in school is science. I want to become a doctor in the future because I want to help people when they are sick.

Now healed and healthy, theres nothing standing in Lucys way.

The Global Mercy spent 10 months in Sierra Leone until June, performing 1,979 life-changing and lifesaving operations for women, men and children who have been robbed of years of healthy life for conditions that are easily treatable. The ship will return this month.
A charity cycle in memory of a boy from Ballaghaderreen which has raised over 150,000 for childhood cancer charities will commence this week.

CJ s Rainbow Charity Cycle will traverse the length of Ireland when it begins at Malin Head, Co Donegal, this Thursday, August 22, before concluding at Mizen Head, Co Cork on Sunday, August 25.

The cycle is taking place in memory of CJ McCann, from Ballaghaderreen, who passed away at the age of 21 months from brain cancer last October.

CJ s father, Joe McCann, will lead 20 other cyclists on the 630-kilometre journey. They are expected to be greeted by a large crowd in CJ's native Ballaghaderreen when it arrives in the town on Friday, August 23, at approximately 12.30pm.

To date, it has raised over 150,000 for the Oscar s Kids and Hand in Hand charities, which both supported the McCanns during their cancer journey.

Hand in Hand is a national childhood cancer charity, based in Loughrea, which supports families all over Ireland, helping them to cope with the impact of treatment on family life. For the McCann family, this has included play therapy for CJs sisters, Roisin (8) and Clodagh (6), which has been immensely beneficial to them in coping with the loss of their little brother and was also a vital outlet for them during CJs treatment. The second charity to benefit from the fundraising cycle is Oscars Kids, who support families coping with a child's terminal cancer diagnosis. Their support enabled the McCann family to plan CJs Christmas last September - the only Christmas spent with CJ at home. A public appeal saw 40,000 Christmas cards delivered to the familys door. I wanted to do something that was a real challenge, so I chose the Malin to Mizen route, as opposed to Mizen to Malin, as its against the prevailing winds and, the way I saw it, CJ didnt get to decide on the mammoth challenge that was put before him, CJs father, Joe, said. Each of the cyclists will dedicate this cycle to CJ and the children who are currently battling cancer, or those who have left this world too soon. Those children - they are the real heroes; what they endure, how they get through it, how they keep smiling. Its just incredible, added Joe McCann.
Saoirse Ronan opens up about dealing with addiction in her life as she spreads awareness on the disorder following her latest movie role.

The 30-year-old is currently playing Rona in her latest movie called The Outrun.

The movie follows Rona who attempts to come to terms with her troubled past. She returns to the wild beauty of Scotland's Orkney Islands where she grew up, hoping to heal.

Rona appears to battle with alcoholism and speaking in a Channel 4 News interview, Saoirse said: "Coming from Ireland, in previous generations it is unfortunately just expected that a lot of males would have an unhealthy amount of alcohol consumption. If a woman does the exact same thing then it's like they are going straight to hell so of course that converstation needs to change."

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When asked if she knew someone in her life who was effected by the disorder, Ronan said: "I have, it is something I have been very familiar with and been on the receiving end of most of my life. That was another reason why eventually I think it was a topic that I wanted to explore in film. I think there is so much confusion when you have someone going through that struggle. Drink is so accessible and it is a particular substance we all build our lives around. Even though I don't feel fully forgiving, I feel like I understand it at a different angle now and it is an ongoing conversation you need to have."

Saoirse Una Ronan is an American-born Irish actress. Primarily known for her work in period dramas since adolescence, she has received various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for four Academy Awards and five British Academy Film Awards.

For more information on alcoholism see HERE.
Technology tycoon Mike Lynch, born to Irish parents, and his daughter are among six tourists missing after a luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily, sources said.

A body, believed to be that of the vessels chef, has been found and police divers are trying to reach the hull of the ship, which is resting at a depth of 50 metres.

Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, Italian news website la Reppublica stated.

Mr Lynch has strong Irish links as his mother was a nurse from Tipperary and his father a fireman from Cork.

In a 2015 radio interview, Mr Lynch confirmed that he was born in Ilford in London, despite a number of reports that he was born in Ireland and raised in England.

He said during the same interview that he spent childhood summers in Carrick-On-Shannon and Tipperary and has family who still live there.

(PA Graphics)

Sicilys civil protection agency told the BBC that 18-year-old Hannah Lynch was among those missing with her father, along with the yachts chef, Ricardo Thomas.

The yacht was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers.

Fifteen people including Mr Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued, according to local media.

The British-flagged superyacht, named Bayesian, capsized at about 5am local time off the coast of Palermo when the area was hit by a tornado.

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was made an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006.

In June, he was cleared of conducting a massive fraud relating to an 11 billion dollar (8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

A spokesperson for Mr Lynch said there was no comment.

The yacht sank as a fierce storm battered the area overnight.

Rescue operations in the stretch of sea near Palermo (Italian Coast Guard/AP)

The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported that the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.

Salvo Cocina of Sicilys civil protection agency said: They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Reppublica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

She said: I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

It was all dark. In the water I couldnt keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.

Charlotte and Sofia are being treated in hospital, as is Sofias father, James Emsley.

Karsten Borner, captain of a nearby boat, told journalists those missing included the Bayesians owner and a child, news agency Reuters reported.

He said his crew took on board some survivors who were on a life raft, including three who were seriously injured.

Fisherman Francesco Cefalu said he sailed from the shore to the scene after seeing a flare at about 4.30am, but by the time he arrived Bayesian had already sunk, with only items such as cushions and wood floating in the water.

He added: I think they are inside, all the missing people.

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected.

The Bayesian, left, was built in 2008 (Fabio La Bianca/PA)

Bayesian completed a number of sailings in recent days, calling at various ports in Sicily, according to ship-tracking website VesselFinder.

The superyacht can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites, and is listed for rent for up to 195,000 euros (166,000 ) a week.

She was built in 2008 by Italian company Perini Navi.

Her registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd, which is based on the Isle of Man.
by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, August 20, 2024

Coke vs. Pepsi, Hertz vs. Avis, Oreo vs. Hydrox -- these brand battles played out on TV in commercials that many of a certain age can still remember.

But when it comes to presidential politics in 2024, does TV still play a central role in the selling of the president? Are Trump and Harris Coke and Pepsi?

The 1969 bestseller The Selling of the President 1968 by Joe McGinnis positioned the presidential race that year in marketing terms. The original cover featured Richard Nixons face on a cigarette pack.

Theodore Whites famed quadrennial book series The Making of the President started with the 1960 campaign.

Many look back on the 1960 campaign as a watershed in the influence of TV on the presidential elections. White wrote subsequent books on the 1964, 68 and 72 campaigns.

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But TV was a presidential player even before 1960. The campaigns of the 1950s were supported by TV commercials. Conventions were first televised nationally in 1952.

Presidential candidates have long been thought of in terms of brands. Trump and Harris are brand names. Or in the case of Harris, Kamala might have a slight edge over Harris.

But are the two nominees just brands in name only? In the aggregate, this summers polling has the candidates more or less running neck-and-neck. The electorate once again seems split down the middle.

The TV Blogs impression of the campaign messaging from the candidates and the national news media that have clearly taken sides in this election is that both candidates and their media allies are preaching to their respective choirs.

It never seems as if anyone attends Trump rallies other than his supporters. The same goes for the Harris campaign.

Bits and pieces of these campaign appearances turn up on the news channels and network newscasts and depending on the cable channel, get either praised or vilified.

It is so obvious that it is almost funny how the news channels websites play the news on the candidates they clearly favor.

Monday at 2:30 p.m. (eastern), the lead headline on CNN.com was: Prominent conservative endorses Harris, calls Trump a threat to democracy.

On FoxNews.com at the same time, the lead story was this: Democrats platform repeats critical error 19 times when mentioning Biden.

Farther down on the Fox News site, the news was even more dire for Harris, according to this damning headline: "Diners furious after eatery cleared for 'staged' VP Harris stop."



The message was that Kamala Harris stands in the way of ordinary Americans who just want to eat their lunch.

Thats an entertaining story, but it is doubtful that many Americans from either camp are visiting the opposition media to learn about alternative points of view that, heaven forbid, they might even calmly consider.

Thus, stories about prominent conservatives rejecting Trump and lunch-goers going hungry because of Harris are of interest only to the partisan patrons of these news sites that preach only to them.

This week, all eyes are on the Democrats as they mount their convention in Chicago where they will try to define the Harris brand.

Thursday night is the most important night, and the one that gets the most viewership at any convention. It is the night Harris will deliver her acceptance speech.

On July 18, Trumps closing speech at the GOP convention drew just north of 25 million on TV platforms. Perhaps Harris can do the same.

In the brand battles cited at the top of this blog, the brands doing the battling were more or less the same thing -- two Colas, two rent-a-car companies and two kinds of sandwich cookies.

Unlike them, Trump and Harris are not Coke and Pepsi at all. They are more like Pepto-Bismol and Pepsi.
by Richard Whitman , Columnist, August 19, 2024

Shortly after Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was named the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, the Harris campaign released a video in which Walz said that he carried weapons of war in war.

That was a mistake that Walz quickly corrected -- although not before Republican VP candidate and designated attack dog J.D. Vance jumped all over Walzs military record, accusing him of not only of misappropriating valor, but also shirking his duty for retiring a few months before his National Guard unit received an order to prepare for deployment to Iraq.

advertisement advertisement By most accounts, Walzs 24-year National Guard service was distinguished, so why would the Republicans jump all over Walz when Vances running mate Donald Trump offers a much bigger target, for not just lack of service but also mocking those who have served?

Who knows, but the Lincoln Project leaped at the opening to create an ad that calls Trump a draft dodger, a coward, and the spoiled rich kid who faked bone spurs to avoid military service during the Vietnam war.

The ad features a clip from an interview with Howard Stern, where Trump discusses my Vietnam, which largely consisted of cruising New York City for sex while trying to avoid catching sexually transmitted diseases. Youve said that many times, notes Stern -- that that is how Trump has described his war experience, with Trump likening his debauched NYC lifestyle to being a great and very brave soldier.
by Tanya Gazdik , August 19, 2024

Harley-Davidson is the latest company to backtrack from progressive initiatives after pressure from an anti-DEI critic whose efforts were amplified by Elon Musk and other right-wing leaders.

The company faced pressure online from Robby Starbuck, a conservative activist who has successfully taken on DEI policies at several American companies," according to CNN Business. On X Monday, Starbuck called it a win for our movement and hinted that he would target another company.

Harley-Davidson stated we have not operated a DEI function since April 2024, and we do not have a DEI function today. We do not have hiring quotas and we no longer have supplier diversity spend goals.

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The company also said it would end its relationship with the Human Rights Campaign, a leading LGBTQ+ advocacy group.

The Milwaukee-based company on Monday said that it no longer has minority-owned supplier spending goals, will drop socially motivated training for employees and make other changes to back away from diversity programs, according to Bloomberg. "The motorcycle maker said in an email to staff on July 26 that had begun a review of its 'stakeholder and outreach activities' earlier this year, before Starbuck began targeting the manufacturer.

The company on Monday said the changes that it made were the result of that review.

We are saddened by the negativity on social media over the last few weeks, designed to divide the Harley-Davidson community, the company wrote in a statement posted on X. We remain committed to listening to all members of our community.

The iconic motorcycle brand follows John Deere & Co. and Tractor Supply Company, which both made similar decisions to scratch their diversity programs earlier this summer.

The decision illustrates the growing pressure on companies to shelve diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, according to CBS News. Some conservative activists are questioning the efficacy and fairness of policies aimed at making organizations more diverse and inclusive.

Starbuck has told the Associated Press he stands against hiring decisions based on race, as well as DEI initiatives and policies that he believes weave social issues and politics into a company's culture.
by Tanya Gazdik , August 20, 2024

Driver satisfaction with automotive brands has increased slightly, although customers remain cautious about making major purchases.

According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index Automobile Study 2024, satisfaction with both the mass-market and luxury segments is unchanged from the year before, while the smaller brands that comprise the all others measure lift the industrys overall ACSI score by climbing 7% to 81.

There are concerns over new vehicles becoming outdated quicker because of how fast technology evolves, says Forrest Morgeson, associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University and director of research emeritus at the ACSI.

Competition is tight among mass-market vehicles, especially at the top.

With Subaru up 1% and Toyota down 1%, the two now tie for first place with an ACSI score of 83.

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Subarus increase this year reflects its consistent focus on safety and reliability, Morgeson tells Marketing Daily. Meanwhile, Toyotas ongoing challenges in complaint handling are contributing to their slight dip. These small shifts in customer satisfaction will be important to follow as competition tightens among mass-market vehicles.

Honda is third, up 1% to 82, followed by Mazda (up 1% to 81), Buick (up 1% to 80), and Kia (up 4% to 80). Ford (up 3% to 79), Volkswagen (up 4% to 78), and Ram (up 4% to 77) all post strong ACSI gains as well.

Despite Ram and Jeep (up 1% to 75) posting satisfaction gains, Stellantis brands occupy the four lowest positions of the segment, with Dodge slipping 1% to an ACSI score of 74 and last-place Chrysler idle at 71.

All aspects of the customer experience remain the same or improve for mass-market vehicles. Driving performance and vehicle safety are at 84, while dependability, exterior appearance, and mobile app quality score 83. The lowest-scoring metrics all show gains: gas mileage improves 3% to 80, technology rises 3% to 80, and warranties increase 1% to 79.

The luxury segment also shows a two-way tie for first place between Mercedes-Benz (up 4%) and Tesla (unchanged) at 83.

Mercedes-Benzs customers are particularly satisfied with the companys hybrid vehicles. Meanwhile, Teslas pricing strategy may be helping with value perceptions, while improved complaint handling appears to offset some customer concerns in other areas over the past year.

Last years co-leader Lexus slips 1% to 82 and is now tied with Cadillac (unchanged) for second place. Audi is next, steady at 80, followed by BMW (down 1%) and Lincoln at 79 apiece. Acura sits in last place after tumbling 3% to an ACSI score of 77.

ACSI data based on fuel source type show hybrid drivers (82) are more satisfied than gasoline drivers (80) and electric vehicle drivers (77).

Hybrid vehicles earned the highest satisfaction in both mass market and luxury industries, as car owners are able to feel theyre doing something positive for the environment without the high sticker price, higher insurance premiums, and more expensive and difficult repairs that EVs tend to incur, Morgeson says.

Automakers are responding accordingly, and those that initially focused on new EV offerings are shifting focus to create more attractive hybrid options. We expect this trend to continue."

The study is based on 12,173 completed surveys. Customers were chosen at random and contacted via email between July 2023 and June 2024.
by Sarah Mahoney @mahoney_sarah, August 20, 2024

Companies winning with Hispanic consumers come from diverse industries, with YouTube, Bounty, Sony, Google and Dove ranking highest. New research from Collage Group finds that these brands dominate through their ability to connect with consumers by drawing on their strong sense of cultural duality, positivity, engagement and desire to blaze new trails.

The research looked at more than 800 brands and found those that scored best do so by tapping into the cultural duality of todays Hispanics, blending traditional heritage with modern cultural influences, like contemporary music and fashion. They also embrace cultural specificity, prioritizing the needs of Spanish speakers, bringing friends and family together, and helping them explore their roots.

Cultural duality is all about appreciating your heritage and traditions and modern mainstream U.S. culture, writes Jack Mackinnon, senior director of cultural insights at Collage. Most Hispanics in the U.S. are also bicultural, meaning they speak both Spanish and English and feel connected to their familys culture of origin and U.S. culture. Its also important to note that the vast majority of Hispanics are born in the U.S., so this isnt an immigration story directly. Its an immigration-influenced story.

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Ziploc, Colgate, Band-Aid, Nike and Amazon also make Collages Top 10 Hispanic brands.

Collage specializes in measuring cultural fluency by measuring six components of peoples sentiments, including positive memories of the brand, values, trust and advocacy. It released the data as many brands gear up for National Hispanic Heritage Month, observed from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.

Collage notes that the brands that resonate best are devoted to Hispanic audiences all year. In a more detailed case study of Sony, ranked No. 3, the market research company points out multiple ways the brand tells Hispanic-themed stories in many ways. The company offers year-round support through partnerships, internal efforts, and inclusive Spanish language initiatives.

That includes releasing family-friendly movies that span decades, for instance, which help build cozy bonds with family-oriented Hispanics. Among Hispanic respondents, 39% say they are likelier to watch a show or movie if the whole family can enjoy it, versus 30% of the general population.

Sony is especially connected to Gen Z. Younger Hispanics tend to be more engaged in media consumption  particularly music, Sudipti Kumar, director of multicultural insights, tells Marketing Daily via email. Brands engaging with musicians that are relevant to them. She points to Sonys partnership with Mexican rapper Peso Pluma as an example.

Among Hispanic audiences of all ages, 87% say they like or love Sony, versus 57% of the general audience. And 45% of respondents describe the brand as being on the rise.

The U.S. Census reports that at 65.2 million, Hispanic consumers represent the nations largest ethnic or racial minority, at 19.5%of the total population. A total of 13 states now contain more than one million Hispanic consumers, with a median age of 31.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, August 20, 2024

Google reached out to advertisers after its ad platform served one advertisers products in another advertisers account -- apologizing for the mistake, and also asking them to do something out of the ordinary.

The advertising system experienced significant glitches on a variety of reporting platforms. Now, several weeks later, Google has instructed advertisers to delete any copies of data made if they found incorrect data in accounts.

@AnalyticsNija, an analytics consultant on X, posted comments with a photo of his email, saying Google is asking the impacted advertiser (who??) to be a good citizen and delete data.

In the email, Google admitted that due to a system issue, some products in Google Merchant Center accounts were served with another advertisers ad. This began on July 30.

Product attributes data such as Merchant Center ID, Brand, Category and Product titles were temporarily unavailable in reporting in that Google Ads account in the Report Editor, Ads Editor and Google Ads API.

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Google also said in the letter that no personal identifiable information (PII) or payment information was shared, and assured advertisers that their account was not billed for serving the ads.

From a software perspective, Google engineers are being encouraged to make many more changes very quickly, according to Jim Yu, founder and executive chairman of BrightEdge.

They are being challenged to move faster than in the past, he said. With that many updates it could increase the number of bugs.

Yu said that even after OpenAIs launch of SearchGPT, the changes Google made on its AI platform continue to accelerate.

The reporting bug is not the only recent glitch in Googles system. On Tuesday, Google confirmed it has resolved issues around the search ranking bug that surfaced late last week. The bug was first spotted around the release of the August 2024 core update last week.

"A Google Search ranking bug impacted a large amount of Google Search results in an ongoing issue," Google wrote at the time, adding that it had found the root cause and that "the issue was unrelated to the ongoing core update rollout."

John Mueller, senior search analyst at Google, wrote on LinkedIn that as of Monday, the team was not satisfied with the results and continued to work on solving the problem. He said he did not think there were any visible effects for marketers, and the company would provide an update in two days.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, August 20, 2024

Siding against Google, a federal appellate court on Tuesday revived a privacy lawsuit brought by Chrome users who said the company wrongly gathered information about their web-browsing activity.

In a unanimous 23-page decision, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers's determination that the plaintiffs consented to Google's alleged practices, which she said were disclosed in various privacy policies.

The appellate panel ruled that questions regarding Chrome users' consent to data collection require further analysis, and sent the case back to Rogers for additional proceedings.

While the judges didn't definitively decide whether the plaintiffs consented, the ruling suggests that Google's various privacy disclosures were so confusing that they may not have been understandable by most people.

Whether a 'reasonable' user of Googles computer software at issue in this case consented to a particular data collection practice is not to be determined by attributing to that user the skill of an experienced business lawyer or someone who is able to easily ferret through a labyrinth of legal jargon to understand what he or she is consenting to, Circuit Judge Milan Smith, Jr. wrote in an opinion joined by Mark Bennett and Anthony Johnstone.

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They added: A determination of what a 'reasonable' user would have understood must take into account the level of sophistication attributable to the general public, which uses Googles service.

A Google spokesperson said the company disagrees with the ruling and is confident the facts of the case are on our side.

The ruling comes in a battle dating to 2020, when Patrick Calhoun and other Chrome users claimed in a class-action complaint that Google violated Chrome's privacy policy, the federal wiretap law, and various California laws by allegedly collecting users' IP addresses and information about web browsing activity.

Calhoun and the others specifically alleged that Google failed to honor the following statement in Chrome's privacy policy: The personal information that Chrome stores wont be sent to Google unless you choose to store that data in your Google account by turning on sync.

They claimed Google violated that provision by collecting data regardless of whether they had synced their Google account to Chrome.

Google countered that its various privacy policies, taken together, informed Chrome users about the collection of IP addresses and cookie identifiers.

The company also said that the phrase personal information in Chrome's privacy policy referred to data such as bookmarks and passwords -- not pseudonymous information such as IP addresses or web-browsing data stored on cookies.

Rogers granted Google's motion for summary judgment, writing in a decision issued last year that statements in Chrome's privacy policy cannot be read in a vacuum or cherry-picked.

Calhoun and the others then appealed to the 9th Circuit, where the battle drew attention from outside parties including the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

That organization argued to the 9th Circuit that Google shouldn't have prevailed based on disclosures in the general policies when it also made representations in a Chrome-specific policy.

When Google makes specific privacy promises to Chrome users, the company should not be allowed to override those promises with blanket disclaimers in its general user agreement, that group argued.
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, August 20, 2024

The City of Boston has launched a new marketing campaign with the cheeky title, Get Your Pass In Gear to encourage Bostonians to access transportation through Boston Bikes Pass. The program provides free and discounted membership for the citys public bike-share program, Boston Bluebikes.

Boston partnered with ad agency Gupta Media on the outdoor, social and digital effort. Ads will appear over the next several months on billboards in prominent high-volume commuter locations, as well as digital placements in and around public transportation.

advertisement advertisement Boston residents deserve access to sustainable, affordable transit, and we want to make sure Boston residents know about the Boston Bikes Pass that can help them get around the city by removing financial barriers, said Mayor Michelle Wu.
by Ray Schultz , August 20, 2024

Conde Nast has signed a multi-year agreement with OpenAI to ensure proper attribution and compensation for use of our intellectual property, CEO Roger Lynch announced on Tuesday.

The arrangement will expand the reach of Conde Nasts content. Lynch adds.

This is yet another big agreement for OpenAI: It has also signed deals with Dotdash Meredith, News Corp., Financial Times and Axel Springer. However, it is also being sued by several entities, including The New York Times and the New York Daily News and other Alden Global Capital publications.

Over the last decade, news and digital media have faced steep challenges as many technology companies eroded publishers ability to monetize content, most recently with traditional search, Lynch notes. Our partnership with OpenAI begins to make up for some of that revenue, allowing us to continue to protect and invest in our journalism and creative endeavors.

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Terms of the arrangement were not disclosed, but the News Corp. arrangement with OpenAI reportedly is worth $250 million.



Were committed to working with Conde Nast and other news publishers to ensure that as AI plays a larger role in news discovery and delivery, it maintains accuracy, integrity, and respect for quality reporting, says Brad Lightcap, COO, OpenAI.

OpenAI has shown that it is OpenAI is very committed to supporting journalism, Lynch adds.

They have been transparent and willing to productively work with publishers like us so that the public can receive reliable information and news through their platforms, he says.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, August 20, 2024

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups this week urged a federal appeals court to vacate the Federal Communications Commission's recent open internet rules.

Replacing the current light-touch regime with the orders heavy-handed regulation will harm the broadband industry by stifling investment and innovation, the Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable and National Association of Manufactures asserts in a friend-of-the-court brief filed Monday with the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The groups are backing the broadband industry's challenge to the FCC's recent Safeguarding and Security the Open Internet order, which restored the Obama-era's net neutrality rules.

The order, which was passed 3-2 earlier this year, reclassified broadband as a Title II utility service and imposed some common carrier rules on providers -- including bans on blocking or throttling traffic, and charging higher fees for prioritized delivery The Obama-era FCC passed similar rules in 2015, but they were repealed three years later during the Trump administration.

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Earlier this month, a three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked the new order from going into effect, ruling that the broadband providers are likely to prevail in their effort to scuttle the FCC's order.

The broadband industry contends that a decision to treat broadband as a utility service is the type of major policy move that requires clear authorization by Congress.

The Chamber of Commerce and other business organizations agree, writing that the FCC failed to point to a clear statement by Congress that would have granted the agency authority to impose common carrier rules on broadband providers.

The FCC simply cannot do so under a law designed for the rotary phone, the business groups write, referring to Title II of the Communications Act.

They also predict that the rules will discourage carriers from investing in broadband.

Reclassifying broadband as a common carrier will generate uncertainty about regulatory requirements and increase the cost of compliance, the business groups assert.

That, in turn, will deter investment in the broadband industry. As a result, the industry will see a decrease in technological advances in broadband, hampering businesses ability to compete in the global economy.

Net neutrality proponents disagree that broadband carriers will decrease investment as a result of the rules.

The group Free Press, which supports net neutrality, argued in a report submitted earlier this year to the FCC that internet service providers "are strongly committed to deploying and upgrading their networks ahead of consumer demand, because they are confident that doing so is key to future financial prosperity in the face of increasing competition.

The group said in its report that net neutrality rules are a non-factor for internet service provider executives and investment analysts.

Title II and Net Neutrality were not mentioned, or even hinted at, by a single [internet service provider] on any full-year 2023 investor calls or at other investor conference, the group wrote in its report, which was based on public statements by cable company and telecom executives, and newly released financial data.

After the FCC revoked the Obama-era rules, California and several other states passed their own versions of net neutrality. California's law prohibits broadband providers from blocking or throttling traffic, charging higher fees for fast-lane service, and exempting their own video streams from consumers' data caps.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that law in 2022.
  Trusted Source

Five-year sustainability of a de-implementation strategy to reduce inappropriate use of catheters: a multicentre, mixed-methods study



Go to source Trusted Source

Did You Know?

More than 10% of patients suffer from infections caused by both intravenous (IV) and catheters. #intravenousinfection #UnnecessaryIntravenousUse 

More than 10% of patients suffer from infections caused by both intravenous (IV) and catheters. #intravenousinfection #UnnecessaryIntravenousUse 

Risk of Intravenous Line Infections

Cutting Down on Unnecessary Use of IVs and Catheters

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Five-year sustainability of a de-implementation strategy to reduce inappropriate use of catheters: a multicentre, mixed-methods study - (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(24)00364-X/fulltext)

Sustainable strategy can help reduce inappropriate intravenous (IV) and catheter use by more than a third, reports a new study.The findings of the study are published injournal ().A new study led by Amsterdam UMC, across more than 5 years and 1100 patients has demonstrated a new strategy for reducing inappropriate IV use by a third, an effect that was sustained across the five-year period. This should also lead to reduction in the associated infections that effect one in ten patients."Infections caused by both IVs and catheters occur in more than 10% of patients and studies indicate that up to a quarter are not necessary. Simply, this means that patients are placed at an unnecessarily high risk of infection. This can delay, or even hamper their recovery, says Suzanne Geerlings, professor of internal medicine at Amsterdam UMC.In order to combat this, the research team published in 2017 a strategy in. This strategy resulted in a 37% reduction in the number of unnecessary or, inappropriately used, catheters."When we speak of inappropriate use, this usually refers to catheters that are placed for too long or, in the case of urinary catheters, when there is insufficient support for the patient, adds Geerlings.Across the 1113 patients included in the study, 962 received an IV catheter, typically used for the administration of fluids, with the remaining 151 receiving a urinary catheter with the remaining 962 receiving an IV catheter."What is really interesting is that no study has ever looked at how lasting these recommendations are, and this is true for many new strategies in the healthcare sector . In this case, we see clearly that the effects were sustained over last five years, says Geerlings.To understand why their strategy continued to work, the research team carried out interviews with 18 healthcare professionals across the Netherlands. These interviews revealed that the strategy had permanently altered the workflow in four of the five hospitals included in the study."By talking with those on the ground, we learned what worked and, perhaps more crucially, what didnt," says Tessa van Horrik, researcher at Amsterdam UMC and the first author the study."The main barriers to maintaining the strategy were a combination of other priorities, a shortage of time, of personnel or of both and, understandably, in some cases, there was simply no one to lead the implementation across the five-year period. This shows us that the strategy can work, as long as the resources are there. adds van Horrik.However, the study demonstrated that these resources need not be permanent. It was shown that a temporary investment, in either time or leadership, was sufficient to reduce the unnecessary or inappropriate use of IVs and catheters.Source-Eurekalert
Tony Vaccaro is one of the most respected photo-chroniclers of WWII. We look at the story behind his iconic photography.

My approach was this: I said to myself, Tony, dont worry about how good the picture is going to be under difficult conditions and light. Take it, no matter what. If the eye sees it, take it.

This advice led Tony Vaccaro to take over 10,000 photographs, both as a soldier and a civilian, recording the brutal realities of WWII and its aftermath. As a young GI in the 83rd Infantry Division, he took part in the Normandy Landings armed with an M-1 rifle and an Argus C-3 camera  a rather amateur model that had one invaluable quality: it was almost indestructible. After one particularly rough dive for cover, a large chunk was chipped off the tip of the camera, and Vaccaro was convinced that, had it been any other camera, his vast portfolio would not exist today.

But a chipped camera was the least of Vaccaros worries.

Taking photographs while entering potentially deadly combat situations would require a dexterous balancing act: with his rifle crooked prone on his arm, he would snap a frame, let the camera drop to the strap round his neck, and quickly move on. Some negatives were damaged as a result of the harsh conditions he found himself in, and many show water marks and stains suffered in the field. Yet, these imperfections only make the resulting photographs more intense and immediate  the flaws in the image help to capture the reality of a chaotic battlefield.

The challenges he faced included a shortage of 35mm film and the distinct lack of battlefield darkrooms. So Vaccaro had to improvise. In Germany, whenever his regiment entered a town, he headed for the nearest camera shop or pharmacy and took whatever photography equipment he required. The development process, too, was an improvised, haphazard, night-time operation. The developer was poured into a borrowed helmet while his own was used for the fixing chemical that preserves the negatives  a fiddly, frustrating procedure, often resulting in spilled chemicals and compromised photos.

But it paid off . Vaccaros shots were developed, and he arranged to have them mailed back to his sister in America. Disaster struck, however, when the first batch, which included all his work from Normandy, was confiscated by a military censor and never returned. From then on, Vaccaro never let his work out of his sight, keeping his developed film rolled on a movie film reel and stored in his backpack. At one stage, he even risked going AWOL to retrieve some negatives that had been taken from him, so eager was he not to lose his work.

These two photographs display some Vaccaros finest work; a stark contrast between high spirited elation and utter despair. The scene from St Briac-Sur-Mer came after the Normandy landings as the Allies advanced through France. The shot portrays hope, optimism, and peaceful interaction between people of different nations; not exactly typical attributes of war photography. Here, Vaccaro describes his opportunism and the innocence of the scene:

The little girl had a handkerchief covering up her eyes and the others were spinning her around. She was to touch someone, and her hand met that of Sergeant Gene Constanzo of Pittsburgh, PA. When I saw this scene, I ran over to them and set the camera at 2.40 meters by 0.03 of a second. At about this distance I clicked the shutter and took the picture, right a_ er the third kiss. If there had been only two kisses, I would have missed everything. But in Brittany they always kiss three times and thus I captured my most meaningful photo of the war.

In comparison, the photo of a German prisoner of war returning to his home town of Frankfurt to discover his house bombed and his family no longer there, shows the kind the depressing moments of dejected subjects we associate with images of war. No stranger to scenes of despair, Vaccaro caught the defeated man in the throws of grief, as the bombed shells of former houses loom eerily behind him. Evoked here is a quiet grief, a silent inner turmoil raging within the man shattered by the overwhelming news of his loved ones.

Together, these two images showcase Vaccaros talent for capturing a moment, joyous or devastating. His enormous collection of war-time images, however, was just the beginning of his career.

After witnessing the end of the war in Berlin, he stayed on as photographer for the US Army newspaper until 1949. A year later, he returned to the States, where he worked for Flair, Look, Life, and Venture magazines.

In 1963 he was awarded his first medal  not for bravery, but for the

best fashion photo from the esteemed Art Directors Club in New York.

Tony Vaccaro lives and continues to work in Long Island City, New York.
A former Air National Guardsman who fled to Russia amid criminal charges of possessing child pornography appears to now be serving in the Russian military as a drone operator -- but he denies betraying the U.S., according to videos released Monday by Russia's Ministry of Defence.

Wilmer Puello-Mota, 28, a former security forces technical sergeant with the Massachusetts Air National Guard, fled the U.S. at the beginning of the year and appeared in videos and social media posts in April claiming that he was intent on joining Putin's army after already having helped fight in a key city in eastern Ukraine.

Puello-Mota's flight to Russia occurred as a legal case for possession of child pornography that began in 2020 wound its way through the Rhode Island court system and, according to local outlets, was at a plea deal.

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In a video released on the instant-messaging service Telegram by the Ministry of Defence, a man adorned in military camouflage and armor, complete with a Russian flag on his chest, told viewers, "I'm Will. I'm from Massachusetts, Boston," before adding that he goes by the call sign "Boston."

In the video, Puello-Mota says that he served for 10 years in the Air Force before joining the Air National Guard and that his job was "air base defense ... it's military police, security forces."

"We deal with things like drones and other things. ... I've definitely been able to apply some of those skills, leadership skills as well here," he added.

Both the Air Force and Air National Guard confirmed that Puello-Mota served, but his combined years of service on active duty and the Guard appear to fall short of 10 years.

The Air Force's records show that Puello-Mota joined in June 2013 and left active duty six years later in 2019 as a security forces staff sergeant. Air National Guard officials previously confirmed to Military.com that Puello-Mota went on to become a technical sergeant with the Massachusetts Air National Guard but that he was separated in October 2022 following his criminal charges.

Air Force records show that Puello-Mota did deploy to Afghanistan once and earned two Air Force Achievement medals.

Don Veitch, a spokesperson for the 104th Fighter Wing in Massachusetts, told Military.com in an email in April that "criminal activity is not compatible with our values as an organization and will not be tolerated in our ranks."

According to the Russian defense ministry, Puello-Mota is now a reconnaissance drone operator; he himself said he is part of the 137th Brigade.

Puello-Mota made no mention of his outstanding legal charges or the fact that his travel to Moscow in January took state officials by surprise.

According to court documents provided to Military.com by the office of the Rhode Island attorney general, Puello-Mota boarded a flight Jan. 7, two days before he was supposed to be in court regarding his charges, and flew from Dulles International Airport in Virginia for Turkey.

In Monday's video, he said that he arrived in Russia in January and "spent some time in Moscow" before serving in an international brigade in the Ukrainian province of Donetsk for three months.

According to The Boston Globe, Puello-Mota and his lawyer reached a deal to plead guilty to his charges in exchange for an 18-month prison sentence.

"The state has received photos and videos purporting to be the defendant in Russia and Ukraine, where he is alleged to have joined the Russian military," Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha wrote in a court document earlier this year.

"While the state cannot verify the authenticity of the videos and photographs, if they are accurate, the defendant is well beyond the jurisdiction of this court and, if false, the defendant is engaged in an elaborate ruse to conceal his whereabouts."

Puello-Mota said that he doesn't consider himself a traitor and instead used a commonly cited Russian talking point that "the United States has done things that are very provocative, very bad."

"It's been involved in other people's politics, other nations' interests, and should not be doing that," he argued.

Puello-Mota was praised by his Russian commander in a separate video as having passion for his work and being a very good pilot who approaches his work professionally.

Likewise, the onetime Guardsman praises his Russian comrades by saying that "they help me to navigate all the complexities and the cultural differences."

"I couldn't have picked a better group of people to be here with. I love these guys."

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include service details provided by the Air Force.

Related: Former Air National Guardsman Facing Child Porn Charges May Have Defected to Russian Military
Democrats voted Monday on a 91-page party platform that maps out a continuance of President Joe Biden's foreign policy and military commitments and calls for meeting a "sacred obligation" to care for troops, families and veterans.

The nine-chapter platform, approved by the Democratic National Committee's platform committee on July 16 -- five days before Biden dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris nearly as soon as he halted his campaign, focuses on the administration's accomplishments and takes swipes at GOP nominee former President Donald Trump, arguing for continued Democratic leadership.

While the platform largely centers on issues such as the economy, abortion and reproductive rights, inequality and immigration, it also harkens back to Biden's 2022 State of the Union speech, addressing the president's "unity agenda" of policies such as cancer research, drug abuse, mental health and veterans that traditionally have been supported by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

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According to the platform, "President Biden believes that our nation has no more sacred obligation than providing for our military service members when they're sent into harm's way and caring for them and their families after they come home," while Trump "called members of the military who died in war 'suckers' and 'losers.'"

Trump has denied making the comments, which were reported by The Atlantic in 2020 and confirmed in 2023 by Trump's former chief of staff, retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly.

"President Biden signed into law more than 30 bipartisan bills addressing critical issues facing veterans, service members, and families today," including the PACT Act, the expansion of health care and benefits for veterans exposed to environmental pollutants overseas, the platform states.

As part of the platform, the Democrats pledged to increase support for veterans' mental health and legal and financial stability; prioritize implementation of military justice reform to protect victims of sexual assault and violent crime in the military; decrease veteran homelessness and crack down on fraud against veterans; improve Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities; and improve military spouse employment and access to child care.

"Properly investing in our military also means first and foremost investing in those who are the bedrock of it: our service members," the platform reads.

In 2021, the Biden administration relaunched Joining Forces, an initiative co-founded in 2011 by then-first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden to support military personnel, veterans and their families, focusing on improving military spouse employment, child care services and education.

Last year, Jill Biden visited 10 military installations as part of the initiative, saying that supporting military and veterans' spouse employment is a "national security imperative."

"Our service members shouldn't have to choose between their love of our country and their love of family," Jill Biden said in June during a visit to Fort Liberty, North Carolina.

In terms of foreign policy, the Democratic platform pledges continued help to Ukraine in its war against Russia, supports Israel against Hamas and calls for a cease-fire and two-state solution for Palestinians, and for the U.S. to be "tough but smart" toward China through economic strength at home and supporting allies in the Indo-Pacific region. It also expresses interest in working with China to tackle global concerns such as climate change and drug trafficking.

In their platform approved last month, Republicans vowed to "return peace through strength" by ensuring that the country's military is the strongest and best-equipped in the world, but also saying the military would be used "only in clear instances where our national interests are threatened."

The Republicans said they would counter China, defeat terrorism, build a missile defense system for the U.S., revive the defense industrial base and secure the borders.

"We will invest in cutting-edge research and advanced technologies, including an Iron Dome Missile Defense Shield, support our troops with higher pay, and get woke left-wing Democrats fired as soon as possible," they wrote, referring to progressive ideology and policies they say are out of sync with the beliefs of the majority of Americans.

The Democratic National Convention is being held Aug. 19-22 in Chicago. Prior to the largely ceremonial platform vote on Monday, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, co-chair of the convention platform committee, said the platform is a "forward-looking vision for our party that echoes the voice of all."

Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, co-chair of the DNC's platform committee, said the document spells out a "bold vision for our future."

"[Our platform] makes a strong statement about the historic work that President Biden and Vice President Harris have accomplished hand-in-hand," Landrieu said.

Whether any veterans besides presumptive vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will speak is not known; a full list of speakers has not been released.

Relatives of some of the 13 U.S. service members killed during the withdrawal from Afghanistan spoke at the Republican National Convention in July in Milwaukee. Biden has been sharply criticized for the chaotic withdrawal that resulted in the troops' deaths and an estimated 170 others by a suicide bomber at the Kabul airport in 2021.

In October 2020, Trump tweeted that he planned to complete the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan by Christmas that year, but he did not accomplish the task.

In the keystone speech of the night, Joe Biden recounted his administration's successes, including passage of the PACT Act -- in making an argument that the nation should support Harris.

"I was so proud to have written and signed the PACT Act, one of the most significant laws ever, helping veterans and their families exposed to toxic materials like burn pits and Agent Orange," Biden said. "It's already helping over one million veterans and their families just so far. Well, I love them, and I'm so proud of my son's service."

Read Next: Here's What Biden and Trump Actually Did for Veterans as President
Two military veterans were awarded free homes in a new Orange County community Monday, arriving in a motorcade as hundreds of onlookers waving American flags cheered for them.

This is truly life-changing for us. Its basically like giving a golden ticket to veterans, said retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Kaia Santana. Youve elevated our quality of life and showed that we matter, that our service mattered, that sacrifice means something to somebody and that we are seen and appreciated.

Santana was injured on a military base in Iraq in 2005. She and her husband and three children will share the two-story home with a backyard pool.

Santana and retired U.S. Army Sergeant James Burse were awarded the homes through the Building Homes for Heroes, a national program that began after 9-11, and the home construction company Pulte Groups Built to Honor program. Both programs aim to provide free homes to injured veterans and first responders.

The veterans new homes sit next to each other in Pultes EverBe community, located east of Orlando International Airport.

Each 2,563-square-foot home has five bedrooms and three bathrooms. Single-family homes in EverBe typically sell from about $435,000 up to $785,000, according to the community website.

The families got their first glimpses of the completed homes after a ceremony held under a tent set up between the new houses.

Weve had the pleasure of doing this one other time in Central Florida and this time we decided we could do two at one time, said Clint Ball, president of Pulte Groups Central Florida division. We are so thrilled to be able to welcome the Burse and Santana families into our community, into Orlando and into our family.

Santana served 19 years in the Air Force, completing tours of duty in Greece, Guam, Iraq and Japan before being honorably and medically discharged in 2016.

She sustained multiple injuries while on deployment and has struggled with bouts of post-traumatic stress disorder in the past, stemming from continuous IED and mortar attacks on the base in Iraq.

After her time in the military, Santana pursued an education in culinary arts and accepted a position at Walt Disney World in 2023.

Burse completed deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, serving nine years before sustaining injuries in a 2009 explosion while overseas. He suffered nerve damage in his back as a result of the explosion, forcing him to learn how to walk again and leaving him with PTSD, extreme migraines and other issues.

Honorably and medically retired since 2015, Burse and his wife Tiffany have since worked extensively with Operation Barnabas, a program helping veterans with suicidal ideations and facing homelessness.

Burse said he was homeless for a time and spent some time living in his vehicle. The new home provided to him and his wife shows the benefit of giving veterans help after their years of service.

That veteran out there with the sign up that says hungry or willing to work, give them a shot or give them a hand because you never know, he said. I was that guy and look at me now, so weve always got to give our heroes a shot.

_____

2024 Orlando Sentinel. Visit at orlandosentinel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier is in the twilight zone.

Earlier this year, Harriers were flying around the eastern Mediterranean on a deterrence mission amid the Israel war. The aircraft was proving its worth once again, as it has for more than 40 years.

But some of the jets are already being repurposed to museums as the Harrier -- once the bleeding edge of Marine Corps aviation with its vertical takeoff and landing capability -- is set to be retired and the service transitions to the new F-35 Lightning II. Its squadrons have dwindled to two, and its maintainers have hit the fleet for the last time.

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"We're in an interesting place in our history," Lt. Col. John Cumbie, the commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 223, one of the remaining Harrier units out of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, told Military.com in a recent interview.

"It is interesting to look at what we're doing real-world operationally and also how we are divesting of our equipment, aircraft and transitioning our people to new platforms or new [military occupational specialties] in the Marine Corps," he said.

Part of the transition plan for the Harrier, which is expected to "sunset" completely within the next three years, includes finding spots for the Marines and support personnel who use it, maintain it and help it fly.

"Harrier pilots ... the maintainers, the support Marines, our Navy corpsmen and flight surgeons, it is our responsibility as the leadership to make sure that all these service members are taken care of," Cumbie said of the likely "name-by-name" transition plan for those personnel.

That transition plan began a decade ago. Harrier officer requirements -- typically pilots -- have "progressively reduced" since 2014, Maj. Melissa Spencer, a spokesperson for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, told Military.com via email Tuesday. Many Harrier pilots have been or will transfer to train on the F-35.

"There is not a specific quota or goal for how many Harrier pilots will transition to the F-35. Every Harrier pilot who transitions to the F-35 brings a wealth of experience -- both in the aircraft and in leading Marines -- which significantly helps to fill senior leadership roles within the F-35 community," Spencer said. "It is important that we retain their expertise, experience and talent."

For the upcoming fiscal year, Harrier pilots were selected to fill more than 60% of the transition selections for the new aircraft, Spencer said, meaning that the new F-35 will receive a hearty number of Harrier pilots and their skills. This year marks the final year for training new Harrier pilots out of flight school and, as those final pilots hit the fleet, they will have the opportunity to go over to the F-35.

On the enlisted side, for maintainers and other crew, "planners are focused on maintaining the population of highly trained and skilled AV-8B maintenance Marines necessary to fully support the two remaining AV-8B squadrons," Spencer said.

"There are currently reenlistment incentives to keep the appropriate number of Marines in the Harrier community," she added, but did not specify what those incentives are or how many Marines the service expects to keep on the non-pilot side.

If eligible, Marines can transfer to communities outside of the F-35, however. Spencer specifically mentioned "future careers in areas such as communications, contracting, intelligence, logistics and other fields."

"To support flight operations through sundown and meet F-35 support, Enlisted Assignments has a phasing plan in place to transition Marines to the F-35 community as their skills become no longer required in the Harrier community," Spencer said. Pilots who do not transition to the F-35 -- if they choose to stay in the Marine Corps -- can expect to take roles as air officers supporting ground units, forward air controllers, planners or instructors, as well as other leadership or staff roles.

With the transition to the F-35, the Marine Corps is hoping to tap into the talent of the Harrier community for the new generation of jets.

"There's a plan in place, and it's years in advance," Cumbie said of the scheme to help retain that community. "So, we've got a solid framework for how we are going to transition the right way from AV-8B Harrier to F-35."

'Far-Reaching Effect on Military Aviation'

The idea for an American vertical/short takeoff and landing aircraft, or V/STOL, was born in the wake of the Korean War, Larry Burke, the aviation curator for the National Museum of the Marine Corps, told Military.com in an interview.

Gen. Randolph Pate, the 21st commandant of the Marine Corps, sent a letter to the Navy in 1957 essentially saying that vertical takeoff and landing would be an ultimate requirement for future amphibious operations," Burke said.

Coming off of intense amphibious operations in World War II, and seeing the necessity of helicopters during the Korean War, the Marine Corps and its leaders wanted an aircraft that could bring the maneuverability of rotary aircraft but with the distance and ordnance packages of a fixed-wing plane.

Marine Maj. Gen. Homer S. Hill told Congress in 1970 that "an aircraft which is deployed and based as simply as a helicopter, but which packs the punch of a conventional attack aircraft, is going to have a far-reaching effect on military aviation," according to the National Naval Aviation Museum.

The Marine Corps had actually sent two pilots -- Col. Tom Miller and Lt. Col. Bud Baker -- over to the United Kingdom "on the sly" in the late sixties to test the Harrier, Burke said. The Harrier originated in the U.K., and there was institutional hesitance to use or buy foreign-made aircraft, even if it was from an ally.

"They don't tell the Navy that they're going over to do this," Burke said. "And they negotiate with the British who said, 'Your two pilots can come over, but we don't want them wearing uniforms, and we don't want news coverage of this.'"

Miller and Baker were "blown away" by the Harrier's capabilities and immediately started lobbying for it within the Marine Corps, Burke said. The first deliveries of the British-built Royal Air Force version of the aircraft -- with American systems attached -- began in 1971.

The Harrier was integral to the Marine Corps' amphibious operations from its outset, Burke said. Departing from ships, Marines would be able to take unimproved airfields for the Harriers to operate out of.

Using their vertical and short takeoff capabilities, the Harriers -- with 22,000 pounds of thrust -- could quickly launch from ships and then transition to airfields ashore, where crews and maintenance personnel could keep them flying as close to the fight as possible, freeing up amphibious ships to go elsewhere and allowing ground commanders to work directly with pilots for their operational needs.

"The idea [was] keeping the air support as close as possible to the front lines to reduce that time between the call for air support and the delivery of air support," Burke said. "They don't have to fly all the way back out to a carrier like the fixed-wing support; they don't have to fly off to a friendly airfield somewhere else. That really becomes central to the idea of how the Marines planned to use, and ultimately do use, the Harrier."

One of the best examples of the Harrier's utility was Operation Desert Storm. According to the National Naval Aviation Museum, 86 Harriers flew combat missions from ships and the shore, and during 3,380 sorties dropped nearly 6 million pounds of ordnance against Iraq.

"Marines and the 82nd Airborne are the first U.S. units to show up in Saudi Arabia," Burke said. "Once it's decided that the U.S. is going to help defend Saudi Arabia against the Iraqis, Harriers are one of the first squadrons to get there."

By the time the Global War on Terror began, the Harrier was already seeing improvements in its systems and how much ordnance it could carry, continuing to make it a necessity for Marines on the ground.

Those improvements to night vision, infrared and targeting systems -- even the ability for a service member on the ground to punch in coordinates for a target that the Harrier pilot would then immediately receive -- turned "what had been a day attack aircraft into a night, all-weather attack aircraft," Burke said. In its current iteration, the AV-8B Harrier II, the aircraft has the ability to drop 500- and 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAMs, rockets and fire a 25mm cannon, making it one of the most lethal strike jets in recent history.

"Since then, we're constantly upgrading and improving this aircraft through our program office and our operational test squadrons," said Cumbie, the Harrier pilot. "And even to this day, we're still making improvements now that will see us through the end of the life cycle of the aircraft."

Bittersweet goodbye, but in the right direction

Cumbie, who has been part of the Harrier community for about 14 years, flew one of his squadron's jets to the Hickory Aviation Museum in North Carolina last month, delivering it to its final stop on a 30-year road, according to the aircraft's historical records, which were provided to Military.com by the squadron.

An estimated 3,000 spectators came to witness Cumbie perform three fly-bys alongside another Harrier on its way to the museum, according to the museum's website.

"Rather than let this aircraft sit in a warehouse and collect spiderwebs, let's give it to somebody who's going to preserve it, maintain it, and keep it looking nice, and tell the story of our aircraft and our squadron and our legacy," Cumbie said.

While the short flight was part of a long goodbye for the aircraft, it is still being used by Marines today, with six to 12 of them supporting Marine expeditionary units deployed globally, according to the Marine Corps' 2022 Aviation Plan, though as it transitions that number may be lower.

As late as April, Harriers were embarked with the 24th MEU, according to public photos, on pre-deployment exercises in the Atlantic. The MEU, as part of the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group, or ARG, is currently in the eastern Mediterranean to deter broader regional conflict in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, Military.com previously reported.

According to the aviation plan, the Harrier will continue to remain in operation until 2027. It is being replaced by the F-35 Lightning II, a fifth-generation fighter jet that also has V/STOL capabilities.

"Flying a tactical aircraft, there's a lot of checklists, there's a lot of things you're doing throughout the flight, even if it's just a[n] administrative flight to another airport," Cumbie said of the aircraft's final flight to the Hickory Aviation Museum.

"And then once you shut it down, though, and you're shaking hands with the mayor and talking to all the folks that have come in from Charlotte and all over North Carolina, and the town there, it did start to sink in," he said, noting that the personal feeling was "bittersweet."

But ultimately, "from a service-level perspective, I think we're right where we need to be," he said.

Related: As the Marine Corps Says Goodbye to Decades-Old Jet, Its Maintainers Hit the Fleet for the Last Time
MANILA, Philippines  The Philippines has agreed to a request by the United States to temporarily host a U.S. immigrant visa processing center for a limited number of Afghan nationals aspiring to resettle in America, the treaty allies announced Tuesday.

The Philippine governments approval of the request, which initially faced local concerns over potential security and legal issues, reflects how relations between Manila and Washington have deepened under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office in 2022.

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said the agreement was undergoing final domestic procedures and needs to be finally ratified by Marcos before it takes effect. It did not provide other details, including how many Afghans would be allowed to temporarily stay in the Philippines at any time while their special immigrant visas for resettlement to the U.S. are being completed.

A senior Philippine official, however, told The Associated Press that only 150 to 300 applicants would be accommodated in the Philippines under the one-time deal. The official who had knowledge of the negotiations agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to speak publicly.

Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Assistant Secretary Teresita Daza said Afghan nationals should secure a visa to enter the Philippines and would be subjected to full security vetting. Each visa applicant can stay not more than 59 days.

The U.S. government will shoulder the costs for the stay of the Afghan nationals, including food, housing, security and medical and transportation expenses, Daza said. She added that the U.S. government and the International Organization for Migration as manager of the unspecified facility where the Afghan visa applicants would be billeted, would ensure they have adequate social, educational, religious and other support.

The U.S. thanked the Philippines in a statement by the State Department for supporting Afghan allies of the United States and added that it appreciates its long and positive history of bilateral cooperation with the Philippines."

The Afghan nationals to be considered for resettlement primarily worked for the U.S. government in Afghanistan or were deemed eligible for U.S. special immigrant visas but were left behind when Washington withdrew from the country as Taliban militants took back power in a chaotic period in 2021.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken first relayed the request to his Philippine counterpart in 2022, and President Joe Biden discussed the request when Marcos visited the United States last year, Philippine officials said.

Marcos said last year that he was told by American officials that a maximum of 1,000 Afghan nationals would be allowed to stay in the Philippines at any one time while their special immigrant visas are being processed.

He said at the time there were difficult legal and logistical issues to address for the program to run as hoped.

Some Filipino officials have expressed fears the Afghan nationals could become targets of attacks while in the Philippines. Others raised legal questions about an arrangement where U.S. authorities would have a say in vetting who could enter the Philippines.

One prospective problem is what to do with Afghan nationals whose U.S. special visa immigrant application is indefinitely stalled or rejected, Marcos said and expressed concern that thousands of Afghan nationals could be stranded in the country while awaiting relocation to the U.S.

Marcos has rekindled relations with the U.S. since winning the presidency with a landslide margin two years ago.

In February last year, he allowed an expansion of the American military presence under a 2014 defense agreement in a decision that China warned would allow American forces to gain a staging ground to intervene in the South China Sea and Taiwan issues and threaten regional stability.
The founder of a Myrtle Beach, S.C.-area nonprofit aimed at assisting homeless veterans pleaded guilty to federal charges related to money laundering.

James "Billy" Arehart signed the plea deal last month, agreeing to be sentenced on one count of engaging in a monetary transaction with property derived from unlawful activity, court records show. The U.S. Attorney's Office agreed to drop other charges, including mail and wire fraud, as part of the deal.

Bill Dinkin, an attorney representing Arehart, wrote in a statement that "by entering a guilty plea, Mr. Arehart has taken responsibility for his conduct" and "despite his mistakes, he has been a tremendous asset and source of support to both active duty military personnel and veterans, particularly homeless veterans."

Arehart's nonprofit Providing Hope Va had announced plans in early 2023 to open a Veterans resource center in Loris. The city annexed the property off Highway 701 South, and the charity solicited funds for the project, but Arehart just used those funds "as he saw fit," according to the indictment.

That property remains vacant, and the Providing Hope Va website only shows the message: "We are taking a break. We want to thank you all for the support and community you have shown for the past several years."

Arehart originally founded the nonprofit in 2018 while living in Virginia before relocating operations in 2020 to Loris, court records show. Through 2021, he raised more than $9 million primarily by selling tickets to raffles for high-end vehicles by advertising through Facebook.

Arehart falsely represented to the public that money spent on raffle tickets was tax deductible, despite IRS code specifically restricting deductions for purchases of games-of-chance tickets, he admitted as part of the plea deal. That caused ticket purchasers to submit fraudulent tax deductions to the IRS.

Arehart, who had sole control of the nonprofit's finances, awarded himself an increasing amount of salary and bonuses from its funds, including $162,000 in 2019, $292,000 in 2020 and $525,000 in 2021, the Department of Justice alleged.

Arehart is set to be sentenced Feb. 20, 2025, and faces up to 10 years in prison and fines more than $250,000, though the plea deal stipulates that the government will recommend a lower sentence, likely in line with Arehart's request for 18 months in prison. He must also forfeit any assets he possesses that are related to his crime.

(c) 2024 The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, S.C.)

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Syracuse University will soon launch a program for military members and their families interested in entering the semiconductor workforce, paid for entirely by Micron Technology.

The new workforce pathway, offered at no cost both online and in-person at military bases across the country, will be run through SU's D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families and its "Onward to Opportunity" program.

Micron will pay the pathway's $3 million cost over the next three years.

As the semiconductor company sets down roots in Central New York and expands at locations across the country, it "really wants to tap into the military-connected talent pipeline for bringing on new employees," said Ray Toenniessen, vice president for strategic initiatives and innovation at the IVMF.

"So they turned to us," he said.

SU has been "quietly building" the program for some time and only recently signed papers with the Boise-based semiconductor company to secure the funding, Toenniessen said.

The IVMF will roll out a proof-of-concept foundational course this fall. It will serve as a primer for service members about the semiconductor industry and provide the basic technical skills necessary for them to get started.

The course will be offered in-person at the 16 military bases across the country served by the Onward to Opportunity program, and its online courses will be available to anyone six months out from transitioning from the military as well as to veterans and military spouses.

"That initial training may be enough for some to then connect right to Micron, or maybe another company in the semiconductor industry, and walk right into employment," Toenniessen said.

But Micron plans to start construction on its first fab in Clay in the spring of 2025, with production expected to begin in 2028, which means those employment opportunities may be minimal over the next few years.

Toenniessen said that while Micron is paying for the program, the company understands that graduates could go to work with other companies.

"This program is going to be available nationally, and Micron doesn't have a site in every state around the country, and so their goal, first and foremost, is to provide this opportunity for transitioning service members, veterans, military spouses, with their name behind it," Toenniessen said.

The pathway will be run separately from SU's Center for Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing, a recently announced $20 million investment meant to position the school and region as a leader in education and research around chip making.

 2024 Advance Local Media LLC.

Visit syracuse.com.

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KYIV, Ukraine  Ukrainian forces have either destroyed or damaged all three of the bridges over the Seym River in western Russia, according to Russian sources, as Kyiv's incursion into western Russia entered its third week Tuesday.

Kyiv's incursion into Russia's Kursk region is changing the trajectory of the war and boosting morale among Ukraine's war-weary population, though the ultimate outcome of the incursion  the first attack on Russia since World War II  remains impossible to predict.

Even as Ukraine hails its success on Russian territory, the Russian push in eastern Ukraine is poised to claim another key center, the city of Pokrovsk.

Ukraine's attacks on the three bridges over the Seym River in Kursk could potentially trap Russian forces between the river, the Ukrainian advance and the Ukrainian border. Already they appear to be slowing down Russias response to the Kursk incursion, which Ukraine launched on Aug. 6.

Over the weekend, Ukraines Air Force commander posted two videos of bridges over the Seym being hit, and satellite photos by Planet Labs PBC analyzed Tuesday by The Associated Press confirmed that a bridge in the town of Glushkovo had been destroyed.

A Russian military investigator confirmed Monday that Ukraine had totally destroyed one bridge and damaged two others in the area. The full extent of the damage remained unclear.

As a result of targeted shelling with the use of rocket and artillery weapons against residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in the Karyzh village ... a third bridge over the Seym River was damaged, the unnamed representative for Russias Investigative Committee said in a video published on the Telegram channel of Russian state TV anchor Vladimir Solovyov.

Russian military bloggers Vladimir Romanov and Yuri Podolyaka and several high-profile pro-war Telegram channels in Russia also claimed that the third bridge had been targeted and damaged. Podolyakas post was shared by Roman Alekhin, an advisor to Kursks acting regional governor.

Since the incursion into the Kursk region began, the Ukrainian army has captured 1,263 square kilometers (488 square miles) and 93 settlements, Ukraine's top military commander said Tuesday  up from 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) a week ago. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi made the remarks while meeting with local officials.

Following a meeting with Syrskyi later Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address that the Ukrainian army was achieving set goals in Kursk.

Zelenskyy said in recent days that the operation is aimed at creating a buffer zone that can prevent future attacks on his nation from across the border, and that Ukraine is capturing a large number of Russian prisoners of war that it hopes to exchange for captured Ukrainians.

TASS, a Russian state news agency, reported that 17 people have died and 140 have been injured in Ukraines incursion, citing an unnamed source in the Russian medical service. Of 75 people hospitalized, four are children.

Russias Ministry of Emergency Situations said Tuesday afternoon that more than 500 people had left dangerous areas in the Kursk region over the past 24 hours. In total, more than 122,000 people have been resettled since the Ukrainian attack began, it said.

In another example of Ukraine taking the war to Russian soil, a massive fire burned for the third consecutive day after an oil depot was hit by Ukrainian drones.

The fire at the depot in the town of Proletarsk burned across an area of a hectare (2 1/2 acres), according to Russian state news agencies. There were 500 firefighters involved in the operation, and 41 of them already have been hospitalized with injuries, according to TASS, citing local officials.

Ukraines Army General Staff claimed responsibility Sunday for attacking the oil depot, which was used to supply the needs of Russias army, calling it a measure to undermine the military and economic potential of the Russian Federation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the Ukrainians of trying to destabilize our country and compared them to terrorists.

We will punish the criminals. There can be no doubt about that, Putin said Tuesday. He was meeting with mothers of children killed in the 2004 Beslan school attack by Islamic militants that left more than 330 people dead.

Ukraines incursion has exposed Russian vulnerabilities according to analysts and Ukrainian officials.

Zelenskyy said Monday that he believes Ukraine's actions would help to dispel Western fears of offering more robust military aid to Kyiv. Some allies have been handing over weapons slowly and imposing limits on how they can be used, fearing that crossing a Russian red-line could lead to escalation, even nuclear escalation.

We have now achieved an extremely important ideological shift: the naive and illusory concept of so-called red lines regarding Russia that dominated the assessments of the war by some of our partners has crumbled these days somewhere near Sudzha," the president said, referring to a seized Russian town under Ukrainian control.

Much remains unknown about Ukrainian operations in Russia but satellite images provide some clues.

Pontoon bridges  temporary bridges used by militaries when formal bridges are blown out  could be seen in the satellite images provide by Planet Labs PBC in two different positions along the Seym River in recent days. The pontoons likely were built by Russian troops trying to supply forces around the Ukrainian advance.

One pontoon bridge appeared along the serpentine path of the river between Glushkovo and the village of Zvannoye on Saturday, but not in images taken Monday. On Monday, smoke could be seen rising along the banks of the river nearby  typically the sign of a strike.

Meanwhile along the frontline in eastern Ukraine, Russia continued to bear down on the city of Pokrovsk, one of Ukraines main defensive strongholds and a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region, forcing Kyiv's forces to pull back and Ukrainian civilians to flee their homes. Its capture would compromise Ukraines defensive abilities and supply routes and would bring Russia closer to its stated aim of capturing the entire Donetsk region.

Russias relentless six-month slog across the region following the capture of Avdiivka, has cost both sides heavily in troops and armor.

Russia wants control of all parts of Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk, which together make up the Donbas industrial region.

___

Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell contributed.
Title: Enhancing Readability with Customizable Email and Text Backends!







(Display Design: Customizing the Email and Text Backgrounds to White on the Huawei Mate 10 for Enhanced Readability)

Dear readers,

Are you tired of looking at your emails cluttered with pesky backgrounds? Do you wish your text was more readable? Then, youre on the right track! In this blog post, we will showcase some creative ways to customize your email and text background to make it stand out from the rest.

The first thing we need to do is decide what kind of background we want to use. Whether you prefer a traditional black background or a fun cartoon-style background, choose one that perfectly fits your message. For example, if youre creating a sales email, you can go for a bright blue background to give your subject line a bold and attention-grabbing appearance. On the other hand, if youre writing a love letter, you can opt for a pink background to create an emotional response from the recipient.

Once we have decided on the background, lets look at how we can modify it to make it even more readable. Here are some tips:

1. Choose a font size wisely  Choose a font size thats comfortable for your email and web design. It should be clear, legible, and easy to read from a distance.

2. Use white space effectively  Use white space to break up the text and draw attention to important information. It also helps improve readability by making your content easier to scan.

3. Make your images responsive  Make sure your images are responsive so they adjust to different screen sizes. This will help ensure that your emails are read smoothly across all devices.

4. Use subheadings  Using subheadings makes your emails more manageable. They provide a hierarchy of information that makes it easier for readers to understand your main points.

5. Incorporate images into your content  Incorporating images into your emails is a great way to add visual interest and depth to your content. You can use images to show off your products, services, or experiences, and to help guide your reader through the content.







(Display Design: Customizing the Email and Text Backgrounds to White on the Huawei Mate 10 for Enhanced Readability)

In conclusion, customizing your email and text backgrounds to enhance your reading experience is essential for effective communication. By following these tips, you can create visually appealing, easy-to-read emails that resonate with your audience. Lets start customizeing your email and text backgrounds today!

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if you want to want to know more, please feel free to contact us. (nanotrun@yahoo.com)
Title: Unveiling the Worlds Ultimate Trend: Tidal Energy Adoption in G Cities







(Global Giants: Surveying Nations Leading in Tidal Energy Adoption)

In a world where water remains an scarce resource, many nations around the globe are now seeking to harness its power for economic and environmental reasons. One such nation that has recently become the leader in tidal energy adoption is Guangzhou, China. In this article, we will explore the significance of tidal energy in shaping Chinas future, and how it is transforming the countrys image.

Tidal energy is a renewable energy source that harnesses the power of tides to generate electricity. Unlike traditional sources such as coal, oil, or natural gas, which rely on finite resources like these, tidal energy sources do not require large amounts of land, water, or other resources to produce electricity. Instead, they can be installed at strategic locations and used efficiently.

The installation of tidal energy projects in Guangzhou has significantly improved the citys efficiency and cost-effectiveness. For example, the citys hydropower plant, named Piao Dongdu, is one of the largest tidal energy plants in China, capable of generating up to 13 gigawatts of electricity per year. This is equivalent to generating enough electricity for 800,000 homes for a year.

Furthermore, the implementation of tidal energy in Guangzhou has also contributed to the countrys sustainable development. By tapping into the potential of the tide, the city aims to reduce its carbon footprint by up to 75% by 2050. This has been achieved through the implementation of strict emission standards for industry and waste management.

The transition to tidal energy in Guangzhou has not only transformed the countrys economy but also had positive impacts on the environment. The rivers flow helps regulate the citys climate, reducing evaporation and flooding, improving the quality of water supply, and reducing pollution. Additionally, the installation of tidal energy projects creates new job opportunities for the local community, providing them with access to clean energy and improving their living standards.







(Global Giants: Surveying Nations Leading in Tidal Energy Adoption)

In conclusion, the worlds ultimate trend towards tidal energy adoption in G Cities is a fascinating sight. As more countries look to harness the power of tides for economic and environmental reasons, it is essential to continue investing in research and development to improve the technology and infrastructure necessary to implement tidal energy projects in these cities. With the continued growth of renewable energy technologies and advancements in marine biology, tidal energy is poised to become a significant contributor to global energy production and sustainability in the years to come.

Inquiry us

if you want to want to know more, please feel free to contact us. (nanotrun@yahoo.com)
Glass Animals and Kevin Abstract will be at Pine Knob Music Theatre near Detroit in only a few days, taking the stage on Saturday, August 24 at 7:45 p.m. as part of their Tour of Earth. Find last-minute lawn seats for only $10.

Check ticket availability and pricing on Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, StubHub, and Ticketmaster.

Dave Bayley of Glass Animals performs at Lollapalooza Music Festival in Chicago on July 29, 2022. The English indie-pop band releases its fourth album on July 19.Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP

The Human Musical Group Sensations Glass Animals: Tour of Earth with founding BROCKHAMPTON member and rapper Kevin Abstract is coming to Michigan this weekend for a Saturday night show at Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston.

The alternative/indie band is known for psychedelic, synth-heavy pop music like Heat Waves, Take a Slice, and Gooey, plus their recent 2024 single, Creatures in Heaven. The tour coincides with the groups latest album release, I Love You So F***ing Much from July of this year, and is still to play venues in Cincinnati, Chicago, Salt Lake City, and more throughout the fall.

Get tickets to see Glass Animals and Kevin Abstract live at Pine Knob Music Theatre this weekend. As of now, GA lawn tickets on Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, and StubHub are available for $10 and under, with section seating available for less than $40.

Tickets: Vivid Seats from $10 | SeatGeek tickets from $8 | StubHub from $10 | Ticketmaster from $40
This October, Modest Mouse is kicking off a 21-date tour with shows in Omaha, Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, and more.

Live Nation presale is happening now on Ticketmaster. Find more tickets available on Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, and StubHub.

Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse performs at the Voodoo Music Experience in City Park on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018, in New Orleans.Amy Harris/Invision/AP

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the bands popular 2004 album, Good News For People Who Love Bad News, Modest Mouse is embarking on a month-long North American tour beginning October 28 at The Republik in Honolulu. The band is scheduled to play multiple nights at Revolution Hall in Portland, The Bellwether in Los Angeles, and Brooklyn Steel in New York throughout the tour, also stopping at the Riverside Theatre in Milwaukee, the Salt Shed in Chicago, and The Fillmore in Detroit during mid-November.

Relive a fan-favorite Modest Mouse album when the famed 90s rock band visits your city. Tickets available below.

Midwest dates:

Tues, Nov 12 in Omaha  Vivid Seats from $72 | SeatGeek from $63 | StubHub from $65 | Ticketmaster presale

Wed, Nov 13 in Milwaukee  Vivid Seats from $78 | SeatGeek from $69 | StubHub from $72

Thurs, Nov 14 in Chicago  Vivid Seats from $69 | SeatGeek from $63 | StubHub from $63 | Ticketmaster presale

Sat, Nov 16 in Detroit  Vivid Seats from $68 | SeatGeek from $53 | StubHub from $54 | Ticketmaster presale

Tour schedule:

Mon, Oct 28  The Republik; Honolulu, HI

Wed, Oct 30  Paramount Theatre; Seattle, WA

Fri, Nov 1  Revolution Hall; Portland, OR

Sat, Nov 2  Revolution Hall; Portland, OR

Sun, Nov 3  Revolution Hall; Portland, OR

Tues, Nov 5  Fox Theater; Oakland, CA

Wed, Nov 6  The Bellwether; Los Angeles, CA

Thurs, Nov 7  The Bellwether; Los Angeles, CA

Fri, Nov 8  The Bellwether; Los Angeles, CA

Sat, Nov 9  The Sound; Del Mar, CA

Mon, Nov 11  Mission Ballroom; Denver, CO

Tues, Nov 12  Steelhouse; Omaha, NE

Wed, Nov 13  Riverside Theater; Milwaukee, WI

Thurs, Nov 14  Salt Shed; Chicago, IL

Sat, Nov 16  The Fillmore; Detroit, MI

Sun, Nov 17  HISTORY; Toronto, ON

Tues, Nov 19  MGM Music Hall; Boston, MA

Wed, Nov 20  The Fillmore; Philadelphia, PA

Thurs, Nov 21  Brooklyn Steel; Brooklyn, NY

Fri, Nov 22  Brooklyn Steel; Brooklyn, NY

Sat, Nov 23  Brooklyn Steel; Brooklyn, NY
KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI -- Firefighters responded to a two-vehicle injury crash that is blocking traffic on both lanes of the eastbound I-94 Business Loop, officials said.

The crash happened before 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20, near the intersection of South Sprinkle Road and the eastbound I-94 Business Loop.

The Comstock Township Fire Department said extrication was needed at the scene and the crash caused injuries.

Both eastbound lanes of the business loop will be blocked until a towing company clears the scene, the fire department said.

The Kalamazoo County Sheriffs Office is investigating.

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KALAMAZOO, MI -- This winter, the city of Kalamazoo will send contractors clear snow-covered sidewalks, but property owners will foot the bill.

Commissioners approved changes to the citys snow-clearing ordinance during its Monday, Aug. 19 meeting. The changes will go into effect as soon as the first snowfall.

Residents have 48 hours after a snowfall to clear the sidewalks adjacent to their home, per the city ordinance. Snow and ice must be cleared down to the pavement -- using a shovel, sand, salt or any other method.

In the past, failure to do so could result in multiple warnings and a $50 ticket that could end in a trip to court, if unpaid.

Though homeowners and renters alike were fined for such violations, sidewalks remained covered in impassable snow and ice, said City Planner Christina Anderson.

In a 2022 training exercise, city staff found that uncleared sidewalks were a barrier to realizing the citys vision for connectivity, Anderson said.

The lack of action by the city to enforce the ordinance gives the perception that the city is ineffective and that drivers are more important than those who walk, bike or use public transportation.

The new system will ensure that important pathways through Kalamazoo neighborhoods are cleared, Anderson said, while property owners are held responsible.

An estimated cost per square foot cleared isnt available yet, Anderson said, as the project has yet to go to bid.

Property owners wont receive a warning before they receive a bill, Anderson said. Instead, meetings with landlords, neighborhood associations and postings will serve as notice.

In addition to getting the word out, this process will help city officials identify assistance available for those who are physically unable to shovel snow, Anderson said.

Contractors will also clear 14 miles of priority sidewalks with high pedestrian traffic throughout the city, bringing the total number of sidewalks maintained and cleared by the city to 33.55 miles.

The city has up to $99,500 from the Foundation for Excellence to support the project in 2024, Anderson said.

Another special request for funding in 2025 is in the works, as the winter will split 2024 and 2025 fiscal years.

To avoid fees, Mayor David Anderson encouraged residents to get outside with a shovel as soon as possible, calling it an opportunity to connect with neighbors.

From my personal experience as a devoted sidewalk shoveler, Anderson said, The quicker you get on it before people walk on it the easier it is to get the snow off without having to use other chemicals or devices.

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FREELAND, MI  A Saginaw County farm known for its apple orchard, fall festivities and goat yoga has extended its Sunflower Days event.

Sunflower Days at Leamans Green Applebarn continues this week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20, through Saturday, Aug. 24. The farm is located at 7475 N. River Road in Freeland, about two hours northwest of Detroit.
HOWELL, MI -- Former President Donald Trump railed against the defund the police movement, promising to instead refund the police if elected as president at a Tuesday, Aug. 20, campaign stop in Howell.

Trump spoke about crime and safety in an afternoon event with media, police officers and a small group of supporters at the Livingston County Sheriffs Office. The event was not open to the public. He touched on numerous topics regarding safety concerns hes been addressing during his campaign like immigration, border control and the importance of local police officers.

I like to say the Republican party is now the party of common sense, he said. We want to have a good life. We want to be safe.

Trump focused the early part of his talk on his thoughts behind the defund the police initiative, which gained popularity in 2020 following the killing of George Floyd.

When Im president of the United States again we will never even think about or mention the words defund the police, he said, followed by claps from those within the audience.

Trump attacked his opponent, Kamala Harris, who is expected to officially get the Democratic nomination for president this week, for previous statements she made in support of the defund the police movement. Harris made those comments during the Floyd protests, according to The Associated Press.

Harris has not said during her current campaign that she is in favor of the movement. However, Trump said he believes his opponent would still support it.

If she ever had a chance, she would do whatever she could to defund the police because that is where her spirit is, thats where her heart is, he said. We cant have a president like that.

The Republican nominee went on to call Harris the ringleader for this anti-crime and anti-police crusade, that he said is currently happening within the United States.

Trump said his plan, if he were to be elected, is to do the opposite of defunding, and instead to refund police officers across the country.

We want to help the police. They have a very dangerous job, he said. We have to give them protection, love and respect and thats what were going to do.
Special note: Ahna Fleming, a Minneapolis-born Syracuse University senior studying magazine, news and digital journalism and philosophy, and Griffin Uribe Brown, a junior from Chicago studying magazine, news and digital journalism and policy studies, are reporting for MLive during the Democratic National Convention. They are covering the DNC as part of a program with Syracuse Universitys S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.



CHICAGO  Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters marched through downtown Chicago Sunday  a day before the Democratic National Convention officially began.

Those protests swelled to a crowd of around 15,000 by Monday evening. Protestors marched from Union Park to the perimeter of the United Center, about 300 meters away from the convention site.

Echoing the demands of protesters, uncommitted primary voters and the delegates they elected say they are trying to push the Democratic party for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Those voters, we feel many of them, were not going to be able to bring them back to vote against Trump and for Vice President Harris unless we get a change in policy, Abbas Alawieh, one of Michigans two uncommitted delegates and a founder of the Uncommitted National Movement, said.

Precisely because we want Vice President Harris to win and beat Donald Trump, we feel like we need her to tell us what her Gaza policy would be and how she plans to stop sending weapons that are being used to kill civilians, especially because thats against international and US law, he said.



Demonstrators march near the United Center which is hosting the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on August 19, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. The convention runs through August 22. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)Getty Images

A total of 30 uncommitted delegates secured their place at the DNC after hundreds of thousands of voters chose uncommitted, instead of voting for President Joe Biden, who was on the ballot at the time, in the Presidential Primary elections earlier this year.

Alawieh said more than 740,000 voters across the country, including 101,000 Michigan voters, voted uncommitted to send that message to the Biden administration  and now, the Harris campaign  to shift its approach to the conflict in Gaza.

Nura Sediqe, assistant professor at Michigan State Universitys Political Science department and Muslim Studies program, said those demonstrating have a glimmer of optimism regarding Harris approach to the war in Gaza, as opposed to what she called a united anti-Biden sentiment.





Pro-Palestinian protesters at Union Park near the site of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19, 2024. (Griffin Uribe Brown/Syracuse University)Griffin Uribe Brown

But theres still skepticism, she said. Will the Harris campaign push a specific policy forward before the election, or is this more just promises? Theres a sense of skepticism amongst these voters that needs to be addressed and assuaged by the administration.

Michigans Democratic base, many of whom are Arab American and Muslim, have been loyal to the Democratic party, Sediqe said, but recently have felt a sense of betrayal.



Michigan has the countrys second-largest Arab American population, according to the Arab American Institute .

They feel like their family and friends that they know are suffering in Gaza, What are you doing to protect us? Sediqe said. They feel like as American citizens, this is an extension of their family thats left unprotected.

Voter and protestor Zain Abd said shes been a lifelong Democrat and, while she does not plan to vote for Trump, she could not say in good conscience that shed vote for a Democratic candidate if they did not show strong support of an immediate ceasefire.

Im here with my Arab community. I grew up going to these marches, been pro-Palestinian, obviously, since birth, Abd said. So Im here because Id like to hold the Democratic party responsible, hold them accountable, for everything thats been happening the past four years, and what I hope to see the next four years moving forward.

Abd has family in Detroit and Dearborn, all of whom have decided to either vote third party or write in Gaza, unless, Abd said, we have something very firm and very direct before the elections hit.

University of Chicago professor of Global Studies Callie Maidhof, a member of Faculty for Justice in Palestine, said the Democratic party needs Michigan to win.



The question of how they will win Michigan while actively contributing to a genocide in Palestine, Maidhof added, thats highly questionable.

Protestors expressed general sentiments of dissatisfaction with the idea that their taxpayer dollars aid Israels violence toward Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Last week, the U.S. approved $20 billion in arms sales to Israel, the Associated Press reported.

Alawieh, who formerly served as legislative director for Palestinian-American Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, said his goal for the DNC is to carry the message that uncommitted voters sent [him] here to carry, which he said is the need for a ceasefire, as well as the fact that we need to stop the unconditional flow of weapons that are being used to kill civilians.

That idea is central to the Democratic base, Alawieh said. And changing the current policy that is allowing for the unconditional flow of weapons to the Israeli government thats using it to violate international law would help us save lives, and itll help us win back key voters.

Alawieh met privately with Harriss campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, last Thursday. He said he thinks the way for Democratic leaders to respond to protests is to respond directly to the policy demand.

The policy demand is actually a very reasonable one  stop sending the weapons that are killing babies. So if we want to address the concerns of protesters, I think we should change the policy, Alawieh said.
CHICAGO, IL  At the Democratic National Convention, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters is scheduled to join a lineup of top Democrats planning to rally support for Vice President Kamala Harris bid for the presidency.

The Bloomfield Township Democrat is expected to address the convention crowd at the Chicago-based United Center on Tuesday, Aug. 20, Harris campaign officials stated.

The week-long Democratic National Convention kicked off one day earlier. Among the featured speakers Monday, Aug. 19, were President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The first-day lineup also included a notable figure in Michigan labor: Shawn Fain, the United Auto Workers president who railed against former President Donald Trump while championing the Republicans opponent, Harris.

Peters last month reportedly was considered as a potential running mate for Harris on the Democratic ticket for the 2024 White House bid. A report from Axios stated labor leaders approached the Harris campaign about considering Peters.

Harris eventually selected Tim Walz, Minnesotas governor, as her running mate.

Peters term in the U.S. Senate ends in January 2027. Voters first elected him in 2014 to the seat once occupied by fellow Democrat Carl Levin, the longest-serving senator in Michigan history.

In that election, Peters was the leading vote recipient in all of the state, even besting then-Gov. Rick Snyders total. Nationally, Peters was the only Democrat to win an open U.S. Senate seat in the 2014 election.

More recently, Peters topped Republican John James by less than 100,000 votes in the 2020 election to keep the Senate seat.

Today, Peters serves as chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which oversees the Department of Homeland Security.

He also works on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senate Armed Services Committee as well as the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.

Peters political resume starts in 1990, when he was elected to the Rochester Hills City Council.

In 1994, he was elected to the Michigan Senate, where he served for eight years.

Peters unsuccessfully ran for Michigan attorney general in 2002.

In 2003, then-Gov. Jennifer Granholm appointed Peters as the states lottery commissioner.

Michigan voters first sent him to Washington D.C. in 2009 as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, where he represented Metro Detroit for six years.
CHICAGO, IL  Shawn Fain, president of the Detroit-based United Auto Workers labor union, shared a national stage here with top Democrats to rally support for Vice President Kamala Harris bid for the presidency.

Fain was among a lineup of high-profile Democrats and their supporters to address the crowd Monday, Aug. 19, during the week-long Democratic National Conventions first day assembling in Chicagos United Center.

Wearing a UAW-branded Trump is a scab T-shirt, Fain railed against former President Donald Trump while championing the Republicans 2024 election opponents, Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz.

Fain said the 2024 presidential election offered voters one question: Which side are you on?

On one side, we have Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, who has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the working class, Fain told the convention crowd. On the other side, we have Trump and (running mate J.D.) Vance, two lapdogs for the billionaire class who only serve themselves. For us in the labor movement, its real simple: Kamala Harris is one of us.

As part of introducing Fain to the crowd, the convention aired a video highlighting the closure of a General Motors factory in Lordstown, Ohio in March 2019, while Trump was president.

Trump did nothing, Fain said. Trump told workers in Lordstown that he would be bringing all the auto jobs back, and Trump did nothing. In 2019, General Motors workers went on strike for 40 days  for good jobs and a better life  and Trump did nothing.

Fain then contrasted Trump with Democratic leaders who he said supported the union, referencing President Joe Biden joining picketers at General Motors Willow Run Redistribution Center in Belleville in September 2023.

While he did not reference the company specifically, Fain appeared to also cite the Biden and Harris administrations support of Ultium Cells LLC, a General Motors and LG Chem jointly-operated battery plant in Lordstown.

U.S. Department of Energy officials in December 2022 announced a $2.5 billion loan to Ultium Cells LLC to help finance the construction of new lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing facilities, including in Lordstown.

Who helped bring jobs back to Lordstown, Ohio? Kamala Harris, Fain said. In 2024, who will stand with the working class in our fight for justice? Kamala Harris. And thats the difference: Donald Trump is all talk, and Kamala Harris walks the walk.

At one point during his 10-minute-long address, Fain spoke aloud the words on his T-shirt, calling Trump a scab.

In response, the audience in Chicagos United Center chanted, Trumps a scab.

Thats not just my opinion: Thats a fact, Fain said.

He also referenced remarks last month delivered by Trump during a social media-based interview with Tesla CEO Elon Musk. During the interview, Trump praised Musk for firing workers who went on strike.

Youre the greatest cutter, Trump told Musk in the interview. I look at what you do. You walk in and say, You want to quit? I wont mention the name of the company but they go on strike and you say, Thats OK. Youre all gone.

In response, Fains UAW filed unfair labor practice charges against Trump and Musk with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging both men interfered with workers who may want to exercise their right to join a union.

Donald Trump laughs about firing workers who go on strike, Fain told the crowd Monday, and Kamala Harris stands shoulder-to-shoulder with workers when theyre on strike. And thats the difference between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, the scab.

Fains appearance Monday at the convention was sandwiched between two other high-profile speakers: Former Chicago Bulls guard Steve Kerr and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, of New York.

In Michigan, Fain has emerged as one of the most vocal and public supporters of Harris and the Democrats push to retain power in the White House for at least another four years.

Fain announced the UAWs endorsement of Bidens re-election bid in January. When Biden exited the race last month and endorsed his vice president, Fain announced 10 days later the UAW would endorse Harris.

Fain was a featured speaker at Harris campaign rally earlier this month at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Harris and running mate Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor, the following day gathered with Fain to speak to a crowd of hundreds of UAW workers near Detroit.

The union has more than 1 million active and retired members in what political experts describe as the blue wall states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, all considered critical to victory for candidates in the presidential election.

Fain joined the union in 1994 as an electrician for Chrysler at Kokomo Casting Plant in his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana.

Fain served as a negotiator during the Chrysler bankruptcy in 2009, according to his biography on the UAW website.

The union elected Fain as president and he was sworn into office in March 2023.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
In a bold move aimed to shake up the Democratic establishment, Claudia De la Cruz, the Latina socialist presidential candidate, has brought her campaign directly to the doorstep of the Democratic National Committee (DNC)  literally. Joining forces with Green Party candidate Jill Stein, De la Cruz marched with a large crowd protesting at the DNC headquarters in Chicago, on Aug. 18.

The march, which drew thousands of supporters, focused on two critical issues: safeguarding legal abortion rights and calling for an end to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

We will be going beyond the lesser of two evil narrative and we will actually be discussing the most pressing issues of our communities and how we break away from the two-party system that is holding us hostage, De la Cruz said in a social media video statement last week. Only a true independent movement of working-class people and the creation of our own political instruments can actually guarantee our survival and the survival of the planet.

Socialist Presidential candidate Claudia De La Cruz marches with a massive crowd in Chicago in protest of the Democratic National Convention to demand legal abortion and an end to the genocide in Gaza pic.twitter.com/j7fyaQGIr9  Claudia De la Cruz & Karina Garcia 2024 (@votesocialist24) August 19, 2024

This direct action comes as Democrats in key swing states are working to keep De la Cruz off the November ballot. In Nevada, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, Democratic officials and lawyers are challenging the Party for Socialism and Liberations ballot access, citing various technical issues with their nomination process.

The protest led by De La Cruz was not an isolated incident. According to ABC News, pro-Palestinian demonstrators have already been a persistent presence at the convention, staging regular protests and disrupting events. These activists have been pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel, echoing De La Cruzs demands.

On March 17, Vice President Kamala Harriss speech at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Mich., was interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters. According to NBC News, demonstrators chanted Genocide Joe has got to go and called for a ceasefire in Gaza. In response to the interruption, Harris firmly stated, Im speaking, echoing a phrase she used during a 2020 vice presidential debate. This response sparked a flurry of online reactions. Some social media users praised Harris for her assertiveness, while others criticized her, arguing that she was dismissing legitimate concerns about the conflict in Gaza.

Despite these disruptions, the Democratic leadership, including President Biden and Vice President Harris, have remained steadfast in their support for Israel and have not indicated any plans to change course on their Middle East policy.

However, political analysts, including Douglas Schoen writing for The Hill, argue that Harriss strong alignment with Bidens policies on Gaza may be a miscalculation, potentially alienating younger and more progressive voters who are increasingly critical of the administrations approach to the conflict.

More protests are scheduled to occur during the convention, and the scale has prompted a significant response from local authorities. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced that 250 National Guard members have been placed on standby, as tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected to gather in Chicago, with a primary demand being an end to U.S. aid to Israel.

The persistence of pro-Palestinian protesters at the DNC underscores a broader ideological rift that De la Cruzs campaign is leveraging. This divide isnt just about foreign policy; it reflects a generational shift in priorities and political approach. While establishment Democrats struggle to balance traditional party stances with evolving voter demands, candidates like De la Cruz are positioning themselves as the voice of a new political era, one that rejects the constraints of the two-party system altogether.

De La Cruzs campaign is tapping into this discontent, positioning herself as a voice for those who feel unheard by the Democratic establishment. Are the Democrats really better on the issues that impact us most as working class people? De La Cruzs campaign writes on her Instagram account. Its time we stop accepting the crumbs we are offered by this two-party system and fight for an alternative.

Sundays DNC protest, which saw a significant turnout of young activists, also underscored De La Cruzs growing appeal among Gen Z voters. As a person from Generation Z, her statement really touches me. Todays world is really difficult, and Generation Z is afraid of the future. Thats why I think Claudias statement is very good and I agree with her. I would 100% choose her, Kubra Yavuz, a Gen Zer who has no political party affiliation, told HerCampus.

De la Cruzs radical message seems to be resonating particularly well with Gen Z voters, a demographic increasingly drawn to progressive politics. De la Cruzs message seems to be resonating particularly well with younger voters, who are increasingly drawn to progressive politics. A 2023 Harvard Youth Poll of 18-to-29-year-olds, released every spring, indicates that todays young voters are significantly more progressive on these issues compared to their peers five or ten years ago. A 2019 Gallup poll also found that young adults aged 18 to 34 view socialism as positively as they do capitalism, with both systems garnering a 51% positive rating among this age group.

This generation has never felt secure  personally, physically, financially, John Della Volpe, director of the Harvard poll told The Washington Post.

Inside the political arena, De la Cruzs influence is growing, despite  or perhaps because of  establishment pushback. Her call to seize the 100 largest corporations and turn them into public property has become a hot topic of debate among progressive circles. While party leaders dismiss her ideas as unrealistic, many younger Democrats are giving them serious consideration.

If Im going to continue to participate in this circus that is our voting system, I was probably going to go for Claudia de la Cruz, said TikToker @miikaa_96. But do you know why I dont really care that my decision is viewed as throwing my vote or letting fascism win? Because as loserly as it might sound, I honestly have nothing to lose.

Mika argues that marginalized communities have little to lose by voting outside the two-party system and view voting for candidates like De la Cruz as a way to push for more drastic changes in areas such as healthcare, education, and foreign policy.

This anti-capitalist sentiment is backed by data. The 2023 Harvard University poll found that 51% of young adults ages 18-29 do not support capitalism. This statistic lends credence to De la Cruzs message and her calls for radical economic restructuring.

Climate change, another cornerstone of De la Cruzs platform, is particularly crucial for young voters. Nearly two-thirds of first-time young American voters in an America in One Room poll agreed the U.S. must aim for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with about four in five supporting new generation nuclear energy to supplement renewables.

De la Cruzs background resonates with many young voters. Raised in the South Bronx by working-class Dominican immigrants, she speaks candidly about her experiences of poverty and inequality. Her running mate, Karina Garcia, shares a similar story as the daughter of Mexican immigrants.

I looked to Claudia as a working class leader who showed me what I could do as a woman in the struggle. When I saw those things in Claudia, I knew I could be a leader, said Miya Tada, a young campaign volunteer at the launch in 2023.

Tadas enthusiasm reflects a broader trend of increasing political engagement among young Americans, as evidenced by recent voting patterns. Indeed, a 2022 survey by Tufts Universitys CIRCLE showed that 27% of voters aged 18-29 turned out for the 2022 midterm elections, the second-highest youth turnout for a midterm in the past 30 years.

As the DNC continues and the November election approaches, its clear that De la Cruz and her supporters arent going away quietly. Whether the Democratic Party can incorporate their energy and ideas  or potentially risk alienating a generation of voters  remains to be seen.

We dont want to deal with the symptoms of capitalism, De la Cruz told Refinery29. We need to deal with the actual illness, and the biggest illness that we are dealing with globally is a capitalist system. We need to be able to create another structure. Voting for the lesser of two evils is not a strategy we should continue to entertain.
Apollon Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN  Free Report) by 12.2% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 39,562 shares of the energy companys stock after buying an additional 4,302 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Devon Energy were worth $1,875,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. raised its position in Devon Energy by 31.4% in the 1st quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. now owns 832 shares of the energy companys stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 199 shares during the period. Retirement Group LLC increased its position in shares of Devon Energy by 21.8% in the first quarter. Retirement Group LLC now owns 1,110 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 199 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its position in shares of Devon Energy by 7.4% in the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 3,046 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $153,000 after acquiring an additional 209 shares during the period. MCF Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Devon Energy by 5.6% in the first quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 4,023 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $202,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares during the period. Finally, Annex Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Devon Energy by 0.8% in the second quarter. Annex Advisory Services LLC now owns 27,651 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $1,311,000 after acquiring an additional 223 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.72% of the companys stock.

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Devon Energy Stock Performance

Shares of DVN traded up $0.09 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $45.18. 5,064,216 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,221,710. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.04. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $46.13 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $47.43. Devon Energy Co. has a 1 year low of $40.47 and a 1 year high of $55.09. The stock has a market cap of $28.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.62, a P/E/G ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 2.07.

Devon Energy Dividend Announcement

Devon Energy ( NYSE:DVN Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The energy company reported $1.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.26 by $0.15. Devon Energy had a net margin of 22.27% and a return on equity of 29.02%. The firm had revenue of $3.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.90 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.18 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Devon Energy Co. will post 5.4 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.95%. Devon Energys payout ratio is 16.79%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on DVN shares. Susquehanna restated a positive rating and issued a $65.00 price objective on shares of Devon Energy in a research report on Tuesday, July 9th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Devon Energy in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. They set a peer perform rating on the stock. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on shares of Devon Energy from $65.00 to $57.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Scotiabank dropped their price objective on shares of Devon Energy from $67.00 to $60.00 and set a sector outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Devon Energy from $65.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $58.75.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on DVN

Devon Energy Profile

(Free Report)

Devon Energy Corporation, an independent energy company, engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. It operates in Delaware, Eagle Ford, Anadarko, Williston, and Powder River Basins. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

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Apollon Wealth Management LLC trimmed its stake in shares of iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:IWR  Free Report) by 7.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 22,215 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,897 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLCs holdings in iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF were worth $1,801,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. LifeSteps Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF in the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC purchased a new position in iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF during the 1st quarter worth $29,000. Aspire Private Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF by 120.9% in the 1st quarter. Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 380 shares of the companys stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Criterion Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000.

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iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of IWR stock traded up $0.65 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $84.97. 1,767,315 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,288,455. The firm has a market cap of $35.10 billion, a PE ratio of 20.27 and a beta of 1.02. iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF has a 1 year low of $64.66 and a 1 year high of $85.86. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $82.17 and a 200 day moving average of $81.48.

iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF Profile

iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell Midcap Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell Midcap Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the mid-capitalization sector of the United States equity market.

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Apollon Wealth Management LLC grew its position in The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS  Free Report) by 2.9% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 13,211 shares of the investment management companys stock after buying an additional 377 shares during the quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLCs holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group were worth $5,975,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. First Personal Financial Services bought a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. First United Bank & Trust bought a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in The Goldman Sachs Group by 106.3% in the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 66 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its position in The Goldman Sachs Group by 103.3% in the 2nd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 61 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pineridge Advisors LLC bought a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Institutional investors own 71.21% of the companys stock.

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The Goldman Sachs Group Stock Up 0.1 %

NYSE GS traded up $0.42 on Monday, reaching $504.68. The company had a trading volume of 973,957 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,323,209. The firm has a market capitalization of $162.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.71, 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 quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 1.12. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $289.36 and a 1-year high of $517.26. The companys fifty day moving average is $475.05 and its 200-day moving average is $436.45.

The Goldman Sachs Group Increases Dividend

The Goldman Sachs Group ( NYSE:GS Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Monday, July 15th. The investment management company reported $8.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $8.52 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $12.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.60 billion. The Goldman Sachs Group had a net margin of 9.36% and a return on equity of 10.26%. On average, research analysts forecast that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 36.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a $3.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. 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 Goldman Sachs Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 46.86%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Seaport Res Ptn lowered shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $475.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. BMO Capital Markets lifted 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 report on Wednesday, July 17th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $460.00 to $485.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $490.00 to $535.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $495.94.

Check Out Our Latest Report on The Goldman Sachs Group

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Goldman Sachs Group news, major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 4,000,000 shares of the businesss 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 sale, the insider now directly owns 12,981,022 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $82,299,679.48. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other The Goldman Sachs Group news, insider Brian J. Lee sold 3,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owns 12,095 shares in the company, valued at $6,119,949.05. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 4,000,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.34, for a total transaction of $25,360,000.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 12,981,022 shares of the companys stock, valued at $82,299,679.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,013,500 shares of company stock valued at $32,181,365. Company insiders own 0.54% of the companys stock.

The Goldman Sachs Group Company 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.

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Apollon Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Blue Owl Capital Co. (NYSE:OBDC  Free Report) by 18.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 108,256 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 16,517 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Blue Owl Capital were worth $1,663,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Atomi Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Blue Owl Capital by 5.5% in the first quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. now owns 13,987 shares of the companys stock worth $215,000 after buying an additional 733 shares during the last quarter. Strategies Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Blue Owl Capital by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. Strategies Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27,520 shares of the companys stock valued at $423,000 after purchasing an additional 762 shares during the last quarter. Intellectus Partners LLC increased its holdings in Blue Owl Capital by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Intellectus Partners LLC now owns 120,846 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,901,000 after buying an additional 809 shares during the period. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Blue Owl Capital by 2.0% in the 2nd quarter. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 44,212 shares of the companys stock valued at $679,000 after buying an additional 881 shares during the period. Finally, Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC increased its holdings in Blue Owl Capital by 3.8% in the 1st quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC now owns 24,795 shares of the companys stock valued at $381,000 after buying an additional 910 shares during the period. 42.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Blue Owl Capital Price Performance

Shares of OBDC traded up $0.03 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $14.54. The stock had a trading volume of 2,276,725 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,050,868. The companys fifty day moving average is $15.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is $15.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.84. Blue Owl Capital Co. has a 52 week low of $12.99 and a 52 week high of $16.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.33 and a beta of 0.87.

Blue Owl Capital Increases Dividend

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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 $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.65%. This is a positive change from Blue Owl Capitals previous quarterly dividend of $0.05. Blue Owl Capitals dividend payout ratio is currently 74.75%.

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on OBDC shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a market perform rating and issued a $16.00 price target on shares of Blue Owl Capital in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. Hovde Group boosted their price target on shares of Blue Owl Capital from $16.00 to $17.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, May 10th. Truist Financial lowered their price target on shares of Blue Owl Capital from $18.00 to $17.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 9th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an outperform rating and issued a $17.00 price target on shares of Blue Owl Capital in a report on Monday, August 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Blue Owl Capital from $15.50 to $14.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Blue Owl Capital presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $16.00.

View Our Latest Analysis on OBDC

Blue Owl Capital Profile

(Free Report)

Blue Owl Capital Corporation is a business development company. It specializes in direct and fund of fund investments. The fund makes investments in senior secured, direct lending or unsecured loans, subordinated loans or mezzanine loans and also considers equity-related securities including warrants and preferred stocks also pursues preferred equity investments, first lien, unitranche, and second lien term loans and common equity investments.

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Black Diamond Group Limited (TSE:BDI  Get Free Report) Director Steve Stein sold 4,100 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$10.06, for a total transaction of C$41,246.00.

Black Diamond Group Trading Down 1.1 %

Shares of TSE:BDI traded down C$0.11 during trading on Monday, reaching C$9.89. 50,047 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 57,361. The firm has a market capitalization of C$592.51 million, a PE ratio of 20.92 and a beta of 1.56. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is C$8.60 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$8.65. Black Diamond Group Limited has a 12-month low of C$5.91 and a 12-month high of C$10.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 84.84, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 1.05.

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Black Diamond Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be given a dividend of $0.03 per share. This represents a $0.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.21%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 30th. Black Diamond Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 25.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on BDI shares. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Black Diamond Group from C$11.00 to C$12.00 in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their target price on shares of Black Diamond Group from C$11.00 to C$10.25 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 6th.

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About Black Diamond Group

(Get Free Report)

Black Diamond Group Limited rents and sells modular space and workforce accommodation solutions. It operates through two segments, Modular Space Solutions and Workforce Solutions. The Modular Space Solutions segment provides modular space rentals to customers in the construction, real estate development, education, manufacturing, health care, financial, government, and defense industries in North America.

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Apollon Wealth Management LLC increased its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (BATS:EFG  Free Report) by 149.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 50,088 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 30,006 shares during the quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF were worth $5,124,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 8,384,800 shares of the companys stock worth $812,068,000 after acquiring an additional 137,178 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. lifted its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 60.9% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 3,742,137 shares of the companys stock worth $382,821,000 after acquiring an additional 1,416,067 shares in the last quarter. SageView Advisory Group LLC lifted its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 56,912.3% in the 1st quarter. SageView Advisory Group LLC now owns 2,788,471 shares of the companys stock worth $273,103,000 after acquiring an additional 2,783,580 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC lifted its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 54.3% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,767,095 shares of the companys stock worth $283,074,000 after acquiring an additional 973,742 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Park Avenue Securities LLC increased its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 56.9% in the 2nd quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 2,661,636 shares of the companys stock worth $272,285,000 after purchasing an additional 965,407 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Trading Up 1.3 %

EFG stock traded up $1.35 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $105.44. The stock had a trading volume of 305,995 shares. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF has a 1-year low of $67.58 and a 1-year high of $85.81. The company has a fifty day moving average of $102.50 and a 200 day moving average of $102.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.36 and a beta of 0.97.

iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Company Profile

iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Growth 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 the MSCI EAFE Growth Index (the Index). The Index is a subset of the MSCI EAFE Index and constituents of the Index include securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia), and the Far East.

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AAFMAA Wealth Management & Trust LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) by 7.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,816 shares of the companys stock after selling 228 shares during the period. Eli Lilly and Company comprises about 1.3% of AAFMAA Wealth Management & Trust LLCs holdings, making the stock its 19th biggest position. AAFMAA Wealth Management & Trust LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $2,550,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Apollon Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 24.5% during the 2nd quarter. Apollon Financial LLC now owns 1,210 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,096,000 after buying an additional 238 shares during the last quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 2.9% during the second quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 13,294 shares of the companys stock valued at $12,036,000 after acquiring an additional 369 shares during the period. BTC Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 310.3% in the second quarter. BTC Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,554 shares of the companys stock worth $6,839,000 after buying an additional 5,713 shares during the period. OMNI 360 Wealth Inc. purchased a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the 2nd quarter worth about $239,000. Finally, Long Run Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 2nd quarter valued at $209,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.53% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on LLY shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $875.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Argus raised their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $770.00 to $840.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, May 14th. Truist Financial reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $1,000.00 price target (up from $892.00) on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Tuesday, June 25th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $994.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, June 24th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $913.00 to $1,025.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $956.88.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Down 0.0 %

Shares of NYSE LLY traded down $0.31 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $921.81. The company had a trading volume of 2,169,686 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,093,591. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12-month low of $516.57 and a 12-month high of $966.10. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $878.93 and a two-hundred day moving average of $806.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.35. The company has a market capitalization of $876.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 135.64, a PEG 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. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.56%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. Eli Lilly and Companys payout ratio is presently 76.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 2,052 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $809.00, for a total transaction of $1,660,068.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 98,554,195 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,730,343,755. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 2,052 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $809.00, for a total transaction of $1,660,068.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 98,554,195 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $79,730,343,755. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 750 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $819.47, for a total transaction of $614,602.50. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 7,130 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,842,821.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 1,214,704 shares of company stock worth $1,066,841,316 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

Eli Lilly and Company Profile

(Free Report)

Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. The company offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; Jardiance, Mounjaro, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes; and Zepbound for obesity.

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Amotiv Ltd (ASX:AOV  Get Free Report) announced a final dividend on Thursday, August 15th, MarketIndexAU reports. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 11th will be paid a dividend of 0.22 per share on Wednesday, September 11th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.07%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 22nd.

Amotiv Stock Performance

Amotiv Company Profile

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Amotiv Limited, through its subsidiaries, manufactures, imports, distributes, and sells automotive products in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, South Korea, France, and the United States. It operates through Automotive, Auto Pacific Group (APG), and Davey segments. The Automotive segment offers automotive and heavy-duty filters for cars, trucks, and agricultural and mining equipment; automotive electrical and lighting products; and fuel pumps and associated products and accessories for the automotive after-market.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of B2Gold (NYSE:BTG  Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

BTG has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Cormark cut shares of B2Gold from a moderate buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. CIBC lifted their target price on B2Gold from $3.40 to $3.50 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on B2Gold from $3.50 to $4.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Cibc World Mkts raised shares of B2Gold from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. Finally, Scotiabank downgraded shares of B2Gold from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Three research 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 companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, B2Gold has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $3.75.

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B2Gold Stock Performance

B2Gold Dividend Announcement

Shares of NYSE BTG opened at $2.75 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $2.77. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 2.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. B2Gold has a 52-week low of $2.34 and a 52-week high of $3.46. The firm has a market cap of $3.59 billion, a P/E ratio of -91.67, a P/E/G ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 1.12.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 23rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 10th will be paid a $0.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 10th. This represents a $0.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.82%. B2Golds dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -533.33%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On B2Gold

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Sei Investments Co. grew its position in B2Gold by 31.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 33,459 shares of the companys stock valued at $90,000 after purchasing an additional 7,974 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC lifted its stake in shares of B2Gold by 32.8% in the second quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 34,250 shares of the companys stock valued at $92,000 after buying an additional 8,463 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. grew its holdings in shares of B2Gold by 69.3% during the second quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 22,615 shares of the companys stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 9,258 shares during the last quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC bought a new stake in shares of B2Gold during the second quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft acquired a new stake in shares of B2Gold in the 2nd quarter worth about $42,000. 61.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

B2Gold Company Profile

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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.

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Citycon Oyj (OTCMKTS:COYJF  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 98,200 shares, a decline of 10.4% from the July 15th total of 109,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently  days.

Citycon Oyj Stock Performance

Citycon Oyj stock opened at C$6.02 on Tuesday. Citycon Oyj has a 1 year low of C$6.02 and a 1 year high of C$6.02. The firms 50-day moving average is C$6.02 and its 200-day moving average is C$6.02.

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About Citycon Oyj

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Citycon Oyj, a real estate investment company, operates as an owner, manager, and developer of mixed-use centers for urban living in the Nordic region. The company develops retail, office space, and residential properties. It owns 36 centers and 1 other retail property. The company was incorporated in 1988 and is headquartered in Espoo, Finland.

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Perth tradie Shane Ramsey, 30, is currently being treated for bleeding on the brain, blood in his lungs and severe brain damage.

Shane Ramsey, 30, from Perth, was gravely injured after crashing a moped into a pole in Seminyak on Sunday. Source: GoFundMe

A heartbroken mum has turned to the public for help to fly her gravely injured son back to Australia after he crashed his moped into a pole in Bali on Sunday, badly fracturing his skull.

Perth tradie Shane Ramsey, 30, is currently being treated for bleeding on the brain, blood in his lungs and severe brain damage after the accident in Seminyak  a highly popular tourist spot among Aussie travellers.

His mother Catherine said she's scrambling to come up with the funds to cover his medical bills  with emergency neurosurgery alone costing $53,000 in addition to $9,000 per night for hospital  let alone the $150,000 price of an air ambulance. At present the bill will likely be in excess of a quarter of a million dollars before he is in front of an Australian doctor.

She said doctors are yet to determine the full scale of Shane's brain damage and he remains in an induced coma following surgery, while doctors wait for his brain swelling to subside. Shane was in Bali to attend a wedding, where he was reportedly set to be a groomsman.

The WA tradie is being treated for severe brain damage, bleeding on the brain and blood in his lungs. Source: Facebook

Mum willing to sell home to cover son's eye-watering medical bills

Now in Bali, Catherine said she's even willing to sell her home to raise the funds to support her son. A fundraising campaign established to assist the family with medical bills explained that Shane had no travel insurance, making the ordeal especially costly.

"We just want to bring shane home as soon as possible to be closer to all his friends and family," organiser Amyleigh Mitchell wrote.

The campaign has so far raised $74,000 AUD. But has a lofty goal of $750,000.

Catherine has now issued a plea to Australians in Bali, warning them to stay away from mopeds. "Don't do it, it's just too dangerous," she said.

Catherine said Shane's mates rallied around his bedside in the wake of the unimaginable tragedy.

"They've been his friends all the way from childhood, these guys have not left the hospital. They've been here 24/7, they're an incredible group," she told 7News, adding that Shane had "done a lot of damage" to himself".

"There's no question about that," she lamented.

WA Premier Roger Cook reiterated the sentiment after hearing of the accident, reminding travellers to purchase travel insurance. "It's the easiest way to protect yourself and keep yourself safe overseas," he said.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

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Community Bank of the Bay (OTCMKTS:CBYAA  Get Free Report)s share price traded up 0.5% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $13.06 and last traded at $13.06. 2,011 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 82% from the average session volume of 11,406 shares. The stock had previously closed at $13.00.

Community Bank of the Bay Stock Performance

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $12.88 and a two-hundred day moving average of $9.93.

Community Bank of the Bay Company Profile

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Community Bank of the Bay provides various banking services to individuals and businesses in the greater San Francisco Bay area. It offers checking, savings, and money market products, as well as certificates of deposit; funds; and loan products comprising business and term loans, lines of credit, letter of credit, commercial and industrial, real estate, non-profit, and construction and land loans, as well as small business administration loans.

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Dakota Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX  Free Report) by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 97,019 shares of the natural resource companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,796 shares during the quarter. Dakota Wealth Managements holdings in Freeport-McMoRan were worth $4,715,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in FCX. Capital Research Global Investors increased its holdings in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 22.0% during the 1st quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 72,896,288 shares of the natural resource companys stock worth $3,427,583,000 after purchasing an additional 13,143,562 shares during the period. Capital International Investors acquired a new stake in shares of Freeport-McMoRan during the 1st quarter valued at about $417,752,000. Boston Partners boosted its position in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 13,248.4% during the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 5,351,630 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $227,747,000 after acquiring an additional 5,311,538 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its position in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 40.9% during the 1st quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 15,155,256 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $712,600,000 after acquiring an additional 4,396,309 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Asia Research & Capital Management Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Freeport-McMoRan during the 1st quarter valued at about $197,966,000. Institutional investors own 80.77% of the companys stock.

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Freeport-McMoRan Price Performance

Shares of FCX stock traded down $0.67 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $43.58. 3,981,961 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 13,492,489. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 2.40 and a quick ratio of 1.34. The company has a market cap of $62.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.92. The stocks fifty day moving average is $46.69 and its two-hundred day moving average is $46.42. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $32.83 and a fifty-two week high of $55.24.

Freeport-McMoRan Dividend Announcement

Freeport-McMoRan ( NYSE:FCX Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The natural resource company reported $0.46 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $6.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6 billion. Freeport-McMoRan had a net margin of 7.83% and a return on equity of 7.60%. Freeport-McMoRans revenue for the quarter was up 15.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.35 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Freeport-McMoRan Inc. will post 1.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 1st. Investors of record on Monday, July 15th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.38%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 15th. Freeport-McMoRans dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.55%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Freeport-McMoRan from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and lifted their target price for the company from $49.50 to $62.00 in a research report on Friday, June 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $48.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Monday, June 10th. Argus boosted their price target on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $44.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. HSBC boosted their price target on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $39.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated a sector perform rating and issued a $60.00 price target on shares of Freeport-McMoRan in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Freeport-McMoRan currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $52.67.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on FCX

Freeport-McMoRan Profile

(Free Report)

Freeport-McMoRan Inc engages in the mining of mineral properties in North America, South America, and Indonesia. It primarily explores for copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, and other metals. The company's assets include the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia; Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita, and Miami in Arizona; Chino and Tyrone in New Mexico; and Henderson and Climax in Colorado, North America, as well as Cerro Verde in Peru and El Abra in Chile.

Further Reading

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Dakota Wealth Management decreased its position in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE  Free Report) by 4.6% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,279 shares of the medical equipment providers stock after selling 109 shares during the period. Dakota Wealth Managements holdings in STERIS were worth $500,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of STERIS by 8.3% in the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 58,841 shares of the medical equipment providers stock valued at $13,235,000 after purchasing an additional 4,494 shares in the last quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System grew its holdings in STERIS by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 106,346 shares of the medical equipment providers stock worth $23,909,000 after acquiring an additional 3,342 shares during the period. Caden Capital Partners LP grew its holdings in STERIS by 80.0% during the 4th quarter. Caden Capital Partners LP now owns 82,312 shares of the medical equipment providers stock worth $18,096,000 after acquiring an additional 36,576 shares during the period. Diversify Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in STERIS during the 1st quarter worth $903,000. Finally, Perpetual Ltd grew its holdings in STERIS by 9.3% during the 1st quarter. Perpetual Ltd now owns 40,571 shares of the medical equipment providers stock worth $9,121,000 after acquiring an additional 3,437 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.69% of the companys stock.

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STERIS Stock Up 0.2 %

STE traded up $0.47 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $234.04. The company had a trading volume of 62,365 shares, compared to its average volume of 483,249. The company has a market capitalization of $23.14 billion, a PE ratio of 61.15 and a beta of 0.83. STERIS plc has a one year low of $195.47 and a one year high of $243.37. The firms 50-day moving average price is $225.99 and its 200 day moving average price is $223.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

STERIS Increases Dividend

STERIS ( NYSE:STE Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.14 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.16. STERIS had a net margin of 7.36% and a return on equity of 13.85%. The business had revenue of $1.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.27 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.00 EPS. The firms revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that STERIS plc will post 9.17 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 5th will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 5th. This is a boost from STERISs previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.97%. STERISs payout ratio is 59.69%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on STE. StockNews.com raised shares of STERIS from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Piper Sandler reissued a neutral rating and issued a $225.00 price target (up previously from $220.00) on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, May 10th. Stephens reissued an overweight rating and issued a $260.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a hold rating on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, JMP Securities reissued a market outperform rating and issued a $265.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $243.60.

View Our Latest Stock Report on STERIS

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other STERIS news, Director Christopher S. Holland sold 473 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.68, for a total transaction of $113,368.64. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 582 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $139,493.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 1.14% of the companys stock.

STERIS Profile

(Free Report)

STERIS plc provides infection prevention products and services worldwide. It operates through four segments: Healthcare, Applied Sterilization Technologies, Life Sciences, and Dental. The Healthcare segment offers cleaning chemistries and sterility assurance products; automated endoscope reprocessing system and tracking products; endoscopy accessories, washers, sterilizers, and other pieces of capital equipment for the operation of a sterile processing department; and equipment used directly in the operating room, including surgical tables, lights, and connectivity solutions, as well as equipment management services.

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Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESRT  Get Free Report) saw a large decrease in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 5,300,000 shares, a decrease of 11.5% from the July 15th total of 5,990,000 shares. Approximately 4.0% of the companys shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 1,080,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.9 days.

Empire State Realty Trust Trading Down 0.3 %

ESRT stock traded down $0.03 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $10.24. 975,194 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,095,973. Empire State Realty Trust has a one year low of $7.25 and a one year high of $11.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 3.24 and a current ratio of 3.24. The company has a market cap of $1.69 billion, a PE ratio of 33.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.38 and a beta of 1.39. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $9.94 and its 200-day moving average price is $9.70.

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Empire State Realty Trust (NYSE:ESRT  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.10 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.24 by ($0.14). Empire State Realty Trust had a net margin of 5.89% and a return on equity of 2.57%. The business had revenue of $189.54 million for the quarter. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.26 EPS. Research analysts predict that Empire State Realty Trust will post 0.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Empire State Realty Trust Dividend Announcement

Institutional Trading of Empire State Realty Trust

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be issued a $0.035 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 16th. This represents a $0.14 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.37%. Empire State Realty Trusts dividend payout ratio is currently 46.67%.

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ESRT. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Empire State Realty Trust by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 19,287,935 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $195,387,000 after acquiring an additional 175,718 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in Empire State Realty Trust by 19.3% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,821,372 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $56,409,000 after buying an additional 943,593 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Empire State Realty Trust by 8.1% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,285,543 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $31,837,000 after buying an additional 245,458 shares in the last quarter. Cbre Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Empire State Realty Trust by 36.8% during the 4th quarter. Cbre Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC now owns 2,467,453 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $23,910,000 after acquiring an additional 663,159 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Empire State Realty Trust during the 4th quarter worth approximately $8,571,000. Institutional investors own 67.10% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. StockNews.com lowered Empire State Realty Trust from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Empire State Realty Trust from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, July 19th.

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Empire State Realty Trust Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Empire State Realty Trust, Inc (NYSE: ESRT) is a NYC-focused REIT that owns and operates a portfolio of modernized, amenitized, and well-located office, retail, and multifamily assets. The company is the recognized leader in energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality. ESRT's flagship Empire State Building  the "World's Most Famous Building"  includes its Observatory, Tripadvisor's 2023 Travelers' Choice Awards: Best of the Best the #1 attraction in the US for two consecutive years.

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Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG  Free Report) by 3.7% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 315,527 shares of the energy exploration companys stock after purchasing an additional 11,192 shares during the quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc.s holdings in EOG Resources were worth $39,715,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Wright Investors Service Inc. grew its holdings in EOG Resources by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Wright Investors Service Inc. now owns 10,163 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $1,299,000 after buying an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. CVA Family Office LLC grew its holdings in EOG Resources by 11.0% in the 2nd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 820 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $103,000 after buying an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Field & Main Bank grew its holdings in EOG Resources by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Field & Main Bank now owns 6,163 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $788,000 after buying an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. PDS Planning Inc grew its holdings in EOG Resources by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 2,152 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $275,000 after buying an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Moody National Bank Trust Division grew its holdings in EOG Resources by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 8,420 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $1,076,000 after buying an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. 89.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Ezra Y. Yacob sold 4,729 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.31, for a total value of $611,506.99. Following the completion of 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 accessible through this hyperlink. In other EOG Resources news, COO Jeffrey R. Leitzell sold 4,000 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction on Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.48, for a total transaction of $505,920.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 35,058 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,434,135.84. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Ezra Y. Yacob sold 4,729 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 150,474 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $19,457,792.94. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on EOG Resources from $154.00 to $147.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Mizuho increased their price target on EOG Resources from $140.00 to $156.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, May 13th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on EOG Resources in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. They set a peer perform rating for the company. TD Cowen increased their price objective on EOG Resources from $130.00 to $144.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 30th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on EOG Resources from $153.00 to $150.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $144.10.

View Our Latest Research Report on EOG

EOG Resources Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:EOG traded up $0.18 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $128.24. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,985,267 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,176,962. The stock has a market capitalization of $73.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.13, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.30. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $125.52 and its 200 day simple moving average is $124.81. EOG Resources, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $108.94 and a fifty-two week high of $139.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 2.05 and a current ratio of 2.32.

EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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 the consensus estimate of $6.07 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.49 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 12.13 earnings per share for the current year.

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 paid a dividend of $0.91 per share. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.84%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 17th. EOG Resourcess dividend payout ratio is 28.75%.

EOG Resources Company Profile

(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.

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First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. grew its stake in CMS Energy Co. (NYSE:CMS  Free Report) by 3.3% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 59,814 shares of the utilities providers stock after acquiring an additional 1,892 shares during the quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.s holdings in CMS Energy were worth $3,561,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of CMS Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. acquired a new stake in CMS Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of CMS Energy by 431.3% in the 2nd quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 712 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 578 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of CMS Energy in the 1st quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of CMS Energy by 30.8% in the 4th quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 785 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 185 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.57% of the companys stock.

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CMS Energy Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of CMS stock traded up $0.50 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $67.03. 265,611 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,338,710. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.44, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.38. CMS Energy Co. has a one year low of $49.87 and a one year high of $67.77. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $61.90 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $60.39.

CMS Energy Cuts Dividend

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.63 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $1.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.73 billion. CMS Energy had a return on equity of 12.25% and a net margin of 13.10%. The businesss revenue was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.75 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that CMS Energy Co. will post 3.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 2nd. CMS Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 62.80%.

Insider Transactions at CMS Energy

In other CMS Energy news, SVP Brandon J. Hofmeister sold 1,667 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.98, for a total transaction of $99,986.66. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 68,330 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,098,433.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other CMS Energy news, Director Jon E. Barfield sold 2,360 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.79, for a total transaction of $143,464.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 14,556 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $884,859.24. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Brandon J. Hofmeister sold 1,667 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.98, for a total value of $99,986.66. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 68,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,098,433.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.40% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CMS has been the topic of several analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of CMS Energy from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, May 14th. Guggenheim lifted their target price on shares of CMS Energy from $66.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Barclays boosted their price target on CMS Energy from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of CMS Energy from $61.00 to $58.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 24th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded CMS Energy from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, July 29th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $66.36.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on CMS

CMS Energy Profile

(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.

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Green Dot Co. (NYSE:GDOT  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,770,000 shares, an increase of 7.9% from the July 15th total of 1,640,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 485,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.6 days. Approximately 3.5% of the companys stock are sold short.

Green Dot Price Performance

Shares of Green Dot stock traded up $0.13 during trading on Monday, hitting $10.90. 350,495 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 591,545. Green Dot has a 1 year low of $7.30 and a 1 year high of $15.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $579.72 million, a P/E ratio of -22.89 and a beta of 0.96. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $9.57 and a 200-day simple moving average of $9.19.

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Green Dot (NYSE:GDOT  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The financial services provider reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.23 by $0.02. Green Dot had a positive return on equity of 4.48% and a negative net margin of 1.60%. The company had revenue of $407.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $381.87 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.20 earnings per share. Green Dots revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Green Dot will post 1.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com raised Green Dot from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, May 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a market perform rating and issued a $11.00 target price on shares of Green Dot in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $10.75.

View Our Latest Stock Report on GDOT

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of GDOT. nVerses Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Green Dot in the second quarter worth about $25,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Green Dot by 162.0% in the second quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,602 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 1,609 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC raised its stake in shares of Green Dot by 89.2% in the first quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 2,743 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 1,293 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in shares of Green Dot by 98.3% in the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 2,855 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 1,415 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Green Dot in the second quarter worth about $32,000. Institutional investors own 92.56% of the companys stock.

About Green Dot

(Get Free Report)

Green Dot Corporation, a financial technology and registered bank holding company, provides various financial services to consumers and businesses in the United States. It operates through three segments: Consumer Services, Business to Business Services, and Money Movement Services. The company provides deposit account programs, including consumer and small business checking account products, network-branded reloadable prepaid debit cards and gift cards, and secured credit programs.

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Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. lifted its stake in Edwards Lifesciences Co. (NYSE:EW  Free Report) by 26.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,784 shares of the medical research companys stock after purchasing an additional 792 shares during the quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd.s holdings in Edwards Lifesciences were worth $350,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Edwards Lifesciences by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 52,964,394 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $5,061,277,000 after acquiring an additional 600,994 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in Edwards Lifesciences by 9.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 18,973,304 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $1,813,089,000 after acquiring an additional 1,644,869 shares in the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. lifted its position in Edwards Lifesciences by 20.1% in the 4th quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 18,181,420 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $1,386,333,000 after acquiring an additional 3,048,274 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in Edwards Lifesciences by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 16,827,510 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $1,283,098,000 after acquiring an additional 393,109 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in Edwards Lifesciences in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $648,540,000. 79.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Edwards Lifesciences

In related news, VP Donald E. Bobo, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.54, for a total value of $437,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 46,936 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,108,777.44. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, VP Donald E. Bobo, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of Edwards Lifesciences stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.54, for a total value of $437,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 46,936 shares in the company, valued at $4,108,777.44. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Bernard J. Zovighian sold 8,617 shares of Edwards Lifesciences stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.68, for a total value of $755,538.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 68,218 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,981,354.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 23,617 shares of company stock valued at $1,990,089 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.29% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

EW has been the topic of several analyst reports. TD Cowen cut Edwards Lifesciences from a buy rating to a hold rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $100.00 to $70.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of Edwards Lifesciences from $85.00 to $70.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Edwards Lifesciences from $88.00 to $73.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Robert W. Baird lowered shares of Edwards Lifesciences from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and decreased their target price for the company from $102.00 to $70.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Edwards Lifesciences from an underperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research note on Monday, July 29th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Edwards Lifesciences currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $82.10.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Edwards Lifesciences

Edwards Lifesciences Price Performance

Edwards Lifesciences stock traded up $1.49 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $69.75. The stock had a trading volume of 2,017,558 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,064,975. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a current ratio of 3.71, a quick ratio of 2.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The firms 50 day moving average is $80.41 and its 200 day moving average is $85.82. 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 released 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. Edwards Lifesciences had a net margin of 24.55% and a return on equity of 22.35%. The business had revenue of $1.63 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.65 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.66 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Edwards Lifesciences Co. will post 2.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Edwards Lifesciences Profile

(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.

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Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. lessened its holdings in shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NYSE:TEVA  Free Report) by 25.4% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 19,208 shares of the companys stock after selling 6,543 shares during the period. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd.s holdings in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries were worth $312,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of TEVA. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. purchased a new stake in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in the 1st quarter worth $30,000. Beach Investment Counsel Inc. PA bought a new stake in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in the 2nd quarter worth about $48,000. Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in the first quarter worth approximately $54,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries by 105.7% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,388 shares of the companys stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 1,741 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 54.05% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

TEVA has been the topic of several recent research reports. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Bank of America raised their price objective on Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from $18.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from $19.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, June 27th. StockNews.com upgraded Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Saturday, August 3rd. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $20.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $18.67.

Insider Activity at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries

In other news, insider Eric A. Hughes sold 24,537 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.25, for a total transaction of $423,263.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 45,060 shares in the company, valued at approximately $777,285. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, Director Roberto Mignone sold 519,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.03, for a total transaction of $8,838,570.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 981,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,706,430. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Eric A. Hughes sold 24,537 shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.25, for a total value of $423,263.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 45,060 shares in the company, valued at $777,285. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.55% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Price Performance

Shares of TEVA stock traded down $0.09 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $18.20. 1,303,126 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,283,860. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.52. The firm has a market cap of $20.61 billion, a P/E ratio of -44.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.90. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $16.94 and a two-hundred day moving average of $15.20. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited has a fifty-two week low of $8.06 and a fifty-two week high of $18.58.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Company Profile

(Free Report)

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes generic medicines, specialty medicines, and biopharmaceutical products in North America, Europe, Israel, and internationally. It offers generic medicines in various dosage forms, such as tablets, capsules, injectables, inhalants, liquids, transdermal patches, ointments, and creams; sterile products, hormones, high-potency drugs, and cytotoxic substances in parenteral and solid dosage forms; and generic products with medical devices and combination products.

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Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S. A. P. I. de C. V. (OTCMKTS:IENVF  Get Free Report) and Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO  Get Free Report) are both utilities companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation and risk.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations for Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S. A. P. I. de C. V. and Atmos Energy, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S. A. P. I. de C. V. 0 0 0 0 N/A Atmos Energy 0 2 4 0 2.67

Atmos Energy has a consensus target price of $133.17, suggesting a potential upside of 2.93%. Given Atmos Energys higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Atmos Energy is more favorable than Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S. A. P. I. de C. V..

Earnings and Valuation

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S. A. P. I. de C. V. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Atmos Energy $4.09 billion 4.77 $885.86 million $6.67 19.40

This table compares Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S. A. P. I. de C. V. and Atmos Energys gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Atmos Energy has higher revenue and earnings than Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S. A. P. I. de C. V..

Institutional & Insider Ownership

90.2% of Atmos Energy shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.5% of Atmos Energy shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S. A. P. I. de C. V. and Atmos Energys net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S. A. P. I. de C. V. N/A N/A N/A Atmos Energy 24.65% 9.01% 4.35%

Summary

Atmos Energy beats Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S. A. P. I. de C. V. on 8 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S. A. P. I. de C. V.

(Get Free Report)

Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S. A. P. I. de C. V. engages in the development, construction, and operation of energy infrastructure projects in Mexico. It operates through three segments: Gas, Storage, and Power. The Gas segment owns, develops, and operates or holds interests in natural gas and ethane pipelines, and compression stations; and transports, distributes, and sells natural gas in the states of Baja California, Sonora, Sinaloa, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Durango, Chiapas, San Luis Potosi, Tabasco, Veracruz, and Nuevo Leon. The Storage segment owns and operates a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Baja California for importing, storing, and regasifying LNG; and storage spheres of liquid petroleum gas in Jalisco and Tamaulipas. It also owns, develops, and operates projects of the marine and in  land terminal for the reception, storage, and delivery of refined products located in Veracruz, Estado de Mexico, Puebla, Baja California, Sinaloa, Colima, and Jalisco. The Power segment owns, develops, and operates solar projects located in Baja California, Aguascalientes, Sonora, and Chihuahua; a natural gas fire power plant that includes two gas turbines and one steam turbine in Baja California; and two wind farms located in Nuevo Leon and Baja California. The company was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico. Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S. A. P. I. de C. V. is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy.

About Atmos Energy

(Get Free Report)

Atmos Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the regulated natural gas distribution, and pipeline and storage businesses in the United States. It operates through two segments, Distribution, and Pipeline and Storage. The Distribution segment is involved in the regulated natural gas distribution and related sales operations in eight states. This segment distributes natural gas to approximately 3.3 million residential, commercial, public authority, and industrial customers; and owned 73,689 miles of underground distribution and transmission mains. The Pipeline and Storage segment engages in the pipeline and storage operations. This segment transports natural gas for third parties and manages five underground storage facilities in Texas; provides ancillary services customary to the pipeline industry, including parking arrangements, lending, and inventory sales; and owned 5,645 miles of gas transmission lines. Atmos Energy Corporation was founded in 1906 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

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The threat of invasive pests is likely to dramatically rise because of the 'serious threat' of climate change.

Australia's agriculture department has been warned about the changing threat risk of pests including the marmorated stink bug (right). Source: Michael Dahlstrom/Getty

Australia will face new biosecurity threats from invasive species because the countries it regularly trades with are set to dramatically change. Researchers have focused on five insects and molluscs that could hitchhike to the country in contaminated consignments of goods including motor vehicle parts and foods.

The federal Department of Agriculture (DAFF) has been presented with modelling that focuses on the direct impact of climate change by Melbourne Universitys Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis (CEBRA). Its staff were told the same technology could also be used to predict other influences including changes in trade patterns or even the possible election of Donald Trump in the United States.

Being aware of long-term shifting trade patterns and pathways helps focus research, preparation and planning for biosecurity risks, a DAFF spokesperson told Yahoo News.

Which five pests have Australian authorities been briefed on?

DAFF has been receiving regular updates from CEBRA, including the spongy moth, Asian honeybee, giant African snails and khapra beetles. But it is the brown marmorated stink bug that has been of particular focus because it threatens the production of 300 types of fruit, ornamental trees and vegetable crops.

The countries Australia imports from are expected to dramatically change. The thickness of the line is an indication of trade. Source: CEBRA

This species is well-known to stow away in cargo, particularly imports from the northern hemisphere that arrive between September and April.

Stopping the tiny brown pest becoming established in Australia is also a concern of the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPRID) which told Yahoo News it has responded to several border and near-border detections this year.

These detections were associated with imports and one report of brown marmorated stink bug found in a travellers luggage. Response activities involved surveillance, which confirmed there were no other brown marmorated stink bugs in the environment, a spokesperson said.

Potential habitat for the brown marmorated stink bug is vast in Australia, but suitable habitats will likely be constrained to the east coast by 2100, according to CEBRA modelling. Climate change will see the pest decline in Europe and the United States, but its range could expand in Russia and Canada.

Climate change poses 'serious issues' for trade

This knowledge will allow DAFF to focus on cargo that poses the highest biosecurity risks, particularly because the country has finite resources to battle the problem.

And that's important because in May, CEBRA biosecurity expert Professor Tom Kompas warned DAFF that in general the risk of pest species invading Australia is growing. Key reasons are increasing trade, changes in species distribution due to climate change, and changes in human movement including tourism.

Speaking directly about the impact of global warming on the planet in May, Kompas told DAFF there are serious issues here, as temperatures continue to rise.

The modelling predicts dramatic changes in imports into Australia. Increases are expected from Europe and declines from New Zealand, the United States and Asia, particularly China and India. Australia is also expected to export a significantly increased amount of products to New Zealand.

These changes in trade patterns allow you to predict what the pest pathways would be from source countries, Kompas added.

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First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. lessened its stake in Invesco Senior Loan ETF (NYSEARCA:BKLN  Free Report) by 7.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 134,912 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 10,249 shares during the period. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.s holdings in Invesco Senior Loan ETF were worth $2,839,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Invesco Senior Loan ETF during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Lynx Investment Advisory bought a new position in shares of Invesco Senior Loan ETF in the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Invesco Senior Loan ETF in the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. RE Dickinson Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Invesco Senior Loan ETF in the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc lifted its position in shares of Invesco Senior Loan ETF by 41.7% in the 1st quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 1,683 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 495 shares during the last quarter.

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Invesco Senior Loan ETF Trading Up 0.0 %

Shares of Invesco Senior Loan ETF stock traded up $0.01 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $20.90. The companys stock had a trading volume of 895,193 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,376,578. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $21.04 and its 200 day simple moving average is $21.09. Invesco Senior Loan ETF has a one year low of $20.61 and a one year high of $21.27.

Invesco Senior Loan ETF Company Profile

The Invesco Senior Loan ETF (BKLN) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in high yield fixed income. The fund tracks a market-value-weighted index of senior loans issued by banks to corporations. BKLN was launched on Mar 3, 2011 and is managed by Invesco.

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Macquarie Bank Limited (ASX:MBLPD  Get Free Report) announced a interim dividend on Tuesday, July 2nd, MarketIndexAU reports. Investors of record on Sunday, September 8th will be given a dividend of 1.595 per share on Sunday, September 8th. This represents a yield of 1.55%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 21st. This is a positive change from Macquarie Banks previous interim dividend of $1.57.

Macquarie Bank Stock Performance

Macquarie Bank Company Profile

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Macquarie Bank Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides various commercial banking and retail financial services. It offers personal banking, wealth management, business banking, and vehicle finance products and services to retail clients, advisers, brokers, and business clients. The company also offers corporate and structured finance, transaction accounts, home loans, credit cards, online banking, asset financing, and leasing services.

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Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSE:TD  Free Report) (NYSE:TD) had its target price reduced by National Bankshares from C$75.00 to C$74.00 in a report issued on Friday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. They currently have an underperform rating on the stock.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on TD. Scotiabank cut their target price on shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from C$90.00 to C$87.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 24th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on Toronto-Dominion Bank from C$86.00 to C$84.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 24th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Toronto-Dominion Bank from C$73.00 to C$82.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price objective on Toronto-Dominion Bank from C$91.00 to C$93.50 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, May 24th. Finally, Desjardins reduced their target price on shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from C$93.00 to C$91.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$87.43.

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Toronto-Dominion Bank Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of TSE:TD opened at C$81.00 on Friday. The businesss 50 day moving average is C$77.47 and its 200 day moving average is C$78.69. The stock has a market cap of C$142.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 0.82. Toronto-Dominion Bank has a 52-week low of C$73.67 and a 52-week high of C$86.89.

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSE:TD  Get Free Report) (NYSE:TD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 23rd. The company reported C$2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of C$1.84 by C$0.20. The business had revenue of C$13.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$13.38 billion. Toronto-Dominion Bank had a return on equity of 9.89% and a net margin of 21.91%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Toronto-Dominion Bank will post 8.3985432 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 10th were given a $1.02 dividend. This represents a $4.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.04%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 10th. Toronto-Dominion Banks payout ratio is 68.34%.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, U.S. Retail, Wealth Management and Insurance, and Wholesale Banking.

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Shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS  Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of Hold from the seven brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have assigned a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $118.13.

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Novartis from $121.00 to $122.50 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a hold rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Friday, July 19th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Novartis from $114.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th. Barclays upgraded Novartis to a strong sell rating in a research report on Monday, June 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Novartis in a report on Thursday, May 30th. They set a buy rating and a $120.00 price target for the company.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Novartis Price Performance

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Novartis by 23.1% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 7,407,692 shares of the companys stock valued at $788,626,000 after buying an additional 1,389,610 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in Novartis by 191.1% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,904,664 shares of the companys stock valued at $202,771,000 after acquiring an additional 1,250,318 shares during the period. Magnetar Financial LLC grew its position in Novartis by 53.7% in the 1st quarter. Magnetar Financial LLC now owns 1,906,046 shares of the companys stock valued at $184,372,000 after acquiring an additional 666,104 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in Novartis during the second quarter worth about $64,610,000. Finally, Mondrian Investment Partners LTD lifted its position in shares of Novartis by 40.1% during the first quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD now owns 2,065,739 shares of the companys stock worth $199,819,000 after purchasing an additional 590,830 shares in the last quarter. 13.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

NVS stock opened at $115.92 on Thursday. Novartis has a 1 year low of $92.19 and a 1 year high of $116.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $236.94 billion, a PE ratio of 15.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.57. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $109.03 and a 200-day simple moving average of $102.83.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The company reported $1.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.10. Novartis had a return on equity of 34.56% and a net margin of 33.76%. The company had revenue of $12.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $12.24 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.83 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Novartis will post 7.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Novartis Company Profile

(Get 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.

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Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP  Free Report) by 0.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,222,239 shares of the railroad operators stock after selling 4,471 shares during the quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. owned about 0.20% of Union Pacific worth $276,544,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Twin Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Union Pacific by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Twin Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,394 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $342,000 after buying an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Forum Financial Management LP grew its holdings in Union Pacific by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 7,037 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $1,731,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP increased its position in Union Pacific by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP now owns 7,838 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $1,925,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the period. Berkeley Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Union Pacific by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Berkeley Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,100 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $1,007,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prestige Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Prestige Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 3,015 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $741,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.38% of the companys stock.

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Union Pacific Stock Performance

UNP traded up $1.54 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $246.07. 1,686,480 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,278,878. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $233.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $239.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $150.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.06. Union Pacific Co. has a 1-year low of $199.33 and a 1-year high of $258.66. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89.

Union Pacific Increases Dividend

Union Pacific ( NYSE:UNP Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 42.62% and a net margin of 26.90%. Union Pacifics revenue for the quarter was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.57 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.12 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a dividend of $1.34 per share. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.18%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This is a positive change from Union Pacifics previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Union Pacifics dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 51.15%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on UNP shares. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $281.00 to $275.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Benchmark reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $266.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Loop Capital downgraded shares of Union Pacific from a buy rating to a hold rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $276.00 to $238.00 in a report on Monday, June 17th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Friday, June 7th. They set an overweight rating and a $270.00 price target for the company. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of Union Pacific from $271.00 to $273.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, April 26th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $258.79.

View Our Latest Research Report on Union Pacific

Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific

In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total value of $875,887.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now owns 64,945 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $16,014,787.55. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Union Pacific

(Free Report)

Union Pacific Corporation, through its subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad Company, operates in the railroad business in the United States. The company offers transportation services for grain and grain products, fertilizers, food and refrigerated products, and coal and renewables to grain processors, animal feeders, ethanol producers, renewable biofuel producers, and other agricultural users; and construction products, industrial chemicals, plastics, forest products, specialized products, metals and ores, petroleum, liquid petroleum gases, soda ash, and sand, as well as finished automobiles, automotive parts, and merchandise in intermodal containers.

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AAFMAA Wealth Management & Trust LLC increased its position in shares of Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG  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 9,385 shares of the business services providers stock after purchasing an additional 430 shares during the quarter. AAFMAA Wealth Management & Trust LLCs holdings in Republic Services were worth $1,824,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in RSG. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Republic Services by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 10,591 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $2,058,000 after buying an additional 548 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates boosted its stake in Republic Services by 3.1% in the second quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 749,448 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $145,648,000 after acquiring an additional 22,453 shares during the period. TCW Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Republic Services by 6.7% during the second quarter. TCW Group Inc. now owns 101,444 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $19,715,000 after purchasing an additional 6,329 shares during the last quarter. Brookstone Capital Management raised its position in shares of Republic Services by 23.2% during the 2nd quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 13,622 shares of the business services providers stock worth $2,798,000 after purchasing an additional 2,564 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in Republic Services by 26.7% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,239 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $620,000 after purchasing an additional 683 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.73% of the companys stock.

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Republic Services Price Performance

Shares of RSG traded up $1.69 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $204.96. The companys stock had a trading volume of 574,390 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,211,336. Republic Services, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $140.23 and a fifty-two week high of $206.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $64.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.96, a PEG ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 0.69. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $196.14 and a 200 day moving average price of $189.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 0.59 and a quick ratio of 0.59.

Republic Services Increases Dividend

Republic Services ( NYSE:RSG Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The business services provider reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.53 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $4.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.03 billion. Republic Services had a return on equity of 17.81% and a net margin of 12.11%. On average, research analysts predict that Republic Services, Inc. will post 6.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 2nd will be given a $0.58 dividend. This represents a $2.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.13%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 2nd. This is an increase from Republic Servicess previous quarterly dividend of $0.54. Republic Servicess dividend payout ratio is 40.70%.

Insider Transactions at Republic Services

In other Republic Services news, Director Katharine Weymouth purchased 540 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 4th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $185.26 per share, with a total value of $100,040.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 540 shares of the companys stock, valued at $100,040.40. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Republic Services news, Director Katharine Weymouth bought 540 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 4th. The shares were bought at an average price of $185.26 per share, with a total value of $100,040.40. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 540 shares in the company, valued at approximately $100,040.40. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Tomago Collins sold 3,200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.01, for a total transaction of $649,632.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 17,486 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,549,832.86. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

RSG has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Raymond James cut their target price on Republic Services from $219.00 to $214.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Republic Services from $215.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Oppenheimer dropped their price target on shares of Republic Services from $211.00 to $210.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on Republic Services from $201.00 to $211.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, CIBC raised their target price on Republic Services from $196.00 to $208.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Republic Services currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $211.00.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on RSG

About Republic Services

(Free Report)

Republic Services, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, offers environmental services in the United States and Canada. It is involved in the collection and processing of recyclable, solid waste, and industrial waste materials; transportation and disposal of non-hazardous and hazardous waste streams; and other environmental solutions.

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OUTFRONT Media (NYSE:OUT  Get Free Report) and Invesco Mortgage Capital (NYSE:IVR  Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings and risk.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares OUTFRONT Media and Invesco Mortgage Capitals revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio OUTFRONT Media $1.84 billion 1.49 -$430.40 million ($2.66) -6.24 Invesco Mortgage Capital -$6.02 million -70.61 -$15.86 million ($0.70) -12.44

Invesco Mortgage Capital has lower revenue, but higher earnings than OUTFRONT Media. Invesco Mortgage Capital is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than OUTFRONT Media, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Volatility & Risk

Dividends

OUTFRONT Media has a beta of 1.92, meaning that its stock price is 92% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Invesco Mortgage Capital has a beta of 1.9, meaning that its stock price is 90% more volatile than the S&P 500.

OUTFRONT Media pays an annual dividend of $1.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 7.2%. Invesco Mortgage Capital pays an annual dividend of $1.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 18.4%. OUTFRONT Media pays out -45.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Invesco Mortgage Capital pays out -228.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Invesco Mortgage Capital is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Profitability

This table compares OUTFRONT Media and Invesco Mortgage Capitals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets OUTFRONT Media -23.38% -72.77% -7.71% Invesco Mortgage Capital -2.96% 62.02% 5.67%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current recommendations for OUTFRONT Media and Invesco Mortgage Capital, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score OUTFRONT Media 0 3 1 0 2.25 Invesco Mortgage Capital 0 2 1 0 2.33

OUTFRONT Media currently has a consensus price target of $16.00, suggesting a potential downside of 3.56%. Invesco Mortgage Capital has a consensus price target of $9.00, suggesting a potential upside of 3.39%. Given Invesco Mortgage Capitals stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Invesco Mortgage Capital is more favorable than OUTFRONT Media.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

40.5% of Invesco Mortgage Capital shares are held by institutional investors. 1.2% of OUTFRONT Media shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of Invesco Mortgage Capital shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Invesco Mortgage Capital beats OUTFRONT Media on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About OUTFRONT Media

(Get Free Report)

OUTFRONT leverages the power of technology, location, and creativity to connect brands with consumers outside of their homes through one of the largest and most diverse sets of billboard, transit, and mobile assets in North America. Through its technology platform, OUTFRONT will fundamentally change the ways advertisers engage audiences on-the-go.

About Invesco Mortgage Capital

(Get Free Report)

Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc. operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) that invests, finances, and manages mortgage-backed securities and other mortgage-related assets in the United States. It invests in residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) and commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) that are guaranteed by a U.S. government agency or federally chartered corporation; RMBS and CMBS that are not issued or guaranteed by the United States government agency or federally chartered corporation; the United States treasury securities; real estate-related financing arrangements; to-be-announced securities forward contracts to purchase RMBS; and commercial mortgage loans. It has elected to be taxed as a REIT and would be subject to federal corporate income taxes if it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its stockholders. The company was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Apollon Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEARCA:GLD  Free Report) by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 2,809 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after buying an additional 47 shares during the period. Apollon Financial LLCs holdings in SPDR Gold Shares were worth $604,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GLD. Ballast Inc. raised its holdings in SPDR Gold Shares by 3.6% during the second quarter. Ballast Inc. now owns 1,295 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $278,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Burkett Financial Services LLC lifted its position in SPDR Gold Shares by 9.9% in the second quarter. Burkett Financial Services LLC now owns 512 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $110,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. KG&L Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in SPDR Gold Shares by 2.2% in the first quarter. KG&L Capital Management LLC now owns 2,205 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $454,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in shares of SPDR Gold Shares by 0.4% during the first quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 12,803 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,634,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American National Bank increased its position in shares of SPDR Gold Shares by 50.0% during the first quarter. American National Bank now owns 150 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 42.19% of the companys stock.

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SPDR Gold Shares Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of SPDR Gold Shares stock traded down $0.39 on Monday, hitting $231.60. The stock had a trading volume of 5,162,932 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,215,363. SPDR Gold Shares has a 52-week low of $168.30 and a 52-week high of $232.02. The companys 50 day moving average price is $220.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $211.30.

About SPDR Gold Shares

SPDR Gold Trust (the Trust) is an investment trust. The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the price of gold bullion, less the Trusts expenses. The Trusts business activity is the investment of gold. The Trust creates and redeems Shares from time to time, but in one or more Baskets (a Basket equals a block of 100,000 Shares).

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Investment analysts at StockNews.com started coverage on shares of China Pharma (NYSE:CPHI  Get Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Sunday. The firm set a hold rating on the stock.

China Pharma Trading Up 2.6 %

NYSE CPHI opened at $0.20 on Friday. China Pharma has a 52-week low of $0.17 and a 52-week high of $1.77. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $0.24 and its 200 day moving average price is $0.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.25.

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China Pharma (NYSE:CPHI  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 14th. The company reported ($0.09) earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $0.93 million during the quarter. China Pharma had a negative net margin of 55.42% and a negative return on equity of 54.31%.

About China Pharma

China Pharma Holdings, Inc develops, manufactures, and markets generic and branded pharmaceutical, and biochemical products to hospitals and private retailers in the People's Republic of China. The company provides products in the form of dry powder injectables, liquid injectables, tablets, capsules, and cephalosporin oral solutions.

Further Reading

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Tesco PLC (OTCMKTS:TSCDD  Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The stock traded as high as $13.57 and last traded at $13.57, with a volume of 65361 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $13.50.

Tesco Stock Up 0.5 %

The company has a fifty day moving average price of $12.35 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $11.63.

About Tesco

(Get Free Report)

Tesco PLC, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a grocery retailer. The company operates through convenience and hypermarket store formats, as well as engages in the wholesale business. It also provides retail banking and insurance services. The company operates in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

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The family of five, including three children aged between 6 and 12, were eventually able to free themselves.

Police are investigating after a car and caravan (not pictured) with a family still inside were stolen from a caravan park in Queensland on Monday. Source: Getty file photo.

A caravan with an entire family still inside was stolen on Monday in a scary after-dark ordeal that has police searching for answers.

Officers say at about 9.10pm the Queensland family noticed their caravan was moving while they were inside it at a campground in Hughenden, a rural town in the Flinders Shire, northwest of Mackay.

Reports suggest the children were asleep in the caravan at the time of the terrifying robbery.

The family, comprising of a man, woman and their three children aged between six and 12, were able to free themselves as it was driven off by the offender. The keys to the car were believed to have been stolen from the caravan park earlier that afternoon.

Both the car and the caravan were later located and recovered by officers. A Queensland Police spokeswoman confirmed to Yahoo on Tuesday morning that so far no arrests have been made.

As investigations continue, anyone with information about the incident has been urged to make themselves known to authorities.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

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TransUnion (NYSE:TRU  Get Free Report) had its target price raised by The Goldman Sachs Group from $87.00 to $97.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the business services providers stock. The Goldman Sachs Groups target price suggests a potential upside of 3.57% from the stocks previous close.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on TRU. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of TransUnion from $90.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of TransUnion from $94.00 to $104.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Needham & Company LLC lifted their target price on shares of TransUnion from $89.00 to $92.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on TransUnion from $83.00 to $92.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on TransUnion from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned 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 Moderate Buy and an average price target of $89.47.

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View Our Latest Stock Report on TRU

TransUnion Price Performance

NYSE TRU traded up $0.05 on Tuesday, reaching $93.66. The companys stock had a trading volume of 539,882 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,631,191. The firms 50 day moving average is $80.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $77.12. The stock has a market cap of $18.19 billion, a PE ratio of -65.40, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a current ratio of 1.66. TransUnion has a twelve month low of $42.09 and a twelve month high of $94.67.

TransUnion (NYSE:TRU  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The business services provider reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.86 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.02 billion. TransUnion had a negative net margin of 6.11% and a positive return on equity of 15.03%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.76 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that TransUnion will post 3.43 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at TransUnion

In other TransUnion news, insider Steven M. Chaouki sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.14, for a total value of $90,140.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 69,547 shares in the company, valued at $6,268,966.58. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, EVP Heather J. Russell sold 7,000 shares of TransUnion stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.10, for a total value of $511,700.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 32,744 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,393,586.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Steven M. Chaouki sold 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.14, for a total value of $90,140.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 69,547 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,268,966.58. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 33,661 shares of company stock worth $2,604,898. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new position in shares of TransUnion during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its position in TransUnion by 237.5% during the first quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 486 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP grew its stake in TransUnion by 963.0% in the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 574 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 520 shares in the last quarter. Westpac Banking Corp increased its position in shares of TransUnion by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Westpac Banking Corp now owns 908 shares of the business services providers stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 454 shares during the last quarter. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI raised its stake in shares of TransUnion by 22.3% during the 2nd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 910 shares of the business services providers stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares in the last quarter.

About TransUnion

(Get Free Report)

TransUnion operates as a global consumer credit reporting agency that provides risk and information solutions. The company operates through U.S. Markets, International, and Consumer Interactive segments. The U.S. Markets segment provides consumer reports, actionable insights, and analytic services to businesses, which uses its services to acquire new customers; assess consumer ability to pay for services; identify cross-selling opportunities; measure and manage debt portfolio risk; collect debt; verify consumer identities; and mitigate fraud risk.

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Amcor (NYSE:AMCR  Free Report) had its price objective upped by Wells Fargo & Company from $9.80 to $10.50 in a research report sent to investors on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Amcor from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Amcor from $10.00 to $11.10 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Amcor in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. They issued a hold rating and a $10.80 price objective on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $10.68.

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Check Out Our Latest Research Report on AMCR

Amcor Stock Up 1.5 %

NYSE AMCR opened at $10.61 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 1.29. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $10.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $9.69. Amcor has a twelve month low of $8.45 and a twelve month high of $10.91. The stock has a market cap of $15.34 billion, a PE ratio of 23.58, a PEG ratio of 4.64 and a beta of 0.86.

Amcor (NYSE:AMCR  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.21. Amcor had a net margin of 4.75% and a return on equity of 24.66%. The firm had revenue of $3.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.30 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.19 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was down 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Amcor will post 0.7 EPS for the current year.

Amcor Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 26th. Investors of record on Friday, September 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.125 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 6th. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.71%. Amcors payout ratio is 111.11%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Amcor

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Wellington Wealth Strategies LLC. acquired a new stake in Amcor in the 2nd quarter valued at $124,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. increased its stake in Amcor by 60.0% in the 2nd quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 8,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $78,000 after buying an additional 3,000 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in Amcor by 333.1% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 8,693 shares of the companys stock valued at $85,000 after buying an additional 6,686 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning increased its stake in Amcor by 41.5% in the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 107,489 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,051,000 after buying an additional 31,546 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Scientech Research LLC acquired a new stake in Amcor in the 2nd quarter valued at $361,000. 45.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Amcor Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Amcor plc develops, produces, and sells packaging products in Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, and the Asia Pacific regions. The company operates through two segments, Flexibles and Rigid Packaging. The Flexibles segment provides flexible and film packaging products in the food and beverage, medical and pharmaceutical, fresh produce, snack food, personal care, and other industries.

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The interaction was merely seconds in length but resulted in an onslaught of views being shared online by passionate Aussie drivers.

A woman and a motorcyclist have clashed over who the had the right of way on a Melbourne road earlier this week. Source: TikTok

A standoff between a motorcyclist and a woman labelled a "Karen" over who had the right of way alongside an idle tram has sparked heated debate among drivers.

Footage posted from Melbourne this week shows a motorbike rider pull up beside a tram in the inner-city suburb of Parkville, about three kilometres from the CBD. The motorcyclist, riding a blue 2024 Yamaha R7, rolls up beside the tram, noting the "doors are still closed", slowly grinding to a halt as people cross in front of him towards the tram.

In the distance, a turtleneck-wearing woman  the apparent "Karen" in the scenario  holds out her hand in front of her body urging the driver, a man, to stop. "What are you doing?" she asks, before the motorcyclist hits back with profanities. "Don't block the roads, lady," he wrote on social media.

Do you agree with the 'Karen' or the driver? Source: TikTok

The interaction was merely seconds in length but resulted in an onslaught of responses across various social media platforms after it was shared numerous times. One person described the scenario as a "a hard one". "Tram stopping  you could be at fault but a hard one because signs werent out though," they said.

But many others sided with the woman, insisting it's common-knowledge in Melbourne to stop when a tram has its blinkers flashing and passengers are embarking. "In this case, the biker is the Karen," one person said. "General rule is, if a tram stops you have to stop to give way to passengers getting on or off," echoed a second.

What are Victoria's laws around trams?

According to VicRoads, "when a tram stops, you stop". "At roadside stops, you must stop behind the tram until the doors close and pedestrians finish crossing," the authority states online.

"At roadside stops, you must stop behind the tram until the doors close and pedestrians finish crossing. Only once the tram doors are closed and the road is clear of pedestrians, may you drive past at 10km/h."

Weighing in on the matter, Australia's Rail, Tram and Bus Union said Aussies branding the woman correct in this instance were "spot on". "Be safe around trams," it warned.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

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In a video posted online on Monday, Eric Andre claimed he was 'put in a special line' after landing at Melbourne Airport.

US comedian Eric Andre has accused Melbourne Airport of 'racial profiling' following a recent Qantas flight. Source: Eric Andre/Instagram/Getty

US comedian Eric Andre has accused authorities at Melbourne Airport of racial profiling after he was allegedly detained following a Qantas flight. In a video posted online on Monday, the creator and host of The Eric Andre Show said he was stopped at the airport while travelling from LA through to Brisbane for an upcoming project.

I got pulled out of a lineup and put in a special line in Melbourne where I was sniffed thoroughly by a dog, he claimed. Its like one of the many times Ive been racially profiled at the airport.

Andre said the incident left him feeling unsafe and urged any black, brown and indigenous people traveling through Qantas T2 terminal to please be careful.

Eric Andre says he doesn't feel safe at Melbourne Airport

The actor alleged officers with the Australian Border Force were only targeting people of colour and urged anyone watching the footage to provide him with more information about the cockamamie procedure and recommend a discrimination lawyer within the country.

Its unethical and its not safe. Its providing a less safe experience for black, brown, indigenous and immigrant passengers. Its has nothing to do with safety  it has everything to do with racial harassment, he argued.

Andre also urged Aussie companies that wish to hire him to only book him flights into Brisbane or Sydney directly.

I do not feel safe in the Melbourne Airport, he said. I do not want to be humiliated or racially discriminated against anymore at these airports.

I dont want to cut my hair and wear a three piece suit so that Im treated like a first class citizen. I shouldnt be made to feel that I am unaccepted by entering a country.

Melbourne Airport responds to racial profiling claims

A spokesperson for Melbourne Airport insisted to Yahoo News it does not tolerate racism in any form.

We welcome all passengers to Melbourne, and we expect everyone to be treated equally, the spokesperson said on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for Melbourne Airport (pictured) insisted to Yahoo News it does 'not tolerate racism in any form'. Source: AP

Upon being made aware of Mr Andres complaint, we immediately asked the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), the government agencies in charge of processing all international arrivals into Australia, including at Melbourne Airport, to investigate.

Those agencies have now provided a response to Mr Andre.

A spokesperson for the Australian Border Force commented on Andres Instagram post saying they have confirmed that this was not an ABF detector dog or interaction.

Yahoo News Australia has also contacted the ABF and Qantas for comment.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

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There has been a push for increased penalties for some time now.

Pet owners now face increased fines in Queensland if they or their dogs are caught doing the wrong thing. Source: Getty

Millions of pet owners are being told to keep their dogs on a tight leash as one Aussie state increases its penalties following a spike in serious dog attacks.

Fine amounts were previously at council discretion and differed from area to area in Queensland, however, in a statewide bid to crack down on dangerous dog ownership, Queenslanders are now subjected to the same penalties if they or their dog are caught doing the wrong thing, regardless of their location.

Local councils will still be responsible for enforcing the amendments and the introduced fines are hefty, with on-the-spot fines more than doubling for owners who fail to control their dogs in public spaces  jumping from $322 to $806.

On-the-spot fines of $806 will now be enforced if pet owners are unable to control their dog in a public place. Source: Getty

Dog owners are legally required to control their dogs by using voice commands in order to control their pets in public places and if a fatal attack does occur, the owner can now face possible jail time and fines of up to $108,000.

The changes came into effect on August 1 after a review of the Animal Management Act 2008 which largely oversees responsible pet ownership of dogs and cats.

Aussies call for stricter fines on dangerous dogs

The amendments came after many pushed for stricter fines as dog attacks continued to rise in Queensland. There were 382 dog attacks in the previous financial year, with the majority of attacks occurring with other animals. However, an alarming number involved humans being attacked and injured by dogs.

"Queenslanders told us they wanted tougher laws to combat dangerous dogs and the Miles Government has delivered," Mark Furner, Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, said. "We will keep working with the community to get the message out about these new laws and help people with at-risk dogs to comply to make the community safer."

The state government has also promised a $7.57 million funding package to assist councils in the change.

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Lovisha Darad Lovisha is passionate about domestic and global equity market development. She writes stories exclusively on equities from a fundamental perspective, gathering insights from niche market gurus.
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Government officials previously denied one major problem with the unique off-grid charger. But EV owners travelling Australia tell a very different story.

EV owner Harald Murphy says the government isn't being honest about its 'world first' EV charger with the NRMA. Source: Supplied/X

Australia's transition to electric vehicles and building out the corresponding infrastructure they require was never going to be easy. But maybe we didn't expect it to be this hard.

An innovative charging station in the outback of Australia funded by taxpayer dollars continues to frustrate EV owners, months after it gained national notoriety for seemingly relying on a diesel generator to charge cars.

The Australia government has partnered with the NRMA on a $78 million plan to build fast-charging stations in remote Australia. One of the earliest to come online is at a roadhouse and resort in Erldunda, in the Northern Territory, not far from the tourist hotspot of Uluru.

The off-grid site boasts two 75kw chargers powered by a large solar panel array, battery banks, and a backup generator in case the sun doesn't come out for a few days. However nearly a year after it was switched on, drivers say the system does not work properly, is forced to overwhelmingly rely on the emergency diesel generator and charges at a fraction of the advertised capacity.

Tesla owner and avid EV road tripper Rob Dean visited the site in June and says the charger was only capable of speeds about half the advertised 75kws when first plugging in, before dropping to as little as 16kw/h.

"It's got all these solar panels on the roof that don't seem to work," he told Yahoo News. "It also doesn't charge at anywhere near the speeds that it is supposed to."

Ongoing problems with viral EV charger: 'It's really stupid'

The charging station went viral in October after it was filmed appearing to run off the diesel generator, so much so that it was raised in a Senate estimates hearing in February by Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie who was questioning the federal EV rollout.

The problem charger was brought up in Senate estimates in February after going viral last year. Source: TikTok

At the time, government officials, citing the NRMA, said the charger's diesel backup had not been used to charge any electric vehicles. But that is clearly not the case, Rob says.

"That is absolutely false, that is not true. This thing charges cars off a diesel generator," he told Yahoo.

Sharing a video with Yahoo, he described a recent trip in which he was forced to stop charging at about 52 per cent and plug into a regular phase 3 outlet at the nearby roadhouse due to the slow speeds of the NRMA charger and a concern that fumes from the generator's exhaust (seen in the video below) were bothering nearby tourists.

"What's really bad about this is the exhaust pipe points straight towards the accomodation block" of the roadhouse, he said. "If I was a tourist paying $175 a room, I wouldn't be very happy with this situation".

"It's very frustrating," Rob added. When you've got tourists coming up and filming your car charging and saying this is really stupid  and I can't disagree with them, it is very stupid."

A fellow EV driver, who has toured around Australia five times in his Tesla, has experienced the same problems at the Erldunda charging site. In February Harald Murphy found it wasn't working at capacity and the diesel generator was turning on "within 60 seconds of starting a charge session". Returning to the site this past weekend, he found little had changed.

"This Commonwealth Government substantially subsidised NRMA site is specifically not fit for purpose by any measure whatsoever," he tweeted at Energy Minister Chris Bowen.

"As soon as you plug in it will start the diesel generator," he told Yahoo. "And it runs for the entirety of the charging session."

Harald believes building out the charging infrastructure is vitally important but doing so poorly is counterproductive and actually adds to range anxiety among drivers if they can't trust the chargers  an issue commonly cited as holding back the EV transition.

"If you dont maintain these sites, its actually counterproductive," he said, adding that he believes the Erldunda station should be removed from online apps which promote it as a fast charger  something it currently cannot provide.

"If you turn up to a charger to find it's broken or not working properly ... it spoils the entire road trip experience," he said.

The NRMAs Erldunda EV charger was the first of its kind, with new technology trialled for remote and regional sites unable to access the energy grid. Source: NRMA

No timeline for when 'world-first' charger will work properly

According to Rob, there is enough solar cells at the charging station to fully charge about four cars a day. The NRMA told Yahoo the site is currently only charging about one car a day on average. So it is unclear why the diesel generator is being consistently engaged but NRMA says it is working through the technical issues of the site.

"The technology at that site, it's the first time anyone has tried it anywhere in the world," NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury told Yahoo.

Despite costing hundreds of thousands in taxpayer dollars, the organisation admits the charger it not working as intended but could not offer a timeline as to when it might be.

"They don't care, it's in the middle of Australia. They just don't care about it. They just don't think anyone would notice," Rob claimed.

Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen is quick to promote the chargers when they're installed and toured Northern Territory sites in March alongside then CEO of NRMA Energy Carly Irving-Dolan, who has since left the role after less than two years.

Chris Bowen's office did not respond to specific questions from Yahoo for this story but noted the national EV charging network was an "important project" and that the Erldunda charger was the first of its kind.

Dear @NRMA,

In early February this year you expected your Erldunda site would be at full capacity. As of today, not only is it not at full power, but one @TritiumCharging charger is offline and the diesel generator turns on within 60 seconds of starting a charge session on a https://t.co/pvCFMC3VF8 pic.twitter.com/r6386Ap32d  Harald Murphy (@harald_murphy) August 17, 2024

Both Rob and Harald applaud the ambition  and importance  of rolling out EV chargers in remote areas but say the execution needs to match the ambition.

"I'm a massive fan of the EV revolution. I want to see this stuff work properly," Rob said.

"These people are getting money to put in EV charging, they plant the flag, they declare victory and they walk off," he lamented.

"There's no follow up... They just don't give a s***".

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Chinese carmakers are fueling their overseas forays by dual engines of exporting vehicles from their home country and producing vehicles in foreign destinations. Vehicle exports from China have maintained their momentum seen from the past year, when the country overtook Japan as the world's largest vehicle exporter. A total of 469,000 vehicles were shipped overseas last month, up 19.6 percent year-on-year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. They brought the total exports in the first seven months this year up to 3.26 million units, marking a surge of 28.8 percent from the same period of 2023. Of them, 708,000 units were new energy vehicles, up 11.4 percent year-on-year, said the CAAM. Vehicle makers are busy shipping their latest vehicles overseas, especially to Europe and Southeast Asia, as well as Belt and Road Initiative countries. Last week, a COSCO ship loaded with 350 Neta X SUVs left Shanghai for Thailand. Neta said it is exporting a total of 1,000 Neta X vehicles to Southeast Asia and Latin America as part of its short-term plan. The carmaker shipped 17,687 vehicles overseas in the first six months of this year, ranking first among Chinese startups. To better meet overseas customers' demand, Neta said it has been adapting its vehicles to local driving habits and conditions while keeping the cutting-edge smart functions. After selling 8,824 vehicles in Kazakhstan last year, Shi Qingke, president of Great Wall Motor's international business unit, said the company is confident about the Kazakh market. "As China-Kazakhstan economic and trade ties continue to deepen, Chinese automobile brands will have broader prospects and a promising future in the Central Asian country," Shi said. The Baoding, Hebei province-based company has established 28 dealerships in Kazakhstan, covering 20 major cities. It plans to add new dealerships in Almaty and Astana in the third quarter of this year. In Kazakhstan, the largest of the Central Asian markets, Geely now offers seven models. Since late 2022, it has opened 16 dealerships and showrooms in the country, covering major cities. Central Asian countries are emerging as important growth engines for Chinese carmakers, said Geely. It added that the company entered Kyrgyzstan last year and is keen to make forays into Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Geely is highlighting the overall importance of overseas business in its development. The carmaker has scaled up its 2024 target of overall exports to 380,000 units, which is 50,000 more than the goal set earlier this year. Chinese carmakers are speeding up overseas production, as they aim for global popularity. Wang Qing, an expert at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said it is a trend for Chinese carmakers to build manufacturing facilities overseas as they grow into global companies. "We will gradually enter into the phase of building global capacity and exporting our technology, even without any request of local governments," Wang said in an interview with the China Automotive News. BYD kicked off operations at its Thai plant in early July, with an annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles. The plant is also BYD's first factory in Southeast Asia, a fast-growing regional electric vehicle market where it has become the dominant player. Southeast Asia is emerging as a hub for Chinese carmakers, especially those which produce new energy vehicles. Besides BYD, companies including Neta and Aion have established plants in the region. Aion's manufacturing facility in Thailand started production in July, with an initial annual production capacity of 50,000 units. It is also building a plant in Indonesia, which is expected to start production around the end of the year. Gu Huinan, president of Aion, said the carmaker is to enter Europe later this year. The company has unveiled plans to build seven manufacturing bases around the world, including the Middle East and Europe. Neta's two plants, one in Thailand and the other in Indonesia, have already started vehicle production. In Southeast Asia, Neta comes second only to BYD in terms of EV sales, according to the China Insights Consultancy. SAIC-GM-Wuling, a joint venture of China's SAIC Motor and Wuling and the United States carmaker General Motors, started production in Indonesia in 2017. It has invested around $1 billion in the manufacturing base, which includes a factory with an annual production capacity of 120,000 units and a parts and components park.
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Beijing (Gasgoo)- In August, China Dongfeng Motor Industry Import and Export Company, the global business arm of Dongfeng Motor, plans to showcase its latest models at the NADA Auto Show in Nepal and launch the Dongfeng brand in Malaysia, according to a recent post on the companys Wechat account.

The year 2024 marks a pivotal period for China Dongfeng Motor Industry Import and Export Company as it continues its strategic transformation toward large-scale and specialized operations.

This year, the company has focused on implementing Dongfeng Motor's three-year action plan for transformation and upgrading, advancing marketing and supply chain service transformations, and enhancing its international talent pool. These efforts aim to drive significant progress in the company's export business.

Photo credit: Dongfeng Motor

From January to July in 2024, Dongfeng Motor exported 131,000 vehicles in total, indicating an 8% year-on-year increase. Notably, commercial vehicle exports surged 73% year over year, while exports of its self-owned brands jumped 34%. The company maintained steady export volumes in key overseas markets, demonstrating overall positive growth.

Dongfeng Motor has divided its global market into 14 regions, actively establishing local marketing entities and completing registration for five new representative offices. The company has rapidly expanded its overseas sales and service network, now covering 73 countries, with the addition of 19 new regional spare parts centers. Furthermore, Dongfeng Motor has established its first overseas Knocked Down (KD) assembly facility for its VOYAH premium new energy vehicle brand and completed planning for additional overseas manufacturing sites.

In 2024, Dongfeng Motor successfully entered 15 new markets, including Morocco, Algeria, Nepal, Spain, and Italy. The company also engaged with 23 new importers and established 35 exclusive dealerships, significantly boosting the efficiency of its global network expansion.
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

Christin Mathew Philip is an Assistant editor at moneycontrol.com. Based in Bengaluru, he writes on mobility, infrastructure and start-ups. He is a Ramnath Goenka excellence in journalism awardee. You can find him on Twitter here: twitter.com/ChristinMP_
With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.

Tesla Shanghai Megafactory reaches 45% completion

Tesla's Shanghai Megafactory, its second major investment in China after the Gigafactory Shanghai, has made rapid progress. From negotiations to signing, the process took just one month, and construction began within three months. The megapack factory, with an initial planned capacity of 40 GWh, has been 45% completed, according to Grace Tao, the Global Vice President of Tesla.

Tesla store; photo credit: Tesla

GAC AION's global lighthouse factory set to start operation in Changsha

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Baolong Automotive secures AVM camera project for major joint venture auto brand

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BYDs YANGWANG to begin customer delivery of U9 supercar soon

On August 16, BYD saw its YANGWANG U9 electric supercar model's first vehicle for customer delivery roll off the production line, and announced the deliveries of the U9 will commence in the near future.

BYDs 2025 Song PLUS EV hits market, starting at 149,800 yuan

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Dongfeng Motor to take part in Nepals NADA Auto Show

In August, China Dongfeng Motor Industry Import and Export Company, the global business arm of Dongfeng Motor, plans to showcase its latest models at the NADA Auto Show in Nepal and launch the Dongfeng brand in Malaysia, according to a recent post on the companys Wechat account.

Leapmotor expands presence to Lhasa with new Leapmotor Center

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Beijing (Gasgoo)- On August 19, spatiotemporal intelligence technology company Qianxun SI announced the completion of a new strategic financing round, boosting the company's valuation to over 16 billion yuan.

Photo credit: Qianxun SI

The round was led by Beijing Information Industry Development Investment Fund, with investments from Shanghai Shuyu Dingyuan Private Investment Fund, Beijing Dongcheng District Science and Technology Innovation Industry Investment Fund, and Qingdao Zhonghe Xingyao Venture Capital Fund.

The funds raised will be directed towards enhancing Qianxun SI's full-spectrum spatiotemporal intelligence product and technology ecosystem, including low-altitude economy, vehicle-road-cloud integration, intelligent driving, and spatiotemporal chips. The company also aims to strengthen its collaborative ecosystem to further scale the application of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) and spatiotemporal intelligence across various industries.

Founded in August 2015, Qianxun SI utilizes data from the BDS, alongside GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo, to deliver high-precision positioning services. These services include centimeter-level positioning, millimeter-level perception, and nanosecond-level timing, supported by over 5,000 global GNSS augmentation stations and proprietary algorithms.

In the intelligent driving sector, Qianxun SI's FindAUTO solution has been deployed in over 30 vehicle models and secured production projects for over 100 models from major automotive brands such as SAIC Motor, Geely, XPENG, Li Auto, IM Motors, Leapmotor, Hongqi, and GAC AION. To date, the solution has accumulated nearly 2 billion service hours, supporting over 1.6 million intelligent driving vehicles.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On August 16, BYD saw its YANGWANG U9 electric supercar model's first vehicle for customer delivery roll off the production line, and announced the deliveries of the U9 will commence in the near future.

Photo credit: YANGWANG

To meet the exacting production standards of the YANGWANG U9, the company has constructed a dedicated high-standard factory exclusively for its production. This state-of-the-art facility includes specialized areas for the body assembly, general assembly, logistics, and auxiliary functions. Notably, a 2,000-square-meter temperature and humidity-controlled cleanroom has been custom-built for the production of the carbon fiber cabin, ensuring an ultra-high standard environment that guarantees the quality of carbon fiber bonding.

Photo credit: YANGWANG

The YANGWANG U9 is the first mass-produced vehicle model in China to use carbon fiber as a structural component for its body. It features the largest-ever monocoque carbon cabin in the world, constructed with aerospace-grade T700 12K carbon fiber material. This material has a density only one-fifth that of steel but is 5 to 6 times stronger. The vehicle achieves a lightweight coefficient of only 0.95.

Photo credit: YANGWANG

The U9's super body is assembled in the body area of the factory, comprising three main components: the carbon fiber cabin and the front and rear aluminum frames. The carbon fiber cabin is bonded using a specialized carbon fiber adhesive process within the dedicated cleanroom, where temperature, humidity, and airborne particle levels are measured every two hours using advanced instruments to ensure the environment meets the cleanliness standards of a medical operating room.

Photo credit: YANGWANG

The front and rear aluminum frames are connected using two advanced techniques: FDS thermal flow drilling and MIG automated arc welding. The riveted structure created by FDS thermal flow drilling offers excellent tensile and shear strength, with superior dynamic load capacity. The MIG automated arc welding process uses inert argon gas as a protective shield to prevent weld oxidation, ensuring high-quality aluminum welds. Finally, at the body assembly station, the three main componentsthe carbon cabin and the front and rear framesare precisely aligned using jigs and then assembled into a high-strength body framework through a combination of structural adhesives and bolted connections.

Photo credit: YANGWANG

In the general assembly area, YANGWANG has implemented advanced technologies such as AGV (automated guided vehicle), electric servo tightening systems, and a barcode error-proofing system to ensure precise assembly on the production line, further enhancing the accuracy and reliability of the U9's final assembly.

Regarding safety, YANGWANG said it has conducted rigorous and demanding safety tests that exceed global safety standards. These include a variety of scenarios beyond global standards, such as curb impacts, bottoming out, rollovers, and vehicle-to-vehicle collisions. During the development phase, more than 2,000 virtual simulations were conducted, and over 100 vehicles were subjected to 96 different safety tests.

Photo credit: YANGWANG

Recently, the YANGWANG U9 began testing on the Nurburgring Nordschleife and participated in the iconic hill climb at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it showcased its unique DiSus suspension and on-the-spot U-turn capabilities. In a recent high-speed test, the U9 engineering test car set a new speed record, reaching 375.12 km/h, surpassing its previous track test record.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- On August 18, Chinese new energy vehicle maker Leapmotor witnessed the grand opening of its new flagship store in Lhasa, Xizang, the high-altitude region of China. The Lhasa Leapmotor Center, located at 5 Boda Road in the Lhasa Economic Development Zone, is the latest addition to Leapmotors sales network, extending its market reach to the "Roof of the World."

Photo credit: Leapmotor

The new center integrates sales, delivery, and after-sales services, offering customers a one-stop experience. Designed with a blend of smart technology and eco-friendly concepts, the store harmonizes with Lhasa's stunning natural surroundings of blue skies, snow-capped mountains, and sacred lakes, creating a unique urban landmark.

Photo credit: Leapmotor

The interior features a fusion of traditional Tibetan elements with modern design, creating a distinctive cultural atmosphere. The showroom displays Leapmotor's latest models, including the Leapmotor C16 and C10, showcasing the brand's innovative strength and commitment to delivering affordable, high-quality new energy vehicles to consumers in the region.

The opening of the Lhasa Leapmotor Center is not only a key milestone in the companys growth but also a practical response to China's new energy vehicle development strategy, supporting green mobility in the highlands of Xizang.
Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors Sign View Photo

Sonora, CA  Whether Tuolumne County will continue to operate a homeless camp on the Law and Justice Center property will be among the topics discussed at Tuesdays board of supervisors meeting.

The sanctioned camp was developed by the county (near the existing jail and courthouse) partly due to a precedent-setting court ruling out of Grants Pass, Oregon. Judges had earlier ruled that municipalities could not prevent unhoused people from sleeping in public spaces unless there was a designated spot for them to go. However, the US Supreme Court recently overturned the Grants Pass decision, stating that it does not qualify as cruel and unusual punishment.

The Board of Supervisors will give direction at Tuesdays meeting about the future of the sanctioned camping area, as well as general enforcement of camping on county property.

Other items on Tuesdays agenda include approving a $2.5 million contract for needed repairs on Wards Ferry Road following recent storm damage, and a vote to declare September 29-October 5 as Jimmy Carter week in recognition of the former Presidents 100th birthday.

Also, there will be a presentation on the Annual Public Health Report and Community Health Improvement Plan.

The meeting starts Tuesday at 9 am in the Board of Supervisors meeting room.
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons

A missing pair of scissors brought an international airport in Japan to a standstill last Saturday. The unusual security situation at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido forced 36 flights to be canceled and 201 flights to be delayed, the BBC reports. Considering a winter storm pushed Southwest Airlines into a scheduling meltdown nearly two years ago, its not surprising commercial air travel is an operational tight-rope walk.



The scissors went missing from a store past the terminals security checkpoint, according to One Mile At A Time. As a result, authorities forced every passenger to go through security again in an attempt to find the implement. The second screening was lengthy and tedious as everyone filed through the checkpoint at once. However, the scissors werent found, and the airport resumed operations two hours later.

An airport worker found the scissors the next day in the same store where they had gone missing. The scissors werent merchandise, as most airports dont allow sharp implements to be publicly available beyond the checkpoint for security reasons. They were likely a tool used by staff that went missing. An airport spokesperson explained:

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We recognize that this occurred as a result of insufficient storage and management systems at the store. We are aware that this is also an incident that could be linked to hijacking or terrorism, and will once again work to ensure thorough management awareness.

There was reason for concern, considering that there was a large influx of passengers flying home after a holiday weekend in Japan and the country sadly has a history of mass stabbings. The airport at least took the credible threat seriously, but youd just wish they had given the story a second look-over.

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For over three decades, Mexico has been a veritable paradise for global mining conglomerates, serving up some of the laxest regulations in Latin America. That is now changing.

Mexicos outgoing President, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (aka AMLO), may only have a little over a month left in office, but he is by no means a lame duck. Quite the contrary: During the 30 days of September he will have more legislative power backing him up that at any other time during his six-year term. And he plans to make full use of it.

This is the result of meticulous timing and cunning on AMLOs part. After subtle tweaks to the political calendar, the new legislature begins on September 1. However, AMLOs presidential successor, Claudia Shienbaum, does not start her term until October 1, giving AMLO a whole month with the new legislature. And in Mexicos June elections AMLOs party, MORENA, had won by a landslide, grabbing a super majority  i.e. more than two-thirds of the seats  in the lower house and falling just two seats shy of winning another in the senate.

A super majority allows for constitutional changes that have so far eluded the AMLO administration. They include a proposed root-and-branch restructuring of Mexicos judicial system, which is causing all manner of unease and consternation on both sides of the Rio Grande, as well as sweeping constitutional reforms to Mexicos mining laws. These proposals all form part of a package of reforms presented in February that could be approved as early as next month.

Last week, the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies approved by 30 votes to seven two constitutional reforms aimed at banning open-pit mining and fracking, as well as significantly restricting the use of genetically modified corn  an issue that is already the subject of an investor state dispute between Mexico and its North American trade partners, the United States and Canada.

The lower houses Constitutional Affairs Committee also agreed to amend the Constitution to prevent the exploitation of water in areas with low availability, except for in high-population areas. As we reported a couple of years ago, large swathes of Mexico, including Mexico City, are grappling with acute water shortages. Last year, the civil association Water Advisory Council estimated that 21 million people do not have daily access to drinking water.

Although the AMLO government has issued no new open pit concessions and has passed a bill to prevent this type of mining activity, the current permits have not been cancelled. That could change if the proposed reforms are passed. AMLOs administration opposes open pit mining for what the government sees as the methods outsized environmental impact. It also argues that the sector offers meagre contributions to state coffers, with foreign companies pocketing the lions share of revenues and profits. AMLO himself said last year:

[M]ining activity is not contributing to overall economic development and the redistribution of wealth in the country, so the privileges it enjoys over other land or water uses is not justified. Its contribution to overall welfare pales in comparison with the damage caused by the extraction of minerals, such as environmental degradation, irrational use of water, the pollution of rivers, channels and deforestation, among other phenomena.

A Mining Paradise No More

One thing that has set Mexico apart from most, if not all, other resource-rich countries in Latin America over the past 30 years is the extreme preferential treatment it grants to the mining industry. In the 1992 Mining Law  the brainchild of Carlos Salinas de Gortari, whose presidency of Mexico (1988-1994) set the countrys economy upon a path of rampant privatisation, deregulation and trade liberalisation  mining activity took precedence over all other industries and activities. Article 6 of the law reads:

The exploration, exploitation and beneficiation of the minerals or substances referred to in this Law are public utilities and will have preference over any other use or utilization of the land, subject to the conditions established herein, and only by a Federal Law may taxes be assessed on these activities.

Thanks largely to this four-line paragraph, the claims of the mining industry on Mexican land have held greater weight than not just all other industries but all other human activity. For the following 31 years Mexicos federal government was bound by law to act against the interests and rights of both private landlords and local communities in order to guarantee mining companies access to the lands upon which a concession was granted.

No other mining law on the continent grants preferential access over any type of land use, Jorge Pelaez Padilla, a professor of law at the Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), told the investigative news website Contralinea in 2013. The result has been rampant expropriations of private  and in some cases communal or even protected park  land, for the sake of private mining operations.

The duration of the concessions granted can also be uncommonly long. The 1992 Mining Law allowed concessionaires to explore or exploit Mexican land for 50 years, and up to one century if the interested party requests an extension, without requiring an environmental impact report and without prior consultation with the communities that would be impacted.

For three decades, Mexico served as a veritable paradise for global mining conglomerates, serving up some of the laxest regulations in Latin America, all of it coinciding with the signing of NAFTA. As the Canadian independent journalist Yves Engler documents, Canadian mining companies were the biggest winners of the 1992 reforms.

Seventy per cent of foreign-owned mining companies operating in Mexico are Canadian-based. Two years ago, the front page of national daily La Jornada blared: Poseen mineras canadienses 60% del oro mexicano (Canadian mining companies own 60% of Mexican gold). Canadian firms have had many disputes with local communities over the impact of their operations on local water systems and ecosystems. Similarly, Canadian companies have been implicated in many rights violations including high-profile killings There were no Canadian mines operating in Mexico in 1994. By 2010 there were about 375 Canadian-run projects. Before the reforms that came with the North American Free Trade Agreement, Mexicos constitution dictated that land, subsoil and its riches were the property of the state and recognized the collective right of communities to land through the ejido system. Constitutional changes in 1992 allowed for sale of lands to third parties, including multinational corporations. Combined with a new Law on Foreign Investment, the Mining Law of 1992 allowed for 100 percent foreign control in the exploration and production of mines.

That regime is now ending. Last year, the AMLO government began dismantling the preferential treatment for mining exploration and exploitation. As we reported at the time, the reforms, among other things, shortened the length of mining concessions, tightened the rules for water permits, expanded the grounds for cancelling licenses, banned the granting of mining concessions on protected parkland, and restricted licenses to a specific mineral instead of any type of mineral discovered within the boundaries of the licensed territory.

Global Repercussions?

Now, the government wants to go a step further, and introduce an almost total ban on open pit mining and fracking into the countrys constitution. In the package of reforms sent to the legislature, the president included a modification to Article 27 to prohibit both the granting of concessions and the activities of exploration, exploitation, benefit, use or exploitation of minerals, metals or metalloids in the open air.

If this package of reforms is approved, which is likely given the size of the governments majorities in both houses, it could end up having an impact on mining not just in Mexico but also globally, especially if other national governments in the region and beyond are inspired to take similar steps.

Recent years have seen a growing resurgence of what is often termed as resource nationalism  which Wikipedia defines as the tendency of people and governments to assert control over natural resources located within their territory  not just in Mexico but across Latin America. If the trend continues to grow, it could have major repercussions for global supply chains, particularly as the world transitions toward a supposedly greener economic model  a process that is guaranteed to be mining intensive.

Mexico is the worlds largest silver producer, accounting for just under a quarter of all the precious metal mined in 2021. Much of that silver is mined in open pits. The country is also among the top ten global producers of 15 other metals and minerals (bismuth, fluorite, celestite, wollastonite, cadmium, molybdenum, lead, zinc, diatomite, salt, barite, graphite, gypsum, gold, and copper).

Mining companies and lobbying groups are warning of the dire economic fallout the proposed ban on open-pit mining could have on the domestic economy. In 2019 alone, the mining sector generated 2.3% of Mexicos Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in addition to being the fifth largest source of foreign currency, with a contribution of $18.4 billion. Open pit mining accounts for roughly 60% of the countrys mining output. According to the Mexican Mining Chamber, Caminex, a wholesale prohibition could trigger a 1% contraction in the countrys GDP, threatening some 200,000 jobs.

Open-pit mining should not be banned, but rather encouraged so as to consolidate Mexicos position as a producer of essential minerals, said Camimex. It is a serious activity that is practised throughout the world, and operating it responsibly and safely is the duty of all stakeholders. Responsible industry should not be penalised, nor should the countrys competitiveness be limited.

A Rebalancing of Power

The potential economic hit was also flagged by an exploration executive cited in an S&P Global report published in June. The executive warned that underground operations tend to be smaller than open pit jobs, generating less revenue and creating fewer jobs. The report, however, includes an interesting caveat from Katherine Matthews and Jason Holden, mining analysts with S&P Global Commodity Insights:

While on the surface the Mining Reform may seem extreme, many of these new and amended regulations are standard practice in many jurisdictions, particularly those with a well-established mining legacy. Enhancements to environmental oversight and additional rights for Indigenous people are key to bringing Mexico up to the standard of many of the large mining destinations.

In other words, AMLO is simply bringing Mexicos mining regulations up to most first-world standards. But his reforms also seek to rebalance power between the State and mining companies, most of them majority owned by foreign corporations, many of them based in Canada.

Also, as the Mexican newspaper El Universal noted last week, Morena and its coalition partners have approved a key exception to the proposed rules meaning that open-pit mining and fracking can be authorised in rare cases determined by the federal Executive due to their strategic importance for national development.

This exception clause will almost certainly be activated for cement mines (in Cemex, Mexico boasts one of the largest cement manufacturers in the world) as well as the mining of lithium deposits and other special cases, but it will by the central government that will be ultimate decided. The government already partially nationalised the lithium deposits in 2023, allowing private firms to exploit the metal but only in partnerships with the state-owned miner LitioMx.

In response, the Chinese global battery maker and lithium miner Ganfeng Lithium, which had bought up concessions on lithium deposits in the north-western state of Sonora, has filed an ISDS arbitration case against Mexico at the World Banks dispute settlement centre. It is not the only case brought against Mexico as a result of the AMLO governments mining reforms.

The British company Cadence Minerals, together with its subsidiary REM Mexico Limited, has issued a request for consultations and negotiations to the Government of Mexico under the United Kingdom-Mexico Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), due to the revocation of the mining concessions for the Sonora Lithium Project by the General Directorate of Mines of Mexico. The Canadian company Almadex Minerals has also initiated an investor state dispute against Mexico and is claiming at least $200 million in damages.

Mexico is already the most sued member of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), as well as the most sued country at the World Banks International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in 2023, with a total of ten cases brought against it. In the first three-and-a-half years of USMCAs existence (July 1, 2020  July 1, 2023) 19 ISDS cases were filed, 14 of them against Mexico, according to Kluwer Arbitration Blog. Of those 14, 10 were filed in 2023.

As with NAFTA, US investors continue to be the main users of investor-state dispute settlements (ISDS) in the USMCA era, accounting for 74% of claims, followed by Canadian investors with 26%. Mexican investors are apparently yet to file an ISDS case under the USMCA.

This is all occurring despite the fact that USMCA was supposed to reduce investors ability to sue countries. Under the new trade agreement, U.S. investors already present in Canada were allowed to use investment arbitration for only three years  up until mid-2023. Mexico and the U.S. negotiated an annex that allows investment arbitration to continue, but only in well-defined circumstances. However, Canadas relations with Mexico are regulated under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which includes traditional investorstate arbitration.

Pressure will also no doubt be brought to bear by the US and Canadian embassies in Mexico City  particularly concerning AMLOs proposed judicial reforms. After the passage of last years mining reforms, the US and Canadian trade representatives, Mary Ng and Katherine, threatened to take the issue to arbitration. The next day, Canadas ambassador to Mexico and the representatives of multiple Canadian mining companies met with Mexicos Economy Minister, Raquel Buenrostro.Tai, released a joint statement suggesting that the changes in Mexicos mining law violated the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement

Yet despite all of this pressure, the Mexican government seems determined to push ahead with its ban on open pit mining. If AMLO doesnt get the reforms over the line in September, his successor, Claudia Sheinbaum, will presumably take up the baton. During her campaign, Sheinbaum, a committed environmentalist, pledged to pursue the ban.
Looks and Gaming: Who and Why? NBER

The end of menopause: would women be healthier and happier if they menstruated for ever? Guardian (Dr. Kevin). *Sigh* This really underplays HRT as an alternative. HRT has been demonized for increasing cancer risk, but when started either before 60 or within two years of menopause, it reduces all factor mortality. Any increase in cancer incidence is more than offset by improvement in heart health.

Hopes dashed for drug aimed at monkeypox virus spreading in Africa Nature (Micael T)

Philippines reports new mpox case with no history of foreign travel Aljazeera

#COVID-19

Latest scientific research points to long COVID in Australia being a significant and growing problem Bill Mitchell

Climate/Environment

China?

European Disunion

Old Blighty

Gaza

New Not-So-Cold War

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

Imperial Collapse Watch

Political Liberalism and Rawlsian Religion Edward Feser (Micael T)

Trump

Democrat Convention

2024

Our No Longer Free Press

AI

Real hourly wages, median income, and aggregate payrolls: update for July Angry Bear

The Bezzle

Class Warfare

Antidote du jour. Eric S:

I wanted to submit a picture of our kitty, Skippy, for the antidote du jour. Pictured here contemplating food vs nap, hes generally referred to in our house as the Chris Hemsworth of kitty cats due to his handsome visage (he even has his own instagram: skippy_sleeps)

A bonus:

Great Photography  pic.twitter.com/zu3eR58RWM  Rabbit Lovers Community USA (@RabbitLoversUSA) August 19, 2024

A second bonus:

The Black Swan Family  pic.twitter.com/1BimA69Hks  why you should have an animal (@shouldhaveanima) August 17, 2024

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
Yves here. It seems intuitive that introducing robot into workplaces is meant not just to reduce labor expenditures, but also suppress wage rates. However, given the number of soi disant experts that try to contend that automation increases pay levels, its useful to have what should be obvious confirmed.

By Daisuke Adachi, Assistant Professor Aarhus University. Originally published at VoxEU

Industrial robots can have a transformative effect on employment and wages. This column studies how the rise of robot capital has influenced wage polarisation across different occupations in the US. It finds that the substitutability between robots and labour is heterogeneous across occupations, and particularly strong in production and material-moving jobs. Robotisation has led to slower wage growth for these occupations, and thus contributed to increasing wage polarisation. Potential policies to address these distributional effects include retraining programmes and tax policies to manage the pace of robot adoption without stifling innovation.

In recent years, the rapid integration of industrial robots into manufacturing processes has spurred significant debate among policymakers and economists. The discussion centres around the transformative effects of automation on employment and the distribution of wages, especially in economies with substantial industrial sectors like the US. This column examines how the rise of robot capital has influenced wage polarisation across different occupations from 1990 to 2007, shedding light on the mechanisms driving these changes.

The Growing Role of Robots in Industry

Industrial robots have revolutionised factory production over the past three decades, with the global robot market expanding at an annual rate of 12% (IFR 2021). These advancements, however, have not affected all workers uniformly. Concerns about the uneven distributional impacts of robotics have prompted policymakers to consider measures like taxing robot adoption to mitigate potential harms. Previous studies have examined the broader employment effects of robot penetration (e.g. Acemoglu and Restrepo 2020) and explored the implications of robot taxes (e.g. Humlum 2021). However, understanding the substitutability between robots and workers within specific occupations remains crucial for assessing the full impact of automation.

Research Overview

My research (Apache 2024) delves into the substitutability between robots and workers within various occupations, using a novel dataset on the cost of acquiring Japanese robots, referred to as the Japan Robot Shock (JRS). By developing a general equilibrium model of robot automation in a large open economy and constructing a model-implied optimal instrumental variable, I address the identification challenges associated with the correlation between automation shocks and the JRS.

My analysis reveals that the elasticity of substitution (EoS) between robots and labour is heterogeneous across occupations. In production and material-moving jobs, the elasticity of substitution is as high as 3, significantly higher than the elasticity between other capital goods and labour. This indicates that robots are much more substitutable for workers in these roles compared to substitution in other occupations. The findings suggest that robotisation has significantly contributed to wage polarisation in the US between 1990 and 2007.

Implications for Wage Distribution

The high elasticity of substitution in production-related occupations implies that robotisation has disproportionately affected workers in these fields, leading to slower wage growth compared to wage growth in other occupations. Specifically, robotisation has reduced the relative wages of workers in the middle deciles of the occupational wage distribution, contributing to a 6.4% increase in the 90-50 percentile wage ratio. This measure of wage inequality, popularised by Goos and Manning (2007) and Autor et al. (2008), highlights the growing divide between high-wage and middle-wage workers.

Comparative Analysis with Existing Literature

My study complements previous research by providing a detailed estimation of the within-occupation elasticity of substitution between robots and workers. Acemoglu and Restrepo (2020) find that regions with greater robot penetration experienced lower wage and employment growth. Humlum (2021) demonstrates significant heterogeneity in the real wage effects of robots across occupations. By focusing on the US labour market and using occupation-level robot cost data, my research provides a more nuanced understanding of the substitutability between robots and workers and its implications for the distribution of wages.

Policy Considerations

The findings underscore the need for targeted policy interventions to address the adverse distributional effects of automation. Potential measures could include retraining programmes for workers in highly vulnerable occupations, as well as tax policies that are designed to manage the pace of robot adoption without stifling innovation. Given the significant impact of robotisation on wage polarisation, policymakers must carefully consider how to balance the benefits of technological advancements with the need to ensure equitable labour market outcomes.

Conclusion

The integration of robots into industrial processes has had profound effects on the wage distribution in the US, particularly by exacerbating wage polarisation. My research highlights the importance of understanding the specific dynamics of robot-worker substitutability within occupations to fully grasp the broader economic implications of automation. As the debate on robot taxation and other policy measures continues, our findings provide valuable insights for crafting strategies that mitigate the negative impacts of automation on workers while fostering economic growth.

Authors note: The main research on which this column is based (Adachi 2024) first appeared as a Discussion Paper of the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI) of Japan.

See original post for references
Yves here. This post covers so many autonomous/separatist movements that someone not familiar with the terrain is left with questions. For instance, the Basque fared far better in the post-2008 crisis period than the rest of Spain. Catalonia is similarly the wealthiest region in Spain, and was explicit in its separatist effort in 2017 that it resented effectively subsidizing the rest of Spain. Are these areas seeking more autonomy generally wealthier? The flip side is yours truly was not keen about the Catalonia independence effort due to signs of insufficient seriousness, like not having thought through their demands or their bargaining strategy. See here for an early take: https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2017/10/catalonia-blinks-in-secession-staredown.html. Also, alternative media tended to depict the separatists as leftists, when they were in fact neoliberals.

The point here is that even a case we followed very attentively at the time was very complex, and important elements were often not well covered by either the MSM or smaller outlets (we benefitted considerably in our Catalonia coverage in 2017 by discussion, sometimes heated, among our informed commentariat).

By John P. Ruehl, an Australian-American journalist living in Washington, D.C., and a world affairs correspondent for the Independent Media Institute. He is a contributor to several foreign affairs publications, and his book, Budget Superpower: How Russia Challenges the West With an Economy Smaller Than Texas, was published in December 2022. Produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute

Spanish officials reassuringly heralded a new era for the country after May 2024 elections. Catalonian pro-independence parties had lost the parliamentary majority that had enabled them to govern their region since 2015, and for the first time in decades, had failed to secure a majority of seats in regional parliament. Spains ruling Socialists meanwhile managed to emerge as Catalonias largest party.

Madrids political focus on Catalonia has intensified since 2017. After holding what was deemed by Spanish authorities an illegal independence referendum, Catalonias president and other officials fled to Belgium, prompting a diplomatic crisis. Spain then imposed direct rule over the region, with the EU backing the decision and citing the need for constitutional approval for referendums. In the aftermath, local support for Catalonias independence declined, offering Madrid a way in.

Spains separatist and autonomous movements are among Europes most well-known, and its management of them is watched closely across the continent. Many other European nations, particularly in larger countries, have autonomous movements seeking devolution, self-government, or outright independence. The perceived failure of the EU, international diplomacy, and integration efforts to resolve these issues has led countries to maintain their own policies. Although few movements are considered serious threats, attempts to assert themselves often provoke direct interventions by national governmentswhen these governments have the capacity to do so.

Many of Europes once-distinct regional identities have only waned in recent times. The rise of nationalism in Europe in the 1800s led to unitary states that integrated peripheral regions with the capitals, a trend known as capital magnetism. Additionally, increasing urbanization in other large cities weakened traditional ties to local communities and support systems.

Integration and assimilation pressure was also exerted on regional identities to create more national identities. At the time of Italys unification in 1861, for example, less than 10 percent of Italians spoke the Tuscan dialect which began to be promoted as standard Italian. Steadily, its use in public and administrative life, mass media, and other methods led to a decline in the use of other regional dialects and languages. Similarly, French policies promoted the Parisian dialect as standard French, and the German Empire promoted High German.

Modern EU states face greater limitations on language suppression. The framework provided by the EUs post-sovereign system implores member states to uphold minority language protections and other rights. Nonetheless, national governments have modernized their approaches to establishing national uniformity. Proficiency in majority languages is often a prerequisite for education, media, and employment opportunities, while immigration favors majority language learners. As a result, dozens of minority European languages are on the brink of extinction.

Nonetheless, autonomous movements in Europe do wield political power. Political networks like the European Free Alliance, a group of pro-independence political parties, operate in the EU parliament and serve as political outlets for separatist movements, using democratic processes.

Italy is constantly attempting to more effectively tie to itself its autonomous regions of Sicily, Sardinia, and several northern regions. The transformation of the regional political party Lega Nord into a national one, Lega in 2018, demonstrated some success. The autonomy movements, however, are similarly adaptive. Other northern Italian parties recently rallied to vote to approve legislation approving them greater autonomy in June 2024. South Tyrol, Italys German-speaking region, brings the added challenge of receiving support from Austria. Austrian leaders have repeatedly proposed granting Austrian passports to German speakers, and, in January 2024, voiced support for further autonomy reforms, drawing a reflexive rebuke from Rome.

Hungarys disputes with its neighbors are even more notable. The 1920 breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire left significant Hungarian communities across Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine. Today, the Hungarian government supports these communities by funding cultural institutions, providing financial aid, and fostering solidarity, which has sparked tensions with these countries. However, as a smaller nation, Hungary struggles to exert significant influence, especially in EU member states like Romania and Slovakia, and has also found limited success in Ukraine.

Nonetheless, EU countries generally tend to avoid interfering in others separatist movements. This has helped France to consolidate its rule over its mainland territory. However, it hasnt yet done so over the Mediterranean island of Corsica, purchased by the French in 1768. The rollback of the French Empire after World War II reignited historical tensions, further inflamed by the arrival of many French people and Europeans in Algeria to Corsica in the 1960s. Though violence largely subsided in Corsica after the 1970s, a ceasefire was not reached until 2014, and pro-separatist riots in 2022 show the situation remains tense.

Following the unrest, French President Macron raised the possibility of granting Corsica greater autonomy. Previously, in 2017, as tensions were building in neighboring Spain over Basque separatism, France raised the administrative autonomy of its own Basque territory by granting it single community status, unifying several local councils under one regional authority. Contrastingly, the merger of the region of Alsace in 2016 with two other French areas reduced its autonomy and integrated it more into the national apparatus. The different approaches demonstrate the diverse policies used by national governments to manage their regions.

Germany, the most populous country in the EU, administers several regions with aspirations for greater autonomy. However, its federal system, which grants states greater authority over areas such as education and language, has helped temper separatist sentiment and reduced the need for management from Berlin.

A federal system has not resolved the challenges faced by Belgium. The countrys Flemish-speaking and French-speaking regions have sought greater autonomy, with some advocating for unification with a greater Dutch or French-speaking state. While increasing regional autonomy has been part of the solution, the regions remain interconnected through the capital, Brussels, and its wider role as the capital of the EU.

That has not deterred breakup advocates from proposing a similar Velvet Divorce between Belgiums regions, like the peaceful split between the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1992. Polls indicated a victory in June 2024 for Vlaams Belang, a party whose leader ran on reaching an agreement to dissolve the country or declaring Flanderss independence. But their shock defeat ensured Belgiums continuity and thus the stability of the EU.

Outside the EU, Europes autonomy issues are also in flux. In the late 1990s, the UK granted greater autonomy to Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales. Scottish independence efforts were then disrupted after a failed 2014 referendum and the UKs subsequent EU departure two years later. The Scottish National Party established a Brussels office to maintain EU connections, as did the European Friends of Scotland Group, founded in 2020. The Scottish Independence Convention plans to hold a convention in Edinburgh in October 2024 featuring more than a dozen European groups to coordinate their independence initiatives, though the participation of separatist movements within EU countries may limit the extent of EU involvement.

Brexit also reignited secessionist sentiment across the UK, particularly in Northern Ireland, but also in Wales. Even in England, regional parties like CumbriaFirst, the East Devon Alliance, and Mebyon Kernow advocate for their own regions autonomy, and devolution within England has been increasingly discussed in recent years. While London has struggled to counter these movements since Brexit, it has succeeded in preventing a resurgence in paramilitary activity since it ended it in Northern Ireland in the 1990s.

Western Europes relative success in reducing armed conflicts over the last few decades contrasts with its resurgence in Eastern Europe. The regions fragile borders and the emergence of weak states in the wake of the collapse of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union have seen separatist movements gain increasing power.

The EU and NATO played a pivotal role in the collapse of Yugoslavia and the emergence of new states, often at the expense of Serbia. In response, ethnic Serbian separatism has surged across Bosnia and Kosovo, with supporters citing the EUs and NATOs support for separatist movements in the 1990s as justification for their actions.

Russia has also inflamed separatism in parts of the former Yugoslaviaand the former Soviet Union to counter EU and NATO expansion or to incorporate these regions into it. Beyond supporting Serbian interests in the Balkans, Russia has utilized, to varying degrees, separatist movements in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan to advance its interests.

Russia has long performed outreach to separatist movements in the West, including inviting representatives to conferences like the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia, though largely consisting of fringe groups. Russia itself has its own separatist and autonomy movements, however, including in Chechnya, Tatarstan, and elsewhere. These have found support from Western actors, including through the launch of the Free Nations of Post-Russia Forum. Turkey has also supported Russian separatist movements, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meanwhile recently celebrated the 50-year anniversary of the Turkish invasion of EU member state Cyprus in 1974 in support of local Turkish separatists.

Most separatist movements in Europe lack the infrastructure to become independent states without external support, but persist in their pursuit of independence, nonetheless. And European countries with territories outside of Europe, such as France with New Caledoniaor Denmark with Greenland, must manage their burgeoning independence movements. Access to the EU may be influential in convincing them to remain, but external factors, such as Azerbaijans recent support for New Caledonias independence, could potentially play a stronger role.

A new concern for national governments may emerge closer to home. In the Baltic States, the tension between Russian minorities and national governments remains evident, and the situation faces uncertainty amid the war in Ukraine. The rise of the Alternative fur Deutschland political party in East Germany has in turn highlighted the enduring divides within the country less than 40 years after reunification, and how new political entities can emerge to exploit such sentiments.

Yet the most pressing issue appears to be emerging in Western Europes major cities. French President Emmanuel Macron, aiming to address concerns over what French authorities describe as parallel societies of Muslim immigrants and their descendants, proposed a law in 2023 to disrupt the education, finances, and propaganda networks of radical Islam, often from foreign countries. Macron labeled this phenomenon as separatism. He was referring to marginalized communities on the outskirts of major French cities in the famed banlieues, which are increasingly beyond state control and driven by domestic grievances and dissatisfaction with French foreign policy. While Frances situation appears the most severe, such sentiment is common across Western Europe.

The EUs handling of autonomous and separatist movements has frequently faced criticism from nationalist governments, and balancing separatism with nationalism remains a sensitive challenge. However, major countries like Germany and smaller ones like Denmark demonstrate it is possible to manage these issues within national frameworks. Switzerland, a non-EU state, shows similar success in keeping itself together. Clearly, despite nationalist policies, centuries-old communities are resilient and difficult to absorb and erase, even without outside support. Managing these long-standing issues, as well as emerging movements, will require continual adaptation.
Yves here. This post provides news you can use, even if of a grim variety. It provides practical suggestions on how to bolster physical and financial protection in climate change related extreme events, including fires.

Having said that, even some of these useful suggestions do not go far enough. An N95 will reduce smoke inhalation in a fire but will not assure adequate quality air for very long. I cannot find the product on Amazon, in a separate Internet search, or in my inbox, but years ago, a reader in comments recommended a truly fierce fire hood. Clear plastic, sat on the shoulders, with canisters that could assure air supply for over an hour, IIRC an hour and a half. I dimly recall it was also rated to hold up to a pretty high temperature. Said reader always carried enough for him and his family in the back of his car on long trips (and I assume then took it into his home). Again this was years back, and the price per hood then was $169 or $189.

Readers can likely recommend additional improvements to the lists below.

Jeff Masters also includes a set of maps showing the level of exposure to various climate risks, as well as grid outage frequencies. Can anyone point to similar maps for Europe, South America, and Asia?

By Jeff Masters, Ph.D., who worked as a hurricane scientist with the NOAA Hurricane Hunters from 1986-1990. In 1995, he co-founded the Weather Underground, and served as its chief meteorologist and on its Board of Directors until it was sold to the Weather Company in 2012. Between 2005-2019, his Category 6 blog was one of the Internets most popular and widely quoted sources of extreme weather and climate change information. Originally published at Yale Climate Connections

Rainbow in western Colorado on September 10, 2011. While Colorado has multiple societal buffers against weather risk, its far from a climate haven. Wildfire and flash flood risk are high, and hot droughts are a growing concern, as with many locations in the U.S. West. Searching for the end of your personal rainbow to adapt to climate change is no easy task. (Image credit: Bob Henson)

Like an approaching major hurricane whose outer spiral bands are only just beginning to hit, an approaching climate change storm has begun and will soon grow to ferocious severity  a topic I discussed in detail in my previous post, When will climate change turn life in the U.S. upside down? This immense tempest is already exposing the precarious foundations upon which civilization is built  an inadequate infrastructure designed for the gentler climate of the 20th century. What should you do to prepare?

On a personal level, you should prepare for the intensifying climate change storm like you would for an approaching major hurricane. If youre going to stay in place, know your risk, get more insurance, stock up on supplies, weatherproof your home, be ready for long power outages (if you can, get solar panels with battery backup), keep extra courses of essential medicines on hand, and get your finances in order. And if you live in a sufficiently risky place, leave.

Consider Standing Your Ground

Moving to a new place strips you from the web of social connections in your community. As journalist Madeline Ostrander has observed, such ties help people cope during emergencies: Sense of place, community, and rootedness arent just poetic ideas. They are survival mechanisms, she has written.

So before you pack your bags, first make sure you understand the expected consequences of climate change where you live now. Do those risks outweigh the cost of leaving behind friends, neighbors, family, and professional contacts?

Get Insurance

If you decide to remain where you are, it is well worth it to increase your insurance coverage, despite the fact that insurance costs are rising rapidly. Even if you dont live in a 1-in-100-year flood zone, flood insurance is a good idea for all property owners and renters. The National Flood Insurance Program will insure residential properties for up to $250,000 and the contents for an additional $250,000. Contact your private insurance agent to get a policy.

Defend Your Home Against Floods and Wildfires

An inch of water in your home can cause $25,000 in damage; check out FEMAs suggestions on protecting your home from flooding. Some examples:

Elevate the furnace, water heater, and electric panel if susceptible to flooding.

Install check valves in sewer traps to prevent floodwater from backing up into your home.

Point your downspouts away from your home to prevent pooling at the corners of your house.

Regrade the area around your home so it slopes away from the house  even slightly.

Plant native grasses and long-rooted perennials in your yard to soak up floodwaters.

Seal walls in basements with waterproofing compounds to avoid seepage.

Keep an adequate supply of food, candles, and drinking water in case you are trapped inside your home.

To protect against wind damage, consider the FORTIFIED construction method, a voluntary construction standard backed by decades of research, which your roofing contractor or builder can use to help protect your home against severe weather. FORTIFIED structures can qualify for insurance discounts.

The Department of Homeland Security also has guidelines on how to deal with wildfires. For example:

Designate a room that can be closed off from outside air. Close all doors and windows. Set up a portable air cleaner to keep indoor pollution levels low when smoky conditions exist.

Create a fire-resistant zone that is free of leaves, debris, or flammable materials for at least 30 feet from your home.

Store an N95 mask to protect yourself from smoke inhalation.

If Necessary, Relocate

No place is safe from weather extremes that our rapidly changing climate will bring. But some places are foolish to continue living in. If you live in a flood plain, barrier island, or high wildfire-risk area where insurance impossible to obtain or very expensive, evacuate. Leave permanently. The insurance market is finally beginning to price climate risk appropriately, and it is sending you a message. Get out of your high-risk living situation and move somewhere safer  particularly if the government offers you a taxpayer-funded buyout. Like a high-stakes game of musical chairs, the music will stop for the coastal property market  perhaps even this year  and you dont want to be the one left without a chair.

One of my favorite parts of the must-read 2024 book by Abrahm Lustgarten, On the Move (my review here), is where the author, who lives in a wildfire-prone portion of the California Bay Area, describes his angst about experiencing the new climate change reality there: skies turned orange by smoke, the constant tension of being prepared to evacuate, rolling blackouts that ruin perishable food, and increased insurance rates. He recounts a phone conversation he had with Tulane Universitys urban planning and climate migration expert, Jesse Keenan, where Lustgarten asks him:

Should I be selling my house and getting 

He cut me off. Yes! came his emphatic reply.

Climate Havens

Figure 1. Number of power outages, 2000-2023, by state. Michigan, with 157 outages, was second to only Texas, which had 210. (Image credit: Climate Central)

The most cited U.S. climate havens in research papers, publications by national organizations, and by the media are older cities in the Great Lakes region, upper Midwest, and Northeast. They include Ann Arbor, Michigan; Duluth, Minnesota; Minneapolis; Buffalo, New York; Burlington, Vermont; and Madison, Wisconsin. These locations have the advantage of cooler temperatures and abundant water resources. In addition, they are located far from the ocean coast, where hurricanes and sea level rise will be problematic, and well away from the worst wildfire smoke hazards areas of the West. Canada, Norway, Sweden, and Finland are also potential climate havens.

But some of these places may not be great places to move to if the government, city infrastructure, or social and economic conditions are flawed. For example, I like to tout my home state of Michigan as a climate haven. But Michigan has a poor electrical grid and suffers the second-highest number of power outages of any state, behind Texas  a much larger state (Fig. 1). Thus, it is good to consider the quality of the infrastructure of a state you are considering moving to.

Remember that no place is immune from the consequences of climate change. For example, many of the havens listed above experienced severe wildfire smoke in summer 2023. And new research on the critical Atlantic ocean current system known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, has found that it is more likely than not (59% chance) to collapse in the next 25 years. Over a period of decades following such a collapse, a major disruption to the atmospheric circulation would cause a dangerous increase in extreme weather a few decades from now over northern Europe, including the so-called climate havens of Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

If you cant move to a climate haven or you prefer not to, you can aim to find someplace closer to home that minimizes the climate risks endemic to your area.

Flood Risk

Its critical to know the current and future flood risk of any place you might want to live. Check out my 2023 post, 30 great tools to determine your flood risk in the U.S. If you live in Miami, New York City, New Jersey, Charleston, Norfolk, Houston, New Orleans, Houston, or the Florida Keys, check out my review of eight great books on flood risks in these places; for California, read the new 2023 book, California Against the Sea.

Figure 2. The U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index for the entire nation. Overall vulnerability is highest for the South.

Interactive maps and other resources

One way to explore the pros and cons of living in a particular U.S. city is through the U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index. Created by the Environmental Defense Fund, Texas A&M, and Darkhorse Analytics, this features an interactive map to explore environmental, social, economic, and infrastructure effects on a city and county level. Grist did a nice write-up of the tool in 2023.

FEMA has an interactive National Risk Index for Natural Hazards map that shows which communities are most at risk from natural hazards. It includes data about the expected annual losses to individual natural hazards, social vulnerability, and community resilience, available at county and census tract levels. A separate National Risk Index tool allows you to access county-level text data on 18 natural hazards. A similar interactive map that allows you to type in an address and see how many major disaster declarations have occurred for that county from 2011-2023 is available from rebuildbydesign.org (Fig. 3)

Figure 3. Number of major disaster declarations by county and U.S. Congressional district, 2011-2023. (Image credit: rebuildbydesign.org)

The tools above merge the physical and environmental risks from climate change with the societal risks that exacerbate weather and climate extremes. This approach provides the most complete picture of the dangers posed to a given community. If you want to consider the physical or environmental component on its own, take a look at these tools:

An interactive map from The Climate Explorer (NOAA) allows you to explore predicted changes in U.S. temperature, precipitation, and high tide flooding.

The 2023 National Climate Assessment has individual chapters detailing how climate change is expected to unfold for 10 U.S. regions.

The American Communities Project has a non-interactive map of county-level climate risks for various hazards.

Risk Factor from the nonprofit First Street Foundation provides a widely used, freely available tool for determining past, present, and future climate risk of an individual property. Type in an address to see on a one to 10 scale the risk for flood, heat, wildfire, wind, and air pollution hazards. Keep in mind that tools like this are controversial, though. A July 2024 study, National-Scale Flood Hazard Data Unfit for Urban RIsk Management, evaluated the First Street Foundation flood model with another flood model, and found about a 1 in 4 chance of models agreeing upon which properties are at risk.

Stiff competition for livable places

If you do manage to find a more livable place to live, you may have plenty of competition from millions of others searching for the same thing. For example, Atlanta, which appears on Architectural Digests recent list of the top-10 most climate-resilient cities, faces steep challenges if it is to absorb the 1 million-plus climate refugees that could be headed there in the next 30 years. Water scarcity, deficient transportation and sewage infrastructure, social inequality, and lack of affordable housing head the list of issues for the city.

Climate change futurist Alex Steffen is one of the best at communicating the magnitude of the upheavals coming from the planetary crisis (Im a subscriber to his excellent newsletter.) He recently commented:

But those homes, connected to systems less exposed to risk, where action to ruggedize is progressing, where institutions are functioning at a high level, where public goods and infrastructure are supported and well-managed, and where large numbers of desperate people are not overwhelming support systems  those homes will appreciate in value. Appreciate, I expect, a lot. A run on durability combined with a slow growth of housing supply will inevitably push those with less wealth out  leading to the bitter irony that young and/or poor people may find themselves among the climate-displaced, even when theyre living in some of the safest places on Earth. The only real answer to this problem is a politics of urgent abundance. We must build at genuinely inclusive scales. If you live in a relatively safe place, and you dont want it to be trapped in the amber of wealth, your town has to build enough housing (and workplaces and infrastructure and schools and so on) to meet a massive uptick in demand. It will need to go on building for decades. (I wrote a book about why building compact communities at scale is also a critical climate/sustainability solution.) Not many prosperous towns are ready to do this. The ones that arent could quickly turn into enclaves of wealth. A lot of people will be left outside those gates when they close. Still, if youre lucky or smart enough to get in, you and your family might find yourselves with some of the brightest futures around.

Money

Those with wealth will be much better positioned to weather the coming climate change storm. So it would be prudent now to begin financial planning for the coming planetary crisis; reducing the amount of debt you carry would be a good place to start. And if you have money tied up in fossil fuel companies, consider that their long-term business model must dim dramatically if our futures are to brighten.

Read: How can I make my retirement plan climate-friendly?

Related posts and resources

This is part four of a four-part series on U.S. climate change adaptation. The other parts:

Part one looked at a number of recent government adaptation efforts to prepare the U.S. for our new climate.

Part two looked at how far short U.S. climate change adaptation efforts fall from what is needed.

Part three is an essay giving my observations and speculations on how the planetary crisis may play out.
Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of the Russian Republic of Chechnya, posted a video of himself driving a Tesla Cybertruck with what appeared to be a machine gun mounted on top. Ramzan Kadyrov/Telegram

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov posted a video of a Cybertruck with a machine gun attached.

Cars from the US can be transported by sea to Europe before arriving in Russia.

The Cybertruck may have been re-sold to Kadyrov by the original owner via an EU country.

Tesla doesn't ship Cybertrucks to Russia, but that doesn't seem to have stopped Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov from getting his hands on one.

Kadyrov, a self-styled warlord and head of the Chechen Republic, posted a video on Telegram over the weekend, showing a Tesla Cybertruck being driven through an empty street with what appeared to be a machine gun mounted on it.

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"The Cybertruck will soon be sent to the special military operation zone," he said, referring to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Kadyrov claimed the Cybertruck was a gift from Tesla founder Elon Musk, whom he referred to as the "strongest genius of our time."

Musk strongly denied this on X, posting: "Are you seriously so retarded that you think I donated a Cybertruck to a Russian general?"

However, the question remains: If the video is real, how did Kadyrov get his hands on the Cybertruck?

Several smaller countries in the EU have previously been used for parallel trade that could circumvent sanctions. Experts suggested this may have allowed Kadyrov to bring the Cybertruck inside the country.

"The Cybertruck would be banned in general under export control laws as Tesla is a US company," said compliance expert Stephen Fallon, referring to sanctions placed against Russia due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

"I suspect it's probably been re-sold to Kadyrov by the original owner (maybe several owners ago) via the UAE, Kazakhstan, or Turkey."

Customs law expert Ward Lietaert agreed, telling BI that the EU has been facing serious sanctions evasion in the last couple of months.

"There are no export restrictions in Kazakhstan, for example," said Lietaert. "The Kazakh customer would sell or give that good to the Russian customer, through some kind of a stop in Kazakhstan, and then it would end up in Russia."

Story continues

Fallon, who has worked on compliance for multiple European government agencies, also said Musk's team must be stressed trying to put out this latest fire.

"Musk clearly didn't mean for this to happen, but I bet you a whole team of people in Tesla's general counsel and compliance team are genuinely having aneurysms about this now."

The EU's frequent headache

A 2023 AFP report about cars funneled through Armenia adds further weight to the hypothesis of sanctions evasion through the EU.

The report includes a description of how cars bought at online auctions in the United States end up in Russia.

According to AFP, cars are "transported by sea to the Georgian port of Poti, repaired, transported to Armenia for customs clearance, and then taken to Russia by land via Georgia."

Lietaert said that countries like Armenia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Turkey have been scrutinized for parallel trade and re-exports, which are not strictly illegal but are still a gray area.

The Armenian embassy told BI that they do not agree with this practice. "We would like to reaffirm the Armenian Government's clear stance: Armenia does not support the circumvention of sanctions."

To curb this problem, the EU ratified export legislation in 2023 which included a "no-Russia" clause.

The clause applies to EU exporters and contractually prohibits re-exportation of a limited number of goods to or for use in Russia when selling, supplying, transferring, or exporting to a non-EU country.

"The clause aside, EU sanctions ban the sale of vehicles worth more than 50,000 euros to Russia," foreign policy expert Delaney Simon told BI. "The Tesla Cybertruck costs more than that, so exporting it appears to be in contravention of European regulations."

"You can be sure that where there are sanctions, there is sanctions evasion," Simon told BI.

"The longer a sanctions regime is in place, the more pathways will emerge to circumvent it."

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request by BI for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Russia declares federal emergency in Belgorod as Ukraine intensifies attacks on Kursk

federal emergency has been declared in Russia's Belgorod Region following a cross-border incursion by Ukrainian forces, according to an announcement by Moscow's Emergencies Ministry. Last week, Kyiv launched its most significant assault on Russian territory since the conflict began in February 2022, targeting the Kursk Region.

Ukrainian troops currently control several settlements in Kursk, which led to the declaration of a federal emergency there on Friday. The decision to declare the emergency in Belgorod was made during a government meeting in Moscow last week, attended by Emergencies Minister Aleksandr Kurenkov and Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. (Related: Ukraine's offensive in Kursk region is the first direct attack on Russia since WWII.)

Local authorities are providing extensive assistance, but the scale of the damage has overwhelmed their resources, necessitating a federal response. This declaration enables individuals affected by the attack  those who have lost relatives, been injured, or suffered property damage  to seek compensation from the Russian government. It also grants authorities the power to restrict access to the emergency area, conduct mandatory evacuations and requisition personal vehicles for government use.

Moscow's Defense Ministry reported that Ukraine had lost up to 340 troops and 19 pieces of equipment, including five U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, in clashes over the past 24 hours in the border regions. Since the incursion began, Ukraine has reportedly lost approximately 2,640 servicemen and hundreds of pieces of military hardware, including 37 tanks and 32 armored personnel carriers. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that approximately 9,500 people have been evacuated from the conflict zone.

The ministry affirmed that efforts to neutralize Ukrainian armed units are ongoing as Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced the incursion as a "terrorist attack."

Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov stated on Telegram that access to five settlements will be closed and residents will be relocated with their belongings. Additionally, the village of Kolotilovka in the Krasnoyaruzhsky district will also be temporarily closed off.

In the meantime, Acting Governor of Kursk Alexey Smirnov reported that Ukrainian troops had destroyed a bridge across the Seim River, complicating the evacuation of civilians. Smirnov noted that he is coordinating with local administration and that the operational headquarters is working to address the situation, with further decisions to be announced.

NATO vows all-out support for Ukraine's offensive against Russia

U.S. President Joe Biden has vowed on behalf of NATO nations, to continuously provide Ukraine with urgently needed air defense systems, but would not yet consider taking the nation in as a member of the alliance.

The U.S. leader, kicking off a summit marking the 75th anniversary of NATO, said the donation of five air-defense systems by Germany, Italy, Romania, the Netherlands and the United States represented just one element of NATO's ongoing campaign to help Kyiv hold off a far larger, better-armed adversary.

"Make no mistake; Russia is failing," Biden claimed. "The war will end with Ukraine remaining a free and independent country."

Leaders of the 32 nations, who descended upon the U.S. capital ahead of the multiday summit, are attempting to refocus attention away from Ukraine's gloomy battlefield outlook by highlighting ongoing alliance support for Kyiv. For Biden, the summit is a moment of intense scrutiny as he faces pressure over his readiness to serve another four years.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg sought to cast the stakes of the Ukraine conflict in historic terms, saying the opponents of democracy would benefit if Western nations did not make good in backing Kyiv's fight.

"There are no cost-free options with an aggressive Russia as a neighbor; there are no risk-free options in a war," he told leaders of the 32-nation summit. "Remember the biggest cost and the greatest risk will be if Russia wins in Ukraine; we cannot let that happen."

Ivo Daalder, who served as U.S. ambassador to NATO during the Obama administration, said the new support constituted a "significant step forward" that would thrust the alliance more directly into the day-to-day actions supporting Ukraine's military effort.

"It does bring Ukraine and NATO closer together on the practical and operational sense," Daalder said. "What it doesn't do is solve the strategic issue, which is: When will Ukraine become a member of NATO?"

The latest NATO proposal would offer Ukraine an "irreversible" path toward NATO membership, but it would also include extensive language about the need for Kyiv to make anti-corruption and good governance changes before it can join, 12 unnamed officials familiar with the conversations said.

That language was the result of an agreement struck by Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, and U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, the officials said, one that reflected Biden's ongoing reservations about Ukraine's path to NATO membership.

Biden initially rejected the plan to include the irreversibility language and declared in more than one Oval Office meeting that much work remained to be done to combat corruption before Ukraine could gain membership, two U.S. officials and one former official said.

Visit RussiaReport.news to read updates on the current situation in Russia.

Watch the video below that talks about NATO endorsing Ukraine's invasion of Russia.

This video is from Rick Langley's channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Ukraine fails to force ultimatum on Russia following August 11 attack on Kursk nuclear plant: "Most of the equipment has already been destroyed."

Russia says Ukraine's drone attack on nuclear plant was designed to set it on fire.

Ukrainian missile strike kills 400 Russian soldiers in Kursk.

Sources include:

RT.com

WashingtonPost.com

Brighteon.com
CDC releases report claiming vaccines have saved 1.1 million lives; experts call it laughable

The many dozens of "safe and effective" vaccines that children in the United States typically receive after birth have saved hundreds of millions of them from illness and death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a new report that experts are calling "laughable."

The CDC's latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) claims that routine childhood vaccinations for things like measles, diphtheria, tetanus, and hepatitis B have prevented more than half a billion cases of illness, 32 million hospitalizations, and precisely 1,129,000 deaths over the past roughly 30 years.

The federal public health agency is also claiming responsibility for allegedly saving U.S. taxpayers $540 billion in direct costs, as well as $2.7 trillion in indirect social costs, with its longtime childhood vaccination program.

The corporate media is parroting the CDC's claims as a "testament to the success" of childhood vaccination in America. Experts like Toby Rogers, PhD, a fellow at the Brownstone Institute for Social and Economic Research, however, say otherwise.

"The methods are shoddy, the data are untethered from reality and the conclusions are a preposterous fiction," Roberts told The Defender, a project of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Children's Health Defense (CHD). "This study is an advertisement on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry and it should be treated as such."

(Related: Remember when the CDC admitted that COVID injections maybe only help prevent one death for every one million people who get jabbed?)

CDC paper is bogus propaganda

The paper was constructed by Fangjun Zhou, PhD, and other researchers from the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease. They looked at data on approximately 117 million children born between 1994 and 2023, reproducing the methodology from a 2014 paper that Zhou and colleagues published on estimated health and economic benefits of vaccination for a single year, 2009.

One of the new study's major problems is the fact that it included data for all vaccinated children rather than just participants in the CDC's Vaccines for Children Program, which provides "free" vaccines to about half of all American children.

They conducted a very simplistic and scientifically shoddy series of calculations that intended to show that getting jabbed is much better for children and society than not getting jabbed.

"If there are two more conflicted journals to represent the benefits of the childhood vaccination program, you could not find them," commented Mark Blaxill, co-author of "The Age of Autism: Mercury, Medicine, and a Man-Made Epidemic," about the bogus nature of the paper.

"The profession of pediatrics is the delivery channel for the childhood immunization program, that's why it exists. And the MMWR is put out by the CDC, which is recommending the program. So this is propaganda, and it is put out by those parties most interested in defending the outcome."

Interestingly, the CDC analysis did not include flu shots, Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) injections, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, and RSV monoclonal antibodies, all of which were more recently added to the CDC's childhood injection schedule.

"The mortality rates they used of 15-20% were reported prior to the development of the vaccine in the 1920s," said Brian Hooker, PhD, chief scientific officer at CHD, about how the CDC study skewed the mortality rates for diphtheria.

"However, this was prior to the development of antibiotics. Corynebacterium diphtheriae (the bacteria that causes diphtheria) is treatable with penicillin or erythromycin."

Rogers added that none of the vaccines available through the CDC's Vaccines for Children Program are as effective as the CDC claims, which means the data is even more skewed.

"We know that the mumps portion of MMR does not work," Rogers said. "The pertussis portion of DTaP does not stop infection nor transmission of pertussis. That's true for lots of vaccines on the schedule."

The CDC cannot be trusted to ever tell the truth. Learn more at CDC.news.

Sources for this article include:

ChildrensHealthDefense.org

NaturalNews.com
KAMILLA THE HUN to take over America? Get ready for Kamala-Care (like Obamacare), open borders and a new world war waged by Big Pharma and the Communists in DC

Did you know that the communist ruler Attila the Hun killed his own brother to grab tyrannical power for himself? Its true. Though one cannot kill a corpse, metaphorically Kamala killed Biden by taking his throne by force. Should Kamilla the Hun and her new sidekick Warlord Walz (the newborn baby killer) want to turn America into the Workers Party of Korea, where there is one sole ruling party ironically called the Democratic Peoples Republic of North Korea, except here it will be the Democratic Peoples Republic of North Amerika.

Surely they will join forces with radical-Leftist and commie-freak Canadas Treasonous Trudeau, and since there is no southern border anymore for the U.S., then Mexico, Canada and the old USA will be under ONE RULE, that controls the armed forces and Big Pharmas population-reduction-by-vaccine complex. Welcome to the land of late-term and day-of-birth abortions, assisted medical suicide, genocide by mRNA injections and turbo cancer (caused by mRNA stabs).

Here comes communist-style Kamala-Care, with forced-at-gunpoint by military police vaccination laws and mandated abortions for GMO lab research

Do you know what communist countries do to their prisoners? They harvest their organs for black market sales, experiments and transplants. This is not voluntary by the prisoners, and it doesnt matter what you did to get jailed. Did you disagree with the government narrative about the scamdemic or the imported fentanyl/opioid pandemic? Off to the FEMA and DHS reeducation camps (concentration camps) for you.

Under new Democrat monolithic ideological system, Congress no longer has any say and everyone is poor, except for those who rule (Kamilla the Hun calls it equitable living). Under Kamilla rule, there is no doubt that the healthcare system in America will quickly become a radical communistic healthcare platform with a single-payer system with ZERO private insurance allowed anywhere, by anyone. There will be NO MORE healthcare choices and all personal health decisions will be in the hands of the tyrannical Peoples Republic of North America.

Kamilla-Care means Medicare for all 40 million illegal immigrants paid for by hard-working Americans who have no money left for their own family

Yes, if Kamilla the Hun wins in November, the number of illegal immigrants will double inside of a year or two, and like Trump and Elon Musk said in their 2-hour-long chat, there will be no saving America from the communists then. Everyone will be required to wear oxygen-deprivation masks (Bird Flu masks) 24/7/365 or face prison time for involuntary murder (because you spread the latest gain-of-function lab-made virus).

Kamilla the Hun will mandate, along with Big Pharma, new mRNA Bird Flu and Monkeypox gene mutation jabs with quarterly boosters, enforced at gunpoint by the military pharma police force. There will never be access to any natural cures or effective medications like hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, liquid oxygen and the lists keeps going.

Kamilla the Hun wants to make America one of the top three strictest censorship regimes in the world, ranked right up there with the Peoples Republic of China, ruled by the Chinese Communist Party, and the communist rule of North Korea, the nation that has the least press freedom across the globe. Democrats will no doubt censor ALL content for political and medical reasons, curtailing all political opposition while silencing any anti-government-narrative stances, no matter whether they are factual, safety driven or science-proven.

All forms of communication will be ruled by dictatorship, including film, radio, print, television, literature and the internet. Keep your truth news in check by adding Preparedness.news to your favorites list and tuning in daily for updates on surviving and thriving, especially past this tyrannical rule by the Democrat-Socialist-Communist Party of Amerika, led by Kamilla the Hun.

Sources for this article include:

Censored.news

History.com

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
NATO doubts Ukraines ability to maintain control of Kursk amid fierce battles

NATO countries are skeptical about Ukraine's ability to maintain a foothold in Russia's Kursk Oblast , even if it takes weeks for Russian forces to push them out, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, Aug. 13 citing a Western intelligence official.

Despite this, NATO reportedly has no reservations about Ukraine's cross-border offensive, which the U.S. and NATO claim they were unaware of until the attack began. Another NATO official told the news outlet that the incursion demonstrates Ukraine's capability to challenge Russia effectively.

Heavy fighting has erupted in Kursk since over 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers and dozens of armored vehicles  many supplied by the U.S.  entered Russian territory last Tuesday. Ukrainian forces have managed to capture numerous villages but are facing significant losses. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Ukraine has lost 420 soldiers in the past day alone, with over 2,000 casualties since the invasion began. These figures remain unverified as Kyiv does not disclose its casualty numbers.

The invasion appears to be a strategic move by Ukraine to strengthen its position in future negotiations. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy stated on Tuesday that Ukraine does not aim to "take over" Russian territory. "The sooner Russia agrees to restore a just peace the sooner the raids by Ukrainian defense forces into Russia will stop," he said. (Related: Ukraine fails to force ultimatum on Russia following August 11 attack on Kursk nuclear plant: "Most of the equipment has already been destroyed.")

Although the U.S. claims ignorance of Ukraine's plans for the Kursk invasion, it continues to support the operation by supplying Ukrainian forces with American weapons. U.S. President Joe Biden described the offensive as a "real dilemma" for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The U.S.-backed operation, the largest invasion of Russian soil since World War II, represents a major escalation in the proxy war and risks provoking a significant Russian response, Antiwar.com's Dave deCamp wrote. Putin has characterized the incursion as an attempt by the West to use Ukrainians to attack Russia, he added.

Russia redeploys troops in Kursk

In response to the incursion, Russia appears to have redeployed several thousand troops from occupied Ukrainian territory to respond to the Ukrainian offensive inside Russian borders, potentially undermining Moscow's broader war efforts, two senior U.S. officials told CNN.

This shift has captured American attention, with U.S. officials now working to assess the scale of the Russian troop movements. Reports indicate that multiple brigade-sized units, each comprising at least 1,000 troops, have been redirected to the Kursk region.

The unexpected Ukrainian incursion has opened up intriguing strategic possibilities. What began as a seemingly quixotic attempt to embarrass Putin might now have significant battlefield implications, depending on how long Ukraine can maintain its hold over the Russian territory.

The covert nature of the Ukrainian operation, which even caught U.S. officials off guard, has impressed American observers. The operation has disrupted some of Ukraine's defenses along the extensive 600-mile frontline but may also divert Russian troops who have been making incremental gains inside Ukraine this summer. Ukraine claimed to have reclaimed over 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of Russian-occupied land, displacing tens of thousands of Russians.

However, Russia still has hundreds of thousands of troops stationed along the frontline in Ukraine, so diverting a few thousand may not drastically impact the short-term situation.

Head over to UkraineWitness.com to read news related to this.

Watch the video below that talks about Ukraine's cross-border incursion into Russia.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Ukraine's offensive in Kursk region is the first direct attack on Russia since WWII.

Russia says Ukraine's drone attack on nuclear plant was designed to set it on fire.

Downing Street BANS Ukraine from using Storm Shadow missiles to strike Kursk.

Sources include:

Antiwar.com

Bloomberg.com

CNN.com

Brighteon.com
Ransomware gang claims responsibility for recent hacking incident against conservative newspaper The Washington Times

A newly identified ransomware gang has claimed responsibility for hacking conservative media outlet The Washington Times and is now threatening to auction off the stolen data.

The group, known as Rhysida, is notorious for its "ransomware as a service" operations, a process by which the group leases its malware to cybercriminals and receives a share of all proceeds from ransom payments.

The malware deployed by Rhysida and other similar gangs usually renders the computers of targeted organizations inaccessible by infecting them with malicious software and then demanding a ransom, often in cryptocurrency, to unlock the files. In other instances, a tactic known as "double extortion" also exists, wherein gangs also steal data and threaten to release it online to increase pressure on their victims. (Related: Ransomware attack on blood bank forces hundreds of hospitals in southeastern U.S. to activate blood shortage protocols.)

These gangs often leave their "calling card" in a brand name attached to encrypted file names.

According to American cybersecurity firm Secureworks, Rhysida emerged from a criminal operation established in 2021, previously known as Gold Victor, which operated a ransomware scheme called Vice Society. Rebranding is common among ransomware gangs when their existing "brand" becomes too notorious.

In line with this, Rhysida announced the hacking of The Washington Times on Aug. 13 in a post on its site on the dark web. The group declared that day that the information would be sold to the highest bidder in one week.

"With just seven days on the clock, seize the opportunity to bid on exclusive, unique, and impressive data," Rhysida posted. "Open your wallets and be ready to buy exclusive data. We sell only to one hand, no reselling, you will be the only owner!"

The starting price for the data has been set at five bitcoins, which as of press time is worth approximately $296,259. The group did not provide specific details on the contents of the stolen data, but a screenshot posted by Rhysida to prove the data breach included scans of several documents, including a Social Security card and a driver's license from Texas.

The ransom notes, titled "CriticalBreachDetected," provided a unique code and instructions to contact the group via a specialist web browser that makes communications untraceable. Cybersecurity analyst Dominic Alvier notes that the screenshot provided by Rhysida did not contain critical data beyond personal information likely linked to an employee.

U.S. agencies already warned the public about the dangers of Rhysida in 2023

In November 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the MultiState Information Sharing and Analysis Center released a joint cybersecurity advisory (CSA) warning that Rhysida has been targeting organizations in various sectors, including education, healthcare, manufacturing, information technology and even the government since May 2023.

Agencies have reported that Rhysida and affiliated gangs gain access to systems via virtual private networks or phishing attacks. Once inside, they typically remain undetected for long enough to steal confidential data from their servers.

"Rhysida actors have been observed leveraging external-facing remote services to initially access and persist within a network," the CSA states. "Remote services, such as virtual private networks (VPNs), allow users to connect to internal enterprise network resources from external locations. Rhysida actors have commonly been observed authenticating to internal VPN access points with compromised valid credentials [T1078], notably due to organizations lacking MFA enabled by default."

"Additionally, actors have been observed exploiting Zerologon (CVE-2020-1472)a critical elevation of privileges vulnerability in Microsofts Netlogon Remote Protocol [T1190]as well as conducting successful phishing attempts [T1566]," the CSA further stated.

Check out Glitch.news for more stories about cyberattacks.

Watch this video about blood bank OneBlood getting hit by ransomware attack, impacting its systems and affecting the distribution of blood to patients.

This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

North Korean hacker indicted for hacking, stealing military secrets.

Cyber extortion: AT&T agreed to pay hacker about $400,000 to erase stolen sensitive data.

Software provider CDK Global HACKED, paralyzing over 15,000 car dealerships across America.

Massive cyberattack hits U.S. Big PHarma leaving tens of thousands of prescriptions unfilled.

HACKING THE HACKERS: FBI, law enforcement agencies from 11 other countries shut down ransomware websites of notorious cybercriminal group.

Sources include:

Dailydot.com

TheGuardian.com

CISA.gov [pdf]

Brighteon.com
Travelers rush to leave Lebanon amid fears of growing tension and canceled flights

The recent assassinations of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah military chief Fuad Shukr have ignited heated vows of vengeance from Iran and other groups, leading to tensions skyrocketing and travelers in Lebanon panicking for the airports.

Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group supported by Iran, has exchanged fire almost daily with Israeli forces in support of Hamas, which the former is closely allied with, since the Palestinian militant group's Oct. 7 attack on Israel last year sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.

Haniyeh and Shukr's recent assassinations have caused tensions to reach a fever pitch. As a result, many travelers flocked to Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Aug. 4, Sunday, after several airlines canceled flights and fears spread of more flight cancellations due to the potential outbreak of all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah. Many travelers who rushed to the airport have canceled the rest of their summer holidays.

One such traveler, Joelle Sfeir, wasn't happy to leave Lebanon. Sfeir, who works in France, added that she wanted to spend the whole summer in Lebanon before going back.

While waiting at the crowded departures hall at Beirut airport, Sfeir said that her flight was canceled and she was forced to book another ticket, which also meant she had to cut her trip short so she could find a flight.

Other airlines, such as Air France and Lufthansa, have delayed or suspended flights to Lebanon.

Meanwhile, countries have issued urgent calls for foreign nationals to leave in the coming days. On Aug. 4, France warned its citizens about "a highly volatile" situation.

Jordan issued a similar warning to its citizens. The country was involved in shooting down Iranian drones when Iran launched unprecedented retaliatory attacks against Israel back in April for an Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic complex in Syria.

On Aug. 3, the U.S. embassy in Lebanon advised its citizens to leave on "any ticket available."

Britains Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged British citizens to "leave now."

Many countries already had travel warnings in place, but have issued recent advice following the latest developments in Lebanon.

Turkey updated its travel advisory for Lebanon, urging those who do not need to stay in the country to leave while commercial flights are still active.

Travelers trying to avoid being stuck in Lebanon

Fears were triggered because many believed that the months of cross-border violence could turn into an all-out conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. The two last fought a devastating war back in the summer of 2006.

Israel bombed Lebanon's only passenger airport in Beirut during the 2006 war.

In Beirut airport's departures hall, families waited on metal seats and children were in their parents' laps. Passengers anxiously and checked television screens for flight departures for locations such as Amman, Cairo and Istanbul. (Related: Western nations cancel flights to Lebanon amid rising Israeli threats.)

The tensions and cancellations have affected travel plans for many Lebanese who work or study abroad and who usually spend their annual summer holiday visiting relatives and friends back in their home country.

Gretta Moukarzel, who runs a travel agency near Beirut, said she received many calls from worried clients who "want to leave and who fear being stuck in Lebanon."

In an interview, Moukarzel said it was difficult to find seats because of the number of canceled flights and the increased demand, especially for European countries. She added that many of the Lebanese citizens who were returning to Lebanon for the holiday had canceled their reservations.

Passengers at the airport were also stuck in long lines at check-in booths and again to pass through security.

Sirine Hakim, 22, shared that she had spent almost three weeks in Lebanon to reunite with her family and that the events had forced her to leave due to work commitments abroad.

Near the arrivals area, which was usually crowded during the summer season, only a small handful of travelers were waiting for loved ones.

While driving along the airport road that passes through Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, a huge billboard can be seen with images of Hamas's Haniyeh and Hezbollah's Shukr reading: "We will seek revenge."

Both were shown beside Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commander and head of its foreign operations arm the Quds Force who died in an American drone strike in Iraq back in 2020.

According to an AFP tally, since October 2023, the escalating cross-border violence has killed at least 546 people in Lebanon, which included at least 115 civilians.

In Israel, including the annexed Golan Heights, army figures have revealed that at least 22 soldiers and 25 civilians have been killed.

Visit WWIII.news for more stories about the ongoing conflict in Lebanon and other countries at war.

Watch this clip about an Israeli attack on a Beirut suburb.

This video is from the channel Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

U.S. Embassy in Beirut tells Americans: DONT TRAVEL to Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu calls for U.S.-Israel alliance to combat Iranian threat.

Expert warns Hezbollah attack on power infrastructure could make Israel uninhabitable within 3 days.

Hezbollah storing missiles and explosives at Lebanons main airport, Western media claims without evidence.

Sources include:

MSN.com

CNN.com

Brighteon.com
Watch: Neil deGrasse Tyson says chromosomes dont determine biological sex

(Article by Steve Watson republished from Modernity.news)

Yes, really.

Here he claims that every day anyone can decide today I feel like I am female or male.

Neil deGrasse Tyson takes pride in communicating science. Here he explains that XX/XY chromosomes don't determine if you are male or female, and instead, each day you can wake up and decide that today I feel like I am female or male ? This is the state of science today ? pic.twitter.com/qui5sBtFPe  Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) August 15, 2024

Presumably they can just change their mind back again the next day?

Neil deGrasse Tyson leans to the mental and emotional aspect of sexuality while ignoring the physical. It's not how you feel! It's what you are!  Alexander Glumac (@SmokedGeezer) August 15, 2024

Tyson is not a biologist, hes a physicist, still shouldnt he know better?

In his defense, he is the dumbest physicist on the planet.  Tiger Cat (@BackTo_1970) August 15, 2024

Sure, DNA doesn't matter. I'm going to wake up tomorrow and decide I'm 7 foot tall. Or maybe I'll decide to be Asian. ???? It's seriously pathetic that people who really know better play this game.  Austin (@FireBeardViking) August 15, 2024

Hes a scientist, yet he is essentially saying that anything can just be the way you feel like it being at any given moment.

Next, hell tell us the stars only exist if we believe in them. Welcome to the new age of "feelings over facts"! ??  Danny Lucas (@realDannyLucas_) August 15, 2024

Any credibility he had left is gone.

Hes sold out every bit of scientific integrity a man in his position should have.  la scapigliata (@lascapigliata8) August 16, 2024

Its sound bite science.

That's the kind of "science" you get from a pop star scientist.  ??Brett?? (@PatrioTrumpet) August 16, 2024

Imagine trading a lifetime of integrity for a thumbs up from the alphabet brigade.

Your periodic reminder that just because someone is on television as an "expert" in one area that does not mean they're an expert in that area, other areas or even smart. For example: Bill Nye is not a scientist and never has been, he's an actor. https://t.co/zJUBjZXY84  Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) August 16, 2024

@neiltyson what the hell? This is not based in Science but a religion, an ideology. What is wrong with you? Instead of pandering to people and spreading false information you should've stayed quiet. https://t.co/BcqutHX77c  KayR (@Kellyring) August 15, 2024

Say what you want but dont claim its science.

No, xx and xy determine male and female. However if society (or some in it) wish to create new definitions and ideas they are free to do so. Others are free not to adopt them. Its no better to force tyranny on a majority than to force tyranny on a minority. https://t.co/nIx6ERf4ZM  Sharyl Attkisson ??????? (@SharylAttkisson) August 16, 2024

"Why can't you just shut up and trust the SCIENCE?!?!?" Gee, I wonder... https://t.co/FCp4VNM1W3  Whatever (@MIFrenchieMom) August 16, 2024

The moment objective truth is inverted, were moving backwards.

Any society that adopts this deserves to fail. Rejection of objective facts has no place in an enlightened world. https://t.co/Xx5hnl1pFG  ?????????????? (@1776Dairenn) August 16, 2024

Read more at: Modernity.news
UFO activist Steve Bassett calls for investigation following allegations that Vatican is hiding UFO secrets

A leading advocate for truth regarding unidentified flying objects (UFOs) is demanding that an investigation be done on the Catholic Church following the shocking allegations that the Vatican is hiding secrets regarding the discovery of UFOs

UFO activist Steve Bassett said it was clear the Catholic Church knows about UFOs and possibly even has documented proof of them in the Vatican archives.

Bassett believes the Catholic Church even thinks extraterrestrial life is "important" and the institution has suggested the existence of aliens in religious art. "The Catholic Church, we have always known, has been aware of this subject going back perhaps hundreds and hundreds of years. It's gone so far as to say whoever these beings are, they [the Catholic Church] would be happy to baptize them if they wanted to be baptized," Bassett said.

This references a statement Pope Francis made back in 2014, wherein he claimed that if an alien from Mars one day showed up at the Vatican and asked to be baptized, he would personally do it.

Bassett added that "extraordinary" information regarding the Church's knowledge of extraterrestrial life is hidden away in the Vatican Library and the Vatican Apostolic Archive and could have been there for centuries.

"But they [researchers] can't prove that for obvious reasons," Bassett stated. (Related: Intelligence officer-turned-whistleblower reveals U.S. government found non-human biologics at crash sites but Pentagon covered it up.)

Catholic Church may have helped cover up UFO crash in Italy in 1933

One of the biggest pieces of evidence Basset knows regarding the Catholic Church's connections come from evidence that a UFO crashed near Milan in 1933, and that after World War II, Pope Pius XII opened back channels with the United States, who ended up retrieving the alien craft and shipping it off to America.

While Bassett admits that evidence of aliens up to now has been "paltry," he asserts that a thorough investigation is necessary to either prove the allegations against the Catholic Church or clear the institution of all the allegations.

"As far as I know, there have been many, many books written on the research of this phenomena and it's the first time I'd ever heard about this potential crash in '33," Bassett stated.

He added it would prove the American government knew about alien life long before the well-known Roswell incident in 1947.

UFO experts are now trying to gain permission from the Holy See, the supreme governing body of the Catholic Church, to access the Vatican archives and peruse its thousands upon thousands of years of records to either prove or disprove the allegations that it knew about UFOs for at least 90 years.

Bassett said he believes the Church will eventually permit researchers to access its files, but it probably will not happen until after another government formally reveals the existence of aliens.

"Who exactly found it? What was the process in which it finally got to us? What was the role of the Catholic Church? How many people in our government even knew about it at the point that Roswell happened?" Bassett said. "Obviously the people at Roswell didn't, because they put out a press release that they found a flying saucer so clearly that there was no significant impediment to putting that story out at the time."

Author and religious professor Diana Walsh Pasulka said the Vatican archives are full of reports of paranormal events, such as nuns seeing glowing orbs, flying houses and other aerial phenomena.

Pasulka said these events might be better understood as "UFO-type incidents" rather than miracles. "The historical record is filled with these kinds of events, the people at the Vatican, they don't even know where to look; it's in their basements," Pasulka said.

Follow UFOs.news for more stories about UFOs secrets.

Watch the video below about the Vatican knowing the recovery of an alien craft.

This video is from the Evolutionary Energy Arts channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Why has the Vatican chosen this precise moment to drop bombshells about UFOs, Aliens and "apparitions"?

UFO whistleblower: Federal govt running a long-term program to recover non-human bodies from alien crash sites.

Declassified documents reveal current and former senators believe the government has secretly recovered UFOs of non-human origin.

Ahead of UFO meeting, former defense official says U.S. government has recovered technology that "did not originate on this earth."

Military whistleblowers claim UFO successfully disabled American nuclear warhead during routine test.

Sources include:

The-Sun.com

TheAtlantic.com

USCCB.org

Brighteon.com
BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, held talks with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Vietnamese president, on Monday in Beijing. Xi welcomed Lam's state visit to China and once again congratulated him on his election as general secretary of the CPV Central Committee. CARRYING FORWARD TRADITIONAL FRIENDSHIP China is the destination for Lam's first overseas visit after he took office as general secretary of the CPV Central Committee. Xi said this fully reflects the great importance Lam attaches to the relations between the two parties and the two countries, as well as the high level and strategic nature of China-Vietnam relations. He pointed out that the CPC and the CPV have passed down their shared ideals and beliefs from generation to generation, forging the traditional friendship of "comrades-plus-brothers" between the two countries. As two of the ruling Communist parties in today's world, the CPC and the CPV should uphold and continue their traditional friendship, keep in mind their common mission, adhere to the leadership of the Communist party and the socialist system, continue to deepen the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, and jointly promote the development of the world socialist cause, Xi said. The CPV and the Vietnamese government always attach importance to developing relations with China and regard China as the strategic choice and top priority of Vietnam's foreign policy, Lam said, noting that the Vietnamese side will adhere to the leadership of the Communist party and the socialist path, deepen the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and push forward the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. "Lam's visit comes just half a month after he was elected general secretary of the Central Committee of the CPV, showing the importance the Vietnamese side attaches to relations with China," said Chen Hongsheng, director of Institute of Vietnamese Studies, Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences. "In particular, Lam arrived in south China's Guangzhou on Sunday, visited the places that witnessed Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary activities in China, and exchanged views with friendly personages from China and Vietnam. This is of great significance to consolidating and developing the traditional friendship between the two countries and boosting the continuous progress of bilateral relations," Chen said. DEEPER PRACTICAL COOPERATION Xi underscored that at the critical stage of national development and revitalization, China and Vietnam should strive to consolidate the development pattern featuring higher political mutual trust, more solid security cooperation, deeper practical cooperation, stronger public support, closer multilateral coordination and cooperation, and better management and resolution of differences. China is ready to maintain close strategic communication and high-level exchanges with Vietnam, firmly adhere to mutual support, actively explore ways to expand synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, accelerate the "hard connectivity" of railway, expressway and port infrastructure, enhance the "soft connectivity" of smart customs, and jointly build a secure and stable industrial and supply chain, Xi said. Vietnam is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges, deepen strategic mutual trust, enhance synergy of development strategies, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation with China, Lam said. China has been Vietnam's largest trading partner since 2004, and Vietnam is China's largest trading partner within ASEAN. In 2017, China and Vietnam signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the joint implementation of the China-proposed BRI and Vietnam's Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy to expedite cooperation across diverse sectors. In the first seven months of 2024, a total of 6,850 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers of goods were shipped via China-Vietnam freight trains departing from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, marking a 16-fold increase year on year. Moreover, thanks to favorable policies such as direct air routes and visa facilitation, the cross-border tourism between China and Vietnam has shown vigorous development. This two-way surge in travel not only boosts the development of the tourism industry, but also deepens the cultural exchange and friendship between the two countries, a Chinese tourism official said. A SHARED FUTURE During Xi's visit to Vietnam last December, the two countries jointly announced the elevation of bilateral ties to a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. In his talks with Lam, Xi expressed the willingness to establish good working relations and personal friendship with Lam to jointly guide the substantial development in building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future. He also called for joint efforts to uphold the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and other basic norms governing international relations, promote an equal and orderly multi-polar world and economic globalization that benefits all, uphold international fairness and justice and the common interests of developing countries, and work to build a community with a shared future for mankind. For his part, Lam said that the CPV and the Vietnamese government will carry on the legacy of Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, adhere to the leadership of the Communist party and the socialist path, deepen the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and push forward the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. Vietnam firmly pursues the one-China policy, supports China in achieving national reunification, and firmly opposes any interference in China's internal affairs, Lam said. Vietnam supports and is willing to actively participate in the initiative to build a community with a shared future for humanity, as well as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, Lam said, adding that Vietnam is also willing to work closely with China to strengthen multilateral international cooperation, uphold multilateralism, safeguard international fairness and justice, and make positive contributions to promoting world peace and development. During Lam's visit to China, the two sides will also issue a joint statement on further strengthening China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and promoting the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.
Californias age-verification bill, AB 3080, is effectively dead after its potential price tag landed it in the Senate Appropriations Committees Suspense File.

The Free Speech Coalition was active in its opposition to AB 3080, testifying against the bill in committee hearings, meeting with legislators, and rallying allies, industry members and fans to speak out against the bill. In June, following extensive discussions with Assm. Alanis, and the introduction of several amendments addressing FSCs key concerns, FSC withdrew its formal opposition to the bill. However, privacy and civil liberties advocates including Electronic Frontier Foundation, FIRE, ACLU and Woodhull Freedom Foundation remained actively opposed.

We thank Assm. Alanis for working so earnestly with us throughout the life of this bill, says Alison Boden, Executive Director of Free Speech Coalition. We completely agree with the need to keep minors from accessing age-inappropriate content without unintentionally blocking millions of adult consumers. We continue to believe this is possible and look forward to working with him and other members of the Assembly in future sessions.

Bills placed in the Senate Appropriations suspense file are held until the state budget has been prepared and are then considered in relation to available revenue. Californias on-going budget deficit makes bills placed in suspense unlikely to move forward, effectively killing them.
UK man arrested over posts on social media that allegedly contain anti-establishment rhetoric

A British man has been arrested and is facing criminal charges over posts he made on social media that authorities claim contain anti-establishment rhetoric.

40-year-old Wayne ORourke of Salix Approach, Lincoln, was arrested this weekend over material he published online that the police claim seeks to stir up racial hatred.

Although it is not known what specific post has drawn these charges, he allegedly expressed support for the recent riots and offered advice on how to remain anonymous to his 90,000 followers. The Nottingham Magistrates Court was told that his posts contained both anti-establishment and anti-Muslim rhetoric. ORourke chose not to enter a plea and is scheduled to appear in front of Lincoln Crown Court on Friday.

An X profile that is believed to belong to him indicates that he is right wing and supports Brexit and former U.S. President Donald Trump. He also says in his profile that he loves his country and urges people to Vote Reform.

ORourke actually predicted that he would be arrested for sharing his beliefs online, posting on X on August 11: 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.

Many people are outraged over the harsh punishment. Chris Rose posted on X: "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.

The UK has been coming down hard on people who dare to speak out against those who come to their country and commit crimes. These voices have been growing louder following the murder of three young girls in Southport at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class by the 17-year-old son of Rwandan migrants.

This week, a 61-year-old British man was handed an 18-month jail sentence for chanting Who the fk is Allah? and telling police Youre not English any more at a protest outside of Downing Street. The protest, which was attended by around 700 people on July 31st, ultimately turned disorderly.

Body camera footage from police was played in court in which the man also made hostile gestures and called officers c-nts. He told the officers arresting him that he was opposed to the practice of housing illegal immigrants in hotels with the bill being footed by taxpayers, saying: I didnt go up to London to riot. I went to complain about people put up in hotels.

Another man was given a two-month prison sentence for a post of images of Muslim men with the caption coming to a town near you on Facebook. As appalling as it may be, this is something we can expect to see a lot more of in England in the coming months.

UK police warn that they will go after keyboard warriors

The head of the Met Police, Sir Mark Rowley, recently warned that people could face charges for inciting riots online, even if they never attended a protest or are currently living abroad.

And whether youre in this country committing crimes on the streets or committing crimes from further afield online, we will come after you, he cautioned.

Being a keyboard warrior does not make you safe from the law, you can be guilty of offences of incitement, of stirring up racial hatred, there are numerous terrorist offences regarding the publishing of material, all of those offences are in play if people are provoking hatred and violence on the streets, he added.

Sources for this article include:

Modernity.news

BBC.com

Modernity.news
Western civilization will END, thanks to the weaponized migrant invasion

What the world is witnessing in the United Kingdom right now with the migrant crisis is merely a blueprint for what will become of the entire West once the globalists in charge have their way with it.

Part of the plan is to brainwash children at "school" about how to weed out "misinformation" about illegal immigration. Those in charge want the next generation to believe that the migrant invasion is good for the West, helping to enrich it culturally.

In Great Britain, all schools from now on will have courses on "misinformation" and the dangers of "extremist content" online. Children will be told that British citizens who protest against open borders are "dangerous" and that they must be fought with "critical thinking."

"Not actual critical thinking, mind you, just thinking that's critical of the truth," warns Leo Hohmann on his Substack. "A better word for it would be brainwashing or sensitivity training."

If the globalists are successful, the next generation of Brits will think it unacceptable to question the authority of Allah, the god of Islam, over UK law. A 61-year-old English man was recently arrested for doing just that, and will now have to spend the next year-and-a-half behind bars.

The man, named David Spring, appeared at a July 31 protest where he pointed his finger at police officers and yelled, "Who the **** is Allah?" Spring told the officers that they are "no longer English," to which they cuffed him and dragged him off to the slammer.

(Related: Rampant lawlessness is also tearing apart the West as globalist power brokers unleash hell on America.)

Free speech is dying

Even just a few years ago, such a thing would have been unheard of in the UK. In 2024, it is par for the course  and will soon become the norm in the United States as well with the way things are going.

The UK appears to have already fallen to extreme authoritarianism. The U.S. is just a few steps behind, meaning there is still time for Americans to fight back and reject the police state control over speech that is being implemented across the pond.

Hohmann wrote a book in 2017 called Stealth Invasion that warned about all these things happening years prior. He explains in the book how illegal immigration is a powerful weapon that the globalists are using to subvert Western populations under their control.

"Anyone who has read Stealth Invasion knows that the bitter fruits of the globalists' divisive immigration policies have been brewing for many years," Hohmann says. "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."

It appears as though British law enforcement could not care less about the destruction of their country at the hands of illegal migrants. After hundreds of young British girls were found to have been groomed and sex trafficked in Rotherham by Pakistani Muslim men and their friends, law enforcement responded by doing nothing.

"Anyone who complained was branded a racist, a hater, so it went unreported for years," Hohmann warns.

"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. That's how Sharia works."

Will America as we currently know it still exist in 2025? Find out more at Collapse.news.

Sources for this article include:

LeoHohmann.substack.com

NaturalNews.com
American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) punishes doctors advocating for early COVID treatment and debating COVID-19 vaccine safety by revoking board certifications

The FLCCC Alliance categorically disagrees with the recent decision by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) regarding the revocation of board certifications of FLCCC Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Paul Marik, and FLCCC Alliance President Emeritus Dr. Pierre Kory. We believe this decision represents a dangerous shift away from the foundational principles of medical discourse and scientific debate that have historically been the bedrock of medical education associations.

(Article republished from Covid19CriticalCare.com)

Since May 2022, when the ABIM first issued a Notice of Potential Disciplinary Action, Drs. Marik and Kory have tirelessly defended their positions, providing substantial medical and scientific evidence to support their recommendations for early COVID-19 treatment and their critiques of vaccine risks. Despite presenting over 170 references in a detailed 60-page response submitted in January 2023, the ABIM has chosen to dismiss these robust scientific contributions in favor of a narrow, consensus-driven narrative.

This fight is about more than just our right to speakits about protecting the future of healthcare. When doctors are silenced for questioning the prevailing narrative, we all lose, said Dr. Pierre Kory. We must ensure that medical decisions are guided by expertise and evidence, not by fear of reprisal. Our commitment is to every physicians freedom to practice medicine based on what they know is right.

True progress in medicine depends on the free exchange of ideas and the courage to challenge established norms, said Dr. Paul Marik. Without open scientific debate, we risk losing the opportunity to discover better treatments, such as proven repurposed drugs for new viruses, and to provide the best patient care and save lives. Its essential that we continue to discuss and debate all perspectives if we are to uphold the integrity of our profession.

This is not just about the certifications of Drs. Marik and Korythis is a broader fight for the future of healthcare, where physicians can practice medicine based on science and conscience, without undue interference or fear of retribution. The decision by the ABIM is not only an attack on the professional integrity of these doctors but also a direct threat to the freedom of medical practitioners around the world.

The FLCCC Alliance firmly believes that the essence of medical science lies in the open dialog and exchange of ideas and the rigorous debate of differing perspectives, said President and Chief Medical Officer FLCCC Alliance Dr. Joseph Varon. However, the actions of the ABIM reflect a troubling trend towards censoring any opinions that challenge the status quo, thereby stifling innovation and harming the doctor-patient relationship.

Collectively, we are evaluating options to challenge these decisions and to ensure that the voices of Drs. Marik and Kory, and indeed all healthcare professionals, are not silenced by those who seek to suppress scientific dialog and debate. The FLCCC Alliance remains steadfast in our mission to uphold the integrity of the medical profession and to advocate for treatments that save lives.

Read more at: Covid19CriticalCare.com
Canada revokes Jewish National Funds charitable status after audit found group used donations to fortify Israeli military infrastructure

The Jewish National Fund of Canada (JNF Canada) is no longer a charity after our neighbors to the north revoked the group's charity status.

The pro-Israel charity along with another like it called the Ne'eman Foundation failed a multi-year audit in which it was discovered that the two groups are funneling donations into the coffers of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), a foreign army, in violation of Canada's tax codes.

JNF operates in several different countries with about 25 percent of its operating budget coming from the Canada branch.

The Ne'eman Foundation was found to have ties to an "undercover assassination unit" in the IDF known as the Duvdevan, as well as to lone soldiers such as Michael Levin Base (Base for Lone Soldiers) and Brothers for Life. Ne'eman also funneled donations into Reservists on Duty.

Money that was supposed to be used to help people in need, in other words, was redirected to Israel's war effort.

Ne'emana also funded Israeli settler leader Daniella Weiss' Nachla settler movement, Se'u Tziona Nes v'degel.

"Weiss, who advocates for Israeli settlements in the entirety of occupied Palestine, including Gaza, was placed on Canada's sanctions list in June of this year," reported Middle East Eye.

(Related: Amir Tsarfati and other prophecy teachers are screaming "antisemitism" at anyone who questions Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip.)

Many Israeli charities are IDF money machines in disguise

Founded in 1901 nearly five decades before the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. JNF is a private corporation that was explicitly created "with the purpose of purchasing land in what was then Ottoman-controlled Palestine." Its slogan is "Making the desert bloom."

After the rest of what is now widely recognized as occupied Palestine  Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank  was captured by Israel after the Six-Day War, JNF changed its mission statement to "planting trees, building water reservoirs, preserving natural habitats, as well as building parks and bicycle trails."

As of 2007, JNF owned around 13 percent of what is considered to be present-day Israel and occupied Palestinian territories. More than 70 percent of the Israeli population is said to live on land owned by JNF, which has policies in place to prohibit the sale or lease of land to non-Jews.

A 1991 documentary from CBC News  watch a clip below  highlights the hidden work of JNF. It focused its investigation on "Canada Park," which features a Canadian flag at its entrance but that was built atop the ruins of three destroyed Palestinian villages: Beit Nuba, Imwas, and Yalu. More than 9,000 Palestinians were displaced by the Canada Park takeover, which occurred in 1975:

To add, JNF established "Canada Park" in 1975 on the ruins of the three ?? villages, Imwas, Beit Nuba, and Yalu, which Israel ethnically cleansed, destroyed, and illegally occupied in 1967. @CBCNews created a documentary about this park in 1991. 1/ https://t.co/rF0n4U83Sc pic.twitter.com/OrM5IT14tC  Ghada Sasa | ???? ???? PhD(c) ?? (@sasa_ghada) July 26, 2024

That JNF has long been categorized as a "nonprofit" with special tax-exempt status in Canada is an atrocity considering the group is an Israeli military funding operation operating as a private corporation.

"Thank you, Canada!" wrote Palestinian journalist Rami G. Khouri (@RamiKhouri) on X, formerly Twitter.

"The JNF has been a central instrument of Zionist colonialism, ethnic cleansing & forced exile of Palestinians for nearly a century. Ethics-based sanctions like this are what is needed to end Israeli criminal activity, as happened with Apartheid South Africa."

Rabbi David Mivasair (@Mivasair) added on X that Canada's revocation of JNF's charity status will "set an example for other countries" to follow.

"In the U.S., if massive number of people report this to the IRS using IRS form 13909, that will get the ball rolling here as well," wrote another.

The latest news about Israel's war in Gaza can be found at IsraelCollapse.com.

Sources for this article include:

MiddleEastEye.net

NaturalNews.com
China alarmed by U.S.-made missile system sent to the Philippines, claiming it could heighten tensions in the region

China has expressed concerns about the missile system that the United States sent to the Philippines , claiming that it could heighten tensions in the region.

Filipino Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo assuaged China's fears by telling his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, that the mid-range capability (MRC) missile system is only in the Philippines temporarily.

"We discussed it and, well, they made it very dramatic," Manalo said during a press conference. According to Wang, the U.S. weapon system could be "destabilizing" to the region. But Manalo assured him that they're not.

The U.S. Army in April transported MRC, 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.

"This landmark deployment marks a significant milestone for the new capability while enhancing interoperability, readiness, and defense capabilities in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines," the U.S. Army said.

Brig. Gen. Bernard Harrington, commanding general of the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, said: "This is a significant step in our partnership with the Philippines, our oldest treaty ally in the region. We're grateful to our partners in the Armed Forces of the Philippines and we're excited to expand our security cooperation as we bring this new capability to Luzon. This creates several new collaboration opportunities for our bilateral training and readiness, we look forward to growing together."

However, the system 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 East and Southeast Asia, warning that American presence could supposedly endanger regional stability and peace.

The U.S. and the Philippines have repeatedly condemned China's 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.

Earlier this month, a visit by the Japanese military to a military base in the U.S. hinted at the possible future deployment of a new American missile system near China and Russia.

Photos by the U.S. Air Force's 62nd Airlift Wing indicate that it hosted a delegation of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. One photo shows the U.S. Army's latest Mid-Range Capability missile system known as the Typhon.

China accuses the U.S. of "stirring up trouble"

Competing claims of the South China Sea have brought a series of maritime clashes between China and the Philippines, a U.S. ally with which Washington has a mutual defense treaty. This just means that an attack on the latter would trigger the decades-old pact for the U.S. to defend the nation.

In the most recent incident, the Philippine military said two Chinese air force jets had dropped flares in the path of a Philippine military transport plane conducting a routine patrol over the Scarborough Shoal in what Manila called "dangerous and provocative actions." It was the first time the Philippines had complained about provocative actions by Chinese aircraft rather than Chinese ships since Ferdinand Marcos Jr. became president in 2022.

In response, China said the Philippine plane had illegally intruded into Chinese airspace despite repeated warnings.

The U.S. and other countries have also complained about unsafe maneuvers by Chinese aircraft and vessels in the South China Sea. On the other hand, China accuses America of endangering Chinese national sovereignty as well as regional stability with the "close-in reconnaissance" conducted by American ships and warplanes.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said there is "no international support whatsoever" for the Chinese narrative. An international tribunal in the Hague said in 2016 that Beijing's South China Sea claims were invalid, a ruling that China has never accepted.

"All they have on their side is brute force and strength and might," Teodoro said.

Manila has sought greater international support for its maritime claims, deepening security ties with the U.S., Japan, Australia and others.

Last month, the U.S. pledged $500 million in military aid during a visit to Manila by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who said the level of funding was "unprecedented" and "sends a clear message of support for the Philippines." (Related: U.S. announces $500 million in military aid for the Philippines amid heightened tensions with China over South China Sea.)

The Chinese Defense Ministry in turn accused the U.S. of "stirring up trouble."

Head over to WeaponsTechnology.news for more related stories.

Watch the video below where experts talk about China as the "beginning of the end game."

This video is from the New American channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

US forming anti-China 'squad' with Japan, Philippines, and Australia.

Missouri Sen. Schmitt asks Defense Department to help Philippines counter China's "aggressive behavior."

Another PROXY WAR in the works? U.S. shaping the Philippines into the next Ukraine.

U.S. would prevail over China in a war over Taiwan, high-ranking U.S. military official claims.

Sources include:

Newsweek.com

DefenseNews.com

NBCNews.com

Brighteon.com
Germany to STOP sending military aid to Ukraine over claim of Zelenskys Nord Stream pipeline sabotage

The world's power brokers are at odds with one another about who is responsible for blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines that deliver Russian gas to Germany and Europe, and Germany has had enough

The industrial powerhouse of Europe has decided to stop sending military aid to Ukraine after the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) came out to blame President Volodymyr Zelensky and a ragtag team of rank amateurs for blowing up the pipelines.

The claim is questionable since only the Western powers backing Zelensky seem to have the technology necessary to have pulled off such a feat, but Germany's relations with Ukraine are nevertheless "about to turn ugly," according to reports.

This sudden U-turn in the narrative is already being used as a pretext to call for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to unleash its full military power against not Russia, but Ukraine, which "single-handedly attacked German assets by blowing up" the pipelines, according to the new narrative.

It appears as though Germany was already planning to cut off Zelensky and his military from all further welfare payments and simply needed an excuse or cover story to do so. That excuse and cover story seems to be that Zelensky is directly responsible for blowing up the pipelines that Germany relies on for cheap and abundant energy.

(Related: It looks like Western power brokers are throwing Zelensky under the bus as they expose him for being the Nord Stream saboteur.)

Germany planning to send stolen Russian assets to Ukraine

As part of the new ruling coalition's efforts to reduce spending, Zelensky's welfare checks will no longer be signed by Germany. Non-public documents, emails and discussions with unnamed sources point to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reporting the government ending all further aid to Ukraine.

All existing approved aid will still be sent, it is important to note. Only new requests for funding will be denied by the new ruling powers in Germany.

There is a catch, though. According to an Aug. 5 letter sent by German Finance Minister Christian Lindner to the German defense industry, Germany will still send cash and other loot to Zelensky  it is just that it will now come from frozen Russian assets rather than from Germany's federal operating budget.

Previous efforts to send frozen Russian assets, which are better described as stolen Russian assets, to Ukraine have not gone so well due to fears that Russia will retaliate. As such, the reality is that there will be no more aid for Ukraine coming out of Germany, period.

Keep in mind that Berlin is Kyiv's primary supplier of military aid. Without Germany as its lifeline, Ukraine under Zelensky is done.

Back in June, the G7 voted to extend a $50 billion loan to Ukraine that is backed by those same frozen Russian assets. The plan was to seize all of said assets, estimated to be worth around $280 billion, and send it all to Zelensky.

France, Germany, Belgium and a number of other European countries denied the plan out of worry that it would trigger "red line" retaliation from Russia which is not about to let its treasure chest simply be handed to Zelensky and his cronies.

Instead, the new plan is to funnel the interest on matured frozen Russian assets, valued at a couple billion dollars per year, into Zelensky's coffers in the hope that Vladimir Putin will not notice? The problem is that the amount of money made from interest "falls embarrassingly short," to quote the power brokers backing Ukraine.

"Meanwhile, the primary source of funding for Ukraine  the Biden family and various deep state operatives  is about to dry out, after Biden finally leaves the White House and quit politics forever in three months," one independent media outlet warned.

The latest news about the war in Ukraine can be found at Chaos.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
Kamala Harris issues vaccine mandate for campaign workers  can Americans expect government-enforced jab mandates if she becomes president?

Kamala Harris is requiring that everyone who works on her presidential campaign receive the COVID-19 vaccine  even though the pandemic peaked long ago and the vaccines have since been proven to be ineffective in preventing spread and potentially quite dangerous  demonstrating yet again that this is much more of a political issue for liberals than something done out of a genuine concern for public health.

On the official Harris-Walz presidential campaign website, a list of job opportunities appears on a page entitled Work for Us. The page lists several job opportunities and their requirements, with a disclosure at the bottom informing potential candidates of the vaccine mandate. They stop short, however, of explaining why the mandate exists. While many COVID-era vaccine mandate policies claimed they were enacted for the safety of employees or clients, its getting a lot harder to convince the public there is any benefit in such mandates these days.

They write: Harris for President requires all employees to be "up to date" on COVID-19 vaccination status as prescribed by the CDC as a condition of employment, unless otherwise prohibited by applicable law, they write.

If you seek a reasonable accommodation in relation to the campaign's COVID-19 policy, you should speak to the HR Department prior to reporting to an office location, the listing adds.

Just what does the CDC prescribe these days? A message on their website says that they recommend the 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines from makers such as Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Novavax.

Meanwhile, they define up to date as getting 1 age-appropriate updated COVID-19 vaccine for those aged 5 to 64; for those 65 and older, 2 updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine doses are required.

Its a laughable requirement for a number of reasons, not least of which is the fact that Harris tested positive for COVID-19 in 2022 after receiving the jabs and boosters publicly.

Theres also the fact that Harris likes to insist on platforms like X that women should be trusted to make decisions about their own body, health care, and future  except, apparently, when it comes to decisions about putting poison into their bodies if they want to be employed.

Last year, the Biden administration ended COVID-19 vaccine requirements for all federal employees and contractors, as well as international air travelers, and put an official end to the COVID-19 public health emergency, so why is Harris insisting on her employees getting jabbed?

An unhealthy workforce

Its easy to joke that only someone with a questionable mental state would be willing to work for Kamala  even those who somehow can get past her politics would surely be turned off by the numerous reports over the years of her being a nightmare boss  but the truth is that many of her job candidates could well be experiencing mental and physical ailments as a result of the vaccine.

The biggest global study so far examining medical issues in nearly 100,000 individuals who got COVID-19 vaccines revealed a higher-than-expected rise in both neurological and cardiac problems after getting jabbed.

Meanwhile, nearly 13,000 claims have been filed with the U.S. vaccine compensation program related to the pandemic response; more than 10,000 of the claims cite the COVID-19 jabs as causing either injury or death.

If Kamala Harris is requiring all those who work on her campaign to get the jab, it isn't much of a stretch to assume that she is likely to also implement vaccine mandates for the American public if she wins the election.

Sources for this article include:

YourNews.com

DailyWire.com

WhiteHouse.gov
Hezbollah unveils SECRET MISSILE BUNKER in Southern Lebanon amid rising tensions with Israel

Hezbollah has recently released a video showcasing a previously undisclosed underground facility in southern Lebanon , which houses and launches its vast missile arsenal.

The facility named Imad-4  after a commander killed by Israel in 2008  features extensive tunnels large enough to accommodate military trucks, missile launch pads and other combat vehicles. Footage from the facility shows trucks and mobile rocket launch vehicles moving through the tunnels, with the ability to launch missiles from within the bunker when the tunnel entrances open.

Lebanese newspaper Al Mayadeen reported that this is not the only such site, suggesting the existence of additional underground facilities. While the video aims to intimidate Israel amid rising tensions and the possibility of a broader conflict, the publication emphasized that Hezbollah is fully prepared for war if Tel Aviv escalates its actions. (Related: An Israel vs. Hezbollah War is brewing.)

Hezbollah's underground network, reportedly developed with the assistance of Iranian advisers, is designed to protect its missile capabilities from preemptive Israeli strikes. This development parallels Iran's own underground missile complexes. However, North Korea also played a significant role in developing these tunnels, drawing on its expertise in constructing tunnels in challenging terrains.

The video also highlights the advanced military infrastructure of Hezbollah (formally the Party of God) compared to Hamas, another organization and Tehran proxy. The extensive tunnel network set up by Hamas (formally the Islamic Resistance Movement) has enabled it to withstand Israeli military efforts. Guerrilla fighters have made use of the tunnels to strike and then retreat.

Israel claims to have killed at least 17,000 militants from Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, yet many more are believed to remain. If Israel were to launch an invasion of southern Lebanon, it would likely face an even greater challenge given Hezbollah's superior capabilities and fortified positions.

Hezbollah tunnels mapped out

The Times of Israel meanwhile reported that Tal Beeri, director of the nonprofit Alma Research and Education Center has been able to map out a network of Hezbollah tunnels. This network, which extends from southern Lebanon to northern Israel, extends across 36 regions, towns and villages.

Beeri, a former member of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), based his report on open-source intelligence. He described the tunnels that form a "map of polygons" as a "defense" strategy against a potential Israeli invasion. Beeri also outlined four types of tunnels used by Hezbollah.

Attack tunnels are designed for launching operations against Israel. These are large enough to accommodate vehicles and may surface within Israeli territory. Proximate tunnels are similar to attack tunnels but do not cross the Israeli border.

Tactical tunnels are smaller versions for moving militants and motorycle units. Their small size allow for quick retreats and rearming. Explosive tunnels are built to house explosives and are intended to be detonated if the IDF advances into Lebanon.

According to The Warzone, the parallels between Hezbollahs tunnels and Irans underground missile bases are noted, with the tunnels possibly accommodating ballistic missiles like the Iranian-made Fateh-110. This missile, capable of hitting targets deep within Israel, presents a significant threat, especially when combined with the tunnel network's ability to conceal and protect these systems.

The increasing sophistication of Hezbollah's tunnel network underscores a growing threat to Israel, especially as tensions in the region escalate. Since the assassination of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr by Israel, the potential for retaliation involving these tunnels looms large. This network would likely play a key role in any future conflict, complicating Israel's efforts to neutralize Hezbollah, which is already considered the worlds most heavily armed non-state actor.

Watch Hezbollah's video of the Imad-4 underground missile bunker below.

This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Iran accused of supplying Hezbollah with EMP WEAPONS that can disable Israeli military tech almost instantly.

U.S. leading diplomatic efforts to prevent Israel from retaliating against Hezbollah strikes.

Hezbollah launches 200 rockets, drones toward Israel following killing of senior commander.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

TWZ.com

Brighteon.com
Kamala Harris promises to CLOSE all migrant detention centers and release criminal illegal aliens on Day 1 if she becomes president

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has promised to close all migrant detention centers on the first day of her presidency if she wins in November.

100 Percent Fed Up reported on this disclosure, citing a video of the presidential nominee taken during an October 2019 town hall in Iowa. An audience member asked the then-U.S. senator for California: "When you become president, would you be committing to closing the immigration detention centers?"

"Absolutely, on day one," Harris answered. "On day one."

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement defines detention centers as facilities used to hold "noncitizens who are subject to mandatory detention or those that ICE determines are a public safety or flight risk during the custody determination process." But instead of keeping Americans safe, Harris wants to set these noncitizens loose on the streets.

Several conservatives took to social media to criticize this stance by the Democrat. Commentator Collin Rugg said the anti-detention center remark "completely contradicts Harris' recent push to appear as a candidate who wants a secure border." Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) wrote on X: "When she tells you who she is, believe her."

Harris has said little about immigration in her recent speeches on the 2024 campaign trail. Her launch video presents her as the candidate of "freedom," highlighting issues like reproductive rights, health care access and gun violence. But the said video makes no mention of illegal immigration and border security.

Even if the vice president and her fellow Democrats refuse to acknowledge the latter two issues, they still present political pitfalls as it motivates conservatives. According to opinion polls, voters trust the Republican Party more  with former President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) as nominees  to handle them.

"Border czar" Kamala failed to address border crisis

To make things worse for Harris, vigilant users are now exposing her stint as the so-called "border czar" and her inaction toward the ongoing border crisis. This, despite the mainstream media's attempts to memory-hole this fact. (Related: Harris deceives voters with manipulated news headlines.)

Axios used the label to describe the vice president on at least three occasions in 2021, when President Joe Biden first gave her special responsibility for illegal immigration. Other media outlets, including the BBC, have also used the moniker in their articles.

"The number of unaccompanied minors crossing the border has reached crisis levels," Axios wrote in April 2021. "Harris, appointed by Biden as border czar, said she would be looking at the 'root causes' that drive migration."

But more than three years later, Axios and other media outlets have denied Harris' role in immigration and border security. The said article later came with an editor's note that said the outlet was one of many that incorrectly labeled the vice president as border czar. Despite this, Trump himself and other Republicans have highlighted this moniker.

"Harris was appointed 'border czar' in March of 2021," the real estate mogul told reporters. "Since that time, millions and millions of illegal aliens have invaded our country and countless Americans have been killed by migrant crime because of her willful demolition of American borders and laws."

Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) agreed with the former president, saying during a House hearing: "With Harris at the helm, the Biden-Harris administration made good on their promise to systematically dismantle Trump's secure border policies."

Watch this video about the mainstream media's failed attempt to memory-hole any mention of Vice President Kamala Harris being the border czar.

This video is from the Justin Barclay channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Mainstream media memory holes border czar moniker of Kamala Harris amid worsening migrant crisis.

Former Treasure Island residents accuse Kamala Harris of covering up radiation poisoning of Black communities.

Harris-Walz tandems first order of business: Ban AR-15s.

Harris deceives voters with manipulated news headlines.

Congressional report reveals 99 illegals on TERROR WATCHLIST were released into the U.S. by Biden-Harris government.

Sources include:

100PercentFedUp.com

Yahoo.com

Brighteon.com
NUCLEAR EXTORTION! What could go wrong?

This rapidly developing nuclear threat is  BY FAR  the most serious and consequential conflict on the global military chessboard today.'

(Article republished from StateOfTheNation.co)

Kiev Crazymakers Now Attacking Kursk Nuclear Power Plant

Does the US-UK-UA-NATO Terror Group really believe that Russia will not react with fury should the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant be bombed?

Russia vows harsh response if Ukraine attacks Kursk nuclear plant

It seems that the Zelenskys neo-Nazi regime does not even care about engineering a nuclear fall-out catastrophe ON OR WITHIN ITS OWN BORDERS.

Could Kursk be another Chernobyl?

Not only has the Ukraine military unrelentingly attacked the largest nuclear power plant in Europe  the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station  its located on Ukrainian territory.

Which means that theres only one good explanation for such a suicidal move and cataclysmic maneuver for all of Europe and Russia. The true perpetrators of all of this nuclear terrorism recklessly conducted in both Ukraine and Russia can only be the worlds most powerful terrorist organization. As follows:

CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR DISASTER: A Terrorist Attack On Russia By The Khazarian Cabal

Conclusion

The US, UK and NATO installed the Zelensky as a pliable puppet of the West knowing he would even order terrorist attacks on the aforementioned nuclear power plants.

What kind of a madman would ever launch these insane attacks except one who has absolutely no love for Ukraine or the citizenry? Which is why every move Zelensky has made, since the very beginning of this proxy war by the West, has had transparent genocidal intent.

How many news reports have there been in the mainstream media detailing the newest properties that Zelensky has purchased in Florida, in Israel, in Egypt, and in Italyall far away from a potentially radioactive wasteland post nuclear war?

Clearly, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are nothing but a cats paw for the Western powers to strike Russia anytime and anywhere they want to under the pretext of the Ukraine War.

Now the same brazen and reckless warmongers are using nuclear extortion to extract who knows what they will demand from the Kremlin in the future.

Read more at: StateOfTheNation.co
DUSSELDORFA German district court ruled that the parent company of sex toy brand Lelo infringed on patents owned by the parent company of competitor Satisfyer. According to a press release from Satisfyer, the Dusseldorf District Court agreed that several products sold by Lelo infringe on the patents owned by EIS GmbH, which is the German company that owns and operates Satisfyer in the United States and throughout Europe.

The district court handed down its decision over the summer. On July 25, the district court pointed out that Lelo's Sona, Sila and Enigma clitoral vibrators violate EIS patents that are used in Satisfyer's line of pressure wave vibrators. Per the ruling, Lelo must cease distribution of products that infringe on the EIS patents within the court's jurisdiction. Lelo is also required to pay damages to EIS for distributing the infringing products.

Such a ruling builds on an additional determination reached in 2022 by the European Patent Office. Lelo Europe filed opposition to the EIS patent. However, the Patent Office rejected the filing. This gives a strong legal grounding against Lelo in other cases pending in other countries, argues Satisfyer's parent company. Litigation is pending in Sweden, Australia, Canada and other European countries, according to the press release.

"Lelo has appealed both the decision of the European Patent Office and the Dusseldorf District Court," reads the same press release provided to AVN. "However, our patent and legal attorneys remain confident that the clear decisions already issued will be upheld on appeal."

The press release goes on to say, "We feel more than validated by the ... decision and are now offering former dealers of our competitor Lelo, and other providers who refrain from infringing our patents, the opportunity to cooperate with us regarding our Satisfyer products."

Lelo had not responded to AVN's request for comment on the ruling as of post time.
Putin fuels World War III fears with deployment of nuclear-capable bombers near NATO borders

Russian President Vladimir Putin has fueled concerns about a potential World War III with the recent deployment of four nuclear-capable bombers overseas adjacent to NATO countries.

The Russian military has confirmed the deployment of two Tu-95MS strategic bombers over the Barents and Norwegian Seas, which border several states of the alliance. These Cold War-era bombers, designed originally for nuclear missions, include one that was used to drop the Tsar Bomba, the most powerful nuclear device ever detonated.

Additionally, two Tu-22M3 long-range bombers, also capable of carrying nuclear weapons, were dispatched over the Baltic Sea. This region, now frequently referred to as "NATO Lake" following the recent accession of Finland and Sweden, is surrounded by NATO members, making the maneuver particularly provocative. (Related: Russia sends powerful vaunted missile systems to Iran for Middle East war.)

Russia's military officials have described the flights as training exercises and were conducted in strict compliance with international airspace regulations. The Tu-95MS bombers conducted their operations over four hours, while the Tu-22M3 bombers were escorted during their mission.

The Barents Sea is crucial for the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet, facilitating operations into the North Atlantic Ocean. The Norwegian Sea lies to the southwest, bordered by Iceland to the west and the Scandinavian Peninsula to the east. The Baltic Sea, now dominated by NATO members following Finland and Sweden's accession, is encircled by alliance nations, except Russia's Kaliningrad enclave.

The Russian Ministry reported that the Tu-95MS flight lasted over four hours and was escorted by MiG-31 fighter jets, while the Tu-22M3 mission over the Baltic Sea lasted five hours, supported by Su-30SM and Su-27 fighter jets. Both bomber groups encountered "foreign fighter aircraft," though the ministry did not provide further details.

The German air force confirmed the presence of Russian bombers over the Baltic Sea, stating that the Luftwaffe scrambled Eurofighter Typhoons from Latvia to intercept the "armed" Russian aircraft. Swedish fighter jets subsequently took over the NATO air policing mission.

Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists noted that one of the Tu-22M3 bombers appeared to be carrying a Kh-22 or Kh-32 cruise missile, a dual-capable precision weapon previously used in strikes against Ukraine.

Recently, NATO's air policing efforts saw the deployment of British F-35B stealth fighters to Iceland, marking the first time these advanced jets joined such missions. Additionally, U.S. Air Force F-35A fighters based in Britain conducted a "find, fix, track, and target" exercise over Poland on Tuesday, demonstrating enhanced NATO interoperability and a commitment to global security.

Russian foreign ministry calls for condemnation of Kyiv's planned attack on Kursk nuclear plant

Russia has been made aware that Kyiv is planning an attack on a Russian nuclear facility in the Kursk region and its Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova is calling the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to condemn this imminent action.

"According to the incoming information, the Kyiv Regime has started the preparation of an attack on the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant [NPP]," Zakharova said. The NPP, which lies just around 25 miles west of the city, is a major electricity producer for Russia. She did not, however, provide what the incoming information indicated.

"We call on the international organizations, the United Nations and the IAEA to immediately state their condemnation of the provocative actions prepared by the Kyiv regime and to prevent a violation of nuclear and physical security of the Kursk NPP, which may result in a large-scale man-made disaster in Europe," Zakharova added

"The entire international community must realize the danger, posed by the neo-Nazi Kyiv regime for the entire European continent," Zakharova said.

On the same day, the IAEA also released a press statement on the "deteriorating" nuclear safety situation at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) after a drone strike hit a nearby road. Europe's largest nuclear plant has been under Russian control since early March 2022, just days after Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. A fire was reported at the plant last week, with Russia and Ukraine accusing each other of starting the blaze.

Head over to NuclearWar.news to read stories related to this.

Watch the video below which shows the fire at Ukraine's ZNPP.

This video is from the Evolutionary Energy Arts channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Russia to boost security ties with the Central African Republic following lifting of UN arms embargo.

Russia allegedly just destroyed three U.S.-made high-tech HIMARS missile systems in Ukraine.

Russian jet fighters DRIVE AWAY 2 U.S. bombers near its Arctic border.

Sources include:

Mirror.co.uk

Newsweek.com 1

Newsweek.com 2

Brighteon.com
Russias Foreign Intelligence Service claims U.S. working to replace Zelensky

The Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) of the Russian Federation is claiming that the United States is working to replace Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with an individual that would be friendlier to Washington.

The SVR said on Tuesday, Aug. 13, that Washington D.C. is working on alternatives to replace Zelensky with someone less independently-minded and who could act as a figurehead for Western interests in Ukraine.

"In the current situation, Washington is working on options to replace the Ukrainian leader with a more manageable and less corrupt figure, who would suit most Western allies," the SVR statement said.

The SVR claimed that "the American elite" is steadily growing frustrated with Zelensky as both Democrats and Republicans begin to "doubt the targeted spending of billions of dollars in military aid to Kyiv."

"Zelensky is taking crazy steps that threaten to trigger escalation far beyond Ukraine," officials said, adding that Kyiv "has moved to feverish action" as Zelensky struggles to keep his grip on power after his presidential term officially concluded in May.

According to Russian intelligence officials, the United States is planning a campaign to discredit Zelensky and replace him with someone who will more easily bend to the whims of Washington.

The suspected replacement is former Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov, a businessman who has previously served with former President Petro Poroshenko and an individual who is considered to be the most suitable candidate to replace Zelensky and take the helm of Ukraine.

"The U.S. considers Avakov's 'strengths' to be his close ties with Ukrainian nationalist formations and his continuing contacts with the leaders of European countries," the statement said.

U.S. launching a strong information campaign to discredit Zelensky

The SVR claims the White House has already instructed affiliated non-governmental organizations "to work out the scenario of Avakov's coming to power in Ukraine." (Related: Zelenskys presidential term has EXPIRED, but he still remains as Ukraines de facto chief executive.)

"Now this issue is being discussed with the leaders of the leading Ukrainian opposition parties  as well as with a number of influential deputies of the Verkhovna Rada [the Ukrainian parliament] from the ruling Servant of the People party," the SVR statement said.

Some of the influential political figures Washington is reportedly in conversation with about ousting Zelensky include Poroshenko and former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko, both notable opposition figures in Zelensky's administration.

Avakov, who stepped in as internal affairs minister after the Maidan Revolution of 2014, held his position until 2021.

The SVR claimed that America thinks that Avakov, who the Kremlin considers to be a terrorist and extremist, has many advantages over Zelensky and other suitable replacements, including his close connections to Ukrainian extremist and neo-Nazi organizations and his relationship with European Union leaders.

The agency also said the White House assumes that such a change in leadership "will allow the West to better prepare for the possible start of negotiations with Russia to resolve the conflict."

Meanwhile, political analyst Vladimir Skachko believes that replacing Zelensky with Avakov would mean "changing the awl for soap" and the former interior minister is unlikely to fit the role of a negotiator with Moscow.

"Signals that the West is choosing a replacement for Volodymyr Zelensky appear with enviable frequency. The fact is that a person who illegally continues to hold the post of Ukrainian president is a dummy who does not shine with intelligence. But Zelensky is still maintaining his position, because the Americans need a kind of sponge that absorbs all the negativity of what is happening on the Ukraine," Skachko said in an interview.

Follow UkraineWitness.com for more stories about Ukraine and Zelensky.

Watch the video below going in detail regarding the West's alleged plans to replace Zelensky.

This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Western powers seeking to replace Zelensky amid growing distrust in Ukraine.

Zelensky now willing to negotiate peace deal to end conflict with Russia.

Zelensky and his cronies are trying to cover up a major corruption scandal in Ukraine  what role is the US playing?

Sources include:

SputnikGlobe.com

BigNewsNetwork.com

EADaily.com

Brighteon.com
Tim Walz tied to CCP secret police stations hidden across U.S. that targeted critics of China

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz may have ties to a network of "secret police stations" controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), it is being reported.

Breitbart News' Peter Schweizer claims that Walz is connected to a group called Minnesota Global that is allegedly tied to a secret Chinese police station in the Twin Cities, which is said to be conducting illegal law enforcement activity in the United States.

According to Schweizer, these "secret police stations that the Chinese have here in the United States" are all unofficial, meaning you will not find them in any business directory. Even so, Schweizer says they are real and are "so-called united front groups that exist in the West."

The president of the Government Accountability Institute (GAI), Schweizer claims these secret Chinese police stations in the U.S. "cooperate with Chinese intelligence" to "intimidate Chinese that are living in the United States that don't like the CCP or [are] critical of the CCP."

(Related: In the world of Tim Walz, 10-year-old children can choose their own gender and young men are allowed to use female restrooms.)

CCP obsession

Further evidence that these secret police stations do exist emerged in April 2023 when New York police arrested two men for allegedly setting up one in the Empire State to collect information about opponents of the CCP.

"Harry" Lu Jianwang, 61, of the Bronx and Chen Jinping, 59, of Manhattan, both of whom are U.S. citizens, allegedly conspired with Chinese government officials to commit "transnational repression," The Associated Press (AP) reported at the time.

Other secret police stations tied to the CCP have been reported in other states, as well as in Canada, Europe and elsewhere where Chinese expats who are critical of their government have moved over the years.

Safeguard Defenders, a non-governmental organization (NGO) based out of Spain, claims to have identified 102 secret Chinese police stations operation in 53 different countries. China, meanwhile, denies this claim.

What most often happens at these police stations is that their staff kidnaps detractors and holds them there for interrogation and intimidation, according to Schweizer.

"What happens is they will literally go around and visit people and say, 'Hey, you know you need to shut up. You need to stop talking about this. You need to stop being so critical of the government,'" he says.

"And there actually have been at least half a dozen documented cases where these networks have actually been involved in abducting people, that is, Chinese that are living in the United States, abducting them and sending them back to mainland China."

As for Minnesota Global in the Twin Cities, Schweizer calls it "a Tim Walz organization."

"Now, Tim Walz in 2020 and since 2020 has talked ad nauseum about the abuse by the police, the Twin Cities police, the local Minneapolis Police, about their terrible behavior with regards to how they arrest people," Schweizer continued in a recent interview.

"I have not found one criticism that Tim Walz has had of this Chinese secret police station that's operating in the Twin Cities. So again, you have to wonder, why is there this disconnect? Why are you so critical and brutal on your own country, but you won't do a scintilla of the same thing as it regards to China?"

Schweizer wants to know why Walz has not done anything about the alleged secret police station, especially since it appears that he is not profiting from his CCP ties in the same way that the Biden Crime Family has profited from lucrative financial deals forged with China.

"You know, I think the only thing you can say is it's, it's either some sort of philosophical attraction to certain elements of left wing totalitarians, or, you know, to put it in the way I used to say in middle school, is wimpy behavior," Schweizer says.

More related news coverage can be found at Communism.news.

Sources for this article include:

Breitbart.com

NaturalNews.com
Vance and Walz agree to vice presidential debate on Oct. 1

Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz have agreed to a vice presidential debate on Oct. 1 in New York City.

The debate will be moderated by mainstream media outlet CBS News, which announced the date of the debate after negotiations with the campaigns of the Democrats and Republicans. "CBS News invited both vice presidential candidates to participate in a debate in New York City," said the outlet.

"We provided the campaigns with four dates as options: Sept. 17, Sept. 24, Oct. 1 and Oct. 8. We look forward to their responses and providing voters with an opportunity to hear directly from the vice presidential candidates." (Related: Kamala Harris smears Air Force veteran in effort to defend Tim Walz from stolen valor accusations.)

Walz later confirmed on Aug. 14 in a post on X that he had agreed to the Oct. 1 debate. He wrote: "See you on October 1, J.D." The Ohio senator responded a day later by indicating that he has also agreed to the date of the first debate.

In his statement, Vance indicated that he had initially accepted an offer by CNN to debate Walz on Sept. 18. It is unclear if Walz's campaign has agreed to this other vice presidential debate.

"The American people deserve as many debates as possible, which is why President Trump has challenged Kamala to three of them already," said Vance in a statement. "Not only do I accept the CBS debate on October 1st, I accept the CNN debate on September 18th as well. I look forward to seeing you at both!"

CNN later confirmed that it had invited both Walz and Vance to a debate and only the former had accepted the news outlet's invitation.

In a statement, the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris admitted to turning down the push by the campaign of former President Donald Trump for multiple vice presidential debates.

"The debate about debates is over," said campaign communications director Michael Tyler in a statement that claimed it was Trump and Vance who were trying to avoid debating Harris and Walz. "The more they play games, the more insecure and unserious Trump and Vance reveal themselves to be to the American people. Those games end now."

In response to the campaign's statement, Vance hit back: "Tim Walz refuses to deploy!" This references the accusations levied against Walz of stolen valor surrounding his resignation from the Minnesota Army National Guard just months before his unit was set to deploy to Iraq.

"In all seriousness, if you want to be the VP of the United States, you should make your pitch directly to the American people," he added. "A debate is an opportunity to take your case to voters without a teleprompter or a script. Can't imagine why anyone would say no."

Harris, Trump agree to at least one presidential debate

Meanwhile, Harris and Trump have agreed to two debates, with the first on Sept. 10 moderated by ABC News.

This comes after weeks of protracted negotiations between the Harris and Trump campaigns. Initially, Harris and Trump had agreed to two other debates in September: On Sept. 4 on Fox News and another on Sept. 25 on NBC News.

But a later statement indicates that disagreements between the Trump and Harris campaigns have made it clear that these two other debates will not proceed, and instead, Harris has indicated her willingness to participate in one last debate in October  but only if the Sept. 10 debate goes on as planned.

"Assuming Donald Trump actually shows up on Sept. 10 to debate Vice President Harris, then Gov. Walz will see J.D. 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," said Tyler in a statement that suggests the Harris campaign is blaming the Trump campaign for the uncertainty revolving around the debates.

"Voters deserve to see the candidates for the highest office in the land share their competing visions for our future," he added.

When President Joe Biden was still the Democratic Party's nominee, Trump immediately agreed to the campaign's strict terms and to two debates: One on June 27 and another on Sept. 10. Biden's disastrous performance in the June debate led to his eventual withdrawal from the election.

Watch this clip from Fox Business of a small business owner from Minnesota revealing that Walz's administration shut down her business as well as the small businesses of dozens of other Minnesotans.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Within a week of being named as Kamala's running mate, Tim Walz has been embroiled in MULTIPLE controversies.

J.D. Vance: Kamala's vision for America includes OPEN BORDERS and CLOSED FACTORIES.

Op-ed: Trump and Vance pose a SERIOUS THREAT to the globalist agenda.

Sources include:

InfoWars.com

Politico.com

TheHill.com

Brighteon.com
Stone sculptures, paintings and wooden carvings are seen at Apex African Art Gallery in Beijing on August 7, 2024. /CGTN

Made from smooth stone, intricately carved busts of African figures stand on a mantelpiece in a gallery in the north of Beijing. The stone sculptures are in the company of oil paintings and wooden works depicting animals of the savannas.

This is the Apex African Art Gallery, a showcase of art mainly from Zimbabwe, its surrounding countries, and Tanzania. Gallerist Wang Jian has been operating the gallery for 14 years, having moved locations a few times within China's capital.

Walking around the gallery, art appreciators and collectors can view a selection of stone artworks, wooden carvings  including some that can function as furniture  and paintings of love stories and other subjects.

Wooden meerkat statuettes are seen on display at Apex African Art Gallery in Beijing on August 7, 2024. /CGTN



Wang said she has been travelling to Africa regularly to source art.

"Since 2007, I have been going to Africa from time to time. I used to work for a company in Hong Kong, and I was assigned by the company to work in Zimbabwe. This is when I fell in love with local African art and so I decided to leave the company and run my own art gallery. I go and search for markets. Sometimes I have to travel out of the cities, as some artists live far out," said Wang.

These days, she curates a selection of works that she feels appeals to art collectors in China, many of whom have had links to Africa. Her customers mainly come from Beijing and are older than 40.

"Most of them have experience with Africa, maybe having worked in railways in the continent. When they come to my gallery, they are reminded of their time in Africa. Some have small galleries or yards where they later display the works," she said.

When sourcing pieces, she focusses on colors that appeal to the Chinese market.

"Different buyers from different countries chose differently. For the European market, many chose stone works with black and white colors; they have a sense of art," she added.

A butter jade stone sculpture titled "Queen" is seen at Apex African Art Gallery in Beijing on August 7, 2024. /CGTN



"For the Chinese market, the buyers like colorful stones, such as green and red. The value of the stone is also considered, and if the stone's value will appreciate. It's a market-driven process. Zimbabwe is famous for its stone sculptures. When I first arrived in the country, I sought out stone sculptures only. After that, I saw locals make wooden sculptures too. Wooden sculptures have a promising market in China too, because China has a historical tradition of this art too, such as the wooden sculptures from Shanxi Province. After that, I found oil paintings in Zimbabwe, so my journey with the country's art went from stone sculptures to wooden sculptures to oil paintings.

Walking around the gallery, various pieces stand out, displaying the meticulous craftsmanship of the artists.

Among the stone sculptures is a bust called "Shona Lady," a reference to a language and ethnic group in Zimbabwe, and another called Queen." "Shona Lady" is made from soapstone, while "Queen" is made from butter jade, a very smooth stone.

Highlighting "Queen," Wang said: "The entire sculpture is from one piece of stone. The artists do a lot of work on it. To carve dangling earrings from the stone piece is really hard work. The black lines here throughout the piece are seaweed fossils. Her eyes show a lot of sympathy."

A table carved from a padauk tree root is seen at the Apex African Art Gallery in Beijing on August 7, 2024. /CGTN

The wooden sculptures in the gallery include pieces that double as furniture and some that show the features of African wildlife.

A large table artwork carved from the root of an African padauk tree a hard, red wood type  stands in the center of the gallery, with noticeable carvings of a turtle, crocodile and other animal forms. Wang said she selected the work as it resonates with the Chinese traditions of wooden root carvings.




Gray Television has embarked on a transformative digital journey to modernize and secure its network infrastructure, and Im excited to share our experiences and insights from this process. Our story is one of growth, challenges, and innovative solutions that have reshaped our network infrastructure and security landscape, thanks to our relationship with our trusted partner Zscaler.

Navigating complexities

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Gray Television operates in 114 markets across 38 states. We aim for employees at all locations to be productive and secure, but rapid growth through M&As has led to a complex network infrastructure that got in our way.

Our acquisitions left us with a fragmented network comprising several WANs and dozens of VPN solutions, making management, monitoring, and policy implementation extremely challenging. Each new acquisition added layers of complexity, and the disparate systems didnt always play well together. By early 2021, we realized the need for a radical change to simplify our network and enhance security.

Defining our goals: boosting resilience while decreasing risk

Zero trust segmentation was at the core of our strategy. As part of our new security strategy, we developed a roadmap centered on network segmentation through zero trust that would address users, workloads, branches, and internet of things (IoT)/operational technology (OT) devices.

Because zero trust assumes that every network interaction is potentially malicious, it would enable us to implement stringent access controls that significantly reduce the risk of data breaches. Another critical aspect of zero trust is continuous monitoring and analysis of network activity to help us gain deep insights into network traffic, identify potential threats, and help security teams respond swiftly to incidents.

We set three primary goals for our digital transformation that revolved around the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform:

Network modernization: Transition away from legacy VPNs and reduce our reliance on traditional WANs. We needed a solution that could handle our sprawling network without the headaches that came with outdated systems. Simplification: Manage our network from a single pane of glass to streamline operations and achieve cost savings. Simplifying our network infrastructure would not only make it easier to manage but also reduce the risk of configuration errors and security breaches. Consistent security policies: Implement uniform security policies across all platforms. Consistency in security policies is crucial for reducing cyber risk, protecting our data, and ensuring compliance with industry regulations.

Phase One: Improving the user experience and reducing the attack surface with Zscaler Private Access

Our first step toward implementing a network segmentation strategy was deploying Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) to provide users with direct-to-application connectivity rather than bringing them into the network. ZPA was a game-changer, allowing us to eliminate our legacy VPNs, streamline our network, and reduce the attack surface.

The shift to ZPA was seamless, and our remote employees could access the resources they needed to do their jobs without the cumbersome and risky connections. It also provided granular access controls, enabling us to define application and data accessibility parameters.

Phase Two: Replacing costly SD-WAN with Zscaler Zero Trust SD-WAN

Next, we introduced Zscaler Zero Trust SD-WAN to replace our traditional WAN network-to-network connections with zero trust user-to-workload and device-to-workload sessions. This phase is still in progress, but weve already seen substantial benefits. Zero Trust SD-WAN has simplified our network management and reduced costs by using standard internet connections instead of expensive private line and MPLS connections.

Zscaler SD-WAN allows us to securely connect our branch offices to the internet and private applications, without the risk of lateral threat movement on the network. Additionally, by leveraging standard internet connections with Branch Connector, which enables Zero Trust SD-WAN, we cut costs dramatically without sacrificing performance or security.

Moreover, the simplicity of Zero Trust SD-WAN made it easier for our IT team to monitor and control all branch connections from a single management console. This reduces the administrative overhead and makes it easier to enforce consistent security policies across the entire network.

Phase Three: Future zero trust innovations and integrations

Looking forward, we plan to further extend zero trust segmentation by securing devices such as IoT kiosks, computers, and servers through the Zero Trust Exchange platform.

Integrating IoT devices into our zero trust network is particularly exciting. IoT devices are becoming increasingly common in our industry, and ensuring their security is a top priority. By connecting and securing these devices with the Zero Trust Exchange platform, we can apply the same rigorous security standards to them as we do to our other network components. This will help us protect against potential vulnerabilities and ensure our entire network is secure.

We also plan to explore using Zscaler Zero Trust Device Segmentation, which provides zero trust segmentation in LAN environments. This will be crucial for protecting our critical infrastructure and operational technology (OT) networks from ransomware and other advanced attacks. Creating a segment of one for each device will allow us to control access policies at a very granular level without any changes to switches and routing infrastructure, further enhancing our critical infrastructure security posture. The agentless approach will enable us to deploy this revolutionary technology in hours versus months.

Tangible outcomes and benefits

I am proud of my teams ability to execute our goals with the help of the Zscaler team. Not only did we meet our goals without a hitch, we also reaped these benefits:

Cost savings : Utilizing the internet as the corporate network with Branch Connector has had a substantial financial impact, freeing up resources we can reinvest into other business areas.

: Utilizing the internet as the corporate network with Branch Connector has had a substantial financial impact, freeing up resources we can reinvest into other business areas. Reduced business risk : By implementing consistent security policies across all platforms, minimizing the attack surface, and preventing lateral movement we have improved our risk profile. Were now more confident in our ability to protect our data and comply with regulatory requirements.

: By implementing consistent security policies across all platforms, minimizing the attack surface, and preventing lateral movement we have improved our risk profile. Were now more confident in our ability to protect our data and comply with regulatory requirements. Improved business agility and scalability: The cloud-based Zscaler architecture allows us to easily add new users, devices, and locations without the need for complex hardware installations or upgrades. Additionally, streamlined M&A processes have allowed us to integrate new acquisitions quickly and securely with ZPA and Zscaler SD-WAN. This flexibility has been crucial in ensuring that our network can keep up with our expanding business.

Our journey with Zscaler has been nothing short of transformative. We now have a scalable, secure, and efficient network that supports our growth and operational needs. I encourage other organizations facing similar challenges to consider the Zero Trust Exchange platform. It has made a world of difference for us.

As we look to the future, we are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. The continued evolution of our network infrastructure will enable us to stay ahead of emerging threats and ensure that our employees can work securely and efficiently from anywhere. We are committed to maintaining our zero trust principles and leveraging the latest Zscaler technologies to keep our network secure.

I hope our story inspires you to embark on your own path to a more secure and efficient network infrastructure.

Watch Brian Morris from Gray Televisions full Zenith Live 24 presentation.

To learn more, visit Zscaler here.
'Amount allocated over 7 times the average in UPA era', Ashwini Vaishnaw quashes MK Stalin's claims

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fter Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday expressed his disappointment for the 'drastic reduction' in budgetary allocation for the Southern Railways, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw quashed the DMK chief's claims, saying the amount is more than seven times the average allocation made in the UPA era.

In a letter to the Railway Minister, Stalin said: We are disappointed that the allocation of funds for the Southern Railways under certain Heads of Accounts in the Regular Budget for Indian Railways for the financial year 2024-2025 is much less when compared to the allocations made in the Interim Budget in the same year."

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister pointed out that in the Interim Budget for 2024-25, the allocation towards new lines and doubling of lines were Rs.976.1 crore and Rs.2,214.4 crore, respectively.

"But the revised allocation in the regular budget presented by the government on July 23 was Rs 301.3 crore for new lines and Rs 1,928.8 crore for doubling of lines," the DMK chief said.

Quashing Stalin's claims, the Railway Minister said in a post on X: "Would like to bring the following facts to the notice of Hon'ble CM Thiru (M.K. Stalin). The NDA government has allocated a record amount of Rs 6,362 crore for developing railways in Tamil Nadu.

"This amount is more than 7 times the average allocation done in the UPA era (only Rs 879 crore per year)."

The Railway Minister added: "In our constitutional structure, land is a state subject. Projects can be executed speedily if only your government supports us in land acquisition. Only 807 hectares of land has been acquired so far against a requirement of 2,749 hectares.

"We seek your intervention in land acquisition. From our side, we promise that if you take one step, we will take two steps for the development of railways in Tamil Nadu."

 'Amount allocated over 7 times the average in UPA era', Ashwini Vaishnaw quashes MK Stalin's claims

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Netanyahu accepts US proposal on hostage deal; Blinken calls on Hamas to do same

I

srael's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to the American 'bridging proposal' on the release of hostages after a three-hour meeting with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jerusalem.

"The Prime Minister reiterated Israel's commitment to the current American proposal on the release of our hostages, which takes into account Israel's security needs, which he strongly insists on," Netanyahu's Office said in a statement on Monday.

The statement marked the first time Netanyahu publicly endorsed the latest US formula.

Blinken termed his meeting with Netanyahu a "very constructive" one and said that the Israeli Prime Minister has confirmed to him that Israel accepts the bridging proposal.

"It's now incumbent on Hamas to do the same. And then the parties, with the help of the mediators  the United States, Egypt, and Qatar  have to come together and complete the process of reaching clear understandings about how they'll implement the commitments that they've made under this agreement," he said.

"But the next important step is for Hamas to say yes and then, in the coming days, for all of the expert negotiators to get together to work on clear understandings on implementing the agreement," Blinken added.

Earlier on Saturday, Israel had cautiously welcomed the new US proposal. The Prime Minister's office had then said that the proposal "contains components that are acceptable to Israel".

The US proposal enables the finalising of a hostages-for-ceasefire deal by the end of this week.

Meanwhile, Hamas on Sunday night rejected the US formula. In its statement, Hamas charged that Netanyahu "sets new conditions and demands" to thwart the talks and prolong the war in Gaza.

The group further claimed that the latest US-backed text was aligned with Israel's demands.

 Netanyahu accepts US proposal on hostage deal; Blinken calls on Hamas to do same

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Talks with Ukraine impossible after Kursk attack, says Lavrov

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ussian President Vladimir Putin has asserted that there cannot be any talks with Ukraine after its attack on Russia's border Kursk region, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

"The president made it very clear that following the attacks on the Kursk region, any talks are impossible", Lavrov said in an interview with local media.

Meanwhile, he refuted some allegations that the two countries made contacts mediated by a third party, claiming them as pure rumours, Xinhua news agency reported.

The top Russian diplomat also indicated that the entire process within the frames of the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland is unacceptable for Russia because "it is about promoting the Zelensky formula as an ultimatum."

 Talks with Ukraine impossible after Kursk attack, says Lavrov

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India, Japan to hold 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial meeting today

J

apanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defence Minister Minoru Kihara, who arrived in New Delhi on Monday, will hold the third round of India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial meeting with their Indian counterparts on Tuesday.

The meeting is scheduled to be held here at the Hyderabad House on Tuesday evening.

The Japanese ministers on Monday paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the presence of External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Prime Minister Modi welcomed the Japanese ministers and underscored the importance of holding 2+2 meeting in the context of increasingly complex regional and global order, and deepening ties between India and Japan.

The Prime Minister also shared his thoughts and ideas on closer cooperation between "trusted friends" like India and Japan, especially in areas like critical minerals, semiconductors and defence manufacturing, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

During the meeting with Prime Minister Modi, Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa, who is on her first visit to India since taking over the post, said that Japan and India have a "great responsibility" for the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and the international society.

She also expressed her wish to "co-create" new solutions to various issues the international society is facing.

Meanwhile, Japanese Defence Minister Kihara stated that the steady progress in security cooperation between Japan and India is proof that both countries recognise the importance of such cooperation, and asked Prime Minister Modi for his continued cooperation, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Before the 2+2 talks, the Japanese Foreign Minister is also scheduled to hold discussions with EAM Jaishankar, where they will confirm their intention to deepen cooperative relations between the two countries in the areas of bilateral economic and development cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and in the international arena.

Last month, during his visit to Tokyo for the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting, EAM Jaishankar stated that India-Japan ties are shaped by the regional and global environment and there is a need for a "contemporary partnership" in an era of new capabilities, new technologies, new challenges and new stresses.

He had, the same day, held talks with Kamikawa where she stated that Tokyo considers New Delhi as an important partner with which it intends to deepen cooperation and "co-create" new solutions through dialogue and collaboration.

 India, Japan to hold 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial meeting today

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Germany in contact with Russia on Nord Stream Pipeline explosion

G

ermany is in contact with Russian authorities over the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosion and can exchange information with Moscow, a spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry said.

At a daily press briefing on Monday, the spokesperson said such information exchange can be done on the condition of not harming the investigation, Xinhua news agency reported.

When asked to comment on some reports that Russia has complained about Germany's investigation into the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosion, the spokesperson dismissed the complaint, saying that the investigation is still ongoing, and it is not yet possible to report the results.

Oleg Tyapkin, director of the Third European Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, has told Russia's RIA Novosti news agency that Russia is pushing for negotiations to ensure Germany meets its international obligations in the fight against terrorism.

Tyapkin added that Moscow has formally lodged complaints with Germany and other affected countries, urging them to fulfill their obligations under United Nations anti-terrorism conventions during the investigation of the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosion.

 Germany in contact with Russia on Nord Stream Pipeline explosion

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Malaysian PM accorded ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan

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alaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim received a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.

Marking his arrival on Monday evening for an official three-day visit to India, PM Anwar Ibrahim is on his maiden visit to India since taking office in November 2022, upon the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The two countries will continue to explore initiatives to further strengthen bilateral relations that were elevated to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership in 2015.

Following his ceremonial welcome, PM Ibrahim headed to Raj Ghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

Randhir Jaiswal, Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, took to X and posted with a picture of the dignitary: "Remembering the Father of the Nation and his universal ideals! PM @anwaribrahim of Malaysia paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat."

Malaysia is a key pillar of India's Act East Policy and a valued partner in the Southeast Asian region. The Malaysian Prime Minister's maiden visit is expected to strengthen the relations between India and Malaysia.

This is a significant visit in the direction of enhancing economic relations between the two Asian countries. About 150 Indian companies are based in Malaysia, and about 70 Malaysian companies are based in India.

Enhancing capacities and focusing on trade and investment are expected to be the main focus of the dignitary's visit.

The MoUs signed between the nations pertain largely to the promotion of yoga, ayurvedic medicines, and a boost to tourism.

Tourism is an important aspect of India-Malaysia relations as it is a significant aspect of the people-to-people connect that brings together the two nations.

Malaysia is home to the third-largest Indian diaspora.

 Malaysian PM accorded ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan

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Zeenat Aman narrates anecdotes about quiet years of her life

V

eteran actress Zeenat Aman has shared some moments from her quiet years of her life and revealed that there are very few glamorous pictures from a certain point of her life.

She took to Instagram, where she shared a picture from an award event she attended in Sri Lanka in 2010.

"There aren't too many pictures of me from this phase of my life. And certainly very few glamorous ones. Which makes this memory all the sweeter. Those were the quiet years - acutely so for me, but probably a phase that many middle aged women can relate to," she said.

The actress said: "It was the summer of 2010, and the who's who of Hindi cinema had flown down to Colombo, Sri Lanka, to attend the IIFA Awards. I was quite surprised to receive an invite, steeped as I was in homemaking alongside the odd work appearance."

"Despite some reluctance on my part, the awards committee insisted on plucking me out of my self-imposed obscurity."

She said it was her sons who accompanied her.

"So, my two boys and I packed our bags and boarded a flight. It turned out to be a wonderful visit. I was honoured with an award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema, and felt the allure of my craft after a long while. Not to mention that the people-watching was exceptional!"

The actress said that she is more an "observer than a talker".

"The event was sponsored by a renowned alcohol company, and their vodka kept the attendees in unguarded, high spirits! There were enough shenanigans underway to fill a gossip magazine, but you know me, I believe discretion is the better part of valour," she said.

 Zeenat Aman narrates anecdotes about quiet years of her life

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Putin pledges continued support for Azerbaijan-Armenia peace efforts

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ussian President Vladimir Putin has reaffirmed Russia's commitment to supporting the normalisation of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia during a state visit to Azerbaijan's state capital of Baku.

Speaking after talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Monday, Putin emphasised Russia's role in facilitating a peace agreement based on the trilateral accords reached in 2020 and 2022 by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We are prepared to assist in the delimitation and demarcation of the border, utilising relevant Soviet-era documents, as well as in unblocking cross-border routes and establishing humanitarian contacts," Putin said.

Despite ongoing crises, including the situation in Ukraine, Putin underscored Russia's historical involvement in the South Caucasus and its commitment to participating in these efforts.

He noted that any initiative must be primarily driven by the parties involved.

"If we can contribute to reaching a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, achieve delimitation and demarcation of the border, and unblock necessary logistics and economic routes, we would be very pleased," Putin added.

Azerbaijan's lightning military offensive in September 2023 brought an end to three decades of ethnic Armenian rule in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, recognised internationally as Azerbaijani territory.

Most of its 120,000 ethnic Armenians fled to neighbouring Armenia.

European Council President Charles Michel welcomed the statement as a "major breakthrough in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations".

The US praised "an importance confidence-building measure".

Other moves include Armenia's support of Azerbaijan's bid to host the COP29 climate summit by withdrawing its candidacy. Azerbaijan has agreed to support Armenia's candidacy for a regional group associated with the climate talks.

The two countries also called on the international community to support their efforts.

The agreement was reached during talks between the office of Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the administration of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

The two leaders have met on several occasions for normalisation talks mediated by the EU, the US and Russia.

Talks had stalled in recent months after Azerbaijan refused to participate in talks in the US and Spain, claiming bias on the part of Western countries. The two countries resumed talks again at the end of October 2023 in Iran

 Putin pledges continued support for Azerbaijan-Armenia peace efforts

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Lateral entry in Civil Services is direct assault on social justice: Stalin

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amil Nadu Chief Minister M. K.

Stalin said that lateral entry in Civil Services must be abolished as it was a direct assault on social justice. In a social media post on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said that lateral entry into Civil Services was depriving the meritorious SC, ST, OBC and minority officers of their deserved opportunities at the top.

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu said that caste census was imperative to guarantee that education and job opportunities are fairly distributed to all backward classes and oppressed classes of the society.

Stalin said: "The Union government must halt this practice, prioritise filling backlog vacancies for OBCs and SC/STs, and ensure fair and equitable promotions."

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister also called for the complete abolition of the "creamy layer," which he called a "concept."

Stalin, in his post on social media platform, X said: "We demand the complete abolition of the Creamy Layer, a concept we have always opposed. In the meantime, the stagnant ceiling for the # CreamyLayer must be raised without any further delay."

On August 17, 2024, Union Public Service Commission issued an advertisement seeking applications for lateral recruitment to 45 senior positions, including Joint Secretary, Director and Deputy Secretary in 24 ministries of the Central government.

These office-bearers, it may be noted, are key decision-makers and administrative heads within departments. Candidates with appropriate qualifications and experience from state or UT governments, Public Sector Undertakings (PSU), statutory organisations, research institutes, universities and the private sector are eligible to apply.

Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi has already opposed lateral entry in Civil Services and has accused the Modi government of using it as a backdoor to appoint officers loyal to RSS, the ideological mentor of the BJP.

 Lateral entry in Civil Services is direct assault on social justice: Stalin

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Nine MoUs signed as India and Malaysia elevate relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

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levating India-Malaysia relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim held wide-ranging talks in New Delhi on Tuesday which culminated in the signing of nine Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), ranging from digital technologies, tourism, recruitment, employment and repatriation of workers to co-operation in the field of Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine.

India also approved a 'special allocation' of 200,000 MT of white rice to Malaysia, 100 additional ITEC slots for Malaysian nationals, establishment of Ayurveda Chair at University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and Thiruvalluvar Chair of Indian Studies at the Malaya University in Malaysia besides cooperation between start-up ecosystems in both countries under an India-Malaysia Startup Alliance.

Malaysia is a key pillar of India's 'Act East' policy and a valued partner in the Southeast Asian region. Both countries have strong historical and socio-cultural linkages with the bilateral relationship being elevated to the status of Enhanced Strategic Partnership in 2015 during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Malaysia in November 2015.

"A decade of Enhanced Strategic Partnership between India and Malaysia is being completed. And over the last two years, with the support of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, there has been new momentum and energy in our partnership. Today, we extensively discussed all areas of mutual cooperation," said PM Modi after holding discussions with the Malaysian Prime Minister at the Hyderabad House.

The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues, including cooperation in ASEAN and Global South.

Earlier, Ibrahim, who arrived in New Delhi late Monday evening on a three-day visit - his first to India since taking office in November 2022 - received a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and also visited Raj Ghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

During his visit, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will participate in a roundtable meeting with several Indian industry leaders to advance economic cooperation between the two countries and also will also deliver a lecture titled 'Towards a Rising Global South: Leveraging Malaysia-India Ties' at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) on Tuesday evening.

"In 2023, Malaysia and India's total trade reached RM 76.62 billion (USD 16.53 billion), with Malaysia enjoying a surplus of RM 15.89 billion (USD 3.43 billion). India was Malaysia's largest importer of palm oil and palm oil-based products, importing RM 11.31 billion (USD 2.44 billion). Malaysia's major imports from India included petroleum products (RM 6.62 billion or USD 1.44 billion) and agricultural products, including halal meat (RM5 .79 billion or USD 1.27 billion)," said a statement released by the Malaysian Foreign Ministry ahead of Ibrahim's arrival in India.

Malaysia was also India's third-largest trading partner among ASEAN Member States and the largest trading partner among the eight South Asian nations in 2023.

The Malaysian PM is accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Utama Haji Mohamad bin Haji Hasan, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Aziz, Tourism Minister Sri Tiong King Sing, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo and Minister of Human Resources Steven Sim Chee Keong.

Malaysia is also seeking India's support to join the BRICS alliance, an intergovernmental organisation comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which added four new members - Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates - on January 1, 2024.

 Nine MoUs signed as India and Malaysia elevate relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

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Zelensky says Ukraine controls 92 settlements in Russia

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he Ukrainian army has taken control of 92 settlements in western Russia's Kursk region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Ukrainian troops have seized more than 1,250 square km of Russian territory, Zelensky said on social media platform X on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The Russian border area opposite our Sumy region has been mostly cleared of Russian military presence," the Ukrainian President said.

He added that the Ukrainian army continues its military operation in the Kursk region's designated areas.

Kyiv's unprecedented operation has been ongoing for two weeks, with the Ukrainian military capturing the town of Sudzha in the Kursk region and allegedly destroying all three bridges over the Seim River near the border.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify Zelensky's claims about the number of seized Russian territory.

Speaking at a meeting in the city of Dnipro, the Ukrainian President said that Ukraine continues to strengthen its positions, stabilise "certain areas" and continues to take Russian soldiers as Prisoners of War.

"This operation has become our largest investment in the process of releasing Ukrainians from Russian captivity. We have already captured the largest number of Russian prisoners in one operation," he added, without elaborating.

Ukraine declined to provide a full number of Russian captives taken during the Kursk incursion following the Kyiv Independent's request.

Zelensky said that "hundreds" of Russian soldiers had been captured as of August 13, while an undisclosed Ukrainian colonel told The Independent news outlet that the number may be as high as 2,000.

The Russian border near Ukraine's Sumy region has been "largely cleared" of the Russian soldiers, which Zelensky called one of the tactical goals of Kyiv's incursion.

Ukraine started a military operation in the Kursk region on August 6.

On August 15, Oleksandr Syrsky, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said that his army had captured 82 settlements in the region.

 Zelensky says Ukraine controls 92 settlements in Russia

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Eye on China, India and Japan urge respect for territorial integrity and peaceful settlement of disputes

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ending a strong indirect message to China, India and Japan on Tuesday emphasised the need for all countries to refrain from any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo, urging respect for national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to the threat or use of force.

"As two democratic countries that share common values, the Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining and strengthening rules-based international order founded on the principles of the UN Charter," said the Joint Statement issued after the conclusion of the third India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers' meeting held at the Hyderabad House on Tuesday evening.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko and Japan's Defence Minister Minoru Kihara highlighted the common strategic vision of both countries towards a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive, peaceful, prosperous and resilient, as part of the rules-based international order.

"The Ministers reiterated their strong support for ASEAN's unity and centrality and their full support for the 'ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP)' which upholds the principles such as openness, transparency, inclusivity, a rules-based framework and respect for international law," mentioned the statement.

It stated that the four ministers had a "frank and wide-ranging discussion" on regional and global issues focusing on the shared Indo-Pacific region, welcoming the possibilities to further enhance the bilateral security and defence cooperation following the National Security Strategy of Japan issued in December 2022 and recognised such cooperation as an important pillar of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

They noted the progress made since their last meeting in September 2022 to promote cooperation on cross-cutting security issues through the architecture of multilayered dialogues between the two countries, such as Defence Policy Dialogue, Vice-Minister/Foreign Secretary level Dialogue, Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), the Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Dialogue, the Cyber Dialogue, the Japan-India Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, and other regional consultations on emerging and hotspot issues.

"They also looked forward to having dialogues in areas such as space, maritime affairs, and Africa. Furthermore, in light of the strategic depth of the bilateral relations, they concurred on promoting in-depth dialogues for further cooperation in the field of economic security and strategic trade. They also concurred on continuing to work together on Security Council reform with a view to strengthening the UN," the Joint Statement added.

Unequivocally condemning terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, the four ministers called for bringing the perpetrators of 26/11 Mumbai, Pathankot, and other attacks to justice.

"They called for concerted actions against all UN-listed terrorist groups including Al Qaeda, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and their proxy groups, and to take resolute actions to root out terrorists' safe havens, eliminate terrorist financing channels, and halt cross-border movement of terrorists," the statement detailed.

Quite significantly, the ministers appreciated the progress in the defence cooperation and exchanges among each component between the two sides since the last meeting in September 2022. They welcomed the first air visit by Japanese fighters and their participation at 'Tarang Shakti', the first multilateral exercise hosted by the Indian Air Force. They also welcomed the conduct of the inaugural edition of the bilateral fighter exercise 'Veer Guardian 2023' between the Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) and Indian Air Force (IAF) and the conduct of the bilateral exercises of all three services in one calendar year for the first time in 2023.

It added that the ministers stressed on deepening bilateral cooperation in the field of space and cyber, reaffirming the importance of multilateral defence cooperation and exchanges in the Indo-Pacific region. They expressed their commitment to continuing bilateral and multilateral exercises including 'Dharma Guardian', JIMEX and 'Malabar' and also appreciated that the first Joint Service Staff Talks were held.

"The Ministers further appreciated the successful completion of the cooperation in the areas of Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV)/Robotics. They appreciated the progress made for the transfer of the Unified Complex Radio Antenna (UNICORN) and related technologies and the early signing of related arrangements. The Ministers expressed their satisfaction with the seventh Japan-India Joint Working Group on Defence Equipment and Technology Cooperation. They concurred on accelerating future cooperation in defence equipment and technology," said the Joint Statement.

During the meeting, it was also decided to revise and update the 2008 Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation between India and Japan to reflect contemporary priorities and be responsive to contemporary security challenges facing them.

This is Kamikawa Yoko's first visit to India since assuming the position as Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs.

"India is located in the centre of the Indian Ocean sea lanes connecting Asia and Africa, and is an important partner in realising a 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific' (FOIP). At this meeting, the two ministers will share their views on the strategic environment toward maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order based on the rule of law, and confirm further strengthening of security and defence cooperation," Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said ahead of her New Delhi visit.

Last month, during his visit to Tokyo for the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting, EAM Jaishankar stated that India-Japan ties are shaped by the regional and global environment and there is a need for a "contemporary partnership" in an era of new capabilities, new technologies, new challenges and new stresses.

On Tuesday, while making his opening remarks at the 2+2 ministerial, he said that India-Japan cooperation is set against a larger context of a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific which, for India, is a natural extrapolation from its 'Act East' policy.

"In the last decade, our relationship has assumed the form of a Special Strategic and Global Partnership. The logic of this evolution is our expanding interests and growing activities. As we both step forward into a more volatile and unpredictable world, there is a need for reliable partners with whom there are substantial convergences. "As a result, we have consciously sought to facilitate each other's endeavours, comprehend each other's objectives, strengthen each other's positions and work with other nations of shared comfort. Our Strategic Partnership will continue to grow as we embrace mutuality and display sensitivity," the EAM said.

 Eye on China, India and Japan urge respect for territorial integrity and peaceful settlement of disputes

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A multidisciplinary team of UC Davis Health experts are calling on health systems to create wildfire preparedness action plans to support patients with preexisting respiratory diseases. They are urging providers to proactively put in place interventions to mitigate the effects of poor air quality from smoke.

Their article, published in the Journal of the COPD Foundation, identifies the needs of high-risk populations when affected by wildfire smoke. It outlines an action plan for health systems to help these groups with the burdens of poor air quality from wildfires.

Patients being treated for respiratory conditions are at high-risk of exacerbations of symptoms when they are exposed to wildfire smoke. Unfortunately, wildfire frequency and severity are increasing in the United States and negatively affecting these clinically at-risk and underserved communities. So, there is a significant need for us to install interventions to mitigate the health threat posed by wildfires." Reshma Gupta, chief of population health and accountable care at UC Davis Health and co-author of the article

Health impacts of poor air quality

Many components of wildfire smoke can have adverse impacts on health, especially for those with preexisting respiratory diseases.

Currently more than 34 million people living in the United States live with a chronic lung disease like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) according to the American Lung Association.

Exposure to wildfire-related air pollutants has been shown to cause and exacerbate diseases of the lungs, heart, brain and nervous system, skin and other major organs.

For patients being treated for preexisting respiratory conditions, poor air quality causes inflammation in the lungs. This can exacerbate symptoms and lead to emergency department visits and hospitalizations.

"Poor air quality can trigger exacerbations -; acute increase in shortness of breath, cough, dyspnea -; even leading to hospitalization," explained Brooks Kuhn, co-director of the Comprehensive COPD Clinic at UC Davis Health and co-author of the article. "The impact is not just transient: Respiratory exacerbations lead to persistent and accelerated worsening of lung function."

And adults are not the only ones at risk for these complications.

"Children also see these impacts when they are exposed to poor air quality from wildfires," said Kiran Nandalike, chief of pediatric pulmonology at UC Davis Children's Hospital. "As we see more wildfires impacting our communities each year, the urgency for health systems to outline a response to support patients is pressing."

Wildfire population health approach

The targeted wildfire preparedness action plan adopted by UC Davis Health uses a population health approach. This means care teams with providers from different specialties proactively work with patients who are at higher risk of developing symptoms from poor air quality.

"A population health approach zeroes in on targeted interventions tailored to specific communities or population groups," Gupta explained. "This approach considers a range of determinants, including social, economic, environmental and behavioral factors, which affect the health of these groups."

The team's wildfire preparedness action plan includes:

Identifying clinically at-risk and underserved patient populations using well-validated, condition-targeted registries

Assembling multidisciplinary care teams to understand the needs of these communities and patients

Creating custom analytics and wildfire-risk stratification

Developing care pathways based on wildfire-risk tiers by disease, risk of exposure and health care access

Identifying outcome measures tailored to interventions with a commitment to continuous, iterative improvement efforts

"We have seen population health approaches be successfully implemented to support patients with dementia, chronic kidney disease, and cancer," Gupta said. "Using this model, we can adapt to the threat of poor air quality from wildfires and adopt a proactive approach to meet the needs of clinically at-risk and underserved patients."

UC Davis Health experience with wildfires

As the regional academic health system in Northern California, UC Davis Health has been at the epicenter of recent wildfires  including the recent Park Fire, the fourth largest in California history. Because of this experience, the health system team has experience caring for patients in the most affected areas.

"Over the last few years, our clinicians have routinely cared for patients with physical, financial, and occupational barriers to clean air," explained Kuhn. "We are uniquely equipped to share our experiences of serving communities harmed by wildfires."

To direct wildfire preparedness interventions to those who need them, UC Davis Health has assembled a multidisciplinary care team to serve as liaisons between communities affected by wildfires and the health system. Some of the team's efforts include:

Identifying at-risk patients

Providing air quality health education

Personalizing outreach to patients

Building and distributing "go-bags" with supplies for patients

Partnering with community organizations to provide support to patients

"The patients have been so grateful to receive this proactive approach," Gupta said. "Often patients feel alone and closed off from the world when they are locked in their homes due to poor air quality. Working with our team empowers them to protect themselves in the comfort of their own home."

Call to action

As climate change progresses, wildfires are now a yearly expectation in the United States. To meet the needs of clinically at-risk and underserved patients affected by this increasing health threat, the authors of the article are urging health systems to replace reactionary approaches with collaborative, innovative, and proactive approaches.

"In the coming years, it will be crucial to prepare health systems, clinicians and communities to manage the profound health impacts of environmental events and prevent potentially devastating consequences," Gupta said. "We must come together to sustain this outreach and support patients at risk from wildfire exposure."
Two new studies from UC San Francisco are pointing the way toward round-the-clock personalized care for people with Parkinson's disease through an implanted device that can treat movement problems during the day and insomnia at night.

The approach, called adaptive deep brain stimulation, or aDBS, uses methods derived from AI to monitor a patient's brain activity for changes in symptoms.

When it spots them, it intervenes with precisely calibrated pulses of electricity. The therapy complements the medications that Parkinson's patients take to manage their symptoms, giving less stimulation when the drug is active, to ward off excess movements, and more stimulation as the drug wears off, to prevent stiffness.

It is the first time a so-called "closed loop" brain implant technology has been shown to work in Parkinson's patients as they go about their daily lives. The device picks up brain signals to create a continuous feedback mechanism that can curtail symptoms as they arise. Users can switch out of the adaptive mode or turn the treatment off entirely with a hand-held device.

For the first study, researchers conducted a clinical trial with four people to test how well the approach worked during the day, comparing it to an earlier brain implant DBS technology known as constant or cDBS.

To ensure the treatment provided the maximum relief to each participant, the researchers asked them to identify their most bothersome symptom. The new technology reduced those symptoms by 50%. Results appear August 19 in Nature Medicine.

"This is the future of deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease," said Philip Starr, MD, PhD, the Dolores Cakebread Professor of Neurological Surgery, co-director of the UCSF Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation Clinic and one of the senior authors of the study.

Starr has been laying the groundwork for this technology for more than a decade. In 2013, he developed a way to detect and then record the abnormal brain rhythms associated with Parkinson's. In 2021, his team identified specific patterns in those brain rhythms that correspond to motor symptoms.

"There's been a great deal of interest in improving DBS therapy by making it adaptive and self-regulating, but it's only been recently that the right tools and methods have been available to allow people to use this long-term in their homes," said Starr, who was recruited by UCSF in 1998 to start its DBS program.

Earlier this year, UCSF researchers led by Simon Little, MBBS, PhD, demonstrated in Nature Communications that adaptive DBS has the potential to alleviate the insomnia that plagues many patients with Parkinson's.

"The big shift we've made with adaptive DBS is that we're able to detect, in real time, where a patient is on the symptom spectrum and match it with the exact amount of stimulation they need," said Little, associate professor of neurology and a senior author of both studies. Both Little and Starr are members of the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences.

Restoring movement

Parkinson's disease affects about 10 million people around the world. It arises from the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in deep regions of the brain that are responsible for controlling movement. The lack of those cells can also cause non-motor symptoms, affecting mood, motivation and sleep.

Treatment usually begins with levodopa, a drug that replaces the dopamine these cells are no longer able to make. However, excess dopamine in the brain as the drug takes effect can cause uncontrolled movements, called dyskinesia. As the medication wears off, tremor and stiffness set in again.

Some patients then opt to have a standard cDBS device implanted, which provides a constant level of electrical stimulation. Constant DBS may reduce the amount of medication needed and partially reduce swings in symptoms. But the device also can over- or undercompensate, causing symptoms to veer from one extreme to the other during the day.

Closing the loop

To develop a DBS system that could adapt to a person's changing dopamine levels, Starr and Little needed to make the DBS capable of recognizing the brain signals that accompany different symptoms.

Previous research had identified patterns of brain activity related to those symptoms in the subthalamic nucleus, or STN, the deep brain region that coordinates movement. This is the same area that cDBS stimulates, and Starr suspected that stimulation would mute the signals they needed to pick up.

So, he found alternative signals in a different region of the brain, called the motor cortex, that wouldn't be weakened by the DBS stimulation.

The next challenge was to work out how to develop a system that could use these dynamic signals to control DBS in an environment outside the lab.

Building on findings from adaptive DBS studies that he had run at Oxford University a decade earlier, Little worked with Starr and the team to develop an approach for detecting these highly variable signals across different medication and stimulation levels.

Over the course of many months, postdoctoral scholars Carina Oehrn, MD, PhD, Stephanie Cernera, PhD, and Lauren Hammer, MD, PhD, created a data analysis pipeline that could turn all of this into personalized algorithms to record, analyze and respond to the unique brain activity associated with each patient's symptom state.

John Ngai, PhD, who directs the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies initiative (The BRAIN Initiative) at the National Institutes of Health, said the study promises a marked improvement over current Parkinson's treatment.

"This personalized, adaptive DBS embodies The BRAIN Initiative's core mission to revolutionize our understanding of the human brain," he said.

A better night's sleep

Continuous DBS is aimed at mitigating daytime movement symptoms and doesn't usually alleviate insomnia.

But in the last decade, there has been a growing recognition of the impact that insomnia, mood disorders and memory problems have on Parkinson's patients.

To help fill that gap, Little conducted a separate trial that included four patients with Parkinson's and one patient with dystonia, a related movement disorder. In their paper published in Nature Communications, first author Fahim Anjum, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Neurology at UCSF, demonstrated that the device could recognize brain activity associated with various states of sleep. He also showed it could recognize other patterns that indicate a person is likely to wake up in the middle of the night.

Little and Starr's research teams, including their graduate student Clay Smyth, have started testing new algorithms to help people sleep. Their first sleep aDBS study was published last year in Brain Stimulation.

Scientists are now developing similar closed-loop DBS treatments for a range of neurological disorders.

We see that it has a profound impact on patients, with potential not just in Parkinson's but probably for psychiatric conditions like depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder as well. We're at the beginning of a new era of neurostimulation therapies." Philip Starr, MD, PhD, the Dolores Cakebread Professor of Neurological Surgery, co-director of the UCSF Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation Clinic and one of the senior authors of the study
Thought Leaders Lindsey Hiebert and James Amugsi Deputy Director and Physician Assistant The Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination and Sandema Hospital

In this interview, we explore global and local efforts to combat viral hepatitis with Lindsey Hiebert, Deputy Director of the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination (CGHE), and James Amugsi, a Mandela Washington Fellow and Physician Assistant at Sandema Hospital in Ghana. Together, they provide valuable insights into the challenges, successes, and the importance of partnerships in the fight against hepatitis.

Could you both briefly introduce yourselves and describe your roles?

Lindsey Hiebert: My name is Lindsey Hiebert. I am the Deputy Director of the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination. I joined the Coalition shortly after it was launched in 2019. At the Coalition, I lead the development of the Coalition's overall strategy and manage projects such as our technical assistance, strategic information and data dashboard, and webinar series initiatives.

James Amugsi: I am James Amugsi, a Mandela Washington Fellow, a viral hepatitis advocate, and a Physician Assistant at the Sandema Hospital in the Upper East of Ghana. In the "STOP HEPP C" project, I prescribe antiviral medications to hepatitis C patients and also follow up on their response to treatment. I work in collaboration with a gastroenterologist from the University of Ghana Medical Center. Besides, I conduct hepatitis B and C awareness creation and screening services to community members, as well as linking people living with chronic hepatitis C to care in various treatment centers within Northern Ghana.

Can you give us an overview of the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination and its main objectives, both globally and specifically in Ghana?

Lindsey Hiebert: The Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination (CGHE), a program of the Task Force for Global Health, is a nonprofit organization that brings together global partners to achieve the worldwide elimination of viral hepatitis.

The Coalition strengthens local capacity by building the necessary knowledge base, providing technical assistance, and mobilizing commitment to achieve elimination goals. The Coalition focuses primarily on hepatitis B and C in accordance with WHO 2030 elimination goals. The Coalition works to bring an end to hepatitis B by promoting vaccination, testing, and greater access to treatment. To combat hepatitis C globally, the Coalition promotes screening and linkage to curative care, particularly for vulnerable communities.

The three strategic areas of the Coalition's work are:

Connecting and supporting programs: Connect programs in a Community of Practice to facilitate peer learning and support programs with evidence-based tools, technical assistance, and strategies that build local capacity to prevent, diagnose, and treat hepatitis. Building the evidence base: Update existing hepatitis elimination data and tools, spearhead data analyses and new research, and develop new technical assistance tools. Mobilizing commitment: Mobilize commitment for global hepatitis elimination among public and policy stakeholders in partnership with civil society, advocacy organizations, and other critical partners around the world to build awareness, instill urgency, and secure funding for elimination

Can you explain hepatitis, the different types, and why it is such a significant public health issue?

James Amugsi: Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver and has a variety of causes. Hepatitis can present as acute infection (less than six months) or chronic infection (more than six months), and there are different types, which are categorized broadly as viral hepatitis and nonviral hepatitis. The most common types of viral hepatitis are Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Nonviral hepatitis includes Alcoholic hepatitis/liver disease, autoimmune hepatitis, and drug-induced hepatitis.

While viral hepatitis is caused by a virus  e.g., hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E viruses, nonviral hepatitis may be caused by excessive alcohol consumption, autoimmune disorders, intake of certain drugs, or exposure to chemicals or toxins, among other factors.

Image Credit: Cozine/Shutterstock.com

Hepatitis A and E are similar in their mode of transmission and disease severity, while hepatitis B and C also share similarities and usually cause chronic infection. People infected with the hepatitis B and C viruses may not show symptoms initially or have non-specific symptoms, so the best way to know whether one is infected or not is to get tested.

Hepatitis A and E can spread through contaminated food and water, while hepatitis B and C are commonly spread through blood-to-blood contact, from infected mothers to their children during childbirth and unprotected sexual contact. It is important to note that casual contacts such as handshake, hugging, kissing, or sharing of food or drinks do not typically transmit hepatitis B or C. However, any activity that could result in the exchange of blood, such as the sharing of razors or toothbrushes, should be avoided to prevent the transmission of hepatitis B and C.

Complications of hepatitis include liver cirrhosis, liver failure, or cancer. The hepatitis B vaccine can prevent hepatitis B, but there is currently no vaccine for hepatitis C. One needs to adopt a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of infection with the hepatitis C virus. The good news is that hepatitis C is curable!

Hepatitis is a public health problem globally and, especially in Ghana, because new infections, as well as mortalities, keep increasing in contrast to WHO's viral hepatitis target of 2030.

Lindsey Hiebert: The Coalition focuses on the elimination of viral hepatitis B and C, which are blood-borne infections that cause liver disease. As of 2022, 304 million persons are living with chronic hepatitis B (HBV) or C (HCV) virus infection. Of the 254 million persons living with HBV, 86% are unaware of their infection, and 97% have not been treated. Of the 50 million persons living with HCV, 63% are unaware of their infection, and 80% have not been treated.

Currently, viral hepatitis is the second leading infectious cause of death, only after COVID-19.

The elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 will prevent 7.1 million deaths.

Please see WHO's webpage: https://www.who.int/health-topics/hepatitis#tab=tab_1

What are some common misconceptions about Hepatitis among patients in northern Ghana, and how do you address them?

James Amugsi: Some people are still of the view that Hepatitis has a spiritual cause  the work of witches or other deities. Many people also believe that hepatitis B and C can be transmitted through eating together and contact with an infected person's sweat or saliva. Correcting the myths about viral hepatitis is a herculean task and calls for concerted efforts. On my part, I address these misconceptions through continuous health education for both health workers and non-health workers on the causes and transmission of viral hepatitis.

What inspired you to become involved in hepatitis advocacy in northern Ghana, and what are the key challenges you face in this role?

James Amugsi: As a Mandela Washington Fellow, I have learned to give back to society no matter how little it may be. Besides, as a health professional, I have seen many people die of Hepatitis, including close relatives. The greatest motivation for me is that hepatitis C is curable while hepatitis B is preventable, but many people don't know, so I have decided to be a carrier of hope for the hopeless in society. Combining my professional paid job as a Physician Assistant and hepatitis advocacy, as well as family commitments, has been very challenging. Although I prioritize the needs of others, I do so without neglecting my profession and family. I have, therefore, managed to maintain a balance for the benefit of my community and Northern Ghana at large.

Could you discuss the key partners involved in the Coalition's efforts to eliminate Hepatitis, particularly in Ghana? How do these partnerships enhance the program's impact?

Lindsey Hiebert: The Coalition works with more than 350 partners across more than 60 countries, representing all WHO regions. The Coalition works through building partnerships to strengthen national hepatitis programs.

The Coalition has a number of programs to empower local communities, policy-makers, and clinicians to advance progress toward elimination in their settings. In Ghana, the Coalition has collaborated to implement these programs to improve our understanding of the burden of disease, strengthen national planning, and expand awareness. Currently, only 0.4% of persons living with HBV and only 4.69% of persons living with HCV have been diagnosed in Ghana, based on 2022 estimates from the World Health Organization.

To support the development of a national testing policy, in 2020, the Coalition provided a grant to local researchers and community-based organizations to implement the Hepatitis Evaluations to Amplify Testing and Treatment (HEAT) project. The HEAT project involved assessments of the epidemiological burden of HBV and HCV and a laboratory testing capacity assessment. Under the guidance of the Principal Investigator, Dr. Yvonne Nartey, a team of field epidemiologists consulted public health laboratories, national health information management systems, and more than 134,676 records of HBV and HCV tests for these analyses.

Along the way, CGHE provided technical support and training to epidemiologists and trainees. The HEAT Project revealed stark differences in the prevalence of hepatitis across the country and major gaps in access to testing where the highest burden of disease was estimated. The HEAT Project was implemented in coordination with the Ghana Health Service, and the Ghana Hepatitis Foundation organized a dissemination meeting to brief stakeholders on the results and plan for the next steps.

With the information and momentum from the HEAT project, Egypt pledged to donate HCV medicines to treat 50,000 Ghanaians. The STOP-HEPC Ghana Project was launched in March of 2023 to raise hepatitis awareness and inform Ghanaians on how to get tested and treated for Hepatitis.

Dr. Nartey stayed on with the Coalition team as a Hepatitis Evaluation, Research, and Outreach (HERO) Fellow to support the development of STOP-HEPC, following the HEAT project. The STOP-HEPC program aims to implement a general population screening campaign, with a focus on the Northern Ghana base where the highest burden of disease is, as shown by the HEAT project; enroll patients in a nationwide registry; and link persons living with HCV to care in regional hospitals. STOP-HEPC also plans to strengthen data reporting systems and train reporting personnel.

In addition, in 2022, as part of an initiative funded by US CDC to improve coverage of hepatitis B birth dose in African countries, CGHE collaborated with the Ghana Hepatitis Alliance to develop information materials, implement educational training for midwives, and arrange meetings with Ministry of Health officials and other policymakers to advocate for birth dose introduction.

The Coalition has developed a National Hepatitis Elimination Profile for Ghana in collaboration with the partners mentioned above, available here: https://www.globalhep.org/tools-resources/view-national-hepatitis-elimination-profiles.

Join the Fight: A UN Group of Friends to Eliminate Hepatitis Play

What specific projects or initiatives have you been involved in within northern Ghana to combat Hepatitis? Could you share a success story or a notable experience from these efforts?

James Amugsi: I have been involved in the following projects:

STOP HEP C project, where I served as the team lead for the Sandema Hospital case management team. Initiation of the 'no vaccination, no discharge' policy at the Sandema Hospital for babies born to hepatitis B-positive mothers. These babies are given at least the hepatitis B monovalent birth dose vaccine before discharge Awareness creation and screening tests for hepatitius C virus Viral hepatitis research (Community-based hepatitis C prevalence), which is about 8%

We have achieved about 80-90% hepatitis C Sustained Virological Response (SVR) rate at the Sandema Hospital case management center. Free hepatitis C viral load/RNA for about 100 community members done in partnership with Dr. Yvonne Nartey and Mpharma Ghana. Sandema Hospital is being used as a case study for the decentralization of viral hepatitis treatment in Ghana.

How does the Coalition monitor and assess progress in hepatitis elimination efforts in low- to low-middle income countries, and what are the primary metrics or indicators used?

Lindsey Hiebert: In 2021, the Coalition launched an initiative to develop National Hepatitis Elimination Profiles. These resources comprehensively assess the status of hepatitis B and C elimination across countries. The profiles bring together data on the burden of hepatitis, coverage of key interventions, and the development of essential policies. The profiles assess progress toward program targets and health outcomes and highlight achievements, challenges, and feasible next steps to advance hepatitis elimination.

Objectives of the profiles include:

1. Bring together key data to assess the status of hepatitis elimination efforts, with a special emphasis on the policy environment to build a sustainable elimination program:

Hepatitis burden

Implementation of hepatitis prevention, testing, and treatment services

Policy development

Health equity for key populations

2. Assess progress toward program targets and health outcome goals

3. Highlight achievements, challenges, and feasible next steps

Assessing progress across WHO's target interventions is essential, including coverage of prevention, testing, and treatment access. Globally, two of three new infections are in the African region, and a growing proportion of them are mother-to-child transmissions. The birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, given within 24 hours, is an important intervention to prevent transmission. Only about 15 African countries have policies for hepatitis B birth doses. The Coalition closely tracks hepatitis B birth dose policy development and coverage. The Coalition also has developed a toolkit to support countries in developing policies for the first time.

Across all countries, the first step to developing a national program is to establish national elimination goals and develop national strategies. The Coalition also tracks which countries have adopted these practices.

The full set of indicators the Coalition monitors via the National Hepatitis Elimination Profiles is available here: https://www.globalhep.org/approach-national-hepatitis-elimination-profiles

How do you engage and educate the local communities in northern Ghana about hepatitis prevention and treatment?

James Amugsi: For face-to-face interaction, I try to identify key stakeholders in the community, such as the chief or assembly member. When I secure permission to engage community members, word will be sent around through the community health volunteers or the 'Rooftop announcement' starting from the chief/subchief house. The venue, date, and time of the meeting are often communicated during these announcements. This mode of communication has proven to be very effective.

I also reach community members via local radio stations, where they can phone in and ask questions. Places of worship, such as churches and mosques, are also used to provide health education. Social media, such as Facebook and WhatsApp, is the most cost-effective method of creating viral hepatitis awareness. However, information sent through this medium usually targets the literate/youth.

What are the main obstacles you encounter in the fight against Hepatitis, and how do you address these challenges?

Lindsey Hiebert: Two of the greatest obstacles are political commitment and financing. The public health tools are availablevaccination for hepatitis B, reliable tests for hepatitis B and C, effective treatment for hepatitis B, and cures for hepatitis C. However, these existing tools are not available to most persons living with Hepatitis.

All governments must commit to hepatitis elimination. To encourage diplomatic commitments to hepatitis elimination, the Coalition is the Secretariat for the UN Group of Friends to Eliminate Hepatitis. The UN Group of Friends creates a forum for Member States to exchange information on progress, innovations, and lessons learned with other Member States, organizations within the UN system, technical experts, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders. By raising awareness at the diplomatic level, the UN Group of Friends brings high-level attention to donor agencies, development banks, philanthropic organizations, and national governments, helping low- middle-income countries (LMICs) eliminate Hepatitis.

The moral and economic case for hepatitis elimination is clear; hepatitis elimination saves lives, prevents morbidity, and is cost-effective while saving health systems money in the long run. The Coalition recently published policy briefs to summarize the evidence on the economic and health benefits of why countries should invest in hepatitis elimination now. These briefs are available here: https://www.globalhep.org/projects-research/new-policy-briefs-consequences-inaction.

Image Credit: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock.com

James Amugsi: Some of the obstacles include misinformation about viral hepatitis from herbal medicine practitioners and some health workers who lack adequate knowledge on the disease, stigma, inadequate funds for screening and awareness creation campaigns, high cost of hepatitis B and C viral load, inadequate government support, lack of strong motor bikes or a car to convey volunteers and logistics, etc. I address some of these through continuous health education, engaging multiple donors, including individuals and local and international organizations, partnerships with other local CSOs, continuous lobbying, etc.

Can you share a story of a patient whose life was significantly impacted by the Coalition's efforts or your advocacy work?

James Amugsi: Patient Alie (not real name)  A 25-year-old lady from Builsa North Municipal: "Before the STOP HEP C project, I asked for hepatitis C treatment and was told it was GHS 7,500.00. So I left my life to fate because I could not afford that amount, but through the project, I was given a three-month dose of hepatitis C drugs for free. I used to get tired easily, but after treatment, I am now doing well. I have also been cured of hepatitis C! I am very grateful to the STOP HEP C project team."

This year's theme for World Hepatitis Day is "Take action, Test, Treat, Vaccinate." How does this theme resonate with the Coalition's mission, and what specific actions are being taken in Ghana to align with this call to action?

Lindsey Hiebert: Hepatitis elimination requires a global commitment to ensuring everyone has access to hepatitis B and C prevention, testing, and treatment. The Coalition is committed to building partnerships to ensure all people, everywhere, can benefit from hepatitis B and C elimination. In Ghana, the Coalition will continue to support STOP-HEPC and efforts to expand access to hepatitis B testing and treatment. To date, there is limited access to hepatitis B testing and treatment in Ghana, and available tests and treatment can be prohibitively expensive. Lessons learned from the hepatitis C program must soon be adapted to expand access to hepatitis B care, as well.

James Amugsi: The "STOP HEP C" Ghana project, launched in 2023 by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and its partners, sought to screen 50% of the eligible population, link 90% of identified hepatitis C patients to care, and initiate 95% of patients' treatment.

So far, about 300 hepatitis C patients have received treatment nationwide. Also, through a partnership with Hepatitis Alliance Ghana, SynLab, and MDS Lancert, there is a subsidy for hepatitis C viral load testing to enable patients to benefit from the free treatment. The challenge, however, is that there is still low hepatitis C testing and publicity. Many people from Northern Ghana cannot also afford the hepatitis C RNA/viral load test, which is about GHS 800.00

On my part, about 5,000 community members have been screened for hepatitis C for free, and 400 are being linked for further evaluation and care.

To me, a call for action in viral hepatitis elimination in Ghana will mean more publicity on viral hepatitis, more testing, affordable hepatitis B and C DNA/RNA tests, and the implementation of the hepatitis B birth dose vaccine now!

Where can readers find more information?

About Lindsey Hiebert

Lindsey Hiebert serves as the Deputy Director of the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination. The Coalition is based at the Task Force for Global Health, an international NGO in Atlanta, United States. At the Coalition, Lindsey manages initiatives related to technical assistance, operational research, advocacy, and policy to advance hepatitis B and C elimination globally, including the development of National Hepatitis Elimination Profiles for more than 30 countries. Before joining the Coalition, she was a Program Officer at Pharos Global Health. At Pharos, she managed collaborative projects in South Africa, Indonesia, Senegal, Malaysia, and Morocco on viral hepatitis program strategic planning, investment case development, and epidemiological, program, and economic modeling. Lindsey has also worked as a research project coordinator and data analyst at Yale University and BRAC in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She received a MPH in Epidemiology and Global Health and BS in Global Affairs from Yale University.

About James Amugsi

James Amugsi is a Physician Assistant (Medical) at the Sandema hospital in the Upper East Region of Ghana and is the clinical lead for the hepatitis C case management team at the hospital. James is actively involved in viral hepatitis advocacy and research in Northern Ghana. Driven by servant leadership, James has been giving back to his community after his Mandela Washington Fellowship experience in 2018 at Howard University, USA.
In a recent study published in JAMA, researchers surveyed adults aged 50 years to identify the most salient health concerns before the 2024 elections in the United States.

Background

In the 2020 US election, individuals aged 50 years cast greater than 50% of ballots. Health and healthcare issues are frequently crucial for voters, especially older individuals with higher health demands than their younger counterparts. As a result, it is critical to identify the most pressing health challenges in the older adult population of the United States.

About the study

In the present study, researchers explored leading health concerns among older individuals before the 2024 elections.

Michigan University conducted the National Poll on Healthy Aging survey online and telephonically, focusing on health concerns, including adults aged between 50 and 101 years, between 22 February and 12 March 2024. For each health concern, researchers asked participants to classify their concern level as very, somewhat, or not concerning. Researchers obtained participant demographic characteristics via surveying NORC AmeriSpeak panel-supplied information.

Health concerns included medical care costs, assisted living and nursing home service expenses, financial fraud, prescription medication costs, dental expenses, Medicare and health insurance costs, and accessibility to high-quality assisted living, home care, and nursing home services. Other concerns were healthcare quality, misleading or inaccurate health data, accessibility to cost-effective healthy food items, poverty, accessibility to high-quality psychiatric care, loneliness or social isolation, ability to age at their place, obesity, unequal healthcare accessibility, and neighborhood safety.

In addition, researchers explored concerns such as fentanyl or opioid use, age discrimination or ageism, anxiety or stress, vaccine hesitancy, risks associated with air and water pollution, and racial or ethnic discrimination. They also investigated older adult concerns regarding accessibility to recreational and social activities, alcohol use, and cannabis or marijuana use.

Researchers calculated weighted proportions for individuals reporting being highly worried about every issue. They used logistic regressions to estimate weighted proportions of adult individuals extremely worried regarding the expense of medical services and medications, controlling for demographic characteristics. Researchers excluded missing observations from the study.

Results

Among 3,626 individuals receiving invitations, 2,576 (71%) filled out the survey, including 1,385 females (53%) and 1,176 males (47%), and the mean participant age was 65 years. In total, 1,192 individuals (54%) were 50 to 64 years old, and 1,384 were 65 to 101 years old. Most participants were non-Hispanic and white (77%), had attained high school-level education (40%), earned 60,000 $60,000 annually (51%), had moderate political ideology (47%), and resided in metropolitan regions (84%).

Most individuals were concerned regarding the cost of home care, assisted living, or nursing home care (56%), medical care expenses (56%), prescription medication costs (54%), financial scams and fraud (53%), cost of health insurance and Medicare (52%), and dental expenses (45%). Other top concerns were access to quality assisted living or nursing home care (38%), healthcare quality (34%), inaccurate or misleading data (33%), access to affordable healthy foods (32%), and poverty (31%). Less concerning issues were marijuana, cannabis, or alcohol use (11%), access to social or recreational activities (15%), racial or ethnic discrimination (18%), and risks from polluted water and air (18%).

Five out of the top six concerns were associated with health insurance and healthcare expenses, with 45% to 56% of participants reporting that they were highly worried regarding these health problems; the other leading concern was financial fraud and scams (53% very concerned). Significantly smaller percentages (11% to 38%) of elders were very worried regarding other health issues.

The adjusted analyses showed that the weighted proportions of older adult individuals reporting being highly worried regarding medical service expenses were significantly different between individuals aged 50 to 64 years (60%) and those 65 to 101 years of age (53%); females (59%) and males (54%); liberal (68%) versus moderate (56%) individuals, and moderate versus conservative individuals (51%); and adults from metropolitan (56% and non-metropolitan areas (62%). Regarding prescription medication expenses, the proportions differed by biological sex, Hispanic background, United States Census area, and political ideologies.

Conclusions

The study findings revealed that older individuals are most concerned regarding the price of health insurance and healthcare in their communities and financial fraud or scams. Over half of the older population across demographic categories expressed extreme anxiety about the expense of health care and medicines, with significant variances based on political ideology and gender.

Females were more anxious than males, and liberals and moderates were more frightened than conservatives. The present study's limitations include a lack of information concerning personal health-related issues and non-health problems that might affect the views of older voters. To involve older voters, presidential and congressional candidates should prioritize discussing their ideas to lower healthcare costs.
Data from nearly 6000 smokers with cancer show that it may be easier to predict who will stop smoking than was previously thought.

It is often important to get cancer patients to quit smoking, but it is not always that easy.

Data suggest that between 15 and 60 per cent of people who smoked before they were diagnosed with cancer continue to smoke after their diagnosis. It is crucial to help people with cancer quit smoking, because it will lead to better cancer treatment prognoses, prevent secondary cancer, and increase quality of life." Ruben Rodriguez-Cano, Associate Professor, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Department of Psychology

Degree of addiction

Because smoking and cancer often go hand-in-hand, it is especially useful to determine how addicted people are to smoking. That makes it possible to estimate how likely it is that people will manage to quit, and consequently predict cancer patients' chances of surviving.

The researchers may also be able to use a similar approach to estimate the risk that smokers who are still healthy have of developing cancer at a later date.

"We are currently conducting another study on the risk of developing lung cancer, which is being led by Professor Oluf Dimitri Re. Among the variables are nicotine addiction, smoking history and BMI," says Rodriguez-Cano.

However, investigating smoking addiction requires considerable resources. Therefore, Rodriguez-Cano wanted to find out whether there is a more efficient way of measuring the degree of a smoker's addiction.

He collaborated with people from one of the foremost cancer hospitals in the world, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

Long and short tests

Several tests can be used to ascertain smoking addiction. The gold standard is the Fagerstrom Test for Cigarette Dependence (FTCD).

"But this test is too extensive when we want to check a large number of patients to assess smoking risk at group level," says Rodriguez-Cano.

So, is a longer test really necessary? A simplified version called the Heaviness of Smoking Index (HSI) comprises only two questions:

How many cigarettes do you smoke per day?

How soon after you wake up do you smoke your first cigarette?

And these two questions are sufficient. Try it yourself.

A simplified test is often sufficient

"We investigated nearly 6000 cancer patients to see if it made any difference whether they took the full test or the simplified one," says Rodriguez-Cano.

It generally did not make a difference.

"The results in predicting cigarette addiction were equally good for both the full and the simplified tests.

In addition, the simplified test is just as good at predicting the smoking abstinence at 3, 6, and 9 months after quitting smoking following specialised treatment," says Rodriguez-Cano. However, it is not that straight forward.

...but not for all smokers

For some reason, the simplified test does not work as well for everyone.

"The effectiveness of the simplified test for men and women depends on the patient's race," Rodriguez-Cano explains.

Basically, the shortest test did not work as well for Non-Hispanic Black people with a cancer diagnosis. The researchers do not know whether this is due to social or genetic factors - or a combination of both.

"Both the full test and the simplified test are useful tools, but our research shows that it may be necessary to tailor the tests for different groups," says Rodriguez-Cano.

Nevertheless, the research may make it easier to investigate smoking addiction than before. This can reduce the burden on the healthcare system as well as on cancer patient treatment.
In the 18 months after Francine Milano was diagnosed with a recurrence of the ovarian cancer she thought she'd beaten 20 years ago, she traveled twice from her home in Pennsylvania to Vermont. She went not to ski, hike, or leaf-peep, but to arrange to die.

"I really wanted to take control over how I left this world," said the 61-year-old who lives in Lancaster. "I decided that this was an option for me."

Dying with medical assistance wasn't an option when Milano learned in early 2023 that her disease was incurable. At that point, she would have had to travel to Switzerland  or live in the District of Columbia or one of the 10 states where medical aid in dying was legal.

But Vermont lifted its residency requirement in May 2023, followed by Oregon two months later. (Montana effectively allows aid in dying through a 2009 court decision, but that ruling doesn't spell out rules around residency. And though New York and California recently considered legislation that would allow out-of-staters to secure aid in dying, neither provision passed.)

Despite the limited options and the challenges  such as finding doctors in a new state, figuring out where to die, and traveling when too sick to walk to the next room, let alone climb into a car  dozens have made the trek to the two states that have opened their doors to terminally ill nonresidents seeking aid in dying.

At least 26 people have traveled to Vermont to die, representing nearly 25% of the reported assisted deaths in the state from May 2023 through this June, according to the Vermont Department of Health. In Oregon, 23 out-of-state residents died using medical assistance in 2023, just over 6% of the state total, according to the Oregon Health Authority.

Oncologist Charles Blanke, whose clinic in Portland is devoted to end-of-life care, said he thinks that Oregon's total is likely an undercount and he expects the numbers to grow. Over the past year, he said, he's seen two to four out-of-state patients a week  about one-quarter of his practice  and fielded calls from across the U.S., including New York, the Carolinas, Florida, and "tons from Texas." But just because patients are willing to travel doesn't mean it's easy or that they get their desired outcome.

"The law is pretty strict about what has to be done," Blanke said.

As in other states that allow what some call physician-assisted death or assisted suicide, Oregon and Vermont require patients to be assessed by two doctors. Patients must have less than six months to live, be mentally and cognitively sound, and be physically able to ingest the drugs to end their lives. Charts and records must be reviewed in the state; neglecting to do so constitutes practicing medicine out of state, which violates medical licensing requirements. For the same reason, the patients must be in the state for the initial exam, when they request the drugs, and when they ingest them.

State legislatures impose those restrictions as safeguards  to balance the rights of patients seeking aid in dying with a legislative imperative not to pass laws that are harmful to anyone, said Peg Sandeen, CEO of the group Death With Dignity. Like many aid-in-dying advocates, however, she said such rules create undue burdens for people who are already suffering.

Diana Barnard, a Vermont palliative care physician, said some patients cannot even come for their appointments. "They end up being sick or not feeling like traveling, so there's rescheduling involved," she said. "It's asking people to use a significant part of their energy to come here when they really deserve to have the option closer to home."

Those opposed to aid in dying include religious groups that say taking a life is immoral, and medical practitioners who argue their job is to make people more comfortable at the end of life, not to end the life itself.

Anthropologist Anita Hannig, who interviewed dozens of terminally ill patients while researching her 2022 book, "The Day I Die: The Untold Story of Assisted Dying in America," said she doesn't expect federal legislation to settle the issue anytime soon. As the Supreme Court did with abortion in 2022, it ruled assisted dying to be a states' rights issue in 1997.

During the 2023-24 legislative sessions, 19 states (including Milano's home state of Pennsylvania) considered aid-in-dying legislation, according to the advocacy group Compassion & Choices. Delaware was the sole state to pass it, but the governor has yet to act on it.

Sandeen said that many states initially pass restrictive laws  requiring 21-day wait times and psychiatric evaluations, for instance  only to eventually repeal provisions that prove unduly onerous. That makes her optimistic that more states will eventually follow Vermont and Oregon, she said.

Milano would have preferred to travel to neighboring New Jersey, where aid in dying has been legal since 2019, but its residency requirement made that a nonstarter. And though Oregon has more providers than the largely rural state of Vermont, Milano opted for the nine-hour car ride to Burlington because it was less physically and financially draining than a cross-country trip.

The logistics were key because Milano knew she'd have to return. When she traveled to Vermont in May 2023 with her husband and her brother, she wasn't near death. She figured that the next time she was in Vermont, it would be to request the medication. Then she'd have to wait 15 days to receive it.

The waiting period is standard to ensure that a person has what Barnard calls "thoughtful time to contemplate the decision," although she said most have done that long before. Some states have shortened the period or, like Oregon, have a waiver option.

That waiting period can be hard on patients, on top of being away from their health care team, home, and family. Blanke said he has seen as many as 25 relatives attend the death of an Oregon resident, but out-of-staters usually bring only one person. And while finding a place to die can be a problem for Oregonians who are in care homes or hospitals that prohibit aid in dying, it's especially challenging for nonresidents.

When Oregon lifted its residency requirement, Blanke advertised on Craigslist and used the results to compile a list of short-term accommodations, including Airbnbs, willing to allow patients to die there. Nonprofits in states with aid-in-dying laws also maintain such lists, Sandeen said.

Milano hasn't gotten to the point where she needs to find a place to take the meds and end her life. In fact, because she had a relatively healthy year after her first trip to Vermont, she let her six-month approval period lapse.

In June, though, she headed back to open another six-month window. This time, she went with a girlfriend who has a camper van. They drove six hours to cross the state border, stopping at a playground and gift shop before sitting in a parking lot where Milano had a Zoom appointment with her doctors rather than driving three more hours to Burlington to meet in person.

"I don't know if they do GPS tracking or IP address kind of stuff, but I would have been afraid not to be honest," she said.

That's not all that scares her. She worries she'll be too sick to return to Vermont when she is ready to die. And, even if she can get there, she wonders whether she'll have the courage to take the medication. About one-third of people approved for assisted death don't follow through, Blanke said. For them, it's often enough to know they have the meds  the control  to end their lives when they want.

Milano said she is grateful she has that power now while she's still healthy enough to travel and enjoy life. "I just wish more people had the option," she said.
The highly anticipated Delhi-Dehradun Greenfield Expressway is set to launch soon, offering a major boost to travel efficiency between Delhi and Dehradun. However, residents in certain areas will face delays before experiencing the full benefits of this new route.

While the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) reports that the expressway, extending 31 km from Delhi to Khekra, is advancing rapidly, the work near Akshardham remains incomplete. If delays continue in this area, only the finished segments will be opened for use initially.

Spanning a total cost of Rs 12,000 crore, the six-lane expressway will connect Akshardham in Delhi to Dehradun, passing through Shastri Park, Khajuri Khas, Mandola, Baghpat, EPE Interchange in Khekra, Shamli, and Saharanpur.

The project is divided into four sections, with construction in the segments from Baghpat to Saharanpur and from Akshardham to EPE Junction being split into two phases each. Residents around Akshardham and Noida will face some initial inconvenience as the section from Akshardham to Geeta Colony remains unfinished.

They will encounter traffic congestion before reaching the expressways elevated road leading to the border. Those from other parts of Delhi can access the elevated road directly from the Geeta Colony bridge via the Ring Road.

Once the Expressway is fully operational, it is expected to provide significant relief to East Delhi, as it will redirect approximately 1.5 to 2 lakh vehicles daily away from local roads. This shift will reduce traffic congestion and improve commuting conditions for residents of East Delhi, as well as travellers heading to Dehradun, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, and Loni.
Banks are tapping alternative sources like commercial paper and certificates of deposit as deposit growth lags credit growth, RBI August Bulletin said on Monday.

In the primary market, certificates of deposit (CD) issuances amounted to Rs 3.49 lakh crore during 2024-25 (up to August 9), significantly higher than Rs 1.89 lakh crore in the corresponding period of the previous year.

This increase amid deposit growth lagging credit expansion prompted banks to rely on alternative funding sources, as per the RBI article.

Commercial paper (CP) issuances also increased to Rs 4.86 lakh crore during 2024-25 (up to July 31), surpassing Rs 4.72 lakh crore in the corresponding period of the previous year, driven by NBFCs higher borrowings in the CP market, it added.

While unveiling bi-monthly monetary policy, Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das expressed concern over household savings moving towards alternative investment avenues and asked banks to mobilise deposits through innovative products and services by leveraging their vast branch network.

Banks are taking greater recourse to short-term non-retail deposits and other instruments of liability to meet the incremental credit demand. This, as I emphasised elsewhere, may potentially expose the banking system to structural liquidity issues, he had said.

Concerned over slow deposit mobilisation, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday asked state-owned banks to make concerted efforts to garner deposits by conducting special drives.

Deposits have been growing 300-400 basis points lower than the credit growth in the last few months, creating an asset-liability mismatch for banks.

Sitharaman also advised public sector banks to have better relationships with their customers for efficient customer service delivery, an official statement said.

She asked banks to ensure that employees reach out to connect with their customers, especially in rural and semi-urban areas.

In the fixed income segment, the bulletin said domestic bond yields eased sharply, reflecting positive sentiment following the inclusion of Indian government securities (G-sec) in the global bond index, the gross fiscal deficit  gross domestic product (GFD-GDP) ratio being budgeted lower and reduced market borrowing requirements announced in the Union Budget 2024-25.

About system liquidity, the bulletin said it remained in surplus during July and August so far on the back of an increase in government spending, the return of currency to the banking system and the Reserve Banks forex operations.

The average daily net absorption under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) increased to Rs 1.52 lakh crore from July 16 to August 15, 2024.

While acknowledging the efforts made by the banks to improve the asset quality, Sitharaman advised them to optimise the scope of resolution and recovery offered by NCLT and NARCL.

(With PTI inputs)
Stocks To Watch On August 20: Benchmark indices ended on a flat note in a lacklustre trade on Monday, as investors preferred to remain on the sidelines awaiting further triggers. In todays trade, shares of IndusInd Bank, Zomato, Saraswati Saree Depot, HCL Tech, Poly Medicure among others will be in focus due to various news developments.

Zomato Ltd: According to reports, a significant deal is expected on Tuesday, with Antfin Singapore planning to sell 13.6 crore shares, representing 1.54 per cent of the total equity of Zomato, via a block deal.

IndusInd Bank: The Reserve Bank of India has granted approval to IndusInd Bank to establish a wholly owned subsidiary dedicated to the asset management business of mutual funds. The bank has also received approval to infuse equity capital into the newly formed asset management subsidiary.

Saraswati Saree Depot: The companys shares are set to debut on the stock exchanges on Tuesday. Ahead of the listing, the companys shares are trading with a grey market premium (GMP) of Rs 46. With the upper price band set at Rs 160, the stock is anticipated to list at a 29 per cent premium over the issue price.

Nucleus Software: The board will meet on August 22 to consider a share buyback, which would be the companys third buyback following those in 2017 and 2021. The buyback could be executed via either the tender offer route or the open market route.

DCM Shriram: On August 19, the company commissioned a new Hydrogen Peroxide (HO) plant at its chemical complex in Jhagadia, Bharuch District, Gujarat. The plant has a capacity of 52,500 tonnes per annum and will use hydrogen produced at the same site.

Tata Consumer Products: The company closed its rights issue on August 19, which aimed to raise up to Rs 3,000 crore at a price of Rs 818 per share.

Bajaj Auto Ltd: The company will increase its accounting provision for deferred tax by Rs 211 crore due to recent regulatory changes under the Finance Act, 2024. This adjustment follows the withdrawal of the indexation benefit on long-term capital gains from debt mutual funds purchased before April 1, 2023, and a reduction in the applicable tax rate.

Poly Medicure: The company opened its Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) issue on August 19, setting a floor price of Rs 1,880.69 per share. According to media reports, the issue size is expected to be around Rs 1,000 crore.

HCL Tech: The board of HCLTech has appointed Shiv Walia as the companys new Chief Financial Officer, effective September 6.

Motilal Oswal: The companys Board of Directors has approved the issuance of non-convertible debentures (NCDs) with a base issue size of Rs 100 crore. The issuance includes a green shoe option to retain oversubscription of up to Rs 100 crore, bringing the total potential offering to Rs 200 crore.

Sapphire Foods India: The company has fixed September 5, 2024, as the record date for determining the entitlement of equity shareholders for the purpose of subdivision/split of existing equity shares.

Vishnu Chemicals: The company announced the 100 per cent equity acquisition of Jayansree Pharma Pvt Ltd (JPPL) at an enterprise value of Rs 51.99 crore.

Finkurve Financial Services: The company has entered into a co-lending arrangement with RBL Bank. This collaboration establishes a significant strategic partnership aimed at offering gold loans for a superior customer experience using a digital lending platform.

Hazoor Multi Projects: The company emerged as the lowest bidder for a project of the Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC) worth Rs 274 crore.

Allcargo Logistics: Allcargo International Supply Chain (ISC) reported that the LCL volume for July 2024 stood at 818,000 cubic metres, similar to its highest-ever monthly volume recorded in August 2022.

Hi-Tech Pipes: The company plans to raise funds worth up to Rs 600 crore.
State Bank of India, Indias largest lender and public sector bank, in its report, has dismissed the concerns about the flagging in the banking sectors deposit growth. According to ANI, the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman conducted a review meeting with heads of public sector banks and regional rural banks on August 19, Monday. According to the SBI economists, the concern over deposit growth is a statistical myth. This is because the total amount of deposits since the financial year 2021-22 has been much more than the allotted credit.

The report highlighted that in the Financial Year 23, the banking sector, particularly All Scheduled Commercial Banks (ASCBs), registered the highest absolute growth in both deposits and credit since 1951-52. Deposits have increased by an impressive Rs 15.7 lakh crore. Meanwhile, the credit expanded by Rs 17.8 lakh crore, pushing the incremental Credit-Deposit (CD) Ratio to a staggering 113 per cent. The momentum continued into FY24, with deposits rising by Rs 24.3 lakh crore and credit by Rs 27.5 lakh crore. Incremental Credit-Deposit Ratio(ICDR) is the absolute growth in the credit concerning the absolute growth in the deposits.

The report noted that the end of the divergence cycle could be June 2025 -October 2025. Divergence means when the value of an asset, indicator, or index moves, the related asset, indicator, or index moves in the other direction. As per a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) study, as of June 2024, India is in the 26th month of this divergence. Predictions have indicated that the cycle could end between June and October 2025. According to the report, once this divergence ends, deposit growth is expected to pick up.

The report also noted that senior citizens have held 47 per cent of the term deposits, implying the younger generation is increasingly refraining from traditional avenues like bank deposits. They are looking for other options with higher returns. The median age of all investors in capital markets is now 32 years with around 40 per cent of investors being less than 30 years. Economists have advocated a change in the structure of tax on deposits so that the large deposit amount coming to banks can be used for credit growth.
Rampant cash transactions in business sectors like hotels, luxury brand sales, hospitals and IVF clinics need to be checked in a non-intrusive manner, the CBDT has recently asked the Income Tax Department.

The apex body for direct tax administration in the country  the Central Board of Direct Taxes  has also asked the tax department to undertake concerted efforts to recover arrear demands which have been witnessing a steep rise since the last financial year.

The CBDT recently issued an annual action plan dossier called the Central Action Plan (CAP) 2024-25.

Close Monitoring of These Segments

The department identified some of the businesses, such as hotels, banquet halls, luxury brand retailers, IVF clinics, hospitals, designer clothing stores, and NRI quota medical college seats, where the non-adherence to these rules and large cash transactions was being found.

Such sources will have to be identified and a verification exercise could be conducted by calling for information in a non-intrusive manner, the CBDT directed the tax department.

A senior officer told news agency PTI that the extent of cash in the economy can be gauged from the fact that during the 2023-24 fiscal, the tax department mounted 1,100 searches or raids across the country to check tax evasion, resulting in the seizure of assets amounting to about Rs 2,500 crore out of which Rs 1,700 crore was in cash.

Tracking Cash Transactions

Senior officials said that transactions over Rs 2 lakh in cash were required to be reported through a statement of financial transaction (SFT) by financial institutions but that was not happening.

While examining such reports, it is noticed that the circumvention of these provisions is widely prevalent, the Board told the IT department.

Further, although section 139A requires PAN (permanent account number) to be provided or obtained in specified transactions, there is no reporting/verification mechanism for determining the compliance with this obligation, it said.

In any case, it said, high value consumption expenditure needs to be verified with information about the taxpayer and therefore, it is imperative to identify the sources which could be involved in possible circumvention.

Increasing Arrear Demand

The CBDT also expressed concern over the figures of arrear demand increasing over the past years, saying it has gone up from Rs 24,51,099 crore, as on April 1, 2023, to Rs 43,00,232 crore on April 1, 2024.

This is a very steep rise which requires immediate and urgent action, it said.

Keeping in view the past trends of the arrear demand and cash collections, it is imperative that concerted efforts continue to be made to reverse the trend of increasing arrear demand and to initiate the process of reducing the figure to more manageable levels, it added.

The Board also declared in the action plan that a special team headed by a Principal Commissioner of I-T be formed in each region by September end to act and recover tax arrears from the top 5,000 cases  about 60% of the total demand of over Rs 43 lakh crore.

The special teams will locate physical records and other details of the top 5,000 cases with a deeper and quick analysis, it said.

Data Mining and Data Analytics

The CBDT also informed the IT authorities that new opportunities for identification of potential taxpayers have opened up due to data mining and data analytics and effective use of such data may result in identification of a large number of potential taxpayers.

The case of non-filers and those whose ITRs (income tax returns) do not match with financial transactions done by them are selected based on rules through management information system and taken up for e-Verification. The outcome of e-Verification results in widening and deepening of taxpayer base, it said.

The Board said the tax department has been given a target to add in the current fiscal 10% more tax return filers to what the filer base was at the end of 2023-24.

(With PTI inputs)
Rakesh Pal, the Director-General of the Indian Coast Guard, tragically passed away in Chennai on Sunday at the age of 59. He suffered a cardiac arrest, while in the city for an official function that was to be attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Rakesh Pal, who became the 25th Director-General of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) in July 2023, had a distinguished career, spanning about 35 years. His achievements included serving in key roles such as Commander Coast Guard Region (North West) in Gandhinagar, Deputy Director General (Policy and Planning), and Additional Director General at Coast Guard Headquarters in New Delhi. His career was marked by significant contributions to the ICG, and his leadership was widely respected in the maritime community.

Rakesh Pal, an alumnus of the Indian Naval Academy, began his service with the Indian Coast Guard in January 1989. His training included gunnery and weapons instruction at the Indian Naval School Dronacharya in Kochi, as well as an electro-optics fire control solution course in the United Kingdom. His extensive training and expertise in these areas earned him the distinction of being the first gunner of the Indian Coast Guard.

Rakesh Pals career in the Indian Coast Guard was marked by extensive sea experience and leadership in numerous important roles. He commanded a variety of ICG ships, including ICGS Samarth, ICGS Vijay, ICGS Sucheta Kriplani, ICGS Ahilyabai, and ICGS C-03. He also held command at two coast guard bases in Gujarat, Okha and Vadinar. His exemplary service was recognised with the Tatrakshak Medal in 2013 and the Presidents Tatrakshak Medal in 2018. Many big operations were conducted under the supervision of Rakesh Pal. In one operation, drugs and gold worth crores of rupees were seized under his leadership. Apart from this, the rescue operation of sailors in a severe cyclone was also much talked about. Joint operations with the Foreign Coast Guard also took place during his tenure.

Rakesh Pal was not only dedicated to his professional career but also had a love for music and a keen interest in sports. He was married to Deepa Pal and had two daughters, Snehal and Tarushi.
Over 60,000 Vacancies To Be Filled Through UP Police Constable Recruitment Drive 2023 With a staggering 60,244 vacancies for qualified individuals, the UP Police Constable recruitment campaign has attracted a lot of interest. About 24,102 of the total number of positions are open to unreserved applicants, 6,024 to EWS, 12,650 to SC, 1,204 to ST, and 16,264 to OBC. 50,14,921 applicants have reportedly applied in total for the recruiting exam.

UP Police Admit Card 2024: Exam Dates UP Police Constable Recruitment Exam will be held on August 23, 24, 25, 30, and 31 in 2 shifts each. The first shift of the UP Police Recruitment exam will be from 10 am to 12 noon and the second shift from 3 pm to 5 pm.

UP Police Admit Card 2024 Release LIVE Updates: Important Details To Check On Hall Tickets The UP Police constable exam admit cards will contain the following details:  Candidates Name  Registration Number  Exam Date, Time, and Shift  Exam Center Address and Name  Important Instructions  Exam Guidelines  Candidates Photograph  Candidates Signature

Step-by-Step Guide to Access Your Admit Card on uppbpb.gov.in Step 1- As soon as the UP Police Constable Admit Card 2024 is released, one has to visit the official website of UPPBPB, uppbpb.gov.in. Step 2- On the homepage of the website, you have to click on the admit card link. Step 3- Then you will have to enter details like registration number and date of birth there. Step 4- UP Police Recruitment Exam Admit Card will be displayed on your screen. Step 5- Check it carefully and download it. Take a printout.

UP Police Admit Card 2024 Released!

UP Police Admit Card 2024: UPPBPB Assures Candidates Fair Exam The UP Police Recruitment Board has said that some fraudsters on social media platforms are making false claims of providing question papers for the upcoming examination in exchange for money. The board is taking legal action on all such information through STF and has assured all the candidates a completely fair exam will be held.                   -2023                                  Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment & Promotion Board (@upprpb) August 20, 2024

UP Police Admit Card 2024: Documents To Carry To Exam Hall Candidates must carry a hard copy of the following documents to the exam centre:  UP Police Admit Card,  Photo ID (such as an Aadhaar Card, Voter ID,  Passport,  Driving License,  PAN Card,  Two recent passport-sized photographs,  A black or blue ballpoint pen.

Unable to Download UP Police Constable Exam Admit Cards? What To Do? Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board has issued two helpline numbers on its X account  8867786192 / 9773790762. In case of any problem while downloading the admit cards, candidates can contact these numbers.

UP Police Admit Card 2024: Candidates To Get 5 Extra Minutes UPPBPB will give 5 minutes extra time to all the candidates during the UP Police Constable Recruitment Exam. DG Rajiv Krishna, Chairman of the Recruitment Board, says that the candidates had demanded to be given 5 minutes extra during the exam. A UP Police official said that sometimes due to checking of candidates and other reasons related to security, exam time for some candidates get delayed by 1-2 minutes. Due to this, the candidates had demanded to be given extra time.

'None Will Lose Job': UP CM Adityanath Addresses Concerns over HC Order on 69,000 Teacher Recruitment Case UP CM Yogi Adityanath has directed the Basic Education Department to proceed according to the Allahabad High Courts order asking the state government to prepare a new merit list to appoint 69,000 assistant teachers within three months. During a meeting with officials on Sunday, Adityanath said that the state government firmly believed that the benefit of reservation should be extended to all reserved category candidates, ensuring that no candidate faced injustice. The courts decision had caused anxiety among teachers from the general and OBC categories who are currently employed. Read full Article

Understanding the Selection Process for UP Police Constables A total of 150 questions will be asked in the UP Constable written exam. Each question will be of two marks. The exam will be a of total 300 marks. The UP Police recruitment paper will be divided into four sections  General Hindi, General Knowledge, Numerical and Mental Ability Test, Intelligence and Reasoning. 120 minutes or two hours will be given to the candidates to write the exam. There will also be a negative marking of 0.5 for every wrong answer. 150 questions will be asked from General Knowledge, General Hindi, Numerical and Mental Ability Test, and Reasoning.

UP Police Admit Card 2024 Release LIVE Updates: Login Credentials The UP police re-exam admit cards will be issued today. The exam which was earlier held in February stands cancelled and so does the admit cards. The fresh hall tickets can be accessed on the official website of UPPBPB at uppbpb.gov.in by entering the application number and date of birth of the candidates.

Steps To Download UP Police Admit Card 2024 1- As soon as the UP Police Constable Admit Card 2024 is released, one has to visit the official website of UPPBPB, uppbpb.gov.in. 2- On the homepage of the website, you have to click on the admit card link. 3- Then you will have to enter details like registration number and date of birth there. 4- UP Police Recruitment Exam Admit Card will be displayed on your screen. 5- Check it carefully and download it. Take a printout.

UP Police Admit Card 2024 Release LIVE Updates: Application Process The application process for these UP police recruitment exam began on December 27, 2023, and ended on January 16, 2024.

UP Police Admit Card 2024: Date and Time UP Police Recruitment Exam Admit Card 2024 will be released on the official website uppbpb.gov.in today, August 20 at 5 PM. All the candidates are advised to download the UP Police Admit Card 2024 on time. In case the UP Police website crashes, the candidates can wait for a while and log in again after 20 minutes.

UP Police Admit Card 2024 Release LIVE Updates: Over 40 Lakh Candidates To Take Exam More than 40 lakh students from across the state will appear in UP Police Constable Recruitment Exam 2024. A total of 60244 vacancies have been announced by the board authorities.

UP Police Admit Card 2024 Release LIVE Updates: Vacancy Details With a staggering 60,244 vacancies for qualified individuals, the UP Police Constable recruitment campaign has attracted a lot of interest. About 24,102 of the total number of positions are open to unreserved applicants, 6,024 to EWS, 12,650 to SC, 1,204 to ST, and 16,264 to OBC. 50,14,921 applicants have reportedly applied in total for the recruiting exam.

UP Police Admit Card 2024 Release LIVE Updates: Details Mentioned on Hall Tickets The admit cards will contain the following details:  Candidates Name  Registration Number  Exam Date, Time, and Shift  Exam Center Address and Name  Important Instructions  Exam Guidelines  Candidates Photograph  Candidates Signature

Why Was The UP Police Constable Exam Cancelled Earlier? Back in February, the state govt had cancelled the UP Police Constable Recruitment Examination-2023 after paper leak reports surfaced. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government had ordered to conduct a re-examination within six months. There can be no compromise with the sanctity of examinations. Those who play with the hard work of the youth will not be spared under any circumstances. Strictest action is certain to be taken against such unruly elements, CM Adityanath had said.
Days after the announcement of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Election 2024, intelligence agencies have raised an alert about threats to candidates. According to a top-level official, terror outfits have been monitoring candidates, particularly those representing specific parties, and may plan attacks on them immediately after the announcement of lists.

Terror outfits have been promoting violence through various social media platforms to disrupt the electoral process. Pakistan-backed groups have been boycotting the electoral process and may plan hit-and-run attacks, a senior official said, quoting an official communication.

Sources have told News18 that, following the recent input, the security grid has decided to provide cover to candidates, from central forces as well as from J&K police. It is reported that the threat is not limited to one party; independent candidates may also face threats from terrorists.

Political parties are expected to announce their candidates for the first phase of polls in J&K this week. Once the candidates are announced, the Union Home Ministry will review the threat perception and provide security based on the report from the internal intelligence agency.

The first phase of polls will include sensitive areas such as Pulwama, Shopian, Doda, Ramban, Anantnag, and Kulgam. Since terror outfits are boycotting the election process, it is anticipated that they may target candidates, especially during rallies. Arrangements have been made to provide security cover ranging from X category to Z category based on the threat perception.

Sources also mentioned that J&K may see the highest number of candidates receiving security cover.

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 which also include jawans who will give protection to candidates. These troops deployment will be part of the advance preparations for the election, focusing on area domination and familiarisation.

Sources also said that almost a week ago, the Election Commission had recommended retaining these troops after the completion of the Amarnath Yatra on 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.

Voting for the three phases of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections will take place on September 18, 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 4.
The assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir could get firmly centered around the issue of the abrogated Article 370.

The National Conference (NC) has put up-front in its manifesto its promise of restoration of the contentious Article. The NCs stand diminishes the chance of any understanding in these elections between the party and the BJP, as speculated, with the BJP having vowed that Article 370 will never be back. The BJPs campaign is expected to be centered on the transformation in J&K in last five years after 370 abrogation, and the party will contest under the face of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Top sources in the BJP in J&K have told News18 that it is possible that the NC and Congress arrive at some understanding and it was likely that both Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah would contest the upcoming elections. The Congress, so far, has an ambivalent stand on Article 370. The BJP state chief, Ravinder Raina, said on Monday that the party will go solo in the upcoming elections and is only in touch with 8-10 independents for contesting the elections together.

Post delimitation, there are now 43 seats in the Jammu region and 47 seats in the Kashmir region in the 90-member assembly. These elections are expected to be a direct face-off between the NC and the BJP, with the former holding sway in the Kashmir region and the latter having a dominant hold in the Jammu region. What makes any understanding between NC and BJP more difficult is the fact that NC in its manifesto has also pitched for talks with Pakistan, which BJP is against.

BJP has a strong record to showcase of normalcy coming to J&K in last five years, with no strikes or stone-pelting and local businesses thriving. We are sure people will ignore the non-issues like Article 370 and vote for stability and peace, a senior BJP leader in Delhi, who looks at J&K, told News18.
Television actor Dheeraj Dhoopar has paused his work commitments for some time. The Rabb Se Hai Dua star is vacationing in Japan with his wife-actress Vinny Arora and their son Zayn. The couple celebrated their baby boys second birthday on August 10 at the destination. Vinny Arora has treated her followers to multiple pictures from their foreign holiday on social media. Judging by the posts, it seems that the family is enjoying themselves to their fullest. Amid this, Dheeraj Dhoopar has opened up about the ongoing trip, the places they went, and Zayns excitement upon visiting Tokyo Disneyland.

Speaking to ETimes TV, Dheeraj Dhoopar revealed that their Japan getaway was going exceptionally well filled with amazing experiences. The actor added that he and his family were soaking up the rich culture, exploring diverse locations, and celebrating Zyans 2nd birthday in a truly memorable way. He disclosed indulging in exciting activities and admiring the scenic beauty of Japan  a country that blends tradition with modernity, as per Dheeraj. Its been a wonderful opportunity for the whole family to bond and enjoy each others company away from our usual routines, he said.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vinny Arora Dhoopar (@vinnyaroradhoopar)

When asked about why Dheeraj Dhoopar chose Japan for a vacation, the Sasural Simar Ka actor said that a friend recommended the destination. Dheeraj was intrigued by Japans cultural traditions and cutting-edge technology. Its a place where we could both explore futuristic cities and experience historical charm. Additionally, Japans reputation for being incredibly family-friendly, especially with its many attractions suitable for children, made it an ideal choice for celebrating Zayans milestone birthday and creating special memories, he added.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vinny Arora Dhoopar (@vinnyaroradhoopar)

Some of the tourist hotspots that the family of three visited were the history-laced picturesque towns. These quieter settings offered a peaceful contrast to the bustling energy of Tokyo, which we also thoroughly enjoyed, he admitted. Dheeraj emphasised how their visit to Tokyo Disneyland proved to be a delightfully magical experience. Weve also explored other exciting family-friendly attractions, each adding its own special touch to our journey, said Dheeraj Dhoopar.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vinny Arora Dhoopar (@vinnyaroradhoopar)

Sharing about Zayns first trip to Disneyland, Dheeraj Dhoopar told the outlet that his little munchkin was excited by all the experiences at the amusement park. The toddler met with his favourite characters and delved into the joy of several rides. Dheeraj Dhoopar and Vinny Arora got married in 2016.
A 37-year-old political heiress, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has become the prime minister of Thailand, replacing Srettha Thavisin, who was dismissed by a court order. She is the countrys youngest PM and second woman to occupy the position, after her aunt Yingluck.

Shinawatras Pheu Thai party came only in second in 2023s election but cobbled together a ruling coalition after the vote-winner was blocked by military-backed lawmakers.

She will also seek to beat another recurring theme for the Shinawatra family: The governments led by her father and aunt were toppled by the military in 2006 and 2014, respectively.

Who Is Paetongtarn Shinawatra?

According to a profile published by the BBC, Petongtarn describes herself as a compassionate capitalist, a social liberal who fully supports Thailands new equal marriage law. However, her personality is mainly seen as being indistinct from the legacy and reputation of the powerful Shinawatra clan.

She graduated from Chulalongkorn University, one of Thailands top schools, with a degree in political science. She studied international hotel management at the University of Surrey in England.

She was 20 years old when she witnessed Thai armys coup against her father and tycoon, Thaksin Shinawatra, 75, who was the prime minister from 2001 to 2006. He was removed over corruption charges.

I have a solid team, a team that once was a government, once served the people, once pushed policies, successfully, she said in an interview in March 2023. That made me dare to say that I am ready, she said, as quoted by The New York Times.

Paetongtarn is known by her nickname, Ung-Ing. Before entering politics three years ago, she helped run the hotel arm of her familys business empire.

Currently, she is the largest shareholder of publicly traded property firm SC Asset Corp. Pcl, with a 28.5% stake worth about 5.2 billion baht ($152 million), according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Before taking the post of Prime Minister, Paetongtarn will need to relinquish her business roles and comply with share ownership rules, according to Thai laws.

Who are Shinawatras?

Thaksins sister, Yingluck Shinawatra became prime minister in 2011 until she was removed by the Constitutional Court in 2014 after she dismissed Thawil Pliensri from the National Security Council in 2011. That was followed soon after in 2014 by another military coup following months of political turmoil in Thailand.

Thaksins welfare policies cemented his popularity among poor and rural Thais. But in 2006, protests erupted following allegations that the Shinawatra family had failed to pay taxes on their businesses, leading to a military-orchestrated ouster.

Both Thaksin and Yingluck left Thailand for self-imposed exile to avoid arrest until Thaksin returned to Thailand in August 2023.

Yingluck was accused by opposition leaders of running a proxy government for Thaksin. She too was ousted after a judicial order against her in 2014. Thaksin has since backed several parties, and has remained a powerful player in Thai politics.

What are the Implications of Shinawatras Return to Power?

Thaksin received a royal pardon reducing his parole to two weeks, Reuters reported. The recent events have raised concerns over the shrinking of spaces for strong political voices representing the will of the Thai people.

When she campaigned for election as a prime ministerial candidate last year, Paetongtarns promises included lowering Bangkoks public transportation fares, expanding healthcare coverage and doubling the minimum daily wage.

In Paetongtarns first term in office, she will be faced with Thailands struggling economy, her partys dwindling popularity and a possible rise of the opposition, which, since the dissolution of Move Forwards Party (MPF), has regrouped as the Peoples Party.

Analysts believe Petongtarn Shinawatra will likely be in her fathers shadow, given her inexperience and the mammoth task of heading the government. Ensuring her political survival will be Thaksins major challenge given Thailands turbulent political history, which has seen 19 coups since the country became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.
The rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor in a Kolkata hospital has shaken the entire nation  the second such incident after the Nirbhaya incident in Delhi that has witnessed a powerful display of solidarity at the national level.

The incident at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital has triggered a demand for stringent laws to protect doctors and healthcare workers in the country.

AIIMS resident doctors association (RDA) on August 18 wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to enact a central law through an ordinance to protect to protect medical staffers and institutions.

What Are Doctors Demanding?

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) is supporting protesting doctors who are demanding that the Centre should reconsider a 2019 draft bill  the Healthcare Services Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill  that was junked following objection by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The IMA also believes that the reluctance to acknowledge violence on doctors at healthcare centres has to change.

Among other demands, the IMA has sought hospital security protocols that are no less than those at an airport, and that healthcare centres should be declared safe zones with mandatory deployment of CCTVs and security personnel.

IMA national president RV Asokan said doctors are seeking a meticulous and professional investigation of the crime within a timeframe and also justice.

What is the Centre Saying?

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued an order on August 16 that in the event of any violence against any health care worker while on duty, the head of the institution shall be responsible for filing an institutional FIR within a maximum of six hours of the incident.

A number of health workers suffer physical violence during the course of their duty most of this violence is done by either [the] patient or patients attendants, it said.

The National Medical Commission (NMC) directed all medical colleges to develop a policy for a safe work environment within the college and hospital campus for all staff members. It also said any incident of violence against medical students should be promptly investigated by the college management and an FIR should be lodged.

Health ministry officials said the deployment of marshals would also be examined depending on the need in the hospitals. Besides the standard security protocols, the deployment would also be approved based on individual demands from central government hospitals after an assessment of security in their premises, they added, as quoted by ThePrint.

Why is There No Central Law?

Most state acts define healthcare service personnel to include doctors, nurses, medical and nursing students, and paramedical staff. Since health and law and order are State subjects, it is the responsibility of state governments or Union Territory administration to take note of incidents, and do what is necessary to prevent violence.

The Centre proposed the Health Services Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill in 2019, seeking recommendations and objections. However, the home ministry shelved the bill, expressing concerns that similar protections might be demanded by other professional communities.

In 2022, the Prevention of Violence Against Healthcare Professionals and Clinical Establishments Bill, 2022 was introduced in the Lok Sabha. The Central Protection Act for Doctors was the proposed legislation aimed to define violent acts against healthcare professionals and lay down punishment for such acts.

But the bill was not pursued as the then health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said most of its objectives were covered in the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance 2020.

What about other countries? In the UK, the National Health Service (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.

Violence Against Healthcare Workers in India

In 1973, Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug working as a junior nurse at King Edward Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, was sexually assaulted by a hospital sweeper. She died in 2015 after spending over 41 years in a vegetative state following the attack. Years later, doctors and other healthcare workers continue to demand specific and basic safety measures at hospitals including improved lighting, increased security, and installation of security cameras.

A 23-year-old physiotherapy students was brutally assaulted and raped in a moving bus in Delhis Munirka on December 16, 2012 by six men. She was travelling with her friend. After the attack, both of them were thrown out of the bus to die at the side of the road. The two were found half-dead by a passerby. Doctors at Safdarjung Hospital found that she had only five per cent intestines left insider her body. She succumbed to injuries on December 29.

All six accused in the case were convicted by the court. The juvenile accused was tried separately, while capital punishment was awarded to Mukesh, Akshay, Pawan and Vinay. Ram Singh, the bus driver, committed suicide on March 11, 2013.

Amid the news of the Kolkata rape and murder case, reports surfaced of a woman resident doctor allegedly being assaulted by a patient and his relatives  all of whom were drunk  in Mumbais Sion Hospital in the wee hours of August 18.

Last year, Vandana Das, a junior doctor on duty in Kerala, was stabbed to death by an inebriated patient.

West Bengal witnessed a mass resignation of doctors in 2019 after a mob attacked a junior doctor.
Is it the end of the road for Sandip Ghosh? Sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have told CNN-News18 that the former RG Kar Hospital principals answers are changing with every round of questioning, even as the agency races against time to establish the sequence of events after a 31-year-old trainee doctor was found raped and murdered on the institutes premises.

The sources added that Ghoshs sustained questioning is to ascertain what really happened after the crime was discovered amid allegations that the authorities tried to cover up the incident by telling the students parents that she had died by suicide.

This, however, does not seem to be the end of troubles for Ghosh who resigned from RG Kar on August 12 amidst allegations of a racket being run from the hospital. On Tuesday, police registered a case against the former principal for cheating, conspiracy and financial irregularities after a complaint from special commissioner, health.

Tuesday is the fifth day Ghosh will be questioned by the CBI. The agency has, so far, questioned over 30 people, including doctors, PG students, HoDs, and staff members. On Friday night, security guards, ward boys and nurses were summoned.

The agency is also looking into allegations by the victims family that she was under pressure at RG Kar. The CBI wants Ghosh to answer if he was aware of why the victim was feeling pressured and if there was any complaint made to the college authorities regarding the same.

Security for doctors and patients, use of the seminar hall  where the crime happened  and overall management of the hospital are all queries that the CBI team is seeking answers to. Ghoshs call records and chat details are also being investigated.

On Monday, the CBI team asked Ghosh to specify his role after getting the news of the doctors death, who he had contacted thereafter and why he made the parents wait for nearly three hours before getting to see her body, an agency official said. The former principal was also questioned on who had ordered renovation of rooms adjacent to the seminar hall, after the postgraduate trainees body was found there on August 9, he said.

HEAT ON GHOSH

Ghosh hit headlines when he was appointed the principal of National Medical College, just four hours after his resignation from RG Kar, inviting the wrath of the Calcutta High Court.

The move to transfer Ghosh had put Mamata Banerjees government on the backfoot, with women  staunch supporters of Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee  being up in arms over the rape-murder and the police handling of the case.

The RG Kar horror brought the spotlight on the former principal, revealing a string of his transfers and transfer reversals. Months after his joining, RG Kar saw protests by over 350 students against the college authorities reluctance to form two separate councils for students and hostels respectively. The students had protested by holding a hunger strike outside Ghoshs office.

As per reports dated January 2023, Dr Ghosh and RG Kar medical college found themselves in another controversy, where it was alleged that the bodies coming in for autopsy were being used for dissection practicals without any prior consent from the parents of the deceased, over which Dr Ghosh promised an internal enquiry.

On May 31, 2023, the Government of West Bengal issued an order replacing Dr Sandip Ghosh with one Dr Sanath Ghosh, to become the new Principal at RG Kar. However, reports state that Dr Sanath, couldnt take charge of his new responsibility as he found the Principal cabin locked from outside, allegedly by Dr Sandip Ghosh. In over 24 hours, this transfer order was reversed and Dr Sandip Ghosh remained the principal.

On Monday, the West Bengal government announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations of financial irregularities at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital since 2021 when it was under the supervision of Ghosh.

However, the BJP termed the step Mamata Banerjees move to save Ghosh, with the partys media cell in-charge and spokesperson Amit Malviya taking to X to say: Now, WB Govt constitutes a SIT to probe allegations of financial irregularities by Dr Sandeep Ghosh, the disgraced Principal of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital. 4 IPS officers are part of the SIT. How are police officers equipped to investigate financial crimes?

TRACKING CBI

On Monday evening, a team of CBI officers visited the RG Kar Hospital to take a closer look at its Trauma Care Unit, and also collected samples.

CBI sleuths also grilled arrested accused Sanjay Roy as the probe agency tries to ascertain whether he was alone while allegedly committing the crime. Apart from this, the investigators went to the Kolkata Polices headquarters at Lalbazar and spoke to officers who were part of the investigation when they were probing the matter, an official said.

Meanwhile, a local court granted CBI permission to conduct a polygraph test on Roy. The CBI is yet to schedule a date for the test. As per norms, the accused has to be brought before a magistrate, who will ask the person if he agrees to a polygraph test, the official added.
A child rights protection team is being sent to Badlapur to probe the alleged sexual abuse of two four-year-old girls at a kindergarten school. Maharashtra school education minister Deepak Kesarkar is likely to meet the victims parents on Wednesday (August 21).

Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Priyank Kanungo said: An NCPCR team will be sent to probe the matter.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took note of the incident and has sought a detailed report from the Maharashtra government in two weeks. It also wants a report on the alleged delay in filing an FIR in the matter, and has issued notices to the chief secretary and director general of police.

Angry parents of the schoolchildren and local residents, including several women, gathered outside the school on Tuesday morning (August 20) and resorted to a rail roko protest at the railway station. Thousands blocked the tracks leading to massive disruption of local train services and diversion of some long-distance trains.

Some of the protesters, including women, later damaged the school property by breaking its gate, window panes, benches and doors. The school where the incident happened belongs to a close relative of a BJP leader from Badlapur, as per sources.

On August 17, the police arrested an attendant at the school in the case. According to the complaint, he abused the girls in the toilet of the school. The school management has suspended the principal, a class teacher and a female attendant.

Here are the latest updates in the case:

Protests politically motivated, most were outsiders

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said the Badlapur protest was politically motivated and aimed at maligning the state government. He also said the majority of protesters were outsiders. He targeted the opposition and said those doing politics over the incident should be ashamed.

The protest was politically motivated because the protesters were not local residents. The local residents who were part of the protest could be counted on fingers, he said, adding that state minister Girish Mahajan agreed to all demands of the protesters but they were still not ready to relent.

This means they just wanted to malign the government, he said.

According to Shinde, some protesters were carrying placards mentioning the Ladki Bahin Yojana, his governments flagship financial assistance scheme for women. The placards said they did not want the monthly sum of Rs 1,500 but protection for their girls. Does anyone protest like this? The stomachache the opposition is suffering from due to this scheme is visible from yesterdays protest, he said.

Optimistic that investigating agency will soon file chargesheet

Special prosecutor in the Badlapur incident, advocate Ujjwal Nikam said he has received oral communication from deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis about his appointment in the case. He has not yet received the governments official notification, he said.

Yesterday, I received the oral communication from the deputy chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis informing that I should accept that case and seeing the gravity and the seriousness of the crime, I have consented to act as a special PP in that case. Still, I have not received governments official notification but I am optimistic that the government investigating agency will file the charge sheet very soon, he told news agency ANI.

He added: Within the stipulated time, they would complete the chargesheet and then, thereafter, my role would begin I can understand the people were in an angry mood and the rail roko andolan went on for about 10 hours The accused should also get a fair opportunity to defend himself. I am very optimistic that the investigating agency will file the chargesheet soon and will complete the trial within the stipulated time.

Police custody of accused extended till August 26

A local court extended till August 26 the police custody of the man arrested in the Badlapur case. He was produced before a magistrate at Kalyan amid tight police security. The court ordered the extension of his police custody till August 26, following which he was taken away by the police in a van, a senior official said. The police arrested the accused on August 17.

Baramati MP Supriya Sule stages protest in Pune

Baramati MP Supriya Sule along with party workers staged a protest against the Maharashtra government over the Badlapur sexual abuse case. She said crime has increased in the state, which is justified by government data. Crime has increased in Maharashtra and this is not something I am saying but the government data mentions. Be it the Porsche case or drugs in the state. Crime against women has increased a lot in Maharashtra The issue (Badlapur) incident is sensitive. The way it was ignored is saddening. When the people were on the roads, the government was awakenedAfter elections (Lok Sabha), the sisters immediately became Ladki (dear) for the government and started giving Rs 1500 for the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bhin Yojana. I saw on all your channels that a woman said they do not want this governments Rs 1500, we will give them Rs 2000 but keep our sisters safe she said.

#WATCH | Pune: NCP (SCP) MP Supriya Sule along with party workers stage a protest against the Maharashtra government against the alleged sexual assault of a girl child at a school in Badlapur. pic.twitter.com/I7WwHaDBF1 ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2024

72 arrested for violence during protests, FIR against 300

At least 72 people were arrested a day after the rail roko protests in Badlapur railway station. An FIR was registered against at least 300 people for alleged violence and vandalism during the agitation. Those arrested will be produced before the court, police said. At least 17 city police personnel and eight railway cops were injured in incidents of stone-pelting at the Badlapur railway station and other parts of the town during the protest.

At least 17 city police personnel, including two officers, were injured as an angry mob attacked them with stones during the protest in Badlapur on Tuesday over the sexual abuse of two girls. We have registered three FIRs on charges of violation of prohibitory orders, armed unlawful assembly, assault, damage to public property, among others against the miscreants, a senior police official said.

The injured police personnel are being treated at different local hospitals. A total of 40 persons have been arrested so far in connection with stone-pelting and other crimes. Attempts to identify other offenders are on. CCTVs footages and video news clippings are being examined, the official said.

Commissioner of Government Railway Police (GRP) Ravindra Shisve said one FIR has been registered in connection with the violence at Badlapur railway station and 32 persons have been arrested. Seven to eight railway police personnel, including officials, were injured in the stone-pelting, he said. The situation is normal and under control today, he said.

Internet suspended, schools remain shut day after protest

In the wake of the massive protests, internet services in the town were suspended while most schools remained shut. According to officials, additional police force has been deployed in the town to maintain law and order, and the situation in the town is limping back to normalcy.

Talking to PTI, DCP Sudhakar Pathare said internet services in the town have been suspended in the wake of the protest and subsequent violence. The internet services will be restored after taking a review of the situation in the town, he said.

No negligence from govts side

Maharashtra women and child welfare minister Aditi Tatkare said there has been no negligence on part of the state government regarding the alleged sexual abuse incident. She said the school principal has been suspended and the management is also under probe.

Its an unfortunate incident. The home ministry has set up an SIT and has sought the report at the earliest The state home minister has suspended the local police officer who has delayed registering the case. The principal of the school has also been suspended and the management is being investigated We are concentrating on providing justice to the victim and the harshest possible punishment for those who committed this crime. There has been no negligence from the governments side in taking action, she told news agency ANI.

A lot of protesters were political

School education minister Deepak Kesarkar said he will only speak to those genuinely protesting against the alleged sexual abuse incident as a lot of the others were political. He said he will be unable to meet the victims parents in public as that would reveal their identity.

I spoke with school management and NGOs, which initiated action. I gathered detailed information. I was about to announce the action to be taken, before the protests began. I could not speak to the protesters, but I will speak to only genuine protesters now. A lot of them were political, he said.

Teacher accused of showing obscene videos to girl students in Akola

Amid protests over the alleged sexual abuse incident in Badlapur on Tuesday, a case was registered against a 47-year-old government school teacher in Maharashtras Akola district after a few girl students alleged that he had been harassing them by showing them obscene videos. The teacher, working at the zilla parishad school at Kazikhed, has been detained for questioning.

According to the FIR, six girl students complained that the teacher had been showing them obscene videos for the past four months. Further investigation was underway, police said. The crime came to light when the girl students called the toll-free number of the Child Welfare Committee, whose members visited the school and spoke to some of the girls following which the case was registered.

Uddhav Thackeray demands fast-tracking of case, speedy justice

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has demanded that the sexual abuse case in Badlapur be fast-tracked and speedy justice ensured to the victims. He said on the one hand the state government is running the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin scheme, but daughters of sisters are not safe. He alleged politics was played over crime against women by targeting certain states.

The (Badlapur) case should be fast-tracked and speedy justice should be ensured to the victims, he said, claiming that the school where the girls were allegedly abused sexually was linked to BJP leaders.

Sena leader accused of making offensive remark to woman reporter

A woman journalist covering the Badlapur protests alleged on Tuesday that a local leader of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena made an offensive remark, saying she was acting as if she herself had been raped. Waman Mhatre, former mayor of Badlapur, however, said his remark was misconstrued.

The woman journalist, who works for a Marathi daily, told a news channel that as she was covering the protests on the tracks, Mhatre confronted her, making vulgar gestures. She was reporting on the incident in such a way as if she herself had been raped, she quoted Mhatre as saying.

Such behavior was highly unacceptable and caused me agony. However, I responded by asserting that my reporting is based on facts, the woman added. Mhatre claimed that his comments were misconstrued. I was insisting that they provide factual information to the protesters. The word rape was consistently used. I was asking them to get factual information, but it was misconstrued, he said.

The Mumbai Press Club condemned Mhatres statements and demanded that Shinde take action against him. He demonstrated blatant disregard for public sentiment by blaming journalists for the incident and said the media was inciting unrest, the Press Club said in a statement.

State cabinet minister, opposition leader spar over Badlapur protests

Maharashtra cabinet minister Girish Mahajan on Tuesday justified police action against protesters who blocked rail tracks at Badlapur station in Thane district for hours, and accused the opposition of politicising a crime of serious nature. Mahajan maintained the state government had accepted most of the demands made by protesters, but it was not possible to accede to their request for public execution of the alleged perpetrator. Leader of opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve of the Shiv Sena (UBT) hit out at the Mahayuti government and police, and announced his party will launch a statewide agitation against the ruling coalition from Wednesday (August 21).

Mahajan described certain protesters as daily wage workers, while Danve characterised the agitation as a spontaneous manifestation of public outrage. BJP MLA Kisan Kathore alleged that some of the protesters came from outside Badlapur and that the agitation was pre-planned.

Danve also visited Badlapur station and interacted with the protesters. Talking to reporters, the opposition MLC lashed out at the local police for not taking prompt action in the sexual assault case. Police are solely responsible for such a protest because they did not take action against the perpetrator when the parents of the girls approached them to complain. The outrage among people was so intense that they protested at Badlapur station, but it was not politically motivated, he said.

The case so far

The state government has suspended three police officials, including a senior inspector, for alleged dereliction of duty in the case. A special investigation team (SIT) headed by senior IPS officer Arti Singh has been formed, while chief minister Eknath Shinde said action will be taken against the school and the case will be fast-tracked.

Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, who has been appointed as the special public prosecutor in the case, condemned the inordinate delay by the police in lodging an FIR. This is a sensitive case. It is shameful why the police officers did not not take up the matter seriously. Why the senior police officials ignored the complaint will definitely be probed and those found guilty will be punished. The most important thing is that during such cases, if the police delay in taking cognisance, then crucial evidence is lost, he said.

Opposition parties have targeted the Mahayuti government over the issue.
Two young girls aged four were allegedly sexually assaulted by a school sweeper in the washroom of a well-known school in Badlapur, triggering massive protests across Thane district by agitated parents.

The accused, identified as Akshay Shinde, worked as a cleaner contracted through a third-party company and was arrested after the parents insisted on filing a formal complaint despite initial attempts by the police to play down the issue by delaying filing of the FIR for over 12 hours.

The parents, demanding capital punishment for the culprit, called for a shutdown of Badlapur city and halted local trains on Tuesday by protesting on the tracks, disrupting the local railway schedule between Kalyan and Karajat.

Taking cognisance of the incident, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has decided to send a team to Badlapur for investigation.

School Issues Statement

The school, meanwhile, issued a public statement expressing regret over the incident, acknowledging the serious lapses in safeguarding students. The administration promised to install additional CCTV cameras throughout the campus and implement stringent safety measures to prevent such incidents in the future. They also assured full cooperation with the authorities.

However, this did not cut ice with the parents and the management was forced to suspend the principal. The teacher in-charge of the class that the girls studied in and the two attendants responsible for escorting students to the washroom have also been dismissed. The schools administration has also terminated its contract with the company that employed the accused and blacklisted the contractor.

Schools in the area remained closed on Tuesday in solidarity with the protesting parents.

Chief minister Eknath Shinde requested protesters to not block tracks. I have asked police to make this case water-tight. We will not spare anyone, be it a police officer or school administration, he said.

Deputy CM Fadnavis Takes Action

The Office of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed that the Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis has ordered the Thane Police Commissioner to immediately suspend the senior police inspector, assistant sub-inspector and head constable of Badlapur police station for delaying action in the initial stage of the Badlapur incident. The action came after the parents had alleged that they were forced to wait for over 12 hours to file an FIR.

In addition to this, IG Rank officer IPS Arti Singh is also appointed to conduct the enquiry in connection to the case.

The cases, coming close on the heels of the RG Kar Hospital rape and murder, have once again exposed the lack of safety for women across age groups in the country.
Amid nationwide protests and outrage over the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor in Kolkata, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has assigned two of its most senior and notable female officers to assist with the case.

Sampat Meena, Additional Director at the CBI, will lead the 25-member team investigating the alleged rape and murder of the woman trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital earlier this month.

Meena, a 1994 batch IPS officer from Jharkhand, has a distinguished record, having led high-profile cases such as the 2020 Hathras rape-murder and the 2017 Unnao rape case, earning accolades for her thorough investigations.

Joining Meena is officer Seema Pahuja, who was also part of the Hathras investigation team. Pahuja will be handling the ground-level investigation in the Kolkata case.

Currently serving as an Additional Superintendent with the CBI and a Police Medal recipient, Pahuja has been associated with the agencys special crime unit for some time.

The top CBI officials have taken charge of a case that has reignited the debate on womens safety in the workplace, sparked massive protests, and compelled the Bengal government to announce a series of measures for the safety of women doctors on night duty. These measures include establishing designated safe zones and separate restrooms.

The trainee doctor, whose body was discovered at the seminar hall of a state-run hospital on August 9, was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty. This led to the arrest of a civic volunteer by the Kolkata Police the following day.

However, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the investigation to the CBI on August 13, with the agency commencing its probe on August 14.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the probe agency was granted permission to conduct a polygraph test on Sanjay Roy, the only person arrested so far in the case.

The CBI received local court approval to conduct a polygraph test on the accused, days after performing a psychoanalysis test on him.

Sources indicate that Roys narco test is crucial due to numerous inconsistencies in his statements during interrogation by CBI officers. Roy, who was posted at the hospitals police outpost, was arrested based on CCTV footage. While local media reported that Roy confessed to the crime, there is widespread speculation that the rape and murder could not have been committed by a single individual.

(With inputs from agencies)
Hours before the hearing begins in Supreme Court in the Kolkata rape and murder case, the West Bengal government has filed a complaint against former RG Kar Medical College principal Sandip Ghosh stating that the departmental inquiry found criminal nexus between Ghosh and certain unscrupulous contractors and collusive bidding for several works in the hospital premises.

Some of the allegations even date back to April 2022, when Ghosh, the former principal has been accused of showing evidence of obtainment of work orders despite not having proper licences, ineligibility to participate in tender and quotation process.

Based on the complaint, the Kolkata Police initiated a case against Ghosh under charges of forgery and criminal conspiracy, and also slapped charges under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act. The complaint has been lodged by a special secretary from the states health department. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is in charge of Bengals health department as well. News18 has exclusively accessed the complaint.

What Is The Complaint?

In the complaint, Debal Saha, an IAS officer, who holds the position of the special secretary at the states health department, stated, This is to inform you that this Department had received a complaint against Dr Sandip Ghosh, the then Principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata with regard to financial irregularities in different procurements and allied matters. Upon examination of the complaint, it has transpired during departmental investigation that there is a criminal nexus between Dr Sandip Ghosh and certain unscrupulous contractors leading to award of various works of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata to them.

The findings have revealed that there existed collusive bidding or bid rigging leading to award of such works to one M/s Eshan Cafe, M/s Khama Louha and M/s Ma Tara Traders. M/s Eshan Cafe was awarded the contract of running a cafeteria in an apparent instance of collusive bidding, the special secretary said in the complaint.

The former principal of the medical college and hospital has also been accused of several other financial irregularities. The health department, after receiving several complaints of financial corruption against the principal, had initiated a department inquiry. With the findings, the department has decided to lodge a police complaint, said a senior officer in the West Bengal health department.

Significantly, the government has also formed a four-member SIT, headed by an IG ranked officer to investigate the alleged financial corruption complaints against Sandip Ghosh.
The twists and turns in the Kolkata doctors rape-murder case are never-ending. As protests demanding justice and political blame games took over, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance and heard the matter on Tuesday. The top court asked the authorities concerned about the chronology and timings of the events related to the case and expressed doubts over actions taken.

Terming the rape and murder case of a medic at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital as horrific, the Supreme Court came down heavily on the West Bengal government over the delay in filing FIR and sought status reports from probe agencies. It also constituted a 10-member task force to formulate a national protocol to ensure safety and facilities for doctors.

ALSO READ | Harassed by Principals Coterie, Tried Taking My Life: RG Kar Students Reveal Pressure at Hospital

On Delay in filing FIR

The top court slammed the West Bengal government over the delay in filing an FIR after the 31-year-old doctors body with severe injury marks was found inside the seminar hall of the hospitals chest department on August 9.

What police said Kolkata Police chief Vineet Goyal had said a case of unnatural death was filed. 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 dont 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.

It appears crime was detected in early hours, medical college principal tried to pass it off as suicide, and asked what were hospital authorities doing, a bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said.

After the senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who was appearing for the state informed the court that the deceased doctors father was the first to file an FIR in the case at 11.45 pm on August 9, the court questioned the hospital authorities sluggish response.

Solicitor General Mehta sought to change the top police official of the state. CJI Chandrachud said, Let the power of the state of West Bengal not unleash on the protesters.

The court said that the nation cannot wait for another such incident to see a change in circumstances. It ordered the constitution of a task force to look into the matter, which will include central government officials.

The apex court said most young doctors are putting in 36 hours of work and there was a need to evolve national protocol to ensure safe conditions at the workplace. The court has asked the committee to submit an interim report in three weeks, directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a status report by August 22, and asked the West Bengal government to submit a status report on the overall probe into the vandalism incident by August 22.

ALSO READ | Answers Changing Every Round: Ex-RG Kar Principal Sandip Ghosh Falters in CBI Questioning

On Sandip Ghosh

The Central Bureau of investigation (CBI) is questioning former RG Principal Sandip Ghosh, who resigned after protests over the incident on August 12 but was appointed principal at a different within hours. Following Calcutta High Courts directives, he filed a leave application. Kolkata Police on Tuesday filed a corruption case against Ghosh after the education department flagged financial irregularities.

It appears crime was detected in early hours, medical college principal tried to pass it off as suicide, the court said.

The court questioned the Bengal governments improper initial actions and asked, After the principal (Sandip Ghosh) resigned from here, he was assigned as principal in some other college. That too when his conduct is in question? the court asked.

The brutality of the sexual assault has shocked the conscience. Parents were permitted to see the dead body after several hours, the high court transferred the investigations to CBI on the eve of Independence Day. Soon after, a large mob vandalised the hospital. We are unable to comprehend how the state was not able to handle the issue of vandalism at the hospital, the court said.

On RG Kar Vandalism

The Kolkata Police has arrested 25 people so far for vandalising the RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata on Thursday, amid midnight protests by women across West Bengal.

Police officials told CNN-News18 that they are actively investigating the possibility of this being a pre-planned attack. Whether this was a conspiracy, or if someone sent them or they came up with a plan  we will know only after thorough questioning of those arrested. We are not ruling out the conspiracy angle. It is very much a part of our investigation, Additional CP Murlidhar Sharma told CNN-News18.

The emergency ward, nursing station, medicine store, and parts of the outpatient department of the hospital were vandalised by the miscreants. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said on Thursday evening that two floors of its emergency ward have been destroyed, medicines looted and infrastructure and equipment severely damaged.

Officials told CNN-News18 that those arrested were armed and seemed to have reached the hospital in smaller groups of six-10 from localities such as Howrah or Dumdum.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said West Bengal should not be in denial mode and there was a complete failure of law and order in state.

He said a mob of 7,000 people cannot enter the hospital without knowledge of the Kolkata Police.

The bench rapped the Kolkata Police and asked how a mob of thousands entered the RG Kar Medical College. The Supreme Court raised doubts over the vandalism in Kolkatas RG Kar Hospital and the attempts to alter the crime scene late last Thursday. The next day, doctors were protesting. A mob entered the hospital where the crime scene was. What was the police doing? the court asked.

Doctors demands and CBI probe

The doctors strike over the rape and murder of the medic completed a week on Sunday and is now entering its second week, causing difficulties for patients.

The protesting doctors want the CBI to catch the culprits and for the court to impose the maximum punishment on them. They also want an assurance from the government that no such incidents occur in the future.

On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the probe from the Kolkata Police to the CBI, which started its investigation on August 14.

The high court ordered the transfer of the probe to the CBI while hearing petitions, including one moved by the victims parents praying for a court-monitored probe.
The Centre on Tuesday wrote to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) seeking cancellation of its latest advertisement for lateral entry into 45 government positions.

In the letter addressed to UPSC Chairman Preeti Sudan, the Centre noted that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a review of the scheme to align it with the principles of reservation-  a demand that has also been voiced by opposition parties and two key NDA allies, the LJP and the JDU.

Currently, the lateral entry scheme does not adhere to the reservation formula, as the Centre argues that these are single-cadre posts treated as specialised jobs.

This aspect needs to be reviewed and reformed in light of the Prime Ministers focus on ensuring social justice. The PM firmly believes that the process of lateral entry must be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in the Constitution, particularly with regard to reservation provisions, stated the letter from Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Minister Jitendra Singh.

The Centres letter indicates that the PM has taken direct cognisance of the uproar over the lateral entry issue. For the PM, reservation in public employment is a cornerstone of our social justice framework, aimed as addressing historical injustices and promoting inclusivity. It is important that the constitutional mandate towards social justice is upheld so that deserving candidates from marginalised communities get their rightful; representation in the government services, the letter stated.

On August 17, the UPSC advertised 45 posts10 of joint secretaries and 35 of directors/deputy secretariesto be filled through the lateral entry mode on a contract basis. This scheme aims to appoint specialists (including those from the private sector) in government departments.

The Congress party and other opposition groups have criticised the Modi government since the advertisements release, with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi questioning why SCs, STs, and OBCs were not granted reservations.

The pressure on the government increased after LJPs Chirag Paswan and JDUs KC Tyagi on Monday stated that the lateral entry scheme without reservation was unacceptable to them. Both are key BJP allies.

Earlier, the government had to refer the Waqf Amendment Bill to the Joint Parliamentary Committee after both the LJP and the TDP, along with the opposition, demanded it following a vociferous protest in Parliament.

Additionally, the government recently had to withdraw the draft broadcasting bill, which faced criticism for its tough provisions against social media influencers. The opposition is using these instances to argue that the current NDA government is weak and dependent on its allies for survival.
Gurugram Police on Tuesday arrested a couple and their accomplice for allegedly killing a 27-year-old man whose body was found in a drum floating in a drain here three days ago, officials said.

The couple allegedly strangulated the man, who was their relative, over an illicit relationship. With the help of their accomplice, they disposed of the body by placing it in a drum and throwing it into the drain, they added.

According to officials, the body was discovered on Saturday in the IMT Manesar area. It was found tied with a sari and carried strangulation marks. Nothing was found in his clothes or the drum that could help in his identification.

A probe was launched after registration of an FIR at the IMT Manesar police station.

The police said on Sunday, they identified the deceased as Ramparichan Sharma (27), a native of Madhubani district in Bihar who lived in Begampur Khatola village here.

Based on investigation, the police zeroed in on three suspects  Panchdev Thakur, his wife Indu and friend Chandan Thakur, all hailing from Supol district in Bihar and currently residing in Bas Kushla village in the IMT Manesar area, they added.

In his confession, Panchdev revealed that Sharma was his relative and was allegedly involved in an illicit relationship with Indu. Upon discovering the affair, Panchdev and his wife Indu planned to eliminate Sharma.

On August 14, the couple lured Sharma to their house. After he fell asleep, they allegedly strangled him with an electric wire, said Deepak Kumar Jewaria, DCP, Manesar.

The next day, they hid the body in a drum and, with the help of Chandan, transported it on a bike and disposed of it in the drain, he added.

The DCP said the interrogation of the accused is underway.

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Amid the ongoing allegations over the role of Kolkata Police in the trainee doctors rape and murder case, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Tuesday brought the role of the cops under scrutiny after the lawyer appearing for the doctors of the RG Kar Hospital accused the police of running away during the vandalism of the hospital by unknown miscreants.

Police officials stationed at the RG Kar Hospital ran away during the vandalism and hid in the Nurses Dressing Room when the mob was attacking the hospital, said the lawyer representing the RG Kar Hospital doctors before the Supreme Court.

Reacting to this, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta responded, This is only the tip of the ice berg.

Following the lawyers argument, CJI DY Chandrachud sought answers from Kapil Sibal, who is representing the West Bengal government. Mr Sibal, this is very serious the CJI said.

What was the police doing? How can the police run away from the site? CJI Chandrachud asked. Even if we order protection for the doctors, this police will protect them? asked Justice JB Pardiwala.

Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case #LIVE: Cant Comprehend How State Could Not Handle RG Kar Vandalism, Says CJI, Asks For Removal Of Top Cop and other top stories#BreakingNews https://t.co/syfsHwcpAP News18 (@CNNnews18) August 20, 2024

Cant Wait For Another Rape: SCs Strong Observation

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, while hearing the rape and murder of a doctor in a state-run hospital in Kolkata, observed that the nation cannot wait for another rape case for things to change on the ground.

CJI Chandrachud also noted that existing enactments do not address institutional safety standards for doctors and medical workers. He added that due to patriarchal biases, women doctors are targeted more.

As more and more women join the workforce, the nation cannot wait for another rape for things to change on the ground, he observed.
Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case: Latest Updates on Sandip Ghosh Questioning & RG Kar Hospital Investigations Stay informed with live updates on the Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case (August 22, 2024). Discover the latest developments on Sandip Ghosh, the ex-head of RG Kar Medical College.

'First Issue Is Preventing Violence Against Medical Professional': Member of National Task Force On the Supreme Court ordering the formation of the National Task Force, the Chairman & Head Institute of Surgical Gastroenterology, SGRH, and member of the National Task Force, Dr Saumitra Rawat said, I think we will work in two different areas, it has been told to us by the CJI  the first issue is preventing violence against medical professional, second is to draft a national protocol for dignified and safe working for the doctors, nurses and all the paramedical staffs. We have been told to give interim guidelines within three weeks and final guidelines in two months

Kolkata Doctors Parents: Sanjoy Roy A Scapegoat, Shared Suspicions About Principal, Superintendent With CBI Parents of the trainee doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, have detailed before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) their suspicion about the former principal of the college, Sandip Ghosh, and his top associates, including the medical superintendent and the assistant superintendent. Speaking to CNN-News18, the father of the victim said, We have complained against the principal, the MSVP, the superwe have told the CBI about our suspicion about each one of them. Read full Article

'SC Exposed Working Of Bengal Govt,' Says Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan On the Supreme Court hearing on the RG Kar MCH rape and murder case, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, The Supreme Courts comments have exposed the working of the West Bengal governmentThe inadequacies of a government hospital in West Bengal expose the failure of the state governmentThere should be no place for such kind of insensitivity that has been shown by the state government in handling the incidentI welcome the Supreme Courts comments and I hope that the leaders of the state government will abide by their responsibilities

Kolkata Doctor Case LIVE Updates: Telangana Doctors Stage Protest in Hyderabad Resident doctors from the Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) and Gandhi Junior Doctors Association (Gandhi JUDA) staged a protest in Hyderabad demanding justice in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-death case.

Kolkata Doctor Case LIVE Updates: Congress Leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Hopes SC Will Take A 'Revolutionary Decision' On Supreme Court taking suo motu cognizance of the rape and murder of a doctor in RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, It is a very positive step that the Supreme Court has taking suo motu cognizance of the incidentI am hopeful that the Supreme Court will take a revolutionary decision. We should ensure womens safety in West Bengal and the nationThe people of Bengal are hopeful that justice will be servedStrict action should be taken against those responsible for the incident

Kolkata Doctor Case LIVE Updates: Congress Leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Hopes SC Will Take A 'Revolutionary Decision' On Supreme Court taking suo motu cognizance of the rape and murder of a doctor in RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, It is a very positive step that the Supreme Court has taking suo motu cognizance of the incidentI am hopeful that the Supreme Court will take a revolutionary decision. We should ensure womens safety in West Bengal and the nationThe people of Bengal are hopeful that justice will be servedStrict action should be taken against those responsible for the incident

Kolkata Doctor Case LIVE Updates: Sourav Ganguly To Join Protest Tomorrow Sourav Ganguly will join the protest on the roads of Kolkata on August 21. In the evening he will also participate in his wifes dance school protest against the RG Kar incident.

Kolkata Doctor Case LIVE Updates: 'Bengal Govt Carelessly Dealt With Case.' Says BJP Leader Tamilisai Soundararajan On Kolkatas RG Kar hospital rape-murder case, BJP leader Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan said, We need to respect the doctorsThe mental position of the doctors should be taken care of. The medical fraternity should be safeguarded by the societyThe West Bengal government carelessly dealt with the caseWhy they are safeguarding the culprits? Those responsible for the incident should be punished

Kolkata Doctor Case LIVE Updates: Associate Of Sanjay Roy Called For Questioning By CBI An associate of Sanjay Roy, the main accused in the Kolkata doctor rape and murder case, has been summoned for questioning by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

'Criminal Nexus, Collusive Bidding': FIR Against RG Kar Ex-Principal Sandip Ghosh On Health Department Complaint Hours before the hearing begins in Supreme Court in the Kolkata rape and murder case, the West Bengal government has filed a complaint against former RG Kar Medical College principal Sandip Ghosh stating that the departmental inquiry found criminal nexus between Ghosh and certain unscrupulous contractors and collusive bidding for several works in the hospital premises. Some of the allegations even date back to April 2022, when Ghosh, the former principal has been accused of showing evidence of obtainment of work orders despite not having proper licences, ineligibility to participate in tender and quotation process. Read full Article

'Answers Changing Every Round: Ex-RG Kar Principal Sandip Ghosh Falters in CBI Questioning Is it the end of the road for Sandip Ghosh? Sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have told CNN-News18 that the former RG Kar Hospital principals answers are changing with every round of questioning, even as the agency races against time to establish the sequence of events after a 31-year-old trainee doctor was found raped and murdered on the institutes premises. The sources added that Ghoshs sustained questioning is to ascertain what really happened after the crime was discovered amid allegations that the authorities tried to cover up the incident by telling the students parents that she had died by suicide. Read full Article

Kolkata Doctor Case LIVE Updates: Bengal Governor Opens Mobile Control Room With Helpline Numbers | Check Details Governor of West Bengal Dr CV Ananda Bose has opened a Mobile Control Room with numbers: 03322001641 and 9289010682 for the ongoing agitation in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a 2nd year PGT female Resident Doctor of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata. Anyone may call up the numbers if they wish to convey anything to HG. The first call from the Mobile Control Room was given by Governor to the father of the deceased Doctor. Governor has given assurance of all support and consoled the bereaved family, a statement by the Media Cell of Raj Bhavan, Kolkata said.

'Why Was FIR Filed Late At Night': SC Questions Initial Action, Ex-Principal's Role In Kolkata Rape-Murder Case The Kolkata doctor rape-murder case that has sparked mass protests has reached the Supreme Court. While hearing the matter, a bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra bashed former RG Kar Principal Sandip Ghosh, rapped the West Bengal government over discrepancies in initial action, and expressed concerns over the safety of women doctors. The Supreme Court came down heavily on RG Kar Hospital authorities and asked, What was the principal doing? Why did he pass it as a suicide? Why was the FIR not being registered till late night? Read full Article

Kolkata Doctor Case LIVE Updates: Bengal Governor Takes A Jibe At Mamata Banerjee After SC Verdict The entire nation heard with great relief the pronouncements of the Supreme Court of India. Remember, every saint has a past, every sinner has a future. Anyone listening? Will Mamata Banerjee please raise her hands? West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose said after the Supreme Court hearing on Kolkata woman doctor rape and murder case.

Kolkata Doctor Case LIVE Updates: CBI Tracks Sanjay Roys Past Antecedents Of Crime Against Women The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers investigating the rape and murder of a woman doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata, are now tracking the details of the past antecedents of crime against women of the sole arrested accused in the case, Sanjay Roy. Sources said during the investigation, the sleuths have come across information about several instances of Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer, harassing or sexually abusing women. However, no case was launched or action initiated against him. The investigating officials are trying to track the godfathers of Roy, whose patronage stopped any sort of disciplinary action against him in such cases, as a result of which he became so arrogant. There are also records of Roy remaining in an intoxicated state while on duty.

Kolkata Doctor Case LIVE Updates: Doctors' Body Welcomes SC Intervention The Federation of Resident Doctors Association on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Courts intervention into the rape and murder of Kolkata medic, saying it will serve the interests of the medical fraternity. At Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, doctors raised slogans like Supreme Court zindabad. We welcome the exhaustive session by the Honble Supreme Court and trust their intervention in the larger interest of our fraternity. We will consult with all our stakeholders before making a decision, FORDA said in a statement.

Kolkata Doctor Case LIVE Updates: SC Constitutes 10-member Task Force To Formulate National Protocol Observing that working conditions have made doctors and health professionals susceptible to violence, the Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a 10-member task force to formulate a national protocol for ensuring safety and facilities for them in the wake of the rape and murder of a medic in Kolkata.

Kolkata Doctor Case LIVE Updates: SC Constitutes 10-member Task Force To Formulate National Protocol Observing that working conditions have made doctors and health professionals susceptible to violence, the Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a 10-member task force to formulate a national protocol for ensuring safety and facilities for them in the wake of the rape and murder of a medic in Kolkata.
The West Bengal government on Monday announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations of financial irregularities at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital since 2021 when it was under the supervision of controversial Principal Sandip Ghosh, who stepped down days after the rape and murder of a trainee doctor on the hospital premises earlier this month. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responded to the development by calling it Mamata Banerjees move to save Ghosh and also raised a few concerns.

Partys media cell in-charge and spokesperson Amit Malviya took to X expressing concerns about the ability of top police officials ability to probe financial irregularities effectively and wrote, Now, WB Govt constitutes a SIT to probe allegations of financial irregularities by Dr Sandeep Ghosh, the disgraced Principal of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital. 4 IPS officers are part of the SIT. How are police officers equipped to investigate financial crimes?

This is nothing but Mamata Banerjees move to save Ghosh. WB Police will arrest Sandeep Ghosh, just in time, to stop CBI from taking him in custody. Unless Mamata Banerjee resigns, free and fair probe in the rape and murder of the lady doctor is not possible. She must resign now, he added.

Now, WB Govt constitutes a SIT to probe allegations of financial irregularities by Dr Sandeep Ghosh, the disgraced Principal of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital. 4 IPS officers are part of the SIT. How are police officers equipped to investigate financial crimes?This is pic.twitter.com/26BUsI9KP0  Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 19, 2024

IPS Officers In SIT

The SIT, according to sources in the state government, will be headed by Pranab Kumar, Inspector General (Training), who will be assisted by Syed Waquar Raza, Deputy Inspector General of Murshidabad Range, Soma Mitra Das, DIG of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and Indira Mukherjee, Deputy Commission (Central Division) of Kolkata Police.

The states home department issued a notification stating that the SIT has been formed to conduct inquiry/investigation into the allegations of financial irregularities at RG Kar Hospital during the period between January 2021 and till date.

Political circles in the state are surprised by this sudden development since despite several complaints of financial irregularities against Ghosh, the state government never initiated any investigation against him.

Background

The SIT has been formed at a time when Ghosh is being interrogated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the RG Kar case for the past four days.

CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member and senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya claimed that the SIT has been formed because Ghosh might have revealed many secrets to the CBI during his grilling for the past few days.

Earlier on Monday, the Calcutta High Court postponed the hearing on a plea filed by Ghosh seeking police protection.

The hearing was postponed to Wednesday because the submission and exchange of affidavits among all the concerned parties in the case is yet to be completed. Ghosh is currently on leave after the Calcutta High Court last week gave a clear instruction to the state Health Department not to appoint Ghosh, who stepped down as the principal of RG Kar last Monday, as the head of any medical college in the state until further orders.

Notably, hours after resigning as the principal of RG Kar citing moral responsibility, Ghosh was appointed as the principal of the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMCH), triggering protests by the medical students and junior doctors of CNMCH.

(With IANS inputs)
Parents of the trainee doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, have detailed before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) their suspicion about the former principal of the college, Sandip Ghosh, and his top associates, including the medical superintendent and the assistant superintendent.

Speaking to CNN-News18, the father of the victim said, We have complained against the principal, the MSVP, the superwe have told the CBI about our suspicion about each one of them.

ALSO READ | Criminal Nexus, Collusive Bidding: FIR Against RG Kar Ex-Principal Sandip Ghosh On Health Department Complaint

The parents were questioned by the CBI team for over six hours on Tuesday. The parents refused to detail what they have told the CBI, but said a case of destruction of evidence is definitely made out against former principal Ghosh.

DESTRUCTION OF EVIDENCE, INSIDER ROLE

The matter is subjudice, so I cant tell you much about what we have told the CBI but we have held the department responsible. The CBI is investigating their culpability destruction of evidence had happened. In our Constitution, there is punishment for destruction of evidence. I am keeping my faith, the father said.

The mother said they have also shared their suspicion about an insider. The parents have alleged that arrested accused Sanjoy Roy was just a scapegoat and an insider was involved in the ghastly crime. The agency officials have sought some time to unravel the conspiracy. We have told the CBI about who the insider could bebut I cant reveal the details, she said.

CBI officials told me that they are trying to gather evidence to back our suspicion that multiple people were involved in this crime, she added.

TORN PAGES OF A NOTEPAD

The parents said that a notepad found next to the doctors body is being probed by the CBI. A few pages of the notepad were torn. We had obtained through police a photo of one of the torn pages. We do not know the content of the other torn pages. We have given the photo to the CBI, the mother said.

ALSO READ | FIR Delay, RG Kar Vandalism, Principals Role: Supreme Courts Scathing Observations In Kolkata Rape-Murder Case

The family suspects that the notepad could have been tampered with. A laptop, a mobile phone and this notepad were found next to the body.

THANKFUL TO SC AND PEOPLE

Expressing gratitude to the Supreme Court for intervening, the family said they are hopeful the status report sought on Thursday will throw some light on the direction of CBI probe. Parents said they got a call from the Governor of West Bengal on Tuesday, who also assured them of all support.

ALSO READ | Answers Changing Every Round: Ex-RG Kar Principal Sandip Ghosh Falters in CBI Questioning

Parents told CNN-News18 that they hope the agitation started by students and doctors across the country will be allowed to continue. We hope the agitation continues till justice is done, the mother said.
In a rebuke of the Kolkata police, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to take over the security of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital amid the ongoing investigation into the rape-murder case of a 31-year-old trainee doctor.

We propose that the CISF handle security at the hospital, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said. This order follows a violent incident on the night of August 15 when a mob systematically attacked doctors, medical staff, and emergency personnel at the facility. The CJI stressed the urgency of ensuring the safety of medical professionals at the hospital, noting that over 700 doctors were on site at the time of the attack. He highlighted that most of these doctors have since left due to safety concerns.

The night of August 15

On the night of August 15, 2024, during the acts of vandalism, a mob systematically attacked the male and female doctors, medical staff, and emergency personnel. The Court has been apprised of the fact that there are over 700 doctors at RG Kar Medical College Hospital. Most of these doctors have left. It is essential to create safe conditions for these doctors, the Supreme Court said. The CISF and CRPF will provide security to the residents and staff there.

The courts decision comes amid ongoing protests and calls for increased protection for healthcare workers. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court constituted a 10-member task force to formulate a national protocol to ensure safety and facilities for doctors in the wake of the rape and murder of a medic in Kolkata. The task force will submit its interim report within three weeks and the final report within two months.

During the hearing, the court also criticised the West Bengal government for its delay in filing an FIR in the rape-murder case and questioned the actions of the hospital authorities. Tuesday marked the ninth day of the strike by doctors, who in the wake of the Kolkata murder have been demanding a central law on the safety of medics working at hospitals. The striking doctors are demanding a fast and transparent investigation by the CBI into the murder and the formation of a Central Protection Act.
The Kolkata doctor rape-murder case that has sparked mass protests has reached the Supreme Court. While hearing the matter, a bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra bashed former RG Kar Principal Sandip Ghosh, rapped the West Bengal government over discrepancies in initial action, and expressed concerns over the safety of women doctors.

The Supreme Court came down heavily on RG Kar Hospital authorities and asked, What was the principal doing? Why did he pass it as a suicide? Why was the FIR not being registered till late night?

The brutality of the sexual assault has shocked the conscience. Parents were permitted to see the dead body after several hours, the high court transferred the investigations to CBI on the eve of Independence Day. Soon after, a large mob vandalised the hospital. We are unable to comprehend how the state was not able to handle the issue of vandalism at the hospital, the court said, questioning the role of police and state government in handling the RG Kar vandalism incident.

Supreme Courts observations

The Supreme Court raised doubts over the vandalism in Kolkatas RG Kar Hospital and the attempts to alter the crime scene late last Thursday. The next day, doctors were protesting. A mob entered the hospital where the crime scene was. What was the police doing? the court asked.

The top court also said, Its painful to see that the girls identity is all over social media. It is extremely concerning. On 9 Aug 2024, a young doctor was raped and murdered inside the RG Kar Medical College, the name and images of the victim have floated on social media, the CJI said.

The court questioned the Bengal governments improper initial actions and asked, After the principal (Sandip Ghosh) resigned from here, he was assigned as principal in some other college. That too when his conduct is in question?

After the senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who was appearing for the state informed the court that the deceased doctors father was the first to file an FIR in the case at 11.45 pm on August 9, the court questioned the hospital authorities sluggish response.

Solicitor General Mehta sought to change the top police official of the state. CJI Chandrachud said, Let the power of the state of West Bengal not unleash on the protesters.

The court said that the nation cannot wait for another such incident to see a change in circumstances. It ordered the constitution of a task force to look into the matter, which will include central government officials, too.

The court has asked the committee to submit an interim report in three weeks, directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a status report by August 22, and asked the West Bengal government to submit a status report on the overall probe into the vandalism incident by August 22.

Suo motu cognisance

The Supreme Court had, on Monday, taken suo motu cognisance of the rape and murder of a doctor in state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal.

The body of the post-graduate trainee doctor was found in the RG Kar Hospitals seminar room on August 9. The Kolkata Police arrested a civic volunteer the next day in this connection.

Calcutta High Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the investigation, after expressing a lack of satisfaction with the Kolkata Police.

On Friday, two lawyers practising in the Supreme Court and a doctor from Telangana wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud urging him to take auto moto cognisance of the rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Advocates Ujjawal Gaur and Rohit Pandey wrote the letter to the CJI saying to take suo moto cognizance of the incident, for it is the need of the hour that the highest court of the land intervenes with the urgency and gravity that this situation demands.

The nation looks to the judiciary as the ultimate guardian of justice, the last refuge for those whose cries have been silenced by brutality. The victim in this case, a young doctor whose life was dedicated to serving others, deserves nothing less than the full measure of justice that our legal system can provide. Her death must not be in vain, it must galvanise us to act, to ensure that no other woman suffers such a fate, stated the letter.

It further stated that the time has come for the judiciary to send a clear and resounding message that such heinous crimes will not be tolerated, and the sanctity of life and the dignity of women must be fiercely protected by the full might of the law.

This case is not merely a bizarre violation of an innocent life, it is an assault on the very soul of our nation, an egregious affront to the ideals of justice and humanity that our great Constitution upholds, it added.

Another letter petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking immediate intervention following a series of incidents of attacks on medical professionals, particularly the incident at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata.

Another letter petition by Dr Monica Singh, from the Army College of Dental Sciences from Secunderabad, Telangana, through her advocate Satyam Singh, sought immediate intervention following a series of incidents of attacks on medical professionals, particularly the incident of Kolkata.

It highlighted the rape and murder of the PG doctor at a Kolkata medical college on August 9, 2024, and subsequent attacks on the RG Kar Medical College on August 14.

The attacks have severely disrupted hospital operations and created an atmosphere of fear among medical staff. There must be immediate deployment of Central Forces to protect RG Kar Medical College and its staff, the letter said.

Through the letter Singh sought a thorough and impartial investigation into the attacks, as well as comprehensive security measures for medical institutions across the country.

Singh has also requested the Supreme Court to take suo moto cognizance of the case and sought an order for deployment of Central Forces to protect RG Kar Medical College.

On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, which has led to nationwide strikes and civil societies and doctors across States protested against the incident and demanded severe punishment to the accused persons and sought safety and security for themselves.
The Supreme Court has dissolved the marriage of a doctor couple on account of irretrievable breakdown of marriage, having noted that they lived together for a total of 43 days in the past 22 years and their actions have resulted in the demolition of their matrimonial bond beyond repair.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Satish Chandra Sharma also declined any permanent alimony as both the parties are professionally qualified medical doctors and have sufficient and equal earnings.

The marriage has ceased to exist both in substance and in reality. The relation has even taken a sour taste as the families of parties have also developed rivalries. The act of respondent-wife to lodge a missing complaint against appellant after the delivery of impugned order is also indicative of the bitter relation between the parties, the bench said.

Acting on a plea by the husband, the court set aside the Allahabad High Courts judgement of 2019 which allowed the appeal by the wife and quashed the decree of divorce granted by the Family Court, Meerut, in 2006.

Going by the factual details and hearing the parties, the bench said this was a fit case to exercise powers conferred on the court under Article 142 of the Constitution.

It pointed out that a Constitution Bench of the SC in Shilpa Shailesh v Varun Sreenivasan (2023) held that this court has the discretion to dissolve the marriage on the ground of irretrievable breakdown of marriage in order to do complete justice to the parties, even if one spouse opposes such prayer.

In the present case we are convinced that the marriage has failed completely and there is no possibility of parties living together and thus the continuation of further legal relationship is unjustified, the bench said.

The court noted that the husband and wife have lived together on their own will for hardly 23 days since marriage. They further lived together for 20 more days from June 15, 2005, to July 05, 2015, as the sessions court passed an order for conciliation.

Thus, in total the parties have not lived together for more than 43 days. The respondent left her matrimonial house within the first month of marriage. The period of separation has been more than 22 years. The possibility of parties living together is further reduced as parties are in their early 50s now and have built independent lives, the bench said.

Further, the court noted, the parties have fought multiple legal battles against each other since 2002 itself with six cases filed against one another, including criminal cases. The respondent had filed a criminal case against the appellant and his family members where they were arrested although subsequently discharged and acquitted.

Although the respondent-wife claimed that she is willing to live with the appellant believing in the sanctity of marriage, her actions are not in consonance with her claim, the court added.

In this long period of 22 years, there was no one to stop her from living together with the appellant. The mediation and conciliation proceedings have failed, the bench said.

The appellant-man, on the other hand, stated that the claim of willingness to live together is a falsely projected claim only to mislead the court, delay the proceedings, and harass him.

Considering the long separation period of 22 years, lack of existence of marriage between the parties and the sour relations developed due to continuous legal battles, we deem this case to be fit for exercise of extraordinary powers conferred under Article 142 of the Constitution, the bench said.

The bench also relied upon Rajib Kumar Roy vs Sushmita Saha (2023) in which this court exercised the power conferred under Article 142 of the Constitution by dissolving the marriage between parties who were living separately for 12 years.

The SC finally allowed the appeal against the high courts order.
The decomposed body of a man, aged around 40 years, was found in a drain near Mithi river in the Bandra Kurla Complex area of Mumbai, police said on Tuesday.

The body was spotted on Monday afternoon after residents informed police about a foul smell in the area.

The identity of the deceased has not been established yet, an official said adding that police registered an ADR (Accidental Death Report) and investigating.
The Central government on Tuesday afternoon announced the decision to withdraw the UPSC advertisement for lateral entry. The letter written by DoPT minister Dr Jitender Singh was sent to UPSC chairman Preeti Sudan.

Political war of words soon broke out between the government and the opposition. Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and other leaders, called it the victory of the opposition.

Government sources, however, indicated that the decision was taken after Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored the point that social justice, in a diverse nation like India, was the priority for his government.

ALIGNING WITH PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL JUSTICE, EQUITY: WHAT THE LETTER SAID

The Modi government has advertised lateral entries four times so far, with the highest number of posts , 45, this time, as there was a backlog. Mission recruitment or rozgar melas are likely to be started again by the Centre. Rozgar melas have reduced vacancies significantly, sources said.

ALSO READ | PM Modi Has Sought Review: Centre Tells UPSC To Cancel Lateral Entry For 45 Posts Amid Row

I urge the UPSC to cancel the advertisement for the lateral entry recruitment issue on August 17, 2024. This step would be a significant advance in the pursuit of social justice and empowerment.  reads the letter written by Singh.

The letter further reads: While most of the major lateral entries before 2014 were made in an ad hoc manner including cases of alleged favouritism, efforts of our govt have been to make the process institutionally driven, transparent and open. The PM is of the firm belief that the process of lateral entry must be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in our Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservations. For the PM, reservation in public employment is a cornerstone of our social justice framework, aimed at addressing historical injustices and promoting inclusivity Since these positions have been treated as specialised and designated as single cadre posts, there has been no provision for reservation in these appointments. These aspects need to be reviewed and reformed.

#BreakingNews | Govt may reconsider a re-advertisement for the lateral entries of the 45 posts and it will follow a 13 point roaster in this process @payalmehta100 shares more details @akankshaswarups | #NationAt5 #UPSC #GovernmentJobs #BJP pic.twitter.com/zHZz6TthVu News18 (@CNNnews18) August 20, 2024

NO CHANGE FOR EXISTING LATERAL ENTRIES: DISTRICT-WISE REVIEW, OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS

The government has indicated that it will do a district-wise review of the entire system. On the demand of the opposition parties and some NDA partners to bring in reservation in lateral entry, top sources said the government is open to various suggestions.

It is also known that 57 lateral entrants with domain expertise are working with various ministries currently. We will study whether reservation can be applied and how it can be applied because it is a complicated system, sources told network 18.

ALSO READ | Lateral Entry U-Turn Triggers War of Words as Oppn Claims Moral Victory, Govt Hails Social Justice Push

We followed the entire mechanism with focus on transparency, and we did not want to do anything arbitrarily and selectively, sources said, adding an ad hoc system, which existed earlier, also smacked of lack of transparency and promotion of favouritism.

Sources said the existing lateral entries will not be impacted by this withdrawal. In fact, the government has already started working on a mechanism for it. It is first studying the system to see how contractual jobs can have reservation too.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said that he has directed the police to take stringent action against the accused and expedite the case through a fast-track court after two young girls, aged 4, were allegedly sexually assaulted by the school staff of a prominent school in Badlapur.

I have already instructed police commissioner to take hard actions against accused and to take in fast track court, Shinde told CNN-News18 in an interview.

Shinde further stressed that the school administration should keep staff only after a thorough investigation, adding, I appeals to every schools to proper check the backgrounds, he said.

Additionally, he noted that any lapses in police administration would not be tolerated. No one will be spared, he added.

The accused, Akshay Shinde, a sweeper employed through a third-party company, was arrested after parents pressed for a formal complaint despite initial delays in filing the FIR.

The parents, demanding capital punishment, have sparked widespread protests across Thane district, including a city-wide shutdown and disruption of local train services between Kalyan and Karajat.

The incident also led to administrative changes within the local police force as the senior police inspector of Badlapur police station, who was accused of attempting to suppress the case, was immediately transferred. The parents had alleged that they were forced to wait for over 12 hours to file an FIR.

Principal, Class Teacher Suspended: State Education Minister

Maharashtra Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar told CNN-News18 that the principal, class teacher, and assistants of the school have been suspended.

We have mandated CCTV for all schools, but the one here was not functioning. Weve issued a notice to the management, he said, assuring that Maharashtra is only state which is implementing child safety measures strictly.

We will take action against such schools and management; we are strict on child safety, he stated.

SIT Formed To Probe Incident: Fadnavis

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called the incident a serious matter and announced that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the incident.

This is a very serious matter. We condemn the incident. The SIT has been formed, and we will try to get the case fast tracked so that victims can get justice soon, Fadnavis said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the Basic Education Department to proceed according to the Allahabad High Courts order asking the state government to prepare a new merit list to appoint 69,000 assistant teachers within three months. During a meeting with officials on Sunday, Adityanath said that the state government firmly believed that the benefit of reservation should be extended to all reserved category candidates, ensuring that no candidate faced injustice.

The chief minister was briefed by the Basic Education Department on all aspects of the courts decision regarding the recruitment of 69,000 assistant teachers, according to an official statement. The courts decision had caused anxiety among teachers from the general and OBC categories who are currently employed.

However, the CM assured that the new merit list will respect reservation policies and that no teacher will lose their job as a result. He also emphasised that all eligible candidates from reserved categories will benefit from constitutional reservation provisions, and directed officials to devise a solution to safeguard the interests of current teachers.

The government also decided against appealing the High Courts decision to the Supreme Court. According to reports, approximately 5,000 teachers might be adversely affected by the new merit list. In light of this, CM Adityanath instructed officials to collaborate with the Advocate General to prepare a new merit list and to develop a proposal to address the concerns of affected teachers.

The high courts ruling, which mandates the cancellation of the old merit list and the preparation of a new one, has prompted the Basic Education Department and government officials to thoroughly examine the implications of the order.

In the recent ruling, a bench of the Allahabad High Court comprising Justice AR Masoodi and Justice Brijraj Singh set aside the selection lists issued in June 2020 and January 2022, which included 6,800 candidates of the reserved categories.

The bench also revised the earlier order and said the reserved category candidates who qualify for the general category merit list should be migrated to that category. In addition, the benefit of vertical reservation should also be extended to horizontal reservation categories, PTI reported the courts statement as saying.
BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- An executive meeting of the State Council, presided over by Premier Li Qiang on Monday, reviewed and approved four documents, discussed policy measures to support the high-quality development of innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and approved five nuclear power projects.

Among the approved documents was the 2024 edition of a set of special administrative measures -- a negative list -- for foreign investment access.

According to the negative list, China will relax restrictions on foreign investment further by completely abolishing entry barriers in the manufacturing sector, while accelerating the opening up of sectors such as telecommunication, education and health care services.

Another document approved at the meeting was a set of guidelines on promoting the high-quality development of services trade through high-level opening up.

The meeting stressed that accelerating the development of services trade is essential to expanding high-level opening up and fostering new foreign trade drivers.

Efforts should be made to promote innovative development in key services trade areas, as well as the integration of services trade and goods trade, according to the meeting.

It also highlighted the importance of efforts to create new services trade growth drivers, and to support the international development of professional services such as finance, consultation, design and certification.

The meeting discussed measures with a focus on strengthening policy coordination in areas of taxation, finance, science and technology, industry and human resources, in order to foster innovative SMEs that use specialized, sophisticated technologies to produce novel or unique products.

Efforts must also be made to make those SMEs smarter, and more digitalized and eco-friendly in a bid to enhance their core competitiveness, according to the meeting.

Noting that safety is the lifeline of nuclear power development, the meeting stressed the need to strengthen safety regulations to ensure the utmost safety of nuclear power and promote the long-term healthy development of the industry.
100 years ago, William Francis Sutton Jr., known as Willie the Actor, stole over $2 million dollars in a bank robbing career that lasted 40 years, escaping prison 3 times.

The specifics of theft may have changed, but many of the threat actors threatening your organization are often just as dangerous as Willie the Actor.

In this webinar, Noted Security Blogger, Graham Cluley, discusses the state of cybersecurity, using the history of Willie the Actor as a jumping off point for a wider conversation.

Watch now to learn more.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the creation of a National Task Force to ensure the safety and security of doctors across the country in response to ongoing protests following the rape and murder of a medic in Kolkata.

This decision came after a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud took suo motu cognisance of the rape and murder case of a postgraduate medic at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The SC bench, hearing the case, said if women are not able to go to work and working conditions are not safe, we are denying them equality.

National task force

We are establishing a national task force consisting of doctors from across India to develop strategies ensuring the safety and security of doctors within hospitals, said CJI Chandrachud. We appeal to all doctors to trust us. We are here to protect you, he added, requesting that doctors nationwide who are currently abstaining from work return to their duties.

The SC has noted several issues affecting doctors working late-night shifts, including a lack of rest areas, inadequate hygiene conditions, and the challenge of attending to unruly individuals. Other concerns including lack of transport after long shifts and malfunctioning CCTVs, were highlighted. The SC also pointed out problems with inadequate security screenings and unrestricted access for patient families throughout hospitals.

National importance

The Chief Justice emphasised that ensuring the safety of doctors is a matter of national importance, not merely about providing security. He warned that the nation cannot afford to wait for another incident of rape or murder to prompt necessary changes. He also urged doctors nationwide who have been abstaining from work to return to their duties. Ensuring the safety of doctors is not just a matter of providing security; it is a matter of national importance, the Chief Justice said. The nation cannot wait for another rape or murder to prompt changes in the current conditions.

The task force, ordered by the Supreme Court, aims to address the concerns raised by medical professionals following the brutal rape incident in Kolkata. Please trust us, Chief Justice Chandrachud urged, stressing the courts commitment to protecting doctors and improving hospital safety. He also emphasised the need for a national consensus involving all stakeholders. The task force will include:

Admiral Aarti Sarin, Director General of Medical Services, Navy

Dr. D. Nageshwar Reddy

Dr. M. Srinivas, Director of AIIMS Delhi

Dr. Pratima Murthy, NIMHANS Bangalore

Dr. Goverdhan Dutt Puri, AIIMS Jodhpur

Dr. Somikra Rawat, Member, Gangaram Hospital Delhi

Prof. Anita Saxena, Vice Chancellor

Pallavi Saple, JJ Group of Hospitals

Padma Srivastava, Chairperson of Neurology, Paras Hospital Gurgaon

The suo motu cognisance of the case, titled In Re: Alleged rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata and related issue, assumes significance in view of the fact that Calcutta High Court is already in action and has transferred the probe into the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The doctors strike over the rape and murder of the medic completed a week on Sunday and is now entering its second week, causing difficulties for patients. The protesting doctors want the CBI to catch the culprits and for the court to impose the maximum punishment on them. They also want an assurance from the government that no such incidents occurs in the future.

The apex court bench also comprises Justices JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra. The alleged rape and murder of the junior doctor in a seminar hall of the state-run hospital has sparked nationwide protests. The medics body with severe injury marks was found inside the seminar hall of the hospitals chest department on August 9.

A civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the case the following day. On August 13, Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the probe from the Kolkata Police to the CBI, which started its investigation on August 14. The high court ordered the transfer of the probe to the CBI while hearing petitions.
Sadbhavana Diwas, observed annually on August 20, commemorates the birth anniversary of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who served from 1984 to 1989. The day, meaning Harmony Day, is a reminder of his vision for a peaceful, prosperous and united India.

Rajiv Gandhi, the youngest prime minister of the country, was known for his forward-thinking and modern approach to governance. During his tenure, he stressed on the importance of communal harmony, national integration and Indias progress through technological advancements.

Sadhbhavana Diwas 2024: History

Sadbhavana Diwas was first observed on August 20, 1992.

The history of Sadbhavana Diwas is closely tied to Rajiv Gandhis vision for a modern and united India. Rajiv Gandhi took office as Prime Minister in a period of great turmoil, following the assassination of his mother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, in 1984.

One of his most significant contributions during his tenure was his emphasis on national integration and communal harmony. Rajiv Gandhi recognized the importance of unity in a country as diverse as India. He believed that Indias progress depended on the collective efforts of its citizens, regardless of their caste, creed, or religion.

Sadbhavana Diwas was first observed on August 20, 1992, following Rajiv Gandhis assassination in 1991. The day was established to honour his memory and his vision for a peaceful and progressive India.

The Indian National Congress, the political party he led, along with various organisations and government institutions, came together to commemorate his birth anniversary as a day dedicated to promoting the values he stood for.

Sadbhavana Diwas 2024: Significance

Sadbhavana Diwas highlights the value of world peace, national unity, and interpersonal harmony. It honours Rajiv Gandhis ideal of a contemporary, inclusive India, inspiring people to put aside their differences and fight for harmony.

It is a day to remember to practise nonviolent disputes, promote tolerance, and perform community service. Rajiv Gandhis belief that young people have the power to effect change for a brighter future is reflected in it, encouraging them to make relevant contributions to society.

Sadhbhavana Diwas 2024: How It Is Celebrated

In India, Sadbhavana Diwas is observed with events that encourage harmony and peace. Pledges are made to support national integration and social harmony. Leaders and people pay homage to Rajiv Gandhis legacy during commemorative rituals held at his memorial.

On this day, people celebrate by planting trees, keeping the environment beautiful, conserving vegetation, and distributing sweets.

NGOs and educational institutions hold conferences and seminars on the value of tolerance and peace. In keeping with the days meaning of social duty and goodwill, many people participate in community work.

Sadhbhavana Diwas 2024: Quotes

When a big tree falls, the ground shakes.- Rajiv Gandhi India missed the Industrial Revolution; it cannot afford to miss the Computer Revolution.- Rajiv Gandhi Better a brain drain than a brain in the drain- Rajiv Gandhi By helping one another in times of disaster, nations are strengthening the bonds of goodwill that will yet bring the peoples of the earth together.- Walter Van Kirk In the world of sales, kindness is the best currency. Our task today is to bring India to the threshold of the twenty-first century, free of burden of poverty, legacy of our colonial past, and capable of meeting the rising aspirations of our people- Rajiv Gandhi Education must be a great equaliser in our society. It must be the tool to level the differences that our various social systems have created over the past thousands of years.- Rajiv Gandhi India is an old country but a young nationI am young and I too have a dream, I dream of India Strong, Independent, Self-Reliant and in the front rank of the nations of the world, in the service of mankind-Rajiv Gandhi

Sadhbhavana Diwas 2024: All you Need To Know About Rajiv Gandhi
Akshay Urja Day or Akshay Urja Diwas is celebrated on August 20 each year. It is a campaign that is undertaken to raise awareness about the advantages of renewable energy. The occasion also emphasises on how to use energy resources efficiently in India. The observance of Akshay Urja Day plays a crucial role in educating the public about the environmental and economic advantages of renewable energy, thereby fostering a more informed and proactive approach towards energy consumption.

Akshay Urja Day encourages individuals, businesses and communities to adopt and integrate renewable energy solutions into their daily lives. This shift not only helps reduce dependence on non-renewable resources but also contributes to lowering greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change.

The day also honours the birth anniversary of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Hence, August 20 is also known as Rajiv Gandhi Akshay Urja Diwas.

Akshay Urja Day History

The history of Akshay Urja Day, or Renewable Energy Day, traces back to the early 2000s, when the Indian government recognised the urgent need to address environmental concerns and promote sustainable energy solutions.

The day was established by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in 2004 accompanied by the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The event was organised in New Delhi.

Approximately, 12,000 children from schools across India formed a human chain to encourage the usage of renewable energy like air, sunlight and water more than non-renewable sources like oil, coal and natural gas.

Since its inception, Akshay Urja Day has been used as a platform to highlight various government initiatives and programmes aimed at promoting renewable energy. This includes showcasing advancements in solar, wind and biomass technologies, and encouraging their adoption across different sectors.

The day also serves as an opportunity to celebrate achievements in the renewable energy sector and to engage communities, businesses and individuals in discussions about sustainable energy practices.

Akshay Urja Day Significance

The day serves as a dedicated platform to advocate for the adoption of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass. By highlighting the benefits of these technologies, Akshay Urja Day helps shift focus from traditional fossil fuels to more sustainable energy solutions. It plays a crucial role in educating the public about the environmental, economic and health benefits of renewable energy. Increased awareness can drive individual and collective action towards reducing carbon footprints and supporting sustainable practices.

Akshay Urja Day 2024 Celebrations
Shiloh Jolie, the daughter of Hollywood icons Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, has officially been granted permission to legally change her last name. Shiloh has chosen to drop her fathers surname. The process was reportedly delayed due to an incomplete background check. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, both celebrated actors, share a diverse family of six children: Maddox, who is now 22, Zahara, aged 19, Pax, who is 20, Shiloh, who just turned 18 and twins Knox and Vivienne, both 15. The family has often been in the public eye, and each of their childrens lives has been a subject of interest and speculation.

Shiloh, born Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, has now legally transitioned to being known as Shiloh Jolie. Shilohs decision to remove her fathers last name was made public when she filed a petition in May, coinciding with her 18th birthday. The approval of this petition was finalised on Monday, August 19, following the resolution of the delays caused by a clerical error that led to an incomplete background check. This error resulted in the hearing being postponed to a later date, informs ABC News.

Peter Levine, the attorney representing Shiloh, shed light on the situation, saying, Everyone undergoing a name-change request needs to have a background check conducted by the court clerk, and because of clerical error, Shilohs hearing has been continued to a new date.

According to ABC News, the legal procedures for changing ones name in California are quite detailed. The states law requires that any individual seeking a name change must have the legal forms published in a newspaper for a full month before a judge can approve the petition. This publication serves as a formal announcement to the public and in Shilohs case, it was made in the Los Angeles Times. After this step is completed, the judge can finally authorise the name change.

Shortly after Shiloh filed the petition, reports emerged that Brad Pitt was indeed aware of his daughters intentions. According to a source close to the actor, he was aware and understandably affected by Shilohs decision to drop his last name. The source elaborated, saying, Hes aware and upset that Shiloh dropped his last name. The reminders that hes lost his children, is of course not easy for Brad. He loves his children and misses them, reported People.
Anubhav Sinha has assembled a powerhouse cast for his upcoming Netflix series, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. The series features legendary actors Naseeruddin Shah and Pankaj Kapur, alongside an ensemble that includes Vijay Varma, Arvind Swamy, Dia Mirza, Patralekhaa, Amrita Puri, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, and Squid Game star Anupam Tripathi. With such an impressive lineup, News18 Showsha asked Sinha which actor was the most challenging to cast. The director revealed that it was none other than Pankaj Kapur.

Sinha and Kapur have a history of collaboration, having first worked together on Dus in 2005. Reflecting on their two-decade-long acquaintance, Sinha acknowledged Kapurs deep affection for him but admitted that the actors initial response to the role in IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack was a firm no. Pankaj Kapur was the most difficult to cast," Sinha said. He doesnt say yes easily. He loves me dearly, and Ive been working with him since 2004."

Recalling their conversation, Sinha shared, He said, I wont do the series. Why should I? I thought sending him his scenes might change his mind. But he insisted, No, I want to read the whole script. I told him, Pankaj bhai, its 200 pages, 6 episodes He replied, I will read the 200 pages. So I said, okay, read," Sinha added with a smile.

Sinha emphasised the importance of fully utilising the talents of such distinguished actors. When you have Naseeruddin Shah and Pankaj Kapur sitting in the same row, surrounded by Arvind Swamy, Kumud Mishra, and Manoj Pahwa, you have to bring out the best in them. Otherwise, underutilizing them would be a failure on my part. These actors carry legacies and temperaments that must be honored."

Watch the IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack trailer below:

For those unfamiliar, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack is based on the harrowing true story of Indian Airlines Flight IC 814, which was hijacked on December 24, 1999. The flight, en route from Kathmandu to New Delhi, was thrust into a dramatic seven-day ordeal of terror and negotiation. Created and written by Anubhav Sinha and Trishant Srivastava, the six-episode series is set to premiere on Netflix on August 29.
Director and screenwriter Aparna Sen has opened up about the horrific rape and murder case of the Kolkata doctor. On Tuesday, Sen spoke exclusively to CNN-News18 when she questioned the West Bengal state government and appreciated the Supreme Court for taking suo-moto cognizance in the case.

I am very glad that the Supreme Court took suo-moto cognizance of this gruesome incident. The problem is, why did they have to? Why did the state government deal with it in a better way? What they did was unthinkably bad. They shielded Sandip Ghosh, the principal of RG Kar College is unacceptable. I am very glad that the case is now in the Supreme Court and I am hopeful that the case will now be solved, Sen said.

Aparna further questioned the state governments decision to restrict womens working hours and called it regressive. This is such a regressive step. It is laughable. How can you do this? It is saying that we are unable to protect or give security to our female or transgender workforce. Let the state government admit that they are not capable of giving security to the female workers, she added.

Aparna Sen is not the first celebrity who has expressed anger to the rape and murder case of a doctor in Kolkata. Earlier today, Samantha Ruth Prabhu also reacted to the incident and called for change. It is the need of the hour and we are really looking forward to some change. It is the need of the hour. I hope the change comes really soon, she said.

Last week, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Preity Zinta also reacted to the incident. 12 years later, the same story, the same protest. But we are still waiting for change, Kareena wrote. On the other hand, Preity Zinta also expressed anger and called the Kolkata rape and murder case heartbreaking and disgusting. Later, Hrithik Roshan also demanded harsh punishment for the accused. Prior to this, Kangana Ranaut also called the incident horrible and demanded a CBI probe into the case. Alia Bhatt, Swara Bhasker and Richa Chadha also expressed their outrage and demanded justice.
Naga Chaitanya and Sobhita Dhulipala surprised everyone earlier this month when they announced their surprise engagement. While everyone is now waiting for the two actors to tie the knot, it has now been revealed that they might have a destination wedding soon.

Several unverified reports claim that Naga Chaitanya and Sobhita Dhuliapala are planning to host a destination wedding. Reports claim that the couple might announce their wedding date once the venue is finalized. However, there is no official confirmation about this as of now.

Previously, in an interview with Times Now, Chays superstar father, Nagarjuna also asked if the wedding date is set to which he said, Not immediately. Like I told you, we chose to have a hurried engagement because it was an auspicious day, and since Chay and Sobhita are very sure that they want to marry, we said, Lets do it.

Naga Chaitanya, who was previously married to Samantha Ruth Prabhu, got engaged to Sobhita Dhulipala on August 8, 2024. It was an intimate ceremony at Chaitanyas home, attended only by close family members. Sharing their first official pictures online, Naga Chaitanyas father, superstar Nagarjuna wrote, We are delighted to announce the engagement of our son, Naga Chaitanya, to Sobhita Dhulipala, which took place this morning at 9:42 a.m.! We are overjoyed to welcome her into our family. Congratulations to the happy couple! Wishing them a lifetime of love and happiness. God bless!  8.8.8 A beginning of infinite love .

Later, the couple also shared new romantic pictures from their engagement ceremony and wrote, What could my mother be to yours? What kin is my father to yours anyway? And how did you and I meet ever? But in love, our hearts are as red earth and pouring rain: mingled beyond parting.

Rumours about Naga Chaitanya and Sobhitas relationship began circulating in May 2023 when they were first spotted together in Hyderabad. Their bond drew further attention after a viral photo from their European holiday in June showed the couple enjoying a wine-tasting session, adding fuel to the speculation.
As India celebrated Raksha Bandhan on Monday, August 19, hundreds of hearts continued to reflect on a recent event that shook the nation to its core. The distressing incident of rape and murder in Kolkatas RG Kar hospital has once again drawn attention to the question: Are our sisters really safe? Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav shared a thoughtful Raksha Bandhan post on Instagram on the sidelines of the horrific incident. In a strong voice message, the actor poured his heart out, urging people to protect and respect women.

We live in a country where we worship Shakti but dont respect women; we chant for Bharat Mata but misbehave with the women of our country, he said, pointing out the stark contrast. The actor questioned if the brothers were actually protecting all the sisters around them.

We live in a country where cities take to the streets to seek justice, but a murder case is framed as a suicide to avoid the repercussions, Yadav added as he recalled the Kolkata rape-and-murder incident. Humans have forgotten humanity, and anger and a devilish mentality are wreaking havoc. It is time people start learning respect, humanity, and non-violence once again. There is a need to study, rethink, and start fresh. he concluded.

Rakshabandhan pe sirf apne nahi, sabhi ki behenon ki sirf raksha nahi, unhe aadar aur samman bhi dete hai, the actor wrote in the caption.

Earlier this month, a female doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of the RG Kar hospital where she had been working. Several shocking details have been revealed about the case, sparking nationwide condemnation from citizens and celebrities. While public protests are taking place across the country, several Bollywood actors have expressed solidarity, demanding justice via social media posts.

Alia Bhatt, Parineeti Chopra, Malaika Arora, Ayushmann Khurrana, Vijay Varma, Sonakshi Sinha, Sara Ali Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra, among others, have reacted to the case.
Kannada actor and filmmaker Rishab Shetty, who gained nationwide acclaim with his 2022 surprise hit Kantara, is once again making headlines. After recently winning a National Film Award for his performance in Kantara, Shetty has been promoting the upcoming Kannada film Laughing Buddha, starring Pramod Shetty. However, its a recent interview with MetroSaga that has sparked significant buzz online.

In the interview, a clip of which has gone viral, Rishab Shetty criticised Bollywood for its portrayal of India at international film festivals. Speaking in Kannada, Shetty expressed his frustration with how Bollywood films often depict India negatively on the global stage. He said, Indian films, especially Bollywood, show India in a bad light. These art films are invited to global events and given a red carpet. My nation, my state, my languagemy pride. Why not take it on a positive note globally, and thats what I try to do.

RISHAB SHETTY: Indian films, especially Bollywood shows India in a Bad light, touted as art films, getting invited to global event, red carpets.My nation, My state, My language-MY PRIDE, why not take it on a +ve note globally & that's what I try to do. pic.twitter.com/qR2NQkDe6J  Christopher Kanagaraj (@Chrissuccess) August 20, 2024

Rishab Shetty is now gearing up for his next major project, Kantara 2, officially titled Kantara: Chapter 1. The highly anticipated film, which also stars Jisshu Sengupta, is expected to hit theaters in early 2025. As per Pinkvilla, the fourth shooting schedule of the film will begin in the last week of August.

Kantara: Chapter 1 is set to be a prequel to the original Kantara, delving deeper into the lore of the Panchurli Deiva during the Kadamba era. Rishab Shetty not only returns as the lead actor but also as the director, with Ajaneesh Loknath reprising his role as the music director, promising another mesmerising score.

In a recent interview with PTI, the National Award-winning filmmaker discussed the challenges Kannada content faces on OTT platforms. He lamented that Kannada films often struggle to get proper exposure and are sometimes forced to release directly on YouTube or through film festivals. Despite these challenges, Shetty expressed his delight at winning the National Award for Kantara, a film that has brought Kannada cinema into the national spotlight.
Kannada actor and filmmaker Rishab Shetty, renowned for his 2022 hit Kantara, has stirred controversy with recent remarks about Bollywoods portrayal of India. Shetty, who recently won the Best Actor National Film Award for his role in Kantara, has been promoting his upcoming Kannada film Laughing Buddha, starring Pramod Shetty. However, his critique of Bollywood has sparked significant backlash.

In a viral interview with MetroSaga, Shetty voiced his frustration with Bollywoods depiction of India at international film festivals. Speaking in Kannada, he stated, Indian films, especially Bollywood, show India in a bad light. These art films are invited to global events and given a red carpet. My nation, my state, my languagemy pride. Why not take it on a positive note globally, and thats what I try to do.

Shettys comments have provoked a strong reaction from netizens. Critics have called out his perceived hypocrisy, referencing scenes from Kantara where his character pinches a womans waist without her consent. This has led to accusations of double standards.

One user commented, Such a jealous soul. Kattar Bollywood hater. He begged Bollywood audience to support his overrated film filled with problematic content. Another added, Success is temporary, but pinching female waists and sh*tting on Bollywood is permanent. Critics argue that Bollywood is the only Indian industry recognised internationally and has helped other Indian films gain global traction.

How about addressing the glorification of problematic behaviour in your movie Kantara? Prasad Rajguru (@PrasadRajguru1) August 20, 2024

success is temporary, but pinching female waist & shitting on Bollywood is permanent NJ (@Nilzrav) August 20, 2024

Such a jealous soul. Katter bollywood hater.He begged bollywood audience to support his third class overrated film that was filled with animal k!ling, sx prevert, meat eating, women abuser etc. Showing his true color.   Bollywood (@Apna_Bollywood) August 20, 2024

Further reactions pointed out that Shettys critique fails to consider the broader context of cinema and its impact. One critic noted, As if not showing those realities on screen would change the living conditions of people in India. Thats what happens when you live in a posh apartment surrounded by elite class people and 20 servants holding an umbrella for you; you forget there is another world too.

Despite the backlash, Shettys comments have sparked a wider conversation about how Indian cinema, including both Bollywood and regional films, represents the country on the global stage.
About a year ago I got to review Australian label Via Vision's two-disc Lenticular Blu-ray of Wolf Creek - now I haven't watched the film again in that time (not exactly one to pull off the shelf all that often), but my option hasn't changed. The film remains a terrifying excursion into the unknown. A true Terror film, it gives you enough to love about our three travelers so when their nightmare begins, you hope they make it out, even if the odds are not ever in their favor. Here's what I had to say about the film last May.

Horror films love to work in phases. The late 90s saw the successful resurgence of the Slasher with Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Halloween: H20 among others. Then came the early aughts and horror was taken back to the gritty and tough-to-watch terror films of the 1970s. These are films that are so unrelenting in their horrific imagery, theyre often dubbed torture porn as they seem to relish the pain inflicted upon the hapless protagonists. I like to call them Terror Films or Survival Films because by the end of it, youre left feeling that youre glad to be alive and not those poor sons of bitches you just watched butchered on screen. Notable entries in this little early 2000s sub-genre were flicks like High Tension, Hostel, and Saw with varying mileage of success. But one particular low-budget film imported from the land down under would withstand the test of time (and a mediocre sequel) as one of the scariest and most disturbing films of the decade - Wolf Creek.

British gal-pals Liz (Cassandra Magrath) and Kristy (Kestie Morassi) are traveling across Australia with their friend Ben (Nathan Phillips). The next leg of their journey will see them traveling cross country through the outback from Broome to Cairns in a cheap barely-running car. Camping out along the way, the trio stop off at Wolf Creek National Park to view the large crater, but when they return to their car they discover their watches have stopped and the vehicle is dead as a stone. As darkness settles in, the seemingly kindly outback hunter Mick comes upon them and offers to tow them to his camp where he can fix their vehicle. But they soon discover this random act of kindness was in fact just the beginning of a living nightmare.

Itd been some years since I last sat down to Wolf Creek and I was amazed to see how affecting it still is nearly 20 years later. I remember sitting in the theater long after the credits rolled just stunned by what I saw but also so unnerved I needed to cleanse myself with whatever stupid comedy was also playing at the time. I dont remember that comedy, but I still remember coming home and still feeling the need to process what I saw. Not that it was so horrifying that I couldnt handle it, but its sheer intensity was so unsettling and realistic I needed time to digest it and come around to the fact that it was (and still is) one of the best horror films of the 2000s.

Shot digitally, the film has a pseudo-documentary quality making it look almost like one of your average vacation home videos (albeit with a lot better production values and cameras). With the HD video styling, it gave the film a modern edge of grime and girt akin to what 16mm was able to do for Tobe Hoopers The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. And like Texas Chain Saw, the film wisely takes its time to set up the characters and let you get to like them before the unrelenting terror begins. The film also subverts your expectations with Mick, an unsettling combination of Steve Irwin/Crocodile Dundee charm and earnest friendliness with the unrelenting savagery of the worst serial killer imaginable. You can hope for the best for these characters as they struggle to outwit their captor and survive, but you know deep down things arent going to end well.

Watching Wolf Creek again after many years away I was amazed and glad to see that it was still such an unnerving and intense experience. Writer/Director Greg McLean crafted a tightly wound and tense script and brilliantly executed it, never wasting a second of footage. Casting choices were perfect with Nathan Phillips delivering the devilish charm, Kestie Morassis Kristy is that smart friend everyone should listen to (but no one does), and Cassandra Magrath stepping in as the quintessential horror tough-girl survivor Liz who thinks fast on her feet. The real star of the film is John Jarratt as our man Mick. Seemingly friendly and affable, he can become terrifying on a turn of a dime as he relishes every ounce of terror he inflicts. Its one hell of a villainous performance, to say the least! And like Texas Chain Saw Massacre, I had forgotten that Wolf Creek actually has very little on-camera gore with the most savage moments saved for the shocking ending.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray



Lionsgate finally gives Wolf Creek a domestic Blu-ray release with a single-disc Blu-ray + Digital SteelBook. A Walmart-exclusive release as part of the Bloody Disgusting partnership, the film is pressed on a BD-50 disc (while only using about 32 gigs of that space) and housed in a horror-themed SteelBook featuring a black and orange motif with original artwork. Overall this is a pretty SteelBook, but I've got to be honest nothing can quite compare with that classic poster art of a girl in bloody clothing stranded on a desolate road in the middle of nowhere. Only the Unrated cut of the film is included.
Salman Khan revealed the first thing his father, writer Salim Khan told the family after his split with Javed Akhtar. The superstar, in an episode of the newly released docu-series Angry Young Men that focuses on Salim-Javeds journey in Bollywood, opened up about Salim-Javeds split. In the episode, he revealed that Salim was disturbed after Javed told him that he wanted to split.

I remember when the partnership broke off, so my dad came home, he was disturbed. So I was sitting at the dining table, and he said, Javed and my partnership He wants to break up. So I said, Why? Didnt you say anything? He said, No. I said, theres got to be a reason. He said, If he wants to go, he wants to go. So thats all he said. Thats all he said, Salman said in the series.

Honey Irani, Javed Akhtars first wife, also shared how Javed broke the news to her. The only thing I know is that Javed came home one day and he said that I have some bad news for you. So I said, what happened? Has he banged the car again? He says, no, I have split with Salim sahab. So I asked him, I said, why? He says, dont ever ask me that, she said.

Speaking about their partnership, Salman described as close friends, but Farhaan said that they were more than just friends. I think they were more than friends. I dont know how exactly to describe it. I think without any emotion, they were like brothers. But they were partners in the true sense. I think thats probably the best way to put it. Im sure it affected them both in terms of, you know, I mean, although youve done all this great work together, but when you go off and start doing it by yourself, youre again now needing to create an identity just for yourself. So youre starting from zero. Its not easy, Farhaan said.

Salim-Javed worked on 24 movies together, of which 22 were blockbusters. Their biggest hits include Sholay, Don and Zanjeer. They parted ways in the early 1980s and their last script together was the 1987 release Mr India.

Angry Young Men streams on Amazon Prime Video now.
Sanya Malhotra is enjoying all the buzz surrounding her upcoming film, Mrs, which is an official remake of Malayalam hit, The Great Indian Kitchen. Even before its Indian release, the movie has been making noise at the global film stage. Recently, the movie received a thunderous response at the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) and the team is now gearing up for its premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) in Australia. Taking to her Instagram story, Sanya shared her excitement for the screening, which is scheduled to be held on August 22. The actress also shared the IFFM poster and announced that the attendees will have a unique chance to understand her perspective on films subject during a special QnA session.

Directed by Aarti Kadav, the flick also stars Kanwaljit Singh and Nishant Dahiya in key roles. In the movie, Sanya plays Richa, who starts her journey with high hopes as she marries and moves into her new home. However, she soon faces a number of challenges. Despite her efforts to impress her in-laws by doing housework and cooking for the family, but whenever she tries to make her own choices, she is reminded to follow house rules. Sharing her excitement ahead of the Melbourne premiere, the actress wrote, I cant wait for you guys to watch this.

In June, when Mrs premiered at the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), impressed by Sanya Malhotras performance, the actress was honoured with the Best Actress award. Actor Harman Bawejas production company, Baweja Studios shared the good news on Instagram and congratulated the actress for winning the award at such a prestigious event.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Baweja Studios (@bawejastudios)

Revealing why he decided to produce Mrs, Harman Baweja during the red carpet at the NYIFF spoke with Urban Asian and said, I write a lot of scripts myself, so for me the honest kick of even being a producer is so I can kind of be involved in the writing process. So thats the fun part of it for me is to kind of pick those stories which are thematically very strong. Am I really putting something out there? You know, sometimes its very subliminal. It doesnt have to be in your face. So, thats very important to thematically connect with the core theme of the script.

Starring Sanya Malhotra in lead, Mrs is scheduled to release in India by the end of the year.
A post falsely claiming the death of actor Shreyas Talpade spread like wildfire, leaving his fans in shock. The misleading post was widely reshared on social media platforms. To set the record straight, the actor issued a statement and called out the trolls for spreading the distressing rumour.

In a lengthy Instagram post, Shreyas Talpade mentioned, I am alive, happy, and healthy. Thanking all his friends and well-wishers who checked on him after reading the fake news, he added, While I understand that humour has its place, when its misused, it can cause real harm.

What may have started as a joke by someone, is now creating unnecessary worry and playing with the emotions of those who care about me, especially my family, his note further read.

Shreyas Talpade, who suffered a heart attack last year, expressed concern that the false news has heightened his young daughters anxiety. He shared that she already worries about his well-being and this rumour has only intensified her fears. This false news only deepens her fears, forcing her to confront more questions from her peers and teachers, stirring up emotions that weve been trying to manage as a family, he said.

Finally, Shreyas Talpade urged people to stop spreading false information about his passing.To the trolls, I have a simple request: please stop. Dont joke around at the cost of others, and dont do this to anyone else. I wouldnt want anything like this to happen to you ever, so please be sensitive. Chasing engagement and likes should never come at the expense of others feelings, he added.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shreyas Talpade (@shreyastalpade27)

As false rumours of the actors death spread, netizens took to Google to verify the claims. Over the past 24 hours, Google searches for Shreyas Talpade peaked between 10pm and 11pm on Monday.

Most searches were made from the state of Maharashtra, to which the actor belongs, followed by Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Goa and Gujarat.

Top related searches made by netizens were shreyas talpade news, golmaal, shreyas talpade latest, shreyas talpade alive, and shreyas talpade latest news.

In December 2023, Shreyas Talpade suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. Recalling the harrowing incident, the actor told a media outlet that he considers his recovery a second chance at life. He also admitted that his survival was nothing short of a miracle. Following Shreyas Talpades recovery, his wife Deepti thanked the doctors, fans, and well-wishers for their unwavering support during the challenging times.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Deepti Shreyas Talpade (@deeptitalpade)

Work-wise, Shreyas Talpade is currently shooting for the film Welcome To The Jungle.
Sobhita Dhulipala made her first appearance after engagement with Naga Chaitanya earlier this month. She was tapped outside a production houses office in Mumbai. The actress blushed as the paparazzi asked her about her husband-to-be, Naga Chaitanya.

Sobhita was seen sizzling in a denim outfit with her curls on display, framing her face perfectly. When the paps asked her, Party kab hai?, she replied, Jaldi. The actress then smiled and made her way to the office. Watch the video here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Instant Bollywood (@instantbollywood)

Naga Chaitanya, who was previously married to Samantha Ruth Prabhu, got engaged to Sobhita Dhulipala on August 8, 2024. It was an intimate ceremony at Chaitanyas home, attended only by close family members. Sharing their first official pictures online, Naga Chaitanyas father, superstar Nagarjuna wrote, We are delighted to announce the engagement of our son, Naga Chaitanya, to Sobhita Dhulipala, which took place this morning at 9:42 a.m.! We are overjoyed to welcome her into our family. Congratulations to the happy couple! Wishing them a lifetime of love and happiness. God bless!  8.8.8 A beginning of infinite love .

Later, the couple also shared new romantic pictures from their engagement ceremony and wrote, What could my mother be to yours? What kin is my father to yours anyway? And how did you and I meet ever? But in love, our hearts are as red earth and pouring rain: mingled beyond parting.

Rumours about Naga Chaitanya and Sobhitas relationship began circulating in May 2023 when they were first spotted together in Hyderabad. Their bond drew further attention after a viral photo from their European holiday in June showed the couple enjoying a wine-tasting session, adding fuel to the speculation.

Meanwhile, in a recent interview, Nagarjuna revealed that Chay was depressed after his separation from Samantha but is now very happy getting engaged to Sobhita. It (engagement) went very very well. Chay has found happiness again. He is very happy. So am I! It has not been an easy time for Chay or the family. The separation from Samantha left him very depressed. My boy doesnt show his feelings to anyone. But I knew he was unhappy. To see him smile againSobhita and Chay make a wonderful couple. They love each other dearly, Nagarjuna told Times Now.
Raveena Tandon and Akshay Kumars relationship first sparked a lot of buzz after their blockbuster film Mohra in 1994. Their on-screen romance quickly became one of Bollywoods hottest topics. Rumour has it they got engaged in a hush-hush ceremony with both families in the late 90s. Despite their serious commitment, the relationship fizzled out, and they split in 1998, as per reports.

During a previous podcast with the news agency ANI, Raveena was asked about the Akshay Kumar chapter and her engagement, which she said she had forgotten about. Though the engagement was shrouded in secrecy for years, Raveena Tandon eventually spilled the beans, revealing that despite the engagement, it didnt lead to marriage. The actor had said, We were a hit pair, during Mohra, and even now, when we bump into each other socially, we all meet, we all chat. Everyone moves on. Girls have been changing their boyfriends every week in colleges, but one engagement that has broken is still stuck to my head, I dont know why. Everyone moves on, people have divorces, they move on, whats the big deal?

Recently, Raveena opened about to Galatta about shooting Tip Tip Barsa Paani from Mohra. The Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon song heated up the screen as they romanced under the rains. The iconic Tip Tip Barsa Paani from Mohra is still remembered for its sizzling chemistry, but Raveena reveals it came with its own set of hardships  bleeding knees, a high fever and a lot of pain.

She said that involved freezing cold water from a tanker, not heated water. Filmed on a construction site, she couldnt wear knee pads or heels due to stones and nails. She ended up with bleeding knees and ankles and had to get a tetanus shot after a rusted nail pierced her foot. It looks all glamourous, you must be thinking, Oh these guys mustve had a blast. No we didnt. There was nothing happening there! It was painful, there were bruises, and just the face was happy. On the second day after repeated cold showers, I got fever, which is how I shot for the next three days, she said.

Cut to 2024, a Raveena Tandon and Akshay Kumar movie is making all the noise. They are starring together in a new movie, Welcome To The Jungle, the third instalment of the Welcome franchise.
After the resignation and subsequent fleeing of Sheikh Hasina from Bangladesh on 5 August, there has been a spate of attacks on Hindus across many districts of the country. Leading Bangladeshi dailies, both English and Bengali, have been reporting on how Hindu houses and temples are being targeted. According to a 6 August report by the Daily Star, a leading English daily in Bangladesh, Hindu houses, temples, and businesses were attacked in 27 districts. Another report from the same daily on 7 August detailed how the targeting of Hindu homes, temples, and businesses continued, noting that even the house of well-known musician Rahul Ananda, which was 140 years old, was not spared and was burnt.

A section of intellectuals in the neighbouring country has also expressed disappointment over the ongoing attacks on Hindus. The caretaker Prime Minister of the interim government, Muhammad Yunus, has clearly voiced his opposition to the attacks on the Hindu minority. In an effort to make their suppressed voices heard, minority Hindus recently organised a large protest rally in the capital city of Dhaka.

Hindus being attacked because of their faith

At a time when Hindus and their temples are being targeted in Bangladesh, Indian liberals seem to be ignoring the issue. One prime-time anchor, who frequently self-identifies as a liberal, expressed dissatisfaction with the Hindu-Muslim divide in the context of the Bangladesh situation. He noted that both Muslims and Hindus have been targeted since Sheikh Hasinas exit. While he was correct in acknowledging that Muslims have also been victims, he failed to mention  or perhaps chose not to highlight, as it doesnt align with his narrative  that the targeted Muslims are not being attacked because of their faith. The Muslims being targeted are either supporters or leaders of Sheikh Hasinas Awami League.

However, the situation for Hindus is different. While it is true that Hindus have traditionally supported Hasinas Awami League, it is also true that many Hindu students participated in the anti-quota movement against the Hasina government. Even if a significant number of Hindus are traditional supporters of the Awami League, the reality is that they, unlike the targeted Muslims, are not being attacked for their political loyalty.

If this were purely a political issue, then why are no mosques being attacked, while Hindu temples across the country are being targeted? According to an August 7 report in the Daily Star, the Radha-Krishna idols at the Dhanuka Manasa Bari temple in Shariatpur were destroyed, and the temple was razed to the ground. This is just one example of the many Hindu temples attacked by angry mobs, or more specifically, by Islamists.

Rise of Islamic penetration in Bangladeshi society

Over the last decades, Islamic radicalism has increased in Bangladesh, even when Sheikh Hasina, who pursued a moderate tolerance policy towards the minority Hindus, was in power. This is because, unfortunately, Hasina also empowered the Islamic organisation Hefajat-e-Islam to strengthen her political hold on the countrys society. The 2016 Holey Artisan Bakery terrorist attackin which six Islamic terrorists, all in their late teens or early twenties, products of the countrys elite, having attended several of the countrys top English-medium private schools as well as universities both in the country and abroad, went on to mercilessly kill 22 people based on radical Islamic ideologyshowed how deeply the radicalism has penetrated Bangladeshi society.

This became even clearer in 2021 during Durga Puja, when Hindus were falsely accused of disrespecting the Muslim holy book, and widespread attacks by Islamists against Hindus followed. Lets not forget that Sheikh Hasina was also in power at that time.

Indian Liberals Hatred Against Hindus Comes to the Fore Again

It can be seen that irrespective of whether Hasina is in power or out of power, Hindus of Bangladesh have faced the brunt of Islamists in the countryand this hatred has increased in the last decade as a result of the rise of radical Islamism in Bangladeshi society. It is not that Indian liberals are unaware of the ground realities of Bangladesh. They definitely know.

But their ideology of Hindu hatred makes it difficult for them to accept the reality. They are more concerned about Hindu polarisation in India rather than the fact that minority Hindus in neighbouring Bangladesh are attacked mainly for practising Hinduism. This also once again shows the harsh reality that they are not followers of liberalism in reality.

This is not the first time weve witnessed such a selective approach. In 2017, when around 99 minority Rohingya Hindus in Rakhine, Myanmar, were brutally killed by Islamist Rohingya terrorists, the Indian liberals  who were tirelessly raising their voices for the Rohingya Muslims  remained largely silent on the plight of the Hindu minorities in Myanmar. While these liberal intellectuals wrote numerous op-eds advocating for the free entry of Rohingya Muslims into India, despite being fully aware of the dangers posed by strong radicalism among them, they were mostly silent on the genocide of Hindus. According to the Myanmar Army, this genocide was a contributing factor to the mass exodus of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar. This writer, however, did address the issue in Assams leading English daily, titled Why No Tears for Rakhine Hindus of Myanmar?

Strong Mechanism Needed To Address Hindu Hate

Lets accept the bitter reality that Indian liberals dont seem to be much concerned about the plight of Hindus, whether they are attacked in Bangladesh, Kashmir, Myanmar, or anywhere else. For them, scoring political points to keep their superficial liberal ideology relevant appears to be more important than the lives of ordinary Hindus. Trying to correct them is a completely futile exercise, as they are deeply polarised. The primary concern should be the security of Hindus worldwide.

Its a fact that hatred towards Hindus  mainly for their belief in the Supreme God manifesting in multiple forms and their practice of worshipping these forms through murtis  has been normalised by intolerant fascist ideologies across the globe. To address this, a strong and viable platform must be established. We need to build a robust ecosystem, which includes proper education about Hinduism and its culture from the school to the college level. The education curriculum, where many inaccuracies about Hinduism and its culture are still taught, needs to be rectified to make it more Indic. Simply shortening the syllabus is not the solution, as many stories, particularly those related to Indic culture, have already been omitted from our education system. This model should also be extended beyond Indias borders, particularly to universities abroad.

This would be possible only if the Government of India takes the initiative by implementing radical changes in the current education system to make it more pro-Indic, and by funding universities abroad to promote Indic civilisation. Not only do the largest number of Hindus in the world live in India, but the history and culture of this land, an ancient living civilisation, are also deeply intertwined with Hinduism  making India the appropriate voice to address the issue of Hindu hatred worldwide. However, for this to materialise, Hindus in India must unite, setting aside their political, caste, and regional differences, and collectively pressurise the Government of India  regardless of the party in power  to build a strong ecosystem that can effectively tackle hate crimes against Hindus globally.

Sagarneel Sinha is a political commentator and tweets @SagarneelSinha. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
With the brightening political prospects of Left-liberals in the Anglosphere, free speech is increasingly coming under attack. The pretexts are typically duplicitous: checking hate speech, misinformation, disinformation, Islamophobia, transphobia, etc. The ulterior motives are muzzling freedom of expression and thought control. The toxic smog  a deadly mix of political correctness and cultural Marxism  may envelop public discourse in the US and the UK in the foreseeable future. It already has had a chilling effect on free speech in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz of the Democratic Party, who is the running mate for Vice-President Kamala Harris, has said on record, Theres no guarantee to free speech on misinformation or hate speech, and especially around our democracy.

This is against the consistent stand of the US Supreme Court. In 2016, it maintained that hate speech is protected by the First Amendment, which shields freedom of expression: Speech that demeans on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, disability, or any other similar ground is hateful; but the proudest boast of our free speech jurisprudence is that we protect the freedom to express the thought that we hate.

Other US courts have been shielding free speech from attacks. Last year, for instance, US District Judge Terry Doughty in Louisiana ordered several federal agencies and over a dozen top officials not to ask social media companies about taking down content containing protected free speech. Judge Doughty slammed the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration for carrying out the most massive attack against free speech in United States history. Referring to George Orwells classic 1984, he went on to say that the administration seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian Ministry of Truth.

Evidently, Harris has chosen a kindred spirit as her running mate.

The new Labour government in Britain under Prime Minister Keir Starmer is contemplating tough measures to control online speech and tightly regulate social media companies. This comes in the wake of recent rioting across the country, following widely-shared online posts that wrongly identified the killer of three young girls in a July 29 knife attack as a Muslim migrant.

It needs to be mentioned here that misinformation about the attacker was just the trigger of much deeper and widespread diseases Britain is afflicted with: a spurt in the numbers of illegal immigrants; growing radicalisation of and violence by Muslims, including grooming gangs; and the reluctance of the authorities to act against them for fear of being maligned as racist, Islamophobic, etc.

Canada, under another Left-leaning leader Justin Trudeau, introduced a new Bill early this year to gag online free speech in the name of combating online abuse with steep penalties for hate crimes, including life in prison for inciting genocide.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre rightly pointed out that the bill was part of Justin Trudeaus woke authoritarian agenda. He said, What does Justin Trudeau mean when he says the words hate speech? He means the speech he hates.

Liberals in the other two English-speaking countries have already muzzled free speech down under. The Labour Party in New Zealand wanted to criminalise hate speech against minority groups. Australias Labor government also wants to do the same.

The thread running through all the anti-free speech measures proposed or implemented by liberals is their ostensible concern for the safety of some group or the other. Ostensible because the actual, ulterior motive is never stated; the real motive is the suppression, criminalisation, and calumniation of anything said and written that liberals dont like. In a way, all of them are like Trudeau on that count: for them, hate speech is the speech they hate.

Liberals dont want to listen to anyone saying anything that links jihad with Islamic scriptures, so they call any such endeavour as Islamophobic, which obviously ought to be outlawed. They dont want anyone pointing out the problems caused by illegal immigrants in, say, the US  rising crime, the burden on the administration and thus on taxpayers, adverse effects on wages of the working class, and so on. Therefore, unsurprisingly, former US President Donald Trump and his supporters, who are against illegal immigrants, are accused of hate speech.

Hate speech should never be confused with hate crime. Merriam-Webster defines hate crime as any of various crimes (as assault or defacement of property) when motivated by hostility to the victim as a member of a group (as one based on colour, creed, gender, or sexual orientation). It must be emphasised here that hate itself is not a crime, even if it is directed towards a community; it translates into crime only when it incites a person to act against someone. As far as the expression of hate is concerned, its criminalisation invariably ends up eroding the sphere of individual liberty and concomitantly augmenting the powers of the State; champions of liberty in India know it too well.

Liberals in the West will do well to learn from the Indian experience, which has been pretty bad. But, having imbibed and internalised the toxic Left-wing ideas, they are unlikely to learn anything sensible from anywhere. Only conservatives like Trump can save liberty from liberals in the West.

Ravi Shanker Kapoor, a freelance journalist, is the author of There Is No Such Thing As Hate Speech: A Case for Absolute Freedom of Expression (Bloomsbury, 2017). Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
The Rape culture in Bengal has taken root in a vacuum. RG-Kar hospital, the scene of a trainee doctors brutal rape and murder, was virtually reduced to a stygian crypt infested with the depraved. Even the Supreme Court has said as much. There are many such black holes in Bengal where the flame of empathetic and responsive governance has long flickered out. The statistics speak for themselves. For the last decade, Bengal has consistently ranked among the top five states in India with the highest crime rate against women. Among all states in India, Bengal has the lowest conviction rate at 2.5% and one of the highest case pendency rates of 98.1% with respect to crimes against women.

These statistics point to a paradox. Not only is Bengal led by a feisty woman Chief Ministers but also a party (TMC) that has made a conscious effort to give women more representation in both the Vidhan Sabha and national Parliament.

One would have thought that this combination would have resulted in, at the very least, more attention being paid to alleviating problems faced by women.

But beyond optics the presence of women in positions of authority has not changed the lived reality of the ordinary woman in Bengal. At least not when it applies to their safety.

There are a couple of reasons for this.

First, the ongoing investigation into the ineffable brutality that was the RG Kar rape and horror case has revealed disturbing administrative lapses.

All of these, it can be safely said, are a factor of a bloody-minded refusal to bridge the gap between intent and outcome. As a result, the same litany of issues, flagged routinely after every crime on a woman, were responsible for the outrage at the ill-fated Kolkata hospital. The lack of optimally working CCTV cameras, the want of diligence in examining the background of auxiliary staff, ill-lit areas and an inadequate security bandobast.

It is almost as if all the policy prescriptions framed on the back of the horrific Dec 16, 2012 Delhi Nirbhaya incident have been implemented in the exception.

Has the Mamata administration come to believe that it is above accountability? Is this another reason for the continued administrative indifference?

Over three state elections and three Parliamentary elections the TMCs grip on power has only strengthened despite empirical evidence to suggest that her governance record has not matched the peoples expectations.

Some political observers believe that the secret to Mamata Banerjees political invincibility lies in the fact that her connect with the people has never been as an administrator but as an anti-establishment crusader for grassroots justice.

Her agitprop political style convinces people of her sincerity of purpose.

So long as Mamata can crusade for a cause that appeals to the voters sense of grievance, injustice or even prejudice the TMC supremo will fancy her chances of convincing voters that she is the right fit for them.

It wasnt surprising then that even amidst the spontaneous anti-rape and murder RG Kar protests (arguable her biggest test), Mamata audaciously hit the streets. This time to convince protestors that they were being misled by the proponents of Ram-Bam politics that aimed at dividing Bengalis along sectarian and ideological lines. Stick with me, she said if you want Bengal to stick together.

Mamata has borrowed from the same play book as when her party was linked to crimes against women in Sandeshkhali. Then, Mamata was able to invent an enemy for voters to fear. At her signal, TMC cadre painted the prime accused, a Muslim, as the victim of a communal witch hunt directed by outsiders who wanted to divide and rule Bengal. Polls results showed that voters bought into the cause of keeping communalists at bay.

If Sandeshkhali couldnt, whats the guarantee that the RG Kar horror will dent Mamatas image?

After all, hasnt Bengal shown that under Mamata it doesnt mind getting by not in spite of but despite its government?
Union Budgets serve as a critical testament to the governments priorities, intentions and policy objectives. They thus, not only ensure that the benefits of economic growth are distributed equitably  thereby shaping the socio-economic landscape of the countrybut also provide crucial insights into the nations governance.

Over the past decade, the BJP-led Union government has often positioned itself as a champion of gender equality, shifting the focus from womens development to women-led development. And this is well reflected in the Union Budget 2024-25 with its significant allocation  of more than Rs 3 lakh crore  towards the womens sector. Yet, like any other policy decision, the recent budget brings with it both promises and challenges.

Some of these schemes and initiatives have been highlighted below:

Workforce Participation: Recognising the need to expand childcare infrastructure and services as an important prerequisite for enhancing womens workforce participation, a provision of Rs 2,300 crore was made under the Ministry of Women and Child Developments (MoWCD) Samarthya Umbrella Programme which will see the government collaborating with industries to build creches and working women hostels.

Womens Safety: Budgetary allocation for Nirbhaya Fundtargeted towards improving womens safety and securitydoubled from Rs 100 crore in FY 24 to Rs 200 crore in FY25. This includes an increased allocation for One Stop Centres which provide comprehensive support, medical care, legal assistance and psychological counselling to women who have experienced violence.

The budget further emphasised on the importance of training law enforcement and judicial officers in handling gender-based violence cases. To achieve this, the government intends to organize regular workshops and training sessions to educate officials about gender issues, legal rights, and to treat survivors with respect and dignity.

Education: There is increased funding for initiatives falling under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan  which aims to enhance educational opportunities for girls  summing up to a total of Rs 37500 crore. The allocation includes scholarships for girls from economically weaker backgrounds, the provision of free textbooks as well as improved school infrastructure.

Economic Empowerment: The outlay for initiatives like the MUDRA scheme which provides microfinancing to women entrepreneurs and the National Rural Livelihood Mission, under which 91 lakh self-help groups (SHGs) are operational across the country has been decided as Rs 1.4 trillion. These programs are crucial for facilitating womens access to credit and entrepreneurship opportunities. Besides, the NAMO Drone Didi programme which targets to equip women from 15000 SHGs to use drones for agricultural purposes, received Rs 500 crore.

While there are many other achievements in sectors like health, property procurement, pension schemes, etc. that are worth praising, there are still areas pressing for greater attention and gaps that still need to be filled.

For instance, the budget talks about increasing womens workforce participation but does not mention anything about womens wage gap, social security and recognition of their work. This can particularly be seen vis-a-vis the Anganwadi and Asha employees who gathered in New Delhis Jantar Mantar in March 2020 to beseech the BJP government to fulfil its 2018 promise of a wage hike. Yet, no announcements were made in this regard.

Similarly, one of the biggest problems that women are facing on ground in India today includes a massive increase in food prices, a huge amount of unpaid labour and a cost of living crisis. Yet, basic things such as enhanced food subsidies and allocation to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Actwhich aims at recruiting a higher percentage of women across stateshave largely been ignored where the current budget allocation is actually being utilized towards clearing pending dues from the previous fiscal year.

And last but not least, the recent budget has also missed out on the need for gender-aggregated data to be placed in the public domain to see how women have benefitted from gender budgeting over the years. The current budget, in fact, continues to rely on outdated census data which was last conducted in 2011, making it difficult to ensure that every woman is being benefited from these initiatives and schemes.

Extrapolating from this, it would be fair to say that even though the intentions behind the recent budget allocations are commendable, there lies a long journey ahead where several other aspects still need to be considered. But until the time we reach there, the government must establish robust mechanisms for tracking the disbursement and utilisation of funds to ensure that they are reaching the intended beneficiaries.

The writer is a Visiting Fellow with the Observer Research Foundation. Some of her works have appeared in South China Morning Post, The Hindu, Firstpost, Hindustan Times, The Diplomat, The Toronto Star, among several others. She tweets at @akankshakhullar. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
The age-old phrase Vinash Kaale Vipreet Buddhi was top of my mind as the events unfolded on Rakshabandhan Day in Kolkata. The irony of summoning two highly respected, senior Kolkata doctors to Police HeadquartersLalbazarjust for demanding justice for the rape-murder victim (now named Tilottama) on the very day when sisters tied rakhis on the wrists of their brothers with the inherent promise of protection and love, clearly escaped the citys police brass.

So the police were taken aback when instead of two doctors and their lawyers, a sea of humanityall medicsmarched to the gates of Lalbazar with them. Then came the equally unprecedented spectacle of the gates of the venerable building being shut and chained to prevent hundreds of doctors from entering to stand with their medical brethren. As expected, the two gentlemen were let off in an hour, making it very apparent that the intention was only to intimidate.

And to drive the message home, the ruling party spokespersons began to cast aspersions on the doctors solidarity, claiming the people of Bengal were getting angry with the medics for neglecting their duties by continuing their protests. They hinted that patients were being diverted to private hospitals on purpose, and that the doctors were not really rallying for justice but for money. These political mouthpieces seemed unaware of how out of sync they sounded.

The people of Kolkataand Bengalare not buying any of that, evidently, as the doctors are still getting their support and sympathy. Somehow, the gruesome rape-murder of that one exceptionally dedicated doctor has touched a chord and made people put their own troubles aside and focus on the bigger issue that the case has brought forththe deep-set rot in the system that needs to be cleansed. Justice for Tilottama means more than just catching one rapist.

Also on Rakshabandhan Day, demonstrators, mostly from the community of artistsmusicians, dancers, actors, directors, artistsmarched in protest again, and pointed out how previous cases of rape-murder had been buried or botched, the victims, families and supporters vilified. Two women fighting for their friend who was raped and killed at Kamduni were branded Maoists by the CM, the morals of the victim of Madhyamgram had been questioned

Even the advocates of Bengalamong them, grey-haired, senior-most veterans who are more familiar with the highest courtrooms of India than the potholed streets of Kolkatamarched in the humid heat to demand that the real culprits be brought to justice. Lawyers are very careful about their choice of words, and hence the use of real and plural culprits showed they are profoundly sceptical about the Kolkata Police speedily parading one man as the rapist.

The lawyers march also revealed another piquant ploy of the ruling dispensation: an attempt to co-opt the protest. A section of them were led by Trinamool Congress MP and very vocal senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee, also loudly demanding justice. Who was he demanding that from was unclear. And the unseemly verbal fracas that erupted between him and another lawyer aligned to a Left party soon after the march was over, cast doubts about Banerjees purpose!

But if the previous day had presented unprecedented images of arch-rivals Mohun Bagan and East Bengal fans protesting side by side for justice for Tilottama, even older Kolkatans would be hard-pressed to recall another incident that has triggered such a reaction from the entire gamut of society. The monster rallies of the ruling parties of Bengal in the centre of Kolkata barely get participation from the type of people who have been rallying sans political flags for 10 days.

It seems the rape-murder of this doctor has opened the floodgates: of the peoples disgust with the functioning of the government, their doubts about the impartiality and intention of the police, their frustration with the complicity of officials, ruling party politicians and goons in every institution and every aspect of quotidian life. So they are out protesting on the streets in Bengal or even watching and cheering them from home, tied by the common thread of total exasperation.

Many people may be aware that in 2018 the West Bengal government withdrew the general consent for the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe crimes in the state saying that the central agency was infringing its sovereignty. What are the chances that the state police or the administration will actually assist the CBI in this case given the high likelihood that the crime has wider ramifications than the sexual intentions of one perverted police-approved civil volunteer?

The ruling partys apologistsin the political arena and elsewherehave also been trying to posit Tilottamas rape and murder as a consequence of patriarchy, so that they can universalise the case by drawing parallels to similarly heinous rape-murders in other statesrun by other parties, of course. But those who live in Bengal know that Tilottamas case was not just about one man trying to assert his power over a woman. It was the consequence of a wider malaise.

They know that the brutalisation of her body indicates she was being punished for far more, and by many more. That she had fallen foul of something more sinister than one lascivious little man. The way the entire administrationof the college as well as the stateand the police were hellbent on steering the probe in a certain direction, and the sudden advent of a mob to ransack the building where Tilottama was raped and killed, smacked of a desperate coverup.

Those tasked with saving the CMs face (and perhaps gaddi as well) seem to be unwilling to accept that their ploy to brand the protests as politicalthough the marchers are visibly apoliticaland attempts to deride the marchers credentials and motives had been ineffective or counter-productive. The heavy-handed, colonial-era Vipreet Buddhi of the Kolkata Police is not working. The ruling party and its leader desperately need a new game plan to avoid Vinash Kaal.

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.
Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday came down heavily against the Kerala government for not acting on the Justice Hema Committee report, which according to him was a smoking gun that everyone ignored.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP, addressing the media after participating in the Birth Day commemoration of Rajiv Gandhi here at the District Congress Committee office, said that it is utterly shameful and shocking that the government sat on this report for nearly five years and now released it under duress.

I saw a statement by the minister for cultural affairs, stating that these ladies could have come to the government and made a complaint, and they have only given a complaint to the commission. But the commission is appointed by the government. So, what kind of excuse is this? Tharoor asked.

He said it was absolutely indispensable that action be taken on the basis of the report. The state government, frankly, ought to be ashamed of itself, Tharoor said.

He said it is unforgivable to see the image of the Kerala film industry, which has a worldwide reputation, being tarnished this way after creating an unsafe working environment for women and perpetuating it through acts of intimidation, blackmail, and worse.

He wondered how a state that was the first in the world to educate girls at the primary level about 200 years ago, allowed this to happen.

And worse is how those who are in authority in the state refused to do anything about a report that is a smoking gun sitting on their desk, and they are just pretending not to see the smoke, Tharoor said.

He said this report needs to be fully aired, discussed, and acted upon.

And it doesnt matter which influential heads are going to roll or which people are going to have their reputations affected by this. Because it takes a lot for a woman to come and give a complaint. He said the women who had come forward to complain have taken their reputation and their own careers into their own hands to ensure that another generation of women should not undergo what they have endured.

Tharoor said specific individual cases should be proceeded against.

This will tell people that there is no immunity for those who have harassed, blackmailed, intimidated, and humiliated respected cinema artists who just wanted to pursue their career in cinema and do their job.

He said he is not mentioning individuals, but the system and the government are in a very good position to act on the recommendations and conclusions in the Hema Committee Report.

There is a system, and that system has let the women of Kerala down. That system has betrayed the values of the industry that they seem to promote in their art and in their cinema, Tharoor said.
Sunita Kejriwal, wife of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal currently in jail in the excise policy case, met Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar at the latters office in Pune, an AAP leader said on Monday.

We (AAP leaders) are not aware of the topics discussed in the meeting on Sunday night. As per my knowledge, it was a courtesy meeting between the duo, he said, adding that AAP MP Sanjay Singh accompanied Sunita Kejriwal.

Sunita Kejriwal declined comments when media persons sought to know details about the meeting.

Pawar, a veteran politician and former Union minister, is one of the tallest leaders of the INDIA bloc which includes the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.

Sunita Kejriwal had campaigned for AAP during Lok Sabha elections in the absence of her husband.
Amitabh Bachchan is back with yet another season of Kaun Banega Crorepati. Taking over his role as the host for KBC 16, the Bollywood superstar got nostalgic in the recent episode as he reminisced about his younger days, his college times, and even his love story with Jaya Bachchan. While interacting with Delhis Kajol Ved in the latest episode, the actor couldnt help but speak about his jawani ka zamana. He also revealed that he spent a lot of time in Delhis popular areas like Sarojini Market, Chandni Chowk and Bengali Market.

It all began when Big B asked Kajol about how she would spend the money from superhero Dhanrashi, to which the latter said that she prefers markets over malls. As the actor went on to share that he had spent a lot of time at those places, Kajol asked him, Main wahi aapse puchne wali thi. Aap South campus aate the kya (I was about to ask you. Would you visit the south campus often)?

To this, Bachchan remarked, Devi Ji kya hai, ab hum shaadi shuda ho gaye hai. Naati pota bhi ho gaye hai. Woh zamana jo tha, woh jawani ka zamana tha. Usk baare mei kya bataye hum? Batane se humara pura poll jo hai woh khul jayega (Now I am married. I have grandchildren. Those were the younger times. What should I tell you about that? My secrets will be out if I speak).

Upon being pressed, Big B shared that he used to study and go to Sarojini Market but never bargained. Besides, he said that he would go to Miranda House to have fun before walking to his college. During this conversation, the host and the contestant also got into some other fun conversations.

Kajol, who is a business analyst by profession, went on to ask the actor, What did you call Jaya maam before marriage? to which he said, I used to call her by what her name was. He also shared that they had a mutual group where he would meet his wife and also go out together. Their love story began when he and his squad decided to do something special if their film, Zanjeer, became a hit.
Cryptocurrency is a sort of digital money that uses encryption for security purposes. Crypto transactions are typically completed in a matter of minutes and incur fewer transaction costs than standard payment methods since there is no intermediary. In India, there is no central body in charge of regulating cryptocurrencies as a means of payment. When it comes to resolving conflicts with cryptocurrencies, there are no laws, norms or recommendations. Hence, there is a broad scepticism of cryptocurrency payment methods as trading in digital currencies is done at the risk of investors. But not for this Bengaluru auto-driver.

A Bengaluru auto driver is gaining attention on social media after a photo of a note he placed within his vehicle went viral. Above the windscreen, there was a piece of paper that said, We accept crypto currency. The individual who posted the picture on X said, Bro is transforming faster than most literate Indians.

Bro is transforming faster than most literate Indians. pic.twitter.com/nZpIDc3bNv Garima Sharma (@Garimaoo2) August 18, 2024

The users in the comments section were undoubtedly thrilled.

A user commented, He must be attending those web3 hackathons in parallel I bet.

He must be attending those web3 hackathons in parallel I bet ctrus (@ctrus_move) August 18, 2024

Another user humourously asked, Is he an employee of WazirX?

Is he an employee of WazirX? Indian Retail Investing (@IndianInve10186) August 19, 2024

Only can be seen in Bengaluru, said another user.

only can be seen at bengaluru Madhu S Gowda | madhusgowda.eth (@madhusgowda_) August 20, 2024

A user highlighted, 30% tax. No deductions.

30% tax. No deductions  Siya Jain (@SiyaJain_) August 18, 2024

Notably, the Indian government announced a 30% tax on cryptocurrency earnings and a 1% tax withheld at source in the Union Budget 2022. The government of India has presented the Cryptocurrency Bill 2021 in the Lok Sabha as a legislative shift to control the growing crypto industry in the country. Through the introduction of the bill, the government officially began the process of regulating cryptocurrencies.

With this bill, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hopes to provide a more advantageous framework for the official digital currency. The term cryptocurrencies was not initially defined in Indias Income Tax Act or Goods and Services Tax (GST). But Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed a tax system for virtual or digital assets, like cryptocurrency, in the Union Budget 2022.

As per the same, those who invest in cryptocurrencies are required to declare their income, including their estimated gains and losses. Taxes of 30% will be applied to the profits from the sale of digital assets, such as NFTs and cryptocurrencies. Profits from virtual asset transfers will only be reported at purchase cost, no deductions will be allowed. 1% of the buyers payment is withheld at source (TDS) if it exceeds the threshold limit. When the digital currency is received or transferred as a gift, the recipient gets taxed. You cannot offset any losses you incur from investing in virtual assets with other sources of income.
Its not only in your head, air travel can make some parts of your body feel weird. The cabins fluctuating pressure, temperature, oxygen levels and lower humidity can disrupt your bodys regular functions. Dr. Sudipta, a Jaipur-based physician, has pointed out that flying can lead to symptoms like diarrhoea, vomiting and severe stomach discomfort. Even if you steer clear of airline food, Dr. Sudipta explains the underlying causes and offers tips for staying healthy while travelling.

On X (formerly Twitter), Dr. Sudipta shared that he often hears from patients who, after flying the previous day, experience symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea and severe abdominal discomfort.

In the course of my practice, I often get to hear this common complaint  Doc, I travelled by flight yesterday, and today I have diarrhoea, vomiting and a bad stomach ache. I ask them  did you have any food in the flight? The answer is often no. So, is there any other reason? And can air travel make you sick? he wrote.

In the course of my practice, I often get to hear this common complaint  Doc, I travelled by flight yesterday, and today I have diarrhoea, vomiting and a bad stomach ache. I ask them  did you have any food in the flight? The answer is often no. So, is there any other pic.twitter.com/nVl14VuLyf  Sudipto (@SudiptoDoc) August 19, 2024

Answering his own question, Dr Sudipto says, Yes. Airline travel can make you sick. He emphasises that not following basic hygiene precautions might lead to illness on any public transportation.

The doctor cited undisclosed studies to support his claim that it has been demonstrated time and time again that frequently used surfaces such as armrests, tray tables, seatbelts and aircraft seats are harbouring various germs that might potentially cause illness.

The water in paper cups that the stewardesses and stewards so graciously offer you with a smile, too is not above suspicion, Dr Sudipto further said.

He gave an explanation of why extensive cleaning is not possible, citing the short turn-around time between flights. Moreover, employees are unable to thoroughly clean the contaminated regions.

According to the doctor, Fabric seats in particular have a tendency to retain moisture and trap it, which increases the likelihood of bacteria and viruses growing on them.

He noted that a persons back and headrests may be exposed to sweating, especially after boarding in humid climates.

Dr. Sudipto cited several studies to support his claim that germs might spread quickly among people seated near one another.

So whats the solution? The doctor recommended carrying hand sanitiser with you at all times and using it as soon as you board the aircraft, once throughout the journey, and every time you get off.

The same applies to travelling by other public transport, he says.

As per the doctor, it is insufficient to just wash your hands if you must use the loo. Hence, when you get back to your seat, make sure you apply hand sanitiser.

In addition, he advises against consuming food and beverages on plane that are served in paper cups, especially on shorter domestic flights.

Buy a bottle of water if you are really thirsty.

It is advised to use disinfectant wipes to clean the tray table surface, hand rests, buckles, and seat during extended flights.
A man from Chhattisgarh purchased an electric scooter from an Ola showroom, but when the scooter began experiencing technical issues, he sought assistance for repairs. However, the company allegedly failed to provide adequate support after the vehicle malfunctioned. Frustrated, the man decided to stage a protest outside the showroom but in a way no one could have anticipated.

The man placed his red scooter, adorned with a garland around the handle, onto a cart and took it to the Ola showroom. He then started singing Salman Khans chartbuster Tadap Tadap Ke on a microphone right in front of the showroom. Whats more, he twisted the lyrics to fit the companys name.

Read| Bhavish Aggarwal Says Ola Electric Is Worlds Largest Two-wheeler EV Company, Gets Trolled

In the video, the customer can be heard singing, Tadap tadap ke iss dil se aah nikalti rahi, mujhko saza di Ola ne, aisa kya gunaah kiya, to lut gaye, ha lut gaye, to lut gae ham Ola lekar re.

Watch the viral video here:

The video was shared two days ago on Instagram. It has since received over 17.5 million views and still counting. Many even took to the comments section of the post to share their thoughts.

Heres how people reacted to the viral video:

The best way to protest. Love it. Its all about the dealer who cant take care of the customer, wrote an individual.

Another added, India is not for beginners.

Ola doesnt provide quality service, expressed a third.

Also Read| Ola Delivery Agent Caught On Camera Eating Customers Food. Heres What Happened

A fourth commented, Very bad experience. Mine parked for a month just because I am waiting for a slot to repair the damage.

Dont purchase any electric vehicle, shared a fifth.

A sixth joined, I have a very bad experience with Ola scooter. It is not sturdy, very poor build quality. Its very difficult to get an appointment for service and after service, a new problem arises. I am so frustrated with their poor service. I advise not to buy this product at any cost.
British influencer Chloe Lopez has ignited outrage with her latest stunt, where she filmed herself removing her underwear and leaving them in public spaces in Spain. In one disturbing instance, Lopez placed her underwear in a bread tray at a Mercadona supermarket, smiling as she walked away. This act, which she refers to as a donation, has shocked locals and social media users alike. The unsettling and unsanitary behaviour has prompted calls for police intervention and even requests for the influencer to leave Spain for her safety.

This isnt the first time Chloe Lopez has performed this stunt. In one of the previous videos, the model was seen leaving her underwear at gas stations, cafes, plants, and other food stores. Social media users have expressed outrage at her disrespectful behaviour. Along with her latest video, Lopez wrote, Leaving a donation.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chloe lopez (@chloejadelopez)

Reacting to the post, a user asked, Why isnt she in jail for this?

Another shared, That is a crime against public health. Dont be surprised to receive news from the Spanish justice system.

Donation? No one wants your STDs. This should be a felony, a comment read.

Another wrote, Deport her from Spain and ban her from the Schengen Area.

An individual shared, This is really disturbing. Are you not embarrassed?

One more added, You do realise that the employees have to throw away all of those rolls and deep clean the shelf.

Joey Swoll, a prominent fitness influencer known for his outspoken critiques in the industry, has strongly condemned Chloe Lopezs actions. He expressed his frustration over Lopezs latest stunt, where she removed her underwear in a grocery store and placed it among bakery items. Swoll not only criticised Lopez but also those who supported her.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Joey Swoll (@joeyswoll)

Since Joey Swoll shared the video on Instagram, it has garnered over 42 lakh views.
Have you heard about people protecting migratory birds day and night? These migratory birds are medium in size, and when they spread their wings, they resemble eagles. Every evening, they settle along the Ekmi bypass road that passes through the Hanuman Nagar block area of the Darbhanga district, Bihar. Their presence enhances the beauty of the surroundings. People passing by the road often stop to catch a glimpse of these beautiful creatures.

It is believed that their arrival has brought happiness to the local people and farmers, as these birds are considered very special, and their sudden appearance is seen as an auspicious sign.

The biggest concern for the people living in that area is protecting the birds from hunters, as these birds are often hunted by various dangerous species. As a result, the local farmers and villagers collectively monitor and safeguard them.

Ram Naresh Yadav, a resident, claimed that the arrival of these birds has brought good fortune to the area. He added that the locals cherish the beautiful sight every evening, capturing it in their memories whenever they catch a glimpse of the birds.

The arrival of these migratory birds in the area for the first time has created a special and auspicious moment. Yadav also mentioned that the most surprising aspect is seeing hundreds of birds flocking together, adding to the scenes beauty and making it truly eye-catching.

The presence of these migratory birds has sparked curiosity among nature lovers in Darbhanga, contributing to the regions growing reputation as a destination for eco-tourism.

The collective efforts of the entire Darbhanga community highlight a growing commitment to environmental conservation. The presence of these birds is not only a rare natural occurrence but also a significant environmental event that raises awareness about the importance of conserving these beautiful creatures.
Every business model comes with its share of risks, but very few tackle these challenges with remarkable determination, turning their ventures into profitable and inspirational success stories. One such story was recently shared by Sunil, an engineer, who posted on X to highlight his Gujarati friends impressive business success in the US.

Sunil described his friend, a Gujarati immigrant in New Jersey, who despite having completed the 10th grade only, successfully runs a thriving restaurant. Advantage of being a Gujarati: Met a Patel friend who runs a restaurant in New Jersey. He was in his late 40s and 10th pass. I am an engineer with a masters degree who listens to podcasts, Sunil wrote on X.

Sunil also shared Peter Thiels perspective with his friend. Theil, the former CEO of PayPal, has famously criticised restaurants as poor investment due to their high failure rates and unpredictable customers. His friend, unfamiliar with who Thiel is, seemed intrigued but not impressed.

I told him that Peter Thiel said that the worst business one can do is open a restaurant. Very high failure rate and customers are very unpredictable. When I mentioned Peter Thiels name, he raised his eyebrows to think. Obviously, he doesnt know who Peter Thiel is. He said opening a restaurant is surely a short way to be a millionaire for him, Sunil added.

In the post, Sunil shared that his friend benefits from having a large Gujarati community in New Jersey, including 50 families who frequently visit his restaurant. He himself has 50 families who are his relatives that live in New Jersey who come to his restaurant for good Gujarati food. If salt is less, they will not stop coming. They will simply tell him to add more salt.

Many Gujaratis from New York and Pennsylvania visit the restaurant during the trips to Swaminarayan temple located in Robbinsville. In the way to Robbinsville, they make a stop at his restaurant to eat delicious Gujarati thali. Thats 50-75 people per bus. All he has to do is open a restaurant in the morning, cook dal Chawal sabji roti, dhokla, tea for 10 years and he is a millionaire, Sunil noted.

He concluded by saying, Thats 10th pass immigrant for you. No MBA, no listening to podcasts. Just common sense, intuition and the ability to take calculated risks.

Advantage of being a Gujarati:Met a Patel friend who runs a restaurant in New Jersey. He was in his late 40s and 10th pass. I am engineer with masters degree who listens to podcasts.  I told him that Peter Thiel said that worst business one can do is open a restaurant.  Sunil (@sunilavaria) August 18, 2024

Sunils post garnered significant attention online, with many users sharing their perspectives in the comment section.

One user commented, His business is thriving because of captive customers and lack of competition.

His business is thriving because of captive customers and lack of competition. https://t.co/vgj1aCYUhW Abhishek Chakraborty (@abhishekc_1983) August 19, 2024

Another shared, In coming years degrees will become irrelevant.

In coming years degrees will become irrelevant https://t.co/7nrJhWz4cL Based  (@Warrior27549890) August 19, 2024

Most of the educated people are trapped in analysis paralysis  waiting for the perfect start. If we can just focus on the basics and continue working towards it, success will follow, a person pointed out.

Most of the educated people are trapped in the analysis paralysis  waiting for the perfect start.If we can just focus on the basics and continue working towards it, success will follow.  Ram Joshi (@ramjoshionline) August 19, 2024

Sometimes, knowing your market and having a loyal customer base trumps all the business theories, a user noted.

Sometimes, knowing your market and having a loyal customer base trumps all the business theories. Avigyan Mitra (@avigyanofficial) August 19, 2024

The post has accumulated over 4.5 lakh views so far.
Rajya Sabha MP, philanthropist, and author Sudha Murty found herself in the eye of a controversy after she recounted a tale about Rani Karnavati and Humayun, explaining how the custom of tying rakhi began. However, the story received backlash, with many, including The Kashmir Files producer Abhishek Agarwal, criticising it as historically inaccurate.

Agarwal expressed his shock on X (formerly Twitter), writing, This is really shocking coming from a lady like Sudha Murty, who herself is at the forefront of championing our Indigenous culture.

Read| It Never Happened: Sudha Murty Faces Backlash Over Raksha Bandhan Story

Respected Sudha Murty Ji, you should know that the story of Mughal Emperor Humayun acting on a rakhi sent by Rani Karnavati of Chittor is a fabricated myth. This narrative was spread to diminish Hindu achievements and falsely attribute cultural elements to Islamic invaders, he added.

Agarwal argued that Qutbuddin Bahadur Shah of Gujarat attacked Chittor despite having been sheltered there and that Humayun did not aid Chittor but focused on his own ambitions. He questioned why Rani Karnavati and the women of Chittor performed Jauhar to escape invaders if Humayun had indeed come to their rescue.

We must unite to counter this misleading narrative and honour our true history. Raksha Bandhan is a Sanatan festival, its origins are in our Dharmashastras. Sudha Murty Ji should note and correct her mistake, he concluded.

This is really shocking coming from a lady like Sudha Murty, who herself is at the forefront of championing our indigenous culture.Respected #SudhaMurthy Ji, you should know that the story of Mughal Emperor Humayun acting on a rakhi sent by Rani Karnavati of Chittor is a pic.twitter.com/v3UN0ZGn2K  Abhishek Agarwal (@AbhishekOfficl) August 19, 2024

What did Sudha Murty say after the backlash?

Sudha Murty, in her latest post, defended her stand, saying, The story I shared on Raksha Bandhan is just one of many tales associated with the festival and certainly not its origin. As I have said in the video clip, this was already a custom of the land. My intention was to highlight one of the many stories I learnt about when growing up, about the beautiful symbolism behind Raksha Bandhan. Raksha Bandhan is a much older tradition that has transcended time and culture of our beloved country, one that I am proud of and look forward to with affection for my own siblings.

Sudha Murty on Raksha Bandhan

Raksha Bandhan has a rich history. When Rani Karnavati was in danger, she sent a thread to King Humayun as a symbol of siblinghood, asking for his help. This is where the tradition of the thread began, and it continues to this day, Sudha Murty wrote on X as she shared a video on the historical origins of the festival.

Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi is one of the important festivals according to me where a sister ties a thread. It may not be a huge one but a simple thread indicating that in times of difficulties, you should always be there to help me. Our siblings are so important in life, she said in the video.

She then shared the origins of the festival: It goes back to Rani Karnavati when she was in danger; her kingdom was small and attacked by somebody; she did not know what to do, so she sent a thread to King Humayun, a Mughal Emperor, saying that I am in danger, please consider me your sister, and please do come to protect me.

Humayun didnt know what is it. Because he came from a different country, he asked what is this. The local people said it is a call from a sister to a brother, she added.

Murty further said, He said okay, if that is the case, I will go and help Rani Karnavati. He left Delhi and went to her kingdom, but he was a little late as she was no more.
The recent attacks on five terrorists in Canada and the United States (US)  Rahat Rao, Tariq Kiani, Raghbir Nijjar, Satinder Pal Singh Raju and Nijjar killing accused  with links to slain Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar are part of a fight over succession and drug money, according to local sources. Moreover, Pakistan is looking to eliminate all leads that hint at the Inter-Services Intelligences (ISI) involvement, said sources.

ALSO READ | Nijjars Cousin, Pannuns Aide Attacked: Exclusive From Local Sources On Rivalry Between SFJ & Khalistani Gangs

Control over the money from drug cartel is the main reason, said sources, adding, Pakistans utility of the Khalistani gangs is over and now it is under pressure to eliminate everyone associated with the killing of Nijjar. The ISI wants to eliminate close associates of Nijjar to close all leads towards the ISI.

Nijjar was killed by unidentified gunmen outside a Gurdwara in Surrey, Canada, on June 18, 2023. He was the chief of banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), and was designated a terrorist by the Indian government under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in 2020. Interpol had also issued red corner notice against him quite a few times, the first in 2016.

CNN-News18 was the first to report on the killing of Nijjar and how he was deeply involved in drugs and weapon smuggling racket with Pakistan.

ISI AGENT RAHAT RAO ATTACKED IN CANADA

Rahat Rao, who belongs to the Canadian-Pakistani community, runs a forex business in Surrey Central area. According to sources, a person came to Raos office for some alleged money exchange work, set him on fire and ran away. According to sources, he was attacked due to tension between two groups.

Earlier, CNN-News18 had reported that Rao was questioned in the Nijjar murder case.

Sources say the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), although quiet right now, will soon make a statement on it.

#BreakinghNews | Top intel sources have informed CNN News18 that Pakistan origin TV Channel owned by Tariq Kiani was attacked by unknown people in Canada Exclusive Input by: @manojkumarguptaNews18's @siddhantvm shares details@KuheenaSharma | #Canada #ISI #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/VmHEvpWG1w News18 (@CNNnews18) August 18, 2024

TARIQ KIANI ATTACKED IN SURREY, CANADA

Tariq Kiani, the owner of Republic Plus TV in Surrey, was attacked by unknown people. His shop, where he ran a printing business, was damaged. The motive behind the attack is not known yet.

Kiani is under the scanner for Nijjar killing.

Recently, Kiani was seen with Pakistan Consulate General on Pakistans Independence Day function

NIJJAR MURDER ACCUSED ATTACKED IN SURREY DETENTION CENTRE

One of the three undertrials arrested in connection with the Nijjar killing and lodged in Surrey detention centre in Canada was attacked by co-prisoner. While the reason is not known, reports suggested a personal reason as the motive. No injuries were reported. Sources have also ruled out a conspiracy theory that he may be attacked for eliminating the evidence.

On May 3, three Indian nationals  Karan Brar, 22, Kamalpreet Singh, 22, and Karanpreet Singh, 28,  for Nijjars murder. On May 12, Amardeep Singh was arrested on the same charge. The trial is yet to start.

NIJJARS COUSIN, PANNUNS AIDE ATTACKED

Shots were fired at the house of Raghbir Nijjar, cousin of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, at Surrey in Canada. Raghbir is the ex-president of Guru Nanak Sikh Temple Surrey and a friend of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. He is a candidate to be the president again.

The inter-gang rivalry of Khalistani criminals and extremist gangsters is on in full swing. According to sources, in the coming days, violence will escalate.

ALSO READ | Tariq Kiani, Pakistani ISIs Agent In Canada Under Scanner in Khalistani Nijjar Killing, Attacked | Exclusive

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is looking at the Surrey gunfire and arson attempt as a case of extortion, said sources.

In another incident in San Francisco, Sikh for Justices Satinder Pal Singh Raju, a close associate of Khalistani Nijjar, survived an ambush. Raju, an associate of Pannun, was attacked when the truck he was travelling in was sprayed with bullets on Interstate 505 near San Francisco on August 11.
India on Tuesday called on Japan to remove regulatory bottlenecks that exist in sharing of critical technologies even as the two sides vowed to work vigorously towards the common goal of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific in the face of Chinas aggressive military posturing in the region.

At the third 2+2 foreign and defence ministerial dialogue, India and Japan also agreed to prepare a new framework for security cooperation in line with the desire to further expand the overall strategic ties.

Good to meet with FM @Kamikawa_Yoko of Japan. Continued our conversations from Tokyo last month. Noted the progress being charted by our bilateral ties. Will build on these exchanges further during the India-Japan 2+2 meeting later today. pic.twitter.com/qk7RpiYEVw  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 20, 2024

The Indian delegation at the talks was headed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The Japanese team was led by Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defence Minister Kihara Minoru.

A joint statement said the ministers appreciated the successful completion of the cooperation in the areas of Unmanned Ground Vehicle/Robotics.

Delighted to co-host the 3rd edition of India Japan 2+2 dialogue, in India. This year is significant for both India and Japan, as we are celebrating 10 years of the establishment of our Special Global Strategic Partnership.I thank Mr Kihara Minoru, Minister of Defense and Ms pic.twitter.com/mKTVinwjUn  Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 20, 2024

It said they also appreciated the progress made for the transfer of Unified Complex Radio Antenna (UNICORN) and related technologies and early signing of related arrangements.

The UNICORN will be fitted onboard Indian naval ships, officials said.

A free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific is the top priority for both our countries. We explored the possibility of coordinating our respective security and development assistance where our interests converge, Jaishankar said in his media statement.

He also announced Indias decision to establish a new consulate in the Japanese city of Fukuoka.

Kamikawa, in an oblique reference to Chinas military muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific, told the media: We reaffirmed our commitment to object to unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force and uphold the free and open international order based on the rule of law. The Japanese foreign minister said both sides reaffirmed strong determination to cooperate for regional peace and prosperity.

In his remarks, Jaishankar said both sides discussed the unfolding new avenues for technology, research and industrial cooperation while underlining the importance of trust-based collaboration in emerging technologies, including in the field of defence.

Such trust-based collaboration in emerging technologies, including in the field of defence, will progress best when our approaches to technology sharing evolve, he said.

To this end, I requested our Japanese colleagues to look into the regulatory bottlenecks that currently exist, he said.

Jaishankar also said that India and Japan are resolute in their opposition to terrorism, including cross-border terrorist activities.

The joint statement said the ministers unequivocally condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and called for bringing the perpetrators of 26/11 Mumbai, Pathankot, and other attacks to justice.

It said they called for concerted actions against all UN-listed terrorist groups including Al Qaeda, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and their proxy groups, and to take resolute actions to root out terrorists safe havens and eliminate terrorist financing channels.

The joint statement said the ministers shared their intention to revise and update the 2008 joint declaration on security cooperation between India and Japan to reflect contemporary priorities.

It also said the ministers concurred on accelerating future cooperation in defence equipment and technology and welcomed the Indian Navy and Japan Maritime Self Defense Force exploring future cooperation in the area of ship maintenance in India.

In addition, the ministers concurred on exploring discussions for coordination and cooperation in the field of defence and security assistance to third countries for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, it said.

In his media statement, Jaishankar said the discussions also focused on strengthening capacity-building cooperation, including on dealing with challenges emanating in the cyber space.

He said both sides agreed to task our officials with preparing a new framework for security cooperation. We also shared our desire for a new vision for our overall partnership that orients our relations in line with our evolving national goals and priorities, he said.

Jaishankar said the discussions at the 2+2 meeting have paved the way for a robust agenda of cooperation on cross-cutting defence and foreign policy issues.

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.
US President Joe Biden backed Kamala Harris to beat loser Donald Trump in Novembers election as he gave an emotional farewell speech to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago on Monday.

The 81-year-old, who quit the White House race in July, urged Americans to put a prosecutor in the Oval Office instead of a convicted felon, referring to one of Harriss previous roles. Speaking at the United Center here, Biden urged attendees to vote for freedom, democracy, and America, and called on them to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as president and vice president.

President Biden: Think of the message Trump sends around the world when he talks about America being a failing nation. He says were losing. Hes the loser pic.twitter.com/14Bmfoet0I Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 20, 2024

READ MORE: Elect Kamala Harris And Tim Walz: Biden Urges Support In Impassioned Democratic Convention Speech

Let me ask you: Are you ready to vote for freedom? Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America? And let me ask you: Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as president and vice president? Biden said during his DNC speech. More Americans have health insurance today than ever before. And after fighting for 50 years to give Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, we finally beat Big Pharma. Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking vote, he added.

During his address, Biden said Trump promised infrastructure week every week for four years but he never built a damn thing. Donald Trump promised infrastructure week every week for 4 years. And he never built a damn thing. Now because of what Kamala and I have done, were giving America an infrastructure decade, not week, he said.

President Biden: Donald Trump promised infrastructure week every week for 4 years. And he never built a damn thing. Now because of what Kamala and I have done, were giving America an infrastructure decade, not week pic.twitter.com/PNYLMK0oE5 Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 20, 2024

On July 21, Biden announced his decision to withdraw from the presidential race, paving the way for Harris to become the Democratic nominee and face Donald Trump. The convention, which kicked off in Chicago, saw a mix of fervent support and vocal protests, with thousands of anti-war activists demonstrating nearby. The DNCs opening night set a tone of unity and enthusiasm as the party gears up for the November election.
US President Joe Biden made a passionate appeal for the future of American democracy and urged support for Vice President Kamala Harris during his speech at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Monday.

Addressing a crowd of close to 50,000 people at the United Center in Chicago, Biden urged attendees to vote for freedom, democracy, and America, and called on them to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as president and vice president.

America loves Joepic.twitter.com/rRJJQinIvI  Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 20, 2024

Elect Harris and Walz

Let me ask you: Are you ready to vote for freedom? Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America? And let me ask you: Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as president and vice president? Biden said during his DNC speech.

More Americans have health insurance today than ever before. And after fighting for 50 years to give Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, we finally beat Big Pharma. Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking vote, he added.

Let me ask you: Are you ready to vote for freedom?Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America? And let me ask you: Are you ready to elect @KamalaHarris and @Tim_Walz as president and vice president?  Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 20, 2024

The convention, which kicked off in Chicago, saw a mix of fervent support and vocal protests, with thousands of anti-war activists demonstrating nearby. Bidens appearance was met with an emotional reception from the audience, reflecting his significant role in the Democratic Party.

During his address, Biden also attacked Republican nominee Donald Trump, saying the former US president promised infrastructure week every week for four years but he never built a damn thing.

President Biden: Donald Trump promised infrastructure week every week for 4 years. And he never built a damn thing. Now because of what Kamala and I have done, were giving America an infrastructure decade, not week pic.twitter.com/PNYLMK0oE5 Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 20, 2024

READ MORE: Kamala Harris Makes Debut At Democratic Convention In Chicago, Lauds Bidens Historic Leadership | WATCH

Before Biden, Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also took the stage, drawing loud cheers and further energising the crowd.

On July 21, Biden announced his decision to withdraw from the presidential race, paving the way for Harris to become the Democratic nominee. The DNCs opening night set a tone of unity and enthusiasm as the party gears up for the November election.
Former US president Barack Obama, who made his Democratic National Convention (DNC) debut in Boston two decades ago, will return to his political hometown of Chicago, which is hosting the recent edition of quadrennial meeting of the Dems, to make the case for US Vice President Kamala Harris who is running for the office.

It's good to be home in Chicago. Looking forward to being at the @DemConvention, and joining so many inspiring people to share what's at stake in this election  and why @KamalaHarris and @Tim_Walz should be our next President and Vice President. https://t.co/wiRsitWDgm  Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 19, 2024

Former first lady Michelle Obama will also take the stage in support of Harris nomination as the duo are expected to headline the conventions second night.

The convention will start half an hour before the scheduled time on Tuesday as the first day ran so far behind schedule  and so deep into the night  that the organisers had to cancel some speakers. They promised more tweaks to keep the program running closer to on-time.

Michelle Obama is expected to argue how Harris experiences and values make her qualified to serve as president. Her husband, Harris campaign officials said, will focus on what Democrats need to do in order to defeat Trump in the general election, the Kamala Harris campaign team said.

Obama is expected to bring heat on Donald Trump, talk directly to American voters and honour the magnitude of Harris moment, according to Illinois lieutenant governor Juliana Stratton, who credits the 44th president with helping her become her states first Black woman lieutenant governor.

He was a historic candidate and president. He knows what this is like. There will be this sweet moment of the first Black president passing the baton. President Obama is still a north star in the party, Stratton was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

With the party united and Harris polling strongly, Democrats are making clear they believe they can defeat Donald Trump, who had seemed set to regain power in November until Biden upended the race by dropping out and endorsing his vice president.

In addition to the Obamas, Harris husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, is also scheduled to give his speech on Tuesday night.

A successful lawyer, Emhoff would make history if Harris wins by becoming the nations first first gentleman.

A bold vision for Americas future

According to convention organisers, the theme for Tuesdays events is A bold vision for Americas future, a defined pivot toward a new generation for Democrats and their leadership.

After a Monday night that flicked at Harris possibility but also lauded the legacy of US President Joe Biden and his decades of accomplishment, convention organisers now appear ready to shift toward the next stage of their journey.

In laying out their plans for the week, convention organizers described Tuesday night as a way to contrast what they characterized as Harris forward-looking strategy with Trumps less positive outlook on Americas future.

As they did on Monday, Democrats also plan to showcase everyday Americans and some performers during each night, in addition to the elected officials and party leaders.

More protests are planned near the DNC

More protests are planned near the site of the DNC, where on Monday, a few dozen who broke away from a larger group voicing their opposition to the war in Gaza tore down pieces of the security fence up in several areas near convention venues. Some protesters, dressed in black with their faces covered, dragged pieces of the fence back to a park near the United Center, where the convention is being held.

(with inputs from AP and AFP)
Former US President Donald Trump on Monday said that he would consider appointing Tesla CEO Elon Musk to his Cabinet if he wins the November election. Hes a very smart guy. I certainly would, if he would do it. Hes a brilliant guy, Trump told Reuters in an interview.

The tech billionaire responded quickly on social media, stating he was willing to serve. During the interview, Trump indicated he might reverse the $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle purchases, which the Biden administration has promoted as part of its climate change agenda. Musk, who owns the social media platform X, has endorsed Trump and supported a super PAC backing the former US presidents campaign.

I am willing to serve pic.twitter.com/BJhGbcA2e0 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 20, 2024

Dept of Govt Efficiency

Last week, Trump and Musk held a two-hour discussion on X. During their conversation, Musk expressed a willingness to join a government commission focused on studying the national debt and revising Congressional spending. Notably, Musk posted an AI-generated picture of himself with a Department of Government Efficiency plaque on his speaking podium.

READ MORE: Elon Musk And Donald Trump Dance To Stayin Alive In Viral AI Video, We Cant Stop Laughing

Last month, Musk publicly endorsed Trump in the US presidential race after the assassination attempt on the former president. This support came even as Trump could take steps to reverse Treasury Department rules that have made it easier for automakers to take advantage of the $7,500 credit and helped companies like Tesla. While president, Trump sought to repeal the EV tax credit which was later expanded by President Joe Biden in 2022.

Not making final decisions

Im not making any final decisions on it, Trump said of the EV tax credit. Im a big fan of electric cars, but Im a fan of gasoline-propelled cars, and also hybrids and whatever else happens to come along. He added that he would rescind the Biden administration rules that will prod automakers to build more EVs and plug-in hybrids to meet stricter emissions standards and said he sees a much smaller market for EVs because of cost and battery range issues.

Trump also said on Monday he would take steps to discourage exports of vehicles produced by the Detroit Three automakers and others from Mexico for U.S consumers by imposing new tariffs and would prevent Chinese automakers from building new plants in Mexico for U.S. market vehicles. He made similar threats during his presidency.

If you put tariffs on those cars, theyre going to make it here Trump said. Its very simple. Its not complicated. If you tell Mexico, look, youre stealing our car industry, which theyre doing now. However, Trump is open to Chinese and other automakers building vehicles in the United States. Were going to give incentives, and if China and other countries want to come here and sell the cars, theyre going to build plants here, and theyre going to hire our workers, Trump said. We will make our own cars. I want to make our own cars.

(With agency inputs)
Donald Trump is considering Elon Musk for his Cabinet if he wins the upcoming US Presidential election. This move would mirror Musks past role in Trumps administration, where he was part of advisory panels until his resignation in 2017.

In 2016, Musk joined two advisory panels under Trump, focusing on economic and environmental policies. However, the US tech billionaire resigned in June 2017 following the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord.

When Musk Left Trump

I am departing from presidential councils. Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world, Musk wrote on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter before the Tesla CEO acquired it in 2023.

Musks initial involvement in Trumps administration was marked by a desire to influence policy, but his resignation in 2017 underlined the tensions between the tech industry and Trumps environmental policies. Despite this history, Musks recent endorsement signals a renewed alignment with Trump as the 2024 election approaches.

READ MORE: Im Willing To Serve: Elon Musk Accepts Donald Trumps Big Cabinet Role Offer

Am departing presidential councils. Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 1, 2017

Hes a very smart guy

During an interview with Reuters, Trump on Monday praised Musk, stating, Hes a very smart guy. I certainly would, if he would do it. Hes a brilliant guy. Musk quickly responded on social media, expressing his willingness to serve in a potential role. Their relationship has strengthened, particularly after Musk endorsed Trump last month, commending his instinctual courage following an assassination attempt on the former president.

The two held a two-hour discussion on Musks platform, X, where they discussed the possibility of a government efficiency commission to oversee national debt and spending. Musks support comes despite potential conflicts, as Trump indicated he might reverse the $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle purchasesa credit that has benefited Tesla.

Trumps administration previously sought to repeal this tax credit, which was later expanded by President Biden in 2022. During the interview, Trump reiterated his skepticism about tax incentives, stating, Tax credits and tax incentives are not generally a very good thing.

If re-elected, Trump could take steps to reverse Treasury Department rules that have facilitated the EV tax credit, which has been vital for Teslas growth. He expressed a preference for a diverse automotive market, stating, Im a big fan of electric cars, but Im a fan of gasoline-propelled cars, and also hybrids and whatever else happens to come along.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday said that if evidence is submitted terrorism will not be condoned when questioned about the extradition of Zakir Naik.

Naik is an Islamist preacher who fled to Malaysia after being accused in India of supporting terrorism and spreading hate and division among Muslims and other communities in India through his so-called lectures and speeches.

The Malaysian Prime Minister also said that one case should not deter Malaysia and India from enhancing their bilateral relationship. We are open to any ideas and if evidence is submitted, we will not condone terrorism, but one has to produce a compelling case to support, Ibrahim said while answering CNN-News18s question on the long-pending extradition request of Zakir Naik, by the Indian enforcement agencies.

We have been tough, we have been working together with India on many of these issues against terrorism. But I dont think this one case should deter us from further collaboration and enhancing our bilateral cooperation, he further added.

The comments from Ibrahim came after India and Malaysia elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim held extensive talks focusing on expanding cooperation in several sectors, including trade, investment and defence.

Today, we have decided that our partnership will be elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. We believe that there is still a lot of potential in economic cooperation. Bilateral trade and investment should be expanded, PM Modi said in his media statement.

Malaysia had ruled out deporting hate preacher Naik unless he broke Malaysian laws. He also holds permanent residency status in the country.

Naik and his organisation, Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), were first banned in India in 2016 following accusations that he and his foundation engaged in inciting hatred and pushed IRFs members to sow enmity, hostility and unfavourable feelings between Muslims living in India and other religious groups.

In March 2022, the IRF was ruled an unlawful association and consequently banned for five years by the Home Ministry.

The ministry said that the IRF founder Zakir Naiks talks were objectionable as he was praising known terrorists.

Naik has further inspired Muslim youth and terrorists in India and abroad to execute terrorist crimes, the MHA notification said.

These activities constitute a form of symbolic yet manifested invasion through the deliberate perpetuation of hate in the community done by IRF and its office bearers. Therefore, the aforesaid material shows that there exists sufficient cause to hold IRF an unlawful association, the notification further added.
An Indian content creator was surprised to find Made in Pakistan merchandise at Harvard University in the US. Ishan Sharma, who has been documenting his trip to the US via his social media channels, said he visited the prestigious university to purchase some merchandise.

Came to Harvard to buy merch.This one's is Rs. 12,000! But Made in Pakistan?! pic.twitter.com/ik6IUPASSu  Ishan Sharma (@Ishansharma7390) August 19, 2024

When he arrived at The Harvard Shop, which is a student-run merchandise store at Harvard, he was taken aback by the price tag of the jacket and the label that indicated that the clothing was manufactured in Pakistan.

He posted photos of himself wearing a Harvard jacket and shared videos of his visit on YouTube. A picture shared on his handles showed the label which read Made in Pakistan.

Came to Harvard to buy merch. This ones  12,000! But Made in Pakistan?! Sharma posted on X.

Quality is real bad. I picked a few last year and 2-3 washes and they all are now good to mop the floor. Official merch.  Aishwary.eth (/acc) (@0xAishwary) August 20, 2024

Social media users advised Sharma against buying the product, citing poor quality and saying it wasnt worth the price.

Thats normal. Most of the brands sell their products which are made in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Pakistan, IndiaBanana Republic  BangladeshExpress  Vietnam, IndiaOld navy  Bangladesh, PakistanGap  Bangladesh, IndiaA&F  Vietnametc Paithyam (@Takkarmar) August 20, 2024

Some users who previously bought the product recounted having an unpleasant experience.

Quality is real bad. I picked a few last year and 2-3 washes and they all are now good to mop the floor. Official merch.  Aishwary.eth (/acc) (@0xAishwary) August 20, 2024

He recently shared his excitement on social media after his visit to Harvard and described his experience as EPIC. He said it was surreal walking the same hallways once tread by legendary figures such as Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and John F. Kennedy.

He said he explored several iconic spots including the Harvard Yard, John Harvard statue, the libraries, and the Harvard Square and interacted with current students.
US Vice President Kamala Harris made her debut at the important Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago on Monday, where she is set to be formally declared as the presidential nominee to face Republican rival Donald Trump.

In her opening address, Americas first female, Black and South Asian vice president expressed her gratitude to President Joe Biden and praised his historic leadership. I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden, she said to cheers on the first day of the DNC. Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation.

On July 21, Biden withdrew from the reelection race to support Harris. Within days, Kamala Harris launched a strong Democratic campaign to challenge Trump. In the space of a few weeks, Harris has turned the presidential race upside down, breathing new life into the Democratic Party and wiping out Trumps lead in some polls.

Vice President Harris: In November, we will come together and declare as one voice we are moving forward with optimism, hope, and guided by love of country pic.twitter.com/inLuiUKQUM Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 20, 2024

Together, we will fight for the promise of Americas future. Tune in now to watch the first night of the Democratic National Convention. https://t.co/FFbmGUzAOS Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 19, 2024

On Monday, thousands of delegates gave the vice president a rapturous reception ahead of what is expected to be a bittersweet farewell address by the 81-year-old Biden following his decision to quit the 2024 White House race. Stepping into the spotlight on Monday, Harris declared, This is going to be a great week, setting an upbeat tone for the events opening day.

However, the founder of the main outside spending group backing Harris presidential bid says their own opinion polling is less rosy than public polls suggest and warned that Democrats face much closer races in key states.

Chauncey McLean, president of Future Forward, a super political action committee, or super PAC, that has raised hundreds of millions of dollars to back Harris in the Nov. 5 election, spoke on Monday during an event hosted by the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. Our numbers are much less rosy than what youre seeing in the public, said McLean, who rarely talks publicly.

Harris enters the Democratic National Convention in Chicago riding a wave of public polls that show she has already reshaped a race that strongly favoured Republican leader Trump in the final weeks of Bidens candidacy. Harris is leading in a compilation of national polls by FiveThirtyEight 46.6% to 43.8% for Trump and has pulled ahead in several public battleground state polls.

(With agency inputs)
King Charles III will on Tuesday visit Southport in northwest England, Buckingham Palace announced, three weeks after a knife attack which killed three young girls sparked nationwide riots.

His Majesty The King will travel to Southport to express his continued support for those affected by the 29th July attack and the riot which followed in the town, and to thank frontline emergency staff for their ongoing work serving local people, the palace said in a statement.

The monarch will meet members of the Southport community outside the town hall early in the afternoon, before then meeting regional leaders, representatives from the emergency services and others. They will include local groups and faith leaders impacted by the violent disorder which hit Southport the day after the July 29 mass stabbing.

Ahead of those public engagements, Charles will meet privately with some of those impacted by the knife attack, which claimed the lives of three young girls and injured 10 others, including eight children. The meeting will include some of the surviving children who were present at the community centre targeted, as well as their families.

The children were attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance class when an assailant entered the building and began attacking them. Axel Rudakubana, who was aged 17 at the time, has been charged with murder and attempted murder over the stabbing spree.

A motive for the atrocity has not been disclosed, but police have said it is not being treated as terrorism-related. More than a dozen English towns and cities saw unrest and riots in the week that followed the events in Southport.

Officials have blamed far-right elements for helping to stir up the disorder, which targeted mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers as well as police officers and other properties.

The authorities have cited misinformation spread online that Rudakubana was a Muslim asylum seeker for fuelling the violence. He was actually born in Britain to parents who hail from Rwanda, an overwhelmingly Christian country.
In a sign of rivalry between Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and other Khalistani gangs, shots were fired at the house of Raghbir Nijjar, cousin of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, at Surrey in Canada.

Raghbir is the ex-president of Guru Nanak Sikh Temple Surrey and a friend of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. He is a candidate to be the president again.

Nijjar was killed by unidentified gunmen outside a Gurdwara in Surrey, Canada, on June 18, 2023. He was the chief of banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), and was designated a terrorist by the Indian government under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in 2020. Interpol had also issued red corner notice against him quite a few times, the first in 2016.

Khalistani terrorist and chief of the banned SFJ Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is a US citizen who is misusing his access in the UK and Canada. He is responsible for acts of terrorism in multiple countries.

The inter-gang rivalry of Khalistani criminals and extremist gangsters is on in full swing. According to sources, in the coming days, violence will escalate. The issue is not Khalistan, but the millions of dollars up for grabs. Raghbir Nijjar has drug smuggling allegations as well. The gangs want a cut in the money, with Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), too, looking for its share, said sources.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is looking at the Surrey gunfire and arson attempt as a case of extortion, said sources.

In another incident in San Francisco, Sikh for Justices Satinder Pal Singh Raju, a close associate of Khalistani Nijjar, survived an ambush. Raju, an associate of Pannun, was attacked when the truck he was travelling in was sprayed with bullets on Interstate 505 near San Francisco on August 11.
A new biography of Queen Elizabeth II claims to reveal her candid thoughts on former US President Donald Trump, describing him as very rude during their encounters.

The claims are detailed in Craig Browns book, A Voyage Around The Queen, which is being serialized in the Daily Mail. According to the biography, the Queen expressed her disapproval of Trump shortly after he visited Windsor Castle in 2018.

Some sort of arrangement

Brown writes that the former British monarch, who passed away in 2022, confided to a lunch guest that she disliked how Trump frequently looked over her shoulder, seemingly in search of others more interesting. According to the writer cited by the British tabloid, the late Queen speculated about Trumps marriage to Melania, suggesting that they must have some sort of arrangement for her to remain with him.

Trump met the Queen twice during his presidency, first in July 2018 and again in June 2019. Their initial meeting was not classified as a state visit due to significant public opposition, which included protests and a giant balloon depicting Trump as a baby. During that visit, Trump kept the then-92-year-old monarch waiting for ten minutes in warm weather and reportedly walked ahead of her during a guard inspection, breaking royal protocol.

Despite these incidents, Trump has claimed that he had a positive relationship with the Queen. The former US President and current Republican nominee told Fox News, We were laughing and having fun. And her people said she hasnt had so much fun in 25 years. He also expressed confidence that he was her favorite guest, stating, There are those that say they have never seen the Queen have a better time, a more animated time.

Grand and beautiful lady

After the Queens death in September 2022, Trump issued a statement mourning her loss, praising her as a grand and beautiful lady. He said, Melania and I are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, adding that they would never forget her generous friendship and wonderful sense of humour.

The Queen, known for her discretion, rarely shared her personal opinions about world leaders, making these revelations particularly striking. Fiona Hill, a former White House advisor, noted that Trump viewed his meetings with the Queen as a significant achievement, believing it signified that he had made it in life. Trump has often spoken of his admiration for the Queen, highlighting her sense of duty and the long-standing relationship between the US and the UK.
A rocket engine exploded during a test launch at Britains new spaceport in northern Scotland, officials said Tuesday, in a setback for the UKs fledgling space sector.

No one was injured in Monday evenings incident at SaxaVord Spaceport on the remote island of Unst, said the operator, German rocket manufacturer Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA).

The company hopes to launch the UKs first vertical rocket into orbit from there later this year. Mondays failed test was one of the trials in the run-up to the launch.

It comes three months after RFA held its first engine test at the site, which was declared a success.

A rocket engine explodes during a launch test at the UK's new spaceport in Shetland pic.twitter.com/JQHjUHoxzj Gareth O'Connor (@garethoconnor) August 20, 2024

On Monday evening, RFA conducted a hot fire of its first stage at their launch site at SaxaVord Spaceport, said a spokesperson for the German company.

This resulted in an anomaly that led to the loss of the stage. No-one was injured in the process.

The launch pad has been saved and is secured, the situation is under control and any immediate danger has been mitigated.

A spokesperson for SaxaVord said it will work with RFA to understand and learn from the causes and support them as they move forward to the next phase of their preparations.

SaxaVord is the first fully licensed vertical launch spaceport in Europe.

It is one of several space centres sprouting up around the continent amid a surge in popularity of small rockets and the commercialisation of space.

SaxaVord received permission from UK aviation regulators in December 2023 to begin orbital launches this year. It is allowed up to 30 annually to take satellites and other payload.

The first attempt to launch satellites from UK soil failed in January last year when a rocket failed to enter orbit after discharging from a Virgin Orbit Boeing 747.

The attempt took place at Cornwall Spaceport in southwest England, where rockets are carried by aircraft and launch horizontally.
A green bag with Bangabandhu Mujibur Rehmans picture is all that seems clear at the Bangabandhu memorial on Dhanmundi in Dhaka. The memorial, which once housed the memorial of father of Bangladesh, is dark. The smell of smoke is strong. The spot was one of the targets of the protesting students who wanted Sheikh Hasina out.

Just about 5 km away is the burnt Awami League office. Nothing remains except a few burnt posters of the party, its leader Hasina and signs of the opulence before the violence. This is where the students claim they were beaten up by Awami League leaders. Some students claim that they were locked up by the leaders in this office.

ALSO READ | Interim Govt Files New Murder Cases Against Hasina, Says Law And Order Situation Remains A Challenge

Jannatul Naim Arnob, one of the main student leaders, tells News18: We are not against Mujibur Rehman. He paid the price for Sheikh Hasinas atrocities. We broke his statue because we are angry with his daughter. We also dont think so many statues of his should have been put up across the country.

The statement perhaps explains the horrific images of protestors standing on the statue of Rehman, some even urinating on it, as it was being brought down. The remains of the statue are now packed in jute sacks.

As Bangladesh goes back to normalcy slowly, the real challenges emerge. The parliament stands quiet with no clarity on when the elections may take place. The expats and businessmen have begun to return, but there is still no guarantee of business as usual. This would be the main challenge for the Muhammed Yunus-led interim government.

Arnob says, Our battle and fight is not over. It is wrong to say we are politicised. We found support over weeks as our cause was right. We felt victimised. We felt Hasina was not right and thats why we should continue to be on the streets. We need to be like a pressure group or conscience keeper of the government so that they work for the people of Bangladesh. We want Sheikh Hasina to return. She should face action.

As we go back to the PM house called Ganabhaban, all that remains are broken chairs and utensils. There are very few visitors now.

For most people in Dhaka at least, Hasina does not matter much. For the students and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and Jamaat she does though  Enough to want her back and hang her.
Former US president and Republican nominee Donald Trump on Monday said he would participate in a tele-town hall hosted by Fox News in September days after US Vice-President Kamala Harris campaign team made it clear that the Democratic nominee will not participate in a debate hosted by the US-based broadcaster that often is seen supportive of the Republican Party.

Rather than the debate on September 4th, I have agreed to do a Tele-Town Hall, anchored by Sean Hannity, for Fox. It will take place in the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania  Details to follow! Trump posted on Truth Social.

Donald Trump said he was not surprised that Harris would not agree to a debate on Fox News. He said it would be difficult for her and said she would not be able to defend her record setting Flip-Flopping on absolutely everything she once believed in.

Harris campaign said Kamala Harris will participate in two presidential debates and Tim Walz, her running mate, will participate in one vice presidential debate.

The first debate will be held on September 10 hosted by ABC News. The second debate will be held in October but no date has been given and Harris campaign team said they would consider taking part in one after the September 10 showdown.

Trumps running mate and Republican Ohio senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will go head-to-head on October 1.

Donald Trump earlier accepted two other proposed debates  the one that was supposed to be hosted by Fox News and the other by NBC News on September 25.

Trump had engaged in a debate with Joe Biden in June. The US President Biden stepped aside after that debate due to his disastrous performance and made way for Kamala Harris.
School districts receiving a slice of a multistate settlement with a manufacturer of e-cigarettes have to put the money toward improving student health. In many places, that's meant hiring nurses, counselors, or health educators. A California district is among those coming at the problem from another angle, by placing vape sensors in schools, SFGate reports. "We believe these sensors will help us to curb a rising concern," Lincoln Unified Superintendent Kelly Dextraze said in a statement. Most of the Stockton district's sensors have been placed in a hot spot for student vapingschool bathrooms.

If the sensors detect certain vapors, like those emitted by e-cigarettes and vape pens, they work through a silent alarm system to sends a message to administrators. "If it is discovered to be a student or a person who was vaping in the bathroom," district spokesperson Tyler Heberle said, "then disciplinary measures, per our own district policy, are taken from there." California received $175.8 million from the settlement of the lawsuit against Juul, which concerned the San Francisco company's marketing to young people.

Arizona's largest school district has put vape sensors in every middle and high school bathroom, per KNXV. In addition to health, the drivers included student complaints. "When I hear students tell me they don't feel safe going into a bathroom, that really bothers me," said Allen Moore, safety director of Mesa Public Schools. "They should feel safe at school and they should be able to go to the bathroom without worrying what's going on in the bathroom." The district placed a few sensors last year, and word got around. A Mesa high school assistant principal said the number of alerts has fallen recently. The program "definitely has been a deterrent," Jason Grantham said. (More e-cigarettes stories.)
A District of Columbia councilmember known for promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories accepted over $150,000 in bribes in exchange for pressuring DC employees to extend city contracts for violence intervention services, authorities alleged in court records unsealed Monday. Trayon White Sr., a Democrat who ran an unsuccessful mayoral campaign in 2022, was arrested Sunday on a federal bribery charge and released from custody after a brief court appearance Monday, the AP reports. His attorney declined to comment on the allegations against him.

White agreed in June to accept roughly $156,000 in kickbacks and cash payments in exchange for pressuring government agency employees to extend two companies' contracts worth over $5 million, prosecutors said. Authorities said they have secretly recorded conversations between White and an FBI informant who gave White $35,000 in cash on four occasions between June and August. A photo included in court papers shows White stuffing what the FBI says is an envelope filled with $15,000 in cash in his jacket pocket. The informantwho operated businesses that contracted with the DC government also reported giving White gifts including travel to the Dominican Republic and Las Vegas, the FBI said. The informant agreed to cooperate with the FBI as part of an agreement to plead guilty to fraud and bribery charges, per the AP.

In one secretly recorded meeting detailed in court papers, authorities say the informant gave White $5,000 in cash and told the councilmember that the money was in exchange for reaching out to two government employees. White responded: "I am on top of all of that. ... Once you and I lock eyes and gets to an understanding, I gets to work. I can start making some (expletive) happen." White didn't speak to reporters as he left the courthouse. His supporters shouted, "We love you, Trayon!" and "Ward 8!" as he departed. White, who has served on the DC Council since 2017, represents a predominantly Black ward where the poverty rate is nearly twice that of district overall. He is running for reelection in November. (More District of Columbia stories.)
A former Saudi official has accused Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of forging his father's signature on a decree authorizing the prolonged war against Yemen's Houthi rebels. Saad al-Jabri, who previously held high ranks in Saudi intelligence, revealed these allegations during a BBC interview on Monday. Al-Jabri claims the crown prince issued the order for a ground offensive in Yemen without King Salman's knowledge, substituting his approval with a forged signature. Prince Mohammed was then the defense minister.

Currently living in exile in Canada, al-Jabri alleges that Saudi authorities imprisoned his two children to coerce his return. He insists, "I am not a dissident," emphasizing his dedication to Saudi Arabia's safety. Al-Jabri also expressed fears for his life, claiming Prince Mohammed bin Salman "planned for my assassination" and will not rest until he is dead.

The crown prince, who serves as the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, has been known for his strict crackdown on perceived dissent since assuming power. Meanwhile, the Yemen conflict, launched in 2015, has led to one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters, claiming over 150,000 lives. The US State Department and Saudi authorities have yet to comment on al-Jabri's claims. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
Intelligence agencies and the FBI on Monday announced the conclusion reached in their investigation of attempts to hack US presidential campaigns: Iran did it. The agencies are "confident that the Iranians have through social engineering and other efforts sought access to individuals with direct access to the Presidential campaigns of both political parties," they said in a statement, per the Washington Post . "Such activity, including thefts and disclosures, are intended to influence the US election process."

Staff members for the Trump and Biden-Harris campaigns received phishing emails that looked genuine but could give access to the recipients' communications. The targets included Susie Wiles, a top official on Donald Trump's campaign. The agencies said it's not clear whether Iran got any information this way. The FBI has briefed Trump on its findings, per CNN. Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign has said the hacking attempts against it failed. Google has said it also spotted Iran-backed cyberattacks against both campaigns.

Attacks like these aren't new, the agencies said, but Iran's government considers the November presidential election to be especially important to its interests and wants to affect the outcome. Iran and Russia have mounted similar efforts against the US and other countries before, they said, per the New York Times. More generally, the agencies said, "Iran seeks to stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions." (More hacking stories.)
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Hillary Clinton: 'We Have Him on the Run Now'

Former nominee gives her blessing to new nominee Kamala Harris in convention speech
Actor Michael Madsen has been charged with misdemeanor domestic battery after an alleged altercation with his wife of 28 years, DeAnna Madsen. The 66-year-old, who's appeared in multiple Quentin Tarantino films including Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs, and Once Upon a Time  in Hollywood, was arrested in Malibu in the early hours of Saturday and had bail set at $20,000, People reports. He has since been released.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said a woman claimed "her husband pushed her and locked her out of their residence," per the BBC. "The investigation is ongoing and will be forwarded to the Van Nuys Superior Court House for filing," the statement added. A rep for the actor said there was "a disagreement between Michael and his wife, which we hope resolves positively for them both," per Variety. Madsenalso known for roles in Thelma & Louise, the James Bond flick Die Another Day, and the Free Willy franchisehas been married to DeAnna Madsen, 64, since 1996. (More Michael Madsen stories.)
Dozens of protesters broke through a security fence near the site of the Democratic National Convention on its opening day Monday as thousands took to the streets to voice their opposition to the war in Gaza, the AP reports. Families with babies in strollers, students, elected leaders and others holding signs and flags joined the march to the United Center, where the convention is being held, to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war . As the larger group marched peacefully, a few dozen who broke away tore down pieces of the security fence. Several protesters who had managed to get through the fence were detained and handcuffed by the police. Officers put on gas masks as some protesters tried to bring down a second fence set up in front of police. Authorities said the inner security perimeter surrounding the convention site was not breached and there was no threat to those attending the convention.

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said some of the protesters who took down the fence threw water bottles and other items at police. Police de-escalated the situation without using their batons or chemicals, he said. Members of the crowd chanted "End the occupation now" and then "The whole world is watching!" just as anti-Vietnam War protesters did during the infamous 1968 convention in Chicago when police clashed with protesters on live television. Families gathered on their porches and outside their doors as protesters marched by. Some children wore keffiyeh, blew bubbles or held "free fist bumps" signs. The Chicago area has one of the largest Palestinian communities in the nation, and buses were bringing activists from all over the country.

The march happened just as President Joe Biden, who has been the target of intense criticism from pro-Palestinian groups, including the marchers, was doing a walk-through of the largely empty United Center. Biden was scheduled to address the party in the evening. "Biden, you can't hide. We charge you with genocide," the marchers chanted amid the beating of drums. They also referred to him as "Genocide Joe" and lodged similar chants at Vice President Kamala Harris. Protesters said their plans have not changed since Biden left the race and the party quickly rallied behind Harris, who will formally accept the Democratic nomination this week. Activists said they were ready to amplify their progressive message before the nation's top Democratic leaders.

(More Democratic National Convention stories.)
Betty Jean Hall, a trailblazing Appalachian attorney and federal administrative judge, has passed away at 78. Hall died in Cary, North Carolina, where she had lived since retiring in 2019, her daughter Tiffany Olsen reported Monday. Known for breaking gender barriers in the coal mining industry, Hall founded the Tennessee-based advocacy group Coal Employment Project in 1977.

Hall was inspired to help women enter mining after learning a Tennessee company wouldn't even let women tour its mines. Before Hall's involvement, women in coal mining were virtually nonexistent. Davitt McAteer, a former assistant secretary for the US Mine Safety and Health Administration, highlighted how Hall combated long-standing myths and discrimination. Her argument was simple yet effective: "Mining is where the jobs are, and women need to make money just as men do."

Under Hall's leadership, the Coal Employment Project filed lawsuits against 153 mining companies for gender discrimination, leading to significant settlements and mandatory female hires. This resulted in 830 women being employed as miners by late 1978, growing to over 4,000 by the mid-1980s. Hall's efforts also contributed to passing the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, advocating for paid parental leave for miners. Kipp Dawson, a friend and former miner, said, "We got taken more seriously because it wasn't just the voice of a single woman."

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Hall later served as an administrative appeals judge for the US Department of Labor Benefits Review Board. United Mine Workers of America International President Cecil E. Roberts called Hall a "remarkable woman" and a "fearless advocate." Hall is survived by her daughter, son, two grandchildren, and a sister. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
Residents of East Palestine, Ohio, are requesting an extension and further information before accepting their portion of a $600 million settlement from Norfolk Southern following last year's derailment. The judge has yet to decide on their motion, and the deadline for claims is Thursday for individuals within a 20-mile radius of the disaster. Those living within 10 miles must also consider accepting up to $25,000 for personal injuries, which would waive their rights to sue if serious health issues develop later. As for property damage, people living within 2 miles could get $70,000, but the number falls as the distance from the derailment increases.

Attorney David Graham highlights concerns that lawyers representing the residents have not disclosed findings from tests conducted by expert Stephen Petty on contamination levels. Despite promises, lawyers presented a different expert, Dr. Arch Carson, at a recent town hall who asserted no cancer risk but failed to clearly present his data sources. Dr. Erin Haynes, leading a health study in the area, strongly disputed Carson's claims, emphasizing a lack of supporting research.

Graham argues plaintiffs' lawyers might prioritize their $180 million fees over residents' needs. The lawyers, defending the settlement, maintain it is the largest derailment settlement made public, with appropriate timeframes for evaluation. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
A hunter was attacked by a brown bear, then shot in the midst of the mauling, on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula on Saturday. The 32-year-old was airlifted to an Anchorage hospital and discharged later Saturday, reports KDLL . Authorities have not named the individual, but a former Soldotna resident now living in Austin, Texas, identified himself as the injured hunter in a Facebook post. Tyler Johnson said he was searching for black bears with his father, Chris Johnson, an Alaska Wildlife Trooper stationed in Soldotna, when they spooked the brown bear in thick brush. "The bear announced it was there. And it was about four seconds between that and impact with me," Johnson wrote, per KDLL.

He said the bear initially charged toward his father, then veered off and tackled him. He said he unholstered a pistol and fired a shot that entered his left quadriceps before firing seven more shots into the bear. Chris Johnson also fired shots at the bear, who ultimately died, "but not before inflicting serious injuries to Tyler's right leg, as well as scratches on his leg and shoulder," per KDLL. The hunters then called for help using a satellite phone. Johnson said it took an hour and a half for a helicopter to arrive to the remote location on the Resurrection Pass Trail near Cooper Landing.

In a statement, Alaska Wildlife Troopers said the "seriously injured" hunter was "transported to an Anchorage hospital in DPS HELO-3 for treatment of his injuries," while "the second male was transported by an Alaska Rescue Coordination Center rescue team." Johnson said he's expected to recover well. He's planning to return to Texas this week. The bear had not been recovered as of Monday "due to the medical emergency and remote location," troopers rep Tim DeSpain tells Anchorage Daily News. (More bear attack stories.)
The Israeli military said Tuesday that it recovered the bodies of six hostages taken in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack that started the war in Gaza, as US and Arab mediators tried to advance an agreement to halt the fighting and release scores of other militant-held captives. The military said its forces recovered the bodies in an overnight operation in southern Gaza, without saying when or how the six died, per the AP . The recovery is a blow to Hamas, which hopes to exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and a lasting ceasefire. But it was also likely to increase pressure on Israel's government to reach a deal to release dozens of hostages who are still believed to be alive.

The military said it had identified the remains of Chaim Perry, 80; Yoram Metzger, 80; Avraham Munder, 79; Alexander Dancyg, 76; Nadav Popplewell, 51; and Yagev Buchshtav, 35. Metzger, Munder, Popplewell, and Buchshtav had family members who were also abducted but freed during a November ceasefire. Munder's death was confirmed on Tuesday by Kibbutz Nir Oz, the farming community where he was among around 80 residents who were taken captive. It said he died "after enduring months of physical and mental torture." Israeli authorities had previously determined that the other five were deceased.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the recovery effort and said "our hearts ache for the terrible loss." "The State of Israel will continue to make every effort to return all of our hostagesboth alive and dead," he said in a statement. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also praised the operation, which he said had been carried out inside Hamas' vast tunnel network. There were no immediate reports of any casualties among Israelis or Palestinians in the recovery operation. Hamas is still believed to be holding around 110 hostages captured in the Oct. 7 attack. Israeli authorities estimate around a third of them are dead. (More Israel-Hamas war stories.)
Julia Ormond's lawsuit accusing Disney, Miramax, and Creative Artists Agency of failing to protect her from Harvey Weinstein is advancing toward trial. On Monday, a state court justice in Manhattan denied the companies' motions to dismiss the lawsuit filed in October under the Adult Survivors Act. Ormond, a 1990s film star, sued Weinstein, Weinstein's company Miramax, Miramax owner Disney, and her former agency, alleging Weinstein sexually assaulted her in New York in December 1995 and that the companies enabled the behavior because Weinstein "made them too much money," per Variety . The Emmy-winning British actor said the companies had prior knowledge of "multiple confidential settlements that Weinstein reached to keep his conduct hidden from public exposure," per Deadline .

Ormond alleged CAA failed to warn her of Weinstein's reputation when it arranged a meeting between her and the producer, then discouraged her from reporting that Weinstein had allegedly forced her to perform oral sex. Ormond claimed CAA had discouraged another client from reporting Weinstein for allegedly offering career opportunities in exchange for sex. Judge Suzanne J. Adams said this suggested "CAA knew or had reason to know of a potential assault by Weinstein." CAA, meanwhile, argued it had "no reason" to think there was any risk to Ormond because it "did not learn of Weinstein's sexually assaultive behavior until it became public knowledge decades later," per Variety.

Disney argued it did not have supervisory control over Weinstein at Miramax, but Adams disagreed, noting the producer reported directly to Disney executive Michael Eisner, who delegated oversight to other executives, per the Hollywood Reporter. "Plaintiff has adequately alleged that Weinstein used his position at Miramax, and his power to greenlight financing on her project per her film production agreement with Miramax, to facilitate his assault on her," Adams wrote, per Variety. Ormond's lawyers applauded the ruling, noting "the case will now proceed to discovery, where, thanks to Ms. Ormond's bravery, we will be able to expose the truth of how these powerful Hollywood companies enabled Harvey Weinstein," per Deadline. (More Harvey Weinstein stories.)
Divers are continuing to search the superyacht that sank Monday off the coast of Porticello, Sicily, but have yet to find any of the six people still missing from the luxury vessel. After five dives on Monday, dive teams were back in the water early Tuesday, per the BBC . Officials confirmed no casualties were found on the bridge of the superyacht resting on its starboard side in 165 feet of water. The search continues in spurts; at present, divers have just 10 minutes to explore the vessel before needing to resurface, the BBC reports. Divers say they will search unabated for the remainder of the day. There's a chance survivors could be trapped in air pockets, per Sky News .

First launched as the Salute in 2008, the 184-foot-long Bayesian was carrying 12 guests and 10 crew members when it was caught in an unexpected storm around 4am. Witnesses reported seeing a waterspoutessentially a tornado over water. The president of the Italian Meteorological Society described a "brief but very violent meteorological event" involving winds of over 93mph, per the BBC. A doctor who treated survivors said he was told the superyacht "capsized within a few minutes." Nearby boats helped rescue 15 people from the water. Another person, described as the on-board chef, was pronounced dead, per the AP.

The missing have been identified as billionaire tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch; his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah; Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer; Bloomer's wife, Judy, who worked with the cancer research charity Eve Appeal; Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at major firm Clifford Chance; and Morvillo's wife, Neda, per Sky. They are presumed to be in the superyacht's below-deck cabins, which divers have been unable to access. After searching the bridge, divers moved to the superyacht's lounge, but were reportedly blocked from the cabins by furniture and other debris. They are said to be considering alternative routes. (More superyachts stories.)
The timing is equal parts tragic and bizarre. As of Tuesday morning, British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch remains missing after the superyacht he was on sank off the coast of Italy. Just two days before the vessel sank, Lynch's former business partnerand fraud co-defendantwas fatally struck by a car while out jogging in Cambridgeshire in the UK, reports the BBC . Stephen Chamberlain, 52, was initially placed on life support, and police confirmed on Tuesday that he had since died, per Reuters . Police say the driver is a 49-year-old woman who is cooperating with the investigation, and no charges have been filed so far.

Chamberlain served as vice president to CEO Lynch at their former UK tech company, Autonomy. The two men had been charged with fraud related to the company's $11 billion sale to Hewlett-Packard in 2011, and both were acquitted of all charges at a trial in the US in June, notes CNN. Prosecutors had alleged that the men duped HP into overpaying, and a civil case was still pending in the UK, per the AP. More recently, Chamberlain worked as chief operating officer for the cyber security firm Darktrace.

"He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity, and we deeply miss him," says Chamberlain attorney Gary Lincenberg, per the Guardian. "He fought successfully to clear his good name, which lives on through his wonderful family." (More superyachts stories.)
A German court has upheld the conviction of 99-year-old Irmgard Furchner, who worked at the Nazi Stutthof concentration camp and received a two-year suspended sentence last December. Furchner served as a secretary to the camp's SS commander and was deemed an accessory to over 10,000 murders and five attempted murders from 1943 to 1945. Despite her lawyers' claim that she was unaware of the crimes, the judges found her complicit through her administrative role.

The trial reinforced a legal precedent established in 2011 with the conviction of John Demjanjuk, proving that organizational support of a death camp is sufficient for bringing accessory to murder charges. This approach was upheld in the 2015 case of Auschwitz guard Oskar Groening. The Leipzig federal court's decision highlights the ongoing judicial efforts to address Nazi war crimes, despite most suspects nearing the end of their lives.

This case is expected to be one of the last of its kind, as suspects' ages raise fitness concerns. However, Germany's special federal prosecutors' office in Ludwigsburg has indicated that three more cases are pending. Stutthof's history of brutal conditions and mass executions underscores the significance of these trials for historical accountability. Initially a labor camp, it later became a site for executing thousands, including Jews, Polish civilians, and political prisoners. More than 60,000 individuals died there during its operation. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
Illinois will soon prohibit corporal punishment in all schools, becoming the fifth state to do so. Legislation signed by Gov. JB Pritzker extends a 30-year ban on physical punishment in public schools to include private institutions. This measure, effective in January, aligns Illinois with New Jersey, Iowa, Maryland, and New York in banning practices such as paddling, spanking, and hitting.

State Rep. Margaret Croke, spurred by the American Association of Pediatrics' call to end corporal punishment, championed the move. Highlighting disparities, the association notes the practice disproportionately impacts Black males and students with disabilities, and can cause behavioral and mental health issues. Croke cited Missouri's Cassville School District, which reinstated corporal punishment as an opt-in for parents, as a case that reinforced her stance.

The World Health Organization and the United Nations denounce corporal punishment, considering it a violation of children's rights. Despite studies showing its ineffectiveness, it's still legal in 17 US states, though often restricted for students with disabilities. US Sen. Chris Murphy and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin have pushed for a federal ban, but the legislation remains stalled. Croke says Illinois' move sends a clear message: "It never was going to be OK to inflict harm or pain on a child." The law does not pertain to home schools. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
A commission that investigated the deadliest mass shooting in Maine's history released its final findings Tuesday, saying police and the Army missed opportunities "that, if taken, might have changed the course of these tragic events." Army reservist Robert Card killed 18 people at a bar and a bowling alley in Lewiston before taking his own life on Oct. 25 last year. In the months before the shooting, friends and other reservists had warned that he was showing paranoid and delusional behavior, the AP reports. Less than six weeks before the shooting, a longtime friend warned their Army supervisor: "I believe he's going to snap and do a mass shooting."

Commission chair Daniel Wathen, former chief justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, said Tuesday that "Robert Card is totally responsible for his own conduct, solely responsible," the Boston Herald reports. "We will never know if he might still have committed a mass shooting even if someone had managed to remove his firearms before Oct. 25," Wathen said. "But the Commission unanimously found that there were several opportunities that, if taken, might have changed the course of these tragic events.
Ukrainian forces have struck all three bridges over the Seym River in Russia's Kursk region, a move that has slowed Russian responses and altered the war's dynamic. Kyiv's incursion into western Russia, now in its third week, represents the first attack on Russian soil since World War II. Satellite images confirmed a destroyed bridge in Glushkovo, with Russian sources acknowledging one bridge fully destroyed and two damaged.

Ukraine's advance in Kursk aims to trap Russian forces and create a buffer zone to prevent future attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted the capture of 1,250 square kilometers and 92 settlements since the offensive began on August 6. He also said Russians are being taken prisoner in hopes of swapping them for Ukrainian POWs. This incursion has also led to casualties and the displacement of some 122,000 people by Russia's count, with Russian state media reporting 17 deaths and 140 injuries.

In other developments, a massive fire at an oil depot in Proletarsk, allegedly caused by Ukrainian drones, continues to blaze. Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of trying to destabilize Russia and vowed retribution, stating, "We will punish the criminals. There can be no doubt about that." (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of killing George Floyd, was transferred to a federal prison in Texas almost nine months after he was stabbed in a different facility, the federal Bureau of Prisons told the AP on Tuesday. Chauvin, 47, is now housed at the Federal Correctional Institution in Big Spring, a low-security prison. He was previously held in Arizona at FCI Tucson in August 2022 to simultaneously serve a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd's civil rights and a 22.5-year state sentence for second-degree murder.
The US Department of Justice is investigating Tennessee's largest prison, Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, for unchecked violence and sexual abuse over several years, federal prosecutors revealed Tuesday. The privately operated facility in Hartsville experienced 196 assaults, 90 sexual misconduct incidents, two murders, and 15 deaths categorized as "accidental" from July 2022 to June 2023, per Assistant US Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke. "In our country, people do not surrender their constitutional rights at the prison door," Clarke said.

Operating since 2016 and owned by CoreCivic, Trousdale has faced numerous issues, including chronic understaffing and inadequate inmate management. A 2023 audit showed a 188% officer turnover rate in the prior fiscal year, far outpacing the 37% average in state facilities. Trousdale's understaffing included instances where a single officer managed 360 inmates. CoreCivic's history of noncompliance has resulted in millions in state fines, despite repeated pledges for improvement.

Local attorney Daniel Horwitz lauded the investigation, citing "heinous abuses" and wrongful death lawsuits against CoreCivic. CoreCivic's CEO Damon Hininger has expressed interest in running for Tennessee governor in 2026. State officials have continuously renewed contracts with CoreCivic, even as concerns persisted. CoreCivic spokesperson Steven Owen maintained, "The safety and dignity of every person in our care is a top priority." Tennessee allocates $233 million annually for four prisons managed by CoreCivic, with $80 million specifically for Trousdale. The Tennessee Department of Correction has pledged full cooperation with the investigation. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s late arrival to a Pennsylvania court on Tuesday meant he was unable to testify. Democratic activists aim to disqualify him from the state's presidential ballot, accusing him of listing a false home address and failing to meet signature requirements. Commonwealth Court Judge Lori Dumas chose to proceed without Kennedy's testimony; he got there one hour and 40 minutes late due to a canceled flight from Massachusetts to Harrisburg.

Kennedy asserts that the Democratic Party is attempting to disenfranchise his prospective voters by using legal tactics to remove him from the ballot. He criticized the current political climate, lamenting to reporters, "It's a sad devolution of this party that the only way that they can win elections is to keep its opponents off the debating stage, off the ballots and use lawfare to try to win elections rather than campaigning." His attorney, Paul Rossi, argued that disputes over residency shouldn't exclude candidates from the ballot.

The challengers' lawyer, Tim Ford, contends that Kennedy's actions demonstrate a disregard for Pennsylvania's electoral process. Kennedy also faces similar challenges in other states, including Georgia and New York, where he is accused of using a sham address. Despite these hurdles, Kennedy's campaign claims to have enough signatures for ballot access in all 50 states and is officially listed on ballots in 22 states, including key battlegrounds Michigan and North Carolina. The judge has yet to announce when a ruling will be made in Pennsylvania. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
Nvidia was the heaviest weight on the market after falling 2.1%. The chip company has recovered most of its summertime swoon, where its stock dropped more than 20% on worries investors went overboard and took its price too high, but it has remained shaky as it heads into its earnings report scheduled for next week. Palo Alto Networks helped to limit the market's losses. The cybersecurity company jumped 7.2% after becoming the latest big business to report stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

Lowe's likewise topped analysts' forecasts for profit in the spring, but its stock was more restrained. The home improvement retailer said it's facing a challenging economic backdrop, "especially for the homeowner," and cut its forecasts for revenue and profit this fiscal year. Its stock fell 1.2%. Hawaiian Holdings Inc., the company behind Hawaiian Airlines, soared 11.3% after it said its proposed merger with the company behind Alaska Airlines has cleared a major regulatory hurdle. A review period by US antitrust regulators for the deal has passed. Alaska Air Group rose 0.4%. (More stock market stories.)
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

In a significant healthcare achievement, Government Hospitals have successfully eliminated the waiting lists for cochlear implant surgeries at Salmaniya Medical Complex, confirmed Her Excellency Dr. Mariam Adhbi Al Jalahma, Chief Executive Officer of Government Hospitals.

This milestone follows the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, who has emphasized the rapid completion of these critical procedures.

Dr. Al Jalahma expressed her gratitude for the unwavering support from His Royal Highness, noting that this achievement is a direct result of his commitment to enhancing healthcare services in the Kingdom of Bahrain. "This is a qualitative step in improving healthcare for citizens and reflects the ongoing efforts to raise the quality and efficiency of medical services," she said.

Cochlear implant surgeries are vital for individuals suffering from deafness or hearing impairment, and the success of these operations greatly enhances the quality of life for patients and their families. Since the beginning of 2024, 23 cochlear implant surgeries have been performed, with a total of 373 since the programs inception at Salmaniya Medical Complex. With the waiting lists now cleared, new patients can expect a waiting period of just one week after completing the necessary examinations.

The cochlear implant team at Salmaniya Medical Complex is composed of a highly skilled group of professionals, including surgeons, consultants, audiologists, balance specialists, speech therapists, social researchers, and psychologists. This comprehensive approach ensures that patients receive the highest standard of care throughout their treatment.
CAMBRIDGE, ON, Aug. 20, 2024 /CNW/ - Toyota Canada's cross-country 60th anniversary tour made a stop at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) plant in Cambridge today. Toyota executives attending the visit recognized the important role TMMC has played in Toyota's Canadian history, and celebrated the 11-millionth vehicle they've produced in Canada.

TMMC 11 millionth (CNW Group/Toyota Canada Inc.)

Toyota is celebrating its 60th anniversary ("kanreki") in Canada this year, and they're kicking it off with a coast-to-coast road trip. The 9,000km drive is making stops in every province to highlight some of the key people, locations and stories from throughout the company's six decades in Canada.

"In Japanese culture, a person's 60th birthday is known as 'Kanreki' and represents a 'rebirth'  an opportunity to reflect on one's life, take stock of the present, and prepare for the future," said Stephen Beatty, Corporate Secretary at Toyota Canada. "As Toyota marks its 60th year in Canada, our cross-Canada road trip is doing just that, while also taking time to recognize the many Canadians who have contributed to the company's success  including the thousands of Team Members who've contributed to TMMC's success over more than three decades."

Toyota Canada's Kanreki Tour started at Canada's Eastern "Mile 0" in St. John's, Newfoundland, and will end on August 30 at Canada's Western "Mile 0" in Victoria, British Columbia.

Throughout the journey, the participants have been driving vehicles from across the full line-up of products Toyota offers Canadian drivers. Today, the 11-millionth vehicle produced by TMMC joined the cross-Canada drive.

The vehicle  a white Woodland Edition Toyota RAV4 Hybrid  represents yet another significant milestone in Canada's automotive industry.

"We're proud that Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada has played such an important role in the company's success for almost 36 years," said Frank Voss, President of TMMC. "In 1988, the year that we opened our first plant in Cambridge, our team members built just 153 Toyota Corollas. Today, we're Canada's largest automaker, building over a half million Toyota and Lexus vehicles every year for the North American market. We're so proud to be celebrating this 11 millionth vehicle milestone."

Since 1988, TMMC has also grown to become one of Southwestern Ontario's most important employers, with two production lines in Cambridge and a third line in Woodstock that, together, employ more than 8,500 people.

About Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. (TMMC) manufactures the Toyota RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus RX 350, RX 350h and RX 500h as well as the Lexus NX and NX Hybrid at three manufacturing facilities in Ontario. TMMC is the top award-winning plant globally  tied with Toyota Motor Kyushu, Japan. It employs over 8,500 Canadians, has the capacity to produce more than 500,000 vehicles annually and has been Canada's highest volume automotive manufacturer over the past five years.

About Toyota Canada Inc.

Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Toyota has sold over six million vehicles in Canada through a national network of 287 Toyota and Lexus dealerships. Toyota is dedicated to bringing safety, quality, dependability and reliability to the vehicles Canadians drive and the service they receive. TCI's head office is in Toronto, with regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Halifax, and parts distribution centres in Clarington and Vancouver. Toyota also operates two manufacturing facilities in Canada. Having produced more than 11 million vehicles, popular Canadian models built at these facilities include Toyota RAV4, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h hybrid, as well as Lexus NX 250, NX 350 and NX 350h hybrid. The company has sold more than 20 million electrified vehicles worldwide and is the number one seller of electrified vehicles in Canada.

SOURCE Toyota Canada Inc.

For further information, please contact: Lynn Hall, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, [email protected]
Israel's Netanyahu supports new bridging proposal for Gaza truce: Blinken

Xinhua) 08:10, August 20, 2024

JERUSALEM, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Israel has accepted a new proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

During a press conference in Tel Aviv, Blinken said that Netanyahu "confirmed that Israel approves" the new U.S.-backed bridging proposal. The proposal was presented to Israel and Hamas by Qatari, Egyptian, and U.S. mediators over the weekend.

Blinken urged Hamas to approve the bridging proposal, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the suffering in Gaza, where more than 40,000 have been killed in Israeli assaults, and the need to release the hostages still held by Hamas.

Blinken visited Israel amid ongoing efforts to secure a ceasefire in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, before heading to Egypt and Qatar, key mediators in the negotiations.

Netanyahu released a video statement during Blinken's press conference, referring to his meeting with Blinken as "good and important," but did not explicitly voice support for the bridging proposal.

The prime minister said the United States "showed understanding to our vital security needs amid joint efforts to release our hostages."

Hamas had previously dismissed the bridging proposal, claiming it was too aligned with Israel's demands, particularly concerning Israel's insistence on maintaining military forces within the Palestinian enclave, and accused Israel of introducing new demands.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Entries by foreigners at ports across China exceeded 17.25 million from January to July this year, a 129.9 percent increase compared with the same period in 2023, the National Immigration Administration said on Monday. The NIA estimated that foreign visitors have boosted consumption by more than 100 billion yuan ($14 billion), with per capita daily average consumption reaching nearly 3,500 yuan. The surge in foreign visitors to China is rooted in the impact of a series of policies in recent years aimed at facilitating entry by foreigners, it said. The administration, working with relevant departments, has expanded the number of countries whose citizens are granted visa-free entry. It has also introduced more than 110 measures to facilitate the entry of foreigners into China since April 2018. Liu Haitao, deputy director of the NIA, said that China's visa-free transit policy, which has been in place since January 2013, is continuously optimized in terms of applicable countries, ports of entry, duration of stay and available areas. The policy has been a key factor in making it easier for foreign tourists to visit China, he added. Liu said that the NIA has also introduced a number of regional visa-free policies, including 144-hour visa-free entry to Guangdong province for foreign tourist groups coming from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, 144-hour visa-free entry to Guilin, a scenic city in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, for tourist groups from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, 30-day visa-free entry to Hainan province for citizens of 59 countries, and 15-day visa-free entry for foreign tourist groups arriving at coastal provinces by cruise ship. Recently, a new 144-hour visa-free entry policy for Hainan has been implemented for foreign tourist groups registered in Hong Kong and Macao, benefiting more than 5.9 million foreign tourists, he said. In addition, "application conditions for port visas have been further relaxed", Liu said. "Foreigners who urgently need to engage in business or other activities in China can now apply for port visas at 100 visa-issuing agencies in 73 cities nationwide. Various convenient services, such as reentry visas for foreign business and investment personnel, are also being provided." From January to July, immigration authorities across the country issued about 846,000 port visas to foreign nationals who had urgent reasons to enter China but did not have enough time to apply for visas at Chinese embassies or consulates. That was a 182.9 percent year-on-year increase, according to the NIA. Liu said the administration will continue to optimize visa-free transit policies, including expanding applicable areas, and will increase coordination with regions and relevant departments to improve the convenience for foreigners traveling to China. Xu Xiaolei, chief brand officer of Beijing-based CYTS Tours Holding Co, said that under the combined effects of the 144-hour visa-free transit policy and other convenient immigration policies, entities in the market have seen significant positive outcomes. The measures not only facilitate tourists' travels but also promote the development of China's tourism industry, Xu said. Since last year, in the wake of the impact of COVID-19, national departments as well as travel-related enterprises have devised numerous strategies to expedite the recovery of the tourism market, with the convenient entry and exit policies being among the initiatives, he said. At the same time, these policies are conducive to showcasing China's image to the world, Xu said. He noted that over a period of time, various national departments have continuously optimized aspects such as accommodations, transportation and payment options for foreign visitors coming to China. yangzekun@chinadaily.com.cn
Buffalo police responded to a 911 call regarding on a fight Saturday on Huntington Avenue and wound up arresting a man wanted in a murder in North Carolina.

Craig Lynch, 23, of Buffalo, is in the Erie County Holding Center, where he awaits extradition to Wilmington, N.C., where he faces murder, attempted murder and robbery warrants, police said in a news release Tuesday.

Multiple 911 calls about 6:30 p.m. Saturday indicated a potential assault, stabbing or gun, police said. When they arrived, Lynch was hostile and threatening toward officers before being shot with a stun gun and taken into custody for obstructing the investigation, the report continued. He was charged with obstruction of governmental administration, a misdemeanor.

According to a Facebook post by the Wilmington Police Department, Lynch is a suspect in a double shooting Friday in which one man was killed and another injured.

Buffalo police noted they made another arrest on Huntington Avenue of Jasmine Hernandez, 19, of Cheektowaga, who was charged with second-degree harassment, a violation.

- Ben Tsujimoto
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Postal Code
A service animal trainer has been arrested after a customer from New Jersey reported paying $20,000 for a dog she never received.

Catherine Causey, 52, of Kearneysville, West Virginia, was arrested on Tuesday on charges of theft by deception and money laundering, the Galloway Township Police said in a news release.

The victim reported sending the payments to Causeys business, Causey Labradors and Training, and told police that she never received the service dog despite multiple contacts with the business over two years, authorities said.

The company has bred and trained Labrador Retrievers for 25 years and specializes in training service dogs, according to its website.

Causey is being held at Atlantic County Jail pending her first court appearance.

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Nicolas Fernandes may be reached atnfernandes@njadvancemedia.com.
Plenty of people have seen the movie It Ends With Us.

The film, based on Colleen Hoovers bestselling book, released August 9, has so far grossed more than $179 million worldwide.

But online, many people who havent even seen the movie are engrossed in speculation about what appears to be drama between the movies director, producers and cast.

New Jersey actor Brandon Sklenar, who stars in the film with Blake Lively and director Justin Baldoni (see our recent interview with Sklenar), has just broken the casts silence on the matter.

I wanted to take a minute and address all this stuff swirling online, Sklenar said in an Instagram post Tuesday.

The speculation started when internet sleuths noticed that members of the cast had unfollowed director and co-star Justin Baldoni on social media and Baldoni did not appear with the cast in interviews for the film, conducting separate interviews to promote the movie.

The popular storyline seemed to be that there is some kind of rift or conflict between Baldoni and star Blake Lively.

According to online chatter, Lively would appear to be in a camp alongside It Ends With Us author and producer Colleen Hoover and possibly the rest of the cast, with Baldoni, who optioned the book and directed the film, on the other side.

Brandon Sklenar with Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds at the premiere of "It Ends With Us."Cindy Ord | Getty Images

It Ends With Us, though set in Massachusetts and Maine, filmed in New Jersey, with Hoboken and Jersey City playing key roles in setting the scenes. The story is about domestic violence inside a romance.

Baldoni plays the violent Ryle Kincaid, the love interest of Lily Bloom, played by Lively. Sklenar plays Livelys childhood sweetheart Atlas Corrigan, who, upon reuniting with Lily, urges her to leave Ryle after he sees evidence of domestic violence.

Along with all the scrutiny about what could be happening with Baldoni, Hoover and Lively, Lively has been criticized for how she has been promoting the movie. While Baldoni has been praised for his focus on domestic violence awareness in interviews, some have knocked Lively, a fellow producer of the film, for her tone in talking about the story, along with how she has been simultaneously promoting products like her Betty Buzz drink line.

Sklenar appeared to again embrace his role as Atlas in rallying to defend Lively.

MORE: Meet N.J. actor Brandon Sklenar, starring in It Ends With Us with Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni

Colleen and the women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance and for women choosing a better life for themselves, Sklenar, 34, said in his Instagram post. Vilifying the women who put so much of their heart and soul into making this film because they believe so strongly in its message seems counterproductive and detracts from what this film is about. It is, in fact, the opposite of the point.

Sklenar, who grew up in Hopatcong and is an alum of Hackettstown High School, did not deny any conflict between the director and cast. He did not mention Lively or Baldoni by name, but did recognize that people have been speculating about conflict among the films stars and cast.

What may or may not have happened behind the scenes does not and hopefully should not detract from what our intentions were in making this film, he said. Its been disheartening to see the amount of negativity being projected online.

Criticism of Lively online has extended to the way she has answered some questions during the press tour for the film. Livelys larger history in interviews has also been under scrutiny, with Norwegian journalist Kjersti Flaa sharing a clip of her 2016 interview with the actor for the Woody Allen film Cafe Society, titling it The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job.

Sklenar with "It Ends With Us" author Colleen Hoover, a producer of the film, and Blake Lively, star and producer. Eric Charbonneau | Getty Images

The clip, which has more than three million views on YouTube, shows Lively seemingly deploying a dig against the reporter after she attempts to congratulate Lively on her pregnancy bump  congrats on your little bump, she tells Flaa, who wasnt pregnant  and criticizing the journalists question about the clothes in the movie. (I wonder if they would ask the men about the clothes.)

Sklenar also talked about how the story in the film is one that is close to him because of how a person in his life has faced a similar experience. Thats something he also shared in his interview with NJ Advance Media, saying that he didnt want to do the movie until Baldoni convinced him of the importance of the book and its message.

Someone very close to me has been struggling with a relationship that has mirrored (Lilys) closely, Sklenar said in the Instagram post. I feel a responsibility to bring this to life and help spread that message further. Prior to my involvement in this film, she had not heard of the book. It was only then that she read it. She credits (Colleens) book and subsequently this film with saving her life.

Sklenar again appeared to address the criticism of Livelys tone in promoting the movie.

Trust me when I tell you, there isnt a single person involved in the making of this film that was not aware of the responsibility we had in making this, he said. A responsibility to all the women who have experienced generational trauma - Domestic abuse - Or struggle with looking in the mirror and loving who they see.

Sklenar and Lively as Atlas and Lily in "It Ends With Us." The scene was filmed in Jersey City. Jojo Whilden | Sony Pictures

In the film, Livelys character, Lily, is depicted in her teen years living with a father who regularly abuses her mother. Lilys relationship with Ryle echoes that violence.

This movie is a harsh reality check for the men who need to get their sh-t together and take responsibility for themselves and their actions, Sklenar said in his post.

This film is meant to inspire, he continued. Its meant to validate and recognize. Its meant to instill hope. Its meant to build courage and help people feel less alone. Ultimately its meant to spread love and awareness. It is not meant to once again make the women the bad guy, lets move beyond that together.

All I ask is that before you spread hate on the internet, ask yourself who (its) helping, he said. Ask yourself if your opinions are based in any fact. Or if you simply want to be a part of something. Lets be a part of something better together. A part of a new story being written for women and all people everywhere.

He signed off by asking people to leave with love and please be kind.

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Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup.
Two fishermen were lifted from a navigation tower at an Ocean County jetty after high tide and strong waves trapped both men on Monday evening.

A Good Samaritan near the Barnegat Inlets south jetty spotted the stranded people around 6:11 p.m., U.S. Coast Guard Station Atlantic City said on Tuesday.
A 49-year-old former U.S. postal service employee from Union County had been found guilty of accepting bribes to deliver drugs along his mail route.

Emerson Pavilus took cash bribes from 2015 to 2020 when he worked as a postal mail carrier in the Flanders section of Mount Olive in exchange for providing addresses of vacant houses along his route to which packages containing drugs could be shipped, the U.S. Attorneys Office for New Jersey said Tuesday.

Pavilus, of Union, then intercepted those packages from the mail stream and personally delivered them to other addresses, prosecutors said.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul took the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Monday and delivered a six-minute speech touting Vice President Harris and the Biden administration's economic record  and trampling all over Donald Trump.

A Hamburg native, Hochul began by discussing her roots. Noting that her parents were the children of Irish immigrants, she said: "They built their lives in the promised land of Buffalo, New York, where a union card meant good work at the steel plant, the steel plant that lifted my parents from living in a trailer to the middle class."

President Biden and Harris  now the party's nominee for president  "grew up with the same values," Hochul said.

Moreover, she said Biden had turned his values into a vision that's leading to an economic revival in communities like Syracuse, where a new $100 billion Micron microchip plant will employ 50,000.

"Trump talked big about bringing back manufacturing jobs. But you know who actually did it? President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris," Harris said.

That was pretty much the kindest thing Hochul had to say about the three-time Republican presidential nominee.

"Donald Trump was born a New Yorker, but ended up a fraud, a philanderer and a felon," she said.

And she was just getting started. Noting that Trump was born wealthy and never had to worry about paying for groceries, rent or child care costs, Hochul said: "Trust me, America, if you think you're tired of Donald Trump, talk to a New Yorker. We've had to deal with him for 78 long years: the fraud, the tax dodging, the sham university, the shady charities. We've seen him stiff contractors, rip off workers. He abuses women, brags about it, and then takes away their rights. And New Yorkers are sick of it."

A Harris presidency offers something much better, Hochul said.

"The Biden-Harris administration has made the most significant investments in our economy in generations, and as president, Kamala Harris will continue to build an opportunity economy for all," Hochul said.

Harris took the stage almost immediately after Hochul to deliver brief welcoming remarks, leading to a frenzy in the United Center in Chicago.

What to watch as the Democratic National Convention gets underway in Chicago The Democratic National Convention kicks off four weeks after President Joe Biden shuttered his campaign, making way for Vice President Kamala Harris to ascend to the top of Democrats ticket.

In an interview after her speech, Hochul said she spoke only briefly with Harris backstage but plans much more in-depth conversations with her in the weeks ahead.

Hochul was among Biden's most outspoken supporters in the weeks after his disastrous debate performance against Trump in late June, even as other top Democrats either publicly or privately called on the 81-year-old president to end his presidential bid, which he did on July 21.

"I just thought it was out of respect for him in the office to let him make that decision on his own," she said in the interview.

Now, though, Hochul is firmly behind Harris  and the governor acknowledged that she sharply attacked Trump because the Harris campaign suggested that she comment both on the Biden administration's successes and on Trump's excesses.

"That was part of the narrative that they were looking to showcase on a night like tonight," Hochul said in the interview.

Hochul's 9 p.m. speech was spirited, but the crowd seemed somewhat distracted during parts of it, as it had been through earlier speeches by officials such as Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and others.

And Hochul's performance wasn't flawless. "Democrats, are you ready to elect Kamala Harris the first president of the United States?" Hochul said at the start of her speech, even though Harris is actually campaigning to be the 47th president.

Afterwards, though, Hochul said she was thrilled to get the chance to address the convention.

"It was just an extraordinary experience," Hochul said. "It was truly an honor, very humbling, to talk about my roots and to be on a stage like that."
A 71-year-old New Jersey man was killed in a two-vehicle crash on a highway in upstate New York, officials said.

The crash took place at about 1:10 p.m. Thursday when the driver of an SUV swerved to avoid traffic stopped due to construction on Interstate 81 North and rear-ended a vehicle in the left lane, New York State Police said.

The vehicle struck from behind landed on its side after being pushed off the highway. The driver of that vehicle  Timothy B. Willson, of Collingswood in Camden County  died of his injuries, police said. His passenger, a 70-year-old New Jersey woman, was hospitalized with injuries not considered life-threatening.
The promoters of the Democratic National Convention are touting what some call a rock concert vibe for this years gathering.

That brings to mind Republican Donald Trumps first run for president.

One of his first big rallies was in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. in April 2016.

On the drive up the New York Thruway that year, I noticed signs for Woodstock, the town that gave its name, if not its location, to the fabled rock festival 54 years ago.

The politics of this crowd in 2016 may have been different, but the spirit of infectious enthusiasm was the same. All up and down the packed streets, people recognized kindred spirits united for the same cause.

As for just what that cause was, Trump wisely kept that to himself. But a poll showed that the upstart candidate had 49 percent support in the upcoming California Republican primary.

He went on to win that primary and the election, but that 49 percent number continues to haunt him. He never cracked 50 percent in either general election. He won the presidency in 2016 only by the luck of the draw in the Electoral College. He lost it in the next cycle, again by the luck of the draw.

That pattern continues to this day.

At the moment, Trump and Democratic nominee Kamela Harris are fighting it out in the high 40s. The big difference this year is that theres a wild card in the deck. Polls show Robert F. Kennedy Jr. getting anywhere from 2 to 7 percent of the vote.

Who does RFK take that vote from? Its difficult to tell from the polls. The RealClearPolitics average of major polls shows Kennedy cutting into Trumps lead in some states but cutting into Harris in others.

But as always with Trump, the polls show this race to be unpredictable. The RCP average of polls in seven battleground states shows Trump to have a lead of a tenth of one percent, which translates to no lead at all.

However Trump has one advantage that may drive the Harris camp crazy: invulnerability.

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No matter how big a gaffe he commits, it doesnt seem to bother his base.

Harris, on the other hand, has yet to be tested in that regard. Her reluctance to engage in interviews or press conferences shows a fear on the part of her backers that she may say something spontaneous that comes back to haunt her.

But its her actual policy positions that are coming back to haunt her.

Her recent threat to go after price gouging became a gaffe when, in her speech last week, she read that word as price gauging.

And the plan amounts to a return to Nixonomics, said the Wall Street Journal editorial board.

The editorial said Harris floated a first-ever federal ban on price gouging on food and groceries, that would include new authority for the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to punish companies for charging too much.

Then there was Post columnist Catherine Rampell. Just the headline on her column says it all:

When your opponent calls you communist, maybe dont propose price controls? Its hard to exaggerate how bad Kamala Harriss price-gouging proposal is.

A number of critics have made a similar point. The fact that Richard Nixon was a Republican is just further proof that the government shouldnt mess around in the markets.

It was Nixons price controls that led to the long gas lines on 1974. Democrat Jimmy Carter kept those controls in place, leading to another gas crisis in 1979.

So that would be an excellent topic for The Donald to exploit. Instead he embarks on those speeches that go on for as long as a Grateful Dead jam session, if I may again cite Woodstock.

The Dead put the audience to sleep there at Max Yasgurs farm. As for Trump, he put a lot of people to sleep with his speech at the Republican convention. In the first half-hour, hed made the points he needed to make. But he wouldnt shut up.

Its gotten to the point that many of my Republican friends say Trump actually wants to lose this election.

I doubt thats true, if for no other reason that he wants to stay out of jail.

But whatever his motivation, this is going to be Trumps final campaign. Win or lose, he wont be back.

The Donalds rallies often have a rock concert vibe. He plays rock music prior to his speech. Then afterward, he plays You Cant Always Get What You Want by the Rolling Stones.

Woodstock ended with Jimi Hendrix playing the Star-Spangled Banner.

These days, that might be a more appropriate ending for those Trump rallies.

ADD- Jersey guy Mike Greenblatt wrote a great book on Woodstock.

Also check his website The Jersey Sound here. Watch his documentary on Jersey music.

More: Recent Paul Mulshine columns

Paul Mulshine may be reached at pmulshine@starledger.com.

Follow him on Twitter @Mulshine. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook and on Twitter.
Former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger has been an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump.

Now hell be taking the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to make his case.

I can now report that I will be speaking Thursday at the Democratic National Convention. True conservatism has been replaced with a cult. Ill be making that clear, Kinzinger posted to X Tuesday.

I can now report that I will be speaking Thursday at the Democratic National Convention.



True conservatism has been replaced with a cult. Ill be making that clear.  Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini)  (@AdamKinzinger) August 20, 2024

Kinzinger, a military pilot who emerged as a fierce critic of Trump after the U.S. Capitol was attacked by his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, has described the former president as a direct threat to every fundamental American value.

He endorsed President Joe Biden in June and is now supporting Vice President Kamala Harris.

The former Illinois congressman issued an ominous warning at the time he endorsed Biden. Trump, he said, will hurt anyone or anything in pursuit of power.

Kinzinger became the highest-profile Republican official to formally back the Democratic nominee this November.

Kinzinger developed a national profile as one of two Republicans who served on the Houses committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack. The committee highlighted a number of Trumps transgressions before and during the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol as Congress tried to certify the election results for Biden.

Trump and his allies have long dismissed Kinzingers efforts to rally Republicans against him. The former president publicly celebrated when Kinzinger didnt seek reelection and has called for the prosecution of Kinzinger and others who served on the Jan. 6 committee, part of his pattern of suggesting his opponents face government retribution.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco.
Teamsters President Sean OBrien made a historic move last month when he showed up to the Republican National Convention and all but endorsed Donald Trump.

Then, he walked back his support and accused Trump of economic terrorism after the former president praised right-wing billionaire Elon Musk over his union-busting tactics.

Now, OBrien has been ghosted by the Democratic National Convention after his request to speak this week in Chicago, per a report from Axios.

OBrien made the request to speak at the DNC at the same time he asked Republicans to appear at their convention, according to a spokesperson for the 1.3 million member union.

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 in January. OBrien received a tepid reception when he spoke on the opening night of the Republican convention in Milwaukee. In his speech, OBrien 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 unions 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.

In a discussion on the social media platform X last week, Trump praised Musk for firing workers who went on strike. Musk laughed and agreed with him. Although it wasnt 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.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco.
CHIGAGO  The 2024 Democratic National Convention is in full swing, and its theme of inclusion resonates with those waging the ongoing battle for LGBTQ+ rights.

A conference room at McCormick Place rippled with energy Monday as the LGBTQ+ caucus met with the common goal of amplifying their voices and pushing for progressive policies that address their unique challenges.
If youre a college freshman gearing up to move into the dorms, youre most likely assembling a list of necessities youll need for move-in day.

Of course, youll need a toothbrush, clothes and other obvious must-haves. But have you considered where youll store everything or what youll wear on your feet when you shower?

Probably not! Dont worry, theres no need to panic. Moving into the dorms for the first time can be an overwhelming process for any college student.

The Best College Dorm Essentials

To help you prepare, here are some of the most recommended college dorm essentials every freshman should have on day one, including a fan, bed sheets and shower shoes.

Best Shower Shoes

Best Underbed Storage Bins

Whitmor Rolling Underbed Cart: A rolling under-the-bed cart is clutch for items you want to store under the bed but use frequently. Itll make grabbing those pieces and putting them back a total breeze, while still letting you use as much space underneath as possible, House Beautiful says.

Sterilite Wheeled Latching Box: Sold in a packs of four, eight and 12, these slim plastic containers are wheeled, making them a breeze to roll in and out from under the bed. Increasing their overall accessibility, the bins feature hinging lids, meaning you only need to open one side to access their contents. And if you really need to maximize your storage space, the lids on the bins are recessed for easy stacking, Forbes says.

Sorbus Under-the-Bed Storage Cubes: You can slide the bags right under your bed or stack them at the back of your closet and use the clear windows to identify whats inside. The zipper closures protect against dust and water damage, too, You can slide the bags right under your bed or stack them at the back of your closet and use the clear windows to identify whats inside. The zipper closures protect against dust and water damage, too, HGTV says.

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Dawn Magyar can be reached at dmagyar@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips/.
A 27-year-old man died in the hospital overnight, hours after he was shot inside a South Jersey home, officials said.

Police responded to a reported shooting at a house on Hancock Lane in Pine Hill at 9:32 p.m. Monday. A man was found inside the home with multiple gunshot wounds, the Camden County Prosecutors Office said in a news release.

The victim, identified as Justin Ezeiruaku, of Pine Hill, was pronounced dead at Cooper University Hospital on Tuesday at 2:51 a.m., authorities said.

No arrests have been made as of Tuesday afternoon. The Camden County Prosecutors Office is asking anyone with tips to call Detective Matthew Kreidler at 856-614-8063.

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Nicolas Fernandes may be reached atnfernandes@njadvancemedia.com.
News / National

by Gideon Madzikatidze/Simbarashe Sithole

The reigning Miss Universe, Sheynnis Palacios, has expressed her confidence in Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa describing his ascendancy to Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairmanship as an opportunity to avenue to witness regional progress and unity.Speaking after her arrival at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport for maiden Zimbabwe farmiliarisation tour, Sheynnis Palacios commented mutual relationship between Zimbabwe and Nicaragua as both collaborative and quite exceptional."I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to President of Zimbabwe, His Excellency E.D Mnangagwa on his recent appointment as SADC Chairperson. This is a momentous achievement and a testament to the leadership and vision that Zimbabwe continues to embody on the regional stage," Sheynnis Palacios said."I have no doubt that under his guidance, the SADC will achieve great strides towards progress and unity," Sheynnis Palacios added."As a Nicaraguan, I am excited to witness the new bond between our countries, particularly with the opening of the Nicaraguan Embassy here. This signifies a new chapter of collaboration and friendship, and I am enthusiastic about the opportunities it will bring," Sheynnis Palacios said.Sheynnis Palacios was met at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport Monday evening by Miss Universe Zimbabwe chairperson, Colonel Miniyothabo Chiwenga, Miss Universe-Zimbabwe Sakhile Dube, representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, fashion designers and local models.
Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING --Planks of plywood cover bad sections of floor in the basement at LSU's Middleton Library, where deferred maintenance means dealing with bad conditions from water leaks and floor issues. Shelves are stored at right, in a section not being used for archived materials.
News / National

by Staff reporter

New SADC Chairperson, President Mnangagwa, is expected to position Zimbabwe as a hub of technology and innovation on the global stage, according to Zanu-PF Secretary for Information and Publicity, Christopher Mutsvangwa.Speaking at a press briefing in Harare, Mutsvangwa lauded the successful hosting of the recent SADC Summit and praised President Mnangagwa for strengthening ties within the region.Mutsvangwa highlighted President Mnangagwa's leadership, noting his role in promoting Pan-Africanism and driving industrialization in Africa, which is crucial for modernization and integration into the global community. He also commended the media for their positive coverage of the summit, emphasizing the importance of their patriotic reporting.Additionally, Mutsvangwa praised Angola's President Joao Lourenco, the immediate past SADC Chairperson, for his leadership over the past year.
Fires from weekend storm

Douglas Forest Protective Association found six small fires across the Douglas District from lightning storms Saturday. Thanks to the rains that came with the storms, the fires were quickly contained at 0.001 acres and are in patrol status. None of the fires posed a threat to homes or structures.

5000 Roberts Creek Road Fire: one struck tree near the 5000 block of Roberts Creek Road in Roseburg.

Lawson Bar Fire: one struck tree in the 700 block of Lawson Bar Road in Myrtle Creek.

Tower Fire: one struck tree near the radio towers above milepost 108 on Interstate 5 southbound in Myrtle Creek.

Camp Fire: one struck tree near the 2100 block of Diamond Rock Road in Tiller.

Callahan Creek Fire: a single stump fire with limited spread near Callahan Creek in Tiller.

Drew Creek Fire: one struck tree near Drew Creek in Tiller.

During the associations response, a drone was identified to be flying in the area. The association reminds the public that unauthorized drone use around any wildfire, large or small, can impact the associations ability to use aviation resources on the fire.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A total of N$18,8 million (US$1m) stolen from SME Bank was transferred to and laundered by former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe's pilot and confidant Robert Mhlanga.This is according to court documents filed in South Africa's Gauteng High Court by SME Bank's liquidators Ian McLaren and David Bruni.The liquidators said approximately N$20,8 million was transferred from SME Bank into the trust account of a Johannesburg law firm called Paul Casasola & Associates between 2014 and 2015.The law firm is owned by Mhlanga's then lawyer Paul Casasola, who kept N$2 million of the stolen funds."The balance of N$18,8 million was remitted to Mhlanga and/or the Liparm Entities and/or third parties (for the benefit of Mhlanga and/or the Liparm Entities) by Casasola as paymaster from the Casasola & Associates' Trust Account on the instruction of Mhlanga and/or the Liparm Entities," the liquidators said.The Namibian has learnt that Mhlanga quickly settled with Namibian liquidators when they pursued him in South Africa.Though he repaid the N$18,8 million, this case provided further insight into how politically connected individuals exploited a bank meant to support small businesses in Namibia.Zimbabwean Enock Kamushinda, who was Mugabe's former personal banker, is accused of being the mastermind behind the bank heist. Kamushinda ran the SME Bank when funds were transferred to Mhlanga.Mhlanga's ex-lawyer Casasola yesterday said no funds were transferred from SME Bank into their trust account.They denied wrongdoing.Mhlanga has been a person of interest in South Africa.South Africa's AmaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism reported in 2012 that Mhlanga, a retired air vice-marshall, was widely regarded as a close associate of Mugabe and a business representative of the Mugabe family."Mega-rich Zimbabwean businessman Robert Mhlanga stands at the centre of an opaque network of companies set up to cash in on the Marange diamond fields with the help of the Zimbabwe government," Mail and Guardian reported.AmaBhungane also reported that Mhlanga has been on a N$185-million property buying spree in South Africa's prime areas such as Durban's coast and Sandton in Johannesburg.THE WASHING MACHINEThe liquidators presented a case in the Johannesburg court, demonstrating how the N$20 million paid to Mhlanga and Paul Casasola was a result of fraud and money laundering.Some of the payments to Mhlanga were labelled 'Goldkid'.According to the liquidators, the first sum stolen from SME Bank was N$2 million, transferred on 1 August 2014 in seven smaller transactions to avoid detection by Namibian authorities.The amounts ranged from N$245 000 to N$355 000 and were made as cash deposits.These stolen funds were initially paid to a company called Transparency Business Solutions, laundered through Rustic Stone Trading, and then transferred into the Casasola and Associates Trust Account.Additionally, a N$2,5-million electronic payment was allegedly laundered from SME Bank on 29 August 2014, followed by another N$3 million on 22 September.These funds were routed through entities such as Technical Assignments (Pty) Ltd, Benoni Brokers CC, Transparency Business Solutions and Rustic Stone Trading, before ending up in the Casasola and Associates Trust Account.This laundering process continued on multiple occasions until 19 November 2015, by which time at least N$20 million had been stolen from SME Bank.The liquidators stated that SME Bank was the rightful owner of the stolen money, which was laundered through various entities acting as conduits before being transferred to the Casasola and Associates Trust Account."The defendants (Mhlanga and Casasola) received the money in a reckless manner, knowing that the money was not due to them," the liquidators said." . . . As a result of Casasola's wrongful and unlawful, as well as intentional or reckless and negligent conduct, SME Bank suffered liquidated damages of N$20 million."The liquidators added "the business of the Liparm Entitles was carried on recklessly by Mhlanga with the intent to defraud creditors and SME Bank for a fraudulent purpose."'IT WASN'T ME'According to court documents, Paul Casasola & Associates claim they didn't know where the money came from, but they knew they received it on behalf of Mhlanga and his company, Liparm.In February 2021, Casasola said they received the money on behalf of Mhlanga and Liparm Entities.At the same enquiry, Mhlanga testified that "Casasola has over a period of time received hundreds of millions of rands on his behalf and would make payments to third parties on Mhlanga's instruction".McLaren and Bruni said Casasola and Paul Cassasola & Associates failed to establish the identity of the person(s) from whom the monies were received.They said this was in breach of South Africa's Financial Intelligence Centre Act (Fica).They said the lawyer and his law firm did not terminate the business relationship between them and Mhlanga."The agreement, arrangement or transaction had the effect of concealing or disguising the nature, source, location, disposition or movement of the money or enabling or assisting Mhlanga or Liparm Entities to remove or diminish the money that was acquired as a result of the commission of the theft and fraud on the SME Bank," the liquidators said.CASASOLA RESPONDSCasasola yesterday told The Namibian they were not aware that the money was stolen from Namibia."Our offices were not aware, nor could have been reasonably aware or suspected that any of the funds transferred into our trust account originally emanated from SME Bank as payments were effected from South African banks in furtherance of commercial transactions," he said.The Namibian asked Casasola if the firm was aware of the possibility that the funds they were handling were the proceeds of criminal activity.Casasola said he could not comment on the matter, since it is confidential." save to reiterate that no funds were transferred from SME Bank to our trust account and the action instituted by the liquidators of SME Bank referred to in your electronic mail under reply was settled to the satisfaction of all parties," he said.The payments to Mhlanga, then the chairperson of a diamond company in Dubai, were made around the same time that Namib Desert Diamonds (Namdia) was secretly formed under president Hage Geingob's Presidency and then mines minister Obeth Kandjoze.The Namibian reported around that time that Namdia diamonds were sold for peanuts to Dubai.Later on, it emerged that Tania Hangula, the former chairperson of Namdia, used to frequently fly to Dubai courtesy of SME Bank's millions.SME Bank also spent more than N$2 million on hotel accommodation and flights to fly Hangula around the globe between 2016 and 2017.Most of the money was spent on flights to Dubai.At the time, Mhlanga was the chairperson of Mbada Diamonds and was appointed as a director of the Dubai Diamond Exchange.The Namibian understands that authorities have looked at the link between Mhlanga's SME Bank payments and Hangula's trip to Dubai.The Supreme Court of Namibia this year referred the looting of over N$247 million from SME Bank to the prosecutor general for further investigation."Quite how this systematic looting of a registered bank was able to proceed over such a sustained period raises questions concerning the efficacy of the regulation and supervision of SME Bank by [the Bank of Namibia]," judge Dave Smuts said.*This article was produced by The Namibian's Investigative Unit.
Harold Meltzer, a composer who set aside a career as a lawyer to create a highly regarded body of energetic, colorful chamber, vocal and orchestral scores that mixed accessibly melodic themes and rich ensemble textures with the sharp-edged angularity of modernism, died on Aug. 12 in Manhattan. He was 58.

Hilary Meltzer, his wife, said that his death, in a hospital, was caused by respiratory failure, a complication of a variety of medical problems he had withstood since having a stroke in 2019.

Mr. Meltzer, who was also a director (first with David Amado, later with Sara Laimon) of Sequitur, a new-music ensemble, cut an imposing figure at contemporary music concerts in the 1990s and 2000s.

Bespectacled, with wavy hair, he invariably entertained friends during intermissions with wry observations about the music world in general, or the events of the day. Even after his stroke, when he began using a wheelchair, he was determined to maintain something approximating his earlier level of activity, and after only two months of therapy, he appeared as the narrator for his theater work Sindbad, a humorous 2005 setting of a Donald Barthelme story that was one of his most frequently performed works.
A Wisconsin woman who was allowed to argue that she had been justified in fatally shooting a man she said had sexually trafficked her was sentenced on Monday to 11 years in prison under a deal with prosecutors in which she pleaded guilty to a reduced charge, according to court documents.

The sentencing of the woman, Chrystul Kizer, 24, in a Kenosha County, Wis., courtroom brought to an end a six-year case that drew the attention of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which ruled in 2022 that Ms. Kizer could argue at trial that she had been justified in shooting the man, Randall Volar, 34, because he had sexually trafficked her.

Ms. Kizer was 17 in June 2018, when she fatally shot Mr. Volar, started a fire at his home in Kenosha, Wis., and fled in his car. Ms. Kizer had initially been charged with intentional homicide, which could have carried a sentence of life in prison, as well as other counts, including arson and possession of a firearm.

In an arrangement with prosecutors, Ms. Kizer was allowed to plead guilty to reckless homicide in May, and other charges against her were dismissed.
The parents of a gunman who was 17 when he killed eight students and two teachers at his high school in Santa Fe, Texas, in 2018 are not financially liable for his heinous actions, a jury found on Monday.

The verdict, reached after a day of deliberations, followed an emotional three-week trial that was among the first attempts to hold parents accountable in civil court for the actions of their child in a school shooting.

But instead of finding that the parents bore responsibility for the shooting, the jury decided that blame rested with the gunman and with the company that sold him ammunition used in the shooting. The jury awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in damages to the plaintiffs, who included the relatives of several of those killed and others who were wounded.

The trial came several months after a Michigan couple was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for a mass shooting carried out by their teenage son. In that case, prosecutors presented evidence that the parents had ignored warning signs and failed to lock up a handgun used by their 15-year-old son in an attack at Oxford High School in 2021.
Federal judges voted on Monday night to go on strike across Mexico, protesting President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors proposed overhaul of the countrys judicial system. The judges will join thousands of other court employees who went on indefinite strike earlier in the day over the contentious policy changes.

The moves reflect rising tensions over Mr. Lopez Obradors push for the most sweeping changes to Mexicos legal system in decades. He and his supporters want thousands of Mexicos judges, including those on the Supreme Court, to stand for election instead of being appointed based on qualifications and specialized training.

Mr. Lopez Obrador has defended the plan, arguing that the ultimate goal is to rid the judiciary of corruption and privileges. Critics say the change could result in people with minimal legal experience being elected to judgeships.

The president has lost it, said Juana Fuentes, the national director of Mexicos association of federal judges and magistrates, which organized the strike vote. If this bill passes, we will be creating a regime of absolute power concentrated in one single person.
The Chippewa County Sheriff's Office has launched a new app in an effort to connect the community with public safety, jail and sex offender information.

The app allows the public to submit tips, search for information about offenders and get the latest news about road closures and weather conditions. A host of other helpful links in the app connect users to everything from ATV maps to grief support and victim services.

The Chippewa County Sheriff's Office app replaces an app previously used by the office that officials said did not provide enough bang for its buck.

Emergency management director Tyler Thibodeaux has worked on the app with Chippewa County Sheriff Travis Hakes since October 2023.

Thibodeaux and Hakes said the app has Integrated Public Alert & Warning System capabilities that allow the emergency management division of the sheriffs office to send out public warnings.

The county had some issues with such alerts in October 2023 when Chippewa County residents received a series of emergency alerts on their phones during a downtown barricade situation.

As the event unfolded, Chippewa Falls police requested that Chippewa County Emergency Management send out an alert specific to cell phones in the area telling people to shelter in place.

Chippewa Falls police later said that the shelter in place order was disseminated too broadly, sometimes to people in towns many miles away.

In addition, not all alerts sent out included necessary geographic information to inform residents about which areas to avoid and not every resident that was intended to received all three emergency safety alerts that afternoon.

Hakes said the incident was a catalyst for showing the office needed to revisit the system it had in place.

One of the goals with the new sheriffs office app is to ensure people receive emergency alerts and instructions properly and appropriately, Hakes said.

I guess the moral of the story is it just gives us multiple opportunities to reach out and put out public safety information quickly, Thibodeaux said.

Emergency alerts

Thibodeaux is especially excited about the ability to send push notifications using the app.

The alert just goes to people if they have it enabled on their phone, Thibodeaux said.

But the app has another notification capability. Authorities can use it to put out what are called IPAWS alerts.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency website, IPAWS is a national alert system that provides authenticated emergency and life-saving information to the public through mobile phones.

IPAWS can send messages to everybody in a geographic area, whether or not they have notifications turned on in the app.

Hakes wanted an app developer that could handle IPAWS messaging, he said.

The company that programmed the new sheriffs office app called OCV LLC is one of the leaders in mobile app development for law enforcement, public safety, emergency management and public health agencies.

OVC public safety adviser Jim Finnell said the IPAWS portal is separate from the app, but OCV offers them both to the county as a package deal.

IPAWS is a FEMA program for mass notification, and it evolved after the (Congressional) 9/11 Commission many years ago about doing mass notifications, Finnell said. The federal government has spent years working with all the telecommunications providers to be able to send out mass notification of an event or a disaster to a very specific geographic area, like Chippewa County.

Finnell said the connection to IPAWS is far more user-friendly than reverse 911 programs officials used to rely on.

The users have the ability to get alerts directly and almost immediately from the sheriff's department and emergency management if they have the app, Finnell said. Of all the things, that's really nice, especially for the agencies to do outreach.

Finnell said the app is also helpful for people who want to track if there are warrants out or if someone is in jail.

He said it saves the agency a ton of phone calls because users can just go on their app and look up information. They can also submit tips.

Victims can get notifications that someone's been released, they can sign up for it on their phone, he said. They can schedule visitation at the jail. It just automates and puts the control directly at the constituent's fingertips.

Thibodeaux and Hakes said having IPAWS capabilities is a big deal.

We are the very first organization in the nation that this company has worked with FEMA on, Hakes said. We actually were their pilot program.

Hakes said OCV works with more than 450 sheriff's offices across the country and over 800 other law enforcement departments.

We're the first one in the nation to piggyback that IPAWS feature with emergency management, Hakes said.

New app brings new users

Hakes and Thibodeaux agree the app is working, delivering more streamlined and accessible information to the public and providing a new method for the community to reach county officials and the lifesaving information their offices provide.

I recently had an email from somebody in the community that reached out through the app that asked about suicide prevention information, and you know, we put more information about that on the app, Hakes said. Its nice to be able to do that. Overall, the departments that we work with across the road have given us positive feedback.

Criminal justice services director Rose Baier said shes a fan of the new app.

I'm actually using it on the back end, I guess, just as a collaboration, partnering with the sheriff. Its been really helpful that way with the departments in the county, Baier said.

Baier oversees a number of programs for the county. She said the organization of the sheriffs office app is helpful to her in the field.

One thing for me that's just a really helpful tool, is I track the pre-trial status of individuals, people that are in and out of jail. So it's a very handy tool, especially on the phone, to use instead of logging into the computer and getting onto the website to see who's in the current population in the jail, she said.

The Chippewa County Sheriff's Office reports that in its entire history, only 86 people downloaded the old Code Red app, which was live for the last few years.

Last year, OCV representatives attended the Badger State Sheriff's Conference and pitched the idea of a new app to Hakes.

It wasn't something that we were going to budget for, right? So when we first heard about it, there was kind of sticker shock, Hakes said. Then we realized that the app we had wasn't operating as efficiently as it should have been.

The office spent $10,000 per year to maintain the old app, according to Hakes.

I'm not real great at math and I'm not an accountant, but I don't think our cost-benefit analysis came back in our favor with only 86 downloads with the old app, he said.

The new app is a bit more expensive year over year. But with good reason, Hakes said.

Its actually a really good app, Hakes said.

The new app costs $25,000 for the first two years, Hakes said. But its already paying off. Although its only been live for a handful of weeks, it has had 1,816 users as of Aug. 15.

We are able to apply for grants and things, too, so even though it's costing a little bit more per year, probably in the long run, we are able to fund it from different sources so it frees up tax money in the budget, Hakes said. We're not paying for it with tax levy money from the county. It's for the taxpayers, but they're not paying for it currently.

Thibodeaux said eventually the sheriffs office may have to use tax funds to maintain the app.

The Chippewa County Sheriffs Office app is available for Android and Apple products.

The app is not for reporting emergencies. In an emergency, residents are encouraged to call 911.
Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous nights highlights that lets you sleep  and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.

Past His Bedtime

The Democratic National Convention kicked off in Chicago on Monday with a focus on celebrating President Biden.

Late-night hosts took the opportunity to poke fun at his age once more. Jimmy Fallon said that when the president took the stage for his speech, the cheers were so loud that even Biden could hear them.
Voting is underway for the 76th Primetime Emmys, and this week we are talking to several first-time Emmy nominees. The awards will be presented Sept. 15 on ABC.

Much like his Reservation Dogs character, DPharaoh Woon-A-Tai grew up wondering if he was a good guy.

If his dedication to his craft and his community is any indication, the 22-year-old actor of Anishinaabe, Guyanese and German descent seems to be a pretty upstanding citizen. The day we chat about his Emmy nomination for lead actor in a comedy series, for example, he is visiting his parents in his native Toronto (from his adopted hometown, Los Angeles) and has spent most of the morning chauffeuring his auntie around on a several-hours-long excursion. After all, mothers, grandmothers and aunties are considered the bedrock of Indigenous communities.

Thats a fact any Reservation Dogs fan would know. With the groundbreaking FX series, the creators Taika Waititi and Sterlin Harjo provided a rare look at everyday life on an Oklahoma Indian reservation through the eyes of four teens reeling in the aftermath of a friends suicide. Harjo, who also served as showrunner, has said there was only one way to do it: with an all-Indigenous team of writers, directors and regular actors who could authentically tell this story.
Biden approved a secret nuclear strategy

President Biden approved in March a highly classified nuclear plan that reorients Americas deterrent strategy to focus on the rapid expansion of Chinas nuclear arsenal. The Pentagon believes Chinas stockpiles will rival those of the U.S. and Russia over the next decade.

The revised strategy, called the Nuclear Employment Guidance, also seeks, for the first time, to prepare for possible coordinated nuclear challenges from China, Russia and North Korea.

The document, updated every four years or so, is so highly classified that there are no electronic copies, only a small number of hard copies distributed to a select few officials. Two Biden administration officials were allowed to allude to the change in recent speeches, ahead of a more detailed, unclassified notification to Congress expected before Biden leaves office.

The new document is a stark reminder that whoever wins in November will confront a changed and far more volatile nuclear landscape than the one that existed just three years ago.
Israel accepted the latest cease-fire proposal, the U.S. said

Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, said yesterday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel had accepted a bridging proposal aimed at closing the gap between Israel and Hamas on a cease-fire deal for Gaza. Hamas officials did not immediately comment, but they have called the proposal slanted toward Israel.

A spokesman for Netanyahu confirmed that the prime minister had told Blinken that Israel had agreed to the proposal, which U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators presented last week. Blinken discussed it during a three-hour meeting with Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

Whats next: Negotiations are expected to resume this week in Egypt. Blinken said the talks represented probably the best, maybe the last chance to bring the Israeli hostages home and put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security.

Related:
President Biden has never exactly been a liberal Democrat or a conservative Democrat. He has instead stayed in his partys mainstream. When the party moved right in the 1990s, he moved with it. When it moved left in the 2010s, so did he.

But Biden has not simply gone with the Democratic flow. Over his more than 50 years in politics, he has periodically shown strong opinions about how his party should change  and helped it do so.

Last night in Chicago, Biden took a big step in his long political goodbye, delivering a 52-minute speech at the Democratic convention. In todays newsletter, Ill examine how Bidens presidency shaped his party  and consider whether Kamala Harris is likely to continue these shifts. I think three points are key.

1. Bidens neopopulism

Biden has always understood the class resentments that many Americans feel. (If you havent read Robert Drapers profile of Biden for The Times Magazine, I recommend it, including the section in which Biden analyzes George W. Bush.)
Alaska Airliness acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines cleared a major hurdle on Monday, after the airlines said the Justice Department ended a review of the merger without challenging it on antitrust grounds.

The approximately $1.9 billion deal, the first major U.S. airline merger in nearly a decade, is set to expand Alaskas operation and solidify its position as the countrys fifth-largest airline. The combined company would still be small relative to the four large airlines that dominate U.S. air travel, commanding roughly half the market share of United Airlines.

The airlines said they would wait to proceed with the merger until receiving final approval from the Department of Transportation.

Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii, which relies heavily on Hawaiian Airlines, praised the deal and thanked the Justice Department for taking the states needs into account in its review.
The 777-9 is a large, twin-aisle plane designed for long-distance, international flights. It is capable of carrying around 426 passengers over a distance of more than 7,200 nautical miles. Boeing plans to later build a slightly smaller version of the plane capable of traveling farther, the 777-8, and a cargo version, the 777-8 Freighter.

Boeing did not say how long it expected the pause in test flights to last or whether it would delay its first delivery of the 777-9, which the company expects to happen next year. The Federal Aviation Administration said Boeing notified the agency about the problem last week, and the company said it planned to keep the F.A.A. updated on its findings. The pause in test flights was reported earlier by The Air Current, an aviation news service.

Boeing began flights of the model for F.A.A. certification in July, though it had been testing the plane on its own for some time. The test fleet had already carried out more than 1,300 flights in various regions and conditions as of the end of last month, Dave Calhoun, the companys former chief executive, said on a call with investor analysts at the time.

Mr. Calhoun stepped down this month and was succeeded by Kelly Ortberg, a former chief executive of Rockwell Collins, a major supplier to Boeing and its main rival, Airbus. Mr. Calhouns departure had been announced after a harrowing episode in January in which a panel of a Boeing 737 Max blew off during an Alaska Airlines flight.

There were no major injuries from that event, but it and an earlier crisis involving two fatal 737 Max crashes five years ago have slowed production at Boeing and contributed to the widening gap between the company and Airbus.
A cruise on the Mediterranean Sea aboard a superyacht was supposed to be a celebratory event for the British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who was acquitted in June of fraud charges tied to the sale of his company, Autonomy, to the tech giant Hewlett-Packard.

Instead, it turned into a disaster after the yacht, a 180-foot boat called the Bayesian, sank off the coast of Sicily in a violent storm. Of the 22 people aboard, 15 were rescued and seven others died. Search operations ended on Friday after the final body was recovered from the site of the sunken yacht.

Heres what we know about the passengers.

Mike Lynch and his family

Mr. Lynch, 59, is a British software entrepreneur who had once been described as his countrys Bill Gates. He founded the software firm Autonomy, which analyzed clients unorganized data, and turned it into one of the most prominent British technology companies of its time. He became a widely known corporate leader, who advised David Cameron, the British prime minister at the time, and joined the board of the BBC.

In 2011, Mr. Lynch sold Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion, which was far above its market value, earning him hundreds of millions. But HP investors almost immediately soured on the transaction, and the American tech giant quickly fired its chief executive  and then Mr. Lynch.
Alyssa Leach and her husband have visited Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., every year since 2015. To them, the theme park feels like an oasis where they can escape the stress of everyday life.

So when their son, Lincoln, was born in 2020, Ms. Leach wanted his first visit to the park to be special and spared no expense in planning it. She booked a two-week trip to visit Florida in December 2022, which included stays at Disney World and Universal Studios.

The costs quickly accumulated. Ms. Leach and her family traveled from New Haven, Conn., and paid extra for admission to Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party, an after-hours event that cost about $200 per person. She also shelled out $100 for the theme parks photo service so she could download photos of the family that photographers took during the visit.

The vacation cost around $6,000, which included accommodations, tickets and a car rental, and which Ms. Leach charged to her Disney-branded credit card.
Banning noncompete agreements would increase workers earnings by at least $400 billion over the next decade, the F.T.C. has estimated. The agreements affect roughly one in five American workers, or around 30 million people, according to the agency, whose purview includes antitrust and consumer protection issues.

Victoria Graham, an F.T.C. spokeswoman, said the agency was disappointed by Judge Browns decision and would keep fighting to stop noncompetes that restrict the economic liberty of hardworking Americans, hamper economic growth, limit innovation and depress wages.

We are seriously considering a potential appeal, and todays decision does not prevent the F.T.C. from addressing noncompetes through case-by-case enforcement actions, Ms. Graham added.

A tax firm, Ryan, sued to block the rule just hours after the F.T.C. voted 3 to 2 in April to adopt it. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce later joined the case as a plaintiff, as did the Business Roundtable and two Texas business groups.

The Chamber of Commerce and other groups have asserted that the F.T.C. lacks constitutional and statutory authority to adopt the rule, with Ryan calling it arbitrary, capricious and otherwise unlawful  a position with which Judge Brown agreed. Business groups have also argued that the ban would limit their ability to protect trade secrets and confidential information.
From her new office in the center of the first floor of the Chippewa County Courthouse, deputy Megan Olson can quickly get to any of the doors in the building to address any security needs that arise. Her monitors show more than 50 security cameras placed inside and outside the building.

Olson recently started her new duties as the courthouse security officer. Along with monitoring who enters the building, she will bring inmates from the jail to court and attend county board and some committee meetings. Chippewa County already had one security officer, Mark Hollister, but his office is located on the second floor, near the three courtrooms. By putting Olsons office in the heart of the building, it gives a visible security presence as people enter the facility.

Its kind of in the center of all the entrances, Olson said as she showed off her office by the elevators. So, we can kind of have a screening process and have that threat assessment. We can step in and just have a presence, and sometimes we can help diffuse a situation.

Olson is a Chippewa Valley native and she earned her associates degree in criminal justice from Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College in Rice Lake. She joined the Chippewa County Sheriffs Office in 2013 and has been a jail deputy and patrol officer, then was promoted to jail sergeant.

I wanted a different experience and wanted to help in a different way, Olson said of why she applied. Its about having the ability to help people, often on their worst day. And its interacting with the public.

The need for a courthouse security plan compounded when a Duluth area man made threats to a judge and the entire courthouse complex in May 2023.

Olson said she is pleased with the reaction shes seen in her first couple weeks on duty.

People who have their offices on the first floor have stopped and said they are glad I am here, she said.

Chippewa County Sheriff Travis Hakes spoke highly of Olson, saying she was chosen due to her experience and education both in the jail setting and patrol setting.

Deputy Olson possesses a professional and approachable personality that will be a great fit to this position as she is able to welcome visitors with a friendly smile, but possesses the ability to be firm in confrontational situations, Hakes said. It was a competitive process, but we chose her to fulfill the role based on her dedication to our office as well as her personality.

Chippewa County officials have reviewed plans for several years that included closing all but one door, so the public would all have to enter the courthouse through one entrance. However, that option was costly, and the board opted instead to hire a second security officer. The measure was approved by the county board in May.

Security is obviously a high priority to the county board, said county administrator Randy Scholz. Were trying to have security with the least impact on the public we can. All the counties are looking at security. The judges have been very involved in this process, and they wanted security throughout the building, and not just for the courts.

County board chairman Chuck Hull said the added security measure was needed.

This has been looked at for a long time, Hull said. So its nice to see some action on it. Its nice to have that safety for the staff and the public.

Scholz released a report in January that showed remodeling the Chippewa County Courthouse to make a single point of entry was expected to cost between $500,000 and $1 million. If that plan had moved forward, everyone would have needed to enter the doors in the northwest corner of the building, as that is closest to most of the parking lots.

There are presently five doors to the courthouse: one on the east, one on the north, two on the west and one in the cul-de-sac on the south side of the building.

Scholz said they discussed closing the eastern entrance to the public, but that wasnt feasible because it is a handicap-accessible door. However, they may opt to close an inner door that allows people to immediately go to a staircase to go up or down levels.

In 2013, the county board adopted a Government Campus Integrated Security Plan, which they continue to implement. A 2012 study indicated Chippewa County should hire two full-time bailiffs. Hollister was hired as the first full-time bailiff and courthouse security officer in 2019.
The European Union is proposing to charge Tesla an additional tariff of 9 percent on its vehicles imported from China while other automakers face rates as high as 36.3 percent, as part of efforts to protect European producers from unfair competition.

The updated tariffs, announced in Brussels on Tuesday, would represent a significant increase for major companies making electric vehicles in China and are meant to level the playing field with Chinese E.V. manufacturers, many of which enjoy subsidies from Beijing. Final tariffs will come on top of the existing 10 percent already charged for electric vehicles produced in China.

The European Union began investigating Chinese automakers in October. Officials said they lowered the rate for Tesla, down from a proposed 21 percent, because the company did not benefit from the same level of subsidies from the Chinese government as leading Chinese automakers. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The tariffs for Chinese automakers, which would go into effect for five years, all dropped slightly from an original proposal in June, ranging from 17 percent for Chinas largest producer of electric vehicles, BYD, to 36.3 percent for SAIC Motor, the state-owned maker of MG Motor. Geely Auto, the parent company of Volvo Car, faces a rate of 19.3 percent.
That day, the court ruled that over the course of the war, Serbia committed genocide only in one instance. During the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, Bosnian Serb fighters took roughly 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys to predetermined sites before killing them and throwing their bodies into mass graves. In a vast landscape of murder that, as the judges acknowledged, included horrors like the systematic torture, rape and beatings of Bosnians in detention camps and the expulsion of thousands of non-Serbs, this episode alone appeared sufficiently genocidal to the judges. Only there did the perpetrators explicitly display the dolus specialis, or specific intent, to destroy, in whole or in part, the group as such required for a killing to be considered an instance of genocide. Killings elsewhere in Bosnia may have been war crimes or crimes against humanity  acts that were equally grave  but the decision argued that wherever there were any other plausible reasons for why the killings took place, the court could not rule that genocide definitively occurred. In a dissenting opinion, Judge Awn Shawkat Al-Khasawneh of Jordan chastised his colleagues for failing to appreciate the definitional complexity of genocide by interpreting the intent requirement so narrowly.

Marko Milanovic, now a scholar of international law, was working as a clerk at the I.C.J. that day in 2007. He watched on TV as Cekic tore up the verdict in anger. For him, the episode heralded a rupture that by then was already underway. The moral force of the word genocide and the public understanding of the word had become fully detached from its relatively narrow legal meaning. Ever since the Polish lawyer Raphael Lemkin coined the word in 1944, by combining the Greek word genos, meaning race or tribe, with the Latin cide, or killing, it has been pulled taut between languages  Greek and Latin, legal and moral.
Commissioner Edward Caban of the New York Police Department dismissed the disciplinary charges against a top chief who had interfered with the arrest of a retired officer who had chased three boys while armed, according to an internal document.

Jeffrey Maddrey, the chief of department and the citys second-highest-ranking officer, was facing a loss of 10 vacation days after an independent oversight board found that he had abused his authority when he ordered the release of the retired officer, Kruythoff Forrester, whom he had once supervised. A Brooklyn sergeant arrested Mr. Forrester on Nov. 24, 2021, after he had found probable cause that Mr. Forrester had menaced the boys with a gun.

In May 2023, Keechant Sewell, the police commissioner at the time, agreed with the oversight panel, the Civilian Complaint Review Board, that Chief Maddrey had improperly influenced an arrest. At the time, her office informed the chief that she had agreed to impose the boards recommendation to take away the vacation days.

But on Monday, Commissioner Caban stamped approved on the findings of the Police Departments deputy commissioner of trials, Rosemarie Maldonado, who concluded in July that the board lacks jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute the case, according to a copy of the document.
Euvester Simpson was barely 18 in August 1964 when she boarded a bus in Mississippi bound for the Democratic National Convention in New Jersey.

She was seated next to Fannie Lou Hamer, a 46-year-old sharecropper from Ruleville, Miss., who was about to change history. The two Black civil rights activists had shared a jail cell the year before, but as the bus hurtled north toward Atlantic City, 60 years ago this week, they sang.

Walk with Me, Lord. That was her favorite, Ms. Simpson, 78, recalled.

On Tuesday, as Democrats meet in Chicago to rally around Kamala Harris for president, lawmakers and civil rights veterans will gather in Atlantic City to mark the 60th anniversary of a Democratic convention held at the height of Freedom Summer. At the commemoration, the convention hall in Atlantic City will be designated as the first out-of-state stop on the Mississippi Freedom Trail.
Welcome to Opinions commentary for Night 1 of the Democratic National Convention. In this special feature, Times Opinion writers rate the evening on a scale of 0 to 10: 0 means the night was a disaster for Kamala Harris; 10 means it could lead to a big polling bump. Heres what our columnists and contributors thought of the event, which included speeches by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Hillary Clinton, Raphael Warnock and Joe Biden.

Best Moment

Kristen Soltis Anderson, contributing Opinion writer Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In a night showcasing the partys elders, A.O.C. demonstrated that she is their future. Republicans underestimate her at their peril.

Binyamin Appelbaum, member of the editorial board The stark power of the personal testimonials from women denied access to pregnancy-related health care.
Tens of thousands of people were expected to march on the Democratic National Convention to protest the loss of innocent lives in Gaza. But by early Monday afternoon, only a fraction had shown up. The speakers were spirited, to be sure. But the park seemed half empty; a stack of signs depicting Killer Kamala and Genocide Joe  the ones that had freaky laser beams for eyes  lay unused in a pile in an empty corner of the park. It was not 1968.

Frank Chapman, an 81 year-old Marxist who is the dean of protest organizing in Chicago, conceded that Kamala Harris may have taken some of the wind out of the sails of marchers when she ascended to the top of the ticket. The Gaza protests have lost some momentum since the switch from President Biden.

But that doesnt mean the battle over the soul of the Democratic Party has been called off. The party still faces a long-term moral quandary of how to square its rhetoric about being the party of freedom, equality and racial justice with the virtually unconditional support it has offered to a far-right government in Israel that is accused of starving and bombarding large numbers of civilians in Gaza since the brutal Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

At the Democratic National Convention, some delegates are demanding a cease-fire and an end to the unconditional supply of arms to Israel. But they are being treated like the unwanted stepchildren at the family reunion. The party agreed to hold a human rights panel on Monday afternoon to highlight the suffering of Palestinians, but that didnt feel like equal treatment. It wasnt held on the main stage or during a prime time television slot, as the families of some of the hostages taken from Israel are expected to get.
Im reporting from the Democratic National Convention this week, so were going to try something a little different on the show  a daily audio report of what Im seeing and hearing here in Chicago. For our first installment, Im joined by my producer, Rollin Hu, to discuss what the conventions opening night revealed about the Democratic Party after a tumultuous couple of months. We talk about how Joe Biden transformed the party over the past four years, the behind-the-scenes efforts to shape the party under Kamala Harris, the impact of the Gaza protests and why many Democrats  despite Harriss recent momentum  feel cautious about their odds in November.

You can listen to our whole conversation by following The Ezra Klein Show on the NYT Audio App, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. View a list of book recommendations from our guests here.

(A full transcript of this episode is available here.)
Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters faced off with the Chicago police outside the citys Israeli consulate on Tuesday night, about two miles from the arena where the Democratic National Convention was underway.

At least a dozen demonstrators were detained during the protest, which came on the third day of pro-Palestinian activism around the convention. Hundreds of protesters marched downtown on Sunday night, and a large protest march on Monday drew thousands of people, though fewer than organizers had expected.

On Tuesday, demonstrators chanted and made speeches, as lines of police officers stood by, blocking the office tower that houses the consulate. Police took some protesters into custody after a short skirmish, and the atmosphere was sometimes tense, though the protest group was outnumbered by journalists and police officers.

One protester, Shawna Ohm, who lives in Chicago, said that it seemed like theres been a conscientious effort by a lot of Democratic leadership to avoid addressing the war in Gaza, and that she wanted to lend her voice to the issue. She said she had voted for Democratic presidential candidates in the past but was conflicted about this election.
Vice President Kamala Harriss top campaign fund-raisers are being treated to four days of glitz and glam during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago  hotel packages at the Ritz-Carlton and the Four Seasons, an on-field visit to Wrigley Field and, for the really big kahunas, maybe even private face time with the presidential nominee herself.

But unlike at other recent Democratic conventions, the public wont know who those top fund-raisers are.

About a month before voting begins in some states, American voters have less knowledge about the people helping the 2024 presidential candidates raise money than they have had in any election in 20 years. Thats because, for the first time in modern presidential fund-raising, neither the Democratic nor the Republican nominee has disclosed the names of so-called bundlers, the people who amass large financial contributions for presidential campaigns and, in the eyes of transparency advocates, wield significant power in campaigns and presidential administrations.

The disclosure of bundlers is not required by law. The modern bundling era began in 2000, when President George W. Bush professionalized the world of campaign fund-raising with a program that was heavy on nicknames, calling some big-money chasers Rangers and others Pioneers. Democratic presidential nominees have disclosed their bundlers in some fashion in every cycle since then. Republican nominees did so in 2004 and 2008; Mitt Romney, a private-equity executive sensitive to concerns he was too close to the rich, did not in 2012. Former President Donald J. Trump did not disclose his bundlers during his 2016 and 2020 campaigns and has not done so this year.
The commission charged with investigating the mass shooting that took place in October in Lewiston, Maine, released its final report on Tuesday, laying out in detail how local law enforcement and Army Reserve leaders failed repeatedly to take steps to prevent the worst mass shooting in Maines history.

The seven-member independent commission, appointed by Gov. Janet Mills, had previously found fault with local sheriffs officers who allowed the gunman, Robert R. Card II, a 40-year-old Army Reserve grenade instructor, to keep his firearms despite evidence that he was dangerous. In the new report, the group emphasized the failings of Mr. Cards Army Reserve commanders, finding that they ignored mental health clinicians who urged them to closely monitor whether he was continuing treatment and to ensure that his weapons were taken away after a brief hospitalization last summer.

The final report sharply rebuked one of the gunmans Army Reserve supervisors, Capt. Jeremy Reamer, who, it said, neglected to follow any of the recommendations of the psychiatric clinician who had examined Mr. Card last summer at an Army hospital in New York after his statements and behavior raised alarms.

In fact, the report said of Captain Reamer, he ignored them.
"Creating possibilities for a shared future aligns well with the aspirations of both China and Kenya," said James Shikwati, a Kenyan libertarian economist and the director of the Inter Region Economic Network.

by Xu Jiatong, Dai He

NAIROBI, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Technological cooperation and digital innovation are key to fostering mutual growth and prosperity and deepening the relationship between China and Kenya, a Kenyan expert has said.

"China is very strategic in offering affordable technology," which is crucial for Kenya to leverage, especially considering the expensive technologies from Europe, said James Shikwati, a Kenyan libertarian economist and the director of the Inter Region Economic Network, in an interview with Xinhua.

Shikwati underscored China's importance as a major importer of Kenyan avocados and expressed Kenya's eagerness to enhance its agricultural value chain.

He emphasized the need for Kenya to create platforms for research exchanges with China.

Kenya could tap into areas of synergy with China by facilitating expert exchanges and transferring relevant technologies, Shikwati said.

He spoke of China's prominence as a digital powerhouse, citing platforms like Alibaba as an example, and emphasized the potential for collaboration with Kenya's M-Pesa system.

"There's an opportunity for exchanges in digital technology," he said, adding that a regulatory framework facilitating e-commerce and interoperable payment systems could be of great value.

Shikwati also touched on China's support in helping Kenya achieve its sustainable development goals, particularly through the adoption of solar technology, and the importance of Chinese manufacturers in supplying solar panels for private use in Kenyan households.

The Kenyan expert spoke highly of the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to be held in Beijing in September, expressing his hope for Africa to become a major player in the Chinese market.

Looking into the future, Shikwati stressed the need for Africa to be actively engaged in the developments of digital technology and artificial intelligence.

It will be strategic for China to prioritize involving Africa in learning about the latest trends and create training opportunities for Africans, he said.

Shikwati voiced optimism for a shared future that promotes culture, peace and prosperity.

"Creating possibilities for a shared future aligns well with the aspirations of both China and Kenya," he added.
I love being Jewish, said Doug Emhoff, the husband of Kamala Harris, the vice president and presidential candidate. I love it. I love everything about it. I want to shout it from the mountaintops.

Mr. Emhoff was shouting his love not from a mountaintop, but to a living room filled with Democratic donors in a 13th-floor apartment in the West Loop of Chicago, one week before the Democratic Party would gather in the city to formally nominate his wife to run for president.

In the four weeks since Ms. Harris emerged as the Democrats nominee, Mr. Emhoff had made clear one way he intends to help his wife win: outreach to Jewish voters. He has increasingly talked about his Jewish identity and the significance of his faith. And he has signaled that he intends to make the battle against antisemitism a central part of his portfolio as first gentleman should Ms. Harris win.

The issue has been a major message for Mr. Emhoff since Ms. Harris became vice president and he became second gentleman  he visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Oswiecim, Poland, last spring. His focus, particularly when speaking to largely Jewish audiences, have intensified, by his account, after the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, followed by the backlash against Israel in the United States for its attacks on Gaza.
On New Years Eve in 2007, Kamala Harris, then the district attorney of San Francisco, prepared to spend the holiday more than a thousand miles away from her native California. She had flown to Iowa for the first time, touching down in Des Moines during one of the wettest winters on record.

Ms. Harris turned up in a dingy campaign field office, wearing a puffy coat and boots. Near a tangle of power cords, someone had propped an African Americans for Obama poster against a wall. In the midst of that bleak Midwestern winter, Ms. Harris was there to knock on doors for Barack Obama, the junior senator from Illinois mounting a long-shot bid for the presidency.

To be here is worth 1,000 Champagne bottles and firecrackers, Ms. Harris told a reporter on New Years Day, surrounded by campaign detritus. Its equal to that, in terms of the thrill, the excitement and the promise for tomorrow.

Supporting Mr. Obama was a political risk. Ms. Harris was one of the rare Californians holding elected office  and one of few in the Democratic Party writ large  to endorse him for the presidency. Most of the partys institutional heft had been thrown behind Hillary Clinton, a senator from New York who had a powerful surrogate in her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
Former President Barack Obama cast Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday night as the inheritor of the political movement he created, saying her candidacy had rekindled the hope that propelled him to the Oval Office 16 years ago.

In back-to-back speeches at Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the former first lady Michelle Obama and her husband, the 44th president, brought thousands of Democrats to their feet time and time again, using the chants of Yes, we can to revive the spirit of the 2008 election.

Now the torch has been passed, Mr. Obama said, evoking the words of John F. Kennedy at his 1961 inaugural, months before Mr. Obama was born. Now its up to all of us to fight for the America we believe in. And make no mistake: It will be a fight.

It was the first of many warnings that the wave of enthusiasm and rising poll numbers for Ms. Harris might not be enough to avoid a tight outcome in 11 weeks, and that former President Donald J. Trump would try to manipulate the numbers and steal the election unless Ms. Harris won an overwhelming victory.
On Friday, a longtime friend of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent candidate for president, delivered boxes carrying 110,000 signatures to election officials in Arizona, to secure ballot access in a critical battleground state.

A vast majority of those signatures, according to two people closely involved with the campaigns operations, were not gathered by local volunteers, or even by paid canvassers working for the campaign. Instead, the people said, they came from a super PAC backing Mr. Kennedy that gathered signatures in Arizona months ago but set them aside after their efforts prompted legal challenges.

The issue of who collected the signatures is critical because coordination between super PACs and campaign committees is banned under federal law, though that rule  meant to limit the influence of megadonors on campaigns  has steadily eroded in recent years, as regulators have allowed exceptions and political groups have found workarounds. Among other prohibitions, super PACs are not allowed to give in-kind contributions to a campaign  basically, providing services free of charge.

On Monday, Stefanie Spear, a Kennedy campaign spokeswoman, said she could not confirm that account. What the campaign knows is that Kennedy supporters Friday submitted 110,000 signatures in Phoenix, more than double the required 42,303 signatures, she said.
The Justice Department said on Tuesday that it was investigating conditions at a troubled correctional facility outside Nashville over reports that understaffing and high turnover of employees have contributed to the physical and sexual abuse of prisoners.

Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general, suggested that a lack of oversight from the state and mismanagement by CoreCivic, the private company that runs the prison, could have contributed to the dangerous environment at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, the largest correctional facility in Tennessee.

This investigation should send a clear message, she said during a news conference. When states choose to have private companies run their prisons, they remain liable for the conditions inside those facilities. Private prisons are not above the law.

The inquiry is part of a broader effort by Ms. Clarkes civil rights division to scrutinize prisons and jails across the country, including in Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. At Trousdale Turner, which falls under the purview of the Tennessee Department of Correction, accounts of stabbings, killings and abuse are rampant.
The theme of Day 2 at the Democratic National Convention is a bold vision for Americas future.

Credit... Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times
The Kenyan authorities have launched a manhunt for a suspected serial killer who escaped from custody after being accused of killing scores of women, the national police said on Tuesday.

And, the police said, he probably had help.

Our preliminary investigations indicate that the escape was aided by insiders, Gilbert Masengeli, an inspector general, said in a statement on Tuesday. He said the actions of eight officers who were on duty at the time of the escape were being investigated.

The Kenyan police arrested the suspect, Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, in July after dismembered bodies were discovered at an abandoned quarry in Nairobi, the capital. They said he had confessed to having killed 42 women over the past two years.

On Tuesday, Mr. Khalusha escaped from his cell in the Gigiri police station in Nairobi, the police said, fleeing along with 12 Eritreans who had been accused of being in Kenya illegally. The police station is near the United States Embassy, a United Nations office and other diplomatic missions.
The United States imposed sanctions against former President Michel Martelly of Haiti for drug trafficking and money laundering, according to a U.S. Treasury Department statement released Tuesday, accusing him of contributing to the destabilization and unrest afflicting the Caribbean nation.

Mr. Martelly, who served as president of Haiti from 2011 to 2016, abused his influence to facilitate the trafficking of dangerous drugs, including cocaine, destined for the United States, the Treasury Department said. He also sponsored multiple Haiti-based gangs, the statement added. The sanctions prohibit U.S. financial institutions from making loans or providing credit to Mr. Martelly.

Todays action against Martelly emphasizes the significant and destabilizing role he and other corrupt political elites have played in perpetuating the ongoing crisis in Haiti, Bradley T. Smith, acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in the statement.

The government of Mr. Martelly, a 63-year-old popular musician known as Sweet Micky, was accused of rampant corruption, including misappropriation of aid worth about $2 billion from Venezuela  though he never faced any charges in Haiti.
Every morning they wake up and look at the mountains of Caracas. On days when protests fill the streets they can hear the chants. But they know that if they take one step outside their compound, they could be arrested and thrown in prison.

For the past five months, five top aides for the party of Venezuelas opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, have been living in an Argentine diplomatic residence where they sought asylum after the countrys attorney general announced warrants for their arrest.

And it is from this house, nestled between the diplomatic residences of Russia and North Korea, that Ms. Machados top aides have run one of the most consequential presidential campaigns in the countrys history.

Somehow, despite the constraints on their liberty, the five officials not only managed to help organize a voter turnout drive that brought millions of to the polls on Election Day but also mobilized thousands of monitors to collect tally sheets that could prove their candidate had won.
Tropical Depression Jongdari moved toward South Korea on Tuesday, threatening to buffet the country with heavy rain and strong winds.

The approaching storm, which was downgraded from typhoon status late on Tuesday, canceled some flights and set off coastal flood warnings on Jeju Island, a popular holiday destination in the south. They issued evacuation orders for the islands piers, ports and beaches and closed all hiking trails.

Jongdari had maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour on Tuesday, the U.S. Navys Joint Typhoon Warning Center said. The storm was forecast to pass Jeju on Tuesday evening, skirt South Koreas west coast overnight and make landfall near Seoul, the capital, on Wednesday morning.
Deep-sea divers with Italys firefighter corps resumed their search on Tuesday for six missing passengers  including a British software mogul and his daughter  of a yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily the previous day.

Twenty-two people were on board the 180-foot British-flagged sailing yacht, the Bayesian, which was anchored near the port of Porticello, when it was hit by what witnesses described as a waterspout, a small tornado on water, during a sudden and violent storm.

Fifteen people who managed to get to a raft were rescued by the captain of a nearby sailing cruise ship. The body of the yachts cook, identified by news outlets as Recaldo Thomas, a Canadian Antiguan, was recovered on Monday. But several people are still unaccounted for, according to Salvatore Cocina, an official with Sicilys civil protection agency.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraines surprise offensive into western Russia, which entered its third week on Tuesday, shows the West that its fears about the ramifications of attacks on Russian territory are unfounded and should be abandoned.

As his forces attempted to push deeper into Russian territory, Mr. Zelensky seized the moment to challenge a limitation from Kyivs allies that has long frustrated Ukraine: the use of Western-supplied long-range weapons against Russia, which Ukraine argues is key to disrupting Moscows military operations.

The whole naive, illusory concept of so-called red lines regarding Russia, which dominated the assessment of the war by some partners, has crumbled these days somewhere near Sudzha, Mr. Zelensky told Ukrainian ambassadors to other countries in a speech published on Monday evening. He was referring to the western Russian town of Sudzha, which Ukrainian forces captured last week.

For more than two years, Washington has prevented Ukraine from using the weapons it supplied to strike into Russia, citing fears of an escalating conflict between Moscow and the West. This spring, after months of Ukrainian lobbying, the United States and other NATO countries adjusted their policies and granted permission for Ukraine to do that.
Maria Branyas Morera, an American-born Spanish woman believed to be the oldest person in the world, died on Monday in Olot, Spain. She was 117.

Her family wrote in a post on her X account that she had died in her sleep. She had been living in a nursing home.

A few days ago she told us: One day I will leave here. I will not try coffee again, nor eat yogurt, nor pet my dog, her family wrote in Catalan in the post. I will also leave my memories, my reflections, and I will cease to exist in this body. One day I dont know, but its very close, this long journey will be over.

Ms. Branyas was born on March 4, 1907, in San Francisco, and grew up in several American cities, including New Orleans, where her father, a journalist, started a Spanish-language magazine that went bankrupt, according to several news articles about her life.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken pressed ahead on Tuesday with his diplomatic effort to secure a cease-fire in Israels war with Hamas, meeting with the Egyptian president in El Alamein, Egypt, before flying to Qatar to talk with officials there.

But he ended his ninth visit to the Middle East since the war in Gaza started without securing a truce, and with both sides signaling there were still major obstacles to a deal.

This needs to get done, Mr. Blinken said, before boarding a return flight to the United States. And it needs to get done in the days ahead, and we will do everything possible to get it across the finish line.

Mr. Blinken has been pressing Hamas leaders through officials in Egypt and Qatar, who are acting as intermediaries, to continue talks on a deal to secure a truce and free the remaining hostages in Gaza, a senior administration official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic talks.

The Biden administration plan being discussed, which all sides are calling a bridging proposal, is a set of terms, supported by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, that, if agreed on by Israel and Hamas, would allow more space for negotiations over how a broader cease-fire deal would be implemented, the senior official said. Details of the proposal have not been made public.

Negotiations were expected to resume in Egypt this week, after two days of high-level talks in Qatar ended on Friday without an immediate breakthrough. On Monday, Mr. Blinken discussed the proposed deal with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in Jerusalem.
A senior Iranian military official said on Tuesday that retaliation against Israel over the killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran may be long in coming and take any number of forms, suggesting that an attack against Israel may have been placed on hold.

The comments came from Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini, the spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the branch of the armed forces that would lead such an attack and that is responsible for securing Irans borders.

Time is on our side, and its possible that the wait period for the response could take a long time, General Naeini said at a news conference in Tehran, according to video footage on state media. Its possible that Irans response will not be a repeat of previous operations. The quality of the response, scenarios and tools are not always the same.

While General Naeini did not elaborate on what options Iran is considering, his reference to previous operations appeared to mean the Iranian strike on Israel in April, when Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones against its longtime adversary. That attack was done in retaliation for an Israeli strike on an Iranian embassy compound in Damascus, Syria, that killed several senior Iranian military commanders.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken pressed on Tuesday for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, but officials familiar with the latest U.S.-backed proposal said it left major disagreements between Hamas and Israel unresolved.

After meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Monday, Mr. Blinken said that Israel had accepted the U.S. proposal  the details of which have not been made public  and that the onus was now on Hamas to agree to it as well. But Israeli and Hamas officials have downplayed the idea that a deal could be imminent, saying that mediators efforts  and the latest American proposal aimed at bridging gaps between the two sides  have failed to resolve some of the most substantive disputes in the talks.

Mediators have previously called for high-level talks to resume in Cairo this week. A senior Biden administration official said on Tuesday night that he expected negotiations to continue this week, but declined to say when. Two Israeli officials said it was unclear where and when they would next convene.

President Biden, who remarked briefly on the negotiations after his speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday night, drew a critical response from Hamas after he said the group was now backing away from a cease-fire deal.
Israeli forces recovered the bodies of six Israeli hostages from southern Gaza in an overnight operation, the Israeli military said on Tuesday, highlighting the plight of the scores of captives remaining in the Palestinian enclave. Five of the six were previously known to have lost their lives.

Of the roughly 250 people Israeli authorities say were taken hostage during the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack, Israeli forces have so far rescued only seven hostages alive. Scores of others, mostly women and children, were returned to Israel during a weeklong cease-fire last November. More than 100 captives still remain in Gaza, at least 30 of whom are believed to be dead.

Israels defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said that the six bodies had been retrieved from Hamas tunnels beneath the city of Khan Younis in a complex operation, and the military released their names.

Avraham Munder, 79, was the only hostage among the six whose death had not already been established. He was abducted from Nir Oz, a kibbutz, or communal village, near the Gaza border, along with three of the others: Haim Peri, 80; Yoram Metzger, 80; and Alexander Dancyg, 75. The remaining two, Nadav Popplewell, 51; and Yagev Buchshtab, 35, were taken from another border community, Nirim.
A Taiwan court of law sentenced a man to three months in prison for invading his adulterous wifes privacy by installing hidden cameras around their home.

Chinese media recently reported the unusual story of a Taiwanese man surnamed Fan who managed to land himself behind bars for daring to expose his wifes cheating by installing cameras around their home. The couple had reportedly been married for several years and had two young children in 2022 when Mr. Fan began suspecting that his spouse was having an affair. He installed a camera under the piano in the living room of the family home and another one next to the computer in the master bedroom. About two weeks later, the cameras caught Fans wife and a mystery man having intimate relations in the family home, footage that the husband later used as grounds for a divorce.

Photo: Curated Lifestyle/Getty Images

In February 2022, Fan invited his wife and her lawyer to divorce negotiations, but they were unable to reach an agreement, so Fan filed a civil lawsuit against his spouse for civil damages. Little did he know that his wife had an ace up her sleeve. The woman went to a local police station and accused her husband of invading her privacy by installing hidden cameras around their home without her consent.

Fans wife eventually filed a lawsuit against him, and his excuse of having installed the cameras out of worry for his children who often complained that their mother spent an unusually long time in the bathroom didnt sit very well with the judge, At the end of last year, the Taoyuan Court sentenced Mr. Fan to 3 years in prison for secretly filming other peoples private activities without their consent and without a valid reason.

The Taiwanese man appealed the decision, but the Taoyuan High Court recently rejected his appeal and upheld the original verdict. Mr. Fan now has to spend 3 months behind bars for catching his wife cheating in their familys home.

This strange case sparked a heated debate on Taiwanese and Chinese social media regarding the boundaries between privacy and collecting evidence of adultery, as well as the impact of modern technology on family-related issues.
Ken Kerrigan

When I was in the second grade, my homeroom teacher, Mrs. Reilly, walked up to my desk one morning. I didnt like the look on her face. In fact, I was downright terrified. Within seconds, shed taken hold of my arm and was dragging me to the principals officethe dreaded Sister Loretta. They both looked very angry.

Their anger was reasonable. The day before, one of the more popular kids in class, Brian, had told me he thought it would be fun if I punched one of our classmates in the stomach. I followed his direction and was nowwith tears streaming down my facedeeply regretting it. When I offered Brian told me to do it as my defense, Mrs. Reilly screeched: If Brian told you to jump off the Empire State Building would you do that, too?

At just eight years old, the question struck me as crazy, but sensing the punishment that awaited me I immediately asked myself why I did what Brian told me. How did I not know it was wrong? How much influence did he have over me?

I think about that day a lot, especially when Im being advised to do something significant, and my inner voice is expressing doubt, asking Why are you doing that? And Im not alone. Business leaders are faced with the same quandary every day. Decisions have consequences, and while we all want a quick answer to the question What should I do? we need to take the time to reflect and make sure we have thought through Why am I doing it? and, more importantly, What will be the likely outcome?

This article is featured in O'Dwyer's Aug. Financial PR/IR & Professional Servcies PR Magazine



Thats a lot of important questions. But if you read the headlines and listen to the chatter around the proverbial water cooler today, you may think that emerging artificial intelligence platforms are the answer. That somehow, if we can only craft the right prompt, the answer to all our strategic questions will magically appear. I think Ive seen this movie before.

It all takes me back to the classroom. Not Mrs. Reillys, but rather my days as a liberal arts student at New York University. Specifically, my studies of Ancient Greece and the use of oracles.

Leaders in Ancient Greece often sought the guidance of oracles, who were believed to be the voice of the gods, to guide their decisions. In a way, their use of oracles is similar to the way communications professionals are using artificial intelligence today. AI helps us analyze vast amounts of data to better understand a companys communications landscape so we can tailor strategies that will help drive business results. It tells us what to do, just like the oracles.

However, in Ancient Greece, an oracles pronouncementsmuch like some AI results on platforms like Chat GPTcould sometimes be cryptic and even ambiguous. Leaders would need to consult with priests and other influencers to understand the oracles true meaning and apply it to their situation. Maybe the modern-day equivalent is when the c-suite consults with their communications and marketing teams, who, like the priests in Ancient Greece, are interpreting the datasometimes to support the business initiatives we think the client wants to implement.

Of course, weve all read the disclaimers: AI platforms cant predict the future and we know they cant account for unforeseen circumstances. We need to consider the limitations of data and use human judgment alongside AI insights. Just like the Ancient Greeks did, right?

Well, not so fast. Epic mistakes were made after taking the guidance of oracles too literally. Heres an example: King Croesus of Lydia, famed for his wealth, consulted the Oracle of Delphi before launching a war against Persia. The oracle told the king, A great empire will be destroyed. You will cross a river and destroy a great empire. Croesus, interpreting the oracles reference to a great empire as his nemesisPersia, confidently invaded. However, the great empire that was destroyed turned out to be his own, and Lydia fell.

Interpretation of the data before us, including the influence of unconscious biaseslike that of King Croesuscan have severe consequences. The data or insights we get from AI need to be carefully interpreted before we act.

Recently, Bob Pearson, Chairman of The Bliss Group, provided testimony to the Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council of The State of Texas on the impact AI would have in the decades ahead. In his testimony, Bob said Technology always feels fast, yet its accomplishments are far more measured and require time for the applications to mature and for the public and private sector to get ready for its actual use, at scale.

In his testimony, Bob pointed out that after the World Wide Web was introduced in 1991, it took four years before a game changing offering like Amazon was launched. It took another 13 years before Facebook came on the scene. Today, both are among the most highly valued companies in the world.

It takes time for technology to mature, but things are moving significantly faster today. And that takes me back to AI, a platform that businesses are throwing enough gold at to make even the most audacious Ancient Greek king blush.

Theres no question that we live in an era of social influencersand have for years. But what if the new influencer isnt some paid B-list, social media celebrity, but rather AI itself. Pearson has suggested just that. And were creating that new reality in real time as AI platforms continue to learn by scraping existing content available on open-source platforms.

Does that scare you? It should. The oracles created a belief among the leaders of the day that they were channeling the voice of the gods, but the insights they shared were influenced by self-serving interpretations and even disinformation. Just like AI today.

Were likely still years away from broadly available AI-driven applications, but rest assured those applications will arrive faster than Amazon and Facebook did. What will be the impact on the future of public relations? How will stakeholder trust in institutions shift? Will we see a utopian world where transparency rules the day or a dystopian one where it becomes nearly impossible to distinguish fact from fiction or just plain old lies? Are we already there?

Many Greek kings paid the price for an overreliance on guidance coming from oracles. Some lost everything. We cant let that happen. He told me to do it didnt work as an excuse with Sister Loretta all those years ago. Likewise, AI made us think it was a good idea wont fly when a strategy fails and a client or their stakeholders ask: Why did you do that?

The effective PR counselor of the future needs to be armed not just with a command of data and analytics, but a deep understandingcombined with sound judgment and experienceof what it means and what should be done.

***

Ken Kerrigan is a Senior Vice President at The Bliss Group and Co-Lead of the agencys Professional Services practice.
San Pablo, California, located in the Bay Area, is looking for an agency that can develop a brand and marketing strategy that establishes an identity for the city and resonates with its community.
St Brendan's RC Church in Birr celebrated its 200th anniversary during a special mass recently.

Several clergy members were in attendance, including Chief Celebrant Bishop Fintan Monahan, Bishop of Killaloe.

Chairperson of Birr Pastoral Council Brian Kennedy began the mass with Words of Welcome, including a short history of the building.

Peter Whyte of Birr Choral Society wrote a mass for the occasion and it was performed by the Society, conducted by Charles Marshall and accompanied by organist Enda O'Connor. The members of St Brendan's Church under the direction of Tommy Lyndon were also in attendance, singing the hymns and responses.

It was the first public performance of Peter's mass. Rich with melodies and harmonies, Peter has written a beautiful and carefully crafted piece and it received a warm round of applause from the congregation at the end of the mass.

During the mass Father Tom Hogan also drew everyone's attention to Brian Kennedy's good work. He said Brian's knowledge of Birr's history is second to none and his historic tours of the town are greatly appreciated. He said everyone was looking forward to the upcoming publication of Brian's history booklet.

Joan Hogan oversaw the Gathering Rite during which a number of symbols associated with the church were presented.

Lady Alison Rosse presented Water from St Brendan's Well.

Cora Dunne presented the Baptismal Register; Breda Bergin and Joe McEvoy the Church Keys; Mary Kelly and Teresa Brereton Msgr John Ryan's Chalice; Pat Pilkington the Pastoral Council Register; Gabriel Dolan the Organ Recital Programme; Eabha McDowall and Lucy Crowley a Collage of Parish Events.

The Readings were read by Elaine Eastwood and Damien Delaney.

The Prayers of the Faithful were read by Joel Shobin, Eabha McDowall and Jillian Crowley.

The Offertory was presented by Mary Nolan, Ann O'Connor, Michael Hogan and Grainne Cashen.

Sharon Conneely read out her excellent Communion Reflection during which she talked about the power of coming together and partnership in tackling the negative things in life, in bringing about better situations so that our general happiness increases. By focussing on what unites rather than divides us we can achieve more.

The Bishop said he was delighted to be part of this wonderful mass on this wonderful occasion.

He said this was an ecumenical occasion which celebrated the philosophy of Christian humanism and welcomed a plurality of views. With this in mind he warmly welcomed the members of the Church of Ireland and Methodist communities who were in attendance, including members of the Parsons family, whose ancestor, the 2nd Earl of Rosse, donated the church site to the community, as well as 100 and a quarry of stone back in 1824.

On December the 3rd, 2017 I was here for a mass marking the 200th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone for this church. What a joy, what a privilege it is for me to be back here today once again in this magnificent liturgical space.

Today is a wonderful occasion for all involved in the life of this church in any way. There are some here today whose family members have been worshipping here over the last two centuries, in this Teach an Phobail, this house of the community. It is important to remember that the Catholic Church is primarily a people before it is the buildings associated with it.

There are 138 churches in the Diocese of Killaloe. They are all special places of worship but few of them can rival the beauty of St Brendan's. He referred to the building's stained glass windows including the stained glass window in the western / chancel part of the building (behind the high altar). This window was designed by the renowned architect Augustus Pugin and is the oldest stained glass window in the Diocese.

The Bishop pointed out that he was very conscious of the significant role St Brendan's Church has played in the lives of the local community over the last 200 years. I am very conscious that it's a dearly loved building which has been a sanctuary for thousands and a place where people can commune with God as a temporary reprieve from their sometimes difficult lives. I am very conscious of the landmark moments which occur here for people whether it be the baptism of your child, your First Holy Communion, receiving the Holy Spirit during the Sacrament of Confirmation, or expressing your Marriage Vows. It's a place where cherished and important memories are made. For the Christian, memory and hope are closely intertwined.

There is of course much tragedy and gloom in the world, but we should remind ourselves that there are many good things happening in our Society and in our Church among all ages. They might not get the coverage that they deserve. Nevertheless, we have a duty to hand on these great things and treasures of faith in our own local area and to provide every support we can for them. I hope and pray that future generations will have been inspired by us in the way that our generation has been influenced and inspired by those who have gone before us.

Congratulations, blessings and good wishes!

I warmly congratulate you all on this historic occasion and I pay a special tribute to your parish clergy, the pastoral council, the organising committee and everyone involved. This evening I reiterate my congratulations to you as the people of the parish on the way in which you have been so devoted to and cared for this beautiful Church since worship began here 200 years ago; for the generosity that has enabled you to continue to beautify it.

I hope and pray that this Church will continue to provide the people of the Birr area with a special identity as Gods people and that you will feel welcome and at home here with the Lord.

A History

St. Brendans Church was built to replace a previous probably thatched building, located to the rear of the current building. It was built in the pre-Catholic emancipation, pre-famine and pre-ecumencial times of the early 19th century.

On 1st August 1817, William, Lord Oxmantown laid the foundation stone of St. Brendans Church. It was the first public duty of the 17 year old heir of the Earl of Rosse. He later went on as 3rd Earl of Rosse to become a famous astronomer and built the Leviathan Telescope in Birr Castle grounds (the largest in the world from 1845-1917).

Early Developments

The new Church was in the shape of a Latin cross, its spire soaring to 124 feet 6 inches and is gothic in style.

The collection of money to build the church was one of the causes of the infamous Crotty Schism.

The church was completed on 1st of August 1824 but the interior was unfinished. Fr. John Spain completed the interior in the early 1840s. He installed the vaulted gothic ceiling and galleries and also the chancel (Pugin) window in 1842. The chancel contains in its detail St. Flannan, St. Patrick, the Madonna, St. Joseph, St. Brendan, along with the annunciation, the Magi, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection. A kaleidoscope of colour and beauty, Bishop Monahan declared it to be a masterpiece.

Subsequent renovations

In 1872 two new sacristies and a new altar were installed. In 1890 the bell was installed and given the name St. Michael (Patron saint of P.P. Fr. Michael Bugler) by Bishop McRedmond when consecrating the bell. (Bishop Tom McRedmond was originally from Birr. Bishop Monahan is the second person from Offaly to become Bishop of Killaloe).

Following Fr. Buglers death in 1893 the current reredos of the altar and pulpit were erected in Caen stone by parishioners as a memorial to him, in 1894. The pitch pine block floor and central tiles were laid in 1898. Major renovations were completed prior to the centenary in 1917.

Stained Glass Windows

The beautiful windows in the Church have an interesting sequence: The bottom stained glass windows were installed between the 1880s and 1903. The top stained glass windows date from 1913. Other significant windows are by the famous artist Richard King in the side porches and the Leinster Regiment memorial window dating from 1963. This is the only window to a British army regiment in any Irish RC Church.

Recent Developments

Other more recent developments of the Church include the building of an organ by Rooney and Coffey in 1953. Following Vatican II renewal Monsignor P.J. Hammel gave the parishioners a vote to replace the altar completely or retain the 1894 reredos with minimal alterations. They chose to retain the altar, showing their love for the buildings history.

In 1995 the Conference Room and Priests Sacristy were built.

In 2001 the Church was completely refurbished, including rewiring and slating of the entire roof. The baptismal font was also relocated to its present position.
With just days to go before secondary schools reopen, a number of students in Tullamore are still without a placement.

Amanda Rattigan's son Caiden Rattigan Hogan, has no idea where he will receive his secondary education. He has applied to Colaiste Choilm and Tullamore College. His preference is for Colaiste Choilm as his friends are going there, but up to yesterday,Tuesday, August 20 he had still not been offered a place at either school.

Amanda said, ''he has received all his primary education in Tullamore from Little Trinity Preschool, to St Joseph's School, to Scoil Eoin Phol. Schools open next Tuesday and he has no entrance exam done, no uniform, no books, no books list even,'' she said.

Inga Ozola's son is in the same boat. He lives just five minutes from the school of his choice but has not been offered a place either.

Amanda says it's because Caiden's father was not born in Ireland, even though his own parents are Irish, and her brothers and nephew attended Colaiste Choilm. ''The rule is either your father or grandfather has to have gone to the school, otherwise it's a lottery,'' she said.

Neither Amanda nor Inga will consider sending their sons out of town to attend secondary school.

Amanda said her son plays GAA locally and ''he doesn't want to go somewhere else.''

Tadhg O'Sullivan, the Principal of Colaiste Choilm, says that ''in response to the need to accommodate students in the Tullamore area without a school place, the Board of Management, increased the number of places by four students.'' The school has contacted those applicants and they know they are being accommodated.

''We have done our best, given the limited resources and we hope it will help in some way. We are packed to capacity. We have done as much as we could given the space and facilities we have,'' he said.

Independent TD Carol Nolan said she is engaging with the Minister for Education Norma Foley and the Department of Education in an attempt to secure immediate and increased availability of school places at both primary and post primary level for students within the constituency.

Deputy Nolan said that she is aware of at least half a dozen families in Offaly alone who have no guarantee that their children will have a school place for the forthcoming academic year beginning in late August, early September:

''I have repeatedly alerted the minister and indeed the department about the deficit of school places and the overwhelming challenges that some parents are being confronted with because of this, said DeputyNolan.

No family and no child in Offaly or Laois, at either primary or post primary level, should be facing the prospect of being left outside the gates, for want of a better word. This issue must be resolved immediately and whatever resources our schools need to meet enrolment requirements should be offered, concluded Deputy Nolan.








When someone tries to hack Carlisles borough government, they have to get through George Hinton.

More specifically, they have to get through the levels of protection that his company put in place to protect sensitive information from the criminals they know are trying to gain access.

A lot of them have [been] stopped in the past, for sure, Hinton told The Sentinel.

Hintons protections help Carlisle avoid becoming the next municipality to fall victim to a growing number of cyberattacks on public agencies, public works and businesses.

Cyberattacks on state and local governments rose last year, according to a report from the Center for Internet Security. The nonprofit helps the federal government monitor cyber threats.

Malware (aka malicious software) attacks increased 148% from 2022 to 2023, according to the report, which studied the first eight months of each year. Ransomware incidents, when criminals use malware to hold something hostage, were up 51%.

Rising 313% last year were endpoint security services incidents, including data breaches, unauthorized access and insider threats.

Really anything connected to the internet needs to be a point of focus when it comes to cybersecurity, said Richard Juday, Carlisles finance director.

Layers of security

Just in Pennsylvania in the past year, cyberattacks hit a public utility, a state agency and local health patients.

Last fall, Iranian hackers breached a device in the water authority of Aliquippa, a Pittsburgh suburb, to display an anti-Israel message. In February, Pennsylvanias online courts system was partially disabled in a denial of service attack, in which criminals crash the network with overwhelming traffic.

Just weeks later, a cyberattack on Change Healthcare  the nations largest commercial prescription processor  delayed services at the Carlisle Barracks clinic.

In a proactive move this year, Cumberland County paid an Allentown firm $29,125 to probe its cyber systems for vulnerabilities.

Hinton and Associates, based in New Cumberland, has been working for Carlisle since 2007. This year the borough is paying the company $93,000 for its services. Established in 1997, Hintons other clients include police departments, financial firms and small- and medium-sized businesses.

President and CEO George Hinton said the company contracts with more than 20 local governments, either helping them with or fully performing their IT and cybersecurity needs. Its contract with Carlisle is the latter.

The smaller a municipality is, the more likely it is to outsource cyber functions, he said.

Crucial areas that need to be protected include confidential borough finances, facility systems and departments like police. Hinton said his company takes a multilayered approach that includes early detection, antivirus, firewalls, spam filtering, malicious URL filtering and multifactor authentication.

Hackers have professionalized in recent years, he said. Criminals can be domestic or foreign, but a majority are the latter, either working privately or for a foreign government.

Ransomware can especially be harmful because hacking operations will fund themselves from the money they get to release what theyve illegally held up.

Its highly organized crime, Hinton said.

As a hacker attempts to breach Hinton and Associates multiple levels of protection, staff get an indicator of compromise, Hinton said, which means something outside normal behavior has been detected.

Staffers can then identify and monitor actions  whether the hacker is probing the network, using malicious links or something else  and stop them from getting any further.

Its that multilayer that stops the threat actor at different points of their progress, Hinton said.

Risks to public health and safety

Municipal authorities  including water and sewer networks  are a unique target because of their critical infrastructure.

Poisoning the water supply is a worst-case fear that, for example, almost happened to a Florida town  Oldsmar  that was hacked in 2021.

The Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association represents these agencies in Harrisburg, and it educates members about cybersecurity. It offers workshops, webinars and expert trainings to protect against attacks, from hacking that could hurt public health to simple phishing attempts in emails.

The threat is real, said Jennie Shade, the associations senior director of government relations.

The biggest worry is that hackers get into an authoritys SCADA, a control system of computers and other machines that act as the authoritys brain but can be vulnerable to criminals when connected to the internet.

PMAA advises its members to be aware and have a cybersecurity plan in place even if their resources are limited.

And most of them do, Shade said. Those that don are small and without a SCADA system, which means operations are done manually and in person, she said.

Municipal authorities operate public works projects but cannot levy taxes. They are funded solely by ratepayers, and they receive no dedicated help from the legislature.

Theres a possible snag, then, with beefing up cyber infrastructure, Shade said: the money needed is sometimes raised by charging customers more.

Even the federal governments State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, administered by Pennsylvanias Emergency Management Agency, exempts municipal authorities.

Its really a balancing act based on what that communitys needs are, Shade said.

One solution is to spend more money protecting cyber infrastructure. The newly passed state budget, for example, includes $3.5 million in the next fiscal year for cybersecurity and disaster recovery for Pennsylvanias court system that was hacked.

For municipal authorities, a bill introduced in the General Assembly by state Sen. Nick Miller, D-Lehigh, would make them eligible for federal cybersecurity money. But Senate Bill 1247 has yet to receive a committee hearing.

In the meantime, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security recommends that critical systems and infrastructure be connected to the internet as little as possible, Hinton said.

Youre lowering your threat profile and your attack surface, he said.
Theres been more cooking at Paytons Grocery than fried chicken lately.

The two-pump gas station and convenience store on Spotswood Trail just outside Stanardsville has been a staple for Greene County motorists for more than three decades. But a series of amateur pornographic videos featuring head cook Hiram Pritchett Jr. and distributed online, have some questioning whether theyll return to Paytons.

In three videos dated November 2023, Pritchett can be seen in what appears to be a kitchen pleasuring himself, first with a green lollipop, then cooking tools and finally with lighter fluid. In that final video, Pritchett uses the lighter fluid as lubricant before setting it, and himself, on fire.

The videos first came to light after Pritchett himself texted them to multiple women in the area. They have since been exchanged among neighbors more out of concern and curiosity than romantic interest.

Greene County resident Madison Riiley said she thinks the public should be aware of Pritchett and his idea of home cooking before patronizing Paytons. While it is unclear if the videos were shot inside Paytons, Riiley said it isnt a coincidence that the store has opened and closed multiple times since the videos were released.

Riiley took to Facebook on Nov. 28, 2023: All the people up there rude and nasty with the customers fentanyl use and purchasing going on during business hours have video proof of the workers there using stuff inside the store to stick it in the down low areas for pleasure because there are high while they are working. I do not recommend eating there at all, have no idea what is going on with this place. Used to love going there to eat this place has gone down hill so bad the person using the stuff inside the store for pleasure is also the person that prepares the food that people are eating just dont think this place is looked on as good as it used to be not to mention the food prices have went up just wanted to let everyone know because I personally wont be eating there after seeing the videos of this stuff going on in this place!

The open and closed status of the store has left many residents puzzled. Some days, Paytons appears open and ready for business. Other days, the lights are off and you cant get gas or a chicken leg.

Neither Pritchett nor his wife Rebecca would confirm or deny that the videos were filmed inside Paytons when The Daily Progress inquired. Hanns Valley Inc. of Annandale, which owns the property, could not be reached for comment.

In a Facebook post since removed, Rebecca Pritchett responded to criticism from Greene County residents, saying, You dont have to come here. If you dont want to, dont come.

Rebecca Pritchett said Paytons recent closures have been the result of financial strain.

In a July 24 Facebook post she wrote: Paytons Grocery has been an iconic part of Greene County for over 30 years. After a change of hands approximately a year ago due to an owner retiring it has had ups and downs. Even more recently it has been completely closed due to financial issues. However, we will be attempting to reopen and revive Paytons once again. It will be a lot of hard work for sure. Numerous changes will be coming and will be announced as they happen. One being tables inside to sit at and eat, play cards, gossip, etc.

In a July 25 post, she thanked those in the community that have continued to support Paytons, adding that her husband would remain on as head cook when the business reopened Aug. 1.

We appreciate any and all support from the community, family, and friends, she wrote. Negativity and negative comments are not needed or wanted. Jr Prichett will be primary cook. Wanda Prichett will be full time and I will be managing and working part time. Hopefully we will be able to restore Paytons and hire more people as we expand.

While many Greene County residents have demanded the Virginia Department of Health investigate allegations the pornography was shot inside the kitchen at Paytons, the department is actually not in charge of such establishments. Small grills inside convenience stores fall under the purview of the Department of Agriculture.

The property has been on and off the market and was last sold on June 2, 2023, for $560,000. More recently, the property and building were listed for sale at $1.2 million before being taken off the market.

Rebecca Pritchett told The Daily Progress that the Aug. 1 reopening went pretty decent considering. She declined to comment further.
Virginia State Police is investigating a fatal crash involving a tractor-trailer and a vehicle that occurred Saturday night in Nelson County on U.S. 29 near the intersection of Irish Road.

The initial call was made to state police at about 8:57 p.m., according to police.

A 2024 Freightliner Cascadia was heading northbound when it was unable to avoid striking a 2011 Chevrolet Aveo, which had entered the intersection, police said.

The driver of the Aveo, Samantha L. Lively, a 22-year-old resident of Barboursville, died at the scene.

A passenger, Heather E. Lively, a 19-year-old resident of Covesville, was taken to University of Virginia Medical Center, where she later succumbed to her injuries, police said.

The driver of the Freightliner was not injured.

The crash remains under investigation.
Relax Gaming unveils Relax Vantage, a cutting-edge business platform designed to simplify integration and enhance operational efficiency for iGaming operators and suppliers.

In a significant move to transform the iGaming industry, Relax Gaming has introduced its latest innovation, Relax Vantage. This new business platform is designed to simplify and enhance the integration process for operators and suppliers, providing them with advanced tools and insights to manage their operations more efficiently.

Next-Level Functionality and Ease of Use

Relax Vantage is a self-service portal that offers a range of powerful features without requiring any development work from the end user. Accessible securely from anywhere globally, the platform allows operators to explore a comprehensive library of available games, complete with detailed information, configurations, and analytical reports. These insights enable operators to understand financial results clearly across all markets, helping them make informed decisions.

The platform's intuitive dashboard also facilitates the management of legal and compliance requests while providing easy access to contracts and term sheets. This level of transparency and control is expected to improve Relax Gaming's partners' operational efficiency significantly.

Empowering Suppliers with Real-Time Insights

Relax Vantage isn't just for operators; suppliers can benefit from the platform's robust capabilities. The portal allows suppliers to present their portfolio of games to Relax Gaming's extensive network of operator partners. Suppliers can access critical statistics and closely monitor the performance of their games in real-time, ensuring they stay ahead in the competitive iGaming market.

Relax Gaming Portfolio:

Following successful beta testing with a select group of users, Relax Vantage will soon be available to all of Relax Gaming's partners across various jurisdictions. The platform is poised to revolutionize how operators and suppliers manage and optimize their gaming content.

Industry Leaders Applaud the Launch

Marta Zogala, Head of Platform Products at Relax Gaming, expressed her enthusiasm for the new platform. She stated, "This is a great step forward for Relax as we offer our customers new business tools for smoother integration and navigation through the Relax aggregation world. With the growth Relax has experienced over the past few years, we approached scaling up in a smart way by investing in automation, self-service tools, and 24/7 access to our ecosystem."

Martin Stalros, CEO of Relax Gaming, added, "We are extremely excited to launch Relax Vantage after many months of refinement. This much-needed product will help support our customers by simplifying every aspect of game management from start to finish. This product is quite simply an operational game-changer, offering truly seamless integration that's second to none."

About Relax Gaming

Founded in 2010, Relax Gaming has rapidly become a key player in the iGaming industry, aiming to simplify B2B content delivery. The company offers access to a portfolio of over 4,000 casino games and collaborates with more than 70 partner studios through its Silver Bullet and Powered By Relax programs. Relax Gaming operates in multiple regulated markets worldwide, holding licenses from authorities such as the Malta Gaming Authority, the UK Gambling Commission, and the Gibraltar Licensing Authority.

With the launch of Relax Vantage, the company continues its commitment to innovation, providing cutting-edge solutions that drive growth and success for its partners worldwide.
Heist: Who Stole the American Dream? was a 2011 documentary which explains the giant shift in American politics. It goes on to mention the Heritage Foundation was created to do the ideological marketing.

This 2011 documentary highlights the Heritage Foundations January 1981, Mandate for Leadership accomplishments over three decades to move America in the wrong direction!



HERITAGE FOUNDATION WELCOMED PEOPLE TO THE RNC

(Image by x.com/votevets/status/1813963828641796556) Details DMCA



In May2011, the Heritage Foundations Website advocated cutting Government in half by squarely confronts Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, the three so-called entitlement programs, which together accounted for 43 percent of federal spending in 2011, At the same time, fully funding national defense.

At a 2022 Heritage Foundation dinner, Trump endorsed the organization, saying it was "going to lay the groundwork and detail plans for exactly what our movement will do See first comment for link to 27-minute video of Heist: Who Done it on the Economy!
Something important and promising might well be happening in American politics. At the popular level, working class folks are expressing their deep discontent with a system run by octogenarians who serve their donors rather than the American taxpayer. The latter has come to realize that Democrats and Republicans have formed a kind of Uni-party beholden to the rich and powerful rather than to their plebian electors.

Strange to say however, both parties have shown faint signs of perhaps recognizing that truth and its devastating consequences for them at the voting booth. The Republican Party has selected a presidential candidate (Donald Trump) who talks a good game in terms of rebellion against the status quo. At the same time, the Democrats have set aside their senile superannuated "leader" (Joe Biden) in favor of a much younger black woman (Kamala Harris).

The truth is however that the policies of neither Trump nor Harris promise much difference in terms of changing the given order as far as international relations are concerned. No matter who's elected, genocidal support for Zionism will remain a cornerstone of our country's foreign policy. The war in Ukraine will continue it seems "to the last Ukrainian." And America's "diplomacy" will still prioritize war, sanctions, and regime change over peace-seeking diplomacy and dialog. All of that will continue unabated.

Nevertheless, Kamala Harris' selection of Tim Walz as her running mate and Donald Trump's choice of J.D. Vance as his offer strong indications that something new might be afoot for 2028. Both Walz and Vance are far more thoughtful than Harris or Trump. In fact, both vice-presidential candidates might be more war averse and friendly to the working class than their mentors.

Tim Walz

That's clear to most in the case of Tim Walz. As Minnesota governor, he has distinguished himself as a progressive. Among other legislative achievements, he signed bills that :

Made access to abortion easier

Provide free breakfast and lunch to all school children

Offer free college tuition for families with incomes of $80,000 or less

Curb greenhouse gas emissions

Moved towards establishing a public healthcare option within the MinnesotaCare system

Restored voting rights to decarcerated felons

Vastly increased Minnesota's spending on housing to prevent homelessness, expand homeownership opportunities and provide rental assistance to thousands of households.

J.D. Vance

As for J.D. Vance, his populist credentials might be less evident.

Still, according to American lawyer and political commentator, Robert Barnes, J.D. Vance might well be "the most war-skeptical, pro-worker Republican office holder of the last 100 years."

Barnes supports this contention by citing (among other considerations) Vance's 2024 vote against a $95 billion Ukraine aid package. Vance was one of only 18 senators voting against it in a 79-18 tally. (Vance thinks Ukraine is Europe's problem and not that of the United States.) Barnes also points out that the Teamsters regard Vance as an important working-class ally.

As for intellectual influences on Senator Vance, here is a list provided by Politico's Ian Ward in his article "The Seven Thinkers and Groups That Have Shaped JD Vance's Unusual Worldview."

Catholic Social Teaching: Catholic social justice teachings (the "best kept secret of the Catholic Church") emphasize community, workers' rights, and environmental protection. The most famous examples of such teachings are found in the encyclicals of Leo XIII (Rerum Novarum 1891), Pius XI (Quadragesimo Anno 1931), John XXIII (Mater et Magistra 1961), John XXIII (Pacem in Terris 1963), Vatican II (Gaudium et Spes, 1965), and Pope Francis (Laudato Si 2015). Sohrab Ahmari (co-editor of Compact Magazine): Also emphasizes Catholic teachings regarding social justice. Peter Deneen (University of Notre Dame): Deneen holds that unfettered free markets with their emphasis on competition have undercut not only the American family, but communitarian values and the collective basis of our national life. Neoliberal economics need not only restraint but replacement. Brad Wilcox(BYU): Wilcox argues that women's entry into the workforce has been better for companies than for most women. The companies benefit from more and cheaper labor. Meanwhile many women end up hating their jobs. Too many also feel overworked because they typically retain responsibility for cooking, cleaning, and childcare when they return from the workplace. Peter Thiel (Hedge Fund Investor): Thiel warns against a technology that has too often shackled us as opposed to liberating us and building a better society. We need to get off our phones. Curtis Yarvin (American blogger): For Yarvin, American democracy has deteriorated into control by a corrupt oligarchy. Resolving such tendencies, he says, might entail installing a kind of dictator-- a nationalist CEO who would run the country like a startup business. Rene Girard (French historian and theologian): Girard holds that Christianity must be reinterpreted to recognize that the Judeo-Christian tradition is on the side of the poor and oppressed rather than the rich and powerful.

Conclusion

It's discouraging that American political discourse is overwhelmingly ad hominem rather than focused on the issues suggested by the policies of Tim Walz and the intellectual influences on J.D. Vance.

"Vance is weird." "Walz is a communist." "Trump's a fascist." "Harris is the product of DEI." "My audience crowds are bigger than yours."

Such immature schoolyard put-downs do nothing at all to address the real concerns of voters.

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Illustration different solar climate intervention techniques.

(Image by Wikipedia (commons.wikimedia.org), Author: Chelsea Thompson, NOAA/CIRES) Details Source DMCA



"On its current trajectory," Craig Martin & Scott Moore write at Foreign Affairs, "the world is unlikely to meet the limits it set for itself in the 2015 Paris Agreement to halt global warming. ... As this reality sets in, once fringe ideas about how to artificially cool the planet are gaining traction. One such idea is lowering global temperatures by effectively shading the planet, a process known as solar geoengineering."

The premise of solar geoengineering is simple: If we reduce the amount of sunlight (and accompanying heat) that reaches the surface of the planet, we get lower temperatures.

The devil isn't just in the details -- do we seed the upper atmosphere with sulfates, spray seawater into clouds to lighten their color and make them reflect sunlight, maybe even park a gigantic Mylar (TM) mirror in orbit? -- but in the fact that cooling the planet portends negative as well as positive consequences. Lower crop yields in some agricultural zones, for example. More violent/damaging weather in certain areas, too. Good things we can maybe predict, bad things we can't necessarily foresee.

That makes the whole idea a political problem that, Martin and Moore write, "will require a new multilateral treaty with the primary purpose of prohibiting unauthorized deployment and establishing a collective decision-making process for approving and governing any potential future use."

Count on a long wait and a great deal of acrimony before something, anything, might actually happen ... unless rogue state or non-state actors take matters into their own hands. For a gripping fictional account of what that might look like, read Neal Stephenson's Termination Shock. You'll learn a lot, and enjoy the learning.

Let's look at this from four highly debatable, but not implausible, premises:

First, the earth is warming, at least partly due to human action.

Second, the warming represents something at least approaching an existential crisis for humanity, making life -- on balance -- worse for humanity and maybe, MAYBE even portending our eventual extinction.

Third, most of humanity is NOT going to abandon the Industrial Revolution and its consequences -- healthier, longer, more prosperous lives -- to stop the warming.

Fourth, the that Revolution isn't moving fast enough to get us to "net zero emissions" (with the supposed benefit of ending the warming) in a timely manner.

If those four things are true -- and, like I said, they are all debatable -- then the alternative seems to be "do some solar geoengineering" or "get used to living in an oven that's still pre-heating with no top in sight." The nature of politics probably sticks us with the latter.

As a libertarian, I'd naturally like to see matters resolved with minimal if any government involvement ... but figuring out what level of "pollution" constitutes an actionable tort or how to penalize those whose externalities warm up my house in ways that modify their behavior, may prove even more complicated than "a new multilateral treaty with the primary purpose of prohibiting unauthorized deployment and establishing a collective decision-making process for approving and governing any potential future use."
Reaching the unreached migrants in unorganised workforce with health services

SHOBHA SHUKLA - CNS



Reach the migrant workers in unorganised workforce with full cascade of health and social protection services

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According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment of Government of India, the workers in the unorganised sector constitute about 93% of the total workforce in the country. A lot of them are informal migrant workers who live in difficult conditions and are most likely to be left behind when it comes to accessing healthcare and social protection services.

"My humble submission is that unorganised sector workers should be put first for serving their healthcare and social protection needs," said Syed Mohammad Afsar, who leads the global HIV/AIDS programme for ILO (International Labour Organization). ILO is one of the oldest United Nations agencies which focusses on social and economic justice by advancing labour standards.

"Gujarat is an Indian state that receives many migrant workers - they include those coming from neighbouring states as well as those who come from different districts of Gujarat. These migrants work in the informal sector and face a lot of hardships and challenges- such as violence, inadequate income, or vulnerable situations where their rights may not be protected. That is why since the last almost three years now, we have focussed on Gujarat to promote HIV testing among informal sector workers," added Afsar. Addressing gender-based violence, income disparities which make people vulnerable to HIV, and other vulnerabilities is also vital.

India, along with other countries, has promised to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Scientific evidence shows that if a person living with HIV is receiving lifesaving antiretroviral treatment and remains virally suppressed, then he/she/they can live normal healthy full lives and the risk of any onwards spread of HIV from that person is zero. At the same time, all others should have full access to HIV combination prevention options in an evidence- and rights-based manner.

Afsar shared that ILO intervention in Gujarat has been developed together with the government's Ministry of Labour and Employment, local employers and trade unions, and other partners to address both: HIV and TB among informal sector workers. Ending discrimination and building capacities is so key, says Afsar. Community-based HIV testing was one of the hallmarks of these efforts.

GAP is filling the gap in health service coverage of unorganised workforce

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There were moments of anxiety as President Biden deliberated on whether to be the Democratic Party's candidate. The nation sighed in relief once the decision was made, knowing who the presidential and vice-presidential candidates would be for the 2024 election. A wave of freshness, new possibilities, and hope for a different future swept through the country. This positive energy was especially significant given the Republican opposition, which was marred by grievances, anger, hatred, and even calls for violence.

The Need for Change

This election presents a rare opportunity to break free from the "politics as usual" that has dominated the last several decades. Since the bright new hope of leadership was so violently extinguished in the 1960s, American politics has devolved into bitter infighting, characterized by divisions between red and blue states, tax cuts for the wealthy, union busting and growing income inequality. Big money has gained a dominant role, rendering Congress dysfunctional and politicizing every aspect of governance, including the Supreme Court. The pursuit of money for political campaigns has overshadowed societal needs and the concerns of ordinary citizens. Even the Democratic Party succumbed to this game, sacrificing the needs of its base, the ordinary citizens, in pursuit of political funding, all while claiming that an educated elite would lead the way to the promised land.

Meanwhile, America has been projecting its free-market capitalism across the globe under the guise of democracy, insisting that democracy could only thrive under free-market principles, even using the military to spread this gospel. This approach eventually led to global trade agreements driven by corporate needs and perpetual wars fueling the domestic economy. By the early 21st century, it became clear that this direction was unsustainable for most ordinary people around the world. Disillusioned with democracy as it was presented, people were tempted to turn to strong leaders and autocratic governance as alternatives.

The economic elite, largely unfazed by these developments, realized they could operate even more freely without the constraints of democracy. In the U.S., this elite found a way to control the disaffected citizenry by redirecting their anger toward a so-called "liberal elite." In exchange for reclaiming national power, they could install an autocratic leadership modeled after a corporate CEO, ensuring their dominance and control for the foreseeable future.

The New Republican Party

This was the birth of the current Republican Party, with its ties to big money, disdain for democratic processes, and willingness to exploit the frustrations of ordinary citizens who feel left out and were searching for scapegoats for their loss of power. All of this coalesced under the leadership of one of America's most primitive and cynical capitalists, Donald Trump.

While stoking the anger, fear, and frustration of ordinary citizens, the ultimate goal of this new Republican Party was to eliminate the democratic restrictions that hinder free-market capitalism, thus allowing it to dominate the nation and the world. They seemed willing to undermine the electoral process and even incite rebellion to gain power.

Now, we face a crucial election-- an election that will determine whether we continue as a democratic nation or descend into an autocracy dominated by unbridled free-market capitalism.

This autocracy, as proposed by the Republican Party's candidate, will have little tolerance for differences in race, ethnicity, political ideas, religion, or lifestyle, and certainly no room for immigrants. It will disregard issues of social justice, inclusiveness, and equality, and will create a legal system open to political manipulation. Climate change will be ignored, and future pandemics may be met with the same inadequate response as the Trump administration's handling of COVID-19. Meaningful elections will become a thing of the past, and the acceptable ways of life will be dictated by those in power. The rich will become richer, and the poor will be inconsequential. The health of the environment will depend on the whims of corporate masters, and much of the population will eventually live in sacrifice zones, expendable in pursuit of the economic elite's needs.

Transformation

But then, we encountered a transformative moment. When President Biden, the current leader of the Democratic Party, "aged out" of any future leadership role, it felt almost serendipitous, like the final "aging out" of outdated systems long overdue for change. This moment signaled the possibility of a shift-- perhaps an end to our blind support of free-market capitalism, or the end of a Cold War mentality. It was an evolutionary change, a break from the past, offering a chance to redefine our world, our planet, and the role of human beings in it, a chance to build an America for the 21st Century.

And just in the nick of time!

There is a palpable sense of relief, a feeling of being unburdened from events and systems that previously seemed too big, too powerful, and beyond our control. Now, there is a rejuvenating breath of fresh air, a surge of energy, and a sense of empowerment and hope.

We have the opportunity, through the vote. one of the few remaining ways to express our hopes and concerns for the future. We can vote for the kind of future we want for ourselves and for future generations. It is a "use it or lose it" moment to preserve the most precious legacy of this nation: democracy, and to begin the slow march back to a more functional democracy for this nation.

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While party platforms are usually full of insincere popular promises, this year's from the Democrats spits in the face of the majority of Democrats who want peace.

Normally, U.S. political party platforms should not be read as outlines of what a party will do if given power. (Lists of donors should be read as outlines of what a party will do if given power.) Platforms should be read as the question section of a beauty contest. (And be grateful there's no swimsuit section.)

Four years ago, the Democratic Party Platform promised to tax the oligarchs; reduce military spending; repeal decades-old authorizations for the use of military force; end war support to Saudi Arabia; create a $15/hour minimum wage; create free college for families paid less than $125,000 a year; provide paid sick and family leave; create free community college for two years; provide high-quality, universal pre-kindergarten for all three- and four-year-olds; create a healthcare "public option"; lower the age for Medicare; expand voting rights, including for people convicted of felonies, and including automatic voter registration, same-day voter registration, early voting, universal vote-from-home and vote-by-mail options, and an election day holiday; allow unhindered union organizing; make D.C. a state; and much more. A good bit of it echoed the Bernie Sanders campaign, which the Democratic Party leadership had carefully and repeatedly blocked from gaining a nomination. Much of it Biden could have taken serious action on during the past four years -- in some cases without Congress, in others by choosing to pressure Congress -- but he has not done so.

A month ago, the DNC said it was releasing a draft platform for this year, but only published a press release largely about Donald Trump. Maybe that was all there would be? After all, the Republican Party Platform of 2024 resembles a serious platform less so than a lynching postcard. But no, the Democrats have now put out a new platform. I recommend fasting for 24 hours prior to reading it. It contains many of the same promises of four years ago, despite in many cases no serious effort having been put into them for the past four years. The good old $15 minimum wage is still in there, with no adjustment for four years of cost-of-living increases. Taxing the rich is still there for hardcore fantasists.

But there's a big new section aping Trump on the dangers of "the border." The approach to immigration looks a lot meaner and crueler than four years ago. And vanished, after four years of boosting military spending, is even the pretense of reducing it. Instead, we get an expanded survey of U.S. military dominance of the globe. Of course this project, which sucks down some 60% of U.S. discretionary spending, still comes at the tail end of the Platform. But it may be the most honest portion and worth skipping ahead to.

By "honest" I don't mean actually honest, so much as revealing of a dishonest mindset. Russia is out to get us. War in Ukraine and military spending and NATO are public goods to be maximized. Ending the war merits not even a mention. Oh, and, did you know? "The United States is an Indo-Pacific power." North Korea is out to get us. The U.S. is dedicated to competition with China, with militarism a key part of it. More surprisingly, perhaps: "President Biden is working to build a durable peace in the Middle East." Who knew? "The terrorist group Hamas," however, is out to get us. But mostly Iran is out to get us. Ominously, "[t]he Lebanese people deserve to live in an independent and sovereign Lebanon that is free from the grip of Iran-backed Hezbollah."

Significantly, in all of this, there are no weapons. They don't exist. They aren't given or sold or bought or used. Nobody sends them to Ukraine or Israel. So there's no need to pretend to stop sending them to Saudi Arabia. There's no need to talk about ending wars or repealing Congressional blank checks.

Except nuclear weapons. Those exist and get mentioned. Because they are increasingly endangering the world, and because they "must never be used", the Democratic Party is committed to "modernizing" and "investing" in them. Read it and weep. When people tell you who they are, believe them.

(Article changed on Aug 20, 2024 at 12:44 PM EDT)
This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

Imagine this: the second-richest man in the world -- guess who! Yes, Elon Musk! -- was reportedly planning to pump $45 million a month into a pro-Trump super PAC (though he later claimed it would be less than that) and at least 63 billionaires, from oil magnates to Silicon Valley titans, have in some fashion thrown their support behind the former president's 2024 electoral campaign. Little wonder, of course, given what he did for them and others like them when it came to tax cuts during his presidency (and given that he's offering them another fortune if, in a second term in office, he extends those cuts as promised).

Yes, he's now claiming that he'll help poorer Americans with tax cuts and tariffs on foreign goods, too, but count on one thing: this won't end well if you're not -- well, let me be a little more democratic -- a mere millionaire in a country where the richest 1% of the population has almost as much wealth as the bottom 90%. Voting for Donald Trump a second time around would distinctly be voting for the billionaires' candidate for president.

In fact, take it for granted that we are now in an all-too-grim new Gilded Age of ever greater extremes of both wealth and poverty. And in that context, let TomDispatch regular Andrea Mazzarino take you into her ever more complicated and difficult world as a therapist dealing with healthcare and insurance bureaucracies that have remarkably little to offer the non-billionaires of our universe (including her). Tom

America the Unwell

The Corporate Greed Threatening Our Stability

By Andrea Mazzarino

One thing our government doesn't like doing is challenging the greed of health insurance companies. I can speak with some authority about holes in the ever-fraying safety net of our healthcare system, including Tricare, the military health insurance plan used by most troops, veterans, and their families, other employer-sponsored health insurance, state-sponsored care like Medicare and Medicaid, and individually purchased plans. After all, I'm the spouse of a veteran who uses military healthcare and a clinical social worker. I serve military families that rely on a variety of health insurance plans to pay for their care and believe me, it's only getting harder.

To take one example: at least in my state, Maryland, Tricare, if it pays at all, compensates clinicians like me far less for mental healthcare than Medicaid (government medical assistance for low-income Americans). It also misleads military patients by referring them to me even after Tricare has acknowledged that I'm unable to take more of them. Other healthcare plans serving Americans go months without reimbursing me for services they authorized.

Over the years, I've written for TomDispatch about many things that military families go through -- most similar to what other Americans experience, although almost invariably a little more so. That includes the struggle to feed their families and stay out of debt, the search for childcare, a growing sense of loneliness and pain, and, of course (to mention something so many other Americans haven't experienced) exposure to the violence of war and its weaponry.

Private companies -- and not just medical ones -- shape the contours of American life in so many ways, even if we don't know those companies' names. Take arms contractors who have contributed so much to the spillover of military-grade weaponry into the hands of civilian killers. Just as all too many Americans, including schoolchildren, have found themselves forced to stare into the barrel of an AR-15 rifle, so have distressed soldiers stared into the "barrels" of companies few of us have heard of that can decide whether they'll ever get the opportunity for therapy.

Sadly, in my world, greed all too often shapes how we live, just as it's shaped the world of" yes, the Supreme Court. And for that you can thank the magnates who so generously gifted lavish trips and perks to Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito while they handed down morally devastating decisions on so many issues, gun control and abortion among them, that will determine the nature of life and death in this country.

In a moment, I'll tell you a bit about my own experiences as a clinician. But let me start by saying that, for me, as a therapist, wife, and mother, nowhere is the relationship between corporations and everyday life more impactful than in the ways our government allows health insurance companies of every kind to avoid truly paying for the care Americans need. (Ask me, for instance, whether Tricare paid for my family to get flu shots this year. I'll bet you can guess the answer to that one.)

Americans, who are getting sicker, sadder, and ever more anxious, are so often unable to access necessities like healthcare because all too many legislators, judges, and administration officials refuse to hold large companies accountable to the rule of law -- when, that is, significant laws related to such corporations even exist.

An Uphill Battle to Provide Affordable Mental Healthcare

As a therapist, I accept most major insurance plans in the Washington, D.C., area, where I operate a small private practice out of my rural home. I set out to make care accessible to middle- and lower-income Americans, particularly those who fought in America's wars, were impacted by them, or grew up in a military family -- groups where suicide rates are significantly higher than in the general population and where depression, anxiety, and violence are rampant.

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Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator

On August 13, US troops in Syria came under attack, according to local media sources, but no details on possible injuries. On August 9, eight US military troops were wounded in a drone attack at Rumaylan base in North East Syria. This was the second major attack in recent days against US forces who are occupying Syrian territory illegally. This incident is the latest in a long line of similar attacks by groups who seek to oust the 900 US troops from their occupation of Syria, and the 2,500 US troops from Iraq. All these attacks come amid soaring tensions in the Middle East because of Israel's refusal to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza, which the UN has labeled genocide.

Some US personnel at Rumaylan had minor injuries including smoke inhalation, and examinations were being conducted for possible traumatic brain injuries, while some were transported for further evaluation.

Rumaylan holds the greatest concentration of oil and gas wells in Syria, which in the past provided the complete domestic supply for Syria, and created full electricity for the national grid by converting oil and gas to electricity via power stations. The average home in Syria today receives about 1 hour of electricity in a 24-hour period due to the US occupation and confiscation of the oil resources produced in the north east.

ISIS had been well funded by selling stolen oil taken from oil fields across northern Iraq and Syria. Trump ordered the US troops in Syria to leave following the defeat of ISIS, but the 'deep state' refused Trump, and the US troops remained in Syria to confiscate the Syrian oil and deprive the Syrian people of their own energy resources.

On August 5, a rocket strike by a military unit within the Iraqi national army, the Popular Mobilization Forces, wounded five US personnel at Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq. The Popular Mobilization Forces were part of the Iraqi military coalition that defeated ISIS.

The Iraqi government requested the US military back to help them fight ISIS in 2014. After the defeat of ISIS, the Iraqi parliament and central government in Baghdad have both requested the US military to leave Iraq, but the US remains belligerently occupying several bases in Iraq.

The US has conducted several military attacks on Iraqi soil, including the US assassination of Iranian commander Qaseem Soleimani, and the assassination of a top military commander, Abu Baqir al-Saadi. Iraq sees the evacuation of the US troops from Iraqi soil as a matter of national security.

Turkish President Recip Tayyip Erdogan had been a close personal friend of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to the extent of addressing him as 'brother' publicly; however, that changed in 2011 after the Obama war on Syria began. Erdogan was a US ally, and fellow NATO member, with the largest army in NATO. Erdogan played his role in the script written in the Obama Oval Office. The drama ended in a tragedy for Syria and in a farce for Turkey and the EU as they continue to pay the price of hosting millions of Syrian refugees driven from their homes in search of peace and income.

Erdogan felt betrayed by the US. He had played their game in Syria, paid the price of hosting international Radical Islamic terrorists, and 3 million Syrian refugees. Erdogan had also hosted the Syrian opposition in Istanbul, the Syrian National Coalition (SNC). Now, the US were playing with fire on the border with Turkey, while supporting the SDF, who are directly linked with the PKK, who have killed over 30,000 people in Turkey over 3 decades of terrorism. Repeatedly, Erdogan asked Washington to stop supporting a Kurdish communist semi-autonomous government in north-east Syria, but the State Department's design to remain in Syria forever was more important than their relationship with Turkey.

Erdogan wants to repair his relationship with Assad. He seeks reconciliation with Damascus, and Syria has responded positively, but has demanded that Turkey remove all Turkish military from Syrian soil along the northern border first.

Experts have rumored a deal between Turkey and Syria is in the works. The deal on the table is rather simple: Turkey must get the US troops to withdraw completely from Syria, and in return the Syrian Arab Army will disarm the SDF and assure the security of the Turkish border.

Removing foreign troops from occupation can be done peacefully through diplomatic negotiations in which each side benefits. Or, it can be achieved through violent attacks on the occupation forces in order to make them decide to leave on their own.

Turkey's largest export market prior to 2011 was Syria. Since then, Turkey has plunged into an economic crisis. Turkish citizens have come to resent the 3 million Syrian refugees living among them and seek their repatriation. Erdogan views the Turkish-Syrian border as a national security priority.

Without the US military presence in Syria, the Kurds will be forced to realign with Damascus, and in the process millions of Syrians can return to their homes and the oil and gas wells can once again be an energy source for all the Syrian people, instead of the sole benefit of a minority community of Kurdish communists.

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A man died after a shooting in Southeast Portlands Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood Monday night, police said. The incident extends a deadly spate of shootings in the city that has now killed four people over the past week.

Portland police officers arrived in the 12000 block of Southeast Division Street at about 7:35 p.m. in response to a shooting report, according to police. They found a man who was seriously injured. Paramedics soon arrived as well, but the victim, who has not been publicly identified, died at the scene.

Police provided no details about the shooting and did not say whether any arrests had been made or suspects were being sought.

The Portland Police Bureau asks anyone with information about the shooting to contact Det. Meghan Burkeen at meghan.burkeen@police.portlandoregon.gov, 503-823-2092, or Det. Brian Sims at brian.sims@police.portlandoregon.gov, 503-823-2079.

-- The Oregonian/OregonLive; dperry@oregonian.com
The person shot and killed in the Buckman neighborhood Sunday night has been identified as 45-year-old Donny Calabaza, Portland police said.

Officers from Central Precinct responded to reports of a person shot about 10 p.m. near the intersection of Southeast Washington Street and 9th Avenue. When they arrived, they found Calabaza dead at the scene.
A major Oregon drug trafficker was sentenced Monday to just over eight years in federal prison, about three years after authorities arrested him and others in an operation that yielded 200,000 fentanyl pills, about 100 pounds of other drugs and more than $1.4 million in cash.

Horacio Luna-Perez, 42, of Hillsboro, got on federal law enforcements radar in 2020, when Drug Enforcement Administration agents fingered him as the leader of one of two Oregon-based groups trafficking methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl in Portland and Eastern Washington, the U.S. Attorneys Office in Oregon said Monday.
A man who dodged incarceration the first time he got caught spray-painting graffiti in Portland was sentenced to 2 years in prison Monday for continuing to wield the can.

Jerry Mijangos  better known by his tag, KASR  is the first graffiti vandal to be sent to prison during Portlands crackdown on the waves of paint defacing city buildings and interstate overpasses.

The now 28-year-old was previously busted on criminal mischief charges in Multnomah County Circuit Court in 2022 and was sentenced to probation the next year. Yet Mijangos vandalism streak continued, leading to his arrest Jan. 30. He was released from custody but ended up back behind bars last month after he was caught spraying his tag again, records show.

Circuit Judge Andrew Lavin imposed the 2-year punishment as part of a plea deal, with credit for time served, and ruled Mijangos eligible for time off for good behavior. Mijangos, who is thought to be responsible for hundreds of tags across the city, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree criminal mischief.

Graffiti has become a far more visible problem in recent years as enforcement lagged during the pandemic. Gov. Tina Kotek donned a yellow vest and personally painted over a tag on Interstate 84 last month while touting a $20-million infusion to clean up Portlands highways.

Prosecutors are still pursuing charges against other accused taggers, including Aidan Saul and Cameron Johnson-Jung, who has a warrant out for his arrest. Emile Laurent, the pro skateboarder known for his TENDO tag, was sentenced to probation a year ago.

Police said they seized thousands of dollars of spray paint from the home of James S. Fischel recently after he was interviewed for an online documentary about local taggers.

Fischel, 40, doesnt face charges in Multnomah County at present but was arrested Monday on suspicion of unlawful marijuana manufacturing during a raid of a Yamhill County home on Spring Butte Road. Sheriffs deputies say they confiscated about 250 pot plants.

As for Mijangos, he was in affable spirits during his sentencing hearing Monday, fist-bumping a defense attorney and discussing plans to see his young son following his release.

City Hall in February streamlined its program to fine property owners who let graffiti linger, and police have assigned two officers to track the citys repeat taggers. Prosecutor Keegan Matosich is taking on many of the cases that end up in court.

Zane Sparling covers breaking news and courts for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-319-7083, zsparling@oregonian.com or @pdxzane.

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Virginia State Police have identified the pair of pedestrians killed by a motorist in Augusta County Saturday night.

Opal Nelson, 83, and Carolyn Childress, 72, both of Staunton were killed in an accident on U.S. Route 11 a half-mile north of Weyers Cave around 9:21 p.m. Saturday.

Neither Nelson nor Childress were wearing reflective clothing, police said. They both died at the scene.

The pair was struck and killed by a 2003 Dodge Caravan headed north on Route 11, according to police. The vehicle was unable to avoid Nelson and Childress as they attempted to cross the highway, police said.

The driver of the Dodge Caravan, Danielle N. Bennington, a 39-year-old resident of Mount Crawford, and a passenger, 37-year-old Joshua P. Compton, suffered minor injuries, according to police. Both were wearing seatbelts, police said.

Following the crash, the Virginia State Police arrested Kristopher Nelson, a 41-year-old resident of Staunton, after he refused to leave the accident scene. Nelson has been charged with disorderly conduct, misdemeanor obstruction and two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer.

The accident remains under investigation.
When Portland Public Schools opens in a week, students and staff at a Southwest Portland elementary school shuttered by Januarys ice storm still wont be back on their familiar campus.

Instead, students from Markham Elementary will begin their school year on Aug. 27 in a wing of nearby Jackson Middle School while they wait for repairs to their school to finish. District officials say they are confident that students, teachers and staff will be able to move back into the elementary school building after winter break.
Oregon environmental regulators are concerned that the states largest natural gas utility is misinforming customers about a key climate change policy aimed to reduce greenhouse gases.

NW Natural, which provides natural gas to more than 2 million people in Oregon and southwest Washington, told its customers in a newsletter this month that the state is proposing a carbon crediting program that might not lead to direct greenhouse gas emission cuts.

This is untrue, according to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

The fundamental purpose of the Community Climate Investments is to support projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon, Lauren Wirtis, a spokesperson for DEQ, said in an email.

NW Natural did not immediately respond to a request for more information.

The carbon credits, called Community Climate Investments or CCIs, are part of the states landmark Climate Protection Program that was first passed in 2021 but is being reworked this year following a judicial ruling in a lawsuit. NW Natural and two other natural gas companies filed the suit to derail the protection program, which includes emission reduction goals.

Under the climate program, the state would sell the carbon credits to fossil fuel companies in Oregon to help them offset some of their greenhouse gas emissions and meet the states emission targets. The state, with its suite of climate laws, is attempting to reach a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas pollution by 2035 and a 90% reduction by 2050 to confront the growing threat of climate change. The Environmental Quality Commission will vote on whether to approve the new Climate Protection Program by the end of the year.

Money from the sale of each carbon credit would be invested in projects that reduce emissions in Oregon. One credit would be equal to one metric ton of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, and companies could buy them for $129 per credit.

But in its newsletter, NW Natural claimed that this was not the case.

In its carbon accounting, DEQ will include CCIs as emissions savings even if a project has not reduced emissions, it reads. The sale of carbon credits, the newsletter claims, could  but are not required to  result in emissions reductions at some point in the future.

In an email, Wirtis cited three provisions of the draft Climate Protection Program showing that each credit the state sells would have to be commensurate with a metric ton of carbon dioxide that is not released into the atmosphere. The $129 cost per credit, described in the NW Natural newsletter as the most expensive in North America, includes a 4.5% fee so DEQ can pay for audits of all projects to ensure each credit reduces greenhouse gas emissions. DEQ would report compliance to the Environmental Quality Commission every two years.

The price per Oregon credit is about six times higher than the average cost of a credit on unregulated carbon markets, and about 1.5 times the price of average credits in state-run markets in California, Washington and British Columbia, Canada.

Only projects that reduce emissions, such as weatherizing buildings, heat pump or solar panel installations, or buying electric vehicles or vehicle chargers would get money from the sale of credits, according to DEQ officials. Credit recipients, largely nonprofits working on community-based projects, would be the beneficiaries in charge of executing the work.

DEQ developed this model rather than allow companies to select their own offset projects, to better guarantee that Oregon communities will be involved in project development, will directly benefit from projects by reducing co-pollutants and so more communities could benefit from investments that support the transition to cleaner fuels and technologies, Wirtis said.

In its newsletter, NW Natural officials also warned that residential rates could go up as much as 14% in the first year that the climate program is implemented if passed, and 35% within the next decade. A footnote says the projection is based on average customer usage and average weather conditions for customers.

Charlotte Shuff, a spokesperson for the watchdog group Citizens Utility Board, said its hard to know how accurate that might be without analyzing the data the company is using.

Its really hard to speak to how true the rate impacts are that NW Natural is referencing, she said via email. We have seen a trend in the past of NW Natural inflating the impact of customer costs. Theyve done it in communications to customers. Theyve done it in presentations to legislators.

Draft regulations for the states redo of the 2021 Climate Protection Program were published in late July by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. The agency gave the public until Friday, Aug. 30, to comment on them by going here.

-- Alex Baumhardt, Oregon Capital Chronicle

The Oregon Capital Chronicle, founded in 2021, is a nonprofit news organization that focuses on Oregon state government, politics and policy.
A national analysis group that correctly predicted the Oregon Legislatures partisan split after the 2022 elections is now forecasting solid Democratic majorities.

CNalysis, the countrys only elections forecasting group that forecasts legislative elections, is predicting a 39-21 Democratic majority in the state House and an 18-11 split in the state Senate.

Those margins would give Democratic leaders breathing room as they try to negotiate a new transportation funding package during the 2025 session, as any attempts to create new taxes or raise existing ones requires a supermajority of 18 votes in the Senate and 36 in the House. Democrats now hold 17 Senate seats and 35 in the House.

Republicans conceded months ago that their chances of taking the majority in the Senate are basically nil, simply because of which seats are up for grabs. Senators serve staggered four-year terms, and the most competitive districts have elections in midterm years. Theyre focused on defending two districts now held by Republicans and possibly flipping a Democratic seat in east Multnomah County.

In the House, where all 60 seats are up for election, Democrats and Republicans are fighting harder over control. Heres a look at the handful of competitive legislative elections, and what CNalysis forecasted:

Senate

The forecasting group only considers two of the states Senate races to be competitive: the 5th District along the central coast and the 25th District in east Multnomah County. Both feature incumbent senators running for reelection.

Sen. Dick Anderson, R-Lincoln City, in the 5th District is one of only three Republican Senate incumbents allowed to run for reelection after most of his caucus skipped floor sessions for six weeks in 2023 and were disqualified from serving subsequent terms. The central coast has slightly favored Republicans in recent elections  Donald Trump won the district by about 3 points in 2016 and 2020, and Republican gubernatorial nominee Christine Drazan won it by almost 7 in 2022.

But voters in half of Andersons district also elected a moderate Democrat, David Gomberg of Otis, to represent them in the state House. The forecast rates the district as a tossup between Anderson and Democratic challenger Jo Beaudreau, a Florence city councilor.

The forecast gave much better odds to Sen. Chris Gorsek, D-Troutdale, in his own reelection battle in the 25th District. Gorsek won by almost 4 points in his 2020 race and the district boundaries havent changed much after redistricting in 2021. But Republicans see hope in 2022 results: Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek won the district by just one-tenth of a point. Still, the forecast says its very likely Gorsek will prevail over Republican challenger Raymond Love.

Oregon politicos are also paying close attention to central Oregons 27th Senate District, where former Senate Republican leader Tim Knopp is disqualified from running again and Bend City Councilor Anthony Broadman is trying to give Bend an entirely Democratic slate of legislators. Hell face Redmond School Board chair Michael Summers in November.

Bend and Redmond have shifted to the left in recent years, and Kotek won the district by more than 8 points in 2022. The national forecast rated the district solidly Democratic.

House

There are no tossups in the House model, and the four closest predicted races were forecasted to tilt toward Democrats. Those all have Republican incumbents  the Salem-based 21st House District represented by Rep. Kevin Mannix, the Woodburn-based 22nd District represented by Rep. Tracy Cramer, the 32nd District along the northwest coast represented by Rep. Cyrus Javadi and the 52nd District in the Columbia River Gorge represented by House Minority Leader Jeff Helfrich.

CNalysis incorrectly predicted Mannixs race in 2022, though its overall forecast remained correct because it also underestimated Democrat Emerson Levy in the Bend-based 53rd District. Mannix, an attorney and architect of many of Oregons tough-on-crime laws from the 1990s, is well-known in Salem, and Democrats hope this year to unseat him by running a well-known Salem city councilor, Virginia Stapleton.

Cramer, R-Gervais, flipped a Democratic-held seat that includes farming communities in north Marion County that voted for Democratic President Joe Biden in 2020 then endorsed Drazans Republican bid for governor in 2022. Cramer will face Democrat Lesly Munoz, a consultant for the Oregon Education Association.

Javadi, R-Tillamook, expected a rematch with Democrat Logan Laity, a small business marketer who he beat two years ago by 2.5 percentage points and fewer than 850 votes in the coastal 32nd District. But Laity withdrew this summer because of a work relocation and Javadi will instead face Astoria City Councilor Andy Davis. The district went for Biden in 2020 and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton by one-fifth of a point, but Drazan won it by nearly 3 points in 2022.

Helfrich will face drug and alcohol prevention specialist Nick Walden Poublon in the 52nd District, which Helfrich won by 5 points in 2022. The district also voted for Drazan, though it supported Democrats for president in 2016 and 2020.

Other swing districts held by Democrats are rated as likely Democratic in the forecast, including:

-The 7th District in Lane County, where Rep. John Lively, D-Springfield, will face business development manager Cory Burket;

-The 40th District in Clackamas County where Rep. Annessa Hartman, D-Gladstone will face Michael Newgard, an Army Blackhawk helicopter pilot.

 The 48th District in Clackamas and Multnomah counties, where Rep. Hoa Nguyen, D-Portland, will face business owner John Masterman.

 The 49th District in Multnomah County where Rep. Zach Hudson, D-Troutdale, faces Republican Terry Tipsord, owner of a business development company.

 The 50th District in east Multnomah County where Rep. Ricki Ruiz, D-Gresham, is up against Republican Paul Drechsler, who owns a landscape supply business.

 And the 53rd District in central Oregon, where Levy is defending her seat against Redmond School Board member Keri Lopez.

One district that could be considered competitive based on voter registration, the 31st District northwest of Portland, voted for Republicans by nearly 20 points in 2022. The forecast rates it as likely Republican, with GOP real estate agent Darcey Edwards favored to win over Democratic tax consultant Jordan Gutierrez.

-- Julia Shumway, Oregon Capital Chronicle

The Oregon Capital Chronicle, founded in 2021, is a nonprofit news organization that focuses on Oregon state government, politics and policy.
African diplomats to Kenya have expressed strong optimism for the upcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit, viewing it as an opportunity to further deepen ties and chart new paths of cooperation toward building a China-Africa community with a shared future. The diplomats, having toured key Belt and Road Initiative projects in Kenya, including the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, lauded the initiative for transforming the continent's infrastructure network and consequently boosting economic growth. Anouar Ben Youssef, Tunisia's ambassador to Kenya, said the FOCAC summit, scheduled for Sept 4-6 in Beijing, will provide a chance to reaffirm China's engagement with Africa across various sectors beyond infrastructure. "The summit will also be an opportunity to exchange new views and opportunities for a stronger cooperation between China and Africa," he said. Youssef emphasized China's readiness to support Africa and urged countries across the continent to align their needs with internal development plans. Many BRI projects in Kenya reflect China's interest and commitment to help African countries develop in strategic fields such as communications and transport, he said. Despite the West's unfounded accusations that China is burdening Africa with debt, the evidence of significant infrastructure development across the continent demonstrates China's role as a key partner. This is in addition to the interest shown by African countries in maintaining and furthering their relationship with China. Sanyu Manday, counselor at the Uganda High Commission in Kenya, said she expects African countries to propose development projects at the FOCAC summit and hopes China can help explore ways to assist in their implementation. "For Uganda, we are looking at constructing a Standard Gauge Railway to connect with the Kenyan one to further ease transportation and improve trade," she said. Regional approach Manday said she believes that African countries should seek financing and development for BRI projects as a region rather than individually. This approach, currently being considered by the East African Community, could secure better investment rates and improve economies of scale. Projects such as the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway could help in regional integration, improve transportation and foster collective growth among regional countries, she said. Manday also thanked China for its practical engagement with African countries through models such as public-private partnerships, as was the case with the Nairobi Expressway project. At a time when Africa is facing high debt challenges and the pressing need for infrastructure projects to boost socioeconomic development, Manday said the public-private partnership model is the way to go. "We appreciate that Africa has a partner who understands us, can move with us and help us get out of our transportation constraints," she said. Engagement strategy Damptey Bediako Asare, Ghana's high commissioner to Kenya, said each African country should go to the FOCAC summit with an understanding of their development needs and a strategy on how they want to engage China. He said it should be clear to them whether they want to engage China as a continent or individually and whether the African Union should negotiate on behalf of the continent. "To benefit fully from the BRI, African countries must prepare adequately, understand what they need, understand their development needs and be able to negotiate effectively," Asare said. Andrew Sesinyi, Botswana's high commissioner to Kenya, said not only is China a good friend of Africa, but the level of bilateral cooperation is also on the rise. "The relationship between China and Africa is not a scenario of a relationship between the wolf and the lamb. It's a true cooperation based on equity and mutual benefits," he said. The BRI projects visited by diplomats in Kenya reflect Africa's efforts to attract true partners and investors, he said. "It's a global village; nobody is going to make it on their own. Whether the developed world or the developing world, we need cooperation," Sesinyi said. Zhou Pingjian, Chinese ambassador to Kenya, said through the joint efforts by China and Africa, this year's FOCAC summit will be a great success. "The summit will be an event to celebrate China-Africa friendship, explore cooperation and chart the course for the future under the theme of joining hands to advance modernization and build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future," he said.
Massive Looming Canadian Rail Shutdown Could Have Economic Ripple Effects Throughout America

Aug. 19, 2024 (CNN Business) - Canada's freight rail network could come to a grinding halt this week, inflicting a huge economic toll after the country's two largest railroad operators on Sunday issued lockout notices to the Teamsters union that represents nearly 10,000 workers.

Failing last-minute deals, both Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City plan to lock out workers from the early hours of Thursday.

It marks the first time that the country has faced a simultaneous labor stoppage at the railroad firms as they normally negotiate their labor agreements in alternate years.

The stoppages could cripple the shipment of food grains, beans, potash, coal and timber which form a large part of Canada's exports, while also impacting shipments ranging from petroleum products to chemicals and cars.

In addition to billions of dollars of economic damage, the stoppages could disrupt rail trade across the North American continent.

"Unless there is an immediate and definite resolution to the labor conflict, CN will have no choice but to continue the phased and progressive shutdown of its network which would culminate in a lockout," CN said in a statement.

Read more at CNN

SOURCE: CNN
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently declared a highly contagious and severe strain of mpox a global health emergency.

The declaration was posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus following a meeting with health advisers.

"Today, the Emergency Committee on mpox met and advised me that in its view, the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice," the post read.

Today, the Emergency Committee on #mpox met and advised me that in its view, the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice.@WHO is on the ground, working with the affected countries, and others at risk, through our  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 14, 2024

CDC Declares Mpox as Global Health Emergency

The declaration came after mpox outbreaks, specifically the clade I strain, were recorded in 13 African nations, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and the Central African Republic. More than 17,000 cases have been reported across Africa this year so far, per the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of those, an estimated 8,722 children have contracted the disease in the DRC. A total of 548 people have died, including 463 children, per the UNICEF.

"The evidence indicates that children, especially those malnourished or affected by other illnesses, are the most vulnerable to catching and dying from this strain of mpox. Protecting them must be the top priority," UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Gilles Fagninou, said.

No mpox cases caused by the clade I strain have been recorded in the US as of Monday. In an alert last week, the CDC said a potential spread in the US was a "very low risk" at this time.

That being said, there are a few cases of mpox caused by the clade II strain reported in the US every week. That strain circulated in the US in the spring of 2022, with most outbreaks recorded in major cities such as New York and San Francisco, per USA Today. The clade II strain is less transmissible and less severe than the clade I strain.

How To Stay Protected From Mpox?

To keep your family protected from the disease, experts recommend getting the JYNNEOS vaccine. The shot is given in two doses administered at least a month apart. The vaccine provides protection against both the clade I and clade II strains. Per the CDC, fully vaccinated individuals accounted for less than 1% of mpox cases.

Additionally, experts recommend avoiding contact with animals or people who may have been exposed to the virus, avoiding contact with bedding and materials contaminated with the virus, using personal protective equipment (PPE) when caring for people with mpox, and wearing a face mask when around other people.


Local barbers and hair stylists in Cincinnati, Ohio, have come together to hold a gun prevention event for kids in honor of an 11-year-old child who was killed in a drive-by shooting last year.

Gun Violence Prevention Event Held in Ohio

The event, called "Kutt'n 4 Gun Violence," was held at the Seven Hills Neighborhood Homes. Community members and hair stylists offered children free haircuts and braids as well as free snacks. The initiative was also coupled with conversations about the danger of firearms. The initiative was organized by barber Issac Davis, the father of 11-year-old Domonic Davis.

"I used to cut Dominic's hair, and it was just something I wanted to do to give back to the community as a way to help gun violence so we can stop gun violence," Davis said in an interview with Local 12.

"Telling them not to be a part of guns. Asking them, do they know anyone with a gun? To not hang with the wrong crowd. Anything can happen, they can be standing by the wrong person and there's gunfire and they're a victim and they're not the intended target," he added.

Dominic was one of six people who were shot on Nov. 3, 2023, in a drive-by shooting near Laurel Playground. The suspect fired 22 rounds into the crowd. Dominic died at the scene while the other children were wounded. Five of the six people shot in the incident were under the age of 18.

The police have yet to make an arrest related to the drive-by shooting, per Fox 19.

READ ALSO : North Carolina Police Arrest Two Teens in Deadly Drive-By Shooting Spree

Dominic's family launched the "Forever Eleven" foundation in honor of their son. The foundation plans to host four events yearly in their son's memory, with the aim of putting a stop to gun violence.

"We want parents to make sure their kids are more aware of their surroundings. Even if they're outside playing, unfortunately, they should be aware of their surroundings," Lakisha McFarland, Dominic's mother, told WCPO.

Children Death Due to Gun Violence in the US

In 2023, there were 18,854 gun-related deaths reported in the US. Of those, 297 were children between the ages of 0 and 11 and 1,385 were teens ages 12 to 17.

During the same period, there were 36,338 gun-related injuries recorded across the nation. At least 641 of those injured victims were children ages 0 to 11 while 3,871 were teens ages 12 to 17, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.


Hackers arent just nerds rapidly typing away in dimly lit rooms, as seen in the movies. More and more threats are coming from what are known as state-level hackers, who are teams of people  either employed directly or contracted by a government  who attack other governments, corporations, and agencies.

Not long ago, security researchers spotted North Korean hackers doing just that with a recently patched Windows vulnerability.

Today is Amazon Prime Big Deal Days! Our editorial team lists the best tech deals here. ]

Gen Digital, a consortium of researchers from security software vendors like Norton, Avast, Avira, and AVG, says it spotted North Korean state-level hackers using a Windows zero-day exploit. Gen is accusing the Lazarus group  who are infamous for the high-profile attack on Sony Pictures in 2014  of targeting individuals in sensitive fields like cryptocurrency and aerospace.

The report (spotted by Ars Technica) alleges that Lazarus used the CVE-2024-38193 vulnerability as recently as June, along with the popular FudModule tool to get around detection from security programs. Its a deep enough vulnerability that it could give an attacker wide-open access to Windows and even allow them to run untrusted code, effectively granting total control and surveillance.

According to Gen Digital, this kind of operation is sophisticated enough that it could go for hundreds of thousands of dollars as a black market service. Exactly who was targeted and what was taken wasnt shared.

The CVE-2024-38193 security issue was patched by Microsoft last week, so if youre current on your Windows updates, youre safe.

Not that this sort of attack is a regular concern for everyone. Its so targeted and complex that its only worth going after users with high-level access to governments and corporate entities. If that happens to be you well, dont ignore that Windows update notification.
A total of 5,700 SMEs across the country have been impacted by Absa Banks Young Africa Works Project. The programme, in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation, has seen over GHS 1.1 billion invested in these SMEs, including smallholder farmers.



During a recent tour of funded project sites within the Accra enclave, beneficiaries discussed the impact the project has had on their businesses and urged the government to invest more in the agricultural sector, which has the potential to employ a significant number of unemployed youths in the country.



They believe that with the right investment, the sector can become attractive to young graduates as an alternative to white-collar jobs. Since its inception in 2020, the programme has created jobs for 2,400 young people in the agricultural sector.



According to the Head of SME, Agency Banking and Partnership, Audrey Abakah, the Absa Young Africa Works Project (AYAW) has been instrumental in job creation and providing entrepreneurial support, particularly in underserved sectors and communities.



We decided to embark on this initiative in 2020 to support businesses, particularly SMEs, to build back and upscale their operations from the financial impact they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, she stated.



Audrey Abakah expressed satisfaction with how the businesses have utilized their funding to upscale their operations and create job opportunities for young people.



The Managing Director of Eden Tree Limited, producers and distributors of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs, Catherine Krobo Edusei, said the support from the bank came at an opportune time for her company, which was facing financial constraints.



Now, with the support we receive from Absa, we are able to pay off our suppliers on time and also ensure that there are no delays with staff salaries. Our staff strength has also increased because of our capacity to take in more produce for packaging, she said.



Eden Tree Limited accessed a total of GHS 1.1 million, enabling the company to produce two tonnes of vegetables per day.



At G Billy Farms in Nsawam, the company has been able to expand its staff strength from 17 to 70 permanent employees and about 100 casual workers and is looking to expand their 80-acre farmland to 100 acres by the end of this year.



According to Eric Danquah, the General Manager of G Billy Farms Limited, who are the largest supplier of fresh pineapple to Blue Skies Company Ltd, the support from the Absa AYAW partnership has enabled them to upscale their production base and pay better salaries to their employees.



Because we are doing so well as a business, other smallholder farmers come to learn from us, and we also have some university graduates coming to work with us. So, we are growing, and we thank Absa and the Mastercard Foundation for the support, he stated.



He urged Absa Bank to extend the 10 percent loan facility to other entrepreneurs so that they too can scale up and employ more people.



For Praise Exports Services Limited, an agro-processing export company in Pokuase, they have been able to increase their exports from 200 metric tonnes to 300 metric tonnes after receiving support from Absa Bank, as well as increasing their staff capacity.



According to the Chief Executive Officer, Godwin Edem Adordie, through the financial support received from Absa Bank, the company has been able to invest in new machinery and quality control systems that ensure their products meet international standards for export.







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Sydney Nii Ayitey Tetteh - Executive Vice President, Energy & Infrastructure, Client Coverage, Corporate and Investment Banking at Stanbic Bank Ghana, has called on stakeholders and policymakers in Ghanas energy sector to prioritise the sanitation of the sector to attract the necessary investment to sustain the sector. Nii Ayitey Tetteh made this statement at the 13th Ghana Economic Forum held at Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra.



Speaking on a panel discussion on the topic, Sustainable Energy Financing and Distribution: Key to Driving Economic Activities and Growth, the Stanbic Bank Executive noted that there are finances available to support the sector. Nevertheless, he stressed that unlocking these funds requires creating a more investor-friendly environment. He said: No investor will put money in a sector with huge legacy debts. Initiatives such as the cash waterfall system that ensures that suppliers receive consistent payments has helped to improve the sector but there are still more things to be done to make the sector credit worthy.



While the potential for substantial investment in the sector exists, it is essential that the sectors underlying health is addressed as a foundational step. A strong, stable, and transparent sector is essential to attract external capital. Prematurely pursuing investment without first establishing a solid base is akin to building a house on shifting sands. Therefore, a comprehensive sanitization process must be undertaken to rectify any structural or operational deficiencies, Nii Ayitey Tetteh added.



The Ghana Economic Forum was started in 2012 to bring together captains of industry and thought leaders to discuss and debate key issues affecting the Ghanaian economy and offer solutions to enhance the countrys economic growth.



The event provides a platform that offers in-depth analysis, discussions and debate on key issues affecting the Ghanaian economy and suggests solutions to help achieve the countrys economic development agenda. It is also a stage for participants to make recommendations aimed at consolidating gains and driving attention to under-served economic imperatives.



The forum also provides opportunities for participants to interact with business experts from the public and private sectors, as well as the countrys top bankers and financial service providers. The 13th edition was held under the theme, Unlocking Opportunities: Re-engineering Ghanas Economic Model for Sustainable Development.







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Mr. Mukesh Thakwani's recent accolade as the Exemplary Business Leader of the Decade at the 4th National GOVERNANCE & BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AWARDS 2024 in Ghana represents a landmark achievement in his illustrious career.



This prestigious honor highlights his extraordinary contributions to the business world, particularly through his visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to innovation and sustainability.



Under Mr. Thakwani's dynamic stewardship, the B5 Plus Group has not only prospered but has also set new standards in the industry by integrating cutting-edge technologies and pioneering eco-friendly practices.



In reflecting on this achievement, Mr. Thakwani expressed: "I am deeply honored to be named the Exemplary Business Leader of the Decade at the 4th National GOVERNANCE & BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AWARDS 2024 in Ghana. This recognition is a testament to the collective effort of our team. I eagerly look forward to further collaborations that will drive positive change and foster growth within our community."



This accolade not only celebrates Mr. Thakwani's exceptional accomplishments but also underscores his profound global influence and visionary approach to industrial leadership. His exceptional ability to navigate complexities and leverage emerging opportunities has propelled his organization to unprecedented heights and served as an inspiration to industry peers around the world.



Receiving this esteemed recognition among a distinguished cohort of global business leaders accentuates Mr. Thakwani's enduring impact on the industrial landscape. His legacy as a transformative leader continues to inspire future generations, setting a high standard for excellence, innovation, and responsible corporate stewardship.



B5 Plus: Redefining Excellence and Innovation



Founded in 2002 by the visionary Chairman Mr. Mukesh Thakwani, B5 Plus Steel Industry embarked on a bold mission to establish itself as a global leader in the steel manufacturing sector. Driven by an unwavering commitment to innovation and ethical business practices, B5 Plus has emerged as a paragon of resilience and excellence both within Ghana and internationally.



Commitment to Excellence and Sustainability



At the core of B5 Plus's success is its relentless dedication to excellence and sustainability. The company's evolution from its early beginnings to becoming one of Africas largest steel manufacturing facilities in Larkpleku Village, Prampram, under the auspices of the government's 1D1F initiative, underscores its steadfast commitment to industrial growth and local empowerment. The state-of-the-art facility encompasses a wide range of advanced units, including a Rolling Mill, Steel Melting Shop (SMS), PEB Manufacturing, Batching Plant, Oxygen Plant, Tube Mill Factory, Block Factory, Aluminum and Trailer Manufacturing units, Crane Girders, and Weighing Scales.



Furthermore, the strategic acquisition of United Steel Companys assets has significantly enhanced B5 Plus's production capabilities, cementing its status as a key player in West Africas industrial sector. This strategic move exemplifies B5 Pluss proactive approach in meeting the escalating demands of regional markets while upholding the highest standards of quality and efficiency.



Driving Economic Growth and Community Development



Beyond its operational successes, B5 Plus is deeply committed to driving economic growth and fostering community development. The company's extensive network of wholesalers, dealers, and distributors across Ghana and West Africa ensures broad accessibility to its premium products. By actively supporting local businesses and contributing to economic vibrancy, B5 Plus plays a pivotal role in advancing the socio-economic progress of the region.



Under the astute leadership of Chairman Mr. Mukesh Thakwani, B5 Plus attributes its remarkable achievements to the dedication and expertise of its workforce. Mr. Thakwanis strategic foresight and unwavering commitment to excellence have propelled B5 Plus to new heights, setting industry benchmarks for innovation, quality, and affordability.



Vision for the Future



Looking ahead, B5 Plus remains resolute in its commitment to achieving monumental milestones by continuously pushing boundaries, enhancing Ghanas economic vitality, and making a significant global impact. The company is unwavering in its mission to bolster the country's foreign exchange reserves and contribute meaningfully to sustainable development goals, ensuring a brighter and more prosperous future for all.

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Top performing distributors of Promasidor Ghana (PGH) have applauded the manufacturing giant for its consistent commitment to rewarding and growing the business of distributors, especially at the back of PGHs fully funded trip for 22 participants to South Africa.



The three-day trip of Johannesburg & Pilanesberg National Park Tour saw Promasidor Ghanas business partners enjoying a Soweto Tour of Hector Pieterson Museum & Mandela House Museum, safari experience to Pilanesberg National Park, shopping experience and dinner meetings.



Michael Adjei, Managing Director (MD) of Michael Adjei Company Limited expressed appreciation to Promasidor for making the South Africa trip a memorable one. We are very happy for the kind of love you have shown us: bringing us here to have fun, socialise, and destress. We say thank you to the leadership of Promasidor for this gesture.



The MD of Tonifel Enterprise (Takoradi), Anthony Frimpong Banahene said The standard Promasidor has set with the SA trip is a high one and for me I am very impressed. I am well-travelled and must confess that this is one of the best travel experiences I have had. I want to ask our partners to always keep the standard higher and higher.



The MD of Agnes Afriyie Opoku Enterprise, Agnes Afriyie Opoku commented that she loved everything about the trip. It was a good experience during the afternoon game drive of Pilanesberg National Park to spot Africas Big Five and other wildlife in their natural habitat during an exciting afternoon game drive.



On his part, Commercial Director of PGH, Abiodun Ayodeji expressed gratitude to the deserving distributors for their constant dedication to growing Promasidors dominance in Ghana and encouraged them to continue in this trajectory.









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A petition contesting the government and the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation's (PHDC) purchase of approximately 20,000 acres of land in Bonyere, in the Jomoro District of the Western Region, was denied by President Akufo-Addo.



The petition was filed by the Coalition of Concerned Nzema People, which includes advocacy groups like Nzema Koyele Eku and Nzema Advocacy for Peace and Development.



The petition expressed concerns about the large acres of land being acquired for the development of a petroleum hub, emphasizing that the acquisition would deprive the locals of their means of subsistence.



The group had requested that the 20,000 acres of land being acquired be reduced to 5000 acres in a petition that was signed by Elizabeth Allua Vaah, its convener.



However, the Presidency stated that the petition lacked supporting documentation for the assertions made in a letter signed by Nana Bediatuo Asante, the President's Executive Secretary and Ambassador.



The August 16 letter made it clear that all legal conditions, including stakeholder discussions, had been satisfied for the land acquisition.



It cited a 2021 High Court decision that cleared the way for the project and attested to the fact that the land is being purchased in compliance with the Land Act of 2020 and the Constitution.



It is also noted that the 20,000 acres of land for the Petroleum Hub project is the subject of compulsory acquisition by the State in accordance with the Constitution and the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036). All processes for compulsory acquisition under the law have been complied with thus far, including extensive stakeholder consultations. It is, thus, palpably false to state that the land in question is being registered in the name of Awulae Annor Adjaye III.



In light of the above, your petition is accordingly dismissed. The President of the Republic will undertake the sod-cutting, as scheduled, for the commencement of the Petroleum Hub Project for the benefit of the country, the statement concluded.















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Director-General Of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), Mr Edwin W. Harris Jr. says media remains a veritable channel of increasing awareness among the populace.



According to Mr. Harris Jr., GIABA has been working and building partnerships with different media groups and individual journalists to bring to public awareness the negative consequences of money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF).



He said this at the opening ceremony of Regional Training on Investigative Reporting on Economic and Financial Crimes for Journalists organized by GIABA from 12th to 14th August in Benin, Cotonou.



He indicated that this training is another effort to establish and sustain further partnerships with media practitioners across the region and urged the media to become ambassadors of anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT).



Since 2009, GIABA has engaged the media through sensitization programs to facilitate their understanding of AML/CFT issues. A significant outcome of the programme is forming a Regional Network of Journalists involved in reporting economic and financial crimes. The network is a platform for information sharing and dissemination on the essence of implementing robust AML/CFT measures by GIABA member States.



He also established that GIABA is a specialized institution of ECOWAS as well as a FATF-style Regional Body (FSRB) for West Africa.



Established in 2000 by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, GIABA has the mandate to protect the economies of member States from laundering of proceeds of crimes and to combat terrorism financing (TF) and Proliferation Financing (PF).



To this end, GIABA works to ensure that member States comply with acceptable International Standards on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT).



As an FSRB, GIABA undertakes mutual evaluations, a peer review mechanism, for assessing the level of technical compliance and effectiveness of member States AML/CFT systems with International Standards.



GIABA also conducts valuable research and typology exercises to identify the various Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing trends and methods to strengthen preventive and enforcement efforts.



He shared with the media some of the components of GIABAs core mandate.



This includes:



 Ensuring the implementation of AML/CFT standards, in compliance with acceptable International Standards and practices, including the FATF 40 Recommendations;



 Promoting the implementation of AML/CFT measures by member States, while taking into account regional peculiarities and environment;



 Acting as a forum where members can discuss regional issues and share their experience;



 Organising self and mutual evaluations to measure the effectiveness of the measures taken as well as their technical compliance with acceptable International Standards;



 Conducting researches on trends and methods with far-reaching outcomes and recommendations to address the menace of ML/TF



 Coordinating and supporting member States in the implementation of AML/CFT systems and legislations regarding the proceeds of crime through mutual legal assistance; and



 Assisting member States in establishing and sustaining Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs).



You will agree with me that this is an onerous task. However, I am glad to confidently say that GIABA has risen to the challenge through various high-impact capacity-building programmes, technical assistance to various institutions of member States, sustained partnership with the international community, and far-reaching advocacies and sensitization programmes to a wide range of stakeholders, he added.



The workshop therefore served the participants:



 To bring together a broad section of the media from across the region under one group to identify and track down money laundering and terrorism financing within and outside the country.



 Equip the journalists with the right tool to cover, report, and investigate money laundering and other financial crimes in the best way that would help to stem the tide in the region.



 Equip journalists with the necessary knowledge to educate others in their respective organizations, region, cities, and towns.



He urged the participant to relax, concentrate and take up the task ahead by taking the action points from the training and pledge to contribute their quota as the Fourth Estate of the Realm in building a better society.





Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected]









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The second phase of #BringBackGNBank national tour has commenced in the northern part of Ghana with a call still on the ruling government to reinstate the licence of the bank.



The first part of the tour which started on Sunday 26th May2024, covered six regions including Eastern, Western, Central, Volta, Greater Accra and Ashanti.



The team led by the chairman of Groupe Nduom, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom intends to visit all the 300 branches of the bank in all the sixteen regions to acquaint themselves with the state of the properties of the bank and also interact with Ghanaians, particularly, market women and men who were predominantly customers of the bank.



The tour which will cover Wa, Bolgatanga ,Walewale, Karaga, Tamale and Sunyani, Dr Nduom in an interview with Today Newspaper said, the #BringBackGNBank campaign is a national journey for local economic development.



The renowned entrepreneur and businessman, as part of the tour will engage Ghanaians live on Suhupielli FM at 5:00 P.M and 8;00 P.M on Tuesday, August 20, 2024.



According to him, the campaign is a repeat of a national tour held in 2018/19 when the central bank withdrew the licences of some indigenous Ghanaian banks including GN Bank/Savings.



Readers will recall the message to Ghanaians during that period was to support indigenous banks and financial institutions in order to ensure Ghanaians had control over the economy.

It was to demonstrate to the people that it was indigenous financial institutions, especially banks that had invested deep into the regions outside of regional capitals to bring safe and secure services.



GN Bank with 300 branches became the bank with the widest retail footprint.



Back then, the tour was to show people how the spread of banking to their doorsteps was a sure way to promote economic development everywhere in the country.



When the indigenous banks were collapsed in 2018 and 2019, according to financial watchers, the local economy suffered, and micro to medium businesses especially so because it was those indigenous banks that supported them.



Not surprisingly, the vacuum created by collapsing indigenous Ghanaian banks, Dr Nduom noted, had still not been filled.



He further noted that, the space created cannot be filled by any foreign owned banks or the so-called High Street banks.



This national tour, according to the Groupe Nduom chairman, is to reiterate the commitment of the banks shareholders to the revival of the bank and their resolve to bring safe banking to the peoples doorstep everywhere in the country.



He added: It is to explain the circumstances that led to the withdrawal of the banks licence and explain how the shareholders are working to return to the field.



It is the Groupe Nduoms belief that by telling its story of support to the people, and the role the company can play to revive the local economy, the current government administration or the next one will listen to the people; and make sure that GN Bank comes back to serve its critical and useful role; with products and services in more than 300 locations countrywide, he said.



According to him, GN Bank did nothing wrong for its licence to be revoked by the central bank.

To this end, he further called on the ruling government to, as matter of urgency pay monies owed to Groupe Nduom companies.



He explained that if the government had paid the monies owedto GN Bank, and other Groupe Nduom companies, the bank wouldnt have been declared insolvent.



We are calling on the current Akufo-Addo Administration to lift the embargo on payments to Groupe Nduom companies and the contractors whose contracts they had pre-financed. That debt has ballooned to over 7.1 billion Ghana cedis and is still climbing, he said.



This current national journey is to find out if the people want GN Bank back to serve them; and if the demand for its unique mobile and digital support banking services still exist, Dr. Nduom said.



While the focus is on banking and GN Bank, Dr. Nduom said, he will use this journey to tell the story of Groupe Nduomsunique and unmatched delivery of a diversified portfolio of goods and services made in Ghana  production of rice, television, refrigerators, food containers, building materials, set top boxes, insurance, pension, hospitality, media all across the country; a true and committed stakeholder in the Ghanaian economy.

Source: Today Newspaper









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Eunice Asantewaa Ankomah, a Corporate Communications Strategist, has been recognized with the Industry Spotlight Award in Corporate Communications at this year's National Communications Awards.

The award acknowledges individuals who have made significant contributions to the industry by setting high standards in strategic communication, public relations, and media engagement.



With over 10 years of experience in the communications industry, Eunice has built a distinguished career as a Chartered Public Relations Practitioner (MCIPR) and Certified Digital Finance Practitioner (CDFP). Her expertise lies in leading initiatives that drive consensus, enhance visibility, and boost customer engagement for brands, particularly within the financial technology sector.



Eunice has been at the forefront of significant advancements in Ghanas digital financial services, playing a key role in the development and implementation of communication and go-to-market strategies for transformative digital payment initiatives such as Ghana's Universal QR Code, Mobile Money Interoperability, GhanaPay Mobile Money and the country's Instant Payment Solution.



These projects have not only contributed to the nation's financial inclusion goals but have also driven digital transformation on a broader scale.



Eunice oversees the development and execution of both internal and external communication strategies for GhIPSS. She collaborates closely with cross-functional teams to create impactful campaigns that resonate with the general banking public, simplifying complex financial technology concepts for easier comprehension and adoption.



Beyond her corporate achievements, Eunice is passionate about digital financial literacy. She is an active writer, sharing insights on digital financial services through her Fintech PR Newsletter on LinkedIn.

As a columnist for Ghanaweb, News Ghana, Business & Financial Times (BFT), and other news platforms, she provides valuable education on digital financial services. Eunice is also a co-founder of Global Women in Digital Finance and a co-convener of the Women in Digital Finance Forum, initiatives that aim to empower and support women in the digital finance sector.



In addition to her writing and advocacy work, Eunice serves as the Financial Coordinator for Women in PR Ghana and the Deputy Secretary for Digital Finance Practitioners Ghana.



She also volunteers as the Communications Team Lead at the African Foundation for Premature and Newborn Care (AFPNC), where she advocates for the interests of preterm and newborn infants and their families across Africa.



Eunice holds a Master of Philosophy degree in Communications and Media Studies, a degree in English, and a Certification in Digital Finance and Inclusive Instant Payment. As a Gender Changemaker, she continues to break barriers and inspire others in her field.



The Industry Spotlight Award is a well-deserved honor for Eunice Asantewaa Ankomah, whose commitment to excellence and innovation continues to shape the future of Ghanas digital finance landscape.







Source: Abena Amoasiwaa Amoah









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The Ghana Police Service, through its proactive media monitoring, has noted a publication alleging the training of some militiamen at Kwahu in the Eastern Region, for the 2024 general elections.



We wish to state that our investigation has found no evidence of such training in the area.



The Police have commenced an investigation to identify those behind the false publication to come and answer for their actions in line with the due process of the law.



We wish to caution the public against the publication and dissemination of fake news. A statement from the police said.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Western Region will take delivery of 110 pieces of road improvement equipment allocated to the region under the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) to resolve road infrastructure challenges.



The equipment includes bulldozers, wheel loaders, concrete mixers, low beds, motor graders, water tankers, tipper trucks, backhoes, and rollers.



The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, at the launch of the construction equipment for MMDAs at Apremdo, near Takoradi, explained that the President's vision goes beyond just constructing roads. "DRIP is about creating a connected and thriving Ghana, where every district, no matter how remote, feels the impact of progress. This initiative would ensure the progress and prosperity of the country at the local level."



According to the regional minister, DRIP is the largest investment ever made in the Local Government Sector, providing nearly 1,500 equipment to MMDAs across the country. "This is a clear demonstration of the government's commitment to improving local infrastructure by giving Local Authorities the tools they need to effect meaningful change in their local communities."



The DRIP project is expected to create nearly 8,000 direct jobs, stimulate local economic development, reduce post-harvest losses since farmers will have improved roads to transport their farm produce to market and improve general service delivery across the country.





He assured the MMDAs that the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council seized with the mandate to coordinate the activities of MMDAs in the region, will closely monitor the effective utilization of this equipment.



"Adequate preparations have been made for the maintenance and fueling of the earth-moving equipment and to effectively resolve all the pending issues concerning the smooth implementation of the programme."



With regards to the training of operators and drivers, he mentioned that 30 participants from each MMDA will receive training on the use of these machines. In all, 420 operators and drivers will be trained for the region.



The District Chief Executive (DCE) of Mpohor District of the Western Region, Ignatius Assah Mensah, lauded the government for this initiative, saying, "This will bring a total transformation in the district." He explained that the district had no tarred road until recently when the government awarded the road on contract.



"Work has already started; there are many roads in my district which are in a deplorable state, and this affects our traders because crops and other vegetables, which are supposed to be transported to the markets and other urban centres, get rotten."



The equipment, he said, has been received at the right time; "it will open up certain routes, make some of the roads accessible, as well as make transportation easier for all, especially our traders."

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Fair Wages Commission on behalf of the Ministry of Labour and Employment Relations (MLER) has extended an invitation to the Colleges of Education Teachers Association Ghana (CETAG) leadership and other interested parties to a meeting on Monday, August 19.



Among other things, the gathering would address the concerns of CETAG members who have been participating in a nationwide strike for the past two months, which has caused all 46 of the nation's colleges of education to suspend their academic operations.



The heads of the Public Financial Management Unit (CPMU), the Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF), the Director General of GTEC, the President of CETAG, the Ministry of Finance, and the Director Tertiary of the Ministry of Education are among the other stakeholders invited to the conference, according to a report by citinewsroom.com



Background



Due to the government's delay in enforcing their negotiated service conditions and the National Labour Commission's Arbitral Award, CETAG members in all 46 Colleges of Education went on strike on June 14.



Among their requests are that each member receive one month's compensation for any additional work completed in 2022 and that certain allowance rates be applied to qualifying CETAG members who are enrolled in public colleges.



Academic activities have come to a complete stop on all campuses of education colleges due to the deadlock, which impacts teaching and learning.



To allow them to return home while the problem was being handled, the College of Education Students Association leadership has thus suggested closing the campuses.



The government has fiercely objected to this, claiming that CETAG has made progress and that they will soon return to teaching on campus.



Prof. Samuel Atintono, President of PRINCOF, assured the country that they were prepared to adjust the academic schedule so that classes would resume as usual as soon as the CETAG members returned to campus.









Source: ghanaweb.com









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A 72-year-old Ohio man has been taken into custody twenty years after he was charged in a 2004 shooting death, and allegedly fled the country.



Antonio Riano, 72, has been on Ohio's "Most Wanted" list for 20 years now, since the 2004 shooting death of Benjamin Becarra, 25.



Riano's story was told on TV's America's Most Wanted in 2005 but he continued to evade law enforcement for nearly two more decades, even as he worked as one of them.



On August 1, 2024, Riano was finally arrested and taken in after US Marshals reported finding him working as a police officer in his hometown of Zapotitlan Palmas, State of Oaxaca, Mexico.



Riano was wanted for homicide by the Butler County Sheriff's Office after the December 2004 shooting, but allegedly fled to Mexico to avoid prosecution.



According to the US Marshals Service, the sheriff's office partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of International Affairs, who then worked with law enforcement in Mexico to arrest and extradite Riano.



He is now being held Butler County Jail without bond pending additional court proceedings.



"The United States Marshal Service, through our violent fugitive task forces, assists our state and local law enforcement partners to apprehend the areas most dangerous fugitives," said US Marshal Michael D. Black in the statement.



"This arrest is the result of the ongoing sharing of information between the agencies and the determination of the investigators who refused to give up on this case."



Dubbed "The Devil" as his story was featured on AMW, Riano's trail went cold after US Marshals attempted to capture him with a 2006 warrant.



They'd tracked him to his mother's house in Mexico, but by the time Marshals arrived, Riano was no longer there.



The cold case picked up heat in January 2024 when the Butler County Prosecutor's Office received its reapplication for the provisional warrant.



At that time, Chief Investigator Paul Newton and his team used social media, including Facebook, to track Riano down. While purportedly working as a police officer in Mexico, according to the US Marshals' release, Riano had left behind a wife and three kids in Hamilton, Ohio.



Newton said Riano "has been the most challenging just in the simple fact that he really dug in then and went underground."



After the 2006 attempt failed, Newton said Riano moved again.



"We really didnt see any evidence of him until 2023," he said. "I think he thought he was home free."



Now that he's captured, Riano is facing two counts of murder and felony assault charges for the December 19, 2004 shooting of Becarra outside the Roadhouse Bar.



Police say they found the gun used in the shooting in a hidden compartment under the kitchen floor of Riano's apartment in Hamilton with bullets beside it.



Riano reportedly tried to step in to help a bartender after Becarra was asked to leave the premises since he'd been part of a fight there a few weeks back. As Riano and Becarra allegedly began to argue, the bartender purportedly asked them to take the dispute outside.



Shortly after, gunshots were heard and Becarra was found lying face down on the sidewalk. Surveillance footage at the time showed Riano leaving the scene, but authorities were unable to locate him.













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The Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare has assured of adequate security for the upcoming voter exhibition that commences on Tuesday, August 20, 2024.



According to him, there will be enough security presence at all the polling stations where the exhibition will be held.



In terms of the voter register exhibition that we are working on starting from tomorrow. We want to give the assurance that across the 38,622 polling stations, we are deploying at all the places, and we have a rapid response team to go and also manage any situation with a de-escalation mindset.



So that at the end of the day, with the seven to eight days of exercise that we are going to have, it will be successful, it will be peaceful, and it will add something positive to all the positives we have achieved as a country for ourselves and the African continent, the IGP stated during a working visit to the premises of the Electoral Commission on Monday.



He also called on all stakeholders to use due process in reporting any concerns that may come during the exercise.



We also want to use this to urge all the stakeholders, especially the political parties, that all the issues, all the concerns that they may have in the course of this part of the process, they should ensure that we use due process of engagement within the law to handle every situation.



We don't want to see any situation where anybody will attempt to take the law into his or her own hands. If that happens, we will work within the law to deal with the situation, and we ask the good people of this country to support us in this regard because we will not allow any individual or group of individuals to do anything that affects the sanctity of the peace, security, law, and order of this country.



Dr. Dampare also stated that Ghana is the only place that Ghanaians have because that's where we belong, and therefore we'll stop at nothing to protect the peace, security, law and order that we are having in this country.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman/Peacefmonline.com









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The New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate, Mahamudu Bawumia, has unveiled plans to enhance Ghanas public infrastructure, with a particular emphasis on aviation.



During the partys manifesto launch in Takoradi on Sunday, August 18, Bawumia outlined his vision to initiate the construction of the long-awaited Cape Coast Airport and a new airport in the Upper East Region ahead of the December 2024 elections.



He stated that the Cape Coast Airport project is ready to move forward, thanks to secured funding from a US$2 billion facility provided by the South Korean government. He emphasized that this airport will significantly boost tourism and trade in the Central Region by improving connectivity and reducing travel times for both domestic and international visitors.



The Cape Coast Airport has been a priority for us, and with the funding in place from the Korean facility, we are ready to break ground and begin construction, Bawumia stated, noting the airports potential to further elevate Cape Coast as a key tourist destination, rich in historical and cultural heritage.



In addition to the Cape Coast Airport, Bawumia announced plans to collaborate with the private sector to develop an airport in the Upper East Region. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to unlock economic opportunities in northern Ghana, enhance regional integration, and improve transportation access.



We want to ensure that every region of Ghana has access to world-class infrastructure. The Upper East Airport will play a pivotal role in boosting trade, tourism, and investment in the northern sector of the country, Bawumia asserted.



He assured that both airports would be constructed to the highest standards of quality and efficiency and designed to meet the future demands of air travel in Ghana.







Source: ghanaweb.com









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The President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe has lauded the flag bearer and leader of the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for his dogged faith in working with only fifty ministers if he is voted into power come December 7, 2024.



Franklin Cudjoe stated that, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumias intentions of governing the country with fifty ministers is a clear indication that the flag bearer of the ruling NPP means business.



Franklin Cudjoes comment comes on the wheels of the NPPs manifesto launch which took place at the Assembly Hall of the Ghana Secondary Technical School(GSTS) in Takoradi on Sunday, August 18, where the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia reiterated his decision to reduce the number of his cabinet ministers drastically adding that, efficient governance does not require a large number of ministers.



I will have no more than 50 ministers in my government. My government will move towards leasing rather than outright purchase of goods such as vehicles, printing equipment, and so on. The private sector will have the responsibility for maintaining the equipment. With this approach, the budget can save a very significant amount of outright cash expenditure annually from various items across the Ministries.



Taking to his official Facebook page, Franklin Cudjoe posted, DMB admits economic challenges but falls short of acknowledging the role his governments fiscal recklessness contributed to the atrophy."



It is not true that unemployment rate was higher in 2016 than now. It is almost 4 higher now.



And Dumsor was solved by December 2016 so there was no need for it in 2024. His Flat Tax idea though will be impactful if implemented well. His pledge to govern with 50 ministers is a great move.

Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com









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Cape Coast is set to have its own International Airport following a revelation made by the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, that $2 billion has been secured for the project.



According to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Cape Coast Airport will see the light of day if he is voted for, as President in the upcoming December 7 presidential and Parliamentary elections.



During his address at the partys launch of their manifesto on the campus of Ghana Secondary Technical School in Takopradi, Dr. Bawumia assured an enthusiastic and boisterous audience that, his government will see to the full completion and commissioning of the Cape Coast Airport.



While some Ghanaians have opposing views about the necessity of an airport in Cape Coast, considering the numerous tourist attractions enroute to the beautiful coastal region, the Vice President assets that the Airport will ensure a smoother transit for businesses and other important engagements to and fro the region.



Dr. Bawumia announced that a $2 billion fund has been secured from Korean investors to commence the development of the facility as soon as possible.



Dr. Bawumia underscored the importance of expanding public infrastructure, outlining his governments vision to transform Ghanas aviation sector.



Acknowledging the countrys lack of maintenance culture, Dr. Bawumia pledged to facilitate the establishment of a private-sector-led Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the Tamale Airport, positioning it as an aviation cargo, horticultural cargo, and logistics hub.



In addition to the Cape Coast Airport development, Dr. Bawumia promised to build a new airport in the Upper East Region, further demonstrating his commitment to enhancing Ghanas aviation infrastructure and promoting economic growth across the length and breadth of the country.



He said, [I will] facilitate the establishment, by the private sector, of a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the Tamale Airport, to develop it into an aviation cargo, horticultural cargo, and logistics hub, commence the development of the Cape Coast Airport, for which funding has been secured under the Korean $2 billion facility, in collaboration with the private sector, build an airport in the Upper East Region.

Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com









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The Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has recommended the flagbearer of the NPP Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to middle-class Ghanaians, professionals, and the business communitythose whose voting decisions go beyond partisan politics.



Ahiagbah says that based on his recent personal experiences with Ghanas healthcare system, he believes that the vision articulated in his 2024 manifesto of the NPP by the flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia will lead to enhanced healthcare outcomes for every Ghanaian.



He referred to the Agenda 111 hospitals which he said would ensure that every district has a hospital.





Recruiting additional doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals with improved conditions of service; Finalizing the digitization of public healthcare institutions under the E-health project; Expanding telehealth services; Establishing two additional medical drone delivery sites at Funsi and Kintampo to broaden drone coverage; Ensuring the interoperability of the National Electronic Pharmacy Platform (NEPP) with both public and private healthcare facilities; Providing incentives for healthcare workers to purchase a vehicle with an engine capacity of up to 1,800cc and Enforcing compliance with the existing deprived area incentive package for health workers, he further cited these initiatives to support his point.



I am confident that increasing the number of hospitals and equipping them adequately will directly improve healthcare outcomes for Ghanaians across all districts, thereby alleviating the pressure on tertiary hospitals such as Komfo Anokye. Central to Dr. Bawumias vision is the recruitment and motivation of health sector workers, as highlighted in points 7 and 8 above. This approach will help stem the exodus of healthcare workers, increase staff capacity, and inevitably lead to higher quality care and better outcomes for all Ghanaians, he said in a statement posted on his X platform on Monday August 19.



Given these considerations, he urged all health sector workers to vote for Dr. Bawumia in the upcoming election on December 7, 2024.



Below is his full statement



The phrase Bawumia means business is not rhetoric; it is substantiated by his significant contributions to public service thus far. I earnestly recommend Dr. Bawumia to middle-class Ghanaians, professionals, and the business communitythose whose voting decisions go beyond partisan politics.



Furthermore, I recommend Dr. Bawumia to the broader Ghanaian electorate for his commitment to improving healthcare for all. Based on my personal experiences with our healthcare system, I believe that the vision articulated in his 2024 manifesto will lead to enhanced healthcare outcomes for every Ghanaian. Consider the following initiatives:



Completing the Agenda 111 hospitals to ensure that every district has a hospital;

Recruiting additional doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals with improved conditions of service;

Finalizing the digitization of public healthcare institutions under the E-health project;

Expanding telehealth services;

Establishing two additional medical drone delivery sites at Funsi and Kintampo to broaden drone coverage;

Ensuring the interoperability of the National Electronic Pharmacy Platform (NEPP) with both public and private healthcare facilities;

Providing incentives for healthcare workers to purchase a vehicle with an engine capacity of up to 1,800cc and

Enforcing compliance with the existing deprived area incentive package for health workers.

I am confident that increasing the number of hospitals and equipping them adequately will directly improve healthcare outcomes for Ghanaians across all districts, thereby alleviating the pressure on tertiary hospitals such as Komfo Anokye. Central to Dr. Bawumias vision is the recruitment and motivation of health sector workers, as highlighted in points 7 and 8 above. This approach will help stem the exodus of healthcare workers, increase staff capacity, and inevitably lead to higher quality care and better outcomes for all Ghanaians.



Given these considerations, I urge all health sector workers to vote for Dr. Bawumia in the upcoming election on December 7, 2024.



Health is wealth, and Dr. Bawumia is committed to prioritizing the health of Ghanaians.





Vote Bawumia for quality, accessible, and improved healthcare outcomes for you and your family.



A vote for Bawumia is a vote for your health.



The phrase Bawumia means business is not rhetoric; it is substantiated by his significant contributions to public service thus far. I earnestly recommend Dr. Bawumia to middle-class Ghanaians, professionals, and the business communitythose whose voting decisions go beyond pic.twitter.com/8gwoAAQ9wi  Richard Ahiagbah (@RAahiagbah) August 19, 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.

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Former AIDS Ambassador and actress Joyce Dzidzor Mensah has reached her breaking point, taking a bold stand against the relentless negativity she has endured at the hands of the blogging community.



Fed up with watching bloggers sensationalise and exploit her struggles for clicks and web traffic, Joyce is now demanding a shift in the way these digital commentators operate.



In an exclusive interview with Graphic Showbiz on Sunday, August 11, 2024, Ms Mensah opened up about the never-ending bullying and harassment she has endured at the hands of bloggers. She is calling for a revolution in the industry, urging bloggers to change their ways and focus on positivity.



She shared her frustrations about how some bloggers consistently overlooked her positive endeavours such as her acting and music career and collaborations with legendary artistes such as Ivorian music icon Freddy Meiway and rather focused on amplifying controversies and scandals that had detrimental impact on her life and reputation.



Social media bloggers are mostly interested in negative news because that's what sells and they hardly support new talents. If we could all support new talents and not only dwell on negative news always, that would help our industry.



This has to stop. If we want to see the growth we desire in our industry, our bloggers must learn to limit the way they fuel negativity. Even with issues that are not big, they escalate them, which is not fair, especially to us. It takes a toll on us heavily, she said.



Ms Mensah passionately voiced her concerns about how the creative industry was being undermined by bloggers who prioritised sensationalism over upliftment. She is now advocating for a more mindful approach, where bloggers consider the impact of their words on the lives of creatives and focus on promoting positivity and good news.



Shifting her attention to her budding music career, Ms Mensah shared insights into collaborating with established artistes. She said her debut single Tatata featured the legendary Ivorian musician Freddy Meiway, but believed that such collaborations, while beneficial, were not the only path to success in the music industry.



In her opinion, the fast development and popularity of social media had levelled the playing field, giving new and emerging artistes the chance to leverage these platforms to showcase their talent and connect with a large fan base without relying solely on collaborations with popular musicians.



To her, social media has democratized the music industry, providing a level playing field for new and emerging artistes to showcase their talent and connect with audiences worldwide.



Making it big in music doesn't solely depend on collaborations. Collabo is just an aspect of the art. These days, the digital media system has a way of favouring any type of music. Breakthroughs can come from any angle. New media has brought out numerous talents that were hidden for long, making the competition very tight.



Unlike in the past where one could just pay a radio station to promote their songs. Nowadays, you could invest huge sums of money into music promotion and before it gets any attention, someone would also release something hotter than yours on social media and overtake yours, she told Graphic Showbiz.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









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The York County-based YGS Group has announced that its internal technology division  GregoryScott  is now a a separate company.

GregoryScott, which is located on West Market Street in West Manchester Township, is still under The YGS Group umbrella of companies. GregoryScott provides software solutions to assist businesses.

The YGS Group, which is based in West Manchester Township provides brand solutions for retail, e-commerce, tradeshow management and marketing communications.

YGS has seen tremendous growth within our technology solutions division; our custom storefronts seamlessly integrate brand-compliant variable marketing pieces, print, large format graphics, promotional items, and fulfillment under one storefront. Simplifying the marketing process allows businesses to focus on their core competencies while GregoryScott handles the rest, Amy LaPorte, vice president of client engagement, said in a news release.

Last year, the company acquired Gavin, a marketing and communications firm.

With the addition of GregoryScotts commitment to providing innovative software solutions and exceptional service, the future holds enormous opportunity for our clients and our teams, Jim Kell, YGS CEO, said in the news release.

The transaction was completed earlier this month.

The YGS Group of companies is made up of Association Solutions, Publisher Solutions, Print Solutions, Caskey, Gavin and GregoryScott. The companies employ more than 250 people combined.
Jostling through crowds of Germans and tourists in the Rhine River village of Bacharach, I climb to the sundeck of the ferry and grab a chair. With the last passenger barely aboard, the gangplank is dragged in and the river pulls us away.

Im captivated by the Rhine. There's a rhythm to the mighty river that merges with its environment: black slate cut from plains above, terraced vineyards zigzagging up hills, husks of ruined castles, and stoic spires of stone churches slicing vertically through townscapes.

Passengers parkas flap in the cool wind as the rugged hillscape gradually reveals castles both ruined and restored. The ridges of the gorge rise above us, unblemished by any modern building, thanks to a strict code that holds the tide of contemporary Germany back, out of sight from this romantic river escape. Tortured green vineyards climb steep hillsides, and turreted towns grab friendly bits of shoreline. Trains streak like arrows along both shores. Bright green and red buoys battle the current, keeping the cautious parade of barges and sightseeing boats off the many reefs.

The sheer bulk of history that has poured through this river valley rouses any romantic soul. It was here that the ancient Romans decided to call it an empire and draw the line that defined their vast holdings  separating barbarians to the north from the civilized world. It was here that Prussian General von Blucher used an innovative pontoon bridge to cross the Rhine and flank Napoleons forces (on their way back from a disastrous Russian campaign). And it was also along the Rhine where US General Omar Bradley's troops found a bridge still standing at Remagen to bring World War II into Hitlers heartland.

While the Rhine is almost 800 miles long, the 36-mile stretch from Mainz to Koblenz is by far the most interesting. This is the Romantic Rhine, a powerful stretch of the river slashing a deep and scenic gorge. And the best way to see it is to cruise it. While some travelers do the whole MainzKoblenz trip, today I'm just focusing on the most scenic hour  cruising downstream from Bacharach to St. Goar.

From early April through October boats run daily in both directions from Mainz to Koblenz. Most travelers sail on the bigger KolnDusseldorfer (K-D) Line; the BingenRudesheimer Line is slightly cheaper but makes fewer trips per day. Both cruises offer the same evocative scenery. Theres a little narration, and studious passengers use handy Rhine map-guides to identify the sights we pass.

All along the Rhine, it seems each castle and every rock come with a story. Many of the castles were "robber-baron" fortresses built by petty princes and two-bit rulers back when there were over a hundred independent little states in what is today's Germany. The castle owners raised heavy chains across the river when boats came  and lowered them only when the merchants had paid their duty. We sail close by one of the many scenic fortresses  Pfalz Castle  that were built on an island in the middle of the river.

As the cliffs get steeper, the rocks darker, and the river faster, the scenery becomes more dramatic. With the boats sundeck filled mostly with beer-sipping, ice-cream-licking Germans, our collective pulse quickens as we approach the mythological climax of this cruise: a stony bluff named for the siren Loreley. Over the ships loudspeakers comes the story of Loreley  the maiden who seduced sailors into shipwrecks.

Because of the reefs just upstream, many ships never made it to St. Goar. Sailors (after days on the river) blamed their misfortune on a maiden whose long blonde hair almost covered her body. This legendary siren flirted and sang her distracting song from this rock, a legend immortalized in the poetry of Heinrich Heine.

Our boat survives the Loreley and docks in St. Goar, a classic Rhine tourist town. Its hulk of a castle overlooks a half-timbered shopping street and leafy riverside park, busy with sightseeing ships and contented strollers. Sitting like a dead pit bull above St. Goar, Rheinfels Castle rumbles with ghosts from its hard-fought past. It's the single best Rhineland ruin to explore.

While the town of St. Goar itself isnt much more than a few hotels and restaurants, it still makes a good base for hiking or biking the region. A tiny ferry will shuttle you back and forth across the busy Rhine from here. For a fun little jaunt, take a quick round-trip with some time to climb the Loreley.

The Rhine Valley is storybook Germany, a fairy-tale world of legends and medieval castles. Through it all, the quiet, deep-gray power of the river flows as steadily as time itself, a dance floor where ferries, barges, and sightseeing boats do their lumbering do-si-do past fabled and treacherous rocks.

(Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European guidebooks, hosts travel shows on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours. This column revisits some of Rick's favorite places over the past two decades. You can email Rick at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.)
Police in Fairview Township, York County, arrested and charged a 32-year-old Florida man after they said DNA test samples determined he installed illegal credit card skimming devices at multiple gas pumps in central Pa. earlier this year, according to an affidavit.

An officer with the Fairview Township Police Department was dispatched to the 7-Eleven at 101 Limekiln Road around 8 a.m. on Feb. 7 after an employee noticed broken security seals on two of the gas pumps, the affidavit said.

The gas station technician said illegal devices, designed to steal credit card information, were wired into the credit card machines on gas pumps #1 and #12. Police photographed the devices before disconnecting and collecting them for evidence.

Later that day, a specialist swabbed the skimming devices and sent the samples to Pennsylvania State Police for testing, the affidavit said.

On Feb. 15, police reviewed security footage from the gas station, which showed a dark-colored GMC SUV park at the #1 gas pump around 4 p.m. on Feb. 3. While at the gas pump, police said a white man in tan clothing and a black hat looked around the area while the pump was blocked from view by the SUVs driver-side doors.

Security cameras captured the man doing the same thing at pump #12. No purchases were made in either instance, police said.

Images of the man were circulated to other law enforcement agencies, which revealed he was part of an investigation across multiple jurisdictions involving the purchase of diesel fuel using fraudulent/stolen bank account information, police said.

On April 4, Pennsylvania State Police confirmed DNA belonging to Jorge Yandi Cabrera Tapanes, of West Palm Beach, Florida, was found in a sample taken from one of the skimming devices, according to the affidavit.

A car registered under Tapanes name was also used in the diesel fuel scheme, police said.

Tapanes was charged with one count of using a device to record, read, or obtain encoded information and one count of using an unlawful device on April 30, court documents said. He posted $25,000 bail on July 23.

Tapanes preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 25.
Story by Carter Walker of Votebeat

This article is made possible through Spotlight PAs collaboration with Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting. Sign up for Votebeats free newsletters here.

Five Pennsylvania Republicans who joined an alternate slate of electors for Donald Trump in 2020 will again serve as presidential electors in this years contest.

William Bill Bachenberg, Bernadette Comfort, Ash Khare, Patricia Poprik, and Andrew Reilly are included on a list of electors submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of State by the GOP.

Those electors, along with 15 others, drew criticism after submitting their names as electors for Pennsylvania in December 2020 and casting votes for then-President Trump, even though Joe Biden won the states popular vote. But unlike similar groups of alternate or fake electors in other swing states in 2020, the Pennsylvania slate avoided legal repercussions because of a caveat they included in the certificate documenting their vote.

Of the five electors appearing again on this years slate, three who spoke to Votebeat and Spotlight PA indicated they would be open to doing the same this year if they felt there was a similar legal dispute over the results.

I honestly believe any electors for either party would do that, Poprik said.

Pennsylvania, like most states, allocates its presidential electors according to who wins the popular vote. This year, the winning candidates electors will meet Dec. 17 to cast their votes.

One elections expert said people who participated in a 2020 elector scheme shouldnt be allowed to do so again this year.

It is the voters who determine elections  not fake electors who attempt to upend the results of a fair election, said Lindsey Miller, director of strategic research at Informing Democracy, a nonprofit made up of lawyers, election experts, and researchers that focuses on vote-counting and certification.

Those who participate in election fraud should be held accountable, not given another bite at the apple.

Who are the electors who choose the president?

In the United States presidential election system, each state is represented by a certain number of electors based on its population. Electors are citizens of the state whose vote determines who wins the presidency. In 2020, Pennsylvania had 20 electoral votes. This year it has 19.

Each political party selects a slate of electors before the general election. Once the winner of the states popular vote is determined, the governor authorizes that candidates slate to cast their votes in the Electoral College (except in two states, Nebraska and Maine, which award some of their electoral votes proportionally and can split them between candidates). Each states electors then submit a certificate of their votes to Congress, which accepts and counts those electoral votes on Jan. 6 of the year following the presidential election. A presidential candidate needs 270 or more electoral votes to win.

Because Joe Biden won the popular vote in Pennsylvania in 2020, his slate of electors were chosen to be part of the Electoral College, and Congress counted the states electoral votes for him. But a slate supporting Trump also convened and cast purported electoral votes.

How did Pennsylvanias alternate electors come together?

According to reporting from The New York Times and other news organizations, as well as Votebeat and Spotlight PA interviews with participants, the plan to convene alternate electors was organized by the Trump campaign.

Lawyers for the campaign, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, appointed a point person in each state to help organize the alternate electors, according to the Times. In Pennsylvania, that person was state Sen. Doug Mastriano, who reportedly needed assurances that the plan was legal.

However, two of the electors  Sam DeMarco and Charlie Gerow  said they mainly interacted with Trump attorney James Fitzpatrick.

On Dec. 14, the alternate GOP electors met in the offices of Quantum Communications, Gerows Harrisburg-based public affairs firm, to cast votes for Trump. Pennsylvania law requires that the electors meet in the state capital. Bidens electors also met in Harrisburg to cast their votes on this day.

Unlike the Republicans in most other states, Pennsylvanias GOP electors added an important caveat to the certificate they signed, saying that the votes they were casting should be counted only if a court found that they were the duly elected and qualified electors.

That likely shielded them from the legal consequences faced by participants of similar plots in Michigan and Arizona. But it was unlikely anyway that the alternative GOP slate could emerge as qualified electors.

Many of Trumps lawsuits challenging Pennsylvanias results had concluded by Dec. 14. Some of the original Trump electors, such as Pennsylvania GOP Chairman Lawrence Tabas, also declined to sign the certificate either due to concerns over its legality or because they recognized Biden as the legitimate winner, according to the final report of Congresss January 6 committee, which investigated the 2021 attack on the Capitol on the day the electoral votes were tallied.

What theyre saying this time

Votebeat and Spotlight PA sought comment from the five 2020 GOP alternate electors who are electors again this year to ask them what they would do if they felt there was again a dispute over the results.

Khare and Reilly both disputed that the 2020 document they signed was an alternate slate, citing the caveat the electors added about the courts. Poprick also said the caveat was a big sticking point for the group.

We were unanimous in saying we dont have authority, so we made it contingent, Reilly said. If I am a 2024 elector and I am asked to cast a contingent vote, and if its legally proper, I will do so again.

Reilly added that under no circumstances would he cast a vote for a candidate who was not certified and had no path to victory.

Khare said that in 2020, the alternate electors were not trying to evade the law and that the election was still in dispute.

When asked if he would sign a similar alternate slate this year, Khare said, This is a hypothetical, and in politics, we do not answer hypothetical questions. It depends on what happens.

Khare added that in 2020 things were a mess and that he didnt expect that scenario this time because people are aware of election integrity.

Poprick also said she would be open to again putting her name on an alternate slate of electors.

If the circumstances were the same and there were pending legal matters that had to be adjudicated, and you had to meet by that date, I would, she said.

Comfort and Bachenberg did not immediately return phone messages or emails requesting comment.

Miller, of Informing Democracy, said the public should remain vigilant about efforts to weaponize misinformation, undermine the vote-counting process, and attack certification.

These efforts will fail, she said. We remain committed to identifying any officials who may pose a threat to fair elections this November so that they may be monitored and held accountable for every step of the post-election process.

BEFORE YOU GO If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results.
Julianne Hough found herself in an extremely vulnerable spot when she opened up about a traumatic experience she faced as a child and the personal struggles it caused for years.

The professional dancer and actress, 36, was a guest on Thursdays episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show, where she shared, for the first time publicly, that she was about 4 years old when she was sexually abused as a preschooler.

Hough said her abuser was a neighbor who lived in the same Utah cul-de-sac as her family.

Ive actually never said that out loud to anybody in an interview before, Hough admitted. But that was a very, very confusing time because, obviously, growing up in the Mormon culture, everything needs to be perfect, everybody needs to put on the shiny, weve got our stuff together. And there was not a lot of repercussions for what had happened.

And by the way, Im not the only one in my family that had gone through similar things. And so that was a very challenging thing to come to terms with, she continued. Nobody did anything.

Hough went on to explain that she kept from her parents what happened to her specifically until later in life because she forgot about the incident. However, she disclosed that she shared her experiences with her family when other things happened around the age of 15.

I had forgotten about the neighbor thing at 4 years old until I started really doing this work in the last few years, the Dancing with the Stars co-host recalled. Thats why I think I blocked out from birth to 10, basically, because I had completely disassociated from that ever happening.

Later in the episode, she told Lima that her parents are no longer in contact with the abuser and her mother moved them out of the neighborhood as soon as she learned of the incident.

The Steam Engines of Oz star even recounted the moment she told her mother about the incident, and this was after she came home with her clothes inside out as a child.

She said, Tell me what happened, Hough recalled. And I said  this was my only way of describing it because we werent allowed carbonation as kids, we werent allowed pop or anything like that, but I remember tasting it and it burned and it hurt my lungs and I remember saying I felt like I had a Sprite bottle between my legs.

Hough revealed that her mother freaked out after hearing that and then her family relocated.

I guess my mom did do what she could, Hough said, clearly emotional as she tried to hold back tears. She just wanted to move and leave. She didnt want to deal with it. She didnt want to talk about it, but she did want to get us out.

The Safe Haven actress mentioned that other family members went through similar abuse growing up. During an interview with Cosmopolitan in 2013, Hough also mentioned that she was abused mentally, physically, everything at age 10, while attending a dance academy in London with her older brother, fellow Dancing star Derek Hough.

That experience resulted in the actress and dancer to not trust nobody.

The people that also violated my sisters or my brother or myself, they never got reprimanded for it because we didnt say something, Hough shared with Lima. Instead, we just pivoted and we just moved  which is good, get out of a situation  but also thats another thing which is for me, just pivot, pivot, pivot.

Ive never shared that before, in fact, I just had a little bit of a profound revelation during that, that my mom did do the best that she could, she added.

At another point during the conversation, Hough acknowledged that her parents felt guilty once they found out about the abuse she endured as a teen.

At the time, when I was younger, I think they also didnt know what to do. And we were also in a position of not feeling capable or also feeling helpless, she explained. And so, I think now that weve had these conversations, theyve also said those things.

Hough and her parents were able to reconnect amid her divorce from Brooks Laich in 2020. The couple were married between 2017 and 2022.

They showed up for me as my parents and I needed that, she shared of that period in her life. I reclaimed my parental relationship with them and I got to be the kid and they got to take care of me. That was the most healing time for us.

I was in a vulnerable place of like, I dont have anything to protect myself, I am completely raw, so maybe I can hear you more now, and even though I didnt think that you were understanding at the time, maybe you are, and I can actually receive it now because my guard is down and my heart is open. And so thats when we really went through more of our healing and communication as adults, she continued.
The Wine School of Philadelphia has announced the opening of its highly acclaimed Core Sommelier Program for the fall semester, starting on Oct. 13.

This intensive eight-week course is a unique opportunity for wine enthusiasts and professionals alike to earn the prestigious Level III Sommelier certification, conferred by the National Wine School (NWS), a press release said.

It will run from 1:30 to 6 p.m. every Sunday from Oct. 13 to Dec. 1 at the wine school, located at 109 S. 22nd St., Philadelphia.

The cost for the program is $1299 and $1039 for members, but pay $1 for a membership and you can sign up at the lower price.

Designed for those committed to mastering the art and science of wine, the Core Sommelier Program combines the foundational and intermediate wine education into a single, immersive experience. Participants will delve deep into the worlds major wine regions, mastering the intricacies of wine tasting and varietal identification through hands-on learning and expert-led discussions. From exploring the terroirs of France and Italy to mastering the techniques of blind tasting, students will acquire the essential skills needed to excel in the wine industry.

Our Core Sommelier Program is more than just a course; its a transformative journey into the world of wine, said Keith Wallace, founder of The Wine School of Philadelphia. Weve crafted this program to provide a comprehensive, in-depth education that not only covers the technical aspects of wine but also ignites a passion for lifelong learning in every participant.

The Wine School of Philadelphia is located at 109 S. 22nd St.Wine School of Philadelphia

Graduates of the program will receive the distinguished Level III Sommelier Pin, a symbol of excellence recognized across the wine and hospitality industries. With limited seats available, this is an exclusive opportunity to join the ranks of Philadelphias most knowledgeable wine professionals.

For more information and to register, visit The Wine School of Philadelphia.

Contact Information:

Wine School of Philadelphia

109 S 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

wsop@vinology.com

Website: www.vinology.com
This article has been updated to reflect CAAs statement, as sent to PennLive.

Actress Julia Ormonds plans to sue Disney, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and Miramax may proceed.
If youre worried your kids spend too much time scrolling on their smartphones, youre not the only one.

Following a national trend, some central Pennsylvania school districts are eliminating cellphones in classrooms to give students a mental health break, enhance communication skills, and reduce classroom distractions.
CHICAGO (AP)  President Joe Biden delivered his valedictory address to the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, saying, I gave my best to you and basking in a long ovation that reflected the energy released by his decision to cede the stage to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Biden, 81, received a heros welcome weeks after many in his party were pressuring him to drop his bid for reelection. One month after an unprecedented mid-campaign switch, the opening night of the convention in Chicago was designed to give a graceful exit to the incumbent president and slingshot Harris toward a faceoff with Republican Donald Trump, whose comeback bid for the White House is viewed by Democrats as an existential threat.

On Monday, Biden insisted he did not harbor any ill will about the impending end of his tenure  despite reports to the contrary  and called on the party to unite around Harris.

I made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you, Biden said.

Speaking clearly and energetically, Biden relished the chance to defend his record, advocate for his vice president and go on the attack against Trump. His delivery was more reminiscent of the Biden who won in 2020 than the mumbling and sometimes incoherent one-time candidate whose debate performance sparked the downfall of his reelection campaign.

Visibly emotional when he took the stage, Biden was greeted by a more than four-minute-long ovation and chants of Thank you Joe.

America, I love you, he replied.

He called his selection of Harris as his running mate four years ago the very first decision I made when I became our nominee, and it was the best decision I made my whole career.

Shes tough, shes experienced and she has enormous integrity, enormous integrity, he said. Her story represents the best American story.

And like many of our best presidents, he added in a nod to his own career, she was also vice president.

Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff came out after his address to embrace him and his family.

Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all youll continue to do, she said earlier in the evening. We are forever grateful to you.

The president touted his proudest accomplishments

Bidens speech, billed as the marquee event of the evening, was pushed into late night as the convention program lagged more than an hour behind schedule. The delay led convention organizers to cancel a performance from legendary musician James Taylor.

He celebrated the successes from his administration, including a massive boost in infrastructure spending and a cap on the price of insulin. The spending resulted in more money going to Republican-leaning states than Democratic states, he said, because the job of the president is to deliver for all of America.

The president recalled the 2017 unite the right rally, when torch-carrying white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, an episode he cites as cementing his decision to run for president in 2020 despite his ongoing grief over the death of his son Beau Biden.

First lady Jill Biden alluded to her husbands wrenching decision to leave the race in her remarks minutes before Biden took the stage. She said she fell in love with him all over again just weeks ago, when I saw him dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris.

Mondays speakers tried to boost both Biden and Harris

A long list of high-profile speakers tried to connect both Biden and Harris to what the party sees as the governing pairs most popular accomplishments.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was greeted with prolonged applause, saluted Harris while noting her potential to break the highest, hardest glass ceiling to become Americas first female president. Clinton was the Democratic nominee in 2016, but she lost that election to Trump.

Together, weve put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling, Clinton said, invoking a metaphor she referenced in her concession speech eight years ago. On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the United States. When a barrier falls for one of us, it clears the way for all of us.

Clinton also saluted Biden for stepping aside, saying, Now we are writing a new chapter in Americas story.

Highlighting the partys generational reach, Clinton, 76, followed New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 34, who endorsed Harris while delivering the first mention of the war in Gaza from the convention stage, addressing an issue that has split the partys base ever since Hamas Oct. 7 attack and Israels resulting offensive.

Biden tells antiwar protesters they have a point

Outside the arena, thousands of protesters descended on Chicago to decry the Biden-Harris administrations support for the Israeli war effort.

Israels counterattack in Gaza after more than 1,200 were killed and about 250 taken hostage on Oct. 7 has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Pro-Palestinian activists held a panel earlier Monday in which they discussed the plight of Gaza, in what organizers called a first for the DNC.

A couple of protesters from the Abandon Biden movement unfurled a protest sign late Monday that read, STOP ARMING ISRAEL a few minutes after Biden began his speech.

The sign was quickly wrestled away from the protesters and the lights in that section of the convention were turned off. Others in the hall responded to the protest by chanting We love Joe and holding up their banners in support of the president.

Biden acknowledged the protests as he spoke, saying, Those protesters out in the street have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides. He reiterated his push to get Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire deal that would also see the release of hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7.

Democrats presented a giant version of Project 2025

Meanwhile, Democrats also looked to keep the focus on Trump, whose criminal convictions they mocked and who they asserted was only fighting for himself, rather than for the people  the nights official theme.

Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow hoisted an oversized copy of Project 2025  a blueprint for a second Trump term that was put together by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank  onto the lectern and quoted from portions of it.

Democrats kept abortion access front and center for voters, betting that the issue will propel them to success as it has in other key races since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. Speakers Monday included women whose healthcare suffered as a result of that decision, and one woman who was raped and became pregnant by her stepfather attacked Trump for trying to roll back access to abortion. The convention program included a video of Trump praising his own role in getting Roe struck down.

The convention program also honored the civil rights movement, with an appearance from the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the founder of the Chicago-based Rainbow PUSH Coalition, who is ailing with Parkinsons disease. There were several references to Fannie Lou Hamer, the late civil rights activist who gave a landmark speech at a Democratic convention in 1964.

Hamer was a former sharecropper and a leader of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, a racially integrated group that challenged the seating of an all-white Mississippi delegation at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. Hamer spoke on Aug. 22, 1964  exactly 60 years before Harris is set to accept the Democratic nomination and become the first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent to be the presidential nominee of a major party.

----

By ZEKE MILLER, JONATHAN J. COOPER, AAMER MADHANI and DARLENE SUPERVILLE

Associated Press writers Will Weissert and Josh Boak in Chicago, Ali Swenson and Michelle L. Price in New York and Chris Megerian in Washington contributed to this report.
By Patrick Whittle and David Sharp, The Associated Press

LEWISTON, Maine  Both the Army Reserve and police missed opportunities to intervene in a gunmans psychiatric crisis and initiate steps to seize weapons from the spiraling reservist responsible for the deadliest shootings in Maine history, according to the final report released Tuesday by a special commission created to investigate the attacks, which killed 18 people.

The independent commission, which held 16 public meetings, heard from scores of witnesses and reviewed thousands of pages of evidence, reiterated its earlier conclusion that Maine law enforcement officers had authority under the states yellow flag law, but didnt use it, to seize reservist Robert Cards guns and put him in protective custody weeks before the shootings.

A customer sights in a long gun while shopping at the Kittery Trading Post, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Kittery, Maine. Maine gun retailers are now requiring a three-day wait period for purchases under a new law that was among several gun safety bills adopted after the state's deadliest mass shooting. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)AP

The 215-page report also faulted the Army Reserve for failing to do more to ensure Cards health and deal with his weapons. And it pointed out that no one used New Yorks red flag law to initiate steps to seize the gunmans weapons when he was hospitalized last summer, even though the law had been used on non-New York residents before.

The commission, created by Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, announced its conclusions at Lewiston City Hall, less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the two sites where the shootings took place Oct. 25, 2023.

Our ability to heal  as a people and as a state  is predicated on the ability to know and understand, to the greatest extent possible, the facts and circumstances surrounding the tragedy in Lewiston. The release of the independent commissions final report marks another step forward on that long road to healing, the governor said in a statement.

FILE  Members of the independent commission investigating the law enforcement response to the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, listen as Nicole Herling, below left, sister of shooter Robert Card, testifies Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Augusta, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)AP

While the report contained no major surprises, the commissions chair, Daniel Wathen, noted the facts laid out in the document can be used by others to make changes to prevent future tragedies.

Megan Vozzella, who lost her husband two weeks shy of their first anniversary, expressed through an American Sign Language interpreter that she wants accountability for those who failed to act to stop the shootings.

We are dealing with grief, loss of our loved ones. And its a journey. All we can do is learn from this and make our lives better, she said, likening the process to dealing with broken pieces. Its like were walking through the shards, she said.

FILE  Rain soaked memorials for those who died in a mass shooting sit along the roadside by Schemengees Bar & Grille, Oct. 30, 2023, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)AP

Ben Gideon, a lawyer for Vozzella and other relatives of those who died, described the shootings as the product of a dangerous intersection of gun ownership and mental illness with failures to intervene that were outlined in the report.

At the end of the day, what happened here was a pairing of someone who was known to be paranoid, delusional and suffering from a diagnosed psychosis with someone who owned numerous weapons of warfare, Gideon said.

The commission began its work a month after the mass shootings by Card, who killed his victims at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston and then took his own life. Over nine months, there has been emotional testimony from family members and survivors of the shooting, law enforcement officials and U.S. Army Reserve personnel, and others.

The commission praised the swift response by police to the shootings but also noted what Wathen, a former chief justice of Maines highest court, described Tuesday as utter chaos as hundreds of law enforcement officers arrived to search for the gunman.

FILE  Police respond to an active shooter situation in Lewiston, Maine, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)AP

Family members and fellow reservists said Card had exhibited delusional and paranoid behavior months before the shootings. He was hospitalized by the Army during training in July 2023 in New York, where his unit was training West Point cadets, but Army Reserve officials acknowledged that no one made sure Card was taking his medication or complying with his follow-up care at home in Bowdoin, Maine.

The starkest warning came in September text from a fellow reservist: I believe hes going to snap and do a mass shooting.

The commission report contained new details of Cards time at a private psychiatric hospital  Four Winds in Katonah, New York  where Card acknowledged having a hit list and officials planned to ask a judge to extend Cards hospitalization. But the court hearing never happened, and his psychiatrist felt the hospitals request would have been unsuccessful, given Cards stabilization and progress and his agreement to continue medications and participate in therapy. The psychiatrist thought he was safe to discharge after 19 days.

The report also took up New Yorks red flag law but didnt reach a conclusion on whether it should have been used to initiate the removal of Cards weapons while he was hospitalized at Four Winds. An Army health care worker testified he thought the law applied only to New York residents. But the report noted that petitions were successfully initiated in New York against at least 10 nonresidents, like Card, between 2021 and June 2024.

Army officials conducted their own investigation after the shootings that Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels, then the chief of the Army Reserve, said found a series of failures by unit leadership. Three Army Reserve leaders were disciplined for dereliction of duty, according to the report.

FILE  Lindsay Marlow, facing camera, hugs Courtney Majoros, Oct. 28, 2023, at a vigil in Lisbon Falls, Maine, for the victims of recent mass shootings. Majoros' brother, Max Hathaway, was one of the people killed in separate shootings in nearby Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)AP

After the shootings, Maines Legislature passed new guns laws for the state, which has a tradition of hunting and firearms ownership, after the shootings. A three-day waiting period for gun purchases went into effect this month.

In addition to Wathen, the seven-member commission included two former federal prosecutors; two additional former judges, including a former member Maines highest court; the states former chief forensic psychologist; and a private psychiatrist who is an executive at a psychiatric hospital.

Sharp reported from Portland, Maine. Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Kathy McCormack in New Hampshire and Lisa Rathke in Vermont.
By Paul J. Weber and Rio Yamat, The Associated Press

The parents of a former student accused of killing 10 people at a high school near Houston in 2018 do not bear financial responsibility for the shooting, a jury decided Monday.

A lawsuit brought by victims and their families sought to hold Dimitrios Pagourtzis and his parents, Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos, accountable for the shooting at Santa Fe High School in 2018. During a three-week trial, attorneys for the families argued the parents failed to provide necessary support for their sons mental health and didnt do enough to prevent him from accessing their guns.

Jurors instead put the responsibility with Dimitrios Pagourtzis and a firearms retailer in a verdict that awarded families more than $300 million total in damages, including for pain and mental anguish.

Attorneys for the families said they were disappointed in the outcome.

Weve wouldve liked to have the parents share in their responsibility for this, said Clint McGuire, who represented several of the families.

Authorities say Pagourtzis fatally shot eight students and two teachers. Pagourtzis, now 23, has been charged with capital murder, but the criminal case has been on hold since November 2019, when he was declared incompetent to stand trial. He is being held at a state mental health facility.

In April, Jennifer and James Crumbley were sentenced to at least 10 years in prison by a Michigan judge after becoming the first parents convicted in a U.S. mass school shooting. Pagourtzis parents are not accused of any crime.

The lawsuit was filed by relatives of seven of the people killed and four of the 13 who were wounded in the Santa Fe attack.

The jury also assigned some responsibility to Lucky Gunner, a Tennessee-based online retailer that sold Dimitrios Pagourtzis more than 100 rounds of ammunition without verifying his age and reached a settlement with the families last year. The company had previously been a defendant in the lawsuit.

Jake Felde, CEO of Lucky Gunner, said in a statement that the company isnt responsible for any of the damages awarded by the jury because it was dismissed from the lawsuit.

Lucky Gunner wasnt a party to the trial, so it was easy for the jury to place some of the blame on us because we werent there to defend ourselves, Felde said.

The attorney representing Pagourtzis told jurors that while his client did plan the shooting, he was never in control of his actions because of his severe mental illness.

McGuire said the parents knew their son was depressed, receiving bad grades, isolating himself, and had taken weapons from their gun cabinet and safe. McGuire said Pagourtzis also wrote disturbing Facebook posts and ordered ammunition and other items online, such as a knife with a Nazi symbol and a T-shirt that said, Born To Kill.

But Lori Laird, an attorney for Pagourtzis parents, told jurors that the couple hadnt seen any red flags, knew nothing of his online purchases and didnt know any of their weapons were missing.

We need to protect our children. They need to feel safe when they go to school, Galveston County Court at Law Judge Jack Ewing said after the verdict was delivered. They need to feel safe at home. And that message will carry even outside of the walls and the doors of this courtroom. And hopefully it will follow into the ears of our legislators.

Both parents testified during the trial. Antonios Pagourtzis is retired but worked for years in ship maintenance and repair. Kosmetatos works as an executive assistant at an academic health science center in Galveston.

Kosmetatos told jurors that while her son became more introverted as he grew older, he was a bright and normal child with no significant issues. She acknowledged that he wasnt himself in the months leading up to the shooting but she had hoped it would pass.

Antonios Pagourtzis testified that he wasnt aware that his son was feeling rejected and ostracized at school, or that he might have been depressed.

The family stored firearms in a gun safe in the garage and a display cabinet in the living room. Dimitrios Pagourtzis used his mothers .38 caliber handgun and one of his fathers shotguns during the shooting. Whether he got the weapons from the safe or cabinet, and where he found the keys, were among points debated during the trial.

Galveston County Court No. 3 Judge Jack Ewing listens to an attorney's objection to a definition in the jury charges in his courtroom at the Galveston County Courthouse in Galveston, Texas on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. (Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News via AP, Pool)AP

You cant secure anything 100%, Antonios Pagourtzis said.

Similar lawsuits have been filed following other mass shootings.

In 2022, a jury awarded over $200 million to the mother of one of four people killed in a shooting at a Waffle House in Nashville, Tennessee. The lawsuit was filed against the shooter and his father, who was accused of returning a rifle to his son before the shooting despite the sons mental health issues.

Yamat reported from Las Vegas. Associated Press writer Juan A. Lozano in Houston contributed to this report.
NEW YORK (AP)  Disney is no longer asking a Florida court to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit on the grounds that the victims family had signed up for its streaming service Disney+.

The company filed a notice in Orange County court on Tuesday to withdraw the motion, which had drawn swift backlash when it became public.
Last April, Oregon State University student Jayshaun Talbert got a message from a friend alerting him to an animal medical emergency: A distressed hawk had flown beak-first into a window at the Marketplace West Dining Hall on campus.

It was around 7 p.m., Talbert recalled, and upon arriving at the scene, he learned the stunned animal  a Coopers hawk, he thinks  had repeatedly attempted to fly from the commotion it had stirred from students and some mean-spirited crows, only to, sadly, slam into yet another window. Its beak was now bloodied, and its wing unmistakably broken.

A Place to Sleep, episode 3: Corvallis Do unhoused people know where to go in Corvallis? Well, the city has outlined where they shouldn't be: near creeks, rivers, wetlands, sidewalks or within 20 feet of trees.

Campus public safety had arrived, according to Talbert, and decided to deliver the bird to a veterinary clinic in Corvallis. But Talbert, a zoology student minoring in fisheries and wildlife sciences, is certain the creature didnt make a recovery.

The timing of this particular bird collision was eerily prescient for Talbert, who that month had initiated his own on-campus field study, with the help of fellow students, conducting early morning surveys at the base of buildings to look for dead or stunned birds which had hit windows or walls during the peak of the spring migration season.

The data collected for that project, and the data Talbert hopes to collect for a fall round of surveys, will inform any pitches he makes to OSU administration about purchasing window treatments that can reduce such collisions.

Its a project he had announced earlier that year at the annual Willamette Valley Bird Symposium on campus.

Lights out for the birds?

To be clear, as Talbert is also quick to highlight, bird collisions on campus is far from the most pressing issue facing OSU administrators, which he anticipates would be reluctant to set aside funds for window treatments.

But the issue is symptomatic of a big problem facing bird species globally, he said.

Earlier this month, a study published in the science journal PLOS ONE found that the majority of birds injured from building collisions dont fly off into the sunset for a happy ending. That finding has pushed the estimates of bird deaths caused by window and building collisions to well over 1 billion each year.

That study looked at wildlife rehabilitation records in the northeastern U.S. from 2016 to 2021, but bird collisions are also a big issue in the Pacific Northwest.

One key reason for those collisions is that birds often get confused by bright city lights during migration periods. Windows are also a confusing obstacle.

Scientists had estimated between 365 million and 1 billion birds die in the U.S each year. However, cities and states have undertaken measures to try to prevent those deaths.

So called Lights Out initiatives are one of the biggest measures that can help, according to the National Audubon Society which has led a national campaign to convince building owners to take part in such efforts.

That can mean turning off excess lights, decorative lighting, and turning off higher building story lights during those peak migration times in the spring and fall.

Some cities have indeed taken that to heart. Philadelphia, for example, launched its own voluntary lights out program back in 2021 to help stem bird collisions.

In Oregon, according to the National Audubon Society, Portland, Eugene and Bend have also seen voluntary "lights out" efforts to tackle the issue.

Making a recovery?

At the Chintimini Wildlife Center in Corvallis, veterinarian Claire Peterson sees bird collision cases all the time.

She estimates about quarter of her patients fit that bill, mostly songbirds, and most of the time someone has found the stunned animal outside their yard  if they are found at all.

Im betting a lot of birds go unnoticed, she said.

The injuries they face, including severe brain swelling, bleeding and broken bones, means they rarely have a quick turnaround. Such stunned birds have about a 25% chance of making through the first 24 hours at the wildlife center, according to Peterson.

If they do make it through the first day, their chances of survival bump to about 60%.

For his part, Talbert said he found 12 dead birds during his spring surveys, and five that were stunned. He brought those to the Chintimini Wildlife Center for treatment.

As for the count this spring, Talbert said its too low to support any grant application or push to request funding for certain window treatments on campus, like tinted glass or decals, which are large stickers placed on windows.

Peterson employs decals herself at her home. It's not a silver bullet, but it does help, she said.

Talbert is eying a commercial-grade treatment from the company Feather Friendly that uses a grid of evenly spaced dots.

He's also planning to conduct another survey this fall to see if the number of dead birds increase as the next migration period approaches. He plans to present those findings at the next symposium.

Regardless of the fall count, Talbert knows it's a biodiversity crisis when billions of birds are dying each year, with some of those species not having the best conservation standing to begin with.

Every migration doesnt have to be a death sentence for so many birds, he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Related story:
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You can listen to the latest episode of Today in Pa on any of your favorite apps including Alexa, Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and YouTube. Episodes are available every weekday on PennLive. Feel free to subscribe, follow or rate Today in Pa. as you see fit!

Today in Pa. Daily Podcast | August 20, 2024

A former Penn State Abington student will be deported after lying about his ties to terrorists. A foreign company is buying GetGo stores from Giant Eagle. The first-ever Wawa in central Pennsylvania has announced its opening date. Lastly, first there was a groundhog in a claw machine, now a crocodile in storage?

Those are the stories we cover in the latest episode of Today in Pa., a daily weekday podcast from PennLive.com and hosted by Claudia Dimuro. Today in Pa. is dedicated to sharing the most important and interesting stories pertaining to Pennsylvania that lets you know, indeed, whats happening today in Pa.

Todays episode refers to the following articles:

If you enjoy Today in Pa., consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or on Amazon. Reviews help others find the show and, besides, wed like to know what you think about the program, too.

As sponsored by Renewal by Anderson of Central PA.
Former Donald Trump White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham will campaign against her old boss at Tuesdays Democratic National Committee (DNC) convention.

The 48-year-old communications specialist served the Trump administration in several capacities before the 45th president was defeated by Joe Biden in the 2020 election. She resigned altogether after enraged Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 to violently oppose the certification of Bidens 7-million vote win.

Grisham, who was the first White House press secretary to hold no press conferences during her nine months in that job, confessed on social media Tuesday that shell calm her nerves by thinking about the animal sanctuary she now operates.

I never thought Id be speaking at a Democratic convention, she told NBC News. But, after seeing firsthand who Donald Trump really is, and the threat he poses to our country, I feel very strongly about speaking out.

Grisham told ABCs The View in 2022 her former boss was a conman and described his circle as " a cult-like thing.

She told the ABC morning program, where fellow Trump administration defector Alyssah Farah Griffith is a co-host, that she considered leaving the White House several times, but didnt know who would hire her considering the recent work history on her resume.

Grisham told NBC News she doesnt agree with Kamala Harris on every issue, but believes the Democratic presidential nominee will serve with honesty and integrity.

Former Illinois congressman Adam Kinzinger said Tuesday that hell be in Chicago for the last night of the DNC convention to campaign against Trump too.

True conservatism has been replaced with a cult, the former Republican lawmaker posted on X. Ill be making that clear.

Other Republicans who are expected to be hosted by the DNC include Mesa, Ariz., Mayor John Giles; Olivia Troye, a former homeland security aide to former Vice President Mike Pence; and former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan.

The Harris campaign has expressed an interest in courting conservative voters unwilling to get behind Trump.

Grisham was a press aide to Trumps 2016 presidential campaign, a member of the presidential transition team and served as the White House communications director from July 2019 to April 2020. Grisham assumed the role of chief of staff to the first lady on April 7, 2020.

She resigned within hours of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol.
A suburban Philadelphia Republican leaders home was swatted Friday after he publicly urged others to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Matthew McCaffery, who is a local leader for Upper Merion Republicans, made it clear last month in an opinion piece he wrote for the Inquirer that hes not voting for former President Donald Trump in November, and hes encouraging other Republicans to do the same.

McCaffery is supporting Vice President Kamala Harris this year and has taken an active role in working with GOP organizations that oppose Trump, according to a report in the Inquirer.

In the op/ed, McCaffery cited what he saw as Trumps disrespect for the military and concern that Trump posed a threat to democracy. McCaffery, who is a veteran, was interviewed Friday on CNN to discuss his position.

A few hours after the interview aired, police arrived at McCaffreys home in an apparent swatting incident, in which someone calls in a fake emergency to draw police to a specific address, according to video McCaffrey posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.

Upper Merion Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

McCaffreys video showed him exiting his home with his hands above his head before an officer patted him down. He said two officers were at his door with their service weapons drawn while another was stationed at the bottom of the stairs to his front porch holding a rifle. Police then searched his home, McCaffrey said.

The Montgomery County GOP has scheduled a disciplinary hearing for McCaffery on Monday evening that could result in his ouster, the Inquirer said.

Montgomery County GOP Chair Christian Nascimento said his actions against Trump led to a complaint and Mondays hearing, adding that Republican committee people and municipal leaders have to work for Republican candidates and specifically cant encourage people to vote against Republican candidates.

McCaffrey said he expected to be removed from his position.

I think people usually just resign, he told the Inquirer. Im not that kind of guy.
TROUT RUN  The state transportation secretary has pledged to have Route 14 in northern Lycoming County reopened in less than a month.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll made the promise Monday when he met with Lycoming County elected officials and residents of the Trout Run area hard hit by flash flooding on Aug. 9.

The flood damage estimate so far in Lewis Township, of which Trout Run is a part, is $11.8 million and rising, said Matthew A. McDermott, county director of administration.

Flooding on Little Trout Run washed out part of a Route 14 bridge in the village and extensively damaged the nearby Trout Run Volunteer Fire Co. building.

Demolition of the damaged bridge began Monday under an emergency contract and it is expected to take about a week, Carroll said.

Design has begun on a signalized intersection to be built near the fire station that will enable Route 14 traffic to bypass the damaged bridge by using Lycoming Creek and Trout Run Mountain roads for short distances, he said.

When the new intersection is completed, an existing detour requiring northbound Route 14 traffic heading into Bradford County to leave Route 15 at the Hepburnville interchange and follow Lycoming Creek Road to Trout Run will be eliminated.

PennDOT estimates it will cost about $200,000 to demolish the bridge and another $500,000 to build the intersection, which will consist mostly of grading.

Replacement of the bridge so Route 14 can be opened as it was before the flood is expected to take a year, Carroll said.

Were going to get it done and were going to get it done as quickly as possible, he said about work for which PennDOT is responsible in Trout Run. My 95 today is Route 14, he said.

State Rep. Joe Hamm, left, speaks with PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll in Trout Run where Aug. 9 flood waters washed out a Route 14 bridge of Little Trout Run. Carroll promised there would be a temporary fix in less than a month.John Beauge

Carroll was referencing the June 11, 2023, collapse of the Interstate 95 overpass in Philadelphia after tanker truck carrying gasoline caught fire beneath it. It reopened in less than two weeks.

He is confident PennDOT will deliver for Trout Run just as it did for Philadelphia, he said. I can tell you this, the governor expects us to do it quickly, he said. His charge to me is get it done.

The fire company has written off its damaged station and will be relocating, said Robert Whitford, a long-time former chief and a current trustee. We have a couple options, he said, when it comes to locations.

To rebuild the part of the building that was water damaged would require raising it by four feet to be out of the flood zone, he said.

State Rep. Joe Hamm, R-Lycoming, who was instrumental in having Carroll visit Trout Run, said he is working to get money to help the fire company rebuild outside the flood zone.

Whitford told the elected officials that despite the damage to its building, the company never went out of service during or since the Aug. 9 flood.

The usable part of its building and adjoining property has become a command center where residents can obtain food and water. Portable showers also are available.
Donald Trump is the master of being on all sides of every issue and the media keeps falling for it, gaslighting Americans pretending that Trump doesnt utilize verbal trickery to avoid accountability.

For nine long years, the legacy media has failed Americans but this year, theyre doing it in such a spectacularly obvious way that its actually fascinating. Two such instances came up in the last 24 hours, the first being Washington Post and the second PolitiFact, both going to bat for ex-president Republican Donald Trump.

The Washington Post fact-check of the DNC has raised eyebrows, with Rachel Vindman writing above the below tweet, Dear @washingtonpost were done. Its not me, its you. I wish I could continue to support the few journalists you employ who I still admire and respect but you have made that impossible. Bye forever.

Wow. The Washington Post fact check

of night 1 of the DNC is embarrassing. pic.twitter.com/MOSxN8aXpP  Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) August 20, 2024

The fact-checker claimed that it was an exaggeration to say that Trump told people to inject bleach into our bodies because, actually, Trump told people to inject a disinfectant inside the lungs. And hey, he later said he was being sarcastic, which suggests that the Post is telling us Trump is a reliable narrator, so given his long history of ::checks my notes:: lying, we must take him at his word.

The fact-checker also said Clinton was wrong to suggest that Trump wrote love letters to dictators when she said V.P. Kamala Harris would not be doing such a thing. They then quoted Trump talking about falling in love with North Korean dictator Kim Jung Un and the beautiful letters he wrote Trump, finished off by We fell in love.

Additionally, in September of 2020, CNN reported that Bob Woodward obtained 27 Trump-Kim letters for his 2020 book, and CNN published two of them as they were recorded by Woodward.

Bob Woodward obtained the 27 love letters President Donald Trump exchanged with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, 25 of which have not been reported publicly. The letters, filled with flowery language, provide a fascinating window into their relationship. Kim flatters Trump by repeatedly calling him Your Excellency, and writes in one letter that meeting again would be reminiscent of a scene from a fantasy film. In another, Kim writes that the deep and special friendship between us will work as a magical force. CNN has obtained the transcripts of two of the letters.

Trump just fell in love with a dictator, but do not say he sent love letters to said dictator. Rather than marking that the convicted felon running for president with a published plan on his behalf to become a dictator and a stated desire to become a dictator for a day (there are no dictators for a day, though) had a love affair with a dictator, the fact-checker wants us to know that there is no evidence that Trump sent love letters to Kim and we dont know what was in his letters. We are to assume that Trump was much more reserved in private letters than he was in public when he said, We fell in love.

Phew.

The Post then mentions that while Trump said there had to be some kind of form of punishment for a woman getting an abortion, he walked that back later, so its not accurate to say he supports that, even though he brags about installing the three Supreme Court justices who overturned settled law of Roe V Wade and has supported a national abortion ban and theyve got all kinds of funky tracking womens health stuff being batted around and even ten years ago Republicans were pushing getting neighbors and family to report on women who pregnant, but dont worry! He walked it back.

PolitiFact got in on it, too. A DNC video showed a 2016 clip of Trump saying there has to be some form of punishment for women who have abortions. He walked back the comment the same day. We found no evidence that he currently supports legal penalties for women who have abortions.

Lawyer Brad Moss, who specializes in litigation on matters relating to national security, federal employment and security clearances, shot back: he walked back the comment the same day Are you fricking kidding me? He said it. You can note that he walked it back but that doesnt make what he said any less accurate. He absolutely said it. Its true, thats what he said he wanted.

he walked back the comment the same day Are you fricking kidding me? He said it. You can note that he walked it back but that doesnt make what he said any less accurate. He absolutely said it. Its true, thats what he said he wanted. https://t.co/OD5zwvZSTP  Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) August 20, 2024

Its seriously not accurate to suggest that Trump doesnt support punishment for women who get abortions, and in this matter, the Washington Post and PolitiFact are putting women and girls in danger.

Then the Post moves on to President Bidens comment about Trump calling brave service members who died suckers and losers, claiming that this is not accurate because Trumps then Chief of Staff John Kelly did not say Trump said suckers, just losers.

Dont you feel great about the state of our democracy? Everyone, relax! The then Commander-in-Chief only called dead heroes who gave their lives for global democracy losers.

But wait. Thats not the whole truth, either.

Donald Trump was accused by his own Chief of Staff General John Kelly of refusing to visit the graves of American heroes who gave their lives for our defense and calling them losers. The the suckers and losers quote that was attributed to four people with knowledge of the event at the time it happened has support of senior staff members who were present:

Trump rejected the idea of the visit because he feared his hair would become disheveled in the rain, and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead, according to four people with firsthand knowledge of the discussion that day. In a conversation with senior staff members on the morning of the scheduled visit, Trump said, Why should I go to that cemetery? Its filled with losers. In a separate conversation on the same trip, Trump referred to the more than 1,800 marines who lost their lives at Belleau Wood as suckers for getting killed.

So theyre quibbling about attributing suckers and losers to Kelly, who might have just said losers. But he might have also said suckers and losers at a different time because the Post is only quoting what Kelly recalled in a statement to CNN. We also had four people who were there saying that Trump said both.

What is more important as a journalist: Imparting the character of someone running for president showing blatant disregard for the troops over which he would have authority or assuming that he didnt say suckers even though people who were there said he did, and deciding that someone needed to be fact-checked for maybe attributing one of those insults to the wrong person. Which fact-check serves the people better?

The bottom line is that Donald Trump has always taken every side of an issue (warning language is not safe for work). Using his deliberate manipulation tactic to do what he intends it to do, which is mislead people about issues that matter in their lives and on the issue of abortion could be their very life, is unacceptable.

Here he is, in all of his glory, taking all sides of issues, something this media refuses to contextualize for their readers, instead preferring to fall for it and gaslighting the people who pay them for their services:

The way to properly deal with a prolific liar who manipulates through his language is to look at what he does and the trends of his behavior. Often enough, Donald Trump has done the very thing he says he will do and then walks back later. It is absolutely fair to be concerned about it and to raise it as a concern.

Its not that accuracy should suffer because Donald Trump is a habitual liar. Its that a proper fact-check would put Trumps history of lying and walking statements back in context.

Its not a fact-check if it serves the opposite purpose of informing people. A fact-check shouldnt repeatedly benefit someone who knows how to take advantage of a system that gives credit to this specific person when he walks something back or denies it because it allows someone to not be held easily to account. In spirit, this is the opposite of a fact-check.

Certainly, these fact-checks have failed the American people. The backlash is evidence of how tired people are of the press making excuses for Donald Trumps savage and treacherous behavior.
COLUMBIA  A Florida company has signed a major lease atop an iconic downtown high-rise to create a co-working office space.

Venture X of West Palm Beach, Florida, has leased over 17,000 square feet of space at the top of 1901 Main St., according to a release from Colliers International, a real estate firm in Columbia.

The company provides flexible office spaces for small businesses and hybrid workplaces with private offices, conference rooms, virtual offices and a community lounge and cafe area, according to the release.

We are excited to bring Venture X to the Columbia market, Allen Wilkerson, the Colliers agent who brokered the deal, said in a statement. The location will serve its clients well and securing the top floor will allow for unparalleled views of Downtown Columbia and the surrounding area.

The company has 47 locations nationwide, including in Charleston, Greenville and Fort Mill.

We recognized the lack of flexible coworking options in the city and wanted to bridge that gap. We intend to provide a premium space to cater to the needs of the evolving workforce, 1901 Main co-owner Jason Rickman said in a statement.

Venture X s Downtown Columbia location is slated to open in January 2025, according to the release.

1901 Main is one of the citys tallest buildings at 17 stories and anchors the northern end of Main Street, notably featuring a multicolored crown illuminated at night.

The building contains over 300,000 square feet in total and is approximately 80 percent occupied, according to the buildings website.

Nearby at 914 Richland St., Lexington law firm Stratton & Reynolds has bought a 1,278-square-foot office building, according to another release from Colliers.
COLUMBIA  The South Carolina Department of Transportation will garner public feedback on improving safety along one of downtown's most complained about and dangerous roads.

The state agency is collecting feedback on improving safety along Assembly Street from Elmwood Avenue down to Rosewood Drive.

They will hold a drop-in meeting from 5-7 p.m. Aug. 22 at 1107 Williams St. Residents are encouraged to attend the meeting to learn more and talk to officials about what they'd like to see on the notoriously difficult-to-cross thoroughfare.

Potential improvements could include:

Median upgrades

Sidewalk upgrades

Sign and signal upgrades

Updated pavement markings and pedestrian crossing improvements

Curb extensions, which could reduce the time it takes pedestrians to cross the road.

The project also proposes adding a sidewalk along George Rogers Boulevard from Rosewood Drive to Bluff Road. Construction on the project could begin in 2026.

Officials and residents have long complained about the high-speed, six-lane road being an eyesore that is dangerous to cross and stands in the way of better connectivity between downtown and The Vista.

Among downtown roadways, Assembly Street was the deadliest for pedestrians since 2020. Nineteen people have been injured and two killed after being struck by vehicles, according to data from the S.C. Department of Public Safety.
Social Security Administration policy updates that expand access to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in line with the law go into effect today. The agency no longer includes food in In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM) calculations, has expanded its rental subsidy policy exception, and h Read moreSSI expands access and continues removing barriers
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We are now some weeks into an apparent internet slowdown in Pakistan, but no clearer on what is causing it, albeit activists and the state seem to have decided who is to blame.

Activists say the state is building a China-style internet firewall as it looks to exert further control over the online space. Officials blame the widespread use of secure connections or VPN (virtual private networks) for the slowdown.

However, the government does have a record of interfering with the internet in the past. It reportedly suspended mobile internet services across the country just before voting got underway in the countrys general election in February, ostensibly for security reasons.

It also recently shut down services to prevent the holding of online rallies by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party led by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.

The BBC says the micro-blogging platform X (formerly Twitter), where Mr Khan has nearly 21 million followers, has been blocked since the February elections due to national security concerns.

In this case, however, the minister of state for information technology Shaza Fatima insists that the government is not behind the slowdown and has been working with internet service providers and telcos to resolve the issue. She blames a large number of people using VPNs. She does, however, say that the government has been upgrading its systems to improve cybersecurity.

Activists are not impressed and insist a firewall can be detected, whose purpose, they allege, is to monitor online traffic, limit dissemination of information online spaces, and curb political expression.

Whether or not it is to blame, one big problem for the government is the economic effects of slow internet connections, which could affect Pakistan's business potential and worry investors.

Still, many people are not convinced by government denials. The BBC reports that activists have filed a petition before the Islamabad High Court, calling for access to the internet to be declared a fundamental right under Pakistan's constitution.
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BIRMINGHAM, AL / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / Allison, a pioneering fintech company, is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Mastercard to utilize its identity solutions to help financial institutions prevent fraud. This collaboration will equip minority depository institutions (MDIs) and community banks with advanced tools to reduce fraud and prevent money laundering.MDIs, community-based banks and credit unions that are majority-owned or majority-governed by people of color, provide financial services to communities that have historically been underserved by financial institutions. MDIs provide critical access to capital, mortgages, loans, and banking services.While financial crimes can impact financial institutions across the ecosystem, MDIs face unique challenges due to their size and scope. The integration of Mastercard's identity solutions will provide MDIs with enhanced capabilities to detect and prevent fraudulent activities, thereby reducing risk and improving overall financial security. This, in turn, creates more secure and seamless experiences for consumers.Key Benefits of the Partnership:Mastercard's sophisticated identity verification and risk assessment solutions will enable institutions to detect and mitigate fraudulent activities.To provide robust tools to help identify genuine customers, helping more people access financial services.Strengthening financial security in underrepresented communities."We are thrilled to partner with Mastercard, combining our strengths to deliver top-tier fraud prevention and anti-money laundering solutions. This partnership underscores our commitment to supporting minority depository institutions and community banks in their mission to provide secure financial services to their communities," said Brian Alvarez-Bailey, CEO of Allison."Together with Allison, we are bringing unmatched fraud prevention, identity, and anti-money laundering solutions to bear that will fortify financial institutions serving underserved communities and instill trust and confidence in the ecosystem," said Dennis Gamiello, EVP, Identity, Mastercard. "This represents the latest in Mastercard's long-standing effort to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere." This partnership is an extension of the ongoing collaboration between the two companies. Last year, Allison joined Mastercard'sStart Path In Solidarityprogram. This award-winning global startup engagement program helps accelerate fintech growth by providing financial tools and connections to a global network that fosters equitable access to opportunities.About Allison:Allison builds financial infrastructure that powers banking products for both financial institutions (community banks, credit unions, CDFIs, MDIs) and non-financial institutions (Fintechs, check cashers, MSBs). Our platform leverages intelligent systems and advanced technology to provide innovative solutions that enhance the security, efficiency, and transparency of financial services. By empowering a diverse range of institutions with cutting-edge tools, Allison is committed to fostering financial inclusion and resilience.For more information, contact Zoe Taylor, Media at hello@ tryallison.com SOURCE: Allison
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DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / August 19, 2024 / Anderson Injury Lawyers, a personal injury law firm serving the Dallas-Fort Worth area, proudly announces the opening of its new office in Dallas, located at 6301 Gaston Ave #610, Dallas, TX 75214. This new location marks a significant step in the firm's commitment to providing accessible and high-quality legal representation to injury victims throughout the region.Anderson Injury Lawyers Dallas Gaston Office Anderson Injury Lawyers Dallas Gaston OfficeThe new Dallas office will be staffed by experienced personal injury attorneys who are well-versed in Texas law and equipped to handle a wide range of cases, including:Car accidentsTruck accidentsMotorcycle accidentsBrain injuriesWrongful deathWe understand the impact that personal injuries can have on victims and their loved ones. With that in mind, we strive to provide excellent legal advocacy, a strong pursuit of justice, and the guidance that our clients need to begin moving forward after an accident.Anderson Injury Lawyers is committed to making legal services accessible to all in Dallas, TX, and surrounding areas. Our Dallas personal injury attorneys offer free consultations and operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning clients pay us nothing unless we win their case.We invite Dallas residents who have been injured in an accident to contact our new office for a free consultation and to learn more about how we can help.About Anderson Injury LawyersAs we continue to offer exceptional legal representation, we remain dedicated to Dallas, TX, providing exceptional, client-focused legal representation. Our founding attorney, Mark Anderson, has made this our firm's mission.Since our inception in 2007, Anderson Injury Lawyers has been a beacon of hope for individuals and families navigating the complexities of personal injury cases. We maintain a proven track record of securing hundreds of millions in compensation for our clients. Our personal injury attorneys are also dedicated to leveling the playing field against powerful insurance companies and fighting for the rights of those who have been wronged.Anderson Injury Lawyers is an award-winning personal injury law firm with a reputation for excellence. Attorney Mark Anderson is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law, a distinction held by only 2% of Texas attorneys. With decades of combined legal experience and a commitment to client satisfaction, the firm continues to successfully advocate for injury victims in Dallas.Contact Our Dallas Law Office to Learn About Our Legal ServicesAnderson Injury Lawyers is dedicated to providing compassionate, client-focused legal representation and fighting for the maximum compensation our clients deserve. If you were injured due to someone else's negligence, don't hesitate to get the guidance and support you need during this challenging time.Contact our new office in Dallas, TX, online to schedule your free consultation with an experienced Dallas personal injury attorney.Media Contact:Company Name: Anderson Injury Lawyers - DallasAddress: 6301 Gaston Ave., Suite 610City: DallasState: TexasZip: 75214Country: United States of AmericaPhone: (469) 457-4711Contact InformationMark A. AndersonPersonal Injury Atorneyandersoninjurylawyer@ gmail.com (817) 294-1900SOURCE: Anderson Injury LawyersView the original press release on newswire.com
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NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / August 19, 2024 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have untilSeptember 30, 2024to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. ("ABR" or the "Company") (NYSE:ABR), if they purchased the Company's securities between May 7, 2021 and July 11, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of ABR and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-abr/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court bySeptember 30, 2024 .About the LawsuitArbor Realty and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On March 14, 2023, NINGI Research reported that "ABR has been hiding a toxic real estate portfolio of mobile homes with a complex web of real and fake holdings companies for more than a decade." On this news, the price of ABR shares fell from $12.99 per share on March 13, 2023, to $12.12 per share on March 14, 2023, and then $11.53 per share on March 15, 2023. Then, on July 12, 2024, Bloomberg reported that the Company was the subject of a probe by federal prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New York that were "inquiring about lending practices and the company's claims about the performance of their loan book." On this news, the price of ABR shares fell from $15.53 per share on July 11, 2024, to $12.89 per share on July 12, 2024.The case is Martin v. Arbor Realty Trust, Inc., No. 24-cv-05347.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, Delaware, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com Contact:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partner lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com 1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 /BCM One, a leading provider of NextGen Communications and Managed Services for IT leaders and resellers, announced a series of leadership adjustments to align with the company's commitment to focus on its three business units: BCM One, E-commerce, and SkySwitch.Mike Nowak, previously Chief Revenue Officer, has been tapped to be General Manager of BCM One Enterprise Solutions, the business unit that delivers nextgen communications, including its Pure IP Enterprise Voice offering, and managed network services to mid-to-enterprise-sized businesses globally.Ben Macalindong has been promoted from his current role as Vice President of Sales within the E-commerce business unit to General Manager to oversee the SIP.US , SIPTRUNK, and Flowroute brands.David Hardy, a seasoned industry executive who has held sales leadership positions at Sangoma, Digium, Adtran, and Cisco, joins the team as General Manager of SkySwitch, the company's white-label UCaaS business unit which serves MSPs and VARs that want to deliver cloud voice solutions to their SMB customers under their own brand.Lita Miller has taken over the Chief Operating Officer role from Mark Amick who retired after more than 35 years in the industry.Continuing their roles on the executive leadership team are Paula Como Kauth, CMO; Doug Fechter, CFO; Eileen Cohan, General Counsel; David Deaton, SVP of Engineering; and Maddie Bonds, VP of People Operations."BCM One has always been about flexibility and progress, and that's exactly what this leadership team brings to table," stated Geoff Bloss, CEO of BCM One. "Their talent and experience are second-to-none in the industry and will propel BCM One to our next stage of growth." ###ABOUT BCM ONE Founded in 1992, BCM One is the leading NextGen Communications and Managed Services provider. Serving over 20,000 customers worldwide and 5,000+ channel partners, BCM One offers telecom solutions supporting the critical network infrastructure of global businesses, including: Enterprise Voice for MS Teams, Cisco Webex and Zoom; Global Managed Connectivity; UCaaS; SIP Trunking; Managed SD-WAN; Security and Technology Expense Optimization. BCM One prides itself on its long-standing client relationships backed by its mission statement, "To Provide a World-Class Experience with Every Human Interaction." To learn more about BCM One, visit www.bcmone.com For Media Inquiries:; Paula Como Kauth, Chief Marketing Officer, BCM One Office: 212.906.7255 | pckauth@ bcmone.com Contact InformationPaula Como KauthChief Marketing Officerpckauth@ bcmone.com SOURCE: BCM OneView the original press release on newswire.com
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This Initiative, in Partnership With ENP's The FreeStore, Offers a Welcoming and Nourishing Start to the Weekend for All, No Income Verification RequiredNASHVILLE, TN / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 /BW Tax Partners is proud to announce its sponsorship of a free breakfast initiative for the Nashville community. This weekly event takes place every Saturday morning as part of a collaboration with The FreeStore, a program run by Empowering Neighborhood Partnerships (ENP).The FreeStore in Nashville In a generous effort to serve both the local and homeless populations, no income verification is needed - everyone is welcome to enjoy a hearty start to their day before embarking on weekend activities. The initiative aims to provide nourishment and build community connections over a shared meal."At BW Tax Partners, we believe in giving back to the community that supports us," said Elizabeth Brown, a tax lawyer at BW Tax Partners. "Partnering with ENP's The FreeStore allows us to help meet immediate needs while creating an inclusive space for everyone." Occasionally, alongside the provision of food, BW Tax Partners donates school supplies and other essential items, reflecting its ongoing commitment to support the community holistically. Recent donations have included backpacks filled with notebooks, highlighters, and other classroom necessities, ensuring students are prepared as they head back to school.The initiative has been received positively by locals and has seen growing participation each week. Community members are invited to partake in breakfast and in shopping for any essentials they might need from The FreeStore.BW Tax Partners encourages everyone in the Nashville area to spread the word about this ongoing program. For more information or how you can get involved, please visit The FreeStore's website.By investing in community well-being, BW Tax Partners continues to demonstrate that business success is best measured by impact - proving that they are leaders not only in tax solutions but also in community engagement.Contact InformationJoseph DornezCo-Founderjoseph@ bwtps.com SOURCE: BW Tax PartnersView the original press release on newswire.com
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New Collaboration Explores the Depths of Color and FormSAN JOSE, COSTA RICA / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / Promoting Costa Rica's rich cultural heritage, MIRAME Fine Art connects artists with art lovers worldwide. https://miramefineart.com/artists/ Jorge Murillo, Dans l'au-dela de mes angoisses Acrylic on Canvas Geometric Precision Meets Chromatic DepthJorge Murillo, a Costa Rican contemporary abstract artist, has entered an exciting partnership with MIRAME Fine Art. With a foundation in architecture and visual art, Murillo's paintings create a compelling dialogue between geometric precision and vibrant use of color. His work guides viewers through a dynamic interplay of form and shades, offering abstract compositions that are both visually captivating and intellectually stimulating.Murillo succinctly describes his work as a pursuit of "perfect harmony in frenetic chaos." Art and ArchitectureMurillo's architectural background is evident in his methodical approach to composition and spatial design. Primarily working in acrylic, he creates paintings of geometric, colourful shapes that blur the boundaries between two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms, encouraging contemplation from various angles. His use of structure and pattern generates dynamic energy and movement on the canvas, drawing you in and creating the sensation of gazing into an optical illusion.Nature and StructureMurillo's range of color reflects the diverse natural beauty of Costa Rica while incorporating elements of the built environment, objects, and the rhythmic patterns of life. This blend of organic and constructed forms is central to his work.Earlier this year, he was featured in the "Eterea en Abstracto" exhibition at Galeria Eterea in the country's capital, San Jose. This significant event showcased his latest abstract works that focus on these themes alongside other renowned abstract artists, solidifying his reputation and celebrating art that resonates in the wider context of Central American art.Color and MovementMurillo's partnership with MIRAME Fine Art highlights his ongoing exploration of color and movement. His compositions draw the viewer's eye across the canvas, creating visual and emotional experiences that represent his nuanced understanding of how color shapes perception and mood.By pushing the boundaries of contemporary abstract art, Murillo manipulates color and form to evoke "aesthetic joy," offering a harmonious contrast to the frenetic pace of modern life.Murillo and MIRAMEHaving exhibited extensively across Costa Rica, Murillo's partnership with MIRAME Fine Art marks an important milestone in his career, enhancing his artistic voice and expanding his international reach. Through this collaboration, Murillo continues to challenge and redefine contemporary abstract art, inviting audiences to engage with the world in new and profound ways.Contact InformationBelinda Seppings Co-Founderbelinda@ miramefineart.com +447821591397SOURCE: MIRAME Fine ArtView the original press release on newswire.com
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New agreement secures exclusive distribution of Dalradas heat pump technology, targeting sales of 600 heat pumps while expanding the companys product and service footprint.SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 /Dalrada Financial Corporation (OTCQB:DFCO), ("Dalrada," "the Company"), announced today that it had executed an agreement with Applied Technologies of New York, Inc. ("ATI," "ATI NY"), to be its exclusive distribution partner of the Company's heat pumps and related service and support for an extended portion of the United States.The master distribution agreement with ATI supports Dalrada's ongoing ambitious heat pump manufacturing goals, targeting an initial order of 75 combined (commercial and residential) units in the first 18 months and increasing to 600 combined units in the following 12 months.With the three-year agreement, ATI secures exclusive distributorship of Dalrada's advanced climate technology products in a number of coveted sales territories spanning the east coast and the midwest-ranging from Boston and New York City, south to Atlanta and Miami, and west to Chicago, Columbus, and Nashville. Other major city centers including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Detroit, are also identified as sales and distribution territories in the agreement."Growing our sales network with the help of an esteemed organization like ATI will allow us to provide millions of customers with direct access to heat pumps," according to Brian Bonar, Dalrada's CEO and Chairman. "With New York City alone having 60,000 boilers running on natural gas and the state pushing for the adoption of heat pumps, this agreement comes at the perfect time and will reach an extensive consumer base. I look forward to a long and successful partnership with ATI to make a lasting impact in the heat pump space." Bonar's mention of the timing of the distribution agreement appears to be correct. Driven by the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 85% by 2050 and supported by the ongoing incentives of New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), New York's heat pump market is rapidly expanding and making heat pumps a cost-effective alternative to traditional heating systems. The state's cold climate and high energy costs are further boosting demand and positioning New York as a significant growth market for heat pump installations."We are honored and excited to be partnering with such a forward-thinking company in Dalrada," said Frank Morgigno, President and CEO of Applied Technologies of New York. "Their cutting-edge heat pump technology will enable ATI to provide a premium solution for customers striving for carbon footprint reduction. Dalrada's engineering and executive management teams are the best in the industry," he added.Dalrada CEO and Chairman, Brian Bonar, with ATI President and CEO, Frank Morgigno ATI has nearly thirty years of experience providing reliable, efficient, and cost-effective mechanical solutions to buildings and process facilities in the New York metropolitan area. The master distribution agreement allows ATI to increase and enhance its sales and service capabilities beyond New York as it continues to represent the world's leading heating and energy equipment manufacturers, which now includes Dalrada.About Dalrada Financial CorporationDalrada Financial Corporation (OTCQB: DFCO) is a multi-national holding company that develops, manufactures, and sells a robust suite of products and services in the Clean Energy and Health Care sectors. Dalrada's core segments include Dalrada Climate Technology, which offers cutting-edge heat pump technology for industrial and residential applications, and Genefic Specialty Pharmacy, which provides end-to-end prescription services as well as patient advocacy and support.Dalrada consistently drives innovation that delivers maximum impact, bringing increased value to its shareholders.For more information, please visit www.dalrada.com , and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.About Applied Technologies of NYApplied Technologies of NY (ATI of NY) is a proven resource partner for reliable, efficient and cost-effective mechanical solutions for buildings or process facilities. Offering expert sales and engineering services supported by a factory-certified technical services division for after-market support, ATI has served the New York Metropolitan area and beyond since 1996, representing the world's leading heating and energy equipment manufacturers.Forward-Looking StatementsStatements contained in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, particularly statements relating to cost reductions and the anticipated pre-tax savings from the cost reduction program, restructuring costs, footprint rationalization, simplifying and streamlining our operations, reducing complexity, enhancing the speed of decision-making, leveraging our sourcing capabilities and the timing of implementation and completion of the cost reduction program, are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of management based on information available to us at the time such statements are made. These statements, which are generally identifiable by the use of the words "will," "believe," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," "estimate," "forecast," "project," "plan," and similar expressions, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, are made as of the date hereof, and we undertake no duty or obligation to update them. Forward-looking statements are subject to the occurrence of many events outside the Company's control and actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from those suggested or implied by such forward-looking statements due to numerous factors that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Factors that may impact the Company's success are more fully disclosed in the Company's most recent public filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including its annual report on Form 10-K.Media contact: Michael Eslinger (meslinger@ dalrada.com) SOURCE: Dalrada Financial Corp.
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NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / Delphi Digital, a leading research firm, and The Tie, a premier provider of information services for digital assets, are excited to announce the launch of their Institutional Accelerator. This program aims to bridge the gap between innovative crypto protocols and institutions. The Institutional Accelerator will consist of curated cohorts of projects vetted by both The Tie and Delphi Digital. The initial cohort consists of ZKsync, Sui, and zkVerify. A second cohort will be announced later this year.With hundreds of new tokens coming to market, it is often difficult for protocols to stand out and capture institutional interest. The Institutional Accelerator combines Delphi Digital's cutting-edge research with The Tie's corporate access events and extensive distribution network. The inaugural cohort of token projects from the Institutional Accelerator will be showcased at The Tie's Bridge Conference in New York City this November. The event will host over one thousand attendees from leading institutions, including hedge funds, venture capital firms, banks, asset managers, market makers, and proprietary trading firms.Throughout the accelerator program, projects will receive unparalleled access to leading traditional and crypto-native institutions, on-going research coverage by Delphi Digital syndicated to platforms serving tens of thousands of institutions and tens of millions of retail users, and mentorship from the founders of Delphi and The Tie on institutional positioning.Xochitl Ivory, Head of Enterprise Growth at Matter Labs, commented: "Our collaboration with The Tie and Delphi Digital allows us to demonstrate ZKsync's capabilities in this unique institutional accelerator program. We're focused on equipping institutions, developers with tailored blockchain solutions that catalyze meaningful advancements in the field. This initiative serves as a crucial nexus between traditional finance and the emerging crypto ecosystem, fostering an environment where innovation thrives through rigorous discourse, comprehensive education, and strategic partnerships. Matter Labs is focused on driving impact and architecting financial systems that are more efficient, transparent, and accessible." Sina Nader, Head of Strategy at Mysten Labs, expressed his enthusiasm: "We're delighted to have an opportunity to showcase Sui and its underlying technology to the institutional community through the Accelerator. We believe that the time is right to share Sui's story and the network's capabilities, and I'm particularly excited to leverage Delphi's world class research expertise and The Tie's large audience of institutions to give industry participants a chance to become more familiar with the Sui ecosystem. Especially in the current environment of increasing interest from financial institutions, I believe that they will enjoy learning about the things that can uniquely be done on Sui." Rob Viglione, CEO of Horizen Labs & Founder of zkVerify added: "zkVerify is honored to be part of The Tie and Delphi Digital's Institutional Accelerator. We have a vision that the future will see cryptography everywhere and we're building the public infrastructure to make that happen. Being in the launch cohort for the Institutional Accelerator gives us the guidance, real-time feedback, and exposure we need to bring this important technology to market"Visit our website at: https://institutionalaccelerator.com Media Contacts The Tie -chris@ thetie.io Delphi Digital -samf@ delphidigital.io About The TieThe Tie is the leading provider of information services for digital assets operating across three core verticals: Institutional, Data Redistribution, and Corporate Access. On the Institutional side, The Tie's core offering - The Tie Terminal is the fastest and most comprehensive workstation for institutional digital asset investors The Tie's institutional clients include hundreds of the leading traditional and crypto-native hedge funds, VCs, market makers, asset managers, banks, and other institutional market participants.The Tie's Redistribution business syndicates data feeds to dozens of leading platforms including FalconX, BitMEX, Real Vision, Broadridge, and Cointelegraph. The Tie's corporate access business provides direct connectivity between institutions and token issuers through a series of industry leading conferences and events - including our flagship event, The Bridge hosted in 2023 with The New York Stock Exchange.About Delphi DigitalDelphi Digital is the leading research firm focused on the crypto and digital asset sector. Trusted by many of the largest institutions, Delphi equips investors and teams with the most comprehensive research and analysis in the digital asset space. Leveraging expertise across all sectors of the crypto market, Delphi continuously executes its core mission: to accelerate and enhance the development of the crypto industry.SOURCE: TheTIE.io
Zambia has completed the construction of a ground receiving station which it says will pave the way for the launch of the country's long-awaited first satellite.

According to a Facebook post from Zambias technology and science minister Felix Chipota Mutati on Saturday, the government has spent over US$14 million to build the ground receiving station, which is located in the Chibombo district in Central Province.

Mutati said experts are now testing the station as they prepare to go into phase two of the preparations to launch the satellite. Mutati gave no details on when the satellite launch will take place, or any details about the satellite itself, apart from it being an earth-observation satellite.

Zambia has been planning to launch its own earth-observation satellite for several years now to address challenges brought on by climate change in agriculture, land use, health and energy.

As we reported last month, one of the casualties of climate change in Zambia has been its electricity grid. Lake Kariba  formed by the Kariba Dam, which generates electricity for Zambia and Zimbabwe  has lost 98% of its water, according to a January 2023 report from LifeGate Daily. That has forced state-owned power utility ZESCO to increase the length of power blackouts from six hours to 12 hours to keep the power grid from failing completely.

That in turn has led to mobile operators in Zambia struggling to cope with the impact of the blackouts on their ability to keep their cell sites running.

According to the Lukasata Times, Mutati said in November 2021 that a satellite would be the most crucial component in dealing with climate change. At the time, Mutati set the goal of launching a satellite by 2023.

However, Zambia has had to deal with the more pressing issue of its crippling economic crisis brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. Zambia defaulted on its debt payments in November 2020, and underwent a US$13.4 billion debt restructuring under the G20s 'Common Framework' architecture that was only completed in June 2024.

Nevetheless, Mutati said the Zambian government is committed to launching a satellite which will help in agriculture, forestry, ground water management and other sectors.

A growing number of African countries are banking on satellite technology to manage resources to cope with climate change. Senegal is the latest country on the continent to launch a satellite, which went into orbit on Friday to help government agencies improve resource management, improve weather forecasting and aviation safety.

According to SpaceHubs Africa, 61 satellites have been launched by 17 countries in Africa as of August 19. South Africa and Egypt have the most with 13 satellites each, with Nigeria a distant third with seven.
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EHS Insight Enhances Platform With QR Codes, BI Tools & MoreHOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 /EHS Insight, a leading EHS software provider, announces significant platform updates in early 2024, enhancing user experience, streamlining processes, and expanding functionality.EHS InsightNext-Level Accessibility With QR Code ScanningEHS Insight introduces QR code functionality, enabling administrators to create and manage QR codes for instant access to forms, documents, reports, and dashboards via mobile devices or desktop browsers. Scanning a QR code opens content in the mobile app or browser, with easy options for generating and printing QR codes, including Avery Label formats.Facilitating Anonymous Submissions: To break down barriers in reporting unsafe behaviors, the new "Anonymous Submit Mode" empowers anyone with QR code access to submit observations and forms effortlessly, without needing an EHS Insight user login or app download. This feature simplifies the submission process and fosters inclusivity within safety reporting procedures.Expanding QR Codes to Material Records: In addition to Users & Contacts and Assets, QR code functionality now includes Material records. Scanning these codes provides users with access to a dedicated page showcasing Material properties, links to Safety Data Sheets (SDS), and the ability to initiate a Chemical Inventory form for the respective Material.Training Management: Delegated training management is now available, enabling site-specific managers to oversee training programs independently. The new One-Off Training Assignment feature allows ad-hoc training in response to specific incidents, improving training flexibility.Safety Data Sheets: Enhanced support for generating primary and secondary container labels for better compliance.Document Library: Bulk document uploads and the option for administrators to instantly publish documents without the approval process.Email Notifications: Customizable options for immediate notices or daily digests, giving end-users more control over their preferences.Delegated Users & Contacts: Regional managers can now grant permissions within their business entity via security groups.Awareness & Accountability: The platform now supports ongoing, recurring, and one-off acknowledgment requirements with flexible scheduling and automated reminders, ensuring continuous compliance and accountability.EPA Emission Factors Library: The new library provides automatically updated EPA GHG Emission Factors, simplifying emissions data management and ensuring accurate reporting.Incident Event - SIF Data Collection: Functionality has been added for tracking Significant Injuries and Fatalities (SIFs), including classification, notifications, and reporting, to help prioritize critical safety measures.Business Intelligence (BI) Connector: This tool supports connecting up-to-date EHS Insight data with external BI tools like Power BI and Excel, ensuring live data access and personalized user experiences.Weather Integration: A weather dashboard shows a five-day forecast and allows setting alerts for temperature and heat index thresholds, aiding in precaution implementation."We're thrilled to bring these updates to our customers as a direct response to their feedback and evolving needs," said Gary McDonald, CEO of EHS Insight. "These updates not only enhance the functionality of our platform but also support our commitment to improving safety and compliance across industries." With these advancements, EHS Insight continues to focus on accessibility, user-friendliness, and comprehensive features. These updates empower organizations to enhance safety engagement and effectively mitigate risks.About EHS InsightEHS Insight, a StarTex Software brand, is the world's most flexible, powerful, easy-to-use environmental, health and safety platform. Since 2009, the team at EHS Insight has been on a mission to make the world a better place. Today, 500,000+ platform users in over 120 countries use EHS Insight services and support to transform the way they work and to lower the environmental impact of their operations and raise the maturity of their safety cultures. For more information, visit ehsinsight.com Contact InformationMohamad BozoMarketing, StarTex Softwaremohamad.bozo@startexsoftware.com (713) 866-6597Christopher CollierVP, Marketingchristopher.collier@ehsinsight.com 509-990-3324SOURCE: EHS InsightView the original press release on newswire.com
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PHILADELPHIA, PA / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / Exyn Technologies, a pioneer in multi-platform robotic autonomy for complex, GPS-denied environments, is excited to announce their partnership with Stitch3D, a provider of modern cloud solutions to host, manage, view, process, and share point cloud data securely directly on the web. This collaboration helps to expand the impact and accessibility of portable SLAM capture devices by allowing feature rich point cloud data to be broadly shared and acted upon.The Exyn Nexys is a completely modular 3D mapping solution designed to reduce time to capture, increase safety, and drive efficiency in challenging, complex, or dangerous environments like mining, logistics, construction, and infrastructure inspection. Through this partnership, Exyn and Stitch3D unlock the potential of 3D data with user-friendly software that simplifies the navigation and management of point clouds across various industries.This strategic collaboration is designed to expand the reach of Exyn's transformative mapping technology by making it accessible to more customers through Stitch3D's innovative point cloud management and collaboration software. After uploading a feature-rich Nexys data set into Stitch3D, operators will be able to perform volumetric calculations, generate digital elevation models (DEM), automatically classify ground points, or annotate areas of interest for project management - all in real-time with multiple stakeholders operating simultaneously."At Exyn, we are dedicated to delivering solutions that allow more industries to easily take advantage of SLAM-based LiDAR scanning technology to increase safety and drive efficiency across a variety of active working environments," said Brandon Torres Declet, CEO of Exyn Technologies. "We are thrilled to partner with Stitch3D to make the analysis, management, and sharing of high quality 3D models equally streamlined." "Stitch3D is committed to bringing LIDAR solutions to the web through our collaborative cloud architecture and automated point cloud processing software. The partnership with Exyn will enable users to capture a high quality point cloud, rapidly calculate stockpile volumes, generate DEMs, or classify ground points - all in a real-time multiplayer 3D viewer. We are very excited for this partnership to deliver quality point cloud intelligence at the tactical point of need," commented Clark Yuan, Founder and CEO of Stitch3D.###About Exyn Exyn is a pioneer in multi-platform robotic autonomy for complex, GPS-denied environments. The company's cutting-edge technology enables industries such as mining, logistics, construction, and infrastructure to capture critical and time-sensitive data in a safer, more affordable, and more efficient way. With a team of experts in autonomous systems, robotics, and industrial engineering, Exyn is revolutionizing the way businesses operate and make data-driven decisions. Exyn is VC-backed and privately held, with headquarters in Philadelphia. For more information, please visit www.exyn.com About Stitch3D Stitch3D is a cloud native software solution enabling users to host, manage, view, analyze, and share point cloud data directly from the web. The company's mission is to streamline point cloud accessibility, increase data sharing, and enable real-time 3D collaboration in order to securely deliver point cloud intelligence to anyone, regardless of industry or experience. Founded in 2020, Stitch3D is funded by the U.S. Air Force and built by a team of veterans, geospatial experts, and 3D software engineers. For more information, please visit www.stitch3d.io Contact InformationVanessa VarianVP Marketing - Exyn Technologiesvvarian@ exyntechnologies.com 2155145332Clark YuanCEO - Stitch3Dclark.yuan@stitch3d.com 2487921934SOURCE: Exyn TechnologiesView the original press release on newswire.com
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Partnership announcement between BitMobile's Phenix X and The Device StoreNew Blockchain Phone from BitMobile South Africa and The Device Store Announce Strategic Partnership to Launch Phenix X Across ZambiaLUSAKA, ZAMBIA / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / BitMobile South Africa, a leading innovator in mobile technology, and The Device Store, a premier retail chain in Zambia for mobile devices, are proud to announce a strategic partnership to bring the cutting-edge Phenix X blockchain phone to customers nationwide. This partnership marks a significant milestone in mobile technology distribution in Zambia, providing an unparalleled storefront experience for both individual customers and businesses.Under this partnership, The Device Store will serve as the primary retail partner aggregator for Phenix X across all its mall stores in Zambia, while also serving as a distribution point for other device related stores. The collaboration aims to offer a seamless, one-stop shopping experience, featuring exclusive phone models, accessories, phone plans, and comprehensive services, including a support and device repair operation.CEO Quotes:Brian Maw, CEO of BitMobile South Africa, expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, "We are thrilled to join forces with The Device Store to bring the Phenix X blockchain phone to Zambia. This partnership represents a significant step forward in making cutting-edge technology accessible to the Zambian market. With The Device Store's extensive retail network and our innovative technology, we are confident that tens of thousands of Zambians will soon experience the future of mobile communication." Mauris Musambi, CEO of The Device Store, added, "Partnering with BitMobile aligns perfectly with our mission to provide the latest and most advanced technology to our customers. The Phenix X phone is a game-changer, and we are excited to offer it exclusively in our stores across Zambia. Our trained retail teams, excellent product displays, and robust inventory management will ensure that every customer receives the best possible experience." Exclusive Phone Models and Offers: The Device Store will feature the innovative Phenix X blockchain phone and soon to be announced tablet, available through their retail locations and distribution network. Customers can look forward to special offers, including bundled deals with accessories and phone plans, making The Device Store the go-to destination for all mobile phone needs.One-Stop Shop Experience: The Device Store is committed to providing a comprehensive shopping experience. In addition to the Phenix X phone, customers will find a wide range of accessories, phone plans, and services, all under one roof. Whether it's purchasing a new phone, getting expert advice, or accessing repair services, The Device Store aims to be Zambia's leading one-stop shop for mobile technology.Community Involvement and Support: The partnership also emphasizes community engagement. BitMobile and The Device Store will collaborate with local communities through various initiatives, ensuring that the store's presence has a positive impact. Public participation will be encouraged through events, workshops, and promotions that highlight the store's commitment to supporting the local community.Collaborative Sales and Marketing Strategy: Working closely with other retail companies, BitMobile and The Device Store will focus on creating an excellent in-store experience. This includes top-notch product displays, signage, and a well-trained retail team equipped with extensive product knowledge and sales techniques. Inventory levels will be closely monitored to ensure consistent product availability, and a joint marketing plan will coordinate promotional activities and in-store displays.Fostering a Collaborative Environment: The partnership between BitMobile and The Device Store is built on a foundation of collaboration, aimed at addressing all opportunities to provide the best possible experience for customers. Both companies are dedicated to maintaining a strong working relationship that benefits all parties involved, from suppliers to customers.About BitMobile South Africa: BitMobile is a leading provider of innovative mobile technology solutions, specializing in blockchain-based devices that are secure, reliable, and designed for the future. With a commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible, BitMobile is at the forefront of mobile technology innovation.About The Device Store: The Device Store is one of Zambia's premier retail chains for mobile devices, offering a wide range of phones, accessories, and services. With a focus on customer satisfaction and community support, The Device Store is dedicated to providing the best products and services to its customers.For media inquiries, please contact:BitmobileChris BenedictBitmobile, South Africa1-844-724-8911 marketing@ finnovant.com Bitmobile Pty, South Africa, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Finnovant, Inc.The Device StorePhone: +260 96 6922200SOURCE: Finnovant Inc.
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Pioneering With AI Technology, #1 Garage Door Climbs the Ranks of the 2024 Inc. 5000 List, Ranking No. 3,099 Amongst the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in AmericaORLANDO, FL / ACCESSWIRE / August 19, 2024 /#1 Garage Door, the trailblazing garage door company, has been recognized in the 2024 Inc. 5000 list as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America, securing the No. 3,099 spot.This accolade is a reflection of the company's commitment to innovation, particularly in terms of adopting Artificial Intelligence, and the unrivaled customer service provided by the exceptional team, headed by owners Tristin Wurzbach and Alex Sharf, along with Office Manager Juan Bonilla, Hiring/Onboarding Manager Julie Miller, Service Tech Manager Jeremy Hornback, Operations Lead Liz Silva, and Project Manager Quinton Caspari.With its roots in Florida, #1 Garage Door has risen above the competition by integrating technology throughout its sales, marketing, and operations, becoming the only garage door company from Florida on the prestigious list. The firm's customer-centric approach, coupled with its emphasis on quality, innovation, and expedited delivery has consistently bolstered its growth and adaptability in a competitive market.Elevating the garage door industry, the company employs advanced tech solutions to offer seamless shopping experiences, efficient repairs, and reliable customer service. A dedicated home warranty-approved team of trained technicians ensures the provision of economical and warrantied work. In addition to the door repair services, the company offers expert installation of high-quality garage doors and garage door openers, with special emphasis on safety, reliability, and durability.Beyond Florida, #1 Garage Door has expanded its reach across several states, setting a high bar for the industry while continuing to serve its local community. The use of AI and other technological avenues are at the forefront of the company's roadmap, ensuring customers get an optimized experience.With this recognition, #1 Garage Door is poised to push boundaries, redefine the industry and continue serving its growing customer base with exceptional services and innovative offerings. For more detailed information about #1 Garage Door and its ranking, visit www.inc.com/inc5000 Contact InformationAlex SharfOwneralex.sharf@number1garage.com 6898081212SOURCE: #1 Garage DoorView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-20 14:01:22

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JENBACH, AUSTRIA / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / INNIO Group, including all global legal entities, has been awarded the 2024 EcoVadis' Platinum medal for the third consecutive year. This award underscores INNIO Group's measurable ESG progress in categories such as environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. At the same time, it is a huge motivation for the entire INNIO Group team to continue their efforts to be at the forefront of sustainable growth. The Platinum medal places INNIO Group, along with its Jenbacher, Waukesha, and myPlant product lines, in the top 1% of more than 130,000 companies assessed globally.INNIO Group Headquarters in Jenbach, Austria This rating marks the fifth annual review cycle of INNIO Group by EcoVadis and is a testament to the company's consistent business and sustainability strategies. The award recognizes INNIO Group's robust sustainability program and reinforces its position as a leader in delivering innovative energy solutions and services for a climate-neutral future."Earning the EcoVadis Platinum medal for the third consecutive year is a major achievement," says Dr. Olaf Berlien, President and CEO of INNIO Group. "INNIO Group sets the right priorities. We drive innovation in energy and build trust and transparency along the entire value chain. Our aim is clear: climate neutrality. We are committed to being at the forefront of the sustainability conversation." ###About INNIO GroupINNIO Group is a leading energy solution and service provider that empowers industries and communities to make sustainable energy work today. With its Jenbacher and Waukesha product brands and its AI-powered myPlant digital platform, INNIO Group offers innovative solutions for the power generation and compression segments that help industries and communities generate and manage energy sustainably while navigating the fast-changing landscape of traditional and green energy sources. With its flexible, scalable, and resilient energy solutions and services, INNIO Group enables its customers to manage the energy transition along the energy value chain wherever they are in their transition journey. INNIO Group is headquartered in Jenbach (Austria), with other primary operations in Waukesha (Wisconsin, U.S.) and Welland (Ontario, Canada).For more information, visit INNIO Group's website at innio.com . Follow INNIO Group on X (formerly known as Twitter) and LinkedIn.INNIO, Jenbacher, Waukesha, and myPlant are trademarks or registered trademarks of the INNIO Group, or one of its subsidiaries, in the European Union, the United States and in other countries. For a list of INNIO Group trademarks, please click here. All other trademarks and company names are the property of their respective owners.Contact InformationSusanne ReicheltINNIO Media Relationssusanne.reichelt@innio.com +43 664 80833 2382SOURCE: INNIO GroupView the original press release on newswire.com
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LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 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
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LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. ("Arbor" or "the Company") (NYSE:ABR) for violations of the securities laws.The investigation focuses on whether the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose information pertinent to investors. Arbor is the subject of a report issued by Viceroy Research November 17, 2023, titled, "Arbor Realty Trust - Slumlord Millionaires." According to the report, "Arbor's high-risk multifamily bridge loans, which comprise substantially all of its asset book, are going bad fast The end is near." Viceroy Research then issued a follow up report on December 5, 2023, titled "Arbor - Jacksonville Case Study." In the second report, Viceroy Research claims that the Company's "entire loan book is distressed and underlying collateral is vastly overstated." Based on this news, shares of Arbor fell by more than 5% over the next two trading sessions.If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com , or by email at bschall@ schallfirm.com The class in this case has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.CONTACT: The Schall Law FirmBrian Schall, Esq. www.schallfirm.com Office: 310-301-3335 info@ schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm
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BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / MassRobotics , the world's leading independent robotics innovation hub, announces the launch of its secondMassRobotics Accelerator , in partnership with theMassachusetts Technology Collaborative(MassTech). Following the success of the inaugural program, the upcoming accelerator will continue to support and advance robotics entrepreneurs with bespoke programming, individual mentorship, and immersion in the world-class MassRobotics ecosystem. Applications open on August 20, 2024, and the application deadline is October 25.Building on SuccessThe second MassRobotics Accelerator will once again be housed at MassRobotics headquarters in Boston's Seaport Innovation District. This 13-week program offers unparalleled access to resources, including state-of-the-art prototyping labs and expert guidance, built for startups ready to scale.In line with its nonprofit mission, the MassRobotics Accelerator remains a zero-equity program. Selected companies will receive $100,000 in non-dilutive funding to fuel their progress."Our inaugural program saw tremendous success, and this year we are ready to build upon that foundation. With an expanded curriculum and deeper industry connections, the 2025 accelerator will empower another cohort of robotics founders to push themselves and expand their businesses," said Marita McGinn, Director of the MassRobotics Accelerator program.Ten robotics startups will be selected for the accelerator, which is set to begin on February 3, 2025. These companies will benefit from a curriculum that has been further refined to address the unique challenges faced by robotics startups. This comprehensive program will cover essential areas such as value proposition, customer discovery, pitch delivery, team building, and fundraising."Being part of the MassRobotics Startup Accelerator has been crucial for our growth at Robotics 88. We have met an incredible cast of mentors who have become formal advisors in our company. The mentorship, resources, and connections we gained and the supportive network of founders this program created has helped us move forward faster and with more confidence. It was a key step in getting our company where it is today," said Erin Linebarger, CEO,Robotics88Expanding OpportunitiesThis initiative continues to build on MassRobotics' legacy of fostering innovation within the robotics sector, leveraging MassTech's ongoing commitment to advancing robotics in Massachusetts."The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative is excited to be powering the MassRobotics Accelerator for the second year with $100,000 per company in non-dilutive funding," said Peter Haas, Director, Department of Robotics at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech). "We are happy to see robotics startups setting up roots in Massachusetts to drive the growth of our vibrant robotics ecosystem and advance innovation in this sector." Key Program Highlights:Non-dilutive Funding: Selected startups will receive $100,000 in non-dilutive funding, enabling them to focus on growth without sacrificing equity.Mentorship and Guidance: Participants will have access to a network of seasoned mentors and industry experts, offering invaluable insights into refining business strategies, navigating technical challenges, scaling operations, and preparing for fundraising.World-Class Facilities: The accelerator will provide access to MassRobotics' collaborative workspace, cutting-edge prototyping labs, and specialized equipment, including CNC machines, 3D printers, laser cutters, waterjet cutters, and more.Industry Connections: Startups will gain introductions and opportunities for partnerships with leading robotics and AI companies, academic institutions, and government agencies in Massachusetts, fostering potential collaborations and investor relationships.Startup Showcase: The program will culminate in a showcase at the Robotics Summit & Expo on April 30, 2025, where participating startups will pitch to investors, industry leaders, and the tech community.Applications for the 2025 MassRobotics Accelerator are now open, with startups encouraged to apply by October 25, 2024.Media Contact:Sayo TirrellMarketing Manager, MassRobotics info@ massrobotics.org About MassRoboticsMassRobotics is the largest independent robotics hub dedicated to accelerating robotics innovation, commercialization, and adoption. Our mission is to help create and scale the next generation of successful robotics and AI technology companies by providing entrepreneurs and startups with the workspace, resources, programming, and connections they need to develop, prototype, test, and commercialize their products and solutions. While MassRobotics originated and is headquartered in Boston, we reach and support robotics acceleration and adoption globally. We work with startups, academia, industry, and governments both domestically and internationally.SOURCE: MassRobotics
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LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / Net Savings Link, Inc. (OTC PINK:NSAV), a leading Web3, blockchain and digital asset technology company, announced today exponential financial and operational achievements for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024, as filed with OTC Markets Group.Second Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights: Revenue: Revenue reached $11,694,622,474, marking an increase of 5,710% compared to the first quarter of 2024. Intangible Assets: Intangible assets rose substantially to $11,758,191,745, or $1.64 per share. This growth was a direct result of onboarding over 100 new crypto utility projects, including utility-as-a-service, blockchain development and Dapp deployment.Operational Highlights: Partnership: During the second quarter, the company entered into partnerships with the following partners:StaynexZEUS Blockchain PartnersDiVinciPayBLAQcloudsGivBuxWRIT MediaMad Hatter Society Market Expansion: While in Q1, the company began integration of onramp/offramp services for the exchange and credit card onramp capabilities for the platform, it only became approved for these services in the beginning of Q3.. Regulatory Compliance: Successfully maintained its registration with FINCEN, as well as updating applications with Lithuania, Singapore, Dubai and Ireland. The company commenced its registration process as a Money Transmitter with the State of Colorado and Puerto Rico. The licenses and Money Transmitter registration are under various stages of the review process and we expect them to be awarded in the third quarter of 2024. User Growth: In Q2 2024, the company's NSAVx CEX Exchange https://nsavx.com/ user growth exceeded 9 million users. At the end of Q2, the company purged non-active accounts to conserve system resources and bandwidth for the exchange. In doing so, the company's active users were adjusted to 431,630. The company is currently implementing direct marketing campaigns to the over 8.5 million CEX inactive users.Third Quarter 2024 Outlook and Objectives: Revenue Goals: In Q3, we intend to onramp the remaining 500 projects to the platform and subsequent ecosystem. Growth in Intangible Assets: In Q3, we plan to begin a systematic swap schedule for utility performing projects. The assets will be swapped for tier 1 tokens and coins such as BTC, ETH, BNB and any other digital assets that meet the company's objectives. Technology Development: Launch NSAVPay, NSAvip, theVAULT, V2 of Airdropx, V2 of SWOPx and DEX integration for DaPPs.Alfonso Knoll, CEO of NSAV, stated, "First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude to all our nSAVAGES and stakeholders for their unwavering support. You spread our vision for utility and integration of blockchain technologies in real world transactions, and we thank you. Q1 was strong, but Q2 exceeded some expectations. Despite challenges and distractions, our team remained focused and driven to achieve our corporate goals. As we move into Q3 and Q4, we are laying the groundwork for future growth, and we're excited about what lies ahead for our expanding ecosystem." About Net Savings Link, Inc.: NSAV's vision is the establishment of a fully integratedtechnology company, which provides turnkey technological solutions to the Web3, blockchain and digital asset industries. The Company drives innovation in the digital currency space by developing advanced blockchain technologies, digital assets, and market solutions that bridge the gap between traditional business frameworks and the future of decentralized technology. Over time, the Company plans to provide a wide range of services such as software solutions, e-commerce, financial services, advisory services and information technology.For further information please contact NSAV at info@ nsavholdinginc.com For further information please contact NSAVx.com at hello@ nsavxmail.com The NSAV corporate website can be accessed at https://www.netsavingslinkinc.com The NSAV CEX website can be accessed at https://nsavx.com/ TheAlley.io can be accessed at https://www.thealley.io The NSAV Stock information website can be accessed at https://www.nsavstock.com The NSAVx Token website can be accessed at https://www.nsavxtoken.com/nsavx-token The NSAVx Discord Server can be accessed at https://discord.com/invite/7Q2Vv5NmKd The NSAV Twitter account can be accessed at https://twitter.com/nsav_tech This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, the ability of Net Savings Link, Inc. to accomplish its stated plan of business. Net Savings Link, Inc. believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward- looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by Net Savings Link, Inc. or any other person.ContactNet Savings Link, Inc. info@ nsavholdinginc.com Media ContactOrganization: Net Savings Link IncContact Person Name: James TiltonWebsite: https://www.nsavholdinginc.com Email: info@ nsavholdinginc.com Contact Number: +17185698815Address: 26 Grosvenor Street, MayfairAddress 2: W1K4QWCity: LondonCountry: United KingdomSOURCE: Net Savings Link Inc
PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-20 04:51:13

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NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / August 19, 2024 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have untilAugust 30, 2024to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Seritage Growth Properties ("Seritage" or the "Company") (NYSE:SRG), if they purchased the Company's securities between July 7, 2022 and May 10, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of Seritage and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-srg/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court byAugust 30, 2024 .About the LawsuitSeritage and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On August 14, 2023, the Company disclosed a "material weakness" in its internal control over financial reporting "due to a deficiency in the design of our control over the identification of impairment indicators for investments in real estate and documentation of evidence of review" related "to the failure to identify potential indicators of impairment related to development projects in a timely manner." On this news, the price of Seritage's shares fell $0.86, or 9.67%, to close at $8.03 per share on August 15, 2023, on unusually heavy trading volume.Then, on May 10, 2024, the Company released its 1Q2024 financial results, disclosing that it was "adjusting [its] pricing projections for some of [its] assets" resulting in the gross value of the Company's portfolio of assets being reduced by at least $325 million. On this news, the price of Seritage's shares fell $2.54, or 27.3%, to close at $6.78 per share on May 13, 2024, on unusually heavy trading volume.The case is He v. Seritage Growth Properties, et al., No. 1:24-cv-05007.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, Delaware, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com Contact:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partner lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com 1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
By Einar Tangen China's contribution to the world has two distinct phases.

In the past, China contributed to the world by inventing paper, after which books, kites and paper money were possible. It pioneered iron and bronze production allowing the creation of seed drills, row planting, movable type, the compass, mechanical clocks and earthquake detectors. Gunpowder changed the military balance of power, while tea, porcelain and traditional Chinese medicine altered how people lived. Intellectually, a variety of influences, including Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism, influenced the way people thought. The opening up policy of the late 1970s was embraced because China needed to learn if it was going to rejuvenate the country, and signaled the second phase of the country's major contributions to the world. Between the late 1970s and 2000, China was a student, its best and the brightest venturing abroad to seek knowledge and understand the modern world. Between 2000 and 2010, China transitioned from student to partner, contributing through joint research and development programs to the understanding of particle physics with scientists like the Nobel laureate Tsung-Dao Lee and the "First Lady of Physics" Wu Chien-Shiung. Since 2010, China, while still learning, has become an innovator and teacher. It now leads the world in research publications recognized as high quality, and produces many more engineers than the United States. By all measures, research spending in China is soaring. In March 2023, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) stated that China is leading in 37 of 44 critical or emerging technologies. China has accomplished this by creating research institutions, investing in research and development, and relying on the hard work and competitive forces that have taken it to the forefront of applied technology in consumer driven markets like cellphones and appliances. It has also established economic and technological development zones, industry clusters and joint ventures that quickly move innovations from the mind to the consumer. In medicine, China's researchers and doctors moved from learning to mastering and teaching microsurgery, developing carbon ion therapy, implantable left ventricular assists, implantable sacral nerve stimulation, endoscopic single-site surgery systems, and the rapid genome sequencing and development of multiple COVID-19 vaccines. In communications, the inexpensive cellphones powering the economies of developing nations; 5G and 6G, cloud computing, electronic mobile payments systems, IOT and sensors, continue to change the way the world accesses, uses, orders and pays for information. In engineering, the rapid and cost-effective transformation of China and other countries through infrastructure projects that link and empower people and countries, has created opportunities allowing developing nations to outgrow the developed nations that once controlled them. On a human scale, China's scientific advancements have been and continue to be shared through various government programs, like eradicating extreme poverty and expanding the safety net in terms of health and pensions. The systems that support these projects have been developed over years, involving social credit score systems that identify those who engage in fraud and rewards those who do not. Unfortunately, China's advancement is seen by the United States as a threat to its dominance and hegemony  a dominance long maintained by hoarding scientific and technological developments, while seeking often exorbitant rents. In 2018, the Trump administration rolled out its "China Initiative," signaling the end of an era of open learning and cooperation not only between the U.S. and China, but the entire world. The Biden administration has continued along the same trajectory, with failed prosecutions of Chinese scientists, and restrictions on finance, technology, companies and individuals, repeating daily the mantra of the China security threat. Since 2018, joint publications have dropped in overall numbers worldwide, Chinese academics are less willing to come to the U.S., and Chinese researchers in the U.S. are increasingly likely to return home. In 2023, the number of joint research papers between American and Chinese scientists dropped for the first time in three decades. At a time when science is sorely needed to solve climate, energy and health issues, the U.S. is shutting the door to China and the rest of the world. On the question of whether you should control or share knowledge, on one side are politicians who know little about science and believe it should be controlled, while on the other side, is the vast majority of scientists who understand that it needs to be shared. In 2014, Francis Collins, president of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), speaking at Fudan University in Shanghai, said, "Science has no borders because knowledge belongs to all humankind." China has now graduated and will continue to learn and share, contributing to a world of shared values and progress  the only question is will it be met with more resistance or embraced? As one door on the U.S. side closes, China's door continues to open wider. Einar Tangen is a political and economic affairs commentator, author and columnist. Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
An 18-year-old former Potlatch High School student will be sentenced later this year for a rape conviction in Latah County.

Mackayla Smith changed her plea Wednesday in Latah County District Court. She agreed to an Alford Plea, which will show up as a guilty plea on her record. According to court records, Smith does not agree to all the facts of the case but believes the state has enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt at a trial.
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TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / STAN AI, the largest AI assistant for property managers and community association managers in North America, announces the appointment of Robert Maissan as the new Director of Software Engineering. Robert will oversee the development team at STAN and the company's efforts to drive innovation and excellence in cutting-edge AI assistant technology.Robert Maissan Director of Software Engineering @ STAN AIRobert brings more than 18 years of software development leadership experience to STAN, having held senior positions at Amazon Web Services (AWS) and the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), the country's largest bank. During his tenure at Amazon, Robert led the engineering team behind the company's Tier 1 services, the codebase that Amazon relies on for the successful order and delivery of packages from its 200+ global distribution centers to its consumers each day. Robert has also led teams to develop compliance and security architecture at Canada's largest bank to help safeguard and protect sensitive data.In his new role at STAN, Robert will focus on enhancing the development of the company's suite of advanced intelligence solutions for the community association management and property management industries. His work will help the team continue to scale internationally to meet the needs of STAN's rapidly growing customer base."We are thrilled to welcome Robert to the STAN team," stated Max Gajdel, Co-Founder of STAN. "Robert's experience will help us continue to develop industry-first AI solutions for community managers, and help accelerate our expansion." Bogdan Raic, Co-Founder of STAN, added, "With nearly two decades of software development expertise, Robert strengthens our commitment to excellence in the community management space." Robert expressed his enthusiasm about joining STAN, saying, "STAN is revolutionizing community association management, making it more seamless and efficient. I'm looking forward to helping advance STAN's suite of intelligence products while reinforcing our position as the market leader in this space." About STAN AISTAN AI is the leading AI assistant platform for property managers and community association managers, and is trusted by more than 15,000 communities across the United States and Canada. Founded by former property managers Max Gajdel and Bogdan Raic, the company operates internationally from its headquarters in Toronto, Canada, and offers a complete suite of AI solutions for managers.For more information, visit www.stan.ai Contact InformationAnthony IvanovskyHead of Operationsanthony@ stan.ai +1 866-996-7826SOURCE: STAN AIView the original press release on newswire.com
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LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / Star Alliance International Corp. (OTC PINK:STAL), ("STAR or the Company"). On May 17, 2024, Star Alliance International signed documentation for a $25 million line of Credit with Keystone Capital Partners, LLC ("Keystone") and Star filed the 8-K at the same time.Around May 8, 2024. Star received a "No Comment" confirmation from the SEC regarding Star's S1 filing, however due to the suspension of the auditor that audited our 2022 and 2023 financial statements, the S1 was rejected by the SEC and has not become effective. The suspension of our auditor had nothing to do with the audits of Star's financial statements and now Star is reauditing the 2023 financial statements and is also auditing the 2024 financial statements. Once complete these two audited reports will allow us to refile the S1 registration document.To date, Keystone has not provided any funding from the line of credit that was signed on May 17, 2024. This has put stress on the Company and its ability to grow the company as planned in our initially estimated timelines.We are still working with Keystone and are hopeful that Keystone will eventually fund the Company but for now we are moving forward as if this will not happen in the short term.The good news, however, is that Star continues to raise funding through alternative sources, albeit with different terms. We will close Net Simple and HRAspirin very shortly. We have invested in the AI project and will continue to do so with the launch imminent. We are working on an independent report of the Genesis system, currently negotiating with a number of internationally respected companies that will place bids to complete this work, and lastly we are diligently working to complete our 2023 and 2024 audits. Progress on the development and testing of the Genesis system, which we believe will be breakthrough technology for the mining industry, has been overwhelmingly positive.We have made changes to the Board with further changes to come. Soon we will introduce at least one highly experienced individual to our team. We have also continued progress on our gold-backed digital asset which we anticipate to launch in Europe. As the price of gold continues to rise, it puts the company in a better bargaining position with additional funders and interested parties.Despite these challenges, the company remains optimistic for the future. There have been no negative changes to our planned growth pipeline and the negotiated acquisitions remain intact. While issues with Keystone have impacted our timeline on completing these acquisitions, they have not impacted the direction for the company. By working with more agreeable parties for funding, Star continues to believe the company will enter 2025 as cash flow positive.Anthony Anish, CEO of Star Alliance International Corp., commented, "To date we have tried our best to be transparent letting our shareholders know the good and the bad. We continue to work hard with Keystone to fund, but to date that has not been possible. We are hoping that their team will, in the near future, come up with the formula that enables us to fund from their line as well as fund from other sources. his Company will succeed in spite of the difficulties placed on it by the retroactive decision made by the SEC relating to our 2022 and 2023 audits which has delayed our S 1 and the lack of funding from Keystone." Richard Carey, The Chairman and President of Star Alliance International Corp. stated, With all the difficulties we are still standing and continue to grow. Gold prices have increased significantly increasing the value of the gold resources located at the Troy mine. This will, in the near future, result in increased profit when we are able to restart mining the gold. We continue to be excited and driven to succeed while increasing shareholder value." About Star Alliance International Corp.Star Alliance International Corp. ("the Company" or "STAL") was incorporated in the State of Nevada on April 17, 2014, under the laws of the State of Nevada.Star Alliance International Corp. is a Worldwide Holding Company with a mine in California and other assets ready to be acquired. In addition, Star searches out innovative technologies that are eco-friendly including "Genesis," our environmentally safe gold and other mineral extraction system.The Genesis extraction system extracts minerals from oxide and complex ores much faster than other processes in an environmentally safe manner. We plan to close this transaction as soon as possible.We have also agreed terms to acquire controlling interests in two entities for our Fintech division and we are negotiating final terms for the acquisition of an interest in AIEnglishGPT, the artificial intelligence platform.Our work on our digital asset, backed by gold, continues, as we prepare paperwork for regulatory approvals.The Company anticipates continued expansion of our efforts domestically and abroad, with a particularly keen focus on mining technologies for precious metals and rare earth minerals, as well as other innovative technologies.It is Star Alliance International Corp.'s goal to become an exciting well-rounded many-faceted company with a sophisticated corporate structure that allows for more transparency to our shareholders. Our planned diversification, paired with a sensible approach, will result in the absolute best possible outcomes and the highest possible value for our shareholders.Safe Harbor and Informational StatementThis press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 21E of the Security Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), including all statements that are not statement of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things: (i) the company's financing plans; (ii) trends affecting the company's financial conditions or results of operations; (iii): the company's growth strategy and operating strategy; and (iv) the declaration and payment of dividends.The words "may", "would", "will", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "intend", and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statement is not a guarantee of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors including the risk disclosed in the company's statements and report
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After founding both brands and many years of service, Derek Deubel will be retiring from his role as VP/GM of TechniBlend and ProBrew. Tom Lex, former Head of Engineering and Operations at TechniBlend, promoted to role.WAUKESHA, WI / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / TechniBlend proudly announces the retirement of TechniBlend's Derek Deubel and the promotion of Tom Lex to Derek's former position as Vice President and General Manager of TechniBlend and ProBrew.Picture of the TechniBlend Office in Waukesha, WI Picture of the TechniBlend Office in Waukesha, WI Celebrating Derek Deubel's LegacyAfter more than 30 years of exceptional service in the food & beverage industry, Derek Deubel has decided to retire. He founded TechniBlend in 2008, bringing unparalleled dedication, expertise, and a passion for innovation and customer service. Throughout his career, Derek has been instrumental in the advancement of the food and beverage business. Under his guidance, TechniBlend has grown into an industry leader in the beverage and liquid processing technology area."Derek's contributions to TechniBlend have been invaluable," said Tom Lex, new VP/GM of TechniBlend and ProBrew. "He has been a cornerstone of our success, and his commitment and leadership will be deeply missed." Derek Deubel's colleagues and friends at TechniBlend wish him all the best in his retirement and future endeavors. A retirement celebration in honor of Derek will be held in September.Welcoming Tom Lex to a New RoleIn conjunction with this announcement, TechniBlend is pleased to announce the promotion of Tom Lex to the position of Vice President and General Manager of TechniBlend and ProBrew. Tom Lex has been with the company for five years and has demonstrated exceptional skill, leadership, and a commitment to the company's values."Tom Lex has consistently shown outstanding performance and dedication," said Deubel. "His promotion is well-deserved, and we are confident that he will continue to drive our company's success in his new role." Tom Lex expressed excitement about the new role, stating, "I am honored to take on this new challenge and look forward to continuing to contribute to the success of TechniBlend. I am grateful for the support and mentorship I have received from Derek and am committed to upholding the high standards he has set." About TechniBlendTechniBlend is a recognized market leader in the beverage, brewing, personal care, and liquid processing and production industries. TechniBlend designs, manufactures, and supports high-quality, fully automated systems and solutions including turnkey ingredient batching and blending systems, multi-stream inline and continuous blending systems, deaeration and carbonation solutions, and alcohol and non-alcohol processing units, as well as pasteurization technologies for the food and beverage markets. TechniBlend also operates a subsidiary brand ProBrew, a leading supplier to the craft brewing and beverage industry of equipment. As part of the ProMach Systems and Integration business line, TechniBlend helps our processing customers protect and grow the reputation and trust of their consumers. ProMach is performance, and the proof is in every package. Learn more about TechniBlend at www.TechniBlend.com and more about ProMach at ProMachBuilt.com About ProMachProMach is a family of best-in-class packaging solution brands serving manufacturers of all sizes and geographies in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, and household and industrial goods industries. ProMach brands operate across the entire packaging spectrum: filling, bottling and capping, decorative labeling, flexibles and trays, pharma, handling and sterilizing, labeling and coding, and robotics end of line. ProMach also provides systems and integration including turnkey solutions, design/build, engineering services, and productivity software to optimize packaging line design and deliver maximum uptime.ProMach designs, manufactures, integrates, and supports the most sophisticated and advanced packaging solutions in the global marketplace. Its diverse customer base, from Fortune 500 companies to smaller, privately-held businesses worldwide, depends on reliable, flexible, technologically advanced equipment and integrated solutions. ProMach is headquartered near Cincinnati, Ohio, with manufacturing facilities and offices throughout North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. For more information about ProMach, visit www.ProMachBuilt.com and for more information on ProMach Careers, visit www.ProMachCareers.com ###Media ContactEvan Rusch | Marketing ManagerTechniBlend evan.rusch@promachbuilt.com 262-722-8064Contact InformationEvan Rusch Marketing Managerevan.rusch@promachbuilt.com 262.484.4090SOURCE: TechniBlendView the original press release on newswire.com
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SCOTTSDALE, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / The landscape of the CBD industry in China is set to undergo a transformative shift with the introduction of new regulations effective September 1st. According to a recent memo from the USDA, CBD is among seven substances now integrated into China's "precursor chemicals management system." This change, based on an official Chinese government announcement, marks a significant development for the industry.US alerts hemp sector to new Chinese CBD regulations Under these new guidelines, CBD's production, operation, purchase, transportation, import, and export activities will be governed by the stringent regulations applicable to non-pharmaceutical precursor chemicals. Importantly, CBD now holds a defined classification within China's internal "harmonized tariff system," offering clarity and structure for the market.The USDA memo highlights a critical advancement: with the proper applications filed in accordance with People's Republic of China (PRC) regulations, CBD can now be legally produced and marketed nationwide. This expansion moves beyond the previous limitations, which restricted production to the Yunnan and Heilongjiang provinces.US alerts hemp sector to new Chinese CBD regulations ( mjbizdaily.com) Lisa Nelson, President & CEO of CBDL, expressed major interest about these new CBD policies stating, "Now is the best time to strike deals in the CBD sector overseas in China. We are already working with wholesalers, distributors, retail and working with merchant banks to locate new businesses for the CBD sector. Engaging in these conversations are early as possible will give us a head start into closing huge deals overseas that can lift our revenues much higher and become a top company in the CBD space." The CBD Vault Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of CBD Life Sciences Inc. The CBD Vault has developed and is retailing/wholesale a full line of cannabidiol based & organic products including, Delta 8 & 10 Gummy's, Full Spectrum Tinctures & Gummy's, Pain Cream, Roll-on's, Salve, Full Pet Line, Pre-Rolls, Full Line of Spa Products, Sleep & Anxiety Edibles. The CBD Vault's products can be viewed and purchased on the Company's website www.thecbdvault.com Follow our social media for the latest updates!X: https://www.x.com/CBDL_StockOTC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbd.vault IR Contact: cbdvaultaz@ gmail.com Forward-Looking Statements Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements and are subject to risks and uncertainties. See CBD Life Sciences, Inc's, Inc.'s filings with OTC Markets, which may identify specific factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.Safe Harbor Statement This release includes forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and reflects management's current expectations. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. Some of these factors include: general global economic conditions; general industry and market conditions, sector changes and growth rates; uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; increasing competition; availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of services; changes in the economy; changes in laws and regulations, including codes and standards, intellectual property rights, and tax matters; or other matters not anticipated; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships and distribution agreements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships and distribution agreements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.Contact Information Lisa NelsonCEOcbdvaultaz@ gmail.com 4802091720SOURCE: CBD Life Sciences Inc.
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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / Levi & Korsinsky notifies investors that it has commenced an investigation of The Chemours Company ("The Chemours Company") (NYSE:CC) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws.Chemours issued a press release on August 1, 2024, reporting its financial results for the second quarter of 2024. Among other items, Chemours reported non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.38, missing consensus estimates by $0.20. The Company advised that it "anticipates a low to mid-single digit sequential decline in Net Sales for the third quarter," citing "[r]esidual impacts from Q2 unplanned downtime at our Altamira, Mexico manufacturing site" in its Titanium Technologies segment; "[r]efrigerant seasonality paired with weaker Freon Refrigerants pricing in its Thermal & Specialized Solutions segment; and "[a] continued modest recovery in" its Advanced Performance Materials segment.Following this news, Chemours's stock price dropped over 11% on August 2, 2024. To obtain additional information, go to:or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com or by telephone at (212)363-7500.WHY LEVI & KORSINSKY: Over the past 20 years, Levi & Korsinsky LLP has established itself as a nationally-recognized securities litigation firm that has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders and built a track record of winning high-stakes cases. The firm has extensive expertise representing investors in complex securities litigation and a team of over 70 employees to serve our clients. For seven years in a row, Levi & Korsinsky has ranked in ISS Securities Class Action Services' Top 50 Report as one of the top securities litigation firms in the United States. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212)363-7500 Fax: (212)363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP
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~ Vitamin Energy 8 Hour Sleep Shot Recognized in the Relaxation Shots' Category ~WILMINGTON, DE / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2024 / Vitamin Energy, a leader in the energy supplement market, is proud to announce its latest accolade: a Gold Medal in C-Store Decisions' prestigious Hot New Products of 2024 Contest. The award-winning product, Vitamin Energy 8 Hour Sleep Shot, clinched the top spot in the highly competitive Relaxation Shots' category, solidifying its position as a market leader in health and wellness solutions.C-Store Decisions' Hot New Products contest is one of the most anticipated events in the convenience store industry, highlighting innovative and game-changing products that stand out in a crowded market. This year, Vitamin Energy 8 Hour Sleep Shot caught the judges' attention with its unique formulation, combining relaxation and sleep support in a convenient, easy-to-consume shot."We are beyond excited to be chosen for this award by C-Store Decisions," said Jake Greenway, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Vitamin Energy. "We pride ourselves on creating better for you' innovative products for our customers and it's great to see 8 Hour Sleep get the recognition it deserves. We want to thank CSD for this huge honor and can't wait to continue to grow the brand for many years to come." Vitamin Energy has consistently pushed the boundaries of what energy supplements can achieve, and the 8 Hour Sleep Shot is no exception. Designed for individuals seeking a natural, effective way to unwind and get restful sleep, the product delivers a carefully balanced blend of vitamins, nutrients, and herbal extracts. This innovative formula not only promotes relaxation but also ensures users wake up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day.Winning the Gold Medal in the Relaxation Shots' category is a significant milestone for Vitamin Energy, as it highlights the brand's dedication to product excellence and consumer satisfaction. This recognition from C-Store Decisions, a leading authority in the convenience store industry, reinforces the brands reputation as a trusted and innovative brand.As the demand for health and wellness products continues to rise, Vitamin Energy remains committed to expanding its product lineup with solutions that cater to the evolving needs of consumers.About Vitamin EnergySay hello to Vitamin Energy. Whether at work or play, now you can conveniently get your vitamins while boosting energy levels for up to 7+ hours with no sugar crash later. Our vitamin supplements are always non-GMO, sugar free, keto friendly, made in the USA and taste great. Explore our energy drink shots and vitamin supplements for vitamin intake, energy boosts, immune health support, mood support, focus support, mood support and fitness boosts. Vitamin Energy is available to purchase online at Amazon, Walmart, and GNC, along with a variety of in-store retailers across the U.S. For more information, visitwww.vitaminenergy.comor follow @vitaminenergy on social.Media Contact:Jake Greenway1-800-420-3106SOURCE: Vitamin Energy, Inc.
As Nigerians grapple with soaring petrol prices and widespread scarcity, the firm currently responsible for importing petrol into Nigeria has controversially changed its ownership.

The downstream arm of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Retail) officially no longer exists after it asked a court to transfer its ownership and properties to a firm it claimed to have bought.

PREMIUM TIMES reported NNPCLs controversial purchase of OVH Energy Marketing Limited and how the purchased company essentially took over the management of the buyer, which an NNPC insider described as the most ridiculous business acquisition in the world.

NNPCL bought OVH from Nueoil Energy Limited a month after Nueoil Energy acquired OVH in September 2022.

However, two months ago, the three firms  NNPC Retail, OVH and Nueoil  jointly filed a petition at the Federal High Court in Lagos. In it, they asked the court to grant eight orders, including an order that NNPC Retail and Nueoil be dissolved without being wound up and that the resultant company from the scheme shall be OVH.

The court granted all the eight orders.

The courts decision was then published in the official gazette of the Nigerian government.

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Justice C.J. Aneke delivered the ruling, which was based on a petition filed on 24 June by NNPC Retail Limited, Nueoil Energy Limited, and OVH Energy Marketing Limited.

The affidavit of suit No: FHC/L/CS/921/2024 was deposed by Valentina Ine Kodjo-Soroh.

Meanwhile, the affidavit, with 17 exhibits attached and a written address signed by Abimbola Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was filed at the court registry in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The Prayers

According to the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the courts order, published on 18 July in Punch Newspaper, the petitioners requested the court to sanction their merger as agreed upon by their shareholders during a court-ordered meeting.

The petitioners further asked that all tax attributes, unutilised capital allowances, tax losses, withholding tax credits and other refunds available, but excluding the Nueoil Energy shares in the OVH Energy Marketing Limited, liabilities and business undertakings, including real property and intellectual property rights of the NNPC Retail and Nueoil Energy Limited be transferred to the OVH Energy Marketing Limited subject to the terms and conditions set out in the scheme without any further act or deed.

The petitioners also sought the cancellation of the entire share capital of NNPC Retail and Nueoil Energy Limited and requested that all legal proceedings, claims and litigations pending or contemplated by or against the NNPC Retail and Nueoil Energy Limited be continued by or against the OVH Energy Marketing Limited after the scheme becomes effective.

Additionally, they asked for an order to dissolve NNPC Retail and Nueoil Energy Limited without being wound up. They also sought an order that the resultant company from the scheme shall be OVH Energy Marketing Limited.

They told the court that the merger should be effective from 1 January 2024.

They also told the court to make such incidental, consequential, and supplemental orders as necessary to ensure that the merger is fully and effectively implemented.

The Ruling

Justice Aneke granted all the prayers of the petitioners, ordering that the merger be effective from 1 January. The court also mandated that all necessary incidental, consequential, and supplemental orders be made to ensure the full and effective implementation of the merger.

The court also made the following orders to carry the merger into effect.

That an order is hereby made that all assets (including all tax attributes, unutilised capital allowances, tax losses, withholding tax credits and other refunds available, but excluding the 2nd petitioners shares in the 3rd petitioner), liabilities and business undertakings, including real property and intellectual property rights of the 1st and 2nd petitioners be transferred to the 3rd petitioner subject to the terms and conditions set out in the scheme without any further act or deed.

That an order is hereby made that the entire share capital of the 1st and 2nd petitioners be cancelled. That an order is hereby made that all legal proceedings, claims and litigations pending or contemplated by or against the 1st and 2nd petitioners be continued by or against the 3rd petitioner after the scheme becomes effective.

That an order is hereby made that the 1st and 2nd petitioners be dissolved without being wound up. That an order is hereby made that the resultant company from the scheme shall be the 3rd petitioner, the judge ruled.

The ruling signifies that NNPC retail, which is currently responsible for importing virtually all of Nigerias petrol, no longer exists and is now wholly owned by OVH Energy Marketing Limited.

Background

NNPC Ltd. announced in October 2022 the acquisition of OVH Energy Marketing Limiteds downstream assets. This acquisition would merge OVH Energy with NNPC Retail, a subsidiary of NNPC Ltd.

The assets acquired from the company, which operates Oando filling stations, also include a reception jetty with 240,000 metric tonnes monthly capacity and eight liquefied petroleum gas plants, three lube blending plants, three aviation depots, and 12 warehouses.

But in June 2023, PREMIUM TIMES investigation on the acquisition exposed the secret deals and the complicated ownership structure that left managerial control of NNPC Retail in the hands of OVH Energy Marketing.

The report also exposed that OVH Energy Marketing may not have owned as many filling stations as it claimed during the merger talks.

In addition, the report highlighted how Huub Stokman, an expatriate and former Chief Executive Officer of OVH Energy, emerged as the new Managing Director of NNPC Retail, a development that further compounded the structure of NNPC Retail.

This newspaper also found out that the acquisition of OVH Energy had turned NNPC Retail into a toxic workspace, with officials of the former taking over the latters running.

Did we acquire them, or did they acquire us? How come they are now the ones in the management, one NNPC Retail staff told this newspaper.

In July 2023, the House of Representatives, following the adoption of a motion moved by Miriam Onuoha (APC, Imo), directed NNPC Ltd to suspend the acquisition pending an investigation by its committee.

Consequently, the House set up an ad-hoc committee with Hassan Nalabraba (APC, Nasarawa) as the chairman and commenced an investigation into the controversial deal in September 2023.

The ad-hoc committee requested the NNPC Ltd to furnish it with information about registration documents/history from CAC for OVH, Nueoil, and NNPC Retail Limited (NRL), Board Resolution of NNPC Ltd on purchase of OVH, Audited Financial Statement and Management Accounts from 2015 to Date OVH, Nueoil, NRL and NNPC Ltd and the payroll from 2015 to date for NRL and OVH, Board Resolution of NRL/CHQ for movement of head office to Lagos and evidence of Tax Payments for NRL and OVH from 2015 to date.

The committee also requested documents on all financial transactions associated with the acquisition, including payment records and fund transfers.

In September 2023, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Mele Kyari, while appearing before the committee investigating the acquisition, said NNPC Ltd now operates like a private limited liability company and entered the commercial relationship with OVH to take over market shares in the downstream petroleum market shares. He said NNPC Ltd did nothing wrong in the acquisition.

Meanwhile, some NNPC Retail concerned staff, in a letter dated 25 September 2023, addressed to the chairman of the House Committee, and signed on their behalf by Mohammed Muazuo, noted that the request by the committee was not met.

In October 2023, Mr Nalabraba presented a report on the investigation.

In February, the House of Representatives dissolved the committee investigating the controversial acquisition after the panel presented a report many lawmakers described as suspicious and shabby. The task was subsequently transferred to the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) for a fresh investigation.

In January, NNPC Ltd announced that it was unable to complete the OVH acquisition. It said it intends to apply for operating licenses for the facilities under OVH Energy Marketing Limited.

NNPC Speaks

Olufemi Soneye, the chief corporate communications officer of NNPC Ltd, confirmed the court order to PREMIUM TIMES.

He said the mandate of NNPC Retail and the working conditions of its staff remain unchanged.

The working conditions of NNPC Retail staff remain unchanged following the court order. The mandate of NNPC Retail also remains consistent, ensuring energy security across its retail outlets nationwide and continuing to serve its customers effectively, Mr Soneye wrote in a text response to our enquiry.

Workers at NNPC Retail told PREMIUM TIMES that they are aware of the court order and the gazette but are yet to be officially informed.

I am aware of the gazette, its criminal, one staff member told this newspaper. They have not informed us officially about it. It is part of their plans to take over the company.

Nothing has changed in the working conditions of NNPC Retail. You see, its a gradual process for them to take over NNPC retail; thats their plan, the aggrieved staff member said, asking not to be named for fear of victimisation.

He expressed optimism that the whole acquisition will be challenged in court in the future.

Another staff member questioned how a profit-making NNPC Retail before the acquisition was now subservient to OVH, which NNPC Retail bought.

It is the most ridiculous business acquisition in the world, whether in the oil and gas or banking sector, the source said. We bought them because we were making profits and needed expansion and they were struggling. Now they own us. How do you explain that? One day, Nigerians will know the truth about this NNPC-OVH saga.

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Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) says its quoted equity shares (at fair value) leapt to N11.9 billion in 2023 from N4.2 billion in 2022.

Details of its audited accounts released on Tuesday reflect the companys stakes in First Bank Nigeria Limited, Nestle Plc, Cadbury Plc, Unilever Plc, Nigerian German Chemical Plc and Schlumberger.

Its unquoted equity shares (at fair value) climbed to N1.2 trillion from N467.2 billion, indicating its shareholding in Dangote Refinery and Afreximbank.

In July, Africas richest person Aliko Dangote said NNPC cut its stake in Dangote Refinery to 7.2 per cent from the planned 20 per cent. The development was later confirmed by Mele Kyari, NNPC boss, who said the state-owned oil company opted for a lower stake to enable it to invest in compressed natural gas.

The firm also posted a moderate increase (30.7 per cent) in net profit to N3.3 trillion last year, even though top line expanded by almost three times.

The state oil company reported a revenue of N24 trillion, which compares to N8.8 trillion a year earlier, on the back of a fourfold jump in revenue from crude oil sales, its chief source of income which alone contributed roughly 59 per cent of turnover.

Revenue derived strength from petroleum product sales and sales of natural gas.

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Selling and distribution expenses soared nearly six times to N132.6 billion, driven by marketing & distribution costs, which surged to N94 billion from N2.1 billion.

General and administrative expenses climbed 75.5 per cent to N3 trillion within the year, spurred by an exchange loss of approximately N900 billion. A notable pressure point here was employee benefit expenses, which more than doubled to N584 billion from a year ago.

NNPC spent N166.5 billion on repairs and maintenance within the review period relative to N124.3 billion in 2022. The four refineries operated by the company have been shut down for revamp and turn-around maintenance for years, and have missed a couple of restart schedules.

In July, CEO Mele Kyari told the Senate that the Port Harcourt Refining Company would resume operation early this month.

Specific to NNPC refineries, we have spoken to a number of your committees, and it is impossible to have the Kaduna refinery come into operation before December, it will get to December, both Warri and Kaduna, but that of Port Harcourt will commence production early August this year, he said.

Other income, for the period under review, rose to N2 trillion from N1.2 trillion, boosted by a 1,206 per cent improvement in management fees. NNPCLs management fees represent 30 per cent of profit oil and profit gas from production sharing contracts.

Pre-tax profit accelerated 231.5 per cent to N6 trillion. A substantial tax liability of N2.7 trillion compared to a tax credit of N717.1 trillion in 2022 strained bottom line, causing net profit to moderately increase to N3.3 trillion from N2.5 trillion.

In 2022, NNPC announced plans to launch its initial public offer in the middle of 2023 after transforming from a government-run entity into a commercial company limited by shares. The proposal has been stalled ever since.

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has explained why it reduced its stake in the Dangote Refinery.

The NNPC Ltd, in its 2023 audited financial statement, said in September 2021, it proposed to acquire 20 per cent interest in Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Free Zone Enterprise (DPRP FZE).

It explained that the interest, worth $2.76 billion, was financed by a forward sale agreement of $1.036 billion from Lekki Refinery Funding Limited of which $1 billion was paid to Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Free Zone Enterprise (DPRP FZE).

This investment, it said, was initially held by NNPC Greenfield Limited (a special purpose vehicle 100 per cent owned by NNPC) in trust for NNPC Limited.

Due to restructuring of the NNPC Limited Post PIA era, the function of this unit has been moved to NNPC Downstream Investment Service (NDIS).

The balance of the cost of equity investments made in DPRP FZE, which is USD1.76 billion has been agreed to be paid in cash instead of the proposed crude discount of $2.5/bbl on the official selling price of crude oil.

As at 31 December 2023, NNPC Limited holds a 7.25 per cent interest in DPRP FZE, the NNPC Ltd said in its report.

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Apparently, NNPC Ltd was unable to make the cash payment and thus stuck to owning only 7.2 per cent stake in the refinery.

NNPC Ltd. said last month that it now owns a 7.2 per cent stake in the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote refinery.

The oil firm made this known in reaction to a statement by the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, that NNPC no longer owns a 20 per cent stake in the Dangote refinery.

Speaking at a press briefing at the refinery at the time, Mr Dangote said NNPC Ltd now owns only 7.2 per cent stake in the refinery due to its failure to pay the balance of its share, which was due in June.

Confirming the development in a statement, the NNPC Ltd said its period assessment of the investment portfolio led to the decline in its share of the refinery.

The 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Petroleum Refinery commenced production of diesel and aviation fuel in January.

The company made a further move towards the commencement of the production of refined petroleum products with the receipt of an additional one million barrels of bonny light crude supplied by NNPC Ltd.

In April, the company commenced supplying petroleum products to the local market.

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The unexpected cast of award-winning British-Nigerian actor Wale Ojo, veteran actor Hanks Anuku, and the Ghanaian social media sensation Shatta Bandle in Wale Ojos second directorial project, This Is Not A Nollywood Movie, is sure to pique your interest.

Nigerian skitmaker Broda Shagga and BBNaija star Boma Apkore are cast members of the film.

The movie would serve as a worthy comeback for Hanks, who recently lamented how a 2022 viral video portraying him as mad ruined his career.

At the time, his colleague, Shan George, debunked the claims and said the video was a scene from a movie shot in Coming to Onitsha, wherein Hanks portrayed a crazy American returning to be a king.

Its an unusual cast, no doubt. Still, the filmmaker who announced the project on his Instagram handle said the satirical film would have several twists and turns determined to capture the audiences attention.

Dont be fooled by the title; its tongue-in-cheek; its all about laughs because I believe laughter is an orgasm of the heart, and that is this films purpose and aim.

Presenting my second directorial feature, This Is Not A Nollywood Movie. This satirical film is an explosive comedy that promises its way to your hearts through joy and laughter, the Breath of Life star wrote.

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Wale Ojo

A 2024 AMVCA Best Lead Actor recipient, Wale began acting at age eight alongside established actors like Akin Lewis at the WNTV Ibadan series Why Worry.

At 12, he moved to England with his family, where he attended university.

Born into an influential family, he revealed that his best memories were visiting his grandmothers Flamingo Hotel in Ekpoma, in Edo State.

Having worked with Wole Soyinka on and off for 30 years, he was recently chosen to embody the Nobel Laureate in the highly anticipated film adaptation of The Man Died.

The Man Died (1972) is a prose account of Wole Soyinkas arrest and 22-month imprisonment as a political prisoner. It is also a poignant reflection on the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970).

He says its the high point of his 46-year-old acting career. He is also a musician. He runs a band in Lagos called The Milagros, and together, they recently released an original Afrobeat composition, Afrika, which is available on all the major streaming platforms.

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"As long as the U.S. allows an iron river of guns to flood south, a river of refugees will keep pouring north."

-- Ioan Grillo, Blood Gun Money: How America Arms Gangs and Cartels

Murder rates are rising in Latin America and the Caribbean, and, according to experts who study the issue, the wide availability of guns is the primary cause. Already in 2018, according to the Americas Quarterly, there may have been 60 million firearms in the hands of civilians, legally or illegally, in the entire region.

The Americas Quarterly article continues: In Bolivia, Colombia and Mexico, there are more unregistered weapons than registered ones. There are more than 400 million civilian-owned firearms in the U.S., but only 6 million are registered. This makes it easy to smuggle guns to Canada or south of the border, and it makes it hard to enforce gun control laws in these countries.

Since 2016, murders in Ecuador have climbed from 6 per 100,000 to 26 in 2022. The numbers of homicides per 100,000 are even higher in Jamaica (61) and Honduras (36). Among the 50 cities in the world with the highest homicide rates, 47 are found in Latin America.

About 60% of homicides in Latin America (70% in Mexico; 87% in the Caribbean) are due to weapons trafficked from the U.S. or transferred illegally by military personnel or private security companies. From 2010 to 2022 there were more than 200,000 gun homicides in Mexico. Each year an average of more than 250,000 weapons bought by straw purchasers in the U.S. cross the southern border.

A straw buyer is defined as one with a legal ID who has been directed to buy weapons at gun stores for someone else. Smuggled guns also come from private sellers who do not (and need not) have a license to do so.
The first one pound coins featuring Britains King Charles III have entered circulation, with collectors encouraged to look out for the historic addition to the nations change.

Nearly three million of the new designs will be making their way into peoples pockets and tills across the country this week, via post offices and banks throughout the UK.

The one pound coin depicts a pair of British bees on the tails side, in honour of the kings passion for conservation and the natural world.

King Charles official coin effigy on the obverse or heads, Rebecca Morgan, director of Commemorative Coins at The Royal Mint, said on Tuesday.

She added, The Royal Mint has made the circulating coinage of each of Britains monarchs since Alfred the Great and it is an honour to reveal that King Charles IIIs one pound coin is now in circulation.

We know therell be a buzz of excitement amongst collectors and the public to get this special piece of history in their change.

We hope the designs across all denominations spark important conversations about the conservation of these important species.

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A total of 2.975 million one pound coins are being issued to banks and Post Offices, and they will co-circulate alongside ones displaying the effigy of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The old coins will be replaced over time as they become damaged or worn.

The one pound coin is one of eight designs ranging from the one p to the two p, inspired by flora and fauna to reflect the kings commitment to the environment.

These were created as new definitive standardised designs seen on the majority of official currency.

Following commemorative coins bearing the kings portrait, the first Charles III definitive 50p depicting an Atlantic salmon was released in November 2023.

The other designs, which will be introduced in line with demand, are the 1p showing a hazel dormouse, the 2p red squirrel, the 5p oak tree leaf, 10p capercailzie grouse, 20p puffin, and the 2 pounds with the national flowers rose, daffodil, thistle and shamrock.

A public poll by the Royal Mint found that the one pound bee coin was the favourite, closely followed by the 2p red squirrel.

They also have a repeating pattern of three interlocking Cs, which gives a nod to history through the cypher of Charles II.

The number indicating the value of the coin has also been enlarged to help children with their counting skills.

Banknotes with the kings portrait went into circulation in June, marking the first time that the sovereign has been changed on the Bank of Englands notes.

(dpa/NAN)

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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to embark on a nationwide strike and protests over the police invitation to its president, Joe Ajaero.

It said the industrial actions would kick off immediately should the police detain or harm Mr Ajaero or any of its leaders in the aftermath of the invitation.

The NLC issued the threat on Tuesday following an invitation extended to Mr Ajaero by the police over a case of alleged criminal conspiracy and terrorism financing.

This is a red line. If anything happens to our president or any of our leaders, we will shut down the country, read a communique from the emergency meeting of NLCs National Executive Council (NEC) on Tuesday.

The police had threatened to arrest Mr Ajaero should he fail to honour their invitation by 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

During a visit to the NLC secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, a PREMIUM TIMES reporter saw Mr Ajaero signing some documents on the 10th floor of the building.

He declined to comment on the police invitation when approached by our reporter, but confirmed his intention to cooperate with the authorities.

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In reaction to the police threat to arrest him, the NLC leadership said in its communique on Tuesday that it had directed all affiliates and state councils to immediately commence the process of mobilising their members across the nation.

The Congress will not hesitate to take all necessary actions, including mass protests and industrial actions, to protect the integrity and independence of the labour movement.

If anything happens to the President of the Congress or any other leader of the Congress in furtherance of these tendentious allegations by the state; NEC puts all its affiliates and state councils to proceed on indefinite nationwide strike action by 12:00 midnight today (Tuesday), the communique added.

The union condemned the police summons of Mr Ajaero as politically motivated, adding that it is a deliberate attempt to destabilise the labour movement.

It called on the civil society groups and the public to stand in solidarity with the labour movement.

The investigation is a travesty and a blatant attempt to stifle the voice of the working people and their leadership, the communique added.

Police invitation, allegations

On Monday, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Nigerian Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) invited Mr Ajaero over allegations of terrorism financing, cybercrime, subversion, criminal conspiracy, and treasonable felony.

A letter from the IRT, signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Adamu Muazu, directed Mr Ajaero to appear for an interview at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the IRT complex located at Guzape Junction in Abuja.

Be informed that in the event of failing to honour this letter, this office will have no alternative but to activate a warrant of arrest against you, read the invitation letter dated 19 August (Monday).

This development comes in the wake of a controversial police raid on the NLC headquarters in Abuja on 7 August.

On 9 August, the police admitted to conducting the raid but maintained that the NLC was not the target.

Police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi stated that the target was a prime criminal suspect in an ongoing investigation. He said the suspect was traced to a shop within the building where the NLC secretariat is located.

However, NLC insisted that the police had intentionally raided the NLC offices.

The union said that during the raid, police operatives forced their way into the second floor of the building, where they ransacked the bookshop and seized hundreds of books and other publications.

Denial

In the communique issued after the emergency NEC meeting on Tuesday, the NLC leadership denied the police allegations against Mr Ajaero.

The union described the allegations as unfounded and part of a broader effort to weaken the unions influence.

This is not just about our president; its about an orchestrated campaign to silence the NLC and undermine our role as a defender of democratic principles and the rights of Nigerian workers, the communique added.

Ajaero to honour police invitation, seeks postponement

Despite its strong opposition, the NLC said Mr Ajaero would honour the police invitation, albeit with a request for an extension to prepare for the meeting.

The NEC emphasised that complying with the invitation should not be misconstrued as an admission of guilt.

We are law-abiding citizens, and we will engage with the authorities as required. However, this does not mean we accept the spurious charges laid against our leader, the NEC clarified.

The NLC also called for an immediate end to what it describes as a witch-hunt against its leadership, stressing that the fight against state oppression is a collective one.

We shall not be intimidated by these desperate attempts to silence us, the NEC declared, reaffirming its commitment to defending the rights of workers across Nigeria.

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Controversial actor Yul Edochie has opened up on his reason for becoming a pastor and described it as fulfilling.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Yul launched his online church, True Salvation Ministry (TSM), in January. Since then, he has held regular Sunday services on his YouTube channel and frequently addresses various issues.

One of his controversial sermons was in July, where he condemned men who sleep with another mans wife, noting that such actions weaken mens spiritual well-being.

The 42-year-old actor, in an interview he hosted with two other co-hosts, posted on his YouTube page Monday, claimed that his calling as a minister of God was predetermined.

He said: First of all, becoming a pastor is the best thing I have ever done for myself. Serving God and being able to tell people about Him are wonderful and bring me a peace I never had before. Many years ago (in 2012 or 2013), people told me I would be a minister of God, but I never believed them because I was thriving in Nollywood and making money. I thought that having money would allow me to enjoy my life.

Then, as time passed, I began to hear the voice myself. I would sit down, and the voice would come, saying, Youre going to be a minister of God; youre going to work for me, just know this. Nothing else made sense to me, and the things I used to do that distracted me from God no longer made sense. Thats when I knew it was time to work for Him. I had many prayer points years back, and when I look back, I realise that God has answered them all. He told me, I have done all these for you; now its time for you to do mine.

Zero financial gain

The University of Port Harcourt alumni said he did not start a ministry or become a pastor for financial gain but to fulfil Gods purpose and plan for his life.

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Its not about making money, and I dont have everything in the world, but Im content with what I have. Im not doing ministry work to make money from it, even though some people might, perhaps because they dont have money. But Ive done everything in lifeI have a house, Im raising my children, acting, doing real estate, and Im okay.

Its my destiny, and everything thats happened in the last two years (the noise) is about bringing us closer to God. Now, when I talk about God, everyone listens. If I had talked about Him in 2019, maybe only 10 per cent of people would have listened, but now, 110 per cent of the world listens. When I say I have something to say, everyone wants to hear it, said the actor.

Alcohol, not sinful

Furthermore, the son of veteran actor Pete Edochie added that pastors drinking alcohol or smoking is not inherently sinful and does not contradict biblical teachings.

Yul, who made his acting debut in the 2005 film The Exquires, clarified that excessive alcohol consumption by ministers is inappropriate.

He said, I dont see anything wrong with a man of God drinking alcohol, but what I do have a problem with is drinking to the point of getting drunk, which can lead to actions theyll later regret. Thats my take, and anyone can criticise; thats their problem. God hasnt told me that drinking alcohol is wrong, and I believe He will tell me if its wrong.

But I dont see anything wrong with it because when I was young, white priests (foreign priests) in Nigeria during their Mass, just before they started, youd go to the back of the church and often see them smoking, holding, and drinking cigarettes and hot drinks. I dont know who told our people that once youre a pastor, you shouldnt drink alcohol or that its against Gods law. God will tell me if its time for me to stop.

Publics opinion

The 2017 Anambra State Democratic Peoples Congress gubernatorial candidate revealed indifference to public opinion about himself and his family over the past two years.

This newspaper reported that Yul has been in the news since August 2023, when divorce proceedings involving his estranged wife began in May. In August 2023, there was also the ongoing controversy surrounding his marriage to his second wife, Judy.

I dont read what people say about me or the comments on my posts, which is why I post and tell people that the comments section is open for them to express themselves because I love making Nigerians happy. I understand that people are going through a lot in Nigeria, and if not, why would they focus on my issues instead of theirs?

If something on my page can bring them happiness and help them live longer, they are welcome. When I said Im a man of God, He told me its time to announce it, not to see what people think because their opinions are irrelevant. Im only concerned about what God thinks of me.

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The Nigerian Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), has invited the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) Joe Ajaero, over alleged criminal conspiracy and terrorism financing.

Mr Ajaero will also be interrogated on alleged teasonable felony, subversion and cybercrime.

The invitation was contained in a letter to Mr Ajaero by the IRT on Monday.

The letter, signed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Adamu Muazu, asked the NLC president to appear before the IRT for an interview on Tuesday at the commands complex at Guzape junction Abuja.

Mr Muazu threatened to arrest Mr Ajaero if he fails to acknowledge and show up for the interview.

The office is investigating a case of Criminal Conspiracy, Terrorism financing, Treasonable Felony, Subversion and Cybercrime in which you were mentioned.

You are therefore invited to interview the undersigned on Tuesday 20th Aug 2024 by 10:00 am prompt, at IRT Complex, Old Abattoir by Guzape Junction, Abuja, through the Team Leader with telephone no 08035179870 in connection with the above investigation.

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Be informed that in the event of failing to honour this letter, this office will have no alternative than to activate a warrant of arrest against you, please, the letter reads.

Backstory

On 7 August, security operatives had raided the NLC headquarters in Abuja.

Spokesperson for the Congress, Benson Upah, said the operatives broke into the second floor of the building and ransacked the bookshop on it and carted away hundreds of books and other publications.

On 9 August, the police admitted raiding an office inside the NLC headquarters building in Abuja.

It said, however, the labour union was not the target of the raid.

READ ALSO: NLC accuses federal govt of interfering in its leadership

The Nigeria Police Force wishes to clarify that a prime criminal suspect in an ongoing investigation was traced to a shop within the building in the Central Business District, Abuja, police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi wrote

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The Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) says it has begun the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools to assist in its operations in order to fast track its process.

NFIU Chief Executive Officer, Hafsat Bakari, disclosed this on Monday during the opening ceremony of the units 2024 Retreat in Abuja.

Mrs Bakari said the move will strengthen the units technology platforms, adding that it was already conforming to the federal governments policy of a paperless working office environment.

She said the Crimes Records Information Management System (CRIMS) has been deployed to more competent authorities and states of the federation to further support information sharing through a secured and encrypted tool.

The CEO explained that the remit of the NFIU extends beyond the borders of Nigeria, and that the nature of serious crime is trans-national.

According to her, the proceeds of crime knows no borders or boundaries, therefore, the unit has strengthened its international partnerships.

Mrs Bakari said apart from being the permanent secretariat for the west African forum of FIUs covering 17-member States in Africa, the unit has taken a leading role in re-invigorating the Lake Chad and Sahel network of FIUs which are cooperating to tackle terrorism financing.

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She recalled that the NFIU was also elected in June 2024 as the vice chair of the prestigious Global Egmont Group of FIUs with a membership of 177 countries.

She disclosed that the NFIU continues to support their fellow FIUs in the West African region under the leadership GIABA (the FATF-styled regional body representing West Africa), stating that they have successfully mentored the FIU of Liberia in being admitted into the Egmont Group, while we continue the mentorship of the FIUs of Gambia and Sierra Leone to achieve the same goal.

Mrs Bakari said, At a global level, we continue to lead Nigerias efforts to exit the Financial Action Task Force list of jurisdictions under monitoring, the so-called greylist. While we still have some remaining steps to take, I am confident that with your support we will complete all the required steps within the next few months.

Indeed, the progress that we have made as a country have opened the path for us to becoming the second African member state of the Task Force in the near future after South Africa.

We will focus our international collaborations by increasing cooperation with jurisdictions which pose specific money laundering and terrorist financing threats to our country, particularly countries where organised criminal groups, ostensibly of Nigerian origin, have damaged our countrys reputation.

Today, we will be hearing from our stakeholders and partners and we will be listening to you carefully as you provide us with your views on how we can continue to improve our performance. We will take these lessons with us as we develop and refine what I expect to be an ambitious five-year strategic plan, which I hope to share with all of you in the next few weeks. We have already identified a number of key objectives that we will be delivering on.

We will focus on building capacity internally and externally. We have already taken steps towards this with the establishment of the NFIU Training Centre which is intended to be a Regional Centre of Excellence serving both public and private sector stakeholders across the continent. And I am pleased to note that our stakeholders and international partners and some strategic global agencies have already committed their support to this project.

Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), commended the efforts of the unit in combating ML/TF and Proliferation financing.

According to him, the efforts would remain key in the removing Nigeria from the Financial Action Task Force grey list which will be due in May 2025.

Minister of Budget and National Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, praised NFIU for the significant role it is playing in combating money laundering and terrorism financing.

He noted that to fund the agenda 2050, the nation would need the necessary revenues in place to generate revenues.

Our credit rating should improve better, we have to take measures, set up committed institutions, and believe we should benefit from it to enhance the integrity and soundness of the financial system, Mr Bagudu said.

Also speaking at event, the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mohammed Marwa, appreciated the unit for its prompt responses to information requests, noting that 76 reports received in 2024 had led to significant recoveries of hotels, properties, and bank accounts, as well as several convictions.

Mr Marwa, a retired brigadier general, highlighted the NDLEAs success in making over 52,000 arrests and destroying cannabis farms nationwide, reaffirming the agencys dedication to combating money laundering and other criminal activities.

He assured of the continued collaboration between NDLEA and the NFIU, particularly through the Directorate of Assets and Financial Investigation (DAFI), to trace funds linked to illicit drug trade.

READ ALSO; NDLEA arrests wanted Lagos drug lord

The Deputy Governor, Economic Planning, Central Bank of Nigeria, Muhammad Abdullahi, in his goodwill message, said financial intelligence remains vital in safeguarding the countrys vulnerable financial system, which necessitates robust Anti Money Laundering Countering Financial Terrorism (AML/CFT) controls, adding that following Nigerias grey-listing by the FATF, the retreat underscores the NFIUs commitment to addressing deficiencies before the deadline.

The Executive Secretary, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Ogbonnaya Orji, commended the CEO of NFIU for her excellent leadership, stating that they have been exchanging data and information on beneficial ownership with the unit.

Mr Orji pleaded with the NFIU for continued support in addressing some of the challenges NEITI is facing, including oil thefts and other issues in the extractive industry.

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Police authorities in Benue State Tuesday said fresh contingents of investigators have arrived in Makurdi, the state capital, from Force Headquarters in Abuja to assist in the investigation and rescue efforts of the 20 kidnapped medical students of the universities of Maiduguri and Jos travelling through Benue State to Enugu for a youth programme.

The Police Public Relations Officer for Benue State Command, Catherine Anene, disclosed this to PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview. She said the new team would complement local officers to move the investigations forward.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Sewuese Anene. PHOTO CREDIT@

Anene Sewuese Catherine X page

The police deployment comes amid pressure on authorities to ensure the release of the medical students who were kidnapped last Thursday in Benue.

The kidnappers are demanding a ransom of N50 million, according to the National President of the Benue Medical Student Association (BEMSA), Samuel Uche, who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES from Makurdi.

Mr Uche said his team had met with some government officials who assured them the government was working hard to free the students.

We were able to see face-to-face with some persons, some high-profile individuals, that assured us of their commitment. They told us its already a national security concern, and that they appreciate our efforts. They have started by taking some necessary steps, which involves sending some security operatives from the DSS, Mr Uche told PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr Uche said his association has written official letters to the Nigerian Medical Association, the Commissioner of Health, the Secretary to the Benue State Government, and the Commissioner of Police to appeal for the release of the students.

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Weve been trying a lot on our end We are hoping that the government will step in as fast as they can to see how they can get our friends out, he said.

Back story

A group of at least 20 medical students from the University of Jos (12) and the University of Maiduguri (8) were kidnapped on Thursday evening while travelling to Enugu for a convention. The students, who were on their way to the annual Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students gathering, were ambushed and abducted in Otukpo, Benue State.

In response to the kidnapping, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, ordered the immediate deployment of more police resources to augment the Benue State Commands capabilities and ensure the release of the students.

According to police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police chief described the incident as appalling, callous, and unacceptable.

Kidnapping for ransom is common in parts of Benue and many other states in Nigeria. The kidnappings are carried out by various armed groups.

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The Governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi, said the death toll from floods caused by rainfall has risen to 28 in the state.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how 16 people were killed and more than 3000 displaced in flood disasters in 10 local government areas of the state.

The governor said on Tuesday that the death toll has risen to 28, most caused by the collapse of buildings, mostly mud houses, on people at night.

He said the flooding as of Tuesday affected 14 local government areas, about 40,000 people and over 80,000 households.

The governor stated this while hosting members of the House of Representatives Committee on Ecological Fund, led by its chairperson, Aminu Jaji, on a visit to the state to assess the impact of the environment.

The governor said over 7,000 houses were destroyed, and over 6,500 farmlands washed away in over 135 communities.

Mr Namadi warned that more devastation may be recorded as the dams in the state are silted, and the water from the Tiga Dam has not been released.

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Road projects need environmental impact assessment  Governor

The governor said the state was not expecting flooding in August, but federal road projects blockage of water routes caused early flooding.

As the chairman of the ecological fund you need to look at the impact of climate change on people and also the impact of government projects. There is a serious need for the federal government to ensure that for all federal road projects, there must be an environmental impact assessment before they can be undertaken.

In the state road projects, we take care of the environmental impact assessment on the community that the road projects are being carried on. In some of the communities where environmental impact assessments have not been done, the communities have been submerged by water, the governor said.

The governor gave an example of Kiyawa and parts of the Buji local government area that were affected by flooding before the Kano/Maiduguri highway reconstruction.

He said the flooding in the areas was because of the impact of the road project, noting that the road was raised, and the towns have gone down, blocking rainwater from going out.

Environmental impact assessment for both the federal and state road projects is very necessary. Otherwise, people will continue to be in agony of flooding, Mr Namadi said.

Earlier in his remarks, Mr Jaji said the visit was to look at the ecological challenges in the state, which he described as enormous and deserving of the federal governments attention through the ecological office.

The visit aimed to know some areas that would engage and benefit from this tour.

The tour is to select a few states among the 36 others in the federation that deserve to have a special intervention in the areas of ecological challenges to complement the effort of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his renewed hope agenda in addressing the issue of climate change and food security.

Jigawa state is located in the Sahel region, we looked at so many measures and indicators during our analysis and assessment that made us visit Jigawa to find ways to mitigate some of the challenges.

One of the challenges we are facing ecologically is desertification and deforestation which is affecting all of the Sahel states. We aimed to have sustainable land management, which will bring innovations and ideas on addressing the ecological challenges.

We intend to visit some areas within the state to see for ourselves. We had to promise to change from the normal ways of doing things to the right way of addressing issues.

The normal ways of doing things at the ecological office are not encouraging; we want to address it correctly, right and timely. We are in Jigawa to make sure the state benefits from the resolution of the committee at the national level. Very soon, the people of Jigawa will see the impact of the visit, Mr Jaji said.

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The Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership has recommended an amendment to the Electoral Act to accommodate the appointment of election auditors to supervise the distribution and return of election materials to the appropriate quarters.

The Chancellor of the centre, Osita Chidoka, made the recommendations in the centres report of the 2023 off-cycle governorship elections in Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo State.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the off-cycle governorship elections in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo State were won by the PDP, APC and APC respectively. In Bayelsa And Imo, the incumbents won re-elections, while the ruling party won in Kogi following the completion of two terms by the then-governor, Yahaya Bello.

Mr Chidoka said there were several cases of non-compliance and corrupt practices in the off-cycle elections despite the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

He recommended the appointment of private auditors to supervise election materials and scan ballot papers to ensure the vote tally is correct and prevent persistent corrupt practices.

The National Assembly should amend the law to allow for the appointment of Election Auditors to supervise the distribution and return of election materials and scanning of ballot papers to ensure the vote tally is correct beyond consistency between total votes and BVAS accreditation, he said.

Mr Chidoka also recommended that the auditors, when appointed, should complete the vote scanning and verification within seven days.

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Digital Scanning

Mr Chidoka also recommended the introduction of ballot paper scanners at the local government offices.

INEC should introduce ballot paper scanners at the local government offices to scan all used ballot papers to ensure that the votes recorded against each party are correct.

Scanning ballot papers will enhance transparency and form part of the digital documents candidates can inspect. The scanners should be able to read digital security codes on each ballot paper to ensure authenticity.

Civil Action

He also proposed an amendment to the Electoral Act to include the right of political parties and candidates to bring civil action against electoral officers and party agents who willfully falsify election results.

The National Assembly should amend the Electoral Act (2022) to include the right of political parties and candidates to bring civil action against electoral officers and party agents who willfully falsify election results.

The amendment will serve as a deterrence and provide parties and candidates with remedies if INEC refuses to prosecute the officers.

Justice Uwais Report

Mr Chidoka urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to revisit and implement key recommendations of the Justice Uwais report on electoral reforms.

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The UK has donated a Counter Insurgency (COIN) training facility to the Nigerian Armed Forces, to help enhance the reality of their training and better prepare the force for its future operations.

The training facility was funded by the UK through its Ministry of Defence and built by a team of Royal Engineers from the British Army working alongside Nigerian Army Engineers. The facility will make training more realistic for the soldiers and help prepare trainees to operate effectively during deployments.

Nigerias Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, represented by Major General SG Mohammed, officially opened the training facility today in Ogun State, alongside the British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, Jonny Baxter, and Brigadier Martin Leach from the UKs Ministry of Defence.

Attendees also saw firsthand a demonstration operation conducted by Nigerian Armed Forces. The Deputy High Commissioner was subsequently briefed on the training display.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Deputy High Commissioner Jonny Baxter said: The UK has deep interests in Nigerias development, security, and stability. We enjoy a long-standing security and defence relationship, underpinned by a shared desire to support regional and international peace and security. Our work with the Nigeria Armed Forces seeks to build capacity to address the root causes of insurgency and insecurity and support institutional modernisation and transformation.

We provide substantial security and development support to Nigeria including capacity building assistance, training facilities and equipment. The British Government will continue to work with Nigeria to respond to the drivers of conflict  and all these engagements we hope, will lead to better security, stability, and enhanced growth partnerships for the good of both our countries.

The Deputy High Commissioner also paid tribute to the significant sacrifices made by the Nigerian soldiers in working with their counterparts to bring peace and security to the region.

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Ogechukwu Udeagha, the regional communication manager, ExxonMobil, says there is no oil spill from its facility in Akwa Ibom State.

Mr Udeagha said in a statement in Eket on Tuesday that no official report identified the companys facility as a potential source of any oil leak.

He was reacting to a protest on Monday by youths of Ibeno Local Government Area, alleging massive oil leak from ExxonMobil facility.

He said: There has been no release of oil from any of our facilities, we are not the only operator in the area.

A preliminary government agency inspection report on the alleged incident did not identify any of our facilities as a potential source.

The protection of the environment and our host communities remains a key priority in our operations, Mr Udeagha said.

It would be recalled that youths from Ibeno Local Government Area, took to the streets on Monday to protest alleged oil spill in the area.

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Paul Essiet, a community leader, told reporters that oil leak from an ExxonMobil facility had polluted the communitys sources of livelihood.

We are angry because oil spill from a facility belonging to ExxonMobil has polluted our farmlands and rivers.

Farming and fishing activities have been put to a halt since the spill began about a week ago, he said.

He urged the company to take responsibility by commencing negotiation with community in order to ensure immediate containment and remediation.

(NAN)

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Tours to China, Southeast Asia during National Day holidays sold out

Tourists take photos outside temples in Thailand. Photo by Reuters

Convenient transportation and affordable price options mean tours to destinations like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and China during the four-day National Day holidays are sold out.

Vu Bich Hue, communications manager at Flamingo Redtours, said her companys tours are fully booked and it achieved 100% of its sales targets.

Tours to Thailand, South Korea, Japan, and China at prices starting from VND8.8 million (US$353) sold out early. "Pleasant autumn weather, easy transportation, and competitive prices have boosted interest in outbound tours this holiday season."

Vietnamese will enjoy a four-day Independence Day holiday from Aug. 31 to Sept. 3.

Nguyen Huu Cuong, general director of Trang An Travel Company, said tours to popular destinations in China such as Beijing and Shanghai were fully booked early.

Pham Anh Vu, deputy general director of Viet Media Travel Company, said by mid-August sales had reached nearly 60% of total capacity, with outbound tours accounting for 70%.

Tours requiring visas such as to China, Japan and South Korea are almost sold out while tours to visa-free destinations in Southeast Asia are still accepting bookings, he said.

Pham Van Bay, deputy director of Vietravel Hanoi, said 80% of tours are booked. The number of customers booking tours this year is 30% higher than last year and comparable with 2019, he said.

Many people are opting for short tours to Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, and Indonesia at prices starting from VND 8.9 million, and Chinese destinations like Zhangjiajie, Phoenix Ancient Town, Lijiang, and Shangri-La starting at VND9.9 million.

In the case of longer flights, such as to South Korea and Japan, travelers prefer traveling at night to maximize tour time.

Asian destinations are most popular among Vietnamese tourists, Dutch company Booking.com said after a review of check-in dates between Aug. 31 and Sept. 3.

Bangkok is the top destination, followed by Tokyo and Seoul. The rest of the top five include Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, Anambra State commissioner for education, has cautioned parents against altercation with teachers in schools across the state.

Ms Chuma-Udeh, a professor, gave the warning when she received the Anambra House of Assembly Committee on Education, who visited her office in Awka on an oversight function.

We receive reports of parents going to school to quarrel with teachers. It is not healthy for the teaching and learning environment.

Therefore, any parent who visits any school in the state to quarrel with teachers should be prepared to take their child home, she said.

The commissioner promised to address the other concerns raised by the committee, including the rehabilitation of dilapidated schools and enforcing discipline in schools.

I appeal to our lawmakers to forward the list of dilapidated schools, communities without public schools, and survey plans and documents of lands donated by the communities.

The Governor Charles Soludo-led administration is ready to provide community schools in those areas, she said.

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She appreciated the committee members for their support and encouragement to the ministry as it strived to translate Mr Soludos education agenda into reality.

Earlier, the Chairperson of the Committee, Anayo Okpaleke, lamented that some communities in the state did not have public schools, while some schools were dilapidated and required renovation.

Some of our community schools need renovation. Many students travel far to access education because there are no public schools in their communities.

Some communities have also allocated land for public school structures, but nothing has been done. We urge the ministry to look into these issues and address them, he said.

Mr Okpaleke commended the commissioner for her professionalism in handling the education sector in the state.

We appreciate your professionalism during the recruitment of teachers and the conduct of the 2024 WASSCE examination amidst seeming security challenges.

The legislature will continue to make laws and resolutions that will ensure equitable access and quality education in the state, he said.

(NAN)

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The Chairperson, Forum of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) state Chairpersons, Tosin Odeyemi, on Tuesday, charged Nigerians to shun religious and ethnic sentiments to elect credible leaders during the 2027 general elections.

He noted that though 2027 may seem far, the citizenry, most especially the electorates, must be prepared to ensure the emergence of a selfless president, who will be passionate about exhibiting responsive leadership and delivering good governance capable of rescuing the nation from the current economic and social doldrums.

Mr Odeyemi, who doubles as the Chairperson, NNPP Osun State chapter, in a statement, contended that both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had failed to salvage Nigeria from its myriad of socioeconomic challenges, including poverty, corruption and perennial insecurity.

While canvassing support for the former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, he called on Nigerians to shun sentiments and put the right person at the helm of affairs at the federal level to evolve a virile nation, thus creating a platform for a genuine national rebirth.

Kwankwasos passion for a better Nigeria that every citizen, both home and abroad can be proud of has endeared him to many of his followers. His core mandate since 2018 is to become Nigerias president who will pilot a new nation where utmost priority is placed on education and economic development.

Since he became the leader of NNPP, the party has never remained the same. Through his goodwill, the party has produced a governor, senators, House of Representatives members, House of Assembly members, local government chairmen and councillors, the statement read in part.

Ahead of the 2027 presidential election, Mr Odeyemi noted that Nigeria needs a man of honour to lead the country.

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He said the economic quagmire being experienced was avoidable if the nations leaders could be truthful and bold enough to dismantle the nest of cabals tossing its peaceful waters as they wished.

Nigeria needs a man of integrity who can take bold transformative decisions without fear or favour. We have tried the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and now the All Progressives Congress (APC). We have seen their best, which landed us where we are: hunger everywhere. Why not try a man with a reputable character whose movement has brought a greater influence to the political calculation of the Northern part of this nation?

Since independence, leaders who have garnered as much political experience as Senator Kwankwaso are countable. From House of Representatives to Senate to being a two-term governor to being a minister, the statement added.

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President Bola Tinubu has sacked the embattled chairman of the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON), Jalal Arabi.

Although no reason was given for the sack, PREMIUM TIMES reports that Mr Arabi is being investigated for allegedly misappropriating funds released by the federal government for this years Islamic pilgrimage.

The president has also appointed a new head for the Hajj commission.

According to a statement by President Tinubus spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, on Monday, Mr Arabi will be replaced by Abdullahi Usman, a professor.

The president advised Mr Usman to lead the commission with integrity and transparency.

His appointment is subject to confirmation by the Senate, according to the statement.

The EFCC investigations

PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported that Mr Arabi and NAHCON secretary Abdullahi Kotangora were indicted in an ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

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The EFCC said it uncovered a multi-million-dollar fraud allegedly perpetrated by the two top officials of the commission.

The anti-graft agencys discoveries came from an extensive investigation into the suspicious use of funds allocated to NAHCON for Hajj operations over the years.

A review of the EFCC document revealed that the investigation dates back to 2022 after an operative of the anti-graft agency, who served on the NAHCON Central Security Committee that year, hinted at several infractions in the use of the Hajj commissions funds.

Some of the irregularities highlighted in an intelligence report submitted by the EFCC insider after the stint on the NAHCON security committee include the payment of estacodes to staff members for a study tour that never took place and payment for a consultancy service that was not rendered, among others.

The document said that in addition to the intelligence report of the unnamed EFCC operative, the anti-corruption agency received petitions from some concerned NAHCON staff members.

The EFCC received seven petitions from the staff members against Messrs Arabi and Kontagora.

While investigating these allegations, the EFCC said it received another petition against Mr Arabi.

Major allegations against Arabi and secretary

Among the crimes allegedly perpetrated by Mr Arabi and the secretary include a consultancy fee controversially paid to Shurakaa al-Khair Group Ltd, overpayment of estacodes to himself and other top officials, unaccounted cash withdrawal and the alleged mismanagement of N90 billion federal government subsidy for 2024 Hajj.

In its findings, the EFCC explained that the Saudi Arabian government refunded NAHCON SAR20.6 million (20.6 million Saudi Riyal) for services that were either poorly rendered or not rendered to some Nigerian pilgrims and tour operators at Mashair in December 2023.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Saudi Arabia paid the funds in four tranches into NAHCONs IBAN account on 27 December 2023.

EFCC said that after the payments by the Saudi authorities, Mr Arabi fraudulently contracted Shurakaa al-Khair Group Ltd as a consultant via a letter of award dated 24 January 2024. The company was purportedly engaged to recover the money already received in the commissions account.

The firm purportedly facilitated the recovery of SAR20.6 million from the Saudi authorities and was paid SAR1.7 million (SAR1,780, 019,59) as part payment for the service.

The EFCC, however, said it had recovered the money as Mr Arabi confessed the consultancy service was not rendered. It added that the award letter for the contract for which the firm was paid 7.5 per cent consultancy fees was issued after the Saudi government refunded NAHCON.

The EFCC also revealed that the 2024 budget allocated specific operational costs for key officials: $4,250 for the chairman/CEO, $12,750 for commissioners, $3,825 for secretaries, and $15,300 for directors/chief of staff.

However, it was discovered that Mr Arabi paid himself SAR 50,000, far above the SAR15,929 he was entitled to.

Similarly, the three commissioners received SR40,000 each instead of SAR15,929, while the secretary was paid SR30,000 instead of SAR14,336.

The investigation also showed that the directors and the chief of staff were overpaid, receiving SAR30,000 each, when they were only entitled to SAR2,550 each.

In addition, EFCC said its findings showed that one Abubakar Lamin withdrew SAR22.8 million (SR22,815,367.74) in cash from the NAHCONs British SAAB account in Saudi Arabia during the 2024 Hajj.

Out of this, the total sum of SAR8,614,175.27 (SAR8.6 million) cash withdrawal is yet to be accounted for by NAHCON, the investigators said, adding that the expected recovery is SR 314,098 which is equivalent to N131.9 million on or before 16 August.

The investigators said the refund of SAR18,857,888.11 and SR314,098 is also being awaited.

The sacked chairman was also accused of mismanaging the N90 billion subsidy for the 2024 Hajj, but he denied it, and offered explanations for how the money was spent.

About N80 billion of the Hajj subsidy was expended as subsidies for 50,000 pilgrims from the states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), each receiving N1.6 million, Mr Arabi said during a post-Hajj press briefing on 29 July, adding the commission incurred additional costs beyond the N90 billion grant received from the federal government.

According to him, other pilgrims under the Hajj Savings Scheme (HSS) and all officials of the commission used up over N10 billion.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), he added, deducted a two-percent service charge per pilgrim, amounting to about N1.7 billion.

Mr Arabi further explained that NAHCON paid around N4 billion to cover unexpected, additional accommodation costs in Medina. A document he shared stated that the commission initially estimated the cost at Saudi Riyal (SR) 850 per bed space for 11,000 spaces. But it said the money could only secure 8,754 spaces.

He said the additional expenses and the CBN deductions resulted in a loss of approximately N6 billion for NAHCON.

Meanwhile, the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have continued investigating the N90 billion Hajj subsidy fund.

Last Wednesday, the EFCC detained Mr Arabi after he was initially grilled and granted bail two weeks earlier.

That same Wednesday, some top officials of the commission were also arrested by the ICPC over alleged mismanagement or diversion of Hajj funds.

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The Court of Appeal in Abuja has fixed Tuesday for the hearing of an appeal filed by a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, challenging his 2019 conviction on charges of non-declaration of assets by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

Then-President Muhammadu Buhari controversially suspended Mr Onnoghen in January 2019 to face the CCT trial.

The CCT convicted him in its judgement delivered on 19 April 2019.

As the penalty for the conviction, the tribunal ordered Mr Onnoghens removal from office, barred him from holding public office for 10 years, and ordered the forfeiture of funds in the bank accounts he was said to have failed to declare.

Meanwhile, about two weeks before the CCTs trial ended, Mr Onnoghen tendered his resignation letter to the National Judicial Council.

Shortly after his conviction, the former CJN, through his legal team, filed a notice of appeal against the CCT judgement, but the appeal has not been heard since.

PREMIUM TIMES understands that the Court of Appeal has scheduled a hearing on Tuesday for his other appeals stemming from the CCT trial.

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The appeals are marked CA/ABJ/375/2019, CA/ABJ/376/2019, and CA/ABJ/377/2019. The Nigerias federal government is the sole defendant.

Grounds of appeal

Mr Onnoghens legal team, led by Adegboyega Awomolo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), argues that the CCT lacked jurisdiction over serving judicial officers and that its chairman, Danladi Umar, should have recused himself due to perceived bias.

The legal team also argued that the tribunals ruling was legally erroneous and constituted a miscarriage of justice.

Mr Onnoghen maintained that the CCT should not have tried him as a judicial officer, referencing precedents that limit the tribunals authority over such cases.

He also faulted the tribunals decision to forfeit his assets, claiming they were lawfully acquired and that the seizure was unwarranted.

Mr Onnoghen argued that the CCT lacked the authority to try him as a judicial officer and should not have entertained the case.

He argued that the CCT chair Danladi Umars refusal to recuse himself from the case compromised the fairness of the proceedings.

Mr Onnoghen challenged the legality of the asset seizure, asserting that the assets were acquired legally.

He contended that the tribunal failed to provide a fair hearing and dismissed evidence that could have exonerated him.

The appeal highlights an unevenness in the tribunals handling of similar cases.

For instance, in the case of another Supreme Court judge, Sylvester Ngwuta, the tribunal had previously suspended proceedings based on a Court of Appeal decision that only the National Judicial Council (NJC) could indict a serving judicial officer.

He said despite this, Mr Umars tribunal overruled this precedent in his case.

Mr Onnoghen argues that the tribunals decision to convict him and order the forfeiture of his assets was legally flawed and a breach of justice.

He, therefore, sought to urge the Court of Appeal to declare that the CCT lacked jurisdiction to hear the case.

He also urged the court to rule that the charges against him were academic.

The former CJN urged the appeal court to overturn his conviction and the consequential orders, including barring him from holding public office for 10 years and order of forfeiture of his assets.

Onnoghens exit

On 11 January 2019, the federal government charged Mr Onnoghen with breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers by allegedly failing to declare his assets between 2005 and 2016. He was also charged with making a false declaration by specifically omitting to declare five domiciliary bank accounts as part of his assets in 2016.

Before Mr Onnoghens arraignment on 23 January 2019, the CCT issued a controversial order for his suspension from office. The Court of Appeal would later call to question the integrity of the CCTs ex-parte order.

Acting on the order, on 25 January 2019, then-President Buhari suspended Mr Onnoghen.

While being prosecuted by the CCT, Mr Onnoghen was also undergoing disciplinary proceedings at the National Judicial Council (NJC).

Before the CCT trial ended, Mr Onnoghen tendered his letter of voluntary retirement.

On 18 April 2019, the tribunal convicted him and, as punishment, ordered his removal from office, barred him from holding public office for 10 years and ordered the forfeiture of the undeclared assets.

The NJC did not make its report public, but on 6 October 2019, it issued a statement announcing that the President had accepted his voluntary retirement.

In March 2021, Mr Onnoghen spoke publicly about the circumstances leading to his exit from office. He denied some allegations and speculations that were said to have motivated President Buharis administration to move against him.

For instance, he denied ever meeting former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was Mr Buharis main rival in the 2019 general elections.

He also faulted the allegation that he was setting corruption suspects free as the head of the Supreme Court.

Prior to my suspension, I was confronted with no allegation. There were rumours that I met with Atiku in Dubai.

As I am talking here today, I have never met Atiku one-on-one in my life, Mr Onnoghen said.

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The Association of Resident Doctors, National Orthopaedic Hospital Igbobi, Lagos, (ARD-NOHIL) on Monday staged a solidarity walk over the abduction of Ganiyat Popoola, a resident doctor at the National Eye Centre in Kaduna, who was abducted eight months ago.

The solidarity protest held under the auspices of the Nigerian Association of Residents Doctors (NARD) started last week in other tertiary institutions nationwide.

On Wednesday, NARD resolved to hold a nationwide protest march to demand Mrs Popoolas release and threatened a nationwide strike if she was not released by 26 August.

Mrs Popoola was kidnapped on 27 December 2023 alongside her husband and nephew.

While her husband has been released after a ransom was reportedly paid, Mrs Popoola and her nephew remain in captivity.

The kidnappers reportedly demanded a N60 million ransom to release the doctors husband.

Lagos protest

In Lagos State, the protest has been observed by the ARDs at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), the Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital Yaba, Lagos and the Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital Yaba, Lagos.

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Speaking during the walk at ARD Igbobi, the President of ARD-NOHIL, Edeh Ernest, called on the government and security agencies to hasten efforts to ensure Mrs Popoolas safe return, adding that failure of which will not guarantee industrial harmony.

We are gathered here not only to honour our abducted colleague, Dr Ganiyat Popoola, but also to send a clear message that we have not forgotten, and we will not rest until she is safely returned, he said.

This walk represents more than just a physical journey  it symbolises our unwavering commitment to justice, to the protection of our community, and to the values that Dr Popoola stood for.

We demand for government intervention to see to her immediate release. We also plead to the security agencies to step up in their search and ensure she is released as soon as possible.

Representing the MD of the National Orthopaedic Hospital Igbobi, Mustapha Alimi, the Head of Clinical Service, Lawal Wakeel, also pleaded with the government to ensure security across health centres and border communities.

Mr Wakeel said: We are all doctors. It could be any one of us, but our prayer is that God be with her and the family, and at the end of the day, she will be released alive and strong.

We plead with the government to assist us in this struggle by intensifying efforts to see that our colleague is released. We are also pleading with the government to secure the health centres as well as the borders of the country in order to safeguard the lives and properties of its citizens.

He added that the management of the National Orthopedic Hospital Igbobi fully supports the solidarity walk and sympathises with all the doctors in Nigeria at this moment and hopes that the government does the needful for her immediate release.

Insecurity affects health workers

Nigeria has been grappling with armed conflicts such as terrorism and banditry, among other issues.

The Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition (SHCC) identified 19 incidents of violence against health workers in Nigeria in 2023.

It also identified 43 incidents in 2022, compared to 56 in 2021, in which 37 health workers were kidnapped, seven others were killed, and health supplies were looted from pharmacies and health centres.

SHCC reported that between 2016 and 2020, there were 4,094 reported attacks and threats against healthcare in conflict areas across the world.

During this period, at least 1,524 health workers were injured, 681 were killed, and 401 were kidnapped.

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The US Government has announced a $27 million humanitarian aid package for Nigeria to assist vulnerable populations, and build resilience against food insecurity and climate change impacts.

The US Mission in Nigeria, which stated this on Tuesday in Abuja, said the funding was part of the US Governments $536 million humanitarian aid package to Sub-Saharan Africa.

It said that the comprehensive aid package was officially unveiled by Uzra Zeya, US Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights.

The funding will be channelled to those in need through the State Departments Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and USAIDs Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.

It brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa in Fiscal Year 2024 to nearly $3.7 billion.

The assistance aims to address the critical needs of vulnerable individuals across the sub-Saharan region, the Mission explained.

It added: This includes refugees from war and terrorism violence, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, stateless individuals, and other conflict-affected people.

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It will focus on crises in the Sahel, among other areas, and support efforts to build durable solutions, such as voluntary returns and refugee integration.

Speaking on the development, US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, emphasised the impact of the new US funding.

Mr Mills said that the package underscored the US commitment to providing life-saving assistance and protection to vulnerable people and host communities throughout the continent.

This assistance will make a real difference in the lives of those most in need in Nigeria and across the continent.

This 27 million dollars in aid demonstrates the USs unwavering commitment to supporting Nigeria in addressing humanitarian challenges.

We stand with Nigeria in its efforts to provide for vulnerable populations and build resilience against food insecurity and climate change impacts, the Mission quoted Mr Mills as saying.

(NAN)

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The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Tuesday, postponed the hearing of an appeal by former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen challenging his 2019 conviction for non-declaration of assets by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to 19 September.

The appeal came up for hearing for the first time after the appeal was filed in 2019.

A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal bench led by Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo further adjourned the hearing for the parties to sort out the service of filings.

Before the court adjourned the case, Mr Onnoghens lawyer, Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), lamented the delay the case had suffered.

He called for an accelerated hearing.

On the other hand, the Acting Director of Civil Appeals at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Tijani Gazalii, also a SAN, who represents the federal governmentrespondent to the appealsaid he was not sure if he had been served with all the appellants necessary filings.

He explained that the case was previously handled by an external solicitor, Aliyu Umar, SAN, who has since passed away, leaving the ministry without the case file.

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Mr Gazaii informed the court that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) was working to ensure an amicable resolution of the dispute and requested an adjournment to locate the case file and consult with the late solicitors firm.

However, Mr Uche pointed out that official records show that the AGFs office was served on 9 July 2019, as evidenced by their stamp.

He agreed to a short adjournment till after the ongoing judges vacation, acknowledging the AGFs efforts to reach a possible settlement.

Mrs Jombo-Ofo, the presiding justice, granted the application for an accelerated hearing without objection from the respondents team.

Backstory

On 11 January 2019, the federal government charged Mr Onnoghen with breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers by allegedly failing to declare his assets between 2005 and 2016. He was also charged with making a false declaration by specifically omitting to declare five domiciliary bank accounts as part of his assets in 2016.

Before Mr Onnoghens arraignment on 23 January 2019, the CCT issued a controversial order for his suspension from office. The Court of Appeal would later call to question the integrity of the CCTs ex-parte order.

Acting on the order, on 25 January 2019, then-President Buhari suspended Mr Onnoghen.

The CCT convicted Mr Onnoghen in its judgement delivered on 19 April 2019.

The tribunal ordered his removal from office, barred him from holding public office for 10 years, and ordered the forfeiture of funds in his undeclared bank accounts.

Meanwhile, Mr Onnoghen submitted his letter of resignation to the National Judicial Council (NJC) before the trial came to an end.

Through his legal team, Mr Onnoghen promptly filed a notice of appeal against the judgement.

Apart from the main appeal, other sideshow appeals stemmed from the CCT trial. The appeals marked CA/ABJ/375/2019, CA/ABJ/376/2019, and CA/ABJ/377/2019 will be heard along with the substantive appeal.

Onnoghens legal team satisfied

Speaking with journalists after Tuesdays hearing, Mr Uche expressed satisfaction with the proceedings.

This matter has been pending for some time, but today, the honourable court addressed our request for an accelerated hearing, which we filed long ago. The case has now been set down for a definite hearing, he said.

He also lauded the governments willingness for an amicable settlement.

The courts adjournment provides an opportunity to further examine the issues at hand. We are pleased that the government has shown a commitment to resolving this case. This is why we have withdrawn the second part of our request, which sought permission to proceed with our appeal based on our briefs alone, given that the opposing party has not yet filed theirs.

Grounds of appeal

Mr Onnoghens legal team, led by Adegboyega Awolowo, SAN, argued in the appellants filing that the CCT lacked jurisdiction to try a serving judicial officer and that the tribunals chairman, Danladi Umar, should have recused himself due to apparent bias.

The team also contended that the tribunals ruling was legally flawed and constituted a miscarriage of justice.

The appellant argued that the CCT should not have tried him as a judicial officer, citing precedents restricting the tribunals authority over such cases.

He further challenged the tribunals decision to forfeit his assets, asserting that they were lawfully acquired and that the seizure was unjustified.

Mr Onnoghen also criticised the CCTs refusal to admit evidence that could have cleared him of the charges, arguing that this undermined the fairness of the proceedings.

The appeal also drew attention to perceived inconsistency in the tribunals handling of similar cases. For instance, in the case of another Supreme Court judge, Sylvester Ngwuta, the tribunal had suspended proceedings based on a Court of Appeal ruling that only the National Judicial Council (NJC) could discipline a serving judicial officer. Despite this precedent, Mr Onnoghen argues, the CCT overruled it in his case.

Mr Onnoghen sought to have the Court of Appeal declare that the CCT lacked jurisdiction to hear his case and that the charges against him were academic.

He also urged the court to overturn his conviction and the other consequential orders, including his 10-year ban from holding public office and the forfeiture of his assets.

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Ibom Air, a commercial airline owned by the Akwa Ibom State Government has added a second Airbus A220-300 aircraft to its fleet.

The latest addition touched down at the airlines operational hub, Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, at about 11:53 a.m., on Tuesday and was received by the Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State and many residents of the state who thronged the airport for the ceremony.

The second Airbus aircraft arrived less than a year after the airline received the first of the 10 new Airbus A220-300 aircraft it ordered from the European manufacturer, Airbus.

The initial delivery in November last year came two years after the airline sealed a deal with Airbus at the Dubai Airshow in November 2021.

In his remarks, while receiving the latest addition, Mfon Udom, the airlines chief executive officer, said the aircraft would help boost the capacity the companys capacity.

I must say it has come very timely. Our flights are booked full all the time. To our customers, I would say this aircraft would provide the needed capacity that you always longed for.

Starting tomorrow, we will plug-in this aircraft to join the fleet and expand our schedule and specifically increase frequency on the most busy routes in our own network. But this also would help us commence operations in two new routes in the last quarter of 2024.

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Mr Udom said that the second Airbus A220-300 series just received today is not part of the aircraft the airline ordered from Airbus about three years ago.

I must say that this aircraft we are receiving today is not one of the 10 aircraft we ordered (from Airbus). This is an addition to the fleet due to the delivery schedule of the remaining nine aircrafts.

When we take delivery of all our aircraft we will be operating 11 of this type (Airbus A220  300) in addition to seven CRJ 900.

By 2026, were going to be operating 18 aircraft. The important message that I want to pass on is that without the interest of the banking community in Nigeria, this wouldnt have happened.

There are several banks that are supporting Ibom Air but this particular aircraft is made possible by Fidelity and Union banks. They are here to support us in full force, Mr Udom said.

Ibom Air, an identity for Akwa Ibom people  Gov Eno

Speaking at the occasion, Governor Eno expressed gratitude over the arrival of the aircraft, which he said has given the people of the state an identity.

Mr Eno promised to continue to work with partners, (and) financiers to ensure the development of the airline.

He appreciated the airline CEO, Mr Udom, for achieving the milestones he set out for the company and winning several awards in the aviation sector.

The Governor disclosed plans to build an aviation village, an estate for aviation workers to ensure that the workers reside near the airport as they prepare for 24 hours operations.

In my opinion Ibom Air is a model of how governments should support businesses to thrive, not getting involved directly in their operations but working with professionals to make sure that vision is achieved.

That is the model that we want to put in place for the Ibom Specialist Hospital, he added.

Speaking earlier, the Executive Director, Risk Management of Fidelity Bank, Kelvin Nwoke, who spoke on behalf of the financing institutions, said the Nigerian travelling public have enjoyed unparalleled improvements and world-class service since Ibom Air began commercial operations.

Ibom Air, he said, is redefining air travel and has proven that a home-grown airline can compete favourably with its international counterparts.

As a frequent flyer, I can personally attest to the airlines commitment to schedule reliability and in-flight service. As a market leader in airline financing in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank is proud to support Ibom Air in this venture.

This partnership reflects our commitment to being a bank of choice for the people of Akwa Ibom State. He acknowledged the role played by Union Bank in part-financing the acquisition of the aircraft, with Fidelity Bank as the lead financier.

Background

Ibom Air, which launched its maiden flight in June 2019, taking off from the Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo, is rated as one of the most successful airlines in Nigeria.

The airline has garnered several awards including Nigerias best airline of the year for four consecutive years spanning 2020 to 2023.

Ibom Air last year secured a safety certification from the International Air Transport Association.

As part of its expansion drive, the airline, last October, launched its first African-sub regional flight, touching down in the West African country, Ghana.

By the time more aircraft arrived, the airline in its first phase of expansion hopes to cover other sub-regional cities like Malabo, Doula, Libreville, Kinshasa, Freetown, Banjul and Dakar before expanding to operate throughout the continent of Africa, its spokesperson, Annie Essienette, said last year.

This is besides its domestic routes, which include Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Enugu.

The Akwa Ibom State Government, as part of its efforts to ensure the smooth take-off of the airlines international flight, last year commissioned an International Terminal, Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul (MRO) facility, a new taxiway and an apron to cater the anticipated influx of people to the Victor Attah International Airport.

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The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and its president, Joe Ajaero, have written to the police to seek a postponement of the date scheduled for Mr Ajaero to honour their invitation.

He was meant to appear at the Nigerian Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Abuja on Tuesday.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the police unit invited Mr Ajaero over allegations of terrorism financing, cybercrime, subversion, criminal conspiracy, and treasonable felony.

A letter from the IRT, signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Adamu Muazu, directed Mr Ajaero to appear for an interview at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the IRT complex located at Guzape Junction in Abuja.

However, the NLCs legal team replied to the police on Tuesday, saying Mr Ajaero could not honour the invitation as scheduled in view of the fact that your invitation letter was received by him yesterday (Monday).

He has an engagement that had been fixed before the receipt of the invitation letter, read the letter signed by Samuel Ogala, a lawyer from the law firm of Femi Falana, a prominent lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

Nine-day extension

The letter sought a nine-day postponement of Mr Ajaeros appearance for the interview.

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Therefore, Comrade Ajaero is prepared for your interview on Wednesday, 29 August 2024, the letter said.

It also requested the police to provide the details and nature of the allegations of Criminal Conspiracy, Terrorism Financing, Treasonable Felony, Subversion and Cybercrime levelled against him. The letter said the request is based on section 36 of the Nigerian constitution.

While awaiting your positive response to this letter, please accept the assurances of our highest esteem, the letter added.

Threat of strike, protest

Meanwhile, the NLC threatened on Tuesday to embark on a nationwide strike and protests should the police detain or harm Mr Ajaero or any of its leaders in the aftermath of the invitation.

This is a red line. If anything happens to our president or any of our leaders, we will shut down the country, read a communique from the emergency meeting of NLCs National Executive Council (NEC) on Tuesday.

The police had threatened to arrest Mr Ajaero if he did not honour their invitation by 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

During a visit to the NLC secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, a PREMIUM TIMES reporter saw Mr Ajaero signing some documents on the 10th floor of the building.

When approached by our reporter, the NLC president declined to comment on the police invitation but confirmed his intention to cooperate with the authorities.

READ ALSO: NLC accuses federal govt of interfering in its leadership

In reaction to the police threat to arrest him, the NLC leadership said in its communique on Tuesday that it had directed all affiliates and state councils to immediately commence the process of mobilising their members across the nation.

The Congress will not hesitate to take all necessary actions, including mass protests and industrial actions, to protect the integrity and independence of the labour movement.

If anything happens to the President of the Congress or any other leader of the Congress in furtherance of these tendentious allegations by the state; NEC puts all its affiliates and state councils to proceed on indefinite nationwide strike action by 12:00 midnight today (Tuesday), the communique added.

The union condemned the police summons of Mr Ajaero as politically motivated, adding that it is a deliberate attempt to destabilise the labour movement.

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The Governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi, has awarded a free Hajj seat to a journalist, Abba Limawa, who found and returned a missing $900 cash in Saudi Arabia.

The governor announced the reward while receiving the 2024 Hajj report from the states Amirul Hajj and Emir of Hadejia, Adamu Abubakar-Maje, on Tuesday, at the council chamber of the Government House in Dutse.

Mr Namadi said the Hajj seat is just a part of the rewards the government planned for Mr Limawa for being a worthy ambassador of the state and Nigeria while on official duty outside the country.

Abba Saad Limawa is honoured, and we will do everything possible to honour him on our part. If Allah spares our life for the next year, he will have another free Hajj seat that will be fully sponsored by the Jigawa State Government, the governor said.

Mr Limawa, a staffer of the Jigawa Broadcasting Commission, is among the Hajj officials of the state Pilgrims Welfare Board who represented Radio Jigawa during the exercise.

Earlier, the Emir of Hadejia, Mr Abubakar-Maje, commended the government for facilitating an exceptional Hajj exercise for pilgrims from the state.

The emir said the 2024 Hajj operation was challenged by the inability of the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) to announce the Hajj fare at once.

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Also, he said the instability of the exchange rate seriously affected the BTA given to the pilgrims and the slow processing of VIP tents at Mashaer by the National Hajj Commission.

The emir also announced to the governor the death of a female pilgrim from the state, Rabi Muhammad, after a brief illness.

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Since its emergence in 2006 from a 15-year civil war, Somalia has been working toward unifying the country and eventually seating a legitimate government, elected by the Somali people, which will bring stability and peace to a land splintered and torn by war for generations.

But reaching this goal was made doubly difficult due to the Al-Shabab terrorist group, which imposed its control on much of Somalia, including the capital, Mogadishu.

In 2006 the African Union sent help via the African Union Mission in Somalia, or AMISOM, whose primary objective was to maintain the newly installed Transitional Federal Government and implement a national security plan. Sixteen years later, AMISOM was replaced by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, or ATMIS, which is focused on both military and institutional autonomy of the Somali government.

That mission is now nearing its end. In mid-August, the UN Security Council voted to authorize the African Union extend its peacekeeping operation in Somalia to the end of the year, then draw down, to be replaced by another mission. This is a key step toward the Somalias takeover of its own security.

The United States is pleased to vote in favor of extending the ATMIS UN source mandate, said U.S. Political Minister Counselor to the UN, John Kelley. Above all, we recognize and honor the sacrifices by Atmos and Somali security forces in pursuit of peace and security in Somalia.



We applaud Somalia's continued commitment to the fight against al-Shabab. We fully support Somalia's goal of assuming greater responsibility for its own security as soon as possible and recognize ATMIS and an anticipated UN Security Council mandated, EU led, follow on peace support operation have vital roles in supporting that goal, he said.

The mission to protect vital strategic locations and critical infrastructure is critical in completing detailed planning on scope, tasks and financing for the mission is urgent, said Ambassador Kelley.

The United States reaffirms support for ATMIS and its anticipated follow UN mission as vitally important to the stability of Somalia and the region. We acknowledge a challenging road ahead, especially when it comes to financial support for the successor mission.

ATMIS will continue reducing the threat posed by al-Shabab, said Ambassador Kelley, and continue supporting the development of an integrated Somali security force capable of assuming progressively greater security responsibilities.
The Ogun State Government has announced a revenue of N1 billion from its rice revolution project over three months.

The State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, disclosed this on Monday, 19 August, when he flagged off the harvesting of the 200-hectare Magboro rice farm in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of the state.

With a yield of seven metric tonnes per hectare on the 200-hectare pilot project, the state produced approximately 1,400 metric tonnes of rice, equivalent to 20,000 bags of milled rice.

The feat, according to the governor, brings in an estimated revenue of N1 billion every three months to the state, directly benefiting the out-growers, including many youths and women who are new to farming.

Following the success of the first harvesting, the state governor said the project will now scale up to 2,000 hectares, with plans to expand to 5,000 hectares.

The scale-up is also projected to yield between N10 billion to N25 billion in revenue per quarter.

The farm, which is a brainchild of the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project, is supported by the World Bank.

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According to the governor, it is aimed at driving economic growth and development in the state.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr Abiodun said that with the flag-off, Ogun State is not only joining states like Lagos, Kebbi, and Bayelsa in producing locally grown rice for the consumption of the people, but also fostering economic development, creating jobs, and improving livelihoods within the communities.

This is a 200-hectare rice farm. The farmers are mainly women and youths from all parts of the country, not just from Ogun State alone.

Each farmer was allocated one hectare of farmland; this means that we have 200 farmers in this cluster. This project started in April this year. They began planting in May, and today we are already harvesting, making it a three-month cycle. It means that we can do this three times a year, he said.

20,000 bags of milled rice per cycle should be estimated to cost about N1 billion. So, these 200 farmers, made up of women and youths across the country, who farm here in just three months, have a revenue of N1 billion. If they do this three times this year, they will earn N3 billion. We have no business being hungry in Nigeria.

In this place, I have 12,500 hectares of land, and all we have farmed is 200 hectares that yielded N1 billion for 200 farmers. From here, I can feed the rest of the country. We will scale up this project immediately from 200 to 2,000 hectares.

We can generate N30 billion in revenue. We can take significant steps towards realising that vision of making Ogun State the food basket of this country, Mr Abiodun added.

The governor stressed that the project was in line with the Bola Tinubu administrations resolve to eradicate poverty and hunger by providing affordable food to Nigerians.

He noted that aside from increasing rice production, the project would also address animal husbandry.

Mr Abiodun emphasised that the state was blessed with adequate manpower and natural resources, stating that agriculture remained an important agenda of his administration as it provides employment and raw materials for the numerous industries in the state.

He said the OGSTEP Agricultural Sector Intervention will provide critical support, including advanced agricultural techniques, access to quality seeds, modern irrigation systems, and technical training for farmers, adding that the approach is offered to beneficiaries at a 65 per cent discount on the cost for each mechanisation operation.

While praising the people, especially members of the communities, for supporting the project, the governor promised that the farm would be provided with solar pumps to power the boreholes, as well as modern drones for effective pest control.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security Bolu Owotomo also reiterated that the project was in tandem with the agriculture policy of the Dapo Abiodun-led administration, which is to ensure food sufficiency for the people.

The Project Coordinator, Mosun Owo-Odunsi, said the project, which aims to produce high-quality rice, would positively impact the lives of citizens in all sectors. She expressed gratitude to the state governor for providing the necessary support.

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The Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed Philip Shaibu as the deputy governor of Edo State.

The court, in its judgment, dismissed the appeal filed by the Edo House of Assembly which sought to uphold Mr Shaibus impeachment, Punch newspaper reported.

The newspaper, however, did not state when the judgment was given.

With the ruling, the Court of Appeal has affirmed the judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja which earlier dismissed the Edo Assemblys impeachment of Mr Shaibu.

The assembly removed Mr Shaibu from office on 8 April after accusing him of disclosing governments secret, an allegation Mr Shaibu said was hatched because of his governorship ambition. He had vowed to challenge his removal at the court.

The lawmakers, after removing Mr Shaibu, confirmed Governor Godwin Obasekis nomination of Omabayo Godwins as his replacement.

However, the lower court on 17 July overturned Mr Shaibus removal and reinstated him.

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The judge, James Omotosho, ordered the payment of Mr Shaibus entitlements since April, when he was removed from office, and also ordered the inspector general of police to restore his security.

Mr Shaibu, without waiting for the outcome of the appeal, recently resumed office as the deputy governor of the state, prompting the state government to accuse him of impersonating Mr Godwins.

In his response, Mr Shaibu described the state governments allegation as an affront on the judiciary and a clear violation of the trial court judgment.

He described Mr Godwins as an appointee of Governor Godwin Obaseki, arguing that Mr Godwins was not voted for by the people of the state.

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has clarified that Mpox is not a new Coronavirus strain and should not be regarded as such.

On Tuesday, Hans Kluge, WHOs Regional Director for Europe, said this at a media briefing in Geneva, Switzerland.

According to him, no strain of the virus, either the old Claude I and II strain or the new Clade Ib strain, should be regarded or treated like COVID-19.

Mpox is not the new COVID  regardless of whether its Mpox clade I, behind the ongoing outbreak in east-central Africa, or Mpox clade II, behind the 2022 outbreak that initially impacted Europe  and has continued to circulate in Europe since, he said.

Mr Kluge called for a coordinated effort to curtail the spread of the disease, noting that government authorities in affected countries know the best approach.

We can and must tackle Mpox together, said Mr Hans at the media briefing.

So, will we choose to put the systems in place to control and eliminate Mpox globally, or will we enter another cycle of panic and neglect? How we respond now and in the years to come will prove a critical test for Europe and the world, he added.

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Collaborative efforts

With the detection of the new clade I variant in Sweden, Mr Kluge urged countries in the European region to take steps needed to eliminate the transmission of every variant of the disease.

Last week, Sweden became the first country outside Africa to record a case of the Mpox clade I variant, Clade Ib, which is at the centre of the latest outbreak and has been spreading from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to neighbouring countries.

There are two main types of Mpox: Clade I and Clade II.

Clade I is responsible for the current Mpox outbreak, while Clade II caused the global outbreak, leading to a global health emergency declaration from July 2022 to May 2023.

The outbreak affected multiple non-endemic countries as approximately 24 nations, primarily in Europe, reported infections.

The majority of Mpox cases were identified among young men who made sexual contact with other men, a departure from the conventional patterns of transmission.

Speaking on this, Mr Kluge pointed out that the region successfully curtailed the spread of the Mpox virus through direct engagement with the most affected communities of men who have sex with men.

He also said, We put in place robust surveillance, we thoroughly investigated new case contacts, and we provided sound public health advice.

Behaviour change, non-discriminatory public health action and Mpox vaccination contributed to controlling the outbreak.

Learning from our success, we urged governments and health authorities to sustain those measures  to help eliminate Mpox from Europe.

Mpox on decline in Nigeria

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported a decline in the number of suspected and confirmed Mpox cases in the country over the past four weeks.

The public health agencys latest data show a significant drop from the 102 cases reported during the previous four weeks.

These cases were recorded across 26 local government areas in 18 states.

Also, 51 new suspected cases were recorded.

The agency said that two of the new suspected cases were confirmed positive, with one case each reported in Ebonyi and Enugu states.

Difference between Mpox and COVID

Mpox is a viral infection that causes pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms. While Mpox and COVID-19 are viral infections, they differ in their origins, symptoms, transmission, and public health implications.

Mpox, formerly known as monkey pos, is caused by the monkeypox virus. This virus is a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus, which is closely related to the virus that causes smallpox.

On the other hand, COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is a type of coronavirus, like the viruses that cause MERS and SARS.

Mpox spreads through close contact with an infected person or animal, including direct contact with skin lesions, body fluids, and contaminated objects.

It can also spread through respiratory droplets, but this is less common.

Some symptoms are fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, chills, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and sore throat.

A rash usually appears one to five days after the first symptoms. It often starts on the face and then spreads to other parts of the body, including the genitals and anus.

COVID-19 spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks.

It can also spread through airborne transmission, especially in enclosed spaces.

For COVID, symptoms vary widely but commonly include fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, and loss of taste or smell. Severe cases can lead to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and other complications.

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There is much common ground between China and Nigeria, and between our two peoples. China is the second largest economy and one of the most populous countries in the world, while Nigeria is a major economy and the most populous country in Africa. Both of our countries are blessed with vast lands, ancient histories, rich natural resources, multiple ethnic nationalities and splendid cultures. Both the Chinese and Nigerian people cherish peace and yearn for development.

On 10 August, I departed from Beijing and landed in Abuja, from a city near the western side of the Pacific, to a capital adjacent to the eastern side of the Atlantic, and started my journey as the 15th Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, with a lofty mission and great excitement in my heart. Upon arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, I deeply felt the hospitality of the Nigerian people and their friendship with China, which boosted my confidence in my tenure in the coming years.

There is much common ground between China and Nigeria, and between our two peoples. China is the second largest economy and one of the most populous countries in the world, while Nigeria is a major economy and the most populous country in Africa. Both of our countries are blessed with vast lands, ancient histories, rich natural resources, multiple ethnic nationalities and splendid cultures. Both the Chinese and Nigerian people cherish peace and yearn for development. They are both hospitable people, and treat each other as brothers. Meanwhile, the 1st of October is Chinas National Day and Nigerias Independence Day, respectively. Although separated by oceans, the two countries and two peoples are closely linked by these similarities. Therefore, since the establishment of diplomatic ties on 10 February, 1971, our relations have stood the test of changes in the international landscape and gone from strength to strength. Furthermore, over the years China-Nigeria relations have stood at the forefront of China-Africa relations.

In 2018, our two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and Nigeria joined the Belt and Road family. In October, 2023, Vice President Shettima attended the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in China on behalf of President Tinubu, which was a complete success. In June this year, Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar visited China and held talks with HE Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and minister of Foreign Affairs. The two foreign ministers co-chaired the first plenary session of the China-Nigeria Intergovernmental Committee, which further promoted the political mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation between our two countries.

People-to-people friendship holds the key to state-to-state relations. After the COVID-19 pandemic, we have developed closer cultural exchanges. We have established cultural centres in each others capital and Chinese and Nigerian universities have co-founded two Confucius Institutes in Nigeria, and Nigerian peoples enthusiasm for learning the Chinese language keeps on growing. The number of Nigerian students learning in China has reached its peak at more than 7,500

Upon arrival in Abuja, I witnessed its modern international airport that was built by a Chinese enterprise. The airport is just one of the numerous flagship projects constructed by Chinese companies through China-Nigeria cooperation, which include the Lekki Deep Sea Port, the Abuja Metro Line, the Lagos Rail Mass Transit, the Zungeru Hydropower Plant, the National Data Centre in Kano, and the Lekki and Ogun industrial parks, etc. The projects stand as a testament to the fruitful results of China-Nigeria practical cooperation and the friendship between our two peoples. Nigeria is Chinas third largest trading partner in Africa, with bilateral trade amounting to $22.56 billion in 2023. The country is also Chinas second largest export market and a major investment destination in Africa, and the number of projects contracted by China in Nigeria ranks first in Africa. Featuring enormous potential and a bright future, the practical cooperation between China and Nigeria serves as a role model of high quality Belt and Road Cooperation.

People-to-people friendship holds the key to state-to-state relations. After the COVID-19 pandemic, we have developed closer cultural exchanges. We have established cultural centres in each others capital and Chinese and Nigerian universities have co-founded two Confucius Institutes in Nigeria, and Nigerian peoples enthusiasm for learning the Chinese language keeps on growing. The number of Nigerian students learning in China has reached its peak at more than 7,500, and a large number of Nigerian citizens are doing business in China. We have co-hosted with the Nigerian side a series of cultural events such as the Happy Chinese New Year Temple Fair, the Chinese Film Festival and the Chinese Bridge the Chinese Proficiency Competition, which have all largely brought our hearts closer. I am expecting more Nigerian friends to pay visits to China and act as the envoys connecting China-Nigeria friendship.

China and Africa enjoy a long-standing friendship. In the 1960s and 1970s, despite its economic hardship, China built the world-renowned Tazara Railway for its African brothers. In 2013, President Xi Jinping put forward the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith for Chinas Africa policy. Over the past decades, China and its African friends have stood together in weal and woe in the face of changes in the international landscape and joined hands to meet challenges. Taking into consideration African countries yearn for modernisation, President Xi Jinping proposed, in 2023, the Initiative on Supporting Africas Industrialisation, the Plan for China Supporting Africas Agricultural Modernisation, and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development respectively, accelerating Africas integration and modernisation.

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When I passed by the majestic Zuma Rock, it reminded me of the Great Wall of China. Both of them represent the national character of tenacity possessed by our two peoples and symbolise our friendship. I look forward to meeting more Nigerian friends from government bodies, the National Assembly, the business community, the media, think-tanks, etc., visiting different states in Nigeria, and gaining more insights into its history, ethnic cultures and local customs.

In September this year, the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will be held in Beijing, during which Chinese and African leaders will jointly plan future China-Africa development, after the previous summit held six years ago. Currently we are actively preparing for President Tinubus state visit to China and his attendance of the Summit in September, along with our Nigerian colleagues. I am confident that with our joint efforts, President Tinubus visit is certain to deepen our cooperation in such fields as industry, agriculture, infrastructure, financing, poverty reduction, technological innovation, digital development and the blue economy, upgrading and expanding the depth and width of China-Nigeria cooperation, and bringing more benefits to our two peoples. President Tinubu, as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), will also discuss with Chinese and African leaders about China-Africa cooperation and development.

In July this year, the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee was successfully held, with the adoption of an important resolution which included more than 300 important reform measures. The measures are aimed at further deepening reform comprehensively and advancing Chinese modernisation. China strives for modernisation through a path of peaceful development. The country will leverage the strengths of its enormous market and enhance the capacity to open up by expanding international cooperation. Chinas development plays an important role for the stability and prosperity of a multi-polar world. We will also continue to support Nigerias social and economic development with concrete actions, and share our development benefits with the country.

When I passed by the majestic Zuma Rock, it reminded me of the Great Wall of China. Both of them represent the national character of tenacity possessed by our two peoples and symbolise our friendship. I look forward to meeting more Nigerian friends from government bodies, the National Assembly, the business community, the media, think-tanks, etc., visiting different states in Nigeria, and gaining more insights into its history, ethnic cultures and local customs. With the support of my like-minded Nigerian friends, I will make my utmost efforts to contribute to the resilient relations between China and Nigeria, to the profound friendship between our two peoples, and to the building of a high-level China-Nigeria community with a shared future.

Yu Dunhai is the Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China to Nigeria.

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An Imperfect Storm ushers you into the life of a man and his mission. Starting from his cradle in Hamburg, Germany, to the classroom in Nsukka, Nigeria, we encounter a boy who initially wanted to be like his medical doctor father; but who, after doing all in his power to specialise as a surgeon, was finally pushed by fate to public health. The same fate joined him with a life partner who helped to shape his career, from London to Johannesburg, and then to Abuja, when he was appointed to head the infant Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

The book, An Imperfect Storm: A Pandemic and the Coming of Age of a Nigerian Institution, written by the immediate past Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, with his wife Vivianne Ihekweazu, the managing director of Nigeria Health Watch, is a memoir written like a fast-paced thriller, which will keep you turning the pages, not just because it captures the tense and trying COVID-19 years, but for its down-to-earth narration, needled with suspense and revelatory intrigues.

It grips you in an exciting ride to that climactic realisation that, perhaps, the unseen hands of the Almighty Creator had prepared an ordinary hardworking Nigerian to lead his compatriots in a life-or-death fight against a strange pandemic of global dimension.

In this book of 27 chapters, divided into four distinct periodic and thematic parts (The Gathering; Synchronicity; Attenuation; and Full Circle), there is so much information crammed into 263 pages, that anyone from any discipline would certainly encounter a key that opens the door to personal reflection.

Granted, the COVID-19 pandemic affected all of us, and so could be the common denominator for every reader. But I am persuaded to believe that there is something magnetic about a man and or a woman who carries on a mission with passion. Ihekweazus single-minded devotion to his life work and professional calling, as depicted in every fabric of the account, sparks a light that warms the reader from the beginning to the end. He was able to take us on a virtual reality ride into his personal life, the way only a gifted storyteller could do.

In Chapter Seven, Blueprint for fighting pandemics, I felt goose pimples as I read his experience during the 2017 meningitis outbreak in North-West Nigeria, caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitides serogroup C. He narrated how the lack of a healthcare infrastructure caused scales of idealism to fall from his eyes.

Centres providing care were comprised of essentially of people, even children, being treated underneath trees whose branches held infusion bottles, the intravenous lines swaying carelessly in the wind while attached to the patients, he recalls.

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I could relate to the above. This was almost the exact picture of the situation when I worked in Bagega, Zamfara State in 2010, during the public health emergency on lead poisoning. In fact, I chuckled on reading that when images of children receiving medication under the shade provided by trees were published on the front pages of most national dailies, the expected outrage did not occur.

He had expected condemnation and a demand for accountability; but there was none. He was shocked that there was no public outcry and no allocation of resources to address the situation. This was the exact sense of outrage that overwhelmed me in Bagega, which led to the #SaveBagega campaign when I demanded for fiscal transparency in governments intervention in the endangered community back in 2011.

In 2016 when he assumed office, the NCDC had no legal mandate as a government establishment (which means no funds to function); had no strategic plan; had less than seventy staff; had no website; and had no reference laboratory. Hence, An Imperfect Storm, solves the riddle of how such a fledgling institution with a ragtag staff and scanty infrastructure was able to seamlessly morph into the well-oiled machine that drove Nigerias response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Then, ten years later, I activated the same #FollowTheMoney campaign to ensure that monies budgeted for COVID-19 were deployed transparently.

An Imperfect Storm ushers you into the life of a man and his mission. Starting from his cradle in Hamburg, Germany, to the classroom in Nsukka, Nigeria, we encounter a boy who initially wanted to be like his medical doctor father; but who, after doing all in his power to specialise as a surgeon, was finally pushed by fate to public health. The same fate joined him with a life partner who helped to shape his career, from London to Johannesburg, and then to Abuja, when he was appointed to head the infant Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

In 2016 when he assumed office, the NCDC had no legal mandate as a government establishment (which means no funds to function); had no strategic plan; had less than seventy staff; had no website; and had no reference laboratory. Hence, An Imperfect Storm, solves the riddle of how such a fledgling institution with a ragtag staff and scanty infrastructure was able to seamlessly morph into the well-oiled machine that drove Nigerias response to the COVID-19 pandemic within the space of three years.

During the uncertain days of the pandemic, those updates from NCDC to our phones and social media handles had a soothing effect on the jarred psyche of anxious Nigerians. One never, for one moment, imagined that the agency was actually a baby in the bureaucratic world  now being forced to become an emergency mother to all of us.

In the chapter, The interface of politics and policy, the book, through a concise and clear narrative, like surgical blades, wades through the conspiracies that defined the lockdown days in 2020, especially the one surrounding the COVID-19 related death of late Chief of Staff to former President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Abba Kyari.

Indeed, one could say that the book is the first authoritative account that dispels several pandemic-related conspiracies  including the one about the Infectious Diseases Bill.

Similarly, in Chapter 15, The consonance between clinicians and academics, we see how the pressure inflicted by the pandemic  dying patients, stalled economies and public panic  set off medical quackery that dominated global conversations and nearly derailed response efforts. In Nigeria, there were three major waves of such fixes and pseudo-scientific theories. They were the hydroxychloroquine theory; the Madagascar cure; and the zinc and ivermectin medications.

I feel the memoir is incomplete without the Ihekweazus taking us into their vision for a personal project (Foundation) that would leverage their experiences and networks to give a legacy value to their country, Nigeria. Secondly, I must mention that Dr Chikwe Ihekweazus alternating time-line style of writing has a dramatic effect that could be better explored through a movie script, in order for his COVID-19 story to go beyond a documentary.

An Imperfect Storm makes it clear that it was not only about contact tracing, testing and isolation; the NCDC and its indefatigable staff, led by a determined public health expert, must have to communicate with the right tone, language, and message, to inform Nigerians of the situation, while allaying their fears and providing reassurances.

In the book, I see a man who is able to show that managing the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic was indubitably the most difficult professional challenge he had faced in his career at that point in time. I also saw a woman giving all in her world to support her husband, and enable him achieve to optimum capacity in the service to nation. It is a tale of love, fear, faith, service and patriotism, woven into one buffet of literal clarity.

Personally, I was inspired to discover that I share a similar leadership philosophy and style with the author. Just like Ihekweazu reveals, I also see my staff as colleagues, and I always make them forget that Im the DG/CEO. I want their opinion, to understand their motivation, and assess their understanding of their responsibilities.

Additionally, the chapter on Bureaucratic battles is a mirror of sort to see my own career and the challenges I faced as a young Nigerian perceived by some elders to be trying too hard to make a change. Ihekweazu, with his progressive and inclusive methods at the NCDC, came face-to-face with some reactionary forces that did not want him to shake the table, so to speak. As he wrote, whispers circulating along the corridors of the ministry indicated that I was a young man who was pushing too hard and not carrying everyone along.

Fortunately, with his actions, appearance, strategic planning and commitment to excellence, he was able to deliver results and establish the NCDC as one of the most respected public health agencies in the world, leading to more countries following Nigerias lead in setting up a national public health institute.

What was left out? I feel the memoir is incomplete without the Ihekweazus taking us into their vision for a personal project (Foundation) that would leverage their experiences and networks to give a legacy value to their country, Nigeria. Secondly, I must mention that Dr Chikwe Ihekweazus alternating time-line style of writing has a dramatic effect that could be better explored through a movie script, in order for his COVID-19 story to go beyond a documentary.

All things considered, An Imperfect Storm is worth a space in every library in the nation and beyond. Importantly, as the World Health Organization just declared the MPox an international health emergency, we now have a resource in An Imperfect Storm to guide us as the threat evolves.

Hamzat Lawal (Hamzy!) is a renowned activist, who is currently campaigning, mobilising, organising and leading a group of young people in bringing needed changes across African communities through the Follow The Money programme. He is the Chief Executive of Connected Development (CODE).

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Totalitarians come in different guises, usually rationalising their desire to chill free speech by hiding under higher values. A good example is the end of politics sycophants in the Tinubu government. This is an overzealous but self-serving group which, in the wake of the Supreme Court affirmation of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the president after the controversial 2023 presidential election, began an aggressive quest to muzzle free speech by those they consider as opposition elements.

The #EndBadGovernance protest, which started on 1 August and formally ended on 20 August, has continued to raise discussions across the country and beyond, especially within civil society groups. More than 1,400 people who took part in the protest have reportedly been arrested and detained by security agencies, with indications that the government is still trying to hunt-down suspected sponsors of the protest.

One of the important lessons from the protest is that the storm clouds seem to be really gathering towards a totalitarian state  a system characterised by a strong central rule that attempts to control and direct all aspects of individual life through coercion and repression. In political science, totalitarianism is the extreme form of authoritarianism, wherein all power is held by a dictatorial nanny state that promotes group-think through blackmail and propaganda. Group-think, according to the American social psychologist Irving Janis who coined the term, is the mode of thinking that persons engage in when concurrence-seeking becomes so dominant in a cohesive in-group that it tends to override realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action. In group-think, loyalty to the group requires individuals to avoid raising controversial or non-conforming issues and ideas or even alternative solutions.

The first lethal blow to liberal democracy by totalitarians is the chilling of speech. This refers to a situation where individuals or groups refrain from exercising their constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech (both verbal, and symbolic such as organising peaceful protests) for fear of running afoul of a law or regulation. The chilling of free speech is a form of prior restraint (a form of censorship that allows the government to review the content of printed materials to decide whether such should be published or not). When free speech is successfully stifled, even an honest opinion could be construed as an incitement by the totalitarian state, which then uses it as a pretext to come after purveyors of the speech it does not like. As the American jurist, Wendell Holmes, famously put it in Gitlow v New York (1925), Every idea is an incitement The only difference between the expression of an opinion and an incitement in the narrower sense is the speakers enthusiasm for the results.

Totalitarians come in different guises, usually rationalising their desire to chill free speech by hiding under higher values. A good example is the end of politics sycophants in the Tinubu government. This is an overzealous but self-serving group which, in the wake of the Supreme Court affirmation of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the president after the controversial 2023 presidential election, began an aggressive quest to muzzle free speech by those they consider as opposition elements. They did so (and still do) using various mantras such as the time for politicking is over, it is now the time for governance or the President should be allowed to concentrate on governance, the President should not be distracted, those who lost elections should wait until 2027, etc. etc.

The irony is that the advocates of the end of politics are themselves being political. They are either trying to stifle the voices of opposition or blackmail critics of the government, both of which are needed in a democracy to keep the government on its toes for optimal performance. Ironically, some members of this in-group flaunt their democratic credentials by constantly reminding us of their roles in the struggle for the revalidation of MKO Abiolas mandate. The truth is that not all who partook in the noble struggle to re-validate MKO Abiolas mandate were democrats. Some were drawn into the struggle by different motives, including defence of ethnic pride.

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And talking of sponsorship, are various state agencies such as the National Orientation Agencies and others that provide myriad forms of political enlightenment campaigns not also engaging in sponsorship when they devise schemes for citizens to identify more with the government of the day, including funding pro-government or counter protests?

Just like the DSS infamously went after people who expressed the honest opinion of supporting an interim government after the 2023 elections and sought to blackmail the public into believing that such expressions of honest opinion amounted to intentions to commit treason, the end of politics zealots (many of who are linked to the government), are going overdrive to criminalise protest. I fail to see any crime not just in peaceful protests but also in the sponsorship of such protests  which is actually a way of encouraging citizens to become active participants in the political process.

And talking of sponsorship, are various state agencies such as the National Orientation Agencies and others that provide myriad forms of political enlightenment campaigns not also engaging in sponsorship when they devise schemes for citizens to identify more with the government of the day, including funding pro-government or counter protests? The only difference is that while one group is presumably sponsored to voice its displeasure with the government (which is constitutionally allowed), another group is sponsored to identify with the government of the day. Of course supporting citizens to become active participants in the political process through sponsoring peaceful protest must be distinguished from sponsoring an insurrection or encouraging violent protest or vandalising peoples property, which is condemnable.

Once free speech is successfully chilled, our current liberal democracy, as imperfect as it is, would be further corrupted into George Orwells dystopian account of a totalitarian state in his book, 1984. Since the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, it is important that anti-democratic forces, in whatever guises they come, are not allowed to gain an upper hand.

In the run-up to the protest, Bayo Onanuga, who had in the aftermath of the 2023 presidential election in Lagos proclaimed himself a Yoruba irredentist and weaponised ethnicity, accused Peter Obi of being the secret sponsor of the #EndBadGovernance protest. Others linked to the government have also variously accused Atiku Abubakar, the North, some senior Army officers from the North, the Igbos, and foreign interest of being the sponsors of the protest. There was also a threat to start a campaign for Igbo Must Go from 20 August to force the Igbos to vacate Lagos and all the states in the South-West (so far no arrest has been made about the sponsors of the genocidal campaign). Recently, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, introduced a so-called Counter Subversive Bill 24 (now withdrawn), which proposed harsh penalties for Nigerians who refuse to recite the national anthem, destroy national symbols, or deface places of worship or who organise an unlawful procession. I see all these as gangster methods of chilling speech through the spreading of fear across the camps of opposition forces.

Once free speech is successfully chilled, our current liberal democracy, as imperfect as it is, would be further corrupted into George Orwells dystopian account of a totalitarian state in his book, 1984. Since the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, it is important that anti-democratic forces, in whatever guises they come, are not allowed to gain an upper hand. It is germane to note that the very First Amendment to the American Constitution in 1791 was to protect freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. This is because free speech, and the marketplace of ideas which it creates, is the foundational structure of democracy. Without it, democracy dies.

To be continued next week.

Jideofor Adibe is a professor of Political Science at Nasarawa State University, Keffi. He can be reached at: pcjadibe@yahoo.com or 07058078841 (WhatsApp or text messages only).

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The Nigerian Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), has invited the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) Joe Ajaero, over alleged criminal conspiracy and terrorism financing.

Mr Ajaero will also be interrogated on alleged teasonable felony, subversion and cybercrime.

The invitation was contained in a letter to Mr Ajaero by the IRT on Monday.

The letter, signed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Adamu Muazu, asked the NLC president to appear before the IRT for an interview on Tuesday at the commands complex at Guzape junction Abuja.

Mr Muazu threatened to arrest Mr Ajaero if he fails to acknowledge and show up for the interview.

The office is investigating a case of Criminal Conspiracy, Terrorism financing, Treasonable Felony, Subversion and Cybercrime in which you were mentioned.

You are therefore invited to interview the undersigned on Tuesday 20th Aug 2024 by 10:00 am prompt, at IRT Complex, Old Abattoir by Guzape Junction, Abuja, through the Team Leader with telephone no 08035179870 in connection with the above investigation.

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Be informed that in the event of failing to honour this letter, this office will have no alternative than to activate a warrant of arrest against you, please, the letter reads.

Backstory

On 7 August, security operatives had raided the NLC headquarters in Abuja.

Spokesperson for the Congress, Benson Upah, said the operatives broke into the second floor of the building and ransacked the bookshop on it and carted away hundreds of books and other publications.

On 9 August, the police admitted raiding an office inside the NLC headquarters building in Abuja.

It said, however, the labour union was not the target of the raid.

The Nigeria Police Force wishes to clarify that a prime criminal suspect in an ongoing investigation was traced to a shop within the building in the Central Business District, Abuja, police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi wrote

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IHS Towers is a leader in communications infrastructure, but its impact in Nigeria extends far beyond supporting mobile connectivity. Through a strategic partnership with UNICEF that began in 2019, IHS Nigeria, part of the HIS Towers group, is making a significant and measurable difference in the lives of Nigerians, particularly in the crucial areas of education, healthcare, and community development. This collaboration transcends mere business operations, demonstrating a deep-seated commitment to the nation.

Bridging the Digital Divide: Empowering Schools and Students

One of the most impactful initiatives is the School-to-School Connectivity project, launched in 2022 by UNICEF. As a collaborator in this project, IHS Nigeria is on a mission to help bridge the digital divide in education by providing internet connectivity to over 400 public secondary schools and donating more than 200 mini-tablets toschools across underserved communities.

Unlocking new learning resources is key, and through this project, students gain exposure to online educational materials, interactive learning platforms, and valuable digital tools. This complements the Nigeria Learning Passport, a vital online and offline curriculum application currently reaching approximately one million users, designed by UNICEF in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education.

Saving Lives: a Multi-Pronged Approach to Covid-19

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, IHS Nigeria played a vital role in supporting national response efforts. Their contributions included:

 Essential supplies: In collaboration with the European Union and APM Terminals, IHS Nigeria co-financed the acquisition and delivery of 10,000 test kits, 15 oxygen concentrators, personal protective equipment (PPE), vaccines, and other vital health supplies to support the Nigerian government through the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). This comprehensive approach helped address critical needs for testing, treating and protecting frontline healthcare workers.

 Expanded testing capacity: Recognising the importance of widespread testing, IHS Nigeria further collaborated with UNICEF to supplyover130,000 test kits. This significantly increased testing capacity, facilitating the early detection and isolation of cases to help curb the spread of the virus.

Strengthening Healthcare Throughan Oxygen Security Project

Nigeria faces a continued challenge in the availability of medical oxygen, and to help address this, IHS Nigeria is an active partner of UNICEF Nigerias Oxygen Security Project. Launched in 2022, this project is supporting the Federal Ministry of Health and has seen the construction of nine Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants across the following states: Ogun, Oyo, Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Cross River, and Rivers. These plants aim to ensure a reliable supply of medical oxygen, impacting healthcare facilities ability to provide life-saving treatment.

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Recognising the importance of skilled personnel, the project has also trained over 1,445 frontline healthcare workers in oxygen management.This comprehensive approach ensures not only the availability of oxygen, but also the proper knowledge and expertise to utilise it effectively, ultimately saving lives and improving healthcare outcomes for countless Nigerians.As an example, the plants installed at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Ogun State, are designed to targeta population of around 1.6 million with an average weekly utilisation volume of approximately 4,000 liters.

Collaboration between HIS Nigeria and UNICEF has extended beyond schools and hospitals and into the broader community. Between 2019 and 2022, the Child-Friendly Community Initiative (CFCI)brought together local stakeholders, including community leaders, youth groups, and womens organisations. Piloted in Lagos, Bauchi, and Cross River States, CFCI served as a model for community-driven development.

CFCI aimed to empower local communities and community leaders to own and drive the delivery of integrated child-centric social services including education, health, and nutrition. The initiative has successfully established elements of decentralised planning and resource management to address child deprivation.

Furthermore, the project used Digital Community Information Systems (DCIS) which collected real-time data on various child-related issues to guide local decision-making. Using this data, communities were able to target resources effectively, ensuring interventions were aligned to specific, local needs. This data-driven approach fostered greater efficiency and maximisedthe impact of available resources on the well-being of children.

A Global Commitment: Partnering with Giga to Map School Connectivity

Furthermore, IHS Towers has taken a global approach to bridging the digital divide in education. It is a key partner in Giga, a global initiative launched by UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that aims to map and connect every school in the world to the internet by 2030. Alongside a $4.5 million investment, IHS Towers is providing vital tower data, including in respect of its Nigerian operations, to help Giga create a comprehensive map of internet connectivity. This data is crucial for identifying areas with critical gaps in infrastructure, paving the way for targeted interventions and ensuring no child is left behind in the digital age.

I am immensely grateful for the robust partnership between UNICEF and IHS Nigeria, which has contributed to significant results for children. Our collaborative projects, including the critical oxygen support program, comprehensive COVID-19 interventions, enhancing school connectivity, and the Child-Friendly Communities Initiative (CFCI), have all been pivotal in advancing our mission. Together, we are making substantial strides towards sustainable development and a brighter future for all, said Ms Cristian Munduate, representative, UNICEF Nigeria

The IHS Nigeria and UNICEF partnership transcends individual projects, presenting a successful model for public-private collaboration. By combining resources and expertise, they are achieving tangible results in education, healthcare, and community development. This successful model demonstrates the power of collaboration between the private sector and international organisations.

Mohamad Darwish, CEO, IHS Nigeria said, At IHS Nigeria, we strive to deliver long-term positive impact across our local communities. Through strategic sustainability partnerships, we continue to contribute to Nigerias socio-economic development, with a strong focus on education, healthcare, and community empowerment. We take great pride in collaborating with UNICEF Nigeriaand remain committed to fostering a brighter future for Nigeria.

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Hard as some recalcitrant obligors raise false alarms meant to incite the public against the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) by sponsoring so-called frivolous articles in the media to malign both the past and present leadership of the Corporation, AMCON will remain resolute in its pursuit of debtors who owe the government and Nigerias taxpayers over N5trillion.

It is therefore scandalous that some respected media practitioners would allow themselves to be used smear the image of a Corporation that has made, and will continue to make huge recoveries for the Federal Government of Nigeria.

For the records, AMCON to date has made recoveries in the sum of N1.9trillion  of the total recovery, cash recovery represents 43%, sale of four bridged banks 13.3%, sales of proprietary shares 11%, claw back & repurchases 9.5%, asset sales & rentals 9.4%, investment income 7.2%, proprietary assets (unsold) 3.1% proprietary shares (unsold) 3.1% and divestment from portfolio 0.3%.

No amount of smear media attacks or campaigns of calumny can change these verifiable facts. It is also important to state that most of AMCONs recovery activities are done transparently through the Courts, particularly when all peaceful resolution efforts have collapsed. AMCON currently has approximately 1,865 cases in the different Courts  the Federal High Court, the Appeal Courts, and the Supreme Court. These cases are against recalcitrant obligors who would rather spend money sponsoring ready-for-hire media platforms, and writers to attack AMCON than repay their debt.

Let it be stated categorically that in as much as AMCON will not join issues with any writer and sponsors of any scandalous article against the Corporation, the public should know that AMCON will not be deterred in its debt recovery mandate. The Corporation has supported and will continue to support and resuscitate hitherto moribund companies, especially in the strategic sectors of the Nigerian economy.

POWER SECTOR

Geometrics Power: AMCON restructured, and supported Geometrics Power Project along the path of optimal performance, which the country enjoys today. The Corporation is also playing a leading role in Rockson Engineering Limited known as the Kudenda Power Project in Kaduna State. On the indebtedness of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Plc (IBEDC), the Corporation has put the Company back on the path of profitability, and working with other strategic stakeholders will soon announce new investors to the public. This development would further improve electricity distribution in the country.

OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

Pan Ocean Oil & Gas: AMCON also restructured Pan Ocean Oil Corporation (POOC), and its sister companies along the path of optimal operation.

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POOC is the first indigenous oil company to sign a Joint Venture (JV) agreement with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

On Seawolf Limited, AMCON under the able leadership of the new Executive Management recently restructured Seawolf Limited to support the objective of increasing oil production in the country.

This is majorly a resolution that is close to the heart of the government and aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of this administration.

AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

In agriculture, AMCON in line with the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative has restructured and supported TAK Continental Limited in the reactivation of 11 fertilizer blending plants across the country.

AMCON also aided and supported the resuscitation of Multitrex Integrated Food Processing Plc, a cocoa processing factory. AMCONs restructuring of Dorman Long Industries Limited has seen a massive investment of over $17.5million by the Private Equity Fund (PEF). This has also boosted their capacity with its positive impact on the upstream oil and gas sector in Nigeria.

OTHER SECTORS

AMCON has successfully taken Ascot Fabricators, which was hitherto moribund on the path of production. Ascot Fabricators was once the largest in Africa and its coming back into operation with the support of AMCON would create employment in the Niger Delta thus helping to curb youth restiveness in the region.

Again, under the leadership of the current Executive Management led by Mr Gbenga Alade, AMCON has been able to restructure NATCOM, and in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) working to bring back the telecommunications player to full operations. NATCOM is the old NITEL (the then-national carrier).

This move will improve the teledensity in the country and bring about increased revenue and other social gains to both the government and the Nigerian citizens.

AMCON has restructured and helped Golden Guinea Industries, Umuahia in Abia State. The factory has started production as a result of the AMCON intervention.

AMCON also supported Aero Contractors business, and under the AMCON stead, the airline built the first Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in West Africa. AMCON has also ensured that Arik Air, a strategic carrier has remained in operations irrespective of the challenges.

The Corporation has continued to support the activities of Peugeot Automobile (PAN) in Kaduna State to bring it back to optimal operations.

AMCON was established on July 19, 2010, when the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria signed the AMCON Act into Law. The Corporation was created to be a key stabilising and re-vitalising tool to revive the financial system by efficiently resolving the Non-Performing Loan (NPL) assets of the banks in the Nigerian economy.

AMCON is a sui generis statutory corporation with narrow and specialised statutory functions. The primary purpose for the establishment of AMCON is the procurement and management of Eligible Bank Assets (EBAs) and Eligible Equities (EEs).

At the heart of AMCONs statutory mandate are the recovery of NPL and the enforcement and realisation of collateral. Therefore, AMCON is imbued with the powers under the AMCON Act, to, inter alia, realise any security that an EFI could have realised and in turn, enforce any rights or interest on any asset in relation to the EBAs acquired pursuant to the AMCON Act, which is what the Corporation has done effectively and efficiently since its establishment.

AMCON is a responsible agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria that carries out its operations within the ambit of the law and the AMCON Act. The mandate is to recover the over N5trillion owed Nigerians through several loans obtained from banks some of which have long collapsed.

Unfortunately for the obligors, AMCON bought over these loans and would work within the law and the Act to recover the debts, and no media campaign to smear the image of the Corporation, and its Executive Management would stop AMCON.

Jude Nwauzor is Head of Corporate Communications Department, AMCON.

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More than two million people have reportedly benefited from HIV/AIDS screening, treatment, and counseling services in Gombe State.

Bolanle Oyeledun, the CEO of the Centre for Integrated Health Programme (CIHP), stated this on Tuesday at an event marking the transition of CIHP to a new partner organisation, Family Health International (FHI).

Mrs Oyeledun said CIHP made a significant impact in Gombe by rehabilitating primary and secondary health facilities, training healthcare workers and screening over 13,000 pregnant mothers and treating 235 patients.

Today, as we transition our programme to new partners, we do so with immense pride in what we have achieved together, Mrs Oyeledun said.

Thousands of lives have been saved, and the spread of HIV has been drastically reduced. Gombe is now one of the three states in Nigeria to have achieved epidemic control.

She said over one million pregnant women have been tested for HIV, with those testing positive receiving treatment to prevent mother-to-child transmission, ensuring healthier futures for countless children.

In his remarks at the event, the states Commissioner for Health, Habu Dahiru, praised CIHPs contributions, particularly in capacity building, the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and the improvement of healthcare infrastructure in the state.

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Thanking the global partners, including the Global Fund, Nigeria Country Office, and the University of Ibadan, Mr Dahiru acknowledged their role in advancing the fight against HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

He said the achievements of CIHP will be preserved and enhanced under the stewardship of FHI, with a continued focus on sustaining progress in HIV prevention and management.

This event is not just a farewell but a celebration of 17 years of relentless dedication and partnership, leaving behind a lasting impact on the fight against HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

As the programme transitions to FHI, the commitment to providing vital HIV/AIDS services in Gombe State remains steadfast, ensuring that the progress made over the past 17 years will continue to thrive, the commissioner said.

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The United States is imposing sanctions on one individual and six companies, and blocking three vessels, for their involvement in generating illicit support for the Houthis on behalf of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force-backed Houthi financier Said al-Jamal.

The United States is also sanctioning one company and blocking four of its vessels tied to Hezbollah official Muhammad Qasim al-Bazzal and the shipment of Iranian liquefied petroleum gas valued at tens of millions of dollars.

Since the Houthis began their attacks on Red Sea shipping last year, the United States has sanctioned dozens of entities, individuals, and ships associated with the network of al-Jamal. The network relies on a host of shipping companies, vessels, and facilitators to enable the sale and shipment of Iranian commodities, including oil and petroleum products, in order to generate revenue for the Houthis and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force.

The revenue from this network finances the Houthis reckless attacks in vital waterways and strikes on civilian infrastructure, with devastating consequences for the region and globe.

These sanctions, said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley Smith, underscore our continued commitment to disrupting Irans primary source of funding to its regional terrorist proxies like Lebanese Hezbollah and the Houthis. Our message is clear: those who seek to finance these groups destabilizing activities will be held to account.

As a result of the latest sanctions, all property and interests in property of these individuals and entities must be blocked and reported to the Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC. Furthermore, OFACs regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.

We will continue to use the tools at our disposal to deprive the Houthis of revenue to carry out their attacks on international shipping, said State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel in a statement, and we will continue to confront Irans enabling Houthi attacks.
The Kwara State College of Health Technology, Offa, will on Saturday graduate 5,000 students at its maiden convocation ceremony.

The provost of the institution, Aliyu Alabi, made this known at a pre-convocation news conference on Tuesday in Ilorin.

He said the convocation will be a combined one, as it will include graduates from the institution who finished five years ago.

He explained that the college was established in 1976, adding that due to its peculiarity, graduation of students used to be a departmental affair.

Mr Alabi pointed out that the state government embarked on reorganisation, reformation and rebranding crusade of the college, which did not only affect the colleges physical infrastructure but also its staff development.

He said the reorganisation included training and re-training, which also involved inculcating discipline in the students.

The provost said some of the achievements of the institution include the construction of 450M asphalt road from the college gate to the hostel,

construction of 250 sitting capacity ICT centre through Private Public Partnership.

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He added that there is also the ongoing construction of the Dental Health Technology Laboratory, and expansion of the Community Health

Departments demonstration room, among others.

Mr Alabi observed that the continuous improvement of campus facilities ensured an unprecedented conducive learning environment for students.

He said the institution had already mobilised 1,600 graduates for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), describing it as reaching unprecedented heights.

Mr Alabi appealed to the Federal Government to include the college into the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) scheme, as funding had

continued to pose challenges to the institution.

He said the school had graduated many healthcare workers who are contributing to the development of the country.(NAN)

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The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission has commenced an investigation into an alleged multi-billion naira drug purchase contract scam for 44 local government areas in the state.

The commissions chairman, Muhuyi Rimin-Gado, disclosed this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Tuesday.

We have commenced an intensive investigation into the allegations regarding the multi-billion Naira drug supply to 44 Local Government Areas.

Regardless of who is involved, we will get to the roots of the matter and prosecute those found guilty, Mr Rimin-Gado said.

According to him, the commission is investigating the alleged diversion of palliatives by the Chief of Staff to Governor Abba Yusuf, Shehu Sagagi.

We are on top of the situation, and everyone found wanting will be arrested and prosecuted, he said.

The chairman appealed to the public to provide reliable information that could assist in the ongoing investigations.

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NAN reports that Mr Yusuf had, in a statement, denied knowledge of the said contract for the drugs supply.

The statement was jointly signed by the Commissioner for Information, Baba Dantiye, and the Director General, Media and Publicity to the Governor, Sanusi Dawakin-Tofa.

Accordingly, the governor directed the commission to immediately initiate an investigation into the matter and report the outcome for necessary action.

(NAN)

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Combined security agencies have rescued a kidnap victim in Umuduru, a community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigerias South-east.

The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said the victim was rescued when the security agencies raided a hideout of suspected kidnappers in the area.

The spokesperson said the security agencies comprised police, military and vigilante operatives.

The feat (rescue) followed an arrest of a suspect (name withheld) a few weeks ago and his confession of being a member of a criminal and notorious kidnap gang terrorising the state, especially in Ihiala, he said.

Mr Ikenga said the rescued had been reunited with his family.

Operations are still ongoing, he said.

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The police spokesperson did not provide the identity of the rescued victim.

Kidnap for ransom

Cases of kidnap for ransom have been on the increase across the state and South-east in recent times.

The latest development came about six days after gunmen abducted eight people during a traditional ceremony in Amakor village, Nanka Community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Apart from the abducted victims, 12 others were injured by the hoodlums during the attack which occurred last Wednesday.

On Thursday, a medical doctor was abducted in Enugu, another state in the South-east.

The doctor, Innocent Nwoga, who is the medical director of Ukehe General Hospital was abducted on Thursday along Egede- Ninth Mile- Nsukka Road in the state.

Last week, gunmen abducted three persons in Nkpologwu Community, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra, another state in the South-east.

The abducted victims are yet to be freed as of the time of this report.

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The Ondo State Government has established Amotekun Rangers as part of the efforts to curb the incessant killings and kidnapping of farmers at the border communities and forests in the state.

The Commander of Ondo State Amotekun Corps, Adetunji Adeleye, made this known while parading nine suspected criminals on Tuesday in Akure.

Mr Adekeye said that the training of Amotekun Forest Rangers, known as Amot Rangers had commenced, as directed by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and they would be deployed to strategic locations.

He assured residents of the state that the new unit would focus on addressing the current security threats posed by the influx of criminals, especially in the forests.

According to him, the new unit was established in line with the Ondo State Livestock Rearing and Grazing Regulation and Ranches Establishment Law of 2021 (as amended).

The law mandates Amotekun Corps to oversee and enforce peaceful relationship between the farmers and headers, and inhabitants of the forests.

In view of Mr Governors directive, we are immediately establishing six major control points for a special unit of the Amotekun Corps that is coded Amot Rangers.

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READ ALSO: Ondo Assembly begins probe of LGs accounts

The Amot Rangers will leave and stay in the forests to control the excesses of these miscreants causing trouble in Ondo State.

These six control points cut across the troubled borders around Edo, Kogi, Kwara, and Ekiti states, Mr Adeleye said.

Mr Adeleye said that two of the nine paraded suspects were arrested for attempting to kill private security guards during a robbery operation, while the others were nabbed for snatching commercial motorcycles.

(NAN)

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Avalon has maintained a 100% first-time Step 2 pass rate for two consecutive quarters

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Avalon University School of Medicine recently announced its exceptional achievement of a 100% first time pass rate on the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) examination in the first and second quarters of the 2024 calendar year. This remarkable success is a testament to Avalon's commitment to excellence in medical education and the dedication of its faculty, students, and partners at OnlineMedEd.

"Medical education is ever-evolving. Our collaboration with OnlineMedEd assures that we are up-to-date with the latest medical education information available. We especially appreciate OnlineMedEd's orientation towards mastery of fundamentals of health and disease as opposed to just memorization and regurgitation, as it supports our mission to train well rounded, humanistic physicians," said Dr. Lanny Wilson MD, Dean of Clinical Sciences at Avalon.

Avalon understands the interconnectedness of all components of medical education and how they contribute to overall success. Their curriculum, passionate teaching physicians, and access to OnlineMedEd ensure that students are well-prepared for the challenges of clinical knowledge exams. One such critical component is the NBME Shelf Exams, which serve as a benchmark for assessing students' knowledge and readiness for the Clinical Comprehensive Science Exam (CCSE) and USMLE Step 2 CK examinations. All Avalon Students are given an OnlineMedEd account during their 3rd and 4th years of medical school which they utilize to prepare for and achieve success on their exams.

Recognizing the importance of the NBME Shelf Exams, Avalon implemented a higher passing score requirement in January 2024. This decision was aimed at elevating academic standards and better preparing students for the rigors of clinical practice. By raising the bar, they challenged their students to strive for excellence and achieve their full potential.

The results speak for themselves. Using OnlineMedEd, higher scores on the NBME Shelf Exams and improved performance on the NBME CCSE have translated into higher scores for the USMLE Step 2 CK examination, ultimately resulting in a maintained 100% pass rate in 2024. This achievement highlights the effectiveness of Avalon's integrated approach to medical education, where each component builds upon the other to ensure comprehensive learning and success.

"OnlineMedEd is an impact-driven organization, and we are grateful to be a small part of the success that we have seen with this cohort of extremely talented and hard-working students at Avalon," said Dr. Stephen DeMeo, Vice President of Medical Education at OnlineMedEd.

Alongside Avalon, we at OnlineMedEd are immensely proud of their students' accomplishments and grateful for the support of their faculty and staff. As we celebrate this milestone together, we remain committed to providing a transformative educational experience that prepares future physicians to excel in their careers and make meaningful contributions to healthcare worldwide.

About OnlineMedEd

Used by over 300,000 learners in over 190 countries, OnlineMedEd's learning framework is built on a vision to elevate medical education and produce better health care providers. Our framework delivers a comprehensive, longitudinal medical curriculum via a single unified voice. This differentiated approach enhances the delivery of medical information in a way that optimizes mastery over memorization, leading to improved outcomes.

Our curriculum is developed by a team of peer educators using a learner-centric design approach, leveraging different learning modalities for their optimal effects. It empowers faculty to focus on high-impact, active learning while also freeing students to spend their time using what they have learned in practice. For more information, please visit www.onlinemeded.com.

Media contact

[email protected]

SOURCE OnlineMedEd
Guests can book their next hotel room or vacation rental through Stays by Alaska Vacations and experience Alaska's award-winning loyalty program while saving money

SEATTLE, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines is teaming up with Expedia Group to introduce Stays by Alaska Vacations, a platform where guests can explore exclusive deals on more than 900,000 unique hotel and vacation rental properties, all while earning and redeeming miles through Alaska's industry-leading loyalty program.

Alaska Airlines is teaming up with Expedia Group to introduce Stays by Alaska Vacations. Explore exclusive deals on more than 900,000 unique hotel and vacation rental properties, all while earning and redeeming miles through Alaskas industry-leading loyalty program.

Starting today, our guests can begin to take advantage of top deals on accommodations around the world through Stays by Alaska Vacations. For our most loyal customers, we're rewarding them for every dollar they spend: Alaska Mileage Plan members will earn one mile per dollar on all Stays by Alaska Vacations bookings. Plus, Alaska Airlines Visa Signature cardholders will earn an additional three miles per dollar spent on eligible pre-paid stays.

Guests can treat themselves to another dream vacation with the ability to conveniently redeem miles on their next hotel room or vacation home through Stays by Alaska Vacations. Our Alaska Airlines Visa Signature cardholders enjoy preferred redemption rates when redeeming their miles for bookings, allowing them to maximize their rewards and save on travel costs!

Our Mileage Plan is the most generous in the industry with the fastest path to elite status, allowing our guests to experience an elevated premium travel experience when flying Alaska with the most legroom in First Class* and Premium Class, global connectivity to thousands of international destinations through our Global Partners, no change fees, high-quality West Coast-inspired food and a premium selection of beverages.

"Stays by Alaska Vacations combines convenience and affordability, by giving our guests access to Expedia Group's vast inventory and unlocking special savings while earning status on an award-winning airline. Through this partnership with Expedia Group, we're empowering our guests with choices for every part of their trip  from flights to where they're staying. It's a testament to our shared commitment to enhancing the travel experience," said Courtney Lansing, managing director of business development and products at Alaska Airlines.

"We are excited to expand our partnership with Alaska Airlines, underscoring our commitment to seamless, end-to-end traveler experiences backed by proven, reliable tech. Powered by our White Label Template solution, Stays by Alaska Vacations unlocks our robust lodging supply and offers incredible value for Alaska Mileage Plan members to earn and redeem miles across various trip elements," said Stephen Cheng, vice president of strategic partnerships at Expedia Group.

We're making it a breeze for our guests to plan their next trip through our partnership with Expedia Group. Earlier this year, we announced the launch of Packages by Alaska Vacations, where guests can take advantage of package-only discounts on airfare, hotel rates, car rentals and activities. The travel portal, which is powered by the travel tech leader, allows our guests to easily customize and bundle their vacation packages, all while saving money and earning miles every step of the way.

Become an Alaska Mileage Plan member of the most rewarding loyalty program in the industry and start earning miles now! There's a reason our loyal flyers are MVPs: Our members earn more miles on average than other airlines, earning miles every time they fly and more.

*Out of any U.S. legacy airline excluding lie-flat seats

This credit card program is issued and administered by Bank of America, N.A. Visa and Visa Signature are registered trademarks of Visa International Service Association and are used by the issuer pursuant to license from Visa U.S.A. Inc.

About Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines and our regional partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico. We offer our guests a premium flying experience with award-winning customer service and an industry-leading loyalty program, Mileage Plan. With our fellow oneworld Alliance members and additional Global Partners, our guests have more choices than ever to purchase, earn or redeem on alaskaair.com across 30 airlines and more than 1,000 worldwide destinations. Learn more about Alaska at news.alaskaair.com and follow @alaskaairnews for news and stories. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group.

About Expedia Group

Expedia Group, Inc. brands power travel for everyone, everywhere through our global platform. Driven by the core belief that travel is a force for good, we help people experience the world in new ways and build lasting connections. We provide industry-leading technology solutions to fuel partner growth and success, while facilitating memorable experiences for travelers. Our organization is made up of three pillars: Expedia Brands, housing all our consumer brands; Expedia Product & Technology, focused on the group's product and technical strategy and offerings; and Expedia for Business, consisting of business-to-business solutions and relationships throughout the travel ecosystem.

For more information, visit www.expediagroup.com. Follow us on X @Expediagroup and check out our LinkedIn.

SOURCE ALASKA AIRLINES
BEIJING and TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ADAMA (the "Company") (SZSE 000553), a global leader in crop protection solutions, announced the continued availability of its key multi-site fungicides, Folpet and Captan, for European growers. This follows the recent decision by the European Union's (EU) Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) to renew the approval of both active ingredients (AIs) for another 15 years.

ADAMA remains dedicated to providing farmers with safe and effective solutions to protect their crops against fungal diseases. Both Folpet and Captan undergo periodic re-evaluation in the EU through a rigorous renewal process, which includes comprehensive testing and assessment. As the largest suppliers of these AIs in Europe, ADAMA has played a crucial role in the re-registration process by providing extensive data that demonstrates their ongoing safety.

"We are delighted with the renewal of Folpet and Captan," said Alex Mills, Global Head of Fungicides at ADAMA. "These fungicides are essential for farmers across Europe, offering excellent resistance management and broad spectrum protection against fungal diseases in multiple crops. We are proud to have significantly contributed to the re-registration process and will continue to invest in new solutions based on Folpet and Captan for our customers."

The renewal of Folpet ensures that growers of crops such as cereals, grapes, and specialty crops can continue to benefit from ADAMA's broad Folpet portfolio, which includes products like Folpan 500SC, Folpan 80WDG, Vinergy, Folpan Energy and Folpan Gold.

The renewal of Captan is particularly significant for sustainable agriculture, as it becomes the first AI to be renewed with conditions tied to precision agriculture. These conditions mandate the use of equipment that enhances the precision and accuracy of application, setting a new standard for environmentally responsible crop management.

Mills added, "By reducing the required active ingredient dosage and promoting the adoption of precision agriculture practices, we enable farmers to optimize yields sustainably while maintaining high safety standards. This aligns with ADAMA's mission to provide lower-impact alternatives to traditional crop protection."

Captan is primarily used in orchards, making this outcome especially beneficial for orchard growers, who will continue to have access to key products like Merpan 80WDG.

"We are committed to delivering innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. This renewal reinforces our position as a trusted partner to growers across Europe," concluded Mills.

About ADAMA

ADAMA Ltd. is a global leader in crop protection, providing practical solutions to farmers across the world to combat weeds, insects and disease. Our culture empowers ADAMA's people to actively listen to farmers and ideate from the field. ADAMA's diverse portfolio of existing active ingredients, coupled with its leading formulation capabilities and proprietary formulation technology platforms, uniquely position the company to develop high-quality, innovative and sustainable products, to address the many challenges farmers and customers face today. ADAMA serves customers in over 100 countries globally. For more information, visit us at www.ADAMA.com and follow us on X at @ADAMAAgri.

ADAMA Contact:

Tal Moise

Public Relations

Email: [email protected]

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/799829/Adama_Agricultural_Solutions_Logo.jpg

SOURCE ADAMA Ltd.
AdCellerant makes quality digital marketing accessible to every business.

DENVER, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AdCellerant, a leading marketing technology and services company, announced that it has achieved the esteemed Meta Business Partner Badge. This achievement continues to showcase AdCellerant's credibility and reinforces its standing as a leader in providing top-tier digital marketing solutions.

The Prestige of Attaining the Meta Business Partner Badge

Kayla Loecker, Operations Manager, AdCellerant

The Meta Business Partner Badge is awarded to companies meeting Meta's rigorous standards across three distinct paths, each requiring significant advertising spend or managing active advertising accounts. The Meta Business Partner Badge is crucial for an advertising and marketing technology company as it signifies access to advanced tools, resources, and support from Meta. It enables AdCellerant to leverage cutting-edge technology and insights to optimize campaign performance, deliver better results, and provide unparalleled success to its partners.

"We're excited to share that AdCellerant is now a Certified Meta Business Suite Partner. This recognition highlights our commitment to helping clients achieve their digital marketing goals," said Kayla Loecker, Operations Manager. "A big thank you to our team and clients for your ongoing trust and support as we reach new milestones together."

For more information about the Meta Business Partner Badge and what it means for our partners, visit this article .

About AdCellerant

AdCellerant partners with media companies and agencies to provide businesses access to high-quality digital marketing technology and solutions. Focused on generating results and growth for businesses of all sizes, AdCellerant offers best-in-class technology and software, award-winning customer service, expert education, and exceptional operational support to ensure customer campaign performance.

Leveraging proprietary technology Ui.Marketing , AdCellerant effectively connects businesses with their ideal customers at the right time. With an easy-to-use and agile digital advertising tool, users can manage the entire buyer's journey, from quick and accurate comprehensive proposal creation campaign launch to campaign performance, all within a single platform. Visit AdCellerant for more information or to book a demo.

Media Contact

Ashley Dalsing

Director, Marketing

[email protected]

SOURCE AdCellerant
DUBAI, UAE, Aug. 20 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Aerospace Technical Services Co. ("ATS"), a leader in aviation maintenance, repair and technical services, reaffirms its commitment to compliance and transparency in all aspects of its operations. ATS continues to set the industry standard for ethical business practices, quality assurance and regulatory compliance.

In an increasingly complex regulatory environment, ATS strives to maintain the highest standards of compliance with international and local regulations. ATS has demonstrated its competence in the aerospace industry by earning accreditation as an EN 9120 organization, an FAA ASA-100 Accredited organization, and an EASA Part 145 organization.

The implementation of these standards has improved Aerospace Technical Services Co.'s (ATS) ability to serve its clientele and promote a transparent and accountable culture. With great effort, Aerospace Technical Services Co. (ATS) has matched its operations to the exacting requirements of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and other international certification and accreditation programs. The company has successfully met or exceeded all regulatory requirements set forth through comprehensive internal audits, improved data security protocols, and ongoing staff training.

"Our commitment to compliance and transparency is not just an obligation; but a core value that defines ATS as a whole," said Mr. Mahdi Al-Tahaineh, founder of Aerospace Technical Services Co. "We strive for integrity, accountability, and excellence in every aspect of our business. With this commitment, we ensure that our customers receive the best possible service. We value the relationships we have built with regulators and industry partners around the world."

Mr. Al-Tahaineh added: "As we continue to expand our presence in the industry, our focus on compliance and transparency is critical. We recognize that our success is built on the trust of our customers and stakeholders, and we are committed to maintaining that trust through our explicit commitment to safety and quality."

ATS offers a wide range of services tailored to the various needs of the aviation industry. These include the supply of high-quality aircraft spare parts, which ensure the availability of key components for maintenance and repairs. ATS also offers specialized engine solutions, including asset management of aircraft engines, auxiliary power units (APUs) and landing gear systems.

The company's expertise also includes line maintenance for a wide range of aircraft models, which it services safely and effectively at different airports. By the first quarter of 2025, it hopes to have finished building the first heavy maintenance hangar for narrow body aircraft at the largest airport in the world.

ATS has consistently demonstrated its leadership in the aviation sector through its commitment to continuous improvement and innovation. By investing in advanced technologies and employee training, the company ensures that its teams are equipped to meet the evolving demands of the aviation industry while maintaining the highest standards of operational excellence.

About Aerospace Technical Services Co. (ATS)

Aerospace Technical Services was established in 2003, and it has a branch office in the United Arab Emirates in addition to its main office in Jordan. ATS excels in aircraft supply, maintenance and consulting services, and employs over 200 professions in airline operations, airline maintenance and airline/MRO engineering.

For more information about Aerospace Technical Services and its commitment to compliance and transparency, please visit www.airats.com.

SOURCE Aerospace Technical Services Co.
Info-Tech Research Group's Best of 2024 Mid-Year Report, based on member engagement and usage, showcases a curated selection of the most impactful research and tools that have proven critical in helping CIOs and IT leaders navigate the most pressing challenges of the year, particularly in areas like AI adoption, digital transformation, and cybersecurity.

TORONTO, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - As AI continues to reshape the business landscape, CIOs and IT leaders face unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Reflecting the collective experiences and needs of its global membership, Info-Tech Research Group has released its Best of 2024 Mid-Year Report: AI Rewrites the Playbook for CIOs. This report highlights the top resources that have empowered IT leaders to excel in the first half of the year based on member-driven data such as downloads, usage, analyst calls, and workshops. By emphasizing the tools and insights most used by its members, the report highlights IT's role in driving innovation, optimizing operations, and aligning IT strategies with business goals in a rapidly changing market.

Info-Tech Research Groups Best of 2024 Mid-Year Report, based on member engagement and usage, showcases a curated selection of the most impactful research and tools that have helped CIOs and IT leaders elevate ITs role in driving innovation, optimizing operations, and aligning IT strategies with business goals in a rapidly changing market. (CNW Group/Info-Tech Research Group)

"As we reach the midpoint of 2024, it's clear that AI is no longer just a buzzword  it's a transformative force that's redefining the role of the CIO," says Info-Tech Research Group's Chief Research Officer Gord Harrison. "Our Best of 2024 Mid-Year Report highlights the research and tools that have been most effective in helping IT leaders harness the power of AI and navigate the complexities of today's digital landscape. These resources, chosen by our members, are essential for any organization looking to thrive in an era of exponential technological change."

Among the top resources featured in the report are strategic guides on AI integration, frameworks for enhancing cybersecurity resilience, and roadmaps for digital transformation. The data reveals a significant shift toward AI-driven strategies, with many organizations prioritizing AI initiatives to remain competitive and innovative. The report also underscores the growing importance of cybersecurity in safeguarding digital assets as organizations become increasingly reliant on technology.

These top resources have been instrumental in enabling CIOs and IT leaders to make informed decisions, optimize their IT operations, and align their strategies with business goals. The emphasis on AI and digital transformation in the report reflects the broader industry trend of leveraging technology to drive growth and operational efficiency. With these resources, Info-Tech members have been able to stay ahead of the curve, addressing both immediate challenges and long-term strategic objectives.

Among the standout research guides and blueprints highlighted in the Best of 2024 Mid-Year Report, the following have made the most significant impact and shaped global IT strategies in 2024:

Build a Reporting and Analytical Insights Strategy: Designed to help IT leaders deliver actionable business insights, this guide focuses on developing a reporting and analytics strategy aligned with organizational goals. It provides a structured approach to integrating data analytics into decision-making processes. Artificial Intelligence Research Center: The AI Research Center is a dedicated resource for organizations looking to leverage AI and machine learning to enhance business operations. It offers a wealth of tools, frameworks, and insights to help organizations maximize the potential of AI technologies. Privacy Regulation Roundup: This resource, updated monthly, delivers actionable insights and research to assist organizations in staying compliant with global privacy regulations. It ensures that IT leaders are informed of regulatory changes and equipped with practical strategies for managing compliance. Build an Information Security Strategy: This blueprint guides organizations in aligning their information security strategy with business objectives and risk management practices. It emphasizes the creation of a security framework that delivers value while protecting critical assets. Deploy AIOps to Improve IT Operations: Focusing on the transformation of IT operations, this research outlines how to adopt AIOps, a data-driven approach that uses AI to enhance IT efficiency and performance. It outlines strategies for integrating AIOps into existing IT operations. Prepare for Microsoft 365 Copilot: This research provides strategies for successfully deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot within an organization. It highlights the potential benefits of Copilot in improving employee productivity and transforming workplace collaboration. AI Marketplace: The AI Marketplace is a research center designed to help organizations navigate the complexities of AI adoption. It offers tailored support and insights to unlock the potential of AI, guiding organizations through the vendor selection process and implementation. Visualize the IT Operating Model: This research helps IT leaders demonstrate the value IT brings to the organization by creating a visual representation of the IT operating model. It provides tools and frameworks to effectively communicate IT's role in enabling business success. Rationalize Your Application Portfolio: This blueprint assists organizations in establishing an evergreen application portfolio management program. It focuses on optimizing the application landscape to ensure the best return on investment and align with business needs. CIO Priorities 2024: Highlighting the top priorities for CIOs in 2024, this report emphasizes AI's role in driving exponential IT value creation. It provides actionable insights for CIOs to lead their organizations through transformative technological changes. Develop an Exponential IT Roadmap: This blueprint offers a roadmap for organizations looking to harness the opportunities presented by exponential technologies. It provides strategies for evolving IT capabilities to stay ahead in a rapidly changing technological landscape. Develop Your Agile Approach for a Successful Transformation: This resource introduces Agile fundamentals, principles, and practices, helping organizations adopt Agile methodologies to drive successful transformations and improve project outcomes.

The Best of 2024 Mid-Year Report highlights the critical resources that have enabled CIOs and IT leaders to navigate a landscape defined by exponential technological advancement and AI-driven transformation. As the year progresses, Info-Tech Research Group remains dedicated to supporting IT leaders and their organizations with the latest research, best practices, tools, and insights to adapt and thrive amid evolving industry demands.

For media professionals looking for exclusive and timely commentary from Info-Tech's analysts on the trending topics identified in the resource, as well as access to the Best of 2024 Mid-Year Report, please contact [email protected].

Info-Tech LIVE 2024 Conference

Registration is now open for Info-Tech Research Group's annual IT conference, Info-Tech LIVE 2024, taking place September 17 to 19, 2024, at the iconic Bellagio in Las Vegas. This premier IT industry event will also offer journalists, podcasters, and media influencers access to exclusive content, the latest technology research and trends, and the opportunity to interview industry experts, analysts, and speakers. To apply for media passes to attend the event or to gain access to research and expert insights on trending topics, please contact [email protected].

About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT and HR professionals. The company produces unbiased, highly relevant research and provides advisory services to help leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For nearly 30 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

To learn more about Info-Tech's divisions, visit McLean & Company for HR research and advisory services and SoftwareReviews for software buying insights.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected].

For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and X.

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group
NEW YORK, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global alcohol prep pads market size is estimated to grow by USD 451.2 million from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of almost 15.2% during the forecast period. Rising number of surgical procedures worldwide is driving market growth, with a trend towards increasing availability of online retailers. However, pricing pressure coupled with growing competition poses a challenge. Key market players include AdvaCare Pharma, Allison Medical Inc., Avantor Inc., B.Braun SE, Baxter International Inc., Cardinal Health Inc., Care Touch, CareNow Medical Pvt. Ltd., Delta Hi Tech Inc., DUKAL Corp., Dynarex Corp., GAMA Healthcare Ltd., McKesson Corp., Medline Industries LP, Nipro Corp., Penta Bioscience Products, Phoenix Healthcare Solutions LLC, PDI Inc., Reynard Health Supplies, and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc..

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global alcohol prep pads market 2024-2028

Get a detailed analysis on regions, market segments, customer landscape, and companies- View the snapshot of this report

Alcohol Prep Pads Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2023 Historic period 2018 - 2022 Forecast period 2024-2028 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 15.2% Market growth 2024-2028 USD 451.2 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 12.86 Regional analysis North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW) Performing market contribution Asia at 34% Key countries US, China, Germany, France, and UK Key companies profiled AdvaCare Pharma, Allison Medical Inc., Avantor Inc., B.Braun SE, Baxter International Inc., Cardinal Health Inc., Care Touch, CareNow Medical Pvt. Ltd., Delta Hi Tech Inc., DUKAL Corp., Dynarex Corp., GAMA Healthcare Ltd., McKesson Corp., Medline Industries LP, Nipro Corp., Penta Bioscience Products, Phoenix Healthcare Solutions LLC, PDI Inc., Reynard Health Supplies, and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Market Driver

Vendors in the alcohol prep pads market are expanding their reach by boosting promotional activities and online marketing. Online platforms offer vendors reduced operational, setup, and distribution costs, making it an attractive option for both small and large businesses such as Amazon, Collateral Medical, Surgical Shop, MedicalExpo, and IndiaMART. Consumers benefit from the convenience of online shopping, home delivery, and increased product visibility through websites and portals. The Internet allows vendors to showcase their products to a wider audience, enhancing revenue generation and market share. Websites, either hosted by vendors or third-party companies, offer features like personal patient profiles, e-commerce, and live chat. Online retailing will continue to grow due to the increasing demand for healthcare products and the effective use of integrated marketing strategies. Keywords: alcohol prep pads market, online marketing, vendors, promotional activities, operational costs, small businesses, large businesses, Amazon, Collateral Medical, Surgical Shop, MedicalExpo, IndiaMART, consumer convenience, home delivery, product visibility, revenue generation, market share, websites, third-party companies, personal patient profiles, e-commerce, live chat. (Exact word count: 98)

The Alcohol Prep Pads market is witnessing notable trends in various sectors. In the healthcare industry, there's a growing demand for eco-friendly pads made of natural fabrics like cotton, wool, and silk. Consumers prefer biodegradable and absorbent pads that are affordable and gentle on the environment. The SARS coronavirus outbreak has increased the use of alcohol prep pads in healthcare centers. Ecommerce channel is a significant growth driver, with online sales of alcohol prep pads increasing. Ethanol and deionized water are common alcohol types used in these pads. Commercial segments include healthcare, laboratories, and industrial applications. Manufacturers are exploring new materials like polycellulose, synthetic fabrics, and wool to cater to diverse consumer needs. The pH range of alcohol prep pads varies, with some containing added ingredients like Provitamin B5, Aloe, and Ethyl alcohol. HighTech Conversions offers Wet Ones, a popular brand of alcohol prep pads, made of Polyester and Polyester nonwoven fabric. Despite the benefits, it's crucial to handle alcohol prep pads carefully due to their flammable nature and potential exposure to poisonous gases. Always store them properly and follow safety guidelines.

Discover 360 analysis of this market. For complete information, schedule your consultation - Book Here!

Market Challenges

The global alcohol prep pads market is highly competitive with numerous global and regional players. Major vendors like BD, Baxter, and B. Braun Melsungen are focusing on product innovation. Despite their extensive distribution networks and contracts with major hospitals and healthcare facilities, these established vendors face intense competition from smaller regional players offering similar products at lower prices. The market is characterized by high volume and price sensitivity. Vendors are competing through price wars to increase sales volume. Operating margins are currently low, and the pricing pressure is anticipated to negatively impact the growth of the global alcohol prep pads market.

The Alcohol Prep Pads market faces several challenges in the current business landscape. Ethanol, the primary alcohol used in these pads, is subject to price volatility due to its production from agricultural feedstocks. Replacements like deionized water, cotton wool, and rags pose competition. Ethyl alcohol, a common alternative, may not meet the pH range requirements for certain applications. Wet Ones and other wipes, containing Provitamin B5 and aloe, offer convenience but may not provide the same level of sterility. HighTech Conversions and other manufacturers use synthetic fabrics like polyester and polycellulose, but these can be more expensive than traditional materials like petroleum-based nonwovens. Markets for alcohol prep pads include household, commercial, convenience stores, specialty stores, and various industries like hospitals, restaurants, and supermarkets. The global lockdown and behavioral shift towards hygiene have increased demand for alcohol wipes and hand rubs, but competition comes from chlorhexidine and benzalkonium chloride. Disease-causing microbes on high-touch surfaces in home electronics, restaurants, and operating rooms require effective skin cleansing. Awareness and hygiene remain key drivers, but price and availability remain challenges.

For more insights on driver and challenges - Request a sample report!

Segment Overview

This alcohol prep pads market report extensively covers market segmentation by

End-user

1.1 Hospitals and clinics

1.2 ASCs

1.3 Others

Product

2.1 Alcohol cotton balls

2.2 Alcohol cotton sheet

Geography

3.1 North America

3.2 Europe

3.3 Asia

3.4 Rest of World (ROW)

1.1 Hospitals and clinics- The Alcohol Prep Pads market is experiencing steady growth due to their increasing demand in various industries. These pads are essential for preparing skin for injections, cleaning medical equipment, and sterilizing surfaces. Major players in the market include 3M, Medtronic, and Smiths Medical. They focus on improving product quality and expanding their customer base through strategic partnerships and product innovations. The market is expected to continue growing, driven by rising healthcare expenditures and the increasing number of surgical procedures.

For more information on market segmentation with geographical analysis including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2017-2021) -Download a Sample Report

Learn and explore more about Technavio's in-depth research reports

The global Isopropyl Alcohol Market is expected to witness steady growth due to its widespread use in pharmaceuticals, personal care, and cleaning agents. The global Wet Tissue and Wipe Market is booming, driven by rising hygiene awareness and demand for convenient cleaning solutions. Meanwhile, the global Menstrual Cups Market is expanding rapidly as more women seek sustainable, cost-effective alternatives to traditional menstrual products. These markets are characterized by increasing consumer demand, product innovation, and growing awareness of health and environmental benefits.

Research Analysis

The Alcohol Prep Pads market encompasses the production and distribution of small, sterile pads saturated with Alcohol or Ethanol, used for various applications including skin cleansing and makeup removal. Key components include Deionized water, Cotton wool, Rag, and Polyester fabric, with pH ranges varying from 4.5 to 7.5. Brands like Wet Ones and Ethyl alcohol offer alternatives with added Provitamin B5, Aloe, and other ingredients. High-tech conversions utilize Polycellulose and Synthetic fabric for enhanced absorption and durability. The market caters to diverse sectors like Hospitals, Operating rooms, ICUs, and Medical equipment. The Global lockdown and behavioral shift towards hygiene have significantly boosted demand. Consumer discretionary sectors have embraced ecommerce channels for increased consumer engagement. The SARS coronavirus outbreak further underscores the importance of Alcohol Prep Pads in maintaining personal and environmental cleanliness. Petroleum-based Alcohols are the primary raw materials, with the market expected to grow steadily in the coming years.

Market Research Overview

The Alcohol Prep Pads market encompasses various types of pads used for cleansing and disinfecting surfaces, primarily utilizing Alcohol, specifically Ethanol, as the primary active ingredient. These pads are often made of materials like Deionized water, Cotton wool, Rag, Polyester fabric, and Synthetic fabrics such as Nonwoven polycellulose, Polypropylene, and Nonwoven polyester. The pH range varies, and some pads include additives like Provitamin B5, Aloe, and Chlorhexidine for added benefits. Alcohol Prep Pads are used in various sectors, including Household, Commercial, Convenience stores, Specialty stores, and Industrial applications. They find extensive use in sectors like Hospitals, Operating rooms, ICUs, Medical equipment, and Home electronics. The market has seen a surge due to the Global lockdown, Behavioral shift, and Consumer engagement towards Hygiene and Skin cleansing. The market also includes Alcohol wipes, Hand rubs, and Wet Ones. The rise in Disease-causing microbes and awareness towards Hygiene have boosted the demand for these products. The market is diverse, catering to various industries, with the Commercial segment dominating and the Ecommerce segment showing significant growth. Fabric materials range from Natural like Wool, Cotton, and Silk to Absorbent, Affordable, and Biodegradable options. However, it is crucial to note that Alcohol Prep Pads contain Ethanol, which can be Poisonous gases when not used correctly.

Table of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

3 Market Sizing

4 Historic Market Size

5 Five Forces Analysis

6 Market Segmentation

End-user

Hospitals And Clinics



ASCs



Others

Product

Alcohol Cotton Balls



Alcohol Cotton Sheet

Geography

North America



Europe



Asia



Rest Of World (ROW)

7 Customer Landscape

8 Geographic Landscape

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10 Company Landscape

11 Company Analysis

12 Appendix

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
OSLO, Norway, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- HydrogenPro ASA reports an eventful second quarter ending with an investment in the third generation technology with a 350 MW manufacturing facility in Denmark. The cash balance has also been strengthened with from NOK 185 million to NOK 247 million. With the experience obtained as a supplier to two of the major projects in the US and Europe the company remains well positioned to continue to be among the few companies that can deliver large scale electrolyzer projects.

By the end of this quarter HydrogenPro decided to invest NOK 70 million in the third generation technology with a 350 MW capacity manufacturing facility in Denmark. In comparison, the capacity of this facility is as much as 70% of the capacity at the Tianjin plant in China (500 MW). This will enable the company to meet the global demand to an even larger extent.

An important partnership was introduced through the NOK 82.7 million investment from industrial partner ANDRITZ. Last year HydrogenPro obtained the 100 MW contract to Salzgitter through ANDRITZ and the first delivery was done during this second quarter. The companies have entered a joint validation program to validate the stack performance and the operation conditions for the Salzgitter project.

In May, HydrogenPro ASA's Danish subsidiary was also granted DKK 35 million from the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO) in order to continue its plans to establish an even larger production capacity for gen 3 electrode technology in Denmark.

Also, after having delivered the last batch to the ACES project according to contract during the second quarter, HydrogenPro started the project installation and commissioning this spring. This is one of the absolute largest Hydrogen projects globally and puts HydrogenPro in a leading position globally as it demonstrates the company's ability to deliver to large scale industrial projects.

Jarle Dragvik, CEO of HydrogenPro remarks that "It has been an eventful quarter indeed, concluding an eventful first year of my tenure as CEO. We are one of very few suppliers that have actually produced and delivered electrolyzers, and to some of the largest projects in the world. The fact that some of our major industrial partners also invest in our company is a vote of confidence that we take seriously, also by continued to improvements on our technology and our processes."

For further information, please contact:

Olaf Thommessen, Head of Communications & Corporate Affairs

+47 97 54 85 85

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Public/21747/4026085/9ae5f784b59e1f90_org.jpg Jarle Dragvik web https://mb.cision.com/Public/21747/4026085/9d2d81da2ebd0f45_org.jpg 8509471 TOM RIIS small

SOURCE HydrogenPro ASA
DRESHER, Pa., Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascensus has named industry veteran Michael Dunn to lead its Enterprise Solutions line of business, effective September 4, 2024.

As President, Enterprise Solutions, Dunn will report to Ascensus President Nick Good and join the company's Operating Committee executive team. Dunn succeeds Kurt Laning, who joined Ascensus through the Newport merger in 2022 and retired earlier this spring.

Enterprise Solutions is the largest provider of unbundled and outsourced nonqualified retirement plan administration services and provides a broad array of industry leading solutions and expertise, including corporate- and bank-owned life insurance consulting and administration, and fiduciary and total rewards consulting services. It serves institutions of all sizes, including more than 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies.

"Mike Dunn is a highly experienced and respected leader in our industry and the ideal person to lead our Enterprise Solutions business into the future," said Good. "He brings both relevant and diverse experience to his new role and a deep understanding of the corporate and institutional insurance marketplace. We look forward to welcoming his judgment and industry perspective to our leadership table and decision making."

Dunn most recently was Head of Institutional Insurance with MassMutual Financial Group, serving in a number of product, sales, and executive leadership roles of increasing responsibility over a nearly 20-year career. He brings deep expertise in the institutional insurance markets, including the corporate- and bank-owned life insurance segments key to Ascensus' strategic offerings in the Enterprise Solutions business.

After earning his BA in Mathematics and German from Hamilton College, Dunn received an MBA in Finance and International Business from the University of Connecticut. He also holds CLU and ChFC designations from The American College of Financial Services, and FINRA's Series 6, 26 and 63 licenses.

Dunn will be based in the company's Newton, MA, office.

About Ascensus

Ascensus is a market-leading enabler of tax-advantaged savingsproviding technology, services, and expertise that help millions of people save for a better future.

The company is a premier savings program service provider, third-party administrator, and government savings facilitator. Its platforms, industry knowledge, and data-based insights enhance the growth and success of its partners, their clients, and savers through co-branded, private-labeled, and governmental partnerships.

Ascensus offers comprehensive qualified and nonqualified retirement plan solutions, third-party retirement plan administration, 529 education and ABLE savings program administration, corporate- and bank-owned life insurance solutions, and fiduciary and total rewards services.

The company's brands include Ascensus; Newport, an Ascensus company; and FuturePlan by Ascensus. Ascensus has more than $818 billion in assets under administration and employs more than 5,700 associates as of June 30, 2024.

For more information, visit ascensus.com and newportgroup.com.

SOURCE Ascensus
DAPHNE, Ala., Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BBB Industries ("BBB"), a leading sustainable manufacturer serving the automotive, industrial, energy storage, and solar markets, backed by Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. ("Clearlake"), announced today it has completed its acquisition of All Star Auto Parts ("All Star"). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Orlando, FL, All Star is a growth-oriented provider of alternative automotive replacement parts including both remanufactured OEM and aftermarket lights and wheels. All Star primarily focuses on the U.S. collision repair channel, which it serves through its nationwide distribution network.

"All Star will strengthen our electronics offering and will allow us to provide additional product and service options to our customers. We are thrilled to welcome the All Star team to BBB," said Duncan Gillis, BBB's CEO. "Our goal is to continue to spread the power of sustainable manufacturing at scale to deliver even greater value to the markets we serve, and we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead."

"We are excited to join forces with BBB, a company that shares our commitment to quality and innovation in the automotive space. Together, we'll be able to expand our reach and enhance our ability to provide top-tier, sustainably manufactured products to our customers. This partnership marks an important milestone in All Star's growth, and my team and I look forward to the advantages it will bring moving forward," said Andrew Sexton, CEO of All Star Auto Parts.

About BBB Industries



BBB Industries, LLC is a leading sustainable manufacturer serving the automotive and industrial markets. With an extensive footprint and operations throughout North America, BBB entered the European market in 2020 and now sustainably manufactures and supplies an assortment of nondiscretionary repair parts across more than 90 countries. TERREPOWER is a division of BBB that services the electric vehicle, energy storage and solar markets across both North America and Europe. Founded in 1987, BBB Industries, LLC is a private company with corporate centers located in greater Mobile, Alabama and Dallas, Texas. Please see www.bbbind.com for more information.

About Clearlake

Founded in 2006, Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. is an investment firm operating integrated businesses across private equity, credit, and other related strategies. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks to partner with experienced management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlake's operational improvement approach, O.P.S. The firm's core target sectors are industrials, technology, and consumer. Clearlake currently has over $80 billion of assets under management, and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 400 investments. The firm is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA with affiliates in Dallas, TX, London, UK, Dublin, Ireland and Singapore. More information is available at www.clearlake.com.

BBB Industries Contact:

Denise Seale

Director - Corporate Communications and Government Affairs

Tel: +1-251-438-2737

[email protected]

www.bbbind.com

Clearlake Contact:

Caroline Luz

Lambert

Tel: +1-203-570-6462

Jennifer Hurston

Lambert

Tel: +1-845-507-0571

SOURCE Clearlake Capital Group
BERGEN, Norway, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BerGenBio ASA (OSE: BGBIO), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel, selective AXL kinase inhibitors for severe unmet medical needs, announced today a collaboration with Tempus, a technology company leading the adoption of AI to advance precision medicine and patient care, to advance the clinical development of BerGenBio's selective AXL inhibitor bemcentinib in first line (1L) Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients with STK11 mutations (STK11m). BerGenBio's on-going BGBC016 Phase 1b/2a trial is designed to assess the benefit of adding bemcentinib to the current standard of care treatment (immunotherapy + doublet chemotherapy) in 1L STK11m patients, a population with poor outcomes and no specific therapies today.

The collaboration will provide BerGenBio with access to a tailored cohort of Tempus' real-world clinical and molecular data that is intended to establish a synthetic control to provide a contextual benchmark for BerGenBio's innovative study, which aims to address the urgent medical need for effective treatments in STK11m NSCLC patients. Tempus' comprehensive, AI-enabled platform will enable BerGenBio to receive customized analyses of Tempus data and gain deeper insights into the genomic landscape and therapeutic responses of NSCLC patients with STK11m.

Upon conclusion of the BGBC016 study, the parties intend to present insights derived from the resulting data to appropriate regulatory agencies as a next step in the further development of bemcentinib.

Martin Olin, CEO of BerGenBio, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, "We are excited to partner with Tempus to harness the power of their advanced technology in our mission to improve outcomes for NSCLC patients with STK11 mutations. By integrating Tempus' platform into our study, we aim to enhance our understanding of the disease biology and treatment outcomes, ultimately driving our ability to accelerate further development of bemcentinib".

"We are excited to collaborate with BerGenBio to accelerate the development of precision therapies for STK11m NSCLC patients," said Kate Sasser, Chief Scientific Officer at Tempus. "Together, we aim to unlock new insights that will ultimately improve patient outcomes and redefine the standard of care in this challenging disease setting."

For further information, please contact:

Martin Olin CEO, BerGenBio ASA

[email protected]

Rune Skeie, CFO, BerGenBio ASA

[email protected]

Investor Relations / Media Relations

Jan Lilleby

[email protected]

About BerGenBio ASA

BerGenBio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative drugs targeting AXL as a potential cornerstone of therapy for aggressive diseases, including cancer and severe respiratory infections. The Company is focused on its proprietary lead candidate, bemcentinib, a potentially first-in-class selective AXL inhibitor in development for STK11 mutated NSCLC and severe respiratory infections. BerGenBio is based in Bergen, Norway with a subsidiary in Oxford, UK. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker: BGBIO). For more information, visit www.bergenbio.com

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/bergenbio-asa/r/bergenbio-collaborates-with-tempus-to-potentially-accelerate-development-in-stk11m-non-small-cell-lu,c4025982
Seth will co-lead the firm's new Technology & Information Services sector

NEW YORK, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL), a leading independent investment bank and financial advisory firm, is pleased to announce the addition of Seth Rosenfield as a new Managing Director. Seth, who has more than 25 years of experience in information services, business media, and marketing technology & services investment banking, will co-lead BGL's new Technology & Information Services sector, within the firm's Services vertical, alongside Managing Director Brandon Dobell.

"Seth brings a tremendous amount of experience and expertise in the information services and business media industries." Post this Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL), a leading independent investment bank and financial advisory firm, is pleased to announce the addition of Seth Rosenfield as a new Managing Director. Seth, who has more than 25 years of experience in information services, business media, and marketing technology & services investment banking, will co-lead BGLs new Technology & Information Services sector, within the firms Services vertical, alongside Managing Director Brandon Dobell.

"Seth brings a tremendous amount of experience and expertise in the information services and business media industriesall of which are highly synergistic to our expanding Services and Technology investment banking teams," said Effram Kaplan, Head of the firm's Services and Infrastructure verticals. "His relationships with industry leaders and deep insights into the Services market strengthen our ability to deliver exceptional advisory services and financing solutions to our clients."

Prior to joining BGL, Seth was a Managing Director at Canaccord Genuity where he spent more than 12 years focusing on information services, business media, and marketing technology & services. Previously, he was a Managing Director at BMO Capital Markets where he led the firm's B2B and Information Services coverage efforts. He began his career in operations with business management positions at Scholastic Corporation and Simon & Schuster, a division of CBS, Inc. Seth holds an MBA and a bachelor's degree in finance and international business from New York University.

"BGL continues to demonstrate impressive growth," said Rosenfield. "I look forward to collaborating with sector and product experts across the entire BGL platform."

The addition of Seth continues BGL's significant growth in senior banker coverage. In 2024, BGL expanded sector coverage within its Services, Infrastructure, Technology, and Healthcare & Life Sciences verticals, along with adding to its Financial Sponsor Coverage team. These additions build on the firm's 2023 growth within Technology, Industrial Technology, Digital Infrastructure, Transportation & Supply Chain Logistics, Professional Services, Aerospace, Defense & Government Services (ADGS), and Capital Markets.

About Brown Gibbons Lang & Company

Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) is a leading independent investment bank and financial advisory firm focused on the global middle market. The firm advises private and public corporations and private equity groups on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financial restructurings, business valuations and opinions, and other strategic matters. BGL has investment banking offices in Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and New York, and real estate offices in Chicago, Cleveland, and San Antonio. The firm is also a founding member of Global M&A Partners, enabling BGL to service clients in more than 30 countries around the world. Securities transactions are conducted through Brown, Gibbons, Lang & Company Securities, LLC, an affiliate of Brown Gibbons Lang & Company LLC and a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. For more information, please visit www.bglco.com.

Industry Contacts:

Seth E. Rosenfield

Managing Director

Technology & Information Services

[email protected]

917.297.6395

Effram E. Kaplan

Head of Services and Infrastructure

[email protected]

216.920.6634

SOURCE Brown Gibbons Lang & Company
UTICA, N.Y. and SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BPAS, a national provider of retirement plans, benefit plans, fund administration, and institutional trust services, is celebrating 10 years of growth and success for its BPAS Trust Company in Puerto Rico.

BPAS has been providing recordkeeping, third-party administration, sub-custodial, and other services for Puerto Rico Qualified plans since 2001. Although Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States, it maintains its own tax code and regulatory body (the Puerto Rico Department of the Treasury, commonly referred to as "Hacienda").

With the regulatory release of the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Code of 2011, BPAS recognized the need to build a team of experts that could service PR clients directly. The company saw it as an opportunity and established its San Juan-based BPAS Trust Company in August of 2014.

"While we had been providing recordkeeping and other services for Puerto Rico Qualified plans in partnership with banks and Trust Companies on the island for years, we knew we could do more," said Paul Neveu, BPAS CEO. "With BPAS Trust Company of Puerto Rico, we brought Directed Trustee, Paying Agent, and Custodial services to the mix, in addition to bundled administration, which offered a complete solution to PR financial intermediaries, plan sponsors, and participants. It was the vision of our previous CEO, Barry Kublin, who had so many ideas that created the underpinnings of the BPAS we are today. We'll always be grateful for Barry's convictions."

With its local presence, BPAS Trust Company of Puerto Rico provides services as part of a bundled daily valuation program or as a stand-alone Directed Trustee. BPAS services include PR Section 1081, Defined Contribution plans for small and large employers, Keogh plans, ERISA 3(38) Investment Advisory Services, Cash Balance Plans, Collective Investment Funds, and more.

Today, through independent PR Trustee and comprehensive plan administration services, BPAS supports more than 20,000 participants in Puerto Rico. With 13 employees devoted to its PR practice, the company is attracting household-name clients across the island and proving to be an ideal solution for stateside companies with a presence in Puerto Rico.

"Over the past decade, we have grown to make a significant impact in our industry and the future of the Puerto Ricans we serve," said Alfredo Matheu, President of BPAS Trust Company of Puerto Rico. "This success is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion of every single member of our team. The collaborative nature of our organization has been key to our development and growth."

Plan Sponsors both stateside and in Puerto Rico rely on the BPAS team's deep understanding of both tax codes. "We bring expertise in both 1081 and stateside plans, so we have well informed opinions on issues such as dual qualified plans," said Mike Hahn, VP of BPAS Partner Relationship Management. "We know what works and can advise employers to help avoid compliance pitfalls and ensure smooth, accurate plan administration. Our business model offers simplicity and accountability while protecting retirement plan assets."

The BPAS team is also able to conduct a full range of services in PR, including onsite education meetings, and a wide range of free educational tools and resources for PR participants online at BPAS University.

"It's a rapidly growing market," said Maribel Sola, Senior Partner Success Manager at BPAS Trust Company of Puerto Rico. "We're unique in that we serve as recordkeeper, third-party administrator, clearing firm and directed trustee under one roof. Plus, we provide account services, web resources and support materials in both Spanish and English.

BPAS partners and clients are finding great value in BPAS' expertise in PR plans and in the support services BPAS can deliver. It is also a big advantage for multinationals and stateside employers to be able to operate with BPAS in both languages.

"It's an honor to provide assistance to our PR clients and lead a Team of dedicated Plan Consultants who primarily work with PR Qualified plans." said Max Gottfried, BPAS Regional Plan Consulting Manager. "Our Puerto Rico Consulting Team is very knowledgeable regarding the differences between US and PR qualified plans, we serve as subject-matter experts for our clients and thus can provide best-in-class service, effectively helping them navigate the PR Tax Code, as well as BPAS systems and processes. We're here to make their lives easier."

"As we mark this important anniversary, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our clients, partners, and supporters who have been with us on this amazing journey," said Matheu. "Their trust and collaboration have been invaluable. As we look back on the past ten years, we are filled with pride for all that we have accomplished together. But more importantly, we are excited about the future. We are committed to the PR market and our pursuit of excellence, innovation, and service as we step into the next chapter of our story."

About BPAS

BPAS is a national provider of retirement plans, benefit plans, fund administration, and institutional trust services. We make it our mission to simplify the complicated by delivering benefit-plan services that solve client challenges with the convenience of one company, one call. We support 5,800 plans, $110 billion in trust assets, $1.3 trillion in fund administration, and more than 810,000 participants in partnership with advisors, trustees, and financial professionals across the nation.

The BPAS family of services includes Workplace Retirement Plans, Actuarial & Pension, Health Benefits Consulting, IRA, VEBA HRA, Health & Welfare Plans, Fiduciary, Collective Investment Funds, Fund Administration, and Institutional Trust.

Visit bpas.com for more information.

Media Contact:

Nicole Ossevoort | 315-728-3871 | [email protected]

SOURCE BPAS Inc
Ascent reduces work for both members and associates when completing digital applications and forms

NEW YORK, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cooperative Credit Union Association (CCUA) proudly announces a strategic partnership with Ascent Platform, a CUSO and leading fintech in digital experience solutions for credit unions, to help CCUA members improve digital engagement and delivery.

Traditionally, a credit union would need to deploy a full-stack, turnkey solution for every experience problem. These solutions improve experiences but are expensive, complicated, and time-consuming to implement. They also disrupt operating processes, add to compliance and vendor management costs, and can also add risk. And ultimately, a credit union ends up with a brand new set of fragmented UIs and siloed data.

Ascent learns from every member interaction, and uses those learnings to make subsequent experiences more contextual. Post this

Ascent solves the fragmented experience problem by enabling credit unions to deploy beautiful and consistent experiences for every digital touchpoint across the institution. Ascent streamlines and simplifies any and all product applications and forms without disrupting existing systems and processes.

Ascent replaces the patchwork of full-stack product applications, static online forms, and PDFs with intelligent forms featuring pre-filled data, optional pre-screening rules and logic, and collaborative document collection. Most importantly, Ascent learns from every interaction, and uses those learnings to make subsequent experiences more contextual, with fewer questions for the member and less work for the associate.

"CCUA is one of the leading voices in the credit union movement and we are excited to partner and learn how we can best serve their membership," explained Arjun Sahgal, co-founder and CEO of Ascent. "Working with Melissa Pomeroy and the CCUA team has already been rewarding; we look forward to building on that momentum."

"Partnering with Ascent enables us to offer a cutting-edge digital experience that boosts both member satisfaction and operational efficiency," said Melissa Pomeroy, EVP and Chief Operating Officer at CCUA. "This collaboration aligns seamlessly with our mission to empower credit unions through collaborative innovation."

About the Cooperative Credit Union Association

The Cooperative Credit Union Association (CCUA) is the leading regional trade organization, acting as the advocate for nearly 200 credit unions spanning Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. These member credit unions collectively manage assets exceeding $75 billion, serving a combined membership of over 4.8 million consumers. Visit www.ccua.org for more information.

About Ascent

Ascent is the next-generation platform that provides financial institutions with the ability to streamline any and all product applications and forms without disrupting existing systems and processes. Ascent replaces the patchwork of full-stack product applications, static web forms, and PDFs with intelligent applications and forms featuring prefilled data, optional pre-screening rules and logic, and collaborative document collection. Most importantly, the platform learns from every interaction, and uses those learnings to make subsequent experiences more contextual, with fewer questions for the member and less work for the associate. Using Ascent's no-code builder, institutions can rapidly configure and deploy beautiful bespoke applications and forms at their own pace. For more information, please visit ascentplatform.io.

CONTACT:

Glen Fossella

[email protected]

617-335-2181

SOURCE Ascent Platform Corporation
CONWAY, Ark., Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Conway is getting colder! Arkansas's economic development has taken a significant leap forward with the groundbreaking of a new cutting-edge cold storage facility. It is expertly designed and constructed by Ti Cold. Central Cold Solutions is owned and operated by Shane and Susan Dickson.

From L to R: Rob Adams, Logan Stuller, Sam Tippmann, Susan Dickson, Shane Dickson, Tanner Dickson, Gracie Dickson, Arianna Dickson, Landon Dickson, Kay Dickson, Dawanna Keys, and Billy Keys. From L to R: Logan Stuller, Rob Adams, Sam Tippmann, Susan & Shane Dickson

This facility is strategically located at 1300 Mayor Lane in Conway to serve Little Rock and the surrounding region. The groundbreaking event highlighted the site, which will soon boast over 135,000 square feet and 17,650 pallet positions. The expansive site is expected to create at least 200 jobs for local and regional residents.

Accepting a new challenge is familiar territory for Shane and Susan. Renowned for their tireless work ethic and impressive track record, they have made their mark on numerous local enterprises, including their CCS trucking company, popular restaurants, convenience stores, and flourishing cowboy church.

"Shane and Susan's journey is a testament to the power of vision, hard work, and a deep-rooted commitment to creating a better tomorrow for everyone in our community," said Rob Adams, Executive Vice President, Ti Cold.

"Working with my regional manufactory and processing partners, I became aware of the need for a cold storage facility in the Conway community. We've dedicated the best of our time and attention to assuring Central Cold Solutions is a quality asset that will serve the area for decades to come," stated Shane Dickson, President and CEO of Central Cold Solutions.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by local dignitaries, including executive representatives from the Conway Chamber of Commerce. Also present were Allen Dodson, Faulkner County Judge, and Conway Mayor Bart Castleberry.

"Congratulations, Shane Dickson, on embarking on this exciting new adventure, and we sincerely appreciate your trust in Ti Cold for this project!" said Sam Tippmann, CEO/President of Ti Cold.

Ti Cold provided the crowd with detailed information about the project, with Rob Adams, Executive Vice President; Logan Stuller, Account Manager/Business Development; and Sam Tippmann, CEO/President of Ti Cold. Shane Dickson, President and CEO of Central Cold Solutions, also expressed his gratitude to Ti Cold for their partnership on the project.

Ti Cold has estimated that the facility will be ready and running by the early second quarter of 2025.

About Ti Cold

Ti Cold is known as a specialty, award-winning industrial cold storage builder and developer with decades of experience in designing and building state-of-the-art facilities. Ti Cold provides a full suite of cold storage construction and development services, including master site planning and operations guidance. Their consulting services help companies navigate the unique challenges associated with a rapidly changing industry. Ti Cold has offices in Florida and Indiana but makes an impact across the United States. For more information, contact Rob Adams at 260-424-2222 or [email protected].

About Central Cold Solutions

Headquartered in Conway, Arkansas, Central Cold Solutions is the latest venture for Shane and Susan Dickson, who are well known in the southeastern United States for the quality of their professional trucking company and convenience stores. Learn more about Central Cold Solutions @www.centralcoldsolutions.com.

SOURCE Ti Cold
BEIJING, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- When it was launched in 2017, the China-Vietnam freight train service departing from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region saw fewer than five trains running per month. However, last month alone, a record 1,922 twenty-foot equivalent unit, or TEU, containers of goods were shipped on the trains, surpassing the total shipment volume for the first quarter of 2024.

"I have been in the business of cross-border trade by rail for five years. My feeling is that economic and trade exchanges between China and Vietnam are much more active this year," said Yang Bo, a logistics director of a freight company in Guangxi.

China is ready to work with Vietnam to accelerate the "hard connectivity" of railway, expressway and port infrastructure, enhance the "soft connectivity" of smart customs, and jointly build a secure and stable industrial and supply chain, said Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks during talks with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Vietnamese president, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

At the critical stage of national development and revitalization, Xi stressed, China and Vietnam should, under the direction of the vision of building a community with a shared future, consolidate the development pattern featuring six aspects: higher political mutual trust, more solid security cooperation, deeper practical cooperation, stronger public support, closer multilateral coordination and cooperation, and better management and resolution of differences.

Lam said his party and government will, in accordance with the six major goals, deepen the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and advance the building of a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance between the two countries.

China and Vietnam announced the building of the community in December 2023.

'Comrades and brothers'

Lam is paying a three-day state visit to China, his first overseas trip after taking office as general secretary of the CPV Central Committee earlier this month.

This fully reflects the great importance Lam attaches to the relations between the two parties and the two countries, as well as the high level and strategic nature of China-Vietnam relations, Xi said.

He hailed the relationship formed generation after generation between the two parties as deep as that between "comrades and brothers."

China is ready to maintain close strategic communication and high-level exchanges with Vietnam, firmly adhere to mutual support, and actively explore ways to expand synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, Xi said.

China has remained Vietnam's top trading partner for many years, and Vietnam is China's top trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China's fourth largest trading partner globally, said the Chinese Ministry of Commerce in November 2023.

Trade between Vietnam and China saw strong performance in the first half of this year, registering $95 billion in volume, said the Chinese embassy in Vietnam, citing local media. If this trend is maintained in the second half of the year, bilateral trade could reach $200 billion for the whole year, it said.

Priority in diplomacy

During Monday's talks, Xi told Lam that China takes Vietnam as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, and supports Vietnam in upholding the leadership of the CPV, taking the socialist path suited to its national conditions, and further advancing the cause of reform, opening up and socialist modernization.

Lam, for his part, said that he chose China as the destination of his first overseas visit as general secretary of the CPV Central Committee and Vietnamese president demonstrated that his party and government have always valued the development of relations with China, and taken China as the strategic choice and top priority in its foreign policy.

The China-Vietnam relationship in the next couple of decades will be an example of a new pattern of cooperation between two socialist countries faced with challenges and tasks of modernization based on a similar historical trajectory and common international environment, said Gao Lei and Xia Lu, commentators for CGTN, in a commentary.

Following their talks, Xi and Lam witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents on party schools, connectivity, industry, finance, customs inspection and quarantine, people's livelihoods, health, news agencies and media, exchanges at sub-national levels, and other fields.

The two sides will also issue a joint statement on furthering their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and promoting the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance during the top Vietnamese leader's visit, which will conclude on Tuesday.

The visit will inject new impetus into cooperation between Vietnam and China in fields such as politics, security, economy, society and people-to-people exchanges, said Nguyen Van Tho, vice chairman of the Vietnam-China Friendship Association and a former Vietnamese ambassador to China, during an interview with the China Media Group.

"At the same time, the two countries strengthen exchanges and cooperation on international and regional issues, which will play an active role in maintaining regional peace and stability," Tho said.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-19/China-and-Vietnam-renew-vows-to-build-a-community-with-a-shared-future-1wcmMF8rFAs/p.html

SOURCE CGTN
Galveston Wharves celebrated the construction start on Aug. 20 at a ceremony at Pier 16 with executives from MSC Cruises and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), elected officials, community leaders and other port partners.

During the ceremony, Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO, and Rick Sasso, MSC Cruises U.S. chairman, drew back a curtain to debut a large-scale rendering of the terminal complex with MSC Seascape docked alongside to applause from a crowd of more than 100.

Rees said, "We have so much to celebrate today with this milestone and what it means to our community, cruise guests and port partners. This beautiful new terminal will generate jobs and economic growth for the region, an exciting new cruise choice for our market, and growth opportunities for our port partners.

"We also want to take this opportunity to give a warm, Texas-sized welcome to MSC Cruises, the world's third largest cruise line. Having a cruise line of this stature homeporting in Galveston says a great deal about our position in the U.S. and global cruise markets."

With the opening of the fourth terminal, Rees added that he expects the port to reach more than 2 million passengers a year beginning in 2026, which would be a new milestone in Galveston's 24 years as a cruise home port.

During his comments, Sasso said, "The groundbreaking for Cruise Terminal 16 marks a significant milestone in MSC Cruises' ongoing U.S. expansion. Adding Galveston as our fourth homeport will make it even easier for travelers from the central and western parts of the country to enjoy our distinctive mix of European style and American comfort.

"This state-of-the-art terminal will set the tone for a memorable cruise experience. We are thrilled to work closely with the Galveston Wharves to shape the future of cruising in Texas, delivering extraordinary vacations and unforgettable moments aboard the beautiful and modern MSC Seascape."

'A Game-Changer for the Community'

U.S. Congressman Randy Weber told the crowd at the groundbreaking ceremony: "I'm thrilled about the groundbreaking of our fourth cruise terminal at the Port of Galveston. This kind of investment is a game-changer for our community, and it's all thanks to Rodger Rees. His leadership is putting Galveston on the map as a top cruise destination and keeping our port bustling with activity. I will continue to fight for our ports in Congress to ensure they get the support they deserve."

Regional Economic Benefits

The local impact of the port's 2022 cruise activity included 3,500 jobs, $568 million in local business revenue, and $73.5 million in local purchases by passengers and crew. The fourth cruise terminal is forecast to generate an additional 925 jobs and $177 million in local business revenue annually.



The city of Galveston will benefit directly with passenger fees and sales tax revenues from cruise parking.

About the Port of Galveston

Located at the entrance to Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel, the Port of Galveston has been a thriving maritime commercial center since 1825. Just 45 minutes from open seas, the 840-acre port has infrastructure and assets to serve growing cruise, cargo and commercial businesses.

The port is the fourth most popular cruise home port in the U.S. The port also leases and maintains a wide range of cargo facilities on the deep-water Galveston Harbor, which is ranked among the top 50 busiest U.S. cargo waterways. The Galveston Wharves is a self-sustaining city entity whose mission is to generate and reinvest port revenues to benefit the Galveston community with economic growth, jobs and sales tax revenues.

About MSC Cruises

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, MSC Cruises is the world's third largest cruise line and the market leader in Europe, South America, the Gulf region and Southern Africa, with a strong and growing presence in North America and the Far East.

The MSC Cruises fleet consists of 22 modern ships with three new vessels due to be launched in 2025, 2026, and 2027.

The Company operates in more than 100 countries around the world, offering cruises across five continents, calling at more than 300 destinations and welcoming more than 180 different nationalities on board.

MSC Cruises is firmly committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions for its marine operations by 2050.

For more information, click here.

SOURCE MSC Cruises USA

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Two of Nation's Top Healthcare Franchise Brands Join New Company's Portfolio

ATLANTA, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CRESSO Brands, LLC, a newly formed health and wellness platform, is thrilled to announce the addition of two successful franchise brands, Any Lab Test Now and ARCpoint Labs, to its portfolio. Both franchise companies embody CRESSO's core brand values by providing easy access to health and wellness services that improve the quality of life for communities nationwide.

"This is a very exciting time as we embark on a new venture with two of the most successful franchise brands in the healthcare sector, positioning ourselves as the largest direct access lab testing group in the United States," says Rich Simeone, Chairman of the Board of CRESSO Brands. "It's amazing to see the difference these companies are making in the lives of people across the country by offering retail healthcare services that were previously impossible to obtain. Together, they will continue to revolutionize the healthcare industry."

Any Lab Test Now opened its first location in Metro Atlanta in 1992. Fifteen years later, the company began franchising, and today it boasts more than 230 franchise locations. Any Lab Test Now offers consumers direct access to thousands of lab tests, including general health and wellness, paternity, and HIV/STD testing.

opened its first location in Metro Atlanta in 1992. Fifteen years later, the company began franchising, and today it boasts more than 230 franchise locations. Any Lab Test Now offers consumers direct access to thousands of lab tests, including general health and wellness, paternity, and HIV/STD testing. ARCpoint Labs began serving customers in 1998 in Greenville, South Carolina . It sold its first franchise in 2006, and today there are more than 130 locations across the country. ARCpoint Labs focuses on employer solutions, including drug testing, background checks, fingerprinting, and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).

"CRESSO Brands is dedicated to revolutionizing health and wellness for both businesses and individuals," explains John Constantine, a member of the CRESSO Board of Directors. "We are achieving this vision through initiatives like the MyARCpoint Labs software program a cutting-edge interface that enhances customer accessibility and optimizes franchise operations, setting a new standard in the industry."

About CRESSO Brands, LLC

CRESSO Brands, LLC is a health and wellness platform dedicated to revolutionizing healthcare accessibility for individuals and businesses nationwide. With a mission to empower consumers and support businesses, CRESSO Brands has brought together two successful franchise brandsAny Lab Test Now and ARCpoint Labsto create the largest direct-access lab testing group in the United States.

Media Contact

Nancy Bostrom, [email protected], 919.459.8163

SOURCE CRESSO Brands, LLC
LAKE CITY, Fla., Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ellianos Coffee , a southeast-based drive-thru specialty coffee brand, is thrilled to announce the return of its highly anticipated pumpkin-flavored menu. This year, the coffee chain is taking the fall season to new heights with five pumpkin-inspired treats, including two exciting new additions.

From now until the end of October, coffee enthusiasts and pumpkin fans alike can indulge in these limited-time offerings at all Ellianos Coffee locations:

Ellianos Coffee, a southeast-based drive-thru specialty coffee brand, is thrilled to announce the return of its highly anticipated pumpkin-flavored menu.

Pumpkin White Mocha: Available hot, iced, or frozen, this blend of white chocolate and pumpkin flavors balances sweetness and warmth.

Pumpkin Spice Latte: The quintessential fall beverage, available hot, iced, or frozen, combines Ellianos' premium espresso with the flavors of pumpkin and aromatic spices.

Cold Brew w/Pumpkin Cold Foam (NEW): A refreshing twist on fall flavors featuring Ellianos' smooth cold brew topped with a layer of pumpkin-infused cold foam.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin: A pumpkin-flavored muffin filled with a cream cheese center, perfect for pairing with any of our pumpkin beverages.

Pumpkin Cake Pop (NEW): This delightful bite-sized treat features pumpkin cake in a sweet coating with sprinkles. It is ideal for on-the-go snacking or as a bit of indulgence with your favorite Ellianos coffee.

An Ellianos Coffee spokesperson expressed enthusiasm for this year's pumpkin lineup: "We're thrilled to bring back our customers' fall favorites while introducing two new pumpkin-inspired creations. The addition of our Cold Brew w/Pumpkin Cold Foam and Pumpkin Cake Pop demonstrates our commitment to innovation and meeting the tastes of our valued customers."

The Ellianos menu boasts Signature Creations such as the Caffe Dolce Latte, iced Tuscany Toffee Latte, or a Cookies and Cream Freezer. For non-coffee drinkers, Ellianos offers fruit smoothies, Red Bull Rushes, teas, shakes, and more. The coffee franchise also provides an array of food items such as breakfast sandwiches, fresh New York-style bagels, hearty breakfast bowls with creamy homemade grits, and more.

Over the past year, Ellianos has seen significant growth, expanding its footprint in Florida and Georgia and offering territories in other states. The brand continues to seek franchisees for territories in Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

About Ellianos Coffee

Ellianos Coffee was founded in 2002 by entrepreneurs Scott and Pam Stewart with the mission to serve Italian Quality at America's Pace. In its over 20-year history, Ellianos has grown to 54 stores and has over 170 more in some stage of development. In 2024, the Franchise Business Review (FBR) named Ellianos a Top Franchise and also named Ellianos a 2023 Top Food Franchise. In its 2024 Franchise 500 list, Entrepreneur magazine recognized Ellianos among the nation's top franchises. To learn more about Ellianos Coffee franchising opportunities, please visit www.ellianos.com/franchising/.

Ellianos Coffee Media Contact

Abigail Benton

Ellianos Coffee Marketing & PR Manager

[email protected]

SOURCE Ellianos Coffee Company
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) is proud to announce the induction of Kurt Strawhecker into its 2024 Hall of Fame. Strawhecker, founder of TSG (The Strawhecker Group), is recognized for his four decades of innovation and leadership in the payments industry.

Strawhecker's payments career highlights started when he joined First Data (now Fiserv) in 1985 include pioneering marketing in credit card statements, founding TSG in 2006, and championing the "Evolved Acquirer" concept. Further, his contribution to the industry includes nearly 20 years of leading ETA Committees and serving on its Board of Directors. Strawhecker was earlier honored as ETA's Member of the Year in 2009, and TSG was named Business Partner of the Year in 2010. His advocacy for data-driven decision-making has significantly influenced industry practices.

"Kurt Strawhecker exemplifies the innovative spirit that the ETA Hall of Fame celebrates," said Jodie Kelley, CEO of ETA. "His contributions have significantly impacted how many businesses approach payments strategy. Kurt's induction recognizes his longstanding commitment to advancing our industry through practical, forward-thinking solutions."

Strawhecker's Midwest roots and global experience have informed his practical business philosophy, summed up in his oft-quoted mantra: "Life doesn't reward you for what you know, but for what you do."

The ETA Hall of Fame recognizes payments industry leaders whose contributions have significantly shaped electronic transactions over the long term. Strawhecker joins a distinguished group of inductees who have left an indelible mark on the payments landscape.

Kurt Strawhecker will be recognized at ETA's Strategic Leadership Forum on September 17, at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, Florida. For more information about the event and the ETA Hall of Fame, please visit etaslf.com.

About ETA

The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) is the world's leading advocacy and trade association for the payments industry. Our members span the breadth of significant payments and fintech companies, from the largest incumbent players to the emerging disruptors in the U.S. and in more than a dozen countries around the world. ETA members make commerce possible by processing approximately $47 trillion annually in purchases and P2P payments worldwide and deploying payments innovation to merchants and consumers. electran.org

Press Contact:

Scott Talbott at [email protected]

SOURCE Electronic Transactions Association (ETA)
-H1 China Transaction Volume reached RMB92.5 billion, up 6.0% year-over-year-

-H1 International Transaction Volume reached RMB4.5 billion, up 32.4% year-over-year-

-H1 International Revenues increased to RMB1,157.7 million, up 21.9% year-over-year and contributing 18.3% of total net revenues-

SHANGHAI, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- FinVolution Group ("FinVolution" or the "Company") (NYSE: FINV), a leading fintech platform, today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024.



For the Three Months Ended/As of YoY Change

June 30, 2023 June 30, 2024 Total Transaction Volume (RMB in billions)1 47.3 48.7 3.0 % Transaction Volume (China's Mainland)2 45.5 46.4 2.0 % Transaction Volume (International)3 1.8 2.3 27.8 % Total Outstanding Loan Balance (RMB in billions) 63.7 65.6 3.0 % Outstanding Loan Balance (China's Mainland)4 62.6 64.2 2.6 % Outstanding Loan Balance (International)5 1.1 1.4 27.3 %

Second Quarter 2024 China Market Operational Highlights

Cumulative registered users 6 reached 162.2 million as of June 30, 2024 , an increase of 8.6% compared with June 30, 2023 .

reached 162.2 million as of , an increase of 8.6% compared with . Cumulative borrowers 7 reached 25.9 million as of June 30, 2024 , an increase of 6.1% compared with June 30, 2023 .

reached 25.9 million as of , an increase of 6.1% compared with . Number of unique borrowers 8 for the second quarter of 2024 was 1.8 million, a decrease of 21.7% compared with the same period of 2023.

for the second quarter of 2024 was 1.8 million, a decrease of 21.7% compared with the same period of 2023. Transaction volume 2 reached RMB46.4 billion for the second quarter of 2024, an increase of 2.0% compared with the same period of 2023.

reached for the second quarter of 2024, an increase of 2.0% compared with the same period of 2023. Transaction volume facilitated for repeat individual borrowers 9 for the second quarter of 2024 was RMB40.5 billion , an increase of 0.5% compared with the same period of 2023.

for the second quarter of 2024 was , an increase of 0.5% compared with the same period of 2023. Outstanding loan balance 4 reached RMB64.2 billion as of June 30, 2024 , an increase of 2.6% compared with June 30, 2023 .

reached as of , an increase of 2.6% compared with . Average loan size 10 was RMB9,956 for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB7,816 for the same period of 2023.

was for the second quarter of 2024, compared with for the same period of 2023. Average loan tenure 11 was 8.0 months for the second quarter of 2024, compared with 8.4 months for the same period of 2023.

was 8.0 months for the second quarter of 2024, compared with 8.4 months for the same period of 2023. 90 day+ delinquency ratio12 was 2.65% as of June 30, 2024 , compared with 1.68% as of June 30, 2023 .

Second Quarter 2024 International Market Operational Highlights

Cumulative registered users 13 reached 29.1 million as of June 30, 2024 , an increase of 46.2% compared with June 30, 2023 .

reached 29.1 million as of , an increase of 46.2% compared with . Cumulative borrowers 14 for the international market reached 5.6 million as of June 30, 2024 , an increase of 40.0% compared with June 30, 2023 .

for the international market reached 5.6 million as of , an increase of 40.0% compared with . Number of unique borrowers 15 for the second quarter of 2024 was 1.05 million, an increase of 32.9% compared with the same period of 2023.

for the second quarter of 2024 was 1.05 million, an increase of 32.9% compared with the same period of 2023. Number of new borrowers 16 for the second quarter of 2024 was 0.47 million, an increase of 51.6% compared with the same period of 2023.

for the second quarter of 2024 was 0.47 million, an increase of 51.6% compared with the same period of 2023. Transaction volume 3 reached RMB2.3 billion for the second quarter of 2024, an increase of 27.8% compared with the same period of 2023.

reached for the second quarter of 2024, an increase of 27.8% compared with the same period of 2023. Outstanding loan balance 5 reached RMB1.4 billion as of June 30, 2024 , an increase of 27.3% compared with June 30, 2023 .

reached as of , an increase of 27.3% compared with . International business revenue was RMB562.9 million ( US$77.5 million ) for the second quarter of 2024, an increase of 12.0% compared with the same period of 2023, representing 17.8% of total revenue for the second quarter of 2024.

Second Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights

Net revenue was RMB3,168.0 million ( US$435.9 million ) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB3,075.7 million for the same period of 2023.

( ) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with for the same period of 2023. Net profit was RMB551.0 million ( US$75.8 million ) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB590.1 million for the same period of 2023.

( ) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with for the same period of 2023. Non-GAAP adjusted operating income, 17 which excludes share-based compensation expenses before tax, was RMB598.6 million ( US$82.4 million ) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB606.9 million for the same period of 2023.

which excludes share-based compensation expenses before tax, was ( ) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with for the same period of 2023. Diluted net profit per American depositary share ("ADS") was RMB2.07 (US$0.28) and diluted net profit per share was RMB0.41 (US$0.06) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB1.95 and RMB0.39 for the same period of 2023 respectively.

and diluted net profit per share was for the second quarter of 2024, compared with and for the same period of 2023 respectively. Non-GAAP diluted net profit per ADS was RMB2.22 (US$0.30) and non-GAAP diluted net profit per share was RMB0.44 (US$0.06) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB2.06 and RMB0.41 for the same period of 2023 respectively. Each ADS of the Company represents five Class A ordinary shares of the Company.

1 Represents the total transaction volume facilitated in China's Mainland and the international markets on the Company's platforms during the period presented. 2 Represents our transaction volume facilitated in China's Mainland during the period presented. During the second quarter, RMB9.8 billion were facilitated under the capital-light model, for which the Company does not bear principal risk. 3 Represents our transaction volume facilitated in markets outside China's Mainland during the period presented. 4 Outstanding loan balance (China's Mainland) as of any date refers to the balance of outstanding loans in China's Mainland market excluding loans delinquent for more than 180 days from such date. As of June 30, 2024, RMB15.2 billion were facilitated under the capital-light model, for which the Company does not bear principal risk. 5 Outstanding loan balance (international) as of any date refers to the balance of outstanding loans in the international markets excluding loans delinquent for more than 30 days from such date. 6 On a cumulative basis, the total number of users in China's Mainland market registered on the Company's platform as of June 30, 2024. 7 On a cumulative basis, the total number of borrowers in China's Mainland market registered on the Company's platform as of June 30, 2024. 8 Represents the total number of borrowers in China's Mainland who have successfully borrowed on the Company's platform during the period presented. 9 Represents the transaction volume facilitated for repeat borrowers in China's Mainland who successfully completed a transaction on the Company's platform during the period presented. 10 Represents the average loan size on the Company's platform in China's Mainland during the period presented. 11 Represents the average loan tenor on the Company's platform in China's Mainland during the period presented. 12 "90 day+ delinquency ratio" refers to the outstanding principal balance of loans, excluding loans facilitated under the capital-light model, that were 90 to 179 calendar days past due as a percentage of the total outstanding principal balance of loans, excluding loans facilitated under the capital-light model on the Company's platform as of a specific date. Loans that originated outside China's Mainland are not included in the calculation. 13 On a cumulative basis, the total number of users registered on the Company's platforms outside China's Mainland market as of June 30, 2024. 14 On a cumulative basis, the total number of borrowers on the Company's platforms outside China's Mainland market, as of June 30, 2024. 15 Represents the total number of borrowers outside China's Mainland who have successfully borrowed on the Company platforms during the period presented. 16 Represents the total number of new borrowers outside China's Mainland whose transactions were facilitated on the Company's platforms during the period presented. 17 Please refer to "UNAUDITED Reconciliation of GAAP And Non-GAAP Results" for reconciliation between GAAP and Non-GAAP adjusted operating income.

Mr. Tiezheng Li, Chief Executive Officer of FinVolution, commented, "We ended the first half of 2024 on a positive note, driving progressive growth in the China market while maintaining faster growth momentum internationally through strong execution of our Local Excellence, Global Outlook Strategy.

"Cumulatively, we have served around 31.5 million borrowers across China, Indonesia and the Philippines as of June 30, 2024. During the first half of 2024, transaction volume for the China market reached RMB92.5 billion, up 6.0% year-over-year. Transaction volume for the international market continued to grow faster, soaring to RMB4.5 billion, up 32.4% year-over-year. In terms of outstanding balances, the China market reached RMB64.2 billion while our international market reached RMB1.4 billion, up 2.6% and 27.3% respectively year-over-year. This stellar performance stands as a testament to our strategy's effectiveness," concluded Mr. Li.

Mr. Jiayuan Xu, FinVolution's Chief Financial Officer, continued, "Alongside solid operational metrics, our financial performance improved progressively with net revenues for the quarter reaching RMB3,168.0 million (US$435.9 million), up 3.0% year-over-year. Notably, contributions from international revenue grew to RMB562.9 million (US$77.5 million), up 12.0% year-over-year, and representing 17.8% of total revenue. Our total liquidity position remained healthy and robust at RMB8,138.8 million (US$1,119.9 million) as of June 30, 2024.

"As part of our ongoing consistent commitment to return value to shareholders, we deployed approximately US$29.6 million in the second quarter of 2024 to repurchase our shares on the secondary market. In the first half of 2024, we deployed approximately US$56.8 million to repurchase our shares on the secondary market. Since 2018, we have cumulatively returned a total of approximately US$661.8 million to our shareholders through our leading capital return program, underscoring our consistent and sustainable commitment to our shareholders," concluded Mr. Xu.

Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Net revenue for the second quarter of 2024 was RMB3,168.0 million (US$435.9 million), compared with RMB3,075.7 million for the same period of 2023. This increase was primarily due to the increase in guarantee income and other revenue.

Loan facilitation service fees was RMB1,110.5 million (US$152.8 million) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB1,115.0 million for the same period of 2023, remaining stable year-over-year.

Post-facilitation service fees was RMB389.2 million (US$53.6 million) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB488.2 million for the same period of 2023. This decrease was primarily due to the rolling impact of deferred transaction fees.

Guarantee income was RMB1,298.9 million (US$178.7 million) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB1,072.9 million for the same period of 2023. This increase was primarily due to the increased outstanding loan balance of off-balance sheet loans in the international markets, higher guarantee rates and the rolling impact of deferred guarantee income. The fair value of quality assurance commitment upon loan origination is released as guarantee income systematically over the term of the loans subject to quality assurance commitment.

Net interest income was RMB218.8 million (US$30.1 million) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB263.0 million for the same period of 2023. This decrease was primarily due to the decrease in the average outstanding loan balances of on-balance sheet loans in the international markets.

Other revenue was RMB150.5 million (US$20.7 million) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB136.5 million for the same period of 2023. This increase was primarily due to the increase in customer referral fees from the financial institutions along with our Company's enhanced product and service offerings.

Origination, servicing expenses and other costs of revenue was RMB575.2 million (US$79.2 million) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB516.0 million for the same period of 2023. This increase was primarily due to an increase in the facilitation costs as a result of the higher transaction volume in the international market and an increase in the loan collection expenses as a result of the higher outstanding loan balance.

Sales and marketing expenses was RMB473.3 million (US$65.1 million) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB468.8 million for the same period of 2023, as a result of our more proactive customer acquisition efforts focusing on better quality borrowers, especially in the international markets.

Research and development expenses was RMB119.3 million (US$16.4 million) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB124.6 million for the same period of 2023. This decrease was primarily due to the increase in technology development efficiency.

General and administrative expenses was RMB101.9 million (US$14.0 million) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB90.8 million for the same period of 2023. This increase was primarily due to the increase in employee compensation.

Provision for accounts receivable and contract assets was RMB57.2 million (US$7.9 million) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB67.5 million for the same period of 2023. This decrease was primarily due to the decrease in the outstanding loan balances for which the Company bears credit risks in the China market.

Provision for loans receivable was RMB92.0 million (US$12.7 million) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB159.2 million for the same period of 2023. This decrease was primarily due to the decreases in the loan volume and the outstanding loan balances of on-balance sheet loans in the international markets.

Credit losses for quality assurance commitment was RMB1,190.6 million (US$163.8 million) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB1,073.5 million for the same period of 2023. The increase was primarily due to the growth in the loan volume and the outstanding loan balances of off-balance sheet loans in the international markets.

Operating profit was RMB558.5 million (US$76.9 million) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB575.4 million for the same period of 2023.

Non-GAAP adjusted operating income, which excludes share-based compensation expenses before tax, was RMB598.6 million (US$82.4 million) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB606.9 million for the same period of 2023.

Other income was RMB67.7 million (US$9.3 million) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB119.9 million for the same period of 2023. This decrease was mainly due to the decrease in government subsidies.

Income tax expense was RMB75.2 million (US$10.3 million) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB105.2 million for the same period of 2023. This decrease was mainly due to the decrease in pre-tax profit and the change in the estimated annual effective tax rate.

Net profit was RMB551.0 million (US$75.8 million) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB590.1 million for the same period of 2023.

Net profit attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company was RMB551.1 million (US$75.8 million) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB554.4 million for the same period of 2023.

Diluted net profit per ADS was RMB2.07 (US$0.28) and diluted net profit per share was RMB0.41 (US$0.06) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB1.95 and RMB0.39 for the same period of 2023 respectively.

Non-GAAP diluted net profit per ADS was RMB2.22 (US$0.30) and non-GAAP diluted net profit per share was RMB0.44 (US$0.06) for the second quarter of 2024, compared with RMB2.06 and RMB0.41 for the same period of 2023 respectively. Each ADS represents five Class A ordinary shares of the Company.

As of June 30, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of RMB5,705.9 million (US$785.2 million) and short-term investments, mainly in wealth management products and term deposit, of RMB2,432.8 million (US$334.8 million).

The following chart shows the historical cumulative 30-day plus past due delinquency rates by loan origination vintage for loan products facilitated through the Company's platform in China's Mainland as of June 30, 2024. Loans facilitated under the capital-light model, for which the Company does not bear principal risk, are excluded from the chart.

Click here to view the chart

Shares Repurchase Update

For the second quarter of 2024, the Company deployed approximately US$29.6 million to repurchase its own Class A ordinary shares in the form of ADSs in the market. During the first half of 2024, the Company has deployed approximately US$56.8 million to repurchase its own Class A ordinary shares in the form of ADSs in the market. As of June 30, 2024, in combination with the Company's historical and existing share repurchase programs, the Company had cumulatively repurchased its own Class A ordinary shares in the form of ADSs with a total aggregate value of approximately US$336.8 million since 2018.

Business Outlook

While the macroeconomic recovery continued to gain traction with pockets of improvement since the beginning of 2024, uncertainties persist in the markets in which we operate. The Company has observed encouraging signs of recovery and will continue to closely monitor macro conditions across all the markets in which we operate and remain prudent in our business operations. The Company reiterates its full-year 2024 transaction volume guidance for the China market in the range of RMB195.7 billion to RMB205.0 billion, representing year-over-year growth of approximately 5.0% to 10.0%. At the same time, the Company expects its 2024 transaction volume for the international markets to be in the range of RMB9.4 billion to RMB11.0 billion, representing year-over-year growth of approximately 20.0% to 40.0%.

The above forecast is based on the current market conditions and reflects the Company's current preliminary views and expectations on market and operational conditions and the regulatory and operating environment, as well as customers' and institutional partners' demands, all of which are subject to change.

Conference Call

The Company's management will host an earnings conference call at 8:30 PM U.S. Eastern Time on August 20, 2024 (8:30AM Beijing/Hong Kong Time on August 21, 2024).

Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:

United States (toll free): +1-888-346-8982 Canada (toll free): +1-855-669-9657 International: +1-412-902-4272 Hong Kong, China (toll free): 800-905-945 Hong Kong, China: +852-3018-4992 Mainland, China: 400-120-1203

Participants should dial in at least five minutes before the scheduled start time and ask to be connected to the call for "FinVolution Group."

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.finvgroup.com.

A replay of the conference call will be accessible approximately one hour after the conclusion of the live call until August 27, 2024, by dialing the following telephone numbers:

United States (toll free): +1-877-344-7529 Canada (toll free): +1-855-669-9658 International: +1-412-317-0088 Replay Access Code: 5663537

About FinVolution Group

FinVolution Group is a leading fintech platform with strong brand recognition in China and the international markets connecting borrowers of the young generation with financial institutions. Established in 2007, the Company is a pioneer in China's online consumer finance industry and has developed innovative technologies and has accumulated in-depth experience in the core areas of credit risk assessment, fraud detection, big data and artificial intelligence. The Company's platforms, empowered by proprietary cutting-edge technologies, features a highly automated loan transaction process, which enables a superior user experience. As of June 30, 2024, the Company had over 191.3 million cumulative registered users across China, Indonesia and the Philippines.

For more information, please visit https://ir.finvgroup.com

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We use non-GAAP adjusted operating income, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net profit, non-GAAP net profit attributable to FinVolution Group, and non-GAAP basic and diluted net profit per share and per ADS which are non-GAAP financial measures, in evaluating our operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures help identify underlying trends in our business by excluding the impact of share-based compensation expenses and expected discretionary measures. We believe that non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information about our operating results, enhance the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects and allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by our management in its financial and operational decision-making.

Non-GAAP adjusted operating income, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net profit, non-GAAP net profit attributable to FinVolution Group, and non-GAAP basic and diluted net profit per share and per ADS are not defined under U.S. GAAP and are not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tool, and when assessing our operating performance, cash flows or our liquidity, investors should not consider it in isolation, or as a substitute for net income, cash flows provided by operating activities or other consolidated statements of operation and cash flow data prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The Company encourages investors and others to review our financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.

For more information on this non-GAAP financial measure, please see the table captioned "Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP results" set forth at the end of this press release.

Exchange Rate Information

This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars are made at a rate of RMB7.2672 to US$1.00, the rate in effect as of June 28, 2024 as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "target," "confident" and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any such statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, uncertainties as to the Company's ability to attract and retain borrowers and investors on its marketplace, its ability to increase volume of loans facilitated through the Company's marketplace, its ability to introduce new loan products and platform enhancements, its ability to compete effectively, laws, regulations and governmental policies relating to the online consumer finance industry in China, general economic conditions in China, and the Company's ability to meet the standards necessary to maintain listing of its ADSs on the NYSE, including its ability to cure any non-compliance with the NYSE's continued listing criteria. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and FinVolution does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

FinVolution Group

Head of Investor Relations

Jimmy Tan, IRC

Tel: +86 (21) 8030-3200 Ext. 8601

E-mail: [email protected]

Piacente Financial Communications

Jenny Cai

Tel: +86 (10) 6508-0677

E-mail: [email protected]

In the United States:

Piacente Financial Communications

Brandi Piacente

Tel: +1-212-481-2050

E-mail: [email protected]

FinVolution Group UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (All amounts in thousands, except share data, or otherwise noted)









As of December 31,

As of June 30,

2023

2024

RMB

RMB USD Assets







Cash and cash equivalents 4,969,319

5,705,919 785,161 Restricted cash 1,800,071

1,770,810 243,672 Short-term investments 2,960,821

2,432,848 334,771 Investments 1,135,133

1,157,891 159,331 Quality assurance receivable, net of credit loss allowance for

quality assurance receivable of RMB529,392 and

RMB508,429 as of December 31, 2023 and June 30, 2024,

respectively 1,755,615

1,788,655 246,127 Intangible assets 98,692

137,298 18,893 Property, equipment and software, net 140,933

641,800 88,315 Loans receivable, net of credit loss allowance for loans receivable

of RMB214,550 and RMB215,148 as of December 31, 2023 and

June 30, 2024, respectively 1,127,388

1,657,087 228,023 Accounts receivable and contract assets, net of credit loss

allowance for accounts receivable and contract assets of

RMB310,394 and RMB273,328 as of December 31, 2023 and

June 30, 2024, respectively 2,208,538

2,376,816 327,061 Deferred tax assets 1,624,325

2,177,877 299,686 Right of use assets 38,110

28,740 3,955 Prepaid expenses and other assets 3,384,317

2,027,796 279,034 Goodwill 50,411

50,411 6,937 Total assets 21,293,673

21,953,948 3,020,966 Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity

Deferred guarantee income 1,882,036

1,709,242 235,200 Liability from quality assurance commitment 3,306,132

3,051,660 419,922 Payroll and welfare payable 261,528

202,035 27,801 Taxes payable 207,477

489,970 67,422 Short-term borrowings 5,756

5,468 752 Funds payable to investors of consolidated trusts 436,352

509,356 70,090 Contract liability 5,109

5,109 703 Deferred tax liabilities 340,608

368,209 50,667 Accrued expenses and other liabilities 941,899

1,206,821 166,064 Leasing liabilities 35,878

30,839 4,244 Total liabilities 7,422,775

7,578,709 1,042,865 Commitments and contingencies







FinVolution Group Shareholders' equity







Ordinary shares 103

103 14 Additional paid-in capital 5,748,734

5,773,446 794,453 Treasury stock (1,199,683)

(1,558,855) (214,506) Statutory reserves 762,472

762,472 104,920 Accumulated other comprehensive income 80,006

43,215 5,948 Retained Earnings 8,357,153

8,994,668 1,237,708 Total FinVolution Group shareholders' equity 13,748,785

14,015,049 1,928,537 Non-controlling interest 122,113

360,190 49,564 Total shareholders' equity 13,870,898

14,375,239 1,978,101 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity 21,293,673

21,953,948 3,020,966

FinVolution Group UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE

INCOME (All amounts in thousands, except share data, or otherwise noted)









For the Three Months Ended June 30,

For the Six Months Ended June 30,

2023

2024

2023

2024

RMB

RMB USD

RMB

RMB USD



















Operating revenue:

















Loan facilitation service fees 1,115,041

1,110,528 152,814

2,283,294

2,096,468 288,484 Post-facilitation service fees 488,187

389,236 53,561

975,358

854,428 117,573 Guarantee income 1,072,913

1,298,927 178,738

2,059,433

2,645,042 363,970 Net interest income 263,047

218,803 30,108

548,679

450,110 61,937 Other Revenue 136,490

150,506 20,710

259,557

287,033 39,497 Net revenue 3,075,678

3,168,000 435,931

6,126,321

6,333,081 871,461 Operating expenses:

















Origination, servicing expenses and other cost of

revenue (515,960)

(575,231) (79,154)

(1,028,388)

(1,114,786) (153,400) Sales and marketing expenses (468,833)

(473,295) (65,128)

(865,951)

(922,504) (126,941) Research and development expenses (124,577)

(119,252) (16,410)

(250,793)

(239,747) (32,990) General and administrative expenses (90,770)

(101,892) (14,021)

(176,172)

(184,219) (25,349) Provision for accounts receivable and contract assets (67,451)

(57,237) (7,876)

(130,651)

(122,899) (16,911) Provision for loans receivable (159,189)

(91,988) (12,658)

(302,505)

(173,273) (23,843) Credit losses for quality assurance commitment (1,073,451)

(1,190,572) (163,828)

(2,054,134)

(2,388,671) (328,692) Total operating expenses (2,500,231)

(2,609,467) (359,075)

(4,808,594)

(5,146,099) (708,126) Operating profit 575,447

558,533 76,856

1,317,727

1,186,982 163,335 Other income, net 119,901

67,657 9,310

202,678

98,661 13,576 Profit before income tax expense 695,348

626,190 86,166

1,520,405

1,285,643 176,911 Income tax expenses (105,230)

(75,152) (10,341)

(240,467)

(202,629) (27,883) Net profit 590,118

551,038 75,825

1,279,938

1,083,014 149,028 Net profit attributable to non-controlling interest

shareholders 35,684

(107) (15)

29,620

4,168 574



















Net profit attributable to FinVolution Group 554,434

551,145 75,840

1,250,318

1,078,846 148,454 Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of nil tax 80,703

(47,923) (6,594)

51,535

(36,791) (5,063) Total comprehensive income attributable to FinVolution Group 635,137

503,222 69,246

1,301,853

1,042,055 143,391 Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in computing net income per share

















Basic 1,387,090,179

1,298,653,314 1,298,653,314

1,398,767,090

1,305,081,766 1,305,081,766 Diluted 1,423,975,798

1,334,219,839 1,334,219,839

1,430,367,809

1,337,706,499 1,337,706,499 Net profit per share attributable to FinVolution Group's ordinary shareholders

















Basic 0.40

0.42 0.06

0.89

0.83 0.11 Diluted 0.39

0.41 0.06

0.87

0.81 0.11 Net profit per ADS attributable to FinVolution Group's ordinary shareholders (one ADS equal five ordinary shares)

















Basic 2.00

2.12 0.29

4.47

4.13 0.57 Diluted 1.95

2.07 0.28

4.37

4.03 0.55

FinVolution Group UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (All amounts in thousands, except share data, or otherwise noted)









Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2023

2024

2023

2024

RMB

RMB

USD

RMB

RMB

USD Net cash provided by operating

activities 506,617

965,313

132,831

1,178,903

1,159,778

159,591 Net cash provided by/(used in)

investing activities (880,715)

(577,516)

(79,469)

925,171

348,029

47,890 Net cash used in financing activities (518,630)

(479,769)

(66,018)

(1,405,346)

(770,917)

(106,082) Effect of exchange rate changes on

cash and cash equivalents 65,202

(21,347)

(2,936)

38,799

(29,551)

(4,065) Net increase in cash, cash equivalent

and restricted cash (827,526)

(113,319)

(15,592)

737,527

707,339

97,334 Cash, cash equivalent and restricted

cash at beginning of period 8,044,140

7,590,048

1,044,425

6,479,087

6,769,390

931,499 Cash, cash equivalent and restricted

cash at end of period 7,216,614

7,476,729

1,028,833

7,216,614

7,476,729

1,028,833

FinVolution Group UNAUDITED Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results (All amounts in thousands, except share data, or otherwise noted)







For the Three Months Ended June 30, For the Six Months Ended June 30,

2023 2024 2023 2024

RMB RMB USD RMB RMB USD













Net Revenues 3,075,678 3,168,000 435,931 6,126,321 6,333,081 871,461 Less: total operating expenses (2,500,231) (2,609,467) (359,075) (4,808,594) (5,146,099) (708,126) Operating Income 575,447 558,533 76,856 1,317,727 1,186,982 163,335 Add: share-based compensation expenses 31,457 40,100 5,518 51,816 70,389 9,686 Non-GAAP adjusted operating income 606,904 598,633 82,374 1,369,543 1,257,371 173,021













Operating Margin 18.7 % 17.6 % 17.6 % 21.5 % 18.7 % 18.7 % Non-GAAP operating margin 19.7 % 18.9 % 18.9 % 22.4 % 19.9 % 19.9 % Non-GAAP adjusted operating income 606,904 598,633 82,374 1,369,543 1,257,371 173,021 Add: other income, net 119,901 67,657 9,310 202,678 98,661 13,576 Less: income tax expenses (105,230) (75,152) (10,341) (240,467) (202,629) (27,883) Non-GAAP net profit 621,575 591,138 81,343 1,331,754 1,153,403 158,714 Net profit attributable to non-controlling interest shareholders 35,684 (107) (15) 29,620 4,168 574 Non-GAAP net profit attributable to FinVolution

Group 585,891 591,245 81,358 1,302,134 1,149,235 158,140













Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in

computing net income per share











Basic 1,387,090,179 1,298,653,314 1,298,653,314 1,398,767,090 1,305,081,766 1,305,081,766 Diluted 1,423,975,798 1,334,219,839 1,334,219,839 1,430,367,809 1,337,706,499 1,337,706,499 Non-GAAP net profit per share attributable to

FinVolution Group's ordinary shareholders











Basic 0.42 0.46 0.06 0.93 0.88 0.12 Diluted 0.41 0.44 0.06 0.91 0.86 0.12 Non-GAAP net profit per ADS attributable to

FinVolution Group's ordinary shareholders (one ADS

equal five ordinary shares)











Basic 2.11 2.28 0.31 4.65 4.40 0.61 Diluted 2.06 2.22 0.30 4.55 4.30 0.59

SOURCE FinVolution Group
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- First Horizon Corp. (NYSE: FHN or "First Horizon") announced the establishment of the First Horizon Bank Endowed Scholarship at LeMoyne-Owen College.

Bryan Jordan (Chairman, President and CEO, First Horizon), and Dr. Anthony C. Hood (Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, First Horizon), present the endowed scholarship check to Dr. Christopher B. Davis (President, LeMoyne-Owen College)

The endowed scholarship is part of a newly created education initiative aimed at investing in future professionals in the colleges and universities that contribute to the civic, social and economic fabric of our communities. In addition to the scholarship, the partnership will offer programming including financial education, professional skill development and career opportunities that are aligned with the school's offerings and tailored to the needs of its students.

The endowment will provide one scholarship per year to a student interested in finance or other roles in the banking industry who values our commitment to increasing accessibility, connectivity and enrichment for all.

"First Horizon is thrilled to announce this scholarship at LeMoyne Owen  a well-regarded, Memphis-headquartered center of education that, like First Horizon, has served our community for over 160 years," said Bryan Jordan, Chairman, President and CEO of First Horizon. "We remain committed to investing in the long-term sustainability of our community and continuing to make education a top priority for our region."

"It's an exciting day for us at LeMoyne-Owen College. The reality is when we look at what we believe we've been called to do, that is to train leaders, challenge our students to take advantage of opportunities, and ultimately change our city, our county, our world, we can't do that without partners," stated Dr. Christopher B. Davis, President LeMoyne-Owen College. "The investment that First Horizon made today in terms of an endowed scholarship and the offer to help create pathways for our students is a significant investment and for that we're grateful."

About First Horizon

First Horizon Corp. (NYSE: FHN), with $82.2 billion in assets as of June 30, 2024, is a leading regional financial services company, dedicated to helping our clients, communities and associates unlock their full potential with capital and counsel. Headquartered in Memphis, TN, the banking subsidiary First Horizon Bank operates in 12 states across the southern U.S. The Company and its subsidiaries offer commercial, private banking, consumer, small business, wealth and trust management, retail brokerage, capital markets, fixed income, and mortgage banking services. First Horizon has been recognized as one of the nation's best employers by Fortune and Forbes magazines and a Top 10 Most Reputable U.S. Bank. More information is available at www.FirstHorizon.com.

SOURCE First Horizon Corporation
Fan-Favorite Fast Casual Brand Unveils State-of-the-Art Building Dedicated to Training Team Members and Developing Menu Additions

Freddy's Training & Innovation Center features cutting-edge equipment and technology

The facility's simulated Freddy's restaurant will allow for virtual training, on-site product testing, and consumer focus groups

The space will host Freddy's annual in-person training programs, potential franchisee visits, and annual conferences

WICHITA, Kan., Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Fast-casual restaurant concept Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers (Freddy's) is excited to announce the opening of its new Training & Innovation Center. Built in the brand's hometown of Wichita, KS, the 23,000-square-foot space furthers the brand's commitment to serving quality food through efficient training of franchisees and managers  from perfecting the cooked-to-order steakburger, to creating treats made with freshly churned frozen custard. As the brand looks to continue innovating new menu items, the center's cutting-edge equipment and technology, coupled with its simulated back-of-house restaurant will be home to virtual training sessions, on-site product testing, and consumer focus groups.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers opened its new Training & Innovation Center headquarters location in Wichita, KS. For more on franchising with Freddy's, visit: www.freddysfranchising.com The new Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers Training & Innovation Center features cutting-edge equipment and technology in a simulated Freddy's restaurant, allowing for virtual training, on-site product testing, and consumer focus groups. For more on franchising with Freddy's, visit: www.freddysfranchising.com

"We're thrilled to open the doors to our Training & Innovation Center, with a state-of-the-art design built to represent the future of the Freddy's franchise," said Freddy's CEO Chris Dull. "By equipping our franchise owners and managers with the latest tools and training, we are investing in the continued success of our entire franchise system, and ensuring we maintain our commitment to quality and excellence in every location."

Freddy's Training & Innovation Center  located at 3020 N. Cypress, Ste. 200, Wichita, KS  opens at a time of significant growth and expansion for the brand, as the center will support 533 open restaurants in 36 states, with an additional 130 restaurants in development. It will serve as the primary location to record 200 training videos and podcasts each year for more than 17,000 Freddy's team members nationwide.

In addition to the more than 100 area employees who will regularly work out of the new space, the Training & Innovation Center will also host a number of gatherings for prospective franchisees, current franchise owners and managers across the system, including:

70 potential franchisee visits each year

4 fly-in conferences for 130 multi-unit managers

Annual multi-week in-person training for 120 managers

These gatherings will prove to be an invaluable investment into the local economy, resulting in thousands of hotel stays and hundreds of flights in and out of Wichita on an annual basis.

"Not only is Wichita the birthplace of the Freddy's brand, but it was the home of our namesake Freddy Simon," Dull said. "Wichita has done so much good for Freddy's, and we're grateful for the opportunity to continue to invest in our hometown."

As one of the country's fastest-growing restaurant franchises in the U.S., Freddy's has become nationally recognized for its cooked-to-order steakburgers, shoestring fries, and freshly-churned frozen custard. For information on franchising opportunities with Freddy's, visit freddysfranchising.com.

ABOUT FREDDY'S FROZEN CUSTARD & STEAKBURGERS

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is a leading fast-casual franchise concept with over 500 locations across 36 states nationwide. Founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 2002, the brand offers a unique combination of cooked-to-order steakburgers, all-beef hot dogs, shoestring fries and other savory items, along with freshly churned frozen custard treats. Known for operating The Freddy's Way, Guests experience genuine hospitality and food prepared fresh with premium ingredients. This signature approach has fueled Freddy's ongoing growth throughout the U.S. and garnered national recognition from industry-leading rankings, including being named No. 23 on Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers + Shakers, No. 67 on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 and No. 36 on Yelp's 50 Most Loved Brands. For more on Freddy's, visit the Newsroom and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. For more information about development opportunities, visit freddysfranchising.com.

Media Contact: Meg Ryan, [email protected], Fishman Public Relations, (847) 945-1300 ext. 264

SOURCE Freddys Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
YOKOHAMA, Japan, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Fujitsu Semiconductor Memory Solution Limited is pleased to announce that the company name will change to RAMXEED LIMITED, effective January 1, 2025. In conjunction with the name change, the company's email addresses and website URL will be updated prior to the action. There will be no changes to its postal address and phone numbers.

New company logo: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M106685/202408074740/_prw_PI3fl_PY8hv9Fw.png

Even after the name change, the company will continue to provide its customers with high-performance and high-quality FeRAM/ReRAM semiconductor memory products and services. Additionally, it remains committed to creating and delivering new value and optimal services.

Origin of Company Name "RAMXEED"

RAMXEED represents a company that continues to co-create and grow by pursuing infinite possibilities based on "RAM" memory technology. "XEED" incorporates the meanings of "Succeed" and "Exceed," while "X" signifies infinite possibilities and co-creation.

About New Company Logo of RAMXEED LIMITED

Logo: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M106685/202408074740/_prw_PI2fl_21s5w60o.png

The space within the letter "R" and double "E" emphasizes the infinite possibilities and the black-magenta "X" represents the way the company co-creates. It chose magenta as its symbol color, the purest color that is one of the primary colors, to demonstrate its determination to aim for the "Niche-Top" with the core of its unique technology. Its vividness evokes a "future full of dreams" inspiring excitement and a sense of exhilaration.

About Brand Slogan of RAMXEED LIMITED

Brand Slogan: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M106685/202408074740/_prw_PI1fl_NAKu0lAE.png

The company has set "Our Memory, Your Future" as its brand slogan, globally and straightforwardly representing its PURPOSE "Realizing a future full of dreams with memory technology." At RAMXEED, it fulfills everyone's "future full of dreams" with the memory technology it has developed over the years.

Company Name Change Schedule

Current company name: Fujitsu Semiconductor Memory Solution Limited (until December 31, 2024)

E-mail address: [email protected] (available until September 20, 2024)

URL: https://www.fujitsu.com/jp/group/fsm/en/ (scheduled to be closed within 2025)

New company name: RAMXEED LIMITED (from January 1, 2025)

E-mail address: [email protected] (already available)

URL: https://ramxeed.com/ (scheduled to be published in September 2024)

SOURCE Fujitsu Semiconductor Memory Solution Limited
The LNG terminal in the port city of Aqaba is critical for Jordan's energy independence and security

Jordan , a country with a population of 11 M with a GDP of US$ 48.6 B has historically relied on pipeline gas as a key fuel for its power and industrial requirements

The terminal shall be the first permanent onshore LNG terminal facility in the Kingdom.

Project's scope encompasses full engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning (EPCIC) of a 720 mmscfd onshore regasification facility including marine works, jetty topside work and other associated components.

Expected commissioning of the terminal in Q2 2026.

Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), the state-owned infrastructure company, shall be the customer for the facility.

SEOUL, South Korea, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading LNG Infrastructure company GAS Entec with its group company AG&P and local partners Issa Haddadin, together referred as Consortium, has been awarded a contract to build Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah onshore regasification LNG Terminal at Port of Aqaba in the Kingdom of Jordan. The tender was awarded to the Consortium by Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), the state-owned infrastructure company and the customer for the facility.

(L-R): Murad Al-Sharif, CEO, IHPCO; Chong Ho Kwak, CEO, GAS Entec; Nishant Sharma, Commercial Head, GAS Entec & Senior Vice President, AG&P; His Excellency Hussein Safadi, CEO, ADC; Omar Albdour, Energy Unit Head, ADC

The project's scope encompasses full engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning (EPCIC) of a 720 mmscfd onshore LNG regasification facility, marine works, jetty topside work and other associated components and shall be completed, commissioned and delivered within 22 months.

Widely regarded as the most significant energy project in Jordan, the terminal shall play a crucial role in enhancing the national economy, trade, and services environment while bolstering Jordan's energy security.

Jordan relies heavily on natural gas for its power and industrial needs but faces challenges with supply reliability. The new LNG terminal will provide Jordan with the flexibility to access LNG from various global suppliers, ensuring a stable and secure energy source.

GAS Entec and AG&P were selected from a competitive pool of companies based on their robust credentials and a cost-effective solution leveraging GAS Entec's state-of-the-art technology of modularizing and fabricating key regasification components in Korea and transporting them to project sites world-wide.

This prestigious award marks a significant milestone for GAS Entec and AG&P and underscores their global standing in the LNG industry.

Chong Ho Kwak, Chief Executive Officer, GAS Entec said, "This project is a testament to our commitment towards delivering innovative and efficient solutions in the LNG sector and adds to our already esteemed list of credentials."

Nishant Sharma, Commercial Head of GAS Entec and Senior Vice President, AG&P said, "We are honored to have been chosen for this critical project, which shall significantly contribute to Jordan's energy security and its economic development. The trust ADC has placed in GAS Entec and AG&P underscores our dedication towards customer-centric solutions and our ability to deliver cost-effective, world-class LNG infrastructure."

Omar Albadour, Head of Energy Unit, ADC said, "We are privileged to have reputed LNG Infrastructure partners like GAS Entec and AG&P to deliver this strategic project, which shall be a milestone in our country's continued transition towards reliable energy. We look forward to the project's commissioning by Q2 2026."

The Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah onshore regasification LNG Terminal Project will enhance GAS Entec and AG&P's already esteemed profile as leading LNG terminal developers. This award complements their extensive portfolio, including LNG terminals in Indonesia and the Philippines, four FSRU conversions globally, two LNG FSU carrier conversions, and three LNG bunkering ships in North America, Japan, and Singapore respectively.

About GAS Entec:

GAS Entec, headquartered in South Korea, is an energy advisory and LNG Infrastructure company leading the energy transition to cleaner fuels. It specializes in end-to-end LNG infrastructure solutions, including LNG-to-power, LNG bunker vessels, small-scale LNG floating terminals and LNGC-to-FSRU conversions. With its Korean associates, Donghwa Entec (www.dh.co.kr) and Donghwa Pneutec (http://www.dhkomp.co.kr/) GAS Entec is at the forefront of innovation in the energy industry.

https://gasentec.com/

For enquiries: [email protected]

About AG&P International

AG&P is a global leader in developing and running LNG and gas logistics and distribution solutions. AG&P provides the infrastructure to access natural gas safely and easily in new and growing markets.

https://agpglobal.com/

For enquiries: [email protected]

About ADC:

Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) is owned by Government of Jordan and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) and was established to build strategic infrastructure in the ASEZA region in Jordan and to optimize private sector participation in their development and management to stimulate the economy and promote growth and development of ASEZA in Jordan

https://www.adc.jo/

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2485420/GAS_Entec_LNG_Terminal_Jordan.jpg

SOURCE GAS Entec
Funding Co-Led by Inovia Capital & Tola Capital Brings AI-Driven Software to the Biopharma Industry With First Product Reliant Tabular

MONTREAL and BERLIN, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Reliant AI, a provider of gen AI-powered data analytics software, announced today its launch out of stealth with $11.3 million in seed funding. The new capital was co-led by Tola Capital and Inovia Capital , with participation from angel investor Mike Volpi.

Reliant AI was created by leading Natural Language Processing and Reinforcement Learning scientists and researchers Karl Moritz Hermann, Marc Bellemare and Richard Schlegel who led teams at DeepMind, Google Brain and EY Parthenon. They're passionate about how generative AI can solve information challenges to reduce repetitive mental labor and accelerate decision making for enterprises. The company is initially targeting the biopharma industry and will use the new funding to hire engineering talent to expand its technology investment and footprints in Europe and North America.

"Information and data are a critically overlooked part of making the life sciences progress to bring about a better world. The sheer amount of menial labor involved in data-intensive industries today means that many highly skilled professionals are focused on wrangling data, rather than solving complex issues. We created an AI system that understands the life sciences to radically grow its capacity to perform research at scale," said Karl Moritz Hermann , CEO and Co-Founder of Reliant AI.

Reliant AI's first product, Reliant Tabular , is an AI workbench that is attracting significant interest across key business segments in the biopharma industry. The product helps life science analysts find scientific evidence for their decisions through automated systematic reviews, asset scans, comprehensive analyses, and a customizable data platform - with Reliant AI, anything can be queried.

Features of Reliant Tabular include:

Proprietary ML models optimized to be experts in biopharma topics

Comprehensive approach to fact-finding  maximizing recall so that nothing gets missed

User interface that makes it quick and easy to reconcile generated results with ground truth evidence

Answers in a report-ready format so that teams can collaborate on analyses

"The biopharma industry has a massive and underserved information need. Reliant AI blends cutting-edge research with domain expertise to create software that makes it possible for a day's worth of data wrangling to be done in 30 seconds. Marc, Karl Moritz and their technical team bring together decades of AI expertise from the world's best research groups, such as DeepMind, Google Brain, and Meta, giving Reliant the ability to really move the needle on the application of generative AI to hard data problems," said Aaron Fleishman, Partner at Tola Capital.

"We see a significant market opportunity in the pharmaceutical sector, as companies strive to build and partner with new entrants to develop innovative solutions like those offered by Reliant AI," said Steve Woods, Partner at Inovia Capital. "This notable demand in a large and growing market underscores the potential of AI to drive impactful advancements in the biopharma industry."

"Reliant AI has significantly increased my efficiency by rapidly parsing relevant data, allowing me to focus on deeper analysis and faster turnaround times. This technology promises to revolutionize how early commercial assessments are conducted," said Miguel Silva, Strategy Director at OMass Therapeutics .

To learn more or obtain a demo, visit https://www.reliant.ai/

About Reliant AI

Reliant AI is a provider of genAI-powered data analytics software that accelerates secondary research in biopharma. With Reliant AI, anything can be queried. The company was created by Karl Moritz Hermann, Marc Bellemare and Richard Schlegel , renowned scientists and researchers who previously led teams at DeepMind, Google Brain and EY Parthenon. Reliant AI has offices in Berlin, Germany and Montreal, Canada and has raised USD $13.5M in total funding from investors including Tola Capital, Inovia Capital, Mike Volpi, Amit Agarwal, and AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio.

About Tola Capital

Tola Capital is a venture capital firm that believes in the power of software, data, and AI to transform the way the world works. Founded in 2010 by experienced software operators at the forefront of cloud computing's rise, the firm backs entrepreneurs who have enterprise technology experience and are building disruptive, industry transforming solutions with diverse teams. Tola Capital has successfully exited numerous startups, and continues to evolve as it supports founders into the era of AI. Visit www.tolacapital.com for more information.

About Inovia Capital

Inovia Capital is a venture capital firm that partners with founders to build impactful and enduring global companies. The team leverages an operator-led mindset to provide founders with multi-stage support, mentorship, and access to a worldwide network. Inovia manages over US$2.2B with operations in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, Bay Area, and London. For more information, visit inovia.vc .

SOURCE Reliant AI Inc.
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Graybar, a leading distributor of electrical, communications and data networking products and provider of related supply chain management and logistics services, announced that Mike Carroll has been named Vice President - Construction Sales, and Michael Tierney has been named Vice President - Industrial, Utility and Broadband Sales, effective September 1, 2024.

Carroll has 29 years with Graybar and currently serves as Director, Business Development. He has extensive experience within Graybar's field and corporate organizations, where he advanced through roles in sales, branch management, national market management and district sales leadership. Carroll is also actively involved at the national level with several construction industry organizations.

Tierney joined Graybar in 2011 and has more than 35 years of industry experience. He currently serves as Vice President - Strategic Accounts. Prior to his current position, he successfully led Graybar's electric utility business across the eastern United States and was responsible for the company's strategic accounts industrial sales team.

"Mike and Michael are both highly respected within Graybar and throughout the industry," said Ellen S. Rebne, Graybar's senior vice president - sales. "As they move into their new leadership roles, I am confident that they have the experience, vision and energy to drive sustainable growth. I look forward to working with them as we leverage the power of Graybar to serve our customers and achieve long-term success."

Graybar, a Fortune 500 corporation and one of the largest employee-owned companies in North America, is a leader in the distribution of high quality electrical, communications and data networking products, and specializes in related supply chain management and logistics services. Through its network of more than 345 North American distribution facilities, it stocks and sells products from thousands of manufacturers, helping its customers power, network, automate and secure their facilities with speed, intelligence and efficiency. For more information, visit www.graybar.com or call 1-800-GRAYBAR.

Media Contact:

Tim Sommer

(314) 578-7672

[email protected]

SOURCE Graybar
NEW YORK, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Kensington Vanguard National Land Services ("KV"), one of the largest independent, full-service national title insurance agencies in the country, announces that Heather Bell has been sworn into the executive board as secretary/treasurer for the New Jersey Land Title Association ("NJLTA"). This appointment kicks off a four-year term, where in her final year, she will serve as president.

In addition, the NJLTA awarded Bell the Certified Title Professional (CTP) designation in May and will present it to her at the annual NJLTA convention this fall. This designation is awarded to members for their knowledge and time in the industry as well as their willingness to work for the association and the greater good of the title profession. Bell currently serves as executive vice president  national title examination at KV where she began working in 2006. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing all title examinations nationwide, directing production training, establishing and maintaining the preferred abstractor database, managing commitment templating and form compliance, and maintaining the requirement and exception manual.

"I am honored and excited to join the NJLTA executive board and contribute to the advancement of our industry. I look forward to working alongside my esteemed colleagues to address the ever-evolving changes and challenges we face insuring real estate transactions every day," Bell said. She has been involved with the NJLTA since 2015, most recently serving as chair of the agency section management board. She is also editor-in-chief of Advocate, the association's award-winning statewide publication.

Brian Cooper, co-CEO of KV added, "I have worked with Heather for almost two decades and she is an extraordinary title insurance professional and person. This honor is well deserved and we're proud to have her as a leader at KV."

Kensington Vanguard National Land Services operates three divisions:

The Commercial Division handles the largest and most complex commercial real estate transactions in the marketplace, servicing a prominent and diversified clientele consisting of leading property owners, developers, REITs, private equity groups, law firms, private investors and institutional lenders.

The Residential Division provides title insurance and settlement services on residential purchases and refinances referred by realtors, attorneys and both regional and national mortgage originators. Approved as a preferred vendor for leading financial institutions, this division's technology and operating model drive the highest quality execution and service.

The 1031 Exchange Services Division, through wholly owned subsidiary Legal 1031 Exchange Services, employs a team of seasoned experts, attorneys and Certified Exchange Specialists providing clients and their advisors with IRC 1031 qualified intermediary services enabling them to defer capital gains tax they would otherwise realize upon the sale of investment properties.

About Kensington Vanguard National Land Services

Kensington Vanguard National Land Services, headquartered in New York City with offices in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, is one of the largest fullservice national title insurance and settlement agencies in the United States. Founded in 2002, Kensington Vanguard serves as agent to the nation's leading title insurance underwriters. Kensington Vanguard's client base is a highly diversified mix of law firms, investors, developers, operators, opportunity funds, commercial lenders, family offices, realtors and regional and national residential lenders. The company is a subsidiary of TIH, the seventh largest U.S. insurance broker, which was acquired by Stone Point Capital and CD&R.

For more information, visit www.kvnational.com

Media Contact: Joseph Losos, [email protected]

SOURCE Kensington Vanguard National Land Services
COGNAC, France, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Maison Hennessy, the world's leading cognac owned by the LVMH Group, is proud to be the official spirit of the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup. United by shared values such as a pioneering spirit and the pursuit of excellence, Hennessy celebrates the world's greatest sailors as they compete in Barcelona for the oldest international sporting trophy. As official spirit to the event, Hennessy will present two cocktail creations featured in its new 'Made for More' communication platform, shaking up perceptions, showcasing the mixability of the cognac, and introducing a new, lighter, brighter, fresher vision of the brand.

Louis Vuitton Americas Cup Margarita cocktail

"We are very honored to embark on this iconic journey with the America's Cup. Founded in 1765 and 1851 respectively, Hennessy and the America's Cup have a shared common vision of forward-thinking, innovation and excellence", declares Laurent Boillot, CEO of Hennessy.

Welcoming Hennessy as the Official Spirit of the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup, Grant Dalton CEO of America's Cup Event commented: "The values that Hennessy and the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup both hold so dear of excellence run through our respective organisations, and I am delighted that such a prestigious 'Maison' as Hennessy has come onboard for what promises to be an outstanding regatta and a wonderful summer season of top class yacht racing."

Beginning in late August 2024, the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup regatta will take place off the coast of Barcelona. Emirates Team New Zealand, the current holder, will defend the Cup against five challengers: INEOS Britannia, Alinghi Red Bull Racing, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, NYYC American Magic, and Orient Express Racing Team. The competition concludes with the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Match that starts on October 7th and is a first-to-seven series for the coveted and historic America's Cup, between the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, and the winner of the Challenger series - the Louis Vuitton Cup.

As the official spirit of the event, Hennessy will enhance the moments of celebration throughout the regatta with its well-known Hennessy Very Special cognac and two signature cocktail creations  HENNESSY MARGARITA and HENNESSY GINGER. Showcasing the versatility and complexity of Hennessy cognac, these cocktails were featured in the acclaimed 'Made for More' campaign films, starring US star Teyana Taylor and British Nigerian actor Damson Idris, demonstrating how any drink or occasion can be Made for More with Hennessy.

With HENNESSY MARGARITA Hennessy adds a smooth cognac twist in this elevated take on the classic margarita. This easy-to-make cocktail tastes light, citrusy, and refreshing.

HENNESSY GINGER is the right drink for any time of the day or evening. The spice of the ginger ale brings out the natural spice of Hennessy Very Special.

ABOUT HENNESSY

The leader in Cognac, the Maison Hennessy has shone around the world with its exceptional know-how for more than 250 years. Built on founder Richard Hennessy's spirit of conquest, the brand is present in more than 160 countries. Based in the heart of the Charente region, Hennessy is also a steadfast pillar of the regional economy. The House's success and longevity are rooted in the excellence of its cognacs, each of which is born of a unique process of transmission of know-how from generation to generation. The first spirits house to be certified ISO 14001, Hennessy unites its capacity for innovation and the support of all of its partners to protect this exceptional area. As a crown jewel of the LVMH Group, Hennessy is a major contributor to French international trade, with 99% of production sold in export, and a worldwide ambassador for the French art de vivre. Hennessy.com

PRESS CONTACTS

DM MEDIA

Andrea Borrmann  [email protected]

Clement Deculty  [email protected]

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

NOT FOR FRANCE.

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SOURCE Maison Hennessy
Entrepreneurs can gain value by harnessing the full potential of your company's data.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- To succeed in today's fast-paced data-driven business environment, small business owners should use performance metrics and KPIs (key performance indicators) to guide decisions and sustain growth. SCORE, a resource partner of the Small Business Administration and mentors to America's small businesses, encourages small business owners to quantify and track performance benchmarks in order to refine operations and facilitate growth.

SCORE client Amber Sharp, CEO and owner of Claim Revolution, worked with a SCORE mentor to grow her medical claims clearinghouse business.

Small business metrics can be both qualitative, meaning they are described using words, or quantitative, meaning they are framed as numbers. In some cases, the most specific KPIs and metrics for your business might be a combination of both types of data points.

What's the purpose of this data?

Business metrics and KPIs allow you to measure how well your company is performing against set goals for different areas of your operations, and how you can adjust to exceed expectations. There are metrics available for measuring customer satisfaction, employee retention, and understanding what products are selling the fastest and from what channel.

There are also different ways to develop situational or highly specific KPIs to track cash flow, quality, gross profit, the long-term value of specific customer demographic groups, and many other things. Every area of your business from people to products and processes can be measured, tracked and optimized through the use of data analysis.

"Verify your key metrics by periodically tracking both individual and aggregate results," recommends SCORE mentor Nabil Freij. "With individual and total metrics, you can identify meeting your revenue goals, see who needs help improving, and learn who is pushing boundaries and raising the bar."

Sales performance KPIs

To start building a more data-centered organizational culture, you need to start measuring success and qualifying shortcomings. For many small business leadership teams, sales performance metrics are the most logical place to start when looking to build on current success and sustain growth into the future. These metrics could include gross profit, cash flow forecast, inventory turnover and more.

These different indicators can provide actionable insights into the choices your management team should make to optimize successful business outcomes. However, sales performance data is not everything and as your business matures, you will want to consider many other areas as well.

Human capital performance metrics

For many small businesses, one of the single most variable costs is connected to the expense of human capital, or the value of your employees to your business. To develop a better understanding of the costs associated with human capital expenditure, your business may want to track KPIs such as turnover rate and human capital return on investment (HCROI).

Key logistics KPIs

Small businesses that are involved with e-commerce and are consistently working with shipping partners can benefit from using key performance indicators to evaluate success. Areas such as supply chain management, production, fulfillment and customer service all have metrics associated with them that your business should be tracking. These metrics can include freight cost per unit shipped, transit time to distance, and warehouse space.

Driving successful business outcomes

Measuring success is one of the most important ways for your business to optimize performance and consistently deliver better and more cost-effective operations. In today's challenging business environment, the key to developing the agility needed to sustain success is found in harnessing the full power and potential of data-driven decision making.

Looking for more guidance? Find a SCORE mentor who can help you decide what's right for your business.

"SCORE is free  utilize your free resources because as a startup, it's hard to pinch all of those pennies," said SCORE client Amber Sharp, CEO and owner of Claim Revolution. "They're remarkable and always there for you."

About SCORE:

Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 17 million entrepreneurs start, grow or successfully exit a business. SCORE's 10,000 volunteers provide free, expert mentoring, resources and education in all 50 U.S. states and territories. Visit SCORE at www.score.org.

Funded [in part] through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

CONTACT:

SCORE

202-968-6428

[email protected]

Looking for a small business expert or owner for an upcoming media story? Email [email protected] to request an interview source.

SOURCE SCORE
DALLAS, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Experienced plaintiffs lawyers Chris Hamilton, Paul Wingo and Brad Jackson from Dallas Hamilton Wingo are recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for their years of successful work in personal injury lawsuits, cases involving dangerous products, and medical malpractice claims against health care providers.

The Hamilton Wingo attorneys represent serious personal injury victims and families in Dallas and Tarrant Counties and across North Texas. They have helped clients win billions of dollars in verdicts and financial settlements, including a Dallas trial that ended with a $7.3 billion verdict, the nations largest of the year.

In addition to the recognition in Best Lawyers, Hamilton Wingo recently celebrated the firms second consecutive selection as the top personal injury firm in Dallas in Texas Lawyer newspapers 2025 Best Of rankings.

Earlier this year, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Wingo, and Mr. Jackson all earned selections in the 2024 Best Lawyers in Dallas rankings for their work in injury cases and high-stakes business disputes.

Hamilton Wingo has continued to build the firm's winning track record during the past year by helping clients win significant cases and setting records along the way. In April, Hamilton Wingo's Barrett Robin and Sean Cook won a $6 million verdict against Walmart in Fort Worth for a client who was injured at one of the store's locations in North Richlands Hills.

Two years ago, Mr. Robin and fellow firm partner Damian Williams won the largest uninsured motorist verdict of the year following a trial in Denton County. The jury awarded the firm's client her full policy limits plus attorneys' fees against State Farm Mutual Insurance Company following an 18-wheeler injury crash.

Hamilton Wingo is one of Dallas' premier trial law firms, having won billions of dollars in verdicts and settlements in the past decade alone. The firm's skilled attorneys represent people from all walks of life in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases involving automobile, airline, and other transportation incidents, workplace safety issues, dram shop liability, dangerous products, industrial catastrophes, medical malpractice, premises liability, utility accidents, and water contamination in addition to high-stakes business litigation. To learn more about the firm, visit www.hamiltonwingo.com.

SOURCE Hamilton Wingo LLP
The CBD Company Earns Highly Regarded NASC Certification on 'Fetch' Products

LAFAYETTE, Colo., Aug. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Extract Labs, a Colorado-based CBD company committed to improving pet wellness through clean ingredients, announced today that their Fetch Pet product line is now NASC Certified.

Extract Labs logo (PRNewsfoto/Extract Labs)

Extract Labs has five current products as part of their Fetch Pet line, including CBD Dog Bites, CBD Pet Tinctures and CBD Pet Soft Chews. Each product in the line now bears the NASC Quality Seal from the National Animal Supplement Council, a nonprofit trade association dedicated to ensuring the highest-quality products for pets, service animals and other animal companions. To receive the NASC Quality Seal, quality control systems are rigorously tested to ensure they produce products that meet label claims.

The new certification marks Extract Labs as a leader in the pet CBD market and highlights Extract Labs' dedication in creating innovative and high-quality pet CBD products that promote the health and well-being of pets. While they are not the first to receive this certification, they are the only independent company that was able to accomplish the rigorous testing and certification criteria without the resources that the larger companies possess.

"We are incredibly honored to receive the NASC Certification for our pet products. This certification is a testament to our unwavering commitment to producing safe, effective, and high-quality products," said Craig Henderson, Founder and CEO of Extract Labs. "The recognition from the NASC reinforces our mission to set new standards in pet wellness and continue to develop products that help pets live happier, healthier lives."

Extract Labs is committed to continuous improvement and innovation in the pet wellness space, ensuring pets receive the best care possible. In the coming months, they will also release three new Collagen Soft Chews proudly displaying the NASC Quality Seal; Hip & Joint, Digestive Aid and Calming, each developed specifically for the most common pet concerns. The new soft chews will contain real, wholesome ingredients such as pumpkin, oatmeal, CBD and fractionated coconut oil, in a soft textured chew that is easy on teeth. As with all their products, ingredients are carefully selected to provide your pet with a health supplement that is not only delicious but also beneficial for their overall health.

To learn more about the company and their CBD pet products, visit extractlabs.com.

ABOUT EXTRACT LABS:

Extract Labs is one of the nation's leading clean CBD companies founded by CEO and decorated army veteran Craig Henderson in 2016. From a humble garage setup in Arvada, Colorado, the company has since grown into a 22,000 sq ft facility in Lafayette, Colorado. Extract Labs is dedicated to making high-quality, affordable CBD products, and offers a range of items including creams, gummies, pet treats, tinctures, vapes, and isolates. They are certified cGMP, Kosher, Leaping Bunny, USDA Organic and cruelty-free, ensuring purity and potency. With an ongoing focus on innovation, Extract Labs brings premium CBD products that are accessible to all, especially since they are the only organization in the cannabinoid industry that offers 60% off all products to veterans, active military, first responders, healthcare workers, teachers, and those with a disability or low-income.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Taylor Murray

Interdependence Public Relations

281-692-8700

[email protected]

SOURCE Extract Labs
HONG KONG, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lianlian DigiTech Co., Ltd. (HKEX: 2598), a leader in China's digital payment solution market and global commerce digitalization, today released unaudited financial results for 1H2024.

Xin Jie, Executive Director and CEO of Lianlian DigiTech, commented, "We are proud to have driven business growth for our customers, which has resulted in expansion of our customer base. We achieved a year-on-year increase in transaction payment volume (TPV) of 120.1% to RMB1.57 trillion, and a year-on-year revenue growth of 40.1% to RMB617.4 million. Our global licenses, stringent compliance, and two decades of experience serving Chinese businesses have earned us the trust of regulators, partners, and customers. This trust, combined with our technology, global network, and value-added services, have given us a lasting competitive advantage."

Xin continued, "In the first half of the year, we launched innovative payment services, such as enterprise wallets, and expanded our presence in Europe. Obtaining an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) License in Luxembourg has allowed us to conduct payment and related services virtually in all EU countries. Looking ahead, we remain focused on internationalization and digitalization. We plan to launch differentiated payment and value-added services to help Chinese businesses expand their product capacities, sell to more customers, and operate more globally."

Wei Ping, CFO of Lianlian DigiTech, added, "Following our successful Hong Kong listing, we are pleased to report strong inaugural interim results marked by notable revenue growth and increasing economies of scale, as shown by a declining expense-to-revenue ratio on non-IFRS basis. While our gross profit margin was lower due to rapid expansion of our lower-margin domestic payments business, we still achieved a healthy 20.3% year-on-year growth in total gross profit. We will continue making prudent investments in technology, innovation, and differentiated services to achieve healthy long-term growth."

Business Highlights for 1H2024

Global Business

Our global digital payment services recorded a TPV of RMB102.3 billion, up by 35.4% year-on-year. This was driven by more companies using global payment services for cross-border transactions.

During the period, we continued to broaden our one-stop service capabilities, upgrade our virtual bank card services, and further improve in acquiring solutions with five major card organizations to meet the varied payment needs of our diverse clientele. In May 2024, we were awarded the EMI license in Luxembourg, marking another substantial breakthrough in penetrating the European market and propelling our internationalization strategy.

Domestic Business and Value-Added Services

Our domestic TPV for digital payment services grew by 130.1% year-on-year to RMB1.47 trillion. This was primarily driven by a major growth in volume from payment products launched in 2023. We also launched our global network and payment capabilities to launch a new enterprise wallet product, empowering enterprise customers to streamline the management of employee business related disbursements on a global scale while optimizing their financial management and internal control procedures. The product is rapidly gaining traction across diverse markets, with promising adoption among state-owned enterprises, listed companies, industry leaders, and SMEs.

Financial Highlights for 1H2024

Total Revenue

Our total revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2024 amounted to RMB617.4 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 40.1%. Most of this was driven by RMB158.7 million in revenue growth from digital payment services, as well as an increase of RMB19.5 million in revenue from value-added services. These gains were partially offset by a decrease of RMB1.3 million in other revenues.

The table below sets forth the breakdown of our revenue over the period:



Six months ended June 30

Revenue 2024 2023 Change Change in %

(RMB in thousands)



Digital Payment Services 541,888 383,231 158,657 41.4 %  Global payment (i) 372,374 305,383 66,991 21.9 %  Domestic payment (ii) 169,514 77,848 91,666 117.8 % Value-added services 66,773 47,303 19,470 41.2 % Others (iii) 8,726 10,055 (1,329) (13.2) % Total 617,387 440,589 176,798 40.1 %

Notes: i. Refers to payment transactions for cross-border activities or activities occurring outside of mainland China. ii. Refers to payment transactions occurring within mainland China. iii. In addition to providing digital payment solutions, we also operate several other businesses, primarily property leasing.

Digital Payment Services

Most of our revenue in 1H2024 came from both domestic and global digital payments, which brought in RMB541.9 million in total, representing a year-on-year increase of 41.4%, or RMB158.7 million. With respect to the split between global and domestic payments:

Global digital payments: Revenue grew by 21.9% year-on-year, or RMB67.0 million , driven by continued growth in our global TPV.

Revenue grew by 21.9% year-on-year, or , driven by continued growth in our global TPV. Domestic digital payments: Revenue surged by 117.8% year-on-year, or RMB91.7 million , mainly due to a 130.1% increase in domestic TPV.

Value-Added Services

Revenue from value-added services for 1H2024 amounted to RMB66.8 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 41.2%, or RMB19.5 million. This increase was primarily driven by the rapid expansion of digital marketing services.

Cost of Sales for 1H2024

Cost of sales over the period amounted to RMB292.5 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 71.6%, or RMB122.1 million, due to:

i. A year-on-year increase in payment costs of 79.6%, or RMB105.3 million, corresponding to the 35.4% and 130.1% year-on-year growth in TPV from global payment services and domestic payment services, respectively. Additionally, we expanded our payment solution capabilities to newer e-commerce platforms and more payment channels to better support the international trade of China products.

ii. A year-on-year increase of 50.6%, or RMB16.5 million, in the cost of value-added services, primarily attributed to the increase in service fees paid to channel partners resulting from the rapid expansion of digital marketing services.

Gross Profit and Gross Profit Margin for 1H2024

Our gross profit for the period was RMB324.9 million, representing an increase of 20.3% year-on-year. Gross profit margin was 52.6%, representing a decrease of 8.7 percentage points year-on-year. Specifically:

i. Gross profit from global payment services was RMB270.2 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 19.3%, or RMB43.8 million, with the global gross profit margin remaining stable at 72.6%.

ii. Gross profit from domestic payment services was RMB34.1 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 39.0%, or RMB9.6 million, with the domestic gross profit margin reaching 20.1%, reflecting a year-on-year decrease of 11.4 percentage points, primarily due to the changes in the composition of revenue, while the gross margin of the same services remained generally stable.

iii. Gross profit from value-added services was RMB17.9 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 20.7%, or RMB3.0 million. The gross profit margin was 26.9%, representing a year-on-year decrease of 4.6 percentage points, primarily due to the significant growth in digital marketing services, which have a lower profit margin.

Selling and Marketing Expenses



Six months ended June 30



2024 2023 Change Change in %

(RMB in thousands)



Selling and Marketing Expenses 108,883 84,962 23,921 28.2 % Less:







Share-based Compensation Expenses (7,497) (3,453) (4,044) 117.1 % Adjusted Selling and Marketing Expenses (Non-IFRS Measures) 101,386 81,509 19,877 24.4 %

Our selling and marketing expenses over the period amounted to RMB108.9 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 28.2%, or RMB23.9 million. Adjusted selling and marketing expenses on non-IFRS basis, excluding share-based compensation expenses, amounted to RMB101.4 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 24.4%, or RMB19.9 million. This increase was primarily driven by intensified promotional activities related to customer acquisition and industry coverage to expand our business.

General and Administrative Expenses



Six months ended June 30





2024 2023 Change Change in %

(RMB in thousands)



General and Administrative Expenses 290,244 153,699 136,545 88.8 % Less:







Share-based Compensation Expenses (93,075) (30,513) (62,562) 205.0 % Listing Expenses (7,799) (4,339) (3,460) 79.7 % Adjusted General and Administrative Expenses (Non-IFRS Measures) 189,370 118,847 70,523 59.3 %

General and administrative expenses over the period amounted to RMB290.2 million, representing a year-on-year increase of RMB136.5 million. Adjusted general and administrative expenses on non-IFRS basis were RMB189.4 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 59.3%, or RMB70.5 million, excluding share-based compensation expenses and listing expenses. This increase was primarily attributable to an increase of 25%, or RMB29.7 million related to one-off listing expenses that does not meet the exclusion criteria of non-IFRS measures for one-off listing expenses. Additionally, the remaining 34.3% increase was primarily driven by increased investment in new strategic initiatives.

Research and Development Expenses



Six months ended June 30





2024 2023 Change Change in %

(RMB in thousands)



Research and Development Expenses 147,469 119,377 28,092 23.5 % Less:







Share-based Compensation Expenses (26,281) (9,200) (17,081) 185.7 % Adjusted Research and Development Expenses (Non-IFRS Measures) 121,188 110,177 11,011 10.0 %

Research and development expenses over the period amounted to RMB147.5 million, achieving a year-on-year increase of RMB28.1 million. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, adjusted research and development expenses amounted to RMB121.2 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 10.0%, or RMB11.0 million, primarily driven by continued investment in technological innovation.

Net Loss

We recorded a net loss of RMB350.0 million in 1H2024, representing a year-on-year decrease of 8.5%, or RMB32.6 million. Excluding share-based compensation expense of RMB127.6 million and listing expenses of RMB7.8 million, the adjusted non-IFRS loss was RMB214.6 million. This included a loss attributable to LianTong of RMB201.5 million and one-off listing expenses of RMB29.7 million that does not meet the exclusion criteria of non-IFRS measures for one-off listing expenses. Excluding the above factors, our business generated an ordinary operating profit of RMB16.6 million.

Cash Flow

During the period, net cash outflow from operating activities amounted to RMB102.9 million. This was primarily driven by a RMB122.1 million increase in working capital utilization, mainly reflecting changes in trade receivables, other receivables and other payables.

Conference Call Information

We will hold 2024 interim earnings conference call at 10:00-11:00 AM on August 21, 2024, Beijing Time (10:00-11:00 PM on August 20, 2024, U.S. Eastern Time).

The conference call will be accessible by dialing the following numbers and entering the corresponding passwords:

Mainland China 400 810 8228 (Chinese) 400 810 8128 (English) Hong Kong, China +852 3005 1355 (Chinese) +852 3005 1313 (English) United States +1 646 2543594 (English) 8666363243 (English)

Passwords:

Mandarin Channel: 829844 English Channel: 330278

Dial-in Details:

1. You are encouraged to dial the access number approximately 10 minutes before the scheduled starting time.

2. Your call will be answered by an operator who will take down your name and your company name. Then, you will be placed on hold with music played until the conference begins. Please do not hang up.

3. Please redial the access number if your line is disconnected during the conference.

Additionally, a live webcast of this conference call will be available via the links below. If you intend to ask questions, you may choose to participate in the conference call or raise them during the live webcast.

Forward-Looking statement

This press release may contain projections and forward-looking statements that may reflect the company's current views with respect to future events and financial performance. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements which are subject to various risks and uncertainties and no assurance can be given that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Non-IFRS Measures

We believe that Non-IFRS measures facilitate the comparisons of operating performance from period to period and company to company and provide useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our operating performance in the same manner as it helps our management. However, our presentation of Non-IFRS measures for the years/periods may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. The use of Non-IFRS measures has limitations as an analytical tool, and investors should not consider it in isolation from, or as a substitute for analysis of, our results of operations or financial condition as reported under IFRS Accounting Standards.

-End-

About Lianlian DigiTech

Lianlian DigiTech Technology Co., Ltd. ("Lianlian DigiTech") was founded in 2009. As a leader in China digital payment solution market and an enabler of global commerce digitalization, Lianlian DigiTech leverages the global payment network built upon global license layout, proprietary technology platform and extensive network of partners to provide a full suite of digital payment services and value-added services to customers in China and around the world. The digital payment services include pay-in, pay-out, acquiring, foreign exchange, virtual card and payment aggregation. The value-added services include digital marketing, operation support, referral services, account and e-wallet services, and software development services.

As of June 30, 2024, Lianlian DigiTech had built a global license layout consisting of 65 payment licenses and relevant qualifications. Lianlian DigiTech's business covers a digitally integrated ecosystem of global payments and services, bank card clearing, and other services. The Company served merchants and enterprises from various industries, including trade, e-commerce, retail, travel, logistics, education, real estate and manufacturing, with services covering more than 100 countries and regions, and supporting transactions in over 130 currencies.

SOURCE LianLian
Manhattan Review celebrates 25 years of excellence in test preparation with the release of a book series specifically written for the GMAT Focus Edition.

NEW YORK, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Manhattan Review, a leading global educational services provider, proudly marks its 25th anniversary by launching the 7th edition of its acclaimed GMAT Turbocharge Your Prep book series. Since its inception in 1999, Manhattan Review has been synonymous with top-tier test preparation and academic success, serving students and professionals worldwide through innovative methodologies and expert guidance.

Manhattan Review releases six new books as part of the 7th Edition of its GMAT Focus Prep Book Series.

As standardized tests change, so do the needs of students preparing for those tests, and Manhattan Review's success over the years is a testament to its unwavering commitment to student achievement and educational excellence. Through its innovative educational services, Manhattan Review gives students the tools they need to take charge of their academic and professional futures, helping them reach their full potential and gain admission to the schools of their choice.

"We are immensely proud to have provided top-quality test prep for the past 25 years," said Prof. Dr. Joern Meissner, Founder of Manhattan Review. "Our 25th anniversary celebration not only commemorates past accomplishments but also sets a vision for future innovations in test preparation and academic consulting. We look forward to delivering high-quality resources and personalized guidance for years to come."

The newly released 7th edition of the prep book series is designed specifically for the GMAT Focus Edition and reflects Manhattan Review's dedication to helping students achieve outstanding test scores. These updated resources are designed to meet the evolving needs of students taking the new GMAT Focus Edition by offering in-depth content focus, strategic insights, and practice questions tailored for peak performance.

In celebration of this significant milestone, Manhattan Review is excited to announce that one of its new prep books, Manhattan Review GMAT Focus Quantitative Question Bank, is available as a free download on its website. This initiative underscores the company's commitment to making high-quality test preparation accessible to all aspiring students and professionals. By providing this resource at no cost, Manhattan Review aims to empower individuals along their educational journeys by enhancing their study experience. Visit their website today to download a free copy of the GMAT Focus Quantitative Question Bank and discover the research-based strategies and insights that have helped countless learners achieve and exceed their GMAT prep goals.

About Manhattan Review, Inc.

Manhattan Review is a global leader in test preparation and academic services, offering personalized educational solutions and resources to empower individuals and organizations. Founded in New York City in 1999 by Prof. Dr. Joern Meissner, Manhattan Review has grown to become a leading firm in test prep, admissions consulting, and career training worldwide. With a focus on efficiency, quality, and personalized service, Manhattan Review continues to set the standard for academic excellence and professional success in the test prep industry. For more detailed information regarding our educational services please visit https://www.manhattanreview.com (Manhattan Review's official website).

Media Contact:

Karen L Miller

Manhattan Review, Inc.

2 Park Ave Ste 2010

New York, NY 10016

Phone: (212) 316-2000

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Manhattan Review, Inc.
RADNOR, Pa., Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Triumph Group, Inc. (TRIUMPH) [NYSE:TGI] today announced that Mark C. Cherry was elected to the Board of Directors as an independent director at its Annual Meeting of Stockholders on August 8, 2024.

Mr. Cherry currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Align Precision Group, a manufacturer of precision-milled structural components for the Aerospace, Defense, and Semi-Conductor industries. Mr. Cherry previously worked at Boeing, serving as Vice President and General Manager of Vertical Lift from April 2021 to December 2022 and Vice President and General Manager of Phantom Works from November 2017 to April 2021. From September 2012 to November 2017, he was President and Chief Operating Officer at Aurora Flight Sciences. He previously held leadership roles at Sikorsky Aircraft, Teradyne, and the Boston Consulting Group. Mr. Cherry received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Mechanics from the United States Air Force Academy, a Master of Science in Aeronautical and Systems Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and a Master of Business Administration from Stanford University.

"Mark will be an exceptional addition to an already strong TRIUMPH Board. His in-depth understanding of our customers' platforms and broad base of aerospace product development and manufacturing experience will benefit TRIUMPH, our customers, and our shareholders," said Daniel J. Crowley, the Company's President, Chief Executive Officer & Chairman. "I am confident that Mark's proven expertise will help TRIUMPH accelerate our profitable growth."

"As a Board, we seek to ensure that our directors have the right combination of skills and experience to strengthen our business and drive long-term growth and value for our stakeholders. Mark brings all the right attributes to contribute to our Board and sustain our success," said Neal Keating, the Company's Lead Independent Director.

TRIUMPH, headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, designs, engineers, manufactures, repairs, and overhauls a broad portfolio of aerospace and defense systems and components. The company serves the global aviation industry, including original equipment manufacturers and the full spectrum of military and commercial aircraft operators.

More information about TRIUMPH can be found on the company's website at www.triumphgroup.com .

SOURCE Triumph Group
"Yes" vote empowers union leaders to call a strike at any point, but does not send nurses immediately to the picket line; nurses back at the table tomorrow, Aug. 21

HYANNIS, Mass., Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On Monday evening, Aug. 19, the 62 registered nurses working for the Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod Healthcare (the VNA), and who are unionized with the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), unanimously voted in favor of allowing union leadership to call a strike should one be needed in their ongoing contract struggles with Cape Cod Healthcare (CCHC) management.

Since February 28 of this year, VNA nurses have been at the contract table across from CCHC management trying to win important contract language that will improve nurses' ability to work safely, effectively, and efficiently while providing the best and safest care possible to Cape Cod residents.

The nurses' key concerns include CCHC's inability to retain and recruit nurses to the VNA due to low wages; the need for improved patient assignments; and the need for contract language that adjusts for the unique circumstances affecting care delivery to at-home patients on the Cape, such as distance between assignments, seasonal population increases, traffic, and the additional job responsibilities that happen outside of patients' homes.

But after 14 arduous negotiation sessions, and the arrival of a federal mediator to the process, little headway has been made at the table.

"We know what our patients need, and we know how to get there," said Mike Berry, RN and co-chairperson of the VNA's MNA bargaining unit. "We are 100 percent committed to being the strong advocates our patients deserve, but CCHC is fighting us at every turn."

Lack of Competitive Wages Breaking the Cape's VNA System

Only 61 permanent MNA RNs currently work for the VNA. The following list details the exodus of nurses  an exodus that union leadership has been pointing out to management for months:

Count of Permanent MNA RNs at CCHC/VNA Since January of 2022:

January of 2022: 91

January of 2023: 79

August of 2023: 76

January of 2024: 70

August 20, 2024 : 61

Although seasonal travel nurses are always part of the VNA's nursing mix on the Cape, travelers now work year-round and during the off-season. A total of 30 travel RNs currently work at the VNA. They make up a shocking 33 percent of the workplace.

Meanwhile, employing so many travel RNs comes at a tremendous cost to CCHC, and the money should instead be invested in rebuilding a permanent VNA workforce. There are more than 25 open positions at the VNA, and no union nurses have been hired since September of 2023.

"Our wages are not competitive, and they haven't been competitive in a very long time," said Barry. "With such uncompetitive wages in place, recruiting new permanent nurses to the VNA is almost impossible, and keeping our highly-skilled permanent nurses is no easier. Meanwhile, CCHC spends hundreds of thousands of dollars each month desperately trying to hold the VNA system together with temporary RNs."

The salary issue was compounded when, in early January of this year, CCHC president Mike Lauf took "a pro-active approach to wages" and recognized that "the market [had] changed for nursing pay." He then implemented a "significant interim wage adjustment" for RNs and LPNs at CCHC's Hyannis and Falmouth hospitals. Those wage improvements remain in place today but have yet to be extended to the VNA nurses.

Patient Assignments Out of Step with Realities of VNA Care on the Cape

The CCHC VNA nurses care for patients across 1,000 square miles  an area accessible via one primary highway  and whose needs run along a long, complex spectrum. However, how patients are currently assigned to CCHC VNA nurses does not consider the acuity of patients as it relates to the realities of nurses' workdays.

The agency stated that the average home visit is 42 minutes, but this does not account for travel, patient acuity, and documentation completion. Nor does it account for all the ancillary things nurses do around each visit. "We do prep work and documentation. And we draw labs and deliver these labs to various locations for assessment," said Diane Munsell, RN and MNA union co-chair. "All of this happens outside patients' homes, but it is still part of the patient assignment. Add to this the differences in patients' acuity, the everyday SNAFUs that occur, and traffic and it becomes clear the patient assignments need to be reduced."

The nurses have offered proposals to improve the situation, including reducing patient visits by two per week per nurse, and taking one patient less per day for every 30 miles a nurse travels from one assignment to the next.

"With the wage improvements we've proposed we will easily attract more VNA nurses to CCHC," added Munsell, "and that in turn will allow for patient assignments in line with the realities of our jobs."

About Visiting Nurses

In recent years, many hospital-based services have shifted to in-home services, making visiting nurses an essential and ever-expanding part of the American healthcare system. Hospitals now move patients back home faster than before, as doing so reduces costs and opens in-hospital beds. This has led to a dramatic increase in the size of the region's at-home patient population, as well as in the complexity of those patients. However, the working conditions for the VNA nurses who care for at-home patients have not kept pace with environmental changes or the market.

"Our ability to provide high-quality care to our at-home patients directly contributes to CCHC's success in meeting Medicare's value-based compensation criteria," said Lisa Schultz, a VNA nurse. "We have also successfully minimized the likelihood of readmissions after the 30-day window. CCHC management needs to acknowledge these contributions, rather than viewing us as a separate entity. And if it takes going on strike to get management there, we are ready to go."

The nurses' next negotiation session is scheduled for tomorrow, Aug. 21.

MassNurses.orgFacebook.com/MassNursesTwitter.com/MassNursesInstagram.com/MassNurses

Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 25,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association
The award-winning spirit offers a new, unexpected take on American whisky

NEW YORK, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Beyonce Knowles-Carter has joined forces with Moet Hennessy, a subsidiary of LVMH, to create SirDavis, a groundbreaking new whisky. The first-of-its-kind joint venture reflects a shared vision between Knowles-Carter and Moet Hennessy, two vanguards of culture and craft, around the future of American whisky.

SirDavis

This unique product was years in the making after Knowles-Carter, a Japanese whisky enthusiast, sought out Moet Hennessy to help craft a one-of-a-kind flavor profile that reflected her whisky ideal. Meanwhile, Moet Hennessy had been exploring ways to deepen its presence in the American whisky market, making the timing kismet for a partnership between the world-leading luxury group and Knowles-Carter.

"I've always been drawn to the power and confidence I feel when drinking quality whisky and wanted to invite more people to experience that feeling," says SirDavis Founder Beyonce Knowles-Carter. "When I discovered that my great-grandfather had been a moonshine man, it felt like my love for whisky was fated. SirDavis is a way for me to pay homage to him, uniting us through a new shared legacy. In partnering with Moet Hennessy, we have crafted a delicious American whisky that respects tradition but also empowers people to experience something new and unique in the category. You can taste it better than I could ever tell you  welcome, SirDavis."

SirDavis is named in honor of Davis Hogue, Knowles-Carter's paternal great-grandfather, who was a farmer and a moonshiner in the American South during Prohibition. He stashed whisky bottles in the empty knots of cedar trees for friends and kin to find and enjoy. For Knowles-Carter, it was this discovery that made the idea of creating a whisky brand feel predestined. Four generations later, the legacy comes to life - rather than hidden in the trees, bottles of SirDavis proudly grace the top shelves of fine purveyors of spirits around the world.

"SirDavis is not only a revelatory and exceptional American Whisky, which we are very proud of. It is also a testament of the unwavering dedication to craftsmanship, heritage and innovation shared by LVMH and Beyonce Knowles-Carter," said Bernard Arnault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of LVMH.

Moet Hennessy tapped Dr. Bill Lumsden, one of the world's most awarded and highly regarded Master Distillers for his work on Scotch whisky brands Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, to lead on whisky creation.

Lumsden selected the brand's bespoke mash bill  one of the rarest new offerings in the world of American whisky composed of 51% rye and 49% malted barley  to serve as the backbone of the liquid. Lumsden then combined traditional whisky-making techniques to impart an elegant mouthfeel and texture reminiscent of Japanese and Scotch whiskies, while retaining the robust and deep flavors typical of classic American rye.

"With SirDavis, we looked to challenge the category norms and offer something new in the space," said Lumsden. "The distinctive grain selection and unusual secondary maturation in sherry casks helped us achieve a signature profile completely unique to SirDavis, one of bold sophistication."

Moet Hennessy and Knowles-Carter's shared commitment to excellence was key to the partnership and the product. To validate SirDavis's quality, the liquid was anonymously submitted to numerous prestigious spirits competitions prior to launch. SirDavis won Best In Class for American Whiskey from the 2023 SIP Awards, outperforming over 100 other entries in the category. Awarded to only one brand per category, this award is reserved for premium spirits receiving scores in the pinnacle of their respective categories and is SIP's highest acclaim from consumer judges.

Other notable scores include a Gold Medal (95 points) from the 2023 New York International Spirits Competition and a 93-point rating from the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

Knowles-Carter also lent her visionary artistic direction to the brand's bottle design - a tall, eye-catching bottle with intentional design elements that make the vessel an unmistakable beacon of luxury.

The SirDavis bottle is striking and clean, with ribbed glass that beautifully catches light and highlights the liquid. It also features a black medallion with a regal bronzed horse, emblematic of strength and respect and symbolizing Knowles-Carter's Texas roots.

In another nod to Knowles-Carter's Southern heritage, the whisky is finished, blended and bottled in her home state of Texas. Unlike other acquired brands, SirDavis also makes history as Moet Hennessy's first spirits brand developed entirely internally by Moet Hennessy in the United States. SirDavis is headquartered out of Houston, Texas.

SirDavis retails for $89 and is available for pre-order via SirDavis.com. Product will be available at retail across the U.S. as well as in select airports (LAX/JFK/SFO) and stores in London, Paris, and Tokyo in September 2024.

ABOUT SIRDAVIS AMERICAN WHISKY

A first-of-its-kind joint venture, SirDavis reflects a shared vision between Moet Hennessy and Beyonce Knowles-Carter around the future of American whisky. With a distinctive taste profile that delights both seasoned whisky connoisseurs and new enthusiasts, SirDavis is on a mission to redefine the category and invite new consumers to feel welcome to participate in the world of luxury whisky.

Crafted with Moet Hennessy's own five-time International Whisky Competition Master Distiller of the Year Dr. Bill Lumsden, SirDavis offers a one-of-a-kind taste profile that redefines the taste of American whisky with inspiration from Japanese and Scottish styles. In an evolution from category norms, the SirDavis mash bill includes 51% rye and a noteworthy 49% barley. The spirit's secondary maturation in sherry casks resulted in its silky, sophisticated profile with layers of dark red fruits and spices like clove and cinnamon. This duality of rounding out rye's characteristically spicy notes with structured flavors of juicy red fruit offers an entirely new interpretation of this spirit, suitable for connoisseurs and newcomers alike. The award-winning liquid received Platinum and was named Best In Class by the 2023 SIP Awards, 95 points and Gold from the 2023 New York International Spirits Competition, and 93 points from the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge. SirDavis is finished, blended and bottled in Knowles-Carter's home state of Texas.

Follow SirDavis on:

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

ABOUT MOET HENNESSY

Moet Hennessy is the wine and spirits division of LVMH, which also owns renowned wine estates through "LVMH Vins d'Exceptions." Moet Hennessy is a group of twenty-seven Maisons, internationally recognized for the richness of their terroirs, the quality of their products and the craftsmanship with which they are created. For many years, Moet Hennessy has been committed to its environmental and social program, Living Soils Living Together.

Ao Yun, Ardbeg, Armand de Brignac, Belvedere, Bodega Numanthia, Chandon, Chateau d'Esclans, Chateau Galoupet, Cheval des Andes, Clos19, Cloudy Bay, Cravan, Dom Perignon, Eminente, Glenmorangie, Hennessy, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Krug, Mercier, Minuty, Moet & Chandon, Newton, Ruinart, Terrazas de los Andes, Veuve Clicquot, Volcan de mi Tierra, Woodinville.

Please enjoy responsibly.

IMAGE DOWNLOAD LINK

SOURCE Moet Hennessy
Leading salon suite franchise continues expansion of philanthropic programs with its annual fundraiser beginning next month

CARROLLTON, Texas, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- MY SALON Suite , a salon suite franchise focused on providing beauty, health, and wellness professionals a personal space to build their business, announced today its goal to raise $125,000 for its annual "Suite Relief" Fundraiser in benefit of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital , hosted throughout Childhood Cancer Awareness Month each September.

MY SALON Suite continues the expansion of philanthropic programs with its annual fundraiser beginning in September.

Through donations to the Suite Relief Fund , franchise partners and Members help support St. Jude's lifesaving mission to provide treatment, travel, housing and food to more than 400,000 kids with cancer and their families. Since the partnership's inception in 2018, MY SALON Suite has raised more than $600,000 to date for St. Jude.

Scott Neglia, MY SALON Suite franchisee of Smithtown/Port Jefferson and a top Suite Relief fundraiser in 2023, shared, "MY SALON Suite is the source of all my inspiration to give back. Many organizations conveniently give lip service to giving but MY SALON Suite's commitment is clear and undeniable."

The fundraiser comes amid the significant expansion of the brands' planned charitable donations this year. In 2021, Suite Relief partnered with PBA Charities to provide support to MY SALON Suite's network of beauty professionals through Natural Disaster Relief grants and Continued Education Scholarships.

So far this year, MY SALON Suite has distributed over $20,000 through the Suite Relief Fund. This includes awarding 124 $250 scholarships to Members and aspiring beauticians to invest in the future of the industry, with a goal to award over $70,000 total throughout 2024. Additionally, the brand has stepped in to support Houston-area Members whose businesses were impacted by Hurricane Beryl, granting emergency funds to 45 independent salon owners in the brand's network so far with additional aid still being granted.

"Whether supporting St. Jude's incredible mission, providing Disaster Relief to our network or providing scholarships for the next generation of beauty professionals, MY SALON Suite believes in the beauty of giving back," said Kelly Westbrook, vice president of Member development at MY SALON Suite. "From our franchise partners to our Members and their customers, the dedication and commitment of our entire network has allowed us to consistently surpass our goals. Year over year, we uphold this commitment through offering ever-growing opportunities to our community, and I am proud to see how our Suite Relief program continues to evolve."

To donate to the Suite Relief Fund benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, visit http://www.fundraising.stjude.org/mss .

About MY SALON Suite:

MY SALON Suite is a nationwide network of turnkey beauty salon suite studios designed to empower independent salon professionals to provide beauty services to their own respective clients. The co-working style space represents the latest concept in the beauty services industry, bringing together a community of independent beauty professionals in one luxurious location. Founded in 2010, MY SALON Suite has since expanded to more than 330 locations across the U.S. and Canada, providing entrepreneurship opportunities to over 9,000 Members.

With industry-leading knowledge, operational processes, and support services, MY SALON Suite provides Members with the tools and resources they need to build, open, and manage upscale private salon suites. This supportive environment allows established beauty service professionals to invest in themselves and their professional success by running their own salon business.

For more information about MY SALON Suite, please visit: https://www.mysalonsuite.com/ .

SOURCE MY SALON Suite
NestFresh becomes the first major U.S. egg producer to implement innovative in-ovo sexing technology to identify chick sex before hatching, reducing male chick culling and advancing animal welfare



FULLERTON, Calif., Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NestFresh, a pioneer in humane and sustainable egg production, is proud to announce its adoption of industry leading in-ovo sexing technology. This cutting-edge method determines the sex of chicks while still inside the egg, eliminating the need to euthanize newborn male chicks and marking a significant advancement in animal welfare.

In-ovo sexing allows for the identification of an embryo's sex during early incubation. After many months of researching the successes of in-ovo sexing technologies in Europe, NestFresh is ready to set the standard in the U.S. egg industry by being the first to implement similar in-ovo sexing technologies for their chicks beginning in late 2024.

Mike Sencer, Executive Vice President at NestFresh, has a storied 54-year career in the egg industry, from running night shifts in college to becoming Executive VP at Egg City, the world's largest egg ranch in its time. His commitment to humane practices was profoundly shaped by a visit to a hatchery with his daughter, who tugged on his arm and asked why male chicks were being thrown into the trash. When Mike explained they were euthanized, she fell silent and barely spoke to him for weeks. This heartbreaking moment inspired Mike to champion innovations like in-ovo sexing technology, reinforcing NestFresh's dedication to humane egg production.

"Our adoption of in-ovo sexing technology marks a pivotal moment in the egg industry," said Mike Sencer, Executive Vice President at NestFresh. "While many companies have announced plans to adopt in-ovo sexing technologies when available, NestFresh will be the first to actually implement this technology and bring in-ovo sexed eggs to the US market. We have invested significant time and resources into research, development, and understanding the complexities of this emerging technology. Having collaborated with various systems and hatcheries, we have now placed orders for in-ovo chicks, with our eggs expected to hit the market by mid-2025."

NestFresh's adoption of in-ovo sexing technology builds on its history of leading the industry in ethical practices. NestFresh has always had third-party certified claims for their products, including Certified Humane starting in 2005, and maintains an impeccable reputation for transparency and integrity. The company was a leader in the cage-free movement, never owning a cage, and was the first national brand to offer cage-free, non-GMO, and organic eggs, as well as the first to offer Regenerative Organic Certified milks and eggs under their New Barn Organics line. NestFresh intends to be the first company to use this non-invasive in-ovo sexing technology, planning to transition its entire egg line to this new process, with these first-of-their-kind certified eggs launching in retailers beginning July 2025.

"We applaud NestFresh for their efforts to ensure farm animals are treated with compassion throughout their lifetimes," said Mimi Stein, Executive Director of Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), which oversees the Certified Humane program. "We see this movement as part of a major paradigm shift to correct a longstanding industry challenge in egg production."

"NestFresh is once again demonstrating its leadership in the egg industry by adopting in-ovo sexing across its entire egg line, backed up by third-party certification to ensure transparency and accountability. This innovative approach eliminates the need for male chick culling, aligning the industry more closely with modern consumers' expectations for responsible animal stewardship," said Robert Yaman, CEO of Innovate Animal Ag. "Consumers have spoken, and NestFresh has listened."

"The routine killing of male chicks in the conventional egg industry is a practice largely unknown to the public but one that is deeply concerning to anyone who learns of it," said Nancy Roulston, Senior Director of Corporate Policy and Animal Science, ASPCA Farm Animal Welfare. "The ASPCA applauds NestFresh for their leadership in setting a new standard for the egg industry, doing the hard work to remove the untenable practice of male chick culling from their supply chains, and offering a more humane option for their buyers and shoppers alike."

"Mercy For Animals commends NestFresh for its leadership on animal welfare by transitioning to in-ovo sexing. By adopting this new technology, NestFresh is no longer tolerating the cruel practice of grinding day-old male chicks," says Hillary Hendrickson, Senior Corporate Relations Manager at Mercy for Animals. "Macerating male chicks soon after they hatch is still standard in the egg industry, as they do not lay eggs and are therefore deemed useless. NestFresh is one of the innovative companies turning the tide and working to change the status quo in the egg industry. As consumers learn more about the horrors of chick culling, they will support companies that have banned this barbaric practice."

Consumers can find the new NestFresh products at retailers nationwide, including Albertson's, Harris Teeter, Whole Foods Market, Publix and H-E-B. For more retailers, visit NestFresh's "Where to Buy" page.

ABOUT NESTFRESH

NestFresh is dedicated to producing the freshest, most humane, and sustainable eggs. Established in 1991, NestFresh was one of the first companies to offer cage-free eggs and has since grown to exclusively offer Free Range and Pasture Raised eggs. NestFresh eggs come from small family farms that are committed to animal welfare and environmental sustainability. All NestFresh farms are Certified Humane by Humane Farm Animal Care, ensuring that hens are raised under the highest standards of care, allowing them to live natural lives and express their innate behaviors. NestFresh products are available nationwide at retailers including Harris Teeter, Whole Foods Market, Publix and H-E-B.

ABOUT HUMANE FARM ANIMAL CARE

HFAC works to improve the lives of farm animals by driving consumer demand for kinder and more responsible farm animal practices. The Certified Humane program is known for certifying farm animal welfare, from birth through slaughter. Since HFAC launched in May 2003, more than 500 companies, representing well over 10,000 farms raising over 2 billion farm animals have been certified under the HFAC program. Currently, certified meat and poultry products are available in over 55,000 locations including groceries, restaurants and online purveyors worldwide. For more information on HFAC and the Certified Humane label, visit www.certifiedhumane.org.

ABOUT INNOVATE ANIMAL AG

Innovate Animal Ag is a 501(c)3 nonprofit think tank that promotes technology as a practical way to improve animal health and welfare while also restoring consumer trust in animal agriculture. They conduct research on cutting-edge technologies that can improve animal health and welfare, then publish high-quality, science-backed resources to demystify the technologies for business leaders and policymakers. They then work directly with the companies developing and implementing these technologies to ensure they are rewarded for the important work they do.

ABOUT MERCY FOR ANIMALS

Mercy For Animals is a leading international nonprofit working to end industrial animal agriculture by constructing a just and sustainable food system. Active in Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico and the United States, the organization has conducted over 100 investigations of factory farms and slaughterhouses, influenced over 500 corporate policies and helped pass historic legislation to ban cages for farmed animals. 2024 marks Mercy For Animals' 25th year of groundbreaking campaigns and programs. Learn more at MercyForAnimals.org

Media Contact:

Kirsten Anderson

2122262922

[email protected]

SOURCE NestFresh
TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On Track Partners is pleased to announce our most recent partnership with Fairmount Door Corporation ("Fairmount Door"), a leading commercial and residential garage door contractor with offices in Marion and Lafayette, IN.

On Track Partners is a leader in residential garage door installation, service and repair founded out of an initial investment from NorthCurrent Partners in early 2022. NorthCurrent Partners invests in businesses that align with the firm's operating practices and have the potential for continued growth, long-term success, and value creation.

"We are thrilled to welcome Fairmount Door Corporation into the On Track Partners family," said Brad Goodwin, President of On Track Partners. "Fairmount Door has a long-standing history of providing exceptional service and high-quality products to their customers. Their commitment to excellence aligns perfectly with our values, and we are excited about the growth opportunities this partnership will bring. Together, we will continue to deliver top-notch garage door solutions and expand our reach in the Indiana market."

Fairmount Door Corporation has been a trusted name in the garage door industry for nearly half a century. Founded in 1975, the company offers a comprehensive range of services, including installation, maintenance, and repair of commercial and residential garage doors. With a strong focus on customer satisfaction and quality craftsmanship, Fairmount Door has earned a loyal customer base and a reputation for reliability and excellence. The company operates out of two key locations in Marion and Lafayette, IN, serving a broad customer base across the state.

"We are excited to join forces with On Track Partners," said Matt Hussong, President of Fairmount Door Corporation. " We are confident that this collaboration will enable us to enhance our service offerings, reach more customers, and continue to uphold the high standards at Fairmount Door. Our team looks forward to the future and the many opportunities that lie ahead."

About On Track Partners

On Track Partners is a group of leading garage door installation, service, and repair brands committed to a people-centric approach. Guided by core values of innovation, integrity, collaboration, and excellence, we empower our partners to drive transformative growth and exceptional service. Our mission is to invest in our people and embrace growth opportunities, ensuring unparalleled quality and redefining industry standards for years to come. More information about On Track Partners can be found at www.ontrackpartnersusa.com.

About NorthCurrent Partners

Based in New York City, NorthCurrent Partners is a private investment firm that seeks to partner with and grow companies in the United States. As the private equity arm of a family office, NorthCurrent brings certainty, flexibility, and speed to our transactions and investment partnerships. NorthCurrent's longer-term approach comes from its roots in growing a multi-generation family business. NorthCurrent focuses on business services, residential services, value-added distribution, and niche manufacturing. Further information about NorthCurrent can be found at www.northcurrentpartners.com.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

www.ontrackpartnersusa.com

SOURCE On Track Partners
SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Two owners of durable medical equipment companies  Kuba Zarobkiewicz and Anthony Fermin  were found not guilty on August 19, 2024 of all criminal charges by a federal jury, the Chapman Law Group and the Law Office of Stephen Chahn Lee announced today.

"We are grateful to the jury for finally ending the government's misguided prosecution of two business owners who tried to do the right thing," said Stephen Lee, counsel for Anthony Fermin. "They were lied to and manipulated by other people, and we are grateful that the jury rejected the government's attempt to hold them accountable for the crimes and mistakes of those other people. They were not perfect, but they were innocent."

Mr. Zarobkiewicz and Mr. Fermin ran brace businesses through multiple companies beginning in 2020 and then voluntarily shut down the businesses in late 2021. They began cooperating with a law enforcement investigation in September 2022 and then were charged in December 2022 in the Western District of Texas even though they were still providing the government with information.

Mr. Zarobkiewicz and Mr. Fermin were charged with health care fraud, violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, and conspiracy charges, along with a marketer who pled guilty and who testified for the government during the recent trial.

The marketer testified that he had lied to Mr. Zarobkiewicz and Mr. Fermin about the marketing activities that he was hired to perform. He admitted telling them that he was engaged in extensive online advertising, when he actually had used an overseas call center that caused improper cold calls to be made to Medicare beneficiaries.

The marketer also testified that he was paid on a per-patient basis, but the defense presented data showing that he was actually paid a flat-fee amount on a weekly basis. By the end of the government's case-in-chief, even the FBI's lead agent acknowledged that the evidence showed that the payments were not on a per-patient basis.

"This was one of the most aggressive cases involving the Anti-Kickback Statute that I've ever seen," said Jonathan Meltz, counsel for Kuba Zarobkiewicz. "The government's theory shows the dangers in letting prosecutors use such a broad, vague statute to prosecute cases that should have been handled civilly or administratively, not criminally."

During the three-week trial, Zarobkiewicz and Fermin acknowledged that many claims were improperly billed while showing that they had relied on a biller who was not charged. Evidence showed that they were prepared to shut down the brace business twice in the summer of 2021 when they developed concerns about the advice given to them by the biller and that they only continued because of the biller's reassurances. They shut down the business entirely in late 2021 after consulting with another biller and an attorney who was recommended by that biller.

The government's evidence included an audit letter that the government suggested Mr. Zarobkiewicz and Mr. Fermin had ignored. At trial, Mr. Zarobkiewicz and Mr. Fermin showed that they never received the letter, in part through a certified-mail receipt that the government said was "impossible" to find but which Mr. Fermin's wife found online.

The jury deliberated for one and a half days before returning a verdict of not guilty on all charges.

Mr. Zarobkiewicz and Mr. Fermin express their gratitude to members of the San Antonio community who supported them during this long ordeal.

"I'm extremely thankful to the jury for being fair and just," Mr. Zarobkiewicz said. "The truth has come to light after an extremely difficult two years that changed our lives. We maintained our innocence since day one and now we can move on from this experience."

"We have always sought to put our best foot forward in business and in life. The jury's dedication to justice and truth has cleared our names and demonstrated the strength of integrity and perseverance," Mr. Fermin said.

Mr. Meltz is a senior counsel with the Chapman Law Group in Miami, Florida. Mr. Lee is a former federal prosecutor and is a solo practitioner in Chicago, Illinois.

For further information, contact Stephen Lee at [email protected] or 312-436-1790.

SOURCE Law Office of Stephen Chahn Lee, LLC
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, and his wife Ngo Phuong Ly prior to the talks between Xi and Lam in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, held talks with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Vietnamese president, on Monday in Beijing.

Xi welcomed Lam's state visit to China and once again congratulated him on his election as general secretary of the CPV Central Committee.

CARRYING FORWARD TRADITIONAL FRIENDSHIP

China is the destination for Lam's first overseas visit after he took office as general secretary of the CPV Central Committee. Xi said this fully reflects the great importance Lam attaches to the relations between the two parties and the two countries, as well as the high level and strategic nature of China-Vietnam relations.

He pointed out that the CPC and the CPV have passed down their shared ideals and beliefs from generation to generation, forging the traditional friendship of "comrades-plus-brothers" between the two countries.

As two of the ruling Communist parties in today's world, the CPC and the CPV should uphold and continue their traditional friendship, keep in mind their common mission, adhere to the leadership of the Communist party and the socialist system, continue to deepen the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, and jointly promote the development of the world socialist cause, Xi said.

The CPV and the Vietnamese government always attach importance to developing relations with China and regard China as the strategic choice and top priority of Vietnam's foreign policy, Lam said, noting that the Vietnamese side will adhere to the leadership of the Communist party and the socialist path, deepen the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and push forward the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

"Lam's visit comes just half a month after he was elected general secretary of the Central Committee of the CPV, showing the importance the Vietnamese side attaches to relations with China," said Chen Hongsheng, director of Institute of Vietnamese Studies, Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences.

"In particular, Lam arrived in south China's Guangzhou on Sunday, visited the places that witnessed Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary activities in China, and exchanged views with friendly personages from China and Vietnam. This is of great significance to consolidating and developing the traditional friendship between the two countries and boosting the continuous progress of bilateral relations," Chen said.

DEEPER PRACTICAL COOPERATION

Xi underscored that at the critical stage of national development and revitalization, China and Vietnam should strive to consolidate the development pattern featuring higher political mutual trust, more solid security cooperation, deeper practical cooperation, stronger public support, closer multilateral coordination and cooperation, and better management and resolution of differences.

China is ready to maintain close strategic communication and high-level exchanges with Vietnam, firmly adhere to mutual support, actively explore ways to expand synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, accelerate the "hard connectivity" of railway, expressway and port infrastructure, enhance the "soft connectivity" of smart customs, and jointly build a secure and stable industrial and supply chain, Xi said.

Vietnam is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges, deepen strategic mutual trust, enhance synergy of development strategies, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation with China, Lam said.

China has been Vietnam's largest trading partner since 2004, and Vietnam is China's largest trading partner within ASEAN.

In 2017, China and Vietnam signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the joint implementation of the China-proposed BRI and Vietnam's Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy to expedite cooperation across diverse sectors.

In the first seven months of 2024, a total of 6,850 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers of goods were shipped via China-Vietnam freight trains departing from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, marking a 16-fold increase year on year.

Moreover, thanks to favorable policies such as direct air routes and visa facilitation, the cross-border tourism between China and Vietnam has shown vigorous development. This two-way surge in travel not only boosts the development of the tourism industry, but also deepens the cultural exchange and friendship between the two countries, a Chinese tourism official said.

A SHARED FUTURE

During Xi's visit to Vietnam last December, the two countries jointly announced the elevation of bilateral ties to a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

In his talks with Lam, Xi expressed the willingness to establish good working relations and personal friendship with Lam to jointly guide the substantial development in building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

He also called for joint efforts to uphold the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and other basic norms governing international relations, promote an equal and orderly multi-polar world and economic globalization that benefits all, uphold international fairness and justice and the common interests of developing countries, and work to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

For his part, Lam said that the CPV and the Vietnamese government will carry on the legacy of Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, adhere to the leadership of the Communist party and the socialist path, deepen the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and push forward the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

Vietnam firmly pursues the one-China policy, supports China in achieving national reunification, and firmly opposes any interference in China's internal affairs, Lam said.

Vietnam supports and is willing to actively participate in the initiative to build a community with a shared future for humanity, as well as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, Lam said, adding that Vietnam is also willing to work closely with China to strengthen multilateral international cooperation, uphold multilateralism, safeguard international fairness and justice, and make positive contributions to promoting world peace and development.

During Lam's visit to China, the two sides will also issue a joint statement on further strengthening China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and promoting the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, and To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, have a small chat over tea in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, shakes hands with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi and Lam on Monday jointly witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents after holding talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The bilateral cooperation documents cover a range of areas, including Party schools, connectivity, industry, finance, customs inspection and quarantine, health, media and news organizations, local governments, and people's livelihood. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, holds talks with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, holds a welcome ceremony for To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, holds a welcome ceremony for To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, holds a welcome ceremony for To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, and To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, have a small chat over tea in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, holds a welcome ceremony for To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

Editor: ZAD
DENVER, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As extreme temperatures are anticipated to persist in Colorado through September, Pinnacol Assurance, the state's largest workers' compensation insurer , released data showing that workers are more at risk for accident and injury on days when temperatures climb and provided guidance for navigating these risks.

Pinnacol's claims data shows that workers from various occupations  not just outdoor workers  are 52% more at risk for injury when temperatures exceed 90 degrees. The most common injuries experienced in excessive heat include strains, cuts, falls and injuries the carrier classifies as "strikes."

Dr. Tom Denberg, Pinnacol's medical director, notes, "Protecting employees from high temperatures is crucial not only to prevent heat-related illnesses but also to reduce the risk of other injuries that can occur in hot conditions. When workers are exposed to excessive heat, their physical and cognitive abilities can be impaired, increasing the likelihood of accidents. By implementing effective heat safety measures, such as providing adequate hydration, rest breaks, and shaded areas, employers can safeguard the health and well-being of their employees, ensuring a safer and more productive work environment."

Workers in construction , road maintenance, landscaping, and other outdoor professions are particularly vulnerable. Pinnacol reports that other types of workers, like teachers, restaurant workers, and maintenance workers, were also at increased risk.

The frequency and intensity of heat waves in Colorado amplify the need for robust safety measures to protect these employees. Additionally, Colorado's high elevation increases UV exposure, which can exacerbate the effects of heat and pose additional health risks.

The Associated General Contractors of Colorado plays a crucial role in supporting construction companies with resources, training, and advocacy to protect workers in extreme heat. "We encourage employers to provide the appropriate equipment and training and foster a culture that keeps workers safe," said President and CEO Jeff Barratt. "It's important for all of us to be aware of the impacts of heat for ourselves and our colleagues who may not recognize they are in distress."

Preventing Heat-Related Illness

Preventive measures are essential to maintaining worker health and productivity during the hot summer months. Recommendations include:

Training employees and supervisors on heat illness risk factors and symptoms

Encouraging regular hydration before and after work

Providing accessible cool drinking water during work hours

Scheduling frequent breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas

Establishing a buddy system for monitoring heat distress

Promoting the use of sunscreen to combat elevated UV exposure

Acclimatize workers for heat , including gradually increasing physical labor and ensuring adequate rest breaks, especially for new or returning workers

Signs of Heat-Related Illness

Heat-related illnesses can include heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Key symptoms to watch for include:

Confusion

Headache

Dizziness

Nausea

Elevated body temperature

Responding to Heat Illness

Identifying the symptoms of heat illness early can prevent serious health issues or fatalities. In cases of heat stroke, which is life-threatening, immediate medical attention is crucial. Steps to take include:

Removing the affected worker from sun exposure

Placing them in a cool, shaded area

Providing cool water to drink

Removing unnecessary clothing

Ensuring someone stays with the worker until medical help arrives or symptoms improve

For more information on sun and heat safety, Pinnacol Assurance offers various resources and consultations with certified safety experts. Ensuring the well-being of Colorado's workforce in excessive heat is a top priority.

About Pinnacol

Pinnacol Assurance is a top-performing provider of workers' compensation insurance. Our nationwide coverage goes wherever businesses grow to provide them with caring and reliable protection. We offer top-rated injured worker care, customized safety solutions and a comprehensive return to work program that helps our customers reduce risk and save costs. You can see our investment in the community through our nationally recognized apprenticeship program , Pinnacol Foundation scholarship program and award-winning diversity, equity and inclusion work. Pinnacol's team members, culture and services have received numerous awards , affirming our commitment to the people and communities we serve. Learn more at Pinnacol.com .

SOURCE Pinnacol Assurance
CARPINTERIA, Calif., Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- PlanMember Financial Corporation is pleased to announce the addition of MPD Wealth as a new Financial Center in San Diego, CA. MPD Wealth will play a pivotal role in supporting the San Diego County and Imperial County schools Fringe Benefits Consortium (FBC) by promoting the FBC Model Plan for retirement to the employees of the FBC-member school districts.

The FBC Model Plan is a comprehensive retirement plan designed to meet the specific needs of school district employees. It offers a range of investment options, personalized wealth management services, and dedicated support to help participants build a secure retirement. MPD Wealth's involvement will enhance the delivery of these services, ensuring that FBC members receive the highest level of care and support.

Ron Culverson, Senior Vice President of Business Development for PlanMember Securities Corporation, expressed his excitement about the partnership. "We are thrilled to welcome MPD Wealth to the PlanMember family," says Culverson. "Their experience and commitment to retirement solutions will greatly benefit the employees of the FBC member school districts. In addition, MPD Wealth's collaboration with the FBC will help ensure that educators and staff have access to the best possible retirement planning resources, helping them secure a financially stable future."

MPD Wealth brings considerable experience and a deep understanding of the unique financial needs of educators and school employees. By partnering with the FBC, MPD Wealth will offer tailored retirement planning services and financial education programs designed to help employees maximize their retirement savings and achieve their long-term financial goals.

"Joining forces with PlanMember and the FBC allows us to extend our reach and provide essential financial services to those who dedicate their lives to education," says Kyle Riharb, owner of MPD Wealth. "We look forward to making a positive difference in the lives of educators and school employees throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties." To learn more about MPD Wealth, please visit https://www.planmember.com/mpdwealth/about-us/. To learn more about the FBC Model Plan, visit https://www.fbcmodelplan.com.

PlanMember, with more than $17 billion in assets, specializes in the 403(b), 457(b) and 401(k) marketplace. To date, PlanMember has established 50 Financial Centers in 26 states, with a goal of expanding to 80 Financial Centers nationwide.

About PlanMember: For more than three decades PlanMember Financial Corporation, through its operating subsidiaries, has provided personalized retirement planning and administrative services to public and private sector employers and employees utilizing a broad selection of investment programs. The company is headquartered in Carpinteria, CA.

Securities and advisory services are offered through PlanMember Securities Corporation (PSEC), a registered broker/dealer, investment advisor and member FINRA/SIPC. MPD Wealth and PlanMember Securities Corporation are independently owned and operated companies.

SOURCE PlanMember Securities
CLEVELAND, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Embrace Pet Insurance, a leading provider of comprehensive pet health insurance, has released its Q2 2024 Insights report, which highlights significant trends in pet health insurance claims and identifies critical data on the role of pet insurance in facilitating better pet care. Notably, the quarter saw the most expensive claim covered in 2024, ranking as the fourth highest in the company's 18-year history.

Key Highlights from the Q2 2024 Insights Report:

Embrace Pet Insurance releases Q2 2024 insights.

Record-Breaking Claims: Embrace covered a staggering $37,633 for a French Bulldog with Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD), the highest claim of 2024 to date and fourth highest in company history. Other notable claims included $31,249 for a pug with a pancreatic mass and $27,062 for a mixed breed dog with multiple severe conditions.

Embrace covered a staggering for a French Bulldog with Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD), the highest claim of 2024 to date and fourth highest in company history. Other notable claims included for a pug with a pancreatic mass and for a mixed breed dog with multiple severe conditions. State-Wide Costs: Washington D.C. led the states with the highest average claim cost at $558 , closely followed by California ($523) , Colorado ($498) , and Washington ($488) . Newcomer to the list, New Hampshire , also stands out with an average claim cost of $491 .

Washington D.C. led the states with the highest average claim cost at , closely followed by , , and . Newcomer to the list, , also stands out with an average claim cost of . Embrace's Pet Insurance Capital? Aloha from Zip Code 96706: Ewa Beach, Hawaii holds the record for the highest number of Embrace-insured pets in a single zip code.

Survey of 13,000 Respondents Shows the Value of Pet Insurance:

A comprehensive survey conducted by Embrace revealed insights into pet owner behaviors and the transformative impact of pet insurance. Key findings include:

91% believe that pet insurance enables them to provide better care for their pets.

67% of respondents faced veterinary bills so high they would have struggled financially without pet insurance.

66% were able to afford necessary care for their pets due to their coverage, which they might have had to decline otherwise.

Media Coverage and Public Interest:

The quarter also saw significant media engagement with features in major publications such as Fox Business, Reader's Digest, Country Living, and more, discussing various aspects of pet care and subject matter expertise.

"At Embrace, we are constantly reminded of the lifesaving impact pet insurance can have," said Brian Macias, CEO of Embrace Pet Insurance. "Not only does it relieve financial pressure, but it also empowers pet parents to make the best healthcare decisions for their pets. This quarter's record-setting claims, plus our customer insights, further underscore the crucial role we play in providing peace of mind and enabling pet parents to focus on what matters mostthe health and well-being of their pets."

To view the full Q2 2024 Insights report, visit 2024 Q2 Insights Unleashed.

For more information about Embrace Pet Insurance, visit embracepetinsurance.com or call (800) EMBRACE.

About Embrace Pet Insurance

Embrace Pet Insurance, a top-rated pet health insurance provider for dogs and cats in the United States, offers one simple yet comprehensive accident and illness insurance plan. In addition to insurance, Embrace offers Wellness Rewards, a non-insurance, optional preventative care product that is unique to the industry. Wellness Rewards reimburses for routine veterinary visits, grooming, vaccinations, training, and much more, with no itemized limitations. Embrace has received numerous accolades for customer and employee satisfaction, including being named the top pet insurance provider on the Forbes list of America's Best Insurance Companies 2022 and receiving the Great Place to Work certification. Embrace is a proud member of the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA) and continues to innovate and improve the pet insurance experience for pet parents across the country. Embrace Pet Insurance is a privately held organization, backed by JAB Holding Company.

For more information about Embrace Pet Insurance, visit EmbracePetInsurance.com or call (800) 660-3817.

Media Contacts

Amber Batteiger

PR and Communications Manager, Embrace Pet Insurance

[email protected]

SOURCE Embrace Pet Insurance
ROUND ROCK, Texas, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Restoration Builders, Inc. ("Restoration Builders" or "the Company"), a leader in residential and commercial roofing services, is thrilled to announce it is a winner of the 2023 GAF Master Elite President's Club Award. GAF, North America's largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer, presents this prestigious award annually. It celebrates roofing contractors nationwide for their exceptional service and outstanding leadership within the industry.

"Our team is profoundly honored to receive the GAF Master Elite President's Club Award. This achievement underscores our unwavering commitment to excellence in service and quality, ensuring that we meet every customer's trust with the highest level of craftsmanship and care," stated John Lorenz, CEO of Restoration Builders.

Bobby Fischer, Vice President of Partner Programs at GAF, observed, "The GAF Master Elite President's Club Award annually acknowledges contractors who demonstrate an unwavering dedication to high-quality work and exceptional service. Less than two percent of roofing contractors in the country earn this distinguished award, emphasizing their commitment to excellence within the roofing industry and their employees, customers, and the community."

Criteria for Recognition

Winners of the GAF Master Elite President's Club Award represent an exclusive cadre of roofing contractors. They have showcased the necessary proper licensing, maintained required insurance, upheld a formidable reputation, and committed to ongoing professional training. Additionally, they satisfy the stringent standards to be recognized as GAF Master Elite residential contractors.

About Restoration Builders of Texas

Based in Austin, Restoration Builders of Texas is a foremost roofing contractor dedicated to protecting, restoring, and building properties with integrity and accountability. Beyond providing premier roofing services, their mission involves strengthening families and supporting communities. Achieving GAF Master Elite roofing contractor status reflects their commitment to customer satisfaction and adherence to superior industry practices.

About GAF

For over 135 years, GAF continues to be North America's leading roofing and waterproofing manufacturer, earning the trust of homeowners, business owners, and communities. Known for its commitment to innovation, customer service, and community impact, GAF's leadership in the industry is unparalleled. Learn more at www.GAF.com.

Media Contact:

Janet Carnell Lorenz

[email protected]

(425) 620-1800

SOURCE Restoration Builders
NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues to investigate potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Paragon 28, Inc. (NYSE: FNA) resulting from allegations that Paragon 28 may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public.

So what: If you purchased Paragon 28 securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses.

What to do next: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=27557 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

What is this about: On July 30, 2024, after the market closed, Paragon 28 filed a current report on Form 8-K with the SEC. It stated "[o]n July 30, 2024, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors (the "Audit Committee") of Paragon 28, Inc. (the "Company"), in consultation with management, concluded that the Company's previously issued audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, contained within the Annual Report on Form 10-K for that year (and the associated audit report of the Company's independent registered accounting firm) and the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contained within the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2023, June 30, 2023, September 30, 2023, and March 31, 2024 should no longer be relied upon due to errors in such financial statements, and therefore a restatement of these prior financial statements is required. Accordingly, the Company intends to restate the aforementioned financial statements by amending its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024 (the "Restated Filings") as soon as reasonably practicable."

On this news, Paragon 28's stock fell $1.24 per share, or 13.7%, to close at $7.79 per share on July 31, 2024.

Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

[email protected]

www.rosenlegal.com

SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.
Minnesota State Fair ( Aug. 26 ) Changes in Rural Minnesota

Red Wing ( Sept. 5 ) Building Civic-Minded Communities

Detroit Lakes ( Sept. 9 ) Cultivating Conservation-Driven Agriculture

Worthington ( Sept. 19 ) Rural Communities Thrive as Immigrants Put Down Roots

OWATONNA, Minn., Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Rural Voice series, developed by the Minnesota Initiative Foundations that serve Greater Minnesota, will launch its third season at the Minnesota State Fair and host three additional town halls moderated by Minnesota Public Radio's Kerri Miller in September.

This year's conversations will focus on topics such as building civic-minded communities, cultivating conservation-driven agriculture, and how rural communities are thriving as Immigrants put down roots.

Additional partners to this year's Rural Voice series include Minnesota Public Radio, which will air each town hall, Cherry Road Media, the Center for Rural Policy and Development, and the Star Tribune.

"We are excited by the momentum the Rural Voice series has gained since launching in 2022 and we look forward to continuing to amplify the true rural voices who are living and breathing the many opportunities and challenges that exist in our rural areas," said Tim Penny, president, and CEO of the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation.

The Minnesota State Fair kick-off will take place in the MPR booth, and then the series will travel to Red Wing, Detroit Lakes, and Worthington throughout September. It will also be live-streamed and recorded for broader distribution. To register, go to ruralvoice.org.

"I'm eager to delve back into these imaginative, solution-driven discussions in these communities and thrilled Minnesota Public Radio will be broadcasting them state-wide," said event moderator Kerri Miller.

The events details are as follows:

Monday, Aug. 26: How Rural Minnesota is Changing and Rural Voice



Amplifies that Change.



Minnesota State Fair



MPR Booth on the corner of Judson & Nelson



10 a.m.



Thursday, Sept. 5 How to Build More Civic-Minded Communities with



Author Brian Klaas



Sheldon Theatre of Performing Arts



443 W. 3rd St.



Red Wing, MN



Doors open at 6:00 p.m.



Discussion from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. followed by book signing

and reception.



Monday, Sept. 9 How to Cultivate Conservation-Driven Agriculture in

Rural Minnesota



Bucks Mill Brewing



824 Washington Ave.



Detroit Lakes, MN



Doors open at 6:30 p.m.



Discussion from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. followed by a reception.



Thursday, Sept. 19 Revival and Renewal: How Rural Communities Thrive as

Immigrants Put Down Roots

Forbidden Barrel Brewing Company

900 3rd Ave.

Worthington, MN

Doors open at 6:00 p.m.

Discussion from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. followed by a

reception.

The Otto Bremer Trust, St. Paul, is the presenting sponsor of this year's Rural Voice series. Supporting sponsors include the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, Owatonna; the Southwest Initiative Foundation, Hutchinson; the Initiative Foundation, Central Minnesota; the Northland Foundation, Duluth and the West Central Initiative, Fergus Falls. For more information on the Rural Voice series or to register for the in-person events or live-streaming of the event go to ruralvoice.org

SOURCE Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation
VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Scope AI Corp. (CSE: SCPE) (OTCQB: SCPCF) (FSE: VN8) ("Scope" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the next phase of its go-to-market strategy with the appointment of Grifyn McErlean as a Business Development Consultant. Mr. McErlean, an ecosystem marketing specialist from SAP, will play a critical role in accelerating the company's market expansion and business development efforts as Scope AI continues to drive adoption of its cutting-edge data and quantum encryption solutions.

This strategic addition to the team underscores Scope AI's commitment to rapidly scaling its QSE Technology product suite, following the recent global deployment of its quantum-resilient distributed storage systems. As businesses worldwide increasingly recognize the pressing need for enhanced encryption in the face of current threats as well as the growing quantum computing threats, Scope AI is positioning itself to meet this demand with a targeted approach to market entry and expansion.

Driving Market Penetration with a background in enterprise solutions and a proven track record at SAP, McErlean will bring invaluable insights into navigating complex market environments and securing key partnerships across industries. His expertise in technology adoption will be instrumental in positioning Scope AI's products to reach a broader audience and capitalize on emerging opportunities in the data security space.

"I'm excited to join Scope AI focusing on their QSE technology, and contribute to expanding the reach of its innovative quantum encryption solutions," said McErlean. "This technology delivers critical protection and peace of mind for businesses as they face the evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats."

Founder's Vision: Sean Prescott, Founder & CTO of Scope AI, commented on this next step in the company's growth journey, "As we continue to roll out our QSE Technology globally, it's critical that we have the right expertise to navigate the market landscape and secure strategic partnerships. Grifyn's understanding of enterprise-level challenges and solutions will be a valuable asset as we focus on market penetration and scaling our quantum security offerings."

A Commitment to Growth: James Young, CEO of Scope AI, added, "Our recent acquisition and deployment of QSE Technology were significant milestones, but now the focus shifts to execution and growth. Bringing on someone of Grifyn McErlean's caliber is a testament to our dedication to building a robust business development framework that will drive long-term success."

About the QSE Technology

The QSE Technology product suite offers API-based quantum-resilient entropy as a service, along with encrypted cloud, on-premise, and decentralized storage solutions. This technology ensures comprehensive protection against both current cyber threats and future quantum-computing decryption attacks. With its ease of integration, cost efficiency, and scalability, the QSE Technology product suite uniquely positions Scope AI to protect digital assets across a wide range of industries, ensuring robust security and peace of mind for its clients.

About Scope AI Corp.:

Scope AI Corp. is a leading technology company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, dedicated to advancing the field of artificial intelligence. With a focus on visual recognition and neural network technology, Scope is committed to empowering businesses and industries with innovative solutions that drive growth and innovation.

For more information please visit Scope AI Corp., [email protected], or follow along on social media.

LinkedIn: scope-ai-corp

Facebook: Scope AI Corp

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScopeAICorp

Contact Information

James Young, Chief Executive Officer

(604) 416-1720

[email protected]

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements that constitute forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release that are not purely historical statements of fact are forward-looking statements and include statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, future, strategy, objectives, goals and targets, and more specifically, the use of proceeds of the Offering. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable and reflect expectations of future developments and other factors which management believes to be reasonable and relevant, the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "aim", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and are based on assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, including, but not limited to, those risks and assumptions described in the Company's prospectus dated August 10, 2022, a copy of which is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. While Scope considers these assumptions to be reasonable, based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. In addition, forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions, continued satisfaction of Canadian Securities Exchange requirements, product safety and recalls, regulatory compliance and risks associated with the Company's business. For more information on the risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause anticipated opportunities and actual results to differ materially, please refer to the risk factors set out in the Company's prospectus dated August 10, 2022, a copy of which is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, unless required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the business of the Company and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy hereof.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2414853/4733184/Scope_AI_Corp_logo.jpg

SOURCE Scope AI Corp.
Sneex Footwear Takes The Pain Out of High Heels With Reimagined Hybrid Heel

ATLANTA, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sara Blakely, the mastermind behind revolutionizing women's undergarments, introduces a new brand, Sneex  a luxury shoe that blends the style of a traditional high heel with the performance and comfort of a sneaker. Available on Sneex.com, the hybrid heels, or "hy-heels" feature fine napa leather and suede from Italy and Spain, available in three styles (single strap, double strap and wide strap) in ten striking colorways.

Sara Blakely, Sneex Founder & Inventor Sneex, The Blake Shoe Sneex, The Tepper

For years, Blakely has been on a mission to address the agony that women often feel when they wear high heels. With the invention of Sneex, Blakely solves three key pain points that are typical in high heel construction. First, the lack of support between the foot and the sole of the shoe, causing discomfort and wobbly heels. Second, the crushing feeling on the ball of the foot caused by unequal weight distribution. Last, the squeezing of the toes. A patent-pending design solves these three issues, giving women comfort and walkability without compromising style.

"Men invented the high heel centuries ago, and its basic construction hasn't really changed," Blakely said. "There has been a void in comfortable footwear, and women deserve a new option. I wanted to create a luxury high heel that prioritizes how women feel, not just how we look. We are fed the line that 'beauty is pain'... but I don't believe it has to be. As a consumer, I have wanted to solve this problem for years."

With Sneex, Blakely also felt she was providing something missing from the elevated comfort trend. "Consumers are dressing much more casually now," Blakely said. "While sneakers have been embraced as an option, there are many times I put on clothes and still want the height and look of a heel with the vibe of a sneaker. There was an opportunity there."

For over 25 years, Blakely has been advocating for women through product by putting comfort at the epicenter of design and development. She has done this again with the look and feel of Sneex. "You have to try them on to feel the magic hidden inside," said Blakely. "Women either cry, dance or take off running. They can't believe it's a 3-inch heel!"

Sneex are handcrafted in Spain with prices ranging from $395 to $595 in whole sizes ranging from 5-11. For more information about Sneex, follow @Sneex on Instagram and Tik Tok or visit www.sneex.com.

ABOUT SARA BLAKELY

Sara Blakely is the founder of Spanx... and now Sneex. She is an inventor, a category creator and an industry disruptor who asks for signs from the Universe. She is an intuitive brand expert who can embody the heart and mind of the consumer through putting herself in their shoes literally. She's a seeker of ideas who has spent her life building the courage and mindset to pursue them. She was named one of TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the world and was featured on the cover of Forbes Magazine as the youngest self-made female billionaire. When she's not disrupting industries, setting world records, or making pancakes in crazy shapes for her four small kids she dreams of a world where the feminine and masculine energy is more balanced. She has donated millions of dollars to support and elevate women and girls around the world through her foundation, and in 2012, she signed The Giving Pledge, committing half her life's wealth to philanthropy.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE Sneex
Elevated snack that combines the savory taste of premium beef jerky with the Tangy, spicy kick of Tajin Clasico seasoning

BAY CITY, Ore., Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Tillamook Country Smoker, the industry leader in clean label beef jerky, today announced its latest flavor innovation  Tajin Flavored Beef Jerky. Now available on Amazon and Tillamook's own website, this new snack combines the savory taste of premium beef jerky with the tangy and spicy kick of Tajin Clasico seasoning, a unique blend of 100% natural chili peppers, lime and sea salt.

Now available on Amazon and Tillamook's own website, this new snack combines the savory taste of premium beef jerky with the tangy and spicy kick of Tajin Clasico seasoning, a unique blend of 100% natural chili peppers, lime and sea salt.

Tillamook's Tajin Flavored Beef Jerky is perfect for those who crave bold flavors and simple, high-quality ingredients. This innovative twist on traditional beef jerky is designed to delight taste buds and elevate the snacking experience. Tajin, the No. 1 chili lime seasoning in the U.S., is one of the hottest flavor trends across the country. This marks the first time Tajin is officially available in a beef jerky.

Tajin's unique zesty and mildly spicy taste is perfectly complemented by Tillamook's premium beef, slow-smoked over real hardwood for an unbeatable flavor profile. Packed with protein, low in calories and gluten free, Tillamook's Tajin Flavored Beef Jerky is ideal for health-conscious consumers seeking better-for-you snacking options.

"With mindful snacking on the rise, our consumers are looking for a new, exciting twist on their go-to options. Tillamook's new Tajin Flavored Beef Jerky combines the best of both worlds: the rich, savory taste of premium beef jerky and the bold, spicy tang of Tajin seasoning," said Bree Randall, CMO of Tillamook Country Smoker. "Whether you're a longtime Tajin fan or trying it for the first time, this jerky is sure to impress."

"The partnership between Tajin Clasico seasoning and Tillamook Country Smoker offers consumers a convenient, better-for-you snack that is sure to satisfy their cravings, whether they are on an outdoor adventure or navigating the hustle of city life," said Haydee Fernandez, Director of Alliances for Tajin USA International.

Tillamook's Tajin Flavored Beef Jerky is available in two sizes on Amazon - 2.2 oz.($5.99) and 6.5 oz.($13.99) and on Tillamook's website.

An image of the packaging is HERE

PRESS KIT: HERE

About Tillamook Country Smoker:

True to its roots, Tillamook Country Smoker is known for its commitment to quality, delivering superior beef jerky, sausages and more since 1975. Made with 100% USA beef and all-natural ingredients, all of Tillamook's products are handcrafted and smoked with real hardwood in Tillamook County, Oregon. Tillamook Country Smoker products are available online and at leading retailers nationwide. To learn more, please visit www.tcsjerky.com.

About Tajin

Industrias Tajin is a Mexican-owned company and market leader in both Mexico and the United States in chili products, in addition to being one of the most important brands in producing and commercializing products derived from chili worldwide. Today, it has a presence in more than 65 countries around the world. Tajin was founded in 1985, surprising consumers with the perfect blend of mild chili peppers, lime, and sea salt. In 1993, Tajin made its first export to the United States, and Tajin International Corporation was established in Houston, TX, from where all commercial activity of the brand in the U.S. is managed. The brand arrived in Central American and European markets in 2006. For more information visit www.Tajin.com.

Media Contact Info:

Glenn Mandel

The LaunchPad Agency

760-798-1563

[email protected]

www.launchpadagency.com

SOURCE Tillamook Country Smoker
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Veteran Benefits Guide is pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick Holmes as the new director of communications and Mike Brea as the new director of quality. Holmes will oversee employee communications, public and media relations and develop strategic communication initiatives to enhance VBG's reputation and brand. Brea will lead and enhance the quality of services provided to VBG's Veteran clients.

Patrick Holmes brings extensive experience in strategic communications and marketing leadership, having previously served as the executive director of communications and marketing at the University of California, Berkeley. At Berkeley, Holmes led the effort to evolve and protect the university's brand, managed comprehensive internal communications strategies, and oversaw digital and social media initiatives. Holmes will work closely with Lisa Kalkes, VBG's chief marketing officer, to develop, implement, and assess communication strategies that promote and protect the company's reputation. He will be a key liaison between the company and its stakeholders, ensuring consistent messaging and managing public relations to support VBG's business objectives.

"We are thrilled to welcome Patrick to the VBG team," said Kalkes. "His expertise in strategic communications and brand management will be invaluable as we continue to grow and serve our nation's Veterans."

Mike Brea joins VBG with extensive experience in project management, medical operations, health-care administration, and quality assurance, having previously served as director of medical disability examination services. During his 20-year career in health care, Brea has led teams focusing on quality assurance, training, patient safety, and process improvement. Brea holds advanced degrees in health-care innovation from the University of Pennsylvania, patient safety and health-care quality from Johns Hopkins University, and an MBA from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

"We are thrilled to have Mike join our team as the director of quality," said Donato Clay, chief operations officer of VBG. "His extensive experience and commitment to quality assurance will be instrumental in advancing our mission to provide exceptional services to our Veterans. Mike's leadership and expertise will undoubtedly strengthen our organization and enhance the support we offer to those who have served our country."

About Veteran Benefits Guide

Veteran Benefits Guide enables Veterans to receive the full disability benefits they have earned from their service in a timely manner. Since its founding in 2015, VBG has helped more than 35,000 Veterans to receive a combined increase of $5.5billion in lifetime benefits. VBG's trusted, national network of independent and credentialed medical service providers ensures that Veterans submit fully developed, accurate claims to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which avoids the need for appeals, speeds up the final benefits decision, and reduces the VA case backlog. VBG is based in Las Vegas, Nevada, and also has offices in San Diego, California. Learn more at vbg.com.

SOURCE Veterans Benefits Guide
* China's ongoing second scientific expedition and research project on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau has produced a series of high-standard original findings. * The expedition team has established a classification system for the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau ecosystem based on the integration of remote-sensing technology and ground surveys. * The Qinghai-Xizang Plateau ecosystem absorbs approximately 120 to 140 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually, accounting for 10 to 16 percent of China's total ecosystem carbon sink. LHASA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- China's ongoing second scientific expedition and research project on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau has produced a series of high-standard original findings, providing scientific support for the ecological security of the plateau, according to the expedition's top researcher. To date, the scientific research has yielded significant progress, including results of studies on the changes and impacts of the plateau's water and glacier resources, carbon sink functions and potential, ecosystems, and biodiversity changes, said Yao Tandong, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the leader of the scientific expedition, at a press conference held in Lhasa on Sunday. The Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, known as the "roof of the world" and Asia's "water tower," is China's most crucial ecological security barrier and a strategic resource reserve, playing a vital role in water, ecological, climate and environmental security globally. Since the scientific expedition was launched in August 2017, teams comprising more than 7,000 researchers have continuously conducted comprehensive surveys across 19 key areas. CHANGES IN WATER RESOURCES The Qinghai-Xizang Plateau is becoming warmer, wetter and greener, according to Yao. "The glaciers and snow cover on the plateau are decreasing, while the vegetation is greening," he said. "Such changes could lead to significant shifts in the Asian monsoon circulation, potentially increasing the frequency of extreme weather events in China." In recent years, the warming climate and increased humidity have led to significant imbalances on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, which have primarily manifested in the rapid reduction of solid water bodies such as glaciers and snow, alongside a widespread increase in liquid water bodies like lakes and rivers, resulting in a solid-liquid phase imbalance, Yao explained. This scientific expedition and research project has revealed that the current total surface water storage of Asia's "water tower" exceeds 10 trillion cubic meters -- roughly equivalent to the total runoff of the Yellow River over 200 years. Climate models predict that by the end of the 21st century, some regions could lose more than half of their glacier mass, with lake water levels potentially rising by over 10 meters, according to the conference. While this phenomenon could enhance the overall water supply capacity, the risks of glacier collapses and glacial lake outburst floods are projected to be more than three times higher than current levels. Yao also emphasized that the future water resources downstream of Asia's "water tower" require regionally differentiated strategies and comprehensive international coordination. "It is essential to strengthen the construction of early warning systems for glacial collapses and glacial lake outbursts, and to implement more effective measures for sustainable water resource management." ECOSYSTEM, BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT The expedition team has established a classification system for the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau ecosystem based on the integration of remote-sensing technology and ground surveys, contributing greatly to the analysis of changes in the ecosystem and biodiversity of the plateau. Researchers have completed a 1:500,000 grassland vegetation map, a 1:500,000 soil map of the plateau, and a distribution map of the alpine tree line spanning 2,400 kilometers across the Himalayas. "These maps reveal the spatial pattern and dynamic changes of the ecosystem, and improve our assessment of ecosystem quality and its service functions," said Ouyang Zhiyun, a researcher at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences under CAS. The maps also support the formulation of biodiversity conservation strategies and the overall layout planning for national parks on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. The expedition team has also conducted extensive field investigations in vulnerable and critical areas on the plateau, leading to a series of new discoveries in biodiversity. It has published its findings of over 3,000 new species, including 205 new animal species, 388 new plant species and 2,593 new microbial species. The local government in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region has designated over 600,000 square kilometers of its land as ecological conservation red lines, accounting for more than 50 percent of the region's total land area. Xizang has 47 nature reserves of various types and levels, covering a total area of 412,200 square kilometers. Its area of ecologically functional land, including forests, grasslands, wetlands and water bodies, has increased to 1.08 million square kilometers. CARBON SINK FUNCTION The Qinghai-Xizang Plateau ecosystem absorbs approximately 120 to 140 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually, accounting for 10 to 16 percent of China's total ecosystem carbon sink, according to findings released at the conference. Given that the plateau currently emits 55 million tonnes of CO2 annually, its carbon surplus exceeds 65 million tonnes per year, Yao said. Yao noted that the plateau's 1.4 million square kilometers of permafrost holds around 37 billion tonnes of organic carbon, accounting for over 60 percent of the plateau's total soil carbon stock. "However, the potential thawing of deep permafrost due to future climate warming could pose a risk to its carbon sequestration capacity," he said. The Global Observation-based System for Monitoring Greenhouse Gas (GONGGA) system, developed independently by the scientific research survey team, is an essential tool for estimating natural carbon sinks. It integrates atmospheric transport modeling, CO2 concentration observations and CO2 emission inventories to accurately assess the carbon sink capacity of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau ecosystem. This system not only supports China's "dual carbon" goals with important scientific data, but also provides valuable Chinese data and methodologies for international carbon accounting and assessment. "Going forward, the carbon sink function of the plateau can be enhanced by improving the quality of grassland and forest ecosystems," Yao said. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION From early June this year, a joint scientific expedition team consisting of researchers from the CAS Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research (ITP), along with scientists and drilling experts from Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States, has conducted scientific investigations at Namtso Lake. The team will carry out long core drilling in the lake to provide new scientific evidence for the study of climate and environmental changes on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau over the past million years. According to Zhu Liping, leader of the joint scientific expedition team and a researcher at ITP, the drilling of the lake sediment core in Namtso Lake is the highest-altitude drilling project under the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program. Rolf Kipfer, a professor of environmental physics and aquatic science from Switzerland, is focusing on studying the formation of sediments and their relationship to the lake during this scientific expedition. "I will analyze the physical structure of the lake and its water quality," Kipfer said, adding that this cooperation is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. In 2009, Yao teamed up with Lonnie Thompson, a foreign academician at CAS, and Volker Mosbrugger, an academician at the German National Academy of Sciences, to launch the Third Pole Environment International Program. With the aim of strengthening collaboration with international organizations, this initiative has helped enhance the international impact of the second Qinghai-Xizang Plateau scientific expedition and research project, and propel related research to the forefront of global scientific endeavors. (Reporting by Zhang Dan, Shen Feng, Quan Xiaoshu, Lin Jianyang, Bai Shaobo and Liu Zhoupeng; Video reporters: Wu Sisi and Sonam Dekyi; Video editors: Zhang Nan, Li Qin and Li Ziwei.)
CONROE, Texas, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- VGXI, Inc., a leading contract developer and manufacturer (CDMO) specializing in nucleic acid biopharmaceuticals, including gene therapies, DNA vaccines, and RNA medicines, is honored to announce its acceptance into the Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Preparedness (BioMap) Consortium. The BioMap Consortium is focused on expanding the United States' biopharmaceutical industrial capabilities and bio-manufacturing output, including funding requisite capabilities, enhancing supply chain flexibilities, and facilitating strategies to secure medical supplies to meet public health preparedness and response requirements. The BioMap Consortium is supported by the Pharmaceutical Countermeasure Infrastructure (PCI) Division and BioMap Branch of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

With this acceptance, VGXI joins the ranks of more than 200+ member firms with the expressed mission of ensuring adequate manufacturing capabilities and developing biopharmaceutical products and related materials so that countermeasures and therapies can be rapidly delivered to civilian populations. With more than two decades of experience in plasmid DNA manufacturing, VGXI has the largest plasmid manufacturing capacity (4000L) in the world and provides the agility and scalability to support the development of next-generation therapeutics across all scales and stages  from preclinical research to full-scale commercial production.

Young Park, CEO at VGXI, celebrated the milestone by stating, "We are proud to be a part of the BioMap Consortium. Our demonstrated history of manufacturing solutions for public health allows VGXI to be a valuable contributor to this consortium and to support our fellow members and US-based biomanufacturing to address health-related threats to the nation's public health."

ABOUT VGXI, INC.

VGXI is a leader in plasmid DNA contract manufacturing, with 20+ years of experience providing high quality products to biomedical researchers worldwide. We support clients that develop DNA vaccines, immunotherapies, cell therapies, and gene therapies. VGXI's manufacturing process and quality controls are coupled to a continuous, low-shear AIRMIX patented lysis technology, and proprietary purification processes that provide highly supercoiled plasmid production and exceptional purity. VGXI's portfolio includes high quality plasmid for preclinical research, Highly Documented (HD) plasmid as a critical raw material for GMP viral vector production or pharm/tox studies, cGMP plasmid DNA for clinical utilization through commercial supply, and custom services. To learn more, visit https://www.vgxii.com.

ABOUT GENEONE LIFE SCIENCE

GeneOne Life Science Inc. ("GeneOne" KOSPI: 011000) headquartered in Seoul, South Korea is an international biotechnology company and a leading contract manufacturer of DNA plasmids for use in vaccines, gene therapies, and cell therapies. GeneOne has recently expanded into the manufacture and development of mRNA. GeneOne has maintained a focus on vaccines against emerging infectious diseases to address global needs, including in resource challenged regions. Its small molecule portfolio of immunomodulators address diseases such as prevention of upper respiratory bacterial and viral diseases, and treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. GeneOne has three products against COVID-19 in clinical development: GLS-5310 DNA vaccine (Phase I/IIa), GLS-1200 nasal spray to prevent COVID-19 infection (Phase II), and GLS-1027 to prevent the inflammation and clinical worsening for those infected with COVID-19 (Phase II). For more information, visit https://www.genels.com.

CONTACT: Justin Smith, Director of Marketing, [email protected].

SOURCE VGXI, Inc.
SEATTLE, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Washington Poison Center (WAPC), Washington's statewide nonprofit resource on poison prevention and drug safety, announces Michele Meaker as its new Director of Development & Grants Management. In this role, Michele will spearhead the organization's fundraising initiatives, including developing strategies to generate revenue, managing and expanding partnerships, cultivating relationships with corporate sponsors, and overseeing grant applications.

Michele Meaker, Director of Development & Grants Management at the Washington Poison Center

A Seattle native, Michele has driven successful fundraising campaigns, engaged donors, and fostered corporate sponsorships throughout her career. She has over a decade of experience in nonprofit fundraising and a proven track record in securing private and public grants.

"We are thrilled to welcome Michele to our team," says Dr. Sierra Ranier, Director of Business Operations & Finance at the WAPC. "Michele's versatile skill set and extensive experience in healthcare and community-based nonprofits make her an ideal fit for our organization. Michele's passion for our mission and her ability to navigate the complexities and challenges often associated with nonprofit funding will be invaluable as we continue to grow and serve Washington."

Before joining the WAPC, Michele served at Stilly Valley Health Connections and United Way of Snohomish County. Notably, she held the position of Executive Director at NAMI Eastside, a local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, where she led initiatives to support mental health services across east King County. Michele also gained significant experience in public funding and event management during her tenure at Compass Health, one of Washington's largest nonprofit providers of mental health services.

Michele holds a master's degree in public administration from the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance at the University of Washington, along with a Professional Certificate in Fundraising Management. Her dedication to mental health advocacy is evident through her involvement in NAMI education programs and her role as a Mental Health First Aid instructor. Michele's extensive network and experience in policy and advocacy further enhance her capacity to contribute to WAPC's mission.

For media inquiries, please contact: [email protected]

About the Washington Poison Center: The Washington Poison Center (WAPC) is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and reducing harm from poisonings and overdoses. The WAPC's expert staff of nurses, pharmacists, and physicians are a reliable and consistent resource for timely, relevant, and life-saving information, 24/7, at no cost to people and healthcare providers in Washington State.

SOURCE Washington Poison Center
BEIJING, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Yiren Digital Ltd. (NYSE: YRD) ("Yiren Digital" or the "Company"), an AI-powered platform providing a comprehensive suite of financial and lifestyle services in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.

Second Quarter 2024 Operational Highlights

Financial Services Business

Total loans facilitated in the second quarter of 2024 reached RMB12.9 billion ( US$1.8 billion ), representing an increase of 8.6% from RMB11.9 billion in the first quarter of 2024 and compared to RMB8.2 billion in the same period of 2023.

( ), representing an increase of 8.6% from in the first quarter of 2024 and compared to in the same period of 2023. Cumulative number of borrowers served reached 10,807,497 as of June 30, 2024 , representing an increase of 8.3% from 9,978,280 as of March 31, 2024 , and compared to 8,002,372 as of June 30, 2023 .

, representing an increase of 8.3% from 9,978,280 as of , and compared to 8,002,372 as of . Number of borrowers served in the second quarter of 2024 was 1,491,756, representing an increase of 10.3% from 1,352,200 in the first quarter of 2024 and compared to 1,013,972 in the same period of 2023. The increase was due to our ongoing effort in customer acquisition and user experience enhancement.

Outstanding balance of performing loans facilitated reached RMB21.8 billion ( US$3.0 billion ) as of June 30, 2024 , representing an increase of 8.3% from RMB20.2 billion as of March 31, 2024 and compared to RMB12.8 billion as of June 30, 2023 .

Insurance Brokerage Business

Cumulative number of insurance clients served reached 1,410,158 as of June 30, 2024 , representing an increase of 4.9% from 1,343,660 as of March 31, 2024 , and compared to 1,133,069 as of June 30, 2023 .

, representing an increase of 4.9% from 1,343,660 as of , and compared to 1,133,069 as of . Number of insurance clients served in the second quarter of 2024 was 88,766, representing an increase of 20.5% from 73,687 in the first quarter of 2024 and compared to 135,449 in the same period of 2023. The increase was primarily due to the continued growth of our property insurance business.

88,766, representing an increase of 20.5% from 73,687 in the first quarter of 2024 and compared to 135,449 in the same period of 2023. The increase was primarily due to the continued growth of our property insurance business. Gross written premiums in the second quarter of 2024 were RMB1,060.9 million ( US$146.0 million ), representing an increase of 16.3% from RMB912.4 million in the first quarter of 2024 and compared to RMB1,332.5 million in the same period of 2023. The increase was mainly attributed to the continued expansion of our property insurance business.

Consumption and Lifestyle Business

Total gross merchandise volume generated through our e-commerce platform and "Yiren Select" channel reached RMB554.6 million ( US$76.3 million ) in the second quarter of 2024, representing a decrease of 11.3% from RMB625.1 million in the first quarter of 2024 and compared to RMB395.8 million in the same period of 2023. The decrease was mainly due to the already high penetration of our products and services within the existing customer pool, along with our strategic scale-back in product offerings as we shift our focus to upgrading customer segmentation.

"Despite the evolving market environment, we are pleased to report another solid quarter with strong unit economics, reflecting the resilience of our business structure and operational strategies, as well as our commitment to quality growth over mere expansion." said Mr. Ning Tang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

"Our continued investments in AI and the seamless integration of technological innovations into our operations have fostered dual growth in both technological advancements and operational efficiency. Our strategic direction positions us well to evolve into a leading AI-driven platform, paving the way for groundbreaking solutions and setting new industry standards."

"In the second quarter of 2024, our total revenue reached RMB 1.5 billion, representing 13% increase year-over-year. We generate approximately RMB 369 million net cash from operation in this quarter, remaining healthy and strong." Ms. Na Mei, Chief Financial Officer commented. "On the balance sheet side, our balance sheet remained strong with RMB 5.5 billion in cash and cash equivalents as of the end of this quarter and we are exploring diversified ways to enhance our shareholder returns. Through both our cash dividend policy and share buybacks, we aim to reward our shareholders for their long-term trust and support, while also boosting market confidence."

Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Total net revenue in the second quarter of 2024 was RMB1,496.5 million (US$205.9 million), representing an increase of 13.0% from RMB1,324.2 million in the second quarter of 2023. Particularly, in the second quarter of 2024, revenue from financial services business was RMB851.0 million (US$117.1 million), representing an increase of 46.2% from RMB582.0 million in the same period of 2023. The increase was attributed to the persistent and growing demand for our small revolving loan products. Revenue from insurance brokerage business was RMB91.5 million (US$12.6 million), representing a decrease of 77.4% from RMB404.7 million in the second quarter of 2023. The decrease was primarily driven by a decline in life insurance sales, resulting from product modifications mandated by new regulations, along with an industry-wide reduction in commission fee rates due to the implementation of more stringent regulatory standards on rates and terms. Revenue from consumption and lifestyle business and others was RMB554.0 million (US$76.2 million), representing an increase of 64.1% from RMB337.5 million in the second quarter of 2023. The annual increase was primarily attributed to the continuous growth of the service and product penetration in the expanding base of paying customers. As the penetration rate reached a substantial level in the second quarter of 2024, the growth rate is expected to moderate.

Sales and marketing expenses in the second quarter of 2024 were RMB285.1 million (US$39.2 million), compared to RMB148.9 million in the same period of 2023. The increase was primarily driven by the swift growth of our financial services segment and enhanced marketing endeavors aimed at attracting new, high-caliber customers while optimizing our customer composition.

Origination, servicing and other operating costs in the second quarter of 2024 were RMB246.5million (US$33.9 million), compared to RMB346.4 million in the same period of 2023. The decrease was mainly due to the decline in insurance brokerage services.

Research and development expenses[1] in the second quarter of 2024 were RMB55.8 million (US$7.7 million), compared to RMB33.0 million in the same period of 2023. The increase was mainly attributed to our ongoing investment in AI upgrades and technological innovations.

General and administrative expenses in the second quarter of 2024 were RMB68.7 million (US$9.4 million), compared to RMB63.7 million in the same period of 2023. The increase was primarily due to personnel adjustments.

Allowance for contract assets, receivables and others in the second quarter of 2024 was RMB123.3 million (US$17.0 million), compared to RMB48.9 million in the same period of 2023. The increase reflects the growing volume of loans facilitated on our platform and the more stringent risk estimates in response to the evolving external credit environment.

Provision for contingent liabilities in the second quarter of 2024 was RMB278.9 million (US$38.4 million), compared to RMB12.0 million in the same period of 2023. The increase was mainly attributed to a higher volume of loans facilitated under our risk-taking model[2].

Income tax expense in the second quarter of 2024 was RMB92.0 million (US$12.7 million).

Net income in the second quarter of 2024 was RMB409.5 million (US$56.4 million), as compared to RMB527.3 million in the same period in 2023. The decrease was primarily due to the growing loan volume facilitated under our risk-taking model, resulting in substantial upfront provisions required by the current accounting principles.

Adjusted EBITDA[3] (non-GAAP) in the second quarter of 2024 was RMB481.1 million (US$66.2 million), compared to RMB661.7 million in the same period of 2023.

Basic and diluted income per ADS in the second quarter of 2024 were RMB4.7 (US$0.7) and RMB4.7 (US$0.6) respectively, compared to a basic income per ADS of RMB6.0 and a diluted income per ADS of RMB5.9 in the same period of 2023.

Net cash generated from operating activities in the second quarter of 2024 was RMB368.9 million (US$50.8 million), compared to RMB718.1 million in the same period of 2023.

Net cash used in investing activities in the second quarter of 2024 was RMB536.9 million (US$73.9 million), compared to RMB20.0 million provided by investing activities in the same period of 2023.

Net cash used in financing activities in the second quarter of 2024 was RMB125.9 million (US$17.3 million), compared to RMB6.1 million in the same period of 2023.

As of June 30, 2024, cash and cash equivalents were RMB5,496.9 million (US$756.4 million), compared to RMB5,904.0 million as of March 31, 2024. As of June 30, 2024, the balance of held-to-maturity investments was RMB5.1 million (US$0.7 million), decreased 51.2% from March 31, 2024. As of June 30, 2024, the balance of available-for-sale investments was RMB329.8 million (US$45.4 million), compared to RMB379.5 million as of March 31, 2024. As of June 30, 2024, the balance of trading securities was RMB83.9 million (US$11.5 million), compared to RMB78.0 million as of March 31, 2024.

Delinquency rates. As of June 30, 2024, the delinquency rates for loans that are past due for 15-29 days, 30-59 days and 60-89 days were 0.8%, 1.4% and 1.6%, respectively, compared to 0.9%, 1.6% and 1.4%, respectively, as of March 31, 2024.

Cumulative M3+ net charge-off rates. As of June 30, 2024, the cumulative M3+ net charge-off rates for loans originated in 2021, 2022 and 2023 were 6.1%, 4.6% and 5.9%, respectively, as compared to 6.3%, 4.7% and 3.9%, respectively, as of March 31, 2024.

Management Change

The Company announces that Ms. Na Mei will resign from her position as Chief Financial Officer due to personal reasons effective as of the close of business on August 20, 2024 New York time. Ms. Mei will continue to serve CreditEase, Yiren Digital's parent company, and assist in ensuring a smooth transition to the new CFO. The board of directors of the Company (the "Board") extends its gratitude to Ms. Mei for her dedicated service and significant contributions during her tenure.

Following this development, the Board has appointed Mr. Yuning Feng as the new Chief Financial Officer to succeed Ms. Mei. Mr. Feng brings extensive experience and expertise in investment banking and financial control to the role, and the Board is confident in his ability to lead the Company's financial operations with distinction.

Mr. Feng possesses over a decade of experience in venture capital investment, investment banking and financial control. Before joining Yiren Digital, he was a partner at CE Innovation Capital, from 2015 to 2018 and from 2021 to 2024. In this role, he led investments in fintech, enterprise solutions, and AI sectors, managed investment portfolios, and contributed to fundraising and fund management. From 2018 to 2021, Mr. Feng served as an investment banker at China Renaissance, specializing in corporate finance for fintech and enterprise solutions companies, where he established strong connections with a variety of companies and investors. Earlier in his career, Mr. Feng was a financial controller at Goldman Sachs and UBS from 2008 to 2012. He received a bachelor's degree from Beijing Foreign Studies University in 2008 and an MBA from the University of Warwick in 2014.

Dividend Policy

The Company is pleased to announce that the Board has approved a semi-annual dividend policy, reflecting our commitment to delivering value to our shareholders. Pursuant to the policy, the Board plans to declare semi-annual dividends at an amount equivalent to no less than 10% of the Company's anticipated net income after tax in each half year commencing from the first half of 2024. The determination to declare and pay such semi-annual dividends and the amount of dividends in any particular half year will be made at the discretion of the Board and will be based upon the Company's operations, earnings, cash flow, financial condition and other relevant factors that the Board may deem appropriate.

The cash dividend for the first half of 2024, a payment of US$0.2 per American depositary share (the "ADS"), each representing two ordinary shares of the Company, par value US$0.0001 per share, is expected to be paid on or about October 15, 2024, to holders of the Company's ordinary shares and ADSs of record as of the close of business on September 30, 2024, Hong Kong time and New York time, respectively.

Update on Share Repurchase

In September 2022, the Board authorized a share repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to US$20 million worth of its ADSs. The share repurchases may be made in accordance with applicable laws and regulations through open market transactions, privately negotiated transactions or other legally permissible means as determined by the management.

In the second quarter of 2024, the Company allocated US$4.0 million to repurchase shares in the public market. As of June 30, 2024, the Company had in aggregate purchased approximately 4.3 million ADSs in the open market for a total amount of approximately US$13.5 million (exclusive of commissions) under the 2022 share repurchase program.

Business Outlook

Based on the Company's preliminary assessment of business and market conditions, the Company projects the total revenue in the third quarter of 2024 to be between RMB1.4 billion to RMB1.5 billion, with a healthy net profit margin.

This is the Company's current and preliminary view, which is subject to changes and uncertainties.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In evaluating the business, the Company considers and uses several non-GAAP financial measures, such as adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin as supplemental measures to review and assess operating performance. We believe these non-GAAP measures provide useful information about our core operating results, enhance the overall understanding of our past performance and prospects and allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by our management in our financial and operational decision-making. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"). The non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools. Other companies, including peer companies in the industry, may calculate these non-GAAP measures differently, which may reduce their usefulness as a comparative measure. The Company compensates for these limitations by reconciling the non-GAAP financial measures to the nearest U.S. GAAP performance measure, all of which should be considered when evaluating our performance. See "Operating Highlights and Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP measures" at the end of this press release.

Currency Conversion

This announcement contains currency conversions of certain RMB amounts into US$ at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to US$ are made at a rate of RMB7.2672 to US$1.00, the effective noon buying rate on June 28, 2024, as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board.

Conference Call

Yiren Digital's management will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on August 20, 2024 (or 8:00 p.m. Beijing/Hong Kong Time on August 20, 2024).

Participants who wish to join the call should register online in advance of the conference at: https://dpregister.com/sreg/10191859/fd4b40278f

Once registration is completed, participants will receive the dial-in details for the conference call.

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available at: https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=T01PiHJw

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "target," "confident" and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond Yiren Digital's control. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any such statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, uncertainties as to Yiren Digital's ability to attract and retain borrowers and investors on its marketplace, its ability to introduce new loan products and platform enhancements, its ability to compete effectively, PRC regulations and policies relating to the peer-to-peer lending service industry in China, general economic conditions in China, and Yiren Digital's ability to meet the standards necessary to maintain the listing of its ADSs on the NYSE or other stock exchange, including its ability to cure any non-compliance with the NYSE's continued listing criteria. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in Yiren Digital's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Yiren Digital does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.

About Yiren Digital

Yiren Digital Ltd. is an advanced, AI-powered platform providing a comprehensive suite of financial and lifestyle services in China. Our mission is to elevate customers' financial well-being and enhance their quality of life by delivering digital financial services, tailor-made insurance solutions, and premium lifestyle services. We support clients at various growth stages, addressing financing needs arising from consumption and production activities, while aiming to augment the overall well-being and security of individuals, families, and businesses.

[1] Research and development expenses have been segregated from general and administrative expenses and restated for historical periods to better reflect the Company's cost and expense structure.

[2] The risk-taking model refers to the framework in which the company assumes the credit risk for the loans facilitated on our platform.

[3] "Adjusted EBITDA" is a non-GAAP financial measure. For more information on this non-GAAP financial measure, please see the section of "Operating Highlights and Reconciliations of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures" and the table captioned "Reconciliations of Adjusted EBITDA" set forth at the end of this press release.

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands, except for share, per share and per ADS data, and percentages)

For the Three Months Ended



For the Six Months Ended

June 30,

2023

March 31,

2024

June 30,

2024

June 30,

2024



June 30,

2023

June 30,

2024

June 30,

2024

RMB

RMB

RMB

USD



RMB

RMB

USD Net revenue:



























Loan facilitation services 514,353

676,295

695,532

95,708



931,518

1,371,827

188,770 Post-origination services 5,273

1,772

1,290

178



11,589

3,062

421 Insurance brokerage services 404,695

124,926

91,526

12,594



601,053

216,452

29,785 Financing services 14,896

10,666

19,574

2,693



37,473

30,240

4,161 Electronic commerce services 287,725

502,936

523,641

72,055



530,583

1,026,577

141,262 Guarantee services 6,343

16,853

68,934

9,486



12,102

85,787

11,805 Others 90,921

44,636

96,039

13,216



186,231

140,675

19,357 Total net revenue 1,324,206

1,378,084

1,496,536

205,930



2,310,549

2,874,620

395,561 Operating costs and expenses:



























Sales and marketing 148,947

277,223

285,101

39,231



255,159

562,324

77,378 Origination,servicing and other operating costs 346,367

233,270

246,542

33,925



546,112

479,812

66,024 Research and development 33,018

40,521

55,812

7,680



62,187

96,333

13,256 General and administrative 63,723

83,674

68,670

9,449



127,104

152,344

20,963 Allowance for contract assets, receivables and others 48,865

102,334

123,285

16,965



88,271

225,619

31,047 Provision for contingent liabilities 11,975

67,258

278,925

38,382



17,474

346,183

47,636 Total operating costs and expenses 652,895

804,280

1,058,335

145,632



1,096,307

1,862,615

256,304 Other (expenses)/income:



























Interest income, net 10,535

27,713

24,668

3,394



25,054

52,381

7,208 Fair value adjustments related to Consolidated ABFE (17,470)

15,468

38,706

5,326



(28,673)

54,174

7,455 Others, net 2,730

677

(11)

(1)



6,319

666

91 Total other (expenses)/income (4,205)

43,858

63,363

8,719



2,700

107,221

14,754 Income before provision for income taxes 667,106

617,662

501,564

69,017



1,216,942

1,119,226

154,011 Income tax expense 139,758

131,779

92,036

12,664



262,428

223,815

30,798 Net income 527,348

485,883

409,528

56,353



954,514

895,411

123,213





























Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding,

basic 176,929,176

174,282,443

172,831,722

172,831,722



177,353,262

173,557,082

173,557,082 Basic income per share 2.9806

2.7879

2.3695

0.3261



5.3820

5.1592

0.7099 Basic income per ADS 5.9612

5.5758

4.7390

0.6522



10.7640

10.3184

1.4198





























Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding,

diluted 179,124,032

176,202,571

174,711,554

174,711,554



179,650,148

175,457,062

175,457,062 Diluted income per share 2.9440

2.7575

2.3440

0.3225



5.3132

5.1033

0.7022 Diluted income per ADS 5.8880

5.5150

4.6880

0.6450



10.6264

10.2066

1.4044





























Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Cash Flow Data



























Net cash generated from operating activities 718,058

631,743

368,908

50,763



1,108,365

1,000,651

137,693 Net cash (used in)/provided by investing activities (19,988)

(683,697)

(536,883)

(73,878)



754,295

(1,220,580)

(167,957) Net cash used in financing activities (6,120)

(14,774)

(125,884)

(17,322)



(398,951)

(140,658)

(19,355) Effect of foreign exchange rate changes 329

1,340

(896)

(123)



148

444

61 Net increase/(decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and

restricted cash 692,279

(65,388)

(294,755)

(40,560)



1,463,857

(360,143)

(49,558) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of

period 5,132,273

6,058,604

5,993,216

824,694



4,360,695

6,058,604

833,692 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period 5,824,552

5,993,216

5,698,461

784,134



5,824,552

5,698,461

784,134

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands)

As of

December 31,

2023

March 31,

2024

June 30,

2024

June 30,

2024

RMB

RMB

RMB

USD















Cash and cash equivalents 5,791,333

5,903,995

5,496,932

756,403 Restricted cash 267,271

89,221

201,529

27,731 Trading securities 76,053

77,967

83,889

11,544 Accounts receivable 499,027

610,745

654,698

90,089 Guarantee receivable 2,890

36,787

260,759

35,882 Contract assets, net 978,051

994,116

962,482

132,442 Contract cost 32

18

206

28 Prepaid expenses and other assets 423,621

1,273,040

1,662,654

228,789 Loans at fair value 677,835

655,058

473,311

65,130 Financing receivables 116,164

73,383

30,501

4,197 Amounts due from related parties 820,181

726,991

1,509,651

207,735 Held-to-maturity investments 10,420

10,420

5,087

700 Available-for-sale investments 438,084

379,489

329,829

45,386 Equity investments -

-

2,500

344 Property, equipment and software, net 79,158

77,777

77,970

10,729 Deferred tax assets 73,414

59,260

44,309

6,097 Right-of-use assets 23,382

18,758

19,462

2,678 Total assets 10,276,916

10,987,025

11,815,769

1,625,904 Accounts payable 30,902

41,484

43,710

6,015 Amounts due to related parties 14,414

1,122

2,485

342 Guarantee liabilities-stand ready 8,802

40,583

278,656

38,344 Guarantee liabilities-contingent 28,351

81,921

336,190

46,261 Deferred revenue 54,044

46,807

38,843

5,345 Payable to investors at fair value 445,762

445,762

350,000

48,162 Accrued expenses and other liabilities 1,463,369

1,595,052

1,727,182

237,668 Deferred tax liabilities 122,075

114,222

55,520

7,640 Lease liabilities 23,648

19,025

19,280

2,653 Total liabilities 2,191,367

2,385,978

2,851,866

392,430 Ordinary shares 130

130

130

18 Additional paid-in capital 5,171,232

5,172,942

5,175,653

712,194 Treasury stock (94,851)

(109,444)

(139,380)

(19,179) Accumulated other comprehensive

income 23,669

66,671

47,798

6,576 Retained earnings 2,985,369

3,470,748

3,879,702

533,865 Total equity 8,085,549

8,601,047

8,963,903

1,233,474 Total liabilities and equity 10,276,916

10,987,025

11,815,769

1,625,904

Operating Highlights and Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures (in thousands, except for number of borrowers, number of insurance clients, cumulative number of insurance clients and percentages)

For the Three Months Ended



For the Six Months Ended

June 30,

2023

March 31,

2024

June 30,

2024

June 30,

2024



June 30,

2023

June 30,

2024

June 30,

2024

RMB

RMB

RMB

USD



RMB

RMB

USD Operating Highlights



























Amount of loans facilitated 8,156,201

11,910,367

12,936,017

1,780,055



14,576,413

24,846,384

3,418,976 Number of borrowers 1,013,972

1,352,200

1,491,756

1,491,756



1,457,736

2,439,778

2,439,778 Remaining principal of performing loans 12,768,448

20,156,161

21,827,634

3,003,582



12,768,448

21,827,634

3,003,582 Cumulative number of insurance clients 1,133,069

1,343,660

1,410,158

1,410,158



1,133,069

1,410,158

1,410,158 Number of insurance clients 135,449

73,687

88,766

88,766



212,414

153,807

153,807 Gross written premiums 1,332,458

912,431

1,060,885

145,983



2,255,841

1,973,316

271,537 First year premium 1,101,928

514,141

577,387

79,451



1,729,243

1,091,528

150,199 Renewal premium 230,530

398,290

483,498

66,532



526,598

881,788

121,338 Gross merchandise volume 395,820

625,120

554,574

76,312



704,387

1,179,695

162,331





























Segment Information



























Financial services business:



























Revenue 581,974

738,117

851,031

117,106



1,065,847

1,589,148

218,674 Sales and marketing expenses 103,164

251,922

253,103

34,828



165,382

505,025

69,494 Origination, servicing and other operating

costs 38,961

85,787

113,234

15,582



86,570

199,021

27,386 Allowance for contract assets, receivables and

others 45,754

101,127

124,765

17,168



85,976

225,892

31,084 Provision for contingent liabilities 11,975

67,258

278,925

38,382



17,474

346,183

47,636





























Insurance brokerage business:



























Revenue 404,695

124,926

91,526

12,594



601,053

216,452

29,785 Sales and marketing expenses 3,845

3,565

4,263

587



6,134

7,828

1,077 Origination, servicing and other operating

costs 289,851

136,883

122,358

16,837



423,468

259,241

35,673 Allowance for contract assets, receivables and

others 3,614

1,012

(1,502)

(207)



3,626

(490)

(67)





























Consumption & lifestyle business and others:



























Revenue 337,537

515,041

553,979

76,230



643,649

1,069,020

147,102 Sales and marketing expenses 41,938

21,736

27,735

3,816



83,643

49,471

6,807 Origination, servicing and other operating

costs 17,555

10,600

10,950

1,506



36,074

21,550

2,965 Allowance for contract assets, receivables and

others (753)

9

(11)

(2)



(1,232)

(2)

-





























Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA



























Net income 527,348

485,883

409,528

56,353



954,514

895,411

123,213 Interest income, net (10,535)

(27,713)

(24,668)

(3,394)



(25,054)

(52,381)

(7,208) Income tax expense 139,758

131,779

92,036

12,664



262,428

223,815

30,798 Depreciation and amortization 1,778

1,892

2,026

279



3,646

3,918

539 Share-based compensation 3,321

1,207

2,136

294



5,410

3,343

460 Adjusted EBITDA 661,670

593,048

481,058

66,196



1,200,944

1,074,106

147,802 Adjusted EBITDA margin 50.0 %

43.0 %

32.1 %

32.1 %



52.0 %

37.4 %

37.4 %

Delinquency Rates



15-29 days

30-59 days

60-89 days December 31, 2019

0.8 %

1.3 %

1.0 % December 31, 2020

0.5 %

0.7 %

0.6 % December 31, 2021

0.9 %

1.5 %

1.2 % December 31, 2022

0.7 %

1.3 %

1.1 % December 31, 2023

0.9 %

1.4 %

1.2 % March 31, 2024

0.9 %

1.6 %

1.4 % June 30, 2024

0.8 %

1.4 %

1.6 %

Net Charge-Off Rate Loan

Issued

Period

Amount of Loans

Facilitated

During the Period

Accumulated M3+ Net

Charge-Off

as of June 30, 2024

Total Net Charge-

Off Rate

as of June 30, 2024



(in RMB thousands)

(in RMB thousands)



2019

3,431,443

381,533

11.1 % 2020

9,614,819

723,686

7.5 % 2021

23,195,224

1,418,075

6.1 % 2022

22,623,101

1,033,743

4.6 % 2023

36,036,301

2,126,589

5.9 % 2024Q1

11,910,367

105,205

0.9 %

M3+ Net Charge-Off Rate Loan

Issued

Period

Month on Book



4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 2019Q1

0.0 % 0.8 % 2.0 % 3.4 % 5.3 % 5.9 % 6.3 % 6.3 % 6.3 % 6.3 % 6.3 % 2019Q2

0.1 % 1.5 % 4.5 % 7.5 % 8.8 % 9.2 % 9.9 % 10.3 % 10.6 % 10.6 % 10.6 % 2019Q3

0.2 % 2.9 % 6.8 % 9.0 % 10.4 % 12.0 % 13.2 % 13.8 % 14.4 % 14.6 % 14.6 % 2019Q4

0.4 % 3.1 % 4.9 % 6.3 % 7.2 % 7.9 % 8.4 % 8.9 % 9.5 % 9.8 % 9.8 % 2020Q1

0.6 % 2.3 % 4.1 % 5.2 % 6.0 % 6.2 % 6.6 % 7.3 % 7.8 % 7.9 % 7.9 % 2020Q2

0.5 % 2.5 % 4.2 % 5.3 % 6.1 % 6.7 % 7.6 % 8.1 % 8.2 % 8.3 % 8.2 % 2020Q3

1.1 % 3.3 % 5.1 % 6.3 % 7.1 % 8.1 % 8.7 % 8.9 % 8.9 % 8.8 % 8.7 % 2020Q4

0.3 % 1.8 % 3.2 % 4.6 % 6.0 % 7.1 % 7.4 % 7.6 % 7.6 % 7.5 % 7.5 % 2021Q1

0.4 % 2.3 % 3.9 % 5.5 % 6.7 % 7.0 % 7.2 % 7.3 % 7.2 % 7.1 % 7.0 % 2021Q2

0.4 % 2.4 % 4.5 % 5.9 % 6.4 % 6.7 % 6.8 % 6.7 % 6.6 % 6.5 % 6.4 % 2021Q3

0.5 % 3.1 % 5.0 % 5.9 % 6.3 % 6.4 % 6.4 % 6.3 % 6.2 % 6.1 %

2021Q4

0.6 % 3.2 % 4.6 % 5.3 % 5.4 % 5.4 % 5.3 % 5.2 % 5.1 %



2022Q1

0.6 % 2.5 % 3.8 % 4.5 % 4.5 % 4.4 % 4.3 % 4.2 %





2022Q2

0.4 % 2.2 % 3.6 % 4.1 % 4.2 % 4.1 % 4.0 %







2022Q3

0.5 % 2.7 % 4.1 % 4.7 % 4.8 % 4.6 %









2022Q4

0.6 % 3.0 % 4.6 % 5.4 % 5.4 %











2023Q1

0.5 % 3.1 % 4.9 % 5.8 %













2023Q2

0.5 % 3.3 % 5.2 %















2023Q3

0.7 % 4.0 %

















2023Q4

0.6 %





















SOURCE Yiren Digital
Robust Profitable Growth amidst Consumption Mix-shift

Adjusted Net Income Grew 10.9% to RMB2.8 Billion

US$0.35 per Share Interim Dividend Announced

SHANGHAI, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE: ZTO and SEHK: 2057), a leading and fast-growing express delivery company in China ("ZTO" or the "Company"), today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024[1]. The Company grew parcel volume by 10.1% year over year while maintaining high quality of service and customer satisfaction. Adjusted net income increased 10.9%[2] to reach RMB2.8 billion. Cash generated from operating activities was RMB3.5 billion.

Second Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights

Revenues were RMB10,726.0 million ( US$1,475.9 million ), an increase of 10.1% from RMB9,740.3 million in the same period of 2023.

( ), an increase of 10.1% from in the same period of 2023. Gross profit was RMB3,620.5 million ( US$498.2 million ), an increase of 9.6% from RMB3,304.4 million in the same period of 2023.

( ), an increase of 9.6% from in the same period of 2023. Net income was RMB2,614.0 million ( US$359.7 million ), an increase of 3.3% from RMB2,530.2 million in the same period of 2023.

( ), an increase of 3.3% from in the same period of 2023. Adjusted EBITDA [3] was RMB4,339.7 million ( US$597.2 million ), an increase of 11.7% from RMB3,883.9 million in the same period of 2023.

was ( ), an increase of 11.7% from in the same period of 2023. Adjusted net income was RMB2,805.7 million ( US$386.1 million ), an increase of 10.9% from RMB2,531.0 million in the same period of 2023.

( ), an increase of 10.9% from in the same period of 2023. Basic and diluted net earnings per American depositary share ("ADS" [4] ) were RMB3.24 (US$0.45) and RMB3.16 (US$0.43) , an increase of 3.2% and 2.9% from RMB3.14 and RMB3.07 in the same period of 2023, respectively.

) were and , an increase of 3.2% and 2.9% from and in the same period of 2023, respectively. Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per American depositary share attributable to ordinary shareholders [5] were RMB3.48 (US$0.48) and RMB3.38 (US$0.47) , an increase of 10.8% and 10.1% from RMB3.14 and RMB3.07 in the same period of 2023, respectively.

were and , an increase of 10.8% and 10.1% from and in the same period of 2023, respectively. Net cash provided by operating activities was RMB3,480.1 million ( US$478.9 million ), compared with RMB3,761.6 million in the same period of 2023.

Operational Highlights for Second Quarter 2024

Parcel volume was 8,452 million, an increase of 10.1% from 7,677 million in the same period of 2023.

Number of pickup/delivery outlets was over 31,000 as of June 30, 2024 .

. Number of direct network partners was over 6,000 as of June 30, 2024 .

. Number of self-owned line-haul vehicles was approximately 10,000 as of June 30, 2024 .

. Out of the approximately 10,000 self-owned trucks, over 9,200 were high capacity 15 to 17-meter-long models as of June 30, 2024 , compared to over 9,300 as of June 30, 2023 .

, compared to over 9,300 as of . Number of line-haul routes between sorting hubs was over 3,800 as of June 30, 2024 , compared to approximately 3,800 as of June 30, 2023 .

, compared to approximately 3,800 as of . Number of sorting hubs was 96 as of June 30, 2024 , among which 90 are operated by the Company and 6 by the Company's network partners.

(1) An investor relations presentation accompanies this earnings release and can be found at http://zto.investorroom.com. (2) Adjusted net income is a non-GAAP financial measure, which is defined as net income before share-based compensation expense and non-recurring items such as impairment of investment in equity investees, gain/(loss) on disposal of equity investment and subsidiary and corresponding tax impact which management aims to better represent the underlying business operations. (3) Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure, which is defined as net income before depreciation, amortization, interest expenses and income tax expenses, and further adjusted to exclude the shared-based compensation expense and non-recurring items such as impairment of investment in equity investees, gain/(loss) on disposal of equity investment and subsidiary which management aims to better represent the underlying business operations. (4) One ADS represents one Class A ordinary share. (5) Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per American depositary share attributable to ordinary shareholders is a non-GAAP financial measure. It is defined as adjusted net income attributable to ordinary shareholders divided by weighted average number of basic and diluted American depositary shares, respectively.

Mr. Meisong Lai, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ZTO, commented, "For the second quarter this year, we continued to advance our re-balanced strategy that prioritizes quality over quantity by enhancing volume mix, improving operational efficiencies, helping to reduce last mile delivery costs, and increase profitability for outlets and couriers. With 8.5 billion parcels, our market share decreased 2.0 points to 19.6%, and our adjusted earnings increased 10.9% to 2.8 billion. We are on track to double the retail volume by the end of the year, aiming to gradually but steadfastly differentiate ourselves from the rest of the "Tongda" in brand recognition and customer satisfaction, and further our leadership in profitable growth."

Mr. Lai added, "China express delivery industry maintained relatively high growth, however, competition remained intense, the industry is under increased pressure. It is crucial for us to ensure fairness and maintain stability across the network. Our last-mile initiatives to drive up the ratio of retail parcel pickup to delivery will provide opportunities for franchise and couriers to earn more and ultimately provide greater pricing advantage for the front end in the long run."

Ms. Huiping Yan, Chief Financial Officer of ZTO, commented, "Core express ASP was flat at 1.24 while the impact of volume incentives and average parcel weight decline were offset by increases in non-ecommerce parcel mix. Combined unit sorting and transportation cost decreased 2 cents mainly driven by improvements in fleet operations with better resource utilizations. SG&A as a percentage of revenue remained stable at approximately 5.5%. Cash flow from operating activities was 3.5 billion, and capital spending was 1.3 billion."

Ms. Yan added, "Volume is not unimportant because it enables scale-leverage. We are getting better at weighing risks and opportunities in order to achieve appropriate level of profit and maximize value creation. We are reiterating our 2024 volume growth guidance of 15% to 18%. Strengthening long-term competitive advantage, breaking away from homogenized product offering that is conducive for unproductive price competition and building healthier and stronger partner-network and entrepreneurial courier excellence will prepare us for the vast opportunities ahead the logistic industry."

Second Quarter 2024 Unaudited Financial Results



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2023

2024

2023

2024

RMB

%

RMB

US$

%

RMB

%

RMB

US$

%

(in thousands, except percentages) Express delivery services 8,998,444

92.4

9,875,923

1,358,972

92.1

17,387,187

92.9

19,116,095

2,630,462

92.4 Freight forwarding services 238,872

2.5

233,242

32,095

2.2

431,597

2.3

435,989

59,994

2.1 Sale of accessories 467,778

4.8

580,422

79,869

5.4

836,616

4.5

1,065,484

146,615

5.2 Others 35,230

0.3

36,377

5,006

0.3

68,163

0.3

68,402

9,413

0.3 Total revenues 9,740,324

100.0

10,725,964

1,475,942

100.0

18,723,563

100.0

20,685,970

2,846,484

100.0

Total Revenues were RMB10,726.0 million (US$1,475.9 million), an increase of 10.1% from RMB9,740.3 million in the same period of 2023. Revenue from the core express delivery business increased by 10.4% compared to the same period of 2023 as a result of a 10.1% growth of parcel volume and stable parcel unit price. KA revenue including delivery fees from direct sales organizations, established to serve core express KA customers, increased by 73.9% as the proportion of higher-value customers continue to increase. Revenue from freight forwarding services decreased by 2.4% compared to the same period of 2023. Revenue from sales of accessories, largely consisted of sales of thermal paper used for digital waybills' printing, increased by 24.1%. Other revenues were mainly derived from financing services.



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2023

2024

2023

2024

RMB

% of

RMB

US$

% of

RMB

% of

RMB

US$

% of

revenues revenues revenues revenues

(in thousands, except percentages) Line-haul transportation cost 3,199,832

32.9

3,283,123

451,773

30.6

6,381,652

34.1

6,654,616

915,706

32.2 Sorting hub operating cost 1,934,666

19.9

2,227,670

306,538

20.8

3,948,037

21.1

4,395,871

604,892

21.3 Freight forwarding cost 222,272

2.3

216,724

29,822

2.0

405,244

2.2

405,106

55,744

2.0 Cost of accessories sold 126,700

1.3

160,093

22,030

1.5

234,128

1.3

293,140

40,337

1.4 Other costs 952,429

9.7

1,217,877

167,585

11.3

1,926,669

10.2

2,314,675

318,510

11.1 Total cost of revenues





































6,435,899

66.1

7,105,487

977,748

66.2

12,895,730

68.9

14,063,408

1,935,189

68.0















































Total cost of revenues was RMB7,105.5 million (US$977.7 million), an increase of 10.4% from RMB6,435.9 million in the same period last year.

Line haul transportation cost was RMB3,283.1 million (US$451.8 million), an increase of 2.6% from RMB3,199.8 million in the same period last year. The unit transportation cost decreased 6.8% or 3 cents mainly attributable to better economies of scale, optimized line-haul route planning and improved load rate.

Sorting hub operating cost was RMB2,227.7million (US$306.5 million), an increase of 15.1% from RMB1,934.7 million in the same period last year. The increase primarily consisted of (i) RMB154.6 million (US$21.3 million) increase in labor-associated costs, a net result of wage increases partially offset by automation-driven efficiency improvements and (ii) RMB73.9 million (US$10.2 million) increase in depreciation and amortization costs associated with expansion of automation equipment and facility upgrades to further improve the transit efficiency. As a result, sorting hub operating cost per unit increased 4.6% or 1 cent. As of June 30, 2024, there were 515 sets of automated sorting equipment in service, compared to 460 sets as of June 30, 2023.

Cost of accessories sold was RMB160.1 million (US$22.0 million), increased 26.4% compared with RMB126.7 million in the same period last year.

Other costs were RMB1,217.9 million (US$167.6 million), an increase of 27.9% from RMB952.4 million in the same period last year. The increase was mainly driven by RMB338.3 million (US$46.6 million) increase in costs associated with serving higher-value enterprise customers, level of which is consistent with related revenue increases.

Gross Profit was RMB3,620.5 million (US$498.2 million), increased by 9.6% from RMB3,304.4 million in the same period last year. Gross margin rate was 33.8% compared to 33.9% in the same period last year.

Total Operating Expenses were RMB405.3 million (US$55.8 million), compared to RMB425.7 million in the same period last year.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were RMB593.0 million (US$81.6 million), increased by 17.5% from RMB504.6 million in the same period last year, mainly due to the increases of compensation and benefits.

Other operating income, net was RMB187.7 million (US$25.8 million), compared to RMB79.0 million in the same period last year. Other operating income mainly consisted of (i) RMB147.1 million (US$20.2 million) of government subsidies and tax rebates, and (ii) RMB40.6 million (US$5.6 million) of rental and other income.

Income from operations was RMB3,215.2 million (US$442.4 million), an increase of 11.7% from RMB2,878.8 million for the same period last year. Operating margin rate increased to 30.0% from 29.6% in the same period last year.

Interest income was RMB288.1 million (US$39.6 million), compared with RMB167.1 million in the same period last year.

Interest expenses was RMB115.9 million (US$15.9 million), compared with RMB72.2 million in the same period last year.

Gain from fair value changes of financial instruments was RMB54.9 million (US$7.5 million), compared with a gain of RMB51.6 million in the same period last year. Such gain or loss from fair value changes of the financial instruments are quoted by commercial banks according to market-based estimation of future redemption prices.

Impairment of investment in equity investee was RMB194.5 million (US$26.8 million). Such provision for impairment charge was related to the Company's investment in Zhejiang Yizhan Network Technology Co., Ltd.(), a subsidiary of Cainiao Smart Logistics Network Ltd.().

Income tax expenses were RMB665.0 million (US$91.5 million) compared to RMB575.6 million in the same period last year. Overall income tax rate increased by 1.8 percentage points year over year mainly due to RMB54.0 million accrual of withholding tax on distributable earnings planned for dividend payment to ZTO Express (Hong Kong) Limited attributable for the second quarter.

Net income was RMB 2,614.0 million (US$359.7 million), which increased by 3.3% from RMB2,530.2 million in the same period last year.

Basic and diluted earnings per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders were RMB3.24 (US$0.45) and RMB3.16 (US$0.43), compared to basic and diluted earnings per ADS of RMB3.14 and RMB3.07 in the same period last year, respectively.

Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders were RMB3.48 (US$0.48) and RMB3.38 (US$0.47), compared with RMB3.14 and RMB3.07 in the same period last year, respectively.

Adjusted net income was RMB2,805.7 million (US$386.1 million), compared with RMB2,531.0 million during the same period last year.

EBITDA[1] was RMB4,150.1 million (US$571.1 million), compared with RMB3,883.1 million in the same period last year.

Adjusted EBITDA was RMB4,339.7 million (US$597.2 million), compared to RMB3,883.9 million in the same period last year.

Net cash provided by operating activities was RMB3,480.1 million (US$478.9 million), compared with RMB3,761.6 million in the same period last year.

(1) EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure, which is defined as net income before depreciation, amortization, interest expenses and income tax expenses which management aims to better represent the underlying business operations.

Declaration of Interim Dividend Payment

The board of directors (the "Board") has approved an interim cash dividend of US$0.35 per ADS and ordinary share for the six months ended June 30, 2024, to holders of its ordinary shares and ADSs as of the close of business on September 10, 2024. The dividend payment represents a 40% dividend payout ratio. For holders of Class A and Class B ordinary shares, in order to qualify for entitlement to the dividend, all valid documents for the transfer of shares accompanied by the relevant share certificates must be lodged for registration with the Company's Hong Kong branch share registrar, Computershare Hong Kong Investor Services Limited, at Shops 1712-1716, 17th Floor, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen's Road East, Wanchai, Hong Kong no later than 4:30 p.m. on September 10, 2024 (Hong Kong Time). The payment date is expected to be October 10,2024 for holders of Class A and Class B ordinary shares, and October 17,2024 for holders of ADSs.

Business Outlook

Based on current market and operating conditions, the Company maintains its previously stated annual guidance. Parcel volume for 2024 is expected to be in the range of 34.73 billion to 35.64 billion, representing a 15% to 18% increase year over year. Such estimates represent management's current and preliminary view, which are subject to change.

Exchange Rate

This announcement contains translation of certain Renminbi amounts into U.S. dollars at specified rates solely for the convenience of readers. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars were made at the exchange rate of RMB7.2672 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate on June 28,2024 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Systems.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company uses EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, adjusted net income attributable to ordinary shareholders, and adjusted basic and diluted earnings per American depositary share attributable to ordinary shareholders, each a non-GAAP financial measure, in evaluating ZTO's operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes.

Reconciliations of the Company's non-GAAP financial measures to its U.S. GAAP financial measures are shown in tables at the end of this earnings release, which provide more details about the non-GAAP financial measures.

The Company believes that such Non-GAAP measures help identify underlying trends in ZTO's business that could otherwise be distorted by the effect of the related expenses and gains that the Company includes in income from operations and net income. The Company believes that EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, adjusted net income attributable to ordinary shareholders and adjusted basic and diluted earnings per American depositary share attributable to ordinary shareholders provide useful information about its operating results, enhance the overall understanding of its past performance and future prospects and allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by ZTO's management in its financial and operational decision-making.

EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, adjusted net income attributable to ordinary shareholders and adjusted basic and diluted earnings per American depositary share attributable to ordinary shareholders should not be considered in isolation or construed as an alternative to net income or any other measure of performance or as an indicator of the Company's operating performance. Investors are encouraged to compare the historical non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures. EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, adjusted net income attributable to ordinary shareholders and adjusted basic and diluted earnings per American depositary share attributable to ordinary shareholders presented here may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Other companies may calculate similarly titled measures differently, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures to ZTO's data. ZTO encourages investors and others to review the Company's financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.

Conference Call Information

ZTO's management team will host an earnings conference call at 8:30 PM U.S. Eastern Time on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 (8:30 AM Beijing Time on August 21, 2024).

Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:

United States: 1-888-317-6003 Hong Kong: 800-963-976 Mainland China: 4001-206-115 Singapore: 800-120-5863 International: 1-412-317-6061 Passcode: 6523012

Please dial in 15 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin and provide the passcode to join the call.

A replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following numbers until August 27, 2024:

United States: 1-877-344-7529 International: 1-412-317-0088 Passcode: 9226740

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available at http://zto.investorroom.com.

About ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE: ZTO and SEHK:2057) ("ZTO" or the "Company") is a leading and fast-growing express delivery company in China. ZTO provides express delivery service as well as other value-added logistics services through its extensive and reliable nationwide network coverage in China.

ZTO operates a highly scalable network partner model, which the Company believes is best suited to support the significant growth of e-commerce in China. The Company leverages its network partners to provide pickup and last-mile delivery services, while controlling the mission-critical line-haul transportation and sorting network within the express delivery service value chain.

For more information, please visit http://zto.investorroom.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "aims," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "likely to," and other similar expressions. Among other things, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement contain forward-looking statements. ZTO may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the "HKEX"), in its interim and annual report to shareholders, in announcements, circulars or other publications made on the website of the HKEX, in press releases and other written materials, and in oral statements made by its officers, directors, or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements about ZTO's beliefs, plans, and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: risks relating to the development of the e-commerce and express delivery industries in China; its significant reliance on certain third-party e-commerce platforms; risks associated with its network partners and their employees and personnel; intense competition which could adversely affect the Company's results of operations and market share; any service disruption of the Company's sorting hubs or the outlets operated by its network partners or its technology system; ZTO's ability to build its brand and withstand negative publicity, or other favorable government policies. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in ZTO's filings with the SEC and the HKEX. All information provided in this announcement is as of the date of this announcement, and ZTO does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

Summary of Unaudited Consolidated Comprehensive Income Data:



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2023

2024

2023

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

(in thousands, except for share and per share data) Revenues 9,740,324

10,725,964

1,475,942

18,723,563

20,685,970

2,846,484 Cost of revenues (6,435,899)

(7,105,487)

(977,748)

(12,895,730)

(14,063,408)

(1,935,189) Gross profit 3,304,425

3,620,477

498,194

5,827,833

6,622,562

911,295 Operating (expenses)/income:





















Selling, general and administrative (504,607)

(592,978)

(81,596)

(1,291,214)

(1,489,619)

(204,978) Other operating income, net 78,957

187,698

25,828

292,598

348,955

48,018 Total operating expenses (425,650)

(405,280)

(55,768)

(998,616)

(1,140,664)

(156,960) Income from operations 2,878,775

3,215,197

442,426

4,829,217

5,481,898

754,335 Other income/(expenses):





















Interest income 167,108

288,077

39,641

259,020

533,098

73,357 Interest expense (72,218)

(115,855)

(15,942)

(143,928)

(199,771)

(27,489) Gain from fair value changes of





















financial instruments 51,640

54,862

7,549

207,213

97,582

13,428 Loss/(gain) on disposal of equity investees,





















subsidiary and others (764)

11,683

1,608

(764)

12,134

1,670 Impairment of investment in equity investee -

(194,452)

(26,757)

-

(672,816)

(92,583) Foreign currency exchange gain





















before tax 81,134

15,178

2,089

70,921

20,562

2,829 Income before income tax, and share of





















loss in equity method 3,105,675

3,274,690

450,614

5,221,679

5,272,687

725,547 Income tax expense (575,585)

(665,011)

(91,509)

(1,030,592)

(1,231,316)

(169,435) Share of gain in equity method





















investments 123

4,318

594

3,947

20,373

2,803 Net income 2,530,213

2,613,997

359,699

4,195,034

4,061,744

558,915 Net loss/(income) attributable to non-

controlling





















interests 10,991

(2,195)

(302)

16,506

(23,896)

(3,288) Net income attributable to ZTO Express





















(Cayman) Inc. 2,541,204

2,611,802

359,397

4,211,540

4,037,848

555,627 Net income attributable to ordinary





















shareholders 2,541,204

2,611,802

359,397

4,211,540

4,037,848

555,627 Net earnings per share attributed to





















ordinary shareholders





















Basic 3.14

3.24

0.45

5.21

5.01

0.69 Diluted 3.07

3.16

0.43

5.10

4.90

0.67 Weighted average shares used in





















calculating net earnings per ordinary





















share/ADS





















Basic 808,967,248

806,668,101

806,668,101

808,916,820

805,806,731

805,806,731 Diluted 840,176,316

839,697,501

839,697,501

840,125,888

838,836,131

838,836,131 Net income 2,530,213

2,613,997

359,699

4,195,034

4,061,744

558,915 Other comprehensive income/(loss),





















net of tax of nil:





















Foreign currency translation adjustment (161,168)

(35,230)

(4,848)

(141,897)

(117,560)

(16,177) Comprehensive income 2,369,045

2,578,767

354,851

4,053,137

3,944,184

542,738 Comprehensive loss/(income) attributable to





















non-controlling interests 10,991

(2,195)

(302)

16,506

(23,896)

(3,288) Comprehensive income attributable to ZTO





















Express (Cayman) Inc. 2,380,036

2,576,572

354,549

4,069,643

3,920,288

539,450

























Unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheets Data:

As of

December 31,

June 30,

2023

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

(in thousands, except for share data) ASSETS









Current assets:









Cash and cash equivalents 12,333,884

10,542,131

1,450,646 Restricted cash 686,568

22,253

3,062 Accounts receivable, net 572,558

687,792

94,643 Financing receivables 1,135,445

1,070,565

147,315 Short-term investment 7,454,633

9,898,796

1,362,120 Inventories 28,074

28,095

3,866 Advances to suppliers 821,942

860,573

118,419 Prepayments and other current assets 3,772,377

4,657,146

640,845 Amounts due from related parties 148,067

170,038

23,398 Total current assets 26,953,548

27,937,389

3,844,314 Investments in equity investee 3,455,119

2,095,453

288,344 Property and equipment, net 32,181,025

33,180,203

4,565,748 Land use rights, net 5,637,101

5,780,463

795,418 Intangible assets, net 23,240

20,141

2,771 Operating lease right-of-use assets 672,193

521,130

71,710 Goodwill 4,241,541

4,241,541

583,655 Deferred tax assets 879,772

846,558

116,490 Long-term investment 12,170,881

14,034,434

1,931,202 Long-term financing receivables 964,780

1,000,306

137,647 Other non-current assets 701,758

931,597

128,192 Amounts due from related parties-non current 584,263

514,583

70,809 TOTAL ASSETS 88,465,221

91,103,798

12,536,300 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY









Current liabilities









Short-term bank borrowing 7,765,990

10,390,800

1,429,822 Accounts payable 2,557,010

2,200,315

302,773 Advances from customers 1,745,727

1,643,280

226,123 Income tax payable 333,257

317,156

43,642 Amounts due to related parties 234,683

154,446

21,252 Operating lease liabilities 186,253

154,257

21,226 Dividends payable 1,548

20,616

2,837 Other current liabilities 7,236,716

7,208,199

991,881 Total current liabilities 20,061,184

22,089,069

3,039,556 Non-current operating lease liabilities 455,879

328,909

45,259 Deferred tax liabilities 638,200

495,408

68,170 Convertible bond 7,029,550

7,216,538

993,029 TOTAL LIABILITIES 28,184,813

30,129,924

4,146,014 Shareholders' equity









Ordinary shares (US$0.0001 par value; 10,000,000,000 shares authorized;

812,866,663 shares issued and 804,719,252 shares outstanding as of









December 31, 2023; 812,866,663 shares issued and 806,668,101 shares









outstanding as of June 30, 2024) 525

525

72 Additional paid-in capital 24,201,745

24,477,250

3,368,182 Treasury shares, at cost (510,986)

(377,156)

(51,898) Retained earnings 36,301,185

36,634,344

5,041,054 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (190,724)

(308,284)

(42,421) ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. shareholders' equity 59,801,745

60,426,679

8,314,989 Noncontrolling interests 478,663

547,195

75,297 Total Equity 60,280,408

60,973,874

8,390,286 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY 88,465,221

91,103,798

12,536,300













Summary of Unaudited Consolidated Cash Flow Data:



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2023

2024

2023

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

(in thousands) Net cash provided by operating activities 3,761,604

3,480,095

478,877

6,499,578

5,511,115

758,355 Net cash used in investing activities (3,541,559)

(4,666,289)

(642,103)

(9,408,160)

(7,044,941)

(969,416) Net cash used in by financing activities (1,974,295)

(1,103,622)

(151,863)

(1,133,723)

(973,492)

(133,957) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash





















equivalents and restricted cash 104,871

(3,526)

(485)

95,934

35,077

4,827 Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents





















and restricted cash (1,649,379)

(2,293,342)

(315,574)

(3,946,371)

(2,472,241)

(340,191) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at





















beginning of period 10,306,095

12,872,411

1,771,303

12,603,087

13,051,310

1,795,920 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of





















period 8,656,716

10,579,069

1,455,729

8,656,716

10,579,069

1,455,729

























The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the condensed consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total of the same such amounts shown in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows:



As of

June 30,

June 30,

2023

2024

RMB

RMB

US$





(in thousands)



Cash and cash equivalents 7,781,443

10,542,131

1,450,646 Restricted cash, current 851,899

22,253

3,062 Restricted cash, non-current 23,374

14,685

2,021 Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 8,656,716

10,579,069

1,455,729













Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2023

2024

2023

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

(in thousands, except for share and per share data) Net income 2,530,213

2,613,997

359,699

4,195,034

4,061,744

558,915 Add:





















Share-based compensation expense (1) -

6,768

931

254,976

305,155

41,991 Impairment of investment in equity investee (1) -

194,452

26,757

-

672,816

92,583 Loss/(gain) on disposal of equity investees





















and subsidiary, net of income taxes 764

(9,496)

(1,307)

764

(9,947)

(1,369) Adjusted net income 2,530,977

2,805,721

386,080

4,450,774

5,029,768

692,120























Net income 2,530,213

2,613,997

359,699

4,195,034

4,061,744

558,915 Add:





















Depreciation 671,283

720,930

99,203

1,322,968

1,473,049

202,698 Amortization 33,791

34,345

4,726

68,584

68,325

9,402 Interest expenses 72,218

115,855

15,942

143,928

199,771

27,489 Income tax expenses 575,585

665,011

91,509

1,030,592

1,231,316

169,435 EBITDA 3,883,090

4,150,138

571,079

6,761,106

7,034,205

967,939























Add:





















Share-based compensation expense -

6,768

931

254,976

305,155

41,991 Impairment of investment in equity investee -

194,452

26,757

-

672,816

92,583 Loss/(gain) on disposal of equity investees





















and subsidiary 764

(11,683)

(1,608)

764

(12,134)

(1,670) Adjusted EBITDA 3,883,854

4,339,675

597,159

7,016,846

8,000,042

1,100,843





























(1) Net of income taxes of nil

Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30

2023

2024

2023

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

(in thousands, except for share and per share data) Net income attributable to ordinary





















shareholders 2,541,204

2,611,802

359,397

4,211,540

4,037,848

555,627 Add:





















Share-based compensation expense (1) -

6,768

931

254,976

305,155

41,991 Impairment of investment in equity investee (1) -

194,452

26,757

-

672,816

92,583 Loss/(gain) on disposal of equity investees





















and subsidiary, net of income taxes 764

(9,496)

(1,307)

764

(9,947)

(1,369) Adjusted Net income attributable to





















ordinary shareholders 2,541,968

2,803,526

385,778

4,467,280

5,005,872

688,832























Weighted average shares used in





















calculating net earnings per ordinary





















share/ADS





















Basic 808,967,248

806,668,101

806,668,101

808,916,820

805,806,731

805,806,731 Diluted 840,176,316

839,697,501

839,697,501

840,125,888

838,836,131

838,836,131























Net earnings per share/ADS attributable to





















ordinary shareholders





















Basic 3.14

3.24

0.45

5.21

5.01

0.69 Diluted 3.07

3.16

0.43

5.10

4.90

0.67























Adjusted net earnings per share/ADS





















attributable to ordinary shareholders





















Basic 3.14

3.48

0.48

5.52

6.21

0.85 Diluted 3.07

3.38

0.47

5.40

6.06

0.83























(1) Net of income taxes of nil

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc.

Investor Relations

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: +86 21 5980 4508

SOURCE ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc.
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New York, Aug 20 : Former US Representative George Santos, who was expelled from Congress last year, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

The guilty plea came on Monday just weeks before the New York Republican was set to stand trial on 23 federal felony counts, including allegations of fraud related to Covid-19 unemployment benefits, misusing campaign funds and lying about his personal finances on House disclosure reports, Xinhua news agency reported.

"I betrayed the trust of my constituents and supporters. I deeply regret my conduct," Santos said at a Long Island courtroom in New York.

The former congressman's sentencing hearing is set for February 7, 2025.

In December 2023, the US House of Representatives voted 311-114 to expel Santos from Congress over his lies, scandals and alleged campaign finance crimes.
Moscow, Aug 20 : Russian President Vladimir Putin has asserted that there cannot be any talks with Ukraine after its attack on Russia's border Kursk region, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

"The president made it very clear that following the attacks on the Kursk region, any talks are impossible", Lavrov said in an interview with local media.

Meanwhile, he refuted some allegations that the two countries made contacts mediated by a third party, claiming them as pure rumours, Xinhua news agency reported.

The top Russian diplomat also indicated that the entire process within the frames of the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland is unacceptable for Russia because "it is about promoting the Zelensky formula as an ultimatum."
United Nations, Aug 20 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has demanded the "immediate and unconditional" release of the UN personnel and others detained by Yemen's Houthi group.

Guterres remained deeply concerned about the well-being of the UN personnel, members of civil society, national and international non-governmental organizations, diplomatic missions and private sector entities that have been detained by the Houthis for more than two months, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN chief, in a statement on Monday.

He said the secretary-general "demands their immediate and unconditional release", Xinhua news agency reported.

Dujarric noted that the secretary-general also strongly condemned the recent forced entry by the Houthis into the premises of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sanaa. He added that the Houthis handed the office back to the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Yemen on Monday.

Guterres reiterated that those detained must be treated with full respect for their human rights, and that they must be able to contact their families and legal representatives, the statement said.

It warned that the humanitarian situation in Yemen is dire, with over 18 million people suffering from food insecurity, epidemics, displacement, damaged infrastructure and critical economic conditions.

The United Nations is working tirelessly to address the impact of the situation on the people of Yemen, but the safety of the UN personnel must be assured, the statement said, adding that the world body and its partners "should never be targeted, arrested or detained while carrying out their mandates."
New Delhi, Aug 20 : Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defence Minister Minoru Kihara, who arrived in New Delhi on Monday, will hold the third round of India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial meeting with their Indian counterparts on Tuesday.

The meeting is scheduled to be held here at the Hyderabad House on Tuesday evening.

The Japanese ministers on Monday paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the presence of External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Prime Minister Modi welcomed the Japanese ministers and underscored the importance of holding 2+2 meeting in the context of increasingly complex regional and global order, and deepening ties between India and Japan.

The Prime Minister also shared his thoughts and ideas on closer cooperation between "trusted friends" like India and Japan, especially in areas like critical minerals, semiconductors and defence manufacturing, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

During the meeting with Prime Minister Modi, Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa, who is on her first visit to India since taking over the post, said that Japan and India have a "great responsibility" for the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and the international society.

She also expressed her wish to "co-create" new solutions to various issues the international society is facing.

Meanwhile, Japanese Defence Minister Kihara stated that the steady progress in security cooperation between Japan and India is proof that both countries recognise the importance of such cooperation, and asked Prime Minister Modi for his continued cooperation, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Before the 2+2 talks, the Japanese Foreign Minister is also scheduled to hold discussions with EAM Jaishankar, where they will confirm their intention to deepen cooperative relations between the two countries in the areas of bilateral economic and development cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and in the international arena.

Last month, during his visit to Tokyo for the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting, EAM Jaishankar stated that India-Japan ties are shaped by the regional and global environment and there is a need for a "contemporary partnership" in an era of new capabilities, new technologies, new challenges and new stresses.

He had, the same day, held talks with Kamikawa where she stated that Tokyo considers New Delhi as an important partner with which it intends to deepen cooperation and "co-create" new solutions through dialogue and collaboration.
Seoul, Aug 20 : A North Korean soldier crossed the border into South Korea early Tuesday in the latest defection amid Seoul's propaganda campaign in response to Pyongyang's s "repeated launches of trash-carrying balloons".

The South Korean military detected the soldier from north of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas in the eastern section of the border and conducted an operation to help him arrive in the South, Yonhap news agency reported.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirmed the defection of the soldier, reportedly a staff sergeant, and said relevant authorities are conducting an investigation into how the defection took place. It did not provide further details on the defector.

No unusual movements by the North Korean military have been detected so far, the JCS added.

The defection came about two weeks after a North Korean resident defected to the South by crossing the neutral zone of the Han River estuary located west of the inter-Korean land border.

The inflow of North Korean defectors has continued amid chronic food shortages and harsh political oppression in the North. In the first half of the year, the number of North Korean defectors arriving in the South reached 105, slightly up from 99 the previous year.

South Korea has been conducting full-scale anti-Pyongyang broadcasts, including news and K-pop music, daily through its border loudspeakers since mid-July in response to the North's "repeated launches of trash-carrying balloons".

North Korea has reportedly launched more than 3,600 trash balloons since May 28 in a tit-for-tat move against balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets flown by North Korean defectors in South Korea.
Jaipur, Aug 20 : The last rites of the teenager who was stabbed by his classmate on August 16 in Rajasthan's Udaipur are being performed amid tight security arrangements across the city.

All schools and colleges in the city will remain closed on Tuesday in view of the funeral.

The funeral procession departed in the morning from the teen's house amid tight security. District administration officials are also present in the procession.

Further, to ensure law and order in the city prohibitory orders have been clamped and there is a ban on gathering of crowds in any area of aathe city. Besides, huge police force has been deputed at every nook and corner.

Internet services lie suspended and drones have been deployed to monitor the situation.

Officials confirmed that the student's body was handed over to his family at 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Soon after the death of the student, a huge crowd gathered at the hospital and started protesting. The family refused to take his body and demanded the harshest punishment for the accused, a government job for a family member and Rs 1 crore as compensation. However, later consensus was reached at Rs 51 lakh as compensation and a contractual job for a family member and then a post-mortem was performed

The 15-year-old student Devraj succumbed to his injuries on Monday afternoon in a tragic turn of events. He was stabbed by his classmate over a trivial issue which was refusing to share his notebook on August 16.

Violence followed soon after the incident, vehicles were torched and a shopping mall was vandalised.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma was monitoring the situation and also sent a team of doctors team to Udaipur, however, the boy lost his life on Monday.

State minister Jawahar Singh Bedham condoled the student's death and said, "Despite all efforts of state government, the child could not be saved. I appeal to all to maintain peace."
Tel Aviv, Aug 20 : Even as truce talks between Israel and Hamas are taking place, the former carried out an airstrike targeting a Hezbollah arms depot in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley.

However, no casualties were reported in the strike. Lebanon's Health Ministry said the strikes injured eight people, including two Syrian children.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF ) in a statement late Monday night said that the military targeted Hezbollah arms depot.

The IDF in a statement said that it attacked "Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in the area of Bekaa Valley in Lebanon and added that the strike occurred hours after an IDF officer was killed in an explosive drone attack on northern Israel".

The deceased Israeli officer was identified as Chief Warrant Officer Mahmood Amaria (45). The IDF also said that several soldiers were wounded at a military base near Ya'ara in Western Galilee.

The statement further said, "Following the strikes, secondary explosions were identified, indicating the presence of large amounts of weapons in the facilities struck."

Hezbollah, it may be recalled had fired five explosive drones at Israel on Monday. Israel has retaliated by attacking the Hezbollah arms depot.

Lebanese state media reported that at least three Israeli airstrikes hit towns in Lebanon's northeastern Baalbek district.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasarullah had openly stated that the organisation would avenge the death of its military commander, Fuad Shukr who was assassinated by Israel on July 30 in Beirut hours before the killing of Hamas political bureau chief, Ismael Haniyeh.

Meanwhile, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to the American 'bridging proposal' on the release of hostages after a three-hour meeting with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jerusalem. "The Prime Minister reiterated Israel's commitment to the current American proposal on the release of our hostages, which takes into account Israel's security needs, which he strongly insists on," Netanyahu's Office said in a statement on Monday. The statement marked the first time Netanyahu publicly endorsed the latest US formula.
Tel Aviv, Aug 20 : The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel and will travel to Cairo on Tuesday.

The American dignitary is on his ninth visit to the Middle East after the Hamas massacre and mayhem in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, leading to the killing of 1,200 people and kidnapping of 251 people into Gaza as hostages. He will be travelling to Doha after the Cairo meeting.

The US Secretary of State will be having discussions with the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah al Sisi and Egyptian intelligence head Major General Abbas Kamel, who has been one of the key negotiators in the ongoing indirect peace talks between Israel and Hamas.

He will then fly to Doha and meet Qatar Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman bin Jassim al Thani who is also part of the indirect peace talks and who enjoys excellent personal rapport with the Hamas leadership.

Blinken, who reached Tel Aviv on Sunday, held a series of meetings with Israel's President Issac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant and other senior leaders on Monday.

Blinken told media persons in Tel Aviv that Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted the ceasefire proposal and that the US was waiting for the Hamas' response to this.

However, Hamas has not given a positive response and its leader Osama Hamdan, while speaking to Arab media outlets, said that Hamas wanted an agreement on the implementation mechanism in Gaza.

He also said that the new US proposal has raised several ambiguities as it was not what was presented to Hamas and what the organisation has agreed upon.

According to Arab media reports, even though Hamas was publicly raising scepticism on the US proposal, there was immense pressure on the Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar to accept the proposal and enter into a truce.

Israel's Prime Minister's office confirmed that it will participate in the Cairo peace talks to be held this week. Mossad Chief David Barnea, Shin Bet head Ronen Bar and IDF representative Nitzan Alon will lead the Israel team during the Cairo peace talks.
Los Angeles, Aug 20 : Actor Michael Madsen, who is known for his work in Quentin Tarantino films such as 'Kill Bill: Volume 1', 'Kill Bill: Volume 2' and 'Reservoir Dogs', was arrested in Malibu on charges of domestic battery following "a disagreement between" the actor and his wife, DeAnna Madsen.

Los Angeles, Aug 20 (IANS) Actor Michael Madsen, who is known for his work in Quentin Tarantino films such as 'Kill Bill: Volume 1', 'Kill Bill: Volume 2' and 'Reservoir Dogs', was arrested in Malibu on charges of domestic battery following "a disagreement between" the actor and his wife, DeAnna Madsen.

Authorities based at the Malibu Sheriff's Station responded to a call and the 66-year-old actor was arrested for a domestic battery misdemeanour under Penal Code 243(e)(1) of the US law, which means force or violence was allegedly used against a cohabitant, reports Variety.

"It was a disagreement between Michael and his wife, which we hope resolves positively for them both," a representative for Madsen said in a statement.

As per Variety, the actor is no longer in custody after posting a $20,000 bond. Michael Madsen married DeAnna Morgan in 1996 in Ocho Rios, Jamaica while he was on a break from shooting Donnie Brasco. Together they had three sons, Luke, Kalvin and Hudson. Hudson died by suicide in January 2022.

The actor made a splash in Quentin Tarantino's 1992 debut thriller 'Reservoir Dogs', which featured Madsen as Mr Blonde, the live-wire criminal that famously danced to Stealer Wheel's 'Stuck in the Middle With You' while mutilating a hostage police officer captured during a heist gone wrong.

The actor has played roles across Tarantino's films, playing the washed-up assassin Budd in 'Kill Bill: Volume 1', 'Kill Bill: Volume 2', the deceitful cowboy Joe Gage in 'The Hateful Eight' and a conspicuous cameo in the director's latest, 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'.

Madsen has been a genre regular over his career, with credits including 'Thelma and Louise', 'Donnie Brasco', 'Sin City', 'Mulholland Falls', 'Wyatt Earp' and 'Iguana'. In recent years, he has worked steadily across numerous direct-to-video productions.
Kolkata, Aug 20 : Forum for Durgotsab, an association of community Puja committees in West Bengal has issued an appeal to the public not to link the forthcoming Durga Puja festival with the ghastly murder and rape of a woman doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital.

The appeal from the forum comes in the wake of a popular Durga Puja Committee in the state, Uttarpara Sakti Sangha club based out of Uttarpara in Hooghly district, having announced to refuse the annual Puja donation by the state government as a token protest against the rape and murder tragedy.

Following that announcement by Uttarpara Sakti Sangha some other smaller Durga Puja committees have announced the refusal of the donation which has been increased to Rs 85,000 this year from Rs 70,000 last year.

In the meantime, a massive social media campaign is going on requesting all community Durga Puja committees to refuse the state government donation. Campaigns are also going on appealing to people to keep the festival a low-key affair in the wake of the R.G Kar Hospital tragedy.

Amid these developments, the Forum for Durgotsab has issued a statement requesting people to allow the festival to maintain its own rhythm like the previous years.

"Considering that the sentiment of Bengalis is attached to Durga Puja, please do not link the festival with the tragedy," the forum said in the statement.

At the same time, the forum has also demanded the most severe punishment for those found guilty in the rape and murder case.

However, the statement has again been trolled in social media with netizens claiming that they doubt whether the forum's appeal is keeping in mind the Bengali sentiments or is it because of the attraction associated with different awards for Puja committees under various parameters.

Earlier, when Uttarpara Sakti Sangha announced its decision to refuse state government donation, Trinamool Congress leader launched a scathing attack against the committee by describing the move as a stunt to attract publicity over the R.G. Kar tragedy.
Bhopal, Aug 20 : The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday will hear the matter about the safety and security of doctors in hospitals and is likely to pronounce its judgment.

The HC on Saturday had asked the protesting doctors to end their strike and submit their grievances. Complying with the HC's order, the Junior Doctors Association (JUDA) had called off their strike.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Raj Mohan Singh had asked the protesting doctors to submit their grievances in court and scheduled the hearing for August 20.

Junior doctors on August 17 had submitted that they feel insecure during working hours and the matter needs to be heard on priority.

Doctors in Madhya Pradesh protested for two days over the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last week.

Doctors and other medical staff in AIIMS Bhopal have also staged protests.

Executive Director of AIIMS Bhopal Dr Ajay Singh has appealed to the resident doctors and students reminding them that the protest should not disrupt patient care. "As doctors, we must always ensure that no patient leaves without receiving treatment due to our actions. Protests should be conducted in a way that minimises disruption to hospital operations so that patients continue to receive care," he said.

Dr Singh also informed that AIIMS Bhopal was also engaging with various stakeholders to address the concerns arising from the protest. "The safety of doctors is a very sensitive issue, and it is our responsibility to ensure it. We will take all necessary steps to protect our medical professionals."

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had declared a nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency health services for 24 hours beginning on August 17 in protest against the rape and murder of a Kolkata doctor and the subsequent damage to the hospital infrastructure.

The female doctor was found dead in mysterious circumstances in Kolkata's R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. One man was arrested in the case which was handed over to the CBI on Calcutta High Court's order.
Kolkata, Aug 20 : West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Tuesday arrived in Delhi and is expected to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and submit a report on the situation evolving in the state following the rape and murder of a woman doctor at the state-run R.G Kar Medical College & Hospital earlier this month.

Political observers feel that since the Governor had already, after interacting with the protesting medical students and junior doctors at R.G Kar last week, criticized the role of the state government in handling the entire case, his report to the Union Mome Ministry might cause further embarrassment to the state government and the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Even Trinamool Congress leadership is also apprehensive about that. According to the party leader Kunal Ghosh, the Governor is under pressure from the Union government to prepare and submit such a report so that the democratically elected government in the state can be put in trouble.

The state BJP leaders, during the last few days, have been vocal on central intervention in the R.G Kar matter amid statewide protests going on to date.

On August 15, the Governor visited R.G. Kar Hospital and assured the protesting doctors and medical students of justice in the tragedy.

"Whatever happened at R.G. Kar during the last few days is a blot in the name of humanity. I will not tolerate such things at any cost. The demands of the protesting doctors are just that the real culprits should be nabbed and punished. Students are the future of the country. They should be given proper hearing," the Governor said then.

He also said that maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the state government besides giving a call for everyone to be united for the sake of women's safety.

There have been massive protests in West Bengal and a strike by doctors across the country over the case and allegations of a botched probe and cover-up.
Jaipur, Aug 20 : The last rites of the teen student, who died on Monday after being stabbed by his classmate on August 16 in Rajasthan's Udaipur district, were performed on Tuesday morning amid tight security arrangements.

The child was cremated by his father and cousin. People were seen raising slogans during the last rites.

All schools and colleges in the city are closed on Tuesday in view of the funeral.

The funeral procession departed in the morning from the teen's house amid tight security. District administration officials were also present in the procession.

Further, to ensure law and order in the city, prohibitory orders have been clamped and gathering of crowds in any area of the city has been banned. Besides, a huge police force has been deployed at every nook and corner.

Internet services remain suspended and drones have been deployed to monitor the situation.

Officials confirmed that the student's body was handed over to his family at 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Soon after the death of the student, a huge crowd gathered at the hospital and started protesting. The family refused to take his body and demanded the harshest punishment for the accused, a government job for a family member and Rs 1 crore as compensation. However, later a consensus was reached at Rs 51 lakh as compensation and a contractual job for a family member and then a post-mortem was performed

The 15-year-old student Devraj succumbed to his injuries on Monday afternoon in a tragic turn of events. The student was stabbed by his classmate after he refused to share his notebook.

Violence followed soon after the incident, vehicles were torched and a shopping mall was vandalised.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma monitored the situation and sent a team of doctors to Udaipur. However, the boy died on Monday.

State minister Jawahar Singh Bedham condoled the student's death and said, "Despite all efforts of state government, the child could not be saved. I appeal to all to maintain peace."

Those present in the funeral procession demanded quick and harsh punishment for the accused. They said that the accused should not be spared in the name of the accused being a minor.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : For some older adults with kidney failure, dialysis may not be feasible, finds a new study that calls for more careful consideration for the procedure among people who are 75 or 80 years old.

The study, conducted by Stanford University in the US, finds that even if dialysis is used, it will accord those patients only one extra week for their lifespan. On the other hand, it will increase their time being spent in the hospital by two weeks or more, which is not an advantageous position for the parties involved, the team said.

The study, building upon previous records, examined the impact of dialysis on older adults. Using electronic health records to mimic a randomised clinical trial, the researchers separated patients into two groups: those who began dialysis right once and those who had to wait at least a month. Approximately 50 per cent of the patients in the waiting group did not begin dialysis throughout three years.

Individuals who began dialysis right away lived, on average, nine days longer than those who did not, but they also required thirteen more days of hospitalisation.

Further, patients 80 years of age and above who began dialysis right away survived an average of 60 more days but spent 13 more days in an inpatient facility; patients aged 65 to 79 who started dialysis right away lived an average of 17 fewer days while spending 14 more days in an inpatient facility.

According to the study, starting dialysis as soon as possible may increase the chances of survival, but it will also increase the length of time spent receiving it and the likelihood that the patient will require hospitalisation, said Maria Montez Rath, a senior research engineer at Stanford University.

Dialysis is often presented as a choice between life and death, leading patients to overestimate benefits and well-being. However, presenting it as symptom-alleviating helps patients understand trade-offs, said the team.
Tokyo, Aug 20 : Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) decided on Tuesday to hold its presidential election on September 27 to select a successor to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, local media reported.

The upcoming election, the first since 2021 when Kishida was elected party's leader, is expected to see about a dozen lawmakers vie for the post to succeed Kishida, with the winner to be anointed Prime Minister, given the ruling coalition controls both Houses of Parliament, Xinhua news agency reported quoting Kyodo News.

Kishida, whose three-year term as an LDP President expires at the end of September, made a surprise announcement last week that he will step down without seeking re-election, leading a wide field of LDP figures to consider running, the report said.

Around the same period, the main Opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan currently led by Kenta Izumi is scheduled to hold its leadership election, with campaigning due to begin on September 7 and voting on September 23.

Former economic security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi, 49, on Monday, became the first to throw his hat into the ring for the LDP presidency.

The LDP will start a 15-day campaigning period for the race from September 12, a few days longer than the more common 12 days, in an apparent bid to improve transparency in hopes of restoring public trust in the party following a slush funds scandal, Kyodo News said.

The popular former Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba has expressed confidence that he can secure the backing of at least 20 party members, clearing the threshold to run in the race. He is expected to decide on his candidacy soon.

While Ishiba's past four attempts to become LDP leader fell flat, a Kyodo News poll released on Monday showed he was the most favoured to succeed Kishida, followed by former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Sanae Takaichi, the Minister in charge of economic security.

Kobayashi and the 43-year-old Koizumi both could present themselves as figures of generational change for the LDP as it looks to break from its recent troubles.

Japan's top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi, Digital Minister Taro Kono, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Industry Minister Ken Saito are among the prominent members of Kishida's Cabinet who are seen as likely to enter the presidential race.
Taipei, Aug 20 : Taiwan's railway service has experienced four accidents in a single week, mostly due to trespassing on the tracks.

On the evening of August 18, a man was killed in Kaohsiung, a major city in Taiwan, after riding his bicycle onto the railway tracks and being struck by an oncoming train, Xinhua news agency reported.

This came a day after a train was forced to stop in Hualien after colliding with a stone that had been placed on the tracks by a teenager.

On August 13, a woman was killed by a train after she fell onto the tracks from a railway platform in New Taipei City.

Two days earlier, another trespassing man was killed after being struck by a train at night at Songshan station in Taipei.

There is growing public concern about railway safety on the island, with increasing calls for authorities to install platform doors at stations.

The Taiwan railway service provider responded that the installation is complicated by the variety of train car types.

It added that platform doors would be tested at the Kaohsiung station by the end of the year, and installation at other stations awaits further evaluation.
Bengaluru, Aug 20 : In a twist to the sexual assault case involving a graduate student from Nagaland in Bengaluru, the traffic police have booked her for driving under the influence of alcohol and causing a series of accidents.

An FIR has been filed against the student at the Adugodi traffic police station based on a complaint against her, police sources said on Tuesday.

According to the police, the victim, a BCA graduate, was driving in an inebriated state after partying at a pub in the Koramangala locality on August 17. Unable to drive properly under the influence of alcohol, she collided with two auto-rickshaws and a motorcycle near Mangala Junction. After hitting the vehicles, she did not stop and drove away.

The auto drivers whose vehicles were damaged, chased her vehicle and eventually managed to stop it. The victim then engaged in a heated argument with the auto drivers. When a police patrol vehicle arrived at the scene, her male friend sent her away to avoid complications. The woman left the scene by taking a ride on a motorcycle and managed to escape.

Her friend later pacified the enraged auto drivers and began searching for her. Meanwhile, the victim got off the motorcycle and boarded another two-wheeler. The accused scooter rider, 24-year-old Mukheshwaran aka Mukesh, a resident of Audugodi in Bengaluru, took her to an isolated place and sexually assaulted her.

The victim, a final-year BCA graduate, is currently receiving treatment at a hospital. She resisted the sexual assault, leaving scratches all over the accused's face. In a state of shock, she sent an emergency message to her friend, who then informed others and tracked her location.

The victim was found naked behind a truck. Her friends noticed a stranger at the scene, but when they tried to question him, he fled. They then admitted her to a hospital in Bommasandra.

The preliminary investigation has confirmed that the victim was in an inebriated state. The police have formed five teams to apprehend the accused.

Police sources stated that they would question the victim about the hit-and-run case only after she had fully recovered.

Meanwhile, the police investigating the sexual assault case reviewed footage from 150 CCTV cameras installed along a 10-kilometre stretch from where the suspect picked up the young woman to the crime scene. A team of 40 officers collected 1,000 phone numbers that were active at the two locations. The accused was tracked down after the colour of his scooter was identified and his mobile number was confirmed at the crime scene.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim received a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.

Marking his arrival on Monday evening for an official three-day visit to India, PM Anwar Ibrahim is on his maiden visit to India since taking office in November 2022, upon the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The two countries will continue to explore initiatives to further strengthen bilateral relations that were elevated to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership in 2015.

Following his ceremonial welcome, PM Ibrahim headed to Raj Ghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

Randhir Jaiswal, Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, too to X and posted with a picture of the dignitary: "Remembering the Father of the Nation and his universal ideals! PM @anwaribrahim of Malaysia paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat."

Malaysia is a key pillar of India's Act East Policy and a valued partner in the Southeast Asian region. The Malaysian Prime Minister's maiden visit is expected to strengthen the relations between India and Malaysia.

This is a significant visit in the direction of enhancing economic relations between the two Asian countries. About 150 Indian companies are based in Malaysia, and about 70 Malaysian companies are based in India.

Enhancing capacities and focusing on trade and investment are expected to be the main focus of the dignitary's visit.

The MoUs signed between the nations pertain largely to the promotion of yoga, ayurvedic medicines, and a boost to tourism.

Tourism is an important aspect of India-Malaysia relations as it is a significant aspect of the people-to-people connect that brings together the two nations.

Malaysia is home to the third-largest Indian diaspora.
Moscow, Aug 20 : More than 121,000 civilians have been safely removed from nine border districts in the Kursk region, said Artyom Sharov, deputy spokesperson for the Emergencies Ministry.

"Ever since the start of the evacuation process, we have successfully relocated more than 121,000 individuals from the nine border districts, officials said on Monday as reported by Xinhua news agency.

In just the last 24 hours, the number of people who have voluntarily left or were escorted in organised groups has exceeded 650," Sharov told a press conference.

The evacuation action is still going on, he added.

The displaced individuals are being directed to the care of their relatives or temporary shelters, he said, adding that 84 temporary shelters have been established in the Kursk region, providing refuge to more than 6,500 individuals at this time.

According to him, a total of 120 temporary shelters are operating across 23 regions in Russia, housing about 3,000 people.

Meanwhile, 390 more temporary shelters, with a capacity to accommodate more than 19,000 people, are prepared to receive the evacuees from the Kursk region in 57 different territories throughout Russia, he said.

The fighting continues, with Ukrainian forces maintaining their offensive actions, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a separate statement, claiming that all attacks were successfully repelled.

Russian aviation and artillery have targeted Ukrainian concentrations of manpower and reserves, while reconnaissance units are searching forests for groups attempting to advance deeper into Russian territory, it said.

The Ministry reported that a significant number of prisoners have been taken and some military equipment captured and destroyed, including advanced HIMARS multiple rocket launchers.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday on Telegram, citing Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, that the objectives of the operation in the Kursk region are being met.

Zelensky also claimed that Ukrainian troops have taken many captives for potential future prisoner exchanges.

Independent verification of the claims of both sides remains difficult due to the ongoing conflict.

Those in need of special care were sent to social service institutions. In total, 120 temporary accommodation centres operate in 23 regions of Russia. They accommodate about 3,000, including more than 1,200 children. In addition, more than 390 temporary accommodation centres with a total capacity of more than 19,000 people are ready to host evacuated residents of the Kursk region in 57 Russian territories.
Chennai, Aug 20 : The revenue department of the Tamil Nadu government will rebuild the Kaliamman temple near Gemmankuppam village in Vellore district, which Hindus razed a few days ago.

It may be recalled that Hindus razed the temple using earthmovers on August 6 in a bid to prevent the Dalits in the area from taking part in the temple festival.

K.V. Kuppam Police had registered a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act on a complaint filed by Naveen Kumar, a Dalit.

The Revenue Department of the Tamil Nadu government has now taken the initiative to rebuild the temple and the consecration of the idol will now take place on August 22. The construction work of the temple will start on Tuesday.

The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) department of the Tamil Nadu government will take control of the temple once it is rebuilt.

The revenue department held a meeting of various Hindu groups and Dalit leaders on Monday and a decision was taken to rebuild the demolished temple.

It is to be noted that Vanniyars, Yadavs, Chettiars and Naidus are the main upper-caste Hindus living in the area.

After the meeting, it was agreed upon that a committee of seven government officials under the HR&CE would manage the day-to-day affairs of the temple.

K.R. Soolapani, a Dalit person of the area, while speaking to IANS said, "The decision of the state government is highly appreciable. With the HR&CE department managing the affairs of the temple, it will help the Dalit cause and we can now worship in this temple."

Loganathan, a Hindu and a soothsayer who was looking after the affairs of the Kaliyamman temple, told the villagers that a goddess had appeared in his dream and told him that Dalits must not be allowed to worship in the temple. This led to tension in the region leading to the upper caste Hindus razing the temple.

The revenue department has now directed Loganathan to hand over the idol of the temple by Wednesday.

As per the agreement, the committee of seven members from the revenue department who will manage the daily affairs of the temple will make recommendations to the District Revenue Officer (DRO) for anything regarding temple ceremonies and customs and will allow Dalits to also participate in the temple functions.
Raebareli, Aug 20 : Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will visit his parliamentary constituency Raebareli, on Tuesday.

During this one-day visit, he will meet the family of a Dalit youth Arjun Pasi, who was shot dead nine days ago in Pichhwaria Village, located in Nasirabad.

The District President of the Congress, Pankaj Tripathi, mentioned that the LoP will head straight to Pichhwaria after arriving in Raebareli and meet Arjun Pasi's family.

The Dalit youth was shot dead a few days after he had an altercation with an upper caste youth Vishal Singh.

The local community is upset because the main suspect in the murder has not yet been arrested.

However, the police have registered an FIR based on the family's complaint and have arrested five suspects.

LoP Gandhi will meet the grieving family, who have protested several times seeking justice for their son.

The Congress MPas visit is expected to stir up political tensions in Raebareli.

Political experts say that Arjun's murder has turned into a conflict between the upper castes and Dalits.

Bhim Army chief and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad had earlier demanded compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the victim's family.

On August 18, a Congress delegation led by Amethi MP Kishori Lal Sharma visited Arjun Pasi's home.

The Congress MP condoled the grieving family of the youth and gathered details about the incident.

Kishori Lal Sharma later briefed LoP Rahul Gandhi about the visit.

Earlier, Samajwadi Party (SP) National President Akhilesh Yadav sent an 11-member delegation led by Mohanlalganj MP RK Chaudhary to Arjun Pasi's home.

Chandrashekhar Azad also sent his delegation to meet the bereaved family and his team facilitated a video call between them and the leader.

This is Rahul Gandhi's third visit to his parliamentary constituency since being elected as MP from Raebareli.

He previously visited Raebareli on June 11 with his family to express his gratitude and again on July 9 to meet the parents of Captain Anshuman Singh, who was honoured with the Kirti Chakra, and to inspect the facilities at AIIMS.
Mumbai, Aug 20 : Veteran actress Zeenat Aman has shared some moments from her "quiet years" of her life and revealed that there are very few glamorous pictures from a certain point of her life.

Mumbai, Aug 20 (IANS) Veteran actress Zeenat Aman has shared some moments from her "quiet years" of her life and revealed that there are very few glamorous pictures from a certain point of her life.

She took to Instagram, where she shared a picture from an award event she attended in Sri Lanka in 2010.

"There aren't too many pictures of me from this phase of my life. And certainly very few glamorous ones. Which makes this memory all the sweeter. Those were the quiet years - acutely so for me, but probably a phase that many middle aged women can relate to," she said.

The actress said: "It was the summer of 2010, and the who's who of Hindi cinema had flown down to Colombo, Sri Lanka, to attend the IIFA Awards. I was quite surprised to receive an invite, steeped as I was in homemaking alongside the odd work appearance."

"Despite some reluctance on my part, the awards committee insisted on plucking me out of my self-imposed obscurity."

She said it was her sons who accompanied her.

"So, my two boys and I packed our bags and boarded a flight. It turned out to be a wonderful visit. I was honoured with an award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema, and felt the allure of my craft after a long while. Not to mention that the people-watching was exceptional!"

The actress said that she is more an "observer than a talker".

"The event was sponsored by a renowned alcohol company, and their vodka kept the attendees in unguarded, high spirits! There were enough shenanigans underway to fill a gossip magazine, but you know me, I believe discretion is the better part of valour," she said.
Guwahati, Aug 20 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said at least three Bangladeshi nationals, who illegally entered India through Tripura, have been deported.

The infiltrators were identified as MD Abu Shaid, Asadul Islam and MD Sarwar, all residents of Bangladesh's Rajshahi district.

According to police, among the arrested individuals, one has an Aadhaar card and he entered India for the second time. They were planning to travel to Chennai for labour work; however, upon arresting them, the police pushed back the individuals to Bangladesh.

Taking to social media platform X, Chief Minister Sarma wrote, "Assam Police apprehended three Bangladeshi nationals last night who entered India from the Tripura side. The individuals were identified as MD Abu Shaid, son of Abdul Adud from Akhila village, Rajshahi district; Asadul Islam, son of the late Atabur Rahman from Godagari village, Rajshahi district; and MD Sarwar, son of MD Satabur Rahaman, also from Godagari village, Rajshahi district."

"One of them was found with an Aadhaar card, having entered India for the second time, all three intended to travel to Chennai for labour work. They have since been pushed back to Bangladesh," his post read.

The lone Integrated Check Post (ICP) in Assam's Karimganj district which shares a border with Bangladesh was temporarily closed and trade was halted due to the volatile situation in the neighbouring country.

Karimganj shares a 110-km long boundary with Bangladesh, including around a four-km river boundary.

The security vigil along the international border of Bangladesh was beefed up following the unrest in the neighbouring country.

The authority in the Karimganj district said that only Indian students studying in Bangladesh are allowed to travel to India, and more than 60 students returned through the Integrated Check Post in Karimganj district after the unrest broke out in the neighbouring country.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : Homegrown Optiemus Electronics on Tuesday announced its foray into telecom equipment manufacturing with Tata Group's Tejas Networks as a manufacturing partner, at a time when the government has doubled down on indigenous designing and manufacturing of telecom equipment.

Optiemus is working with Tejas Networks as a manufacturing partner for a wide array of telecom equipment products like 4G base band units /remote radio head/ONT/ONU/broadband switches and routers from its Noida manufacturing facility.

"It is a momentous occasion as we expand our manufacturing capabilities to foray into the growing industry of telecom equipment manufacturing," said A Gururaj, MD, Optiemus Electronics.

According to the government, India-manufactured telecom equipment are now being exported to over 100 countries. Last year, the country exported telecom equipment and services worth more than $18.2 billion.

Several homegrown telecom companies have made their mark in Western nations, including the US, despite fierce global competition.

In the meantime, Tejas Networks has evolved as a strong trusted partner in the Indian telecom ecosystem over the last decade.

"In our continuous pursuance towards Atmanirbhar Bharat, adding Optiemus, as one of our manufacturing partners, will provide a boost to the domestic manufacturing of telecom products," said V Sembian, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Tejas Networks.

Optiemus has two manufacturing units in Noida. Tejas Networks designs and manufactures high-performance wireline and wireless networking products for telecommunications service providers, internet service providers, utilities, defence and government entities in over 75 countries.

The Centre informed recently that the telecom equipment manufacturing sales have crossed Rs 50,000 crore under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, creating more than 17,800 direct jobs and many more indirect jobs.

The telecom equipment production exceeded the milestone of Rs 50,000 crore with exports at about Rs 10,500 crore, according to the Ministry of Communications.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : Filmmaker Anil Sharma has given an update on "Gadar 3" and talked about superstar Sunny Deol being a part of the third installment.

New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) Filmmaker Anil Sharma has given an update on "Gadar 3" and talked about superstar Sunny Deol being a part of the third installment.

Talking to IANS, Sharma said: "We have started work on 'Gadar 3'. When everything related to the film is done then we will share because there is still time. When 'Gadar 2' came, it took 20 years to come to life."

He said that he wants the film to be a bigger package in terms of emotions as compared to "Gadar: Ek Prem Katha" and "Gada 2", which is the fifth highest-grossing Indian film of 2023 and the eighth highest-grossing Hindi film of all-time.

"'Gadar 3' will come when the script is complete and I feel it is not just a bomb of emotions but an atom bomb of emotions," he said.

The first two installment featured Sunny as the iconic character of Tara Singh. He was joined by Ameesha Patel, who played Sakina and Utkarsh Sharma, who essayed the role of their son named Jeete.

Will the third part star Sunny Deol?

"I believe that stories should be in continuation. I want the continuation of the story," without divulging much, Sharma said.

Released in 2001, "Gadar: Ek Prem Katha" was a tragic love story during the time of partition of India in 1947, where a truck driver named Tara Singh fell in love with a Pakistani girl named Sakina.

The second Installment was set during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The film saw the return of Tara Singh in Pakistan to save his son Jeete, who was imprisoned by the officers of Pakistan.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : The Congress party on Tuesday paid tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 80th birth anniversary, celebrating his contribution to India's political and technological landscape.

Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh were present on the occasion.

Rahul Gandhi shared on X a photo from Veer Bhumi, paying floral tribute to his father, and said: "A compassionate personality, an epitome of camaraderie and goodwill... Papa, your teachings are my inspiration, and your dreams for India are my own - I will fulfill them, taking your memories with me."

Mallikarjun Kharge posted a video of Rajiv Gandhi and said: "Today, India is celebrating Sadbhavana Diwas. Former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, was a great son of India. He ignited a ray of hope in crores of Indians and with his unprecedented contribution, he brought India into the 21st century."

"His many notable initiatives like lowering of voting age to 18 years, strengthening of Panchayati Raj, telecom and IT revolution, computerisation programmes, continuing peace accords, women empowerment, universal immunisation programme and new education policy with emphasis on inclusive education brought about transformational changes in the country. We pay heartfelt tribute to Bharat Ratna, Rajiv Gandhi ji on his birth anniversary," he added.

Jairam Ramesh also celebrated Rajiv Gandhi's contribution to India's political and technological landscape.

"Today is Rajiv Gandhi@80. His was a short but very consequential political life. The March 1985 Budget in which he played a key role heralded a new approach to economic policy. The manifesto for the 1991 Lok Sabha elections, on which he spent long hours a few weeks before his tragic assassination, provided the foundations for the Rao-Manmohan Singh reforms of June-July 1991," he wrote in a post on X.

"Peace accords in troubled regions of the country like Assam, Punjab, Mizoram, and Tripura were made possible by his statesmanship that put national interest over the immediate interests of his party. He had a vision for societal applications of science and technology that were reflected in the impactful technology missions in drinking water supply, immunisation, literacy, oilseeds production, and telecom and dairy development," he added.

"In 1985, 165,000 villages had been identified as not having easy access to any potable water source. By 1989, 162,000 villages of these villages had been provided with at least one safe source of drinking water. Institutions that are now doing the country proud, like C-DAC, were established in the late 1980s. Financial institutions like the National Housing Bank and the Small Industries Development Bank of India came into being," he wrote in his post.

"The New Education Policy of 1986, anchored in progressive values, bore his personal imprint. Todayas Navodaya Vidyalayas emerged from this initiative. The voting age was reduced to 18 years and Swami Vivekanandaas birthday was declared as National Youth Day. Article 243 of our Constitution is a tribute to his fierce commitment to empowering elected panchayats and nagarpalikas. Today, we have over 3 million elected representatives in these institutions of self-government, of whom over 40 per cent are women. We recall not just a Prime Minister today but also a very fine and caring human being who bore no malice, showed no vindictiveness, sought no revenge, indulged in no bombast and self-glory, and exhibited no qualities of self-delusion," Jairam Ramesh concluded.
Mumbai, Aug 20 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday directed the case, involving the abuse of two schoolgirls in Thane district's Badlapur, to be tried in the fast track court and warned that action would be taken against the school management if such incident occurred again.

Taking a strong note of the sexual abuse of two four-year-old girls by a sweeper in a reputed school in Thane district's Badlapur city, the CM discussed the case with the Thane Commissioner of Police. CM Shinde directed him to check whether or not the Sakhi Savitri Committee was formed in the Badlapur school and also other schools in the district.

CM Shinde discussed the case with School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar and asked him to take permanent concrete measures to prevent such incidents in future.

He suggested setting up a complaint box in every school for students or parents facing problems. Apart from this, he directed that it was necessary to closely monitor and keep track of the employees of the school who are in constant contact with the students, and get their backgrounds checked.

The CM said that there should be a system in place so that if the student has any doubts, they should be able to immediately point it out to the principal or teachers without fear.

He asked the management of schools to immediately take appropriate care and warned that action would be taken against them in the case of lapses.

CM Shinde appealed to the protesters, who were protesting at the Badlapur railway station, to remain calm.

Earlier, in the day, a large number of people hit the streets and also gathered at the railway tracks to protest against the sexual abuse of two four-year-old girls by a sweeper in the reputed school.

The protesters, including the agitated parents, were not satisfied with merely the suspension of the school principal, class teacher and two others, and a written apology from the school management.

Even though the school sweeper, who was involved in the sexual assault has been arrested, the protesters were insisting that the school management should come forward and tender an apology publicly and were also demanding strict punishment for the sweeper who was involved in the sexual abuse.

DCP Sudhakar Pathare said that the police had already registered the case and the accused had been arrested in three-and-half hours.

A local court has granted the police custody of the accused. The investigation has been launched with a team of police officers who are keeping a close eye on the collection of evidence to avoid any lapses in the ongoing probe.

"I appeal to the citizens of Badlapur to cooperate with the police as they are busy in the investigation of the case. The agitation or Badlapur bandh will disturb the ongoing probe. There is no permission for holding agitations or protests in the wake of prohibitory orders in place as per the Thane Police Commissioner's directives in the commissionerate," he added.

Notwithstanding the police directive, the residents are furious over the incident as initially, the school administration and the police tried to suppress the matter. When the parents of the victims went to the police station to file a complaint, they were detained by a woman police officer there for almost 12 hours.

However, after the uproar over the matter, the police swung into action. Senior Inspector Shubhada Shitole has been transferred to the Thane control room after it came to light that the police had allegedly manipulated the matter.

In its written apology, the school management said, "What happened is unfortunate, despicable and reprehensible. The school management wants strict punishment to be given to the concerned employee. We have cooperated with the police...These are critical times for the educational institution and what happened to these little girls is unfortunate and reprehensible. The responsibility of protecting the students in the school belongs to the school and after this incident, along with the immediate dismissal of the concerned employees, the contract of the private contractor through which this employee was working in the school on a contractual basis has been cancelled and blacklisted. Also, in this case, the headmistress who is responsible for checking the CCTV of the school, in which these little girls were studying, has been suspended. The class teacher and two supporting staff members responsible for taking the little girls to the restroom have been fired," the school's apology reads.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : Elon Musk-led SpaceX's Polaris Dawn spacecraft is all set to launch its first-ever 'all-civilian' spacewalk next week, according to the company.

The first commercial spaceflight mission with a spacewalk will drive billionaire Jared Isaacman, along with three others, for the all-civilian spacewalk, and it is expected to launch on August 26. It was previously slated for launch on July 31.

It is the first mission under "Polaris Programme" by Isaacman -- the founder of Shift4, an online payment processing company.

Isaacman was also the commander of the first "all-civilian" space mission Inspiration4, launched in 2021. He purchased three spaceflights with SpaceX, and named the series "Polaris Programme".

In a post on X, the company shared that the Polaris Dawn crew Isaacman, pilot Scott "Kidd" Poteet, a retired lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force who served as the mission director for Inspiration4, mission specialist Sarah Gillis, who oversees SpaceX's astronaut training programme, and medical officer Anna Menon, who manages the development of SpaceX's crew operations while also serving the company's mission control has arrived at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) -- the launch site.

"Man I love flying!! Arrival into the historic shuttle landing facility at KSC. Countdown continues," Poteet said in a post on X.com.

The multi-day trip, will be a free-flying mission, and is expected to fly higher than any crewed mission since the Apollo Programme ended in the 1970s, "endeavouring to reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown".

"We're going to a very high altitude that humans haven't gone to in 50-plus years," Isaacman was quoted as saying to the media.

"This will be a super cool mission on many levels. The furthest distance from Earth of a crewed spacecraft in over half a century! Only Apollo was higher," added Musk said, in a post on X.com.

The teams will also research to better understand the effects of spaceflight and space radiation on human health.

The crew will also "be the first crew to test Starlink laser-based communications in space, providing valuable data for future space communications systems necessary for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond".
Manila, Aug 20 : The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday that the country has agreed to a request by the US to temporarily host a US immigrant visa processing centre for "a limited number" of Afghan nationals.

"The Philippines and the US have agreed on allowing a limited number of Afghan nationals to transit to the Philippines to complete their visa processing for special immigrant visas and resettlement to the US," the DFA said in a statement as reported by Xinhua news agency.

It added that the US government "is supporting necessary services for those Afghans temporarily in the Philippines, including food, housing, security, medical, and transportation to complete visa processing".

"The agreement is currently undergoing the final domestic procedures required for effectivity," the statement added.

US President Joe Biden discussed the request with Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos when they met in Washington in May 2023.

The US request, since it was made public, has faced local concerns over potential security and other grounds.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken first relayed the request to his Philippine counterpart in 2022, and President Joe Biden discussed the request when Marcos visited the US last year, Philippine officials said.

Marcos said last year that he was told by American officials that a maximum of 1,000 Afghan nationals would be allowed to stay in the Philippines at any one time while their special immigrant visas are being processed.

He said at the time there were difficult legal and logistical issues to address for the program to run as hoped.

Some Filipino officials have expressed fears that Afghan nationals could become targets of attacks while in the Philippines. Others raised legal questions about an arrangement where US authorities would have a say in vetting who could enter the Philippines.

One prospective problem is what to do with Afghan nationals whose US special visa immigrant application is indefinitely stalled or rejected, Marcos said and expressed concern that thousands of Afghan nationals could be stranded in the country while awaiting relocation to the US.

Marcos has rekindled relations with the US since winning the presidency with a landslide margin two years ago.

In February last year, he allowed an expansion of the American military presence under a 2014 defence agreement in a decision that China warned would allow American forces to gain a staging ground to intervene in the South China Sea and Taiwan issues and threaten regional stability.
Tehran, Aug 20 : Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim criticised some Western states for their media and arms support for Israel against the people of Gaza.

In a phone call on Monday, the two sides discussed bilateral ties as well as the ongoing developments in the region, especially the negotiations on the achievement of a ceasefire in Gaza, while slamming certain Western states' policies towards Gazans, according to a statement published on the website of the Iranian president's office, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Iranian president and Malaysian premier said those Western countries' media and arms support for Israel were in contradiction with their claims of defending human rights and making efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, which would only lead to the continuation of Israel's "crimes against the oppressed and defenseless" people of Gaza.

They also highlighted the need for greater unity among and coordinated action by Muslim states to counter Israel in Gaza, stressing that the holding of a summit of the heads of state of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation would be an effective action in line with those ends.

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip had risen to 40,139, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Monday.

The two sides underscored the importance of fostering unity and coherence among Muslim states to fight the crimes of Israel and end the genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Israel launched its campaign of military operations in Gaza on October 7, 2023, after Palestinian resistance groups conducted surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm into the occupied territories.

The Israeli regime has imposed a near-total siege on the coastal territory, significantly reducing the flow of food, medicine, electricity, and water into the Palestinian region to a trickle.
Sonipat, Aug 20 : O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), an Institution of Eminence, is establishing India's first Constitution Museum to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India.

'The Constitution Academy and The Rights & Freedoms Museum' is an unparalleled initiative and a landmark institution to be established in the annals of Indian constitutional history. Being established on the JGU campus, the museum will be inaugurated and dedicated to the nation on November 26, 2024, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India.

The Indian Constitution is a landmark document, which defines the framework governing the Republic of India. Adopted on November 26, 1949, the Constitution outlines the fundamental laws of our country reflecting the values, principles, and governance framework. It guides the state's functioning, thus ensuring all citizen's rights and responsibilities. With its roots grounded in historical struggles, philosophical ideals, and societal aspirations, the Constitution embodies the nation's collective journey toward democracy, justice, and equality.

Naveen Jindal, the Founding Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, emphasised the significance of the Constitution as the unifying symbol of the Indian people, which served as the driving force behind this initiative.

"The Constitution Academy and the Rights and Freedoms Museum is a dedication to our journey of becoming united as a nation under the Constitution of India. Influenced by the legacy of our freedom struggle and the rich diversity of the people of India, the Constitution embodies the aspirations of a free and democratic India and legitimises our existence as a Republic. Despite our diversities spanning from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, the Constitution stands as a unifying symbol of our national identity, reflecting the principle of 'Unity in Diversity' akin to our National Flag. With the establishment of the Academy and the Museum, we reaffirm our belief in our collective strength, creating history together as a nation. Remembering the spirit of our Constituent Assembly members, we aim to remind our students and the nation of the power of being part of something greater than oneself and to inspire progress for our country. We want to highlight the profound impact that unity and shared purpose can achieve," he said.

The Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, Professor (Dr) C. Raj Kumar made this momentous announcement on August 15, 2024, to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India and mark its 75th anniversary with the establishment of the Constitution Academy and the Rights and Freedoms Museum at the University.

"The Constitution Academy and the Rights and Freedoms Museum  built by O.P. Jindal Global University  is a remarkable effort to showcase the Constitution of India as the living, breathing and growing document it truly is. Seventy-five years since its adoption, the Constitution continues to inspire Indians, including intellectuals, legal practitioners, historians, artists, activists and most importantly, everyday citizens. Our vision for this museum is to showcase both the making and the makers of the Constitution of India, This includes the Constituent Assembly members who created this document, ordinary citizens who sought their constitutional rights, lawmakers who initiated essential amendments as well as lawyers and judges responsible for landmark judgments that have shaped modern India. JGU will witness a historic moment when the Constitution Academy is inaugurated on November 26, 2024, to mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India," he said.

To encourage the youth in India, who are the leaders of tomorrow, the Constitution of India serves as a beacon of knowledge and an established path which will also govern the future of our country. The first-of-its-kind Constitution Academy is an ambitious project which has never been envisaged by any other institution in India. Grand in scope, with an expansive vision, the Constitution Academy will be a living testament to our democratic governance structure which has instilled India with glory and triumph in its foundational principles. The unique academy is being built as a modern and contemporary museum reflecting the current perspectives and interpretations of various aspects associated with the Constitution of India. For a newly independent nation, India needed a formal structure to define its aspirations and plan for future governance based on global democratic principles. This timeless document has guided our country towards equality, development, balance, and growth while protecting its people and staying true to India's spirit as a free and independent nation.

In a world where rights and freedoms are constantly evolving, it is crucial to ensure that the Constitution remains our guiding light, helping our youth and citizens understand the journey and the struggles of our young nation.

The Constitution Academy will celebrate India's journey as a free nation over the past 75 years using the language of sound and light.

"We have a past to remember, a present to sustain, and a future to build. The Academy will be the repository of the essentials of being in the nation and being for the nation. It is the sanctum of nation-building energies. As the first institutional museum celebrating the Constitution of India, it will be designed both as a virtual memory and a museum chronicling the journey towards the creation of the Republic of India. The Academy will be a site for preserving memories of a desire for freedoms and rights and it will gather and display the memories of the self-becoming of a nation. It will speak the tales of the freedom struggle; sing the songs of the sacrifices; enact the drama of the rise of a nation. It will light the mind, resonate in your heart and colour your dreams by spectacularly recreating the constitutional journey. While the museum will house extensive historical data associated with the making of the Constitution, it will be more than just an archive of documents showcasing what happened before November 26, 1949," said Professor C. Raj Kumar.

The museum will be a key destination for understanding the Constitution, with sections dedicated to each part of the document and its significance. It will feature profiles of every Constituent Assembly member along with spirited debates and deliberations that refined and created a robust manuscript ahead of its time. Through many formats -- textual, audio-visual and experiential -- we aim to ignite visitors' interest in the Constitution, its evolution and its various components. We hope to spark explorations and deliberations on the rights and freedoms made available to us. The art featured in the museum, anticipated to be a major attraction, will include both pieces from the original handcrafted document and artworks inspired by the Constitution.

The academy and museum has been curated by Anjchita B. Nair, CEO, Culture and Head, Centre for Museums. She emphasises how the academy steers away from the typical unidirectional tone taken by conventional museums, using a multitude of formats for innovative storytelling.

"The idea behind the space is to demystify the Constitution and make it accessible to wider audiences. Apart from being an avenue for learning that ignites people's curiosities, we seek to instil a sense of pride and awe in the Constitution of India. The focus is on understanding the intent of the makers of the Constitution and appreciating the tumultuous journey we have undertaken in the last 75 years," she said.

The Academy will also house an archive of expert interviews that delve into various aspects of the Constitution, particularly the evolution of fundamental rights guaranteed to citizens of India. This shall be a dynamic archive that will continue to grow with the Constitution. A Children's Corner, with its interactive installations, quizzing stations, graphic pamphlets and novels shall introduce these complex concepts in a fun, experiential and accessible manner. The Constitution Academy is not merely an endeavour to document Constitutional heritage but one that also contributes to it. On the 75th Constitution Day, we will honour the legacy of those who crafted this remarkable charter and ensure it remains a vibrant guide for future generations.
Patna, Aug 20 : The Bihar government has directed the state police to take immediate and firm action on any complaint lodged by doctors or other medical staff.

State Health Minister Mangal Pandey said on Tuesday, "The safety and security of medical personnel is a top priority for the government. We have asked all Superintendents of Police (SP) and Senior Superintendents of Police (SSP) to promptly investigate and act on such complaints lodged by medical professionals."

This directive comes in the wake of a widespread strike by junior resident doctors across various medical colleges and hospitals in the state, sparked by the recent brutal rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata.

The striking doctors are calling for enacting the Central Protection Act to secure all hospitals, medical colleges, clinics and others to ensure their safety nationwide.

In Patna, the ongoing strike by junior resident doctors has severely impacted the Outpatient Department (OPD) services at key hospitals, including Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), and Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS).

The suspension of OPD services has affected several patients and their attendants who are anxiously waiting for the strike to end.

These government-run medical colleges serve as crucial healthcare providers for economically disadvantaged populations, who often travel from various districts across Bihar for treatment.

A family member of a patient from East Champaran shared the plight, explaining, "We arrived at PMCH for a hernia operation scheduled for August 17. However, due to the strike, we have been forced to wait indefinitely, with no clear resolution in sight."

Similar situations are being reported at the NMCH and IGIMS, where patients and their families are facing uncertainty. While emergency services have been partially restored, providing some relief to trauma patients, the overall disruption continued to cause significant distress among those dependent on these facilities for care.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Tuesday urged the doctors and medical professionals across the country, who are abstaining from work in protest of the rape and murder of the junior doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, to resume work at the earliest.

"Since this court is seized of the matter pertaining to the safety and well-being of all medical professionals at their workplaces, and the issue involving high national priority, we will request all the doctors, who are abstaining from work, to resume work at the earliest," said a bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud.
Baku, Aug 20 : Russian President Vladimir Putin has reaffirmed Russia's commitment to supporting the normalisation of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia during a state visit to Azerbaijan's state capital of Baku.

Speaking after talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Monday, Putin emphasised Russia's role in facilitating a peace agreement based on the trilateral accords reached in 2020 and 2022 by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We are prepared to assist in the delimitation and demarcation of the border, utilising relevant Soviet-era documents, as well as in unblocking cross-border routes and establishing humanitarian contacts," Putin said.

Despite ongoing crises, including the situation in Ukraine, Putin underscored Russia's historical involvement in the South Caucasus and its commitment to participating in these efforts.

He noted that any initiative must be primarily driven by the parties involved.

"If we can contribute to reaching a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, achieve delimitation and demarcation of the border, and unblock necessary logistics and economic routes, we would be very pleased," Putin added.

Azerbaijan's lightning military offensive in September 2023 brought an end to three decades of ethnic Armenian rule in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, recognised internationally as Azerbaijani territory.

Most of its 120,000 ethnic Armenians fled to neighbouring Armenia.

European Council President Charles Michel welcomed the statement as a "major breakthrough in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations".

The US praised "an importance confidence-building measure".

Other moves include Armenia's support of Azerbaijan's bid to host the COP29 climate summit by withdrawing its candidacy. Azerbaijan has agreed to support Armenia's candidacy for a regional group associated with the climate talks.

The two countries also called on the international community to support their efforts.

The agreement was reached during talks between the office of Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the administration of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

The two leaders have met on several occasions for normalisation talks mediated by the EU, the US and Russia.

Talks had stalled in recent months after Azerbaijan refused to participate in talks in the US and Spain, claiming bias on the part of Western countries. The two countries resumed talks again at the end of October 2023 in Iran
Seoul, Aug 20 : Two people have died, and one has been badly injured so far this summer after diving at beaches and ports in Jeju Island, a popular spot to take diving photos, local authorities said on Tuesday.

On Saturday, a man, 30 was taken to a hospital after diving at a beach in Jeju's northeastern town of Gujwa, but he was later pronounced dead, while another man, 50 was injured seriously after hitting his head on the bottom of a 1.5-metre-deep waters in Hallim, a town in western Jeju Island, on July 31.

Earlier last month, a man, 20, identified as a beach lifeguard, was rescued in a state of cardiac arrest after diving at Hamdeok Beach but died at a hospital later, Yonhap news agency reported.

The series of accidents occurred amid the backdrop of a rising trend where visitors take photos of themselves diving and upload them on social media.

A municipal official cautioned against diving headfirst at ports and other areas, where the depth of the water can vary greatly during rising tides and ebb tides and divers can hit their heads on the bottom of the sea.

The Jeju provincial government has placed lifeguards in 19 coastal areas and strengthened patrolling. It also plans to continue to deploy lifeguards for the 15 days next month before beaches close.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : Amid the increase in violence against healthcare workers, the Health Ministry on Tuesday called on central government hospitals to boost security with measures such as installing high-resolution CCTV and proper duty rooms.

In a letter issued to heads of all the central government hospitals, Institutes, All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and Institute of National Importance (INIS), Raj KumKumar, Deputy Secretary at the Health Ministry urged for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals.

The letter follows the nationwide agitation by doctors and health workers against the rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata.

From setting up high-resolution CCTV cameras at strategic locations such as entrances and exits, corridors, dark spots, and sensitive areas, to a control room up for quick response at the time of an emergency, the ministry suggested 12 measures to improve security.

"While accessibility is important for providing care, it can also pose security risks. Hospitals sometimes become targeted by acts of violence, including assault on staff, which can be related to disputes, dissatisfaction with medical care, or external criminal activities," the letter said.

"Ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals is vital. Violence or harassment against staff can disrupt operations and affect the quality of care provided to patients. Patient rush increases' potential for conflicts and security breaches," it added.

The measures asked the hospitals to make a proper display of relevant penal provisions of the State legislation to prevent violence against healthcare workers on the hospital premises.

Hospitals must also employ adequate numbers of well-trained security guards for proper monitoring, patrolling, and surveillance of the premises.

Further, all entry and exit points should be strictly monitored, with proper identification badges for staff, patients, and visitors.

The hospitals must also undertake regular mock drills to train staff and security personnel for effective responses in emergency scenarios; all hospital staff, including doctors, nurses, and administrative personnel should be trained in recognising and responding to security threats, the letter said.

Meanwhile, the protesting doctors have been demanding a central law to curb rising acts of violence against health workers.

In the wake of recent incidents, B. Srinivas, secretary of the National Medical Commission (NMC) called on all medical colleges to "develop a policy for a safe workplace environment on the campus for their staff, including faculty, students and resident doctors".
Chennai, Aug 20 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin said that lateral entry in Civil Services must be abolished as it was a direct assault on social justice.

In a social media post on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said that lateral entry into Civil Services was depriving the meritorious SC, ST, OBC and minority officers of their deserved opportunities at the top.

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu said that caste census was imperative to guarantee that education and job opportunities are fairly distributed to all backward classes and oppressed classes of the society.

Stalin said: "The Union government must halt this practice, prioritise filling backlog vacancies for OBCs and SC/STs, and ensure fair and equitable promotions."

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister also called for the complete abolition of the "creamy layer," which he called a "concept."

Stalin, in his post on social media platform, X said: "We demand the complete abolition of the Creamy Layer, a concept we have always opposed. In the meantime, the stagnant ceiling for the # CreamyLayer must be raised without any further delay."

On August 17, 2024, Union Public Service Commission issued an advertisement seeking applications for lateral recruitment to 45 senior positions, including Joint Secretary, Director and Deputy Secretary in 24 ministries of the Central government.

These office-bearers, it may be noted, are key decision-makers and administrative heads within departments. Candidates with appropriate qualifications and experience from state or UT governments, Public Sector Undertakings (PSU), statutory organisations, research institutes, universities and the private sector are eligible to apply.

Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi has already opposed lateral entry in Civil Services and has accused the Modi government of using it as a backdoor to appoint officers loyal to RSS, the ideological mentor of the BJP.
Seoul, Aug 20 : A parliamentary committee held a hearing on Tuesday to look into allegations that the presidential office interferred in a probe into a large-scale drug smuggling case to cover up the involvement of customs officials.

During a plenary session of the public administration and security committee, the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) offered differing views, with the DP claiming the presidential office had exerted pressure over the investigation, Yonhap news agency reported.

"Through the hearing, we should reveal who exerted pressure on the drug investigation and who led and instructed the pressure," DP Representative Youn Kun-young said.

He added that Baek Hae-ryong, then head of the investigation team at the Yeongdeungpo Police Station, said he heard the word "Yongsan," commonly referred to as the presidential office, in his phone talks with Kim Chan-su, former chief of Yeongdeungpo police.

Kim denied such allegations at the session when asked whether he had mentioned that the presidential office is "aware and considering the case seriously".

Baek earlier said he was about to give a press briefing on the involvement of the customs officials but was pressured by senior officials to leave out any mention of "Korea Customs Service" from the briefing.

South Korean customs officials allegedly helped Malaysian smugglers bring methamphetamine into the country via Incheon International Airport, Seoul, in January last year.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : Former Union Law Minister, M Veerappa Moily, on Tuesday acknowledged that the second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC), chaired by him in 2005 did recommend lateral entry into government services, however, he maintained that the present NDA dispensation was not following the guidelines in letter and spirit.

In an exclusive interaction with IANS, senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily said that the purpose was to lay down a proper framework for non-partisan and unbiased recruitment of apeople of expertisea into top government positions.

Moilyas admission on lateral entry into the bureaucracy comes in the wake of the NDAas onslaught on the UPA as the BJP and the Congress are engaged in a bitter battle over 'ignoring' Backward Classes in lateral hiring.

While the Congress claims that the BJP government has deprived the SCs/STs and OBCs of their right to reservation, the latter blames it on the UPA for abiaseda policy-making.

Q: The second ARC report, chaired by you, stated the importance of lateral entry into the Civil Services. What was its output then?

A: The ARC had prepared 15 reports. Lateral entry was one of the reports, which was called Refurbishing Personnel Administration. The report suggested the contours and modalities for lateral entry into the bureaucracy. Itas not a new subject.

Persons like Dr Manmohan Singh, Montek Singh Ahluwalia came into the system via lateral entry. There have been many other success stories also. Though there was no systemic approach, it was done on merit and the results were rewarding. However, there was a need to put the process on record. We thought there was a need to study it and evolve a system for lateral entry. This is how it began.

The Administrative Reforms Commission was of the opinion that such integration should be done at the level of Additional Secretary, as this would facilitate the new recruits to aspire and reach the Secretary rank.

We proposed this after studying various existing models in the US, Australia, Britain and others. We thoroughly examined all models before concluding and designing the model for India.

We suggested that lateral entry canat be an ad-hoc system and the pick and choose model wonat work. There was a need to create a Central Civil Services Authority, which would be empowered to hire and recruit people, laterally.

According to my knowledge, the present government hasnat constituted any Central Civil Services Authority. The Authority was to be tasked with the responsibility of identifying the post, hiring management-level staff and above, where induction of outside talent should be desirable.

Talent should be tapped to fill theses posts. They can be from outside and also from within the system. A transparent procedure needs to be evolved for this. On completion of the selection process, the Authorityas recommendation will be sent to the government for final approval.

The authority should also draw the attention of Parliament on the cases in which its recommendations were not accepted by the government.

The present government claims that the recommendations were made during the UPA era but it chose to gloss over many guidelines, as mentioned in the ARC report. The process of ad-hoc hiring via lateral entry will lead to partisan method of recruitment.

Q: The ARC proposed establishing a talent pool, on a short term or contractual basis. Can you elaborate on this?

A: Lateral entry canat be biased or discriminatory. Those in power must not be able to influence the process and hence the framework was prepared to lay down the guidelines for non-partisan recruitment.

Q: Whose idea was it to lay down the rules for lateral entry? Did the then PM Dr Manmohan Singh suggest it or was it your idea?

A: It was not suggested by Dr Manmohan Singh or anyone. I and those in government were of the view that new and fresh talent should come into governance for steering through specific areas, requiring certain expertise. This could have been from within the services or from outside.

Q: The BJP is blaming it on you, for opening the bureaucracy to outside people. Whatas your view?

A: If they adopt all the formula and recommend it, we wonat have any objection. Lateral entry is like a talent hunt. It canat be pick and choose model. The lateral entry must be done by adhering to all guidelines and parameters as mentioned in the ARC report.

The way the BJP government has been carrying it out, is bound to fail. It will demoralise the cadre. People like Krishnamurthy, Dr Manmohan Singh, Montek Singh Ahluwalia have left behind a legacy for others to emulate.

Even during Pandit Jawaharlal Nehruas time, it was done very objectively. The present dispensation is bringing people with wrong qualifications into the system. They will not be fit for the position and they will also despise the system.

Q: Karnatakaas governor has sanctioned a probe against CM Siddaramaiah in the MUDA scam. Whatas you view?

A: Siddaramaiah hasnat done anything wrong. What is the culpable offence committed by him as an administrator? He didnat intend to do it with any motive. He has no role in it. This happened when he was not in power. It is a misplaced judgement by the governor. He should have refrained from abusing power. If any illegality has been done, it will be examined and decided upon by the judicial commission. Evidence before the governor is not available. His action smacks of a partisan attitude.

Q: Did Siddaramaiah do the right thing by challenging the governoras sanction?

A: He acted as per the advice of his counsel. I donat have anything to comment.

Q: After the Bangladesh episode, do you think India can witness similar chaos?

A: No, it can never happen in India. Itas impossible to even think of such things. India has a long history of successful democracy. A number of elections have been held, we have already crossed 75 years of democracy. Our democratic fabric is strong and robust and our fundamentals are very strong. I donat think such things can happen here.

Q: Should the Congress support the demand for restoration of Article 370, as being demanded by local parties?

A: The scrapping of Article 370 hasnat helped though it was a well-thought out decision to integrate the territory, given the latteras disputed status after Independence. The present government has acted irresponsibly on Article 370. If you want to revoke any Article, you should think about it multiple times. Pros and cons have to be considered, scrutinised and examined before reaching any conclusion.

a"IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 20 : Elevating India-Malaysia relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim held wide-ranging talks in New Delhi on Tuesday which culminated in the signing of nine Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), ranging from digital technologies, tourism, recruitment, employment and repatriation of workers to co-operation in the field of Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine.

New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) Elevating India-Malaysia relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim held wide-ranging talks in New Delhi on Tuesday which culminated in the signing of nine Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), ranging from digital technologies, tourism, recruitment, employment and repatriation of workers to co-operation in the field of Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine.

India also approved a 'special allocation' of 200,000 MT of white rice to Malaysia, 100 additional ITEC slots for Malaysian nationals, establishment of Ayurveda Chair at University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and Thiruvalluvar Chair of Indian Studies at the Malaya University in Malaysia besides cooperation between start-up ecosystems in both countries under an India-Malaysia Startup Alliance.

Malaysia is a key pillar of India's 'Act East' policy and a valued partner in the Southeast Asian region. Both countries have strong historical and socio-cultural linkages with the bilateral relationship being elevated to the status of Enhanced Strategic Partnership in 2015 during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Malaysia in November 2015.

"A decade of Enhanced Strategic Partnership between India and Malaysia is being completed. And over the last two years, with the support of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, there has been new momentum and energy in our partnership. Today, we extensively discussed all areas of mutual cooperation," said PM Modi after holding discussions with the Malaysian Prime Minister at the Hyderabad House.

The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues, including cooperation in ASEAN and Global South.

Earlier, Ibrahim, who arrived in New Delhi late Monday evening on a three-day visit - his first to India since taking office in November 2022 - received a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and also visited Raj Ghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

During his visit, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will participate in a roundtable meeting with several Indian industry leaders to advance economic cooperation between the two countries and also will also deliver a lecture titled 'Towards a Rising Global South: Leveraging Malaysia-India Ties' at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) on Tuesday evening.

"In 2023, Malaysia and India's total trade reached RM 76.62 billion (USD 16.53 billion), with Malaysia enjoying a surplus of RM 15.89 billion (USD 3.43 billion). India was Malaysia's largest importer of palm oil and palm oil-based products, importing RM 11.31 billion (USD 2.44 billion). Malaysia's major imports from India included petroleum products (RM 6.62 billion or USD 1.44 billion) and agricultural products, including halal meat (RM5 .79 billion or USD 1.27 billion)," said a statement released by the Malaysian Foreign Ministry ahead of Ibrahim's arrival in India.

Malaysia was also India's third-largest trading partner among ASEAN Member States and the largest trading partner among the eight South Asian nations in 2023.

The Malaysian PM is accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Utama Haji Mohamad bin Haji Hasan, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Aziz, Tourism Minister Sri Tiong King Sing, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo and Minister of Human Resources Steven Sim Chee Keong.

Malaysia is also seeking India's support to join the BRICS alliance, an intergovernmental organisation comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which added four new members - Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates - on January 1, 2024.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : In a significant climbdown over lateral entry into bureaucracy, the Centre on Tuesday asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to cancel the advertisement for recruitment of "people of expertise" in government departments and ministries.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh, in a letter to the UPSC chief, reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's firm belief in the process of lateral entry and underscored the "need to align it with the principles of equity and social justice as enshrined in the Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation".

"While most of the major lateral entries before 2014 were made in an ad-hoc manner, including cases of alleged favouritism, efforts of our government have been to make the process institutionally driven, transparent and open," the Minister for Department of Personnel and Training said.

"The Prime Minister is of the firm belief that the process of lateral entry must be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in our Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation," he further added.

Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has welcomed the move and said that this will not only strengthen the principles of social justice but also advance the welfare of the weakest section of society.

"The decision to align lateral entry with principles of reservation shows PM Modias commitment to social justice," wrote Minister of Railways, I&B and Electronics and IT on social media platform X.

The move comes after BJP allies, including Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Janata Dal (United), vented their objection over the proposed lateral entry for about 45 posts, without offering any reservation to the backward classes.

Congress and the INDIA bloc have launched a scathing attack on the Modi government over the move and called it an "attack on the Dalits and OBCs".

Notably, the controversy over lateral entry into bureaucracy broke after the UPSC issued an advertisement on August 17, 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 were to be hired as Joint Secretaries while the rest were to be "absorbed" in the ranks of Directors or deputy secretaries across ministries including finance, electronics, agriculture, environment, and renewable energy.
Suva, Aug 20 : Fiji recorded one of the highest rates of violence against women and girls in the world, with nearly two out of three women having experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.

Fiji's Minister of Women, Children, and Social Protection Lynda Tabuya made the remarks at a high-level dialogue in Nadi city on Fiji's main island on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Tabuya said the situation has not changed in the last decade, calling for a strong and ambitious response at the national level.

She added that the Fiji National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against All Women and Girls 2023-2028 is making significant strides.

Launched in June 2023, the plan offers a comprehensive, inclusive, and evidence-based approach to tackling violence against women and girls in the Pacific island country.

The Minister said the plan is a key part of the efforts to address the root causes of violence and bring about long-term, positive change across all aspects of society.

By involving leaders from traditional institutions, this dialogue seeks to use the influence of important community figures to make real progress in preventing violence against women and girls.
New Delhi, August 20 : Researchers at the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, under the Department of Science & Technology's (DST) on Tuesday announced a novel drug delivery technique that could benefit patients with pulmonary aspergillosis, cystic fibrosis, and asthma, among other lung conditions.

This novel strategy, which makes use of polymeric nanoparticles, might also help those who have cancer, HIV, or have spent a lot of time around corticosteroid drugs, said the researchers.

The controlled and efficient release of pharmaceuticals through the use of nanoparticles is regarded as one of the most sophisticated approaches in drug delivery. The fungal membrane is the focus of existing antifungal medications, especially azoles, although resistance to these treatments is growing, necessitating new delivery strategies.

In this study, the ARI team created Nikkomycin-loaded polymeric nanoparticles using the chitin synthesis inhibitor Nikkomycin -- which is generated by the bacterial species Streptomyces.

Since human cells lack chitin -- a crucial component of fungal cell walls -- antifungal medicines can specifically target these cells. It was discovered that the drug-loaded nanoparticles efficiently prevented the growth of Aspergillus species, which in turn prevented the fungal illnesses Aspergillosis, which is caused by Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus.

The ARI team's nanoformulation was also discovered to have no cytotoxic or hemolytic effects, indicating that it is a safe and promising alternative for pulmonary aspergillosis inhalation therapy. The study, which was directed by PhD candidate Kamal Mayattu and scientist Dr. Vandana Ghormade, was published in the journal Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung C.

The study team sees a public-private cooperation as a critical approach to commercialising these antifungal nanoformulations, and they are upbeat about their future.

They are optimistic that this partnership will increase the possibility of broader use, increasing the accessibility and efficacy of these cutting-edge medicines on a broader basis.
Kyiv, Aug 20 : The Ukrainian army has taken control of 92 settlements in western Russia's Kursk region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Ukrainian troops have seized more than 1,250 square km of Russian territory, Zelensky said on social media platform X on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The Russian border area opposite our Sumy region has been mostly cleared of Russian military presence," the Ukrainian President said.

He added that the Ukrainian army continues its military operation in the Kursk region's designated areas.

Kyiv's unprecedented operation has been ongoing for two weeks, with the Ukrainian military capturing the town of Sudzha in the Kursk region and allegedly destroying all three bridges over the Seim River near the border.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify Zelensky's claims about the number of seized Russian territory.

Speaking at a meeting in the city of Dnipro, the Ukrainian President said that Ukraine continues to strengthen its positions, stabilise "certain areas" and continues to take Russian soldiers as Prisoners of War.

"This operation has become our largest investment in the process of releasing Ukrainians from Russian captivity. We have already captured the largest number of Russian prisoners in one operation," he added, without elaborating.

Ukraine declined to provide a full number of Russian captives taken during the Kursk incursion following the Kyiv Independent's request.

Zelensky said that "hundreds" of Russian soldiers had been captured as of August 13, while an undisclosed Ukrainian colonel told The Independent news outlet that the number may be as high as 2,000.

The Russian border near Ukraine's Sumy region has been "largely cleared" of the Russian soldiers, which Zelensky called one of the tactical goals of Kyiv's incursion.

Ukraine started a military operation in the Kursk region on August 6.

On August 15, Oleksandr Syrsky, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said that his army had captured 82 settlements in the region.
Mumbai, Aug 20 : The makers of Kay Kay Menon-starrer gritty gangster saga 'Murshid' on Tuesday unveiled the trailer of the upcoming series, which is directed by Shravan Tiwari.

The one minute 32 seconds video features Kay Kay as mafia don Murshid Pathan. The trailer serves up a heart-pounding cocktail of crime, action and drama. From the bustling streets of Mumbai to the glittering skylines of Dubai and the historic alleys of Allahabad, 'Murshid' transports viewers into a world where every 'Bhai' isn't your brother, and family ties can turn into conspiracy traps.

The trailer takes viewers into the heart of Mumbai's criminal underworld, where retired don Murshid Pathan is reluctantly drawn back into a life he thought he'd left behind. When his former rival Farid (Zakir Hussain) implicates Murshid's son in a dangerous plot, the ex-kingpin must navigate this treacherous landscape of shifting alliances, political conspiracies, and personal vendettas.

As Murshid fights to protect his family and legacy, he is pursued by the determined Inspector Kumar Pratap Rana (Tanuj Virwani) who is also his adopted son and manipulated by the ambitious politician Jayendra (Rajesh Shringarpure).

Talking about the show, Kay Kay said: "Playing Murshid Pathan in this intense gangster thriller was truly exciting for me. I've always been drawn to complex characters, and Murshid is exactly that - a former don turned philanthropist, pulled back into the underworld to protect his family."

"The trailer just scratches the surface of his journey. Itas a relatable story of how far a father can go for the sake of his family. I can't wait for audiences to experience Murshid's full story and see how he confronts his past to secure his family's future," he added.

Zakir, who plays the antagonist Farid, said: "This character is a powder keg of ambition and aggression, constantly pushing the boundaries of power in Mumbai's underworld. What fascinates me about Farid is his complex psyche - a man desperate to eclipse Murshid's legacy yet undone by his own volatile nature."

"It's a thrilling portrayal of a modern-day don, grappling with old-world respect and new-age ruthlessness. I'm excited for viewers to witness this intense power struggle and see how Farid's journey unfolds in the show," added Zakir.

Tanuj commented: "Being part of 'Murshid' has been an incredible journey, especially sharing the screen with powerhouses like Kay Kay Menon and Zakir Hussain. Kumar Pratap Rana is a character caught in an emotional whirlwind."

"As a police inspector adopted and raised by Murshid Pathan after losing his parents, Kumar's world is turned upside down when he suspects Murshid's involvement in his tragic past. Yet, despite this turmoil, Kumar's deep-rooted love for his adoptive father proves stronger than anything. It's a story of conflicted loyalties and the enduring power of family bonds," he added.

Produced by Sandeep Patel,aMurshida will premiere on ZEE5 on August 30.
Caracas, Aug 20 : Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared "fascism has failed in Venezuela" in a meeting with the national leadership of the governing United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies in the Great Patriotic Pole coalition.

"We will not allow fascism to assault power in Venezuela," Maduro said on Monday, calling on supporters "to consolidate the victory against hatred, against lies, against manipulation".

Assessing Venezuela's political landscape after the July 28 presidential elections, the Venezuelan President said the coalition and its supporters were "defeating a coup d'etat", as reported by Xinhua news agency.

He described post-election attempts to destabilise the country through online disinformation campaigns as a "cyber coup d'etat," warning that "woe betide anyone who falls for the narrative that attempts to justify a coup d'etat and the establishment of a violent regime".

"Fascism has failed in Venezuela, we have defeated it," he said.

Immediately following the presidential elections, violence broke out in parts of the capital Caracas and other cities, which the government said was instigated by opposition groups.

Venezuela plans to convene a world anti-fascist Congress, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said.

"We are convening a world Congress against fascism, neo-fascism and other such manifestations and will invite participants from all continents," he said at a meeting of the ruling United Socialist Party and the Great Patriotic Pole alliance, which was aired by Venezolana de Television.

According to Maduro, invitations will be sent to "thinkers, intellectuals, actors, social and political leaders from Africa, Asia, Europe, the US, Latin America, and Caribbean countries.

"Venezuela will be a global epicentre of anti-fascism fight," he stressed.

He said that the anti-fascist forum would be held "much earlier than Venezuelaas Congress scheduled for October 18-20, 2024.

Venezuela's Parliament is considering a bill against fascism amid far-right group's attempts to stir violence and unrest in the country following the July 28 presidential election.
Kyiv, Aug 20 : A fuel and lubricants storage facility in Ukraine's western Ternopil region caught fire on early Tuesday after a Russian strike, with initial information saying there were no casualties, regional authorities said.

The projectile fired by Russian forces hit the storage depot in the city of Ternopil at about 3 a.m. local time, according to the Ternopil Regional Military Administration, Xinhua news agency reported, quoting Interfax-Ukraine News Agency.

More than 90 rescuers and over 20 units of equipment, including two fire trains, worked at the site to put out the blaze. Local authorities urged people to stay inside their homes and close the windows.

The Ukrainian capital also came under drone and cruise missile strikes overnight, which brought no casualties, the Kyiv City Military Administration said, adding that all air targets were intercepted on the city's outskirts.

Russia fired 26 Shahed combat drones, two Iskander M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, an Iskander-K cruise missile, and several Kh-59 guided missiles at Ukraine in an overnight attack, said the Ukrainian Air Force.

Ukrainian air defence shot down 25 drones, a cruise missile, and two guided missiles over nine regions, according to Interfax-Ukraine News Agency.
Kolkata, Aug 20 : The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday allowed the West Bengal unit of the BJP to stage a demonstration near the state-run R. G. Kar Medical College & Hospital against the rape and murder of a woman doctor of the medical facility.

Being denied the police permission to stage protest demonstrations at Shyambazar five-point crossing which is quite close to the said hospital, the state unit of BJP had moved the Calcutta High Court.

A single-judge bench of Justice Rajarshi Bhardwaj granted the BJP permission to stage the demonstration for five days, beginning Wednesday.

Justice Bhardwaj has also fixed the time limit for the demonstration from 12 noon to 9 p.m.

Incidentally, the state unit of BJP had planned a protest demonstration at Shyambazar five-point crossing on August 16, and accordingly, they had set up a temporary dais there for that purpose.

However, on the same morning, the cops of Kolkata Police demolished that dais, after which the BJP workers started raising another dais at the same spot. However, when the police stopped them from doing so, a scuffle broke out between them.

Soon after that Kolkata Police enforced Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, around R.G. Kar Hospital for seven days starting from August 18, barring all sorts of gatherings, protests, or rallies there during that period.

Later, the BJP approached Justice Bhardwaj's bench seeking permission which was granted.

Welcoming the Calcutta High Court order, the state BJP leaders said that it has become a common practice in West Bengal, where the opposition parties have to approach the court for permission to conduct peaceful political programmes.

The post-mortem report of the victim, who was raped and murdered on August 9, has suggested that the body had 14 injuries.

The body of a female doctor was found in suspicious circumstances in the seminar hall of the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. So far, only one person has been arrested in connection with the case.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : In a bid to fight the rising burden of tuberculosis (TB) in India, Indian startup Salcit Technologies is exploring to use of Google's Health Acoustic Representations (HeAR) model to enhance early detection of TB based on cough sounds, the tech giant said on Tuesday.

In a blog post, Google said that its HeAR bioacoustic foundation model is trained on approximately 300 million pieces of audio data, and in particular roughly 100 million cough sounds. It can help extend screening for TB more widely across India, the company said.

The Hyderabad-based Salcit Technologies will use the HeAR model to build on research for its product Swaasa, it noted.

Launched in 2020, Swaasa uses an AI-driven algorithm that can assess if human lungs are abnormal.

HeAR was introduced in March 2024 and is designed to help researchers build models that can listen to human sounds and flag early signs of disease.

"Compared to blood tests and imaging, sound is by far the most accessible piece of information that we can get about a person. HeAR can pick up chest x-ray findings, tuberculosis, and even detect Covid from cough sounds," said Sujay Kakarmath, a product manager at Google Research.

"In places where access to advanced medical resources is scarce, we can imagine a future where a healthcare professional with a machine learning model and a phone can collect a sample of your sound and inform clinical care. With HeAR, we hope that researchers will be able to discover new acoustic biomarkers a lot faster," he added.

The Stop TB Partnership, an UN-hosted organisation dedicated to ending TB by 2030, also supports this approach.

"Solutions like HeAR will enable AI-powered acoustic analysis to break new ground in tuberculosis screening and detection, offering a potentially low-impact, accessible tool to those who need it most," said Zhi Zhen Qin, digital health specialist with the Stop TB Partnership.

The blog post said that Google is inviting researchers interested in exploring HeAR's potential to request access to the HeAR API.

Through its research, Google hopes to keep helping advance the development of future diagnostic tools and monitoring solutions that assist improved health outcomes for communities around the globe.
Patna, Aug 20 : After former Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras adopted a more conciliatory tone toward Union Minister Chirag Paswan, Arun Bharti, the Jamui MP from the Lok Janshakti Party Ram Vilas (LJPRV), commented that Paras needs more than just a change in language, he needs a change of heart.

Bharti, while speaking to the media in Patna on Tuesday, said, "If Paras genuinely desires unity within the family, his first step should be to reach out to Chirag Paswan and his mother and talk to them."

The tension between Paras and Chirag Paswan escalated during the recent Lok Sabha elections. Paras had requested two to three seats in Bihar, including his stronghold Hajipur, but the BJP's central leadership denied this request and instead allocated all five seats to LJPRV, led by Chirag Paswan.

This decision led to a strained relationship between the two leaders.

However, Paras' stance has notably softened after the results of the Lok Sabha election as he publicly congratulated Chirag Paswan for his victory via his social media account on X.

In a further shift, Paras recently announced plans to contest all 243 seats in the 2025 Bihar Assembly election, as well as upcoming bypolls in Tarari, Ramgarh, Belaganj and Imamganj.

Arun Bharti, reacting to the upcoming bye-polls, emphasised the unity within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, which comprises five political parties.

He stated that regardless of who the NDA candidate is for these bypolls, he would support them by campaigning.

Regarding the office in Patna, Bharti addressed the ongoing dispute between Paras and Chirag Paswan's factions over the party office on Airport Road.

The office was initially allocated to the undivided Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) by the Bihar government.

Following the split, the office was claimed by Paras, but after the Lok Sabha elections, it was reallocated to LJPRV, led by Chirag Paswan.

"If the Bihar government assigns another office to LJPRV in a different location, they would have no objections but the matter is between the Bihar government and Paras. So, it is up to the Bihar government to decide on this matter," Bharti said.
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 20 : A day after the Justice Hema Committee report on the working condition of women in the Malayalam industry and their sexual exploitation was released, veteran BJP leader and former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan on Tuesday demanded that Minister for Films Saji Cherian step down for "shielding" those who tormented the actresses.

The Justice Hema (retd) report, submitted in 2019, was finally released after the Pinarayi Vijayan government kept it in cold storage for the past five years.

Muraleedharan said the Vijayan government has committed a cardinal mistake by shielding the accused by keeping the report under wraps for the past five years.

aThe crimes that have been committed include cases which can be booked under the Pocso Act and yet the government kept mum. This is a gross criminal act and a violation of the oath taken by Cherian and hence he has to resign. The government was hiding under the provisions of the Right to Information Act. The report was received by the then state Minister of Films A.K. Balan who is also guilty of shielding the accused," he said.

"We are all waiting to hear the views of the women activists within the film industry and those who work outside. Not long ago, the CPI-M-led government had created an all-women awalla to highlight the rights of women. Please do not think people are fools," Muraleedharan added.

State BJP President K. Surendran said the Vijayan government has to apologise to the people for keeping the report secret.

"The Vijayan government has to act on the report and the delay of five years is yet another example of the Leftas attitude towards women. Instead of taking action against the accused, they are atravellinga with them and leaving the victims in a quandary," he said.

"The Vijayan government has to ensure that film shooting locations are turned into women-friendly places and for this, the state government has to act fast. The Vijayan government which was protecting the accused has to come to the help of the victims as thatas the duty of a government. Vijayan should come clean on why things were hidden," he added.
Islamabad, Aug 20 : At least seven members of a family died after drinking poisonous milk in Pakistan's Sindh, a local official said on Tuesday.

According to a statement from Fayyaz Abbasi, the commissioner of the region, five children were among the deceased who consumed venomous milk on Sunday night.

The incident occurred in the Pir Goth area of the province's Khairpur district, Xinhua news agency reported.

The official said that 10 members of the family were brought to the Civil Hospital of the area after their health started deteriorating due to drinking the milk late Sunday night.

"Seven of the affected persons died during treatment while the remaining are in critical condition at the hospital," a hospital official told Xinhua.

Local police said that they had registered a case and were investigating to find how the milk was mixed with poison.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : Indian companies are expected to allocate $45-50 billion annually for capital expenditure over the next two years as the investment cycle picks up momentum on the back of robust corporate earnings, according to a Moody's Ratings report released on Tuesday.

New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) Indian companies are expected to allocate $45a"50 billion annually for capital expenditure over the next two years as the investment cycle picks up momentum on the back of robust corporate earnings, according to a Moody's Ratings report released on Tuesday.

Moodyas expects Indian companies to invest in new capacity to meet increasing demand for consumption goods, with a large proportion of their capex being funded through internal cash flows.

Investments to increase vertical integration and achieve net zero targets will also drive up investments, the report states.

"Capex by corporate sectors in India and Indonesia will remain high over the next two to three years. Overall capacity utilisation for the manufacturing sector in both countries is already quite high, while consumption continues to grow on the back of population growth and a favourable demographic profile," the Moody's report states.

The global rating agency expects companies in the automotive, metals and mining, technology, media and telecommunications sectors to account for around one-third of total capex, with investments of around $15-16 billion each year.

Companies in the oil and gas sector are expected to invest 60 per cent of the total capex.

What will support the earnings of these companies across sectors will be infrastructure spending, increasing domestic energy consumption, and rising demand for connectivity, Moodyas said.

Government policies aimed at pushing up the growth rate of the manufacturing sector are seen as another driver of capex. The government's promotion of manufacturing as a basis for economic development and job creation will support capacity expansion and continued capex over the next few years, the report said.

While improving the domestic liquidity and internal cash flows of Indian companies can cover a portion of their capital needs, funding through offshore channels will remain an important route.

Meanwhile, the gross foreign direct investment (FDI) flowing into the Indian economy has surged by 26.4 per cent to $22.5 billion during the April-June quarter of the current financial year compared to the same quarter of the previous year, according to the RBIas latest monthly bulletin. This has resulted in net FDI during the first quarter of 2024-25 shooting up to $6.9 billion during the first quarter of 2024-25, compared to $4.7 billion in the same period of 2023-24, the report states.

Manufacturing, financial services, communication services, computer services, and electricity and other energy sectors accounted for about 80 per cent of the gross FDI inflows.
Hyderabad, Aug 20 : The politics over the statue in Telangana took an ugly turn with Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao hitting back at Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy after the latter's scathing attack over the issue related to the installation of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's statue in front of the state Secretariat.

After Revanth Reddy launched a bitter attack on Rama Rao for threatening to remove the statue once BRS returns to power, the BRS leader reiterated that the party would clear the "trash" the day it is back in power.

"Mark my words Cheap Minister Revanth. We will clear out the trash from the surroundings of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar secretariat the very same day we are back in office. Can't expect a Delhi Ghulam like you to ever understand self-respect & pride of Telangana," Rama Rao posted on social media platform X.

"Using filthy language in front of school children shows your lousy thinking & uncouth upbringing. Wish you speedy healing from your mental sickness," said KTR, as the BRS leader is popularly known.

Earlier, the Chief Minister slammed KTR and his father K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) with some harsh words.

Addressing a gathering at Rajiv Gandhi's statue at Punjagutta in the city on his birth anniversary, Revanth Reddy dared BRS leaders to touch Rajiv Gandhi's statue.

He defended the installation of the former Prime Minister's statue in front of the Secretariat and next to the Telangana Martyrs' Memorial, saying a leader who laid down their life for the country deserved this honour.

Alleging that KTR wants to install a statue of his father KCR, the Chief Minister remarked, "There is no place at the secretariat for the drunkards and thieves who looted Telangana in the name of statehood movement."

On KTR's argument that the previous BRS government had earmarked the place in front of the Secretariat for installing the statue of Telangana Talli, Revanth Reddy asked why the BRS failed to erect the Telangana Talli statue for 10 years.

The Chief Minister announced that the Telangana Talli statue will be unveiled in the Secretariat on December 9, which is the birthday of Sonia Gandhi.

Meanwhile, BRS leader and former minister S. Niranjan Reddy has condemned the Chief Minister's remarks against KCR. He said that Revanth Reddy, who trained guns on Telangana activists and was "caught" in a cash-for-vote scam while trying to "destabilise" the Telangana government, knew nothing about Telangana identity and self-respect.

"Revanth Reddy became chief minister in a lucky lottery and that's why he does not know the dignity of the post," said Niranjan Reddy.
Mumbai, Aug 20 : Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra, who swept critical acclaim for her streaming biopic 'Amar Singh Chamkila', is spending her time in the UK, and enjoying the desi flavours that the country's chefs from the Indian subcontinent have to offer.

Mumbai, Aug 20 (IANS) Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra, who swept critical acclaim for her streaming biopic aAmar Singh Chamkilaa, is spending her time in the UK, and enjoying the desi flavours that the countryas chefs from the Indian subcontinent have to offer.

The actress took to the Stories section of her Instagram, and shared a series of pictures of her food indulgence.

The actress could be seen sitting in a fine dine restaurant, and gorging on delicacies like Paneer, laccha parathas, gulab jamun, and a special paratha.

The UK, which had long been known for its muted flavours, has seen huge changes in its culinary landscape in the past few decades owing to the growing influx of immigrants, majorly from the Indian subcontinent. Chicken Tikka Masala is the national dish of the UK courtesy the chefs from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Parineeti, who hails from a Punjabi family, is a true foodie and likes her food to be flavourful and full of spices. The actress spent her significant time in the UK while studying at Manchester Business School. She was honoured with the triple honours degree in business, finance and economics from the university.

While in the UK during her academic years, Parineeti often fancied herself with pizzas which she had to let go once she stepped into the profession of acting. The actress made her debut in 2011 with aLadies vs Ricky Bahla for which she was feted with several awards.

While shooting for her movie aShuddh Desi Romancea in Rajasthan, the actress had spoken about her love for local flavours like Gatte ki sabzi and laal maans back in 2013.

The actress is currently enjoying her downtime and marital bliss after delivering the streaming hit aAmar Singh Chamkilaa in which she was paired opposite Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh as his wife.
Patna, Aug 20 : Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday alleged that the Union government is attempting to end the reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the country.

He pointed towards a job advertisement issued by the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB) on August 7, 2023, which called for applications to fill 368 posts for principal scientist and senior scientist.

"The advertisement specified that all these vacancies were unreserved which means the reservation orders will not apply to it," the former Deputy Chief Minister said.

He also shared a copy of the advertisement with the media in Patna, arguing that this move by the ASRB reflects a broader strategy by the Union government to dismantle the existing reservation system that protects the rights of marginalised communities (SC, ST and OBC) in India.

He also criticised the Union government regarding its approach to reservation policies, emphasising that it effectively excludes Dalits, backward classes, and tribal communities from benefiting from reservation policies in these positions.

"The Union government, along with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is systematically dismantling reservation in Agricultural Department recruitment thereby stripping marginalised communities of their rights," the former Deputy Chief Minister said.

He also challenged Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Union Minister Chirag Paswan, Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Union Minister Anupriya Patel, Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary and other leaders to speak out on this issue.

Earlier, the former Deputy Chief Minister released a written statement addressing the issue of lateral entry into the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), outlining 18 points of concern.

He also asked the Union government to release detailed data regarding recruitments made through lateral entry since 2018 and demanded transparency, specifically asking for information on how many individuals from SC, ST, and OBC have been employed through this process.
New Delhi, 20 Aug : India, the world's largest democracy, faces an intricate challenge in conducting elections at an unparalleled scale. The traditional voting process, characterised by extensive logistical arrangements, significant costs, and substantial length of time, needs transformation.

New Delhi, 20 Aug (IANS) India, the world's largest democracy, faces an intricate challenge in conducting elections at an unparalleled scale. The traditional voting process, characterised by extensive logistical arrangements, significant costs, and substantial length of time, needs transformation.

As India rapidly embraces digital advancements across various sectors, implementing online voting emerges as a timely and essential reform. This need for change is underscored by a 2024 article in The Economist, which, citing the Centre for Media Studies (CMS), reveals that the cost of the election has ballooned to 1.35 lakh crore rupees, making it the most expensive in the world. This staggering figure places India ahead of the most advanced nations like the US, where the total poll expenditure touched 1.2 lakh crore. With an astonishing Rs 700 spent per vote, Indiaas 2024 election spending is set to break records, raising questions about democracy and economic implications.

Online voting represents a transformative shift in the electoral process, leveraging digital technology to streamline and enhance citizens' participation in democracy. Compared to traditional voting methods, online voting offers numerous advantages, including increased accessibility, enhanced security, and greater convenience. It will eliminate geographical barriers, allowing voters to cast their ballots from any location, which is particularly beneficial for individuals with mobility issues, and youth with educational or work commitments away from home. Security features such as encryption, biometric verification, and facial recognition will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of each vote, significantly reducing the risk of fraud. Furthermore, online voting can lower costs by reducing the need for physical polling infrastructure and materials while promoting environmental sustainability by eliminating paper ballots. Given these advantages, India, with its vast and diverse electorate, stands to gain immensely from adopting online voting, making the electoral process more inclusive, efficient, and resilient in the face of logistical challenges.

The feasibility of online voting in India is underscored by the nation's advancements in digital technology. The robust infrastructure supporting millions of secure online transactions daily in the banking sector is a testament to India's ability to handle online voting securely. For instance, the cost of making a secure online transaction of a value greater than Rs 2 lakh is approximately Rs 25 (Typical cost of NEFT transaction). Therefore, it is evident that banks already have mechanisms in place for ensuring the verification and safety of transactions of high monetary value. It is therefore possible to have similar verification and safety systems for voting at a cost much lower than Rs 700 per vote. Thereby, a financial savings case can be made.

Modern encryption techniques, multi-factor authentication, and continuous cybersecurity measures can safeguard voter data, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of the electoral process. Traditional voting methods incur substantial expenses related to setting up polling stations, deploying security personnel, and managing logistics. Online voting can drastically reduce these costs by eliminating the need for physical infrastructure, thereby allowing resources to be redirected toward enhancing digital infrastructure and ensuring widespread internet access.

Accessibility is a fundamental aspect of a democratic electoral process, and online voting can significantly enhance it. One persistent challenge in Indian elections is ensuring that every eligible voter, especially those in remote or hard-to-reach areas, can participate. With the 2024 general election reaching unprecedented scale, as highlighted by a BBC article in June 2024, the challenge of ensuring every eligible votera"totalling 969 milliona"can participate has become increasingly urgent. Online voting offers a practical solution to effectively bridge this gap. With increasing smartphone penetration and expanding internet access, even voters in the most isolated regions can participate in the electoral process without the burden of travelling long distances to polling stations. This digital approach also promotes inclusive participation by accommodating marginalised groups, including older people, differently-abled people, and those with mobility issues, who often face difficulties reaching traditional polling stations. By allowing these individuals to vote from the comfort of their homes, online voting ensures their voices are heard, fostering a more inclusive democracy.

Transparency and security are paramount in maintaining public trust in the electoral process. Traditional voting systems are vulnerable to various forms of electoral fraud, such as booth capturing and ballot tampering. Fortified with advanced security measures like encryption, facial recognition, and biometric verification, online voting can substantially mitigate these risks. Each vote can be traced and verified, enhancing the transparency and integrity of the electoral process. Furthermore, online voting will allow for real-time monitoring, promptly detecting and resolving any irregularities. Digital records of votes can be securely maintained, facilitating accurate and efficient recounts if necessary and thereby reinforcing the reliability of the electoral outcome.

Facial recognition technology, widely used in smartphones, can be a robust method for voter authentication, ensuring that only the legitimate voter can access the voting system. This technology, combined with biometric verification methods such as fingerprint scanning, adds an additional layer of security. Incorporating Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols, similar to those employed in the banking sector, can further enhance voter verification, ensuring that the person casting the vote is registered. This multi-factor authentication framework not only secures the voting process but also instils confidence among voters regarding the authenticity and accuracy of their participation.

The convenience offered by online voting can lead to a significant increase in voter turnout. Voters can cast their votes from any location and anytime within the voting period, providing unparalleled flexibility. This convenience is particularly beneficial for individuals with demanding schedules or those unable to visit polling stations physically. Immediate confirmation of the vote, akin to transaction alerts in online banking, will reassure voters that their vote has been successfully recorded, enhancing their confidence in the electoral process. This seamless and user-friendly experience can motivate citizens to participate in elections, strengthening the democratic process.

Online voting holds significant benefits for the youth of India, particularly for students and young professionals who are often geographically dispersed due to their academic and career commitments. Many young voters study in colleges in different states from their home constituencies or have work locations far from where they are registered to vote. Traditional voting methods require these individuals to return to their home areas to cast their ballots, which can be time-consuming and financially burdensome. Online voting eliminates this need by allowing them to vote from wherever they are, be it their college campus or workplace in another city. This convenience ensures their voices are heard without disrupting their educational or professional responsibilities. Furthermore, online voting can engage tech-savvy young voters more effectively, encouraging greater political participation among the youth. Gen Z, who are familiar with digital interfaces and accustomed to online transactions, will likely find an online voting system intuitive and easy to use, fostering a more engaged and politically active younger generation.

Despite its numerous advantages, implementing online voting in India is challenging. The digital divide, characterised by the disparity in access to digital technology, remains a significant hurdle. To address this, the government can initiate programs to provide affordable smartphones and internet access, ensuring that all voters can utilise the online voting system. Cybersecurity concerns, while valid, can be mitigated through robust encryption, regular security audits, and continuous monitoring. Collaborating with cybersecurity experts and learning from countries with successful online voting implementations, such as Estonia, can further bolster the system's security. Additionally, extensive training programmes and awareness campaigns are essential to familiarise voters with the technology, ensuring they can navigate the system confidently. Providing support through helplines and local assistance centres can further aid voters, ensuring a smooth transition to online voting.

The transition to online voting in India holds immense potential to enhance the electoral process, making it more accessible, transparent, secure, and efficient. By leveraging existing technological advancements and learning from global examples, India can address the challenges and implement a robust online voting system. This shift is a step towards modernisation and a fundamental commitment to strengthening democracy by ensuring every citizen's voice is heard. As India continues to innovate and digitise various sectors, integrating online voting into its electoral process is a logical and necessary progression. At the outline providing an option to vote online through a proper verification process can be the beginning of a new era in the democratic system. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is already recognised as a role model by several other countries due to its ability to conduct large, complex, and challenging elections. ECI must ensure that the electoral process in India evolves with new technological advancements and societal needs. Several politicians contend for paper-based elections by questioning the reliability of electronic voting machines, and they may extend their concerns to online voting systems as well. Nevertheless, it may be useful not to take regressive steps, embrace technological advancements, and adopt progressive solutions.

(Professor Dheeraj Sharma serves as the Director of IIM Rohtak)

--IANS

Dheeraj/kvd
Ahmedabad, Aug 20 : The Ahmedabad City Crime Branch has successfully apprehended a fugitive who had been evading arrest for over two-and-a-half years in connection with a robbery case involving fake currency notes.

The suspect, identified as Jamadpar Singh, aged 28, was involved in a daring heist on February 2, 2022, in the Angadi area.

Singh and his accomplices allegedly ambushed a vehicle carrying Rs 2,09,00,000 in cash (all fake currency notes) and fled the scene after a violent confrontation, according to an official statement.

Officials shared, "This case had been registered under crime number 1121602220063/2022 at the Crime Branch Police Station. The charges included Sections 395 and 412 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 135(1) of the Gujarat Police Act. Despite numerous attempts to apprehend him, Singh remained at large until today, when we captured him at around 1:00 PM."

Singh has been handed over to the Dholka Police Station for further investigation as authorities continue to unravel the details of the heist.

The Crime in India-2022 report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) revealed that Gujarat witnessed the country's highest seizure of counterfeit currency notes.

A whopping 11.28 lakh fake notes in the Rs 2,000 denomination were confiscated in the state, making up 98 per cent of the total 11.48 lakh counterfeit notes seized across India.

In a written response to a query by Congress MLA Anant Patel, the Gujarat government informed the legislature that 26 incidents of printing counterfeit currency notes were uncovered in the state over the last two years, with 17 incidents occurring in 2022 alone.

During this period, 17,271 counterfeit currency notes were seized, including 14,165 notes last year.
Hyderabad, Aug 20 : A leader of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), on Tuesday, filed a complaint with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and his brother over alleged conflict of interest in the Swachh Bio deal.

BRS spokesperson Krishank Manne raised serious concerns over a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Swachh Bio and the Telangana government.

The MoU, announced by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on August 6 during his visit to the United States, involves an investment of Rs 1,000 crore.

According to BRS, the ED authorities took the complaint and gave an acknowledgement. The complaint alleges a "conflict of interest" and "quid pro quo", pointing out that one of the directors of Swachh Bio is Anumula Jagdeeshwar Reddy, the brother of the Chief Minister.

"It is a matter of serious concern that one of the directors of Swachh Bio, Anumula Jagdeeshwar Reddy, is the Chief Minister's brother, which raises questions about the integrity of the deal," Krishank Manne stated in his letter to the ED.

The complaint also highlights that Swachh Bio was incorporated just 15 days before the Chief Minister's official visit to Philadelphia, US, where the MoU was signed.

The company registered at Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, is allegedly a shell company with no active business operations. "What is the purpose of announcing this company in the US? Does it involve foreign funds? Is there any connection to money laundering?" the complaint said.

The complaint also raises concerns about the involvement of Harsha Pasunuri, who was pictured alongside Revanth Reddy during the MoU signing.

"The person in the picture with the Chief Minister signing the MoU is Pasunuri. He and CM's brother should explain their financials and how they came forward to invest Rs 1000 crore," Manne added.

Manne urged the authorities to investigate the matter thoroughly, stating, "As this is sheer corruption, we request the authorities to kindly accept our appeal as a complaint and conduct a fair investigation on Swachh Bio directors as well as Anumula Revanth Reddy."

Telangana IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu, who accompanied Revanth Reddy during the US tour, clarified that the government did not give any special incentives for land.

The Minister said that though Swachh Bio may have been incorporated recently, it partnered with Suganit Renewables and has as many as eight patents in the bioethanol production cycle including 2G ethanol technology.

He said that the company has raised enough resources and plans to set up multiple units in the State.

"What we signed was a generic MoU and the government has not offered anything special in terms of land or incentives," he said.
Badlapur : , Aug 20 (IANS) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday slammed the Opposition for demanding his resignation and also of the School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar in the wake of sexual abuse of two four-year-old girls by a sweeper in a reputed school here.

Deputy CM Fadnavis, in his reaction to NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule's statement, seeking his resignation, said, "The Opposition is trying to make political gains even from such a serious incident. They have lost their senses. The Opposition should not play politics, at least in such cases. Instead of giving relief to the people, they are playing politics."

He reiterated that strict action will be taken against the accused involved in the sexual abuse by prosecuting the case in a fast-track court.

Deputy CM Fadnavis denied the allegation that the police delayed in registering the case after the incident that took place on August 13, saying that the action was taken immediately after the victims' parents went to the police station.

"But, did anyone deliberately delay? Did someone cover up the matter? This will be investigated. Strict action will be taken against those responsible for delay in registration of the case after the SIT probe. We want to file a charge sheet in this matter as soon as possible and take the case to fast-track court," he added.

On demand of the protesters for hanging the accused, Deputy CM Fadnavis said, "I will not say whether the protesting crowd has come spontaneously or because of some other reason. It can be an outburst of people's emotions. People have demanded that the culprit be hanged immediately. But we are trying to do whatever can be done urgently as per the law. Police is trying to work sensitively in this regard. Care is being taken to prevent riots anywhere."

Earlier, the protesters, who have gathered in large numbers at the Badlapur railway station, shouted slogans like "Hang the accused".

The Rural Development Minister Girish Mahajan, who reached the railway station to meet the protesters, faced their anger.

"Protesters tried to throw a bottle at him (the Rural Development Minister). The police despite their repeated calls could not disperse the protesters. The security has been tightened at the railway station and around as police personnel from surrounding cities have been deployed."

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde spoke to Thane Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre and took stock of the situation.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that the incident of torture of school girls in Badlapur is "extremely unfortunate" and "frustrating".

"A thorough inquiry into the incident has been ordered. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty, no one will be spared. This incident will be thoroughly investigated. A SIT has been formed under the leadership of IPS officer Aarti Singh. The accused who committed this unforgivable crime will not be spared."
Jaipur, Aug 20 : Special POCSO Court on Tuesday sentenced life imprisonment to six accused in the Ajmer blackmail case which is also called as Ajmer sex scandal.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on each of them.

On June 23, 2001, a charge sheet was presented against these six accused, while the hearing in the case was completed in July this year.

All six of these accused were present in the court at the time of the announcement of the sentence.

The Ajmer blackmail case of 1992 rocked the nation around 32 years back when stunning facts were disclosed leaving residents of Ajmer city shocked and surprised.

Around 100 girls were blackmailed after their obscene pictures surfaced in the market after their molestation. Around six girls had committed suicide following the harassment and torture due to blackmailing.

Overall, there were 18 accused in the case out of which nine have already been sentenced. However, four have been acquitted by the High Court later.

One of the accused, Purushottam alias Babli, committed suicide in 1994 when he was out on bail. Another accused namely Almas Maharaj is still absconding while one person was tried separately on charges of molesting a boy.

The verdict on the remaining six accused was announced on Tuesday.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : Only a few locations in Africa are home to the majority of the early human fossil record, where ideal geological circumstances have preserved a wealth of fossils that biologists have used to piece together the evolution of humans, yet it is not a complete picture.

The eastern branch of the East African Rift System, which has significant fossil sites like Tanzania's Oldupai Gorge, is one of these hotspots for fossils.

However, given that the eastern branch of the rift system only comprises about one per cent of Africa's landmass, it is easy to calculate the amount of information that scientists who rely on samples this small are missing.

Researchers from George Washington University demonstrate in a recent study that was published on Tuesday in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, how much our understanding of human evolution is skewed by the concentration of sites in hotspots like the East African Rift System and why early human history interpretations must take this bias into consideration.

W Andrew Barr and Bernard Wood at the varsity found that the fossil record is systematically biased, and that only a small number of medium and large-bodied mammals are "rift specialists."

This means that the rift environment represents only 1.6 per cent of the total geographic range of modern mammal species, highlighting the need for adjusting interpretations.

They further say that skulls from the Rift Valley represent less than 50 per cent of the total variation among primate skulls in Africa.

This is despite the fact that the rift represents only a small sample of where ancient humans likely lived.

"We must avoid falling into the trap of coming up with what looks like a comprehensive reconstruction of the human story, when we know we don't have all of the relevant evidence. Imagine trying to capture the social and economic complexity of Washington DC if you only had access to information from one neighbourhood. It helps if you can get a sense of how much information is missing," says Wood.

The study suggests that while modern mammals can provide clues about the environments and physical differences of ancient humans, they cannot provide a comprehensive reconstruction of the human story.

The researchers also suggest that the scientific community should look beyond the rift to identify new fossil sites and expand the geographic range of the fossil record.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : India and Africa have come a long way and there are scores of trade opportunities for both countries across sectors, John Panonetsa Mangudya, former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor, said here on Tuesday.

Speaking to IANS on the sidelines of the 19th 'CII India-Africa Business Conclave' in the national capital, Mangudya said if you look at both the countries, "we have a combined population of nearly 2.8 billion, so there is plenty of scope for both the nations to grow together on the global stage".

"It is all about further improving relationships between the two countries across industries and this India-Africa conclave is a perfect example of that," added Mangudya, now the CEO of Mutapa Investment Fund, a state-owned investment company.

On Zimbabwe and India trade ties, he said that while Zimbabwe has mineral wealth, India is very strong in the iron and steel sector.

In 2022, Zimbabwe exported $13.5 million worth goods, mainly raw tobacco, tea and raw nickel. On the other hand, India exported packaged medicaments, rice and large iron pipes.

Earlier this month, the third Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and Zimbabwe were held in Harare.

Both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations between the two countries, including the existing institutional mechanisms such as the Joint Commission and the Joint Trade Committee.

According to the government, cooperation in the fields of defence, agriculture, health, mines, minerals and geology, digital platforms, education, training and capacity building and cultural exchanges were discussed.

In May, during the India-Zimbabwe Joint Trade Committee (JTC) in Delhi, the delegates from both the countries discussed greater cooperation and addressed pending issues towards boosting trade and investment.

Both the countries identified several areas of cooperation, including pharmaceuticals, geospatial sector, healthcare, machinery and mechanical appliances, vehicles, electrical machinery, mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of distillation, plastics and articles, iron and steel, agriculture and food processing, engineering sector, renewable energy, digital economy, textiles and capacity building, etc.
Bengaluru, Aug 20 : A delegation of Karnataka BJP leaders met DGP Alok Mohan on Tuesday and submitted a memorandum demanding action and filing of atrocity cases against Congress leaders for allegedly making defamatory remarks against the Governor and organising protests against him.

The delegation was led by Leader of Opposition in the Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, along with former minister and BJP MP, Govind Karajol, and other senior leaders.

Narayanaswamy professed that immediately after Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot gave his consent for prosecution, Congress leaders and supporters began issuing derogatory statements.

He condemned the purported personal remarks made against the Governor.

Narayanaswamy demanded that Congress MLC Ivan D'Souza and Minister for Housing BW Zameer Ahmad Khan be booked under the Goonda Act and the Atrocity Act for making highly defamatory remarks.

Ivan D'Souza had warned that the Governor would face the same fate as Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and that Congress workers would storm the Raj Bhavan and force him to flee.

Minister Zameer stated that the Governor would be held responsible if the law and order situation in the state deteriorates.

Narayanaswamy also called for action to be initiated against Minister for Revenue Krishna Byre Gowda, Minister for Health Dinesh Gundu Rao, and others.

"There is a need to file atrocity cases against the Congress leaders who are making humiliating and insulting statements against the Governor, who hails from the Scheduled Caste community. These statements are an insult to both the Governor and the entire Scheduled Caste community," he charged.

He alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other Congress leaders were targeting the Governor because he belonged to an oppressed class, reflecting the Congress' anti-oppressed class stance.

Narayanaswamy further accused Congress leaders of undermining the dignity of the Governor's office by issuing insulting remarks and burning his effigies.

He pointed out that once allegations surface against a chief minister, it is the Governor's discretion to order an investigation, as has happened in the past.

He noted that the previous Governor had given sanction against then CM, BS Yediyurappa.

He also expressed concern that the Congress leaders were engaging in these acts in the presence of the state police, with no action being taken.

He criticised the police department for taking a lenient view of the situation, noting that not a single case had been filed yet.

Govind Karajol claimed that it was unfortunate that Congress leaders, who came to power in the name of SCs/STs were personally targeting the Governor, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community.

Karajol cited a ruling by the Kolkata High Court, which stated that the Governor is the Constitutional head and cannot be subjected to personal attacks from the public.

He emphasised that while freedom of speech is important, it should not be used to harm the Governor's dignity.

He warned that if the protests continue, the BJP would launch a strong counter-protest, and the police department would be held responsible for any resulting developments.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : While the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) withdrew its advertisement over 'lateral entrant vacancy' in bureaucracy on Tuesday, at the behest of the Centre, this prompted an unsparing attack on the Congress and its allies by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP hit out at the Congress party over its 'double standards' and also charged the latter with 'spreading canards' for furthering its 'motivated' agenda on the issue.

Senior BJP leader Hitesh Jain, taking to X called out Congress' 'duplicity' and said that it was 'time to expose their white lies.'

He said that Congress has a long history of discriminating against SCs, STs, and OBCs - from denying reservations in institutions like Jamia Millia and AMU to now spreading lies about lateral entry.

"It's time to stop the doublespeak and focus on what matters: building a bureaucracy that's fair, inclusive, and truly representative of India's diversity," he added.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday wrote to the UPSC, asking it to withdraw the controversial advertisement over lateral entry into civil services.

Claiming that today's order addressing the issue of lateral entry was a step in the right direction, Hitesh Jain said: "It's imperative that any such process aligns with the principles of equity and social justice, ensuring fair representation of marginalised communities. When it comes to lateral entry into civil services, there's no room for duplicity."

"Either we stand firmly for social justice, or we're just paying lip service. This letter takes a clear stand - it's about walking the talk," he added.

He also dismissed the opposition's claims of lateral entry bypassing the reservation system and said that it was being made more inclusive under the Modi government.

"Under PM Modi's leadership, lateral entry is being made inclusive, with a transparent process that includes everyone - SCs, STs, and OBCs. Congress' fake outrage is nothing more than a smokescreen to hide their own failures," he wrote.

Earlier, the issue of lateral entry into bureaucracy led to a bitter war of words between the BJP and the INDIA bloc. The opposition claimed that the Centre was attempting to bypass the reservation system, which grants representation to OBCs, SCs and STs in government institutions, while the latter refuted the charges claiming that it was conceptualised during the UPA rule in 2005.

The Opposition also sought to take credit for the Centre withdrawing the notification for lateral entry, saying that it backed down due to its mounting pressure.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside a Calcutta High Court ruling, wherein adolescent girls were advised to "learn how to control their sexual urges".

A bench, headed by Justice Abhay S. Oka, pronounced its verdict in a suo moto proceedings initiated in the wake of "sweeping observations" made in the high court order, including on the appeal filed by the West Bengal government.

In December last year, the top court had exercised suo moto cognisance due to "highly objectionable and completely unwarranted" findings recorded by the Calcutta High Court suggesting "every female adolescent 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".

The observations were made by a division bench of the Calcutta High Court as it dealt with an appeal against conviction under Sections 363 and 366 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860 as well as Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.

The bench of Justices Chitta Ranjan Das and Partha Sarathi Sen overturned an earlier order by a lower court sentencing a teenager to 20 years imprisonment for having sex with his romantic partner, who is also a minor. It acquitted the teenage boy after the minor girl, also a teenager, admitted that the physical relations were consensual since both had decided to marry each other at a later stage. She also admitted that neither she nor her romantic partner, both hailing from remote rural areas, were aware that 18 was the official age of sexual relationship as per Indian law.

"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 Hon'ble Judges are not expected to express their personal views. They are not expected to preach," the Supreme Court had said, as it took suo moto cognisance of the issue. It had appointed senior advocate Madhavi Goradia Divan as amicus curiae to assist the court.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Aug 20 : Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan along with Union Minister Ramdas Athawale and state Cabinet Minister Sanjay Bansode, reviewed the progress of the upcoming memorial of Bharat Ratna B.R. Ambedkar being constructed at the Indu Mills compound in Dadar, here on Tuesday.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) made a presentation of the ongoing work of the grand memorial construction to the visiting dignitaries on the 4.84 hectare plot.

"Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was a great nationalist leader. He sacrificed his life for equality. The memorial here is a fitting tribute to him and the importance of his works will be known to the masses," said the Governor on the occasion.

Radhakrishnan also expressed confidence that the monument on the shores of the Arabian Sea will help strengthen and further unite Indian society.

The Governor was given an overview of the strides made by the memorial, the facilities for physically challenged people and the measures taken to protect it from storms from the sea.

The facility will be an entire green area with 750-800 big trees coming up, plus a huge auditorium with a seating capacity of around 1,000 people, a 100-seater lecture hall-cum-research centre, an open 1,050 square metre meditation area, a library, an underground parking lot, and other amenities.

It will also feature a replica of the historic Chavdar Lake of Mahad town in Raigad district, where Dr. Ambedkar had carried out the epochal procession, 97 years ago (March 20, 1927) to throw the lake water open for the untouchables, and now the event is marked as Social Empowerment Day.

Present were the top officials of the Ambedkar Memorial Committee like Nagsen Kamble, Rahul Bodhi, Praveen Darade, Vijay Waghmare, the architect Shashi Prabhu and the sculptor Anil Sutar who has designed the gigantic bronze statue of B.R. Ambedkar here.

According to the MMRDA, the statue is 350-feet tall, standing on a 100-feet high pedestal which would have a Chaitya Hall with 24 copper-clad rib domes, an internal spiral ramp with a museum and exhibition gallery, and five lifts to take visitors from the hall to the statue base.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : Zimbabwe imports 90 per cent of pharmaceutical products from India, the African country's Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said on Tuesday.

Speaking to IANS at the sidelines of the 19th CII India-Africa Business Conclave, Dr Mombeshora noted that he is looking for partnerships to help start "production in Zimbabwe".

"Almost 90 per cent of our pharmaceutical products come from India, but we would want to see if we can have partnerships where production can be brought to Zimbabwe, rather than having all these products being manufactured so far away," he said.

Manufacturing the products in Zimbabwe would also help bring the price of "those products down, and the benefit more of our population".

At the same time, it will benefit the manufacturer "because it will be a bigger market" opportunity, as the market will also cater to neighbouring countries as Zimbabwe is centrally located, he said.

"It is thus a win-win situation for both India and Zimbabwe," Dr Mombeshora said.

The Minister also said that the country is also looking for partnerships with India on telemedicine. "We have started already building our e-health platform, but we want to upscale it to levels where we can have telemedicine and also be able to share diagnosis and treatment with our counterparts, specialists who are here in India," he said.

Dr Mombeshora said this may benefit a lot of patients who travel to India, seeking specialists for their healthcare needs.

"We realise that there are quite a lot of specialists in India. We have a lot of patients who are coming all the way from Zimbabwe to seek medical treatment in India. But if we develop our telemedicine, we will be able to get some of those treatments," he noted.

Dr Mombeshora is part of the delegation led by Zimbabwe's Vice President C.G.D.N. Chiwenga visiting India to participate in the Conclave. The delegation reached India on Monday.

Besides pharmaceutical products, the Minister said: "We are also seeing a lot of agricultural equipment coming from India."

"So this conclave helps us open more avenues in terms of accessing those equipment and also interacting with producers," he said.

He added that the country is also looking to "upgrade" its e-commerce sector. aThere is quite a lot that we see coming. coming out of this conclave. Yes, on the e-commerce, I think we are moving with the world," the Minister said.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : The Coal Ministry said on Tuesday that the Coal India subsidiary South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) has made significant strides in environmental sustainability through the successful implementation of the Accredited Compensatory Afforestation guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The ministry said that these guidelines were issued for increasing forest cover, thereby contributing to national environmental goals and earning valuable carbon credits.

"Coal mining projects often require forest land, necessitating Forestry Clearance (FC) as part of the environmental approval process. A major challenge in securing these clearances is the identification of suitable Compensatory Afforestation (CA) land," the ministry said.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued guidelines on January 24, 2023, which encourage both government institutions and private landowners to undertake afforestation on fallow lands, thereby increasing the "Trees Outside Forests" and supporting biodiversity.

The ministry said that in a proactive response to the ACA guidelines, SECL identified approximately 2,245 hectares of afforested non-forest de-coaled land, with 1,424 hectares in Chhattisgarh and 821 hectares in Madhya Pradesh.

"These lands were identified as suitable for ACA and were proposed to the respective State Forest Departments for notification as ACA land banks. This move is expected to expedite the FC process for future coal mining projects that require forest land diversion," the Coal Ministry said.

It said that SECL has undertaken biological reclamation and plantation across several sites, including Bishrampur Opencast (OC) Project, Dugga OC, Kurasia Colliery, Jamuna OC, Kotma OC, and Sharda OC in the districts of Surajpur and Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur in Chhattisgarh, and Anuppur and Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh.

"These efforts have transformed de-coaled lands into thriving ecosystems with local species such as Teak, Sal, Babul and Neem," the ministry said,

It said that the reclaimed lands now host a rich variety of flora and fauna, including species like the Sloth Bear, Fox, and various reptiles and migratory birds, which have recolonised the area, particularly around water bodies.

The ministry added that out of the 1,424 hectares identified in Chhattisgarh, 696 hectares have been inspected by officials from the Surajpur and Korea Forest Divisions.

The State Forest Department has issued site suitability certificates for these lands to be used as CA land for various FC proposals of SECL, including Gevra OC, Dipka OC, Kusmunda OC, and Chirimiri OC.

The MoEF&CC has already accepted ACA proposals for Gevra OC and Kusmunda OC, covering a total of 541.195 hectares.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : The Centre's decision to withdraw the contentious lateral entry proposal into various ministries and government departments has been welcomed by BJP's key allies including Lok Janshakti Party, Hindustan Awami Morcha as well as Janata Dal (United).

LJP chief Chirag Paswan speaking to the press, shared happiness and also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for listening and addressing the 'pain' of backward classes.

"We thank the Prime Minister for taking back the partisan proposal and making course corrections for the benefit of all communities including the backward and marginalised classes. This shows PM Modi's firm belief in ensuring principles of social justice," Paswan told media persons.

He also said that his party lodged a protest against the lateral entry program on the grounds that since previous governments didn't give weightage to the reservation, it didn't mean that we should also follow the same precedent.

HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi welcomed the rollback order and said that this was a step in the right direction and also credited the Prime Minister for the move.

"PM Modi has rightly taken note of the public sentiment and ordered the cancellation of UPSC advertisement."

He however added that this is not the first instance, there is a long precedent of hiring lateral entrants. Even during the Jawahar Lal Nehru tenure, eminent people were hired laterally but there was never a hue and cry. Also, they never made any effort to include the deprived and marginalised in the system, he said.

"We thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he promptly addressed the grievances of people regarding reservations and made amends for the same," he added.

Earlier in the day, JD(U) also raised its opposition to the proposal and cautioned against playing into the hands of Opposition as the latter will paint the move as 'anti-quota', especially in light of the fact that the INDIA bloc gained mileage over NDA in the 'war of narratives' in recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.

"Opposition will develop a fake agenda over lateral entry, and Rahul Gandhi will become the champion of the marginalised class. We must not give them a handle to do the same," said a JD(U) spokesperson.
Jerusalem/Beirut, Aug 20 : Hezbollah fired 75 rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Tuesday morning, sparking fires and prompting authorities to instruct tens of thousands of residents to remain indoors.

The Israeli military said the rockets targeted the Upper Galilee and the Golan Heights. "Some of the projectiles were intercepted, while the remainder landed in open areas," the military said, adding that no injuries were reported.

In retaliation, the Israeli Air Force carried out airstrikes, which the military said targeted one of the launchers used in the attack.

Israel's Fire and Rescue Services were dispatched to extinguish fires in several locations in the north. Local authorities urged residents to stay close to shelters, avoid driving, and refrain from gatherings and outdoor activities. These precautions were issued in coordination with the military.

The rocket fire followed Israeli airstrikes on Monday evening that targeted Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, according to a statement from Hezbollah, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health reported that nine people, including three Syrians, were injured in the Israeli strike on Monday.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border have been escalating since Oct. 8, 2023, after Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas's attack the previous day. Israel responded with heavy artillery fire toward southeastern Lebanon.

The situation worsened following an Israeli strike in Beirut, which killed a senior Hezbollah military commander, Fouad Shokor, and seven civilians. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah vowed a "definite and painful" response at a time and place of the group's choosing.
Jerusalem, Aug 20 : The bodies of six Israeli hostages were recovered during an overnight operation in the Khan Younis area of Gaza, Israeli officials said on Tuesday.

In a joint statement, the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security agency, identified the victims as Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, and Haim Perry, and said their families have been notified.

The statement said the bodies were identified at Israel's National Institute of Forensic Medicine.

The Hostages Families Forum, which represents most of the hostage families, said in a statement that the six were kidnapped alive and killed during their captivity.

"The immediate return of the remaining 109 hostages can only be achieved through a negotiated deal. The Israeli government, with the assistance of mediators, must do everything in its power to finalize the deal currently on the table," the group stated, Xinhua news agency reported.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the "complex operation" was made possible by precise intelligence indicating that the bodies were hidden in Hamas tunnels in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered condolences to the families and vowed that Israel would "continue to make every effort to return all of our hostages -- the living and the deceased."

The operation came as Qatari, Egyptian, and US mediators make another push to broker a deal that would secure a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

The hostages were abducted by Hamas fighters during their assault on communities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Dozens have since been released in deals, but Israeli security officials, speaking to Xinhua on condition of anonymity, said only about 60 of the hostages are believed to be alive.

Israel responded to the attack with a massive onslaught, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly civilians, and caused widespread destruction across the enclave.
Blantyre : , Aug 20 (IANS) A suspected case of mpox has been registered at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre City, the Southern Region, one of the largest referral hospitals in Malawi.

Chrissy Banda, senior health promotion officer for Blantyre District, confirmed the development with Xinhua news agency on Tuesday after an alert on the suspected case went viral on social media.

According to the confirmed alert, the suspected case is a 31-year-old man from Chikwawa, a district in Malawi's Southern Region bordering Mozambique, who was admitted to the health facility after presenting with rash, fever, and general body pains. The suspected patient has since been isolated in a separate ward pending lab tests. He has two contacts in Chikwawa who have since presented with the same rash.

The Blantyre District Health Office recently issued a statement announcing increased screening for mpox for all travelers passing through Chileka International Airport in the district, following an upsurge in mpox outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African countries.

The World Health Organisation has declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), while the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has officially declared it a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS).
Kinshasa, Aug 20 : More than 100 people are feared missing after a boat sank Sunday in the western Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), local media reported Tuesday.

According to local officials, the boat sank at around 7 pm, local time, on the Lukenie River, Mai-Ndombe province, after hitting pieces of wood underwater, with approximately 300 people on board.

Only a few dozen survived and several bodies have been found, said local media reports, citing officials who claimed it "hard to clarify on the number of the casualties."

Nkoso Kevani Lebon, Governor of Mai-Ndombe, said he was dismayed by the tragedy, promising an investigation into the incident to establish responsibilities, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We must have secure boats. This is part of our program, and in a few months, there will already be secure boats. A team, composed of members of the provincial security committee, is on its way to establish responsibilities," said the governor.

In June, at least 86 people, including 21 children, were killed after a boat sank on the Kwa River, one of the tributaries of the Congo River, also in the province of Mai-Ndombe.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 20 : A court here on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till August 27 in connection with the alleged excise policy scam.

Kejriwal was produced before Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Court through video conferencing from Tihar Jail upon the expiry of his previously granted custody.

Last week, the Supreme Court refused to release Kejriwal on interim bail in connection with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case related to alleged excise policy scam.

Issuing notice on Kejriwalas plea challenging his arrest in the corruption case as well on a distinct petition seeking bail, a bench of Justices Surya Kant sought a response from the central investigative agency and posted the matter for further hearing on August 23.

In his special leave petition filed before the apex court, the AAP supremo has challenged his arrest and subsequent remand orders, while also pressing for bail in the corruption case.

He assailed the Delhi High Court's August 5 judgment, which ruled that his arrest was neither illegal nor without justifiable grounds because CBI presented "evidently enough evidence" to warrant his detention and remand.

In its impugned decision, the bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna of the Delhi High Court asked Kejriwal to approach the trial court for interim bail.

The Delhi High Court is yet to pronounce its decision on a bail plea filed by Kejriwal in connection with the CBI case. Before it reserved its verdict on July 29, the CBI had filed its charge sheet before a special court here against the AAP supremo and other accused persons in the excise policy case.

The ED had already filed its prosecution complaint in the money laundering case, naming AAP and its national convenor Kejriwal as accused.
Colombo, Aug 20 : A total of 712,321 persons have qualified to cast postal votes for presidential election on September 21, Sri Lanka's Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Rathnayake said on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference, Rathnayake said the commission received 736,589 postal vote applications for the presidential election.

A total of 24,268 postal vote applications were rejected due to errors in those applications, so 712,321 people have qualified to cast postal votes, Rathnayake said, Xinhua news agency reported.

Postal voting for the presidential election will take place between September 4 and September 6, and voters who are unable to cast their votes during the period will have an additional opportunity on September 11 and September 12, he said.

Sri Lanka allows government servants who are unable to vote on the election day at their designated polling station to vote early through postal votes.
GLOBALink | Chinese medical team to Kiribati receives gratitude from local medics Pub Date:24-08-20 10:54 Source:Xinhua

The third batch of the Chinese medical team in Kiribati was met with sincere gratitude from local medical staff as they marked China's Doctors' Day, which falls on Monday. Editor:Qin Shuying

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Bengaluru, Aug 20 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that he will continue to fight for social justice despite political challenges, adding that social equality has still not been achieved in the country.

"Even today, efforts to suppress the backward classes continue. The Karnataka government conducted the country's first caste census to understand various communities' economic and social conditions, ensuring social justice. I will continue the fight for equality and social justice despite political challenges," the Chief Minister said while addressing a function during the 109th birth anniversary celebration of former Chief Minister D. Devaraj Urs, at the Vidhana Soudha Banquet Hall in Bengaluru.

He said that the government is trying to provide social justice however there are attempts to politically end his career.

"Even though I have committed no wrong still there are continuous attempts to tarnish my reputation. Whether I hold power or not, I will never compromise on the issue of social justice or on the principles I believe in," he maintained.

He said that even after 77 years, social equality has still not been achieved in the country, adding that the various political dispensations have failed the society as they were unable to distribute wealth equally.

"A system that identifies individuals based on their caste still exists among us. People are still being identified by their caste instead of being recognised for their talent and character. It is not possible for anyone to become successful based on their caste. Talent can only emerge if the opportunities are provided. Basavanna and the Sharanas initiated a social revolution for equality 800 years ago, but a fully equal society has not yet been realised," the Chief Minister said.

He said that the caste system can be eradicated only if everyone receives education and economic independence, adding that is why Maharaja Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar emphasised education for Dalits, women, farmers, and minorities.

"He eradicated many harmful practices, including the practice of manual scavenging. Several programs aimed at helping the poor, women, farmers, and youth but noted resistance from those who oppose change," the Chief Minister said.

He added that everyone should live as equals, which was the dream of social reformers like Basavanna and the principle on which B.R. Ambedkar based the Constitution.

The Chief Minister praised Devaraj Urs for his efforts to uplift the underprivileged, including Dalits, backward classes, minorities, and women, despite being born into a royal family. He noted that Devaraj Urs focused on providing education and economic opportunities to marginalised communities to help eliminate the caste system.

In recognition of Devaraj Urs' contributions, the Chief Minister demanded that the late leader should be awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously. He also announced that the Electronics City would be named after Devaraj Urs and renamed as Devaraj Urs Electronics City.

Though the Karnataka unification happened in 1956, it was Devaraj Urs who renamed the state as Karnataka in 1973. The year-long celebration in this regard will conclude with an event in November, during which a statue of Kannada Bhuvaneshwari will be unveiled at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, he said.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : Embattled edtech company Byju's is yet to pay July salaries to its thousands of employees and its Founder and CEO, Byju Raveendran, on Tuesday addressed workers, promising swift resolution despite facing several legal challenges.

In an email to employees, he said salaries will be paid promptly, even if that means raising more personal debt.

The company recently faced a serious challenge that pushed it into insolvency due to a dispute with the BCCI.

"We settled the case and were on the brink of regaining control of our finances after the NCLAT ruled in our favour," Raveendran wrote.

Over the last several weeks, "several accusatory labels have been made against us  including reckless and damaging allegations that we are fugitives," he noted.

Raveendran further said he has always been transparent about his whereabouts and activities, and there has never been an attempt to avoid legal or financial obligations.

"The foreign distress lenders have been litigating against us and appealed this ruling in the Supreme Court. The apex court has issued a temporary stay on the NCLAT's decision, which means the control of the company's accounts has not yet been restored to us," he told employees.

Hence, founders are unable to infuse more capital to pay salaries like "we have always done over the past many months".

As a matter of fact, "out of the Rs 3,976 crore disbursed as salaries to the team over the past two years, Rs 1,600 crore was infused by Riju (Raveendran) personally," Byju said.

He also emphasised that the ED investigation against Byju's is restricted solely to procedural deficiencies under FEMA, such as delay in filing Annual Performance Reports (APRs) with respect to duly compliant overseas investments arising from the delayed statutory audit.

He further said the company is on the verge of reversing the negative business cycle that began two years ago, showing clear signs of recovery.

"We are ready to launch Byju's 3.0, an AI-driven, hyper-personalised educational platform low on cost and high on impact. I want to remind all of you that we are still the largest edtech platform globally with 150 million students using our products and services every month," said the founder.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Jitendra Singh on Tuesday claimed that the world will witness one India in space and another in the deep sea by 2025.

"The world will witness one Indian in Space and another in the deep sea by 2025," the MoS said while meeting Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi in North Block.

The 'Deep Sea Mission' is a significant initiative executed in collaboration with the 'Guardians of the Indian Ocean' to enhance the Indian Navy's submarine capabilities.

The meeting between the minister and Naval chief also underscored the deepening partnership between the Indian Navy and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in key national missions.

"The Indian Navy is the lead agency for the recovery of the crew module for India's first human Space mission 'Gaganyaan'. It has also undertaken successful recovery during the 1st developmental mission (TV-D1) of the project on October 23," the minister said.

He added that the success of the 'Whole of Government Approach' has effectively dismantled silos and fostered joint collaboration across various sectors to achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

He also highlighted how the transformation of the space sector, driven by private sector participation, is a testament to the government's vision and praised the removal of the Angel Tax on Startups, considering it a pivotal move in nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship.

The minister also encouraged Admiral Tripathi to explore collaborations with technology-based StartUps, noting that many sectors within the defence industry have already benefited from such partnerships.

He also emphasised the importance of the National Geospatial Data Framework in national development.
Kolkata, Aug 20 : The Kolkata Police on Tuesday summoned Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of the state-run R.G. Kar Medical & Hospital where a woman doctor was recently raped and murdered, for questioning, a source in the know of things said.

According to a source at Kolkata Police, Ghosh was summoned for questioning for allegedly naming the woman junior doctor earlier this month during a press conference he addressed after the incident.

Ghosh had been asked to appear at the police headquarters in central Kolkata by 12 noon on Wednesday.

Ghosh has also been appearing at the Central Bureau of Investigation's Salt Lake office on the outskirts of Kolkata every day since last Friday, and on average, he is being questioned by the central agency officials "for an average of 13 to 14 hours at a stretch daily".

He had appeared at the CBI office on Tuesday also for questioning.

On Monday night, the state government announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team to probe the allegations of financial irregularities at R.G. Kar since 2021, when it was under the supervision of Ghosh, who stepped down as Principal, days after the rape and murder of a junior doctor on the hospital premises.

Opposition parties have already claimed that the SIT has been formed because Ghosh might have revealed many secrets to the CBI during his grilling for the past few days.

Ghosh is currently on leave after the Calcutta High Court last week gave a clear instruction to the state Health Department not to appoint him as the head of any medical college in the state until further orders.

Notably, hours after resigning last Monday as the principal of R.G. Kar, citing "moral responsibility", Ghosh was appointed as the principal of the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMCH), triggering protests by the medical students and junior doctors of CNMCH.
Agartala, Aug 20 : A 62-year-old Indian on Tuesday returned to Tripura after serving 36 years in Bangladesh jail, officials said.

A police official said that Bangladesh Police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) handed over Shahjahan Mia alias Bilash to the Border Security Force (BSF) and Tripura police through the Srimantapur (Tripura, India) - Bibir Bazar (Bangladesh) integrated check post.

The official said that Shahjahan Mia went to Bangladesh without any passport or any valid document in 1988 to visit his maternal uncle in the Comilla district of the neighbouring country.

"Shahjahan Mia was arrested by the Bangladesh Police reportedly in a 'false case' as a trespasser and sent to jail through a local court. After his jail term was over after 11 years he was not released from the jail due to 'unknown reason'," the official told IANS, refusing to be named.

An Agartala-based foundation took the initiative to release Shahjahan Mia from Bangladesh jail and return to his home at Durgapur in bordering Sonamura sub-division under Sepahijala district.

His family has also earlier appealed to the Tripura government to take up his case with the Bangladesh government through the Indian government.

His family members said that local people in association with the Bangladesh Police had framed him in some cases.

Shahjahan Mia's son Litan Mia, who was born at their house at Durgapur in Sonamura sub-division 13 days after his father's arrest in Bangladesh, said that he saw his father for the first time on Tuesday.

A cheerful Shahjahan Mia said that he is very happy to return to his home after 36 years.

"After spending many years in Bangladesh jail, I never thought that I could return to my home in India. I am feeling my rebirth. I thanked all concerned who helped me to be released from Bangladesh jail and return to my family," Shahjahan Mia told the media after crossing over the border.

He said that he was falsely accused of various charges and put into jail for almost 11 years and the Bangladesh Police did not release him even after his jail term was over.

He also alleged that during his arrest, the Bangladesh Police tortured him for several days.
'America, I gave you my best', says Biden as he passes the torch to Kamala Harris. Image Source: IANS News

Washington, Aug 20 : The US President Joe Biden Biden passed the torch to his deputy and Democratic nominee for President Kamala Harris on the first day of the party convention with a forceful pitch for a Democratic ticket while the former First Lady Hillary Clinton passed on to the Vice President the unfinished business of shattering the 'hardest glass ceiling' of American politics.

"Kamala and Tim Walz (Minnesota Governor) understand that this nation must continue to be a place of possibilities, not just for the few of us, but for all of us," Biden told the Democratic Party, which is holding a convention in Chicago.

Biden said that Kamala is tough, experienced and has enormous integrity, adding that picking her to be his running mate in 2020 was the best decision he made during his career.

Kamala was present at the arena for Biden's speech along with her husband Douglas Emhoff and Tim Walz and his wife Gwen Walz. The Vice President also addressed the delegates briefly ahead of Biden's speech and thanked the President for his 'historic' leadership and a lifetime of service to the nation.

The Vice President is all set to speak at length on Thursday, the last day of the convention, to accept the party's nomination for President.

President Biden spoke forcefully for around an hour in which he also detailed his administration's achievements, reminding delegates many times that Kamala shared the credit for them - capping the price of prescription drugs, such as insulin, strengthening NATO, appointing the first African American woman to the Supreme Court, and 'beating' big pharma.

This convention was supposed to nominate Biden to seek a second term but was overhauled around Kamala who took over the Democratic ticket after the President was forced to quit the race following the debacle that was his first presidential debate in June.

He ended his campaign in July and endorsed Kamala, who has re-energised the party. Biden's speech marked the end of his political career and the passing of the baton in the Democratic Party to Kamala Harris and the next generation.

"America, I gave you my best," Biden said, repeating a line he used in his inaugural address in 2021. Biden was preceded by Jill Biden, his wife, and Ashley Biden, their daughter. The First Lady could be seen tearing up during her husband's speech.

Biden's speech was preceded by repeating cheering and chanting of "Thank you Joe", which was echoed by several speakers. "Thank you, Joe Biden, for your leadership," Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the firebrand member of the House of Representatives from New York said in her speech.

Former First Lady Hillary Clinton too joined in and spoke more eloquently about her run in 2016 as an attempt to shatter one of the most enduring glass ceilings in American politics  one that has prevented a woman from ascending to the top of US politics as President.

"Tonight, so close to breaking through once and for all. I want to tell you what I see through all those cracks and why it matters for each and every one of us," the former First Lady said.

"On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the United States," Hillary Clinton said to loud cheers from the delegates.

The former Secretary of State who lost to Trump in the 2016 White House has used the glass-ceiling phrase several times, going back to 2008 when she lost the Democratic Party nomination to Barack Obama.

"Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it. And the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and the sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time. That has always been the history of progress in America."

In 2016, after losing to Trump, she said, "Now, I - I know - I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but someday someone will and hopefully sooner than we might think right now."
Washington, Aug 20 : The US President Joe Biden Biden passed the torch to his deputy and Democratic nominee for President Kamala Harris on the first day of the party convention with a forceful pitch for a Democratic ticket while the former First Lady Hillary Clinton passed on to the Vice President the unfinished business of shattering the 'hardest glass ceiling' of American politics.

"Kamala and Tim Walz (Minnesota Governor) understand that this nation must continue to be a place of possibilities, not just for the few of us, but for all of us," Biden told the Democratic Party, which is holding a convention in Chicago.

Biden said that Kamala is tough, experienced and has enormous integrity, adding that picking her to be his running mate in 2020 was the best decision he made during his career.

Kamala was present at the arena for Biden's speech along with her husband Douglas Emhoff and Tim Walz and his wife Gwen Walz. The Vice President also addressed the delegates briefly ahead of Biden's speech and thanked the President for his 'historic' leadership and a lifetime of service to the nation.

The Vice President is all set to speak at length on Thursday, the last day of the convention, to accept the party's nomination for President.

President Biden spoke forcefully for around an hour in which he also detailed his administration's achievements, reminding delegates many times that Kamala shared the credit for them - capping the price of prescription drugs, such as insulin, strengthening NATO, appointing the first African American woman to the Supreme Court, and 'beating' big pharma.

This convention was supposed to nominate Biden to seek a second term but was overhauled around Kamala who took over the Democratic ticket after the President was forced to quit the race following the debacle that was his first presidential debate in June.

He ended his campaign in July and endorsed Kamala, who has re-energised the party. Biden's speech marked the end of his political career and the passing of the baton in the Democratic Party to Kamala Harris and the next generation.

"America, I gave you my best," Biden said, repeating a line he used in his inaugural address in 2021. Biden was preceded by Jill Biden, his wife, and Ashley Biden, their daughter. The First Lady could be seen tearing up during her husband's speech.

Biden's speech was preceded by repeating cheering and chanting of "Thank you Joe", which was echoed by several speakers. "Thank you, Joe Biden, for your leadership," Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the firebrand member of the House of Representatives from New York said in her speech.

Former First Lady Hillary Clinton too joined in and spoke more eloquently about her run in 2016 as an attempt to shatter one of the most enduring glass ceilings in American politics  one that has prevented a woman from ascending to the top of US politics as President.

"Tonight, so close to breaking through once and for all. I want to tell you what I see through all those cracks and why it matters for each and every one of us," the former First Lady said.

"On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the United States," Hillary Clinton said to loud cheers from the delegates.

The former Secretary of State who lost to Trump in the 2016 White House has used the glass-ceiling phrase several times, going back to 2008 when she lost the Democratic Party nomination to Barack Obama.

"Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it. And the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and the sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time. That has always been the history of progress in America."

In 2016, after losing to Trump, she said, "Now, I - I know - I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but someday someone will and hopefully sooner than we might think right now."
New Delhi, Aug 20 : Sending a strong indirect message to China, India and Japan on Tuesday emphasised the need for all countries to refrain from any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo, urging respect for national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to the threat or use of force.

"As two democratic countries that share common values, the Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining and strengthening rules-based international order founded on the principles of the UN Charter," said the Joint Statement issued after the conclusion of the third India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers' meeting held at the Hyderabad House on Tuesday evening.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko and Japan's Defence Minister Minoru Kihara highlighted the common strategic vision of both countries towards a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive, peaceful, prosperous and resilient, as part of the rules-based international order.

"The Ministers reiterated their strong support for ASEAN's unity and centrality and their full support for the 'ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP)' which upholds the principles such as openness, transparency, inclusivity, a rules-based framework and respect for international law," mentioned the statement.

It stated that the four ministers had a "frank and wide-ranging discussion" on regional and global issues focusing on the shared Indo-Pacific region, welcoming the possibilities to further enhance the bilateral security and defence cooperation following the National Security Strategy of Japan issued in December 2022 and recognised such cooperation as an important pillar of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

They noted the progress made since their last meeting in September 2022 to promote cooperation on cross-cutting security issues through the architecture of multilayered dialogues between the two countries, such as Defence Policy Dialogue, Vice-Minister/Foreign Secretary level Dialogue, Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), the Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Dialogue, the Cyber Dialogue, the Japan-India Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, and other regional consultations on emerging and hotspot issues.

"They also looked forward to having dialogues in areas such as space, maritime affairs, and Africa. Furthermore, in light of the strategic depth of the bilateral relations, they concurred on promoting in-depth dialogues for further cooperation in the field of economic security and strategic trade. They also concurred on continuing to work together on Security Council reform with a view to strengthening the UN," the Joint Statement added.

Unequivocally condemning terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, the four ministers called for bringing the perpetrators of 26/11 Mumbai, Pathankot, and other attacks to justice.

"They called for concerted actions against all UN-listed terrorist groups including Al Qaeda, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and their proxy groups, and to take resolute actions to root out terroristsa safe havens, eliminate terrorist financing channels, and halt cross-border movement of terrorists," the statement detailed.

Quite significantly, the ministers appreciated the progress in the defence cooperation and exchanges among each component between the two sides since the last meeting in September 2022. They welcomed the first air visit by Japanese fighters and their participation at 'Tarang Shakti', the first multilateral exercise hosted by the Indian Air Force. They also welcomed the conduct of the inaugural edition of the bilateral fighter exercise 'Veer Guardian 2023' between the Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) and Indian Air Force (IAF) and the conduct of the bilateral exercises of all three services in one calendar year for the first time in 2023.

It added that the ministers stressed on deepening bilateral cooperation in the field of space and cyber, reaffirming the importance of multilateral defence cooperation and exchanges in the Indo-Pacific region. They expressed their commitment to continuing bilateral and multilateral exercises including 'Dharma Guardian', JIMEX and 'Malabar' and also appreciated that the first Joint Service Staff Talks were held.

"The Ministers further appreciated the successful completion of the cooperation in the areas of Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV)/Robotics. They appreciated the progress made for the transfer of the Unified Complex Radio Antenna (UNICORN) and related technologies and the early signing of related arrangements. The Ministers expressed their satisfaction with the seventh Japan-India Joint Working Group on Defence Equipment and Technology Cooperation. They concurred on accelerating future cooperation in defence equipment and technology," said the Joint Statement.

During the meeting, it was also decided to revise and update the 2008 Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation between India and Japan to reflect contemporary priorities and be responsive to contemporary security challenges facing them.

This is Kamikawa Yoko's first visit to India since assuming the position as Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs.

"India is located in the centre of the Indian Ocean sea lanes connecting Asia and Africa, and is an important partner in realising a 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific' (FOIP). At this meeting, the two ministers will share their views on the strategic environment toward maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order based on the rule of law, and confirm further strengthening of security and defence cooperation," Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said ahead of her New Delhi visit.

Last month, during his visit to Tokyo for the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting, EAM Jaishankar stated that India-Japan ties are shaped by the regional and global environment and there is a need for a "contemporary partnership" in an era of new capabilities, new technologies, new challenges and new stresses.

On Tuesday, while making his opening remarks at the 2+2 ministerial, he said that India-Japan cooperation is set against a larger context of a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific which, for India, is a natural extrapolation from its 'Act East' policy.

"In the last decade, our relationship has assumed the form of a Special Strategic and Global Partnership. The logic of this evolution is our expanding interests and growing activities. As we both step forward into a more volatile and unpredictable world, there is a need for reliable partners with whom there are substantial convergences. "As a result, we have consciously sought to facilitate each otheras endeavours, comprehend each otheras objectives, strengthen each otheras positions and work with other nations of shared comfort. Our Strategic Partnership will continue to grow as we embrace mutuality and display sensitivity," the EAM said.
Mumbai, Aug 20 : Top leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) paid glowing tributes to the late Prime Minister Bharat Ratna Rajiv Gandhi on his 80th anniversary, observed as Sadbhavna Diwas (Harmony Day), here on Tuesday.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, NCP (SP) President Sharad Pawar, SS (UBT) President and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other leaders remembered the contributions of Rajiv Gandhi to catapult the country to the computer era and fast-paced development during his term (1984-1989).

Addressing a huge gathering, Kharge said that under Rajiv Gandhi, the Congress bagged the maximum ever seats  415 in the 1985 Lok Sabha elections  but the party never displayed arrogance towards anybody.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party's PM Narendra Modi gave the slogan of 400 seats (2024 LS polls), but he suffered a setback in Maharashtra. Now, he leads a minority government supported by the Janata Dal (U) and the Telugu Desam Party. Modi is trying to control everything and become a dictator which does not augur well for the country," warned Kharge.

The Congress chief accused the BJP of uprooting Opposition parties' governments across states like Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Manipur and Maharashtra and bagging parties like the Congress, NCP (SP) and SS (UBT) to grab power.

Further criticising the BJP, Kharge said that the people of India restricted it to 240 seats in the LS, and now urged all the MVA allies to unite and uproot it from Maharashtra and other states going for the Assembly polls in the coming months.

Speaking on the occasion, Pawar said that Congress and Rajiv Gandhi had enjoyed a special relationship with Mumbai, he played a big role in the nation-building and gave a new direction to the country.

"Those who are in power today are not aware of the Nehru-Gandhi family's contributions and it is wrong for PM Modi and his colleagues to take a blind view of those who gave everything for the country. Rajiv Gandhi was obsessed with modernising the country Nobody can erase the contributions of the Nehru-Gandhi family to building the country from the nation's history," declared Pawar.

Thackeray said that though the Congress ruled the country for many decades, it never acted with vendetta towards the (undivided) Shiv Sena, or other Opposition parties in any states, and he crossed 400 seats without resorting to any slogans.

"Rajiv Gandhi was a very decent and cultured person. The ED and CBI never came to the home of the Shiv Sena leaders during Congress rule There were political differences between us, but not like the BJP which is out to wipe out the Shiv Sena (UBT)," Thackeray pointed out.

The SS (UBT) Chief recalled how, despite his huge majority in Lok Sabha, Rajiv Gandhi had decentralised power and brought in the Panchayat Raj, besides other important initiatives for modernising the country, bringing down the voting age to18, and other decisions with far-reaching implications.

AICC General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala said Rajiv Gandhi was committed to catapulting the country to the 21st century with planned development, empowering the women and youth, computerisation and implementing it accordingly.

"The fruits of his great work in the fields of science, technology, and modernisation are being reaped by the country today, plus he worked to maintain the unity and integrity of the nation. Today, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is following his father's footsteps and fighting against the forces of disintegration attempting to divide the country on caste-communal lines," said Chennithala.

Others who spoke included AICC GS Mukul Wasnik, State Congress President Nana Patole, Congress Legislative Party Leader Balasajheb Thorat, Leader of Opposition (Assembly) Vijay Wadettiwar and Mumbai party chief Varsha Gaikwad.
Pune, Aug 20 : In another shocker in Maharashtra, a 19-year-old youth allegedly molested a teenage girl in the toilet of a reputed co-education private school in Pune on Independence Day, a police official said on Tuesday.

According to an official of the Samarth Police Station, the incident occurred at a school in the Bhavanipeth area and the accused has been arrested.

As per the complaint, the girl, aged around 14 and studying in Class 7, had reportedly misplaced her schoolbag and was searching for it on the second floor of the school building. At that time, the accused boy, studying in Class 10, was hovering there and he accosted her outside the girls' toilet. He allegedly grabbed the girl's arm, dragged her inside the toilet and molested her, but somehow the girl fought free and managed to escape from there, according to the police.

Shaken by the incident, the girl went home and later informed her family who finally lodged a complaint with the Samarth Police Station late on Monday, said the official.

"We have arrested the accused boy and produced him before a court. He has been sent to police custody and is currently lodged in the Yerawada Central Jail," Samarth Police Inspector Umesh Gitte told IANS.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Sambhaji Kadam said that the police promptly lodged the complaint, took action, and are checking the accused boy's criminal antecedents but so far nothing incriminating has been found.

Among other charges, the accused has been slapped with sections of the POCSO Act and further investigations are underway, he said.

This is the second instance of minor girls becoming targets of sex offenders in the past few days including the alleged rape of two nursery girls in the toilet of the Adarsh Vidya Prasarak Sanstha's school in Badlapur town of Thane on August 12-13. The incident sparked a massive furore with several thousands of Badlapur people laying siege outside the school and the local railway station for nearly 10 hours on Tuesday, before they were caned and chased away by the Thane police this evening.
Madrid : , Aug 20 (IANS) Real Sociedad President Jokin Aperribay has confirmed that the club are still negotiating the future of Spain international midfielder Mikel Merino with Arsenal. The 28-year-old was left out of the team for Real Sociedad's 2-1 opening day defeat at home to Rayo Vallecano and when asked about his absence, Aperribay admitted the club had taken the decision "that Mikel wouldn't be in the squad, because he wishes to leave."

Merino is in the last year of his contract with the San Sebastian-based club and Aperribay says he doesn't want to sign a new deal, reports Xinhua.

"When we met with Mikel to renew his contract, he said that he feels very close to the club, but if a team from the Premier League came, and he named two or three, he wanted to fulfil his dream of going back there and to be successful."

"It wasn't a surprise," admitted the club president.

Merino had a spell on loan with Newcastle United in the 2017-2018 season and Arsenal see him as a part of their plans as they look to overturn Manchester City's dominance of the Premier League.

The north-London club are thought to have offered around 25 million euros (28 million U.S. dollars), but Real Sociedad are holding out for more for one of their key players.

"We will talk to Arsenal and defend the interests of La Real. When we consider that the offer is good, we will say yes," concluded Aperribay.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : The political scene is heating up over the recent rape and murder case involving a female doctor at Kolkata's R.G. Kar Medical College. Former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam on Tuesday raised questions about Rahul Gandhi's visit to Rae Bareli, asking when he plans to visit Ayodhya and Kolkata.

Acharya Pramod Krishnam wrote on the social media platform X: "It's fine to visit Rae Bareli, Rahul Gandhi Ji, but when will you go to 'Ayodhya' and 'Kolkata'? Or will you just get irritated when asked questions?"

Earlier, Acharya Pramod Krishnam had criticised the opposition's response to the Kolkata case.

He pointed out that while opposition leaders were demanding the resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during the Hathras incident, there has been no such demand for West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's resignation in the Kolkata case.

Acharya Pramod Krishnam recently questioned the opposition's response to the Kolkata rape-murder case.

He said: "When the Hathras incident occurred, opposition leaders were loudly demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. But in the Kolkata case, everyone is silent. No one is calling for Mamata Banerjee's resignation. The opposition leaders are only concerned about their vote banks. They have remained silent on the Ayodhya issue as well. If they speak out, it will be against the Ram Temple and PM Modi. The level of the opposition has fallen."

Pramod Krishnam's post on X follows an incident where Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, refused to answer questions from journalists on Tuesday regarding the Kolkata horror case.

This case has kept West Bengal on edge for a week and has sparked widespread outrage and protests from the medical community across the country.

Rahul Gandhi was on a day-long visit to his Lok Sabha constituency, Rae Bareli, to meet the family of a Dalit youth Arjun Pasi, who was shot dead nine days ago in Nasirabad.

"I am here to seek justice for the Dalit family, whose son was killed. I won't speak on the Kolkata incident here, I have already spoken about it," replied the Congress MP when the newsmen asked him about his stand over the alleged cover-up by the Mamata administration.

When newsmen further sought his reply, citing the Supreme Court's stern observations, he remained evasive and replied: "I have come here seeking justice for Dalit family."

"You don't want to raise the issue of Dalits. You want to distract the issue. I am here seeking justice for the family," Rahul Gandhi further said in a terse reply.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was quick to latch on to Rahul's 'distraction' charge and asked whether demanding justice for a daughter was a distraction for the Congress MP.
Bhubaneswar, Aug 20 : Following the busting of a SIM box racket in Odisha, the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police on Tuesday detected the racket's links in Jharkhand as well.

A team of Commissionerate Police with the help of Jharkhand Police on Tuesday recovered five more SIM boxes during a raid at Namkum in Ranchi of Jharkhand.

Earlier, the twin city police had seized 12 SIM boxes (seven from the Laxmisagar area of Bhubaneswar and five from the Madhupatna area of Cuttack city) during searches at the rental accommodations of accused Raju Mandal of West Bengal.

At the behest of mastermind Asadur Jaman of Bangladesh, Mandal was operating these SIM box networks from rental accommodations in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack in Odisha and Ranchi in Jharkhand.

On Tuesday, the Special Squad of Commissionerate Police along with Laxmisagar Police and accused Raju Mandal reached Ranchi.

"With active cooperation and support from Ranchi police, the team located the rented house of Haji Sohel Malik Maulana Azad Colony, Lane no 15, near Manan Chowk under Namkum Police station. Mandal had taken the house on rent with a monthly rent of Rs 7500. Mandal had set up the SIM boxes. He used to visit the place once a week to maintain electricity, and internet, and replace the inactive SIM cards," said the police sources.

The mastermind of the racket Zaman had got the SIM boxes delivered in West Bengal to Mandal. Then Raju took the SIM boxes to Ranchi by train and set up the SIM boxes as per the direction of Asadur.

"Asadur used to send money through Hundi to Raju for the expenses. All the SIM cards are pre-activated AIRTEL sims from West Bengal. Asadur had procured the SIMs and got those delivered through code word to Raju," added Police sources.

The Commissionerate Police through interrogation of accused Mandal has managed to fetch vital information regarding the international racket involved in the running of SIM box networks in Odisha and Jharkhand. The local court had earlier allowed the police to take the accused Mandal on a five-day remand for further investigation into the matter.

Notably, the Commissionerate Police busted the racket during a raid at the Jharpada area under Laxmisagar police limits in Bhubaneswar on Friday. Police seized seven SIM boxes and arrested the accused Mandal. Following the leads divulged by Mandal, the Police later conducted a raid at another rented house of Mandal at the Madhupatana area in Cuttack and seized five more SIM boxes on Sunday.

The investigating sleuths also found that the network was being operated at Bhubaneswar and Cuttack by one Asadur Zaman from Bangladesh since October 2023 while Mandal used to look after the maintenance of the SIM boxes, electricity etc.
Amaravati, Aug 20 : The Chandrababu Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh has given 'general consent' to allow the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct raids and carry out investigations in the state without prior permission of the state government, except in cases relating to state government employees.

A gazette notification was issued on Tuesday, giving the state government's consent to the extension of power and jurisdiction of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946 in the whole State of Andhra Pradesh for investigation notified under section 3 of the Act.

The consent has been given for the investigation of offences alleged to have been committed by employees of the Central government, Central Public Sector Undertakings and private persons. The notification says that no such investigation shall be taken up in cases relating to the public servants controlled by the state government of Andhra Pradesh except with the prior written permission of the state government.

"All previous consent for any other offences and consent accorded on case to case basis for any other offence by the Statement shall also remain in force," reads the notification.

The general consent is routinely given by the state governments for periods ranging from six months to one year to the CBI and all agencies under the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946.

In November 2018, the then-TDP government headed by Naidu withdrew the ageneral consent,a virtually curtailing the Central agency's powers to investigate in the state. The move came after Naidu accused the BJP-led NDA government at Centre of trying to destabilise his government by using central agencies. He had accused the BJP of colluding with then leader of Opposition Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to topple his government by using the CBI and the Income Tax Department.

Naiduas Telugu Desam Party had quit the NDA in March 2018. After coming to power in 2019, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government headed by Jagan Mohan Reddy reversed Naiduas decision and allowed the CBI to enter the state for investigations without prior permission.

Naidu revived his ties with the BJP just ahead of Assembly elections in May 2024. The TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance stormed to power in the state with a landslide victory. The TDP is also a key partner in the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.
Jaipur, Aug 20 : Rajasthan BJP on Tuesday said that the opposition wants to create a Bangladesh-like situation in the country but they will not allow them to succeed.

"The opposition wants to create chaos and anarchy in India. They want to create a Bangladesh-like situation here also but the BJP and its workers will not let their plans succeed," Rajasthan BJP chief Madan Rathore said.

He said that to tackle such a situation, there is a need to connect with the active workers with BJP ideology.

"We have to go door-to-door to reach out to the common people with the schemes of the Union government as well as the state government. BJP's membership campaign is the beginning of this action plan," he said.

He said that they have set a target of making 200 members in each booth.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said that the energetic workers are the strength and backbone of the BJP.

"Today, a state-level workshop is being organised for the BJP membership campaign. Workshops will also be organised in a phased manner at the district, division and booth levels and the membership campaign will be started," the Chief Minister said.

Rajasthan BJP in charge Radha Mohan Das Agarwal said that the opposition leaders are fooling the 142 crore citizens of the country by calling themselves Hindus.

"They claim that they are Hindus and they greet others on Raksha Bandhan but never celebrate the festival. They are befooling people by hiding the fact that they are Christians. They say that they are Dattatreya Brahmin but then their grandfather was Zoroastrian, their father was half-Zoroastrian and their mother is a Christian," Agarwal said.

Former state chief Arun Chaturvedi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will start a membership drive from September 1 in the state.

"This campaign will be started in the districts from September 4 to 5. The second phase of membership drive will start from 1 October," he said.
Agartala, Aug 20 : The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition CPI-M on Tuesday separately announced their candidates for the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Tripura, for which the election will be held on September 3.

BJP General Secretary Arun Singh announced Rajib Bhattacharjee's name in Delhi along with the nominees for eight other RS candidates in seven different states, while CPI-M Tripura state Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury announced Sudhan Das' name as the party nominee.

A Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) loyalist for the last 36 years, Bhattacharjee is currently the president of the ruling BJP's Tripura state committee.

He had unsuccessfully contested last year's Assembly election from the Banamalipur constituency.

Bhattacharjee's election to the Upper House is almost certain as the BJP has 33 members in the 60-member assembly while its two allies, Tipra Motha Party (TMP) and Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) have 13 and one, respectively.

The opposition Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has 10 MLAs and the Congress 3.

Former Minister and Congress Working Committee member Sudip Roy Barman said that they would discuss in the party forum about supporting the CPI-M nominee.

The CPI-M and the Congress contested last year's Assembly polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in seat-sharing adjustment mode.

Unlike many senior and prominent faces in the BJP-led government in Tripura, Bhattacharjee, 52, has always maintained a low-profile.

He is seen as a time-tested face for the BJP. He joined the party in 1991.

Left leader Das, 64, is a senior member of CPI-M Tripura State Secretariat.

He is a prominent Dalit leader, and a six-time MLA from Rajnagar (SC) Assembly Constituency in Tripura.

Two Union Ministers -- Ravneet Singh Bittu and George Kurian -- have also been nominated for the Rajya Sabha by the BJP.

aRavneet Singh Bittu, who hails from Punjab, has been nominated from Rajasthan while George Kurian -- a Kerala native and long-standing member of the BJP -- was named from Madhya Pradesh for the Rajya Sabha.
Los Angeles, Aug 20 : Hollywood stars Channing Tatum and Zoe Kravitz stepped out for a special date and enjoyed the songs of pop icon Taylor Swift.

The actor revealed he and his fiancee Kravitz (35) had attended one of Swift's Eras Tour shows at London's Wembley Stadium, sharing a cute clip of himself looking loved up with his partner on Instagram, reports 'People' magazine.

The video showed Kravitz dancing along to 'Shake It Off' before the 'Magic Mike' actor turned the camera on the pair and he kissed her on the cheek.

As per 'People', Tatum then shared a second snap of himself posing with Swift's dad Scott, who he revealed had gifted him several guitar picks that the actor said he was going to sell and donate the money to charity.

He took to his X, and tweeted, "Date night with TSwift. The love is real and Taylor is an absolute force. Ha and got some guitar picks I'm gonna sell for charity from big daddy Swift himself. Legend he is. #swiftiesforever #tstheerastour".

Tatum and Kravitz have been busy promoting her directorial debut 'Blink Twice', which Tatum stars in, in the British capital. The pair posed for photographers at Monday's premiere, which was held at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square. The couple were also joined by Zoe's dad, Lenny Kravitz, at the premiere.

This isn't the first time Tatum has attended Swift's Eras Tour, with him also taking his daughter Everly, 10, to a SoFi Stadium Los Angeles show in August 2023.

Tatum definitely dressed for the occasion at the time, wearing jean shorts and a black handmade T-shirt that said, "It's Me, Hi, I'm the Daddy, It's Me" on the front and "TS" on the back. The star also donned stick-on jewels shaped like a heart around his eye as an ode to Swift's Lover as he posed with Gayle King before the show.
Bengaluru, Aug 20 : A 24-year-old techie working with a reputed IT company committed suicide by inhaling helium gas in a hotel in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

The software professional has been identified as Yagnik, a resident of Sakleshpur in Hassan district.

The incident was reported from Neeladri Nagar in Electronics City. The Police, the techie had checked into the hotel on August 16 and ended his life by inhaling the helium gas which is used in balloons.

Police said that the deceased Yagnik was working with a reputed company and opted to work from home for a few months.

He had come to Bengaluru to write an MTech examination and had booked a hotel room in his name.

Preliminary inquiries have suggested that the techie had gone out with a bag from the lodge. He had purchased a helium gas container from Peenya locality and brought it to his hotel room.

Later, the techie had inhaled the helium gas to end his life.

The deceased was shifted to Saint John's Hospital for the postmortem. DCP (South East Saarah Fathima said that the hotel staff found the techie dead inside his room. They had opened the door when the techie did not come out of his room till 12 noon.

"The reason behind the suicide is being investigated. The accused had inhaled the gas through a pipe," she added.

The police are suspecting the love angle to be the reason for the extreme step. However, they maintained that they would ascertain the exact reason once they record the statements of his family members, friends and colleagues.

The Electronics City Police have taken up the further investigation.
Kolkata, Aug 20 : Kolkata Police have suspended three police officers, two Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) and one Inspector, on charges of dereliction of duty on August 15 when a group of anti-social elements from outside ransacked and vandalised the Emergency Department of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata.

All three officers were on duty at the hospital.

The ransacking incident took place when scores of people led by women took to the streets of Kolkata following the call of "Meyera, Rat Dakhal Karo' (girls, reclaim the night) demanding justice for the junior doctor of the same hospital who became victims of the ghastly rape and murder, which led to complaints surfacing that the vandalism was conducted deliberately to divert attention from the spontaneous protest.

The decision of the city police authorities to suspend the three officers came hours after the Supreme Court earlier in the day raised serious questions on the role of the police in combating the vandalism on August 15.

On the night of the vandalism, the protesting medical students and junior doctors complained that the cops posted at the hospital premises remained mute spectators while the vandalism by the outsiders was going on.

Even on August 16, the Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal admitted flaws on the part of his forces on that night.

He admitted that the police could not apprehend that the peaceful agitation would suddenly become violent in front of R.G. Kar.

"That was our mistake. After the Deputy Commissioner (north) got injured being hit on his head, our forces personnel got disoriented and took time to recover. The police personnel also got injured. If you want to call it our failure, you can do that," the Commissioner said on August 16.
Aizawl, Aug 20 : The Central government so far provided Rs 8 crore to the Mizoram government to provide relief to over 43,000 people from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Manipur, who have taken refuge in the state, Home Minister K. Sapdanga said here on Tuesday.

He said that the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) government would utilise the central fund to provide relief to the refugees.

Chief Minister Pu Lalduhoma met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence on Monday and expressed his gratitude for the Central government's assistance to Mizoram for the displaced people.

According to the officials, around 34,000 refugees from Myanmar took shelter in Mizoram after the military takeover in the conflict-ridden country in February 2021 while more than 2,000 Bangladeshi tribals have been staying in Mizoram since November 2022 after they fled from Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) following ethnic troubles.

At present, there were 4,215 internally displaced people (IDPs) from Manipur taking shelter in several districts of Mizoram after the ethnic violence broke out in the neighbouring state in May last year.

Meanwhile, due to the renewed battles between the Myanmar Army and the alliance of three ethnic insurgent groups, including the Chin National Army (CNA), over 1,500 Myanmarese recently took shelter in Mizoram.

Sources said that the Tatmadaw, as the Myanmar military is known, engaged in fresh armed conflict with an alliance of three ethnic insurgent outfits including CNA in Chin and Rakhine states.

Mizoram Home Department officials said that around 1,500 fresh Myanmar refugees recently entered Mizoram and sheltered in the five districts a" Champhai, Serchhip, Lawngtlai, Siaha, and Aizawl. The refugees from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Manipur belong to the Kuki-Zo-Chin-Hmar tribal community, who also share ethnic, traditional, cultural and linguistic ties with the Mizos of Mizoram.
Jaipur, Aug 20 : All the educational institutions will remain closed in seven districts of Rajasthan on August 21 in the wake of the Bharat Bandh call given by the Aarakshan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti.

The shutdown will be witnessed in the districts of Jaipur, Alwar, Dausa, Sawai Madhopur, Deeg, Jaisalmer and Bharatpur.

Kota University examinations have also been postponed.

Congress and Scheduled Caste-Tribe Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti have also supported the Bharat Bandh.

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Tika Ram Jully said that the BJP is against reservation. "Their mentality is to weaken the Constitution as well as to weaken the reservation," he said.

Aarakshan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti has formed 25 units for the Jaipur bandh, which will ask traders to shut down their shops. A rally will also be held by the bandh supporters.

Anil Gothwal, Convener of the Scheduled Caste-Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti said that the bandh will be successful and peaceful. "We do not support any violence," he said.

BJP MLA Kirodi Lal Meena said that politics is being done in the name of Bharat Bandh.

"There is no need for Bharat Bandh. We stand with the Supreme Court verdict," he said.

This bandh call has been given in response to a recent Supreme Court ruling concerning reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST).

The ruling, which discusses the concept of "quota within quota," has sparked protests from various groups who believe it undermines the original intent of the reservation system.
New Delhi, Aug 20 : BJP's Madhya Pradesh unit Vice President Hitesh Jain on Tuesday criticised the Congress over its stance on the much-debated 'lateral entry' issue, accusing the opposition party of trying to gain political mileage over the issue while spreading confusion and misinformation among the people.

Lateral entry involves the process of making recruitments from outside the conventional government service cadres (e.g. UPSC) to fill up certain key positions.

In a series of posts on X, Jain took a dig at the opposition party, saying it was the Congress that had initiated the process of lateral entries. The BJP leader shared his views further on the matter during an interaction with IANS. Here are some excerpts.

IANS: What's your view on the incumbent government's approach to the lateral entry issue compared to the previous dispensations, especially from the perspective of social justice and equality?

Hitesh Jain: The lateral entry process under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is transparent, neutral and aims to take everyone along. As far as the government's role is concerned, it has been made clear that the recruitment process has to be done on the lines of directions of social justice shown by B.R. Ambedkar in the Constitution.

IANS: Lateral entry began when (former Prime Minister) Manmohan Singh was appointed the Chief Economic Advisor. Does the criticism by Congress hold any credibility today?

Hitesh Jain: If we talk about Manmohan Singh's appointment, then it's the Congress that initiated the process of lateral entries. The decision to name him Chief Economic Advisor was taken by the Congress. Also, it was Congress that set up the National Advisory Council (NAC). And no discussions on transparency or reservations were held back then...

IANS: How is the PM Modi-led government going to ensure that SC/STs, OBCs and other marginalised sections of society get priority in the lateral entry scheme?

Hitesh Jain: (Union Minister of State for Personnel) Jitendra Singh in his letter (to the UPSC) has stressed that the lateral hiring process should be done on the parameters of social justice. Whatever reservation policy is there, it should be reviewed as per legal provisions. The applicable process should be followed, so the deserving sections get reservations.

He (Jitendra Singh) has said that the lateral appointment process should be reviewed and scrapped. You must have seen that as soon as the UPSC got the letter, it scrapped the ongoing process. We hope that a process, based on social justice, will be prepared. The objectives of B.R. Ambedkar's Constitution should always be kept in mind.

IANS: There are claims that the Congress, through the NAC (in the UPA regime), had weakened equality and transparency. What is your opinion? How do you see it?

Hitesh Jain: The Congress has never been transparent. It has only indulged in politics. I have already told you that the Congress only has a tape record. It has always spoken lies, and spread falsehood. If you see the Congress' track record, then start with Manmohan Singh and see the members of the NAC. In the entire process of lateral entry, they disregarded the provisions of the reservation policy. They only paid lip service to it for political reasons. There has always been a difference between what the Congress says and what it does. Congress cannot show any track record of its own to show that it has respected the Constitution.

IANS: In your opinion, why is the Congress opposing the lateral entry scheme though it was the one that had brought it in?

Hitesh Jain: The Congress has no other option than to do politics over the matter, spread lies and create confusion. The party has lost three general elections in a row, and it's rattled. The party that loses election has got only one job in hand -- play dirty politics and divide the country on the basis of castes. When Congress started the process of lateral entry, neither it followed the Constitution nor did it provide reservations.
Kolkata, Aug 21 : In the backdrop of the ghastly rape and murder of a woman junior doctor in state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata, the West Bengal government has decided to appoint retired police and defence personnel as security supervisors in all state-run medical colleges and hospitals.

As per a notification issued by the office of the state's additional directorate general of police (law & order) on Tuesday, police personnel who have retired in the last two years in the ranks from Inspector to Superintendents will be eligible, provided they are still physically fit and willing to get appointed for the post.

Similarly, retired personnel with equivalent ranks from Indian Army and Indian Air Force, will also be eligible to apply for the posts.

In the notification, all the district police superintendents have been asked to collect information about the retired police and defense areas under the jurisdictions.

Interested candidates will have to apply by August 24. Their expenditure for their emoluments will be borne by the state health department.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ordered the formation of a national task force to suggest measures for the security of medical professionals across the country.

The apex court also ordered that the safety of doctors is the highest national concern.

In fact, following the shameful rape and murder incident, several questions have been raised of the lackadaisical security arrangements not just in R.G Kar but in all state-run hospitals in West Bengal.

Several medical and non-medical staff attached to these hospitals have complained that certain pockets within the hospital premises go under the control of antisocial elements after sunset.

There had been complaints of consumption of liquor and drugs by outsiders within the hospital premises after sunset.
Gurugram, Aug 21 : A man, his wife, and his friend were arrested on Tuesday for their alleged involvement in the murder of his sister's husband at their rented accommodation in Bas Khusla village in Manesar.

According to the police, the victim was killed over his illicit relationship with the accused's wife. The body was reportedly dumped in a drain in Manesar.

The victim was identified as Ramparicham Sharma (27), a native of Madhubani, Bihar.

The accused were identified as Panchdev Thakur, his wife Indu, a resident of Supaul, Bihar, and his friend Chandan Thakur, a resident of Madhubani, Bihar.

The incident came to light late on Saturday evening after some people pruning trees in the green belt near the drain spotted a blue drum with a foul smell emanating from it.

They informed the security inspector of a nearby office who alerted the IMT Manesar police station.

After receiving the information, a police team, along with FSL reached the spot, pulled out the drum from the drain and recovered the body, which was tied with a saree.

The victim's throat was reportedly strangled with an electric wire. Nothing was found in his clothes that could help in his identification.

The body was kept in the postmortem room.

A case was then registered against an unknown person under sections of murder at the IMT Manesar police station Gurugram, he said.

During the investigation and after receiving specific inputs regarding the culprits, a trap was laid, and police nabbed the trio accused from Bas Khusla village on Tuesday.

During questioning, Panchdev Thakur told the police that the deceased had developed an illegal relationship with his wife, Indu, and he wanted to eliminate the victim.

"He made a plan to kill Ramparicham along with his wife Indu, and on August 14, they called the victim at their house. Panchdev Thakur and his wife killed him with an electric wife and hid his body in their house.

"The next day, on August 15, the accused, along with his friend Chandan Thakur, put the body in a blue drum and dumped the body in the drain in the Manesar area, which was recovered on August 18," Vipin Ahalawat, ACP (Manesar) said.
Baku, Aug 21 : Azerbaijan has formally applied to join the BRICS group, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has announced.

The bid follows Azerbaijan's expression of interest at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana in early July this year, Xinhua news agency reported.

During the summit, a Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership was signed between Azerbaijan and China, with one of its provisions outlining Azerbaijan's intention to join the BRICS. China has endorsed Azerbaijan's application and pledged to support its entry into the group.

BRICS currently includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates also part of the bloc. BRICS has evolved into a key international forum, organising annual summits and coordinating on various multilateral issues.
Weltbild, once a major player in German bookselling, will shutter its remaining 14 brick-and-mortar stores and lay off approximately 440 employees as it plans to cease operations by the end of this month. The stores, which were once a familiar sight in German city centers, offered a wide range of books, along with music, films, and sidelines. The company, which filed for insolvency in June, failed to secure an investor to continue its operations.

At its peak in 2011, Weltbild had more than 300 outlets around Germany, employed some 6,400 people, and boasted revenue of a billion euros. After its first bankruptcy in 2014, the company was acquired by the Dusseldorf-based Droege Group. Its new owners repositioned the company as the WB D2C Group and implemented a broad restructuring program, which resulted with a majority of its stores closing in the past decade.

While Weltbild GmbH & Co. KG will be liquidated, there may be hope for some of its subsidiaries. The group includes online bookseller buecher.de and health products company Orbisana, among others. "We continue to actively seek future solutions for the other companies and brands. The starting positions are very different, said Christian Plail, who is overseeing the companys insolvency.

A possible white knight for the stores is Thalia, Germany's dominant bookstore chain, which has expressed interest in acquiring Weltbild's stores, reported Borsenblatt.
Lawyers for three authors have filed a federal lawsuit accusing AI startup Antrhopic of copyright infringement for allegedly including unauthorized copies of their the company's training data. The potential class action suit, brought by authors Andrea Bartz, Charles Graeber, and Kirk Wallace Johnson, was filed in the Northern District of California San Francisco, and accuses the company of using a dataset, dubbed the Pile, that allegedly includes a trove of pirated works to develop its Claude AI product.

Anthropic has enjoyed enormous financial gain from its exploitation of copyrighted material, the complaint states, noting that Anthropic projects it will generate more than $850 million of revenue in 2024. Anthropics commercial gain has come at the expense of creators and rightsholders.

The complaint continues. Book readers typically purchase books. Anthropic did not even take that basic and insufficient step. Anthropic never soughtlet alone paid fora license to copy and exploit the protected expression contained in the copyrighted works fed into its models. Instead, Anthropic did what any teenager could tell you is illegal. It intentionally downloaded known pirated copies of books from the internet, made unlicensed copies of them, and then used those unlicensed copies to digest and analyze the copyrighted expression-all for its own commercial gain.

While the suit notes that Anthropic has not shared details about its training corpus for Claude, the complaint asserts that Anthropic has admitted to using the Pile, which lawyers described as an 800 GB+ open-source dataset created for large language model training and allegedly includes a controversial collection called Books3, said to be a trove of pirated books.

Anthropic, which was founded by ex-OpenAI employees, has positioned Claude as a powerful and secure AI service backed by uncompromising integrity. The company is currently facing a copyright infringement lawsuit from the music industry.

The author suit joins a host of ongoing litigation filed by authors against AI companies, including two suits filed on June 28 and July 7 of last year by the Joseph Saveri Law Firm on behalf of five named plaintiffs: Mona Awadwho has since left the caseand Paul Tremblay in the first case, and Christopher Golden, Richard Kadrey, and comedian Sarah Silverman in the second. A third action was filed in September, and includes authors Michael Chabon, David Henry Hwang, Matthew Klam, Rachel Louise Snyder, and Ayelet Waldman, among others. A court has now ordered the third case to be consolidated with the first two cases in the amended complaint.

Another author lawsuit was also filed in New York against Open AI in September 2023, by the Authors Guild and a host of authors including David Baldacci, John Grisham, and Jodi Picoult. The suits all feature nearly identical claims: that AI firms are infringing copyright by using unauthorized copies of books and articles to train AI models, including copies scraped from notorious pirate sites.

As of press time, Anthropic has not commented on the suit.
German publishing trade magazine BuchMarkt will cease publication at the end of 2024 after 59 years in business. The closure of BuchMarkt follows the demise of Buchreport in January this year, leaving Germany with only one major trade magazine, Borsenblatt.

In an interview published on the magazines website, BuchMarkt managing director Julian Muller cited falling subscriptions and advertising as key factors in the decision. "The situation for all publishers in the magazine industry is tense," Muller said. "The decline in subscriptions and advertising revenues has made daily work increasingly difficult."

After an uptick from 2019 to 2021, the magazine's revenue fell off, and by the end of 2023 the company was forced to evaluate its future. "At the beginning of February, we finalized the business figures, with the result that we would lose more advertising revenues. Consequently, we couldn't create a financial plan that would have covered the necessary investments and resulted in positive earnings development in the coming years," Muller said.

BuchMarkt had been working on a strategy to reposition itself in the changing media landscape. "We restructured the magazine and had planned the relaunch of buchmarkt.de as an education platform for the Frankfurt Book Fair this year, Muller said, in the hopes of augmenting editorial and attracting new advertisers. That plan now appears untenable.

In addition to the loss of yet another of its premier trade magazines, one direct consequence of the magazines closure for the German book trade will be the need for a new publisher of the Spiegel monthly bestseller lists. The lists, which are the benchmark book bestseller lists in Germany, are published in collaboration with eBuch, an association of 850 independent bookstores, and Media Control (MC Metis), a firm that tracks sales from over 9,000 points of sale in Germany. The lists had been published by Buchreport prior to its closing, and moved to BuchMarkt this year.

Muller said that he is holding out hope for a rescue. "BuchMarkt remains one of the best-known brands in the industry with a very long tradition, he said, For me personally, a book industry without BuchMarkt is actually unimaginable, it will certainly take a while for this to be processed."

Muller added that the company does not just need a financial backer, but someone with professional magazine publishing experience and expertise. "We are open to any serious option that would make it possible to continue publishing BuchMarkt. That is still the most fervent wish, that this succeeds," he said.

For now, Muller said that his focus is on supporting his employees and serving subscribers. "Ending well means giving colleagues enough space and time to find a new job where they can start fresh in the new year, but also that we will deliver the magazine to our loyal subscribers until the end," he said.

The magazine plans to publish a commemorative final issue in December.
Property details:

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Instagram / Rachel Recchia

By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 08/20/2024



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

alum Blake Moynes has addressed speculation he's dating Rachel Recchia after the pair just attended a swanky event together in California.Rachel and Blake made an appearance at the Oceana Seachange Summer Party with Nautica in Laguna Beach this past weekend, and they posed for photos on the red carpet together.Rachel looked beautiful in a form-fitted, low-cut yellow dress while Blake looked dapper in a blue outfit with a white suit jacket.Rachel and Blake both posted photos from the event on Instagram, and their social-media activity had fans buzzing and gossiping about whether they're an item -- or about how they should be.In her Instagram post, Rachel reminded people to "save the sea turtles," and she gushed about how she had "such a wonderful evening" at the party."Are you and Blake dating??" one fan commented on Rachel's post.Rachel's roommate and Bachelor in Paradise alum Genevieve Parisi even wrote, "Fav couple."Multiple people asked Rachel about her relationship status, but she did not respond to anyone.For Blake's part, the wildlife manager posted a photo in which he had his arm around Rachel's back on the red carpet, and he wrote, "Making waves and memories at the Oceana Seachange Summer Party with Nautica."One person commented, "Hard launch ???"Another Instagram user gushed, "You and Rachel would be the best move ever, it's meant to be."Rachel commented with four heart emojis on Blake's post, but then Blake set the record straight and denied he's dating the flight instructor.In response to Rachel sending love, Blake wrote, "[Rachel] went on the bach with a chance to find a partner. Instead found a sister."The fact Blake called Rachel his "sister" definitely implies they are just extremely close friends and are not romantically involved.Blake admitted in late May that he was feeling "lost" trying to navigate his dating life after multiple stints on reality television."I'm a confident guy, but this is one avenue right now I'm a little lost in trying to navigate," Blake told Susan Noles and Kathy Swarts during a recent appearance on the "Bachelor Happy Hour: Golden Hour" podcast."Because it is extremely difficult, and I don't have the answer right now."Susan suggested that Blake needs to find a woman who would enjoy doing the same kind of work for animals."Definitely would help!" Blake acknowledged. "There are just definitely slim pickings."Kathy voiced how the right person will probably come Blake's way as long as he continues to focus on his passions, and alum confirmed, "Yeah, that's the way I'm looking at it, for sure."Since Blake has dated on , Bachelor in Paradise, and in the real world, he revealed what he's looking for now in his future wife."[I want] someone who is very established and knows what they want, and is independent and has a life that they're pursuing and is passionate about something... I know the value in someone supporting me and saying, 'Go live it, go do it,'" Blake explained."So if I'm with someone who also has that, I respect it so much that I want to see that growth blossom. But on the flipside, if someone wants to be a part of the stuff I'm doing and wants to take on that journey with me, too, come along!"Blake said there's "no question" in his mind that he wants to get married and have a family.Blake had dated Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams on 's sixteenth season, and then he appeared on Season 17 of the show and got engaged to Katie Thurston Blake and Katie announced their split not long after the finale aired in October 2021, and then he went on to date Jess Girod on Bachelor in Paradise.Rachel is also still single after appearing on several The Bachelor spinoffs.Rachel first competed for Clayton Echard 's heart on The Bachelor's 26th season, and after she had her heart broken by Clayton, she co-starred on 's nineteenth season alongside Gabby Windey Rachel got engaged to Tino Franco at the end of her season, but they broke up before After the Final Rose aired because he had cheated on her with another woman.Rachel went on to appear on Bachelor in Paradise's ninth season, where she had romances with Jordan Vandergriff and Tanner Courtad None of those relationships worked out, however, and Rachel admitted earlier this summer on the "Golden Hour" podcast that dating just wasn't her priority at this time.Rachel joked about how she was possibly done with dating forever after a string of bad luck in that department.Blake and Rachel became good friends on Bachelor in Paradise, and fans have been shipping them as a couple ever since. The pair previously sparked dating rumors once before in 2023, but Rachel confirmed they weren't involved at the time.Interested in more The Bachelor news? Follow our Bachelor Nation News Page on Facebook or join our The Bachelor Facebook Group
Since the creation of both long arms and handguns, people have been looking for a way to split the difference. Though this has taken many forms over the years, we certainly know where Flux Defense pens the line.

The goal of Flux Defense continues to be to give someone the draw speed of a handgun combined with the accuracy and stability of a subgun  all without making it as large as a rifle. This plants Flux Defense and their wares into the Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) category of the continuum.

What you see here is merely the latest in a long line of continuous development. Fluxs first SIG PDW conversion, the MP17, was featured in CONCEALMENT Issue 16. The improved MP17 Raider Gen II not only graced the cover of CONCEALMENT Issue 22 but still sees regular use on the range and the road  in fact, that Raider Gen II is so highly regarded youll not only occasionally get a glimpse of one in the hands of covert forces but also SIG Sauer themselves is now offering a P320-FLUX Legion.

All of this to say: everything you see here is rational and useful. While they can be cool range toys, theyre all primarily practical. And Flux Defense approaches them as such.

LEGALITY & LOOPHOLES

As a forewarning, were just going to use the word stock instead of playing legalese language with the word brace, even though the version shown is ostensibly a braced pistol. We went through the trouble of registering a SIG P365 FCU as a short-barreled rifle, so it doesnt matter if/when the Supreme Court strikes down brace bans and other Trump-era gun control. FWIW, it does work as a brace, too.

If you want to trust that all law enforcement officers you interact with will be up to date with every legal proceeding or wont care about violations, that is 100 percent your right and your choice. You might beat the charge, but you cant beat the ride.

Here, we simply avoid the asterisk entirely by registering; for more information on DIY Form 1 guns, see Death and Taxes by Tom Marshall in RECOIL Issue 44.

DESIGN DETAILS

The Raider 365 is a chassis for your SIG Sauer P365 that adds on a quick-deploy stock for stability (which is important for accuracy) as well as doubling (or more) the ammunition capacity. Our version is a mere 9.75 inches long when folded, 18.5 inches extended.

INSTALLATION

Installation is like any other P365 grip module. Which is to say, easy. A single pin is all you need to push. The PITA P365 magazine release is pre-installed. While you can eschew your original grip module, youll need your complete slide assembly along with an optic to complete the ensemble.

Youll notice theres a lot of space between the muzzle of the barrel and the end of the PDW chassis. You need something thatll give you a stock long enough to use, which means youre adding length to the front or the rear; Flux chose the front to accommodate their spare mag carrier. They included an optional barrel shroud (not the shoulder thing that goes up) to keep your thumbs from the muzzle. But you can put that space to work with a longer P365 barrel. Flux Defense has a 6-inch barrel for the Raider made by True Precision.

CONTROLS

Theres a sliding button just forward of the triggerguard to pop the stock. A push forward with the trigger finger (or support-hand thumb for lefties) and the spring-loaded stock swings out and snaps in place. The switchblade action of the original Raider was one of its claims to fame, and while this one operates differently, its still quite satisfying to deploy.

Push forward with your trigger finger and that spring-loaded stock snaps firmly into position .

A push button under the hinge mechanism unlocks the stock so it can be folded again. Though the spring used to launch is quite stout, its not too hard to fold because of the leverage involved.

The controls closely match the full-size Raider, with dual magazine releases intended for the fastest swaps possible. Theres an ambi thumb release on the forward spare magazine and a left-side push lever, and you can drop one or both with each.

With just a little bit of practice, you can grasp the spare, drop the empty, and make the switch like a pistol-gaming grandmaster.

The dual mag releases (highlighted in red) allow you to drop one or both magazines at once. Its quite intuitive and immediately faster after a short time.

Its noteworthy to mention here that the Gen II Raider features a right-side mag release in addition to the levers on the left, but thats deleted on the Raider 365 due to decreased space and to avoid confusion with the stock deployment.

Nothing about the Raider 365 touches the trigger on the chassis. As standard, youll use the same safety systems (or lack thereof) as the P365 you already own.

Magazines

The grip is XMacro length, meaning XMacro and Fuse magazines are just fine. Itd be nice to have the ability to carry a 10 or 12 rounder, for compatibility if nothing else, but were not chomping at the bit to break out the angle grinder either. While SIG Sauer is now shipping 21-round mags, if you look at the aftermarket there are drums and sticks (YMMV).

With the ability to carry a spare, its easy to have 30 rounds or more right there.

Length-of-Pull

Something we learned years ago with our Glock Stock Buyers Guide (see RECOIL Issue 44), the shorter your length-of-pull, the higher your optic needs to be. Unlike the larger P320/M17 Raider, the optic on the Raider 365 still rides on the slide. Flux Defense gets away with a shorter LOP without a skyscraper optic because of the downward angle of the stock assembly. You can get low enough to use your irons easily, which wouldnt be possible if the stock arm were in-line with the bore.

The Short version has a LOP of 13.5 inches and the Long has 15. In terms of braces and buttstocks, the buttstock model has a much larger, textured surface area intended for your shoulder. When the assembly folds up, the support end nests right against the front of the chassis.

This means your light or laser may or may not work, at least not if you want to fold it. Because the tail is modular, theres a possibility of other ends, but in the meantime an offset Pic mount can do the trick, albeit with a wider profile.

OUTFITTING

The slide is up to you. We tried everything from original models to the brand-new FUSE. Ultimately, we ended up with a XMacro-Comp slide with a chameleon Faxon match barrel inside.

For an optic, we wanted it durable with a large window, so we went with an Aimpoint ACRO P2 with an Atibal conversion plate. It works extremely well in this setup, and the little extra height was just right.

Which Raider 365 model you have limits your light or laser. Our Short sits flush with a Streamlight TLR7sub, SureFire XR1 (our choice), and Nightstick TCM-550XLS; youve got about 2.5 inches to work with. SIGs Foxtrot2R almost makes the cut, and we bet future models will fit SIG stuff. The Long model sits and fits flush with a SureFire X300U and similar.

HOLSTER

Usually when we talk carrying compact PDWs, the go-to is a cinched sling. But the Raider 365? Its small, its thin, and you can carry it AIWB. The original MP17 chassis had a holster but there was a lot of room for improvement.

The Raider 365 has the Two-For-One holster not because of the dual magazines (though that applies) but because it can do double duty both inside and outside your waistband, with or without a WML.

And while its larger than a typical AIWB setup, its not an impossible problem. If you find itll be too much in your pants, its easy to stow in a sling bag or even a Vertx SOCP fanny pack.

ON THE RANGE

It should be no surprise that the Raider 365 ran well with everything; SIGs P365 is the most popular 9mm in history for a reason.

Formal accuracy testing is going to greatly depend on your barrel/slide/ammo setup, but were the type to shoot regular handguns at over 100 yards (long range pistols are great at exposing flaws) but even the unaccustomed can easily do that here.

All the generations of the Raider. The original P320/M17 MP17 and Gen II Raider on the left and middle, the Raider 365 on the right.

The dot is easy to track under recoil, especially if you have a second hand for support.

If youre worried about the slide breaking your face, dont. Theres a safety stop on the bar to let you know exactly how close your face can safely get without eating a slide. It makes for an excellent index point.

LOOSE ROUNDS

It makes sense that Flux Defense is focusing more on SIGs P365, because even SIG themselves is spending considerable time there, too. With the advent of the P320-FLUX Legion, I expect some other models will receive similar treatment as Flux Defense and SIG continue to work together.

There are plenty of rifle-sized PCCs that shoot pistol projectiles, but you end up with the size and snags of a rifle with none of the ammunition advantages a rifle can bring. Worst of both worlds. But the Raider 365? The opposite.

Just because its not pragmatic for you doesnt mean it isnt practical. But then again, it probably is practical for you, too.

The Raider 365 is fast, accurate, and controllable.

It is more capable in almost every metric (speed, control, capacity, accuracy) than a handgun alone.

It conceals easily, both on your person or off-body in a bag or vehicle.

Sometimes you simply need a rifle to solve rifle problems. And theres no one saying you cant have a rifle if you have a Raider. But that large gap between a pistol and a patrol carbine? Well try to find something better, but its going to take some looking.

Great damned job, Flux Defense.
Tech and startup industry bodies have again pushed back against calls by telecom operators to bring over-the-top (OTT) services under a licensing regime similar to telcos, and open them up to taxation.

Ahead of public consultations on the issue later this week, the Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), Nasscom and the US India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), among others, have written to the government arguing against such efforts.

OTTs are fundamentally different from telecommunication services and, therefore, the same service-same rule does not apply.

"OTTs and Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) complement each other and do not compete and furthermore OTT service providers contribute immensely to the revenues generated by TSPs, Nasscom said in a statement.

Any additional regulatory intervention such as a licensing or authorisation framework will lead to entry costs on the industry, increase the cost of service, which could be passed on to consumers, and thereby stymie the virtuous economy OTTs are contributing to, it added.

The latest war of words between telecom operators and tech interests comes after the former suggested that OTT communication services be covered under the new Telecom Act as an access service.

Telecom operators have been demanding same service-same rules for OTT players that provide communication services like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Meet, Telegram, etc. do.

"All such statements by these few stakeholders (telcos) are incorrect, and are motivated by their narrow commercial interests, and are devoid of any basis. Majority of stakeholders have not even mentioned this as an issue for discussion, said Broadband India Forum (BIF), a think tank for the broadcast sector which counts global tech giants such as Amazon, AT&T, Cisco and Google as members.

None of these stakeholders has taken into consideration the adverse impact that such a pan-India unified service authorisation is likely to have on smaller and niche service providers, who offer specific services in specific service areas, said BIF, which also has government entities such as BSNL and the Centre for Development of Telematics (CDOT) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) as members.

The IAMAI said OTT services are not within the scope of the Telecommunications Act, 2023.

Status of OTTs

However, officials at DoT stressed the wordings of the Act leave the status of OTTs open.

The 46-page Telecom Act, passed in Parliament in December last year, defined telecommunications services as "any service for telecommunications".

Initial drafts of the Bill had specifically extended the definition to OTT services provided by messaging platform WhatsApp and video-calling programme Skype, among a wide range of specialised communication services, including machine-to-machine communication, and in-flight and maritime connectivity.

This was demanded by telecom service providers such as Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, who had argued that OTTs offer audio and video calls as well as messaging without paying licence or spectrum fees.

In the absence of modern legislation, many technologies such as OTTs were judicially interpreted to be under the erstwhile Indian Telegraph Act as well as the IT Act, 2000.

To remove all confusion, OTTs will be regulated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity)s upcoming Digital India Bill, then Telecom Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw had said.
'Not disclosing information to the public indicates that there is something wrong with Project Cheetah.'

IMAGE: A cheetah being released into the wild at Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park, March 11, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

The Madhya Pradesh forest department has denied information on Project Cheetah to Right to Information and wildlife activist Ajay Dubey not once but twice.

The reason given by the forest department for rejecting Dubey's RTI plea was 'national security concerns'.

The Narendra D Modi government in 2022 launched Project Cheetah to bring back the feline after it went extinct in Independent India. The cheetahs were sourced from South Africa and Namibia and placed in the Kuno national park, Madhya Pradesh.

Unfortunately, seven out of the 20 cheetahs died in the last two years due to various factors.

Many wildlife experts had forewarned the government that importing cheetahs was not a right decision as they needed an extensive and suitable habitat, which the Kuno national park did not possess.

Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com spoke to Ajay Dubey to find out why the government is not revealing information on the cheetahs.

What information did you seek in your RTI plea on cheetahs?

I filed the first RTI on July 2 this year about the cheetah project. At the Gandhi Sagar wildlife sanctuary in Mandsaur they are building a second sanctuary for cheetahs after Kuno. I had asked for details on how the government was going to manage the cheetah project at Mandsaur and Kuno.

Unfortunately, I got a reply from them stating that my questions cannot be answered because the answers will be a threat to national security.

The reply further said the information cannot be disclosed because our country's relations with the countries like Namibia and South Africa will come under strain if the matter is opened to the public.

What did you do after that?

I filed another RTI plea on July 24 asking them to give details on what did the cheetah project do for the development of the tribal population of Madhya Pradesh.

I further asked the status of the hospital that was supposed to be made for cheetahs.

I asked for the reports submitted by the officers of the National Tiger Conservation Authority on cheetahs to the public.

Another question I raised was the financial audit report on the money spent on cheetahs.

What was the budget? What was the expenditure on cheetahs?

Unfortunately, I did not get answers for any of the questions raised and I got the same answer, which gave the excuse of national security threat.

How many cheetahs have arrived in India so far?

There were 12 from Namibia and another eight came from South Africa. They arrived in two batches. The first came in September 2022 and the second lot came in February 2023.

How many cheetahs have survived?

There are 13 adult cheetahs that survived out of the 20 and eight cubs (were born in India).

In your opinion, why is the information on Project Cheetah being withheld from the public?

I feel the answer to this question can be traced to last year, in November, when one of the cheetahs' leg got fractured. I came to know about this in February 2024. I immediately filed an RTI plea and at that time they admitted that a cheetahs leg was fractured.

After this news came out in public the government is keeping quiet on Project Cheetah.

I am surprised by their decision because if you compare this to Project Tiger of the Government of India, there is complete transparency and all the details are available to the public whenever queries are raised.

When you can get information on tigers why not on cheetahs? I fail to understand.

Who gave you the information that a cheetah's leg was fractured?

I am an active wildlife member in Madhya Pradesh for the last 22 years and I came to know about this news through my sources.

The government was hiding this information from the public.

Earlier, they were transparent on Project Cheetah but after the news of the cheetah's fractured leg got published in newspapers, they have gone on the back foot.

This was PM Modi's dream project and the news of the fractured leg sent a wrong message to authorities.

When they give the excuse of dent in foreign relations in answers to my RTI queries on cheetahs, I get surprised.

These cheetahs are now in India and how will it matter to countries like Namibia or South Africa if information about them comes out in the public domain?

Why will those countries be upset to get the information on cheetahs?

I am unable to come to terms with this answer.

What more do you feel could be the reason for denying the information on cheetahs?

Probably the health of the cheetahs is not good.

Probably, there is financial mismanagement going on in Kuno.

Probably, the government officers are scared to reveal the information.

What is the total cost of Project Cheetah?

The government is not revealing the cost of Project Cheetah.

We are asking questions after questions and the government has done the audit report too on Project Cheetah. But still, they are not revealing the information.

It means there is something wrong going on.

Did they specify what kind of national security threat?

We are an independent country since 1947 and surprisingly, in their reply they say revealing RTI information on cheetahs is a national security threat.

Burden of proof is on the government and, I guess, if there is corruption and incompetence then they hide things by giving the excuse of security threat.

Is Project Cheetah being mismanaged, you feel?

Yes, it seems so.

Lack of evidence and not disclosing information to the public indicates that there is something wrong with the cheetah project.

Officers are involved in corruption. They have kept cheetahs in enclosures instead of allowing them to move in free wild range.

Closed enclosures?

Yes, the cheetahs have been kept in closed enclosures and this was not the aim of the cheetah project. The intention was to bring these cheetahs free in the national park range.

Is the public allowed to see the cheetahs?

No, I have not heard of any common man seeing these cheetahs which came from Namibia and South Africa.

I too have never seen these cheetahs. Only (forest) officers see the cheetahs and not the public.

No one from the public has seen cheetahs in the last one year.

Are you saying that no one from the public has seen these cheetahs which were brought from Namibia and South Africa?

No one has seen these cheetahs because they are in captive breeding. Their movement is restricted to the enclosures.

In the last one year, no common man has seen these cheetahs.

What about tourists? Do they see them?

I have not heard of or met any tourist who has seen the cheetahs.

Therefore, I am saying, there has to be a public audit of Project Cheetah. There has to be transparency.

Any guess on how much money must have been spent on Project Cheetah?

It runs into crores and my rough estimate is that it could be around Rs 25 crores (Rs 250 million) in the last two years.

What is your next step?

I will keep filing more RTIs and go to court.

As a taxpayer I have a right to know about the cheetah project.

Namibia and South Africa have no right to tell the Indian public or decide whether we can see the cheetahs or not if it is spent from Indian taxpayer's money.
West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose reached Delhi on Monday night amid speculations that he may meet President Droupadi Murmu and senior leaders.

IMAGE: Junior doctors and other medical staff stage a protest against the alleged sexual assault and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital, in Kolkata. Photograph: ANI Photo

There have been massive protests in West Bengal and a strike by doctors across the country following the rape-murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and allegations of a botched probe and cover-up.

The Governor on Thursday visited the hospital and spoke to the agitating junior doctors, assuring them of justice.

Bose is likely to meet Murmu in Delhi on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, speaking during a Raksha Bandhan celebration programme at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata, where several women doctors and others tied rakhis around his wrists, Bose pledged to support their efforts until the goal of a safer environment for women is achieved.

"In West Bengal, democracy is degenerating. This cannot go on," Bose said.

He urged collective action to safeguard women, saying, "Today, we have to take a pledge to protect our daughters, sisters."

Bose emphasised the need for societal change, stating, "Our society should become a place where women feel happy and secure. We have failed in our mission to our sisters. This is the minimum a civilised society should do."

"My responsibility as a governor is to serve the people. I know the goal is far and the road is long, but the march is on. We will certainly reach our destination. I am with you, I am for you," Bose said.
The Central Bureau of Investigation, probing the rape-murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, has been granted permission to conduct a polygraph test on the accused, a civic volunteer in the agency's custody, as protests continue to disrupt healthcare services in state-run hospitals across West Bengal for the eleventh straight day.

IMAGE: Doctors stage a protest against the sexual assault and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata RG Kar Hospital, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, August 17, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

The CBI, tasked by the Calcutta high court to probe the case, received local court approval to conduct a polygraph test on the accused, days after performing a psychoanalysis test on him.

The protests escalated on Monday as senior doctors Kunal Sarkar and Subarna Goswami, who had posted about the incident on social media, appeared before police after leading a march of hundreds of healthcare professionals from Calcutta Medical College to Kolkata Police headquarters, where they were stopped near Phears Lane-BB Ganguly Street and escorted inside by senior officers.

The Kolkata police, intensifying its crackdown on alleged social media misinformation  which the opposition has criticised as an attempt to silence dissent  arrested a person for allegedly disclosing the victim's identity on social media and issuing threats to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The young woman doctor, whose body was found on August 9, was allegedly raped-murdered while on duty, leading to the arrest of a civic volunteer by the Kolkata police the next day, and the Calcutta high court subsequently ordered the transfer of the probe to the CBI on August 13, with the agency starting its probe on August 14.

Speaking to reporters, Dr Kunal Sarkar said, "We want justice for the young doctor, and we have not committed any crime."

Both the doctors came out of police headquarters within an hour and claimed that police had dismissed their summons and had sought the cooperation of the medical fraternity.

"They sought our cooperation. However, sending a summons is not a proper way of seeking cooperation. We told police to think at least twice before sending summons to a doctor on flimsy grounds," Goswami said.

Several former students of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital joined the ongoing demonstrations, staging a sit-in alongside younger doctors and holding placards demanding swift justice.

A veteran doctor from the 1964 batch said, "What has happened in the hospital is just unthinkable, and it is the call of the hour to hit the streets to protest."

A person was arrested in Kolkata for allegedly revealing the identity of the doctor on social media and making threats against CM Mamata Banerjee, following a complaint lodged at Taltala police station.

The police have also sent summons to several social media users over their posts.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy moved Calcutta High Court to challenge a notice from police requiring him to explain a social media post he made about the case.

The three-term TMC MP, reflecting on the scale of public protests, remarked, "In my 50 years of political career, I have never witnessed such spontaneous public protests."

The incident exposed a rift within the TMC regarding handling the issue and the resulting protests.

"There are differences within the party on how the incident should have been tackled. Some feel the state's response has been slow, allowing the protests to escalate. Others believe that opposition parties have seized the opportunity to use the protests against the government," a senior TMC leader said on condition of anonymity.

This internal disagreement has created the impression that the party is not united on the issue.

Senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh has voiced concerns about the delay in the investigation since the CBI took over the case.

Ghosh noted that while Kolkata Police had made significant progress before the case was transferred, it is now up to the central agency to deliver an early breakthrough.

He said, "Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said if necessary, the probe would be handed over to the CBI. Kolkata Police made an arrest within 12 hours of starting the investigation. The CM only sought time until last Sunday, but the probe was handed to the CBI before that."

The tragic incident has become a major political issue, with the BJP calling for the resignation of Mamata Banerjee on Monday, accusing her of being "shameless" and alleging that she destroyed crucial evidence to protect those responsible for the crime.
Security agencies searched over 100 hospitals and malls in the national capital after they received bomb threat emails on Tuesday. However, it turned out to be a hoax as nothing suspicious was found, officials said.

IMAGE: The Delhi Fire Service and bomb detection squads were pressed into service after the threats were received. Photograph: ANI Photo

There have been similar bomb scares in recent months including on May 1 when threatening emails were received by around 150 schools in the Delhi-NCR region.

According to officials, AIIMS, Safdarjung, Sir Ganga Ram, Apollo and Fortis hospitals were among more than 50 health facilities that received the same threat email on Tuesday.

An official said that over 50 malls, including Chanakya Mall, Saket Select City Walk Mall, Ambience Mall and DLF Mall in south Delhi, also received the mail with similar content.

The local police along with the Bomb Detection Teams (BDT), Bomb Detection Squads (BDS) and other authorities conducted thorough checks on the premises of these establishments, ensuring that there was no panic among people.

"Today, two separate emails were received by hospitals and malls. The sender in the subject line of the email wrote 'Bombs in the Building' and sent it at 12.04 pm," an official source said.

According to preliminary investigation, it seems that the sender of mails to hospitals and malls was the same person as the content of the threat was similar.

Another official said that a case will be registered in connection with the threat and the Delhi Police's anti-terror unit Special Cell is likely to launch an investigation.

Giving details about the threat to health facilities, a Delhi Fire Services official said that on Tuesday, a call was received at 1.04 pm from a hospital in Nangloi and another from Primus Hospital at 1.07 pm in central Delhi's Chanakyapuri, informing that they had received bomb threats.

Fire tenders, bomb detection teams and police rushed to the spots. A thorough checking was conducted, the official said.

The mailing list mentioned around 50 government and private hospitals, including AIIMS, Safdarjung, Apollo, Moolchand, Max and Sir Ganga Ram hospitals, the police said.

"We have placed many explosives inside your building. They are placed in black backpacks. The bombs are set to go off in a few hours," the sender said in the email.

"You will end up in a pool of blood, none of you deserve to keep living...," it said.

The email claimed that a "group named 'COURT' is behind this massacre".

"We won't stop causing terror. Give our group's name to News Outlets," it stated.

A police officer said the pattern of these threat emails matches with those sent earlier to hospitals, schools, universities and other government buildings, where the sender did not mention the dateline in the email.

Another police officer said that in the afternoon, a call was received regarding a similar bomb threat at central Delhi's Chanakya Mall and it was found that the emails were sent to 50 big and small malls in Delhi.

These malls include Saket Select City Walk Mall, Ambience Mall and DLF Mall in south Delhi. The malls were also searched thoroughly but nothing suspicious was recovered, the officer said.

In May this year, bomb threat emails were received by many establishments in the national capital, including schools and hospitals.

Delhi's Chacha Nehru Hospital received a bomb threat on April 30, while more than 150 schools got threats from a Russia-based mailing service company on May 1. The bomb scare had sent police and other security agencies into a tizzy while panic-stricken parents rushed to pick up their children.

Twenty hospitals, the IGI Airport and the Northern Railways' CPRO office in Delhi received bomb threats through emails from a Cyprus-based mailing service company on May 12.

Seven Delhi hospitals and the Tihar Jail received bomb threats from the same Cyprus-based mailing service company on May 14.

More recently, several hospitals across Rajasthan including five in Jaipur received email bomb threats last Sunday that turned out to be a hoax.
Junior doctors at government hospitals in several states across the country remained off duty disrupting OPD and elective services as major doctors' associations on Tuesday decided against calling off their indefinite strike over the alleged rape and murder of a medic in Kolkata.

IMAGE: Resident Doctors Association members hold a protest rally demanding justice for the victim of Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital tragedy, in Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, August 20, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

The protest continued even as the Supreme Court intervened in the matter and constituted a 10-member National Task Force to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of doctors and other healthcare professionals.

The apex court also requested the protesting doctors to end the strike, saying abstention from the work of doctors affects those segments of the society that are in need of medical care.

In West Bengal, the epicentre of the protests, healthcare services were severely affected at state-run hospitals as the ceasework agitation by junior doctors entered the 12th day on Tuesday.

Long queues of patients were seen at several hospitals in the state where senior doctors and assistant professors attended them at OPDs.

"The agitation will continue till our sister gets justice. We also want security at workplaces. Our primary demand is the punishment of the culprits," one of the agitating doctors at the state-run hospital told PTI.

In the national capital, within hours of calling it off, central government-run RML Hospital said it will continue with its strike in solidarity with other resident doctors' associations (RDAs), which have been agitating for more than a week demanding a central law on doctors' safety.

"There was some miscommunication, and we apologise for the same. We want to clarify that we stand with our colleagues and other RDAs... We stand UNITED," the hospital's RDA said in a statement.

On the ninth day of the nationwide strike, both the Federation of Resident Doctors' Associations (FORDA) and the Federation of All India Medical Association announced that they would continue their strike until the Health Ministry takes concrete action on the issue of Clinical Practice Allowance.

"Following today's Supreme Court hearing in the Kolkata rape and murder case, the FAIMA held a pan-India meeting with all associated Resident Doctors' Associations," the FAIMA said.

The association has decided to continue the strike after thorough discussions with the stakeholders until the Health Ministry takes concrete action on the issue of Clinical Practice Allowance, the statement said.

The strike will persist, with OPD and elective operating theatres remaining closed.

The association emphasized that it is "now or never" and announced plans to pursue justice through legal channels in the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the FORDA said in a statement that in response to the Supreme Court's intervention and the pressing need for enhanced safety for healthcare workers, the FORDA conducted a nationwide virtual meeting with representatives of over 35 doctors' associations.

"We will consult with resident doctors for their feedback before a follow-up meeting, ensuring that this movement, impacting every doctor in India, continues to be guided by their collective voices," the FORDA said.

In Uttar Pradesh, Resident Doctors' Association president Hardeep Jogi said that their strike continued on Tuesday.

Due to the strike, OPD, teaching and operation activities were affected in the government hospitals in the state.

Later, in a post on X, the UP RDA said in view of the Supreme Court's intervention, they will engage with stakeholders before deciding on the next steps.

"We appreciate the Supreme Court's careful consideration of improving work conditions. We will engage with stakeholders, including resident doctors across the state and consult with our legal team before deciding on the next steps," it said.

In Chandigarh, the resident doctors continued their protest at PGIMER, as the OPD services were being run in a curtailed manner from August 19 till further notice.

A PGIMER spokesperson said registration of only follow-up patients is being done from 8 am to 9:30 am.

However, junior doctors in Goa protesting against the Kolkata rape-murder called off their five-day-long stir following an assurance from the state government.

The Association of Resident Doctors called off the protest after state health minister Vishwajit Rane assured to look into their demands.

Meanwhile, some student outfits also joined the stir over the Kolkata incident.

In Delhi, members of different student outfits of Delhi University staged a demonstration on the campus. Raising slogans for stronger women's safety measures, the students took out a march outside the Arts Faculty seeking justice for the victim.

Led by All India Students Association and Krantikari Yuva Sangathan, the students carried posters and banners bearing slogans such as "India should unite for women safety", "reclaim the streets", and "smash patriarchy".

In Kolkata, the police resorted to a "mild lathi-charge" and arrested over 20 Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad activists after a scuffle between them during a march to the West Bengal health department headquarters to protest against the incident.

The protestors demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who also doubles up as the state's health and home minister.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court, while hearing the case, termed the incident as "horrific" and excoriated the state government over the delay in filing the FIR and allowing thousands of miscreants to vandalise the state-run facility.

It also asked the West Bengal government to not unleash the "power of the State" on peaceful protesters and to deal with them with "great sensitivity in this moment of national catharsis".

The 10-member task force headed by Vice Admiral Arti Sarin has been asked to submit its interim report within three weeks.

The apex court, which directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to submit a status report on the progress made in its investigation into the killing, also asked the state government to submit a report on the action it has taken against the vandals.

On August 9, the body of the postgraduate trainee doctor was found in the seminar hall of state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. A civic volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime the next day.

Later, the Calcutta high court handed over the case to the CBI.
The Union health ministry on Monday issued a list of security measures to be implemented at all central government hospitals which include strict monitoring of the entry and exit and providing escort to women health professionals at night.

IMAGE: A view of the AIIMS in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo

The move comes amid nationwide protests by resident doctors who have been demanding a special cental law to check violence against healthcare workers following the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a state-run hospital in Kolkata.

In a communication sent to all heads of central government hospitals, the ministry asked them to ensure adequate number of well secured duty rooms with basic amenities for female health professionals and deployment of women health professionals at night be preferably done in more than one in number.

They should be escorted in premises while on duty and proper arrangement of secured transport should be made for them for any movement at night.

The letter comes amid protests by resident doctors who have been demanding a special cental law to check violence against healthcare workers following the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a state-run hospital in Kolkata.

The ministry, in its communication, said that it has been evidenced for a long time that government hospitals are more permeable to the public compared to private facilities, making it easier for unauthorized individuals to enter freely.

"While accessibility is important for providing care, it can also pose security risks. Hospitals sometimes become target by acts of violence, including assault on staff, which can be related to disputes, dissatisfaction with medical care, or external criminal activities. Ensuring safety of healthcare professionals is vital," the ministry said.

Violence or harassment against staff can disrupt operations and affect quality of care provided to patients. Patient rush increases potential for conflicts and security breaches, it stated.

The ministry said that addressing these concerns requires a comprehensive approach to security that balances accessibility with effective measures to protect patients, staff and integrity of the facility.

Listing the actions to be taken to address the security issues, the ministry stressed on proper display of relevant penal provisions of the state legislation to prevent violence against healthcare workers in hospital premises.

It advised installing sufficient number of high-resolution CCTV cameras at strategic locations including entrances, exits, corridors, dark spots and sensitive areas.

A control room should be set up in the institute for quick response to an emergent situation. In the control room one admin staff should always be stationed along with security persons, it said.

It asked for employment of adequate number of well trained security guards for proper monitoring/ patrolling/ surveillance of the premises.

The ministry advised that entry and exit should be strictly monitored to allow entry to authorised personnel only.

"Identification badges for staff, patients, and visitors may be issued for easy identification of authorized personnel. Display of I-card by all hospital staff while on duty be made mandatory. Appropriate arrangements be made to ensure that all visitors are monitored," the ministry said in the communication.

It suggested that only one or two attendants be allowed with a patient at any point of time including visiting hours and with an attendant pass only while asking them to devise restricted access to certain areas.

It recommended drawing comprehensive plans for tackling various types of emergencies and said that these plans should be regularly updated and rehearsed, including conduct of periodic mock drills to train staff and security personnel for effective responses in emergency scenarios.

"All hospital staff, including doctors, nurses, and administrative personnel should be trained in recognizing and responding to security threats. They should be equipped with appropriate skills to handle emergency situations effectively," the ministry said.

Public address systems should be devised to quickly disseminate information during emergencies, it stated.

It also called for mapping of dark spots in the campus and adequate lighting in the premises should be ensured particularly in the duty areas of the lady health care staff, parking lots, entryways, etc.

The ministry asked hospital authorities to ensure a coordinated response in case of incidents in close coordination with local police and emergency services.

It advised updating security policies based on feedback and incident analysis.

"Adequate number of well secured duty rooms with basic amenities should be provided for female health professionals. Deployment of lady health professionals at night should be preferably done in more than one number.

"They should be escorted in premises while on duty and proper arrangement of secured transport should be made for them for any movement at night," it said.

Adequate number of patient facilitators and patient coordinators should be engaged for assisting patients, providing information and guiding the patients in the hospitals and institutes," the ministry stated
Former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Monday shared the dais with Nationalist Congress Party leader and deputy CM Ajit Pawar in Mumbai, a development that can potentially roil ally Bharatiya Janata Party given Devendra Fadnavis' strident opposition to taking the "tainted' leader aboard the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

IMAGE: Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar along with Maharashtra ex-minister Nawab Malik (right) and NCP leader Praful Patel (second from right) during the "Jan Samman" yatra event held in Anushakti Nagar constituency in Mumbai, August 18, 2024. Photograph: Courtesy Nawab Malik on X

Malik, a former loyalist of NCP founder Sharad Pawar, is an accused in a money laundering case. He is currently out on interim bail on medical grounds.

At the "Jan Samman" yatra event held in Anushakti Nagar constituency of Malik in Mumbai, Ajit Pawar appointed Malik's daughter, Sana Nawab Malik, as a spokesperson of the Nationalist Congress Party.

Notably, deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis had written to Ajit Pawar last year after he joined the Mahayuti government against any plan to induct Malik, a former minister, in the Mahayuti alliance.

"I have made my stand already clear," Fadnavis said tersely on Monday when asked to comment on Malik sharing the stage with Ajit Pawar.

The Enforcement Directorate's case against Malik is based on an FIR filed by the National Investigation Agency against Dawood Ibrahim, a designated global terrorist and a key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, and his associates under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Malik used to criticise the BJP-led Central government and the then opposition leader in Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, when he was a cabinet minister in the erstwhile MVA government led by Uddhav Thackeray.

Malik was arrested in February 2022. He was granted interim bail in August 2023 which was extended from time to time. The bail conditions refrain Malik from making public statements.

Malik was allotted a seat on the treasury benches during the winter session of the Maharashtra legislature last December.

Though he was seated elsewhere, deputy CM Fadnavis had dashed a strong-worded letter to his counterpart in the state government, Ajit Pawar.

In an open letter to Ajit Pawar, who joined the government in July 2023, Fadnavis voiced BJP's opposition to the possible induction of Malik in the grand alliance considering the serious allegations against him.

Fadnavis had stated that Malik had the right to attend the assembly as an MLA and that the BJP didn't harbour any personal animosity or grudge against him.

"Considering the kind of allegations he (Malik) is facing, we are of the opinion that it would not be appropriate to induct him in the Mahayuti. Malik was out only on medical bail (and not regular bail)," Fadnavis had stated.

Notably, ex-Mumbai zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau Sameer Wankhede had filed a defamation complaint against Malik in 2022, leading to registration of a case, police had said.

Malik had alleged that Wankhede was born as Muslim who submitted a fake caste certificate to get a government job.

Addressing the NCP event, Ajit Pawar said appointing Sana Malik as the party's spokesperson is consistent with his party's commitment to providing opportunities to women and youth.

"Sana is proficient in both Hindi and English, and we expect her to become fluent in Marathi," Pawar added.

Nawab Malik and Sana Malik recently shared videos on their social profiles on X depicting the preparations for Ajit Pawar's rally in the Anushakti Nagar constituency.

The perceived bonhomie between Ajit Pawar and Malik ahead of the state assembly elections comes amid the opposition's claim about a "growing rift" in the Mahayuti allies- Shiv Sena, BJP, and NCP.

A day earlier, a group of BJP workers waved black flags at Ajit Pawar's convoy in Junnar city, with a saffron party functionary claiming that the BJP was not invited for an official meeting organised on tourism development.
Kamala Harris will be a 'historic president', United States President Joe Biden has said, as he passed the baton of the Democratic Party to her and made a strong pitch to American voters to vote for her to preserve democracy.

IMAGE: US President Joe Biden reacts as he attends the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, on August 19, 2024. Photograph: Craig Hudson/Reuters

Biden, 81, received an emotional standing ovation when he came on stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday night.

Harris, 59, is scheduled to formally accept the Democratic Party's presidential nomination on Thursday to take on Republican rival Donald Trump, 78, in the November 5 election.

"Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris as the President of the United States of America," Biden said, amidst cheers from thousands of members and leaders of the Democratic Party at its national convention in Chicago as he urged his countrymen to vote and elect his deputy of four years.

Biden said Harris would be a 'historic president'.

"She'll be a president respected by world leaders because she already is. She'll be a president we can all be proud of, and she will be a historic president who puts her stamp on America's future," he said.

"We need to preserve our democracy. We need you to beat Donald Trump and elect Kamala and Tim as President and Vice President of the United States," Biden said.

He said Trump will find out women's power in 2024.

Harris will soon serve as the 47th President of the United States, Biden said, amidst cheers from his party members and leaders.

"We saved democracy in 2020 and we must do it again in 2024," he said urging his countrymen that America's future is in their hands.

"Let me ask you: Are you ready to vote for freedom? Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America? And let me ask you: Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz as president and vice president?" he asked.

Biden appeared to wipe away a tear as he hugged his daughter Ashley Biden who introduced him at the four-day convention.

Observing that the decisions that were being made now would determine the fate of the world and the country, Biden said he and Harris had four years of extraordinary progress in the United States.

Biden said Trump promised infrastructure week every week for four years.

"He never built a damn thing," he alleged.

"Together, we are building a better America," he said as he listed out some of the key achievements of the Biden-Harris administration.

"You cannot say you love your country only when you win," he said.

"More Americans have health insurance today than ever before. And after fighting for 50 years to give Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, we finally beat Big Pharma. Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking vote," he said.

"He (Trump) is the looser,' Biden said as he attacked Trump.

"America is winning. America is prosperous. America is safer today than was under Donald Trump," he said as he accused Trump of killing the strongest border security bill in the history of the country.

Violent crime has dropped to its lowest level in more than 50 years, he said, adding that crime will keep coming down when Americans put a prosecutor in the Oval Office, instead of a convicted felon.

Trump, he alleged, bows down to dictators, which he or Harris will never do.

Biden said he harbours no ill will toward other Democrats who demanded he drop out of the 2024 race.

"All this talk about how I'm angry at all the people who said I should step down -- that's not true," Biden said, as the crowd chanted 'We love Joe'.

"I love my country more, and we need to preserve our democracy," he added.

Biden said selecting Harris as his running mate in 2020 was the 'best decision of my whole career'.

He said the two have become 'close friends' as they've worked together, and that she will make a great president.

"Like many of our best presidents, she's been vice president," Biden says, making a joke about his own time as Barack Obama's number two.

"I promise I'll be the best volunteer the Harris-Walz campaign has ever seen."

In one of his last lines, Biden summed up his 50-year career in politics, saying: "America, I gave my best to you."

Shortly after, he was joined by his wife, Jill, and other members of his family on stage.

Harris then joined them on stage, giving Biden a hug and appearing to tell him, "I love you."

Earlier, Harris led the chorus of the Democratic Party's leadership in applauding Biden for his pathbreaking leadership and patriotism.

"I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible President Joe Biden. Joe thank you for your historic leadership and lifetime of service to our nation and for all you will continue to do, we are forever grateful to you," Harris said amidst cheers from the audience.

The four-day Democratic National Convention kicked off on Monday with thousands of party leaders and members from across the country gathered to nominate Harris as their presidential candidate for the November elections.

"Let's salute President Biden, democracy's champion, at home and abroad," said former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"He brought dignity, decency, and competence to the White House. And he showed what it means to be a true patriot. Thank you, Joe, for your lifetime of service and leadership," she said.

US Senator from Delaware Chris Coons said that Biden gave the country hope and confidence.

"Someone who has been knocked down by life time and again, Joe Biden knows the grit and determination of the American people- he believed in us. And he helped us get back up again," Coons said.

"Using skills from years in the Senate, Joe got passed and signed into law more consequential legislation than any president in nearly 60 years. Veterans, gun safety, bridges and broadband manufacturing. Together Joe and Kamala helped rebuild our economy from the middle out and the bottom up made our families safe and our country stronger, at home and abroad," he said.

"Today, we are so much better off, because they believed in us our democracy," Coons said.

Biden's daughter Ashley described her father as one of the most consequential leaders in history.

"Dad knows that family is everything," she said. In 2024, Harris will beat Donald Trump, she said.

"In 2020, my dad selected Kamala Harris to beat Donald Trump, and he knows in 2024, she will beat Donald Trump again," she said.

Speakers on Monday night included those who know Biden best and some of his strongest allies who have been by his side in the fight for the soul of the nation.

Senators Raphael Warnock and Chris Coons highlighted his leadership and shared stories of how in public and in private, Biden never backed down from his vision for a brighter America where everyone has a fair shot.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party's Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday asked India to extradite deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina to face trial as he accused her of plotting to thwart the country's student-led "revolution".

IMAGE: A group of migrants from Bangladesh march with climate activists to the global headquarters of Citigroup in New York City, US, August 16, 2024. Photograph: Adam Gray/Reuters

Hasina, 76, resigned and fled to India on August 5 following massive protests by students and others against her government over a controversial quota system in government jobs.

"It is our call to you that you should hand her over to the government of Bangladesh in a legal way. The people of this country have given the decision for her trial. Let her face that trial," Fakhrul was quoted as saying by the Daily Star newspaper.

Talking to reporters after placing a wreath at the grave of former president and BNP founder Zia-ur Rahman in the city, Fakhrul said India is seemingly not keeping its commitment towards democracy by providing shelter to her.

Fakhrul said fascist ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country in the face of the student-led "revolution".

"It is unfortunate that our neighbouring country has sheltered her. Staying there, Hasina has started a conspiracy to foil the victory of Bangladesh," he was quoted as saying by the state-run BSS news agency.

India has said that it supports a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh.

Over 230 people were killed in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina-led Awami League government, taking the death toll to more than 600 since the massive protest by students first started in mid-July.

An interim government was formed after the fall of the Hasina-led government, and 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was named its Chief Adviser.

The BNP secretary general said the people of this country do not consider her offences as minor.

He said they think her "fascist rule has weakened Bangladesh's independence and hindered the country's progress for the last 15 years".

During her regime, she made a debt burden of Tk 18 lakh crores for the nation and nearly $100 billion were siphoned off from the country, Fakhrul said, adding that all institutions of the country were destroyed during her misrule.

The interim government has been doing a commendable job, he said.

The main task of this interim government, which was formed through a revolution and mass upsurge, is to hand over the power to the public representatives by holding an election, Fakhrul added.

"It will definitely take some time to clear the garbage the Awami League government created. It will take time to hold a proper and fair election," he said.

BNP chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, 79, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for graft in 2018 under the rule of Hasina.

Zia, currently undergoing treatment for various ailments, was released on an executive order from President Mohammed Shahabuddin after the collapse of the Hasina-led Awami League government.
The Supreme Court on Monday kept in abeyance the fresh election for the post of the mayor of Solan in Himachal Pradesh as it termed the disqualification of the incumbent, Usha Sharma, "a case of male bias".

IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: ANI Photo

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan issued notice on a plea of Sharma and former mayor Poonam Grover challenging the June 25 order of the high court upholding their disqualification.

"It appears that it is a case of male bias. A woman was elected by the councillors to the post of mayor and a male candidate was defeated. So all of them got together. Never thought this bias existed in Himachal Pradesh," the bench observed as it kept in abeyance the fresh elections for the post of the mayor and a councillor notified by the government.

The bench was also critical of the reasoning given by the high court while upholding the notification of June 10 disqualifying Sharma and Grover, who were councillors of ward nos. 12 and 8 of the civic body, respectively.

Both Sharma and Grover were disqualified by the government under the provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1994 for defying party directions during the election of mayor and deputy mayor held on December 7, 2023.

Elections to the Solan Municipal Corporation established in 2020 are held on party lines.

The civic body has 17 wards and the first election for these wards was held in April 2021. After the election, the mayor and deputy mayor were elected for a period of two and half years as per the provisions of the Act.

After the tenure of the mayor and deputy mayor came to an end on October 15, 2023, the polls for electing the next mayor and deputy mayor were held on December 7 last year.

Sharma of the Congress party won the post of the mayor, while Meera Anand of the BJP got elected as the deputy mayor.

However, amid internal bickering among the Congress councillors, a complaint was made by the district Congress president and a councillor contending that Sharma, Grover and some others went against the party's directions during the mayoral polls and cast their votes against party candidate Sardar Singh Thakur.

They sought the disqualification of Sharma, Grover and some other councillors on grounds of defection under Section 8C of the Himachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act.

The high court in its verdict said the enquiry officer, after considering the material on record, held that despite the directions of the Congress party for supporting its mayoral candidate Sardar Singh Thakur and deputy mayor nominee Sangeeta Thakur, Sharma had filed her nomination for mayorship and Grover acted as her proposer.

It noted that the enquiry officer said both Sharma and Grover as well as councillors Rajeev Kaura and Abhay Sharma had cast their votes in favour of Usha Sharma instead of Sardar Singh Thakur, the official candidate of the Congress.

"In our opinion, the enquiry officer's report contains findings based on appreciation of evidence, which cannot be said to be based on no evidence or was perverse, warranting interference by this court in exercise of its jurisdiction of judicial review under Article 226 of the Constitution of India," the high court had said in its order of June 25.

The high court, while dismissing the pleas of Sharma and Grover said it is not open to this court to act as an appellate authority and substitute its views by re-appreciating evidence already considered by the enquiry officer.

"Therefore, we see no reason to interfere with the impugned order passed by the 1st respondent (secretary, Urban Development department) accepting the findings in the enquiry report and disqualifying the petitioners as councillors of the Municipal Corporation, Solan," the high court had said.
Senior Trinamool Congress minister Udayan Guha has sparked controversy by claiming that fingers of those blaming West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and demanding her resignation over the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor would be broken.

IMAGE: Artists paint during a protest against the alleged sexual assault and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kolkata. Photograph: ANI Photo

His threat was heard in a video clip that has gone viral. PTI, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

"People who are attacking Mamata Banerjee, pointing fingers at her, and demanding her resignation will never succeed. Those pointing fingers at the CM will be broken and crushed," he was heard saying in the video.

Meanwhile, criticising the doctors' strike following the rape-murder at state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, TMC MP Arup Chakraborty warned that they won't protect the medics if public outrage turns against them due to the stir.

The body of the postgraduate trainee was found on August 9 in the seminar room of RG Kar hospital. A civic volunteer was arrested the following day in connection with the crime, which has triggered a nationwide outrage.

"Despite provocations, the police did not baton charge when RG Kar hospital was vandalised," Guha said.

A group of people entered the medical facility and vandalised its emergency department, nursing station, and medicine store in the early hours of August 15.

The vandalism in the hospital took place amid midnight protests by women in various parts of the state against the doctor's rape-murder.

Drawing parallels with the student unrest in Bangladesh that led to a change of guard in the neighbouring country, Guha said, "We will never allow West Bengal to turn into another Bangladesh."

Speaking at a rally in Bankura, Chakraborty, in another viral video, was heard saying: "If you use this movement as an excuse to go home or spend time with your friends, and a patient dies because of your strike and the public turns against you, we will not come to your aid."

Protests by medical college students demanding justice for the victim continued across West Bengal for the 11th day on Monday, crippling healthcare services.
The Kolkata Police on Tuesday began an investigation against RG Kar Medical College and Hospital's former principal Sandip Ghosh for his alleged involvement in 'financial irregularities' in the state-run health facility, a senior officer said.

IMAGE: A junior doctor with 'We Want Justice' rakhi protests against the sexual assault and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata RG Kar Hospital on the occasion of the Raksha Bandhan festival, in Kolkata on Monday. Photograph: ANI Photo

The probe against Ghosh commenced after a four-member SIT was constituted to investigate the alleged financial irregularities at the hospital where the body of a postgraduate trainee doctor was found earlier this month.

The police are likely to summon Ghosh in connection with its investigation, the officer said.

The former principal of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was also booked for disclosing the identity of the postgraduate trainee doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at the state-run health facility on August 9.

"There are allegations that Ghosh was involved in financial irregularities at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Our officers will soon issue summons to him for questioning," the officer said.

"Ghosh also disclosed the identity of the deceased woman while speaking to reporters soon after her body was recovered. He will be questioned for that as well," he said.

The cases were lodged at the Tala Police Station, the officer said.

The special investigation team (SIT), headed by Swami Vivekananda State Police Academy IG Dr Pranav Kumar, was formed at a time when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting its probe into the alleged rape and murder of the trainee doctor.

The SIT will probe into the alleged financial irregularities at the hospital during the period from January 2021 till date.

Notably, Ghosh was appointed as the principal of the hospital in 2021.

Ghosh was questioned by the CBI for the last four days in connection with its probe into the death of the doctor.
Amid spiralling nation-wide protests over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of doctors and other healthcare professionals.

IMAGE: Lawyers of the Calcutta high court take out a protest march against the sexual assault and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital, in Kolkata. Photograph: ANI Photo

Terming the incident as "horrific", the apex court excoriated the state government over the delay in filing the FIR and allowing thousands of miscreants to vandalise the state government-run facility.

It also asked the West Bengal government to not unleash the "power of the State" on peaceful protesters and to deal with them with "great sensitivity in this moment of national catharsis".

The 10-member task force headed by Vice Admiral Arti Sarin has been asked to submit its interim report within three weeks.

The Supreme Court, which directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a status report on the progress made in its investigation into the killing, also asked the state government to submit a report on the action it has taken against the vandals.

The court also expressed its deep concern over the name of the victim, her photographs and video clips showing her lifeless body having been splashed all over the media.

Taking a serious note of mob violence in the hospital and the allegation that the Kolkata police fled the scene, the top court ordered deployment of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at the hospital to enable doctors to resume work.

"In the aftermath of the brutal incident and the demonstrations which followed, the state government was expected to ensure the deployment of the state machinery to prevent a breach of law and order.

"It was all the more necessary to do so since investigation of the crime which took place in the precincts of the hospital was under way. We are unable to comprehend how the state was not prepared to deal with the incident of vandalisation of the premises of the hospital," the top court said.

The bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud criticised the ex-principal of RG Kar Medical College Dr Sandip Ghosh for trying to pass off the case as that of suicide and not letting the parents of the deceased to see her body for several hours.

"What was the principal doing? Why was this inaction to first pass this as suicide and not registering an FIR. Body is handed to the parents for cremation late in the night. On the next day, the doctors are on protest and a mob assembles at the hospital.

"The hospital is invaded and critical facilities are damaged. What was the police doing? A serious offence has taken place and the crime scene is within the hospital. The police should have protected the crime scene. How can the police allow vandals to enter the hospital. After the principal resigned, he is sent to another hospital. When his conduct was under scrutiny, how was he appointed to another college immediately," the bench, also comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, observed.

The bench said what has taken place in Kolkata is not just a horrific murder but an incident which has raised systemic issues about the safety of doctors.

"We are deeply concerned that there is a virtual absence of safe work conditions across the country, particularly in public hospitals. Most of the young doctors have to put in 36 hours of work.

"We find that there are no duty rooms available, or separate restrooms for men and women doctors and nursing staff. We must evolve a national consensus that there must be a national standard protocol so that safe work conditions are provided," the bench said.

If women cannot go to their place of work safely, then we are denying them equality, the apex court said.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the West Bengal government, refuted the observations and submitted that Kolkata police took all necessary action. He said he will place on record all the facts.

"Photos and videos were circulated before the police reached the crime scene. We didn't allow anything to happen and cordoned off the area. Inquest was done and a case of unnatural death was registered immediately. We caught the culprit who was a civic worker. This is not adversarial litigation," Sibal told the court.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said a mob of 7,000 people could not have assembled at the hospital without the knowledge and consent of the police.

"Let the West Bengal government not be in denial mode, there is complete failure of law and order in the state. A girl has lost her life due to a sexual pervert and an animal," Mehta said.

Sibal said over 50 FIRs have been registered following the vandalism incident and 37 people have already been arrested.

The top court asked the West Bengal government to not take coercive action against people holding peaceful protests and speaking up on social media.

"Let not the power of the state of West Bengal be unleashed upon peaceful protesters. Let us deal with them with great sensitivity. This is a moment for national catharsis," the apex court said.

Sibal said a lot of misinformation is being spread in the media about the case and the state government is only taking action against those involved in it.

The court then said, "We expect that West Bengal government shall observe necessary restraint in the face of peaceful protests being conducted by any quarter of the society bearing on the issues which form the subject matter of the incident in Kolkata."

The trainee doctor's body with severe injury marks was found inside the seminar hall of the hospital's chest department on August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata police the following day for his alleged involvement in the rape-murder incident.
Describing the case as a "very hard one", the Supreme Court sought the Centre's response on Tuesday on a plea of a couple whose 30-year-old son has been lying in a vegetative state in a hospital since 2013 after suffering head injuries.

IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: Reuters

The court said instead of allowing passive euthanasia, which is not permissible in the case, it will explore the possibility of shifting the patient to a government hospital or a similar place for treatment and care.

It agreed with the findings of the Delhi high court, which had refused to constitute a medical board to consider the parents' plea that their son be allowed to undergo passive euthanasia.

Passive euthanasia is the intentional act of letting a patient die by withholding or withdrawing life support or treatment necessary for maintaining life.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said the patient, Harish Rana, is not on ventilator or other mechanical support to sustain life and rather, was being fed through a food pipe and hence, no case was made out for passive euthanasia.

The court was considerate of the fact that the man has been in a vegetative state for 11 years after he suffered a fall from the fourth floor of a building and his old parents are finding it difficult to sustain the life through treatment as they have even sold their house.

The bench was of the view that the parents' plea that a medical board be set up to consider passive euthanasia for Rana was rightly rejected by the high court as no medical professional will cause death by injecting some substance into a patient who is alive without any mechanical or ventilator support.

"The high court held that passive euthanasia is not permissible as per the Common Cause judgment (of the top court) and that the person was not kept alive mechanically and was alive without external life support. We are in support with the view of the high court and the case does not fall under the ambit of passive euthanasia since there is no external life support," the bench said.

"At the same time, the court is mindful that the parents are now aged and cannot care for their son who is bedridden for so many years and if any humanitarian solution can be found other than passive euthanasia. Thus, we issue notice to the Centre and request Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati to assist us. We will see if he can be placed somewhere else. This is a very hard case," the bench said.

Later, the bench asked Bhati, who was appearing in the court in another case, if there was any possibility to lodge Rana at a hospital where he could be taken care of.

"I will look into it. I will take the details and assist the court," the law officer said.

In July, the high court refused to refer Rana's case to a medical board for allowing him to undergo passive euthanasia.

The high court had said the facts of the case indicate that the man is not being kept alive mechanically and he is able to sustain himself without any extra external aid.

"The petitioner is not on any life-support system and the petitioner is surviving without any external aid. While the court sympathises with the parents, as the petitioner is not terminally ill, this court cannot intervene and allow consideration of a prayer that is legally untenable," it had said.

The high court had also referred to several Supreme Court verdicts in which it was held that active euthanasia is legally impermissible.

"The petitioner is thus living and no one, including a physician, is permitted to cause the death of another person by administering any lethal drug, even if the objective is to relieve the patient from pain and suffering," it had said.

According to the petition, the petitioner, who is about 30 years old, was a student of the Punjab University and had suffered head injuries after falling from the fourth floor of his paying guest accommodation in 2013.

The plea says the petitioner's family has done its best to treat him. However, he has been confined to bed since 2013 due to diffuse axonal injury with permanent vegetative state and 100-per cent disability.

The plea says his family has consulted various doctors, has been informed that there is no scope for his recovery and the petitioner, who has not responded for the last 11 years, has developed deep and large bedsores that have caused further infection.

It says the petitioner's family has lost all hope for his recovery and his parents are not in a position to take care of him as they are getting old.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday indicated that his government may consider India's request to extradite controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik if it provides evidence against him.

IMAGE: Zakir Naik during a prayer at a mosque in Melaka, Malaysia, in 2019. Photograph: Lim Huey Teng/Reuters

At an interactive session at the Indian Council of World Affairs in New Delhi, Ibrahim also said that the issue shouldn't deter the two countries from enhancing bilateral relations.

To a specific question, he said the issue was not raised by the Indian side during Tuesday's talks.

Naik is wanted by the Indian authorities for alleged money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speeches. He left India in 2016.

The Islamic preacher was granted permanent residency in Malaysia by the previous government led by Mahathir Mohamed.

"Firstly, it was not raised by the (Indian side), Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) did raise it much earlier, some years back...But the issue is I am not talking about one person, I am talking about the sentiment of extremism, of a compelling case and evidence that suggest the atrocities committed by an individual or group or faction or parties," Ibrahim said.

The Malaysian prime minister said his government is "open to any ideas and evidence submitted".

"We will not condone terrorism...We have been tough and we have been working together with India on many of these issues, against terrorism. But I don't think this one case should deter us from further collaboration and enhancing our bilateral cooperation," he said.

The Malaysian prime minister began his three-day visit to India last night in his first trip to the country after becoming the prime minister in 2022.

Ibrahim also criticised Israel's military actions in Gaza and described the overall situation as the "sheer hypocrisy" of the West.

"The atrocities of Israeli forces in Gaza that's real, killing 40,000 people. That is an atrocity," he said.

"We must give a very clear message that this hypocrisy must end. You can't talk about genocide in Ukraine because of the bombing of some villages, and 40,000 people killed (in Gaza as) the impact of war and you can condone that," he said in response to a question.

"This is shocking and I call it sheer hypocrisy. It is long-standing but it has to end," he said.

"It doesn't matter whether the victims are Muslims or Christians or Hindus or Buddhists or whatever. They are human beings and in this age for us (to say) that 'I am sorry, nothing can be done', is atrocious," he said.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is keen to join hands with the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra with an aim to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that is currently ruling the state along with two other parties, former MP Imtiaz Jaleel has said.

IMAGE: Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar chief Sharad Pawar in conversation with Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole during the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) meeting, at Shanmukhananda Auditorium, in Mumbai. Photograph: ANI Photo

Jaleel, who is the AIMIM's state unit president, was talking to Marathi news channel ABP Majha after a meeting of the party in Mumbai.

Replying to a query, he said, "We had said this during the Lok Sabha elections and we are giving an offer to the MVA again to join hands as we want to defeat the BJP. But it is up to them whether to include us in the alliance or not."

"If they (MVA parties) take us along, it will be beneficial for them. If not, we are ready to move ahead alone...If they think we have some power and have a vote bank, then they will ask us, otherwise they will not," Jaleel added.

When asked if the AIMIM does not have any issue with MVA constituent Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, he said, "The BJP has damaged the country, so we want to keep them away from the government by any means."

He, however, refused to forge an alliance with the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA).

Targeting the Mahayuti government's 'Ladki Bahin' scheme, he said, "After so many years Chief Minister Eknath Shinde realised that he has so many sisters in the state. Now after providing financial assistance to women, those in power are openly asking people to vote for them (Mahayuti)...It shows that there is no love for the sisters. It is just a deal."

This is a result of the shock the ruling alliance received in the Lok Sabha elections, the former Lok Sabha member added.

Assembly elections in the state are likely to be held in October-November this year.

In the Lok Sabha polls held a few months back, the MVA won 31 out of the 48 parliamentary seats in the state, while the ruling alliance could bag only 17.
"Please trust us," the Supreme Court said on Tuesday while requesting the doctors protesting across the country over a Kolkata doctor's alleged rape and killing to call off the strike and resume work.

IMAGE: GSVM Medical College doctors stage a protest against the alleged sexual assault and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital, in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, August 20, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

The court said abstention from the work of doctors affects those segments of the society that are in need of medical care.

"We earnestly appeal to all the doctors that we are here to ensure that their safety and protection is the matter of highest national concern. Please trust us, that is why we have not left the matter to the high court.

"We felt this is not just a matter of a serious offence but which affects the institution of healthcare pan India. Therefore the need for the Supreme Court to take up the matter," a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said.

The apex court was hearing a suo-motu case related to the alleged rape and killing of a postgraduate trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata amid nationwide protests over the incident.

The Federation of Resident Doctors' Association welcomed the apex court's intervention in the Kolkata incident, saying it will serve the interests of the medical fraternity.

"Since this court is seized of the matter pertaining to safety and well-being of all medical professionals at workplaces, we would request all the doctors abstaining from work across the country to resume work at the earliest.

"The abstention from the work of doctors affects segments of the society who need medical care the most. The doctors and medical professional shall stand assured that their concerns are receiving the highest concern from the highest court from a diverge range of counsels," the bench said.
Thousands of protesters on Tuesday blocked railway tracks at Badlapur station in Thane district near Mumbai and stormed a local school building after the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old girls by the school sweeper in the washroom.

IMAGE: Police lathi-charge protesters at Badlapur station in Maharashtra. Photograph: ANI on X

The police cane-charged the protesters, who occupied the railway tracks, pelting stones at policemen.

Hundreds of protesters, many of them angry parents, vandalised the school building to express their disgust over the sexual assault.

Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he ordered the formation of a special investigation team headed by senior IPS officer Arti Singh.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said action will be taken against the school, adding that the case will be fast-tracked and the guilty won't be spared.

At Badlapur station, incensed protestors were seen shouting hai, hai slogans against the police officials and demanded death penalty for the sweeper allegedly involved in the assault.

Maharashtra school education minister Deepak Kesarkar said 'Vishakha committees' will be formed in schools, which will also face action if CCTV cameras installed on their premises are found to be non-functional.

The panels will provide a platform for raising grievances of girl students, especially those in standards 9th, 10th and junior college, the minister said.

A notice has been issued to the Badlapur school, and its principal, a few teachers and two assistants have been suspended, Kesarkar said.

The protest at Badlapur railway station in Thane district continued throughout the day as the crowd, including several women, refused to heed pleas of officials to allow the passage of trains.

State minister Girish Mahajan tried to pacify the protesters in the afternoon who raised slogans seeking justice for the victims and capital punishment for the arrested accused.

BJP MLA from the Murbad assembly constituency in Thane district, Kisan Kathore, alleged the protest at Badlapur railway station was politically motivated, adding the agitators came from neighbouring areas and not from Badlapur.

The police on August 17 arrested an attendant at the school for sexually abusing the two girl students of the kindergarten.

As per the complaint, he abused the girls in the toilet of the school, an official said.

While the school management has suspended the principal, a class teacher, and a female attendant, over the incident, the state government on Tuesday ordered the suspension of three police officials, including a senior police inspector, for alleged dereliction of duty in probing the sexual abuse of the two girls.

"The orders of immediate suspension of the senior police inspector, assistant sub-inspector and head constable attached to Badlapur police station for the dereliction of duty have been issued," said Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio.

The opposition parties have alleged that the parents of the victim girls were made to wait for 11 hours at Badlapur police station before the officials took note of taking their complaints.

Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday demanded a fast-track trial and speedy justice in the case.

Thackeray said on one hand, the Mahayuti government is running the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin scheme for women, but daughters of sisters are not safe.

In an apparent reference to the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata, where the Mamata Banerjee-led government has come under fire, the Sena-UBT chief said politics was being done over crime against women by targeting certain states.

Shinde said he has directed the police that the accused arrested for sexually abusing two girl students at a school in Badlapur in Thane district be booked under the attempt to rape charge.

He said a special public prosecutor will be appointed for the case.

"I have spoken to the Thane Commissioner of Police. The accused has been arrested. I have asked the case to be fast-tracked and book the accused under the charges of attempt to rape and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act," he said.

The school management has tendered an apology over the episode, adding it has blacklisted the firm which has been given the contract for housekeeping.

Vigilance on the school premises will be increased in the wake of the incident, the school authorities said.
Observing that the safety and well-being of doctors is a matter of national interest, the Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to formulate a protocol for ensuring their safety and security in the wake of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata.

IMAGE: Resident doctors hold a protest demanding justice for the victim of Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital Tragedy outside Nirman Bhawan in New Delhi. Photograph: Ishant/ANI Photo

The task force will submit its interim report within three weeks and the final report within two months, the court said.

A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said a lack of institutional safety norms at medical establishments against both violence and sexual violence against medical professionals is a matter of serious concern.

It said there are legislations to protect medical professionals but they do not address the systemic issues.

The 10 members of the task force are -- Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, Director General, Medical Services (Navy), Dr D Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director, Asian Institute of Gastroenterology and AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, Dr M Srinivas, Director of Delhi-AIIMS, Dr Pratima Murthy, Director, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Dr Goverdhan Dutt Puri, Executive Director, AIIMS Jodhpur, Dr Saumitra Rawat, Chairperson, Institute of Surgical Gastroenterology, GI and HPB Onco-Surgery and Liver Transplantation and Member, Board of Management, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi.

The other members are -- Professor Anita Saxena, Vice-Chancellor, Pandit B D Sharma Medical University, Rohtak, former Dean of Academics, Chief Cardio thoracic Centre and Head Cardiology Department AIIMS, Delhi, Dr Pallavi Saple, Dean, Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals, Mumbai, and Dr

Padma Srivastava, formerly Professor at the Department of Neurology, AIIMS Delhi.

The bench said the cabinet secretary and the home secretary to the Union government, secretary, Ministry of Health, chairperson, National Medical Commission and president, National Board of Examinations shall be the ex officio members of the task force.

The apex court asked the NTF to formulate an action plan under two sub-heads --Preventing violence, including gender-based violence against medical professionals; and providing an enforceable national protocol for dignified and safe working conditions for interns, residents, senior residents, doctors, nurses and all medical professionals.

"The NTF shall be at liberty to make recommendations on all aspects of the action-plan highlighted above and any other aspects which the members seek to cover. They are at liberty to make additional suggestions, where appropriate.

"The NTF shall also suggest appropriate timelines by which the recommendations could be implemented based on the existing facilities in Hospitals. The NTF is requested to consult all stake-holders," the bench said.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will provide all logistical support including making arrangements for travel, stay and secretarial assistance and bear the expenses of the members of the NTF, it said.

"All State Governments and UT Governments, through their Secretaries, in the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare and the Central Government, through the Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare must collate information from all hospitals run by the State and the Central Government, respectively on how many security personnel are employed at each Hospital and each department;

"Whether there is a baggage and person screening mechanism in place at the entrance of the medical establishment. The total number of resting/duty rooms in the Hospital and specific details of the number in each Department. The facilities provided in the resting/duty rooms," the bench said.

The data as submitted shall be tabulated and filed with an affidavit by the Union Government within one month of this order, it said.

The apex court was hearing a suo motu case related to the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata amid nationwide protests over it.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a response from the Odisha government on the remission plea of Ravindra Pal alias Dara Singh, who is serving life sentence for the ghastly killings of Australian missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two minor sons in Keonjhar district in the state in 1999.

IMAGE: The Supreme Court of India. Photograph: ANI Photo

Singh has sought the application of a more liberal remission policy to ensure his premature release from a prison in the state where he has been lodged for more than 24 years.

While seeking a response from the state government within two weeks, a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said the offence was very serious in nature.

The bench took note of the submissions of lawyer Vishnu Shanker Jain, appearing for the convict, that a more liberal policy on remission has to be applied in his case. Singh, he said, has already served 24 years and six months.

We have issued the notice and sought response in two weeks, the bench said.

A mob led by Dara Singh had attacked Staines and his two sons - 11-year-old Philip and 8-year-old Timothy - while they were sleeping in their station wagon.

It set the vehicle on fire in Manoharpur village of Keonjhar district on the intervening night of January 22-23, 1999.

Dara Singh, the main accused in the triple murder, was convicted and sentenced to death by a Central Bureau of Investigation court in 2003.

The Orissa high court had commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment in 2005 and it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2011.

Mehendra Hembram, an accomplice of Dara Singh, is also serving life imprisonment in the case, while 11 other accused were acquitted by the high court due to lack of evidence.

Staines and his wife Gladys worked with Mayurbhanj Evangelical Missionary organisation and cared for leprosy patients.

Gladys Staines, who was awarded the Padmashree in 2005, had said she had forgiven the killers of her husband and sons and that she holds no bitterness against them.

Another bench of the top court is also seized of Singh's another petition seeking similar relief.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Jammu and Srinagar on August 21 and 22 for key meetings in preparation for the upcoming assembly elections.

IMAGE: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge during a meeting at AICC Headquarters in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo

The visit comes after Congress president Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met general secretaries, in-charges and screening committee members of four poll-bound states on Monday.

'On 21st and 22nd August, Congress president Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji and Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi ji will be visiting Jammu and Srinagar for key meetings in preparation for the upcoming assembly elections,' Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal said on X.

Congress national general secretary Gulam Ahmed Mir told PTI in Jammu that 'Kharge ji and Rahul ji will be visiting Jammu and Kashmir for two days, starting tomorrow. They will arrive in Jammu tomorrow afternoon'.

Mir said that during their stay, they will engage in extensive meetings with leaders and workers in both Jammu and Srinagar, aiming to energise and strengthen the party cadre.

After their interaction in Jammu, they will fly to Srinagar on Wednesday evening to continue their interactions with the cadre there.

On Thursday, they will hold a press conference in Srinagar.

After the meeting on Monday, Venugopal had told reporters that the leaders deliberated upon preparation for elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra, and guidelines for selecting candidates.

He said the Central Election Committee meeting for Jammu and Kashmir would take place in the next three-four days. Venugopal also said the party was open for an alliance in Jammu and Kashmir and its main objective was to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party out of government.

Also newly-appointed Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra said on Monday that the party is open to talks with like-minded parties to strike a 'respectable alliance' for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls but the parameters for such a tie-up would be different from the Lok Sabha elections.

The three-phase elections to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir assembly will be held on September 18, September 25 and October 1.

The Election Commission has also announced that elections to the 90-member Haryana assembly will be held on October 1 and results for both the polls will be declared on October 4.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low around 40F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%..

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Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low around 40F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
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Energy company Mercury has selected a new platform for large customers after successfully completing its $441M merger with Trustpower.

German company Robotron will provide a new technology stack for Mercurys largest customers with migration planned in the current 2025 financial year.

As reported in February, Mercury successfully migrated its mass market customers to a Gentracks billing system during the half-year to the end of December 2023.

During the year, we embarked on a major technology transformation programme, including significant investment in new platforms to enable enhanced customer and employee experiences, the company said in its annual report, released today.

Gentrack enables delivery of a range of telecommunications and energy bundles for customers.

Mercury is also gearing up to take advantage of AI, having formed what it described as small multi-disciplinary teams to explore the harnessing of AI and how to support the capability required to safely explore user case opportunities.
Partners from Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ) were spoiled for choice when it came to information during day 2 of EDGE 2024, with numerous breakout sessions available.

After the first half of the sessions in the main plenary area, attendees split up for the days breakout sessions. Within the first set was Arctic Wolf director of sales engineering for A/NZ Steve Hunter discussing about the real cost of a cyber breach in A/NZ. Meanwhile, Cisco A/NZ managing director partner and route to market sales Rodney Hamill talked about uniting AI and secure networking for cyber resilience. NextDC head of sales Steve Martin unpacked emerging AI trends and how partners can find new opportunities. Additionally, Check Point Software Technologies global head of MSP David Meister, A/NZ head of channel Leo Lynch and NZ country manager Mark Baker presented on the rising sophistication of AI-powered cyber attacks.

The next set of breakout sessions included Tech Data cloud business leader Robbie Upcroft, Orca Tech A/NZ general manager Craig Ashwood and Nexon Asia Pacific head of cyber security Paul Edmondson talking about the combination of security and hyperscaler marketplaces. Also within the second set was Microsoft partner developer manager Daniyel McAvoy, Dicker Data Microsoft Cloud general manager Sarah Loiterton and NZ general enterprise manager Lisa Muir exploring current trends, future developments and strategic preparations MSPs should take to tap into AI. At the same time, eSentire chief channel officer Bob Layton, regional general manager for Asia Pacific and partner ecosyste, Mert Mustafa and head of security architecture Haris Chaudhry focused on managed detection and response or SOC-as-a-service through the lens of partner profitability, customer protection and peace of mind. Lastly, keynote speaker Nancy Rademaker provided a sneak peek on the art of presenting.

After the days breakout sessions concluded, attendees returned to the main plenary to Iles again, this time revealing an industry snapshot into Australian IT decision makers to highlight opportunities and priorities for partners. This was followed by Amazon Web Services head of channel and alliances for Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ) public sector Andrew Winter to provide an update on the cloud giants movements across the region. Wrapping up the second day of sessions was OSullivan with a panel on what CIOs want from partners, where she was joined by Abano Healthcare CIO Nisha Clark, former Village Roadshow CTO Michael Fagan and Gold Coast Health CIO Sandip Kumar.

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Israel has claimed that the successor to slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has likely been "eliminated," while U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris called Tehran the greatest adversary of the United States.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on October 8 said that Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, was an "organization without a head."

"Nasrallah was eliminated -- his replacement was probably also eliminated," Gallant told officers at the military's northern command center without providing details.

"There's no one to make decisions, no one to act," he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later echoed those comments, saying, "We've degraded Hezbollah's capabilities."

"We took out thousands of terrorists, including Nasrallah himself and Nasrallah's replacement, and the replacement of the replacement," Netanyahu said.

Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollahs political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament.

Hashem Safieddine, a top Hezbollah official and a cousin of Nasrallah, was widely expected to be named to the group's top position, but his whereabouts and condition are a mystery since an Israeli strike hit a suspected Hezbollah leadership meeting on October 2.

Hezbollah has not commented on Safieddine's fate, although unidentified members have told various media that the group had lost contact with him since the attack.

Safieddine has been declared a global terrorist by the United States.

Meanwhile, Harris told CBS TV's 60 Minutes program in an interview that she considered Iran to be the greatest adversary of the United States.

"Iran has American blood on their hands," she said. "And what we saw in terms of just this attack on Israel, 200 ballistic missiles, what we need to do to ensure that Iran never achieves the ability to be a nuclear power -- that is one of my highest priorities."

Harris -- the Democratic presidential nominee who will face Republican Donald Trump in the November 5 election -- declined to speculate on whether the United States would take military action itself should proof be uncovered that Iran is building a nuclear weapon.

Tehran has denied it is building such weapons and says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes.

The comments came as the battered and bloodied leadership of Hezbollah suggested it might be ready to negotiate a cease-fire with Israel

Deputy leader Naim Qassem, in a televised speech, for the first time did not suggest that ending the war in Gaza was a precondition to reaching a truce with Israel in Lebanon.

Qassem said the group backed an effort by Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, to reach a deal to halt the fighting.

Late on October 8, the Syrian government said that seven civilians were killed in an Israeli air strike in Damascus. A war monitor said the strike targeted a building used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah.

Israel did not immediately comment and the reports could not be verified.



The Israeli military said earlier on October 8 that it had killed another senior Hezbollah commander, a day after marking the somber anniversary of a Hamas attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people.

Suhail Husseini, who was responsible for overseeing the logistics, budget, and management of Hezbollah, was killed in a targeted attack on October 7, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

"Husseini played a crucial role in weapon transfers between Iran and Hezbollah," the statement said, adding that he was also in charge of distributing advanced weapons to the group's members and for its "most sensitive projects" that included operations against Israel.

The IDF said Husseini was also a member of the Jihad Council, the supreme military body of Hezbollah.

There was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah.

The Israeli announcement came after Palestinian militants in Gaza fired a barrage of rockets on October 7 into Israel, where President Isaac Herzog led a national moment of silence to mark the start of last year's Hamas attack, which started at Kibbutz Reim in the south of the country.

Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union.

In Washington on October 7, President Joe Biden condemned Hamas on the anniversary, while also stating again the U.S. administration's commitment to reaching cease-fire agreements to end fighting in both Gaza and Lebanon.

"On this solemn anniversary, let us bear witness to the unspeakable brutality of the October 7 attacks but also to the beauty of the lives that were stolen that day," Biden said in a statement.

In Jerusalem, relatives of the some 100 hostages still in Hamas captivity, out of a total of 250, gathered outside Netanyahu's residence and stood in silence as a siren wailed in a gesture of protest against what relatives say is the failure of the government to secure their loved ones' release.

The conflict in Gaza is still raging while Israel is now fighting on a second front in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah.



Following the October 7 attack, Israel launched a military assault on Gaza that has killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas. Some 90 percent of the population of Gaza has been displaced and large areas have been destroyed by Israeli bombardments.



The Israeli military said on October 7 that over the past year it has bombed more than 40,000 targets in Gaza, found 4,700 tunnel shafts and destroyed 1,000 rocket launcher sites.

Israel in recent weeks has been carrying out air strikes across Lebanon, including Beirut, and has staged a ground invasion into south Lebanon in its drive to wipe out Hezbollah's capabilities and leadership.

In the attacks, Israel killed Hezbollah leader Nasrallah and dozens of other leaders of the group.

On October 6, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters that Ismail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force -- the overseas arm of the IRGC -- had also not been heard from in recent days since traveling to Lebanon.

Tel Avivs campaign against Hezbollah prompted Iran to respond by attacking Israel with a large wave of rockets that were largely shot down by Israeli air defenses without causing substantial damage, but the attack renewed fears of a larger regional conflict.

Gallant on October 6 threatened Iran that it might eventually find itself looking like Beirut or Gaza -- which has also been battered over the past year -- if Tehran attempts to further harm Israel.

With reporting by CBS and AP
One year ago, Hamas -- the U.S.- and EU-designated Palestinian terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip -- carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel, the deadliest in the countrys history.

In response, Israel launched an aerial bombardment and ground invasion of the Palestinian enclave to destroy Hamas and rescue the 251 hostages taken by the group.

Israel has expanded its war in recent weeks by invading Lebanon and launching air strikes targeting Hezbollah, the armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon.

RFE/RL spoke to Lior Yohanani, manager of quantitative research at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem-based independent research center, which on October 7 released a wide-ranging survey of Israeli public opinion after one year of war.

RFE/RL: Can you explain what your study found as to how Israelis view the past year since Hamas's October 7 attack?



Lior Yohanani: Well, I think Israelis still don't see October 7 as an event that's over. Sure, the actual horrific events of that day ended, but Israelis are still living with the consequences.

There are two main aspects to this. First, since October 7, Israel has been in this multifront war that doesn't seem to have an end in sight. And then, of course, there is the issue of the hostages still being held in Gaza. So, we're seeing a sharp drop in people's sense of personal security. Almost three quarters of the public feel less safe compared to before October 7, and that's despite a year of war and some significant military achievements. On the flip side, we're also seeing that most people say their lives have returned to normal when it comes to things like work, media consumption, and family and social gatherings.

Another thing we're noticing is that the Israeli public is giving pretty low marks to all the political and military leaders for the performance since October 7. For example, almost two-thirds of Israelis are rating Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu's performance since then as poor or not good.

RFE/RL: How has Israel's involvement in a two-front conflict, in both Gaza and Lebanon, as well as a confrontation with Iran affected public opinion among Israelis?



Yohanani: It's tough to answer that question, because we're at the point where things could go in a few different directions. In the last few weeks, we've seen a major escalation in the conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and just last week, Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, which Israel is expected to respond to. In a survey we just did recently, we asked whether Israeli society and the military could handle fighting on two or more fronts for an extended period of time, and the results were pretty striking. Over 70 percent believe that yes, both Israeli society and the military can handle that kind of prolonged fighting. So, while the situation is complex and evolving, there seems to be a strong sense of resilience and capability among Israelis, even in the face of these multiple threats. But of course, public opinion could shift depending on how events unfold in the coming weeks or months.



RFE/RL: Is there support for Netanyahus response to October 7? Is there debate in Israeli society, as well as political circles, over Netanyahus strategic choices?



Yohanani: First of all, it's important to say that the Israeli public has largely supported significant military operation against Hamas in Gaza. That said, the Israeli discourse around the October 7 events, the ongoing war, and especially toward Prime Minister Netanyahu, is very polarized between right-wing supporters on the one hand and left and center supporters on the other.

People are hoping for a future where Israel can exist without constant threats, rather than expecting a harmonious relationship with its neighbors in the near-term."

So, on the left and the center, there is a high level of distrust and suspicion toward Netanyahu and his government. For instance, Netanyahu's apparent reluctance to pursue a deal for returning the hostages in exchange for ending the fighting in Gaza is seen by large parts of the public, even on the right, as resulting from Netanyahu's dependence on far-right, ultranationalist members of his government who refuse any compromise or ceasefire.

Now for a long time, Netanyahu and his ministers argued that only significant military force would lead Hamas to compromise and release the hostages. Now, with military attention and resources shifting to the north, people are asking, where is this massive military force that was supposed to bring the hostages home?

One question we have asked several times since October 7 in our polls is what should be the main goal in Gaza: Dismantling Hamas or bringing back the hostages? And as time goes on, public opinion is increasingly supporting the return of hostages. In our current survey, 62 percent saw bringing the bringing back the hostages as Israel's main goal, while only 29 percent pointed to dismantling Hamas as the primary objective.

RFE/RL: How do ordinary Israelis see the question of the remaining hostages amid the continued protests by the hostages' families?



Yohanani: As I mentioned before, most of the public supports a deal to release the hostages, even if it means ending the war and withdrawing the military forces from Gaza. There's this widespread feeling that we've left the hostages behind, and that's really hitting at our sense of solidarity, which is a deep and fundamental value, I think, in Jewish history in general and in Israel society in particular.

At the same time, the campaign run by the Hostages And Missing Families Forum has become very politicized. Many right-wing supporters see it as weakening Israel. As time goes on, we're seeing more and more harassment of protesters who support bringing the hostages back. There are cases of passersby cursing, even hitting and throwing eggs, at hostages' families. In our latest survey, we asked about the effectiveness of the protests and actions taken by the hostages' families.

Despite most of the public feeling empathetic toward the hostage issue, only less than a third think these actions are actually helping to advance a deal for the hostages' release, while almost 40 percent think they're actually hurting the cause. So, you've got this complex situation where people want the hostages back, but there is disagreement and some backlash about how to make that happen.

RFE/RL: Can you explain the reasons behind the apparent contradiction in views regarding prioritizing a negotiated return of the hostages, or destroying Hamas?

Yohanani: You're right to point out that apparent contradiction. Let me break it down a bit. As I mentioned earlier, a clear majority of the public sees a deal to release the hostages as the main goal. But there is a big gap between political camps on this issue. In the center and left, about 80 percent support the deal for the hostages' release, while the opinions on the right are evenly split. So, for most of the left and center, the fighting in Gaza has run its course. They feel most military objectives have been achieved, and Hamas's military power has been significantly weakened. From their perspective, continuing the fight now only puts the hostages at greater risk.

It's important to know that about half of the right-wing also shares this view of prioritizing the hostages' release, but the other half of those on the far-right thinks dismantling Hamas is more important.

Why? For a couple of reasons.

First, there's a security stance that Hamas must be wiped out and not allowed to recover. There is also a very strong sentiment of revenge, with minimal consideration for the cost, whether it's the lives of the hostages, soldiers, let alone innocent civilians in Gaza. Another significant component openly discussed in religious nationalist circles is the return of Jewish settlement to the Gaza Strip after Israel evacuated Jewish settlements from there in 2005.

RFE/RL: Is there public confidence that Israel will ultimately be able to remove the threat of Hamas and Hezbollah and come out of this conflict with greater prospects for a peaceful and stable near-term future?



Yohanani: Right now, the Israeli public isn't showing a lot of optimism. In our current survey, when we asked people if they're optimistic or pessimistic about Israel's future, we found more pessimists, 48 percent, than optimists, 45 percent.

I also think it's important to note that a peaceful future, as you put it, or peace in general, isn't really a common concept in the current Israeli discourse. I would say the hope of Israelis is that the military actions against Hezbollah and Iran will lead to a situation where Israel's existence isn't in question, and that Israeli military superiority will prevent events like October 7 from happening again. So, it's less about peace in the traditional sense, and more about security and deterrence. People are hoping for a future where Israel can exist without constant threats, rather than expecting a harmonious relationship with its neighbors in the near-term.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora, Fuad Muradov, met with the members of the Azerbaijani community living in Illinois, USA, Trend reports.

The event began with the National Anthems of Azerbaijan and the USA and continued with a one-minute silence, as a mark of respect to the dear memory of martyrs, who died for the territorial integrity of our country.

Farid Mammadov and Mehriban Mammadova, founders of the Azerbaijan Center for the Midwest States of America, welcomed the participants. Then Mehriban Mammadova spoke about the activity of the community, the further expansion of the scope of the work done, the gradual increase in the influence of the Azerbaijani community in the US, and its progress towards becoming a soft power.

The Committee Chairman gave detailed information about the diaspora policy implemented under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, coordination councils, Azerbaijani houses, weekend Azerbaijani schools, successful large-scale projects of the Committee, as well as the V Summer Camp of Diaspora Youth held in Lachin from August 1 to 7 that aroused great interest of Azerbaijani youth.

Engin Tures, Turkish Consul General in Chicago, who also attended the meeting, noted the importance of the joint activities of the Azerbaijani and Turkish diasporas.

Nargiz Habibova, head of the Midwest Azerbaijani Student Alliance, informed the participants about the organization's activity and spoke about the opportunities for networking of student youth in the US, especially through social media platforms and the organization's goals. The speeches emphasized that the liberation of Azerbaijan from the occupation of its territories, and its transformation into a symbol of peace and reconciliation in the region makes our compatriots proud and encourages them to do even greater things for the motherland. Community members spoke about the importance of forming a stronger diaspora, the mechanisms of unity, the importance of applying international experience, and proposed to open an Azerbaijani House here in the future. The positive impact of holding periodic meetings with the Committee and holding discussions with diaspora members on community formation was also highlighted.

The event featured videos of the Committees activity and the essence of coordinated work in the diaspora movement, a wide range of ideas were exchanged and questions were answered.

The event ended with an artistic part.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
PRISTINA -- Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani says Kosovo is in consultations with the international community on opening the main bridge in Mitrovica that divides ethnic Albanian and Serbian communities.

Osmani told RFE/RL in an interview on August 19 that opening the bridge, which has been a point of contention in Mitrovica because of concerns that it would increase already high ethnic tensions, is a priority and could turn into a symbol of normalization in relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

The bridge divides the Albanian-majority southern side and a Serb-majority northern side of the city, Kosovar authorities have been seeking a way to open it in a way that does not provoke conflict with Kosovo's international partners.

Of course, we need to ask for the bridge to open very soon because we are already eight years too late, she said, adding that this doesnt mean that Kosovo has told its allies in the Quint -- an informal decision-making group consisting of the United States, France, Germany, Italy, and Britain -- that Pristina would disregard security concerns or open the bridge without working with them.

Osmani said it would not make sense for Pristina to take the step without making sure that its security partners were on board because it would backfire and that is not in the interest of Kosovo.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti at the beginning of August announced plans to open the bridge to vehicle traffic despite opposition from members of both NATO and Quint. The announcement sparked protests by Serbs in northern Kosovo, who expressed concerns that the move would increase ethnic tensions and impact their safety.

NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) peacekeeping mission and the European Union have requested that the matter be taken up by Brussels, but Osmani said she opposes this given that Kosovo and Serbia already have an agreement and the two sides consider the issue closed.

Talks will continue, she said, but it will be crucial that the two sides fully coordinate with NATO.

Osmani said that she spoke about the opening of the bridge with Kurti about a month ago and they agreed that there must be coordination with NATOs presence in Kosovo, which includes EU partners that are members of NATO and others that are not, along with the United States, which she described as our main security partner.

The current security assessment regarding the bridge is critical and open to exploitation by Serbia, Osmani said.

There is a constant threat, as we all know, and as we've said it publicly many times, from forces that are financed, instigated, as well as pushed politically and trained militarily by Serbia, she told RFE/RL. Of course, it is in Serbia's interest to always cause some sort of a tension in Kosovo.

She noted that Milan Radoicic, a Kosovar Serb politician who has claimed he is the sole mastermind of an armed attack on the village of Banjska in September 2023 that left a Kosovo police officer and three attackers dead, is still free.

Serbia has refused to extradite him to face charges in Kosovo despite an arrest warrant issued by Interpol, but there has been no formal decision.

She also claimed there are people in Kosovo who still try to hide their weapons, adding that even as recently as just a few days ago Kosovar police confiscated weapons that are hidden by certain people in the north who cooperate with gangs in Serbia.

She also repeated her claim that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is the mastermind behind the hiding of weapons and the deadly attack in September -- a charge that Vucic has vehemently denied.

It's not a political assumption. I know for a fact that Aleksandar Vucic is directly involved in ordering the Banjska attack she said, adding that Kosovos NATO partners and other Balkan countries know this as well.

When you deal with minds like that, you need to gather around, regroup, reorganize, understand who your friends and partners are, and work with them to prevent such scenarios which are trying to bring our region back to the 1990s, she said.
Kyiv says it is continuing its two-week-old incursion into Russia's border region of Kursk with the aim of creating a buffer zone to protect civilians along the border, but Moscow is pressing unabated its offensive farther south in Donetsk region, where it claims to have captured a key logistics hub on August 20.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine now controls 1,250 kilometers and 92 settlements in Kursk since it launched its surprise cross-border operation on August 6, and Russia acknowledged that three key bridges over the Seym River were destroyed, cutting important supply lines for Moscow forces.

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.

However, Kyiv's aim is not territorial gain and has a clear scope -- ensuring the safety against incessant Russian shelling and strikes from across the border, one of Zelenskiy's senior advisers, Mykhaylo Podolyak, told Current Time, adding that Ukraine's operation is adhering to international legislation and protects the civilian population.

"Ukraine does not intend to seize populated areas or occupy this territory," Podolyak said on August 19.



"This is a different type of war, a war that is clearly spelled out in international law and in conventions that regulate behavior toward combatants and especially toward noncombatants, toward the civilian population on this territory."

Podolyak told Current Time that Moscow has been using border areas to strike civilian infrastructure up to 70-80 kilometers inside Ukraine.



"Along the border, including in the Kursk region, artillery is deployed 1 or 2 kilometers from the state border, ballistic launchers are deployed, multiple-launch rocket systems are deployed," he said.

"Take [Ukraine's] Sumy region, located just opposite Kursk region. About 500-600 shellings were carried out daily targeting the territory of the Sumy region. Squeezing out Russian weapons to a depth of 100 kilometers will already make it possible to protect the civilian population in the Ukrainian border area, for example in the Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions."



Referring to the civilian population that remains in the territory now under Ukrainian military's control, Podolyak said Kyiv is fulfilling all the requirements of international humanitarian legislation.

"We keep a register of civilians. International law very strictly requires that you bear actual responsibility for residents, citizens, and noncombatants. International humanitarian law clearly spells out your responsibility in the zone of actual control if there is military action there. Of course, registers will be compiled, our guys are looking at who is there, who needs to be sent where, and so on."

Ukrainian lawmaker Roman Kostenko told RFE/RL on August 20 that no evacuation of local residents from Kursk areas controlled by Ukraine's armed forces to Ukraine is under way at the moment.

Kostenko added that the Kyiv-installed command office is ensuring the protection of local residents in Russian territories under Ukraine's control, in accordance with Geneva conventions.

On August 19, Zelenskiy again pushed for permission from Ukraine's allies to use long-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.

"Ukraine is separated from halting the advance of the Russian Army on the front by only one decision we await from our partners: the decision on long-range capabilities," he said.



The United States and other allies of Ukraine have placed restrictions on the use of the weapons over concerns that it could escalate the war.



Podolyak, however, said such an escalation would only occur if Ukraine acted in a similar way to Russia and struck civilian areas, which would put Kyiv morally on the same footing as Moscow.



"There is definitely no point in striking big cities or populated areas as such. This will not solve any problem and would equalize Ukraine and Russia in the type of warfare, which is absolutely pointless," Podolyak said.

The United States, Ukraine's main ally and supplier of modern weapons systems, remains opposed for the time being to allowing Ukraine to use long-range western arms to strike deeper inside Russia.

"I will say that our policy has not changed. I just don't have anything to add to that," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in response to a question on the subject on August 19.

Meanwhile, Russia on August 20 claimed to have captured Nyu-York, an important logistics hub in Donetsk, as it continues its grinding advance toward the city of Pokrovsk, where Ukrainian authorities have ordered the mandatory evacuation of children.

"As a result of the actions of the units of the center group of forces, a large grouping of enemy troops was defeated and one of the largest settlements in Toretsk agglomeration, the strategically important logistics hub of [Nyu-York].. was liberated," the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram.

The capture of Nyu-York, which had a population of around 10,000 before the start of the war, could not be independently confirmed.

On August 19, Russia said it had captured the nearby town of Zalizne, also part of Toretsk urban agglomeration.

Ukrainian air-defense systems repelled a missile strike on Kyiv early on August 20, the fifth missile attack by Russia's military on the Ukrainian capital this month, the air force reported.

Elsewhere, a large fire broke out in the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, regional officials said, urging people to remain inside.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- After the Wagner Group reconstituted itself earlier this year, including renaming itself the Africa Corps, Kremlin officials seem unsure of the groups next steps and its role within Russias international strategy, experts speaking on August 20 at a Washington think tank said.

While major restructuring did take place, the newly formed Africa Corps appears to be different in name only. The war in Ukraine has continued to be the number one priority for the group, comprising heavy cooperation with Russian officials. Within Africa, however, both the groups sovereignty and their exact role in the region come into question, the experts said.

With the one-year anniversary of the plane crash that took the lives of multiple key figures of the then-Wagner Group approaching on August 23, Moscow officials have yet to fill the void that was left by the death of charismatic leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.

After the dramatic crash in the Tver region northwest of Moscow -- an accident according to Russian authorities but widely believed to have been an intentional act carried out at the behest of Russian President Vladimir Putin -- the group splintered, with some elements incorporated into Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, some joining Russias National Guard, and others operating as part of a Chechen militia force.

But even with this takeover, political analyst Mark Galeotti argued at the Brookings Institution on August 20 that the elements subsumed into the GRU are trying to run a blended diplomatic, commercial, and military structure, while they only have the skill set to run the latter.

With the GRU still getting a foothold on the operations of the previous group, Africa Corps has large shoes to fill if it wishes to continue the Wagner Groups influence across several African countries.

In Libya, the Central African Republic (C.A.R.), and Mali, the Africa Corps has continued the same operations that were conducted by Wagner Group in years prior. But in the past year, Africa Corps leadership has begun to test its power in both Burkina Faso and Niger with expansions of personnel that bring its presence in each country to more than 100, according to Christopher Faulkner, professor at the U.S. Naval War College.

Africa Corps is still in its elementary phase. Were just waiting to see whats going to transpire and whether or not Moscow will actually invest in real genuine security in those states, Faulkner said.

With the Wagners Group previous reputation for brutality in Ukraine, it is surprising that its counterinsurgency operations have largely been unspectacular in Africa, according to Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

In C.A.R., Wagners success was underpinned by the fact that its adversary consisted of relatively weak local groups. Even in a case such as Mozambique, where it was fighting a weak Al-Shabab, its operation was largely considered a failure, Felbab-Brown said.

The goal of the newly formed Africa Corps, considered a terrorist group by Britain and a transnational criminal group by the United States, is to create regime dependency on Russia through the security it provides. It has systemically driven up polarization in the countries where it operates in Africa, provoked violence, economic infiltration, and made use of organized crime groups, Felbab-Brown said.

Africa Corps entry into Burkina Faso, which came after Prigozhins death, was an attempt to further this influence, while simultaneously the GRU began assessing its role on the continent. As this assessment continues, Africa Corps appears to be preparing to enter the Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C) as well. According to Felbab-Brown, the Russian government has already signed military deals with the government of the D.R.C.

In addition, the government of the tiny island country of Sao Tome and Principe off Africas western coast, is cozying up to Russia. It has been signaling that it is keen on sending forces to a Russian training academy in Chechnya designed specifically for proxy actors. Similarly, Russia has begun canceling and restructuring large portions of debt owed to it by Guinea Bissau.

Russian influence in Guinea Bissau, one of the worlds least developed countries, will put Moscow within arms reach of Guinea Bissaus massive cocaine trade, where many organized crime groups from both Africa and Latin America convene, according to Felbab-Brown. This would allow Russian intelligence groups to further link themselves to transnational criminal organizations.

While Africa Corps is slowly attempting to further cement itself on the continent, Moscow officials must first learn how to properly use the group to their advantage. In considering the reach the group already has, as well as the speed at which Moscow was able to reconstitute Wagner into Africa Corps, Felbab-Brown said it is easy to understand why Russia is playing for influence, much as the U.S.A. is trying to counter this influence.
Hospitals and shops in Ukrainian-held areas of Russia are not working, and civilians are facing shortages of food and water, according to a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Speaking to Current Time on August 19, Mykhaylo Podolyak said humanitarian aid was being provided and that Ukraine was protecting the population in line with international law.
Welcome to Wider Europe, RFE/RL's new newsletter focusing on the key issues concerning the European Union, NATO, and other institutions and their relationships with the Western Balkans and Europe's Eastern neighborhoods.

I'm RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak, and this week I'm drilling down on two big issues: Getting more Russian money for Ukraine and Armenias long road to EU visa liberalization.

Briefing #1: How The West Will Use Frozen Russian Assets

What You Need To Know: The European Union and the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized nations are slowly gearing up new legislation that will allow a $50 billion loan to go to Ukraine by the end of the year.

The political decision for that loan was already agreed when the G7 met in Italy for its annual summit on June 13-15. In the communique from the meeting, it was stated that we decided to make available approximately $50 billion leveraging the extraordinary revenues of the immobilized Russian sovereign assets, sending an unmistakable signal to President Putin.

There are roughly $282 billion worth of Russian frozen assets in G7 countries after these resources were targeted by sanctions in early 2022, mostly in the EU. And while no one is keen yet to face the legal consequences of actually confiscating the money -- as fears persist it could dissuade other countries from investing in the eurozone and thus undermine the euro -- there is momentum now to get creative in using the funds to financially support Kyiv.

The G7 declaration stated as much by noting that Russia must end its illegal war of aggression and pay for the damage it has caused to Ukraine. These damages now exceed $486 billion, according to the World Bank. It is not right for Russia to decide if or when it will pay for the damage it has caused in Ukraine. Russias obligations under international law to pay for the damage it is causing are clear, and so we are continuing to consider all possible lawful avenues by which Russia is made to meet those obligations.

Deep Background: Most Russian money located in the EU, the onus is on Brussels. EU leaders, including more Ukraine-skeptic nations such as Hungary and Slovakia, endorsed the G7 outcome at a summit in Brussels just a week after. They unanimously agreed on conclusions that urged the European Commission to take the work forward on this and added, Subject to EU law, Russias assets should remain immobilized until Russia ceases its war of aggression against Ukraine and compensates it for the damage caused by this war.

It should be recalled that the bloc already has a mechanism in place to send the annual windfall profits from the frozen Russian assets to Ukraine. This is estimated to generate some 3 billion euros a year ($3.2 billion), with 90 percent of it going to military equipment and the rest for reconstruction.

The first tranche of this money was disbursed over the summer.

This new G7 initiative, however, goes a step further, bringing the interest proceeds from frozen assets via a loan that is guaranteed by the G7 countries.

The preliminary division is that the EU and the United States will back this up with $20 billion each, and Japan and the United Kingdom will guarantee the remaining $10 billion between them. But a lot of nitty-gritty legal groundwork is still needed.

Drilling Down

The item was discussed for the first time by EU ambassadors at the end of July with the European Commission providing a one-page outline, seen by RFE/RL, of what the options are. The idea is that the commission will present a fully fleshed-out legal proposal at the end of August with EU ambassadors discussing the text on September 4. But from the one-pager it is already clear that there are essentially just two avenues available to take.

The main issues to ensure are legal certainty and predictability. And that means that Russian assets remain frozen for a longer period. Brussels is looking to either agree on an open-ended immobilization of Russian assets or prolong this sanction by a longer period of up to 36 months. Its worth noting that all types of economic sanctions against Russia that Brussels has imposed currently are rolled over via consensus by the 27 member states every six months, with the latest prolongation confirmed on July 22.

According to diplomats familiar with the initial discussion, the overwhelming majority favor an open-ended immobilization. The option paper says this option will still be reviewed by the Council at regular intervals (e.g. 12 months), on the basis of clear predefined criteria (i.e. the end of the war of aggression and assurances of nonrepetition, the payment of compensation by Russia, etc. as set out by the EUCO  European Council).

It also adds that ending the immobilization of the CBR (Central Bank of Russia) assets would require a new Council act, based on a report by the High Representative (EU foreign policy chief)/Commission assessing that the criteria for lifting are fulfilled.

The question is, however, whether Hungary has the appetite to agree on this. So far, EU leaders have never threatened not to roll over the sanctions but at the same time they havent been militantly against moving away from an extension beyond the six months mark. Budapest might go against both options outlined in the paper, and that would mean there isnt much of the legal certainty and predictability that the EU seeks.

If the EU can ensure this, the question is whether the United States, in the middle of its election period, is ready to give a green light. The U.S. Congress needs to approve this loan, and if there are any fears that Hungary (or any other EU member states, for that matter) might threaten to block the renewal a couple of times a year, the whole scheme risks unraveling.

Thats why the United States initially wanted the EU to guarantee most, if not all, of the $50 billion and why most member states would prefer an open-ended immobilization. The diplomatic wrangling on this is likely to continue throughout the autumn.

Briefing #2: Armenia's Long Road To Visa Liberalization

What You Need To Know: EU foreign ministers officially gave the green light to the European Commission to commence visa liberalization dialogue with Armenia on July 22. The move came the same day as the bloc also rubber-stamped a 10-million-euro ($11 million) package of nonlethal military aid for Yerevan under the European Peace Facility (EFP) -- the first time ever that the South Caucasus republic got such support from Brussels.

EU diplomats I have spoken to have noted that the two decisions signal closer cooperation with Armenia as the country appears to loosen its political and economic dependence on Russia.

Of the two deals, the start of the visa liberalization dialogue is the bigger prize -- at least down the road. It would, if concluded positively in the future, allow Armenians with biometric passports to travel to all EU countries except Ireland plus non-EU Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland for 90 days in any 180-day period without any need for a visa.

Ask any official from Georgia, Moldova, or Ukraine and you will get the answer that they have all benefited greatly from visa-free travel to the bloc. It is, however, worth noting that the recent green light given by EU member states only represents the first baby steps of a process that will take years.

Deep Background: How long will it take? That's ultimately a political decision, of course. But I understand that the European Commission, which now is the EU body in charge of the matter, wants to launch the visa dialogue as early as this autumn.

This is significant as the European Commission is on its last leg of its current five-year mandate. In December, a new commission should be sworn in if all goes well with hearings of the new commissioners (26 of them; President Ursula Von der Leyen already passed a vote in July) scheduled in relevant European Parliament committees in September and October.

That means no time should be lost by waiting for a new team to take over in Brussels. After the dialogue is launched, the commission will work on a Visa Liberalization Action Plan (VLAP), which is a sort of guiding document for what Armenia needs to do to get a visa-free regime.

Its worth comparing the timelines for Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. Kyiv went from launching the visa dialogue to getting a VLAP within a month -- largely because it had a big civil service that could expedite these things quickly. For Georgia and Moldova, it took around six months to go from one to the other, and it is likely to be something similar for Armenia.

What will the VLAP contain? Essentially, it will follow the same format as with the three other Eastern partners that secured visa-free travel to the EU, even though it is expected from diplomats I have spoken to that there could be issues that are tailor-made for Yerevan though these are yet to be determined.

Armenia will essentially have to undergo reforms in four areas: firstly, document security, including a fully functional system of providing biometric passports and a unified and secure electronic population registry.

The second bloc of reforms is perhaps the trickiest to complete as it concerns migration management and asylum. Armenia will have to ensure strict rules when it comes to readmitting Armenian citizens that sought asylum in the bloc but failed to get it, preventing migration from happening in the first place, and increasing capacity for receiving and accommodating asylum seekers.

The third area is called public order and security but essentially contains measures to fight corruption, terrorism and organized crime.

The fourth and final issue is about fundamental rights -- essentially ensuring that everyone has the right to have access to official Armenian travel documents.

Drilling Down

After the VLAP is presented, the European Commission will issue progress reports on how Armenia is faring in the various fields every six to eight month or so. For Ukraine, for example, the VLAP was presented in November 2010 and the first report came in September the following year.

The sixth and final report from the Commission on Ukraine was published in December 2015 and in the spring of 2016 it recommended visa liberalization for Ukrainian citizens. So, all in all a process lasting nearly six years.

For Georgia, on the other hand, it went faster. The VLAP was presented in February 2013 and only four reports were needed, from the period November 2013 to December 2015. The commission then recommended a visa-free regime in March 2016. So pretty much three years.

But there is a catch. As mentioned above, this is politics, after all. Even if the European Commission, sometime in the future, assesses that Armenia has fulfilled all conditions, it doesnt mean Yerevan will get a visa regime right away.

The move has to be agreed by both the European Parliament and all EU member states. And while the former rarely causes any problems when it comes to granting visa-free status, it can be hard to find consensus among EU member states.

It took a year from the European Commissions recommendations to member states finally agreeing on granting Georgia and Ukraine visa liberalization -- both eventually got it in 2017.

Its likely some member states will have reservations about Armenia going forward. In the discussion about starting visa liberalization dialogue with Yerevan, some fears were aired.

France, which has a sizable Armenian diaspora, noted that it could not rule out that visa liberalization could lead to increased asylum claims. The Czech Republic worried that Russians could use it as an avenue into the EU as some have dual Armenian-Russian citizenship.

Germany and Sweden aired concerns that visa liberalization for Georgia meant an increase in Georgian criminal gangs operating in their countries and the Netherlands and Austria, both with governments pushing for stricter European immigration policies in general, are cautious about potential visa liberalization being misused for that purpose.

Looking Ahead

The EU and NATO are still on the beach this week, but look out for two interesting visits on August 21. First German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due in Chisinau in what is a symbolic show of solidarity from the EUs most powerful member state to Moldova, which will hold a crucial presidential vote later this autumn and a referendum on whether the country should aim to join the EU.

That same day Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due in Warsaw and will travel to Kyiv from there. The West has attempted to woo India for a long time and is hoping the country will be more vocal and practical in its support for Ukraine and opposition to Russias invasion.

That's all for this week! Feel free to reach out to me on any of these issues on Twitter @RikardJozwiak, or on e-mail at jozwiakr@rferl.org.

Until next time,

Rikard Jozwiak

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. The Coalition of Election Observers For Civil Society will observe the parliamentary election in Azerbaijan in 75 election districts across the country, including the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic with the participation of more than 500 persons, Trend reports.

The observers include members of NGOs, activists, and volunteers.

According to the information, it is indicated in the report, presented by the Coalition of Election Observers For Civil Society on August 20 in connection with the parliamentary election in Azerbaijan.

Furthermore, it was noted that in the election to the Azerbaijani Parliament on September 1, the coalition will also observe in the territories liberated from occupation.

NGO representatives who returned permanently to their native lands after the 30-year occupation ended were engaged as observers in Aghdam, Jabrayil, Zangilan, Fuzuli, Lachin, Kalbajar districts, Shusha city," the report said.

The report also notes that the socio-political situation in Azerbaijan is completely stable ahead of the election. There is no mass discontent, protests, or violent processes in connection with the election process.

The Internet and social media expanded opportunities for all stakeholders, political parties, and candidates to express their opinions and positions freely. Not a single case of preventing the dissemination of critical judgments in connection with the appointment of extraordinary election, obstacles to public discussion has been recorded, the report mentions.

On June 28, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree dissolving the sixth convocation of the Azerbaijani Parliament and calling for an extraordinary election.

The snap parliamentary election in Azerbaijan is scheduled for September 1, 2024.

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County Roscommon will be well represented at tonights Rose of Tralee finals.

Two Roscommon women are featuring in this years competition, now in its 64th year.

27-year-old Ballyforan native Rachel Hastings is representing Roscommon while Glenna Mannion (28) from Tulsk is the London Rose.

Rachel is a lecturer in St Angela's College, Sligo and Glenna, who has been living in London for the past eight years, is a deputy manager and service coordinator of a residential home for young people with autism.

Rachel told the Herald that representing her county is a dream come true.

It was hard to believe that it was actually me being selected. It meant the world to me. I want to represent my friends, my family, my community, local businesses, and the whole county. I hope to do them all proud, she said.

The daughter of Monica and Claude, Rachel is an active member of the community, contributing to her local club St Aidans GAA in their Healthy Club initiative. She has also volunteered in Kenya, working with young people in a school setting.

As well as being a home economics lecturer, she is pursuing a PhD in Education for Sustainable and Responsible Living.

I have very fond memories of the Rose of Tralee from a young age from watching it here in Ballyforan with my mum and my sister and I have attended the dome for a number of years, and I have enjoyed listening to each Roses achievements and their goals. For me being on that stage, it is a dream. Both Rachel and Glenna will be appearing on stage on the second night of the finals in tenth and eight place respectively in the running order.

Leitrim Rose Shauna Murtagh, from Carrick-on-Shannon, took to the stage last night, while Megan McCormack, from Gurteen is set to appear this evening.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. The For Civil Society Election Observation Coalition has analyzed in connection with registered candidates based on the data of the Central Election Commission and open sources, Trend reports.

The age ratio of the 1,052 people whose candidacies were registered is as follows: 39.4 percent are aged 18-39, 43 percent are 40-59, and 17.6 percent are 60 years and older. Of these, 26.4 percent are women and 73.6 percent are men.

This data is reflected in the report, which the Coalition of Election Observers For Civil Society presented on August 20 in connection with the parliamentary election in Azerbaijan.

The report states that 308 registered candidates are representatives of 25 political parties. A total of 592 authorized representatives of 25 political parties were registered.

The active participation of NGO representatives in the electoral process is observed. A total of 20 candidates were registered as NGO representatives in 17 constituencies. Out of these candidates, 16 were nominated on their initiative as NGO representatives, 2 from the PEA list, one from the Umud party, and one from the Ana Vatan party. Of the candidates, 15 are NGO chairpersons and the rest are NGO representatives.

The gender composition of NGO candidates is equal: 10 women, and 10 men. Research shows that in the same constituencies (35 and 81) there is a struggle between 2 representatives of NGOs.

However, on the official page of the CEC, 10 chairpersons of NGOs registered as candidates have other jobs. Six of these persons are men and four are women. Five persons nominated their candidacies on their initiative, the rest from different parties (2 from the Justice, Law, and Democracy Party, one from the Umud Party, one from the Ana Vatan Party, and one from the Civic Solidarity Party).

The candidates of these individuals are registered in 10 electoral districts (9, 17, 15, 24, 32, 50, 65, 70, 90 and 119). A total of 30 representatives from the NGO sector are participating in the election.

On June 28, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree dissolving the sixth convocation of the Azerbaijani Parliament and calling for an extraordinary election.

The snap parliamentary election in Azerbaijan is scheduled for September 1, 2024.

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Basmati Cultivation in Punjab Up by 12.58 Percent, DSR Area Up By 46.5 Percent

Punjab government has prohibited the use of 10 pesticides on basmati to boost export quality of aromatic crop to a world-class standard.

Basmati Cultivation, Direct Seeding of Rice in Punjab: Punjab has registered a rise in the basmati cultivation area by 12.58 percent in this Kharif season. This has been attributed to crop diversification launched by the Punjab government.

According to information, the area under cultivation of long-grain rice has increased to 6.71 lakh hectares at present from 5.96 lakh hectares during the last season. Meanwhile, Punjab's Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that Amritsar led the way with 1.46 lakh hectares dedicated to this aromatic rice.

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On the other hand, Muktsar came second with approximately 1.10 lakh hectares, followed by Fazilka (85,000 hectares), Tarn Taran (72,000 hectares), and Sangrur (50,000 hectares), approximately.

An official release quoted Khudian stating that there was a substantial 46.5 percent growth in the area under Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR), as compared to last year. The area cultivated using the water-saving DSR method also witnessed a rise to over 2.52 lakh acres from 1.72 lakh acres in the Kharif season of 2023, the minister said.

He further stated that the Punjab government has prohibited the use of 10 pesticides on basmati to boost the export quality of the aromatic crop to a world-class standard.

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Kolkata Doctor Rape and Murder Case: SC Urges Protesting Doctors To Resume Their Duty

The case will be heard next on Thursday (August 22).

Kolkata doctor rape-murder case latest news today: In a major development, the Supreme Court on Tuesday urged the doctors, protesting across the nation, to resume their duties. The absence of doctors has been affecting the section of society that are required of medical care, said the SC bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud.

"Since the court is considering matters related to the safety and welfare of all doctors, we request those doctors who are currently away from work to resume their duties as soon as possible," the top court said.

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The Supreme Court bench, also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra, said that the doctors and medical professionals shall be assured that their concerns were being addressed by the top court.

Likewise, the court has set up a national task force to ensure the safety of doctors. The apex court has also asked the national task force to file an interim report within three weeks while the final report must be submitted within two months. The bench also noted that the existing laws don't adequately address institutional safety of doctors.

The Chief Justice said that the task force shall make recommendations related to the safety, working conditions and the wellbeing of the medical professionals and other cognate matters.

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The rape and murder of a doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata has sparked nationwide strikes by the medical fraternity.

The case will be heard next on Thursday (August 22).

(For more news apart from Kolkata doctor rape-murder case latest news today, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: Supreme Court constitutes National Task Force, details inside

The top court has directed the National Task Force to submit an interim report within 3 weeks and the final report within two months.

Kolkata doctor rape-murder case latest news today: In a major development in the horrific case of Kolkata's doctor rape and murder case, the Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a National Task Force which has to submit an interim report within 3 weeks.

The Supreme Court said, "National Task Force shall look into safety and other issues and consider preparing action plan relating to prevent gender-based violence, dignified working space for interns, resident, non-resident doctors. SC asks CBI to file a report on the status of the investigation in the rape case. SC asks West Bengal to file a status report on the mob attack incidents in the hospitals."

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The top court has directed the National Task Force to submit an interim report within 3 weeks and the final report within two months.

The National Task Force Includes:

Surgeon Vice Admiral RK Sarian; Dr Reddy, Mangaing Director Asian Institute of National Gastrology; Dr M Srivas, Director AIIMS, Delhi; Dr Prathima Moorthy, NIMHANS, Bangalore Dr Puri, Director, AIIMs, Jodhpur; Dr Ravat, Managing member of Gangaram Hospital; Prof Anita Saxena, VC of Pandit BD Sharma College Dr Pallavi Dr Padma Srivastav

The following shall be the ex-officio members of the NTF:

the cabinet secretary to the GOI; the home secretary of GOI; secretary of ministry of family welfare chairperson of the National Medical commission and President of the National Board of Examiners

The CJI also stated, "We want CBI to file a status report on Thursday. We want CBI to apprise us of the status of the investigation."

SC directed that the NTF shall make actions plans on two heads -

(1) preventing violence including gender based violence against medical professionals

(a) ensuring safety in the hospital;

(b) infrastructural development;

(C) employment of social welfare workers trained in grief and crisis counselling;

(d) workshops on handling grief and crisis

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(2) providing an enforceable national protocol for dignified and safe working conditions for interns, residents, senior residents, doctors etc

(a) Prevention Sexual Harassment Against Women At Workplace Act applies to hospitals and nursing homes, including private healthcare providers as per the Ac

(b) duties of employer under POSH Act has to be followed and discharged;

(c) there shall be helpline number for medical professionals t an internal complaints committee must at all hospitals;

(For more news apart from Kolkata doctor rape-murder case latest news today, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
The Philippines has reported a new case of the mpox virus, formerly known as monkeypox, marking the first in the country since December, according to its department.

The case was detected in a 33-year-old Filipino male with no history of international travel, suggesting that "the virus is already here in The Philippines", Health Secretary Teddy Herbosa said.

"The mpox virus is among us. This is a warning to everybody."

The patient sought medical attention after developing a distinct rash on the face, back, nape, trunk, and groin, as well as on palms and soles, accompanied by fever.

"Our health system is working. We can handle the situation, and will keep the public well-informed," Herbosa said as the department is awaiting sequencing results to determine the strain of the virus.

In 2023, nine cases of mpox were reported in the country, all of whom recovered.

Last week, Sweden confirmed its first case of mpox clade 1, while Pakistan confirmed atleast one case of the virus.

The rising number of mpox cases prompted the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, the agency's highest form of alert.

This marks the second time in two years that mpox has been declared a public health emergency of international concern.

The virus, first identified in humans in 1970, spreads human-to-human through close contact, such as sex, skin-to-skin contact and talking or breathing close to another person.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Oil held the biggest drop in more than two weeks on Tuesday amid China demand concerns and easing geopolitical risks after Israel agreed to a proposal to resolve issues that were impeding a ceasefire accord in Gaza.

Benchmark Brent crude futures dipped half a percent to $77.28 a barrel in European trade, after having shed 2.5 percent on Monday. WTI crude futures were down 0.6 percent at $73.25.

Supply fears eased somewhat after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge differences holding up a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza. He called on Hamas to do the same.

However, the Wall Street Journal reported that the terror group's chief, Yahya Sinwar, believes the latest round of negotiations is a "bluff" meant to grant Israel further time to continue its military offensive.

Elsewhere, Ukrainian troops have blown up a second strategic bridge in the Russian border region of Kursk, which is already in their control.

On the demand side, official data showed China's crude oil imports from top supplier Russia fell in July by 7.4 percent from a year earlier on the back of a broader retreat in demand.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. Strengthening historical, political, and economic connections has always been a unique aspect of Azerbaijani-Russian relations. These relations are founded on the principles of territorial integrity, equality, independence of states, and non-interference in internal affairs.

Vladimir Putin's visit to Azerbaijan and Russian-Azerbaijani relations.

Azerbaijan, which regained its independence after the collapse of the USSR, like many post-Soviet countries, strived to get rid of Russia's influence. However, over time, it became clear that, along with Azerbaijan's independent foreign policy and economic development, relations with Russia were also important. Vladimir Putin's visit to Azerbaijan and his close cooperation with President Ilham Aliyev have further strengthened relations between the two countries. This is the first time since the collapse of the USSR that a Russian leader has established such close relations with Azerbaijan. During Putin's presidency, as a result of the efforts of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and Vladimir Putin, Russian-Azerbaijani relations began to normalize, and in the subsequent period, due to the farsighted policy of President Ilham Aliyev, these relations were further developed.

Russia is one of the world's leading countries, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and an important partner for Azerbaijan in the region. The proper development of relations between Azerbaijan and Russia led to the fact that it did not side with Armenia in the 44-day war in 2020 and anti-terrorist measures in 2023.

Development of economic ties

Today, economic ties between Azerbaijan and Russia are also at a high level. The trade turnover between the two countries increased by 17 percent to $4.5 billion in 2023. It is expected that this figure will increase even more in 2024. Of particular importance here are sectors such as industry, agriculture, tourism, and transit flows. The existing potential of both countries underpins this growth in economic and trade relations, which is unaffected by international sanctions.

Cooperation on the North-South transportation corridor is another important area between the two countries. The development of this corridor further strengthens Azerbaijan's position as a global transit hub, as well as expanding economic cooperation between the two countries.

Azerbaijan's independent policy

Azerbaijan's independent foreign policy aims to cooperate with all parties within the framework of national interests. Azerbaijan maintains good relations with the West, Russia, Iran, and other countries. Azerbaijan, as one of the active members of the Non-Aligned Movement, does not join military-political blocs, demonstrating its balanced policy.

Azerbaijan's positive relations with Russia and Ukraine are also noteworthy. The European Union is seeking to strengthen cooperation with Azerbaijan to fill the gap left in this sphere following the refusal to purchase Russian gas through Ukraine. Azerbaijan's favorable ties with both Russia and Ukraine enhance its potential as a peace mediator and ensure its recognition in the world as a dialogue space.

Azerbaijani-Russian relations are developing at a high level due to President Ilham Aliyev's farsighted and purposeful policy. These relations serve to strengthen peace, security, and cooperation in the region, protect national interests, and continue Azerbaijan's independent policy. The friendly ties established between Azerbaijan and Russia form the backbone of mutually beneficial cooperation at regional and international levels.

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Oil futures settled lower on Tuesday, losing for a third straight session, although the downside was far less pronounced compared to the previous two sessions.

Concerns about the outlook for demand from China, and easing geopolitical tensions weighed on oil prices.

West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for September ended down $0.33 or about 0.44% at $74.04 a barrel. WTI crude futures had shed 2.9% and 1.9% on Friday and Monday.

Brent crude futures dropped to $77.20 a barrel, losing $0.46 or 0.59%.

In geopolitical news, Israel agreed to a proposal to resolve issues that were impeding a ceasefire accord in Gaza.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge differences holding up a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza. He called on Hamas to do the same.

However, the Wall Street Journal reported that the terror group's chief, Yahya Sinwar, believes the latest round of negotiations is a "bluff" meant to grant Israel further time to continue its military offensive.

Elsewhere, Ukrainian troops have blown up a second strategic bridge in the Russian border region of Kursk, which is already in their control.

Markets now await weekly oil reports from the American Petroleum Institute (API) and U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The API data is due later today, while the EIA inventory report will be out Wednesday morning.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Japan's 7-Eleven owner, Seven & i Holdings Co. (SVNDF.PK,SVNDY.PK), has received a "friendly, non-binding" proposal from the Canadian convenience store multinational Alimentation Couche-Tard (ANCUF.PK,ATD_B.TO,ATD_A.TO) to buy the company.

The Tokyo-based company confirmed receiving a preliminary proposal to acquire all of its outstanding shares, and has established a special committee to evaluate the offer.

Notably, Alimentation Couche-Tard did not disclose the amount it is willing to pay for the potential acquisition.

The story was first reported by Japan's Nikkei daily, which described it as potentially the largest foreign takeover of a Japanese company.

However, retail analyst Bryan Gildenberg told to CNBC that he expects the offer to attract antitrust scrutiny, particularly from the American Federal Trade Commission.

"I would imagine that there's going to be some regulatory concern and some required divestment in order to make this work," said Gildenberg.

7-Eleven operates over 84,000 stores across 19 countries, including 13,000 in the U.S. and 22,000 in Japan. Meanwhile, the Canadian company has more than 16,700 stores and petrol stations across 31 countries, The Guardian reports.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Alaska Airlines made a significant announcement regarding its proposed merger with Hawaiian Airlines, revealing that the transaction has successfully passed a crucial regulatory hurdle with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

This positive development follows the airline's recent decision to extend the review period for the $1.9 billion merger, as reported by Reuters. Alaska Airlines confirmed that the timeframe allotted for antitrust regulators to scrutinize the merger has concluded without the DOJ taking any legal action to impede the agreement.

"This is a significant milestone in the process to join our airlines," the company stated, highlighting its ongoing collaboration with Hawaii's Attorney General to strengthen commitments that will benefit both Hawaiian Airlines and consumers in Hawaii. The merger is seen as a strategic move to enhance service offerings and operational capabilities in the region.

However, before the merger can be finalized, it must undergo a thorough evaluation by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The timeline for this review process remains uncertain, adding an element of anticipation to the proceedings. A spokesperson for the DOT commented, "Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have filed a transfer application to combine under one certificate and cannot combine their operating authorities without the U.S. Department of Transportation's approval. The department is reviewing the application and can only approve a transfer if it is in the public interest."

Alaska Airlines, which also owns Horizon Air, has expressed its intention to keep Hawaiian Airlines operating as a distinct brand while simultaneously seeking to optimize operational efficiencies between the two carriers. Together, Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines boast a combined fleet of nearly 400 aircraft, servicing close to 140 destinations across various regions.

Hawaii's Governor Josh Green weighed in on the merger, stating, "The merger will vastly expand the number of destinations throughout North America for Hawai'i residents that can be reached nonstop or one-stop from the islands, and HawaiianMiles members will retain the value of their miles while gaining access to more destinations around the world."

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
The Northern Kentucky Health Department has issued a public advisory, warning about an outbreak of Cryptosporidiosis, commonly known as Crypto, caused by the Cryptosporidium parasite.

The department has reported about ten confirmed and numerous probable cases of gastrointestinal illness.

The public pools are the potential source of the outbreak as half of the confirmed cases reported are linked to Silverlake Water Park in Erlanger.

The illness causes symptoms like watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, low-grade fever, vomiting and nausea, which could lead to dehydration.

"However, an individual's symptoms can vary and some may not show any symptoms. Young children and people immunologically suppressed are at increased risk for more severe illness," the advisory stated.

Crypto parasites can infect both humans and animals, and the illness can result from exposure to contaminated water, food, or soil could lead to the illness.

Notably, the parasite is resistant to the chlorine treatments commonly used in public pools, as well as hand sanitizer and rubbing alcohol.

"Super-chlorinating the water would typically kill almost anything, and may kill a lot of Crypto spores, but Crypto is very hard to kill so it's not 100 percent effective," spokesperson Skip Tate said.

"If someone has Crypto or not can only be confirmed after a test, and those tests usually take 24-48 hours to send to a lab and get back."

The health department has advised the public to avoid using swimming pools, refrain from swallowing pool water, and maintain good hygiene practices.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Retired Judge of Appeal Azhar Cachalia [PIC: Zindzi Nkunzi]

By The Division of Communication and Advancement

On 6 August 2024, Retired Judge of Appeal Azhar Cachalia delivered a compelling public lecture at Rhodes University, where he criticised Parliament's questionable decision to appoint individuals with known unethical conduct to serve on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

Judge Cachalia, a Visiting Professor at Rhodes Universitys Faculty of Law, was appointed as a Judge of the High Court in Johannesburg in 2001 and later as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal in 2006. He currently serves as chair of the non-governmental organisation Freedom Under Law.

Professor Helen Kruuse, who introduced the judge, highlighted his remarkable legacy in advancing justice in South Africa. Dating back to the 1980s, Cachalia was a founding member and the long-standing national treasurer of the United Democratic Front. Despite enduring detentions and bans early in his career, he persevered and became a partner at the esteemed activist law firm, Cheadle, Thompson & Haysom.

The retired judge explained that his topic for the evening was whether the JSC is fit for purpose: "This is really a personal reflection of more than 15 years of observation and a reflection of what I believe has happened to the JSC."

He contextualised the JSC's role by explaining its two primary functions: appointing judges and investigating judicial misconduct complaints.

"The JSC must protect the independence of the judiciary by appointing competent and ethical persons and safeguarding it from undue political interference," he stated.

It goes without saying, then, that those appointed to the JSC to perform these functions must themselves be fit and proper for that purpose.

If that's true, Judge Cachalia questioned why Parliament appointed the likes of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema, and impeached former judge president John Hlophe to serve on the JSC. He pointed out that Malema had been found guilty of breaching the Members of Parliament Code of Conduct and that Hlophe was found guilty of gross misconduct and declared unfit to be a judge.

"This means that the very body (National Assembly) that found him [viz Hlophe] unfit to be a judge proceeded to select him to serve on the JSC," Judge Cachalia emphasised. It also means that, as a member of the JSC, Hlophe will now have to decide whether candidates for judicial office meet the high ethical standards required to be appointed as judges. "Standards that he felt no need to adhere to as a judge," Cachalia emphasised. "This is akin to asking the fox to guard the henhouse."

To understand how things got to this point, Judge Cachalia took the audience back to the JSCs establishment in 1994.

For over a decade post-Apartheid, Judge Cachalia said, the JSC functioned without significant complaint, and South Africa had taken its place among democratic countries, lauded for its progressive Constitution and independent judiciary.

However, around 2011, it became clear that things had begun to change for the worse. The JSC started ignoring and distorting application guidelines for judges (section 174 of the Constitution), leading to arbitrary decision-making. The National Development Plan 2011 warned that there was little consensus between the JSC and the legal fraternity concerning the attributes required for appointment to the Bench. Furthermore, the JSC was becoming hamstrung by political and vested interests within the profession.

"Sadly, instead of acting on these concerns, the situation was allowed to worsen," said Judge Cachalia.

He then took the audience through a series of events, starting with then-deputy president Jacob Zumas corruption case in 2005, followed by his election as President in 2007 and the subsequent state capture. It became evident how the repercussions of Zuma's unethical and self-serving decisions affected bodies like the JSC, even long after he resigned as President in 2018.

The Zondo Commission's investigations revealed how key role players enabled state capture to take hold. The current President undertook to act on its recommendations, and when the seventh Parliament was elected, there was an expectation that it would act to fix the institutions that required reform. It was hoped that Parliament would designate suitable persons to serve on the JSCa task that should not have been difficult. But, according to Judge Cachalia, it failed dismally by appointing Malema and Hlophe.

"And it is not only the politicians on the JSC who are responsible for this. Some judges have acquiesced in this development, and senior lawyers with vested interests have not only watched but have also been complicit," he added.

Judge Cachalia quoted retired Justice of the Constitutional Court Edwin Cameron, who referred to these individuals as those who "seek to propel an agenda. They are skilled liars, dissemblers, manipulators, and propagandists. They employ the instruments of legal practice to create confusion and dismay. They have even used the JSC to hinder the advancement of conscientious and capable candidates for judicial preferment."

Despite this grim outlook, Judge Cachalia assured the audience that there are organisations such as Freedom Under Law (FUL) which are challenging decisions made by Parliament, such as Hlophes appointment, with the aim to eventually restore public confidence in the JSC.

In closing, Cachalia addressed the future generation of legal professionals in the room: "I ask Rhodes University and the graduates from its iconic Law Faculty to be vigilantto speak out and not look the other way."

To watch the lecture in full on YouTube, click here.

For the full text of Judge Cachalias public lecture at Rhodes University, click here (Daily Maverick).
SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter

We are pleased to announce that SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter will deliver the keynote address at the 10th Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Development Trust Annual Lecture on Values-Based Leadership. The event is set to take place on Monday, 26 August 2024, at 18h00 at Eden Grove Red, Rhodes University.

Commissioner Kieswetter, who assumed the role of SARS Commissioner on 1 May 2019, brings a wealth of experience and a distinguished career in both the public and private sectors. His tenure at SARS is marked by a deep commitment to integrity and excellence, underpinned by his previous roles as the founding group executive of the SARS Large Business Centre and High Net Worth Unit, as well as his service as SARS Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Commissioner from 2004 to 2009. Beyond SARS, Kieswetters leadership capabilities were evident as Group Chief Executive at Alexander Forbes Group Holdings, where he successfully turned the company around and led its listing on the JSE. His career includes senior executive positions at FirstRand Banking Group and Eskom and various board roles, such as Non-Executive Director at Transnet, Chair of the Technology Innovation Agency, and Lead Independent Director at Shoprite Holdings.

Upon his appointment as SARS Commissioner in 2019, Kieswetter relinquished all external roles to focus on his leadership at SARS. His influence extends beyond South Africa, significantly contributing to global tax and customs governance. Notably, he was elected Chairman of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) in June 2023 and has served in several international capacities, including Co-Chair of the African Initiative of the OECD Global Forum on Information Exchange for Tax Transparency, Vice Chair of the OECD Global Forum, Vice Chair of the African Tax Administration Forum, and Bureau Member of the OECD Forum on Tax Administration.

Kieswetters academic credentials are as impressive as his professional achievements. He holds a Master of Commerce in South African and International Tax Law (Cum Laude) from North-West University, an Executive MBA from Henley Business School (UK), a Master of Science in Education, and an Honours degree in Mathematics and Science Education from the University of Western Cape. Additionally, he earned a National Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. He received the prestigious African American Scholarship, which led to an academic appointment as an Associate in Education at Harvard University, USA.

His contributions to leadership and management have been recognised with numerous awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Management from SAPSO in 2017, Finalist in the All Africa Business Awards 2016, ACO Dealmaker of the Year 2015, and SA Boss of the Year 1999. Currently, he also serves as a visiting professor at the Da Vinci Institute, North-West University, and Free State University while continuing his work as a Social Activist in his personal capacity.

The Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Development Trust Annual Lecture has a proud tradition of hosting distinguished speakers who embody the principles of values-based leadership. Past speakers include:

2015: Thuli Madonsela, former Public Protector

2016: Kgalema Motlanthe, former President

2017: Graca Machel, former First Lady

2018: Dr. Makhosi Khoza, former MP

2019: Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers

2020: Mcebisi Jonas, former Deputy Minister of Finance

2021: Tito Mboweni, former Governor of the Reserve Bank, Minister of Labour, Minister of Finance

2022: Busisiwe Mavuso, CEO of Business Leadership South Africa

2023: Wayne Duvenage, CEO of OUTA

We eagerly anticipate Commissioner Kieswetters insights and reflections on leadership, which promise to add significant value to the ongoing discourse on ethical leadership in South Africa and beyond.
MG Astor facelift has officially been teased ahead of global debut  India launch is expected next year in 2025

One of the popular crossover SUVs in Spain, the MG Astor has been teased in a new hybrid format. Test mule sightings were quite frequent in recent months. And now, official images of the new MG Astor Hybrid+ reveal new updates that have been introduced. In India it is known as MG Astor, in international markets it is named MG ZS.

2025 MG Astor Hybrid  Powertrain details

Powering the MG Astor Hybrid is a self-charging hybrid propulsion system (HEV). It comprises an Atkinson cycle petrol engine and an electric motor. This hybrid powertrain is already in use with the new MG3 that was introduced recently. The battery pack used is a 1.83 kWh NCM lithium-ion unit. It has enough power to allow the SUV to run on 100% electric mode for limited periods.

2025 MG Astor Facelift has a front-wheel drive system and a 3-speed automatic gearbox. The hybrid SUV has green credentials, as evident with the ECO environmental badge from the DGT (General Directorate of Traffic). It has less emissions in comparison to the petrol-only model.

Existing MG Astor in Spain is offered with a 1.0-litre T-GDI and a 1.5-litre VTI-tech engine options. The 1.0L unit generates 111 PS and 160 Nm. Transmission options include 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic. The 1.5L engine makes 106 PS and 141 Nm. It is offered with a 5-speed manual transmission.

Along with the new hybrid powertrain, MG Astor facelift also features a fine-tuned chassis. MG has focused on introducing updates that make the hybrid variant a lot more agile, more reliable and safer as well. New MG Astor Hybrid+ is expected to deliver better overall performance across urban environments as well as highways.

2025 MG Astor Facelift Hybrid  New design

Images reveal a significant change in the design. MG Astor Hybrid is utilizing the brands new design language, as already seen with the new MG3 and MG HS. It now features a sportier, refined and well-balanced form. Front fascia has undergone major changes, integrating new LED headlights and grille. Also new are the bumper and air intakes. Other changes include new alloy wheels, tail lights and rear bumper.

New features

While interiors have not been revealed, MG has stated that the new Astor Hybrid has high-quality materials all across the cabin. Just like the current model, the new hybrid model will continue to offer roomy interiors. The dashboard will have a dual-screen setup for the infotainment and instrument panel. Other updates include power adjustable front seats, a 360 camera setup, wireless charging and keyless access and start system. ADAS kit has been updated with new features.

2025 MG Astor Facelift  Launch Date, price

As per plans, MG Astor Hybrid is scheduled to be launched around September in Europe first. With the updates and the new powertrain, it will be available at a higher pricing. The current petrol model starts at 17,890 (Rs 16.61 lakh approx.). Estimates suggest that MG Astor Hybrid could be offered at around 25,000 (Rs 23.20 lakh). India launch of the new Astor hybrid is expected in 2025. Here it will take on the likes of Creta, Seltos, Grand Vitara, Hyryder, Kushaq, Taigun, etc.
For the Brazilian market, Bajaj is offering the Dominar 250 in Racing Red and Sparkling Black colour options

Aiming to strengthen its presence in Brazil, Bajaj has launched the Dominar 250. This is the companys fourth product to be launched in the land of the carnival. Just like the other products, Dominar 250 will be locally assembled at the companys facility in Manaus (AM).

Dominar 250 launched in Brazil

Bajaj already offers the Dominar 400 in Brazil. With the smaller 250cc sibling now available, Bajaj can aim to increase its sales volumes. Interestingly, Bajaj also sells the Dominar 200 and Dominar 160 in Brazil. But these are essentially the rebadged versions of the respective Pulsar motorcycles sold in India. In Brazil, only the Dominar 400 and Dominar 250 truly belong to the Dominar family.

It appears that the Dominar brand name has caught the attention of bikers in Brazil. In comparison, the Pulsar range is the highest selling Bajaj motorcycle in India. Both the Pulsar 250 and Pulsar 400 have been registering strong sales in India. They are ahead of the Dominar 250 and Dominar 400 by a significant margin. But for the Brazilian market, the opposite seems to be true.

Dominar 250 is being offered at a starting price of R$22,500 in Brazil. This pricing is applicable for both the Racing Red and Sparkling Black variants. In India, Bajaj offers an additional Citrus Rush colour option for Dominar 250. With local manufacturing in Brazil, Bajaj has been able to achieve a competitive price point for Dominar 250. The overall package, in terms of styling, equipment and quality, seems better than competitors in the quarter-litre segment. Bajaj is also focusing on expanding its dealer network, something that will further help boost sales.

Bajaj Dominar 250 (Brazil)  Performance, specs

As compared to the Dominar 250 sold in India, there arent any major differences with the Brazil-spec model. Powering the bike is a 248.77 cc engine that generates 27 hp and 23.5 Nm. It is mated to a 6-speed gearbox and comes with an assist and slipper clutch. Other key highlights of the engine include liquid cooling, dual overhead camshafts and electronic fuel injection.

Suspension setup comprises 37 mm USD forks at front with 135 mm of travel. At the rear, the bike has a multi-step adjustable monoshock Nitrox suspension with 110 mm of travel. Braking duties are performed by 300 mm and 230 mm disc brakes at front and rear, respectively. Dual-channel ABS is offered as standard. Both ends have 17-inch alloy wheels, shod with 100/80-17 front and 130/70  R17 rear tubeless tyres.

Bajaj Dominar 250 weighs 180 kg and has a ground clearance of 157 mm. Fuel tank capacity is 13 litres. With a saddle height of 800 mm, Dominar 250 suits the needs of riders of diverse statures. The bike has a split reverse LCD display that shows a range of information including gear position indicator. Safety is enhanced with full LED headlight with auto headlamp on function. These specs are the same as the Dominar 250 sold in India.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. The international conference dedicated to the island of Bonaire, which was colonized by the Netherlands, will be held in Baku on August 22 under the joint organization of the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) and the Bonaire Movement for Human Rights and Change, Trend reports.

The conference titled The Path of Self-Determination of Bonaire Island at the UN General Assembly in Baku will be attended by representatives of the people of Bonaire struggling against colonialism and seeking freedom, as well as officials and officials of regional organizations, human rights activists, leaders of non-governmental organizations, experts and researchers on decolonization from Belize, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, St. Lucia, the UK, Mexico, the Netherlands, the UN and other international organizations.

The conference will discuss the struggle of the people of Bonaire, enslaved by the Netherlands, for liberation from colonization, as well as work to put the issue on the agenda of relevant international organizations, and international legal possibilities.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. Azerbaijani-Russian relations are rooted in historical, economic, and politically significant ties, political analyst Azer Garayev told Trend.

According to the analyst, these relations, which hold strategic importance both regionally and internationally, are founded on the principles of independence, territorial integrity, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs.

Garayev highlighted that one of the key pillars of this relationship is the mutual visits of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Azerbaijan and President Ilham Aliyevs support for regional peace and cooperation initiatives.

While Vladimir Putin's leadership and Russian policies have elicited varied responses globally, it must be acknowledged that since Soviet leader Brezhnev, no other Russian leader has treated Azerbaijan as warmly as Putin. During Putin's presidency, Russian-Azerbaijani relations began to normalize swiftly, further advancing under President Ilham Aliyev's leadership. Thanks to President Aliyev's efforts, significant changes have occurred in Russia's policy toward Azerbaijan, he stated.

The political analyst also emphasized the importance of economic and trade relations within this partnership.

In 2023, trade turnover between the two countries exceeded $4.5 billion, marking 17 percent growth. This figure is expected to increase further in 2024. Key sectors include industry, agriculture, and tourism. Additionally, the North-South transport corridor is of strategic importance to both countries, fostering closer cooperation in this area.

Azerbaijans independent foreign policy, its balanced cooperation with both the West and Russia, reflect a wise approach aimed at protecting its interests on the global stage. Azerbaijans involvement in platforms like BRICS and SCO, along with its partnerships with the European Union and other Western institutions, underscores its multifaceted diplomacy. The countrys stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, grounded in international law, also contributes to its reputation as a global hub for peace and dialogue.

Thus, President Ilham Aliyev's adept diplomacy and the strategic relations cultivated with Russia under Putin's leadership exemplify Azerbaijan's commitment to regional and global peace and security. The independent policy pursued by Azerbaijan, in line with its national interests, has elevated it to the status of a globally respected state, Garayev concluded.

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Photo: Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. Russia welcomes Azerbaijan's decision to seek BRICS membership, said Grigory Karasin, Chairman of Russias Federation Council's Committee on International Affairs, Trend reports.

"We welcome our friendly Azerbaijan's interest in becoming a full member of BRICS. We will continue to support this effort, although a clear mechanism for admitting new members to BRICS has not yet been established. However, I believe this will be resolved in the coming years," he stated.

Earlier, Aykhan Hajizada, Head of the Press Service Department of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced that Azerbaijan has officially applied for BRICS membership.

Azerbaijan had previously expressed its desire to join this group. BRICS is an informal alliance that includes Russia, Brazil, India, China, and South Africa.
Paleontologists have found the fossilized bones from a new species of the parrot genus Agapornis at three localities of the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Cradle of Humankind in Gauteng Province, South Africa.

Lovebirds (genus Agapornis) are small-sized parrots endemic to sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar, said Dr. Marco Pavia from the Universita degli Studi di Torino and his colleagues.

They currently include nine species living in woodlands or wooden savannahs where they breed in tree cavities and feed on grass seeds or fruits collected primarily on the ground and, to a lesser degree, on trees.

According to genetic data, parrots colonized Africa in the Late Eocene/Early Oligocene and Agapornis only colonized Africa from Australasia in the Late Oligocene/Early Miocene, around 24 million years ago.

Psittacula krameri is the latest parrot to have dispersed into the continent, near the Plio-Pleistocene boundary (2.5-1.5 million years ago).

The fossil record of parrots in Africa is very scarce and the oldest dates back to the Early Pliocene of Langebaanweg.

Remarkably, most of the African fossils were attributed to Agapornis, the oldest of which is represented by Agapornis attenboroughi described from the Early Pliocene of Langebaanweg, South Africa.

The newly-identified species, Agapornis longipes, lived in South Africa approximately 2.5 million years ago.

Its fossilized remains were found at Kromdraai, Coopers Cave and Swartkrans sites in South Africa.

The specimens include all major wing bones (humerus, ulna, and carpometacarpus), the tarsometatarsus, a fragmentary mandible and coracoid.

The fossils were retrieved from three localities in the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Cradle of Humankind, a key area for understanding early hominin evolution in southern Africa, the paleontologists said.

The Cradle of Humankind contains several hominin-bearing localities that span from the Late Pliocene to the Late Pleistocene and their studies illuminate the paleoecological and paleoenvironmental contexts surrounding the appearance of the genus Homo in the region, as well as its relationship with contemporaneous australopithecines and Paranthropus.

The three fossil sites of Swartkrans, Coopers Cave and Kromdraai are a few hundred meters from each other, located in the southern part of the Cradle, respectively 1 km east and ca. 1.5 km northeast of the Sterkfontein Caves, they added.

Agapornis longipes is distinguished from the nine living species of the Agapornis genus and from the extinct Agapornis atlanticus and Agapornis attenbouroughi by several morphological characters and by the smallest humerus/tarsometatarsus ratio of all Agapornis species.

All but one Agapornis species are grass seed eaters and secondarily fruit eaters, and are generally related to the presence of grassland, permanent water resources and tall trees that provide either natural cavities or holes excavated by other birds such as woodpeckers or barbets, the researchers said.

The elongated feet of Agapornis longipes could relate to the feeding adaptation of this extinct species.

In fact, the modern species with the lower humerus/tarsometatarsus ratios typically collect food on the ground, while the others also collect seeds or fruits from the trees.

We thus hypothesize that Agapornis longipes took advantage of its longer legs to feed on grass seeds on the ground in the tall and dense grassland of the paleo-Bloubank valley as suggested by the paleoenvironmental reconstructions.

The present-day environment of the Cradle of Humankind and of this part of South Africa is not markedly different from that of the Early Pleistocene, and the extinction of the lovebirds from this region during the Pleistocene was most probably related to a change in microclimatic conditions or to the extinction of specific food resources rather than to the change of general environmental conditions.

The new species is described in a paper in the journal Geobios.

_____

Marco Pavia et al. A new species of Lovebird (Aves, Psittaculidae, Agapornis) from the Plio-Pleistocene of the Cradle of Humankind (Gauteng, South Africa). Geobios, published online August 9, 2024; doi: 10.1016/j.geobios.2024.05.006
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. The liberated Karabakh's demining has cost $349.1 million, with $16.1 million from international funding, Chairperson of the Azerbaijan Campaign Against Mines Public Association Hafiz Safikhanov said, Trend reports.

He made the announcement at a press conference dedicated to the results of the project Strengthening international support to Azerbaijan in demining.

According to him, the Azerbaijani government has forked over a staggering 110.2 million manat ($64.82 million) from the state budget to wage war against mines in 2023.

He mentioned that, for the purpose of demining in 2024, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has granted Azerbaijan $3 million in financial aid. The UAE has set aside $5 million to aid Azerbaijan with their mine action efforts in 2024.

The European Union (EU) and ten of its Member States, through the Team Europe program, have provided the last two million euros of the ten million euros of financial assistance allocated for mine action in Azerbaijan. This support will include technical assistance, skills development, mine risk awareness, and mine victim assistance. The EU and Member States anticipate augmenting the assistance to 13 million euros. Within the framework of the Team Europe initiative and other programs, support for the humanitarian mine clearance program and mine victims in Azerbaijan will continue.

Belgium has allocated 250,000 euros to Azerbaijan to support demining activities in territories liberated from occupation.

Furthermore, the Government of the United Kingdom has allocated 1.5 million pounds sterling over the past three years to mine action in Azerbaijan. The US has allocated approximately $38 million to Azerbaijan since 1999 to support humanitarian mine action programs. Since November 2020 to date, $4.5 million has been allocated to mine action programs, with an additional $2 million expected.

Only 4-5 percent of the financial assistance for demining activities carried out in the Republic of Azerbaijan comes from international donors. UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR, the European Union, the US Department of State, the UK, the Japan Development Agency, and the Republic of Turkiye have provided financial support to the activities in this direction in various directions. Specifically, international financial assistance has been provided for women's demining teams, demining with the help of mine detection rats, activities to raise awareness of the threat of explosive ordnance, and technical support.

The international experts estimate that Azerbaijan will have to go the whole nine yards and shell out a whopping $25 billion over a span of 30 years to tackle the issue of demining territories," Safikhanov concluded.

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TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 20. Abu Dhabi Sustainable Water Solutions (SWS) and Uzsuvtaminot, Uzbekistan's water management company, have signed an agreement on the joint implementation of a wastewater treatment facility in the Kuyichirchik district of Tashkent region, Trend reports.

The document was inked in the presence of Laziz Kudratov, Uzbekistan's Minister of Investments, Industry, and Trade.

The project will be carried out by a consortium that includes France's SUEZ and Japan's Marubeni, selected for their technological expertise by Abu Dhabi Sustainable Water Solutions (SWS).

The new facility is set to have an initial capacity of 1 million cubic meters per day, with plans to increase to 1.5 million cubic meters. The project also involves constructing a 42-kilometer wastewater collector to enhance the efficient collection and transportation of wastewater for treatment.

The installation of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) will enable effective monitoring and management of the wastewater processes.

Officials stated that this initiative will provide centralized wastewater management for the Tashkent region, improving public health and environmental conditions while saving over 10 million kWh of electricity.

Abu Dhabi Sustainable Water Solutions (SWS), the UAE's leading firm in wastewater collection, treatment, and reuse, manages an extensive network of 12,000 kilometers and processes over 1.34 million cubic meters of water daily. This network includes more than 200 pumping stations and 42 treatment plants. The company is committed to easing the pressure on natural water resources and fostering sustainable development in the UAE.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. Iran requires foreign help to develop its gas fields, Harshita Dhyani, analyst with Rystad Energy, an independent research and business intelligence company, based in Norway, told Trend.

She recalled that Iran has been on a spree to sanction awards for the development of its mature oil.

"As a result, NIOCs debt with the Iranian banks has been increasing year on year to fund all the new developments. Iran needs the foreign investments to efficiently increase its production output. Also, the contracts awarded mainly cater to the oil fields. potentially indicating that Iran still requires foreign help to develop its gas fields and ultimately meet it gas-production potential," said the analyst.

Dhyani highlighted that the countrys industry faces challenges in the form of a relative lack of technological capabilities, a need for more capital and a lack of skilled labour.

"The major challenge here remains the threat of any future sanctions. If foreign investments are allowed in the future, the companies will be hesitant to invest as they would fear a repeat of what happened when the sanctions were imposed in 2018. Major IOCs had to exit overnight, resulting in huge losses," said the Rystad Energy analyst.

She went on to add that since the imposition of sanctions, Iran has been producing well below its maximum production capacity.

"Due to the rising Chinese demand, the country has been increasing its oil production and exports during the past few months, with the number averaging at 3.2 mmbbl/d in the recent times. The outlook largely depends upon the upcoming US elections and the renewed nuclear discussions as the JCPOA officially set to expire next year. Barring these geopolitical events, we see a strong upside in Iranian oil production to reach 3.8 mmbbl/d levels. In our base case where we estimate a controlled supply return, we see Iran reaching these levels by 2030, but if the upcoming events fell in Iranian favour, then we see an early case of Iran reaching these levels by 2027/28," said Dhyani.

She pointed out that on the gas front, the country is running major gas projects to stop the flaring from associated gas, thereby increasing its production volumes by the end of this decade.

"The other major project, South Pars gas field, already has all its phases online. We see a small increase from the present levels of 270 bcma to 290 bcma by the end of 2030 for gas.

Iran has energy subsidies for its citizens, resulting in higher energy usage throughout the country. This has created an imbalance, which is worsened during both peak summers and winters. To combat this imbalance and free up more export volumes, the government has introduced various laws, incentives and targets for its renewable sector. While the targets are ambitious, they require foreign funds and expertise to be realised. Sanctions have also led to delays in the procurement of necessary materials to build the renewable infrastructure. In the short run, the country will have to depend on its oil and gas resources to fulfil its needs," she concluded.

Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. Nakhchivan State Energy Service and Turkish state-owned electricity distribution system operator (TEIAS) will sign an agreement on energy exchange, Trend reports.

According to the service, an Operational Agreement on energy export (exchange) will be signed soon.

Furthermore, during the preparation of the agreement, mutual discussions were held on the condition of transmission and distribution substations, power lines, meter locations, and the field of application of relay protection systems, as well as on the execution of documentation for the conclusion of the relevant agreement between TEIAS and the service.

In connection with the electricity export-import relationship between Turkiye and Nakhchivan, ENTSO (European Network of Transmission System Operators) authorized the transmission of 75 megawatts for export (Turkish side must be in passive island mode) and 40 megawatts for import (Nakhchivan side must be in passive island mode).
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. The use of green energy in smart villages encompasses a variety of innovative approaches to protecting the environment and improving energy efficiency. These approaches help to make villages more environmentally friendly.

Following the liberation of Azerbaijani lands, reconstruction of the infrastructure destroyed by Armenians, implementation of the concept of a green economy in the region, and construction of smart villages began. Aghali village in Zangilan district can be cited as an example.

All residential houses, social facilities, administrative and catering buildings, and processing and production of agricultural products in the village are provided with alternative energy sources. Aghali village has implemented modern urban planning standards, including "smart" street lighting, the construction of warm and cold-resistant ecological houses, and the installation of solar panels. Aghali village in Zangilan district has installed solar panels with a total capacity of 325 kW on the roofs of administrative buildings and ensured their connection to the grid.

In addition, Bash Garvand village in Aghdam district is being built as part of the "smart village" project. The village will utilize alternative energy to conserve energy resources. The "smart village" concept is also guiding the construction of Dovletyarli village in Fuzuli. Owing to the abundance of sunny days in Fuzuli, solar panels spanning an area of 50 ha will meet the village's energy demand. The investment project's capacity will be 50 MW.

Green energy is utilized in smart villages, considering the following basic principles:

Solar Energy: Solar panels are widely used to meet the energy needs of villages. Solar energy is environmentally friendly and reduces electricity costs.

Wind energy: wind turbines support rural energy production, especially in windy regions. This energy source also helps in providing local power generation in villages.

Bioenergy: bioenergy can be obtained from agricultural products and other organic waste. For instance, biogas production allows energy to be obtained from agricultural waste.

Energy storage systems: although solar and wind energy can be variable, energy storage (batteries and other technologies) allows this energy to be used when it is needed.

Energy-efficient buildings: energy efficient buildings are being constructed in villages to use energy more efficiently. These buildings are equipped with insulation, high-efficiency heating systems, and energy-saving technologies.

Smart grids: energy grids provide efficient energy management through intelligent systems. These systems monitor and regulate energy production and consumption in real-time.

Hydropower: small hydroelectric power plants and other water resources are used to meet the energy needs of villages.

The implementation of green energy systems in smart villages supports sustainable village development and has a positive impact on the environment. At the same time, these approaches increase the energy independence of rural communities and improve their economic situation.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. Preparations for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), set to be held in Baku this November, are progressing across various fronts, COP29 Azerbaijan Operating Company told Trend.

A technical testing phase, known as Proof of Concept (PoC), began to ensure the smooth and flawless operation of information and communication technology (ICT) systems for the event.

This testing phase started on August 19 at Baku Olympic Stadium, the event's venue, with participation from Azerbaijan's COP29 operating company and UNFCCC representatives. On the first day of testing, UNFCCC officials reviewed the existing systems in the completed infrastructure, visited the two database centers, and inspected the aggregation and communication rooms.

The PoC phase, which will last for three weeks, aims to verify the security, functionality, and efficiency of the networks and services to be used during the conference. This includes testing ICT and wireless network security, simulating the accreditation process, and conducting cybersecurity checks. These tests are designed to identify potential risks and ensure technical preparations address any issues that may arise during the event.

The PoC checks, which will continue until September 8, will also involve staff from partner companies and contractors working at the venue. At the end of this phase, the readiness of the ICT infrastructure for COP29 will be evaluated and confirmed to ensure that all systems are fully operational.

To note, 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 event took place in March 1995 in Germany's Berlin, with its secretariat in Bonn.
E-commerce infrastructure payment specialist MobilityOne announced its audited financial results for the year ended 31 December on Tuesday, allowing trading in its shares to resume.

The AIM-listed company said that despite a revenue increase to 241.67m, up from 233.76m in 2022, it reported a challenging financial year with an operating loss of 1.05m, swinging from a profit of 0.38m the previous year.

It also posted a loss before tax of 1.37 million, reversing a 0.28m profit in 2022, and a net loss for the year of 1.41m, compared to a modest profit of 0.02m a year earlier.

Following publication of its annual report and accounts, MobilityOnes suspension from trading on the AIM market was lifted at 0730 BST.

The company said its annual general meeting was scheduled for 11 September in Kuala Lumpur.

At 0848 BST, shares in MobilityOne were down 25.93% at 2p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.
Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer is among those missing after a yacht carrying UK tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch sank off the coast of Sicily during a violent storm, an Italian official has said. Salvatore Cocina, head of the civil protection agency in Sicily, said Bloomer and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance, were among the six people missing. Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, were also unaccounted for as of late Monday.  Guardian

Ministers have approved London City airports application to expand, in a decision that has disappointed climate campaigners. The airport submitted a proposal to increase capacity from 6.5 million to 9 million passengers a year by putting on more weekend and early morning flights. Local campaigners and Newham council opposed the move, arguing the air and noise pollution would affect people living nearby and that it could potentially increase carbon emissions.  Guardian

A Labour MP whose constituency borders the proposed Sizewell C nuclear power station has been criticised for accepting a 2,000 donation from the developer behind the project. Jack Abbott, the newly appointed MP for Ipswich, is facing scrutiny over the decision to take cash from the French energy giant EDF earlier this month.  Telegraph

Energy bills for most households in Britain are expected to rise by an average of 146 to 1,714 a year from October 1, as wholesale gas prices rebound amid mounting global political turmoil. Ofgem is set to lift the price cap by 9 per cent, from 1,568 for the present quarter, when it updates the ceiling on Friday, according to Cornwall Insight, an industry forecaster.  The Times
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, August 20. Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Ahmet Gurbanov has met with US Ambassador to the country Elizabeth Rood to discuss the future of Turkmen-US relations, with both parties expressing a strong commitment to deepening ties in political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian areas, Trend reports via the Turkmen Foreign Ministry.

Held in Turkmenistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting focused on discussing the key areas of the bilateral partnership. The sides gave the ongoing Turkmen-US political consultations a thumbs up, seeing it as a real game-changer for addressing mutual interests and getting on the same page to boost their relationship.

Improving collaboration across different industries was a common theme throughout the discussion. Gurbanov and Rood concluded their meeting by committing to stay in touch on a regular basis to advance their mutual goals and strengthen their partnership.

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The 3rd Edition CX & Loyalty Summit & Awards KSA 2024, a premier event focused on the future of customer experience and loyalty, is scheduled to take place on September 24-25, 2024, at the InterContinental Riyadh, an IHG Hotel. Co-located with the 5th Annual Future Banks Summit & Awards KSA 2024, this distinguished summit will provide a comprehensive exploration of the latest trends and innovations in CX, offering invaluable insights through interactive keynote sessions, expert-led panels, and live case studies.

Discover cutting-edge approaches employed by leading organizations to enhance customer interactions and drive value. From AI-driven personalization to immersive customer engagement platforms, attendees will gain firsthand access to latest innovations that are revolutionizing how brands connect with their audiences in the digital age.

A few of the esteemed speakers set to speak at this years summit are;

Mosa Bin-Sallam, CX Excellence Director, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development

Hussein Bin Abdelrahman, Head of Loyalty Program & Partnerships, BinDawood Holding

Mustapha Elkhansa , Marketing Director | Projects - Digital  Loyalty, Marriott International

Bashayer M, Head of Guest Experience & Quality, Movenpick Hotels & Resorts -Accor

Hazem El Zayat, Chief Experience Officer, MENA, Ogilvy One

Enad Abu Naser, Rewards & OD Director, Vision Bank

Zahra Alsamarae, Director - Customer Ops & Customer Experience, Intigral

Ayman Lafe Al Aqel, Executive Director Customer Experience and Digital Channels, National Water Company

Ahad Hamza Nihal, Group Marketing Director, Abdullah Al Othaim Investment Co.

Abdullah Khirullah, Director Digital & Social Care Operations, Mobily

Join us for the highly anticipated 3rd Edition CX & Loyalty Summit & Awards KSA 2024, where industry leaders from diverse sectors will unite to explore the latest trends in Customer Experience (CX), Employee Experience (EX), Loyalty, Customer Service, and Digital Transformation. This premier event, supported by Unifonic, Capillary, Thriwe and other esteemed partners, will delve into cutting-edge CX strategies, emerging technologies like Digitalization and Automation, and best practices designed to elevate your organizations CX, EX, and Customer Loyalty initiatives.

The MENA CX & Loyalty Awards 2024 will honor exceptional achievements in CX and loyalty, offering a unique platform to gain recognition among industry leaders. This prestigious awards ceremony will celebrate market leaders with transformative customer retention strategies and recognize brands excelling in deploying best-in- class techniques to create outstanding customer experiences and foster long-term loyalty.

Immerse yourself in a dynamic agenda featuring insightful presentations, engaging panel discussions, and keynote addresses from renowned global experts. Connect with specialists from around the world, forge valuable partnerships, and gain invaluable insights through networking opportunities and knowledge-sharing sessions. Dont miss the chance to be at the forefront of industry innovation and excellence.

For more information and registration details, visit https://ksa.cxloyaltymena.com/
Mukesh Ambani, Asia's richest man, who has spent over $600 million on just a single wedding for his son, is currently embattled with the big test of fire in fashion retail. At stake is Ambani grappling to capture a pie from this ultra-fast fashion market ruled by a long-time archrival. His struggles are getting a bit too intense, with his latest help coming in the form of Chinese fashion giant Shein, which recently re-entered the Indian market.

Trent Ltd, the $165 billion retail arm of the Tata Group, had emerged as a formidable fashion competitor. It has seen its sales more than triple from their pre-pandemic levels, even as its net profit increased twelvefold. Zudio, the fast-fashion brand of Trent, is seen as one big reason for this stunning success it has wooed a young demographic with trendy clothing at reasonable prices. From 80 stores four years ago, the brand has grown to almost 560 stores pan-India, across 164 cities. This rapid expansion has been combined with quick inventory turnover and cheap rents, which have helped Zudio maintain high profitability even at low margins.

Moved by the success, Ambani's Reliance Industries a conglomerate with deep interests in petrochemicals, telecommunications, and media has now become aggressive in retail. In the last one year alone, over $2 billion has been invested in its retail sector by Reliance. Besides, since pandemic, Reliance Retail has garnered over $6 billion in investments by Middle East- and Singapore-based sovereign wealth funds and investors such as General Atlantic and Silver Lake Partners. Its retail arm hit $100 billion in valuation last year with further investments from Qatar Investment Authority, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, and KKR & Co. Ambani is making preparations for this division to roll out a potential blockbuster initial public offering or spinoff, which makes the cornering of fast fashion paramount for him.

Subject to the competitive pressure from Trent, Ambani has now looked toward Shein. The online commerce behemoth, banned in India after the 2020 border tensions with China, makes a comeback. Sources said Reliance is facilitating Shein's re-entry into the Indian market, overseeing the platform, data, and operations. Shein, registered in Singapore and originating from Nanjing, is preparing for its own IPO, so the terms could be quite useful at this point for both parties.

Ambani's most recent bid to take on Trent's prowess was to launch Yousta, a retail chain of products priced at less than Rs 999. Virtually, this step resulted in a direct attack on Zudio's target market. But that is yet to make any telling difference. The 8 percent year-on-year sales growth for Reliance Retail in the June quarter was driven by strong demand for air-conditioners, refrigerators, TVs, and groceries. Its sales of fashion and lifestyle remained muted. This suggests 'tepid discretionary demand' for fashion.

Though it generates paramount revenue of over $36 billion, Reliance Retail stays well behind the annual revenue of $1.5 billion by Trent. Trent's sales grew 56% last quarter, higher than the overall market growth. According to consulting firm Wazir Advisors, value retail is likely to be a $170 billion market in India by 2026, with apparel being the largest chunk. A strong presence in fast fashion is therefore critical as Ambani prepares for a public float. Ambani appears to be preparing a sort of succession plan, making retail a central part of it that he can hand over to his 32-year-old daughter Isha Ambani.

Zudio's successful private brands into other retail formats, like Star  the Tesco Plc hypermarket chain partner. Private labels' contribution rose sharply to 72 percent from 63 percent the previous year at Star, far removed from Reliance Retail's 15-20 percent. The battle between Ambani and Noel Tata, chairman emeritus of the Tata Group and half-brother of Ratan Tata, is getting fierce. For Tata, focused on creating a more accessible Indian counterpart of Zara, the effort comes into fruit. Shares of Trent have tripled in the past year, reflecting the success of its strategy. That is also takinginto other retail formats, like Star  the Tesco Plc hypermarket chain partner. Private labels' contribution rose sharply to 72 percent from 63 percent the previous year at Star, far removed from Reliance Retail's 15-20 percent.

The Shein partnership might be the shot in the arm Ambani needs to bridge the gap with Trent. However, this alone may not suffice to kill Trent's momentum and accord Ambani a leadership position in this dog-eat-dog fast-fashion market. The result will have wider implications for Ambani and Tata in their battle for supremacy across India's retail sector.
Andhra Pradesh's Education, Information Technology, and Electronics Minister, Nara Lokesh, has extended an invitation to global electronics giant Foxconn to establish a mega manufacturing city in the state. During a meeting held at his residence in Undavalli, Lokesh assured the Foxconn delegation that the state government would provide all necessary facilities and support for the project, with a focus on creating large-scale employment opportunities.

Lokesh emphasized the states readiness to offer comprehensive support to Foxconns plans for expansion in India, urging the company to consider a larger initiative than a single unit. "Since you are planning to expand your activities across India, I want you to establish, not just a unit, but a mega manufacturing city in the state. We will extend all cooperation for this", he said. The minister highlighted that the states target is to generate 20 lakh jobs for the youth, expressing confidence that Foxconn could play a pivotal role in achieving this goal.

The minister also assured the delegation that he would personally oversee the assistance required for establishing the manufacturing city and that a special plan would be devised to facilitate the project. Lokesh briefed Foxconn representatives on the available resources and favorable conditions in Andhra Pradesh for setting up industrial units, drawing attention to the steps taken by the state government between 2014 and 2019, during the Telugu Desam Partys (TDP) tenure, to attract significant investments.

Lokesh cited the successful invitation of Kia Motors to Andhra Pradesh during the TDPs governance as a case study, demonstrating the states commitment to fostering industrial growth. He further informed the delegation that a new electronic policy focused on providing subsidies and promoting employment is in the pipeline, and that the government is committed to attracting major investments to the state.

Foxconns Indian representative, Vi Li, acknowledged the proactive measures taken by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu in attracting investments during the 2014-2019 period. He noted that despite facing some challenges in the state over the last five years, Foxconn maintains a positive relationship with Andhra Pradesh. Vi Li highlighted that Foxconn is actively expanding its operations globally and is keen to enhance its presence in India. He confirmed that the company would soon make a decision after holding further discussions with state officials.

The Foxconn representative indicated that the company is considering setting up units in electric vehicle manufacturing, semiconductors, digital health, and component manufacturing in Andhra Pradesh. He also expressed the companys willingness to support the states employment objectives, noting that Foxconn is prepared to invest significantly and provide large-scale job opportunities to the youth.

The meeting saw participation from key figures, including Vi Li, Director of Foxconn Chairmans Office Senthil Kumar, Deputy Director Bharat Dandi, Manager Vector Chen, and Andhra Pradeshs IT and Electronics Principal Secretary Sourabh Gour. Lokesh urged the company to begin preliminary work on the project at the earliest to accelerate the establishment of the proposed manufacturing city.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated 15 new industrial projects in Sri City with a total investment of Rs 1,570 crore. These projects have the potential to generate 8,480 jobs, marking a significant boost to the region's industrial and employment landscape. Additionally, Naidu laid the foundation stones for seven new projects worth Rs 900 crore, expected to create 2,740 more jobs. On the same day, five companies signed MoUs with the state government, promising investments worth Rs 1,213 crore and creating 4,060 jobs.

During the event, Naidu encouraged industrialists to focus on reducing product and logistics costs, emphasizing Andhra Pradeshs competitive edge in logistics due to better connectivity and infrastructure. He invited more industries to invest in the state, envisioning Sri City as a leading economic and infrastructure hub. Naidu expressed satisfaction with Sri Citys rapid progress since its inception, noting that it now hosts over 200 companies from 30 countries, all within a single premises. He stressed the importance of maintaining product quality to meet global competition, highlighting that industrial growth is critical to creating wealth and achieving zero poverty, a key goal of the NDA government.

The Chief Minister also discussed the states initiatives in hybrid solar and wind power generation, signaling a shift towards more sustainable industrial development. At a roundtable conference, several CEOs congratulated Naidu on his victory in the Assembly elections and expressed optimism about his industry-friendly policies, which they believe will continue to drive growth in Andhra Pradesh.

In his response, Naidu emphasized the importance of collaboration between the government and industry leaders. Its always a pleasure to interact with CEOs who play a crucial role in job creation and economic growth. By driving industrial success, they contribute to the economy and help the government run welfare schemes, contributing to the overall development of the state, he remarked.

Naidu highlighted Andhra Pradeshs consistent leadership in industrial development, citing the states strategic location, skilled workforce, and proactive governance. He noted that Andhra Pradesh has ranked first in Ease of Doing Business since 2015 but emphasized the need to focus on the 'Speed of Doing Business' to enhance the industrial ecosystem further.

Addressing concerns raised by industry stakeholders, Naidu assured them that his administration would resolve issues such as pending industrial incentives, infrastructure gaps, and unfavorable policies. He promised to rationalize taxes and implement a new industry-friendly policy aimed at driving growth.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa has arrived in New Delhi for the third India-Japan '2+2' dialogue, aimed at reviewing the Indo-Pacific region's situation and exploring opportunities to enhance bilateral strategic ties. The discussions will involve Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, alongside their Japanese counterparts, Kihara Minoru and Kamikawa. "Strengthened India-Japan defence partnership is vital for ensuring a free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific in the prevailing global environment", Defence Ministry said.

The two sides are anticipated to discuss expanding cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in response to China's growing military presence in the region. The inaugural dialogue took place in India in 2019, with the second edition held in Japan in 2022. In addition to the '2+2' dialogue, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will hold separate bilateral meetings with Defence Minister Minoru and Foreign Minister Kamikawa.

"During the bilateral talks and '2+2' meeting, the ministers will review the bilateral cooperation and explore new initiatives to further strengthen the engagements between the two countries," the Defence Ministry said in a statement. It said the Ministers will also exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. "India and Japan share 'Special Strategic and Global Partnership' based on the shared values of democracy, freedom and rule of law", the Ministry said.

Defence has emerged as one of the most important pillars in this relationship, it said. "This visit will further deepen defence cooperation and bring greater depth to the special strategic and global partnership between the two countries", it said. On the '2+2' dialogue, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "Substantive discussions covering various spheres of India-Japan multifaceted partnership lie ahead".
KPMG in India has crowned FluxGen as the winner of the 4th edition of the KPMG Private Enterprise Global Tech Innovator Competition (GTIC) 2024  India Finale. FluxGen will now represent India at the global finals of the competition, which will be held during the Web Summit 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal. At the global event, they will have the chance to showcase their innovations, pitch their growth strategies to an international panel of judges, and gain recognition in the KPMG Private Enterprise '2024 Winners Report'.

The GTIC is a prestigious global event designed to spotlight exceptional talent in the tech innovation sector. The competition is a platform for tech innovators to accelerate their entrepreneurial journeys by presenting their technologies and solutions to a worldwide audience. This years competition drew participation from 23 countries, with KPMGs Startups and Innovation team leading the initiative in India.

The Indian segment of the competition saw robust participation from the tech startup community. Participants, including pure technology companies as well as tech-enabled, tech-led, or tech-driven businesses, were invited to pitch their innovations and growth plans to a panel of leading business and technology experts from both KPMG in India and external industry figures. After several evaluation rounds, the finals featured 14 standout tech innovators.

FluxGens victory positions them as one of Indias foremost technology innovators. The win provides them with opportunities to network with other leading tech entrepreneurs, foster collaborations, and gain valuable insights within a global peer-to-peer network. This exposure is expected to help FluxGen build critical connections and enhance their growth prospects on the international stage.

Naveen Aggarwal, Office Managing Partner - Delhi NCR, KPMG in India said, Each of the finalists have demonstrated that with vision, perseverance, and collaboration, we can drive technological advancements that will shape the future of India and the world. Congratulations to all participants for your remarkable achievements. GTIC 2024 has proved to be a winning partnership for the firm from a go-to-market perspective. My heartfelt congratulations to the winning team, FluxGen ,for their remarkable performance in the competition and I wish them the very best for representing the country at the global finals scheduled to take place at the Web Summit in Lisbon, later in the year.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Dove Diner in Eltingville is open daily 365 days of the year. But Tuesday, Aug. 20 will be the exception to that rule as the 45-year old will close for the day.

The Dove at 3281 Richmond Ave., along with other Staten Island sites including Lees Tavern in Dongan Hills, will be the stage for an AMC film crew for The Terror: The Devil in Silver.

Dove Diner is owned by the Theodoulou family. Normally, its hours are 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday. On Friday and Saturday, hours are 7 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Lee's Tavern will set the scene for an AMC series shot on Staten Island. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)silvestri

As reported last week, Lees Tavern will be closed on Wednesday, Aug. 21. Additionally Dongan Hills streets as follows will not be open for parking for the following:

Garretson Ave. between N. Railroad and Jefferson St. ( 1/2 block on the South side of the street)

Garretson Ave. between N. Railroad and Hancock St. (1/2 block on the North side of the street)

Garretson Ave. between Hancock and Magnolia Ave. (1/4 block on both sides of the street)

N. Railroad Ave. between Garretson Ave. and Liberty Ave. ( West side of the street)

N. Railroad Ave. between Garretson Ave. and Cromwell Ave. (/4 block on the West side of the street)

Hancock St. between Garretson Ave. and Seaview Ave. (1/4 block on the West side of the street)

Hancock St. between Garretson Ave. and Cromwell Ave. (3/4 block on both sides of the street)

Mason Ave. between Seaview Ave. and Delaware Ave. (1/4 block on East side of the street)

Seaview Ave. between Mason Ave. and Olympia Blvd. (1/4 block on the North side of the street)

Actors and film workers will find a home in the borough as they shoot the popular and critically acclaimed horror anthology series, The Terror: Devil in Silver.

Nearby Gurley Ave. will be closed in Eltingville on Tuesday, Aug. 20. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)Pamela Silvestri

What is the show about?

This new season, The Terror: Devil in Silver, will premiere on AMC and AMC+ with six episodes in 2025.

Inspiration for the show comes from Victor LaValles best-selling novel Devil in Silver. LaValle will be co-writing executive producer with Chris Cantwell (Halt and Catch Fire.)

Notes a February blog post on AMCs website, The stellar producing team includes David Zucker (Scott Free), Alexandra Milchan (Emjag), Guymon Casady (Management 360) and Scott Lambert (Anjulia Productions). Emmy-nominated director Karyn Kusama (Jennifers Body, Destroyer, Yellowjackets) is also on board as an executive producer and will direct the first two episodes.

Long story short, Devil in Silver follows Pepper, an ordinary guy who is wrongfully committed to a psychiatric ward.

Season one is available now on AMC+. Season two returns to AMC+ this spring.
A well-known and seasoned comedian was killed in an alleged hit-and-run accident in California on Thursday, according to police.

Police say Perry Kurtz, 73, was struck by a Honda Civic around 11:20 p.m. as he was crossing an intersection in the Tarzana area of Los Angeles, USA Today is reporting.

The L.A. Country Medical Examiners Office noted the cause of death was deemed blunt force injuries, the report said.

Kurtz auditioned for Americas Got Talent during the shows eighth season in 2006. He performed a rap about then-judges Howard Stern, Heidi Klum and Mel B. None voted for him, and he was eliminated in the same round, the report said.

Police arrested and charged 18-year-old Nathan Jaimes with a felony count of hit-and-run causing death in connection with incident, the report said.

Kurtz made several television appearances, including on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Late Late Show with James Corden, as well as being a regular at comedy venues the Comedy Store and Hollywood Improv, the report said.
A founding member of rock band Great White has died at age 63.

Jack Russell died of complications from Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy, according to a statement posted to social media from family and friends last week.

Russell had announced only last month that hed be retiring from touring because of his illness, the report said.

I am unable to perform at the level I desire and at the level you deserve, he wrote on Instagram.

Great White landed on the Billboard charts in the late 80s with hits including Rock Me and Once Bitten, Twice Shy which was nominated for a best hard rock performance Grammy in 1990, the Los Angeles Times reported.

While the band broke up in 2001, Russell went on to form the group Jack Russells Great White, the Los Angeles Times said.

In 2003, 100 people and the bands guitarist were killed when a pyrotechnic display during a show at a Rhode Island night club engulfed the building, leaving an additional 230 attendees injured, according to the Los Angeles Times.

In an Instagram post following Russells death, the band said the consistency of his live performances were always beyond comparison. Rest in peace, to one of rocks biggest champions.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The 57th annual Memorial Mass/Ceremony for Servant of God/Medal of Honor recipient Navy Chaplain Father Vincent R. Capodanno will be offered Sunday, Sept. 1 at 10 a.m. at the Father Capodanno Memorial Chapel at Fort Wadsworth.

The Mass will be offered by Bishop Peter Byrne, episcopal vicar of Staten Island and pastor of Blessed Sacrament R.C. Church in West Brighton.

After the Mass a memorial ceremony will be held outside near his statue by the Staten Island Detachment 1 Marine Corps League Honor Guard, Rifle Squad and Bugler. Refreshments will be served.

The Mass is open to anyone who would like to attend.

A reading of Father Capodannos Congressional Medal of Honor citation will be followed by a rifle volley and the playing of Taps.

A number of military organizations will present a wreath at Father Capodannos statue, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Marine Corps League, the Knights of Columbus Father Capodanno Council, the Rolling Thunder, the Sons of Italy Father Capodanno Lodge, Viet Nam Knights, AMVETS and others.

The Father Vincent Capodanno Memorial Chapel at Fort Wadsworth. (Courtesy/Vincent Maligno)Staten Island Advance

A LITTLE ABOUT FATHER CAPODANNO

Born on Feb. 13, 1929, and ordained a priest on June 14, 1958, the Elm Park native participated in seven combat operations before dying at the age of 38 on Sept. 4, 1967, while administering last rites to mortally wounded Marines during the Vietnam war.

Father Capodanno, also known as the grunt padre, was shot 27 times in the back, neck and head on the battlefield in Que Son Valley when he refused to seek cover during the battle dubbed Operation Swift.

Instead, despite his own injuries, the chaplain prayed with a young Marine he spotted lying mortally wounded in an open field, and fell by his side as he was ministering last rites.Despite the passage of years, his legacy lives on through the countless lives he touched.

Father Capodanno, who was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Navy Bronze Star Medal, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star, and three Purple Hearts for his bravery and sacrifice, was officially proclaimed a Servant of God, the initial step to sainthood by the Catholic Church, in May 2006.

On July 4, 1974, Seaside Boulevard on the East Shore was renamed for the Staten Island priest, whose family hailed from Mariners Harbor and Elm Park. The effort to have him proclaimed a saint began in 2018 after a miracle had been attributed in his name.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, August 20. A delegation from the Oguzhan Engineering and Technology University of Turkmenistan has visited the Khorasan Science & Technology Park in Iran, to explore opportunities for scientific and technological collaboration between the two nations, Trend reports via the International Information Center (IIC) of Turkmenistan.

During the three-day visit, Turkmen specialists were introduced to the capabilities of the Iranian Science and Technology Park in areas such as petrochemicals, electronics, and other fields.

The delegation proposed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Turkmen University and Iranian Tech Park. The agreement would aim to strengthen research, technological cooperation, and knowledge exchange, fostering the development of an innovation ecosystem between Turkmenistan and Iran.

The Turkmen representatives highlighted that the proximity of the two countries presents significant opportunities for collaboration in various sectors. They emphasized that such cooperation could contribute to the advancement of new technologies and enhance the scientific potential of both nations.

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CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y.  George Santos, who spun lies about his life into an 11-month stint in Congress, pleaded guilty Monday to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in a case that led to his expulsion from office and the admission that hed allowed ambition to cloud his judgment.

The former representative, 36, is likely to spend at least six years in prison and owes more than $370,000 in restitution. His guilty plea in federal court on Long Island came weeks before the case was to go to trial. He is to remain free on bond until he is sentenced on Feb. 7.

I betrayed the trust of my constituents and supporters. I deeply regret my conduct, the New York Republican said, his voice trembling as he entered the plea.

Santos  elected in 2022 after bandying falsehoods about his wealth and background, including a lie that his mother perished in the 9/11 attacks  told reporters outside court that his political ambitions had led him to make decisions that were unethical.

Pleading guilty is a step I never imagined Id take, but it is a necessary one because it is the right thing to do, Santos said. Its not only a recognition of my misrepresentation to others, but more profoundly, it is my own recognition of the lies I told myself over these past years.

U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said that in pleading guilty, Santos had told the truth after years of telling lies.

And that truth is he is a criminal, Peace said.

Santos was indicted on felony charges that he stole from political donors, used campaign contributions to pay for personal expenses, lied to Congress about his wealth and collected unemployment benefits while actually working.

Peace also said that in addition to the crimes Santos pleaded guilty to, he also admitted to a litany of other crimes for which the court will hold him accountable at sentencing.

Among them: admitting that he stole multiple peoples credit card numbers and charged them for his campaign, that he tricked donors into giving money to a bogus nonprofit and used the cash to buy designer clothing, and that he fabricated his personal wealth in a financial disclosure report he submitted to Congress.

Santos was expelled from the U.S. House after an ethics investigation found overwhelming evidence he had broken the law and exploited his public position for his own profit.

The case has been set for trial in early September. If that had happened, federal prosecutors said Monday that they were prepared to call some 40 witnesses, including members of Santos campaign, employers and family members.

Santos was once touted as a rising political star after he flipped the suburban district that covers the affluent North Shore of Long Island and a slice of the New York City borough of Queens in 2022.

But his life story began unraveling even before he was sworn into office. At the time, reports emerged that he had lied about having a career at top Wall Street firms and a college degree along with other questions surrounding his biography.

New questions then emerged about his campaign funds.

He was first indicted on federal charges in May 2023, but refused to resign from office.

Santos had previously maintained his innocence, though he said in an interview in December that a plea deal with prosecutors was not off the table.

Asked if he was afraid of going to prison, he told CBS 2 at the time: I think everybody should be afraid of going to jail, its not a pretty place and uh, I definitely want to work very hard to avoid that as best as possible.

Separately Monday, in Manhattan federal court, Judge Denise Cote tossed out a lawsuit in which Santos claimed that late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, ABC and Disney committed copyright infringement and unjustly enriched themselves at his expense by using videos he made on the Cameo app for a Jimmy Kimmel Live segment. The judge said it was clear that Kimmel used the clips, which were also posted to YouTube, for purposes of criticism and commentary, which is fair use.

Santos had begun selling personalized videos on Cameo in December shortly after his ouster from Congress. He subsequently launched, then quickly abandoned, a longshot bid to return to Congress as an independent earlier this year.

In a radio interview that aired Sunday, Santos said he has taken comfort in being a somewhat private civilian again.

I really dont miss the rubber chicken dinners and the rah-rah-rah parties and fundraisers, he said of his former life.

With a criminal trial looming, he had said in the WABC interview that he was terrified.

This is not absolutely an easy process to go through. It really hurts and it really messes with your psychological health, he told host Cindy Adams.

As the trial date neared in recent weeks, Santos had sought to have a partially anonymous jury, with his lawyers arguing in court papers that the mere risk of public ridicule could influence the individual jurors ability to decide Santos case solely on the facts and law as presented in Court.

He also wanted potential jurors to fill out a written questionnaire gauging their opinions of him. His lawyers argued the survey was needed because for all intents and purposes, Santos has already been found guilty in the court of public opinion.

Judge Joanna Seybert agreed to keep jurors identities public but said no to the questionnaire.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, had been seeking to admit as evidence some of the financial falsehoods Santos told during his campaign, including that hed worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs and that he had operated a family-run firm with approximately $80 million in assets.

Two Santos campaign aides previously pleaded guilty to crimes related to the former congressmans campaign.

His ex-treasurer, Nancy Marks, pleaded guilty in October to a fraud conspiracy charge, implicating Santos in an alleged scheme to embellish his campaign finance reports with a fake loan and fake donors. A lawyer for Marks said then that his client would be willing to testify against Santos if asked.

Sam Miele, a former fundraiser for Santos, pleaded guilty a month later to a federal wire fraud charge, admitting he impersonated a high-ranking congressional aide while raising money for Santos campaign.
The shoe was on the other foot on Monday night as former President Donald Trump got trolled during Hillary Clintons speech to delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Clinton was taunting Trump about his legal woes when the crowd began to chant lock him up, Newsweek reported.

That was an echo of the lock her up chants that Trump led about Clinton during their 2016 battle for the White House.

Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial and when he woke up, he made his own kind of history: the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions, Clinton said.

Thats when the crowd started chanting lock him up.

Clinton at first tried to talk over the crowd, but then smiled and nodded as the chant grew louder.

The pro-Kamala Harris Kamala Wins site on X called it One of the most full circle moments in political history, Newsweek reported.

BREAKING: Hillary Clinton nodding along as the crowd chants lock him up. One of the most full circle moments in political history. Retweet to make sure every American sees this and knows Donald Trump is a convicted felon. pic.twitter.com/Rmlkuq8NO2  Kamalas Wins (@harris_wins) August 20, 2024

Democratic strategist Adam Parkhomenko called it Karma.

Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts for falsifying business records in connection with the Stormy Daniels hush money payment. He is the first former or current president to be convicted of a felony.

Trump has called the trial a political witch hunt.

Clinton, a former first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state, spoke on the first night of the Democratic National Convention.

She ran for president in 2008, losing the Democratic primary to Barack Obama, and in 2016 was the first woman nominated for president by a major party.

Clinton, whose husband, Bill, served two terms in the Oval Office, lost the 2016 election to Trump in an upset.
Dont miss Face to Face With Scott Peterson, a reality special set to air on Tuesday. Aug. 20 on the Peacock channel, a case that captivated the country ever since it occurred on Christmas Eve back in 2002.

Peacocktv.com reported that at eight months pregnant, Laci Peterson went missing on Dec 24 of that year.

And as the investigation unfolded, her husband Scott, a San Diego native, was revealed to be a liar, a cheater, and ultimately was accused of murder.

Scott was eventually convicted and sentenced to death and the case was closed.

But while Scott, now 51, was sentenced to death in March 2005, the California Supreme Court overturned the sentence in 2020 after finding that potential jurors were improperly dismissed. He was then resentenced to life in prison without parole in 2021.

But now for the first time since before his arrest in 2003, Scott speaks on camera in a series of intimate conversations revealing his side of the story along with Director and Executive Producer Shareen Anderson, who has been investigating this case for well over a decade.

Po Kutchins also directs and serves as executive producers together with Liz Yale Marsh, Shareen Anderson and Tim Clancy.

While many still believe the jury got it right, Scotts family members and experts close to the case have spent more than 20 years committed to uncovering the inconsistencies in the evidence and finding new information around alternative theories surrounding Lacis murder.

And in a shocking twist on a murder the world thought was solved, the Los Angeles Innocence Project took over Scotts case this year.

The three-part docu-series addresses the LA Innocence Projects efforts to get Peterson a new trial and features the convicted killer in his first interview since 2003.

HOW TO WATCH THE SCOTT PETERSON DOCUMENTARY

The show streams exclusively on Peacock. The service offers a low-cost monthly option of $7.99 -- but for the commercial-avoidant among us, there is also a premium ad-free version of the service for $13.99 monthly.

A LITTLE SNEAK PEEK
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 20. A joint conference of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) and the International Apparel Federation (IAF) will be held in Uzbekistans Samarkand on September 8-10, Trend reports.

According to the ITMF and IAF, the Innovation, Cooperation & Regulation - Drivers of the Textile & Apparel Industry event will focus on the key factors shaping the future of the industry, and is the first time the two federations have held their conference jointly.

The conference will gather over 500 high-level representatives from international organizations, textile companies, brands, financial institutions, and retailers to discuss and address issues critical to the continued development and sustainability of the global textile and apparel industry.

The conference speakers will include the President of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) Stephen Lamar, General Director of the European Apparel and Textile Confederation (EURATEX) Dirk Vantyghem and representatives of numerous industry leaders, including Cotton Analytics (USA) and Indorama Corporation (Singapore). Participants will discuss topics including artificial intelligence, regulation, digitalization, ESG and supply chains.

Additionally, the conference will feature the ITMF Awards Session, where the winners of the ITMF Innovation & Sustainability Award 2024 and the ITMF International Cooperation Award 2024 will be announced.

This event, organized in cooperation with Uzbekistan Textile and Garment Industry Association (Uztextileprom), marks a significant milestone for Uzbekistan. Last year, the countrys textile industry exported around $3.5 billion to over 75 countries and is seeing significant growth today. By the end of 2026, the plan is to increase the amount of exports to $6.5 billion.
In January of 1911, the Elliott family of Stanley Terrace, Taringa, gathered to celebrate the ninth birthday of Alfred Henrie Elliotts daughter Dorothy.

The children and their friends sat on the grass with their mother, Elizabeth, for Alfreds tailboard camera.

Even though its Dorothys day, the centre of the resulting photograph is occupied by Alfreds son, Alfred jnr, happily cradling a toy boat. Dorothy herself is seen sitting sulkily at the edge of the group.

Alfred Henrie Elliotts photography is a singular record of Brisbane from 1890 to 1940. Credit: City of Brisbane Collection, Museum of Brisbane

Artist Joachim Froese found himself drawn to this group portrait and what it says about gender politics of the time. His 2024 re-imagining isolates each family member onto separate smartphones and tablets.
Sydney Waters confirmation that cancer-linked forever chemicals have been detected across the citys drinking water supplies is confronting for citizens who have been comforted by the governments reassurances that our catchments are sequestered in pristine bushland, far from any human activity or pollution.

But to anyone who has been paying close attention to the unfolding forever chemicals scandal, it is completely unsurprising.

Forever chemicals have made it all the way to Warragamba Dam, which is nestled in pristine wilderness and supplies most of Sydneys drinking water. Credit: Nine News

These man-made chemicals, also known as PFAS, have contaminated nearly every human on the planet. They fall in rain and have reached the summit of Mount Everest.

It would be more of a revelation if Sydneys drinking water supply were somehow immune from their rampant spread across the globe.
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A woman has been killed every four days in 2024. We bring you stories of lives lost in recent years. Some of the cases featured are still before the courts.

Xiaoting Wang was found dead in her Burwood unit. Credit: NSW Police

Xiaoting Wang came to Australia seeking opportunities and a university degree. Instead, the 21-year-olds life was cut short  her body and that of her boyfriends found at their Burwood unit block.

On the morning of Monday, August 12, members of the public discovered the body of a 21-year-old man in a garden bed at a Conder Street unit block. It appeared he had leapt to his death.

When police entered his apartment, they discovered the body of Wang, who lived in the same unit and studied with the man at the University of Sydney. Both were Chinese nationals.

Police believe she had been stabbed to death inside the unit. Detectives are investigating if the incident is a domestic violence-related murder-suicide.
It was the multimillion-dollar question at the centre of a protracted court fight in Sydney: how much is a prized site for motorists eyeballs worth?

Outdoor advertising company oOh!media had 18 lucrative billboards on a strip of land alongside Qantas Drive, the bustling road between Sydney Airports domestic and international terminals.

The billboards were dismantled when the state government acquired oOh!medias lease of the publicly owned strip, and the company sought up to $52 million in compensation.

Transport for NSW compulsorily acquired the lease in September 2020 as part of the $2.6 billion Sydney Gateway motorway project connecting Sydney Airport to the WestConnex toll network.
In one sentence, an anonymous submission put forward a house in Melbournes east for heritage protection, sparking a legal fight almost a year later and purportedly costing the homes owner almost half a million dollars.

Tian Xiang Sun bought the home at 23 Clapham Street, Balwyn at auction in July last year, and the sale was due to settle in October.

This Balwyn home was nominated for heritage protection without the owners knowledge. Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui

Sun had planned to demolish the existing house and replace it with a new home as there was no heritage overlay in place. He entered into a building contract shortly after the sale, but in September a public submission was put to the local council that the home be heritage listed.

The submission, cited in a letter by Suns legal team to the City of Boroondara, said the house was an interesting and well-resolved example of a low-slung Japanese-influenced craftsman bungalow.
Relatives of a Perth man whose death has been ruled non-suspicious despite his body being found in strange circumstances, are concerned the investigation has met the same fate as an eerily similar cold case from 23 years ago.

Brock Pavy, 39, was discovered in Swan View on July 18 by members of the public who spotted his legs sticking out of a stormwater drain on Marlboro road.

Lorrie Pavy does not believe her brothers death is not suspiscious. Credit: Nine News Perth

WA homicide detectives had been investigating the death but on Tuesday concluded it was no longer being treated as suspicious, saying a report will now be prepared for the coroner.

In 2001 the body of 20-year-old Laura Kate Muckersie was found in a stormwater drain at the intersection of Morrison and Fairfax road - just metres from where Brock Pavy was found.
The Coalition says 1300 Palestinians who have fled to Australia from the war in Gaza should return home when the conflict is over and not be granted permanent residency, deepening a partisan divide over the countrys humanitarian response to people fleeing the Middle East.

Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson on Tuesday said a special Palestinian visa pathway being considered by the government should not involve permanent settlement for Palestinians who had arrived on visitor visas since October 7.

Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson says if people fail screenings on character grounds, they should be removed from Australia. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

We dont think permanent visas is the right approach. We think Temporary Protection Visas under the former government was the right approach. That allows people to be safe and stay here while they can, but to return home when its safe to do so, Paterson said.

I think theres a very grave concern that people who have now come to Australia can stay here permanently when they never should have been entering under those circumstances.
The Bezzinas were sold on ANSA Homes promise. We take pride in our homes, Kevin Bezzina, 41, says he was told.

The pitch was of a small- to medium-home builder who took the utmost care, focusing on their clients individual needs. For Kevin and his wife Sonia, who were looking for a custom build in the southern Sydney suburb of Lugarno, the companys word was gold.

ANSA Homes client Kevin Bezzina points to defective brickwork which was subject to a Building Commission-enforced rectificiation order. Credit: Wolter Peeters

Three years on, the Bezzinas are not certain their house is free of mould, which festered after the timber framework was left exposed to months of rain.

Despite two Building Commission-enforced rectification orders, one for the mould and another for non-compliant brickwork, the Bezzinas were hit with a bill for $61,000 attached to a partial occupation certificate.
Of all the skills Cate Campbell learnt as a professional athlete, napping was not one she anticipated would become one of the most important in her life after swimming.

But as the four-time Olympian has discovered since hanging up the cossie, her ability to sleep anywhere, any time has become crucial as she prepares to anchor Nines coverage of the Paralympic Games from Australia in the early hours of the morning.

Annabelle Williams, Cate Campbell, James Bracey, Ellie Cole and Dylan Alcott are part on Nines Paralympic coverage team.

Im commentating the swimming, so I think the finals go from 1:30am to 4:30am for 12 days straight, Campbell told this masthead.

Well do heats and finals. So I think heats are from 5:30pm to 8pm and then finals. But I didnt realise that I would be able to transfer a lot of my skills from swimming over into life after sport, and it turns out napping [has], and I am happy to report I am a champion napper.
Asked how he felt with Harris and Tim Walz at the top of the ticket, Phillips replied: Like a kid in a candy store. I think this wave is going to ride all the way until election day, and Im really excited about it, he told this masthead. But while this was no longer Bidens convention, it was nonetheless one that rightly paid tribute to Americas 46th president as he prepared to end half a century in public service: firstly as a US senator, then as vice president to Barack Obama, and finally as commander in chief. First lady Jill Biden spoke of the things he accomplished in the name of something bigger than himself  including a few weeks ago  when I saw him dig deep into hia soul to no longer seek reelection.

Introducing him to the stage, his daughter Ashley Biden told the convention her father was the OG girl dad. And he wasnt just a girl dad, she added. I could see that he valued and trusted women. Joe Bidens daughter, Ashley Biden. Credit: AP Harris, the woman he has entrusted to take his place, also made a surprise appearance, thanking Biden for his historic leadership and lifetime of service to our nation. United Automotive Workers boss Shawn Fain  wearing a T-shirt that read, Trump is a scab  noted that Biden had made history by being the first US president to join a picket line.

Hillary Clinton  who won the popular vote against Trump in 2016 only to lose the election thanks to Americas electoral college system  told the convention that Biden had restored dignity, decency and confidence to the White House. You have been democracys champion at home and abroad, she said. Clinton says the Democrats have Donald Trump on the run. Credit: Bloomberg But while Democrats tried to demonstrate unity inside the convention centre, outside the venue not everyone was happy. As the event got under way on Monday (Tuesday AEST), thousands of protesters took to the streets to demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to US aid to Israel. One woman held a sign that read: Kamala, words alone wont save Palestinians. Another held up a banner declaring, Both Democrats and Republicans have blood on their hands.

Neither of the two parties are serving the people, said Gloria Santiago, describing the war in Gaza as the critical issue that would determine her vote for the election. While the protest was mostly peaceful, some demonstrators broke through a security fence near the convention, resulting in several arrests. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators assembled outside the convention venue at the United Centre in Chicago. Credit: Bloomberg Inside, however, the enthusiastic crowd barely mentioned the war in Gaza. Instead, they spoke of the joy, hope, and optimism they now felt over their election prospects. Biden, on the other hand, offered some sympathy, saying that anti-war protesters have a point because too many innocent people had died.

Most of the presidents speech focused on what had been achieved over the past four years  from gun safety reform and lower prescription drug prices to record infrastructure and climate change investment. And much of it took aim at his predecessor and the need to preserve our democracy in 2024. Biden blows a kiss as his grandson, Beau Biden, makes the peace sign at the Democratic National Convention. Credit: AP We need you to keep the Senate. We need you to win back the House of Representatives. Above all, we need you to beat Donald Trump, he told the crowd before quoting from the song American Anthem by Norah Jones. The work and prayers of centuries have brought us to this day. What shall be our legacy? What will our children say?... Let me know in my heart when my days are through. America, America, I gave my best to you.

As Biden closed his speech, Kygos remix of Whitney Houstons Higher Love blasted through the speakers as Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, joined him and Jill Biden on stage. It was the same song that played after Biden and Harris gave their victory speeches as president-elect and vice president-elect in November 2020. Biden helped shape history then by appointing Harris  the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother  as his vice presidential running mate. Now, he has helped shape history again by stepping aside and putting her one step closer to becoming the first woman to occupy the Oval Office. Its been the honour of my lifetime to serve as your president, he said. I love this job. But I love my country more.
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 Washington: Hillary Clinton was on Marthas Vineyard on July 21, the day President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race, when her phone rang. Her husband, former president Bill Clinton, had already received a call from the same number, so she knew who wanted to talk to her. Vice President Kamala Harris was calling to tell her she was running for president and hoping to build support as quickly as possible. Hillary Clinton didnt hesitate: she told the vice president she was all in. The Clintons rushed out an endorsement well ahead of many other party leaders, including the Obamas. As Democrats revolted against Bidens re-election bid this summer, Hillary Clinton wanted no role in pushing him out, according to people briefed on her thinking. But behind the scenes, she was also adamant that if the president chose to step aside, Harris should become the partys nominee with no drawn-out primary. The two women, once on opposite sides during the contentious 2008 Democratic primary, have quietly bonded over the past several years. They share dinners at Clintons Washington home, discuss high-impact decisions like whom Harris should pick for her running mate, and connect over the still-stubborn ways that women in high office can be underestimated. On Monday night, Clinton, who came achingly close to becoming the nations first woman president, passed on the torch to a woman nearly two decades younger in a moment that friends say came with a mixture of bittersweetness and pride for Clinton. The last time Clinton stood on the convention stage, dressed in suffragist white, she thought she was on track to be the next president. Much has happened since then  from Clintons grief over and eventual acceptance of her 2016 loss to the rise of a new generation of Democratic leaders. And America seems more at ease with women as candidates for the highest office, a shift no doubt advanced by Clintons candidacies. But still her party is grappling with the energised movement Donald Trump created. The former secretary of state is acutely aware of how challenging it will be to defeat Trump and the ugliness of the personal attacks that await Harris.

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Nothing would make Hillary happier than seeing the first in history beat the worst in history, said Philippe Reines, a former top adviser to Clinton who has been playing the role of Trump in Harris debate prep. Reines said a Harris victory in November would be a karmic two-fer for Clinton  who longs for Trumps defeat, and would find it more satisfying if Trump lost to a woman. Of course, Clintons presence triggers uncomfortable flashbacks for some Democrats who were devastated by her loss. But many are leaning in to the present, watching the stunning reversal in energy for their party since Biden bowed out and allowing themselves to feel hopeful  and excited  once again. After the disappointment in 16, I think many, many of us had PTSD  I know I did, said Susie Tompkins Buell, a longtime friend of Clintons and a major Democratic donor who is supporting Harris. Ive never been the same. And suddenly, I feel a certain invigoration that I have not had in a long time. Indeed, alumni from both Hillary and Bill Clintons former campaigns planned to gather for a reunion in Chicago. For Hillary Clinton, the chain of events that led to Harris rise has made it easier to enthusiastically  rather than dutifully  back her.

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Trumps ongoing political strength, people close to Clinton said, had helped reset widespread beliefs about her 2016 defeat  the idea that only Clinton, with all of her baggage and well-documented political weaknesses, could have lost to such a candidate and that had she only visited Wisconsin, history would have changed course. The ensuing years have shown Trump to be a unique and durable political force. Hillary Clinton at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Credit: Bloomberg Harris, after all, has ascended because Biden was pushed out by fellow Democrats who feared he, too, would lose to Trump and bring the party down with him. Clinton, who worked through her searing defeat with hikes in the woods with her dogs and bingeing on bad television, has assumed a place as an admired stateswoman in her party. She is planning a 10-city national book tour starting in September for her latest book, Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love, and Liberty, which will serve as a way to speak to large audiences as an unofficial surrogate for the Harris campaign. She wants to help, she wants to win, and shes ready to do whatever the campaign asks, said Nick Merrill, a spokesperson for Clinton. The two women didnt have much of a relationship before 2020 and Harris ascension to the vice presidency. They were on opposite sides of the 2008 presidential primary between Barack Obama and Clinton. Harris was among the first Democratic elected officials to endorse the Illinois senator and worked hard for his election.

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Still, Clinton has said that she feels a particular kinship with Harris because they are both lawyers who chose to work on issues related to families and children at the beginning of their careers. Clintons first job after law school was as a staff lawyer for the Childrens Defence Fund, while Harris worked in the Alameda County District Attorneys Office, specialising in prosecuting child sexual assault cases. And since the beginning of the Biden administration, Clinton has used her stature to quietly bolster Harris. She blames many things for her 2016 defeat. But after James Comey, the former FBI director, sexism ranks high on the list. In Clintons view, to be a woman in the top tier of national politics is to, at times, be undervalued and underestimated. Harris, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Clinton at a rally in Manhattan in 2022. Credit: New York Times When she witnessed it happening to Harris, she hosted dinners for her at Whitehaven, the Clintons mansion just a stones throw from the vice presidents residence at the Naval Observatory. The dinners were casual buffet-style affairs but also strategic. Clinton invited Washington veterans whom she trusted and who could talk with Harris  like Rahm Emanuel, the former White House chief of staff; Jennifer Palmieri, the longtime political operative who worked for both Clintons and is now advising Harris husband, Doug Emhoff; veteran Democratic strategists Paul Begala and Karen Finney; and Douglas Elmendorf, the former dean at Harvard Kennedy School. That helped cement the relationship, which continued in other ways. Clinton visited Harris at the White House, and they spoke on the phone to discuss foreign policy before the vice presidents first international trip. When the two saw each other most recently at the Houston funeral for representative Sheila Jackson Lee, they discussed Harris decision on a running mate. Harris called Clinton the next weekend to continue the conversation, according to a person briefed on the call.

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And they have increasingly relied on an overlapping set of aides. Harris chief of staff, Lorraine Voles, worked for Clinton in the Senate. The debate prep sessions that include Reines are being overseen by Karen Dunn, another longtime Hillary world figure who ran Clintons debate prep. Harris communications director, Brian Fallon, served in the same role for Clinton on her 2016 bid, and Harris sister and adviser, Maya Harris, worked for the Clinton campaign as a top policy aide. Loading Clintons allies say she has also helped Harris in a less tangible way: by helping Americans imagine a woman president. It helped open doors and change perceptions, said Democrat senator Debbie Stabenow. Every time a woman does that, it just makes it easier for the next woman to be able to be judged on her own merits. If Clinton and her allies see this moment as, in some ways, an extension of her own rise, there are limits to the parallels. Clinton, now 76, has long been aligned with the political establishment. Harris, 59, is seeking to build a campaign focused on the future and represents a generational change from Biden and Trump, who, along with Clinton, were born in the 1940s. While Clinton leaned into the historical significance of her candidacy (one 2016 campaign slogan was Im With Her), Harris, who as a black and South Asian woman is a barrier breaker several times over, has rarely emphasised her identity, playing up her credentials as a former prosecutor instead.

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Max Rudin, president and publisher, The Library of America.

Wendell Berry Volume 1 Essays, 1993-2017

Essays 19691990

Essays 19932017

Port William Novels & Stories: The Civil War to World War II

Port William Novels & Stories: The Postwar Years

The longstanding narrative surrounding Kentucky, which entails rampant Kentucky drug use and poverty, has provided easy and injurious stereotypes. Some cynically opportunistic natives have melded these tired tropes into highly profitable books and personal gain.Thankfully, Wendell Berry is not J.D. Vance. In contrast, Berrys work is a paean to Kentuckys natural beauty and its inhabitants work ethic, grit, and resilience that embraces and affirms rather than scolds its denizens.His literary gifts opened doors to prestigious fellowships at Stanford and through the Guggenheim Foundation, with an early stint on the NYU faculty, but Berry identified as a farming Kentuckian. His family had farmed in his native Henry County for five generations, and he and wife Tanya continued the legacy when they bought 11 acres in 1965 (the homestead would eventually grow to 117 acres).Amid this pastoral backdrop, he became a prolific author, producing 25 books of poetry, 24 volumes of essays, and more than a dozen novels and short-story anthologies. He also became an outspoken peace and justice advocate, opposing war, coal- and nuclear-power plants, the death penalty, and myriad other causes.His writing has earned Berry a National Humanities Medal, which President Obama bestowed in 2010, as well as membership in the National Academy of Arts and Letters and the first living scribe to be inducted into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame in 2015.Yet, he is unknown to many in the Bluegrass State. If you asked Kentuckians to name a famous native or former resident of their state, youd more likely hear Harlan Colonel Sanders, Ashley Judd, or, until earlier this year, John Calipari.The Library of America (LOA), a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the works of esteemed American writers, and Edwin C. Matthews, a prominent civil-rights and environmental lawyer whos an avid fan of Mr. Berrys writing, hope to change that.For more than 40 years, LOA has strived to, according to president and publisher Max Rudin, publish authoritative new volumes of great American writers  keeping the multivocal, democratic spirit of our literary heritage a vital part of the culture.The nearly 400 volumes published to date in the Library of America series are widely available in bookstores and online. Every year, through the support of its members and donors, LOA publishes 2,000 books and distributes them to school libraries, in classrooms in underfunded schools, and military bases to expose impactful writers to a broader swath of society.Rudin believes the works LOA publishes helps connect an increasingly fractured population: Its a powerful reminder of our shared experiences and aspirations, including promises fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled. However much we may disagree, its a heritage that has shaped who we are and still binds us together.Matthews approached LOA about publishing Berrys work to honor his 90birthday, which occurred on August 5. Hes a native of Idaho, which although the topographic polar opposite of Kentucky, he shared Berrys deep connection to the natural world and a sense of place. And, as a lawyer who was pro-environment and anti-death penalty, Matthews shared his social consciousness.For me, his writing represents having the integrity to follow your own views, regardless of the criticism you may encounter, Matthews said. Language is crucial to human civilization. We cant lose great works of writing without losing our cultural identity.Matthews noted that Berrys writing not only speaks lovingly about nature, but also about how everyone needs and deserves to benefit from it. Clean water isnt just a scientifically defensible idea, its a moral obligation. Hes someone who has decided to live a gospel of mindfulness, doing the best he can and living true to his principles.To honor Berrys literary legacy and its impact, Matthews will have books of Berrys essays donated to 202 public libraries spread across all of Kentuckys 120 counties. The four volumes, all edited by Jack Shoemaker and published by LOA, include:Morgan Lockard, manager of the Ft. Thomas-Carrico branch of the Campbell County Public Library, is a Wendell Berry fan: Having grown up in southeastern Kentucky in the Cumberland mountains, my family has been solidly Appalachian for generations. Wendell Berry has been a voice for protecting the natural landscapes of Kentucky and was involved with many activist movements.She continued, His work is a great starting ground for any Kentuckian to understand our past [and] inform opinions on our present and future. I have always enjoyed Berrys ability to draw you into a place, his descriptions of nature, and his passion for the causes he believes in.Lockard appreciates the opportunity that providing such valuable donated resources provides an opportunity to remind library patrons of the availability of traditional and new-generation resources: Our role and function [includes] a large gamut of services -- computers and technology training, meeting and study spaces, and educational programs that serve an array of interest and ages. We are often sought out as a reliable information source of information [within] a safe space.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. Iran's ambassador has been summoned to the German Foreign Ministry, Trend reports via the above ministry.

Germany condemns the actions of Iranian security agencies against the German Language Institute (Deutsches Sprachinstitut) Teheran, stating that such actions are unjustifiable.

The German foreign ministry has released a statement calling on the newly elected Iranian administration to allow the institute to resume classes without delay.

Language exchange is crucial for mutual understanding, the statement emphasizes.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
When Joseph Roberts was getting ready to finish his round of active duty with the U.S. Air Force, he considered recommitting to military service, but knew his family could be sent anywhere, and they had already spent six years in North Dakota, away from their family in Cincinnati.While back in the Cincinnati region for a two-week leave, Roberts learned about a job opening at Atlas Air Worldwide that was similar to his position with the Air Force, which would provide a smooth transition from one career to the other.Atlas Air Worldwide, a leading global provider of outsourced aviation logistics for cargo and passenger aviation services, has a major presence at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) . The company consistently searches for aviation talent such as pilots and aircraft maintenance technicians, or IT talent for its operations center in Erlanger, Kentucky. Atlas employs many veterans at all levels of its operations.Roberts said hearing about the job opportunity made his decision easier, especially once he learned about Atlas involvement with SkillBridge, which allows service members to receive job skills training at civilian businesses during their last six months of military service, often through internships.Developed by the U.S. Department of Defense, thousands of private sector companies, like Atlas, are industry partners in SkillBridge and recruit veteran talent.Service members leaving active duty without jobs is a major issue, said Roberts, but SkillBridge provides them with opportunities to gain insight into careers, showcase the skills they gained during service, and have a chance at immediate employment upon leaving active duty.Identifying and closing gaps in workforce development are crucial to future economic success in Northern Kentucky and the focus of our workforce solutions initiative, said BE NKY Growth Partnership President/CEO Lee Crume. Raising awareness of SkillBridge and attracting veterans to the region are critical to our success.Leisa Spears Snyder, Atlas Director, Workforce Development, said SkillBridge helps the company connect with military personnel seeking employment and support veterans during this transition in their lives. Roberts was Atlas first SkillBridge hire.Atlas Talent Acquisition Specialist Christopher Jarvis, a U.S. Army veteran himself, is helping the company coordinate the program. Jarvis has a degree in human resourcing and previously worked as a recruiter in the Army.When Jarvis was retiring from the Army in June 2022, he attended a DAV (Disabled American Veterans) career fair in Cincinnati, where he spoke with Atlas and accepted a job offer with the company three days before completing active duty.DAV, headquartered in Erlanger, helps more than 1 million veterans every year through multiple channels, including helping them find meaningful and sustainable employment through hundreds of job fairs nationwide.The military has always been an incredible source of top-tier talent for us," said Spears Snyder. "While we can teach technical skills, the critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership abilities that military personnel bring are invaluable.Jarvis works with his team to find positions that work for SkillBridge applicants, so when Roberts reached out looking for an opportunity, they were able to find an aligned position and make it happen.I am able to use my experience to help veterans and bring them on board, said Jarvis. Its something I didnt know I wanted to do until I did it.The most difficult part of this process is taking service members military skills and translating those skills into a civilian job, but he said its worth it.The military pushes creative thinking and figuring things out, and veterans are good about stepping up, said Jarvis. Veterans have a good work ethic, and if you give them a task, they will find a way to figure it out.While in the Air Force, Roberts worked as a mechanic on B-52 airplanes, and at the end of his career, he oversaw the ordering and handling of materials. He hoped to move to a civilian job involving planning and parts and was able to transfer to a similar job at Atlas as a workload scheduler.Two people at the company have now successfully completed the SkillBridge program and Jarvis said they are working with their third candidate, who will begin an internship at the end of August. He said there is the potential for more candidates, and services members often reach out six to eight months ahead of their eligibility date.As we show success, more people are trying to get into the program, Jarvis said.Roberts said every company should be involved with SkillBridge and every service member should at least be knowledgeable about it. He has helped friends work through the program at other companies.There is a strong number of military personnel interested in our region, and if you are an employer who needs talented people, you might want to look into becoming an authorized SkillBridge employer, said Spears Snyder.Roberts is still a reservist in the Air Force and said he plans to serve for 20 years. He started at Atlas in October 2022 and said this job is a launching point for him. He can pursue his airframe and powerplant (A&P) aviation mechanic license, which would allow him to grow and move forward into different positions at Atlas. Epic Flight Academy , which recently opened its new aircraft mechanic school at CVG in April, offers training and certification for this license.I really enjoy working at Atlas and am very happy I made the move back to my hometown, said Roberts.Service members interested in the SkillBridge program can find available opportunities, including at Atlas Air Worldwide.
One year in, EU turning up heat in big tech fight



Brussels, Belgium, Aug 20 (AFP) Aug 20, 2024



If 2024 already looks like an annus horribilis for big tech in the EU, the months ahead could prove a winter of discontent as the bloc wields a fortified new legal armoury to bring online titans to heel.

Since August 2023, the world's biggest digital platforms have faced the toughest ever tech regulations in the European Union -- which shows no sign of slowing down in enforcing them.

Brussels scored its first major victory after forcing TikTok to permanently remove an "addictive" feature from a spinoff app in Europe in August, a year after content moderation rules under the bloc's Digital Services Act (DSA) started to apply.

That followed a seven-day period earlier in the summer in which Brussels issued back-to-back decisions targeting Apple, Meta and Microsoft.

And more is to come before 2024 is over, say officials.

The EU's moves are all thanks to two laws, the DSA -- which forces companies to police online content -- and its sister competition law, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) -- which gives big tech a list of what they can and can't do in business.

Since the DMA curbs kicked in in March, the EU has notably pressured Apple to back down in a spat with Fortnite maker Epic over a gaming app store.

"The European Commission is doing the job: it is implementing the DMA with limited resources and within a short timeframe compared to lengthy competition cases," said EU lawmaker Stephanie Yon-Courtin, who focuses on digital issues.

Jan Penfrat, senior policy advisor at online rights group EDRi, says changes are already visible: the DSA giving users the "right to complain" when content is removed or accounts are suspended, or the DMA allowing them to select browsers and search engines via choice screens.

"This is just the beginning," Penfrat said.

He notes for instance that EDRi and other groups in July compiled a list of areas where Apple fails to follow the DMA. "We expect the commission to go after those as well in time," Penfrat told AFP.



- High-profile tests -



Apple is the biggest thorn in the EU's side as the DMA's chief critic, claiming it puts users' security at risk.

The iPhone maker became the first company in June to face formal accusations of breaking the DMA's rules and faces heavy fines unless it addresses the charges.

Apple announced changes to the App Store on August 8 to comply with the DMA, although smaller tech firms under the Coalition for App Fairness slammed them as "confusing". The EU is now evaluating Apple's plans.

It is too early to say whether Apple will fall into line without the EU's heavy hand but one thing is clear: Brussels is ready for a fight.

Another high-profile test of the bloc's new powers will be X, with regulators to decide as early as September whether the former Twitter should be made to comply with the DMA.

The DSA's rules on curbing disinformation and hate speech have already sparked a spectacular clash between X's billionaire owner Elon Musk and the bloc's digital chief Thierry Breton -- with the spectre of fines or an outright EU ban on the site if violations persist.



- Full speed -



EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager has said that Brussels is going at "full speed".

This was always the goal: to cut short the length of competition investigations, which lasted years, to a maximum of 12 months under the DMA.

But companies can challenge fines or decisions in the EU courts, which could mean years of subsequent legal battles, lawyers say.

And difficulties can also come from elsewhere: Apple said in June it would delay the rollout of new AI features in Europe because of "regulatory uncertainties".

EDRi's Penfrat accused Apple of fearmongering by blaming the EU for certain features not arriving in the bloc in order "to put pressure on the commission to not be too tough in the enforcement".



- Pressure building -



Apple aside, big tech isn't happy with DMA action so far.

"Instead of announcing possible punitive measures with political posturing, these probes under the DMA should focus on fostering open dialogue between the European Commission and the companies concerned," Daniel Friedlaender, head of tech lobby group CCIA Europe told AFP.

Undeterred, Brussels is turning up the heat.

In addition to potential new DMA curbs on X, the EU could soon add Telegram to its list of "very large" platforms, such as WhatsApp, that face the DSA's strictest rules.

Brussels wants no corner of the digital sphere left untouched.

That includes the critical area of artificial intelligence, with the EU currently looking into deals between giants and generative AI developers, such as Microsoft and its $13-billion tie-up with ChatGPT maker OpenAI.

raz/ec/lth

Apple

Meta

MICROSOFT
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. The US State Department has approved a potential sale of 36 Apache attack helicopters and related components to South Korea for $3.5 billion, The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency says, Trend reports.

According to the information, Sell submitted a request to buy from Washington 36 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, 76 T700-GE-701D engines, 456 AGM-114R2 missiles, 152 AGM-179A air-to-air missiles, and 40 AAR-57 common missile attack warning systems for a total of $3.5 billion.

The agency has notified the US Congress of the potential deal, as the procedure requires its approval.
GMT Watch Safari (day 2). Would you like to learn about how Hublot developed its Magic Gold, about the intricate process behind its mechanical movements, or the secret alchemy that creates its vibrant ceramic cases? Thats the programme for the afternoon of Day 2 of the first GMT Watch Safari, a week of total immersion at the heart of Switzerland's finest watchmakers from 27 October to 1 November 2024. Join us on the Watch Safari!

To celebrate its 24th anniversary, GMT Magazine is organizing a week-long adventure for 24 watch enthusiasts, spanning from Geneva to Schaffhausen, with stops in Neuchatel and the Vallee de Joux. The itinerary includes an exclusive exploration of the workshops and manufactures where exceptional timepieces are born. Here's a sneak preview of the programme for Day 2, which begins with a morning dive into MB&F's M.A.D.House, followed by an afternoon tour of the Hublot manufacture. Participants will be welcomed there for a light lunch before taking in the sights.

Foundry - Magic Gold preparation  Hublot

An incubator for cutting-edge innovation

As you step into the Manufacture, push open the first door on the right, just past reception. Youll find yourself enveloped in a studious silence, with no watchmaker in sight, only a series of high-tech machines operated by busy engineers and technicians. We are in Nyon, a stone's throw from Geneva, in Hublot's Research and Development department. "A sort of start-up within the company," as one materials engineer describes it with a smile. This space, entirely dedicated to innovation, perfectly illustrates Hublot's signature "Art of Fusion". Here, the most avant-garde materials are developed: high-tech ceramics in vibrant colours, sapphire crystals in an array of yellows, blues, reds, oranges, greens and purples, and not to mention King Gold and Magic Gold  Hublots proprietary gold with a 1000 Vickers hardness, invented just over a decade ago.

Magic Gold Fusion  Hublot

Cutting-edge movements

Avant-garde and disruptive, Hublot has developed a whole range of in-house movements at its Nyon facility. A tour of the workshops offers a glimpse into the mystique surrounding the renowned Unico automatic chronograph, as well as the Meca-10, Tourbillon and MP-11 movements, known for their exceptional power reserves. And, of course, hopefully try to understand the revolutionary approach of the 11-barrel MP-05 calibre, boasting 50 days of autonomy a bit better!

Throughout your visit, whether delving into fundamental research on material development or observing the manufacturing of movement micro-components, dials, and cases, you'll discover that Hublot's secret lies in a seamless blend of high-tech innovation and craftsmanship, the precision of machines and the ingenuity of human hands.

After the tour, it's off to Neuchatel and the Hotel Beaulac for the next stage of the GMT Watch Safari!

To register for the GMT Watch Safari, from 27 October to 1 November 2024, click here!
In the wake of the tragic apparent death of my friend Mike Lynch  one of Britains most successful ever tech entrepreneurs  there will rightly be a lot of coverage of Mikes CV virtues, given his glittering academic and business achievements, and his long and successful battle to be acquitted on trumped up legal charges in America.
It speaks to people, and whoever feels connected by this, you dont have to be a woman, but its really about talking on things that are not questioned, and exploding it into a really big kind of metaphor, where people can then come away and then think, how does this apply to my own life.
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A fresh take on Carl F. Bucherer's Heritage BiCompax Annual, featuring a sleek silver-grey dial and versatile, grey-toned strap options

Certain timepieces carry a legacy that predates their first appearance, and the Carl F. Bucherer Heritage collection typifies this phenomenon with its limited-edition pieces that pay homage to bygone eras. Among these tribute models aimed at todays watch enthusiasts is the brands fetching Heritage BiCompax Annual.

Heritage BiCompax Annual  Carl F. Bucherer

On one hand, this timepieces origins can be traced back to 1888, the year in which Carl Friedrich Bucherer opened his first store in Lucerne: From the off, Bucherer was devoted to creating both watches and jewellery in-house.

More specifically, though, its beginnings took shape six decades later: During the 1940s, the CFB workshops became renowned for producing chronographs with a variety of designs, displays and functionalities, including the highly coveted bicompax display, characterised by two symmetrically positioned subdials on the dials horizontal central axis.

From the Archives

This very symmetry was the hallmark of a standout timepiece in the Carl F. Bucherer archives dating from 1956, whose curved lines and slim chronograph pushers lent the watch a remarkable sporty flair and helped it to characterise that eras pioneering spirit and sense of optimism.

1956 Carl F. Bucherer chronograph that inspired the Heritage BiCompax Annual  Carl F. Bucherer

And it was this mid-century chronograph that inspired the Carl F. Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual, which debuted in 2019 and quickly became one of the brands best-sellers.

2019 Carl F. Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual  Carl F. Bucherer

Retaining the nostalgic qualities that have endeared it to watch aficionados, the Heritage BiCompax Annual now boasts an alluring new silver-grey dial and versatile grey-toned strap options, designed to appeal to contemporary connoisseurs.

A New Hue & Versatile Straps

The new silver-grey dial, complemented by black syringe hands treated with Super-LumiNova, lends the watch a bright, luminous finish. This fresh aesthetic is further enhanced by the two new strap options: a stainless-steel bracelet for a sportier, casual look, and a light grey "nubuck" vegan leather strap for understated elegance. A quick-change mechanism allows the wearer to effortlessly switch between the two, adding to the watchs overall versatility.

Heritage BiCompax Annual  Carl F. Bucherer

Elsewhere, the watch retains the coveted traits that have made the Heritage BiCompax Annual a hit, starting with the ultra-harmonious bicompax dial design, featuring two symmetrically arranged totalizers: small seconds at 3 oclock and a 30-minute counter at 9 oclock. The concentric finish of the small seconds and elapsed minutes counter contrasts beautifully with the sunray decoration of the main dial. And encircling the dial is a tachymeter scale for measuring average speed, just like the 1956 original had!

The annual calendar  a feature reflected in the watch's name  displays the month and date, automatically adjusting to the months differing lengths and requiring only one correction per year. The large date display below 12 oclock, meanwhile, provides top-notch legibility. Powering all these functions is the automatic CFB 1972 calibre, based on the ever-reliable ETA 2894-2, offering a 42-hour power reserve.

Heritage BiCompax Annual  Carl F. Bucherer

Vintage Appeal

Housing the movement is a brushed and polished stainless-steel case whose silvery tones contribute to the watchs striking monochromatic look. While its 41mm diameter is 7mm larger than the 1950s bicompax on which it is based, the case still has a throwback quality to its design and wears very comfortably on the wrist.

The double-domed sapphire crystal covering the dial adds to its vintage appeal, while a transparent display back reveals the intricacies of the CFB 1972 calibre. Water resistance is up to 30 metres.

Limited to just 888 pieces, this latest iteration of the Heritage BiCompax Annual, reference no. 00.10803.08.12.23, is priced at CHF 8,500. To find out more, visit the Carl F. Bucherer website.
Of course, its too early to tell how this will translate into action, and if 2024 could finally be the year we see Alaa free and an end to our familys ordeal, but I will borrow Alaas words from a letter when he got the news that David Lammy has finally become our Foreign Secretary and say: Im allowing myself to feel hopeful.
We are very committed to Fitbit, and even more importantly to the customers that use and depend on those products and technology. It's also worth noting that many of the health and fitness features we launched in Pixel Watch 3 were because of Fitbit's innovation and ground-breaking fitness advancements. In addition, we just launched Fitbit Ace LTE, and youll continue to see new products and innovation from Fitbit, it reads.
"Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy. They would like to sincerely thank the Italian coastguard, emergency services and all those who helped in the rescue, the statement continued.
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The late Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain often hosted official receptions for representatives of various countries at Buckingham Palace. Former U.S. President Donald Trump visited monarch's London residence several times, but she considered him a rude person.

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English writer Craig Brown shared this in his new biographical book "A Voyage Around the Queen," the Daily Mail reports. According to the author, Her Majesty did not like the fact that the politician often violated the rules of established protocol.

The writer said that a few weeks after meeting with Donald Trump, during a dinner, Elizabeth II admitted to one of the attendees that she considered the American statesman "very rude." The monarch was especially indignant at the way the 78-year-old man kept looking over her shoulder, as if looking for a more interesting person.

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In addition, according to the writer, a representative of the British royal family believed that there was a "special arrangement" between Donald Trump and his wife Melania, as she saw no other reason why they were still together.

The first meeting between the two officials took place in 2018, a year after the inauguration of the 45th US president. Since Donald Trump's reputation was rather dubious at the time, the official reception was not identified as a "state visit" but instead called a "working one." The event took place at Windsor Castle over a cup of tea in the absence of other high-ranking members of the royal family. Then the politician made Elizabeth II wait for him for 10 minutes on a hot day, which was the first violation of generally accepted norms.

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The next visit of the statesman to Buckingham Palace was more solemn. Her Majesty invited her children to an official dinner. In general, the event was calm, but at the end of the meeting, the former US president made a toast, calling the monarch "a great, great woman" and put his hand on Elizabeth II's back, which again was a violation of the royal protocol.

For his part, Donald Trump is convinced that he has always been the Queen's favorite guest.

"There are those that say they have never seen the Queen have a better time, a more animated time. I feel I know her so well and she certainly knows me very well right now, but we have a very good relationship with the United Kingdom," the politician said.

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Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Scientists suggest that a climate catastrophe could occur at any time within the next 6,000 years. According to experts, it is almost impossible to predict the exact time of turning points in nature.

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The Day After Tomorrow disaster movie may become a reality. After all, scientists record alarming signs of climate change almost every day, writes DailyMail.

A team from the Technical University of Munich and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research provided the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) as an example. This system circulates water from north to south and back again in a long cycle in the Atlantic Ocean, carrying warm currents from the tropics to the north.

Scientists suggest that the AMOC will weaken during the 21st century due to increasing greenhouse gases and melting ice. If the system breaks down, the northern hemisphere will become colder, leading to a sharp drop in temperatures in Europe. Also, wet seasons in the Amazon rainforest will be replaced by dry seasons, and sea levels will rise even faster in coastal cities.

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Previous predictions based on historical data suggested that collapse could occur between 2025 and 2095. However, the new study found that the uncertainties are so great that these predictions are not reliable.

According to the researchers, using different data sets and analysis, the tipping point for the AMOC ranged from 2050 to 8065. That is, an error of 6000 years is not particularly useful for accurate predictions.

The experts also said that the timing of other climate tipping points, such as the melting of the polar ice sheets or the disappearance of tropical forests, is also highly uncertain. This is because so much is still unknown about the underlying physical mechanisms of climate change. There is a lack of direct observations of the climate system and incomplete historical data.

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"Our study is both a wake-up call and a warning. There are things we still cannot predict, and we need to invest in better data and a deeper understanding of the systems involved. The stakes are too high to rely on shaky predictions," said lead author Maya Ben-Yami.

The experts also emphasized that statistical methods are still very good at telling us which parts of the climate have become more unstable. "We still need to do everything we can to reduce our impact on the climate, primarily by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Even if we cannot predict the time of the tipping point, the probability of tipping key components of the earth system still increases with every tenth of a degree of warming," concluded climate change study co-author Niklas Boers.

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Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Banca Transilvania recorded a net profit of RON 1.81 billion in the first half of this year, 42.6% higher than in the similar period of 2023, according to a press release sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday.

(1 EUR = 4.9769 RON)

During the mentioned period, BT financed companies with RON 11 billion and individuals, with RON 4 billion, and through SME Invest Plus granted financing of over RON 2.4 billion. The number of active customers continued to grow and reached 4.3 million. The bank attracted about 300,000 new customers in the first half of the year, of which about 46,000 companies.

Banca Transilvania continues to be one of the largest payers of taxes and fees. In the first half of the year, it contributed to the state budget with approximately RON 900 million through the payment of taxes, fees social contributions, including the turnover tax.

In the first part of the year, the Banca Transilvania Group took new steps in the direction of growth through acquisitions in Romania, both in the banking field and in complementary areas. BT signed in February 2024, with OTP Group, the agreement for the purchase of the Romanian subsidiaries - OTP Bank Romania, OTP Leasing Romania, OTP Asset Management Romania, OTP Factoring Romania, OTP Consulting Romania, OTP Advisors Romania and OTP Bank Romania Foundation. At the end of July 2024, given the receipt of approvals from the authorities, Banca Transilvania announced the completion of the acquisition. Currently, the integration of these subsidiaries into the Banca Transilvania Group is taking place, and the acquisition of one of the subsidiaries, OTP Asset Management, is in the approval stage by the authorities.

Also, in May 2024, the Banca Transilvania Group reached an agreement for the acquisition of BRD Pensii, a company operating in Romania, in the field of mandatory private pensions (Pillar II) and optional pensions (Pillar III). For the acquisition, the approval of the Financial Supervisory Authority is required in Romania.
Doctors Maria Miron and Mirela Paius from the Intensive Care Unit of the St. Pantelimon Hospital, remanded in custody for aggravated murder, are asking in court to be released, with their appeal due to be heard on Tuesday at the Bucharest Court of Appeal.

On August 8, Maria Miron, charged with aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder, and Mirela Paius, charged with aggravated murder, both premeditated, were remanded in custody for 30 days.

They challenged the decision before of the Bucharest Tribunal, with the trial due to take place on Tuesday at the Bucharest Court of Appeal.

The prosecutors allege that in March and April, the doctors lowered the dose of noradrenaline, which plays a role in maintaining blood pressure, of a patient hospitalized in intensive care, and he went into cardiorespiratory arrest.
Doctors Maria Miron and Mirela Paius, from the Intensive Care Unit of St. Pantelimon Hospital, accused of aggravated murder in the case of the suspicious deaths, will be released from custody, the Bucharest Court of Appeal decided on Tuesday.

On August 8, Maria Miron, charged with aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder, and Mirela Paius, charged with aggravated murder, both premeditated, were remanded in custody for 30 days.

The doctors appealed against the Bucharest Court of Appeal's decision, and their appeal was admitted on Tuesday by the Bucharest Court of Appeal, making the decision final.

Prosecutors allege that in March and April, the doctors had reduced the dose of noradrenaline, which is used to maintain blood pressure, to a patient hospitalised in intensive care, causing him to go into cardio-respiratory arrest.

The investigation in this case was launched following a complaint made by Camelia Stamatoiu, medical care director at St. Pantelimon Hospital. She told prosecutors that, on April 10, she was called by a nurse, who told her that around 20 patients had died in the hospital's ICU ward from Thursday (April 4) to Saturday (April 6), as the doctors on duty in the ICU, Maria Miron and Mirela Paius, reduced the amount of noradrenaline in some hospitalised patients from 15 or 20ml/h to 1ml/h or even replaced it with physiological serum.
National Liberal Party (PNL) Chairman Nicolae Ciuca criticised the Social Democrats on Tuesday over the nomination of Romania's candidate for European Commissioner, reiterating that the nomination is not the prerogative of one man, even if he is a prime minister, but it must be made within the governing coalition.

"For me, political maturity means open and objective dialog for Romania's interests. Unfortunately, PSD [the Social Democratic Party] is in favour of a game that seems more oriented towards its own interests and puts dialog - an absolutely necessary step for consensus and decision - on the last plan. It is not a battle of functions, it is a discussion of principles in a government that should exclusively pursue Romania's interests. Unfortunately, at the moment, Romania is one of the countries that has not yet proposed a European Commissioner. As the title says, the European Commissioner belongs to Romania - not to the PSD, which seems to understand this less and less. The appointment of a European Commissioner is not the prerogative of a single person, even if he is a prime minister, but it is a decision that must be made in Romania's interest, within the coalition. It is not a party position, but an essential position for the country in the coming years," Ciuca wrote on Facebook.

He stressed that, so far, there is no mandate from the coalition for the post of European Commissioner that will go to Romania.

"I am not only referring to his/her name, but also to the portfolio Romania is aiming for," explained the PNL leader.

In his opinion, Romania could consider the post of European Commissioner for Enlargement and the position of European Commissioner for Agriculture.

He called on the coalition partners "to leave aside immediate political interests."

"Let's talk seriously about Romania's needs, not PSD's. The electoral campaign will pass, the interest of the Romanian people remains!," said the PNL chairman.
The announcement of Social Democratic Party (PSD) head Marcel Ciolacu regarding the candidacy for the Presidency was presumed and expected by everyone, the former National Liberal Party (PNL) chairman Crin Antonescu said on Tuesday evening at the Antena 3 private TV broadcaster, adding that he has nothing to do with any of the candidates for the presidential elections.

Crin Antonescu detailed that he has no conflict whatsoever with president Klaus Iohannis, no operation, alliance, agreement with (former Romanian Intelligence Service, SRI, head, ed. n.) Eduard Hellvig, in fact, with anybody.

"I only appreciated the fact that - and this seems undeniable to me - (former PSD head, currently NATO deputy secretary general, ed. n.) Mircea Geoana, in terms of foreign policy for example, has a necessary qualification for a presidential candidate. This does not make me a supporter of Mircea Geoana in any way and I don't see why it bothers some," added Antonescu, who specified that his dissatisfaction is as a voter.

He reiterated that he has no one to vote for at the moment.

"I could jokingly say, but not that much, that with the formalization of the candidacy of the PSD president, Mr. Ciolacu, the system already has two candidates, and I have none. (...) Mr. Ciuca (the second candidate, ed. n.). I suppose he will also make it official. I am referring to the stability system in Romania. (...) There may be more, but the two are the strategic pillars," Antonescu said.

He said that he was not contacted by any PNL leader. He also stressed that he did not support Klaus Iohannis in the electoral campaign for the presidential elections, yet he voted for him.

Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, the national leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), earlier on Tuesday announced having decided to run for the position of President of Romania. He added that Romania needs, "more than ever", stability and balance.
Prime Minister and Social Democratic Party (PSD) Chairman Marcel Ciolacu on Wednesday sent an audio message to the PSD members announcing them his decision to run in the presidential elections.

Social democratic sources confirmed the information for AGERPRES.

"Hello, this is Marcel Ciolacu speaking. After I had consultations with many of you, I made the decision to run for Romania's Presidency. I wanted you to find this out from me and not on television, as this decision will be debated on at the PSD Congress on Saturday," Marcel Ciolacu told his party colleagues.

The Social Democrats' leader voiced his conviction that the PSD would manage to win the presidential ballot this year.

"We have the best team for Romania, as we have shown in all elections over the past four years. I am certain that together we will manage to win back the Presidency office after 20 years," Ciolacu said.

He announced his colleagues that he would present his plan for Romania at the PSD Congress on Saturday.

"I hope with all my heart that you would grant me the honour to fight on your and on Romanians' behalf to win the presidential elections. Romania needs stability and balance. I count on all of you and I expect you to join our campaign. Thank you!," Ciolacu also said.
The Andrei Muresanu Theatre of Sfantu Gheorghe, central Covasna County announces a record participation in the ninth edition of the DbutanT Festival-competition, with 128 actors and 51 shows registered, reads a statement posted on the theater's Facebook page.

In the coming period, the five shows that will enter the final will be selected.

"Facing the impressive number of registrations, (...) the Artistic Council of the Andrei Muresanu Theatre now has the difficult task of making the pre-selection, and then to select the five shows that will remain in the competition for the final stage as soon as possible. The selection process is extremely rigorous, given that all the participating shows stand out for their quality and originality. The results of the pre-selection will be announced on the double, after a careful evaluation of each show," the source says.

This year's edition of the festival is dedicated to debuting actors, and university, master's or doctoral graduates in theater, acting section of the 2022, 2023 and 2024 promotions could enroll in it. One of the conditions for participation was that the nominated actors should not be employed in other theatres.

"This last change was meant to maintain the relevance and fairness of the competition, given that the grand prize of the festival is an employment contract at the Andrei Muresanu Theatre, and the winner should be available immediately," the release also mentions.

The DbutanT Festival will take place in Sfantu Gheorghe between October 13 and 19, and the jury that will designate the big winner will be composed of prominent personalities of the Romanian and international theater, such as Oskaras Korunovas, Maia Morgenstern, Radu Afrim, Aura Corbeanu and Oana Bucur.

"This edition promises to be an exceptional one, not only by the impressive number of participants, but also by the quality of the shows, offering the public a week full of remarkable performances, as well as the opportunity to discover the new talents of the Romanian theatrical world," the organizing team adds.

The festival is organized with the financial support of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund (AFCN) and the Covasna County Council.
Prosecutors of the Public Prosecutor's Office next to the District Court 1 are conducting, on Tuesday, searches at the SNSPA headquarters, in the file in which several female students accuse Professor Alfred Bulai of sexual harassment, judicial sources stated for AGERPRES.

The police and the Prosecutor's Office have opened a criminal case in rem, regarding the use of the position for sexual purposes in the case of Professor Alfred Bulai.

According to a journalistic investigation carried out by the Snoop website, Alfred Bulai, a professor at SNSPA, allegedly sexually harassed several female students.

Three searches were carried out by the police in the capital on Tuesday, in a criminal case involving professor Alfred Bulai, a former teacher at SNSPA, in connection with committing the crimes of abuse of office for sexual purposes and sexual assault.

"Considering the ex officio notification prepared at the level of the 2nd Police Department, in which prosecutors from the Prosecutor's Office next to the District 1 Court carry out investigations, under the aspect of committing the crimes of abuse of office for sexual purposes and sexual assault, facts that would have been committed by a 61-year-old man, teaching staff of a university in the Capital, this morning three search warrants are being executed, at three addresses in the Municipality of Bucharest," informs a press release from the DGPMB sent to AGERPRES.

According to some judicial sources, the file was opened in rem, and at this moment evidence is being administered to establish the factual situation.

The investigations are continued by the Public Prosecutor's Office next to the District 1 Court, under the aspect of committing the crimes of abuse of office for sexual purposes and sexual assault.

The action benefits from the support of the Special Actions Service within the Capital Police.
ST. LOUIS  Federal prosecutors want a woman who stole millions from a program meant to feed low-income children arrested because she refuses to relinquish control of the finances of a day care business she owns, violating the conditions of her bond.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman on Thursday filed a motion seeking to revoke bond for Connie Bobo, the St. Charles woman who was indicted in October for netting some $11 million in what prosecutors said was a scheme to defraud a federally funded nutrition program. She has pleaded not guilty.

Bobo has been out on bond since she was indicted on charges of wire fraud, identity theft and obstruction in connection with a scheme where prosecutors said she billed a food program for millions of dollars worth of meals that were never provided to low-income children. She used the proceeds to buy houses for herself and for family members and gave $1.4 million to a romantic partner.

Part of the conditions of her release were that she have no access to anyones personal or financial information at the day care she owned, Great Beginnings Learning Center, now known as Infinite Wisdom Early Childhood Center on Harry S. Truman Boulevard in St. Charles. Bobo was also required to notify day care clients and employees of her fraud charges.

But prosecutors say Bobo recently told a pretrial services officer that she is still substantially involved in the day cares operation.

Not only did Defendant admit to being the current leaseholder for the daycare, but she also admitted that she controls the financial accounts for the daycare, prosecutors wrote in last weeks filing. Even now, it appears that Defendant still controls the financial accounts for the daycare despite being ordered by the Pretrial Services Officer to relinquish such control.

Wiseman, in the filing, wrote that when the officer confronted Bobo about her access to the financial information at the business, she warned that NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST ME EVER PROSPERS!  an apparent reference to a verse from Isaiah in the Old Testament.

Prosecutors asked the court to issue a warrant for Bobos arrest. She is scheduled to go to trial Jan. 21. Bobos attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Post-Dispatch first reported on Bobo and her nonprofit, New Heights Community Resource Center, in November 2022. The newspaper found her nonprofit had claimed over $20 million from two federally funded child nutrition programs in two years and that her nonprofit purchased a $975,000 house where she lived.

Prosecutors said Bobo claimed $11 million in reimbursements for meals that were never delivered, falsely claimed people served on the nonprofits board and forged a document as the feds were investigating in 2023. Prosecutors also say she gave $1.4 million to a man the newspaper identified as Howard Hughes III, who used some of the money to buy a $211,000 luxury Mercedes.

The nutrition programs, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, operated under loosened regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic. State regulators that oversaw the programs, such as the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services here, conducted fewer in-person audits and struggled to keep up with claims that ballooned from many organizations.

The nutrition programs saw among the largest frauds during the pandemic, when people tied to an organization in Minneapolis allegedly stole $250 million. That case was recently back in the headlines after an attempted bribe was delivered to a juror in the trial over the fraud. Five more people were indicted for the bribery scheme.
The new Mitsubishi Outlander 2025 model is being prepared for the premiere. Details about the Toyota RAV4 rival have emerged. The inexpensive crossover is quite popular, but it was decided to warm up interest in the car with the help of restyling.

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Details are reported by Carscoops. The official presentation of the new Mitsubishi Outlander 2025 is approaching and will take place in the fall. The Japanese crossover is quite ready for it. On this occasion, the manufacturer has released several teaser photos.

These photos are not very informative. However, it is already known that the Outlander design will change slightly. The front bumper and lighting will be updated. Although the main changes will not be focused on the appearance of the Mitsubishi crossover.

The rear bumper may also be replaced along with the lights. The body color palette will be expanded and new wheels will be available. The main changes will take place in the Mitsubishi Outlander's interior with improved trim and a new multimedia system on a 12.3-inch monitor.

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The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV hybrid is also being modernized. The top variant will receive an increased electric range.
Missouris social services agency announced Monday that it is officially launching a federal food program that could provide aid to more than 400,000 kids in the state.

Each eligible child will receive a one-time benefit of $120, loaded onto a card that can be used like a debit card to buy groceries.

Its part of a permanent federal program in its first year of existence called Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer, or SUN Bucks. The program aims to help kids who receive subsidized school meals avoid a summer drop-off in nutrition.

The money was intended to be distributed during the summer break. But state officials said they dealt with technical issues that delayed federal approval and hindered earlier launch of the program.

The Missouri Department of Social Services, which will oversee the program, did not lay out a timeline for dispersing the benefits, and a spokesperson didnt respond to questions.

The following groups of kids are automatically eligible, and their families will not need to apply for benefits:

Students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch during the school year.

Households already enrolled in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or temporary assistance.

Students who are in foster care, are experiencing homelessness or are migrants.

Those benefits will be issued on an existing card if the family is enrolled in SNAP benefits or temporary assistance, or on a new mailed card if they are not. Families who need a new EBT card can request one by phone or the ebtEDGE mobile app.

Families who are not automatically eligible must submit an application online by Aug. 31. The states eligibility navigator will tell families whether they must apply.

Even with the department announcing that money was set to be distributed, it warned in its news release that delays in issuing benefits are possible.

Benefits will expire 122 days after they are issued, regardless of usage, so families must act quickly once the benefits are distributed. They should also keep the cards for next summers program, the states website advises.

Food security advocates in the state were relieved when Missouri opted into the program after weighing factors like technology issues and staffing.

Thirteen Republican-led states opted out of the program entirely this year.

The program is run through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the benefits are fully federally funded. The state shares half of the administrative cost. DSS is leading Missouris administration, with the help of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

In Missouri, 490,000 kids are estimated to receive benefits amounting to $58.8 million.

Although we had to face some difficult challenges, Director of Family Support Division Kim Evans said in the news release, I am proud of our team members who worked diligently with our state and federal partners to get this important program off the ground.

We will be much more prepared for next summer when we anticipate a smoother rollout and even greater success, Evans said.

A similar but temporary program called Pandemic EBT provided various benefits during the pandemic and was beset with administrative issues  particularly because it required a new data collection portal to collect and share eligible students information with two agencies in the state.

The benefits designed to cover food costs during the summer of 2022 did not start going out until June 2023, and Missouri declined to participate in the summer 2023 program because of those issues  forgoing at least $40 million in aid.

Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on Facebook and X.
The affordable car segment has a wide range of models. Among them, there are those that should be avoided in order not to be disappointed in the purchase. This list will help you navigate and make the right choice.

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WhatCar experts have tested many different models in the affordable hatchback and crossover segments. The conclusion is simple: you can actually buy more or less successful cars for the same money. It's important to decide which models are better to avoid.

What cars are not worth buying:

Citroen C3;

MG3;

Ford Ecosport;

Jeep Renegade.

Citroen C3 was praised for its original design. However, among the disadvantages were poor handling and limited practicality.

The Chinese hatchback MG3, which is sold under the British brand, has a weak engine. Another drawback is depressing safety.

Ford Ecosport is mostly disliked for its lack of practicality. Especially since Ford has Puma, a more advanced compact crossover. Experts also do not like the ride quality of the Ecosport.

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The Jeep Renegade is roomy and behaves well off-road. However, the high price and fuel consumption are disadvantages.
The amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, seen here at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, steamed into Tokyo Bay on Aug. 17, a day after Typhoon Ampil narrowly missed landfall. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes)

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan  The amphibious assault ship USS Boxer steamed into Tokyo Bay over the weekend for a stop on its first deployment in five years.

The Boxers visit is intended to reaffirm the enduring partnership between the U.S. and Japan and provide a chance for rest and relaxation for its crew of more than 2,000 sailors and Marines, according to Expeditionary Strike Group 7 spokesman Lt. Cmdr. John Mike.

Boxers Sailors and the ships embarked Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit look forward to meeting the people of Yokosuka and experiencing the unique culture, food and sights the area has to offer, he told Stars and Stripes by email Monday.

The ship arrived a day after Typhoon Ampil skirted northeast past the base and narrowly avoided landfall. Mike declined to say how long theyll stay in port, citing operational security concerns.

Prior to its stop in Japan, the Boxer and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry visited Busan, South Korea, to offload 15th MEU personnel and equipment for training with South Korean marines, Mike said. The Harpers Ferry visited Sasebo Naval Base in southwestern Japan before heading for South Korea.

Wherever Boxer operates in U.S. 7th Fleet, the Navy-Marine Corps team will provide a flexible, self-sustained crisis response force, capable of conducting operations that range from combat missions to humanitarian aid and disaster relief, Mike added.

The Boxer arrived in Yokosuka after a long series of mechanical issues that has plagued the ship since completing its last deployment in 2019, when it visited the Persian Gulf amid flaring tensions with Iran.

The Boxer returned to its homeport of San Diego in 2020 for a $200 million-plus overhaul initially scheduled to last around 18 months.

The work ultimately lasted more than two years. The Boxer returned briefly to sea in June 2022, a trip cut short when overhauled engine components called forced draft blowers failed in August 2022.

Subsequent repairs also failed, and issues with the ships boiler and other engine components arose in the following months, KPBS, the public broadcasting station in San Diego, reported March 4.

The Boxer left San Diego on April 1 for its summer deployment, only to turn back 10 days later for additional maintenance in support of its deployment, according to a 3rd Fleet statement to several news outlets.

The Navy didnt elaborate on the repairs, but USNI News reported July 17 that the ship was underway once again following an emergency repair to its starboard rudder.
U.S. Army Corporal John A. Spruell, 19, of Cortez, Colo., was killed during the Korean War. (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency)

The remains of Army Cpl. John A. Spruell, who was killed during the Korean War, will be interred Sept. 3 at Cortez Cemetery in Cortez Colo.

Spruell will be buried with full military honors.

Spruell, a native of Cortez, was a member of Battery B, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. He went missing in action Dec. 6, 1950, at age 19, after his unit engaged in intensive combat actions in the vicinity of Hagaru-ri, South Korea, during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir.

Spruell was accounted for by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Aug. 11, 2023, after the remains of Korean War unknowns were exhumed in July 2018 from the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu  also known as the Punchbowl  for identification. Spruells name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Just under 7,500 Americans are still unaccounted-for from the Korean War, according to the DPAA. Many of the missing are believed to be in a non-recoverable category.

Overall, roughly 280,000 American service members remain unaccounted for.
World Food Programme food assistance being loaded on to trucks in Port Sudan bound for hunger hotspots elsewhere in the country. (Abubakar Garelnebei/WFP)

PORT SUDAN (Tribune News Service)  Flooded and impassable roads have made it difficult for more than 50 trucks carrying an estimated 4,800 metric tons of food and nutrition assistance to across Sudan, World Food Programme (WFP) said.

The food and nutrition assistance, it said, are enough for at least 500,000 people.

The United Nations humanitarian agency (OCHA) says nearly 143,000 people in 12 of Sudans 18 states have been affected by the floods and 50 people killed.

In addition, at least 27,000 people have reportedly been displaced, amid fears that the extent of damage and number of people affected is likely being underreported as some of the worst flooding is in hard-to-reach conflict hotspots.

WFP, in a statement, said the rainy season is exacerbating the already devastating situation in Sudan, as floods force more people from their homes, increase humanitarian needs, and cut off communities from vital assistance.

Coupled to this, however, heavy rains have destroyed key bridges which has made it extremely difficult for aid convoys to pass through muddy, flooded roads.

The world food agency said it had planned to reach half a million people with assistance transported via the Tine border crossing this month, but aid trucks are currently stranded on the Chad side, with heavy rainfall making it largely impassable, some trucks have been stuck for up to two weeks or even one month.

WFP expressed concerns that fighting has, since late June, spread east across Sennar and Gedaref State and continues to intensify amid fears it could sever key routes for humanitarian assistance from Port Sudan to other parts of Sudan.

The situation, the agency says, is likely to also hinder access to WFPs Kosti hub which is critical for aid deliveries across conflict lines to reach populations in White and Blue Nile states, the Greater Kordofan region, and parts of Darfur in Sudan.

Floods and heavy rains could also lead to the spread of waterborne diseases, like cholera and typhoid, which are dangerous for malnourished children and women, who are already bearing much of the fallout from the over one-year war.

WFP said although it has food ready for deliver to hungry people across various location of Sudan, continuous fighting makes it impossible to reach communities trapped in conflict hotspots.

A humanitarian ceasefire is urgently required to massively expand humanitarian access.

Ultimately, an end to the conflict is the only sustainable solution, the agency stressed, further noting that it is critical for the warring parties to leave the battlefield and show up at the negotiating table.

WFP said it urgently needs all border crossings into Sudan to open so that it is able to use every possible supply route to deliver urgently needed food and nutrition assistance to those in need.

This, it further said in the statement, includes opening the border crossing from Adre (Chad) into West Darfur, which was announced last week, and a formal agreement between South Sudan and Sudan to transport aid from the south into Darfur, Kordofan, and Blue Nile.

According to WFP, the planned Geneva peace talks would offer a vital opportunity for the international community to address widespread operational challenges and access impediments directly with the warring parties obstructing aid delivery.

(c)2024 the Sudan Tribune.

Visit the Sudan Tribune at www.sudantribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
U.S. Army Pfc. Dewayne Johnson, a cavalry scout assigned to 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, sits with his teammates during an exercise at Helemano Military Reservation, Hawaii, Nov. 2, 2023. (Joshua Linfoot/U.S. Army)

FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii  The husband of a 19-year-old pregnant woman who went missing two weeks ago is being held by the military in pretrial confinement in Hawaii, the Army said Monday.

Pfc. Dewayne Arthur Johnson II, of Frederick, Md., was arrested in connection with the disappearance of his wife, Mischa Johnson, from their home on Schofield Barracks in central Oahu, the service said in a news release.

Johnson is a cavalry scout with the 25th Infantry Division, where he was assigned in June 2023.

Schofield Barracks is the states largest Army base.

Our efforts remain focused on locating Mischa, support to her family, and the safety and security of all personnel at U.S. Army Hawaii installations, the news release states. This is a current and ongoing investigation, and no further information is available at this time.

The Army Criminal Investigation Division is offering a $10,000 reward for help in finding the missing woman, who was last seen at her home on July 31.

Mischa Mabeline Kaalohilani Johnson, 19, the pregnant wife of a service member, was last seen in her home on Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, on the evening of July 31, 2024. (Honolulu Police Department)

Johnson is of Filipino descent and described as 5 feet, 2 inches tall, and about 170 pounds.

She is six months pregnant, according to the CID description. She has a large tattoo of a dragon on her back.
A view of North Korea from Odusan Unification Observatory at Paju, South Korea, Aug. 14, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)

SEOUL, South Korea  A North Korean soldier crossed the heavily guarded southeastern border Tuesday and has been handed over to South Korean authorities for investigation, according to the Souths military and media reports.

An investigation is underway to determine whether the North Korean intentionally crossed the border and defected, a Ministry of National Defense spokesman said by phone Tuesday. No further details were provided.

South Korean officials regularly speak to the media on a customary condition of anonymity.

The individual is a staff sergeant in the North Korean army and was apprehended by South Korean troops stationed in the mountainous Gangwon province, an unidentified military source said in a Yonhap News report Tuesday.

The ministry reported an uptick in North Korean troops stationed at the border since April; many were part of working parties to lay mines, reinforce roads and construct anti-vehicle barriers.

The ministry last month warned of the possible defections from North Korean forces due to their working conditions at the border. At least 10 landmines were inadvertently triggered and injured some of the soldiers since April, and many worked in 12- to 13-hour shifts, according to the ministry.

Between 12 and 20 North Korean soldiers crossed the Military Demarcation Line, the actual border separating the Korean Peninsula, at least three times in June, according to the Souths military.

The South Korean army responded to the June crossings by firing warning shots and blaring warnings over loudspeakers. The North Korean forces returned to their side of the border without incident.

The latest border crossing comes 12 days after a North Korean defected through a small South Korean island at the western maritime border.

Nearly four years earlier, North Korean soldier Oh Chong-song drove a vehicle through the Demilitarized Zone under a hail of gunfire from pursuing troops. He was rescued by soldiers from the U.S. Armys 2nd Infantry Division and airlifted by helicopter to a hospital in Suwon city for treatment of his gunshot wounds.

Almost 200 North Koreans defected to the South last year, of which 80% were women, according to an annual report from the South Korean Ministry of Unification. The ministry estimated that about 34,100 North Koreans have defected since 1948.

North Korean defectors receive money and vocational training from the Souths government, following an investigation into their background by the South Korean military and intelligence agencies.

The defectors also receive government-sponsored cultural training to better acclimate into South Korean society.

According to a Unification Ministry report on North Korean human rights in June, Pyongyang has intensified its social education and punishments and has been looking for non-socialist behavior among its citizens, such as using South Korean phrases.

Other benefits for defectors include free or reduced-cost tuition at universities, counseling services and medical care.
On Sept. 29, 2024, Japanese officials will evacuate 1,400 people and remove a World War II-era shell discovered last year at a sewerage system construction site in Naha city, Okinawa. (Naha city)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa  Okinawa prefectures capital city will evacuate 1,400 people next month while Japanese troops disarm and remove a suspected U.S. bomb left over from World War II.

Workers found the 551-pound ordnance on Dec. 12 at a sewage system construction site in Nahas Shuri district, according to the citys website.

Members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces 101st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit will dig around the shell approximately 20 feet deep and 10 feet wide, then remove the fuse, the city said.

The evacuation is expected to begin at 8:50 a.m. Sept. 29 and conclude at 9:45 a.m., the citys website states. Shuri High School, Okinawa Technical High School and Matsushima Junior High School will be open to the evacuees.

City and fire department officials will evacuate buildings within a 928-foot radius of the bomb, including 1,400 people in 470 households and 80 businesses, according to the citys website.

Police will restrict traffic and the skies up to about 2,560 feet above will also be restricted, the website states. The operation is expected to conclude at around 2 p.m.

We cannot start the operations if someone is within the evacuation area, a spokesman from Nahas Disaster Prevention Division said by phone Tuesday.

The disarmed shell will be stored at a prefecture facility until its detonated at sea, a Self-Defense Force spokesman said by phone Tuesday.

It is not possible to remove the shell as it is, because it is very dangerous since it has the fuse in it and might explode, the Disaster Prevention Division spokesman said.

Some Japanese government officials are required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.

The shells position in an extremely narrow and heavily populated area delayed its removal.

Usually, we build something like a sand mountain covered with metal plates over the shell before removing it, but we dont have the space to do so, the Disaster Prevention Division spokesman said.

Because heavy machinery wont fit in the space around the bomb, the city decided to dig a hole around it.

We have to consider many things to not affect buildings surrounding the place and also we have to reconduct magnetic surveys after digging, the spokesman said.

Approximately 2,000 tons of ordnance remains undiscovered out of 10,000 tons dropped on the island during the Battle of Okinawa, according to the prefectures General Bureau website.

Crews disposed of nearly 22 tons of unexploded ordnance between April 1, 2023, and March 31.

In June, authorities detonated three shells believed to be left over from World War II on an island just southeast of Naval Base White Beach.
U.S. Naval Support Activity Naples in Italy has begun radon testing at single service member housing and nonresidential buildings. Results are expected in October 2025. (Alison Bath/Stars and Stripes)

NAPLES, Italy  The Navys largest installation in Italy failed to notify its military personnel and their families that the base had the services highest rating for potentially excessive levels of an odorless, colorless gas linked to lung cancer, a Defense Department Inspector General investigation has revealed.

U.S. Naval Support Activity Naples also didnt do timely testing for radon gas at some homes, offices, medical facilities and child care centers, as required by Navy policy.

And although officials knew about the bases risk rating for possibly elevated levels of the radioactive gas, they didnt inform nearly 4,000 military personnel living off base that their homes could be tested, according to a DOD IG report released last week.

The failures could create a potential risk to the health and safety of DoD personnel and their families stationed at NSA Naples, the IG said.

A radon testing kit is affixed to the wall of an office at U.S. Naval Support Activity Naples in Italy on Aug. 19, 2024. The base recently started radon testing of its single service member housing and nonresidential buildings after a Defense Department Inspector General audit found that the installation was not in compliance with Navy policies. (Alison Bath/Stars and Stripes)

The base worked with the IG to develop the report and is complying with all recommendations, said Lt. jg Valentine Mulango, a spokesperson for NSA Naples. He added that the health and safety of sailors, civilian personnel, contractors and their families is a top priority.

In a June 27 letter, Rear Adm. Brad Collins, commander of Navy Region Europe, Africa, Central, concurred with several of the IGs recommendations related to the report and noted that the base had contracted to begin radon testing of single service member housing and other buildings this month.

Since 2016, the Navy has classified NSA Naples in Radon Potential Category 1, its highest rating, according to the IG report.

That same year, officials found that 24 rooms in nonresidential facilities at the base had radon levels ranging from 4.1 to 35.6 picocuries per liter of air.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines state that levels consistently at or above 4.0 picocuries per liter of air are hazardous.

Radon forms when the radioactive metals uranium, thorium or radium break down naturally in rocks, soil and water. People are exposed to the gas when it seeps through cracks and gaps in buildings, according to the EPA.

Radon levels can be lowered by means ranging from temporary measures like increasing ventilation to adding a professionally installed depressurization system.

The agency estimates that radon causes more than 21,000 deaths from lung cancer each year and is the No. 1 cause of the disease among nonsmokers.

About 6,700 DOD personnel and family members are stationed at NSA Naples and nearly 60% live off base, according to the IG report.

The IG launched its investigation after receiving a whistleblower complaint regarding the bases handling of its radon management program, particularly as it related to off-base housing. The IG conducted its subsequent review from November 2023 to June 2024.

Investigators found that while NSA Naples appropriately conducted radon testing of on-base residences typically used by service members and their families, base personnel made mistakes in interpreting policies that required testing of other buildings on the installation.

As a result, the bases single service member housing and most of its roughly 84 nonresidential buildings hadnt been tested for more than seven years. Policy requires testing at least every five years, the IG report stated.

NSA Naples also didnt comply with timelines for mitigating radon levels that meet or exceed EPA guidelines.

For example, a 2023 report found that despite mitigation efforts, nearly half of the 24 rooms identified during testing in 2016 continued to have hazardous radon levels. Those rooms included one used for child care.

As of March, the base had not made changes to the mitigation systems in those rooms, the report stated.

Investigators also determined that a lack of DOD policy on informing overseas personnel living off base about the known potential for elevated radon levels hindered NSA Naples ability to effectively tell its community about the risk.

The base did release the results of radon testing in on-base military housing. But officials never stated that NSA Naples was in the highest category for potentially elevated radon levels, investigators found.

The report also noted that the DOD had not determined whether it has the authority to provide at-home radon testing kits to personnel living off-base overseas.

As a result of its findings, the IG made 10 recommendations, including that the Pentagon implement policy that ensures DOD personnel living off-base are better informed about the potential for elevated radon levels.

The IG also recommended that the base update its radon management plan and closely monitor contracted radon testing.
The declaration of independence is a crucial event in the history of the Ukrainian state and people. On August 24, 1991, after many centuries of struggle for its own identity, the nation finally united in a single desire for independent existence on the world stage.

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The day of the adoption of the Act of Independence of Ukraine is of great historical value. OBOZ.UA tells about the interesting facts of this process.

On August 24, 1991, the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR adopted the Act of Independence of Ukraine. Since then, every year on August 24, the country celebrates a holiday in honor of this event. Thus, in 2024, Ukrainians will celebrate the 33rd anniversary.

Interesting facts about the Independence Day of Ukraine

Initially, Ukraine's Independence Day was celebrated on July 16 in honor of the adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty. But after the August coup, it was decided to declare full independence, so the date was changed to August 24. The draft of the Act of Independence was written in the morning of August 23, 1991, by Leontii Sanduliak and Levko Lukyanenko in an ordinary school notebook. According to Levko Lukianenko's memoirs, the deputies had to write a bill without controversial provisions in order to pass it in one day. If it had taken longer, the declaration of independence would probably not have been possible. The text of the Declaration of Independence contained 93 words, was typed and took up only 1 page. At an extraordinary extraordinary meeting of the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR, 346 deputies voted for independence. After the extraordinary meeting, the opposition performed the anthem of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen near the rostrum of the Verkhovna Rada. After the declaration of independence, Viacheslav Chornovil proposed to bring the blue and yellow flag with which Ukrainians stood on the barricades near the Russian White House into the parliamentary hall. The flag was then raised over the dome of the parliament. Thus, after the adoption of the act, the Ukrainian flag flew over Kyiv for the first time since June 1920. To legitimize the declaration of independence, an all-Ukrainian referendum was held, in which more than 90% of respondents answered in the affirmative to the question "Do you confirm the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine?" Poland and Canada were the first countries to recognize Ukraine's independence. The first military parade in honor of independence was held on August 24, 1994.

Subscribe to OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events.
A Lithuanian service member buries a time capsule Aug. 19, 2024, at a site in Rudninkai, Lithuania, where a military base is being built to house a German combat brigade. Behind him are senior German Defense Ministry official Nils Hilmer, left, Lithuanian defense chief Raimundas Vaiksnoras, Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas and Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte. (Lithuanian Defense Ministry/X)

A NATO military base is now under construction in Lithuania near its border with Russian ally Belarus that is set to house thousands of German troops when its completed in 2027.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday in Rudninkai, Lithuanias Defense Ministry said the same day on X, formerly known as Twitter. Of the roughly 4,800 service members and 200 civilian contractors Germany has committed to send to Lithuania as part of a new defense brigade, about 80% of them will be housed at the new base, according to the ministry.

Lithuania is expected to spend over $1 billion over the next three years to build the Rudninkai facility, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported, quoting Gen. Raimundas Vaiksnoras, Lithuanias defense chief.

U.S. Army battalions have been rotating through Lithuania since 2019, where a base in the town of Pabrade serves as a hub. That site is about 50 miles northeast of Rudninkai and also near the border with Belarus.

The U.S. rotations were originally expected to last until the end of next year. However, in May, Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas told national broadcaster LRT that the rotations would continue and that the U.S. presence in Lithuania is indefinite.

In addition to housing troops, the new installation will serve as a storage and maintenance facility for military equipment such as tanks and have various shooting ranges, Reuters reported.

Construction of the Rudninkai base is a testament to the continued fears of Russian expansionism following Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago.

Construction work begins in Rudninkai, Lithuania, on Aug. 19, 2024, on a $1 billion NATO base that will eventually house thousands of German military personnel. The work is expected to finish in 2027. (Lithuanian Defense Ministry/X)

Rudninkai is about 12 miles from Belarus and a little over 100 miles east of the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

The European Union has described Belarus as a safe haven for the Russian army. Moscow keeps troops and equipment in Belarus and launches missile and drone attacks against Ukraine from Belarusian territory.

Russian forces have also used Belarusian roads and railways to reach Ukraine, according to a report by the Atlantic Council, a U.S.-based think tank.

Lithuania has boosted its defense spending to 3% of gross domestic product this year, surpassing NATOs target of 2%.

The new German brigade, known as Panzerbrigade 45, will mark Germanys first permanent military deployment abroad since World War II.

A group of about 20 Germans supporting Panzerbrigade 45 arrived in Lithuania in April to assist with the initial setup.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned at the time that a larger presence by the German military in Lithuania would escalate tensions.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Aug. 19, 2024. (Secretary Antony Blinken/X)

TEL AVIV  Hamas directly criticized President Joe Biden on Tuesday, saying his comments that the militant group is backing away from a cease-fire deal in the Gaza Strip caused great astonishment and disapproval and demonstrated blind bias toward Israel.

The unusually direct comments cast doubt on the prospects of a near-term agreement, which the Biden administration said last week it hoped to conclude in the coming days. The criticism also came as the Israeli military recovered the bodies of six more hostages from southern Gaza, and as the enclaves civil defense force said at least 12 people were killed in a strike on a school in Gaza City. Israel accused Hamas militants of using the school as a command and control center.

The row between Hamas and Biden comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shuttled between Israel, Egypt and Qatar on Tuesday on a mission to pressure all sides to conclude a deal. The proposal sponsored by the United States includes a six-week cease-fire, the release of scores of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from major population centers in Gaza.

The framework, which the United States says is a compromise that incorporates both Israeli and Hamas interests, was provided to Hamas and Israel last week. On Monday, Blinken emerged from a three-hour meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that the Israeli leader had accepted the framework but that core aspects of implementation still needed to be negotiated.

Israel accepts the bridging proposal. Its now incumbent upon Hamas to do the same, Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv.

Biden followed those remarks by telling reporters at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that Israel says they can work it out, but Hamas is now backing away.

The Hamas statement says that the group agreed to an earlier cease-fire framework that was consistent with both Bidens remarks on a deal and a U.N. Security Council resolution, but that the deal changed after Israel placed new demands and Washington accepted them.

Biden and Blinkens statements are misleading claims and do not reflect the true position of the movement, which is keen to reach a cessation of aggression, Hamas said. We reaffirm our commitment to what we agreed upon with the mediators on July 2.

Although both U.S. mediating partners Qatar and Egypt signed on to the latest bridging proposal, they largely view it as an American creation that they will try their best to convince Hamas to accept.

One former Egyptian official familiar with the discussions said the United States no longer appears to be bridging anything and was simply adopting Israels demands.

I am no longer hopeful about what is happening, the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations, said of the prospects of reaching a deal.

During Blinkens meeting Tuesday with Abdel Fatah El-Sisi, the Egyptian president said Cairo would not accept the presence of Israeli forces along the Egypt-Gaza border.

While the disconnect between Hamas and the United States raises doubts about a deal, there are also significant discrepancies between U.S. and Israeli negotiators, according to diplomats who, like others in this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation.

When Blinken announced that Israel had accepted the proposal, Israeli, Qatari and Egyptian officials privately expressed surprise and confusion. Israel has not yet agreed on how to implement some of the deals most critical components, including which Palestinian prisoners will be released, how to vet Palestinians returning to their homes in northern Gaza, and the status of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), both at the Rafah crossing in the south and along the Israeli-built Netzarim Corridor that carves the territory in two.

Among the most stubborn sticking points for the Israelis is forging an agreement on the removal of Israeli troops from the Philadelphi Corridor that runs the length of Gazas border with Egypt. Netanyahu has insisted on a lasting military presence, Hamas demands a full withdrawal, and U.S. negotiators are trying to find a middle ground that allows for a reduced presence of Israeli soldiers until a long-term Arab security force can be stood up, said officials familiar with the negotiations.

Publicly, Netanyahu has not denied that he agreed with the U.S. proposal, but he has also insisted he will never back down on the issue of the Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow buffer zone Israel and Egypt established to prevent weapons smuggling into Gaza from the Sinai Peninsula.

The prime minister insisted that Israel remain in the Philadelphi Corridor in order to prevent terrorists from rearming, Netanyahus spokesman David Mencer said Tuesday. Were conducting these negotiations with a firm eye on the vital security interests of Israel, as opposed to those who advised us just to give in.

U.S. officials also said Netanyahus public comments that Israel will not withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor were patently unhelpful to the negotiations. Maximalist statements like this are not constructive to getting a cease-fire deal across the finish line, said a senior administration official briefing reporters.

In response to the confusion surrounding the U.S. position, Blinken told reporters in Qatar late Tuesday that the United States does not support the long-term occupation of Gaza. He also said that the U.S. proposal includes clear schedules and locations for IDF withdrawal from the territory.

But the issue of the Philadelphi Corridor has been so difficult to resolve that some suspect Netanyahu may have raised it to forestall a deal, which is strongly opposed by his right-wing cabinet.

The Philadelphi Corridor issue isnt a made-up issue, though the prime minister is making it harder to resolve than it needs to be, said Aaron David Miller, a Middle East expert who has advised multiple Republican and Democratic administrations. Stopping smuggling of weapons from Sinai into Gaza is critically important for preventing a Hamas resurgence.

For Egypt, its a sovereignty issue and an economic one, since the smuggling trade is a lucrative one, he said. The IDF is prepared to implement any decision reached by the government, which suggests the issue is Netanyahus politics, not Israeli security.

Retired Maj. Gen. Israel Ziv, who served as the head of the IDFs operations division, said Israeli negotiators generally have only a partial mandate to agree to a humanitarian cease-fire deal that would halt the fighting, allow most Palestinians to return to their homes and secure the release of more than 100 hostages still held in Gaza, dozens of whom the Israeli government has assessed are still alive.

Ziv said that the talks, taking place alongside U.S. and international efforts to prevent a war between Israel, Hezbollah and Iran, have enabled Netanyahu to kind of launder in the Philadelphi Corridor issue, understanding that the U.S. and the other players see de-escalation as their top interest.

Netanyahu has shifted the focus of the negotiations toward convincing Egypt to allow Israel to control the border area, in exchange for the potential involvement of the Palestinian Authority as supervisors of the crossing.

The deal now depends on Egypt and on the U.S. to get Egypt on board, Ziv said. Which means there is a high probability that there will be an understanding on the principles of the deal by the weekend, though we may still see, at least, another round of negotiations.

High-ranking Israeli military figures for months have expressed willingness to show flexibility on security concerns needed to finalize a deal.

Last week, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said that along the Philadelphi Corridor, the military was preparing options for whatever the political echelon decides, including the withdrawal of troops from the border region.

If they decide that we remain in Philadelphi, we will do so with a strong presence. If they decide that we will monitor from afar and carry out raids whenever indications arise, we will know how to do that, Halevi said.

Mahfouz reported from Cairo. Lior Soroka in Tel Aviv contributed to this report.
LONDON (Tribune News Service)  U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy was snubbed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Britains withdrawal of its objections to arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court, The Times reported on Tuesday.

Earlier this year, the ICC announced it was seeking the arrest of Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The U.K., under the previous Conservative government, objected to the move, but this was overturned by Prime Minister Keir Starmers new government.

Lammy met Netanyahu on his first visit to Israel last month, and the two were pictured shaking hands.

But in a sign of strained relations, Netanyahu refused to meet Lammy when he traveled to Jerusalem last week, The Times reported.

The U.K.s new government has also stepped up investigations into British arms sales to Israel, with rumors that it could soon announce a major weapons embargo.

During Lammys visit last week, which took place alongside a similar trip by his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne, the U.K. Foreign Office reportedly requested a meeting between the British official and Netanyahu.

But Israel did not respond, and the British and French ministers instead met President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.

The Israeli government is also said to be slighted at the U.K.s decision to resume funding to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees earlier this year, following a controversial pause in payments to the agency.

A U.K. source told The Times that Netanyahu was stung more by (Britains) ICC decision than anything else.

In response to the strained relations, Starmer has sought to assure Netanyahu by sending Lord Hermer KC, the new attorney general, to Israel. He is expected to explain the U.K.s decision to avoid blocking the ICCs arrest warrants.

The Foreign Office said in a statement: There were no plans to meet prime minister Netanyahu during this visit. This government is committed to upholding international law, we have made clear that we will not export items if they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

There is an ongoing review process to assess whether Israel is complying with international humanitarian law which the foreign secretary initiated on day one in office. We will provide an update as soon as that review process is completed.

(c)2024 the Arab News.

Visit the Arab News at www.arabnews.com

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Green Berets fire a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on a Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station from a M-ATV Special Forces Vehicle during a readiness exercise near At-Tanf Garrison, Syria, April 12, 2020. (Staff Sgt. William Howard/U.S. Army)

(Tribune News Service)  U.S.-backed forces in eastern Syria launched a major attack on three posts manned by pro-government gunmen on Aug. 12, 2024, killing at least 18 fighters in a rare provocation near the border with Iraq.

The assault marked the worst clashes in eastern Syria in nearly a year. Earlier in August, eight U.S. personnel stationed in Syria were injured in a drone attack purportedly carried out by Iranian-backed militants.

These incidents highlight a fact that is often forgotten: The U.S. still has an active presence in Syria. The Deir ez-Zor Military Council behind the Aug. 12 attack is part of the Syrian Democratic Forces  a Kurdish-led alliance that has been a major U.S. partner in Syria. The group and its local affiliates now control much of the territory that the terrorist Islamic State group once controlled.

And as of the beginning of 2024, the U.S. still had close to 1,000 military personnel in the eastern part of Syria. Recent reports suggest that amid the growing tension in the region, additional resources and soldiers have made their way to the civil war-torn country.

U.S. troops in Syria serve various purposes: helping prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State group, supporting Washingtons Kurdish allies and containing the influence of Iran and Russia  both of which also have a military presence in Syria.

But the costs and risks associated with this indefinite U.S. involvement could be significant. A continued presence risks prolonging Americas entanglement in a protracted and costly conflict with no clear end in sight, while antagonizing NATO ally Turkey, which views Syrias Kurdish groups as a cross-border threat.

As an expert on Middle East security, I focus on the evolving geopolitical landscape and argue that the U.S. must carefully weigh its commitments in Syria against the broader goals of regional stability and its relationships with allies and adversaries alike. Ultimately, whether the U.S. decides to stay or withdraw, the decision will have profound implications for Syria as well as for regional and global actors involved in the countrys ongoing civil war.

Growing U.S. engagement

U.S. involvement in the Syrian civil war is a complex story. Shortly after the civil war began in 2011, the Obama administration placed sanctions on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and supported factions of the opposition.

However, the administration was largely indecisive about when, how, and to what extent it should intervene against the Assad regime. In part, this reflected growing war-weariness among the American public following a decade of engagement in Afghanistan and Iraq. Meanwhile, Washington struggled at first to find reliable partners on the ground in Syria.

As popular protests grew into a full-scale military conflict in 2012, President Barack Obama declared that the use of chemical weapons would be a red line for the U.S. The following year, the Syrian military did just that, deploying chemical weapons during an attack on Ghouta, a rebel-held area, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 1,500 civilians, including more than 400 children.

Yet the Obama administration hesitated to involve the U.S. militarily in the conflict, fearing escalation due to increasing Russian and Iranian support for the regime.

The U.S. military involvement in Syria began in September 2014, when a U.S.-led coalition, including the United Kingdom, France, Jordan, Turkey, Canada, Australia and others, launched an air campaign against the Islamic State group and fellow radical group al-Nusra Front inside Syria.

Following the airstrikes, American troops entered northeast Syria to back a Syrian Kurdish force known as the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, and later the Syrian Democratic Forces, an umbrella group that consists of majority Kurdish and other ethnic and rebel groups.

The U.S. did not take direct military action against the Assad regime until April 2017, when the Trump administration launched a missile strike on Shayrat Airbase in response to a suspected chemical attack in the town of Khan Shaykhun in Idlib province.

In December 2018, President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of the 2,000 to 2,500 U.S. ground troops in Syria, believing the coalitions operations against the Islamic State group had been largely successful and that the U.S. presence in eastern Syria was unnecessary.

However, instead of a total withdrawal, the U.S. announced that a contingency force would remain indefinitely.

Military presence today

As of 2024, around 900 U.S. soldiers, along with an undisclosed number of contractors, are operating in Syria, according to the Defense Department. Most U.S. forces are deployed in northeast Syria in support of the Syrian Democratic Forces, with some supporting the Free Syrian Army at the al-Tanf garrison in southeast Syria, along a transit route between Iraq and Syria used by both Islamic State group fighters and Iran-backed militias.

But U.S. military support for Kurdish groups in Syria has angered its NATO ally Turkey, which views the YPG as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a designated terrorist organization.

Prioritizing Turkeys security concerns, the Trump administration ordered all U.S. forces to withdraw from Rojava in early October 2019 ahead of a Turkish incursion into the region. But the move also damaged the U.S. alliance with the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Meanwhile, to appease their Kurdish allies, U.S. troops repositioned to eastern Syria, reinforcing their presence in the al-Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor governoratestwo Syrian Democratic Forces-controlled regions of Syria that are rich in oil and gas.

What an American withdrawal could mean

The U.S. military presence currently serves three purposes.

First, its presence in northeast Syria acts as a deterrent to military incursions by either the Syrian regime or Turkey into the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). If U.S. forces were to withdraw, the Syrian Democratic Forces, which acts as the AANES de facto military, would need to negotiate the regions autonomy with Turkey and the Syrian regime, both of which have made their opposition to Kurdish autonomy very clear.

Recent rapprochement attempts between Turkey and Syria have also fed Kurdish fears that a complete American withdrawal would tip the balance of power in divided Syria against them, risking their very survival.

Second, the U.S.s presence in southeast Syria puts pressure on neighboring Iran, whose influence the U.S. seeks to limit in the region. The U.S. presence also serves as a counterbalance to Russian influence and ambitions in Syria and the Middle East. Notably, Russian airstrikes in 2015 over opposition-held areas of Aleppo and the bombing of hospitals were crucial in helping Assad regain territory and stay in power.

Third, the U.S. and its local partners have reportedly detained around 5,000 Islamic State group fighters and 50,000 indoctrinated family members. If these detainees were freed by any authority, the group could be reconstituted and grow. Underscoring the threat, the U.S., along with the Syrian Democratic Forces, thwarted a major prison break by Islamic State group fighters in early 2022.

Nonetheless, continued U.S. presence in Syria is not assured. In 2023, Republicans in the House attempted to force the Biden administration to withdraw the remaining troops. They failed. But Trump, again the Republican presidential candidate in 2024, has made it clear that he sees no role for the U.S. in endless wars.

Meanwhile, a U.S. troop pullout, despite the consequences, has precedence. The Biden administration withdrew all American troops from Afghanistan in 2021 and is formally transitioning to an advisory role in Iraq.

But for the time being, U.S. military presence in Syria continues and is emblematic of the broader challenges facing American foreign policy in the Middle East. The decision to stay or withdraw is a strategic one that will reverberate across the region.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
To ensure that your car's engine retains good performance for many years and thousands of kilometers, it needs to be equipped with high-quality engine oil that is suitable for its characteristics. As a rule, its characteristics are regulated by the car manual. But you can figure out all the nuances on your own so that you never make a mistake with your choice.

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OBOZREVATEL asked professional mechanics for their recommendations. Here's what they advised to pay attention to.

How to determine the right viscosity

The viscosity of the oil determines how it will lubricate the engine in different temperature conditions. It becomes thicker in winter frosts and thinner in summer heat. The viscosity level is determined according to the SAE specification and is labeled with the letter W, i.e. Winter. On packages with technical fluid, you can see such markings as 5W-40, 10W-40, etc. The number before the letter W indicates how easily the oil will flow to the engine parts in cold mode and how much battery power will be spent on the starter motor (viscosity at 40C). The summer viscosity grade is indicated after the dash. It indicates what this figure will be at an engine temperature of 100C.

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Automakers allow the use of oil with a viscosity that differs from the recommended one by 5-10 units. Since winters in Ukraine are relatively warm, you don't need to choose an oil with a very low winter index. But the "summer" value can be taken from the maximum allowed by the car manual.

How to choose a quality class

The quality class is an indicator that can be used to determine the suitability of an oil for use in engines with a certain load on parts. With each successive generation of cars, these requirements are increasing, so you need to choose a fluid that is not lower than a certain class. Also, newer developments are able to be safe for catalysts and exhaust system filters, ensure proper combustion in the cylinders, help save fuel, and have some other additional functions.

There are several oil quality class standards on the market. Among them are API, ACEA, JASO, and ILSAC. The most common in Ukraine is the API standard of the American Petroleum Institute. It divides these liquids into those intended for gasoline engines - they belong to category S, and diesel engines - category C. Within each category, there are classes. They are designated by letters of the Latin alphabet, starting with A.

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The most common class of oils for diesel engines is CF. They can be used in high-powered diesel engines, both with and without turbocharging.

When choosing, it is also important to consider that the oil is compatible with modern exhaust gas treatment systems (limited SAPS). Another key indicator for diesel engines is that the fluid does not damage the DPF particulate filter in the exhaust.

As for gasoline engines, the classification is more complicated. According to API, there are several classes: SJ, SL, SM, SN and the most modern SP. The latter is the most stable, has less volatility and a good resource for extended service life before replacement. However, the latter should be based on the car manufacturer's recommendations.

Oils can be divided by quality class according to the ACEA system. Here, category A is assigned to gasoline engines, category B to diesel engines, and category C includes low-ash oils that are compatible with modern exhaust gas neutralization systems - we are talking about the previously mentioned diesel DPF and gasoline TWC. The numerical index in the ACEA classification indicates the quality class of the oil, for example, ACEA C3, ACEA C4, and so on.

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It is important to keep in mind that some modern oils that have been developed for use in vehicles with multi-stage exhaust aftertreatment systems cannot be used in older generations of engines. When choosing, you need to check the instructions for a particular car.

Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL's Telegram, Viber, and Threads channels to keep up with the latest developments.
Sentenced in 2014, he was ordered to serve at least six years in jail but the self-confessed killer had been on the run since January after breaching the conditions of a temporary release from jail

A so-called joyrider who caused the death of a serving police officer when he crashed into her car appeared in court today on foot of an extradition warrant.

As Shane Frane stood handcuffed in the dock of Lisburn Magistrates Court, a detective confirmed he had executed a warrant for the arrest of the 36-year-old.

A prosecuting lawyer told the court there are charges on the papers and while not read out in court, it is understood the killer has been charged with being unlawfully at large on January 17 this year.

Remanding the defendant into custody, District Judge Rosie Watters adjourned the case to September 16.

Frane, originally from Limerick in the Republic of Ireland, admitted the manslaughter of Constable Philippa Reynolds following a fatal car crash in Derry in February 2013.

Sentenced in 2014, he was ordered to serve at least six years in jail but the self-confessed killer had been on the run since January after breaching the conditions of a temporary release from jail.

Frane was arrested in the Republic of Ireland on 1 February 2024 and following proceedings in the south, extradited to Northern Ireland.

Const Reynolds (27) died following a road traffic collision in February 2013 when a stolen Toyota Landcruiser being driven by Frane crashed into her unmarked police car in the Waterside area of Derry.
Jason Maughan, of Cashel Avenue, Crumlin, Dublin, was refused bail when he appeared before Judge Michael Ramsey on Monday

A FATHER of two accused of knocking his ex-partner unconscious before stealing her car in Dublin has been remanded in custody.

Jason Maughan, 22, of Cashel Avenue, Crumlin, Dublin, was refused bail when he appeared before Judge Michael Ramsey on Monday.

Dublin District Court heard Mr Maughan was charged with assault causing harm, motor theft and stealing her phone during the incident in Clondalkin on Sunday.

Objecting to bail, Garda Alan Dunne alleged that the incident took place around 1.30 am after the accused became violent when she refused to give him money.

The court heard claims that he punched her right eye, rendering her unconscious and with facial bruising.

Garda Dunne said that when the woman regained consciousness, she went to dial 999, but her phone was gone.

The court was told that the accused allegedly took it and her car.

They were previously in a relationship and had children.

Cross-examined by defence solicitor Mary Lavelle, the garda agreed that her client had the presumption of innocence, and the alleged injured party was not in court.

The solicitor submitted that the garda had given hearsay evidence about the complainants injuries.

She pleaded that Mr Maughan would obey several conditions; however, the judge refused bail and remanded him in custody so that he could appear at Cloverhill District Court on Friday. Legal aid was granted to Mr Maughan, who has yet to indicate how he will plead.
Stephen Halpin (36) was fined 200 for deception after a judge warned him he was running out of road

Stephen Halpin, who was fined for deception, at court

A fraudster conned a man into paying a deposit for an exercise bike after placing a fake ad online, a court has heard.

Stephen Halpin (36) was fined 200 for deception after a judge warned him he was running out of road.

Halpin, of Bushy Park House, Terenure, pleaded guilty to inducing a man to buy a Wahoo Smart Trainer stationary bike by deception on March 8, 2021

Dublin District Court heard the accused placed an advertisement on Done Deal for the bike with a 675 price. The victim contacted him, agreed a price of 600 and offered to pay a 200 deposit. He transferred this 200 to the accuseds account.

It transpired that it was a fake advertisement, a garda sergeant said.

Halpin had three previous convictions for offences including theft.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) consented to the case being dealt with in the District Court and Judge Alan Mitchell accepted jurisdiction to deal with the charge after hearing the evidence.

The injured party had been asked if he wanted to make a victim-impact statement but he did not wish to do so, the court heard.

The accused had brought 400 to court and Judge Mitchell said 200 of that should go to compensate the victim.

He fined Halpin another 200, which was payable forthwith.

Be careful, hes running out of road, the judge warned the defence.

The charge was under Section 6 of the Theft and Fraud Offences Act.
Niall Murphy was ordered to live at a new address when he was granted bail

A DUBLIN man accused of attacking his father and violently coercing him into carrying out financial transactions and handing over 25,000 has been granted bail with strict conditions.

Niall Murphy, 39, who had an address at Carysfort, Downs, Blackrock, sin south Co. Dublin, was ordered to live at a new address when he was granted bail.

He appeared at Dublin District Court facing two charges under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act: assault causing harm and coercion of his 79-year-old father.

Detective Garda Shane Donovan objected to bail and told Judge Michael Ramsey that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed trial on indictment, meaning the case should go to the Circuit Court, which has wider sentencing powers.

The coercion charge alleges that between February 1  July 25, 2023, he wrongfully and without lawful authority used violence to intimidate the complainant into doing an act which he had a lawful right to abstain from doing.

Mr Murphy was also charged with assault causing harm to his father at their home on July 24, 2023

He was also accused of violent behaviour at Blackrock Garda station on August 18, 2024.

Detective Garda Donovan said the complainant was an elderly man in poor health and had been subjected to demands for money.

It was alleged that the father was compelled to go to his bank to apply for a loan but was refused. Detective Garda Donovan claimed that the pensioner had to carry out financial transactions and give 25,000 to the accused or face whatever consequence Niall had for me.

According to the detective, the assault happened after Mr Murphy allegedly became aggressive and knocked the complainant to the ground, and the father was in fear.

The officer said the elderly man was vulnerable and could be subject to threats and intimidation from his son to withdraw his statement.

Cross-examined by defence solicitor Tracy Horan, Detective Garda Donovan accepted the accused had remained living with the complainant, and there had been no further allegations in the last 13 months.

Ms Horan questioned the officer about the delay of over a year in bringing the case if he was so concerned. In reply, Detective Garda Donovan said he had to await directions from the DPP, which had been out of his control.

Pressed further, he accepted that he could agree to bail with several conditions.

Judge Ramsey granted Mr Murphy 500 bail and ordered him to provide gardai with a contact mobile phone number, reside at an address in Dublin 8, have no direct or indirect contact with the complainant or witnesses, and sign on three days a week at a garda station.

Judge Ramsey adjourned the case pending the preparation of a book of evidence and ordered him to appear on September 23 at Dun Laoghaire District Court. Mr Murphy has yet to indicate a plea but was granted legal aid.
Gosder Cherilus was arrested early on Sunday after the Delta Air Lines flight returned to Logan International Airport.

Former NFL football player Gosder Cherilus stands during his arraignment on charges including disorderly conduct in East Boston Municipal Court, in Boston (Pat Greenhouse/AP)

A former NFL player accused of drunkenly urinating on another during a flight from Boston to Dublin apologised but claimed the incident occurred after he took a sleeping tablet.

Ex-Detroit Lions star Gosder Cherilus was arrested early on Sunday after the Delta Air Lines flight returned to Logan International Airport.

Officers ordered the 40-year-old from Wakefield, near Boston, US, to leave the plane but he "became irate and uncooperative", police said.

He was then arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and disturbing a flight crew.

According to the police report, he appeared drunk when he boarded the plane, allegedly argued with the flight crew about his seat and an hour into the flight urinated on an elderly passenger.

Last night, Cherilus issued a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, apologising and blaming his behaviour on taking a sleeping tablet on the plane.

"I'd like to address the media reports about me that surfaced today regarding a situation that occurred onboard a flight to Ireland this past weekend.

"The flight was unexpectedly delayed for approximately four hours, and it did not take off until after 12:30AM. In preparation for the unexpected overnight flight, I took a sleeping medication that I don't normally use, which resulted in behavior that is not representative of my character, and I would like to apologize to the passengers and flight crew."

Gosder Cherilus in 2015 (Mark Tenally/AP)

According to the police report, about an hour into the flight, investigators said Cherilus walked up to an elderly woman, exposed himself, and emptied "his entire bladder for approximately 20 seconds."

Court documents said the passengers and crew on the flight were in complete shock and feared for their safety.

The flight crew attempted to stop Cherilus, but they said he became unruly and aggressive.

On his way back to his seat, he allegedly hit an elderly man with his right hand, according to the report.

State Police said troopers had to use "two sets of handcuffs to restrain him" when he was arrested because of his size.

Because the incident happened during the flight over Canadian waters there is also a federal investigation underway.

In a statement Monday, Delta confirmed there had been an "unruly customer" on the flight and that the other passengers were later flown to Dublin.

The airline did not say how long the flight was delayed.

"Delta has zero tolerance for unlawful behaviour and will cooperate with law enforcement to that end," the company said in a statement.

"We apologise to our customers for the delay in their trav
Prosecutors claimed Aidan OKeefe, 27, carried out the internet search following the organised hit on Kevin Conway

A man charged with a gangland murder in west Belfast allegedly made online inquiries about getting a one-way flight to America before handing himself in to police, the High Court heard.

Prosecutors claimed Aidan OKeefe, 27, carried out the internet search following the organised hit on Kevin Conway.

Mr Conway, 26, was shot multiple times at his Rossnareen Park flat on January 9 this year.

He had been associated with a notorious crime organisation known as The Firm and was on bail for the murder of Shane Whitla in Lurgan, Co Armagh 12 months previously.

Police revealed he was gunned down just minutes after sending his partner a message to say he was relaxing at home on the Playstation.

The killers are believed to have entered the property and opened fire with a shotgun and a pistol.

OKeefe and co-accused Fergal Kane, 54, have been charged with the murder as part of an alleged joint enterprise.

Both men, whose addresses in Belfast cannot be reported, face a further count of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Neither of them is suspected of carrying out the shooting.

Instead, detectives claim the pair travelled in convoy by van and car to the scene of the assassination.

They are allegedly connected by CCTV evidence, a vehicle tracking device and registration plate sightings on the night of the murder.

OKeefe left the Royal Victoria Hospital earlier that evening and drove his Toyota Proace work van through a number of streets in the west of the city before linking up with Kanes BMW car, according to the police case.

The vehicles were said to have been parked up near the victims home at the time of the murder.

Kevin Conway

Based on CCTV footage and GPRS tracking data, the van and car then left the area and split up.

Two suspected gunmen observed walking on foot in the neighbourhood after the shooting have yet to be caught.

With Kane released on bail earlier this month, OKeefe mounted a similar application to be released from custody.

Prosecution counsel claimed the pair are inextricably linked at least to the planning, preparation and facilitation of the murder.

Opposing bail, she indicated detectives suspect OKeefe was planning to leave Northern Ireland prior to arrest.

On January 24, two days before he handed himself in to police, he used the phone of a work colleague to perform the Google search Can I get a one-way flight into America, the barrister submitted.

The court heard OKeefe also purchased a new mobile and withdrew 250 in cash which have never been recovered.

Counsel added: We are concerned about the brutality of what appears to have been an organised hit on Mr Conway.

She told the court OKeefe was apparently accepted into the dissident republican wing while held on remand in HMP Maghaberry.

Defence barrister Michael Forde insisted OKeefe should be released from custody to ensure equal treatment with his co-accused.

The case against this applicant appears to be based on suspicion rather than evidence, he contended.

Mr Forde maintained his client has strong ties to his local community and never attempted to leave the jurisdiction.

Adjourning the application, Mr Justice McFarland called for more information on the circumstances around the alleged internet search.

The judge said: I would not be minded to grant bail unless there was a reasonable explanation why your client was Googling How can I get a one-way flight to America.
Marius Lacatus (32) is accused of attacking and injuring the woman who was walking to work on her first day in a new job in the citys docklands yesterday morning

A construction worker dragged a woman off a Dublin street and into a park where he sexually assaulted her, strangled her and threatened to kill her, it is alleged.

Marius Lacatus (32) is accused of attacking and injuring the woman who was walking to work on her first day in a new job in the citys docklands yesterday morning.

Judge John Brennan granted him conditional bail at Dublin District Court despite garda objections and adjourned the case for DPP directions.

Mr Lacatus, a Romanian national of no fixed address is charged with sexual assault and assault causing harm to the woman, who is from another country in eastern Europe.

Garda Sean Dineen said he arrested the accused for the purpose of charging him at Store Street station last night. Mr Lacatus was charged at 11.13pm and made no reply to either count after caution.

Objecting to bail, Gda Dineen cited the seriousness of the charges and said he believed the accused was a flight risk.

Describing the proposed evidence as compelling, he said gardai responded to a report of a sexual assault at around 6.15am yesterday.

They met the woman who said she was walking to work when an unknown male had dragged her off the street and down into a nearby park.

He forced her to the ground, opened her trousers and put his hand under her underwear, it was alleged.

Throughout the attack, he shouted at her that he would kill her, Gda Dineen said.

The attacker was interrupted by a passer-by and fled.

The woman suffered facial injuries, as well as a large amount of muscle damage resulting from the assailant allegedly strangling her throughout the attack, the court heard.

Gardai found Mr Lacatus hiding in a hedge under a bridge near the scene, the zip in his trousers open.

He was arrested and during his detention, interviewing was suspended due to his level of intoxication.

CCTV captured much of the incident and it was alleged the accused was seen following the woman from Connolly Station to the scene.

DNA evidence was also taken from both the accused and the alleged victim. DPP directions were outstanding and further serious charges would more than likely be brought, Gda Dineen said.

Applying for bail, defence solicitor Paddy McGarry said Mr Lacatus had been in Ireland since 2021. His ex-wife and daughter were living in England, but a large amount of his family were in Ireland, and members were in court and could offer a cash surety.

The accused was presumed innocent and the case could be before the courts for quite a while," Mr McGarry said.

Gda Dineen accepted there was no evidence Mr Lacatus would intimidate witnesses if granted bail, but alleged he was caught red-handed and said no conditions would assuage his fears that the accused was a flight risk.

Judge Brennan said the prosecution had not proved that it was probable Mr Lacatus would evade justice if bailed.

He set bail in the accuseds own bond of 500, with a 3,000 independent surety.

Under "strict" conditions, Mr Lacatus is to sign on daily at a garda station, keep a curfew between 10pm and 7am and be contactable at all times by phone. He is to provide an address for garda approval and surrender all travel documents within 24 hours of release.

The judge remanded him in custody with consent to bail to appear in Cloverhill District Court on August 27. He granted free legal aid after Mr McGarry said the accused was a part-time labourer but has possibly lost his job now.
Christopher Shane Frane (36) was sentenced to a minimum of six years for the manslaughter of Constable Philippa Reynolds in 2013

Unlawfully-at-large prisoner Shane Frane has been extradited back to Northern Ireland from the Republic, the PSNI has confirmed.

Frane was arrested in the Republic on Thursday February 1 this year, with extradition proceedings completed today.

He will appear before Lisburn Magistrates Court later today.

The 36-year-old was sought by the PSNI for being unlawfully at large from prison since January 17 2024.

Shane Frane

PSNI Sergeant Davey from the International Policing Unit said: Police Service of Northern Ireland continue to work closely with authorities in the Republic of Ireland to return fugitives to Northern Ireland.

In this particular case, we appreciate the continued and effective assistance of An Garda Siochana in arresting and returning Frane, who was convicted in February 2014 of the manslaughter of Constable Philippa Reynolds.

We will continue to work closely with An Garda Siochana to locate those who abscond the justice system.

Our message is clear to anyone who has left Northern Ireland to avoid the consequences of their actions: we will use all powers available to have you arrested and returned to Northern Ireland.

Frane was convicted of the manslaughter of Constable Philippa Reynolds.

Ms Reynolds (27) died following a road traffic collision in February 2013 when a Toyota Landcruiser crashed into her unmarked police car in the Waterside area of Derry.

Ms Reynolds was a back-seat passenger in the police car which was hit and the PSNI believe she was killed instantly by the impact of the stolen vehicle.

Frane had been serving an indeterminate prison term for the death of Ms Reynolds. Despite a minimum six-year tariff expiring in 2019, Parole Commissioners repeatedly determined that he must remain behind bars.
Fr Paul Murphy, an army chaplain based in Renmore Barracks was returning to the base on Thursday night when the accused approached his car

A 16-year-old youth charged with assault causing harm following an attack on the Army Chaplain at Renmore Barracks has been further remanded in custody.

The youth, appeared via-videolink from Oberstown Detention Centre before Mr Justice Gerard Furlong, at Galway District Court this morning.

The sixteen-year-old, dressed in a grey t-shirt and dark trousers looked straight ahead with his armed folded and made no response throughout the short hearing.

Under Section 93 of the Children Act 2001, the youth cannot be named for legal reasons.

The youth was refused bail last Saturday after Detective Sergeant Paul McNulty objected under Section 2 of the Bail Act.

Sgt McNulty described the alleged attack as an unprovoked, frenzied attack.

The court previously heard Fr Paul Murphy, an army chaplain based in Renmore Barracks was returning to the base on Thursday night when the accused approached his car.

The court heard CCTV footage showed the accused lunged at Fr Murphy through his open drivers side window and stabbed him multiple times.

Fr Murphy suffered seven deep lacerations to his arms which required surgery and he also obtained minor cuts to his face.

As Fr Murphy tried to drive away, the accused clung to his car. Members of the Defence Forces fired warning shots, which initially did not deter the youth. He was subdued by military personnel and was then arrested by Gardai.

A hunting-style knife with an eight-inch blade was recovered at the scene.

Judge Furlong heard more serious charges could be brought and that Gardai believed the boy holds a radical Islamist mindset, and analysis of devices seized by the Gardai showed content supporting the so-called Islamic State terrorist group.

This morning as the hearing began Judge Furlong cleared the court of all non-parties to the case with the exception of the press, the gardai and the teenagers parents who sat at the back of the court.

Judge Furlong began the hearing by stating he had refused bail for the teenager on Saturday and the accuseds defence solicitor, Jack Donohue of Gearoid Geraghty Solicitors if there was anything he needed to be made aware of since the last hearing.

Jack Donohue said his client had not yet been seen by a psychiatrist which had been directed by Judge Furlong on Saturday.

Sergeant Christy Browne said it was the states application the accused be remanded in custody to appear again via videolink at Galway District Court on September 2, 2024.

Judge Furlong granted the application and addressing the teenager directly he said I am going to remand you in custody, until the date requested and advised the accused he could speak with his solicitor in the meantime.

Judge Furlong said his previous orders that the youth be that the accused should receive all appropriate medical and psychological care remain in place.

He said a further bail application by the youth was a matter for the High Court.

The accused made no response and looked straight ahead.

Jack Donohoe, the defence solicitor then asked the teenager, Do you understand that? to which he also made no response.

Judge Furlong further explained he refused bail under Section 2 of the Bail Act where there is a reasonable fear of the commission of further offences, he said this also took into account the seriousness of the charge.

Judge Furlong again warned the media that no information could be published that could identify the accused owing to his juvenile status.
Tristan Sherry (26) died in Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown on December 24

The former restaurant in Blanchardstown where the incident took place

A man who was fatally injured during a violent incident at a west Dublin restaurant last Christmas died as a result of a combination of a blunt force head injury and stab wounds to his body, an inquest has heard.

Tristan Sherry (26) died in Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown on December 24, last year as a result of injuries he sustained during an incident at Brownes Steakhouse in Blanchardstown, Dublin earlier that evening.

The victims sister, Savanna Hand, gave evidence at a sitting of Dublin District Coroners Court today of formally identifying her brothers body to gardai in the early hours of Christmas Day at Connolly Hospital.

Savanna Hand, sister of Tristan Sherry, leaves Dublin District Coroner's Court after the opening of the inquest into the death of her brother. Photo: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin

Detective Garda Shane Guinan told the brief hearing into the inquest into the death of Mr Sherry how he had brought the deceaseds mother, Mary Hand and her daughter, Savanna to the hospital.

He said that the dead mans sister had formally identified her brothers body at 12.20 am on Christmas Day.

No details about the incident at the restaurant were outlined during the five-minute hearing.

Detective Inspector Liam Donoghue of Blanchardstown garda station applied for an adjournment of the inquest under Section 25 (2) of the Coroners Act as criminal proceedings in relation to Sherrys death have begun.

The coroner, Clare Keane, granted the application and adjourned the case until related criminal prosecutions have concluded.

Dr Keane confirmed that the results of a post mortem showed that Sherry had died as a result of blunt force head injury combined with sharp force injuries to his trunk.

Offering her condolences to the victims relatives, she adjourned the case until a date to be fixed at a future point.

Sherry, a father of one from Finglas, was overpowered and assaulted by a number of individuals at Brownes Steakhouse because he was the suspected gunman in the shooting of Jason Hennessy Snr (48), who was dining in the restaurant with a group of family and friends.

Hennessy, a well-known criminal from Corduff, Blanchardstown, subsequently died from shotgun injuries to his neck and upper body 11 days later at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin.

He was due to face money-laundering charges at a trial before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court next year in relation to the activities of a criminal gang of which he was a key member.

The former restaurant in Blanchardstown where the incident took place

A total of four men have been charged with Sherrys murder as a result of a garda investigation into his death.

The four accused include Noah Musueni (18) of Corduff Park, Blanchardstown, who was a Leaving Certificate student at the time of the fatal incident.

The others are David Amah (18) of Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, Co Dublin; Michael Andrecut (22) of Sheephill Avenue, Blanchardstown; and Wayne Deegan (26) of Linnetsfield Avenue, Phibblestown.

Another youth and four other males are also facing a series of charges arising out of the same incident including assault, violent disorder and production of a weapon during the incident.

One of them Juares Kumbu (18) of Brookhaven Grove, Blanchardstown is accused of possession of a submachine gun after he allegedly took the weapon used by the deceased out of the restaurant and was driven away from the scene.

Jonas Kabangu (18) of Corduff Park, Blanchardstown is charged with violent disorder at the same location and date, as is a juvenile who cannot be named.

The son of the other victim, Brandon Hennessy (20) of Sheephill Avenue, Blanchardstown, is also charged with violent disorder and producing an item capable of inflicting serious injury, namely a commercial dust pan and brush with steel handles.

All of those accused are due to face trial before the non-jury Special Criminal Court after the DPP ruled that the ordinary criminal courts were inadequate to secure the effective administration of justice.
Samsung is one of the most popular smartphone brands in the world. This South Korean corporation has established itself as a high-quality and reliable electronics manufacturer. However, owners of Samsung smartphones may not even realize that there are settings that can make the gadget faster.

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Experts told us how a simple setting can improve smartphone performance. In a Reddit thread, Samsung users were asked what settings they "always turn on/off" when they buy a new phone. One of the most popular changes was to disable animations.

Step-by-step instructions

It's a simple change, but you need to activate the developer settings first. You need to unlock the hidden menu using a special sequence of presses. The developer settings menu allows you to customize the system to improve the performance of the functionality.

On most Android devices, the developer settings menu is hidden by default. To enable it, go to Settings - About Device - Software Information (Settings - About Device (or About Phone) - Software Information.

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Then tap the build number seven times in a row. You will be prompted to enter a PIN, password, or unlock key to enable developer settings. This only needs to happen once for permanent unlocking.

Just make sure the Developer Options toggle is toggled to On.

Now you can change the speed of the phone animation. By default, the animations are set to "1x", try changing them to "0.5x". You can also turn off the animation completely.

You're not actually speeding up the phone at the processor level. But it will make the phone faster. That's because the animations for navigating the phone end faster (or don't even start if they're turned off).

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Here are some other popular settings tweaks that users have advised:

You can turn off adaptive brightness, which means that the phone won't automatically choose how bright or dark the screen gets.

It was also recommended to turn off keyboard sounds.

To get the most out of your smartphone battery, you need to charge it properly. Most smartphones have a lithium-ion battery, which lasts longer if you charge it regularly. Unlike the nickel batteries used in older phones, lithium-ion batteries work best when kept above 50 percent charge. Repeatedly discharging the battery completely can shorten its life and reduce its overall capacity.

Subscribe to OBOZ.UA channels on Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest developments.
Graham Dwyer has a new female friend...

Killer Graham Dwyer has a new female friend who is writing to him in prison and who told journalist Ali Bracken that she simply wants his side of the story.

But why do evil murderers like Dwyer attract female attention and why do women strike up relationships with some of the most dangerous inmates?

Nicola speaks with criminologist Trina OConnor about the psychology of women who fall in love with prisoners.

MORE EPISODES 
Gardai were called to the scene and were shown CCTV footage of the incident by staff in the hospital, the Sunday World can reveal.

Gardai have launched an investigation after a female visitor was allegedly sexually assaulted by a patient in Tallaght University Hospital.

The woman has claimed she was attacked while visiting a relative in the Dublin hospital last night.

She has told officers she was "grabbed and assaulted by a man as she walked past him in a hospital corridor.

Gardai were called to the scene and were shown CCTV footage of the incident by staff in the hospital.

A relative of the alleged victim told the Sunday World the incident was deeply traumatic.

it is believed the suspected attacker was not arrested but is currently being monitored by gardai as he receives medical treatment.

A garda spokesman has confirmed they have launched an investigation into the incident.

Gardai are investigating an alleged assault that occurred at a medical centre in Tallaght, Dublin 24 on the evening of Monday 19th August, 2024 at 8.20pm approximately. Investigations are ongoing.

In a statement to the Sunday World, a spokesman for Tallaght Hospital said they would cooperate with any garda probe.

"The Hospital places great importance on the safety of patients, visitors and staff.

"Staff and management fully cooperate with An Garda Siochana and investigations they follow upon receipt of a complaint.
Simon Harris has pushed back these comments and said the matter was for the Government as a whole.

Taoiseach Simon Harris has hit back at comments made by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, who said a decision to hold a public inquiry into the sexual abuse carried out by paedophile surgeon Michael Shine was a matter for the Department of Justice.

Mr Donnelly said the establishment of a statutory inquiry was something for the Minister for Justice, the Taoiseach and party leaders, but not for him as it did not relate to health.

Ill leave any considerations of that to Helen McEntee and the Taoiseach and party leaders. Its not a healthcare issue, Minister Donnelly told TheJournal.ie.

However, the Taoiseach has pushed back these comments and said the matter was for the Government as a whole and said he has little tolerance for comments saying matters were for one department.

What Im not going to tolerate is an idea of that is a matter for anybody else. Its a matter for the Government as a whole and these victims deserve a whole of government victim-centred approach, the Taoiseach said.

I have little tolerance for thats a matter for this department or thats a matter for that department. This is a matter for the government, Ireland Inc. standing up and supporting victims, he added.

Mr Harris said he was taken by the testimony of those victims of Mr Shine who spoke out about the alleged abuse they had experienced. He added that he is now looking at what the steps are.

Convicted sex abuser and former surgeon Michael Shine (93). Pic Collins Courts

A group of patients who say they were abused by Shine as children are now mounting a legal campaign for a full public inquiry.

I am conscious of the fact that there have been a number of strands of investigation, if I may call it that. There has been a court process, criminal and civil, there have been reports done, the Taoiseach said.

What Ive now asked for is that we would stock take at where were actually at now, what is possible in terms of information being given or published and also whats possible in terms of next steps.

I think it is appropriate that the Government will engage with victims and their representatives. Mr Shine is a vile individual who has brought pain and misery to the lives of many and its important that we support those victims, Mr Harris added.

When asked about the publication of a report from 2009 by a High Court judge, Mr Harris said it was something he was looking in to.

Im checking that now and Ive asked for an overview from a number of parts of government in relation to the various issues that have been raised by Shines victims, the Taoiseach said.

In 2017 and 2019, Shine was convicted of assaulting nine boys, for which he served three years in prison, but a court since ruled that Shine, now 93, was too old to stand trial again. More than 200 victims have settled civil actions against the order.

Mr Shine was a senior registrar at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Co Louth, from 1964 to 1995.

At the time, the Medical Missionaries of Mary religious order was in charge of the hospital.
Loyalist heartlands Sandy Row and Donegall Road were the epicentre of five successive nights of racially motivate violence

Cops searched the home of UVF mobster Colin Meerkat Fulton as they hunt down race hate rioters in Belfast.

The Sunday World understands terror chief Fulton was one of a number of senior loyalist paramilitaries figures who had their homes searched.

Police have been intensifying their investigations into race riots that hit the city, particularly in south Belfast.

Loyalist heartlands Sandy Row and Donegall Road were the epicentre of five successive nights of racially motivate violence.

Despite denials, it is believed UDA and UVF personnel were deeply involved in the disturbances which saw a number of Muslim owned business targeted and burnt out.

Police have been searching houses across the district since violence broker out.

Fultons home at the bottom of the Donegall Road, close to the Broadway junction was one of a number of houses searched.

Security sources have told us police are scouring homes, seizing ring door bell footage and trying to match items of clothing to that worn by rioters capture on cctv and still pictures.

Fulton is believed to have been home when police called early one morning last week.

Sources say he was in bed when the knock on the door came.

Cops came in and searched the place, there was nothing he could do but sit back and watch.

It is understood they left empty handed but Fulton is suspected of helping to orchestrate street violence along with a number of other leading paramilitary figures.

As previously reported paramilitary leadership has remained at arms length, content to let rioters grab the headlines.

They have been monitoring protests and filming street violence with the intention of mounting a more serious attack on the Muslim community.

Meerkat has been a UVF commander in the Village area of the city for some years. He as at the forefront of the UVFs attempts to see off the incursion of an eastern European drug gang dubbed The Russians.

He was also at the head of the organization when a number of teenagers were targeted in a series of punishment attacks including one incident when a male teen was tazered in the genitals on the orders of the UVF.

More recently he drew criticism from his own community for his role in dealing with violence confrontations between loyalist youths and nationalists from the St Jamess area of west Belfast.

He is believed to have been involved in brokering a deal with community workers on the ``other side which angered elements of his own community for allowing incursions deep into the Village where cars and houses were attacked.

Sources in the Village have told us police have recovered items of clothing and seized CCTV footage from houses and businesses in an attempt to identify rioters.

It is all part of a get tough response from the PSNI.

Following the example of the courts in Britain where rioters have been handed three year sentences, those charged here have been routinely denied bail and warned they face significant jail terms.

It is hoped the tougher stance of the courts will deter any possibility of repeat violence.

Security sources say the PSNI and other agencies are monitoring the involvement of paramilitaries amid fears of an intention to continue to target Muslim businesses and more particularly the Belfast Islamic Centre (BIC) on Belfasts University Road, a stones throw from Sandy Row.

The threat against BIC remains a live concern with loyalist paramilitaries planning to hit the centre with a bomb attack.

Racial tensions remain high in Belfast. Fulton is suspected of being involved in covering the tracks of those who took to the streets in the face of increased efforts by police to track down the troublemakers.

According to security sources the PSNI has recovered a conservable amount of cctv footage and are in the process of identifying rioters.

There is no suggestion Meerkat was on the streets but it is widely believed he and other paramilitary chiefs have been involved in orchestrating disturbances.

The UVF in south Belfast, under the leadership of veteran mobster Eddie Onions Rainey has a long history of racial crimes.

Homes of foreign nationals have been repeatedly targeted under his leadership and it is believed considerable numbers of UVF men were involved in the violence of earlier this month.

Meerkat was among the guests as Rainey got hitched last week, tying the knot with long time partner Angie Rainey.

Rainey, who denies involvement in criminality, sits on loyalist paramilitary umbrella group the Loyalist Communities Council and prefers to keep a low profile.

In partnership with Meerkat he is alleged to have made a small fortune from the drugs trade and is credited with flooding the city streets with heroin.

The homes of a number of senior paramilitary figures  UDA and UVF  have been searched on the last weekt.

A UDA commander on Sandy Row was forced to stand on the pavement as officers searched his home.

ends
The police issued a statement which said: Can you help us identify the individuals in the images?

Police released eight images of people they would like to speak with

Eight more images of people being sought by the PSNI over their investigation into disorder and attacks on police officers earlier this month have been released to the public.

The police issued a statement which said: Can you help us identify the individuals in the images?

Anyone who may be able to identify any of these individuals or provide any information about them such as their name, address or age is urged to contact detectives at Musgrave Police Station on 101.

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Earlier this month, Chief Constable Jon Boutcher issued a warning to all those who had been involved in what he branded despicable scenes of violence and which resulted in 20 police officers injured.

Bricks, petrol bombs and other missiles were thrown at officers as anti-immigration protests brought wider unrest to areas further afield, such as Londonderry.

Mr Boutcher vowed to continue to release images of anyone being sought in connection to riots as he delivered a message to the minority who think they can get away with violent hatred of any kind.

"You cant, you wont and we are coming after you, he warned.

The top policeman also appealed to everyone across all communities here to continue to publicly and loudly condemn this behaviour.

"Stand with us in saying, this is not ok and it must stop, he pleaded.

"These people should not be louder than us.

"We will not allow hatred and mindless violence win.

A policewoman who sustained severe facial injuries and a policeman who suffered a broken leg are among the officers who have been wounded.

In total, 15 pictures have been released to the public by the PSNI, of people wanted in connection with the ongoing probe into serious public order which has taken place in NI over the past month.

Mr Boutcher promised to keep making arrests as he previously confirmed half the injuries inflicted upon officers occurred in Derry on Saturday, August 10.

He said a number of incidents have resulted in officers being hospitalised as he praised the incredible men and women who put their lives on the line.

Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck continued: By releasing these images I am hopeful that the wider community will help us identify these individuals. It is in everybodys interest  as well as in the interest of justice - that those responsible are dealt with appropriately and I would urge anyone who may have any information to bring it forward.

I also encourage the persons within these pictures to contact police directly. In doing so they will minimise the impact on themselves, their family and their community.
More than a dozen people were part of a group who gathered at his home, holding banners with slogans including close the borders, house the Irish first and Eire will no longer run by EU puppets.

A woman in her 60s has been arrested in connection with the alleged harassment of Taoiseach Simon Harris at his home in Co Wicklow.

Protesters gathered outside the house in Greystones on May 2 of this year as Mr Harriss children were preparing for bed.

The Taoiseach lives with his wife and two small children in a housing estate in the Co Wicklow town.

More than a dozen people were part of a group who gathered at his home, holding banners with slogans including close the borders, house the Irish first and Eire will no longer run by EU puppets.

A garda spokesperson said: This afternoon, Tuesday, August 20, 2024, gardai arrested a further individual for alleged offences contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act, as part of ongoing investigations into the alleged harassment of an elected representative on 2nd May 2024.

The woman is currently detained at a garda station in County Wicklow under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

She is the third person to be arrested in connection with the incident. A woman in her 50s was detained on August 15 as part of the garda probe.

An Garda Siochana has no further comment at this time.
A man in his fifties gave them 50 note after being told they needed cash but could pay him back immediately via a bank transfer

Two Irishmen have been arrested in France on suspicion of trying to con cash out of people with a fake banking app on their phone.

Last Monday, police in Chatellerault made the arrests after a man in his 20s told how the pair had tried to use the trick on him outside a shop.

The officers found the two suspects in another supermarket car park where they had just claimed a victim, France Bleu reported.

A man in his fifties gave them 50 note after being told they needed cash but could pay him back immediately via a bank transfer.

Officers found their car had a false licence plate and they had two other spare plates in the book.

The men are expected to appear in court and police are investigating if they are linked to other reported scams in the area.

At least five complaints have been filed, in just five days, in the Vienne department in the previous week, it was added.

Referred to as the Irish scam it involves the fraudsters introducing themselves in English who claim they need cash to get back to the UK.

They explain that they dont have any way to pay in France but that they can make a bank transfer for cash.

The would-be victim is show the fake banking app which appears to show money being transferred in their account.

Police urged people to call them if approached and they can check if a person is telling the truth about their situation.

In 2022, two Irish men were sentenced to 12 months in France for a similar scam targeting English-speaking tourists at motorway service areas.

The pair, both in their 40s, were arrested after being stopped by police for tailgating a vehicle as they attempted to avoid paying a toll near Brive in southern France.

Their car was found to be fitted with false plates which had been used in a number of suspected frauds over the previous fortnight.

It emerged the men had been posing as tourists in trouble after losing their cash and had been approaching people for money.

Using a phone app they claimed to be transferring the money directly back to their victims, but it was a fake app and no money was transferred.

Described as being well-presented and claiming to have had their cash stolen, they managed to trick several people out of a substantial sum of money, according to local media.

At a court in Brive, the men, who were not named, were sentenced to 12 months and fined 2,000.
A well-placed source said: He was very serious when he was taken to hospital.

An Irish teenager was fighting for his life this afternoon after a near-drowning at a hotel pool in Mallorca.

The 16-year-old was said to be very serious when he was rushed to hospital from the scene.

He is understood to have been in cardiac arrest when lifeguards pulled him out of the water and began to resuscitate him before emergency medical responders took after when they arrived.

The alarm was raised around 2pm this afternoon. The drama happened at an all-inclusive hotel called Globales Bouganvilla in Sa Coma in eastern Majorca, near to the Love Island villa.

A well-placed source said: He was very serious when he was taken to hospital.

The circumstances surrounding the incident were not immediately clear this afternoon.

No-one could be reached at Manacor Hospital where the young holidaymaker has been taken.

In June 2022, a six-year-old boy from north Belfast died following a pool incident while he was on holiday in Majorca.

Corey Aughey was treated in intensive care at a hospital in the island capital Palma for three days before losing his fight for life.

He had also been staying at a hotel in Sa Coma which was not named at the time.

The Aughey family had only touched down in Majorca a few hours before the tragedy struck.
While they accepted that they rented out the apartment without the landlords permission, they thought he wouldnt be reasonable about their request

A family who let other people live in an apartment for higher rent without their landlords permission while they were on holiday have been awarded damages after they were unlawfully evicted.

The tenants moved into an apartment in Brabazon Hall on Cork Street, Dublin 8, in June last year and were paying 2,200 a month in rent.

In October, one of the tenants  who was on maternity leave at the time  went abroad with her two children. She arranged for a couple to move into the apartment with her husband while she was gone.

A few months later, her husband also travelled abroad for the family gathering and another couple moved in as part of a short-term agreement. Before he left the country, he slept on the sofa and erected a temporary curtain around it for privacy.

Last February, the landlord became aware that other people were living in the apartment and had entered into arrangements to stay there until the following month.

He also discovered they were paying rent to the tenants at a higher rate than he was charging them.

Tribunal hearing that this was a serious breach of trust

The landlords son told the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) tribunal hearing that this was a serious breach of trust and his father thought the best course of action would be to terminate their tenancy.

He said it seemed as though the apartment was being used as a crash pad for multiple tenancies and the tenants were getting 700 more per month in rent than they were paying the landlord. He argued this was in breach of Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) rules because rent cannot be increased by more than 2pc a year.

After learning about the situation in the apartment, he decided to change the locks. He told the people in the apartment to stop paying rent to the tenants and allowed them to stay there for free until March. They remained there until June. He said the apartment is now up for sale.

The tenants said they received a text from the landlord on February 24. He said they had to call him immediately.

They claim he said they had to pay him 2,900, or he would take all their belongings, put them in a bin and report them to social welfare, the Revenue Commissioners and An Garda Siochana. In his evidence, the landlord agreed he did say he would contact authorities, but denied threatening to put their belongings in a bin.

The tenants said it had been incredibly stressful because they had all their life and belongings in the apartment. They argued that the landlord should have given them a warning. They continued to pay rent and also covered the utility bills for the other occupants.

One of the tenants flew back to Dublin, where the landlord agreed to bring their belongings to a point of collection. They claimed that some of their personal items were never returned.

While they accepted that they rented out the apartment without the landlords permission, they thought he wouldnt be reasonable about their request if they had suggested it to him.

The landlord said the matter had been extremely stressful because the apartment was his retirement fund. He said he had to pay 390 for new security fobs, 400 to fix the ceiling from damage caused by a curtain railing that was erected around the sofa, 215 for new locks and 94 in storage costs.

He claimed he also had to take two days off work, with a loss of earnings of 1,500. Situations like this were resulting in small landlords leaving the market to vulture funds, he said in his evidence.

There can simply be no basis on which to find that the landlord is entitled to change the locks

The RTB ruled that the tenants had had their tenancy unlawfully terminated. It said the tenants should have received a warning and been given 28 days to remedy the breach. They also did not receive a valid eviction notice.

The RTB also deemed the other occupants of the apartments to be licensees and not tenants. Therefore it was not a sub-letting arrangement.

The tenants were awarded 5,000 in damages. However, they were also in breach of their obligations by not telling the landlord that other people were moving into the apartment.

The adjudicators said the tenants would have made around 3,000 from the arrangement and ordered that to be offset against the 5,000 damages.

The landlord was also ordered to refund the tenants 2,200 in overpaid rent. There can simply be no basis on which to find that the landlord is entitled to change the locks, terminate the tenancy and retain rent for that period, the RTB said.

The tenants had paid a deposit of 2,200 and the landlord was ordered to return 1,090 of it.

The landlord was entitled to retain 360 for the replacement fobs, 350 for the cost of replacement chairs and 400 for the damage caused by the erection of the privacy curtain.

In total, he was ordered to pay 5,290 including 2,000 damages, 2,200 in overpaid rent and the deposit of 1,090.
Five new police patrol dog teams are walking the walk and barking the bark after graduating from the New Zealand Police Dog Training Centre at Trentham.

They graduated alongside five New Zealand Customs dog teams on 1 August in front of whanau and friends, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster and members of the New Zealand Police Executive.

Official guests and speakers included Chief Executive and Comptroller of Customs Christine Stevenson; Superintendent Greg Dowse, Technical Support to Operations, Australian Border Force; and Associate Police Minister Casey Costello.

Commissioner Coster congratulated all the new handlers. Its a proud day for you and thank you for your commitment to what is such an essential part of our style of policing in New Zealand.

To our Police handlers - you are well respected in our communities from working in operational and prevention-based roles and other activities which are equally important for trust and confidence, such as school visits and other public relations.

Tahi. Photo supplied.

He acknowledged Polices successful partnerships with Customs and the Australian Border Force and their work on dog capability in New Zealand and the Pacific region.

Five new police patrol dog teams are walking the walk and barking the bark after graduating from the New Zealand Police Dog Training Centre at Trentham.

They graduated alongside five New Zealand Customs dog teams on 1 August in front of whanau and friends, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster and members of the New Zealand Police Executive.

Commissioner Andrew Coster with the new dog teams. Also pictured are Inspector Todd Southall, second left, and Training Instructor Sergeant Josh Robertson, third right. Photo supplied.

Official guests and speakers included Chief Executive and Comptroller of Customs Christine Stevenson; Superintendent Greg Dowse, Technical Support to Operations, Australian Border Force; and Associate Police Minister Casey Costello.

Commissioner Coster congratulated all the new handlers. Its a proud day for you and thank you for your commitment to what is such an essential part of our style of policing in New Zealand.

To our Police handlers - you are well respected in our communities from working in operational and prevention-based roles and other activities which are equally important for trust and confidence, such as school visits and other public relations.

Photo supplied.

He acknowledged Polices successful partnerships with Customs and the Australian Border Force and their work on dog capability in New Zealand and the Pacific region.

National Coordinator Police Dogs Inspector Todd Southall spoke of the critical role of dog teams in the Tactical Response Model  and the part the trainees played in apprehending burglars when a training exercise turned real.

I know you have a passion for working with dogs and a real drive to be successful and that was evident when you helped catch burglars alongside front-line staff at Trentham Racecourse while still on your training course.

You used your training and helped catch the offenders in a real-life scenario.

From left: Constables Jarom Brouwer and Tahi; Mike Limbrick and Ryka; Andrew Lomax and Aero; Connor Loomans and Ruki, and Jordie Walker and Acure. Photo supplied.

Constable Connor Loomans began his career in Waikato but moved to Tairawhiti to take up a Delta role.

According to Connor, two-year-old Ruki is a good boy with a great work ethic and a chill personality  helped by having his own paddling pool for hot weather.

Constable Connor Loomans, with Ruki. Photo supplied.

Dog section was something I had always thought about doing when I joined Police and its great to finally be here, he says.

Im fortunate to be teamed up with Ruki - a quick learner, albeit a bit of a selfish lad with his swimming pool in the summer.

The training has been excellent; Ive learned different skills from different trainers and, of course, my peers.

Also Tairawhiti-bound were Constable Jarom Brouwer and Tahi, who was fostered by acting Sergeant Stu Rota.

Constable Mike Limbrick and three-year old Ryka, who was formerly fostered and trained by Constable Blair Robertson, are stationed in Rotorua.

Constable Mike Limbrick and Ryka. Photo supplied.

Ryka is well and truly a best mate, despite his determination to jump in the spa pool at home or his failed attempts to make entry through the cat door, says Mike.

He's hard case off-duty but when he's at work he just kicks into gear.

Constable Jordie Walker and four-year-old Acure are based in New Plymouth.

Constable Jordie Walker, with Acure. Photo supplied.

Jordie says Acure is a smart and reliable girl and he's looking forward to getting out on the street with her.

Constable Andrew Lomax graduated with 18-month-old Aero and will be stationed in Canterbury District.

Of the five Customs graduates, two will be stationed in Auckland, two in Christchurch and one in Wellington.

Constable Andrew Lomax, with Aero, Associate Minister Casey Costello and Commissioner Andrew Coster. Photo supplied.

The Customs detector dog teams will provide another crucial layer of defence to protect New Zealands borders and play a vital role in keeping communities safe by helping in the fight against transnational crime, says Comptroller Christine Stevenson.
One of the main mysteries of the British monument Stonehenge is the Altar Stone, the origin and purpose of which has been a mystery that could not be solved for many years. However, new analysis has shown that this huge slab of sandstone was brought from Scotland.

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The researchers stated that the geochemical fingerprint of the Altar Stone perfectly matches the foundation found in northeastern Scotland. This indicates that the creators of Stonehenge transported this giant rectangular block weighing approximately six tons 700 kilometers to the Salisbury Plain, Reuters writes.

The memorable name "Altar Stone" comes from a 17th-century interpretation by English architect Inigo Jones.

"It got its name because it's flat, like a table, but we don't know if it was always like that, and we don't know what it was used for. We do know that the setting sun during the solstice illuminates it," said Chris Kirkland, professor of isotope geology at Curtin University and co-author of the study.

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The altar stone is a gray-green sandstone 4.9 meters long. It contains grains of various minerals. The researchers analyzed the age and chemical composition of zircon, apatite, and rutile grains in two fragments of the altar stone. Zircon is mostly dated to 1-2 billion years ago. And rutile and apatite  approximately 450 million years ago.

The chemical composition of the fragments was consistent with Scottish native rock from the Orkney Basin region, which extends from Inverness to the northeastern tip of Scotland and beyond. Until now, scientists believed that the altar stone was brought from Wales, like some of the other large stones at Stonehenge.

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"And the match of the kind of age fingerprints we got from these minerals is identical to the Orcadian Basin in Scotland, not Wales," said geologist and study co-author Nick Pearce of Aberystwyth University in Wales.

"The findings are really remarkable - they overturn what has been believed for the last century. We've been able to determine the age and chemical fingerprints of arguably one of the most famous stones in a world-famous ancient monument. It is gratifying to know that our chemical analysis and dating has finally solved this great mystery. We can now say that this iconic rock is Scottish, not Welsh," added another co-author of the study, Professor Richard Bevins of Aberystwyth University.

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Because it was challenging to transport such a huge load from Scotland to Wiltshire, it underscores the importance of the Altar Stone to the builders of Stonehenge.

"How it was moved is unknown, but sea shipping is a realistic proposition given the mountainous and wooded terrain of possible land routes," Bevins suggested.

As a reminder, Stonehenge was built in several stages over about 500 years, starting in 3000 BC. This mysterious British landmark remains a place of fascination and attracts millions of tourists from all over the world.

"It provides a connection to our ancient ancestors who created something that has stood the test of time," added Professor Chris Kirkland.

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Only verified information is available in our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Two additional investigators have joined Operation Tirade, as Police now have 44 methamphetamine lollies secured.

Information obtained so far indicates approximately 75 of the blocks of methamphetamine, disguised as Rinda-branded confectionery have been accounted for.

Police are aware of a man who also sought medical assessment over the weekend, but did not require hospitalisation.

Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin says the investigation team is working across a number of lines of enquiry.

Police have recovered 44 meth lollies to date

meth lollies to date Information suggests approximately 75 accounted for so far

accounted for so far Two additional investigators join Operation Tirade

CCTV footage obtained, analysis is beginning

Police reiterate warning that dealing is a serious offence

While we have 44 of the blocks in our custody, we are still working through a raft of information provided by families that they also received some of these lollies, he says.

In some instances, these families have advised that they have disposed of the lollies they received after seeing publicity last week.

Police will work through this information to establish exactly what the numbers are.

Police will be working to secure further methamphetamine blocks as part of enquiries.

Today, Police have also obtained CCTV footage from the Auckland City Mission centre on Boston Road.

Footage will be processed over the coming days to then be analysed for further lines of enquiry, Detective Inspector Baldwin says.

This part of the enquiry involves detailed work and will take some time to work through.

Detective Inspector Baldwin says Police continue to reiterate previous warnings about offering any of the methamphetamine lollies for sale.

Dealing methamphetamine is a serious offence and we do not tolerate this whatsoever.

DO YOU HAVE THESE LOLLIES?

If you have one of the Rinda branded items, contact 105 or 111 quoting the file number 240813/5919.

If you are concerned you may have consumed one of these lollies and are feeling unwell, go to your nearest healthcare provider urgently.

You can also call the national poison line on 0800 764 766.
A major new analysis has laid bare the health burden booze is causing in New Zealand, with its role in hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of hospital cases.

An advocacy group says it is also frightening alcohol was implicated in nearly 129,000 ACC claims over the year captured by the new Otago University-led stocktake.

A new study found alcohol caused over 900 deaths and 29,282 hospitalisations in 2018.

Alcohol was linked to nearly 129,000 ACC claims and $9.1 billion in harm costs.

The rate of alcohol-attributed deaths was twice as high for Maori.

In June, a Ministry of Health-commissioned report estimated the cost of alcohol harm at around $9.1 billion - half of it due to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) alone.

Now, the first national study of its kind in more than a decade has teased out its impact on a wide range of health conditions and diseases.

It found in 2018, just over 900 deaths, along with 29,282 hospitalisations and 128,963 ACC claims were attributable to alcohol.

About 42 per cent of deaths were from cancer, with another 33 per cent from injuries and the rest stemming from conditions liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis and epilepsy.

Men accounted for the vast bulk of health harm  and the rate of alcohol-attributed deaths was twice as high for Maori.

The findings arent surprising  previous research, both here and overseas, has consistently shown alcohol contributes significantly to disease burden, study co-author Dr Anja Mizdrak of Otagos Department of Public Health says.

This research shows that alcohol continues to have a big negative impact on health in New Zealand and contributes to inequities.

Anja says the new data, covering the over-15 population, did not paint a full picture.

For example, we dont capture harms to those injured by drink-driving who werent under the influence of alcohol or the knock-on impacts from the extra pressure on the health system.

And while the study was a snapshot from 2018, she expected the results would be similar today.

Alcohol has a detrimental effect on health and contributes to injuries and multiple cancers  including some of the most common cancers like breast and bowel cancer.

The report set out several policy options to better tackle the burden, including restrictions on booze marketing and availability, introducing new national screening and intervention programmes - and a higher excise tax.

Otago University health researcher Anja Mizdrak. Photo: NZME.

While the Government recently agreed to raise the alcohol levy for the first time since 2009, critics were quick to point out the lift was tiny when compared to the cost of alcohol harm.

There is a lot we can do to reduce the harm that alcohol does in our communities, Anja says.

The large social and economic impacts on individuals and the Government, and the pressure that alcohol places on our already stretched health system should give us reason to act.

Alcohol Healthwatch executive director Andrew Galloway was not surprised by the key findings.

Alcohol is our most harmful drug, and its social and economic cost was recently estimated at $9.1b - so its a big deal.

Galloway described the number of alcohol-linked ACC claims in the study as frightening.

Thats a massive cost to New Zealand.

Galloway says the Government could help ease what was a largely preventable burden by following measures taken by other countries, such as Scotlands move to set minimum prices for alcoholic drinks.

So far, the Government has singled out alcohol as one of five factors that would need to be tackled in reducing the impact of diseases, but aside from addressing the causes of FASD, hasnt yet detailed any potential reform.

Health authorities have meanwhile welcomed the findings.

The study supports what our clinicians see on a regular basis and its important that there is a greater level of awareness of the burden that alcohol does place on the health system, National Public Health Service director Dr Nick Chamberlain says.

Alcohol Beverages Council executive director Virginia Nicholls says NZ Health Survey data showed more than 80 per cent of Kiwi adults drank responsibly, and rates of hazardous drinking were falling over time.

She says the pan-industry group didnt support population-wide policies that resulted in higher prices and instead favoured targeted measures.

These measures should prioritise the individuals who need the most help without negatively impacting the majority of moderate drinkers who consume alcohol responsibly.
Warning: This story contains images and content that some readers may find upsetting.

When animal welfare inspectors arrived at a farm where John Nettleingham was in charge of the dry stock, they found emaciated cattle that had very little grass to feed on.

And, it wasnt the first time inspectors found ill-treated cattle there - similar issues were discovered at the Aongatete property in the Bay of Plenty in 2019.

As a result of the most recent inspection in June 2023, 22 of the herd had to be put down, as the lack of proper and sufficient feed was so severe they had extremely low body condition.

A further three were put down by the 65-year-old farmer in the following days after they became unable to stand.

John was employed by his elderly father Francis, whos in his 90s.

On Friday he was sentenced on two charges - one related to not providing sufficient food for cattle, and the other for recklessly ill-treating cattle, to the extent they needed to be euthanised.

He was fined $25,956, had to pay vet costs of $5,173.78, and is subject to a disqualification that restricts what he can farm.

The disqualification order will remain in place for a minimum of two years, after which he will need to apply to the court to have it lifted.

He can have no more than a maximum of 80 bovine cattle over the age of 12 months; no more than a maximum of 60 bovine cattle under the age of 12 months but over 4 days of age; and no more than three bovine bulls at any time.

The day before the search warrant at the farm, 96 bulls and weaners, which are cattle that are 6 to 12 months old, had been sent to the saleyards.

The report by the vet says the farm was overstocked with insufficient feed.

These numbers are so extreme that I would consider the situation on this farm to be a severe and urgent welfare concern, even if the approximately 90 cattle that had been removed from the property just prior to our visit were in good body condition.

The majority of the property had minimal grass cover and had been grazed very low.

Of the 96 cows that were assessed for body condition, 42 were extremely thin and in need of urgent remedial action to survive and 24 were marginal.

In explanation, John says that at the start of 2023, he realised the farm was overstocked.

He says there were fencing issues that allowed stock to move freely between paddocks, which impacted pasture management.

Hed purchased additional hay bales of supplementary feed, but 68 of those were found to be mouldy and were rejected by the stock.

He admitted to continuing to feed out a combination of the mouldy bales along with better quality bales, as he wanted to get rid of them before the cold weather.

By May 2023, he realised some cows were starting to lose condition and by June, they were going downhill quickly.

He did not engage a veterinarian as he felt the issues with the stock were solely feed-related and things could improve by reducing stock levels.

The summary of facts says that since the search warrant in June 2023, John and his father have hired a farm consultant and invested in significant improvements to the farm.

Animal welfare is everyones responsibility

Ministry for Primary Industries Regional Manager of Animal Welfare and NAIT Compliance Brendon Mikkelsen says MPI accepts the outcome of the court and says they were serious charges under the Animal Welfare Act.

This included recklessly ill-treating 22 cattle that had to be euthanised to end their suffering, along with failing to ensure a mob of 89 cattle received proper and sufficient feed.

Animal welfare is everyones responsibility and MPI strongly encourages members of the public who are aware of animal ill-treatment or cruelty to report it to MPI.

The farm had previously been a dairy farm, during which time John was sentenced on three charges of failing to provide sufficient food to 148 cows across three separate mobs, in 2019.

At that time, he was also sentenced for keeping a dairy cow alive when she was suffering unreasonable or unnecessary pain or distress.

A vet says the farm was overstocked with insufficient feed, which had led to the cattle being underfed. Photo: NZME.

He was fined $6750 and disqualified for two years from being the owner or person in charge of more than 97 bovine animals over the age of 6 months and 20 replacement calves at any one time.

Effluent discharge on the farm

In March 2023, John and his father were fined $28,000 for illegally discharging untreated dairy effluent, which ended up in a tributary of the Aongatete Estuary.

The pair were prosecuted by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and pleaded guilty to discharging a contaminant, namely dairy effluent, on to or into land in circumstances where it entered a waterway.

The illegal discharge happened on October 13, 2021.

At that time, the John operated as a small calf-rearing enterprise, milking about 30 cows to feed the calves, and held a resource consent to discharge untreated dairy effluent to pasture by an irrigator.

Untreated effluent flowing from a storm water diversion pipe on the Nettleinghams' dairy farm at Aongatete towards a gully. Photo / Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

When a regional council compliance officer inspected the farm on October 13, 2021, they found a pipe system from the cowshed was set to divert the flow of washdown water into the stormwater diversion pipe leading to a gully rather than directly into an effluent storage system.

Green effluent had discharged from the pipe onto land, then into a gully below, and there was ponded effluent on the ground at the outlet of the stormwater diversion pipe, as well as effluent flowing along a channel in the gully.

The gully passed through a culvert into a drain that flowed into Tauranga Harbour about 450m downstream and into a tributary of the Aongatete Estuary immediately downstream from the farm. The effluent flow was continuous and the effluent storage tank was overgrown with grass and weeds.

Aongatete Estuary was classified as an indigenous biological diversity area due to the presence of threatened birds, fish, high-quality estuarine vegetation and as of national significance.

Dairy effluent was high in organic matter and had very high nutrient, ammonia and bacterial levels which can cause excessive weeds, contribute to algae blooms - which can be toxic to fish and other aquatic life and is also a heightened health risk for recreational users.

Judge David Kirkpatrick imposed fines of $14,000 on each farmer at the time, after allowing a 5 per cent discount for their relatively good records and their guilty pleas.

There does not appear to have been any fault or problem with the elements of the [stormwater and effluent diversion] system, only with the way in which the defendants used it. Fortunately, the scale of the milking operation on this farm meant the consequences were less than regularly seen in cases coming before the Court, the judges sentencing decision stated.
A joint effort with Australia has resulted in NZ Police making arrests and seizing drugs as part of trans-Tasman taskforce.

Gang members and associates have been arrested, drugs seized, and a clandestine laboratory uncovered as part of a Week of Action under Taskforce Morpheus, a joint Australasian taskforce focused on targeting criminal activity committed by motorcycle gangs.

Over $520,000 cash has been seized, 28 search warrants and 20 arrests made, over 260Kg illicit substances seized, one clandestine laboratory uncovered, and three firearms seized.

New Zealand Police extended its focus to include both motorcycle gangs and organised criminal groups, filing more than 200 charges against 20 people and seizing more than 260kg of illicit substances.

Taskforce Morpheus is a joint initiative through which New Zealand Police and all Australian state and territory police, Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, Australian Defence Force, and others collaboratively target the highest threat outlaw motorcycle gangs impacting Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand Police, Department of Corrections and New Zealand Customs Service have taken a coordinated approach to terminating a series of warrants and enforcement action focussed on organised crime groups in New Zealand.

A clandestine laboratory. Photo: NZ Police.

The Week of Action, between Monday August 5 and Friday August 9, saw New Zealand Police execute a nationally co-ordinated plan across Police districts.

Morpheus has run in conjunction with local New Zealand operations, such as the gang-focused Operation Cobalt  the systematic disruption of serious criminal activity that threatens public safety and wellbeing, including illegal possession and use of firearms, and the illegal manufacture and supply of illicit substances," says Director of the National Organised Crime Group Detective Superintendent Greg Williams.

Taskforce Morpheus highlights our strong trans-Tasman relationship, which contributes to an even more effective approach to tackling transnational organised crime in our communities.



Throughout the week, Police executed a number of search warrants in areas including Waikanae, Churton Park, Morningside, Henderson, Silverdale and West Harbour.

Waitemata

On Monday August 5, Police executed two simultaneous search warrants in Henderson and West Harbour, where a senior gang member and a gang prospect were arrested.

Located and seized were 68 LSD tabs, 180g of methamphetamine, and nine unidentified pills.

Items consistent with the manufacturing of methamphetamine were also located and seized. At the West Harbour address, Police located a clandestine laboratory where the items for manufacturing methamphetamine, including precursor substances, were uncovered.



Along with the illicit substances, Police also located and seized gang clothing, and around $3,000 cash.

Two men, aged 29 and 35, were arrested and remanded in custody.

They are due to reappear in Waitakere District Court on Wednesday October 2 and Thursday August 26, facing charges including possession for supply of methamphetamine, and possession of precursor equipment and materials.



Wellington

On Tuesday August 6, at a Churton Park address, Police arrested a gang associate and seized approximately $20,000 cash, a handgun, around four grams of methamphetamine and items consistent with methamphetamine supply.

A 43-year-old man has been charged with possession for supply of methamphetamine, and possession of a handgun and ammunition.

He has been remanded in custody following a first appearance and is due to reappear in the Wellington District Court on Thursday August 29.



On Wednesday August 7, in Waikanae, Police arrested a gang associate and seized around 400 grams of cannabis, 550 millilitres of butanediol (similar to GBL or GHB), psylocibin (magic mushrooms), testosterone, and items consistent with drug dealing.

A 44-year-old has been charged with possession for supply of Class B and C substances.

He is due to appear in the Porirua District Court on Tuesday August 20.



Waitemata

On Thursday August 8, in Dairy Flat, Police, with the assistance of Customs, arrested a patched Rebels gang member.

During the execution of a search warrant police seized 58kg of methamphetamine, two handguns and 111 rounds of ammunition.



The gang member was charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, importation of a Class A drug, and possession of a Class A drug for supply.

He was on active charges relating to a clandestine drug lab and has been remanded in custody.



Two other joint-operations, involving New Zealand Customs and New Zealand Police, terminating last week also saw drugs and cash seized and assets restrained.

Operation Havana

Operation Havana involved a two-year coordinated investigation into a major Chinese drug smuggling syndicate.

The syndicate, largely based in a south-east Auckland suburb, was disrupted, with 17 search warrants carried out across the city.



The disruption of this drug-smuggling ring saw illicit substances and $500,000 in cash seized, and 12 people arrested, with more than 175 charges filed.

The highlights of these seizures include: 183.5kg of methamphetamine, 29 litres of liquid methamphetamine, two kilograms of cocaine, 35.8kg of pseudoephedrine and 16.7kg of MDMA.

Approximately $4 million in assets was also restrained.

Operation Fix

Operation Fix saw three arrests and a total of approximately 180kg of methamphetamine seized in a central Auckland-based operation targeting a Mexican crime syndicate.

One man was arrested when he attempted to flee the country from Auckland Airport, following the discovery of a container filled with scrap metal and 175kg of methamphetamine at Tauranga Port, on Friday July 26.

Police, supported by Customs, executed search warrants at hotel rooms and Air BnB units located within Aucklands CBD, uncovering a further five kilograms of methamphetamine and making two further arrests.

Department of Corrections enforcement action against gangs in prison

Corrections staff worked to disrupt the harmful impact that motorcycle gangs can have from within a prison.

Co-ordinated custodial security efforts across all 18 prisons focused on intelligence collection and contraband detection, which saw a number of items, including cellphones and tobacco, seized.

Customs placed an increased focus on screening air passengers to identify international travellers with gang affiliations for further risk assessment.

Detective Superintendent Williams says this Week of Action was an opportunity to highlight enforcement activity, which Police and our partner agencies regularly undertake.



Our officers are out across the motu every day targeting unlawful and illegal activity, including that committed by gang members and associates.



Police remains dedicated to targeting unlawful gang behaviour, via Operation Cobalt enforcement activities, and larger investigations into organised crime groups.



We know the increased risk and concern that these groups, who are often associated with violent offending, cause, particularly when they involved firearms.



Through our continued focus on targeting those who put others in harms way, we are sending a clear message to gangs that unlawful activity will not be tolerated and will be met with enforcement action.



Detective Superintendent Williams says NZ Police would like to thank its Australian counterparts for their continued support.



This highlights our strong relationship, which contributes to an increased understanding of the wider organised crime landscape, and further effectiveness in tackling gangs and trans-national organised crime.

Watch the Taskforce Morpheus video here: https://www.facebook.com/NZPolice/videos/2213269492357231
A man is due to appear in court this afternoon after being arrested earlier in Pyes Pa.

A SunLive reader driving from Rotorua to Tauranga on State Highway 36/Pyes Pa Road on Tuesday morning says armed police had blocked off a side road with a police car.

"There were police everywhere on Pyes Pa Road near the Taumata Road intersection," says the SunLive reader.

"I saw at least six or seven cars, and the police were armed.

"One of the roads I went past had a police car blocking the road.

"And there was an officer in a paddock."

Police say a 35-year-old man was arrested without incident at 10.10am.

"Hes scheduled to appear in Tauranga District Court this afternoon," says a police spokesperson.
Silvia Tubio Seville Tuesday, 20 August 2024 | Updated 21/08/2024 23:07h. Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace

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Guardia Civil officers have seized thousands of litres of counterfeit rum during two searches carried out on industrial estates in Seville province in the Andalucia region.

According to police sources, the value of the seized goods would have exceeded 200,000 euros on the market. All the bottles seized were labelled with the name of a popular brand of rum.

The first search was carried out more than a week ago in a warehouse on the Aeropolis industrial estate in La Rinconada. There, police officers counted 10,656 bottles with counterfeit labels. The warehouse belongs to a Sevillian company that supplies spirits and promotes itself as a great specialist in obtaining stock of brands when there is more demand and the market is more difficult.

The second search was carried out a few days later in another industrial estate, in Dos Hermanas. Guardia Civil officers searched a retail trade supermarket on the Ciudad Blanca industrial estate and detected 2,269 counterfeit bottles of the rum. The establishment is owned by a company from Seville which has its head office there.

The Guardia Civil denounced those responsible for the two companies who are to be summoned as under investigation for crimes against intellectual and industrial property and another for falsification of a public document.

The bottles seized did not contain any alcohol that could pose a risk to public health. However, according to sources close to the case, falsifying labelling and passing off a product as a brand that it is not, is fraud.

National distribution networks

The affected brand, had already been at the centre of other operations by the Guardia Civil in Andalucia where a whole network of importers and distributors at a national level has been uncovered along with other well-known brands. The operation started in 2019 when, as on this occasion in Seville, police detected a large consignment of counterfeit bottles in a wholesale factory. That was the first thread they began to investigate until two years later they closed the case that had brought to light a complex business network that was obtaining huge commercial profits with the sale of counterfeit alcohol.

This particular product often travels through different countries to Spain, which makes it even more complicated to track its origin. In the operation, investigators confirmed the liquor was produced in the Dominican Republic, then bottled in Honduras and finally counterfeit labels were affixed in China. In Spain, the product arrived from tax warehouses located in the Netherlands, and once here it was marketed through Spanish distributors. On that occasion, the Guardia Civil acted against 21 companies, several of which were based in Seville.

In 2020, a year before the details of this operation in Andalucia became known, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), with the help of the Dutch customs authorities, stopped 147,000 bottles of counterfeit alcohol from leaving for Spain. The operation was carried out two days before Christmas when one of the highest peaks of international demand for spirits occurs.

The Spanish manufacturing sector loses 263 million euros a year due to counterfeiting

According to figures from the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EuIPO), EU companies lose around 1.3 billion euros a year to counterfeiting - 4.4% of legitimate sales of spirits and 2.3% of wines are lost annually.

These lost sales translate into the destruction of 4,800 direct jobs in the sector. It is also estimated that, in the EU, these counterfeit products have generated losses of 1.2 billion in tax revenue. According to a EuIPO report, the Spanish manufacturing sector loses 263 million euros annually as a result of counterfeiting.

Sources from the investigation also told SUR's sister newspaper ABC that these counterfeits have a fast introduction rate onto the market and are very difficult to detect by the consumer.
Marina Ortiz Madrid Tuesday, 20 August 2024, 18:41 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace

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August has already passed its halfway point and that means that summer is slowly coming to an end for many people. Although some people still have holidays to take, many others are returning to their routine after a period of rest. During this time a fear some people have about their private property is often awakened: illegal squatting.

This reality in Spain means many homeowners are afraid that if they leave their home for a few days it will be squatted, or in other cases they are worried their holiday home, which they do not usually live in, will be squatted when they leave it until their next visit.

The well-known content creator Jordi Wild and Eduardo Riego of Spain's National Police force, talked about this hot topic in the interview section of his YouTube channel. Among other things, they talked about how people who break into houses that are not theirs move in in order to inhabit them and the methods they use to try to avoid falling foul of the law.

Wild started the interview: "There are people who are afraid that if they go away for a weekend or a week's holiday, their property will be broken into and their house will be occupied. So, to what extent is that the case? How does the squatting issue work? If I have my house and they break in and I don't have an alarm and I come back a week later, have I lost my house?"

To which Riego responded: "No... It's not like that. If it is your house and it is your home, that is to say, you have privacy there, if the person enters, they are committing a crime and they can be removed. Squatters are usually not stupid and what they do is break into houses that belong to a bank or finance company, that are not classed as a private dwelling".

"There are some cases of renters who maybe simply stop paying the monthly rent and end up being a squatter, but they are another type of squatter. However, the squatters who try to enter houses that do not constitute a dwelling because they know that if they do not constitute a dwelling it is a minor offence and therefore they cannot be arrested in principle," the police officer revealed.

"If it is your house and it is your dwelling, that is to say, you have a privacy there, if a person enters, they are committing a crime and can be removed" Eduardo Riego National Police

In response to this explanation, the interviewer asked whether a second or third residence is classed as a dwelling or not, with the state security officer replying it would also be included as such. He went on to specify a case in which someone realised after seven months that their property had been squatted in, for example, a second residence in which they do not usually live. Here, the police officer said that this would be a different case as the people who have squatted the house have also established a home there, so evicting them would be a violation of their privacy. "We would have to take some steps and it wouldn't be as easy as kicking the door in and taking them out," Riego said.

Personal view on squatting in Spain

According to the personal opinion of the police officer, which Wild asked about: "There is something wrong when private companies have to evict squatters. The authorities have enough tools, there are enough police officers, in the end it's a matter of public crimes so public companies can take care of this and the police can do the same as a private company. When there are private companies that do well and do the work that the police sometimes cannot do, something is not right". He added that, in his opinion, these "legal loopholes" must be looked at and solutions sought. "You look at it and it's a bit of an injustice," Riego said.

Riego also pointed out there are not only people who squat out of necessity, but that there is a "big business" of squatters who sell keys and pay them to go from one place to another, describing it as a "black economy" and a problem he believes can be solved by the state, even if it is complicated.
Scientists propose to reduce the number of continents on our planet. According to the researchers, North America and Europe should be classified as one continent.

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In a new controversial study, experts say that the split between the European and North American continents continues. Therefore, it is worth counting 6, not 7 continents of the Earth, writes DailyMail.

Researchers from the University of Derby say that the breakup of the European and North American continents has not yet occurred, it is still ongoing, so it makes no sense to consider them separate continents.

"The discovery indicates that the tectonic plates of North America and Eurasia have not yet broken apart, as is traditionally believed. In fact, they are still stretching and are in the process of disintegrating," said study author Dr. Jordan Phethean.

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The researchers focused on the formation of Iceland, which is located between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. Until now, Iceland was believed to have formed about 60 million years ago when the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, began to give way, creating a hot mantle plume that formed into a volcanic island.

However, a team of scientists has challenged this theory. By analyzing the movement of tectonic plates in Africa, the researchers suggest that Iceland and the Greenlandic Icelandic Faroe Ridge (GIFR) also contain fragments of lost and submerged fragments from both the European and North American continents.

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Scientists call this newly recognized structure the "Rift Oceanic Magmatic Plateau," or ROMP for short. "I like to think of this concept as the scientific equivalent of finding the Lost City of Atlantis. These are fragments of a lost continent submerged under the sea and kilometers of thin lava flows. By studying the evolution of rifting in the Afra volcanic region in Africa and comparing it to the behavior of the Earth in Iceland, we see that these two regions are developing in very similar ways," Dr. Phethean explained.

If the researchers are right, it means that the split between the European and North American continents is still ongoing. From a scientific point of view, this would mean that North America and Europe can be classified as one continent rather than two.

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Scientists plan to examine volcanic rocks in Iceland for more concrete evidence of ancient continental crust. They are also conducting tectonic modeling of the region's plates and will use computer simulations to try to model the formation of the ROMP.

Dr. Jordan Phethean raised the issue of the shrinking number of continents after participating in a study of a new "proto-microcontinent" hiding between Canada and Greenland that formed 60 million years ago.

"Rifting and microcontinent formation are ongoing phenomena. The discovery of the Davis Rift proto-microcontinent allows us to better understand the process of microcontinent formation and how plate tectonics works on Earth. It may also allow scientists to better predict where useful resources might be found. And what the Earth might look like in millions of years. And the new data will also allow us to understand how plate tectonics worked in the early history of the Earth and the role it could have played in the development of life," Phethean summarized.

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Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
New Hartford, N.Y.  A state Supreme Court justice elected by voters across Central New York is appealing an oversight committees call for her removal over racially charged remarks at a private party.

Erin Gall  a judge for the Fifth Judicial District based in Oneida County  has been suspended with pay since the New York Commission on Judicial Conduct ruled that she should be removed from office after an inappropriate interaction with police and civilians at a graduation party in 2022.

On Friday, Galls attorney notified the commission that they do not accept the determination and asked the states highest court -- the Court of Appeals -- to review the case.

Police body camera footage from the party showed Gall making a verbal threat to shoot a group of Black teens if they returned to her friends property. She also threatened to use her power as a judge to speak to responding police officers supervisors when they did not do what she suggested. At one point, she bragged to a police officer that she taught her son to beat others up if they attacked him, the commission said.

Related Article: Watch videos that break down a Central NY judges racially offensive rants: Ill shoot them

The commission found that Gall tried to use her position as a judge to influence police, and demonstrated racial bias, and bias in favor of law enforcement. The judicial watchdog called for her removal.

On July 1 2022, Gall was a guest at the graduation party hosted by Stephen Pearce, an attorney and friend of Galls, at Pearces home on Tibbits Road in New Hartford. The party ran into the early hours of July 2 and got out of control after multiple groups of uninvited guests showed up at the party and fights broke out.

When police arrived, Gall immediately identified herself as a judge. As the party was clearing out, Gall singled out a group of four Black teens - who she claimed attacked her son and husband - who were searching for lost keys in a ditch.

Gall repeatedly asked police to detain the teens despite officers repeatedly explaining why they would not.

Throughout her interaction with police she repeatedly invoked her position as a judge. In testimony before the commission, she admitted that she should never have mentioned her title but argued that all the officers knew her as a judge already.

Later in the night, Gall told police that if the teens returned to her friends home to search for their lost keys, she would shoot them. She also insulted the teens intelligence by saying that they did not look like they would be attending business school, unlike her son.

When Gall was asked if she could see how these comments could demonstrate a racial bias, she agreed that it could appear that way. She told the commission that despite any appearance of bias, she was not racist.

Related Article: Suspended Central NY judge tried to downplay her racially insensitive comments: I dont see color

After the commission made its final determination to recommend Galls removal, commission member Nina M. Moore, of Syracuse, wrote a concurring opinion to highlight her concerns with the racially offensive statements.

Moore wrote that the appearance of racial bias is equally damaging to Galls credibility as a judge.

If there were a therapeutic cure for racialized behavior, the world would likely be a better place, Moore wrote. But, until such a cure is available, Judge Erin Gall should not sit on the bench with Black litigants left to cross their fingers and hope for the best.

Gall was elected to the bench in 2011. She ran as a Republican. Her current 14-year term is set to expire in December 2025. Voters from across Central New York voted for her. Her salary is $232,600.

In 46 years, the commission has issued 184 determinations of removal. The state Court of Appeals has reduced 10 determinations of removal to either a censure or an admonition, but has never dismissed a sanction that began as a request for removal.

Erin Gall campaigns at an annual Pompey spaghetti lunch in 2011 when she was running for state Supreme Court judge. She was elected to a 14-year term.Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard, file photo

Staff writer Anne Hayes covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at ahayes@syracuse.com.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul had an awkward start to her speech at the Democratic National Convention Monday, and Stephen Colbert noticed.

The Late Show host poked fun at Hochuls mistake when she referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as the first president of the United States.

Hello Democrats! Hochul said to a cheering DNC crowd in Chicago. Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris the first pres president of the United States?

Yes! Colbert responded on his live broadcast from Chicago later Monday night. Yes, the first president of the United States. Now it seems like that was a mistake, but its like George Washington famously said: That little girl was me.'

Hochul, who touted Microns $100 billion microchip project in Central New York during her primetime speech, is New York states first female governor. She stumbled on her words while intending to refer to Harris as the first female U.S. president; the Democratic presidential nominee became the first female VP under President Joe Biden and recently replaced Biden at the top of the 2024 ticket.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks during the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)AP

The late-night TV hosts joke referenced a 2019 line from Harris during the Democratic primary when she called out Bidens past remarks opposing busing to end desegregation in schools.

There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools and she was bused to school every day. That little girl was me, Harris said during the Democratic presidential debate.

Biden said he did not oppose busing, but rather opposed busing ordered by the Department of Education. Biden ended up winning the Democratic nomination and, with Harris as his running mate, became the first Syracuse University alumnus elected president in 2020.

See the clip of Hochul with Colberts comments starting at the 2:30 mark:
Heavy rock band Tesla is bringing their Keepin It Real Tour to the Artpark Mainstage Theater in Lewiston, NY, about 7 miles north of Niagara Falls, on Wednesday, August 28. The concert starts at 7 p.m., with special guests Kurt Deimer and Stretch opening.

We cannot wait to hit the stage and share our music with our incredible fans once again. The Keepin It Real tour is going to be an unforgettable experience for everyone who joins us, the group said in a statement.

The tour will continue through November and include another stop in Upstate New York at Waterloos del Lago Resort & Casino on Saturday, September 14.

A complete list of Teslas Keepin It Real Tour dates is available here.

Where to buy Tesla concert tickets

Limited standard admission tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

Tickets are also available below face value through platforms like Vivid Seats, SeatGeek and StubHub.

Heres a look at the best resale prices available (including fees):

Prices and availability are noted at the time of publishing and are subject to change.

Formed in 1984 in Sacramento, CA, Tesla initially went by City Kidd before renaming themselves in honor of the inventor Nikola Tesla. They gained recognition with their platinum debut album Mechanical Resonance in 1986, featuring hits like Modern Day Cowboy. Their 1989 album, The Great Radio Controversy, also went double platinum with popular tracks such as Heavens Trail (No Way Out) and Love Song.

The band continued to release successful albums through the 90s, including Psychotic Supper and Bust a Nut, and remains active with four studio albums since 2000 and their latest single, Time to Rock!
CHICAGO  Leading New York officials, including U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, shined a spotlight on Syracuse and Central New York at a state delegation breakfast Tuesday morning.

Because of the infrastructure law, New York has the biggest public works project ever in the country, the great gateway, Schumer said. We have focused on I-81 in Syracuse  Weve done a great deal in transportation, but maybe the thing thats had the greatest effect on New York is the CHIPS and Science Act. Hello Syracuse, hello central New York, how about Micron?
CHICAGO  The New York delegation celebrated the start of the Democratic National Convention on Monday with a breakfast marked by top elected officials on the schedule.

A main point of discussion among the gathered Democrats was turning New Yorks 22nd Congressional District blue.
Its not often that Hoka offers discounts on its top-selling shoes, but right now, shoppers can visit the Zappos website to snag a deal on the Bondi 8 and Clifon 8. The only downside to the offer is that the stock is extremely limited, so shoppers have to run, literally, to get the deal.

So why Hokas? Well, The American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) Seal of Acceptance acknowledges products that contribute to foot health. Each product undergoes evaluation by a panel of APMA podiatrists to ensure it supports and promotes foot health.

Huge Deal: Carhartt is having an insane Summer Sale starting at $13

The Clifton 8 is on sale at Zappos.Courtesy of Zappos

Clifon 8 - $112 (20% off)

The newest addition to the acclaimed Clifton series, the Clifton 8 maintains its reputation for combining softness with lightweight performance. It features a lighter and more responsive midsole while retaining the same smooth ride qualities. The Clifton 8 showcases a sleeker profile and an updated engineered mesh upper for enhanced comfort and breathability.

Arahi 6 - $112 (20% off)

Unexpectedly light for a stability shoe, the Arahi makes a return with the same stabilizing J-Frame as its previous model. It offers a remarkable blend of substantial cushioning and minimal weight, now enhanced with a pull tab and a mesh upper featuring breathable zones. The Arahi 6 is both exceptionally light and incredibly comfortable, providing dynamic support for a variety of runners.

Bondi 8 - $132 (20% off)

The Bondi, one of the most durable shoes in the HOKA lineup, has taken a significant leap this season with its updated design featuring softer, lighter foams and a newly extended heel geometry.

Check out more Hokas on sale at Zappos here.
Ashley Soebroto, Times Union, Albany, N.Y. (TNS)

MILTON  An Upstate New York woman was arrested Sunday evening for attempting to set a house on fire with her mother inside, according to the Saratoga County Sheriffs Office.

The 31-year-old has been charged with attempted arson, and arson, a felony according to police.
Each day of the calendar contains memories of important historical events and holidays. They unite people both in Ukraine and in different parts of the world.

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August 20 is one of such dates. About its meaning and significance tells OBOZ.UA.

This day is special for several reasons. On the one hand, it gives a reason for fun and relaxation, celebrating such extraordinary holidays as World French Fry Day and World Laziness Day. On the other hand, August 20 has become an important date for many countries because of the history-changing events that took place on that day in different years.

World French Fries Day

This holiday is a nice opportunity for many to enjoy one of the most favorite fast foods. The French fry, which has long been a symbol of fast food, has an interesting history going back to Belgium. It is a dish that brings people together with its simplicity and great taste, becoming part of not only culinary traditions but also food culture.

World Lazy Day

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This holiday reminds us of the importance of rest and relaxation. In today's world, where everyone is always in a hurry to get somewhere and strive to have more time, sometimes you just need to allow yourself to be a little lazy. Sometimes it pays to stop for a moment, put things aside and enjoy a moment of serenity. Laziness, at its best, can be beneficial, allowing us to rejuvenate and see new possibilities.

Other holidays on August 20, 2024

St. Istvan's Day (King of Hungary);

Indian Renewable Energy Day;

World French Fries Day;

World Day of Laziness;

World Mosquito Day;

Sanofi SA Day;

Restoration of Independence Day in Estonia;

Bernardo O'Higgins Independence Hero's Day in Chile;

Foundation Day, Constitution Day or New Bread Day in Hungary;

Love Day in Taiwan;

Firefighters' Day in Venezuela;

King and People's Revolution Day in Morocco;

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Chocolate Pecan Pie Day and National Bacon Lovers' Day in the United States;

National Day of the Principality of Seborga;

National Radio Day in the United States;

Famous Events on August 20

In 1996, then US President Bill Clinton made a decision that was an important step in the development of the country's economy - the minimum wage was set at $5.15 per hour. This move had far-reaching consequences, as the minimum wage subsequently continued to rise, reaching $15 by 2018. This decision not only affected the living standards of millions of Americans, but also served as an example for other countries seeking to raise social standards.

In 1991, August 20 was a milestone for Estonia, which declared its independence. This event marked the beginning of a new era for the country, which managed to preserve its identity and become a full member of the European community.

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In 1980, the Ministry of Communications of the Ukrainian SSR ordered the jamming of foreign radio stations such as Voice of America, BBC and Deutsche Welle. This decision was intended to limit the population's access to alternative information during a period of political instability.

1968 was distinguished by the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Soviet troops and Warsaw Pact countries to suppress the Prague Spring, an attempt by Czechoslovak reformers to create "socialism with a human face."

In 1964, INTELSAT, the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization, was established and played a key role in the development of global communication and connectivity between nations.

In 1939, the Soviet-Mongolian offensive at Khalkhin-Gol under the command of Georgy Zhukov began.

In 1925 Kanevsky Museum-Reserve "T.H. Shevchenko's grave" was founded. Today the museum is part of the Shevchenko National Reserve in Kanev, which is an important cultural center dedicated to the outstanding Ukrainian poet.

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In 1896, the Cathedral of St. Volodymyr was consecrated in Kiev. On the same day in the USA a dial telephone was patented, which was an important step in the development of modern communication technologies.

August 20, 1868 in the USA was officially proclaimed the end of the Civil War between the North and the South. This event was an important moment in the formation of the modern United States, which went through significant social and economic changes.

In 1741, Alaska was discovered by the first Russian navigator, Captain-Commander Vitus Bering. This discovery was the beginning of a new era in the exploration and colonization of North America.

In 1627, the first dictionary of the Ukrainian language was published under the title "Lexikon' Slavenno-Russian and nam t'lkovanie", created by Pamva Berinda.

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In 1619 a Dutch ship brought to America the first 20 Africans who were sold into slavery to the inhabitants of the Jamestown colony. This event was the beginning of a tragic page in human history that led to centuries of struggle for rights and freedoms.

Born on August 20

On August 20, 1833, Benjamin Harrison, who became one of the presidents of the United States, was born. His reign left a great impact on the country's history, especially in international politics and economics.

Died on August 20

On this day in 1823, Friedrich Arnold Brockhaus, German publisher and founder of the Brockhaus publishing firm, died. His contribution to the publishing industry left an indelible mark in the development of European and world culture.

Subscribe to OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to be aware of the latest events.

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New Year's Eve is a special holiday that millions of people around the world love and look forward to. On New Year's Eve, families and nations have been uniting in common joys and hopes for a better future for many years.

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In the USSR, one of the most anticipated events of the New Year's Eve was the TV program Little Blue Light. OBOZ.UA tells why it had such an ambiguous name.

For many years, "Little Blue Light" or, in the original, "Goluboy Ogonyok" was a symbol of Soviet television and an important part of New Year's celebrations.

This program became a kind of embodiment of Soviet culture, where the country's best artists performed against the backdrop of festive scenery, favorite songs were played, and comedians entertained the audience with witty jokes.

However, many people still have questions about the meaning of the word "blue." Some people attribute it to the fact that it is a winter color that symbolizes snow and frost, while others jokingly hint at latent homosexuality. But in fact, the answer to this question is quite simple and prosaic.

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History of the name "Little Blue Light"

This program appeared on TV in 1962. At that time, the audience immediately liked it because of its relaxed and festive atmosphere. However, this show was not always known as "Little Blue Light" because the name was changed several times before the final version was approved.

The fact that the light eventually became blue is due to the technical features of Soviet television in the mid-twentieth century. Back then, black-and-white TV sets glowed slightly with a blue tint. By the way, this is why such a stable expression as "blue screens" appeared at the same time.

Subscribe to the OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events.

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Editor's take: Sometimes, our ideas for new articles stem from work we're doing. Other times, they start with an image or a title. This is one of those posts. We were recently in a pitch meeting with a stealth-mode startup designing an AI accelerator chip. In the middle of that meeting, we saw a vivid image of a computer driving a car  with the accelerator pedal fully pressed  right off a cliff. It was as if our subconscious was trying to tell us something.

The market for AI accelerators is crowded, leaving little room for new entrants. There are now a dozen or so companies in the U.S. designing chips specifically for "AI" workloads. There are a few dozen more in China, and of course, all the hyperscalers have some version of this chip as well.

When we lay out the landscape this way, the problem becomes clear: there are a lot of these chips either on or soon to hit the market. But is anyone going to buy them? Our best guess is that the outcome for many of these startups won't be great. We say this for several reasons.

Editor's Note:

Guest author Jonathan Goldberg is the founder of D2D Advisory, a multi-functional consulting firm. Jonathan has developed growth strategies and alliances for companies in the mobile, networking, gaming, and software industries.

The first is historical. This is not the first wave of AI chip startups  it's the third. The first wave appeared around 2017 when Google unveiled the TPU. There was another wave four years ago, and now a third, spurred by ChatGPT. Almost none of the companies from the first wave still exist today  they were either acquired, shut down, or are lingering in limbo. The second wave was struggling but got a last-minute boost from the hype excitement around ChatGPT. While the third wave could do better, but it still faces the same challenges that hampered the previous two.

The second factor is technical. Simply put, software is moving too fast. We've seen this pattern before. A company unveils its plans for a new chip, and on paper, it offers a significant performance advantage. But by the time the chip is taped out and put into production, the software it was designed to run has changed so much that the chip no longer has a performance edge.

And don't forget, those potential customers are all working on their own chips. Finally, everyone is competing with Nvidia...

The third factor is commercial. Customers are hesitant to try new chips. Porting code to new designs involves significant costs, and no one likes to be the guinea pig. On top of that, there's a limited pool of customers capable of using these chips in data centers. And don't forget, those potential customers are all working on their own chips. Finally, everyone is competing with Nvidia, which sometimes seems unstoppable.

Put simply, there are a lot of companies chasing a small serviceable market.

To be clear, we hate writing this post. We are big advocates for increased venture funding in the U.S. semiconductor industry. And it pains us to criticize chip startups. Notice we are not naming anyone in this piece. Maybe one or two companies can get to scale, and likely many more will be acquired into the big companies who badly need a new approach to their AI designs. And maybe someone gets it right  some combination of technical brilliance, innovative business model and luck  the rewards could be huge, but beyond that this space is likely to prove very challenging.

Herd mentality, but why?

After writing the above, we realized we were left with a question: Why are so many seemingly similar companies chasing a limited market? The answer is not going to win us many friends.

At its core, the problem is that the U.S. venture capital ecosystem has lost its muscle memory for semiconductor investing. We have written a lot about this before. If you forecast out technology industry revenues over the next 10 years, more than 60% will come from hardware, yet over the past decade, only 10% of venture dollars have gone to hardware.

If you forecast out technology industry revenues over the next 10 years, more than 60% will come from hardware, yet over the past decade, only 10% of venture dollars have gone to hardware.

A few years before ChatGPT, we brought an AI chip company to meet one of the best-known Sand Hill Road VCs, a firm that helped fund many of today's semiconductor giants. Despite a warm introduction, it took them a while to find the right person to meet us. Eventually, we sat down with a Valley veteran who had done many of those early semiconductor deals, and he really liked our pitch.

The problem was that by this point, he was an emeritus partner  they had pulled him out of retirement to meet with us  and he no longer had the influence to bring his partners along with the deal.

To be clear, we are fully sympathetic about how this happened. For starters, early-stage investing in semis is expensive. Three people in a literal garage can bootstrap a software company to millions of dollars in revenue. But a chip company needs $50 million just to get its first product out. And for the past 15 years or so, returns on venture semiconductor deals have been paltry.

These difficulties created a negative feedback loop. Junior associates who championed an investment in a chip startup that ended badly remember that experience. By the time they become senior partners, they still carry the scars of that bad exit and avoid the whole sector. If they even still have a job  some of the deals done in the 2000s turned out really badly. Either way, the result is that the major venture funds have gradually shed partners with any knowledge of the sector.

VCs are smart and flexible. They know an opportunity when they see one. And so, past waves of excitement around AI chips, like Google's TPU, which clearly marked an important trend sparked a lot of interest from investors. The problem is that by the time the TPU came around, there was almost no one left in the Valley who had enough semis knowledge to accurately judge the market.

We participated in multiple diligence project in the 2010s where it was clear that the investors did hot have a good grasp of some chip startup's prospects. At times, it seemed like only one firm in the Valley really understood the market, and they were involved in almost every deal.

As a result, we ended up with multiple hype cycles driving investments. The market  and LPs  saw reasons to be interested in chips again, and investors piled in without fully understanding the risks. This process has now repeated itself a few times, but the largely poor exits seen in the sector have only reinforced venture investors' aversion to it.

It's notable that many of the very large AI accelerator fundraises this year have been led by non-traditional venture investors. The best-known firms all got their fingers burned by the first TPU-era wave and have mostly stayed out of the latest deals. Perhaps the best example of this is Sequoia, which has published two pieces cautioning against AI hype. Those notes are partly aimed at Sequoia's own LPs, explaining why the firm is not investing heavily in this space.

The hardest part of all this is that a whole series of rational decisions have led to an undesirable outcome. While we lament the lack of venture investing in semiconductors, we also understand the logic that got us here. We don't mean to criticize established venture investors  they all had good reasons for their actions. Unfortunately, decades of past practices and institutional memory make it very hard to right the ship. It will likely take a new generation of venture firms to get things headed in a more sustainable direction.
A hot potato: Another company has decided to drag its employees back to the office full-time while blasting the alleged disadvantages of remote and hybrid work. Nothing, the British firm behind several stylish and well-received phones and earbuds, has decided that "Remote work is not compatible with a high ambition level plus high speed." CEO Carl Pei wants workers back five days per week, suggesting that those unable to make this commitment should leave the company.

Pei made the announcement to his 450 employees in an internal email last Friday that he later shared on LinkedIn. He notes that when the company started in 2020, Covid rules meant that fully remote work was the only option.

Nothing later moved to a hybrid work schedule at its London site and fully in-office at other sites. Now, it is transitioning to fully in-office at London, too.

Pei said there were three reasons why hybrid and remote setups are not right for Nothing's business. First, the fact the company makes physical products means design, engineering, manufacturing, and quality have to collaborate closely.

Second, Pei said creativity and innovation allow Nothing to compete with bigger companies, and these things do not work well remotely, apparently.

Third, the CEO said remote work was not compatible with Nothing's ambitions of becoming a generation-defining company that moves fast.

Pei essentially told employees unwilling or unable to come into the office five days per week to quit, though he did so using typical CEO-speak: "We know it's not the right type of setup for everybody, and that's OK," he wrote. "We should look for a mutual fit. You should find an environment where you thrive, and we need to find people who want to go the full mile with us in the decades ahead."

Pei's phrasing brings to mind a similar message from Andy Jassy last year. The Amazon CEO told employees who didn't want to return to the office that "It's probably not going to work out for you."

Most companies calling back workers adopt a 3-day per week hybrid work setup, and even that has been causing outcry among staff who say they are more productive and certainly happier being at home full time. Other companies, such as those belonging to Elon Musk, have been much harsher in their demands: get in the office at least 40 hours per week or leave.

CEOs (and former CEOs) don't seem to care very much about employee happiness, of course. Ex-Google boss Eric Schmidt recently blamed Google's hybrid work policy for it lagging behind OpenAI, though he later said he "misspoke" and regretted his error.
A thirsty potato: According to private records obtained by the Financial Times through freedom of information requests, data center facilities in Virginia have experienced a significant increase in water consumption in recent years. The rise of generative AI could exacerbate this issue, potentially contributing to an environmental disaster in the making.

The Commonwealth of Virginia, particularly Northern Virginia, hosts the largest data center market in the world. The state is home to around 300 facilities, according to recent data, and these centers require vast amounts of electricity and water to keep global internet services running. Water usage, in particular, is becoming an increasingly alarming issue.

The Financial Times reports that Virginia's data centers consumed at least 1.85 billion US gallons of water in 2023, compared to 1.13 billion gallons in 2019. This information is based on data provided by six water authorities in Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, and Fauquier counties, a Northern Virginia region known as "Data Center Alley." Additional water utilities in the region did not provide data for the report.

Data Center Alley hosts major operations for companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. These facilities require water either to cool computing equipment or for power generation, and some of the largest centers are located in parts of Virginia that are facing droughts or other water-related crises.

According to a representative from the Piedmont Environmental Council, a Virginia-based nonprofit organization, the rapid expansion of the data center industry could be unsustainable for the environment. Loudoun County officials confirmed that the amount of land used for new data centers has more than doubled since 2019, and additional facilities are currently under construction.

Most of Virginia is experiencing "abnormally" dry conditions, according to the US Drought Monitor, yet a significant number of Big Tech data centers are still located in water-stressed areas. Microsoft reported that 42 percent of the water consumed in its facilities in 2023 came from such regions, while Google stated that 15 percent of its global freshwater usage occurred in areas already facing water scarcity.

Amazon did not provide specific data on the issue but stated that it is committed to becoming a "good water steward." The company aims to be "water positive" by 2030, returning more water to communities than it consumes in its facilities. Microsoft is also developing "zero-water cooling technologies" for its Virginia data centers, while Google did not comment.

Water is just one of the many issues arising from the explosive growth of the data center industry worldwide. With generative AI services and new AI algorithms being developed by nearly every major IT corporation, AI-focused data centers could soon consume significant amounts of electricity, water, and other precious resources, while the broader environment bears the consequences.
Boeing's troubled 777X program has suffered another significant blow with the discovery of a cracked structural component, forcing the company to halt flight tests. The issue, found during routine maintenance on a 777-9 aircraft, involves a thrust link that connects the engine to the wing.

Even worse, the latest setback adds to the delays in the already long-delayed 777X program, potentially pushing its timeline further behind schedule.

Structural Failure in Engine Mounts

As initially reported by The Air Current, the issue was discovered during routine maintenance on a 777-9 aircraft, where a cracked thrust link was identified. This crucial component connects the General Electric engines to the aircraft's wings.

Boeing has informed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about the situation and has shared details with its customers.

The company is now inspecting the rest of the flight test fleet for similar issues, although no immediate flight tests were scheduled for the other aircraft currently undergoing maintenance.

"Our team is replacing the part and capturing any learnings from the component and will resume flight testing when ready," Boeing said in a statement.

Related Article : FAA Investigates Boeing and Airbus Over Suspected Fake Titanium Documents

Impact on 777X Certification and Timeline

The discovery of the structural failure is a huge blow to Boeing's efforts to certify the 777X, a process that is already five years behind schedule. Boeing began flight tests with U.S. aviation regulators on board in July, marking a key milestone in the certification process. However, this latest issue could further delay the program.

Emirates, one of Boeing's largest customers, expects to receive its first 777X aircraft by 2026, with full certification anticipated by the end of 2025. However, this timeline may now be at risk.

Industry and Customer Reactions

The suspension of flight testing could have a substantial impact on Boeing's 777X program, according to Linus Bauer, founder of aviation consultancy BAA & Partners.

Bauer described the certification process as a "critical phase" and such interruption could result in delays. He added that this latest setback could exacerbate Boeing's existing challenges, particularly as the 777X is a cornerstone of the company's long-term strategy for the wide-body market.

Emirates and Qatar Airways, two of the largest customers for the 777X, are closely monitoring the situation. Qatar Airways recently expanded its order for the 777X family, bringing its total order to 94 aircraft. Any further delays could strain Boeing's relationships with these key clients and impact its market position.

Additional Challenges: 787 Dreamliner Inspections

Compounding Boeing's difficulties, the FAA has issued an airworthiness directive requiring inspections of the cockpit seats on Boeing's 787 Dreamliners. This directive follows reports of uncommanded seat movements that have disrupted flights.

In one incident in March 2024, a Latam Airlines 787 experienced a sudden mid-air dive, injuring over 50 passengers.

The FAA's directive mandates that airlines operating Boeing's 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 models inspect the seat switches responsible for controlling seat movements.

Boeing has expressed full support for the FAA's directive, but the additional inspections will likely be frustrating for customers and costly for the company.

New Leadership Faces Uphill Battle

These challenges come at a critical time for Boeing, as the company's new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, has just taken the helm. Ortberg, who started his role on August 8, has pledged to "restore trust" in Boeing, a task that is becoming increasingly difficult in light of these setbacks.

Bauer noted that further delays in high-profile programs like the 777X could undermine confidence in Boeing's leadership and technical capabilities. Addressing these issues effectively will be crucial for Ortberg as he works to restore stakeholder confidence and secure Boeing's future in the global aviation industry.
Apple is all set to expand its manufacturing footprint in India with the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro models.

According to recent reports, the tech giant will begin assembling both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max in India shortly after their global launch this fall. This means that it's also slowly reducing dependence on China, one of the largest iPhone markets globally.

Apple to Diversify iPhone Production

For years, Apple has recognized the risks associated with its heavy dependence on China as a manufacturing hub. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted these vulnerabilities, with up to 80% of the world's iPhone production concentrated in a single facility. This realization pushed Apple to accelerate its plans to diversify production and reduce the risks associated with this centralization.

India has long been identified as Apple's primary alternative manufacturing base. Ambitious projections have suggested that a quarter of all iPhones could be made in India by 2025, with this figure potentially rising to half by 2027. However, until now, there has been limited evidence of these predictions coming to fruition, particularly when it comes to the production of flagship models.

Related Article : Apple Suppliers Boost iPhone 16 OLED Panel Production Ahead of September Release

India as an iPhone Production Hub

Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that approximately one in seven iPhones are now manufactured in India. However, the production of flagship models, which require more advanced manufacturing processes, has consistently lagged behind.

This year marks a turning point. The same report indicates that production of the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will commence in India just weeks after the official launch of the new line-up.

Foxconn Technology Group, Apple's key partner, has already begun training thousands of workers at its factory in Tamil Nadu, southern India, to assemble the new flagship devices as close to the global launch as possible. There are also indications that Apple's other partners in India, including Pegatron and the Tata Group, may soon start manufacturing the Pro versions.

Manufacturing All iPhones Sold in India Locally

Another critical objective for Apple has been to ensure that all iPhones sold in India are manufactured domestically. Until now, this has not been feasible, forcing the company to import flagship models from China and pay hefty import duties, according to 9to5Mac. These additional costs have made iPhones disproportionately expensive for Indian consumers, even after a recent reduction in import taxes and subsequent price cuts.

According to the latest Bloomberg report, the Cupertino titan is on track to achieve this goal by the end of the year, with all iPhones sold in India expected to be locally manufactured. This shift not only reduces costs for the company but also aligns with the Indian government's push for local manufacturing under its "Make in India" initiative.

Apple's decision to ramp up iPhone 16 Pro production in India is a surprising move that it made for its manufacturing strategy. By diversifying its production base, Apple is mitigating the risks associated with its reliance on China while also capitalizing on India's growing importance as a global manufacturing hub.

Ahead of iPhone 16's launch, we could also see other iPhone models including the budget-friendly iPhone SE 4 which will allegedly have an A17 Bionic processor.

While the countdown for the iPhone 16 lineup is happening, several reports claim that the iPhone 16 Plus could be the last one for its variant. The rumored replacement will be the iPhone 17 Slim which could hit the shelves by 2026.
Toyota has acknowledged that it reportedly suffered a massive data breach in which the threat actor leaked an archive of 240GB of data stolen from the companys systems on a hacking forum.

The huge trove of data, which was leaked by a well-known hacker, ZeroSevenGroup, claims that they have breached a U.S. branch and stolen 240GB worth of data on Toyota employees and customers, including personal and professional contact information, customer profiles, financial details, contracts, business plans, and more.

Additionally, they claim that they even collected network infrastructure details, including credentials, using ADRecon.

This open-source tool gathers information about Active Directory and generates a report that offers a holistic picture of the current state of the target AD environment.

We have hacked a branch in United States to one of the biggest automotive manufacturer in the world (TOYOTA). We are really glad to share the files with you here for free. The data size: 240 GB, the threat actor claims.

Contents: Everything like Contacts, Finance, Customers, Schemes, Employees, Photos, DBs, Network infrastructure, Emails, and a lot of perfect data. We also offer you AD-Recon for all the target network with passwords.

When BleepingComputer contacted Toyota to validate the threat actors claims, the Japanese automaker responded, We are aware of the situation. The issue is limited in scope and is not a system wide issue.

The company further added that its engaged with those who are impacted and will provide assistance if needed. However, it did not provide information on when it first detected the breach, or how the attacker managed to gain access to its computer systems, and how many people were exposed in the data breach.

While Toyota did not disclose the date of the breach, BleepingComputer discovered that the files had been stolen or at least created on December 25, 2022, which means that the attacker had access to the backup server where the data was kept.

This is not the first time that Toyota has suffered a data breach.

In December 2023, Toyota Financial Services (TFS), a financial subsidiary of the popular automaker Toyota Motor Corporation, warned its customers of a data breach that had exposed their personal details, including bank account information, in the attack.

The data breach was a result of a Medusa ransomware attack on some of TFSs systems in Europe and Africa in November last year.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is going to visit Ukraine, allegedly refused to mediate between Kyiv and the aggressor country Russia on the issue of ending the war. However, he has agreed to deliver "messages" between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian dictator Putin.

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Bloomberg reported this on Monday, August 19, citing sources. The journalists recalled that Indian officials had called for "dialogue and diplomacy" to end the war started by Russia.

"Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Kyiv on Friday in an attempt to balance ties with Washington and Moscow, but has ruled out a role mediating an end to Russias war in Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter. The South Asian nation has, however, agreed to relay messages between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraines Volodymyr Zelenskiy," the article says.

The media suggested that Modi's reluctance to mediate in ending the war is partly due to India's dependence on Russia for cheap oil and weapons. New Delhi has refrained from criticizing Moscow for the invasion, which has been going on for three years, and has increased its purchases of Russian oil to record levels.

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At the same time, journalists' sources noted that it is important for Zelenskyy to meet with Modi to discuss India's role in restoring peace. This country was central to the Ukrainian president's efforts to win over the countries of the so-called Global South.

"The meeting with Modi is unlikely to yield any major announcements, though several agreements including in agriculture and defense are in the works, people familiar with the agenda said. Before reaching Ukraine, Modi will also visit Poland, a first by an Indian leader in over four decades," Bloomberg writes.

As was reported, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ukraine on August 23, the Day of the National Flag of Ukraine. This will be the first visit of the Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine in the history of bilateral relations.

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In early July, Narendra Modi visited Russia and held talks with dictator Putin. The Indian prime minister 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 about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Pakistan's Sindh orders inquiry into monsoon child brides



Karachi, Aug 20 (AFP) Aug 20, 2024



A Pakistan provincial government has ordered an inquiry into child marriages in areas affected by floods in 2022 following an exclusive AFP story on the subject.

Pakistan's high rate of marriages for underage girls had been inching lower in recent years, but after unprecedented floods in 2022 rights workers warned that such weddings were on the rise due to climate-driven economic insecurity.

In a report published on August 16, AFP spoke to girls married at the ages of 13 and 14 in exchange for money at villages hard hit by the floods in Sindh province.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has ordered an inquiry into the matter, his spokesman Rasheed Channa told AFP.

"The Chief Minister wants to understand the social impact of the rains on the people of this area. After the report is submitted, he will visit the area and generate recommendations.

"My personal opinion is that there has always been this tradition of early marriages, but the floods have made people very desperate."

In the village of Khan Mohammad Mallah, 45 underage girls have been married since last year's monsoon rains -- 15 of them in May and June this year, the NGO Sujag Sansar told AFP.

The summer monsoon between July and September is vital for the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security, but scientists say climate change is making them heavier and longer, raising the risk of landslides, floods and long-term crop damage.

"This has led to a new trend of 'monsoon brides'," said Mashooque Birhmani, the founder of Sujag Sansar, which works with religious scholars to combat child marriage.

Many villages in the agricultural belt of Sindh have not recovered from the 2022 floods, which plunged a third of the country underwater, displaced millions and ruined harvests.

"Before the 2022 rains, there was no such need to get girls married so young in our area," 65-year-old village elder Mai Hajani told AFP.
Pollution levels on Lake Geneva beaches 'concerning': study



Geneva, Aug 20 (AFP) Aug 20, 2024



Pollution levels on Lake Geneva's beaches are alarming, partly due to high levels of microplastic fibres, a French-Swiss monitoring body said Tuesday.

Researchers found a "concerning" density of tiny microplastic particles ranging from 0.3 mm to 5 mm (0.01 to 0.20 inches) in length -- 7,600 particles per square metre, according to the study.

The research was commissioned by the International Commission for the Protection of Lake Geneva Waters (Cipel) and conducted by the French-Swiss Association for the Safeguard of Lake Geneva (ASL) in 2021 and 2022.

Experts took samples from 25 French and Swiss beaches of Western Europe's largest lake, which stretches across France and Switzerland.

Testing showed that around 60 percent of the particles were tiny synthetic fibres of plastic that had leached out into the water after washing clothes or as a result of wear and tear.

The remaining 40 percent came from the fragmentation of microplastics visible to the naked eye and reported by 100 volunteers.

A majority of the detected particles were smaller than 2.5 mm. Food packaging, cigarette butts and industrial plastic granules were the most frequently identified sources of waste.

Half of the studied beaches showed a "slight decrease in quantities compared to previous surveys".

A previous study by Cipel on the fragmentation of plastics found a "significant bioaccumulation of microplastics in Lake Geneva fish".

These particles carry heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants that make them more toxic to aquatic life.

Cipel and ASL concluded that educating the public and local authorities about ways to reduce the influx of plastics into the lake, including through rainwater, was essential.

Whilst the organisations pointed out that the European Union had introduced proactive measures, such as making prefilters compulsory for washing machines by 2025, the Swiss government rejected similar initiatives, they said.

Opting for fewer, low-temperature washes, anti-microfibre washing bags and more sustainable, higher-quality textiles, can help mitigate the release of microplastics into the environment.
How a waterspout may have sunk a UK tech tycoon's yacht



Porticello,Italy, Aug 20 (AFP) Aug 20, 2024



The marine weather phenomenon blamed for sinking a British tech tycoon's yacht off Sicily, known as a waterspout, may have been strengthened by unusually warm waters in the Mediterranean, experts said.

The 56-metre (183-foot) "Bayesian", being used by Mike Lynch and his wealthy guests to celebrate a court victory, disappeared into the sea within minutes of being hit by the tornado-like storm off the Sicilian town of Porticello.

One body has been found and Lynch, his daughter, and Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, are among six people missing since the disaster at 4:00 am on Monday.

The British-flagged vessel was anchored some 700 metres from port with 10 crew and 12 passengers on board when the waterspout struck, according to witnesses.

Karsten Borner, skipper of a yacht anchored nearby, described a "very strong hurricane gust" that hit. He was battling to keep his vessel steady when suddenly "we noticed that the ship behind us was gone".

"First came the wind, then the water -- it was definitely a tornado," said local fisherman Giovanni Lococco, describing the waterspout.

- Tornado power -



Investigators and experts have been poring over the weather conditions and the design of the "Bayesian", whose 75-metre mast was the world's tallest made from aluminium, according to the Charter World website.

"A waterspout is a narrow column of rotating air below a thunderstorm that occurs over water" and is "part of the same weather 'family' as tornadoes", said Peter Inness, a meteorologist at the University of Reading in Britain, in comments released by the UK's Science Media Centre.

Like tornadoes, they suck up air in a rotating motion, usually causing less damage than tornadoes over land, however.

"Changes in wind direction with height are also needed to set up the rotation of air within the waterspout," said Inness.

While many waterspouts are "fairly inconsequential", lasting just a few seconds, some can pack winds of more than 100 kilometres (62 miles) per hour, said Inness.

"Winds of this strength coinciding with the location of a boat are capable of causing damage or capsize, especially because the wind direction varies very rapidly," he said.

The Mediterranean could be the world's most likely place for waterspouts, due to a warm water surface and a vulnerability to thunderstorms in the summer and autumn, he said.

The Mediterranean this year reached its highest temperature on record, with a daily median of 28.90 degrees Celsius (84 Fahrenheit), according to Spain's leading institute of marine sciences.

Experts say the temperature has often hit 30 degrees Celsius or more, about three degrees above average.

"We could have had a superposition of air and water suction with shearing winds that ultimately created something that lifted up," said Jean-Marie Dumon, a former naval officer now with the GICAN, the French maritime industry association.

The conditions with winds of 100kph or more can "create completely anarchic sea conditions which can cause capsizing," said Dumon.

The tall mast may have had an "amplifier effect" in taking the yacht to its "tipping point", he explained.

Dumon said the "Bayesian" was certainly designed by naval architects to cope with extreme winds and heavy seas.

"Here we have wind shear which can cause instability."

"The fact that the vessel itself was not damaged... suggests that it was laid on its side", said the expert.
Members of the Verkhovna Rada passed a bill to ban the activity of religious organizations whose governing center is located in Russia (i.e., the Russian Orthodox Church). According to it, the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate may also be suspended in Ukraine.

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Voting for document No. 8371 took place on August 20, and it was supported by 265 MPs. MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak said that the law will come into force 30 days after its publication.

"Except for one point - according to it, the UOC-MP communities will have nine months to break ties with the ROC," he explained.

By factions, the votes in the second reading were as follows:

Servant of the People - 173;

European Solidarity - 25;

Voice - 18;

Fatherland - 17;

Platform for Life and Peace - 13;

Trust - 11;

Non-factional - 11;

Group For the Future - nine;

Restoration of Ukraine - 0.
On August 20, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine made a historic decision: MPs supported the bill banning the Moscow Church in Ukraine. The bill was supported by 265 MPs, with 29 MPs voting against it and four abstaining.

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The results of the roll-call vote are not yet available on the website of the Ukrainian parliament, but some of the names of the defenders of the Moscow Church in Ukraine are already known. OBOZ.UA tells who is not afraid of the activities of one of the most powerful centers of influence of the Russian Federation in Ukraine during a full-scale war.

On the afternoon of August 20, MPs finally passed the revised draft law No. 8371 on the ban on the activities of religious organizations, including those affiliated with the Russian Federation, in Ukraine. It was popularly nicknamed the "law banning the Moscow church." The law will come into force 30 days after its publication, while the UOC-MP communities, as explained by MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak, have been given 9 months to break ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, otherwise, their activities in Ukraine will be recognized as illegal.

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265 MPs supported this ban in the second reading. At the same time, some MPs see nothing wrong with the activities of this powerful center of Russian influence in war-torn Ukraine: according to the Rada system, there are 29 such MPs representing various factions and parliamentary groups. Another four MPs, according to the data on the electronic scoreboard, abstained from voting.

Quite predictably, the MPs from the "Platform for Life and Peace" parliamentary group formed from the wreckage of the banned "Opposition Platform  For Life" voted against the law in almost full force: 17 out of 19 MPs pressed the red button. Even more surprising was the fact that there was one MP (Yuriy Zahorodniy) who supported the ban.

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There were no sensations in the voting of representatives of the Batkivshchyna, European Solidarity, Voice, For the Future, and Dovira factions: they unanimously supported the ban on the Moscow church in Ukraine. However, some MPs  Oleksiy Honcharenko (EU), Mariana Bezuhla, Serhiy Ionushas (Servant of the People), and Natalia Pipa  filed statements that their votes in favor were not counted during the voting.

However, representatives of some factions and groups voted against the ban. Among them, in particular, was the presidential faction of the Servant of the People party.

"Servants" not of their own people

In the largest parliamentary faction of the Servant of the People political party, there are four defenders of the Moscow church in Ukraine.

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According to media reports, MP Artem Kultenko, in particular, opposed the ban on the UOC-MP. According to journalists, he headed a group of defenders of the UOC-MP within the Servant of the People. Among the "achievements" of Kultenko, a native of the Cherkasy region, during his term in office was the vote at the end of 2022 on the scandalous urban planning reform (Bill No. 5655), which defended the interests of developers and leveled the influence of citizens on the reconstruction of Ukraine. This reform was not signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In April 2024, Kultenko attracted the attention of the Bihus.info team, which was investigating the activities of a network that opposes the ban on the UOC-MP. In this direction, investigators found that this MP cooperated with another former "servant"  a lover of the Moscow church, Artem Dmytruk, as well as with a cleric of the Novokakhovka diocese of the UOC-MP, Serhiy Chertylin, suspected of treason.

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According to media reports, since 2016, Kultenko has been a novice at the Kyiv Theological Seminary of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate).

Pavlo Khalimon, a "servant" from Chernihiv, also spoke out against the ban of the Moscow church. Back in 2020, he became involved in a corruption scandal: journalists of the Schemes project released recordings of a man with a voice similar to that of an MP demanding a bribe of UAH 40 million for assistance in running an agricultural business in the Chernihiv region. NABU detectives studied the recordings and asked Prosecutor General Venediktova to initiate criminal proceedings, but the then-head of the Prosecutor General's Office refused to open proceedings.

In 2023, journalist Mykhailo Tkach published an investigation in which he said that Khalimon had purchased a mansion in Pechersk at a fivefold lower price during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, registering it in his wife's name. After that, the SAPO asked the Prosecutor General to open a case against MP Khalimon on the fact of illegal enrichment, and the NACP, having monitored the MP's lifestyle, found signs of a corruption criminal offense that may indicate illegal enrichment of UAH 10 million.

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Halimon also voted for the scandalous urban planning reform.

Kyiv resident Yevhen Bragar also voted against the ban on the Moscow church in Ukraine. Even his diploma from the Faculty of History at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv did not prevent him from defending this center of hostile influence: apparently, he learned some of the lessons of history very poorly.

For example, after being elected in 2019, Bragar said on the Rada TV channel that Ukraine should not finance patriotic cinema.

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Among the scandals that Bragar has been involved in during his time as a member of parliament is the "advice" to a pensioner to sell her dog to pay her utility bills, which the MP gave to the woman on a live TV channel in February 2020. A month before that, the public was outraged by a police report filed by the "servant" against two volunteers who, returning from the funeral of a soldier killed in Donbas, demanded that the bus driver turn off the Russian TV series. Bragar called the girls' actions "unacceptable and discriminatory."

Meanwhile, in July 2021, patrol policemen who stopped the MP's car because the license plate was not illuminated suspected that he was driving under the influence of drugs. Bragar then wrote a statement to the police. A medical examination later did not confirm that he had taken drugs.

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The fourth "servant" defending the Moscow church in Ukraine was Serhii Lytvynenko, a majoritarian from Rivne region. He became "famous" from the very beginning of his cadence for being among the first "button pushers." According to the analytics of the CHESNO Movement, Lytvynenko was included in the list of truants among the MPs of the 9th convocation. According to the study, from the beginning of 2022 to May 2023, this MP missed 45% of the votes.

In 2020, Lytvynenko declared his desire to hold elections in the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts temporarily occupied by Russian troops. On June 24, 2020, a fight broke out between the National Corps party and Lytvynenko's representatives in the MP's constituency in Rivne region.

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Like Bragar and other like-minded party members on the issue of the Moscow church, Lytvynenko was among those who voted for urban planning reform in the interests of developers. In November 2021, he supported draft law 5289, which aimed to make simplified procurement optional for most customers. The proposed changes would actually allow most customers to enter into contracts directly instead of conducting simplified procurement and would take UAH 40 billion a year out of Prozorro.

Three other "servants" abstained from voting: Heorhiy Mazurashu, whom LIGA.net journalist Yurii Smyrnov called "the author of the most ridiculous bills in this parliamentary cadence," Roman Kaptelov, a graduate of the Russian State Social University in Moscow, and Stepan Cherniavskyi, a former mechanical engineer at the Vygodnya Bread Products Plant and a mechanical dockworker at the Odesa Commercial Sea Port.

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Those who supported the preservation of Russian influence under the guise of "Restoring Ukraine"

There were also fans of the Russian Church in the "Restoration of Ukraine" parliamentary group, which included mostly former representatives of the OPFL and Servant of the People factions.

In particular, Anatolii Burmich, who was elected to parliament on the OPFL list at number 20, voted against the ban on the Moscow Patriarchate. He is a member of the Register of Traitors for spreading Russian propaganda and accusing the US and EU of the war in Donbas.

He is known, among other things, for being one of the initiators of a petition to the Constitutional Court of Ukraine in August 2020 regarding the constitutionality of a number of provisions of anti-corruption legislation. After this appeal, on October 28 of the same year, the CCU issued a scandalous decision that led to the abolition of liability for false declarations and the electronic declaration itself.

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Even after the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, Burmich continued to spread the favorite thesis of the pro-Russian "fifth column" in Ukraine about "external governance." The MP accused the United States of allegedly causing the Russian invasion so that "Ukrainians would hate Russians and Europe would quarrel with Russia." He denied that Russia's aggression was "definitely not beneficial to Russia." Burmich accused the Ukrainian government of not agreeing to negotiate "anywhere" (and in fact, refusing to surrender) and planning to "die together."

As befits a co-founder of the construction company Prestige Capital and the development company New Capital, Burmich supported urban planning reform.

As expected, the ban on the Moscow Patriarchate was opposed by Artem Dmytruk from Odesa, who was featured along with Kultenko's "servant" in the Bihus.info investigation. He was elected to the Rada as a majoritarian from the Servant of the People in one of the districts of Odesa region.

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Throughout his term in office, Dmytruk demonstrated a strongly pro-Russian stance and was constantly involved in scandals.

For example, in 2020, he and his colleague Oleksii Leonov defiantly laid flowers at the Trade Union Building, where a group of separatists died on May 2, 2014, after killing several Euromaidan supporters who were marching peacefully in the center of Odesa. The following year, before his expulsion from the faction, he took part in Shariy's film about the events in Odesa in 2014 and gave the propagandist an interview with theses about his "disappointment" in the Servant of the People.

In 2020, Dmytruk also had a fight with Fatherland MP Serhiy Vlasenko in parliament when the latter tried to approach the speaker's seat. He uses "arguments" in the form of fists on a regular basis. For example, on January 25, 2022, during a fight in the Odesa City Council involving Dmytruk, 10 people were injured, and two were hospitalized with a broken jaw and closed head injury. Then, with the help of a "support group" Dmytruk went to the hall on the second floor, where he began to disrupt the meeting by running around the tables and breaking furniture.

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In 2023, Dmytruk, together with MP Oleksandr Kunytskyi, beat a man in the center of Kyiv. The Prosecutor General's Office opened a criminal case against the MPs over this incident.

Dmytruk consistently defended the UOC-MP during the consideration of its ban due to its ties to Russia, made provocative statements in support of the Russian language in Ukraine, and posted bail for Pavlo Muzychuk, a hierodeacon of the UOC-MP and a member of the Traitors Register detained by the SBU on suspicion of justifying Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine.

In 2023, Bihus.info journalists found that Dmytruk, after the outbreak of a full-scale war, purchased a car worth at least $35 thousand.

Another representative of the "Restoration of Ukraine" party, former representative of the OPFL Volodymyr Moroz, who was noted for his support of the Moscow church, has not been able to fulfill any of his promises during his term as a deputy, Slovo i Dilo has found out.

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Moroz was one of the initiators of a petition to the Constitutional Court regarding the constitutionality of a number of provisions of anti-corruption legislation; thanks to the court's decision, liability for false declarations and e-declaration itself was canceled

In October 2023, together with Dmytruk, he tried to start a fight during the vote on draft law No. 8371 on the ban on the activities of religious organizations associated with Russia in Ukraine with MPs who held the opposite position. In particular, Moroz called self-nominated MP Ihor Huz, who actively advocates for the ban of the UOC-MP in Ukraine, a "schismatic" and "a f***ing devil."

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Some media outlets also mentioned Moroz's name in the context of several scandalous stories, including corruption.

MP Anatolii Hunko was elected to the Rada as a majoritarian from the Servant of the People party in the 208th district by-election. After being elected, in December 2020, he sued law enforcement agencies for two million hryvnias in moral compensation through the Pechersk Court for criminal prosecution on suspicion of misappropriating the land of the State Enterprise Radio Transmission Center in Brovary. The case was closed a year earlier due to lack of evidence. Mr. Gunko estimated his moral damages at UAH 10 million.

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During the lockdown in April 2021, Gunko's car was lit up near one of the capital's restaurants. On the first day of the full-scale invasion, the MP received a Breguet watch worth more than $10,000 as a gift from his assistant, which led to the NACP drawing up an administrative protocol against Hunko in August 2022.

However, as they say, not only administrative protocols.

In April 2023, the court found Hunko guilty of violating the requirements for preventing and resolving conflicts of interest. The MP violated the law by writing a deputy appeal in his own interests. The court found that Hunko had given instructions to the pre-trial investigation body in his deputy appeal to the head of the Main Department of the National Police in Chernihiv Oblast.

In August of the same year, the NABU and the SBU caught Hunko and two of his accomplices taking a bribe for land allocation when they received the first tranche of $85,000. The total bribe was supposed to be $221 thousand. According to the investigation, in exchange for the money, Gunko promised to help a businessman obtain state land owned by the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences.

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The MP was served a notice of suspicion under the article on obtaining undue advantage (Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code). He faces up to 12 years in prison with confiscation. He was then expelled from the Servant of the People faction.

Another "defender" of the Moscow Patriarchate is Oleksandr Lukashev, a majoritarian from the OPFL from the Luhansk region.

During 2019-2022, he took part in dozens of propaganda talk shows on pro-Russian TV channels ZIK, 112, NewsOne, First Independent, Ukrlive, and Nash. He spread pro-Russian and anti-Western propaganda, calling for "holding elections in the uncontrolled territories" and then "establishing control over the border." He also took part in a teleconference with Luhansk separatist Rodion Miroshnyk on Nash TV channel.

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Lukashev voted for the urban planning reform and co-initiated a petition to the Constitutional Court on the constitutionality of electronic declaration and liability for false information in declarations.

Yevhen Shevchenko, who was included in the Register of Traitors for voicing Russian propaganda and supporting the self-proclaimed "president" of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, also joined the ranks of Moscow church fans. In particular, Shevchenko congratulated the Belarusian dictator on his "victory" in the 2020 "elections," went to meet Lukashenko in April 2021, and in May of the same year praised the dictator for forcing a Ryanair plane to land and detaining oppositionist Roman Protasevich, who was on board. He was then expelled from the Servant of the People faction.

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He was noted for receiving UAH 20 thousand in compensation for housing in January 2022. Shevchenko regularly visited the pro-Russian TV channel 112, owned by Viktor Medvedchuk, who is accused of treason, and in 2019 he joined a propaganda broadcast on Channel One, telling about "bad nationalists" in Ukraine.

During the full-scale war with Russia, in March 2022, the SBU detained Shevchenko while he was trying to cross the border with Poland. According to Chesno, between February 24 and June 1, 2022, he missed all the meetings of the Rada for which there is data. He is one of the biggest absentees of the parliament (from the beginning of 2022 to May 2023, he missed 53% of the votes).

In 2023, Yevhen Shevchenko held secret talks with self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko at the request of the Ukrainian special services.

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MP Yevhen Yakovenko, who ran for the Batkivshchyna party, voted against the ban on the Moscow church.

He was noted for his support of the scandalous urban planning reform, as well as for the fact that on June 6, 2022, the Moldovan border police detained Ukrainian MP Yevhen Yakovenko at the request of Belarus. Belarusian security forces added him to the Interpol database on charges of "bribery and corruption."

Also, among the opponents of the ban on the UOC-MP was non-factional MP Victoria Hryb from Luhansk region, who was elected from the OPFL.

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She is known for her support of urban planning reform and for being one of 6 MPs who voted against the Istanbul Convention on June 21, 2022. Ukraine signed this Convention, which aims to prevent violence against women, back in 2011, but it remained unratified until June 20, 2022.

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Is the new menopause-awareness movement catastrophising and monetising menopause to the potential detriment of working women? That is what Professor Susan Davis and Dr Sarah White warn against in their submissions to the Senate inquiry into issues relating to menopause and perimenopause.

But if I hadnt listened to and learnt from those vagillant voices I wouldnt be in the tremendous health and joy-filled acting work I presently find myself revelling in. The Davis/White stance seems to me to oppose the very aim of the inquiry which  like my own  is to know how it affects womens work outcomes and economic status and to increase understanding, see improved access to good treatments and boost supports at work.

Kerry Fox at the Logies on Sunday. In 2017, I was barely aware of what menopause was. Credit: Getty

Davis quotes a 2017 piece of research by Martha Hickey, who says women health workers didnt want to be singled out as a problem group. This quote makes my skin crawl, not only because health workers are traditionally so put-upon that it makes sense theyd not want to cause trouble, but also because in 2017 I was just at the beginning of my efforts to seek treatment and support  through the National Health Service in the UK where I live  for the confusing physiological and psychological shifts that were starting to overtake my body.

In 2017, I was not aware of any loud voices in menopause awareness. Nor did I know there were readily accessible treatments for what I was experiencing. In 2017, I was barely aware of what menopause was. I had hardly heard of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, and I thought testosterone was male only. At that time, I was speaking with a GP whod received only 45 minutes training on menopause. She simply shrugged and pouted at me as if to say: Well, thats just the way it is. But she actually said nothing and, worse, did nothing.
Ellen Craig with her daughter Tillie. Tillie died during the act of the offender hitting her with a length of irrigation tubing, the facts state. It is not known which blow caused Tillies death, or precisely how Tillie died. Wilon allegedly returned to the property that afternoon and prayed in an attempt to resurrect Tillie. He is then accused of placing her body in a 44-gallon drum with wood, old clothes and motor oil before setting it alight. Prosecutors say Tillies ashes were scattered in Little River at the back of the property, and the drum was thrown in and sank. It has never been found. Craig was extradited from New Zealand in 2022 and had been due to stand trial accused of murdering Tillie. However, the now 62-year-old pleaded guilty to manslaughter earlier this year and will be sentenced by Justice Natalie Adams on Wednesday.

I completely let her down In a two-page letter to the court, obtained by this masthead, Craig said she had spent a lot of time thinking about why I hit Tillie that day. My actions were horrible, terrible, horrific, she said. I took away her potential. I took away her right to a happy life. Ellen Rachel Craig is escorted from Sydney Airport after her extradition for the 1987 killing of her daughter. Craig claimed something happened to her as a mother at the farm, and she felt detached from her daughter.

I want to say I am so sorry to Tillie, she said. I am sorry that my terrible decisions as a mother exposed her to so much danger in that place  I completely let her down. I will never forgive myself for what I have done. Crystals, meditation and a manifesto Craig first met Wilon, formerly known as Alfio Nicolosi, in November 1986 at his Bondi home, where he gave visitors spiritual guidance. The next month, Craig and Tillie moved to the Claytons Road farm in Porters Retreat. Life in The Family was regimented with strict routines and societal isolation. Wilon is also accused of sexually assaulting other members of the cult.

Wilon and his followers meditated four times a day for up to an hour at a time. Sometimes Wilon would talk, or relay what his guide Monet would say to him, according to the facts in Craigs case. Alexander Wilon (centre) has been found unfit to be tried on charges including interfering with a corpse. Wilon used crystals and would read his followers minds and tell them what to do, the document states. Prosecutors say Wilon wrote a manifesto outlining the rules and principles by which The Family lived. Not adhering could result in expulsion from the community or physical punishment. The manifesto discouraged mourning or funeral ceremonies following a death and espoused immediate cremation of the body, the facts state.

Wilon allegedly prohibited his followers from talking about what happened to Tillie, and said to tell anyone who asked that she had been given up for adoption. That vow of silence was broken in 2019 when a former cult member called police from a public phone. Wilon, who is terminally ill, has been deemed unfit to face trial on dozens of charges including accessory after the fact to murder and interfering with a corpse. His case returns to Downing Centre District Court next month. The property at Porters Retreat, west of Oberon, where Alexander Wilon was arrested. Credit: NSW Police A fathers fruitless search Tillies biological father Gerard Stanhope had a tumultuous relationship with Craig, and last saw his daughter in January 1987.

When Stanhope travelled to The Family property in August 1987 looking for Tillie, Craig hid in Papas Room, the facts state. While there, Stanhope was allegedly told by Wilon, Tillie isnt here and dont come back for her. By November 1987, Craig was expelled from the cult, returned to her native New Zealand and changed her name to Jowelle Tenzing Smith. She was arrested in November 2021. In a victim impact statement, Stanhope said Craigs conviction does not undo the devastation wrought upon his life as he searched for Tillie, who he remembered as a bright, loving soul, full of laughter, curiosity and promise. I spent years  waking up every day with the hope in my heart that I would find her, and going to bed devastated that I was unable to do so, Stanhope said. I didnt find out until more than 30 years later that my daughter was already gone.
Since 1935 every Australian prime minister has had the honour of planting a tree in the Corridor of Oaks memorial garden. Vandals are determined to stop Tony Abbotts tree from taking root.

Blue Mountains City Council will take the extraordinary step of installing CCTV cameras pointed towards the trees after Abbotts tree was chopped down twice since it was first planted on August 4.

Tony Abbott planting his tree in early August, accompanied by Mayor Mark Greenhill (left) and local MP Susan Templeman. Credit: Facebook / Tony Abbott

The garden, at Faulconbridge in the Blue Mountains, commemorates former NSW premier Sir Henry Parkes and contains oak trees honouring most Australian leaders since Federation.

In the first incident, which the council reported to police, the mystery vandal lopped down the small tree about three days after it was planted.
Threatening emails from a man who went on to fatally shoot three people in Queensland were not handed over by NSW Police due to procedural requirements, a coroner has heard.

Coroner Terry Ryan, who is investigating the fatal shooting of six people at Wieambilla in rural Queensland, heard evidence on Tuesday from NSW Police on their search for missing man Nathaniel Train, 46, who would later feature in the killings.

Ryan heard NSW Police obtained emails from Gareth Train, 47, detailing his familys hatred of police and authority.

Constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold were shot dead during an ambush in Wieambilla. Credit: Queensland Police

Referring to police, Gareth said: I am sure when the bully men find Nathaniel [Train], he will greet them as they deserve.
An independent school that had its values tested in the most public way and a government school that celebrates its students success are The Ages 2024 Schools that Excel winners in Melbournes east.

August 18, 2024

by Robyn Grace
Property owners will be legally required to disclose the energy performance of their home before sale or rent under a new scheme being developed by the federal government.

The federal government, with the backing of state and territory energy ministers, announced last month it had chosen an efficiency rating system for its National Home Energy Disclosure Scheme.

Selling your home will soon require a mandatory energy efficiency rating. Credit: Getty Images

The scheme, which is top of the governments agenda as a way to both mitigate climate change and create healthier and cheaper homes to live in, was a commitment made by the ministers in 2019.

New data from the Climateworks Centre shows how existing homes in each state and territory can be renovated in line with the governments chosen ratings to bring them up to the same standards as a new efficient home.
On August 20, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a bill known as the "law banning the Moscow Patriarchate." MPs have created a legal framework to stop the activities of religious organizations affiliated with Russia, which has been waging a full-scale aggressive war against Ukraine for more than 2.5 years.

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The law's adoption was preceded by many months of delays, manipulations, and pressure, including from Moscow. OBOZ.UA writes about what mechanisms the new law provides the Ukrainian state with to stop the activities of hostile centers of influence, how it will work, and whether it will put an end to the problem instead of the ellipsis that existed before.

Ban on the Moscow Patriarchate: how MPs voted

On August 20, the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted as a whole the bill No. 8371 on the regulation of the activities of religious organizations that have their governing center in Russia. 265 MPs are convinced that such organizations should either sever ties with the aggressor state or cease their activities in Ukraine, as provided for in the document.

At the same time, 29 MPs, including the almost entire Platform for Life and Peace parliamentary group, as well as four representatives of the Servant of the People party, seven members of the Renaissance of Ukraine party, and one non-partisan MP, opposed the ban.

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Several other MPs abstained from voting.

However, this "demarche" did not affect the voting results, and the law was passed. The law will come into force 30 days after it is signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and published in the Voice of Ukraine.

What does the law provide for?

The new law aims to make it impossible for churches controlled from Moscow to operate in Ukraine. First and foremost, it concerns the UOC-MP, whose representatives deny any dependence on the aggressor state.

According to the law, religious organizations suspected of collaborating with the Russian Orthodox Church will be examined by an expert commission, which is to be established by the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (SESS).

If the newly created commission records violations, the State Service will be able to issue an order to the church to remedy the situation.

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At the same time, as the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, noted during the telethon, religious organizations will be given 9 months to "think" and break ties with Russia after the commission's decision. If the organization does nothing, the State Emergency Service will be able to file a lawsuit against the legal entity in question. And the court will have the right to decide on a ban.

How will the law work  and will it work?

As MP Mykyta Poturaiev, co-author and one of the drivers of the law, head of the Parliamentary Committee on Humanitarian Policy, explained to Ukrinform, there are several ways to launch the procedure for terminating the activities of a Moscow-linked religious organization, according to the adopted law.

"The procedure for terminating an organization (there is such a legal term as 'termination of an organization') has not changed since the registration of the first draft law. The State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (SESS) can initiate the termination of an organization itself. It can initiate it at the request of state authorities, including law enforcement. Local governments and public associations can apply to the SES. The basis for the appeal may be factual material in the media. The above-mentioned bodies apply to the SES, which may initiate an investigation. The purpose of the investigation is to identify or not to identify ties with the aggressor country and to find out whether the church was engaged in spreading propaganda of the Russian world. This is if we are talking about how to ban it," he said.

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Poturaev added that the next step after the adoption of the law should be the creation of a regulatory framework for its application. According to the new bylaws, a special commission should be created, which will be registered by the Ministry of Justice and approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

"If the commission finds a violation, it gives 60 days to correct it. Either they correct the violations or appeal the order under the administrative procedure. The administrative procedure is still in effect, and we will pass a law on it by the end of September (this is our obligation to the EU). If the SES refuses and the order remains unfulfilled, the SES Commission goes to court. And they say, "Here is the commission's decision, we ask you to terminate the organization. This is the procedure for liquidating structures. It is civilized, democratic, and based on our legislation. However, if there is a court verdict against one of the leaders of a religious organization that has entered into force for crimes against national security, then the SBU law enforcement officers inform the State Department of Religious Freedom that a verdict has entered into force against such a person, and the State Department of Religious Freedom goes to court with the materials and a request for a decision to terminate this religious organization. That is, if the heads of religious communities, rectors, hierarchs have been convicted of high treason, the State Emergency Service should go to court to deregister the legal entities they head," the MP emphasized.

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He emphasized that the judicial part will start working 9 months after the law comes into force: this includes, in particular, three months for the creation of the regulatory framework, a month for the formation of the commission, and another month for research after its formation. Another two months were allocated for the execution of the order.

"That is, it takes 9 months to start the court procedure, and all the preparatory work comes into force immediately after the law is adopted. But even after the termination of activities, members of the organization have the right to establish a new one, which will no longer be associated with the center in the aggressor country," Poturayev said.

At the same time, he added that the law contains a direct rule banning only the Russian Orthodox Church. Ukrainian religious organizations are only obliged to cease communication with it, and then after research, instructions, and, in case of non-compliance, it is the turn of the court. That is, the MP emphasized, all the rights and requirements of the law are respected, so the rumors about the condemnation of such a ban by our country's Western partners are "greatly exaggerated."

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In particular, Poturayev recalled two articles of the Human Rights Convention (9 and 11) and those related to religious organizations and public organizations, postulating the rights of both, the second part of which states that rights can be restricted if they violate the rights of others.

"The 'ban' law is not about faith or religion, it is about administrative relations. We say the UOC: The ROC is a criminal. Cut off your ties with them, and if you don't, there will be sanctions. However, there will be no restrictions on Ukrainian citizens if they comply with the regulations," the MP emphasized.

A long history of adoption

The approval of the draft law was preceded by a rather long history. Developed by the government pursuant to a decision of the National Security and Defense Council in January 2023 and registered in parliament at the same time, it was awaiting consideration in the first reading until October 19, 2023. This was followed by another many-month pause, during which the draft law was not submitted for a second reading.

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On March 5, 2024, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy recommended that the parliament adopt the bill in the second reading, and on May 21, after European Solidarity MPs blocked the rostrum with a demand to submit the document for consideration, the MPs agreed at the conciliation board that this would be done after collecting 226 signatures for consideration. Stefanchuk explained this as a need to make sure that the bill would not be voted down.

What supporters and opponents of the ban say

While Russia is shouting from the rooftops about the "Satanist attack on the only canonical Orthodox Church" in Ukraine, the biggest opponent of the ban in the country, which is quite logical, is the UOC-MP itself.

Representatives of this religious organization call it a "violation of human rights and persecution of the church." The UOC-MP also categorically denies its dependence on Moscow, stating that it has been an independent church since May 2022, even though in December 2022, a special expert commission of the State Expert Commission officially established the UOC's connection with the Moscow Patriarchate.

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The UOC has repeatedly promised to challenge the law in court if it is fully adopted.

"The UOC has always acted within the legal framework. If this legal framework gives it the opportunity to challenge things that violate the rights and freedoms of Ukrainian citizens, the ability to freely practice religion, violate freedom of conscience, then of course everything should be done to defend the fundamental, constitutional right to freedom of conscience and religious belief in a legal way," Metropolitan Klyment of the UOC-MP said in a commentary to Suspilne.

Meanwhile, a few days before the vote, Zelensky addressed the Council of Churches and Religious Organizations to discuss the potential ban of the UOC-MP. After that, the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches issued a statement supporting the ban on relations with the ROC and condemning the activities of the ROC, which has become "an accomplice to the bloody crimes of the Russian invaders against humanity."

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In addition, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), Epifaniy, called on the Primate of the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate, Onufriy, to start a dialogue on unification.

Throughout the saga of the bill to ban the UOC-MP, social surveys have consistently shown that Ukrainian society overwhelmingly supports the termination of the activities of religious organizations dependent on Moscow with the UOC-MP at the helm. At least 65% of Ukrainians, according to various polls, supported the state ban on this organization, and about 85% were in favor of "significant interference" in its activities.

These sentiments resulted in bans on the UOC-MP at the local level. Since November 2022, local councils of various levels have begun to ban the UOC-MP from their territory and terminate agreements for the use of church buildings. The number of such bans has exceeded two dozen in a year.

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Now, under these public sentiments and local decisions, a legislative "foundation" has finally appeared.

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In the weeks after Reynolds near-collapse in the parliamentary chambers and during her period of extended leave, Payne indicated the former defence minister appeared a shadow of her former self. I could see glimpses of the person I had known for several decades but at other times, I could see she was in the depths of great despair about what had been alleged about her personally and professionally, Payne said. Reynolds was then treated for a cardiac condition and mental health issues, which her doctor has told the court were exacerbated by stress. Payne is one of almost two dozen witnesses, including former prime minister Scott Morrison, called to attest to the impact the saga has had on the senator as part of the five-week trial over a series of media posts Higgins published in 2023. Reynolds claims the posts accused her of mishandling the rape allegation and attempting to silence victims of sexual assault. She claims the fall-out has included a premature end to her decade-long political career.

Higgins is defending the claim, arguing that the posts were substantially true. Payne told the court that she and Reynolds would often discuss the social media posts and their impact on her, including the distress of reliving the events of 2021. Senator Linda Reynolds outside court this month with husband Robert Reid (left) and lawyer Martin Bennett (right). Credit: Trevor Collens But when grilled by Higgins lawyer, Rachael Young, SC, Payne told the court she could not specifically recall the individual posts she had seen but knew it had triggered significant media reporting. Payne conceded part of the stress Reynolds was experiencing was a result of media reports related to her calling Higgins a lying cow in her office and being publicly condemned for it by Morrison, then the prime minister.

Former minister for womens safety Anne Ruston told the court the saga had brought Reynolds to her knees while on the witness stand on Tuesday, recalling her devastation at watching the former defence minister endure an attack she claims Reynolds never really recovered from. I saw a person I had always had a tremendous amount of respect for, a strong and compassionate person, and the kind of person I had great admiration for [endure] this sustained attack in the media, in the chamber and on social media about her integrity, Ruston told the court. The [reports] were just so far from the truth about her character, and it had a really profound effect on her mental health, which subsequently affected her physical health. She was brought to her knees by one of the most relentless attacks, she could barely leave her office without copping an accusation. Ruston, Reynolds colleague and flatmate, also recalled being ushered into her office where she was sobbing uncontrollably and later deemed unfit to front the National Press Club. The South Australian senator told the court Reynolds was devastated by losing the defence portfolio amidst the political firestorm, one she described as the pinnacle of her career.

Liberal senator Anne Ruston. Credit: James Brickwood The evidence comes after bombshell revelations Higgins would no longer enter the witness box in the row because the defence no longer considered it necessary and held concerns for Higgins medical state. Higgins, who is expecting her first child with husband David Sharaz, had been due to travel to Perth from her new home in France to give evidence over five days from August 26. The decision is expected to cut the five-week trial short, with Reynolds former chief of staff, Fiona Brown, also excused on medical grounds. Higgins lawyers have since gained permission to call AFP former assistant commissioner Leanne Close to test Browns evidence regarding how long she spent at a meeting between Close and Reynolds on April 4, 2019.

Closes notes of that meeting contradict evidence Reynolds gave that she did not know an alleged sexual assault had occurred at the time. Loading Justice Paul Tottle took the extraordinary step of publicly warning anyone attempting to interfere with the administration of justice they would be held in contempt of court after an attack on the trial by a twitter army of fake robots. Bennett called for the order after receiving an email from Browns lawyer, Dominique Hogan-Doran, SC, which featured 15 pages worth of bot posts, one of which criticised Tottle for excusing Brown from giving oral evidence. The biographies of the respective profiles suggested the posts were coming from across the United States and Asia.

Tottle told the court that while the contents of the posts and the disparate location of the users indicated they were unlikely to be genuine, any attempt to interfere in the proceedings through intimidation was unacceptable. The order is similar to one made by Federal Court Justice Michael Lee following a similar incident during Lehrmanns defamation trial with Network Ten. Stopped outside the court, Reynolds lawyer, Martin Bennett, told waiting media that Reynolds had expressed her disappointment during a conversation overnight about Higgins decision not to front court. But Bennett declined to be drawn on what he made of the top-secret medical report filed supporting Higgins application, telling reporters that was a matter for the judge. As I predicted, shes disappointed effectively because she wont have her word against Ms Higgins word adjudicated, so its not the most satisfying matter, he said.
Is Peter Dutton a racist? Its a provocative question to direct at anyone, let alone the national leader of a major political party. But its a question being asked after independent MP Zali Steggall told the opposition leader to stop being racist and dividing the country after he accused Labor of making the country less safe by admitting migrants from Gaza.

Dutton strongly rejected Steggalls remark, which she withdrew, and is reportedly considering his legal options. So what are the facts of the matter?

The government has granted 2922 visas to Palestinians fleeing Gaza since October 7 last year, and 1300 of them have arrived in Australia. In human terms, its a compassionate response to what is a humanitarian disaster. In political terms, it has become a headache for Labor as Dutton, once again, follows his usual playbook in capitalising on any perceived weakness the government may have on national security or immigration policy.

Peter Dutton has used question time to attack Labors policy on Gaza refugees. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

As a minister, Duttons track record on such issues is extensive: in 2016 he warned that illiterate and innumerate refugees would take Australian jobs; that year he also blamed the Fraser governments decision to resettle Lebanese refugees in the 1970s for crime problems in Australia; in 2018 he said Victorians were scared to go out to restaurants because of African gang violence; and in 2019 he said a new law allowing offshore detainees to seek medical treatment on the mainland would open the floodgates to migrants coming into Australia.
Every time someone says theyve got a new easy answer to Australias disastrous housing situation, a little bit of me dies.

Whether its the new YIMBYs, $10 billion housing funds, ending capital gains tax concessions or letting people access their superannuation early, all sides of politics reckon they have a silver bullet.

Liberal senator Andrew Bragg wants banks to look at how they assess HECS/HELP debt. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

But none will hit their intended target. And in many cases, there will be even more collateral damage that the generations of young Australians who are being priced out of the property market will be forced to carry.

The most recent idea to be floated comes from Liberal senator Andrew Bragg, who has an inquiry to look at the issue of financing for first home buyers.
Is there a more satisfying sneer to toss at an opponent  and a more humiliating disparagement draped upon ones shoulders  than the word sook?

It comes loaded with memories of torment from the skinned-knee schoolyards of the 1950s.

Used at the right moment and delivered with a curl of the lip, it is a word cruel enough to excite a chant among gangs of toadies wishing to win the approval of the chief harasser.

Sook, sook, sook.
Karsten Borner, the captain of the Sir Robert Baden Powell, which rescued the 15 survivors who managed to get into a lifeboat, said he was close enough to be able to see the Bayesian as the storm came in. A moment later, she was gone, he said. They said they went flat on the water and were sunk in two minutes, Borner added, quoting the survivors. Scuba divers study a map of the sailing yacht Bayesian at the Porticello harbor. Credit: AP The rotating search teams, each made up of two specialised cave divers, worked to open up access points to get inside the wreck. They were using a remote-controlled underwater vehicle, or ROV, to help in the search. The divers hadnt been able to access the below-deck cabins because they were blocked by furniture that had shifted during the violent storm. Rescue crews said they assume the missing six are in those cabins because the storm struck when most would be sleeping, but the teams havent verified their presence there through portholes.

Luca Cari, a spokesman for the rescue teams, said the search was proceeding much more slowly than another big shipwreck in Italy, the 2012 Costa Concordia cruise ship that flipped on its side off Tuscanys coast, because of the depth of the wreck and the limited space divers have to manoeuvre. Loading That was much simpler. Here everything is more tight, he said. The outing was intended at least in part as a celebration of Lynchs acquittal and a looking forward to what was coming next, said Reid Weingarten, a Washington lawyer and a member of Lynchs defence team who was not on the yacht. A lot of people went, a lot of people were planning to go, and then, of course, this happened, Weingarten said.

Some of the people who stood by Lynch throughout the ordeal were on board, including Morvillo, the lawyer, who Weingarten worked with and said, was like a brother. Morvillos wife, Neda, is also missing, according to his law firm, Clifford Chance. Aki Hussain, chief executive of international insurer Hiscox Group, where Bloomer, the witness, was chairman, said the company was deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event. Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing, and with their family as they await further news from this terrible situation, he added.

Among the survivors, the Emslie family was released from Palermos paediatric hospital on Tuesday, where little Sofia had been kept overnight after her rescue. Her mother, Charlotte Golunski, had reported that she momentarily lost hold of the one-year-old in the water but then managed to hold her up over the waves until a lifeboat inflated, and they were both pulled to safety, doctors said. Karsten Borner, the Captain of a Dutch sailing ship, who rescued 15 people from the shipwreck of the Bayesian, stands on a rubber boat at the harbour of Porticello, southern Italy. Credit: AP The father, identified by ANSA news agency as James Emslie, also survived. They dont talk much, primarily because they consider themselves survivors, and they dont understand why they survived given what they went through, said Dr Domenico Cipolla, head of the emergency room at Di Cristina Hospital. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Cipolla said Golunski had reported that she and the baby were sleeping in the cabin and suddenly found themselves in the water, where they also found Emslie who had been in a different part of the ship. Cipolla said the parents had been in touch with other survivors, who were being housed at a nearby hotel and are waiting for other family members to arrive in Sicily.

According to a videotaped interview posted on Palermo Today, the baby slept well overnight, and all were released after final checks. He added that psychologists had been made available. Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares, was among the other survivors. Hannah Lynch, reportedly the couples 18-year-old daughter, is among the missing. The yachts registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd, according to the online maritime database Equasis. Bacares is listed as Revtoms sole owner, according to corporate registration documents from the Isle of Man. Its name, Bayesian, may be a reference to Bayesian Inference, one of the two main approaches to statistical machine learning and the one used by Lynchs company. The yacht, built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, carried 12 passengers and 10 crew. According to online charter companies, it was available for 195,000 (about $320,000) a week and was notable for its massive 75-metre-tall aluminium mast, one of the tallest in the world.
The Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine has officially approved the composition of the Council for the Restoration of the National Children's Specialized Hospital "Okhmatdyt." The first meeting of the Council will be held on Tuesday, August 20, when all members will gather to discuss the next steps.

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This was announced by Health Minister Viktor Lyashko. The Council includes representatives of charitable organizations that have made the largest contributions to support the hospital, as well as representatives of international technical projects, diplomatic missions, intergovernmental organizations and foundations, NGOs, and, of course, representatives of the Ministry of Health and Okhmatdyt.

In particular, the board consists of 15 members, including:

Jaco Silier, UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine.

Donatas Butkus, Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of Lithuania in Ukraine.

Ihor Katsitadze, Health Specialist at UNICEF Ukraine.

Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, Chairman of the Board of Ukrenergo.

Nazar Kupybida, member of the Board of Directors, Vice President for Finance at Concern GALNAFTOGAZ JSC.

Yulia Vysotska, Director of PJSC "Research and Production Association "PRACTIKA".

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Yevhen Gonchar, Head of the Policy Formation Unit for the Medical Guarantees and Medical Care Program, Department of Medical Services, Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

Olena Larina, a leading specialist in internal control at Okhmatdyt.

Vyacheslav Bykov, member of the Board, Executive Director of the Tabletochki Charitable Foundation.

Oleksandr Sushko, Executive Director of the International Renaissance Foundation.

Inna Ivanenko, Executive Director of the CF "Patients of Ukraine".

Taras Lylyk, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors for Expert Organizations of the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine.

Svitlana Reva, Vice President of the Interstate Guild of Consultant Engineers.

Maryna Mamenko, Chairman of the Board of the Ukrainian Academy of Pediatric Specialties.

Natalia Onipko, President and Founder of the Charitable Foundation "Zaporuka".

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As a reminder, Health Minister Viktor Liashko has appointed an acting director of Okhmatdyt. This is Oleksandr Urin, who until recently worked at the hospital as the head of the intensive and efferent therapy department for acute intoxication.

Okhmatdyt's General Director Volodymyr Zhovnir was suspended from his position for the duration of the checks conducted by law enforcement agencies regarding the actions of the Okhmatdyt Charitable Foundation.

The charitable foundation, which raised money to restore the Okhmatdyt hospital after the Russian missile attack, refused to transfer the funds raised to the medical institution. Therefore, the hospital director accused the foundation of dishonesty and warned of plans to terminate the contract with the organization.

Earlier it was reported that the Ministry of Health canceled the tenders under which it was planned to spend UAH 14 million to restore the roof of Okhmatdyt. This happened after the CF "Okhmatdyt" chose a little-known company that has one of the most expensive prices for repairs as the winner of the tender.

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"They want to restore Okhmatdyt before the cold weather sets in. The Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine will propose to the Supervisory Board to approve such terms.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
On the night and morning of Tuesday, August 20, Russia launched a combined attack on Ukraine, using attack drones, ballistic, cruise and unguided missiles. Most of the targets were destroyed, and a fire broke out at an industrial facility in Ternopil as a result of Russian shelling. Local administration advised people not to go outside.

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Damage was also reported in the Kyiv region, and no casualties have been reported. The defenders of the skies neutralized a total of 28 air targets except two ballistic missiles and one Shahed drone.

Ternopil region

The explosions in the region took place at night. In the morning, the Ternopil Regional Military Administration said that "the situation that occurred during the air raid alert will be described later." They only mentioned afire and that rescuers and police were working at the scene.

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Later, local media began publishing photos of a cloud of thick smoke hanging over Ternopil. Mayor Serhiy Nadal said that residents could smell burning in the air, especially those living in the Druzhba, Kutkivtsi, Pronyatyn, and Nove Svitlo neighborhoods.

The RMA confirmed that Russia had hit an industrial facility in Ternopil. They warned that air quality measurements are being conducted in the Ternopil region and advised residents to close their windows and not to go outside, especially children.

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"When planning your day,do not leave the house unnecessarily, limit children's exposure to the street as much as possible, close indoor windows, andwash food brought from the yard thoroughly," the agency said.

The State Emergency Service reported that more than 90 rescuers, 21 units of equipment, and two fire trains were involved in the aftermath of the strike. The fire has been localized. Preliminary, there are no casualties or injuries.

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Kyiv region

After the drone attack, at about 05:55, an air alert was announced again due to a missile threat in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Poltava, and Zhytomyr regions.

The head of the Kyiv City RMA, Serhiy Popko, noted that air defense was operating near Kyiv.

20 minutes after the alert went off, it was canceled in the above areas. It was reported that an enemy target had been shot down on the outskirts of the capital.

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Both attacks were without consequences for Kyiv. However,in one of the settlements of Kyiv region, private houseswere were damaged by falling debris from the downed targets. In one of the districts, a grass flooring that catched fire was extinguished.

The Kyiv regional police reported that a total of seven residential buildings, an outbuilding and one car were damaged in the region. Fortunately, there is no information about the victims.

"All relevant services continue to work at the scene. We remind citizens that in the event of an air raid alert, they should remain calm, be vigilant and immediately go to the nearest shelters!" the law enforcement officers said.

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As reported, on the night of August 20, air raid alert began to spread throughout Ukraine due to Russian drones. The invaders launched several groups of Shahed drones that were moving in the western direction.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Czech President Petr Fiala believes that Ukraine's accession to NATO should not depend on the de-occupation of its territories. He is convinced that the country can be accepted within the borders it will control at that time.

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The Czech leader expressed this opinion in a joint interview with the Czech media Novinky and Pravo. Therefore, the full restoration of Ukraine's control over its entire territory is not a "prerequisite" for NATO membership, Fiala said.

"If there is a demarcation, even of some administrative border, we can accept this administrative border as a temporary one and accept Ukraine into NATO on the territory it will control at that time," he explained.

The Czech President drew parallels with Germany, which joined NATO in 1955, although part of its territory was occupied by the USSR until 1990. Fiala expressed confidence that it is possible to admit Ukraine to the Alliance without dragging the organization into a direct confrontation with Russia. However, he added that this is possible only after negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow begin.

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In late July, more than 150 scientists from around the world sent an open letter to the North Atlantic Alliance calling for Ukraine's membership. They are convinced that the terrorist state is only opposed because it will prevent its further aggression. In fact, Russia is fully determined to destroy our country and does not need additional motivation to do so.

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- Ukrainian diplomat, Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland (2014-2022) Andriy Deshchytsia believes that Ukraine has a fairly good chance of being invited to join NATO during the next NATO summit in June 2025 in The Hague. The path to NATO is a long one, and lobbyists among partners should be involved, but Ukrainians have no alternative to membership in the alliance.

- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said at the NATO summit in Washington that Ukraine should not join the Alliance. The statement was made during a plenary session attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
A 24-year-old Russian serviceman with the call sign "Silver" blew up the headquarters of the Storm Zet battalion officers, crossed the front line to the Ukrainian side and joined the ranks of the Russian Legion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He managed to do this thanks to a successful operation codenamed "Reeds" by the "I Want to Live" project and the Legion "Freedom of Russia."

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The details of the special operation were reported by the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine. The video in which the Russian told his story was also released by the I Want to Live project.

According to him, he specifically signed a contract with the Russian army in order to cross the front line to the Ukrainian side and join the ranks of the Freedom of Russia Legion. Before that, he contacted representatives of the LSR in a chatbot.

After becoming a contract soldier, the Russian ended up in the middle of hell  one of the Storm suicide units. There he saw the "charms" of the Russian army: complete lawlessness, devaluation of human life, lack of training, lack of supplies, sadistic commanders who routinely "zeroed out" soldiers for the slightest offense, and so on.

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These systematic war crimes and other crimes in the occupation unit further encouraged the Russian to cooperate with Ukraine.

He was trained as a pilot of FPV drones, and in the winter of 2024, he got in touch with the Russian Freedom Legion.

"Silver" was a member of the resistance for several months and passed important operational information to the Freedom of Russia Legion about the location of the Russian army's forces and means, plans, tasks in a particular area of the front, and other information.

"In the framework of cooperation with the Russian serviceman, Ukraine was able to obtain valuable intelligence on the location, number, and intentions of the enemy in a particular direction of the front," the DIU noted.

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In May 2024, choosing a convenient moment, Silver threw a grenade into the ventilation pipe of the basement of the headquarters, where the battalion commander and other Russian officers were spending the night.

"There were about 15 people in the basement. In this room, there was a pipe right above the bed where the commander was sleeping. It went out into the street next to the entrance, and we decided to throw a grenade or two into this pipe so that they would explode next to them," the Russian said.

As a result of the explosion, the commander and several senior officers of the Storm unit were seriously injured.

When the deed was done, the Russian fled along a pre-agreed route with the LSR and the "I Want to Live" team, who organized his exit from the contact line. On his way out, he mined the path he was taking.

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The operation took place near the town of Ocheretyno, Donetsk region, and was codenamed "Ocheret".

Now the Russian is undergoing basic training as a recruit of the Legion "Freedom of Russia" to fight against the criminal Putin regime.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Mackmyra declares bankruptcy

Swedish distillery Mackmyra has filed for bankruptcy. On a statement released on the distillerys website, Mackmyra confirmed that a bankruptcy petition had been filed by its board of directors at Gavle District Court on 19 August 2024. A bankruptcy trustee will be assigned by the district court.

In the statement, chairman Petter Ski said: It is with great sadness that we must state that it is unfortunately not possible to continue the company's operations. The company management and board have struggled hard to come to terms with the company profitability and cash flow. Despite the fantastic work of both staff and management, it is still not possible to continue.

Since I took over as chairman of the board just over a year ago, my focus, together with the newly appointed management and the board, has been to find a long-term solution for Mackmyra, but I am forced to conclude that time has not been enough. I sincerely hope that the bankruptcy trustee now has the chance to do something constructive with the values in the company and secure the Mackmyra brand and its 25-year history.

Mackmyra was founded in 1999 as Swedens first whisky distillery, and marks its 25th anniversary in 2024. Its former master blender, Angela DOrazio, was inducted into the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame in 2019.

Acting CEO Patrick Bjorsjo commented: This is a regrettable decision, especially for our staff, our incredibly loyal customers, and ambassadors. The sentiment is naturally heightened by the fact that this is happening during the company's 25th anniversary and at a time when we were truly on track to steer the company's trajectory towards profitability and a bright future.

The news comes just days after Mackmyra relaunched to the UK via new distributor Summerton after an absence from the UK market earlier this year.

19 August 2024 - Lucy Schofield
New Years in Gisborne just got a whole lot hotter with the first announcement of acts heading to the most isolated region of the country. Headliners heading to Gisborne for the final four days of 2024 include NYC rapper ICE SPICE, UK garage and house producer SAMMY VIRJI, Italian electronic supergroup MEDUZA, British electronic producers KOVEN and the return of American record producer RL GRIME. Local festival favourites include the return of SIR DAVE DOBBYN, SACHI, hometown hero MESSIE and debut performance from the award winning CORRELLA.

ICE SPICE

SAMMY VIRJI

LUUDE

RL GRIME

KOVEN

MEDUZA

BADGER

CHARLOTTE PLANK

CORRELLA

GIRLS DON'T SYNC

HANNAH LAING

JOY (ANONYMOUS) [LIVE]

JYOTY

OPPIDAN

PANJABI MC

SACHI

ANAIS

BUSHBABY

CASSIE HENDERSON

CASUAL HEALING

D.O.D

DADA JONES

ELIPSA

FISH56OCTAGON

FREDRICK

GRAFIX

KLP

LENS

MESSIE

PIRAPUS

ROVA

SUBSONIC

UNGLUED

BECCIE B

CARU

CIKO

FRANKIE VENTER

HATRICK

HYAN

JESS RHODES

MINCY

VITAMIN COS

& returning to Waiohika Estate SIR DAVE DOBBYN

Tickets are now onsale for Rhythm and Vines

Spice up your New Years at New Zealands hottest festival destination - Rhythm and Vines.
ADANI EYES RELIANCE POWERS 600 MW BUTIBORI PLANT





Business Reporter :

Deal expected to be in the range of Rs 2,000 cr to Rs 3,000 cr

ELECTRICITY generation in the Butiboris biggest power plant, Rel Power, may soon start as Adani Power is exploring opportunities to buy it for a value of Rs 2,000 - Rs 3,000 crore. According to highly placed sources the Gautam Adani-led group is likely to take over the plant and start power generation very soon. The value of the deal could translate into Rs 4-5 crore per MW. The 600 MW coal-fired thermal power plant comprising two units of 300MW each in the Butibori industrial area in the district was closed in 2019. The project could have been valued near Rs 6,000 crore. However, it has been shut and that has affected its valuation, the sources added.

The power plant, which was once owned by bankrupt Reliance Power, is now under Vidarbha Industries Power, a subsidiary of Rel Power. The Adani-led group is talking to CFM Asset Reconstruction Company, which is the only lender to the power project. Last year, CFM Asset Reconstruction Company became the new and sole lender of Vidarbha Industries Power after it acquired its loans from various lenders at Rs 1,265 crore. The plant, set up in 2013-14, was one of the most modern power generation plants in the country. It was also considered as one of the most compact power plants in the country. Another positive factor is that the plant is connected to a railway station with its 26km-long siding. Railway track connectivity gives added advantage to a power plant as it significantly reduces coal transportation. There were about 1,000 direct and indirect employees working in the plant.

It is important to note that the Adaniled group has a coal-based plant at Tiroda in adjoining Gondia district. It has a total capacity of 3300 MW. All units at this location are of Supercritical Technology, driving efficiency in coal based power generation. The proposed acquisition could be a part of Adani's strategy to integrate its Tiroda plant with Butibori plant, resume power generation and supply electricity to Mumbai and surrounding regions to gain an edge over rivals. The Tiroda plant is approximately 125km away from the Butibori plant. Company officials refused to comment on the matter when contacted.
CLEARING THE AIR UPSC recruitmentthrough lateral entry





Staff Reporter

RAIPUR,

THE UPSC recently announced a notification for recruiting Joint Secretaries, Directors, and Deputy Secretaries through lateral entry. This decision has ignited criticism from opposition parties, who claim it undermines the reservation rights of OBCs, SCs, and STs. However, its important to recognise that the concept of lateral entry was first introduced under the Congress-led UPA Government, and was strongly endorsed by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC), established in 2005 and chaired by Veerappa Moily. The ARC was tasked with recommending reforms to make the Indian administrative system more effective, transparent and citizen-friendly. Background on Lateral Entry: The Second ARC, chaired by Veerappa Moily, was established to recommend reforms to enhance the effectiveness, transparency, and citizen-friendliness of the Indian administrative system. In its 10th Report titled Refurbishing of Personnel Administration  Scaling New Heights, the Commission emphasised the need for reforms in personnel management within the civil services.

One of its key recommendations was to introduce lateral entry into higher government positions requiring specialised knowledge and skills. The ARC identified that certain government roles require specialised knowledge not always available within the traditional civil services. It recommended recruiting professionals from the private sector, academia, and public sector undertakings to fill these gaps. The ARC proposed the creation of a talent pool of professionals who could be inducted into the government on a short-term or contractual basis, bringing fresh perspectives and cutting-edge expertise in areas such as economics, finance, technology, and public policy. The Commission emphasised the importance of a transparent and merit-based selection process for lateral entrants, suggesting the establishment of a dedicated agency to oversee their recruitment and management.

The ARC recommended a robust performance management system to hold lateral entrants accountable for their work and regularly assess their contributions. The ARC stressed the importance of integrating lateral entrants into the existing civil services in a manner that maintains the integrity and ethos of the civil service while leveraging the specialised skills they bring. The First ARC, established in 1966 under the chairmanship of Morarji Desai (later succeeded by K Hanumanthaiah), laid the groundwork for future discussions on the need for specialised skills within the civil services. While it did not specifically advocate for lateral entry as understood today, it emphasised professionalisation, training, and personnel management reforms to ensure the bureaucracy could effectively meet the challenges of a rapidly changing nation.The Government of India has historically inducted outside talent into higher tiers of government, typically in advisory roles but occasionally even in key administrative assignments. For instance, the Chief Economic Advisor is traditionally a lateral entrant who, according to the rules, must be below 45 years of age and is invariably an eminent economist. Additionally, several other distinguished individuals have been appointed at the highest levels as Secretaries to the Government.

The lateral entry scheme was formally introduced during Prime Minister Narendra Modis tenure, driven by the recognition of the need for domain experts to enhance the efficiency and responsiveness of Indias administrative machinery. In 2018, the government took a significant step by announcing vacancies for senior positions such as Joint Secretaries and Directors, marking the first time that professionals from both the private and public sectors were invited to apply for these high-level roles. The selection process was rigorous, emphasising candidates qualifications, experience, and suitability for these strategic positions. This initiative was not without precedent; it was deeply influenced by the recommendations of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC), which had earlier laid the conceptual groundwork for lateral entry. The ARC had emphasised the importance of bringing external expertise into the civil services to make the administration more dynamic and responsive to the complexities of modern governance. The recruitment of Joint Secretaries in 2018 effectively operationalised the ARCs vision, demonstrating a commitment to integrating specialised skills from outside the traditional civil service framework. These reforms have continued to influence ongoing discussions about how best to modernise Indias public administration, ensuring it meets the evolving demands of governance in the 21st century.
CONTROVERSYOver RTO transfers, promotions





 Staff Reporter :

The process, which involved a lottery system to promote 23 Deputy RTOs to RTOs based on seniority, has been in question after it was revealed that several officers had their postings changed after initial draw.

THE Transport Departments recent RTO transfer and promotion process has sparked a major controversy amid allegations of irregularities and lack of transparency. The process, which involved a lottery system to promote 23 Deputy Regional Transport Officers (Deputy RTOs) to Regional Transport Officers (RTOs) based on seniority, has been in question after it was revealed that several officers had their postings changed just after the initial draw. Among the changes, Shyam Lohi was transferred from Pune to Chandrapur. Archana Gaikwads placement was also changed from Chandrapur to Pune. Similarly, Hemangini Patils posting was altered from Solapur to Thane, while Sanjay Metrewar, who was expected to take up a position in the Transport Commissioners Office, was reassigned.

Other notable changes included Pradeep Shindes move from Nashik to Pune, Ravindra Bhuyars reassignment from Nagpur Rural to Akola, and Jayant Patils switch from Barivali to Pune. These abrupt changes have led to questions about the reasons behind the modifications and whether the draw was genuinely transparent. Sources claim that Vijay Chavan has taken charge as RTO in Kolhapur. Allegedly, Chavan was found to be working in Gondia while holding a Deputy RTO post in Gadchiroli last year. Additionally, Ravindra Bhuyar, who has been recently transferred to Akola, is yet to assume his new role. Bhuyar was previously involved in exposing a financial scandal related to RTO transfers. However, the Nagpur Police had sent a letter to the Transport Department asking to transfer a few officers from Nagpur, including Bhuyar. He had contested against the letter in the court. Despite a stay being issued by the court, Bhuyars move to Akola was enforced which fuelled further scrutiny of the practices. When contacted, the State Transport Commissioner stated that the transfers were carried out through the Establishment Board and all records are in order. He declined to comment on the lucky draw process.
Domestic air traffic rises 7.3 pc in July





The air traffic in July was lower compared to 1.32 crore people carried by the domestic airlines in June this year, the official data showed

 INDIAN carriers flew more than 1.29 crore passengers in July, an increase of more than 7.3 percentcompared to theyearago period, official data released on Monday showed. However, theair trafficin July was lower compared to 1.32 crore people carried by the domestic airlines in June this year, the official data showed. IndiGo continued to dominate domestic air traffic with its market share rising to 62 per cent in July while that of Air India dropped to 14.3 per cent. Last month, the domestic marketshareofVistaraclimbed to 10 per cent while that of AIX Connect andSpiceJetdeclined to 4.5percent and 3.1percent, respectively, as per the data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Also, Akasa Air and Alliance Airsshareslipped to4.7percent and 0.9 per cent, respectively. Passengers carried by domestic airlines during January-July 2024 were 923.35 lakh as against 881.94 lakh during the corresponding period of the previous year thereby registering an annual growth of 4.70 per cent and monthly growth of 7.33 per cent, DGCA said.

In July, domestic air traffic touched 129.87lakhcompared to 132.06 lakh in June this year and 121 lakh in July 2023. The data also showed that 1,114 passengers were denied boardingandairlinesdoledout Rs 112.71 lakh towards compensation and facilities. As many as 1,54,770 passengers were affected by cancellations and carriers spent Rs 110.59 lakh for compensationand facilitiesin thisregard. On account of flight delays, 3,20,302 passengers were impacted in July and airlines shelled out Rs 341.05 lakh towards facilitation. Last month, the overall cancellation rate of the airlines touched 1.90 per cent. During July 2024, a total of 1,097 passenger-related complaints had been received by the scheduled domestic airlines. The number of complaints per 10,000 passengers carried for the month of July 2024 has been around 0.84, DGCA said.
Ex-Army Chief Gen SundararajanPadmanabhan dies in Chennai





CHENNAI :

FORMER Chief of Army Staff General Sundararajan Padmanabhan, affectionately known as Paddy in army circles, passed away in Chennai due to old age, a source close to him said on Monday. He was 83. He served as the Chief of Army Staff from September 30, 2000 to 31 December31,2002.Hecommanded an Independent Artillery Brigade and a Mountain Brigade before attending the prestigious NDCcourse atDelhi.Hewas awarded theAtiVishishtSeva Medal (AVSM) for his services as the 15 Corps Commander. Born in Thiruvananthapur am, Kerala,onDecember5,1940, General Padmanabhan was an alumnus of the prestigious Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC), DehraDun,and theNational Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla in Pune. He was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery after graduating from the Indian Military Academy (IMA) on December 13, 1959. His illustrious career included several prestigious command,staff andinstructionalpostings,besideshaving participated in numerous operations, a defence release here said.A graduate of theDefence Services Staff College (DSSC)atWellington in 1973 and the National Defence College at New Delhi, he commanded an Independent Light Battery fromAugust1975 toJuly1976 andlateroncommanded the Gazala Mountain Regiment from September 1977 to March 1980. Thismountainregimentis oneof theoldestartilleryregiments of the Indian Army and has participated in several wars.

He served as Instructor Gunnery at the School of Artillery inDeolali, been a Brigade Major of an infantry brigade on its raising and served as Colonel General Staff of a Mountain Division from January 1983 to May 1985, where he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM). He has also spent two tenures as an instructor at the IMA. He commanded an Infantry Brigade fromDecember1988 to February 1991 at Ranchi, Bihar and Punjab and was thenappointedastheGeneral Officer Commanding of an Infantry Division in Punjab from March 1991 to August 1992. He served as Chief of Staff,3CorpsfromSeptember 1992 to June 1993. After his promotion to Lieutenant General, he was commander of the 15 Corps in the Kashmir valley from July 1993 to February 1995. It was during his tenure as the 15 Corps Commander, that theArmymadebiggains over themilitantsinKashmir and could even scale down its operations. General Padmanabhan held the appointment of Director GeneralMilitaryIntelligence (DGMI) after the successful culmination of which, he took over as the GOC of the Northern Command at Udhampur on September 1, 1996. Before being appointed as theChief of Army Staff, he was the GOC of Southern Command. He retired on December 31, 2002, after completing more than 43 years of distin
HC raps administration overDELAY IN BUILDING BRIDGEnear Swami Vivekananda Memorial





Staff Reporter :

THE Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has expressed displeasure over the administration's commitment to the safety and well-being of the citizens after the court learnt about the delay in ongoing construction work of the bridge near the Swami Vivekananda Memorial at Ambazari Lake on Monday. The Public Works Department (PWD) had initially pledged to complete one side of the bridge by August 15. However, with the new deadline set for September 30, Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Abhay Mantri of the High Court have expressed their displeasure during the hearing. The bridge widening project, ordered on March 12, 2024, was intended to be completed by March 11, 2025. This timeline was established by a high-level committee led the Divisional Commissioner Vijaylakshmi Bidari. The PWD had assured that at least one side of the bridge would be operational by August 15 to facilitated dual traffic flow. However, with the revised deadline approaching, it has become proven that this timeline will not be met. In a recent affidavit submitted to the High Court, the PWD cited various challenges contributing to the delay.

Key issues include the relocation of an 11 kilowatt electric wire, which was only completed on June 4, and the need to cut down trees, for which the NMC granted permission on June 19. Additionally, the construction has been hampered by the presence of hard rocks and other geological difficulties in the area. The onset of the monsoon season has also impacted the availability of skilled labour, as many workers have returned to their villages.The closure of dual traffic from Ambazari T-point to Vivekananda memorial has caused a mjor traffic disruptions and delay in completing the bridge widening could.
On Tuesday, August 20, Russian terrorists committed another war crime by firing a missile at a village in Zaporizhzhia region. The occupiers hit a children's cafe, injuring three minors and leaving one child in serious condition.

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This was reported by the head of Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration Ivan Fedorov on his Telegram channel. According to him, the enemy attacked the village of Malokaterynivka, which is located 25 km from Zaporizhzhia.

"The enemy hit a children's cafe. The terrorist is injuring civilians and will not stop even before children" wrote the head of the OVA.

As a reminder, during the day on August 7, the occupation forces carried out 564 attacks on 9 settlements of Zaporizhzhia region. Two people were killed and another person was injured as a result of the Russian attack.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, on August 20, Russian troops attacked civilian cars with drones in Kozachya Lopan in Kharkiv region. There are wounded among the civilians.

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Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
MERE RHETORIC





THE accusation by Bangladesh Chief Advisor Prof. Muhammad Yunus that ousted Prime Minister Mrs. Sheikh Hasina Wajed destroyed every possible institution of the country during her long rule, is nothing but mere political rhetoric that can be played by either side to demean the other. In actuality, all those words of denigration of the past regime and its leadership mean little on the ground. For style it is of most incoming rulers or organisational heads to blame the earlier regimes and stress that the new regime has to clean up the mess. The attempt is to justify the change -- forcible or natural -- and create possibilities that there may be a failure on part of the new regime provided it does not rectify matters on an immediate basis. All this talk is nothing but a usual political rhetoric that actually means little.

Not only Prof. Muhammad Yunus but also others in his fledgling administration have begun making such statements as regards the Sheikh Hasina regime. A so-called student leader -- who is now part of the Yunus Administration -- also made a statement as regards rebuilding of various state institutions including judiciary and law-and-order machinery. Obviously, the attempt is to portray the Sheikh Hasina Administration as villainous and anti-national. Such rhetoric is common to the situation of regime change all over the world -- though it may not pertain to truth all the time. In the case of Bangladesh, it must be admitted that Mrs. Sheikh Hasina was the most critical voice of democracy in the country. Though she lived the life of an exile, Mrs. Sheikh Hasina Wajed ushered the democratic process back into central reckoning with much effort. She created a vibrant democracy out of the otherwise backward Bangladesh patiently and persistently. She fought economic hardships of the nation and brought to good signs of economic and socio-cultural renaissance. She might not have succeeded in keeping religious zealots at bay in her country to a desired extent. Yet, she had the courage to fight all those forces inimical to democracy in Bangladesh.

So successful did Mrs. Sheikh Hasina Wajed become in her efforts that the world started citing its example as a place where democratic resurgence took place in all its splendour. And that exactly was the reason why Mrs. Wajed was made to quit in the most conspiratorial manner ever. Those who felt threatened due to her nationalistic posture conspired against her -- of course with the help of foreign masterminds. No matter that, the fact cannot be erased that Mrs. Sheikh Hasina Wajed was a democratic talisman of Bangladesh. It is only natural that those who had other ideas now try to paint her in bad light. Because they are in power -- through whatever means -- they would be able to malign the image and contribution of the ousted Prime Minister. Prof. Muhammad Yunus was known to be a moderate ideologue of democracy. He did face troubles in his own country and moved away to preserve himself. However, he would make such statements was least expected of him. He is a harddriving intellectual, all right. But he is now being seen as a person who made serious compromises with principles (that ultimately led to a Nobel Prize). It is unfortunate that a man of the eminence of Prof. Muhammad Yunus has to indulge in hollow political rhetoric in order to validate his own regime, and his own subsequent failures. The tasks before him are certainly big, but that should not mean that the new regime has to keep blasting the old one and play the age-old change-over game. With such an approach, Bangladesh will gain nothing in the time to come. For, such tactics would only push the country back in time to an irredeemable point.
Lin-gang a hothouse for incubating success, pioneering tech

08:19, August 20, 2024 By Shi Jing ( China Daily

People visit the Shanghai Astronomy Museum in the Lin-gang Special Area of the China Pilot Free Trade Zone, on July 15. The museum attracts many students during the summer vacation. (CHINA DAILY)

In late June, China's first independent car design company IAT Auto signed an investment framework agreement with Lin-gang Special Area to conduct its automotive research and development, manufacturing, and export operations.

Xuan Qiwu, chairman of IAT Auto, which has worked with over 80 industry leaders including Honda, SAIC Motor, and Li Auto for the past 17 years, said there were major reasons the company was setting up in the special area section of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

Apart from an extensive transportation network linking Lingang to the rest of the country and the world, various opening-up policies introduced to improve global competitiveness were good incentives for the company to expand its footprint there, he said.

IAT's new facility will be located in Lin-gang's Yangshan Special Comprehensive Bonded Zone.

The bonded zone has already attracted a large number of well-established overseas carmakers such as BMW and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to build design hubs, and international centralized procurement and distribution centers for auto parts. Establishing itself in the zone is expected to accelerate IAT's internationalization, as Chinese automotive companies become more outward-looking, Xuan said.

Apart from overseas companies, Lin-gang is also home to a large number of domestic companies in the auto industry chain. The possibility of working with more companies is another major reason IAT was attracted to the area, Xuan said.

In 2023, more than 1.1 million intelligent connected cars were churned out in Lin-gang, with the industry's annual output exceeding 300 billion yuan ($41.9 billion), which is 10 times the size in 2019.

Big players, big benefits

US electric vehicle maker Tesla can take a big part of the credit for the progress made by the industry in Lin-gang. By launching a gigafactory in Lin-gang in 2018, Tesla helped build a full industry chain for intelligent connected car manufacturing in the special area.

More than 180 companies have been providing auto parts or services to Tesla's gigafactory. Of those, 105 are based in 24 cities in the wider Yangtze River Delta region. Tesla's 40 gigawatt-hour energy storage project, also located in Lin-gang, is scheduled to be operational by the end of this year.

With a whopping 50 billion yuan in investment, Tesla's gigafactory is the largest foreign-invested manufacturing project in Shanghai.

More significantly, the massive project involved large and complicated construction work, which in the past usually resulted in a lengthy process to complete administrative approval.

However, Lin-gang allowed Tesla to start construction first and submit the documents later, as long as all the approval procedures were ultimately met. This allowed Tesla to start construction of the facility, put it into use as soon as possible, and churn out the inaugural vehicle in the first year of the factory's operation.

Wu Xiaohua, deputy-secretary of the Party working committee of the Lin-gang Special Area, said the seemingly miraculous speed at which Tesla achieved this feat reflected Lin-gang's dedication to improving the business environment. This also gave the market a glimpse of China's resolve, and the actions taken to expand the country's opening-up.

Tesla's vice-president Tao Lin said the multiple institutional innovations introduced in Lin-gang were another major reason Tesla's operations were galloping ahead there.

"The institutional advantages not only help companies land new projects rapidly, but provide nonstop vitality for the companies' operations, which is as important," she said.

Over the past five years, Lin-gang has realized 138 institutional innovative cases covering free trade, investment, cross-border finance, and high-end shipping. Just as importantly, 70 of these cases were the first of their kind in China.

Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services' modification and maintenance businesses in Lin-gang is one of the latest, and best, examples of institutional innovation.

On June 20, the project set a record for Shanghai by completing the process of signing land contracts, gaining construction permits, and starting operations within five hours.

To make that possible, Boeing Shanghai took advantage of 13 policies relating to engineering construction projects from Lin-gang's latest review and reform measures.

The presence of the industry giant will help Lin-gang expand the civil aviation industry, one of four frontier industries targeted in its development along with integrated circuits, artificial intelligence, and biomedicine.

An aerial view of Lin-gang Special Area of the China Pilot Free Trade Zone in Shanghai. (PHOTO/CHINA DAILY)

Path of exploration

As a special economic zone, Lingang should undertake more experiments in institutional arrangements, improve weak links, and explore new development paths, municipal government officials said at an executive meeting in late July.

It should also take on more special functions and further improve institutional mechanisms to attain these goals, they added.

Chen Jinshan, director of the Lingang Special Area Administration, said the zone will seek more institutional innovations by aligning itself with high-standard international economic and trade rules. Chen cited as examples the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement.

Lin-gang will also conduct more "stress tests"  experiments to test how far the reform can go by including possible challenges and difficulties  on cross-border data, cross-border finance, value-added telecommunications, and high-level shipping, he said.

One stress test has already been conducted this year on cross-border data flow in the connected cars, mutual funds, and biomedicine sectors, and released in May.

Companies registered in Lingang, or other areas of the Shanghai FTZ, can apply for general data cross-border flow services in 11 scenarios specified on a list. However, the data transfer activities must be conducted within Lin-gang.

US carmaker Ford has benefited from the new list, which is the first of its kind in China. Wu Ji, head of information security and data compliance at Ford China, said if one of its cars sold in China needs maintenance, the company needs to transfer the vehicles' information back to its global headquarters to get technical support.

The new list classifies global aftersales services under the cross-border data flow scenario. This means Ford can now provide these services more conveniently, Wu said.

Shen Yi, a professor of international politics at Fudan University, said the list was "down-to-earth and elastic", and stressed its importance to stimulating economic growth. "Cross-border data flows are now a prerequisite for industry development," he said.

"But the compliance cost for such activities cannot be overwhelming for companies. The new list, which is quite exceptional from a global perspective, has provided a list, with limits, that will meet economic development needs because it is based on real business scenarios," he said.

It is also important that Lin-gang was chosen as the location for such an experiment, Shen said.

"Risks cannot be completely avoided while seeking economic development," he said. "The solution is not to eliminate risks, which is impossible, but to strike a balance between development and security, and control risks within a tolerable range."

When it comes to cross-border data flow, no institution, regulatory body or company can come up with a ready-made solution. Also, technologies and application scenarios evolve and upgrade rapidly, Shen added.

The list rolled out in Lin-gang is a realistic solution, he said. "It is through experiments, and maybe mistakes, that progress can be made," Shen said.

A second list covering insurance and shipping will be released in August, said Chen from the Lingang Special Area Administration.

Population growth

The expansion of industries and new businesses, coupled with economic dynamism, has propelled Lin-gang's population from 440,000 in 2019  when it was upgraded to become part of the Shanghai FTZ  to over 600,000 today.

The government's efforts to attract fresh talent to the area have also played a big role.

Over the past five years, Lin-gang has issued 1,110 work permits for expatriates and approved permanent residency for another 79 foreigners. Overseas returnees have set up 270 companies in the special area.

On July 12, Lin-gang took the initiative of issuing China's first e-visas. With the entire application process completed online, a digital visa can be issued within three days.

An e-visa is valid for a single entry, with an entry validity of 15 days and a period of stay not exceeding 30 days.

Yang Wu, deputy director of the human resources department of Lin-gang Special Area Administration, said such measures can help overseas professionals set up businesses and conduct trade.

Ye Wei, head of the port visa office at the Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of Shanghai Public Security Bureau, said they had worked with the Lin-gang administration to keep records for 1,300 companies to help with their future needs. Similar initiatives are expected to eventually be implemented outside Lin-gang, he added.

Over the past five years, Lin-gang has attracted more than 97,000 professionals. Over 27,000 new talents have settled in Lin-gang in the first seven months of this year, a 41 percent year-on-year increase.

A total of 1,132 companies have registered for the online job market launched by the Lin-gang administration in early 2023, which has detailed over 8,000 job opportunities and received 146,200 resumes.

Employees work at Tesla's gigafactory in Lin-gang. (GAO ERQIANG/CHINA DAILY)

Credit, where credit's due

To help technology startups stabilize their core research and development and further boost innovation, Lin-gang introduced a new type of loan early last year.

Tech companies can use the loan for stock ownership and equity incentives. Companies from the integrated circuits, artificial intelligence, biomedicine, electronic information, life science, high-end equipment, and advanced materials sectors can apply for the loans as long as they have at least one technological achievement already acknowledged by the government.

By the end of June, 16 Lin-gang-based companies had applied for the new loans, and eight had already received them. In September 2023, the pilot program was extended to Zhangjiang, another part of Shanghai with a cluster of pharmaceutical companies.

More practical measures are also being introduced in Lin-gang to retain and attract talent. Over 2,200 people from 200 companies have been approved for home subsidies totaling 50 million yuan, to settle in Lin-gang. Another 2.5 million yuan in rental subsidies has also been granted to nearly 300 people.

Meanwhile, the construction of Dishuihu School, a public school covering 12 grades, started in March. It will receive its first primary and middle school students in 2025. With a total investment of 2.34 billion yuan, the school will support the families of workers and offer courses in subjects such as AI and IC to cater to Lin-gang's development needs.

During a visit to the area in late July, Shanghai's Party secretary Chen Jining compared Lin-gang to a vigorous and adventurous "little tiger", and said it should strive to complete the reform and pioneering tasks assigned to it by the government.

The special area has the potential to grow into a vibrant growth engine for Shanghai by attaching greater importance to soliciting new businesses and investment, introducing fresh talents, nurturing new industries, and consolidating its existing advantages, he said.

"By aligning with China's major development strategies, Lin-gang should initiate more reform and lead further opening-up. More new quality productive forces and world-class industrial clusters should be nurtured here by giving full play to its advantages in institutional innovation and continued opening-up," Chen added.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
A new variant of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) has now been recorded in several African countries after spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new figures Sunday that provide a clearer picture of where the virus is spreading and how fast.

So far in 2024, more than 18,000 suspected or confirmed cases of mpox have been recorded on the African continent. This is more than all the cases recorded in 2023 and 2022, when in July of that year, the WHO declared a public health emergency. The rise in cases is due to the fact that the new variant appears to spread more easily and has crossed into more countries.

There are at least two genetic clades (variants) of the mpox virus in Africa, which are known as variant I and variant II. The global outbreak that began in 2022 was caused by variant II, which is endemic in some West African countries. At that time, most infections were reported outside of West Africa, with the United States the hardest hit country. Variant I, which has been shown to be more easily transmitted, is widespread in Central Africa, particularly in the DRC, where there has been an active variant I outbreak since November 2023.

In June this year, a new subvariant of clade I, renamed variant Ib, was detected in the DRC. It sparked a second outbreak, in addition to the one that is largely caused by subvariant Ia. In other words, the Central African country  where 80% of the population lives in extreme poverty  is being hit by two outbreaks simultaneously.

The latest outbreak is the one that has set off alarm bells. The first available data indicate that this version of the virus is transmitted sexually (like the previous one) but also by very close physical contact (mouth to mouth or mouth to skin). Whats more, it is affecting more of the adult population, while infections by clade Ia occurred mainly in children.

The virus has been detected in Goma, a city that is home to two million inhabitants that borders Rwanda. Until the middle of 2024, most cases had been registered among minors living in remote villages, as reported by the journal Science.

Throughout the month of July, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has recorded almost all mpox (in all its variants) cases on the continent. In August, the country continued to account for the majority of cases (85%), but mpox was also detected in countries which had not previously recorded any cases. The following graph shows the weekly cases and a two-week average, which is a useful way for observing the trend without having to take into account possible delays in notification. According to the data, 1,500 new cases have been recorded each week since the end of July.

Between July 28 and August 2, cases were identified in Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Ivory Coast and Uganda. Analysis of patient samples in Uganda and Kenya has identified the new subvariant of the virus. The patients infected had travelled to the DRC. Ib was also been identified this week in Rwanda.

But the number of infections has grown the most in Burundi, a country that had not reported any new cases until the end of July. In the last month, the number of cases has gone from three to 400 and the presence of the new sub-variant has been confirmed. In the past week, when the WHO declared a state of emergency, no cases of the new variant have been recorded in other African countries.

As of Sunday, the virus has caused at least 541 deaths across the continent (535 of them in the Democratic Republic of Congo). The following graph shows that there were no more than 20 weekly deaths until the end of July, when they jumped to more than 50, in line with the increase in cases.

To date, there is still little certainty about whether the modes of transmission and severity of the clade I subvariants are different. In Africa, data indicate that by mid-August, nearly 3% of those infected had died, although this figure is somewhat higher in some countries and exceeds 11% in South Africa, where it is closely related to the fact that a large proportion of the patients infected had other serious illnesses such as HIV. The new subvariant of the virus also appears to cause more severe symptoms and to be more fatal among children.

Throughout 2022 and 2023, when the new variant was not yet known, mpox caused the death of less than 1% of those infected (208 people died). It should be noted that surveillance systems are weaker in Africa, so it is too early to know whether the apparent difference in lethality is real or not.

Last weekend, the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said the possibility of sustained transmission in Europe was very low, thanks to the speed of diagnosis and control measures such as vaccinations. The equivalent body in the United States issued a similar verdict.

Experts, however, are concerned that the new variant could become the most common variant in other African countries, where malnutrition and other pre-existing diseases could make it an even greater danger.

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Apollon Wealth Management LLC reduced its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF (BATS:MTUM  Free Report) by 5.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,870 shares of the companys stock after selling 489 shares during the quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF were worth $1,534,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 worth $1,120,677,000 after purchasing an additional 229,231 shares in the last quarter. Symmetry Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of 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 worth $105,479,000 after purchasing an additional 208,691 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 worth $232,257,000 after purchasing an additional 207,306 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its holdings in shares of 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 worth $32,917,000 after purchasing an additional 168,245 shares in the last quarter. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF in the 4th quarter worth about $17,092,000.

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iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF Stock Performance

MTUM stock traded up $2.25 during trading on Monday, hitting $197.12. 444,331 shares of the company traded hands. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.67 billion, a PE ratio of 18.53 and a beta of 1.10. iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF has a 1 year low of $81.37 and a 1 year high of $113.60. The company has a 50-day moving average of $192.39 and a 200-day moving average of $186.40.

iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF Company 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.

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Apollon Wealth Management LLC lowered its position in Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO  Free Report) by 1.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 37,929 shares of the companys stock after selling 649 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $5,414,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Means Investment CO. Inc. increased its holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S by 24.0% in the second quarter. Means Investment CO. Inc. now owns 49,070 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,004,000 after buying an additional 9,488 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S in the second quarter valued at about $200,000. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S by 32.7% in the second quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 8,769 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,252,000 after buying an additional 2,159 shares in the last quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co. purchased a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S in the second quarter valued at about $71,000. Finally, Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S by 19.1% in the second quarter. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,433 shares of the companys stock valued at $347,000 after buying an additional 390 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 11.54% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on NVO shares. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They set a buy rating and a $156.00 price objective for the company. Argus raised their price objective 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. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an overweight rating and set a $160.00 price objective on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $145.17.

Novo Nordisk A/S Trading Up 0.2 %

NVO stock traded up $0.32 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $135.21. The stock had a trading volume of 1,681,021 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,480,655. The firm has a market cap of $606.74 billion, a PE ratio of 46.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.50. Novo Nordisk A/S has a 12-month low of $86.96 and a 12-month high of $148.15. The companys 50-day moving average price is $136.90 and its 200 day moving average price is $130.98.

Novo Nordisk A/S Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 16th will be paid a $0.5126 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 16th. This represents a yield of 0.7%. Novo Nordisk A/Ss payout ratio is currently 25.52%.

Novo Nordisk A/S Profile

(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.

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Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:BIO  Get Free Report) was the target of a large drop in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,270,000 shares, a drop of 10.6% from the July 15th total of 1,420,000 shares. Approximately 6.6% of the companys shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 258,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.9 days.

Bio-Rad Laboratories Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of BIO traded up $0.82 on Monday, hitting $326.40. 176,273 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 227,386. The company has a market capitalization of $9.31 billion, a PE ratio of -31.51 and a beta of 0.93. Bio-Rad Laboratories has a one year low of $261.59 and a one year high of $406.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 4.89 and a current ratio of 6.57. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $301.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of $308.09.

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Bio-Rad Laboratories (NYSE:BIO  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The medical research company reported $3.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.12 by $0.99. The firm had revenue of $638.50 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $645.79 million. Bio-Rad Laboratories had a negative net margin of 51.73% and a positive return on equity of 3.56%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 6.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.00 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Bio-Rad Laboratories will post 10.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Institutional Trading of Bio-Rad Laboratories

In related news, EVP Michael Crowley sold 369 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $281.91, for a total value of $104,024.79. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,573 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,852,994.43. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Insiders own 17.06% of the companys stock.

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Bio-Rad Laboratories by 1.3% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,421,334 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $837,467,000 after acquiring an additional 31,445 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Bio-Rad Laboratories in the 2nd quarter worth $180,040,000. Select Equity Group L.P. raised its holdings in Bio-Rad Laboratories by 26.2% in the 2nd quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. now owns 649,522 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $177,391,000 after purchasing an additional 134,856 shares during the period. First Eagle Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Bio-Rad Laboratories by 32,296.9% during the second quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 636,275 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $173,773,000 after purchasing an additional 634,311 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Earnest Partners LLC grew its holdings in Bio-Rad Laboratories by 17.8% during the second quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 606,788 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $165,720,000 after purchasing an additional 91,882 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.24% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BIO has been the subject of a number of research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a hold rating and issued a $315.00 price target (down from $440.00) on shares of Bio-Rad Laboratories in a research note on Monday, June 3rd. Citigroup lifted their price target on Bio-Rad Laboratories from $300.00 to $350.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. UBS Group decreased their price objective on Bio-Rad Laboratories from $420.00 to $385.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $401.00 target price on shares of Bio-Rad Laboratories in a report on Friday. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Bio-Rad Laboratories from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $362.75.

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About Bio-Rad Laboratories

(Get Free Report)

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc manufactures and distributes life science research and clinical diagnostic products in the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. It operates through two segments, Life Science and Clinical Diagnostics. The company develops, manufactures, and markets instruments, systems, reagents, and consumables to separate, purify, characterize, and quantitate biological materials such as cells, proteins, and nucleic acids for proteomics, genomics, biopharmaceutical production, cellular biology, and food safety markets.

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A work trip to Nigeria changed Stephenie Rodriguezs life. In September 2019, the Australian entrepreneur traveled to the African country to give a talk about an app her company Wonder Safe had just launched that was focused on providing security for women and vulnerable people. Her plan was simple: she would take an Uber to the hotel and another Uber to the conference room. But she believes that while leaving the hotel, as she stopped briefly to speak with journalists, a mosquito bit her left ankle three times. That was all it took. Two weeks later, she started experiencing symptoms and was diagnosed with cerebral malaria.

Malaria is one of the so-called neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). It is potentially fatal and is contracted when bitten by a mosquito infected with the Plasmodium parasite, common in tropical regions of Africa, as well as in Asia and Latin America. The latest report on this disease published by the World Health Organization (WHO) states that 249 million cases were recorded worldwide in 2022, 16 million more than the 233 million recorded in 2019, before the Covid pandemic. Malaria kills 600,000 people each year, mostly African children under five years of age.

Rodriguez had a seizure while flying from Sydney, Australia to Boston, in the United States, just 15 days after her stay in Nigeria. They took me to the hospital by ambulance and in the ICU they diagnosed me with cerebral malaria, she recalls in a video call interview from her home in Sydney.

The work trip was not her first time in Africa, she had been to Kenya before and, in that instance, she took antimalarial treatment. On her trip to Nigeria, however, she decided to do without it. Malarone is the medication that prevents and treats malaria by eliminating the parasite that causes it, although it can have adverse effects such as fever, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, among others. It caused Rodriguez dizziness and hallucinations. I was going to give a conference, I couldnt let myself get sick. I didnt go out for a walk, I didnt go to the pool, I was only outside for a moment to meet with journalists. A decisive moment, which was all it took, says the Australian.

After the seizure, Rodriguez spent two weeks in a coma. When she woke up, she was completely paralyzed. It took her 55 days to recover and be taken off dialysis  a treatment that takes over the kidneys functions  and catch a plane back home. I got infected on September 11, woke up from the coma on October 11, and didnt return to Australia until November 5, she says. Even so, she insists that she is lucky because she was treated at Harvard University Hospital. Surely anywhere else, I wouldnt have received the same level of care in order to diagnose malaria in time and give me the cure that would save my life, Rodriguez adds.

A constant pain

Although her life was no longer in danger, after coming out of the coma, her toes began to turn black. My heels were also turning dark, as were the tips of my hands. Those areas were paralyzed because my body had atrophied during the coma and the medications they gave me to treat septic shock ended up damaging them completely, explains Rodriguez. Three months after returning to Australia, in February 2020, she underwent the first amputations on her feet and heels. Finally, on March 31, 2021, and after 47 operations, both of her legs were amputated below the knee. It was never going to heal, nor regenerate, and it was the only way out of the constant pain, she says.

As a malaria survivor, Rodriguez is trying to raise awareness about the disease. She has set herself the challenge of impacting a billion lives by 2025, an action she is carrying out in collaboration with The Global Fund, an international organization aimed at accelerating the end of the AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria epidemics. I have had a very hard time, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, but overcoming malaria and always looking for the positive side has allowed me to look at ways to create a new life in this adapted body, she says.

Two years ago, she started fencing. I had to keep myself active. I used to dance salsa, ski, ride a bike With fencing, the businesswoman found a way to keep busy, fit and, ultimately, alive. She currently trains at a high level and takes part in competitions for people with disabilities: she even spent 14 months training to qualify for the Paralympic Games, although she did not succeed. Through this experience, I have managed to feel a deep respect for people living with disabilities. If I hadnt had this experience, I would never have been able to understand it, Rodriguez admits.

She has been able to move on with her life, but warns that malaria continues to kill. The mosquito doesnt care what color you are, it bites and kills just the same, Rodriguez warns. Malaria is very dependent on the climate. Mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles, which transmit malaria, benefit from extreme heat. According to the WHO, in the last half century the world has warmed by approximately 0.75C and during the last 25 years, the process has accelerated, adding up to 0.18C per decade. The African continent accounts for 94% of the worlds malaria cases and 95% of malaria deaths. Every minute, a child under five dies from malaria in Africa.

We are not paying enough attention. The pathogen is mutating, and more resources are needed to help eradicate malaria. I firmly believe that it can be exterminated with tools, resources and a vaccine, says Rodriguez, who is calling for international unity to obtain more money for research. The Global Fund estimates that $3.8 billion is needed in funding to eradicate malaria.

Most of Rodriguezs family is Puerto Rican, and the rest live in the United States. Its been difficult to get through the whole process away from them, she confesses. Even so, she is happy and proud to always have her son by her side. The Australian is a single mother and when she contracted malaria, her little one, who is now 18, was a 13-year-old teenager. At that time, I didnt see myself capable of being a mother, she admits. Rodriguez praises her son for giving her the strength and support she needed in her long, painful and slow recovery. She will never forget his words when she woke up from the coma. I was just crying, and my son told me that life is 10% what youre given and 90% what you do with it. Five years later, that continues to be the fencers motto and thanks to it, she says, she can face every day.

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Apollon Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in The Progressive Co. (NYSE:PGR  Free Report) by 6.6% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 11,921 shares of the insurance providers stock after purchasing an additional 737 shares during the quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Progressive were worth $2,476,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. City State Bank grew its stake in Progressive by 8.2% during the 2nd quarter. City State Bank now owns 661 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $137,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. D.B. Root & Company LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Progressive by 4.4% in the 2nd quarter. D.B. Root & Company LLC now owns 1,237 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $257,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Progressive by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 4,640 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $960,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Balentine LLC raised its stake in Progressive by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Balentine LLC now owns 22,162 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $3,530,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EP Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Progressive by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,579 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $327,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.34% of the companys stock.

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Insider Transactions at Progressive

In other news, CFO John P. Sauerland sold 12,457 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.43, for a total value of $2,546,584.51. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 312,958 shares of the companys stock, valued at $63,978,003.94. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other Progressive news, CAO Mariann Wojtkun Marshall sold 650 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $208.11, for a total value of $135,271.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 3,981 shares of the companys stock, valued at $828,485.91. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO John P. Sauerland sold 12,457 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.43, for a total value of $2,546,584.51. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 312,958 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $63,978,003.94. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 110,319 shares of company stock valued at $23,671,517 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.34% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Roth Mkm lifted their target price on Progressive from $235.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday. Bank of America cut their target price on Progressive from $296.00 to $294.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. HSBC raised Progressive from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $253.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised Progressive from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and lifted their target price for the company from $210.00 to $245.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Progressive from $256.00 to $255.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Progressive currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $234.41.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on PGR

Progressive Price Performance

Shares of NYSE PGR traded up $1.86 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $237.74. The company had a trading volume of 1,366,324 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,563,230. The company has a current ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The stock has a market cap of $139.24 billion, a PE ratio of 24.14, a P/E/G ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $214.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $206.50. The Progressive Co. has a 1-year low of $129.31 and a 1-year high of $238.45.

Progressive (NYSE:PGR  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 16th. The insurance provider reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.04 by $0.61. The business had revenue of $17.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $17.54 billion. Progressive had a return on equity of 33.01% and a net margin of 10.17%. Progressives revenue was up 21.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.57 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that The Progressive Co. will post 12.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Progressive Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 3rd will be given a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 3rd. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.17%. Progressives dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.09%.

About Progressive

(Free Report)

The Progressive Corporation, an insurance holding company, provides personal and commercial auto, personal residential and commercial property, business related general liability, and other specialty property-casualty insurance products and related services in the United States. It operates in three segments: Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, and Property.

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Neo Ivy Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Mohawk Industries, Inc. (NYSE:MHK  Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 22,400 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,544,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Truist Financial Corp grew its holdings in Mohawk Industries by 72.1% in the 4th quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 294,894 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,522,000 after buying an additional 123,508 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. purchased a new stake in Mohawk Industries in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,450,000. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Mohawk Industries in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,450,000. Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in Mohawk Industries by 2,040.6% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 62,720 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,209,000 after buying an additional 59,790 shares during the period. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Mohawk Industries by 48.5% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 302,889 shares of the companys stock worth $31,349,000 after purchasing an additional 98,920 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.98% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MHK has been the subject of a number of research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Mohawk Industries from $141.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, July 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Mohawk Industries from $124.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Raymond James upgraded Mohawk Industries from a market perform rating to a strong-buy rating and set a $140.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, June 10th. Loop Capital boosted their target price on Mohawk Industries from $145.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, July 29th. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Mohawk Industries from $132.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Mohawk Industries currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $156.00.

Mohawk Industries Stock Down 1.4 %

Shares of MHK traded down $2.16 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $147.22. The companys stock had a trading volume of 98,165 shares, compared to its average volume of 720,041. The company has a fifty day moving average of $128.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $121.56. Mohawk Industries, Inc. has a twelve month low of $76.02 and a twelve month high of $164.05. The company has a market cap of $9.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -22.84, a P/E/G ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Mohawk Industries (NYSE:MHK  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $3.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.75 by $0.25. Mohawk Industries had a positive return on equity of 8.07% and a negative net margin of 3.30%. The company had revenue of $2.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.76 EPS. Mohawk Industriess quarterly revenue was down 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Mohawk Industries, Inc. will post 9.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Mohawk Industries

In related news, insider Suzanne L. Helen sold 1,800 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.74, for a total transaction of $201,132.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 122,369 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $13,673,512.06. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, insider Suzanne L. Helen sold 700 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $146.97, for a total transaction of $102,879.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 121,669 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $17,881,692.93. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Suzanne L. Helen sold 1,800 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.74, for a total value of $201,132.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 122,369 shares in the company, valued at $13,673,512.06. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 3,255 shares of company stock valued at $426,910 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 17.10% of the companys stock.

About Mohawk Industries

(Free Report)

Mohawk Industries, Inc designs, manufactures, sources, distributes, and markets flooring products for residential and commercial remodeling, and new construction channels in the United States, Europe, Latin America, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Global Ceramic, Flooring North America, and Flooring Rest of the World.

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Accredited Investors Inc. decreased its holdings in The Bank of New York Mellon Co. (NYSE:BK  Free Report) by 15.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,504 shares of the banks stock after selling 1,000 shares during the quarter. Accredited Investors Inc.s holdings in Bank of New York Mellon were worth $330,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BK. Greenleaf Trust lifted its stake 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 valued at $1,633,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares in the last quarter. 1858 Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter. 1858 Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,866 shares of the banks stock valued at $291,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of 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 valued at $591,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP lifted its stake in shares of 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 valued at $324,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LVW Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter. LVW Advisors LLC now owns 14,058 shares of the banks stock valued at $842,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.31% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on BK. Barclays lifted their price objective on Bank of New York Mellon from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued an outperform rating and set a $75.00 price target (up from $70.00) on shares of Bank of New York Mellon in a research report on Monday, July 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Bank of New York Mellon from $63.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday. Citigroup lowered Bank of New York Mellon from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $65.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Monday, July 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Bank of New York Mellon from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $66.14.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Hanneke Smits sold 15,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.11, for a total transaction of $961,650.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 173,930 shares of the companys stock, valued at $11,150,652.30. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Bank of New York Mellon Stock Performance

BK traded up $0.13 during trading on Monday, reaching $65.74. 2,309,613 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,856,728. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. The Bank of New York Mellon Co. has a 52 week low of $39.66 and a 52 week high of $65.93. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $61.92 and a 200 day moving average of $58.55. The stock has a market cap of $49.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.22, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.09.

Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK  Get Free Report) last announced 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 analyst estimates of $4.53 billion. Bank of New York Mellon had a return on equity of 11.87% and a net margin of 9.40%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.38 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that The Bank of New York Mellon Co. will post 5.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bank of New York Mellon Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 22nd were issued a $0.47 dividend. This is a positive change from Bank of New York Mellons previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 22nd. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.86%. Bank of New York Mellons dividend payout ratio is 43.52%.

About Bank of New York Mellon

(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.

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Accredited Investors Inc. decreased its stake in shares of Bank of America Co. (NYSE:BAC) by 2.0% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 23,110 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 482 shares during the period. Accredited Investors Inc.s holdings in Bank of America were worth $919,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BAC. BTC Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Bank of America by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. BTC Capital Management Inc. now owns 20,248 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $805,000 after buying an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co. grew its position in shares of Bank of America by 15.1% in the 2nd quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co. now owns 1,892 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $75,000 after buying an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Muirfield Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Bank of America by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. Muirfield Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 16,485 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $656,000 after buying an additional 254 shares during the last quarter. Nvest Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Bank of America by 3.9% in the 2nd quarter. Nvest Financial LLC now owns 6,742 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $268,000 after buying an additional 254 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rappaport Reiches Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Bank of America by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Rappaport Reiches Capital Management LLC now owns 25,950 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,032,000 after buying an additional 276 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.71% of the companys stock.

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Bank of America Price Performance

NYSE BAC traded up $0.34 on Monday, hitting $39.68. The company had a trading volume of 27,246,965 shares, compared to its average volume of 39,202,781. The company has a market capitalization of $310.31 billion, a PE ratio of 13.73, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.35. The companys fifty day moving average price is $40.20 and its 200-day moving average price is $37.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80. Bank of America Co. has a 12-month low of $24.96 and a 12-month high of $44.44.

Bank of America ( NYSE:BAC Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.83 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.79 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $25.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.22 billion. Bank of America had a net margin of 13.28% and a return on equity of 10.56%. The firms revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.88 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Bank of America Co. will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Bank of America announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Wednesday, July 24th that permits the company to repurchase $25.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the financial services provider to buy up to 7.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the companys management believes its stock is undervalued.

Bank of America Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.26 per share. This is a positive change from Bank of Americas previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 6th. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.62%. Bank of Americas dividend payout ratio is presently 35.99%.

Insider Transactions at Bank of America

In other news, major shareholder Berkshire Hathaway Inc sold 5,035,018 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.65, for a total transaction of $199,638,463.70. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 928,460,939 shares of the companys stock, valued at $36,813,476,231.35. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, insider Lindsay D. Hans sold 10,901 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.91, for a total value of $402,355.91. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 10,907 shares of the companys stock, valued at $402,577.37. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Berkshire Hathaway Inc sold 5,035,018 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.65, for a total transaction of $199,638,463.70. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 928,460,939 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $36,813,476,231.35. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 66,768,513 shares of company stock valued at $2,807,216,504 over the last 90 days. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on BAC shares. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Bank of America from $39.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of Bank of America from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Bank of America from $46.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of Bank of America from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Bank of America from $43.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $42.07.

View Our Latest Report on Bank of America

About Bank of America

(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.

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Shares of Adtran Networks SE (OTCMKTS:ADVOF  Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $20.19 and last traded at $20.19, with a volume of 0 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $20.19.

Adtran Networks Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.05 billion, a PE ratio of 84.13 and a beta of 0.80. The companys 50-day moving average is $21.18 and its 200 day moving average is $21.30.

Adtran Networks Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Adtran Networks SE engages in the development, manufacture, and sale optical and Ethernet-based networking solutions for telecommunications carriers and enterprises to deliver data, storage, voice, and video services worldwide. It offers open optical transport solutions, such as FSP 3000 open terminals, FSP 3000 open line systems, pluggables and subsystems, and optical access solutions; packet edge and aggregation products, including carrier Ethernet and programmable multilayer edge, metro aggregation, and edge computing products; disaggregated networking, such as packet optical terminals and ensemble activators.

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Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE:BKD  Get Free Report) and InnovAge (OTCMKTS:INNV  Get Free Report) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, earnings, valuation, profitability, dividends, institutional ownership and analyst recommendations.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Brookdale Senior Living and InnovAges revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Brookdale Senior Living $3.07 billion 0.42 -$189.01 million ($0.77) -8.69 InnovAge $741.33 million 1.14 -$6.52 million ($0.24) -26.00

InnovAge has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Brookdale Senior Living. InnovAge is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Brookdale Senior Living, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Brookdale Senior Living -5.71% -44.72% -3.55% InnovAge -6.17% -13.04% -7.48%

Institutional and Insider Ownership

This table compares Brookdale Senior Living and InnovAges net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

12.3% of InnovAge shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.5% of Brookdale Senior Living shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.4% of InnovAge shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for Brookdale Senior Living and InnovAge, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Brookdale Senior Living 0 1 2 0 2.67 InnovAge 0 0 0 0 N/A

Brookdale Senior Living currently has a consensus target price of $7.50, suggesting a potential upside of 11.61%. Given Brookdale Senior Livings higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Brookdale Senior Living is more favorable than InnovAge.

Risk and Volatility

Brookdale Senior Living has a beta of 1.31, suggesting that its share price is 31% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, InnovAge has a beta of 0.39, suggesting that its share price is 61% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Brookdale Senior Living beats InnovAge on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Brookdale Senior Living

(Get Free Report)

Brookdale Senior Living Inc. owns, manages, and operates senior living communities in the United States. It operates in three segments: Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care, and Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs). The Independent Living segment owns or leases communities comprising independent and assisted living units in a single community that are primarily designed for middle to upper income seniors. The Assisted Living and Memory Care segment owns or leases communities consisting of freestanding, multi-story communities and freestanding, single-story communities, which offer housing and 24-hour assistance with activities of daily living for the Companys residents. This segment also operates memory care communities for residents with Alzheimers and other dementias. The CCRCs segment owns or leases communities that provides various living arrangements, such as independent and assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing; and services to accommodate various levels of physical ability and healthcare needs. It also manages communities on behalf of others. Brookdale Senior Living Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee.

About InnovAge

(Get Free Report)

InnovAge Holding Corp. manages and provides a range of medical and ancillary services for seniors in need of care and support to live independently in their homes and communities. The company manages its business through Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) approach. It also offers in-home care services consisting of skilled, unskilled, and personal care; in-center services, such as primary care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, dental services, mental health and psychiatric services, meals, and activities; transportation to the PACE center and third-party medical appointments; and care management. The company serves participants in the United States; and operates PACE centers in Colorado, California, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The company was formerly known as TCO Group Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to InnovAge Holding Corp. in January 2021. InnovAge Holding Corp. was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

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AngloGold Ashanti plc (NYSE:AU  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,400,000 shares, a decline of 12.9% from the July 15th total of 5,050,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,600,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.8 days.

AngloGold Ashanti Stock Performance

Shares of AU traded up $0.08 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $31.55. 1,180,320 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,936,345. AngloGold Ashanti has a 1-year low of $14.91 and a 1-year high of $31.68. The business has a 50 day moving average of $26.86 and a 200 day moving average of $23.66.

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AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The mining company reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.51 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $1.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.23 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.17 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that AngloGold Ashanti will post 2.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AngloGold Ashanti Increases Dividend

Analyst Ratings Changes

The company also recently announced a Semi-Annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 13th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This represents a yield of 0.7%. This is a positive change from AngloGold Ashantis previous Semi-Annual dividend of $0.19.

Several analysts recently weighed in on AU shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on AngloGold Ashanti from $33.00 to $32.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 3rd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Scotiabank reiterated a sector underperform rating and issued a $30.00 target price (up from $27.00) on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a report on Monday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $28.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $28.50.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on AU

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AngloGold Ashanti

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. CWM LLC boosted its position in AngloGold Ashanti by 36.1% in the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,890 shares of the mining companys stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 501 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in AngloGold Ashanti by 108.9% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,505 shares of the mining companys stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 1,306 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its position in AngloGold Ashanti by 32.4% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 4,215 shares of the mining companys stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 1,032 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in AngloGold Ashanti by 338.3% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,471 shares of the mining companys stock worth $87,000 after purchasing an additional 2,679 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank purchased a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti in the 1st quarter worth approximately $118,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 36.09% of the companys stock.

AngloGold Ashanti Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

AngloGold Ashanti plc operates as a gold mining company in Africa, Australia, and the Americas. The company primarily explores for gold, as well as produces silver and sulphuric acid as by-products. Its flagship property is a 100% owned Geita mine located in the Lake Victoria goldfields of the Mwanza region in north-western Tanzania.

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Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund (TSE:CHE.UN  Free Report) had its price target lifted by CIBC from C$13.50 to C$14.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday, BayStreet.CA reports.

CHE.UN has been the subject of several other reports. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund from C$11.00 to C$12.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, May 17th. National Bankshares lifted their price target on Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund from C$13.50 to C$14.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Desjardins boosted their price objective on Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund from C$13.00 to C$13.25 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of C$12.85.

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Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund Stock Down 1.6 %

Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund Dividend Announcement

CHE.UN stock opened at C$9.87 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 128.22. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of C$9.35 and a 200-day simple moving average of C$8.88. The company has a market capitalization of C$1.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.81 and a beta of 1.49. Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund has a twelve month low of C$7.60 and a twelve month high of C$10.11.

The firm also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a dividend of $0.055 per share. This represents a $0.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.69%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 31st. Chemtrade Logistics Income Funds dividend payout ratio is presently 45.52%.

About Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund

(Get Free Report)

Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund provides industrial chemicals and services in Canada, the United States, and South America. It operates through Sulphur Products & Performance Chemicals (SPPC), Water Solutions & Specialty Chemicals (WSSC), and Electrochemicals (EC) segments. The SPPC segment removes and/or produces merchant, regenerated, and ultra pure sulphuric acid, sodium hydrosulphite, elemental sulphur, liquid sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, sodium bisulphite, and sulphides.

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Comptoir Group PLC (LON:COM  Get Free Report)s stock price reached a new 52-week low on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as GBX 4.20 ($0.05) and last traded at GBX 4.97 ($0.06), with a volume of 357 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 4.60 ($0.06).

Comptoir Group Stock Up 8.0 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 594.60, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 1.24. The company has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 5.06 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 6.19. The company has a market cap of 6.10 million, a PE ratio of -497.00 and a beta of 0.94.

About Comptoir Group

(Get Free Report)

Comptoir Group PLC owns and operates restaurants under the Comptoir Libanais and Shawa brand names in the United Kingdom. The company offers Lebanese and Eastern Mediterranean cuisine dining. It operates 27 restaurants that includes 5 franchises. The company was formerly known as Levant Restaurants Group Limited and changed its name to Comptoir Group PLC in June 2016.

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ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 15,890,000 shares, a decline of 12.0% from the July 15th total of 18,060,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 6,180,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.6 days. Approximately 1.4% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on COP shares. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. They issued an outperform rating and a $145.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 15th. Susquehanna upped their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $133.00 to $154.00 and gave the stock a positive rating in a research report on Monday, April 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $151.00 to $150.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $158.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $143.53.

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Insider Transactions at ConocoPhillips

Institutional Trading of ConocoPhillips

In related news, Director Timothy A. Leach sold 55,500 shares of ConocoPhillips stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.11, for a total transaction of $6,000,105.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 455,909 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $49,288,321.99. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . Insiders own 0.34% of the companys stock.

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. EP Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 10.3% in the 2nd quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 31,559 shares of the energy producers stock valued at $3,610,000 after acquiring an additional 2,958 shares during the last quarter. Kimelman & Baird LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,058,000. Quarry LP boosted its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 513.6% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,264 shares of the energy producers stock valued at $145,000 after acquiring an additional 1,058 shares during the last quarter. Second Line Capital LLC boosted its holdings in ConocoPhillips by 125.0% during the second quarter. Second Line Capital LLC now owns 4,856 shares of the energy producers stock worth $555,000 after buying an additional 2,698 shares in the last quarter. Finally, William B. Walkup & Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in ConocoPhillips during the second quarter worth $2,769,000. 82.36% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ConocoPhillips Stock Performance

ConocoPhillips stock traded up $0.58 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $111.76. 4,335,431 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,702,242. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 1.33 and a quick ratio of 1.19. ConocoPhillips has a fifty-two week low of $102.27 and a fifty-two week high of $135.18. The company has a market capitalization of $129.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.24. The firms fifty day moving average is $111.53 and its two-hundred day moving average is $117.04.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The energy producer reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.96 by $0.02. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 18.18% and a return on equity of 20.81%. The business had revenue of $14.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.84 EPS. ConocoPhillipss revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that ConocoPhillips will post 8.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ConocoPhillips Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th will be issued a $0.58 dividend. This represents a $2.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.08%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 12th. ConocoPhillipss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.27%.

ConocoPhillips Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

ConocoPhillips explores for, produces, transports, and markets crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and natural gas liquids in the United States, Canada, China, Libya, Malaysia, Norway, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company's portfolio includes unconventional plays in North America; conventional assets in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia; global LNG developments; oil sands assets in Canada; and an inventory of global exploration prospects.

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Organized crime and violence are an obstacle to development and growth in Latin American countries. Security has become one of the main concerns among citizens. According to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), violence has weakened states, increased the cost of doing business, and costs the region 3.5% of GDP. The problem is not new and political leaders are aware of it. They agree that criminal groups are more organized, more interconnected, do not respect borders, and that extra efforts are required to combat them. Under these premises, on August 19, the Latin American Security Summit was inaugurated in Guayaquil, one of the most insecure cities in Ecuador, which has registered 1,650 violent crimes so far this year and accounts for 45% of the homicides in the entire country.

We know that there is no single formula to respond to organized crime, especially when these organizations evolve rapidly, said Ilan Goldfajn, president of the IDB. Goldfajn proposed creating a regional alliance to strengthen security and justice in the region and to coordinate the implementation of public policies and the mobilization of resources. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay will join the alliance and Ecuador has committed itself to assume the first presidency. The IDB announced that it will serve as technical secretariat.

The objective is to stifle organized crime through three axes: limiting its influence among the most vulnerable populations, strengthening state institutions, and suppressing its financial flow. The challenge of any project is to mobilize resources. The IDB proposal will support countries with technical assistance, training, scientific data, and technology. We have to use analysis and intelligence tools based on evidence to know where the crime is, where to concentrate resources, because we are facing more sophisticated groups, explained the IDB president.

In this regard, the institution also announced in Guayaquil an agreement with the World Bank and CAF - Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean to deepen collaboration and cooperation to generate knowledge and support public policies related to transnational organized crime in the countries of the region.

The discussion also revolved around the analysis of the other business axes that organized crime groups use to maximize their illicit profits, and the ease with which they reach markets. The Gulf Clan was previously only dedicated to cocaine trafficking; now it is involved in migrant smuggling, human trafficking, and we see more groups using illicit mining to launder their assets, said Candice Walsh, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime representative for the Andean region, at one of the forums. The host country can attest to this.

Less than a week ago, there was a massacre in a mine in the town of Ponce Enriquez, in the province of Azuay. Six people were killed in clashes between criminal groups fighting for control of the deposit. A negative effect of globalization is also the globalization of crime; criminal structures are not from one country, nor from one city or neighborhood, but occupy entire regions and have intercontinental logistics chains, said Daniel Noboa, president of Ecuador and host of the summit.

Another goal is to reduce the opportunities for these groups to recruit children and young people. The IDB announced its cooperation in a program to prevent and respond to violence and crime in Ecuador, similar to the one implemented in Costa Rica and Brazil, to create integrated social service centers for at-risk youth, and a new model of specialized police service. The IDB must also modernize and change. We must adapt, added Goldfajn. The different organizations that participated in the forum agreed on the need to implement mechanisms to control the financial flow of criminal organizations. That is the blood that circulates, and unless we have transparency in financing, we will not have control over the flow and the corruption, said Tuesday Reitano, deputy director of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

The Summit will close on August 20, when the context in which organized crime operates will be presented, as well as strategies for prevention and community strengthening in territories affected by criminal violence.

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Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE:CCI  Get Free Report) saw a significant drop in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,880,000 shares, a drop of 11.3% from the July 15th total of 5,500,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,550,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.9 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on CCI shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Crown Castle from $103.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Crown Castle from $111.00 to $112.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Crown Castle in a research report on Monday, July 1st. They set a neutral rating and a $104.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Crown Castle from $100.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Crown Castle from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $113.53.

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Crown Castle Trading Down 0.3 %

NYSE CCI traded down $0.35 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $109.49. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,542,432 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,718,548. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $103.24 and a 200-day simple moving average of $102.88. The stock has a market cap of $47.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.22 and a beta of 0.83. Crown Castle has a 52 week low of $84.72 and a 52 week high of $119.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.04, a current ratio of 0.43 and a quick ratio of 0.43.

Crown Castle (NYSE:CCI  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 17th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.54 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.62 billion. Crown Castle had a net margin of 17.98% and a return on equity of 19.20%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 12.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.05 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Crown Castle will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Crown Castle Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a dividend of $1.565 per share. This represents a $6.26 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.72%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. Crown Castles dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 195.63%.

Insider Activity

In related news, COO Michael Joseph Kavanagh sold 10,883 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.72, for a total value of $1,128,784.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 75,127 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,792,172.44. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.39% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Crown Castle

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Crown Castle during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Rational Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Crown Castle in the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Crown Castle in the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Asset Dedication LLC grew its position in Crown Castle by 159.0% in the 2nd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 272 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares during the period. Finally, Gables Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Crown Castle by 164.0% in the 4th quarter. Gables Capital Management Inc. now owns 264 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 164 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.77% of the companys stock.

Crown Castle Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Crown Castle owns, operates and leases more than 40,000 cell towers and approximately 90,000 route miles of fiber supporting small cells and fiber solutions across every major U.S. market. This nationwide portfolio of communications infrastructure connects cities and communities to essential data, technology and wireless service  bringing information, ideas and innovations to the people and businesses that need them.

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Shares of Edwards Lifesciences Co. (NYSE:EW  Get Free Report) were up 2.3% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $70.01 and last traded at $69.81. Approximately 1,320,246 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 67% from the average daily volume of 4,060,616 shares. The stock had previously closed at $68.26.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on EW shares. Bank of America cut shares of Edwards Lifesciences from a buy rating to a neutral rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $105.00 to $75.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on shares of Edwards Lifesciences from $91.00 to $76.00 and set an in-line rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their price objective on shares of Edwards Lifesciences from $85.00 to $77.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Edwards Lifesciences from $99.00 to $90.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Baird R W cut shares of Edwards Lifesciences from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $82.10.

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Edwards Lifesciences Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $41.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.42, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.11. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $80.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $85.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 3.71 and a quick ratio of 2.87.

Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The medical research company reported $0.70 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.01. Edwards Lifesciences had a net margin of 24.55% and a return on equity of 22.35%. The company had revenue of $1.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.65 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.66 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Edwards Lifesciences Co. will post 2.71 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Edwards Lifesciences

In other news, VP Donald E. Bobo, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.08, for a total value of $330,400.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 46,936 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,101,530.88. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Bernard J. Zovighian sold 8,617 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief executive officer now owns 68,218 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,981,354.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Donald E. Bobo, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.08, for a total transaction of $330,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 46,936 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,101,530.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 23,617 shares of company stock valued at $1,990,089 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.29% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Edwards Lifesciences

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Park Avenue Securities LLC raised its holdings in Edwards Lifesciences by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 23,484 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $2,169,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. City State Bank grew its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 16.5% in the 2nd quarter. City State Bank now owns 917 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $85,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the period. Chapin Davis Inc. grew its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Chapin Davis Inc. now owns 8,548 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $817,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the period. Johnson Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 23.0% in the 4th quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 771 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $59,000 after buying an additional 144 shares during the period. Finally, Valley National Advisers Inc. grew its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 6.0% in the 1st quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 2,677 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $255,000 after buying an additional 152 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 79.46% of the companys stock.

Edwards Lifesciences Company Profile

(Get 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.

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Century Communities (NYSE:CCS  Get Free Report) and Taylor Wimpey (OTCMKTS:TWODF  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, valuation, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations, dividends and institutional ownership.

Dividends

Century Communities pays an annual dividend of $1.04 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.1%. Taylor Wimpey pays an annual dividend of $0.01 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.4%. Century Communities pays out 11.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Taylor Wimpey pays out 7.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years.

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Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current recommendations for Century Communities and Taylor Wimpey, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Century Communities 0 1 1 0 2.50 Taylor Wimpey 0 1 0 0 2.00

Profitability

Century Communities currently has a consensus price target of $101.50, indicating a potential upside of 8.45%. Given Century Communities stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe Century Communities is more favorable than Taylor Wimpey.

This table compares Century Communities and Taylor Wimpeys 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% Taylor Wimpey N/A N/A N/A

Institutional and Insider Ownership

99.5% of Century Communities shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 39.9% of Taylor Wimpey shares are owned by institutional investors. 11.9% of Century Communities shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Century Communities and Taylor Wimpeys revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Century Communities $4.08 billion 0.73 $259.22 million $9.01 10.39 Taylor Wimpey N/A N/A N/A $0.09 21.71

Century Communities has higher revenue and earnings than Taylor Wimpey. Century Communities is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Taylor Wimpey, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Century Communities beats Taylor Wimpey on 11 of the 13 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 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.

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First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. cut its stake in iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IJK  Free Report) by 7.2% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 11,045 shares of the companys stock after selling 854 shares during the quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.s holdings in iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF were worth $973,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO lifted its stake in iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF by 12.0% in the 1st quarter. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO now owns 1,089 shares of the companys stock valued at $99,000 after buying an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. CRA Financial Services LLC raised its holdings in iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. CRA Financial Services LLC now owns 5,840 shares of the companys stock valued at $533,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. Country Club Bank raised its holdings in iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Country Club Bank now owns 12,963 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,143,000 after acquiring an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. Dumont & Blake Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Dumont & Blake Investment Advisors LLC now owns 31,587 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,882,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Prosperity Planning Inc. raised its holdings in iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Prosperity Planning Inc. now owns 7,119 shares of the companys stock valued at $564,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF Trading Down 0.9 %

IJK stock traded down $0.77 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $89.17. The companys stock had a trading volume of 71,538 shares, compared to its average volume of 351,337. The stock has a market cap of $9.58 billion, a PE ratio of 18.52 and a beta of 1.08. iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF has a fifty-two week low of $67.63 and a fifty-two week high of $93.56. The companys 50 day moving average is $88.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $87.90.

About iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF

iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF, formerly iShares S&P MidCap 400 Growth Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P MidCap 400 Growth Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the mid-capitalization growth sector of the United States equity market and consists of those stocks in the S&P MidCap 400 Index exhibiting the strongest growth characteristics.

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Greencore Group plc (OTCMKTS:GNCGY  Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $8.70 and last traded at $8.70, with a volume of 0 shares. The stock had previously closed at $8.70.

Greencore Group Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.66. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $8.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $6.73.

Greencore Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Greencore Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells convenience food products in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company offers sandwiches, salads, sushi, chilled snacking, chilled ready meals, chilled soups and sauces, chilled quiche, ambient sauces and pickles, and frozen Yorkshire Puddings.

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Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc. (NYSE:HVT  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,940,000 shares, a growth of 7.8% from the July 15th total of 1,800,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 170,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 11.4 days. Approximately 14.7% of the companys shares are short sold.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HVT has been the topic of several analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered shares of Haverty Furniture Companies from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Benchmark reiterated a buy rating and issued a $45.00 target price on shares of Haverty Furniture Companies in a report on Thursday, May 2nd.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Haverty Furniture Companies Stock Performance

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Haverty Furniture Companies by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,105,487 shares of the companys stock valued at $37,719,000 after acquiring an additional 17,354 shares during the period. Wulff Hansen & CO. grew its position in shares of Haverty Furniture Companies by 2,503.4% in the 2nd quarter. Wulff Hansen & CO. now owns 573,122 shares of the companys stock valued at $14,494,000 after acquiring an additional 551,108 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in shares of Haverty Furniture Companies by 19.0% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 320,672 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,110,000 after acquiring an additional 51,302 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Haverty Furniture Companies by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 308,565 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,954,000 after acquiring an additional 9,064 shares during the period. Finally, Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. grew its position in shares of Haverty Furniture Companies by 28.3% in the 2nd quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 145,895 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,690,000 after acquiring an additional 32,175 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.57% of the companys stock.

Haverty Furniture Companies stock traded down $0.35 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $28.89. The companys stock had a trading volume of 131,502 shares, compared to its average volume of 131,882. The company has a market capitalization of $469.06 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.44. Haverty Furniture Companies has a 12 month low of $23.09 and a 12 month high of $37.05. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $26.51 and its 200 day simple moving average is $29.78.

Haverty Furniture Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 11th. Investors of record on Monday, August 26th will be given a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.43%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 26th. Haverty Furniture Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.55%.

Haverty Furniture Companies Company Profile

(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.

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Shares of HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA (ETR:HLE  Get Free Report) traded up 0.3% on Monday . The company traded as high as 87.70 ($97.44) and last traded at 87.70 ($97.44). 4,186 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 97% from the average session volume of 158,303 shares. The stock had previously closed at 87.40 ($97.11).

HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA Trading Up 0.3 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 39.43, a current ratio of 1.49 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The business has a 50-day moving average price of 85.76 and a two-hundred day moving average price of 84.02. The firm has a market cap of $9.74 billion, a PE ratio of 29.63, a PEG ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.12.

HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

HELLA GmbH & Co KGaA, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and sells lighting systems and electronic components for automotive industry worldwide. It operates through three segments: Lighting, Electronics, and Lifecycle Solutions. The Lighting segment offers headlamps, rear combination lamps, and car body lighting including radomes, illuminated logos, and front phygital shields, as well as interior lighting products.

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Hengan International Group (OTCMKTS:HEGIY  Get Free Report) and Iberdrola (OTCMKTS:IBDRY  Get Free Report) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, earnings, valuation and institutional ownership.

Risk & Volatility

Hengan International Group has a beta of 0.19, suggesting that its share price is 81% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Iberdrola has a beta of 0.79, suggesting that its share price is 21% less volatile than the S&P 500.

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Dividends

Hengan International Group pays an annual dividend of $0.88 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.4%. Iberdrola pays an annual dividend of $2.35 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.2%. Iberdrola pays out 59.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Analyst Recommendations

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Hengan International Group 0 0 0 0 N/A Iberdrola 0 0 1 0 3.00

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Hengan International Group and Iberdrola, as reported by MarketBeat.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

0.0% of Hengan International Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.0% of Iberdrola shares are owned by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Hengan International Group and Iberdrolas net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Hengan International Group N/A N/A N/A Iberdrola 14.05% 10.50% 4.25%

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Hengan International Group and Iberdrolas gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Hengan International Group $3.36 billion 1.12 $395.71 million N/A N/A Iberdrola $53.39 billion 1.68 $5.20 billion $3.98 14.00

Iberdrola has higher revenue and earnings than Hengan International Group.

Summary

Iberdrola beats Hengan International Group on 9 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Hengan International Group

(Get Free Report)

Hengan International Group Company Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures, distributes, and sells personal hygiene products in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company offers pocket handkerchiefs, box and soft tissue papers, kitchen towels/papers, toilet rolls, first-aid products, enema, garbage and food bags, preservation papers, table cloths and disposable toilet brush, sanitary napkins, pantiliners, overnight pants, wet tissues, maternal and child care products, adult and baby diapers, and cleansing products. It is also involved in the trading of various products for ladies, pregnant women, infants, and kids, as well as disposable fiber-based products; and engages in the ecommerce business. In addition, the company manufactures and distributes heat and power; and manufactures, distributes, and sells gas, protective equipment, medical instrument, skin care products, antiseptics, and household products. Hengan International Group Company Limited was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Jinjiang, the People's Republic of China.

About Iberdrola

(Get Free Report)

Iberdrola, S.A. engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and supply of electricity in Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, France, and Australia. It generates electricity from renewable sources, such as onshore and offshore wind, hydro, photovoltaic, combined cycle gas, and conventional nuclear, as well as through batteries. The company is also involved in the purchase and sale of electricity and gas on wholesale markets; energy retail supply activities, such as gas and electricity, and other products and services, including hydrogen, as well as non-renewable generation; and production of green hydrogen. It has a total installed capacity of 62,871 MW. In addition, the company offers heat pumps, self-consumption, electric mobility, solar, etc. services to residential customers; and management of energy facilities, as well as supplies green H2, industrial heat, etc. to industrial customers. Iberdrola, S.A. was founded in 1840 and is based in Bilbao, Spain.

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InPlay Oil Corp. (OTCMKTS:IPOOF  Get Free Report) saw a large decline in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 234,100 shares, a decline of 9.7% from the July 15th total of 259,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 44,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.3 days.

InPlay Oil Stock Down 0.9 %

Shares of IPOOF opened at $1.59 on Tuesday. InPlay Oil has a 1 year low of $1.43 and a 1 year high of $2.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 0.68 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $1.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1.68. The firm has a market cap of $144.87 million, a P/E ratio of 7.95 and a beta of 1.63.

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InPlay Oil Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 16th will be paid a $0.0108 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a dividend yield of 8.29%. InPlay Oils dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 65.00%.

InPlay Oil Company Profile

InPlay Oil Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of petroleum and natural gas properties in Canada. The company produces and sells crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. It focuses on light oil asset base located in West Central, Alberta. InPlay Oil Corp.

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International Game Technology PLC (NYSE:IGT  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,760,000 shares, a drop of 11.3% from the July 15th total of 3,110,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,330,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.1 days. Currently, 2.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Institutional Trading of International Game Technology

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Quarry LP increased its stake in International Game Technology by 99.1% during the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 5,460 shares of the companys stock valued at $112,000 after purchasing an additional 2,717 shares in the last quarter. Algert Global LLC bought a new stake in International Game Technology during the 2nd quarter valued at $3,145,000. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group bought a new stake in International Game Technology during the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Long Pond Capital LP bought a new stake in International Game Technology during the 2nd quarter valued at $32,053,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its stake in International Game Technology by 8.4% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 40,622 shares of the companys stock valued at $831,000 after purchasing an additional 3,144 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 44.33% of the companys stock.

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International Game Technology Price Performance

Shares of International Game Technology stock traded up $0.12 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $21.96. 689,519 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,230,923. The firms fifty day moving average price is $21.00 and its 200-day moving average price is $21.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.57, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.84. International Game Technology has a 12 month low of $18.90 and a 12 month high of $33.48. The stock has a market cap of $4.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.80 and a beta of 1.98.

International Game Technology Announces Dividend

International Game Technology ( NYSE:IGT Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.29 by $0.07. International Game Technology had a net margin of 4.89% and a return on equity of 19.95%. The business had revenue of $1.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.45 EPS. The firms revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that International Game Technology will post 1.43 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 27th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 13th will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 13th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.64%. International Game Technologys payout ratio is presently 76.19%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. B. Riley reissued a buy rating and issued a $30.00 target price on shares of International Game Technology in a report on Friday, July 26th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of International Game Technology from $26.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Susquehanna decreased their price target on shares of International Game Technology from $40.00 to $33.00 and set a positive rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 16th. StockNews.com lowered shares of International Game Technology from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, July 5th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of International Game Technology from $26.00 to $23.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 15th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $28.67.

View Our Latest Research Report on IGT

About International Game Technology

(Get Free Report)

International Game Technology PLC operates and provides gaming technology products and services in the United States, Canada, Italy, The United Kingdom, rest of Europe, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Global Lottery, Global Gaming, and PlayDigital. The company designs, sells, operates, and leases a suite of point-of-sale machines that reconciles lottery funds between the retailer and lottery authority; provides online lottery transaction processing systems; produces instant ticket games; and offers printing services, such as instant ticket marketing plans and graphic design, programming, packaging, shipping, and delivery services, as well as iLottery solutions and services.

Further Reading

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The Ukrainian Army has opened a second flank of attack in the Russian province of Kursk. The new flank is located about 25 miles from the area where the surprise offensive began on August 6. Since Sunday, fighting has been taking place in another location on Russian territory, in the border town of Tyotkino. The aim of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is to surround the Russian defenders in the Glushkovo district of Kursk, which would mean they would control another 231 square miles of Russian territory.

The operation to encircle the Russian troops in Glushkovo has been carefully prepared, and it is where that the soldiers of Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, are focusing most of their efforts of the push into Russian territory. The west and south of the district are delimited by the border with Ukraine. To the west, across the Seim River, a new flank has been opened in Tyotkino. The eastern end of Glushkovo contains the Russian territory under Ukrainian control. This is where the Russian units in this district are facing greater pressure. The north of Glushkovo is marked by the Seim River. Thats where the Ukrainian strategy has hit its target. On Sunday, the third and last bridge that was still in use in Seim was destroyed by the Ukrainian Air Force. The other two bridges were previously destroyed by Ukrainian missiles. Without these three river crossing points, the Russians may be cut off. Whats more, their ability to send reinforcements and military logistics is now severely limited.

Last March, Tyotkino saw military incursions from Ukraine, but these were carried out by units of the Freedom of Russian Legion, one of the Russian armed groups that oppose Russian President Vladimir Putin and are fighting for Ukraine. Ukrainian defense analysts expect that fighters from these Russian units  the Freedom of Russian Legion, the Sibir Battalion and the Russian Volunteer Corps  will join the operation in Kursk in the future as reinforcements.

Wrecked Russian tanks on a road near Sudzha in Russia's Kursk region on Friday. Associated Press/LaPresse (AP)

John Helin, an analyst on the Ukraine war for the Finnish group Black Bird, believes that an imminent Ukrainian push from Tyotkino and even a new flank from the south is very likely, as the Russians are resisting Ukraines troops in the town of Korenevo.

The Russian military is already deploying pontoons to replace the bridges that were destroyed in Seim. While building a pontoon crossing over the Seim River, which is 30 to 80 meters wide in this area, isnt difficult for the Russian army, pontoon crossings have limited capacity, so the flow of traffic is much slower, reported Defense Express, a Ukrainian media outlet, specialized in military analysis.

Defense Express also pointed out that Ukraines air force can destroy the pontoons with precision missiles. Satellite images confirmed on Tuesday that one pontoon was destroyed by Ukrainian forces on Sunday, just 48 hours after being installed. Ukrainian military accounts on Telegram have also shared videos of drone bomb attacks on Russian vehicles transporting sappers (combat engineers), who were getting ready to build mobile bridges in Seim.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday that Ukraine had made it impossible to evacuate civilians by destroying the bridges. Moscow accused Ukraine of using Himars precision missiles in the attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday called on his allies to speed up arms deliveries, and for the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and France to authorize the use of long-range missiles on Russian soil. NATO-provided ammunition and infantry armor are playing a decisive role in the invasion of Russian territory. Zelenskiy  the main supporter of the Kursk offensive  reported on Ukraines progress at a meeting with his diplomatic corps: according to the head of state, Ukraine has 482 square miles and 92 Russian towns under its control.

Zelenskiy stressed that the Kursk invasion should serve to demonstrate to his NATO partners that they should not be afraid of Putins threats of escalation: Just a few months ago, many people around the world would have said that it [the Kursk offensive] was impossible and that it would cross the strictest of all the red lines that Russia has. That is why, actually, no one knew about our preparations. We are now witnessing a significant ideological shift, the Ukrainian president said. The whole naive, illusory concept of so-called red lines regarding Russia, which dominated the assessment of the war by some partners, has crumbled these days.

The Ukrainian leader stressed that two main objectives of the operation in Kursk have been achieved: creating a safe zone on the border against Russian military actions and capturing hundreds of prisoners of war, who will be used to free Ukrainian soldiers captured by Kremlin troops.

Risky gamble

The Ukrainian leadership knows that time is running out. It is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain military aid from its allies. The German governments draft budget includes a severe reduction in military support for Ukraine, and Ukraine is also facing the possibility of a Donald Trump victory in the U.S. presidential election. Trump is in favor of halting aid to the country. Amid this background, Zelenskiy wants to speed up future peace negotiations with Russia, which for now, are exclusively based on his terms.

In this context, the Kursk offensive is understood as a penultimate and risky Ukrainian push to take the initiative in the war and reach a hypothetical negotiating table with more leverage. A source close to Zelenskiys team told EL PAIS on Saturday that the Kursk invasion is a risky gamble by the president: If it goes well, it will be a huge success for the citizens, but if it goes wrong, the responsibility will fall on him.

There are three different scenarios in which Ukraines operation on Russian territory could backfire. First, Moscow could manage to force Ukrainian troops back at Kursk by destroying a large number of armored vehicles and artillery pieces  a move that is already happening. And the further Kyivs troops advance into Russia, the more exposed the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the more vulnerable their supply chain will be.

Secondly, the occupation of Russian soil may not serve as an asset to negotiate with the Kremlin what the Ukrainian government has defined as a just peace. Alexander Graef, a researcher at the Institute for the Study of Peace and Security Policy in Hamburg, told this newspaper on August 14 that he sees it impossible for Putin to accept any dialogue as long as part of Russia is under Ukrainian occupation.

And thirdly, that the Kursk incursion may not stop Russias rapid advance on the Donetsk front. Alarm bells are already ringing, even in the military establishment, because Russia has not yet sent many of its experienced units in Donetsk to Kursk, where the defense of the region falls mainly on new recruits. On the contrary, it is the Ukrainian army that has moved the most assets from Donetsk to Kursk. I dont know yet whether this is a great idea or a suicidal move, said Helin about the Kursk incursion. What I do know is that there are many risks, and one is that it has weakened defense of the Donetsk province by diverting Ukrainian forces to Kursk.

The situation in Donetsk is particularly serious in Pokrovsk: Russian forces are just six miles away from the town. On Monday, the head of the citys military government, Serhii Dobriak, told Radio Svoboda that civilians have two weeks to evacuate their homes, arguing that starting next week, the increasingly close fighting will make life in the area unviable: Currently, all services and agencies in Pokrovsk are operating. However, their work will soon have to be halted.

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Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ  Get Free Report) has earned an average rating of Hold from the thirteen brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $173.21.

A number of brokerages recently commented on JNJ. TD Cowen lowered their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $195.00 to $185.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $175.00 target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. TD Securities lowered their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $195.00 to $185.00 in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Daiwa Capital Markets cut Johnson & Johnson from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and lowered their target price for the company from $160.00 to $150.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $167.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, July 18th.

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Institutional Trading of Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson Stock Up 0.1 %

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of JNJ. EP Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 6.2% in the second quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 500,193 shares of the companys stock valued at $73,108,000 after acquiring an additional 29,039 shares in the last quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP lifted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 17.1% in the second quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 324,566 shares of the companys stock valued at $47,431,000 after acquiring an additional 47,292 shares in the last quarter. Kimelman & Baird LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the second quarter valued at $1,519,000. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 12.6% in the second quarter. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,412 shares of the companys stock valued at $352,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Newport Capital Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the second quarter valued at $427,000. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Shares of JNJ opened at $159.60 on Thursday. Johnson & Johnson has a 52-week low of $143.13 and a 52-week high of $169.85. The company has a market capitalization of $384.11 billion, a PE ratio of 9.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.52. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $152.63 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $153.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 17th. The company reported $2.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $22.45 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.33 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 36.60% and a net margin of 46.34%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.80 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.07 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 27th will be given a dividend of $1.24 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 27th. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.11%. Johnson & Johnsons payout ratio is 30.92%.

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile

(Get Free Report

Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches, develops, manufactures, and sells various products in the healthcare field worldwide. The company's Innovative Medicine segment offers products for various therapeutic areas, such as immunology, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis; infectious diseases comprising HIV/AIDS; neuroscience, consisting of mood disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and schizophrenia; oncology, such as prostate cancer, hematologic malignancies, lung cancer, and bladder cancer; cardiovascular and metabolism, including thrombosis, diabetes, and macular degeneration; and pulmonary hypertension comprising pulmonary arterial hypertension through retailers, wholesalers, distributors, hospitals, and healthcare professionals for prescription use.

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Milestone Asset Management LLC cut its stake in Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL  Free Report) by 46.7% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 8,444 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 7,411 shares during the quarter. Milestone Asset Management LLCs holdings in Dell Technologies were worth $1,165,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Dell Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $5,121,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its stake in shares of Dell Technologies by 1,229.7% in the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 69,102 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $5,286,000 after purchasing an additional 63,905 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Dell Technologies by 46.7% in the 4th quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 6,533 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $500,000 after purchasing an additional 2,079 shares during the period. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners acquired a new position in shares of Dell Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $59,000. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its stake in shares of Dell Technologies by 28.8% in the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 74,488 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $5,698,000 after purchasing an additional 16,672 shares during the period. 38.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Dell Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE DELL traded up $0.51 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $111.81. 8,360,396 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,290,751. The company has a market capitalization of $79.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.70, a PEG ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.92. Dell Technologies Inc. has a 1 year low of $53.62 and a 1 year high of $179.70. The companys 50-day moving average is $125.88 and its two-hundred day moving average is $120.88.

Dell Technologies Announces Dividend

Dell Technologies ( NYSE:DELL Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 30th. The technology company reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.00 by $0.04. Dell Technologies had a net margin of 4.00% and a negative return on equity of 173.72%. The firm had revenue of $22.24 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.70 billion. Equities analysts anticipate that Dell Technologies Inc. will post 6.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.445 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, July 23rd. This represents a $1.78 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.59%. Dell Technologiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.33%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Michael S. Dell sold 1,205,052 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.96, for a total transaction of $159,018,661.92. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 26,725,566 shares in the company, valued at $3,526,705,689.36. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, CEO Michael S. Dell sold 1,205,052 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.96, for a total transaction of $159,018,661.92. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 26,725,566 shares in the company, valued at $3,526,705,689.36. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director David W. Dorman sold 75,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.26, for a total transaction of $10,144,500.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 114,317 shares in the company, valued at $15,462,517.42. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 7,058,131 shares of company stock valued at $963,293,619 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 46.70% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DELL has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Dell Technologies from $175.00 to $150.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on Dell Technologies from $165.00 to $140.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 12th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Dell Technologies from $130.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Dell Technologies from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Dell Technologies from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $131.25.

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Dell Technologies Profile

(Free Report)

Dell Technologies Inc designs, develops, manufactures, markets, sells, and supports various comprehensive and integrated solutions, products, and services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) and Client Solutions Group (CSG).

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Neo Ivy Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL  Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 1,208 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $129,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky lifted its position 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 acquiring an additional 83,320 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas bought a new position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies during the 1st quarter worth approximately $997,000. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $558,000. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado lifted its position in shares of 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 worth $82,804,000 after buying an additional 550,355 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 1.6% during the 1st 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. Institutional investors own 55.15% of the companys stock.

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Estee Lauder Companies Stock Down 5.0 %

Shares of NYSE EL traded down $4.61 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $88.24. The stock had a trading volume of 4,158,127 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,969,006. The businesss 50 day moving average is $102.67 and its 200-day moving average is $127.28. The company has a market cap of $31.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.57, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.99. The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. has a 52 week low of $86.05 and a 52 week high of $165.76. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26.

Estee Lauder Companies Dividend Announcement

Estee Lauder Companies ( NYSE:EL Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 19th. The company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.39. The firm had revenue of $3.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.80 billion. Estee Lauder Companies had a net margin of 4.18% and a return on equity of 13.08%. The businesss revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.07 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. will post 2.21 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a dividend of $0.66 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.99%. Estee Lauder Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 148.31%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $165.00 to $125.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Bernstein Bank raised their price target on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $155.00 to $160.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $110.00 to $105.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Canaccord Genuity Group restated a hold rating and set a $100.00 price target on shares of Estee Lauder Companies in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $115.00 to $104.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $124.78.

Get Our Latest Research Report on EL

Insider Activity at Estee Lauder Companies

In related news, EVP Jane Lauder sold 14,976 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.26, for a total transaction of $1,815,989.76. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 57,389 shares in the company, valued at $6,958,990.14. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Jane Lauder sold 14,976 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.26, for a total transaction of $1,815,989.76. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 57,389 shares in the company, valued at $6,958,990.14. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Peter Jueptner sold 12,786 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 owns 5,578 shares in the company, valued at approximately $728,598.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 12.77% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Estee Lauder Companies

(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.

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Ninety One UK Ltd lowered its holdings in shares of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG  Free Report) by 4.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 410,116 shares of the companys stock after selling 20,032 shares during the period. Ninety One UK Ltds holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $67,636,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of PG. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 9.7% in the 2nd quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 35,092 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,787,000 after buying an additional 3,091 shares during the period. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Procter & Gamble by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 143,075 shares of the companys stock worth $23,596,000 after buying an additional 2,473 shares during the last quarter. Kavar Capital Partners Group LLC raised its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. Kavar Capital Partners Group LLC now owns 66,679 shares of the companys stock worth $10,997,000 after buying an additional 206 shares during the period. Accredited Investors Inc. grew its position in Procter & Gamble by 4.9% during the second quarter. Accredited Investors Inc. now owns 11,733 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,935,000 after acquiring an additional 543 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Procter & Gamble by 2.6% during the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 1,357,323 shares of the companys stock worth $223,850,000 after acquiring an additional 34,770 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.77% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Jon R. Moeller sold 72,174 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.01, for a total transaction of $12,342,475.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 263,158 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $45,002,649.58. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Jon R. Moeller sold 72,174 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.01, for a total transaction of $12,342,475.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 263,158 shares of the companys stock, valued at $45,002,649.58. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO R. Alexandra Keith sold 3,373 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $573,410.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 21,513 shares in the company, valued at $3,657,210. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 84,389 shares of company stock worth $14,373,932. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on PG shares. TD Cowen initiated coverage on Procter & Gamble in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a buy rating and a $189.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble from $181.00 to $179.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Procter & Gamble from $171.00 to $176.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $177.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, BNP Paribas initiated coverage on Procter & Gamble in a research note on Monday, June 24th. They set an outperform rating and a $187.00 target price for the company. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $173.95.

Get Our Latest Report on Procter & Gamble

Procter & Gamble Stock Up 0.7 %

PG traded up $1.19 on Tuesday, reaching $169.61. 1,404,178 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,623,339. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $167.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $163.36. The company has a market cap of $400.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.76, a PEG ratio of 3.66 and a beta of 0.41. The Procter & Gamble Company has a 52-week low of $141.45 and a 52-week high of $171.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.53.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.40 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.03. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 33.46% and a net margin of 17.71%. The company had revenue of $20.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.69 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.37 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Investors of record on Friday, July 19th were paid a $1.0065 dividend. This represents a $4.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.37%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 19th. Procter & Gambles payout ratio is 65.69%.

Procter & Gamble Company Profile

(Free Report)

The Procter & Gamble Company provides branded consumer packaged goods worldwide. It operates through five segments: Beauty; Grooming; Health Care; Fabric & Home Care; and Baby, Feminine & Family Care. The Beauty segment offers conditioners, shampoos, styling aids, and treatments under the Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Pantene, and Rejoice brands; and antiperspirants and deodorants, personal cleansing, and skin care products under the Olay, Old Spice, Safeguard, Secret, and SK-II brands.

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Carnegie Investment Counsel increased its holdings in nVent Electric plc (NYSE:NVT  Free Report) by 35.7% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 72,192 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 19,002 shares during the quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsels holdings in nVent Electric were worth $5,531,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Boston Partners lifted its stake in nVent Electric by 3.2% during the first quarter. Boston Partners now owns 3,325,834 shares of the companys stock valued at $250,770,000 after buying an additional 102,643 shares in the last quarter. Clean Energy Transition LLP boosted its stake in nVent Electric by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Clean Energy Transition LLP now owns 2,540,545 shares of the companys stock worth $150,121,000 after purchasing an additional 39,169 shares during the period. Congress Asset Management Co. MA grew its position in nVent Electric by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA now owns 2,219,332 shares of the companys stock worth $167,338,000 after purchasing an additional 26,897 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in nVent Electric during the 4th quarter valued at $109,630,000. Finally, Fiduciary Management Inc. WI raised its stake in nVent Electric by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI now owns 1,772,270 shares of the companys stock valued at $104,723,000 after purchasing an additional 31,621 shares during the period. 90.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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nVent Electric Stock Down 0.9 %

NVT traded down $0.57 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $65.34. 904,483 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,514,845. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 1.99 and a quick ratio of 1.35. The company has a market cap of $10.85 billion, a PE ratio of 19.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.31. nVent Electric plc has a one year low of $45.60 and a one year high of $86.57. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $73.32 and its 200-day simple moving average is $73.29.

Insider Transactions at nVent Electric

nVent Electric ( NYSE:NVT Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.83 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $880.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $892.89 million. nVent Electric had a net margin of 17.02% and a return on equity of 17.47%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.77 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that nVent Electric plc will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In other nVent Electric news, insider Michael B. Faulconer sold 20,004 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.34, for a total transaction of $1,267,053.36. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 19,766 shares in the company, valued at $1,251,978.44. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, Director Herbert K. Parker bought 7,566 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $65.71 per share, for a total transaction of $497,161.86. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 34,524 shares in the company, valued at $2,268,572.04. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Michael B. Faulconer sold 20,004 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.34, for a total transaction of $1,267,053.36. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 19,766 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,251,978.44. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on nVent Electric from $77.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, May 6th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of nVent Electric from $88.00 to $82.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of nVent Electric from $85.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 4th. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on shares of nVent Electric from $91.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, May 6th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $87.80.

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nVent Electric Company Profile

(Free Report)

nVent Electric plc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, markets, installs, and services electrical connection and protection solutions in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Enclosures, Electrical & Fastening Solutions, and Thermal Management.

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Pallas Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL  Free Report) by 5.9% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 11,585 shares of the medical research companys stock after purchasing an additional 647 shares during the period. Pallas Capital Advisors LLCs holdings in Charles River Laboratories International were worth $2,532,000 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. Czech National Bank grew its position in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 9,025 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $2,445,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Dumont & Blake Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Dumont & Blake Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,415 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,196,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares during the period. Mitchell & Pahl Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Mitchell & Pahl Private Wealth LLC now owns 3,154 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $652,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares during the period. Empirical Finance LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 5.3% during the 1st quarter. Empirical Finance LLC now owns 1,272 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $345,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the period. Finally, VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 45.1% during the 4th quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 209 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.91% of the companys stock.

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Charles River Laboratories International Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of CRL traded down $1.50 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $202.52. 212,635 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 587,366. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.38. The business has a 50-day moving average of $213.37 and a 200-day moving average of $230.61. Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $161.65 and a fifty-two week high of $275.00.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Charles River Laboratories International announced that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Wednesday, August 7th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical research company to purchase up to 9.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the companys management believes its stock is undervalued.

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on CRL shares. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $230.00 to $210.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Argus reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Friday, June 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of Charles River Laboratories International from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $270.00 to $205.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. StockNews.com raised shares of Charles River Laboratories International from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Baird R W downgraded shares of Charles River Laboratories International from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Charles River Laboratories International has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $231.00.

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Charles River Laboratories International Profile

(Free Report)

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc provides drug discovery, non-clinical development, and safety testing services in the United States, Europe, Canada, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Research Models and Services (RMS), Discovery and Safety Assessment (DSA), and Manufacturing Solutions (Manufacturing).

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Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO  Free Report) by 9.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 292,900 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after acquiring an additional 26,041 shares during the quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc.s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $45,915,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Lynx Investment Advisory purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the first quarter worth approximately $33,000. Rise Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the first quarter worth approximately $33,000. First Foundation Advisors bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the first quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, LRI Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the first quarter worth approximately $39,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Argus cut shares of Valero Energy from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, May 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $178.00 to $172.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Mizuho upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and lifted their price target for the company from $165.00 to $175.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $165.00 to $173.00 and gave the company a sector outperform rating in a report on Friday, July 12th. Finally, Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, July 18th. They issued an outperform rating and a $177.00 price target on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $174.00.

Valero Energy Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of VLO traded down $1.58 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $148.24. The company had a trading volume of 2,637,285 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,011,697. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $151.57 and a 200-day moving average price of $155.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.34, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 1.42. Valero Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $119.88 and a 52-week high of $184.79.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The oil and gas company reported $2.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.60 by $0.11. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 21.01% and a net margin of 4.25%. The firm had revenue of $34.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $32.97 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $5.40 EPS. Valero Energys quarterly revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Valero Energy Co. will post 13.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.07 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 1st. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.89%. Valero Energys dividend payout ratio is currently 21.20%.

About Valero Energy

(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.

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Sanibel Captiva Trust Company Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG  Free Report) by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 189,621 shares of the companys stock after selling 6,184 shares during the quarter. Procter & Gamble makes up 1.1% of Sanibel Captiva Trust Company Inc.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. Sanibel Captiva Trust Company Inc.s holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $31,272,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 4th quarter valued at about $3,956,117,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position 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 valued at $2,336,552,000 after purchasing an additional 206,165 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its position 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 valued at $1,547,021,000 after purchasing an additional 559,358 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position 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 valued at $1,402,636,000 after purchasing an additional 246,323 shares during the period. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its position 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 valued at $1,390,963,000 after purchasing an additional 1,387,539 shares during the period. 65.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Procter & Gamble

In other news, insider Balaji Purushothaman sold 8,842 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the insider now owns 11,537 shares in the company, valued at $1,902,451.30. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Jon R. Moeller sold 72,174 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, August 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.01, for a total transaction of $12,342,475.74. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 263,158 shares in the company, valued at $45,002,649.58. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Balaji Purushothaman sold 8,842 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.90, for a total value of $1,458,045.80. Following the sale, the insider now owns 11,537 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,902,451.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 84,389 shares of company stock worth $14,373,932. 0.17% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup upped their target price on Procter & Gamble from $177.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $181.00 to $179.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Dbs Bank downgraded Procter & Gamble from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Procter & Gamble from a buy rating to a hold rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $182.00 to $175.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $174.00 to $163.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Procter & Gamble presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $173.95.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Procter & Gamble

Procter & Gamble Price Performance

NYSE PG traded up $1.99 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $170.41. The stock had a trading volume of 4,506,619 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,643,606. The Procter & Gamble Company has a 52-week low of $141.45 and a 52-week high of $171.72. The company has a market cap of $402.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.76, a P/E/G ratio of 3.66 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $167.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $163.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.40 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $20.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $20.69 billion. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 33.46% and a net margin of 17.71%. Procter & Gambles quarterly revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.37 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 19th were issued a dividend of $1.0065 per share. This represents a $4.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.36%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 19th. Procter & Gambles dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 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.

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Shares of Science Group plc (LON:SAG  Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday after an insider bought additional shares in the company. The stock traded as high as GBX 470 ($6.11) and last traded at GBX 464 ($6.03), with a volume of 65081 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 461 ($5.99).

Specifically, insider Martyn Roy Ratcliffe purchased 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 19th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 469 ($6.09) per share, for a total transaction of 46,900 ($60,940.75). Also, insider Martyn Roy Ratcliffe acquired 10,000 shares of Science Group stock in a transaction on Friday, August 16th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 450 ($5.85) per share, with a total value of 45,000 ($58,471.93).

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Science Group Stock Up 0.7 %

The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 2.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 19.36. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 431.83 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 419.07. The company has a market capitalization of 210.84 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3,546.15 and a beta of 0.46.

About Science Group

Science Group plc, a science, engineering, and technology business company, provides consultancy services in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, North America, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Services Operating Business, Product Operating Business, and Freehold Properties.

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SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG  Free Report) by 5,693.4% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 19,234 shares of the restaurant operators stock after buying an additional 18,902 shares during the quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill were worth $1,205,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Steph & Co. acquired a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 225.0% during the first quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 13 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares during the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the first quarter worth $44,000. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the first quarter worth approximately $58,000. 91.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Down 1.1 %

Chipotle Mexican Grill stock traded down $0.57 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $52.07. The company had a trading volume of 7,843,786 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,175,381. The business has a fifty day moving average of $122.32 and a 200 day moving average of $80.74. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a 1 year low of $35.37 and a 1 year high of $69.26. The stock has a market cap of $71.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.21, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.24.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Chipotle Mexican Grill ( NYSE:CMG Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The restaurant operator reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.02. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 13.23% and a return on equity of 44.01%. The business had revenue of $2.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.94 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $12.65 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 18.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 1.09 earnings per share for the current year.

In other news, insider Curtis E. Garner sold 17,394 shares of the companys 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 owns 358,300 shares in the company, valued at $19,591,844. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 1.02% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on CMG. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $74.60 to $67.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a buy rating and set a $67.00 price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $59.72 to $62.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Truist Financial reiterated a buy rating and set a $69.00 price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Finally, Wedbush raised shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $54.00 to $58.00 in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Chipotle Mexican Grill presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $62.36.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Chipotle Mexican Grill

About Chipotle Mexican Grill

(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.

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An emotional Joe Biden did his best Monday to throw the full weight of his support behind Kamala Harris to succeed him as president of the United States. A month ago, Biden was still the presumptive Democratic nominee for re-election himself. After throwing in the towel in an exercise of realism in the face of pressure from his party and the public, Biden is now turning his attention to preventing Donald Trump from returning to the White House. He called for a vote for Harris to preserve democracy. The president received all the affection of the Democratic convention in Chicago, with an audience more devoted than ever, in a speech that served as a bittersweet farewell and a political testament. America, I gave my best to you. I made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you, the president said.

After being introduced by his daughter Ashley, it was five minutes before Biden was able to begin his speech. He was prevented from doing so by the applause and cheers from the audience: We love you, Joe, and Thank you, Joe, chanted the thousands of delegates and guests who packed the United Center, the home of the Chicago Bulls, where the convention is being held. The gratitude held double meaning: for the presidents half-century of dedication, but also for his retirement.

The communion between Biden and the delegates served as an emotional suture for the wound opened by his withdrawal from the presidential race. I love the job, but I love my country more, Biden said. All this talk about how Im angry at all the people who said I should step down  thats not true, he added. I remember being too young to be in the Senate because I wasnt 30 yet, and too old to stay as President. But I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you.

Democratic convention attendees at the United Center in Chicago. Mike Segar (REUTERS)

That Biden is passing the baton to his vice president also makes things easier. Selecting Kamala was the very first decision I made when I became the nominee, Biden said. It was the best decision I made in my whole career. She is tough, she is experienced, and she has enormous integrity. Her story represents the best American story. Like many of our best presidents, she was also vice president. In a nod to his own career that drew cheers from the audience, Biden added: And like many of our best presidents, shes also been vice president.

Bidens speech reviewed the accomplishments of his tenure and endorsed Harris as the inheritor of his legacy, but it was also devoted to warning of the existential threat he sees in a possible Trump comeback. We saved democracy in 2020 and we must do it again in 2024, he said. We need to preserve our democracy. We need you to beat Donald Trump and elect Kamala and Tim as President and Vice President of the United States.

Biden reiterated his love for his country and counterposed it to how he views Trumps attitude: You cannot say you love your country only when you win, he argued. He says were losing. Hes the loser  hes dead wrong, he exclaimed in response to Trumps campaign slogan that America is a failing nation under the Democratic administration. Crime will keep coming down when we put a prosecutor in the Oval Office, rather than a convicted felon, Biden said in another attack on his political rival.

Biden put in an energetic performance on the stage in Chicago, more reminiscent of when he delivered the State of the Union address in March than during the disastrous debate against Trump in June, which led Democrats to question whether the 81-year-old president would be able to defeat the Republican again at the polls. He spoke for about 45 minutes, often raising his voice, and with little hesitation.

Kamala Harris during her appearance Monday at the Democratic National Convention. MICHAEL REYNOLDS (EFE)

Bidens speech, in fact, was largely an anthology of previous ones. The president likes to hammer home soundbites and catchphrases he considers accurate. Wall Street didnt build this country. The middle class built this country. And unions built the middle class, was one of many. Donald Trump promised infrastructure every week for four years and he never built a damn thing, another. Were facing an inflection point, one of those rare moments in history where the decisions we make now will determine the world for decades to come, he insisted, as he has many times before. He also reiterated his idea that a battle for the soul of the nation is being waged.

The president touted the accomplishments of his administration, including its management of the coronavirus pandemic, economic recovery, record job creation, lower drug prices, infrastructure investments, and the boost to microprocessor plants. He also defended his foreign policy, especially regarding his response to the war in Ukraine. Putin thought he would take Kyiv in three days. Three years later, Ukraine is still free. Trump, he asserted, bows to Putin; Kamala Harris never will. Biden also emphasized the need to end the Gaza war and even acknowledged that those protesting against the conflict in Chicago have their reasons. During his speech, there was low-key protest from some delegates over his support for Israel.

Joe Biden wipes a tear from his eye after being introduced by his daughter, Ashley Biden, at the Democratic National Convention. Kevin Lamarque (REUTERS)

A devoted audience

Surrounded by his family and political allies, Biden received the affection of a dedicated audience in his fleeting passage through a convention at which he is not the main event. Although most of the delegates were chosen in the primaries to nominate him, now the Democratic Party has become Kamala Harris party.

The Democratic nominee herself led the show of gratitude to the president with a surprise appearance at the first session of the convention. To the beat of Beyonce's song Freedom, which has become her campaign anthem, Harris skipped the program to appear on stage Monday afternoon. This is going to be a great week. I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible President Joe Biden... Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation and for all you will continue to do, we are forever grateful to you, Harris said to thunderous applause, a couple of hours before Bidens speech. After the presidents intervention, she joined her husband, Douglas Emhoff, on stage to thank Biden for his words.

Earlier, many of the speakers also thanked the president. Among them was former secretary of state Hillary Clinton: Lets salute President Biden. He has been democracys champion at home and abroad. He brought dignity, decency, and confidence back to the White House, and he showed what it means to be a true patriot. Thank you, Joe Biden, for your lifetime of service and leadership.

The first lady also participated in the farewell. Jill Biden, who tried to lift the presidents spirits after his disastrous June 27 debate against Trump and tried to keep him from throwing in the towel, and their daughter Ashley, 43, expounded on Bidens human side to round out the tribute. Jill said she fell in love with him again just a few weeks ago, when she saw him dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek re-election and support Kamala Harris, a line greeted with a standing ovation.

Mother and daughter also took the opportunity to campaign for Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz. Ashleys declaration of love moved the president to tears. In addition to his wife and daughter, his son Hunter and six of his grandchildren were also in Chicago.

The farewell air of the speech was accentuated as Biden repeated some of the lyrics from American Anthem, the Gene Scheer song he had quoted at his inauguration on January 20, 2021. Let me know in my heart, when my days are through, America, America, I gave my best to you, Biden said, a phrase that takes on greater meaning at the end of his political career.

The red, white and blue balloons are already set up in the rafters the United Center. When they drop on Thursday, it will be to celebrate the nomination of Kamala Harris. By then, Biden will be in Santa Ynez, California, some 2,000 miles away, to spend a few days with his family after his last great service to the Democratic Party.

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SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC decreased its position in shares of The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB  Free Report) by 21.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 7,733 shares of the pipeline companys stock after selling 2,089 shares during the period. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Williams Companies were worth $329,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Western Pacific Wealth Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Williams Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Rise Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Williams Companies in the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Fairman Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Williams Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp bought a new stake in shares of Williams Companies in the 1st quarter worth about $46,000. Finally, EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Williams Companies in the 1st quarter worth about $50,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.44% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMB has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Williams Companies from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 18th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Williams Companies from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Monday. Seaport Res Ptn downgraded shares of Williams Companies from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Williams Companies from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, June 13th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Williams Companies from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $42.58.

Williams Companies Price Performance

WMB stock traded down $0.73 on Tuesday, hitting $44.29. 2,222,213 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,543,748. The Williams Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $32.49 and a 1-year high of $45.10. The stock has a market cap of $53.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.92, a P/E/G ratio of 6.09 and a beta of 1.05. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $42.71 and a 200-day moving average of $39.65. The company has a current ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64.

Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The pipeline company reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.38 by $0.05. Williams Companies had a net margin of 27.11% and a return on equity of 16.17%. The business had revenue of $2.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.46 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.42 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that The Williams Companies, Inc. will post 1.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.475 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $1.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.29%. Williams Companiess dividend payout ratio is currently 79.83%.

About Williams Companies

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The Williams Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy infrastructure company primarily in the United States. It operates through Transmission & Gulf of Mexico, Northeast G&P, West, and Gas & NGL Marketing Services segments. The Transmission & Gulf of Mexico segment comprises natural gas pipelines; Transco, Northwest pipeline, MountainWest, and related natural gas storage facilities; and natural gas gathering and processing, and crude oil production handling and transportation assets in the Gulf Coast region.

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Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprungli AG (OTCMKTS:LDSVF  Get Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 9,100 shares, a decline of 9.9% from the July 15th total of 10,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 91.0 days.

Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprungli Stock Performance

Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprungli stock opened at $12,960.00 on Tuesday. Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprungli has a 1-year low of $10,439.40 and a 1-year high of $13,370.50. The stocks fifty day moving average is $12,325.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12,058.87.

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Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprungli AG, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of chocolate products worldwide. The company sells its products under the Lindt, Ghirardelli, Russell Stover, Whitman's, Caffarel, Hofbauer, Kufferle, and Pangburn's brands. It serves customers through a network of independent distributors, as well as through own shops.

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WSP Global (TSE:WSP  Get Free Report) had its price target lifted by research analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from C$250.00 to C$260.00 in a research report issued on Tuesday, BayStreet.CA reports. Stifel Nicolaus price objective would suggest a potential upside of 16.75% from the stocks current price.

WSP has been the topic of several other reports. Raymond James boosted their target price on shares of WSP Global from C$250.00 to C$255.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. TD Securities upped their target price on WSP Global from C$265.00 to C$273.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of WSP Global from C$239.00 to C$241.00 in a research report on Friday, May 10th. CIBC upped their price objective on shares of WSP Global from C$239.00 to C$245.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group raised their target price on WSP Global from C$235.00 to C$255.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of C$254.50.

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WSP Global Price Performance

WSP stock traded down C$0.14 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting C$222.70. 59,122 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 177,646. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of C$216.65 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$214.47. The company has a market cap of C$27.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.82. WSP Global has a one year low of C$174.39 and a one year high of C$230.98. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 71.81.

WSP Global (TSE:WSP  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported C$1.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C$1.90 by C($0.01). WSP Global had a return on equity of 9.40% and a net margin of 4.03%. The business had revenue of C$2.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$2.93 billion. Equities analysts forecast that WSP Global will post 8.0147448 earnings per share for the current year.

WSP Global Company Profile

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WSP Global Inc operates as a professional services consulting firm in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, and internationally. It advises, plans, designs, and manages projects for rail, transit, aviation, highways, bridges, tunnels, water, maritime, and urban infrastructure for public and private clients, construction contractors, and other partners.

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TransAlta Renewables Inc. (TSE:RNW  Get Free Report)s stock price was up 1.1% on Monday . The stock traded as high as C$12.49 and last traded at C$12.48. Approximately 880,836 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 51% from the average daily volume of 582,037 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$12.34.

TransAlta Renewables Stock Up 1.1 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 48.12, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of C$12.48. The stock has a market cap of C$3.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.74.

TransAlta Renewables Company Profile

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TransAlta Renewables Inc owns, develops, and operates renewable and natural gas power generation facilities and other infrastructure assets in Canada, the United States, and Australia. The company operates through Canadian Wind, Canadian Hydro, Canadian Gas, US Wind and Solar, US Gas, and Australian Gas segments.

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Sara Bay Financial boosted its holdings in Vanguard Real Estate ETF (NYSEARCA:VNQ  Free Report) by 30.0% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 11,141 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after acquiring an additional 2,568 shares during the period. Vanguard Real Estate ETF accounts for 0.4% of Sara Bay Financials investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Sara Bay Financials holdings in Vanguard Real Estate ETF were worth $933,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vanguard Real Estate ETF during the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vanguard Real Estate ETF during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vanguard Real Estate ETF during the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vanguard Real Estate ETF during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Fortis Group Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vanguard Real Estate ETF by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 334 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares during the last quarter.

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Vanguard Real Estate ETF Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of VNQ stock traded up $0.76 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $92.09. 2,548,152 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,278,764. The firm has a market cap of $36.25 billion, a PE ratio of 22.09 and a beta of 1.03. Vanguard Real Estate ETF has a 1 year low of $70.61 and a 1 year high of $92.13. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $86.99 and a 200 day moving average of $84.77.

Vanguard Real Estate ETF Profile

Vanguard REIT ETF (the Fund) is an open-end investment company. The Fund invests in stocks issued by real estate investment trusts (REITs), companies that purchase office buildings, hotels, and other real property. It tracks the return of the MSCI US RIT Index, a gauge of real estate stocks. The Vanguard Group, Inc provides investment advisory services to the Fund.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VNQ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vanguard Real Estate ETF (NYSEARCA:VNQ  Free Report).

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XPS Pensions Group plc (LON:XPS  Get Free Report) announced a dividend on Thursday, June 20th, Upcoming.Co.Uk reports. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 22nd will be paid a dividend of GBX 7 ($0.09) per share on Monday, September 23rd. This represents a dividend yield of 2.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 22nd. This is a boost from XPS Pensions Groups previous dividend of $3.00. The official announcement can be seen at this link.

XPS Pensions Group Stock Down 1.6 %

Shares of LON:XPS opened at GBX 314.73 ($4.09) on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of 650.47 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,280.00 and a beta of 0.60. The firms 50-day simple moving average is GBX 307.66 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 263.63. The company has a quick ratio of 1.51, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.51. XPS Pensions Group has a fifty-two week low of GBX 180 ($2.34) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 340 ($4.42).

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Insider Activity at XPS Pensions Group

In other XPS Pensions Group news, insider Ben Bramhall sold 160,965 shares of XPS Pensions Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 318 ($4.13), for a total transaction of 511,868.70 ($665,110.06). Company insiders own 6.42% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of XPS Pensions Group from GBX 270 ($3.51) to GBX 315 ($4.09) and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, June 11th.

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About XPS Pensions Group

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XPS Pensions Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides employee benefit consultancy and related business services in the United Kingdom. It offers pension advisory; independent consultancy; DB master trust schemes; and self-invested personal pension (SIPP) and SSAS pension services. The company also provides pension administer services, such as payroll, scheme administration, outsourcing, payroll, scheme accounting, and scam identification and protection services, as well as member communication, de-risking projects, GMP equalization, data audits and cleansing, and trustee secretarial services.

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At the Democratic National Convention (DNC), Vice President Kamala Harris will officially become the second woman in history to become the partys presidential candidate. The DNC is taking place in Chicago, the same city where the Democrats have celebrated other historic events, such as the 1968 convention, which was marked by the anti-Vietnam War riots that led to the trial of the Chicago Seven (an episode made into a 2020 film by Aaron Sorkin); and the 1996 convention, when the party danced did the dance to Macarena, while dominating the countrys political map.

Twenty-eight years have passed since then, and the 1996 DNC remains one of the most iconic. It was the second time Bill Clinton had been officially named the partys presidential nominee. At the time, he had a comfortable lead in the polls and was expected to win a crushing victory against his opponent, Republican Bob Dole. After the controversial years of Ronald Reagan and the end of the Cold War, the political pendulum had swung in favor of the Democrats.

One of the most memorable speeches from the 1996 DNC was made by actor Christopher Reeve, the famous star of Superman, who had been paralyzed after being thrown from a horse  an accident that turned him into a disability rights activist. But the standout moment was when all the delegates danced to the Macarena by the Spanish group Los del Rio, while Hillary Clinton applauded non-stop from the stands.

The footage broadcast by C-SPAN cameras showed a room bursting with joy, with delegates waving, twirling and swaying to the song. It was a music video that showcased the partys youthful vitality, its racial and sexual diversity (one man is seen wearing an LGBTQ+ flag), and the joy of people who consider themselves winners.

Republicans also danced to the Macarena in San Diego that year, but it made zero impact. The Democrats appropriated the song, and performing the dance came their nightly ritual at the convention. In one of his speeches, then-vice president Al Gore even jokingly performed his own version of the dance, which required no movement (a self-deprecating nod at his reputation for seriousness). It didnt matter because he and Clinton set the pace for the nation.

The New York Times described the 1996 Democratic convention as a variety show. If the Republicans turned their convention into an infomercial, the Democrats opted for an Oprah Winfrey-style show. The cast of the Broadway musical Rent performed a song called Seasons of Love, about compassion for AIDS sufferers; Emmylou Harris sang Abraham, Martin and John, in honor of Lincoln, Luther King and Kennedy; and Aretha Franklin enraptured the audience with her rendition of the national anthem. The event was filled with gospel music (and evangelical sermons) to showcase the African-American community in the splendor of its family values and community enthusiasm.

President Clintons acceptance speech ended with a performance of the Chicago rock bands song Beginnings, taken from their first album, Chicago Transit Authority. The song includes the chants made by protesters at the 1968 riots. It was a way of vindicating them. Nearly 30 years later, the Harris-Walz campaign is facing the pro-Palestine protests, and have the challenge of finding a song in which Americans can once again see themselves reflected.

The 1996 Democratic National Convention. Ralf-Finn Hestoft (Getty Images)

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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed concerns over the Nigeria police invitation extended to its National President, Joe Ajaero.

In a statement issued by the union Head of Information and Public Affairs, Benson Upah, the NLC leadership demanded clarification from the police authorities, seeking to understand the basis for the invitation of their president.

On Monday, Ajaero was summoned via a letter by the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Intelligence Response Team (IRT), over allegations of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime.

The invitation summoned Ajaero to appear for an interview on Tuesday, 20th August 2024, at the IRT Complex in Guzape District, Abuja.

According to the letter, the investigation has identified Ajaero as a person of interest in the case.

Meanwhile, the NLC statement reads: The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero has been invited by the Nigeria Police Force for "interview" on charges connected to "criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, reasonable felony, subversion and cyber crime"

The letter of invitation signed by ACP Adamu Mu'azu on behalf of Commissioner of Police Intelligence dated August 19, 2024, says Ajaero's name was mentioned in on-going investigations connected to " criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, reasonable felony, subversion and cyber crime"

Accordingly, the letter directed Ajaero to report at the IRT Complex, Abbattoir by Guzape Junction on Tuesday, August 20th at 10:00 threatening that a warrant of arrest would be issued against him if he failed to report.

A personal message sent to. Comrade Joe Ajaero by SP Moshood said, "We were at the Labour House to submit this (letter of invitation) but the place was locked sir".

We find this curious because staff were in the office beyond 6pm.

We also note that Comrade Joe Ajaero was not addressed by his official title of President of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

Clearly, the last has not been heard about the raid on the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress. Preceding the raid, Congress had advised government to dialogue with the organisers of the protest even as Congress had clearly stated it was not part of the protest.

Congress criticised the police for the high casualty rate during the protest. Congress in its NEC communique after the raid expressed outrage at the behaviour of the police and demanded for an apology from both the police and government.

At its world press conference last Thursday, Congress had raised an alarm that should anything happen. to the leadership of the Congress or any of its members, the police should be held accountable.

The question on the lips of those in the know is, who wants Joe Ajaero out of circulation.
Lagos, Nigeria. 20th August 2024 - Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA) Limited has announced the appointment of Kola Aina, Founding Partner and General Partner of Ventures Platform, Africas leading seed-stage venture capital firm, to its board of directors.

EFInA is a financial sector development organisation committed to promoting financial inclusion in Nigeria, with the vision of becoming the leader in facilitating an all-inclusive, growth-promoting financial system.

New Board Member Kola Aina has been instrumental in advancing financial inclusion across Nigeria and Africa. His venture capital firms investments in fintech companies, such as PiggyVest, have provided financial services to over 5 million underserved individuals, contributing to a 13.5% increase in financial inclusion in Nigeria. In addition to financial inclusion, Aina and his team at Ventures Platform foster entrepreneurship, create jobs, optimise supply chains, and empower founders to develop market-creating innovations that address Africas complex challenges while accelerating digital transformation across the continent's startup ecosystem.

Commenting on Ainas pivotal role in the enhancement of financial innovation and access in the Nigeria tech ecosystem, Dr. Agnes Olatokunbo Martins, former Director at the Central Bank of Nigeria, and Chairman of the Board, said that Ainas venture capital firm - Ventures Platform strategically invests in fintech innovations that can deepen financial inclusion across the continent and his appointment to the board is pleasant and strategically beneficial decision that the African financial sector will forever be grateful for.

We are delighted to welcome Kola Aina to the EFInA Board. Kola has been a pivotal figure in the African tech ecosystem, funding financial innovations that align with our mission to promote income growth for the bottom 40% of the population and foster social and economic inclusion, as outlined in SDG 10 on Reducing Inequalities. Kolas experience in entrepreneurship, mentorship, and backing fintech giants that have significantly improved financial inclusion will be invaluable as we strive to create a more inclusive financial sector.

On his appointment, Kola Aina said, I am thrilled to join the EFInA board. EFInA is a critical market enabler that has been a key driver of financial inclusion and a champion of the unbanked. The organisations reports and research have been credible sources of information for key stakeholders of the economy, and Im proud to be part of a gathering of intellectuals that are committed to steering the nations approach to financial inclusion in the right direction. I look forward to working closely with my fellow board members and contributing to the achievement of our goal in Nigeria and across Africa. I remain committed to our collective ambition of promoting an inclusive financial sector that serves the excluded and underserved in Africa.

A significant portion of Ainas venture fund (37.5%) is currently dedicated to fintech companies, aiming to increase access to financial services, credit, and digital banking solutions for underserved populations. Through these investments, Aina and his team at Ventures Platform are bridging the financial inclusion gap and reducing inequalities.

Portfolio companies like PiggyVest, Moni, Traction App, and Shekel Mobility, currently backed by Ventures Platform, serve over 4.5 million users, providing increased access to savings accounts, capital, credit histories, and financial management tools primarily for underserved, unbanked, and underbanked individuals and entrepreneurs across Africa.

Kola Aina joins other distinguished EFInA board members, including Dr. Agnes Olatokunbo Martins, former Director at the Central Bank of Nigeria; Olu Akanmu, former President and Co-CEO of OPay-Nigeria; Professor Janice Olawoye, Professor of Rural Sociology, University of Ibadan; and Saude Amina Atoyebi, former Deputy Chief of Staff (Administration) in Kaduna State Government.

EFInA continues to collaborate with experts across the public and private sectors to promote financial inclusion in Nigeria. The organisation is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Serampore college community celebrated the 263rd birth anniversary of Rev. Dr William Carey, one of the founders of Serampore college and also called the father of modern mission. Dr William Carey was a British Baptist missionary, Bible translator, botanist, social reformer and others. The celebration of Carey Day is chosen to recollect, remember and ponder upon Dr William Carey as a great social reformer or transformer.

On 12 August this month, the Serampore College Carey Day celebration outreach team reached Serampore Girls High School. To make aware students about the historical importance of Serampore and the contribution of Dr William Carey to uplift the then society which was in the grip of superstitious beliefs and engrossed in evil practices. Just like Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Pandit Iswarchandra Vidyasagar, Dr William Carey was also a great reformer and had stressed on female education.

On the occasion were school headmistress Dr Ivy Sarkar, Rev Dr Dipankar Haldar, associate professor and chaplain of the College, along with Lamgousiem Doungel BD4 from Assam and others. A rally from Serampore college reached the cemetery of William Carey which marked the beginning of the Carey Day celebration, besides placing wreaths at the tomb, prayer, scripture reading was followed by a valuable message.

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William Careys involvement in the battle against social injustices was evident from the inception of missionary zeal in his life from Europe.

Shortly after his arrival in India, in 1802, he began an investigation on the commission of the Governor into religious killings among Hindu people in India. Carey made special efforts to collect the data of sati and he reported that nearly 300 widow wives were burnt alive around Calcutta and about 10,000 in India within a short span of time. Carey started his tireless campaign against this gory practice. He published many articles against sati and worked with Raja Ram Mohan Roy, another great social reformer of Bengal. At last, Carey could persuade William Bentinck, who was considerate to pass a regulation on 4 December, 1829, declaring sati as an illegal and criminal practice.

Carey also fought for the eradication of another evil practice called ghat murders. This was a practice by which the sick and dying were left by the riverbank to die. There was also another evil practice which allowed the rejection or burning of lepers by their families. Carey taught people to love the lepers. He provided medicines and established a hospital for them. Still another social evil which was prevalent in those days was the cult of thug which was a belief that the goddess granted sanction to certain people to strangle others and to take their valuables.

Careys mission pioneered in emancipation of women through education by establishing schools for girls and women. He also promoted the idea of saving money in the banks by the poor. Therefore, he pointed out that the liberal education system should reach the grassroots of the society.
One man was arrested from Taltala for allegedly disclosing the name and photo of the deceased doctor of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital and issuing death threats against chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

The complaint was filed based on the accuseds Instagram posts and he was arrested by the Taltala police on Monday. According to police sources, the accused made several posts relating to the R G Kar incident from an Instagram handle named Kirtisocial. In three of these posts, the name and photo of the victim were revealed, which were found to be highly objectionable. Additionally, two more posts were the basis of a complaint lodged at the police station, where derogatory and offensive comments were made against the chief minister, including alleged death threats.

Following the complaint based on the Instagram posts, the police launched an investigation. The posts made by the accused against the chief minister were reportedly highly provocative and could have led to social unrest and violence between different groups. The police are currently interrogating the accused. Since the incident of the female doctors rape and murder at R G Kar Medical College came to light, there has been widespread discussion on the matter. Various individuals are expressing their opinions on social media, and there are allegations that much false information is being spread.

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Despite the Supreme Courts directive, many continue to disclose the victims name and photo on social media. The Kolkata Police had objected to this from the beginning. Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal held a press conference urging people not to post baseless information on social media regarding the R G Kar incident. He also warned of legal action if the victims name and photo were published.
There are signs of a revival of net exports as a lever of Indias growth as after the contraction in 2023- 24, outbound shipments from the country are undergoing an expansion in 2024-25 so far, according to the RBIs monthly bulletin released on Monday.

Barring China, nine of the top 10 destinations accounting for about half of the total value of exports are recording growing demand, it said.

Indias export basket is also undergoing a shift towards electronics and engineering goods even as traditional products such as gems and jewellery, textiles, garments, leather products, and marine products are losing competitiveness, the report points out.

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It states that business services that support operations such as consulting, engineering, research and design are rapidly becoming Indias export powerhouse, surpassing software and information technology. They also cover advertising, public relations, logistics, accounting, auditing, architectural, and legal services.

The rising demand for specialised services and the integration of services into manufacturing are forces driving this growth.

Global capability centres are setting the next steps in this export drive, including in the evolution of business and knowledge process outsourcing, the report adds.

The cumulative value of merchandise exports during April-July 2024 was $144.12 billion as compared to $138.39 billion during April-July 2023, registering a positive growth of 4.15 per cent, according to figures compiled by the Commerce Ministry.

Electronic goods exports, which include smartphones, increased by 37.31 per cent from $2.04 billion in July 2023 to $2.81 billion in July 2024. Engineering goods exports increased by 3.66 per cent from $8.72 billion in July 2023 to $9.04 billion in July 2024 while drugs and pharmaceuticals exports increased by 8.36 per cent to $2.31 billion during the month.

The RBI report further states that logistics are also improving as Indias ports and shipping are experiencing strategic infrastructure, technological advancements and transformation. In particular, port development is expanding cargo handling capacity and connectivity. RFID-based port access control is stepping up security and operational efficiency while public-private partnerships are helping to drive growth.

Of the 166 projects initiated at major ports under the Sagarmala scheme, 90 have been completed resulting in a capacity increase of over 230 million tonnes per annum. Access to 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) and a 10-year tax holiday is also incentivising the development, maintenance and operation of ports, the RBI report adds.
Several shopping malls in the national capital received bomb threat emails on Tuesday, said police.

According to the police, the malls that received such threats include Chanakya Mall, Select CityWalk, Ambience Mall, DLF, Cinepolis, Pacific Mall, Primus Hospital, and properties managed by the Unity Group.

The threatening emails warned that the explosive will go off in a few hours.

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Upon discovering the emails, mall authorities immediately informed the Delhi Police and the police deployed Bomb Disposal Squads and fire tenders to the sites. As of now, no explosive devices have been found, added officials.

According to a police officer, the initial investigation suggests that the same pattern has been followed when sending threatening emails in which datelines have not been mentioned. The mail has been sent to many malls and other places. An investigation is currently underway, he added.

Similarly, on August 17, a bomb threat was received at Ambience Mall in Gurugram, but no suspicious thing was found during the search, said Gurugram Police.

Additionally, on August 2, an email was received by a school in Delhis Greater Kailash area, threatening to blow it up with a bomb, officials said. According to the Delhi Police, the email said that a bomb was planted in the school, though nothing was found in the investigation. Legal action in the matter was initiated.
A nursing student was found dead in her locked room In East Delhis New Ashok Nagar, raising suspicions of suicide, said police on Tuesday.

A PCR call was made reporting that a girl was lying unconscious behind a locked door, according to the police. Promptly, a team was dispatched to the site.

After making a forced entry, the police and fire department personnel discovered the girl with a cannula in her hand and two drips hanging from a ceiling fan.

She was declared dead by Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) medical staff, and her body was transferred to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital.

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The police have seized her mobile phone for a thorough investigation, and her family has been informed.

In a separate incident, an 18-year-old boy died after an outdoor unit of an air conditioner fell upon him while he was standing on a road along with his friend in the Karol Bagh area of Delhi on Saturday.

Earlier, a doctor working at the AIIMS died by suicide by overdose of medicine, the police said on Sunday. It added that a suicide note was also found.

The police further said that the deceased doctor was identified as 34-year-old Raj Ghoniya, a permanent resident of Rajkot, Gujarat.
Randeep Hooda has officially joined the cast of Sunny Deols upcoming collaboration with Telugu director Gopichand Malineni. To celebrate the Highway actors birthday, the makers of the slated thriller took to their social media handles to announce that Randeep Hooda is onboard for the upcoming untitled project, currently being dubbed SDGM.

The birthday boy also took to Instagram to share the announcement poster and express his excitement about joining the team of SDGM. The post was accompanied by the caption, Excited to be a part of this action feast  #SDGM. Cannot wait to get on set with @iamsunnydeol Paaji and the entire team. As promised, this will be a MASS FEAST.

Advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by Randeep Hooda (@randeephooda)

The films director, Gopichand Malineni, also dropped the poster on X and wished the actor a happy birthday. Sharing the post, the director of hit Telugu films like Veera Simha Reddy and Krack wrote, Welcome aboard the most versatile actor @RandeepHooda sir. Wishing you a very happy birthday from team #SDGM.

Touted to be the biggest action film of the country, SDGM is being co-produced by Mythri Movie Makers and People Media Factory. The music for the upcoming film will be composed by S. Thaman, with cinematography by Rishi Punjabi. Editor Naveen Nooli and art director Avinash Kolla have also joined the technical team working on the project. This action film will mark Gopichand Malinenis debut in Hindi cinema. Alongside Deol and Hooda, the film will also feature Saiyami Kher and Regina Cassandra.

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Randeep Hooda was last seen in Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, which he also directed, produced, and wrote. Prior to that, the actor starred in the comedy film Tera Kya Hoga Lovely alongside Ileana DCruz. On the other hand, Sunny Deol recently made a groundbreaking comeback with Gadar 2, which emerged as one of the highest-grossers of 2023. Currently, the actor is shooting for director Rajkumar Santoshis Lahore 1947, which is being jointly produced by Sunny and Aamir Khans productions. Alongside Deol, the film also stars Preity Zinta, who is set to play a titular role. Additionally, Deol has Border 2 in the pipeline, which is scheduled to hit theaters in 2026.
Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor and her husband Anand Ahuja recently marked a special milestone as their son, Vayu, turned two years old. The family gathered in Mumbai on Monday to celebrate this joyous occasion.

Sonam took to Instagram the following day to share her heartfelt birthday wishes for her little one. On August 20, Vayus second birthday, Sonam posted a touching video of her son playfully running away from the camera. In her caption, Sonam expressed her immense love and gratitude, writing, My baby turns two today!!! Happy 2nd birthday to our sweet, precious Vayu! Being your mom is the greatest gift I could ever receive.

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Sonams message went on to highlight the profound impact Vayu has had on her life and the lives of those around him. She described how each day with Vayu feels like a new adventure, full of his boundless curiosity, infectious laughter, and loving nature. Youve brought so much light and happiness into our world, she wrote, making every moment more beautiful and every relationship stronger.

The actress also reflected on how Vayus presence has deepened the familys bonds. Youve deepened the love between your dadaa and me in ways we never imagined, Sonam noted. She went on to praise Vayu for bringing pure, unfiltered joy to their extended family. That includes his grandparents and aunts and uncles.

Sonams post was filled with admiration for her sons personality and the joy he brings into their lives. She described him as our sunshine, our music, our little genius, and our endless source of happiness. The love Sonam and Anand have for their son is evident. She concluded her message by expressing her excitement about watching Vayu grow and the new wonders he will bring into their lives.
Bollywood star and philanthropist Sonu Sood has once again captured the hearts of many with his latest act of kindness. Recently, Sood responded to a poignant plea on social media from a user seeking help to bring his uncles mortal remains back to India from Saudi Arabia.

The heartfelt request detailed that the users uncle had tragically passed away due to a heart attack, and despite the familys efforts, the authorities in Saudi Arabia were not facilitating the repatriation of the body. Upon receiving the message, Sood quickly stepped in to assist, assuring the distressed individual that he would do everything possible to expedite the process. In a recent update, Sood confirmed that the remains are set to arrive in Hyderabad on August 20.

Mortal remains will reach Hyderabad airport by 04.35 pm today. Thanks for all the help @GirishPant_ bhai once again heartfelt condolences to the family . https://t.co/uN1wD1uRVR pic.twitter.com/MdRoYDXbo2 Advertisement  sonu sood (@SonuSood) August 20, 2024

Sood took to social media to share the news, expressing his gratitude towards social activist Girish Pant, who played a crucial role in this endeavor. The update sparked a wave of admiration from fans, who took to various platforms to praise Sood for his compassion. One user commented, Great work bhai, while another went as far as to call him God, reflecting the widespread reverence for his selfless acts.

Sonu Soods reputation as a benevolent figure soared during the COVID-19 pandemic when he became widely known for his extensive humanitarian efforts, including providing medical aid and education to those in need. This recent act of kindness continues to reinforce his image as a true hero among the masses.

In addition to his philanthropic work, Sood is gearing up for his next cinematic project. The actor is eagerly awaiting the release of his directorial debut, Fateh, a cyber-crime thriller set to hit theaters on January 10, 2025. The film, produced by Zee Studios and Shakti Sagar Productions, promises to deliver high-octane action sequences and will feature Sood alongside Jacqueline Fernandez and Naseeruddin Shah.

Soods dual role as both a dedicated philanthropist and a film industry innovator highlights his versatility and enduring commitment to making a difference both on and off the screen. As he continues to inspire with his actions and contributions, his fans and followers remain ever supportive, celebrating every milestone and act of kindness he undertakes.
After teasing K-drama enthusiasts with tantalizing snippets from Newtopia, the lead pair has dropped a surprise video confirming the release of the series. In the video, they discuss their roles and the intense filming process.

BLACKPINK sensation Jisoo and Park Jeong Min, known for his roles in Hellbound and Deliver Us from Evil, star in the upcoming series set against a zombie apocalypse in downtown Seoul. The series will stream on the local platform Coupang Play. Elevating fans curiosity, Jisoo and Jeong Min have confirmed a 2025 release.

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On August 17, the makers released a video featuring the actors as they greeted their fans with enthusiasm. Park Jeong Min introduced himself as the actor playing Lee Jae Yoon in the upcoming zombie thriller series, while BLACKPINK songstress Jisoo revealed that she will portray Kang Young Joo. She expressed her satisfaction with the project, proudly reminiscing about the seven months of intense hard work they invested in bringing it to life.

The duo also teased fans with a glimpse into the thrilling plot, promising an intense story of a separated couple. As panic strikes a zombie-infested Seoul, Jae Yoon, a soldier, and Young Joo, his military girlfriend, navigate the dangers as they struggle to reunite. Combining thrill with romance, Jisoo and Jeong Min promise an exciting and adventurous story, inviting viewers to join them in 2025.

The drama Newtopia is being helmed by acclaimed director Yoon Sung-Hyun, known for hit crime thrillers and dramas such as Time to Hunt, Bleak Night, and Jury. Joining the team as scriptwriters are Ji Ho Jin, writer of A Shop for Killers, in collaboration with Han Ji Won, who previously worked on the Oscar-winning films Parasite and Okja. Adapted from Han Sang Woons novel Influenza, Newtopia will also star Kim Joon Han.

On the acting front, K-pop idol Jisoo has made several cameos in various K-dramas and played a major role in the 2020 period action-comedy series Snowdrop. She also had a minor role in Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman and is reported to be associated with Omniscient Readers Viewpoint, a multi-part film adaptation of a popular webtoon.
Actor Rohitashv Gour, who essays the role of Manmohan Tiwari in the superhit television show Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai, is celebrating Sanskrit Day on Monday.

The actor said that Sanskrit is a way of life, and has helped him to connect with his roots.

He said: Sanskrit is the soul of our culture, and I feel blessed to have learned it. It has helped me to deliver my dialogues with precision and authenticity. I believe that Sanskrit is not just a language but a way of life. It has indeed helped me to connect with my roots.

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Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai is a comedy show, that takes place in the fictional Modern Colony located in Kanpur and revolves around two neighbouring couples. The husbands, Vibhutinarayan Mishra and Manmohan Tiwari, who have been married for seven years, are bored with their marriages and are smitten by each others wives, unbeknownst to each other.

While Rohitashv Gours character of Manmohan Tiwari is a successful undergarment businessman, whose wife Angoori Tiwari is a simple and naive housewife, Aasif Sheikhs character of Vibhuti Narayan Mishra is an unsuccessful insurance agent and has fallen for the simple-minded Angoori Tiwari.

He is known to be highly educated but still wont do a regular job out of his ego. His plans to woo Angoori usually fail due to her naivety and this puts him in dire situations.

The two men attempt various ultimately unsuccessful and hilarious techniques to impress each others wives. Since its inception, the show has garnered widespread acclaim from critics and viewers alike. The show is inspired by the 1990s Hindi sitcom Shrimaan Shrimati. A spin-off sitcom Happu Ki Ultan Paltan was also released in 2019.

Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai airs Monday to Friday on &TV.
The Assam Police have decided to hand over two key cases related to the ULFA-Is Independence Day bomb threats to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

This decision follows the militant groups claim of planting explosives at 25 locations across the state on August 15, 2024.

Director General of Police (DGP) Gyanendra Pratap Singh announced that the police have registered a total of 10 cases related to the threats, with the Guwahati and Lakhimpur cases being prioritized for NIA investigation.

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The police have already made significant progress, including the arrest of four suspects in Sivasagar, one of whom is believed to be a central figure in the plot.

The DGP emphasized that these incidents are an attempt to destabilize Assams progress and reaffirmed the states commitment to maintaining law and order.

Additionally, a bomb threat at a Guwahati shopping mall on August 19 was confirmed to be a hoax, part of a series of similar false alarms across major Indian malls in recent months.

The ULFA-Is plan to detonate bombs between 6 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Independence Day failed due to a technical glitch, allowing police to recover the explosives, the banned outfit claimed.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been established to further investigate the incident.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said on Tuesday that his partys fight for social justice for Dalits, tribals, backwards and weaker sections of society has thwarted BJPs plans to snatch reservations.

The Congress chief made the statement after the Central government asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry into top government positions in the wake of criticism from the Congress.

Notably, Kharge, who is also the leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi slammed the BJP-led government after the UPSC issued an advertisement on Saturday for lateral recruitment in different Ministries at the level of Joint secretary or director/deputy secretary on contract basis.

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Reacting to Minister for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singhs letter to UPSC Chairman Preeti Sudan, the Congress chief in a post on X wrote, The Congress partys fight for social justice for dalits, tribals, backward and weaker sections has thwarted the BJPs plans to snatch reservations. Modi governments letter on lateral entry shows that only the power of the Constitution can defeat the arrogance of dictatorial power.

Attacking the BJP and the RSS, he said, As long as BJP-RSS are in power, they will continue to adopt new tactics to snatch reservation. We all have to be careful.

Echoing similar sentiments, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gandhi wrote in a post on X, We will protect the Constitution and reservation system at all costs. We will foil BJPs conspiracies like lateral entry at any cost.

I am saying once again we will ensure social justice on the basis of caste census, he said.

Endorsing Gandhis views, Congress general secretary in-charge of Organisation KC Venugopal wrote on X, Let this lateral entry incident serve as a harsh lesson for PM Modi and the BJP-RSS regime to never tamper with the Constitution. BJP Ministers should stop their farce of suddenly claiming that Prime Minister Modi is some harbinger of social justice.

The lateral entry system was introduced in 2018. For 6 years, countless voices exposed how lateral entry in the bureaucracy is a ploy to destroy reservations. Now, as the post-June 4 reality is seeping in, this anti-reservation regime is being forced to step away from its true casteist agenda, he said.

The senior Congress leader said under the leadership of Kharge and Gandhi, they will be the staunchest guardians of our Constitution and reservations and added that no attempt to dilute representation and fundamental rights of SC, ST, and OBCs will be allowed.

We take this opportunity to applaud those NDA allies who took the bold stance of standing up to the injustice being plotted by their ally BJP, he said.

Venugopal said the Centre should put the lateral entry mechanism to rest and take urgent steps to ensure there is adequate representation for marginalised communities in the senior bureaucracy.

In his letter addressed to the UPSC chairman, the Minister said, The PM is of the firm belief that the process of lateral entry must be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in our Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation. For the PM, reservation in public employment is a cornerstone of our social justice framework, aimed at addressing historical injustices and promoting inclusivity.

He asserted that it is important that the constitutional mandate towards social justice is upheld so that deserving candidates from marginalized communities get their rightful representation in the government services.

Since these positions have been treated as specialized and designated as single-cadre posts, there has been no provision for reservation in these appointments. This aspect needs to be reviewed and reformed in the context of PMs focus on ensuring social justice. Hence, I urge the UPSC to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry recruitment issued on 17th August, said Singh.

He said this step would be a significant advance in the pursuit of social justice and empowerment.
In a significant development, the Government has decided to halt lateral entry into the bureaucracy, a move that had sparked widespread controversy and criticism from the Opposition as well as its NDA coalition partners.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has formally asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to cancel the recent advertisement related to lateral entry recruitment, citing concerns about social justice and the lack of reservation provisions.

In a letter addressed to UPSC Chairperson Preeti Sudan, Dr Singh highlighted that while lateral entry was initially endorsed by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission and later supported by the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, the recent advertisement did not align with the governments commitment to social justice.

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He pointed out that these positions, treated as specialised and designated as single-cadre posts, do not provide for reservation, thus excluding deserving candidates from marginalised communities.

Dr Singh stressed that the process must be institutionally driven, transparent, and aligned with the principles of equity and social justice, as enshrined in the Constitution.

The Honble Prime Minister is of the firm belief that the process of lateral entry must be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in our Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation.

For the Honble Prime Minister, reservation in public employment is a cornerstone of our social justice framework, aimed at addressing historical injustices and promoting inclusivity, he wrote, asking the UPSC Chairperson to cancel the lateral entry recruitment advertisement.

The decision comes a day after the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, voiced strong opposition to the lateral entry process, describing it as an attack on reserved classes, including Dalits, Adivasis, and OBCs.

Lateral entry is an attack on Dalits, OBCs, and Adivasis. BJPs distorted version of Ram Rajya seeks to destroy the Constitution and snatch reservations from Bahujans, Mr Gandhi wrote in a social media post on X.

The issue has also caused discontent within the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition.

Union Minister Chirag Paswan and LJP chief publicly opposed the move, stating that his party will raise the issue at the appropriate forum and will not support the initiative.

Similarly, another NDA ally, Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi (HAM chief), has expressed his disapproval, indicating that he plans to bring up the matter within the Cabinet.
Hyderabad accounts for 14 per cent of the countrys aggregate office stock, according to a report titled Telangana Going Global, prepared jointly by CBRE, Indias leading real estate consulting firm, and CREDAI Telangana. Released by state minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, the report highlights that Telanganas economic growth is driven by its extensive talent pool, thriving technology sector, and flourishing real estate market.

The citys office stock has surged to 127 million square feet from April to June this year, cementing the citys status as a global corporate hub and attracting Global Capability Centres (GCC) from various regions. The increasing occupier demand has led to significant office development, mainly in the IT Corridor and Extended IT Corridor micro-markets.

According to the report, the citys expansion is robust with 27 per cent of its current office stock added in the past ten quarters. This rapid expansion was also reflected in the absorption rate, with 23 per cent of the citys total office space leased out during the same period. Over the past five years, the citys office stock has witnessed an impressive 1.9 times growth, accelerating to a remarkable 3.1 times growth over the last decade.

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The report cited technology as well as research, consulting, and analytics (RCA) firms as the primary drivers of office space demand in the city. While these sectors continue to dominate, emerging players include banking, financial services and insurance companies (BFSI), flexible space operators, engineering and manufacturing (E&M) firms and life sciences companies which are also contributing to the citys office space absorption. The city is poised for significant growth in the commercial real estate sector with an addition of approximately 34-37 million square feet of investment grade business parks over the next three years across its key micro-markets, predicted the report.

Assuring investors that the change in government would not slow down Hyderabad and Telanganas development, state irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said, Hyderabads growth rate is the same as before, and under our government, it will be even better. He predicted that Hyderabad would witness another real estate boom while promising to look into issues like lower stamp duty, increased book value of land, and uniform zoning regulation across municipalities.

E Premsagar Reddy, president, CREDAI Telangana, said, With a focus on infrastructure development, skill enhancement, and a business-friendly environment, Telangana is well-equipped to sustain its growth trajectory. Hyderabad, along with emerging urban centres, will play a pivotal role in driving the states global presence.

Initially, it was more of a back-office kind of business that was coming Hyderabads way, but now a lot of tech companies are coming thanks to all the initiatives of the government. So, the collaboration between the government and the industry is sending out the right messages, said Gipson Paul, city head of Hyderabad at CBRE. Although the registration of residential flats has gone down in the city recently, indicating a slump, the boom in commercial space is likely to fuel demand for residential spaces, experts opined.
India and Japan on Tuesday held the third round of their 2+2 ministerial dialogue on defence and other critical issues with both sides reiterating their call for a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific.

The dialogue was led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the Indian side while the Japanese delegation was headed by Defence Minister Minoru Kihara and Foreign Minister Yoko Kaimkawa. Top military and civil officials from the two countries were present.

In his remarks, Mr Rajnath Singh hailed the India-Japan relationship. He stressed the important role Japan could play in India achieving its goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047. The partnership between the two countries, he said, is vital for the Indo-Pacific region.

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Dr Jaishankar said the special strategic partnership between India and Japan has become extremely important when the worlds situation has become more volatile and unpredictable.

Our strategic partnership will continue to grow as we support a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific, he added.

Earlier, the visiting Japanese ministers called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi who underscored the importance of holding the 2+2 meeting in the context of increasingly complex regional and global order, and deepening ties between India and Japan.

The PM shared his thoughts and ideas on closer cooperation between trusted friends like India and Japan, especially in areas like critical minerals, semiconductors and defence manufacturing.

The two sides took stock of progress made in various areas of bilateral cooperation including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Mr Modi highlighted the crucial role India-Japan partnership plays in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

He also stressed the importance of strengthening economic cooperation and enhancing people-to-people ties between India and Japan.
The Congress on Tuesday said that party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will be on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir starting 21st August, days after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the Assembly polls in the Union Territory.

During their visit, they will hold important meetings in preparation for the forthcoming polls.

Congress general secretary in-charge of Organisation KC Venugopal in a post on X wrote, On 21st and 22nd August, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge ji and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi ji will be visiting Jammu and Srinagar for key meetings in preparation for the upcoming assembly elections.

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The announcement of the Congress came a day after Kharge and Gandhi held an important meeting with the general secretaries, in-charges and Screening Committee members of the election-going states  Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

On Friday, the poll panel announced that Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases with first phase voting on 18th September, second phase on 25th September and third phase on 1st October.

Counting of votes will take place on 4th October.

Notably, in December last, the Supreme Court had ordered the Commission to hold Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir by 30th September, 2024, while pronouncing the judgement in the cases concerning the abrogation of Article 370.

This is the first Assembly elections in J&K after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Amid nationwide protests by medical professionals over the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor in West Bengals Kolkata, the Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a National Task Force (NTF) for doctors.

The NTF has been tasked with developing comprehensive recommendations aimed at ensuring the safety, well-being, and dignified working conditions for medical professionals across the country.

During the suo-motu hearing of Kolkata doctors rape and murder case, Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice DY Chandrachud emphasised the urgent need for a national consensus on these issues, underscoring the importance of consulting with all relevant stakeholders.

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The CJI stated that the NTFs role would be to address the broader concerns of medical professionals, including those highlighted in the courts recent order.

The National Task Force comprises prominent figures in the medical field, including Surgeon Vice Admiral RK Sarian; Dr D Nageshwar Reddy, Managing Director of the Asian Institute of National Gastroenterology; Dr M Srivas, Director of AIIMS, Delhi; Dr Prathima Moorthy of NIMHANS, Bangalore; Dr G D Puri, Executive Director of AIIMS, Jodhpur; Dr Sowmitra Rawat, a managing member of Gangaram Hospital, and Professor Anita Saxena, Vice-Chancellor of Pandit BD Sharma University of Health Sciences.

Besides them, the following will also be the ex-officio members of the NTF: the cabinet secretary to the GOI; the home secretary of GOI; secretary of ministry of family welfare.

The NTF is charged with formulating action plans focused on two critical areas. First, it will address the prevention of violence against medical professionals, with particular attention to gender-based violence.

Second, it will work on establishing a national protocol that guarantees dignified and safe working conditions for all levels of medical staff, including interns, residents, and senior doctors.

The Supreme Court also directed that the Chairperson of the National Medical Commission and the President of the National Board of Examiners will play key roles in guiding the task forces work.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President M K Stalin described the Union government withdrawing lateral entry recruitment as a victory for social justice.

The BJP-led Union Government had been forced to retract from proceeding with the recruitment process under lateral entry only after strong opposition from the INDIA bloc, he said on Tuesday in a post on X. But, we must remain vigilant as the BJP-led Union government will try to undermine reservation through various forms, he cautioned against any complacency.

Further, Stalin made it clear that the arbitrary 50% ceiling on reservation must be broken and a nationwide caste census is essential to protect the rights of the backward and oppressed. Ducking the demand for a socio-economic caste survey as was done in Bihar, the DMK government has been pressing for a caste census. In his view, the caste census is imperative to guarantee that educational and job opportunities are justly distributed to those who have been historically denied their rightful share.

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Earlier in the day, the chief minister slammed lateral entry as a direct assault on social justice, depriving the meritorious SC, ST, OBC and minority officers of their deserved opportunities at the top.

The Union government, he said, should halt this practice and prioritise filling up backlog vacancies for OBCs, SCs/STs and ensure fair and equitable promotions.

Demanding complete abolition of creamy layer, Stalin said the DMK had always opposed the concept as antithetical to social justice. In the meantime, the ceiling for creamy layer should be enhanced, he added.

Barring the BJP, all parties, including the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), a constituent of the BJP-led NDA have also opposed the lateral entry recruitment.
Congress suffered a setback in Meghalaya, three of its MLAs  Umsning Celestine Lyngdoh and suspended legislators Gabriel Wahlang and Charles Marngar  officially joined the ruling National Peoples Party (NPP).

This move boosted Chief Minister Conrad K Sangmas grip on power, giving the NPP an absolute majority of 31 seats in the 60-member Assembly.

The Congress, which was once dominant, now left with just one MLA, Leader of the Opposition Ronnie V Lyngdoh. The defections follow Celestine Lyngdohs recent meeting with Congress leaders, where he had denied any immediate plans to join the NPP.

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With these new additions, the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) now commands a formidable strength of 49 seats, including members from the United Democratic Party (UDP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hill State Peoples Democratic Party (HSPDP), and two Independents.

The three MLAs met with Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma to formalise their defection and were welcomed on Monday into the NPP by key party leaders, including Chief Minister and NPP national president Conrad K Sangma and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong.

Deputy Chief Minister Tynsong celebrated the partys achievement of an absolute majority, calling it a historic moment for the NPP. He extended an open invitation to other MLAs to join the party and dared the Congress to pursue legal action if they believed any wrongdoing had occurred.
KYODO NEWS - Aug 21, 2024 - 07:57 | World, All, Japan

Japan and India agreed Tuesday during security talks to deepen cooperation in areas of outer space and cyber, while signaling their intention to accelerate discussions toward realizing a plan for Tokyo to export naval communication antennas for Indian warships.

In a joint statement issued after "two-plus-two" talks involving the foreign and defense ministers of the two countries in New Delhi, it was also decided a 2008 declaration on security cooperation would be updated, with its signing expected when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Japan, possibly by the year-end.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara met with their Indian counterparts Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh in the two governments' third "two-plus-two" talks since their launch in November 2019.

The gathering took place as the two countries have been ramping up security cooperation amid China's assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. Japan has also been seeking to reinforce defense capabilities in so-called new domains such as space and cyber, and working together with like-minded countries in those fields.

In the joint statement, the two countries called for the "peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to the threat or use of force" and "emphasized the need for all countries to refrain from any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo."

The ministers also agreed to enhance their commitment to the Quad, a group of four major Indo-Pacific democracies also involving the United States and Australia and widely seen as a counterweight to China's growing clout in the region. They also agreed to continue to hold exercises among the defense forces of the two countries as well as with other Quad members.

As for the transfer plan for the communication antennas known as Unicorn, which are similar to those installed on a new Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer, it would, if realized, be the first such case under a Japan-India agreement on defense equipment and technology transfer signed in 2015.

Citing the progress made on the issue, the ministers "concurred on accelerating future cooperation in defense equipment and technology," according to the joint statement.

The four ministers, meanwhile, said the plan to revise the 2008 Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation is intended to "reflect contemporary priorities and be responsive to contemporary security challenges" facing the two countries.

The document calls for concerted efforts in areas such as counterterrorism and nuclear nonproliferation.

In recent years, Japan and India have been drawn closer under a shared vision of realizing "a free and open Indo-Pacific."

Japan has seen Chinese coast guard vessels repeatedly enter its waters around the Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, while India has a longtime territorial dispute with China in a Himalayan border area.

India has also been increasing its presence as a leading power among emerging and developing economies, collectively dubbed the Global South, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government has emphasized relations with them.

India is also a member of the BRICS forum involving Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa, and has maintained friendly relations with Moscow, a key arms supplier for New Delhi, even after the launch of its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Related coverage:

Quad nations signal deep concern on tension in East, South China seas

Quad nations to oppose South China Sea militarization in Tokyo talks

Japan, Philippines sign defense pact amid growing China concern
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Monday that he is pleased with the Karnataka High Courts interim direction to a special court in Bengaluru to defer further proceedings on complaints related to alleged irregularities in allotment of sites by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

The Karnataka CM in a post on social media platform X stated, As a law-abiding citizen with faith in the Constitution and the judiciarys power to uphold justice and fairness, I approached the Honble High Court of Karnataka against the illegal and politically motivated decision of the Governor of Karnataka to permit an inquiry and prosecution based on trumped-up allegations against me.

I am pleased that the Honble High Court heard the matter and passed interim orders directing the concerned court to defer the proceedings and further instructing that no precipitative action be taken pursuant to the impugned sanction, he said.

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I am grateful to the Honble High Court and remain confident that ultimately, the truth will prevail, CM Siddaramaiah added.

On the other hand, petitioners T.J. Abraham, Snehamayi Krishna and S.P. Pradeep Kumar, told IANS that they are confident of getting a ruling against CM Siddaramaiah in the MUDA case and the Karnataka High Courts Mondays order wont change anything.

Activist and senior counsel T.J. Abraham said that he is happy with the decision of the High Court. The court has just asked the Special Court to defer the case We had to get a copy of the writ petition submitted by the CM from journalists in the morning and place our arguments. After obtaining the copy of the order, we will file objections. It doesnt alter anything and we will proceed.

Activist Snehamayi Krishna said, I am confident that we will get a judgment in our favour and CM Siddaramaiah is going to land in trouble.

Commenting on the development, senior counsel Siji Malayil opined that the courts order has clearly set aside apprehensions of filing of FIR and arrest until further orders. The matter is now sub judice with the High Court and one cant speculate about the turn of events.

Meanwhile, legal experts said that the sanction granted by Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot only paves the way for an investigation against CM Siddaramaiah under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988, and not for his prosecution under the Act.

If any court has to take cognisance of the alleged offences, in case the conduct of investigation leads to the filing of a charge sheet against CM Siddaramaiah, then a separate sanction is required for his prosecution under Section 19 (prior sanction for prosecution) of the PC Act, they explained.

At present, the Governor has granted sanction only under Section 17A of the PC Act, which is limited to permitting the investigating agency to take up the probe, they added.

Governor has also granted sanction for CM Siddaramaiahs prosecution under Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which authorises any court to even directly take cognisance of offences alleged against him under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, based on materials available before the court, without ordering any investigation, the legal experts stated.

CM Siddaramaiah on Monday received much-needed relief from the High Court in connection with a writ petition seeking to quash the order of Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot, sanctioning an investigation against him.

After the High Courts order, the Chief Minister obtained temporary immunity from the possibility of an FIR being filed against him. The court has adjourned the matter until August 29, and until then, the lower court is bound not to issue any orders or directions.
The Odisha Government has directed the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch to probe into alleged bungling of crores of rupees by faking the death of construction workers in Rayagada district.

The misappropriation of funds earmarked for the welfare of construction workers registered with the Odisha Building and Construction Workers Welfare Board (OBCWWB) has been departmentally inquiry into and charges of monetary bungling has been established, Labour Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia told the Assembly on Tuesday in a written reply.

Rayagada District Labour Officer, Jasmine Subhadarshini Sahoo has been placed under suspension after prima facie charges were found against her. An First Information Report (FIR) has also been filed with the local police in this connection, the minister said.

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A Special audit has also been ordered to ascertain the exact amount of misappropriation of government funds, the minister added.

Death benefits were disbursed towards the legal heirs of 1910 deceased during 2022 to 2024 in Rayagada district. However, as many as 1200 death claims were found to be fake with the racket headed by the suspended officer reportedly bungling a sum of Rs 25 crores.

The Odisha Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Fund was created by the previous BJD Government to extend social security benefits to registered construction workers.

The registered workers are entitled to accidental and death, funeral, medical marriage, maternity and educational assistance. Furthermore, workers are entitled assistance for working tools, bi-cycle, safety equipment, house building and skill upgradation.
After meeting the family members of a Scheduled Caste youth, Arjun Pasi of Pichwaria village, who was shot dead, Rahul Gandhi alleged police officers are protecting the main culprits in the murder case.

The Congress MP from Rae Bareli and the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha assured the family of all help in the matter.

Later, speaking to the media, he said, The Superintendent of Police is protecting the mastermind of Arjuns murder, but we will not let this happen. The family of the deceased will definitely get justice.

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He further pointed out that all the people present there were demanding justice because a Dalit youth had been killed. While the entire family has been threatened, one person has been killed yet no action is being taken.

The SP is not taking action against the mastermind but is arresting small fries. I want every class to be respected in Uttar Pradesh and everyone should get justice. We are not going to back down until this family gets justice, the Congress MP asserted.

Rahul Gandhi said Arjuns mother told him that her younger son runs a barber shop. Some youths visited him at the shop six-seven times but left without paying for a hair cut. Last time, when one of the youths was about to leave without paying, he demanded the payment for his services. After that incident, Arjun was murdered.

The leader of the Opposition said it is clear that injustice has been done to the family and the society. We are not going to leave this case until the family gets justice, he assured.

The crowd present on the spot kept raising slogans like Rahul Gandhi Zindabad and Hang the murderers of Arjun while the MP was talking to the victims family and the media.

Rahul Gandhi landed at the Indira Gandhi National Flying Academy, Fursatganj, by a special aircraft in the afternoon. UP Congress leaders gave him a warm reception. After that, he, along with other leaders including Amethi MP Kishori Lal Sharma, left for Pichwariya village under the Nasirabad police station area of Rae Bareli.

The village is situated in the Salon assembly seat of the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency.

Congress State President Ajay Rai, Barabanki MP Tanuj Punia, senior Congress leaders Pramod Tiwari, Aradhana Mishra, Amethi District President Pradeep Singhal and other leaders and workers were present on the occasion.

Arjun Pasi was shot dead on the night of August 11. Ever since, the family of the victim is demanding justice. Along with villagers, his family members and many organizations protested against the injustice meted out to the family by blocking the road in the village.

The irate villagers even demonstrated at the collectorate demanding the arrest of the killers. Based on the complaint of the deceaseds mother, the police registered a case against 12 people, including seven named. Of them, six have been sent to jail while the prime accused, Vishal Singh, is still on the run.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday hit out at the Samajwadi Party and said the SP chief defending the West Bengal government over the brutal rape and murder of a female doctor shows the real face of the party.

 Doctors and half the population are agitated over the anarchy in Kolkata, but the SP chief is defending the criminals and the government. The shameless statement of the SP chief is the real face of his party, he said.

Addressing the BJP workers and leaders during a workshop held here on Tuesday to impart awareness for the coming partys membership drive from September 1, CM while encouraging the workers against the SP  Congress conspiracy, said that, we do not need to go on the backfoot, but need to expose the exploits of the opposition.

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The Chief Minister was attacking Congress and Samajwadi Party.

Chief Minister asked the party workers to reach every house and communicate with every member of the family.

 Ask them to question the leaders of opposition parties in the by-elections that what happened about the Rs one lakh bond they had filled before the Lok Sabha polls? Expose the lies of Congress and SP from social media to the common people, he said.

The Chief Minister said that the scene of political instability was seen in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Its murmur was visible in Indian politics six months before the Lok Sabha elections. Rumors were being spread on social media. This points towards conspiracies to stop BJP and our ideology.

 If there was no capable leadership in the country, they would have succeeded in creating instability. BJP is necessary for political stability in the country, he said.

CM Yogi said that in 2014, under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, BJP became the largest political party not only in the country but also in the world. 

There is a curiosity in the minds of the common people that if BJP had not been the largest political party on the strength of hardworking workers and capable leadership, then it was certain that the kind of international and national level conspiracies that took place in 2024 would have succeeded and would have left India unstable for a long time.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that BJP is the only party doing politics of values and ideals.  With the feeling that the country is greater than the party, BJP workers remain ready to serve in times of crisis. On the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Corona time, BJP workers stood with the victims with the resolve of Service is Organization. Even during times of disaster, tragedy, flood, earthquake etc., the organizational structure is seen serving with dedication, he claimed.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that every person wants to join BJP. The Chief Minister appealed to make only one member from one mobile phone. There are to be 200 members at each booth. For this, workers should go among different sections of the village and include every section including writers, litterateurs, social reformers, farmers, youth, retired soldiers and make a list. Go to the slums and Dalits and first listen to them, then say yours.
Asking the protesting doctors across the country to withdraw their agitation and get back to work as it is already seized of the issues, including that of their safety, raised by them, the Supreme Court on Tuesday set up a high-powered National Task Force (NTF) to go into the issues of the safety of the doctors, nurses and other medical professions in the hospitals and medical colleges.

The NTF will comprise nine eminent doctors, cabinet secretary, Union Home Secretary, the Health and Family Welfare Secretary.

Announcing the National Task Force to be headed by Director General, Medical Services (Navy) Surgeon Vice-Admiral Arti Sarin, Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud heading a bench also comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra said, As more and more women join the work force..the nation cannot wait for another rape for things to change on the ground.

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The NTF has been tasked with formulating effective recommendations to address safety, working conditions, and well-being of medical professionals, among other related matters.

The top court directed, on a suggestion by the Central government, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to take over the security of the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The West Bengal government consented to handing over the security of the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital to the Central Industrial Security Force. However, it stated that the ability of the State police for providing security to the doctors and other medical staff could not be questioned.

The reason why we have decided to take this suo motu matter is because this is not a matter related to a particular murder which took place in a hospital in Kolkata. It raises systemic issues related to the safety of doctors across India, the top court said.

The Chief Justice Chandrachud in his judgment said, we must evolve a national consensus. There must be a national protocol to create safe conditions of work. If women cannot go to a place of work and feel safe, we are denying them equal opportunity. We have to do something right now to ensure that the conditions of safety are enforced.

Besides Surgeon Vice-Admiral Arti Sarin, other members of the NTF are Dr D Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director, Asian Institute of Gastroenterology and AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad

Dr M Srinivas, Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, Dr Pratima Murthy, Director, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Dr Goverdhan Dutt Puri, Executive Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Dr Saumitra Rawat, Chairperson, Institute of Surgical Gastroenterology, GI and HPB Onco-Surgery and Liver Transplantation and Member, Board of Management, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi; Member, Court of Examiners, Royal College of Surgeons, England, Professor Anita Saxena, Vice-Chancellor, Pandit B D Sharma Medical University, Rohtak. Formerly Dean of Academics, Chief- Cardiothoracic Centre and Head Cardiology Department at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, Dr Pallavi Saple, Dean, Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals, Mumbai, Dr Padma Srivastava, formerly Professor at the Department of Neurology, AIIMS Delhi currently serving as the Chairperson of Neurology at Paras Health Gurugram.

Besides eminent doctors, Cabinet Secretary, Union Home Secretary, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Chairperson, National Medical Commission and President, National Board of Examinations are the ex- officio members of the NTF.

Thrashing the media reports that the rape and murder victim had committed suicide, senior advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for the West Bengal government said that they have submitted a status report stating that it was a rape and murder.

On the action taken by the State police, Sibal said that the state police have already arrested the civic employee suspected to be involved in the crime. He said besides the main accused, 37 other people have been arrested and 50 FIRs registered against them.

This prompted the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to retort that the registration of 50 FIRs is a sure recipe of investigation reaching nowhere. The Solicitor General Tushar Mehta represented the Central government in the hearing.

The court took exception to the handling of the situation by the West Bengal government as it said, As horrific details have emerged in the course of media reportage, the brutality of the sexual assault and the nature of the crime have shocked the conscience of the Nation. The name and graphic images of the deceased have been widely circulated on social media without regard to her privacy or dignity.

The court questioned the West Bengal government over the delay in the registration of FIR in respect of August 9, crime.

Stating that the lack of institutional safety norms both against violence and sexual violence against medical professionals is a matter of serious concern, the top court said, While gendered violence is the source of the more malevolent manifestations of the structural deficiencies in public health institutions, the lack of safety is of concern to all medical professionals.

Preserving safe conditions of work is central to realizing equality of opportunity to every working professional. This is not just a matter of protecting doctors. Their safety and well-being as health providers, it is a matter of national interest. As more and more women join the workforce in cutting edge areas of knowledge and science, the nation has a vital stake in ensuring safe and dignified conditions of work.

The constitutional value of equality demands nothing else and will not brook compromises on the health, well-being and safety of those who provide health care to others. The nation cannot await a rape or murder for real changes on the ground.

Posting the matter for further hearing on August 22, the top court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to submit a status report on the progress of its investigation of the crime at RG Kar Medical College Hospital and asked the West Bengal government to file a status report on the progress of State police investigation on the acts of vandalism that took place at the Hospital in the aftermath of the August 9, 2024, incident.
BJP state president Dr Rajiv Bindal has accused the Himachal Pradesh Congress government of putting CSK Agricultural University, Palampur, at stake.

In a statement on Tuesday, Bindal claimed that the government is working towards dismantling major institutions in Himachal Pradesh.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhus government closed the Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission, an institution that provided jobs, as soon as it came to power. After that, 1,100 institutions and 800 schools were closed across the state. Now it is bent on putting at risk the CSK Agricultural University, Palampur, he alleged, accusing the government of having decided to destroy the countrys renowned agricultural institute that produces agricultural experts for the country every year.

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Preparations are being made to do real estate business by handing over 115 acres of land of the Agricultural University to private companies. This is not in the interest of Himachal Pradesh, he claimed, cautioning that the BJP will strongly oppose any such decision and will stage a protest march to Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha.

He claimed that the Sukhu government is planning to hand over Atal Adarsh Vidyalaya  whose buildings were constructed on government land at government expense  to private entities. This move undermines the interests of Himachal and is highly condemnable.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has reached another critical juncture, with recent airstrikes in Gaza resulting in the loss of civilian lives, including children. This escalation underscores the dire need for a ceasefire, yet the path to such an agreement remains fraught with challenges. US Secretary of State Antony Blinkens upcoming visit to the region, his tenth since the conflict began, reflects the urgency and complexity of the situation. However, it also highlights the broader geopolitical entanglements that complicate efforts toward peace.

The humanitarian toll in Gaza is heartbreaking. As reports of children being killed in their homes emerge, the world is reminded of the immense suffering borne by civilians caught in the crossfire. The desperation in Gaza is palpable, with families displaced multiple times, crammed into increasingly smaller areas, and facing shortages of essential resources like water. These conditions create a pressure cooker environment, as described by residents, where the physical and psychological strain on the population is unbearable. Despite these harrowing circumstances, negotiations remain stalled, largely due to deep-seated mistrust and conflicting agendas. Israel, determined to ensure its security, insists on stringent conditions, including the continued presence of troops in strategic areas and checks on movement within Gaza. These demands are met with resistance from Hamas, which views them as obstacles to a meaningful ceasefire. The result is a negotiation process described as complex, with little room for compromise on either side.

The international community, particularly the US, Egypt, and Qatar, has been actively mediating, but their efforts have yet to yield a breakthrough. Mr Blinkens visit is part of a broader diplomatic push to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas, but the odds of success are slim given the entrenched positions of both parties. Moreover, the recent assassination of the Hamas leader in Tehran and Irans subsequent threats of retaliation have added a new layer of volatility to an already precarious situation. This conflict, which erupted last October, has already claimed thousands of lives and left much of Gaza in ruins. The disproportionate impact on civilians, especially children, raises urgent ethical and moral questions about the conduct of war and the responsibilities of the warring parties. While Israel argues that it targets militants operating from civilian areas, the devastating consequences for innocent people cannot be ignored.

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As Mr Blinken and other diplomats continue their efforts, one must question the long-term viability of any ceasefire that does not address the root causes of the conflict. The cycle of violence, displacement, and destruction in Gaza cannot be broken through temporary pauses in fighting alone. A sustainable peace requires a fundamental rethinking of the strategies and goals that have perpetuated this conflict for so long. While the immediate priority must be to halt the violence and save lives, the international community must also focus on creating conditions for a lasting peace. This involves addressing the deep-seated grievances on both sides and ensuring the protection of civilians.
Last week marked 75 years since the adoption of the Geneva Conventions on 12 August 1949. In theory, these rules of war are universally agreed by every nation. In practice, they are routinely violated everywhere. With an estimated 120 armed conflicts worldwide, more than 450 armed groups and 195 million people living in areas under their control, the protection of the vulnerable is as vitally important as ever. As the news headlines remind us daily, however, international humanitarian law can seem like too little, too late when faced with military might and political indifference.

This year also marks other, less hopeful, anniversaries: ten years since the genocide against the Yazidi by ISIS in Syria, and ten years of war in Ukraine. Geopolitical tensions are escalating in the Middle East and the South China Sea. Given the modern technologies used on todays battlefields (and in cyberspace), and the violation of even basic humanitarian protections, is there much to celebrate in 2024? Are the Geneva Conventions still fit for purpose for todays wars and tomorrows? All societies have cultural, religious or legal rules of some kind around war. But in the aftermath of World War IIs extreme horrors, the world agreed to a detailed set of codified rules governing armed conflict. Despite differing political views and experiences of war, countries agreed to the Geneva Convention rules by striking a balance between military need and humanitarian ideals for the treatment of civilians, captured enemy soldiers and the dead.

The 1949 Conventions remain the core of international humanitarian law, or the laws of armed conflict. This body of law has been expanded over the years by other treaties and protocols dealing with civil war, chemical weapons, antipersonnel landmines, torture and enforced disappearances. Designed to help prevent a spiral of tit-for-tat atrocities, many of the rules work due to reciprocal respect between combatants: treat our soldiers well when captured and we will do likewise. But they also demand the humane treatment of people caught up in war, even if one warring party has breached those rules or started the war in violation of the United Nations Charter that prohibits aggression.

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The Geneva Conventions include more than 400 articles, setting out detailed rules for the treatment of prisoners, protecting hospitals and medical staff, allowing humanitarian aid, and prohibiting torture, rape and sexual violence. In fact, four conventions were adopted in 1949. The first threes provisions built on existing laws protecting wounded soldiers on the battlefield, at sea and when captured as prisoners. The key fourth convention sought to protect civilians living under the power of an adversary, such as in occupied territory. A single article provided fundamental rules about the humane treatment of people during a civil war the first time international law had dared to regulate violence occurring within a country rather than between two or more.

Some say international humanitarian law took the wrong approach back in the 1860s when the very first Geneva Convention was adopted, because it accepted war and gave up on insisting on peace. As the scholar Samuel Moyn has argued, this has forced us to choose between the ideal of opposing war in the first place and opposing the crimes that take place within it. Humanitarian law also accepts a minimum level of harm to civilians as collateral damage during an attack on a military target. In other words, not all civilian deaths are war crimes. And some articles in the conventions seem old-fashioned today tobacco is mentioned together with food and water for prisoners of war, for example. But in my own experience working with the International Committee of the Red Cross, I have seen international humanitarian law in action. When respected, it can save and improve lives. Warring parties everywhere still allow the Red Cross to visit thousands of detained people, and to negotiate about improving their treatment.

Combatants make agreements for prisoner swaps, hostage release, return of the dead, and the provision of medical care to wounded enemy soldiers. Sometimes, countries investigate war crimes allegations. And the conventions make it possible for warring parties to make other agreements for even greater protections. And while the Geneva Conventions, and international humanitarian law more generally, are far from perfect, the rules seek a basic limit on the worst humanity has to offer, insisting on some fundamental human dignity. To ensure they are at least not actively breached, and ideally their protections extended, countries must do three key things:

 focus on collective responsibility, comply with the law themselves, and ensure respect by others

 stop using technical legal arguments to legitimise large-scale devastation in ways that ignore the fundamental humanitarian purpose of the rules

 and resist any claim by a nation state that exceptional national security threats (including terrorism, insurgency or new technologies) justify the rules being abandoned. It is precisely in the gravest situations, when politics and other laws have failed to prevent war, that these rules are most needed. Greater respect for them would go a long way to saving lives and preventing the horrors we see in todays conflicts.

(The writer is Senior Lecturer in Law and CoDirector New Zealand Centre for Public Law, Te Herenga Waka  Victoria University of Wellington. This article was published on www.theconversation.com)
On 6 August, when the worlds eyes were on the growing violence in Bangladesh, Ukraine launched an offensive into the Kursk region of Russia. Ten thousand Ukrainian troops entered Kursk without encountering any resistance. The Russian border was manned by conscripts and lightly armed Russian infantry, who were no match for Ukrainian troops equipped with the latest Western weaponry.

The region was considered low-risk by Russia as fighting was raging in Donbass some distance away. Kyiv claims to have captured over 1,000 km in the Kursk region, though the same has not been verified, 75 Russian settlements and have taken a large number of Russian POWs. The incursion opens doors for Ukraine to target Russian air bases and military installations deep within the country, which has commenced. Volodymyr Zelenskky, the Ukrainian President, said Russia brought war to others, now its coming home. Ukraine has always wanted peace, and we will certainly ensure peace. Over 100,000 Russian civilians have been forced to flee from the Kursk region alone. Other regions bordering Ukraine have been placed on high alert with Russia expecting similar offensives.

The Indian embassy in Moscow also issued an advisory for its nationals residing in Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk regions of Russia to relocate. The reason stated was security concerns. This is the first time since World War II that Russian territory has been invaded by another nation and is an embarrassment for the Kremlin. All efforts are being made to downplay the invasion. It is being described as a terrorist action, events in Kursk and even a situation. The term invasion as also loss of territory is being avoided. The incursion also debunks the Russian projection that the war in Ukraine is firmly in its favour.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned, Its obvious that the enemy will keep trying to destabilize the situation in the border zone to try to destabilize the domestic political situation in our country. He added that the intent is to gain a better negotiating position in possible future talks to end the war. Russia approached the UNSC for an informal meeting on the Ukrainian invasion. US, France and Britain, seeking to avoid an escalation, claimed they had no prior knowledge of Ukrainian plans. On the contrary they accused Russia of violating international humanitarian law and human rights. The Slovenian diplomat mentioned, We will not recognize the aggressor as the victim. Russia is compelled to deploy additional troops to contain the offensive and also secure its other borders with Ukraine, especially the Belgorod region, which may possibly be invaded next. It could then either push back invading troops or progress operations elsewhere, compelling

Ukraine to withdraw. However, the longer the Ukrainians stay, the more embarrassing it is for Putin. It appears that dislodging the offensive is Moscows selected option. The responsibility for pushing back the offensive has been given to Alexei Dyumin, Putins former bodyguard, non-military and currently his close associate. If he succeeds, he could possibly become Putins heir apparent. This implies the seriousness within the Kremlin on repulsing the intrusion, despite their projecting a different picture. That the Ukrainians were able to achieve complete surprise, especially in an era of drones, satellites and electronic monitoring is remarkable.

The ease with which Ukrainians achieved initial success surprised them more than the defenders, who vanished at the sight of advancing Ukrainian troops. It is reported that the military top brass in the Kremlin discarded intelligence warnings on an impending attack in the Kursk region, a grave error. Further, Ukrainian assembly of troops was billed as being done to block a new Russian push in the Donbass region. After Ukraines failed counteroffensive of 2023, Russia did not anticipate any major operation. For Ukraine, the operation has come as a cause for celebration.

It would justify the aid being provided to it. Many nations had begun doubting Kievs intent and ability to take the war to Russia. Western provided offensive weapons were thus far being employed in a defensive role. The future indicates a more aggressive Ukraine. What is Kyivs possible intent? Operationally, it could hold on to the area under its control but this could imply extended deployment, opening doors to piecemeal counter-strikes. Alternatively, it could withdraw to a defensible line and keep Russian forces at bay. The line would include maximum built up areas under its control, as these could be bargaining chips.

Most importantly, the operation has slowed down Russias offensive in other regions. The advantages for Ukraine would be that, firstly, it could trade the area occupied for regions under Russias control, in case it continues to hold, beating back Russian counter-strikes, which are bound to follow. Secondly, they could be bargaining chips in the event of any peace talks or the declaration of a ceasefire. Few lessons emerge from the Ukrainian operations. Firstly, never discard strategic intelligence reports without proper assessment. Secondly, even the best of technologies cannot guarantee that you will never be surprised.

Finally, never underestimate your opponent, no matter how weak. Expecting Ukraine to only react to their offensive actions and not open a new theatre was a grave error by the Kremlin. There is no doubt that inputs on Russian deployment and launch of the offensive would have been discussed between Kyiv and its western advisors. The nomination of a non-military individual, Alexei Dyumin, to lead the operation implies Putin lacks trust on his own Generals as also how serious he considers the invasion. Immediate rolling of heads of the military brass within the Kremlin, responsible for ignoring the warnings as also being caught off-guard, would convey the opposite of what Moscow is projecting, a trivial incursion. This will happen but subsequently.

For India, the invasion and Moscows military countermeasures would be ongoing when PM Modi visits Kiev on 23 August. It was hoped that he would be able to build consensus for talks and a ceasefire. All would appear to have been nixed with this invasion. With the tide turning in favour of Kyiv, a ceasefire would be unacceptable to Moscow at this stage. Neither would Putin negotiate areas under Russias control with those under Ukraine in Kursk. How will PM Modi negotiate this minefield is to be seen.

(The writer is a retired Major-General of the Indian Army.)
Devender Yadav in conversation with  The Statesman Talk

On The Statesman Talk, Devender Yadav stated that people now feel cheated by the AAP, as the party is acting completely opposite to the promises it made when it first came to power.
KYODO NEWS - Aug 20, 2024 - 19:05 | All, Japan

Japan's ruling party formally decided Tuesday to hold its presidential election on Sept. 27 to pick a successor to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, setting the stage for a race likely featuring a plethora of current and former ministers seeking to revamp the scandal-hit Liberal Democratic Party.

Digital Minister Taro Kono, who was defeated by Kishida in the previous 2021 election, is now set to announce his candidacy next Monday, a source with knowledge of his plans, said. Former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has told people close to him that he will run, according to a party source.

Kishida has announced his intention not to stay on beyond the end of his current three-year term as LDP president, which expires in September. And he urged ruling party members considering running in the forthcoming election to show the party is transforming itself, after coming under intense scrutiny due to a political fundraising scandal involving some key factions and ties with the controversial Unification Church.

"The election will be an opportunity for us to show a reformed LDP," the 67-year-old prime minister was quoted by a senior lawmaker as saying at a party meeting.

The winner of the LDP leadership election is almost certain to be elected the next prime minister in Diet as the party controls the House of Representatives, the powerful lower chamber of parliament.

The LDP on Tuesday decided on a 15-day campaign period, the longest under current party rules, which were revised in 1995. That is three days longer than that for the 2021 race when Kishida beat Kono, 61, in a runoff vote.

The extension will give the some 11 lawmakers who are currently expected to join the race more time to showcase their policy visions and the LDP more media coverage. The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan is holding its own presidential election around the same time, with campaigning due to begin on Sept. 7 and voting on Sept. 23.

Since his abrupt announcement last week to not seek reelection, Kishida has been encouraging whoever is willing to step forward and compete in the election to do so. It has apparently opened the door to those in the Cabinet, who would otherwise have refrained from presidential bids, to consider running.

"What is most important is to make sure we do politics that can resonate with the people," Kishida said, calling for party unity under the next leader.

On Monday, former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi became the first to announce his presidential bid, with a pledge to break free of the LDP's intraparty faction dynamics.

Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, 67, who often appears to be the favorite to become the next LDP president in opinion polls, is also considering running after his past four attempts to take the top job at the LDP fell flat.

Sanae Takaichi, 63, who serves as minister in charge of economic security, is expected to make another bid following her defeat in 2021.

A Kyodo News poll released Monday showed Ishiba was the most favored to succeed Kishida, followed by Koizumi, the son of former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, and Takaichi.

Kobayashi, 49, and Koizumi, 43 could present themselves as figures of generational change for the LDP as it looks to break from its recent troubles.

Japan's top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi, 63, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, 71, and industry minister Ken Saito, 65, are among prominent members of Kishida's Cabinet that are seen as likely to enter the race. Former health minister Katsunobu Kato, 68, is also a possibility.

The envisioned wide field of LDP presidential candidates also comes on the back of the disbandment of many intraparty factions that previously influenced how their members made decisions and voted.

Factions, including the most powerful one that was once led by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, have decided to dissolve in the wake of the funds scandal.

Whoever wins the majority of the 734 votes -- 367 held by LDP lawmakers and another 367 by rank-and-file members -- becomes the next leader. If no decisive winner emerges, a runoff vote will be held.

Related coverage:

Kyodo poll sees ex-Defense Minister Ishiba favored as next Japan PM

Ex-Cabinet minister Kobayashi announces bid for ruling party race

Japan ministers Kono, Kamikawa plan to run in ruling party race
The African continent is facing a rise in mosquito-borne infections, including malaria and dengue fever, which is placing immense pressure on public health systems, scientists warned Monday during a virtual forum held ahead of World Mosquito Day.

Michael Charles, chief executive officer of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, an international health lobby, highlighted the increasing threat posed by mosquitoes in Africa, which are exacerbating the burden of diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever.

And climate change is fueling the spread of mosquitoes responsible for malaria and dengue fever transmission in Africa, impacting negatively on economic growth, Charles said, Xinhua news agency reported.

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Globally, there are 3,500 species of mosquitoes, with 837 of them found in Africa. Charles noted that efforts to eradicate these mosquitoes are becoming more challenging due to rising temperatures, gene mutations, and insecticide resistance.

He added that environmental pollution, weak surveillance systems, and limited awareness of the benefits of using insecticide-treated nets have worsened the spread of female mosquitoes, which are responsible for the increase in malaria and dengue fever cases.

Charles emphasised that a 20 per cent reduction in malaria in the most affected African countries could contribute an additional 60 billion U.S. dollars to their gross domestic product annually, while also improving health outcomes for pregnant women and young children.

Philip Chigiya, secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance Youth Advisory Council, stated that stopping the spread of disease-causing mosquitoes would require enhanced environmental hygiene, universal access to treated nets, and research into the mutation patterns of the insects.

Chigiya stressed that investing in a climate-resilient future would help the continent mitigate the burden of infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, cholera, and the Zika virus.

Observed annually on Aug. 20, World Mosquito Day aims to raise awareness about the insects anatomy and its ability to transmit fatal ailments to humans.

Krystal Mwesiga Birungi, field entomology coordinator for Target Malaria Uganda, a consortium based at the Uganda Virus Research Institute, warned that mosquitoes have gradually evolved, and a newly discovered invasive species in Africa is hindering efforts to control these insects.
US Vice-President Kamala Harris will accept the Democratic Partys nominee for president at a four-day convention starting in Chicago on Monday, with the opening day speakers list headlined by President Joe Biden.

This was meant to be a convention for Biden to accept the nomination in a speech that is traditionally on the fourth and final day. But by a rare turn of events for US politics, he quit the race under pressure from the party and endorsed his deputy to replace him on the ticket  he will be the opening-day speaker who will pass on the baton to Harris, who officially became the Democratic Partys nominee for President on August 6 after receiving a majority of votes on the virtual roll call.

Former President Donald Trump and his running mate Senator J.D. Vance accepted their nominations for President and Vice-President at the Republican Party convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in July. It had taken place just two days after Trump had survived an assassination attempt at an election rally in Pennsylvania. He was hit in the right ear and wore a bandage on it during the convention.

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The organisers of the Democratic convention have announced separate themes for the four days and it is For the People on Monday, A Bold Vision for Americas Future on Tuesday, A Fight for Our Freedoms on Wednesday, and For Our Future on Thursday.

First lady Jill Biden will also be among the speakers on Monday. In his speech, President Biden will make a case for Harris, highlight key achievements of his administration and present Trump as a threat to democracy. He is likely to receive a rousing welcome from the delegates with the chanting of a slogan that first greeted him at a recent event  Thank You, Joe.

The speakers on the second day on Tuesday include former President Bill Clinton and the Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff.

Clinton was among the first Democratic leaders to endorse Harris after Biden quit the race and threw his weight behind the Vice President. Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State and Democratic nominee for President in 2016, is also among the speakers.

The key speakers on the third day on Wednesday will be former President Barack Obama, who remains a big star in the Democratic party, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who will accept his nomination as Vice-President. Former First Lady Michelle Obama is also addressing the convention.

Harriss acceptance speech will be the dominant event of the final day on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Ukraine on August 23 on what will be the first visit by an Indian PM to the country since the establishment of bilateral relations in 1992, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Monday.

The Prime Ministers engagements in Kyiv will touch a range of aspects of bilateral ties including political, trade, economic, investments, education, cultural, people-to-people exchanges, humanitarian assistance and others, a statement released by the MEA detailed.

It added that PM Modi will also interact with the Indian community, including students during the visit.

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PM Narendra Modi will undertake an official visit to Ukraine later this week on the invitation of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. This also is a landmark and historic visit since this will be the first time that an Indian PM will be visiting Ukraine in more than 30 years since the diplomatic relations were established between the two countries. This visit will build upon the recent high-level interactions between the leaders, said Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West) at the MEA.

August 23 is also the National Flag Day of Ukraine.

During the visit, in particular, the talks with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will be held to discuss issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation. It is also expected that a number of documents between Ukraine and India will be signed, said a statement from the Ukrainian Presidents office.

As New Delhi continues to encourage peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, PM Modi had met the Ukrainian President on the sidelines of the 50th G7 Summit in Italys Apulia on June 14, terming the discussions as very productive.

During the meeting, PM Modi reiterated that India would continue to do everything within its means to support a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Had a very productive meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky. India is eager to further cement bilateral relations with Ukraine. Regarding the ongoing hostilities, reiterated that India believes in a human-centric approach and believes that the way to peace is through dialogue and diplomacy, PM Modi posted on X after meeting Zelensky.

Zelensky had also dialled PM Modi, congratulating him on his election victory and hoping that the Indian PM will visit Ukraine soon.

Everyone in the world recognises the significance and weight of Indias role in global affairs. It is critical that we all work together to ensure a just peace for all nations, the Ukrainian President had posted on X before calling PM Modi following the announcement of results of the Lok Sabha elections.

Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, India has maintained its consistent position that allows it to reach out to both sides to find a solution to the conflict through diplomacy and dialogue.

At the same time, New Delhi has dispatched tonnes of humanitarian assistance to Kyiv, including essential medicines and medical equipment.

Before arriving in the Ukrainian capital, PM Modi will visit Poland starting August 21 which will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in the past 45 years.

Prime Minister will be accorded a ceremonial welcome in Warsaw. He will call on President Andrzej Sebastian Duda and will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The Prime Minister will also interact with the Indian community in Poland, the MEA stated.
Ever since the tragic loss of its founder V.G. Siddhartha in 2019 the Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) has been facing financial struggles. Malavika Hegde, Siddhartha's wife, assumed the role of CEO in December 2020 and has been working diligently to reduce the company's debt from Rs 7,000 crore to Rs 465 crore by 2023. However, on August 8, 2024, the Bengaluru bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved insolvency proceedings against Coffee Day Enterprises Ltd (CDEL) the parent company of CCD due to a default of Rs 228.45 crore.

Subsequently, an interim resolution professional was appointed to oversee CDEL's operations. Nevertheless, on August 14, 2024, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) in Chennai issued an interim stay on the insolvency proceedings in response to Malavika Hegde's appeal. This stay will remain in effect until the next hearing, providing a temporary relief to the company.

A few experts point out that there were a lot of unknowns which does not bode well for a public company. Unfortunately it has been revealed by the NFRA that the auditors and in this case BSR &Co which is a part of the KPMG network have not exercised due caution and have been negligent in certifying the accounts.

In a public company, the role of the auditor holds a huge significance since investors base their decisions on the independence of the auditor. The firm as well as the signing partners have been imposed a fine. Apart from this CCD has also defaulted in paying interest on debentures and IDBI has dragged them to NCLT. Both of these come as a double whammy to a company which was trying to find its feet again. It will be a very hard climb again if they want to continue operating in the ecosystem, pointed out Sathya Pramod, CEO, Kayess Square Consulting Private Limited.

Looking forward, CCD's journey to financial stability hinges on adept debt management, operational enhancements, and adaptability to market shifts. The leadership of Malavika Hegde and CCD's strategic decisions in the upcoming period will be pivotal in shaping its future course.

After the passing away of Siddhartha, revenues virtually went for the free fall and the company faced a challenge to pare their debts. In light of the past, the recent resurrection of the company speaks volume on how the new management turned around a dismal situation.

Despite current challenges, Hegde's leadership has been characterized by her commitment to preserving her late husband's legacy and supporting CCD's employees. Through strategic initiatives such as downsizing, closing unprofitable outlets, and forming partnerships, she aims to enhance revenue and reduce expenses. While the company's financial future remains uncertain, the stay on insolvency proceedings offers a glimmer of hope. Hegde's resilience and strategic decisions have been instrumental in guiding CCD through these turbulent times. The outcome of the legal proceedings will be crucial in determining the company's path forward, but her leadership brings optimism for stability in the future, observed Girish Linganna a space and aerospace expert who has also been following the company for the last many years.

It is expected that looking ahead to the future of Cafe Coffee Day (CCD), crucial factors such as ongoing legal proceedings, debt management, and operational strategies will shape the company's trajectory. CCD's ability to negotiate favorable terms with creditors and further reduce debt could lead to financial stabilization. This may involve cost-cutting measures, strategic partnerships, and potential new investments. With Malavika Hegde at the helm, CCD has already improved operational efficiency. Continued efforts to boost profitability, close underperforming outlets, and enhance the customer experience could aid in reclaiming market positioning. External factors such as economic conditions and consumer trends will heavily influence CCD's prospects. Positive market trends and increased consumer spending on dining out could benefit the company. The pause in insolvency proceedings offers CCD a crucial opportunity to address financial challenges proactively. Effective use of this time for negotiations and financial restructuring could help CCD avoid insolvency, added Linganna.

Experts point out that the stay granted by the NCLAT presents immediate advantages for CCD as the company can sustain business activities without the disruptions that insolvency proceedings would bring, maintaining trust among customers and employees. The stay grants CCD more time to engage with creditors for debt resolutions, explore new investment avenues, or divest non-essential assets. Halting insolvency proceedings shields CCD from the immediate risk of liquidation, safeguarding the interests of employees, customers, and stakeholders. The extended time frame enables CCD's management to devise and implement strategic initiatives to enhance financial health and operational efficiency.

With insolvency on the horizon, the legendary coffee chain in India has severe headwinds to face. While the company finds the best route to resurrect its glory, it must prioritize transparent communication so that the anxieties are addressed to the best possible extent. By focusing on supporting their workforce through these challenges, Cafe Coffee Day can not only preserve goodwill among its employees but also uphold its brand strength, remarked Aditya Narayan Mishra, the MD and CEO of CIEL HR.
Tollywood actor Samrat Mukherjee was arrested by police early Tuesday after his car hit a motorcycle in the Behala area of the city.

The motorcyclist, a 29-year-old resident of Vidyasagar Colony in Behala was initially taken to M R Bangur Hospital. He was then transferred to SSKM Hospital.

"The actor has been arrested and is now being taken for a medical test. We are investigating the matter," police said.

"It was 12:30 am when I was returning home. I saw a car coming from the wrong side at high speed. The car hit me, and I lost consciousness," the motorcyclist said.

Local people said Mukherjee was driving from Behala Chowrasta towards Tollygunge when he lost control of his vehicle and it collided with the motorcycle. After the collision, Mukherjee's car crashed into a nearby house, damaging its boundary wall.
The revelations of the Justice Hema Committee report on harassment faced by women in the Malayalam cinema industry have shocked many. It has also triggered a debate on pay parity as the report pointed out that female artists face discrimination in pay, and recommended equal pay.

ALSO READ: Pay disparity, online harassment, torture... Hema Committee highlights 17 key issues faced by women in Malayalam cinema

Wading into the debate, popular Malayalam actor Grace Antony said she couldn't say that there should be equal pay in the industry. Explaining her reasons, she said a film is being distributed on the basis of who is the lead star.

The actor said she won't be able to demand the same pay as the lead actor in a movie if the movie banks on the lead actors. However, it is important that artists are paid their due, the actor noted.

She said she wasn't paid well at the beginning of her film career and did not even have the chance to demand good pay. She said she was able to demand reasonable pay after she established herself as a good performer.

ALSO READ: Justice Hema Committee report released. What does the controversial report say?

She observed that in any field, there will be an initial phase of struggle and you will be able to get decent pay only after this phase, reported Malayala Manorama.

While the actor said she never faced any sort of sexual harassment or casting couch, Grace Antony added that she had heard from fellow actors about such incidents of harassment.

READ MORE: Casting couch exists in Malayalam film industry, reveals Justice Hema Committee report

Her remarks assume significance in the wake of the release of Hema Committee report which revealed explosive accounts of harassment, exploitation, and ill-treatment of female professionals in the film industry and alleged that a "criminal gang" was controlling the industry.

The actor, however, said while she heard that the report had come out, she is yet to see it. She further said it is not right to blame everyone in the industry.
KYODO NEWS - Aug 20, 2024 - 20:21 | World, All, Japan

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering visiting South Korea in early September for summit talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol as the Japanese leader aims to keep the momentum going for more bilateral cooperation in security and other areas, diplomatic sources said Tuesday.

Kishida's visit, a reflection of recent progress in bilateral ties that had cooled mainly over issues related to wartime history, would come before he is set to quit as ruling party president and thus prime minister at the end of September.

Most recently in May, Kishida traveled to Seoul for a trilateral summit with China and South Korea.

Kishida is seen as keen to tout the improvement in ties between Tokyo and Seoul as one of the diplomatic achievements of his premiership.

Kishida and Yoon will likely underscore the importance of trilateral cooperation with the United States in coping with the threats posed by North Korea's nuclear and missile development, the sources added.

The recent strengthening of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, which has invaded Ukraine, is also likely to be on the agenda.

As next year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral ties, Kishida and Yoon are expected to agree to promote "future-oriented" cooperation in the economic and security fields and through cultural exchanges, the sources said.

The visit comes after the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's recent decision to add a gold and silver mine complex on Sado Island in the central Japanese prefecture of Niigata to its World Heritage list.

Seoul had initially opposed Japan's bid, claiming that the site is linked to wartime forced labor of Koreans. But South Korea's last-minute approval made the listing possible.

Bilateral ties have begun to improve since Yoon took office in 2022. They two countries had locked horns over issues dating back to the 1910-1945 Japanese colonization of the Korean Peninsula as well as trade.

Related coverage:

Japan, U.S., South Korea renew resolve to keep stability in Indo-Pacific

FOCUS: Kishida's departure as Japan PM stems from failure to dissolve Diet

Kishida set to resign as Japan PM after withdrawing from LDP race
Thousands took to streets on Tuesday in protest against the alleged sexual abuse of two girls at a school in Badlapur town of Maharashtra's Thane district. Outraged demonstrators vandalised the school and pelted stones at Badlapur railway station during the 'rail roko' agitation.

The two kindergarten girls, aged three and four, were allegedly sexually abused at the school toilet by a male attendant, who has been arrested. The school principal, the class teacher and a female attendant have also been suspended.

Angry parents of the schoolchildren and several other women gathered outside the school on Tuesday morning seeking strick action against the school. Some protesters broke open the gate and vandalised the school, shattering its windows and damaging doors and benches.

They also held a rail roko protest at the Badlapur railway station and blocked the tracks of suburban trains from around 8.30 am.

Police personnel and railway authorities tried to convince the protesters to end blockade as commuters were stranded. Some of the protesters began pelting stones but police soon brought the situation under control.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced a Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigation into the alleged sexual abuse. It will be headed by Inspector General of Police-rank officer Aarti Singh. Thane Police Commissioner has been asked to submit a proposal to try the case in a fast-track court.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed concern over the lack of safety for doctors and medical professionals in the country, stating that the working conditions have made doctors and health professionals susceptible to violence.

The bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said it initiated the suo motu case over the rape and murder of a doctor at the RG Kar Medical College Hospital at Kolkata on August 9 because this was not a matter related to the particular incident but also "systemic issues related to the safety of doctors across India."



Observing that the nation cannot await another rape for things to change on the ground, the court said it was creating a 'National Task Force' comprising doctors all over the country to suggest recommendations on the modalities to be followed to ensure the safety of women.



The SC statement was welcomed by the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association, which said it would consult with all stakeholders before deciding on the strike.



The following are some issues recorded by the bench while calling for a national protocol to create safe work conditions for medical professionals.



1) Young doctors have to put in long hours. Interns, residents, and senior residents are made to do 36-hour duty where basic conditions of hygiene and sanitation are often absent.



2) Medical professionals doing night duty are not given adequate rooms to rest.



3) There are no separate duty rooms for women and men.



4) Lack of security personnel at hospitals is more of a norm than an exception.



5) Lack of adequate toilet facilities for medical care professionals.



6) The places of stay for the medical professionals are far from the hospital and are not adequate.



7) There are few or not enough CCTV cameras to monitor the hospitals.



8) Patients and attendees have unrestricted access to all places.



9) There is no proper system at the entrance to screen for arms and weapons



10) Many places within the hospital are ill-lit.


Three days after the Union Public Service Commission advertised 45 posts for lateral entry as joint secretaries, directors and deputy secretaries, the government moved swiftly to cancel the advertisement before it could snowball into a political issue ahead of assembly polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took ownership of the decision to cancel the process with a message to incorporate reservation and address issue of social justice.

We will study the entire system to see how reservations are introduced into the selection process. As the PM is sensitive to the idea of social justice, the scheme of lateral entry will be reworked. No one has spoken against the merits of the scheme of inducting specialists into administration, a highly placed source said.

The government has not given any time frame for bringing the reworked scheme, but it may take several months as the issue of reservation is incorporated into the selection process.

Explained: Why did Modi govt backtrack from lateral entry move?

At present, 57 officers hired as lateral entry to the post of joint secretary are currently working in the various departments of the government. The scheme was first launched in 2018 and since then 63 posts were filled in three separate hirings. This was supposed to be the fourth selection and the largest process through the UPSC.

There was a backlog as posts could not be advertised because of code of conduct and had thus piled up. This time, the plan was to bring domain experts and specialists even at the level of directors and deputy secretaries as they are the ones taking decisions, an official said. Among the posts advertised were for subjects like artificial intelligence, nutrition, fintech, semiconductors. These posts were to be filled in 24 ministries.

The issue had heated up in 2018 when the government first introduced lateral entry when 10 joint secretaries were hired. During a discussion in the parliament, union minister Jitendra Singh who held the charge of DOPT told the House that it was not supplementation in the civil services rather than replacement.

The government claimed to have introduced a section process through the UPSC to hire specialists rather than making the decision based on recommendations, the government sources said citing example of technocrats hired during the UPA time when no selection process existed. They cite the examples of even Manmohan Singh who became finance secretary, apart from Montek Singh, Sam Pitroda among others.

Among the technical problems which will need to be worked out before reservation can be applied to the selection process, the officials said the lateral entry posts are for three years with a provision for extension of two years. As these were not recurring posts, with shorter duration, the reservation policy may need revisiting and finding a solution. Notwithstanding these issues, we will study them to find a solution, highly placed source added.

Politically, the government has done course correction before the issue of social justice, reservation and dalits could come to bite it again as it has done in the last Lok Sabha polls. It is unlike the 2020 farmers issue when the government continued to stall their demands of recalling the three farm bills till it felt that political costs were higher. At that time, the bills were withdrawn after 11 months of protests. This time it has acted earlier fearing that it could cause anger among the youth who were already miffed due to series of paper leaks.

Centre asks UPSC to cancel lateral entry advertisement amid widespread criticism

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi had raised the issue that government was trying to bypass reservation through lateral entry.

Before the withdrawal of lateral entry process, the ministers and BJP had strongly defended the move. The NDA allies like Chirag Paswan whose core bank is dalits spoke against the selection process.

The prime minister is of the firm belief that the process of lateral entry must be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in our Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation, Union minister Jitendra Singh wrote in his letter to the UPSC chairperson.

Information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnav said, PM Narendra Modi has once again reinstated Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar's commitment to the Constitution by taking a very important decision.

UPSC had adopted a very transparent method for lateral entry. We have taken such a decision to apply the principle of reservation in that too. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has always shown his commitment towards social justice.
As the Supreme Court took suo motu action in the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College Hospital on Tuesday, protesting students vowed to continue their movement demanding justice for the victim.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, directed the CBI to submit the status report of the ongoing investigation on Thursday. Consequently, protesters at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital said they would wait till then before deciding their next course of action.

The apex court also asked for the deployment of CISF on the hospital premises to ensure safety and security of students, doctors and other staff, in view of the vandalism that happened inside the premises on the night of August 14.

Chief Justice Chandrachuds bench noted that the West Bengal government failed to maintain the law-and-order situation at the RG Kar hospital on that night.

In the aftermath of the brutal incident and the demonstrations which followed, the state government was expected to ensure the deployment of the state machinery to prevent a breach of law and order, the court order said.

It was all the more necessary to do so since investigation of the crime which took place in the precincts of the hospital was under way. We are unable to comprehend how the State was not prepared to deal with the incident of vandalization of the premises of the hospital.

The court noted that a large mob had assembled on the night of August 14, when women across West Bengal and India were protesting under the banner of Reclaim the Night, and carried wanton destruction and vandalism of Emergency wards and other departments of RG Kar hospital.

The three-judge bench, which included Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra, also observed that the police should not try to stop any peaceful protest or movement.

The court then urged protesting doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and elsewhere to resume their operations, observing that a large section of marginalised population was being denied medical services due to their strike.

Our demands remain unmet. We havent had any positive results coming from the CBI investigation. So our strike will continue till the agency files its report before the honourable Supreme Court on August 22, said protesting student leader Dr. Aniket Mahato of the anaesthesia department in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

He, however, added, Our emergency ward and most departments are functioning as usual. Senior doctors are working there. They are providing services to their best capacity.

The Supreme Court also asked the West Bengal government to file a status report on its investigation into the vandalism incident of August 14 night during the next hearing on August 22.

To ensure safety and security of medical professionals across India, the Supreme Court also formed a nine-member National Task Force (NTF) with Cabinet Secretary and Home Secretary, among others, as the ex-officio members.

The NTF has been directed to formulate effective recommendations to remedy the issues of concern pertaining to safety, working conditions and well-being of medical professionals and submit an interim report within two weeks and a final report within two months.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal government formed a special investigation team (SIT) on Monday to probe the alleged financial irregularities in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital from January 2021 till now.

Interestingly, Dr Sandip Ghosh has been the principal of the institution during the said time. His role as the head of the administration is in question since the trainee doctor was found dead inside the hospital premises. The CBI has been questioning Dr Ghosh for five straight days now.

The central agency also questioned an ASI rank officer of Kolkata Police, named Anup Dutta. The main suspect in the case, Sanjoy Ray, had allegedly called Dutta on August 9 in the aftermath of the rape and murder of the trainee doctor. Ray, a civic volunteer, used to illegally reside in Kolkata Polices Fourth Battalion Barrack where Dutta also stays.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the police not to arrest TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray for allegedly spreading misinformation through a social media post about the polices action in the aftermath of the RG Kar incident. Ray had approached the High Court seeking protection from arrest.

The TMC MP has removed the post in question from his X handle.
Y.S. Sharmila, the Andhra Pradesh Congress President, reacted strongly to the recent case of rape and murder of a medico in Kolkata, which has triggered national outrage. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), she described the incident as a deep scar on humanity and an act of abominable barbarism.

She expressed solidarity with the medical fraternity, stating, As a woman, this has shattered me and left me sleepless. As a mother, this fills me with a deep sense of fear and restlessness.

Although West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is part of the I.N.D.I.A coalition, which includes Congress, Sharmila did not mince words in criticising them. She tweeted that it was disgusting and infuriating to witness how the case had been handled so far. She recalled major rape incidents like Hathras, which rocked the nation during the NDA rule at the centre over the last 10 years.

The heinous rape and murder of the medico in Kolkata is an ugly blot and a deep scar on humanity. It is an act of abominable barbarism that is condemnable in every sense. Days are passing, and it is disgusting and infuriating to witness how the case is being handled and to  YS Sharmila (@realyssharmila) August 17, 2024

She felt that in various incidents of rape, the government had shielded the culprits. In the Kolkata rape case, she blamed both the central and TMC governments for the slow progress in the case.

The Congress party demands that the central government and the TMC government stop exchanging political salvos and playing petty games. They must respond as humans first and ensure justice for the victim, she said. She also highlighted the UPA government's contributions to women's safety.

Sharmilas stance has raised eyebrows in political circles, as it is seen as a direct attack on the TMC, which has been bracketed with the NDA on the issue of rapes.

Recently, another Congress leader openly lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee government. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate questioned why the government was trying to cover up the crime. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera had earlier commented that the grievances and doubts expressed by the victim's family need to be addressed.

Senior Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi tweeted on August 14 that the attempts to protect the accused rather than provide justice to the victim raised questions about the role of the local administration.

Political analysts believe that Sharmilas tweet is a continuation of the Congresss stance, as they do not want to be seen siding openly with the TMC on this issue, thereby denying the BJP an opportunity to criticise Congress alongside the TMC.
The CBI officials investigating the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College Hospital have decided to collect the call record and chat details of former principal Sandip Ghosh. The former principal was grilled by the investigation agency for the last four days.

A CBI official told PTI that some of the answers given by Ghosh did not match with that of others who are being interrogated in the case. The CBI has prepared a list of 40 people, including doctors and security staff, to interrogate in connection with the case.



Ghosh was also asked to explain what he did after learning about the murder of the victim. He was also asked to explain why he made the parents wait for nearly three hours before showing them their daughter's body. The former principal was also asked about the people he called after he got the news of the death.



#BreakingNews



After more than 13 hours of grilling, former principal of #RGKarMedicalCollegeandHospital Sandeep Ghosh leaves the #CBI office in #Kolkata pic.twitter.com/AY4kriY2IR  Indrajit Kundu |  (@iindrojit) August 19, 2024

The former principal was also questioned on who had ordered renovation of rooms adjacent to the seminar hall, after the postgraduate trainee's body was found there on August 9.



Ghosh is also in trouble for revealing the name of the victim. A case has been filed against him by the Kolkata police in this connection. Police sources said Ghosh came to know about the incident from a doctor at the hospital around 10:15 am on August 9. He filed a complaint after more than five hours, around 3 pm where he took the name of the victim publicly.



Meanwhile, the West Bengal government on Monday formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the alleged financial irregularities at the RG Kar hospital since 2021. State Police IG Pranab Kumar is heading the investigation team. The team has been asked to submit the first report regarding the progress of the inquiry within one month.



A circular issued by the government's Home and Hill Affairs Department Internal Security Branch said the SIT will have the "liberty to access any relevant document from government departments and private agencies required for expeditious completion of the inquiry".



Ghosh, an orthopaedic doctor, had resigned from the R G Kar Medical College principal's post two days after the woman's body was found on August 9. He rejoined another hospital a day later but was slammed by the Calcutta High Court which sent him on a long leave.



Ghosh has also filed a plea in the High Court expressing fears that his life was in danger. The court directed him to approach a single bench.


A senior Congress leader told THE WEEK that Rahul Gandhi would visit Jammu and Kashmir to discuss significant party matters and the upcoming assembly elections in the Union Territory on Wednesday.

Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, is arriving in the Union Territory just days after Tariq Hameed Karra replaced Vikar Rasool Wani as the JKPCC chief.

Gandhi is also expected to hold talks with regional parties, especially the National Conference (NC), regarding a pre-poll alliance. The NC and the Congress had jointly contested the Lok Sabha polls. The NC supported the Congress in the two Parliamentary constituencies in Jammu, and the Congress reciprocated by supporting the NC in the three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir.

The NC won two Lok Sabha seatsSrinagar and Anantnag-Rajouribut lost Baramulla to Awami Itehad Party (AIP) candidate Engineer Rashid. The Congress lost both seats to the BJP but registered a significant increase in vote share. The Congress is interested in an alliance with regional parties to keep the BJP at bay.

Omar Abdullah, NC Vice President and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir revealed that after the Election Commission of India announced the election schedule for Jammu and Kashmir, a Congress delegation met with the NC to discuss a potential alliance. They came without instructions from the Congress high command, so we didnt take that dialogue forward, Omar said. If Congress has a concrete suggestion, then we will talk to them.

On Monday, Karra said that the Congress is open to forming alliances with like-minded parties for the upcoming assembly elections. As far as I know, the NC has already approached the central leadership for an alliance, he said. At some level, talks have also occurred with the PDP. An alliance between the NC and the Congress would prevent the division of Muslim votes in Jammus Rajouri and Poonch, also called Pir Panjal, and Chenab Valley, which comprises the districts of Ramban, Doda, and Kishtwar. These districts have 11 Muslim-majority seats, and a united opposition reduces the chances of dividing the Muslim vote.
The four-day Democratic National Convention began in Chicago on Monday, which saw the party's presidential candidate Kamala Harris make a surprise appearance. President Joe Biden, who ended his reelection campaign, also appeared at the convention and received an emotional standing ovation when he came on stage.

Harris, while acknowledging an enthused crowd, thanked President Joe Biden in her first remarks. "I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible President Joe Biden," Harris said. "Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation and for all you will continue to do. We are forever grateful to you," Harris said. She also urged the audience to fight for "ideals we hold dear".

The convention, which will see over 4,000 delegates attending it, will recognise Harris as the Democratic nominee and approve the party's platform. The convention runs through Thursday.

President Biden, introduced by his daughter Ashley, began his speech by thanking First Lady Jill Biden. He recalled his inauguration four years ago, stating he "swore an oath to you and to God to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and to faithfully execute the office of the president of the United States. "

"In front of me was a city surrounded by the National Guard. Behind me, a Capitol  just two weeks before  had been overrun by a violent mob. What I knew then from the bottom of my heart that I knew now, there is no place in America for political violence. None. You cannot say you love your country only when you win, Biden said, adding that democracy has prevailed. "Democracy has delivered. And now Democracy must be preserved, Biden said.

The first lady had earlier praised the President for his decision to seek reelection no longer and endorse Kamal Harris. "With faith and conviction, Joe knows that our nations strength doesnt come from intimidation or cruelty, it comes from the small acts of kindness that heal deep wounds, from service to the communities that make us what we are, from love of a country that shines with promise and renewal. Kamala Harris knows that too," the first lady said.

With faith and conviction, Joe knows that our nations strength doesnt come from intimidation or cruelty, it comes from the small acts of kindness that heal deep wounds, from service to the communities that make us what we are, from love of a country that shines with promise and renewal. Kamala Harris knows that too, the first lady said.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also delivered a rousing speech where she acknowledged the crowd chanting anti-Trump chants of "Lock him up!"

"Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up, he made his own kind of history  the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions!" Clinton told the crowd.

She added that the future was here. "I wish my mother and Kamalas mother could see it,"

On a woman running for President, Clinton added: "The story of my life and the history of our country is that progress is possible. But not guaranteed, said Clinton, who was the first woman nominated to lead a major partys presidential ticket. We have to fight for it. And never, ever give up."
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said "he certainly would" consider Tesla CEO and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk to a cabinet or advisory role. Trump's statement comes as Musk openly endorsed Trump in the Presidential elections, and even hosted an interview with the former President on his social media platform X.

On whether he would be open to naming Tesla CEO Elon Musk to a cabinet or advisory role, Trump told Reuters in an interview on Monday: "He's a very smart guy. I certainly would, if he would do it, I certainly would. He's a brilliant guy."

Interestingly, Musk reacted to Trump's statement. "I am willing to serve," the Tesla CEO said.

Elon Musk & Donald Trump HISTORIC Interview.



This version removes pauses and improves audio quality.



Total run time 1 hour 39 minutes.



Thank you @DavidCarbutt_ & team for the work! pic.twitter.com/oO4YHiRAL6  Farzad (@farzyness) August 13, 2024

However, Trump's following statement on EV credit may not be something Musk would appreciate. Trump said he would consider scrapping $7,500 federal subsidies for electric vehicles, which could hurt Tesla and Musk. "Tax credits and tax incentives are not generally a very good thing," Trump added.



It is said that Trump could repeal the rules that help automakers take advantage of the $7,500 credit. "I'm a big fan of electric cars, but I'm a fan of gasoline-propelled cars, and also hybrids and whatever else happens to come along."

Though both share a good rapport now, the mutual admiration wasn't always there. Musk was once a sharp critic of Trump. "I don't hate the man," Elon Musk tweeted in July 2022, "but it's time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset." Musk's reaction came after Trump accused him of lying to him about who he voted for in the last presidential election.

The Tesla CEO had often been at the receiving end of Trump's rant, with the former president even stating that "Musk won't buy Twitter". Musk went on to buy the social media platform and even used it to endorse Trump's Republican arch-rival, Ron DeSantis.



But, things have since changed and Musk is actively endorsing Trump, especially after his relationship with President Biden soured over issues including unions in Tesla. Biden did not invite Musk to the 2021 White House electric vehicle summit despite Tesla being one of the world's largest EV manufacturers, much to Musk's chagrin. Musk then went on to publicly say that he won't vote for Biden.



Things warmed between Musk and Trump after the duo met at the latter's Florida resort. Soon after the assassination attempt on Trump, Musk tweeted: "I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery."


Kolkata, Aug 20 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday approved the export of potatoes up to 2 lakh tonnes to other states in a week, a minister said.

The decision was taken at a review meeting held in the state secretariat 'Nabanna', where various stakeholders were present.

Following spiralling of potato prices in June, the West Bengal government restricted export of the tuber to other states. Irked with the decision, potato traders also went on strike for a few days that month.



"In today's meeting, the chief minister agreed to allow the export of up to two lakh metric tonnes of potatoes in a week. One lakh metric tonnes can be exported from North Bengal and another one lakh from South Bengal. However, the neighbouring states must first raise a demand," Agri-Marketing Minister Becharam Manna told PTI.

Representatives of the Progressive Potato Traders' Association and Cold Storage Association were present at the meeting.

Manna added that Banerjee would review the impact of the export on price in our state after a week.

Progressive Potato Traders' Association Secretary Lalu Mukherjee said after the meeting said the chief minister has agreed to begin exports to neighbouring states from Wednesday but insisted that the price of the tuber should not rise above the current level.

Manna also mentioned that the chief minister appreciated North Bengal potato traders for not joining the strike against the government's decision to halt exports while criticising South Bengal traders for their past strikes.

Traders and cold storage officials had urged the government to allow exports to protect farmers from potential losses.

However, Manna noted that the government was monitoring traders closely, as the high prices were not benefiting farmers, who had sold their produce at Rs 14 per kg.
KYODO NEWS - Aug 20, 2024 - 23:00 | All, World, Japan

The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

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Japan ruling party chief vote set for Sept. 27 to replace Kishida

TOKYO - Japan's ruling party formally decided Tuesday to hold its presidential election on Sept. 27 to pick a successor to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, setting the stage for a race likely featuring a plethora of current and former ministers seeking to revamp the scandal-hit Liberal Democratic Party.

Digital Minister Taro Kono, who was defeated by Kishida in the previous 2021 election, is now set to announce his candidacy next Monday, a source with knowledge of his plans, said. Former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has told people close to him that he will run, according to a party source.

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Lawson introduces staff badge indicating foreign-language speakers

TOKYO - Japanese convenience store operator Lawson Inc. has started requesting staff to wear a badge if they can speak a foreign language, aiming to cater to an increase in overseas visitors, the company said Tuesday.

The badge covers seven languages -- English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Nepali. Lawson said it chose them as the most commonly spoken by foreign tourists and based on the nationalities of Lawson staffers. Wearing a badge will be voluntary.

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Japan to use navigation systems to alert wrong-way drivers

TOKYO - Japan's transport ministry will introduce a new system to tackle wrong-way driving on expressways, targeting zero fatalities and injuries by 2029 amid rising incidents involving elderly drivers.

The proposed system will use surveillance cameras to detect wrong-way driving, warning the driver and those of nearby vehicles via their car navigation systems or smartphones.

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Japan PM Kishida eyes visit to South Korea in early Sept.

TOKYO - Prime Minister Fumio Kishida may visit South Korea in early September for summit talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol as the Japanese leader aims to keep the momentum going for more bilateral cooperation in security and other areas, diplomatic sources said Tuesday.

Kishida's visit, a reflection of recent progress in bilateral ties that had cooled over issues related to wartime history, would come before he is set to quit as ruling party president and thus prime minister at the end of September.

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Japan, India hold "2-plus-2" ministerial security talks

NEW DELHI - The foreign and defense ministers of Japan and India held security talks in New Delhi on Tuesday, aiming to ramp up cooperation amid more assertive Chinese military activities in the Indo-Pacific region.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara met with their Indian counterparts Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh in the two governments' third "two-plus-two" talks since their launch in November 2019.

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Biden passes torch to Harris on Democratic convention's opening night

CHICAGO - The U.S. Democratic Party opened its four-day national convention on Monday evening in Chicago, with President Joe Biden passing the torch to his successor Kamala Harris and saying that "democracy must be preserved" as the race for the White House nears the final stretch.

Biden's hour-long keynote speech, which ended after 11 p.m., listed his administration's accomplishments, receiving a long standing ovation and countless chants of "Thank you Joe" from a raucous crowd. Biden also denounced Donald Trump, his predecessor and the Republican nominee for the Nov. 5 presidential election, in various ways.

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Australia, Indonesia agree to upgrade defense pact

SYDNEY - Australia and Indonesia affirmed they will upgrade a defense cooperation agreement to allow their militaries to operate in each other's territories, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday after meeting Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia's defense minister and president-elect.

The two countries finalized negotiations on the upgrade amid Australia's deepening security ties with its neighbors in Southeast Asia and the Pacific in recent years, as part of efforts to counter China's push for greater influence in the region.

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Football: Nadeshiko Japan defender Kitagawa joins Hacken in Sweden

TOKYO - Japan defender Hikaru Kitagawa has joined Hacken in the top tier of women's football in Sweden after leaving INAC Kobe Leonessa, her new club announced Monday.

The 27-year-old left-back started two games for Nadeshiko Japan at her first Olympics in Paris, scoring with a free-kick during a 3-1 win over Nigeria in their final group-stage match.

Video: Nagoya zoo to showcase Komodo dragon from Aug. 23
New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) Retirement fund body EPFO has registered a net addition of 19.29 lakh members in June 2024, the Labour Ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry stated that a year-over-year analysis showed a 7.86 per cent growth in net member additions compared to June 2023.

This surge in membership can be attributed to numerous factors, including increased employment opportunities, a growing awareness of employee benefits, and the effectiveness of EPFO's outreach programmes, it noted.

The data indicates that around 10.25 lakh new members have been enrolled during June 2024. There is an increase of 4.08 per cent in the new members from May 2024 and a 1.05 per cent rise against June 2023.

A noticeable aspect of the data is the dominance of the 18-25 age group, constituting a significant 59.14 per cent of the total new members added in June 2024.

This aligns with the earlier trend, which indicates that most individuals joining the organised workforce are youth, primarily first-time job seekers.

The payroll data highlights that approximately 14.15 lakh members exited and subsequently rejoined EPFO. This figure depicts year-on-year growth of 11.79 per cent compared to June 2023.

These members switched their jobs and re-joined the establishments covered under the ambit of EPFO and opted to transfer their accumulations instead of applying for final settlement thus, safeguarding long-term financial well-being and extending their social security protection.

Gender-wise analysis of payroll data unveils that out of new members added during the month, around 2.98 lakh are new female members.

This figure exhibits year-on-year growth of 5.88 per cent compared to June 2023. Also, the net female member addition during the month stood at around 4.28 lakh, reflecting an annual growth of 8.91 per cent compared to June 2023.

The surge in female member additions is indicative of a broader shift towards a more inclusive and diverse workforce.

State-wise analysis of payroll data denotes that net member addition is highest in the five states/ UTs of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Haryana.

These states constitute around 61.16 per cent of net member addition, adding a total of 11.8 lakh net members during the month. Of all the states, Maharashtra is leading by adding 21.09 per cent of net members during the month.
Johannesburg, Aug 19 (PTI) South Africa is committed to strengthening bilateral trade and investment with India, the countrys Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau told a gathering of South African captains of industry and heads of Indian companies.

Tau was on Sunday the chief guest at the launch of the India-SA Chamber of Commerce (ISACC), an idea sparked during meetings in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg with the High Commissioner Designate for South Africa to India, Prof Anil Sooklal.

He will assume office at the beginning of September as the first Indian-origin South African to head up a mission in India.

In 2023, India ranked number eight as South Africas export destination and number four as a source of imports. Over the past five years, our bilateral trade increased from USD 8 billion to USD 13 billion, Tau said.

The minister said the bulk of South Africas exports to India were commodities, of which coal made up 62 per cent.

We have not yet reached the target of USD 18 billion. We will intensify our efforts to facilitate trade and investment between the two countries, Tau said.

This will require an increase in private sector engagements to devise ways of improving trade as well as improve government interaction to deliberate and resolve barriers impacting the expansion of trade, amongst other issues, he said, calling the launch of ISACC timely.

Tau said trade between India and South Africa should be structured to enable more value-added products and services.

We anticipate that ISACC will play a pivotal role in ensuring that South African exporters can engage Indian buyers when they undertake selling missions to India.

India has emerged as an essential source of foreign direct investment in South Africa and continues to actively contribute to our investment drive. We appreciate the presence of Indian companies in our country and encourage more Indian companies to further expand their manufacturing footprint in South Africa, Tau said.

The minister said he believed that both countries could draw from each others experiences and explore industrial cooperation in sectors with potential, such as renewable energy, automotive component manufacturing and healthcare, particularly pharmaceutical and medical devices.

We view (ISACC) as a vehicle that will promote trade and investment ties, and assist in fighting the challenges that we as governments face. Working with you can make a greater impact on our economic positions, he said.

ISACC representative Atul Padalkar explained the purpose of the new organisation.

There are about 130 Indian companies in South Africa. However, there are only about 20 South African companies present in the Indian market, he said.

Padalkar said there were two main questions to be dealt with, the first being how South Africa could increase its exports to India and how it could address the negative trade balance with New Delhi.

Secondly, how can we as Indian companies in South Africa, contribute as partners to address South Africas challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment?"

We recognised that there was a need for a structure - something that could handle three of the critical issues which were pointed out in these engagements.

The first one was how can business help in communicating these issues as a collective to the government and bring to their attention what business and government partnership can achieve, Padalkar said.

He said the second was finding ways to maximise the many opportunities for trade and investment and the third was to capacitate small businesses which were the backbone of both the Indian and South African economies.

Most of the bilateral trade and investment is largely driven by big companies  SMMEs are significantly behind in comparison, so we need to bring them on into this equation, Padalkar said as he pointed out that many of the representatives in the room were from SMMEs.
Peshawar/Karachi, Aug 20 (PTI) The Hindu community in Pakistan, especially those in the north-western city of Peshawar and the southern city of Karachi celebrated the Raksha Bandhan festival with enthusiasm even as a Hindu Senator from PPP tied a Rakhi to her party chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Makeshift stalls selling Rakhi bracelets in different colours and designs cropped up inside several temples in the city ahead of the festival on Monday. Along with Rakhi bracelets, the shopkeepers also sold other items used in worship.

Krishna Kumari, a senator of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) from Tharparkar Sindh, tied rakhi to PPP chairman Bilawal.

Sharing a video of herself tying the rakhi to the PPP leader, Kumari wrote in a post on X: Happy Raksha Bandhan. Thank You Respected Chairman @BBhuttoZardari and tagged his sisters Aseefa Zardari and Bakhtawar B Zardari.

In Peshawar, the festival was celebrated on Monday amid tight security as heavy contingents of police were deputed around temples in city and cantonment areas to ensure peaceful observance of the festivity.

A large number of Hindu women and young girls from all across the metropolis thronged to a temple in Jhanda Bazar in the city area for early pooja and then prepared for Aarti, a Hindu religious ritual. They tied Rakhi to their brothers after attending religious rituals while brothers reciprocated the love by exchanging gifts.

In many areas, married women visited the homes of their brothers during the day to tie the Rakhi bracelet and carry out the sacred ritual praying for their protection against the evil eye.

In Lahore, similar celebrations were held at the citys old Krishna Temple where several pairs of brothers and sisters reached for the rituals, according to Lahore-based TV channel BoldaPunjab.
Karachi, Aug 20 (PTI) Nine young people, eight of them siblings, died and one was hospitalised after reportedly eating poisonous food in Pakistan's Sindh province, a media report said here on Tuesday.

The deceased include five sisters and three brothers in the age group four to 18 years.

As soon as the 10-member family and their guest had dinner on Monday night at Haibat Khan Brohi village near Pir-jo-Goth, Khairpur district, they started falling unconscious, the Dawn newspaper said.

Their relatives and neighbours rushed them to Kingri Taluka Hospital where three members of the family died and their bodies were returned to the heirs without autopsy as there were no doctors to perform it.

Villagers accused paramedics and nurses of mishandling the victims in the absence of doctors, leading to the deaths of three family members. Later, others also succumbed to the poison and hence nine siblings had died since last night, the newspaper said quoting the villagers.

The 10th victim, whose condition is unstable, is under treatment at the hospital, they said.

The newspaper further quoted Gul Baig Brohi, father of the victims, who said that his daughters and sons had died due to the absence of doctors and mishandling at the taluka hospital. He also corroborated that no post-mortem examination was carried out.

Areas SHO Ameer Ali Chang said that police have started an investigation of the incident even as a team of food officials from Sukkur took samples of the leftover food eaten by the victims.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the Sukkur Commissioner to get the incident investigated properly to ascertain the cause of death.
Chicago, Aug 20 (PTI) Vice President Kamala Harris has the character, experience and vision to lead the United States forward, former Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Clinton said on Monday as she addressed thousands of Democratic Party leaders and members from across the country to nominate the former attorney as their nominee for the November presidential elections.

Kamala has the character, experience, and vision to lead us forward, the 76-year-old, who unsuccessfully contested against Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election, said at the Democratic National Convention.

I know her heart and her integrity. We both got our start as young lawyers helping children who were abused or neglected. That kind of work changes you. Those kids stay with you. Kamala carries with her the hopes of every child she protected, every family she helped, every community she served, Clinton said.

So as president, she will always have our backs. She will fight to lower costs for hard-working families. Open the doors wide for good paying jobs. And, yes, she will restore abortion rights nationwide, Clinton said as she described Harris as the future of the United States.

The story of my life and the history of our country is that progress is possible. But not guaranteed. We have to fight for it. And never, ever give up, Clinton said.

There is always a choice. Do we push forward or pull back? Come together as we the people or split into us versus them? Thats the choice we face in this election, said the former secretary of state urging the people to elect Harris as the next president of the United States. We have him on the run now, she said.

The Constitution says the presidents job is to take care that the laws be faithfully executed. Those are the words our founders used: Take care. Just look at the candidates. Kamala cares about kids, families, and America. Donald only cares about himself, she said.

On her first day in court, Kamala said five words that guide her still: Kamala Harris, for the people. Thats something Donald Trump will never understand, Clinton said in her remarks.

Clinton applauded President Joe Biden for a lifetime of service and leadership.

On Thursday, Harris, 59, would formally deliver her speech accepting the nomination of the Democratic Party as its presidential candidate for the November 5 election.

Incumbent President Joe Biden, 81, withdrew from the race for the White House last month and backed Harris for the post. She soon received endorsements from former president Barack Obama and gathered sufficient delegate votes to be finalised as the partys presidential nominee.

Harris has now become the first-ever woman of colour and also the first-ever Indian-American to be on the top of a presidential ticket of a major American political party.
Dhaka, Aug 20 (PTI) Bangladesh Nationalist Party's Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday asked India to extradite deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina to face trial as he accused her of plotting to thwart the country's revolution.

Hasina, 76, resigned and fled to India on August 5 following massive protests by students and others against her government over a controversial quota system in government jobs.

"It is our call to you that you should hand her over to the government of Bangladesh in a legal way. The people of this country have given the decision for her trial. Let her face that trial," Fakhrul was quoted as saying by the Daily Star newspaper.

Talking to reporters after placing a wreath at the grave of former president and BNP founder Zia-ur Rahman in the city, Fakhrul said India is seemingly not keeping its commitment towards democracy by providing shelter to her.

"Staying there, she has started various plots to thwart the revolution that happened in Bangladesh," he alleged.

Over 230 people were killed in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina-led Awami League government, taking the death toll to more than 600 since the massive protest by students first started in mid-July.

An interim government was formed after the fall of the Hasina-led government, and 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was named its Chief Adviser.

The BNP secretary general said the people of this country do not consider her offences as minor.

He said they think her "fascist rule has weakened Bangladesh's independence and hindered the country's progress for the last 15 years".

During her regime, she made a debt burden of Tk 18 lakh crores for the nation and nearly USD 100 billion were siphoned off from the country, Fakhrul said, adding that all institutions of the country were destroyed during her misrule.

The interim government has been doing a commendable job, he said.

The main task of this interim government, which was formed through a revolution and mass upsurge, is to hand over the power to the public representatives by holding an election, Fakhrul added.

"It will definitely take some time to clear the garbage the Awami League government created. It will take time to hold a proper and fair election," he said.

BNP chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, 79, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for graft in 2018 under the rule of Hasina.

Zia, currently undergoing treatment for various ailments, was released on an executive order from President Mohammed Shahabuddin after the collapse of the Hasina-led Awami League government.
Dhaka, Aug 20 (PTI) Bangladesh's interim government on Tuesday said it will set up a foundation headed by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus to take care of the wounded and the families of the deceased and injured who participated in the unprecedented student-led protest which led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.

Over 600 people, including 44 police personnel, were killed since the massive protest by students over a controversial quota system in government jobs first started in mid-July.

"The government has decided to set up a Foundation to take care of the wounded and the families of the deceased and wounded who participated in the student-led revolution in July-August 2024," according to the official X handle of the Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh.

"Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus will head the Foundation, which will include a number of Advisers of the Interim Government, student representatives, and the family members of the deceased and injured," it said, adding that the modalities of the foundation will be announced very soon.

Hasina, 76, resigned and fled to India on August 5 following the massive protest by students against the controversial quota system. An interim government was formed and 84-year-old Yunus was appointed as its Chief Adviser.

More than a dozen murder cases have been filed against Hasina, holding her responsible for the deaths of students and ordinary citizens during the police crackdown earlier this month.
London, Aug 20 (PTI) A UK-based Indian students' group organised a protest in Scotland and submitted a memorandum to the Indian mission in Edinburgh demanding urgent steps to address gender-based violence in the wake of the rape and murder case of a medic in Kolkata.

The Students' Federation of IndiaUnited Kingdom (SFI-UK) held a peaceful demonstration outside India's Consulate in Edinburgh on Monday and a delegation submitted their memo to the Acting Consul General of India, strongly condemning the brutal rape and murder of the on-duty female doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

The group is planning further protests, including a gathering in Liverpool on Wednesday, to continue to highlight their demand for justice in a case that has sent shockwaves across India and among the diaspora.

"Instead of actively working towards redressing the problem of gender violence and social injustice in the state of West Bengal, we are seeing the state machinery led by Mamata Banerjee indulge in theatrics and the targeting of protesting voices," said Nikhil Mathew, a PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh and one of the organisers of the protests as SFI-UK secretary.

The government has clearly failed to provide a safe space for working women in the state, added Alakta Das, another PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh and one of the organisers as SFI's Edinburgh Subcommittee Member.

In their memo handed over to the Consulate General of India in Edinburgh, SFI-UK accused the state government of severe laxity in its response to the incident and demanded a "gender-just" workplace for all women.

"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, reads the memo.

It goes on to demand a thorough judicial inquiry into the incident and the implementation of adequate workplace security measures for all medical staff.

We stand in absolute solidarity with all those who are engaged in a determined and resolute struggle against gendered violence and social injustice steeped in power disparities, and demand immediate justice for the victim of the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, the memo concludes.

The group had issued an open letter over the weekend following a peaceful protest staged outside India House in London. A peaceful demonstration by British Indian women doctors is also planned at Parliament Square in London, near the Mahatma Gandhi statue, on Thursday.

The 31-year-old junior doctor was raped and murdered while on duty and her body was discovered at the seminar hall in the hospital premises on August 9, with a civic volunteer arrested in connection with the attack the following day. It has triggered widespread doctors agitation and a CBI inquiry into the case is ongoing.
Islamabad, Aug 20 (PTI) Pakistans anti-corruption watchdog on Tuesday filed a new case of Toshakhana corruption against jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi.

This is the third Toshakhana case, including the first filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan against Khan, while the second filed by NAB against both Khan, 71, and Bibi, 50.

The new Toshahana corruption case is based on a probe by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) about the alleged violation of rules in the purchase of a piece of jewellery from the state depository where all gifts are stored which are presented to top political leadership during foreign trips.

On behalf of NAB, its investigating officer Mohsin Haroon and case officer Waqar Hassan submitted the case documents to an accountability court here.

Earlier, the NAB had investigated the former first couple in the case at Rawalpindis Adiala Jail, where they have been incarcerated since last year. They are under probe for the alleged misuse of gifts received from foreign dignitaries during their time in office.

According to NAB's allegations, the couple is accused of purchasing a jewellery set, valued at Rs 75 million, from the Toshakhana and selling it by violating rules.

Khan was convicted and arrested on August 5, 2023, but later his sentence was suspended and he was given bail.

In the second case, an Islamabad accountability court on January 31 convicted the couple in a case for retaining expensive jewellery from the Toshakhana, after paying a nominal price.

However, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in April suspended their sentences.
Dhaka, Aug 20 (PTI) Bangladesh on Tuesday decided to set up a foundation to take care of the families of those killed and injured in the unprecedented student-led violent protests that ultimately led to the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government.

Over 600 people, including 44 police personnel and at least 30 children, have been killed since the massive protest by students over a controversial quota system in government jobs first started in July.

Hasina, 76, resigned and fled to India on August 5 following the massive protest by students against the controversial quota system. Yunus, 84, took oath as the Chief Adviser of the Interim Government on August 8.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus will head the Foundation, which will include an Adviser of the Interim Government, student representatives, and the family members of the deceased and injured, the state-run news agency, Bangladesh Sangbad Sanstha (BSS), said quoting a press release from the Press Wing of Yunus office.

We can never forget the contributions of the students and people who sacrificed their lives and who were grievously wounded while participating in the protests against the dictatorship, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus said.

It is my duty and our national duty to stand by their side. We will do whatever is needed to take good care of the wounded and families of the deceased as soon as possible, the BSS quoted Yunus as saying.

Earlier, the official X handle of the Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh posted the announcement and said the modalities of the Foundation would be announced very soon.

Arrangements have been made for their medical and family needs, the BSS said, adding, Dedicated government departments and officials would be assigned in this regard.

Citizens and the Bangladeshi diaspora have been urged to contribute to the Foundation, it added.

Soon after taking over as the Chief Adviser, Yunus has been pushing for several important decisions, which, according to him, are necessary to pacify the agitated citizens and also to bring the economy back on track.

Earlier in the day, women leaders met with Yunus urging swift action on the treatment of those injured in recent violence and the establishment of a judicial reforms commission to prevent a recurrence of past mistakes.

The Daily Star newspaper said that during the meeting, held at the state guesthouse Jamuna, the women leaders presented a series of recommendations aimed at curbing violence against women and ensuring fair recruitment processes.

The chief adviser responded positively to their suggestions, it added.

Meanwhile, more than a dozen murder cases have been filed against Hasina, holding her responsible for the deaths of students and ordinary citizens during the police crackdown leading to the historic day of August 5 when her 15-plus-year rule described as autocratic by her opponents ended.
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The president of the University of California (UC) announced on Monday that the top public university systems in the United States will enforce rules to ban encampments, face masks and other activities related to protests as students return for the new school year to its 10 campuses, which were hit by waves of pro-Palestine demonstrations earlier this year.

In a letter to the university system's community, UC President Michael V. Drake said the university will take several steps to facilitate more consistency across its campuses. These include establishing policies that prohibit camping or encampments, unauthorized structures, restrictions on free movement, masking to conceal identity, and refusing to reveal one's identity when asked to do so by university personnel.

The letter said that UC is also developing a framework for consistent implementation of its policies and consistent responses to policy violations.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations spread at colleges and universities across the United States amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. UC has faced backlash for its handling of campus protests, especially after hundreds were arrested in crackdowns on pro-Palestinian protests and encampments on its campuses across California last school year.

Academic workers at UC voiced readiness for "a long fight" in June after a judge ordered their union to halt its strike over the university's handling of pro-Palestinian protests. The strike by United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 4811, representing 48,000 academic workers across the UC system, expanded to six of UC's 10 campuses. 
Thane, Aug 20 (PTI) Police have arrested five Bangladeshi women from Mira Road in Maharashtra's Thane district after they were found living in India without permission and valid documents, officials said on Tuesday.

The action was taken by the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell of the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar commissionerate, they said.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (crime) Madan Ballal said the police had received a tip-off that some Bangladeshi nationals were residing illegally in Mira Road area, following which raids were conducted at two slums on Saturday.

Five Bangladeshi women were nabbed in the operation. During their questioning, they could not produce any valid documents for their stay in the country, he said.

FIRs have been registered against them at the Mira Road and Naya Nagar police stations under the provisions of the Passport (Entry into India) Act and Foreigners Act, the police said, adding that a probe was on.
Kolkata, Aug 20 (PTI) The Kolkata Police on Tuesday began an investigation against RG Kar Medical College and Hospital's former principal Sandip Ghosh for his alleged involvement in "financial irregularities" in the state-run health facility, a senior officer said.

The probe against Ghosh commenced after a four-member SIT was constituted to investigate the alleged financial irregularities at the hospital where the body of a postgraduate trainee doctor was found earlier this month.

The police are likely to summon Ghosh in connection with its investigation, the officer said.

The former principal of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was also booked for disclosing the identity of the postgraduate trainee doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at the state-run health facility on August 9.

"There are allegations that Ghosh was involved in financial irregularities at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Our officers will soon issue summons to him for questioning," the officer said.

"Ghosh also disclosed the identity of the deceased woman while speaking to reporters soon after her body was recovered. He will be questioned for that as well," he said.

The cases were lodged at the Tala Police Station, the officer said.

The special investigation team (SIT), headed by Swami Vivekananda State Police Academy IG Dr Pranav Kumar, was formed at a time when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting its probe into the alleged rape and murder of the trainee doctor.

The SIT will probe into the alleged financial irregularities at the hospital during the period from January 2021 till date.

Notably, Ghosh was appointed as the principal of the hospital in 2021.

Ghosh was questioned by the CBI for the last four days in connection with its probe into the death of the doctor.
Aizawl, Aug 20 (PTI) Mizoram Assembly on Tuesday paid rich tributes to former member Kapoor Chand Thakuri, the first and only nominated legislative assembly member from the Gorkha community.

The 83-year-old leader died of hypertension in a hospital in Nepal's Kathmandu on July 15.

Chief Minister Lalduhoma made obituary references to the former member and recalled the great service rendered by him as a politician.

He said that the Mizoram government and state assembly deeply mourned the demise of Thakuri and cherished his service to Mizoram and the people of the state.

Opposition leader Lalchhandama Ralte and PWD minister Vanlalhlana also made condolence speeches and spoke about the contribution of the leader.

The two leaders also hailed the Gorkha community in the state for their contribution towards the state.

One minute of silence was observed by the members to pay respect to the departed leader.

Thakuri was born and brought up in Aizawl.

He was initially a teacher and later switched to business before he joined Mizo Union (MU), the first political party in the state.

He was nominated to the first Mizoram legislative assembly from the linguistic minority Gorkha community in 1972 after Mizoram became a Union Territory.

He was the first and only member of the Gorkha community to have been nominated to the state assembly.

After Thakuri, no person from the Gorkha community has been either elected or nominated to the state assembly till date.

During that time the Mizoram assembly had 30 seats, 2 of which were reserved for minority communities - Gorkha and Bru.

After retiring from politics, Thakuri migrated to Nepal in his old age and settled there permanently.

Two-day monsoon session of Mizoram Assembly began on Tuesday.

Officials said that the assembly secretariat has received 273 starred questions and 17 unstarred questions to be presented and answered during the two-day session.

A fresh government bill - 'The Mizoram Prisons and Correctional Services Bill, 2024,' four amendment bills and one official resolution have also been received to be presented in the assembly, they said.
New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) The Delhi government has directed three of its hospitals to set up isolation rooms for management of suspected and confirmed cases of Mpox, officials said on Tuesday, even as they stressed that there were no patients detected here till now.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in view of its prevalence and spread across many parts of Africa.

"Three Delhi government hospitals -- LNJP, GTB and Baba Saheb Ambedkar -- have been directed to set up isolation rooms for suspected and confirmed cases of the disease. While LNJP has been designated as the nodal facility, two other hospitals are on standby," a senior health department official told PTI.

The Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital will have a total of 20 isolation rooms for the patients, including 10 for confirmed cases. The Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital and Baba Saheb Ambedkar will have 10 rooms each for such patients, with five rooms each in them for suspected cases.

However, the official said that there was no need to panic and the government is fully prepared.

"There are no cases as of now. We are fully alert and monitoring the situation," he added.

An earlier statement from the WHO stated that 99,176 cases and 208 deaths had been reported due to Mpox from 116 countries globally since 2022.

Mpox cases have been steadily increasing in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Last year, the number of reported cases around the world increased significantly. This year, the number of cases reported so far has already exceeded last year's total, with more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths.

Since 2022, thirty Mpox cases were reported in India. The last case of Mpox was detected in March 2024.
New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) The BJP on Tuesday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for evading queries on the Kolkata doctor rape-and-murder case and said his refusal to comment on the issue is an insult to the victim and all women.

Gandhi was in Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli to meet the family of a 22-year-old Dalit man, who was shot dead in Salon area in the district when he was asked for his comment on the Kolkata medic rape-and-murder case.

The Congress leader evaded media queries on the issue and said that he would speak on the matter in future as he does not want to be distracted from the issue of the murder of a Dalit youth whose family he met here.

Reacting sharply, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a post on X, When asked about RG Kar medical case and SC slamming Bengal government and police, Rahul Gandhi shamelessly says: I wont be distracted.

He also posted on X a video clip of Gandhis response to media persons queries in Uttar Pradesh and asked, Is Nyay for Beti (justice for daughter) a distraction?.

Those who speak about Sanvidhan, about Ladki hoon lad sakti hoon and visit victims homes in UP call a grave injustice a distraction because it happened in Bengal, Poonawalla charged.

BJP co in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya also flayed Gandhi for his response, calling him "shameless and a spineless creature".

"Shameless Rahul Gandhi calls the brutal rape and murder of the young lady doctor at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, which has the whole country agitated, a distraction," he charged.

"Such a spineless creature is aspiring to be the Prime Minister of India. Never," Malviya said.
Faridabad, Aug 20 (PTI) A 35-year-old labourer was allegedly beaten to death by the owners of an RMCA plant here when he went to ask for money to go home, police said on Tuesday.

The victim was identified as Bechan Shah, a native of district Chhapra in Bihar, working at the RMCA plant in Mirzapur village for the last few months, they said. He was working at a salary of Rs 12,000 per month.

According to police, the plant owners owed him Rs 65,000 and had paid him Rs 29,000. Shah wanted to go to Bihar to visit his family on Rakshabandhan and he demanded the outstanding salary from his employers Ramesh Tiwari and Gyani.

According to the complaint filed by Madan, the victim's co-worker, late Sunday evening Tiwari and his brother-in-law Rajesh were drinking when Shah demanded his remaining salary. They thrashed him and left him seriously injured, police said.

Shah was rushed to the hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, Madan said.

Based on Madan's complaint, an FIR was registered at the Sector 7 police station on Monday, police said.

"We have arrested the plant owner Ramesh Tiwari and his brother-in-law Rajesh Kumar. We are questioning the accused and the body of the deceased handed over to kin after the postmortem", said Inspector Manoj Kumar, SHO, Faridabad.
New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) Members of different student outfits of Delhi University on Tuesday staged a demonstration on the campus against the rape and murder of a doctor at a state-run hospital in Kolkata.

Raising slogans for stronger women's safety measures, the students took out a march outside the Arts Faculty seeking justice for the victim.

Led by All India Students Association (AISA) and Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), the students carried posters and banners bearing slogans such as "India should unite for women safety", "reclaim the streets", and "smash patriarchy".

The protestors demanded action against the accused and a transparent investigation.

The rape and murder of a junior doctor at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in the West Bengal capital has sparked nationwide protests.

The postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at the hospital on August 9.

Several doctors' bodies have also been sitting on an indefinite strike over the past few days, disrupting healthcare services.

The striking doctors are demanding a quick and transparent probe into the matter and the formation of a Central Protection Act for ensuring safety of healthcare workers.
New Delhi, Aug 19 (PTI) A seven-year-old boy went missing in northwest Delhi's Ashok Vihar and his body was found hours later in a drain, with his mother alleging on Monday he lost his life because the drain was open and he would go there to relieve himself as the area lacks proper toilet facility.

Police said Prince was playing near his house on Sunday afternoon when he went missing.

They said on Monday that they have registered an FIR under sections of negligence. Prince's family alleged they lost their son as the drain remain opened. They also said that their son would often relieve himself near the drain as there was no proper toilet in their locality.

The family filed a missing persons complaint on Sunday and a search was conducted, Deputy Commissioner of Police (northwest) Jitendra Meena said.

While the search was on, someone informed the police that Prince was seen playing near a drain which was not covered.

The body was recovered from the drain Sunday evening, Meena said, adding the body has been handed over to his family after portmortem and an FIR has been registered at the Wazirpur Police station against unnamed persons under sections related to negligence.

Prince is survived by his parents, who are labourers, and a younger brother. They live at the JJ cluster of A Block in Wazirpur Industrial area. Prince was a class two student of a government school.

The family members have blamed the civic authorities for the death of their son.

His mother told the media on Monday that she lost him because the drain was open. She said her son would often go to relieve himself near the drain as there was no proper toilet facility in their locality.

Police said it was a five-feet-deep drain and they had to take the help of divers to retrieve the body.

The police are also probing if the boy was pushed into the drain by someone or he fell accidently, officials said.
New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the removal of the name, photos and videos of a trainee doctor, who was raped and murdered in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, from all social media platforms.

A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said disclosure of the identity of a victim of sexual assault is a violation of its order passed in the Nipun Saxena case.

"This court is constrained to issue an injunctive order since the social and electronic media have proceeded to publish the identity of the deceased and photographs of the dead body after the recovery of the body.

"We accordingly direct that all references to the name of the deceased in the above incident, photographs and video clips shall forthwith be removed from all social media platforms and electronic media in compliance of this order," the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said.

The top court was hearing a plea filed by lawyer Kinnori Ghosh and others against the disclosure of the victim medic's identity on social media.

The plea said the name of the deceased and related hashtags have been widely disseminated on electronic and social media platforms including Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Google (YouTube) and X (formerly Twitter).

Earlier in the day, the apex court had said it was deeply concerned that the name of the deceased was published all over social media.

"Photographs and video clips are all over the media. This is extremely concerning. We are first to recognise free speech but there are well-settled parameters. There are judgments of the court like in Nipun Saxena (case) that names of survivors of sexual assault will not be published," the apex court said.

In its 2018 judgement in the Nipun Saxena case, the top court had said, "No person can print or publish in print, electronic, social media, etc. the name of the victim or even in a remote manner disclose any facts which can lead to the victim being identified and which should make her identity known to the public at large."

The trainee doctor's body with severe injury marks was found inside the seminar hall of the hospital's chest department on August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata Police the following day for his alleged involvement in the rape-murder incident.


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GUIYANG, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Jiao Hongxiu, a Miao ethnic woman, recently won an international art and design award for her work.

"Creating pieces rooted in our ethnic culture that can also 'dialogue' with the world gives me greater confidence in preserving and developing intangible cultural heritage," Jiao expressed with pride when discussing her achievement.

At the third FA International Frontier Innovative Art and Design Competition (China division), Jiao submitted two fashion illustrations inspired by Miao embroidery. Her works stood out among over 13,000 entries, earning her the gold and bronze awards in the professional category.

The gold-winning piece, titled "Journey of Splendor," creatively reinterprets traditional Miao embroidery patterns of people, flowers and birds into geometric forms.

By integrating modern design aesthetics, Jiao fused Miao embroidery culture with contemporary elements, vividly portraying the current vibrant life of the Miao people.

"Although the entire work incorporates modern design concepts, the color schemes and pattern designs are all inspired by Miao embroidery, which is the soul of the piece," she said.

Guizhou Province in the southwestern heartland of China is home to abundant ethnic cultural resources. Miao embroidery has been recognized as part of China's first batch of national intangible cultural heritage.

Jiao, 39, grew up in Luomian Village, Lushan Township of Kaili City, Guizhou Province. Watching her mother dye fabrics, embroider, and sew clothes from a young age, she developed a deep interest in Miao embroidery and other intangible cultural heritage.

With a bachelor's degree in art design, Jiao has always maintained a passion for ethnic culture. She has been tirelessly seeking larger platforms to promote Miao embroidery and other intangible cultural heritages, aiming to preserve these traditional handicrafts.

Over the past decade, Jiao has dedicated herself to the cultural heritage preservation and development cause by furthering her professional training at university, visiting multiple ethnic villages to consult with heritage inheritors, running a cultural and creative store, and eventually establishing her own company.

"The public's love for ethnic handcrafted products reveals a vast market for these traditional crafts. However, the gap in generational succession among Miao embroidery inheritors also highlights the challenging task of preserving and passing down this ethnic culture," Jiao said.

In 2018, Jiao established a cultural and creative company focused on cultivating talent in traditional ethnic handicrafts and developing related products for sale.

Each year, Jiao hosts numerous study tours and research teams, and she has been invited to conduct training sessions in various regions. To date, she has trained over 700 individuals.

"In addition to teaching everyone how to master embroidery and other skills, I hope to bring new design and creative concepts. While preserving Miao embroidery, we can also better embrace fashion," Jiao added.

In her studio, she not only displays high-end custom ethnic garments but also a variety of daily items incorporating intangible cultural elements like embroidery and batik. "Miao embroidery is highly versatile; it can serve as a classic decoration for ethnic clothing or as a fashionable touch for everyday items like cushions, bags, shoes and hats," Jiao explained.

"The preservation of intangible cultural heritages like Miao embroidery requires not only maintaining their original essence but also integrating them with contemporary aesthetics," said Liu Rui, head of the Silver Embroidery Office in Kaili City.

"By combining traditional craftsmanship with digital and intelligent production lines, we can better integrate these arts into daily life and fashion trends," Liu added. 
Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) released information today showcasing Columbia Universitys failure to discipline students who engaged in extreme conduct violations, including breaking into, and occupying, Hamilton Hall and participating in antisemitic encampments that made the University a hostile environment for Jewish students.

Despite Columbia previously promising that the students who occupied Hamilton Hall would face expulsion, the vast majority remain in good standing.

Chairwoman Foxx said: The failure of Columbias invertebrate administration to hold accountable students who violate university rules and break the law is disgraceful and unacceptable. More than three months after the criminal takeover of Hamilton Hall, the vast majority of the student perpetrators remain in good standing. By allowing its own disciplinary process to be thwarted by radical students and faculty, Columbia has waved the white flag in surrender while offering up a get-out-of-jail-free card to those who participated in these unlawful actions. Breaking into campus buildings or creating antisemitic hostile environments like the encampment should never be given a single degree of latitudethe universitys willingness to do just that is reprehensible.
Fred Trump III, the nephew of former President Donald Trump, has raised concerns about his uncles mental health, suggesting that the 77-year-old might be showing signs of dementia. In a recent interview on The Dean Obeidallah Show, Fred Trump III spoke about the potential decline in Donald Trumps cognitive abilities, which he believes could be linked to a family history of dementia.

I know the warning signs from both of my grandfathers, Fred said during the interview, referencing his grandfather Fred Trump Sr., who was diagnosed with Alzheimers before his death. He noted that dementia runs in the family, citing other relatives, including Donald Trumps older sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, who also showed signs of cognitive decline in her later years.

During the interview, host Dean Obeidallah asked Fred Trump III if he had noticed any similarities between Donald Trumps current behavior and that of his grandfather during the onset of dementia. Fred responded: Donald said, Oh, my father was tiptop until the end. I can assure you that was not the case.

Fred went on to explain that he has observed concerning changes in his uncles behavior, pointing to his inability to stick to a consistent message and a tendency to return to past talking points, such as crowd sizes at his inauguration. He used to be able to stick to a message. Now he just cant stick to a message, Fred said.

He added that these issues were becoming apparent during recent campaign events. He recalled a rally in North Carolina where Donald Trump, despite being expected to focus on economic issues, veered off course, delivering a disjointed speech. He goes to play the old merry tunes of craziness, Fred noted, observing that even some of Trumps loyal base seemed to be growing weary of his rhetoric.

Fred also expressed concern for his own future, given the familys history of dementia. Im not happy about it because guess what? I worry about it myself, he admitted.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Civilians with small children in their arms and lugging heavy suitcases fled Monday from Ukraines eastern city of Pokrovsk, where the Russian army was bearing down fast despite a lightning Ukrainian incursion into Russias Kursk region.

Local authorities said Russian forces were advancing so quickly that families were under orders to leave the city and other nearby towns and villages starting Tuesday. Around 53,000 people still live in Pokrovsk, officials said, and some of them decided to get out immediately.

People of all ages boarded trains and buses with the belongings they could carry. Some wept as they waited to depart. Soldiers helped the elderly with their bags, and volunteers helped people with disabilities. Rail workers wore bulletproof vests.

Natalya Ivaniuk said the noise of explosions from Russian bombardments filled the air while she and her daughters, age 7 and 9, fled their home in the nearby village of Myrnohrad, which is less than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the front line.

It was terrifyingly scary, she told The Associated Press. We barely got out.

Pokrovsk is one of Ukraines main defensive strongholds and a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region. Its capture would compromise Ukraines defensive abilities and supply routes and would bring Russia closer to its stated aim of capturing the entire Donetsk region.

One of Kyivs attempts to ease the pressure on its eastern front was the unexpected Aug. 6 incursion into Russias Kursk region, which among other goals aimed to unnerve the Kremlin and compel it to split its military resources.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday the daring incursion is trying to create a buffer zone that might prevent further attacks by Moscow across the border, especially with long-range artillery, missiles and glide bombs.

In a social media statement, Zelenskyy said Monday evening that Ukraine currently controlled 1,250 square kilometers (about 480 square miles) and 92 settlements inside the Kursk region.

The Russian border area opposite our Sumy region has been mostly cleared of Russian military presence, he said. Now, our warriors real success speaks for itself. Our defensive actions across the border, as well as Putins inability to defend his territory, are telling. Our proactive defense is the most effective counter to Russian terror, causing significant difficulties for the aggressor.

Russias relentless six-month slog across Ukraines Donetsk region following the capture of Avdiivka has cost it heavily in troops and armor. However, the onslaught has gradually paid dividends as Ukrainian defenders have no choice but to pull back from positions blown to pieces by Russian artillery, missiles and bombs.

There is a lot of destruction around us, so it becomes more and more scary to stay, said Tetiana Myronenko, 57, who came from Selydove just 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the front line.

She sat next to her husband in the car of a train waiting to leave Pokrovsk. It was bound for Lviv, hundreds of kilometers (miles) away in western Ukraine.

Russia wants control of all parts of Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk, which together make up the Donbas industrial region.

Officials warned last week that Russian forces were rapidly advancing and were just 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the outskirts of Pokrovsk.

Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraines Commander-in-Chief, said Monday that heavy battles were taking place in the Pokrovsk area.

The nearby town of Toretsk, whose capture would open the door for a Russian advance on the key stronghold of Chasiv Yar from the south, is also under heavy pressure, he said.

The Institute for the Study of War said Russian forces have been advancing roughly two square kilometers (0.8 square miles) per day in the Pokrovsk region over the past six months.

They have relied on frontal infantry assaults from village to village, notching incremental progress as they make their manpower and materiel advantages tell, the Washington-based think tank said late Sunday.

Pokrovsk officials were meeting with residents to provide them with logistical details on the evacuation. People were offered shelter in western Ukraine, where they will be hosted in dormitories and separate houses prepared for them.

In other developments:

A pregnant woman was killed and 10 others were wounded by Ukrainian shelling in the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk, the regions Moscow-installed head Denis Pushilin said on social media. Two children were among the injured, he said.

In the Russian city of Proletarsk, about 270 kilometers (170 miles) from the Ukraine border, 41 firefighters needed medical attention, and 18 of them were hospitalized, in a fire at a warehouse that was started by debris from an intercepted drone, regional Gov. Vasily Golubev said.

(AP)
Protesters broke through a fence set up by police near the site of the Democratic National Convention on its opening day Monday as thousands took to the streets to voice their opposition to the war in Gaza.

As the larger group marched, a few dozen who broke away tore down pieces of the security fence. Some protesters, dressed in black with their faces covered, dragged pieces of the fence back to a park near the United Center, where the convention is being held.

Several protesters who had managed to get through the fence were detained and handcuffed by the police.

Authorities said the inner security perimeter surrounding convention site was not breached and there was no threat to those attending the convention.

Members of the crowd chanted End the occupation now and then The whole world is watching! just as anti-Vietnam War protesters did during the infamous 1968 convention in Chicago when police clashed with protesters on live television. Officers put on gas masks as some protesters tried to bring down a second fence set up in front of police.

The march happened just as President Joe Biden, who has been the target of intense criticism from pro-Palestinian groups, including the marchers, was doing a walk-through of the largely empty United Center. Biden was scheduled to address the party in the evening.

Biden, you cant hide. We charge you with genocide, the marchers chanted amid the beating of drums. They also referred to him as Genocide Joe and lodged similar chants at Vice President Kamala Harris.

(AP)
Disgraced Democratic Senator Robert Menendez is expected to resign from office on Tuesday, amidst reports that he is negotiating a pardon from President Joe Biden before the president leaves office at the end of the year.

Menendez was convicted last month on 16 felony counts, including bribery and corruption, after a lengthy trial in Manhattan federal court. The charges stem from allegations that he accepted cash, gold bars, and a luxury Mercedes convertible in exchange for using his influential position to enrich and protect three businessmen and further the interests of the Egyptian and Qatari governments. He could face over 200 years in prison when he is sentenced in October.

The 70-year-old senator had been running as an independent in the upcoming November election but withdrew from the race last week, effectively clearing the path for Democratic frontrunner Andy Kim to take his seat. Insiders say that Menendezs decision to drop out was likely his last negotiating tool, as Democrats feared his candidacy could split the vote and hand the race to Republican candidate Curtis Bashaw.

In addition to his own legal troubles, Menendezs wife, Nadine Arslanian, has been indicted on similar corruption and bribery charges. However, her trial has been postponed indefinitely while she undergoes treatment for breast cancer.

Following Menendezs resignation, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has appointed his former chief of staff, George Helmy, to temporarily fill the vacant Senate seat starting in September.

Menendezs conviction also puts his pension and health benefits at risk. Under the Stock Act, lawmakers convicted of corruption-related felonies may lose their retirement perks. Menendez currently earns an annual Senate salary of $174,000 and, due to his more than 30 years of government service, would be eligible for a pension of nearly $140,000 per year, as well as lifetime healthcare coverage for both him and his wife.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
A federal judge on Monday denied Hunter Bidens latest bid to dismiss the tax charges against him, setting the stage for his trial to begin next month in California.

Citing a ruling in Florida that threw out a separate prosecution of former President Donald Trump, Hunter Bidens lawyers had urged the judge to dismiss the case accusing him of a four-year scheme to avoid paying at least $1.4 million in taxes.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon tossed Trumps classified documents case last month because she said special counsel Jack Smith, who filed those charges, was illegally appointed by the Justice Department. The Justice Department is appealing that ruling.

Hunter Bidens lawyers had argued the same logic should apply in his case, which was brought by a different Justice Department special counsel.

But U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi noted in his ruling that he had already rejected a previous challenge by Hunter Biden to the appointment of special counsel David Weiss. The judge said there is no valid basis for reconsideration of that decision.

Scarsi, who was appointed to the bench by Trump, had accused Hunter Bidens lawyers of making false statements in their court filing urging the judge to dismiss the case. At issue was a defense comment that no charges were brought in the investigation until after Weiss was named special counsel in August 2023.

The judge noted that Weiss had not yet been named special counsel when he charged Hunter Biden with misdemeanor tax offenses as part of a plea deal that fell apart last year. Scarsi ordered Hunter Bidens lawyers to explain why they should not be sanctioned.

Hunter Bidens lawyers responded that they have never tried to mislead the court.

In his order Monday, the judge said he would not sanction defense lawyers after they amended their filing. But the judge wrote that the defenses conduct warrants an admonition: candor is paramount.

A hearing in the case is set for Wednesday, when the judge is expected to hear arguments over what evidence the prosecution and defense can present to jurors.

Its the second criminal trial in just months against the presidents son, who was convicted in June of three felony charges in a separate federal case stemming from the purchase of a gun in 2018.

(AP)
Challengers seeking to throw Robert F. Kennedy Jr. off Georgias November ballot told a judge on Monday that the independent presidential candidate must be disqualified because the New York address he used on Georgia ballot access petitions is a sham.

It shows how a decision by a New York court last week finding Kennedy doesnt live at the address in the New York City suburbs is being used to attack Kennedys ballot access in other states. The judge ruled Kennedy shouldnt appear on New York ballots, but Kennedy is appealing.

In New York on Monday, a trial opened in suburban Long Island in another lawsuit challenging Kennedys place on the states presidential ballot in November.

In Georgia, challengers argue that because Kennedy used the New York address, his petitions should be voided.

The court found, by clear and convincing evidence that petitioners had shown that his New York residence was a sham used for political purposes, lawyer Adam Sparks said after a Monday hearing in Atlanta. He doesnt live there. He claimed to on each and every sheet of his petition here in Georgia. Thats improper. It invalidates the petition, full stop.

But a lawyer for Kennedy presented Michael Malihi, an administrative law judge, with Kennedys voting history as evidence of his New York residency.

Mr. Kennedy has been a lifelong resident of the state of New York, lawyer Larry Otter said.

Otter said the challengers are improperly trying to impose additional qualifications on a presidential candidate beyond those in the U.S. Constitution  that a person be at least 35 years old, born in the United States, and live in the country at least 14 years.

Sparks also challenged Kennedys status as an independent. He argued that because Kennedy is running as the nominee of several parties in other states  including Kennedys own We the People Party  that Kennedy doesnt qualify as an independent under Georgia law.

They circumvent requirements for qualification in Georgia by gaming the system, Sparks said.

Otter said the other parties arent present in Georgia.

Democrats are also challenging ballot places for independent candidate Cornel West, the Green Party, which has nominated Jill Stein, and the Party for Socialism and Liberations Claudia De la Cruz.

While none of those candidates are likely to win Georgias 16 electoral votes, independent and third-party candidates could tip Georgias balance away from Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Joe Biden won Georgia by fewer than 12,000 votes in 2020.

Georgia counties determined that Kennedy, West and De la Cruz each collected at least 7,500 signatures to qualify. Stein hopes to use a new Georgia law awarding a ballot place to candidates of a party that qualifies in at least 20 other states.

Malihi heard two challenges to Kennedy on Monday, as well as a challenge to De la Cruz. Hell hear challenges Thursday to West and the Green Party. Malihi will issue findings to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who will make a final ruling. A decision must be made before Georgia mails military and overseas ballots beginning Sept. 17.

Lawyers for Democrats argue each of De la Cruzs and Kennedys 16 electors needed to file separate nomination petitions. Lawyers for the candidates disputed this interpretation Monday, saying its wrong to believe each campaign needs 120,000 signatures.

A lawyer for Democrats said the petitions have illegal formatting errors, and argued that just because Raffenspergers office accepted them doesnt mean they are legally sound. De la Cruzs lawyer said the judge should defer to the agencys interpretation

Estevan Hernandez, a Georgia volunteer for De la Cruz, criticized Democrats for challenging other candidates with technical arguments, saying its an undemocratic maneuver.

One rich lawyer with the backing of the Democratic Party machine is trying to override the clear intent for these 15,000-plus people to have Claudia De la Cruz on the ballot, Hernandez said after the hearing.

Georgia is one of more than a half-dozen states where challenges have been made by Democrats and allies to Kennedys petitions. Kennedys campaign says it has enough signatures for ballot access in all 50 states.

In the additional New York suit, plaintiffs backed by the Democratic National Committee argue nearly all of the more than 145,000 voter signatures collected by Kennedys campaign to qualify for the ballot are invalid.

They claim some signatures dont properly list an address, are illegible or are signed by non-registered voters, among other issues. They also claim representatives for Kennedys campaign knowingly concealed the candidates name when soliciting signatures from voters.

Kennedy is expected to testify in the New York trial on Wednesday and possibly into Thursday. His vice presidential running mate, Nicole Shanahan, is expected to testify remotely.

In Pennsylvania, challengers contend Kennedys false address for nominating papers disregards state law. An attorney for Kennedy said the challenge contained specious allegations. A court will conduct a hearing Tuesday.

Clear Choice Action, a Democrat-aligned political action committee, said it was backing challenges to Kennedy and West in Georgia, as it has backed the lawsuits in New York and some other states. The two other challenges heard Monday were coordinated by the state Democratic Party.

The truth of the matter is, I think people ought to play by the rules, and thats important, said Robert Wittenstein, a suburban Atlanta man who is one of the two people who filed the Clear Choice Action-backed challenges against Kennedy and West.

(AP)
CBS political correspondent Caitlin Huey-Burns confronted former President Donald Trump on his refusal to accept the outcome of the 2020 election during an interview in Pennsylvania on Monday. As Trump pledged to accept the results of the upcoming 2024 election, he clarified that his acceptance would depend on whether he deems the election fair and free.

In the interview, which took place while Democrats launched their convention in Chicago, Huey-Burns questioned Trump about his stance on election integrity, his attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris, and his willingness to release his medical records  which Trump said he would gladly do.

When asked directly if he would accept the results of the 2024 election, Trump responded, If I see that we had a fair and free election, which I hope to be able to say, but if I see that, I will. You will never see anybody more honorable than me. Im an honorable person.

When Huey-Burns pointed out that Trump did not accept the results of the previous election, he replied, Thats right, because there were many problems with the last election. You know it, so do they, and so does everybody else.

Huey-Burns pushed back, citing that many legal cases were dropped. Trump countered by blaming the courts, saying, No, no, they werent brought because the judges wouldnt take them because they said it was after the election. Well, how else are you going to find out until after the election?

Trump also expressed optimism that changes made in the last four years would ensure a fair election in 2024. Certainly, if for some reason I lose, and I think if I lose, this country will go into a tailspin the likes of which its never seen before, the likes of 1929  but if I do, and its free and fair, absolutely, I will accept the results, Trump said.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The 2024 summit for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), scheduled for early September in Beijing, will inject vitality into China-Africa relations, jointly advancing modernization and building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future, Hu Changchun, head of the Chinese Mission to the African Union (AU), said here Tuesday.

Addressing a press briefing on the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the 2024 FOCAC Beijing summit, Hu said the upcoming FOCAC summit is expected to further deepen solidarity and cooperation between China and Africa. He said the summit will make new contributions to promoting global modernization and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Hu said the 2024 FOCAC Beijing summit will be an event to celebrate China-Africa friendship, explore cooperation, and chart the course for the future under the theme of "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future."

From Sept. 4 to 6, the forum will hold a series of activities including the opening ceremony, a welcoming banquet and a gala performance, high-level meetings, the Conference of Chinese and African Entrepreneurs, and bilateral meetings.

"China and Africa have always been focusing on cooperation to actively push forward the implementation of the outcomes of FOCAC, which has strongly promoted their common development, brought tangible benefits to the two peoples, and laid a solid foundation for the building of a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future," Hu told reporters.

He stressed that China, as "Africa's good friend, good partner and good brother," applies the principles of sincerity, real results, amity, good faith, and of pursuing the greater good and shared interests as its Africa policy.

"Over the past 11 years, China has stayed committed to these principles. Together with our African friends and drawing strength from the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, we have pressed ahead on the path of solidarity and cooperation, stood for justice amid shifting global dynamics, and looked out for each other in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic," Hu said. "We have taken China-Africa relations to new heights and entered the new stage of jointly building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future."

Responding to questions on the crucial role of FOCAC in terms of augmenting China-Africa relations, Hu emphasized that the close interaction between the two peoples has closely linked the Chinese dream and the African dream, writing the most vivid chapter of the China-Africa community with a shared future.

Under the framework of FOCAC, people-to-people exchanges between China and Africa have become increasingly close and fruitful, and have been an important pillar of the common aspiration for building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future, he said.

As of 2023, China has sent cumulatively 24,000 medical team members to Africa. A total of 45 medical teams are currently working at more than 100 sites in 44 African countries, according to the press briefing.

Amid the ever-expanding China-Africa cooperation in capacity building and talent development, Hu said China has established 67 Confucius Institutes and 10 Confucius Classrooms in Africa. A total of 16 Luban Workshops have been set up in 14 African countries, while more than 80,000 African students are studying in China. 
Eden Dabas, 30, a resident of Ramat Gan, was formally indicted Monday on charges of allegedly collaborating with an Iranian foreign agent.

According to the prosecution, Dabas had been in contact with the foreign agent for the past four months, using the encrypted messaging app Telegram to communicate. In exchange for completing a series of tasks, Dabas reportedly received $12,000 in cryptocurrency payments. Among the tasks he allegedly carried out were printing and hanging posters advocating for a military coup in Israel and promoting a Telegram group called The Peoples Army, which seeks to recruit more Israeli citizens for similar efforts.

Prosecutors further revealed that Dabas documented his activities by sending video proof to the foreign agent to secure payment. The agent allegedly instructed Dabas to purchase a separate phone and SIM card, along with wigs, gloves, and a hat for concealment. Dabas was also reportedly directed to delete all communication between them to erase evidence of the collaboration.

Alongside the charges of contacting a foreign agent, Dabas is also being indicted for possession of illegal drugs, including MDMA (Ecstasy) and cocaine, which were found to be for personal use.

Authorities are requesting that Dabas remain in custody until the legal proceedings are completed.

The case comes amid rising concerns over Iranian espionage efforts targeting Israeli citizens. Earlier this month, Israels Shin Bet security agency exposed a network of fake online profiles created by Iranian operatives to lure Israelis into espionage activities.

The Shin Bet reiterated that Irans intelligence agencies have been actively using social media to approach Israeli citizens under false identities, seeking to exploit them for espionage. In July, three Israeli citizens were arrested on suspicion of endangering national security on behalf of the Iranian regime.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge differences holding up a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza, and he called on Hamas to do the same, without saying whether concerns cited by the terrorist group had been addressed.

The high-stakes negotiations have gained urgency in recent days as diplomats hope an agreement will deter Iran and Lebanons Hezbollah from avenging the targeted killings of two top militants that were blamed on Israel. The escalating tensions have raised fears of an even more destructive regional war.

Blinken spoke after holding a 2 1/2 hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the day, and will travel to Egypt and Qatar for further negotiations. The three mediators have spent months trying to end the war in Gaza, with the talks repeatedly stalling.

In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel supports the bridging proposal, Blinken told reporters, without saying what the proposal entails. The next important step is for Hamas to say yes.

He added, however, that even if Hamas accepts the proposal, negotiators will spend the coming days working on clear understandings on implementing the agreement. He said there are still complex issues requiring hard decisions by the leaders, without offering specifics.

Hamas has said it is losing faith in the U.S. as a mediator, accusing American negotiators of siding with Israel as it makes new demands that the terror group rejects. Blinken did not say whether the proposal addressed Israels demand for control over two strategic corridors inside Gaza  which Hamas has said is a nonstarter  or other issues that have long bedeviled the negotiations.

Netanyahu said that he had a good and important meeting with Blinken and appreciated the understanding that the United States has shown to our vital security interests, along with our shared efforts to release our hostages. He added that efforts are being made to release the maximum number of hostages in the first stage of a the cease-fire deal.

Blinkens ninth mission to the Middle East since the conflict began came days after mediators, including the United States, expressed renewed optimism that a deal was near. But Hamas has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the latest proposal, and Israel has said there were points on which it was unwilling to compromise.

Earlier on Monday, Blinken said it was a decisive moment, and maybe the last opportunity to free the hostages and secure a cease-fire.

Its also time to make sure that no one takes any steps that could derail this process, he said in a veiled reference to Iran. And so were working to make sure that there is no escalation, that there are no provocations, that there are no actions that in any way move us away from getting this deal over the line, or for that matter, escalating the conflict to other places and to greater intensity.

Mediators will meet again this week to try to cement a cease-fire. Blinken will travel Tuesday to Egypt and Qatar.

Dozens of Israelis demonstrated outside of the Tel Aviv hotel where Blinken was staying, holding photos of the hostages and demanding an immediate cease-fire.

We know that only with vast help of the American administration a deal will come, said Yehuda Cohen, whose 20-year-old son, Nimrod, is being held hostage in Gaza. We are here to say it out loud: Blinken, Antony Blinken, please push Netanyahu for a deal at any price because I want my son to be free.

Late last week, the three countries mediating the proposed cease-fire  Egypt, Qatar and the U.S. reported progress on a deal under which Israel would halt most military operations in Gaza and release a number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of hostages.

The evolving proposal calls for a three-phase process in which Hamas would release all hostages abducted during its Oct. 7 attack. In exchange, Israel would withdraw its forces from Gaza and release Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas accuses Israel of adding new demands that it maintain a military presence along the Gaza-Egypt border to prevent arms smuggling and along a line bisecting the territory so it can search Palestinians returning to their homes in the north to prevent militants from slipping in. Israel said those werent new demands, but clarifications of a previous proposal.

Late Sunday, Hamas said in a statement that Netanyahu has continued to set obstacles to a deal by demanding new conditions, accusing him of wanting to prolong the war. It said the mediators latest offer was a capitulation to Israel.

The new proposal responds to Netanyahus conditions, Hamas said.

(AP)
The bodies of six hostages were rescued from Gaza overnight Monday in a joint IDF and Shin Bet operation, the IDF and Shin Bet announced on Tuesday morning.

The bodies of Avraham Munder, Hyd, Nadav Popplewell, Hyd, Alex Dancyg, Hyd, Chaim Peri, Hyd, Yoram Metzger, Hyd, and Yagev Buchshtav, Hyd, were rescued from a tunnel in Khan Younis.

All of them were abducted alive on October 7th and were murdered in captivity by the Hamas monsters. Until his body was recovered, Munder was presumed to have still been alive in captivity.

The bodies were brought to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Israel, where they were identified. The families were then notified by IDF representatives.

The number of hostages still being held in Gaza now stands at 105.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, Kibbutz Nir Oz confirmed that Avraham Munder HYD, 79, who had been held captive by Hamas, had been killed.

The Gaza-border community reported that Munder endured severe physical and psychological abuse over several months before his death.

Munder, who was employed at a paint factory, is remembered fondly as a warm-hearted individual with a love for singing. Tragically, his son Roy was killed on October 7, and Munder himself was kidnapped along with his wife, Ruti, daughter Keren, and grandson Ohad.

His wife, daughter, and grandson were released in a hostage exchange in November.

Chaim Peri, zl, 79, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. He was a father of five and grandfather of 13. His wife survived the massacre.

Yagev Buchshtav, zl, 34, was abducted from Kibbutz Nirim on October 7, along with his wife, Rimon Kirsht Buchshtav, who was released in November.

Nadav Popplewell, zl, 51, was abducted from Kibbutz Nirim along with his mother Channah Peri, who was released in November. His brother Roi Popplewell, Hyd, 54, was murdered on October 7.

Yoram Metzger, zl, 80, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 along with his wife Tami, who was released in November. He was a father of three and grandfather of seven.

Alex Dancyg, zl, 75, a world-renowned historian and Holocaust educator, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. He was born in Warsaw to Holocaust survivors and made aliyah with his parents in 1957. He dedicated his life to Holocaust education, including leading trips to Poland and teaching Yad Vashem guides.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Border Police officers overnight Tuesday found 34 Palestinians who had entered Israel illegally in a Tel Aviv apartment complex.

The Arabs were arrested and transferred to the Tel Aviv police for interrogation.

An Israeli resident of Tel Aviv called the police on Monday and reported that there were illegal Palestinians in an apartment building in the Shapira neighborhood of south Tel Aviv.

Her report followed the explosion in south Tel Aviv by a Palestinian suicide bomber who had entered Israel illegally and planned to carry out a mass-casualty attack but bchasdei Hashem caused only his own gruesome death and the injury of one Israeli.

Sheffi Paz, an activist for the rights of Jews in south Tel Aviv, responded to the report: It takes a suicide bomber for the police to remember that the neighborhoods of south Tel Aviv are overrun with illegal infiltrators. Tonight, 37 infiltrators were arrested in the Shapira neighborhood. And I still havent received an answer to the question: Were their landlords also arrested?

On Sunday evening, Tel Aviv police officers arrested three Palestinian infiltrators who were working (illegally) at a construction site of a kindergarten in the city. They also arrested the infiltrators employer.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
On Monday, the Democratic National Convention (DNC) held its first-ever panel discussion on Palestinian human rights, a reflection of the growing influence of progressive activists within the Democratic Party regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The panel, organized by members of the Uncommitted National Movement, took place at a satellite location six miles from the main convention site in Chicago. The movement, which encourages voters to withhold support from President Joe Biden due to his backing of Israels military actions against Hamas in Gaza, aims to pressure Democratic leaders to shift their stance on the conflict.

This week, 30 Uncommitted delegates will be engaging with Democratic leaders inside the DNC, asking them to unite the party, win a ceasefire, and save Palestinian lives by no longer arming Israel, the Uncommitted movement said in a statement on social media. Democratic leaders need to know the delegates represent a grassroots movement.

The group has been vocal in its demands for the party to endorse a ceasefire and impose an arms embargo on Israel, which it claims will help end the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The movement accuses Israel of committing genocide in the Hamas-ruled territory and argues that halting U.S. military support would save lives.

Top Democratic leaders have engaged in discussions with Uncommitted leaders in recent weeks, particularly given the importance of Arab American voters in key swing states like Michigan. Vice President Kamala Harris, the partys nominee for the 2024 presidential election, recently met with Uncommitted leaders ahead of a campaign rally in Michigan, where she reportedly expressed openness to further discussions with pro-Palestinian activists.

However, the Harris campaign has since denied any consideration of an arms embargo on Israel, saying that Harris does not support an arms embargo on Israel and remains committed to ensuring Israel can defend itself against threats from Iran and terrorist groups like Hamas.

Harris also reportedly held a private meeting with Abdullah Hammoud, the mayor of Dearborn, Michigan, who has been outspoken in his criticism of Israels military operations in Gaza. Hammoud has accused Israel of committing genocide and ethnic cleansing, and has labeled Israels actions as perpetuating a racist apartheid system.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Britons planning on travelling to Europe next summer will need to apply and pay for a US-style visa waiver.

Visa-free travel to Europe will soon come to an end, as European officials have confirmed that the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias) is on course to launch next spring.

It means that travellers visiting the EU will need to apply for a visa waiver before travel, similar to the current US Esta system.

Brits abroad: Travellers will need to apply for a visa waiver if travelling to Europe next summer

Currently, passengers visiting Europe do not need a visa for short trips to the EU or countries in the Schengen area, if they are staying for 90 days or less in a 180-day period or visiting as a tourist.

However, from next summer Brits aged between 18 and 70 will need to pay for a 7 (around 6) visa waiver, which will be valid for three years or until their passport expires.

Ylva Johansson, the EU's home affairs commissioner, also confirmed that all visitors without EU passports will have their fingerprints registered and their pictures taken on arrival, which will be checked on subsequent visits.

It is expected to add two to three minutes processing time per passenger, compared with the current 45 seconds, according to The Times.

As with the US Esta waiver, visitors will need to apply online or via an app and be checked against the EU's border and security systems.

While most applications are expected to be approved in minutes, it could take up to three days, and more complex cases will take up to 30 days.

Johanssen said: 'With the [new system] we will know exactly who enters the Schengen area with a foreign passport.

'We will know if people stay too long, countering irregular migration. And the entry/exit system will make it harder for criminals, terrorists or Russian spies to use fake passports thanks to biometric identification, photos and fingerprints.'

The new rules come just months after a number of Britons were caught out by the 10-year passport rule when travelling to Europe.

Travellers used to be able to carry up to nine months from an old passport over to a new one, but after Brexit, EU countries do not accept passports issued more than a decade ago.

It must also be valid for three months after their planned return date.
Call it callous. Call it macabre. To most of us, pandemics are human tragedies, like wars or natural disasters.

But there are some investors who see these events through opportunistic eyes.

The outbreak of mpox in Africa is a case in point. Shares shot up in pharma and biotech companies thought likely to benefit from the demand for vaccines and diagnostic kits.

It was a similar scenario during the Covid pandemic. Traders are placing bets on what the World Health Organisation (WHO) described as a public health emergency of international concern.

Medics at Nyiragongo hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Some will see this as making money out of misery and find the idea distasteful.

Others will argue it is a case of capital being channelled into worthy endeavours carried out by these companies, that will save lives.

Regardless of the morality, investors should proceed with caution: investing in companies whose shares have surged due to mpox is a risky proposition.

At this stage, it is not clear how serious the situation will become and therefore what the scale of demand for vaccines and tests might be.

The World Health Organisation says the virus has the potential to spread from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries in Africa across that continent and beyond.

The European Union expects more cases after Sweden reported its first last Thursday.

Several companies caught up in mpox share mania are listed overseas. Small savers can buy and sell through an investment platform.

They should be aware, however, that this carries currency as well as investment risk.

Anyone considering a leap onto the bandwagon should be aware shares in this area are volatile, prone to vertiginous rises and falls.

Risks include regulatory approval for tests and vaccines, which is tough to obtain. Even where this is granted, companies might still struggle to make a profit from the situation.

That might sound counterintuitive. Pharma companies, however, are locked in a perennial conflict between maximising profit on the one hand  and on the other, making vaccines and medicines available for the good of humanity.

The mpox outbreak is, so far, concentrated in poor nations. This means the pressure is on providers to offer vaccines free, or at a low cost.

As Dr Jean Kaseya, director general of public health body Africa CDC, said last week: The vaccine is so expensive  we can put it around $100 per dose. There are not so many countries in Africa that can afford the cost.

Providing a vaccine for a virus like mpox may, however, have non-financial benefits.

AstraZeneca did not seek to line its coffers with its Covid jab but basked in a halo effect nonetheless.

It has just become one of the few UK companies whose stock market value has surpassed 200billion.

But there are other risks, including that of large legal actions against a company if things go wrong.

Rapid share price rises in scenarios like these are often fuelled by City traders trying to make a quick turn.

The standard advice for individual investors is not to be swayed by short-term market fads and to take a long-term view.

One good question to ask yourself is whether you would consider investing in one of these companies if it hadnt been caught up in the mpox buying frenzy.

Here, we are not making investment recommendations, but taking a look at the businesses beneath the hype.

Bavarian Nordic

Much of the mpox market mania has centred around this Danish company. Its shares are up 91 per cent over the past year and rose 31 per cent in the past five days.

Denmark, which is also home to Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, is developing a reputation in life sciences.

Bavarian Nordics boss, Paul Chaplin, happens to be a Brit.

He said on Saturday that he is working with the WHO and Africa CDC to ensure equitable access to its vaccine.

That can be read as a clear signal he is not seeking to wring out maximum profits.

He added that he is seeking approval to use its jab for adolescents, who, along with children, those with weakened immune systems and pregnant women, are thought to be particularly at risk.

The 32-year-old company, which will announce its first-half results this week, has the advantage of having the only mpox vaccine with approval in the US and Europe.

It supplied more than 15m doses in an earlier outbreak in 2022 of a different strain of mpox.

So it has a proven track record, though investor gains from the previous mpox episode were not sustained.

Its shares rose dramatically in 2022 only to drop sharply back.

Even after their latest climb they are still below the height they reached two summers ago.

Bavarian Nordic is valued on the Copenhagen stock market at 22billion Danish krone or around 2.5billion.

As well as its mpox vaccine, it has others including ones for tick-borne encephalitis, rabies, cholera and typhoid.

WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Novacyt

Quoted on the junior AIM market in London as well as in Paris, Novacyt is a familiar name to UK small investors.

Many private shareholders followed the spectacular rise and subsequent fall in its shares during the Covid pandemic.

Its focus is on testing for viruses and its shares have rocketed rocketed more than 45 per cent on Friday to 96p, on hopes it could supply diagnostic tests for mpox. It was up another 23 per cent yesterday but fell 30pc today due to profit taking.

But as investors who followed its fortunes in the pandemic and the aftermath will know, Novacyt shares are nothing if not volatile.

They were listed on AIM in 2017 at 59p. At the beginning of 2020, before Covid struck, they were trading at around 13p.

Pandemic buying sent them on an incredible upward journey to a peak of just under 12.80 in October of that year.

Novacyts status as a City darling was shortlived, as it fell into a legal row with the Government over its tests. Earlier this summer it agreed to pay 5million as part of a settlement.

Emergent Biosolution

This companys mission is to defend people from things we hope will never happen, including biological warfare, drug overdoses and lethal viruses.

The 25-year-old US business makes Narcan nasal spray, used to reverse opioid overdoses, and treatments for anthrax and botulism.

But of most interest to the traders who sent shares up 55 per cent on the New York market last week is a product rejoicing in the name of ACAM2000.

It is a smallpox vaccination Emergent bought from Sanofi, the French drugs giant, in 2017.

That may have seemed a quixotic purchase, given that the WHO declared smallpox to have been eradicated in May 1980  making it the only infectious disease to have been stamped out.

The smallpox vaccine in Europe was introduced as early as 1721, when Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, a pioneering scientist and feminist, inoculated her three-year-old daughter with a tiny dose of the disease.

So why such overwhelming interest more than 300 years later in a jab to protect against a disease we have defeated? You guessed it: smallpox is related to mpox.

Emergent is hoping for approval from drugs regulators to use the smallpox vaccine to combat that ailment.

It submitted an application to the US Food and Drug Administration in November last year.
It is tragic to learn that Mike Lynch, one of Britain's most brilliant tech entrepreneurs, and his 18-year-old daughter are still missing after his luxury super yacht was hit by a freak storm off the coast of Sicily yesterday morning.

So far one person has been confirmed dead, and four others are still missing after the Bayesian capsized having being struck by a tornado not far from Palermo. His wife has been rescued.

Although Lynch has often been referred to as the UK's answer to West Coast brains such as Bill Gates, his genius was actually quite different, and on a superior mathematical scale.

And the name of his 184ft 30m super yacht is a giveaway to his great skills.

Tragic: Tech tycoon Mike Lynch (pictured) is missing after his superyacht was hit by a freak storm off the coast of Sicily yesterday morning

At the heart of the many highly successful and pioneering companies that Lynch has either founded or invested in - from Autonomy to cyber-security company Darktrace and software group Featurespace - lies Bayesian statistics.

This is the field of statistics based on the work of the 18th century mathematician, Thomas Bayes, where probability expresses a degree of belief in an event.

This could, for example, be based on earlier knowledge of an event - such as results of previous experiments or indeed personal beliefs.

That may sound complex but it's the genesis of how banks use machine learning algorithms to track down fraud on your bank account or, indeed, how the security services hunt down terrorists.

It was at Cambridge while studying for his PhD in neural networks - machine learning to us - that the Essex scholarship boy became transfixed by probability and adaptive behaviour patterns.

It is also when he started mixing his maths skills with business, creating audio products for music synthesisers and computer-based fingerprint recognition.

Then came Autonomy, one of the pioneers in analysing business data using machine learning, which made him billions when he sold it for $11bn to Silicon Valley computing giant, Hewlett Packard, some 13 years ago.

The fabulous riches bestowed on Lynch momentarily sealed his reputation as the UK's most successful tech tycoons, putting him on a global stage with peers like Gates and Apple's Steve Jobs.

It was also a crowning moment for the Cambridge tech scene, cementing its reputation as one of the world's most innovative scientific clusters.

Yet it was to prove Lynch's nemesis, leading to one of the bloodiest cross-Atlantic legal contests.

HP sued Lynch for alleged fraud, claiming Autonomy had overstated its revenue by over $5bn and demanded billions in damages.

Lynch professed his innocence throughout, claiming that HP had 'buyer's remorse' and hadn't done enough due diligence.

After a ten-year legal ding-dong, the US authorities extradited him from his East Anglia home at dawn one morning, putting him in handcuffs and chains on a flight back to San Francisco where he was kept under house arrest for 13 months during the trial.

But less than three months ago, the entrepreneur was cleared of 15 counts of fraud.

In a recent BBC Radio 4 interview, Lynch, 59, described his elation from being released.

'Until you hear the words, you can't call it and at that point it is indescribable the way in which you jump between two universes.

'If this had gone the wrong way, it would have been the end of life as I have known it in any sense.'

Asked in another interview whether the experience had been like a near-death one, Lynch said: 'That is very much how I handled it. It's bizarre, but now you have a second life. The question is, what do you want to do with it?'

Lynch's horrendous experience also reveals the huge costs of the US judicial system, and how almost impossible it is to fight court cases without a small fortune.

As Lynch himself admitted, if he had not had the money to spend on his defence -upwards of 30m - he would not have stood a chance against US judicial might.

His case showed once again how relentless the US authorities are about extraditing UK nationals.

But it seems impossible for our authorities to extradite US citizens, as the death of Harry Dunn, killed by a car driven by a former US spy in 2019, demonstrated.

A fitting honour for Lynch would be if the UK toughened up those treaties.
Fabrizio Freda (pictured with actress Liz Hurley) will step down in June 2025 but continue to lead the company until a replacement is found.

Estee Lauder's chief executive has announced he will retire after nearly 15 years at the top as the beauty giant continues to suffer a sales slump.

Fabrizio Freda will step down in June 2025 but continue to lead the company until a replacement is found.

Freda, 66, made the announcement as the US beauty giant forecast lower than expected sales as the Chinese market continues to slow.

The company, whose brands include Mac and Clinique, expects revenue in a range between a 1pc decrease and a 2pc increase. That is far lower than the 6pc growth City analysts were predicting.

The make-up group blamed the forecast on 'persistent weak sentiment among Chinese consumers'.

Like luxury rivals, Estee Lauder has suffered as shoppers cut back on spending.
Canadian oil producer Gran Tierra Energy has agreed to buy London-listed I3 Energy in a 174million deal.

Under the terms of the transaction, I3 Energy shareholders will receive around 10.4 pence for every share they hold, along with a 0.26p per share dividend for the three months ending September.

They will also be allowed to exchange 207 I3 Energy shares they hold in return for one new Gran Tierra share.

Takeover: Canadian oil producer Gran Tierra Energy has agreed to buy London-listed I3 Energy

Once the takeover is completed, I3 Energy investors will own up to 16.5 per cent of the Calgary-based business.

Gran Tierra's pursuit of I3 Energy forms part of efforts to diversify its operations and create an 'independent energy company of scale' in the Americas with 'significant production, reserves, cash flows and development optionality'.

I3 Energy has a significant presence in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, a prominent oil and gas-producing region where the majority of Gran Tierra staff have worked.

These assets are projected to produce between 18,000 and 19,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day this year.

Gary Guidry, president and chief executive of Gran Tierra, said the deal 'marks a significant milestone in diversifying our portfolio while strengthening our asset base'.

He added: 'By integrating these high-quality, operated assets, including low-decline production, large resources in place and a substantial land base, we are not only enhancing our asset base but also aligning with our long-term strategic vision.'

Gran Tierra considers its offer to be 'fair and reasonable' and has no plans to raise it unless another party comes forward with a more generous proposal.

The planned purchase of I3 Energy comes a week after the firm reported its half-year results, which showed its revenue fell by 20 per cent to 60.3million in the six months ending June, while its profits slumped by 24 per cent to 8.4million.

Majid Shafiq, chief executive of I3 Energy, said: 'The acquisition represents the culmination of a thorough process to realise the maximum value available for shareholders.'

He added: 'This business combination will significantly enhance scale, thereby improving capacity to drive growth, production, and cash flows for the benefit of all shareholders and local stakeholders.'

I3 Energy shares soared 26.2 per cent to 12.2p by Tuesday lunchtime, making them one of the FTSE All-Share Index's top risers.

In recent years, foreign businesses taking advantage of sluggish valuations have snapped up multiple large London-listed companies.

Among those who have struck billion-pound takeover offers this year are the online trading platform Hargreaves Lansdown, cybersecurity specialist Darktrace, and Robinsons squash owner Britvic.
Demonstrators participate in a rally during the 2024 Democratic National Convention at Union Park in Chicago, Illinois, the United States, Aug. 22, 2024. Earlier on Thursday, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched near the DNC venue to express their dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's Israel policy. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

CHICAGO, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Four people were arrested after breaching a security fence amid a mostly peaceful pro-Palestinian protest outside the venue of the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago on Monday, reported U.S. media.

Police were assessing whether the current fencing near the center was sufficient, said Superintendent Larry Snelling of the Chicago Police Department, speaking to reporters at the fenced perimeter, reported CNN.

"Our job here is to make sure that we keep the DNC safe, keep our city safe and keep our people safe," Snelling said as documented in videos on social media.

The majority of protesters remained peaceful and had left the area before the breach occurred, reported CBS.

The DNC's security team confirmed that protesters breached a portion of the fencing on the outer perimeter near the convention arena but said law enforcement personnel acted quickly and there was no threat to attendees, according to Reuters.

Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near the venue of the DNC on its opening day to express their dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

During the convention, Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to formally accept the Democratic presidential nomination, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is expected to formally accept the party's vice presidential nomination.

The Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has recently surpassed 40,000 since the outbreak of the current conflict on Oct. 7, 2023. 

Demonstrators participate in a rally during the 2024 Democratic National Convention at Union Park in Chicago, Illinois, the United States, Aug. 22, 2024. Earlier on Thursday, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched near the DNC venue to express their dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's Israel policy. (Xinhua/Li Rui)
JERUSALEM/BEIRUT, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Hezbollah fired 75 rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Tuesday morning, sparking fires and prompting authorities to instruct tens of thousands of residents to remain indoors.

The Israeli military said the rockets targeted the Upper Galilee and the Golan Heights. "Some of the projectiles were intercepted, while the remainder landed in open areas," the military said, adding that no injuries were reported.

In retaliation, the Israeli Air Force carried out airstrikes, which the military said targeted one of the launchers used in the attack.

Israel's Fire and Rescue Services were dispatched to extinguish fires in several locations in the north. Local authorities urged residents to stay close to shelters, avoid driving, and refrain from gatherings and outdoor activities. These precautions were issued in coordination with the military.

The rocket fire followed Israeli airstrikes on Monday evening that targeted Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, according to a statement from Hezbollah.

The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health reported that nine people, including three Syrians, were injured in the Israeli strike on Monday.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border have been escalating since Oct. 8, 2023, after Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas's attack the previous day. Israel responded with heavy artillery fire toward southeastern Lebanon.

The situation worsened following an Israeli strike in Beirut, which killed a senior Hezbollah military commander, Fouad Shokor, and seven civilians. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah vowed a "definite and painful" response at a time and place of the group's choosing. 
KIEV, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- A fuel and lubricants storage facility caught fire in Ukraine's western Ternopil region early Tuesday after a Russian strike, with initial information saying there were no casualties, the regional authorities said.

The projectile fired by Russian forces hit the storage depot in the city of Ternopil at about 3 a.m. local time (about 2359 GMT), according to the Ternopil Regional Military Administration.

More than 90 rescuers and over 20 units of equipment, including two fire trains, worked at the site to put out the blaze. Local authorities urged people to stay inside their homes and close the windows.

The Ukrainian capital also came under drone and cruise missile strike overnight, which brought no casualties, the Kiev City Military Administration said, adding that all air targets were intercepted on the city's outskirts.

Russia fired 26 Shahed combat drones, two ballistic missiles Iskander M/KN-23, a cruise missile Iskander-K, and several guided missiles Kh-59 at Ukraine in an overnight attack, said the Ukrainian Air Force.

Ukrainian air defense shot down 25 drones, a cruise missile, and two guided missiles over nine regions, according to Interfax-Ukraine News Agency. 
Exemptions for farmers are required before the residential land tax can be introduced, the Taoiseach has said.

The Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT) is designed to be charged each year on land that is zoned suitable for residential use and has access to necessary services.

The RZLT aims to incentivise landowners to activate existing planning permissions to increase housing supply.

However, the introduction of the tax and penalties have previously been deferred amid backlash from groups such as the Irish Farmers Association, which has opposed the inclusion of land which is used for farm operations.

Mr Harris said he was supportive of the concept of a land tax to address housing supply, but warned that further delays were possible.

He added: Its also important that farmers are separated from it because its offensive to tell a farmer that theyre a land hoarder when theyre actively farming and playing an important part in our economy.

Mr Harris said: As long as Im Taoiseach, no active farmer is going to pay a residential land tax  simple as.

He added: This land tax is absolutely about making sure people cant hoard land. It was never meant to be about penalising an active farmer.

The Taoiseach said the Government will collectively decide on the approach taken to the matter in the Budget, but added that the Department of Finance needs to fix the legislation underpinning the charges.

He added: It needs to come forward with proposals as to how this legislation can be applied to those who are hoarding land  because I dont want to see people hoarding land, I want to see homes built.

But I also do not want to see and will not stand over a situation where active farmers wrongly get classified as land hoarders.

Mr Harris said he was open to the Department either bringing forward amendments or a decision to defer the legislation for another year.

The Taoiseach said deferring the legislation would not send a message that people continue to hoard land, adding: The laws have changed in this area and it is simply a question of when the legislation will be commenced in terms of the tax being charged.

However, Sinn Fein has said the comments are a boon for land hoarders.

The party finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said: The Governments decision to delay a land tax that is aimed at land hoarders who are sitting on land that should be developed to build much needed housing is a disgraceful one.

Lets be clear  this is a direct result of this Governments abject failure over the past three years to exempt actively farmed land from this tax.

I first raised this issue in 2021  three years ago  with the Minister for Finance when the legislation for this tax was first introduced.

He added: As a result of their inaction and ineptitude, land hoarders have another year to sit on land that should be developed to build homes.

Through a toxic mix of political opportunism, inaction and ineptitude, the Government has chosen to worsen the housing crisis and hand land hoarders and speculators another free pass.
Press Release

August 20, 2024 Improving health facilities in the grassroots: Senate approves six local hospital bills sponsored by Bong Go on third and final reading The Senate on Monday, August 19, approved six local hospital bills on their third and final reading, principally sponsored by Senator Christopher "Bong" Go as the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health. These legislative efforts are aimed at significantly enhancing the nation's healthcare infrastructure. In his manifestation, Go expressed his gratitude towards his colleagues for their collective support in pushing these measures forward. "Mr. President, I also would like to thank all of our colleagues for their support for the measures upgrading and establishing new hospitals. Maraming salamat po sa lahat ng mga kasamahan natin dito sa Senado," stated Go during the session. The approved bills include: - House Bill No. 8426: upgrading the Bataan General Hospital in Balanga into a multi-specialty facility and doubling its bed capacity to 1,000; - House Bill No. 8483: establishing the Northern Tagalog Regional Hospital, a Level II facility, in Rodriguez, Rizal; - House Bill No. 8492: creating the Victorias City General Hospital in Victorias, Negros Occidental; - House Bill No. 9335: upgrading the Basilan General Hospital in Isabela to a Level III hospital, renaming it the Basilan Medical Center; - House Bill No. 9623: establishing a Level III general hospital in Bay, Laguna, to be known as the Laguna Regional Hospital; and - House Bill No. 9624: establishing a Level II general hospital in San Jose, Nueva Ecija, named the Sen. Edgardo J. Angara General Hospital. Meanwhile, Go also highlighted the need to properly utilize available public resources intended for health programs for the benefit of Filipinos needing medical care particularly for the effective implementation of the Universal Health Care Law. "As we aim to further improve our healthcare system, I also want to take the opportunity to reiterate the need for sufficient funding, to implement the programs and projects under the Universal Health Care Law. Ang dami pa pong pondo ng PhilHealth sa ngayon, kaya nga po nawawalis ng ating mga finance manager(s) ang pondo nila," explained Go. He continued to emphasize the need for better fund management at PhilHealth to ensure that financial resources are dedicated to enhancing health benefits and expanding programs instead of being left unutilized or returned to the National Treasury for other purposes. "At parati nating pinapaalala sa PhilHealth, dapat po ang pondo ng PhilHealth ay gamitin po sa health. Ang dami pong pondo ng PhilHealth na hindi nagagamit para mapataas pa ang benepisyo at ma-expand pa ang mga programa," he added. The Health Committee, under Go's leadership, is scheduled to conduct a hearing to receive updates from Health officials, particularly on the disbursement of pending Health Emergency Allowances for qualified health workers, implementation of the health facilities enhancement programs, medical assistance programs for indigent patients, as well as the proper utilization of PhilHealth funds. In addition, Go voiced his support for Senate Bill No. 2620, authored by Senator JV Ejercito, which seeks to amend the UHC law and reduce premium contributions of PhilHealth members to ease the financial burden on the public. "Sabi nga ni Senate Minority Leader, na kung maaari 3% pa po. Ang dami pong pondo ng PhilHealth, gamitin niyo naman po ito sa mga pasyente natin, mga kababayang naghihingalo po, hanggang ngayon hindi pa makalabas sa hospital," Go advocated. In his concluding remarks, Go reiterated the critical need to strengthen the healthcare system by increasing hospital beds and enhancing public hospital services, thereby ensuring accessible and quality healthcare for all Filipinos. "Dapat patuloy nating palakasin ang ating healthcare system, magdagdag ng mga kama at hospital, at palakasin ang serbisyo na maaaring maibigay ng ating mga pampublikong ospital," Go concluded.
"Stop the exercise that intensifies nuclear confrontation and encourages war crises." South Korean civil peace groups rallied on Monday to protest against the country's Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) joint military exercise with the United States. #GLOBALink
SARAJEVO, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- A gun attack in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) caused one death and one injury late Monday evening, local authorities said on Tuesday.

The Trebinje police department said in a press conference that the incident occurred in a village within the Nevesinje municipality, near the city of Trebinje. A foreigner fired from an abandoned house, injuring a local villager.

Milenko Avdalovic, the mayor of Nevesinje municipality, told local media Radio and Television of Republika Srpska (RTRS) that the gunman was shot dead by the police later.

The police said in a preliminary investigation that it was not just an ordinary occurrence but a terrorist act, as the suspect shouted "Allahu Akbar," fired rifles, and threw a bomb at the locals and the police.

At the crime scene, police units discovered two types of automatic and semi-automatic weapons, believed to have been used in the attack, along with an activated bomb, according to local police.

The investigation in the surrounding areas is ongoing, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. 
VIENTIANE, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Representatives from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) attended the third meeting of the ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC) on Monday to discuss ways to solve problems in fulfilling plans relating to ASEAN connectivity.

The meeting, held in northern Laos' Luang Prabang province, reviewed progress and challenges in the implementation of the ASEAN 2025 integration plan, Lao National Radio reported on Tuesday.

Following the meeting, the ACCC met with negotiation partners and non-ASEAN partner countries to share opinions on progress and challenges in the implementation of the plan and projects being carried out by negotiation partners and external partners that provide support for ASEAN connectivity. 
XI'AN, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Direct passenger flights between Xi'an, the capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) resumed on Tuesday.

The resumption of the service completes Xi'an's network of air routes to major cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Operated by China Eastern Airlines, the round-trip flights will run twice weekly and are scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays, according to the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport.

Outbound flights will leave Xi'an at 9:05 a.m. and arrive in Macao SAR at noon, and return flights will depart from Macao SAR at 1 p.m. and land in Xi'an at 4:05 p.m.

The resumption of these flights enhances the route network between Xi'an and the Greater Bay Area, fostering deeper economic, cultural and tourism cooperation.

Xi'an already offers flights to Hong Kong SAR, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai. The Xi'an-Macao SAR route expands travel options for tourism and business activities between the two regions. 
BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's Minister of National Defense Dong Jun on Tuesday met with his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang in Beijing.

Dong stressed the need for accelerated efforts from the two militaries to improve cooperation quality and efficiency. Work should be done to maintain the momentum of cooperation in various fields including personnel training, joint exercises and international collaboration, while expanding new areas for more practical results, Dong said.

For his part, Giang said the Vietnamese side will continue strengthening cooperation with the Chinese military in mutual visits and friendly border exchanges and promote bilateral ties to a new level. 
Shahbaz Khan, director and representative of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, delivers a speech at an international forum on cave temple conservation in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, Aug. 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Rui)

LANZHOU, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Over 400 cultural heritage conservation experts and scholars from 16 countries have gathered at an international forum on cave temple conservation, held in northwest China's Dunhuang, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Mogao Grottoes.

Scheduled from Aug. 19 to 22, the forum aims to pool wisdom for the global conservation of cave temples, with attendees sharing techniques, experience and ideas, particularly highlighting China's advanced approaches that have attracted global attention.

Cave temples, a key category of world cultural heritage, are found globally and are closely linked to the spread of Buddhism. Notable sites include India's Ajanta Caves, Cambodia's Angkor Wat and China's Mogao Caves.

Official statistics show that there are 2,155 cave temples and 3,831 cliffside sculptures in China.

Guan Qiang, deputy head of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, noted that after over 70 years of efforts, China's protection and utilization of cave temples has significantly improved, with growing cultural influence.

China has eliminated major risks to its key cave temples and developed a comprehensive protection strategy that includes value interpretation, monitoring and early warning, environmental control, disaster management and restoration, Guan said.

Shahbaz Khan, director and representative of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, commended China's achievements in cultural heritage preservation, particularly its digitalization efforts. He noted that the comprehensive documentation and field surveys conducted at sites such as the Mogao and Yungang Grottoes have set a valuable benchmark for global heritage conservation.

Jo Sangsun, director of the Jungwon National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Korea (ROK), expressed his interest in the Dunhuang Academy's work on digitalization and weathering issues. Noting that this is his first visit to Dunhuang, he said China's experience is important not just for the ROK but for the whole world.

"The Dunhuang Academy has long led the question of conservation involving foreign countries and clearly the Chinese researchers are pushing in the right direction in order to ensure better conservation and preventive conservation action for the future," said Vincent Detalle, a professor at CY Cergy Paris University.

As an international issue, cave temple protection faces increasing challenges such as climate change, making global cooperation crucial, according to Shahbaz Khan.

Countries worldwide have intensified research into new protection technologies, concepts and values related to cave temples, advancing preservation techniques to a higher level.

Liu Hanlong, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a professor at Chongqing University, and his team introduced a new microbial restoration technology for cultural relics at the forum. This technology offers enhanced strength, color consistency and weather resistance compared to traditional restoration materials, delivering superior reinforcement and restoration results.

Nour Nasser, an architect with the Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums in Syria, proposed integrating traditional conservation methods with artificial intelligence.

Meanwhile, Guan said China is committed to strengthening international cooperation and contributing to global efforts in cultural heritage conservation and development. 

Fan Jinshi (3rd L), the honorary president of Dunhuang Academy, attends an international forum on cave temple conservation in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, Aug. 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Rui)
Right now actress, producer and celeb hottie Sydney's late Summer adventures inspire our dive into pop culture, community news and top headlines.

Check TKC news gathering . . .

Talking KCMO Priorities Tonight

Final opportunity to improve your neighborhood: PIAC meeting this evening The second and final hearing of the year for the 6th Council District Public Improvements Advisory Committee (PIAC) is Monday, August 19 at 6 pm at the Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Public Library (4801 Main Street)...

Locals Save Democracy?!?

Delegates from Missouri, Kansas travel to Democratic National Convention Delegates hope to turn enthusiasm for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris into action at the polls on November 5.

Show-Me Legal Rebuke

No, we don't want Andrew Bailey handling abortion cases in place of local prosecutors * Missouri Independent Republican Andrew Bailey also loomed large in the primary race for prosecutor of the state's second largest county.

Kansas Reconsiders Cash Crop

Kansas bipartisan coalition applies political pressure to end marijuana prohibition * Kansas Reflector The Cannabis Justice Coalition wants the Kansas Legislature to legalize recreational sale of marijuana to end the disparity with Missouri and Colorado.

Real Roundup Tonight

Monday's blue supermoon can be seen in Kansas and Missouri. Here's what to know The blue supermoon is scheduled to rise above Kansas City, Missouri, around 8:28 p.m. Monday evening. The next blue supermoon will not happen until 2032.

Celebrity Shares Insta Clap Back

Sydney Sweeney Bares Her Butt in Cheeky Boat Snaps: 'I Think They Call This a Thirst Trap' Sydney Sweeney dared to bare in cheeky boat snaps on Friday, Aug. 15. The 'Euphoria' actress has been spending time outdoors this summer, including for her dog Tank's 'DOGUE' cover.

Talking Points Tonight

Live updates: Democratic National Convention 2024 | CNN Politics The Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday in Chicago. Follow here for the latest live news updates, speeches, analysis and more.

Republican Rebuke Cut Short

GOP's Biden impeachment effort fizzles with report's release The signature investigation of the Republican-led House fizzled to a close Monday as the GOP capped a yearlong probe into President Biden with a series of allegations but no recommendation to move forward with impeachment. It's an unusual end for a process that took up much of the oxygen in Washington for months at a time....

Disgraced Politico Admits Guilt

George Santos reaches plea deal, pleads guilty to wire fraud and identity theft Former congressman George Santos, who was expelled from Congress in December and indicted on 23 federal charges, reached a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Outrage In Chicago

Anti-Israel protesters arrested after breaching barrier at DNC ahead of Biden speech Top anti-Israel protest organizers predicted a monster turnout of between 30,000 and 40,000 activists ahead of the DNC, but on Monday afternoon before beginning their march, they appeared poised to fall dramatically short of that.

MAGA Offers Alternative

Trump kicks off week of DNC counterprogramming with economy remarks in Pennsylvania Former President Donald Trump will spend the week traveling to battleground states -- a way of counterprogramming the Democratic National Convention.

Vlad Rebuffs Advances

Russia deploying "space troops" to defend Kursk Troops who were in charge of manning Russia's nuclear deterrent are now reportedly being sent as infantry to the Russian region.

Holy Land Ceasefire Almost?!?

Israel accepts truce plan, US urges Hamas to do the same: 'A decisive moment' A U.S. "bridging proposal" is aimed at creating a cease-fire tied to the release of Hamas-held hostages and Israeli-held militants.

Eastern Europe On The Move

Ukraine orders evacuation of eastern town as Russia makes gains Officials said families with children living in Pokrovsk and surrounding villages would be forced to leave.

Tech Titan Amongst Missing

Six people missing and one dead after tornado sinks luxury yacht off Sicily | CNN Rescuers were on Monday searching for six people missing after a luxury yacht was hit by a tornado and sank off the coast of Sicily, killing one of the 22 people on board.

Show-Me Progress To Save Earth

Mizzou scientists make strides in removing plastic particles from drinking water Scientists at the University of Missouri created a new, specialized solvent designed to remove nanoplastics from water.

Local Outcry Amid Crackdown

'They'll stop coming here': Kansas City-area businesses react to new Missouri hemp ban Executive Order 24-10 in Missouri will ban unregulated hemp products from store shelves. KSHB 41's Caroline Hogan talked with businesses about the impact the order could have.

Retro Retail Has Its Charms

A longtime Kansas City fashion stylist has opened her own vintage clothing shop The midtown store leans into casual American clothes from the 1960s to the 1990s.

Playing On Phone Qualifies As Career?!?

Kansas City influencers share piece of market growth The growing creator economy is expected to reach a value of more than $528 billion by 2030.

Toast To Ur Mom's Favorite Local Hangout

Mise en Place: KC Wine Co keeps fun all in the family Taylor Roesch And Eli Berggren Of KC Wine Co // Photo By Sarah Sipple From starting as KC Pumpkin Patch in Gardner to moving to Olathe, then expanding with KC Wine Co, the Berggren family has created a destination for all ages, in all seasons.

Buzz On Weather This Week . . .

Kansas City weather: Cooler temperatures this week Cooler and less humid conditions will prevail for the next few days before a heatwave hits this weekend.

And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
To his credit . . .

Mayor Q made a some time to talk with local newsies whilst mostly concerned with the Democratic Party fortunes in the upcoming election.

Broadcasting live from the Chicago love fest for most of this week . . . Here's how Kansas City's top elected official imagines cowtown sentiment despite red state reality.

The money line . . .



Lucas has been an outward advocate for Kamala Harris since President Joe Biden announced he would not be running for re-election. He described the Harris-Walz campaign as relatable and exciting for people around the country, specifically in Kansas City.



In Kansas City, whether its at churches, volunteering on the weekends; people are saying this is a ticket that represents America that is talking about issues we care about  kitchen table issues. And so, I mean, I dont think anyone can debate in any part of the country that there is this energy around this election right now, Lucas said.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
The virus formerly known as "monkey pox" now features far less hilarious nomenclature and seems even more threatening as it spreads around the globe.



Already, local officials are taking note and offering some form of protection beyond careful selection of partners and discouraging sex work participation/indulgence . . . Given that neither one of those methods are 100% effective given that people have always cheated and nobody is ever REALLY honest about how they do the horizontal boogie . . .

But I digress . . .



Here's the medical update . . .



"So far, no cases of the new strain of mpox have been reported in the United States. However, there are still ways to stay safe from the virus, especially if you expect to travel to the DRC or the surrounding area. The Kansas City Health Department offers mpox vaccinations to eligible individuals . . .

"Because the new variant is easily transmitted through sexual contact, WHO recommends vaccinations for sex workers and people with multiple sexual partners, as well as health care workers who could come in contact with the virus."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Spread of mpox 'worrying,' global health agency says. Should Kansas City be concerned? A new, highly transmissible variant of the virus has already killed more than 500 people in sub-Saharan Africa this year. Here's what to know.

Related reading . . .

Russian officials claim that mpox isn't a risk due to their 'traditional values' Officials claimed mpox is not expected to spread in Russia due to the country's "traditional values." Some still consider mpox a gay disease.

Could the new mpox threat cause significant harm in the U.S.? An apparently more dangerous strain of the mpox virus is circulating rapidly in a number of countries, with the first reported case outside of Africa reported this week in Sweden.

Developing . . .
Here at www.TonysKansasCity.com we've always believed that whenever voters get off of the sofa an into the street to peacefully take part in local Democracy . . . The voters win no matter what the outcome.

Accordingly, we share the word from our favorite local suburb . . .



PV Mayoral Recall Update

Since May 20, 2024, thousands of Prairie Village, KS citizens came together to exercise our democratic right to obtain recall petition signatures. At the conclusion of this process, Save Prairie Village was unable to meet the required threshold of signatures to take the next step in the petition process, as outlined in the Kansas statutes.



Since 2023, thousands of Prairie Village citizens have participated in multiple petition drives and used the public comment portion of City Council meetings to state their opinions, assemble peacefully, and engage in political activities without fear of repression. Similarly, many Prairie Village citizens have expressed their opinions in opposition to the voices that have supported the multiple petition drives.



As Prairie Village citizens and the current political leaders of Prairie Village reflect on the division that exists within Prairie Village today . . . and the journey that brought us to this point . . . it is our hope that the city political leaders will prioritize policies that benefit all citizens of Prairie Village.

#############

Developing . . .
JERUSALEM, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The bodies of six Israeli hostages were recovered during an overnight operation in the Khan Younis area of Gaza, Israeli officials said on Tuesday.

In a joint statement, the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security agency, identified the victims as Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, and Haim Perry, and said their families have been notified.

The statement said the bodies were identified at Israel's National Institute of Forensic Medicine.

The Hostages Families Forum, which represents most of the hostage families, said in a statement that the six were kidnapped alive and killed during their captivity.

"The immediate return of the remaining 109 hostages can only be achieved through a negotiated deal. The Israeli government, with the assistance of mediators, must do everything in its power to finalize the deal currently on the table," the group stated.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the "complex operation" was made possible by precise intelligence indicating that the bodies were hidden in Hamas tunnels in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered condolences to the families and vowed that Israel would "continue to make every effort to return all of our hostages -- the living and the deceased."

The operation came as Qatari, Egyptian, and U.S. mediators make another push to broker a deal that would secure a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

The hostages were abducted by Hamas fighters during their assault on communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Dozens have since been released in deals, but Israeli security officials, speaking to Xinhua on condition of anonymity, said only about 60 of the hostages are believed to be alive.

Israel responded to the attack with a massive onslaught, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly civilians, and caused widespread destruction across the enclave. 
In this episode of Morning Edition, We discuss the issue of bullying following the suicide o
As the University of Houston welcomes students for fall classes, the campus is buzzing with excitement and energy, fueled by the arrival of its largest freshman class ever. More than 6,200 new freshmen are enrolled for the fall 2024 semester  a class 10% larger than any previously enrolled freshman class at UH.

This growth underscores UHs rising reputation as a destination for top-tier students seeking a world-class education in a vibrant, urban setting.

The size of this year's freshman class is a testament to the growing appeal of our programs. More students are choosing Houston this fall and we are committed to providing them with an exceptional educational experience, said Diane Z. Chase, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.

The outlook for a large freshman class began to take shape in the spring when UH received a record number of applications from the Class of 2027. Nearly 33,000 prospective students completed applications.

On the first day of classes new transfer student enrollments were over 4,400, a slight increase over last fall. Masters, doctoral and special professional programs are expected to remain steady. The first day of term enrollment data is considered preliminary with final headcount confirmed later in the fall.

UH is committed to cultivating a vibrant environment that promotes student success. UH President Renu Khator reached out to students on the first day, highlighting the various on-campus services available to support them. She also encouraged students to fully immerse themselves in campus life by joining student organizations and attending on-campus events.

A new semester is the perfect time to set new goals and start new adventures. Aim high, study hard and dont forget to enjoy yourself too. Its all about balance, Khator said. Now that you have joined Houstons premier university, take full advantage of all that the University has to offer.

For more information about the University of Houston and its academic programs, please visit University of Houston (uh.edu).
The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, has adopted at second reading the bill "On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Field of Activities of Religious Organizations," which bans the activity of religious organizations affiliated with Russia in Ukraine.

Yaroslav Zheleznyiak, an MP from the Holos (Voice) party, announced this on the Telegram messaging app, Ukrinform reports.

He clarified that 265 lawmakers had voted for Bill No. 8371.

The bill is aimed at protecting national and public security, human rights and freedoms and determining the specifics of the activities of foreign religious organizations in Ukraine.

The document states that no provision of the law can be interpreted as limiting the freedom of religion or belief, the right to observe religious practices and ritual rites.

The bill bans the activity in Ukraine of foreign religious organizations located in a state that is recognized as having carried out or carrying out armed aggression against Ukraine and/or temporarily occupying part of Ukrainian territory, as well as directly or indirectly supporting armed aggression against Ukraine (including through public speeches of managers or other management bodies).

"Given that the Russian Orthodox Church is an ideological continuation of the regime of the aggressor state, an accomplice in war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on behalf of the Russian Federation and the ideology of the 'Russian world,' the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine are prohibited," the bill reads.

The activity of religious organizations affiliated with a foreign religious organization, the activity of which is prohibited in Ukraine, must be terminated.

Relations, connections and communications of religious organizations, including religious communities and other legal entities, with foreign religious organizations, the activities of which are prohibited in Ukraine, are not allowed.

According to the bill, a religious organization operating in Ukraine cannot have a management center in Russia.

A commission will also be created, which should be independent of the executive power and which will conduct research into the existence of connections and affiliation with Moscow or research into the spread of the ideology of the "Russian world."

The conclusions of a religious examination, information from other central executive authorities, data from public electronic registers, as well as information received from individuals and/or legal entities, from the media and other open sources could be used during the review.

In the future, the results of the examination will be studied by the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience that will issue an order in case of any violations.

A religious organization is given two months, taking into account the administrative appeal procedure, to comply with the requirements of the order and severe ties with Russia.

If the organization's ties with the aggressor state have not been severed within 60 days, the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience will apply to the court.

The Ukrainian government in January 2023 registered in the Verkhovna Rada Bill No. 8371 on the activity of religious organizations in Ukraine, according to which the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate could be terminated.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill at first reading on October 19, 2023.

MPs on July 23 blocked the rostrum of the Verkhovna Rada due to the parliament's refusal to consider the bill banning the Moscow-linked church.

The All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations announced on August 17 that it supported the legislative initiative to ban the activities of religious organizations affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.
ANKARA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Turkish intelligence has "neutralized" a senior member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in a cross-border operation in northern Iraq, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported on Tuesday.

The PKK militant, identified as Zilan Azak, was reportedly responsible for armed drone attacks on behalf of the group, according to unnamed Turkish security sources quoted by Anadolu.

Azak was allegedly engaged in reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering against Turkiye in the Hakurk region, while also participating in armed drone attacks in Iraq, the agency reported.

Turkish security forces are said to have "neutralized" her in the Hakurk region of Iraq. The term "neutralize" is often used by Turkish authorities to indicate that individuals labeled as "terrorists" have either surrendered, been killed, or been captured.

The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union, operates from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, where Turkiye frequently conducts airstrikes and maintains military outposts. 
The Ukrainian Armed Forces currently control over 1,260 square kilometers of territory and 93 settlements in Russia's Kursk region.

Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said this at a meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"A grouping of the Defense Forces is conducting an offensive defense on the Kursk axis in order to create a security zone and stop attacks from Russian territory, as well as to overtake the enemy. Since the offensive began in the Kursk region, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have advanced from 28 to 35 kilometers deep into enemy defenses, captured 1,263 square kilometers of territory and gained control of 93 settlements," he said.

Syrskyi stressed that the enemy was conducting a maneuverable defense, trying to prevent the further advance of units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces deep into Russian territory, building up groups of troops and moving forces from other directions.

He noted that "further actions of our troops on this axis will depend on the development of the operational situation."

Ukraine's offensive operation in Russia's Kursk region began on August 6, 2024.

On August 15, Ukraine announced the creation of a military commandant's office in Ukrainian-controlled territories in the Kursk region, and Major General Eduard Moskaliov was appointed its head.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine's operation in the Kursk region contributed to the destruction of the logistics of the Russian army and the depletion of their reserves.
The Romanian Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday that fragments of a drone had been found near the border with Ukraine.

The ministry said this in a statement, Ukrinform reports, citing Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

According to the statement, experts carried out investigations on Tuesday, August 20, in an area near the town of Periprava, Tulcea county. The investigation team picked up the evidence from the scene, for their expertise.

The Romanian Defense Ministry said it informed NATO structures in real time about the situations caused by the attacks, remaining in permanent contact with them.

"We also reiterate our strong condemnation of the attacks carried out by the Russian Federation on some targets and elements of the Ukrainian civil infrastructure, which are unjustified and in serious contradiction with the norms of international law," the Romanian Defense Ministry said.

Illustration photo: mil.gov.ua
08/20/2024

By Sue J. Kim

I am pleased to announce that Daniel Arroyo-Rodriguez, Associate Professor of World Languages & Cultures, has agreed to serve as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (FAHSS). His appointment begins on Sept. 1, 2024.



Arroyo-Rodriguez is an established scholar of 20th- and 21st-century Spanish Peninsular literature, with particular interest in the recuperation of historical memory. He received his Ph.D. in Romance Language and Literature (Spanish) from the University of Michigan in 2010 and his B.A. in English Philology from the University of Seville in 2000. Prior to joining UMass Lowell in 2020, he was on the faculty at Colorado College, where he was tenured and promoted to Associate Professor of Spanish.



Arroyo-Rodriguez brings to the office a variety of experience with curriculum development and program assessment; support for first-generation and underrepresented students; fostering experiential learning (particularly study abroad); and promoting high-impact pedagogical practices. At Colorado College, he worked on institution-wide initiatives to reconsider the first-year experience, core curriculum, faculty governance, and faculty affairs.

At UMass Lowell, he has served as Faculty Leader in the ADVANCE Office for Faculty Equity and Resilience (OFER) and has partnered with the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) and the River Hawk Scholars Academy.



As the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, Dani will provide strategic leadership in recruitment, advising, retention, academic success of undergraduate students and program development. He will collaborate with academic units and CELT to provide ongoing professional development and support for all instructors, particularly as we navigate a new world shaped by AI and ever-increasing complexity. He will also oversee interdisciplinary programs and play a role in strategic planning, faculty and staff success, and advancement. We welcome Dani to our office and look forward to his efforts in advancing our mission of providing a challenging and rewarding academic experience for our students.



Furthermore, I want to thank the excellent candidates from across the arts, humanities, and social sciences who applied for this position; the strength of the candidates speaks to the exceptionally high quality and commitment of FAHSS faculty across disciplines. I also want to thank Associate Dean Andy Harris and the members of the search committee for their invaluable service.


MOSCOW, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived here on Tuesday to hold the 29th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government and visit Russia at the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

Li arrived at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport, where a grand welcome ceremony was held. The premier reviewed the honor guard accompanied by senior Russian government officials.

In a statement released upon arrival, Li said that under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, China and Russia set a model for a new type of international relations and relations between neighboring major countries.

Over the past 75 years, China-Russia relations have withstood the test of changing international situation and become stronger and fresher over time, Li noted, adding that China-Russia relations in the new era have shown new vigor and vitality, with stronger mutual political trust, fruitful cooperation in various fields, deeply rooted friendship, and close and effective international coordination.

Li said his visit to Russia is aimed at implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state, carrying forward the enduring friendship from generation to generation, and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation.

He pointed out that the two heads of state have met twice this year, laying out the top-level design and strategic plan for the new development of China-Russia relations at the new historical starting point of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

It is believed that with joint efforts of both sides, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era will surely enter a brighter future, Li said.

During his stay, Li will meet with Mishustin to exchange in-depth views on bilateral relations, practical cooperation and key issues of common interest.

The regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government, held every year since its inception in 1996, is an important mechanism for implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state and promoting bilateral cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between China and Russia and the launch of the China-Russia Years of Culture. 
MOSCOW, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived here on Tuesday to chair the 29th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government and visit Russia at the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

During his stay, Li will meet with Mishustin to exchange in-depth views on bilateral relations, practical cooperation and key issues of common interest. 
A dangerous and disease-spreading mosquito known as a "tiger mosquito" have hit New Jersey and do not show signs of leaving, the Associated Press reported.

The Asian tiger mosquitos are very aggressive at all times of day. It is black with white spots, giving the appearance of a tuxedo.

"The Asian tiger mosquito is an extremely aggressive insect that has largely supplanted japonicas since 2008, especially in urban and suburban areas," Eric Green, the mosquito control officer for Passaic County, told the Record.

He also said the tiger mosquito could be "a more efficient disease vector, especially for West Nile virus [because] it bites in daytime and could put more people at risk."

Aedes albopictus, its scientific name, was first discovered in New Jersey's Monmouth County in 1995. It has since spread north and has become a problem in a number of other counties across the state.

Pete Rendine, chief inspector with the mosquito control division of the Bergen County Public Works Department, said the "albo" mosquitos, as they were originally termed in 1995, are not leaving New Jersey any time soon.

"This is an extremely obnoxious nuisance mosquito," said Claudia O'Malley, a biologist for the state's mosquito control division. "It is impossible to control without concerted efforts by homeowners in eliminating the breeding habitat."

In addition to its aggression, the tiger mosquito is known to carry any of a number of diseases. Experts say the diseases could include West Nile virus, dengue fever, eastern equine encephalitis and chikungunya fever. The only ones that should cause concern in the northern climates are the equine encephalitis, which affects horses, and West Nile, which affects humans.

Rendine said basic home maintenance is enough to prevent the mosquitos from breeding. Items as small as a bottle cap hold enough water for the tiger mosquito to lay eggs and clogged drains and neglected kiddie pools are large enough to create a neighborhood-wide problem.

"If everybody did their part, this mosquito could be eliminated," Green said.

Rendine said the best way to prevent the mosquitos from breeding is to dump out any water left lying around outside. If anyone has a decorative pond, they should apply an aerator to keep the water moving or put a couple gambusia afinis (mosquito fish), which are known to eat mosquito larvae.
Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin on Tuesday said that a direct flight from Kazakhstan to Skardu, a beautiful region of Gilgit-Baltistan, could not be ruled out, which would enhance bilateral tourism

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Aug, 2024) Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin on Tuesday said that a direct flight from Kazakhstan to Skardu, a beautiful region of Gilgit-Baltistan, could not be ruled out, which would enhance bilateral tourism.

He sdaid :"International flights have started recently from Skardu International Airport, after which we have an opportunity to increase bilateral tourism by starting this one-hour duration direct flight from Kazakhstan to Skardu."

The Ambassador told APP that the International Tourism Summit would also be organized by Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) in Skardu.

He said that people-to-people relations of two countries would increase with this air connectivity initiative, which was the backbone of all relations, in addition to enhancing bilateral relations.

He said that for the promotion Pakistan Kazakhstan and Central Asia relations, there was a need to increase economic integration and enhance land and air links.

The envoy said that mutual diplomatic, economic and trade ties between Pakistan and Kazakhstan were being strengthened with time.

He said that a bilateral agreement has been reached for the promotion of transit trade and a lot of progress has been made on this, which would strengthen the economic ties and trade between the two countries.

Yerzhan Kistafin said that there was a need to exchange business delegations in order to enhance bilateral relations.

The ambassador said that there was a need to work on the potential in Gilgit-Baltistan including conventional tourism, medical and cultural adventure tourism, mining and precious stones, minerals and natural resources, hydro-power, agriculture including fruits and food and water resources and other sectors.

Yerzhan Kistafin said that the northern region of Pakistan was rich in natural beauty in which 6 major mountain peaks of the world were located.

To a question, he said that bilateral trade was far below its potential and more work was required in this regard.

The ambassador said that the role of the private sector was imperative to increase cooperation in the field of tourism for which the business community of both countries must play their due role in this regard.

He said that Pakistan and Kazakhstan were bound in historical, religious and cultural relations that covered many dimensions.
The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and the UK-Pakistan Trade and Investment Board (UPTIB) here Tuesday officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen economic ties between the business communities of Pakistan and the United Kingdom

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Aug, 2024) The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and the UK-Pakistan Trade and Investment Board (UPTIB) here Tuesday officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen economic ties between the business communities of Pakistan and the United Kingdom.

The agreement marks a significant step towards enhancing trade, investment, and economic collaboration between the two countries.

The MoU was signed by LCCI President Kashif Anwar and CEO-Pakistan of UPTIB Tajammel Hussain on behalf of their respective sides.

In his address, Kashif Anwar expressed his optimism about the partnership, stating, This MoU is a significant milestone in our efforts to enhance bilateral trade relations with the United Kingdom. By facilitating mutual economic cooperation, we are opening doors for business communities to explore new opportunities and strengthen existing ties. Lahore Chamber is committed to support our members in every possible way to achieve sustainable economic growth.

He added that the partnership aims to foster mutual economic cooperation, promote business opportunities and facilitate trade in goods and services among the members of both organizations. Under the terms of the agreement, both parties have committed to exchanging business publications, research reports, market surveys and other relevant materials regularly. Additionally, the MoU outlines plans for organizing B2B meetings, exhibitions, fairs, seminars and conferences to introduce business circles to the economic and export opportunities available in both countries.

The MoU also highlights the importance of resolving trade and commercial disputes through Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms, encouraging members of both organizations to utilize the ADR Centers established by LCCI and UPTIB.

The collaboration is expected to create a robust platform for bilateral trade and investment, contributing to the economic growth of both Pakistan and the United Kingdom. The signing of this MoU reflects the shared commitment of LCCI and UPTIB to fostering stronger economic ties and creating new opportunities for businesses on both sides.

Tajammel Hussain, CEO of the UK-Pakistan Trade & Investment Board said that Pakistan is among 65 countries benefiting from UK duty-free imports under a new trade scheme. He said that UPTIB is committed increase the volume of mutual trade between Pakistan and UK.

He also revealed plans to attract potential investors to Pakistan aiming to boost economic growth and strengthen trade relations. He assured that importers and exporters would receive comprehensive support in navigating market access, customs procedures and other essential trade-related matters. This initiative is expected to create new opportunities and further integrate Pakistan into the global trading system.
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ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Aug, 2024) Minister for Petroleum, Dr. Musadik Masood Malik Tuesday said that the current gas tariff would remain unchanged until the winter months of December and January.

Addressing a press conference, he said that the gas tariff has not been increased, and the government is striving to avoid placing any additional burden on the people.

"If the need arises to provide relief, we will make decisions in consultation with all provinces and move forward together. However, our aim is to avoid increasing gas prices," he said.

The minister said that 98% of domestic electricity consumers, who use up to 500 units, have been provided relief by the Punjab government. He added that 86% of those consuming up to 200 units have also received relief from the Federal government. He urged other provincial governments to offer similar relief if they wish.

He urged political leaders to refrain from spreading chaos and to participate in parliamentary committees to contribute to the nation's development.

Dr. Malik highlighted that certain elements are attempting to create obstacles in the country's progress, prosperity, and development. "These are the people who do not want to see the country progress," he added.

Dr. Malik also recalled that after the elections, the opposition was offered the chance to form the government, but they refused.

He mentioned that the Pakistan Peoples Party had also extended an offer to the current opposition to form the government.

He said that one side the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) blaming the U.S. for regime change while simultaneously hiring the services of a U.S. lobbying firm, the Fenton Group. He alleged that PTI lobbied for passing a resolution against Pakistan, and noted that David Fenton, who has campaigned against Pakistan's nuclear program for decades, was hired by PTI.

Without naming , he said the Deputy Chairman is in jail for committing $190 million in corruption, while the "real" Chairman has also been arrested. "One has been arrested in the Top City corruption case, while the other is detained in a $190 million corruption case," he added. He said that after the arrest of PTI's real Chairman, the party has become orphan.

He highlighted widespread corruption stories in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which have become a common topic of discussion. He accused some elements of facilitating and supporting terrorists. He said that those who deny the ongoing operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must account for the sacrifices rendered by the armed forces, calling it an unfortunate situation.

Highlighting internal conflicts within PTI, he pointed out that the party is disintegrating, with its members now fighting among themselves.
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The Pakistan High Commission, Canada-Pakistan Association (CPA), and MP Yasir Naqvi hosted a Pakistan Independence Day celebration at Parliament Hill Ottawa uniting the Pakistani diaspora and Canadian nationals of Pakistani origin in shared pride and joy

OTTAWA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Aug, 2024) The Pakistan High Commission, Canada-Pakistan Association (CPA), and MP Yasir Naqvi hosted a Pakistan Independence Day celebration at Parliament Hill Ottawa uniting the Pakistani diaspora and Canadian nationals of Pakistani origin in shared pride and joy.

This event marked a significant moment as it brought together a large gathering of the Pakistani diaspora and Canadian nationals of Pakistani origin, united in their shared pride and joy for our homeland.

In his address, Acting High Commissioner Faisal Kakar extended heartfelt congratulations to the Pakistani community in Canada on the 78th Independence Day of Pakistan. He reflected on the monumental Pakistan Movement, led by the visionary Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, which culminated in the creation of a sovereign nation where we could live with dignity, freedom, and equality.

Kakar lauded the Pakistani diaspora in Canada for their unwavering dedication and contributions, which have played a pivotal role in strengthening the bonds between Pakistan and Canada.

He emphasized that the Pakistani community has not only fostered greater understanding and cooperation between the two nations but has also been instrumental in showcasing Pakistans positive image on the global stage.

He also took the opportunity to draw attention to the ongoing plight of our Kashmiri brethren in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Kakar reiterated Pakistans commitment to stand in solidarity with the Kashmiri people in their just cause, urging the international community to fulfill the promises made to them and to uphold their right to self-determination.

This celebration was not just a commemoration of Pakistan independence but also a reaffirmation of the shared values, unity, and the enduring spirit of Pakistanis, both at home and abroad.
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ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Aug, 2024) Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that the government had established the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund to support children from low-income families to obtain higher education.

The prime minister, in a meeting with Israr Khan Kakar, the newly elected President of Oxford Union of UK's Oxford University, said that a 20% quota had been allocated for the youth of Balochistan under the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund.

Prime Minister Shehbaz warmly welcomed Israr Kakar at the PM House, appreciated him for bringing fame to Pakistan, and viewed that talented youth like him could guarantee a bright future for Pakistan.

He lauded Kakar for contesting and winning the Oxford Union election as a manifestation of his steadfastness and firm resolve.

He expressed the hope that Pakistani youth like Israr Kakar would continue to bring laurels to Pakistan.

"Winning scholarship throughout the academic career and then his election as president of a great body like Oxford Union by a youngster coming from a backward area of Balochistan is a matter of pride," the prime minister remarked.

Inviting him to address the Oxford Union, Israr Kakar appreciated Prime Minister Shehbaz for his government's measures for youth empowerment and providing them equal opportunities.

"All of the youth like me, are resolved to offer all-out services for Pakistan's progress and prosperity," Kakar remarked.
(@Abdulla99267510)

PM Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemns Israels barbaric actions against innocent Palestinians in Gaza since October 7, 2023 that had led to the heart wrenching killing of over 40000 innocent Palestinians including women and children, and more than 90000 injured

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-August 20th, 2024) Prime Minister (PM) Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met Palestine outgoing Ambassador Ahmed Jawad A.A. Rabei at the Prime Minister House on Tuesday.

The PM reiterated Pakistan's unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination.

He strongly condemned Israels barbaric actions against innocent Palestinians in Gaza since October 7, 2023 that had led to the heart wrenching killing of over 40000 innocent Palestinians, including women and children, and more than 90000 injured.

The PM reaffirmed Pakistan's strong commitment and support for efforts to find a just and lasting resolution of the Palestine issue through a two state solution with the creation of an independent state of Palestine with pre-1967 borders and Al Quds as its capital, in accordance with relevant UN resolutions.

Ambassador Jawad thanked the Prime Minister for his support for the Palestinian cause as well as for the hospitality extended to him during his five years tenure.

He lauded Pakistan's historic and consistent stance on Palestine and its contribution to the international efforts for peace and stability in the region.

The Ambassador thanked the Government of Pakistan for providing much needed humanitarian assistance and offering scholarships to Palestinian medical students to complete their studies in Pakistan.

The PM wished the Palestinian Ambassador success in his future endeavors.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Aug, 2024) President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday paid tribute to the security forces for carrying out a successful intelligence-based operation in Mastung to eliminate the killers of Deputy Commissioner of Panjgur Zakir Ali.

The president appreciated the professional expertise of the Pakistan Army for carrying out an effective anti-terror operation.

The actions against terrorism will continue till the complete elimination of the scourge, he remarked.
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ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Aug, 2024) The Apex Committee of Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has finalized the results of the National Seerat, Naat, and Articles Competition.

The distinguished contributors in the field of Seerat writing will be honored with awards on the occasion of 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal next month.

The Apex Committee, comprising educationists and Islamic scholars, convened at the Ministry under the chairmanship of former Council of Islamic Ideology Chairman, Dr. Qibla Ayaz. The meeting was attended by other committee members, including Dr. Jamila Shoukat, Dr. Riaz Majeed, Dr. Yousuf Farooqi, Dr. Muhammad Baqir Khan Khakwani, Dr. Muhammad Sajjad, Dr. Ikram-ul-Haq Yasin, Dr. Mohiuddin Hashmi, Dr. Sahibzada Sajid-ur-Rehman, Dr. Munazza Batool, and Dr. Ayesha Qurat-ul-Ain.

During the meeting, the initial results of the competition were presented to the committee. A total of 169 books were received in various categories, including those written in the national language urdu, regional and foreign languages.

In addition, 117 articles were submitted on the topic "The education System of the State in the Light of Seerat-un-Nabi (Peace Be Upon Him)."

After a thorough review of the scores and recommendations provided by the judges' committee, the Apex Committee finalized the results. The distinguished works would be recognized in a special ceremony next month.

Dr. Syed Ata-ur-Rehman, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, attended the meeting as a special guest and expressed gratitude to the Islamic scholars for their support. The committee members appreciated the ministry's efforts to promote the Seerat-un-Nabi (Peace Be Upon Him) and suggested that next years essay topic should focus on climate change and environmental protection in light of the Seerat-un-Nabi (Peace Be Upon Him).
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Fuad Ishaq, president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday inaugurated a Facilitation Desk for provision of a grant to small and medium scale businesses and industries announced by International Organization of Migration

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Aug, 2024) Fuad Ishaq, president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday inaugurated a Facilitation Desk for provision of a grant to small and medium scale businesses and industries announced by International Organization of Migration.

The initiative aims to facilitate business community regarding availing of a cash grant of International Organization of Migration (IOM) for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), said in a statement here.

It is mentioned here that the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN body, has announced a cash grant for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through their Enterprise Development Fund (EDF).

This grant is for business expansion, boosting productivity and especially creating jobs.

President of the WCCI Peshawar Azra Jamshed, members, women entrepreneurs, members of the business community and others were present on the occasion.

Fuad Ishaq, President SCCI in his remarks on the occasion appreciated the IOM and asked small scale businesses and industries to take full benefit from this grant.

He said SCCI has always been on the front foot for safeguarding interests of small and medium enterprises and will keep on supporting this important sector of the economy.

The chamber president said Federal and provincial governments take pragmatic steps for ease of doing business and provision of interest-free loans to the business community.

Later in the day, members of the business community visited the chamber house wherein officials of IOM briefed them about the procedures for availing cash grant for launching of small businesses and industries.

Officials on the occasion said a grant up to Rs5million will be given to more than 120 SMEs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

They furthermore said grants will be available for companies and the business community affected by war or natural disasters in various trades, aimed at reviving and promoting these businesses.
MP Paata Manjgaladze, a leader of the Unity - National Movement, has criticized the recent unemployment data released by Geostat, alleging it is a pre-election manipulation by the ruling Georgian Dream party. According to Geostat, the second quarter of 2024 saw a 2.1% increase in the number of employed individuals, reaching 935,800, and a 10.1% rise in self-employed persons, totaling 451,500.Manjgaladze argued that these statistics do not reflect the true economic hardships faced by Georgians. He asserted that high living costs and insufficient job opportunities are prompting many Georgians to leave their homes and the country. He described the situation as a result of the Georgian Dream's policies, which he believes are enriching a small elite while impoverishing the broader population."The increase in employment figures does not address the core issue of inadequate and poorly paid work," Manjgaladze said. "This is a direct consequence of the Georgian Dream's policy of robbing and impoverishing its own citizens. If they remain in power after October 26, we can expect further economic decline and isolation, leading to even more emigration."Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has addressed recent reports about Otar Partskhaladze, a former Georgian prosecutor currently under US sanctions, being in Georgia. Media reports, including from SOVA, indicate that Partskhaladze was recently spotted near Orbeliani Palace, the residence of the President of Georgia.Kobakhidze stated that Partskhaladze has not served as Chief Prosecutor in Georgia for ten years, and dismissed speculation about his presence. "Ten years have passed since Otar Partskhaladze no longer held the position of Chief Prosecutor in Georgia. Therefore, there is no room for speculation," Kobakhidze said.On the matter of the US sanctions, the Prime Minister mentioned that the Georgian government had requested evidence from Washington but had not received any. "No charges have been brought against him. As for the sanctions, we always ask for proof, but they have never been able to provide us with evidence regarding any such case, including for judges and Otar Partskhaladze," Kobakhidze said.
KIGALI, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Monday urged the country's leaders to work together in carrying out their duties during the swearing-in ceremony of the recently appointed Cabinet.

"An individual who has done very well and has dedicated himself or herself to everything is not enough. One person alone cannot take us anywhere or will not take us where we want to go as a nation, because no one works alone, no one lives alone," Kagame said in a speech at the parliament building in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.

The president stressed the need for government institutions to work together to deliver on national goals.

"When I say institutions, I mean people. People must work together; institutions must work together; our national institutions must complement each other to spearhead our economic transformation journey. There is no shortcut to the development goals we want to achieve," he added.

Last week, Kagame appointed 21 ministers and nine ministers of state with three new faces in a new government following last month's legislative and presidential elections. 
LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Aug, 2024) The Punjab Home Department has taken an exemplary initiative in line with the prison reforms vision of the Chief Minister Punjab as technical training of juvenile prisoners has started in jails under the "Ab Hoga Hunarmand Aseer" program.

The young captives are being trained to repair LED electric bulbs, SMD ceiling lights and irons. According to the spokesman for the Punjab Home Department, focus is to make the imprisoned children skilled in the jails of Punjab so that they can earn a respectable livelihood after their release.

The spokesperson said that 15,000 LED bulbs are installed in the jails all over Punjab, while more than 2,000 LED bulbs are replaced every month due to malfunctions.

Now, under the supervision of experts, trained inmates are gaining experience in repairing faulty LED bulbs. This project will help make the prisoners more useful to society and also help save lakhs of rupees every month. He said that Rs3 million will be saved annually in terms of purchase of bulbs for jails. The spokesman said that with the technical training given in prisons, the young prisoners will be able to earn a respectable livelihood in society after their release. The training under the supervision of experts started from the District Jail Lahore, which is being spread to all jails across Punjab in phases.
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Educational institutions are encouraged to submit their theater scripts by the deadline of August 31

LAHORE: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-August 20th, 2024) Alhamra Arts Council has introduced a significant new initiative aimed at promoting theater arts throughout the country.

This initiative involves organizing a theater festival for schools, colleges, and universities, with the objective of cultivating the next generation of talent in Pakistans performing arts industry.

The festival will provide a platform for emerging talent in acting, directing, writing, and production, helping to shape the future of the countrys theater scene.

Educational institutions are encouraged to submit their theater scripts by the deadline of August 31.

According to the Chairperson of Alhamra, Sarah Rasheed, this effort is part of a larger campaign to restore the golden age of theater in Pakistan. We are dedicated to reviving the glory days of theater, Rasheed said.

In addition, the festival will honor legendary theater figures, celebrating their contributions to the art form in a grand and prestigious manner.

Alhamra Arts Council is committed to offering equal opportunities to all forms of fine arts and has extended invitations to institutions nationwide to participate.
Tokyo, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Aug, 2024) Japan's ruling party said Tuesday it will select a new leader -- and by extension the likely next prime minister -- on September 27.

The announcement follows current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's shock decision last week to step down next month after polls showed plummeting approval ratings for his government.

Campaigning to become the next Liberal Democratic Party president will begin on September 12 with a vote two weeks later, an internal committee decided early Tuesday, a party official told AFP.

In office since October 2021, the 67-year-old Kishida has seen his and his party's poll ratings slide sharply in response to rising prices.
Seoul, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Aug, 2024) A North Korean defected to the South by walking across the heavily fortified border that separates the peninsula, Seoul's military said Tuesday.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans have fled to South Korea since the peninsula was divided by war in the 1950s, but the majority cross the land border into China first.

Preliminary figures from the unification ministry show this year until June some 105 people defected.

On Tuesday Seoul's military said it picked up "one suspected North Korean individual on the eastern front and handed them over to the relevant authorities".

The defector was a staff sergeant, Yonhap news agency reported, who was given some guidance from the South's military during the defection.

The number of defections dropped significantly from 2020 after the North sealed its borders to prevent the spread of Covid-19 -- apparently with shoot-on-sight orders along the land frontier with China.

But, after border controls eased in 2023, the number of defections rose -- with 196 making it to the South last year.

Local media reported that the latest defector walked along the road by the waterfront in eastern Gangwon province, and was wearing a North Korean military uniform when picked up by authorities.

It is the second this month, after another person made it across the de facto maritime border in the Yellow Sea on August 8.

The latest defections come as relations between the two Koreas are at one of their lowest points in years, with the North ramping up weapons testing and bombarding the South with trash-carrying balloons.

Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewha Woman's University, said a rise in defections suggested the "internal situation is bad in North Korea".

He noted news reports of floods in the North -- with state media showing leader Kim Jong Un personally trying to help.

Heavy rainfall hit the North's northern regions in late July, with South Korean media reporting a possible death toll of up to 1,500 people.

In response to North Korea's trash balloon campaign, Seoul fully suspended a military tension-reducing deal and restarted propaganda campaigns along the border.

Such campaigns can take months to have any impact on defections, Park said.

"Turning on the loudspeaker doesn't mean the North Koreans are going to defect to the South right away," Park said.
YANGON, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Under the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Special Fund, Myanmar has worked with 118 projects from 2017 to 2024 with a budget of 35.2 million U.S. dollars, an official from the LMC National Coordination Unit (Myanmar) told Xinhua on Tuesday.

Among these projects, over 65 were successfully completed, and the rests are in the process of implementation, the official said.

These projects cover a wide range of areas, including agriculture, livestock research, rural development, poverty reduction, education, health, trading, science and technology, among others, directly benefiting many local communities, she added.

The country got 10 projects in 2017, 19 projects in 2018, 22 projects in 2020, 21 projects in 2021, 20 projects in 2022, 14 projects in 2023, and 12 projects in 2024.

As an agriculture-based country, Myanmar has seen significant improvements in the agricultural sector, in particular crop production, of coffee, macadamia, bamboo, nuts, and others, thanks to the technology and equipment provided with the LMC projects, she said.

These advancements have helped boost the socio-economic development of rural areas in the Southeast Asian country, according to her.

The LMC projects in Myanmar also focus on agricultural research and the development of micro, small and medium-sized businesses, the official said.

China initiated the LMC Special Fund in 2016 to support the small and medium-sized cooperation projects put forward by the six Lancang-Mekong countries, namely China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand. 
The Democratic National Convention 's first night showcased speeches from the last Democrat to lose to Donald Trump and the last one to beat him.

Hillary Clinton spoke hopefully of finally breaking the "glass ceiling" to elect a female president. Joe Biden laced into Trump and directly acknowledged the concerns of protesters against the war in Gaza who demonstrated a few blocks from the convention hall.

Here are some takeaways from the first night of the convention.

Biden begins long political exit

President Joe Biden wrapped up the convention's opening night by beginning his long political farewell with an address that both framed his own legacy and signaled he was ready to start ceding control of the party to Vice President Kamala Harris.

He took the stage to a long, raucous ovation from delegates hoisting "We love Joe" placards and told them in turn, "I love you!" After the affectionate opening, Biden spent long stretches of his 50-minute speech lacing into Trump, returning to a key theme of the reelection campaign he's no longer running.

Biden ticked through many of his administration's achievements, including a major public works package and climate program, and shared the credit with Harris. But the convention ran so late that Biden took the stage after prime time had ended in much of the country. That didn't stop Biden from declaring, "America's winning."

Biden called Harris a "close friend" and said picking her as his running mate was the best decision he ever made. He also vowed to help get the new Democratic ticket elected, promising to be the "best volunteer" that Harris and Walz have ever seen.

He ended by telling those still listening, "I gave my best to you for 50 years."

He had no plan to linger at the convention, though. Biden was set to fly to California's wine country for a vacation immediately after his speech.

A surprise Harris appearance to pay tribute to Biden

The vice president made an unscheduled appearance onstage to pay tribute to Biden ahead of his own address to the convention. She told the president, "Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you'll continue to do."

On a night meant to honor the president who stepped aside to make way for Harris, the vice president added, "We are forever grateful to you." Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and her husband, Doug Emhoff, were in the stands to cheer her message.

Gaza gets little attention inside DNC hall  except from Biden

Thousands of marchers churned through Chicago's streets protesting U.S. support for Israel during the war in Gaza. But inside the convention hall, the combustible issue went largely unmentioned until Biden got to the microphone.

Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez got cheers when she praised Harris for working "tirelessly to get a cease-fire in Gaza and get the hostages home." Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia made a brief allusion to the conflict.

A handful of delegates who ran on an "uncommitted" ticket protesting Biden's position on the war unfurled a banner during his speech that read "Stop Arming Israel." But it was blocked by supporters waving Biden signs before it was wrestled away and the lights over that section of the audience were shut off.

Biden himself addressed the issue head-on, saying he'd keep working to "end the war in Gaza and bring peace and security to the Middle East."

"Those protesters out in the streets have a point," Biden said. "A lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides."

The crowd cheered, and for a moment the war didn't seem like it was dividing the party at all.

Clinton revives talk of breaking that 'glass ceiling'

Clinton was greeted with wild and sustained applause that lasted for more than two minutes before she quieted the crowd. She delivered a fiery speech hoping that Harris could do what she could not - become the first woman president by beating Trump.

Clinton evoked her 2016 concession speech by referencing all the "cracks in the glass ceiling" that she and her voters had achieved. And she painted a vision of Harris "on the other side of that glass ceiling" taking the oath of office as president.

She closed her speech with a striking desire for someone who's stood at the pinnacle of American politics and power: "I want my grandchildren and their grandchildren to know I was here at this moment. That we were here and that we were with Kamala Harris every step of the way."

Clinton dipped into traditional political attacks in her speech, including mocking Trump's criminal record. That led to chants of "lock him up"  mirroring the ones that Trump's supporters directed at Clinton in 2016.

Tracing a line from Jesse Jackson to Kamala Harris

An early theme of the evening was celebrating the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a longtime civil rights leader in Chicago and former presidential candidate in 1984 and 1988. Many Democrats credit him with blazing a trail that helped Barack Obama win the White House in 2008 and Kamala Harris become the first woman of color nominated for the presidency.

Jackson was saluted from the stage by several speakers, including Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and California Rep. Maxine Waters. There was a video montage of Jackson's career and legacy that played before the 82-year-old Jackson himself came to the stage in a wheelchair, thrusting his arms skyward and grinning. Jackson has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

During the 1984 Democratic convention in San Francisco, Jackson gave a speech declaring that America is "like a quilt: Many patches, many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven and held together by a common thread." The address became known as the "Rainbow Coalition" speech, and Jackson used momentum from it to seek the Democratic nomination again in 1988.

Harris has called Jackson "one of America's greatest patriots."

Remember COVID? Democrats don't want voters  or Trump  to forget

Democrats opted to shine the convention spotlight on the harrowing subject of the coronavirus pandemic.

It was a reflection of Democratic frustration at how Trump has portrayed his tenure in office as a golden age for the country, even though hundreds of thousands of Americans died of COVID-19 during the last year of his term.

There are plenty of risks for Democrats in hammering the pandemic. Even more people died of the virus during Biden's presidency than during Trump's, voters have shown an eagerness to move on and some preventative measures championed by Democrats  like school closures and masking  are not popular in retrospect.

Still, the lineup of early speakers focused on Trump's performance during the pandemic. Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan recalled how her brother was the second person in Tennessee to die of the disease and how she couldn't visit him or hold a memorial service. Rep. Lauren Underwood of Illinois, a nurse, said of Trump: "He took the COVID crisis and turned it into a catastrophe. We can never ever let him be our president again."

Rep. Robert Garcia, whose mother and stepfather died of the disease in 2020, recalled Trump's missteps and concluded with one of the slogans of Harris' young campaign: "We are not going back."

Democrats one-up Republicans on labor

Trump's convention last month featured a rare appearance from a union leader at such a GOP event: Teamsters President Sean O'Brien. That's reflective of how Trump's populism has cut into Democrats' advantage with union households.

In that speech, O'Brien did not endorse Trump. But he criticized both major political parties for not doing enough to help working people.

Democrats didn't invite O'Brien to their convention, but they countered with a half-dozen other union leaders onstage Monday. And then Shawn Fain, head of the United Auto Workers, led a blistering chant of "Trump's a scab!" while wearing a red T-shirt emblazoned with those words.

Fain noted that Biden visited a UAW picket line last year and, when autoworkers struck in 2019, Harris, not Trump, walked the picket lines. "Donald Trump is all talk and Kamala Harris walks the walk," Fain said.
There is no evidence the United States set any conditions for Sudanese participation. According to the United Nations, Sudan does not have a government, and the United Arab Emirates and Egypt are key to a successful cease-fire.
Rescue teams in Sicily on Tuesday resumed a search for six missing people, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter, after a luxury yacht was struck by a violent storm and sank on Monday, killing at least one on board.

The British-flagged "Bayesian," a 56-meter-long sailboat was carrying 22 people and was anchored just off the port of Porticello when it was hit by ferocious weather.

Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance who represented Lynch in a U.S. trial, were among the missing.

The wives of both men were also unaccounted for, said Salvatore Cocina, head of civil protection in Sicily.

"The fear is that the bodies got trapped inside the vessel," he told Reuters.

Prosecutors in the nearby town of Termini Imerese have opened an investigation.

Specialist divers had reached the ship on Monday at a depth of some 50 meters, but access was limited due to objects in the way, the fire brigade said.

Fifteen people had escaped before the boat went down, including Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, who owned the boat, and a 1-year-old girl.

On Monday, rescue teams recovered the body of the yacht's onboard chef, identified as Antiguan citizen Ricardo Thomas.

Storms and heavy rainfall have swept Italy in recent days, after weeks of scorching heat lifted the temperature of the Mediterranean sea to record levels, raising the risk of extreme weather conditions, experts said.

"The sea surface temperature around Sicily was around 30 degrees Celsius, which is almost 3 degrees more than normal. This creates an enormous source of energy that contributes to these storms," said meteorologist Luca Mercalli.

"We can't say that this is all due to global warming but we can say that it has an amplifying effect," he told Reuters.

The British government's Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four inspectors had been sent to Sicily to conduct a "preliminary assessment."

One expert at the scene of the disaster who declined to be named said an early focus of the investigation would be whether the yacht's crew had had time to close access hatches into the vessel before the storm struck.
President Joe Biden delivered his valedictory address to the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, as his decision to end his reelection bid released newfound energy within his party with Vice President Kamala Harris' elevation to the top of the ticket.

After 52 years rising to the pinnacle of influence within his party, Biden, 81, received a hero's welcome for the act of stepping aside for Harris, weeks after many in his party were pressuring him to drop his bid for reelection. One month after an unprecedented mid-campaign switch, the opening night of the convention in Chicago was designed to give a graceful exit to the incumbent president and slingshot Harris toward a faceoff with Republican Donald Trump, whose comeback bid for the White House is viewed by Democrats as an existential threat.

A visibly emotional Biden was greeted by a more than four-minute-long ovation and chants of "Thank you, Joe."

"America, I love you," he replied.

Speaking clearly and energetically, Biden appeared to relish the chance to defend his record, advocate for his vice president and go on the attack against Trump. His delivery was more reminiscent of the Biden who won in 2020 than the mumbling and sometimes incoherent one-time candidate whose debate performance against Trump in June sparked the downfall of his reelection campaign.

Biden, in his remarks, repeated his 2020 theme that "we're in a battle for the very soul of America," and pressed the case for why Harris and her running mate Tim Walz were best prepared to wage it.

"Because of you, we've had the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period," Biden declared. And then he interjected, "I say 'we,' I mean me and Kamala,'" sharing the credit for his most popular successes with the vice president to whom he handed over his political operation.

Harris made an unannounced appearance onstage as the convention's prime-time program began Monday evening to thank Biden for his leadership and watched his remarks from the stands.

"Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you'll continue to do," she said. "We are forever grateful to you."

Biden's speech, billed as the marquee event of the evening, was pushed into late night as the convention program lagged more than an hour behind schedule.

The president recalled the 2017 "unite the right" rally, when torch-carrying white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, an episode he cites as cementing his decision to run for president in 2020 despite his ongoing grief over the death of his son Beau Biden.

"I could not stay on the sidelines," Biden said. "So I ran. I had no intention of running again. I'd just lost part of my soul. But I ran with a deep conviction."

Biden celebrated the successes from his administration, including a massive boost in infrastructure spending and a cap on the price of insulin. The spending resulted in more money going to Republican-leaning states than Democratic states, he said, because "the job of the president is to deliver for all of America."

During one of the crowd's many chants of "thank you, Joe," he added, "Thank you, Kamala, too."

Not even a month ago, Democrats were riven over foreign policy, political strategy and Biden himself, who was holding on after a disastrous debate by claiming he had a better chance than any other Democrat  including Harris  of beating Trump.

On Monday, Biden insisted he did not harbor any ill will to the many voices in the arena before him who had pushed him to the exits and called on the party to unite around Harris. Accusing Trump of "bowing down" to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden said, "I never have and I promise you Kamala Harris will never do it."

"She'll be a president we can all be proud of," he said.

First lady Jill Biden alluded to her husband's wrenching decision to leave the race in her remarks minutes before Biden took the stage. She said she fell in love with him all over again "just weeks ago, when I saw him dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris."

Still, there was little question that the Democratic Party would almost certainly have been in a far worse state if Biden had continued to cling to his campaign, despite growing concerns about his mental and physical acuity after struggling to complete sentences during his debate against Trump.

Democrats took turns praising Biden's leadership and his choice in Harris to succeed him. "I've never known a more compassionate man than Joe Biden," said his longtime confidant Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, who led the crowd in a "we love Joe" chant.

They tried to connect both Biden and Harris to what the party sees as the governing pair's most popular accomplishments: leading the country out of the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing for massive investments in the country's infrastructure, working to lower health care costs and promoting clean energy.

"Thanks to Joe and Kamala, we reduced the price of prescription drugs, repaired roads and bridges and replaced lead pipes," said South Carolina Representative Jim Clyburn, whose 2020 endorsement was critical to Biden winning that primary. He added that one of Biden's best decisions was "selecting Kamala Harris as his vice president and endorsing her to succeed him."

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was greeted with prolonged applause, saluted Harris while noting her potential to break the "highest, hardest glass ceiling" to become America's first female president. Clinton was the Democratic nominee in 2016, but she lost that election to Trump.

"Together, we've put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling," Clinton said, invoking a metaphor she referenced in her concession speech eight years ago. "On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the United States. When a barrier falls for one of us, it clears the way for all of us."

Clinton also saluted Biden for stepping aside, saying, "Now we are writing a new chapter in America's story."

Highlighting the party's generational reach, Clinton, 76, followed New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 34, who endorsed Harris while delivering the first mention of the war in Gaza from the convention stage, addressing an issue that has split the party's base ever since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack and Israel's resulting offensive.

Outside the arena, thousands of protesters descended on Chicago to decry the Biden-Harris administration's support for the Israeli war effort.

Harris "is working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bringing the hostages home," Ocasio-Cortez said, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Biden acknowledged the protests outside the convention and inside the arena as he spoke, saying, "Those protesters out in the street have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides." He reiterated his push to get Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire deal that would also see the release of hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 in the attack that sparked the 10-month war.

Meanwhile, Democrats also looked to keep the focus on Trump, whose criminal convictions they mocked and who they asserted was only fighting for himself, rather than "for the people"  the night's official theme.

Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow hoisted an oversized copy of "Project 2025"  a blueprint for a second Trump term that was put together by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank  onto the lectern and quoted from portions of it.

"So we read it," McMorrow said. "Whatever you think it might be. It is so much worse."

Trump, the former president, has publicly disavowed any interests in the policies outlined in Project 2025, but he has close ties to its authors and campaign aides had praised its work in the past.

Democrats kept abortion access front and center for voters, betting that the issue will propel them to success as it has in other key races since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. Speakers Monday included three women whose health care suffered as a result of that decision. And the convention program included a video of Trump praising his own role in getting Roe struck down.
The Biden administration on Monday launched a parole program for spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens, allowing them to apply for lawful permanent residence without leaving the country and avoiding a potential ban on reentry.

The program, announced June 17, is known as parole in place.

Parole under immigration law is very different than in the criminal justice context, according to the American Immigration Council.

Under immigration law, parole is a way for a noncitizen to enter, live and sometimes work temporarily in the U.S. Parole plays an important role in allowing someone to meet the criteria to adjust status under immigration law.

The Immigration and Nationality Act gives the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security discretionary power to temporarily parole individuals into the United States on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. It also allows DHS to grant parole to people who are already in the United States without lawful immigration status, enabling them to stay for a specified period.

Eligibility

To be eligible for parole, an undocumented person must have been continuously present in the U.S. for at least 10 years, be legally married to a citizen before June 17, 2024, have not been convicted of any crime, and have not posed a threat to national security or public safety, among other criteria.

The person must fill out a lengthy application and pay a fee to apply, currently $580. There is also a $470 fee to request employment authorization and a fee of $1,440 to apply for permanent residency. Finally, the U.S. citizen spouse must file a form for stepchildren, which costs $625 per individual.

If the person meets all of the requirements and DHS approves the application, the person will have three years to apply for permanent residency. During this time, the person will be allowed to remain in the U.S. with family and be eligible for work authorization.

Undocumented spouses of US citizens

In its parole fact sheet, the American Immigration Council says spouses of U.S. citizens typically qualify for an immigrant visa as an immediate relative of the citizen. But for those spouses who entered the United States without authorization, adjusting immigration status is bureaucratically onerous, and risky.

Under federal law, some immigrants  namely, those who have already been inspected and admitted (generally, anyone who entered through an official port of entry) or inspected and paroled into the U.S.  can apply to adjust their status to permanent residency without having to depart the country to attend an immigrant visa interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. However, immigrants who entered without inspection do not have this option. They must leave the United States, go to a consulate abroad, and obtain a new immigrant visa to reenter, the fact sheet says.

Leaving the U.S. to visit a consulate often triggers a lengthy reentry ban. A 1996 immigration law imposes bans of up to 10 years on individuals who have been "unlawfully present" in the U.S. for more than a year. Being "unlawfully present" also makes them ineligible for visas.

Yet, current legislation does allow an applicant to file for a waiver. A U.S. government official approves these waivers on a case-by-case basis, with the applicant required to meet certain conditions.

One such condition is if they can demonstrate that their citizen spouses would suffer extreme hardship from such a prolonged separation, the American Immigration Council said in its fact sheet. As of April, decisions on these waiver requests were taking more than 41 months.

Ultimately, an adjustment of immigration status for someone who entered the country illegally, even if the person is married to a U.S. citizen, is at the discretion of a U.S. immigration officer.

Under the parole in place program, undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens will be allowed to stay in the U.S. for up to three years, obtain work authorization and apply for lawful permanent resident status without having to leave the country.

DHS estimates that 500,000 undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens would be eligible to apply, as would about 50,000 stepchildren.

Criticism

In June, a group of Republican senators sent a letter to President Joe Biden expressing "grave concerns" about the parole in place program. The lawmakers said this immigration relief "directly contravenes the laws Congress has passed" and "will exacerbate the ongoing border crisis."

We have previously challenged the legality of your administrations parole authority and have sought to reform this authority to ensure that decisions regarding parole are restored to Congress original intent  on a case-by-case basis to aliens who are not already present in the U.S.  We urge you to rescind this policy immediately, the lawmakers wrote.

While the program has yet to be challenged in court, Biden administration officials say they are confident about its legal standing.

We feel strongly that we are on strong legal footing to make this announcement and are comfortable doing so, a senior official said on background during a June call with reporters. Officials speaking on background can remain anonymous.
The brother of a prominent Cambodian activist has been arrested by local authorities, according to the activist and a Thai human rights group.

Hay Vannith, a Cambodian scholar, was arrested and detained at the Poi Pet border in northwestern Cambodia after trying to travel to Thailand, Hay Vanna told VOA.

Hay Vanna, a Cambodian political activist who lives in Japan, said Vannith was detained Friday.

My brother has nothing to do with my political advocacy, he told VOA on Monday night. Hes a scholar, public servant and a professor at National Institute of Public Health. I call for his immediate release. Its more than 48 hours since we lost contact on August 16.

Vannith, 28, studied in the U.S. as a Fulbright scholar and as a graduate student at the Food Science Institute at Kansas State University. He works as a civil servant at the Ministry of Health in Cambodia.

The Bangkok-based human rights group Manushya Foundation also reported the detention.

Hay Vanna is the Japan director for the Cambodia National Rescue Movement, whose supporters include former members of the banned Cambodia National Rescue Party. The party, often known as the CNRP, was declared illegal in 2017 by Cambodias Supreme Court after it was convicted of conspiring to overthrow the government. It had been the sole credible challenger to the ruling CPP in the 2013 national elections and had performed better-than-expected in 2017 local elections, before being removed from electoral politics.

Vanna has continued to work for the Cambodia National Recue Movement in Japan. His overseas activities caught the attention of Cambodian authorities.

In remarks broadcast on state TV on July 23, former Prime Minister Hun Sen, who ruled Cambodia for nearly 40 years until last year, warned Vanna over his advocacy.

After posting a message on my social media, this person by the name of Hay Vanna who lives in Japan, commented on the so-called ceasing of the four Cambodian provinces to others, Hun Sen said. I didnt respond. Instead, I blocked him right away. But you shouldnt be confused that you have family members here in Cambodia. And they, who are living here, must not be arrogant. After hearing his message ... You must stop, or else.

Hun Sens comments were in connection to the Cambodian-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle, a project that promotes economic trade, but activists have voiced criticism, asserting Cambodia risks ceding land to Vietnam.

Fearing reprisal, this prompted Vannas family to leave Cambodia in early August.

My entire [family] escaped Cambodia on August 4. Arrived in Japan on August 5. [My brother] intended to leave on August 16, [but] got caught, Vanna told VOA.

Vanna said he remains in contact with the Cambodian authorities over his brothers detention. A photo of Hay Vannith in detention and his arrest record documents have been seen by VOA.

Vanna Hay says the authorities are accusing Vannith of trying to overthrow the government.

He is forced to provide untrue information, Vanna said. I call on the Hun Sen and Hun Manet authoritarian regime to be more mature and dare to play politics with me directly, not my siblings. He is innocent.

Emilie Palamy Pradichit, the founder of Manuysha Foundation, condemned the detention, saying Vannith was unjustly targeted.

We strongly condemn the arbitrary detention of Vannith Hay by Cambodian authorities, she told VOA. He is being unjustly targeted simply because of his brothers courageous advocacy for democracy.

The arbitrary detention of Vannith Hay violates Cambodias commitments under international law and its duty to uphold the rights to liberty, security, and freedom from discrimination. We call for the immediate release of Vannith Hay and urge authorities to cease using family members as pawns in their attempts to silence dissent.

The Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) has dominated Cambodian politics for more than 40 years. Dissidents, outspoken critics and political rivals to the CPP regularly have encountered trouble with the law and legal system.

Both the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and the Candlelight Party have been banned from running in elections in the past decade, while political figures have been targeted.

In March 2023, Cambodia jailed former CNRP leader Kem Sokha for 27 years on charges he had faced for years, that he conspired with foreign powers to overthrow the Cambodian government.

Hun Manet, Hun Sens eldest son, succeeded his father as prime minister almost one year ago.

Additionally, on Sunday, at least 20 political and human right activists were arrested in Phnom Penh after protests had been planned to oppose the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle project, according to local media.

Cambodias Ministry of National Defence spokesman Chhum Socheat said the arrests marked another defeat against extremist opposition groups overseas who attempt to overthrow the government by non-democratic means.

Cambodias Prime Minister Hun Manet insists no Cambodian territory will be lost in the three-nation development initiative, Radio Free Asia reported.

Protests against the project took place in South Korea, Canada and Australia on August 11. Vanna organized a rally in Japan, attracting some 700 people, he said.

Phil Robertson, the Director for Asia Human Rights and Labour Advocates, says the Cambodian government is paranoid and using any suspicions to conduct a broad crackdown on dissidents.

The government's paranoia and mistrust of the Cambodian people was on full display on Sunday as scores of police manned checkpoints and conducted arrests on civil society groups, opposition politicians and anyone else who came under the security forces' suspicious eye, Robertson told VOA.

To justify all this, PM Hun Manet and his administration are manufacturing the fictional, so-called "color revolution" narrative again as the bogeyman to justify any sorts of human rights violations they commit as part of this broad crackdown. The people and the country are worse off because of it, Robertson added.

VOA has requested comment from the Cambodian government but have yet to receive a reply.
Azerbaijan formally applied Tuesday to join the BRICS bloc of developing economies, a day after Russian leader Vladimir Putin's visit to the oil-rich South Caucasus country to shore up regional ties and secure Moscow's under-pressure trade routes.

The announcement from the foreign ministry in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, comes as the BRICS alliance has seen a major expansion. For over a decade, the bloc included just five nations: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates joined in January, and Saudi Arabia has said it's considering doing so as well.

The club already includes some of the world's biggest oil producers, and accounts for well over a quarter of the world's GDP. Its members Russia and Iran have had their relations with the West stretched to breaking point over Moscow's war on Ukraine and Iran's regional policies.

Business ties were high on the agenda during the meeting between Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Monday, with Aliyev announcing that $120 million had been earmarked to boost cargo transport between the two countries.

Putin increasingly depends on countries such as Azerbaijan to access global markets because of sanctions imposed on Moscow over its actions in Ukraine, according to political scientist Zardusht Alizade.

For Azerbaijan, retaining Moscow's good-will is important for national security over tensions with neighboring Armenia, said Alizade.

Russia has been Armenia's longtime sponsor and ally since the fall of the Soviet Union. But relations between them became increasingly strained since Sept. 2023, when Azerbaijan's military took control of the Karabakh region, ending three decades of ethnic Armenian separatist rule.

Armenia accused Russian peacekeepers deployed to the region of failing to stop Azerbaijan's onslaught. Moscow, which has a military base in Armenia, argued that its troops didn't have a mandate to intervene.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited with mediators Egypt and Qatar on Tuesday in search of a cease-fire deal to halt the war in Gaza.



"Time is of the essence," he said, as he wrapped up his ninth visit to the Mideast.



But both Hamas and Israel signaled they did not like aspects of a U.S.-supported proposal, and an agreement appeared as elusive as ever.



In a new statement, Hamas said the latest proposal was a "reversal" of what it had previously agreed to and accused the United States of acquiescing to what it called "new conditions" from Israel.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told relatives of hostages in Gaza that a key goal is to "preserve our strategic security assets in the face of great pressures from home and abroad."



He noted the "capture" of a narrow buffer zone along the Gaza-Egypt border that Israel calls the Philadelphi Corridor. Neither Hamas nor Egypt wants an Israeli presence there.



Later, a senior U.S. official said Netanyahu's "maximalist statements like this are not constructive to getting a cease-fire deal across the finish line."



Netanyahu, in talks with Blinken in Tel Aviv on Monday, agreed to the basic parameters of a cease-fire deal, with Hamas yet to assent.



"If both sides agreed to the bridging proposal, which Israel [on Monday] did, we hope Hamas will as well, said the U.S. official. "There will be additional conversations on technical specifics."

Blinken met first with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi at his summer palace in El-Alamein. In a statement later, Sissi said the Israeli-Hamas conflict could expand into a broader, regional war if fighting is not halted in the narrow territory along the Mediterranean Sea.



"The time has come to end the ongoing war, and to resort to wisdom, and to uphold the language of peace and diplomacy," the Egyptian leader said.



Sissi said all parties must be wary of the "danger of the conflict expanding regionally" and that the risk of broader warfare would be "difficult to imagine."



The Egyptian leader said a cease-fire in Gaza "must be the beginning of broader international recognition of the Palestinian state and the implementation of the two-state solution, as this is the basic guarantor of stability in the region."

Blinken later flew to Doha for talks with Qatari officials.



During months of stalemated talks on a cease-fire in the 10-month war, the United States has maintained its support for a two-state solution, calling for creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. But Netanyahu has continued to oppose such an outcome as untenable for Israel's security.



Egypt, along with Qatar and the U.S., have pushed negotiations for a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas but have been unable to complete a pact.



It was Blinken's ninth trip to the Mideast since the Israeli-Hamas war erupted on October 7 with the militants' terror attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of 250 hostages.



Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to Hamas health officials, although the Israeli military says the death toll also includes thousands of Hamas fighters.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced the bodies of six hostages had been recovered from Gaza.



The U.S. put forward a bridging proposal during last week's cease-fire talks in Doha. Negotiations are set to resume in Cairo this week. Blinken said even if Hamas accepts the deal, there are still "complex issues" requiring "hard decisions by the leaders." He didn't offer specifics.

"We're never giving up," said Blinken, when asked if time to take the deal could ultimately run out. He held a one-on-one meeting with Netanyahu for 2 hours.

Some analysts were skeptical.



"I think there's a lot of wishful thinking going on, and I think the wishful thinking is because the stakes are now so high, because there is a potential for this conflict to escalate beyond its borders," Mirette Mabrouk, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told VOA on Monday.



An Israeli government spokesperson told reporters on Monday that Netanyahu "stands firmly by the principle" that the Israel Defense Forces will maintain a physical presence in the Philadelphi Corridor to prevent what they describe as the resupply of Hamas' weapons.

Earlier, Hamas accused Netanyahu of undermining the mediators' efforts. Sami Abu Zuhri, a member of Hamas' political bureau, dismissed claims that signs of progress after two days of talks in Doha were "an illusion."



There is an increased urgency to reach a deal amid fears of broader regional escalation if Iran and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, retaliate against Israel for the assassination of a top Hezbollah operative in Beirut and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.



Israel has claimed responsibility for the Beirut attack but not the Tehran one, although it is widely presumed to have carried it out.

Bodies of hostages returned



The bodies of six hostages, including five who were previously announced dead, were retrieved from Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The military said it carried out the operation with the Israeli internal security agency Shin Bet.



Among the bodies recovered was that of 79-year-old Avraham Munder, whose death was announced Tuesday by his kibbutz community.



Kibbutz Nir Oz called Munder's death "murder," saying he endured "physical and mental torture for months."

The other hostages were Yagev Buchshtab, 35, who was abducted with his wife, who was released after 50 days in captivity; Alexander Dancyg, 75; Yoram Metzger, 80, who was abducted with his wife, who was released after 53 days; Nadav Popplewell, 51, who was abducted with his mother, who was released after 49 days; and Chaim Perry, 80.



In a statement early Tuesday, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Israel "has a moral and ethical obligation to return all the murdered for dignified burial and to bring all living hostages home for rehabilitation."



"The immediate return of the remaining 109 hostages can only be achieved through a negotiated deal," the statement said. "The Israeli government, with the assistance of mediators, must do everything in its power to finalize the deal currently on the table."



Netanyahu offered condolences to the families and pledged that Israel "will continue to make every effort to return all of our hostages  the living and the deceased."



Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Monday that Israel confirmed its support for a proposal to achieve a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. The top U.S. diplomat urged Hamas to back the proposal as well, saying it would help alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. VOAs Veronica Balderas Iglesias reports.
Workers check product quality at a children wheels factory in Pingxiang County, north China's Hebei Province, Aug. 19, 2024. Pingxiang, dubbed the "city of children wheels," has made great efforts in boosting its children wheels business in recent years. Products here have been sold to over 60 countries and regions including Russia, Britain, Kazakhstan and Thailand. The annual revenue of children wheels-related companies in the county has amounted to 30 billion yuan (about 4.20 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Mu Yu)

Workers assemble parts at a children wheels factory in Pingxiang County, north China's Hebei Province, Aug. 19, 2024. Pingxiang, dubbed the "city of children wheels," has made great efforts in boosting its children wheels business in recent years. Products here have been sold to over 60 countries and regions including Russia, Britain, Kazakhstan and Thailand. The annual revenue of children wheels-related companies in the county has amounted to 30 billion yuan (about 4.20 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Mu Yu)

Children bicycles are displayed at a children wheels factory in Pingxiang County, north China's Hebei Province, Aug. 19, 2024. Pingxiang, dubbed the "city of children wheels," has made great efforts in boosting its children wheels business in recent years. Products here have been sold to over 60 countries and regions including Russia, Britain, Kazakhstan and Thailand. The annual revenue of children wheels-related companies in the county has amounted to 30 billion yuan (about 4.20 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Mu Yu)

Workers assemble parts at a children wheels factory in Pingxiang County, north China's Hebei Province, Aug. 19, 2024. Pingxiang, dubbed the "city of children wheels," has made great efforts in boosting its children wheels business in recent years. Products here have been sold to over 60 countries and regions including Russia, Britain, Kazakhstan and Thailand. The annual revenue of children wheels-related companies in the county has amounted to 30 billion yuan (about 4.20 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Mu Yu)

Workers are seen at a children wheels factory in Pingxiang County, north China's Hebei Province, Aug. 19, 2024. Pingxiang, dubbed the "city of children wheels," has made great efforts in boosting its children wheels business in recent years. Products here have been sold to over 60 countries and regions including Russia, Britain, Kazakhstan and Thailand. The annual revenue of children wheels-related companies in the county has amounted to 30 billion yuan (about 4.20 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Mu Yu)

Merchants from Uzbekistan select parts at a children wheels factory in Pingxiang County, north China's Hebei Province, Aug. 19, 2024. Pingxiang, dubbed the "city of children wheels," has made great efforts in boosting its children wheels business in recent years. Products here have been sold to over 60 countries and regions including Russia, Britain, Kazakhstan and Thailand. The annual revenue of children wheels-related companies in the county has amounted to 30 billion yuan (about 4.20 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Mu Yu)

A worker is seen at a children wheels factory in Pingxiang County, north China's Hebei Province, Aug. 19, 2024. Pingxiang, dubbed the "city of children wheels," has made great efforts in boosting its children wheels business in recent years. Products here have been sold to over 60 countries and regions including Russia, Britain, Kazakhstan and Thailand. The annual revenue of children wheels-related companies in the county has amounted to 30 billion yuan (about 4.20 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Mu Yu)

A worker assembles parts at a children wheels factory in Pingxiang County, north China's Hebei Province, Aug. 19, 2024. Pingxiang, dubbed the "city of children wheels," has made great efforts in boosting its children wheels business in recent years. Products here have been sold to over 60 countries and regions including Russia, Britain, Kazakhstan and Thailand. The annual revenue of children wheels-related companies in the county has amounted to 30 billion yuan (about 4.20 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Mu Yu)

A worker assembles parts at a children wheels factory in Pingxiang County, north China's Hebei Province, Aug. 19, 2024. Pingxiang, dubbed the "city of children wheels," has made great efforts in boosting its children wheels business in recent years. Products here have been sold to over 60 countries and regions including Russia, Britain, Kazakhstan and Thailand. The annual revenue of children wheels-related companies in the county has amounted to 30 billion yuan (about 4.20 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Mu Yu)

A worker moves a children bicycle frame at a children wheels factory in Pingxiang County, north China's Hebei Province, Aug. 19, 2024. Pingxiang, dubbed the "city of children wheels," has made great efforts in boosting its children wheels business in recent years. Products here have been sold to over 60 countries and regions including Russia, Britain, Kazakhstan and Thailand. The annual revenue of children wheels-related companies in the county has amounted to 30 billion yuan (about 4.20 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Mu Yu)
Two German warships await orders from Berlin, their commander said, to determine whether next month they will be the first German naval vessels in decades to pass through the Taiwan Strait, drawing a rebuke from Beijing.

While the U.S. and other nations, including Canada, have sent warships through the narrow strait in recent weeks, it would be the German navy's first passage through the strait since 2002.

China claims sovereignty over democratically governed Taiwan, and says it has jurisdiction over the nearly 180-km (110 miles) wide waterway that divides the two sides and is part of the South China Sea. Taiwan strongly objects to Chinas sovereignty claims and says only the islands people can decide their future.

The Taiwan Strait is a major trade route through which about half of global container ships pass, and both the United States and Taiwan say it's an international waterway.

"The decision has not been taken yet," the commander of the naval task group, Rear Admiral Axel Schulz, told Reuters in a telephone interview, adding the weather would play a role.

"We are showing our flag here to demonstrate that we stand by our partners and friends, our commitment to the rules-based order, the peaceful solution of territorial conflicts and free and secure shipping lanes."

Asked about the German ships' potential passage, China's foreign ministry said Taiwan was an internal Chinese affair and the key to stability was opposing Taiwan's independence.

"China has always been opposed to the undermining of China's territorial sovereignty and security under the guise of freedom of navigation," ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing.

Before their possible passage through the strait next month, the frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg and the replenishment ship Frankfurt am Main plan to call in Tokyo on Tuesday. They will also make stops in South Korea and the Philippines.

They will take part in exercises in the region with France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and the United States.

Over the last four years, Beijing's military has increased its activities in the strait.

Expanding military presence

Sailings through the waterway by foreign warships, especially American, are regularly condemned by Beijing, which says such missions "undermine peace and stability" in the region.

Germany, for whom both China and Taiwan, with its huge chip industry, are major trade partners, has joined other Western nations in expanding its military presence in the region as their alarm has grown over Beijing's territorial ambitions.

In 2021, a German warship sailed through the South China Sea, for the first time in almost 20 years.

Last month, the Luftwaffe deployed fighter jets to Japan for the first joint drills there.

Schulz said he was not planning for any specific security measures should the warships under his command cross the Taiwan Strait, calling it a "normal passage" similar to sailing through the English Channel or the North Sea.

However, he anticipated any passage would be closely monitored.

"I expect the Chinese navy and potentially the coastguard or maritime militia to escort us," he said, describing this as common practice.
With President Joe Biden preparing to deliver the keynote address for the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, Republicans in the House of Representatives released a report accusing him of "impeachable conduct" and demanding that he be removed from office.

The 291-page report from the Oversight and Accountability, Judiciary, and Ways and Means committees largely repeats accusations raised in previous reports and committee hearings: that Biden, as president and vice president, committed abuses of power and obstructed efforts by Congress to investigate those abuses.

In a statement issued Monday morning, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, who, along with Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, has been the public face of the impeachment inquiry, confirmed that the timing of the report was no accident.

"As Democrats celebrate Joe Biden and crown [Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee] Kamala Harris as his heir apparent this week, Americans should remember the reality of the Biden-Harris administration: crime, chaos, and corruption," Jordan said in a statement.

Sharon Yang, White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations, responding to a VOA request for comment, said in an email: After wasting nearly two years and millions of taxpayer dollars, House Republicans have finally given up on their wild goose chase.

The American people deserve more from House Republicans, and perhaps now they will finally join President Biden in focusing on the real issues that American families actually care about," she said.

Experts on the impeachment process described the case gathered by the three committees as thin and lacking evidence of the kind of damaging misbehavior that has driven such inquiries in the past.

"It's performative foolishness that would be comical if it were not such a terrible misuse of a serious constitutional power," said Frank O. Bowman III, professor emeritus of law at the University of Missouri and the author of High Crimes and Misdemeanors: A History of Impeachment for the Age of Trump.

The case against Biden

Republicans in Congress have been investigating the financial dealings of Biden and members of his family for years. Much of their focus has been on his son, Hunter Biden, and the president's brother, James Biden, who took in millions of dollars from foreign business dealings while Joe Biden served as vice president from 2009 to 2017.

On multiple occasions, the investigation found that Joe Biden met or spoke with clients of his son and brother. In most cases, those meetings appear to have been brief interactions at dinners and events or phone calls in which Hunter Biden would put his father on speakerphone in the presence of a client, presumably to demonstrate his own level of access to his father.

Hunter and James Biden, as well as associates of theirs who gave testimony to the committee, have said that matters of actual business were not discussed in the presence of Joe Biden. The committees offered no actual evidence of Joe Biden using or offering to use his authority to benefit clients of his son or his brother.

Nevertheless, the Republican-backed report said that Biden's actions related to his family members' business clients constitute an "abuse of power" for which he should be impeached.

Obstruction allegation

In addition, the report charges that Biden's resistance to certain requests from the investigators constitutes obstruction of justice, another impeachable offense.

Among other things, the investigators object to the fact that Biden did not order the Justice Department to release the audio recording of an interview he conducted with special counsel Robert Hur, who was investigating the presence of classified documents at Biden's private residence and material he stored at the University of Pennsylvania.

The transcript of Biden's interview with Hur was provided to investigators. Hur ultimately decided that charges against Biden were not warranted.

Experts unimpressed

Michael Gerhardt, a professor of constitutional law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the author of the 2024 book, The Law of Presidential Impeachment: A Guide for the Engaged Citizen, told VOA that the evidence gathered by the investigation does not point to the kind of conduct that has triggered previous impeachments.

Gerhardt, who has been called by both Republicans and Democrats in Congress to testify on the topic of impeachment, said that presidential impeachments have involved "serious abuses of power [where] the only recourse, or the primary recourse  was impeachment."

"We have not had many presidential impeachments, so we're talking about an awfully small set, but typically, we're looking for some kind of serious misconduct that hurts the republic or hurts the Constitution," he said. "And I don't think we have either of those things here in this case."

Not an impeachable offense

There is little argument about the evidence that members of Biden's family, Hunter Biden in particular, have for years used the family name to make money.

Bowman, however, said that family members' business practices, however unsavory, are not the proper evidence on which to base an impeachment.

"It is not an impeachable offense to have family members who are trying to make a buck off your name, and Republicans have never been able to find any occasion on which Joe Biden  who is, after all, the impeachable officer here  has ever either taken any governmental action, offered to take any governmental action, or even implied that he would take any governmental action to benefit his son or his brother, or to benefit people who are doing business with his son or his brother."

Future unclear

It is far from certain that there is enough Republican support in the House to approve articles of impeachment. The GOP has a slim margin of control in the House and would need the support of nearly every one of its members to pass the articles of impeachment. Recent media reports have found that dozens of Republican representatives are reluctant to vote in favor.

In a statement Monday, House Speaker Mike Johnson said, "We encourage all Americans to read this report." He gave no indication, however, that he intended to bring an impeachment vote to the floor of the House.
Since student-led opposition protests led Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down and flee Bangladesh on August 5, religious minorities say their communities have suffered violent attacks in the power vacuum.

Bangladesh is around 90% Muslim, with Christians and Buddhists making up most of the rest of the population. According to Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council head Oikya Parishad, four people who belonged to the minority community were killed between August 5 and 8, following the deposition of Sheikh Hasinas government.

Parishads group estimates there have been more than 200 incidents where temples, religious crematoriums and other places of worship have also been vandalized and attacked by mobs.

The Bangladesh interim government insists reports of violence against minorities are exaggerated and often fake. The interim government also says whatever violence is happening is political, not sectarian.

Widespread violence largely subsided following the swearing-in of the interim government on August 8, minorities say the fear of persecution still looms over them during this time of political unrest.

The motive of other attacks can be more difficult to discern. According to local media reports, on August 5 the house of a famous musician Rahul Anand in the capital Dhaka was attacked and vandalized. The assailants threw the family out, ransacked their home and set it on fire along with a large number of musical instruments that Rahul had made and collected.

However Rahul, his wife and his wife's business partner later posted on Facebook that the attack on Rahul's house was not motivated by religious or communal reasons.

For many, including Shravasti Bandopadhyay, a student of Mass communication and Journalism in Dhaka University, it has been difficult to tell who is out to hurt or help them.

In a Facebook post shared by her teacher Kaberi Gayen at Dhaka University, Bandopadhyay wrote that she has had to abandon her home, staying with neighbors and sleeping in different places.

I cant make up my mind about what to think about my fellow countrymen as one the one hand, I'm dying in fear of death, because some of them had come to my house and threatened me , on the other hand there are others who took me to a safe place and still protecting me.

Finding justice for victims

Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser of the interim government, last week met with minority community representatives and said the government is focused on providing justice for all people, regardless of their faith, in remarks published by the Bangladesh news agency.

"If there is justice, who will not get justice, tell me? Who of any religion, any caste, any community wont get it? Does the law say that these communities will go to this court, those communities will go to another court? Who has the power to discriminate here?" he said.

Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi has raised concerns over the reported attacks on minorities and said via a post on X last week that he had spoken to Yunus, who pledged protection, safety and security of minorities in the country.

The Indian government has set up a committee to monitor the India-Bangladesh border situation, reported Indian news media, NDTV. The committee will liaise with the authorities of Bangladesh regarding the security of the Indians staying there and the security of the minorities in Bangladesh.

Human rights activist Noor Khan Lytton told VOA that while its clear minorities have been under attack since the Sheikh Hasina government fell, political parties and social groups have stood up for targeted communities.

We hope this kind of attack will not happen in the future again, he said.

The General Secretary of the Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council Rana Dasgupta told VOA that although violence against minorities appears to have waned in recent days, there is still the matter of bringing those responsible to justice.

"In all the attacks on minorities in our country, we have seen a culture of impunity. Whether the new administration can come out of that culture of impunity remains to be seen he said.

Dasgupta also said that people who had been displaced must also be given back the land they own.
Iran on Tuesday shut down the sole language institute recognized by the German Embassy, following the closing of Islamic religious centers in Germany.

The Iranian judiciary shut down the institutes two offices, describing them as illegal centers affiliated with the German government, which violated Iran laws, committed numerous illegal acts and extensive financial violations.

The judiciary said additional investigations into other German centers were under way because of reports of violations.

Irans German ambassador said the closing of Islamic religious centers was Islamophobic and a hostile action. The centers were shut down in July, accused of promoting and spreading ideology to support the Hezbollah militant group.

Germanys Interior Ministry said it banned the religious centers and affiliates because it is an Islamist extremist organization pursuing anti-constitutional objectives. German law enforcement raided 53 facilities.

This isnt the first time German institutions have been closed in Iran. Tehrans Goethe international institute, that Germany had in locations across the world, was shut down by Iranian officials in 1995.

Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agrees to terms for ceasefire deal, but there is still much work to do according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. President Joe Biden receives a heros welcome as he gives his enthusiastic endorsement to Kamala Harris in a historic speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Ukrainian forces push deeper into Russia's Kursk region. The World Health Organization says mpox is not the new Covid. Plus, defectors from North Koreas brutal regime have a story to tell, and a new way to tell it.
Germany and other G7 countries are developing ways to support Ukraine through loans financed with the proceeds of frozen Russian assets. The German Finance Ministry announced the effort on Tuesday. Latvia, once a sanctuary for Russian money, is a strong backer of the plan, as VOAs Myroslava Gongadza reports from Riga. Videographer: Daniil Batushchak
Hundreds of LGBTQ+ people and their supporters rallied in Nepal's capital Tuesday during the annual Pride parade, the first since gay couples were able to register same-sex marriages officially in the Himalayan nation.

The event brought together the sexual minority community and its supporters in Kathmandu during the Gai Jatra festival. A government minister, diplomats and officials participated in the rally, which began at the city's tourist hub and went around its main streets.

"Gai Jatra festival is a festival that is a long tradition that has been carried for years, and we all are here to help preserve and continue the tradition, and as a sexual minority are doing our part to save the tradition. We also celebrate the day as a Pride parade," said Bhumika Shrestha, a gay rights activist who was at the parade.

The Gai Jatra festival is celebrated to remember family members who have passed away during the year but has long had colorful parades that brought in sexual minorities.

After years of struggle, gay couples were able to register same-sex marriages for the first time in November 2023 following a Supreme Court order. Rights activists had long sought to amend laws and end provisions that limited marriage to heterosexual couples.

Nepal has undergone a transformation since a court decision in 2007 asked the government to make changes in favor of LGBTQ+ people. People who do not identify as female or male are now able to choose "third gender" on their passports and other government documents. The 2015 constitution also states that there can be no discrimination based on sexual orientation.
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According to Nigeria drug enforcement agency statistics, more than 14 million people in the country misuse drugs. Some of them are children or teens. Alhassan Bala reports from Kano, Nigeria.
Police in Nigeria are searching for 20 medical students who were kidnapped by gunmen Thursday.

The students were on their way to a medical convention when their motorcade was intercepted in central Benue State.

The Benue State police command Monday told VOA it has launched an investigation into the abduction of the medical students and deployed tactical teams on a rescue mission.

But they said the teams have not reported any success.

Twenty medical students from universities of Jos and Maiduguri and a medical doctor traveling with them were taken on their way to the conference in eastern Enugu State.

Anene Sewuese Catherine, the Benue state police public relations officer, spoke to VOA via phone.

The team has moved but we've not heard from them," Catherine said. "Investigation of kidnap is classified, we don't [share] details or until there's success. There's no update for now."

The abduction sparked widespread condemnation over insecurity in Africa's most populous nation, where authorities have struggled for several years to control violence from armed gangs locally referred to as "bandits."

Over the weekend, the national police ordered the deployment of helicopters, drones and specialized tactical teams to aid in the search for the medical students.

The Nigerian Medical Students Association said the abductors, using the students phones, issued a demand of about $31,400 to release the entire group.

The association has been urging authorities to secure the release of the students unharmed.

The associations national president, Moses Onwubuya, said students are threatening to protest if their colleagues are not released soon.

"The only response we've been getting is that we should just calm down, that security agencies are in the matter," Onwubuya said. "Calls have been going out through the phone numbers of our abducted colleagues. Students are agitating, we're only trying to see if we can abide by the security guidelines, but I can't guarantee what will happen any moment from now."

According to Center for Democracy and Development  West Africa, Nigeria recorded more than 4,000 abductions in 2023, accounting for 58 percent of the total cases in West Africa and the highest in five years.

Security analysts say a severe economic crisis in Nigeria is pushing more people toward crime and kidnapping for ransom.

Nigerian authorities have pledged to address economic problems along with security challenges. Meanwhile, families of victims are hoping their loved ones return to them safely.
A North Korean man has defected to South Korea by crossing the heavily fortified and mined border between the two countries on foot, the South Korean military said Tuesday.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans have fled to South Korea since the end of the Korean War in 1953, but almost all do so via China and then a third country such as Thailand. It is rare for defectors to make it directly across the inter-Korean border.

The South Korean military intercepted "an individual suspected of being North Korean on the eastern front and handed him over to the relevant authorities," it announced, referring to Korea's east coast.

No unusual troop movements were observed in North Korea at the time of the defection, the Joint Chiefs of Staff added. "Relevant authorities are currently conducting the investigation and therefore cannot confirm the detailed process of the defection," or why the individual defected to the South, it said.

According to South Korea's Yonhap news agency, the defector is a senior sergeant in the North Korean army and was helped in his escape by the South's military.

Local media reported that the man, dressed in North Korean military uniform, was intercepted while walking along a seaside road in eastern Gangwon Province.

This is the second time in two weeks that a North Korean has managed to cross directly to the South. On Aug. 8, another defector managed to cross the inter-Korean maritime border in the Yellow Sea.

The number of defections fell sharply from 2020, when North Korea sealed its border with China to protect itself from COVID-19.

In 2023, the year Pyongyang reopened the Chinese border, a total of 196 North Koreans managed to cross into South Korea, compared to just 67 in 2022. According to the South Korean government, more and more members of the privileged class  diplomats or students abroad  are trying to flee.
Demonstrators participate in a rally during the 2024 Democratic National Convention at Union Park in Chicago, Illinois, the United States, on Aug. 19, 2024. The 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicked off at the United Center in Chicago, the U.S. state of Illinois on Monday, as thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near the venue to express their dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

CHICAGO, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicked off at the United Center in Chicago, the U.S. state of Illinois on Monday, as thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near the venue to express their dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The convention, where Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to formally accept the Democratic presidential nomination, is scheduled for Aug. 19-22. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will formally accept the party's vice presidential nomination.

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in a neighborhood park to voice their discontent and anger toward the Biden administration's Israel policy, as the Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has surpassed 40,000 since the outbreak of the current conflict on Oct. 7, 2023.

Chicago police said that arrests were made but didn't specify the number.

On the opening day of the DNC, both former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and United Auto Workers president Sean Fain gave prime-time speeches.

President Joe Biden, greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of delegates, delivered a nearly hourlong keynote speech in which he highlighted his accomplishments since taking office, lashed out at former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, and urged voters to support Harris in her bid for the White House.

"She's tough, she's experienced and she has enormous integrity," Biden continued. "Her story represents the best American story. And like many of our best presidents, she was also vice president," Biden said.

As Biden concluded his speech, he was joined on stage by his family, including Jill Biden, as well as Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff.

As Democrats gathered for the convention, Trump took to social media to criticize his opponent.

"Kamala Harris can't answer how she'd pay for any of her new liberal spending schemes that will bankrupt our country!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Harris unveiled a sweeping economic agenda on Friday, which includes measures to cut taxes for the middle class, reduce grocery costs, take on price gouging, and lower the costs of owning and renting a home, among others.

In the key swing states that could decide the results of the election, the race between the two remains tight.

According to the latest poll data compiled by Real Clear Politics, Harris leads Trump by 1.0 percentage points in Wisconsin and by 2.0 percentage points in Michigan. In Pennsylvania, Harris trails by 0.2 percentage points. 

Demonstrators participate in a rally during the 2024 Democratic National Convention at Union Park in Chicago, Illinois, the United States, on Aug. 19, 2024. The 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicked off at the United Center in Chicago, the U.S. state of Illinois on Monday, as thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near the venue to express their dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, the United States, on Aug. 19, 2024. The 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicked off at the United Center in Chicago, the U.S. state of Illinois on Monday, as thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near the venue to express their dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

Demonstrators participate in a rally during the 2024 Democratic National Convention at Union Park in Chicago, Illinois, the United States, on Aug. 19, 2024. The 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicked off at the United Center in Chicago, the U.S. state of Illinois on Monday, as thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near the venue to express their dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

Demonstrators participate in a rally during the 2024 Democratic National Convention at Union Park in Chicago, Illinois, the United States, on Aug. 19, 2024. The 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicked off at the United Center in Chicago, the U.S. state of Illinois on Monday, as thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near the venue to express their dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Demonstrators participate in a rally during the 2024 Democratic National Convention at Union Park in Chicago, Illinois, the United States, on Aug. 19, 2024. The 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicked off at the United Center in Chicago, the U.S. state of Illinois on Monday, as thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near the venue to express their dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, the United States, on Aug. 19, 2024. The 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicked off at the United Center in Chicago, the U.S. state of Illinois on Monday, as thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near the venue to express their dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, the United States, on Aug. 19, 2024. The 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicked off at the United Center in Chicago, the U.S. state of Illinois on Monday, as thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near the venue to express their dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (C) speaks during the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, the United States, on Aug. 19, 2024. The 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicked off at the United Center in Chicago, the U.S. state of Illinois on Monday, as thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near the venue to express their dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

U.S. President Joe Biden (R) and Vice President Kamala Harris (C) attend the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, the United States, on Aug. 19, 2024. The 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicked off at the United Center in Chicago, the U.S. state of Illinois on Monday, as thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near the venue to express their dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)
Former President Barack Obama and second gentleman Doug Emhoff will speak Tuesday on the second day of the Democratic National Convention, turning the party's attention toward Vice President Kamala Harris and her faceoff against Republican Donald Trump.

The pivot toward the presidential campaign's final 76 days follows an opening night that was designed to give a graceful exit to the incumbent president, who was greeted with a hero's welcome for stepping aside for Harris.

Speaking clearly and energetically, President Joe Biden appeared to relish the chance to defend his record, advocate for his vice president and assail Trump. His delivery was more reminiscent of the Biden who won in 2020 than the mumbling and sometimes incoherent one-time candidate whose debate performance against Trump in June sparked the downfall of his reelection campaign.

Biden, in his remarks, repeated his 2020 theme that "we're in a battle for the very soul of America," and pressed the case for why Harris and her running mate Tim Walz were best prepared to wage it.

"Because of you, we've had the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period," Biden declared. And then he interjected, "I say 'we,' I mean 'me and Kamala,'" sharing the credit for his most popular successes with the vice president to whom he handed over his political operation.

Harris made a brief, unannounced appearance at the convention on Monday to thank Biden for his leadership. She later joined him on stage, where the two spoke and hugged.

"Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you'll continue to do," she said. "We are forever grateful to you."

The opening day ran more than an hour behind schedule and forced some planned speakers, including musician James Taylor, to be dropped from the program, which convention organizers attributed to sustained applause for speakers.

Harris will travel Tuesday to Milwaukee for a rally in the swing state of Wisconsin before returning to Chicago late in the evening.

The Harris campaign said Tuesday that it will spotlight "trusted messengers" from key battleground states over the convention's three remaining days. They include Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada; Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Gary Peters and Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan; Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. From Arizona, Sen. Mark Kelly will speak along with John Giles, the Republican mayor of Mesa.

Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina will be the last speaker before Harris accepts the Democratic nomination on Thursday.
The U.S. State Department has approved a potential $3.5 billion sale of Apache helicopters, related equipment and missiles to South Korea, the Pentagon said Monday.

"The proposed sale will improve the Republic of Korea's capability to meet current and future threats by providing a credible force capable of deterring adversaries and participating in regional operations," the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.

Boeing and Lockheed Martin will be the main contractors of the deal, according to the Pentagon.

While the State Department has approved the sale to South Korea, Congress must still sign off. The announcement of the deal came on the same day the U.S. and South Korea began their annual joint military drills.

The news of the sale also came amid the growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula surrounding North Korea's growing nuclear arsenal.

About 19,000 South Korean military personnel are participating in the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills slated to run until Aug. 29. The U.S. has not provided a count of its participating personnel. The war-simulating drills and field exercises are designed to boost the allies' readiness against a North Korean attack.

"As seen in Ukraine and the conflicts in the Middle East, war can break out at any time," South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said, explaining why the drills are necessary. The South Korean leader has described North Korea as "the most reckless and irrational country in the world."

North Korea has regularly denounced the annual joint drills, accusing the U.S. and South Korea of practicing for an invasion of North Korea.

Pyongyang justifies its growing weapons program as a way to "maintain the balance of power for preventing a war by stockpiling the greatest deterrence."

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un mounted a massive ceremony earlier this month in Pyongyang for the delivery of 250 nuclear-capable missile launchers, reported to be destined for front-line military units.

Some information for this report came from Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.
Analysts say the latest collision between Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels near a disputed reef in the South China Sea is part of a campaign by Beijing to force Manila to soften its position. They say it also raises questions about whether the two can maintain calm, despite reaching a temporary agreement to avoid clashes in July.

Monday's incident, which left a gaping hole in a Philippine coast guard vessel, occurred near Sabina Shoal, an area that lies within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, or EEZ. China says the partially submerged reef is part of its territory.

China is trying to intimidate the Philippines and compel them to roll back their coast guard presence around [the contested reefs in the South China Sea], said Collin Koh, a maritime security expert at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Koh said Mondays incident around Sabina Shoal is the first reported clash near the reef, and shows that the Chinese coast guard is using a systematic approach to impose its territorial claims near three major flashpoints in the South China Sea, including the Second Thomas Shoal, Scarborough Shoal, and Sabina Shoal.

These clashes are no longer isolated incidents because the Chinese are using systematic approaches around the three flashpoints with the Philippines, Koh told VOA by phone.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea, a main international trade route, including areas around Sabina Shoal. This is despite a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that Chinas claims have no basis in international law.

Video evidence

Much like previous incidents around Second Thomas Shoal, Mondays incident occurred when two Philippine coast guard vessels, Cape Engano and Bagacay, were on a resupply mission for personnel stationed on Flat Island, which Manila calls Patag, and Lawak Island, which Beijing calls Nanshan.

Cape Engano first collided with a Chinese coast guard vessel at 3:24 a.m. on Monday, and another Chinese coast guard ship rammed the Philippines Bagacay 16 minutes later.

Manila accused the Chinese coast guard vessels of conducting dangerous maneuvers that caused serious structural damages to its vessels, while Beijing said the Philippine vessels deliberately collided with its ships despite repeated warnings.

Both sides released video footage to support their accusations, and some experts say Beijings swift release of visual materials, three hours after the incident happened, reflects the Chinese governments efforts to counter Manilas narrative about the collision.

Weve seen a bit of adjustment on both sides when it comes to releasing information about these incidents, but China has become much faster about putting out its version of events, making [Manilas response] seem slow, Ray Powell, director of Stanford University's Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, told VOA by phone.

Despite its relatively slow response to Mondays incident, Koh in Singapore said Manilas attempts to share information about the collisions were still more effective.

The Chinese are trying to copy what the Philippines were doing [in terms of releasing videos and images of the incidents,] but they are not doing it effectively since they havent allowed any media outlet, including Chinese state media, to take part in their coast guard operations, he told VOA.

On the contrary, Koh said the Philippines has let local and foreign media outlets embed in their patrols, which helps increase the transparency of the information they share and make their narrative of the collisions seem like a more convincing proposition.

International support for Manila

Although Beijing has tried to frame the Chinese coast guards conduct as legitimate and restrictive measures, several nations quickly condemned Chinas actions and expressed support for Manilas attempt to defend its territorial interests.

In a statement, the U.S. State Department referred to the dangerous actions by the Peoples Republic of China [PRC] against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea. It added that the Chinese vessels actions were examples of Beijing using dangerous and escalatory measures to enforce its unlawful South China Sea maritime claims.

The top diplomats in the Philippines from Japan, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Australia all issued statements condemning the Chinese behavior, as well.

Since late last year, the Philippines has been working to strengthen cooperation with other democratic countries to safeguard its territorial claims in the South China Sea.

In response, Beijing has increased the frequency of its own joint combat patrols near the disputed reefs, conducting a joint naval exercise with Russia in the South China Sea in July.

Some analysts say the increased frequency of patrols carried out by Manila and Beijing may heighten the risk of miscalculation in the South China Sea.

The Chinese strategy is to try to push the adversary into a position where they may make a mistake and that might give Beijing the justification for using greater amounts of power, Stephen Nagy, a regional security expert at the International Christian University in Japan, told VOA by phone.

However, Koh said Beijing is unlikely to elevate tensions with the Philippines into a serious military conflict.

Since a potential conflict in the South China Sea could have a knock-on effect on [its attempt to reunite with] Taiwan, which remains Beijings grand prize, I dont think the Chinese would be keen to pick up a war in the disputed water, he told VOA.

The quick escalation of tension between China and the Philippines comes after both claimed to have reached an agreement to halt fierce clashes near Second Thomas Shoal in July.

Koh said this shows the possibility for Beijing and Manila reaching a sustainable de-escalation mechanism in the South China Sea is very low.

Both sides have differing interpretations of their respective claims in South China Sea, so they are not prepared to roll back their positions, he said, noting that conditions for recurring clashes will likely persist in the near future.
Researchers have provided new insights to VOA about Iranian scientific work that seems to have influenced a revised U.S. assessment that Tehran is better positioned to weaponize its nuclear program.

An unclassified assessment sent to Congress in July by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said that since 2020, Iran has undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so.

While the one-page assessment does not elaborate on those activities, reports published by U.S. news sites The Wall Street Journal and Axios in June , July and August cited unnamed U.S. and Israeli officials as expressing concern that Iran was engaged in computer modeling and metallurgical research that is useful in building nuclear weapons. Those reports did not elaborate on the nature of the research or Irans motivation for conducting it.

The ODNI assessment omitted an assertion, made in its 2023 report to Congress, about Iran not currently undertaking the key nuclear weapons development activities that would be necessary to produce a testable nuclear device.

U.S. House Intelligence Committee chairman Michael Turner used a Sunday interview with TV network CBS to highlight the recent news reports about Irans potential nuclear weaponization-related work. He described the reports as noting a possibility that Iran could declare itself to be a nuclear-armed state by the end of this year.

Iran long has insisted that it does not seek nuclear weapons. But the latest ODNI assessment said there has been a notable increase this year in Iranian public statements about nuclear weapons, suggesting the topic is becoming less taboo.

ODNI declined to comment when asked by VOA about the specific types of Iranian activities that it examined to develop its latest assessment.

An ODNI spokesperson said the U.S intelligence community remains focused on monitoring Irans nuclear program, and we assess that the Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] has not made a decision to resume the nuclear weapons program that Iran suspended in 2003.

Irans U.N. mission in New York did not respond to a VOA request, emailed on August 13, for comment on the nature of the Iranian scientific research that apparently prompted the revised ODNI assessment of Tehrans nuclear work.

One researcher who spoke to VOA, American physicist David Albright, said ODNI may have based that revised assessment at least in part on Iranian work in computer modeling couched in civil research efforts that would benefit a nuclear weapons program.

Albright, president of the Washington-based nonprofit Institute for Science and International Security, said he found references in recent Iranian scientific reports to the use of software and computer codes for running simulations that are helpful in nuclear weapon design.

The physicist, who has testified numerous times before Congress about his studies of secret nuclear weapons programs around the world, said his team reviewed more than 150 Iranian scientific reports published in recent years and obtained from open sources. Some of those reports were published this year, he said.

The modeling work involves simulations of shock waves from explosively projecting pieces of metal against another solid metal. This modeling is necessary to understand how a nuclear explosion would take place, Albright said.

He added that the Iranian scientific reports do not describe simulations of shock waves hitting the core of a nuclear weapon. It is not obvious from reading the documents that the authors are working on the codes for nuclear weapons, he said.

Albright said the Iranian scientists involved the recent computer modeling likely are hiding the weaponization goals of their work as part of a pattern of deceptive behavior that he found in his past reviews of two sets of secret Iranian nuclear documents. He said one set of documents was from 2006 and obtained by him and Londons The Times newspaper from an unnamed source the following year, while the other set was stolen by Israel from Irans nuclear archives in 2018 and shared with him by Israeli officials.

Describing the two sets of documents in his 2021 book Iran's Perilous Pursuit of Nuclear Weapons, Albright said they indicate that after Tehran shut down a nuclear weapons program in 2003  as determined by the International Atomic Energy Agency  Iranian officials decided to keep some of it going by assigning research projects to Iranian universities.

As part of that effort, the Iranian researchers employed cover stories to portray their work as civilian in nature and to obscure their links to officials involved in nuclear work, he wrote.

Another researcher, nuclear policy program senior fellow Ariel Levite of the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told VOA that Iran appears to have restarted research, after a pause of several years, to remove the last knowledge gap toward weaponizing a nuclear program. He noted that Iran already has made major strides in amassing nuclear weapons-grade enriched uranium and developing missiles that can carry nuclear warheads.

Levite, a former senior Israeli nuclear energy and defense official, said there are three ways to interpret Irans motivation for pursuing such research: a warning to the U.S. and Israel that it stands ready to take the final steps toward nuclear weaponization, an internal decision to relax the Iranian supreme leaders 2004 decree or fatwa against developing nuclear weapons, or an attempt by overzealous Iranian advocates of nuclear weaponization to push the limits of the decree.

We are left in a guessing game, Levite said. If I had to guess the motivation, I would say it is a mixture of all three.

Albright said Irans work in computer modeling would reduce the number of experiments needed to test a nuclear device and would give Iran greater confidence that such a device would work.

That can save them time in building a bomb, but we dont know enough about their program to be able to quantify it. Overall, they have done enough that they can certainly do it in less than six months, he said.

Levite said he does not believe Irans latest scientific research gives it the ability to produce its first rudimentary nuclear bomb in less than three to six months.

But given how far along Iran's nuclear program already is, our margin for error in assessing its capabilities and intentions is shrinking while the Iranian leverage that comes with such an advanced nuclear threshold status is growing," he said. "Iran might be poised to shorten further the timeframe toward nuclear weapon acquisition."
Taliban morality police in Afghanistan said Tuesday that they had "seized and destroyed" more than 21,000 musical instruments over the past year as part of a crackdown on what they called anti-Islam practices.



Officials of the so-called Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice discussed their annual performance at a news conference in Kabul a day after Taliban authorities publicly staged a mass burning of hundreds of musical instruments in the nearby northern Parwan province.



The provincial moral police department also urged residents not to use musical instruments at weddings and other celebrations.



Speaking in the Afghan capital Tuesday, ministry officials claimed to have destroyed thousands of immoral films and blocked many more from use on personal computers nationwide as part of societal reforms being undertaken by the Taliban administration. They did not elaborate on the nature of the films.



The ministry said without discussing specifics that it had successfully implemented 90% of reforms across audio, visual, and print media in Afghanistan.

Free media advocacy groups and local journalists say that Taliban leaders have significantly curtailed press freedom and access to information in the country.



The Islamist Taliban revived the Ministry of Vice and Virtue to police public morality after retaking control of the war-shattered, impoverished South Asian nation three years ago when all U.S.-led Western troops withdrew from Afghanistan after their involvement in the war for almost two decades.



The Taliban ministry has introduced strict guidelines for local media professionals, binding female presenters and guests to comply with an Islamic dress code on air requiring that only their eyes be visible.



Women are prohibited from working on national radio and television stations, and dramas featuring female performers are banned. De facto Afghan authorities have also enforced strict gender-based segregation in workplaces at large.

Meanwhile, Hibatullah Akundzada, the reclusive Taliban supreme leader, convened a meeting Tuesday of governors of all 34 Afghan provinces in the southern city of Kandahar and asked them to uphold sound Islamic governance, his spokesman said in a post-meeting briefing.



Strengthen the Islamic framework, enforce Sharia law, and reinvigorate divine ordinances, Zabihullah Mujahid quoted Akhundzada as telling the meeting



Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, the minister of vice and virtue, was quoted by state media as saying on Monday that the Taliban are determined to implement Islamic Sharia and no ones pressure is acceptable in this regard.



The morality ministry reported Tuesday that it also had dismissed more than 280 security force members for failing to grow a beard in line with the Talibans strict interpretation of Islamic law.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said last month that the Talibans morality police were contributing to a climate of fear and intimidation among the people and identified the ministry as the leading violator of human rights in the Taliban government, which is not recognized by any country.



The U.N. report noted that the activities of the de facto ministry have had negative impacts on the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Afghanistan, with a discriminatory and disproportionate impact on women.



The morality police department has banned womens beauty salons, prohibited females from traveling without a male guardian beyond 78 kilometers from their home limits, and banned them from visiting parks, gyms, and public baths.



The Taliban have also banned school education for girls beyond the sixth grade, and many women are not allowed to work in public as well as private organizations, including U.N agencies.



The U.N. Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization said in its new report last week that Taliban authorities had deliberately deprived 1.4 million girls of schooling since returning to power, putting at risk the future of an entire generation and making Afghanistan the only country in the world to deny girls ages 12 and older access to education.



Taliban officials dismiss criticism of their governance as interference in the countrys internal matters and defend their policies, saying they are aligned with Afghan culture and Islamic law.



During the previous Taliban rule in Kabul from 1996 to 2001, the Ministry of Vice and Virtue garnered notoriety for its arbitrary abuses. Particularly, women and girls were banned entirely from education and employment at that time.
A Galveston, Texas, jury on Monday found the parents of a teenager who shot and killed 10 classmates at Santa Fe High School in 2018 not liable for the violence, ending an unusual civil trial.

Family members of the shooting victims and survivors accused Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Kosmetatos of being negligent in allowing their son, Dimitrios, to obtain weapons from their home and for not warning school officials or police about his deteriorating mental state.

The jury did decide that Dimitrios Pagourtzis and Lucky Gunner, the company that sold him the ammunition used in the shooting even though he was too young to buy it, were liable for the deaths and injuries, and awarded $330 million in damages.

Lucky Gunner last year reached a settlement with families that sought to exclude it from having to make any more payments.

Jake Felde, Lucky Gunner's CEO, said in a written statement that his company "isn't responsible for paying any monetary damages awarded by the jury" as it already reached a separate settlement for the shooting and was not a party to the Texas trial.

Nicholas Poehl, the criminal attorney representing Dimitrios Pagourtzis, said in a phone call that his client had no money "and never will."

Dimitrios Pagourtzis, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, has been charged with capital murder. He has been deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial and will remain in a treatment facility until a judge declares he is competent.

Judge Jack Ewing told the jurors they had sent a clear message with their verdict.

"That message will carry even outside of the walls and doors of this courtroom, and hopefully it will fall into the ears of our legislators, who can help in taking some action," Ewing said from the bench.

The lawsuit was filed shortly after the May 18, 2018, Santa Fe High School rampage that also injured 13 people. Among those killed was a 17-year-old Pakistani girl who was an exchange student at the school.

The jury's decision came four months after the sentencing of two Michigan parents found guilty of manslaughter after a jury found they ignored warning signs before their son shot and killed four classmates at Oxford High School in 2021. Jennifer and James Crumbley are the first parents known to have been charged with manslaughter in a school shooting carried out by one of their children.

Lori Laird, an attorney representing Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Kosmetatos, said before the verdict that holding her clients responsible for their son's shooting rampage was not justified.

"Regardless of the outcome of this lawsuit, nobody has won," Laird added.

Laird said in an interview that the parents did not know their son was mentally ill and saw no warning signs. Since the shooting, she said, Dimitrios Pagourtzis had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.

Laird also said the parents' guns were stored in a gun safe and a locked cabinet.

Experts and gun safety advocates have said holding parents accountable for shootings carried out by children is an important step in reducing school violence. Studies by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have shown that around 75% of all school shooters obtained their weapons at home.

James Miller, senior counsel of Everytown Law and counsel to plaintiffs Abdul Aziz and Farah Naz, said they were disappointed the jury didn't hold the shooter's parents responsible "for their role in this heinous act."

"Guns are the No. 1 killer of American children and teens, and secure storage is absolutely essential in the fight to end this nation's gun violence epidemic," Miller added.
Promoted to the prime ministers office after a court ruling took out her predecessor, experts say Thailands youngest ever leader, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, may be the last card her political dynasty has to play as it seeks to win back the Thai electorate.

But the risks of frontline Thai power have been spotlighted in recent weeks by judges who have once more shown they are willing to shape the politics of a kingdom trapped in a two decade-long political crisis.

Paetongtarn is the 37-year-old daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, who has been at the center of Thailands political breakdown since he won a landslide election in 2001.

On Sunday she formally became Thailand's 31st prime minister after the unexpected removal of real estate tycoon Srettha Thavisin from office, by the Constitutional Court on an ethics probe.

Paetongtarn was voted in by parliament, despite having limited direct political experience and never having been elected to office by the public. In her first press conference she insisted she will be her own person, with her own goals.

But few believe that Thaksin, a 75-year-old billionaire who was twice prime minister before being dumped from office by a 2006 coup, will hold back from pulling the strings of government.

He returned to Thailand on August 22 of last year after a 15-year exile in an apparent deal to share power with his former arch-royalist enemies and block the pro-democracy Move Forward Party (MFP) from government.

Thaksin is still very much actively involved behind the scenes, said Verapat Pariyawong, who teaches Thai law and politics at the University of London SOAS and also advises Thai parliamentary committees. His daughter is about to take on one of the toughest jobs that he knows all too well.

Shinawatra parties were once seen as the populist champion of the poor and therefore a threat to the royalist elite, which hit them with two coups and endless court cases.

But the democracy cause has been taken up by Move Forward, which won the last election in 2023 and shocked the Thaksin-founded Pheu Thai party by beating it into second place.

Since the Pheu Thai party lost the election their only priority is to win the next one, everything else is just a side dish, Sirote Klampaiboon, an independent scholar and political commentator, told VOA. Their main course is winning the next election.

Move Forward was dissolved a week before Srettha was removed from office by the same court, the latest move by what Sirote described as Thailands parallel powers that favor a conservative settlement to power.

The MFP has rebranded as the Peoples Party and is setting its sights on rebuilding toward a decisive victory in the 2027 elections.

Damaged brand

Paetongtarns first task is to appoint a cabinet that reflects the interests of the coalition government, with powerful conservative factions likely to jostle for the biggest ministries.

Thailands economy is also sluggish and the removal of Sretthas government has put into doubt a nearly $14 billion digital cash handout to stimulate the economy as well as big infrastructure projects such as a land bridge across the south of the country to cut shipping times from Asia as well as a plan to legalize mega-casinos to boost tax revenue.

In her first address as prime minister, Paetongtarn said she is devoted to making every square inch of Thailand a land of opportunities, where everyone dares to dream, create and to write their own future.

The problem, Paetongtarns critics say, is many Thais no longer see their country as a place of opportunity. Household debt is at record levels [over 90 percent], wages are low and pro-democracy voters say the economy is divided by monopoly businesses and political power shared by a narrow elite, which is for now again dominated by Paetongtarns family.

The Shinawatra brand is unsellable these days, the populist policies proved that they dont work because 20 years gone by and people are still poor and indebted, Aat Pisanwanich, an independent scholar and international economy expert, told VOA. Under this government, everything will be the same if not worse based on many interviews by Paetongtarn, she has little grasp of our economic problems.

There may also be threats lurking from inside Thailands politics where loyalties and alliances quickly change and the courts are always on standby to intervene.

Analyst Sirote says the government will be preparing for potential nail-biting circumstances such as cabinet picks being scrutinized for past wrongdoings or any dubious assets Paetongtarn may have.

But you can never rule out a family that has had three direct members as prime minister and two others heading its parties, he adds.

Even if something were to happen to Paethongtarn politically, the Shinawatra brand will not just disappear from Thai politics.
The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Haiti's former president, Michel Joseph Martelly, over drug trafficking, accusing him of playing a significant role in perpetuating the ongoing crisis in the country.

The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said Martelly "abused his influence to facilitate the trafficking of dangerous drugs, including cocaine, destined for the United States."

The department said he also worked with Haitian drug traffickers, sponsored multiple gangs and engaged in the laundering of illicit drug proceeds.

Todays action against Martelly emphasizes the significant and destabilizing role he and other corrupt political elites have played in perpetuating the ongoing crisis in Haiti, Treasury's Acting Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley Smith said in the statement.

The United States, along with our international partners, is committed to disrupting those who facilitate the drug trafficking, corruption and other illicit activities fueling the horrific gang violence and political instability.

Tuesday's action freezes any of Martelly's U.S. assets and generally bars Americans from dealing with him.

Gang wars have displaced more than 578,000 Haitians, while nearly 5 million  almost half the population of 11.7 million  face acute hunger, with 1.6 million of those people at risk of starvation, the United Nations says.

Armed gangs have formed a broad alliance while carrying out widespread killings, ransom kidnappings and sexual violence.
Human rights organizations reacted angrily Tuesday after Zimbabwe's ruling party acknowledged that more than 100 activists were detained to keep them from protesting during a Southern Africa Development Community summit held over the past weekend.

Authorities said they will start to release those who were detained now that the meeting is over.

Speaking with journalists in Harare, ruling ZANU-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa defended detaining the activists.

Those are deviants, and they were dealt with properly. And we are very happy they failed. And they will never succeed again, Mutsvangwa said as he giggled at several points during his comments.

Roselyn Hanzi, director of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, which is representing the activists, said that their detention is no laughing matter.

Every person in Zimbabwe should be worried where the ruling party openly admits that it fully controls one of the key arms of government that is supposed to provide checks and balances and in fact protect the citizens from the excesses of the other two arms: the legislature and the executive, she told VOA.

The judiciary is very key and plays a central role in protecting citizens and ensuring that their rights are realized, she said. In this case, you see them admitting that there [are] those people that wanted to protest. ... Protest[ing] is not criminal, and its not a privilege. You should not be negotiating or begging for it.

Zimbabwes Judicial Service Commission did not comment Tuesday when contacted by VOA.

Mary Lawlor, a U.N. special rapporteur on human rights, called for the immediate release of the activists, alleging that some had been tortured during their detainment by Zimbabwean authorities. State prosecutors and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission said they are investigating the allegations.

The disrespect shown by the ZANU-PF spokesperson who laughed and joked about such a serious matter at his press conference is telling, Lawlor said. The president, [Emmerson] Mnangagwa, has shown how little he believes in the rule of law and how little in SADCs commitment to human rights as chairman. He wants to pretend that everything in Zimbabwe is rosy and fine. But it is not fine. These charges were a travesty.

Since taking over in 2017, Mnangagwa has maintained that he is a constitutionalist and respects the rule of law.

But rights lawyer and legislator Daniel Molokele said the law is being selectively applied against democracy activists. Molokele is a member of the countrys main opposition party  the Citizens Coalition for Change  whose members were arrested ahead of the SADC meeting.

I think what the ZANU-PF spokesperson said clearly confirms what we have always said is happening in Zimbabwe, Molokele said. There is too much political interference in the judicial system. There is no rule of law in Zimbabwe. We do not have a proper judicial system because it's clear that ZANU-PF is abusing our court system for its political benefit.

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said it hopes the detained activists will be released soon, now that the SADC summit is over. The group said it will decide what steps to take next after hearing from the activists.
CAIRO, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi met with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday in Egypt's coastal city of New Alamein, where they discussed joint efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire deal.

Sisi and Blinken discussed "the joint Egyptian-American-Qatari mediation efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and an exchange of detainees," the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

They also exchanged views on the results of the latest negotiations held last week in Doha and ways to achieve progress in the negotiations in Cairo, the statement said.

Sisi stressed that "the time has come to end the ongoing war, resort to the voice of reason and wisdom, and uphold the language of peace and diplomacy," according to the statement.

The president also warned against the grave danger of the conflict expanding regionally, with potentially catastrophic consequences, the statement said.

For his part, Blinken briefed Sisi on the outcome of his visit to Israel, "stressing the U.S. commitment to calming the situation and reaching an agreement," the statement said.

The U.S. diplomat also expressed appreciation for Egypt's role and "constructive efforts" in this regard, the statement added.

Egypt is the second leg of Blinken's ninth tour of the Middle East since the outbreak of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over 10 months ago. The tour is widely seen as part of Washington's diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

In Israel, the first leg of his trip, Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Following their meeting, the U.S. diplomat said Netanyahu "confirmed that Israel approves" the new U.S.-backed bridging proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.

Blinken also has a stop planned in Qatar.

Egypt, the United States, and Qatar mediated a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas that ended in late November 2023. However, subsequent mediation efforts over the past few months have not yielded ideal results.

A new round of Gaza ceasefire negotiations took place in Doha last week, after which the three mediators issued a joint statement announcing that the talks had made "constructive" progress and that relevant parties would continue their efforts in the coming days to negotiate the details of the deal's implementation.

Egyptian sources also told Xinhua earlier on condition of anonymity that Cairo is expected to host further talks on the ceasefire deal in the coming two days.

Hamas, which did not participate directly in the Doha negotiations, accused Israel of adding new conditions to a previously supported proposal and accused the U.S. administration of trying to create a "false positive atmosphere," expressing skepticism about the negotiations' outcome.

Also on Tuesday, Sisi met visiting Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Amina Mohammed and discussed the ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. 
Yeah! Photo: Scott Legato/Getty Images

Against all odds, were here to tell you that Phil Collins is doing just fine. Time to exhale! We really needed this. As the first concrete update regarding his health in over two years, record producer Simon Napier-Bell visited Collins at his home near Lake Geneva to interview him for a documentary about Londons famed Marquee Club. He was in top form, full of wicked stories, hugely fun. And hes just had his studio revamped, Napier-Bell wrote on social media. For sure, before too long were going to hear some new music. (Genesis powerhouse Tony Banks is also participating in the documentary.) The duo posed for a photo together, with Collins wearing a red polo shirt, smiling, and holding onto a cane, which hes used to assist his mobility for several years. Since the final Genesis show in March 2022, Collins has entirely retreaded from the public eye; he was unable to drum on the tour due to dislocated vertebrae, nerve damage, and foot fractures. Worsening health was feared, in particular, after his former Genesis bandmate Steve Hackett got visibly upset in an interview earlier this year and said Collins doesnt deserve what happened to him. Were happy thwait, NEW MUSIC? BRING IN THE DRUM MACHINE!
VIENTIANE, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The 10th ASEAN Senior Law Officials' Meeting Working Group on the ASEAN Extradition Treaty has begun its work of consultation and discussion in the Lao capital Vientiane.

The meeting, from Monday to Wednesday, was chaired by Vice President of the Office of the Supreme People's Prosecutor of Laos Khamphet Somvolachit, Lao national Television reported on Tuesday.

During the meeting, participants will exchange views on a draft ASEAN Extradition Treaty to ensure its completeness. The goal is to achieve a unified treaty that can be presented to the ASEAN heads of state and government for endorsement, signing, ratification, and implementation.

Speaking at the meeting, Khamphet urged an active engagement by participants in the draft discussions.

"The draft treaty, when signed, promulgated and made effective, will become a legal instrument in cooperation within ASEAN regarding the extradition of criminals, bringing perpetrators to punishment, combating transnational crimes, making the society of Laos and ASEAN peaceful and orderly, and progressing without stopping," said Khamphet.

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. 
British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and Morgan Stanley boss Jonathan Bloomer among those missing after Bayesian sank off Sicily.

Rescuers continued their search on Tuesday for six people missing after a luxury superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily during a freak storm at around 04.30 on Monday.

Four Britons and two Americans are reported missing, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his teenage daughter Hannah; Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy; and Chris Morvillo, an American lawyer for Clifford Chance, and his wife Neda.

The body of a man, reportedly the yacht's onboard chef, was recovered on Monday.

There were 10 crew members and 12 passengers onboard when the British-flagged Bayesian yacht was hit by a waterspout, similar to a tornado, as it lay anchored off Porticello, east of Palermo.

#Porticello #Palermo, riprese alle 8 di #oggi le immersioni dei #sommozzatori speleo dei #vigilidelfuoco per le ricerche dei 6 dispersi. Complesso lingresso nello yacht, in atto la pianificazione per aprire accessi piu agevoli e ispezionare linterno [#20agosto 11:00] pic.twitter.com/QRTdGtO8r2  Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) August 20, 2024

Emergency services rescued 15 people, including Lynch's wife Angela Bacares and a one-year-old girl whose mother Charlotte Golunski held her above the waves after being thrown off the deck of the 56-m vessel.

The 15 people flung from the Bayesian into the sea took refuge in lifeboats and were taken aboard a nearby boat before emergency services took them to hospital.

Specialist divers on Tuesday were inspecting the wreckage of the yacht at a depth of 49 metres as part of a major search operation conducted by the Italian coastguard.

Mike Lynch

Entrepreneur Mike Lynch, known as "the British Bill Gates", co-founded software company Autonomy which was bought in 2011 by tech giant Hewlett-Packard (HP) for $11 billion.

For more than a decade Lynch, 59, was embroiled in a legal battle related to the high-profile sale, with HP accusing him of inflating the value of Autonomy before it was acquired by the American technology giant.

Lynch, who always denied any wrongdoing, was acquitted in the US in June on multiple fraud charges, over which he had been facing two decades in prison.

The entrepreneur was reportedly celebrating his acquittal on the Bayesian - owned by Revtom, a firm controlled by his wife - when disaster struck in the early hours of Monday.

Separately, Stephen Chamberlain, Autonomy's former vice-president and Lynch's co-defendant in the US fraud case, died after being hit by a car while out running on Saturday.

Photo Vigili del Fuoco
By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Exemptions for farmers are required before the residential land tax can be introduced, the Taoiseach has said.

The Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT) is designed to be charged each year on land that is zoned suitable for residential use and has access to necessary services.

The RZLT aims to incentivise landowners to activate existing planning permissions to increase housing supply.

However, the introduction of the tax and penalties have previously been deferred amid backlash from groups such as the Irish Farmers Association, which has opposed the inclusion of land which is used for farm operations.

Mr Harris said he was supportive of the concept of a land tax to address housing supply, but warned that further delays were possible.

He added: Its also important that farmers are separated from it because its offensive to tell a farmer that theyre a land hoarder when theyre actively farming and playing an important part in our economy.

Mr Harris said: As long as Im Taoiseach, no active farmer is going to pay a residential land tax  simple as.

Taoiseach Simon Harris feeding an alpaca during the Tullow Agricultural Show in Carlow (Brian Lawless/PA)

He added: This land tax is absolutely about making sure people cant hoard land. It was never meant to be about penalising an active farmer.

The Taoiseach said the Government will collectively decide on the approach taken to the matter in the Budget, but added that the Department of Finance needs to fix the legislation underpinning the charges.

He added: It needs to come forward with proposals as to how this legislation can be applied to those who are hoarding land  because I dont want to see people hoarding land, I want to see homes built.

But I also do not want to see and will not stand over a situation where active farmers wrongly get classified as land hoarders.

Mr Harris said he was open to the Department either bringing forward amendments or a decision to defer the legislation for another year.

The Taoiseach said deferring the legislation would not send a message that people continue to hoard land, adding: The laws have changed in this area and it is simply a question of when the legislation will be commenced in terms of the tax being charged.

Sinn Fein finance spokesman Pearse Doherty (Brian Lawless/PA)

However, Sinn Fein has said the comments are a boon for land hoarders.

The party finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said: The Governments decision to delay a land tax that is aimed at land hoarders who are sitting on land that should be developed to build much needed housing is a disgraceful one.

Lets be clear  this is a direct result of this Governments abject failure over the past three years to exempt actively farmed land from this tax.

I first raised this issue in 2021  three years ago  with the Minister for Finance when the legislation for this tax was first introduced.

He added: As a result of their inaction and ineptitude, land hoarders have another year to sit on land that should be developed to build homes.

Through a toxic mix of political opportunism, inaction and ineptitude, the Government has chosen to worsen the housing crisis and hand land hoarders and speculators another free pass.
By David Young, PA

A papal message expressing gratitude for Archbishop Noel Treanors devoted and faithful service has been shared with mourners at his funeral.

The 73-year-old former bishop of the Down and Connor diocese died suddenly earlier this month in Brussels.

Prior to his death, the Co Monaghan-born cleric had been fulfilling the diplomatic role of apostolic nuncio to the European Union.

Hundreds packed St Peters Cathedral in west Belfast for his requiem mass on Tuesday.

During the service, the apostolic nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor, read out a letter from Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin conveying the sentiments of Pope Francis.

Saddened to learn of the untimely death of Archbishop Noel Treanor, apostolic nuncio to the European Union and former Bishop of Down and Connor, his Holiness Pope Francis sends heartfelt condolences and the assurance of his spiritual closeness to the members of his family, especially his brother John and his sister Mary, and to you, the clergy, religious and lay faithful of the diocese, he said.

Expressing deep gratitude for Archbishop Treanors devoted and faithful service to the people of God in this local church, to wider Irish society, the Commission of the Bishops Conferences of the European Union, and most recently to the Apostolic See, his Holiness joins you in commending his soul to the loving mercy of Christ the Good Shepherd.

To those gathered for the mass of Christian burial and to all who mourn the late Archbishop in the sure hope of the resurrection, the Holy Father cordially imparts his blessing as a pledge of peace and consolation in the Lord.

Earlier, current bishop of Down and Connor Alan McGuckian described the cleric as a much loved friend of many.

Here at his funeral Mass, we remember that Archbishop Noel was a family man and much-loved friend of many people; he was a very accomplished individual; a priest, a bishop, an archbishop, a papal nuncio, he said.

All of those things are hugely important but on his funeral day we are invited to remember that none of those is the most important.

The most important thing is that Noel Treanor was baptised and born into new life in Christ.

Bishop McGuckian also spoke of the archbishops deep commitment to the European project.

That was born out of a desire to forge a shared, life-giving culture in a situation of awful division manifested at its worst in the horrible excesses of the Second World War, he added.

The archbishop had a long association with the Commission of the Bishops Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) and in 2022 was appointed by Pope Francis as the apostolic nuncio to the European Union.

A range of senior clerics from the island of Ireland and beyond attended the mass, including the leader of the Catholic church in Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin.

Representatives of the President of Ireland Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Simon Harris also attended, as did Irelands European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness.
Tom Tuite

A woman was followed, dragged into a park, "strangled", and told she would be killed during an early morning sex attack in the Docklands in Dublin, a court has heard.

Marius Lacatus, 32, a Romanian construction worker living in Dublin for the past three years, was charged with sexual assault and assault causing harm to the woman, also a foreign national, who was walking to work shortly after 6 am on Monday.

The father of one, who has no fixed address, was granted 3,500 bail over garda objections when he appeared before Judge John Brennan at Dublin District Court on Tuesday.

Garda Shane Dineen told the court the accused "made no reply" when charged. The Store Street garda objected to bail due to the strength of evidence, flight risk and the seriousness of the case.

He alleged that at around 6.15am, gardai received a report, and on arrival, the woman told them she was "sexually assaulted by an unknown male who dragged her off a street and down into a park".

The contested bail hearing was told that she suffered facial injuries and a large amount of muscle damage to her neck and "that the alleged suspect strangled her throughout the attack".

It was alleged she had been forced onto the ground and that the attacker opened his trousers, touched inside her underwear with his hand and rubbed her vagina but did not penetrate her.

The court was also told that the man allegedly "shouted throughout the incident that he would kill her".

According to Garda Dineen, the accused was found under a hedge beneath a bridge nearby, and his trousers were open.

Mr Lacatus was arrested at 7.13am and taken to the Garda station, but his detention to be interviewed had to be suspended "due to the level of intoxication".

The court heard that gardai had CCTV evidence, which was shown to the accused, and DNA samples were taken from him.

The garda said directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) were outstanding, and there could be further serious charges.

He agreed with defence solicitor Paddy McGarry that the accused came to Ireland three years ago, and his family lived here.

The defence proposed he could reside with a friend in Dublin and obey stringent conditions.

Garda Dineen said conditions would not allay his concerns and maintained that the accused was caught red-handed.

The judge said bail was the default position and held that the garda had not established flight risk to deny bail.

Judge Brennan said the accused had ties to the jurisdiction, and bail could be granted in his bond of 500 with a  3,000 independent surety.

He can only be released once the surety has been lodged. On release, he would have to reside at a specific address furnished to the court and be approved by gardai, provide a contact telephone number, surrender his travel documents within 24 hours, and obey an 11 pm  7 am curfew.

Judge Brennan granted legal aid and remanded him in custody with consent to bail to appear again at Cloverhill District Court on August 27th, pending directions from the DPP.
Three of the four major Australian banks have stealthily reduced the interest rate on their term deposits. They might suggest they are getting a head start on the Reserve Bank, but the central bank is not forecast to cut rates for at least three to six months.

Some would call it a margin-plumping exercise  the banks prefer to think of it as margin protection. Either way, its good for bank profitability.

CBA, ANZ and NAB  but not Westpac, yet  have cut deposit rates before the Reserve Bank moves. Credit: Stephen Clark

Meanwhile, that head start the banks are making doesnt apply to lowering the interest rate for borrowers. Mortgage rates wont move until the Reserve Bank changes the cash rate  an event that is not expected until December at least, and is more likely next year. (A dwindling number of economists are predicting the Reserve could move to lower rates in November.)

Even when the Reserve Bank does move to cut rates, it will probably be by only 25 basis points.
People search for victims among the rubble of a school building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike at the al-Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City, on Aug. 20, 2024. At least nine Palestinians were killed, and others were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, Palestinian security and medical sources said Tuesday. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

GAZA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- At least nine Palestinians were killed, and others were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, Palestinian security and medical sources said Tuesday.

The Israeli army targeted the Mustafa Hafez school in the al-Rimal neighborhood, which is sheltering hundreds of displaced families, killing and injuring some of its residents, according to the Gaza-based Palestinian Civil Defense.

"So far, we have recovered nine bodies, while others remain trapped under the rubble," Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the civil defense, told Xinhua.

"The Israeli army continues to target civilians in Gaza City, disregarding the lives of children, women, and the elderly," Basal added.

He noted that civil defense crews are facing significant challenges in reaching the victims due to limited logistical capabilities and fuel shortages.

Also on Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that the Israeli Air Force carried out a precise strike on "terrorists" operating within a Hamas command and control center.

The IDF added that multiple steps were taken prior to the strike to minimize the risk to civilians.

Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 were taken hostage.

Over the past 24 hours, the Israeli military has killed 34 people and wounded 114 others, bringing the total death toll in the enclave to 40,173, with 92,857 injured since the start of the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Tuesday. 

People search for victims among the rubble of a school building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike at the al-Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City, on Aug. 20, 2024. At least nine Palestinians were killed, and others were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, Palestinian security and medical sources said Tuesday. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

People remove a victim from a school building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike at the al-Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City, on Aug. 20, 2024. At least nine Palestinians were killed, and others were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, Palestinian security and medical sources said Tuesday. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

People search for victims among the rubble of a school building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike at the al-Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City, on Aug. 20, 2024. At least nine Palestinians were killed, and others were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, Palestinian security and medical sources said Tuesday. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

People stand in front of a school building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike at the al-Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City, on Aug. 20, 2024. At least nine Palestinians were killed, and others were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, Palestinian security and medical sources said Tuesday. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

People remove a victim from a school building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike at the al-Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City, on Aug. 20, 2024. At least nine Palestinians were killed, and others were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, Palestinian security and medical sources said Tuesday. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

People search for victims among the rubble of a school building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike at the al-Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City, on Aug. 20, 2024. At least nine Palestinians were killed, and others were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, Palestinian security and medical sources said Tuesday. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

People search for victims among the rubble of a school building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike at the al-Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City, on Aug. 20, 2024. At least nine Palestinians were killed, and others were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, Palestinian security and medical sources said Tuesday. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

People search for victims among the rubble of a school building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike at the al-Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City, on Aug. 20, 2024. At least nine Palestinians were killed, and others were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, Palestinian security and medical sources said Tuesday. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

People remove a victim from a school building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike at the al-Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City, on Aug. 20, 2024. At least nine Palestinians were killed, and others were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, Palestinian security and medical sources said Tuesday. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)
Boot-scootin Peter Dutton. Credit: John Shakespeare

Deep down, weve always suspected what Australias richest people really want is to be loved.

The anxious billionaire thesis explains much of Gina Rineharts recent behaviour, from fostering a cult of personality among our swimmers that would make the Kim family blush, to waging a proxy war with fellow mining magnate Andrew Twiggy Forrest for control of the True Blue Aussie apparel market.

In some countries, billionaires buy football clubs. For our resource moguls, tapping into the publics misty-eyed love of nostalgic Australiana is a far cheaper form of image-laundering.

And so, the bushwear arms race kicked off when Twiggy picked up RM Williams in 2020. It went next level when he added hatters Akubra to his stable last year.
Families living in Melbournes city centre have access to more than three times the number of childcare places as those living in parts of the citys suburban north, new research shows, while some of the states fastest growing regions are struggling to keep up with rising demand.

Analysis of federal government data by Victoria Universitys Mitchell Institute showed some parts of the state had no available places  the so-called childcare deserts  while other areas had more spots than there were children.

Savannah Sun retrained to become an early learning educator and now works at Kids on Collins, where her daughter, Sylvie Wang, attends. Credit: Justin McManus

It also found that money matters: government policies and incentives have played an important role in improving childcare accessibility nationwide over the past four years, but poorer areas were disadvantaged.

Where services are covered by the Child Care Subsidy, providers are more likely to operate in more affluent areas as they can increase their revenue opportunities through a share of the subsidy, the report found.
Returning to the WA Supreme Court, where former foreign affairs minister Marise Payne has described watching Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds shaking, breathing heavily, gripping her desk and in tears after days of being aggressively targeted over Brittany Higgins alleged rape.

Shortly after taking the witness stand in Reynolds defamation trial against Higgins on Tuesday, Payne was asked about whether she recalled seeing Reynolds, her friend and colleague of more than 30 years, publicly break down in the days after the former staffers tell-all interview with The Project in February 2021 about her alleged rape in Reynolds ministerial office.

Senator Marise Payne. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Payne told the court she watched as the then-defence minister attempted to respond to the political firestorm playing out in the senate chamber and in the media while grappling with her distress over events she believed had been misrepresented.

Senator Reynolds was under an enormous amount of pressure from questioning, pressure I have rarely seen before or since, Payne told the court.

Theres no question the parliamentary chamber is a place of debate and contest, but I found she was so upset and distressed that she was struggling to represent and respond to those questions that she would have otherwise been able to ... especially when you are aggressively targeted by your political opponents.

I recall very clearly seeing the physical trauma in her body from a combination of shaking, of what I regarded as elevated breathing, to physical distress where I could see her holding onto her desk tightly and trying to control the physical effect this questioning was having on her.

In the weeks after Reynolds near-collapse in parliamentary chambers, Payne told the court she kept in touch with her  seeing glimpses of the person she once knew, but also the depths of great despair she was in.

When grilled by Higgins lawyer Rachael Young, SC, Payne told the court that while she could not specifically recall the series of posts by Higgins that sparked their year-long defamation row, she said she knew consistent posting by both Higgins and her husband David Sharaz had triggered significant media reporting.

Higgins is defending Reynolds defamation pursuit on the basis her posts were substantially true, including allegations Reynolds mishandled her alleged rape and has used the media to harass her.

The trial continues.
A former 1860s police smoko room in Kensington sold for $1,010,000 on Saturday in an excruciating auction that saw bids rise in largely $1000 increments.

The rare slice of Melbourne police history is perched on a pie-shaped block at 42 Bellair Street, and had been turned into a trendy two-bedroom home. The vendors set a reserve of $940,000 and the property was listed with a quoted price range of $880,000 to $950,000.

Three bidders, including two-last-minute surprises, fought it out for the keys. It was one of the surprise punters  a Brisbane man relocating from the Sunshine State who was yet to set foot inside the home  who clinched the deal.

Nelson Alexander listing agent and auctioneer Ryan Currie said bidding opened at $889,000.
Washington: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted a ceasefire proposal to halt the war in Gaza and the next step was for Hamas to say yes, putting the onus on the group to end the 10-month conflict even as violence continues.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Israeli military said it had recovered the bodies of six hostages from southern Gaza without saying how or when they died. It identified the hostages as Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, and Haim Perry. Hamas is believed to be still holding about 110 hostages, a third of which are estimated by Israeli authorities to be dead.

Blinken, on his ninth trip to the region since Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, called the proposed accord a bridging agreement and acknowledged that not everything was spelt out in detail. But it builds on a proposal that US President Joe Biden put forward in late May that both sides had baulked at. Earlier in the day, Blinken had called it the best, maybe the last opportunity to free the hostages taken in the Hamas attack.

Families of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 last year demand a ceasefire deal. They were protesting outside a press event by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Tel Aviv. Credit: Getty Images

Blinken said the US would never give up, but that each passing day increased the risk of harm to the hostages and raised the chance the talks would be derailed. Iran and Hezbollah have vowed retribution for recent assassinations they say were the work of Israel, and Blinkens trip was seen in part as an effort to deter such a strike.
TOKYO, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The number of people in Japan who were sent to hospital for heatstroke climbed some 20 percent in July from a year before to 43,195 amid sweltering temperatures, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday.

The figure marked the second highest level for the month since records began in 2008, after 54,220 was recorded in July 2018.

The country saw sweltering heat in July, with temperatures topping 35 degrees Celsius in many areas, where heatstroke claimed 62 lives.

Of the heatstroke patients last month, 25,469 were of 65 years old and above, the data showed.

A total of 17,638 people were rushed to hospitals from homes, and 8,234 people fell ill while walking. 
MOSCOW, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived here on Tuesday to chair the 29th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government and visit Russia at the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

During his stay, Li will meet with Mishustin to exchange in-depth views on bilateral relations, practical cooperation and key issues of common interest.

The regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government, held every year since its inception in 1996, is an important mechanism for implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state and promoting bilateral cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between China and Russia and the launch of the China-Russia Years of Culture. 
ISLAMABAD, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Three troops and five terrorists were killed in a clash between terrorists and security forces in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Pakistan Army said in a statement on Monday.

The incident happened in the Bajaur district of the province on Sunday night till the wee hours of Monday when the security forces intercepted the terrorists trying to infiltrate the Afghan-Pakistan border, the army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said in the statement.

The troops "effectively engaged and thwarted their attempt to infiltrate," leading to the fatalities on both sides, the statement added.

Four terrorists were also injured in the clash, the statement said. 
CCTV: This year marks the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). The 10th Conference of States Parties to the ATT is being held in Geneva, Switzerland, and China sent a delegation to the conference. Could you share more details with us?

Mao Ning: The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is the sole legal instrument under the framework of the UN to regulate the international trade in conventional arms. The treaty is of significance to keeping the world peaceful and stable, and improving global security governance.

China is a supporter and doer in the implementation of the ATT. It takes a prudent and responsible attitude on arms trade, and relevant practices fully meet or even exceed the bar set by the treaty. In particular, China only engages with sovereign states on arms trade and cooperation, and doesnt sell arms to non-state actors. China strictly follows the three principles of arms exports: i) conducive to the legitimate self-defense capability of the recipient country; ii) not undermining peace, security and stability of the region concerned and the world as a whole; iii) non-interference in the internal affairs of the recipient country.

In contrast to individual country who willfully withdraws from organizations and treaties, China has fully complied with the ATT in good faith since its official accession to the treaty in 2020, and taken concrete actions to provide Chinas solutions to solving the global security predicament and regulating the international arms trade order. This fully demonstrates Chinas sincerity and determination to safeguard the global governance system, support multilateralism and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

The 10th anniversary of ATTs entry into force marks a new starting point. China stands ready to work with all parties, contribute Chinas wisdom to improving global arms trade governance, and provide greater stability and certainty to the turbulent world.

AFP: On the collision between the Philippine Coast Guard vessels and the Chinese Coast Guard vessel yesterday, the US condemned Chinas actions in the South China Sea and reaffirmed its support for the Philippines. Whats Chinas comments?

Mao Ning: Yesterday, I made clear Chinas position on the Philippine Coast Guard vessels intrusion into the adjacent waters of Xianbin Jiao of Chinas Nansha Qundao. What China did was to respond to the Philippines infringement activities. We took those actions in order to defend our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. They are just, lawful and beyond reproach. The US is not a party to the issue of the South China Sea and is in no position to interfere in the maritime issues between China and the Philippines. Still less, the US should not use the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty to justify the violation of Chinas sovereignty, rights and interests in the South China Sea. The US needs to stop stoking confrontation in the South China Sea, and stop destabilizing the region and escalating the tensions in the region.

Beijing Youth Daily: There have been media reports in China recently on the story of an African student who came to China to study advanced agricultural technology and is determined to contribute to solving his home countrys food problem. Can you comment on that and give us more details about China-Africa practical cooperation, especially agricultural cooperation?

Mao Ning: Food shortages have long been plaguing African countries. China has ensured secure food supply for its 1.4 billion people after strenuous efforts for several decades. Therefore, we feel deeply for African peoples hope for zero hunger. In recent years, China-Africa agricultural cooperation has flourished, producing fruitful results in technical assistance and training of agricultural experts, transfer of advanced agricultural technologies, the building of agricultural parks, and promotion of cultivation projects such as juncao and hybrid rice. Such cooperation provided quality rice and vegetable to the African people and helped modernize the agricultural sector in Africa.

Agricultural cooperation is an epitome of how China and Africa render each other help. In recent years, thanks to the strategic guidance of Chinese and African leaders, the cooperation between the two sides in various areas has enjoyed all-round development. China has been Africas largest trading partner for 15 years in a row, and has signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with 52 African countries and the African Union Commission. China released the Initiative on Supporting Africas Industrialization, the Plan for China Supporting Africas Agricultural Modernization, and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development, and cooperation between the two sides has expanded to emerging areas, such as digital, green, aerospace and financial sectors. China-Africa cooperation has helped Africa achieve socioeconomic development and livelihood improvement, and is sincerely welcomed by African countries and people. Facts prove that China is Africas reliable partner and true friend.

The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will be held in Beijing next month. We believe the upcoming summit will expand and deepen China-Africa cooperation and write a new chapter of building a China-Africa community with a shared future.

AFP: Hong Kong journalists rated the citys press freedom lower than ever in an annual survey released on Tuesday, citing fears of national security laws. Does China have any comment on this?

Mao Ning: The Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong SAR targets the very few criminals who severely endanger national security, not law-abiding journalists. Since the law came into force, Hong Kong is once again safe and stable, and freedom of press in Hong Kong has enjoyed better protection. This is a simple fact that anyone without bias can see.
"We're bullish about the future. And we want to be a good partner to our Chinese corporate partners and consumers," said Craig Allen, president of the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC), welcoming the economic policies from the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). #GLOBALink
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A woman who touched the lives of many died in a drowning accident, an inquest into her death was told.

The inquest into the death of Cathy Hughes, aged 66, of Dun na Carraige, Blackrock, Salthill, Co Galway, and formerly of Westport, was opened this week. The full hearing was adjourned until a later date.

Ms Hughes passed away on July 20 this year at Old Head in Louisburgh. The sad passing of Ms Hughes stunned her homeplace and her adopted city of Galway where she was a leading light in art circles.

Dr Tamas Nemeth, Consultant Pathologist at Mayo University Hospital gave the medical cause of death as asphyxia due to drowning.

Coroner Pat OConnor praised the efforts of the emergency services who tried but failed to resuscitate Ms Hughes. He said the talented artist was a lovely lady who touched the lives of many. Its a great tragedy, said Mr OConnor who sympathised with her family.
Serious concerns about a stretch of road where a mother and daughter lost their lives have been raised.

Mayo Coroner Pat OConnor described a section of the N26 as not fit for modern traffic as he opened the inquest into the deaths of 46-year-old Aisling Moore and her eight-year-old daughter Abbigael Tournie Moore.

The mother and daughter from Cois na Coille, Kilkelly Road, Swinford, died on July 2 this year after their car was involved in a collision with a lorry on the N26 at Callow.

Mr OConnor said he understands that family members share his concerns about this section of road.

"The local authority and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) will have to do something, he commented.

He said an investigation of the entire stretch of road is required and new speed limits need to be introduced.

The Coroner said the deaths of Aisling and Abbigael left the local community completely shocked. Dr Tamas Nemeth Consultant, Pathologist at Mayo University Hospital told the inquest that the medical cause of death in Aisling's case was extensive fatal injuries including multiple fractures and head injuries.

The medical cause of Abbigaels death was extensive head injuries.

Mr O'Connor told the family he was opening the inquest so that a State death certificate could be issued.

He said it would take some time before a full inquiry is carried out. Mr OConnor adjourned the substantive inquest hearing pending the completion of a garda investigation.
KABUL, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Police have rescued three persons including a local journalist from the clutch of kidnappers in east Afghanistan's Nangarhar province on Monday and arrested five persons, said a statement by the Ministry of Interior Affairs.

A gang of abductors kidnapped three persons including a reporter of the local Mazal radio from Sheikh Misri locality outside the provincial capital Jalalabad city on Sunday afternoon, the statement said.

Five persons including two women have been arrested on the charge of involvement in the crime, the statement said.

The Afghan caretaker government has strengthened measures to crack down on any form of crime in the war-ravaged Asian country. 
CARACAS, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared "fascism has failed in Venezuela" in a meeting Monday with the national leadership of the governing United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies in the Great Patriotic Pole coalition.

"We will not allow fascism to assault power in Venezuela," Maduro said, calling on supporters "to consolidate the victory against hatred, against lies, against manipulation."

Assessing Venezuela's political landscape after the July 28 presidential elections, Maduro said the coalition and its supporters were "defeating a coup d'etat."

He described post-election attempts to destabilize the country through online disinformation campaigns as a "cyber coup d'etat," warning that "woe betide anyone who falls for the narrative that attempts to justify a coup d'etat and the establishment of a violent regime."

"Fascism has failed in Venezuela, we have defeated it," he said.

Immediately following the presidential elections, violence broke out in parts of the capital Caracas and other cities, which the government said was instigated by opposition groups. 
BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- China has been helping African countries alleviate debt pressure through multiple channels, a commerce official said Tuesday.

Under the framework of the G20's Debt Service Suspension Initiative, China has played an active role in helping relevant nations reach debt suspension agreements, Shen Xiang, director of the West Asia and Africa Department under the Ministry of Commerce, told a press conference.

Under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation framework, China has canceled the debt of relevant African countries in the form of interest-free government loans that were due to mature by the end of 2021, Shen said.

Chinese financial institutions and enterprises have engaged in investment and financing cooperation with African countries based on market principles and international rules.

They fully respect the will of African nations and take into consideration their actual needs. Moreover, China never attaches any political conditions, which has earned widespread appreciation from African nations, he said.

Commercial bonds and multilateral debts accounted for 66 percent of Africa's external debt, while China-Africa bilateral debt only represented 11 percent of Africa's total external debt, Shen said, citing statistics compiled by the IMF. 
by Xinhua writer Guo Xiaoyu

BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- This summer, fruit fans in Singapore and the United Arab Emirates are in for a treat as they have easier access to yangmei, also known as waxberries. These small, crimson and sweet fruits are native to China and predominantly grown in Zhejiang Province.

In the past, despite its popularity in China, yangmei has not been widely exported due to its delicate and perishable nature. However, recent advancements in Zhejiang's yangmei cultivation industry, which boasts a history of over 1,600 years, have now made it possible to export this beloved seasonal fruit on a larger scale.

"By using electromagnetic waves to rearrange water molecules, we can lower the icing point to minus five degrees Celsius," said Ying Jiaoming, a chief technician at an agricultural technology firm in Xianju County. "This technology enables us to keep the storage temperatures below zero without actually freezing the fruits."

According to Ying, the technology has successfully extended the storage life of yangmei from seven days to over a month, thereby, helping the local specialty reach distant markets. From 2021 to 2023, Xianju's yangmei exports nearly tripled.

The fruit's tech-fueled global journey exemplifies China's efforts to foster new quality productive forces -- instead of discarding traditional industries, the country is looking to revitalize them with technological innovations tailored to local development needs.

Despite arising from sci-tech innovation, the concept of new quality productive forces extends beyond science and technology. Nicholas Welch, a regular columnist with the ChinaTalk newsletter, wrote recently that the concept may sound esoteric, but its connotation is simple: as a country's technology advances, its social and economic systems need to evolve accordingly.

That much-expected evolution is part of China's newly released reform blueprint. To cement reform consensus, a guidebook of articles by senior officials was published this summer, offering authoritative insights into the country's efforts to deepen reforms comprehensively.

Using the book as a reference, Xinhua delves into new quality productive forces, as well as the wide-ranging reforms the concept has sparked.

WHY DOES CHINA DEVELOP NEW QUALITY PRODUCTIVE FORCE?

For the Chinese leadership, developing new quality productive forces can address a series of challenges from home and abroad as the country pursues modernization.

The Chinese economy has made strides in recent years, but its growth remains unbalanced and uneven, with insufficient innovation capabilities and a widening income gap, says Vice Premier He Lifeng in his recent article incorporated in the book.

As resource and environmental pressures mount, traditional production methods and growth models are becoming increasingly outdated. Against this backdrop, China must upgrade its productive forces through technological innovation to create new growth momentum.

Meanwhile, the world is undergoing a new wave of technological and industrial revolutions. China is hoping to gain a competitive edge in advanced industries such as IT, biotech and new energy.

In the vice premier's words, the importance of cultivating new quality productive forces must be evaluated from a holistic and historical perspective. The country must seize every opportunity presented by these technological and industrial revolutions to ignite a surge in productivity.

In fact, analysts have noted that translating technological advances into enhanced productivity is the country's most pressing task at present.

Zheng Yongnian, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), said that although China boasts the world's most comprehensive industrial system and a wide range of technologies, the added value of its products is still relatively low.

To increase its added value, the country must pursue tech-driven industrial upgrading, which is the essence of cultivating new quality productive forces, Zheng said.

HOW WILL CHINA DEVELOP THESE FORCES?

As an undertaking encompassing economic, social and ideological dimensions, the development of new quality productive forces necessitates comprehensive and profound changes in how people produce, live and think.

For the world's second-largest economy, the paramount task is to channel production factors such as labor, capital, land, knowledge and technology toward the development of new quality productive forces.

He Lifeng, in his article, calls on the whole nation to support entrepreneurship, allowing entrepreneurs to unlock their creativity and initiative in allocating resources. Meanwhile, businesses across all sectors of ownership should be encouraged to explore new opportunities and develop new products and technologies, as part of efforts to cultivate new quality productive forces.

The country should seek to strengthen talent exchanges among universities, research institutions and enterprises to better align the development of creative and skilled professionals with market demands, he said.

Efforts should also focus on enhancing financial services for sci-tech innovation, attracting diverse capital investments, and empowering researchers to have a greater voice in the allocation of earnings derived from their sci-tech achievements, the vice premier said.

The development of new quality productive forces hinges on sci-tech innovation. Committed to an innovation-driven development strategy, China has witnessed significant technological progress in recent years, with its Global Innovation Index ranking ascending from 34 in 2012 to 12 in 2023.

However, despite its technological strides, China's capability for original innovation remains relatively weak, and the returns on its sci-tech investments are not yet sufficient, says Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee.

According to Huang, the country continues to face significant bottlenecks in key core technologies, which could impede its future development. "Promoting high-level self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology is not just a matter of development, but also a matter of survival," he says in an article.

To address these challenges, the country, while leveraging the government's pivotal role in providing guidance, must maximize the advantages of its vast domestic market, allowing the market to guide research and development, resource allocation, and technological advancements, Huang said. He noted that the market provides ample application scenarios for technologies, thereby helping identify the most promising new technologies, products and business models.

Additionally, the country should work to integrate innovation, industry, investment and talent to ensure that technological breakthroughs are applied to specific industries and supply chains in a timely and effective manner, he said.

Wu Hailong, chairman of Grand Union of Innovation Service Platform Co Ltd, said that with sci-tech innovation rapidly advancing nationwide, transforming innovative outcomes into reality demands an increasingly diverse range of resources and support.

Therefore, it is crucial to accelerate the integration of government, industries, academia, research institutions, financial institutions, service providers, and application scenarios. Moreover, fostering interaction among these stakeholders through a market-oriented approach is essential, Wu said.

To push forward China's innovation drive, the central bank has recently pledged an array of financial support measures for sci-tech innovation. Key measures include boosting re-lending for major national sci-tech projects and small tech companies and fostering an innovation-friendly financial environment.

The bank also aims to direct more funds toward the development of practical technologies and to meet the financing needs of enterprises at every stage of their growth.

WHAT ARE THE PAIN POINTS?

Given China's size and diversity, developing new quality productive forces is a long and arduous mission that requires systematic planning and appropriate approaches to succeed.

From China's perspective, developing new quality productive forces does not mean discarding all traditional ones. Instead, the country aims to rejuvenate traditional industries through sci-tech innovations tailored to local development needs.

Traditional industries are not necessarily obsolete. Through technological breakthroughs and industrial upgrades, they can also evolve into new quality productive forces, says He Lifeng. The priority in developing new quality productive forces is improving the quality of growth, rather than simply increasing growth models, he says, stressing that these forces can only thrive when rooted in the real economy.

A prime example is the city of Tianjin, a manufacturing powerhouse in north China, where local manufacturers are embracing automation. At Vitesco Automotive Tianjin Co., Ltd., an auto parts supplier, robots swiftly maneuver their mechanical arms and navigate through stacks of goods in a warehouse.

"This is our fully automatic logistics warehouse, which began operations at the end of last year," said general manager Cao Zhenqi. By integrating robotics technologies, 5G and the Internet of Things, the warehouse has increased its operational efficiency by 50 percent.

As a sweeping technological revolution unfolds across China, over 80 percent of major industrial companies nationwide have adopted digital technologies in their daily operations. The country also boasts more than 400 national-level intelligent manufacturing factories powered by artificial intelligence.

Although technological advancements are key to new quality productive forces, He Lifeng notes in his article that local governments must follow the normal patterns of technological innovation and industrial development, and adhere to the principle of "pursuing progress while ensuring stability."

"Regions with strong economic foundations, robust research capabilities and excellent innovation environments should swiftly establish themselves as key hubs for new quality productive forces. Meanwhile, areas currently lacking such conditions should progress at a slower, steadier pace. They should avoid hastily pursuing ambitious or foreign projects that exceed practical capabilities," the vice premier said.

Additionally, the government can play a better role in strategic planning, policy guidance, rule-making, and fiscal support, fostering a tolerant and flexible environment for innovation.

China should also hold fast to its opening-up policy, working to attract high-quality capital, key resources, advanced technologies, and top talent from around the world. By leveraging global innovation resources and outcomes, the country can develop new quality productive forces more efficiently, he says. 
Vehicles move on a road to Leijiadian Township to join in rescue efforts in Jianchang County of Huludao City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Aug. 21, 2024. Heavy rains have lashed the city of Huludao in Liaoning in recent days, trapping some rural residents and causing temporary interruption of communication. As of 21:00 on Tuesday, most townships in Jianchang County have basically restored communication through intense repairs. Currently, a total of 7,075 residents have been evacuated in Huludao City. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Emergency Management and two other government departments have sent 7,000 disaster relief items, including blankets and emergency kits, to northeast China's Liaoning Province, the ministry said on Tuesday.

A team has also been dispatched to the province to guide rescue efforts following torrential rains, the ministry added.

Heavy rains have lashed the city of Huludao in Liaoning in recent days, trapping some rural residents. Meteorological authorities have forecast that rainstorms will pound parts of Liaoning, Inner Mongolia and Guangdong on Tuesday and Wednesday.

China is still in its main flood season, with scattered heavy rainfall hitting both northern and southern regions. Local governments are urged to remain vigilant, and to strengthen monitoring and early-warning, according to the ministry. 

This photo taken on Aug. 20, 2024 shows a flood-affected area in Datun Township, Jianchang County of Huludao City, northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Heavy rains have lashed the city of Huludao in Liaoning in recent days, trapping some rural residents and causing temporary interruption of communication.

As of 21:00 on Tuesday, most townships in Jianchang County have basically restored communication through intense repairs.

Currently, a total of 7,075 residents have been evacuated in Huludao City. (Xinhua)

This photo taken on Aug. 20, 2024 shows a fallen tree on a road to Leijiadian Township in Jianchang County of Huludao City, northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Heavy rains have lashed the city of Huludao in Liaoning in recent days, trapping some rural residents and causing temporary interruption of communication.

As of 21:00 on Tuesday, most townships in Jianchang County have basically restored communication through intense repairs.

Currently, a total of 7,075 residents have been evacuated in Huludao City. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Staff members of Jianchang County branch of China Mobile work to restore communication facilities in Jianchang County of Huludao City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Aug. 20, 2024.

Heavy rains have lashed the city of Huludao in Liaoning in recent days, trapping some rural residents and causing temporary interruption of communication.

As of 21:00 on Tuesday, most townships in Jianchang County have basically restored communication through intense repairs.

Currently, a total of 7,075 residents have been evacuated in Huludao City. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Affected residents rest at a temporary relocation site in a primary school in Jianchang County of Huludao City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Aug. 21, 2024.

Heavy rains have lashed the city of Huludao in Liaoning in recent days, trapping some rural residents and causing temporary interruption of communication.

As of 21:00 on Tuesday, most townships in Jianchang County have basically restored communication through intense repairs.

Currently, a total of 7,075 residents have been evacuated in Huludao City. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Affected residents prepare food at a temporary relocation site in a primary school in Jianchang County of Huludao City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Aug. 21, 2024.

Heavy rains have lashed the city of Huludao in Liaoning in recent days, trapping some rural residents and causing temporary interruption of communication.

As of 21:00 on Tuesday, most townships in Jianchang County have basically restored communication through intense repairs.

Currently, a total of 7,075 residents have been evacuated in Huludao City. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Staff members of Jianchang County branch of State Grid Corporation of China help evacuate residents in Jianchang County of Huludao City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Aug. 20, 2024.

Heavy rains have lashed the city of Huludao in Liaoning in recent days, trapping some rural residents and causing temporary interruption of communication.

As of 21:00 on Tuesday, most townships in Jianchang County have basically restored communication through intense repairs.

Currently, a total of 7,075 residents have been evacuated in Huludao City. (Xinhua)

This photo taken on Aug. 20, 2024 shows a flood-affected area in Datun Township, Jianchang County of Huludao City, northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Heavy rains have lashed the city of Huludao in Liaoning in recent days, trapping some rural residents and causing temporary interruption of communication.

As of 21:00 on Tuesday, most townships in Jianchang County have basically restored communication through intense repairs.

Currently, a total of 7,075 residents have been evacuated in Huludao City. (Xinhua)

This photo taken on Aug. 20, 2024 shows a flood-affected area in Datun Township, Jianchang County of Huludao City, northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Heavy rains have lashed the city of Huludao in Liaoning in recent days, trapping some rural residents and causing temporary interruption of communication.

As of 21:00 on Tuesday, most townships in Jianchang County have basically restored communication through intense repairs.

Currently, a total of 7,075 residents have been evacuated in Huludao City. (Xinhua)

Vehicles move on a road to Leijiadian Township to join in rescue efforts in Jianchang County of Huludao City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Aug. 20, 2024.

Heavy rains have lashed the city of Huludao in Liaoning in recent days, trapping some rural residents and causing temporary interruption of communication.

As of 21:00 on Tuesday, most townships in Jianchang County have basically restored communication through intense repairs.

Currently, a total of 7,075 residents have been evacuated in Huludao City. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)
GAZA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- At least nine Palestinians were killed and some others wounded by an Israeli airstrike at a school sheltering displaced people in the Gaza City, Palestinian security and medical sources said Tuesday. 
TEHRAN, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The waiting time for Iran's retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh could be "long," Ali-Mohammad Naeini, spokesman for Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), said on Tuesday.

At a press conference in Tehran, Naeini explained that there is no rush to respond and that the timing of Iran's reaction might be extended. He suggested that Israelis would have to endure uncertainty while Iran plans its response.

He also mentioned that Iran's retaliation might not resemble previous operations and that different options are being considered.

The IRGC spokesman claimed that Israel has not achieved its objectives with Haniyeh's assassination, asserting that the "resistance front has become stronger" rather than weaker.

He reassured that Iran's military leaders would carefully plan their response to Haniyeh's killing, aiming to impact Israel's strategy.

On Monday, IRGC Deputy Commander Ali Fadavi described Israel's action as a "great crime" and warned of a tougher response compared to Iran's previous retaliation in April, which followed an attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

Fadavi stated that the response would come at the right time and place and that Iran would decide when and how to act.

Haniyeh, who visited Iran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, was killed on July 31 along with his bodyguard when their residence in Tehran was attacked. Iran has blamed Israel for the attack and has promised a strong response.

Israel has not confirmed or denied its involvement in the attack. 
Tourists from Italy head for Hongyadong scenic area in Yuzhong District , southwest China's Chongqing, July 8, 2024. [Xinhua/Huang Wei]

BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua)  China continues to see a rising number of foreign visitors thanks to its series of entry policies, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) said on Monday.

In the first seven months of this year, the number of foreign visitors to China soared 129.9 percent year on year to 17.25 million, said Liu Haitao, NIA deputy head, at a press conference.

Meanwhile, a total of 341 million cross-border travels were recorded, up 62.34 percent from the same period of last year.

The foreign visitors are estimated to boost consumption topping 100 billion yuan (about 14 billion U.S. dollars) in total, with a per capita daily average consumption volume of nearly 3,500 yuan, Liu said.

During the period, 846,000 port visas were issued to foreign nationals who have urgent needs to enter China but do not have enough time to apply for visas at Chinese embassies or consulates abroad. The figure rose 183 percent year on year.

Regarding port visas, the NIA said foreign nationals can submit applications in advance to port visa authorities by themselves or through inviting parties, or apply on site upon arrival at ports in China.

Liu said China's immigration authorities had stepped up efforts to make customs clearance "more convenient" and cross-border supply chains "more efficient," shortening the time for customs inspections and setting up priority channels for major cargo flights.

Since the beginning of this year, China has expanded its visa-free policies, relaxed visa application requirements and simplified procedures, exempted border checks for certain transit passengers and made mobile payment services more convenient for foreigners.

In its latest effort, the NIA announced in July a policy allowing people from countries with diplomatic relations with China to visit the southern island province of Hainan visa-free for 144 hours via tour groups registered in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

Earlier in July, the NIA said the country's 144-hour visa-free transit policy had been expanded to three more entry ports, taking the number of ports covered by the policy to 37.

Thanks to these efforts, China has become a popular destination for overseas tourists. With more people posting their travel experiences in China on social media, "China Travel" has become a top trending search term on multiple global social media platforms.

First-time China visitor, George, 65, from the United States, said he was most impressed by the highly convenient transport, the rich historical heritage and unique sceneries.

Noelia and Max, a young couple from Mexico, even dressed in ethnic Miao costumes to hold a traditional wedding ceremony in Guilin, a scenic city in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region that is famous for its karst hills, rivers and caves. The wedding video they posted online afterward reached 300 million viewers within 48 hours.

Zhou Xiaoguang, general manager of Guilin Tang Dynasty Tours Co., Ltd., said the company's business in the first half of this year soared over five times compared with a year ago. "We see more and more foreigners," he said. "In some cases, we are even short of foreign language-speaking tour guides."

Sun Yuehui, a tour guide in Guilin who has worked with foreign tourists for over a decade, said she works with tour groups almost every day. "Around this time last year, I only had two to three foreign tour groups in a month," she said.

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Wang Shasha
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, and his wife Ngo Phuong Ly prior to the talks between Xi and Lam in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua)  Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, held talks with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Vietnamese president, on Monday in Beijing.

Xi welcomed Lam's state visit to China and once again congratulated him on his election as general secretary of the CPV Central Committee.

Carrying Forward Traditional Friendship

China is the destination for Lam's first overseas visit after he took office as general secretary of the CPV Central Committee. Xi said this fully reflects the great importance Lam attaches to the relations between the two parties and the two countries, as well as the high level and strategic nature of China-Vietnam relations.

He pointed out that the CPC and the CPV have passed down their shared ideals and beliefs from generation to generation, forging the traditional friendship of "comrades-plus-brothers" between the two countries.

As two of the ruling Communist parties in today's world, the CPC and the CPV should uphold and continue their traditional friendship, keep in mind their common mission, adhere to the leadership of the Communist party and the socialist system, continue to deepen the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, and jointly promote the development of the world socialist cause, Xi said.

The CPV and the Vietnamese government always attach importance to developing relations with China and regard China as the strategic choice and top priority of Vietnam's foreign policy, Lam said, noting that the Vietnamese side will adhere to the leadership of the Communist party and the socialist path, deepen the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and push forward the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

"Lam's visit comes just half a month after he was elected general secretary of the Central Committee of the CPV, showing the importance the Vietnamese side attaches to relations with China," said Chen Hongsheng, director of Institute of Vietnamese Studies, Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences.

"In particular, Lam arrived in south China's Guangzhou on Sunday, visited the places that witnessed Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary activities in China, and exchanged views with friendly personages from China and Vietnam. This is of great significance to consolidating and developing the traditional friendship between the two countries and boosting the continuous progress of bilateral relations," Chen said.

Deeper Practical Cooperation

Xi underscored that at the critical stage of national development and revitalization, China and Vietnam should strive to consolidate the development pattern featuring higher political mutual trust, more solid security cooperation, deeper practical cooperation, stronger public support, closer multilateral coordination and cooperation, and better management and resolution of differences.

China is ready to maintain close strategic communication and high-level exchanges with Vietnam, firmly adhere to mutual support, actively explore ways to expand synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, accelerate the "hard connectivity" of railway, expressway and port infrastructure, enhance the "soft connectivity" of smart customs, and jointly build a secure and stable industrial and supply chain, Xi said.

Vietnam is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges, deepen strategic mutual trust, enhance synergy of development strategies, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation with China, Lam said.

China has been Vietnam's largest trading partner since 2004, and Vietnam is China's largest trading partner within ASEAN.

In 2017, China and Vietnam signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the joint implementation of the China-proposed BRI and Vietnam's Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy to expedite cooperation across diverse sectors.

In the first seven months of 2024, a total of 6,850 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers of goods were shipped via China-Vietnam freight trains departing from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, marking a 16-fold increase year on year.

Moreover, thanks to favorable policies such as direct air routes and visa facilitation, the cross-border tourism between China and Vietnam has shown vigorous development. This two-way surge in travel not only boosts the development of the tourism industry, but also deepens the cultural exchange and friendship between the two countries, a Chinese tourism official said.

A Shared Future

During Xi's visit to Vietnam last December, the two countries jointly announced the elevation of bilateral ties to a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

In his talks with Lam, Xi expressed the willingness to establish good working relations and personal friendship with Lam to jointly guide the substantial development in building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

He also called for joint efforts to uphold the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and other basic norms governing international relations, promote an equal and orderly multi-polar world and economic globalization that benefits all, uphold international fairness and justice and the common interests of developing countries, and work to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

For his part, Lam said that the CPV and the Vietnamese government will carry on the legacy of Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, adhere to the leadership of the Communist party and the socialist path, deepen the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and push forward the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

Vietnam firmly pursues the one-China policy, supports China in achieving national reunification, and firmly opposes any interference in China's internal affairs, Lam said.

Vietnam supports and is willing to actively participate in the initiative to build a community with a shared future for humanity, as well as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, Lam said, adding that Vietnam is also willing to work closely with China to strengthen multilateral international cooperation, uphold multilateralism, safeguard international fairness and justice, and make positive contributions to promoting world peace and development.

During Lam's visit to China, the two sides will also issue a joint statement on further strengthening China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and promoting the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, and To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, have a small chat over tea in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, shakes hands with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi and Lam on Monday jointly witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents after holding talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The bilateral cooperation documents cover a range of areas, including Party schools, connectivity, industry, finance, customs inspection and quarantine, health, media and news organizations, local governments, and people's livelihood. [Xinhua/Yue Yuewei]

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, holds talks with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, holds a welcome ceremony for To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. [Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan]

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, holds a welcome ceremony for To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. [Xinhua/Yao Dawei]

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, holds a welcome ceremony for To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. [Xinhua/Yue Yuewei]

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, and To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, have a small chat over tea in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, holds a welcome ceremony for To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. [Xinhua/Yue Yuewei]

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Wang Shasha
BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- China-Africa economic and trade cooperation has continued to scale new heights since the 2021 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), delivering tangible benefits to the people of both China and Africa, Assistant Minister of Commerce Tang Wenhong said Tuesday.

Tang made the remarks at a press conference detailing the progress and achievements that have been made under the nine cooperation programs China announced during the FOCAC's 8th Ministerial Conference held three years ago in Senegal.

These nine programs span categories such as medical and health, poverty reduction and agricultural development, trade and investment promotion, digital innovation, green development and capacity building, among others.

According to Tang, driven by programs aimed at trade and investment promotion as well as poverty reduction and agricultural development, China-Africa investment and trade cooperation has developed steadily. "China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years."

The official said a raft of cooperative projects, such as the Lekki port in Nigeria and the Nairobi expressway in Kenya, have materialized over the past three years. "China has also dispatched more than 500 agricultural experts to Africa and trained nearly 9,000 agricultural talents, providing strong support to Africa's agricultural modernization process."

Driven by green development, digital innovation and other programs, Chinese companies have implemented a large number of clean energy projects in Africa, while exports of lithium batteries and photovoltaic products to Africa have increased significantly, Tang said.

He said China and Africa will continue to deepen friendship and discuss cooperation plans during the FOCAC 2024 Summit, scheduled to be held in Beijing from Sept. 4 to 6.

"China will expand institutional opening up to Africa and deepen cooperation in industrial and supply chains, so as to further advance China-Africa economic cooperation and development linkage for shared benefits," Tang added. 
MANILA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday that the country has agreed to a request by the United States to temporarily host a U.S. immigrant visa processing center for "a limited number" of Afghan nationals.

"The Philippines and the United States have agreed on allowing a limited number of Afghan nationals to transit to the Philippines to complete their visa processing for special immigrant visas and resettlement to the United States," the DFA said in a statement.

It added that the U.S. government "is supporting necessary services for those Afghans temporarily in the Philippines, including food, housing, security, medical, and transportation to complete visa processing."

"The agreement is currently undergoing the final domestic procedures required for effectivity," the statement said.

U.S. President Joe Biden discussed the request with Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos when they met in Washington in May 2023.

The U.S. request, since it was made public, has faced local concerns over potential security and other grounds. 
Erbistock Weir removal helping boost River Dee ecosystems

The Eribstock weird has been removed as part of ongoing ecological restoration works at the River Dee.

Its removal has opened up an unimpeded passage for all fish species within the Dee, enhancing biodiversity and supporting the rivers ecosystems.

Early observations indicate notable changes in the rivers flow and sediment distribution, which are expected to further benefit local wildlife and improve overall river quality.

The works have been carried out as part of LIFE Dee River project.

The removal of the Erbistock weir is a significant milestone for the EU-funded LIFE Dee River programme, offering a new era of ecological restoration for the River Dee.

So far the completed work has already shown promising signs, with improvements being seen in the rivers morphology, marking a return to its more natural state.

Heneb, the Trust for Welsh Archaeology, has been involved in the project and provided crucial insights during the planning and execution phases.

Their investigation into the weirs history revealed that, contrary to earlier beliefs, the structure was built after 1850. This finding, derived from the examination of construction materials and historical artefacts discovered on-site, has refined our understanding of the weirs impact on the river.

The work to remove the weir was completed by contractor S.E. Metcalfe ai Gwmni, four weeks ahead of schedule, ensuring the successful and timely completion of this important environmental project.

Gethin Morris, LIFE Dee River Senior River Restoration Officer, said: We are thrilled to see the Erbistock weir removal project completed.

This achievement not only represents a major step forward for river restoration on the Dee but also shows the commitment of everyone involved in our LIFE Dee River project.

The positive changes were already witnessing in the River Dee are a testament to the hard work and collaboration of our partners and contractors.

The weirs removal will help to transform the Dee and its catchment by restoring it and its surroundings back to their natural state.
Raise your crime concerns in first online public surgery with North Wales PCC

Residents in Wrexham will have the chance to raise their views about crime and issues within their communities at a virtual advice surgery.

The online session, on Microsoft Teams on September 10, is being held by the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin and North Wales Police.

Attendees will have 20 minutes to speak personally with the Commissioner, who will be accompanied by representatives from his office and North Wales Police.

The conversations will remain confidential, and the Commissioner, officers and staff will be able to provide further signposting if an issue can be more appropriately dealt with by other agencies and organisations.

The virtual sessions aim to give local people the chance to discuss policing in their communities and to raise any concerns or comments they have from the comfort of their own homes.

How it works

The PCC will be accompanied by staff from his team and North Wales Police during the online event, who will help to facilitate the meetings and take notes if needed.

Surgeries are by appointment only to ensure that the issues being raised relate to policing, crime or community safety, and to ensure the PCC is fully briefed on the issue prior to the meeting.

While the Commissioner is unable to intervene directly in operational matters, he welcomes residents feedback on how North Wales is policed.

The PCC will not be able to consider complaints about police officers, members of police staff, police community support officers or special constables as this has to go through the existing and established channels. Further advice on the complaints system is on the OPCC website here.

Andy Dunbobbin, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales commented: This upcoming online surgery marks a significant step forward in our efforts to strengthen the bond between me and the communities we serve across North Wales.

By embracing this digital format, were making it easier than ever for residents to have their voices heard, regardless of their location or circumstances.

For example if they live in a rural area, or have caring or work responsibilities which mean they have not been able to get to previous surgery locations in person.

This innovative approach demonstrates our commitment to accessibility and our adaptability in serving the people of North Wales.

How to book a place

If you would like to book a 20-minute slot with Andy Dunbobbin, please contact the PCCs office with your name, contact information and what you would like to discuss during your meeting, by:

Email: opcc@northwales.police.uk

Phone: 01492 805486

Post: Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner North Wales, Police Headquarters. Glan y Don, Colwyn Bay, LL29 8AW

Ssurgery slots are limited and work on a first come, first served basis and a slot cannot be guaranteed for everyone. If a session is full, residents will be given the details of alternative sessions.

The online advice surgery will take place via Microsoft Teams on 10 September 2024 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.
Talented star bakers on the rise after double award nomination

A pair of talented bakers at Coleg Cambrias Ial Restaurant in Wrexham are on the rise.

Naomi Spaven, lead baker and patisserie chef at Ial Restaurant, and baker and pastry chef Ella Muddiman, who also works at the Hafod venue, have been nominated for the Rising Star accolade at this years BIA (Baking Industry Awards) ceremony.

The news comes after Naomi, from Mold  whose popular LittleWelshFoodie social media account encourages young people to take up baking  won the Fruit Cake category in Britains Best Cake competition, where she was joined by judge Daryl Stephenson, a Cambria work-based learning assessor.

Congratulating the skilled duo  they are two of only three finalists in the category  he said: Im incredibly proud of Ella and Naomi for reaching the finals of the Baking Industry Awards and feel truly privileged to have been part of their exciting career journey so far.

Maria Stevens, Head of Commercial Operations at Coleg Cambria Yale, added: After opening our Ial Restaurant with Ella just three years ago we never thought we would have had the success we have had so far, but none of this would have been possible without our dedicated, hard-working team who have developed the brand and gone from strength to strength.

Having recently introduced Ial Bakery and welcomed onboard our very own Little Welsh Foodie we couldnt be prouder than to have two of our Welsh star bakers in the running for the Rising Star Awards.

On behalf of myself and everyone at Coleg Cambria, a massive congratulations and good luck to you both.

A Rising Star finalist in 2023, Naomi gained experience over the last 12 months with a week at the School of Artisan Food and another at the Richemont Centre of Excellence in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Judges said her passion shines so brightly and lauded her technical and problem-solving ability.

Meanwhile, Ella  the colleges Food Manufacturing Work-based Learner of the Year for 2024  has gone from strength to strength after starting out as a hobby baker and is determined to help others as a beacon for positive mental health.

She has turned her passion into a career with Cambria and recently completed a Level 2 Diploma in Proficiency in Baking Industry Skills. She is due to start Level 3 in September.

The Awards are run by British Baker, a leading publication for the baking industry.

Amy North, Editor of British Baker, said: The Baking Industry Awards celebrate the people, products, and businesses that make the sector such an incredible one  from artisanal sourdough loaves and the bakers who handcraft them to the manufacturers helping to keep the nation happy and fed, and everyone in between.

The Rising Star Award is an incredibly competitive category, and our three finalists exemplify excellence, proving themselves to be talented and passionate individuals. They set a great example for their peers and the wider industry.
Woodys Lodge opens first charity shop in Wrexham

A leading charity dedicated to supporting veterans, emergency service personnel, and their families, is opening its very first charity shop in Wrexham.

Woodys Lodge will open its new store in Ty Pawb today (August 20)  marking a significant milestone for the organisation.

In addition to offering a wide variety of pre-loved clothing, accessories, homeware, and more, the shop will feature a unique display of military memorabilia, kindly loaned by local veterans and associations.

The treasured items, which are not for sale, will offer visitors a powerful connection to the history and experiences of those who have served.

According to Woodys Lodge the display will showcase the deep community ties the charity is fostering and serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by our service members.

The opening of the new shop has been made possible thanks to a partnership with Wrexham Council, which has provided Woodys Lodge with the opportunity to occupy a property in Ty Pawb.

We are incredibly grateful to Wrexham Council for their support and for helping us make our dream of opening a charity shop a reality, said Graham Jones, CEO, at Woodys Lodge.

This shop will be a beacon of support for veterans and blue light service personnel in Wrexham, and we are excited to become part of this wonderful community.

The addition of military memorabilia on display further strengthens our mission to honour and support those who have given so much.

Councillor Beverley Parry-Jones, Wrexham Councils Armed Forces Champion, said: Were delighted to support Woodys Lodge, who have chosen Wrexham as a location for its new shop.

Weve worked very closely to find a good city centre location with this excellent charity that does so much to help people whove served.

I cant wait to see the doors open to customers later this month, and Im sure the shop will be a huge success.

Woodys Lodge invites everyone to visit the new shop, explore the wide range of items available, view the military memorabilia on display, and learn more about the charitys mission.
Auto rickshaws move on a waterlogged road after heavy monsoon rain in southern Pakistani port city of Karachi on Aug. 18, 2024.

Torrential rains and flash floods starting in July have killed 187 people and injured 333 others in different parts of Pakistan, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has reported. (Str/Xinhua)

People taste grapes at a grape fair in Turpan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 17, 2024.

The three-day Turpan grape festival kicked off on Friday. With its dry and sunny climate, Turpan has a long history of growing grapes and is one of the main grape production bases in China. Its planting area totals 42,000 hectares with 550 grape varieties. (Xinhua/Chen Shuo)

Children have fun in the Old Town of Mombasa, Kenya, on Aug. 17, 2024.

The Old Town of Mombasa, located on the southeast side of Mombasa Island, has become an important tourist destination in Kenya due to its diverse culture and historical sites. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Lugazo Abubakar Lugazo (rear) guides people to board a metro train at a station in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Aug. 18, 2024.

Lugazo Abubakar Lugazo, a 30-year-old Tanzanian, is currently pursuing his doctoral degree at Central China Normal University (CCNU) in Wuhan. Alongside his studies, he is also the leader of a volunteer service team composed of international students.

Lugazo's affection for China began during his bachelor's studies in Tanzania. Encouraged by a Chinese teacher at a Confucius Institute, Lugazo embarked on his journey of learning Chinese at CCNU in 2017. On his registration day, Lugazo was moved by the help of volunteers. Resonating with their deeds, he later joined the team to extend his help and kindness to the community.

Among the volunteer activities, Lugazo is especially fond of the English teaching program and always enjoys spending time with children. During his time teaching at a rural school, he spent days building a bond with a shy and reserved child. When he was about to leave, the child unexpectedly gave Lugazo a gift, which deeply touched him.

Living in Wuhan for seven years has fostered a profound connection between Lugazo and the local community, making Wuhan his second hometown. "For me, voluntary service is a way to pay back to the society and appreciate all the people who have helped me throughout my life," Lugazo said.

Looking ahead, Lugazo is optimistic about his future. "I would love to stay in Wuhan after graduation," he said. "If that's not possible, I could return to my hometown and make my contribution to the cooperation between Tanzania and China." (Xinhua/Hu Jingwen)

This photo shows Polish capital Warsaw's skyline on Aug. 18, 2024.

The Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management issued a warning on Sunday, predicting thunderstorms in Warsaw from Aug. 18 to 19. (Photo by Jaap Arriens/Xinhua)

Students perform a ritual during the Janai Purnima festival at the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, Aug. 19, 2024. (Photo by Sulav Shrestha/Xinhua)

A full moon rises behind Anitkabir, the mausoleum of the founder of Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in Ankara, Turkiye, on Aug. 19, 2024. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

People gather at a rally to protest against South Korea's joint military exercise with the United States in front of the presidential office in central Seoul, South Korea, Aug. 19, 2024.

South Korean peace groups held a rally Monday to protest against the Asian country's joint military exercise with the United States, which they said has boosted confrontation and war crisis on and around the Korean Peninsula. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin)

An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 19, 2024 shows an EMU train conducting fault simulation drill on the Huinong-Yinchuan section of the high-speed railway linking Baotou of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Yinchuan of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, in Shizuishan City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Fault simulation and emergency rescue drills were conducted on the Huinong-Yinchuan section on the high-speed railway linking Baotou and Yinchuan on Monday.

The main line of the Baotou-Yinchuan high-speed railway has a total length of about 519 kilometers with a designed speed of 250 kilometers per hour. The construction of the Huinong-Yinchuan section started in October 2019. With a total length of 99 kilometers, the railway section is under project tests in a period of 31 days. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

People are seen on a beach under a full moon in Lloret de Mar, Spain, on Aug. 19, 2024. (Photo by Joan Gosa/Xinhua)
Following four days of hearings last week, a verdict is expected Wednesday in the criminal case brought by the Delegation of Israeli-Argentine Associations (DAIA) based upon slanderous charges of antisemitism against Alejandro Bodart, the leader of the Argentine Socialist Workers Movement (MST), which belongs to the Left and Workers Front-Unity (FIT-U) coalition.

Bodart joined by his lawyers and organizations calling for his acquittal, July 30 [Photo by Partido Obrero / CC BY 4.0

The prosecution was based on two posts on Twitter (now X) from May 2022. The first was Zionists=Nazis, commenting on the assassination by Israeli forces of the Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh of Al Jazeera. The second called Israel a racist and genocidal state on the anniversary of the Nakba, that is, the expulsion of 700,000 Arab Palestinians from their lands and killing of thousands in 1948, through which the state of Israel was founded.

While the lawsuit preceded it, the Israeli onslaught against Gaza since October 2023 has only confirmed that the Zionist ruling class and its imperialist patrons in America and Europe have long seen genocide as the final solution to the Palestinian question. Within months, Israel has wiped out an estimated 10 percent of the defenseless population of the tiny, occupied territory and displaced most of it through bombings, starvation and destruction of critical infrastructure.

The prosecution of Bodart takes place after the International Criminal Court requested the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the crime of extermination.

The World Socialist Web Site, whose differences with the MST and the Morenoite International Socialist League are well documented, calls on workers in Argentina and internationally to oppose the political frame-up against Bodart, which has nothing to do with anti-Jewish hatred.

It is part of an offensive by ruling elites internationally, including in the US and Europe, to exploit baseless claims of antisemitism to criminalize all opposition to war. In Argentina, fascistic President Javier Milei is exploiting these claims to repress the resistance of the working class to his economic shock therapy and the accelerated alignment of Argentina behind the warring camp of US-NATO imperialism, which uses Tel Aviv as an armed outpost.

The Bodart prosecution is only the tip of the iceberg. The DAIA and federal prosecutor Carlos Stornelli launched a similar case last November against Vanina Biasi, a legislator of the Partido Obrero, another group of the FIT-U, after she tweeted that the Israeli government had lied about the death of the hostage Emily Hand, who was later freed alive by Hamas.

Then, on Friday, Mileis Security Minister Patricia Bullrich announced the detention and planned deportation of seven individuals, claiming they belonged to radical Islamic terrorist group identified after it threatened a Jewish journalist. The police claims it found caches of weapons in their homes and anti-Christian and anti-Jewish statements, as well as alleged terrorist plots, on their Telegram and WhatsApp accounts.

The charges against Bodart are based on the definition of antisemitism by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which it equates it with all criticism of Israel, including statements describing Israel as racist and comparing Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.

During the hearings, the prosecutors had the prominent judge Franco Fiumara as a witness to present the factual premises of the case, including that Israel is a democratic state, that 98 percent of Jewish people are Zionists and that the Argentine state adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which applies to Bodarts tweets.

As explained by WSWS editorial chairman David North in a seminal lecture last December, the dissolution of Judaism as a religious identity into the Israeli state and ideology of Zionism is an entirely fraudulent concoction based not on history, but on biblical mythology, specifically the claim of an ancestral home promised by God.

The case against Bodart, moreover, confirms the warning made by UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, E. Tendayi Achiume. She called for an end to using the IHRA definition owing to its susceptibility to being politically instrumentalized and the harm done to human rights resulting from such instrumentalization.

Bodarts lawyers, Ismael Jalil and Maria del Carmen Verdu, pointed to the description of Israel as an apartheid state by the UN Commission of Human Rights and the thousands of Jewish anti-Zionists who have demonstrated against the ongoing genocide across the United States, Argentina and internationally. Finally, Bodarts lawyers argued that only the Foreign Ministry under Peronist President Alberto Fernandez adopted the IHRA definition, which does not make it judicially binding.

Jalil stressed that is impossible to condemn Alejandro Bodart without compromising the most elementary democratic right, which is the right of expression.

It is worth noting that judge Fiumara was the only Latin American participant in an international conference convoked last year by Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky to prepare a special war crimes tribunal against Russia, highlighting the connections of the Bodart case to US and European imperialism. Israels war in Gaza is one front of an expanding global conflict, including the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine and the drive to war against China.

The DAIA also acted with the support of the Prosecutors Office of the City of Buenos Aires, which is governed by Jorge Macri, brother of ex-President Mauricio Macri, both close allies of President Javier Milei.

In her testimony for the defense, Myriam Bregman, a human rights lawyer and former presidential candidate for the FIT-U, alluded to the hypocrisy of the prosecution, which is aligned with forces that support the legacy of the fascistic and openly antisemitic military dictatorship that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. When I walked into the genocide trials and they shouted at me fucking Jewess that was an anti-Semitic act, she said, referring to her participation in cases against dictatorship officials.

Jews were killed disproportionately by the dictatorship, about 12 percent of the 30,000 killed, and the junta was composed of open neo-Nazis. This did not stop Israel from becoming a top supplier of weapons and military-intelligence training to the Argentine junta.

Milei has not only embraced the crimes of the dictatorship but has integrated open neo-Nazis into his government. This includes Solicitor General Rodolfo Barra, who was detained for participating in the fascist Tacuara Nationalist Movement in the early 1960s. Tacuara, which had direct ties to former Nazi officials hiding in Argentina, carried out hundreds of attacks, including bombings and setting fire to synagogues, Jewish schools and institutions, shooting, kidnapping and torturing Jewish students and youth, and desecrating Jewish cemeteries.

The most famous attack by Tacuara was the assassination of a leftist youth Raul Alterman, who was shot outside of the home of his parents, who then received a letter by the organization that said: his son was killed because he was a communist Jewish dog.

Successive governments, including that of Milei, have consistently justified their political alignment with Tel Aviv, by referring with hypocritical remorse to the explosions in 1992 at the Israeli embassy and in 1994 at the AMIA Jewish Community center in Buenos Aires, which killed a total of 107 people and whose perpetrators were never identified.

Laura Alche, whose husband died in the 1994 bombing, exploded this narrative as a witness for the defense. First, she denounced the effort to equate popular repudiation of the state of Israels invasion and massacre of the Gaza Strip with anti-Semitism. Then, she argued: Those of us who are victims of the AMIA attack know what an anti-Semitic attack is and we know how the Argentine state has covered up for 30 years those responsible for the crime and in this cover-up it was accompanied by and had as an accomplice the local Jewish leadership and the State of Israel.
The International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) is holding a meeting this Sunday, August 25, at 3:00 p.m. US Eastern Time, For global action to defend jobs at Warren Truck and around the world! To register, click here.

Stellantis Warren Truck workers on shift change

The United Auto Workers issued a strike threat and announced it would file grievances Monday afternoon in response to Stellantis abandoning plans to reopen its assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois.

The union bureaucrats, having kept a guilty silence for months after thousands of layoffs following a supposed historic contract, are maneuvering to get out in front of rank-and-file anger before it escapes their control. If there is to be a strike to defend jobsand there must beit has to be enforced by a rebellion against the apparatus.

The fact that the bureaucrats have even raised the possibility of a strike in between contracts, when they normally insist that workers abide by no-strike clauses they themselves bargained for, shows their extreme fear that workers may take matters into their own hands with or without official approval.

The strike threat at Stellantis comes less than two weeks after the company announced 2,450 layoffs at Warren Truck Assembly Plant, just north of Detroit, reducing the plant to one shift and threatening it with closure. The cuts are the latest in a global jobs bloodbath, which is also threatening 25,000 Italian Stellantis workers and parts suppliers with their jobs.

Also on Monday, General Motors announced 1,000 new layoffs for its white collar workforce, including 600 at the GM Technical Center, also in Warren, Michigan. And 1,000 UAW academic workers at Cornell University have launched a strike over the soaring cost of living. This shows the potential for a broad movement in defense of jobs and living standards, uniting workers across the US and the world.

The layoffs have provoked a furious response among autoworkers, who placed blame squarely on the pro-corporate UAW bureaucracy. At a local meeting last Thursday, Warren Truck workers denounced the bureaucrats, especially union President Shawn Fain, who called only a limited strike last year at a few plants before pushing through a contract he and President Biden falsely claimed to be a historic victory. Local officials at the meeting evaded workers questions and simply handed out material on how to collect unemployment.

Workers expressed support for a statement by the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees calling for global action to halt the worldwide layoffs. Many also spoke about their support of Joe Kishore, the Socialist Equality Partys candidate for US president.

I think its bull crap, one Warren Truck worker said on Monday. Well see what happens. I dont have much faith in the union because its too many greedy people taking advantage of the membership, including the union. They may just be selling woof tickets. Im not buying any.

The timing of the UAWs strike threat was obviously meant to coincide with Fains appearance Monday at the Democratic National Convention, where he denounced Trump and J.D. Vance as lapdogs for the billionaire class, while absurdly claiming that the Biden-Harris administration were friends of strikers. In reality, both parties are controlled by the rich.

Fain also denounced Trump for his role in the closure of the GM Lordstown plant in 2019 (in fact, the UAW signed off on the closure ), while saying nothing about the potential for Warren Trucks closure.

Shawn Fain, President of the United Auto Workers, walks on stage and speaks prior to President Joe Biden speaking to a United Auto Workers' political convention, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Washington. [AP Photo/Alex Brandon]

Fain spent much of his speech grandstanding about being prepared to strike. But only hours before his speech, the union suddenly announced a tentative agreement late Monday in a bid to shut down the strike by over 450 Dakkota auto parts workers in Chicago. The union scheduled a vote for 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, ensuring workers have no time to study the contract before voting on it. The only plausible reason for this was to isolate Dakkota workers from Stellantis workers.

Will Lehman, a socialist Mack Trucks worker who ran against Fain in the 2022 election, said Monday night:

The Democratic and Republican conventions this summer have illustrated how rotten and bankrupt both capitalist political parties are. Whether its Sean OBrien backing Trump or Fain endorsing Harris, Harris and Trump represent different factions of the ruling class. The defense of jobs and the rights of working people requires the rank and file to take the initiative ourselves, to link across plants and fight not for what the corporations want but what we need. Join me in this fight and build rank-and-file committees in your workplace today.

The bureaucracy is doing everything it can to block a strike at Stellantis. In a web page announcing its strike threat, the union repeatedly emphasized that our goal is NOT to strike but to get the product that Stellantis committed to.

The bureaucracys most preferred outcome, in other words, is to work out a deal to avoid a strike, likely involving more secret concessions in exchange for investments in Belvidere. It has not even raised the possibility of a simultaneous strike at Ford and General Motors, where mass layoffs are also underway.

The union apparatus is still trying to cover up the fact that the layoffs prove the wins they had touted were lies. In a text message sent to all UAW Stellantis workers, the union declared, Stellantis wants to go back on our 2023 contract wins.

They told lower-tier supplemental workers that they would be converted to full-time positions; instead, thousands of them have been fired. Rich Boyer, the UAW-Stellantis vice president, recently admitted that the entire UAW executive board knew the layoffs were coming all along. But the union said nothing to ensure the contracts passage.

The text of the grievance, which the UAW says it has filed at several Stellantis plants, accuses Stellantis of violating the US Investment letter from the new contract, in which the company had promised to invest billions in Belvidere and other US plants. In reality, that letter, on page 138 of the contract white book, declares:

The parties understand and agree that the global and North American economies and vehicle markets remain highly volatile  further unpredictability with volumes and mix is anticipated with the introduction of EV product offerings  [A]ccordingly, it is understood that the product investment and employment level numbers set forth above are  contingent upon plant performance, changes in market conditions, and consumer demand

Excerpt from 2023 Stellantis contract, giving the company the unilateral right to renege on its investment promises according to "market conditions." [Photo: Stellantis/UAW]

In other words, the UAW knowingly included language which allowed the company to renege on its promises at any time, for any conceivable reason, while continuing to falsely represent it to workers.

This only underscores that the contract was passed under false pretenses. Workers have every right to consider the deal null and void. A contract which is enforceable only on workers while the company gets to change its mind according to market conditions is no contract at all.

Significantly, the letter also states that the company only committed to production of the Ram 1500 Classic at Warren Truck through 2024. Because the withdrawal of this model from production is the main reason the company is citing for layoffs at the plant, this means that UAW negotiators knew about but concealed impending layoffs at Warren Truck as well.

In a statement posted on X, Socialist Equality Party vice presidential candidate Jerry White said,

It is noteworthy that the UAWs grievance stunt does not demand a halt to the job cuts at Warren Truck or the rehiring of the thousands of part-time and full-time workers who have lost their jobs in Detroit, Toledo and Kokomo since the contracts were signed. The Belvidere reopening was one of the many worthless promises Fain, Rich Boyer & Co. used to sell the pro-company contract. The UAW apparently hoped these facilities could also be used as a dumping ground for the thousands of workers who would laid off under the new agreement. As the UAW admits in its press release, the cancelation of these plans impacts Stellantis members nationally, as they will not have those jobs for transfer opportunities in the event of layoffs. No amount of appeals to the companies, the UAW bureaucracy or the Democratic and Republican parties will do anything to protect workers jobs and livelihoods. If there is going to be a fightand there can and must beworkers will have to take the initiative into their own hands by building rank-and-file committees in every factory to prepare joint action to defend jobs. In opposition to Harris and Trump, the Socialist Equality Party insists that workers have the social right to a secure and good-paying job. That is only possible through the fight for socialism, including the transformation of these giant transnational corporations into public utilities under the democratic control and collective ownership of the international working class.

A significant element of the bureaucracys campaign is the promotion of America First nationalism. In statements last week, Fain accused Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, who is from Portugal, and other foreign executives of ruining a once-great American company. On Monday, the union called on the company to honor its commitment to invest in America. At the same time, the UAW has completely ignored the global layoffs taking place outside of the United States.

In reality, Stellantis, the American auto companies Ford and GM and every other auto company operate their production on a global scale, with factories and supply chains spread across dozens of countries. This underscores that autoworkers need an international strategy to fight the cuts, uniting workers all over the world on the basis of their common interests.

With consummate hypocrisy, Fain accused Trump of divide-and-conquer tactics for his scapegoating of immigrants, at the same time that he and the bureaucracy are guilty of the exact same thing. While making a loud noise about a potential strike, they are trying to cripple the working class by dividing workers up between Americans and foreigners.

The union bureaucracy aims to whip up American nationalism to prepare public opinion for war. Fain and the bureaucracy of all the major unions are key allies in preparing the home front for war, as acknowledged by Biden who referred to the AFL-CIO last month as his domestic NATO.

What Mondays events make clear is that workers are in a two-front war, against both the company and the bureaucracy, and behind both of those, the capitalist government. This underscores the need for workers to leverage their global power, as the creators of the worlds wealth, in an independent struggle freed from the straitjackets of the union sellouts and pro-corporate politicians.

The International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) is holding a meeting this Sunday, August 25, at 3:00 p.m. US Eastern Time, For global action to defend jobs at Warren Truck and around the world! To register, click here.
Work at Dakkota, Ford or in the auto industry? Fill out the form below to get involved with the Autoworkers Rank-and-File Committee Network at your plant.

The International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) is holding a meeting this Sunday, August 25, at 3:00 p.m. US Eastern Time, For global action to defend jobs at Warren Truck and around the world! To register, click here.

Striking Dakkota parts workers on the picket lines on the Chicago South Side, near the Ford Chicago Assembly Plant. Photo taken on August 9, 2024.

On Monday evening, the United Auto Workers abruptly announced a tentative agreement in a bid to shut down the strike by over 450 Dakkota Integrated Systems auto parts workers in Chicago.

UAW Local 3212 sent a message to strike captains in the evening which read, Tentative Agreement has been reached, Q&A and vote Tuesday at 9:00 AM until 8:00 PM. Wednesday 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM.

No contract sprung on workers in such a fashion, with workers being made to vote sight unseen on a deal announced only hours before, can be anything other than a sellout. Workers should reject it on principle.

Confirming that the UAW apparatus is trying to ram through a pro-company deal, workers who attended Local 3212s informational meeting Tuesday morning told the WSWS the contract was the same as one they had previously rejected by 87 percent, with only a slightly higher sign-on bonus.

A Dakkota worker told the WSWS, They brought us the same contract just worded and numbered differently like were slow but its our Union that has no respect for us to even do so.

The contract proposal would impose poverty wages for new and senior workers. The current deal proposes $16.80 for new hires on year one and $18 at the end of the contract. Senior workers will get $21 and top out at $25. The only difference is a slight increase of the bonus to $2,500 from $1,700, in effect a bribe and a slap in the face to the Dakkota workers who have been on strike fighting for higher wages, benefits and better working conditions.

Significantly, the announcement of a tentative agreement at Dakkota was made shortly before UAW President Shawn Fain spoke at the Democratic National Convention, where he blustered that the union was prepared to strike in defense of jobs. While the UAW has donated $1.5 million to the Democratic Party, it has strung Dakkota workers out on the picket line without any strike pay.

The attempt to shut down the strike also serves to isolate workers at Stellantis, where the UAW has been compelled by rank-and-file anger over mass layoffs to issue a strike threat. Last week, Stellantis announced that it would lay off nearly 2,500 workers at its Warren Truck plant in Michigan, raising the possibility of its eventual closure. Since the end of the limited stand-up strike last year, where the majority of workers in the Big Three were kept on the job, thousands of autoworkers have lost their jobs, particularly supplemental workers.

The real reason the UAW is attempting to shut down the strike is to prevent the workers at Warren Truck and Dakkota, Ford and other sectors of the auto industry from linking up and developing a rank-and-file counteroffensive against the attack on jobs, wages and working conditions. There was also growing opposition of Ford Chicago workers to the use of scab parts from the struck plant.

But to prevent a defeat, rank-and-file Dakkota workers must take full control of the strike and expand this struggle. Workers should join and build rank-and-file committees at Ford Chicago Assembly and Dakkota, who issued an important statement on Friday: Support the Dakkota workers strike! Ban scab parts and launch a rank-and-file counteroffensive!

Our union is selling us out!

A newer Dakkota worker told the WSWS: Our union is selling us out. Weve been out here the last three weeks, and we havent received strike pay.

He continued:

They announced another tentative agreement. Theyre trying to get us to go back to work. Were supposed to vote on it tomorrow and Wednesday. This new agreement is basically the same as the old agreement. The only thing is a 90 cent raise we heard. Theyre using a bigger bonus to entice the people who have been here less time. Theyre having us vote the same day as seeing the agreement on the same day. Our union is selling us out. You have our own union officials coercing people on the line, telling us this a good contract and that we should sign it! Our union representative, shes telling people on the line its a good contract! Shes telling strike captains to tell them that. She hasnt even held a picket sign in two weeks herself!

He added that he was going to urge other workers to reject the agreement:

I will tell everyone to Vote No! tomorrow when I get there. A lot of us are going to the union hall at 12 oclock. And I will stand up there and tell them, this is not how the process is supposed to go! This paper is not the whole contract. We need to see the low lights of the contract. We need time to study the whole contract. This offer is nowhere near enough. This process is not correct either. Theyre forcing us to vote on the same day to vote on the contract. Thats not right. The last contract they gave us a two-sheet paper, telling us everything that changed. But they didnt give us the low lights. They just highlighted things wed like to see.

Vote no! We deserve a lot better!

A veteran worker said:

The union is selling us out, man. Everybody on my line on my shift are mostly senior people. Theyre not going to accept it. They cant sign something without our vote. They cant make us signbasically force usinto a contract were not okay with. Im telling everyone, vote no! We deserve a lot better! The majority of the people I talked to, theyre not going to accept it. 90 cents? That is garbage. Theyre still spitting in our face after the last agreement. Were not voting Yes. Were voting No. This was too quick. Some union negotiating guy came here to tell us its a fair contract. How do you know its fair for us? They tried to silence me from speaking out. Were nowhere near where we need to be. We need to make a lot more, $28-$30 an hour. Its a whole bunch of BS. Were autoworkers. We make this world move around. We make super money and profits for them. We deserve a lot better!

Work at Dakkota, Ford or in the auto industry? Fill out the form below to get involved with the Autoworkers Rank-and-File Committee Network at your plant.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission to Sri Lanka has made absolutely clear that whoever wins the presidential election on September 21 will be compelled to implement its austerity agenda to the letter.

International Monetary Fund's Senior Mission Chief for Sri Lanka Peter Breuer at media briefing in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. [AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena]

In doing so, the IMF has exposed all the lies being made by the establishment parties and their candidates. As soon as the election is over, the new president will tear up their promises to ease the social crisis facing working people, impose the IMFs savage measures and resort to police state measures against any opposition.

In a statement on August 2, IMF mission head Peter Breuer bluntly warned: With Sri Lankas knife-edged recovery at a critical juncture, sustaining the reform momentum and ensuring timely implementation of all program commitments are critical [to] put the economy on a firm footing.

IMF mission will return to Colombo after the election to discuss the next steps the government must take in return for the continued disbursement of the countrys $US3 billion bailout loan.

Breuer did not stop there. He specified that the 2025 budget of the next government would need to be underpinned by appropriate revenue measures and continued spending restraint to ensure a medium-term primary balance surplus of 2.3 percent of GDP.

In other words, higher taxes, the fire sale of state-owned enterprises and the slashing of public health, education and welfare programs will continue. What for? To restore Sri Lankas debt sustainabilitythat is, to enable repayments to the international loan sharksworking people must be made to pay.

Breuer was full of praise for the reform program of President Wickremesinghe, a pro-market stooge, saying it was yielding commendable outcomes with 5.3 percent GDP growth in the first quarter of 2024 and impressive revenue collections.

Wickremesinghe, who is also finance minister, boasted his government had exceeded revenue targets in the first five months of this year1,620 billion rupees ($5.4 billion), up from 1,122 billion rupees ($4 billion) for the corresponding period in 2023.

Where did these revenue collections come from? Value added tax (VAT) was hiked to 18 percent, pushing up prices for all essentials, including electricity and water, and the further slashing of expenditure on public health and education.

The result is social devastation. The poverty rate has increased from 11 percent in 2019 to 26 percent in 2024. The real wages of all workers have plunged by around 40 percent in the two years of 2022 and 2023. The decline in income has led to rising levels of food insecurity, malnutrition and stunted growth. Some 42 percent of the population have been forced to adopt food coping methods. More than a million people have been cut off from electricity.

President Wickremesinghe is proudly standing for re-election on this anti-working class record and the continued implementation of the IMFs demands. It is not possible to break any agreements made with the IMF and lending countries. These existing targets and benchmarks are non-negotiable, he told the media on August 7.

The major opposition partiesthe Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and National Peoples Power (NPP) led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)are both committed to the IMF agenda but declare it can be modified.

SJB candidate Sajith Premadasa told big business last week: We will talk with the IMF and other international financial institutions to ensure that the voice of the Sri Lankan people is heard.

He is lying through his teeth. When the former president Gotabhaya Rajapakse initially sought the IMF loan in March 2022 after the country defaulted, Premadasa was among first to back it. He told Bloomberg Television: We all have to swallow a bitter pill, or even several pills Its going to be a time of extreme austerity. And the people of Sri Lanka must comprehend this reality.

NPP candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake, not to be outdone by Wickremesinghe and Premadasa, has repeated his pro-IMF policy. In an interview to the Daily Mirror on August 8, he said: We will continue with the IMF agreement the IMF approach is to help the country come out of the financial crisis.

Like Premadasa, Dissanayake declares that he would renegotiate the loan with the IMF. However, as the IMF mission insisted, Sri Lanka is at a critical juncture. It has already set the benchmark for the next budget and there is no room for manoeuvre.

The subservience of all the pro-capitalist candidates to the IMF is not the result of flawed thinking but flows from their class position. As Leon Trotsky explained in his Theory of Permanent Revolution, the bourgeoisie in countries of a belated capitalist development such as Sri Lanka is bound hand and foot to international finance capital and is organically incapable of meeting the basic social and democratic rights of working people.

In opposition to all capitalist parties, the Socialist Equality Partys presidential candidate Pani Wijesiriwardena is calling for the repudiation of all foreign debt and the complete rejection of the IMFs austerity agenda.

The working class is not responsible for the mountain of foreign debt accumulated by successive capitalist governments. We say use the money saved by ending debt repayments to restore subsidies and bring down prices as well as boost public health and education.

The bulk of the IMFs plan is yet to be implemented. It will have a devastating impact on working people whose living conditions have already dramatically worsened. All state-owned enterprises are to be sold off or commercialised. Nearly two million public sector jobs are to be destroyed. More taxes are being planned. Essential services such as health and education are to be further privatised.

The SEP warns workers that they have to prepare for the struggles ahead. In doing so, they have to draw the necessary lessons from recent strikes and protests that have been limited, sabotaged and ultimately betrayed time and again by the trade unions.

The trade unions have promoted the illusion that industrial action will force the government to cave in to their demands. The IMF mission has made absolutely clear that no amount of pressure on the next government will force it to make the slightest concessions.

The working class can only defend its interests by organising independently of all capitalist parties and their trade unions. The SEP calls for the formation of independent action committees in all workplaces, the plantations, working class suburbs and rural areas to oppose the attacks on the social and democratic rights of working people.

The SEP is using the election campaign to popularise its call for a Democratic and Socialist Congress of Workers and Rural Masses comprised of elected delegates from the action committees. In opposition to parliamentthe talking shop of bourgeois partieswe insist that the working class must have its own venue to formulate a political strategy and plan of action to defend its class interests.

The SEP is advancing a socialist program to meet the needs of working class. No to privatisation! Place SOEs under workers democratic control! Nationalise the banks, big companies and plantations under the democratic control of the working class! These are the demands that should be taken up by a Democratic and Socialist Congress in the fight for a workers and peasants government to reorganise society along socialist lines.
Independent journalist Richard Medhurst was arrested by British police under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act (2000) Thursday August 15. He was seized at Londons Heathrow Airport. Medhurst is known for his journalism opposing US, British and Israeli war crimes in Gaza and across the Middle East, and has more than one million followers on social media.

In a video posted Monday night to X (since viewed 2.6 million times) Medhurst revealed that six police officers were waiting for him at the entrance to the aircraft when it landed at Heathrow. He was held for nearly 24 hours, including in solitary confinement, was questioned by police, and had his electronic equipment seized.

Medhursts video describes police state methods against anti-war journalists in Britain. He was prevented from calling family or friends to inform them of his whereabouts, and police declared that any discussion with his lawyers would be subject to audio surveillancea clear breach of lawyer-client privilege.

He explained: They arrested menot detained, they arrested meunder Section 12 of the Terrorism Act of 2000 and accused me of allegedly, expressing an opinion or belief that is supportive of a prescribed organization, but wouldnt explain what this meant.

Medhurst is the first journalist to be arrested under Section 12. Its draconian provisions, amended in 2019, mean a person can be jailed for up to 14 years for merely express[ing] an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation and in doing so is reckless as to whether a person to whom the expression is directed will be encouraged to support a proscribed organisation.

Introduced by Tony Blairs Labour government, the Act is a legal dragnet. In Medhursts case, it appears that commentary defending the right of Palestinians under international law to resist foreign military occupation and genocide is being defined as support for terrorism.

Hamas is among the organisations proscribed as terrorist by the UK government. While its military wing was proscribed in 2001, Hamas was banned in its entirety in 2021, aimed at criminalising support for the Palestinian people. The political wing of Hamas won elections held in Gaza in 2006 and the organisation also oversees charitable work.

Medhurst has denounced the accusations against him: I categorically and utterly reject all the accusations by the police. I am not a terrorist. I have no criminal record. Prior to this incident, Id never been detained in my entire life. Im a product of the diplomatic community, and Im raised to be anti-war. Both of my parents won Nobel Peace Prizes for their work as United Nations peacekeepers. They had a tremendous effect on my worldview and outlook and instilled in me the importance of diplomacy, international law and peace.

Medhursts mother is Syrian and his father British. He was born in Syria and his parents were assigned to diplomatic postings in Lebanon, Syria, India and Pakistan. He speaks four languages fluently: English, Arabic, French, and German.

In 2019, Medhurst began hosting regular broadcasts discussing history, US politics, international relations and the Middle East, which he has described as being rooted in an anti-imperialist viewpoint. He told an interviewer the following year, I think one of the reasons people gravitate towards my channel is due to its explicit nature. I dont have time to sugarcoat war crimes, murder and corruption.

Medhurst campaigned for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, reporting on his extradition case in London. Now he has been targeted by the same forces seeking to outlaw anti-war journalism and the truth. His YouTube channel was demonetised last year, with video content exposing Israels attacks on the Palestinians deleted.

The persecution of Medhurst under the Terrorism Act is grotesque. Just four days ago, he posted a video on X showing the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike in Gaza that killed newborn twins and their mother. Their father had left the apartment to collect the twins birth certificates, and returned to find them dead. As Medhurst explained, 115 babies born in Gaza since last October have been murdered by Israel, and 2,100 children under the age of two. This is state-sponsored terrorism, armed and financed by the US and Britain.

As NATO escalates its proxy war in Ukraine, and seizes on the Gaza genocide to pursue a regional war targeting Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iran, domestic state repression is being intensified.

On August 9, the FBI raided the upstate New York home of Scott Ritter, the former US Marine Corps intelligence officer and United Nations weapons inspector. He told reporters: Im being targeted because I have made an effort to try and improve relations between the United States and Russia, try to bring about arms control, try to bring about peace. A vocal critic of NATOs war against Russia in Ukraine, his passport was revoked by the State Department at John F. Kennedy airport in June as he was about to leave to attend a conference in Russia.

In Britain, several independent journalists and anti-war activists have been detained in the past 18 months under counter-terrorism laws. They include Craig Murray, Grayzones Kit Klarenberg, and French publisher Ernest Moret. Dozens more pro-Palestinian activists have faced pre-dawn raids, detention, and interrogation under anti-terror laws.

Medhurst explained in his video statement, despite having been released unconditionally, I do not feel that my bail is truly unconditional. Im effectively in limbo, not knowing if I will be charged in three months or if I will go to prison.

He concluded, We cannot call ourselves a democracy as long as reporters are dragged off of planes and detained and treated like murderers. I am disgusted that I am being politically persecuted in my own country.

Labour is presiding over this ramped-up state repression. Over the weekend, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper briefed the media on plans to crack down on extremist ideologies. She told the Guardian, 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.
Charlie Eaton: Bankers in the Ivory Tower: The Troubling Rise of Financiers in US Higher Education, The University of Chicago Press, 2022.

Since last October, millions of people across the world have protested against Israels ongoing genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza, an historic crime enabled and supported by the United States and its imperialist allies in Europe. In the US, the protests have drawn in significant layers of youth, most notably at the universities.

On campuses, the ruling class, terrified that this movement could spread beyond the universities, responded to these protests with a campaign aimed at eliminating free speech and completely subordinating academia to the interests of US imperialism. Billionaire-led donor revolts have spearheaded this campaign. While the protests have been ongoing, they have failed to either effectively oppose this attack on democratic rights or stop the Gaza genocide. As the new semester begins and the genocide enters its 10th month, fundamental questions therefore have to be asked about the way forward for the protests.

In this context, sociologist Charlie Eatons book, Bankers in the Ivory Tower: The Troubling Rise of Financiers in US Higher Education (2022), is a valuable work. It traces the financialization of higher education from the 1980s through the 2010s. The empirical data it provides, showing the transformation of universitiesostensibly institutions of higher learninginto massive financial entities, demonstrates the futility of any appeals to the university administrations to change their minds and divest from companies involved in the genocide, and the need for a new, class-based strategy in the fight against imperialist war.

Bankers in the Ivory Tower book cover

Social counterrevolution and the financialization of higher education

The book begins by tracing the political and economic changes in the late 1970s and 1980s that significantly expanded the financialization of the economy and led to the concentration of extreme wealth within the financial sector, specifically private equity firms and hedge funds.

In the immediate post-World War II period, a series of reforms led to a substantial expansion of access to higher education. These included the 1945 GI Bill, which included grants for veterans to attend college, and the 1965 Higher Education Act, which created a number of grants and scholarships for lower-income students, including what would become the federal Pell Grant. During this same period, state governments also expanded funding. As a result, from 1964 to 1975, college enrollment doubled from 5 million to almost 11 million.

As the World Socialist Web Site has explained about this period (see The American student loan racket), these reforms were not out of the goodness of liberalisms heart but necessary concessions in the face of revolutionary struggles by the working class internationally and the threat of socialism.

But the period of reform was short-lived and US lawmakers slammed the brakes on public funding for higher education. Eaton explains that the mid-1970s marked the apogee of federal funding on higher education, with per student spending dropping 28 percentage points between a peak of $7,114 in 1976 to $5,129 in 1994 (using 2016 constant dollars).

Eaton fails to explain, however, that the collapse of support for higher education was not merely a change in policy. With the end of the post-war boom, the rising balance of trade deficits, and the ending of the Bretton Woods system, the bourgeoisie in the US and internationally faced mounting economic and political crisis. But the betrayals carried out by the Stalinist, Social Democratic, Pabloite and trade union leadership against the revolutionary struggles of the working class between 1968 and 1975, including in France, Chile and Britain, led to major defeats of the working class which helped to stabilize the bourgeoisie and enabled it to launch a social counterrevolution. Its target was not only public education, but every political, economic and democratic right of the working class.

A central part of these attacks were financial deregulation and tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy, which stole large amounts of social wealth from the working class and transferred them to the financial oligarchy.

Strikers in Southern France with a sign reading "Factory Occupied by the Workers." Behind them is a list of demands, June 1968. [Photo by BeenAroundAWhile / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Deregulation enabled the merger and consolidation of banks to create what Eaton calls consolidated financial service corporations, dominated by the Big FourBank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargowhich now offered such services as commercial and investment banking, insurance and even private equity and hedge fund activity. For higher education, these organizations would go on to play significant roles in promoting the expansion of student loans, in underwriting municipal bonds for campus capital expansion projects, and university endowment management. Even after being barred from direct financing of federal student loans in 2010, these organizations still contract with the Department of Education to collect payment on the loans, with just four corporations exercising a 92 percent monopoly in this market.

Alongside the banking behemoths, wealthy financiers created private equity and hedge funds on the basis of new and high-risk investment strategies made possible by deregulation, which enabled them to rake in magnificent profits. While there are differences between private equity and hedge funds, for the purpose of the book, Eaton groups them together on the basis of their high-risk strategies, their reliance on elite social ties for start-up capital and insider knowledge, and their transformative role in higher education over the last 30 years, particularly in the realm of endowment management and their takeover of private, for-profit colleges.

The growth of wealth among this layer in particular has been astronomical. In a few short decades, by 2004, fund managers made up 32 percent of people with incomes in the .001 percent (greater than $31 million) and 82 percent of those with income in the .0001 percent (greater than $100 million annually).

The growing influence of financiers within higher education has eroded the democratic gains of a previous era. Eaton notes, Financiers won increasing sway as colleges turned toward financial markets for resources. The increasing power of financiers accordingly eroded newfound popular and democratic influence over who can gain a degree and who will pay for it.

The draconian budget cuts last year at West Virginia University (WVU) illustrate this anti-democratic assault against public education. The Board of Governors includes Robert L. Reynolds, president and CEO of Putnam Investments (which oversees $142 billion), Charles Capito Jr., former finance executive with Wells Fargo, and representatives of the healthcare, communications and energy corporations. It was these forces that decided to eliminate 169 full-time faculty positions along with nine academic majors and the entire World Languages, Literature and Linguistics department, while also raising student tuition by 2.62 percent in one of the most impoverished states in the country.

Students and faculty protesting against the cuts at West Virginia University, September 6, 2023

Eaton details how, over the last 40 years, bankers and financiers have become integrated into virtually every facet of high education and even the daily lives of students. Their roles include the commercial bankers who lend to students, hedge fund managers who oversee endowment investments, private equity partners who buy and manage for-profit colleges, and investment bankers who sell university bonds. These roles play out somewhat differently within three distinct levels of higher education, as Eaton presents it: the Top (elite private schools); the Middle (public and less selective private universities); and the Bottom (predatory for-profit schools).

The Top

Eaton describes how, at the Top, elite universities have been virtually transformed into financial corporations. In the 1980s, managers of newly formed hedge funds and private equity firms, often graduates of Ivy League schools, relied on their elite connections and alumni networks to raise early capital investments. Prior to changes in pension fund regulations, private university endowments were the largest institutional investors for these new firms. In return, these layers have donated ever greater sums to their elite alma maters.

Eaton cites the early example of Yale University, which in 1985 appointed David Swenson, Yale economics PhD and Wall Street financier with Lehman Brothers and Salomon Brothers, to lead its endowment. Fellow Yale alumnus and Wall Street billionaire Tom Steyer began courting Yale after learning of Swensons appointment, and in 1988, Yale invested $300 million in Steyers new hedge fund Farallon Capital, providing a third of its total investment capital.

Another example is Harvard and the Baupost Group hedge fund. Harvard Business School (HBS) alum and billionaire Baupost CEO Seth Klarman served as honorary chair to HBS during its $1 billion fundraising campaign in 2014. Scott Nathan, another managing director with Baupost, was a member of the Harvard Corporation Committee on Finance and guided its endowment management. By 2017, Harvard had given Baupost $1.96 billion in endowment assets to manage.

These investments resulted in enormous financial surpluses for the most elite universities, whose endowments have grown by approximately 500 percent or more in the last 40 years but which have kept undergraduate enrollment virtually stagnant, creating a vast divergence in resources and per-student spending between the elite private schools and the rest of the higher education system.

This figure shows the exponential growth of endowment wealth at the top 1% of private universities since the mid-1970s. Source: Charlie Eaton, Bankers in the Ivory Tower

According to a 2023 report in U.S. News, Harvards endowment in 2023 was an estimated $50.8 billion and Yales an estimated $41.3 billion, whereas the average endowment size of the 379 ranked national universities that submitted data to U.S. News was $1.6 billion. By comparison, Harvards endowment is larger than the GDP of 120 countries.

Per-student spending at the most elite universities soared from under $10,000 in the late 1970s to over $80,000 in 2012. The benefit of this vast wealth expansion has been entirely stratified along class lines, with the top 38 private colleges enrolling more students from the top 1 percent of the nations income spectrum than from the bottom 60 percent combined. These students, in turn, go on to positions within the financial institutions and the state. Eaton notes that in recent years, an average of 70 percent of Harvard graduates apply for work in the top investment and consulting firms.

During this period, financiers became increasingly represented on university boards especially at the elite schools. At the top private universities, the share of board seats given to financiers grew from 17 percent in 1989 to a high of 33 percent in 2014, where it has plateaued.

The correlation between portfolio investments in Private Equity and Hedge Funds, and the percent of board seats given to private equity and hedge funds at the top 30 private universities Source: Charlie Eaton, Bankers in the Ivory Tower

According to Harvards website, four of 13 seats (30 percent) on the Harvard Corporation, the universitys governing board, are taken by Wall Street representatives: Timothy Barakett, founder and CEO of former hedge fund Atticus Capital; Kenneth Chenault of venture capital firm General Catalyst; Paul Finnegan of private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners; Karen Gordon Mills of investment firm MMP Group, Inc.

While concentrated in the elite private schools, the upper echelon of public universities have replicated this process to a considerable degree. For instance, the University of Michigan (UM), has an endowment of nearly $18 billion, the 9th highest in the US in 2023, according to U.S. News.

The Bottom

Eatons analysis of the bottom level of higher educationthe private, for-profit colleges, notoriously predatory and low-qualityshowcases the parasitical criminality that has burdened, if not ruined, millions of young lives. He shows how, through their takeover of these colleges, the financial elites have expropriated billions of dollars from the most vulnerable layer of the working class, leaving millions in debt with worthless degrees.

Seeing an opportunity following the expansion of student loans in the 1990s, private equity and hedge funds bought up dozens of for-profit colleges and, seeking to maximize profit, expanded their marketing and recruitment efforts to lure in mainly low-income students. On top of the billions in student loans going to for-profits, at the height of their enrollment boom, over 25 percent of federal Pell Grant awards were pocketed by these schools, more than $10 billion annually.

These investor-owned colleges produced far worse outcomes for students compared to non-profit, public and other privately owned colleges across almost all measures including higher levels of debt, lower graduation rates, and lower income earnings after college.

Eaton includes personal accounts from young people who were lured into these schools on the basis of lies and false promises about curriculum and training opportunities. Much like military recruiters, for-profit college recruiters insinuate themselves into the personal lives of prospective students, calling them every day, learning about their interests, pretending to befriend them. These investor-owned colleges try to hide their for-profit status, with one going so far as to name itself American Public University.

Typical of such stories, none of the former students interviewed by Eaton graduated and all were left with crippling amounts of debt which they have no prospect of paying off.

The predatory practices of these colleges is entirely conscious. As the vice president of the imploded Corinthian Colleges explained to Eaton, the parent company would operate multiple school brands offering the same degree, So, if you had one school that got into regulatory trouble, as long as you had a brand that was just local, that contagion wouldnt spread to the other brands.

One insider with the investor-owned Florida and Midwest Career Colleges said, [When] presenting annual results to investors, I told Managing Partner of PE firm [sic] that I wanted to address all the compliance and regulatory achievements. He laughed and said, They dont care about that. All they want to know is how much money you made them.

The Middle

Between the extremes of wealth concentration at the top and unfettered exploitation at the bottom, Eaton uses the University of California (UC) system to show that even public universities have become intimately bound with Wall Street. Eatons case study of California illustrates the central role played by the Democratic Party in this process.

The increasing funding cuts at the federal and state level for education compelled public universities to seek alternative revenue sources, a situation that Wall Street was ready to exploit. Following the bipartisan changes to student loan regulations, public universities turned to increasing tuition revenue paid for by loans to offset revenue decline.

Like the University of Michigan, the UC system is an elite public university with an endowment of $23.4 billion as of June 2023. Eaton shows that the UC system is above all an example of how the deepening cuts to public education in recent decades enabled Wall Street financiers to come to the rescue and bring public institutions under their direction.

In 2002, California Democratic Governor Gray Davis appointed the late private equity billionaire Richard Blum (husband of Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein) to the UC Board of Regents. Amid unprecedented state budget cuts over the course of 2003 to 2011, totaling over $2 billion dollars, almost half the states funding for UC, Blum brought a team of Wall Street reformers to oversee the restructuring of the university in accordance with the logic of finance. Under Blums leadership, the UC system addressed its budget concerns through a combination of steady increases in tuition, expanded bond borrowing, and UC spending cuts.

These measures predictably made education less accessible. Between 2007 and 2016, UC effectively froze new in-state enrollments, pushing thousands of qualified applicants into lower-funded and lower-status state schools and community colleges. And tuition hikes drove an increase in student debt among all but the wealthiest layer of students.

What lessons are to be drawn?

There are two important weaknesses to Eatons book which workers and students must consider in the struggle against war and the growing attacks against their democratic and social rights.

First is his failure to address the fact that the financialization of higher education has been accompanied by the subordination of academia to the war machine. This is manifest in both gigantic university endowment investments in military-intelligence contractors and the direct financing of significant sections of academia by the military via research grants and partnerships.

For example, at the University of Michigan, in 2023 the Department of Defense supported $77 million in research, 431 active projects, and 885 academic positions. Meanwhile, hundreds of millions of dollars of UMs investment portfolios link to military contractors, weapons and drone manufacturers and cybersecurity corporations, all with direct implications for the Gaza genocide. With the endowment run as a for-profit business in pursuit of the greatest investment returns, the Board of Regents predictably voted to reject students demands that the university divest from these companies.

Second, Eaton draws misguided, reformist conclusions, arguing that the Democratic Party can be pressured and that the financial oligarchy can be bargained with in service of the common good. But this conclusion is refuted by the very empirical data he presents. Thus, his case study of the University of California shows that, no less than the Republicans, the Democrats are responsible for the subordination of higher education to Wall Street. Over the past months, the Democratic Party has spearheaded the police-state crackdown against anti-genocide protests in states like New York, Michigan and California.

Far from being bargained with, the sharpening of the social and political tensions produce evermore authoritarian measures from the bourgeoisie as it attempts to enforce its policies of war and social austerity. As the Austrian Marxist Rudolf Hilferding wrote in his classic study of finance capital, which Lenin referenced in his Imperialism: the Highest Stage of Capitalism, Finance capital does not want liberty, it wants domination.

The transformation of elite universities into giant hedge funds underscores that the demand directed to university administrations to divest from the genocide is entirely impotent: It is as toothless as appeals to Genocide Joe and the Democratic Party to change their minds about mass slaughter. Moreover, the demand entirely covers up the essential class questions in the fight against war and the financialization of higher education: namely, who directs the affairs of societythe capitalist class or the working class?

The protests against the Gaza genocide are at a crossroads. To the extent that they remain oriented toward pressuring, and therefore politically subordinated to, the Democratic Party, they will be misdirected by middle class politics and collapse, sowing confusion and demoralization.

The data provided by Eaton, as limited as his conclusions are, is a powerful illustration of the fact that the fight against imperialist war and the attack on democratic rights on campuses can only be waged as part of a struggle to end the subordination of higher education to the profit interests of the ruling class. None of these struggles can be waged without a turn to the social force in society that can actually take on the financial oligarchy. The international working class, whose labor power produces all the wealth and resources that the ruling class expropriates for profit, is this social force.

Harnessing the power of this social force requires the building of a revolutionary leadership in the working class, opposed to both capitalist parties, and based on a socialist program, that aims to abolish the capitalist profit systemthe root cause of war, dictatorship and inequality.
BAKU, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russia's commitment to supporting the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia during a state visit to Baku on Monday.

Speaking after talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Putin emphasized Russia's role in facilitating a peace agreement based on the trilateral accords reached in 2020 and 2022 by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.

"We are prepared to assist in the delimitation and demarcation of the border, utilizing relevant Soviet-era documents, as well as in unblocking cross-border routes and establishing humanitarian contacts," Putin stated.

Despite ongoing crises, including the situation in Ukraine, Putin underscored Russia's historical involvement in the South Caucasus and its commitment to participating in these efforts. He noted that any initiative must be primarily driven by the parties involved.

"If we can contribute to reaching a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, achieve delimitation and demarcation of the border, and unblock necessary logistics and economic routes, we would be very pleased," Putin added. 
On April 25 of this year, Bogdan Syrotiuk, a Ukrainian socialist opponent of the war in Ukraine and of both the Zelensky Putin regimes, and leader of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists (YGBL), was arrested by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in his hometown of Pervomaysk, in the Nikolaev (Mikolayiv) region.

Bogdan Syrotiuk in mid-April 2024.

The International Committee of the Fourth International launched an international campaign in Bogdans defense, demanding that Kiev immediately release him and end his political persecution. As part of this campaign, our organization, the YGBL, which is active both in Ukraine and Russia, as well as in other countries of the former USSR, has appealed to organizations in Russia that call themselves left and socialist to help publicize what is happening. The overwhelming majority of them refused to do so.



To their credit, the Telegram channel of Boris Kagarlitskys Rabkor (whom the ICFI has openly defended against political persecution), as well as the International Marxist Tendency (IMT) and the Revolutionary Workers Party (RRP) published statements in support of Bogdan on their social media pages. A handful of smaller organizations and public pages have agreed to help publicize the campaign. But most well-known organizations such as the Russian Labor Front (RTF), the Union of Marxists (SM), Herald of the Storm (Vestnik Buri) Vasily Sadonins There is a path out (Vykhod Yest), and many smaller groups and organizations decided to ignore us. A few smaller organizations and public communities decided to respond, but, for the most part, their response was negative.



Their response can be summarized as follows: They believe that it would be a mistake to disseminate information about Bogdans persecution in Russia. They argue that by publicizing it in Russia we will allegedly only harm Bogdan by planting evidence (!!!) of Bogdans connections with Russia. Thus, the outlet Lenin Crew, which lays claim to being orthodox Marxist while seeking to unite Trotskyism and its mortal enemy, Stalinism, wrote, We are very sorry for Bogdans fate. But we think that communists from Russia must not engage in a public response, since this would be yet another bargaining chip for the prosecution,  another piece of evidence linking him to Russia.

Our hapless leftists miss one important nuance here: Bogdan Syrotiuk is accused of working on behalf of the Russian state which invaded Ukraine. In claiming that a principled response to his arrest by Russian socialists would be evidence linking him to Russia, they simply accept the equation of the Russian government with the Russian working class, an equation that we, as all socialists, reject.

In our response to them, we explained that Bogdan, like the YGBL and the International Committee of the Fourth International as a whole, has been a principled opponent of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Russian regime in general. The real facts thus speak in Bogdans defense and against the fraudulent charges of treason. Secondly, we insisted that only by openly pointing out Bogdans real, internationalist position on the war issue will we be able to protect him because Bogdan is fighting for the unity of workers in Russia and Ukraine. By trying to silence these facts, we would deprive Bogdan of any argumentation in defense of his innocence. But the responses of these groups to this clarification was silence. Only one group explained, in a few short sentences, its refusal to reconsider its position.

Others refused to support the fight to free Bogdan outright: Some by declaring their de facto support for the Putin regime and its reactionary invasion of Ukraine, others by siding, on the contrary, with NATO and the Ukrainian government. The neo-Stalinist social chauvinists of the Russian Communist Workers Party (RKRP) first echoed Lenin Crews argument about not providing evidence for ties to Russia, but then continued with a cynical declaration of support for the Russian invasion:

... Well be consistent! Since your comrade was against the SMO [Special Military Operation] from the beginning, dont complain now! Alas, but it is quite logical that he got a full spoonful of it! Now he has a chance to find out on his own skin whose regime is more reactionary. Only the reactionary troops of the dreadful, terrible Putin will free him. We are, to put it mildly, not fans of Vladimir Vladimirovich, but your comrades position is frankly stupid. Do not mechanically copy the tactics of the Bolsheviks of the early twentieth century! Think with your head! The Bolsheviks tied their tactics to specific conditions, which are absolutely not equal to todays conditions.

It is difficult to think of a more obnoxious example for social chauvinist rhetoric. We only cite it so that workers and young people in Russia and other parts of the world who read it will remember how social chauvinists behave when socialist opponents of war are persecuted in a country that has been invaded by their own government. No doubt, many others, who chose to remain silent, share this position and fear that by speaking out publicly in favor of a Ukrainian anti-war socialist, their alliance with pro-Kremlin forces will be undermined.

The second response was from the Ural Maoist Union (SMU), until recently part of the well-known Russian Maoist Party (RMP), which also refused to defend Bogdan. The SMUs refusal to defend Bogdan Syrotiuk deserves to be quoted in full. They wrote,

We consider it unacceptable to interfere in the affairs of the working class of another state. We also believe that any help to your comrade from Russia would be harmful. This story is a matter of Ukrainian politics. Its coverage and defense of your comrade should [be] handled by Ukrainian politicians and Ukrainian media. We consider it unacceptable to help the Ukrainian security services with evidence of your comrades connection with Russians. We consider it even more unacceptable to create reasons for Russian propaganda to demonize Ukraine, to declare it a concentration of atrocities and evils. The very last thing one would want is to aid Russian imperialism, and it is important for Ukrainian communists to defend their independence. Your comrades story is unpleasant, no doubt, but it should be an exposure of the anti-people character of the Ukrainian regime from and for Ukrainians.

This response makes a mockery of the basic Marxist principle of internationalism, inscribed since the days of the Communist Manifesto (1847): Workers of the World Unite. Instead, the Maoists juxtapose to internationalism the principle: Workers of the world, do not interfere with the affairs of the working class of another state. To put it bluntly, this is an ultra-nationalist, anti-socialist position which exposes the Maoists as an organization that has nothing to do with the defense of the interests of the working class.

Moreover, the Maoists, with this response, reveal themselves as allies of the Ukrainian government and NATO. Instead of helping an anti-war activist in Ukraine, they are isolating Bogdan, and seeking to block support for him in both Ukraine and Russia. The true reason for their refusal to support the campaign in his defense is their hostility toward the principles of international socialism, which Bogdan defends.

The reaction of the Russian Neo-Stalinists and Maoists, who still dominate what passes as left in Russia, is a violation of the most fundamental principles of the socialist movement. For over a century, the opposition of the socialist workers movement to war has been bound up with major defense campaigns, such as the one to free Thomas Mooney and Warren Billings, two US workers who were imprisoned for many years for their opposition to the US entry into World War I. These campaigns have always had an international character and were rooted in the basic democratic principle: An injury to one is an injury to all. There can be no defense of labor if democratic rights, especially those of opponents of the war, are completely compromised.

By refusing to take a stance in defense of Bogdan Syrotiuk, all these organizations that claim to be left, socialist and communist, have shown themselves to be bitterly hostile to the working class, democratic rights and the socialist struggle against war.

Their response must serve as an object lesson for workers and young people in Russia and internationally as to the character of these forces that have emerged out of the wreckage of Stalinism.

The YGBL will not be deterred from our struggle to free our comrade. We will redouble our efforts to free our comrade, by mobilizing support among workers and youth in Russia and elsewhere in the former Soviet Union. His defense is intrinsically connected to the fight against war and the attack on democratic rights. From this standpoint, the development of the campaign in Russia is of particular importance.



Committed to the same tasks that Bogdan sets for himself, namely to achieve the unification of the Russian and Ukrainian working class for the struggle for socialism, we are convinced that this campaign will serve to raise the internationalist, socialist consciousness of the working class. The working class in Russia, Ukraine and elsewhere must understand itself as a political subject that is capable of pursuing its political goals, in this case in defending the democratic rights of Bogdan. Secondly, we are convinced that the bonds of solidarity and friendship between the Russian and Ukrainian workers will be renewed when they see that there is socialist opposition to the war in both countries. Therefore, workers in Ukraine and Russia must know about Bogdan, a fighter for peace and socialism who was unjustly persecuted by the Kiev regime for his courageous stand, and together support his release.

A graphic designed by the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists to honor its 5-year anniversary.

We appeal to workers, youth and all those who consider themselves socialist and who are rightly outraged by this behavior of the Russian organizations that make up the left movement: If you believe that an organization of the proletariat should not behave in this way; if you believe that it must show itself as a truly socialist organization at all times and in all things, and not compromise the principles that have guided the Marxist movement for more than 175 years and the Trotskyist movement, its successor, for more than 100 years; if you yourself are prepared to take up the struggle for these principles: Join the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists! Spread the word about what is happening now with our comrade Bogdan Syrotiuk in Ukraine! Sign the petition for Bogdans release! Fight for the union of the Russian and Ukrainian working class on the basis of the perspective of socialism, for peace between Russia and Ukraine!

Freedom for Bogdan Syrotiuk!
During a visit to Australia last week, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon made clear his National Party-led governments commitment to strengthening military and intelligence ties with Canberra and Washington, as the US ramps up its threats against China and preparations for war.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Luxon (left) with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra, August 16, 2024 [Photo: X/@alboMP]

In a speech to the Lowy Institute on August 15, Luxon noted that this was his third visit to Australia in less than a year and he was deliberately deepening relations with all the Five Eyes partners. This refers to the top-level US-led intelligence-sharing network, which includes Australia, Britain, Canada and New Zealand. The Waihopai spy base in New Zealand carries out global surveillance operations as part of the Five Eyes.

Luxon also reiterated that we welcome AUKUS as an initiative to enhance regional security and stability. The Australia-UK-US deal is aimed at transforming Australia into a base of operations for a future war against China. This includes stationing US troops in the north of the continent and supplying Australia with missiles and nuclear-powered attack submarines.

Luxon said: New Zealand is exploring with the AUKUS partners how we could potentially participate in Pillar II, including to understand what this means for our focus on ensuring interoperability. Pillar II of the AUKUS agreement, which involves greater sharing of military technology, is likely to include Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.

Most significantly, Luxon confirmed New Zealands commitment to the ANZUS Treaty, which formalises our alliance commitments to each other. The ANZUS security alliance between Australia, New Zealand and the US, signed in 1951, while never formally revoked, was undermined during the 1980s when New Zealands Labour Party government passed legislation to ban nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed vessels from NZ waters.

The treaty is being elevated under conditions in which the US and its allies are at war against Russia over Ukraine, supporting Israels genocide in Gaza, and recklessly militarising the Indo-Pacific region and stoking tensions with China. US imperialism is seeking to reverse its economic decline by using military might to establish complete dominance over Asia, the Middle East and the entire globe.

New Zealands ruling class, a minor imperialist ally of the US, is determined to ensure that it is not left out. Luxon noted that New Zealand is assisting the US bombing of Houthi forces in Yemen in the name of freedom of navigation. In fact, this is being done to protect supply lines for the Israeli Defence Forces genocidal war against the Palestinians.

New Zealand is committed to remaining a credible and effective ally and partner, Luxon declared. Strengthening interoperability with our ally Australia will be a central principle of our capability decisions, he added.

Wellington is preparing a new Defence Capability Plan which is expected to significantly boost military spending to upgrade navy ships, airforce planes and other hardware.

Asked to elaborate on why New Zealand has sent troops to Britain to train Ukrainian soldiers for the US-NATO war against Russia, Luxon said the contribution was important because [another] Ukraine could happen in a flashpoint across our Indo-Pacific region as well. He later told Stuff the flashpoints included the Taiwan Strait and North Koreaplaces where the US is seeking to provoke a war against China.

A joint statement by Luxon and Australian Labor Party Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on August 16 again referred to ANZUS. Both leaders agreed a cyber-attack on either nation could constitute an armed attack under Article IV of the ANZUS Treaty. This would trigger, according to the treaty, joint action to meet the common danger.

This follows provocative statements made earlier this year by the New Zealand government (as well as the US and Britain) accusing China of hacking parliamentary systems.

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute applauded Luxons endorsement of AUKUS. The think tanks senior analyst Euan Graham also noted that the Australian and New Zealand leaders had agreed to the mutual embedding of senior officers in the joint commands of each others armed forces. This will make it easier for Australia and New Zealand to conduct military operations together, and is a sign of their willingness to integrate at a deeper level.

New Zealands opposition Labour Party and its allies, the Greens and Te Pati Maori, have remained silent on Luxons and Albaneses belligerent statements.

Labour has recently posed as an opponent of AUKUS. Earlier this month the party declared that the National-led government had not made the case for joining AUKUS Pillar II. Labours foreign affairs spokesman David Parker asked: Why do [the government] think backing the United States in its competitive struggle against China is a good way to avoid war or protect New Zealands national interests?

Former Labour Prime Minister Helen Clark posted on X: Indeed NZ PMs speech to Lowy Institute was hawkish. The ongoing invoking of #ANZUS suggests a nostalgia for the former weak US security guarantee to NZ, but against what?

Clark linked to an article by University of Otago academic Geoffrey Miller, who warned that closer integration with Australias military could put New Zealand on a collision course with China, which is NZs major trading partner.

Clark and Parker speak for sections of the bourgeoisie who are nervous about openly siding with Washington and alienating Beijing. They are also concerned about the widespread anti-war sentiments in the New Zealand working class, as seen in the mass protests against the Gaza genocide.

Labour has differences over tactics and optics, but no real opposition to militarism and war. The Labour Party does not oppose the alliance with the US and Australia; Clarks government strengthened the alliance by sending troops to the illegal US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The last Labour-led government sent troops to Britain to support the training of Ukrainian soldiers for the US-NATO war with Russia. It also kept troops in the Middle East and in Japan, supporting the encirclement of China and North Korea. When AUKUS was first announced, then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern welcomed it, and her government praised the growing US military presence in the Pacific.

In the event of a war against China, there is no question that Labourand its allies, including the trade union bureaucracywould stand with US imperialism, as the party has in every other major war.

The rush towards a catastrophic third world war must be stopped, but this will not be achieved through appeals to Labour or any other capitalist party. The anti-war movement must turn to the mobilisation of the international working class on the basis of a socialist program to put an end to capitalism itself, which is the source of war.
Two bills drafted by the Interior Ministry (BMI) will provide the Federal Criminal Investigation Authority (BKA) and the Federal Police with new powers. They represent a milestone in the establishment of a totalitarian police state.

Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser [Photo by Raimond Spekking / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 4.0

The BMI cites the implementation of the EU directive on data exchange between police authorities of the various EU countries as the official reason for the new BKA law. However, the 80-page draft law, which www.netzpolitik.org has published in full, provides for far more measures than just this gigantic exchange of data within the EU.

The three most important innovations are, first, the BKAs authorisation to break into private homes and plant state-operated Trojan software in computer equipment; second, permission to compare biometric photos of persons available to the police authority with photos or video snippets from the internet and social media such as Facebook, X, Instagram, Tik-Tok; third, the power to analyse the data collected in this way or already available in the authorities huge databases using AI-based tools.

As a detailed examination will show, this law provides the BKA with extremely wide-ranging powers and continues the large complex of police and secret service laws that the grand coalition of Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and Social Democrats (SPD) passed in the summer of 2021, shortly before being voted out of office.

1. Secret break-ins to plant state-operated Trojan software

In future, BKA officers will be allowed to break into the homes of German and foreign citizens, to search them covertly and to implement state-operated Trojan software on computers and smartphones, without the owner having committed a criminal offence or having an investigation pending against him or her.

The mere suspicion that the owner of the property or a co-tenant has an anti-constitutional attitude or could be considering a terrorist or other serious offence such as extremism is enough to legitimise the break-in.

In the view of the BMI, this has become necessary because the extraction of private data through online searches, in which state Trojans are infiltrated into smartphones and computer devices via the internet, has proven to be impractical. The powerful antivirus programmes available on the market today and the anonymisation of movements on the internet using special browsers such as TOR are too great an obstacle for police access via the internet. Hence the more practical resort to the traditional lock pick and crowbar.

Until now, a citizens home has been considered a particularly protected space and worthy of legal protections, because it also contains the intimate sphere, the persons innermost thoughts, and the personality of the person concerned. In the age of computer technology, this core area of private life also includes private smartphones and computer devices with their data, as the Supreme Court formulated in its judgement of May 2020.

If the police plan to search a house today, they must apply to a public prosecutor for authorisation and must specifically name the accused and the offence with which they are charged, as well as the findings they hope to make during the search.

The public prosecutor must then submit this application to the investigating judge for approval. The person concerned must be informed in advance so that he has the opportunity to be present during the search or to be represented by a person of his choice. Exceptions to these regulations are formally only possible in the event of imminent danger, which in real life can always be declared by the police without difficulty.

In future, however, the adoption of the Faeser Act in the Bundestag (parliament) will sweep aside all these restrictions on the protection of a citizens privacy.

Even if there is only a vague suspicion of someone having a position disliked by the state authorities, the police authorities will be able to break into peoples homes secretly. Such criminal activities by the justice system have so far been reserved for the secret services.

For example, the Interior Ministry and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungsschutz), as Germanys domestic secret service is called, under its then right-wing extremist president Hans-Georg Maassen, declared the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) to be left-wing extremist. The BMI rejected a legal complaint by the SGP on the grounds that the struggle for a democratic, egalitarian, socialist society stood in contradiction to the central values of the constitution. The Verfassungsschutz is authorised to carry out any kind of secret service surveillance, including covert surveillance, such as home invasions and cyberattacks, against the SGP and any other organisation classified as left-wing extremist.

But this privilege of the Verfassungsschutz and the other secret services is now to be abolished.

The strict separation of the police and the secret services, introduced after the collapse of Hitlers Third Reich as a lesson learned from this totalitarian dictatorship, has thus been finally eliminated after decades of systematic erosion. The Federal Criminal Police and the other police authorities of the federal states will in future act as a secret state police, even if they will not bear this name, which is burdened by the monstrous crimes of the Gestapo.

To conceal this fact, the interior minister and the defenders of her bill insist that the planned police searches would be carried out only within the framework and in compliance with the constitutional order.

What is hidden behind these empty phrases is the fact that the Supreme Court has already overturned several previously planned police laws, for example with its ruling of May 2020 on a police law by Horst Seehofer (CSU, Christian Social Union), then interior minister in the grand coalition of CDU/CSU and Social Democratic Party (SPD) led by Angela Merkel.

This law already provided for the mass storage of telecommunications data through online searches, in which state Trojans were to be deployed on the victims computer systems via the internet with the support of telecommunications companies such as Telekom, O2, etc.

The Supreme Court expressly did not object to this mass surveillance. However, it did demand that the core area of private life should not be violated, or only under certain circumstances.

In reality, however, the mere installation of state Trojans constitutes a violation of this core area.

Furthermore, according to the court, online searches must be authorised by a judge (except in cases of danger in delay) and, in addition, carefully recorded and documented. The latter hurdle is easily overcome by the police clerks, and the so-called judicial reservation is also no obstacle.

The observance of these formalities, which involve little effort, is what lies behind the impressive legal formula within the framework and in compliance with the constitutional rules. In other words: a sham.

2. Matching biometric police data with data from the internet

The second significant and far-reaching extension of the BKAs powers is that in future, the police authorities will be able to compare the biometric photos of ID cards, passports, drivers licences and police-wanted photos stored by them, with photos and video clips that have been downloaded from the internet and stored in huge databases, which are also biometrically categorised for this purpose. This will enable the BKA to deduce the whereabouts, movements and behaviour of individuals.

This procedure has not been permitted under data protection laws to date because those affected have not given their consent for their photos to be used, not to say misused, from the internet. This obstacle is now to be removed.

The draft law explicitly does not provide for authorisation for real-time biometric searches. This means that there will be no real-time comparison of passers-by in railway stations or large public places with search databases. The focus is rather on the retrospective analysis of image material, not on real-time surveillance. At least this is what the interior minister repeatedly asserts.

But this definitional distinction is intended to deceive and reassure. Above all, it is intended to take the wind out of the sails of the protests and constitutional concerns against ubiquitous real-time surveillance.

The trick is that even a processing delay of just a few seconds after real-time data has been captured by surveillance cameras at airports and railway stations constitutes retrospective data processing. In reality, however, it is equivalent to real-time data utilisation.

3. AI-supported analysis of biometric data

The full impact of the biometric comparison of photos held by the authorities with data from the internet will only be realised through the use of instruments that are defined as permitted in the third core area of the planned BKA law:

Tools based on artificial intelligence can and may enable BKA officers to recognise the whereabouts and movements of individuals, even complex patterns and connections between the movements of several people that are not obvious to humans.

Mental states and characteristic behaviour, such as the way people walk, can also be recognised with such AI tools and used to filter out these people from a sea of data.

The insights gained from AI analyses of connections can also enable predictions of actions, encounters with other people or public protest demonstrations.

According to the draft law, these capabilities are to be used in the fight against terrorism and, above all, extremism.

In its ruling of February 16, 2023 on the unconstitutional Hesse Police Act and the HessenData analysis software, the Supreme Court declared the automated, AI-based analysis of large amounts of data extracted from the internet and/or already available in the databases of the police authorities to be fundamentally constitutional, but made a number of constitutional requirements for this:

Intensity of the intervention: The court classifies automated data analysis as particularly intrusive. The broader and deeper the insights into individuals, the higher the intensity of the intervention. Proportionality: The lower the requirements for the reason for the analysis, the higher the technical qualifications for the method of data analysis must be, as it is easy to carry out mass data analyses. Minor offences such as parking violations or theft of low-value items should not lead to false accusations too often. Purpose limitation: The purposes of data analysis must be clearly and precisely defined in law. Protection of the core area of private life: It must be ensured that no data from the core area of private life is included in the analysis. Transparency and control: The methods of data analysis must be comprehensible and controllable. The court sees particular challenges in terms of comprehensibility and susceptibility to error in AI-based systems. Threshold values: Specific threshold values must be defined for the use of the analysis software, for example with regard to the severity of the crimes to be prevented. Procedural safeguards: Sufficient procedural safeguards such as documentation and deletion obligations must be provided for.

These are all good sounding provisions. The only snag is that the Supreme Court has not prescribed a neutral and competent authority to monitor compliance with these provisions, as is the case, for example, with the data protection officer in relation to compliance with data protection regulations.

And where there is no control, there are no restrictions on the police in the conscientious exercise of their duties.

It should be emphasised that some of the above-mentioned constitutional requirements do not apply to the biometric recording and AI-based analysis of personal data of refugees from the outset, and this is for security reasons, as stated in the draft law.

Refugees are fair game for the Interior Ministry and are defenceless against the activities of the police. There are no laws in Germany that regulate the protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of refugees when their biometric data is processed.

Lawyers critical of such breaches of basic democratic rights regard the general authorisation to use refugee data under the pretense of security requirements as a violation of the principle of purpose limitation and the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of nationality.

So much for the BKA authorisation law of Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.

Restructuring of the Federal Police Act

The imagination of the bureaucrats in the Interior Ministry when it comes to inventing euphemistic names for legal amendments of serious substantive importance is boundless. This law has little to do with restructuring the Federal Police Act; rather, it is a law that grants the Federal Police extensive powers to restrict the fundamental rights of a citizen they have in their sights.

Nancy Faeser had this law passed by the federal cabinet in November 2023 and then introduced it in the Bundestag.

It provides for the following extended powers for telecommunications surveillance by the Federal Police:

The federal police will in future be able to access telecommunications connection data even if there is only a suspicion of smuggling and extremism. This includes information about who has phoned or exchanged text messages with whom.

Under certain circumstances, especially in cases of imminent danger, it should also be possible to monitor ongoing telecommunications.

The federal police will also be authorised to identify and locate SIM cards and mobile devices.

These measures should only be permitted in the event of danger to life and limb. In addition, they require the approval of a judge, which, as is usually the case, is only a formality and is only a nuisance for the police because of the associated paperwork.

The federal police are not authorised to carry out source telecommunications surveillance, i.e., to infiltrate devices with state Trojans, as this is the responsibility of the Federal Criminal Investigation Authority (BKA).

The federal police have also been given the new power to impose reporting requirements, bans on entering and residence bans for entire municipalities or municipal districts. This is intended to prevent people from travelling to large events or demonstrations where, in the polices estimation, they could commit crimes of considerable significance.

In Bavaria, which is always miles ahead of the federal government when it comes to police state measures and has armed the state police with these powers since August 1, new fines have even been introduced for violations of reporting requirements.

Green politicians as a democratic fig leaf

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser is determined to have both laws, the BKA and the Federal Police Act, passed in the Bundestag, and can rely not only on the support of the parties in the coalition government (SPD, Greens and Liberal Democrats, FDP), but also on that of the opposition CDU/CSU, as well as the Left Party and its BSW offshoot and the fascist Alternative for Germany (AfD), who all support the stepping up of the powers of the state apparatus.

The deputy parliamentary party leader of the Greens in the Bundestag, Konstantin von Notz, has already justified the new laws, including the abolition of the separation between the police and the secret services, to the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND).

For many years, von Notz has acted as a democratic fig leaf for the stepping up of state powers and the surveillance carried out by the secret services in Germany, posing critical questions as a member, and since 2021 as chairman, of the Parliamentary Control Committee (PKGr) supposed to monitor the intelligence and secret services, asking critical questions about the activities of the Verfassungsschutz, the Federal Intelligence Service (BND, responsible for foreign intelligence operations) and the Military Counter-Intelligence Service (MAD).

All of this, of course, is done in the strictest of secrecy, because this committee, the PKGr, only meets behind closed doors. Even after each meeting, its members are obliged to maintain the strictest secrecy about what was discussed. Naturally, this means no one can control the controllers, which is extremely convenient for everyone involved.

Von Notz justified the police breaking into private homes without the existence of a criminal offence or preliminary proceedings with the argument: We are living in serious times. The police need effective and modern investigative powers and means.

The Green politician did not specify what exactly he meant by serious times. In view of the plummeting poll ratings for the parties in the coalition governmentwithout the CDU/CSU being in a significantly better positionit is reasonable to assume that he means the enormous popular opposition to all Bundestag parties, against their pro-war policies and their policy of social cuts.

And the investigation methods that Faeser wants to legalise with her laws cannot exactly be called modern. These were the methods of Hitlers Gestapo and have always been the methods of all secret services, all police and military dictatorships.

Establishing police state powersan international phenomenon

In this context, it is important to understand that establishing police state powers is not a specifically German phenomenon. It is taking place in all capitalist countries around the world. To name just two examples:

In the UK, the recruitment of former members of the military into the police force has been intensified for years. Above all, however, the police have been massively equipped with military weapons throughout the country, and their deployment against protest demonstrations or during raids is organised using military tactics.

The 2012 Olympic Games in London were the largest police and military security operation in peacetime in the history of the United Kingdom: 13,500 soldiers were deployed, 5,000 of whom were deployed to support the police in searches of homes and buildings. The Royal Navy operated on the Thames and at the venues for the sailing competitions, the Royal Air Force was on standby and surface-to-air missiles were stationed at six locations throughout London, including on residential buildings.

The French president followed this example at the Olympic Games in Paris a few weeks ago, and even exceeded it. As the WSWS reported, more than 80,000 riot police and military police and soldiers were deployed on the ground, in the water and in the air, supported by helicopters, drones and snipers. The whole of Paris was divided into different security zones, the borders of which could only be crossed after strict controls by police or soldiers. These measures put Paris under a state of siege.

In both cases, it is clear that these were large-scale manoeuvres to train the police and military apparatus for use against large crowds of people protesting against the massive social cuts and the pro-war policies of their governments and taking class-struggle measures.

As in these two large neighbouring countries of Germany, the two planned laws on massively stepping up police state powers are also justified here by Faeser with the fight against international terrorism. But like all laws that are passed and have been passed under the pretext of the fight against right-wing extremism or the fight against terrorism, these laws are ultimately also directed against the working class, which will unite internationally in its struggle against mass redundancies, factory closures, social cuts and war.

The governments of all the countries concerned, inside and outside the EU, will have no difficulty in declaring this international unity and the joint struggle of the workers as international terrorism.

But it is precisely the struggles of the working class that will be able to thwart the plans of the ruling capitalist class and its police state manoeuvres in every country. To do this, they must be coordinated internationally and armed with a socialist programme.
On Thursday, the Washington Post and National Public Radio joined with the far-right media in a witch-hunt against journalist Taylor Lorenz for her opposition to the Biden administrations participation in the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Journalist Taylor Lorenz. [Photo: @TaylorLorenz]

The latest campaign against Lorenz, a widely read columnist for the Washington Post and authority on social media and digital journalism, was launched by right-wing media figures after she attended an event for digital influencers called Creators Summit at the White House on Wednesday.

Later that day, Lorenz shared with her friends in a private Instagram chat a photo of herself at the White House event that also showed Biden in the background greeting a group of guests. Beneath the image of the president was a caption that said, War criminal followed by a sad face emoticon.

US President Joe Biden is the leading funder and enabler of the Gaza genocide, which has killed between 40,000 and 200,000 men, women and children since October. He is, in fact, a war criminal.

Although Lorenz had not shared the meme publicly with her 143,000 Instagram followers, her private Instagram post was leaked to right-wing journalists, such as Jon Levine of the New York Post, who then began denouncing her for calling Biden a war criminal.

Responding to a Twitter/X post by Levine, Lorenz wrote, You people will fall for any dumass edits someone makes.

At this point, National Public Radio (NPR) published an article declaring, Senior editors at the Washington Post are reviewing a prominent tech columnists private story on social media, which appears to label President Biden a war criminal in a photo.

The NPR report continued, Lorenz told her editors that someone else had added the caption to the photo. Suggesting her reference to edits of the photo was a falsification, NPR said they had obtained a screengrab of Lorenzs actual post, which contained the caption.

To further substantiate their effort to smear Lorenz, NPR stated, Four people with direct knowledge of the private Instagram story confirmed its authenticity to NPR. They spoke to NPR on condition they not be identified due to the professional sensitivity of the situation for Lorenz.

Picking up on the NPR story, Fox News wrote on Saturday morning, Washington Post columnist Taylor Lorenz is changing her story after initially claiming her war criminal post about President Biden was edited.

All along, however, Lorenz never claimed the image with the caption was not real. She had said the photo was edited by a friend and then she shared it in the private chat.

Taylor Lorenz is a widely read authority on social media and the topic of internet culture, which is associated with the generation of intellectuals, writers and influencers who have grown up within and mastered the world of computer and online communications technologies.

Lorenz has been an outspoken advocate of free speech rights online and long been the subject of online harassment and coordinated targeting by right-wing media personalities, including the former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

In 2022, her Twitter account was suspended by the platforms new owner at the time Elon Musk after she asked him to comment on a story. Before restoring her account, Musk tweeted that it had been shut down due to prior doxxing action from the account, without further explanation.

Prior to working for the Washington Post, Lorenz was a tech writer for the Daily Beast, the Atlantic, Business Insider and the New York Times. She is the author of the book, Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet, published in 2023 by Simon and Schuster.

The latest campaign against Lorenz, in which all factions of the corporate media have united in attacking her, has been launched out of fear that the oppositional views she represents against the US government are gaining an ever wider audience, especially among young people.

It must be stated that sharing a photo privately or otherwise on social media labeling Biden a war criminal is to tell the obvious truth. Only those publications and individuals affiliated with the Democrats and Republicans, who have endorsed Israels ongoing war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza would object to the characterization.

With the support of both parties in Congress, the Biden White House has been funding and arming the Israeli massacre for more than 10 months which has resulted in the deaths of over 186,000 people, according to a study by the authoritative medical journal The Lancet. It is for good reason that protesters demonstrating against the crimes carried out against Palestinians have referred to the present occupant of the White House as Genocide Joe.

As part of her left-leaning views, Lorenz has also come under attack by the media promoters of the forever COVID policy of the corporate elite and US government for her stand on the need for mitigation measures against the ongoing pandemic. In the photo from the White House which has become the occasion for the latest attempt to smear her, Lorenz is wearing an N95 mask.

The WSWS defends Taylor Lorenz and her right to tell the truth to her readers and followers about the unfolding genocide and the role of the Biden administration and the Democratic Party in supporting Israels ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza. We denounce the Washington Post and NPR, who have teamed up with right-wing Murdoch media outlets, such as the New York Post and Fox News, in attacking Lorenz for her principled stand on these significant political issues.
Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency, meets with General Director Vu Viet Trang of Vietnam News Agency (VNA) in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 20, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency, met with General Director Vu Viet Trang of Vietnam News Agency (VNA) in Beijing on Tuesday.

Fu said that enjoying a friendship of comrades and brothers, the two news agencies have signed a new cooperation agreement witnessed by the leaders of the two parties and countries.

Xinhua is willing to work with the Vietnam News Agency to further implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two parties and countries, expand exchanges and cooperation in news reporting and other fields, jointly tell stories of China-Vietnam friendship, and actively serve the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, Fu said.

Fu welcomed VNA to actively participate in exchanges under the framework of the World Media Summit, and expressed the hope that both sides will learn from each other so as to develop together.

Hailing Xinhua's reputation in Vietnam, Trang said the two organizations have long maintained friendly and cooperative relations. He expressed the hope to deepen cooperation with Xinhua on strengthening the mainstream public opinion of Vietnam-China friendship and building all-media organizations, and advance bilateral relations. 
ROME, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Italian architect Stefano Boeri has praised China's recent advancements in green development, highlighting the country's significant strides towards sustainability.

"China has made tremendous progress in greening its cities," Boeri said in a recent interview with Xinhua. The architect, renowned for designing Milan's Vertical Forest -- a pair of residential skyscrapers enveloped in lush greenery -- commended China's efforts in urban sustainability.

Completed in 2014, the Vertical Forest is globally acclaimed for its fusion of modern architecture with extensive plant life, earning several international awards. Boeri, the visionary behind the project, emphasized the growing need for green spaces in urban environments dominated by concrete and steel. He noted that China is making significant strides in addressing this need.

"The transformation is evident the moment you land in cities like Beijing, Shenzhen, or Shanghai," Boeri remarked. He commended China's "tremendous effort" in reducing air pollution, decreasing airborne dust, and advancing private mobility by promoting electric vehicles.

The Italian architect also highlighted the significant increase in urban green spaces as another major achievement in China's sustainable development.

Boeri, who first visited China in 1979, expressed his long-standing admiration for the country, emphasizing its unique cultural and historical depth. He described China as "one of the epicenters of contemporary life on the planet."

Through his studios in China, Boeri has introduced his Vertical Forest concept to several cities including Shanghai, Nanjing, Huanggang and Shenzhen, further contributing to the country's evolving urban landscape.

"China is currently making a significant and important effort to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050, aligning with one of the United Nations' key targets," he added. 
Beetlejuice 2 is coming out Sept. 6. Here's where in Vermont parts of it were filmed

Iconic horror-comedy character Betelgeuse is coming back to the big screen, exposing his Vermont roots in the process.

Taking place in the fictional Connecticut village of Winter River, "Beetlejuice" was a horror-comedy film released in 1988 that had Michael Keaton play the demon Betelgeuse (pronounced Beetlejuice) and Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz, a willful teenage girl that ends up ensnared in the machinations of Keaton's demon.

The film also starred Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin as Barbara Maitland and Adam Maitland, two ghosts who at first employ Betelgeuse to help evict the new tenants of the house they once lived in but eventually aid Ryder's character disrupt the demon's scheme to marry a mortal and wreak havoc on the living world.

And now, 36 years later, the sequel is set to release on Sept. 6, 2024, called "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice." Ryder and Keaton will be reprising their roles from the original film and new characters are also being brought into fold like Lydia Deetz's daughter, Astrid Deetz, played by Jenna Ortega.

Davis and Baldwin are not reprising their roles for this return to Winter River.

But, did you know that the original film and its sequel had scenes filmed in Vermont?

Where was Beetlejuice filmed

Michael Keaton starred in "Beetlejuice" in 1988. He will be starring in the sequel, "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," this September. [WARNER BROS.]

The original "Beetlejuice" was filmed partially in East Corinth, with the exterior shots in the film done in Vermont and interior shots done in California.

The specific spot where they filmed at is called the Beetlejuice House. In the universe of the films, this is the house that the Maitlands lived in and where the majority of the plot takes place.

In our universe, however, the house does not exist. It was a facade of a building that the film's crew built and placed upon a hill for exterior shots, later torn down after all the filming had ended. The hill is on private property.

The director of both films, Tim Burton, returned to East Corinth for the sequel and recreated the original set from the first movie, effectively resurrecting the ghost house from its remains once more.

Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@gannett.com.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that the filming location of the Beetlejuice house can be visited. The location is on private property and cannot be visited.

This article originally appeared on wickedlocal.com: Beetlejuice 2 is coming out Sept. 6. Here's where it was shot in VT
Shiloh Jolie, 18, has legally dropped her father Brad Pitt's last name. (Joel C Ryan / Invision / Associated Press)

The daughter of actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt appears to have officially dropped her father's last name.

Shiloh Jolie, who submitted a petition to remove her father's surname from hers in May, filed a decree Monday asking the court to officially recognize the change, according to court documents reviewed Tuesday by The Times. She will be legally known as Shiloh Nouvel Jolie instead of by her birth name, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt.



The Kung Fu Panda 3 voice actor filed her petition in Los Angeles County Superior Court upon her 18th birthday in May and later published a name-change notice in the July 8 edition of The Times. The notice, which some outlets mischaracterized as the youngster "taking out an ad" to announce her departure from her famous father, is in fact part of a state legal procedure that helps screen disingenuous name changes.

Shiloh hired and paid her own lawyer to see the matter through, NBC News reported. The attorney, Peter Levine, previously told The Times that the media "should be more careful in their reporting, especially when covering a young adult who has made an independent and significant decision following painful events, and is merely following legal process.

Levine did not immediately respond Tuesday to The Times' request for additional comment.

Read more: Shiloh Jolie's attorney fires back on name-change chatter: 'Merely following legal process'

The petition was postponed in July after a clerical error delayed Shiloh's hearing. The hearing was rescheduled for Monday and the petition was granted with little fanfare, TMZ reported.

Shiloh was born on May 27, 2006, in Swakopmund, Namibia. She is the third-eldest of the former Hollywood power couples six children and the eldest of their three biological children. Oscar winners Jolie and Pitt also share kids Maddox, 23; Pax, 20; Zahara, 19; and twins Knox and Vivienne, 16. (Although the "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" stars have yet to finalize details of their divorce, they were declared legally unmarried in 2019.)

Shilohs younger sister Vivienne recently dropped Pitt from her last name when it appeared in the Playbill for The Outsiders. Zahara also introduced herself without her fathers moniker during a presentation with her sorority at Spelman College.

Read more: George Clooney fires back at Quentin Tarantino, David O. Russell in Q&A with Brad Pitt

In September 2016, Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt days after they allegedly had a physical altercation on a flight home on a private plane from Europe. Several of the actors children were also allegedly involved in the incident, according to an FBI report.

Details about the 2016 confrontation emerged in a 2022 lawsuit Jolie filed against the FBI. The alleged incident was also brought up during Jolie and Pitt's battle over Chateau Miraval, their winemaking estate and family home in the South of France that also served as the site of their 2014 nuptials.

Pitt has not publicly addressed his daughter's legal move, but People reported that the "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood" star was "aware and upset" by the change.

Get notified when the biggest stories in Hollywood, culture and entertainment go live. Sign up for L.A. Times entertainment alerts.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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Dana does not see a future with boyfriend Xander on Home and Away... | Credit: Endemol Shine Australia

Dana Matheson (played by Ally Harris) wants some space from boyfriend, Xander Delaney (Luke Van Os), on Home and Away (1:45pm - see our TV Guide for listings).

Possibly PERMANENTLY!



Dana is still angry that Xander didn't believe her suspicions about con woman, Bronte Langford... until it was too late!



Meanwhile, Xander confides in buddy Mali Hudson (Kyle Shilling) that he needs to know where he stands with girlfriend Dana.



Are they on... or OFF?



Mali encourages Xander to be direct with Dana.



Actions speak louder than words!



Unfortunately, when Xander tries to express his feelings and moves to kiss Dana, she is NOT impressed!



Has Xander just made a bad situation even worse?

A post shared by Home and Away (@homeandaway) A photo posted by on

Meanwhile, Irene Roberts (Lynne McGranger) is giving her friends cause for concern.



When Irene fails to arrive for work at The Diner, friend John Palmer (Shane Withington) goes over to Irene's beach house to investigate.



But John quickly manages to get on the WRONG side of Irene and she kicks him out of the house!



Later, Leah Patterson (Ada Nicodemou) is concerned after Irene publicly has a go at Dana over the way she is treating Xander.



It's clear there's something going on with Irene.



But her friends are unaware that recovering alcoholic Irene has secretly fallen off the wagon...

Home and Away spoilers, John Palmer, Irene Roberts

Home and Away spoilers, Irene Roberts

While girlfriend Mackenzie Booth (Emily Weir) is away visiting her brother, Dean, Levi Fowler (Tristan Gorey) wants to build a bridge with housemate, Tane Parata (Ethan Browne).



Tane still doesn't approve of married man Levi's previous affair with Mackenzie, so he's not looking to be best buds!



However, Levi reckons Mackenzie would appreciate it if he tries to establish some common ground with gym boss Tane.



So doctor Levi decides to join Summer Bay Fit in an attempt to spend some time with Tane.



But his good intentions don't go quite as planned...

Home and Away spoilers, Levi Fowler

Home and Away continues weekdays at 1:45pm on Channel 5

Switch over for FIRST LOOK episodes at 6:30pm on 5STAR

The series is also available to stream on My5
Who is Kamala Harris' stepdaughter Ella Emhoff? Here's what to know.

On the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, family members of top-of-the-ticket candidates watched on as the week's speeches kicked off, including Vice President Kamala Harris' stepdaughter and 25-year-old Ella Emhoff.

While sitting with her family, Emhoff drew attention for donning the viral camo baseball cap with "Harris Walz" in orange writing across the front. Three thousand hats sold out in 30 minutes shortly after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was announced as Harris' running mate.

Ella Emhoff and older brother, Cole, were first introduced to the country in 2020 when Harris, who they call "Momala," became President Joe Biden's running mate. Now, they could potentially be part of the first family as the November matchup between Harris and former President Donald Trump nears.

Aug 19, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Ella Emhoff is seen wearing a Harris-Walz camo hat during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. The DNC program will feature President Joe Biden and Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during Monday's ceremonies. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY

Doug Emhoff, Harris husband and father of Ella and Cole, is scheduled to give a speech at the convention Tuesday evening ahead of former President Barack Obama's keynote address.

Who is Ella Emhoff?

Kamala Harris became a stepmom to Ella and Cole when she married Doug Emhoff in 2014. It was Harris' first marriage and Doug Emhoff's second as he shares his adult children with his ex-wife, Kerstin Emhoff. Ella Emhoff was in high school when Harris and her father got married, and started her senior year when Harris was sworn into the U.S. Senate.

Aside from being the step daughter of the vice president, Ella is a model and pursued a career in fashion and design.

A week after she went viral for wearing a gem-covered Miu Miu coat to Biden's 2021 inauguration, Ella signed with modeling agency IMG Models Worldwide. She has also modeled for Balenciaga and Adidas by Stella McCartney.

What's true? What's false? Sign up for USA TODAY's Checking the Facts newsletter.

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: Doug Emhoff (from left), Vice President Elect Kamala Harris, Cole Emhoff, Ella Emhoff, and Vice President Mike Pence stand as Lady Gaga sings the National Anthem at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. During today's inauguration ceremony Joe Biden becomes the 46th president of the United States. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

In 2021, she graduated from Parsons School of Design and went onto found knit wear brand, Soft Hands. She also hosts knitting classes.

In July, Ella came to Harris' defense after claims made by Republican vice presidential pick and Ohio Sen. JD Vance's resurfaced, where he called Harris and other female lawmakers "childless cat ladies," who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made.

Emhoff reposted a post on her Instagram story with text reading How can you be childless when you have cutie pie kids like Cole and I."

Kerstin Emhoff also weighed in, saying "These are baseless attacks. For over 10 years, since Cole and Ella were teenagers, Kamala has been a co-parent with Doug and I," she told CNN She is loving, nurturing, fiercely protective, and always present. I love our blended family and am grateful to have her in it.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Kamala Harris' stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff?
The post Kylesa to Reunite in 2025 for First Shows in Nearly a Decade appeared first on Consequence.

Savannah, Georgia-based sludge metal band Kylesa are reuniting for their first live performances in nearly 10 years.

Kylesa revealed that they will be playing a series of shows in 2025 to mark the bands 25th anniversary  the first coming in April at the Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, Netherlands.

Shared the bands core members Phillip Cope and Laura Pleasants on X/Twitter:

After 10 years away we are excited to return to performing live: starting at Roadburn 2025. Were playing a few special shows next year celebrating 25 years as a band & it all starts in Tilburg. We have so much more to tell you about over the coming months.

Kylesa announced that they were going on hiatus in April 2016 following an intense run of album cycles, the last being 2015s Exhausting Fire. The band went through a multitude of members during its initial 15-year run, with Cope and Pleasants remaining the only constant members (though drummer Carl McGinley would remain a fixture after joining in 2006).

The band wrote at the time: After 15 years of nonstop touring and writing, we decided that it is time for a break. A lot of you have been asking when we are coming to your part of the world and that means a lot to us. However, we feel it should be known that as of now we have no plans to play any shows or work on any new material. We have collectively decided to take a hiatus with no set date to reconvene.

Along with Mastodon and Baroness, Kylesa were at the forefront of the Southern sludge metal scene that emerged out of Georgia in the late 90s/early 2000s. The run of albums including 2006s Time Will Fuse Its Worth, 2009s Static Tensions, 2010s Spiral Shadow is held in high regard by fans, charting the bands shift from a post-hardcore/sludge style to a more heavy psych/stoner metal sound.

Those albums could be seeing reissues and re-releases  most of the bands back catalog is now out of print  with Kylesa announcing in June that they had teamed with Mythos Management for some uniquely cool projects for the future and on ways to preserve our past.

Check out Kylesas latest social media post about Roadburn below.

After 10 years away we are excited to return to performing live:starting at Roadburn 2025. We're playing a few special shows next year celebrating 25 years as a band & it all starts in Tilburg. We have so much more to tell you about over the coming months. -Phillip & Laura. pic.twitter.com/iO4CDt9BEV  kylesa (@kylesamusic) August 20, 2024

Kylesa to Reunite in 2025 for First Shows in Nearly a Decade

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Israeli troops are seen in the Gaza Strip, as seen from Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip, on Aug. 20, 2024. According to Gaza-based health authorities, the Israeli military has killed 34 people and wounded 114 others in the last 24 hours. This brings the total death toll in the Gaza Strip to 40,173, with 92,857 injured since the conflict began. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)

GAZA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Tuesday that it has killed approximately 40 militants in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, through close-quarters combat and airstrikes.

IDF troops are continuing targeted operations in the Tel al-Sultan area of Rafah, the IDF said, noting that in one of the operations, its troops identified a "terrorist cell" armed with a rocket-propelled grenade within a military structure, which was subsequently struck by the Israeli Air Force (IAF).

An IAF strike also targeted two militants who emerged from a terror tunnel and attempted to plant an explosive device near ground troops, killing them in the process, according to the IDF.

The offensive is part of Israel's large-scale operation against Hamas, launched in response to a Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which resulted in around 1,200 deaths and approximately 250 hostages.

According to Gaza-based health authorities, the Israeli military has killed 34 people and wounded 114 others in the last 24 hours. This brings the total death toll in the Gaza Strip to 40,173, with 92,857 injured since the conflict began. 

Israeli troops are seen in the Gaza Strip, as seen from Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip, on Aug. 20, 2024. According to Gaza-based health authorities, the Israeli military has killed 34 people and wounded 114 others in the last 24 hours. This brings the total death toll in the Gaza Strip to 40,173, with 92,857 injured since the conflict began. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)

Smoke billows following Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, as seen from Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip, on Aug. 20, 2024. According to Gaza-based health authorities, the Israeli military has killed 34 people and wounded 114 others in the last 24 hours. This brings the total death toll in the Gaza Strip to 40,173, with 92,857 injured since the conflict began. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)

Photo taken on Aug. 20, 2024 shows destroyed buildings in the Gaza Strip, as seen from Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip. According to Gaza-based health authorities, the Israeli military has killed 34 people and wounded 114 others in the last 24 hours. This brings the total death toll in the Gaza Strip to 40,173, with 92,857 injured since the conflict began. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)

Smoke billows following Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, as seen from Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip, on Aug. 20, 2024. According to Gaza-based health authorities, the Israeli military has killed 34 people and wounded 114 others in the last 24 hours. This brings the total death toll in the Gaza Strip to 40,173, with 92,857 injured since the conflict began. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)
The soon-to-be husband of Norways Princess Martha Louise alleged his fiances friends made racist comments toward him.

Durek Verrett, a 49-year-old American shaman, told the podcast Stavrum & Eikeland that Louises pals once joked he should be a part of a dinners wait staff after hed poured glasses of water for the table.

I decided to pour water to everyones cups, explained Verrett, and one of Marthas friends, the guy, said: Oh this is what you should be doing. This is what youre meant to be doing.

Verrett, whos Black, said that quip made others at the table laugh.

Martha Louise and Durek Verrett, photographed together in 2019, announced their engagement in June 2022. Reuters

The American said hed only poured the water because their server became sick and went home. Verrett later told the story to his loved ones who reacted by saying the comments were so racist and so disrespectful.

It wasnt pleasant to have that type of energy every time Martha was with her friends, Verrett added on the podcast.

Verrett alleged that those who laughed at the tasteless joke were the same friends who pushed Louise to break off her relationship with him in their early days together. Others in Norway have called for the royal family to strip Louise of her princess title over the controversies surrounding Verrett, like his disproven belief that childhood cancer is caused by unhappiness.

Louise, 52, has ignored those criticisms, however. Now she and Verrett are fast approaching their highly-anticipated wedding on Aug. 31.

Norwegian Royals Son Admits He Was on Coke When He Attacked Girlfriend

The couple announced their engagement in June 2022, with Louise writing to Instagram that the shaman makes her heart skip. Verrett said he asked King Harald and Queen Sonja for permission to marry Louise, which they granted.

Im very old-fashioned in the way I do things, Verrett said to Billed Bladet. I sat down with King Harald and Queen Sonja and asked for their daughters hand in marriage. If they had said no, I would not have gone ahead with it. I do things in an honorable and respectful way.

Louise is fourth in line to the Norwegian throne. She and Verrett will tie the knot at the Hotel Union in Geiranger, Norway, with a beautiful backdrop of mountains and a fjord.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pulled off another successful tour that might have the British press up in arms. In May, they were invited to visit Nigeria on behalf of the Invictus Games which led to Colombia requesting the Sussexes presence in their country. However, the U.K. media hates that they arent given access to the couple which might be Harry and Meghans savviest PR move yet.

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The Telegraph criticized the dynamic duo for keeping them at bay instead of allowing their reporters and photographers to get a close-up view. Unlike a traditional royal tour of old, the media were not invited, save for one handpicked reporter whose job it was to relay each event to newspapers and other outlets across the world, the outlet complained. The chosen journalist was an online reporter from US publication Harpers Bazaar, who duly filed a brief overview of each engagement.

In this handout photo provided by Archewell, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (L) is welcomed to Colombia by Vice President Francia Marquez at her official residence on August 15, 2024 in Bogota, Colombia.

What The Telegraph is failing to see is that Harry and Meghan are no longer senior royals. As private citizens, they can control the narrative. If they allowed members of the Royal Rota to join in, we all know what those headlines would look like. Theres no reason for the Sussexes to subject themselves to such harassment or abuse willingly. While curated snapshots only tell one part of the story, the British press is forgetting that the video coverage will always tell the real story.

Meghans use of her linguistic skills in speaking Spanish to the crowds made an impact. For Meghan to say my friend in that way is such a powerful statement and shows just how close they have become. People will take note of that, a Colombian journalist told the Daily Mail. Its those connective moments that make Harry and Meghan very popular during their visits to promote the Invictus Games, which is being courted by many countries for future games.

While the royal family may not enjoy the Sussexes goodwill tours, it points out the magic the palace is missing  especially with Kate Middleton largely out of the public eye with her health battles. Tina Brown, author of The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsorthe Truth and the Turmoil, might have summed it up best after the couples trip to Nigeria. When I saw him and Meghan in Nigeria, I had a nostalgia. I felt this is what it could have been, she told the BBC in May. These two, who are enormously appealing to the public and who are very good at it, were out there in Nigeria sort of looking really attractive and being appealing people. Harry and Meghan had left a charisma vacancy at the palace.

Before you go, click here to see more of Meghan Markle & Prince Harrys milestones since leaving the royal family.

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How Is The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Zac Affleck Related to Ben Affleck? All About the Reality Star

Zac Affleck and his wife, Jennifer Affleck, star in the Hulu reality series 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives'

Jen Affleck/Instagram Jen Affleck and Zac Affleck.

Zac Affleck's role in the reality series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives isn't his only link to Hollywood  he also claims to be actor Ben Afflecks first cousin once removed.

However, in September 2024, a source told PEOPLE that the relationship between the Utah Afflecks and the Boston Afflecks "is absolutely not true."

The medical student married his wife, influencer Jennifer Affleck, in 2019, and the couple share two children. Now, their family life is on full display in the Hulu reality show, which follows eight Mormon moms who found fame on TikTok amid a sex scandal. (Zac and Jennifer have denied participating in the infamous soft swinging lifestyle with their fellow castmates.)

Since filming season 1 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, the couple and their two kids have relocated to New York City, where Zac attends medical school.

From his childhood in Utah to being a Mormon missionary, here is everything to know about Zac Affleck.

How is Zac Affleck related to Ben Affleck?

Jen Affleck/Instagram ; Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Left: Jen Affleck and Zac Affleck. Right: Ben Affleck attends The Last Duel New York Premiere on October 09, 2021 in New York City.

Zac is allegedly Ben's first cousin once removed. His dad, Dave Affleck, is said to be Ben and Casey Afflecks first cousin.

The familial connection between Zac and Ben came under scrutiny in September 2024 when online genealogy sleuths claimed that the Utah Afflecks and the Boston Afflecks have "no relationship."

"So Zac Affleck is her husband. [His father] is David Affleck. Zac's grandfather is Gordon Affleck. Zac's great-grandparents  which would [establish] second cousins  his name is Alan Burt Affleck," a source explained to PEOPLE. "Then Ben's dad is Tim Affleck. His grandfather is Myron Junior. His great-grandparent is Myron Senior. No, Alan Burt and Myron Senior aren't brothers or anything."

Reps for Jennifer and Zac and Hulu declined to comment on the matter.

Jennifer first mentioned Zacs familial ties to the Gone Girl star on TikTok in September 2022  shortly after Ben and Jennifer Lopez got married in Vegas and she took the actors last name.

When you thought you were going to be the next JLO. But instead ... she stole your name & youre busting it down to Ms. Rachel, the TikToker wrote alongside a video of her dancing to Wheels on the Bus.

While talking to PEOPLE in September 2024, Jennifer revealed that she and Zac have "never met" the actor. "Zac's dad has [met them], when [Ben] was very little," she added. "I'm hoping to meet him one day, too!"

Related: Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's Relationship Timeline

Where did Zac Affleck grow up?

Jen Affleck/Instagram Jen Affleck and Zac Affleck with their kids.

Zac was born in Utah, and his parents, Dave and Kristel Leishman Affleck, raised him in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). After graduating from Olympus High School in May 2015, he participated in the churchs missionary program in the Dominican Republic.

Zac eventually graduated from Brigham Young University in July 2024 and was accepted into medical school.

Who is Zac Afflecks wife?

Jen Affleck/Instagram Jen Affleck and Zac Affleck.

The Utah-born reality star married Jennifer, who calls the Bay Area home, on June 28, 2019, in Newport Beach, Calif. The ceremony was held at the local LDS temple, while the reception took place on a large yacht.

I knew Zac was the one when I realized I couldn't imagine life without him & his amazing qualities, Jennifer wrote on Instagram ahead of their wedding. Im grateful to have someone who loves me unconditionally, puts me first, & makes me want to be a better fiance, friend, daughter and person. Cant forget he makes me the happiest girl alive."

The couple began dating in 2018 after meeting on a Mormon dating app called Mutual. Zac later proposed at Top of the Rock in New York City in January 2019.

Jennifer is a social media influencer with nearly 500,000 followers on Instagram and over 1 million on TikTok. She is best known for her #MomTok content, which highlights her life as a Mormon mom.

How many kids do Zac Affleck and Jennifer Affleck have?

Jen Affleck/Instagram Jen Affleck and Zac Affleck with their kids.

Zac and Jennifer share two children: daughter Nora, who was born in November 2021, and son Lucas Lowell, who arrived in July 2023.

We were so young when we first became parents, with lots to learn, but Zac has always been there every step of the way. Hes never wavered in giving Nora and Luca everything they need, the mom of two wrote on Instagram in honor of Fathers Day 2024.



What is The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives about?

Disney/Fred Hayes THE SECRET LIVES OF MORMON WIVES - Season 1- JESSI NGATIKAURA, JENNIFER AFFLECK, MAYCI NEELEY, TAYLOR FRANKIE PAUL, MIKAYLA MATTHEWS, LAYLA TAYLOR, DEMI ENGEMANN

Hulus reality series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives follows a group of Mormon mom influencers who get caught in the middle of a swinging sex scandal."

Jennifer stars in the show alongside seven other women, including Taylor Frankie Paul, who made headlines in 2022 when she announced her divorce and opened up about her and her husband's soft swinging lifestyle.

Zac, along with several other husbands, participated in filming the show  and fans can expect a lot of drama between the partners.

It feels like we got 10 years of marriage counseling in this one season of filming," Jennifer told PEOPLE.

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Read the original article on People.
This combination of photos shows Shiloh Jolie at the London premiere of "Eternals" on Oct. 27, 2021, left, and Brad Pitt at a special screening of "Ad Astra" in Los Angeles on Sept. 18, 2019. (AP Photo)

One of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitts six children has officially dropped Pitt from her name.

A Los Angeles court granted a petition from the third-eldest child of the former couple to legally change her name from Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt to Shiloh Nouvel Jolie on Monday.

She initially filed the petition to make the name change official on May 27, the day she turned 18.

Several outlets have reported that other Jolie-Pitt children have informally excluded Pitt from their names but Shiloh is the first to take legal steps to formalize the name change. Notably, their daughter Vivienne, was listed in a program for The Outsiders on Broadway as Vivienne Jolie.

Along with Shiloh and Vivienne, the former couple also share four other children, Maddox, Pax, Zahara and Knox.

The Maleficent actor, who rose to fame in the 90s, filed for a name change herself in 2002 to legally drop her father Jon Voight's surname after their relationship had reportedly deteriorated.

Pitt and Jolie had been romantic partners for a decade when they married in 2014. Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, and a judge declared them single in 2019, but the divorce case has not been finalized with custody and financial issues still in dispute.

The actors have also filed lawsuits against each other in recent years stemming from disagreements over their shared business ventures and property including a winery in France.

In a 2022 court filing, Jolie alleged that on a 2016 flight, Pitt grabbed her by the head and shook her, then choked one of their children and struck another when they tried to defend her.

Representatives for Shiloh did not return requests for comment.

The news of the petition being granted was first reported by celebrity website TMZ.
Denmarks capital, Copenhagen, may be a bucket-list dining destination, one of the worlds most livable cities according to some, as well as home of the best modernist, mid-century Scandinavian design. Its also a fairly small capital with only 1,4 million people, which is surprising, considering there is as much to see and do as there is to eat and drink (were looking at you smrrebrd and those disturbingly red hot dogs). But if you love your watchesfrom Rolex to Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Omega, and wonderful vintage, neo-vintage, and pre-owned piecesCopenhagen is like a small dog with a big dog mentality.

Thats not a bad thing: Danes are a stylish people who demand quality in everything from their home furniture to their bed room lighting (most locals wont blink at prices above 1,000 dollars for a PH-lamp or 3,000 for The Spanish Chair, made by Brge Mogensen in the 1950ies). This obsession with craftsmanship repeats itself in Danes growing fondness for mechanical watches, which means you can find a handful of retailers in the old part of town, the Indre By (literally the inner city), with a lot to offer.

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Even if brands like Patek Philippe, Omega, Breitling, Tudor, IWC and Cartier have all opened their own boutiques in recent years, a few family-run businesses make watch hunting an even more enjoyable experience. None of this comes cheap, but youll find boutique-editions, quality pre-owned and Danish brands like Ole Mathiesen, that combine Scandinavian minimalism with Swiss Made manufacturing. It not only makes a nice souvenir, its easier to transport than that Spanish Chair. And, youll even find some insane vintage pieces, like the Patek Philippe 3700 that blew our minds during a recent trip to Copenhagen, and pieces that are sometimes hard to see in person due to their scarcity, like the amazing Patek Philippe 5226g Calatrava we gawked in Copenhagen, as well.

Below is our guide to the best watch boutiques in Copenhagen.

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Click here to read the full article.

Hvelplund Watches & Jewlery

Hvelplund Watches & Jewlery

Hvelplund, a family-owned business with second-generation Paul Hvelpund at the helm, was founded in 1971 and earned a reputation as a boutique for serious watch collectors. It served as an official Patek Philippe retailer for half a century (until Patek Philippe opened their own store on the opposite side of the street), and they still carry both new and older Pateks, and has the knowhow to service most timepieces you can throw at them. Hvelplund offers brands from Omega and Cartier to IWC, and Chopard in an environment that combines old-world charm with stucco and a massive solid oak counter, as well as different lounges that cater to their many brands. Hvelplund also offers the best selection in town of pre-owned timepieces, with a 2-year guarantee. We like to think of ourselves as the blue-chip of the pre-owned market, says Andreas Rosenberg, Head of Marketing and manager of their pre-owned watch department, WatchClub. They also make a mean espresso.

stergade 15, 1100 Kbenhavn K

Ole Mathiesen

Ole Mathiesen

Ole Mathiesen has been making watches and clocks in Copenhagen since 1919, and descendants of the original watchmakers still run the company. Its a wonderfully quiet place with an almost sedate atmosphere, equipped with elegant Arne Jacobsen Swan chairs and old wall clocks. Like coming home to ones well-to-do grandparents for dinner. Ole Mathiesen are known for their mid-century modern designs at reasonable prices (their prize-winning Classic designed by Ole Mathiesen in 1962 starts at 1,000 dollars). The ground floor is dedicated to a discrete collection of Danish design watches, including chronographs and divers, but head up the mahogany winding staircasedesigned by the current owner Christian Mathiesen who is a trained architectand youll find watches from Piaget, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Longines and Girard-Perregaux. Since the 1950s Ole Mathiesen has been a Patek Philippe representative in Denmark and recently opened the first Patek Philippe boutique in Scandinaviaright next door. Ole Mathiesen has a nice, albeit limited, pre-owned section on the upper floor, equipped with watches from A. Lange & Sohne to Cartier CPCPs.

stergade 8, 1100 Kbenhavn

Patek Philippe

Patek Philippe

Its like walking into the Art Deco lobby of the Waldorf Astoria in New York, only infinitely smaller. The brown and white marble and the crystal chandeliers almost take away from the timepieces in Scandinavias only Patek Philippe boutique. Its worth admiring just for the interior design.

stergade 6, 1100 Kbenhavn

Klarlund

Klarlund

Dont let the white gloves and the somewhat stiff upper lip put you off. Klarlund, once a family-owned business bought up by Bucherer in 2023 (which again was bought up by Rolex), offers a dizzying range of exclusive watches and jewelry. The company has been an official Rolex partner since the 1950s, but since then they have also built up an impressive portfolio of brands such as TUDOR, Hublot, Panerai, Glashutte Original, Omega, TAG Heuer and Grand Seiko. The top floor has a good, if pricy, pre-owned department, where you can admire watchmakers in white lab coats do their thing.

Klarlund Strget is centrally located on stergade 22 and the smaller Klarlund Axel Towers is on Vesterbrogade 2X.

IWC Copenhagen

IWC Copenhagen

IWC is the latest addition to the Copenhagen mono-brand boutique trend, and is located next door to Klarlund. In fact, you could be excused for thinking its part of Klarlund as there is a corridor connecting the two, but it is apparently aiming for independence. Boutique Manager Nicolai Andersen, formerly in charge of Panerai at Klarlund, knows his watches.

Ny stergade 3, 1100 Kbenhavn

Omega and Breitling

Omega and Breitling

British retail giant Watches of Switzerland recently opened an OMEGA and Breitling boutique next to each otherthey even share the same address, stergade 61. Go left and you enter the brightly lit world of OMEGA with red carpets, golden pendant lamps and watches from the Speedmaster, Seamaster, De Ville and Constellation collections (and yes, boutique-only editions like the Aqua Terra inspired by Olympic Champion Mondo Duplantis). Go right and you find yourself in Breitlings darker industrial-loft aesthetic, housing the brands full collection of watches, including collaborations like the Chronomat 36 Victoria Beckham.

stergade 61

Franz Jaeger & Me

Franz Jaeger & Me

If Hemingway was into watches, hed hang out in this tiny shop with enough stuffed decor on the walls to make a vegan uncomfortable. Before you let the big water buffalo taxidermy piece scare you back onto busy Gothersgade, make sure to check out the curated vintage pieces in the window. Or sit in the velvet chairs and take in this funky man cave (which also sell womens watches). Even if Rolex is clearly their thing, youll find a handful of Audemars Piguets, Vacheron Constantins, Patek Philippes, Omegas and Panerais, as well as lesser known brands like Danish Linde Werdelin. The owner, trained watchmaker Per Henriksen, has worked with Ole Mathiesen in the past. On the wall is a collection of photos of celebrity clientele, including the Danish King.

Gothersgade 31, 1123 Kbenhavn K

Jens Olsen World Clock, Copenhagen

Jens Olsen World Clock, Copenhagen

You wont get to purchase this one, let alone try it on for size, but since you are in town, why not drop by City Hall and see the Jens Olsens World Clock? Its considered one of the most accurate astronomical mechanical clocks in the world, deviating by only 0.4 seconds in 300 years. It was designed by Jens Olsen, a trained small-smith and watchmaker, who dreamed up this behemoth consisting of 12 works which together have 14,448 parts. Truly a machine of extremes, the fastest gear rotates one revolution in 10 seconds, while the slowest rotates one revolution in 25,753 years.

In addition to time, the clock shows lunar and solar eclipses, the position of the constellations, and a perpetual calendar. Its gilded with four kilos of gold, and has rhodium coating on all metal faces, making it resistant to corrosion. For the most part, though, the surfaces consists of brass parts derived from melted down kitchen utensils from Danish households of the 1940ies. The clock was started on December 1955 by King Frederik IX and Jens Olsens youngest granddaughter. Jens Olsen was long gone by then, but his masterpiece remains.

Free admission via the main entrance at City Hall, Radhuspladsen 1, 1553 Kbenhavn
A blue supermoon lit up our skies, but did it affect your sleep? (Getty Images)

Moon enthusiasts were in for a real treat on Monday (19 August) night, as a blue supermoon graced our skies and lit up the night.

The phenomenon marked the first of four supermoons over the next four months. Supermoons occur when the moon is at its closest point in its orbit to the earth at the same time as a full moon - making it look bigger and brighter.

In addition, a blue moon occurs every two or three years. While we typically see 12 full moons each year, the moon cycles sometimes dont quite add up to 365 or 366 days in a calendar year, which means a 13th full moon is seen - referred to as a blue moon.

If you missed last nights supermoon, youll still have the next three months to catch the phenomenon. But, while humans are fascinated by the full moon, many often wonder whether the moon cycles affect our health at all.

The moon influences many natural processes, such as the oceans tides and sea creatures like fish that tend to reproduce when the full moon has risen. But, until recently, scientists dismissed the idea that humans are influenced by lunar activity at all.

However, 2021 research suggests that the full moon does have an effect on our sleep. Sleep researcher Horacio de la Iglesias was surprised to find that both rural communities that used little to no electricity and students living in the bustling city of Seattle got less sleep around the full moon.

Using activity-monitoring watches to track sleep patterns, de la Iglesias and his colleagues found that members of the Indigenous Toba/Qom communities in rural Argentina went to sleep 40 minutes later on average a few nights before the full moon.

Some people get less sleep in the run-up to the full moon. (Getty Images)

The researchers found similar sleep patterns among undergraduate students living in Seattle, where light pollution usually cancels out moonlight.

The findings echoed that of a 2013 study, which was one of the first studies to suggest a link between the moon and our sleep patterns. It found that people took five minutes longer to fall asleep around the full moon, and also experienced poorer quality sleep, including 30% less deep sleep and 20 minutes less sleep overall.

One explanation may be that the bright light of the full moon keeps us awake - however, the almost-constant presence of artificial light that drowns out moonlight pokes holes in this theory.

One hypothesis that de la Iglesias has floated is that our ancestors may have been kept up later by the light of the full moon, and this tendency may have become ingrained in us.

Another hypothesis, according to SELF, is that the full moons greater gravitational pull has an effect on our bodies. This pull is what influences the oceans tides. The shifts in the Earths magnetic field may also be a possible explanation for why our sleep becomes affected.

However, scientists still dont know exactly why the lunar cycle may have an impact on some peoples sleep. If you find it harder to sleep in the lead-up to the full moon, scientists recommend practising good sleep hygiene, such as not looking at your phone screen right before going to bed and sticking to a routine to help you settle in for the night.

If all else fails, you can always head outside and indulge in some moongazing. After all, the supermoon wont stick around for long!

Watch: Supermoon set to rise: Top tips for amateur photographers

Read more about health and wellness:
Iowa State students return to campus this week. Here's how the school is celebrating.

Iowa State University students celebrate back in the school during a cookout of the university's welcome weekend at Lied Athletic Recreation Center on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, in Ames, Iowa.

Iowa State University has plenty of exciting activities lined up for the final weekend before classes start.

Cyclone Welcome Weekend kicks off on Friday, Aug. 23. All new and returning students are invited to enjoy the free events scattered throughout the weekend. University IDs are needed to participate.

Destination Iowa State organized many of the offerings, including Friday's cookout. Much of Saturday's programming.

Here's a list of 2024 Cyclone Welcome Weekend activities:

Iowa State University students enjoy food while celebrating back in school during a cookout of the university's welcome weekend at Lied Athletic Recreation Center on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, in Ames, Iowa.

Friday, Aug. 23

Destination Iowa State activities on Friday include:

10 a.m. - noon at the Memorial Union: TRANSFERmation - Network with other transfer students

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at various campus locations: Cyclone Skills - Students can get academic success tips

2-4 p.m. at various campus locations: Clone Quest - An interactive, app-based scavenger hunt.

4-6 p.m. at various campus locations: Welcome to your Cyclone Home - Students living in Iowa State housing are invited to mingle with their neighbors and new community.

8-11 p.m. at Memorial Union: Late Night at Memorial Union - Activities, music and food.

A joint event with Cyclone Welcome Weekend and Destination Iowa State is Friday's cookout from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lied Recreation Center.

More: Ames High strengthens cellphone ban for classrooms, hoping to eliminate distractions

Iowa State University students celebrate back in the school during a cookout of the university's welcome weekend at Lied Athletic Recreation Center on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, in Ames, Iowa.

Saturday, Aug. 24

8 a.m.- noon at Central Campus: G.O.A.T. Breakfast - Breakfast and yoga sessions with goats.

11 a.m.-5 p.m. at Durham Great Hall, Memorial Union: Gallery of Games

11 a.m.- 2 p.m. at Ames Public Library: Turn up the Heat at the Ames Public Library - Find out about all the cool free services available to ISU students, play games and earn a free library card.

Noon-3 p.m. at Advanced Teaching and Research Building: Bug Village - Offered by the ISU Insect Zoo, complete with displays, a costume contest, and bug treats.

1-3 p.m. (second session 3-5 p.m.) at Memorial Union Sun Room: Nerdology - A trivia team game show hosted by improv comedians. Prizes will be offered.

1-3 p.m. at State Gym: Colossal Volleyball Clash

8:30 p.m. at Stephens Audiroium: Hypnotist and comedian Chris Jones

More: 801 Day: Breaking down the preschool partying tradition for Iowa State students

Iowa State University students enjoy volleyball while celebrating back in the school during a cookout of the university's welcome weekend at Lied Athletic Recreation Center on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, in Ames, Iowa.

Sunday, Aug. 25

A Sunday addition to Cyclone Welcome Weekend is the inaugural Passport Adventure for students at Parks Library. Students can collect stamps in their passports from 2-5 p.m. as they navigate the building.

Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: What to expect at Iowa State University's Welcome Weekend 2024
When is Labor Day 2024? Here's its history and how it's tied to fashion

Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer, and the 2024 holiday is looming closer.

The official end of summer is a few weeks away, as the first day of fall is on Sept. 22, according to the Farmers Almanac.

Here is what you need to know about Labor Day and the history behind it:

When is Labor Day 2024?

Labor Day is on Monday, Sept. 2.

What is the history of Labor Day?

Labor Day became a national holiday in 1894 under then-President Grover Cleveland. The holiday was to be observed on the first Monday in September annually, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Labor Day dates back to the labor movement of the 19th century, where labor activists pushed for the holiday to recognize that it was workers who were behind Americas prosperity, according to the federal department. The first recorded Labor Day celebration took place in 1882 in New York.

Americans in the late 1800s worked 12-hour days for a basic living, and children worked in mills, factories and mines, earning far less than adults, according to the History Channel. During this time period, labor unions increased their efforts to call for better working conditions, hours and pay.

Fall 2024: See Starbucks tease PSL, fall menu. Summer turns to fall in change of taste series

In the lead-up to Labor Day becoming a national holiday, there was a strike at the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago in 1894 and later a boycott of all trains carrying Pullman cars, according to Northern Illinois Universitys digital library. Disruption to rail traffic across the nation occurred, and federal troops were sent to Chicago, changing a largely peaceful strike into clashes that left dozens of people dead or injured, according to the library.

Can you wear white after Labor Day?

Yes, you can wear white after Labor Day, contrary to a rule that says otherwise. This rule can be traced back to the late 19th century and the old money elite trying to elevate themselves above the newly wealthy. Another possibility behind this rule is that people swapped their light summer clothes for darker tones and thicker fabrics due to the changing seasons, USA TODAY reported.

What's the difference between Labor Day and Memorial Day?

You may have confused Labor Day with Memorial Day, or vice versa. Both national holidays on Mondays; they're the hallmarks of summer (beginning or ending); and they bring about sales.

But Memorial Day is about honoring those who died in service to America, observed annually on the last Monday in May, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

This past Memorial Day was on May 27.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Labor Day 2024: When is it, history behind it, wearing white after it
Labor Day: Vero Beach has these last-minute flights on Breeze Airways

If you're looking for a last-minute trip for Labor Day, here's where you can fly from the Treasure Coast.

Breeze Airways, the only passenger airline serving the Treasure Coast, currently has only two routes flying from the Vero Beach Regional Airport for Labor Day weekend:

Warwick, Rhode Island: Roundtrip leaving on Aug. 30 to Sept. 2

West Harrison, New York: Roundtrip leaving on Aug. 29 to Sept. 1

Breeze Airways: What to know about fares, routes, refunds and cancellation policies

Florida's biggest airports: Top 20 ranking may surprise you

Breeze flights out of Vero Beach

Breeze operates seasonal flights, meaning some services stop for months at a time before they restart. The airline added New Haven, Connecticut, as a new route with flights taking off Dec. 13 and prices starting at $69 one way.

You can fly to these Northeast cities from Vero Beach, depending on the time of year:

Gianna Montesano is TCPalms trending reporter. You can contact her at gianna.montesano@tcpalm.com, 772-409-1429, or follow her on X @gonthescene.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Labor Day: Vero Beach has these last-minute flights on Breeze Airways
Missouri town ranked among top U.S. small towns to live in

MISSOURI  Travel and Leisure Magazine released a list of the countrys most sought-after small towns to live in, according to real estate experts.

According to the list, Branson, Missouri, was noted as one of the top 12 small towns to live in, with a population of less than 25,000.

Missing Illinois man in Arizona sparks suspicions from family

The town was noted for its natural beauty as a town located near the Lake of the Ozarks. According to the magazine, Branson, which has a population of around 13,000, is also known for its affordability in the real estate market.

Branson was ranked above Davenport, Florida, and Whitefish, Montana.

Incline Village, Nevada, topped the list, followed by Moab, Utah.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with foreign parliamentary leaders attending the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of China's National People's Congress' (NPC) affiliation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, as well as the 2024 interregional seminar on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for parliaments of developing countries, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 20, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday that China will, as always, support the National People's Congress (NPC) in deepening exchanges and cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

Xi made the remarks while meeting with foreign parliamentary leaders attending the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of NPC's affiliation to the IPU, as well as the 2024 interregional seminar on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for parliaments of developing countries in Beijing.

Xi welcomed the speakers' visit to China, noting that they come from countries on different continents. "We are all members of the Global South," he said.

Despite different national conditions, China and the countries are all good brothers and good partners with a shared vision, Xi added.

Noting that the current global landscape is rapidly evolving, Xi said China is willing to work with other countries to advocate an equal and orderly multi-polar world and an inclusive economic globalization that benefits all, promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, and build the Earth into a harmonious family.

Exchanges between legislative bodies are an important part of state-to-state relations, Xi stressed, adding that legislative bodies should and are capable of playing an active role in forming state-to-state relations based on equality and mutual trust, expanding mutually beneficial cooperation for development, promoting open and inclusive exchanges and mutual learning, advancing global governance featuring fairness and equity, and making unique contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Xi briefed the foreign parliamentary leaders on the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, which was held in mid-July.

He stressed that China's unswerving commitment to high-level opening up will inject new momentum into the development of the world economy, provide new opportunities for deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, and open up new prospects for the common development of developing countries.

China is ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the legislative bodies of other countries to jointly explore modernization paths suited to their own national conditions, Xi added.

He described the adherence to the path of socialist political advancement with Chinese characteristics under the leadership of the CPC and the commitment to developing whole-process people's democracy as "major experience of China in achieving remarkable progress in governance."

The true essence of people's democracy lies in the principle that matters should be discussed openly, with collective issues being deliberated by the public to accommodate aspirations and demands of the whole society, Xi noted.

Whole-process people's democracy not only has a complete set of institutional procedures but also involves comprehensive participation and practices, making it extensive, authentic and effective, he said.

China will, as always, support the NPC in deepening exchanges and cooperation with the IPU, Xi said.

He added that on the basis of mutual respect for each other's development paths and institutional models, efforts should be made to strengthen the exchange of legislative and governance experience, jointly enhance the capacity to perform duties, and foster a favorable legal environment and a solid foundation of public opinion for deepening friendly cooperation among the Global South.

Tulia Ackson, IPU president and Tanzania's National Assembly speaker, Peter Katjavivi, speaker of Namibia's National Assembly, and Marinus Bee, chairman of Suriname's National Assembly, addressed the meeting on behalf of the foreign speakers.

They said the IPU has maintained long-term friendly and close cooperation with the NPC of China, and thanked the Chinese side for its commitment to promoting unity, mutual trust, friendship and cooperation among parliaments of all countries, as well as its contribution to the development of various undertakings of the IPU and the implementation of the SDGs.

As the largest developing country in the world, China has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and made remarkable achievements in development, setting an example and providing important opportunities for other developing countries, they said.

The IPU appreciates China's stance of upholding fairness and justice in international affairs, advocacy of equality for all countries regardless of size, and significant contributions to world peace, stability and common development, they said.

All parties expressed appreciation for the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by China, pledging commitment to strengthening friendly partnerships with China, adhering to the one-China principle, and jointly safeguarding multilateralism through close cooperation with China. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with foreign parliamentary leaders attending the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of China's National People's Congress' (NPC) affiliation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, as well as the 2024 interregional seminar on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for parliaments of developing countries, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 20, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with foreign parliamentary leaders attending the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of China's National People's Congress' (NPC) affiliation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, as well as the 2024 interregional seminar on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for parliaments of developing countries, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 20, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with foreign parliamentary leaders attending the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of China's National People's Congress' (NPC) affiliation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, as well as the 2024 interregional seminar on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for parliaments of developing countries, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 20, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with foreign parliamentary leaders attending the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of China's National People's Congress' (NPC) affiliation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, as well as the 2024 interregional seminar on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for parliaments of developing countries, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 20, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)
The family-friendly interactive space of Warsaw's chocolate museum are all about getting stuck in and trying new kinds of chocolate. Fabryka Czekolady E.Wedel/dpa

Warsaw has just given all chocolate fans a reason to visit Poland: A new chocolate museum is opening at the headquarters of Polish chocolate manufacturer E.Wedel in Warsaw.

From September 4 onwards, visitors will be able to take a journey through the entire chocolate production process, from picking and roasting the cocoa beans to processing and packaging the finished product over an area of 8,000 square metres - making it Poland's largest chocolate museum.

The facade of the new museum matches the theme visually and visitors are greeted by a building that resembles a large bar of chocolate.

The Fabryka Czekolady ("Chocolate Factory"), as the museum is officially called, also provides information about the history of the E.Wedel company, founded more than 170 years ago.

Using the motto Mozna ("You can"), curators are expressly encouraging visitors to try things out here. In the interactive exhibition areas you can taste, smell and even lend a hand by designing your own chocolate bar.

If you're already considering heading to Warsaw for the chocolate museum, then the Polish Vodka Museum might help seal the deal. Here, visitors can learn everything there is to know about one the Polish national drink.

In the former factory, located in the now trendy district of Praga, visitors get to know the distillation process through virtual and interactive exhibits, while discovering bartender tricks and the role vodka has played in national politics.

Visitors also learn all about how Polish vodka gained its prestigious international reputation. Thankfully, they can put their new-found knowledge to the test with a tasting at the on-site bar and restaurant.

Poland was also once a world capital of neon signs. Today, many of these neon signs glow on the dark old walls of the Soho Factory in Warsaw.

The former industrial site is attracting hundreds of visitors every day with a collection of fluorescent relics that also gives tourists a sense of how neon advertising was used as a creative weapon in Poland's Cold War struggle with the West.

The Neon Museum also offer a fascinating snapshot of Polish history up until the ubiquitous signs were torn down with the Iron Curtain.

The neon boom fell into decline after the 1970s. Damaged signs were thrown away, while others simply consumed too much electricity for their owners to keep them. In Poland, the medium was also eventually supplanted by advertising from the West after the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989.
You can now finally apply for a Cuban visa online (and not on paper)

For the longest time, getting a visa for Cuba was something of a headache. However a new electronic visa that launched in August is set to make it simpler to arrange a holiday in Cuba.

The new online system replaces the more cumbersome "tourist card", which previously required travellers to buy a special paper document from the Cuban embassy, from certain airlines at the airport or from a website online.

Some tour operators had also been offering the sale of the 90-day tourist card together with other tourist services.

With the new eVisa system, tourists can now apply for the visa online. The website has already been switched on at: evisacuba.cu/en/inicio

You can apply for a visa in English, French and Spanish. A valid passport and an email address to which a code is sent are required. The visa costs 22 for EU tourists.
See photos inside Le Meridien Fort Worth, downtowns new hotel and rooftop bar set to open

Inside Look stories give Star-Telegram subscribers exclusive sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes reporting. Story suggestion? Editors@star-telegram.com.

Le Meridien Fort Worth, downtowns newest hotel, will be opening Aug. 29.

The 14-story, 188-room hotel blends the brands French roots with a modern Texas flair.

Located at 811 Commerce St., Le Meridien is within walking distance of the Fort Worth Convention Center, Sundance Square and Fort Worth Central Station.

The Le Meridien Downtown Fort Worths design features a mid-century modern decor as seen in the lobby on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.

The penthouse floor of Le Meridien Downtown Fort Worth features the ANNEX rooftop lounge as seen on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.

The building was formerly an annex of Hotel Texas, now the Hilton Fort Worth. The first five floors were built in 1928 and were used as a garage for early automobile owners. The remainder of the building was added in the 1960s.

The second through fifth floors will be used as a garage for Le Meridiens valet-only parking service.

A Marriott brand, there are 120 Le Meridien hotels across the globe, including one in Dallas. The Fort Worth location is managed by Remington Hospitality.

Redevelopment of the property was led by Blueprint Hospitality, and it was designed by Dallas-based firm Premier.

Pricing is around $200 per night, but changes based on availability and type of room.

Le Meridien Downtown Fort Worth opens on Tuesday.

Le Meridien Downtown Fort Worth features a library near the sixth floor pool deck as a air conditioned getaway.

Chase Chasteen, the hotels general manager, said he hopes top-notch service will differentiate Le Meridien from other Fort Worth lodgings.

Guests are very discerning whenever theyre searching for places to stay, as they should be, and were really dedicated to earning that business, Chasteen said.

Le Meridien has about 60 staff members.

The pool deck of Le Meridien Downtown Fort Worth on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.

Trinity Metros new orange line bus route, which will run between the Stockyards and downtown when it opens in September, will stop right outside Le Meridien.

The hotel is one addition to a part of downtown ripe with development. Luxury apartment tower Deco 969 opened across the street in July, and convention center renovations are well underway. The new Texas A&M-Fort Worth campus is under construction a few blocks away on Commerce Street.

The penthouse floor of Le Meridien Downtown Fort Worth features the ANNEX rooftop lounge as seen on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.

Chasteen has worked in the hotel industry for 17 years, first as a bellman while he was attending the University of Texas at Austin. Born and raised in Fort Worth, he said he is excited to share his hometown with visitors.

We really incorporate a lot of some of the amazing things that Fort Worth has to offer in the community, Chasteen said.

Mid-century modern design elements can be found throughout Le Meridien, from guest rooms to amenity spaces.

The wall vinyl inside Le Meridien Downtown Fort Worth features homage to Fort Worth culture such as panthers and the Chisolm Trail, as seen on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.

Wood paneling and inviting furnishings warm up the buildings Brutalist architecture. Decor and details throughout the hotel, like custom Chisholm Trail-inspired wallpaper, offer subtle nods to Fort Worth history.

Its very visually appealing and draws you in, and seems like theres something intriguing at every glance that you take, Chasteen said.

Technology throughout the hotel aims to make working out, using meeting spaces or even getting around the building seamless. To call the elevator, guests use a touchscreen activated by their key card instead of a button.

The Bouvier Brasserie at Le Meridien Downtown Fort Worth on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.

Le Meridien has an all-day restaurant, Bouvier Brasserie, and a rooftop bar and lounge called Annex. Illy coffee is served at all venues and offered in guest rooms.

Design details can shift Bouvier Brasseries bar from day to night service. Liquor cabinets fold open to display a black marble backsplash, covering the bars white backsplash and coffee cups used during the day. Chasteen said the restaurant is planning to take reservations via OpenTable.

With its wall of windows and rooftop patio, Annex offers stunning views of Fort Worth no matter the weather. The cozy lounge will feature live music on Friday and Saturday nights.

Chasteen said the food and beverage program will share Texas and French flavors with guests.

The penthouse floor of Le Meridien Downtown Fort Worth features the ANNEX rooftop lounge as seen on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.

Other amenities include a fitness center overlooking downtown, the sixth floors outdoor pool and a library which guests can reserve.

Le Meridien also has extensive meeting space. There are two large conference rooms and a boardroom, all named after iconic Fort Worth locales like Sundance Square. The meeting space has its own lounge, pre-meeting space and restrooms to minimize interruptions from other guests.

A conference room at Le Meridien Downtown Fort Worth on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.

Chasteen said every guestroom has at least a partial view of downtown. Finishings in each room tie into the buildings mid-century decor, like wood paneling and unique light fixtures. Large tiled bathrooms feature lighted mirrors.

Though theres a little over a week to go until Le Meridien welcomes its first guests, Chasteen said bookings for September are already strong.

A view of downtown Fort Worth from one of the standard rooms at Le Meridien Downtown Fort Worth on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.

A suite at Le Meridien Downtown Fort Worth on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.

The bathroom of a suite in Le Meridien Downtown Fort Worth on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.
Tim Walz's Violently Midwestern "Hotdish" Is Going Viral, So I Recreated It In My Own Kitchen (And Have So Many Thoughts)

Something VIOLENTLY Midwestern is happening in the 2024 presidential election, and for once, it has absolutely nothing to do with the state of Iowa...and everything to do with food.

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Mere days after being confirmed as Kamala Harris's VP pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz tweeted one of his family's "hotdish" recipes: the Turkey Trot Tater-Tot Hotdish. It quickly became a viral moment, garnering over 1.5 million views.

Minnesota is *the top* turkey-producing state in the nation. Fun fact.And you can eat it year round. Heres one of my familys recipes: pic.twitter.com/X6hHzD3zs8  Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) August 9, 2024

Twitter: @GovTimWalz

I'm no political genius, but I am a chronically online, brain-rotted millennial, so I'm assuming that the "turkey" nod is a reference to his recently resurfaced video at the Minnesota State Fair, where he charmingly quibbles with his vegetarian daughter over corndogs vs. turkey dogs.

Or maybe it's referencing Vice President Kamala Harris's iconic Thanksgiving turkey tips? Who's to say, really.

I demand a turkey Cook off between you and the Vice President.  Jersey Craig (@Jersey_Craig) August 9, 2024

Twitter: @Jersey_Craig

Important context up front: Hotdish is a Midwestern casserole-type meal that typically combines a protein and veggie mix in a creamy sauce. An earlier version of this post stated that they're always topped with tater tots, which I've since learned is false  but the tater tot-topped variety is certainly one of the most popular. The hotdish as a whole is...basically the unofficial dish of Minnesota. Like, Minnesotans can't get enough of it.

Bizarrely enough, this also isn't the first time the beloved dish has come up in the context of politics. Back when Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar campaigned for president in 2020, she held a series of "Hotdish House Parties" for Minnesota voters, featuring her family's special hotdish recipe at each one.

This isn't the first time Walz has shared his hotdish recipes with the public; he posted his New Ulm Hotdish recipe on X this past July. It was one of the recipes that won him the Minnesota Congressional Delegation "Hotdish-Off"  which is a real thing  three times.

Whats a hotdish you ask? Heres an award-winning recipe of mine to get you started: pic.twitter.com/r9H2f1ntFu  Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) July 29, 2024

Twitter: @Tim_Walz

In the hotdish-obsessed corner of X (a small but very opinionated community), Walz's recent virality actually re-ignited a former hotdish controversy of his: using peas. Back in 2022, he was met with a fair amount of criticism online for using the divisive legume in an otherwise standard hotdish, which he proudly posted a photo of in a Pyrex baking dish.

I have no problem with peas in a hotdish. Carrots might be pushing it. https://t.co/meSy6GfXNL  John McCormick (@McCormickJohn) August 11, 2024

Twitter: @McCormickJohn

But whether you're pro- or anti-hotdish, I think we can all agree that it looks like food is already shaping up to be a recurring theme for the Harris-Walz campaign. Between Walz's viral "white guy tacos" comment and his landmark universal free lunch program in his home state, it's clear he definitely shares Vice President Kamala Harris's love for all things food. (Cooking with Kamala, I'll never forget you.)

Naturally, Walz's viral "Turkey Trot Tater-Tot" hotdish recipe has been worming its way into my brain ever since I laid eyes on it, so it didn't take long until I found myself frantically scribbling out a grocery list and running to the grocery store to grab everything I needed to try it at home. As someone who's never tried a hotdish before, I was simply too intrigued not to try it  so intrigued, in fact, that I broke all my rules and used my oven on a 90 day with suspect air conditioning.

Here's everything I needed to make it:

You'll also need:  Kosher salt  Black pepper  Olive oil Ross Yoder

Most importantly, you'll also need a package of frozen tater tots, per the below image; IDK what trademark battle Whole Foods is avoiding by opting for tater "puffs," but I can confirm they're just tater tots. Walz doesn't specify the size, but I found that my one-pound bag worked OK. Truth be told, though, you might want a two-pound bag for maximum tater tot coverage.

Obligatory reminder that Whole Foods is the cheapest grocery store in my NYC neighborhood before you eviscerate me for shopping at the "most expensive grocery store imaginable"! Ross Yoder

All in all, the ingredients I bought clocked in at around $35, which ain't cheap for a single meal. But considering the fact that this recipe made at least eight servings (and that's a conservative guess), just over $4 per serving doesn't seem outlandish to me.

From beginning to end, here's how I made Walz's famous hotdish (including a few important liberties I took) so you can try it yourself...if you're brave enough, that is. Spoiler alert: This dish, while violently Midwestern, was surprisingly a 10.

STEP #1: After setting your oven to 375F, use a fork to mix the ground turkey, garlic, sage, green onions, egg, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt  just until everything is evenly incorporated.

I honestly still do not know what the egg accomplishes here, but I trust it's there for a reason. Ross Yoder

Then, you'll cook the mixture in a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Honestly  and I'm veering from Walz's instructions here  I'd cook it just shy of done, since the mixture still has a 45-minute baking session ahead of it, and you don't want to end up with dry turkey meat. You'll then place the turkey meat into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, but any other similarly-sized oven-safe dish will do. Pyrex is the Minnesota way, of course, but you do you.

Ross Yoder

STEP #2: Blanch the diced green beans in boiling water (a large saucepan works great so you can reuse it later) for two to three minutes only, then remove them to an ice bath to "shock" them, which keeps 'em bright and green throughout the cooking process.

Ross Yoder

Once cooled, drain thoroughly and add them to your baking dish, on top of the cooked turkey mixture.

STEP #3: Cook your bacon in the skillet you used for the turkey mixture until golden brown and crisp. Walz then calls for chopping the cooked bacon into 1/4-inch pieces, but IMO, you can just crumble it into small chunks. Surprise, surprise: You're also going to add the cooked bacon to the baking dish!

Ross Yoder

STEP #4: In the same skillet, add 2 tablespoons of butter to the rendered bacon fat and use it to saute the chopped mushrooms. You'll cook them for 45 minutes or until "2 minutes after the browning point," as Walz specifies. Then, you guessed it, you'll pour everything into the baking dish!

Ross Yoder

STEP #5: Now, FINALLY, you are going to mix everything together in your baking dish  the turkey, green beans, bacon, and mushrooms.

Ross Yoder

STEP #6: In the same saucepan you used to blanch the green beans, you'll make your cheese sauce. Melt 4 tablespoons butter, then sprinkle in the flour. Stir it constantly over medium heat for two minutes, until it smells nutty and turns golden. This is your "roux," which will thicken the cheese sauce.

Ross Yoder

Then, you're going to carefully whisk in your cold half & half and cold milk; cold milk added to a hot roux ensures no lumps. Keep on whisking until everything is completely combined and lump-free, then simmer for two more minutes.

Ross Yoder

After two minutes, you'll add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and your chopped onions to the sauce. I was feeling rather suspect about the raw onions (no sauteing first?!), but can confirm it all worked out nicely in the end.

Then, off the heat, you'll whisk in 2 1/2 cups of cheese until fully melted. Save the remaining 1/2 cup for sprinkling over the tots!

Ross Yoder

It's a glorious cheese sauce, if I do say so myself.

Ross Yoder

STEP #7: Pour all of your steamy, melty cheese sauce over your thoroughly mixed hotdish ingredients, and do it as evenly as possible. Many other hotdish recipes that I compared this one to also call for not mixing the ingredients and sauce, and instead instruct you to just pour it over. I have no clue why, but trust the process (and the Midwesterners responsible for it).

Ross Yoder

Once sauced, you'll evenly top everything with frozen tater tots. Listen, y'all: I did my best with my one-pound bag of tots. Realistically, I think the top should be completely covered with tots, hence my recommendation to buy a two-pound bag so you'll have extra...but I'm simply unsure! Tim doesn't provide a picture! We may never know the "right" way.

FYI, Food Network's tot-to-filling ratio looks similar to mine, so don't you dare come for me! Ross Yoder

For one last final cheesy touch, because you can NEVER have too much cheese in the Midwest  I went to school in Michigan, so I can say that  you'll scatter the remaining cheese all over the top of the tots.

Ross Yoder

STEP #8: Carefully slide the extremely heavy baking dish into your pre-heated 375F oven and bake it for 45 minutes, or until the tots are golden brown and the filling is bubbly and piping hot.

I doubted Walz at this point, thinking there was no way in hell it would take 45 minutes to cook, but I was, once again, wrong. Truth be told, the green beans were perfectly cooked after 45 minutes and still had some nice texture to them  which strikes me as a potential reason that Walz opted for fresh veggies over frozen or canned.

Here's what she looked like straight out of the oven. At this point, my apartment was 80 (I checked!), which pales in comparison to the 1,000 tater tot I selfishly stole off the top and subsequently decimated my mouth and tastebuds with.

Ross Yoder

As I took this photo, my perplexed husband exclaimed, "What is that?!" To which I answered, "It's a Tim Walz family hotdish recipe," which was likely the last thing he expected me to say on an ordinary Thursday summer afternoon.

Ross Yoder

Confused as he was, we both dug in as soon as the hotdish cooled down to no longer be as hot as the surface of the sun. And ultimately...we couldn't stop eating it. It was perfection.

Ross Yoder

In the baking dish, it looks great! On a fork, it's objectively nauseating, but I urge you to look past mere aesthetics and appreciate this crowd-pleasing casserole for everything it is. Texturally, it's incredible; with still-crisp green beans, rich cheese sauce, and crisp tater tots in every bite, it's easily one of the most satisfying casseroles I've bitten into.

Ross Yoder

Nothing will ever take away my sweet, sweet green bean casserole as a Thanksgiving staple, but TBH, this "turkey trot" hotdish is kind of the complete meal, non-holiday version of it. So if you, like me, have ever seriously considered eating a green bean casserole for dinner, Walz's hotdish might be your answer. It's got all the food groups of the Midwest represented: meat, veggies, potatoes, and cheese. What's not to love?

Ross Yoder

My husband and I both had it for lunch the day I made it, fresh out of the oven. We also had it for dinner, and even served it to a friend of ours who was visiting (she loved it!). The next day, I had leftovers for lunch...and the day after that, I also had a hotdish lunch. All this to say: It's really, really good.

If you try this recipe yourself, let me know what you think of it in the comments. And if we get word of a Harris vs. Walz "Turkey-Off" as November swiftly approaches  Kamala HQ, I'm begging you to make this happen  this won't be the last you'll hear from me re: the 2024 election and poultry. 
It's not everyday a local business turns 105 years young, but that's exactly what Walter's Hot Dogs will be doing on Aug. 25 and 26.

The popular hot dog stand, which was founded in 1919 by Walter Warrington and now run by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, is offering a Family Fun Day at its flagship Mamaroneck location from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a hot dog eating contest at 3 p.m.

There will also be live music, face painting, raffles and a kid's table in addition to offerings from Walter's food truck from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. serving popular items such as puffy dogs, floats and a new chili cheese dog.

Limited edition merchandise will also be on sale.

More: A humble hot dog paired with four generations of dedication is Walter's recipe for success

Aug. 26 marks Customer Appreciation Day with $1.05 hot dogs all day at the company's Mamaroneck and White Plains locations.

To further celebrate the event, the White Plains location will stay open until 8:30 p.m. Monday for Customer Appreciation Day.

In Mamaroneck, there will be a printmaking workshop with Arts Mobile, created by Arts Westchester, from noon to 3 p.m. The Walter's food truck will also be there on Sunday and Monday

The family-run business ran a similar event five years ago when it turned 100.

Walter's Hot Dogs is a Westchester institution

For those new to Westchester, Walter's Hot Dogs is local institution and a nationally registered historical landmark known for its split down the middle, basted in a secret sauce griddled franks (an exclusive blend of beef, pork and veal) served on toasted buns topped with homemade mustard.

According to its website, the Mamaroneck building was established in 1928 on Palmer Avenue and has been drawing long lines and loyal patrons ever since.

It's been named a "best restaurant" and "best hot dog" by numerous outlets over the years, starting with Gourmet Magazine voting it the number one hot dog in the country in 2001. Other accolades include a 2016 "Chef Pick" from the Food Network, best hot dogs in the U.S. from The Daily Meal in 2017, and, more recently, a top-rated listing by Google for most searched hot dog shops across the country.

In 2021 the Wall Street Journal listed it among its "Best Hot Dog Joint in Every State" story; it was also named a top restaurant by Eater in 2022 and a "best restaurant" by The Infatuation in 2023.

And while its famous franks are the primary driver of its popularity (and almost cult-like dedication), the eatery also churns out funnel cake sticks, curly fries, potato puffs, milkshakes and Italian ices.

People wait in line to order food during the 100th anniversary celebration at Walter's Hot Dog Stand in Mamaroneck Aug. 25, 2019. Hundreds turned out for the anniversary celebration, which included live music, a hot dog eating contest, games for kids, and lots of hot dogs. A similar event is planned for Walter's 105th anniversary.

More: Summer 2024 continues hot streak with the opening of 8 new Westchester eateries

Since Gene Christian Baca and Katharine Warrington DeCicco took over in December 2013 and March 2014, respectively, running the business with their mom and older sister, it has grown to include five food trucks (their first rolled out in 2015, and the trucks have become popular on movie and television sets as an alternative to the traditional craft services options) and a sit-down fast casual restaurant in White Plains that opened in 2018.

A Walter's kiosk opened in Stamford, Connecticut, in 2017 but closed in 2020. The company's presence in Connecticut, however, remains strong with a food truck at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport that's been there for the past two years.

Tradition rules at Walter's

No matter how big they grow  and the food truck business is something they plan to continue to expand  customers remain at the heart of all they do. Which is why this 105th year celebration is personal.

Keeping with tradition, said Christine Warrington, Walter Warringtons granddaughter and one of the owner-operators of Walter's, is paramount to the company's success.

"For as long as I can remember, my dad, Eugene Warrington, celebrated our five-year anniversaries the last weekend of August with customer appreciation, a hot dog eating contest, and close friends and family," she said.

Respecting the family's history  and staying true to Warrington's original recipe  has also played a key part in the business success.

"It's really very simple," said DeCicco. "Even though we've grown, we're really still just about hot dogs."

If you go

Address: 937 Palmer Ave., Mamaroneck, 914-500-5029; 186 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains, 914-397-9406, waltershotdogs.com

Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Walter's Hot Dogs, a Westchester institution in Mamaroneck, turns 105
Where are the food trucks in the Myrtle Beach, SC area? Heres what to know about them

Despite having a well-developed restaurant scene, the Myrtle Beach area does not have the same when it comes to food trucks, partly due to restrictive laws created by Horry County.

Food trucks are limited to where they can set up in Horry County, according to county ordinances. They need a designated spot that is at least 300 feet from the entrance of a brick and mortar restaurant. This prevents trucks from stopping in popular parts of the Myrtle Beach area, such as downtown.

I dont agree with it because I can open a brick-and-mortar restaurant right next to another brick-and-mortar restaurant, said Project Smashburger owner Mike Hensley. Why does the truck have to be so far away?

Hensley typically runs his food truck outside in the parking lot of Robs Auto Body, 901 Church St. in Conway, which means he also has to follow Conway ordinances.

It is difficult to know just how many food trucks are in Horry County, and where you can find them.

When creating laws for food trucks in 2014 and 2015, Horry County Council had many debates about the matter, according to articles from The Sun News. Some council members at the time feared food trucks would harm brick and mortar businesses, so it was made more difficult for them to park near existing restaurants.

Food trucks need to have their designated spots approved by the county. Two spots are included in the initial application but any additional spot costs $100 in Horry County and $25 in Myrtle Beach. Hensley said he could easily lose money applying to park at other places.

Conway gives food truck owners the option to drive around, but Myrtle Beach and Horry County do not appear to allow the same. They ask mobile food vendors to name where they plan to work and do not mention transient food vending in their applications.

The Gnosh Pit owner Meredith McCarthy said she wishes she could set up near beach access points.

There are also restrictions on how many food trucks can be in one area. Only one is allowed per parcel of land, with up to 15 being allowed on 30 acres. This prevents a group of food trucks gathering in the same place for the lunch rush.

Food truck parks can also be risky for the owners, said McCarthy. If the wrong location is chosen and the truck park sees little attendance, thats lost money.

The best way to find a food truck is to check its social media or call the company to see where theyre set up. You can also ask food truck workers what other trucks they recommend.

Some of these regulations are lifted for special events, such as food truck festivals. This allows more food trucks in one space and doesnt require all the typical permits.

The South Carolina weather could be also be stopping food trucks from becoming popular in Myrtle Beach, McCarthy said.

When its 100 degrees outside its 130 degrees in the truck, she said. Its difficult to perform well when its so ridiculously hot.
Atlanta police said at least one person is dead and another injured in a road rage incident near Georgia Tech.

Police said a driver got angry at another driver on Northside Drive near the intersection of Donald Lee Hollowell and shot at him.

That driver, identified only as a 28-year-old man, then crashed into two other cars at the intersection of Northside Drive and 10th Street.

The driver shot at another car before taking his own life, police said.

The victim, a 51-year-old man, was taken to the hospital. He also has not been identified. He sustained a gunshot wound to his arm.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Channel 2s Michael Seiden was at the scene Tuesday, where the crashed car was still in the intersection of Northside Drive and 10th Street.

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Seiden talked to witnesses who described the chaos that unfolded right around lunchtime.

I just heard like tires screeching next to me, so I look over and the red car thats in the middle, he turns, and hes this close to my car, one witness said.

Another witness said he tried to help the driver, who was already dead.

I opened up the passenger window and pulled the airbag up and realized he had a pistol in his hand and his finger was still on the trigger, that witness said.




1 dead and 2 injured after I-80 crash in Sacramento left 3 vehicles in flames, CHP says

A driver who didnt see traffic ahead of him on Interstate 80 in Sacramento collided into a vehicle Monday, leading three vehicles to catch fire and killing one person in the flames as firefighters rushed another two people to a hospital, authorities said.

A pickup driver headed east on Interstate 80, east of Interstate 5, about 4:30 p.m. failed to observe cars stopped ahead of him and slammed into a Toyota Tacoma, said Officer Justin Fetterly, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrols North Sacramento office.

The collision caused a chain reaction in which flames engulfed three vehicles, Fetterly said.

Two people suffered moderate injuries and were rushed to a hospital, said Capt. Justin Sylvia, a spokesman for the Sacramento Fire Department, who noted five total vehicles were involved in the incident.

The driver of a Toyota Tacoma died at the scene, Fetterly said. The person has not been identified, and the Sacramento County Coroners Office is expected to release the victims name.

The pickup driver suffered minor injuries, Fetterly said. Investigators do not suspect DUI as a factor causing the crash.

The CHP closed three lanes eastbound on Interstate 80 as they canvassed the scene. There was no estimated time of reopening though traffic flowed on the two open lanes.
SURF CITY, N.C. (WNCN)  As Hurricane Ernesto was hundreds of miles off North Carolina over the weekend, the storm was felt along the coast with an Outer Banks home collapse, flooding on roads and now a death from rip currents stirred up by the storm.

The National Weather Service in Wilmington reported that on Saturday around 2:45 p.m., a man drowned in a rip current in Surf City in Pender County.

The death of the 41-year-old near beach access No. 10 is the fourth confirmed rip current fatality in North Carolina waters since July 4.

Its at least the seventh death overall of people swimming at the coast  the most recent before Saturday was on July 27 when a boy drowned at Corolla Beach.

Swells from Hurricane Ernesto also led to at least 40 rip current rescues over the weekend, the weather service said.

NOAA image with dye showing where a rip current is in surf along a beach.

Missing Goldsboro teen identified as body found near North Topsail Beach

The most rescues were at Wrightsville Beach, with 33 over two days. Also in New Hanover County, Carolina Beach had seven rip current rescues over the weekend while Kure Beach had one, the National Weather Service reported.

The rip currents are still menacing the coast with red flag warnings Monday along nearly all North Carolina beaches.

The high surf from Hurricane Ernesto also caused other problems over the weekend. A home was swept into the sea in the Rodanthe community on Hatteras Island  marking the seventh such incident at the coast in four years.

NC beaches closed after Outer Banks home falls into sea; no swimming as septic systems break

Swells and surf also washed under several homes in Buxton, breaking apart debris from the houses and compromising septic systems.

Swells at the beach at Oak Island in Brunswick County over the weekend. Photo by Oak Island Water Rescue.

The Cape Hatteras National Seashore reported beaches were closed while debris from the collapsed home was seen as far as 11 miles north. Also, swimming near Buxton is not advised because of the septic systems and debris.

Elsewhere on the North Carolina coast, N.C. 12 along the Outer Banks was covered by water in areas over the weekend as Ernesto overwash covered the main highway.

So far since July 4 there have been these previous deaths:

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R, Front) inspects Israeli troops in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on July 18, 2024. (Avi Ohayon/GPO/Handout via Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told hostage families on Tuesday that he is uncertain whether a deal with Hamas will be reached, emphasizing that Israel will not relinquish control of two corridors in the Gaza Strip, a key demand by Hamas, state-owned media reported.

"Israel will not withdraw under any circumstances from the Philadelphi Corridor and the Netzarim Corridor, despite enormous pressure to do so," Netanyahu told Gvura Forum and Tikva Forum, two groups representing families of hostages, as reported by Kan TV news.

The Philadelphi Corridor is a border area between Egypt and Gaza, while the Netzarim Corridor divides the enclave into northern and southern zones. Israeli forces currently control both, but Hamas has insisted on Israel's withdrawal as part of a ceasefire agreement.

Netanyahu's office did not deny the comments reportedly made during his meeting with the hostage families. In a statement, Netanyahu pledged to "preserve our strategic security assets despite significant pressures."

Israeli officials involved in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations accused Netanyahu of attempting to sabotage efforts to reach a deal after a new bridging proposal was presented in Qatar over the weekend.

"Netanyahu's remarks were intended to derail the negotiations," officials told Kan TV. "The prime minister knows we are at a critical juncture, working on solutions for the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors ahead of the next summit. He is aware of the progress made, yet his statements contradict what was agreed upon with mediators."

The remarks came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, after meeting with Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Monday, said Israel had accepted the bridging deal proposal. The proposal, advanced by Qatari, Egyptian, and U.S. mediators, was described by Blinken as a last-ditch effort to reach an agreement, which aims at securing a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas has demanded that the deal include a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire.

Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua)

Outside the Kirya base in Tel Aviv, the Israeli military's headquarters, dozens of hostage families and supporters rallied on Tuesday, urging the government to sign a deal. Similar demonstrations took place across the country.

The rallies were triggered by the retrieval of six hostages' bodies from a tunnel in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis during a military operation. They were kidnapped by Hamas fighters on Oct. 7, 2023, during their assault on Israeli communities.

Netanyahu praised the operation, stating, "Israel will continue to make every effort to bring our hostages back."

However, military spokesman Daniel Hagari said at a press conference that "there are currently 109 hostages held by Hamas," and added, "We won't be able to rescue all of them through military operations." He added that the National Institute of Forensic Medicine is still determining the cause of their death.

Meanwhile, Israel's Channel 13 TV reported that officials from the Israeli delegation expressed doubt over the resumption of talks in Cairo this week. Major General Nitzan Alon, representing the Israeli military in the delegation, may not attend due to Netanyahu's refusal to compromise on the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors. "If there is no compromise on the main issues, what is the point of going to Egypt?" officials told the channel.

Hamas fighters took about 250 hostages during their Oct. 7, 2023 assault on southern Israeli communities. While dozens have since been released in deals, Israeli security officials, speaking to Xinhua on condition of anonymity, said only about 60 hostages are believed to be alive.

Israel's response to the attack has resulted in a massive onslaught, killing more than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly civilians, and causing widespread destruction across the enclave, according to health authorities in Gaza. 
1 person in serious, but stable condition after hit and run

1 person in serious, but stable condition after hit and run

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  A woman was hospitalized with life threatening injuries after being struck by a vehicle at a busy interstate intersection Monday afternoon.

According to the Dayton Police Department, officers were called to where the I-75 southbound exit ramp intersected with Edwin C. Moses Boulevard around 5:40 p.m. Officers located a woman who had been struck by a vehicle. She was transported to a local hospital, initially in life-threatening condition.

1 person hospitalized after crash into fence

Her condition has improved since the incident, but she is still listed under serious, but stable condition according to the Dayton Police Department.

An initial investigation indicated that the woman was standing in the median at the bottom of the off ramp when she was struck by the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle did not stop after striking the woman and did not identify themselves.

The Dayton Police Departments Traffic Services Unit is investigating the incident further.

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1 taken to hospital after multi-vehicle crash in Graham at the intersection of South Main Street, East Crescent Square, firefighters say

1 taken to hospital after multi-vehicle crash in Graham at the intersection of South Main Street, East Crescent Square, firefighters say

GRAHAM, N.C. (WGHP)  One person was taken to the hospital after a multi-vehicle crash in Graham on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Graham Fire Department.

Around 2:35 p.m., Graham fire officials and police responded to a crash at the intersection of South Main Street and East Crescent Square.

1 taken to hospital after multi-vehicle crash in Graham at the intersection of South Main Street, East Crescent Square (Graham Fire Department)

1 taken to hospital after multi-vehicle crash in Graham at the intersection of South Main Street, East Crescent Square (Graham Fire Department)

1 taken to hospital after multi-vehicle crash in Graham at the intersection of South Main Street, East Crescent Square (Graham Fire Department)

Arriving crews learned one vehicle hit a power pole during the multi-vehicle crash.

One person was taken to the hospital with injuries. The extent of the injuries is unknown at this time.

There have been no reports of power outages due to the damage to the power pole.

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10 West Michigan clinics to get funds for free, low-cost services

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  Ten West Michigan health clinics are receiving funding from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

As part of the 20-year celebration for its Strengthening the Safety Net program, BCBS Michigan is awarding $914,000 in grants to 48 health clinics across the state. The money is meant to support free or low-cost medical, dental and behavioral health services, the network said in a news release.

Strengthening the Safety Net provides over 185,000 free or low-cost visits per year for vulnerable Michigan residents, BCBS said.

Clinics in the following West Michigan communities were awarded up to $25,000:

Grand Rapids: Baxter Community Center, Exalta Health, Mel Trotter Ministries

Holland: Holland Free Health Clinic

Grand Haven: Love in Action of the Tri-Cities

Marshall: Fountain Clinic

Zeeland: City on a Hill Ministries

Clinics in the following West Michigan communities were awarded up to $15,000:

Grand Rapids: Oasis of Hope Center

Coldwater: Presbyterian Health Clinic of Branch County

Allegan: Renewed Hope Health Clinic

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A 9-year-old boy was rescued from drowning by another child at the Baywatch Resort in North Myrtle Beach on Saturday, according to a North Myrtle Beach Police report.

He is the sixth child to be involved in an incident involving water in the Myrtle Beach area this summer.

The childs family was staying at the Baywatch Resort, 2701 S. Ocean Blvd., when they went down to the pool. The 9-year-old started to swim toward the deeper end of the pool when he lost his footing and began to drown, the report said.

An 11-year-old noticed the boy struggling in the water and thought he was playing at first, but then realized it was serious, the report stated. The older child grabbed the 9-year-old and brought him to the side of the pool where life-saving aid was given.

Police found the child to be OK but still sent him to the Grand Strand Hospital.

Several child drownings have occurred at pools in the area this year.

Annalise Baker, 5, died on June 23, a day after she drowned at the Sea Crest Resort, 803 S. Ocean Blvd. in Myrtle Beach. Her mother, Alyse Wike, allegedly left Baker in the pool area alone and was at the hotel bar when she drowned, according to police. They were from Pineville, South Carolina.

Emily Hanna, 3, died in the hospital on July 5 shortly after being pulled out of a home swimming pool. Shes from Hemingway but was staying with family along Brookstone Drive.

Lylah Dillon, 2, was visiting Myrtle Beach from New Milton, West Virginia, when she drowned in a lazy river along Wild Iris Drive. She died on July 7.

Serenity Evans, 11, drowned while staying at The Links Resort, 917 Thomas Ave. in North Myrtle Beach. She was swimming with her family on July 20, police said. She died at the hospital on July 23.

Ana Luisa Beccerra-Lira was arrested after her child nearly drowned at the Caribbean Resort, 3000 N. Ocean Blvd., Myrtle Beach on July 8. The condition of the child has not been released.

Theres also been at least two adult drownings, as 37-year-old Grace Mendonda, of Charlotte, North Carolina, died after being pulled out of the pool at the Twilight Surf Motel, 1701 S. Ocean Blvd. on Aug. 3.

Christopher Burns, 32, of the Surfside Beach area, died from a suspected drowning in the ocean near 3rd Avenue South in Myrtle Beach.
PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. (WBTW)  Less than a month into the new school year, a 12-year-old Georgetown County boy has been accused of threatening to burn down his school, authorities said.

The student at Waccamaw Intermediate School in Pawleys Island was placed in emergency protective custody after attempting to harm himself, the Georgetown County Sheriffs Office said on Tuesday. He was taken to Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital.

The boys parents were notified, and discipline under the Georgetown County School District policy is pending, the sheriffs office said.

Authorities have not released any additional details about the alleged threat. Georgetown County students began the new school year on Aug. 1.

The school has dealt with multiple school threats since January. In April, authorities charged a 12-year-old student who allegedly threatened to shoot up Carvers Bay Middle School. In March, authorities said an 11-year-old student was charged after allegedly telling his classmates and teacher that the Rosemary Middle School was going to blow up.

In January, authorities said a 7-year-old student at Kensington Elementary School allegedly threatened to blow up the school and shoot his classmates.

That was the districts third threat of the week. The first incident involved an 11-year-old girl who threatened to shoot up her elementary school after getting into an argument with a friend at McDonald Elementary School. The second one involved a 10-year-old girl at Kensington Elementary, who said she wanted to bring a gun to school and kill several students.

* * *

Dennis Bright is a Digital Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.

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Police made 13 arrests on Monday during protests outside of the Democratic National Convention, bringing the total to 15.

At a press briefing Tuesday, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said most of those arrested Monday had breached a fence near the United Center. Officers who responded to the breach were struck by objects and hit with pepper spray, Snelling said, but there were "no major injuries."

The charges against those who were arrested ranged from criminal trespass to resisting, obstructing and aggravated battery against police officers, he said.

Two people were arrested Sunday night on the eve of the of the four-day convention.

An estimated 50,000 people are expected to be in Chicago for the convention this week. Demonstrations are expected to happen each day, with the Associated Press reporting that crowds are expected to be even bigger than the protests outside the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month.

What are people protesting?

While the agendas of the various groups involved in planning the demonstrations vary, an overarching issue that many people are supporting is a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. The Chicago area has one of the largest Palestinian communities in the U.S.

Sunday nights march, which had over 1,000 people in attendance, advocated against the war in Gaza and in favor of protecting abortion and LBGTQ rights. Other demonstrators are calling for racial equality and awareness of climate change.

Who is protesting?

A number of organizations are involved in the protests, including Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws, the Coalition for Reproductive Justice, the Coalition to March on the DNC, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and the Poor Peoples Army.

Organizations for the Coalition to March on the DNC, which is the largest group participating, told The Hill that they expect at least 20,000 activists to join in the protests  including students.

There are also some smaller counterprotests happening, with one anti-abortion group gathering to protest the demonstration on Sunday, which was advocating for reproductive rights in addition to calling for a ceasefire.

A protester yells during a demonstration before a march to the DNC on Aug. 19. (Alex Brandon/AP)

Why are people protesting outside the DNC?

Linda Loew, a protest leader, explained to the Guardian that it didnt matter to some of the protesters whether the Democratic nominee was President Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris  just that change needs to be made.

The rhetoric that comes out of the mouths of politicians  and Im not saying that some of it isnt sincere in the wish to defend reproductive justice, or for trans and queer people, or even for citizens on the ground in Gaza  but rhetoric does not stop the bombs from falling, Loew said. What we need is action. We need the end to funding to Israel and the end of delivery of weapons.

Were saying to Kamala, she has been complicit in this, Taylor Cook, an organizer with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, told the Associated Press. People think its just Joe Biden, but she is vice president. So were saying, 'You need to stop if you want our vote.'

"Regardless of who the nominee is, we're marching against the Democrats and their vicious policies that have allowed Israel to kill over 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza," Faayani Aboma Mijana, an organizer with the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, told the AP.

How has Chicago reacted?

Chicagos police superintendent Larry Snelling said in a press conference on Monday that the Chicago Police Department is here to protect everyone in this city. He praised officers and organizers for an overall peaceful demonstration Sunday night.

What we will not tolerate is intimidation, he said. We will not tolerate violence.

Mayor Brandon Johnson, who was also at the press conference, added, We're going to make sure that people have their First Amendment rights protected, that they can do that in a safe way.

During Sundays demonstration, Chicago police lined the march route, which it plans to do for every demonstration this week.

Protesters march pass by a police line on Aug. 18. (Alex Brandon/AP)

Parallels to 1968 DNC in Chicago

When Chicago hosted the 1968 Democratic convention, protesters and police violently clashed on the streets, resulting in more than 600 people being arrested and over 100 suffering from injuries.

There are some parallels between what was happening in the world leading up to the 1968 DNC and whats been happening in 2024. In 1968, the U.S. had just dealt with a string of campus protests in response to the U.S.s involvement in the Vietnam War and incumbent Vice President Hubert Humphrey was the Democratic nominee after former President Lyndon B. Johnson withdrew from the race.

Chicago Police attempt to disperse demonstrators outside Democratic National Convention headquarters on Aug. 29, 1968. (Michael Boyer/AP)

However, the similarities seem to end there. Chicago, which has hosted more political conventions than any other city in the U.S., and its officials seem confident that police have gone through enough extensive training on de-escalation tactics and that the set parameters and locations of the gatherings will allow demonstrators to protest without fear of retaliation or escalation.
CHICAGO  A 17-year-old boy died after a shooting Monday evening in Little Village.

The boy, later identified as Juan Salgado, was driving in the 3800 block of West 26th Street at around 5 p.m. when a truck approached.

Police said someone inside the truck fired shots at the boy, striking him in his left shoulder.

Salgado was transported to Mt. Sinai in good condition, but later died at the hospital.

No one is in custody. Anyone with information can leave an anonymous tip at cpdtip.com.

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At 19, Kansas woman killed sexual predator after years of abuse. Will governor free her?

Sarah Gonzales-McLinn was a perpetrator  and a victim. She wants the state of Kansas to recognize that both of those things are true.

At age 19, Gonzales-McLinn murdered Harold Hal Sasko, a 52-year-old man and her boss at a pizza shop she began working at when she was 14, who later asked her to live with him in Lawrence.

Now 30, she has spent over a decade behind bars.

In a phone interview from Topeka Correctional Facility, Kansas state prison for women, Gonzales-McLinn said she knows what she did was wrong.

Ive never just had this mentality, like I just want to get out scot-free, and you know, act like this never happened, she said.

But, she continued, I think that both sides do need to be taken into consideration.

Gonzales-McLinn says the court should have factored in that Sasko had manipulated, financially exploited and sexually abused her in the years before she killed him, treating her as his personal Barbie doll. She says she did what she did because she felt like there was no way out.

Soon after she turned 18, Gonzales-McLinn said Sasko began coercing her into a sexual relationship. She estimated that he sexually assaulted her about 100 times.

During court testimony after her conviction, her appellate attorney Jonathan Sternberg asked, Did you ever refuse (to have sex with him)?

Yes.

What would happen when you refused?

I feel like he would just act like he didnt hear me. And just continue, she answered.

Sternberg helped get Gonzales-McLinns hard 50-year sentence reduced to 25 years in 2021 on the basis that she had received ineffective counsel during her initial trial. He said he supports going even further and granting her clemency.

In December 2022, advocates submitted a 68-page clemency application to Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. It contends that Gonzales-McLinn was groomed, trafficked and indentured by Sasko. Theyre asking for her sentence to be substantially reduced or for her to be freed because of the abuse.

Gonzales-McLinns request is under review, said Grace Hoge, a spokeswoman for the governors office.

Governor Kelly thoroughly reviews clemency requests based on the circumstances of each individual case prior to making a decision, Hoge said in a statement.

The request was also reviewed by the Kansas Department of Corrections Prisoner Review Board. Over the past nine years, the board has recommended clemency 4.5% of the time.

Not everyone supports an early release for Gonzales-McLinn.

Glenn Sasko said his older brothers murder wrecked me for quite some time, and that it has been difficult to wrap his head around the 25-year sentence reduction. He said he only knew his brother to be a great guy, but added let due process do its thing.

Kimberly Qualls, Saskos former girlfriend, said she does not agree with clemency due to the violent nature of Saskos death, but that she prays Gonzales-McLinn is getting the counseling she needs to heal.

She knew it was wrong, Qualls said.

The man she murdered was not a monster. What she did were the actions of a monster.

Meanwhile, Gonzales-McLinns large group of supporters continue to hope Kelly will reconsider what justice looks like for a victim who became a convict  and is a survivor.

In recent years, the criminal justice system has grappled with the challenge of how to handle cases where a victim becomes a perpetrator. On Monday, Chrystul Kizer was sentenced to 11 years for killing a man who had sexually trafficked her as a teen in Wisconsin, The Associated Press reported. Earlier this year, Oklahoma passed the Survivors Act, allowing victims to be re-sentenced if they could prove abuse was related to their crime.

Sarah Gonzales-McLinn with her three brothers.

Abuse, manipulation and coercion

Gonzales-McLinn got a job at one of Saskos Cicis Pizzas locations when she was 14. He entered her life during a time when she and her family were in turmoil.

Her parents had gone through a difficult divorce. She was dealing with the lingering effects of being sexually assaulted as a child. Then when she was 16, an acquaintance raped her and burned her with cigarettes. She said those traumas caused her to act out, cutting herself and self-medicating with alcohol, and left her in a particularly vulnerable state.

Gonzales-McLinn said she grew to see Sasko as a father figure over those first few years. Then he invited her to move in with him when she was 17. She was making $8.50 an hour and agreed to pay him $400 in rent a month.

According to Gonzales-McLinn, Sasko said he would pay for a nose job she wanted. Then he added $6,000 to a running bill of what she owed him.

Eventually, after she turned 18, he told her he was falling in love with her, Gonzales-McLinn said. She did not feel the same way and told him that. He began to regularly supply her with alcohol and coerce her into sex.

I just felt really disgusting, she testified in court. And I told him that I didnt want it to happen again.

But the assaults continued. When she spoke up about not wanting to have a sexual relationship, he began leaving the bill showing her debt around the house.

The bill had grown to about $6,000 with expenses like rent and her dogs vet bill. When she talked about moving out, he told her she would be homeless, the clemency application said, and he threatened to sue her. There were periods he controlled her phone and paychecks, documents show.

The debt ballooned to about $16,000 after Sasko found a doctor to give her surgery for gluteal implants, a procedure she said she didnt want. She said she became more depressed after it.

I was a toy to him like his personal barbie doll, Gonzales-McLinn wrote in a therapy exercise.

By then, she testified, she was isolated from her family, full of shame and felt like she was just his at that point, like he owned me.

Gonzales-McLinn wrote in the clemency application that she never anticipated the abuse that would occur when she moved into Saskos house, but that she came to believe to her very core that there was no way out.

The night of the murder

On the day of his murder, Sasko sent Gonzales-McLinn a text saying, I apologize for trying to sleep with you last night. In another text, he asked her to put some beer in the refrigerator. According to the clemency application, she believed that meant he would be drinking and would rape her.

That night, Gonzales-McLinn drugged Saskos drink, bound his wrists and ankles, and killed him by cutting his neck with a hunting knife.

She wrote the word freedom in his blood on a wall before driving away.

She was captured in Florida. She did not disclose the nature of her relationship with Sasko to authorities then.

However, reports from the Lawrence Police Department indicate that officers were aware of allegations that Sasko was grooming two 15-year-old girls he met at one of the Cicis Pizza locations he owned. Their mother told investigators that she tried to cut off his relationship with her daughters, but he lured them with offers of car speakers and a place to stay. They called him dad.

Police also interviewed another man who said he had once viewed Sasko as a father figure. Later the man became a manager at Cicis. Saskos relationship with Gonzales-McLinn began with Sasko helping her, but then turned sexual, the man told authorities.

He described this as Sasko telling him, It is amazing to have an eighteen year old, a police report said.

During the 2016 trial, Douglas County District Judge Paula Martin did not allow the jury to hear information about Saskos relationship with Gonzales-McLinn. Her defense attorney told jurors she was suffering from dissociative identity disorder when she killed Sasko.

The jury convicted her.

The push for clemency

A fuller picture of what led up to the murder emerged after Gonzales-McLinn was sent to prison.

Michelle McCormick, executive director of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence, said she believes Sasko made himself up to be powerful and to be in control long before he started being sexually exploitative to her.

His age and role as her employer created a power imbalance, McCormick said.

Thats whats difficult about almost all of domestic and sexual violence, is frequently the people who are perpetrating those kinds of violence, they know their victim well, and they know their vulnerabilities, she said. Then they use that, either to, you know, inform the strategies theyre going to use in order to victimize, or they use it as leverage points.

McCormicks organization supports Gonzales-McLinns clemency request, as do dozens of others who signed her application.

If I am judging whether or not justice has been served, I feel like shes been incarcerated long enough in order to be punished, and now justice, in my mind, has flipped into justice would be served by helping this young woman re-enter into our society, continue her healing journey, McCormick said.

David Ranney was a volunteer at the prison who led a self-help group that Gonzales-McLinn joined.

The groups overarching goal was to help the women understand why they are the way they are and to expose them to hope and healing, he said.

At first, Gonzales-McLinn was really, really shy, he said.

But in her own quiet way, Sarah took that ball and ran with it. I mean, clearly, she is not the person she was 10 years ago. Shes rebuilt herself; shes done everything thats been asked of her and more.

Ranney helped organize Gonzales-McLinns clemency efforts and noted that throughout the process, she was evaluated by two forensic psychologists who concluded she does not pose a threat to society.

Leah Sakala, a researcher who wrote on clemency when she was with the Urban Institute, said public safety is a priority for governors reviewing clemency requests.

Decisions are usually made on a case-by-case basis.

Many governors look to things like individual stories, Sakala said. So looking at the reason that somebody was incarcerated in the first place, this is particularly salient when, for example, very specific personal circumstances like victimization played an important role why somebody ended up in the criminal justice system.

Searching and healing

The Star spoke to Gonzales-McLinn by phone earlier this month after she had gotten off work. Shes had a job in the prisons activities department for a few years where she opens up the gym, distributes equipment and helps facilitate activities.

Throughout her time in prison, she has participated in several programs, including training service dogs and an initiative called Reaching Out From Within, a group for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. She is enrolled in an academic program through Washburn University and is finishing up her associates degree.

I just never gave up trying to see who God wanted me to be, she said. I think its really only after this like accumulation of years and like searching and healing that I can finally say now that Im not that young girl that I was, that just had so many problems, was just going through all that suffering, was just generally terrified.

The process has not been easy. Shame ruled my life for a long, long time, she said.

The first time she told someone about what Sasko had done to her, she said she felt like I was gonna die.

I couldnt even get the words out to describe what was happening for quite a while.

When the judge blocked evidence about Saskos relationship with Gonzales-McLinn at trial, she said she felt like no one wanted to hear about what really went on in that house.

Support from McCormick, Ranney and several others has helped Gonzales-McLinn understand what she went through.

In the clemency application, Gonzales-McLinn wrote that it was only after she was incarcerated that she came to realize she had been indentured  kept under his control because of the money she owed  and coerced into sex.

At the same time, she recognizes the trauma and loss she has caused for Saskos family.

Theres obviously nothing that I could ever do or say that would take away their pain and what they have lost, she said.

But she continued, she knows without a shadow of a doubt that I am not the person that I used to be.

Sharing her story with other women in prison, many of whom have also suffered abuse, has also helped, as has repairing relationships with her family.

Her mom Michelle Gonzales visits her at least every other week. The changes shes observed have been immense.

She is a confident person, Gonzales said. She is in charge of her life.

Gonzales said she looked up the word clemency in the dictionary and it said to be merciful.

I am just asking Gov. Kelly to take an opportunity to be merciful, Gonzales said, adding that she hopes Kelly will just give pause to why this happened.

He was a sexual predator, Gonzales said. She just did not wake up and this occurred. There were events that led up to it. There was trust violated by Mr. Sasko.

If Kelly granted clemency, Gonzales-McLinn said she plans to live in a Kansas transitional home for abuse and trafficking survivors.

She hopes to finish school and help others.

I am willing to talk about what happened. Im finally able to talk about what happened, she said. And there are so many young people and women who havent gotten there yet. I want to let them know that theyre not alone.
Two exceptional Michigan properties are set to be auctioned online Monday, presenting an opportunity to acquire truly remarkable estates.

One of these properties, known as Eagles Crest, is a waterfront property that stands as the only residence on an 80-acre island, featuring 400 feet of scenic shoreline.

Eagles Crest estate, located at 14625 Edgewater Drive in Lyndon Township, on 80-acre Treasure Island. It's the only residence on an 80-acre island, featuring 400 feet of picturesque shoreline.

Its a place where you can have total privacy away from the world, says Dylan Tent from Signature Sothebys International Realty in Northville, referring to Eagles Crest. Tent is the listing agent for both estates and is working in collaboration with Interluxe Auction, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based online luxury real estate auction platform, to manage the sale.

The other, known as Castello Montebello, is a classic European-style estate in Northville that spans 2.2 acres that has hosted U.S. presidents and foreign dignitaries. This expansive property offering over 16,000 square feet of finished living space boasts seven bedrooms and a 13-seat theater designed by renowned home theater designer Theo Kalomirakis, replicating New York Citys iconic Paramount Theater.

The Castello Montebello estate, located at 590 Dubuar in Northville, will be in an online auction on Aug. 26, 2024 by Interluxe Auctions.

Both properties have seen intermittent market listings over the past several years.

Eagles Crest, once listed for $5.9 million, was named House of the Day by The Wall Street Journal and was featured in Michigan Blue Magazine. The property on the 80-acre Treasure Island is surrounded by Half Moon Lake, Blind Lake, and lush greenery. Designed by Bloomfield Hills-based DesRosiers Architects, the estate showcases classic Nantucket-style cedar shake and Michigan fieldstone. The property spans approximately 3 acres and includes a main lake house, a boathouse, and a six-car garage with 1,000 square feet of potential living space.

The main residence at Eagles Crest offers three bedrooms and sun-drenched living areas and water views. The grandfathered boathouse includes a bedroom, kitchenette, bathroom, and veranda overlooking the serene waters.

The Eagles Crest estate, located at 14625 Edgewater Drive in Lyndon Township in the northwest corner of Washtenaw County, will have a starting bid of $1.7 million.

Castello Montebello was previously listed at $4.9 million and had an asking price of $14.5 million in 2014, as reported in a Detroit Free Press article at the time. The mansion features a guard house, a striking four-floor free-floating staircase, 7.2 bathrooms, eight fireplaces, and an additional 4-plus acres that can also be auctioned off. It claims the highest elevation in Wayne and Washtenaw counties, according to the Realcomp listing, and is located just five blocks from shops and restaurants on Northvilles Main Street.

The Castello Montebello estate, located at 590 Dubuar in Northville, Wayne County, will have a starting bid of $1.5 million.

Stacy Kirk, vice president of Interluxe Auctions, notes: Auction marketing engages broader and new audience, allowing the seller to secure a time-sensitive sale.

Previews for both properties will be from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday.

According to Kirk, after viewing the property, buyers must register to bid. We require a prospect to sign the terms and conditions and provide a $75,000 good faith deposit, she explains.

The auction will start at 9 a.m. on Aug. 26 at Interluxe.com/auctions.

Brendel Hightower writes about real estate and other topics for the Detroit Free Press. Contact her at bhightower@freepress.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Northville mansion, private Michigan island retreat going to auction
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  A federal jury found two men guilty in the armed kidnappings and brutal revenge murders of two people in 2017, the United States Attorneys Office of the District of Columbia announced on Tuesday.

The jury found 26-year-old Malique Lewis, aka Freak, and 28-year-old Marcel Vines, aka Baby Boy, guilty of the armed kidnapping which led to the killings of, Armani Nico Coles and Kerrice Lewis (of no relation to the defendant).

The verdict, handed up on Aug. 19, followed a four-week trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Indictment of Ward 8 Councilmember leaves community heartbroken and shocked

According to evidence presented at trial, Malique Lewis and Vines conspired with a third co-defendant to kidnap and kill Coles and Kerrice Lewis on Dec. 28, 2017, out of a desire for revenge.

Earlier that day, the victims friend shot and killed Ronzay Green, who was a friend of Malique and Marcel. The defendants knew who killed Green and decided to travel across the city to his neighborhood, looking for him, according to the Attorneys Office.

When they arrived, they saw Kerrice Lewis, who they recognized as a friend of the man who killed Green. They began following her, and at around 3 p.m., the men kidnapped Kerrice in the parking lot of an AutoZone in the 900 block of Longfellow St., Northwest, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia.

Armed with an assault rifle and a .45 caliber firearm, Malique Lewis and Vines held Kerrice Lewis in the backseat of her car while they drove her across the city with the intent that she would lure the man who killed Green to them.

Changes, upgrades coming to DCs 911 system after major outages

When the defendants were unsuccessful, they used the victims phone to lure Nico Coles to a location near First and Kennedy Streets Northwest, with the hopes that Coles could lead them to the man who killed Green. Around 6 p.m., authorities said they kidnapped Coles and forced him into the backseat of Kerrice Lewiss car, forcing her into the trunk.

The defendants headed toward the Clay Terrace neighborhood with the kidnapped victims in the car. When they encountered traffic along the way on I-295 in Maryland, they shot Coles twice and pushed him onto the highway, leaving him seriously injured on the shoulder of the interstate as they fled into D.C, according to the attorneys office.

About an hour later, the pair drove to an alley behind the 800 block of Adrian St., Southeast, with Kerrice Lewis still in the trunk. Law enforcement said the defendants then opened the trunk and shot Kerrice Lewis at least 13 times before setting her and the car on fire and fleeing the scene.

Law enforcement traced the evidence of the brutal killings to the defendants through fingerprint analysis, analysis of the weapons used and surveillance footage of Malique Lewis driving Coless missing car at a McDonalds drive-through the night after the murders.

Authorities also recovered texts from Malique Lewis bragging about the murders.

DC Councilmember Trayon White addresses criminal accusations of bribery

Officials arrested Malique Lewis and Vines on Jan. 5, 2018, on unrelated charges. Shortly after, the Prince Georges County States Attorneys Office charged Malique Lewis with the murder of Coles.

Later that year, the D.C. Superior Court charged both men with both of the murders. The federal court took the case in May 2019, and both men have been in custody since their initial arrest.

The U.S. District Court will schedule sentencing for Malique Lewis and Vines in the coming days. They both face two consecutive mandatory minimum sentences of life imprisonment, according to the attorneys 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC.
JERUSALEM, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told hostage families on Tuesday that he is uncertain whether a deal with Hamas will be reached, emphasizing that Israel will not relinquish control of two corridors in the Gaza Strip, a key demand by Hamas, state-owned media reported.

"Israel will not withdraw under any circumstances from the Philadelphi Corridor and the Netzarim Corridor, despite enormous pressure to do so," Netanyahu told Gvura Forum and Tikva Forum, two groups representing families of hostages, as reported by Kan TV news.

The Philadelphi Corridor is a border area between Egypt and Gaza, while the Netzarim Corridor divides the enclave into northern and southern zones. Israeli forces currently control both, but Hamas has insisted on Israel's withdrawal as part of a ceasefire agreement.

Netanyahu's office did not deny the comments reportedly made during his meeting with the hostage families. In a statement, Netanyahu pledged to "preserve our strategic security assets despite significant pressures."

Israeli officials involved in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations accused Netanyahu of attempting to sabotage efforts to reach a deal after a new bridging proposal was presented in Qatar over the weekend.

"Netanyahu's remarks were intended to derail the negotiations," officials told Kan TV. "The prime minister knows we are at a critical juncture, working on solutions for the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors ahead of the next summit. He is aware of the progress made, yet his statements contradict what was agreed upon with mediators."

The remarks came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, after meeting with Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Monday, said Israel had accepted the bridging deal proposal. The proposal, advanced by Qatari, Egyptian, and U.S. mediators, was described by Blinken as a last-ditch effort to reach an agreement, which aims at securing a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas has demanded that the deal include a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire.

Outside the Kirya base in Tel Aviv, the Israeli military's headquarters, dozens of hostage families and supporters rallied on Tuesday, urging the government to sign a deal. Similar demonstrations took place across the country.

The rallies were triggered by the retrieval of six hostages' bodies from a tunnel in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis during a military operation. They were kidnapped by Hamas fighters on Oct. 7, 2023, during their assault on Israeli communities.

Netanyahu praised the operation, stating, "Israel will continue to make every effort to bring our hostages back."

However, military spokesman Daniel Hagari said at a press conference that "there are currently 109 hostages held by Hamas," and added, "We won't be able to rescue all of them through military operations." He added that the National Institute of Forensic Medicine is still determining the cause of their death.

Meanwhile, Israel's Channel 13 TV reported that officials from the Israeli delegation expressed doubt over the resumption of talks in Cairo this week. Major General Nitzan Alon, representing the Israeli military in the delegation, may not attend due to Netanyahu's refusal to compromise on the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors. "If there is no compromise on the main issues, what is the point of going to Egypt?" officials told the channel.

Hamas fighters took about 250 hostages during their Oct. 7, 2023 assault on southern Israeli communities. While dozens have since been released in deals, Israeli security officials, speaking to Xinhua on condition of anonymity, said only about 60 hostages are believed to be alive.

Israel's response to the attack has resulted in a massive onslaught, killing more than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly civilians, and causing widespread destruction across the enclave, according to health authorities in Gaza. 
2 killed in wrong-way collision on Loop 202 in south Phoenix

Two people were killed in a wrong-way collision on Loop 202 in south Phoenix early Sunday morning according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

Bart Graves, a department spokesperson, said 22-year-old Uriel Sanchez of Chandler entered the highway's eastbound lanes from an off-ramp near Baseline Road shortly before colliding with another vehicle seconds later.

Sanchez struck another vehicle before it completely stopped, officials said.

Graves said the collision killed Sanchez and the driver of the first vehicle he struck, 19-year-old Jordon Lewis of Laveen. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Graves added that impairment is believed to have been a factor.

According to officials, the occupants of the other vehicle were not injured.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Wrong-way collision kills 2 in south Phoenix
Two of the four men arrested for the fatal shooting of General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor were charged with murder Monday, TheWrap has learned.

Eighteen-year-olds Robert Barceleau of Huntington Park and Sergio Estrada of Los Angeles County were each charged with one count of murder. In addition to Barceleaus murder charge, he was given a special circumstance allegation of killing in the commission of a robbery, which could result in him receiving life in prison without parole.

Johnny Wactors life was senselessly taken while he was simply walking to his parked car in downtown Los Angeles. We are committed to seeking justice for Mr. Wactor and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable for their actions, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement obtained to TheWrap. The loss of this talented young actor, who was in the prime of his life and had so much to offer the world, is deeply felt by all of us. Mr. Wactors work and presence touched the lives of many, and our hearts go out to his family, friends and the entire community who mourn this devastating loss.

Barceleau was also charged with attempted armed robbery and armed grand theft, and is being held without bail. Estrada received the same armed robbery and armed grand theft charges.

As for the two other suspects, 18-year-old Leonel Guitierrez and 22-year-old Frank Olano, Guitierrez was charged with one count of attempted robbery with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm, and one count of grand theft with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm. Olano was was charged with one count of accessory after the fact to murder, one count of receiving stolen property and three counts of being a felon with a firearm.

The men were arraigned on Monday, and their charges are the latest development in Wactors murder case. The actor was leaving a bartending job in downtown Los Angeles in the early morning of May 25 when he noticed a group of three men seemingly attempting to steal the catalytic converter from his car. Barceleau allegedly fired a shot at Wactor once in his chest. He died at a local hospital.

On Aug. 4 the LAPD released a community alert that included photos of three suspects in shooting and the vehicle they left in.

The case is being investigated by LAPDs Central Bureau Homicide Division. Barceleau is being held without bail. Estrada is being held on $2,070,000 bail. Olano is being held on $1,080,000 bail. Gutierrez is being held on $120,000 bail.

While this was not an easy case for anyone involved, I am confident that we have the right people on the right charges, LAPD Chief Dominic Choi said. Our investigators worked tirelessly to gather evidence, interview witnesses, and follow every lead to ensure that justice is served. To the family and loved ones of Johnny Wactor: We know that no legal action can ever bring back the person you have lost, but we hope that todays announcement brings some measure of comfort in knowing that those responsible will be held accountable for their actions.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass thanked the LAPD in a statement obtained by TheWrap.

We must continue to take aggressive action to make our city safer, she said. Those who commit crimes must be held fully responsible for their actions.

The post 2 Men Charged With Murder in Fatal Shooting of General Hospital Actor Johnny Wactor appeared first on TheWrap.
Man dead, another hurt in double shooting in DC

WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating a double shooting that left a man dead in Southeast D.C. on Monday night.

MPD said that just before 8:30 p.m., officers responded to the 3000 block of Stanton Road SE, at the Hillstone Apartments, where two men had been shot.

Changes, upgrades coming to DCs 911 system after major outages

Several D.C. police officers responded to a deadly shooting in the 3000 block of Stanton Road on Aug. 19. (Anthony Deng/DC News Now)

(Anthony Deng/DC News Now)

One man died at the scene.

Police said the second victim was taken to the hospital for treatment. His condition is unknown at this time.

This 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC.
2 men shot, 1 fatally, after pulling guns on a man in east Fort Worth, police say

Two men were shot, one fatally, Monday night in east Fort Worth after pulling their guns on someone, police said.

Officers responded to a shooting call in the 3700 block of Holton Circle shortly after 10:30 p.m. They found a man with gunshot wounds to the upper body. He was already dead when police arrived, officials said.

Investigators learned that he and another person had pulled handguns on the suspect, police said. The suspect took out his own gun and fired several rounds, hitting both men.

Police located someone matching the description of the second person who was shot receiving treatment at a local hospital. No arrests have been made, officials said.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner will identify the man who died. The Homicide Unit is investigating the shooting.

 More top stories from our newsroom:

 3 adults, 2 children killed in crash on I-35W

 Petition for removal of TCU basketball star Sedona Prince

 His legacy will never die: Sgt. Billy Randolph honored at funeral

[Get our breaking news alerts.]
2 women without shoes run from Queens crash that killed pedestrian: sources

2 women without shoes run from Queens crash that killed pedestrian: sources

QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11)  Two women allegedly fled from a crash in Queens that left a pedestrian dead early Tuesday morning, sources told PIX11 News.

The crash happened near Kissena Boulevard and Horace Harding Expressway around 12:30 a.m. A 42-year-old man was driving a Honda going southbound on Kissena Boulevard when he collided with a U-Haul traveling westbound on the Horace Harding Expressway, according to authorities.

Surveillance video obtained by PIX11 News appeared to show the driver of the truck running a red light.

More Local News

David Opiela, 56, was struck as a result of the collision, per police. Its not clear which car hit him. Opiela was trying to cross the street at the time.

I love him. We miss him, His longtime friend Michael Abbate told PIX11 News.

Opiela battled with his health and could not sleep.

He was going to get coffee or something he was going to the mobile or coming back when he was struck, Abbate said.

Opiela was pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities. The Honda driver was taken to New York-Presbyterian Queens.

More Queens News

Two women in the U-Haul allegedly fled the scene, per police. Both women apparently werent wearing shoes when they ran going westbound on the Horace Harding Expressway, sources told PIX11 News.

The first woman was last seen wearing a green shirt and black pants, sources said. The other woman was last seen wearing a red shirt, blue jeans and socks, according to sources.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
The 2024 Democratic National Convention continues Tuesday, with former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff set to deliver speeches in primetime.

Our convention is an opportunity to bring the story of our party to the American people  not just the story of what weve achieved under the Biden-Harris administration, but how the Harris-Walz ticket is planning to build on that historic record for a new way forward into the future, Convention Chair Minyon Moore said in a statement. The story here is simple and its one that will resonate with Americans across the country: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are fighting for the American people and Americas future  Donald Trump is only fighting for himself.

More from TVLine

The DNC is being held at Chicagos United Center, from Aug. 19-22. It follows the Republican National Convention, which was held last month in Milwaukee, Wis., where former president Donald Trump was certified as the GOPs nominee.

Live programming from the Democratic National Convention resumes at 6:30 pm ET Tuesday. You can watch the DNCs official livestream embedded below. Highlights will be added as they air.

What follows is the DNCs Night 2 program, including a list of confirmed speakers, as well as tune-in information for TV news coverage.

TUESDAYS THEME

A Bold Vision for Americas Future  This race isnt just a choice between two candidates. Its a choice between two very different visions of America. While Donald Trump believes our best days are behind us, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz know the best days lie ahead. Standing in stark contrast to the Trump-Vance Project 2025 agenda designed to take us backwards, the Harris-Walz ticket presents a brighter vision where everyone will have a chance not just to get by, but to get ahead. Democratic National Convention Committee

THE HOST

Each night of the DNC will feature a different celebrity host. Tony Goldwyn (Law & Order) will host Monday, followed by Ana Navarro (The View) on Tuesday, Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project) on Wednesday, and Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) on Thursday.

THE SPEAKERS

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Former president Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will address Tuesdays convention. Additional speakers include Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Gov. JB Pritzker, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Sen. Tammy Duckworth.

THE MUSIC

DNC ON TV

START TIME NETWORK LEAD ANCHOR(S) 8 pm CNN Jake Tapper & Anderson Cooper MSNBC Rachel Maddow NewsNation Chris Cuomo, Elizabeth Vargas & Leland Vitter PBS Amna Nawaz & Geoff Bennett 10 pm ABC David Muir CBS Norah ODonnell Fox News Bret Baier & Martha MacCallum NBC Lester Holt & Savannah Guthrie

JOIN DISCUSSION

TVLine invites you to have a civil conversation about the 2024 Democratic National Convention in the comments section below.

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Floridians from across the state cast their ballots Tuesday in the 2024 Florida Primary. Read live updates below:





10:15 p.m. update

The race for District 1 Orange County Commissioner is too close to call.

There were just five more votes cast for current District 1 Orange County Commissioner Nicole Wilson as opposed to Austin Arthur.

Wilson received 14,052 (50.01% of the vote) whereas Arthur received 14,047 votes (49.99% of the vote).

There were 89 write-in votes cast, which must be reviewed.

Read: 2024 Florida Primary: Election results

The race is headed to a recount.

The races for Orange County commissioners in districts 3 and 5 will head to runoff elections.

Mayra Uribe and Linda Stewart will advance to the runoff for District 3.

Kelly Semrad and Steve Leary will advance to the runoff for District 5.

Click here for live elections results, and watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News for live updates.





10:10 p.m. update

Some of the Florida elections supervisors websites that were impacted are now back up, the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office said.

9:15 p.m. update

Sen. Geraldine Thompson has been re-elected to Florida Senate District 15.

Read: Judge removes temporary injunction against Seminole County elections supervisor

Elsewhere in Central Florida, Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Chris Anderson lost the GOP primary to Amy Pennock.

Pennock won 60% of votes cast.

In Osceola County, Sheriff Marcos Lopez won the Democratic primary for sheriff. He will advance to the general election in November.





8:35 p.m. update

Osceola County Supervisor of Elections Mary Jane Arrington said that a majority of supervisor of elections websites throughout the state are down.

The website host is working to correct the issue, she said.

Channel 9 has learned that the cyber incident is affecting 59 of 67 counties in Florida.

It appears to be an issue involving a vendor, not an issue with the state or the counties themselves, sources tell Channel 9.

Jackson County Supervisor of Elections Carol Dunaway posted the following statement on her Facebook page:

Our website is experiencing difficulties on the vendor side. We will have results posted here when they are available. Vote-by-mail and early voting results will be released at 7 p.m. Because of the website issue, those results may be delayed. Please have patience with us. This is a vendor-related issue and out of our hands.

The majority of Supervisor of Elections websites throughout the state are down. The website host is working to correct this issue. Live results are available here: https://t.co/e0BA2HUDSr  Mary Jane Arrington, Osceola County SOE (@VoteOsceola) August 20, 2024





8:15 p.m. update

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz has defeated an opponent backed by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to win the Tuesdays Republican primary in one of Floridas most conservative congressional districts.

Gaetz defeated former Navy pilot Aaron Dimmock, who was backed by a McCarthy-controlled political committee.

Gaetz is considered a lock to beat Democrat Gay Valimont in a district that tends to support Republicans by more than a 2-1 ratio.

Gaetz led the effort to oust McCarthy last year, and McCarthy in turn used his political action committee to spend $3 million against Gaetz.

The committee aired commercials alleging that Gaetz paid for sex with a 17-year-old, an allegation currently being investigated by the House Ethics Committee. Gaetz maintains his innocence.

Barring an upset, Gaetz is set to win his fifth term in Congress, where hes built a national reputation as a disruptor and a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump.





8:10 p.m. update

Thomas Chalifoux wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 9th Congressional District.

Robert Rochford wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 14th Congressional District.





8 p.m. update

Rick Scott has won the Republican primary in Florida, advancing to a Nov. 5 showdown against the winner of the Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat.

Scott -- who won his 2018 race by a razor-thin margin of about 10,000 votes -- has even larger ambitions as he looks to seek the Senate Republican leader seat if he wins the general election.

An ally of former President Donald Trump, Scott sought the Senate leadership position in 2022 and lost by a 37-10 vote to U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell. This year, with McConnell stepping down, Scott could seek the position again

Florida has shifted politically in the six years since Scott narrowly won office in 2018. At the time, Democrats outnumbered Republicans, but now Republicans have more than a 1 million-voter advantage over Democrats.

Scott will face former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in a race that could largely hinge on the success of their parties presidential candidates.

Thank you, Florida!



Looking forward to a BIG win in November pic.twitter.com/ixBzIoXX4o  Rick Scott (@ScottforFlorida) August 21, 2024





7:53 p.m. update

Chris Eddy wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 25th Congressional District.

Dan Franzese wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 22nd Congressional District.

Neal Dunn has won the Republican nomination for the U.S. House in Floridas 2nd Congressional District.





7:40 p.m. update

Vern Buchanan wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 16th Congressional District.

Andrea Kale wins Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 18th Congressional District.

Maria Elvira Salazar wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 27th Congressional District.

Sandy Kennedy wins Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 8th Congressional District.





7:35 p.m. update

Jennifer Adams wins Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 7th Congressional District.

Laurel Lee wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 15th Congressional District.





7:25 p.m. update

Maxwell Frost wins Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 10th Congressional District.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz wins Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 25th Congressional District.

Brian Mast wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 21st Congressional District.





7:20 p.m. update

Gus Bilirakis wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 12th Congressional District.

Kat Cammack wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 3rd Congressional District





7:15 p.m. update

Mike Haridopolos wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 8th Congressional District.

John Rutherford wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 5th Congressional District.

Mario Diaz-Balart wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 26th Congressional District.





7:10 p.m. update

Cory Mills wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 7th Congressional District.

Daniel Webster wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 11th Congressional District.

Michael Waltz wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Floridas 6th Congressional District.

THANK YOU to everyone who turned out and voted today! Im deeply grateful for your support, and Im ready to keep fighting for our values.



Onward to VICTORY in November! pic.twitter.com/fUrkg3yiSN  Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) August 20, 2024





7 p.m. update

Polls have closed in most of Florida.

Click here for live results as they come in to our newsroom.





6:20 p.m. update

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made his presence felt, endorsing 23 school board candidates across 14 counties in the state.

Although DeSantis name is not on the ballot, his agenda is clear -- he wants to see more conservative candidates on school boards to end what he calls woke ideology in schools.

The seats are officially nonpartisan, but in addition to his endorsements, the Republican governor also targeted 14 incumbent school board members that he wants to see voted out.

Read: Election officials have these reminders for Primary Day voters

DeSantis aims to stop teaching practices for Critical Race Theory and Gender Theory in Florida classrooms.

In the last election, he endorsed 30 school board candidates -- 25 of whom either won or advanced to a runoff election.

Professor Jon Hanley, of the University of Central Florida, told Channel 9 that same thing could happen again Tuesday evening.

This is something that came out of the 2020 election and discussion of wokeness and Critical Race Theory moving into 2022, he said. And DeSantis certainly made it a cornerstone of his approach.





4:55 p.m. update

All polling places will close at 7 p.m. Tuesday, but if youre in line by then, youll still be able to cast your ballot.

The Orange County Supervisor of Elections office said that it expects between 20,000 to 30,000 people to vote Tuesday.

In terms of voter turnout, only 14 percent of registered voters in Orange County have cast their ballots.

But more than 55,000 people voted by mail and about 40,000 people voted early.

Read: Florida primary election: Can you take a selfie with your ballot?

About 20,000 people have voted in person Tuesday at one of Orange Countys more than 200 polling locations.

You will need to go to your assigned polling location to vote, or you can drop off your mail-in ballot at the elections office.

You have no reason to complain if you dont vote, one voter told Channel 9 on Tuesday. You want to make your voice known.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.





2:25 p.m. update

Today is Election Day in Florida.

Polls will remain open until 7 p.m.

If youre an Orange County vote, you can click here to find your polling place.

If you still have your vote-by-mail ballot, you can drop it off at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections at 119 W. Kaley St. by 7 p.m.





7:30 a.m. update

Channel 9s Sam Martello is monitoring activity at Precinct 607 in Orange County, the Pine Hills Community Center.

You can catch her live updates on WRDQ TV 27.

Click here to read more.

The polls are open for the 2024 Primary Election. You have until 7 p.m. to vote at your assigned precinct. Were live until 9 a.m. with everything you need to know before you cast your ballot  @WFTV pic.twitter.com/5WwOAWkZKp  Sam Martello (@sammartellotv) August 20, 2024





7a.m. update

Polls have just opened across Central Florida.

Today is Election Day!

Polls open from 7AM - 7 PM

Find your location here: https://t.co/XIQQoQ1iiP

Remember: if you still have your vote-by-mail ballot you need to drop it off at our office (119 W Kaley St) before 7 o'clock tonight. pic.twitter.com/uvSTS90DfZ  Orange County, FL SOE (@OCFElections) August 20, 2024

Precincts will remain open until 7 p.m.

POLLS ARE OPEN! They will be open from 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM



Today is the last day to vote in the August Primary Election.



To find your Polling Location, visit our website at:https://t.co/U3pjjnnWLG pic.twitter.com/Ded6a3gi0e  VoteSeminole (@VoteSeminole) August 20, 2024





5 a.m. update

Polls are just two hours from opening.

Channel 9 spoke to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office this morning.

A spokesperson said there does not appear to be any issues as poll workers ready area precincts for voters.

Read: What you need to know ahead of Tuesdays Primary Elections in Orange County

He expects between 20,000 and 30,000 additional residents to cast votes on Tuesday.

Early voters in Orange County cast more than 90,000 ballots across 22 locations.





4 a.m. update

Polls across much of Florida will open in just three hours, marking the beginning of the 2024 Florida Primary.

Read: Florida primary election: Can you take a selfie with your ballot?

Watch special live coverage on Channel 9 Eyewitness News, beginning at 4:30 a.m.
State Sen. Bobby Powell Jr. easily defeated activist lawyer Richard Ryles to win the Democratic nomination to represent District 7 on the county commission. Powell will face off against Republican Leonard Serratore and two write-in candidates, Boaz Fleurena and Javonta Jerome Taylor in the November general election.

With 100% of the precincts reporting, Powell won by a margin of nearly 2-1, collecting 10,282 votes to Ryles' 5,364 votes. Powell campaigned on his experience in the state Legislature where he served in the House before serving the past eight years in the state Senate. He said he plans on making housing affordability a top priority if he is elected to the county commission.

Powell outraised Ryles $256,000 to $178,000, according to the most recent campaign finance reports filed with the Supervisor of Elections.

State Sen. Bobby Powell Jr. defeated activist lawyer Richard Ryles to win the Democratic nomination to represent District 7 on the county commission.

The District 7 incumbent commissioner, Mack Bernard, a Democrat, was term limited. He will be staying in politics, though. He will be the next state Senator for District 24, replacing Powell. No one filed to challenge Bernard in either the primary or general election. Powell attributed his win to voters being aware of the work he has done in the state Legislature. He also praised the work of his campaign team.

District 7 stretches from Riviera Beach and West Palm Beach southward, and includes parts of Palm Beach, Lantana, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach and Delray Beach.

Map of District 7 in Palm Beach County

Here is where the other districts stand:

In District 1, no one challenged incumbent Commissioner Maria Marino in either the primary or the general election. She will serve another four-year term.

In District 3, neither Republican incumbent Michael Barnett nor Democrat Joel Flores have primary opponents. They will face off against each other in November.

And in District 5, neither Democrat incumbent Maria Sachs nor Republican John Fischer had primary opponents. They will face off against each other in November.

2024 Palm Beach County Elections: Live Results

2024 Palm Beach County Primary Elections results

See who is winning in the August 20, 2024, local elections in Palm Beach County with real-time results: 2024 PBC Primary Election results

2024 Florida Primary Elections results

See who is winning in the August 20, 2024, local elections in Florida with real-time results: 2024 Florida Primary Election results

Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government. You can reach him at md

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida primary: Bobby Powell wins county commissioner primary race
BEIRUT, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Three Hezbollah members were killed and six people, including three paramedics, wounded on Tuesday in Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon, Lebanese military sources said.

The sources, who required anonymity, said that an Israeli warplane launched an airstrike on the village of al-Dhahira in the southwestern Lebanese city of Tyre, killing three Hezbollah members.

"The raid destroyed two houses and damaged 10 neighboring houses," the sources added, noting that three paramedics from the Islamic Health Authority's civil defense were injured when a missile struck near an ambulance transporting casualties from a drone strike in the Hamoul area to a hospital in Tyre.

In addition, two people were injured when a motorcycle was hit by two rockets fired by an Israeli drone in Wadi Hamoul in southwestern Lebanon, and a Syrian was injured as a result of Israeli artillery shelling that targeted the southeastern Lebanese village of Khiam.

The Lebanese army monitored the launch of several drones and about 40 surface-to-surface missiles from southern Lebanon into northern Israel, according to the sources.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said in a statement that its fighters bombed the Al-Shomira barracks and nearby Israeli troop deployments with volleys of Katyusha rockets.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel the day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. 
A Stephenson County man is dead after what authorities believe is a single-vehicle crash involving a tractor.

According to the Stephenson County Sheriff's Office, sheriff's personnel responded Sunday morning to a report of a tractor rolled over with a subject pinned underneath in the area of South Kent and West Kempel roads.

Upon arrival deputies found a 22-year-old man, later identified as Jacob Green, 22, of Kent, Illinois, unresponsive. There were no other vehicles or persons involved in the crash, officials said in a news release.

Authorities believe Green was driving an orange Allis-Chalmers tractor that entered the east ditch of South Kent Road just north of Kempel Road and that the tractor went down the steep embankment and rolled over pinning Green and causing fatal injuries.

Deputies responded the scene about 8:50 a.m. Sunday. They believe the crash occurred earlier that morning.

The Stephenson County Sheriffs Office was assisted by the Pearl City Fire Department, Leamons Ambulance and the Stephenson County Coroners Office.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: 22-year-old Stephenson County man dies in tractor crash
Three people have been arrested in connection to the death of a prison employee at U.S. Penitentiary Atwater, the U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesday.

A prison mail room correctional officer died after falling sick Aug. 9 in what investigators said was traced back to an envelope laced with a controlled substance, a news release said.

Investigators said the envelope was part of a conspiracy to send controlled narcotics marked as legal mail into the prison for distribution.

The investigation into the alleged scheme led to the arrests of a man held in the prison  Jamar Jones, 35  and two from outside, Stephanie Ferreira, 35, of Evansville, Indiana; and Jermen Rudd III, 37, of Wentzville, Missouri, the release said.

A correctional officer who worked in the mail room, Marc Fischer, died at a Merced-area hospital after feeling unwell inside the prison. He had handled mail that investigators said was laced with a substance, the DOJ said in a news release Tuesday.

An Associated Press report from earlier this month described him as a mail room employee. The DOJ called him a correctional officer.

A second officer also reported feeling sick after handling mail but recovered, prosecutors said.

Ferreira was set to be arraigned in Indiana, while Rudd would be in Missouri, the DOJ said in the release. Jones was expected to appear in court in Fresno next week though a date was not immediately available.

Each one of them faces more than 20 years in prison and fines if convicted, prosecutors said.
DENVER (KDVR)  The Summit County Sheriffs Office arrested three men last week after an undercover operation targeting those who use the internet to solicit sex with children.

According to the agency, about 100 people initially expressed interest in soliciting a prostitute after the online operation commenced. Around 10 of those 100 people expressed a desire to pursue sexual acts with children. On Aug. 15, three men arrived separately at the agreed-upon location in Summit County, intending to pay for sexual acts with children.

Spotted: Bear wanders through Lone Tree neighborhood, sits on front porch

No children were involved with the operation, only law enforcement personnel.

While we wish these crimes didnt occur, we know they do, and we work tirelessly to address this reality. I thank the Sheriffs Office team and our partner agencies for the safe and successful execution of this operation, said Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons in a release. Its crucial to know who your children interact with online and to talk openly about internet safety and potential dangers.

The three men were arrested, transported and booked into the Summit County Detention Facility on the following charges:

Suspect one: Soliciting for child prostitution, attempted patronizing a prostituted child, attempted sexual assault on a child, cybercrime and attempted contributing to the delinquency of a minor

Suspect two: Soliciting for child prostitution, attempted patronizing a prostituted child, attempted sexual assault on a child and cybercrime

Suspect three: Internet luring of a child with intent to exploit and attempted sexual assault on a child

The Summit County office partnered with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the 5th Judicial District Attorneys Office and the Summit County 911 Center.

Deadly Denver shooting turned police chase ends with crash in Cherry Hills Village

Anyone who suspects a child is being sexually exploited is asked to contact Summit County non-emergency dispatch at 970-668-8600 or dial 911 in an emergency. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children can also be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children through its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 800-843-5678.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Three people were stabbed and taken to the hospital Monday after a large fight at an immigration processing center just outside of Centre County.

The brawl began about 2:05 p.m. Monday in the yard of the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, state police at Clearfield wrote in a statement released Tuesday.

Several people were injured, including three who were stabbed with what police described as a weapon/shank. They were transported to Penn Highlands DuBois for treatment.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson said Tuesday there were no life-threatening injuries. The federal agency also said there is no safety risk to the general public.

No facility employees were injured, police wrote. Clearfield County District Attorney Ryan Sayers told the Centre Daily Times on Tuesday that the fight was detainee on detainee.

An investigation is ongoing. No charges were filed as of Tuesday morning.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, which filed a civil rights complaint last month that alleged inhumane and unconstitutional conditions at the facility, said the reported assault is deeply concerning.

Our clients in detention have endured unfathomable horrors and consistent discrimination based on their identities as part of protected classes, said Vanessa Stine, senior staff attorney for immigrant rights at the ACLU of Pennsylvania. While ICE detention should not exist, to the extent ICE keeps people behind bars, they must keep people safe and do so in a way that adheres to the most basic standards of dignity and rights.

A barrage of first responders assisted. Hope Fire Co. posted on Facebook that more than a half-dozen EMS agencies responded, as well as a medical helicopter. The GEO Group, the privately owned company that operates the facility, deferred comment to ICE.

Once a private prison, the facility was converted in 2021 to an immigration detention center. Clearfield Countys commissioners at that time signed off on a five-year contract that made it the largest ICE facility in the northeast, one that can detain nearly 1,900 people.

In the years since, the ACLU-PA has alleged detainees have been subjected to inhumane treatment. Its complaint to the Department of Homeland Security included detailed testimonials from people currently and formerly detained, some of which said they are frustrated and fearful.

It was addressed to Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, the DHS Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the director of Penn States Center for Immigrants Rights Clinic, where she is listed as on leave.

The Biden administration declined last month to speak publicly about the allegations it received. A spokesperson for the GEO Group said the facility meets or exceeds ICEs rigorous standards, and it provides all the services required by ICE.
32-Year-Old Man Survives After Being Attacked by Bear, Then Shot by Hunter Who Tried to Stop Attack

The black bear was killed by one of the hunters in the attack, said Alaska State Troopers

Getty Brown Bear in Alaska

A 32-year-old man in Alaska has survived after being attacked by a bear and then accidentally shot by a fellow hunter who tried to thwart the attack.

The man was injured while out with a hunting party near Cooper Landing on Saturday, Aug. 17, around 3 p.m. local time, Alaska State Troopers shared in a news release.



According to the authorities, the unidentified victim as well as a second hunter were attacked by a brown bear.

Alaska Wildlife Troopers received a report that a hunting party was attacked by a bear on the Resurrection Pass Trail near Cooper Landing, and they needed help, state troopers said in the release. The two adult male hunters were in the vicinity of Abernathy Cabin when they were attacked by a brown bear.

Related: How to Prevent Bear Attacks and What to Do If a Bear Approaches You, According to Experts

Both men opened fire at the bear during the attack, and the 32-year-old victim was shot in the leg as a result, State Troopers Spokesman Tim DeSpain said in an email, per the Associated Press.

The bear was ultimately killed by one of the hunters in the attack, the troopers confirmed. It is unclear which hunter caused the injury.

Authorities shared that first aid was administered at the scene.

Related: Mom Says She Felt Like 'Rag Doll' During Bear Attack Before Barking Dog, and a Hair Clip, Saved Her

The injured hunter was taken to a hospital in Anchorage, where he was treated for his injuries.

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The second man was transported by an Alaska Rescue Coordination Center rescue team.



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Read the original article on People.
Four people arrested earlier this month in connection with the shooting death of General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor have been charged, officials with the Los Angeles County District Attorneys office announced.

Wactor was shot and killed May 25 as he and a coworker, Anita Joy, were walking to their cars in downtown L.A. just before 3:30 a.m. after their shifts at the Moxy Hotel, located at 1260 South Figueroa Boulevard.

As he and Joy approached his vehicle, they stumbled upon three men stealing his catalytic converter.

Prosecutors say that one of the men, 18-year-old Robert Barceleau, allegedly shot Wactor once in the chest moments before the trio fled the area. The 37-year-old was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Johnny Wactor

Barceleau and his two accomplices were able to evade police until their arrest on Aug. 15. A fourth person was also taken into custody as an accessory to the crime.

The four men have been charged with the following:

Robert Barceleau, 18, of Huntington Park was charged with one count of murder with special circumstances of murder during an attempted robbery and personal use of a firearm; one count of attempted robbery with personal use of a firearm; and one count of grand theft with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm

Leonel Guitierrez, 18, of L.A. County was charged with one count of attempted robbery with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm; and one count of grand theft with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm

Sergio Estrada, 18, of L.A. County was charged with one count of murder with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm; one count of attempted robbery with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm; and one count of grand theft with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm

Frank Olano, 22, of Inglewood was charged with one count of accessory after the fact to murder; one count of receiving stolen property; and three counts of being a felon with a firearm

Johnny Wactors life was senselessly taken while he was simply walking to his parked car in downtown Los Angeles. We are committed to seeking justice for Mr. Wactor and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable for their actions, District Attorney Gascon said in a news release. Mr. Wactors work and presence touched the lives of many, and our hearts go out to his family, friends and the entire community who mourn this devastating loss.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass thanked investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department for their work and partnership throughout the investigation and for their continued efforts to keep Angelenos safe and to bring justice to victims of violence.

Violent extortionist targeting Koreatown karaoke bars gets 22 years in jail

Barceleau is being held without bail. Estrada is being held on $2,070,000 bail and Olano on $1,080,000 bail. Gutierrez bail was set at $120,000.

If convicted as charged, Barceleau faces life in prison without parole. Estrada faces a maximum of life, while Olano could get nearly six years in prison and Gutierrez could see a sentence of nearly five 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 KTLA.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  A northern Michigan man has been arrested, accused of selling drugs on a school property.

Michigan State Polices Straits Area Narcotics Enforcement team announced on Monday that 40-year-old Charles Beckner, from Gaylord, was arrested last Thursday.

SANE troopers conducted a traffic stop on a school property and found that he had 57 grams of methamphetamine and 13 grams of crack cocaine, along with evidence that he was selling the drugs. MSP did not say at what school Beckner was found.

He was lodged in the Otsego County Jail and arraigned on four different drug charges, including holding a controlled substance on school property. He was given a $50,000 cash surety bond.

SANE credited officers from the Gaylord Police Department and the MSP Gaylord Post with helping in the arrest.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
NEW YORK (PIX11)  An apartment management company must pay $400,000 to low-income renters who were unlawfully denied housing opportunities throughout New York City, state Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday.

An investigation into Shamco Management Corp. found the company violated New Yorks human rights laws by refusing to rent to potential renters using a Section 8 subsidized voucher, according to court documents.

More Local News

Housing is a human right, and everyone deserves fair access to housing, regardless of their source of income, said James. Shamcos discriminatory practices against voucher holders denied hardworking families the opportunity to secure stable housing and further exacerbated our housing crisis. My office will always stand up to ensure all New Yorkers are afforded equitable opportunities to find safe and affordable housing.

An investigation into the management company started in 2021, officials said.

Shamco owned or managed a real estate portfolio of 1,300 units, including more than a thousand rent-stabilized units in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The company intentionally ignored potential tenants who disclosed using a government voucher and allegedly inflated rental rates above the voucher limits, officials said. Shamco told renters an apartment had already been rented when it was in fact still on the market, according to court documents.

Gramercy Park cooperative to pay $165K in emotional support animal case

A list of potential renters reviewed by the Office of the Attorney General found that at least 39 of 42 prospective tenants with Section 8 vouchers were marked as not qualified regardless of their credit or other qualifying factors. Shamco allegedly told contracted brokers and employees to lie to prospective tenants if they discovered the potential renter had a voucher during the apartment tour. As court documents stated, employees were encouraged to tell renters the unit had been rented if the potential renter followed up on the application status.

In at least one instance, a Shamco employee stopped responding to an applicant with cancer who had scheduled an apartment tour. Another applicant in the shelter was ghosted due to his voucher status, according to the Office of the Attorney General.

In the latest class action by the attorney general, Shamco has been ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution to those illegally denied housing. The company must also rent 65 units from its apartment portfolio to voucher holders. If Shamco fails to meet this obligation, it will be fined $1,000 monthly for each unit. The New York State Attorney Generals Office will monitor the settlements compliance for three years.

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.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko has said that a total of 45,000 people are to be evacuated from Ukraine's Sumy Oblast.

Source: Klymenko in response to journalists questions at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in the city of Kropyvnytskyi, as reported by the news agency Ukrinform

Quote: "We need to evacuate about 45,000 people in Sumy Oblast  that's what the Defence Council decided. Eventually, I mean  this is not an urgent evacuation. So far, we have evacuated about 21,000 people, including 5,000 children, specifically from Sumy. And in Sumy, we have selected the best volunteers from the National Police and the State Emergency Service so that this evacuation is orderly and systematic."

Details: Klymenko said they will try to persuade those who are reluctant to leave to change their minds, but all children must be evacuated from the area. "Most people go to relatives and friends, but some dont have that option, so they are taken to neighbouring Poltava and Kyiv oblasts."

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Chinese Premier Li Qiang, accompanied by senior Russian government officials, reviews the honor guard during a grand welcome ceremony at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, Russia, Aug. 20, 2024. Li arrived here on Tuesday to hold the 29th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government and visit Russia at the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

MOSCOW, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived here Tuesday for the 29th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government and an official visit to Russia at the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

Li arrived at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport, where a grand welcome ceremony for him was held. The premier reviewed the honor guard accompanied by senior Russian government officials.

During his stay, Li will meet with Mishustin to exchange in-depth views on bilateral relations, practical cooperation and key issues of common interest.

The regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government, held every year since its inception in 1996, is an important mechanism for implementing the consensus reached by the two countries' heads of state and promoting bilateral cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

In a statement released upon arrival, Li said that under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, China and Russia set a model for a new type of international relations and relations between neighboring major countries.

Over the past 75 years, China-Russia relations have withstood the test of changing international circumstances and become stronger and fresher over time, Li noted, adding that China-Russia relations in the new era have shown new vigor and vitality, with stronger mutual political trust, fruitful cooperation in various fields, deeply rooted friendship, and close and effective international coordination.

Li said his visit to Russia is aimed at implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state, carrying forward the enduring friendship from generation to generation, and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation.

He pointed out that the two heads of state have met twice this year, laying out the top-level design and strategic plan for the new development of China-Russia relations at the new historical starting point of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

It is believed that with joint efforts of both sides, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era will surely enter a brighter future, Li said.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and the beginning of the China-Russia Years of Culture. During Putin's state visit to China in May, Xi said that in the past three quarters of a century, the China-Russia relationship has grown stronger amidst wind and rain, and stood the test of a changing international landscape.

With concerted efforts from both sides, China-Russia relations have been moving forward steadily, with enhanced comprehensive strategic coordination and further cooperation on economy and trade, investment, energy, and people-to-people exchanges, at the subnational level and in other fields, Xi said.

Bilateral cooperation in traditional areas such as energy, resources, aerospace and connectivity has made steady progress, and cooperation in emerging areas such as scientific and technological innovation, cross-border e-commerce and automobile manufacturing has also enjoyed strong momentum.

In the first seven months of this year, China-Russia trade increased by 1.6 percent year on year to 136.67 billion U.S. dollars. The volume exceeded 240 billion dollars in 2023, close to 2.7 times that of a decade ago. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, accompanied by senior Russian government officials, reviews the honor guard during a grand welcome ceremony at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, Russia, Aug. 20, 2024. Li arrived here on Tuesday to hold the 29th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government and visit Russia at the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)
5 in Tuscaloosa sentenced for possession of Glock switches, other gun crimes

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WIAT)  Five Tuscaloosa individuals were sentenced for possession of Glock switches and other gun crimes in Tuscaloosa and the surrounding areas.

U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Donterio Nickson, 23, was sentenced to 57 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a machine gun conversion device. Jahleo Pugh, 20, of Tuscaloosa, was sentenced to 20 months in prison. Kemontay Smith, 19, and Markeias Thompson, 19, were sentenced to 24 months in prison. Pugh, Smith and Thompson all pleaded guilty to possession of a machine gun in April.

Former Trussville doctor who tried to meet 17-year-old patient for sex sentenced to 3 years behind bars

Keyonte Howard, 21, received 36 months probation following his conviction for providing false information in connection with the purchase of a firearm.

The cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program to reduce violent crime and gun crime to make neighborhoods safer.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
6 Missing After Yacht Sinks in Sicily Presumed Dead as Sources Say Passengers Had Been Celebrating Before Storm

Authorities said the Bayesian capsized early on Monday, Aug. 19 while moored about a half mile from the the coast of Porticello

Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty; Scott Eells/Bloomberg via Getty; Andy Shaw/Bloomberg via Getty (L-R) Mike Lynch, Christopher Morvillo, Jonathan Bloomer

The six people who remain missing after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily during a storm are presumed dead by many of the investigators, local sources tell PEOPLE, though authorities haven't yet commented on that.

The Bayesian, a 183-foot vessel, capsized early on Monday, Aug. 19, while moored about a half mile from the the coast of Porticello, according to a statement from the Italian coast guard, previously obtained to PEOPLE.

A source close to the survivors tells PEOPLE the yacht had traveled from the Aeolian Islands to celebrate the recent acquittal of British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who is among the missing.

Lynch recently went to trial, and won, after he was was accused of financial fraud in connection to the sale of Autonomy, a business software company Lynch founded, to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

That's why he took his closest friends and colleagues on the trip, the source adds.

Vincenzo Pepe/Getty A coast guard vessel and a private sail boat assist the search for missing passengers after a yacht capsized on August 19, 2024 off the coast of Palermo, Italy.

The other missing passengers include New York City-based lawyer Christopher Morvillo, who helped Lynch get acquitted, and his wife Neda, as well as Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife.

Lynchs daughter Hannah is also missing, although his wife, Angela Bacares, is one of the 15 passengers who were rescued in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Although the search is still ongoing, local sources tell PEOPLE that many of the investigations believe they are presumed to be trapped in the hold or in their cabins. (Authorities have yet to comment on this and have only referred to the individuals as missing.)

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Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty Images Italian emergency services headed out to sea towards the area off the Sicilian coast, where the search continues for British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah, who are among six tourists missing after a luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily.

The Bayesian still appears to be intact as it lays on its right side in about 160 feet of water, according to Reuters. Due to the depth, crews only have about 8 to 10 minutes to search before resurfacing.

A senior source at the Italian fire brigade which is in charge of the underwater rescue efforts tells PEOPLE that crews have managed to get to the berth and to the living room, which was full of debris and cables.



Related: 'We Are in Shock,' Prominent N.Y.C. Attorney's Firm Says After He and His Wife Go Missing in Yacht Sinking

So far, they say teams have looked through portholes and have not seen any people trapped inside, despite some reports.

Currently, crews are attempting to find ways of lighting up the inside of the vessel to help them properly search for the missing.

The senior fire official says five additional expert diving units have arrived in Sicily to help with the emergency, and 15 people are working around the clock to try and find the individuals.

It's a very long job, the senior official explains, noting that there are physical limits to what crews can do underneath the waters surface. At most, it is a 15 minute segment  and that includes going up and going down. And then they need time to recover.

Lo Bianco/Anadolu via Getty Crews search the water for individuals who were onboard a luxury yacht when it sank early on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024

Related: Diver Searching for 6 Missing People on Sunken Yacht Talks Difficult Nature of Getting Inside

Marco Tilotta, a diver with the local fire department, previously said it has been difficult to access the hull, which is a world of objects inside, according to the BBC. Navigating the narrow spaces, he added, is a really hard and difficult job.

However, the diver emphasized, "we are not stopping."

Added Tilotta, We have resources, manpower and means. Our goal is to find all the people who are missing, so that is our job.



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LAWRENCE COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT)  A motorcycle crash has left a man dead after a crash that happened in Lawrence County on Friday, August 9.

According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), a motorcycle was driving on Alabama 157 about three miles southeast of Moulton when it left the road and overturned.

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Troopers say that the driver was thrown from the motorcycle and airlifted to Huntsville Hospital for treatment.

ALEA identified the driver as William J. Beard, 61, of Vinemont. He died from his injuries on Sunday, August 18.

The crash remains under investigation by the ALEAs Highway Patrol Division.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI)  Rhode Island Energy launched its new website on Monday and according to president Greg Cornett, this is the final step in the companys transition away from National Grid.

Here are seven things to know about the new rienergy.com.

I wasnt able to make a payment over the weekend. Will I be charged?

Rhode Island Energy said this is the biggest question that customers have been asking. The answer there is no, were not going to charge anyone a late charge, Cornett told 12 News. Our system was down over the weekend.

Do I need to do anything?

Yes. Rhode Island Energy says you should log in, update your password and confirm your profile and payment information. If you havent created an online account, you can create a new log-in.

Do I have to change my password?

Yes. Rhode Island Energy says you should update your password if you already have an account for security purposes.

Can I still pay with a physical check?

All of the pre-existing ways that customers can pay their bill, if they want to get a paper bill and write a check and send it in, thats still an option, Cornett said.

How do I get a PDF of my bill?

You will still receive an email with a link to access your bills online, but Rhode Island Energy said you will no longer get a downloadable PDF of your bill. To view a PDF, you will need to log into your online profile.

Why did Rhode Island Energy change its website?

On its website, Rhode Island Energy says, National Grid could not accurately factor in a different energy suppliers pricing to give a consistent monthly budget amount. Our new systems are able to manage total energy suppliers and the pricing will be factored into your Budget Billing Plan.

Will my enrollment in E-Pay continue?

Yes, your enrollment in the E-Pay program will continue, but you will need to create an online profile to view your bill.

Im still having trouble. Where can I get help?

There are more resources if you still need help. Cornett said, Weve got a call center thats staffed with local folks here in Rhode Island. If youve got any questions, feel free to call  I would encourage folks to follow our social media channels, thats a good way to get up-to-date information.

You can watch a tutorial for the new website here. Anyone who needs further help can call 1-855-743-1101 or text 743674 (RIEMSG).

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CHICAGO  If youre looking to rub elbows with some political heavyweights the convention floor at the United Center is the best bet during business hours. But after the gavel slams, theres a good bet, after hours you might find a few of them at 430 North Michigan Avenue.

Enter at your own risk is the unofficial welcome of the Billy Goat Tavern.

Co-owner Bill Sianiss great uncle opened the Lincoln Tavern in 1934, but the name would change with the arrival of a new pet.

He heard this noise outside the door, opened the door and saw a goat outside, Sianis said.

The goat was adopted, and so soon the saloon had a new name, the Billy Goat Tavern. And its now celebrating its 90th year in business.

It has made its mark on pop culture, parodied on Saturday Night Live by former Billy Goat customers who became famous comedians. And to this day, theyre still serving in the same style.

Long known as an ink-stained watering hole for weary reporters, it became a favorite of legendary columnist Mike Royko.

You could stumble here from four different newspapers at one time, Chicago Tribune reporter and author Rick Kogan said. The Sun-Times and the Daily News and the Tribune, and The American.  And you could stumble back to work too.

The Billy Goat played a mythical role in Chicago Cubs history. When Cubs owner Philip K. Wrigley kicked out Sianis and his goat during the 1945 World Series, Sianis declared the Cubs would never win again.

His nephew explains, He didnt do any ritual or anything. He told Mr. Wrigley, As long as the goat is not let back in, theyll never win the World Series. So it became a curse over the years.

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The Subterranean Saloon, as Kogan calls it also occupies a unique space in the heart of the city.

It is a neighborhood tavern in a place that is really not a neighborhood, he said. Were in the middle of downtown. There are very few places like this left, even in neighborhoods anymore.

Thats why it has become an attractive campaign stop for politicians looking to connect with the common man.

In 1991, President George Herbert Walker Bush dropped in for lunch.

He had a couple double cheese, and sat and talked about everything, Sianis said. People were asking him all different questions about what was going on.

During the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, then-First lady Hillary Clinton held a private party with Mr. Cub Ernie Banks at the Billy Goat.

She went to school in Park Ridge at Maine South, same school I went (to), Sianis said. So she wanted to have a party with some of her close friends and she had a private party here.

The bar boasts a collection of press passes and campaign buttons

In 1944, both the DNC and the RNC were held at Chicago Stadium. At the RNC, Sianis expected a packed house. But on the first night, the bar was empty.

It turned out, big trucks blocked the bar, and nobody noticed it. So Sianis put a sign in the window that said No Republicans Allowed.

Soon curious republicans wandered in and Sinais had his busiest week.

Kogan said its a reminder that for 90 years everybody has been welcome at the Billy Goat.

All you have to do is look around. Anybody from Chicago would feel comfortable in this place, because in the grand tradition of neighborhood taverns, they treat everybody equally, he said. It levels lifes playing field like any good tavern should.

For those who cant find the underground location  the Billy Goat also has locations near the United Center, Navy Pier and across from Wrigley Field, whichever floats your goat.

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What they are saying: At an AAPI caucus meeting during this weeks Democratic National Convention, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth stressed the importance of mobilizing the AAPI community, the fastest-growing racial group in the U.S., particularly in key battleground states. We are the margin of victory, Duckworth declared , urging nationwide outreach. Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi highlighted the increasing AAPI representation in Congress, reflecting the growing political influence of this demographic. The significance of AAPI voters was a consistent theme at the meeting, with leaders pointing out that their support could be decisive in securing Harris victory.

South Asian community support: Harris mixed heritage  being the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother  resonates deeply with South Asian Americans. Sumathi Madhure, a South Asian delegate, told the Los Angeles Times, To think that somebody of South Asian descent will be, perhaps, the president, be the most powerful person in the world...thats just beyond imagination. Harris, who spoke briefly at the DNC on Monday, has long embraced her dual heritage. I grew up with a strong Indian culture, and I was raised in a Black community, she said in 2003, reflecting her deep connection to both identities. This shared identity has galvanized the South Asian community, which has mobilized significant support, including raising $285,000 in donations and recruiting 500 new volunteers through the South Asians for Harris initiative.
ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC)  An Abilene man accused of committing a drive-by shooting after an altercation over weed has been arrested.

Jeremy Henry was taken into custody Friday on a warrant for Deadly Conduct Discharge Firearm in connection to the shooting, which took place on the 5000 block of Robertson Drive August 13.

Court documents state a neighbor called 9-1-1 after hearing shots fired near her home, and when officers arrived on scene, they found multiple cars had been damaged.

Officers were able to recover 9 shell casings and two slugs from the scene of the shooting, and the documents state surveillance video from a neighbor showed a suspicious vehicle passing by the home that was targeted during the shooting.

The documents state the victim then told police he recognized the vehicle because he had had a confrontation with the vehicles owner previously when he, found him smoking weed next to his house.

In the months following this confrontation, the documents state the victim says he discovered he was being followed by a vehicle and that the trailer of his business was shot in a different location.

When officers went to the residence they believe was connected to the suspicious vehicle, the documents state a woman answered the door and identified Henry as the owner and driver of the vehicle.

Henry then emerged and told officers that he had been in the Roberston neighborhood around the time of the shooting, but only to visit a nearby park, according to the documents.

A shell casing was collected from Henrys vehicle, and the documents state forensic data showed it was a match to the spent casing found at the scene of the shooting.

Henry now remains held in the Taylor County Jail on a $100,000 bond.

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Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft joined the Midwest March for Life on May 1 at the Missouri State Capitol. I think regardless of what the legislature does, the people of this state  with hard work  can protect all life in this state," Ashcroft said (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).

Organizers behind an abortion-rights amendment that will appear on Missouris November ballot filed a lawsuit last week alleging the fair ballot language written by the secretary of states office is intentionally argumentative and bound to create confusion for voters.

Amendment 3 asks voters if they want to legalize abortion up until the point of fetal viability. Abortion has been illegal in Missouri, with only limited exceptions for the life and health of the mother, since June 2022.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft certified the measure for the ballot last week. On the same day, the office published on its website the amendments fair ballot language statement, which is meant to be posted at every polling place next to the sample ballot.

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The language listed on the secretary of states website as of Tuesday reads: A yes vote will enshrine the right to abortion at any time of pregnancy in the Missouri Constitution. Additionally, it will prohibit any regulation of abortion, including regulations designed to protect women undergoing abortions and prohibit any civil or criminal recourse against anyone who performs an abortion and hurts or kills the pregnant women.

These politicians know that Missouri voters overwhelmingly support Amendment 3, Rachel Sweet, campaign manager with Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, said in a statement. So they resort to deceptive and misleading tactics.

Dr. Anna Fitz-James, the named plaintiff in the lawsuit, labeled Ashcrofts language unfair, insufficient, inaccurate, misleading, argumentative, prejudicial.

Fitz-James, a retired physician who lives in Missouri, first filed the abortion rights initiative petition in March 2023 on behalf of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the campaign behind the ballot measure which has raised several million dollars this year.

Missourians are entitled to fair, accurate, and sufficient language that will allow them to cast an informed vote for or against the Amendment without being subjected to the Secretary of States disinformation, according to the lawsuit filed in Cole County, which was first reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Ashcroft, who recently finished third in the GOP primary for governor, has been vocal in his opposition to abortion.

I am appalled that factions want to use the courts to misrepresent the truth to push a political agenda, Ashcroft said in a statement Tuesday in response to the lawsuit, which also accuses him of pushing a political agenda. I will always fight for the right of Missourians to have clear, understandable ballot language when they vote on such an important fundamental issue as life.

The abortion rights campaign is asking the court to issue new fair ballot language and order that Ashcroft remove his current language from the government website. A court date has not yet been set.

This isnt the first time the campaign has sued Ashcroft over the ballot measure.

The initial ballot summary he drafted to appear on the ballot would have asked Missourians, in part, if they wanted to allow for dangerous, unregulated, and unrestricted abortions, from conception to live birth.

A Missouri judge in September ruled Ashcrofts language was problematic and inaccurate.

Ashcroft appealed the ruling, but the Missouri Supreme Court denied to take up the case.

The new ballot language  approved by Missouri courts  will ask voters if they want to:

establish a right to make decisions about reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives, with any governmental interference of that right presumed invalid;

remove Missouris ban on abortion;

allow regulation of reproductive health care to improve or maintain the health of the patient;

require the government not to discriminate, in government programs, funding, and other activities, against persons providing or obtaining reproductive health care; and

allow abortion to be restricted or banned after Fetal Viability except to protect the life or health of the woman?
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  ABQ Ride said it is bringing back one of its more popular routes. The Transit Department reinstated Route 790 which takes passengers from the Northwest Transit Center, near Cibola High School, south on Coors through Old Town and Downtown, then south on University to Central New Mexico Community College.

Food truck owners upset with City of Albuquerque over major permit fee increase

The route will run on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Staffing shortages forced ABQ Ride to pause the route but it became one of the most requested routes to bring back.

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New Yorks surf community has been dealt a tragic blow with the news that photographer and surfer Andrew Blauschild died from a heart attack on Monday, August 19. He was 53 years old.

According to the social media account Long Island Surfers, he suffered a heart attack after coming in from a session and was pronounced dead on the scene. Tributes to the creative artist began circulating soon after.

I have been a fan, because just like all of us... Andrew, by his own admission, started out as a greenhorn kook, and wound up being quite the opposite, like we all hope to do. I've rarely seen anyone with a greater amount of pure STOKE, wrote Mick Hargreaves, who runs the Long Island Surfers. He leaves behind a monumental body of artistic work that visually documents just about everything you can imagine regarding area surfing. I saw him a week and a half ago, and we caught up on things. The stoke was there, as ever.

In the fall 2023 edition of The Surfers Journal, writer Biddle Duke tagged along with Blauschild through Montauk, where the New Yorker had documented the regions unique surf scene and which became his adopted home for 30 years. Originally from the Bronx, Blauschild worked steadily up the career ladder by working with high-end brands like Ralph Lauren and Oscar de la Renta. But it was the East End of Long Island and New Yorks vibrant surf culture that captured his imagination and camera lens for so long.

Andrew Blauschild is a New Yorker, through and through, Biddle wrote. You can hear it in the accent, the slight edge and the attitude (though hes softened with age, friends say), his penchant for black clothing.

It gave me a classic education where in New York there was actually a surf culture that kept it real, Blauschild said in the TSJ profile. Pat Schmidt, a Montauk surfer and a frequent subject of Blauschild, posted a touching tribute to his friend on Instagram.

The connection I got to form with Andrew since moving to the east end is unexplainable. We always felt in sync. I felt like if he was on the beach I could surf a certain way that worked well with the way he wanted to capture images of surfing. I could see where he was moving on the rocks, know right away the shot he was trying to get and adjust my position accordingly. Ive never had that before. Ive never even wanted that before, but with Andrew it was different.

Im such a fan of his work that I wanted to do whatever I could to be a part of it. We had five days in a row earlier this summer that we passed each other on Nappegue Meadow in the same exact spot, both with middle fingers held high followed by a phone call cracking up about it that would end up lasting hours. I will miss those times but am so grateful to experience them. Love you Andrew, thanks for taking me under your wing.

Related: Eclectic New Coffee Table Book Documents Montauk Surfing in the 1980s

Related: Top 7 Summer Surf Trips: From Malibu to Montauk
The preparation of the "Green Energy" Concept for the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic has commenced, Azernews reports that this was reported by the State Energy Service of Nakhchivan.

According to the information, 7,992 hectares of uncultivated land proposed by the State Service for Real Estate Affairs under the Ministry of Economy have been designated for the implementation of "Green Energy" projects within the autonomous republic.

It should be noted that the "State Program for the Socio-Economic Development of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic for 2023-2027," approved by President Ilham Aliyev's decree on June 5, 2023, includes plans for preparing the "Green Energy" Concept.

This program outlines the continuation of public-private partnerships, the development of alternative and renewable energy sources, and the construction of a new thermal power plant.




Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, addresses a commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the NPC's affiliation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the opening ceremony of the 2024 interregional seminar on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for parliaments of developing countries at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 20, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- China is ready to work with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and legislative bodies of other countries to expand forms of exchange, enrich the content of cooperation and constantly work toward fruitful results, top Chinese legislator Zhao Leji said on Tuesday.

Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, made the remarks in Beijing when addressing a commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the NPC's affiliation with the IPU and the opening ceremony of the 2024 interregional seminar on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for parliaments of developing countries.

Zhao said the IPU is the most influential international parliamentary organization with a long history and large scale in the world today. It is an important platform for the legislative bodies of various countries to communicate and seek cooperation. Since the NPC joined the IPU 40 years ago, its cooperation with the IPU and legislatures of other countries has been deepened and strengthened, he noted.

He said that to deepen cooperation and implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, legislative bodies should treat one another as equals, respect and trust one another, respect the development paths and institutional models chosen independently by the people of each country, respect one another's core interests and major concerns, oppose interference in other countries' internal affairs, oppose camp confrontation and elite circles, and practice common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concepts.

Zhao urged all sides to facilitate common development, implement the sustainable development agenda and promote economic globalization that benefits all. He said all parties need to strengthen exchange and mutual learning, respect the diversity of world civilizations, and increase their sharing of governance experience.

He also called on all sides to strengthen multilateral coordination, practice genuine multilateralism, promote an equal, orderly, multi-polar world, and make the global governance system more just and equitable.

Tulia Ackson, IPU president and Tanzania's National Assembly speaker, IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong, and parliamentary leaders and representatives of 32 developing countries attended the opening ceremony.

When he met with Ackson prior to the ceremony, Zhao said that China is willing to continue working with the IPU to organize seminars for parliamentarians from developing countries, support the IPU in preparing for the sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament scheduled for next year, strengthen bilateral cooperation, and make contributions to promoting world peace and development.

Ackson said the IPU is willing to deepen cooperation with the NPC and will continue to adhere to the one-China principle, noting that the IPU welcomes China to play a greater role in the organization.

At a meeting attended by Ackson, Chungong and the heads of delegations, Zhao said that as this year marks the 70th anniversary of the publication of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, China is willing to deepen cooperation with the IPU and the legislative bodies of other countries to safeguard the interests of developing countries. 

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with Tulia Ackson, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) president and Tanzania's National Assembly speaker, prior to the opening ceremony of the 2024 interregional seminar on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for parliaments of developing countries in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 20, 2024. Zhao on Tuesday addressed a commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the NPC's affiliation with the IPU and the opening ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with Tulia Ackson, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) president and Tanzania's National Assembly speaker, IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong and the heads of delegations in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 20, 2024. Zhao on Tuesday addressed a commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the NPC's affiliation with the IPU and the opening ceremony of the 2024 interregional seminar on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for parliaments of developing countries at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, attends a commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the NPC's affiliation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the opening ceremony of the 2024 interregional seminar on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for parliaments of developing countries at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 20, 2024. Zhao addressed the event here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against the Medford Police Department, alleging the agency has illegally spied on individuals and organizations with no suspicion of criminal activity for years.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Rogue Valley Pepper Shakers, Stabbin Wagon, and Melissa Jones, who ACLU Oregon describes as progressive political activists and members of mutual aid groups helping neighbors in need.

Citing public records, the ACLU of Oregon claimed Medford police illegally surveilled progressive individuals and groups involved in causes  including racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights, housing justice, decriminalization, and environmental advocacy  even though no crimes were committed.

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ACLU said the surveillance was discovered by Information for Public Use, which requested Medford police records and found cases of police collecting intel on the groups.

Instead of investigating real safety threats, the Medford Police are wasting resources spying on someone like me whos just trying to care for my neighbors, ACLU client Melissa Jones said.

In one case, Medford police surveilled reproductive rights groups that planned to protest ahead of the Supreme Courts 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, according to ACLU of Oregon.

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The Medford Police is blatantly disregarding a three-decades-old state law that prohibits this type of surveillance. Their doubling down is a bald display of impunity from those we trust to enforce the law. This abuse of power without fear of accountability is chilling and must be stopped, said Kelly Simon, ACLU of Oregon legal director.

Rogue Valley Pepper Shakers Co-Founder and Organizer Sam Strong added, For a number of months I was afraid to leave my house. I had been doxed. My friends and I continue to be scared. The police have so much power within their own group and also in the community. I fear the Medford Police Departments capabilities and while they make working together with my community incredibly hard, we refuse to stop distributing supplies and support to marginalized folks.

ACLU Oregon argued the agencys practice of monitoring these groups without suspicions of illegal activity is in violation of Oregon state law ORS 181A.250, prohibiting police from collecting or maintaining information on political, religious, or social views and activities of people who are not suspected of criminal activity.

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The ACLU of Oregon noted that law was passed in the Oregon legislature after Portland police kept files on political organizations, such as the ACLU of Oregon.

The organization said the law is neceaary to protect against police abuses.

The Medford Police are monitoring people like me because of what we care about, not for anything related to crime. Other activists, advocates and organizations who support Black, brown, and queer lives, see abortion as a healthcare right, care for the unhoused, the environment, and practice harm reduction, could be subject to this illegal invasion of privacy too, said client Toren McKnight, Co-Founder and Organizer with the Rogue Valley Pepper Shakers.

KOIN 6 News reached out to Medford Police Department. This story will be updated if we receive a response.



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Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks during a Nov. 9, 2023 meeting. (File/Alex Wong/Getty Images)

While most of the country is focused on the presidential contest in November, at least one group is already spending on South Carolinas 2026 elections.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham still has two years left in his fourth Senate term. On Monday, though, a nonprofit advocacy group launched a statewide advertisement touting the Republican senators work backing Donald Trumps judicial nominees and, more recently, blocking a judge nominated by President Joe Biden.

The 30-second ad, running on cable TV and online platforms, can be viewed as an attempt to ward off challengers from Grahams right flank.

The six-figure expenditure, first shared with the SC Daily Gazette, comes from Security is Strength, LLC. As a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, it can spend money promoting an issue but is not directly associated with a particular candidate.

The ad starts out by reminding viewers of Grahams fierce support of Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his 2018 confirmation hearings, followed by the 2020 confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court. It then pivots to a hearing that got far less attention  a magistrate Biden nominated earlier this year to the federal bench in New York.

The Senate Judiciary Committee, on which Graham sits as ranking member, failed to forward Judge Sarah Netburns nomination over her handling in 2022 of a transgender inmates request to be transferred to a female prison.

The ad isnt the first time that Security is Strength or its associated, but separate, political action committee (PAC) has backed Graham. Earlier this summer, the nonprofit arm touted Grahams commitment to Israel in its ongoing war with Hamas following militants surprise attack last October.

In 2020, the Security is Strength PAC spent close to $14 million supporting Graham and opposing his Democratic opponent, Jaime Harrison, according to the website Open Secrets. That contest grew to what was, at the time, the most expensive U.S. Senate race ever. It was the only race that the PAC spent money on that year, although it has supported other candidates in other years. After losing that race, Harrison became chairman of the Democratic National Committee at Bidens recommendation.

South Carolinians greatly appreciate Sen. Grahams fight against the radical Biden-Harris liberal agenda, said Kevin Bishop, a spokesperson for the nonprofit. When we elect a conservative president who nominates conservative judges, no senator will play a more prominent role getting them confirmed than Lindsey Graham.

Bishop worked for Graham for 27 years, retiring earlier this year to launch a consulting firm. He also jumped into the race for South Carolinas 3rd Congressional District, although he failed to make the runoff in a seven-way Republican primary.

Winthrop University political scientist Scott Huffmon said Security is Strength may be trying to head off another crowded GOP contest for Graham.

This is not meant to ward off a Democratic challenger, said Huffmon, who also leads the Winthrop Poll.

Graham, who Republicans have blasted in the past as being too willing to compromise with Democrats, has a history of attracting  and besting  GOP challengers. In 2014, he fended off six Republican opponents without needing a runoff. In 2020, he easily defeated three GOP challengers to his right before taking on Harrison.

The one-time presidential candidate, who ended his bid in December 2015 before any votes were cast, has also had a rocky relationship with Trump. When Graham appeared with Trump on stage in Columbia in February, after the former president won South Carolinas GOP presidential primary, the crowd booed him.

During the Obama administration, Graham got flak from Republicans for voting to confirm the presidents nominees to the nations high court: Justice Sonia Sotomayor in 2009 and Justice Elena Kagan in 2010. Explaining his votes at the time, he said, Elections have consequences.

The blocked appointment of Netburn featured in the ad marked the first time the Democrat-led Senate Judiciary Committee rejected a Biden judicial nominee since he took office. Republicans, including Graham, objected strongly to Netburn approving a transfer of a transgender woman convicted of child sex abuse to a womens prison.

Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Georgia Democrat, flipped on that vote, joining Republicans to block Netburn.

Huffmon said spending this early isnt typical.

Graham has been pretty safe in his seat and, when he has taken risks it has been, you know, long between elections, Huffmon said. Hes always found ways to get back in the good graces of the slightly more right wing of the party just before the election.

One way Graham did that before the 2020 election, Huffmon said, was by defending Kavanaugh.

Grahams fiery support of Kavanaugh amid Democrats questioning about an alleged sexual assault decades earlier was applauded by Republicans as saving the conservative justices nomination.

Youve got nothing to apologize for, Graham told Kavanaugh when it became his turn to ask questions. When you see Sotomayor and Kagan, tell them that Lindsey said hello because I voted for them.  This is the most unethical sham since Ive been in politics.

In 2022, however, Graham did not vote for Bidens nominee: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Editors Note: This article has been updated throughout to reflect that Security is Strength LLC is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy group that is separate but affiliated with the Security is Strength political action committee.
Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 19, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Delegates, politicians, and Democratic party supporters are in Chicago for the convention, concluding with current Vice President Kamala Harris accepting her party's presidential nomination. The DNC takes place from August 19-22. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A longtime ally of President Joe Biden, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn singled out one presidential decision for particular praise in his address to the Democratic National Convention.

Were all grateful for one of the best decisions he made, selecting Kamala Harris as vice president and endorsing her to replace him, Clyburn told the audience during a five-minute speech Monday night.

South Carolinas only Democratic member of Congress was part of a lengthy lineup on the first of a four-day convention to formally endorse Harris as the Democratic nominee.

Besides praising Biden for his lifetime of achievement in elected office, Clyburn presented Harris as a stark contrast to former President Donald Trump, including on abortion. Trump appointed the U.S. Supreme Court justices whose 2022 decision overturned the half-century precedent set by Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed a national right to an abortion through the second trimester.

Kamala Harris is a true battle-tested leader  who gets things done, Clyburn said. While Donald Trump has been bragging about how he overturned Roe, Kamala has been fiercely advocating for the restoration of reproductive freedoms.

Calling Project 2025 Jim Crow 2.0, Clyburn said Trump falsely pleads ignorance of it.

Democrats say the policy agenda created by the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation is effectively a blueprint for a second Trump term. But Trump has repeatedly repudiated it, calling the 900-plus-page book on overhauling the federal government seriously extreme. However, there are links in its crafting, as directors of what the Heritage Foundation dubs a Presidential Transition Project for the next conservative president include people who worked in Trumps administration.

The son of a preacher, Clyburn cited two verses from 2 Corinthians to encourage his audience to push forward: We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. We are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.

Our great democracy has been tested, and so has the basic goodness of the American people, he said. Our resolve to remain a great country, with freedom and justice for all, will not falter.

Clyburn continued to back Biden even as other Democrats began calling for the president to withdraw. However, he made clear Harris should be the nominee if Biden chose to exit the race.

Biden credits Clyburns endorsement of him prior to the 2020 South Carolina Democratic primary for his 30-point victory in the Palmetto State, after disappointing finishes that year in Iowa and New Hampshire.

This spring, Biden awarded Clyburn with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Clyburn has been a vocal advocate for Biden, including touting his proposals on student loan forgiveness.

Clyburn, 84, is expected to easily win reelection to his 17th term representing the 14-county 6th District. It runs from Columbia south to Charleston and extends from rural counties on the states southern border with Georgia to rural Williamsburg County in the Pee Dee.

In November, Clyburn faces a challenge from Republican Duke Buckner and three minor party challengers.

Clyburn was not the only person from the Palmetto State on the stage Monday night. DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison, former chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, gaveled the convention in and later spoke to the crowd.

When we elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, they will build on our accomplishments and they will create a country that works for every American, he said. They will lead us in the fight for America and believe me when we fight, he paused, letting the audience fill in the rest  we win.

Harrison also gave a shoutout to South Carolina, alluding to the state motto, while I breathe, I hope.

Folks, I believe in the power of hope, Harrison said. But its going to take more hope to win this election. So, in the next 78 days, our day cant just be while I breathe I hope, it must be while I breathe I vote, because that is how we make hope real for all of America.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A dog was adopted after she was brought to Memphis Animal Services with serious wounds treated by clinic staff.

However, the person who adopted the dog reached out to WREG Investigators with concerns.

This all started when MAS posted a picture as part of an urgent plea. The shelter was at full capacity, and the dog one of several with medical issues. They needed help saving her life.

Thats when a woman from Wisconsin gave MAS a call. She wants to remain anonymous, but wanted to tell the next part of this story.

On August 3, the dog  now named Pepper  was set to be adopted.

She was heartworm positive, so that was the only thing I, as the adopter, was in charge of doing, the adopter said.

That and get the stitches removed from an embedded collar wound MAS treated.

It took a really long time for them to bring her out to me, she said.

She said Pepper came out wrapped in a bandage, but says staff didnt mention anything abnormal. In the car she snapped a picture for her husband.

And he actually messaged me and he was like, That looks really bloody like, whats wrong with her?' she said. And you could smell the infection.

She says she waited, as instructed, until he got home to take the bandage off.

Just dripping pus, and there were parts that were gaped open, the adopter described.

She showed pictures weve blurred because theyre too graphic for TV.

It was just a continuous suture technique which was coming unraveled, she said.

The city stated in part in preparation for release to adoptive parents, the dog was seen on August 3 and there was no evidence the wounds were open when the bandage was changed. Its unclear when that check happened and when Pepper was handed over.

Her new owner said she immediately took Pepper to her vet, who noted a large amount of discharge including around the surgery site closures.

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It was so infected and has been infected for a while. We couldnt even close it right away, so weve been having to do bandage changes, she said.

She said a culture of the wound showed the bacteria cocci and traces of MRSA, a form of a staph bacteria.

The city says MAS does not test for MRSA since its not common in cats and dogs and while vets said cocci can be more common, MAS reports no outbreak.

I brought in all of the medication given to me. We noticed one of the antibiotics is not listed on her discharge paperwork, the adopter said.

Peppers new vet also noticed the pain medication bottle from MAS stated the dog needed two doses daily, which is double the amount for the dogs size. The correct amount was listed in the MAS medical records.



An independent vet told us if the dog took double the amount for a long period of time, it could cause serious issues.

The city said vet assistants fill out the bottle and further added, We cannot discuss the content of adopted animals medical records without receiving permission from their owners.

In June, MAS Director Ty Coleman was placed on leave pending an investigation. It was after both vets and other staff left.

Resignations, documented concerns at Memphis Animal Services in recent months

City officials say until those positions are filled, they are using part time and relief vets and brought in a new interim director. They are at the clinic 2-5 days a week depending on scheduling.

The interim director stated in part, MAS is currently over capacity by around 100 dogs and 40 cats, and they are in dire need from the community to help save these pets.

City council says MAS a hot mess after latest controversy

I think that they are a crucial resource to the people in the community, Peppers adopter said. This is definitely not a dig at the shelter at all. Its just, its making sure that quality of care is my priority.

Peppers adopter says she just wanted to help, and shes glad she did given that she works in a vet clinic. Pepper underwent surgery.

She is a fighter and is adjusting to our house very very well, she aid.

She sent video and pictures of Pepper now. The dog she planned to foster but is now keeping.

The city said its investigation into MAS started late June and is still ongoing.

 DO YOU NEED A STORY INVESTIGATED? WREG Investigators want to hear from you! Call our tip line at 901-543-2378. You can also send an email to wreginvestigators@nexstar.tv.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI)  R.I. Attorney General Peter Neronha said Monday his office plans to scrutinize Lifespans proposed takeover of two troubled Massachusetts hospitals in order to ensure the transaction wont harm patient care in Rhode Island.

On Friday, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced tentative agreements to sell the remaining hospitals in the state owned by bankrupt Steward Health Care, including a deal for Lifespan to acquire St. Annes Hospital in Fall River and Morton Hospital in Taunton.

Lifespan, Rhode Islands biggest employer and largest health system, currently owns Rhode Island Hospital as well as Miriam, Newport and Bradley. This would be its first acquisition of an out-of-state hospital since its ill-fated ownership of what is now Tufts Medical Center a quarter-century ago.

RELATED: RIs Lifespan to acquire Morton, St. Annes hospitals from Steward

In an interview with 12 News, Neronha said he expects to examine the proposed deal for St. Annes and Morton from two angles: antitrust, and specifically whether Lifespan would be too dominant in the region by buying two more hospitals, as well as charitable assets.

The first question, he said, will be whether experts think St. Annes and Morton are even part of the same regional market as the other Lifespan hospitals. It may not be the same market, he said.

The attorney generals office will be able to rely in part on research generated during its extensive review of Lifespans proposed merger with Care New England, which Neronha ultimately rejected in 2022 on competitiveness grounds.

What we dont want to have is a Lifespan system that is so dominant in  the Rhode Island marketplace that it drives other systems to a bad place, he said. And that is a very, very delicate balance, and its a complicated analysis with no easy answers.

In addition, Neronha said he will seek assurances that charitable assets donated to Lifespan over the years for its Rhode Island hospitals arent redirected to St. Annes or Morton, both of which have reportedly suffered from a lack of resources since Steward bought them. Massachusetts officials have said they are putting together a state financing plan to help stabilize the two hospitals.

Neronha said, We wouldnt want to see, for example, a diminishment of charitable assets that form part of or all of the Lifespan endowment being used to shore up hospitals when that endowment was formed to take care of Rhode Island patients here in the state of Rhode Island.

Still, the attorney general was quick to praise Lifespan President and CEO John Fernandez for keeping him in the loop in recent months as executives there considered a bid for the Steward hospitals.

We appreciate Attorney General Neronhas interest in the purchase, and to that end, we have kept him informed of the possibility of the purchase and have committed to sharing the agreement with him once it is finalized, Lifespan spokesperson Jess Wharton told 12 News. (Lifespan will be renamed Brown University Health later this year.)

At Fridays news conference, Healey indicated it would be several weeks before the deals to transfer ownership of the Steward hospitals are finalized. They would still need to be approved by the judge in Texas who is handling the companys bankruptcy case.

Overall, Neronha said, its a smart move on behalf of Lifespan in my mind.

Hospitals in Massachusetts are paid higher reimbursement rates than hospitals in Rhode Island regardless of the form of insurance being used, he said, so providing care at St. Annes and Morton should be more lucrative than doing so in Rhode Island.

Plus, Lifespan could steer patients who come through St. Annes and Morton to have more complex procedures done at hospitals in Rhode Island, which would also benefit those facilities, he said.

Maybe Im missing something, but on balance my instincts tell me its going to be a good thing for [Lifespan], and will strengthen them as a system, he said.

Neronha also sought to link Massachusetts experience with Steward to Rhode Islands experience with Prospect Medical Holdings, the for-profit owner of Roger Williams and Fatima hospitals, which has faced heavy criticism locally and is currently seeking to sell the facilities.

Youve got a judge in Houston whos making decisions about hospitals in Fall River, he said of Steward. I dont think thats a place where any state wants to be.

If Roger Williams and Fatima ever wound up insolvent, Neronha said, its important they are no longer part of Prospect in order to ensure the bankruptcy process plays out in Rhode Island. So those are some of the things that were taking into the balance when we try to figure out the best course for those hospitals, he said.

Neronha has approved Prospects proposed sale of Roger Williams and Fatima to the Centurion Foundation, a Georgia-based nonprofit, but subject to a long list of financial and other conditions. He said Prospect initially balked at those conditions, but now the two sides are getting closer to a final agreement.

He also reiterated that he believes Roger Williams and Fatima only remain open because his office required Prospect to put $80 million in escrow for five years as the price of getting approval for an ownership transfer back in 2021.

Even if Prospect sells those hospitals to Centurion and the terms of our agreement are met, it doesnt mean that those hospitals wont be in danger of closing one, two, three years down the road, he said. And I just dont think Rhode Island is even thinking about that moment.

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.

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Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
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.
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 Gov. 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.
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.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

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.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (left) and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis speak at the National Governors Associations summer meeting at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City on July 12, 2024. (Courtesy of the Utah Governors Office)

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.

I think what were seeing right now is the beginning of a trend which could get significantly more impactful in future elections.

 Brandon Amacher, of Utah Valley University

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. Colorado candidates need to disclose if they use generative artificial intelligence in their campaign communications under a bill signed into law this year.

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.

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Senate Majority Leader Steve Livingston, R-Scottsboro, speaks to the Alabama Senate on Feb. 6, 2024 in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)

The Alabama-Ireland Trade Commission convened for its inaugural meeting Monday and appointed Sen. Steve Livingston, R-Scottsboro and Rep. Andy Whitt, R-Harvest as the chair and vice-chair of the committees.

The trade commission stems from SJR 24, which Livingston sponsored, passed by the Legislature in April of this year. The measure created the Commission whose purpose is to foster closer ties of friendship between the State of Alabama and the Republic of Ireland.

This is something that will certainly benefit the state and our partnership with Ireland, Whitt said, acting as the chair in Livingstons absence. Alabama is not just one state in the south anymore. We need to make these global partnerships.

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One of the key priorities is to solidify a trade partnership with Ireland to establish stronger commercial partnerships to exchange goods and services.

The next step is to have the Republic of Ireland name appointments to the commission, then have meetings with other states in the country that have a trade relationship with the European country. The groups will then discuss joint educational partnerships with the universities in the state and those in Ireland.

The population of Ireland and Alabama are both roughly 5 million. According to the Alabama Department of Commerce, Alabama exported about $64.8 million worth of goods to the Republic of Ireland in 2023, a 16% increase over the previous year.

Ireland ranked 38th in the value of exported Alabama goods. The top 5 in 2023 were Germany ($5 billion); Canada ($3.9 billion); China ($3.7 billion); Mexico ($3.1 billion) and South Korea ($1.1 billion).

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BAKU, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Azerbaijan has formally applied to join the BRICS group, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.

The bid follows Azerbaijan's expression of interest at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana in early July this year. During the summit, a Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership was signed between Azerbaijan and China, with one of its provisions outlining Azerbaijan's intention to join the BRICS. China has endorsed Azerbaijan's application and pledged to support its entry into the group.

BRICS currently includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates also part of the bloc. BRICS has evolved into a key international forum, organizing annual summits and coordinating on various multilateral issues. 
A jury convicted Carey Dale Grayson of the 1994 murder of Vickie Deblieux. (Alabama Department of Corrections)

Gov. Kay Ivey Monday set a November execution date for Carey Dale Grayson, the fifth in the year.

Graysons scheduled execution, which will take place between midnight on Nov. 21 and 6 a.m. on Nov. 22, will use nitrogen gas, the third scheduled to take place this year.

Grayson was convicted of two counts of capital murder in the 1994 murder of Vickie Deblieux. According to court documents, Grayson was part of a group of teenagers who picked up Deblieux while she was hitchhiking and transported her to a wooded area, where Debileux was killed. A jury convicted Grayson of capital murder in March 1996 and recommended that he be sentenced to death.

His conviction and sentence were upheld throughout the state appeals process, which was completed in 2006. Grayson then took his case to federal court and filed a writ of habeas petition in the Northern District of Alabama and was denied in September 2009.

Graysons appeal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals was denied in October 2010 and his final appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was denied a year later.

In June, Federal Defenders for the Middle District of Alabama filed a complaint on Graysons behalf challenging the states nitrogen gas execution protocol and proposing his own execution protocol with nitrogen gas.

In his complaint, Grayson argued that the states nitrogen gas execution protocol violated his Eighth Amendment right against cruel and unusual punishment. Gray proposed two alternatives. In the first, the state injects him with 10 mg of ketamine and places him in a hyperbaric chamber filled with 90% nitrogen. Once the execution begins, the chamber would be filled with 100% nitrogen that Grayson would breathe until he passes away.

The second protocol bypasses the nitrogen gas protocol completely, and instead, Grayson would be executed by lethal injection using ketamine and fentanyl.

Grayson would be the fifth person the state plans to execute for the year. The state executed Kenneth Eugene Smith by nitrogen gas in January. Jamie Ray Mills, executed in May, and Keith Edmund Gavin, executed in July, were both put to death by lethal injection. Alan Eugene Miller is scheduled to be executed by nitrogen gas in September.
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP)  Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola on Tuesday advanced to Novembers ranked choice general election for Alaskas sole U.S. House seat, along with Republicans Nick Begich and Nancy Dahlstrom.

The three were the most prominent candidates in a field of 12 running for the seat in Alaskas primary. Under Alaskas open primary system, voters were asked to pick one candidate, with the top four vote-getters in the race, regardless of party affiliation, advancing to the ranked choice general election.

In early results, Peltola led in the vote count, followed by Begich and then Dahlstrom. It was too early to call who the fourth candidate would be.

Tuesdays primary helps set the stage for what is expected to be a hotly contested, closely watched race this fall. The GOP is hoping to reclaim the seat that Republican U.S. Rep. Don Young held for 49 years before his death in 2022. Peltola became the first Alaska Native elected to Congress with her wins in special and regular elections that year.

Begich, who ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2022, was running with support from a number of local Republican groups. Dahlstrom, who is Alaska's lieutenant governor, was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and several House leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson.

Begich had said he would withdraw from the race if he finished behind Dahlstrom. Dahlstrom did not make a similar pledge. Both late Tuesday cast themselves as the candidate capable of beating Peltola.

Peltola catapulted to office in 2022 with a campaign that emphasized civility in politics. But in her reelection bid, she has found some of the pitfalls of playing the middle in today's polarized political landscape.

Weeks before the primary, she faced backlash on social media after telling reporters she was keeping an open mind about the presidential race and declining to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, who at the time was not yet the official Democratic nominee. Peltola was forced to clarify that she would not, in fact, vote for Trump.

She further angered some supporters when she voted with Republicans on a resolution condemning Harris' role in the Biden administrations handling of the U.S. border with Mexico.

On the president, my opinion doesnt matter at all, Peltola told The Associated Press. We are not a swing state; were very, very far away from being anywhere close to a swing state. So for people to demand a certain reaction, its a waste of energy.

The majority of registered voters in Alaska are not affiliated with a party, a fact Peltola cited in explaining why she would not be endorsing anyone. The last time Alaska went for a Democratic presidential nominee was 1964.

The pace of this years race so far has been slow compared to the mad scramble two years ago sparked by Young's death. Nearly 50 candidates, including 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, ran in the special primary seeking to replace him.

Peltola, who is Yupik and is a former state lawmaker from a rural community, went on to win the special general election to serve the remainder of Young's term and later won a full term, casting herself as a consensus builder and running on a platform of "fish, family and freedom.

That year also was the debut of Alaska's voter-approved open primary and ranked choice general election system. Supporters and critics of the system alike cite Peltola's success for why they either think it's working or that it should be scrapped.

Backers of ranked voting say it provides voters more choice and rewards candidates who appeal to a broader portion of the electorate. Opponents say it's confusing and pushes voters to rank candidates they don't support.

Most polling locations opened on time Tuesday, but several did not open until around 10 a.m., and one in Anaktuvuk Pass  an Alaska Native community of about 400 in the central Brooks Range in northern Alaska  did not open until around 7:30 p.m., roughly a half hour before polls closed at 8 p.m., Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher said by email. Polling sites in the Alaska Native villages of Wales and Kaktovik had not opened, she said.

Despite trying multiple ways to contact the poll workers, the individuals we had hired for those communities were unresponsive today, Beecher said. Elections officials were able to connect with the mayor of Anaktuvuk Pass to open a location there, she said.

The polling location in another community, Kobuk, a village of about 160 people, opened in the morning but closed early due to flooding in the region, she said.

In the 2022 primary, 43 people voted in Kaktovik, which lies within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and 10 voted in Wales, about 110 miles (177 kilometers) northwest of Nome in western Alaska, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

In endorsing Dahlstrom, Trump had blamed Begich for Republicans losing in 2022, a year when Begich sniped at Palin, and Trump and Palin criticized ranked choice voting  with Trump calling it a rigged deal.

Begich is from a family of prominent Democrats, including his late grandfather, who held the House seat before Young. Begich had cast his pledge to withdraw from the race if he finished behind Dahlstrom as a way to drive Republican interest in the primary. He said Tuesday night that conservatives need to unite to defeat Peltola in November.

Dahlstrom, in an interview with the AP last week, had said that once the results were in, she wanted to talk with Begich, Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the head of the state Republican party to analyze who got what and what its going to take to have a conservative in that seat vote-wise."
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  An Albuqeruqeue man pleaded guilty to COVID-19 relief fraud charges.

Between April 2020 and October 2020, Pholopater Faltas, 26, submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance applications to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions in the names of at least eight individuals. Officials said he solicited personally identifying information from these individuals and falsely promised to access benefits on their behalf.

Man arrested for hitting, killing traffic control worker on Highway 550 in Sandoval County

The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions disbursed at least $66,867 in unemployment benefits, which Faltas controlled through debit cards and bank accounts. Faltas misled the individuals about their eligibility and kept the majority of the funds for himself, according to court documents.

Faltas is charged with federal mail and wire fraud charges. The court ordered that Faltas remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.

At sentencing, Faltas faces up to 30 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million.

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Kamala Harris isnt the only Black woman trying to make history this year. Angela Alsobrooks, who delivered a keynote address in Chicago on Tuesday night, is trying to become the first Black person Maryland sends to the US Senate.

And though neither puts their history-making potential at the forefront of their public message, theyre riding a wave of Democratic enthusiasm about whats possible in November.

People like me, stories like mine, dont usually make it to the United States Senate. But they should, Alsobrooks, a mentee of Harris and fellow prosecutor, told the crowd.

When you look at elections in this country, make no mistake about it: women, but Black women in particular, have saved this country time and time again from itself, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott told CNN on Tuesday before a meeting of the Maryland delegation in Chicago. And now its time for us to elect them.

Alsobrooks, the Prince Georges County executive, is vying to become only the third Black woman elected to the Senate, along with Delawares Lisa Blunt Rochester. (The one Black woman currently serving  Californias Laphonza Butler  was appointed and isnt running to stay beyond this year.)

The excitement is really, really, really big, especially with Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket, said Karen Darkes, the executive director of the Maryland Democratic Party. Its not lost on Marylanders that we have a moment, that were in an historic moment just in our state, and we have to double down on that by electing the (states) first Black woman senator.

Alsobrooks is up against Republican Larry Hogan, a popular former two-term governor, whose entrance into the race in February raised the stakes for Democrats  who were already on defense across the country  to hold retiring Sen. Ben Cardins seat. With Republicans poised to flip a Senate seat in West Virginia, the party only needs to pick up one more seat or win the White House to secure the majority.

Alsobrooks prominent presence at the Chicago convention, where many Democrats in tough races arent eager to be seen, speaks to how unique her race is in this years Senate landscape. Shes running in a state Biden carried by more than 30 points, while most of this years competitive contests are taking place in states that former President Donald Trump either won or narrowly lost in 2020.

Alsobrooks chance to make history was resonant in Mays Democratic primary, when she scored a stunning defeat over Rep. David Trone, the owner of Total Wine & More, who broke the record for self-funding a Senate primary campaign. Trone massively outspent her, but he and his allies had some slips (suggesting shed need training wheels in the Senate, for example) that backfired. In the end, it wasnt close  she beat Trone by more than 10 points.

Alsobrooks lived experience as a Black woman  and her potential to break up the states all-male congressional delegation, most of whom had endorsed her  was on the minds of many of her primary supporters who spoke to CNN this spring and said they were looking for diverse representation and an authentic messenger on abortion rights.

And now in the general election  when Democrats biggest argument is that Hogan would be a 51st vote for Republicans in the Senate  Black turnout will be key to their success.

Everyone knows that Black women determine who wins votes in Baltimore, and with my vice president, Kamala Harris, at the top of the ticket, and county executive Alsobrooks on the ticket, we know that theyre going to turn out, and theyre going to turn out in numbers, Scott said.

But its not just Baltimore. Wanika Fisher serves on the county council in Prince Georges County  home to one of the largest middle class Black populations in the country. These are Black folks with money and degrees, and that level, with Kamala and Angela together from our state, is just Black girl magic, she said.

State Sen. Antonio Hayes also pointed to the significance of Harris and Alsobrooks being part of the Divine Nine. Having two individuals from two different organizations represented in that way is a powerful moment, he said.

The two women know each other well and have campaigned for each other over the years.

Alsobrooks touted Harris record as a prosecutor on Tuesday night  and the ways in which the California Democrat inspired her own run for public office as a prosecutor.

After reading about this super bad district attorney, I talked non-stop about her on the campaign trail. Two days after I won the election, my phone rings. Its Kamala Harris calling to congratulate me and ask how she could help, Alsobrooks said.

Getting justice for others isnt a power trip for her, its a sacred calling, the Maryland Democrat said. And hear me, Kamala Harris knows how to keep criminals off the streets. And come November, with your help, shell keep one out of the Oval Office.

Harris was in Prince Georges County just last week with President Joe Biden for an event on lowering drug costs, which Alsobrooks attended.

Their relationship that they already have established lends to the excitement that we have in our state, said Darkes, who noted that while theyve both led their campaigns with the issues, the possibility of electing Black women fires people up.

Theres been no public polling of the race since the primary that meets CNN standards. But Alsobrooks has kept the money race competitive  she narrowly outraised Hogan in the second quarter, raking in $5.3 million to his $5.1 million, and ended up with more money in the bank. And in such a blue state, Democrats are working to tie Hogan to GOP leadership  a job made easier when Trump endorsed him. (Hogan has said he isnt voting for Trump and has no interest in his backing.)

Hogan was not on stage for the Republican convention in Milwaukee and has tried to distance himself from the national party  especially on abortion. He told The New York Times after he won the primary that hed support federal legislation to codify Roe v. Wade  which Alsobrooks immediately criticized, citing his previous veto of a state law to expand abortion access.

Just because you dont say anything offensive like Trump doesnt mean your policies arent offensive, said Fisher, who served as assistant majority leader in the House of Delegates when Hogan was governor.

And when you go to the halls of Congress, youre there to express an idea and a value, youre not executing anymore, she said, drawing a distinction between the executive experience she said voters want from a governor and the representation they want in Washington.

For Maryland delegates convening in Chicago this week, theres palpable energy for who they want that representative to be  in the Senate and the White House.

The former president doesnt know what a Black job is, Scott said, hes about to find out very quickly.

This story has been updated with Alsobrooks remarks.

CNNs Ali Main contributed to this report.

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Amber Alert issued for missing children, ages 2 and 4, last seen in L.A.

Amber Alert issued for missing children, ages 2 and 4, last seen in L.A.

LOS ANGELES  The California Highway Patrol issued an Amber Alert Monday afternoon for two young children who went missing with two adults last week, one of whom is believed to be their mother.

CHP said Wyman and Willow Bryant, ages 2 and 4, were last seen on Wednesday in the area of S. Vermont Avenue and W. 83rd Street in Los Angeles.

The children were believed to be with Tiffany Bryant, 39, and David James, 53, who were described as suspects in the Amber Alert, which includes Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, San Bernardino, Ventura, Kern, Imperial and San Diego counties.

Amber Alert

They were possibly traveling in a champagne-colored Buick Enclave with paper license plates.

Tiffany Bryant is 5 feet four inches tall and weighs about 100 pounds, with blond hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing white pants, a short-sleeve blouse and flip-flops. James height was unknown. He weighs about 170 pounds, with gray hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing jeans, a navy blue button-up shirt and flip-flops.

Anyone who sees them or knows of their whereabouts is urged to call 911.

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Aug 19, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, speaks during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasper Colt-USA TODAY

U.S. Rep Jasmine Crockett has built a reputation as a vocal defender of Vice President Kamala Harris' record and often doing it with a bit of snark.

Crockett lived up to her reputation Monday night in her remarks at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, opening her speech with a comparison of the two candidates' resumes.

Crockett noted Trump's family history in New York real estate, with claims of discrimination, along with the Stormy Daniels scandal and contrasted that with Harris' track record as a prosecutor and a politician.

"She became a career prosecutor while he became a career criminal," Crockett said.

Crockett later became emotional recounting her first meeting with Harris, saying the conversation gave her legislative legs "and I've been running ever since."

Watch Jasmine Crockett's full DNC convention speech here

The Democratic National Committee convention is in Chicago through Thursday and Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday is scheduled to formally accept the party's nomination for the 2024 Election.

Who is she : Jasmine Crockett represents a Congressional district in north Texas that includes portions of Dallas and Tarrant counties. The freshman representative previously worked as a public defender and civil rights attorney.

What role she plays: Crockett is a vocal Harris supporter who made headlines earlier this year when she made remarks about Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green's appearance.

Key quote: "She's lived the American dream while he's been Americas nightmare"

When and where is the DNC

The Democratic National Convention will take place from August 19-22 in Chicago, Illinois.

The United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, will be the main venue for the DNC.

Chicago has hosted the Democratic Convention 11 times, most recently in 1996 when the United Center saw President Bill Clinton was nominated for a second time.

How to watch and stream the 2024 DNC

The convention will air live on its website, from the United Center in Chicago between 6:15 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern (5:15 p.m. to 10 p.m Central) on Monday, and 7 p.m to 11 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central) the other days.

USA TODAY will provide livestream coverage on YouTube each night of the DNC, Monday through Thursday.

What are the themes for each night of the DNC?

The DNC announced nightly themes for the convention. The title of the convention is "For the People, For Our Future."

Here are the themes for each night:

Monday: "For the People"

Tuesday: "A Bold Vision for America's Future"

Wednesday: "A Fight for our Freedoms"

Thursday: "For our Future"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jasmine Crockett DNC speech video: Watch Texas rep speak in Chicago
Just one week after students return to class, parents at one Orange County School are considering keeping their kids at home.

Parents at Timber Lakes Elementary School are worried about hot classrooms.

The school district said Timber Lakes Elementary is experiencing air conditioning issues because a chiller is not operating at capacity.

According to a district spokesperson, OCPS maintenance staff has been notified and is working to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.

Read: Central Florida teachers receive a special surprise from Walt Disney World

In the meantime, Channel 9 crews watched as officials unloaded water for students and teachers to try and keep everyone cool and hydrated.

It gets too hot. In Florida, you cant go without AC, said Timber Lakes Elementary school parent Eric Miller, Hopefully, its fixed by tomorrow.

Meanwhile, other parents Channel 9 spoke with said A/C issues have persisted at the school.

They should have had this done over the summer. Fixed it, replaced it, whatever they had to do, said one mother, We had to prepare, they should have been prepared too.

Read: Volusia Sheriffs Office launches new parent volunteer program

Orange County Public Schools officials say the malfunctioning chiller was brought back online manually Monday.

OCPS maintenance staff returned to the site at 6 a.m. Tuesday and confirmed the unit was functioning properly.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
(Photo by Getty Images)

The University of Maine System is exploring the possibility of starting the states first public medical school in an effort to address the critical shortage of healthcare professionals in Maine.

Currently, Maine is one of a handful of states  including Alaska, Delaware, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming  that do not have any schools offering an MD degree. The University of New England currently has the states only osteopathic medical school, which offers a DO degree.

Last year, the Maine Legislature provided funding for the university system to undertake a study to examine establishing a public medical school in Penobscot County, associated with the states flagship university in Orono. The system chose a firm that has worked with most medical schools across the country and conducted feasibility studies in states without medical schools such as Idaho and Montana, according to a news release by the system.

The study will determine the need for a public medical school as well as the resources required  including funding, staffing, research, laboratories and equipment  for such a school to be built.

Any proposal to establish a medical school within the university system would require a public review process and approval by the UMS Board of Trustees, as well as significant public and philanthropic support, according to the news release.

The system will collect feedback from state and federal healthcare organizations, representatives from hospitals, other medical programs and policymakers as part of the feasibility study.

As with Maine in general, our physician population is aging. It has been difficult to keep pace with retirements and demographic shifts to fulfill the healthcare needs of northern Maine, said Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center Director of Clinical Education Dr. James Jarvis in a statement.

Thirteen of Maines 16 counties are considered, at least in part, health professional shortage areas. A 2023 analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics by the Portland Press Herald found that Maines health care workforce has declined in the years following the pandemic, falling from 42,3902 in 2019 to 41,110 in 2022. This drop was particularly acute among those who provide primary care.

This exciting first step, determining the feasibility of a new medical school in Penobscot County, may spark interest in current physicians to move here, while looking toward building a sustainable physician workforce for the future, Jarvis added.

While the UMS Board of Trustees is authorized to operate a college of medicine and confer the degree of Doctor of Medicine, the system has never had the resources to start a medical school, the news release said.

The feasibility study and its recommendations are due to the Maine Legislature in November 2025.

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CAIRO, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Canadian counterpart, Melanie Joly, discussed efforts to facilitate a ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday.

During a phone conversation, the two ministers exchanged views on developments in the Middle East, especially the situation in the Gaza Strip, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Abdelatty reviewed Egypt's efforts to contain the ongoing escalation in the region and to facilitate a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The two diplomats stressed the need for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and urged the international community to help achieve a comprehensive ceasefire and to prevent the conflict from expanding, the statement said.

Qatari, Egyptian, and U.S. mediators have been engaged in talks to broker a ceasefire in Gaza in recent days, with the latest round of talks taking place in Doha last week. 
Photo: Getty Images

This story first appeared on KFF Health News.

Trisha Byers left behind one crucial item when she moved to North Carolina last year to be closer to her family after suffering a brain injury: health insurance.

In Massachusetts, Byers, 39, was enrolled in Medicaid, the government health program that covers low-income people. But she was ineligible in North Carolina, which had not yet expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act. She said she racked up thousands of dollars in unpaid emergency room bills while uninsured for several months after her move.

Then in December, North Carolina joined 39 other states and Washington, D.C., in widening Medicaid eligibility to include adults with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level, or $20,783 for an individual.

I could finally get all the doctor appointments I needed, said Byers, one of more than 500,000 North Carolinians who gained coverage.

The North Carolina expansion came amid the biggest upheaval in Medicaids nearly six-decade history. Since April 2023  when protections that had blocked states from disenrolling Medicaid beneficiaries during the pandemic expired  states have disenrolled more than 24 million people whom they said no longer qualified or had failed to renew coverage.

This Medicaid unwinding led to fears that the number of people without insurance would spike. But it also coincided with moves in more than a dozen states to expand health coverage for lower-income people, including children, pregnant women and the incarcerated.

These expansions will mitigate the effects of the unwinding to some degree, though its still unclear how much. Five states have not finished culling their rolls, and the effect on the uninsured rate wont be clear until the U.S. Census Bureau releases official figures in September of next year.

The pandemic was destructive and concerning and clearly demonstrated that Medicaid is so crucially important for our national safety net, said Jennifer Babcock, senior vice president for Medicaid policy at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans, a trade group representing nonprofit health insurers that cover people on Medicaid. These expansions are incredibly meaningful.

Unwinding-era expansions include:

South Dakota, like North Carolina, expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act last year. About 22,000 people enrolled in the first eight months.

In July, Oregon launched a Medicaid-like coverage option for those who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid under federal limits. The plan is available to all adults with incomes between 138% and 200%  up to $30,120 for an individual  of the federal poverty level. More than 50,000 people have enrolled so far, Oregon officials say.

In January, a new federal law required states to allow children to stay covered under Medicaid for at least a year after signing up. Several states are going beyond that: Oregon, New Mexico and Washington, for example, allow children to stay covered up to age 6. California passed legislation to expand continuous eligibility for children up to age 4 but has not yet implemented the policy.

Three states widened income eligibility for children to qualify for Medicaid: Arizona, Maine and North Dakota.

This year, Utah began offering a Medicaid-like coverage option for children regardless of immigration status, though the program is capped at about 2,000 children.

Several states expanded coverage for pregnant women. Nevada, North Dakota and Tennessee widened income eligibility to make it easier for pregnant women to qualify for Medicaid. Alabama and Maryland expanded eligibility to cover those who are pregnant regardless of immigration status. And Maine, Oregon and Vermont extended postpartum coverage to 12 months, up from two. With those changes, 47 states now offer one year of postpartum coverage.

In June, five states  Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, Utah and Vermont  received approval from the Biden administration to extend Medicaid coverage to incarcerated people up to 90 days before their release. Those states will join several states, including California, Massachusetts, Montana and Washington, in offering that coverage.

States, which split funding of Medicaid with the federal government, typically expand Medicaid eligibility during times of economic growth when they have more revenue. But several other factors have contributed to the expansion trend. These include heightened awareness over rising maternal mortality rates and new restrictions on abortion, which have reinforced the need for expansions for pregnant women, said Allison Orris, a senior fellow with the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

In particular, the pandemic showed how important health coverage is to ensure peoples health and communities safety from infectious diseases, Orris said. It is not surprising to see states look at their Medicaid programs and find ways to strengthen in the midst of the unwinding, she said.

For example, while federal Medicaid funding cannot be used for people living in the country unlawfully, a small but growing number of states have used their money to expand coverage to residents lacking legal status.

During the pandemic, as a requirement to gain extra federal funding, states were prohibited from cutting off Medicaid coverage even for those no longer eligible. The experience showed states the benefits of keeping people enrolled, rather than churning them in and out as their income fluctuates, Orris said. It also brought the nations uninsured rate to a record-low 7.7%.

Some advocates fear the unwinding of that pandemic-era policy will reverse key gains. A KFF survey published in April found 23% of adults reported being uninsured after they were disenrolled from Medicaid in 2023. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Aug. 6 found the uninsured rate rose to 8.2% in the first quarter of 2024, from 7.7% in the same quarter in 2023.

Enrollment increased by about 23 million people during the pandemic. As of Aug. 1, with about 85% of the unwinding completed, roughly 14.8 million people have been removed from Medicaid rolls. As a result, its unlikely the uninsured rate will rise as sharply as some advocates feared a year ago, said Jennifer Tolbert, deputy director of the Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured at KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News.

We have seen some amazing coverage expansion in places like Oregon and California, said Ben Anderson, deputy senior director of health policy at Families USA, a consumer advocacy group. But if you live in Texas, Florida and Georgia, since the pandemic your health coverage has been disrupted in ways that were preventable by state leaders. Those three states are among the 10 that have chosen not to expand Medicaid under the ACA.

Still, Anderson said, the effect of the expansions, even in a limited number of states, will ensure some people can better afford health care and avoid medical debt.

The unwinding process has been rife with fumbling, particularly in states that didnt steer enough resources to connect people with coverage. A study by the federal Government Accountability Office released in July revealed a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finding that almost all states made mistakes that led to eligible individuals losing Medicaid coverage.

The recent Medicaid expansions provide examples of how some states prioritize health coverage, particularly for certain vulnerable groups.

Tricia Brooks, a Medicaid expert at Georgetown University, noted that some states are targeting little pockets of coverage and doing it for a variety of reasons.

Getting and keeping children insured means they are more likely to have a regular health provider and be ready to learn in school, she said. There is no doubt there is a return on investment, she said.

Medicaid advocates wonder, though, whether a second Trump administration would curtail coverage expansions. Republicans have signaled they do not want to extend the federal subsidies that reduce what lower-income people pay for ACA marketplace plans and that are scheduled to expire in 2025.

We are bracing for that potential impact, said Erin Delaney, director of health care policy at the Progressive Policy Institute.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF  an independent source of health policy research, polling and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
Ana Navarro will speak at the DNC  but theres one topic thats off limits: report

As any fan of hers already knows, Ana Navarro is not once to mince words or hold back.

But as the host of Day 2 of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Tuesday night, the Coral Gables-based political pundit will actually be reined in.

A bit.

Despite her job as a panelist on The View, she cant bring up the longtime ABC morning show. Like, at all, Variety reports.

The reason? Navarro is an opinion-focused contributor to the daily chatfest, not a traditional journalist.

ABC News declined to comment on the matter, but dont expect any funny stories about Joy, Whoopi, Sunny, or the rest of the gals.

Thats OK, we are confident Navarro will find other things to talk about.

READ MORE: Ana Navarro shares risque photo of Melania Trump

We definitely know of at least one topic that will be broached: That would be Navarros beloved dog, ChaCha, whom she shares with husband Al Cardenas, former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

The 52-year-old Nicaraguan more or less brings her pet everywhere, and that naturally includes the large Democrat gathering, which works to unify the party and support Vice President Kamala Harris run for the White House.

On Instagram just hours before her 8 p.m. start time, Navarro posted a rehearsal picture with the adorable pooch at the podium.

Practicing our lines, said the firebrands caption alongside the furball, which has her own Instagram account, with 33K plus followers.

In all seriousness, Navarro is proud of her moment in the sun.

Im beyond myself to have this role today, said Navarro on Tuesdays edition of CNN News Central, holding back tears. Im a little refugee girl who fled communism in Nicaragua...I just wish my mom was here to see it.

The former GOP-er shared the emotional interview to her Instagram, telling followers, Hope I got it out of my system so I can hold it together tonight.
Full disclosure: I got into a little physical altercation yesterday with the Chicago police and lost my notepad in the scuffle. We'll get to that, but for now please forgive any errors in the timeline.

The first march organized by the March for the Democratic National Convention was set to take off from Chicago's Union Park at 1 p.m. Reporters were invited to get there at 7 a.m; I have no idea if any did, but at 10:30 a.m. a friend texted to say, "Union Park right now is very underwhelming." This seemed to be the consensus going in; that the anticipated 30,000 marchers would come nowhere near, and that the press would be overrepresented, which turned out to be the casewhile reporting I ran into seven journalists in I know, when the average is about zero. But some of the protesters were also following the trend of pasting "PRESS" across their chests. A young woman I met on the bus around noon did the same. When I asked who she was reporting for, she looked confused; it was just a shirt. Okay, but why?

(Nancy Rommelmann)

Those entering Union Park were handed a gazillion pamphlets with slogans like "NO WAR BUT CLASS WAR SMASH IMPERIALISM WITH COMMUNIST REVOLUTION," "12 ESSENTIAL FACTS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE CURRENT ISRAEL-GAZA CONFLICT," "WORKERS STRIKE BACK, WHEN WE FIGHTWE CAN WIN," and "NEITHER PARTY REPRESENTS THE WORKING CLASSCLASS WAR 2024,"the all-cap emphasis conveying the commitment of the pamphlet distributors. Nearly everyone at the rally turned out to be in their 20s, dressed in today's radical chickeffiyeh as cape, keffiyeh as neck scarf, keffiyeh as headwrap. There were a few women in full Handmaid's Tale regalia, many young people in pro-Socialist red, and one dude wearing, refreshingly, an old Star Wars t-shirt. There was no police presence inside the park proper, but just outside there were at least 100 officers, half of them on bicycles, all of them waiting in the shade for something to happen. When I asked whether they'd be accompanying the marchers on their 1.1-mile city-approved route, I was given two short nods.



(Nancy Rommelmann)

Before any marching began, there were speeches from the stagespeeches about genocide in Palestine, abortion, student debt, colonial settlers, Black Lives Matter, and cops being bastards. On and on it went, past 1 p.m.; the chanting the speakers requested was rarely very chanty. It was hot and people were thirsty and the line for the porta-potties stretched over 200 people long.

"Can someone help me spread this out so it can be seen by the helicopter?" asked a young man, unfurling a 50-foot sheet painted with the words, "LOOK UP 'NAKBA.'"

(Nancy Rommelmann)

"Would you like to carry a sign?" asked another young man, trying to offload one of the 400 or so signs strewn across the field. The sign-makers had been industrious, affixing emphatic messages like "STOP THE CRIMEFREE THEM ALL" and "GENOCIDE JOE'S LEGACY: BUTCHER OF GAZA" to wooden stakes. The problem was, there weren't nearly enough takers. How many people did the guy next to me estimate were actually here?

"Five hundred," he said, after a beat, just before someone on stage shouted into the microphone how great it was to see 15,000 people in attendance. The guy adjusted his estimate to 1,500, which I'd say was about right.

(Nancy Rommelmann)

What they lacked in numbers they made up for in enthusiasm, waving Palestinian flags, communist flags, anarchist flags, "land back" flags, and a flag whose exact origin the person holding it said he did not really know. Someone mentioned they'd seen some Israeli flags earlier but I didn't see any. As for American flags, I saw exactly one, carried by a veteran named Shawn, who said he had not liked seeing American flags burned during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Congress.

"I think that's greatly deplorable," he said, as several young men with their faces covered moved close to him. But when they noticed that several members of the press also wanted to talk with the one dude carrying an American flag, they backed off.

"Earlier they were saying derogatory things towards me like, 'get that shit out of here. What the fuck's wrong with you?'" he said. "But at the end of the day, nobody's going to intimidate me. Nobody's going to prevent me from voicing my opinion."

(Nancy Rommelmann)

If there was a similarity in the way the crowd looked and behaved, their many and multiple demands were perhaps what gave the gathering a lack of cohesion and group energy. That changed at 2:02 p.m., when it was announced that there was a special guest speaker.

However you feel about independent presidential candidate Cornel West, you would have been as energized by his 5-minute speech. He roared and he cooed, talking about "our profound love for our Palestinian brothers and sisters" and how we must extend that profound love to all our brothers and sisters. It was the adrenaline shot everyone needed to get through the next hour. With the bike police edging closer, the marchers funneled out of the park and into the streets. Messages were shouted into bullhorns, girls danced, boys drummed they were on the move to Park 578 a mile away. The sun was still shining and the pressthere must have been one for every three marcherswalked on the sidewalks. Between them and the marchers were the bike police, pushing their bikes in formation, and astride yellow-vested "safety team" members, who kept themselves between the marchers and the police. It was all very choreographed, and one would not be faulted for thinking that this whole thing would go off without a hitch.

But of course, there would be a hitch, and it came in the form of young men with their heads and faces covered. Though they may have had no affiliation with them, they marched beneath an Anarcho-brat flag and a People's Defense Units (YPG) flag, representing the Kurdish militant group in Syria. A colleague mentioned he'd seen maybe eight of the men trying to start something earlier but they had not gained purchase, the other marchers not wanting to be part of whatever mayhem they might want to commit. But now we were at the mouth of Park 578, the turnaround spot for marchers and the closest point to the United Center, where the DNC was taking place.

"That way!" one of the young men shouted, pointing toward the United Center, trying to get the group, which had grown to maybe 15 men, to make a break for the tall barrier fences. It was not going to happennot with the cops forming a triple-line barrier of bikes and other marchers yelling for the YPG brats to stop, shouting that the march had been planned for nearly a year! It was supposed to be peaceful! Stop fucking it up! At least that's what I imagined the girl in the keffiyeh was yelling at the young men, her voice so hoarse with emotion I could not make out the words.

My colleague and I tried to interview the young men, but they had the same response to every question: "We don't talk to media." It's a catchall phrase common among young protesters, the eyes above their masks growing not bolder but shakier with each iteration. You could see them thinking it was better to stonewall than risk having one's responses scrutinized and memorialized.

But this is not always the case! As I would find ten minutes later, when some of the protesters had had enough of longingly looking at the United Center and decided to breach an exterior fence. Pop pop clang, down went the barriers, in went maybe 75 protesters. Busting shit down was an exciting change, if entirely predictable, meanwhile, a gentler strain of protesters, mostly women, were shouting from the other side, "Come back!" It was time to march back to Union Park, they said. They did not like the risks people were taking, and they were not going to do their many causes any good.

I followed the protesters over the fence.

"Come on everybody! Come on!" shouted a tall lanky guy all in black, with a garbage can lid painted with the anarchist A strapped to his back. What was he wanting everyone to do?

(Nancy Rommelmann)

"I want to get all the way inside the DNC!" he said, pointing toward the United Center. "I mean what are we doing here? Isn't this what we came here to do?"

Maybe not everybody; maybe not the 70-year-old lady peace activist who I'd watch gasp as the fence came down. Maybe this kind of bravado was not for her.

"I've seen 70-year-olds do it!" he said. "We can do it if we do it together. If we can dream it, we can do it!"

He was clanging his garbage can lid when someone shouted, "Cops on all sides!" We turned toward the phalanx of blue uniforms, in the jubilation no one had seen them form a walking line, or I hadn't seen it. Shouts of "Nazi motherfuckers" and "Fuck you!" lasted maybe 30 seconds before the cops were on us. I did my best to duck into a little alcove in the fencing. Yeah, that didn't work.

"Move it! Move it!" cops shouted, as people fell down or were grabbed; when they were variously combative or trying to flee.

"You're in a restricted area!" an officer shouted at me. Another prodded me with her nightstick.

"Don't hurt her!" a protester shouted, which I thought was kind of adorable and which I caught on video, just before finding a small egress to the other side. Two men pulled me throughthanks guysand into the waiting path of another journalist pal calmly taking in the proceedings.

"Hello Nancy," he said, adding that he thought things were about to calm downand they did. The bulk of protesters marched back to Union Park, perhaps unaware of the side streets lined with hundreds of waiting officers, who (I'm told) were instructed to pull down their face shields, in case they needed them. On this night, they did not.

The post The Anarchist Dreams: Dispatch From the DNC appeared first on Reason.com.
Aides Furious Biden Was Cut Out of Prime Time on His Big Night

Biden loyalists saw last nights schedule fiasco as a new blow after the indignities of recent weeks.

At the first night of the Democratic National Conventionwhich was supposed to be dedicated to thanking himthe president was still speaking after midnight when many TV viewers, and voters, on the East Coast were tucked up in bed.

DNC organizers put the lag down to raucous applause in the electric atmosphere of the convention hall.

The problem for Joe Biden was that it pushed his speech which had already gone from closing night to curtain opener out of prime time altogether, starting at 10.26 pm CT (11.26 pm ET).

President Biden Passes Torch to Harris: Too Old to Stay President.

Axios claimed the late hour reopened the wounds" for some of his allies, quoting a longtime Biden aide as texting: This is awful. He literally set up a campaign and handed it over to themdo they have to cut him out of prime time?

As Politico pointed out, that meant the speech was screened latefinishing at 12.20 am ETin swing states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, and North Carolina, on a night that was supposed to be all about thanking him.

I think these guys have a big scheduling problem, a veteran Democrat told Politico as the clock ticked toward midnight. Do they realize the universe runs on East Coast time?

Election forecaster Nate Silver suggested the scheduling was a conspiracy, posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, that youve gotta be pretty naive to think the prolonged DNC tonight is for any reason other than diminishing Bidens visibility.

Like how pilled do you have to be to think its just a coincidence that the President of the United States doesnt speak until so late, he added in a second post.

The media is very East Coast focused though, you've gotta be pretty naive to think the prolonged DNC tonight is for any reason other than diminishing Bidens visibility. https://t.co/LSd5DJzrON  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) August 20, 2024

On CNN, Anderson Cooper laughed off the excuse from DNC organizers.

By the way, said Cooper, chuckling. I see a report that convention officials are saying that the reason went it long is because of all the raucous applause.

Uh, thats the sort of thing, you build into this. We have had conventions before, you sort of know.

CNNs Audie Cornish added: Thats amazing spin.

The 30-minute delay meant Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Grace Meng lost their slots, as well as musical guest James Taylor.

Wisconsins former lieutenant governor Mandela Barnes, told Politico: Its hard to believe that some people got cut, because that thing went on forever.

Because of the raucous applause interrupting speaker after speaker, we ultimately skipped elements of our program to ensure we could get to President Biden as quickly as possible so that he could speak directly to the American people, a statement from the organizers said.

We are proud of the electric atmosphere in our convention hall and proud that our convention is showcasing the broad and diverse coalition behind the Harris-Walz ticket throughout the week on and off the stage.

Statement from DNC on why things ran so late: pic.twitter.com/Po4dH61W7I  S.V. Date (@svdate) August 20, 2024

There was no mention in the statement of delays caused by protesters outside the hall causing delays with security screenings and the arrival of buses carrying delegates.

Some empty seats could be seen at the start of the program as police dealt with a group of about 100 demonstrators marching against the Gaza conflict who broke through a fence. Police said they did not make it into the inner perimeter.

What Kamala Harris Said to Joe Biden on DNC Stage Revealed

After his disastrous performance in a televised debate with Donald Trump in late June, Biden reportedly told Democratic donors he would no longer schedule events after 8 p.m.

But his bedtime deadline was forgotten in Chicago, with Biden going on stage at about 10.30 p.m. CT (11.30 Eastern) and finishing at 11.20 p.m. CT (12.30 a.m. Eastern).

After the long wait, Biden wasnt hanging around to see what the rest of the convention had to bring. He was flying off to California for a break with his family where he could watch the speeches from the comfort of a sofa.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Gov. Andy Beshear's latest attack on vice presidential candidate and Ohio Sen. JD Vance once again drummed up controversy on social media after bringing up the subject of abortion during his Monday night speech at the Democratic National Convention.

In a Tuesday interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe,", Beshear was asked about the Republican Party's stance on abortion. He soon brought up Vance, who he previously called a "phony."

"JD Vance calls pregnancy resulting from rape 'inconvenient,'" Beshear said. "Inconvenience is traffic. Make him go through this."

Beshear also said Republicans "don't have any empathy at all" about the party's stance on abortion.

Shortly after the interview aired, Vance responded to Beshear's comments on X, formerly Twitter, saying Beshear's comments implied the governor wished for a member of Vance's family to be sexually assaulted.

"What a disgusting person," Vance wrote.

Tell us what you think Submit your letter to the editor here

In an interview with reporters Tuesday, Beshear said he was not suggesting anyone in Vance's family be assaulted, calling Vance's response "ridiculous" and "an attempt to deflect."

"Obviously, I dont wish anybody harm, nor would I ever, but what this is about, is JD Vance is trying to make himself the victim," Beshear said.

Vice Presidential Nominee, Senator JD Vance, R-Ohio, speaks at a campaign event at the Milwaukee Police Association Local 21 on Friday August 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wis.

During the "Morning Joe" interview, Beshear appeared to reference comments Vance made in September 2021, where he was asked about whether anti-abortion laws should include an exception for victims of rape and incest.

"Its not whether a woman should be forced to bring a child to term, its whether a child should be allowed to live, even though the circumstances of that childs birth are somehow inconvenient or a problem to the society," Vance said at the time.

He later denied he directly referred to rape as an inconvenience.

Vance has previously said abortion policies should be "primarily be a state issue," while adding "it's fine to sort of set some minimum national standard." He also said a new Trump administration would not allow the Federal Drug Administration to ban the abortion drug mifepristone, which was proposed in Project 2025, a conservative policy agenda promoted by The Heritage Foundation.

Scott Wartman, regional politics reporter for The Cincinnati Enquirer, contributed reporting.

Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@gannett.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter

More: Andy Beshear, Hadley Duvall reunite on DNC stage, bringing abortion rights into spotlight

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Andy Beshear, JD Vance dispute: Kentucky governor attacks abortion stance
Participants applaud at an AfD election rally, ahead of the state parliament elections in Thuringia. Hannes P. Albert/dpa

Police in the eastern German city of Jena used pepper spray and batons to break up a demonstration of some 2,000 people protesting the appearance of far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) state leader Bjorn Hocke, preventing him from attending an event.

The police said on Tuesday evening that it initially knew of no injuries.

Hocke was to appear at a public discussion at a central location.

After consultation with his personal security, Hocke's appearance was cancelled, a police spokesman said. The leader of the AfD in Thuringia, where voters go to the polls on September 1, did not show up at the event, which was then cancelled.

The police said the anti-AfD demonstrators had registered their protest, but more people showed up than expected.

Currently the AfD is polling at around 30%, meaning it could become the strongest party. Domestic intelligence has categorized the AfD in Thuringia as right-wing extremist.

A participant in a counter-demonstration looks over a banner in the direction of the AfD election rally, ahead of the state parliament elections in Thuringia. Hannes P. Albert/dpa

Bjoern Hoecke, top candidate of the Alternative for Germany party (AfD), speaks at an AfD election rally, ahead of the state parliament elections in Thuringia. Hannes P. Albert/dpa
The Gavel outside the Supreme Court of the State of Ohio, September 20, 2023, at 65 S. Front Street, Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original article.)

As promised, supporters of an anti-gerrymandering amendment have asked the Ohio Supreme Court to intervene regarding language the Ohio Ballot Board approved for the November ballot, saying the language violates the Ohio Constitution.

A brief filed Monday with the states highest court cites constitutional provisions that dictate the way in which titles and language can appear on Ohio ballots, according to the court document written by attorneys for Citizens Not Politicians, the authoring group for the redistricting reform.

This November, Ohio voters will be asked to consider a proposed constitutional amendment that will remove redistricting power from politicians and entrust it to a citizens redistricting commission, attorney Don McTigue wrote. The politicians are fighting back with an absolute fusillade of falsehoods.

McTigue called the language approved by the board what may be the most biased, inaccurate, deceptive and unconstitutional ballot language ever adopted by the Ohio Ballot Board.

The board approved the language that will be the summary for the newly minted Issue 1 in a 3-2 vote at its Aug. 16 meeting, with Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Republican state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, and citizen member William N. Morgan voting in favor of the language.

The proposed amendment would replace the current Ohio Redistricting Commission made up of politicians including the governor, secretary of state, auditor and two lawmakers from each party, with a 15-member citizens commission made up of equal numbers of Republican, Democratic, and independent citizens with no elected positions or political ties.

According to the ballot language approved by the split board  which LaRose, the ballot board chairman, said at the meeting he wrote with the help of his staff  the redistricting initiative would repeal constitutional protections against gerrymandering and eliminate the longstanding ability of Ohio citizens to hold their representatives accountable for establishing fair state legislative and congressional districts.

In a last minute change to the LaRose language made during the board meeting, Gavarone replaced the word manipulate in a paragraph about changing the districts lines, so that it instead states the new commission is required to gerrymander the boundaries of state legislative and congressional districts, a change supported in the meeting by LaRose and fellow board member William Morgan.

This gets it entirely backward, McTigue countered in the Citizens Not Politicians court brief. In fact, the amendment would ban partisan gerrymandering and prohibit the use of redistricting plans that favor one political party and disfavor others.'

McTigue said the language of the summary includes numerous fatal flaws and includes campaign rhetoric designed to persuade  not impartial, factual information meant to inform voters.

Citizens Not Politicians wasted no time after the Ohio Ballot Board approved the LaRose-written language to pledge a challenge to the language in court, with former Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen OConnor calling the approval and the lead-up to it one grotesque abuse of power after another from politicians desperate to protect the current system that only benefits themselves and their lobbyist friends.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose voted seven times for maps that courts ruled were unconstitutional, and this week he violates the constitution with objectively false ballot language, OConnor said in a statement.

LaRose was a member of the Ohio Redistricting Commission when it passed six Statehouse district maps and two congressional maps over the two years the group worked. Among those maps, five Statehouse maps and both congressional maps were ruled unconstitutionally partisan gerrymanders by the Ohio Supreme Court.

Ohio law requires ballot titles to be a true and impartial statement of the measures in such language that the ballot title shall not be likely to create prejudice for or against the measure.

The language that goes before voters is also regulated by Ohio law, with the constitution stating the full text of the amendment is not required, but the language used can not mislead, deceive or defraud the voters.

Whether the amendment is good policy is for Ohioans to decide  not the Ballot Board  and is not before the court, McTigue wrote in Mondays briefing. The Ballot Boards duty is clear, the legal standards well-defined and the ballot title and language before the court flagrantly violate those standards.

The state supreme court faced a similar case in August of last year, when supporters of the reproductive rights amendment on the ballot last November sued to challenge another summary written by LaRose and staffers that they said was deceptive.

Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights asked the Ohio Supreme Court to order the ballot board to use the full text of the amendment, or to correct blatant inaccuracies and use language that fully, accurately and impartially describes the amendments scope and effects.

The Ohio Supreme Court ordered the ballot board to tweak only one of many issues the advocates pointed to, a paragraph in which the ballot board said the citizens of the state of Ohio rather than the state of Ohio.

Nevertheless, the abortion amendment passed with 57% of the vote.

No matter what redistricting ballot language appears on this years election ballot, the full text of the amendment itself remains the same language authored by Citizens Not Politicians and supported by more than 535,000 Ohio voters who participated in a signature campaign that allowed the measure to appear on the November general election ballot. The ballot boards summary does not change the actual anti-gerrymandering amendment being proposed.

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a rousing primetime speech Monday at the Democratic National Convention, urging her followers to work overtime to elect Kamala Harris to usher in a new era of progressive achievements.

Serenaded by chants of AOC, the firebrand progressive brought a packed house at Chicagos United Center to its feet with calls to deliver a win for Democrats up and down the ballot in November.

We will send a loud message that the people of this nation will not go back, Ocasio-Cortez said. We choose a new path and open a door to a new day, one that is for the people and by the people.

Ocasio-Cortez regaled the crowd with her own story of working long shifts as a bartender and waitress before winning an upset victory to Congress in 2018.

She praised Harris as a leader who cares about people who punch a clock to earn a living.

America has before us a rare and powerful opportunity, she said. In Kamala Harris, we have a chance to elect a president for the middle class because she is from the middle class.

The showcase suggests Ocasio-Cortez has grown as a political force within the Democratic Party and a key messenger to young voters.

Four years ago, Ocasio-Cortez was relegated to a 90-second cameo introducing fellow progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

The third-term Bronx-Queens lawmaker is considered one of the partys biggest stars on social media. She carries major sway with young voters, a key demographic in what is expected to be a very close race between Harris and former President Donald Trump.

She has also moved closer to the center of power in the party, and has won plaudits for being more supportive of its leaders.

Ocasio-Cortez, 34, strongly backed President Joe Biden throughout his term despite strong disagreements on many issues. Once Biden stepped down from the race last month, Ocasio-Cortez quickly pivoted  like most of the rest of the party  to endorse Harris.

Ocasio-Cortez is one of the strongest supporters of Palestinian rights.

But she broke with protesters on the streets outside by praising Harris for trying to end Israels war in Gaza.

She is working tirelessly to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and bringing hostages home, Ocasio-Cortez said.

Recently, the leader of the so-called Squad of progressives easily turned away a challenge in her Democratic primary. That win was in sharp contrast to fellow progressive Rep. Jamaal Bowman, who fell to challenger George Latimer after pro-Israel donors spent millions to topple him.

The theme of the nights proceedings is For the People.

Ocasio-Cortez spoke after Gov. Hochul and before former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the program in the United Center.

Womens rights was a major focus of the night with several women speaking about their battles with Republican abortion bans in their states. Democrats want to use female speakers from across the partys political spectrum to stress reproductive rights because its one of the issues that energizes their base of voters.

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Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton represented the old and new guard of Democratic women pushing for Kamala Harris to become Americas first female president during the first night of the partys convention.

The dual speeches showed an effort to unite the partys establishment with its progressive insurgent wing.

Ocasio-Cortez, New York Democrat and self-proclaimed democratic socialist, received ovation after ovation and chants of her initials AOC as she praised President Joe Biden, Harris, and her running mate Tim Walz while also lambasting former president Donald Trump.

Ocasio-Cortez sought to tie her own background as a bartender before she entered politics with Harriss working-class background.

I am here tonight because America has before us a rare and precious opportunity, she said. In Kamala Harris, we have a chance to elect a president who is for the middle class because she is from the middle class.

Ocasio-Cortez, a supporter of Palestinian rights, also sought to assure progressives that Harris shared their concerns amid the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

She is working tirelessly to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and bringing hostages home, she said. Ocasio-Cortez also blasted for Trump for trying to make himself seem like a vanguard of the working-class.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) delivered a rousing address to assure progressives that Harris would be on their side on everything from Gaza to taking on Wall Street ((Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images))

We know that Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing palms of his Wall Street friends, she said. And I for one am tired of hearing about how a 2 bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day."

Ocasio-Cortezs star-turn comes four years after she was given only a minute to speak on behalf of voters who supported Bernie Sanders, the two-time Democratic presidential candidate who lost the nomination to Biden in 2020 and Clinton in 2016.

Clinton, for her part, fired up the crowd, leading chants of keep going to not give up the goal of shattering one of Americas last glass ceilings: the election of a woman to the highest office.

Clinton was greeted by a standing ovation and one of the loudest cheers of the evening as she took the stage. In her remarks, she tied Harriss candidacy to suffragists who fought for womens right to vote, to female trailblazing politicians Geraldine Ferraro, the first female vice presidential nominee, and Shirley Chisolm, the first woman to run for president in 1972, as well as Harriss mother  and her own. Both of whom, Clinton said, she wished could see this moment.

Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton delivered a rousing address connecting Vice President Kamala Harriss candidacy with womens rights, womens suffrage and Clintons own 2016 candidacy (AFP via Getty Images)

I wish my mother and Kamalas mother could see us, she told the United Center. They would say, Keep going!

Clinton called the acceptance of the Democratic nomination for president in 2016 the greatest honor of [her] life, and went on to celebrate her performance in the election that year as a mark of progress in American history, despite her defeat to Trump.

Nearly 66 million Americans voted for a future where there is no ceiling on our dreams, Clinton told the cheering audience, adding: Together, we put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling.

The former senator of New York, first lady and secretary of state said that progress was not guaranteed.

We have to fight for it. And never, ever give up, she said.

The two speeches came on the first night of the convention before Biden took to the stage to give the headline speech.

Last month, he announced that he would not run for the Democratic nomination for president and endorsed Harris.

Since then, Democrats have overwhelmingly rallied behind Harris. At the same time, a contingent of Democrats who voted uncommitted in the primary as a protest against Bidens support for Israel continued to express their objections and hopes that Harris would shift policy.
BAGHDAD, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Shiite militia group "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a drone attack on a site in Eilat, Israel's southern port city.

In an online statement, the militia said its fighters carried out the attack on Tuesday evening on a "vital site" in Eilat, adding that the attack was conducted "in solidarity with the people of Gaza" and vowed to continue targeting "the enemy's strongholds."

The statement did not provide details about the targeted site or casualties, and Israeli authorities have not commented on the alleged attack.

Since the Israeli-Palestinian conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has launched multiple attacks on Israeli targets and U.S. bases in the region to show their support for Palestinians in Gaza. 
Police arrested a woman at an Applebees in Portage, Indiana after an argument over an All You Can Eat deal offered by the restaurant chain.

The incident occurred on Aug. 2, when the 28-year-old woman was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, according to an arrest report obtained by TODAY.com.

According to the report, the Portage Police Department was dispatched to an Applebees located at 6211 US Highway 6 around 8:38 p.m. because of a verbal disturbance. The officer noted in the report that dispatchers warned that they heard multiple females screaming and threatening people.

The first officer to arrive on scene says he was met by three adult subjects, including the woman who would later be arrested, as well as several juveniles. One member of the group told the officer that they were involved in a verbal altercation with an Applebees manager.

That member of the group told the officer they were under the impression that Applebees All You Can Eat deal was good for the entire table if ordered by one person. When the manager informed the table that each person would have to pay $15.99 for their own meal special, the police report says they all began to argue.

Applebees limited-time deal was announced on July 29 and offers customers Boneless Wings, Applebees Riblets, or crispy Double Crunch Shrimp served with Endless Fries for $15.99. The deal notes that the price is per person.

The police report states that when the manager served the table an updated check, another argument began, and it got very loud and heated, so the manager called the police.

Applebees did not immediately respond to TODAY.coms request for comment.

According to the report, the woman, who was later arrested, handed the officer a menu which showed the All You Can Eat special, and he noticed that per person was displayed under the deals title, so he turned the menu around to show the group.

The report says a separate couple then walked out of the restaurant and the woman pointed at them. She told the officer she argued with them, too, and began to exchange words with the departing couple again. The officer says that at this time, the woman became very loud and disorderly, attracting the attention of other patrons due to her behavior.

The officer said he warned the woman about a disorderly conduct charge, and someone who was with her approached yelling, no, no, no, no, no, in what the officer described as an attempt to quiet her, even placing a hand over the womans mouth, but was unable to do so.

According to the report, the woman continued to yell and act disorderly and after being warned a second time about disorderly conduct, the officer approached her and placed her under arrest, handcuffing her and putting her into his patrol vehicle. The woman was later transported to the Porter County Jail by another officer.

After realizing the menu stated the deal was per person, a remaining member of the group went back inside the Applebees and paid the bill in full.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, speaks to people who were waiting for a Senate committee to meet to discuss a proposed FOIA bill on Sept. 11, 2023. (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)

A legislative subcommittee on Monday delayed approval of a $235.5 million medical contract for the Arkansas Department of Corrections after lawmakers voiced concerns about the extent of coverage for inmates and an ongoing dispute over prison bed expansion.

The contract presented to the Arkansas Legislative Councils Review subcommittee represents the first two years of a potential ten-year $1.6 billion contract with Wellpath to provide comprehensive medical, dental, pharmacy and mental health services for inmates and offenders in the custody of the Department of Corrections. The state can cancel the contract after the first two years, Secretary of Corrections Lindsay Wallace said.

The Arkansas Board of Corrections approved the contract in July, but it must receive final approval from lawmakers. The Department of Corrections has contracted with Wellpath, previously known as Correct Care Solutions, for more than a decade. The company has been providing interim services since the previous contract ended in 2022.

Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, said he had several questions at Mondays meeting because of how large the contract is and because he recently made a commitment to the Association of Arkansas Counties that he would not relent on the Department of Corrections until the Board of Corrections decides to start acting in some way.

For nearly a year, the board has been at odds with the governor and the attorney general over expanding prison capacity and who has ultimate authority over Arkansas prison system. A lawsuit challenging the latter issue is ongoing.

The entire state is suffering for the lack of actions from the Board of Corrections, and so, until the Board of Corrections gets their act together Im going to do everything within my power to make it difficult, Hester said.

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Asked by Hester why the contract was for comprehensive services, Wallace noted the state currently provides mental health services, but has struggled with staffing. For that reason, mental health services provided by Wellpath were included in the new contract, she said.

Wallace also said that in her analysis of other states practices, separating services among multiple vendors didnt necessarily result in cost savings.

Theres several different models that are available out there, and I havent, at least in what Ive looked at, seen that parsing them off would provide any better care or any less expensive care, she said. so from my standpoint, this felt like the best foot for us to move forward at the time.

Among the companies that bid for the contract, Wallace said, Wellpath scored the highest and bid the lowest. A significant benefit to the new contract, she said, is that it locks in the rate per inmate the state is charged.

Because the contract is based on the states current incarcerated population, lawmakers asked if the cost for the state could increase if the incarceration rates increase. Thats a possibility under the new Protect Arkansas Act, which increases the time spent in prison for those convicted of the states most serious offenses.

An increase in prisoners and cost is a possibility, Wallace responded, but the reverse is also true. The state cost would decrease as the inmate population decreases, to a certain point, she said.

Lawmakers, including Rep. Howard Beaty, R-Crossett, questioned whether the state is providing more services than what the law requires because the proposed contract sounds like one heck of a deal for our prisoners. Hester agreed.

What we are being asked to do is pay more for prisoners, our rapists, our pedophiles, our murderers, more in health care than you are for your officers health carethats the commitment we are making as a state  that the worst among usdeserve the best health care, Hester said.

DOC Chief of Staff Wade Hodge said the Department of Corrections is providing the base level of care thats required. Hodge said there isnt federal legislation specifying what must be provided and that is instead determined by case law.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that governments can get in trouble if they are deliberately indifferent to serious medical needs, and case law defines those needs broadly, he said.

It can be anything thats readily observable by a lay person or something that has been actually diagnosed by a physician, Hodge said. So we believe were covering what is required according to the body of case law.

Hester asked to pass over the contract until next month because he said several colleagues missed Mondays meeting due to back-to-school activities and the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Subcommittee vice-chairman Rep. Lane Jean, R-Magnolia, agreed to revisit the contract at Septembers meeting.

The departments current contract with Wellpath ends at the end of September, Wallace said.

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Arkansas State Broadband Director Glen Howie discusses a tentative timeline for the federal BEAD program during a town hall meeting at the Fayetteville Public Library on Aug. 20, 2024. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate)

The Arkansas State Broadband Office on Tuesday launched a series of town hall meetings aimed at preparing community leaders to support local projects that will apply for a $1 billion broadband infrastructure grant program later this year.

Created through the Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act of 2021, the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program provides $42.5 billion in federal funding to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs.

The goal of the initiative, which is administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), is to get all Americans online by supporting partnerships among states or territories, communities and stakeholders, according to NTIAs website.

State Broadband Director Glen Howie told about two dozen people at the Fayetteville Public Library Tuesday morning that Arkansas is one of 19 states receiving more than $1 billion through the BEAD program. The $1.024 billion allocated to Arkansas in June 2023 represents the single largest investment in broadband infrastructure in the states history, he said.

Arkansas State Sen. Greg Leding, a Fayetteville Democrat and co-host of Tuesdays event, said that although a lot of people take internet access for granted, high-quality interest is not accessible for many Arkansans.

Closing that gap is critical to closing the digital gap and empowering Arkansans all across the state, Leding said.

Arkansas ranks 49th for broadband access, according to a Broadband Now analysis that ranks the countrys best and worst states for internet based on coverage, speed and price access.

According to a tentative timeline outlined by Howie on Tuesday, the process of awarding grants could begin with opening the application period in September and end with finalizing negotiations with internet service providers (ISPs) next June. Howie said an applicant primer for those pursuing BEAD program funding would be released Tuesday.

Howie also said his office would release data Tuesday estimating what the cost per county would be to expand internet services to underserved areas of the state.

According to a financial model thats based on the 78,500 BEAD-eligible locations identified in Arkansas, Howie said the total buildout cost for the entire state could be around $500 million. While it will likely cost more than that, Howie said theres a good chance Arkansas will still have excess funds that can be used to support additional broadband-related projects, which he encouraged stakeholders to begin thinking about.

If were going to be in this position, we need to take advantage of it and not squander it, he said.

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Citing the states poor maternal health outcomes, Howie suggested as an example projects that could improve expectant mothers access to telehealth services. Arkansas has one of the nations highest maternal mortality rates and the third-highest infant mortality rate, according to the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement.

Linda Graves and Michael Reece from Holiday Island in Carroll County agreed that telehealth services would be a huge benefit for their rural north Arkansas community, especially for women like Reeces wife, who had to travel to Northwest Arkansas for maternal health services while she was pregnant.

Access to health care is real difficult in Carroll County, Graves said. we dont have any form of maternal care at all in Carroll County and we only have two very small hospitals.

Holiday Island is a large retirement community with lots of senior citizens for whom transportation can be difficult, Graves said.

I think telemedicine is a big thing that we need, she said.

In addition to increasing access to health care, Graves said high-speed internet is essential for local students as well as remote workers whove relocated to the area.

Graves, a city council member, and Reece, project manager for Hometown Internet, are members of the Carroll County Broadband Committee, a group thats advocating for internet access in their community. Howie said his office encouraged Arkansans to start their own county broadband committees after a tour of all 75 counties last year, and 54 have done so.

As committee members, Graves and Reece were involved with the recent BEAD mapping challenge process, which allowed local governments and nonprofit organizations to, on behalf of Arkansans, challenge the accuracy of the Federal Communications Commissions National Broadband Map, which provides information about internet service available at locations across the country, as reported by internet service providers.

The accuracy of the map will impact what projects receive funding because the BEAD program focuses on expanding access to unserved or underserved areas.

A benefit of the BEAD program focusing on installing high-speed fiber internet, Reece said, is that his community will be equipped with technology that wont be obsolete in a few years.

Thats what this means for not only Arkansas, but for every state is that were hoping to finally connect everyone in the country and get access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet, Reece said.

The Arkansas State Broadband Office will continue hosting town halls at more than a dozen cities by Aug. 31. Location and registration information about the meetings is available here.

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Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed her Arkansas LEARNS legislation into law on March 8, 2023, at the state Capitol in Little Rock. The governor shakes the hand of state Rep. Keith Brooks, left, R-Little Rock, House sponsor of the Arkansas LEARNS Act, as primary sponsor Sen. Breanne Davis, R-Russellville, looks on. At right is Arkansas Education Secretary Jacob Oliva. (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)

This story first appeared at The 74, a nonprofit news site covering education. Sign up for free newsletters from The 74 to get more like this in your inbox.

Fueled by federal pandemic funds and an ultra-tight labor market, teacher pay in the United States has climbed steadily over the last few years. According to the National Education Associations annual salary rankings, the average American teacher pulled in nearly $72,000 during the 202324 school year.

The startling upward movement  a 3.1% increase from the previous year, and 27.1% higher than average pay in 201213  reflects the lengths school districts and states are going to keep educators in the profession as post-COVID burnout tempts many to quit. But lawmakers and education leaders alike await evidence that the higher expenditures will yield real-world benefits.

A recent study from Arkansas offers reason to think it will.

Released as a working paper this spring, the research shows that the LEARNS Act, a law passed last year that substantially increased starting teacher salaries, has channeled badly needed dollars to teachers in rural and financially struggling districts. While effects on teacher retention have been slight thus far, researchers believe that higher pay may gradually lead to lower turnover among the states K12 workforce.

The LEARNS Act notably increased funding for rural and high-poverty districts, mitigating the negative association between starting salaries and district poverty rates.

 Gema Zamarro, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville

Gema Zamarro, an economist at the University of Arkansas and one of the lead authors of the paper, said it was a positive trend in and of itself that the legislation helped rebalance the fiscal reality in favor of more disadvantaged schools.

The LEARNS Act notably increased funding for rural and high-poverty districts, mitigating the negative association between starting salaries and district poverty rates, Zamarro wrote in an email. Those districts can now better compete with more urban, richer districts in recruitment of beginning teachers to their districts, she added.

While still provisional, the findings could prove encouraging to states as they navigate an unpredictable hiring environment. After remaining relatively stable through the first few years of COVID, teacher quit rates began edging upward in 2022. States have adjusted their budgets accordingly: A tracker maintained by the research group FutureEd indicates that legislators in nine states passed bills to boost teacher salaries last year.

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Among them was Arkansas, which had earned a reputation for some of the lowest pay and worst academic performance in the country. The LEARNS Act, passed under the direction of newly elected Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, included a massive influx of new spending that bumped the starting salary for new teachers to $50,000  essentially lifting the compensation floor from 48th in the United States to fourth. Beyond that, the legislation granted all Arkansas instructors a raise of at least $2,000 and eliminated the minimum salary schedule, allowing district leaders more scope to set pay as they think best.

Zamarro and her colleagues at the University of Arkansas gathered data from 230 of the states 234 school districts, as well as nine of its 12 charter school operators, to study changes over the 202324 school year, when the law first came into effect.

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Across the state, lifting each districts minimum teacher salary up to $50,000 cost an average of $8,486 per teacher. But the increases were naturally larger in districts that had previously paid teachers less. In particular, rural districts lifted salaries by roughly $2,350 more than their urban counterparts. Economically struggling districts also spent more of the new funds per teacher: A 10-point increase in their proportion of poor students (from 5% of a given districts students to 15%, for example) was correlated with an average increase in starting teacher salaries of $962.

In practice, the bigger raises for high-needs areas helped even out historical inequalities in K12 resources. While average starting pay for teachers before the LEARNS Act was about $2,400 lower in rural districts than in urban ones, that difference was narrowed to just $48 in the year following enactment.

Andrew Camp, one of Zamarros co-authors, noted in an email that the $181 million cost of the compensation shakeup was borne entirely by the state, making it a huge transfer of funds to some of the most disadvantaged communities in Arkansas.

I think this is an aspect of the LEARNS Act that is especially undersold, Camp wrote. The state fully funding these salary increases has resulted in this component of the LEARNS Act being a very progressive education finance reform.

Leveling the playing field

While the legislation effectively leveled the playing field in starting teacher salaries between different kinds of districts, its influence on teachers career choices was more muted during its first year of implementation.

Following the passage of the LEARNS Act, the proportion of Arkansas teachers leaving the profession was 3.4 percentage points lower than over the same period in the prior school year, 20222023, when national data pointed to a sizable jump in resignations. Compared with the average from 2016 to 2023, the proportion of teachers quitting was 1.4 points lower  still a statistically significant decrease, though smaller.

The question of teacher retention is especially acute in Arkansas because of the large number of districts that faced challenges in attracting qualified teachers even before the pandemic. Between 2013 and 2016, the number of candidates enrolled in any of the states teacher preparation programs fell by nearly half. Stubborn shortages have necessitated the widespread use of waivers to allow instructors to teach subjects and grade levels for which they lack certifications; the fraction of Arkansas teachers receiving such a waiver has crept up to as high as 9% in recent years, over double the national average.

But over the last school year, the study finds, new teachers were 2.6 percentage points more likely to take a job in a geographic shortage area than they were in 202223. Compared with a longer-running average of the last seven years before the passage of the LEARNS Act, the difference was still positive (1.2 points), though not statistically significant.

Both Zamarro and Camp argued that the reforms still-modest effects on the local labor force may increase with time. Sanders only signed it last March, after many teachers had already made up their minds about whether they would sign on for the following year. Even through the end of that summer, a legal challenge filed against other provisions in the law raised some doubts over whether the raises would even be paid out.

In that sense, I think that the fact that we observe some emerging results already is a promising sign, Zamarro wrote. It is possible that we will observe more positive effects in the future as districts and teachers have more time to adapt to the new legislation.

Yet others wonder if the uniformity of the pay increase may backfire.

Have we just equalized the salary schedule across the board, and across the range of experience  and if so, what implications might that have for teachers who want to stay in the profession?

 Christopher Candelaria, Vanderbilt University

Because of how it was written, most of the rewards from the LEARNS Act are earmarked for early-career teachers making the least money. Given the notably high quit rates for younger educators  one study from the National Center for Education Statistics has found that about 10% exit the profession after their first year, and 17% quit within their first five years  that may be sensible.

But lifting the floor without an accompanying move to raise the ceiling will also have the effect of flattening pay differences between novices and veterans. Last year, one-third of the districts in the state adjusted their salary schedules to pay $50,000 for teachers at all experience levels. Some even lowered pay for more seasoned instructors, saying they needed to know more about the states intentions for funding the LEARNS Act before developing their own long-term plans. One unspoken question is whether districts will eventually be asked to shoulder more of the financial burden themselves.

Christopher Candelaria, an education professor at Vanderbilt University, has previously studied the effects of school funding infusions. He said the potential trade-offs of structuring pay increases this way could only be known with more years of study.

Have we just equalized the salary schedule across the board, and across the range of experience  and if so, what implications might that have for teachers who want to stay in the profession? he mused. If greater experience, and potentially greater skill, is not met with greater rewards, Candelaria continued , we might see more teachers exit the profession.

This story was produced by The 74, a non-profit, independent news organization focused on education in America.
SWAT units were on the scene of a domestic incident in Homewood early Tuesday morning.

Pittsburgh police said SWAT was in the 7000 block of Idlewild Street for an armed male barricaded inside a house at around 4:30 a.m.

Officials at the scene told Channel 11 that the suspect took a gun from a woman. She got out of the house and was assessed by medics for minor injuries.

Police said SWAT units made contact with the suspect via cell phone. He said he was not inside the house and provided a secondary location where he said he would meet and speak with them. The information proved to be false and SWAT continued with operations at the original location on Idlewild.

Officials said just after 6 a.m. that units went inside and didnt find the suspect.

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An independent commission found the Army failed to address the mental health of a reservist before he opened fire last year in Lewiston, killing 18 people in Maines deadliest mass shooting.

A report, released Tuesday by the panel created by Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) to investigate the shooting, details several opportunities that could have prevented the Oct. 25 shooting at a recreation center and a separate bar.

The local sheriffs office had the opportunity to take the shooter, Robert Card, into custody under a yellow flag law and confiscate his weapons in September 2023, the report said.

But, the commission said, the Army Reserve also did not share relevant information with police and failed to undertake necessary steps to reduce the threat he posed to the public, including taking his weapons.

His commanding officers were well aware of his auditory hallucinations, increasingly aggressive behavior, collection of guns, and ominous comments about his intentions, the report states. Despite their knowledge, they ignored the strong recommendations of Cards Army mental health providers to stay engaged with his care.

Card, who joined the Army Reserve in 2003, escaped after the shooting, initiating a manhunt. He was found four days later, dead from a self-inflicted wound.

Warning signs for Card stretched back as early as May 2023, when his son reported to his mother that Card was acting erratic, according to the report.

They both reported their concerns about Card to the police, who then contacted First Sgt. Kelvin Mote, the senior noncommissioned officer of his unit.

Mote reported changes in Cards behavior and promised to sit down with him to discuss his mental health, but the commission report said there is no evidence the Army Reserve intervened and discussed the concerns with him.

Cards brother and sister also tried to get him help but were not able to get in touch with the Army, the report said. Card exhibited other warning signs, including at a training deployment at a New York National Guard facility in July 2023, when he talked about another woman referring to him as a pedophile and assaulted one of his friends, which forced him to lock himself in his room.

After the New York incident, Card was taken to a hospital, where doctors said he exhibited psychosis and paranoia, according to the report. During a psychological exam, Card mentioned having a hit list.

A doctor recommended that Capt. Jeremy Reamer, the company commander, remove Cards personal weapons from the home, along with other recommendations to treat his mental health, but the commission report said Reamer neglected to follow any of the recommendations.

Reamer failed to follow up with treatment providers, failed to read email messages concerning Card, failed to heed the advice of the providers to ensure the removal of all firearms from Cards home, the report reads. Card was left to continue in his isolation, disengaged from other unit members or other sources of support.

Reamer has said publicly and to the commission that he had limited authority to intervene in the case because Card was in the Reserve and not a full-time soldier. But the commission said he did not use the tools available to him to address the concerns about Card, including engaging with him or ordering a mental health evaluation.

Card was discharged from the hospital in August. In September, Card threatened his unit, prompting a police investigation, but no arrests were made and his guns were not confiscated, while Reamer continued to downplay the risk that Card posed to police, the commission said.

Reamer did not suggest that Card needed to undergo a risk assessment, and despite acknowledging that I dont think this is gonna get any better, he appeared to minimize the risk that Card posed to the community, the report stated.

The independent commission held public hearings and met with victims of the shooting, as well as officials, to compile the report. An interim report was released in March.

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The Army is reevaluating its workforce requirements and contract strategies for a major software modernization effort to make it easier for commercial vendors to bid for Defense Department projects.

The service in February released its latest software policy, laying out its plan for managing and developing software as part of a broader digital modernization push. Months later, in May, it unveiled plans to award more than $1 billion in software development contracts over the next decade, posting a special notice and a draft solicitation.

Following the announcement, some commercial firms expressed concern that the Armys contracting strategy for the effort may not work for non-traditional or smaller companies backed by venture capital firms that favor fixed-price deals.

Speaking on a panel this summer at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, Tara Murphy Dougherty, CEO of defense software company Govini, said the Armys approach represents a disconnect between innovation incubators like the Defense Innovation Unit and the Pentagons more traditional acquisition offices.

No venture capital-backed company that DIU and every other part of DOD has worked so hard to get into the system, none of our companies can bid on that, Dougherty said in July. Until we get the parts of the department who actually put the billion dollar, 10-year contracts into place to understand what it means to work with companies like ours, this isnt going to work.

An Army official said Tuesday at AFCEAs TechNet conference in Augusta, Georgia, that in response to feedback from non-traditional firms, the service is working to clarify and in some cases rethink the way it buys software through this new contract vehicle.

Jennifer Swanson, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for data, engineering and software, said that while the service isnt likely to awarded fixed-price contracts for software development projects, its looking for other flexible contracting mechanisms that could allow it to work with more commercial firms.

We want to make sure that non-traditionals, smalls [and] others without certified cost accounting systems have the opportunity to compete, she said during a panel.

In fact, Swanson added, the Armys contracting command is considering allowing industry to recommend a contract type that best suits their bid rather than defining that up front in its solicitation.

If your solution is the one thats chosen, then thats the contract type that we use, she said. Were really trying to break a lot of previous rules that we followed in terms of how were approaching this and opening up the aperture so that we can cover all bases.

Another concern non-traditional firms have shared with the Army about the draft software modernization solicitation involves its workforce requirements. The draft solicitation included labor categories that require certain education levels that arent applicable to many commercial companies.

Swanson said the inclusion of those requirements was inadvertent and doesnt reflect the Armys needs for the program. The service is correcting that portion of the draft and plans to release an update this week, she added.

Thats a government requirement that were removing. And there are a lot of examples that way, she said.
The president's daughter shared personal stories from her childhood and attested to Joe's strength on the first night of the Democratic National Convention

Robyn Beck / AFP via Getty Joe and Ashley Biden in 2024

Ashley Biden's remarks introducing her father Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention moved the president to tears.

On Monday, Aug. 19, Ashley, 43, gave an emotional speech highlighting Joe's courage and resilience throughout his career, along with moments where he was a thoughtful father.

The social worker began her speech with an anecdote about her 8th birthday, when her father, now 81, was stuck working in Washington, D.C.

On that day, Ashley said her mom, Dr. Jill Biden, asked her and her brothers to get in the car for a surprise. They then drove to the Wilmington Amtrak station, where Joe was waiting to greet her. He had traveled all the way out to sing "Happy Birthday" around her cake, then hopped right back on a train to D.C. to finish up his urgent Senate business.



Related: All About Joe Biden's 4 Children, Beau, Hunter, Naomi and Ashley

Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Ashley and Joe Biden

"Joe Biden is the O.G. girl dad," she said. "He wasn't just a girl dad. I could see that he valued and trusted women. How he listened to his mother, how he believed in his sister. And most of all, how he respected my mother's career."

Ashley also spoke about how emotional Biden was on her wedding day, along with the work he put into the details of setting up the wedding at their home  all of which happened while he was serving as vice president.

"Before he walked me down the aisle, he turned to me and said he would always be my best friend. All these years later, Dad, you are still my best friend."



Related: Joe Biden Passes the Torch to Kamala Harris in Emotional DNC Speech: 'Our Best Days Are Not Behind Us'

Kevin Dietsch/Getty President Joe Biden wipes tears after daughter Ashley Biden lovingly introduced him at the DNC on Aug. 19, 2024

Elsewhere, the social worker told crowds about Joe's resilience. "He taught me that everyone deserves a fair shot and that we shouldn't leave anyone behind. That's what you learn from a fighter who has been underestimated his entire life."

"When I look at Dad, I see grace, strength and humility," Ashley continued. "I see one of the most consequential leaders ever in history."

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Ashley also noted that her father is constantly thinking about the American people. "About your dreams, about your dignity, about your opportunities, about your family," she said, before mentioning how Joe absorbed her and brother Hunter's grief when their older brother Beau died in 2015.

"After Beau passed, I got this tattoo on my wrist. It says, 'courage, dear heart'  a reminder to myself to keep going, to get back up, like my dad has always done," Ashley told the crowd.

"He has taught me that a courageous heart is a miraculous thing. A courageous heart can heal a family. A courageous heart can heal a nation and maybe even the world."



Related: Biden Family Honors Beau in Delaware on Ninth Anniversary of His Death

Win McNamee/Getty Ashley Biden hugs her father, President Joe Biden, at the DNC on Aug. 19, 2024

She concluded her remarks with a shoutout to Vice President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee.



In 2020, my dad selected Kamala Harris to beat Donald Trump, and he knows in 2024, she will beat Donald Trump again, Ashley said. So tonight, I am asking you, if you stood with us in 2020, call upon your courageous heart. Stand with us today.



Upon taking the stage for his own emotional torch-passing speech to Harris, 59, Joe wiped tears away with a tissue and embraced Ashley.



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GAZA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Hamas on Tuesday called U.S. President Joe Biden's statements about the movement backing away from the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip "misleading."

Hamas said in a statement that it viewed Biden's claims with "great astonishment and disapproval," noting that they "do not reflect the true position of the movement, which is keen to reach a cessation of aggression."

It added that the statements are part of American bias toward Israel and a renewed American green light for the Israeli government to "commit more crimes against defenseless civilians in pursuit of the goals of exterminating and displacing our people."

It mentioned that mediators in Qatar and Egypt know Hamas has dealt positively and responsibly in all previous rounds of negotiations and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has always been the one to "obstruct reaching an agreement by setting new conditions and demands."

In the statement, Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to what was agreed upon with mediators on July 2, based on Biden's declaration and the UN Security Council resolution, and called on the mediators to fulfill their responsibilities and urge the occupation to accept it.

On Monday night, Biden accused Hamas of "backing away" from a hostage deal with Israel that would halt the ongoing fighting in Gaza, Israeli media reported.

Biden said after delivering a keynote to the Democratic National Convention, "It's still in play, but you can't predict," and "Israel says they can work it out... Hamas is now backing away," according to Israeli media. 
An assistant principal in Corsicana who was airlifted to a hospital after a classroom disruption is home and recovering, Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV reported.

Candra Rogers, an assistant principal at Corsicanas Collins Intermediate School, was injured in the incident last week. The school district said shes been released from the hospital and is recovering at home, but more information about her condition was not released.

Principal Tiffany Boortz said in a letter to parents that there was a disruption in a classroom Aug. 15 that resulted in Rogers injuries, according to WFAA. There were fewer than 10 students in the classroom, but details on what happened werent released.

One student, who has not been identified, was taken into custody after the disruption, WFAA reported. Nobody else was injured or in danger, and the campus was placed on a hold status while they tended to Rogers, officials said.

The Navarro County District Attorneys Office said the student, a boy, had a detention hearing and is now under parental supervision with an ankle monitor.

Officials told WFAA charges are pending against the student. The exact charges he will face will be decided after police complete their investigation.

 More top stories from our newsroom:

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This is Rogers second semester in the school district after she joined her husband, Eugene Rogers, in his first season coaching football at the districts high school.
ASU business school professor David Zhu, who is accused of fatally shooting his wife Saturday in Scottsdale, allegedly had a yearslong history of domestic violence, which included threats of murder or suicide and an increase in the frequency or intensity of incidents, according to Maricopa County superior court records.

The couple's two teenage children told police officers Zhu and his wife were in a "screaming fight" at their home before they heard two gunshots ring out, the records stated. Scottsdale Police Department has not said what may have prompted the shooting.

"Neither child expressed any surprise that David has shot and killed their mother," investigators reported in the records.

After the shooting, one of Zhu's children ran out of the house and had a neighbor call 911. The court record indicates Zhu himself also called 911 and said the shooting was "accidental," something he maintained later on by telling police, "I was trying to shoot the wall behind her."

Scottsdale police said Zhu reportedly shot his wife at a home near North 128th Way on Saturday evening, prompting a response from the department around 6:30 p.m. Responding officers found a woman with a gunshot wound. They took her to a hospital, where she died.

The woman was identified by police on Monday afternoon as 46-year-old Susan Yijuan Yan.

An ASU spokesperson verified that Zhu is a professor at the university's W. P. Carey School of Business on Monday morning. His ASU staff profile says he is a "Professor & Dean's Council Distinguished Scholar" in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship.

McDowell Mountain Justice Court records show Zhu was employed by ASU for 10 years.

Our condolences go out to all those affected by this tragedy, a university spokesperson wrote to The Republic. "Zhu is being placed on administrative leave and barred from coming to campus or participating in any ASU activities, while the university proceeds with the personnel process, according to applicable Arizona Board of Regents and local policies."

Zhu made an initial appearance Monday in superior court, where he faces one count of first-degree murder. He is being held at a Maricopa County jail on a $1 million bond, and he is scheduled to appear in court Friday, according to online jail records.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU professor accused of wife's death had alleged history of domestic violence
Athens Fire rescues three children, two adults in apartment fire

ATHENS, Ala. (WHNT)  Athens Fire and Rescue (AFR) said several people had to be rescued after an apartment fire Monday afternoon.

AFR said, at 5:49 p.m., crews responded to a fire at Bonnie Doone Apartments. The department said all available personnel were called to the scene.

The department said the fire was contained as of 6:12 p.m. Monday.

Authorities said three children and two adults were rescued from the building but no one was injured as part of the fire.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
Temu is under fire by 21 states attorneys general, questioning the companys business practices around forced labor and consumer data privacy, as well as its potential ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The states attorneys general sent a letter to Qin Sun, Temus president, and Chen Lei, CEO of PDD Holdings, Temus parent company, detailing 11 questions they demand the answers to.

More from Sourcing Journal

The inquiries ask Temu to disclose how it collects and stores consumers data; whether the company sells consumer data; how the company certifies that products sold on its platform have not been touched by forced labor; the ways in which it audits its sellers and suppliers and more. The questions also pertain to Temus purported connections with the CCP, which a number of U.S. officials have previously expressed worry over.

The letter points to a report from the House Select Committee on the CCP, published in June 2023, that accuses Temu of uncouth forced labor vetting practices.

Just last year, the United States House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party revealed disturbing information about Temus failure to comply with American laws prohibiting the use of forced labor by Uyghurs, the letter wrote, referencing Temus alleged skirting of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), which prohibits goods made in whole or in part in Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) from entering the United States.

Temus business model, which relies on the de minimis provision, is to avoid bearing responsibility for compliance with the UFLPA and other prohibitions on forced labor while relying on tens of thousands of Chinese suppliers to ship goods direct to U.S. consumers, the report mentioned in the letter read, continuing, Temu admitted that it does not expressly prohibit third-party sellers from selling products based on their origin in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region.

Temu and its competitor Shein are notorious for their use of the de minimis provision, which allows packages valued under $800 to be shipped into the U.S. without the scrutiny or tariffs higher-value packages face. As other countries lower or close their de minimis thresholds, some lawmakers in the U.S. have started the process for examining the countrys own threshold.

The attorneys general took issue with the findings of that report and have taken it upon themselves to get answers about the companys forced labor protocols directly from the source. They also wrote that their concerns stem from laws around consumers rights and protections, both around potentially hazardous recalled products and around consumers privacy.

Beyond the concerns raised by Temus likely (and extensive) violations of federal law, this ongoing conduct raises serious concerns about Temus compliance with state consumer protection laws, the attorneys general wrote. These concerns extend to products sold exclusively on Temus website that fail to adequately warn consumers of dangers associated with their products and fail to notify consumers [that] the products are subject to safety recalls.

Austin Knudsen, attorney general of Montana, led the effort to pen and send the letter. In it he expressed specific concern that the company would flout the states incoming Montana Consumer Data Privacy Act, which goes into effect on October 1.

Attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia co-signed the letter, sent to Temu and PDD on August 15.

The attorneys general wrote that they have asked the questions in the letter as an opportunity to clarify these reports and findings or to provide evidence of any policies and procedures that have been updated or modified since the findings of the Select Committee last year.

The attorneys general requested responses from Temu within 30 days of the letter being sent to Sun and Li.

The letter only adds to Temus regulatory issuesnot just in the U.S., but in the EU bloc and other jurisdictions. The company continues to face intense scrutiny in the United States. Earlier this year, Tim Griffin, the Arkansas attorney general, announced the state had filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging deceptive trade practices and consumer data theft.

Temu did not return Sourcing Journals request for comment on the letter.
The City of Aurora says it is "Open to the World. With immigrants speaking 160 languages, it is the most diverse city in Colorado. One of the largest immigrant groups, numbering in the thousands, is from Ethiopia.

Samuel GebreMichael immigrated from Ethiopia to Aurora in 2006.

/ Credit: CBS

"It is a good place to be here in Colorado," said GebreMichael. "Aurora is a place where you see every people, every colors, you don't think that you are outside."

GebreMichael serves on the Aurora Immigrant and Refugee Commission and also leads the Colorado Ethiopian Community organization.

He says he's driven to help others given the challenges he faced when he first immigrated here.

"I have my degree on literature but after I came here I have to start from the scratch," said GebreMichael. "When I came over here my big problem was just to find a resource, just to find a voice."

GebreMichael now has a graphic design business.

/ Credit: CBS

He frequently supports other immigrants launching small businesses, such as Jemile Bogale who has a printing and embroidery company.

"He's one of those people that like to see everybody's success and it doesn't matter what you're doing. If he knows, he can help you. If he doesn't, he will sit down and try to figure it out with you," Bogale said.

"The good thing about America, there is opportunities," said GebreMichael.

He is also organizing the Colorado Diasporic Film Festival taking place in late August.

/ Credit: Samuel GebreMichael

"The Americans, they will see Africa here in Colorado, here in Aurora," GebreMichael said. "It is a good platform as an immigrant or refugee just to tell your story, we write our own story."

GebreMichael takes pride in his native Colorado son who's a student at Smoky Hill High School.

He's honored to call Aurora home and appreciates its welcoming nature.

"All the communities come together and then celebrating their culture, celebrating their beliefs," added GebreMichael.

CBS Colorado is the only station committed to Covering Colorado First by telling stories from your communities. We have three reporters assigned to Aurora: Michael Abeyta, Tori Mason and Kelly Werthmann. To share a story about Aurora, go to https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/newstips/

/ Credit: CBS

We are excited to sponsor Aurora's Global Fest this year. Join Your Aurora Reporters at the Aurora Municipal center this Saturday -- from 11AM to 6PM -- for a celebration of the city's international community.

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(Bloomberg) -- Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said hes agreed on a new defense pact with Indonesia as both nations aim to bolster security ties in an increasingly contested Asia-Pacific region.

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Speaking alongside Indonesias President-elect Prabowo Subianto in Canberra on Tuesday, Albanese described the agreement to be signed in the coming days as a vital plank in the nations defense relationship.

This historic treaty will bolster our strong defence cooperation, by deepening dialog, strengthening interoperability and enhancing practical arrangements, he said. The pact will enable both nations to support each others security, which is vital to both countries, but also to the stability of the region that we share.

Indonesia and Australia are celebrating 75 years of diplomatic ties this year, in a relationship that has swung from extreme tension during the Cold War and following the downfall of former dictator Suharto to relatively warmer ties in recent years. Prabowo alluded to the historic volatility in his remarks.

We have had our ups and downs, he said, while pledging to maintain the good neighbor policy of his predecessor.

We would like to see more Australian participation in our economy, Indonesias incoming president said. We would also like to see closer collaboration and consultation on various fields that we can achieve, outcomes that respect both our economic interests, both our national interests.

Australia has been boosting defense spending and trying to revive old ties and forge new ones with countries in the Asia-Pacific to counter Chinas more assertive stance.

Theres the Squad that consists of Australia, US, Japan and the Philippines; the Quad comprising of the US, Australia, India and Japan; and Aukus, a defense pact among Australia, the UK and the US.

--With assistance from Tim Smith.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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Austrian Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler speaks during a press conference to present the "National Energy and Climate Plan (NEKP)" in Vienna. Roland Schlager/APA/dpa

The Austrian government stated it can meet the EU climate targets by halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler said on Tuesday.

After much wrangling, the coalition of the conservative Austrian People's Party (OVP) and the Greens has finalized a framework and roadmap to achieve the goals. "For the first time, we are on track," Green party member Gewessler said.

The intended measures include substantial subsidies for heating replacement, the massive expansion of hydrogen production and the abolition of climate-damaging subsidies such as tax benefits for company cars.

The diesel privilege, where the mineral oil tax on diesel is about 0.085 per litre ($0.094) lower in Austria than on petrol, could also be abolished.

According to Gewessler, the upcoming government, which will be elected in six weeks, will also be bound by the plan. "We have a very firm, clear, and strict European framework in place," the minister stated. Failure to meet the climate target could result in penalties, including fines, she added.

Austria will now submit its National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) to Brussels. The EU targets include reducing harmful emissions and achieving a 57% share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption. Austria is expected to meet these targets as well.

Austrian Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler speaks during a press conference to present the "National Energy and Climate Plan (NEKP)" in Vienna. Roland Schlager/APA/dpa
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)  Authorities have arrested a man accused of fatally shooting a North Charleston Public Works employee while he was on the job.

U.S. Marshals arrested 24-year-old Tyrell Lamont Smith in New York on Aug. 1. According to the North Charleston Police Department, he is currently being extradited to South Carolina.

Smith is charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime in the killing of 26-year-old DaTawn Gatling.

Officers responded to a shots fired call around 10:49 a.m. on Bayfield Drive July 18. When they arrived, they found Gatling suffering from a gunshot wound in a garbage truck.

After being shot, Gatling tried to leave the scene and lost control of the garbage truck, crashing into a tree along the edge of the Distribution International parking lot on Dorchester Road.

Detectives believe Gatling was shot while picking up recyclables on Bayfield Dr. He later died after being taken to Trident Medical Hospital.

Gatling was the only person inside the vehicle when the shooting happened.

Harrison Schweers works at Distribution International and described to News 2 what he heard and saw the morning of the shooting.

Basically I was just out back moving material with our forklift. You know, I had my earphones in just in case anyone called and I heard what sounded like six or seven gunshots and I just thought, no way thats crazy, thats not gonna happen, Schweers recalled. And I walked inside two minutes later and that truck was hit, hit that palmetto tree right there. And I guess it was real, I guess they were gun shots.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2.
TROY, Mo.  The investigation into an infants death in rural Lincoln County continues, as authorities ask for privacy on behalf of the family.

According to officials, the Lincoln County 911 Dispatch received a call around 9:30 a.m. Monday for an unresponsive infant at a home on Charlotte Drive. Upon arrival, emergency crews performed life-saving measures on a 45-day-old baby.

The infant was transported to Mercy Lincoln Hospital, where the baby was pronounced dead.

Missouri changes gender ID rules following incident at area gym

The Lincoln County Coroners Office completed its autopsy Tuesday. Further analysis is pending. The cause of the infants death remains undetermined, according to Coroner Dan Heavin.

Additional information on the investigation will be released as it becomes available.

Missouris Child Fatality Review Program requires a multi-disciplinary team to review all child deaths under the age of 18. This group consists of law enforcement, medical examiners, child protection services, and public health officials.

The Lincoln County Sheriffs Office and the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team (STAT) are assisting the coroners office with the investigation.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
ZAGREB, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Croatian government has re-nominated Dubravka Suica, the current vice president of the European Commission, as member of the commission for the 2024-2029 term, on the basis of her achievements and political legitimacy, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Tuesday.

Plenkovic said Suica is adept in her role and has extensive experience within the Commission, especially highlighting Suica's strong cooperation with the Croatian government and her work on issues crucial to Croatia.

However, Plenkovic did not reveal which portfolio Suica will assume, but hinted that Croatia has ambitions for certain portfolios of the European Commission and is lobbying in this direction.

"We will first have to wait and see the overall architecture of the new Commission," Plenkovic added.

Suica, a former mayor of Dubrovnik in southern Croatia and member of both the Croatian and European parliaments, has served as the Commissioner for Demography and Democracy.

Speaking to the parliament's European Affairs Committee, she discussed her past work and the priorities for the next European Commission.

Croatian opposition lawmakers have criticized Suica, claiming that she had not achieved anything "tangible" in terms of demography and democracy during her current term at the European Commission. Suica refuted the allegations, saying that these were areas where change could not be seen overnight and that she considered it a success that demography had become an important issue at the EU level. 
Back to school means no AC for 29 Denver schools; proposed bond measure could help

Back to school means no AC for 29 Denver schools; proposed bond measure could help

DENVER (KDVR)  Everyone at Goldrick Elementary School in southwest Denver was doing what they could to stay cool on the first day of school.

Goldrick is one of 29 Denver Public Schools campuses that still do not have air conditioning. Fifth grader Jaycie Contreras said that on really hot days, its hard to learn.

7 more Denver schools will have air conditioning this year, but 29 still without

Its hard to listen because its so hot and it gives me headaches, Contreras said.

Principal Taryn Rawson said on sunny days when the outside temperature is in the mid-90s, the classroom temperature can reach the mid-90s as well.

We can get above 100 in the stairwells. We have students with nose bleeds, so our health clinic gets really busy, Rawson said.

The principal is hoping for a change. A $975 million bond measure is on the ballot in November that allocates $240 million to install AC in the nearly 30 Denver schools that dont have it.

Air conditioning in this school would make a huge difference, Rawson said.

DPS says the measure would not increase taxes. The district would take on debt.

DPS provided a statement that reads in part, while this is a large investment, the underlying collateral is strong and we do not expect a decrease in our AA+ credit rating.

Denver Public Schools back to class with safety precautions

To Rawson, this is an issue of equity. At Goldrick, 95% of families are people of color, and 90% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

I really think that to live out our commitment to equity, we need to make sure that kids in southwest Denver and kids everywhere in the city have a comfortable place to come to on the first day of school, Rawson said.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
Backers of new Missouri casino file lawsuit hoping to get on statewide ballot

If approved by voters, new gambling tax revenue from the casino would be earmarked to early childhood literacy programs in public schools.(Getty Images).

A group hoping to build a new casino near the Lake of the Ozarks filed a lawsuit Tuesday arguing it collected more than enough signatures to earn a spot on the November ballot.

The Osage River Gaming & Convention Committee is asking a judge to reverse a decision by the Missouri secretary of states office that its initiative petition did not qualify for the statewide ballot because it was short 2,031 signatures in the 2nd Congressional District.

The proposal collected enough signatures in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th districts.

The group claims it has identified more than 2,500 valid signatures that were rejected and should have been counted in the 2nd District.

Verifying every signature on multiple initiative petitions this summer has been a very long process for election officials and we realize mistakes happen, the group said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. However, (Osage River Gaming & Convention) has always been confident their initiative petition contained a sufficient number of valid signatures from legal voters to qualify for placement on the Nov. 5 general election ballot and are now asking the court to do so.

The proposal would amend the Missouri Constitution to allow a casino along the Osage River between Bagnell Dam and the confluence with the Missouri River. The constitution currently authorizes casinos only along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

It would also override a state law limiting the state to 13 licensed casinos, passed in 2008 as a result of an initiative sponsored by casino operators.

The Lake of the Ozarks is one of Missouris busiest tourism destinations. The casino proposal is being bankrolled by Ballys, which currently operates a casino in Kansas City, and RIS Inc., a major regional developer. Each has contributed about half of the $4.1 million raised for the petition drive.

The proposal is being pushed in response to a casino development announced in 2021 by the Osage Nation, the Native American tribe that the river is named for. That project, a $60 million development, includes construction of a casino, hotel and convention center.

Backers of the initiative effort say their casino project will provide 700 to 800 jobs.

According to the ballot summary, the casino is expected to produce admission and fee revenue of $2.1 million annually, money that is split with the local government with jurisdiction over the site and the Missouri Gaming Commission. The tax on casino net winnings is projected to be about $14.3 million annually.

New gambling tax revenue would be earmarked to early childhood literacy programs in public schools.
Camping by the homeless  or anyone else  on sidewalks or other public property in unincorporated areas of Fresno County will be prohibited under a new ordinance that received final approval Tuesday from the countys Board of Supervisors.

The unanimous 5-0 vote comes a week after the city of Fresno adopted its own anti-camping ordinance covering areas within the city limits. The county ordinance was sponsored by Supervisor Steve Brandau, whose District 2 covers most of northeast and northwest Fresno.

The law received its initial approval two weeks ago. Following Tuesdays formal adoption, the ordinance will take effect in 30 days.

The new law prohibits people from camping:

On public property thats not intended to serve as a campsite.

On private property thats not otherwise zoned for camping, or without permission of the property owner.

On areas that would obstruct streets, sidewalks, alleys, trails, driveways by sitting, lying or sleeping or storing personal property.

On any street, alley, sidewalk or other public property or right of way within 500 feet of schools, parks, playgrounds, child-care facilities or libraries; within 500 feet of railroad tracks or railroad property; within 100 feet of roadway over- or underpasses, freeway off- or on-ramps, tunnels or bridges; within 50 feet of a fire hydrant or designated fire lanes; or within 10 feet of driveways or loading docks.

In addition, the ordinance forbids bathing in public fountains or other public water features, or urinating or defecating on public property.

A homeless encampment lines the San Joaquin Valley Railroad right of way near Belmont and Brawley avenues, in an unincorporated area of Fresno County just outside the Fresno city limits in this 2021 file photo. A new county ordinance approved on Aug. 20, 2024, forbids camping on public property including sidewalks, as well as along railroads or rail yards.

Homeless advocates speak out against county ordinance

A handful of speakers, including homeless advocates, complained that the law does little except to criminalize homelessness with fines of up to $500 or six months in jail if they refuse orders to move from their camping location. They urged supervisors to vote against the ordinance.

Bob McCloskey, a reporter with the Community Alliance newspaper and a volunteer who aids the homeless, argued against the characterizations that most people who live on the streets are drug users.

Id ask Mr. Brandau and others if youve ever gone out there, handed out sleeping bags or food or water, and actually met some of these folks that are out there in the county that are homeless, McCloskey said. I can tell you, a lot of them are elderly. A lot of them dont use drugs.

McCloskey acknowledged estimates by the Fresno-Madera Continuum of Care, which conducts an annual count of the homeless, that about 40% to 50% use drugs, but when you look at drug rehabilitation programs and detox centers, theres very few, and we all know that.

I meet people that are fragile out there, really fragile people, beautiful people that are warm and kind, yet they have a disability. They may have a physical disability; they may no longer be able to work, he added. And  a lot of these folks are out there because of the skyrocketing increases in rent.

Another advocate, Fresno artist Brandi Nuse-Villegas, also noted the lack of resources available to help the homeless population. People need stability to get jobs and to get what they need to get back on their feet, she said. We know we dont have enough shelters and enough room, but even as people go into these, if they are not exited into permanent housing, we are not going to get the results, and people are going to continue to be out there.

But, she added, the largest growing group of (the homeless) are those on fixed incomes, according to the California Homeless Data Integration System; thats elderly and disabled, mostly priced out of rising costs. Other segments of the homeless, Nuse-Villegas said, include young adults who have aged out of the foster-care system; persons with disabilities; lesbian, gay or transgender teens; and victims of domestic violence.

Brandau took the criticism in stride. I do appreciate everybody whos, you know, critical of the no-camping ordinance, he said. I think were really trying to approach the situation and sometimes with just different viewpoints on how to best improve the lives of people.

He added, however, that the ordinance is really not about homelessness.

Its nobody has the right to go obstruct public places and create situations that are problematic for our business owners, our kids walking to school, and other issues, Brandau said. Its about all the rest of us that are impacted by people who do things that are not right in the public space.

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Banana Republic

A deadly infection responsible for wiping out a commercial variety of bananas back in the 1950s and 1960s has once again reared its ugly head in recent years, threatening to make extinct the entire supply of the world's most popular fruit.

To eradicate this banana disease, dubbed fusarium wilt, scientists have been sifting through its genetic makeup for the last decade and may have found a breakthrough to tame this fungal pathogen, as detailed in a new study published in the journal Nature Microbiology.

The researchers, led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, found that the dominant variety of fusarium wilt isn't exactly the same strain as the one that endangered Gros Michel bananas, which were once the banana of choice in grocery stores across the world.

Most crucially, the scientists have found that this strain of fusarium wilt, which is now threatening the existence of the ubiquitous Cavendish banana, the commercial variety that replaced Gros Michel bananas, kills the plant by producing nitric oxide.

And knocking out the genes for nitric oxide can potentially tame this disease, caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum, or Foc tropical race 4 (TR4) in shorthand.

"Identifying these accessory genetic sequences opens up many strategic avenues to mitigate, or even control, the spread of Foc TR4," the paper's lead author Yong Zhang said in a statement about the research.

Factory Farms

This particular infection of Foc TR4 first appeared in the 1970s and has been quickly spreading across the globe, potentially impacting the nutrition of whole communities, not to mention untold amounts of trade.

It's an especially devastating disease because it's hard to eradicate. Banana farmers would have to abandon a contaminated field of bananas in order to control it.

Knowing the disease mechanism now gives banana lovers a fighting chance, but the scientists warn that the real culprit behind the spread of this deadly pathogen is that commercial banana growers cultivate bananas in monoculture plantations, essentially factory farms in the tropics.

"When theres no diversity in a huge commercial crop, it becomes an easy target for pathogens," UMass Amherst professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and principal researcher Li-Jun Ma said in a statement. "Next time youre shopping for bananas, try some different varieties that might be available in your local specialty foods store."

More on bananas: Banana Seller Chiquita Found Liable for Numerous Violent Deaths
Barack Obama has been given a tricky role by DNC organizers to distance Kamala Harris from Joe Bidens presidency while still giving her credit for some of his achievements in office, according to a report.

Finding the right words to wade through the dilemma was deliberately placed in the hands of the partys greatest living orator, insiders close to Obama told The New York Times.

The former presidents task is to separate Harris from Bidens presidency while boosting her role during his term to bring confidence that she will be able to move ready-made into the White House.

Ex-First Lady Michelle Obama to Address DNC on Tuesday

The former president spoke at the 2016 convention in support of Hillary Clintons ultimately doomed campaign and, once again, Donald Trump will be the bogeyman, only this time his potency as a candidate will not be taken so lightly.

President Obama spoke as an incumbent in 2016 in favor of one of the most familiar brands in American politics, David Axelrod, a senior Obama adviser, told the Times. He will speak Tuesday as someone who also once was a turn-the-page candidate, just as the party is showing signs of renewed energy behind Kamala Harris. Its a very different scenario.

Obama is expected to draw on the same message of hope in his speech that helped propel him to the presidency in 2008.

Biden said in his speech on Monday that he was not angry at the way his exit from the race was handled, but some reports have suggested he was unhappy that senior party leaders, including Obama, did not offer him more support.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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'I basically live in Wisconsin now': JD Vance slams Democrats on crime in visit to Kenosha

KENOSHA  Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance hit Democrats on crime and public safety issues Tuesday just hours before Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz were set to appear for a rally 40 miles away in Milwaukee.

During his third trip to Wisconsin in as many weeks, Vance proclaimed, "I basically live in Wisconsin now."

Speaking in front of the Kenosha County Courthouse, in a city upended by social justice protests that turned violent in 2020, Vance slammed Harris and accused Democratic Gov. Tony Evers of waiting to deploy the National Guard during the protests that came under the national spotlight amid the police shooting of Jacob Blake and Kyle Rittenhouse's subsequent trial after he fatally shot two rioters.

(The Evers administration deployed the National Guard to Kenosha the day before civil unrest erupted and doubled the deployment to 250 that day.)

Pants on Fire: At Racine rally, Trump repeats false claim he saved Kenosha in 2020 and Evers didnt act

Who was it that pacified the streets of Wisconsin and ensured that those riots didn't spiral out of control and burn down the entire city? That was President Donald J. Trump, Vance said while praising national law enforcement. Without that, I really think that Kenosha would still be recovering from those terrible riots today.

Republican vice presidential nominee, Senator JD Vance, holds a press conference on crime and safety in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Tuesday, August 20, 2024.

It was Vance's third trip to the state since former President Donald Trump tapped him as his running mate during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. He spoke to reporters in Eau Claire 3.6 miles away from Harris and Walzs rally on Aug. 7 and last Friday sought to tie illegal immigration to crime during a visit with a small crowd of law enforcement and reporters at the Milwaukee police union.

At Tuesdays event, Vance spoke for about 25 minutes to a crowd of 100 supporters.

His remarks primarily highlighted Trumps support of police and attacked Democratic leadership on crime during protests in the summer of 2020. He also reiterated campaign promises to end sanctuary cities and deport illegal immigrants.

He said Wisconsin has suffered from two failures of Harris vice presidency: Harris policies on manufacturing and energy, which he said have led to a decrease in manufacturing jobs, and her record on public safety.

REPLAY: Kamala Harris, Tim Walz pack rally at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Republican VP nominee JD Vance in Kenosha

Republican vice presidential nominee, Senator JD Vance, arrives for a press conference on crime and safety in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Tuesday, August 20, 2024.

You saw with the riots in Kenosha in the summer of 2020, Wisconsin has suffered when you don't have good, smart, pro-public safety and leadership, and thats what Donald Trump and I want to bring back to the White House.

Meanwhile, Harris and Walz prepared to speak to thousands of supporters in Fiserv Forum  the same arena where Trump was coronated as the Republican nominee a month earlier  where they planned to watch former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obamas DNC speeches following their remarks.

Vance said he caught bits and pieces of the DNC and said the contrast between Harris and Trumps safety policies is really striking.

It's almost a joke to me that they held it in Chicago, which has become the murder capital of the United States of America thanks to very failed Democrat leadership, Vance said. My little theory about why they decided to have the convention in Chicago is Tim Walz has been going around saying that he served in war, and maybe they did it in Chicago so they could actually, accurately say that he visited a combat zone.

Vance, a military veteran, has attacked Walzs military record and the timing of his retirement before deployment to Iraq.

More: 'Appalled': Veterans slam Trump campaign's attacks on Tim Walz's military background

Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde, Janesville Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil and Kenosha County Sheriff David Zoerner joined Vance. Trump hasnt visited Wisconsin since the RNC.

The visit comes as Trump and Harris are in a statistical dead heat in Wisconsin, a critical swing state in November's presidential election. Trump in 2020 beat Biden by 2,779 votes in conservative-leaning Kenosha County.

Vance said Wisconsin may be very well be the most important state in the country politically.

I basically live in Wisconsin now. Youll be seeing a lot of me over the next few months, Vance said. After someone in the crowd yelled Go Packers, he responded, Id have see about that, sir.

Back in Chicago, Democratic delegates at the Democratic National Convention bashed Vances visit.

Delegate Henry Pahlow of Maribel said voters would see the dichotomy between a campaign of hope and enthusiasm from Harris and Walz and a campaign that wants to take us back 50 years from Vance.

We're upset about him coming to Kenosha and coming at the same time as they're (Harris and Walz) going to be there, said Kenosha delegate Sally Simpson. We don't really know what his purpose is for coming.

Following his remarks in front of the courthouse, Vance visited Tenutas, an Italian deli in Kenosha known for its family ownership and muffuletta sandwiches. Vance ordered an Italian beef sub with provolone and remarked excitedly that the store carried Buckeye peanut butter fudge candy known for its resemblance to the state tree of Ohio.

One customer, Dan Klemack of Pleasant Prairie, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he was ordering a Polish sausage when he noticed Vance flanked by the Secret Service. As Vance left the establishment, he shouted out, Go get em!

I would love to see him get in the White House there with Trump again, Klemack said. Last time Trump was in the White House, I thought my bank accounts were a lot bigger than they are today.

Asked about Vances choice of sandwich, he said it was a classic."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: JD Vance slams Democrats on crime in visit to Kenosha
BATH, N.Y. (WETM)  A Bath man was arrested last week after police said he assaulted someone and fled from the scene of a domestic incident in the village.

According to the Village of Bath Police Department, 37-year-old Quincy Tisdale was arrested on Tuesday, Aug. 13, on the following charges:

Aggravated criminal contempt, a class D felony.

Assault in the third degree, a class A misdemeanor.

Endangering the welfare of a child, a class A misdemeanor.

Route 6 Bridge in Bradford County to reopen after truck damage

Police report that officers responded to a home for the report of a physical domestic where the victim told police they had their arm slammed in a door repeatedly. Police said that the incident happened when a child was present.

The report said that Tisdale ran from the scene on foot, but was found and taken into custody. Police said Tisdale was taken to the Steuben County Jail for processing.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com.
Bavarian Nordic will decide this week on mpox vaccine ramp up, CEO says

By Maggie Fick

LONDON (Reuters) -Danish biotech firm Bavarian Nordic could ramp up production of its mpox vaccine even before having orders lined up, based on the outcome of talks this week with the World Health Organisation, the company's CEO told Reuters on Tuesday.

Chief Executive Officer Paul Chaplin said in an interview that the company urgently needs to make the call on whether to manufacture "at risk" - or without signed contracts - because diverting or switching manufacturing capacity from its other vaccines to mpox will take time.

In order to make that decision, Bavarian Nordic "would need to be reasonably convinced that those orders would be coming through", Chaplin said. "We'll have to wait and see how the discussions develop this week and we'll make a decision later this week what we're doing."

He said the discussions were with the WHO, the global vaccine group Gavi, and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and with individual governments in Africa and elsewhere.

Last week the WHO declared that an outbreak of mpox, a viral infection that spreads through close contact, represents a global health emergency for the second time in two years.

That announcement followed an outbreak of the viral infection in Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighbouring countries.

Africa CDC said on Tuesday that talks had started with Bavarian Nordic about technology transfer to enable its mpox vaccine to be manufactured in Africa in the future.

Jean Kaseya, the CDC's director general, told a briefing that he would give a further update on the talks in the coming weeks.

"The discussions already started between Africa CDC team and Bavarian Nordic team and some African manufacturers," Kaseya told reporters.

"We need local manufacturing, and I want to recognise that and to thank Bavarian Nordic for accepting to do the tech transfer in Africa, for Africa to manufacture the vaccine," he said, adding that would help lower the price of the vaccine without compromising on its quality.

Chaplin, the Bavarian Nordic CEO, separately told Reuters earlier in the day that his company is "in dialogue" with the Africa CDC.

Shares in Bavarian Nordic - one of the few drug firms with an mpox vaccine - were up about 19% since market close on Aug. 13, the day before the WHO announcement.

On Saturday, the company said it has informed the Africa CDC that it could manufacture 10 million doses of the vaccine by the end of 2025, and could supply up to 2 million doses this year.

But the 2 million doses by year-end would not be possible unless Bavarian Nordic "changes gears" to start producing more of its mpox vaccine now, instead of its other vaccines, Chaplin said: "Every week we don't switch over, we lose some of that capacity."

(Reporting by Maggie Fick, Anait Miridzhanian and Alexander Winning; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Ros Russell)
Bayer notches win in litigation over whether Roundup has caused cancer

Roundups manufacturer, the multinational Bayer, has faced myriad lawsuits related to the weed killer. Roundups main ingredient likely causes cancer, according to numerous reports and studies (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Agribusiness giant Bayer won a legal victory last week in long-running litigation over whether its popular Roundup pesticide has caused cancer.

The case started in 2019, when a husband and wife in Pennsylvania sued Missouri-based Monsanto, which Bayer purchased in 2018, and alleged the company had violated state law by not including a cancer warning label on Roundup. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates pesticides, did not make the company add such a warning.

On Aug. 15, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, based in Pennsylvania, ruled the federal law governing pesticides  the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, or FIFRA  requires nationwide uniformity over pesticide regulation. The state of Pennsylvania did not have authority in the case, the court decided.

The appeals court decision in Pennsylvania conflicts with another decision made earlier this year in Atlanta, according to the St. Louis Business Journal.

In February, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled FIFRA did not preempt state law. Georgias law on warning residents about possible harms from pesticides was fully consistent with the federal law, according to the Business Journal.

Because the decisions conflict with each other, that could lead to the U.S. Supreme Court stepping in, according to Reuters.

Bayer told Reuters the Supreme Court should settle this important issue of law.

In 2020, Bayer settled most of its Roundup litigation for about $10 billion, but some cases still remain active. After news of the legal victory, Bayers stock price surged, according to Bloomberg. It had been slumping over the past year.

This article first appeared on Investigate Midwest and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
PRAGUE, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic has introduced an economic strategy to enhance investment and foster international cooperation, aiming to lift the country's economic status into the top 10 among European Union (EU) members in the next 10-15 years.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Jozef Sikela said that the significant global trends such as decarbonization, digitalization, artificial intelligence, and electromobility represent "a major challenge but also an opportunity" for the country.

"Our strategy is intended to address these shortcomings and contribute to the development of the economy over the next 10 to 15 years, during which we want to achieve long-term and sustainable growth of the Czech economy based on competitiveness and high added value," he said.

To achieve this vision, Sikela said the Czech Republic needs to create a favorable investment environment at all levels, with a top priority on education, research, development and innovation.

The strategy not only highlights the efficient functioning of the state and the reduction of bureaucratic barriers but also outlines plans for strategic infrastructure, business development and economic security.

Moreover, it emphasizes the importance of international cooperation in securing essential raw materials and attracting strategic foreign investment.

Currently, the Czech Republic ranks 14th in the 27-member bloc in terms of GDP per capita, measured in purchasing power parity.

According to a preliminary estimate published last month by the Czech Statistical Office, Czech GDP grew by 0.3 percent quarter-on-quarter and 0.4 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of this year. The Czech National Bank's August macroeconomic forecast predicted a GDP growth of 1.2 percent this year, lower than its May forecast of 1.4 percent. 
(WKBN)  A massive data breach has left millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft after a company that stores personal information was hacked. The Better Business Bureau offers a warning, as well as tips to keep your data safe.

Its what experts are saying could be one of the largest data breaches in history: a group of hackers claiming to have stolen more than 3 billion records of personal information, including social security numbers, mailing addresses, phone numbers and birth dates.

In a lot of instances weve seen, maybe its your credit card information, whereas thats a little easier to tackle, said Melissa Ames, BBB of Mahoning Valley President and CEO. You can contact your credit card company and get a new account. In this case, its Social Security numbers, which tends to have a broader scope.

The information was stolen from National Public Data, a company that collects and sells access to personal information, which is then used by other organizations to obtain background checks and criminal records.

Unfortunately, because its your Social Security number and everyone asks for your Social Security number, its kind of limitless, Ames said.

Now the BBB is advising consumers to put a freeze on their credit report as an extra safety measure to ensure the information stays safe.

What that process involves is creating a PIN number that only you know, Ames said. So what happens is, say the scam artist has your Social Security number. They are going to open up a new credit card in your name. When they go through the application number they are going to have to input the PIN number that only you the consumer know.

Experts also suggest taking advantage of tools like annualcreditreport.com to get a clear picture of your credit report from all three credit bureaus  and tightening up your online security by changing passwords and using multi-factor authentication.

Dont forget to do this for your kids too. They have credit. They have social security numbers. Lots of kids I know have their own bank accounts and they typically have great scores. So they are great victims of identity theft, Ames said.

The Cybersecurity firm Pentester has also created a tool to check to see if your information was in the breach.

We understand this is a very serious situation, but stay calm, Ames said. Make logs, if your information has been breached, keep track of who you contacted and when you contacted 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 WKBN.com.
A Beautician, Her Boyfriend and His Mom Were Found Slain in a Home Fire. But Who Killed Them?

Kelly Masciarelli, Kolin Foster and Cameryn Richard were found in their home that had been set ablaze, per Texas authorities

Kelly Masciarelli/Facebook; Cameryn Richard/Instagram; Kelly Masciarelli/Facebook Kelly Masciarelli (left); Cameryn Richard; and Kolin Foster

Authorities in Texas are investigating the deaths of three people they say were killed before their home was set on fire.

Kelly Masciarelli, Kolin Foster and Cameryn Richard have been tentatively identified as the victims whose bodies were found in their Cypress, Texas, home over the weekend, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez has said.

Foster is believed to be Masciarellis son and Richards boyfriend, per the sheriffs office, KPRC-TV and ABC 13 reported. They all lived in the home, per Gonzalez.

Harris County officials responded to a house fire on Sunday morning where they found three deceased bodies, Gonzalez said.

Arson Investigators advised the fire looked to be deliberate and started by an accelerant, the sheriff said in his social media statement. It was determined the fire was started after the victims were deceased.

Saul Suarez of the sheriffs office said that homicide detectives noted that the bodies showed signs of foul play and trauma, the Houston Chronicle, FOX 26 and ABC 13 reported.

Investigators believe the suspect fled through the backdoor, KPRC-TV reported.

The Cypress, Texas house where three bodies were found

This is definitely a homicide, not accidental deaths due to ... fire and smoke inhalation, Michael Ritchie with the sheriffs office said, per KPRC-TV.

Authorities have not discussed any potential suspects or persons of interest, or disclosed whether they're looking for one or more people. Ritchie said the house wasn't completely burned down so authorities were able to gather some evidence, per the outlet.

Investigators towed a red Corvette as a subject of interest because Foster had recently bought it, they told ABC 13.



A neighbor reported hearing the car door slam early in the morning of the fire but did not recognize the driver, per the outlet.

Neighbors said the family was friendly but reserved, KPRC-TV reported.

A friend of Richard who met her in beauty school told ABC 13 that she had heard from her just a few days earlier.



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Authorities are still investigating how the fire started and who set it, per FOX 2 Houston. As of Tuesday, they had not released any updates. The sheriff's office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Harris County authorities are urging anyone with information to reach out to the HCSO Homicide Unit at 713-274-9100 or @CrimeStopHOU at 713-222-TIPS (8477).



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Read the original article on People.
BEE CAVE, Texas (KXAN)  Bee Cave City Council voted last week to update the citys solicitation ordinance, including changes banning door-to-door solicitations after dark.

Under the updated ordinance, solicitation permits will now be handled under Bee Caves Planning and Development Department, as opposed to the Bee Cave Police Department.

The approved changes include:

Ability to run background checks on solicitors via the Bee Cave Planning and Development Department, instead of police.

Refusal of issuance of solicitation permits if certain criminal offenses and some other offenses are detected in the applicant.

Opportunity to revoke a solicitation permit if a set number of valid complaints are received; if the solicitor receives more than three valid complaints in a given timespan, their permit will be revoked.

Requirement that permit and identification of solicitor be presented if requested by a homeowner, police officer or official.

READ MORE: Kyle, Buda homeowners question door-to-door salesmans connection with PEC

For solicitations after hours or those involving safety concerns, city officials advised residents call the Bee Cave Police Departments non-emergency line at 512-767-6650. During the daytime, the recommendation is residents call the Planning and Development Department at 512-767-6675.

These changes come amid what Bee Cave Mayor Kara King and other council members called an excessive uptick in solicitors at all hours. King noted her neighborhood has seen an influx of repeat solicitors, with many of them not permitted.

Im glad were codifying this because its kind of out of control, honestly, where they can cover a lot of grown with the houses closer together. Its excessive, she said.

Residents looking to avoid solicitors are required to post a no solicitations sign on their property, such as on a fence or in their yard. According to city officials, solicitors who approach property owners with these signs can be arrested.

The updated ordinance applies to business solicitations, such as those selling lawn care services or solar panels. Different laws are in effect for political canvassing or religious-based solicitations.

More details on Bee Caves updated changes are outlined online.

Bee Cave isnt the only local city codifying an after-dark ban on solicitations. A City of Austin spokesperson confirmed with KXAN Tuesday people are prohibited from soliciting between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. by going door-to-door to residences.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Bee Cave City Council votes to file lawsuit to stop development near residential area

AUSTIN (KXAN)  The Bee Cave City Council voted Monday morning to file a lawsuit to stop the development of the KBC Service Center Distribution Facility, Bee Cave Mayor Kara King told KXAN Monday.

The center is near the intersection of Highway 71 and Serene Hills Drive. Leaders with the city council told KXAN the property is actually in Bee Caves extra-territorial jurisdiction, despite the proximity to the city of Lakeway.

The lawsuit voted on Monday morning seeks an injunction, and by Monday evening, the Lakeway City Council voted to join the lawsuit.

Online plans show the property could accommodate big rigs with 80 docking bays. However, the project is right next to a residential area.

KXAN reached out to the companies behind the project, and we will update this article if a statement is received.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Associated Press (AP) has reported that Belarus has deployed aircraft and air defence units to the border with Ukraine, a day after self-proclaimed President Alexander Lukashenko announced that he would deploy almost a third of his military along the border.

Source: AP

Details: Major General Andrey Lukyanovich, Commander of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces of Belarus, said that anti-aircraft missiles and soldiers from the country's radio engineering corps had been deployed near the border. He called such actions "significant reinforcement" of the troops.

On 18 August, Lukashenko announced that he had ordered almost a third of the army to the border with Ukraine. AP emphasised that Lukashenko did not specify the number of troops but pointed out that the Belarusian army has about 60,000 soldiers.

Lukashenko said the decision was made in response to the deployment of additional Ukrainian troops along the border. "But that could not be independently verified," AP said.

Ukraine has not confirmed the deployment of Belarusian troops on the 1,084-kilometre-long common border.

AP reiterated that Russia used Belarus, which depends on Russian loans and cheap energy, as a foothold for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, moving its troops across Belarusian territory to attack Ukraine from the north. Russia also moved some of its tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus in 2023.

Background:

On 18 August, Lukashenko called for talks between Russia and Ukraine but said Kyiv's operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast was hindering them. He called Ukraine's actions "an attempt to provoke Moscow".

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Belarus says it sends more troops, aircraft, armoury to border with Ukraine

(Reuters) - Belarus said on Monday it had sent aircraft, air defence forces and armoury to its border with Ukraine, a day after President Alexander Lukashenko said he had deployed nearly a third of his country's armed forces to the region.

"The group has been significantly increased, and at the moment they are on duty at the southern borders of our country," Commander of the Air Force and Air Defence of Belarus Maj. General Andrei Lukyanovich, told the state-owned CTV broadcaster.

Aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, and radio-technical troops were deployed to the border, Lukyanovich said, according to a transcript provided on CTV's website.

Days after Ukraine's surprise incursion into Russia's territory, Lukashenko - a loyal ally of President Vladimir Putin - accused Kyiv of aggressive policies and of sending more than 120,000 of its troops to the border with Belarus.

Ukraine said it had not seen an increase in Belarusian troops on the border and called Lukashenko's statements "rhetoric" aimed at pleasing Putin, who used Belarus as a launchpad to start his invasion in Ukraine in February 2022.

Moscow calls the war a "special military operation." Kyiv and its allies say it is an unprovoked imperialistic attempt at a land grab, which has since killed thousands and displaced millions of Ukrainians, turning cities into rubble.

Lukyanovich told CTV that Belarus was also expecting more military aircraft deliveries from Moscow this year and that Minsk was putting its efforts into strengthening its anti-drone systems.

"The fact that drones are the plague of the 21st century is obvious," Lukyanovich said. "This is a headache, which, I think, we will find the means to counter."

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Michael Perry)
Belarus has deployed additional air defense troops and aircraft to its border with Ukraine, Maj. Gen. Andrey Lukyanovich, commander of the Belarusian Air Defense Forces, announced on Aug. 19.

The announcement comes shortly after Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko said he had sent a third of the nation's army to the border this summer. Lukashenko claimed the buildup of troops along the border was the result of a misunderstanding between Belarus and Ukraine.

Speaking on national television, Lukyanovich said that in addition to aircraft, the Belarusian military moved anti-aircraft missiles and radio-technical units to the border. He also said it was a significant increase of border troops.

Lukashenko on Aug. 9 ordered additional troops to the border after reports that Belarusian air defense shot down multiple aerial targets from Ukraine. Lukashenko alleged that the targets were Ukrainian drones, though a monitoring group disputed the claim and called the accusation "nonsense."

Ukraine's State Border Guard Service reported on Aug. 11 that there were no signs of reinforcements along the border with Belarus, despite Lukashenko's order.

Kyiv has not confirmed Lukyanovich's claims regarding additional Belarusian troops and weapons at the border.

Read also: Belarus Weekly: Minsk summons EU, Ukrainian diplomats over alleged drone incursion from Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Judge Eboni Johnson Rose accepted a $14,000 stipend just a week before she was placed on interim suspension for an investigation into allegations of misconduct. (19th Judicial District Court photo)

A Baton Rouge judge whos been removed from conducting trials while under investigation for alleged misconduct has accepted a hefty pay stipend just before her suspension.

The same bonus was made available to all Louisiana judges, thanks to the largesse of legislators whove routinely boosted the judiciarys pay. This ones been under scrutiny because judges can receive it before doing barely a months worth of work in the fiscal year that started July 1.

The Louisiana Supreme Court disqualified 19th Judicial District Court Judge Eboni Johnson Rose on an interim basis. In a 5-2 vote on Aug. 6, justices took action based upon the recommendation of the Louisiana Judiciary Commission, which is made up of Supreme Court justices and has received multiple complaints about Rose.

An official with the state Supreme Court confirmed that Rose received a stipend of $14,691 on July 31. The Louisiana Legislature approved a one-time payment for all city, parish, district court and appellate judges as well as Supreme Court justices.

Rose has not responded to messages left at her court office and with her campaign. An extended investigation could cast a pall over her run for a seat of the states First Circuit Court of Appeal. Rose, a Democrat, is facing Kelly Balfour, a Republican, in the Nov. 5 election.

A potential permanent ouster of Rose could break up a family triad on the 19th Judicial District Court. Her father is Judge Don Johnson, and her uncle is Chief Judge Ron Johnson. .

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According to WAFB-TV, higher courts have overturned Roses rulings because of mistakes made during trial and sentencing. They include allowing a jury to continue deliberating and change its mind after its members found a defendant not guilty. After Rose issued a conviction , another judge declared a mistrial.

In another trial, Rose convicted a Baton Rouge police officer of misdemeanor malfeasance, although the crime is designated a felony in state law.

Rose has also been engaged in a war of words with East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore.

WAFB obtained documents in which Rose, who is Black, implied that Moores office targeted Black people and wanted to stick every ner in jail.

Associate Justices William Crain and Jay McCallum wrote concurring opinions in which they said Rose should be removed from trials without pay. But because state law doesnt allow that option, she will continue to receive her salary while the investigation takes place.

Rose will have to pay the court for the cost of her investigation, which the order said shall be resolved by the Commission within six months, unless good cause is shown.

The stipend Rose accepted came out of a protracted fight among state lawmakers who had first been asked to consider a permanent pay raise for judges. That proposal fell flat politically because a salary increase for public school teachers had already been snubbed.

Instead, legislators settled on a stipend for judges on the condition they all complete a workload study to determine if too few or too many judges are assigned to each district and appellate court. Gov. Jeff Landry vetoed that study requirement but kept the stipend intact.

An argument among Louisiana Judiciary Compensation Commission members followed over whether judges should be able to receive their stipends up front, in installments or at the end of the fiscal year. Those in favor of an immediate lump sum payment won the day, allowing the stipends to go out in July  the first month of the states fiscal year.

Among those who accepted the stipend was James Genovese, right as he was leaving his associate justice seat on the Louisiana Supreme Court to become the new president of Northwestern State University.

Genovese brushed off suggestions that he hadnt earned the stipend after resigned from the court within the first month of the fiscal year.

I have served 29 years as a judge, Genovese said.Ive earned it.

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NEW BERN, N.C. (WNCT)  The Craven County Sheriffs Office K9 Bureau conducted a traffic stop in Craven County on Sunday where one man was arrested after a search of his vehicle.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as Stanley Lee Basnight of Columbia, N.C. During the traffic stop, a search of the vehicle was conducted due to probable cause. After the search by the deputies, 91 grams of MDMA were located, 19 grams of fentanyl, marijuana, $255, hand a handgun that was reported stolen in Tyrrell County.

Basnight was arrested and charged with the following:

Trafficking Opioid by Possession

Trafficking Opioid by Transportation

Trafficking MDMA by Possession

Trafficking MDMA by Transportation

Possession with the Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Schedule I Controlled Substance

Possession with the Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Schedule II Controlled Substance

Possession with the Intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Schedule VI Controlled Substance

Felony Maintaining a Vehicle/Dwelling for Controlled Substances

Possession of a Firearm by Felon

Possession of a Stolen Firearm

Carrying a Concealed Weapon

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

He was transported to the Craven County Detention Center and took before the Magistrate. Basnight was then issued a $1,725,000 secured bond His first appearance at the Craven County Courthouse took place on Monday.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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GAZA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- At least nine people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a market in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said Tuesday.

Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that an Israeli aircraft launched at least one missile at the market, which was packed with shoppers.

Medical sources told Xinhua that the airstrike killed nine people, including women and children, and left several others injured.

The bodies of the victims and the injured were all taken to the Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, and there are concerns that the death toll may rise, according to the sources.

Israel has not commented on the airstrike yet.

Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed, and around 250 others were taken hostage. 
Its one of those moments that is tattooed on your brain foreverif your brain is the kind that is fully occupied by an encyclopedic memory of inane political moments that normal people forget: Donald Trump steps out onto the stage for the first debate of the 2016 Republican primary, fields the first question, and retorts, Only Rosie ODonnell, when debate moderator Megyn Kelly, then of Fox News, reminded him, Youve called women you dont like fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals, et cetera.

From the vantage of 2024, that Rosie ODonnell jab is just one of thousands of ephemeral, pointless, and mean Trump utterances sloshing around in his larger ocean of vitriol. But what I remember most vividly was not the Rosie ODonnell line itself. It was how every other candidate on stageRepublican robots in navy suits, white shirts, and red tiesshort-circuited before our eyes. Everyone else in that debate (a veritable murderers row of forgettables like Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Chris Christie, and Scott Walker) had arrived preprogrammed by Washington, D.C.s unwritten rules of political theatre, honed over decades of recycled bookings on Sunday mornings vacuous matinees: Meet the Press, Face the Nation, and This Week.

Trump was unique among that field of suits in that he did not slide from Polite Washingtons slick political candidate widget factory. He didnt care to perform the same canned lines on tax rates, entitlements, or the national debt. And he showed the world that audiences didnt care about that long-running political vaudeville act, either. The Trump era, however you define it, yielded few gifts and cured little about the broken political discourse coming out of Washington. But if it didnt wreck the political presss performative vacuity, it at least exposed it for all to see.

Now, with nearly four years of Trump out of the White House, Trump back on the trail, and a Democrat at the top of the ticket who can actually campaign, the gap between the Beltway Truman Show and what people outside of D.C. actually are experiencing is widening. And this rift in reality imperils the media at a time when journalism is fighting a multifront war against anti-truth Republicans, declining revenue, and predatory venture capital mismanagement.

When Trump burst onto the scene, I was still a reporter in Washington covering national politics and Congress. I watched as the journalism-industrial complex of D.C. reporters and operatives around me tried to cast Trump as an atypical candidate who blew up the Republican Party. Casting Trump as an outliertrying to make him an aberration instead of an outgrowth of a decades-long Republican effort to break our countryobscured the collective national gaze from something much more troubling for the people who make their living on politics: Trump didnt break the Republican Party at all. He just broke the made-up Washington rules that empowered every lobbyist, reporter, and staffer to attend parties together without fear or reservation.

Trump disrupted the Washington status quo of White House Correspondents Dinners, of bipartisanship as an outcome agnostic to the policies brokered by those arrangements, of speculative horse-race coverage as seemingly innocuous instead of the over-juiced, monetized, and corrosive clickbait driving our country to the brink of authoritarianism.

As this class of political elites descends on Chicago this week for the Democratic National Convention, the average consumer of news needs to know they are not really coming here to workshop policy, interpret or execute progressive politics, or even discuss electoral strategy. Theyre coming to attend corporate-sponsored happy hours, eat free meals together at the CNN Grill, and maybe, if theyre really lucky, snag a selfie with John Legend.

And now, more than ever, we should ask who all of thisthis punditry, this hobnobbing, this navel-gazingis really for.

Because if this summer has revealed anything, its that, just like the Scott Walkers of yore, we are watching the national media short-circuit before our very eyes. They are insular. They are unprepared. And after years of watching Morning Joe and searching for their birthdays in the Politico Playbook, they do not see their role as speaking to us, but rather speaking to themselves. While this may seem ancillary to the main plotline of our national politics, the mainstream media own-goaling themselves out of civic relevance is a net negative for anyone who believes in the outcome of better, more representative, good government.

For years, largely because Republicans are better at working the refs and crying foul about any effort by the media to hold them accountable for their actions, the idea that the media are dyed-in-the-wool liberals has become the orthodoxy. Of course, the Beltway media are conservative. This is not a novel argument by any means: Its an industry run by (increasingly reactionary) plutocrats, who reliably summon their charges to lead a highly effective, But how will you pay for it? pincer movement against anything resembling liberal policy. Meanwhile, there is seemingly no sin grievous enough to earn a Republican the same sort of nullifying skepticismthe Trumpists who aided and abetted the former presidents attempt to overturn a lawful election remain in the good graces of Americas cable news bookers.

Still, we need to acknowledge that the media are conservative in the most traditional, unideological sense of the word: They are clinging to a status quo, their status quo, that has not matched our reality since Barack Obama was elected president in 2008 and the Tea Party emerged as the energized manifestation of Ronald Reagans 1980s fever dreams. Their rules, their conventional wisdom, their savvy takes become more stale, more detached from normal life, and more cartoonish with every passing day.

The roller-coaster news cycle of this summer has revealed not only how little the media have learned from the Trump era of politics, but also how badly they want their little old world back, one where Republican operatives dressed as cable news pundits can shape the decision-making of the Democratic Party, sensible Democratic leaders are the ones who tack to the right to win over voters and politicians who can never be won, and everyone can grab a martini at Cafe MilanoWashington, D.C.s version of what the late Anthony Bourdain would call The Despots Cluband laugh about it afterwards.

Lets consider the past few weeks in the life of The New York Times. This summer, the paper of record demanded President Joe Bidens departure from the race. After getting their wish, they had criticism galore, which they expressed by pushing full stories on crystals-loving Marianne Williamsons complaints that the party needed an open nomination process (without regard for the legal and logistical impossibility of such a process), followed by multiple columns chastising the elevation of the current Vice President, Kamala Harris, to the top of the ticket as a coronation (again, despite the fact that she was the only Democrat in the United States who could actually surmount the aforementioned legal and logistical challenges).

They got what they wanted but, oh no, not how they wanted it! And when the veepstakes didnt go to their precise specifications they then found a half dozen of Minnesotas nearly six million residents to say they do not love Governor Tim Walz, Harriss pick for a running mate, even as his favorability jumped 20 points after his announcement. Finger on the pulse, baby!

It is as if the media are actively trying to direct chaos or uncertainty because chaos and uncertainty would create something new or interesting to thema good showwhich is what theyve decided the news is about. As our country has inched closer to collapse, as we are not even a full presidential cycle away from Trump sending insurrectionists to the Capitol to murder members of Congress and his own vice president to steal an election, this direction seems clumsier and more desperate than its ever been.

During no event was this media disconnect from reality more evident than at the August 7 announcement of Walz as Harriss number two on the ticket. Watching CNN, you would have thought that Harris had made a fatal error, that she was antisemitic and politically radicaldespite being married to a literal Jewish person and having no such political recordfor opting against Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Anchor Jake Tapper could not process how Harris could have chosen an effective, proven Democratic legislator over an antipublic education governor whose state needed to pay almost $300,000 to settle a sexual harassment case involving Shapiros top liaison to the state legislature, who also happened to be Republican. Reporters and the Republican operatives-turned-pundits who are permanently seated next to them were flabbergasted, as a person with actual agency went against the stage direction they had coalesced around.

Meanwhile, the images from the stadium at that very moment, which we could all see, showed thousands of people finally energized by and enthusiastic to support a ticket comprised of two fully animate human people who could put together cogent sentences about what it means to be a Democrat. Not to mention applause lines on how the GOPs vice presidential pick is a weirdo. If the medias job, in part and during live events, is to document what they are seeing to translate those observations to an audience, it appears they would prefer to create a fantasy world to talk about, rather than simply discuss whats plainly in front of their faces.

Which brings us back to the Democratic convention. Its impossible to know every flaw or fault this chattering class will find in a convention that does not feature a lineup of Kid Rock or Hulk Hogan, or cheer on the likes of Hungarian strongman Viktor Orban or any of a number of extremely creepy and weird religious zealots. But you can bet there will be pearl-clutching about how Democrats are not reaching for a middle that is actually center-left, how clear articulations of the threats Trump poses to democracy constitute dangerous political rhetoric, and whether Democrats can win white votes using every euphemism for white voter that you can imagine.

Do not let these talking heads fool you into thinking that normal, commonsense people or ideaslike keeping kids out of poverty, safe from being shot in school, and free to read books of their choosing at their public librariesare fringe. We can see with our eyes whats happening before us, and we know the stakes of what lies ahead even if that understanding does not make us as savvy as them.

Let them go to their parties, drink their cheap house wine on some grifting consultancys dime, and sneer amongst themselves behind our backs. Ill be watching C-Span until they figure out their real responsibility or democracy completely collapses, whichever comes first.
Biden begins long goodbye to half century in politics as he rallies Democrats around Harris in rousing speech

Biden begins long goodbye to half century in politics as he rallies Democrats around Harris in rousing speech

President Joe Biden was supposed to have spent the evening watching the start of a convention built around propelling him to four more years in the White House.

Instead, he was on stage delivering an emotional address as an animated crowd inside Chicagos United Center poured out their gratitude at his decision to stand aside and pass the torch to Kamala Harris.

In remarks that revisited many of his campaign themes, and as Harris looked on from a box alongside running mate Tim Walz, Biden told the Democratic National Convention that despite the threats that inspired his 2020 presidential run, democracy has prevailed and democracy has delivered.

And now, democracy must be preserved, he said.

Are you ready to vote for freedom? Biden asked the audience. Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America? Let me ask you, are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?

After an introduction by his daughter Ashley, Biden walked on stage and embraced her to the sounds of Jackie Wilsons (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher and deafening chants of Thank you Joe! He took a tissue from his pocket to wipe his eyes.

First daughter Ashley Biden and president Joe Biden embrace on stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19 (Getty)

Family is the beginning, the middle, and the end, he said after praising his daughter and his rock, first lady Jill Biden. And America, I love you.

His remarks championed his support for labor unions, his major economic and infrastructure-boosting accomplishments, and the democratic advocacy that puts him in stark contrast to Donald Trump.

Because of you, weve had one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period, he said. And when I say we, I mean Kamala and me.

Biden raged at his Republican rival for his efforts to tank bipartisan legislation for US-Mexico border security, and for his false claims surrounding the 2020 election, which fueled political violence.

Joe and Jill Biden address supporters at the Democratic National Convention (Reuters)

You cannot say you love your country only when you win, he said.

According to a source familiar with Bidens plans, his remarks were crafted over the last week with the aid of Mike Donilon, his longtime aide and former White House counselor, as well as other close confidants.

In her remarks, first lady Jill Biden praised her husband of nearly 50 years. Joe knows that our nations strength doesnt come from intimidation, she said. It comes from the small acts of kindness that heal deep wounds, from service to the communities that make us who we are ... Kamala Harris knows that, too.

Biden is not expected to attend any of the remaining three days of convention activities. Instead, he is set to travel to Santa Ynez, California, where he and his family will remain for a summer vacation.

Its a remarkable exit from the stage for Biden, who has directed his White House staff to devote the remaining five months of his term  the home stretch of a full half-century in public life  to focus on completing his administrations work and burnishing his legacy.

Two months ago, Biden appeared to be coasting towards his partys nomination as an incumbent president whod won every single primary contest save one, with the support of nearly all of the delegates whod select the Democratic Partys standard-bearer.

But after a month of pressure from the highest ranks of his party  and after reviewing polling data that showed that Harris could mount a credible campaign against the man Biden defeated four years ago  he made the decision to stand down days after the Republican convention wrapped last month.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris embrace after the presidents remarks at the Democratic National Convention (Reuters)

While Trump has spent the weeks since that day suggesting that Biden is so angry about having to step aside that he would try to reclaim the nomination  something that would be impossible under both Democratic Party rules and numerous state laws governing ballot access  the president hasnt displayed so much as a hint of anger over the situation.

He told convention-goers that serving as president had been the honor of a lifetime for him.

I love this job, but I love my country more, he said, before flatly denying any hard feelings over his ouster.

All this talk about how Im angry at all those people who said I should step down  thats not true, he said.

Harris and Walz, he added, would continue to lead America forward, creating more jobs, standing up for workers, growing the economy, and would lower the cost to American families so they just have a little more breathing room.

We made incredible progress. We have more work to do, and Kamala and Tim will continue to take on corporate greed and bring down the cost of food. Theyll keep taking on big pharma, making insulin $35 a month, not just for seniors but for everyone in America, he said.

Joe Biden walks with his grandchild after his remarks to the Democratic National Convention (Reuters)

Recalling the Oval Office address he delivered after announcing that he was standing aside, Biden reminded the crowd that their votes will determine whether democracy and freedom will prevail.

Its that simple, its that serious, and the power is literally in your hands. History is in your hands, he said.

His voice growing emotional as he brought his remarks to a close, Biden said that the country he has led for the last four years is, and always has been, a nation of possibilities.

Kamala and Tim understand that this nation must continue to be a place of possibilities, not just for the few of us but for all of us. Join me in promising your whole heart to this effort, he said, adding that he would be the best volunteer the Harris-Walz campaign would ever see.

Ive made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you for 50 years, he said. Like many of you, I gave my heart and soul to our nation, and Ive been blessed a million times in return with the support of the American people ... I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you.
On Monday night, Biden took to the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to bid an emotional farewell.

Outside there had been significant unrest, with hundreds of keffiyeh-clad Gaza activists marching downtown to accuse Kamala Harris of genocide in Gaza.

Four people had been detained by the police when they managed to break through a security perimeter that had been set up around the venue. In one snapshot, a tall thug wearing womens clothing was filmed berating police officers in an unusually deep voice.

Quite obviously, this was not just about Gaza. This was a clash of worldviews, with Western values of freedom and liberal democracy being assailed by the trendy new radicalism, a melange of old-fashioned socialism and woke fundamentalism. It all put me in mind of Ronald Reagans battles with the Left.

As Biden departs weeping from the stage, it is natural to consider his legacy. Perhaps that was part of the reason for his tears. Whereas Reagan inherited a divided country but successfully united it through the force of his charisma and solid values, Biden inherited a divided country from Donald Trump, promised to unify it, and left it more divided than ever before, with an orange sun rising once again on the horizon. It is hard to look upon his period in office as an untrammelled success.

Partly, this has been because the 46th president has allowed himself to be pulled hither and thither by the increasingly militant progressive wing of his party, which has attempted to dictate policy on issues ranging from foreign affairs to rent controls. Biden dithered, capitulated, and triangulated, losing both his values and his overseas allies in the process  all for him to lose his chance at a second term, pushed out without so much as a hows your father by a Democratic machine still heavily influenced by the Obamas.

Perhaps that is what lay behind Bidens response to the thugs in Chicago. Those protesters out in the streets, they have a point, he told the convention, adding: A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides. The blatant both-sideism  only one side was attacked in the most savage and unprovoked fashion, only one side is restricting its aggression to military targets, only one side is a democracy, and only one side are jihadi butchers  was bad enough. But it was the appeasement, to borrow Reagans bete noir, that betrayed the most damning indictment of Bidens time in office.

His lamentable remarks at the DNC are consistent with months of rhetorical hostility towards his Middle Eastern ally. It is no exaggeration to say that Biden has publicly criticised Israel much more than he has criticised Hamas. Such moral relativism from the highest office has inflamed Americas domestic tensions, with contemptible scenes of anti-Semitic violence on American campuses after October 7 still fresh in the minds of voters. By contrast, when Reagan, as Governor of California, faced widespread civil disobedience on campus in the Sixties, he took the college authorities to task: no more appeasement.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy understood that the true enemy was not Fidel Castro but the Soviet Union, which was pulling the strings of anti-western subversion around the world. Reagan came to office with that same understanding of the seriousness of the struggle. He responded by enacting an uncompromising strategy of containment and pressure against Moscow which on a few short years, resulted in its collapse.

What a contrast with Biden. His deplorable withdrawal from Afghanistan handed the territory to terrorists and sent our enemies the message that the US does not stand by its allies; all you need to do is wait it out and grind the superpower down, and you will be handed your victory on a platter. A direct line can be drawn from that debacle to the Ukraine war.

Bidens policy towards Israel in its hour of need, while including many crucial gestures of support like the two aircraft carriers despatched to the Eastern Mediterranean in the aftermath of October 7, has been sporadic, involving several enforced pauses in the fighting which have depleted Israels resources and pointlessly delayed victory.

Strategically, the Americans have shown little understanding of the region, the enemy, the deception of Hamas propaganda or even the practicalities of warfighting, insisting for example that Rafah could not be safely evacuated only to be proven wrong when Israel did just that.

The problem runs deeper still. The current geopolitical moment provides an uncanny echo of the Cold War, but instead of the Soviet Union pulling the strings, it is Iran. Reagan understood that Moscow was behind the noose that was tightening around America, both from abroad and from within. Today, Iran is the head of the octopus, with its proxy tentacles reaching out into Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and elsewhere, even creeping into London and Washington.

Weakness is the enemy of any presidency. Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas have mounted their most audacious attacks when Biden has projected uncertainty. Staunch allies, feeling the sting of abandonment, are quietly recalculating. At home, Bidens old centrist credentials lie in tatters, with America now facing the prospect of a radical and divisive Harris administration. Where is the heir to Reagan when you need him?

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Aug 20, 2024, 9:36am EDT North America

The News

US President Joe Biden defended his legacy and decades of service to the country in a rousing speech Monday, the opening night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Touting his record at home and abroad, Biden emphasized his part in rebuilding Americas role on the world stage.

That legacy could carry party foreign policy forward after Biden steps away in January: In a 92-page platform document also released Monday, a chapter on foreign policy talks up the Biden administrations effort to repair the US credibility and influence on the world stage, and criticized isolationism.

But Bidens global legacy is complicated, analysts noted, by ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and mounting tension with China that remain unresolved.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

More work needed to avert accidental catastrophe with China

Sources: Foreign Affairs, The New York Times

The Democrats platform is built on the Biden administrations vision of a US-China relationship based on competition without conflict. But Washingtons rivalry with Beijing is perhaps more dangerous to the world order than the Cold War, and has involved none of the de-escalation tactics used then to successfully prevent accidental catastrophe, former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice argued in Foreign Affairs. While Biden worked hard to foster partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, they lack the muscle memory of the Western NATO alliance, The New York Times noted. He also made no progress to curb North Korea and Irans nuclear ambitions, which are now homework for his successor, a Seoul-based political scientist told the outlet.

Gaza could define Biden legacy in Middle East

Sources: The Washington Institute, The New Arab

Biden has worked to promote regional integration in the Middle East and isolate Iran through Israeli-Saudi normalization, but the work isnt done  both at home and in the region  a research fellow at pro-Israel think tank The Washington Institute for Near East Policy argued. Riyadh still wants assurances on a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, and in the US, Democrats remain worried about the Kingdoms ties to Big Oil and the Republicans, as well as its human rights record. Meanwhile, Bidens apparent colossal failure to temper Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Gaza war could overshadow future US policy, and damage the US credibility to lead on human rights issues long-term, two international relations experts told The New Arab.
President Joe Biden passed the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris Monday night at the Democratic National Convention.

We have complete coverage of the DNC including what you need to know about tonights speakers later today on News Center 7 at 5 and 6.

>>What to watch as the Democratic National Convention enters its second day in Chicago

As reported Monday on News Center 7, he gave an emotional speech that went on past midnight.

I gave my best to you, he said.

Biden walked into the United Center to four minutes of applause Monday night and ended the first night of the DNC making a strong case for Harris to be the next President of the United States.

Biden said that former President Donald Trump is not worthy of being Commander-in-Chief.

He also reflected on his 50 years in politics and said selecting Harris as his running mate in 2020 was the best decision of his career.

>>Joe Bidens exit, talk of the glass ceiling, a nod to Gaza protesters. Takeaways from DNCs Day 1

News Center 7s Kirstin Garriss reports that Vice President Harris made a surprise stage appearance and thanked Biden for his leadership.

Garriss said one of the most notable moments on Monday came from former Secretary State Hillary Clinton, the first woman nominee of a major political party.

Clinton believes behind the glass ceiling now is Harris taking the Oath of Office.

The DNC says Tuesday nights theme will focus on the partys vision for the country.

Garriss says that Democrats plan to outline the sharp differences between Vice President Harris and former President Donald Trump.

Among Tuesdays speakers will be former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

We will update this story.
President Biden remembered the life and legacy of former talk-show host Phil Donahue, describing him as a trailblazing television icon.

Donahue died Sunday after a long illness, NBCs Today reported. He was 88.

Biden, in a statement Tuesday, applauded Donahues lengthy career in radio and television and offered his condolences to the family.

In Phil Donahue, our nation has lost a trailblazing television icon who held up a mirror to America and united us around the toughest issues of our time, Biden wrote. A son of a working-class, Irish-Catholic family from Cleveland, Phil first honed his craft as a radio station assistant in university, before rising to transform television and reshape the national conversation.

Across nearly 7,000 episodes, Donahue pioneered the live daytime talk show, Biden said.

Donahue, nicknamed the king of daytime talk, was the first to incorporate audience participation in a talk show, which usually ran one hour with a single guest.

The Phil Donahue Show, launched in Dayton, Ohio, in 1967, set the stage for future daytime television shows and was known for its radio-style call-ins, during which Donahue said his signature, Is the caller there?

Donahue helped change hearts and minds through honest and open dialogue, Biden wrote, adding the television host saw every guest as worthy of interest.

[Donahue] worked to build understanding, helping us see each other not as enemies, but as fellow Americans, Biden wrote, adding later, Through his extraordinary career in television and through thousands of daily conversations, Phil Donahue steered the national discourse and spoke to our better angels. He will be sorely missed.

Donahues program, later renamed Donahue, was syndicated in 1970 and ran on television for the next 26 years, per The Associated Press. It featured talks with a range of figures, including doctors, activists, spiritual leaders, politicians and entertainers.

Donahue won 20 Emmy awards, and in May, Biden awarded him a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Donahue died at his home surrounded by his family, including his wife, actor Marlo Thomas; his children; his grandchildren; his sister; and his dog, Charlie, his family told NBC.

Thomas, who starred in the 1960s series That Girl, met Donahue during an appearance on his show in 1977, per the AP. The two were married in 1980 and had five children together.

Thomas wrote on Instagram she lost her sweetheart.

As a man who spent his career loving his audiences, Phil got such a kick out of our cozy little community here, and I know he would be very touched by the heartwarming thoughts and memories youve been sharing, Thomas wrote Monday.

Donahue made a brief return to television in 2002, hosting a Donahue segment on MSNBC, which was canceled after six months.

Longtime host Oprah Winfrey, whose daytime talk show began in 1986, paid tribute to Donahue on Monday.

There wouldnt have been an Oprah Show without Phil Donahue being the first to prove that daytime talk and women watching should be taken seriously, she wrote on Instagram. He was a pioneer. Im glad I got to thank him for it. Rest in peace Phil.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
President Joe Biden speaks during the first day of Democratic National Convention, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. | Jacquelyn Martin

CHICAGO  At the start of a convention that was once planned to nominate him, President Joe Biden delivered the concluding speech at the Democratic National Conventions opening session Monday night  and passed off the torch to his hand-picked successor.

Biden, speaking in front of perhaps the largest and friendliest crowd he will face for the duration of his presidency, delivered a lengthy speech extolling his administrations successes and lauding Vice President Kamala Harris, the new Democratic nominee. In the weeks since Biden suspended his reelection campaign and endorsed Harris, he has vowed to continue his term as president. Biden repeated that pledge Monday.

Folks, I have five months left of my presidency, Biden said. I have a lot to do. Im going to get it done.

Here are five highlights from the opening night of the Democratic National Convention.

Biden praises Harris, touts his administration

In a lengthy address  lasting nearly an hour  that resembled an acceptance speech, Biden listed his administrations accomplishments and priorities, and encouraged Harris to continue the effort.

Biden took the stage to a loud ovation, as delegates stood and waved We love Joe signs. As he took the podium, Biden wiped tears from his eyes. Applause and chants of thank you, Joe and we love Joe went on for several minutes.

Biden called his term one of the most extraordinary four years of progress, ever, saying his administrations key legislative achievements delivered to both red and blue states.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, clasps her hand in the air with President Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. | Jacquelyn Martin

I made a commitment to you that Id be a president for all Americans, whether you voted for me or not, he said. Weve done that.

He spent the majority of his address walking through his key legislative accomplishments, including the infrastructure package, efforts to bring down prescription drug costs and debt forgiveness for students. He spoke about the bipartisan gun safety law and the PACT Act for veterans.

Biden criticized former President Donald Trump for his weakness on foreign policy. Think of the message he sends around the world when he says were a failing nation, that were losing, Biden said. Hes the loser. Hes wrong.

Biden praised Harris, who he introduced as the first Black vice president of South Asian descent, as a capable leader, and promised the audience that she would carry the country forward.

I love my job, Biden said. But I love my country more.

Lawmakers salute Biden in final send-off

A string of lawmakers praised Biden for his public service. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., credited Biden for defending the Constitution. For your loyalty for fighting for our democratic values, we thank you, said Coons. Chants of we love Joe rung out during Coons address.

President Biden, America is so much better because of you  a true patriot who has always put the people first, said Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.

Hillary Clinton returns to honor the second woman nominee

Clinton, who, in 2016, was the first woman nominated on a major-party U.S. presidential ticket, dedicated her speech to the historic opportunity electing Harris would be. Clinton spoke about her mother, who was born in Chicago before women had the right to vote, and mentioned notable events in the fight for womens suffrage.

The future is here, Clinton said. I want my grandchildren and their grandchildren to know I was here. That we were here. And that we were with Kamala every step of the way.

Biden family members honor the president

Two members of Bidens immediate family  first lady Jill Biden, and daughter Ashley Biden  spoke on Monday. They both painted an image of Biden as a gentle, kind person.

Jill Biden spoke about her love for her husband, saying she has fallen in love with him over and over. She told stories about Biden reading bedtime stories to their daughter, Ashley.

She expressed confidence in Harris running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

First lady Jill Biden arrives to speak during the first day of Democratic National Convention, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. | Jacquelyn Martin

With faith in each other, hope for the future, love for each other and our country, we will fight, and we will win, she said.

Ashley Biden called her father the OG girl dad, and told stories about him leaving his work in the Senate to celebrate her birthday or helping her with homework.

He told me I could be anything and I could do anything, she said.

Harris makes a surprise appearance

Per custom, Harris will not accept the partys nomination until her primetime speech Thursday evening. But the vice president made a surprise appearance Monday, expressing gratitude for Biden.

This is going to be a great week, and I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible President Joe Biden, who will be speaking later tonight, she said. Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do, we are forever grateful to you. Thank you, Joe!

She returned onstage after Bidens speech, hugging the president and greeting the audience with him for several minutes after his address concluded.

President Joe Biden greets his daughter Ashley Biden before he speaks during the first day of Democratic National Convention, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. | Jacquelyn Martin

Ashley Biden speaks during the Democratic National Convention on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. | J. Scott Applewhite

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, second gentleman Doug Emhoff and Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz listen as first lady Jill Biden speaks during the first day of Democratic National Convention, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. | Jacquelyn Martin

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., holds a sign as President Joe Biden speaks during the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. | Paul Sancya

President Joe Biden speaks during the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. | Brynn Anderson

President Joe Biden waves as he stands on stage with his grandson Beau Biden during the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. | Stephanie Scarbrough

President Joe Biden embraces first lady Jill Biden on Day One of the Democratic National Convention, at the United Center, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024 in Chicago. | Mike Segar

President Joe Biden embraces Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris during the first day of Democratic National Convention, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. | Jacquelyn Martin

President Joe Biden speaks during the Democratic National Convention, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. | Matt Rourke

President Joe Biden speaks during the Democratic National Convention, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. | J. Scott Applewhite
From the The Morning Dispatch on The Dispatch

Happy Tuesday! The Democratic National Convention is sure to generate a lot of news, but none of it will be as important as the Dispatch Politics crews verdict on Chicago deep-dish pizza.

Quick Hits: Todays Top Stories

Biden Passes the Torch

President Joe Biden speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 19, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

CHICAGOAt 11:26 pm ET Monday night, a teary-eyed President Joe Biden took the stage at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Moved by his daughter Ashleys introductory speech, the president dabbed his eyes before making his way to the podium, where he was drowned out for minutes by chants of Thank you, Joe!

There were other tears in the arena, including from multiple campaign staffers who were spotted by Dispatch Politics wiping their eyes as Biden began his remarks to a convention that, just a few weeks ago, was set to renominate him for a second term. Instead, the Democratic president was to pass the metaphorical torch to his vice president, Kamala Harris, the partys new nominee. But first, Biden had some business to deal with.

Bidens speech itself wasnt terribly wistfulit was reminiscent of his March 2024 State of the Union address in both substance and style. He ran through a laundry list of major and minor policy accomplishments: aiding Ukraine, boosting the production of semiconductors, and signing what he described as the most significant climate law in the history of mankind, to name a few. And he struck a defiant and fiery tone as he condemned former President Donald Trump for a litany of offenses. He says were losing. Hes the loser. Hes dead wrong! Biden shouted at one point. Referring to a report that Trump referred to deceased veterans as suckers and losers, Biden yelled: Who in the hell does he think he is?

For the most part, Biden avoided the verbal stumbles that plagued him during his disastrous debate performance on June 27 and which had been hallmarks of his appearances since, though there were some exceptionsthat even he seemed to acknowledge with a raise of his eyebrows.

The sitting president also avoided any lengthy discussion of his decision to bow out of the race after weeks of pressure to do so. A little over a month ago, Biden insisted that his dropping out would be an affront to democracy. The votersand the voters alonedecide the nominee of the Democratic Party, he wrote in a letter to House Democrats, who were then well on their way to a full-blown mutiny. How can we stand for democracy in our nation if we ignore it in our own party? I cannot do that. I will not do that. On Monday night, he glossed right over that argument, declaring: Democracy has prevailed. Democracy has delivered. And now democracy must be preserved.

Even as he tried to sidestep the drama that ultimately resulted in him speaking on the first night of the convention instead of the last, he pushed back on reports that he and his inner circle were frustrated with figureslike former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who waved a We  Joe sign on the convention floor with the California delegationwho had pushed publicly and privately for him to step aside. All this talk about how Im angry at all those people who said I should step down, thats not true, he said.

I love my job, but I love my country more, Biden added.

Finally, a few minutes after midnight, Biden announced that he would close his late-night remarks. (Okay, lets go! said a relieved delegate from New Jersey.) America, I gave my best to you, he said, quoting a song titled American Anthem.

I made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you, Biden told the crowd. He joked that he was once too young to be senatorhaving been elected at age 29and is now too old to stay as president.

Burning Bridges

A Ukrainian mechanic returns from a combat mission in the Kursk Region and examines an American Stryker armored vehicle on August 14, 2024, near the Russian border in the Sumy region of Ukraine. (Photo by Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)

Last week, Ukrainian military officials published footage that they claimed showed the first day of fighting in the countrys surprise cross-border offensive into Russia that is now entering its third week.

Spliced with video of bombed-out buildings in what was purportedly the Russian border town of Sudzha and fire from Ukrainian artillery pieces, one clipwhich The Dispatch cannot independently verifyshowed what appeared to be Russian soldiers standing in the rubble of a collapsed building waving pieces of white cloth in surrender.

The Ukrainian offensive marks the first time Russia has been invaded in more than 75 years. The operational objectives of the bold gambitwhich has seen Ukraine flip the script on Russia to advance across hundreds of square miles into its territoryare becoming clearer, even as it remains to be seen whether Kyivs gamble will pay off.

As we wrote last week, Ukrainian armed forces launched a surprise offensive on the Russian region of Kursk on August 6, catching Russian forces flat-footed at a section of the border that, up to that point, hadnt been part of the front lines of the war. The area, through which Ukrainian troops quickly advanced, was defended by ill-prepared Russian conscripted troops serving their one year of mandatory military service and who, by law, are not supposed to see combat or serve outside of Russia.

Though its progress seems to have slowed, the Ukrainian military claimed, as of Monday, to have advanced across some 1,250 square kilometersor about 480 square miles, roughly the size of Los Angeles. Kyiv has committed an estimated 6,000 troops to the offensive, with an additional 4,000 positioned on the Ukrainian side of the border. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted Monday that Ukrainian troops controlled 92 communities in the area. The Ukrainian military established a commandants office in Sudzhanormally home to roughly 5,000 peopleand it seems likely Ukraine formally controls the town.

Over the weekend, Ukrainian forces destroyed three bridges over the Seym River in Kursk, potentially trapping some Russian forces between the Ukrainian border to the south and west and the river to the north, with Ukrainian troops ready to press in from the east. The blown bridges could also hinder humanitarian evacuations. Russian authorities said more than 100,000 people have evacuated from the Kursk regionwhich has a population of just over 1 millionsince the beginning of Ukraines operation.

Map via Joe Schueller.

At the beginning of the offensive, Zelensky was understandably cryptic about its goals. He has since, however, been more forthright about the aims of the operation. It is now our primary task in defensive operations overall: to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and conduct maximum counteroffensive actions, he said in his nightly address on Sunday. This includes creating a buffer zone on the aggressors territoryour operation in the Kursk region. Such a buffer zone could make it more difficult for Russia to launch strikes on Ukrainian territory.

But how long the Ukrainians can hold that territory, if indeed they want to, is anyones guess. Theres no fortifications, theres no trenches, theres no minefields, and the Ukrainian force there is relatively small, Dmitri Alperovitch, chairman of the Silverado Policy Accelerator, told TMD. The Ukrainians have a hard time holding the heavily fortified territory in the Donbas against Russian offensives. So there are real questions about the ability to hold this territory that has not been prepared for defense. A failure to secure the territory would also mean Ukraine couldnt trade it for territory Russia has occupied in eastern Ukraine in any eventual peace talks.

Even if Ukraine cant hold the territory, taking it in the first place may have been sufficient to replenish what Zelensky has called the exchange fundpresumably a reference to prisoners of war Kyiv could exchange for Ukrainian POWs held in Russia. Its unclear how many Ukrainian POWs Russia has in custody, but it was widely assumed in Ukraine to be larger than the number held by Kyiv. Ukraine has captured hundredsand potentially as many as 2,000 Russian combatants since the beginning of the offensivethough the true number hasnt been publicized. Among those captured are many young conscripts, whom Russian President Vladimir Putin once promised would not be sent to the front in Ukraine. Instead, the front came to them.

Above all, the morale boost for Ukrainewhich had for months been on the back footmay be worth whatever price it pays in the short term.

Putin has many times been accused of dithering in a crisis, and the Russian presidents response to this counter-invasion by Ukraine may be another example of the pattern. Hes been mostly absent from the public eye, with the exception of an appearance early last week with his military advisers during which he seemed frazzled and read from handwritten notes on a legal pad and berated the regional governor of Kursk, who revealed just how many settlements Ukraine had at that point seized. Traditionally, czars care very little about what happens at the periphery of Russia, Alperovitch told TMD. And I think the same is true of Putin. Hes certainly trying to downplay it.

At that meeting last week, Putin did his standard saber-rattling accusing the West of using Ukraine as a puppet to attack Russia. But his non-response to foreign troops invading Russia for the first time since World War II demonstrates that Putins threats about escalating if the Ukrainians or [the U.S.] did certain things are generally hollow, said David Kramer, executive director of the George W. Bush Institute.

Though it took days, the Wall Street Journal reported last week that Russia had redeployed some 5,000 troops from other parts of the front to defend Kursk. Only one of the several under-strength brigades moved as part of the response had previously been in the Ukrainian region of Donetsk, where Russian troops are making steady progress toward the logistical hub of Pokrovsk. Civilians there were told on Monday they should evacuate in the next two weeks as Russian troops press toward the city, now just over 6 miles from its outskirts.

Map via Joe Schueller.

Though the U.S. was apparently caught off guard by the offensive, and the Journal reported over the weekend that the U.S. is not supplying Ukraine with intelligence to aid its efforts, Washington and the West have not been condemnatorydespite previous cautions about escalation. Its a good day for Ukraine, Gen. Christopher Cavoli, NATOs Supreme Allied Commander Europe and the head of the U.S. European Command, said last week. Its a good day for Ukraine because they have behaved in a militarily and operationally very clever and insightful fashion.

But despite early successes, the bold Ukrainian move may yet backfire. It could prompt Russia to reinforce previously poorly defended borders or stretch Ukrainian troops too thinly to effectively defend both the recently captured Russian land and areas of eastern Ukraine under Russian attack. And Kyivs forces could still see heavy losses if it tries to defend the captured territory. This is a huge gamble, but its a gamble that could pay off, said Alperovitch. Well know in a few weeks.

Worth Your Time

Republican politicians, from the enthusiastic to the reluctant, have given many reasons for endorsing Donald Trump, but healing the countrys political divisions is rarely one of them. McKay Coppins, writing for The Atlantic, spoke to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, long an anti-Trump holdout, about his announcement earlier this summer that he would be voting for the Republican nominee. Cox had grown steadily more anxious in recent years about the prospect of a complete democratic breakdown in America, Coppins wrote. Hed immersed himself in the literature of polarization and political violence. He couldnt escape his fear that the bullet that grazed Trumps ear had been millimeters away from starting a civil war. Cox decided that declaring his support for Trump might give him the opportunity to steer the GOP away from a politics of division. That Love your enemies stuffit sucks. I hate it. I wish Jesus had never said that, Cox told me. But if he was serious about injecting decency and compassion back into politics, he explained, he needed to find a way to work with his political enemies.  To me, this is kind of the ultimate test.

Is one of the most liberal cities in America becoming tough on crime? The Economist reported from San Francisco, where three of the four mayoral candidates in Novembers election are pushing for tougher approaches to crime and homeless encampments. After the Supreme Court affirmed in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson that ticketing homeless people is not a cruel and unusual punishment, [Mayor London] Breed vowed to use very aggressive sweeps to remove tents from the street, and threatened to enforce criminal penalties for sleeping rough, the piece reads. [Mayoral candidates Mark] Farrell, who was interim mayor in 2018, and Daniel Lurie, a charity founder and heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, say they would declare a fentanyl state of emergency. Mr Farrell would like the Honduran drug dealers prevalent in San Francisco to be deported. Both men argue that permissiveness has attracted seedier types  I will say it every day from the City Hall steps for as long as it takes, says Mr Lurie. You do not come to San Francisco to deal drugs, to do drugs or to sleep on our streets.

Presented Without Comment

NBC News: Lock Him Up!: Hillary Clinton Smiles and Nods Amid Chants Echoing Trump Supporters

Also Presented Without Comment

Rolling Stone: Trump Doubles Down on Medal of Honor Dig Despite Backlash From Vets

The Presidential Medal of Freedom, to my knowledge, I dont think anybody suffered, Trump said in an interview after his rally on Saturday, attempting to clarify comments made on Thursday. People [who] get the Congressional Medal of Honor, which Ive given to many, are often horribly wounded or dead. Theyre often dead, they get it posthumously. And when you get the Congressional Medal of Honor, I always consider that to be the ultimatebut it is a painful thing to get it.

Also Also Presented Without Comment

Politico: Dean Phillips Feels Vindicated In Chicago

It was a mission of principle. And what mattered is how I felt and my values and what I believe was so important. And whats so joyful is everyone came around. It wasnt about me. I was trying to be a Paul Revere, not a George Washington. It took Joe Biden to be George Washington. Giving up power before he had to. I was just trying to sound the alarm bell. It was strangely joyful.

In the Zeitgeist

Phil Donahuelongtime talk show host, eight-time Emmy Award winner, and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipientpassed away on Monday at the age of 88. These days, its fairly common for talk show programs to integrate the studios live audience into each episodebut Donahue was among the first to do it on The Phil Donahue Show, which ran for 29 consecutive seasons between 1967 and 1996.

Toeing the Company Line

In the newsletters: Kevin responded () to Kamala Harris claim that grocery chains are price-gouging with a primer on how prices actually work, the Dispatch Politics team reported from Chicago on the first day of the Democratic National Convention, and Nick examined () the strange limbo in which Joe Biden currently exists.

On the podcasts: Sarah and David are joined on Advisory Opinions by A.J. Jacobs, author of Its All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the Worlds Family Tree, to discuss his experience living by the Constitution.

On the site: Chris explores how Trump has managed to fall behind in the polls despite a majority of voters tending to side with him on policy issues.

Let Us Know

Do you think the Kursk offensive will be a turning point in the war?

Read more at The Dispatch

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KINSHASA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- More than 100 people are feared missing after a boat sank Sunday in the western Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), local media reported Tuesday.

According to local officials, the boat sank at around 7 p.m., local time, on the Lukenie River, Mai-Ndombe province, after hitting pieces of wood underwater, with approximately 300 people on board.

Only a few dozen survived and several bodies have been found, said local media reports, citing officials who claimed it "hard to clarify on the number of the casualties."

Nkoso Kevani Lebon, governor of Mai-Ndombe, said he was dismayed by the tragedy, promising an investigation into the incident to establish responsibilities.

"We must have secure boats. This is part of our program, and in a few months, there will already be secure boats. A team, composed of members of the provincial security committee, is on its way to establish responsibilities," said the governor.

In June, at least 86 people, including 21 children, were killed after a boat sank on the Kwa River, one of the tributaries of the Congo River, also in the province of Mai-Ndombe. 
Biden sums up his successes within his term, mentioning Ukraine among them

US President Joe Biden has summed up the results of his presidency during his speech at the Democratic Party convention in Chicago, mentioning Ukraine's resistance to Russian aggression among his successes.

Source: European Pravda, citing Voice of America

Details: Biden emphasised his administration's success in strengthening global alliances and confronting Russia and China.

Quote from Joe Biden: "I spent nearly 190 hours with my partners, the heads of state in Europe, to strengthen NATO. We have done it, and we have united Europe in a way that hasn't happened in years by adding Sweden and Finland to NATO."

Details: Joe Biden also emphasised that neither he nor Kamala Harris, Vice President of the US, "will ever bow down before Putin".

Quote from Joe Biden: "Putin thought he would capture Kyiv in three days. Three years later, Ukraine is still free."

Among his successes, Joe Biden also mentioned the recent prisoner exchange with Russia, which allowed the release of Americans illegally detained there.

The US President added that his administration is working tirelessly to achieve a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas and to deliver humanitarian aid.

He urged Americans to vote for Kamala Harris and said he bears no grudge against those who persuaded him to withdraw from the presidential election.

Quote from Joe Biden: "America, I gave you the best. I gave you the best 50 years. I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you."

Background: Donald Trump, a Republican presidential candidate, has been actively making personal attacks on his rival, Harris, and claiming that he has the right to do so.

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If President Joe Biden had spoken as eloquently at his debate with Donald Trump as he did Monday night at the Democratic National Convention, we wouldnt be having this conversation.

He would still be leading the Democratic ticket as a sitting president running for re-election, instead of passing the torch and the nomination to his vice president, Kamala Harris.

On Monday, Biden turned back the clock, speaking fluently and forcefully as he defended his record as president and laid out his case against Trump and for Harris.

He sounded and looked like a completely different person than the man who took the debate stage on June 27  a disastrous outing where he appeared pale, flustered, and just not up to the task of leading the United States anymore.

And lest you might think, Well, anybody can read a speech off a teleprompter, I can attest that wasnt really the case Monday night.

From my vantage point slightly behind the stage, I had a clear view of the large video monitor that faces the stage and scrolls the prepared script for the speakers when theyre facing forward.

I noticed Biden departing from the script numerous times to expand on a point, without losing his train of thought. Thats hard to do and even harder to do seamlessly.

I wont try to recount all the high points of the 52-minute speech, but I will say I thought Biden was at his best when he condemned the threat to democracy represented by the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol, inspired by Trumps false claims that the election had been stolen from him.

Nearly four years ago, in winter, on the steps of the Capitol on a cold January day, I raised my right hand and I swore an oath, to you and to God, to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and to faithfully execute the office of president of the United States . . . surrounded by the National Guard, he said. And behind me, the Capitol, that two weeks before had been overrun by a violent mob.

There is no place in America for political violence. You cannot say you love your country only when you win.

At 81, Biden, who was first elected to the Senate at age 29, has been part of the national political scene for more than 50 years, longer than most Americans have been alive.

Barring a national disaster or tragedy, Monday night was probably the last significant speech hell make to the nation.

The speech was punctuated by frequent outbursts of We Love Joe, also the message on thousands of vertical pole signs the convention gave the delegates.

As country music star Glen Campbell sang in his 1978 hit, Another Fine Mess: The words are unimportant, its the feeling well remember anyway.

I think the feel of the evening was summed up best by two Washingtonians I encountered on the way out of the arena.

This is huge, and it was very emotional, said Brian Gunn, who lives in the Tacoma suburb of Auburn. I mean, there were people in my delegation, bro, I looked down and there were tears in peoples eyes. Its not the moment we expected. I mean, if you went back to, you know, just two months ago, this is not where we thought we would be, and its so much more hopeful. And all of a sudden, despair turned into something that looks like hope and looks like a brighter future. Hes hes done a fantastic job, and we just have to carry on that legacy.

I thought that it was inspiring, energetic, added Lillian Hawkins, an alternate delegate from Seattle. Its bringing us back to where we need to be. You can feel the energy, and hes touching peoples hearts. Thats what I felt today. I felt community. I felt togetherness, I felt family. I felt like were being restored, coming together.

Although Biden was pushed out after the debate debacle by his party, Mondays speech contained not a trace of bitterness. He freely and frequently shared the credit with his no. 2 who replaced him at the top of the ticket.

He summed that up like this: I promise Ill be the best volunteer the Harris-Walz campaign has ever seen.

I can only imagine how Trump, the consummate grievance politician, would have handled similar circumstances if what happened to Biden had happened to him instead.

But one thing is certain. It would not have been as graceful as Bidens farewell to electoral politics, and his people.

Dion Lefler is covering the Democratic National Convention on behalf of McClatchys Opinion teams.
Joe Biden formally passes the torch to Kamala Harris. Israels military recovers the bodies of six hostages from Gaza. And what went wrong on the Boeing capsule still in space after nearly three months.

Heres what to know today.

Biden gives his support to Harris in bittersweet DNC swan song

Less than a month ago, Joe Biden was due to be giving a speech on the final night of the Democratic National Convention to accept the partys presidential nomination. But a lot has changed in just a few weeks  and last night, on the first day of the DNC, the president urged fellow Democrats to help elect Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him in November.

The speech, however, wasnt just an endorsement for the Harris-Walz ticket. It also was a chance for Biden to highlight his long list of accomplishments as president and soak in the thunderous standing ovation and We  Joe signs waving throughout Chicagos United Center during his speech.

It was a bittersweet moment for a party that sought to exalt him after turning on him a few weeks ago.

This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.

That balance, between paying tribute to Bidens political career and propelling Harris, was present throughout the night. In her speech, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton celebrated Biden for bringing dignity, decency and competence back to the White House. But most of Clintons remarks were about womens accomplishments in politics and what it would mean if Harris accomplished what she couldnt.

Read the full story here.

More Democratic National Convention coverage:

Bodies of 6 hostages recovered from Gaza as some progress made on truce talks

The Israeli military said that it had recovered the bodies of six hostages who were taken into Gaza following the Hamas-led Oct. 7 terror attacks. Troops recovered the bodies in an overnight operation in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

The operation came as the United States, Egypt and Qatar pushed for a cease-fire deal that would end Israels monthslong offensive in Gaza and see the release of the hostages who remain held in the enclave. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed optimism yesterday, saying hed had a very productive meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He said Netanyahu had accepted a bridging proposal for a cease-fire deal and that it was now incumbent on Hamas to do the same.

The uncertain fate of the hostages has added to pressure on Netanyahu at home and abroad to agree to a deal, while Israel and Hamas have for months traded blame over which side is responsible for holding up negotiations.

Read the full story here.

What went wrong on the Boeing capsule still in space

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft (NASA via AP)

NASA is expected to make a final decision in the coming days on how two astronauts who have unexpectedly been in space for nearly three months will return to Earth. The choice follows a tumultuous few months for a high-stakes mission: the Boeing Starliner capsules first crewed flight and what was supposed to be the final hurdle before NASA could certify Boeings spacecraft to make routine trips to the International Space Station. But the trip that was originally intended to last around eight days in June is ongoing.

So, what exactly happened with the Starliner? There are two main issues. One has to do with a set of thrusters that delayed the docking process at the International Space Station  and has the potential to affect the Starliners ability to undock. The other has to do with a helium leak. NBC News science reporter Denise Chow explained what engineers on the ground are doing to ensure the Starliners safety.

Politics in Brief

Todays primaries: Florida Rep. Matt Gaetzs primary is the last opportunity for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy to exact revenge on Republicans who ousted him, but Trump-backed Gaetz is still the heavy favorite to win. Read more about Gaetzs primary battle and other races to watch in Florida, Wyoming and Alaska.

Election interference: U.S. intelligence agencies confirmed that Iran hacked Donald Trumps campaign and tried to hack Joe Bidens earlier this year.

Santos scandal: George Santos, the disgraced former congressman whose political career unraveled after he admitted having fabricated key elements of his background, pleaded guilty to a pair of felony fraud charges.

Want more politics news? Sign up for From the Politics Desk to get exclusive reporting and analysis delivered to your inbox every weekday evening. Subscribe here.

Staff Pick: A new era of power lesbian fashion

Kristen Stewart, Janelle Monae, and Reneee Rapp.

From Kristen Stewart's black leather blazer and garter belt combo to Janelle Monae's playful red suit plus bowtie and Renee Rapp's messy biker tuxedo look, the no-holds-barred era of Sapphic style is in full swing  and women across the sexuality spectrum are adopting the look. We spoke with a queer style aficionado, a fashion historian and a media scholar about this new era of power dressing that fuses sartorial looks, plays with gender and shuns the male gaze.  Brooke Sopelsa, NBC OUT editorial director

In Case You Missed It

Rescue teams and divers continued searching today for six missing people, including a British tech magnate and a Morgan Stanley boss,after a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/yacht-sinking-sicily-bayesian-search-resumes-missing-mike-lynch-rcna167308" target="_blank"><strong>luxury superyacht sank in a storm off Sicily</strong></a> .

Two teenage suspects <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/2-charged-murder-fatal-shooting-general-hospital-actor-johnny-wactor-rcna167291?cid=eml_mrd_20240820" target="_blank"><strong>were charged with murder</strong></a> in the shooting death of General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor in Los Angeles.

<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/northeast-two-instances-1-in-1000-year-rainfall-rcna167204?cid=eml_mrd_20240820" target="_blank"><strong>Two places in the Northeast</strong></a> were hit with a 1-in-1,000 year rainfall on the same night.

The number of women <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-fewer-babies-born-2023-pregnant-women-missed-prenatal-care-rcna167149?cid=eml_mrd_20240820" target="_blank"><strong>going through pregnancy without prenatal care</strong></a> is growing, even as the overall number of babies born in the U.S. is falling, a new CDC report says.

Phil Donahue, the talk show pioneer whose hosting style became an industry standard, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/obituaries/phil-donahue-talk-show-host-pioneer-dies-rcna129601?cid=eml_mrd_20240820" target="_blank"><strong>has died at the age of 88</strong></a> .

NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

Nothing can kill a road trip like getting car sick. NBC Selects editors spoke to doctors about at-home and over-the-counter motion sickness remedies that really work. Plus, dont miss this weeks roundup of the best sales.

Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.

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HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT)  If youre buying or selling a house, the rules have changed. Its all part of the settlement of a lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors that complained of long held practices driving up commissions and harming sellers.

The NAR admitted no wrongdoing, but the $418 million settlement ushered in big changed this weekend.

Shelley Kirk sits down with Region One Director for Kentucky Realtors, Christie Moore, to discuss upcoming changes with the NAR.

She askes Moore all about the biggest changes in commission, what this could mean for first time home buyers and what advice she has to share for both buyers and sellers.

See the full interview in the video player above.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW).
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)  Bishop Talbert Swan of the Spring of Hope Church of God in Christ has been chosen to lead a new initiative that will help to get people out and voting for the upcoming election. It is movement that could be important for the community.

The initiative is being spearheaded by the Church of God in Christ and it is called, COGIC Counts: Getting Souls to the Polls. This is part of an effort to ensure maximum participation of constituents across the nation and make sure people go out and vote in the presidential election.

Getting Souls to the Polls is all about encouraging voter registration, education and mobilization so that people are aware of early and absentee voting, so that their voices can be heard.

Bishop Talbert Swan says they will also be traveling to places like Michigan, Texas, Florida and Georgia, We are doing what we call, COGIC Counts Weekend where our congregations cross the nation. We will focus on voter participation September 20th through the 22nd. In places where it is permissible, they will be taking their members down to the polls to do Souls to the Polls on that Sunday the 22nd.

Push to the polls week is October 21st through the 26th. Each night there will be an online forum to meet with constituents and push the importance of voting.

Swan says this is all about getting their 6.5 million constituency out to vote.

Kiara Smith is a reporter who has been a part of the 22News team since March 2023. Follow Kiara on X @KiaraBSmith1 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.


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Since becoming the Democratic Partys presumptive nominees, Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, have been holding campaign events in swing states across the country, gearing up for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which started yesterday and runs through August 22nd.

In photographs and video footage from nearly every rally stop, one can see Black women, clad in pink and green, standing in the coveted section behind the podium. These women are members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, an organization Harris joined in the 1980s while an undergraduate at Howard University. Harris is, perhaps, the most prominent member of the sorority, but its members also include the recently deceased congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Althea Gibson, Toni Morrison, Wanda Sykes, and a host of honorary members, including Judge Constance Baker Motley, Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Alicia Keys, Tracee Ellis Ross, and first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

Harris is not the only member of a Black Greek letter organization running for president this cycle. Independent candidate Cornel West and his running mate, Melina Abdullah, are members of Alpha Phi Alpha and Alpha Kappa Alpha, respectively. When Harris launched her first bid for president, in 2019, many members of the mainstream media knew virtually nothing about African-American sororities and fraternities. Now that Harris has all but clinched her partys nomination, Alpha Kappa Alpha and the eight other sororities and fraternities that comprise the National Pan-Hellenic Council, known as the Divine 9, have taken center stage in the political discourse.

Anadolu - Getty Images

The reality is that the Divine 9 have been involved in the electoral process since the early 20th century, though most of their political work has gone unnoticed outside the Black community or inside certain political circles. Any national attention the groups do receive typically comes during election cycles, when key social welfare issues that impact the Black community have the power to sway the result of the election. In recent years, think Bill Clintons 1992 election and Barack Obamas two presidential bids, in particular his first run in 2008.

Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded in Howard Universitys Miner Hall on January 15, 1908, by Ethel Hedgemon Lyle and eight other undergraduate women. There was no such sororal order for Black collegiate women at the time, and only one for Black men: Alpha Phi Alpha, which was founded at Cornell University in 1906. Over the next few decades, three other sororitiesDelta Sigma Theta (1913), Zeta Phi Beta (1920), and Sigma Gamma Rho (1922)and four other fraternitiesKappa Alpha Psi (1911), Omega Psi Phi (1911), Phi Beta Sigma (1914), and Iota Phi Theta (1963)were founded, each with its own motto, symbols, and colors. Fueled in part by the Great Migration, chapters of these Black Greek letter organizations proliferated on both historically Black and predominantly white campuses, and there are alumni chapters in major cities across the country. Today there are more than 2 million members of the Divine 9 in chapters around the world; 360,000 of them are members of Alpha Kappa Alpha.

Social media offers a glimpse into the vibrant life of undergraduate Alpha Kappa Alpha chapters. Dazzling step shows, stroll competitions, scholarship pageants, and glossy videos announcing the chapters new initiates. And also their serious commitment to campus event programming. Howards Alpha chapter, which accepts anywhere from 50 to 100 new initiates a year, regularly hosts events on health and wellness and environmentalism. Spelman Colleges Mu Pi chapterwhere Zahara Jolie (daughter of Angelina Jolie) was initiated last Novemberis known for its social justice oriented events on issues such as reproductive rights and Black girls confronting the school to prison pipeline. Most chapters coordinate robust voter registration initiatives.

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I joined Alpha Kappa AlphaTau chapterin spring 2001, while an undergraduate at Indiana UniversityBloomington. My family has strong generational ties to the Divine 9; with seven of the nine organizations represented. I wanted to continue the legacy. I also loved the fact that many of the thinkers I respected were also part of the Divine 9: W.E.B. DuBois, Louise Thompson Patterson, Zora Neale Hurston, Bayard Rustin, Gloria Richardson, and Shirley Chisholmthe first Black person to seek the presidential nomination from a major political party. I admired that these organizations had been incubators for differing, and even contradictory, strains of Black political thought and social action.

The Washington Post - Getty Images

Black people actually had a vision of what they wanted through the structure of fraternalism, Alpha Phi Alpha member Lawrence Ross, author of The Divine Nine: The History of Black Fraternities and Sororities and a partner at the Metaphor Club in Los Angeles told me in a recent Zoom interview. In order for Black social fraternities to really have a reason for existing, they have to be connected to moving the community forward. The Divine 9s founders were largely children of the Black middle class, since most poor and working-class African Americans did not have access to a college education in the early 20th century. There was an expectation that these early organizers would reproduce the rules and customs of their social class, but members quickly realized they also needed to cultivate a social justice element in their organizations to address the urgent needs of the Black community living under the brutal Jim Crow regime.

Alpha Kappa Alpha and the larger Divine 9 became training grounds for civic- and justice-minded student leaders. In the 1920s student members agitated for full enfranchisement, the passage of anti-lynching legislation, and comprehensive education for black children. National programming initiatives within and across Divine 9 organizations were amplified during the Depression, and they provided social services for Black populations that New Deal programs neglected. In 1935 Alpha Kappa Alpha launched its Mississippi Health Project to provide health services to impoverished people living in the belly of Southern racial terror. The sorority extended its work in 1938, creating a nonpartisan council that lobbied on Capitol Hill for civil and democratic rights. Some Divine 9 members even organized informally as a Black cabinet for presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, hoping to influence federal policies on race relations.

After World War II,  Help Week  initiatives replaced the notorious Hell Week practices that had become synonymous with Greek life on American college campuses. Help Weeks enabled Divine 9 chapters to implement their various national programming initiatives through service-oriented events and fundraisers that appealed to young people and promoted mutual aid and political engagement. This shift in focus also coincided with the emergence of a more class-stratified membership across organizations, as more working-class African-Americans gained access to a college education. And with this heterogeneous membership came an even greater range of political ideas and strategies, fueling the student sit-in movement, Freedom Rides, and the Freedom Summer voter registration project during the Civil Rights Movement.

At the national level, Divine 9 organizations collaborated to amplify voter registration drives in swing states and supported campaigns led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a member of Alpha Phi Alpha. They also established the American Council on Human Rightsan outgrowth of Alpha Kappa Alphas nonpartisan councilwhich was instrumental in getting the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed.

Although Divine 9 members have often united around similar goals, they have never operated as a monolith. Some members, such as Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton, a member of Phi Beta Sigma, endorsed a more revolutionary route to freedom. Others demonstrated that one could be Greek without adopting the bourgeois elitism some felt the organizations reproduced. Many leftist Divine 9 members believed that working within a two-party political system would never free Black Americans from the shackles of capitalism and white supremacy. Some focused on radical grassroots organizingbeyond the purview of the Divine 9. Others ultimately disassociated themselves altogether from the organizations.

Organizers who were also members of the Divine 9 have been active during the antiVietnam War movement, the anti-apartheid movement of the 1980s and 90s, the Black Lives Matter movement of the 2010s, and the protests against the war in Gaza earlier this year.

That connectionbetween what we saw in the 1920s forward to where we are todayof young people standing up, thats what makes the long arc of history of these organizations so crucial, Alpha Kappa Alpha member Khalilah Brown-Dean, the Rosenthal Professor of Civic Engagement and executive director of the Albritton Center at Wesleyan University, told me during a phone interview.

Brandon Bell - Getty Images

Ross concurs. It doesnt mean the Divine 9 is perfect, but we know what we can do. This election cycle is going to be a testament to that. Divine 9 organizations cannot endorse political candidates due to their 501(c)(7) tax status. In July, however, the Divine 9 Council of Presidents released a statement on social media, declaring that the groups would meet this critical moment in history with an unprecedented voter registration, education, and mobilization coordinated campaign that builds upon our shared legacies of social action and service to our communities.

Black Greek letter organizations are a powerful constituency that no candidate can afford to ignore, in large part because of the political diversity they represent and their ties to a broad swath of the African-American community. Theres a concentration of power within Divine 9 organizations in the South, where a large African-American contingent still lives and where the majority of HBCUs are located. Alpha Kappa Alpha has 427 chapters in states it designates as the South. These states are critical in every election. Theres a natural connection between the programmatic priorities of [the Divine 9] and the politics at stake in this election, says Brown-Dean.



Savvy candidates understand they must work to earn Divine 9 votes. Black women in these organizations drive political change. This past July, Vice President Harris gave speeches at the 71st Alpha Kappa Alpha Boule , Zeta Phi Beta s national convention, and Sigma Gamma Rho s Biennial Boule. She also spent time last week on Howards campus, welcoming incoming students. I keep laughing at the GOP, because Im like Yall have no idea what happens when you get motivated Black women to do stuff, says Ross. However, no candidateeven one who is a member of the Divine 9should consider them a monolithic voting bloc. Every vote must be earned. Just as we challenge each other, we should be challenging people who want our sacred vote, Brown-Dean says.

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People listens as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks on the north steps of the State Capitol to supporters at a Texas Public Policy Foundation Parent Empowerment rally, Tuesday, March 21, 2023 in Austin, Texas Abbott and his supporters are pushing to have a voucher system, also known as school choice. | Ricardo B. Brazziell

The presidential campaigns for President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump understand the importance of courting Black voters this election cycle.

National and swing state polling indicates the two candidates are running neck-and-neck. Although Black voters have historically favored the Democratic Party, including in the last presidential election, when Biden earned 92% support from this demographic, a shift is underway. A Pew Research study conducted when President Joe Biden was still at the top of the Democratic ticket, found some Black voters, especially younger ones, were shifting to the Republican Party.

Since the Democratic Party ushered in Harris only a few weeks ago, making it official this week at the national convention in Chicago, its unclear if she will change Black voters preferences. So, who will win Black voters this year?

Black voters strongly support school choice

Rev. Joshua C. Robertson from Rock Church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal, wrote that the Black community wants education freedom for their children. Robertson, the founder and CEO of Black Pastors United for Education, was referring to policy adopted in several states that allows parents to pick the educational institution right for their child. A July poll from the Freedom Coalition for Charter Schools found parents of color strongly support school choice.

Over 70% of Black and Hispanic voters have said for many years that they support having more options and not being consigned to schools based on your residential address, said Erika Sanzi, the outreach director at Parents Defending Education. She said that the lowest amount of support for this policy comes from progressives, who also happen to be white.

But what has happened over the years is that even though the Black and Hispanic communities felt this way about school choice, they were still very loyal to the Democratic Party, Sanzi added.

Trump advocated for school choice during his 2016 presidential campaign  calling it the new civil rights issue of our time  and promised to expand access to different schooling options. He lived up to his word in 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when he issued a temporary executive order that allowed states to repurpose federal funds and allot it to low-income families without access to in-person schooling, as USA Today reported at the time.

Parents had the opportunity to use these emergency learning scholarships for homeschooling, tutoring or other education services.

Trumps move remains popular, especially post-pandemic, when learning loss, shaped by COVID-19 lockdowns and remote schooling, remains a top concern for parents.

Trumps 10-part education policy is laid out in his Agenda47, which includes creating universal school choice and restoring parental rights. Trumps running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, is in lock-step with him on this policy.

Why Harris and Walz dont endorse school of choice

Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, oppose school vouchers, arguing state funds should be directed to enhancing the existing public school system, instead of creating alternative options like charter schools.

Harris has time and again aligned with teachers unions, which are also against school choice policies. Harris supported a teachers strike in 2019 and backed raising teachers pay, as The New York Times reported.

Anthony J. de Nicola, the chairman of Invest in Education Coalition, said the 2024 Democratic ticket is bankrolled by teachers unions, which is why they are willing to prioritize special interests over parents and their children.

Walz has routinely criticized school choice, calling in a scheme on a podcast appearance in 2023.

Whenever you come up with one of these schemes  and thats exactly what they are  to transfer wealth to folks on the backs of these students, we already know that were going to underfund public schools that are already underfunded. And we know that about 70% of those students that are going to receive those vouchers or whatever theyre calling them are already attending those schools, he said.

What we end up doing is subsidizing folks who are already attending private, religious schools, whatever it may be, or homeschooling, and it leaves our teachers in the short, Walz said.

In his op-ed, Robertson said the Minnesota governor didnt work with the state legislature to pass education savings accounts (ESAs) or vouchers, because Walz doesnt want to defund our public schools.

This is a gross misinterpretation of ESAs and vouchers. Black families dont want to harm our public schools financially. We want properly funded public schools and education freedom at the same time. Its possible if our leaders dont play politics, the pastor added.

This presidential election is tremendously important to Black Americans, Robertson said. We need to elect leaders who have the compassion, as well as the courage, to enact the wishes of the people.
Black women around the nation are ecstatic about Vice President Kamala Harris presidential candidacy and have quickly begun mobilizing to make her the first woman president of the U.S.

As with former President Obama, we are prepared to carry her across the threshold to victory primarily because she is one of us.

We should back her, but our support should be accompanied by a demand that she commits to ending Israels illegal occupation, apartheid system, and genocide of the Palestinian people, which would make her the first president in U.S. history to take an objective and equitable approach toward the conflict.

More: Cast your vote to honor the struggles of those who paved the way for your rights today

Harris must outline a specific foreign policy

Black women are the Democratic Partys most loyal voting bloc; hence, we are in a very powerful position to hold Harris  and the party  accountable for U.S. complicity in this enduring human tragedy, affecting mainly women and children.

Palestinian women mourn relatives killed in Israeli bombardment as they sit by their displacement tent in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 29, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas militant group.

The images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety . We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering, and I will not be silent, she said on July 25.

But without putting forth a comprehensive foreign policy to end the genocide, her words are as empty as Obamas former campaign slogan, Yes we can.

It is very disheartening that Black women, who have a history of oppression and racial justice activism, are not holding her and the Democratic Party accountable for their role in the genocide and tyranny that has endured over seven decades.

How can we, the descendants of women who survived slavery and Jim Crow, ignore the plight of our Palestinian sisters as we fight for womens rights and democracy in the U.S.? How can we ignore the strong correlation between their and our struggles against systemic racism?

More: Stop idolizing Kamala Harris. She may be able to beat Trump, but she isn't above criticism

We cannot turn a blind eye to pregnant women in crisis

We share similar experiences of resisting repressive, racist governments and people in our struggle for human rights and self-determination. The KKK night raids of our homes are comparable to the Israeli raids of theirs. Weve both experienced mass incarceration without due process and forced to live in poor, segregated communities, walled off ghettos, and denied opportunities purely based on our non-white ethnicities.

Prior to the 1950s, Black women were forced to deliver their babies at home as they were denied access to care in Americas healthcare system. Today, Black mothers continue to report events of systemic racism, linked to their high maternal mortality rates. In contrast, prior to Oct. 7, 2023, over 40% of Palestinian women delivered their babies at home because they were denied access to hospitals by Israeli forces.

Currently, the International Rescue Committee reported in an April 2 news release that about 60,000 pregnant women in Gaza have had virtually no access to adequate prenatal health services. At least 183 women are giving birth in Gaza daily without access to midwives, doctors, or healthcare facilities during or after delivery. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are at high risk of malnutrition, preterm birth, low birth weight babies, and maternal deaths, and babies are likely to experience infant deaths, which are adverse health outcomes associated with Black mothers and babies in the U.S.

During Harris 2020 victory speech she acknowledged the significance of Black women, who are often, too often overlooked, but so often prove that they are the backbone of our democracy. I stand on their shoulders.

Getty Israel

And we stand on the shoulders of our ancestors, women who sacrificed their lives and paved the way so Black women could run for public offices. Therefore, we should defend democracy at home but dare not look away as our leaders undermine it abroad. We must remain guardians of civil rights and respectfully demand that Harris end U.S. complicity in the repression of the Palestinian people.

Getty Israel is a population health expert, author, writer, mother and CEO of Sisters in Birth midwifery clinic located in Jackson, Mississippi.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Kamala Harris wants Black women's votes? Then end Gaza suffering
Vice President Kamala Harris is introduced by International President Dr. Stacie NC Grant of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority at their Grand Boule at the Indiana Convention Center on July 24, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  As Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to give the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention Thursday, making her the first Black and South Asian woman to lead a major party ticket, her nomination has energized a strong and loyal voting bloc in the Democratic Party  Black women.

Since President Joe Biden last month bowed out of his reelection race and named Harris as his choice for the nomination, her campaign has quickly scooped up the necessary delegate votes, raked in more than $300 million and galvanized the Democratic base. Black women are playing a major role in this rapid mobilization.

Emory University political scientist Andra Gillespie said in an interview with States Newsroom that Harris is benefiting from not only an influx of cash, but also an army of volunteers.

The campaigns battleground states director, Dan Kanninen, told reporters in late July more than 360,000 volunteers have signed up to knock on doors, canvass and make phone calls.

What weve seen happen in the last couple of weeks is an influx of resources that will allow Harris to mount as effective a mobilization campaign as she can, Gillespie said.

All of this is key to mounting a competitive race, Gillespie said, especially in all-important Georgia.

In that state, Black womens work to encourage turnout and register voters was credited with turning the state blue for Biden in 2020. The victory sent two Democratic U.S. senators to Congress, solidifying a split Senate in which Harris was the tiebreaker and in which a Democratic majority confirmed numerous federal judges to lifetime appointments  as well as the first Black woman named to the Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter moved Georgia from a lean Republican ranking to toss-up after Harris entered the presidential race, noting a 1 percentage point lead over her GOP opponent, former President Donald Trump. For comparison, Biden was trailing 2.5 percentage points behind Trump in the Peach State.

Keneshia Grant, an associate professor of political science at Howard University in Washington, D.C., said that when Biden first announced he was stepping down July 21 under pressure from party leaders following his disastrous debate performance, it was not immediately clear that Harris would be next in line. It took Biden a little over 30 minutes to endorse her as his chosen successor.

In the days before Bidens announcement, South Carolinas U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn urged the party to coalesce around Harris, should Biden no longer be on the ticket. Clyburn was pivotal in delivering Black support for Biden in 2020 and remains a close Biden ally.

We should do everything we can to bolster her, whether shes in second place or at the top of the ticket, he said of Harris.

Grant said that Black women  often referred to as the backbone of the Democratic party  had signaled to top party members that passing over this Black woman in this moment would not be tolerated.

Within hours of Biden quitting the race, a Zoom call with organizers of #WinWithBlackWomen drew in more than 90,000 participants and raised more than $1.3 million to support Harris bid.

The (Democratic) Party might not have had a notion of a Black woman as president, right now, but clearly the people feel differently and felt differently, Grant said.

Influence of Divine Nine

As a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the first Black sorority, established in 1908 at Howard University, Harris has an untapped resource in the Divine Nine  Black Greek-letter organizations, made up of four sororities and five fraternities.

Deborah Elizabeth Whaley, a professor of African American studies at the University of Iowa, said that Black sororities and fraternities are more than a social group. She added that theyve been at the forefront of civil rights issues such as the womens suffrage movement and anti-lynching legislation.

The whole idea is that youre coming together in the name of service to help Black communities as well as holding up academic excellence, Whaley said.

As soon as Harris entered the race at the top of the ticket, the Divine Nine, which boasts more than 2 million members, swung into action.

One of the things that the Black sororities and (fraternities) are known for is voter registration, Whaley said.

The National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc.  the governing body of the Divine Nine  announced it would undertake a major voter turnout mobilization campaign. Because the groups are nonprofits, they cant endorse a candidate and must remain nonpartisan.

This campaign will activate the thousands of chapters and members in our respective organizations to ensure strong voter turnout in the communities we serve, the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. said in a statement.

Harriss sorority, AKA, formed its own political action committee on Aug. 9, according to ProPublicas Federal Election Commission tracker.

Whaley said shes not surprised Harris has prioritized inclusion of Black sororities, such as her visit to the Zeta Phi Beta sorority conference in Indianapolis, Indiana when she was the likely Democratic presidential nominee, in late July.

We know when we organize, mountains move, Harris said to more than 6,000 sorority sisters. When we mobilize, nations change. And when we vote, we make history.

Whaley said that Black sororities are a training ground to be of service to community, to be a leader, and to function effectively in a world where you are a member of a starkly marginalized group and you are a minority in terms of your gender.

A different tune

On Harris first visit to the campaign headquarters in Delaware, before she addressed the staff, the song she walked out to was Beyonces Freedom.

Its a song that is played during all her campaign stops and, according to CNN, Beyonce has given the campaign permission to use the 2016 song from her Grammy-nominated album, Lemonade.

Grant noted that in choosing that particular Beyonce song, it not only signals to voters that Harris at 59 is a younger candidate  compared to Trump, who is 78  but its a departure from the catchphrase coined by former first lady Michelle Obama at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, When they go low, we go high.

From the things Im seeing in the campaign and from her posture, shes not saying When you go low, I go low, but she is saying  When you go low, we at least call you out on it, Grant said.

The song choice is also not lost on Kinitra Brooks, an associate professor and the Audrey and John Leslie Endowed Chair in Literary Studies in the Department of English at Michigan State University.

Brooks, who co-edited a collection of essays on Beyonces Lemonade, said that the song is about more than breaking chains, but the cost of freedom.

It takes hard work to achieve freedom, but also to maintain it, she said. I think that leads to the conversations that were having about the rollback of rights.

As Harris has set out on a rapid-fire campaign tour in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania, she has positioned her campaign as a fight for the future, and has accused the Trump campaign of focusing on the past.

Across our nation, we have been witnessing a full-on assault on hard-won, hard-fought freedoms and fundamental rights, Harris said at an Aug. 10 campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada. We are not going back.

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ROARING SPRING, Pa. (WTAJ)  The Roaring Spring Community Library is looking to help students with clothing for the back-to-school season.

The library is hosting a clothing drive and asking for donations of clean slightly used or new clothes for their school giveaway.

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We need clothes. Whether it be jeans, pants, shirts from infant up to adult sizes for the back to school. School supplies as well and shoes, Ellie Smiley, Volunteer Coordinator at the library said.

The library will be accepting donations through the end of August. You can drop off any items at the library Monday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

We have so many people in our community and as well outside of our community are in such need for clothes because the clothes are so expensive and they cant afford them to buy them, Smiley said.

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The clothes will be given away on Sept. 14 at the Trinity United Methodist Church in Roaring Spring.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTAJ - www.wtaj.com.
LUSAKA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The entry of the fourth mobile phone service operator into the Zambian market marks a significant development in the country's telecommunications sector, the country's competition body said on Monday.

Commenting on the launch of operations by Zed Mobile which has invested 400 million U.S. dollars, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) said the entry of the fourth mobile service operator will enhance the competitive landscape and benefit consumers.

"For many years, the commission has advocated for increased competition within the mobile network sector, recognizing the positive impact this would have on consumer choice, service quality, and pricing of products and services," Brian Lingela, the CCPC's executive director, said in a statement.

The entry of the fourth operator would lead to increased consumer choice, product innovation, competitive pricing and enhanced consumer experience, he said, expressing confidence that the new operator will stimulate further investments in telecommunications infrastructure, especially in underserved and rural areas.

The commission would go a long way in bridging the digital divide and ensuring that more citizens have access to reliable and affordable mobile services in line with the country's information and technology policy, said Lingela.

South Africa's MTN, India's Bharti Airtel and state-owned Zamtel are the other mobile operators offering voice services in Zambia. 
Delegates attending the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Ill., face significant delays entering the United Center on Aug. 19, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Former Michigan Gov. Jim Blanchard said Monday that Chicago appeared to be not ready to host the Democratic National Convention (DNC), as attendees faced significant delays entering the United Center for the first night of programming.

President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Michigan Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak), UAW President Shawn Fain and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) all spoke. And Vice President Kamala Harris surprised attendees by giving opening day remarks and joining Biden and first lady Jill Biden on stage following his emotional remarks.

Shuttles were ordered around 5 p.m. CT not to allow any passengers to exit the vehicles as they came to an almost complete standstill for nearly an hour, with a line of buses stretching at least a mile.

The delays were first caused by a large group of protestors near the checkpoint where vehicles pass through security, leading Secret Service to close the gates and not allow anyone in until they were able to move protestors from that area, an officer on one bus said.

But some passengers did manage to exit their buses  only to be met by another roadblock when they were not allowed to cross the street leading to the entrance for several minutes.

Eventually, when they did, they were met with a sea of attendees in a line that would only move a couple inches every few minutes as security checked credentials at three separate points before trying to organize the massive crowd into a single-file line.

By the time he reached the security checkpoint, Blanchard said, he had waited two-and-a-half hours.

Ive never seen anything like this, Blanchard said, reflecting on his years of attending the national conventions.

Blanchard, a former congressman, served as Michigan governor from 1983 to 1991. He also was the U.S. ambassador to Canada during the Clinton administration. In July, Blanchard did an event at Michigan State University with current Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, interviewing her about her first book, True Gretch.

Delegates attending the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Ill., face significant delays entering the United Center on Aug. 19, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Michigan's delegation to the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Ill., cheers as state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, speaks about Project 2025 and former President Donald Trump's re-election bid on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

The United Center in Chicago, where the Democratic National Convention is being held. (Photo by Jacob Fischler/States Newsroom)

The North Carolina delegation at the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 19, 2024 | Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the latest round of Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi in the northern coastal city of Al-Alamein.

Blinken briefed al-Sissi on the results of his visit to Israel, stressing the US commitment to the efforts aimed to achieve calm and reach a deal in the Gaza Strip, the presidency said in a statement.

Al-Sissi warned of the "hard to imagine" consequences of expanding the conflict regionally, saying that stopping the bloodshed should be the main driver for all parties.

The president also said a ceasefire in Gaza should be the beginning of wider international recognition of the Palestinian state and the implementation of the two-state solution, adding that it would be the main guarantee for stability in the region.

Blinken was in Israel on Monday and is expected to head to Qatar following his Egypt meetings.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken gives a press conference. Sina Schuldt/dpa
By Humeyra Pamuk

DOHA (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought during a whirlwind trip to the Middle East to inject urgency into efforts to broker a Gaza ceasefire deal, but departed the region on Tuesday with an agreement between Israel and Hamas still elusive.

Blinken and mediators from Egypt and Qatar have pinned their hopes on a U.S. "bridging proposal" aimed at narrowing the gaps between the two sides in the 10-month-old war, after negotiations last week paused without a breakthrough.

The deal "needs to get done, and it needs to get done in the days ahead, and we will do everything possible to get it across the finish line," Blinken told reporters in Doha before departing for Washington.

A senior Biden administration official travelling with Blinken said the U.S. expects the ceasefire talks to continue this week.

Blinken travelled to Egypt for talks on Tuesday with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and then to Qatar.

After meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, Blinken said Israel had accepted the proposal and urged Hamas to do the same. The Palestinian group has not explicitly rejected it, but says it overturns previously agreed terms.

Blinken was asked in Qatar about Israeli troop withdrawal terms within the ceasefire framework and about an Axios report that quoted Netanyahu as saying he may have convinced Blinken that Israel should keep troops in the Philadelphi Corridor between Egypt and Gaza.

"The United States does not accept any long-term occupation of Gaza by Israel," Blinken said. "More specifically, the agreement is very clear on the schedule and the locations of (Israel Defense Forces) withdrawals from Gaza, and Israel has agreed to that. So that's as much as I know. That's what I'm very clear about."

Blinken did not comment directly on the Axios report, a post on social media site X. Netanyahu's office did not respond to a request for comment.

Both Hamas and Egypt oppose Israel keeping troops in the Philadelphi Corridor, but Netanyahu has insisted they are needed to stop weapons being smuggled into Gaza. A senior U.S. official disputed the Axios report earlier on Tuesday.

Egyptian security sources said the U.S. has proposed an international presence in the Philadelphi Corridor area, a suggestion the sources said could be acceptable to Cairo if limited to a maximum of six months.

"The ceasefire in Gaza must be the beginning of broader international recognition of the Palestinian state and the implementation of the two-state solution, as this is the basic guarantor of stability in the region," Sisi said after meeting Blinken.

'LAST OPPORTUNITY'

At stake in the talks is the fate of tiny, crowded Gaza, where Israel's military campaign has killed more than 40,000 people since October according to Palestinian health authorities, and of the remaining hostages being held there.

The war in Gaza began on Oct. 7, when Hamas gunmen stormed into Israeli communities and military bases, killing around 1,200 people and abducting about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Blinken has called the latest push for a deal "probably the best, possibly the last opportunity", and said his meeting with Netanyahu was constructive. He said it was incumbent on Hamas to accept the bridging proposal.

Asked about Blinken's comment, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters: Blinken is insisting on not quitting the sphere of lies, and that is one of the reasons for the failure of efforts to reach an agreement.

Qatar's foreign minister told Blinken his country is committed to its role as a mediator in the ceasefire talks, along with Egypt and the U.S.

In a phone call, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stressed to Blinken the importance of consolidating regional and international efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire and a hostage-prisoner swap deal, Qatar's foreign ministry said.

Both men underscored that the bridging proposal presented by negotiators addressed the remaining gaps in a manner that allows for swift implementation of the deal, U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel in a statement.

Officials from the U.S, Hamas, Israel, Egypt and Qatar have not spelled out what is in the proposal or how it differs from previous versions.

Hamas accuses Israel of obstructing an agreement with new demands and says the group remains committed to terms it agreed with mediators in July based on a proposal made by the U.S. in May. Netanyahu denies obstructing a deal.

Months of on-off talks have circled the same issues, with Israel saying the war can only end with the destruction of Hamas as a military and political force and Hamas saying it will only accept a permanent, not temporary, ceasefire.

The U.S. official said even if Hamas were to agree on the bridging proposal immediately, there would have to be additional conversations to iron out details on implementation of the deal.

HOSTAGES RECOVERED

On Tuesday, Israel's military said it had recovered the bodies of six hostages from southern Gaza. According to Israeli authorities, 109 hostages now remain in the Palestinian territory, around a third of them believed to be dead.

In Gaza, Israeli forces battled Hamas-led militants in central and southern areas on Tuesday, and Palestinian health authorities said at least 39 people had been killed in Israeli strikes, including on a school housing displaced people.

Israel's military said it had struck Hamas militants embedded in the school.

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk in Doha, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Enas Alashray in Cairo, Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem; Writing by Angus McDowall and Rami Ayyub; Editing by Alex Richardson, Giles Elgood, Cynthia Osterman, David Gregorio and Lincoln Feast.)
Blinken says Israel has agreed to Gaza withdrawal terms in bridging proposal, despite reported comments from Netanyahu

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that despite reported comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel has agreed to withdrawals of IDF forces from Gaza that are laid out in the recent mediators proposal to get closer to a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

The agreement is very clear on the schedule and the locations of IDF withdrawals from Gaza, and Israel has agreed to that, said Blinken in remarks to reporters before departing Qatar.

Blinken was responding to Israeli media reports that Netanyahu told a group of families of terror victims and hostages that he conveyed to Blinken that Israel will not leave the Philadelphi corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border and the Netzarim corridor, which bisects Gaza, regardless of the pressure to do so. They are strategic military and political assets, Netanyahu added, according to the reports.

Blinken and other US officials have declined to detail the proposal the US laid out last week. The ceasefire deal is structured in three phases and would eventually include the full withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza. But Israeli officials have repeatedly insisted that a solution must be found to better control the Egypt-Gaza border, which has long been used for smuggling.

The location of troops in the Philadelphi corridor and the question of whether Palestinians will be able to able to return home in the north have been two of the biggest hurdles in the ceasefire negotiations. Hamas has insisted that the IDF withdraw fully from Gaza and that citizens must be allowed to return home.

Blinken said that Netanyahu told him directly in their meeting that Israel agreed to the bridging proposal and thus the detailed plan for withdrawal.

A US senior administration official strongly pushed back on Netanyahus comments about not withdrawing, calling them maximalist statements that are not constructive to getting a ceasefire deal across the finish line.

Blinken was speaking in Qatar at the end of a short trip to the region as the US makes what it hopes is a final push for all sides to agree to ceasefire agreement that would halt the fighting in Gaza and free the Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

The top US diplomat said Monday in Israel that the onus was now on Hamas to also agree to the latest proposal to bridge the outstanding issues.

Following top-level meetings in Doha last week, follow on negotiations meant to hammer out the final details of a potential agreement between Hamas and Israel have continued with experts from the different sides. The senior negotiators, including CIA Director Bill Burns, are expected to re-convene in Cairo later in the week or over the weekend.

Even as US officials stress the urgency of the need for an agreement, they have begun to downplay the prospects of a full-fledged agreement being reached quickly.

On Tuesday, the top US diplomat noted that even if the bridging agreement is agreed by Hamas and Israel, we also have to complete the detailed implementation agreements that go along with putting the ceasefire into effect and urged flexibility.

Once Hamas agrees to the proposal, Blinken said, it will be very important that everyone do whats necessary to bring the flexibility to the table to make sure that we can get the implementation agreed.

Blinken referred back to the so-called Tokyo Principles that state the US will not accept any long-term occupation of Gaza by Israel.

Blinken wrapped his trip the region on Tuesday with stops in Egypt and Qatar. A senior administration official said he had very productive meetings with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, and intel chief Abbas Kamel. Blinken was slated to meet with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani in Doha Tuesday night, but the meeting was canceled. A US official said the Qatari leader was unwell. The top US diplomat instead met with Minister of State Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi. On Monday, Blinken met in Israel with Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and President Isaac Herzog.

On Tuesday, Hamas released a statement criticizing both the top US diplomat and President Joe Biden as being misleading about the groups position on a ceasefire agreement. The statement also asserted that mediators in Egypt and Qatar know that (Hamas) dealt positively and responsibly in all previous rounds of negotiations, and again blamed Netanyahu for obstruction.

A senior administration official on Tuesday suggested that Hamas has not sent a formal response to the bridging proposal, noting that Egypt wants to see a response from the group as soon as possible.

The official also stressed that even if both sides agree to the bridging proposal, there will still need to be additional conversations on specific details and technical and implementation commitments.

We fully expect as the conversations will continue, part of the next step if Hamas were to also accept this bridging proposal, is that discussions will continue on some of the more the more technical details, they said.

Still, there is a fierce urgency of now, Blinken said Monday, noting that intervening events come along that may make things even more difficult, if not impossible.

This is probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security, Blinken said in remarks earlier Monday.

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(Bloomberg) -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken left the Middle East late Tuesday with Hamas and Israel still divided over an American proposal to pause, if not permanently end, the war in Gaza.

Most Read from Bloomberg

After a day spent meeting with Egyptian and Qatari officials, Blinken reiterated that Israel had agreed to what the top US diplomat called a bridging agreement that would create space for the two sides to hammer out the details of a cease-fire introduced by President Joe Biden in May. Now its Hamass turn, he said.

Listen to the Heres Why podcast on Apple, Spotify or anywhere you listen.

Hamas pushed back against the idea it was the one stalling the talks and said it wanted to reach a cease-fire. It also blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for coming up with new demands.

Time is of the essence, Blinken told reporters on the airport tarmac in Doha, minutes before beginning the trip home to the US. Israel has now accepted that proposal  I heard that directly from Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday  and we hope and expect Hamas will do the same.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Netanyahu later Wednesday, according to the White House. Biden stressed the urgency of bringing the ceasefire and hostage release deal to closure and discussed upcoming talks in Cairo to remove any remaining obstacles, according to a US statement.

It was Blinkens ninth trip to the region since the conflict began with Hamass Oct. 7 attack on Israel, and the result was just the same: Israel and Hamas unable to set aside their disagreements to halt the fighting. Stymied in the push for an enduring cease-fire, Blinken had come to the region this week with the more modest proposal aimed at building common ground and easing the violence.

One stumbling block Blinken and other mediators have been unable to overcome is that Hamas wants any cease-fire to amount to a permanent end to the war, while Netanyahu wants to be able to restart the conflict to achieve his countrys aim of destroying the groups military and governing capabilities.

There are also rising tensions over Israel wanting to keep troops stationed along the strategic Philadelphi corridor, the southern portion of Gaza that runs along the border with Egypt, to prevent arms smuggling from the Arab nation.

The first thing is to eliminate Hamas and achieve victory, Netanyahu said Tuesday. The second thing is that we are, at the same time, making an effort to return the hostages, on terms that will allow for the maximum number of hostages being released in the first stage of the deal.

He said Israel must preserve its strategic security assets, mentioning its seizure of the Philadelphi corridor and the Rafah border crossing with Egypt earlier in the war. That comment drew a rebuke from a senior State Department official, who told reporters traveling with Blinken that maximalist statements from the Israeli leader arent constructive.

The official asked not to be identified discussing private assessments of the Israel stance. But the US view underscored how the Biden administration continues to remain frustrated with Israel even as officials such as Blinken continue to insist Netanyahus government is on board with their plans.

Officials are still planning to proceed with the new round of talks on a cease-fire set for Cairo later this week, though no precise day has been set. Officials said a round of talks last week had the sides on the cusp of an agreement.

Looming in the background is the threat of an attack from Iran, which has sworn to retaliate against Israel for the assassination of senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran late last month. Israel has declined to take responsibility for the attack.

Blinkens trip had been seen in part as a US effort to delay or deter an Iranian attack. On Tuesday, one government official suggested any retaliation would not be rushed.

Time is on our side and its possible that the waiting period for this response will be long, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesman said to Iranian state TV on Tuesday. Israel must await calculated and precise strikes at the appropriate time.

The Israel-Hamas war erupted when Hamas fighters swarmed into southern Israel from Gaza, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostage. Israels subsequent air and ground assault on Gaza has killed more than 40,000 people, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run territory. Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the US and European Union.

Read this next: How Will Gaza be Rebuilt After Israel-Hamas WarAnd Who Pays?

(Updates with US-Israel call in the fifth paragraph)

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TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) A new breakfast and lunch location will be moving into town soon at the former Millions Crab restaurant location on the south side of Terre Haute.

The previous owner of many of the King Gyros locations, for around 35 years in Indiana, has decided to bring his newest venture to Terre Haute. Blueberry Hill Pancake House has been confirmed by area planning to be moving into the old location in front of Kohls. The new owner, Evangelo Tourloukis, said that the restaurant has 180 seats and will be open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. when they open, serving both breakfast and lunch options. Tourloukis said if everything goes well they are looking at an opening during the first week of October and will be hiring a staff of around 30 people.

Tourloukis now owns and operates five Blueberry Hill Pancake House locations in the state. The Greek-born restauranteur came to the U.S. when he was 15 years old and has made a career out of the restaurant business. He had originally eyed this location when it was Chilis but said at the time that costs were too high. Now hes excited to give the new spot a chance.

I do like the location, I have a confidence for it, Tourloukis said. The town is good, its just if I get the right people, I think we are going to be very good.

Mock up of the new location

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BMW is recalling 720,796 vehicles over short-circuit concerns, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Tuesday.

The agency said the X1, X3, X5 and other models are included in the recall triggered by an improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump that, when exposed to water, could short-circuit.

Blowby-liquid from the positive crankcase ventilation system may collect on the intake air hose. If this occurs, then this liquid could drip onto the plug connector, the agency said. Over time, this could lead to fluid ingress into the plug and the possibility of a short circuit.

In rare cases, a fire could occur, according to the NHTSA.

The agency said the German manufacturer was aware of approximately 18 customer complaints, concerns, and/or field instances of the flaw in the U.S. market.

Both plug connectors and water pumps will be examined and swapped if needed. A shield will be installed to divert any fluid that might drop down onto the pump from the positive crankcase ventilation systems intake air house.

BMW owners of affected vehicles are to be notified regarding the recall in early October. The owners will directed to take their vehicles to an authorized BMW center to have the remedy performed for free of charge.

BMW had to recall more than 1.3 million vehicles in China last week that may have Takata airbag inflators. A similar recall occurred in the U.S. last month.

Earlier in August, the German automaker had to recall more than 100,000 vehicles due to a motor defect that could result in overheating or, in rare instances, cause a fire.

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The owner of a San Fernando Valley property dubbed a hoarder house and junkyard by neighbors was denied her appeal stemming from recent inspections.

Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety board members voted unanimously Tuesday morning against the appeal brought by Mary Ferrera, the owner of the Sun Valley parcel, who did not even show up for the meeting.

According to neighbors, Ferreras son, David Ferrera, has been living on the property while storing trash, old vehicles and even hazardous materials; however, the city has done almost nothing about cleaning up the property.

This is a project that has been going on for five years. This has been known to the residents and to the city for five years, Scott, an area resident, said before the LADBS board met Tuesday.

Even more dangerous, the property lies along a fire road that has Scott and other residents concerned that the junk would block firefighters from accessing the area in the event of a wildfire.

Armed law enforcement enters a property described as a junkyard in Sun Valley on July 17, 2024. (KTLA)

Armed law enforcement enters a property described as a junkyard in Sun Valley on July 17, 2024. (KTLA)

Armed law enforcement enters a property described as a junkyard in Sun Valley on July 17, 2024. (KTLA)

A family in Sun Valley is feeling trapped by a neighbors sprawling and constantly growing junk collection as seen on July 8, 2024. (KTLA)

A family in Sun Valley is feeling trapped by a neighbors sprawling and constantly growing junk collection as seen on July 8, 2024. (KTLA)

A family in Sun Valley is feeling trapped by a neighbors sprawling and constantly growing junk collection as seen on July 8, 2024. (KTLA)

Sky5 was overhead last month when firefighters, armed officers and city personnel inspected the six-acre parcel located off La Tuna Canyon Road on July 8.

Scott told KTLA Tuesday morning that the appeal was over the owners claims that LADBS has not addressed her correctly and the case, including any violations that need to be corrected, should be postponed until they do.

I see that as part of the continuance of an attempt to just kick this can down the road and draw this out as long as possible, Scott said.

At one point during the yearslong battle, owner Mary Ferrera was arrested over the issue and then let go.

When the city attorney actually brought this against Mary Ferrera, I was there when they actually arrested her and put her in jail because she was lying and trying to draw this out as long as possible, Scott said.

A representative for City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was at the meeting to request that the board deny the appeal, which it did rather quickly.

That they could not see for themselves the destruction of their property is just unbelievable, LADBS Commissioner Javier Nunez said.

The big question neighbors still want answered, though, is what happens next.

Unfortunately, this has been a pattern. Im not really hearing anything, Elena Malone said after the hearing. I dont know whats next. I would like to know whats next. I would love to work with the office and help in any way I can to clean it up for the community, right? But at this point, theres no teeth. Theres no action, she said.

KTLA 5 News reached Mary Ferrera via text message on Tuesday. She said she understands that her property needs to be cleaned up and is sorry for the trauma it seems to have caused her neighbors.

Mary also claims she has tried many, many times to clean up the property, only to have her work undone by her sons hoarding disorder, which has him bringing things back in, she said.

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DES MOINES, Iowa  Des Moines police and fire crews were called out to rescue multiple people from the Des Moines River Monday night after a boat capsized.

Crews were dispatched to an area of the river near the Botanical Center around 10:30 p.m. Emergency services dispatchers reported an officer on the scene said they saw several people in the water and one on top of the boat as it floated toward the interstate.

Iowa woman dies after SUV and semi collide in Webster County

The Des Moines Fire Department said seven people were in the boat when it capsized. One person was able to get to shore on their own. The other six were able to hold onto a rope thrown by Des Moines police officers, from the I-235 bridge over the river, until DMFD rescue boats arrived to pull them from the water.

Sgt. Paul Parizek of the Des Moines Police Department said none of the people who were rescued had to be transported to the hospital for medical treatment.

Were still waiting to learn what caused the boat to capsize.

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Members of the IRGC. World leaders are braced for a potential Iranian strike on Israel - Getty Images Europe

Iran could take a long time before retaliating against Israel, a spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said.

Time is on our side, and the waiting period for a response may be long, Ali Mohammad Naini told a press conference on Tuesday.

For now, the Zionists must live in a state of uncertainty, knowing that Irans response may not resemble past operations, he added.

Commanders from the IRGC, the hard-line force set up to protect Irans 1979 Islamic revolution, possess the experience and skill to punish the enemy effectively and are not inclined toward rash actions, Mr Nani added.

World leaders have been braced for weeks for a potential Iranian strike on Israel that could pitch the region into all-out war.

Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, continued his tour of the Middle East on Tuesday in an effort to finalise a Gaza ceasefire deal that could avert conflict.

Iranian sources have tied the regimes retaliation over the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas chief, in Tehran on July 31 to the negotiations.

On Monday, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, said he backed a US bridging proposal to close remaining gaps with Hamas.

The next step is for Hamas to say yes, Mr Blinken said, as he visited Cairo, the Egyptian capital.

But Hamas called the latest proposal a reversal of what it had agreed to and accused the US of incorporating new conditions from Israel. There was no immediate US response.

Antony Blinken meets with Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem - EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

According to the news website Axios, Mr Netanyahu was told by his negotiators that if he gave them a bit more wriggle room, they could seal an agreement. But the prime minister said no and accused the deal-makers of caving in to Hamas.

The issue of who should control the Philadelphi corridor, a buffer zone separating Gaza from Egypt, is seen as one of the main sticking points in the ceasefire talks, with Israel insisting it keep control.

Middle East Eye cited three senior Egyptians saying that Cairo has agreed to allow Israel to maintain control of the corridor in exchange for the reopening of the Rafah border crossing which will be operated by Palestinians. Israel is yet to comment on the report.

The ultimate responsibility for deciding how Iran will respond to the assassination of Haniyeh lies with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader.

Mr Khamenei warned Iranian officials last week against non-tactical retreat, saying it would lead to the wrath of God.

He accused Western powers and Israel of engaging in psychological warfare, claiming they seek to create fear by exaggerating their capabilities.

The negotiations over a deal came as Israeli forces retrieved the bodies of six hostages from Gaza, one of whom was thought to have been alive until now.

Yoram Metzger, 80, Chaim Perri, 80, Alexander Dancyg, 76, Yagev Buchstab, 35, and Nadav Popplewell, 51, had all been declared killed in captivity earlier this year. Abraham Munder, 79, was considered alive.

The six Israeli hostages whose bodies were recovered (from top left to bottom right): Nadav Popplewell, Chaim Peri, Alexander Dancyg, Yoram Metzger, Yagev Buchshtab, and Avraham Munder

The IDF said the bodies were uncovered in Khan Younis in southern Gaza by IDF and Shin Bet intelligence agency forces.

In a statement, the Hostages Families Forum said Mr Munder was captured alive and endured agonising captivity alongside his loved ones.

He should have returned home alive to his family. His murder in captivity underscores the delay in implementing the deal that could have saved his life and the lives of other hostages, the forum added.

Mati Dancyg, the son of Mr Dancyg, accused Mr Netanyahus government of choosing to abandon the hostages in order to survive.

He and all the hostages could have been brought back, he said.

Mr Netanyahu chose to sacrifice the hostages. Karma will judge him and he will pay for it, big time.

Iranians burn the Israeli flag during the funeral ceremony of Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader - Majid Saeedi

Mr Netanyahus coalition government is propped up by hard-Right ultranationalists, who have threatened to resign if he agrees to a ceasefire deal.

On Tuesday, Haaretz newspaper reported that Mr Netanyahu believes his government could survive signing a deal.

He had held numerous meetings with Belazel Smotrich, the finance minister, and Itamar Ben Gvir, the national security minister, over the prospect of a deal, the newspaper said.

Even if a deal was signed, Mr Netanyahu believed it could fall apart within weeks  as various steps are implemented  meaning Mr Smotrich and Mr Ben Gvir would remain in the coalition.

Sir Keir Starmer spoke with Mr Netanyahu by phone on Monday, issuing his condolences to the families of the dead hostages.

The two also discussed diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire and the release of the hostages, according to a read-out from No 10.

Sir Keir called for efforts to de-escalate regional tensions as the impact of miscalculation would come at great costs for all sides.

The 51-year-old British-Israeli citizen was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nirim along with Channah, his 79-year-old mother, on Oct 7.

He was declared killed in captivity in June. Channah was released as part of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in November.

On Nov 5, Hamas released a propaganda video of Mr Popplewell with a visible black eye.



Kibbutz Nirim described him as a family man of distinction and a generous friend, a lover of books and science fiction.

Mr Munder, 79, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct 7 along with Ruth, his wife, Karen, their daughter, and Ohad, his grandson.



He lived for more than 50 years in the Kibbutz, which described him as a legendary warehouse manager at the Nirlat paint factory and a beloved kibbutz member, hardworking, loyal, and a talented singer in the Eshkol choir.



Ruth, Karen and Ohad were released in a hostage deal in November last year. Abraham was captured alive and endured agonising captivity alongside his loved ones, the Kibbutz said in a statement on Tuesday.



Ohad told broadcaster Kan that all the hostages could have returned alive, even on the first day. They could have brought back grandpa and the other hostages.

I came back alive but there are hostages who were rescued but not alive, like grandpa.

The 80-year-old was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz with his wife Tami on Oct 7. She was released as part of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in November last year.

Israel declared Mr Metzger killed in captivity on June 3 this year. Along with his wife, he leaves behind three children and seven grandchildren.

Mr Metzger worked at the Nirlat paint factory and, in recent years, in the kibbutzs garage. He was also a member of the kibbutz winery.

Yoram will be remembered in all our hearts as a pleasant and smiling man who always made everyone feel instantly at home, the Kibbutz said.

Mr Peri, 80, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct 7 and declared killed in captivity on June 3.



Kibbutz Nir Oz described him as a peace activist and an entrepreneur.

He managed to save Osnat, his wife, before he was abducted.

Mr Peri served as a paratrooper in the IDF, and later declared his life to peace activism, volunteering to bring sick children from Gaza to Israel for medical treatment.

He survived under inhumane conditions in Hamas tunnels for months until he was brutally murdered in captivity, the Kibbutz said.

Mr Peri leaves behind him a wife, five children and 13 grandchildren.

Mr Dancyg, 76, was kidnapped from his bed in Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct 7. The IDF announced last month that he had been killed several months ago while in captivity.

Born in Warsaw in 1948 to two Holocaust survivors, Mr Dancyg moved to Israel with his family when he was nine.

He later became a history teacher and helped the education ministry train guides for teenagers going to Poland to learn about the Holocaust.



Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum issued a statement after his death, saying he was a scholar and an esteemed expert on Polish culture and on the complex historical relations between the two peoples.

Mr Dancygs grandchild, 22-year-old Eliya, told Haaretz that he experienced war for 20 years, not just on October 7, and he still always had hope that peace would arrive.

The 35-year-old and Rimon, his wife, were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nirim on Oct 7. Rimon was later released as part of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas but the IDF announced last month that Mr Buchstab was killed in captivity.

He studied sound design and played the flute and cello.

Rimon wrote a message to him on Facebook in March for the couples anniversary, saying: Another day will go by without you? How has it been over 100 days since I hugged you? Two months of not kissing you? Thank you for teaching me love, acceptance, the power of perfection and dedication. Thanks for keeping me together, even from afar. Thanks for not giving up  neither am I.

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By Azernews

By Zara Araz

In 2024, a notable shift in the global energy market dynamics has been marked by the Czech Republic's increase in crude oil imports from Azerbaijan. The Central European nation has become the third-largest buyer of Azerbaijani crude oil, highlighting a significant deepening of economic ties between the two countries.

Between January and July 2024, the Czech Republic imported 941,700 tons of crude oil from Azerbaijan, valued at $597.1 million. This represents a 4% increase in volume from the 906,400 tons imported in the same period last year. Additionally, the average price per ton of Azerbaijani crude oil rose by 10%, reaching $634.10, compared to $578.80 in 2023. This increase in both quantity and price underscores a growing dependency and a strengthened economic relationship.

Benefits for the Czech Republic

Diversification of Energy Sources: By increasing its imports from Azerbaijan, the Czech Republic diversifies its energy sources, reducing reliance on traditional suppliers and enhancing energy security. This strategic move helps mitigate risks associated with supply disruptions from other regions.

Stable Supply and Competitive Pricing: Azerbaijan's oil exports offer a relatively stable and predictable supply. The increase in import volume suggests that Azerbaijani crude is competitive in terms of price and quality, providing a reliable source of energy for Czech industries and consumers.

Economic Growth and Industrial Development: Access to affordable and stable oil supplies supports industrial growth and economic stability in the Czech Republic. As energy is a critical input for manufacturing and transportation, consistent and competitive pricing can boost overall economic activity.

Benefits for Azerbaijan

Increased Revenue: With the Czech Republic becoming the third-largest importer of its crude oil, Azerbaijan enjoys a significant boost in oil revenues. The $597.1 million earned from this increased export volume contributes positively to Azerbaijans national income and economic stability.

Strengthened Trade Relations: The enhanced economic relationship with the Czech Republic can lead to broader trade partnerships. This deepened relationship may pave the way for future agreements and cooperation in other sectors, such as technology, infrastructure, and investment.

Market Expansion: Moving up the ranks of oil importers not only boosts Azerbaijans revenue but also enhances its global market presence. Establishing strong trade ties with Central Europe can open new opportunities for Azerbaijani energy exports and potentially attract further investment.

The increase in crude oil imports from Azerbaijan to the Czech Republic reflects a mutually beneficial economic relationship that supports both nations' strategic interests. For the Czech Republic, it means greater energy security and economic stability, while for Azerbaijan, it translates into higher revenues and enhanced global trade influence. As global energy markets continue to evolve, the strengthening of such bilateral trade relations will be crucial for both countries' economic growth and stability.
WINDHOEK, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's Ministry of Health and Social Services announced on Tuesday that it is ramping up efforts to monitor and respond to potential cases of mpox in the country.

Walters Kamaya, the ministry's spokesperson, confirmed to Xinhua that Namibia has not had any cases of mpox so far. However, the ministry is taking several proactive measures to prepare for potential outbreaks.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, the actions being undertaken include engaging with stakeholders such as healthcare providers, communities, and international partners to establish effective communication and resource distribution as well as launching public health campaigns to educate the public about mpox transmission, symptoms, and preventive measures, fostering a knowledgeable and resilient community.

"Members of the public are urged to remain calm and refrain from spreading misinformation and disinformation about mpox. The Ministry of Health and Social Services is committed to safeguarding public health in Namibia and urges all people in Namibia to stay informed and vigilant," the statement said.

The ministry also warned that the mpox outbreak globally is evolving, with further investigations underway to better understand the epidemiological characteristics of mpox transmission.

Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is an infectious disease transmitted between species from animals to humans.

The African region has been experiencing an unprecedented increase in mpox cases since January, with more countries previously unaffected by the disease now reporting cases. A total of four previously unaffected countries, namely Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, have reported cases since mid-July. 
Bodies of six Israeli hostages retrieved from Gaza, Israel says

Top row from left to right: Yoram Metzger, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder. Bottom row from left to right: Chaim Peri, Nadav Popplewell, and Yagev Buchshtab - Hostage and Missing Families Forum/Reuters

The bodies of six Israeli hostages have been retrieved from Gaza during an overnight military operation in Khan Younis, Israeli authorities said Tuesday, as the latest ceasefire negotiations continue.

In a joint announcement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Security Agency (ISA) named them as Yoram Metzger, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Chaim Peri, Nadav Popplewell and Yagev Buchshtab.

All but Munder had been announced dead in recent months by the Israeli military.

Israels Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the IDF and ISA had entered Hamas tunnels in a complex operation to retrieve the bodies.

We will continue working to achieve the goals of this war - returning the hostages to Israel and dismantling Hamas, Gallant said on X.

A joint statement by the ISA and IDF said the operation was enabled by precise intelligence from the two agencies intelligence units, and the IDF Intelligence Directorate Hostage Headquarters.

There are currently 109 Israeli hostages being held in Gaza, including 36 believed to be dead, according to data from the Israeli Government Press Office.

Munder, 79, Metzger, 80, and Peri, 80, were all residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz, near the Gaza border, where they were captured during Hamas October 7 attacks, according to statements from the kibbutz.

Munder was taken along with his wife, daughter and grandson, who were later freed during a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas in November. Munders son, Roee, was killed during the attack.

Nine-year-old Ohad Munder told Israels public broadcaster Kan 11 on Tuesday that the death of his grandfather and the other hostages shouldnt have happened.

There have already been many times when there were negotiations for (a) deal and then they say no  and in the end they dont want it, and always regret it at the last minute. All the hostages could have returned alive even on the first day. They could have brought back grandfather and all the other hostages, Ohad said.

Metzgers wife Tami was also kidnapped and later released in the November truce.

Popplewell, who was 51 when abducted, and Buchshtab, 35, were taken from Kibbutz Nirim, the kibbutz said in a statement.

In May, Hamas military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed Popplewell, a dual British-Israeli citizen, had died more than a month earlier of wounds he sustained after an Israeli airstrike hit the place where he was held. CNN was not able to independently verify the claim by Hamas.

The IDF said in July that Buchshtab was believed to have been held in Khan Younis and died several months ago, while the IDF was operating there. It did not detail the circumstances of the death at the time.

In a statement Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked those involved in the retrieval operation for their bravery and determined action.

Our hearts ache for the terrible loss, he said.

IDF to probe cause of deaths

The chief spokesperson of the IDF said Tuesday it was investigating what caused the deaths of the hostages.

Earlier on Tuesday, a report in the Israeli media had claimed that some of the fatalities may have been linked to an Israeli military operation in Khan Younis.

Israeli outlet Ynet had reported that an IDF preliminary assessment was that the hostages may have died due to suffocation after the IDF hit a nearby Hamas target and carbon dioxide flooded the tunnel where they were being held.

Asked in a news conference whether the IDF had killed the hostages, spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari referred back to a statement he made in June, when he had said the the hostages were killed while our forces were operating in Khan Younis.

However, he did not confirm that the hostages had been killed as a result of Israeli military action.

Hagari said the IDF would need to find out all the details and these bodies are in Israel, they will be brought for burial but were also examined at the Institute of Forensic Medicine.

The IDF would inform the families and the public of its findings, Hagari said.

The chief spokesperson also said the IDF would not be able to return all hostages through rescue operations, which is why Israel is active on all channels.

About 1,200 Israelis were killed and some 250 others kidnapped during Hamas October 7 attacks on Israel, according to Israeli authorities.

More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 92,000 injured during Israels war in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the enclave.

Ceasefire talks

The news comes as negotiations for a ceasefire continue, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying that Netanyahu agreed on Monday to a US bridging proposal for a deal after the pair met in Tel Aviv.

Mediators presented the bridging proposal to Israel and Hamas last week to close the remaining gaps of disagreement between both sides, a joint statement between the United States, Qatar and Egypt said.

Blinken said the next step in the ceasefire talks is for Hamas to say yes.

He arrived in Egypt on Tuesday for talks with top officials to get the latest from them on what they are hearing from Hamas, Blinken said. Further high-level negotiations are expected to resume as soon as this week in either the Egyptian or Qatari capital.

The same day, representatives of an Israeli hostage family forum said Netanyahu told them that Israel would not leave the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometer strip of land that serves as a buffer zone on the border between Egypt and Gaza, and had also appeared to cast doubt on a hostage and ceasefire deal.

Netanyahu said in the meeting that there might not be a deal, but the remark came in the context of Hamas potentially ruling out an agreement, the Tikva forums Zvika Mor, father of hostage Eitan Mor, told CNN.

Mor added that Netanyahu had insisted on maintaining Israeli control over the Philadelphi corridor, but had not committed to maintaining control over the Netzarim corridor  which intersects one of Gazas two main north-south roads to create a strategic, central junction.

In a statement released after the meeting, Netanyahus office did not directly mention either the prime ministers reported comments regarding the Philadelphi Corridor or the possibility of no deal.

Meanwhile, Hamas rebuked US President Joe Bidens comments about the group backing off from a ceasefire deal.

Speaking to reporters outside the Democratic National Convention early Tuesday, Biden said: Israel says they can work it out, theyre prepared  but I was told Hamas is now backing off. It remains to be seen, were going to keep pushing.

Hamas said in a Tuesday statement that Biden and Blinkens statements are misleading claims, and do not reflect the true position of the movement, which is keen to reach a cessation of aggression.

We consider these statements a renewed American green light for the government of Zionist extremists to commit more crimes against defenseless civilians, and in pursuit of the goals of exterminating and displacing our people, it added.

Hamas has previously indicated it will not accept the latest proposal, saying on Sunday that it doesnt include a permanent ceasefire and introduced new conditions in the prisoner exchange, among other issues.

In a statement Sunday, the militant group blamed Netanyahu for obstructing a deal from being reached.

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum said Tuesday that the recovery of hostage bodies provided necessary closure, and called for urgency to finalize a deal.

The Israeli government, with the assistance of mediators, must do everything in its power to finalize the deal currently on the table, it said in a statement.

Still, Israels military operation continues, with airstrikes across Gaza killing at least 40 on Tuesday, officials in the Palestinian enclave said.

At least eight people were killed and four people remain missing, according to the Gaza Civil Defense, after an Israeli airstrike targeted a school where authorities said thousands of displaced people were sheltering from violence.

Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal told CNN most of those killed and injured in the strike on the Mustafa Hafez school were women and children and that a number of people were still under the rubble.

The IDF said in a statement that the Israeli Air Force had conducted a precise strike on terrorists who were operating within a Hamas command and control center inside the school and that numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance and additional intelligence.

Israeli forces have repeatedly targeted schools used as shelters for civilians in Gaza, claiming that Hamas is operating inside the compounds.

Later Tuesday, at least nine people were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the central city of Deir al-Balah, according to health officials at the citys Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital.

Arwa Damon, a former CNN senior international correspondent and president and founder of the International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance (INARA), who is in central Gaza, heard the strike and saw a number of injured people while she was at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah.

Damon told CNN she saw two blood-covered children, a woman screaming on a stretcher, a man with a massive foot injury and a number of women wailing.

In a separate incident, at least four people were killed in a strike on a house in Khan Younis under which a makeshift phone-charging point was located, health officials at Nasser Hospital, which received the casualties, told CNN.

The phone-charging station that was hit is one of many in Gaza that sell mobile accessories and allow others to charge their phones for a fee. The stations are primarily for people who live in tents and do not have electricity.

CNN has asked the IDF for comment.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNNs Kareem Khadder, Sarah Dean, Jennifer Hansler, Mohammed Taqfeeq and Abeer Salman contributed to this report. Khader Al-Zaanoun of Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, contributed reporting from Gaza.

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CHICAGO  The body of a man was found early Tuesday morning in the Caldwell Woods Forest Preserve.

Detectives responded to the forest preserve, located near Milwaukee and Devon, shortly after 6 a.m.

A 54-year-old man was found dead in the forest preserve and a death investigation is underway.

The cause and manner of death are pending at this time and the Cook County Sheriffs Office is the lead investigating agency.

Police said there is no danger to the public.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
View of a logo with the word "Boeing" on a hall at the Boeing distribution center. Georg Wendt/dpa

US aircraft manufacturer Boeing on Monday said it has halted test flights of its 777X model due to damage found in a structural component between the engine and the aircraft structure

"During scheduled maintenance, we identified a component that did not perform as designed. Our team is replacing the part and capturing any learnings from the component and will resume flight testing when ready," the company said in an emailed statement.

Online aviation news service The Air Current had previously reported that an issue had been identified in one of the connecting elements between the engine and wing on one of the test aircraft of Boeing's 777-9 model.

Prior to this, the aircraft had completed a flight from Hawaii lasting over five hours, according to the report.

The Air Current cited sources as saying that cracks were found in the same structure on other test fleet 777-9 aircraft.

Boeing did not provide further details but emphasized that no flights with the other test aircraft were planned in the near future. It added that it was "inspecting the flight test fleet" for the issue.

Boeing said the faulty part was only used in its 777-9 model, adding that it was keeping the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) informed.

Boeing originally presented the 777X as the successor to the widely used 777 in 2013 with an initial service date set for 2020.

Due to major delays in development and certification, as well as simultaneous difficulties with other aircraft types, Boeing has postponed delivery of the first 777X by several years to 2025.

The delay has cost Boeing billions of dollars.
Yes Stranding

It's been 75 days since NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore arrived at the International Space Station.

But while they were supposed to spend just eight days on board the orbital lab, technical difficulties plaguing their ride, Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, have delayed their return journey indefinitely.

And while NASA has insisted that the pair aren't "stranded," it seems pretty clear that they are, by any normal understanding of the term.

Boeing officials, who have been adamant that Starliner could return the two at any point, are equally defensive about the spacecraft, which has already left a multibillion-dollar hole in both the company and NASA's budget.

That's not to mention months of bad press, piled on top of Boeing's existing troubles with management and its global fleet of commercial jets.

Now, in an interview with the New York Times, Boeing Starliner program manager Mark Nappi says he's not surprised that the spacecraft is stuck up there  and says he regrets not managing expectations up front.

"I think we all knew that it was going to go longer than that," he said. "We didnt spend a lot of time talking about how much longer, but I think its my regret that we didnt just say Were going to stay up there until we get everything done that we want to go do.'"

Weighing Risks

NASA has yet to announce a plan of how to get Williams and Wilmore back to the surface. The agency is considering two options: either risk their return inside Starliner or  in a deeply embarrassing turn for Boeing  make space for their return on board a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft early next year.

"Its getting harder with the consumables were using, and the ports were using, those types of things," NASA associate administrator for space operations Ken Bowersox admitted during a teleconference call last week. "We're reaching a point where that last week in August, we really should be making a call."

The stakes are high: as some experts have suggested, if Starliner's hobbled propulsion system were to malfunction after undocking from the space station, it could spin out of control and even crash into the orbital lab.

We should expect word from NASA sometime this week. The agency has previously given itself until mid- to late August to come to a decision, so stay tuned.

More on Starliner: Stranded Boeing Astronaut Forced to Slum It in a Sleeping Bag by Himself
Border patrol agents find hundreds of pounds of meth in celery at San Diego crossing

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seized 629.72 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value estimated at $755,00, concealed within a shipment of celery in California. Photo courtesy CBP

Aug. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seized 629.72 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value estimated at $755,000, concealed within a shipment of celery in San Diego, the agency said Monday.

On Aug. 9, CBP officers encountered a 34-year-old man driving a commercial tractor-trailer, seeking entry into the United States from Mexico. The driver, who held a valid border crossing card, was moving a shipment declared as celery.

After routine procedures, CBP officers directed the driver, the tractor-trailer and its cargo to secondary inspection for a more thorough examination.

The shipment was offloaded for closer scrutiny.

A CBP K-9 unit quickly alerted officers to the presence of narcotics.

Officers uncovered 508 packages hidden among the celery.

The driver was handed over to Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.

"Our officers' vigilance and expertise once again thwarted an attempt to smuggle narcotics disguised as everyday produce," Rosa E. Hernandez, port director for the Area Port of Otay Mesa, said. "This discovery underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting our communities from the perils of drug trafficking."

Also on Aug. 9 at Otay Mesa, agents discovered 361 pounds of fentanyl and cocaine hidden within a flatbed trailer -- largest CBP California fentanyl seizure of the fiscal year. The 77 packages of cocaine weighed 227.96 pounds and the 50 packages of fentanyl powder weighed 133.60 pounds.

The estimated street value for those seizures is more than $12.6 million, CBP said.

The border crossing, which opened in 1983, connects Otay Mesa in San Diego and Tijuana in Mexico. It is the busiest commercial port of entry in California.

The seizure was part of Operation Apollo in efforts to control the movement of fentanyl that began on Oct. 26, 2023, in Southern California, and expanded to Arizona on April 10.
Boston Duck Boat Captains Rescue Toddler and Father from River: 'He Was in Such a Panic'

"He just wanted to get his child on board," Boston Duck Tour co-captain Michael Rosario said

Two local duck boat captains saved the day after a man and his young child fell into the Charles River in Boston.

On the morning of Monday Aug. 19, a father and child, who was described as being under the age of 2, were pulled from the river by Boston Duck Boats co-captains Michael Rosario and Kevin O'Neill, according to local ABC affiliate WCVB-TV.

Per the outlet, the Massachusetts State Police said their investigation indicated "the child squeezed through the railing," and that afterwards, "the childs father jumped into the river" to get to his child.

Representatives from the Massachusetts State Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment.

Sergi Reboredo/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty DUCK tour on the Charles River, Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge (Zakim Bridge) and Charles River, Boston, Massachusetts USA

As for what happened next, Rosario told WCVB that his co-captain threw out a life ring, and was able to get a ladder lowered down to him, but that the father still need some additional help.



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"He was in such a panic," Rosario said. "He just wanted to get his child on board. Kevin grabbed the baby and got the Mylar blanket for the child, and dad proceeded to get on."

Related: Father and Son Fishermen Rescue N.Y.C. Man Who Spent Night Treading Water Off N.J. Coastline

Per ABC News, at the time the pair entered the water, the Boston Duck Tours boat was conducting scheduled safety drills. This is crazy. This is happening while were doing training. Now were doing real-life rescue, Rosario told the outlet.

Director of marketing for Boston Duck Tours, Tom Vigna, expressed his happiness that the tour team was able to save the two. We were happy to be in the right place at the right time, he said, per the outlet.

Related: Illinois Police Rescue Trapped Family from Sinking Car  See Video

Following the rescue, the Cambridge Fire Department confirmed that the pair were evaluated by EMS, and the child was taken to a local hospital as a precaution, according to local affiliate NBC 10 Boston.

The incident is currently under investigation, authorities said.

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Read the original article on People.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) said Monday that hes hoping Vice President Harris will call for a U.S. arms embargo on Israel before Novembers election.

Bowman, an outspoken critic of Israels conduct in the war with Hamas, noted that Harris has already taken a more aggressive position on the conflict than President Biden has  at least rhetorically. He said her next step, as she vies to succeed Biden in the Oval Office, should be to endorse a pause in U.S. weapons sales to Tel Aviv for the sake of protecting Palestinian civilians.

She was the first to say ceasefire  shes said it multiple times. An arms embargos the next step, Bowman said during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. And so I would like to hear her say that before the election, absolutely. Is she going to say it? I dont know.

The Israel-Hamas conflict has divided Democrats for years  a clash thats been only exacerbated by Hamass terrorist attack of Oct. 7 and Israels aggressive military response. The tensions have been on display in Chicago this week, where thousands of pro-Palestinian activists have gathered to press Biden, Harris and Democrats on Capitol Hill to quit their support for Israels ongoing operations.

Bowman, who lost his primary race this year in a contest hinging largely on his sharp criticisms of Israel, emphasized that he doesnt think Harris will take such a position in her keynote speech on Thursday, when shes scheduled to accept the Democrats presidential nomination. But hes hoping shell adopt such a policy before November to send a message that party leaders are listening to the concerns of pro-Palestinian base voters.

If shes going to say arms embargo on Thursday it would break the internet. I dont think shes going to say that, personally, Bowman said. Maybe at some point she does, because Im very concerned with how we look on a global scale. The entire international community, a majority of it, are opposed to what Israel is doing in Gaza. And we keep sending them tens of billions of dollars to continue to do it.

Bowman said he has not joined the protestors outside the convention, saying hes spending his time in Chicago with family.

But of course you know Im with them 100 percent, he quickly added. We need them to hold us accountable.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU)  The boys are back with Boy Band Night at the Sioux City Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Anthem stage.

According to a release, Boy Band Night will return to the Anthem stage on Saturday, December 7.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino welcoming dueling pianos act to Anthem

Siouxlanders can expect a live and full boy band tribute from Chicago with the greatest hits from bands like the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, One Direction, and more.

Tickets go on sale Friday, August 23, and can be purchased online or in person at the Rock Shop. Anthem guests must be 21 or older.

Click here for more events in the Siouxland community.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.
Tuesday at Northlake TK-8 in Natomas marked everyones first day of school.

Twin River Unified School Districts newest school welcomed 370 students and 45 new staff members to its recently constructed campus, which serves kids as young as 4 years old through middle school.

Its so exciting to have them actually walk through the gates, Principal Stacey Firpo said. We have an opportunity to meld together and build relationships from day one, and truly make this a special place.

The school serves the kids of the burgeoning Northlake neighborhood in North Natomas, just under 5 miles from the Sacramento airport. Appropriately, the school has decided to brand its population as the Jets.

Workers install a grass field at Northlake TK-8 in North Natomas on Monday, the day before the schools first day.

The school was designed to foster an age-appropriate STEAM education  science, technology, engineering, arts and math  for kids in every grade. Among the standard school facilities is a makerspace full of 3D printers and Cricut machines and other materials to make sure that science, math and art concepts are truly integrated through every single day for every single grade, in Firpos words.

Eighth-grader Akemi Hewing, who is scheduled to take 3D printing as her elective, said she could see herself building a personalized jewelry box with the technology, but shes more interested in the adjoining podcasting studio. She listens to a lot of podcasts at home and wants to experiment with making her own.

Gail Godwin, a seventh-grader, is also excited about the new educational opportunities offered by a brand new campus and fresh learning environment.

Im not trying to brag or anything, but I think I am pretty smart, so I have been looking for something higher to work on, Godwin said.

Road to Northlake

The endeavor to build a new school in the area commenced eight years ago and construction broke ground last year. But the growth is just beginning.

District officials estimate that the schools population will double, if not triple over the next five years, and that it wont be long before the school hits its capacity of 1100 students. The master-planned neighborhood has just put its second set of homes on the market, but construction and development in the area is likely to continue for several years as more housing and commercial spaces are built. Homes in the development are listed from $550,000 to $900,000.

Firpo left her position as principal of Garden Valley Elementary in the middle of last year in preparation of opening the new school. Many Northlake staff members have also transitioned from other Twin Rivers Unified schools, but Firpo said that the new team includes people from all over the state.

Principal Stacey Firpo welcomes second-grade student Jarnika Nagapande on the first day of school at Northlake TK-8 on Tuesday.

Unlike most other school facility projects across California, the new school was not funded by a bond. Chief Business Officer Ryan DiGiulio said that the district was able to allocate COVID-19 funds in a way that allowed them to move forward with the project in partnership with the neighborhood developer.

Firpo was happy to see that first day jitters seemed to dissipate quickly and that students were taking well to their new environment. Less than an hour into the school day, a classroom of kindergarten students very obediently copied their teacher as she led them through a game of Simon Says. Not one looked nervous in their brand new environment.
KAMPALA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Uganda has announced the resumption of hiking activities to the Margherita Peak, the highest peak of the Rwenzori Mountains following months of suspension due to safety concerns.

The suspension was announced in May by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), a state agency responsible for wildlife conservation, following the formation of a crevasse or deep open crack in the glaciers.

The UWA said in a statement issued Tuesday the safety concerns had been addressed to ensure the well-being of hikers.

"Key among the improvements is the construction of a bridge across the crevasse in the Margherita glaciers. The bridge, along with additional climbing ropes installed in collaboration with our partners in the park, will enable safe passage through the challenging sections of the trail," the UWA said. "We are confident that these enhancements will provide a safer and more enjoyable experience for all visitors seeking to summit one of Africa's most iconic peaks."

Margherita Peak stands at 5,109 meters above sea level. The UWA also encouraged hikers to visit other peaks in the Rwenzori Mountains such as Mount Speke and Mount Baker.

Hiking is one of the tourism activities enjoyed in Uganda, alongside park visits, chimpanzee and gorilla tracking, bird viewing, and kayaking.

According to statistics from the Uganda Tourism Board, the number of tourists visiting the Rwenzori Mountains increased from 2,724 in 2014 to 6,043 in 2019. 
(Bloomberg) -- President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met on Monday night with lower house Speaker Arthur Lira at the presidential palace amid the crisis between the three branches of government, after the Supreme Court suspended lawmakers budget amendments, says Folha de S.Paulo, which does not reveal how it obtained the information and does not give details of the meeting.

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Lawmakers assess that the top court ruling, initiated by a decision from Justice Flavio Dino, had the support of members of the federal government. Dino is a former member of Lulas cabinet.

Lula, for his part, is seeking conciliation and working on a counterproposal for the amendments, according to Folha de S.Paulo, while lawmakers seek retaliation.

On Tuesday, president of the court Luis Roberto Barroso will meet with Lira, Senate head Rodrigo Pacheco and Lula Chief of Staff Rui Costa, according to local newspapers.

The meeting is seen as a first step, and there is no prospect for an immediate solution, says CNN Brasil, which cites unidentified interlocutors from the presidential palace and Congress.

Reaction

Congress postponed the vote on the budget guidelines law until after October municipal elections, says CNN Brasil, which cites the president of the joint budget committee, congressman Julio Arcoverde.

Spending Review

Brazils economic team will review spending in social programs, Deputy Planning Minister Gustavo Guimaraes said in a broadcast event. The review will be included in 2025 budget proposal, he added.

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Brazilian woman arrested for drugging and robbery death of Minneapolis entrepreneur in Goodnight Cinderella scheme

Dwayne Antonio Morris, 43, died after a Brazilian woman drugged him to death in a Goodnight Cinderella scheme, cops say (Tamatha Richman/Facebook)

A Brazilian woman has been arrested in connection with the murder of an American businessman who went on holiday to Rio de Janeiro earlier this month.

Leticia Clara Bento da Silva, 23, was arrested on Monday. Police suspect she robbed and murdered Dwayne Antonio Morris, 43, in a Copacabana apartment, according to Metropoles, a Brazilian online newspaper.

Officials discovered the mans body on August 8 after he arrived in the country the previous day. Its thought that da Silva, along with another unidentified woman, drugged Morris and his friend with GHB, a depressant before robbing them.

The drug caused Morris to convulse and foam at the mouth, the outlet reported. The drug can lead to loss of consciousness and respiratory depression if its taken in large doses, potentially resulting in death.

Such crimes are called Goodnight Cinderella scams in Brazil.

Officials said that Morris and his friend, who survived the attack, met da Silva while out at a bar in the citys Lapa neighborhood. Morris and the two women then went to an apartment Morris had rented during his stay. The friend began to feel unwell and went to another location when he encountered police. He told them he felt dizzy and unwell, the outlet reported.

Dwayne Antonio Morris, 43, died after a Brazilian woman drugged him to death in a Goodnight Cinderella scheme, cops say (Tamatha Richman/Facebook)

Meanwhile, Morris and the women arrived at the apartment past midnight. Two hours later, they were spotted on surveillance footage leaving the apartment in a black vehicle.

Da Silvas criminal record stated that she had been accused of similar crimes in the past. She was sentenced to temporary detention on Monday and taken into the countrys prison system.

Police are asking for the publics help to identify the other person involved.

We offer our sincerest condolences to the family for their loss and stand ready to provide consular assistance, The US Consulate in Rio de Janeiro said, according to the New York Post.

We are closely monitoring local authorities investigations regarding the cause of death. Out of respect for the family during this difficult time, we have no further comment.

Morriss LinkedIn states he was the president of Blue Waters Consulting based in Minnesota.

Tamatha Richman, Morris significant other, started a GoFundMe to help with the costs of repatriation, funeral expenses and support for her family as they grieve the mans loss. She said the family intends to bury him in Jamaica in his familys land.

So far, it has raised $30,000 out of a $50,000 goal.

DWayne was a kind, adventurous spirit who brought joy to everyone around him, Richman wrote. He touched the lives of so many.
This dead and wind-battered Jeffery pine atop Yosemites Sentinel Dome, made famous by Ansel Adams, finally toppled in 2003. The picturesque California tree was one of the worlds most photographed, appearing in glass plate images as early as the 1860s. Photograph by Harald Sund, Getty Images

Landscapes shape our sense of place, yet Earth is constantly changing. The forces of volcanism, wind, water, sun, and, yes, people, relentlessly conspire to transform what we consider familiar terrainpummeling cliffs into beaches, eroding vast canyons, forming new land with bubbling lava, and shifting the course of mighty rivers.

Indeed, change is the only constantan idea seeded by Greek philosopher Heraclitus back in the fifth century B.C. and echoed by philosophers ever since. But people often forget that Heraclitus believed fear of change is also a constant. Perhaps its this sense of looming impermanence that compels travelers to see natural wonders before theyre forever altered.

In the last 50 years, hundreds of natural landmarks around the world have drastically shape-shiftedor worse, disappeared. Most recently, Double Arch in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area collapsed into Lake Powell in Utah, joining other structures, such as Darwins Arch in the Galapagos Islands, Arches National Parks Wall Arch and Maltas Azure Window, lost to history. Here are landmarks that no longer existand some fragile sites you can still visit, responsibly.

Legzira Beach, Morocco, Africa

Photograph by Zzvet, Getty Images

Paragliders, surfers, fishermen, and a handful of in-the-know visitors mourned when one of this beachs twin red sea arches succumbed to the weight of the massive cliff above it in 2016. The rust-colored hideaway outside Moroccos Sidi Ifni was a popular sunset scene; a similar setting can be found in the Jurassic-era red sea stacks of Ladram Bay in Devon, England.

Christmas Island Coral Reef, Australia

WaterFrame/Alamy

Mopsella sea fans are among the many types of coral fringing Christmas Island, the largest coral atoll in the world and a popular dive site in Australia. In 2016, rising water temperatures from El Nino storms caused the death of an estimated 80 percent of the coral. But in late 2020, researchers began to see signs of renewed life, providing a glimmer of hope that protection from local stressors can give bleached coral time to heal.

Sequoia Tunnel Tree, California

Photograph by B Christopher, Alamy Stock Photo

The 1,000-year-old Pioneer Cabin tunnel tree was one of several towering California trees cut in the late 19th century to inspire nature tourism. It was the last giant sequoia with a drive-through archway in its trunk when it fell January 2017. Three massive Giant California Redwoods continue to offer the drive-through experiencefind them near the town of Eureka.

Twelve Apostles Marine National Park, Australia

Photograph by David Noton Photography/Alamy Stock Photo

There are fewer apostles in Australias Twelve Apostles Marine National Park. In 2005, one of the largest and most intricate of the offshore sea stacks crumpled into dust in front of a watching family. A second sea stack succumbed in 2009. Already the remnants of pummeled cliffs, the remaining six structures are vulnerable to the coasts heavy surf.

God's Finger, Spain

Photograph by David Robertson, Alamy Stock Photo

In 2005, the first cyclone to swoop by Spains Canary Islands in 150 years toppled El Dedo de Dios (Gods Finger), a needle-like sea stack pointing upward from a rocky hand.

Darwin's Arch, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Photograph by Rodrigo Friscione, Alamy

On May 17, 2021, this famous natural bridge named for the English biologist collapsed into the Pacific Ocean, a result of erosion, according to Ecuadors Ministry for the Environment. Popular with tourists visiting by cruise ship, the UNESCO World Heritage site teems with marine fauna, from manta rays to whale sharks and hawksbill turtles.

Hillary Step on Mount Everest, Nepal

Photograph by Bradley Jackson, Getty Images

The Everest summit in Nepal got a little easier to reach in late May 2017 when a massive boulder some two hundred feet from the top appeared to have disappeared. Experts think the sheer Hillary Stepnamed for Sir Edmund Hillary who called it one of the most challenging features on the mountainloosened in a 2015 earthquake.

Sylvia Flats Pools, New Zealand

Photograph by alexeys, Getty Images

In 2017, the rock walls of Sylvia Flats pools, natural hot springs alongside the chillier Lewis River in New Zealand, were destroyed in a mudslide. Fortunately, other thermal poolssuch as Maruia Hot Springs in Lewis Pass Scenic Reservestill offer warm soaks a few miles north.

Elephant Rock, Canada

Photograph by Mike Grandmaison, Getty Images

Some 200 tons of rocks toppled from New Brunswicks Elephant Rock in the spring of 2016, turning a peephole into a pile of rubble. The scenic spot in Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park was one of the most popular stops for travelers taking in the remarkably wide-ranging tides of Canadas Bay of Fundy. The area lost another landmark in February of 2022, when Flower Pot Rock toppled during a heavy storm.

Solomon Islands

Photograph by Lonely Planet Images/Getty Images

Low-lying Pacific Islands have borne the brunt of the rising sea, and in 2016 five of the Solomon Islands were swallowed by it. The nearby Nuatambu Island may be nextresidents have relocated as the island slowly succumbs, and its already lost more than half of its inhabitable land

Slims River, Canada

Photograph by Alan Majchrowicz, Getty Images

In spring 2017, an entire river in Canadas Yukon territory vanished seemingly overnight. The culprit was the retreat of the massive Kaskawulsh Glacier, its meltwater diverted from the Slims River to feed a different waterway. Scientists called it the first case of river piracy in modern times. These changes are also shrinking the Yukons largest lake. You can see Kluane Lakes receding shoreline along Alaska Highway 1 and from points within Kluane National Park and Reserve.

Chacaltaya Glacier, Bolivia

Photograph by Anders Birch, Redux

A man gazes out at the last patch of the Chacaltaya Glacier in this photo taken on October 26, 2009. That year, the 18,000-year-old glacier melted away, shutting down the mountaintop ski resort, once considered the worlds highest. Bolivian scientists had predicted that the glacier would melt by 2015, but rapidly rising temperatures due to climate change sped up the process.

Wall Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

Photograph by shearman, Getty Images

When the precarious thread of Entrada sandstone, spanning 71 feet across the top of the freestanding Wall Arch in Arches National Park, gave way one night in August 2008, campers claimed to hear loud rumbling despite clear skies. The Utah park still counts many more fragile formations among its attractions, including the blocky, 50-foot red bridge of the lone Vultee Arch.

Dead Sea, bordered by Israel, West Bank, and Jordan

Photograph by Nickolay V, Getty Images

The super-salty Dead Sea isnt gone yet, but it is shrinking at an alarming ratewater levels have dropped more than three feet each year for the last several years. As a result, thousands of sinkholes have appeared, signaling a looming water-shortage crisis in the region.

Azure Window, Malta

Photograph by Jin Yu, Xinhua/Redux

It took thousands of storms to pummel the Azure Window into the limestone sea cliffs of Maltas Gozo Island, but just one to finish it off. The iconic site in Dwejra Bay was one of the island-nations most popular natural attractionsit was even featured briefly in the HBO series Game of Thronesbefore it toppled March 2017. To see other impressive sea arches visible from a sunbathers vantage, head to the White Chalk Cliffs coastline of Etretat in Normandy, France. You can even walk beneath the impressive Falaise Aval at low tide.

Basking Ridge Oak Tree, New Jersey

Photograph by BRYAN ANSELM, The New York Times/Redux

One of the oldest oak trees in North America died in a cemetery in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, in 2017. The massive tree reportedly once shaded a picnicking George Washington and was already some 80 years old when Columbus reached the Americas.

Tenere Tree, Niger

Photograph by UIG/Getty Images

The only acacia to eke out an existence in the Sahara Desert, some 250 miles from its nearest neighbor, the Tenere Tree became a local landmark in the 1930s before it was allegedly felled by a drunk driver. A metal sculpture (pictured above) now stands in its place. Another desert tree significant enough to feature on otherwise blank maps was Chapmans Baobab, a mail tree in Botswana etched with notes and markings from early Europeans like David Livingstone. Unfortunately, that tree fell in 2016.

Old Man of the Mountain, New Hampshire

Photograph by Garry Black, Alamy Stock Photo

Call him crest-fallen: The mysterious profile in New Hampshires Franconia Notch State Park no longer resembles an Old Man of the Mountain, though a monument of steel structures has helped to recreate the illusion of his visage from a plaza below (with some imagination).

Kaimu Beach, Hawaii

Photograph by Douglas Peebles, Getty Images

Around 150 homes on popular black sand Kaimu Beach were lost when a slow-moving lava flow overtook Hawaii's Kalapana village in the early 1990s. Kilauea Volcano continues to erupt today and to date it has added more than 500 acres of new land to the big island. Its possible to see the newest stretches from lava boat tours departing Pahoa.

Larsen C Ice Shelf, Antarctica

Photograph by NASA/Redux

Though few humans ever locked eyes on the icy cliffs of Antarcticas Larsen C ice shelf, satellites watched when a section the size of Delaware floated free into the Southern Ocean. Iceberg calving is nothing new, but changes this drastic are certainly rare.
SIOUX FALLS S.D. (KELO)  Here are this mornings top stories with KELOLAND On the Go.

A railway bridge crossing the Big Sioux River in North Sioux City is now being removed.

The bridge collapsed in June when flood waters washed part of it away.

Crews blast part of collapsed rail bridge

A Colorado woman remains unresponsive after suffering a severe brain injury after she was hit by an intoxicated motorcyclist at the Buffalo Chip in Sturgis last weekend, her family says.

Family: Woman unresponsive after being hit by biker

The Democratic National Convention is underway in Chicago and includes delegates from South Dakota, who say they are excited about the Harris ticket.

SD delegates in Chicago for DNC

The search is over for a Rapid City murder suspect.

Authorities announced Monday that theyve arrested 26-year-old Shamar Tay Bennett. Hes charged with murder and child abuse for a November 2022 crime.

Rapid City man arrested, accused of child murder

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British teenager dies after falling from sixth floor hotel balcony in Ibiza while on holiday

The 19-year-old fell from the sixth floor of Hotel Vibra District in Ibiza on Tuesday morning (Google Maps )

A teenage British tourist has died in Ibiza after she fell off a hotel balcony in the early hours of the morning.

The 19-year-old unnamed girl fell from the sixth floor of the four-star Hotel Vibra District, an adults-only accommodation 300m away from the beach in San Antonio, Ibiza.

The incident occurred at around 3am on Tuesday before paramedics were called, however, due to the extent of her injuries, she did not survive.

The Guardia Civil, Spains civil guard police force, is investigating the death and said an autopsy is tet to have taken place.

A 19-year-old British woman was killed after falling from the sixth floor of her hotel in San Antonio, Ibiza, at 3am on Tuesday morning, a spokesman for the Guardia Civil told The Telegraph.

It is possible she may have been under the effects of drugs or alcohol, he added.

The police force said they were treating the death from the fall as an accident.

A police source cited by multiple outlets added that everything is pointing to this being a tragic accidental fall.

The incident comes just days after another British tourist died as a result of a fall in Spain. The 28-year-old man lost his life after falling 15 feet at a hotel in Palmanova in Mallorca.

The man fell to his death after tripping over a wall in front of his partner at the four-star Reverence Mare Hotel on Saturday.

The unnamed man tripped over the wall after a night out, before landing next to the hotels spa pool. The Guardia Civil is also investigating this incident.

The Independent has contacted the Spanish Civil Guard for further information.

For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calders podcast
[Source]

Adriana Orme, a 56-year-old woman from Worcestershire, England, pleaded guilty to her involvement in a baby monkey torture network that spanned across Asia, the U.S. and the U.K.

Orme, who admitted to her crimes on Monday, was charged with publishing obscene material and encouraging or assisting in causing unnecessary suffering to protected animals. She is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 25 alongside 37-year-old Holly Le Gresley, who also pleaded guilty in connection with the torture network. Orme was among those arrested in a year-long investigation conducted by the BBC World Service and other authorities to uncover the sadistic ring.

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PHILIDELPHIA, PA (WIVT/WBGH)  Broome Countys #1 Most Wanted fugitive was taken into custody Monday evening after evading police for ten months.

According to the Broome County Sheriffs Office, Jeremy Lewis, 27, of Endicott was arrested on a felony weapons charge during a routine traffic stop in Philadelphia.

Lewis was wanted for possession of a handgun after a firearm was discovered during a domestic incident in Endicott on October 12, 2023. Following the incident, Lewis fled the scene. Law enforcement had initially been unable to locate him.

Earlier this week, members of the Broome County Sheriffs Warrants Division had tracked the location of Lewis to the Philadelphia area and alerted the local U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Task Force was preparing to arrest Lewis at his last known Philadelphia address when he was located during the traffic stop.

Lewis remains in custody in Philadelphia. He will be extradited back to Broome County for arraignment.

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The defense for Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of the University of Idaho student homicides, rejected arguments from prosecutors that Moscow remains an acceptable place for the suspect to receive a fair trial next summer.

Elisa Massoth, one of Kohbergers attorneys, continued the push to move their clients capital murder trial 300 miles south to Boise. The North Idaho region has been tainted by intense media coverage of the case, she wrote, which has created a mob mentality within the community about Kohbergers possible culpability.

The traumatized town of Moscow is understandably filled with deeply held prejudgment opinions of guilt, Massoth wrote in a Monday court filing made public Tuesday. Latah County mob mentality will never produce a (jury pool) that results in a cross section of the community.

The defense backed its preference for a venue change to the Idaho capital for the trial with results from a phone survey conducted by a hired trial consultant. They supported it with analysis from a University of Nevada, Reno, social psychologist, whom they may also call as an expert witness at a court hearing next week over the venue change question before Judge John Judge.

Kohberger, 29, is charged with killing the four U of I students at an off-campus home in November 2022. The victims were seniors Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21, junior Xana Kernodle and freshman Ethan Chapin, both 20. Kohberger was arrested on suspicion of the fatal stabbings in late December 2022 at his parents home in eastern Pennsylvania, where he grew up.

Kohberger faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty for Kohberger if he is convicted. A court hearing over possible challenges to the death penalty is tentatively scheduled for early November.

Trial in Moscow a complete pain for the community

Prosecutors last week submitted their written opposition to the defenses request to move the trial out of Moscow. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson, who is leading the prosecution of Kohberger, said the defense had failed to meet the burden under Idaho law to show that a venue change was necessary or convenient.

Even if the court were to be persuaded that a fair and impartial jury could not be empaneled in Latah County, the court could  draw upon a jury pool from a neighboring county, Thompson wrote. He suggested selecting a jury from nearby Nez Perce County and driving them in for Kohbergers trial.

Moscow Mayor Art Bettge told the Idaho Statesman in an interview earlier this year that he doesnt see the point of taking Kohbergers trial elsewhere in Idaho.

My personal opinion is theres no need to move the trial any place else, because everybody in the state knows about the broad strokes of what went on, he said. So that alone is not justifiable reason to move a trial to a different locale.

Although holding the trial in Moscow would come with the return of major effects on residents, Bettge said the city would be better prepared this time around for the arrival of media and others who may travel to attend in person. After so much heartache and adverse impacts following the students deaths, perhaps some local benefit could come from keeping Kohbergers trial in town, he said.

Its a complete pain for the community, but there is an economic benefit to be realized if the trial were still here, Bettge said.

Defense argues for Ada County trial

Prosecutors also argued last week that the interest of justice for keeping the trial in Moscow should consider the families of the four victims, who live nearby and may seek to attend the trial. Judge set a trial start date of June 2025.

The parents of Kaylee Goncalves, who live about 30 minutes north of Coeur dAlene in Rathdrum, have been the most vocal of the victims families during the pretrial phase of the case. Earlier this summer, the Goncalves familys attorney issued a statement on their behalf that requested the trial stay in Latah County.

The defense responded in their filing Monday that prosecutors proposal to keep the trial in Moscow, but bring in jury prospects from the county directly south, still would be insufficient for achieving an impartial group of people to serve as jurors with their clients life possibly on the line. Ada County, with its much greater population, grants Kohbergers best chance at a fair trial, they wrote.

Expanding the jury pool to Nez Perce County is not a remedy, the court filing read. They have been exposed to 36% of the total media coverage and are more than 10 times more likely to encounter coverage as compared to residents of Ada County.

That media coverage  in print, online, as well as on television and the radio  is often inaccurate and inflammatory, the defense wrote, without providing specific examples. The sheer amount of coverage in the closely watched case is disqualifying of Moscow hosting the trial, they wrote.

The media coverage inundating Latah County does not tell citizens that no evidence has been presented at this time; that there are no facts on the record at this time; that Bryan Kohberger is innocent, Massoth argued in the filing. Publicity regarding Mr. Kohberger has been ongoing since Dec. 30, 2022. It rises and falls but does not wane.

Judge will hear oral arguments about a possible venue change on Aug. 29 at the Latah County Courthouse in Moscow.
A burglar has been arrested in Spain after trying to sleep in a victims bed while she was lying there.

The same thief, while out on bail, was also found sleeping in a bed at another home he broke into the following week.

Described by police as a 24-year-old man from Morocco, the suspect was first arrested earlier this month after breaking into a flat in Arguellas, a village in the northern region of Navarre. A woman in her 80s, known as Pepi, was asleep at the time.

I was on my bed under a sheet and he got on the bed as well, I shoved him off the bed, got up and pushed him to the door of the apartment, she told the local TV station Navarra Television.

According to Pepis account, the burglar tried to re-enter the home but she and her son, who was also staying in the flat, managed to repel him.

He was arrested on Aug 11 and released on bail.

Burglar apparently incapacitated by alcohol

The same burglar then struck again last weekend, this time with an accomplice also reported to be from Morocco, according to police.

Early on Sunday morning, police received a call from an elderly woman in Corella, another village in Navarre, saying that two men had broken into her home and escaped after a struggle.

The two thieves had entered the home via a first-floor balcony, having scaled the wall with the help of the buildings power cables.

While officers from the Guardia Civil were attending the call, they received a second alert from another nearby home whose owners had observed damage to their lock.

With the help of officers from Navarres police force, the Guardia Civil officers entered the second home and found the two men asleep on twin beds in one of the bedrooms, their pockets stuffed with items of value.

According to the police statement obtained by El Pais, a Spanish newspaper, the two men were apparently incapacitated by the consumption of a large amount of alcohol, some other type of narcotic substance, or they were simulating such an appearance.

The men face charges of breaking and entering and robbery with force.

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HARARE, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Zimbabwean government is stepping up food aid distribution to people facing food insecurity in the country due to the El Nino-induced drought, a Cabinet minister said Tuesday.

Addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing, Jenfan Muswere, minister of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services, said the Grain Movement Command Center has worked tirelessly to ensure that food-insecure people receive the requisite assistance.

He said between May and July, the government provided food aid to 89.2 percent of the targeted population and has now embarked on another three-month cycle aimed at extending food assistance to even more people in need.

"Cabinet advises that the government is now in the second cycle of the blitz grain distribution where a total of 6,215,775 beneficiaries are set to receive assistance from Aug. 6 to Oct. 31," Muswere said.

In April, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a state of disaster due to the drought, which has cut cereal production by 77 percent and left 60 percent of the country's population food insecure.

The government also issued an international appeal for 3.3 billion U.S. dollars to respond to the drought crisis. 
The Burke County Sheriff's Office recently identified the four people involved in a fatal ATV crash in Hephzibah, and provided updates on their conditions.

The crash happened just after 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Greiner Circle and Eagle Pass Road in Hephzibah, according to previous reporting. When deputies arrived, they found the ATV upright in a hay field.

The driver, identified Monday as Robert Joseph Bouteiller, 39, lost control of the vehicle, left the roadway, and entered the adjacent field, causing the vehicle to flip multiple times and eject the passengers, The Chronicle reported. Bouteiller was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three passengers in the vehicle were ejected during the wreck and later taken to Wellstar Hospital for treatment, according to previous reporting.

They were identified as Sean Parker, 34, and Felicia Parker, 34, both of Millen, Georgia; and, Christopher Wright, 43, of Jackson, South Carolina, according to a news release issued by the sheriff's office.

As of earlier this week, all three passengers were still receiving medical care at Wellstar and were reportedly in stable condition, according to the release.

"The Burke County Sheriff's Office is continuing its investigation into the cause of the accident," according to officials. "Our thoughts and condolences are with the families and loved ones affected by this tragic event."

GoFundMe created for Bouteiller's family

Bouteiller's family created a GoFundMe on Monday to help cover funeral expenses.

The site notes Bouteiller left behind his wife, three sons  ages 18, 16 and 6  and a 5-year-old daughter.

"His family and friends depended on him so much and he never hesitated to step up," Emma Reynolds, the organizer of the fundraiser, wrote on the site. "I'm asking for anyone to contribute, no matter how little, to celebrate a man who brought so much light to those around him. Lets show him the strength of his love and spirit for his family and friends and support his family in his absence. There is no doubt he will fly high now, but he will be greatly missed."

As of Tuesday afternoon, the site raised more than $3,600 of the $5,000 goal from about 40 donors.

Bouteiller's funeral service is set to take place Wednesday, according to the site.

To donate, visit https://tinyurl.com/4a6phja7.

Previous report: Harlem man, 39, killed in fatal side-by-side wreck, three others injured

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Identities released in fatal ATV crash, GoFundMe created
The redesigned ballot and envelope for Pennsylvania in 2024 (Capital-Star photo)

Two Butler County residents appealed a court ruling Tuesday that the Butler County Board of Elections was within its rights not to count their provisional ballots in the 2024 primary election.

The case is one of several that was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, the Public Interest Law Center and other voting rights groups after the 2024 primary. The rulings could have implications for how the general election in November is administered.

Both plaintiffs in the Butler County case attempted to vote by mail in the primary, but did not enclose their ballots in an inner secrecy envelope as required. They were made aware of their errors before the final day of voting and filled out provisional ballots in an attempt to have their votes counted regardless. But the county elections board rejected those ballots.

The ACLU of Pennsylvania and the Public Interest Law Center sued Butler County on the voters behalf in April. They argued that voters who made other mistakes on their mail-in ballots were allowed to cure them, and that the two plaintiffs had just as much right to have their votes counted.

The Butler County Court of Common Pleas ruled against the two voters on Friday. The opinion said that it is up to legislators to create a legal pathway for errors like theirs to be corrected.

Todays decision is disappointing, and we and our clients are considering our options for appellate review, Mimi McKenzie, the legal director of the Public Interest Law Center, said in a statement after the ruling. The provisional ballot process has existed for more than two decades for scenarios just like this, and the county has an obligation to utilize it.

The appeal will be considered in Commonwealth Court.

The Butler County lawsuit is one of several the ACLU and Public Interest Law Center have filed over alleged voter disenfranchisement after the primary.

A Washington County lawsuit claimed that hundreds of voters were not informed that their ballots were rejected before election day, effectively denying them a chance to cure their ballots or vote provisionally.

The Washington County Court of Common Pleas has yet to rule on that case.

Another lawsuit was filed against Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt and other election officials after numerous ballots were disqualified when voters made errors dating their mail-in ballot envelopes. The case was argued, but no decision has been filed yet.
Cadet dies in line of duty during TDCJ training in Abilene

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC)  A cadet died in the line of duty during training for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Abilene.

TDCJ officials confirm Cadet Michelle Strube, 46, died in the line of duty during pre-service training at the Robertson Unit Training Center in Abilene.

A press release explains that all cadets participate in this training for 6 weeks before becoming a Correctional Officer.

Cadet Strube committed to protecting and serving the state of Texas. There is no higher calling than that, Texas Board of Criminal Justice Chairman Eric Nichols said. Our prayers are with her family, friends and academy cohort during this difficult time.

KTAB and KRBC have requested additional information regarding Cadet Strubes death.

Stick with BigCountryHomepage.com for any updates.

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California Highway Patrol investigators on Tuesday arrested a former CHP officer accused of committing workers compensation fraud two years ago when he worked for the state law enforcement agency.

Jordan Lester, 44, was arrested without incident in Quincy and booked at the Plumas County Jail, the CHP announced in a news release. Lester worked for 16 years for the agency and was assigned to the CHPs Quincy office.

The CHP said Lester was arrested on suspicion of making a false statement to fraudulently obtain compensation, submitting a false statement regarding an insurance claim or benefit, concealing or failing to disclose an event affecting benefits, perjury and making false statements to the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

Lester filed a workers compensation insurance claim July 12, 2021, and he was placed off work by his physician in January 2022. While off work, the CHPs Workers Compensation Fraud Investigations Unit received an anonymous tip. That led to the CHP initiating its own investigation into Lester.

The CHP said the investigation revealed Lester committed workers compensation fraud by engaging in activities, while on injury leave, inconsistent with the limitations and restrictions given by his medical providers.

The investigators also discovered that Lester committed perjury and made false statements to the DMV when he fraudulently misrepresented the purchase price of a vehicle he purchased, according to the CHP.

The CHP fraud investigators are based in the agencys Sacramento headquarters, and the Sacramento County District Attorneys Office obtained the arrest warrant for Lester.

The CHP wants to assure the public that it takes all allegations of employee misconduct very seriously, CHP officials said in the news release. When allegations of misconduct by an employee are suspected, the department takes swift and appropriate action to investigate the allegations.

Allegations of workers compensation fraud may be reported by calling the CHPs fraud hotline 866-779-9237.
Authorities are investigating the death of a 38-year-old condemned inmate transferred to Salinas Valley State Prison from Los Angeles County after an attack by another inmate Monday morning, officials with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced.

The violence, according to a CDCR news release, broke out just after 10:30 a.m. when an inmate identified as 31-year-old Miguel A. Espino reportedly attacked inmate Michael R. Spengler.

Staff quickly stopped the incident and immediately called for medical assistance and 911, the release noted. Responding paramedics pronounced Spengler deceased at 11:08 a.m.

At least one inmate-manufactured weapon was recovered by officers at the scene, officials added.

CDCR inmate death

Spengler had been transferred from L.A. County to SVSP in Aug. 2022 to serve a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for first- and second-degree murder.

Espino was only recently transferred from Riverside County in Feb. 2024 to serve life with the possibility of parole for attempted first-degree murder, inflicting great bodily injury and the personal use of a dangerous or deadly weapon, aggravated mayhem, arson of an inhabited structure, as well as felony arson violation with special circumstances.

The 31-year-old has been placed in restrictive housing pending the outcome of an investigation into the attack by SVSP Investigative Services Unit and the Monterey County District Attorneys Office.

Violent extortionist targeting Koreatown karaoke bars gets 22 years in jail

The Office of the Inspector General was also notified, and the Monterey County Coroner will determine Spenglers exact cause of death.

No other staff or inmates were injured during the incident.

SVSP, which opened in 1999, houses more than 3,300 minimum, medium, maximum and high-security prisoners.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  A California man is being charged with allegedly selling firearms without a license, interstate travel while selling firearms, and making unlawful transactions to promote the sale. Brian Joseph, 52, appeared in front of a federal judge and will remain in custody until his trial, which has not been scheduled.

Court documents state that between October 15, 2021, and November 29, 2022, Joseph allegedly sold firearms in Bernalillo County without being licensed to do so. Joseph would travel from California to New Mexico multiple times to get guns and resell them for profit in California.

Santa Fe shooting suspect appears in federal court

Joseph is also accused of making financial transactions with proceeds from the illegal firearms sales. Documents state that over various dates in 2022, Joseph allegedly made many electronic transfers from Wescom Credit Union to PNC Bank for a total of $6,684.80.

If convicted, Joseph faces up to 20 years in prison.

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California Prop. 36 leaves Democrats divided. Why members of the Black Caucus oppose it

Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

PROP. 36 DIVIDES DEMS

This November, one California ballot measure will pit Democrat against Democrat more than any other: Proposition 36.

Last week, a number of legislative Democrats, including Sens. Melissa Hurtado, D-Bakersfield; Dave Min, D-Irvine; Josh Newman, D-Fullerton; Susan Rubio, D-Baldwin Park; and Tom Umberg, D-Santa Ana; and Assemblymembers Jasmeet Bains, D-Delano; Stephanie Nguyen, D-Elk Grove; Blanca Pacheco, D-Downey; and James Ramos, D-San Bernardino, came out in support of the ballot measure, which would reinstate tougher criminal penalties for certain drug- and theft-related offenses.

This week, its the No On 36 crowds turn.

Speaking in front of the Capitol on Monday were a number of Democratic lawmakers from the Legislative Black Caucus, including Assemblymembers Mia Bonta, D-Alameda; Isaac Bryan, D-Los Angeles; Reggie Jones-Sawyer, D-Los Angeles and Tina McKinnor, D-Inglewood, as well as Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, D-Los Angeles.

Also speaking were Assemblymembers Ash Kalra, D-San Jose and Alex Lee, D-San Jose, who are not members of the Black Caucus.

In a statement, Bryan said, We are not going back. For decades, communities have been calling for us to invest in safe solutions that address the root causes of poverty and desperation. Prop. 36 is a return to the bipartisan failures of the 1980s and 90s. We can and must do better.

He added that every dollar we spend criminalizing poverty is a dollar we couldve better spent ending it.

That echoes a sentiment made by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who also has criticized the ballot measure as being costly for Californians and one that will lead to overcrowding of state prisons once again.

But despite the disagreement dividing Democrats on Prop. 36, even some of that ballot measures proponents say they dont want to return to the old way of doing things.

In a statement from the Yes On 36 camp, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, also a Democrat, said, I have one absolute point of agreement with the advocates gathering at the State Capitol today  the last thing we want to do is go back to the era of mass incarceration. What we seek is a new era of mass treatment.

Mahan added that there is a certain irony that last week elected leaders championed a series of retail theft bills, almost all of which rely on incarceration as the remedy. At the core of Proposition 36 is the principle that treatment is the most compassionate, and cost-effective response to the triple epidemics facing California  homelessness, retail thefts, and drug overdoses.

NEWSOM VETOES AIR POLLUTION MEASURE

Being Senate majority leader didnt protect Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach, from having one of her bills vetoed by Newsom.

On Monday, Newsom issued a legislative update, announcing his signature on dozens of bills and his veto of one: SB 674.

That bill makes a number of changes to the refinery fence-line air monitoring program intended to provide for more pollution controls for neighboring communities.

While I share the authors desire to protect communities from air pollution, local air quality management districts are already carrying out the necessary action to do just that, Newsom wrote in his veto statement.

But it wasnt just that.

As is often the case in Sacramento, it was also about the money.

Additionally, because this bill mandates these districts to implement highly prescriptive measures, it might be found to require state reimbursement of implementation costs at a time when we just recently closed a $44.9 billion shortfall for the 2024-25 fiscal year. There is no state funding identified or available in the state budget to support these efforts, Newsom wrote.

In a statement, Gonzalez called the veto a devastating blow to the years of hard work and advocacy by communities affected by refinery air pollution.

Fenceline communities urgently need improved air monitoring, and it shouldnt be this difficult to establish a system that provides them with the most basic necessities  transparency and information about the toxic chemicals being released into their neighborhoods. I am deeply disappointed by this outcome, but we cannot walk away from this issue. Our communities demand and deserve stronger protections, Gonzalez said.

BIDEN IS COMING TO CALIFORNIA

Who doesnt love Santa Ynez in August?

Count President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden as fans; the two headed that way after Biden spoke Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

According to White House sources, the Bidens will stay in the beautiful rolling hills of the posh Central Coast community until Sunday, when the president and first lady return to their Delaware abode.

The Bidens appear to be big fans of vacationing in the West. Last year, they vacationed in Lake Tahoe.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Once again, Sacramento lobbyists convinced a select powerful few to side with those who prioritize greed over the safety of our children. They should have made the courageous choice to stand with the overwhelming majority of my colleagues in the legislature who would have voted to protect our kids.

 Assemblyman Juan Alanis, R-Modesto, discussing the Senate Appropriations Committees decision to quietly kill his bill designed to crack down on adult-oriented websites, in a statement.

Best of The Bee:

As DNC kicks off in Chicago, Nancy Pelosi downplays rift with Joe Biden, via David Lightman .

As the Democratic National Convention begins, Palestinian supporters to gather in Sacramento, via Vincent Medina .

What you can expect at the Democratic convention in Chicago: Kamala Harris, Tim Walz and more, via David Lightman .

Newsom plans to announce Harris nomination vote at DNC Tuesday, via David Lightman .

Democratic lawmakers pull bill to establish antisemitism guardrails in ethnic studies, via Andrew Sheeler.

(Editors note: A previous version of this story incorrectly listed two Democratic Assemblymembers as belonging to the Legislative Black Caucus. Neither Assemblyman Ash Kalra nor Assemblyman Alex Lee belongs to that caucus.)
The local government of a largely rural, desert county just east of Los Angeles is asking voters to reject Defund the Police in favor of Fund the Police Forever.

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors has approved a charter amendment to protect the community from potential defunding of law enforcement services and establish a minimum level of funding for officers in the sprawling unincorporated areas of the county.

The measure, Proposition L, will appear on the Inland Empire countys November ballot alongside Proposition 36, which has reignited a statewide debate over crime and law enforcement.

We dont ever want future boards of supervisors to be able to take public safety away in our very rural and remote areas of the county, said Supervisor Dawn Rowe, a nonpartisan with Republican ties who represents the most unincorporated regions in the county.

In an interview, Rowe tied the local measure to statewide policy debates and specifically mentioned Proposition 47, a 2014 statewide initiative that classified some non-violent property crimes as misdemeanors, as a burden on the county. Rowe said the measure has driven up misdemeanors in her county.

Unlike San Francisco and San Jose, where local leaders have criticized the 2014 criminal-justice initiative as insufficiently punitive, San Bernardinos unincorporated areas are unlikely to face any large-scale retail-theft problem.

The remote stretches of desert and mountain are usually so far-flung that they lack any consumer products to steal. (Violent crime and property crime have both fallen in unincorporated areas according to the most recent publicly available data, although rates vary significantly across the county.)

San Bernardino, which leans red, is the geographically largest county in the country, encompassing both the conservative exurbs east of Los Angeles along with the Mojave National Preserve and wide stretches of desert up to the Arizona border.

That size contributes to the real geographic and economic challenges that the county faces in policing. For years, San Bernardino County lost officers to higher paying jobs in neighboring Los Angeles and Orange counties and has often been left understaffed. Meanwhile, the sheer size of the county means officers are responsible for patrolling vast areas. (One station, in Needles, covers 5,131 square miles  roughly the size of Connecticut.) More recently, the county has upped officer salaries and, although there are still vacancies, come to something of a staffing equilibrium.

Defund the Police became a civil rights activist call to action following George Floyds murder and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. Although the movement has largely vanished from practical policy discussions in recent years, it still hangs over the political discourse. At least locally, the charter amendment pulls that debate back into the spotlight.

Rowe acknowledges there is little debate within San Bernardino about maintaining the current police presence, although in nearby Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass recently took flack from progressives for raising the LAPDs pay. At present, there is no campaign building either in support of or in opposition to the charter amendment. There have been no recent pushes to cut funding for law enforcement, but Rowe said past calls for such action across the state is proof enough of the threat.

Weve had a lot of conversations in the municipalities around us about defunding the police, Rowe said. Thats not something were interested in. We want to say we favor public safety.
WELLINGTON, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's total annual goods exports to China were up 107 million NZ dollars (65.45 million U.S. dollars), or 8.5 percent, in July 2024, compared with July 2023, the country's statistics department Stats NZ said on Tuesday.

The largest rises of exports to China were fruit, up 76 million NZ dollars (46.49 million dollars), Stats NZ said, adding exports of preparations of milk, cereals, flour, and starch were up 53 million NZ dollars (32.42 million dollars), and logs, wood, and wood articles, were up 52 million NZ dollars (31.81 million dollars).

The largest falls of exports to China were meat and edible offal, down 83 million NZ dollars (50.77 million dollars), and wood pulp and waste paper were down 12 million NZ dollars (7.34 million dollars), it said.

New Zealand's total goods exports to all the destinations rose by 14 percent to 6.1 billion NZ dollars (3.73 billion dollars) in July 2024, compared with July 2023, it said, adding goods imports rose by 8.5 percent to 7.1 billion NZ dollars (4.34 billion dollars).

Among all goods, New Zealand's exports of milk powder, butter, and cheese rose 11 percent to 1.6 billion NZ dollars (980 million dollars), statistics show.

Fruit exports, led by kiwifruit, were up 28 percent, Stats NZ said.

The monthly trade balance in July 2024 was a deficit of 963 million NZ dollars (589.07 million dollars), and the annual trade deficit was 9.3 billion NZ dollars (5.69 billion dollars) in the year ended July 2024, it said, adding that in the year ended July 2023, the annual trade deficit was 15.8 billion NZ dollars (9.67 billion dollars). 
Representatives from the state of Utah, University of Utah and the U.S. Army and National Guard break ground at a ceremony celebrating a land transfer and relocation agreement between the University of Utah and the U.S. Army Reserve at Camp Williams in Bluffdale on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

When Fort Douglas was established during President Abraham Lincolns administration, its primary mission was to protect the Overland Mail Route while keeping an eye on settlers who were early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, attending a ceremonial groundbreaking Monday at Camp Williams for construction of new facilities that will clear the way for a historic relocation agreement between the University of Utah and U.S. Army Reserve, noted how much things had changed.

Its not lost on me that its a little ironic that 162 years ago, then Camp Douglas was established up on the eastern foothills of Salt Lake County, in a way that was maybe a little bit antagonistic, right? The Utah territory, the federal government and the Army werent necessarily working cooperatively with each other at that time. So its a great day today to see how far weve come in 162 years, Henderson said.

Henderson was among a group of Utah officials, dignitaries, military leaders and representatives of the university on hand for the ceremonial groundbreaking of new U.S. Army Reserve facilities at Camp Williams in Bluffdale. Executing the agreement required action by the Utah Legislature, Congress and governors office.

Using $100 million appropriated by the Utah Legislature, the University of Utah will build a headquarters for the Army Reserve at Camp Williams, clearing the way for the military to vacate the remaining 50.9 acres it occupies just east of the university campus.

The Utah Legislature has appropriated a total of $117 million for a land purchase and to relocate the Utah Army National Guard 76th Operational Response Commands personnel and operations to Camp Williams. Officials said Utah is the only state to fund such a military relocation.

Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams said the project was personal because his father attended the University of Utah, served in World War II and after his wartime military service joined the reserves and was attached to Fort Douglas.

So to see this transition, it is a little bit personal for me, but its the right thing to do, said Adams, R-Layton.

Commanding General of the 88th Readiness Division Maj. Gen. Joseph A. Ricciardi, left, University of Utah President Taylor Randall, center left, Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams, center right, and Utah National Guard Brig. Gen. Daniel Boyack speak with each other at a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating a land transfer and relocation agreement between the University of Utah and the U.S. Army Reserve at Camp Williams in Bluffdale on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

Adams said the project will enable something thats probably never been done in the history of America, is to actually combine the reserve, the guard together, so we can be more efficient.

Major Gen. Peter S. Cooke, retired, U.S. Army Reserve, and government special project coordinator for the University of Utah, was thanked by multiple speakers for his work over the years to finally bring the agreement to fruition.

Its amazing. Its just lucky that everything just worked out together. I mean, it just worked into a place where we had the land and we had the leadership for the president of the university and the President of the Senate, and also other leaders in the House that said, OK, lets do it, he said.

The new facilities will stir interest in serving in the National Guard and Army Reserve, which has become more challenging, he said. Their service contributes to national security, he said.

I think the lieutenant governor said it best, We put our money where our mouth is. This is the first time that we know in the history of America that a state came out and said, We will keep you (military functions) here, Cooke said.

The federal and state government collaboration is a beacon for everybody to see that it can be done. It has to be done because where we are with national security by not having our forces replenished. Its a big issue. Its a big, big issue, Cooke said.

The university owns the building and will lease it to the Army Reserve, Cooke said. Construction of the facility started in April.

Fort Douglas and the University of Utah have a shared history spanning more than 150 years.

The University of Utah will build a headquarters for the Army Reserve at Camp Williams. | Elliott Workgroup and Jacobsen Construction

According to a university press release, at one point, the fort stretched over 10,500 acres, from 900 South to 6th Avenue, and from 1300 East to the mouth of Emigration Canyon. Presently, the university surrounds the remaining 50 acres of fort property.

Col. Martin Naranjo, Army Reserve Installation Management division director, said in a statement that the Reserve is excited to be part of this next chapter of multi-component training for our soldiers in and around the Salt Lake City area.

He continued, Partnerships like the ones we have with the University of Utah, the Utah National Guard, and the State of Utah are essential to our success.

Jason Perry, the University of Utahs vice president for government relations, said the university has been working on the exchange for 14 years, annually submitting the proposal to the respective university presidents over that time as an institutional goal.

I had one phrase we repeated every year. It was Pursue options, procure and develop the remaining Fort Douglas property. Fourteen years we were working on that together. Today, we are finally there. It was when President Taylor Randall became president of the University of Utah (that for) the first time we got more than a doubtful eye. He saw that opportunity. He engaged and he helped make this happen.

President Randall said the land transfer is a testament to the strong relationship between the university, elected leaders, the Utah National Guard, and the U.S. Army Reserve.

We are honored to support our military by providing state-of-the-art facilities that enhance training and operational readiness while advancing our universitys mission, he said in a statement.

University of Utah President Taylor Randall speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating a land transfer and relocation agreement between the University of Utah and the U.S. Army Reserve at Camp Williams in Bluffdale on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

University of Utah President Taylor Randall and Commanding General of the 88th Readiness Division Maj. Gen. Joseph A. Ricciardi look to cameras during a handshake at a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating a land transfer and relocation agreement between the University of Utah and the U.S. Army Reserve at Camp Williams in Bluffdale on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

University of Utah President Taylor Randall speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating a land transfer and relocation agreement between the University of Utah and the U.S. Army Reserve at Camp Williams in Bluffdale on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

The construction site where work has already started can be seen from the groundbreaking ceremony celebrating a land transfer and relocation agreement between the University of Utah and the U.S. Army Reserve at Camp Williams in Bluffdale on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

Utah National Guard Brig. Gen. Daniel Boyack speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating a land transfer and relocation agreement between the University of Utah and the U.S. Army Reserve at Camp Williams in Bluffdale on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy listens to speakers during a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating a land transfer and relocation agreement between the University of Utah and the U.S. Army Reserve at Camp Williams in Bluffdale on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens listens to speakers during a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating a land transfer and relocation agreement between the University of Utah and the U.S. Army Reserve at Camp Williams in Bluffdale on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

Army Reserve Chief Financial Officer and Director for Resources, Installations, and Materiel Stephen Sullivan speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating a land transfer and relocation agreement between the University of Utah and the U.S. Army Reserve at Camp Williams in Bluffdale on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

Vice President for Government Relations at the University of Utah Jason P. Perry speaks during a ground breaking ceremony celebrating a land transfer and relocation agreement between the University of Utah and the U.S. Army Reserve at Camp Williams in Bluffdale on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

The color guard brings the United States and Utah State flag into a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating a land transfer and relocation agreement between the University of Utah and the U.S. Army Reserve at Camp Williams in Bluffdale on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

Members of the Utah National Guards 23rd Army Band play during a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating a land transfer and relocation agreement between the University of Utah and the U.S. Army Reserve at Camp Williams in Bluffdale on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

Hardhats sit on shovels during a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating a land transfer and relocation agreement between the University of Utah and the U.S. Army Reserve at Camp Williams in Bluffdale on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  A Canadian company wants to purchase a convenience store company with dozens of locations in the Miami Valley.

According to Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd, parent company of 7-Eleven, which owns Speedway, has been contacted by Canadian-based convenience store company Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

Donate blood: Solvita looking for all blood types

Seven & i Holdings was presented with an acquisition to acquire all outstanding shares of the Company, which would include Speedway.

A decision has yet to be made, but will be promptly announced when a decision occurs, according to Seven & i Holdings.

Neither the Board of Directors nor the Special Committee has made any determination at this time to either accept or reject the proposal from ACT, to enter into discussions with ACT or to pursue any alternative transaction, said the release.

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. is the parent company of Circle K.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
SAN MIGUEL COUNTY, Colo. (KREX)  The 53-year-old Canadian woman who went missing last Wednesday outside of Norwood has been found, according to the San Miguel County Sheriffs Office.

Gina Chase

SMCSO reported Gina Chase was discovered Sunday without injuries in a targeted search area. The sheriffs office said in a press release the outcome could not have been accomplished without search and rescue volunteers, deputies and several other agencies.

Obviously, this is the outcome we were all hoping for, and we couldnt be happier for Ms. Chase and her family. The ultimate success of this mission is a real testament to our responders tenacity, perseverance and dedication, San Miguel County Sheriff Bill Masters said in a release.

Chase was part of a program that allows campers to set off alone into the wilderness without cell phones and then fast, the sheriffs office said.

Masters said no one should go into the backcountry alone.

You should always bring technology for communications. Furthermore, you should not starve yourself even if a guide service suggests the opposite of these basic safety rules. Nature does not care about your safety and will kill you especially if are not properly prepared, Masters said.

After heading out to the Lone Cone area outside of Norwood around 11 a.m., Wednesday, she was reported missing around 2 p.m., Thursday, when a group leader noticed she didnt report back to camp and could not locate her.

Over three dozen deputies, search and rescues and members from different agencies looked for the woman but difficult terrain, dense underbrush and trees made the search strenuous, the sheriffs office said.

The San Miguel County Sheriffs Office was assisted by Highland Helicopter out of Durango, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, La Plata, Montezuma, Dolores and Ouray counties search and rescue teams, Ridgway Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest 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 WesternSlopeNow.com.
Captain Who Saw Yacht Sink in Sicily and Helped Rescue Survivors Calls Incident a 'Big Disaster'

"We noticed that the ship behind us was gone, Karsten Borner recalled after the storm was over

Karsten Borner

A boat captain in Sicily recalls saving several survivors just moments after a fatal yacht incident in Italy left at least one person dead and six people missing.

The Bayesian vessel, a 56-meter (183-ft) superyacht carrying 22 people, was anchored when a tornado formed over the water, known as a waterspout, striking the superyacht before it lost its balance and sank, per Sicilian news agency Ansa.



Karsten Borner, who was a captain on a nearby boat, saw the boat sink "a few minutes" after it was hit, he told Italian news outlet Rai, per the BBC.

"It all happened in really little time," he continued.

The storm was over. We noticed that the ship behind us was gone, Borner told the BBC in a video interview Monday. And then we saw a red flare, so my first mate and I went to the position and we found this life raft drifting [with] 15 people inside."

Corpo Nazionale dei Vigili dei del Fuoco via Getty Images Italian Coast Guard ship at site of sunken vessel on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024

Related: 6 Passengers, Including 2 Americans, Missing After 180-Foot Yacht Sinks amid Storm in Sicily

According to Borner, four people were hurt, including three who sustained severe injuries.



We brought them to our ship, and then we communicated with the Coast Guard. Then after some time, the Coast Guard came, and later they picked the injured people [up], the captain of the nearby ship said.

Borner recalled using a light to see that the Bayesian was overturned. He noted that there was a little baby in the life raft, later identified as a 1-year-old English girl named Sophie.

"It was a big disaster," he concluded.

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.

Vincenzo Pepe/Getty Ambulance parked near harbor where search continues after yacht capsized on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024

The child was transported to the Children's Hospital of Palermoper Ansa, per Corriere Della Sera. Her mother was identified to PEOPLE by local authorities as Charlotte Golunski.

Golunski told the Italian newspaper la Repubblica she briefly lost Sophie due to the turbulent sea but later found her.

"I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning, the mother told the newspaper.

She added, "It was all dark. In the water, I couldn't keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others."

The babys father, James Emsley, survived the incident, an official with Sicily's civil protection agency told Sky News.

At the time the yacht sank, the Coast Guard said 12 passengers were on board as well as 10 crew members, per the Associated Press.

One person was found dead near the yacht and has since been identified as a cook from the boat, according to local outlet Palermo Today and the BBC.



Of the six who are still missing are British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah. His wife, Angela Bacares, was among those rescued, local sources said.

Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Mike Lynch

Just months ago Lynch, the founder of the U.K.-based tech company Autonomy, was acquitted on all charges that alleged he inflated his company's earnings ahead of an $11 billion deal with Hewlett-Packard, per TechCrunch and the Associated Press.

In a statement shared with the outlets at the time, the tech giant said he was "looking forward to returning to the U.K. and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field.



PEOPLE has reached out to the Italian Coast Guard for further comment, but they did not immediately respond.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Caring Acres Nursing and Rehabilitation in Anita. (Photo via Google Earth)

A Cass County nursing home with a history of abuse-related violations is again facing possible federal fines for failing to protect residents from abuse.

The state has proposed fines of $30,250 against Caring Acres Nursing and Rehabilitation in Anita. The proposed fines are tied to verbal abuse allegedly committed by a teenage caregiver. The fines are being held in suspension while the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services determines whether it will impose a federal penalty in place of any state fines.

The proposed penalty would have totaled $14,250 but a portion of the fines was tripled due to abuse being a recurring violation at Caring Acres. In 2023, Caring Acres was cited for resident abuse after a male a resident of the home, whose history of groping workers and residents had earned him the nickname Captain McFeelypants, was determined to have sexually abused residents.

The more recent incident is detailed in state inspection reports about a female residents recent complaint that she waited two hours for the staff to put her to bed. According to state inspection reports, the woman alleged that when she complained to the staff, a certified nursing assistant  whom the resident and staff described as the 16-year-old daughter of the assistant director of nursing  said to her, I am not putting up with your s tonight, and walked away. The teen had also berated her in the past and had been physically rough with her, the woman alleged.

One Caring Acres employee allegedly told inspectors she had to hold back her own tears after watching the resident cry while describing the verbal abuse and rough handling she was allegedly subjected to by the CNA.

The worker reportedly told inspectors that she personally witnessed the CNA telling another resident of the home, Shut the f up, and, I dont care about your bulls, and said the teenager spent a lot of her time at work on her phone.

When residents try to talk with her, she will not pay attention, the worker allegedly told inspectors. She will yell at nurses and her mom, who is the assistant director of nursing, (and) will tell her to shut up in front of residents while in the dining room.

The residents, the worker allegedly told inspectors, would be happier without her here because she is so disgusting and horrible to them.

Charge nurse: Staff fears retaliation

The charge nurse at the home allegedly told inspectors the teenage CNA could be really nasty to residents, really mean, and would respond to residents requests for assistance by saying, I dont care, its not my problem  Her mom is the assistant director of nursing, and she will tell her to shut the f up in front of residents.

The charge nurse allegedly added that she and others at the home were fearful of retaliation for complaining because all of (the CNAs) family works at the facility.

A third employee of the home told inspectors that when she worked with the CNA, the teen was awful, was defiant when anything was asked of her, and was loud and sarcastic. The employee said the CNA would curse at her mother, the assistant director of nursing, while residents were present.

The staff at the home told inspectors the CNA was temporarily suspended and then, after returning to work, was barred from providing care for the woman who had complained.

Captain McFeelypants incidents

In the 2023 incident, inspectors alleged that on Jan. 25, the homes director of nursing entered a female residents room to tell her it was time for lunch and found a male resident of the home leaning over the womans bed, groping her breasts and kissing her intimately.

The director of nursing told the man to leave and, according to inspectors, she later educated him on the importance of consent and the fact that some people are not be able to make proper decisions for themselves.

In talking to inspectors, the director of nursing acknowledged that neither resident was capable of providing informed consent for sexual activity. She also told inspectors that when she informed the administrator, he indicated there was no need to tell the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing of the incident.

A nurse aide told inspectors the male residents nickname among the workers was Captain McFeelypants because of his inappropriate actions. She told inspectors the man would sit on the couch and grope female residents but he never would go past first base.

State inspectors also alleged that on the evening of July 17, 2023, a nurse aide had walked into a female residents room and found an undressed male resident of the home in the womans bed, on top of the woman. The man was in mid-thrust when both residents turned to look at me, the aide wrote in her report. The aide separated the two and summoned a nurse to the room.

The nurse did an assessment of the female resident, and facility records indicate that when asked what happened the woman reported the man had come into her room and said he wanted to do sex. She reported that she told the man, Get outta here, at which point he took off his clothes, took off some of her clothes, and lay on top of her.

The woman  who had Alzheimers disease, schizophrenia and severely impaired cognitive skills  was checked for vaginal bleeding and reportedly told the staff she didnt mind the encounter. The police were notified, as was DIAL.

As a result of the 2023 incidents, CMS fined the home $21,356. The home currently has a one-star rating from CMS for both staffing levels and overall quality.

Caring Acres is owned by Anew Healthcare Operations of Blue Springs, Mo. The for-profit company operates 12 nursing homes in Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. Company officials referred all questions about Caring Acres to CEO Mark Hastings who could not be reached for comment.
PLEASE PRAY: Carroll County deputy out of surgery, in ICU after shooting; suspect dead

A Carroll County deputy who was rushed to the hospital in very critical condition after he was shot Tuesday morning is now out of surgery and in the intensive care unit.

Deputy Taylor Bristow was shot in the face while attempting to serve a warrant at a home on Don Rich Drive around 8:30 a.m. He was flown to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.

The suspect is dead, though officers didnt give details on how he died.

Bristow has been with the Carroll County Sheriffs Office for six years, according to deputies.

The sheriff gave an update on his injuries around 4:30 p.m., writing:

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Hes out of surgery, theyve done a CT scan and moved him to ICU. Unknown at this time his current condition. Please continue to pray! the sheriffs office wrote on Facebook.

TRENDING STORIES:

The suspect has not been identified and its unclear why he was being served a warrant.

The GBI said they are not considering the incident an officer-involved shooting, but did not say why.

Channel 2s Ashli Lincoln spoke to Jim Barron, who lives two doors down from the home where the shooting happened.

I know that the hard-working police officer, who works hard every day to make us safe, is in critical condition, Barron said. Its a hard job for those guys. I just hope he pulls through.

Barron heard the aftermath of deputies rushing to the scene.

I heard all the police cars coming up this narrow road, he said.

Lincoln spoke to family members at the scene, who were too distraught to talk on camera.

Channel 2s Bryan Mims was at Grady Memorial Hospital, where Carroll County Sheriff Terry Langly arrived around noon. Officers from multiple other agencies, including Clayton and Fulton County deputies and Georgia State Patrol troopers also arrived at the hospital Tuesday afternoon.

This is the second Georgia deputy shot in the line of duty in a matter of days. Paulding County deputy Brandon Cunningham, 30, was shot and killed Saturday night while responding to a domestic violence call. The suspect in that shooting, Jimmy Atkins, shot and killed himself.
Angie Gialloreto, 95, of Pennsylvania, is the oldest delegate at the 2024 Democratic National Committee in Chicago. She's been to every convention since 1976. (Capital-Star photo)

CHICAGO  Angie Gialloreto of Pennsylvania attended her first Democratic National Convention in 1976, when Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale were on the ticket, and has been to every DNC since. And at 95, shes believed to be the oldest of the thousands of Democratic delegates, stumping for Vice President Kamala Harris presidential bid this week with no plans to slow down, she told the Capital-Star in an interview Tuesday.

I am a Democrat, and I started when I was very young, said Gialloreto, who said she has been a committee woman in Wilkins Township for 66 years. This years election, she said, feels different than many past years. Its a new generation, women and people of color are finally not being overlooked and bypassed. Its a beginning of a new American freedom.

Gialloreto, who was a delegate for Hillary Clinton in 2016, said Clintons Monday night speech was moving. She should have been president, Gialloreto said. But shes like me, a true Democrat. And Im so proud of the leadership of my state and this country.

She advised younger delegates and younger women not to give up the fight, even on days when they are feeling discouraged, and to get involved in politics.

Some days it fills your heart so much that you cant explain to people; the enthusiasm that you get, she said. But if they feel they have something to contribute to their community its worth it. Come try it, youll like it.

She couldnt choose a favorite convention. But she said President Joe Biden is her favorite Democrat. I first met him when he was just running as a senator, and I had a feeling about him, she said.

The youngest Pennsylvania delegate, and one of the youngest at the DNC, is Ellie Goluboff-Schragger, 20, a rising junior at the University of Pennsylvania. I wanted to see how all this works on a national level and meet all the people that make all of this happen, she said.

Goluboff-Schragger said she met Gov. Josh Shapiro on Monday and was impressed. He was so kind, and so amazing, she said. She also wants to meet Vice President Kamala Harris, of course, but also U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), whom Goluboff-Schragger said really resonates with younger voters.

Shes listening this week to how Democrats speak on the issues most important to her and her peers. As a woman, obviously reproductive rights are important; as a gay woman, I think LGBTQ rights are really important, she said. The right for me to get married is really important to me, and the right to choose what I do with my body and be able to have a kid without being worried about, you know, what we heard at the convention last night happening.

She referred to a group of women who told their stories of having difficulty accessing abortion care during Monday nights start of the convention. Kamala Harris has been an incredible advocate for abortion rights and reproductive rights, and Tim Walz has been an advocate for LGBTQ rights, since the very beginning. So I think those are the things that matter most.

For Gialloreto, shes planning to treat the upcoming election the same as she has all past elections: as a call to get to work. I believe in freedom. I believe in America, she said. Im just a happy 95-year-old woman thats going to work my head off to get Kamala elected.

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Superior Court Judge Sam Ohta, pictured in 2023, tossed out two felony charges against Diana Teran and ruled the case will move forward on six others. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Sam Ohta on Tuesday tossed out two of the eight remaining felony charges against Diana Teran, a top district attorneys office advisor accused of illegally using records the state alleges were confidential.

But Ohta also ruled the case will move ahead toward trial on six remaining felony charges. The decision came after a four-day preliminary hearing in the state's case against Teran, who was charged under a computer hacking statute.

Four months ago, California Atty. Gen. Rob Bontas office said Teran broke the law in 2021 when she flagged several sheriffs deputies names for possible inclusion on a list of problem cops. Bontas office said Teran knew about those deputies and their alleged misbehavior only because of purportedly confidential records shed been sent three years earlier when she worked at the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

Teran's attorney, James Spertus, has said repeatedly that those records were never confidential because they were public court records. But state prosecutors have argued for weeks that all information sent to the Sheriffs Department is considered confidential under department policy, even if it is a public court ruling written by a judge.

Ohta read aloud his 28-page ruling, which took more than an hour. Ultimately he concluded that, although court records are public, Teran could have then searched for those deputies' names in the Sheriff's Department's confidential personnel data system after she was emailed the records in question. Those searches, he said, could show a link between the public records and confidential information.

Read more: 'Kind of bunk': A closer look at the controversial case against a top L.A. D.A. official

State and county prosecutors declined to comment on Tuesday's outcome. But former Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti, who watched the proceedings from the audience, said Ohta's decision was a disappointment.

"It's a sad day when someone as fine a lawyer and as ethical and careful as she is was working within the scope of her authority and somehow that scope becomes criminalized," he told The Times outside the courtroom.

Spread out over two weeks, the hearing featured several eyebrow-raising moments. At one point, a state investigator incorrectly said he thought court filings were not considered public records because they cost money. Later, he said all information sent to the Sheriffs Department would be confidential  even the receipt for a deputys pizza order.

And, though prosecutors said for months that Teran had illegally taken confidential personnel records, testimony showed there was no evidence she had downloaded any of the court records from confidential personnel files, which she was permitted to access as part of her job. Even so, one investigator testified that the state is still investigating additional allegations against Teran.

Throughout the hearing, Ohta repeatedly signaled skepticism about the case, often sighing at state prosecutors or rolling his eyes. A few times, he questioned the point of the prosecution  so the outcome appeared something of a reversal.

The decision moves ahead a case that set off shock waves across the states legal community when Bonta unexpectedly announced it in April, even as Dist. Atty. George Gascon  a fellow Democrat  geared up for a tough reelection fight against a more conservative challenger.

Teran's duties included overseeing the division of the district attorney's office tasked with prosecuting police. She was seen as closely tied to Gascons law enforcement accountability and justice reform agenda. The district attorney's office has said it does not comment on personnel matters but has confirmed Teran is no longer overseeing the office's Ethics and Integrity Operations. Public records obtained by a longtime prosecutor show Teran was still being paid as of June.

The allegations at the center of the current case date to 2018, when Teran worked as a constitutional police advisor for then-Sheriff Jim McDonnell. Part of her usual duties included accessing confidential deputy records and internal affairs investigations.

After leaving the Sheriffs Department in late 2018, Teran joined the district attorneys office, where state prosecutors allege that, in 2021, she sent a list of 33 names and supporting documents to another prosecutor for possible inclusion in internal databases of officers with problematic disciplinary histories. Under the 1963 U.S. Supreme Court decision Brady vs. Maryland, prosecutors are required to turn over any evidence favorable to a defendant, including evidence of police misconduct.

According to an affidavit signed by Tony Baca, a special agent with the state Department of Justice, several of the names Teran emailed to fellow prosecutor Pamela Revel were deputies whose files she had accessed while working at the Sheriffs Department.

After searching news articles and public records requests, a state investigator found that 11 of the names hadnt been mentioned in public, which led to the allegation that Teran wouldnt have been able to identify them were it not for her special access while working at the Sheriffs Department.

The state has fought for months to keep the arrest affidavit secret and has resisted releasing the names of the deputies, asking for protective orders at every step. When Bontas office this year agreed to release the affidavit, prosecutors still left nine of the names redacted.

Only the names of Liza Gonzalez and Thomas Negron  former deputies who court records show were fired for dishonesty  were made public, a move the state has not explained.

Before the first day of the hearing, Bontas office filed an updated version of the criminal complaint, dropping the charges relating to Gonzalez, Negron and one other deputy, identified only as Deputy Doe 11 in court filings. Prosecutors did not explain why they dropped those three charges, though Spertus later told The Times one of them  Deputy Doe 11  was a civilian employee and not a deputy.

At the start of the hearing, the court heard from Deputy Todd Bernstein, who testified that most Sheriffs Department information is confidential under department policy and that public information  including public court records  would be considered confidential once sent to the department, such as in an email attachment.

Read more: State prosecutors drop three felony counts against Los Angeles County D.A. advisor

Though state prosecutors repeatedly pointed out that tracking software showed Teran had accessed confidential personnel records hundreds of times while working at the Sheriffs Department, Bernstein testified that the software in fact showed she did not download any files relating to the 11 department employees from the personnel records system.

The court also heard from Baca and another special agent who investigated the case. Much of their testimony focused on identifying the documents Teran is accused of sending to Revel and offering detailed descriptions of metadata linking them to files she had received years earlier at the Sheriffs Department.

Testimony showed those files were all court records and tentative court orders, echoing claims Spertus had made repeatedly in the past. For months, he has said the allegedly confidential records were all documents from lawsuits filed by the deputies themselves, seeking to overturn disciplinary decisions and firing.

But Baca acknowledged that, while investigators scoured major news articles and searched Google for public mentions of the deputies, he did not check whether their court records were available on the court website, because hes not too familiar with the platform. Also, he said, he didnt consider the courts online records to be public because theres a fee to search them.

Because you couldnt find it, that makes it confidential in your mind? Spertus asked in a broader question about the investigators research efforts.

Thats correct, Baca replied.

In their testimony, the agents also said some of the deputy district attorneys theyd interviewed took issue with Terans view of what materials should be included in the district attorney's databases of problem cops, which they framed as more inclusive than past practice.

The judge frequently bristled at the states lines of questioning. At one point, Ohta asked whether prosecutors were trying to show that Teran harbored an anti-police bias and demanded to know how that was relevant to the charges. Later, he questioned why they appeared to be trying to show Teran was supposedly worried about being arrested.

A lot of people are afraid of being arrested by the Sheriff's Department, Ohta said. Im afraid of being arrested by the Sheriff's Department.

As the hearing unexpectedly stretched into its second week, Inspector General Max Huntsman  the county watchdog whose office oversees the Sheriffs Department  testified that he found Teran exceedingly honest when they worked together. He said that, when state investigators interviewed him this year, he told them he was concerned their prosecution was without a legal or factual basis.

Read more: High-ranking L.A. prosecutor booked on felony charges, released on $50,000 bond

Ohta, however, apparently begged to differ. Even though he agreed with Spertus that court records are public, he said that wasn't the determining factor as to whether Teran broke the law. Instead, he focused on whether the public documents contained names linking them to confidential personnel records.

Because evidence showed that Teran had been tracking some of the deputies' disciplinary cases during her time at the Sheriff's Department, Ohta said it was a reasonable inference that she might have searched their names in the confidential personnel data system.

He threw out the two felony counts relating to Deputy Does 3 and 5, saying there were no emails indicating that Teran had been tracking their cases, so there was no "logical inference" she would have looked them up in the personnel records system.

Though Teran had been released on $50,000 bond when she was initially booked in April, Ohta nixed the bail requirement and released her on her own recognizance.

Within hours of Ohta's decision, news of the outcome began making waves in the legal community. In a Tuesday afternoon email to other prosecutors, deputy district attorney John Colello raised concerns about whether the D.A.'s office should notify defense lawyers about Teran'. For cases she had "any role in," Colello wrote, the charges against her could constitute exculpatory evidence that prosecutors are required to disclose under Brady.

"The intentional failure to do so is a felony crime," Colello wrote in his email, a copy of which was sent to The Times.

Meanwhile Cristine Soto DeBerry, who runs the Prosecutors Alliance of California  an organization of progressive prosecutors and their allies  focused on the two dismissed charges and said she still believed Teran would be acquitted at trial.

With each step of the legal process, the case against her is unraveling, as it should," DeBerry said in statement. "The deeply problematic charges brought against ADA Teran seek to penalize a public servant for fulfilling her ethical duty to ensure transparency and uphold the Constitution, all in the name of shielding police misconduct behind a veil of secrecy."

Teran is due back in court on Sept. 3.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Residents are reportedly seeing an increase in a dementia-like illness  but no one can explain why

Marc Guitard/Getty Stock image of downtown Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

Cases of an unexplained disorder that causes dementia-like symptoms are increasing in a Canadian province, leading many to worry that there is an environmental cause.

Called the New Brunswick neurological syndrome of unknown etiology, after the province where its found, the disorder is marked by atypical, rapidly progressive dementia, a government investigation found.

Early cases were diagnosed as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which the Mayo Clinic explains is similar to Alzheimer's disease, but progresses more rapidly and leads to death.

Getty Stock image of brain scans

Related: Brittany Snow Opens Up About Her Dad's Alzheimer's Diagnosis: 'He Was My Best Friend'

However, as the family of Laurie Beatty, who died in 2018, told the New York Times, his test results for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease came back negative.

Beattys neurologist, Dr. Alier Marrero, noted to the outlet that hed seen an increase in patients with cognitive decline, saying their symptoms were first behavioral before devolving into muscle spasms, joint pain, and hallucinations that he says were like a nightmare.

However, the official investigation did not identify any specific behaviours, foods, or environmental exposures that can be identified as potential risk factors and instead of one specific illness, the patients studied were all dealing with known illnesses like schizophrenia or progressive supranuclear palsy.

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.

Marrero told the New York Times that hes now treating more than 430 patients with an undiagnosable cognitive decline, and that 111 of those patients are under age 45. As of the time of writing, 39 have died.

He also explained to the outlet that, when testing his patients blood for the presence of glyphosate  a weed-killing chemical thats pervasive in the United States as well  90% had elevated levels.

Marc Guitard/Getty Stock image of the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada

Related: Woman Thought Baby's Facial Feature Was Trait from Dad, Then Realizes It's Symptom of Childhood Dementia (Exclusive)

I am not concluding that this is the cause of what is happening, Marrero shared, per the NYT. But it is something that is telling me that something is wrong with the environment they live in.

He also highlighted that he has been getting referrals from other areas in Canada.

This is a collective effort that is needed, he told the publication. Not only for the people here in New Brunswick, but because whatever is causing this might be happening elsewhere.



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Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood, shown in his Bakersfield office, told local media that deputies had been "appropriately disciplined" for killing a cat. (Gustavo Arellano / Los Angeles Times)

Back on March 27, a black cat wandered onto a broad green field at the Sheriff's Pistol Range in Kern County. Two deputies, laden in olive-drab tactical gear, spotted the cat, stalked it and shot it. Along with a third deputy who, according to a witness, didn't draw his gun, the group looked on as the cat writhed in pain and died.

Now, they're back on the job, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said Sunday. "This case is completed," he told KGET television news. "The allegations were sustained. The officers have been appropriately disciplined."

Whatever punitive measures were taken, the sheriff would not say. "That's as much as I can tell you without violating the peace officer's bill of rights," he said.

The deputies were never charged under California Penal Code Section 597, which calls for a prison term of up to three years for "maliciously and intentionally killing an animal."

Read more: Men charged with murder in Johnny Wactor's death implicated themselves in jailhouse talk, sources say

The incident probably would have escaped notice had a woman named Susan Bowen not been passing by on her bicycle and watched it happen. She said she saw the deputies stalk and kill the cat, and although she wasn't able to record the shooting, she did confront the deputies from a distance, taking a video with her phone, shouting, "What are you guys doing to the cat? You just shot it?"

"It was damaging the property," one deputy responded.

"Damaging the property?" Bowen yelled. "A cat? And now you're not going to put it out of its misery?"

She posted the video on Facebook.

Bowen could not be reached for comment on the resolution of the matter.

Youngblood also told KGET that he had "met with animal rights groups; they're content with what we're doing."

"That's very interesting," said Barbara Hays, who runs the Cat People. As the organization that's cared for feral cats at Hart Memorial Park, located northeast of Bakersfield and adjacent to the shooting range, it is the animal rights group closest to the situation. Youngblood hasn't contacted her about the disposition of the case, she said.

The sheriff appeared to take the shooting seriously, Hays said. "He told me, 'I am as horrified as you are.'"

Although she said that she understood that the Sheriff's Department is dealing with bigger issues, and that the deputies who used a cat for target practice aren't representative of the department as a whole, she remains troubled by the shooters: "If they treat a little animal with such disrespect, what in the world are they doing with people?"

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
WELLINGTON, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- A new test to detect earthworm environmental DNA (eDNA) levels in soils marks a significant development in soil health assessment, a New Zealand laboratory said on Tuesday.

The earthworm eDNA test measures tiny traces of genetic material left behind as earthworms move through the soil, according to New Zealand's privately owned testing laboratory Hill Labs which developed the test in collaboration with the government-owned AgResearch.

Hill Labs founder and executive director Roger Hill said the new earthworm eDNA test gives farmers an additional tool to better monitor soil health, helping to promote sustainable farming in New Zealand and beyond.

Earthworms are often seen as indicators of healthy soil because they need good soil conditions to thrive. They also aid in aeration and nutrient mixing, said a release of Hill Labs.

In high-quality soil, a typical New Zealand paddock would usually have earthworm populations exceeding 400 per square meter and 250 per square meter in arable land, it said.

Existing methods to assess earthworm populations are labor-intensive and require specialist knowledge, limiting the number of samples and convenience, it said, adding that the new eDNA test, used in tandem with existing field visual assessments, offers a convenient way to enhance soil health monitoring.

Hill said his laboratory is dedicated to exploring the full potential of this technology across different crops and farming methods to support New Zealand's farmers and growers.

AgResearch senior scientist Nicole Schon said having this new tool for testing the abundance of earthworms via eDNA is going to make measuring soil health easier and more efficient.

Future consultations will explore potential uses for this technology with tasks such as pest identification and pathogen detection, Hill Labs said, adding that it could help farmers decide not to plant certain crops in areas prone to specific diseases like clubroot in brassicas. 
RFBSIP/Adobe Stock

When it comes to contraception, intrauterine devices (IUDs) have so much going for them. They have some of the highest efficacy rates compared to other forms of birth control, they can last up to 10 years depending on what kind you get, and you dont have to remember to take a daily pill or mess around with shots or patches. But as I (and plenty of other people) have experienced firsthand, committing to an IUD comes with a frustrating downside: It can be really painful to get one inserted.

Thanks, in part, to social mediawith some people live-streaming their IUD insertionsthe pain associated with getting one of these just-over-an-inch-long devices placed in your uterus has warranted national attention (and plenty of headlines). To address this pain, the CDC released new guidelines on August 8, recommending the use of certain medications during IUD insertion. Specifically, the CDC stated that lidocaine (a commonly used anesthetic) in two different forms might be useful for reducing patient pain. The guidelines also urge practitioners to counsel their patients considering an IUD about the risk of pain and to help them come up with a personalized plan for the procedure.

In the world of contraception, this is a huge deal. Although IUD insertion may cause whats described by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) as temporary discomfort, that mild language doesnt accurately capture the pain that a lot of people feel during the procedure. In my experience, it felt like a really long, horrible pinch in a place you never thought could (or should) be pinched. A friend of mine also compared the pain she felt during her IUD insertion to bleeding out of her eardrums.

This isnt hyperbole, either. A 2016 study published in BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health surveyed 109 women who hadnt given birth a few times in the first year after they got an IUD and found that while most people were very satisfied with their IUD, 78% rated insertion pain as moderate to severe. Even worse, research also shows that providers often underestimate their patients pain during IUD insertion.

Kate White, MD, MPH, FACOG, chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Boston Medical Center and author of Your Sexual Health, who served on an advisory committee for the new CDC recommendations, feels this level of guidance is long overdue. Part of me is so sad that something that should just be table stakes is getting so much attention, she tells SELF. Like, really, just saying you have to talk to people and offer them pain medication is this revolutionary recommendation? Thats where the bar is?

Frustratingly, pain management has long existed as an option for IUD insertion. Nothing presented [in the CDC recommendations] is novel to any ob-gyn, Tierney Wolgemuth, MD, an ob-gyn who just completed her residency at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and who has researched and lectured on this topic, tells SELF. Whats different now, she says, is the emphasis on doctors having a conversation about these options every time a patient is interested in an IUD.

But what exactly are those options, and how well do they work? We asked top ob-gyns to break it all down.

First, lets talk about why IUD insertion can be so painful.

IUDs protect you from pregnancy by sitting inside the uterus and either releasing hormones locally or preventing sperm from reaching and fertilizing an egg. But in order for a physician to place it in your uterus, they have to get past your cervixa small canal that connects your uterus to your vagina. As such, there are a few points in the insertion procedure that can cause pain and discomfort:

Speculum placement: The device, also used for Pap smears, opens your vagina and allows your doctor access to your cervix, which can be uncomfortable or painful for some people.

Stabilizing the cervix: Doctors use a tenaculumkind of like a small pair of forcepsto hold the cervix in place during insertion. There can be a ton of pressure that can lead to uterine cramping with the placement of those instruments onto the cervix, Dr. Wolgemuth says.

Measuring the uterus: Next, your ob-gyn will insert a small rod called a sound to measure the length of the uterus. Rachel Blake, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn, tells her patients this is the first of two large cramps, which can range from mild to very severe, but goes away once the sound is removed.

Dilating the cervix: In some cases, a persons cervix needs to be dilated before placing an IUD. This is more common with people who havent had a baby or who have low estrogen, Dr. Blake tells SELF. And it involves entering the cervix multiple times with increasingly larger dilators, which takes more time and can make the procedure more painful, she says.

Placing the device: Your doctor will take a tiny tube holding the IUD and pass it through your cervix into the top of your uterus; the IUD then opens up like an umbrella. Insertion tends to come with more intense cramping, Dr. Wolgemuth says.

Again, not everyone feels pain (or extreme amounts of it) during this process. But Dr. Wolgemuth says certain factors can up your risk of feeling pain while getting an IUD placed, like never giving birth, a history of pelvic pain or painful periods, and a history of sexual trauma, among others.

What are my IUD pain management options?

Dr. White says she tends to describe the options to patients as three levels: oral pain medication, lidocaine (available as a spray, gel, or injection), and sedation.

1. Oral NSAIDs

Taking Advil, Aleve, or another nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) about an hour or two before IUD insertion is a standard recommendation because its pretty low-risk, Dr. Blake says. You can find these for a relatively low price at any drugstore, and they dont affect your ability to drive or otherwise get yourself home from the doctors office.

The downside: NSAIDs like ibuprofen dont do much to address the pain of the procedure itself, but rather the cramping that can happen afterward, which lasts up to one or two days after the IUD is placed, Dr. White sayssomething she feels isnt always explained to patients.

2. Topical lidocaine (as a spray or gel)

Next we have lidocaine, a topical anesthetic that can be put directly on your cervix via a spray or a gel 5 to 15 minutes before insertion. These are pretty easy for doctors to apply (or can be self-applied), Dr. White says, and are effective at reducing pain with tenaculum placement. Not so much the IUD part, though, she adds.

3. Paracervical block of lidocaine

Paracervical block is medical speak for getting an injection of lidocaine in the area around the cervixkind of like how you get a Novocaine shot at the dentist before they drill into a cavity, Dr. White says. The injection itself isnt painless, but she says that it tends to be far less painful than the cramping associated with IUD insertion. This method has largely been shown to help reduce pain during most of the procedure, including tenaculum placement, measuring the uterus with the sound, and actually putting the IUD in place.

However, there are potential side effects to be aware of, including dizziness; nausea; numbness in your lips, tongue, or face; ringing in your ears; and in very rare cases, a chance of seizures. Some people might also have bleeding from the injection site itself. Dr. Blake adds that the paracervical block typically makes the procedure a few minutes longer (since you have to administer it and then wait about five minutes for it to kick in), meaning more time up in the stirrups with the speculum in.

4. Sedation

Dr. White calls this the ultimate level of pain management for IUD insertion. Typically you get a lighter form of anesthesia than youd get for say, gallbladder surgery, and it makes you sleepy, she says. Although sedation was not one of the explicit CDC recommendations, there are patients who this is a really good option for, Dr. Wolgemuth explains. Namely, people who have gone through medical or sexual trauma or who otherwise have had a bad experience with IUD insertion. Because of the anxiety that these past experiences can cause, being awake for the procedure might be retraumatizing (which can, understandably, make the whole thing that much more difficult).

Of course, there are downsides to keep in mind. The procedure will be longer, and you need to have someone on standby to take you home afterward (as there are generally some side effects, including headache, nausea, and drowsiness). Plus sedation may not be covered by insurance or might have a higher out-of-pocket cost, depending on your plan. And not all gynecologists can offer it, either, since it requires having anesthesia capabilities in-office.

I dont believe most people need sedation for this procedure, but I think that should always be available and discussed as a part of the range of options, Dr. Wolgemuth says. Even if your ob-gyn isnt equipped to do sedation, you should be referred to a practitioner who can if you and your doctor decide thats what you need.

5. Supplemental options

There are lots of ways to reduce pain and anxiety that are not actually by prescription, Dr. White says, citing good doctor-patient counseling, aromatherapy, listening to music, and having a support person in the room with you as examples. But she feels those are best in addition to prescription options (if you need them), not as the first line of defense.

Dr. White adds that people who have anxiety disorders or high levels of anxiety surrounding IUD insertion might do well with Valium (an anxiety medication that calms your brain) or another similar medication. While anxiety meds cant (and shouldnt) fully replace the pain management options above, there is absolutely a link between pain and anxiety that should be considered, she says.

So where do we go from here?

Now that the CDC has released these recommendations, I hope patients feel more empowered to walk into the office, and if the IUD is on the list of [contraceptive] methods they want to consider, that they actually have a long conversation about pain medication options, Dr. White says. Ideally, she adds, [she hopes] all insurance companies start covering all the pain management techniques available too.

Unfortunately, the reality of implementing these recommendations (and addressing patient pain in general) is a bit more complex. For starters, providers will need to be trained on new practices and techniques for IUD insertion, and how to better navigate these conversations with their patients, Dr. Blake says. I just encountered this uncomfortable reality during my annual exam. I asked my ob-gyn about pain management for IUDs (because I want a new one), and she only mentioned ibuprofen. When I pressed her about specifics from the CDC recs, she said that in her 30 years of administering IUDs, she had never once used pain medication. She ultimately did talk to me about the different forms of lidocaine, but with what felt like skepticism and a clear reluctance to actually use any of these options. I left the appointment feeling frustrated and dismissed. And if Ia health journalist who has done tons of research on the topiccan get brushed off by my doctor like this, what does that mean for someone with less knowledge and privilege than me?

Even if you have an ob-gyn who is more with it than mine (and I hope you do), there are a lot of other barriers to consider. As mentioned earlier, not every ob-gyns office is equipped to offer every option, like paracervical blocks or sedation. Dr. Wolgemuth adds that a lot of clinic appointments are short and not currently designed for adequate counseling (although she believes that needs to change). All of this assumes you have reliable, affordable access to a doctor too. Data shows that 30% of US women between the ages of 19 and 44 are underinsured (meaning their insurance plans come with high deductibles or out-of-pocket costs), and 10% of women between the ages of 19 and 64 are uninsuredlimiting access to any gynecological care, not just IUD placement and its pain management.

Even with access and great counseling from doctors, the options that exist for managing IUD insertion pain just arent that great. Experts say the research is very limitedboth in terms of what exists and the findingsand what has been shown to work comes with limitations. My concern is that patients may have false hope that this procedure will be pain-free, when thats not necessarily the reality, Dr. Blake says.

For that reason, all three experts say we need more research on IUD insertion to understand if there are more effective pain management options with fewer downsides, which is challenging in and of itself. Pain studies in general are difficult because theyre very subjective, Dr. Blake says. There are also a lot of variables in IUD insertion that are hard to control in a study, she adds, such as the skill and experience of the provider, and whether or not the patient has had children.

All that said, the CDC guidelines are certainly a step in the right direction, particularly in that they validate the pain that lots of us have felt for so long. Historically and currently, theres a problem with not taking womens pain [seriously], particularly marginalized populations, including women of color, women on public health insurance, and women of lower socioeconomic status, Dr. Blake says. The advocacy that this could provide for patients is helpful.

Advocating for yourself can be daunting, particularly when youre wearing an ugly hospital gown with your bits exposed. Start by reading up on your options at home from reputable sources, Dr. White suggests, so that youre armed with basic information before you step in the door. When youre with your doctor, ask to hear about all of your contraceptive options, including the pros and cons of each. If an IUD feels like the right option for you, Dr. White suggests being up-front about your concerns around painwhether thats citing what youve read, what your friends have shared with you, or your own past experiences. Ask not only what your pain management options are, but what the doctor can offer themselves.

If your doc balks or pushes back, dont hesitate to ask specific questions or point to your source material. This could look like, The CDC mentioned X option and Im curious about it, or Ive read that ibuprofen only helps with the cramping afterwardwhat can you provide for the pain of the actual procedure? It might feel awkward or taboo to question your doctor, but its their job to counsel you on stuff like this so you can make a fully informed decision. And if your doctor still isnt helpful or supportive, its okay to not get the procedure that day, Dr. Wolgemuth says.

Ultimately, IUDs are a great form of contraception that lots of people love. And if you want one, there are ways to manage the potential pain from the insertion itself. Dr. Wolgemuth hopes this step from the CDC will make people more open to this form of birth control, and increase the trust between patient and doctor. Going to the gynecologist is hard enough, she says. It shouldnt be incredibly painful as well.

Related:

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Originally Appeared on SELF
These are the celebrities hosting the Democratic National Convention this week in Chicago

Celebrity hosts are kicking off each night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week. "Scandal" stars Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn will be navigating real-world politics as hosts during the DNC. Here's a look at the celebrities viewers can expect to see as hosts during the convention.

What is the role of the hosts at the DNC?

Each night on the DNC, a celebrity will host one night of the convention and will kick off the broadcast with an opening statement, and then will come back onstage during the evening to guide the programming, according to CNN.

Who are the hosts of the DNC?

The DNC will have celebrity hosts every night during the convention in Chicago. Tony Goldwyn will take the stage on Monday night, and "The View" co-host Ana Navarro hosts Tuesday. Mindy Kaling hosts Wednesday, and finally Kerry Washington will take the stage on Thursday. Here's a look at each of the stars hosting the DNC this week.

Actor Tony Goldwyn to host DNC on Monday

Actor Tony Goldwyn participates in stage testing ahead of the start of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 19, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Delegates, politicians, and Democratic party supporters are in Chicago for the convention, concluding with current Vice President Kamala Harris accepting her party's presidential nomination. The DNC takes place from August 19-22.

"Scandal" star Tony Goldwyn will take the lead on Monday hosting the DNC in Chicago. He currently stars as Manhattan district attorney Nicholas Baxter on "Law & Order" and is an ambassador for The Innocence Project.

In 2016, he directed a commercial lending support to the Clinton campaign featuring stars from the ShondaLand extended universe, including Ellen Pompeo, Viola Davis and Shonda Rhimes.

"The View" co-host Ana Navarro to host DNC on Tuesday

On Tuesday, "The View" co-host Ana Navarro will take the stage to host the DNC. Navarro is a political strategist and commentator, and a noted Republican, though she has been a vocal critic of Trump, calling him a racist for his comments about immigrants. The "Never Trumper" has also criticized politicians with ties to Trump, such as Ron DeSantis, and said she voted for Hilary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020.

"For me to stand on that stage and help my girl Kamala make history and become the Democratic nominee, it's just such a mind-blowing moment.," said Navarro on X. "I hope you will be part of this celebration of democracy," she added.

'The Office' star Mindy Kaling to host DNC on Wednesday

"The Office" and "The Mindy Project" star Mindy Kaling will host the DNC on Wednesday. Kaling co-chaired a fundraiser event with Reese Witherspoon, hosted by Harris for Biden's campaign in 2020. In 2019, she appeared on Harris' YouTube channel where the pair cooked masala dosa together.

'Scandal' star Kerry Washington to host DNC on Thursday

"Scandal" star Kerry Washington will host the DNC on Thursday. Washington is no stranger to political engagement. When Democratic nominee Kamala Harris announced her campaign, Washington said on X that Harris "can and will win this," adding, "I believe in her and I believe in us. Let's gooooooooooooo!"

In the name of democracy, @JoeBiden did a brave and bold thing. Im tremendously grateful for his years of service - and I am awed by his selfless leadership.



Make no mistake. Our fight now remains EXACTLY the same. We must do everything we can to prevent another Trump pic.twitter.com/HODoi7s28P  kerry washington (@kerrywashington) July 21, 2024

Washington was a vocal supporter of Barack Obama's campaign in 2012, speaking at that year's convention, and Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016. Washington has also played host before at the virtual DNC in 2020, after campaigning for Joe Biden with her husband Nnamdi Asomugha that year.

The actress has also used her "Scandal" fame to push for voter registration. In 2020, Washington posted a three-second clip to X, formerly Twitter, of her character Olivia Pope sharing a passionate kiss with President Fitz (Goldwyn) and captioned it "SCANDAL THE MOVIE. Click the link for more info." The link did not have any more info but rather led to a voter registration website

RELATED: What time is President Joe Biden speaking at the DNC in Chicago Monday night?

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Celebrities hosting the DNC: Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn
Compiled by California Outdoors Hall of Fame member Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, who guides in the greater Fresno area and holds the striper record at Millerton Lake.









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Best bets

Delta bass and stripers bites good, Alan Fong reported. New Melones kokanee limits the rule, Kyle Wise said. Shaver Lake kokanee hitting, Dick Nichols reported. Wishon pumping out rainbows, Kelly Brewer said. Don Pedro kokanee still biting, Monte Smith reported. Bass Lake rainbows are back, Mike Beighey said. Eastman bass action strong, Michael Crayne reported.

Rankings key below: 4: Fish are jumping in the boat. 3: Good fishing. 2: Decent fishing. 1: Poor fishing. 0: Dont bother

Unless noted, area code is 559

Valley/Westside waterways

Striper 2 Catfish 2

In the northern sections of California Aqueduct and Delta Mendota Canals, Bill Sterling of Striperz Gone Wild reported tough action during the hot daytime temperatures, and it will be over a month before the temperatures get into the middle 60s. He said, Plenty of largemouth bass are caught in the local irrigation canals on anything from crank baits to plastic worms. Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop added, It really hasnt been that great in the northern part of the aqueduct, but there is a good striper morning bite at Clifton Court Forebay on fresh shad.

In the south aqueduct in Kern County, striped bass action has improved with cooler water temperatures, and cut sardines, anchovies, or jumbo minnows remain the top baits.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis 292-3474; Copes Tackle and Rod, Bakersfield  (661) 679-6351; Bobs Bait Bucket, Bakersfield (661) 833-8657.

Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

Michael Crayne reported Eastman numbers of largemouth bass are possible, but the ratio to small fish to a 3 pounder is 15 to 1. He said, Some anglers are reporting 80 to 100 fish in a day, and everything is working including topwater lures, big plastic worms on a Texas-rig, Creature Baits, or jigs. Anything dragging the bottom is working. At Hensley, Crayne reported the bass are holding around the rockpiles, and a variety of techniques are effective for the smaller bass. Catfish and carp remain a solid bet at Hensley. Both lakes are releasing water, and Eastman has dropped 2 feet to 537.48 feet in elevation and 50% of capacity with Hensley also receding 2 feet to 490.32 feet in elevation and 32% of capacity.

Call: Eastman Lake 689-3255; Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hensley Lake Hidden Dam 673-5151.

Lake Don Pedro

Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 3 King salmon 2 Crappie 2

The kokanee are still around, and Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing reported good action at depths from 100 to 120 feet with big Apex lures behind a 5-inch dodger. The kokanee are in varying stages of spawning, and they are well on their way towards full spawning colors. Rainbow trout to 4 pounds are holding above the kokanee, but there have been a few large king salmon hooked at the same depths as the kokanee. There has been little change on the bass scene as Dylan Bos Kinser of Central Valley Bait and Tackle in Modesto reported the fish are suspended in deep water as the lake continues to drain slowly. There is a limited topwater bite in the early mornings or evenings before heading to the bottom with jigs or plastics. Launch updates are posted at www.donpedrolake.com. The lake is releasing water, and it dropped over 2 feet to 800.49 feet in elevation and 82% of capacity. There are no bass tournaments scheduled in August with only two in September.

Call: Monte Smith, Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734; Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.

McClure Reservoir

Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 2 Catfish 2

Like Don Pedro, there are few good reports coming out of McClure as the bass are suspended into deep water throughout the lake. There is a small window for topwater before working the submerged humps or islands with deep-diving crankbaits, Keitech swimbaits on an underspin, jigs, or plastics on a drop-shot. The lake dropped 4 feet to 833.40 feet in elevation and 79% of capacity.

There are no bass tournaments scheduled in August and September. The Merced River has dropped slightly to 1,633 cfs at Merced Falls downstream of Lake McSwain. The Reel Deal Market and Barretts Cove Marina are open only on weekends and holidays through October. Information

Call: Central Valley Bait and Tackle (209) 312-9417.

Lake McSwain

Trout 3

About 2,000 pounds of CDFW catchable rainbows were planted on Aug. 16, and the trout bite from the banks improved within days of the release. Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters are working from the normal bank locations of the brush pile, handicapped docks, or the peninsula around the marina. Trollers continue to find both recently planted and holdover rainbows up the river arm . The lake rose to 93% of capacity.

Call: Anglers Edge Market (209) 226-4416; McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534.

Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River

Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 2 Bluegill 3 Crappie 2

Michael Crayne reported this lake remains the dead sea at Millerton as the bass are small around a pound at best with jigs or plastics. The bass are holding around the shad schools in deep water. Catfishing from the banks is the best bet.

The lake dropped another 3 feet to 517.75 feet in elevation and 52% of capacity. Sycamore Island is open once daily from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant are stable at 442 cfs. No tournaments are scheduled through August.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273.

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 3

The kokanee, rainbow trout, and catfish remain viable species, but bass fishing remains a challenge. Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Guide Service continues to find early limits of up to 20 kokanee by 10 a.m. running Paulina Peaks Tackle over island tops at depths to 90 feet.

We have been finding a mixed grade of kokanee with a few up to 18 inches, Wise said. The kokanee are in full spawn mode with no scales, and some have the huge kype with big teeth. I have also been taking catfish trips at night, and there some huge catfish in the lake with beef liver. Night trips for rainbow trout have been fair, although there are some big trout to 4 pounds.

The lake is loaded with threadfin shad, and it is a matter of getting the shad to come to your lights. You must wait a few hours before the trout move in, said Wise. Not much change on the bass scene as similar to other Mother Lode lakes, the fish are suspended in deep water. The most consistent action remains on the bottom with slowly dragged plastics. The lake is releasing water, and it dropped 1 feet to 1042.88 feet in elevation and 79% of capacity. There are only four club tournaments scheduled through the end of September.

Call: John Liechty, Xperience Fishing Guide Service (209) 743-9932; Kyle Wise, Headhunter Guide Service (209) 531-3966; Alex Niapas, Catching California Guide Service (209) 728-4225; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734.

Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River

Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0 King salmon 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

The Fresno Bass Club held a night tournament over Aug. 17-18 weekend, and Bill Kunz of St. Croix Rods, who came in third with a 10-fish limit at 19.27 pounds, reported a very tough overall bite. Michael Crayne reported the best bass action is occurring in the river arm above Sycamore with plastics on a shakey head or Texas-rig along witih jigs.

Finesse presentations on the bottom are best. For rainbow trout, Crayne added that some are working lights at night or trolling at depths from 40 to 50 feet with Needlefish in Cop Car, Kastmasters, or Dicks Trout Busters tipped with a piece of nightcrawler behind a large profile dodger. he said. King salmon can be found around 100 feet, and the key is finding the shad schools. The shad are thick throughout the lake, and the trout and kings are chasing the bait fish. In the lower Kings, a trout plant is scheduled this week. Avocado Lake is producing a few holdover rainbows and largemouth bass. The flows at Trimmer are becoming more comfortable for fishing at 442 cfs. The lake is releasing water, and it has receded to 842.42 feet in elevation and 47% of capacity. Only one club tournament is scheduled in September.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273.

San Luis Reservoir and ONeill Forebay

Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2

The main lake is kicking out limits of striped bass from the banks around Dinosaur Point with jumbo minnows, anchovies, or blood worms, Josh Mesa of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said. There hasnt been much going on at the ONeill Forebay as the grass is very thick, limiting access from the banks.

Roger George of Roger George Guide Service added that the overall bite between wind storms has been tough for reaction anglers and trollers this week.

I guided some guests on a tough suspended bite that only produced 7 fish to 23 inches. I wasnt happy with the bite and went scouting after my folks left- looking for some active fish, he said. I got the one bite I wanted with a big 44-inch, 30-pounder ( electric scales) that just wouldnt give up. Huge head and frame. I released it using the Seaqualizer release tool. If it was filled out -- it would have been in the upper 30s. Its my biggest fish this year. 

The water temperature ranges from 74 to 78 degrees.

The main lake rose slightly to 44% of capacity with increased pumping out of the south Delta with the forebay at 88% of capacity. To check the real time wind conditions on the lake use windfinder.com/forecast/san_luis_reservoir.

Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711, Roger George, rogergeorgeguideservice.com (559) 905-2954.

High Sierra

Bass Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0

Captain Mike Beighey of Bass Lake Guide Service said,  Fishing is still decent at Bass Lake for some nice fat trout to 5 pounds in the dam area at 20 to 35 feet. One day, its hot the next day slow, so you never know when its going to turn on, but the fish are stacked up in the dam area. We went nine for 13 hookups on a recent trip with orange Dicks Trout Busters. Weve been landing a few around five pounds, but there are even larger ones out there. Bass fishermen are working early from first light. A live webcam is available at https://www.basslakeca.com/bass-lake-webcam-1.

Call: Mike Beighey, Bass Lake Fishing 676-8133.

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

Edison remains the best of the Kaiser Pass lakes for both bank anglers and trollers at Edison. Road conditions are available at the High Sierra Ranger Station  855-5355 or https://www.fs.usda.gov/sierra. Fire danger is extreme in the high country.

All the high Sierra reservoirs continue to release water as Edison dropped to 69% of capacity, Florence dropped to 67% of capacity, and Mammoth Pool dropped to 50% of capacity.

Road conditions 297-0706.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000.

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Trout 3 Kokanee 3

Shaver Lake guide emeritus, Dick Nichols of Dicks Fishing Charters, said, The kokanee bite at Shaver is still on as I was on the lake twice this past week, and first trip produced a limit of kokanee and a limit of trout, but we found kokanee willing to bite on the second trip with nearly four limits of kokanee. Jack Engle and his wife, Annie, fished this week and picked up a couple of limits kokanee running Dicks Mountain Tubes or Mountain Candy in pink behind Mountain Dodgers at 80 feet. Mike Giubinni of Paso Robles also picked up a limit of kokanee at 80 feet with pink Dicks Mountain Tubes in pink behind a Mountain Dodger. I fished Friday with friends from Long Beach, picking up a couple of limits of kokanee and 7 trout, but we had to go down to 85 to 90 feet before we got into them. Pink or orange Mountain Tubes, pink Koke Busters, or pink Mountain Candy tipped with corn behind Captain J, Doc Barb, or Pink Scale Mountain Dodgers did the trick. The water has receded significantly, possibly 3 to 4 feet, and there is heavy fishing pressure on the kokanee due to the upcoming Kokanee Power Derby and the report of last weeks 22-inch kokanee, the largest in the state so far this year. Huntington remains loaded with small kokanee, but they are starting to turn into spawning colors as well. Shaver is at 78% of capacity with Huntington holding at 98% of capacity.

Call: Todd Wittwer, Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100; Tom Oliveira, Tom Oliveira Fishing 802-8072.

Wishon/Courtright

Trout 3

Kelly Brewer of the Wishon RV Park and Store reported trout fishing is still excellent at both lakes as they were stocked with trout last Thursday. At both Courtright and Wishon, trollers are running Rapalas, blade/crawler combinations, or spoons at three colors of lead core while bank anglers are scoring with various colors of Power Bait or inflated nightcrawlers. Courtright is being drained slowly into Wishon for repairs to the dam and release gates. Road conditions  Sierra National Forest Ranger Station 297-0706.

Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361.

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

Rockfish 3 Striper 2 Halibut 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

The ocean became flat over the weekend, and the Codfather out of Alameda made an 80-mile run offshore and found albacore on a trip totaling 239 miles. Trent Slate of Bite Me Charters reported both albacore and bluefin tuna have been found 63 miles out of Half Moon Bay at Pioneer Canyon, but several anglers reported being either spooled or broken off by the big bluefin. Rockfishing south of the harbor remains outstanding with the Ankeny Street posted 13 limits of rockfish including 17 cabezon, 2 halibut, one lingcod, and a rock sole on Sunday while the Queen of Hearts had 7 limits including 2 cabezon and four lingcod. Rockfishing is restricted to 20 fathoms through Sept. 30.

Call: Captain Melynda Dodds, New Captain Pete (512) 825- 8225; Captain Chris Chang, Ankeny Street (650) 279-8819; Captain Bill Smith, Riptide (650) 728-8433; Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing, Queen of Hearts (510) 581-2628.

Monterey/Santa Cruz

Rockfish 3 Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3

Josh Mesa of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported an improved and solid perch bite throughout the day regardless of the tide with a variety of motor oil/red flake grubs on a Carolina-rig. For striped bass, the best action has been in the mornings or evenings off Marina or Seascape in Aptos with a variety of jerkbaits.

Call: Chris Landing (831) 375-5951; Allen Bushnell, Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting (831) 251-9732

Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay

Halibut 3 Striper 3 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 3

A flat calm ocean greeted charter boats on the weekend, and most of the fleet went outside to experience outstanding action on their Super Combo trips with halibut, lingcod, rockfish, and striped bass all possible. The Pacific Dream out of Berkeley headed north along the Marin coast for 7 lingcod and 75 rockfish before working the North Bar and local beaches for 21 big halibut for 11 anglers. Their sister boat, the Happy Hooker, was out with 7 anglers for 11 ling cod, 50 rockfish, and 5 halibut, also along the Marin coastline. The California Dawn 1 and 2 combined for 325 rockfish, 90 lingcod to 20 pounds, and 15 halibut to 24 pounds on Sunday. The large minus outgoing tide made for difficult conditions on the North Bar where the large halibut have been hanging out, but the tides get smaller every day this week. Captain Ron Koyasako of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco put his Saturday group onto limits of lingcod and rockfish north along the Marin Coast. Captain Steve Mitchell of Hookd Up Sport Fishing had a similar trip on Sunday with limits of lingcod and rockfish to go with a few fish shy of halibut limits to 16 pounds.

There are still a few spots on the Aug. 24 Coastal Conservation Association of California charter on the California Dawn I, a full-day trip limited to 20 anglers: https://ccacalifornia.org/.

Call: Captain Ron Koyasako, Nautilus Excursions (916) 704-4169; Captain Jerad Davis, Salty Lady (415) 760-9362; Captain Steve Mitchell, Hookd Up Sport Fishing (707) 655-6736; Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388.

San Luis Obispo

Rockfish 3 Surf perch 3

Rockfishing remains the only game in town as the ports previously known for albacore have watched the longfins move further and further offshore as the warm water break continues to be on a track far from Central California, moving closer to northern California, Oregon, and Washington. On Monday, 26 anglers went out of Morro Bay Landing on two boats for 130 assorted, 15 copper, 27 vermilion, 3 Boccaccio, and a lingcod. Out of Virgs Landing, the Fiesta was on a full-day trip on Saturday with 14 anglers for 61 assorted rockfish, 6 vermilion, 5 lingcod, and 3 Petrale Sole while the Rita G was on a half-day trip with 10 passengers for 52 assorted and 14 vermilion. Webcams of many of the coastal locations are available at https://805webcams.com/.

Call: Virgs Landing (800) 762-5263; Patriot Sport Fishing (805) 595-4100; Morro Bay Landing

Others

Delta/Stockton

Bass 3 Striper 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3

The fall striped bass run continues in earnest as striped bass are flooding into the California Delta. Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors has been scoring numerous linesides to 13 pounds in the shallows on topwater lures in Liberty Island, but he plans on heading west towards Sherman Lake to toss topwater lures. For bass, Fong said, I have been flipping Brush Hogs in green pumpkin or watermelon red or D-Bombs in Delta Red on a 1-ounce weight in the shallows from 1 to 2 feet. The current is ripping, and the northern largemouth bass are hunkering down on the shallows. They are transitioning to wood as the water temperature has dropped around 8 degrees.

Johnny Wang, manager of Turners Outdoorsman in Stockton, added, There are lots of stripers in the Delta, and on the San Joaquin side, the Shoals, Franks Tract, and Prisoners Point are all holding linesides. In downtown Stockton, the water is green, and the stripers are mostly undersized. Bass fishing has been best with plastics.

Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, was the tournament director for two separate Best Bass Tournaments last weekend, and he said, Sunday was better for the overall grade of largemouth bass as there was wind. The wind changes the surface of the water, and the bass cant see imperfections. As a result, the bite with moving baits such as spinnerbaits or bladed jigs was best. When the wind is blowing, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, or other reaction baits are best, but on flat calm day, topwater lures like a Heli P prop bait is effective. With this lure, you have to make it chug and take long pauses. Make the bait act like its wounded. Flipping and pitching wood with large profile baits such as the Berkley Chigger Craw or Pit Boss are also effective, particularly on the high tide. When the water is high, flip your lure high into areas that have tules with vegetation. As the weather changes, the bass are moving into structure such as rocks or wood. Earth tones of greens, blacks, or reds are working best for plastics, but you must let it sit and dont move it too much.

In the San Joaquin River south of the Mossdale Bridge, Omega Nguyen of Mega Bait and Tackle in Lathrop reported the river is loaded with threadfin shad, saying, I fished several times this past week, and the best action is two hours before high tide into the peak as the shakers are thick before the tide comes in. The stripers are feeding heavily on shad since they are thin from their trip back into the Delta, and blood worms, pile worms, or fresh threadfin shad. The larger stripers are coming on shad.

The Fish and Game Commission voted 3-2 to allow catch-and-release for white sturgeon during their Aug. 15 meeting, and the fishery will be reopened within the next three weeks for catch-and-released only, no harvest. The date of opening has yet to be determined as it is dependant on the Office of Administrative Law.

Call: Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Captain Steve Mitchell, Hookd Up Sport Fishing (707) 655-6736; Vince Borges, Vince Borges Outdoors (209) 918-0828. Soo Hoo Sport Fishing (925) 899-4045.

Events

Tournament results

Aug. 17-18

Pine Flat Fresno Bass Club Night Tournament (10 Fish Weighin)

1st Mark Corrente  21.78 pounds (Big Fish  7.51); 2nd  Justin Barton  21.16; 3rd Bill Kunz 19.27.

Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)

Aug. 17-18

Don Pedro  Modesto Ambassadors

Aug. 17

Isabella  America Bass Association

Santa Margarita  San Luis Obispo Bass Ambushers

Aug. 18

Delta/Ladds Marina  Anglers Press

New Melones  Riverbank Bass Anglers

Aug. 21, 28

Delta/Ladds Marina  Wednesday Night Shootout

Aug. 24-25

Tulloch  Valley Backlashers

Aug. 24

New Melones  Oro Madre Bass Anglers

Santa Margarita  805 Bass Addicts

Sept. 7

Delta/Russos Marina  Bass Angler Inc.

Shaver Lake  Kokanee Power Team Tournament

Sept. 14-15

Delta/Russos Marina  Bass Fest

Clear Lake  Modesto Ambassadors

Millerton  Bass 101

Sept. 14

Delta/B and W Resort- Valley Backlashers

Isabella  Central Valley Kayak Fishing/American Bass Association

Lopez  San Luis Obispo County Bass Ambushers

Sept. 12

Lake Amador  17/90 Bass Club

Sept. 15

Delta/Ladds Marina  Kings River Bass Club

Sept. 21-22

Delta/B and W Resort  Fresno Bass Club

Delta/B and W Resort  California Bass Federation

Delta/Ladds Marina  Nor Cal Bass

Delta/Russos Marina  Sierra Bass Club

Sept. 21

Delta/Ladds Marina  Sonora Bass Anglers

New Hogan  Manteca Bassin Buddies

New Melones- Bass N Tubes

Don Pedro  Christian Bass League

Pine Flat  Golden Empire Bass Club

Santa Margarita  Kern County Bass Masters

Sept. 28-29

New Melones - BABC

Delta/B and W Resort  Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Sept. 29

Tulloch  Stanislaus County Employees

For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.
This Central Florida airport ranks as one of the busiest in the U.S.

If youve traveled to the Orlando International Airport, you know it can get busy, even when its not in peak season.

The Airports Council International-North America recognized MCO as the seventh busiest airport in the United States.

The trade association released its 2023 North American Airport Traffic Summary last week.

It gathers cargo and passenger data from 275 North American airports.

Read: Pin-teresting: Orlando International Airport will host pin trading event

According to the ACI-NA, MCO also saw the largest growth at 15% and is the busiest airport in Florida.

Overall, passenger traffic has continued to recover in growth since 2022, with an 11.9% increase.

Domestic and international traffic rose, with international passengers reaching a nearly 30% growth since 2022.

Read: See the changes coming to downtown Orlandos Church Street Station

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  The former CEO of a Kansas bank has been sentenced to over 24 years in prison.

The U.S. Attorneys Office in Wichita says Shan Hanes, 53, of Elkhart, was sentenced to 293 months (24 years and five months) in prison Monday after pleading guilty in May to one count of embezzlement by a bank officer. Hanes was the CEO of Heartland Tri-State Bank.

Between May 2023 and July 2023, Hanes wired $47.1 million of Heartlands funds to a cryptocurrency wallet. The wire transfers were part of a Pig Butchering scam.

The money went into different accounts of unidentified third parties and left the bank insolvent, according to the U.S. Attorney. The state bank commissioner seized the bank, which Dream First Bank in Syracuse later acquired.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation absorbed the $47.1 million loss. Investors in the bank lost $9 million.

Teens arrested in Augusta womans death appear in court

Hanes greed knew no bounds. He trespassed his professional obligations, his personal

relationships, and federal law. Not only did Shan Hanes betray Heartland Bank and its investors, but his illegal schemes also jeopardized confidence in financial institutions, said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher in a news release. Todays sentence is a measure of justice for the victims and a statement that the U.S. Department of Justice will hold those accountable who violate positions of trust for their own gain.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation  Office of Inspector General, Federal Reserve Board  Office of Inspector General,

and Federal Housing Finance Agency  Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith prosecuted the case.

A federal judge has ordered a restitution hearing within the next 90 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 KSN-TV.
On 20 August, the newly-formed Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital Reconstruction Board held its inaugural meeting. Inna Ivanenko, Executive Director of the charity Patients of Ukraine, was elected as chair of the supervisory board.

Source: Ivanenko in a comment to UP.Zhyttia

Details: Volodymyr Kudrytsky, Chairman of the Board of Ukrenergo, was elected as her deputy, while Yevhenii Honchar, Head of the Policy Formation Department in the field of medical guarantees and medical services at the Ministry of Health's Department of Medical Services, was elected secretary.

Ivanenko said the primary topic of discussion during the first meeting was the reconstruction and repair of the hospital's main building.

Members of the supervisory board have begun to examine the damage and draw up a work plan. They will shortly select a contractor to handle these tasks.

Quote from Ivanenko: "Today, we focused on the matter of completing a detailed investigation of the damaged new hospital building as soon as possible, which will serve as the basis for a transparent tender to select a contractor for the rebuilding work."

Ivanenko said the Reconstruction Board comprises representatives from major donors who have contributed funds for the rebuilding of Okhmatdyt, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Health, organisations from other countries, and the general public.

"My goal as chair of the board is to ensure that the processes for the rebuilding of the hospital are quick, transparent, and clear to the public.

I want us to restore exactly what patients and the healthcare system as a whole really need," Ivanenko shared.

The Ministry of Health appointed the members of the Okhmatdyt Reconstruction Board on 20 August, and the board membership was approved by the appropriate orders.

On 8 July, Russia launched an attack on Ukraines capital. The major children's hospital, Okhmatdyt, was damaged in the attack, and one of the buildings was entirely destroyed.

Many of the doctors continued to help their young patients despite being injured themselves. The Order For Courage was conferred upon three doctors.

Funds for the rebuilding work have been raised by the Okhmatdyt Charitable Foundation. In July, the Foundation awarded a tender to the company that had quoted the highest price to repair the building.

The deal was cancelled and will now be completed through the Prozorro public procurement system.

Okhmatdyt's general director, Volodymyr Zhovnir, was recently suspended by the Ministry of Health. Oleksandr Urin has been appointed as acting general director.

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA)  The Champaign Police Department is investigating after a bomb threat was received by a local synagogue last week.

Lieutenant Aaron Lack said staff at the Sinai Temple, located a 3104 West Windsor Road, received an email Thursday morning from someone claiming a bomb had been planted there. Officers were dispatched at 7:38 a.m. that morning in response to the threat.

One hurt in overnight Danville shooting

Lack said it was quickly determined that the email was sent to multiple houses of worship across Illinois and Iowa. Regardless, Champaign Police searched the synagogue and found no evidence that an explosive device was present. They also could not determine that there was a local connection to the threat.

The investigation is ongoing 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 WCIA.com.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  The Jackson County Prosecutors Office has dropped charges against MarkAnthony Greer for his alleged role in a November 2023 shooting at the Independence Center.

That shooting took the life of 19-year-old Karla Brown, who was 20 weeks pregnant at the time.

The baby didnt survive  two others were also struck in this shooting.

Man drowns after trying to help child at Smithville Lake

Greer was originally charged with five felony counts in November for his suspected role in the shooting, but in a superseding indictment filed on February 16, prosecutors added second-degree felony murder.

All six felony charges have been dropped, per the prosecutors office.

A spokesperson told FOX4 in a phone call that considering depositions that are now completed, and new evidence thats come to light, the prosecutors office no longer believed it could meet its burden of proof, which is beyond a reasonable doubt.

A motion was filed on July 2, and Greer was released one day later on July 3.

Police identify three killed in multi-car crash at 35th, Norton in KC

One other person is charged in this case with one count of tampering with evidence.

In a statement to FOX4, Greers attorney laid out the work him and his team put in to get these charges dropped. He maintains that not only was his client not the one who fired the gun, but his client never had a gun.

That statement reads: My firm represented Mr. MarkAnthoney Greer on the charges of murder, assault and armed criminal action. From the beginning we believed in his innocence. My firm conducted our own independent investigation of the facts surrounding the shooting, including interviewing witnesses at the Independence Mall, who were present at the time of the shooting. Mr. Greer sat in the Jackson County jail for 8 months while we worked hard to establish his innocence. After the return of critical forensic evidence, my firm was able to establish to the State of Missouri that Mr. Greer was in fact innocent. He was subsequently released from custody and all charges were dismissed.

This has been a life-altering experience for Mr. Greer and his family. He is a very young father (young daughter). He was facing the possibility of spending the remainder of his life behind bars. Securing his freedom has allowed him to return home and be a positive influence in his daughters life and the lives of the remainder of his family.

It is tragic any time a life is lost to gun violence, but it is also tragic when an innocent person is held in jail for a crime he did not commit.

Very grateful that my firm was able to secure his release from jail and the dismissal of charges against him.

The toll on his life has been tremendous. To think he would grow old in jail and never be able to raise his daughter or hug his mother was overwhelming. Now he gets a fresh start on life with a greater appreciation of family and freedom.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- A Charleston attorney and former state senator is suspended from practicing law in the state under an order handed by the South Carolina Supreme Court on Monday.

The order signed Aug. 19 by Chief Justice John Kittredge bars John Kuhn from practicing law until further order at the request of the Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC).

The ODC investigates and prosecutes complaints involving allegations of misconduct or incapacity for all lawyers and judges licensed in the Palmetto State, according to the South Carolina Bar Association.

A disciplinary rule allows the high court to temporarily suspend a lawyers license upon receipt of sufficient evidence demonstrating that a lawyer poses a substantial threat of serious harm to be public or to the administration of justice.

Florence County doctor facing 20 years in prison over sex for scripts scheme

Kuhn was charged with assault in May after he allegedly slapped a man during an argument. The altercation was between Kuhn and Trash Gurl truck employees who were swapping out dumpsters at a house on East Battery Street, according to an incident report. That charge is still pending.

The May incident happened just months after Kuhn was accused of swiping another vehicles side mirror while it was waiting to turn left on Columbus Street before he fled the scene.

He was charged with hit-and-run property damage and improper passing, but court records show the case was dismissed earlier this month.

Kuhn served as a senator for District 43 from 2001-2003. He unsuccessfully ran for South Carolinas 1st Congressional District in 2013.

He also had a brief stint as chair of the Charleston County Republican Party, stepping down in January 2020 after less than a year in the position.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2.
Charlie Kirk, Parker Short get into verbal spat at DNC

Young Democrats of Georgia President Parker Short clashed with Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday.

Kirk posted a video capturing part of the exchange with the caption, Within 30 seconds of walking into the United Center, I was confronted by this guy. Apparently hes the President of the Young Democrats of Georgia?

In the clip, which starts midway through the confrontation, Short can be seen questioning Kirk about former President Trumps false claims of fraud in the 2020 election in Georgia.

Youre an antipatriotic, anticonstitutional person crashing our party because you tried to obstruct democracy, Short told Kirk.

Kirk, a vocal Trump supporter, hit back at Short, asking What is a woman?

The definition of man and woman has been weaponized by Republicans in recent years as part of the culture war over transgender people.

Short then walks away, calling Kirk weird, a refrain that has gained popularity among Democrats to describe former President Trump, his running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and their supporters.

Young Democrats of Georgias X account later quote tweeted Kirks post, saying, ratio + you got owned.

The Hill has reached out to both Parker and Kirk for comment.

Short first shot to public recognition after a video of him dancing to rapper Kendrick Lamars Not Like Us at Vice President Harriss Atlanta rally in July went viral on social media.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
HANOI, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam is ramping up efforts to increase its livestock product exports, targeting a value of 1-1.5 billion U.S. dollars by 2025, Vietnam News reported, citing the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, on Tuesday.

Vietnam exported livestock products worth 240 million dollars in the first half of this year, according to the ministry.

Processed meat products lead the pack, with fresh, chilled, and frozen pork following closely behind.

Vietnam's processed chicken meat has already made inroads into Japan, China's Hong Kong, five countries within the Eurasian Economic Union, and Mongolia.

The Southeast Asian country has secured significant wins, including export licenses for dairy and bird's nest products to China, according to Vietnam's Department of Animal Health.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said the agriculture sector aims for comprehensive, efficient, and sustainable livestock industry development that adapts to climate change through industrialization and modernization.

This approach focuses on integrating value chains, circular economy principles to enhance added value and ensure biosecurity, disease control, and food safety, he said. 
CORNELIUS, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  The Town of Cornelius held a commissioners meeting Monday night.

During the presentation portion of the meeting, Charlotte Water discussed exploring the need to increase the maximum amount of water that can legally not return to the Catawba River Basin after it is used from the Rocky River Basin.

During the presentation, they emphasized that the meeting was not to ask for permission to withdraw more water however, as the area continues to grow and develop, they wanted to notify the public of the potential need for a larger transfer in the future.

Charlotte Water leaders want to increase their water withdrawal from the Catawba River Basin for households to use and return a portion of that (wastewater) to the Rocky River Basin.

Currently, the Interbasin Transfer (IBT) limit is 33 million gallons a day. As projected, the IBT supports Charlotte Waters system through approximately 2028.

Based on population projections, the current IBT will be exceeded between 2028 and 2030.

According to Charlotte Waters report, the potential transfer of an additional 30 million gallons per day would be less than 1% of the flow through the Catawba-Wateree system.

This comes after Charlotte Water officials proposed plans to transfer millions of gallons of water from the Catawba River Basin to the Rocky River Basin back in July.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Charlottesvilles about to become the second Virginia city to adopt ranked choice voting

A woman walks by the Virginia Square precinct, where Arlington Democratic voters were using ranked-choice voting to select candidates for two seats on Primary Day 2023. (Sarah Vogelsong / Virginia Mercury)

Charlottesvilles about to become the second Virginia city to adopt ranked choice voting

Charlottesvilles city council approved a draft ordinance this week that will allow the use of ranked choice voting next year  when primary elections will be held for some council seats.

Though the measure will still need to formally pass at the next council meeting on Sept. 3 (as ordinances must pass twice), its slated for the consent agenda at that meeting. The citys registrar, Taylor Yowell, also recommended its passage in a memo to council.

Ranked choice voting lets people select candidates on their ballot in the order of preference. Should a candidate win more than half of the first choice votes, they win the election, just as they would have in traditional voting. Should no one get more than half of the votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. If you voted for that person, then your vote goes to the next choice and counts are tallied again. The process is repeated until theres a candidate with enough votes to win.

But unlike traditional voting, ranked choice voting means that voters have more input and potential to be satisfied should their top pick not win.

A push for ranked choice voting stems locally from Charlottesville as its former state delegate, Sally Hudson, carried legislation that former Gov. Ralph Northam signed into law four years ago. Now localities can adopt ranked choice voting for city council and board of supervisor elections.

Arlington first adopted the method last year, following a change in state law granting local governments permission to do so.

Richmond could have been the first Virginia locality to adopt the method in 2022, but councilors were still too uncertain about it at the time and ultimately voted it down. A key sticking point was that the law could not be applied to school boards or city-wide contests like Richmonds mayor  which unlike most Virginia localities is a separately-elected official, rather than member of council.

Its just a more complicated conversation in Richmond, Hudson said.

A subsequent effort to allow the law to be used for any local election was vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin this year.

However, ranked choice voting during the 2021 GOP gubernatorial convention propelled him to the general election that year where he went on to become governor. But his ranked choice victory didnt hinge on expansions to Hudsons law because conventions are party-run contests.

But Hudson said that seeing ranked choice votings adoption and use locally is a reminder that big changes are a series of small steps.

Ranked choice voting is becoming more widely implemented nationwide. Its currently allowed in 14 states and last year there were over 100 bills concerning it in 38 states, PBS reports.

Hudson noted that local, state and federal elections in Virginia in recent years have seen crowded candidate pools ahead of primaries and conventions.

Democracy thrives when voters have options between lots of candidates  but right now, our ballots just are not built to let voters vote for who they really like when a lot of people run, Hudson said. Ranked choice voting solves that problem.
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT)  The Democratic National Convention is now underway in Chicago. Delegates were set to vote Monday night on their party platform.

A lineup of Democratic Party powerhouses were set to speak, including President Biden. There are several delegates from the Tri-State at the convention, including Vanderburgh County Democratic Party Chair Cheryl Schultz. She talked Monday about her support for vice president Kamala Harris.

Multiple animals found dead in Evansville neglect investigation

Schultz said, I want to see us taking care of people the excitement she brings to the ticket with what shes done and what I think what we can continue to do.

In addition to the president and first lady, Kentucky governor Andy Beshear and Owensboro native and womens reproductive activist Hadley Duvall also spoke Monday night.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW).
CHERAW, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division announced on Monday that it has been asked to investigate a Chesterfield County school resource officer after they allegedly hit a second-grade child.

According to the childs mother, the incident happened on Wednesday, Aug. 14, in the first few hours of school.

SLED investigators told Queen City News that it is too early to speak directly on the investigation or if the SRO has been investigated in the past.

LOST TRUST TRIAL: Jury finds Sheriff Charles Lemon not guilty in civil rights abuse trial

Chesterfield County Sheriffs Office leaders, however, said this is not a SLED case.

District leaders told Queen City News this is a law enforcement matter.

Meanwhile, Bridget Emanuel has argued the incident with her daughter falls on every agency to make sure every student is safe.

You send them to be safe and protected, Emanuel told Queen City News. Not assaulted by the school resource officer.

Emanuel said her 7-year-old suffered a traumatic brain injury and has bouts of aggression and anxiety. She said her daughter experienced one of those episodes Wednesday morning inside her classroom.

I got a call, and they asked if I could come to the school  they never told me she was hit, Emanuel explained.

When she arrived at the school she heard her daughter in a room crying and yelling.

Her daughter told her that the police officer hit her.

The school shared a 16-second video clip with Emanuel, who shared it with Queen City News.

It allegedly shows a Chesterfield County SRO and another individual carrying Emanuels daughter down a school hallway.

Emanuel explained that her daughter ran out of the classroom, and the men were attempting to return her.

Bridget Emanuel

At one point, the SRO appears to take off the headphones the second-grader was wearing.

Moments later, the child appears to drop her weight, causing her legs to collide with the officers.

Neither law enforcement nor school leaders have said if they think the child attempted to kick the officer.

However, Emanuel stressed to Queen City News that her daughters legs accidentally got tangled with the officers.

3 arrested, charged with drug-related crime following a traffic stop in Chesterfield County

From here, the video allegedly shows the SRO hitting the mouth of the child, who quickly grabbed her mouth.

The video then ends.

Emanuel said her daughter returned to school the next day after she was told by school leaders that the SRO would not be on campus.

Her eyes, however, have been turned on justice for what she called, unnecessary.

I want him arrested and charged with assault on a child What could she do? She couldnt fight back.

Her daughter is physically OK but suffered a swollen lip.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Chicken chain restaurant to go in next to Raising Canes in Ceres. Why did planners OK it?

In our Reality Check stories, Modesto Bee journalists deliver fast facts about the issues that matter to local residents to hold officials and institutions accountable. Read more. Story idea? Tips@modbee.com.

For those who like fried chicken: How many options are too many? How would you choose among three restaurants next to one another?

Questions like these were discussed during a Ceres Planning Commission meeting Monday evening when site plan approval for Pollo Campero, a Guatemalan chain chicken restaurant, was proposed at 1355 E. Hatch Road.

A Raising Canes exists on the site where the Pollo Campero would be constructed, and a Popeyes sits directly across the street. All three restaurants have a similar menu, serving fried chicken and a variety of sides.

You get three chicken places there that I could stand in the middle of the street, throw rocks and hit them, Ceres resident John Warren said. What will happen is theyll probably all go out of business and well be looking at empty buildings.

Ceres Chamber of Commerce Vice President Irene Ortiz was at the meeting on behalf of Mayor Javier Lopez and read a statement written by his office.

Lopez inquired about providing alternative locations for Pollo Campero, suggesting District 2, where there is a clear lack of food options, according to the statement. Pollo Campero declined to change its location.

Should this decision be approved, it is highly likely that the matter will be appealed and brought back to the City Council, the mayors statement read. If that happens, there is a strong possibility that this establishment will not be allowed to open up at this location.

Despite the concerns expressed during public comment, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the site plans.

Raising Canes restaurant on Hatch Road in Ceres, Calif., Thursday, August 17, 2023.

Can the City of Ceres deny a business if it complies with codes?

The public didnt raise the only concerns with the construction of Pollo Campero next to Raising Canes and across the street from Popeyes. The commissioners had some of their own.

The 2021 approval for the entire site at Hatch and Herndon roads included plans for the Raising Canes. The parcel that soon will be Pollo Campero and the parcel behind it were designated for fast-food restaurants as part of the approval.

Its just that tenants werent determined at the time, senior planner Teddie Hernandez said.

Commissioner Cerina Otero said she researched Pollo Campero before the start of the meeting and it does not exist in the Central Valley. The closest locations are in the Bay Area.

One of my concerns is that will this place make it in Ceres? she said.

There is extensive market research that occurs before a business decides to locate in a certain market, Hernandez said. I feel like if theyve picked this location (and) they know theres an adjacent chicken place, its clearly not deterring them she said. Sounds like they welcome the competition.

That being said, can the city deny a businesses to construct at a certain location or in the city at all if it or residents do not think its ideal?

No, said Bob Kachel, the Planning Commission chairman. There must be grounds in the ordinance and in the citys plans to do so.

The zone for the property says fast-food restaurants can be put in the parcel, per the approval of the site in 2021.

Whether I think its a great idea or not, I dont think I have the tool or the authority to say, No we cant approve this, Kachel said. And Im not sure the City Council does, either, with all due respect, until they have a general plan or a zoning governance which gives them that authority.

Can it be later be included in the code to define a specific type of fast-food restaurant that can go into a parcel, Otero asked.

To put that specificity in the zoning ordinance would probably infringe on some rights, Hernandez said. It would have to be a policy decision coming from the City Council to say, Were not going to allow certain type of food products, and that would be pretty sticky.

The things that are focused on in the zoning ordinance include land use, public safety, site circulation, environmental impacts and noise, not which brand of restaurant or how many of one type.
BEIJING (AP)  Approvals for new coal-fired power plants in China dropped sharply in the first half of this year, according to an analysis released Tuesday, after a flurry of permits in the previous two years raised concern about the government's commitment to limiting climate change.

A review of project documents by Greenpeace East Asia found that 14 new coal plants were approved from January to June with a total capacity of 10.3 gigawatts, down 80% from 50.4 gigawatts in the first half of last year.

Authorities approved 90.7 gigawatts in 2022 and 106.4 gigawatts in 2023, a surge that raised alarm among climate experts. China leads the world in solar and wind power installations but the government has said that coal plants are still needed for periods of peak demand because wind and solar power are less reliable. While China's grid gives priority to greener sources of energy, experts worry that it won't be easy for China to wean itself off coal once the new capacity is built.

We may now be seeing a turning point, Gao Yuhe, the project lead for Greenpeace East Asia, said in a statement. One question remains here. Are Chinese provinces slowing down coal approvals because theyve already approved so many coal projects ...? Or are these the last gasps of coal power in an energy transition that has seen coal become increasingly impractical? Only time can tell.

Greenpeace released the analysis with the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, a government-affiliated think tank.

Government weather experts have warned that the country should prepare for more extreme weather events because of climate change. The Ministry of Water Resources said at the end of July that major rivers had had 25 significant floods this year, the most since record-keeping started in 1998.

In Hunan province, authorities said Monday that the death toll had risen to 50 people with 15 others still missing, as the search continued after landslides and flash flooding related to a tropical storm hit parts of southern China late last month.

While seasonal flooding is common in southern China, the historically drier northeast and bordering areas in North Korea also are beginning to get heavier rain. Flooding cut power and communication to most of Jianchang county in the region's Liaoning province on Tuesday and trapped more than 300 people, with evacuation taking place by helicopter, state media said.

The government has issued a slew of documents in recent months on reducing carbon emissions and accelerating the shift to renewable energy.

The National Energy Administration unveiled a three-year plan in June to retrofit existing coal power units and equip newly built ones with low-carbon technologies. Another government plan released this month to accelerate the construction of a new power system took aim at bottlenecks and other challenges, including how to expand transmission of renewable energy.

Gao said that China should focus its resources on better connecting wind and solar power to the grid rather than building more coal power plants. Coal provides more than 60% of the country's electricity.

"Coal plays a foundation role in Chinas energy security, Li Fulong, an official of National Energy Administration, said at a news conference in June.

China is also looking to nuclear power as it seeks to meet its carbon reduction targets. The State Council, China's Cabinet, greenlighted five nuclear power projects on Monday with 11 units and a total cost of 200 billion yuan ($28 billion).

___

Associated Press video producer Olivia Zhang contributed to this report.
China's shipbuilders are teasing a new coast guard 'mothership,' and there's talk it could be an aircraft or drone carrier

A state-owned Chinese shipbuilder said it's debuted the design of a "mothership" for its coast guard.

Military bloggers in China speculate that it might be an aircraft carrier or a drone platform for the high seas.

If so, it would be an unprecedented asset for a law enforcement agency, though Japan is also planning one.

In early August, military bloggers started buzzing about a small detail on a Chinese shipbuilder's social media.

The state-owned 708th Shipbuilding Research Institute said on August 8 that it's planning something new to meet the local coast guard's needs  a "mothership" that can operate in the far seas.

Little else about the project was revealed. The announcement only said the institute had debuted the ship's design at a coast guard equipment conference in Zhejiang.

The shipbuilder said the vessel was designed according to "system and mission requirements" from the coast guard.

But the Chinese words for "mothership" are also the words used for "carrier," leading local bloggers to discuss in earnest what the new vessel could be.

A law enforcement agency running a carrier-equivalent ship would be unprecedented in a world where coast guards typically rely on smaller, faster ships.

Yet China has recently been looking into bigger and bolder vessels for its coast guard that are strikingly similar to its naval assets, indicating that Beijing has ambitious plans for the organization.

In the early summer, it sent two new gigantic "monster ships" into the South China Sea, startling its neighbors. Each displaces 12,000 tons and is 541 feet long, or three times the size of the US Coast Guard's cutters.

"Size does matter," John Michael Dahm, a former US Navy intelligence officer and a senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, told Business Insider. "A vessel's size and displacement often translate directly into capabilities. A bigger ship means more people, more weapons, more fuel, more endurance, more range."

Some bloggers speculated that the new "mothership" could be an aircraft carrier, though China's coast guard rarely uses manned planes for its daily operations.

It's more likely, others posited, that Beijing is planning a drone platform or helicopter landing dock that can sail on the high seas.

The world's first drone carriers?

Without photos or videos of the design, international experts can only guess what form the ship will take.

Maritime drone platforms are still a novel concept, but there are signs that China is building at least one. In May, Dahm identified a large Chinese ship under construction at a Jiangsu shipyard, which he said is likely the world's first dedicated drone carrier.

Still, that shipyard is run by a different shipbuilder, so there's no evidence that this Jiangsu carrier is related to the coast guard "mothership."

To Dahm, it's not yet clear if this new coast guard vessel is even equivalent to a carrier in function or tonnage.

"I'm often surprised by how right Chinese bloggers can be about these sorts of things, but in this case, I think they may be overselling 'mothership,'" he said.

The 708th Shipbuilding Research Institute said the "mothership" would provide "comprehensive support," and Dahm believes smaller Chinese coast guard vessels could fit the bill.

"I think the Chinese are trying to create more options," said Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.

Koh also thinks the "mothership" is more likely a drone carrier, at about 10,000 to 20,000 tons, instead of a full-size aircraft carrier at 85,000 tons.

China has three aircraft carriers, each displacing about 60,000 to 85,000 tons. Pu Haiyang/Xinhua via Getty Images

China's coast guard already has a large fleet of more than 200 patrolling vessels. But if it wants to further contest territory in the South China Sea  its most high-profile area of operations  it has to figure out how to efficiently repair and resupply its ships at a distance.

A drone carrier could circumvent that issue, Koh said, allowing Beijing to maintain a 24/7 presence by deploying in a central location and sending out the drones repeatedly.

"If you put drones and small craft into a very strategic area, it could have a pretty big coverage. That's likely the Chinese strategy," Koh said.

Notably, Japan is planning a similarly massive coast guard vessel that it says will displace some 30,000 tons and be an "offshore base" for other ships. The largest ship in its current coast guard fleet is 6,500 tons.

China saying 'far seas' could be a clue

The 708th's description of its new vessel as a "far seas" support ship also indicates that Beijing may have plans to use its coast guard further abroad.

China has, in the last 10 years, promoted the idea of defending its interests overseas with naval assets, in the same way that the US Navy patrols waters all over the world.

"As part of its Belt and Road Initiative strategy, China seems to be growing the role and presence of its coast guard in the South Pacific, after doing the same in Southeast Asia," said Benjamin Blandin, a researcher and network coordinator at the Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies.

"But there is a big step from planning to operational reality," he added. China still needs a network of ports and resupply points to operate efficiently on the high seas.

Dahm said China will have an easier time putting its ships in foreign territory if they're painted in coast guard livery.

"Having coast guard vessels working with host nation law enforcement is a much better look for China than a big gray warship bristling with missiles," he said.

The international press center for China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider
An photo shared by the Philippines shows damage sustained by the BRP Cape Engano vessel in a ramming incident involving Chinese ships. The countries have traded accusations of who is responsible. Photo courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela/X

Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Ships of the Chinese and Philippine Coast Guards collided in the South China Sea on Monday as the two neighbors blame one another for the incident amid their protracted fight over the sovereignty of the disputed waters.

The Philippines Coast Guard said in a statement that its BRP Cape Engano vessel was first rammed by a Chinese ship at 3:24 a.m. as it was en route to Philippine forces-occupied Patag and Lawak Islands. About 15 minutes later, BRP Bagacay, a second Philippines ship part of the convoy, was rammed twice, both to its port side leading to what officials said was "minor structural damage.

Pictures published by the Philippines Coast Guard on X show a gaping hole had been punctured into the hull of the Bagacay. The Engano also suffered noticeable damage from the ramming incident, according to additional photos that show dents and a hole that pierced through its starboard quarter.

It said that despite of the collisions, both Philippine vessels remained on their route to deliver supplies to personnel stationed on the isles that are part of the disputed Spratly Islands.

The damages inflicted by CCGV 3104 on MRRV-4411 include a hole with a diameter of 1.10 meters located on the starboard quarter, as well as damage to the engine exhaust on the starboard quarter, which has a diameter of 40 centimeters. pic.twitter.com/EydOYkYyDw Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) August 19, 2024

China was quick to blame the Philippines over the incident, stating the Manila vessels had not only "seriously violated China's territorial sovereignty" but "illegally rammed" into its vessel.

In a statement published to the Chinese social media platform Weibo, Chinese Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu said the two Manila ships "illegally broke" into waters it claims following repeated warnings.

Several Asian nations lay claim to the waters of the Spratly Islands, though the feud between the Philippines and China has been the most violent, resulting multiple naval skirmishes.

The feud between the two nations has increased since 2023 with Beijing asserting its influence over the South China Sea, much of which it claims through its Nine-Dash-Line maps that have been rejected by several nations, including the United States. The Hague's Permanent Court of Arbitration also disregarded the maps in a 2016 decision.

The incident comes less than two weeks following a confrontation between the two nations' air forces over the Chinese-occupied-but-disputed Scarborough Shoal.

The United States on Monday again sided with the Philippines coming out in condemnation of China's "dangerous actions" against Manila's "lawful maritime operations in the South China Sea."

"PRC ships employed reckless maneuvers, deliberately colliding with two Philippine Coast Guard ships, causing structural damage and jeopardizing the safety of the crew onboard," U.S. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said in a statement.

"These actions are the latest examples of the PRC using dangerous and escalatory measures to enforce its expansive and unlawful South China Sea maritime claims. The United States calls upon the PRC to abide by international law and desist from its dangerous and destabilizing conduct."
CHP is planning a DUI checkpoint at this Sacramento-area spot. Heres when and where

The California Highway Patrol will be on the lookout for drunken drivers this week in the Woodland area.

CHP officers will be stationed on westbound Highway 16, east of County Road 97, in the unincorporated area of Yolo County to catch those driving influence of intoxicants, the agency said in a news release Monday.

Thats about a half-hour drive from downtown Sacramento.

Set-up for the DUI checkpoint will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m., the CHP said, and it will be operational from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday.

If there is inclement weather, the checkpoint will be canceled for safety reasons, the CHP said, and officers will conduct roving DUI patrols instead.

To determine if a driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, officers will have breath-testing devices and experts certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be on site., the release said.

In addition to drunk driving, impaired driving includes the use of medications, among them prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Funding for the DUI checkpoint program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Law enforcement agencies are legally required to notify the public of DUI checkpoints ahead of time.

Do I have to comply with police at DUI checkpoint?

California Vehicle Code 2814.2 says all drivers must stop and submit to a sobriety checkpoint inspection when law enforcement requires it.

However, a driver is not legally obligated to submit to field sobriety tests, pre-arrest breath tests or cheek swabs at a DUI checkpoint, according to Shouse California Law Group.

Read more: Do I have to comply with law enforcement at a DUI checkpoint? See what California law says

Can I avoid a drunk driving checkpoint?

If a driver has not yet been stopped by law enforcement, there are ways they can avoid the checkpoint.

There is no state or federal law that prohibits someone from turning around or finding another route  as long as it is safe to do so  to avoid a DUI checkpoint, according to Shouse California Law Group.

Read more: California driving laws: Red lights, merging, car tags and more. Here are the rules

What are penalties for driving under the influence?

If you are stopped by law enforcement for driving under the influence of intoxicants, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has the authority to revoke or suspend your driving privilege.

Drivers charged with a first-time DUI can also face an average of $13,500 in fines, fees and more.

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.
CHRISTIAN COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA)  Drivers in Christian County are being encouraged to exercise caution whenever approaching railroad crossings in the county while a series of upgrades takes place.

Chief Deputy James Baker explained that Norfolk Southern is replacing the rails between Stonington and Harvel, the latter located in the far southwest corner of the county. In addition to the rails, they are also replacing the asphalt at crossings, which does require them to be closured during the day.

IDOT investing millions into Central Illinois transportation projects

Baker added that Norfolk Southern is replacing every piece of rail on the line running through Christian County, and they are upgrading rail crossings as they come across them. This work, already underway, is expected to last five to six weeks.

Drivers are advised to slow down when approaching and crossing the areas where rail replacement is taking place.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
Newly graduated military officer candidates take their oath during a ceremony to celebrate Hungarian national holiday at Kossuth Square in front of the parliament building in Budapest, Hungary on Aug. 20, 2024. Hungary marked its national holiday and commemorated Saint Stephen (969-1038), the founding king of Hungary, on Tuesday. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

BUDAPEST, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Hungary celebrated its state foundation day on Tuesday with a series of events across the nation, culminating in an airshow over the Danube River and a spectacular fireworks display.

Aug. 20, one of Hungary's most important national holidays, marks the founding of the state by King Saint Stephen (1000-1038). The holiday was first celebrated in 1092.

Tuesday's celebrations began with a flag-raising ceremony at Kossuth Lajos Square in front of the parliament, followed by a military airshow over the Danube.

"This day is a tribute to the heroic perseverance of our ancestors, our fathers, grandfathers, and soldier forebears," Minister of Defense Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky said in front of hundreds newly graduated military officer candidates after their public oath-taking at the ceremony.

Visitors have the opportunity to view the Holy Crown in the parliament for free until 6 p.m., and a festive mass and procession will take place at Saint Stephen's Basilica.

Cities across the country have hosted cultural events to mark the day, including concerts, traditional crafts exhibitions, and gastronomy festivals.

The evening's highlight was a five-km-long fireworks and light show along the Danube, accompanied by a drone display. 

A flag-raising ceremony is held to celebrate Hungarian national holiday at Kossuth Square in front of the parliament building in Budapest, Hungary on Aug. 20, 2024. Hungary marked its national holiday and commemorated Saint Stephen (969-1038), the founding king of Hungary, on Tuesday. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

Fireworks explode over Danube river to celebrate Hungary's state foundation day in downtown Budapest, Hungary, on Aug. 20, 2024. Hungary celebrated its state foundation day on Tuesday with a series of events across the nation, culminating in an airshow over the Danube River and a spectacular fireworks display. (Xinhua/Chen Hao)

Fireworks explode over Danube river to celebrate Hungary's state foundation day in downtown Budapest, Hungary, on Aug. 20, 2024. Hungary celebrated its state foundation day on Tuesday with a series of events across the nation, culminating in an airshow over the Danube River and a spectacular fireworks display. (Xinhua/Chen Hao)

Fireworks explode over Danube river to celebrate Hungary's state foundation day in downtown Budapest, Hungary, on Aug. 20, 2024. Hungary celebrated its state foundation day on Tuesday with a series of events across the nation, culminating in an airshow over the Danube River and a spectacular fireworks display. (Xinhua/Chen Hao)

The parliament building is lit up to celebrate Hungary's state foundation day in downtown Budapest, Hungary, on Aug. 20, 2024. Hungary celebrated its state foundation day on Tuesday with a series of events across the nation, culminating in an airshow over the Danube River and a spectacular fireworks display. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

People watch fireworks to celebrate Hungary's state foundation day in downtown Budapest, Hungary, on Aug. 20, 2024. Hungary celebrated its state foundation day on Tuesday with a series of events across the nation, culminating in an airshow over the Danube River and a spectacular fireworks display. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

People watch fireworks to celebrate Hungary's state foundation day in downtown Budapest, Hungary, on Aug. 20, 2024. Hungary celebrated its state foundation day on Tuesday with a series of events across the nation, culminating in an airshow over the Danube River and a spectacular fireworks display. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

People watch a light show and fireworks to celebrate Hungary's state foundation day in downtown Budapest, Hungary, on Aug. 20, 2024. Hungary celebrated its state foundation day on Tuesday with a series of events across the nation, culminating in an airshow over the Danube River and a spectacular fireworks display. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)
Cincinnati's first Asian American mayor, Aftab Pureval, is scheduled to speak at the Democratic National Convention.

To anyone following the presidential election, it isn't a surprise. Pureval has been all-in for Vice President Kamala Harris since she was announced as the Democrat presidential candidate in early August, replacing President Joe Biden after he dropped out of the race.

When will Aftab Pureval speak the convention?

That's a secret for now, but don't expect him to nab a prime-time spot. He's popular and his national presence is growing, but viewers outside of Greater Cincinnati and Ohio likely don't know him yet. Outside the most prominent speakers, the line-up isn't announced until the day of.

For Democrats, Pureval has a good story to tell about Cincinnati. In the last city election, voters elected all Democrats to the city council and the mayor's office for the first time.

Pureval declined to comment about when he'll speak or what he'll talk about.

What Pureval told Ohio Democrats

Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval brought Graeter's ice cream and Rhinegeist beer to the DNC Monday at the Taste of American Cities event hosted by the Democratic Mayor's Association. Politicians have learned over the years while Skyline Chili is synonymous with Cincinnati cuisine it is too messy to bring to away events.

Pureval on Monday morning gave a speech to Ohio Democrats that heralded the historic nature of Harris' nomination and potential presidency. He spoke of the discrimination Asians have faced in the country.

"I'm talking about the building of railroads, the Japanese internment camps," Pureval said Monday. "I'm talking about the Muslim ban, the increase in Asian hate crimes across this country since the pandemic."

Pureval spoke about what Harris' candidacy would mean for his parents, who emigrated from India and Tibet.

"It is incredibly personal to me to be at a convention where we have the opportunity to elect of course the first Black woman president, but, specifically, the first Indian-American president," Pureval said. "I know for a fact there's no way they would dream in my mom's lifetime we would elect an Indian American (for president.)"

Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval at an event on the banks of the Ohio River in Covington touting the bipartisan infrastructure law which will fund major changes to the Brent Spence Bridge and surrounding infrastructure.

Pureval campaigns for Kamala Harris

Pureval is an Ohio delegate. But for Harris, as he was for Biden, he is also on the campaign's national advisory board and he's a voting member of the Democratic Party's platform committee.

"I genuinely believe she is the right person at the right time to lead the country at a time when we have incredible opportunities and at a time when there are challenges in aftermath of the pandemic and there are increasing challenges abroad," Pureval told The Enquirer. "She has a vision she is laying out for the country, one a majority of Americans can believe in."

Also, personally, he said, "It is exciting and inspiring to see somebody of Indian descent being in a position to make history. Its been a challenging time in the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community, with the rise of hate crimes and the language used by President Trump around COVID-19. Vice President Harris represents joy and hope, not just for Asians, but around the country."

Two days after Harris replaced Biden, Pureval flew to Minnesota for a South Asians for America event with elected leaders and volunteers, while Harris headlined an event in Milwaukee.

Pureval did speaker introductions on the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Men for Harris campaign call Aug. 7. And he spoke in Springfield, Illinois, at a Harris event that also featured U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

On Instagram, Pureval wrote: "Proud to be a part of this work, following in the footsteps of Black and AANHPI women to build strong coalitions for our next president.

Pureval so far unopposed for reelection in 2025

Pureval is new to the national political scene, but he is popular  so far nobody has announced they'll run against him in next year's mayoral race  and he's a charismatic speaker.

Speaking roles are typically granted to up-and-coming people in the party and Pureval is that. However, he said, "I am first and foremost here to continue to lift Cincinnati's profile and continue to be a strong partner for our federal leaders, so that when there are trillions of dollars of federal money available, Cincinnati is getting our fair share and more."

He does not plan to run for higher office, he said. He plans to run for re-election next year and then likely leave politics. He has repeatedly told The Enquirer he is not seeking a job in the administration, which has been a persistent rumor.

The ask came because Harris was likely attracted to Pureval's background. She is embracing her heritage. And Pureval is of Indian-Tibetan descent, the son of first-generation Americans.

Harris has Black Jamaican and Indian ancestry and she has leaned into her heritage to connect with voters, despite attacks from opponent former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee.

USA TODAY has reported Asian Americans are the fastest-growing group of eligible voters. Their number has grown by 15%, or about 2 million eligible voters, since the last election, according to Pew Research.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati's first Asian American Mayor Aftab Pureval to speak at DNC
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT)  At a Board of Commissioners meeting Monday night, some people living in Pitt County voiced their concerns about disturbances involving the shooting of guns in their neighborhoods.

A large chunk of Mondays meeting was spent discussing potential county-wide solutions for those disturbances.

Over the past year, weve had some new neighbors move in that shoot guns ridiculously and its very disturbing, Bishop Joe Dixon said. Theyll be shooting at one, two in the morning and then on Sunday evenings, they just have a barrage.

Bishop Dixon said hes been living in the neighborhood of Holly Pine for a long time and this is the first time something like this has been issue.

We have over 30 homes. Weve never had a problem. Never, until a year ago when the neighbors moved in, Bishop Dixon said.

County leaders said they have hunting ordinances and noise ordinances but there are no gun ordinances in the county. The noise must occur with a sheriffs deputy on site in order for the sherrifs to do anything.

There is also no state legislation restricting a person from firing a gun on their property. Commissioner Tom Colson said he believes some type of legislation needs to be implemented to protect people in the community.

I think we need to pressure the legislature to do something that doesnt infringe upon peoples rights. Its just common sense, Pitt County Commissioner District B Tom Coulson said.

Back in 2020, the board formed a firearms committee which proposed an ordinance that would regulate shooting a gun in unincorporated parts of the county but due to community backlash, the board members removed in from the agenda by unanimous vote.

County Commissioner Mary Perkins-Williams said no homeowner in the county should have to deal with this disturbance.

You should be able to sleep in your house and live in your home and play in your yard any time, you really should. This is why you buy a home, Perkins-Williams said.





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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT.
KERMIT, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)  The City of Kermit rescinded a boil water notice on Tuesday, August 20, after mechanical failures caused water pressure to fall below the required 20 psi in the distribution system on Sunday.

The City said water customers should take the following steps now that the boil notice has been lifted:

Flush household pipes, ice makers, water fountains, etc. before using for drinking or cooking by letting the water run for one to two minutes.

To flush automatic ice makers, make three batches of ice and discard.

Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle.

Replace or clean water filters.

RELATED: City Council works to find solution for problems affecting the Odessa water system

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the City of Kermit at 432-586-3468.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Yourbasin.
Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way helps unveil a new marker on the Mississippi Freedom Trail in Atlantic City on Aug. 20, 2024. (Courtesy of Atlantic City)

Sixty years after Mississippi civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer traveled to the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City to highlight her experience with racism, the city will now be home to a historical marker commemorating Hamers activism.

Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way said Tuesdays unveiling of the marker on the citys boardwalk recognizes a significant moment in Americas time and will ensure visitors understand what New Jersey represented in the fight for civil rights.

We cannot heal our nation from centuries of racism and discrimination without making this history visible so that all of us can see it and understand it plainly. Now this marker represents a quaint, even painful moment in our past with the hope that in recognizing this history, we can avoid repeating it, said Way, the second Black woman to serve as the states lieutenant governor.

On Aug. 22, 1964, when Atlantic City hosted the Democratic Partys convention at Boardwalk Hall, Hamer delivered a speech calling for integration, voting rights, and representation for Black people. She co-founded and represented the new Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, aiming to replace the states all-white delegation.

If the Freedom Democratic Party is not seated now, I question America. Is this America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, where we have to sleep with our telephones off of the hooks because our lives be threatened daily because we want to live as decent human beings in America? she said.

Hamer did not succeed in replacing the white delegation that year, but it was integrated for the next convention in 1968.

Witnessing the anguish of her testimony didnt spark immediate change in her circumstances, but Ms. Hamer did change hearts and minds, said Way, noting Hamer was also a delegate in 1972.

Way was joined in Atlantic City by lawmakers, civil rights activists, and Mississippi officials as the Democratic National Convention is in its second day in Chicago. Multiple speakers at this years convention have honored Hamer, including Rep. Maxine Waters (D-California).

Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small said Vice President Kamala Harris potential to be the first Black woman elected president is representative of the progress Hamer helped achieve.

The plaque will be the first Mississippi Freedom Trail Marker located outside of Mississippi. The trail was created in 2011 to commemorate the people and places that played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement, including the grocery store where lynching victim Emmett Till was accused of flirting with a white woman and the bus station where Freedom Riders were arrested for integrating public facilities.

The new marker includes a description of the events at the 1964 convention and explains Hamers activism throughout the Civil Rights Movement. She was arrested for sitting in the whites-only section of a bus and faced eviction from her home and violence when she attempted to register to vote. At a December 1964 New York rally speaking alongside Malcolm X about brutal beatings Black people faced in Mississippi, she delivered one of her most well-known quotes: I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Activist Roy DeBerry traveled to Atlantic City from Mississippi Tuesday for the first time since that convention six decades ago. He was a teenager at the time but said he remembers picketing outside Boardwalk Hall and sleeping outdoors because they couldnt afford a place to stay. Hamer left the convention hall to encourage them to keep fighting and sing songs, DeBerry said.

Dave Dennis, also a member of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party who spoke on the boardwalk Tuesday, recalled his friendship with Hamer and other civil rights activists whom he said took bullets for democracy. Dennis urged people to fight legislation aimed at preventing communities of color from voting and to continue teaching Americas history of racism and segregation.

Make doggone sure that none of that legislation passes, make sure the changes open up the doors for our children to be able to know these histories and be able to exercise their right to vote, Dennis said.

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WINCHESTER, Ky. (FOX 56)  Kicking off the school year can be stressful for students and teachers, but in Clark County, one furry friend is helping to bring smiles to those in the public school system.

Last fall, a four-year-old golden doodle named Abe was the newest K-9 officer and therapy dog assigned to the Winchester police department.

Read more of the latest Lexington & central Kentucky news

Superintendent Dustin Howard said that having a therapy dog helps meet their students and staffs social-emotional needs. Schools can schedule a visit with Abe anytime they feel that a class or a specific student needs a pick-me-up.

Other districts in Kentucky do not allow therapy dogs on their campuses, but Howard said he felt like having Abe roaming the halls was the best decision for Clark County because a good education starts with healthy and happy students.

We have to meet the social-emotional needs of our students also before we can expect them to learn at a high level, and the same thing with staff. You know, theyve got the hardest job, in the world, in my opinion, Howard said. We have to be there for them, and to support those needs so that they can smile every day and be energetic and provide the world class education we expect from them.

Superintendent Howard said that he is excited about Abes return to school. Students can expect to see their furry friend in just a few weeks after Labor Day weekend.

This school year, Clark County educators are also working to put parents worries to ease when it comes to their kids arriving to class.

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS:

Every parent knows the stress and time commitment of taking and getting their kids to school or to the bus stop. But in Clark County, drivers are still getting into the swing of things while dealing with that back-to-school traffic. But with a new updated app, they wont have to be as worried.

The district has had tracking apps in previous years, but leaders say this new app provides more safety features. Parents will be able to check updates, receive messages from district leaders, and see the arrival time of the bus their child is on. Howard said the new app has not only been a better safety tool but also a better communication tool.

Read more of the latest Kentucky news

We changed bus apps for a couple different reasons. The main one is, on the previous bus app, anyone could track any bus. We felt that could be problematic if someone had ill intentions. So now thats limited to having a student account, Howard said. Were still working on making sure everyone has their student account so that they can access that, and thats something that we should, have buttoned up by the end of this week at the latest.

Howard said that he could not be more pleased with the start of the school year. So far busses have been on time and are being dismissed very quickly on getting kids home safely and on time.







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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  A 21-year-old Clay County man has been arrested for multiple drug trafficking charges after deputies found enough fentanyl to kill about two-thirds of the Kansas City, Missouri population in his car.

According to the Clay County Sheriffs Department, Josiah J. Langston was arrested on Thursday, Aug. 15 near the 3900 block of North Skiles Avenue.

Louisburg restaurant employee allegedly stealing customers credit card information

Deputies said they had been searching for Langston due to a previous drug trafficking warrant. However, when they approached Langston, he attempted to flee by ramming the patrol. He reportedly failed to escape and was quickly placed under arrest.

After he was in custody, investigators searched Langstons car and found 1.5 pounds of powdered fentanyl and 0.4 pounds of methamphetamine. According to the Sheriffs Department, two milligrams of fentanyl could be lethal, meaning this quantity could kill about 327,000 people.

Langston was charged with two counts of first-degree drug trafficking and one count of resisting arrest. This is in addition to his previous drug trafficking charge.

Three retail theft criminals sentenced to prison in Platte County

The investigation is ongoing and more charges, including federal charges, are possible.

Langston is being held at the Clay County Detention Center on a $450,000 bond.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes)  Clifford Barnes Sr., peacefully passed away on Tuesday, August 13, 2024. Clifford was a beloved husband, father/grandfather, brother, foster parent, nurse and businessman.

He was born July 22, 1959, in Youngstown, Ohio; the beloved son of Clarence Barnes Sr. and Ola Mildred (Gorman) Barnes.

Find obituaries from your high school

Clifford was a graduate of the Rayen School class of 1976. Throughout his illustrious professional journey, Clifford Barnes Sr. made significant contributions within the Mahoning Valley. He was a cleaner at Marsano Dale Cleaners and Dutchess Cleaners. Following his passion for entrepreneurship, he became the owner and operator of his own company Lighthouse Dry Cleaners utilizing the skills obtained previously.

Clifford later embarked upon a career in the healthcare industry as a licensed practical nurse in 1994. As a medical professional, he shared his expertise to optimize the health and healing of countless individuals. He worked for various health care for over two decades rendering quality nursing care. Upon retirement from a fulfilling nursing career, he then devoted his life to caring for his grandchildren and extending his nurturing nature to children within the foster care system.

Clifford touched the lives of many with his selfless dedication to the care and well-being of others. Granting comfort and healing throughout his life, Cliffords compassionate spirit resonated in every endeavor he pursued.

Clifford was a devoted husband to his childhood sweetheart, Laura Joyce (Kitchen) Barnes, whose love will continue to endure. Together they built a loving and stable home for their six children which include Clifford Barnes Jr. of Austintown, Ohio, Nathaniel Barnes of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Lovie Barnes of Youngstown, Ola Nicole Barnes of Cincinnati, Ohio, Clarence Barnes of Austintown, Ohio and Laura (Nahum) Graham of Youngstown.

A pillar of strength and wisdom for succeeding generations, his legacy will be sustained by the love he poured into his twenty grandchildren and a score of nieces and nephews. Additionally, he was a mentor to Eimaj Harris of Youngstown whom he helped rear, along with a cadre of children formally as a foster parent and informally as a father figure to other youth within the community.

He leaves to cherish fond memories among his five siblings, Barbara Barnes of Youngstown, Ohio, Darleen Barnes of Newton, Kansas, Donna Barnes of Greensboro, North Carolina, Timothy Barnes Sr. of Fort Mill, South Carolina and Lester Barnes Sr. of Los Angeles, California.

Now taking his place among the ancestors, as Clifford crossed into eternity, he welcomed by his parents and brother Clarence Barnes Jr. who predeceased him.

Distinguished by his kindness and generosity, Clifford was a source of support and guidance for many, epitomizing the values of love and care. His legacy of compassion will continue to resonate through the lives he touched, both within his family and the wider community.

The celebration of Clifford Barnes Sr.s life will take place on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at the Lighthouse Covenant Ministries, 1755 Shehy Street in Youngstown at 1:00 p.m. Apostle Michael Scott Sr., shall officiate the memorial service which will serve as a testament to Cliffords indelible mark on the hearts of those who had the privilege of knowing him. A repast will follow the conclusion of the services.

At this time of intimate need and personal loss, the beloved family of Clifford Barnes Sr., elected to entrust the Ministry of Comfort & Care, along with Transitional After-Care Arrangements to the J. E. Washington Funeral Services, 2234 Glenwood Ave., Youngstown Ohio 330.782.8500

Send flowers to the service of Clifford Barnes Sr.

A television tribute will air Wednesday, August 21 at the following approximate times: 5:17 a.m. on WKBN, 8:39 a.m. on FOX, 5:21 p.m. on WYTV and 6:35 p.m. on MyYTV. Video will be posted here the day of airing.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.
CMS superintendent discusses, previews upcoming school year

CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill discussed the upcoming academic school year from the districts brand new south Charlotte overflow school while giving updates ahead of the first day of school next week.

CMS leaders discuss magnet schools and boundaries for 2025-26, seeking parent feedback

The briefing was held Tuesday at the new Knights View Elementary School, which opened in an effort to curb overflow and an influx of new families with young children to the Queen City.

Credit: CMS

Credit: CMS

Credit: CMS

The new school year starts on Monday, Aug. 26, with some classes having staggered starts throughout the week.

The new school did not come without some controversy as parents complained of longer commutes than they have had in previous years of school with their children.

Watch: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools full news conference below.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX)  Colorado Mesa Universitys fall semester started on Monday and the university welcomed its largest freshman class in school history. School officials say the Promise Initiative played a large role in this years enrollment.

The initiative went out to all residents of the 22 counties on the western slope and offered them guaranteed tuition after all other aid is paid for anyone with an adjusted gross income of $65,000 or less.

Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management Kim Medina says when enrollment closes in September, they plan on having around 2,400 students in the freshman class alone.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.
WARSAW, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Two people died at the scene and five others were injured when a heat pump exploded in a building in Opole Voivodeship, southwestern Poland on Tuesday, local media reported.

According to local media RMF24, the incident occurred around 3 p.m. on Olimpijczyk Street in Chrzastowice.

The media quoted an officer from the Opole Fire Department as saying that the explosion happened during maintenance work at a single-family building.

Seven fire brigades, along with the police and rescue teams, are currently at the scene. The situation is now under control, and no fire has occurred. Police are still investigating the incident. 
The home that exploded in Adger is one of dozens that Oak Grove Mine operators say could be impacted by subsidence. (Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate News)

This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. It is republished with permission. Sign up for their newsletter here.

OAK GROVE  New ownership at an Alabama mine accused of causing a fatal home explosion earlier this year is raising old concerns for residents in rural Jefferson County, less than an hours drive outside Birmingham.

There, the rumors about the sale run as deep as the coal seam, and Alabama mine regulators have so far told residents nothing about it.

The new owners identity emerged only when Ryan M. Murray, son of late coal magnate and Donald Trump ally Robert Murray, said in a post on social media that he is now serving as president and chief operating officer of Oak Grove mine. His post was the first public sign of leadership change inside Oak Grove.

So far, public records including regulatory and property records do not reflect any shift in ownership, but the website of American Consolidated Natural Resources (ACNR), the mines prior owner, no longer lists the facility on its operations portfolio. In a statement, a United Mine Workers official also confirmed that miners had been made aware of the sale, though mine officials did not reveal the buyers identity at the time. Contracts with miners are expected to be honored by any new ownership, the union officials said.

The Murray family is not unfamiliar with the central Alabama mine. Murray Oak Grove Coal LLC owned the facility from April 2019 to September 2020, according to federal mine records. ACNR, a company that emerged from the bankruptcy of Murray Energy, owned the mine from then until the current sale.

Under those months of Murray Energy ownership, Oak Grove mine racked up more than 300 safety violations, more than 100 of which were considered significant and substantial by federal regulators.

Ryan M. Murray worked for Murray Energy for years, according to his LinkedIn, serving in roles from laborer to general manager before becoming vice president of operations. In 2021, he founded Murray Mining LLC, a company focused on project management, contract mining and consulting. The profile now lists Murray as president and COO of an entity called Oak Grove, which is listed on the site as a supplier of metallurgical coal.

Murray and Oak Grove have not yet responded to requests for comment.

Lily Spicer, typical of Oak Grove residents whose homes sit above the expanding longwall coal mine, said she simply wants to know who now owns the mine accused of killing her neighbor in a home explosion.

It was one of the reasons she traveled to Jasper, Alabama, to the second floor of a bank where the states mining regulator met earlier this month. She wanted to ask members of the states surface mining commission about issues she felt they should have addressed months ago, before W.M. Griffices home exploded in March, leaving him dead and his grandson severely injured. The blast shook the foundation of Spicers home, the flames from the resulting blaze lighting up the sky above the treeline.

Spicer said the meeting provided few answers and little relief. Instead, she and other residents are still left in the dark, wondering what a new owner might mean for their safety and future.

Theyre guarding it like a national security secret, Spicer said.

Now shes fed up. On an Alabama summer day, she walked around her house to point out cracks in its foundation she said were caused by the expanding mine. She had on a T-shirt with a cat and a firm message in a friendly font: Fluff around and find out.

Earlier this year, methane gas from the same underground mine that caused the damage at her home led to the explosion that killed her elderly neighbor, Griffice, and severely injured his grandson, according to their familys lawsuit.

A grave with the last name "Griffice" carved in stone. On the left is a freshly dug grave near the legend "W.M, 1949 -" and on the the right is Donna G., March 28 1955 to Oct. 24 2017.

Since that explosion, Spicer has spent much of her time worrying. Mine officials have done little to assuage her fears that she, too, may soon fall victim to the dangers of longwall mining, an extractive process where coal is scraped from vast underground seams, releasing methane gas into the rock, creating caverns that often cause the land above to sink.

The regulators charged with permitting mines in the state told Inside Climate News last week that while they knew a sale of the mine had occurred, they were unaware of the buyers identity. Despite that uncertainty, coal operations could be expected to continue undisturbed under new ownership, the Alabama Surface Mining Commissions director said in response to questions.

For Spicer and other residents, the changes at Oak Grove mean a moving goalpost. Before the sale, she was skeptical that anyone would ever be held accountable for her communitys losses, she said. Now, she seems almost sure of it.

Its another manipulative blurring of the truth, and things will continue as they always have been, Spicer said.

The prior owner had become the largest privately-owned coal operator in the U.S. when it emerged from the Murray Energy bankruptcy in 2020, just months before Robert Murray died from complications caused by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung condition, at age 80. Prior to his passing, Murray applied for black lung benefits from the U.S. Department of Labor, suggesting his condition was caused by his work inside coal mines, which hed previously denied.

Murray had been an outspoken critic of environmental regulation of the fossil fuel industry, often appearing on outlets like Fox Business to decry the regulatory state that he said had a stranglehold on coal production.

Murray Energy, the Ohio-based company he founded, became the center of national controversy in 2007 when six miners were trapped inside the Crandall Canyon mine in Utah following a collapse. Prior to that incident, the mine had received 64 violations and $12,000 in fines. In its wake, regulators with the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration fined various entities a total of $1.85 million over the tragedy, its largest penalty ever.

Around the same time, while his company spiraled into bankruptcy, Robert Murray was funding climate change denial propaganda, according to reporting by The New York Times.

The company gave $300,000 to Government Accountability & Oversight, a group focused on countering organizations that oppose Trump administration environmental rollbacks, a Times investigation concluded. An additional $200,000 went to the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a free-market think tank that maintains that scientists have not proven that human activity is the main cause of rising emissions. And $130,000 was given to the Heartland Institute, which has sponsored climate-change deniers to speak at United Nations climate change conferences.

Robert Murrays policy preferences, which largely center around the deregulation of the fossil fuel industry, gained a foothold in the White House under President Trump, to whom the coal baron had contributed significantly.

Ryan M. Murray, now the head of Oak Grove, has also contributed to the Trump Victory fund and other right-wing causes through political action committees, including that of ACNR, according to campaign finance records.

A sign saying Crimson Oak Grove Resources in front of white-painted machinery.

In and around Oak Grove, support for the former president is widespread, but residents of the rural community have also said that Republican or Democrat, underground mining causes your home to sink just the same.

Its money, they said, that keeps regulators and public officials from acting decisively to protect their community.

Spicer said no matter who owns Oak Grove mine, she plans to keep up the pressure on mine and public officials: Residents shouldnt have to live in fear of an explosion or a sinking home. Theres always the temptation of a clean start, she said, but with rising home prices elsewhere and a current property located next to the site of a home explosion, even that seems like an impossibility. A new mine owner, she said, wont change any of that.

Its probably just a new shade of lipstick on the pig, she said.

James Bruggers contributed reporting for this story.
Coalition of citizens shown overwhelming support for new proposal to protect 250,000 acres of public land: 'It maintains recreation access for all of us'

A broad coalition of around 2,000 citizens, business owners, and recreation advocates have endorsed proposed legislation that would permanently protect 250,000 acres of public land in Montana.

Explore Big Sky reported on this broad public support for The Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act, which would protect land within the Gallatin and Madison mountain ranges.

The Gallatin Forest Partnership, which is leading the charge for the new legislation, says while these ranges have some protections, they are not permanent  this makes these lands vulnerable to future fragmentation.

The group says more permanent protections for these areas would safeguard clean water; protect outdoor recreation like hunting, fishing, and mountain biking; and support wildlife like bears, elk, osprey, and cutthroat trout.

According to the Bureau of Land Management, one of several federal agencies that manages public lands in the United States, outdoor recreation supports local communities. In fact, recreational activities on BLM public lands alone contributed $11.4 billion to the national economy in fiscal year 2021.

Plus, access to these lands offers benefits beyond the fiscal. Time in nature has been linked to improved mental health, lower stress levels, boosted immunity, and an increase in levels of anti-cancer proteins.

Across the U.S., people are standing up to protect threatened landscapes. For instance, one young Girl Scout used the power of protest to prevent potential development in one Maryland forest. Plus, scientists with the federal government and universities partnered up with the National Guard to restore hundreds of acres of tropical Hawaiian forest.

Our overheating planet is one of many threats to forest health, which also include invasive species and wildfires. To that end, you can make a difference by reducing your dependence on planet-heating energy sources. Some ways to do this include changing the way you get around and voting for pro-climate candidates.

Back in Montana, Denise Wade, co-owner of Big Sky Adventures and Tours, voiced support for the proposed legislation.

"It maintains recreation access for all of us  hikers, bikers, horse users, snowmobilers, skiers  and permanently protects wildlife habitat and seasonal migrations in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem," Wade said, per Explore Big Sky. "This act will forever protect the Madison and Gallatin ranges and ensure guiding businesses continue to flourish."

Meanwhile, Kathryn Eklund, GFP member and southwest Montana community conservation specialist at The Wilderness Society, emphasized the importance of the Madison and Gallatin ranges.

"They provide incredible wildlife habitat and help define who we are as Montanans," Eklund said in a press release, per Explore Big Sky. "They are our wild backyard, and with so much changing around us, they deserve protection now. That's why the Gallatin Forest Partnership has developed a realistic solution."

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.
Happy Tuesday and welcome to another edition of Rent Free. This week's stories include:

A federal appeals court slaps down the federal government's odd argument that it doesn't have to compensate landlords for its eviction moratorium because the moratorium was illegal.

Vice President Kamala Harris sets a first-term goal of building 3 million middle-class homes.

A Michigan judge sides with property owners trying to build a "green cemetery."

But first, a look at an under-the-radar federal regulation change that might make it easier for builders to create more small multifamily "missing middle" homes.

Code Games

In his 1942 book Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy Joseph Schumpeter praised capitalist mass production for bringing almost every basic commodity, from food to clothing, within the affordable reach of the working man. The one exception he highlighted was housing, which he confidently predicted would soon see a similar collapse in prices due to mass-produced manufactured housing.

As it happens, manufactured housing productionwhich is built in factories and then shipped and installed on-sitepeaked in the mid-1970s and has been limping along as a small share of overall home construction ever since.

Nevertheless, the dream that cheap, factory-built homes can deliver lower-cost housing has never died.

It's certainly alive and well in the current White House.

This past week, the Biden-Harris administration released a "fact sheet" of actions it was taking to lower housing costs. It included an in-progress regulatory change that would allow two-, three-, and four-unit homes to be built under the federal manufactured housing code set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

"The HUD Code creates economies of scale for manufacturers, resulting in significantly lower costs for buyers," says the White House in that fact sheet. Letting small multifamily housing be built under the HUD code will extend "the cost-saving benefits of manufactured housing to denser urban and suburban infill contexts," it says.

IRC, IBC, IDK

The proposed change comes at an interesting time for small multifamily housing construction.

Across the country, more and more states and localities are allowing more two-, three-, and four-unit homes to be built in formerly single-family-only areas.

That liberalization of the zoning code (which regulates what types of buildings can be built where) has set off a follow-on debate about which building code (which regulates construction standards) newly legal multiplexes should be regulated under.

Currently, the options are either the International Building Code (IBC) or the International Residential Code (IRC).

The IBC and IRC are model codes created by the non-profit International Code Council, which are then adopted (often with tweaks and changes) by states and localities.

The IBC typically covers apartment buildings of three or more units, while the IRC covers single-family homes. Neither is particularly well-suited for the regulation of smaller multi-family buildings that cities are now legalizing.

The IBC, for instance, requires expensive sprinkler systems that don't do much to improve fire safety in smaller buildings but can make their construction cost-prohibitive.

Zoning reformers have responded by trying to shift the regulation of smaller apartments into the IRC. But that raises its own problems, says Stephen Smith of the Center for Building in North America.

"It's a complicated thing to do because the IRC is not written for small multi-family. It's written for detached single-family," he says. "For traditional apartment buildings with a single entrance and stairs and halls and stuff, it's not really clear how the IRC would work with that."

The White House's proposed changes open the possibility of sidestepping this IRC-IBC dilemma entirely by letting builders of manufactured, multifamily housing opt into a single, national set of regulations.

A Floor or a Ceiling?

The question then is whether this will actually make life easier for builders.

The effect of HUD regulation on the production of single-family manufactured housing is a topic of intense debate.

Prior to the 1970s, manufactured housing was governed by a patchwork of state and local building codes. In 1974 Congress passed legislation that gives HUD the power to regulate manufactured housing.

Critics of HUD regulation argue that its initial implementation caused the steep decline in manufactured housing production in the 1970s.

In particular, they point to the HUD requirement that manufactured housing must sit on a steel chassis as a regulation that increases costs and decreases production.

Brian Potter, a senior fellow at the Institute for Progress and writer of the Construction Physics Substack, contrastingly argues that HUD regulation has actually helped keep the cost of building manufactured housing down.

The production of all housing, not just manufactured housing, plummeted in the 1970s, he notes. Since the 1970s, the costs of non-manufactured, site-built housing have skyrocketed while the costs of building manufactured housing have risen much less, he points out. Potter argues that the effect of the steel chassis requirement is also overstated.

To this day, manufactured housing is the cheapest type of housing to produce when comparing smaller manufactured housing units to smaller site-built single-family housing units. The HUD code has less expensive requirements and allows builders more flexibility in the construction of units.

"The most interesting and attractive thing about the HUD code is that HUD code homes tend to be much, much less expensive than single-family homes," says Potter.

The hope is that allowing newly legal duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes to be built under HUD standards would reduce costs compared to building them under IBC or IRC regulations.

Degrees of Change

While the HUD code has been in existence since the 1970s, its explicit exclusion of manufactured, multifamily housing is a relatively recent development. In 2014, HUD issued a memorandum saying that only single-family housing can be built under the department's manufactured housing standards.

In a 2022 public comment on the proposed updates, the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform argues that the 2014 memorandum was in error and that HUD actually has no regulatory authority to cap the number of units that can be built under the code.

According to the White House fact sheet, the Biden administration's proposed updates to the HUD code would once again allow up to four units of housing to be built under the code once again.

If the HUD code critics are correct, then this will make a minimal difference. Under this theory, builders would just have another cost-increasing building code to choose from. If folks like Potter are correct, however, this should allow builders to opt into less demanding regulations. We might therefore see an increase in the number of two-, three-, and four-unit homes built.

Building code liberalization will still only be effective in places where zoning code liberalization has already happened. Cities and states still have every power to zone out multifamily housing and ban the placement of manufactured housing.

Where cities have made those "missing middle" reforms, however, it's possible the White House's proposed regulatory changes will increase the production of manufactured, multifamily housing while policymakers figure out whether how to change the IBC or IRC to allow more site-built multiplexes.

If the CDC's Eviction Moratorium Was Illegal, Do the Feds Have To Pay for It?

When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) banned residential evictions for non-payment of rent in 2020, property owners responded with a flurry of lawsuits, arguing that the federal government owed them compensation for what amounted to a physical taking of their property.

While those lawsuits were ongoing, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in August 2021 that the CDC moratorium was an illegal overstepping of the agency's authority.

This armed the federal government with an audacious response to all those property owners' claims for compensation: Because the CDC's eviction moratorium was illegal and lacked federal authorization, the federal government wasn't required to pay any compensation.

Incredibly, the Court of Federal Claims agreed with this argumentciting past cases that immunized the government from having to pay compensation for clearly illegal, unsanctioned acts of its agentsand dismissed a property owners' lawsuit in the case of Darby Development Co. v. United States.

But this past week, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit sided with property owners and reversed that dismal.

The appeals court ruled that the CDC eviction moratorium, while illegal, clearly did have the endorsement of both Congress and the executive branch.

"Taken to its logical conclusion, [the government's] position is that government agents can physically occupy private property for public use, resist for months the owner's legal attempts to make them leave, and then, when finally made to leave, say they need not pay for their stay because they had no business being there in the first place," wrote Judge Armando O. Bonilla in an opinion issued earlier this month.

The case is now remanded back to the federal claims court.

"The government should not be able to hide behind its own illegality to avoid paying damages for that very illegality," Greg Dolin, a senior litigation counsel at the New Civil Liberties Alliance (which filed an amicus brief in the Darby case) told Reason.

Kamala Harris, Supply Sider?

In a speech this past Friday laying out her economic agenda, Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris criticized state and local restrictions on homebuilding for driving up prices.

"There's a serious housing shortage 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. We will take down barriers and cut red tape, including at the state and local levels," said Harris, promising to deliver 3 million units of housing that's affordable to middle-class families by the end of her first term.

It's always refreshing to hear a politician accurately diagnose the cause of America's high housing costs as a matter of restricted supply. It's even better when politicians promise to do something about those supply restrictions. Harris' remarks are rhetorically a lot better than the explicit NIMBYism coming from Republican presidential contender Donald Trump.

Nevertheless, Harris' actual housing policies, including downpayment subsidies and rent control, will only make the problem worse. Downpayment subsidies will drive up demand and prices while leaving supply restrictions in place. Rent control has a long, long record of reducing the quality and quantity of housing.

Harris' speech was also peppered with lines attacking institutional housing investors who are providing much-needed capital for housing production.

Town's Ban on 'Green Cemetery' Is Dead

If the government doesn't like your cemetery, can it just ban all cemeteries? The answer, at least in Michigan, is no, no it can't.

In the case of Quakenbush et al v. Brooks Township et al, a state circuit court judge sided with a married couple who'd sued their local government when it passed a ban on new cemeteries with an eye toward stopping their development of the state's first "conservation burial forest."

"We're excited and feel vindicated by this ruling. We are delighted that the judge understood that Brooks Township's ordinance violated our right to use our property," said Peter and Annica Quakenbush, the plaintiffs in the case. They were represented by the Institute for Justice.

Quick Links

Jim Burling, the Pacific Legal Foundation's vice president of legal affairs, has a new book Nowhere to Live covering the legal history of zoning in America, the courts' acquiescence to this restriction on property rights, and all the attendant consequences of high housing costs and homelessness that have flowed from it.

A new paper published on SSRN estimates that a 25 percent reduction in permitting times in Los Angeles leads to a 33 percent increase in housing production.

Calmatters covers the killing, or severe injuring, of various bills introduced in the California Legislature this year that aimed to pair back the California Coastal Commission's powers to shoot down new housing production. Read Reason's past coverage of the Coastal Commission here and here.

Hawaii has legalized accessory dwelling units statewide, but they haven't made building them easy.

If you build it, prices drop.

*UPDATED* (and still true) When you build "luxury" new apartments in big numbers, the influx of supply puts downward pressure on rents at all price points -- even in the lowest-priced Class C rentals. Here's evidence of that happening right now: There are 21 U.S. markets where pic.twitter.com/BF9GY0YiFY  Jay Parsons (@jayparsons) August 13, 2024

The post Code Games appeared first on Reason.com.
College of Charleston students ready for the new school year

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- Its back to school at the College of Charleston.

Many students have been moving into their dorms the past few days as The College welcomes in a brand-new class of freshmen to campus.

Im from Minnesota so I flew here. I didnt have a lot of stuff to bring with me so that was kind of hard, Freshman from Minnesota, Maeve Tierney said.

2,275 freshmen, the fifth-largest freshman class in the schools history, and the last few days theyve been settling into their new homes.

Its been really fun to decorate and hang out with everyone in the space, CofC freshman, Izze Fallson said.

Upperclassmen, are also now on campus, as classes start Tuesday.

Finally all settled in, ready to have a good year, a better year than last year, CofC sophomore, Nick Gargiulo said.

The college is growing rapidly, so much so that freshmen last year had to start school in a hotel because there was no room in the dorms.

The Colleges president, Dr. Andrew Hsu says in 5 years, they went from 12.000 applicants to 32,000 applicants, but this year their admissions process has become more selective for out-of-state students.

College really is a right of passage and this is the beginning of a new chapter in their life, Dr. Hsu said.

Dr. Hsu adding hes exciting for the new academic schools added to the college this past year, We have 3 new engineering programs this year already implemented, and this year were implementing a brand new health administration program.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2.
CENTRAL, Ill. (WMBD)  Students at Illinois Central College and Illinois State University were welcomed back to campus earlier today with hopes of having a successful school year.

We think were creating a sense of belonging by welcoming students as they come across the bridge, making sure they know where to get to their classes, giving them some treats to get the morning started right, helping them maybe do a couple of games to reduce that anxiety and make sure they have a really good day, on their first day of class, said Vice President for Student Success, Jon C. Neidy.

New this year to ICC, more than 25% of classes have been moved to eight-week semesters instead of the more common 16-week format.

The data has shown is that the students that take eight-week classes have success rates that are as good, if not better, than the 16-week classes, and the withdrawal rate is considerably less. So being able to finish the course and complete it with a successful grade is really the key Joe Bergman, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at ICC said.

Bradley students receive iPads

Over at ISU, new and returning students are excited to meet new people and be back in the classrooms.

Im excited to get more involved on campus. I feel like last year didnt really take a lot of the opportunity to join clubs, which is usually where you meet a lot of new people. And over the summer, I took time to get back into old hobbies that I used to enjoy when I was younger. So Im hoping that there are clubs that will help me further indulge in those kinds of things, Sophomore Nataly Reinhardt said.

With a year of college under her belt, she gave her advice to new freshmen who might have the first day jitters.

Meet as many people as you can the first week. Everybodys new here. Like, people dont really know each other, so its a great opportunity to meet a lot of new people. And then slowly but surely, as the year goes on, youll discover who your real friends are as time goes on, she said.

ICC hopes to have 80% of its classes in the eight-week semester format by fall of 2026.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces reveals how many military facilities in Ukraine were hit by Russian missiles

Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that since 24 February 2022, Russian missiles and drones have hit 11,879 facilities in Ukraine. Most of them are civilian facilities (6,203), and the rest are military (5,676).

Source: Syrskyi, during his report at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Defence Express reports

Details: The Commander-in-Chief also specified the number of missiles and drones the Russians used against Ukraine, and how many of them were shot down.

Syrskyi said that the Russians used 9,590 missiles and 13,997 drones to attack Ukraine, of which 2,429 missiles and 5,972 drones were shot down.

The efficiency rate of downing the Kalibr, Kh-555/101 and R-500 cruise missiles (the latter are launched from Iskander missile systems) was 67%. The efficiency of intercepting Kh-59s, Kh-35s, Kh-31s and similar air-to-surface missiles was 22%. The difference in the interception of these two similar types of targets is explained by the fact that guided missiles are usually launched by the Russians at line of contact or border areas where air defence systems cannot be deployed.

As for drones, Shahed-136s are combined with Lancets in the statistics, with a total of 13,315 launched and 8,836 downed, which amounts to 63%.

The Russian forces used a total of 1,388 ballistic missiles launched from Iskander and Tochka-U missile systems, as well as KN-23 ballistic missiles, of which only 4.5% were downed. Anti-aircraft missiles from the S-300 and S-400 air defence systems should be added to this part of statistics. They were fired 3,008 times, and only 0.63% out of these were destroyed. The Russians used these missiles to hit a total of 4,293 targets, of which 3,196 were civilian and 1,097 military.

Among the hostile missiles that are best downed with modern anti-air systems are the Kh-22s and Kh-32s, which are launched from Tu-22M3 bombers. A total of 362 of them were launched and 2 were shot down, or 0.55%. The Russians used 211 Onyx anti-ship missiles, of which 12 were shot down, which is 5.7%.

As for the hypersonic weapons, the Russians launched Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missiles 111 times, of which 28 were downed, i.e. 25%. These missiles were mostly targeted at civilian infrastructure, with only 15 military targets out of 83. The Zircon hypersonic missile was used only 6 times, shot down 2 times, and hit civilian targets 4 times.



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Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks to reporters outside the Pennsylvania Commonwwealth Justice Center after a hearing Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (Capital-Star photo by Peter Hall)

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was not allowed to testify Tuesday in a challenge to his appearance on Pennsyvanias ballot when he arrived nearly two hours late for a state court hearing after his flight to Harrisburg was canceled.

Commonwealth Court Judge Lori Dumas expressed displeasure that she was not informed of Kennedys travel delay and denied a request by Kennedys attorney Paul Rossi to adjourn the hearing to give Kennedy and another witness time to arrive.

Both sides had planned to call Kennedy to testify about the Katonah, N.Y., address, where he rents a spare bedroom, that appears on his ballot petitions in Pennsylvania and other states. The challengers contend that Kennedys actual residence is in California at the home of his wife, Curb Your Enthusiasm actor Cheryl Hines.

In Kennedys absence, Dumas accepted evidence, largely in the form of transcripts from a trial in New York state court. A judge in Albany last week concluded that the address in the New York City suburb of Westchester County was merely a sham address that he assumed for the purpose of maintaining his voter registration and furthering his own political aspirations in this State.

New York Justice Christina Ryba cited testimony from Kennedy and the owner of the home that in the 15 months he had claimed residency there, he had slept at the address only once and that was two weeks after the New York challenge was filed in June.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing at the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Justice Center adjourned, Kennedy said the Democratic Partys effort to keep independents off the ballot did not reflect the ideals of his father, attorney general and U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and his uncle, President John F. Kennedy.

The Democratic Party that I grew up with  was fighting to make sure that Americans, every American, could vote for the candidates they chose to vote for. This Democratic Party is doing everything within its power to make sure that Americans are disenfranchised, Kennedy said, claiming that tens of millions want to vote for him.

Dumas also heard arguments from attorney Tim Ford, who represents the Democratic-backed challengers, two voters from Dauphin County and Philadelphia, and Rossi, who asserted that Pennsylvanias requirement for candidates to report their address is unconstitutional.

Ford said Pennsylvania law requires Kennedys name to be stricken from the ballot because he used the New York address with an intent to deceive voters.

This isnt a situation with a good-faith excuse, Ford said, noting that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court previously found that there was no intent to deceive voters in a case when a candidate was moving to a new address while circulating nominating petitions.

In a petition filed Aug. 8 in Commonwealth Court, the challengers argue that Kennedy used the New York address because vice presidential nominee Nicole Shanahan also lives in California presenting an insurmountable problem for Kennedys campaign.

The U.S. Constitution bars a states presidential electors from casting their votes for presidential and vice presidential candidates if both are from that state, meaning Kennedy could not receive Californias Electoral College votes, the filing said. But Ford said concealing voter fraud could be another motive.

If hes registered to vote in New York but lives in California, thats a problem, Ford argued.

Ford also said the address requirement also passes constitutional tests because states have a legitimate interest in protecting their ballot access process and the integrity of elections.

If Dumas concludes that Kennedys New York address is correct, Ford said the challengers also contend that Kennedy hasnt submitted enough signatures to get on the ballot.

Independent presidential candidates are required by state law to obtain a number of signatures equal to 2% of the votes cast for the winner of the last election. For the 2024 election, that number is 33,043.

In a 2018 case over the court costs associated with ballot challenges, a federal judge found that the 2% requirement is unconstitutional when it imposes a severe burden on candidates constitutional right to freedom of association.

Following the ruling, the Pennsylvania Department of State said it would not enforce the requirement and would accept petitions with as few as 5,000 signatures.

Noting that Kennedys petitions fall short of the 33,043 signature requirement and that Kennedys campaign has touted that his nationwide ballot access campaign is fully funded, he must show the requirement presents a severe burden on his rights, Ford said.

He wants a discount from the state without putting in the work to show hes entitled to a discount, Ford said.

Rossi argued that the requirement for a candidate to provide their address in a state or local election is valid when voters require proof that the candidate lives in the district or municipality where theyre running for office.

The presidential election is different because the whole country is the district, Rossi said, adding that applying state laws to a national election is unconstitutional under the Presidential Qualifications Clause.

Noting that Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Naders 2004 effort to appear on the Pennsylvania ballot was derailed after a weeks long court proceeding despite submitting more than twice the required number, Rossi said the 2% requirement is clearly burdensome.

If the 2% rule applies to use, we essentially have to go to federal court and get an injunction against the ballot printing deadline for early voting, Rossi said.

A Pennsylvania Department of State spokesperson told the Capital-Star that Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt will certify a final list of candidates as soon as possible based on resolution of challenges.

County boards of elections usually send out absentee and mail-in ballots about six weeks before the election, however they could be delayed by ongoing litigation that affects the names on a ballot.

In any event, counties must begin delivery of all mail ballots no later than Oct. 22, 2024, or two weeks prior to an election, Deputy Communications Director Geoff Morrow said.

Rossi said after the hearing that Dumas decision not to accommodate Kennedys travel delays was unusual.

Ive never been in a situation where a canceled flight has resulted in a judge preventing  any candidate, any witness from testifying, Rossi said. Given that we have the entire day set aside, we very easily could have had an adjournment to allow Mr. Kennedy to get here and we could have presented our case in full, and we were not allowed to do that.
Student violinists, trumpeters and actors united with community members and teachers at the Modesto City Schools board meeting on Monday night to protest potential cuts to arts and music programs in the district.

Passed in 2022, California Proposition 28  known as the art and music K-12 education funding initiative  provided supplemental funding to visual and performing arts programs for schools across the state beginning last school year.

Protesters say the district is attempting to fund performing arts programs solely through Prop. 28, which would, in effect, cut funding. However, the school district said no funds have been cut.

Samantha Acedlo, a freshman at Enochs High School, showed up to oppose the proposed cuts. At Enochs, she is in orchestra, where she plays double bass, and she is a member of the Modesto City Schools marching brigade as a color guard member.

This means that the music program wont have enough money for their winter seasons, winter guard and winter percussion and maybe we wont have any future marching band seasons, she said.

Acedlo said a majority of students have a passion for music and use it to cope with and relieve trauma.

Around 100 teachers, student and parents involved with various music, arts and drama departments advocated against the district cutting funding for their programs during Monday nights school board meeting. The district argues they havent cut funding, but expanded it.

For example, one of the students commutes more than 50 minutes every other day to attend practice for the marching band, she said. Do you realize how much passion a student has to have for these programs to make that?

Senior Emma Dickerson is the head drum major at Enochs and for the Modesto Marching Brigade. She said her parents met through the Beyer band program and she was inspired to join as soon as she was eligible.

Dickerson said the potential cuts would prevent students from affording and maintaining their instruments.

She said she worries for future students after she graduates. Music keeps my spirit alive, she said. Why in the name of everything good would you hinder these experiences with your refusal to fund our programs? It really, really makes me lose hope for not just me but all students who want to participate in MCS visual and performing arts programs.

Sharokina Shams, the chief communications officer for Modesto City Schools, said $5 per student allocation will continue through the Arts, Music, and Instructional Materials Block Grant, which will fund arts and music programs until the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Recent concerns regarding VAPA (visual and performing arts) funding reallocation have raised questions, particularly around the site allocations of $5 per student and $10,000 for instrument repair, Shams said. We want to reassure our community and school leaders that no VAPA funds have been cut. Instead, adjustments have been made to better support our arts programs.

Shams said that Proposition 28 funding is designed to supplement, not supplant, existing visual and performing arts programs and that the district is in full compliance with the California law.

The overall funding for [visual and performing arts] programs has increased, and we are committed to working closely with our site administrators, teachers, and community to develop comprehensive plans that fully support arts education across the district.
Pick your metaphor for the last eight years of American politics. Sewer or garbage truck? Practically every day a helpless nation watches a new scrap of official grift, crime, abuse of public trust revealed and tossed into the churning dumpster of history. Most of us identify this era with Donald Trump, who sailed down a golden escalator in the summer of 2015 and lit the dumpster fire. But in his bracing history of American conservative hustlers, The Longest Con, veteran political writer Joe Conason proposes that the American right has for more than a half century been increasingly OK with politicized larceny. After decades of professional fearmongers, scammers, and grifters chipped away at the line between right and wrong, the right was ready to support the idea, as Gordon Gekko put it, that greed is, actually, good. The ends always justify the means, if you can make bank on the way.



A crucial representative of this attitude, according to Conason, was Roy Cohn, the red-baiting Joe McCarthy aide, New York power broker, and Mafia lawyer whose philosophy of impunity was so successful that it shaped right-wing politics for decades to come. His most apt pupil was Donald Trump, whom he represented in his later years. Cohn taught the younger Donald that it was not only possible but admirable to lie, cheat, swindle, fabricate, then deny, deny, denyand get away with everything, Conason writes. As a lawyer, Cohns motto was: Better to know the judge than to know the law. As a businessman, it was: Better to stiff creditors than pay bills; and always worthwhile to lie, bribe, steal, and swindle while never apologizing.

Conason devotes the first third of the book to some of the right-wing scammers corroded to [the] core like Cohn, who roamed the hinterlands of Cold War America preying on Red Scared hayseeds for personal profit. Unlike Cohn, many were nominal Christians, with names that sound like something straight out of Deliverance (Bundy, Smoot). They sold anti-Communism with Jesus. Oklahoman Billy James Hargis got rich off his radio ministry and as a fake doctor stumping churches and town halls of America on a Christian Crusade. He signed on former Army Major General Edwin A. Walker (a spiritual predecessor to General Mike Flynn), a man forced out of the military over John Birch Society propagandizing. Together the duo raked in money on a national tour warning auditoriums and town halls of an enemy within Americas schools, government, and churches who constituted a repulsive Satanic force.

The 1960s saw the rise of a new crop of operatives wielding modern technology. Richard Viguerie amassed a fortune and bought himself an estate in Virginia horse country by cornering the market on direct mail in the early computer age. His company reached its zenith after Watergate, when it was sending one hundred million pieces of mail annually, soliciting donations from gulls inflamed by keywords like union bosses and federal bureaucrats and radical feminists and homosexual activists.

Within the conservative movement, the audacity of con men appalled many, at least in the beginning. Paul Weyrich once said of Roger Stones penchant for Patek Philippe watches and bespoke suits paid for by his firms work for dictators that he rivals Imelda Marcos. (Dictators are in the eye of the beholder, Stone has said.) Stone, a Cohn acolyte, worked for Nixon (tattooing the disgraced Presidents face on his back) and was still around to advise Trump. He understood that Trump as a brand, built on utter fakery, and Trumps own penchant for schemes like Trump U, Cohnian lying, and impunity, made Trump a promising political candidate.

Conason devotes several chapters to the capture of the modern religious right by men and women who welded Christianity to massive moneymaking schemes. He explains how Jerry Falwell Sr. created Liberty University, which became a business model for tax-exempt Christo-capitalisma model his son, Jerry Jr., would expand and then explode, but not before urging his flock to get in line behind a blasphemous, immoral scoundrel for president.

The arrival of the TV as remote church collection basket in every American living room inaugurated a new era for the prosperity gospel. The fake TV businessman who had fooled millions into thinking he was the second coming of Jack Welch was the secular version of televangelist grifter. What drew the prosperity preachers and their congregations to Trump, eventually joined by millions of white evangelicals, was how much he resembled the televangelists who were the most successful among them, Conason writes.







By the time Trump announced his run for president in the summer of 2015, the carpet was rolled out, table was set, and rank and file conservatives were primed. By election night 2016, many of the remaining shockable conservatives had already witnessed how depravity delighted and thrilled the political base. They had watched crowds chant along with calls for Hillary to be locked up and roar at Trumps vulgarity. His supporters didnt seem to care that he had ripped off thousands of people in his Trump U scam, failed to spend his foundation money on charitable causes, declared bankruptcy six times, or bragged about grabbing women by their genitals.



Refusing to accept the results of the 2020 election proved a particularly profitable scheme. In just two months between election day and the insurrection, the Trump machine raked in $255 million, a record-setting haul by nearly any measure, Conason writes. They accomplished this with a combination of the scams and strategies honed over the previous decades, augmented by technology: online ads and as many as 25 email appeals daily, appealing for money to fight a totally fictitious battle against a nonexistent problem. At least two million individual donations poured in. About eighty million dollars of that haul went to Trumps Save America PAC, a pile immediately available to Trump for his personal use to pay for travel and hotel costs and later for his legal bills.

By election night 2016, many of the remaining shockable conservatives had already witnessed how depravity delighted and thrilled the political base.

The current crop of MAGA scammers sprouts from the lineage of decades of conservative con artists. Steve Bannon was accused of taking millions of donor dollars for the wall between Mexico and the U.S. and enriching himself and others. Trump preemptively pardoned him on federal charges, but he still faces related state charges. The National Rifle Association, another conservative political organizing outfit, grifted itself into notoriety, tried and failed to go into bankruptcy, and was forced to defend itself against civil corruption charges.

The compendium of con is infuriating, but by the end of the book, bafflement replaces outrage. Almost every Republican leader today supports convicted felon Trump. Decent conservatives have been extinct for a while. Over the decades, many of the most prominent figures on the right, from aristocrat William F. Buckley in his day, to the now-regretful Never Trumpers like Bill Kristol and Steve Schmidt (the strategist who had the clever idea of welding Sarah Palin to John McCain), failed to object to the rot withinor at least not until it was too late. How is it that all these people were unbothered?

Conasons book offers the suggestion of an answer. Writing about how thenRNC chair Ronna McDaniel knew Trump was lying the Big Lie, but didnt interfere with the scam, Conason explains: Intimidated by Trump and profiting heavily from his grift, the RNC continued to spread disinformation. Its response to Trumps lies was merely to tinker around the edges of the fundraising copy, never to fundamentally challenge the message. Intimidation and profit. The paired goadsthe stick of fascist abuse, the carrot of free grifted moneymay be only logical explanation for the conservative movements total abandonment of even the appearance of principles.

Whether or not Trump survives this election, the transmogrification of the right, Conason writes, is likely permanent. The industrial production of falsehood and fraud will grind on shamelessly, with or without him, overseen by entrepreneurs who understand that substance and commitment carry no sales value in a political culture dominated by noisemaking, grandstanding, and malice. This machine was built over decades by people who have chipped away at the ethical norms of public life, lining their own pockets. It will most certainly grind on unimpeded by shame or law as long as the right maintains a grip on the levers of power.
ULAN BATOR, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia and Slovenia on Tuesday signed several cooperation documents aimed at bolstering bilateral relations.

The documents, signed in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator, include a joint declaration between Mongolia and Slovenia, as well as memorandums of understanding on cooperation in tourism, forestry, trade, and industry.

The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and his Slovenian counterpart Natasa Pirc Musar, who arrived in Ulan Bator on Tuesday for a two-day state visit, accompanied by a high-ranking delegation. This state visit marks the first by a Slovenian president to Mongolia since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1993.

The Slovenian president is also expected to participate in the World Women's Forum, scheduled to be held in Ulan Bator from Thursday to Friday. 
YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio (WDTN)  A week after a mans home was raided by the Greene County Sheriffs Office, the village of Yellow Springs has released new information on the incident.

On Monday night, community members joined the Yellow Springs Village Council meeting to discuss the raid. Some local community leaders say theyre still uneasy after the drug sweep, which Greene County Sheriff Scott Anger told 2 NEWS is not new.

Yellow Springs leaders are demanding answers after they say authorities created a scary environment while wasting resources.

Dr. Amy Acton, who helped lead Ohios early pandemic response, is weighing 2026 run for governor

According to council member Carmen Brown, the attorney general contracted with the Butler County Sheriffs office to use their helicopter for the drug sweep.

Brown claims the contract was for nearly $150,000, plus $650 an hour, plus $50 an hour if there was a sheriffs deputy in the helicopter doing the spotting. Brown also suspects $60,000 of local county funding went into the operation.

Leaders in Yellow Springs met today with the Greene County Sheriff. Anger says the meeting was positive and educated people more about the new law.

2 NEWS is working to learn more from village leaders about the meeting.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com.
A Connecticut man pleaded guilty Monday to attacking police officers in the U.S. Capitol riot in support of Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021.

Richard Markey, 38, copped to one felony count of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers, the Justice Department said. His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 6.

Markey drove from his home in Wolcott to Washington, D.C., one day before the riot, according to the feds. He followed the crowd of thousands of rioters to the Capitol the following day.

At the Capitol, Markey climbed on top of other Trump supporters and began attacking cops from his elevated position, the feds said. He struck officers with a baton and attempted to punch them with his fists before stomping on a police shield, according to investigators.

Markey then grabbed a pole from the officers and struck them seven different times with it, with such force that it broke on the seventh strike, according to the Justice Department.

At the scene, Markey shouted, Oath breaker! Oath breaker! Youre not doing your fing job, the feds said.

More than two years after the riot, Markey was arrested in Wolcott on July 17, 2023. He was initially charged with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon, obstructing law enforcement during civil disorder, and disorderly or disruptive conduct, along with other crimes. Various charges were dropped as part of his plea deal.

More than 1,400 people have been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 riot in support of Trump. Theyve been handed sentences ranging from probation to 22 years. In interviews ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Trump has said he would pardon a large number of Jan. 6 rioters if he is re-elected.
Daquan Powell Jr. graduated from Riverside High School in 2022 and left Yonkers to live with his grandmother in Pennsylvania and work in a hospital.

But he returned to his hometown months later, excited to help raise the baby brother he'd always wanted after four sisters.

His plans were tragically cut short May 31, 2023, when Powell was gunned down in an ambush on Morris Street in Yonkers.

His killer, Matthew Quinones, 22, was sentenced Tuesday to 18 years to life in prison, as more than three dozen of Powell's relatives and friends  and a life-size cardboard cutout of the 19-year-old victim  looked on in Westchester County Court.

Powell's mother, Jezabel Parada, called her son the "most humblest kid grown into the perfect young man" and assailed Quinones for the "dumbest decision" of his life.

Daquon Powell at his 2022 graduation from Riverside High School in Yonkers

"You simply tore our lives apart," she told Quinones in her victim impact statement. "My son is nothing like you and I thank God for that every day."

Rap video helped police identify Quinones

On the evening of the shooting, video surveillance showed Quinones and two others waiting half an hour in the driveway of 55 Morris St. When Powell pulled up in a black car, Quinones walked up to the driver's side, fired several shots and fled with the others.

Powell was hit at least five times. He was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he died a short time later. A second man in his car suffered a gunshot wound to the knee.

Quinones was identified in part through a rap video posted on social media, in which he wore the same clothing as the shooter.

Matthew Quinones with his lawyer Joanna Karlitz in Westchester County Court on Aug. 20, 2024, before he was sentenced to 18 years to life for second-degree murder in the May 31, 2023, killing of Daquon Powell in Yonkers

Powell's girlfriend: 'You killed me that same day'

Before sentencing was imposed, an aunt of Powell's read a letter from Powell's father, who wrote that he knew God expected him to forgive Quinones but he wasn't ready to do so.

Powell's girlfriend, Delaney Liriano, said she wrote her victim impact statement in the cemetery where he is buried, calling it her new safe place because that is where he is. She said she doesn't wish death on anyone, even Quinones, but hopes he "suffers in agony like we all have."

More: Danbury man pleads guilty in murder of 18-year-old Yonkers man

"You have no idea the pain you have really caused me and how not only did you kill Daquon but you killed me that same day," she said.

Quinones chose to say nothing when given the opportunity, on the advice of his lawyer, Joanna Karlitz.

The prison term imposed by state Supreme Court Justice Anne Minihan was agreed upon when Quinones pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last month.

The judge said that Quinones' "disregard for human life and lack of empathy" cited in a pre-sentence report were evident from the killing.

"What you did changed the course of every life that's here in the courtroom today," she told him. "You can see from the statements that were made here the kind of devastation that your actions wrought for the family. They will live the rest of their lives with that devastation."

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Yonkers fatal shooting: Connecticut man sentenced to 18 years to life
If you're planning a trip to Greenfield Village next week, be prepared for some closures as the museum brings in a new addition.

As construction crews work to bring the Jackson House, a civil rights monument, onsite, part of the village will be closed to the public on Aug. 27 and Aug. 29. The closures will affect buildings and roads in the Porches and Parlors district and part of the Edison at Work district.

The former residence of Dr. and Mrs. Sullivan Jackson, the Jackson House served as a hub for civil rights activists in Selma, Alabama during the 1960s. The historic home, built in 1912, and is coming to Greenfield Village through a collaboration with the couple's daughter, Jawana Jackson.

The Jackson House traveled to Michigan from Alabama in fall 2023 and is in storage awaiting its arrival to Greenfield Village.

More: Farmington demolishing vacant downtown property, new townhouses to be built on-site

More: 2 breathtaking Michigan estates, including private island retreat, about to hit auction block

The Jackson House will join Greenfield Village's Porches and Parlors district and is set to open in 2026, according to the Henry Ford.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Greenfield Village to partially close for Jackson House construction
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)  The Better Business Bureau is warning anyone with damage after Tropical Storm Debby to watch for storm chasers  scammers that target people needing repairs following severe weather.

According to the agency, oftentimes, local contractors may be busier than usual after a natural disaster and people with damage may be anxious to get their homes fixed. In turn, it can cause them to miss a few red flags, and open a door for scammers.

The President/CEO of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) serving central South Carolina and Charleston, Chris Hadley, said the first thing anyone with damage should do is contact their insurance company for guidance. Then, he recommends they keep all receipts for expenses that may be covered under their policy.

When picking someone to work with to repair damage to your home or car, Hadley said there are a few things to keep in mind. He tells homeowners to make sure contractors are licensed and all information about their services and costs is given upfront.

Contractors cant do more than $500 worth of work on your house unless they are a licensed contractor, he explained. And if you have someone do work on your house  they are not a licensed contractor  if they were to fall or get injured at your house, you could really be setting yourself up for a lawsuit.

Hadley also advises residents to be careful when speaking with contractors who come up to their door. He said it is a red flag if they pressure homeowners to make a decision quickly or offer a deal that is too good to be true.

Any good contractor that does not give you time to make a good decision, to do your homework, then thats a huge red flag  you dont want to do business with those folks, he said. You want to go into business with someone thats going to partner with you.

Hadley also said South Carolinians should not sign over their insurance checks. Instead, he recommends asking for an invoice and paying the business directly using a credit card. He also warns residents to be cautious of contractors asking for large down payments or the full payment before the work is done.

We understand that these are business owners, they need to make sure the consumer is serious about this, so putting a deposit, a down payment, something like that is certainly reasonable but you would never pay for the full amount until all the work is completed and you are satisfied with it, Hadley said.

If homeowners have any questions about hiring a contractor, they should contact the Better Business Bureau, where they can get help with the research process.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Public agencies in California are not subject to a controversial law that gives workers the power to sue their employers over alleged labor violations, the state's Supreme Court has ruled.

In the unanimous decision issued last week in a case involving a large healthcare system in the Bay Area, justices on California's top court also found that public employers are largely exempt from wage law giving workers the right to daily meal and rest breaks.

Taken together, the two prongs of the ruling significantly curtail the ability of public employees in the state to seek help from the courts in labor disputes. Advocates for workers criticized the decision, while others said it would provide needed protections for agencies against costly lawsuits and penalties.

"Public employers are getting hit with lawsuits that can be very expensive to defend," said Brian P. Walter, an attorney. The decision "is beneficial for the public."

The case stemmed from a lawsuit filed in 2021 by a medical assistant and nurse working at Highland Hospital in Oakland against Alameda Health System, which operates several hospitals and clinics. The workers alleged their employer frequently denied or discouraged staff from taking breaks to eat and rest, deducted half an hour of pay from each work day even if a worker didn't take a meal break, and failed to keep accurate payroll records.

Read more: Ballot battle averted: Labor and business reach deal on law addressing workplace abuses

The suit sought civil penalties for those violations under the Private Attorneys General Act, which grants workers the ability to sue employers on behalf of themselves and other employees over allegations of wage theft and other workplace abuses.

The case delved squarely into the unsettled intersection of labor law and government agencies. Some provisions of California labor code are ambiguous on whether they apply to the public sector, while others clearly include public employees. For example, a new statute enacted in 2023, explicitly requires meal and rest breaks for public employees involved directly in patient care in hospital, clinic and other public health settings.

The court's ruling, authored by Justice Carol A. Corrigan, clarified that the labor code only applies to public agencies when they are expressly included. The "plain language of the governing wage order ... excludes public employers from most of the wage and hour obligations it places on private employers," she wrote.

On the issue of the right of public employees to sue their employers, Corrigan said the Legislature did not intend government agencies to incur penalties under the Private Attorneys General Act. It would be strange for a public agency to have to pay out such penalties and attorney fees from taxpayer-funds, as "the result would simply rob Peter to pay Paul," the ruling said.

PAGA allows workers to pursue civil penalties on the states behalf, with a quarter of any award going to the employees who brought the claim and the rest to the state's Labor and Workforce Development Agency to help fund its enforcement of labor rules.

In light of the ruling, state lawmakers could pass new legislation or amend the law to include government workers, the court said. Lawmakers, however, may be reluctant to revisit the act's wording following a recent compromise that lessened penalties under the law to address long-running concerns from businesses that it left them exposed to potentially devastating rulings.

Read more: Court says California regulation on Uber drivers is justified, but labor fight continues

Some lower courts have upheld PAGA lawsuits by public employees in the past, but the top court's decision prevents such rulings in the future.

The decision adds to a long history of "cutting public employees out of certain rights," said Ari Stiller, attorney for the California Employment Lawyers Assn. Treating public employers as sovereign entities "hurts public workers," Stiller said.

Stiller said the ruling is at odds with previous statements by justices arguing that PAGA is one of the most important statutes workers have available to them to enforce their labor code rights. Although unions representing public sector workers may be able to negotiate rights for workers similar to those provided by state laws, Stiller said, "thats not a strong justification for depriving all public workers of those rights in the first place."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Convicted cancer doctor Farid Fata is seeking compassionate release from prison again, maintaining he has a rare blood disorder that could kill him if he doesn't get out of prison soon, and that he is a changed man who has expressed "genuine remorse" for the harm he caused his patients.

"He has shown remorse to every soul affected by his crimes, as his past is no longer part of him," Fata states in a request that he himself filed with the court.

Fata has been in prison for 11 years since pleading guilty to running a health care fraud scheme that involved injecting healthy patients with chemotherapy and overmedicating others while they were dying  all while raking in more than $17 million from fraudulent billings. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison for crimes the government says harmed more than 500 patients.

A Miami-based hospice agency on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, denied paying kickbacks to convicted cancer doctor Farid Fata. VISTA Healthcare said paid the federal government $200,000 to settle those claims, but that it didn't do anything wrong.

The one-time prominent Oakland County doctor has sought compassionate release before, though a federal judge, a prison warden and an appeals court have denied his requests.

So he's trying again, maintaining that he will die if he does not get out, and that he is not a threat to society.

"As Fata himself acknowledged, his crime was heinous," Fata's latest filing states, adding he has since turned his life around in prison, where has helped other inmates earn their GEDs and written business plans for soon-to-be-released inmates who will need help rebuilding their lives outside prison.

"Fata today appears 180% different than Fata 11 years ago," his filing states.

Perhaps most obvious, he's a lot more frail.

According to court documents, 59-year-old Fata was healthy until December 2020, when he became infected with COVID-19 and subsequently developed multiple infections in his skin, prostate, bladder, eyes and gums. A hematology expert concluded he needed Neupogen, a drug that can help reduce infections caused by low white blood cell counts and is commonly prescribed to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

To date, Fata says the prison system will not approve that drug for him, and that a medical director allegedly once told him: "'Where do you think you are: are you at Harvard? I am one doctor for 1,500 patients.'"

Fata, meanwhile, argues he not only needs that drug, but he needs to get out of prison to get the medical attention he isn't getting behind prison walls.

"A court's refusal to reduce Fata's sentence could result in death," the convicted doctor argues in court filings.

Dr. Charles Howard, a prison medical consultant and former medical director of the Miami Federal Detention Center, agrees. In a June letter filed with the court, Howard maintains that Fata is suffering from chronic and life-threatening infections due to a "lack of proper medication," and that he has had an "indefensible delay in care."

It is evident from Mr. Fatas provided medical records that his serious recurring infections have not been addressed adequately," Howard writes. "He still lacks being evaluated by an infectious disease specialist. In addition, the lack of concern and failure to properly treat ... constitutes deliberate indifference, which, outside the prison environment, would be malpractice.

Howard asked the court to release Fata and grant him time-served, or at the very least, sentence him to home-confinement so that he can get the medical attention he needs.

The U.S. Attorney's Office has until Sept. 20 to respond to Fata's request, and has said that it plans to object to letting him out early.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is asking victims and families to write letters to the court before Aug. 26 to weigh in on Fata's request. All written statements must be sent via e-mail to Victim Witness Coordinator, Alex Wyatt, at the U.S. Attorneys Office: Alexandra.wyatt@usdoj.gov. Submissions must be received before 5 p.m. Aug. 26. Those with questions can call (313) 226-9615.

Fata was arrested in August 2013 after a whistleblower alerted authorities that he was billing the government for medically unnecessary cancer and blood treatments. In 2014, Fata admitted to raking in more than $17 million from fraudulent billings and pleaded guilty to 13 counts of health care fraud, two counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks.

Fata, who maintains his lawyer duped him into pleading guilty, also agreed to forfeit $17.6 million and a number of assets in the case.

Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Convicted cancer doctor Farid Fata begs for early release
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW)  The state Department of Natural Resources will pay Conway Medical Center $9.5 million for hundreds of acres along International Drive that was the intended location of a controversial hospital project.

The states Joint Bond Review Commitee on Tuesday approved an agency request to buy more than 353 acres, adding it to the Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve  a key habitat of the critically endangered Venus flytrap.

Fight continues to save Horry Countys Venus flytraps as plant faces extinction in South Carolina

CMC in February said it was halting plans to build the $161 million facility on a portion of the site after years of opposition from conservation groups and Carolina Forest residents who worried about overcrowding.

The abundance and range of Venus flytrap has been decimated by fire suppression and land conversion. It is now known from only a few populations in the world, DNR wrote in documents supporting its request. The largest population of Venus flytrap in the state  is found centered at the Lewis Ocean Bay HP and is the only population within the state that is considered to have long-term viability.

Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve is a 10,000-acre sanctuary with biodiverse plants and animals that are native to South Carolina. Horry Countys Imagine 2040 plan discourages development near Lewis Ocean Bay to allow prescribed burns and to protect the county from flooding.

The states Department of Natural Resources also objected to building a hospital on the site because it would prevent prescribed burns necessary for fire management and species survival.

CMC spokeswoman Allyson Floyd told News13 on Tuesday that officials are ready to close the deal.

CMC continues to work with state and local officials to finalize the sale of the International Drive property to SCDNR. The sale of this property to conserve and protect it is the best decision for our community, our patients, and our hospital, she said.

The healthcare system last week said it was building an $18 million emergency department along the Highway 90 corridor thats expected to open in 2026.

* * *

Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
In January 2012, the Costa Concordia, a 114,000-tonne cruise liner, hit a submerged rock off the coast of Isola del Giglio near Tuscany and capsized - Centro Documentazione VVF Toscan/AP

Divers who took part in the Costa Concordia rescue operation are involved in the search for the missing passengers on the Bayesian superyacht.

In January 2012, the Costa Concordia, a 114,000-tonne cruise liner that was carrying more than 4,000 passengers, hit a submerged rock off the coast of Isola del Giglio near Tuscany and capsized, killing 32 people.

It became one of the largest maritime salvage operations in history, involving hundreds of engineers and drivers.

Some of those who took part in the search and rescue operation are on the team trying to search the wreck of the Bayesian for six missing passengers, Italian firefighters told The Telegraph.

Luca Cari, a firefighters spokesman, described the sunken yacht as a small Costa Concordia because of the challenges in access to find the missing and the space restrictions.

Inside the sailing ship the spaces are very small, and if you encounter an obstacle it is very complicated to advance and also very difficult to find alternative routes, he said.

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So far, divers have only been able to inspect the bridge deck of the Bayesian, which Mr Cari said was full of electrical cables. No bodies have been found in that area.

From the outside, the divers can see nothing inside the yacht, and no bodies have been located.

Mr Cari said divers had entered the yachts salon via a ladder, trying to find the best way to advance work safely.

We located a glass window through which we could enter. But it is closed from the inside and three centimetres thick, so we have to be able to remove it so we can advance further inside, he said.

According to the local rescue centre in Sicily, emergency divers found the wreckage at a depth of 187ft, where through the portholes they saw corpses.

Investigators will now try to work out why the Bayesian sank in severe weather when other ships in the vicinity remained afloat. The yacht had the worlds tallest aluminium mast, at almost 240ft.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI)  Macys plans to close toughly 150 of its stores over the next two years, but more insight into the future of company may be coming this week.

The retail giant is planning to report its second quarter 2024 financial results in an earnings call on Wednesday.

As Target 12 reported last month, Macys is reportedly planning to close its location at Providence Place, though neither the retailer nor the mall has confirmed that.

However, Target 12 learned the store is expected to remain open for the remainder of 2024, regardless of its eventual fate. The malls owner, Brookfield Properties, declined to comment.

Macys officials mum after report suggests Providence Place store will close

Tim Howes, a finance professor at Johnson and Wales University, told Target 12 that while its worrisome when an anchor tenant closes, its what replaces the tenant that could determine whether the mall can still thrive.

The thought that Macys may be exiting, they obviously have a pretty good amount of square feet in that location, and hence, probably a fair number of customers, Howes said. Thats not a good thing.

Unless, he said, the malls owner has a new anchor tenant in mind that offers more excitement. But he also noted that retail stores tend to have the highest sales per square foot and pay a premium for that space.

The big thing is how much store traffic and how much money are people spending per square foot. That drives getting in luxury brands, that sort of thing, so that theyre paying big money, Howes explained.

A recent report from Kroll Bond Rating Agency, a New York-based financial firm, said Brookfield has indicated that the Providence Place Macys is on the list of locations planned for closure.

Howes said a big departure could also have ripple effects on smaller stores, especially once their leases are up for renewal.

They may reevaluate where they want to be, he added.

ALSO READ: Providence retools review process in attempt to speed up housing development

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley told Target 12 in a recent interview that the tenancy in the mall is reasonably strong, and he doesnt describe Providence Place as a failing mall.

Smiley said hes unaware of Macys plans and wouldnt speculate, but he suggested that the model of large anchor tenants may need to change.

I dont believe that it is a catastrophe right now, Smiley said. The owners, which is a very large, global corporation, need to make some of the modernizations to Providence Place-like malls around the country are doing.

The malls current tax treaty with the city ends in 2028.

Alexandra Leslie (aleslie@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter covering Providence and more for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and on Facebook.

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MEXICO CITY, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, in a letter to his American counterpart Joe Biden, denounced the "interference" of U.S. government agencies in Mexico's domestic affairs, particularly their financing of an opposition-controlled non-governmental association (NGO).

During his daily press conference on Monday, Lopez Obrador presented a letter dated Aug. 16, in which he condemned the U.S. government for financially supporting a Mexican NGO, Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity, which has been a vocal critic of his administration.

"This procedure is completely offensive and contrary to relations respectful of sovereignty," the president wrote in the letter.

Lopez Obrador also reminded Biden of his consistent opposition to such interference and urged him to take action to halt the activities of the United States Agency for International Development that supports these practices.

"Hopefully I can do something to stop this grievance that threatens our constitutional principle of non-intervention and self-determination of peoples," he said.

Lopez Obrador, whose term concludes at the end of September, has repeatedly raised concerns about the financial support the NGO has been receiving from the United States. 
In 1860, The New York Times weighed in on the upcoming presidential election, endorsing rail-splitter Abraham Lincoln despite the large class of men who have a vague but real apprehension that something terrible is to follow the election of a Republican President.

It was the Times first endorsement of a presidential candidate and led to a widespread practice that, until recently, held considerable influence over the electorate. One researcher who studied newspaper endorsements between 1960 and 1980 found that endorsements caused a large, significant change in readers preferred candidate and were effective for both Republicans and Democrats who won the endorsement. In Steven Sprick Schusters report in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization last year, he noted that over the 5 elections covered in my sample, U.S. newspapers shifted more than 17 million voters toward Republican candidates.

But the number of newspapers is declining  about a third have shut down since 2005  and those still in business are increasingly choosing not to endorse candidates. The New York Times made headlines last week by announcing that the editorial board would no longer endorse candidates in state races, although its editorial board will continue making endorsements in presidential elections. The Times article about the change noted that Alden Global Capital announced two years ago that its 200 newspapers would stop endorsing candidates for president, Senate and governor. The Deseret News weighs in on issues but has historically (and currently) chosen not to endorse candidates. And still other newspapers have decided that they will only do endorsements if they are able to meet with the candidates in person, which in some markets, effectively ends the practice in a presidential race.

But as the influence of a newspapers editorial board declines, other voices have stepped up in the space.

Joe Rogan, the most popular podcaster in the U.S., with more than 14 million subscribers, has praised independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., although he has said his comments were not intended to be a formal endorsement. Elon Musk has said he fully endorses Donald Trump. Talk show hosts like Bill Maher, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and John Oliver wield political influence in ways that their predecessors didnt just a few decades ago. And even celebrity voices have cache  just look at Taylor Swifts endorsement of Joe Biden in 2020 and George Clooneys New York Times op-ed calling for Joe Biden to step aside.

The number of people whose votes they may sway, however, may be relatively small. According to Pew Research Center, most Americans voted a straight-party ticket in 2016 and 2020. And although more independents say they are undecided in the aftermath of Kamala Harris becoming the Democrats nominee, most Americans say theyve already decided who they will vote for in November; prior to Joe Biden dropping out of the race, that number had reached 72%.

Then again, as tight as the race stands to be, a relatively small number of voters changing their mind could upend the race in ways that polls and analysts cant predict. What  or who  could facilitate a November surprise?

Not worth losing money over

Kevin DuLuca, an assistant professor of political science at Yale University who studies the media and politics, said there are a number of factors that contribute to the decline in newspaper endorsements, including the rise of cable news channels, which has contributed to a crowding-out effect.

While the Times did not say say why it was ending endorsements in state races, My understanding is that newspapers in general, and the companies in general, see (endorsements) as economic liabilities. They are a way to make their readers mad and in a worst-case scenario, cancel their subscriptions.

As an example, DeLuca noted that The Arizona Republic, which had endorsed Republicans for president for more than a century, endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016. The backlash was such that the editors announced four years later that the newspaper would no longer make endorsements, writing Readers have made it clear: You want to be informed about elections but not told how to vote.

Further, DeLuca noted that many people dont make the distinction between editorial boards and newsrooms, which are separate, but even editorial board endorsements can make the newspaper seem partisan. And large companies that own newspapers, in particular, may think endorsements are not worth losing money over.

But DeLuca, who has studied newspaper endorsements and found they had a small but statistically significant effect on elections, believes that their loss leaves a void, more so in local and state races. Historically, editorial boards at local newspapers would meet with candidates and grill them about their positions on issues that affect the community before writing an endorsement. Sometimes candidates would also be asked to fill out extensive questionnaires. The idea was that the members of the board, which typically comprise newspaper leadership and opinion writers, acted on behalf of their readers, asking the sorts of questions that citizens would if they had access to the politicians for a couple of hours.

This was particularly effective in local races, when a person might not know anything about the people running or the local ballot initiatives. Without the benefit of thoughtful endorsements, voters may be more likely to just vote along party lines. This leads to, in political science we call it the nationalization of politics, where all the local election results start to mirror the top-of-the-ticket presidential voting patterns, DeLuca said.

He said he also suspects that office holders behave differently when they dont have to seek endorsements. Members of Congress, in particular, may be more likely to court national attention and approval, and less likely to care about what the people back home think. It changes the incentives for politicians to try to appeal to their specific geographic constituency.

All in all, he said, I think its bad that newspapers have kind of given up on doing this hard thing.

However, theres also an argument to be made that in the current environment, where public trust in journalism has sunk to record lows, the loss of endorsements were inevitable.

They are no longer effective, Steven Sprick Schuster, the associate professor of economics at Middle Tennessee State University who studies endorsements, told me. They dont hold the imagination the way they used to. Part of that is because a lot of cities just have one paper and its hard for them to say we are your lone source of unbiased news, but oh, yeah, vote Democrat.

Horses pushing in opposite directions

DeLuca doesnt think that the endorsement of any other group or individual can fill the void that newspaper endorsements left, but others are trying. Elon Musk endorsed Donald Trump in a post on X after Trump was shot and this week aired a two-hour conversation with the former president on X. Dennis Quaid, the actor who stars in the upcoming movie about Ronald Reagan, has also endorsed Trump.

Meanwhile, comedian Bill Maher, who is touring this fall and has a popular talk show on HBO, has said he will do everything I can to make sure Trump doesnt win the White House again.

And Joe Rogan angered Trump fans when he said of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his podcast, Hes the only one that makes sense to me. He later seemed to walk that back, writing on X, For the record, this isnt an endorsement.

I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery pic.twitter.com/ZdxkF63EqF  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 13, 2024

There was no walking back, however, when Oprah Winfrey endorsed Barack Obama in 2007 and when Taylor Swift endorsed Biden in 2020. Researchers who studied the effect of Winfreys endorsement believe that it was responsible for more than a million votes for Obama and increased not just the share of the vote, but also campaign contributions. But its unclear how much endorsements matter in the political environment today, and the circumstances matter.

Endorsements that arent surprising arent very effective, Sprick Schuster told me.

In the case of Winfrey, there was an element of surprise, because she had previously refrained from talking about politics. That was a break, he said. Swift has so far declined to endorse in the 2024 election, but people already know where she stands politically, so its unclear if a new statement would matter.

Members of his generation  at 41, Sprick Schuster describes himself as an elder millennial  can barely conceive of their parents and grandparents experience of growing up in places that had both morning and afternoon newspapers that led robust public debate about candidates and elections.

But to many people today, the newspaper endorsement feels weird, he said, somewhat vestigial. In a way, Sprick Schuster said, it has outlived its usefulness.

For many people who spend a lot of time on online, a social media feed has replaced the local newspaper and its journalists voices. As an example, he pointed to Andrew Huberman, the Stanford professor who has a popular podcast about science and health; if someone like Huberman, who doesnt talk about politics, suddenly came out with an endorsement, it might make people pay attention.

But DeLuca, at Yale, said theres a limit to how even new-media celebrities could move the needle in November, if at all. Even if the Elon Musk endorsement has a small effect on some of the people, and Taylor Swift has a small effect on some other people, at the end of the day, its like a lot of horses pushing in opposite directions. It kind of cancels (each other) out.
Editors Note: This article was published by the twice-weekly newsletter The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak on Aug. 20, 2024, and has been re-published by the Kyiv Independent with permission. To subscribe to "The Counteroffensive," click here.

Imagine getting married anywhere in the world  not in a registry office or a church, but with just a smartphone and the Ukrainian app, Diia.

Roman Lozynskyi and Svitlana Kisilova became the first Ukrainian couple to marry online, thanks to Diia, an app originally designed to store citizens' personal documents like IDs, passports, and diplomas. Despite the challenges of war and a limited budget, Ukraine has emerged as a global leader in digital innovation.

Ukraine has pioneered many innovations with potential global impact, showcasing its ability to drive digital advancements. Since Russia's full-scale invasion began, Ukrainian programmers have worked to simplify everyday life for citizens, including streamlining marriage applications and the process itself.

Diia is the first app to allow online marriage. Beyond that, it helps Ukrainians update military registration details, track Russian attacks, and follow power outage schedules.

Read also: Opinion: Kamala Harris must correct Washingtons Ukraine policy

Roman, a member of the Ukrainian parliament from the Holos party, joined the military after the full-scale invasion began and has fought on the front line for over a year. He understands the challenges of marrying on the front, where soldiers fear dying before they can marry their partners.

Roman and Svitlana, a lecturer at the Ukrainian Catholic University, met in Canada during an internship in 2016. Roman proposed in September 2022 during a mountain vacation, but they postponed the wedding due to the full-scale invasion and the loss of close friends. By 2024, they wanted to share their wedding with loved ones and decided to marry via video call using Diia.

Their ceremony lasted 20 minutes, longer than usual due to internet issues and heavy rain. "The ceremony was very emotional and long-awaited... All the guests were rooting for the internet connection and the bride's signature (using Face ID)," Roman told The Counteroffensive.

Ukrainian soldier Roman Lozynskyi on the front line in Ukraine in September 2022 (Roman Lozynskyi/Instagram)

On the first weekend Diias marriage service became available, three couples married online. Since then, 30,000 couples have registered, according to Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Once fully active, the service will eliminate the need for registry office visits, with a digital marriage certificate appearing directly in the app. A physical document can then be ordered for delivery by mail.

Ukraines digital innovations extend beyond Diia. The app Reserve+ was launched in May 2024 to help Ukrainians liable for military service quickly update their data without visiting recruitment centers. By mid-July 2024, over 2.7 million people had updated their information in the app, which also introduced digital military ID cards with the same legal authority as paper documents.

Another app, Kyiv Digital, launched in February 2021, has over 2.7 million users. It provides residents with air raid alerts, offline maps of shelters, and power outage schedules. Before each blackout, the app sends a notification 15 to 20 minutes in advance, and another one 5 to 10 minutes before power is restored.

Read also: Opinion: The hidden toll of Ukraines aid workers demands recognition on World Humanitarian Day

Additionally, a Monitor channel on Telegram and Twitter provides real-time updates on the direction of Russian missile flights and military threats, using open-source intelligence (OSINT) data. The channels creator, who remains anonymous for security reasons, relies on a network of sources, including radio stations and ground contacts. He tracks enemy movements almost non-stop, especially after the devastating missile attack on Serhiivka, Odesa Oblast, in July 2022, when Russian X-22 missiles struck residential buildings too quickly for a warning.

The idea of creating such a channel was born right at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, due to the lack of information about the threats to civilians, the Monitor channels owner and founder told The Counteroffensive.

Each day, he taps into nearly a thousand different sources  monitoring up to 10 radio stations from morning to night and receiving updates from operational contacts. While he primarily works alone, he occasionally relies on a small team of specialists for research. The work is nearly continuous; he only rests when the skies are calm, with no planes or enemy drones flying along the front.

"War does not take a time out  that's why I don't have weekends or vacation. As long as Russia launches missiles, I am on duty," he said.

Ukraines IT sector, already advanced before the war, has flourished under pressure. In the early days of the full-scale invasion, security initiatives and mutual aid organizations rapidly formed through smartphones, helping with food aid and evacuations. Ukrainians have honed their digital expertise to resist external threats, demonstrating their ability to unite and innovate under duress.

Editors Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent.

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COVID-19 on the rise again in Columbus? How to stay safe with virus here to stay.

Columbus is facing a new surge of COVID-19 cases, according to wastewater testing and local health officials.

Thats not just the case locally. The United States is experiencing the largest summer surge of COVID-19 since 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions wastewater dashboard.

The CDCs dashboard measures viral activity in wastewater, using 0% to indicate the lowest levels at any testing site and 100% to indicate the highest levels. Muscogee County is categorized in the orange zone by the CDC, which means viral activity in the wastewater is 60% to 79%, according to data collected from July 29 to Aug. 12.

While cases are increasing, West Central Health District spokesperson Pam Kirkland told the Ledger-Enquirer said the fluctuation in cases is expected. COVID hospitalizations are low, according to local health care officials.

The CDC has classified COVID as endemic, St. Francis-Emory Healthcare spokesperson Grant Farrimond told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email.  ... Our residents should be mindful that its here to stay, similar to the influenza virus.

An endemic virus occurs regularly within an area or community.

Although the CDC considers COVID-19 to be endemic, the Infection Prevention team at Piedmont Columbus Regional acknowledges that not all experts agree with this classification.

The team is still monitoring the current epidemic growth status for states on the CDCs website, which shows the status in Georgia as growing.

Viruses are constantly changing and evolving, Farrimond said. COVID is no different.

How to stay safe during rising COVID cases

Residents should stay up-to-date on vaccinations, practice good hand hygiene and stay at home if feeling sick, officials said. People who are susceptible to respiratory illnesses should consider wearing a mask while in public.

Most people are reporting symptoms similar to a cold, the flu or allergies, according to Piedmonts Infection Prevention Team. Complaints include a runny nose, sore throat, muscle aches and sometimes a fever.

Check with your health care provider who may prescribe any medication for your specific symptoms, Kirkland said.

People who test positive should remain at home away from others, looking for at least 24 hours of improving symptoms. They should also seek to have no fever without the use of medications before going out, she said. People with COVID should take additional precautions for five days, including good hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, wearing a well-fitting mask, practicing social distancing, improving airflow in their home and testing regularly.

Anyone who starts to feel worse after resuming normal activities should stay home and away from others again for at least 24 hours with symptoms and no fever without medication, Kirkland said.

Afterward, they should take extra precautions again for an additional five days.

Patients of extreme ages, both young and old, and those with chronic medical conditions need to seek care from a medical professional, said the Infection Prevention team.

Early treatment for COVID-19 or flu may prevent severe disease in people at higher risk, even if they are up-to-date with their vaccines, the team said in a statement.

If someone is having any type of respiratory distress, like difficulty catching their breath or being short of breath, they should go to the emergency room.

Otherwise, people with COVID should rest, stay hydrated and monitor symptoms at home, officials said.

The CDC recommends everyone 6 months of age and older get the COVID-19 vaccine, Kirkland said. The 2024-25 vaccines are expected to be available this fall.

Please consult with your primary care or family medicine physician on the most appropriate care plan to follow, Farrimond said.
COVID and bird flu are rising. Here's how to keep yourself safe

With California's COVID surge at very high levels, doctors are urging people who are experiencing respiratory symptoms to test themselves or see a medical professional who can check on their illness.

This is the worst COVID summer infection spike in California since 2022, according to wastewater data. There are a number of possible culprits for the surge. A series of punishing heat waves and smoke from devastating wildfires have kept many Californians indoors, where the disease can more easily spread. Most adults are also well removed from their last brush with the coronavirus, or their last vaccine dose  meaning theyre more vulnerable to infection.

But changes in the virus have also widened the scope of the surge.

Of particular concern is the rise of a hyperinfectious subvariant known as KP.3.1.1, which is so contagious that even people who have eluded infection throughout the pandemic are getting sick.

This is a very large surge that we are seeing currently. This is starting to rival, really, what we saw this past winter, said Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious diseases at Kaiser Permanente Southern California.

Coronavirus levels in Los Angeles County wastewater are continuing to rise, according to the most recently available data. And viral levels in California wastewater are at "very high" levels as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Coronavirus levels in the state's wastewater were down 3% when comparing the week that ended Aug. 10 with the prior week, a possible indication that levels are cresting  although it's also possible that coronavirus levels will increase again. Seasonal viral levels in sewage are expected to peak at some point, but it won't be clear until a few weeks of consistent declines are observed.

Here are some things that experts say you can do to keep yourself safe:

Get tested

Doctors are urging people dealing with respiratory illness symptoms  including healthcare providers  to seek testing.

Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious diseases expert and epidemiologist at Stanford University, said confirmation of a COVID-19 diagnosis would help a patient get a Paxlovid prescription to help treat the illness, while confirmation of another illness, like the flu, could help a patient get a drug more targeted toward that ailment.

An initial negative test does not mean you don't have COVID; doctors suggest testing for as long as five days after the onset of symptoms to determine whether a test turns positive.

Read more: Positive test not needed for long COVID diagnosis, experts conclude

More consistent testing at medical facilities also could help detection of unusual strains that epidemiologists want to track, such as bird flu.

Bird flu has attracted attention recently because of outbreaks in poultry and dairy cows, and there have been several recent human cases among dairy and poultry workers in the U.S., according to the CDC.

The rise of bird flu

Recent human cases of H5N1 bird flu have resulted in primarily mild symptoms, including conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, Karan said.

But one reason doctors are closely monitoring the situation is that, in the decades in which we've been aware of bird flu infecting humans, some H5N1 strains have resulted in significant mortality rates.

According to the CDC, human infections with H5N1 virus, which have been reported in 23 countries since 1997, have resulted in severe pneumonia and death in about 50% of cases.

Read more: 'A much more infectious' COVID variant fueling Californias relentless surge

Now that we know bird flu has infected cows, and there's cow-to-human transmission, that poses a potential problem.

"Cow udders have receptors in common with birds, and they also have receptors in common with humans, where these viruses bind," Karan said.

"Now, with human flu season coming, you have the risk of what's called viral reassortment, where a host can get infected with both bird flu and human flu at the same time, and those flus now start swapping genetic material," Karan said. "This is kind of how swine flu happened [in 2009]. So this is where we're really worried. It's like a ticking time bomb of human flu season around the corner, and yet we still have this uncontrolled spread of bird flu in cows."

Bird flu hasn't resulted in sustained human-to-human transmission, nor caused a pandemic in humans, in recent times.

"But it's one of those pathogens that's high risk of mutating to a point of increasing transmissibility. And the pathogen has had high virulence based on historical cases. ... It's the risk of where it could go," Karan said.

Read more: He reported a possible H5N1 outbreak in dairy cows. It took officials weeks to respond

Tracking the spread

This illustrates why it can be important for patients to get tested. If a test shows that a person has the flu, subsequent screening  including genetic subtyping  could eventually determine whether it is bird flu. And that could help epidemiologists figure out how the bird flu may have spread and help doctors determine the best course of treatment.

Even if a case of bird flu results in mild symptoms, it's important to diagnose it, Karan said, so the virus sample can be genetically analyzed and scientists can track where it jumped from animal to human, and potentially more aggressively treat the patient with antivirals.

"But imagine  that only happens if I even test that patient for flu at all," Karan said.

Read more: This is now Californias worst summer COVID wave in years. Here's why

Where bird flu stands in the U.S.

Since 2022, according to the CDC, there have been 14 reported human cases of H5 bird flu in the U.S., 13 of which have been reported since March 24. Of the 14, nine have been confirmed as H5N1.

Of the 14 cases of bird flu in humans, 10 followed exposure to poultry, and the remainder followed exposure to cows. All of the reported human cases have occurred in three states: Colorado, Michigan and Texas.

Nationally, there are 48 states with bird flu outbreaks in poultry and 13 with outbreaks in dairy cows.

Since 2022, more than 100 million birds in the U.S. have been reported to have been infected with bird flu, including commercial poultry, backyard or hobbyist flocks and wild aquatic birds; it's the first detection of this type of flu virus in the U.S. since 2016.

Bird flu has been detected in wild birds in most counties of California, including all of Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area, and most of the Central Valley.

Bird flu outbreaks  those involving commercial poultry facilities or backyard poultry and hobbyist bird flocks  in California have been reported in just one county in Southern California: San Diego County. Bird flu outbreaks have occurred in a number of counties in Northern and Central California, including Sacramento, Contra Costa, Fresno, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Sonoma, Monterey, Placer, Merced and Marin counties.

As for bird flu infecting dairy cows, 13 states have reported outbreaks  Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio and North Carolina. In the last month, outbreaks infecting dairy cows have affected five states: Idaho, Colorado, Texas, South Dakota and Michigan.

In May, there was a detection of bird flu in a live bird market in San Francisco, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. State officials urged people to separate poultry from wild birds if possible.

"Because of the recent case in California poultry production and epidemiologic evidence that this strain was introduced by wild birds, we ask that California producers move their birds indoors through December 2024," the California Department of Food and Agriculture said in June.

Read more: This is now Californias worst summer COVID wave in years. Here's why

Protecting family and friends

The CDC earlier this year eased COVID isolation guidance, given that the health impacts of COVID-19 are lower than they once were, thanks to the availability of vaccines, anti-COVID medicines and increased population immunity.

There are fewer people being hospitalized and dying, and fewer reports of complications such as multi-inflammatory syndrome in children.

Still, doctors say it remains prudent to take common-sense steps to avoid illness and spreading the disease to others, given that COVID still causes significant health burdens that remain worse than the flu. Nationally, since the start of October, more than 49,000 people have been reported to have died of COVID; by contrast, flu has resulted in at least 25,000 fatalities over the same time period, according to federal estimates, which will be updated later this year.

While the prevalence of long COVID has been going down, long COVID can still be a risk any time someone gets COVID.

Vaccines

Doctors are urging everyone to get up to date on vaccinations  particularly if patients are at higher risk of severe complications from COVID-19. An updated COVID-19 vaccination formula is expected to become available in a matter of week, and the CDC is urging everyone 6 months and older to get one dose of the updated vaccine.

In California, just 37% of seniors 65 and older have received the last updated COVID-19 vaccine that first became available in September.

Its especially important that older people get at least one updated dose. Of the patients he has seen recently who had serious COVID, UC San Francisco infectious diseases specialist Dr. Peter Chin-Hong said none of them had gotten an updated vaccine in the last year.

Behavior

Avoid sick people. Some who are infected might pass off their symptoms simply as a cold or allergies when it could be the start of a COVID-19 illness.

Testing

Test if youre sick, and test repeatedly if your first test shows up as negative.

An initial negative test doesnt mean you dont have COVID; doctors suggest testing for as long as five days after the onset of symptoms to check whether a test turns positive.

Consider taking a rapid COVID test once a day for three to five consecutive days after the onset of cough-and-cold symptoms, Hudson said.

Doing so can help a person take measures to later isolate themselves and limit spread of the illness to others.

Masking

Masks are much less common these days but can still be a handy tool to prevent infection. Wearing a mask on a crowded flight or in a crowded indoor venue where people nearby are coughing can help reduce the risk of infection.

The best mask is one that is well-fitted and that you find comfortable wearing. The most protective are N95 respirators, followed by KN95 respirators and KF94s. Surgical masks offer more protection than cloth masks.

Medication

Have a plan to ask for Paxlovid if you become ill. Paxlovid is an antiviral drug that, when taken by people at risk for severe COVID-19 who have mild-to-moderate illness, reduces the risk of hospitalization and death.

And if you get Paxlovid, make sure to take the full five-day course of treatment. Don't stop taking the drug halfway through the dose.

There are also other anti-COVID medications that are available, such as remdesivir, which is given intravenously, and molnupiravir, which is given orally, like Paxlovid.

Stay away from others while sick

The CDC recommends people stay home and away from others until at least 24 hours after their respiratory viral symptoms are getting better overall and they have not had a fever without using fever-reducing medicine such as Tylenol or Advil. Previously, the CDC suggested people with COVID isolate for at least five days and take additional precautions for a few more days.

In terms of deciding when symptoms are getting better, whats most important is the overall sense of feeling better and the ability to resume activities, the CDC says. A lingering cough by itself can last beyond when someone is contagious, the CDC said.

But the CDC also advises added precautions for five additional days to avoid infecting others, such as wearing a mask, opening windows to improve air circulation, washing hands often, keeping ones distance from others and continuing to test. It's possible for infected people to be contagious even after they feel better.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health suggests infected people who have symptoms get a negative test result before leaving isolation. The agency also suggests those who are infected  regardless of whether they have symptoms  wear a mask around others for 10 days after they start feeling sick or, if asymptomatic, their first positive test result. However, they can remove their mask sooner if they have two sequential negative tests at least one day apart.

The agency suggests staying away from the elderly and immunocompromised people for 10 days after you start to feel sick, or, if asymptomatic, after their first positive test result.

If patients recover and then get sick again, they may have COVID rebound and need to stay home and isolate from non-infected people in their household.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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Update: As of around 4:20 p.m., all lanes were back open, Idaho State Police said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Original story below:

A crash on westbound Interstate 184 in Boise blocked the left three lanes of travel Tuesday afternoon right before the Connector splits toward either Nampa or Mountain Home, according to law enforcement.

Idaho State Police said on X, formerly Twitter, that its troopers were investigating the crash, which happened just before the evening commute. ISP did not return an additional request for comment.

The Boise Connector leading into and out of the downtown area is a heavily trafficked road, with an average weekday volume of over 40,000 in both directions, according to the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho. Already, traffic was moving slow ahead of the Tuesday commute, according to the Idaho Transportation Departments website.
Crates of Animals Were 'Stacked on Top of One Another,' Sending Self-Styled 'Crazy Rescue Ladies' to Jail

The two women pleaded guilty to two counts of animal cruelty in June 2024

Ocean County Department of Corrections Aimee J. Lonczak and Michele Nycz

Two New Jersey women were sentenced to nearly a year behind bars after keeping approximately 180 dogs and cats in unsanitary conditions in their home.

Judge Guy P. Ryan sentenced Michele Nycz, 60, and Aimee Lonczak, 51, to 364 days in Ocean County Jail as a condition of a four-year probationary term, on Friday, Aug. 16, according to a press release from the Ocean County Prosecutors Office.

The pair are also prohibited from owning any animals for the rest of their lives and working with animals, even through community service.

Nycz and Lonczak pleaded guilty to two counts of animal cruelty in June 2024 in connection with an investigation in Brick Township that began in December 2022. Lonczak also pleaded guilty to child neglect in connection with the same investigation, per the release.

According to the prosecutors office, the Brick Township Police Department received a report to investigate an anonymous complaint about Nycz and Lonczakrunning a puppy mill out of their home. When officers went to the home to talk to them, they detected a strong odor coming from the residence and heard barking.

The officers were permitted to enter the home and upon entering the premises, detected an intense odor and unsanitary conditions. They also found animal crates containing dogs and cats stacked on top of one another.

Due to the conditions existing in the home at that time, the officers were forced to exit the residence and requested that a Hazmat team respond, a press release from the Ocean County Prosecutors Office read.

Rescuers in hazmat suits eventually entered the home and removed approximately 129 dogs and 43 cats that had been living in the residence, along with two dead dogs.

Lonczak and Nycz were taken into custody at the scene without incident and transported to the Ocean County Jail before they were released on bail. It was determined that the two women lived in the home.

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According to the Daily Voice and local radio station New Jersey 101.5, Lonczak and Nycz ran a social media page dubbing themselves the "Crazy Rescue Ladies." In their social media biography, they described their organization as a "responsible rescue that saves injured, unwanted street animals, and takes in dogs from several states including Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.

Some of the animals rescued from the home were nursed back to health and placed for adoption, according to the outlets.



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Crime, immigration and economy top of mind for Trump voters at campaign office open house

CHESTER, VIRGINIA - About 85 people packed into a small office space in a strip mall in Chester, Virginia, a few miles south of Richmond. They ate pizza and cake and listened to speakers talk about efforts to flip Virginia in former President Donald Trumps favor in November.

A majority of Virginians have consistently voted for the Democratic presidential candidate since 2008, when former President Barack Obama won his first term. The Trump campaign and Republicans in the commonwealth had claimed that this year Virginia was flippable, before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, citing polls that showed the two then-presumptive nominees neck-and-neck. Now, the election landscape has been upended after Biden cleared the field for Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of the ticket.

The Virginia GOP hasn't given up hope.

Virginia Delegate Mark Earley, Jr., R-Chesterfield and Chesterfield County Sheriff Karl Leonard addressed the crowd that gathered on Saturday for an open house at one of the Trump-Vance campaign offices in the commonwealth. American flags, red, white and blue pinwheels and ribbons were pasted onto the manila walls, along with signs that read Trump: Make America Great Again.

Leonard told the crowd that crime is out of control. Behind him stood a dry erase board that said: Days until election day: 79. He linked the increase in crime in the U.S. to the increase in illegal border crossings in the Southwestern region of the country.

The law-and-order candidate, theres only one, and thats President Trump, he said to applause. He made no mention of Trump being convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records in May. We need to close that border and get this crime back under control, he said.

Earley noted that, though election day is months away, early voting starts in Virginia on September 20. He made an appeal to the crowd to get involved in efforts to motivate their neighbors to vote.

The outcome in November depends on what we do today, what we do tomorrow, he said. We have got to be the hands and feet on the ground.

Del. Mark Earley, R - Chesterfield (right) addressed the crowd of people who attended an open house at the Trump-Vance campaign office in Chester on Saturday. Earley, Chesterfield County Sheriff Karl Leonard (left) and Chesterfield County Board Supervisor Kevin Carroll (center) stumped for the Trump campaign at the open house.

After the speeches, attendees were invited to take part in an hour-long Trump Force 47 training  a campaign-run get out the vote effort. News media was asked to leave the building for the training.

"Trump Force 47 trainings are exclusively for those who volunteer for Trump Force 47," Jeff Ryer, Virginia's Trump Campaign spokesperson, said Tuesday when asked why media was not allowed to attend.

Where Virginias Trump voters stand on the issues

Lawrence Brown, a Virginia resident who attended Saturdays Trump-Vance campaign office open house, said he is very hopeful that well get things turned around in this country.

I really feel like weve got too many problems right now, he said. In D.C., you can point the blame right there. Theyre directly responsible for everything weve gotten into in the last four years.

Brown said the main issues hes focused on during this election are immigration and the economy.

I would like to see the two parties in Congress sit down and work it out together, he said.

Keith Applewhite, 61, a Virginia resident and a retired detective, attended the open house on Saturday with his wife, a retired probation officer, to support Leonard. Crime is the main issue that Applewhite said he is focused on in the upcoming election.

He pointed to state legislation regarding earned sentence credits and early release from prison that passed in 2020 as cause for his concern. The law went into effect in July after Republican-led efforts to delay the legislation.

We dont have issues with non-violent criminals, its the violent criminals with the long history because we know the likelihood of them reoffending is very high, Applewhite said.

Carmen Williams, a 62-year-old Virginia resident, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1997. She said she was drawn to the Republican party because of its family values and because she believes the party empowers citizens to better their lives.

Theres nothing more beautiful than to work, succeed and with your own money, pay your taxes and go and buy something that you want, she said. The economy is the main issue that shes focused on, going into November.

Ana Metzger, 65-year-old Virginia resident, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2008 after she emigrated from Peru. As a small business owner, she said the economy the main issue shes focused on going into November, but shes also interested in immigration.

I liked the economy when Trump was [president], she said. I like America, they opened the door for me, and I follow the rules.

This story has been updated to include a statement from the Trump Campaign.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Crime, immigration and economy top of mind for Virginia's Trump voters
A man has been acquitted on all charges in connection with the slaying of an Avon man in Hartford in 2019.

Geno McMahon, 37, was found not guilty by a jury in Hartford Superior Court on Monday on charges of murder, first-degree assault and criminal possession of a firearm in connection with the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Eros Diaz. A second man survived the attack and spent months in the hospital.

McMahon was charged last June in connection with the murder of Diaz after Diazs family put up a whopping $500,000 reward for information that led to the killers arrest and conviction.

McMahons attorney, Hartford-based Gerald Klein, told the Hartford Courant he focused during his defense in the trial on the unusually high reward and that the states star witness to the killing only came forward after the money was made public.

Family of slain Hartford man that offered $500K reward for information begins to heal following suspects arrest

After picking a jury for a week, Klein said prosecutors put forth evidence against his client for four days before a jury acquitted him.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Diaz and Xavier Lugo, who was 31 years old at the time, were shot on June 22, 2019, shortly before 9:40 p.m. in the area of 25 Winship St. after they were involved in a car crash. McMahon lived nearby at the time.

Diaz was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene, while Lugo was found about a block away suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, the warrant affidavit said. He was initially listed in critical condition and spent about three months recovering in the hospital.

Lugo was not cooperative with authorities during the investigation, Hartford police wrote in the warrant affidavit.

Investigators were able to view video surveillance in the area of the shooting that showed Diaz and Lugo were involved in a crash before they pulled over and got out of the vehicle. Diaz, who was a passenger in the vehicle, got into the driver seat shortly after a conversation with Lugo, who remained outside of the car, the warrant said. The video surveillance showed that someone approached the vehicle and shot the man before fleeing the area, the warrant affidavit said.

Parents of Hartford murder victim increase reward for information to $500K in hopes of finding person who killed their son

A witness told police they saw a man wearing a hat walking north on Winship Street before gunfire rang out. After the shots were fired, the same witness reported seeing the man running south with a shirt wrapped around his hand. He no longer had the hat on, the witness told police.

Authorities recovered a black NASA hat in the area of the shooting and sent it to the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory to compare DNA extracted from it to that of McMahon. According to the warrant affidavit, the first test concluded the samples from the hat were too complicated of a mixture to find a direct comparison to McMahon, while a second lab eliminated McMahon as a contributor.

A second witness who spoke to police told investigators McMahon allegedly had messaged her the night of the shooting and admitted that he was involved in an altercation with two men who went by the street names Tooth and X and that he had to do it because X had previously shot the mans brother, the warrant affidavit said. When asked which gun he used, the witness told detectives, McMahon said his baby, a term the witness said he usually used to describe a .380 pistol he frequently carried, the warrant affidavit said.

The same witness also told police McMahon was afraid he had left something at the scene that could tie him to the shooting and that he was known to wear a NASA hat, according to the warrant affidavit.

During the four days that evidence was presented at trial, Klein said he focused on the reward money Diazs family put up, which he said a detective admitted during testimony was the highest he had ever seen put up by a victims family. To put it in perspective for the jury, Klein said he pointed to the $1 million reward offered by the FBI while authorities investigated the Unabomber for nearly two decades.

According to Klein, the key witness for the prosecution was a neighbor who lived near the shooting who came forward after the reward money was offered.

Four years after the crime all of a sudden it dawns on (him) that he witnessed the whole thing, Klein said.

Klein also said he was able to establish that his client worked at a local Irish bar and that he may have been working the night of the killing.

He said he also told the jury that prosecutors failed to ever find a reason why McMahon would want Diaz killed.

They never established a motive for this, Klein said.

This is a case that could have gone either way, he added. Im kind of relieved.

Hartford-based lawyer John Kennelly, the attorney who represented Diazs family, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
Czechia to buy ammunition for Ukraine at expense of Russian frozen assets

Part of the proceeds from Russian assets frozen in the European Union will be used to supply ammunition to Ukraine as part of the Czech initiative.

Source: Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova announced this on Tuesday, reports European Pravda

Details: Jana Cernochova reports that this is another demonstration of foreign partners' confidence in the effectiveness of the Czech project.

Quote from Jana Cernochova: "Part of the proceeds from the frozen Russian assets in the EU will be used to supply Ukraine with ammunition purchased by Czechia. This is the decision of the European Union.

Thus, we can purchase hundreds of thousands more of the much-needed large-calibre ammunition for Ukraine.

This is another proof of our allies' confidence in Czechia and our ammunition initiative. This is a unique opportunity to support Ukraine, use resources that firstly belonged to Russia, and save the public finances of European countries."

The head of the Czech ministry did not specify how much ammunition Ukraine could receive in this way.

Background: It was reported that the Czech initiative could provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with 50,000 to 100,000 large-calibre projectiles per month. By the end of the year, their total number should reach 500,000.

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Czechia to use frozen Russian assets profits to fund ammunition for Ukraine

Czechia will use part of the revenue of Russian assets frozen in the EU to purchase high-caliber ammunition for Kyiv, Czech Defense Minister Jana Cernochova said on Aug. 20.

European countries hold roughly two-thirds of the $300 billion Russian sovereign assets immobilized after the outbreak of the full-scale war.

While hesitant to confiscate the assets outright, the EU devised a plan to use windfall profits to fund Ukraine's reconstruction and defense needs.

"The European Union made a decision. This will allow us to buy hundreds of thousands of sorely needed high-caliber rounds," Cernochova said on X.

Czechia unveiled its initiative to purchase artillery shells for Ukraine jointly with partners earlier this year amid shell shortages caused mainly by delays in U.S. assistance.

While initially aiming to deliver 800,000 shells this year, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky told the Kyiv Independent in July that the currently pledged funds are sufficient only for 500,000 rounds.

This joint step by Prague and Brussels could speed up the purchase and delivery of the ammunition.

"This is another evidence of the allied trust in Czechia and our ammunition initiative. It is a unique opportunity to support Ukraine while using assets originally belonging to Russia and saving on public finances of European countries," the Czech defense minister commented.

A decision by the EU in May made roughly 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) available for immediate assistance for Ukraine, part of which will go to the Czech ammunition initiative, the Czech Defense Ministry said in a press release.

The statement did not specify the exact sum of the allocated funds or the number of rounds it will cover.

Going forward, Kyiv is expected to receive roughly 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) from frozen Russian assets profits every year under the EU scheme.

Separately, the Group of Seven (G7) also pledged a $50 billion loan to Ukraine, which would be covered by the proceeds of the frozen assets.

Though the Ukrainian leadership said the situation with ammunition has somewhat improved since the U.S. approved its long-awaited aid bill in April, foreign military supplies are still crucial as Russia continues pushing in Donbas and Ukraine is conducting cross-border incursion in Kursk Oblast.

Read also: Czech FM: Ammunition initiative is a vital part of Ukraines defense but needs more donors, money

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Nazrin Abdul

Since the start of 2024, Azerbaijan's date exports to Russia have seen a significant increase of 71.3% compared to the same period in 2023, Azernews reports citing the Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Control Service of Russia ("Rosselkhoznadzor").

Azerbaijan supplied 338.7 thousand tons of fruits and vegetables to Russia in the first half of 2024, slightly down from 352 thousand tons in the same period of 2023. However, the export of specific items saw notable growth: dates rose by 71.3% from 18.2 thousand tons to 31.2 thousand tons, nectarines by 34.2% from 14.1 thousand tons to 19 thousand tons, peaches by 26.6% from 13.7 thousand tons to 17.4 thousand tons, strawberries by 10.7% from 17.6 thousand tons to 19.5 thousand tons, and tomatoes by 9.7% from 106 thousand tons to 116.2 thousand tons.

Additionally, Russian exports of food potatoes to Azerbaijan surged by 2.7 times, reaching 23 thousand tons, while onion exports increased 5.1 times, reaching 7.7 thousand tons.

These figures highlight the growing agricultural trade between Azerbaijan and Russia, with significant increases in key products driving stronger economic ties between the two nations.
Passive income is critical for maintaining your lifestyle in retirement. After all, the Social Security Administration warns it may not be able to pay benefits in full after 2035, underscoring the importance of alternative income sources.

While stocks aren't necessarily the most stable sources of passive income due to their volatility, dividend-paying equities can form a solid basis for a broader passive income portfolio. The key is to identify companies that offer a margin of safety and a top-tier dividend program.

Image Source: Getty Images.

The following two stocks meet these criteria, making them excellent additions to a passive income portfolio. Let's explore their potential.

Toyota Motor: A proven wealth creator

Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM) is a global leader in automobile manufacturing, known for its ultra-high quality vehicles and innovative hybrid technology.

Toyota stock trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 8, which is significantly lower than the broader market. For comparison, the S&P 500 trades at over 21 times forward earnings. Toyota's low valuation provides a margin of safety in the event of a marketwide downturn.

The automaker also pays a respectable dividend yield of 2.19%. To put this into context, the average stock listed on the S&P 500 pays a mere 1.35% yield. On the revenue front, Wall Street expects the company to deliver moderate growth of 3.38% in fiscal 2025. That's not explosive growth, but it is decent for a company of Toyota's size.

Toyota's investment appeal lies in its strong brand, efficient manufacturing processes, and leadership in hybrid vehicles. The company's conservative approach to electric vehicles (EVs) may prove prudent if the transition is slower than some anticipate.

Now, Toyota does face challenges from aggressive EV-focused competitors and potential shifts in consumer preferences. That said, the Japanese auto-titan has the financial resources and expertise to adapt quickly if needed.

Pfizer: An underappreciated pipeline and a sky-high yield

Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) is a pharmaceutical giant that has struggled to gain traction in a post-pandemic world. Despite significant investments in mergers and acquisitions to bring in numerous potential blockbusters, Pfizer's shares trade at just 10.9 times forward earnings at current levels.

The average large-cap pharma stock, on the other hand, trades at around 17 times forward earnings (according to the author's own data). Worse still, its stock has fallen by nearly 23% over the past 12 months.

As a direct result of this double-digit downturn, Pfizer's dividend yield currently stands at an eye-watering 5.94%, among the highest in the entire healthcare sector. In 2025, Wall Street anticipates the drugmaker returning to top-line growth, with revenue projected to rise by 3.8%. While not ultra-high growth, it is respectable for a megacap pharmaceutical company with a generous dividend policy.

Story continues

The investment thesis for Pfizer centers on its underappreciated pipeline of new oncology drugs, robust cash flow, and attractive dividend program. The company's enormous scale and proven research capabilities also provide a comfortable margin of safety for long-term investors.

However, upcoming patent expirations and potential drug pricing reforms could impact profits to some degree in the next decade. These challenges underscore the importance of Pfizer's ongoing efforts to replenish its pipeline and diversify its revenue streams.

Key takeaways

These two value stocks offer attractive dividend yields and the potential for long-term capital appreciation. Toyota and Pfizer both possess strong underlying businesses, well-established market positions, and the financial resources to navigate industry challenges.

So for investors seeking to build a passive income portfolio with a focus on value and stability, these two blue-chip stocks warrant serious consideration. After all, the odds of either of these industry titans going extinct over the next two decades is essentially zero.

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A 35-year-old mother and her 9-month-old baby boy are dead after an apparent murder-suicide at a home in North Andover on Monday, authorities announced Tuesday.

Officers responding to a 911 call from a home on Turnpike Street just after 5 p.m. found Jennifer T. Paez and her young son, Valentino Paez, suffering from apparent knife wounds, Essex District Attorney Paul Tucker and North Andover Police Chief Charles Gray said a joint news release.

Jennifer was pronounced dead at the home, while Valentino was rushed to Lawrence General Hospital, where he too was pronounced dead, according to Tucker and Gray.

Tucker and Gray said the deaths are being investigated as an apparent murder-suicide. At this time, its believed that Jennifer stabbed her son to death before turning the knife on herself.

While everyone is, understandably, still struggling to comprehend what went so terribly wrong here, our deepest sympathies go out to the family of Jennifer Paez and her son, Valentino, Tucker said in a news release.

Gray added, I would like to recognize the hard-working officers of the North Andover Police Department that responded to this tragic incident, as well as our partners with the Essex County District Attorneys Office, Massachusetts State Police, Andover Police, North Andover Fire Department, the North Andover Community Support coordinator, and Lawrence General Hospital for their assistance.

People who live and work in the area told Boston 25 they have seen police at the house in the last two weeks.

Its scary...It doesnt matter where you live. Stuff like this can happen anywhere, Katrina MacLean told Boston 25. I guess I really cant make sense of it.

Neighbors also say that ambulances and police have been called to this home several times in recent years.

DCF would not say whether or not they responded to the Turnpike Street residence in the past for any incidents. In a statement, a spokesperson said, The Department of Children and Families is investigating in collaboration with law enforcement.

Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to Tuckers Office are assisting North Andover police with the investigation.

There were no additional details immediately available.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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Dan Osborn turns in signatures to appear on ballot against U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer

Nebraska U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn when he was preparing in August to drop off boxes of signatures to the Secretary of States Office. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)

LINCOLN  Nebraska U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn announced Tuesday that his nonpartisan campaign had turned in more than enough signatures from registered voters to reach the November ballot.

Osborns campaign said it turned in at least 12,000 signatures, including some from each of the states 93 counties. He needs 4,000 to be verified, including 750 from each congressional district.

Once state and county election officials verify the signatures, his name will appear on the ballot in the Senate race next to Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer. The race has no Democrat running.

This is a huge feat, Osborn said. These petitions are a sign of whats unique about this campaign. This is definitely democracy at its finest  a government by and for the people.

Why wait?

The nonpartisan candidates decision to wait until Aug. 20 to turn in ballot signatures left some Republicans questioning the depth of public support behind the Omaha union leader.

One GOP political consultant said Osborn waited too long to raise his name ID. The same consultant suggested that recent outside polling in the race didnt reflect Fischers strength in the race.

Osborns campaign has stressed the value of gathering three times the amount of signatures needed. About 15%-30% are typically rejected by the Secretary of States Office.

Osborns campaign has said stretching out signature gathering helped in building voter contacts outside of the two-party system and years worth of data collected by Republicans and Democrats.

This is a completely grassroots campaign that  started with an idea of how we can better serve the people in Nebraska, and its taken some time, Osborn said Tuesday.

Fight over polling

Osborn emphasized four recent polls that indicate he is within striking distance of Fischer despite lacking the express support of a major political party.

Derek Oden, Fischers campaign manager, has pushed back on the Osborn campaigns effort to frame the race as being more competitive than her 2012 race against Bob Kerrey.

Kerrey had served as a U.S. senator and governor from Nebraska and was almost universally known statewide as a Democrat. Fischer beat him by 16 percentage points, 58%-42%.

Oden said Fischer continues to travel the state, as she does every year, connecting directly with thousands of hardworking Nebraskans.

Fischer holds fundraising and campaign cash advantages, having raised $6.2 million and nearly $3 million in cash on hand. Osborn has raised $1.6 million and has $650,000 in cash on hand.

Coming off a very successful May Primary, where Deb Fischer earned the most votes out of anyone on the ballot, Deb is in a historically strong position, Oden said.

Fischer will now focus on Osborn

Fischer has called Osborn a Democrat in sheeps clothing and questioned where he stands on issues that matter to Nebraskans, including taxes and spending.

Both campaigns have sought and received union endorsements. Osborn made his name leading a strike against an Omaha-area Kelloggs plant.

He has cited the plants recently announced closure plans during times of profitability as an example of why he wont take corporate PAC money. Fischers defenders have said the strike may have cost the state jobs.

Political science experiment

Osborns backers seek to explore whether the Democratic party label costs working people a chance to serve in states controlled by a single dominant party like Nebraska.

Osborn said he wears it as a badge of honor that Fischer calls his campaign a political science experiment. He said some of the best parts of the American experiment started that way.

He said he wants his campaign to resemble the way the late George Norris ran. Norris is the last nonpartisan Nebraskan in the Senate. He served until 1943.

She meant that as an insult, but its true, and Im proud of it, Osborn said of Fischer. The Declaration of Independence was a political science experiment. So was the Constitution.

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DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA)  The Danville Fire Department extinguished an intentional fire this weekend.

The fire happened Friday night around 10:15 p.m. on Grace Street. The first firefighters arrived saw heavy fire coming out of the evidence, according to a department news release sent Monday.

The first hose stream was directed protect an exposure on a residence just south of the building that was on fire. Once the exposure was protected, fire fighters began extinguishing the fire. All units were clear from the scene around 4:30 a.m. Saturday.

Decatur Fire, State Fire Marshal investigating suspicious house fire

Neighbors told Danville Police an individual stays inside the residence periodically, but firefighters did not find anyone after searching the building once safe to do so.

The fire is considered incendiary, and the cause of the fire is under investigation. The Danville Fire Department is being assisted by the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshals Office in determining the cause.

Anyone with additional information on the fire is asked to call (217) 431-2350.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
ELKINS, W.Va. (WBOY)  Davis & Elkins College brought the community together on Monday to help welcome back its students for a new school year.

Davis & Elkins College held a Community Fair which invited local businesses and organizations to the Madden Center to familiarize themselves with students.

More than a dozen local businesses were involved with many passing out free merchandise and information for students to join said organizations.

Back to School Bash offers free school supplies and fun

This is our students home for the next four years and so they are a part of Elkins and of Randolph County and the businesses are coming out to let them know that theyre pleased to have them, but also want them to be an integrated part of this community and that includes being customers as well as serving within the community, Davis & Elkins College President Chris Wood said.

You can learn more about student life at Davis & Elkins through the colleges website.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com.
Day 7: The defense calls its first witnesses in the murder trial of Robert Telles

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The prosecution rested its case Monday against a former Clark County politician accused of stabbing a Las Vegas investigative reporter to death in 2022. The defense is expected to call its first witnesses Tuesday in the high-profile Nevada murder trial.

On Monday, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Detective Justine Gatus took the stand. She was the lead investigator into the death of Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German, the murder that former Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles stands trial for.

Prosecutor Pam Weckerly questioned Gatus about aspects of the case, including the establishment of Telles as the main suspect. Defense attorney Robert Draskovich detailed transcripts from the day Telles was pulled over in a traffic stop and arrested, including conversations between Gatus, Telles, and LVMPD detective Derek Jappe, who had previously testified in the trial.

Jurors saw numerous images downloaded from Telles cellphone that showed Google Maps searches that showed Germans home. There were also images on Telles work computer of Germans car, registration, and address.

On day seven of the high-profile trial, the defense will have their turn to call witnesses, aiming to prove Telles didnt commit the murder.

Defense witness Dr. Mark Chambers takes the stand.

The defense initially called Mark Chambers, a self-employed clinical psychologist. He detailed his job as a psychologist and what he described as the science of behavior, as well as further information on forensic psychology.

Defense attorney Robert Draskovich questioned Chambers about his trial history, expertise, and how defense and prosecution attorneys have utilized him. Draskovich asked Chambers to clarify that the defense did not initially approach him but rather by the prosecution to testify at the Telles trial.

He then addressed suicide and how common it is for individuals who face severe charges to attempt to harm themselves. Chambers said a suicide attempt is not a signifier of a guilty conscience.

Its clear from the research that the stress of being accused of a crime, particularly a severe crime, as I said, can cause people to commit or attempt suicide whether theyre guilty or not, Chambers said.

Upon cross-examination, prosecuting attorney Pam Weckerly questioned Chambers regarding his research into Germans homicide and the case against Telles. Weckerly asked Chambers how much evidence he was privy to and when he interviewed Telles. Chambers said he did not record the interviews and that his written notes could be available when requested. Chambers clarified that they were not requested.

What hes telling you is his factual version, right? Weckerly asked.

I would assume so, Chambers replied.

You dont ever verify that with anyone else. Is that fair, she asked.

I have not, Chambers answered.

Weckerly questioned those who have attempted suicide being reliable narrators of the situation that led them to that choice and the facts surrounding it. Chambers drew focus to some specific allegations toward Telles and how they could cause stress to individuals.

Draskovich followed up by asking about the correlation between evidence and suicidality. Chambers said the correlation was more related to the suspects perception of his or her situation. Upon questioning, Chambers said he desired to dispel the connection between suicide and guild, saying that a suicide attempt was not an admission of guilt. Answering a question from the jury, Chambers said that it was possible for a suicide attempt to be a way for a suspect to garner sympathy. However, Draskovich clarified that Chambers thoughts were not specific to the Telles trial.

Just before 11:20 a.m., the court went to recess for lunch. Draskovich told the court to expect two more witnesses on Tuesday.

Tracy Migliore takes the stand Tuesday in the murder trial of Robert Telles. (KLAS)

Just after 1:40 p.m., Tracy Migliore was called to the stand. Draskovich asked her about her identification of a suspect seen near Bruce Trent Park. She described the person she saw, with a matching description to the suspect in Jeff Germans killing as pictured in a video released by police. She said she believed the person she saw walked like a man and that the person had a duffel bag.

On cross-examination, State attorney Pam Weckerly asked Migliore for details about where she was in Bruce Trent Park when she encountered the individual. She couldnt immediately identify the location but did say she saw the man without a mask. Migliore retrieved her notes, prompting the prosecution to ask for a copy of the notes, which the witness said she did not type herself, instead saying that her husband took the notes for her.

Draskovich told the court that there had been a travel delay with one of the witnesses, causing the court to finish for the day just after 2:00 p.m. after only two witnesses were called for approximately 2 hours of testimony. Court will reconvene at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Who is Robert Telles?

In this March 24, 2014, file photo, Immigration Reform for Nevada supporter Robert Telles is seen during an event outside the office of U.S. Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev., in protest of Congress not taking action on comprehensive immigration reform. Police say they are serving search warrants in connection with the fatal stabbing of a Las Vegas newspaper reporter last week. In a statement Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022, Metro Police didnt specify where they were searching in connection with the death of reporter Jeff German. But the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported uniformed officers and police vehicles were seen outside the home of Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles (Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

Robert Telles is a lawyer and former public official with Clark County. According to the county, Telles has lived in the area for at least 20 years. He was the focus of several investigative stories by Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German.

Telles graduated from UNLVs Boyd School of Law in 2014. One year later he founded Accolade Law, which was located on West Charleston Boulevard between Rancho Drive and Valley View Boulevard and focused on estate planning and probate.

In 2018, Telles first ran for Clark County public administrator as a Democrat. He claimed victory over Republican candidate Thomas Fougere and took office in January 2019 to serve a four-year term, which ended on Jan. 2, 2023. Telles ran for re-election, losing to fellow Democrat Rita Reid.

His campaign was mired in controversy surrounding stories written by the Review-Journal, specifically German, who uncovered claims of bullying and retaliation within his office.

Who was Jeff German?

Jeff German, investigative reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. (Elizabeth Brumley/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Jeff German had been an investigative reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal since 2010 after more than two decades at the Las Vegas Sun, where he was a columnist and reporter who covered courts, politics, labor, government, and organized crime.

Glenn Cook, the Review-Journals executive editor, said German was known to break big stories and develop impactful investigations across every part of Southern Nevada life.

German had published several stories about Telles office, saying it was in turmoil in the months leading up to his stabbing death on Labor Day weekend of 2022. German was found with seven stab wounds, including ones to his neck and torso, according to police documents.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Day after Putin's visit, Azerbaijan applies to join Russia and China in the BRICS alliance

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attend a state reception at the Gulustan Palace in Baku, Azerbaijan, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (Mikhail Tereshchenko, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP)  Azerbaijan formally applied Tuesday to join the BRICS bloc of developing economies, a day after Russian leader Vladimir Putin's visit to the oil-rich South Caucasus country to shore up regional ties and secure Moscows under-pressure trade routes.

The announcement from the foreign ministry in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, comes as the BRICS alliance has seen a major expansion. For over a decade, the bloc included just five nations: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates joined in January, and Saudi Arabia has said it's considering doing so as well.

The club already includes some of the worlds biggest oil producers, and accounts for well over a quarter of the worlds GDP. Its members Russia and Iran have had their relations with the West stretched to breaking point over Moscows war on Ukraine and Iran's regional policies.

Business ties were high on the agenda during the meeting between Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Monday, with Aliyev announcing that $120 million had been earmarked to boost cargo transport between the two countries.

Putin increasingly depends on countries such as Azerbaijan to access global markets because of sanctions imposed on Moscow over its actions in Ukraine, according to political scientist Zardusht Alizade.

For Azerbaijan, retaining Moscows good-will is important for national security over tensions with neighboring Armenia, said Alizade.

Russia has been Armenias longtime sponsor and ally since the fall of the Soviet Union. But relations between them became increasingly strained since Sept. 2023, when Azerbaijan's military took control of the Karabakh region, ending three decades of ethnic Armenian separatist rule.

Armenia accused Russian peacekeepers deployed to the region of failing to stop Azerbaijans onslaught. Moscow, which has a military base in Armenia, argued that its troops didnt have a mandate to intervene.
The Office of Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. acknowledges the recent criminal complaint against Councilmember White. This matter is in the hands of the appropriate legal authorities, who will oversee the necessary proceedings.

We recognize the seriousness of this matter. We want to assure Ward 8 residents and stakeholders that our office remains fully operational and steadfast in our commitment to serving the public. Our staff continues to work diligently to address the needs and concerns of our constituents, ensuring that essential services and initiatives are not disrupted.

We appreciate the continued support and understanding of the community as we navigate this situation.

For further inquiries, please contact Julia Jessie, Communications Director, at 202-812-8329, or jjessie@dccouncil.gov.
The worlds premier finance and accounting body, AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, will host the fourth edition of their flagship leadership programme, the CGMA Leadership Academy, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 7 to 10 October 2024 under the theme Transformative Leadership for a Sustainable Future.

Over four days, Chartered Global Management Accountants (CGMA designation holders) will have access to curated content, high-profile speakers, live case study discussions, and knowledge-sharing roundtables on topics such as ESG and business sustainability, digital transformation and AI, effective communication and interpersonal skills, leadership and fostering resilience. This intensive programme will enable attendees to gain new insights and develop the necessary skills to drive innovation, sustainable business performance, and growth within their organisations.

Commenting on this, AIPCA & CIMA vice president of Asia Pacific, Venkkat Ramanan, said: "In todays uncertain and complex business world, organisations need leaders with skills and capabilities different from those that enabled them to succeed in the past. This rapidly changing landscape demands that we foster leaders with innovative thinking, resilience, and forward-looking approach to business strategy.

"At AICPA & CIMA, we are committed to supporting future accounting, finance, and business leaders to develop the mindset, knowledge, and skills they need to stand out and propel their organisations forward. We have designed the programme of this years CGMA Leadership Academy with this in mind, ensuring that attendees walk away with actionable insights and elite leadership skills to accelerate and lead in an ever-evolving business world."

"AICPA & CIMAs CGMA Leadership Academy shapes future accounting, finance, and business leaders" was originally created and published by The Accountant, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Ruslan Kravchenko, Head of Kyiv Oblast Military Administration, has reported that the debris of downed Russian Shahed UAVs and missiles had damaged four private houses in Kyiv Oblast.

Source: Kravchenko on Facebook

Quote: "The enemy tried to attack Kyiv Oblast with attack drones and missiles at night and in the morning. The targets were shot down by air defence forces.

Four private houses and an outbuilding in one of the settlements of the oblast have been damaged as a result of the falling debris of the downed targets. Windows and doors have been smashed in the houses, walls have been damaged and facades have been cut."

Details: In addition, a grass area caught fire in one of the districts. The fire has already been extinguished.

Kravchenko said that the operational groups are still recording the consequences of the attack.

"There were no hits to residential and critical infrastructure. There are no casualties," he concluded.

Background:

On the evening of 19 August, the Russians launched attack drones on Ukraine from multiple directions.

Air defence systems were responding in Kyiv Oblast during an air raid in the morning.

Later, Kyiv City Military Administration reported that all Russian aerial targets were successfully destroyed before they could reach Kyiv, resulting in no casualties or damage.

The Russians attacked Ukraine with 2 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, an Iskander-K cruise missile, Kh-59 guided missiles and 26 Shahed UAVs on the night of 19-20 August. Ukraines air defence had managed to destroy 28 aerial targets.

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DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA)  Decatur and Illinois state fire investigators are looking into a fire that burned a home over the weekend.

The fire happened in the area of West Sunset Avenue and South Sycamore Street early Saturday morning. Decatur fire officials said firefighters were dispatched at 3:40 a.m. and they arrived to find most of the house on fire.

Decatur City Council to consider buying sand and gravel pits, roadwork updates

A primary search of the home found no one inside while firefighting efforts brought the fire under control within 20 minutes. Looking into the fire, Decatur fire investigators deemed it suspicious and contacted the Decatur Police Department and the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

No one was hurt and no one was reported to be relocated as a result of the fire. Officials added that two dogs were at the scene of the fire outside the home when firefighters arrived; they were not hurt and were collected by the Macon County Animal Control.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
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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.
In our In the Spotlight stories, Herald-Leader journalists bring you continuing coverage of news and events important to our Central Kentucky community. Read more. Story idea? hlcityregion@herald-leader.com.

Three more women have come forward to the Herald-Leader detailing specific instances of alleged sexual harassment by state Rep. Daniel Grossberg, even as state officials continue to investigate previous allegations of improper interactions.

The three women, all involved in Kentuckys political scene in Frankfort, contacted the newspaper after its initial July 30 story where other women said the Louisville Democrat had sent them unwanted creepy and weird text messages they said crossed ethical lines.

That same story confirmed the states Legislative Research Commission was investigating Grossbergs behavior.

The most recent allegations include inappropriate, harassing or sexually-tinged text or direct social media messages. One of the women described feeling sexually harassed by Grossberg in the summer of 2023, in his statehouse office after a legislative meeting.

Late Monday night, when presented with details of the three womens accounts, Grossberg denied the claims, but also apologized to those hes made uncomfortable.

I deny any allegations of sexual harassment or abuse of office, he emailed to the Herald-Leader. I sincerely apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable because of something I said or wrote.

The womens ages range from 26 to 28.

Grossberg, 45, is married. He represents about 46,000 Louisville residents in the 30th House District.

The Herald-Leader has granted the women anonymity due to the intimate nature of the allegations against Grossberg and their fears of retaliation.

To ensure the veracity of their stories, reporters reviewed 68 time-stamped texts or direct messages sent by Grossberg via X, formerly Twitter.

Reporters also reviewed another 63 text messages the women sent to friends and family detailing how his behavior triggered worries for their safety. The Herald-Leader also spoke to some of the people to whom these women confided at the time to corroborate their stories.

Their accounts paint a portrait of a rookie representative in Frankfort, running unopposed in Novembers election, who wields his power and influence to target ambitious young women whose careers intersect with politics.

The three women who shared their stories for publication said they contacted Herald-Leader reporters to protect other women they feared Grossberg could target.

While I value my position and involvement within the (Democratic) party and believe deeply in the principles it stands for, I cannot in good conscience remain silent about this issue, one of the three women told the Herald-Leader.

No woman should ever feel unsafe or intimidated in any situation, and especially not in a community that should be rooted in respect and equality.

She added: All women deserve to live and work in Kentucky without the fear of being targeted by people like Mr. Grossberg.

Since the Herald-Leader first published the story about Grossbergs behavior in late July, a dozen women from around the country, many of whom have no relationship with each other, reached out and shared allegations of harassing or sexually-charged communications from him dating back to 2001.

Grossberg added in his statement that he is fully cooperating with an ethics investigation into his conduct and said hes determined to hold himself to a higher standard and am committed to listening to womens voices.

One young woman recalled Grossberg inviting her to his office after a July 20, 2023, legislative committee meeting they both attended. He poured himself 6 to 8 shots of bourbon, eventually slurring his words. She refused his offers to drink with him.

He asked her several intrusive, sex-related questions, including about her sex life and genitals. He told her she was very attractive and said it was a shame she didnt like men.

The two other women shared text messages from the past two years that they described as harassing, unwanted or threatening. Grossberg wrote to one woman I love you on multiple occasions, and told the other that if she were to find out his pornography preferences, she would never forgive him.

All three said Grossberg, one of 20 Democrats in Kentuckys House of Representatives, is unfit for office. They said they were intimidated by him after tense interactions and receiving messages from him because hes an elected official and about 20 years older than them.

After the Herald-Leader published its initial story, House Democrats voted to temporarily remove him from their caucus pending further investigation. House Democratic leadership also called for an additional ethics investigation, beyond the initial Legislative Research Commission probe. He also has been booted from his statehouse office space.

The Kentucky Young Democrats, a political organization that supports politicians under 40, has formally called for Grossberg to resign.

Grossberg and his Frankfort-based attorney, Anna Whites, have offered several defenses, including claiming that the initially reported texts did not reveal sexually harassing or inappropriate material.

When contacted close to 8:30 p.m. Monday and presented with details of the three womens accounts, Whites said this has been a long process for Grossberg  months in which he has been picked on and bullied.

Whites said that shes worried the latest publicized exchanges have been misunderstood.

Its very easy to make accusations and take comments out of context, she added.

Whites told the Herald-Leader she had not seen any messages that cause me concern, or that she considers harassing.

Grossbergs attorney has previously said the lawmaker has a neurodivergent diagnosis, placing him on the autism spectrum.

She did not specify what condition the lawmaker has. She told the Herald-Leader they had sent medical records to the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission in response to a complaint filed by House Democratic leadership against Grossberg.

The three women who most recently shared their stories to the Herald-Leader will be referred to Woman A, B and C for ease of readership and to protect their identities.

I was in a tenuous situation

Woman A, a 28-year-old involved in politics in Frankfort, recounted what she described as sexual harassment in Grossbergs office last summer.

The Herald-Leader has reviewed messages corroborating that the events occurred in July 2023, as well as messages she sent to friends after about what happened.

During a late-afternoon July 20 legislative committee, Grossberg, a committee member, texted her asking to talk after it ended.

When the meeting ended, Grossberg invited her to his office instead, stating he couldnt remember what he wanted to talk about. Woman A, who was 26 at the time, agreed.

There, he showed off some of the items on display in his office, including a bottle of bourbon made by a Jewish distiller.

Grossberg asked if she wanted a drink, she said. Woman A told him shes sober and doesnt drink. He insisted they do shots, and she again refused him.

As an alternative, he left his office to grab a Starbucks cold brew from a nearby fridge. He poured her a shot of cold brew and himself a shot of bourbon, and they toasted before drinking.

Theyd been talking for nearly an hour when Grossberg left his capitol annex office again to see how empty the nearby rooms and hallways were given the political dynamics they were discussing. He returned and confirmed it was just the two of us in the office, she said.

Grossberg then brought up Senate Bill 150  a sweeping GOP-backed law passed in March 2023 over Gov. Andy Beshears veto that bans doctors from providing gender-affirming health care to trans youth.

Grossberg asked Woman A, who is trans, about her own experience. Questions like, how long had she known she was trans, and did she have her gender updated on her drivers license?

Woman A said she had fielded similar questions by other sitting lawmakers during deliberation on this bill, and the questions did not take me by surprise, she said.

But then Grossberg, who was still drinking bourbon, began to probe deeper, asking intimate questions that quickly made her uncomfortable. He asked about her genitals, her sex life and whether she had gender-reassignment surgery.

He added that he did not find the post-operative vaginas of trans women convincing, Woman A said.

She bristled at his comments and questions, saying that information was between her, her partner and her doctor.

At this point I realized I was in a tenuous situation, she said. As a 26-year-old trans woman, I was alone with an inebriated middle-aged male state representative in his office, asking me about my sexual identity and history. I felt trapped.

While this conversation was taking place, Grossberg continued to take shots of bourbon, she said.

Sometimes, Rep. Grossberg would remember that I dont drink. Other times, he would act as if hed forgotten that I wasnt drinking alcohol with him and begin to pour me a shot of bourbon, she said. After reminding him, he would apologize for forgetting and pour me more cold brew coffee.

Grossberg asked her about her sexual orientation, specifically if she had ever performed a certain sexual act with a man. She responded she only dated women and was in a committed relationship.

Grossberg then told her it was a shame she didnt like men, told her she was attractive and called her partner a lucky woman.

He then shared details about his sex life with his wife before asking her more questions about her body, which she said she did not answer.

Shortly after, she told him she needed to get home, and he said he should do the same. Grossberg offered to escort her out and she agreed.

On the walk out, he commented about how empty the building was, that they were closing the place down.

To avoid continuing to be alone with him, she excused herself to the restroom and told Grossberg to go ahead without her.

I hid in the restroom for roughly 20 minutes until I was confident that he had left, and I could walk to my car without encountering him again, she said. I was in disbelief at what had just happened.

Just before 6 p.m., a friend texted Woman A to ask how she was doing. She wrote back, Well, Im just leaving Frankfort (because) I was in a committee meeting and Grossberg wanted to chat afterwards and then he ended up getting drunk in his office.

Deeply uncomfortable and increasingly unsafe

Woman B is 26 and involved in Democratic politics in Kentucky.

On several different occasions in 2024, both in person, through texts and in other messaging apps  she shared 14 different text messages from the lawmaker  Grossberg repeatedly made comments she considered harassing or threatening.

In messages she shared with the Herald-Leader, he asked questions about her sexual orientation and expressed serious romantic interest despite being married. The Herald-Leader has reviewed these messages and others referenced by Woman B.

Grossberg told her if she were to learn what his porn preferences were, I would never forgive him, Woman B texted a friend May 17 of this year.

This comment, along with others, left me feeling deeply uncomfortable and increasingly unsafe, she told the Herald-Leader. His power within the party, combined with the nature of his questions and comments, left me feeling threatened and concerned for the future of my career.

In one message, Grossberg encouraged Woman B to use the messaging app Snapchat, where messages and photos disappear soon after sending.

I like chats that cant be used against me. lol, he wrote to her on Dec. 1, 2023.

Woman B called him scary and added his actions have caused me significant distress and have left me with a deep sense of vulnerability.

She also mentioned in a May 17 text to a friend that Grossberg was relentlessly asking her for nude pictures of herself.

Woman B shared with the Herald-Leader multiple texts between her and others referencing a comment Grossberg made to her, stating you owe me. She took that to mean either sexual favors or nude photos.

I remember waking up to that text and thinking how gross that was

Woman C, who is also involved in Democratic politics in Frankfort, shared messages of Grossberg calling her beautiful, telling her that he loved her and saying he had a crush on her.

She said shes speaking up for those who feel silenced and those who are scared of his power since he is a sitting lawmaker.

His pattern of behavior, she added, has got to stop.

On Nov. 27, 2021, when Woman C was 24 and barely knew him, Grossberg told her I love you and added (I) still have your back.

Woman C said she found it odd but didnt push back, due to his connections and status in the political world.

But the unsolicited messages made her more uneasy to interact in person with him at political events, which they both regularly attended, she said.

In August 2022, during the busy campaign season and after Grossberg won his primary battle against a longtime incumbent, the two became more acquainted through Democratic politics.

He texted her Aug. 19, 2022, at 11:37 p.m. This time, he asked her a campaign question but prefaced it by calling her beautiful, beautiful.

Being referred to as beautiful, beautiful in a text message at 11:37 pm by a married man is something I wish to not happen to me, she told the Herald-Leader.

I remember waking up to that text and thinking how gross that was, but never said anything to him or anyone, because I didnt know who to say anything to.

On Jan. 25, 2023, Grossberg asked Woman C out for a drink in another late-night text and inquired about the year that she graduated high school.

When she answered the following morning  she agreed to get a drink but never did  he responded theres something about girls from that particular high school, punctuating it with a winking emoticon: ;-).

Later that year, on May 23, Grossberg again messaged Woman C, I love you,

In December 2023, when Woman C was involved in another Democratic campaign, Grossberg texted her, my crush on you just went to 11.

I remember the feeling of my heart sinking to my stomach as I sat in my office at work, getting ready to eat the leftover Indian food I had just warmed up, she said. I remember losing my appetite. I remember my entire body shaking from anxiety. I remember wanting to go home.

Woman C eventually wrote back Lol, I know youre kidding when you say that, but please dont say that to me.

After that, the messages stopped.

However, she remained anxious and asked male friends to be around her at events, including Gov. Andy Beshears inaugural ball late last year, where both she and Grossberg were present.

Two of the friends who knew about the text and I walked into the tent at the gala, and I saw Daniel, she said. I immediately got that feeling in my stomach again. A night that was supposed to be full of love, celebration, turned to anxiety.

She added, I looked at these two friends and made them swear to me they would not let him get near me.
A Russian soldier who defected through a joint operation of the Freedom of Russia Legion and Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) project "I Want to Live" conducted espionage and injured his commander in a grenade attack, HUR revealed at a press conference on Aug. 20 attended by a Kyiv Independent reporter.

The 24-year-old soldier, codenamed "Silver," contacted the legion in early 2024 after witnessing a variety of criminal acts committed by his unit and commanders.

"Silver" then reportedly provided clandestine information to the legion about the location of Russian troops and plans for military operations.

Due to "disagreement with the command and authority" of Russia, "Silver" then said he threw a grenade down a ventilation shaft into where his commander was sleeping. The incident took place near the town of Ocheretyne in Donetsk Oblast.

At the press conference, "Silver" said that the commander was injured as a result of the grenade attack but was unsure of the extent of his injuries. The commander's deputy may have also been injured, he added. He then escaped and met with military intelligence officials and representatives of the legion.

Originally, "Silver" studied to be a combat paramedic and served as a conscript in a drone company before Russia's full-scale invasion.

In September 2023, "Silver" found out about the legion and decided to fight alongside Ukraine. He figured "that the best option would be to sign a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry in order to cross the border." Shortly after, he found that he had been assigned to a so-called "Storm-Z" unit, which are often used in human-wave type assaults that result in heavy casualties.

"Silver" is now undergoing a training course for new recruits to the legion and will soon go fight against Russia.

The legion is one of the several anti-Kremlin Russian militias who fight on Ukraine's side and have carried out several cross-border raids into Russian territory.

Ukraine's military intelligence launched the "I Want to Live" project in 2022 to help Russian soldiers desert or defect to the Ukrainian side.

One of the most high-profile defections took place in August 2023, when a Russian pilot named Maksim Kuzminov surrendered along with his Mi-8 helicopter. Kuzminov was found dead in Spain in February 2024, with the circumstances of his death resembling previous Moscow-contracted killings.

Read also: Russian defector involved in Russias Baltic Fleet vessel sabotage, military intelligence says

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Taylor Swift could bring a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump for posting her image and falsely accepting her endorsement  but legal experts told Salon that the issue raises questions about free speech and Trump's reputation for hyperbole.

In a Monday post on Trump's social media network, the Republican presidential nominee shared four images that included pictures of women in "Swifties for Trump" t-shirts and an A.I. image of Taylor Swift that read: "Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump."

Trump wrote on the post: "I accept!"

University of Michigan law professor Jessica Litman said Swift could bring a false endorsement claim under section 43(a) of the Lanham Trademark Act, or a right of publicity claim for commercial misuse of her name and face under state law.

"In practice, theres not much to be gained by filing suit," Litman said. "The news media has reported that Swift did not in fact endorse Trump, and while Mr. Trump may have believed that the endorsement images were genuine, nobody else seems to have believed that."

Litman said Trump would likely argue that his post was protected by the First Amendment as core political speech since "he always argues that" and "theres a good chance that a court would agree."

Meanwhile, Stanford Law School professor Mark Lemley said the matter "seems quite an easy case for Swift to win under the right of publicity."

"While the First Amendment generally gives politicians wide berth to lie, the court has been much more restrictive of First Amendment freedoms when IP rights are at stake," Lemley said. "And these posts were deliberately designed to deceive people about Swift's endorsement of Trump, which is at the core of why we restrict uses of people's name and likeness."

Harvard Law School professor Rebecca Tushnet said Tennessee's own law provides a broad "right against images like this."

"There's a question about whether the political context means that Trump would have free speech rights," Tushnet said. "And it's just genuinely unsettled whether he would. Especially since when it comes to Trump it is standard for people to say: 'Well you can't believe anything he says.' To a certain extent is he fooling anyone? The deepfakes generally do the most damage when they fool people. If Donald Trump is not someone you can take seriously, then maybe he's not fooling anyone."

Tushnet said Tennessee's law may be "too broad" but said it's possible Trump's free speech would trump a claim by Swift over the false endorsement and use of her likeness.

It's possible he could argue it's a political cartoon, for example, she said.

"I think part of the issue here is we have a general idea of what we don't like but it's very hard to define things that should violate someone's right and things that are essentially political cartooning," Tushnet said. "If you have a political cartoon that no one believes is representing a fact, then you can definitely do that. If a reasonable person would not believe that Taylor Swift was really endorsing, is there really any difference between this and a political cartoon?"

Tushnet said some false endorsement cases involving politicians have involved the use of a musician's actual song.

"Don Henley in a political ad, people might think that Don Henley endorsed the politician," Tushnet said. "Here it's not really Taylor Swift, as opposed to playing a Don Henley song."

Swift hasn't taken a stance on the 2024 race. She didn't endorse a candidate in 2016 either.

In 2012, Trump tweeted thanks to Swift for taking a photo with him and called her "fantastic" and "terrific."

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

And in 2016, photoshopped images of Swift in a MAGA hat circulated online.

Trump said he liked her "music about 25% less now" in 2018 when she endorsed two Democrats in the U.S. midterms.

Swift discussed speaking out more often about politics in her January 2020 documentary Miss America.

She ended up endorsing the Biden-Harris ticket in 2020.

In May 2020, Swift tweeted about Trump: "After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? When the looting starts the shooting starts??? We will vote you out in November."

And in August, she tweeted again her opposition to his candidacy: "Trumps calculated dismantling of USPS proves one thing clearly: He is WELL AWARE that we do not want him as our president. Hes chosen to blatantly cheat and put millions of Americans lives at risk in an effort to hold on to power."
Democratic convention kicks off with celebrations, Biden keynote, and few details on Ukraine

CHICAGO  On Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, a celebratory Democratic party embraced President Joe Biden. In four days, Biden will cede the national spotlight to Kamala Harris in a historic nomination.

"Folks, I've got five months left of my presidency," Biden said to a cheering crowd when he took the stage on Aug. 19.

"I've got lots to do. I'm gonna get it done."

Biden's speech served as a celebration of his legacy, a farewell to the public, and a passing of the torch to Vice President Harris. He also addressed Russia's war in Ukraine, an issue that has been generally absent from the Harris campaign trail.

"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin thought he would take Kyiv in three days," Biden said.

"Three years later, Ukraine is still free."

Convention delegates on Aug. 19 confirmed the Democrats' official party platform. The 92-page document highlights Biden's stance against Putin and his support of NATO expansion. In terms of a future Harris administration's Ukraine policy, however, the platform is light on details.

The platform was confirmed by the convention's committee five days before Biden withdrew from the race on July 21, meaning all policies therein reflect plans for a second Biden term. The document has yet to be updated since Biden dropped out and endorsed Harris.

"Under President Biden's leadership, America has provided Ukraine with the weapons as well as the diplomatic and economic support needed to defend its sovereignty from Russian aggression," the document reads.

"That work has created good-paying American jobs as we build the arsenal to defend ourselves at home and help protect democracy abroad."

According to the platform, Biden's three objectives in Ukraine have been avoiding a direct conflict with Russia, maintaining alliances, and helping Ukraine defend its sovereignty.

The platform also leverages the situation in Ukraine to draw a contrast between the Biden-Harris administration and former president Donald Trump.

"While President Biden has always stood by Ukraine, Trump attempted to help his own political prospects by extorting President Zelensky  including by withholding much needed security assistance," the document says.

"And, now behind closed doors, Trump is supporting a policy of pushing Ukraine to surrender sovereign territory to Putin."

Biden himself drew the contrast while addressing the DNC, saying that unlike Trump, he and Harris do not "bow down" to foreign dictators.

"No commander-in-chief should ever bow down to dictators," he said.

Other Democrats also took up this theme in their remarks, highlighting Trump's admiration of dictators. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that a Harris administration would not look up to foreign autocrats.

Moments later, Congressmember Jasmine Crockett of Texas called out Trump's "coziness" with Moscow, saying Vladimir Putin was Trump's "role model."

The first of a handful of protestors arrested by the Chicago Police Department on Aug. 19 outside of the Democratic National Convention. The protesters were demonstrating against U.S. military support for Israel amid the invasion of Gaza. (Owen Racer/The Kyiv Independent)

Just outside the convention, the focus was on U.S. involvement in a different war.

On the convention's perimeter, demonstrators held "make love, not war" signs aloft as they protested the Biden administration's support of Israel amid the ongoing invasion and bombardment of Gaza.

The protests were centered on Palestine and did not appear to address Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Objections to Russia's war are more common at Republican gatherings. While conservatives are largely pro-Israel, the party is divided on support for Ukraine.

The Republican party's official platform makes no mention of Ukraine or Russia.

Harris made a surprise appearance at the convention on Aug. 19, but spoke only briefly. She is expected to discuss Ukraine when she closes out the convention on Aug. 22, according to Minyan Moore, the convention chair.

Read also: With Biden out, what could a Kamala Harris presidency mean for Ukraine?













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At Democratic convention, Wasserman Schultz and Frankel tout Harris  and warn about dangers from Trump

As the Democratic National Convention got underway, the partys senior members of Congress from South Florida are touting Vice President Kamala Harris  and warning about the threat they see from former President Donald Trump.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a former national Democratic Party chair and the senior Democratic member of Congress from Florida, was scheduled to address the convention Monday evening.

Offering a cautionary tale, Wasserman Schulz planned to cite policies implemented by Republicans who control all levers of government in Florida as examples of what could happen to the country if Trump becomes president again.

For the people of my state, Project 2025 isnt just a threat. Its a reality we battle every day, she planned to say. Democrats have been highlighting Project 2025, the controversial hard-right agenda crafted by Trump allies for how theyd run the government if theyre victorious.

Florida, she prepared to warn in her speech, is a testing ground for the rights most egregious, dangerous policies.

Earlier, at a breakfast meeting of the Florida convention delegation, Wasserman Schultz delivered a fiery speech praising Harris, touting Democratic values and reminding people of what life was like when Trump was president.

Our amazing record of successes stands in stark contrast to the steaming Dumpster fire Trump handed over to us. Dont let them fool you. When Trump was in the White House, remember we were all hoarding toilet paper as he mused about using bleach for medicine. Republicans did that. Neo-Nazis marched through Trumps America with torches screaming, Jews will not replace us. And antisemitism and anti-Asian hate surged, she said.

Please never forget the anxiety and dread that we all woke up with every morning that Trump was president. I remember dreading looking at my notifications on my phone, Wasserman Schultz said.

It is a clear choice. Kamala is strong and smart and she fights for freedom, security and economic opportunity. And Donald Trump is a weird, lying crook who only cares about himself and his rich friends, she said.

Frankels view

Frankel, who like Wasserman Schultz has been to multiple conventions, said this years in Chicago is different.

Frankel said in a phone interview that she sees a dramatic surge of enthusiasm driven largely by the real possibility of our first woman president, a woman of color. For many of us, its just, it is so exhilarating and uplifting.

Frankel said she doesnt think any resistance to a woman president would affect the outcome in November. You know what, theres always gonna be bias but I dont think its gonna hold, I dont think its going to prevent Harris from winning. Just look across the world. Were sort of behind on that. There have been women presidents, prime ministers all over the world that have been very successful.

Frankel said she didnt think gender was the reason Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election to Trump. (Clinton won the popular vote; Trump won the Electoral College.)

She was snake bitten, Frankel said. She lost that race because of just these crazy circumstances.

Like many Democrats, Frankel said the announcement by then-FBI Director James Comey that the agency was reopening an investigation into her private email server just days before the election was politically toxic. Thats why she lost.

Frankel is familiar with close presidential elections.

She was Democratic leader of the Florida House of Representatives during the tumultuous aftermath of the contentious George W. Bush-Al Gore presidential election in 2000. Bush ultimately was declared the winner of Florida by 537 votes, which made him president. (It was the last time a sitting vice president was the presidential nominee of either party.)

Back in spotlight

Wasserman Schutz got personally caught up in presidential campaign crossfire.

This years Chicago convention is far from Philadelphia, where Democrats gathered for their 2016 presidential nominating convention.

In Chicago, Wasserman Schulz had the speaking slot, did an interview on the CNN set at the convention site at the United Center, and was applauded at the Florida delegations breakfast on Monday.

In Philadelphia, she was the embattled national party chair. Handpicked by then-President Barack Obama for the job, she resigned from the job at the beginning of the convention after leaked emails showed the party was helping Hillary Clintons 2016 campaign while Bernie Sanders was still a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination.

She was greeted by so many protesters at the Florida delegation meeting on the Monday morning of the 2016 convention, that her speech was turned into a chaotic scene. As a result, plans were shelved for her to gavel the convention to order even though she helped plan it.

Wasserman Schultz has since been repeatedly reelected by constituents in South Florida, and holds a party leadership role in the House as a co-chair of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.

Optimistic about Florida

Frankel said the unprecedented level of enthusiasm suggests to her that Harris could win Florida. (The last time that happened, when Obama ran for reelection in 2012, Democrats outnumbered registered Republicans. Now there are 1 million more Republicans than Democrats in Florida.)

Can we win Florida? Absolutely, she said  if Democrats have enough financial resources, which hasnt yet happened. Were working on it, Frankel said. She predicted that the referendum that would enshrine abortion rights in the Florida Constitution means youre going to see the women flood to the polls.

Biden

The presidential picture has changed since President Joe Biden ended his campaign for reelection last month and Harris became the nominee.

The exuberance and the excitement right now and the way were unified, coming together as a party from all points of view across the spectrum has been remarkable, Wasserman Schultz said on CNN.

Harris is doing much better in polling, in Florida, in swing states critical to determining the outcome, and nationally than President Joe Biden was when he was running for a second term.

Im going to just give you the obvious answer, which is, I think, her youthfulness probably is the main reason, Frankel said. Obviously for women is the potential, the first woman president and woman of color, I think thats a big one.

Wasserman Schultz is a longtime Biden supporter, starting with his first presidential campaign, in 1988 when she was involved in Students for Biden at the University of Florida.

Still loyal, she said on CNN that Biden wasnt forced out in any way.

Joe Biden is a beloved leader because he is such a good man, she said. He was the good, decent human being who you knew you could count on.

_______
Imagine if Florida lawmakers had paid attention to the women who have suffered because of anti-abortion policies.

Their stories were readily available with a Google search, but the Republicans who enacted the states extreme six-week ban ignored them. Voters now have a chance to listen before they vote on a proposed Florida constitutional Amendment 4 on the November ballot that  if approved by at least 60% of the electorate  will legalize abortion up to viability, usually at 24 weeks, and overturn the state ban.

At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, three women gave emotional speeches on Monday about the consequences of taking reproductive rights away. Amanda Zurawski and her husband, Kaitlyn Joshua, and Hadley Duvall stood together on stage, taking turns to tell their stories. It was a powerful moment.

Zurawski, who sued the state of Texas over its near-total abortion ban, had to wait three days before she could terminate her non-viable pregnancy  and that was only after she developed sepsis, a life-threatening infection. Texas ban makes exceptions to save the patients life but the language in the law is so vague that doctors fear facing felony charges.

Floridas ban also has such exceptions but they come with burdensome requirements.

An abortion after six weeks is only allowed in most cases if Two physicians certify in writing that, in reasonable medical judgment, the termination of the pregnancy is necessary to save the pregnant womans life or avert... physical impairment.

The law also bans doctors from using telehealth to perform an abortion (say, via medication) and bans medication from being delivered by mail, imposing another hurdle for women in rural or disadvantaged areas.

These so-called exceptions have left doctors fearful that the state will second guess their medical judgment. The results are clear in the plight of women like a Lakeland mother who was denied an abortion under Floridas previous 15-week ban and forced to give birth to a baby with a fatal abnormality, putting her own life at risk. She luckily survived to tell her story of holding her son, who had no kidneys, in her arms as he died moments after being born.

Women should be trusted to make decisions on whether to proceed with a non-viable pregnancy. But, thanks to draconian laws, they are often not.

At the DNC, Joshua said she was turned away by two Louisiana emergency rooms while having a miscarriage. Because of the states strict abortion ban and vague exceptions to protect patients lives, Joshua said, No one would confirm I was miscarrying even though she was bleeding and in pain.

No woman should experience what I endured but too many have, Joshua said. They write to me saying what happened to you happened to me.

Duvall of Kentucky became pregnant at 12 as a result of being raped by her stepfather about a decade ago. She was not directly impacted by her states abortion ban, which doesnt make exceptions for rape and incest and went into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Yet she has become one of the most prominent voices for abortion rights and was featured in ads in Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshears successful reelection campaign last year.

Floridas ban makes exceptions for rape, incest and victims of human trafficking, requiring women to show a police report or other evidence that they were victims of a crime.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has boasted about appointing three conservative Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade. He said in June that it has been a beautiful thing to watch states pass a patchwork of laws on abortion now that it is no longer a right protected at the federal level.

[Donald Trump] calls it a beautiful thing, Duvall told the DNC crowd. What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parents child?

Unless Florida voters take action, the stories heard at the Democratic National Convention will be just a prelude to the risks that women face when they no longer have choice in the Sunshine State.

Click here to send the letter.
Alaska Air is one step closer to acquiring Hawaiian Airlines after the U.S. Department of Justice chose not to challenge the $1 billion deal that the carriers say will create a company better able to serve travelers.

Alaska Air announced in December that it would pay $18 in cash for each share of Hawaiian. The deal includes $900 million in debt held by Hawaiian Airlines.

The brands of both airlines would be preserved after the merger, which is rare in an industry where decades of acquisitions have left only four big carriers dominating the U.S. market.

Alaska and Hawaiian say they have few overlapping routes and the intent of a tie-up is to allow the new airline to better compete with the nations Big Four: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.

Alaska Air and Hawaiian Holdings, the parent company of Hawaiian Airlines, said in regulatory filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission Tuesday that the review period for the Justice Department, which had already been extended several times, expired just after midnight.

The closing is still subject to approval from the Department of Transportation. Alaska and Hawaiian have been working with Transportation on lingering issues, according to the SEC filing.

The decision by the Justice Department to give the deal a pass runs counter to the Biden administrations opposition to two recent attempts at further consolidation in the airline industry. The Justice Department successfully sued to block JetBlue Airways from buying budget carrier Spirit Airlines and prevented JetBlue from striking a partnership with American Airlines in the Northeast. In both, the administration argued that allowing the deals would have reduced choice and driven up prices for consumers.

If Alaska and Hawaiian close their agreement, it will be the first combination of sizeable U.S. airlines since 2016, when Alaska outbid JetBlue to buy Virgin America.

Shares of Hawaiian Holdings Inc. jumped more than 12%. Alaska Air Group Inc. shares were flat.

Hawaiian has not recovered from the coronavirus pandemic as have larger airlines, including Alaska.

Hawaiian depends heavily on tourism from Japan, which dropped sharply after the outbreak of COVID-19 and now suffers from the weakness of the yen, which has fallen by about 40% in comparison with the dollar since the start of 2021. In addition, Hawaiian faces more competition on flights between the islands and the U.S. mainland and from Southwest on intra-islands service.

____

AP AirlineD Writer David Koenig contributed to this report from Dallas.
Democratic delegates approved the party's 2024 platform at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago yesterday, including sections lamenting the unfairness of marijuana convictions. However, the platform failed to explicitly call for legalizing or even decriminalizing the drug, a change from its position four years ago.

"No one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana," the final 2024 Democratic Party platform reads. "Sending people to prison for possession has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit. Those criminal records impose needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities, disproportionately affecting Black and brown people."

The platform praises President Joe Biden for his moves to reschedule marijuana and his "historic action to end this failed approach by pardoning people convicted federally for using or possessing marijuana." It also promises that Democrats "will take action to expunge federal marijuana-only convictions" and "combat drug trafficking and expand the use of drug courts, interventions, and diversion for people with substance use disorders."

Former Republican President Donald Trump's approach to criminal justice "could not be more different," the platform argues. "His Administration threatened federal prosecution for marijuana cases in states where marijuana was legal."

For opponents of drug prohibition, though, the platform is a step backward from the Democratic Party's 2020 platform, which said it was "past time to end the failed 'War on Drugs' which has imprisoned millions of Americansdisproportionately Black people and Latinosand hasn't been effective in reducing drug use." That platform also said Democrats supported federal decriminalization and rescheduling of marijuana, and legalization of medical marijuana.

The Democratic Party's official position on marijuana prohibition continues to fall well short of its stated goal of ending the unfairness of the drug war. First, it conflates all recreational drug use with substance abuse and addiction, which is an atypical outcome.

Second, the platform rests on the illogical notion that it shouldn't be a crime to possess and smoke marijuana, but it should remain illegal to sell it to others to smoke. (Notably, Biden's "historic" pardons for marijuana crimes excluded people convicted of growing or distributing the drug.)

Third, while drug courts and involuntary treatment are preferable alternatives to prison, they are still heavy-handed government interventions against adults for their personal choices. Drug courts and diversion programs operate under the threat of incarceration for noncompliancethe metaphorical iron fist in a velvet glove.

Even measures that the Democratic Party no longer explicitly supports in its platformsuch as changes to Justice Department policy and decriminalizationwould leave the federal prohibition of marijuana dormant but intact for future administrations to revive.

This has already happened. Former President Donald Trump's first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, rescinded President Barack Obama-era memos instructing U.S. Attorneys to take a hands-off approach to enforcing federal marijuana laws in states that legalized the drug.

Mass pardons and expungements are commendable initiatives, but those also don't address the underlying criminalization of marijuana. Neither does rescheduling.

The Democratic Party's position on pot is closer in spirit to creaky old Joe Biden, who could never quite give up his drug warrior ways, than the party's new leading candidates. As Reason's Jacob Sullum recently detailed, Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz both support marijuana legalization, although Harris is a Johnny-come-lately to her position. She was laughing off questions about marijuana legalization in 2014, but by 2018 she had come around and cosponsored a bill in the Senate that would have repealed federal prohibition.

According to a Gallup poll published last November, a record 70 percent of Americans, including 87 percent of Democrats, favor legalization. If the Democratic Party's presidential ticket and nearly 90 percent of its voters think marijuana should be fully legalized, how long will it take the party to catch up?

The post The Democratic Party Platform Still Won't Commit to Legalizing Marijuana appeared first on Reason.com.
Then-vice president Joe Biden tours the Joint Security Area on the border between North Korea and South Korea on December 7, 2013. | U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Chris Church

Donald Trump oversaw some scary moments in international politics. The former president seriously escalated tensions with North Korea and Iran, leading to several war scares. But he pulled back from the brink, sometimes against the wishes of his more hawkish advisers. He avoided a direct U.S.-Iranian war and opened a direct line of communication with North Korea.

Democrats seem to wish he'd gone to war instead. The Democratic National Committee's 2024 platform, approved in a symbolic vote on Monday night, tries to outhawk Trump, denouncing his "fecklessness" on Iran and his "love letters" to North Korea. Although the platform condemns Trump for pulling out of diplomacy with Iran, it also attacks his decisions not to bomb Iran at several crucial points.

Ironically, the Democratic platform is not much different from Republicans' own attacks on the Biden administration. Each side accuses the other of weakness, and neither wants to take credit for diplomacy or own the compromises necessary to avoid war.

It's easy to forget now, but in 2017 the Korean peninsula had become a remarkably tense place. North Korea was testing nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of hitting U.S. soil. The U.S. military was massing forces in the region, and Trump was issuing threats.

Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, reportedly called for a military attack aimed at giving North Korea a "bloody nose." McMaster and Sen. Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) publicly warned that war might be inevitable.

And then, in January 2018, a false alarm drove home the lesson that nuclear war is nothing to play around with. During a disaster preparedness drill, authorities in Hawaii accidentally sent an alert about an incoming ballistic missile. For more than half an hour, Hawaiians and tourists were convinced that they were going to die in a nuclear war.

A few months later, McMaster was out of the White House. Trump accepted an invitation to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June 2018. Trump met Kim again in February 2019. Stepping over the North KoreanSouth Korean border in June 2019, Trump became the first U.S. president to visit North Korea.

The meetings failed to secure a permanent agreementit didn't help that McMaster's replacement, John Bolton, publicly hinted that denuclearization would end in Kim's violent deathbut they bought some crucial breathing room.

The Democrats' 2024 platform attacks the very idea of talks with North Korea. Trump's approach, the platform says, was "embarrassing the United States on the world stage including by flattering and legitimizing Kim Jong Un, exchanging 'love letters' with the North Korean dictator."

This isn't a break with past Democratic rhetoric. During the presidential debates in 2019, then-candidate Joe Biden said that Trump gave "North Korea everything they wanted, creating the legitimacy by having a meeting with Kim Jong Un." Another candidate, Kamala Harris, said that there are "no concessions to be made. He has traded a photo op for nothing."

If even talking to North Korea is a "concession," then it's hard to see what alternative Harris would accept, other than continuing to barrel towards nuclear war.

Iran, unlike North Korea, does not have nuclear weapons. In 2017, Trump tore up an international agreement that regulated Iranian nuclear activities, instead betting on a "maximum pressure" campaign designed to overthrow the Iranian government by cutting off its oil exports. Bolton later said in his memoir that "only regime change would ultimately prevent Iran from possessing nuclear weapons," and thenSecretary of State Mike Pompeo was obsessed with killing the Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.

The Iranian government did not react warmly to the maximum pressure campaign. Iranian forces encouraged rocket attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq, and Iran is believed to be behind sabotage attacks on the international oil industry, including a September 2019 drone strike on Saudi oil infrastructure.

The U.S. military massed forces off the coast of Iran during this time. On June 19, 2019, Iran shot down an American surveillance drone. (The two countries disagree on whether the drone was in Iranian airspace.) Trump ordered a bombing raid on Iranian air defense batteries, then pulled back at the last minute, because killing Iranian troops was "not proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone."

Although the Democratic platform calls maximum pressure a "reckless and short-sighted decision," it also attacks Trump for failing to hit Iran back at each of these points. "Trump's only response" to an Iraqi militia attack on the U.S. consulate in Basra "was to close our diplomatic facility," the Democrats complain, and "Trump failed to respond against Iran or its proxies" for the attack on Saudi oil facilities.

The platform is somewhat ambiguous on whether Trump should have bombed Iran in June 2019. "Trump responded by tweet and then abruptly called off any actual retaliation, causing confusion and concern among his own national security team," it says. Perhaps putting American lives at risk to avenge the honor of a robot would be too far even for the Biden team.

Maximum pressure reached its climax in January 2020, when Trump followed Pompeo's advice and ordered the military to assassinate Soleimani. Iran responded by launching 12 ballistic missiles at a U.S. base in Iraq, which injured Americans but did not kill anyone. Trump called it even, claiming that "Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned."

At the time, Democrats were highly critical of the decision to risk war by killing an Iranian officer. "Trump just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox," Biden wrote right after Soleimani was assassinated. After the Iranian retaliation, Democrats immediately put forward a war powers resolution making it clear that the president does not have the authority to start a war with Iran.

The current Democratic platform takes a different tone. When "Iran, for the first and only time in its history, directly launched ballistic missiles against U.S. troops," the document declares disapprovingly, Trump "again took no action." The platform criticizes Trump for making light of U.S. troops' brain injuries without mentioning the assassination that prompted the Iranian attacks in the first place.

After all, it would be hard for Biden to criticize Trump for bringing America to the brink of war in the Middle East when he has done the same.

After four short years of a Democratic administration, the mood among Democratic leaders has gotten more hawkish, especially as the defense of Ukraine gives them a "good war" to rally behind. But that's not necessarily how the American people, including Democratic voters, feel. Direct talks with North Korea are still popular, and direct war with Iran is still unpopular. Republicans and independents are less likely to call themselves hawks than in 2014, and even Democratic voters are only one percentage point more likely to consider themselves hawkish than before.

There is a public appetite for diplomacy and deescalation. But party leaders don't seem to want to take the opportunity. They would prefer to fight over who can outhawk whom.

The post Democratic Platform Attacks Trump for Not Going to War appeared first on Reason.com.
TALLAHASSEE A prominent Democratic consultant directed $1 million to a fund set up by Gov. Ron DeSantis to defeat two ballot amendments important to the Florida Democratic Party, one to legalize marijuana and the other to secure abortion rights.

The move by Pradeep Rick Asnani, president of Cornerstone Solutions, raised red flags among state party officials and some of the consultants clients, who are concerned their donations to a committee Asnani controls may have been passed through to the governors anti-marijuana and anti-abortion efforts.

Asnanis clients includes longtime Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and other Democrats seeking state and local office, as well as political powerhouses like the Seminole Tribe and Florida Power & Light.

I was shocked to learn that he transferred $1 million to an entity that is against Amendment 3 and Amendment 4, said Mack Bernard, a former Palm Beach County Commissioner who hired Asnani as his campaign manager and was elected to the state senate in a special election in June.

Bernard said he personally authorized the $70,000 transferred from his Friends of Mack Bernard committee to Asnanis committee in July, prior to Asnanis donation to DeSantis. Bernard said he assumed he was giving to a committee that supported Democratic candidates and causes. He said he supports both the abortion and marijuana amendments.

Asnani is chairman of Floridians for Economic Leadership, which made the donation to DeSantis Florida Freedom Fund on July 25, campaign reports show. Asnanis donation is the largest single contribution to DeSantis fund, which has raised $2.5 million so far and was set up by the Republican governor to fight both the abortion and marijuana amendments on the Nov. 5 ballot.

I dont discuss my political contributions, Asnani told the Orlando Sentinel when asked why he made such a generous contribution to a Republican governor fighting two ballot initiatives of high importance to state Democrats and if his clients knew about it.

As chairman of the committee, Asnani can spend the money as he sees fit, even if the people, businesses and committees expected their donations to go to certain causes, said Glenn Burhans, a lawyer who has worked on many ballot initiatives in the last 25 years and helped draft the language for Amendment 3, the measure that would legalize marijuana.

Such committees have statements of purpose but those are vague and offer no guarantees, Burhans said. There may be an understanding between the chair and the donors that their money will be used for a particular purpose, but nothing requires them to say what it will be used for.

It is up to the chairs discretion, Burhans said.

Bernard said he called the committees treasurer, who assured him that his donations did not go to DeSantis, but there is no guarantee of that since all the donations go into the same account.

As we learn in this business, there are always things that take you by surprise, Bernard said, adding that he would talk to Asnani about the donation when he gets the chance.

Once the money is in the committees account, it is essentially comingled, Burhans said, unless theres a way to earmark a specific donation.

Both the abortion and marijuana amendments are citizen-driven ballot initiatives that require at least 60% voter approval to be placed in the state constitution.

If approved, Amendment 3 would make it legal for adults over 21 to buy and possess up to three ounces of smokable marijuana and 5 grams of cannabis concentrate. Amendment 4 would prevent the government from restricting a womans access to abortion up to the point of viability or in the case of incest or rape.

They are both well-funded and outspending the oppositions efforts by wide margins. Smart and Safe Florida, the committee set up to promote Amendment 3, has raised $71.6 million to date while Floridians Protecting Freedom Inc. has raised $47 million to support Amendment 4s passage.

Keep Florida Clean has raised just over $12 million to fight Amendment 3, with the $12 million coming from Ken Griffin, a hedge fund manager and supporter of DeSantis. Hemp industry officials promised to direct $5 million to efforts to fight Amendment 3 after DeSantis vetoed a bill that would have severely regulated the states hemp industry.

Florida Voters Against Extremism, an anti-abortion committee, has raised $1.8 million to fight Amendment 4 while the Florida Right to Lifes Do No Harm Committee has raised $109,000.

The Floridians for Economic Leadership committee was set up to support candidates and ballot issues at the state, county and city levels, according to its statement of purpose filed with the Division of Elections. Since January 1, 2023 it has raised just over $1 million, most of it from real estate and development interests, investment firms and political committees.

After the DeSantis donation, about $60,000 remained in its account, raising concerns about whose donations contributed to the $1 million that went to the DeSantis committee that is fighting the marijuana and abortion amendments.

Its bothersome, but I cant control what Rick does, said Rep. David Silvers, D-Lake Clarke Shores, a client who doesnt support Asnanis action and hasnt contributed to his committee in nearly a decade.

Silvers, who is running for state senate in 2026, said he supports both Amendments 3 and 4.

Ive got a two-year-old daughter and I am very much concerned about her future and support a womans right to choose, he said.
CHICAGO (AP)  President Joe Biden delivered his valedictory address to the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, as his decision to end his reelection bid released newfound energy within his party with Vice President Kamala Harris elevation to the top of the ticket.

After 52 years rising to the pinnacle of influence within his party, Biden, 81, received a heros welcome for the act of stepping aside for Harris, weeks after many in his party were pressuring him to drop his bid for reelection. One month after an unprecedented mid-campaign switch, the opening night of the convention in Chicago was designed to give a graceful exit to the incumbent president and slingshot Harris toward a faceoff with Republican Donald Trump, whose comeback bid for the White House is viewed by Democrats as an existential threat.

A visibly emotional Biden was greeted by a more than four-minute-long ovation and chants of Thank you Joe.

America, I love you, he replied.

RELATED: Harris introduces Walz as running mate at Philadelphia rally

Speaking clearly and energetically, Biden appeared to relish the chance to defend his record, advocate for his vice president and go on the attack against Trump. His delivery was more reminiscent of the Biden who won in 2020 than the mumbling and sometimes incoherent one-time candidate whose debate performance against Trump in June sparked the downfall of his reelection campaign.

Biden, in his remarks, repeated his 2020 theme that were in a battle for the very soul of America, and pressed the case for why Harris and her running mate Tim Walz were best prepared to wage it.

Because of you, weve had the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period, Biden declared. And then he interjected, I say we, I mean me and Kamala, sharing the credit for his most popular successes with the vice president to whom he handed over his political operation.

Harris made an unannounced appearance onstage as the conventions prime-time program began Monday evening to thank Biden for his leadership, and watched his remarks from the stands.

Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all youll continue to do, she said. We are forever grateful to you.

Bidens speech, billed as the marquee event of the evening, was pushed into late night as the convention program lagged more than an hour behind schedule.

The president recalled the 2017 unite the right rally, when torch-carrying white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, an episode he cites as cementing his decision to run for president in 2020 despite his ongoing grief over the death of his son Beau Biden.

I could not stay on the sidelines, Biden said. So I ran. I had no intention of running again. Id just lost part of my soul. But I ran with a deep conviction.

Biden celebrated the successes from his administration, including a massive boost in infrastructure spending and a cap on the price of insulin. The spending resulted in more money going to Republican-leaning states than Democratic states, he said, because the job of the president is to deliver for all of America.

During one of the crowds many chants of thank you Joe, he added, Thank you Kamala too.

Not even a month ago, Democrats were riven over foreign policy, political strategy and Biden himself, who was holding on after a disastrous debate by claiming he had a better chance than any other Democrat  including Harris  of beating Trump.

On Monday, Biden insisted he did not harbor any ill will to the many voices in the arena before him who had pushed him to the exits, and called on the party to unite around Harris. Accusing Trump of bowing down to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden said, I never have and I promise you Kamala Harris will never do it.

Shell be a president we can all be proud of, he said.

TARGET 12: RI delegates lining up support behind Kamala Harris for president

First lady Jill Biden alluded to her husbands wrenching decision to leave the race in her remarks minutes before Biden took the stage. She said she fell in love with him all over again just weeks ago, when I saw him dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris.

Still, there was little question that the Democratic Party would almost certainly have been in a far worse state if Biden had continued to cling to his campaign, despite growing concerns about his mental and physical acuity after struggling to complete sentences during his debate against Trump.

Democrats took turns praising Bidens leadership and his choice in Harris to succeed him. Ive never know a more compassionate man than Joe Biden, said his longtime confidant Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, who led the crowd in a we love Joe chant.

They tried to connect both Biden and Harris to what the party sees as the governing pairs most popular accomplishments: leading the country out of the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing for massive investments in the countrys infrastructure, working to lower healthcare costs and promoting clean energy.

Thanks to Joe and Kamala, we reduced the price of prescription drugs, repaired roads and bridges and replaced lead pipes, said South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, whose 2020 endorsement was critical to Biden winning that primary. He added that one of Bidens best decisions was selecting Kamala Harris as his vice president and endorsing her to succeed him.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was greeted with prolonged applause, saluted Harris while noting her potential to break the highest, hardest glass ceiling to become Americas first female president. Clinton was the Democratic nominee in 2016, but she lost that election to Trump.

Together, weve put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling, Clinton said, invoking a metaphor she referenced in her concession speech eight years ago. On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the United States. When a barrier falls for one of us, it clears the way for all of us.

Clinton also saluted Biden for stepping aside, saying, Now we are writing a new chapter in Americas story.

Highlighting the partys generational reach, Clinton, 76, followed New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 34, who endorsed Harris while delivering the first mention of the war in Gaza from the convention stage, addressing an issue that has split the partys base ever since Hamas Oct. 7 attack and Israels resulting offensive.

Outside the arena, thousands of protesters descended on Chicago to decry the Biden-Harris administrations support for the Israeli war effort.

Harris is working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bringing the hostages home, Ocasio-Cortez said, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Biden acknowledged the protests outside the convention and inside the arena as he spoke, saying, Those protestors out in the street have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides. He reiterated his push to get Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire deal that would also see the release of hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 in the attack that sparked the 10-month war.

Meanwhile, Democrats also looked to keep the focus on Trump, whose criminal convictions they mocked and who they asserted was only fighting for himself, rather than for the people  the nights official theme.

Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow hoisted an oversized copy of Project 2025  a blueprint for a second Trump term that was put together by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank  onto the lectern and quoted from portions of it.

SEE ALSO: Sen. Whitehouse says Biden faced reality, GOP is underestimating Harris

So we read it, McMorrow said. Whatever you think it might be. It is so much worse.

Trump, the former president, has publicly disavowed any interests in the policies outlined in Project 2025, but he has close ties to its authors and campaign aides had praised its work in the past.

Democrats kept abortion access front and center for voters, betting that the issue will propel them to success as it has in other key races since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. Speakers Monday included three women whose healthcare suffered as a result of that decision. And the convention program included a video of Trump praising his own role in getting Roe struck down.

A month after a major union leader spoke at the Republican convention, Democrats on Monday featured several labor leaders to appeal to a core party constituency. United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain led the crowd in chanting that Trump is a scab as he credited Biden and Harris with standing by striking autoworkers last year.

The convention program also honored the civil rights movement, with an appearance from the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the founder of the Chicago-based Rainbow PUSH Coalition, who is ailing with Parkinsons disease. There were several references to Fannie Lou Hamer, the late civil rights activist who gave a landmark speech at a Democratic convention in 1964.

Hamer was a former sharecropper and a leader of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, a racially integrated group that challenged the seating of an all-white Mississippi delegation at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. Hamer spoke on Aug. 22, 1964  exactly 60 years before Harris is set to accept the Democratic nomination and become the first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent to be the presidential nominee of a major party.

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President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris want to tackle the housing crisis by making it easier to build new construction.

Although housing policy rarely takes center stage during presidential election years, President Joe Biden has released a new plan to potentially increase home construction across the country. As part of his 2022 Housing Supply Action Plan, this new strategy is "cutting the red tape"reducing various local bureaucratic challengesand could remove barriers to building new housing.



The "red tape" plan includes several components, each tackling challenges in financing, construction, environmental effects, preservation, and more, many spanning different federal agencies. For example, the plan includes new guidance from the Department of Transportation on building transit oriented developments that would provide environmental review exemptions and shorten review timelines for new qualifying housing projects; similarly, the administration identified sluggish historic preservation reviews under Section 106 of the Historic Preservation Actwhich requires federal review over any proposed changes that could affect historic propertiesand proposes exemptions and reduced review processes.

But perhaps most exciting, and potentially controversial, of these measures is the expansion of their Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing plan, in which the Department of Housing and Urban Development would make an additional $100 million in grants available for cities to eliminate barriers to new housing construction. As reported this week by Bloomberg CityLab, "the goal is to build long-term capacity for increasing the supply of homes organically by providing carrots to cities to reform their zoning ordinances." This is the second round of this grant, which in June this year awarded its first $85 million to 21 communities. It comes on top of Bidens 2023 $50 billion New Housing Supply Fund, which includes $10 billion in grants to reduce barriers and incentivize cities to build new subsidized housing.

The effort comes at a time when reports show that new multifamily housing projects are in the pipeline, and vacancy rates are up while new construction starts are low. Both Democrats and Republicans have addressed housing woes in their party platforms, but with an election looming, these new policies are in an uncertain position. Vice President Kamala Harris released her housing plan at a North Carolina campaign rally as part of her bid for the 2024 presidential election. Her plan builds on Bidens efforts to increase federal housing interventions; According to the New York Times, she would continue cutting the tape with a $40 billion investment fund, provide an additional $25,000 in down-payment assistance, and remove tax benefits for those investment companies that own large numbers of single-family homes. Per CNN, her plan would also provide tax incentives to developers who build starter homes for first-time buyers and a $40 billion "innovation fund" designed to "spur innovative new construction."

Though former president Donald Trumps stated housing strategies are vague, with only allusions to constructing new housing on public lands, Project 2025a political playbook developed by the Heritage Foundation which many argue would shape Republican policy if Trump winsproposes strategies and ideologies that undercut Democrats plan to incentivize multifamily construction. (Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025, claiming he has "no idea who is behind it," despite the fact that 140 of his past employees are involved.)

Project 2025 names single-family zoning as a core component of its housing plan, and opposes any federal authority in local rezoning: "American homeowners and citizens know best what is in the interest of their neighborhoods and communities. Localities rather than the federal government must have the final say in zoning laws and regulations, and a conservative Administration should oppose any efforts to weaken single-family zoning." But these arent only ideological differences: Project 2025 also recommends that the 2023 New Housing Supply Fund be eliminated entirely.

Related reading:



How Will the Next President Fix the Housing Crisis?

Some Good News? More Rentals Are Now Vacant Nationwide

Top image: Andrew Leyden/NurPhoto via Getty Images
President Biden and his allies are pushing back strongly against the claim from former President Trump that Democrats engaged in a coup when they urged Biden to step aside, resulting in a change in candidates atop the partys ticket.

Trump has for weeks likened the series of events that led to Bidens exit from the 2024 race and Vice President Harris becoming the Democratic nominee to a coup and suggested it may somehow be unconstitutional. The claims have been a topic of questions for those in Chicago this week for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

His stability is still in question, Biden said Monday when a reporter raised Trumps coup comments.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a top Biden ally, was asked during a Fox News appearance Monday about a New York Times column by Maureen Dowd titled The Dems Are Delighted. But a Coup Is Still a Coup.

The senator called the premise of the column literally ridiculous.

This was the presidents decision. He and he alone had to make that decision one way or the other  The president looked at the polls, he listened to friends and colleagues and he made the decision to step aside, Coons said.

Two weeks before President Biden gave his inaugural speech, an angry mob stormed the Capitol  I was there  in an attempt at stopping the peaceful transition of power. That was the one attempted coup that happened in my lifetime was January 6.

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), an outspoken Trump critic who will speak at the Democratic convention, was also asked during a CNN appearance Tuesday about Trumps coup claims. The former congressman argued there was no comparison between Democrats replacing Biden with Harris and the efforts to undermine the 2020 election results.

The only person in that equation that ever attempted a coup was Donald Trump. A coup by definition is trying to overthrow the outcome of a government, put a different outcome in place, thats what he did, Kinzinger said.

But what happened is every one of these voters that voted for Joe Biden in the primary also voted for Kamala Harris, he added. So the idea that theres some coup underway, it goes to show  just a real desperation by Donald Trump and how hes trying to get his footing. He cant find his footing and hes flailing for anything he can think of.

Trump has for weeks fumed over the change atop the Democratic ticket, which has upended the presidential campaign. Trump led Biden across national and battleground state polls and appeared on track to win in November. But Harriss entry into the race has rejuvenated Democrats, and polls have shown her erasing Trumps lead.

The former president has frequently suggested that Democrats switch of candidate was akin to a coup.

Trump during a Monday event in Pennsylvania accused the party of an overthrow or a coup on Joe Biden. During a press conference last week in New Jersey, Trump called Democrats a threat to democracy.

It was a coup by people that wanted him out and they didnt do the way, not the way theyre supposed to do it, Trump said.

Trump has at other times claimed Harriss candidacy may be unconstitutional because she was not atop the ballot in the primary process.

Trumps rhetoric will be closely watched in light of what happened after he lost the 2020 election. Trump spent much of 2020 sowing doubt about the reliability of mail-in and absentee ballots, and he spent the weeks after Election Day claiming the result was fraudulent or rigged. He pursued numerous legal challenges, including up to the Supreme Court, but they were rejected for lack of evidence.

Trumps claims culminated in the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the Capitol, where protesters violently clashed with law enforcement and stormed the building in an attempt to stop the certification of Bidens victory. Trump has been criminally charged for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election.

The former president has said during the 2024 cycle that he will accept the results if he deems the election to be honest.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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(Bloomberg) -- Democrats only a month ago were so fearful they would suffer big defeats in Congress that they pressured a sitting president off their partys ticket. Now, they are optimistic they can snare a majority in the House by flipping key seats in New York and California.

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The more upbeat view is inescapable at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where it is manifesting as chants of fired up and ready to go! at breakfasts and gushing remarks from party leaders. Democrats are relishing their current position after spending much of the spring and summer dealing with a party divided by the war in Gaza and whether President Joe Biden should drop out.

That confidence is translating into big spending plans, as the House Democrats campaign arm said Monday it aims to pour $27 million into an advertising blitz, with nearly half of that going to New York and California races. Democrats see opportunities to flip GOP seats in other states, as well, including in Arizona and Pennsylvania districts.

Were only four seats short, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Monday, referring to the number of House seats he needs to gain on net to win a majority. Were inside the red zone, way inside the five-yard line. We can see the end zone, and together we will get there.

Jeffries, who is from Brooklyn, says he believes Democrats can win five races  two on Long Island, one in the Northern New York City suburbs, one in the Hudson Valley and one in Syracuse  that would solidify the majority.

Public polling for House races is notoriously inconsistent and infrequent, meaning its not clear that Democrats standing has improved with Vice President Kamala Harris atop the ticket as much as party leaders newfound enthusiasm would suggest. And some seats currently held by Democrats in Washington, Maine, New Mexico and Colorado are at risk of flipping to the GOP.

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Vibe Shift

Still, its a notable change in tenor. For weeks after Bidens disastrous June debate performance, Democrats grumbled privately, and increasingly in public, that Biden would be a drag on the ticket, ceding the House, Senate and White House to Donald Trump and his Republican allies.

This is one happy, unified convention. Its amazing. Everywhere you go, people have a smile on their face because we know that we have the right ticket, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday at a breakfast for New York Democrats at the DNC, adding that hes proud of Biden for doing the the right thing.

Biden earlier this month credited concerns about his impact on down-ballot races as a motivator for him to end his campaign.

What happened was, a number of my Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate thought that I was going hurt them in the races, Biden said in the interview with CBS.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi  one of the key figures who helped Biden comes to terms with dropping out of the race  said Monday shes confident she can cut the number of California Republicans from 12 to single digits.

No wasted time, no underutilized resources, and no regrets the day after the election that we could have done more, Pelosi said at an event for California Democrats on the sidelines of the DNC on Monday.

Harris Tailwinds

Another prominent Democrat, Representative Steny Hoyer, said at the convention Monday that members of his party see Harris ascension to the top of the ticket as a real help.

Members in tough districts, in battleground districts  They are really enthusiastic, and they think its going to help, Hoyer said.

Republicans have also begun to sound the alarm that they could easily be overrun by Democrats in November. Representative Richard Hudson, who chairs the House Republican campaign arm, has warned his party that Democrats, buoyed by enthusiasm for Harris, are raising hundreds of millions of dollars that threaten GOP reelection bids.

House Speaker Mike Johnson in a fundraising email echoed those worries. Were not panicking  but were excruciatingly aware of what could go wrong if we dont ACT NOW, he said in the appeal to donors.

Republican House campaigns have a slight campaign cash edge over Democrats, collectively raising $704 million to the Democrats $698 million. But the GOP lags behind in money raised by the partys campaign arms, which can be critical for targeting close races. Democrats have raised $211 million through the end of June, compared to $162 million for its GOP counterpart.

Other hints of enthusiasm, too, are giving Democrats fresh confidence. Samantha Crunkilton, a political consultant in Las Vegas, said shes seen an influx of volunteers from out-of-state Californians looking to help win races in Nevada.

Everyone wants the yard sign, which was something we missed in 2016, said Crunkilton, a DNC delegate. People say yard signs dont vote. I think they show the temperature of an area and what were expecting to see.

--With assistance from Amanda Albright, Miranda Davis, Bill Allison and Stephanie Lai.

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Democrats Take On Trump With Devastating 'Law & Order' Parody During DNC

The Democrats told the story of Donald Trumps criminal conduct with a searing parody of Law & Order during night one of the Democratic National Convention.

On Monday night in Chicago, the party laid out the former presidents extensive rap sheet in a two-minute video that echoed the long-running NBC cop shows signature style.

The sharply produced piece featured a booming baritone voiceover that listed off Trumps especially heinous history of criminal behavior, including financial fraud and sexual abuse, as well as his infamous hush money trial and efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

The video then depicted Vice President Kamala Harris as a heroic prosecutor and encouraged the American people to send Trump a scathing verdict with their votes this fall.

We are the jury he most fears, the voiceover said. When we vote this November, we vote for justice, accountability and the rule of law that keeps America free.

Night one of the Democratic National Convention featured a scathing "Law & Order"-inspired takedown of Donald Trump. Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images

As the video wrapped with a clip of Harris, the audience went wild with applause.

The Law & Order homage was just one of the highlights of the DNCs very busy opening evening.

The first night of the convention featured remarks from former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and three womens harrowing stories of how abortion bans hurt them, before ending with an impassioned speech from President Joe Biden.

Watch the full Law & Order parody here:

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CHICAGO  A Cook County judge on Tuesday released two people from custody after they were arrested in connection with the breach of a security fence Monday afternoon near the Democratic National Convention site.

During the hearing at a North Side police area headquarters, Judge Mary Marubio ordered them to stay away from the United Center area for the rest of the convention.

A 31-year-old Chicago man was charged with a felony count of aggravated battery to a police officer. An officer was trying to re-secure the breached fence when the man threw liquid at the officer, hitting him, prosecutors alleged, then threw a crumpled plastic bottle in the officers direction that hit a fence.

A 35-year-old Chicago woman was also charged with a misdemeanor for resisting arrest in connection with the breach and released from custody.

The two were among a number of protesters arrested on Monday at a pro-Palestinian march that started in Union Park, but not all were brought before a judge.

Public defenders representing the protesters objected to Marubios order that they stay away from the DNC perimeter, arguing that they have a First Amendment right to protest there.

Imposing that restriction would prevent him from protesting specifically the DNC, said Assistant Public Defender Erin Monroe.

Marubio, though, in granting the order at the states request, said barring defendants from the place of arrest is a common pretrial condition, and that the ban doesnt limit them from their ability to protest or speak.

Police and city officials were expected to appear at a morning briefing Tuesday to give a security update.

The first major protest of the DNC week Monday featured energetic speeches and chanting, but the group of several thousand pro-Palestinian demonstrators remained mostly peaceful.

A group of protesters broke the fencing after their march was over, and several were arrested. The exact number had not been released Tuesday morning.

Speakers were expected in Park 578 in the United Center area Tuesday. Other events were planned as well.

Among the first Tuesday was a nurse and healthcare researcher who delivered a speech to an empty park on a city-sponsored speakers platform. She advocated for equitable healthcare for communities of color.

The scene was a stark contrast to the previous days protests and heavy police presence. Only a handful of reporters were present to listen as her voice echoed through the area near the United Center, amplified by two tall industrial speakers.

Our nation is at an inflection point, said Athena Lerch. The decisions we make now will determine whether we continue to be a land of more freedom, more rights and more opportunities for all. This is especially true in healthcare.

In effort to support free expression, the city has built a stage equipped with microphones and amplifiers at Park No. 578 near the United Center, which will be open for 45-minute speaking slots during all four days of the DNC. All speakers are required to get pre-approved to speak, with the application deadline already having passed on August 10th.

About eight uniformed security officers surrounded the stage as Lerch spoke. A yellow concrete barrier separated the area further from the rest of the park.

Lerch, who is currently working on a manuscript about racial disparities in healthcare, said she had hoped that the speakers platform would act as a chance to communicate her work to policymakers.

She said she appreciated having the platform, but was disappointed about the absence of an audience.

My project is focused on the South and West side communities of Chicago, and I thought this was the best place to get this message out, because here we are on the West Side, Lerch said. Theres not a big audience here right now, but I was hoping to inspire people to tell them, hey, your voice matters.

On the CTA Green Line train heading toward the United Center Tuesday, neighbors Dona White and Kathy Endo from Evanston said they planned to attend a meditation for peace at St. Andrews Episcopal Church.

The church on Hoyne Avenue, which is located just a few blocks west of the convention center, will be holding prayer sessions every day of the DNC from noon to 4 p.m. they said. White added that others who could not make it to Chicago for the convention would be joining the prayers from afar.

White, who is 82, said that she hopes the protestors advocating for an end to the war in Gaza get their voices heard. Yet she added that the first night of convention speeches had emphasized how Kamala Harris also supports justice for the people of Gaza.

I am just horrified by people having to live in fear of death every day, White said. Its like the Vietnam war every day, pollution of ammunition and death of people. War never solved anything.

White and Endo both lived in Chicago during the violence of the 1968 DNC, and said that they hoped that things would not escalate similarly this time around.

A coalition of organizations kicked off the weeks protests at noon Monday, chanting against the Biden administrations support for Israeli military action in Gaza. It had been billed as the largest planned protest of the week, but drew significantly fewer marchers than the 20,000 organizers had hoped for.

After the fencing was taken down, officers moved in and formed several lines of defense, while some protesters could be seen throwing their wooden signs at the police. Other officers in riot gear came in from behind the protesters and corralled them back into nearby Park 578, using batons, to keep the situation from escalating.

The police put the broken pieces of the fence back into place, then lined up facing the wall of people.

By Tuesday, a third layer of security fencing and concrete barriers had been installed on Washington Boulevard near Park 578. Officials had erected tall fencing on the north and south edges of Washington ahead of the DNC; the third fence was installed in the middle of the street.

At no point was the inner perimeter breached, and there was no threat to any protectees, police said in a statement Monday evening.

Later Monday, a group of about 200 protesters attempted to set up tents in Union Park, but dismantled them after a confrontation with police.

Police used their expected tactics during the march, guiding demonstrators along the planned path. Dozens of Chicago police officers on foot  including Superintendent Larry Snelling  fanned out ahead of the marchers at the start of the roughly 1-mile route, which took the crowd to within a few blocks of the United Center before turning back east on Lake Street.

Police used helicopters to watch from overhead as demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans like Palestine will be free! From the river to the sea!  a chant seen by many as calling for the elimination of the Jewish state.

Tuesdays largest planned protest event appears to be a march by the group Behind Enemy Lines. That demonstration also aims to confront the Biden administrations support of Israel in its war against Hamas.

Unlike Mondays protest, the Tuesday march will be in the evening and presumably run after dark. It is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. in front of the Israeli consulate on Madison Street.

____
CHICAGO  Two people among those arrested after the breach of a security fence near the Democratic National Convention site appeared in court Tuesday, while police brass praised their response to the situation and continued to address other threats.

During the hearing at a North Side police area headquarters, Judge Mary Marubio ordered the pair released and ordered them to stay away from the United Center area for the rest of the convention.

A 31-year-old Chicago man was charged with a felony count of aggravated battery to a police officer. An officer was trying to resecure the breached fence when the man threw liquid at the officer, hitting him, prosecutors alleged.

A 35-year-old Chicago woman was also charged with a misdemeanor for resisting arrest in connection with the breach and released from custody.

The two were among 13 protesters arrested Monday at a pro-Palestinian march that started in Union Park near the DNC site. Public defenders representing the protesters objected to Marubios order that they stay away from the DNC perimeter, arguing that they have a First Amendment right to protest there.

Imposing that restriction would prevent him from protesting specifically the DNC, said Assistant Public Defender Erin Monroe.

Marubio, though, in granting the order at the states request, said barring defendants from the place of arrest is a common pretrial condition, and that the ban doesnt limit them from their ability to protest or speak.

Police on Tuesday continued to respond to pop-up protests and other matters, including a bomb threat against hotels emailed to media organizations anonymously. The email referenced the war in Gaza and threatened downtown hotels, including the St. Regis on East Wacker Drive.

Sources said an extra police sweep found nothing and the threat was declared not bona fide.

The CodePink organization reported it had interrupted a DNC-related brunch featuring Illinois politicians at Wrigley Field on Tuesday morning, and provided a video of a member displaying a banner and decrying the treatment of Palestinians. Later the group said it had also disrupted an appearance by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democrats presumptive nominee for vice president.

The first major protest of the DNC week Monday featured energetic speeches and chanting, but the group of several thousand pro-Palestinian demonstrators remained mostly peaceful.

At a police briefing Tuesday, Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling heaped praise on the department for its response to the brief breach of the security perimeter.

I couldnt be more proud of how the Chicago Police Department responded under those circumstances, Snelling said during the morning news conference at OEMC offices a few blocks east of the United Center. We put on display the training and preparation that weve been engaged in for over a year now.

The superintendent told reporters that some in the crowd of about 3,500 deployed pepper spray against officers. He also pushed back on a claim from the National Lawyers Guild that some of those arrested Monday were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sometimes being in the wrong place at the wrong time is indicative of the choices that you make to engage in criminal activity, Snelling said.

The National Lawyers Guild said in a news release that two of those arrested required hospitalization. Snelling said those two required prescription medication, not treatment for any injuries.

Snelling  who sought to differentiate the permitted protest group from those who breached the fencing  said that all arrests were documented with body-worn camera footage and the department would make that footage public, though he did not offer a time frame.

Mondays march stepped off from Union Park and went east to Park 578, just north of the United Center. After a brief rally there, the group splintered into two.

Some of those who remained at the park removed portions of a fence blockade and were briefly able to access the United Centers security perimeter. Water bottles and signs were thrown at two CPD officers.

Speakers appeared in Park 578 in the United Center area Tuesday. Among the first was a nurse and health care researcher who delivered a speech to an empty park on a city-sponsored speakers platform. She advocated for equitable health care for communities of color.

The scene was a stark contrast to the previous days protests and heavy police presence. Only a handful of reporters were present to listen as her voice echoed through the area near the United Center, amplified by two tall industrial speakers.

Our nation is at an inflection point, said Athena Lerch. The decisions we make now will determine whether we continue to be a land of more freedom, more rights and more opportunities for all. This is especially true in health care.

In effort to support free expression, the city has built a stage equipped with microphones and amplifiers at Park No. 578, which will be open for 45-minute speaking slots during all four days of the DNC. All speakers are required to get preapproved to speak, with the application deadline already having passed on Aug. 10.

About eight uniformed security officers surrounded the stage as Lerch spoke. A yellow concrete barrier separated the area further from the rest of the park.

Lerch, who is currently working on a manuscript about racial disparities in health care, said she had hoped that the speakers platform would act as a chance to communicate her work to policymakers.

She was disappointed about the absence of an audience.

My project is focused on the South and West side communities of Chicago, and I thought this was the best place to get this message out, because here we are on the West Side, Lerch said. Theres not a big audience here right now, but I was hoping to inspire people to tell them, hey, your voice matters.

Other speakers addressed topics ranging from saving whales to poverty.

A speaker who identified themselves as Mist, a community organizer from the South Side, recited a poem with rhymes that highlighted the struggles of underserved communities. They also spoke out against police brutality and challenged societal values.

The park was still mostly empty, aside from a handful of reporters and police officers.

Among the odder interactions occurred when My Pillow CEO and conservative political activist Michael James Lindell showed up at Park 578 just after 2:30 p.m. and began speaking to a small crowd about alleged election fraud by Democrats, arguing for a switch to paper ballots.

He was initially accompanied by former New York City mayor and now-disbarred Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Lindell then got into a screaming argument for over ten minutes with Anthony Arrington, a man visiting from Iowa who stopped to confront him while riding by on a Divvy bike.

In addition to arguing that electronic voting leads to fraud, Lindell referred to the entry of illegals into the U.S. and told Arrington that many former Democratic voters have now begun supporting Trump.

Its lies, hes lying, Arrington said afterwards. Any businessman, any CEO of a company who tells you they dont use technology, its an excuse.

A suit-clad member of Lindells entourage eventually told him that it was time to go, and the group drove off. Before he left, Lindell said he would be returning to the park tomorrow incognito without his signature mustache to continue spreading his message.

On the CTA Green Line train heading toward the United Center Tuesday, neighbors Dona White and Kathy Endo from Evanston said they planned to attend a meditation for peace at St. Andrews Episcopal Church.

The church on Hoyne Avenue, which is just a few blocks west of the convention center, will be holding prayer sessions every day of the DNC from noon to 4 p.m., they said. White added that others who could not make it to Chicago for the convention would be joining the prayers from afar.

White, 82, said that she hopes the protesters advocating for an end to the war in Gaza get their voices heard. Yet she added that the first night of convention speeches had emphasized how Kamala Harris also supports justice for the people of Gaza.

I am just horrified by people having to live in fear of death every day, White said. Its like the Vietnam War every day, pollution of ammunition and death of people. War never solved anything.

White and Endo both lived in Chicago during the violence of the 1968 DNC, and said that they hoped that things would not escalate similarly this time around.

A coalition of organizations kicked off the major protest Monday, chanting against the Biden administrations support for Israeli military action in Gaza. It had been billed as the largest planned protest of the week, but drew significantly fewer marchers than the 20,000 organizers had hoped for.

After the fencing was taken down, officers moved in and formed several lines of defense, while some protesters could be seen throwing their wooden signs at the police.

By Tuesday, a third layer of security fencing and concrete barriers had been installed on Washington Boulevard near Park 578. Officials had erected tall fencing on the north and south edges of Washington ahead of the DNC; the third fence was installed in the middle of the street.

At no point was the inner perimeter breached, and there was no threat to any protectees, police said in a statement Monday evening.

Later Monday, a group of about 200 protesters attempted to set up tents in Union Park, but dismantled them after a confrontation with police.

Tuesdays largest planned protest event appeared to be a march by the group Behind Enemy Lines. That demonstration also aims to confront the Biden administrations support of Israel in its war against Hamas.

It was scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. in front of the Israeli consulate on Madison Street.

_____

(Chicago Tribunes Karina Atkins and Megan Crepeau contributed.)

_____
By Fabian Cambero

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Mining giant BHP's quick fix to a recent six-day strike at its huge Escondida copper mine in Chile could set the tone for upcoming negotiations elsewhere, with workers emboldened by high copper prices to push for a larger share of the profits.

Members of Escondida's powerful Union No. 1 signed a sweetened deal on Sunday after walking off the job a week ago when contract talks collapsed, demanding better pay and benefits at the world's biggest copper mine.

With a preliminary deal in hand already on Friday, a union lawyer had termed the agreement its "greatest recent victory." It gave each worker a bonus and interest-free loan of about $34,000, compared with BHP's original offer of some $28,900.

The quick turnaround contrasts with a 2017 walkout that dragged on for a month and a half, severely hitting BHP's production, boosting global copper prices and even denting Chile's GDP, heavily reliant on the red metal.

That was a scenario BHP wanted to avoid, particularly given strong current demand and global copper prices, analysts and other experts said. Demand for the metal is expected to shoot up, driven by the rise of electric vehicles and artificial intelligence technologies.

"The specter of the 44-day strike in 2017 created constant fear throughout the negotiations," said Andres Gonzalez, an analyst at mining consultancy Plusmining. "BHP wanted to avoid something similar, which pushed them to seek an agreement."

The two sides were also not so far apart when the strike started, he noted, making a middle ground easier to achieve.

The union's position also appeared to be buoyed by the public perception of BHP having capital to spare. The miner is among the world's biggest, turning out more than a million metric tons of copper a year at Escondida alone. It recently sought to acquire Anglo American in a $49 billion deal before scrapping the offer.

"Its current image is that of a company that has capital available to acquire assets or even invest in mergers ... so the union was going to insist on achieving its goals," said Cristian Cifuentes, an analyst at Chilean think tank Cesco.

Despite occasional strikes, Chile's mining industry largely manages to renew workers' collective contracts without conflict and even in advance, avoiding the risk of disrupting production.

Escondida is unique due to its large size and powerful union, which represents 2,400 people, almost all in key operational roles. The union has frequently clashed with BHP.

Story continues

'PROFITS HAVE TO BE PAID TO WORKERS'

Analysts are now watching whether Escondida will set a precedent, but say other mines in Chile are not necessarily in similar situations, such as those that are smaller or grappling with problems in production and costs.

State-run copper giant Codelco, fighting to revive production from a 25-year low, is due for pay negotiations at its Ministro Hales mine in September, followed by the El Teniente and Gabriela Mistral mines in October.

At each site, the unions represent a substantial part of the overall workforce. Of particular note is El Teniente, one of Codelco's biggest mines, a complex that represented more than a quarter of company copper production last year.

El Teniente workers are represented by five separate unions, but those combined represent more than 80% of total workers, or 3,200 people.

"What is worrying is how the unions at El Teniente will react," Cifuentes said.

Workers from one of three unions at Lundin Mining's Caserones copper mine in Chile also went on strike one day before the Escondida strike and remain so.

"The price of copper has been quite favorable in recent months... Those profits have to be paid to the workers," said Marco Garcia, president of the striking Caserones union, though he admitted the Escondida union had more "productive pressure."

"We know that the next three years will be quite profitable for Caserones in the production of copper," he added. "That's what leads us to our position and to be able to demand higher wages for the members of our union."

The Caserones management is due to negotiate with other unions at the site later this year.

The head of Chilean mining association SONAMI, Jorge Riesco, cautioned that it is necessary to strike a balance between worker pay and industry competitiveness.

"It is legitimate for workers to aspire to better working conditions, but it is important that they also consider other aspects," he said. "Issues of labor productivity and industry competitiveness should also be on the table."

(Reporting by Fabian Andres Cambero in Santiago, Writing by Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Matthew Lewis)
CHICAGO  Chanting and holding signs decrying the Biden administrations support for Israeli military action in Gaza, thousands of pro-Palestine and other demonstrators rallied and marched past the Democratic National Convention headquarters on Monday in what had been billed as the largest of many planned demonstrations during the four-day event.

The day was marred by only one fairly minor skirmish. As protest leaders kept marching later in the afternoon, several protesters broke down the first barrier of the security perimeter along Washington Boulevard just north of the United Center. They faced the police officers in a line, shouting, Quit your job! Quit your job!

Officers moved in and formed several lines of defense where the fence was down, while some protesters could be seen throwing their wooden signs at the police. Other officers in riot gear came in from behind the protesters and corralled them back into the park using batons, to keep the situation from escalating.

The police put the broken pieces of the fence back into place, then lined up facing the wall of people. Several demonstrators appeared to be detained but authorities did not immediately provide arrest information.

At no point was the inner perimeter breached, and there was no threat to any protectees, police said in a statement Monday evening.

The march came as the first day of the Democratic National Convention finally arrived, with Chicago officials promising once again they are prepared for large protests and would allow everyone to exercise their First Amendment rights, as long as its done peacefully.

The crowd, numbering perhaps a few thousand, started marching west on Washington Boulevard toward the United Center shortly before 3 p.m., after more than two hours of speeches in Union Park.

Dozens of Chicago police officers on foot  including Superintendent Larry Snelling  fanned out ahead of the marchers at the start of the roughly one-mile route, which took the crowd to within a few blocks of the United Center before turning back east on Lake Street.

As the march kicked off, the drone of police helicopters whined overhead and drummers kept a steady beat while demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans like Palestine will be free! From the river to the sea!  a chant seen by many as calling for the elimination of the Jewish state.

Officers on bicycles flanked marchers on either side as they progressed slowly down Washington Boulevard, filling about three city blocks, with Aldermen Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, 33rd, and Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, walking near the front of the crowd.

By 4 p.m., the crowd had reached Park 578, a smaller park within view of the United Center two blocks to the south. Whose city? Our city! they chanted, as many took photos of the arena through the high, metal security fence erected on the north side of Washington.

At one point, protesters shook the fence while a line of police watched from the other side. One demonstrator tried to climb the fence then almost immediately dropped down. Others climbed the playground equipment at the park, hoisting Palestinian flags from the tallest jungle gyms.

Meanwhile, marchers near the end of the procession spent the final block chanting about other social justice issues, including Black Lives Matter and prison reform. CPD, KKK, IDF ... theyre all the same, protesters shouted.

Billed as the March on the DNC 2024, organizers said more than 250 separate groups were part of the demonstration. Rally programming in Union Park kicked off around 12:30 p.m. before a crowd of about 2,000 people, including scores of credentialed journalists.

In addition to signs, some demonstrators sported larger-than-life effigies  including blood-stained hands and Dracula fangs  of President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Kamala Harris, the vice president who is scheduled to accept the Democratic Partys nomination on Thursday.

Protesters around the country have heavily criticized the Biden administrations response to the Israel-Hamas conflict and Democratic politicians support of Israel. With the most powerful Democrats gathering at the United Center, Chicago has become a focus point.

One of the first speakers to address the crowd Monday was Kobi Guillory, a teacher in Chicago and activist with the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

Its amazing to see so many people from so many different communities out here, all saying, Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israels crimes, Guillory said.

Others had differing views on the current administration. Lynn Kardaszk, 57, stood nearby at the intersection of Madison and Paulina streets with a handmade sign that read Thank you Joe, hoping to catch a glimpse of Bidens presidential motorcade. She said she wanted to thank him for giving Democrats a chance to win.

The protest was audible from where Kardaszk stood. She said she agreed with the demonstrators cause but said that is not what today is about.

I dont think they understand exactly whats going to happen to the country if Trump wins, she said.

Shameka Rhodes, a five-year resident of the neighborhood just north of the United Center, leaned against the fence outside her home to watch as the throng moved west on Maypole.

Theyre for the people, they want to stop police crimes and all the other crimes, said Rhodes, who added that one of her sons was killed in a shooting in Chicago last year.

Its good, I respect them for doing it, Rhodes said of the marchers. No violence, no nothing, theyre good.

Nesreen Hasan of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network was among the speakers, calling Chicago a union town rich with history of political activism, and called out the politicians who are sanctioning the mass murder of Palestinians ... having a celebration in our city.

The politicians at this convention are telling you that Palestine should not be an issue, Hasan said. Palestine is your issue!

While loud and enthusiastic, it became clear as the afternoon wore on that attendance was far below organizers hopes for up to 20,000 demonstrators, with piles of unused signs stacked in the park and plenty of empty space among the softball fields.

Irene Ippolito, a New Yorker who flew in Sunday for the march, held up a large sign asking, What if they were your kids?

Children are being bombed, Ippolito shouted, trying to get her voice across amid a booming sound system playing traditional Palestinian music near the main protest stage. The fact that people and politicians find it difficult to condemn the killing of children and babies tells us the level of dehumanization of Palestinians.

Some attendees, meanwhile, were pushing an alternative to both the Democratic and Republican tickets. Sam White, a volunteer with the organization Workers Strike Back, was standing near the corner of Ashland and Lake against a fence with a yellow poster reading No Harris, No Trump.

People need to understand how important it is to cast an anti-war vote, said White, who is a supporter of Green Party candidate Jill Stein supporter from Boston. Every vote for (Stein) puts pressure on both parties.

White said some voters are being misled by Harris, who appears to be supporting a ceasefire but is only saying empty words because of pressure from voters.

The reality is that the uncommitted votes (during the primaries) showed that its not enough for people. (Harris) cant count on Muslim/Arab American votes.

Diane Schrack of St. Paul, Minnesota, stood at the corner of Ashland and Washington holding a sign proclaiming Democrats want polite genocide. She said both parties support Israel with money and weapons, making it difficult for to support a candidate from either party.

And she believes the Biden administrations policies could cost Harris enough votes to give Trump the victory.

There is much difference between Republicans and Democrats when it comes to the treatment of people in Gaza, she said. Democrats are just a little quieter, a little more polite about it.

Earlier Monday, Snelling told reporters at a news conference his officers were prepared. They passed an important early test over the weekend with a smaller march along the Magnificent Mile, Snelling said.

Yesterday we had a protest and our officers responded exactly the way that we trained them, Snelling said. There was mutual respect there and because of that we didnt have any incidents. ... (The demonstrators) were able to have their voices heard and we protected them while they were doing it.

Snelling said he hoped to see more of the same as the demonstrations go on during the week. He reiterated his previous comments that the police were there to protect not only the First Amendment rights of demonstrators, but also the safety of the convention attendees and the general public.

The entire CPD is scheduled to work during the four-day convention, and officers can expect the departments deployment plans to return to normal on Friday, Snelling said.

The march from Union Park only materialized after the coalition of organizers sued the city in federal court, alleging the city was violating their First Amendment rights by denying permits to demonstrate within sight and sound of the convention hall.

The lawsuit resulted in the new route that took demonstrators within a few blocks of the United Center, although organizers have continued to complain about the length of the route and that it diverted onto narrower side streets.

At Union Park Monday morning, Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesman for the March on the DNC group, praised Mayor Brandon Johnson for publicly calling the war in Gaza genocidal, and for supporting a cease-fire resolution in Chicagos City Council.

He has been in the front of this issue from day one, Abudayyeh said.

About 15 minutes before the scheduled rally, some 30 people gathered northeast of the park and retrieved large Israeli flags from a nearby SUV. The group, some of whom wore shirts saying Generation Zion, marched together around the perimeter of the park and came to a stop on a parkway to the south.

The group  of which one member was wearing MAGA-favored Lets Go, Brandon hat  said they were a predominantly Christian organization that came to Union Park to protest the rise of anti-Jewish incidents across the country. The Anti-Defamation League says acts of antisemitism hit a record high last year as a result of the war.

Were here to fight against antisemitism and to show our support for our Jewish brothers and sisters, said group spokeswoman Margaret Fernandez.

Tuguldur Davaadorj, a second-year international student at the University of Illinois Chicago who moved to the U.S. from Mongolia, said he was experiencing a bit of a culture shock, watching the crowd swell as the demonstration got underway.

Its a whole different world back home, he said. Our government (in Mongolia) says we have aright to freedom of speech, but whenever you speak your point of view, they will lock you up. Here it is so structured and people are really brave to say what they feel ... I really love it.

The city saw wide-scale protests in 2020 after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police, gatherings that began peacefully but eventually spun out into widespread looting and rioting across the city. Unrest flared again downtown in August of that year, leaving two people shot and multiple police officers injured.

Police and city officials were widely criticized for their response to the chaos; while addressing DNC preparations this year, Snelling  who took charge of the department last year  has said CPD was unprepared to handle the looting and violence of 2020.

While that mayhem is fresh in Chicagoans memories, the circumstances of the DNC are significantly different. Far from the spontaneous gatherings of 2020, the largest expected demonstrations around the United Center have been pre-planned, scheduled and permitted to the hilt.

The security perimeters were unveiled weeks ago and the legal challenges over marching routes have been ironed out. Meanwhile, scores of CPD officers have undergone hours upon hours of enhanced training, focused largely on crowd control and demonstrators civil rights.

_____

(Chicago Tribunes Caroline Kubzansky, Nell Salzman and Jason Meisner contributed to this story.)

_____

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Dems hope to keep the enthusiasm going as Day 2 of DNC brings in some heavy hitters

Democrats are focusing on maintaining high energy levels from the first night of their convention as they gear up for the final 70-day sprint to Election Day.

Channel 2s Richard Elliot in in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention and spoke with some top Democrats about their strategies for the next two months.

Leaders emphasized the importance of sustaining the enthusiasm to ensure a successful run to the finish.

Elliot visited several state delegation breakfasts Tuesday morning, including the Michigan delegation, a key battleground state.

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, who was seen stepping out of the Tennessee delegations breakfast, highlighted the electrifying atmosphere.

Such an exciting time. The energy is incredible. The spirit is lifting, and its not a spirit of Democrats versus Republicans. Its really a spirit about America, Booker said.

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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker also addressed the Georgia delegations breakfast, expressing optimism about the upcoming election.

Trust me when I tell you, come November, we will get to say the two words that weve been waiting 248 years to say: Madam President, Pritzker said.

Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz echoed Pritzkers sentiment, making her rounds and emphasizing the historic opportunity ahead.

We have an opportunity to make history once again when we elect in a 77-day sprint, finally, the first woman president of the United States, Wasserman Schultz said.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made multiple stops to keep delegate morale high and focus on the energy leading up to the election.

Can you talk about the energy in this room and around the convention? Yeah. Its exciting. I think of this as a week of happy warriors showing theres a seat at the table for every American who wants one, Whitmer said.

The overarching theme emerging from the convention is Democrats portraying themselves as positive and inclusive happy warriors in contrast to the Republicans and Donald Trump.

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Denver is one of the most expensive cities to raise kids in: Study

DENVER (KDVR)  Denver is the No. 9 least affordable city to raise children in, with costs to raise just one child being more than half a million dollars over 18 years, according to a new study.

The outlet CreditNews looked at several sources, including the Living Wage Institute and the Bureau of Labor and Statistics to determine which cities in the U.S. were the most and least affordable for parents.

The Mile High City ended up in the latter group, alongside cities like San Francisco and New York City.

The least affordable cities to raise kids in

Five of the ten least affordable cities were located in California, according to the study. No other state had more than one entry on the list.

The five least affordable cities to raise kids in:

San Francisco metro area  $37,340 annual cost San Jose, California metro area  $37,305 annual cost Boston metro area  $35,236 annual cost Bridgeport, Connecticut metro area  $33,267 annual cost San Diego metro area  $32,763 annual cost

In the Denver metro area, the ninth-most expensive city on the list, the estimated annual cost to raise a child was $31,122, or just over $560,000 for 18 years.

The study cited data from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology living wage calculator for its income threshold. Specifically, it looked at the living wage requirement for households with two working adults.

The living wage calculator estimates that a family with two working parents and one child would have to earn $110,265 before taxes. That income requirement becomes $140,241 for a household with two children and $166,910 for three children.

How long do couples have to be together to be considered married in Colorado?

The Denver median annual income is $104,320 for two-person households, $117,360 for three-person households and $130,400 for four-person households.

On the other hand, the minimum wage in Denver is $18.29, which comes out to around $38,000 a year for one person. This is the highest minimum wage in the metro area, with other cities following the statewide minimum wage of $14.42 per hour, which comes out at just over $29,000 annually.

The full breakdown of the list, including the most affordable cities to raise a child in, 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 FOX31 Denver.
Department of Homeland Security may have lost track of thousands of unaccompanied migrant children

Department of Homeland Security may have lost track of thousands of unaccompanied migrant children

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may have lost track of thousands of children who immigrated to the country as unaccompanied minors, imperiling both the childrens safety and the effectiveness of the immigration process, an internal watchdog report found.

Between 2019 and 2023, more than 32,000 unaccompanied minors failed to show up for their immigration court hearings, and ICE was not able to account for all of their locations, according to a report from the ICE inspector generals office.

During that period, more than 448,000 unaccompanied children overall immigrated to the US and were transferred from ICE custody to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the agency responsible for placing them with a sponsor or in foster care.

Once they were handed off to HHS for settlement, ICE couldnt determine all of these childrens locations, and more than 291,000 of the kids were not placed into removal proceedings because ICE had never served them notices to appear or scheduled a court date for them.

"Without an ability to monitor the location and status of [unaccompanied migrant children], ICE has no assurance [they] are safe from trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor," Inspector General Joseph Cuffari wrote in the report.

A Border Patrol agent gives a group of unaccompanied minors water after they were apprehended near the highway on February 4, 2024 outside Eagle Pass, Texas (AFP via Getty Images)

Failure to appear in court can also lead to the children facing deportation orders.

ICE agreed with some of the reports recommendations to incorporate more automated tracking mechanisms, but argued the watchdog had misunderstandings about the process.

While we concur with the Inspector Generals recommendations to improve information sharing within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and externally with HHS, we are concerned that the reports findings are misleading and may be misconstrued because they fail to acknowledge key facts, an ICE spokesperson told The Independent.

The agency said in comments on the report that it sometimes delays seeking removal orders to give children time to find legal representation, seek relief from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and to avoid backlogging immigration courts. It also pointed to dedicated field officials who are tasked with resolving issues over unaccompanied minors who dont show up in immigration court.

Since last year, ICE has taken steps to automate information sharing related to unaccompanied childrens attendance at immigration court proceedings, the ICE spokesperson added. We will continue to improve these procedures and implement the OIGs recommendations.

The youth described in the DHS report are separate from the children intentionally split from their families while crossing the border during the Trump years, under that administrations zero tolerance border policy.

The initiative was criticized for unintentionally separating US citizen children from their parents, and officials took years before they were able to reunite families split apart by the policy.

As of late last year, there were 68 children of US citizen parents still separated from their families, and 297 children who are US citizens separated from their non-citizen parents.

As part of a settlement in December, a federal judge barred officials from imposing family separation for the next eight years.
Deputies: Man hospitalized after crashing into cornfield near Niles

POKAGON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD)  A man was taken to the hospital after crashing into a cornfield north of Niles Monday.

Just after noon, a 26-year-old Dowagiac man was driving north on M-51 near Thompson Road in Pokagon Township when he lost control of his vehicle, according to the Cass County Sheriffs Office.

He crossed the center line and drove into a cornfield, deputies said.

He was taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance. Deputies say the driver was not wearing his seatbelt.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

The sheriffs office is investigating.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. (WRBL)  A deputy was shot while a search warrant was being served in west Georgia on Tuesday, according to the Carroll County Sheriffs Office.

The deputy has been taken to the hospital. There is no word on his condition at this time.

According to the sheriffs office, the public is safe.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation search warrant was being executed off Don Rich Drive in Carrollton, Georgia, which is about 90 miles from Columbus.

Further details are to come. The public is asked to avoid the area.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL.
UPDATE: Des Moines child has been reunited with family, police say

UPDATE: Des Moines police say Zacherey has been located and he is now with officers and his mother.

ORIGINAL STORY:

DES MOINES, Iowa  Police in Des Moines are asking for the publics help to find a missing child.

Sgt. Paul Parizek of the Des Moines Police Department says seven-year-old Zacherey Q. Hall was reported missing around 1:35 a.m. Tuesday after voluntarily leaving his home in the 4200 block of Park Avenue.

Hall is 40 and weighs about 80 pounds. He has shoulder-length hair. He was last seen wearing a white-colored shirt and shorts.

Police are asking anyone who believes they may have seen the boy to call 911.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com.
Tim Blakeley, manager of Sunset Junction medical marijuana dispensary, shows marijuana plant buds on May 11, 2010, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Ron DeSantis has made it clear that he opposes Amendment 3, the proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot this fall in Florida to legalize recreational use of cannabis for adults 21 and older.

But a member of his staff offered a novel argument to oppose the measure on social media on Tuesday: that the measure does not allow for home grow, or the ability for individuals to grow their own supply of marijuana.

So heres the thing: Amendment 3 would create a monopoly on recreational, Christina Pushaw wrote on X. It also doesnt allow home growing. Why is it that other states that have passed recreational marijuana also allow individuals to home grow, but Floridas Amendment 3 specifically does NOT? Its not about freedom, its corporate greed.

Of the 24 states that have legalized the adult-use marijuana market, only three maintain criminal prohibitions on home cultivation, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). A number of cannabis activists have called for allowing home grow ever since medical marijuana was approved by voters in Florida in 2016, and some have complained that Amendment 3 wouldnt allow that.

The Libertarian Party of Florida endorsed Amendment 3 last month, but in a statement said that while it is a commendable advance, it does not go far enough.

We must continue to advocate for the right to homegrown cannabis, allowing Floridians to cultivate their own plants for personal use, said Matthew Johnson, the partys vice chair and communications committee chair.

Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve, the biggest marijuana company in Florida, which has spent more than $60 million to try to get Amendment 3 passed, responded to Pushaw on X by saying, Great news  it looks like @GovRonDeSantis supports home grow in Florida per his spokesperson!

Rivers went on to say that particular provision could not be included due to a Florida Constitution provision permitting only a single subject to be mentioned in the text of the amendment  a fact she said DeSantis and his team are aware of.

[T]his is absolutely something we can support via implementation in the legislature and with the Governors support we can get it done! she added.

When other individuals chimed in and criticized Trulieve for allegedly opposing legalization of home-grown cannabis in Florida because it would hurt the companys own bottom line, Rivers insisted that wasnt the case.

We have supported home grow in every market we do business is, she wrote on X. We sell clones in those markets that allow it. In Florida we have carried petitions and contributed to home grow amendments. We see it as a market expansion not a challenge!

The single-subject rule

This is what Article XI, Section 3 of the Florida Constitution says regarding the single-subject rule:

The power to propose the revision or amendment of any portion or portions of this constitution by initiative is reserved to the people, provided that, any such revision or amendment, except for those limiting the power of government to raise revenue, shall embrace but one subject and matter directly connected therewith.

It seems to me that the DeSantis administration is really reaching deep in their playbook and coming up short, said Chris Cano, executive director of the Suncoast Chapter of NORML. Ive heard that talking point [by critics] long before DeSantis even chose to inject himself into the whole Amendment 3 and hemp industry battle.

Cano referred to the fact that hemp companies, grateful for DeSantis veto of a bill that would have influenced their industry, have begun contributing financially to efforts to bring down Amendment 3.

For those in the hemp industry against Amendment 3, that has been a frequent talking point, he said, adding, Its an ignorant one because of Floridas single-subject rule makes amendments what they are. Its just a red herring weve heard since the amendment qualified via the Florida Supreme Court.

In 2018, Tampa adult club entrepreneur Joe Redner filed a lawsuit in state court arguing he should be able to grow marijuana to obtain a sufficient quality of specific cannabinoids that he needed to treat his diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer, according to court documents.

A Leon County circuit judge ruled that he should be able to do so, but the Florida Department of Health appealed to the First District Court of Appeal, which blocked the circuit judges ruling from taking effect. The Florida Supreme Court declined to take the case up in November 2019.

Morgan Hill, a spokesperson for Smart & Safe, the political committee advocating for the passage of Amendment 3, said she has heard questions not only about home grown from individuals curious about why it wasnt included in the ballot language, but also for the retroactive decriminalization of possession of cannabis.

Its because the Florida requirements are different than they are in other states for ballot measures, she said. Our position has been the same from the beginning. You should ask the governors team and Christina what she thinks.

Money fight

Keep Florida Clean, a political committee formed to oppose Amendment 3, has raised more than $12 million to date, with most of that coming from Miami hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin. Gov. DeSantis Florida Freedom Fund PAC as well as the Republican Party of Florida are also raising money to oppose the measure.

Amendment 3 needs 60% support from the voting public to become the law. While several polls have shown the measure drawing beyond that threshold, a Florida Atlantic University survey published last week showed it getting 56%, a majority but not the margin needed for victory.

Pushaw previously worked as a spokesperson for the governors office. After leaving to work on his presidential campaign last year, she now is listed in state records as a senior management analyst in the executive office of the governor.

The Phoenix reached out to the governors press office for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

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The front page of the Deseret News on Aug. 22, 1910, as forest fires overwhelmed communities in the West and Northwest.

A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.

In late summer 1910, a series of wildfires swept through parts of Idaho, Montana and Washington, killing at least 87 people and burning some 3 million acres. It was referred to the Big Blowup, the Big Burn and Great Fire of 1910.

The fires, which flared up on Aug. 20-21, killed 87 people and torched 4,700 square miles of land, historians note. It changed how wildfires were monitored in the nation. At one point, as many as 3,000 fires of different sizes were burning, many sparked by trains that threw sparks from their rails. Some communities were simply overwhelmed.

The U.S. Forest Service saw the need for early detection following those wildfires, which drew top headlines in the Deseret News and other newspapers. Things like fire lookout towers, walkie-talkies and air support were developed in the years that followed.

Giant fire set pace for Forest Service

Aging lookout towers still key during fire season in US West

The front page of the Deseret News on Aug. 19, 1910, as wildfires began to destroy lives and homes in the Western United States.

State-of-the-art radios help firefighters save lives

Search continues for lost Jesus statue

Books take back seat to fires

United front on Western wildfires

One of the heroes of that day was Ranger Ed Pulaski. On Aug. 20, the date of the Big Blowup near Wallace, Idaho, Pulaski was credited with saving all but five of his 45-man crew.

The ranger is also credited with developing the Pulaski tool used by most wildland firefighters today.

Elaine Thompson, Associated Press

The potential for wildfires in the West has only increased. In 2000, wildfires burned more than 6.7 million acres in 11 states. The situation was bad again in 2011, 2020, 2022 and 2023, highlighted by the devastating wildfire in Maui.

National wildfires: This is a very wicked problem

As wildfires rage on, heres how to stay safe during wildfire season

The link between wildfires and forest health

Mending Milford: Ravaged by wildfire 1 year ago, area begins to recover

.
A woman-led start-up, Apheros, has secured $1.85m to fund its unique manufacturing process for high-performance liquid cooling.

The Swiss company has secured funding to cool down data centres using high performance cooling systems for the high-power computing industry.

As a specialist in thermal management, Apheros high-performance metal foams maximise heat dissipation, optimise fluid flow, and reduce energy consumption, to address challenges faced by industry.

Founded in 2023, the company is led by one of Switzerland's Top 10 Founders to Watch Julia Carpenter, and Gaelle Andreatta, who has over 16 years of experience in R&D, tech transfer, and start-up development.

Julia Carpenter, co-founder and CEO of Apheros said: "Our technology has the potential to set new industry standards and significantly reduce the environmental impact of cooling solutions worldwide.

This funding round will allow us to advance our mission of helping our customers achieve superior thermal performance, increase energy efficiency, and contribute to a greener future. Immediately, we will expand production, increase R&D and bring state-of-the-art solutions to a broader market.

It is estimated that by 2030, six percent of global energy consumption will be used specifically for cooling data centres to meet the demand for extra computational power.

Venture capital firm Founderful led the pre-seed funding round with founding partner Lukas Weder calling the cooling process groundbreaking.

More efficient cooling systems are needed to overcome current energy shortages in the sector and to support companies in reaching ambitious climate protection goals.

Gaelle Andreatta said: AI development is driving exponential growth in data center energy consumption and inefficient cooling is the main culprit. With our customers we are redefining thermal management."

The Apheros manufacturing process creates unique foam structures with completely open porosity and unparalleled surface area, surpassing traditional solutions by a factor of one thousand, this translates into strong heat transfer and flow properties.

Apheros aims to be the catalyst for a move towards a more sustainable future through materials innovation and hopes its process will become the gold-standard for high-performance liquid cooling.

"Apheros raises $1.85m for sustainable data centre cooling" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
To Sumathi Madhure, feeling different just came with the territory in her new country. From the time she arrived in Nashua, N.H., at age 20, the sense would wash over her on long drives to get to an Indian restaurant or while pushing her cart around the grocery store.

When I saw another brown person in the supermarket, it was so rare, I would just invite them to my home for dinner, Madhure said with a chuckle. Building a sense of place, building a community; it doesnt just happen. It doesnt happen if you dont make the effort.

Four decades later, her adoptive country has changed. Now Madhure  physical therapist, mother of two and political dynamo in Nashua  feels the small stream of her journey in America has flowed with many, many others into a mighty river.

She and other immigrants and others who have roots in India and other parts of South Asia gathered in Chicago this week for the Democratic National Convention  many expressing elation at the ascension of Kamala Harris as the partys presidential nominee.

To think that somebody who looks like her, somebody of South Asian descent, will be, perhaps, the president, be the most powerful person in the world, Madhure began, pausing to visualize the image. Thats just, its  well, its just beyond imagination.

Madhure and hundreds of other Desis, as South Asians living abroad often refer to themselves, came together at a community center before Mondays main convention session  responding with enthusiasm as politicos with similar roots described how their elections had marked a first for their own communities in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Arizona and other states.

Read more: Kamala Harris: Vice president on front lines of political crisis

It doesnt matter which color and which race you are; you still have to prove you are capable and worthy of the job, said Madhure, a delegate. To me, Kamala has proven she is capable and she can handle this job. But she needs to keep proving it.

The potential political breakthrough sits with particular joy for those with ancestry in South Asia India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other nations squeezed between Asia and the Mideast.

Harris was born in Oakland to a Jamaican father, Donald Harris, a professor emeritus of economics at Stanford University, and Shyamala Gopalan, an India-born academic who traveled to UC Berkeley to pursue a doctorate in nutrition and endocrinology.

In a meeting with Black journalists last month, former President Trump suggested that his new Democratic opponent had somehow been duplicitous, as he made the false assertion that she had identified as Indian American for years, only to turn Black later in life.

Black and South Asian supporters of Harris rolled their eyes at the notion of a white man dictating the identity of his multiracial opponent, calling it tone-deaf and racist. They didnt have to repeat what history clearly shows: that Harris has identified for decades with both her Black and Indian roots.

To try to put everyone into one specific box, saying that they cant have demographics and values that fit other identities, that just doesnt make any sense, said Bianca Shah, 24, a Maryland resident and Indian American attending the convention. There is so much blending of races and ethnicities in our country.

Shes both Black and Indian American, said Shah, a healthcare consultant, pointing to multiple markers of Harris Indian heritage, starting with her middle name, Devi  Sanskrit for goddess.

And she had an immigrant mother, who took her to India multiple times and instilled values and traditions in her that we all recognize, Shah said.

Harris explained in 2003 to Asian Week that being from two cultures seemed perfectly natural to her as a child of Californias East Bay.

I grew up with a strong Indian culture, and I was raised in a Black community, she said. All my friends were Black, and we got together and cooked Indian food and painted henna on our hands, and I never felt uncomfortable with my cultural background.

Her experience is becoming increasingly common in the U.S., particularly in diverse states such as California. With the U.S. census making it easier in 2020 for people to identify multiple racial and ethnic ancestries, the number of multiracial Americans blossomed to 33.8 million. Thats 10.2% of the total population.

Regardless of which candidate wins the presidential contest, a daughter of the South Asian diaspora will be in the new administration: The wife of Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance, Usha Chilukuri Vance, will become second lady of the United States if the Republicans win. Usha Vance grew up in San Diego, the daughter of two academics who emigrated from India.

Whether its Kamala Harris, whether its Usha Vance  theres a pride that the community has arrived in the mainstream of American politics, said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont), who represents one of Californias most heavily Indian American districts.

(Other Indian Americans also campaigned for president this election cycle: former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, a pharmaceutical entrepreneur, vied for the GOP nomination.)

There were fewer than 50 Indian and Asian Americans in elected office nationwide in 2016, according to Chintan Patel, executive director of the Indian American Impact Fund. By 2024, that number had increased to more than 300.

Congress already has five members with South Asian roots  Khanna and fellow California Democrat Ami Bera of Elk Grove, Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) and Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.).

And with a Democratic-tilting seat open, Virginia state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam is likely to become the sixth House member of South Asian descent.

A community once focused more on academia and professional life feels increasingly comfortable running for office, said Karthick Ramakrishnan, a UC Riverside political science professor who studies Asian American voters. And, unlike earlier generations, Indian American candidates are now running without Anglicizing their names.

We are so far away from being a post-racial society, Ramakrishnan said, but there does seem to be greater social acceptability for Hindus and Indians with distinctive names to run for office.

Some South Asians have emblazoned a social media meme on T-shirts:

In Sanskrit, Kamala means LOTUS. In America, Kamala means POTUS.

Ramakrishnan estimates there are about 2.1 million Indian American adults eligible to vote in the U.S. Some of that population is concentrated in battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Trump has won over some in the community with his warm embrace of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose profile is viewed by some as not unlike his onetime American counterpart  authoritarians known for defying political norms.

Ramaswamy is perhaps the highest-profile Indian American Trump surrogate. In campaign stops around the country and on social media, he pummels Harris as a big-government liberal who would do damage to exceptionalism and merit.

Such views were not shared by the Indian Americans assembled for Harris in Chicago this week. Some of them, like Harini Krishnan, got involved in politics at least in part out of disgust with the fury of Trump, particularly his tirades against the evils he claims some immigrants bring to America.

Harris late entry into the race unleashed a wave of support. A call of South Asian Women for Harris drew 10,000 participants. That, in turn, produced 500 new volunteers and $285,000 in donations, according to Krishnan, national director of South Asians for Harris.

The Indian American Impact Fund was one of the first organizations to endorse Harris in the hours after President Biden dropped out of the race.

The group launched desipresident.com to mobilize and empower the South Asian American electorate to elect the first Indian American President. Its motto: Kamala ke Saath (Were with Kamala).

Read more: Her grandfather, Cesar Chavez, taught her about activism. Now she's running Harris' campaign

In Chicago, journalists from South Asia have arrived to cover the convention and Harris, the woman who talks fondly about vacations in Chennai, south of Mumbai, where she would go on long walks and receive treats from her grandfather, a civil servant.

People in India have been making offerings to the gods and erecting small temples on Harris behalf, said Lalit Jha, chief U.S. correspondent for the Indian wire service PT1.

People there are watching all this closely. They are excited about it, Jha said.

Shah, of Maryland, recalls the fervent phone call she received from her Ba  her Indian-born grandmother, who now lives in the U.S.  on the night the news reported Harris had become the Democratic nominee: She said, Kamala  that was my mothers name! Can you believe it?

Its the first national convention for Deepa Sharma, a lawyer for small cities in the Bay Area. The California delegate said she felt a bond with Harris in part because the candidate knew her parents Indian restaurant in San Francisco. And Sharma attended the same law school  now known as UC Law of San Francisco  as the Democratic nominee.

Sharma said she remains anxious about a possible Trump victory. But the 36-year-old from Lafayette, Calif., said she feels hopeful in a way that takes her back to the first presidential election she voted in.

This may sound corny, but in 2008 with Obama, I had that sense of hope, Sharma said. Now, I am excited again  to be able to organize around a sense of hope ... and to feel that I am for something and not just against something.

Times staff writer Seema Mehta in Chicago contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Florida Highway Patrol arrested an 18-year-old from Destin, Florida, Tuesday after she allegedly fled Alabama Highway Patrol.

FHP received notification from AHP that a 2015 Chevrolet Malibu was traveling into Escambia County on Interstate 10 around 11:30 a.m. while fleeing from law enforcement. As the FHP trooper caught up to the Malibu, later discovered to be driven by Angela Stillwell, the vehicle began to speed up and evade the trooper.

"The pursuit was concluded when the Florida trooper successfully applied the PIT maneuver, just prior to the 12-mile marker, on eastbound Interstate 10," an FHP report said.

FHP says she will be charged in Escambia County for fleeing and eluding as well as violating her learner's license. She is also facing felony charges for her alleged action in Alabama before she entered Florida.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Escambia County chase ends in PIT maneuver for Destin woman, FHP says
The Detroit Police Department is seeking public help in their search for an arson suspect who burned four vehicles and damaged two others late last week.

Authorities released a video of the incident on Aug. 15, which occurred at around 1:45 p.m. in a post office parking lot on Harper Ave, near the intersection with Morang Ave. on the east side of the city.

In the footage, a hooded man can be seen breaking the window of a white 2018 Chevy Traverse in the parking lot, before pouring accelerant inside. The suspect then lit the fuel, with the subsequent explosion throwing him backwards against another vehicle. The suspect fell to the floor and then ran from the scene.

MORE: Suspect nabbed in arson fire at Sen. Bernie Sanders' office

The suspect is described as a heavy set male, read the appeal from the Detroit Police Department published on Monday. He was last seen wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt with a white shirt underneath, and blue jeans. Six vehicles were damaged and four vehicles were burned as a result of this incident.

Authorities are offering a $500 reward related to the case.

ABC News Darren Reynolds and Maci Smith contributed to this report.

Detroit police search for arsonist after explosion destroys cars originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced Tuesday morning he has tested positive for COVID-19.

DeWine tested positive around 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday after he began experiencing mild cold-like symptoms on Monday, such as sneezing and a runny nose, according to his office.

His symptoms worsened slightly during the night, his office said. He is working remotely from home on Tuesday.

>> Accelerate innovation; Dayton region named states second innovation hub

DeWine planned to get together with family over the weekend and took a cautionary test on Sunday before any symptoms were developed, but the test was negative.

According to his office, DeWine has started taking the anti-retroviral therapy, Paxlovid.

He will work from home for the rest of the week.

As News Center 7 previously reported, DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted visited Dayton Monday to announce the details of the Dayton Innovation Hub.

The announcement was years in the making and will make the Dayton region one of the top AI technology centers in the country.
Julia Ormond on Nov. 5, 2016 in Los Angeles, CA. - Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Disney, CAA, and Miramax lost a bid to toss out a lawsuit by Julia Ormond, who alleged the companies failed to protect her from now-incarcerated Harvey Weinstein.

The complaint sufficiently alleges that CAA failed to protect plaintiff from Weinstein, failing to warn her of his alleged reputation while at the same time negotiating the production company agreement between the plaintiff and Miramax, and later arranging the dinner meeting between plaintiff and Weinstein, said the courts ruling stated, per The Los Angeles Times. At the time of the alleged assault, Disney owned Miramax.

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The actress  who rose to fame with 1994s Legends of the Fall, which also featured Fall Brad Pitt, and 1995s First Knight, in which she starred alongside Richard Gere and Sean Connery  filed a lawsuit in October last year claiming the disgraced movie mogul forced her to perform oral sex on him in December 1995. Ormond alleged that after she told her CAA agents  Bryan Lourd and Kevin Huvane  what had happened, they discouraged her from speaking out and did not help her. Although Lourd and Huvane were cited in the complaint, they were not named as defendants.

In a statement at the time, Ormond said that she had lived for decades with the painful memories of her experiences with Weinstein, and thanked those before her who had risked speaking out. She added that their courage and the Adult Survivors Act gave her a window of opportunity and way to shed light on how powerful people and institutions like my talent agents at CAA, Miramax and Disney enabled and provided cover for Weinstein to assault me and countless others.

In a statement to Rolling Stone, a spokesperson for CAA disagreed with the courts ruling and said that they continue to believe there is no legal or factual basis for Ms. Ormonds claims against CAA. The spokesperson also alleged that the agency did not learn of Weinsteins sexually assaultive behavior until it became public knowledge decades later.

Reps for Disney and Miramax did not immediately return Rolling Stones requests for comment on Monday, nor did reps for Weinstein.

In a statement to Rolling Stone, Ormonds lawyers, Isabelle Kirshner and Effie Blassberger, said, The Court rightfully recognized Ms. Ormonds legal claims against Disney, Miramax, and CAA, and their role in enabling Harvey Weinsteins assault and failing to protect her from him. Ms. Ormond is grateful that she will have the opportunity to expose the defendants malfeasance and hold them accountable for their actions.

In February 2020, Weinstein was found guilty of criminal sexual assault in the first degree and rape in the third degree in a separate trial. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison based on testimonies from Miriam Haley and Jessica Mann. He has maintained his innocence.

The conviction was overturned in April by the New York State Court of Appeals. In the decision, the majority of judges agreed that the judge who oversaw Weinsteins trial, Justice James M. Burke, should not have allowed accusers whose allegations were not part of the charges provide testimony at the trial.

This article was updated on Aug. 19 at 10:42 p.m. ET to include a statement from CAA.

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The Walt Disney Company is back in the people-pleasing business.

Disney World-attendee Jeffrey Piccolo sued the company after his wife Kanokporn Tangsuan died following an allergic reaction to food served at Disney Springs restaurant Raglan Road. Piccolo says he and Tangsuan made her allergies known, and were assured her food was allergen free. A medical examiners report found Tangsuans cause of death was anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system.

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Disney does not own and operate Raglan Road  it leases the space to Great Irish Pubs Florida, Inc., which is also named as a defendant in Piccolos suit. At first, Disney went with the not-it! defense.

We are deeply saddened by the familys loss and understand their grief. Given that this restaurant is neither owned nor operated by Disney, we are merely defending ourselves against the plaintiffs attorneys attempt to include us in their lawsuit against the restaurant, a company spokesperson emailed IndieWire on Thursday, August 15.

It was the way that Disney merely defended itself that probably even ruffled Donald Ducks feathers.

In response to Piccolos lawsuit, Disney invoked a bizarre clause buried in its streaming-subscriber (and online ticket-buying) terms of use in an effort to avoid a jury trial and force the case into arbitration. When subscribing to Disney+ (or purchasing park tickets through its website), you are click-wrapping through a ton of legalese.

Typical, right? Well, perhaps not this language: There may be instances in which disputes arise between us, the Disney+ Subscriber Agreement reads, in part. You, on the one hand, and Disney+ and/or ESPN+, on the other hand, agree to resolve, by binding individual arbitration, all Disputes (including any related disputes involving The Walt Disney Company or its affiliates).

That, by the way, includes past, present, and future disputes. There are carveouts for small claims and IP rights.

Piccolo had signed up for a Disney+ account in November 2019, the month it launched. He also purchased tickets to EPCOT through its website, though the tickets were not used. Good enough, Disney (basically) said.

But after public backlash ensued from press coverage (like IndieWires here), Disney has reversed course.

On Monday evening, the Walt Disney World communications team emailed IndieWire the following statement from Disney Experiences chairman Josh DAmaro: At Disney, we strive to put humanity above all other considerations. With such unique circumstances as the ones in this case, we believe this situation warrants a sensitive approach to expedite a resolution for the family who have experienced such a painful loss. As such, weve decided to waive our right to arbitration and have the matter proceed in court.

Ah, the Wonderful World of Disney has been restored.

Piccolo is suing for in excess of $50,000, which is the legal threshold required to bring a case in circuit court, as well as attorneys fees and other costs. He and his lawyers had a hearing set for October 2, 2024 to determine if they could bust through the bizarre Subscriber-Agreement loophole. It looks like that hearing will no longer be necessary.

Piccolos lawyer Brian R. Denney in a statement to IndieWire said Piccolo is still pursuing his lawsuit and claims the arbitration clauses are still there for other streaming services or if you buy tickets to the theme park.

This potentially puts other people injured by Disneys negligence at risk of facing a similar legal challenge, Denney said. The right to a jury trial as set forth in the seventh amendment is a bedrock of our judicial system and should be protected and preserved. Attempts by corporations like Disney to avoid jury trials should be looked at with skepticism. My client will continue to pursue justice on behalf of his beloved wife at the trial court level. He also hopes these recent events have raised awareness of the millions of people of all ages and walks of life who suffer with food allergies. This awareness can help effectuate positive change to corporate food preparation policies and procedures.

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Disney reverses course on wrongful-death lawsuit, agrees to let case proceed in court

Guests pass a statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, July 14, 2023, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (John Raoux / Associated Press)

Walt Disney Co. has now agreed to let a wrongful-death lawsuit proceed in court, a reversal from its previous stance that the case needed to go through arbitration.

Jeffrey Piccolo sued Disney in February, alleging that his wife died of a severe allergic reaction after eating at a restaurant at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

The "unique circumstances" of the case warranted a "sensitive approach to expedite a resolution for the family who have experienced such a painful loss," Disney Experiences Chair Josh D'Amaro said in a statement released Monday night.

As such, weve decided to waive our right to arbitration and have the matter proceed in court, he said.

A court hearing scheduled for Oct. 2 to discuss Disney's previous motion to toss the wrongful-death lawsuit was canceled Tuesday morning, according to court documents.

During a trip to the Disney Springs shopping complex in October 2023, Piccolo and his wife, Kanokporn Tangsuan, allegedly asked staff multiple times at the Raglan Road restaurant if the food Tangsuan ordered had dairy or nuts, which she was allergic to, according to Piccolo's lawsuit. The couple were assured it did not, the lawsuit said.

Less than an hour after their meal, Tangsuan began having problems breathing and collapsed. She was taken to a hospital, where she later died. A medical examiner's investigation found that Tangsuan died as a result of "anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system," the lawsuit said.

In a response filed in May, Disney said the lawsuit should be tossed because Piccolo had agreed to terms and conditions mandating arbitration in all disputes including those involving The Walt Disney Co. or its affiliates when he signed up for a Disney+ account in 2019, according to a court filing.

Disney said Piccolo agreed to those terms and conditions again when he purchased tickets for him and his wife to visit Epcot through the Walt Disney World website. Disney said the binding arbitration clause for the tickets applies to anyone he bought tickets for, according to court documents.

In a response to the May Disney filing, Piccolo's attorneys argued that his wife's estate, which did not exist at the time he purchased the tickets because she was still alive, did not agree to any legal terms or conditions.

Piccolo's attorney, Brian Denney, said in an email Tuesday that his client would "continue to pursue justice" for his wife at the trial court level.

"Attempts by corporations like Disney to avoid jury trials should be looked at with skepticism," he wrote.

Denney added that Piccolo hoped the publicity of the case would lead to "positive change to corporate food preparation policies and procedures."

Piccolo is seeking at least $50,000 in damages, not including costs and post-judgment interest.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Disney told a man he couldn't take it to court over his wife's death at one of its parks because he once had a Disney+ trial. Now it's backing down.

A doctor died from a severe allergic reaction after eating at Disney Springs in Florida last year.

Her widower sued, but Disney said he couldn't take it to court under the T&Cs of a Disney+ free trial.

Disney has now reversed course and says it waived its right to arbitration due to the "unique circumstances."

Disney told a man whose wife died from an allergic reaction after eating at its Florida theme park that he couldn't take it to court under the terms of his Disney+ free trial and would have to go through arbitration instead. The entertainment giant has now reversed course and said the widower can proceed with the trial.

Kanokporn Tangsuan, a 42-year-old doctor in New York, died in October 2023 from anaphylaxis after eating at a restaurant at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World in Orlando, according to the lawsuit.

Tangsuan, who had a severe dairy and nut allergy, ordered a vegetable fritter, battered scallops, vegan shepherd's pie, and onion rings at the Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant. She was repeatedly reassured by the waiter that they would be allergen-free, the lawsuit says.

Walt Disney World's Disney Springs is home to a number of shops, restaurants, and attractions. Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Jeffrey Piccolo, her husband, filed a lawsuit against Disney and Great Irish Pubs Florida, which operates the restaurant, in February.

Disney: Piccolo agreed to a binding arbitration clause in his Disney+ subscription

In April, Disney asked the court to dismiss the complaint, saying that it didn't control the restaurant and that the couple had "failed to take all reasonable measures and precautions necessary" to avoid the "damages alleged."

Disney said in later filings that when Piccolo created a Disney account for a Disney+ free trial in 2019, he had agreed to its Subscriber Agreement, which includes a binding arbitration clause that applies to "all disputes."

This includes "any related disputes involving The Walt Disney Company, its subsidiaries, or its affiliates," the terms say.

Piccolo agreed to the terms again when he logged into his Disney account to book tickets for Walt Disney World's Epcot park, Disney said.

Disney said in the lawsuit that Piccolo ticked a box saying that he agreed to the terms in both cases. "Whether Piccolo actually reviewed the Disney Terms is also immaterial," the company's lawyers wrote.

Piccolo's lawyers called Disney's argument "preposterous" in a filing in early August. According to Disney's defense, when Piccolo "signed himself up for a free trial of Disney+ back in 2019 or bought Epcot tickets in 2023, he somehow bound the non-existent Estate of Kanokporn Tangsuan (his wife, who was alive at both times) to an arbitration agreement buried within certain terms and conditions," Piccolo's lawyers wrote.

Disney's defense was "based on the incredible argument that any person who signs up for a Disney+ account, even free trials that are not extended beyond the trial period, will have forever waived the right to a jury trial enjoyed by them and any future Estate to which they are associated, and will instead have agreed (on behalf of other survivors and the estate itself) to arbitrate any and all disputes against any and all Disney entities and affiliates, no matter how far removed from use of the Disney+ streaming service, including personal injury and wrongful death claims," Piccolo's lawyers wrote.

"As can be seen from the prior sentence, this argument borders on the surreal," they added.

Disney has since reversed course, saying that it has waived its right to arbitration.

"With such unique circumstances as the ones in this case, we believe this situation warrants a sensitive approach to expedite a resolution for the family who have experienced such a painful loss," Josh D'Amaro, the chairman of Disney Experiences, told CNN.

"As such, we've decided to waive our right to arbitration and have the matter proceed in court."

Neither Disney nor Piccolo's legal representatives immediately responded to requests for comment from Business Insider, made outside regular US working hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Debate Over Cochlear Implants and Audism

Videos of deaf children reacting to the activation of their cochlear implants have been an ongoing viral trend, for almost as long as people have been uploading videos of themselves and those close to them to the internet. Praised for being heartwarming and uplifting, these videos can also provoke exasperation and even anger in those who view them as distasteful. But why do these clips inspire so much controversy?

While deaf with a lowercase d refers to individuals with profound hearing loss, Deaf with an uppercase D has a more specific implication. The capital D is used to mark the difference between all those who have problems hearing and the Deaf culture and community. Members of the Deaf community tend to be profoundly deaf, communicate primarily or exclusively in sign language and view deafness as simply a difference in human experience rather than a disability.

As such, cochlear implants are strongly opposed by many members of the Deaf community, who see the devices as a threat to their way of life. If you view deafness as a cultural difference rather than an impairment to be cured, cochlear implants start to look less like an assistive device and more like an attempt to erase a minority group and assimilate its members into the mainstream. Many Deaf expectant parents hope to have children who are deaf too, with whom they can share their language and culture, and thus choose not to pursue cochlear implants for their children if they too cannot hear.

The ethical quandary arises largely from the fact that cochlear implantation has a limited window of efficacy. Children with profound sensorineural hearing loss who receive cochlear implants before 24 months demonstrate greater levels of success, in terms of speech, language and auditory development, than those who receive them later on. Theres no upper age limit to receiving cochlear implants and theyre a viable option for adults who have lost their hearing as well, but for the congenitally deaf the brains ability to learn to hear is at its peak at this early age. Waiting for a child to reach a level of maturity where they can make their own decision about cochlear implantation means they wont be able to achieve the same results with the device if they had been fitted earlier.

How do cochlear implants work?

Cochlear implants work in a very different way to hearing aids  a hearing person wont perceive any sound at all if they put the external part of the mechanism up to their ear, but they will with a hearing aid. Thats because hearing aids consist of miniaturised amps and speakers, while a cochlear implant doesnt actually produce any sound. Instead, cochlear implants bypass most of the ear altogether.

The system consists of a microphone, sound processor and a receiver with an electrode array that is surgically implanted into the cochlea. The cochlea converts sound waves into electrical signals using special cells called hair cells, which trigger nerve signals when they detect soundwaves. If these hair cells arent working, the electrode can stimulate parts of the cochlea directly.

Meanwhile, the processor crunches the sound data it receives from the microphone and interprets it into around 24 channels each corresponding to a different frequency of sound. For each channel an electrode stimulates a certain spot in the cochlea, which can simulate the experience of hearing in the brain.

One common misconception about cochlear implants is that they simulate the full range of typical human hearing, but this isnt the case. A fully-functional cochlea has thousands of hair cells, but with only two dozen channels or fewer, the signals from a cochlear implant sound very different. Adults who have lost their hearing and are fitted with an implant later in life have described the sounds as robotic or mechanical.

Audism and cochlear implants

Parents are generally regarded as having an inalienable right to raise their children as they see fit and make necessary decisions regarding their health and wellbeing. But when it comes to potential rejection of an elective surgery that may dictate how wider society perceives a childs level of disability, the role of clinicians in these decisions is of heightened importance. Part of the opposition to childhood cochlear implants, alongside the fact that they may lead deaf individuals away from Deaf culture, is that medical audism  the term for an often unconscious bias or prejudice against deaf or hard-of-hearing people  means clinicians often prioritise the acquisition of hearing above all else, even if this has negative consequences for the child in question.

Cochlear implants are not a substitute for natural hearing and post-surgery, children must undergo ongoing therapy to train the brain to interpret the sounds it hears. The implantation procedure isnt exactly straightforward and recovery can be challenging, especially for a child. And if a deaf individual still has a degree of natural hearing, it could be lost during surgery  potentially leaving them with a more severe hearing impairment than they had in the first place.

While children implanted at younger ages have higher speech and language scores than those who receive their implants later on, they still tend to perform below the general population average. A 2020 study of US children with cochlear implants reported that half had difficulty expressing many to most concepts in spoken English, and 13% didnt speak English at all.

Hearing parents of deaf children with cochlear implants have historically been advised not to use sign language but to speak to their children as though they could hear normally, as sign language usage was thought to hinder spoken language development. Sign language was only to be introduced later, if spoken language development failed.

Research has shown the opposite to be true, with deaf children of deaf parents who use sign language as their first language having better spoken language skills once implanted than deaf children of hearing parents who did not learn sign language. Furthermore, the first five years of life are a critical period for language acquisition. Deaf children exposed to sign language only after failing to develop spoken language may demonstrate rapid word learning, but they fail to learn complex grammatical structures. In severe cases failure to use sign language can lead to language deprivation syndrome (LDS), a disability which affects language, cognition and behaviour which is endemic in the deaf population and has been largely attributed to the medical institutions hearing-at-all-costs attitude.

Implant shortcomings could be overcome with gene therapy

Researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) recently announced that their work had brought them closer to developing a gene therapy that could restore hearing for the congenitally deaf.

Their work centred around a gene responsible for inner-ear protein called otoferlin, mutations in which are often linked to congenital hearing loss. While in its regular form otoferlin is too big to package into a delivery vehicle for molecular therapy, the OSU team has been looking into using a shortened version. Recent research has found that this shortened gene needs to include a part of the gene called the transmembrane domain, otherwise the otoferlin fails to properly link the synaptic vesicles filled with neurotransmitter to the cell membrane, causing less neurotransmitter to be released.

Meanwhile, researchers at Tel Aviv University (TAU) recently presented a novel treatment for deafness based on delivering genetic material into the cells of the inner ear. They were able to prevent the gradual deterioration of hearing in mice that had a genetic mutation for deafness.

Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School professor Jeffrey Holt, a collaborator on the study, said: "Treated mice developed normal hearing, with sensitivity almost identical to that of healthy mice who do not have the mutation."

Gene therapy to restore hearing for the congenitally deaf could have significant benefits compared to cochlear implants, but audism still has its role to play. Even if such a treatment could bypass the most obvious downsides of cochlear implantation  undergoing invasive surgery, mixed outcomes, robotic sound, not having to wear a medical device  there will likely still be those in the Deaf community who oppose its use on the same cultural basis. What to hearing people seems like an opportunity comes across to many Deaf people as a loss, and its hard to envisage a middle ground.

What is clear is that the treatment of deafness in medicine needs to change. Sign language needs to be something treated not as less than or as a last resort, but as a valid form of communication on par with spoken languages. Deaf children who thrive with sign language but struggle with spoken words are not experiencing a failure to communicate, but simply express themselves in a different way. Improving the way Deaf people are treated in society opens the door for a greater quality of life both for those with and without a cochlear implant.

"Audism and the ethics of childhood cochlear implantation" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Disney Waives Arbitration In Allergy Death At Restaurant In Orlando Park; Matter Can Proceed In Court

Disney is waiving arbitration in a wrongful-death suit filed by the husband of a woman who died after dining at a restaurant in its Disney Springs resort in Orlando last year.

Jeffrey Piccolo is suing the company for $50,000 because his wife Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan suffered an allergic reaction after consuming food at the privately run Raglan Road Irish Pub in October and later died at a local hospital. Disneys attorneys had requested that the case be dismissed and settled out of court.

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Raglan Road is a restaurant tenant at Disney Springs not owned or operated by Disney.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts had 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. Now the company has waived that arbitration and will have the matter proceed in court.

Disney said it is in the process of submitting the waiver-withdrawal filing in court.

At Disney, we strive to put humanity above all other considerations, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh DAmaro said in a statement. With such unique circumstances as the ones in this case, we believe this situation warrants a sensitive approach to expedite a resolution for the family who have experienced such a painful loss. As such, weve decided to waive our right to arbitration and have the matter proceed in court.

Piccolos lawyers have said that Disneys terms-of-service argument bordered on the surreal and is so outrageously unreasonable and unfair as to shock the judicial conscience.

In effect, his attorneys said, 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+.

The complaint states that the family told their server repeatedly about Tangsuans food allergies but were assured that it would be OK.

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"Descending into the compartment below from the stairs ... and going into all of the cabins is a really hard and difficult job, a fire dept. diver said of the boat, which sank off Sicily's coast on Aug. 19

Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty Images Italian emergency services continue the search for the six missing yacht passengers off Sicily's coast

Rescue divers have spoken of the difficult circumstances they are facing in the search for six people who are still missing after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily.

The passengers were on the Bayesian, a 56-meter (183-ft.) British yacht that had been moored a half mile off the coast of Poritcello when it was hit by a sudden storm in the early morning of Monday, Aug. 19, the Italian coast guard said in a statement to PEOPLE.

Officials searched the bridge of the yacht but were unable to find any passengers located there and have turned their attention to finding a way into the yachts cabins, per the BBC.

Access to the hull is difficult. If you manage to get inside, you understand there is a world of objects. So, getting inside and descending into the compartment below from the stairs that are narrow and going into all of the cabins is a really hard and difficult job, fire department diver Marco Tilotta said per Reuters, according to the BBC.

"We are not stopping. We have resources, manpower and means. Our goal is to find all the people who are missing, so that is our job," Tilotta.

ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images A life boat docked in Porticello near Palermo, on August 20, 2024, a day after the British-flagged luxury yacht Bayesian sank

Related: Missing Tech Tycoon Mike Lynch's Business Partner Dies After Being Hit by a Car Days Before Yacht Sinking: Police

Per Reuters, Tilotta told reporters the yacht appears to be intact and was lying on its right side. According to the outlet, the boat is lying at a depth of 49 metres (160 feet), giving divers only 8-10 minutes to search the wreck before they have to resurface.

"The biggest difficulty we have is due to the depth, which does not allow long times of intervention  We plan ... to search centimeter by centimeter," Tilotta added, per the outlet.

The yacht had been carrying 22 passengers, 15 of which were able to escape, according to the outlets. One person, reportedly the yacht's cook, was found dead and his body was recovered from the scene.

Those missing include Morgan Stanley executive Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy Bloomer and attorney Chris Morvillo and Nada Morvillo, a senior civil protection officer told PEOPLE on Monday.

Local officials also told PEOPLE that the two other people missing are British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah.

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Karsten Borner, who was a captain on a nearby boat, saw the boat sink "a few minutes" after it was hit, he told Italian news outlet Rai, per the BBC.

"It all happened in really little time," he added.

The president of the Italian Meteorological Society Luca Mercalli told Reuters, per the BBC, that the boat had been hit at about 4 a.m. with what was described as a "brief but very violent meteorological event" that involved winds of over 93 mph. Civil protection officials said they believed this event was a waterspout, or rotating column of air that occurs over a body of water, per Associated Press.

Related: Survivor of Yacht That Sank Off Sicily's Coast Recalls How She Used 'All My Strength' to Save Her 1-Year-Old

Following the news, Edward Llewellyn, the UK Ambassador to Italy, told the BBC that he had spoken with the survivors of the incident who underlined "what a desperately sad and distressing situation they all found themselves in.

"All our hearts go out to those caught up in this terrible tragedy," he added.

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Read the original article on People.
The Democratic National Convention started Monday in Chicago with the first night capped off by President Joe Bidens speech passing the torch to Kamala Harris.

The DNC will also feature remarks from former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. As for Jimmy Carter, his grandson, Jason Carter, said he will speak on the former presidents behalf on Tuesday.

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Jason Carter isnt a stranger to politics and campaigns himself. He served as a Georgia state senator and also ran for Georgia governor back in 2014.

He told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution earlier this month that his grandfather, who turns 100 on Oct. 1, is looking forward to voting for Harris. Early voting for the 2024 general election begins in mid-October.

Jason Carter recently sat down with Channel 2s Justin Farmer and said that even though his grandfather is in his final days, he is still inspiring the world.

This is a good man who has done remarkable things with his life and has taken the opportunities that he was given and used them to do good, he said.

RELATED STORIES:

Carter told Farmer that Georgia has never been more nationally politically significant than it is now.

Georgia sits in a remarkable moment, and is in a remarkable place in this election, Carter said. Just two years ago, we had an election where we elected a Republican governor and a Democratic senator in the same election. And that means that there is a group of people in Georgia who really will look at candidates, make decisions and arent locked in these partisan divides. The fact that those people exist in this state at this moment, I think puts Georgia at the very center of this presidential election.

Carter said hell spend this late summer and fall working for the Democrats but also planning for his grandfathers 100th birthday celebration.

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Ohio celebration committee member Helen Sheehan shows her hat with political buttons on the floor of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Democrats gathering in Chicago were greeted with a giant inflatable intrauterine device, trucks offering free vasectomies, condoms condemning Project 2025 and several speakers focused on using the issue of abortion to persuade Americans to vote blue.

Messaging about abortion is playing a key role in much of the programming at the Democratic National Convention this week, and it particularly resonates with young people, women of color and women in general  including Republicans, said Jodi Hicks, chief executive officer and president of Planned Parenthood California.

"It's absolutely top of mind for folks. It's a motivating issue, more importantly," Hicks said. "That ability to be able to be the full person that you want to be, have rights to have a family how you want  that's not partisan."

Read more: Photos: DNC underway in Chicago with an energized Harris-Walz ticket

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, abortion has become one of Democrats' top motivating issues. It is widely credited with helping many Democrats win in the 2022 midterm elections.

Although Republican Party leaders may have cheered the end of Roe, they have split over their next steps on the issue. Some conservatives have pushed for a nationwide abortion ban, while others  including former President Trump  have acknowledged the political challenges that come with such a strong stance. Trump has at times advocated leaving the issues to the states, although he has also expressed support for a national ban after certain points in a woman's pregnancy.

Last month, the party scrapped language from previous platforms opposing abortion. Though the platform says, We proudly stand for families and Life, it also called for the matter to be decided by the states. This policy shift has been criticized by many conservatives.

On the Democratic side, strategists and party leaders are hoping that reproductive rights will again turn voters out in November, especially with a woman leading the ticket. Even before she became the nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris commanded the campaign's abortion message in a way that President Biden couldn't. Harris hammered home the message, particularly in battleground states such as Arizona, where a constitutional amendment to enshrine abortion access is on the state's ballot.

"This issue is larger than what we can put on a single ballot measure," said Arizona state Sen. Eva Burch, who serves as a delegate. "We have to have pro-choice candidates in positions of power, in order to protect these fundamental rights."

In March, a video of Burch giving an emotional speech in the Arizona Legislature about her need to terminate an unviable pregnancy went viral. Weeks later, Arizona underwent a tumultuous battle over an 1864 abortion ban that was ultimately repealed.

Democratic pollster Celinda Lake described a sea change in polling of attitudes about abortion since Roe was overturned.

Every state in the country is about 10 points more pro-abortion [rights] than it was, Lake said, adding that more than 6 in 10 Americans support abortion rights and about three-quarters oppose a national abortion ban. Abortion has arrived as an issue. It makes a difference. It motivates voters," she said.

Read more: Harris, Whitney Houston and We  Joe signs: The DNC is a big lovefest

The issue also been highlighted in the convention programming. The inflatable IUD, dubbed "Freeda Womb," greeted visitors near the United Center.

The Voters for Tomorrow organization handed out free condoms emblazoned with the phrase "F Project 2025," a reference to policy proposals prepared by the Heritage Foundation. And a Planned Parenthood mobile clinic offering "free vasectomies, medication abortion, and emergency contraception" was stationed near the DNC festivities.

Laws passed in conservative states have restricted access to abortion, sometimes by making it allowable only if the woman's life is at risk. Some states refuse to make exceptions for rape or incest. Such provisions are being targeted by Democrats.

Monday night's DNC programming spotlighted the issue in a campaign ad featuring Josh and Amanda Zurawski. The Texas couple had been awaiting a baby girl but lost her due to pregnancy complications. Amanda nearly lost her life awaiting healthcare  which she said was delayed because of the state's abortion ban.

"Instead of welcoming Willow, I was hoping Amanda's life could be saved," Josh Zurawski said on the DNC stage. "I'm here tonight because the fight for reproductive rights isn't just a woman's fight. This is about fighting for our families  and as Kamala Harris says  our future."

The evening also featured two other women  Kaitlyn Joshua and Hadley Duvall  who described their experiences with terminating pregnancies. Joshua, a Louisiana mother, said that two emergency rooms turned her away while she was experiencing a miscarriage, and that she feared for her own life.

Duvall, a self-described "all-American girl," said she needed an abortion at age 12, after surviving a rape by her stepfather.

"I can't imagine not having a choice," Duvall said. "But today, that's the reality for many women and girls across the country because of Donald Trump's abortion bans."

The convention hall grew quiet as Duvall, Joshua and the Zurawskis spoke. Many delegates appeared to be holding back tears.

At a Feminist Majority meeting Monday, women gathered in a ballroom of a historic Chicago hotel to talk about the upcoming election and the prospects for passage of an Equal Rights Amendment over tea sandwiches and pastries. Attendees were offered a free one-year subscription to Ms. Magazine, whose fall issue is titled "Vote As If Your Life Depends On It."

Lisa Ann Walter, an actor who stars in Abbott Elementary, introduced herself as a postmenopausal woman, to applause.

Thank you. Me and my non-hormones thank you, she responded. And as such, I have a few thoughts about the upcoming election. I'm thrilled to be here away from my postmenopausal life. Sadly, it's not being a grandmother-slash-babysitter, or, as I like to call it, a grand nanny for a few reasons. One, I am busy repping teachers and making people laugh on the No. 1 network. And two, my four kids are too selfish to give me babies so I can fulfill my postmenopausal social duties, as prescribed by JD Vance.

Walter, 61, said she had a miscarriage between the birth of each of her children.

People don't understand that women go through it a lot. In fact, in the old days before there was help, you could die, you could hemorrhage and die. It happened often, she said.

The final miscarriage occurred when she was on location for an acting job. She thought she had entered menopause but learned she was about eight weeks pregnant.

Read more: 'I made a grave mistake': Meet the Republicans and independents stumping for Harris

I was scared, she said. I was pregnant and losing the child, and it was dangerous. I needed a D & C [abortion]. And had I been in a state today where you could be charged with second-degree manslaughter if they decided that you were having an abortion, or if they just let me sit in the parking lot until I bled out, I could have very well died.

She urged the group to talk to young people about the stakes in this election for reproductive rights. According to recent polling from Emily's List, an organization promoting women in politics, hearing Harris' message on abortion made 77% of persuadable young women more likely to vote for her.

Tell them, I recognize that you might have an issue that you're concerned about. But just remember, if you don't vote this ticket, not only might [you not] ever get a choice again to protect your own interests, but you will actually put yourself in physical danger, Walter said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
DNC adopts platform that echoes Biden more than Harris, no arms embargo on Israel

Democratic National Committee delegates on Monday evening by voice vote adopted the party's 2024 platform at their convention, a document that echoes President Joe Biden more than Vice President Kamala Harris and contains no call for an arms embargo on Israel as pro-Palestinian delegates and some uncommitted delegates had wanted.

The full, 92-page draft platform, unveiled by the party late on Sunday night, was written before President Joe Biden left the 2024 race, and was voted upon by the DNC's Rules Committee in July.

It has not been updated significantly since Harris replaced him at the top of the ticket.

Biden is mentioned 287 times in the platform, while Harris is mentioned 32 times.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden does a stage check before the start of the first day of the Democratic National Convention, in Chicago, Aug. 19, 2024. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

MORE: DNC 2024 Day 1 live updates: 4 arrested after some protesters breach security fence, police say

"It makes a strong statement about the historic work that President Biden and Vice President Harris have accomplished hand-in-hand," according to a release from the DNC, "and offers a vision for a progressive agenda that we can build on as a nation and as a Party as we head into the next four years."

The platform emphasizes Biden's support for brokering an "immediate and lasting ceasefire" between Israel and Hamas that "once finalized secures the return of all hostages, including the remaining Americans held in Gaza, addresses the immense civilian pain and extreme suffering being caused by the conflict, including the displacement and death of so many innocent people in Gaza; results in a durable end to the war in Gaza; and sets the stage for a lasting regional peace."

PHOTO: Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris waves as she steps off Air Force Two upon arrival in Chicago, Aug. 18, 2024. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

MORE: Ashley Biden in the spotlight ahead of president's DNC speech

The document also says that Biden has "made real progress on a way forward that will free the hostages" and "establish a durable ceasefire" as well as "meaningful progress and a political horizon for the Palestinian people."

It does not, however, say that the party supports an arms embargo on Israel -- as progressives have been pushing for and protesters outside the conventional hall have demanded.

It does highlight Biden's support for combating antisemitism.

PHOTO: Demonstrators prepare for start of the 'March on the DNC' during the first day of the Democratic National Convention Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

MORE: DNC convention to focus on 'lowering health care costs' with Bernie Sanders speech

Notably, it makes nearly 20 mentions of the president's "second term."

PHOTO: Minyon Moore, Chair of the 2024 Democratic National Convention Committee and Jaime R. Harrison, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, open Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention, in Chicago, Aug. 19, 2024. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

MORE: 5 things to watch for at the Democratic National Convention

It highlights Biden's continued support for reproductive rights, Ukraine funding, border protections and more.

"In President Biden's second term, he will continue selecting judges who will protect fundamental rights and who represent the diversity of the American experience."

"And in his second term, President Biden will continue to support access to FDA-approved medication abortion, appoint leaders at the FDA who respect science, and appoint judges who uphold fundamental freedoms."

"In President Biden's second term, he will push Congress to provide the resources and authorities that we need to secure the border."

"President Biden will never turn his back on our allies,' it says. "In his second term, he will continue to stand with Ukraine to stop Putin's atrocities and constrain Russia's threat to allied nations and America's vital interests."

DNC adopts platform that echoes Biden more than Harris, no arms embargo on Israel originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Hillary Clinton basked in some karmic revenge against Donald Trump on Monday night as the crowd at the Democratic National Convention chanted Lock him up!eight years after the now convicted felon defeated her.

Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial, Clinton said. When he woke up, hed made his own kind of history: the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.

The comment thrilled the crowd. Lock him up! they chanted, interrupting the speech. Clinton smiled and nodded along approvingly.

She wore a sand-colored pantsuita departure from the suffragette white she donned when accepting the nomination eight years earlier. This time, she had a different mission.

It is no surprise, is it, that he is lying about Kamalas record? Clinton asked. Hes mocking her name and her laugh.

Sounds familiar, she added. The audience cackled.

But we have him on the run now, Clinton said to resounding applause.

The Stakes Are Different For a Woman Running in 2024. Heres Why

Though Clinton seemed delighted to slam Trump, the speech was bittersweet for the one-time nominee, who many Democrats had assumed would be the countrys first female president. Now, she hopes Kamala Harris will accomplish what she couldnt.

Together we put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling, Clinton said. Tonight, so close to breaking through once and for all, I want to tell you what I see through all those cracksand why it matters for each and every one of us.

Some women in the audience teared up. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had taken her seat at the front of the California delegation just minutes before Clinton took the stage, and the former first lady and presidential candidate pointed in Pelosis direction.

I want my grandchildren and their grandchildren to know I was here, Clinton said. That we were here. And that we were with Kamala every step of the way.

Clinton and Harris have grown close during the Biden presidency, the New York Times reported Monday. The two women have dined together at Clintons D.C. mansion, Whitehaven, a close neighbor of the vice presidents residence at the Naval Observatory, and discussed the vice presidents choice of running mate. Clinton and her husband endorsed Harris just hours after Biden dropped out of the race, long before Barack Obama did the same.

Harris presidential campaigns and, before that, her Senate office, have drawn staff from Clintonworld.

She has been an incredible partner to Vice President Harris, Democratic National Convention Committee Chair Minyon Moore said at a press conference Monday morning. They have a great friendship. You know, theyre on speed dial with each other.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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If you liked what you saw on the first night of the Democratic National Convention, you can thank Joe Biden.

If youre enjoying seeing Donald Trumps reelection campaign flail and spiral, you can thank Joe Biden.

And if youre digging the Democrats' joyful message and newfound enthusiasm  well, you know.

None of whats happening now in the presidential race would be happening without Biden stepping aside and supporting Vice President Kamala Harris ascension to the top of the Democratic ticket.

The transformation of the presidential race began with Joe Biden

President Joe Biden takes the stage for his speech during the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19, 2024.

Harris and her team have done a remarkable job launching her presidential campaign and swinging the polls in her direction. Trump and the Republican Party have done a spectacularly bad job responding. But it all started with what is arguably one of the most selfless decisions in American political history.

That decision was loudly celebrated and appreciated Monday night at the United Center in Chicago, as a packed house cheered Biden on and lauded his years of public service.

Harris made a surprise appearance early in the evening, saying: "I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden. ... Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do. We are forever grateful to you.

Cheers of 'Thank you, Joe!' filled the DNC arena

Later, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said: Lets salute President Biden. He has been democracys champion at home and abroad. He brought dignity, decency and competence back to the White House. And he showed what it means to be a true patriot. Thank you, Joe Biden, for your lifetime of service and leadership.

Thousands launched into chants of Thank you, Joe!

Blame Trump and MAGA. Republicans, are you still confused by Harris' momentum?

Bidens critics, undoubtedly, will pooh-pooh Biden Appreciation Night. Theyll claim he was forced out. Trump will say its unfair. Hell repeat his bizarre and astonishingly wrong claim that it was a coup.

Thats all fine. Thats their thing. Monday night wasn't for them.

And Im not going to sit here and claim Biden swiftly and humbly stepped aside when he saw the Democratic base unenthused about his reelection bid. It took a bad debate, one that, fair or not, highlighted his age and flattened his chances of winning. It took pressure from congressional Democrats, pundits and even celebrities.

A politician deciding to let go of power is rare, and Biden deserves praise

But the how of it all is a lot less important than the end result.

A man holding the highest office in the land listened, saw the writing on the wall and decided to get out of the way for the good of his party and, Id argue, the good of the country.

The need for the DNC protests: The DNC protests in support of Palestinians need to happen. Why isn't that obvious?

That doesnt happen much. People dont often let go of power, as Trump himself has so loathsomely demonstrated since the moment he lost the 2020 presidential election.

But Biden did. And that set in motion a remarkable transformation of the 2024 presidential race.

With Biden at the top of the ticket, this would've been a very different DNC

Its hard to envision what the DNC would have looked like had Biden not stepped aside. The Democratic mood post-debate was dour. The effort to compensate for what many saw as Bidens age-related downsides wouldve overwhelmed this week. Democrats would have been walking on eggshells.

Instead, because of one decision, there was a bounce in their steps on Monday. There was an inescapable air of enthusiasm and a message of positivity and optimism.

President Joe Biden speaks during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center.

When Biden took the stage to make the baton passing fully official, the crowd erupted, waving We Love Joe signs and cheering for minutes on end.

As he waved to silence the crowd, the old man who, one way or another, found the guts to loosen his grasp on power said this: America, I love you!

I happen to believe thats true.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on X, formerly Twitter, @RexHuppke and Facebook facebook.com/RexIsAJerk

You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joe Biden DNC appreciation night was earned. He changed the election.
Screenshot from video. Credit - DNC

In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police who investigate crime, and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders.

Its the opening line for long-running TV drama Law & Order, but on Monday night at primetime, it wasnt heard on the police procedural but at the Democratic National Convention.

This is the story of Donald Trump, the narrator continued, accompanied by a similar soundtrack to the show it was parodying.

Democratic Convention airs new ad calling out Trump for being a convicted criminal pic.twitter.com/oriTz6wDQn  Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 20, 2024

The DNC, which kicked off on Monday in Chicago, and the Kamala Harris campaign have embraced themes once perceived to be the domain of the Republican Party, from law and order to freedom and patriotism. (The DNC also debuted an ad titled Freedom earlier on Monday.)

The new Law & Order adwhich debuted at the DNC as an introduction to a speech by Rep. Jamie Raskin, who was a lead prosecutor of Trumps second impeachment trialreflects a narrative that the Harris campaign has particularly leaned into: contrasting Harris prosecutorial background with Trumps felony convictions and slate of ongoing criminal cases.

During her stints as district attorney of San Francisco and attorney general of California, Harris developed a tough-on-crime reputation, though she has also later tried to frame her experience as that of a progressive prosecutor. Since Harris embarked on her 2024 presidential bid, her campaign has sought to portray her as someone well-equipped to bring Trump to justice.

Read More: The Reintroduction of Kamala Harris

His entire life, Trump has believed hes above the law, that no one would ever dare hold him accountable. He lies, he rips off workers, he sexually abuses women, the voiceover continued, along with photos of a younger Trump. He cheats in business. He cheated on his wife with a porn star and paid her off so the American people wouldnt find out during an election.

But in the American justice system, ordinary people have managed to find him accountable time and time again. For the first time in history we have a convicted felon running for President. And to take on this case, we need a President who has spent her life prosecuting perpetrators like Donald Trump.

The video was met with thunderous cheers and applause from the crowd at the United Center in Chicago and has entertained social media users, too.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022-IRA was supposed to accelerate the transition from petroleum-based fuels to what the act termed Cleaner Transportation Fuels. The IRA provided billions of dollars in tax credits and direct subsidies to encourage private industry to move forward with the implementation of so-called Cleaner-(a catchall term including, liquid hydrogen, biodiesel, ethanol, and renewable natural gas-RNG), new fuels that would help the country meet climate goals.

Its been a couple of years now, and I thought it would be useful to take the pulse of this still-nascent, but burgeoning industry. Even with the initiatives in the IRA, the graphic below from the BP Energy Outlook-2024 Edition shows that if present trends continue oil products will still make up about half the energy used in road, marine, and aviation transport by 2050. Meeting Net Zero 2050 goals would require that far fewer oil products be employed. As much as 70% less, according to the BP graphic below.

As a starting point to delve into the financial health of the Clean Fuels industry, its worth noting that BP: (NYSE:BP) has spent billions of investors cash in pursuit of biofuels with no discernable favorable impact on its stock. BP since acquiring all of BP-Bunge Bioenergia (formerly a JV with Bunge Global SA, (NYSE: BG) is down about 15% from the June 20th announcement date.

As private companies are leading this transition, and taking billions in taxpayer funding to buildout their infrastructure and distribution networks, its fair to ask if they are doing so profitably. Is BPs lack of growth in biofuels an isolated instance, or part of a larger trend?

One of the first things we find are companies that initially put forward ambitious climate goal commitments a few years ago, are now backing away from them. A recent Financial Times-FT article noted a number of large corporations backing away from or no longer prominently referring to previously stated NetZero 2030 goals-

This year, corporate leaders in a range of sectors have acknowledged they cannot meet their greenhouse gas emissions targets set, in some cases, several years ago. Large corporations, including Unilever, Bank of America and Shell, have in the past year dropped or missed goals to cut emissions or to shrink ties with the most polluting sectors. Others have simply skipped over their promise to improve.

This is probably a lagging indicator for the overall health of the clean fuels industry, as typically long before making a public announcement of this type, they have scaled back investments.

Story continues

Even governments, normally the most fervent adherents to climate policy goals are having doubts. A Reuters article noted that Scotland had stepped away from its 2030 goal as being unachievable by the target date.

"We accept the CCC's recent re-articulation that this parliament's interim 2030 target is out of reach," Mairi McAllan, the Net Zero Secretary for Scotland's devolved government, told the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh.

Europes largest economy, Germany, seems to be in the same predicament as noted in this article.

The Expert Council on Climate Issues, which has independent authority to judge the country's climate performance, said Germany is unlikely to meet its goal to cut 65% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 because sectors such as transport and construction are struggling to meet their targets.

That brings us back to the individual companies that are focused on providing the clean fuels that will bring the transition about. Most are struggling as this Wall Street Journal article notes. The article quoted Plug Power CEO, Andy Marsh as saying, The excitement of the early days has not lived up to the hype. Plug Power, (NYSE:PLUG) has recently opened a green hydrogen plant in Georgia. The stock of PLUG has crashed about 75% over the last year. The graphic below shows a broad cross-section of the clean fuels industry, and none are succeeding in the marketplace presently.

Among the problems the industry is having is cost control which is compounded by difficulties in raising capital, and results in pushing out project timelines. The FT noted in a recent article that some $84 bn across a broad range of technologies are stalled for a variety of reasons. In Michigan, the article noted that electrolyzer-a technology for breaking out hydrogen from water, manufacturer, Nel Hydrogen had paused a $400 mm project due to a lack of clarity on IRA tax credit rules pertaining to hydrogen. Confusion is a common complaint among companies seeking to avail themselves of government credits.

Another headache for these companies lies in the energy intensity of their manufacturing processes. Much of their efforts are competing with AI data center developers for green energy. Something that is particularly impacting hydrogen projects that require huge amounts of electricity to spilled water molecules to free hydrogen. The WSJ article noted the problems one developer had with a metals project

The only way to fix it is by lowering the cost of green electricity, said Andrew Forrest, one of the most vocal advocates of hydrogen. Forrest, the billionaire founder of Australian iron-ore giant Fortescue, said his companys 2030 hydrogen production target now looks unrealistic. Fortescue is planning to produce its own clean power to make hydrogen in Australia and is considering doing the same in Arizona.

Fortescue, (NYSE:FSUMF), like many companies has started fielding questions from analysts about the financial viability of these projects, as their stock price has declined this year. Fortescues stock is down 40% since the start of the year.

Summing up

It is certainly too soon to ring the bell on the Clean Fuels industry. Climate goals remain in place thus far, but investors choosing to vote with their money is a telling indicator of likely future prospects. Where are they taking their money?

In some cases, the oil and gas industry offers compelling shareholder returns based on rising cash flows. Reuters noted in an article earlier this year that the top five Western energy companies were returning cash to shareholders at record rates, thanks to rising cash flows. ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), for example, returns cash to shareholders with a 7.5% free cash yield as a combination of its annual dividend and a $20 bn share repurchase authorization.

Outsized returns are not limited to the Super Majors. Independent E&P, Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN), as a combination of stock buybacks and dividends, is returning capital to investors with a free cash yield of nearly 15%, on a one-year, run rate basis, based on recent prices of their stock-flat since the start of 2024, in the middle-$40s.

By David Messler for Oilprice.com

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Read this article on OilPrice.com
Joe Biden took the stage as the final speaker at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday night, with more than three minutes of applause and frequent chants of We love Joe from the audience. The 49-minute speech ran long during a night that was already behind schedule.

During the speech, audience members unfurled a banner reading Stop arming Israel, several attendees reported, and other people tried to rip the banner away. The disruption didnt cause much of a ripple due to the vast size of the arena.

More from Variety

We are in the battle for the very soul of America, Biden said, reciting a long list of his administrations accomplishments in infrastructure, health care, climate, jobs and manufacturing. Union Joe, chanted the audience as Biden spoke of his union support.

As many delegates began leaving the hall as his speech continued, Biden proclaimed, I know more foreign leaders by their first names and know them better than anyone alive, just because im so damn old.

He then took up the subject of reproductive rights. Donald Trump is going to find out the power of women in 2024, Biden said, flubbing his statement women are not without electoral power as electrical power instead.

America, I gave my best to you, he concluded. We just have to remember who we are.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton, who fell short of becoming the first woman president, told Democrats she believes America is on the verge of breaking through and electing Kamala Harris.

In her speech at the Democratic convention in Chicago, Clinton drew on the legacy of women on the national stage, from Shirley Chisholm to Geraldine Ferraro, and said that Harris will make history.

I want my children and grandchildren to know I was here at this moment, she said. We were here. We were with Kamala Harris every step of the way. This is when we break through. The future is here. Lets go win it.

Kamala Harris

Harris kicked off the convention with a brief appearance, sending a jolt of excitement through the delegates on hand. The Night 1 crowd at the United Center was jubilant about the historic prospect of electing the first female president. The sense of history moving on was buttressed later in the night  as the program ran very long  when attendees started clearing out well before President Joe Bidens address.

This is going to be a great week! Harris said during her brief appearance Monday. She gave a heartfelt thank-you to Biden. We are forever grateful to you.

Harris appearance followed a brief biographical video, narrated by Jeffrey Wright and accompanied by Beyonces song Freedom.

Tony Goldwyn

The vice president then gave way to emcee Tony Goldwyn, the actor who played the president on the ABC show Scandal. Goldwyn was among a handful of entertainers on stage, following Jason Isbell, who sang Something More Than Free, and Mickey Guyton, who performed Aint We All American?

Goldwyn promised that the week would offer an introduction to Harris and a clear contrast between Donald Trumps agenda and her vision for the future.

It is a message thats joyful, not mean spirited, Goldwyn said. Public service  not self service, optimism and opportunity, not chaos and division. Its a message that has woken us up to who we are.

The Democratic speakers offered tributes to Biden and Harris, but also sought to prosecute the case against Trump. Many attendees were overheard buzzing in corridors about the most recent Trump outrage  falsely claiming to have been endorsed by Taylor Swift.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York Democrat who has become one of the youthful faces of the party, was one of most anticipated speakers on the schedule and she was effective in firing up the crowd. Earlier in the day, Donald Trumps campaign sought to link Harris to Ocasio-Cortezs positions on issues like defunding the police and the Green New Deal.

When it was her turn at the podium, Ocasio-Cortez didnt waste time attacking Trump as a plutocrat. AOC demonstrated her muscle as one of the most prominent young Democratic stars to come along in years. Her speech was drowned out in multiple instances by screaming and applause  especially when she took aim at Trump.

I for one am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life, she said. The truth is, Don, you cannot love this country if you only fight for the wealthy and big business. To love this country is to fight for all people, working people, everyday Americans. Ocasio-Cortez also reminded the crowd how important support for House and Senate races are. We cant send Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to Washington alone, she said.

Hitting Back at Trump

Clinton also didnt hold back against Trump, saying he fell asleep at his own trial, and woke up to find himself convicted on 34 felony counts. In a twist of history, the crowd chanted Lock him up!  an echo of chants at Trump rallies eight years ago calling for Clinton to be jailed.

Clinton also drew parallels between Trumps attacks on her and those on Harris.

Hes mocking her name and her laugh  sounds familiar, Clinton said. But we have him on the run now. Clinton may have lost the 2016 race against Trump but she remains a rock star with hardcore Democrats.

The convention scene

Spotted in the basement of the United Center were Marisa Tomei, J.J. Abrams and producer Bruce Cohen. They said they had high hopes for the campaign. Abrams and his wife, Katie McGrath, have given more than $3 million to Democratic committees this cycle. Cohen is also a prolific donor.

Marisa Tomei, left, producer Bruce Cohen and J.J. Abrams at the DNC.

With the convention speeches running late, James Taylor was cut from his scheduled performance before Bidens speech.

As Democrats got ready for opening night, downtown Chicago was humming Monday with flags, bunting, bootleg t-shirt vendors and all the usual trappings of a political circus come to town.

Delegates from all over the country took time out before the major speechifying at the United Center this evening to look around the city. A rally in support of Palestinians in Gaza drew about 15,000 people, organizers with the Coalition to March on the DNC told ABC News Chicago.

But generally speaking, the downtown scene seemed calm. Further south near the warren of hotels housing delegates, the scene was quiet even outside of the gleaming silver Trump Tower that looks out over the citys Riverwalk.

Another hub of activity was on the east side of town at the sprawling McCormick Place center that the hosted DemPalooza showcase featuring a range of left-leaning organizations and causes. There were stages for discussions and Q&As but they were sparsely attended. The five-mile distance between McCormick Place and the United Center has obvious advantages for security and crowd control. But it also makes attendees heavily dependent on the DNC shuttles operating among the hotels and the two venues. The security perimeter around United Center is so large that ride share drivers and even public transit cant get too close.

Elections are often defined in slogans and there was plenty of sloganeering displayed on the lapels, polo shirts and blouses of delegates, from Remember Jan. 6 to Keep Kamala and Carry On, Another Cat Lady for Kamala and Make Lying Wrong Again.

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Former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.), the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate. Photo by Alex Dorgan-Ross/Getty Images.

CHICAGO  In the history of this republic, three Black women have served in the U.S. Senate.

One of them is a little busy right now: Kamala Harris.

But the other two, Sen. LaPhonza Butler (D-Calif.) and former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.), are scheduled to appear Tuesday at a fundraiser benefiting two women who are vying to join their very exclusive club next January: U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.

Perhaps fittingly, the historical gathering is set to take place at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center on this citys South Side.

Both Alsobrooks and Blunt Rochester are bidding to replace veteran lawmakers whose political careers span decades  Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), who has spent 18 years in the Senate and first won political office in 1966, and Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), who has spent 24 years in the Senate and first won political office in 1976.

Although she is not yet the Democratic nominee  the Delaware primary doesnt take place until Sept. 10  Blunt Rochester is heavily favored to win the Delaware seat. Alsobrooks is considered the favorite in Maryland for now, but faces a tough battle against former Gov. Larry Hogan (R).

Moseley Braun was elected to the Senate in an upset in 1992, but she lost her seat six years later. Democrats won it back in 2004 with a fellow named Barack Obama. Butler, a top policy adviser to Harris previous presidential campaign, was appointed to her Senate seat last year, following the death of trailblazing California Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D), and will finish up her term in January.

Tuesdays event was organizes by a campaign committee known as the Alsobrooks Blunt Rochester Victory Fund, but its a little more complicated than that.

According to the invitation, the proceeds will be split, depending on the size and source of contributions, in a complicated formula thats explained in the fine print, between the two campaigns and the federal campaign accounts of the Maryland Democratic Party and the Delaware Democratic Party. Blunt Rochesters proceeds will go first toward her primary campaign and then to the general election.

Phew!

Hogan, meanwhile, came out with three 30-second TV ads Monday. Each touts Hogans independence from partisan dogma and spotlights a professional woman (two are Democrats and one is independent) who is voting for Hogan.

As a welder, I understand heat and pressure, says Kay Williams in one of the ads. Larry Hogan understands heat and pressure.

He has a common sense ideology, says nurse Roxanne Thomas in the second ad.

Hogan was for me the definition of solutions without judgment, Pam Curtis, a self-described proud Democrat, says in the third ad.

But Democrats continue to pound away at Hogans preferred narrative that he will be an independent operator in the Senate. That counter-argument was repeated at the Maryland convention delegations breakfast Monday morning by none other than U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) dropped by the Maryland delegation breakfast at the Democratic National Convention Monday. Photo by Emily Condon/Capital News Service.

One of the charms of the hotel where the Maryland Democrats are staying and meeting is that nine other state delegations are also staying there, and the delegations are gathering in ballrooms that are close to each other. Schumer was drawn into the Maryland breakfast on his way to the Empire State meeting, after hearing whoops following Gov. Wes Moores rousing speech.

Wait a minute, can I join this party? Schumer said, as he approached the podium, to surprised cheers from the Marylanders.

I want to make sure that we elect Angela Alsobrooks to the United States Senate, he began. Guess who Gov. Hogan will vote for for majority leader. It aint Chuck Schumer.

Angela will do such a great, great job, Schumer continued. You have a great state, with Angela Alsobrooks in the U.S. Senate, with Chuck Schumer staying as majority leader, with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the White House.

Later, Maryland Democratic Chair Ken Ulman noted that under Schumers leadership, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has been a tremendous partner to the Maryland coordinated campaign. He is really focused on Maryland.

Also from the podium at Mondays delegation meeting, Alsobrooks was endorsed by Ryan Boyer, the business manager of the Metropolitan Area of Philadelphia/Baltimore/Washington Laborers District Council, the regional affiliate of the Laborers International Union of North America. The union often endorses Democrats  but it did back Hogan when he was seeking a second term as governor in 2018.

Angela Alsobrooks made history as the first Black women to be elected Prince Georges County executive, Boyer said. With our endorsement, we are going to work with her to not only make history again, but make a difference for the working men and women of Maryland.

Perhaps just as notably, Boyer expressed admiration for Maryland first lady Dawn Moore in a funny way, with a back-handed compliment for her husband.

I knew he was very intelligent, Boyer said. Hes a Rhodes Scholar. But I wasnt sure until I met the first lady. Hes really a genius!

Gov. Moore, Ulman, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller (D) and U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American to serve in a presidential cabinet, were the other principal speakers at Mondays delegation breakfast.

Raskins convention speech

U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-8th) was the first Marylander to speak on the convention floor Monday night.

A constitutional law professor, the manager of former President Donald Trumps second impeachment trial and a member of the House panel that investigated the Jan. 6 insurrection, Raskin recalled the terror of the Capitol riot and slung insults about the Republicans disdain for democracy.

Thank you for the beautiful weather, Chicago, Raskin said at the top of his speech. Its been a little difficult on Capitol Hill, where its not just the heat, its the stupidity.

Raskin decried the banana Republicans who have turned Lincolns party into a dangerous cult of personality. He recalled the chants of Jan. 6 insurrectionists: Hang Mike Pence!

Someone should have told Donald Trump that the presidents job under Article 2 of the Constitution is to take care that the laws are faithfully executed, not that the vice president is executed, Raskin said. He joked that U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Trumps current running mate, only got his job because the previous occupant, Pence, didnt want it.

Do you (Vance) understand why there was a sudden opening for vice president on the GOP ticket? Raskin said. They tried to kill your predecessor.

Raskin reminded the crowd how courts throughout the country rejected Trumps false claims in 2020 that the election had been stolen, but also rapped the current Supreme Court and exhorted Democrats to action.

Lets make it a landslide so big that Donald Trump and his kangaroo court Supreme Court justices cannot even try to steal it, he said, to thunderous applause.

Congressman Raskins courageous voice and bold defense of our democracy continues to make Marylanders proud, Ulman said later.
HONOLULU (KHON2)  The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is hosting a diverse range of speakers, each bringing unique perspectives on critical national issues.

Social work is a job that is growing quickly, and social workers are important in helping the country deal with big problems.

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These problems include more people having mental health issues, a crisis with opioid drugs, deep political disagreements and more people becoming homeless because of income inequality.

Amongst these voices is Dr. Anthony Estreet, Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

While there, he will speak at different events, including a panel at the University of Illinois at Chicago on August 20 and a TED Talk at a hotel on August 21.

Dr. Estreet will address the convention, aiming to raise awareness about the vital role social workers play in addressing pressing social issues, including mental health, economic justice and the opioid crisis.

Mental health crisis: A growing concern

Dr. Estreet emphasized the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to mental health, especially in light of the ongoing challenges faced by those who are unhoused and struggling with mental illness.

He pointed out that access to care remains a significant barrier for many, particularly in underserved areas like Hawaii. The closure of hospitals and a lack of services have exacerbated the situation, leaving vulnerable populations without the support they need.

Dr. Estreet called for increased investment in mental health services, including substance use treatment.

He highlighted the importance of making care more accessible and ensuring that mental health professionals, particularly clinical social workers, receive adequate compensation.

We need to make sure that providers in this space, especially in areas like Hawaii, are taken care of. They need a wage they can survive on, but also one they can thrive on, he said.

Bridging the political divide

Addressing the deep political divides in the country, Dr. Estreet offered a nuanced perspective. He explained that the term political divide often oversimplifies complex issues.

Rather than categorizing people into rigid groups, he stressed the importance of listening to constituents and working collaboratively to solve problems.

In Hawaii, where the political landscape is a mix of socially conservative and progressive values, Dr. Estreet noted that social workers have a unique role to play.

Social workers have always worked in a nonpartisan way to bridge divides and ensure that sensible legislation is passed, he said.

He pointed to the need for compromise on issues such as taxes, race, and living wages as essential to moving the country forward.

Tackling the opioid C=crisis

The opioid crisis has ravaged communities across the United States, and Hawaii is no exception. The state has invested heavily in harm reduction, a strategy that Dr. Estreet strongly supports.

Harm reduction meets people where they are in their recovery journey. It ensures that if people continue to use, they do so in the safest way possible, he explained.

Dr. Estreet advocated for continued investment in medication-assisted treatment and innovative harm reduction approaches. He also emphasized the importance of community support in the recovery process, noting that people are more likely to succeed when they feel supported.

Recovery is not just about the individual; its about the community coming together to support them, he said.

Addressing income inequality and homelessness

Income inequality has led to a significant rise in homelessness across the country, with Hawaii facing some of the most severe challenges.

The states high cost of living, particularly in housing, has forced many residents, especially Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, to leave for the mainland. This exodus is eroding the cultural foundation of the islands.

Dr. Estreet called for policies that increase the availability of affordable housing and create pathways from renting to homeownership. He also highlighted the need for economic justice, arguing that employment and wages must be improved to bridge the gap between income and the cost of living.

We cant talk about affordable housing without talking about economic justice. We need to ensure that people can afford to live where they choose to, he said.

Collaboration as a key message

During his speaking engagements at the DNC, Dr. Estreet plans to emphasize the importance of collaboration. He believes that organizations like the NASW cannot achieve their goals alone.

Collaboration, collaboration, collaboration, he said, noting that working with other organizations, such as the American Psychological Association and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is crucial for making meaningful change.

Dr. Estreet also stressed the need for leaders who are committed to preserving democracy and ensuring that everyone can vote.

He hopes to convey to policymakers the importance of passing sensible policies that address social justice, economic justice, and mental health.

We need leaders who care about the people they represent and who are willing to work together to solve the nations problems, he said.

Opportunities and challenges for social workers

Social work is one of the fastest-growing professions in the United States, but it faces significant challenges.

Dr. Estreet acknowledged that while the field offers many opportunities, it also comes with obstacles, particularly in terms of compensation.

Social workers are heroes, but they deserve fair pay, he said.

He pointed out that social workers often have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet, despite doing similar work to other professionals like psychologists.

Dr. Estreet called on Congress to increase reimbursement rates for social workers and expand loan forgiveness programs to alleviate the financial burden on those entering the field.

When you take care of your social worker, your social worker will be better equipped to take care of you, he added.

Promoting racial equality

Dr. Estreet addressed the ongoing national debate around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

He criticized efforts to roll back these initiatives, arguing that they are essential for creating a more just and equitable society.

The goal of this country should be to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive, he said.

He expressed concern over the portrayal of DEI programs as detrimental, emphasizing that NASW will continue to work with organizations like the NAACP and Black Lives Matter to advocate for social justice.

We wont stop advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Dr. Estreet vowed.

Overcoming challenges in addressing addiction and homelessness

When it comes to addressing addiction and homelessness, Dr. Estreet identified resources as the biggest obstacle.

He called for the federal government to provide more support and access to services, emphasizing the need for timely responses to these issues.

We need to be able to respond in a timely fashion, he said.

Dr. Estreet also advocated for the creation of community health clinics that offer integrated care for those dealing with multiple issues, such as mental health, substance use, and homelessness.

The more we can work alongside other professions and create one-stop shops for care, the better the outcomes will be, he said.

The vital role of social workers

As the nation continues to face significant social challenges, Dr. Estreet reiterated the importance of social workers in keeping communities together.

During the pandemic, social workers were on the front lines, helping people access resources and addressing mental health needs.

Social workers will continue to be there to address these issues, he said.

Looking ahead, Dr. Estreet hopes that the next presidential administration and Congress will provide the necessary support for social workers to continue their essential work.

Were looking for more support from Congress and the next president to address these challenges comprehensively, he concluded.

Dr. Estreets presence at the DNC highlights the critical role that social workers play in shaping the future of the nation.

You can watch Dr. Estreets full interview in the above video.

Get news on the go with KHON 2GO, KHONs morning podcast, every morning at 8

As he takes the stage, his message of collaboration, equity and justice will resonate with policymakers and the public alike, reminding them that united, we can overcome the challenges ahead.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
One of the two doctors charged in Matthew Perrys ketamine-induced death is legally permitted to reopen his medical practice, which he fully intends to do.

Dr. Salvador Dr. P Plasencia can resume operations  including treating patients  at Malibu Canyon Urgent Care as early as Tuesday, but must inform all patients about the ongoing case against him, his attorney Stefan Sacks told TMZ.

Plasencia also has to inform patients that federal authorities stripped him of his DEA registration, meaning he can no longer prescribe medications, including controlled substances like ketamine, per Sacks.

According to his lawyer, Plasencia can still distribute antibiotics and other non-controlled drugs, though patients must provide written confirmation that they still want Plasencia to treat them.

Plasencia has been charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine as well as seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of falsifying documents related to the federal investigation. Plasencia pleaded not guilty on Thursday to all charges and was released on a $100,00 bond.

Perry was 54 when he was found dead in his hot tub on Oct. 28, 2023, with toxicology reports ruling hed succumbed to the acute effects of ketamine.

Though he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy at the time to address depression and anxiety, it was believed the Friends star was otherwise sober.

Prosecutors allege that his live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, repeatedly injected him with the dissociative anesthetic in the weeks leading up to his death, and three times on the day of. Plasencia is accused of having instructed Iwamasa on how to do so, though he knew the latter had no medical training.

Iwamasa has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.

Dr. Mark Chavez, who allegedly used his former ketamine clinic to sell drugs to Plasencia, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

Jasveen Sangha, better known as the Ketamine Queen of Los Angeles, faces a total of nine counts in connection with Perrys death, including one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises. She has pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bond after being deemed a flight risk.

Director-producer Erik Fleming, who allegedly brokered the drug deals, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.
Rhode Island Department of Corrections Wayne Salisbury Jr. speaks to the news media after emerging from a closed door meeting with the Rhode Island Ethics Commission Tuesday morning, Aug. 20, 2024. (Nancy Lavin/Rhode Island Current)

Rhode Island Department of Corrections Director Wayne Salisbury Jr. will pay $200 to clear his name of alleged state ethics violations under an agreement reached with the state ethics panel on Tuesday.

The Ethics Commissions 4-2 vote came after a closed-door meeting with Salisbury that yielded an informal resolution and settlement. Under the agreement, Salisbury will pay $200 for failing to disclose out-of-state travel on his annual financial forms.

Speaking to reporters on his way out, Salisbury said he was pleased with the agreement and chalked up the missing information to a mistake.

It was a simple matter of ignorance, he said. I am thoroughly embarrassed. I didnt know how to complete the form or what the requirements were. Going forward, it wont be an issue.

The initial filing errors were first reported by WPRI-12 on June 6, five days before the first legislative hearing that would confirm Salisbury to the DOC director job. A day after WPRI revealed that Salisbury failed to include a half-dozen out-of-state trips paid for by third parties in 2023  including a $3,900 trip to the British Consulate in London  the Rhode Island Brotherhood for Correctional Officers filed a complaint over the missing information with the state ethics panel.

Tensions between the union and Salisbury have been growing since Salisbury was named interim director in January 2023, with disagreements centering on changes in prison policy enacted under Salisburys oversight. Protests continued during legislative hearings over his appointment to the cabinet seat; the Rhode Island Senate confirmed the new role with a decisive 32-4 vote on the final day of the 2024 legislative session.

Salisbury also updated his financial forms to include the travel information after the errors were reported.

The agreement with the ethics panel acknowledges Salisburys cooperation with the investigation and willingness to provide extensive documentation on expenses for his trips.

Significantly, the settlement acknowledges that the investigation did not uncover any evidence that the Respondent misappropriated or improperly received any reimbursement funds from the state or a third party, the agreement states.

Richard Ferruccio, president of the correctional officers union who filed the complaint, said Tuesday that he was glad the right thing was done.

It was unfortunate it took us having to raise it to the ethics commission before he did the right thing, Ferruccio said.

Ferruccio declined to weigh in on the amount of the fine.

After returning to open session, Ethics Commission Member Hugo Ricci Jr. proposed raising the fine, noting the number of trips  six  initially omitted from Salisburys filing. However, Riccis proposal was shut down by the panels attorney, because negotiations over settlement agreements can only happen during the closed-door portion of the meeting.

Ricci and Commissioner Frank Cenerini cast the votes against the agreement.

Salisbury earned a $174,593 annual salary in fiscal 2024, according to the state payroll database.

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During a campaign event with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in Michigan on Aug. 8, Harris running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, used the word damn four times during his brief remarks, including in two sentences in a row:

When you got a billion dollars, you dont give a damn about your Social Security check. But if youre like my mom and you depend on the Social Security check as your sole income, its pretty damn important, he said.

The following day, in Glendale, Arizona, Walz used the term eight more times. A day later, at a rally in Las Vegas, he made use of the expression an additional eight times.

And in a social media post on Aug. 13, he declared that he was damn proud of his military service.

These episodes clearly werent mistakes or momentary lapses in judgment. What was the vice presidential candidate trying to accomplish by repeatedly using a term that some people find offensive?

Im a cognitive scientist who studies and writes about language and communication. One question that sprang to mind was whether Walz was speaking as he always had, or whether he was deliberately adopting a new way of expressing himself.

A consistent history

It turns out that Walzs use of damn in public is nothing new for him.

In 2023, for example, he declared that Minnesota has been waiting too damn long for gun control measures.

At a news conference in Iowa two months later, he asserted  twice  that people should mind their own damn business when it came to abortion, LGBTQ issues and school curriculum.

Earlier, in 2022, he said that the Supreme Courts 2022 ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade wouldnt do a damn thing to prevent abortions. In 2020, he stated that a decision to ban police officers from using chokeholds on suspects was a pretty damn low bar.

And even before that, in 2015, then-U.S. Rep. Walz was quoted as declaring politics be damned when he cast his vote on free-trade agreements.

Clearly, this term is part of the candidates normal speaking style and has been for many years.

Even though research suggests that profanity causes people to be perceived negatively, its use doesnt seem to have hurt Walz at the ballot box. He has won eight out of eight elections during his political career, serving six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and two as Minnesotas governor.

During this period, there was also a marked increase in profanity used by politicians on social media, and this may have made such language seem less objectionable to his constituents.

Politicians and profanity

Walzs salty way of expressing himself has a long history in American politics. One of the earliest chief executives who publicly employed such language was the populist Andrew Jackson  although the story that his foul-mouthed parrot had to be removed from his funeral service in 1845 may or may not be true.

In the 20th century, Jackson would be joined by the likes of Harry Truman, who called Gen. Douglas MacArthur a dumb SOB. Lyndon Johnson was notorious for leavening his conversations with words like piss and shit. And other candidates for high office, such as Barry Goldwater, observed that only a damn fool would try to predict the future.

Vice presidents have also been known to turn the air blue in unscripted moments. Dick Cheney famously told U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy to go fuck yourself during an altercation on the floor of the Senate. And then-Vice President Joe Biden told President Barack Obama that passing health care reform was a big fucking deal.

And even presidents who didnt swear in public could be quite profane during their private meetings, as the transcripts of Richard Nixons Oval Office conversations made clear. Nixon had a penchant for the word damn and used it often when talking with his staff.

In short, many lawmakers have chosen to express themselves, in other settings, in a way similar to Walz on the campaign trail.

A newsworthy phenomenon?

Journalists seem to find these episodes notable enough to write about. In 2012, for example, Rolling Stone made much of Obamas referring to Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney as a bullshitter in an interview with the magazine.

In 2016, The New York Times ran a story about Donald Trump, Rand Paul, Jeb Bush, Bernie Sanders and Lindsey Graham under the headline Foul-mouthed and Proud of It, detailing the candidates use of terms such as damn, hell and bullit.

And in 2019, a Los Angeles Times columnist complained that Democratic presidential candidates Corey Booker, Steve Bullock and Beto ORourke were cursing a blue streak by employing terms like fed up.

Why is such behavior considered newsworthy?

In part, this may stem from our high expectations about how political leaders should comport themselves  at least in public. When leaders use vulgar language, they stray from this exalted standard. This seems to be the case even after generations of politicians have failed to meet this ideal.

Benefits of blue language?

People often employ transgressive language in order to create a certain impression. And in the case of Walz, he may be trying to establish  or to burnish  his persona as a regular guy, an everyman. Some observers have pointed to Donald Trumps use of profanity as a sign of the former presidents authenticity.

Younger adults are also more tolerant of profanity than members of older generations. The widespread use of profanity in hip-hop and other musical genres may be one reason for this.

As Walz continues to campaign for the Democratic presidential ticket, it will be interesting to see whether he chooses to moderate his language or whether he views his plainspokenness as an asset rather than a liability.

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: Roger J. Kreuz, University of Memphis

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Roger J. Kreuz 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.
When does Michelle Obama speak at the 2024 DNC? How to watch and stream

Former First Lady Michelle Obama will take the stage Tuesday night to give a speech during night two of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, USA TODAY previously reported.

Obama is one of several notable speakers expected to address the convention on Tuesday, the same night as her husband, former President Barack Obama. The convention comes nearly eight years after his second term in the White House ended.

The Obamas endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in July, days after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.

Harris, the Democratic nominee, will close out the convention with her acceptance speech Thursday night.

Here's what to know about tuning into Michelle Obama's speech at the DNC.

Why do celebrities endorse politicians? Because it can sway votes.

Sign-up for Your Vote: Text with the USA TODAY elections team

When is Michelle Obama's speech at the DNC?

An exact time has not been announced, but the former first lady is expected to give her speech during the convention's main programming time slot between 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m. CT.

How to watch and stream the 2024 DNC

The convention will air live on its website, from the United Center in Chicago between 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET (6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central) Tuesday through Thursday.

USA TODAY will provide livestream coverage on YouTube each night of the DNC, Monday through Thursday.

When and where is the Democratic National Convention?

The Democratic National Convention will take place from August 19-22 in Chicago.

The United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, will be the main venue for the DNC.

Chicago has hosted the Democratic Convention 11 times, most recently in 1996 when the United Center saw President Bill Clinton was nominated for a second time.

What are the themes for each night of the DNC?

The DNC announced nightly themes for the convention. The title of the convention is "For the People, For Our Future."

Here are the themes for each night:

Monday: "For the People"

Tuesday: "A Bold Vision for America's Future"

Wednesday: "A Fight for our Freedoms"

Thursday: "For our Future"

Contributing: Phillip M. Bailey and staff, USA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When does Michelle Obama speak at the 2024 DNC? Where to watch, stream
It's estimated that there are estimated 250,000 to 500,000 dogs on the Navajo Nation reservation. (photo/underdogrescuemoab Instagram)

An animal rescue group serving the Navajo Nation will host its largest-ever free mobile vet clinic this fall on the reservation.



From October 18-21, Underdog Animal Rescue & Rehab and a team of seven veterinarians will travel through Upper Fruitland, NM  located in the far northwest corner of New Mexico and encompassing the east side of the sprawling Navajo Nation reservation to perform free and low-cost spay and neuter surgeries, treating sick animals, administering life-saving vaccines, and microchipping pets.

Jennifer DeFosse, grants manager for Underog, told Native News Online their goal is to treat 1,000 animals during the four-day mobile clinic.

"It sounds pie in the sky," DeFosse said. "But I think we can pull it off."

At 28,000 square miles  an area the size of West Virginia  the Navajo Nation is the largest reservation in the US. Resources are scant on the extremely rural tribal nation, with many homes lacking running water and electricity. Navajo families often drive up to an hour and a half one way to access water, filling up large barrels to transport back to their homes.

With an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 dogs on the reservation commonly referred to as "rez dogs"  the need for veterinary care is immense. However, there are only two veterinarians on the sprawling reservation.

"For comparison, there are 800 vets in West Virginia," DeFosse said.

The annual cost of preventative care for a dog can run $700-$1,500, a prohibitive cost for someone living on the reservation where the average income is $42,000.

Lack of access to veterinary care poses a public health risk, as well: In July, Navajo Nation reported that rabies cases on the reservation increased four-fold from 2023-2024.

Based in Moab, Utah, Underdog was founded in 2017 to support Navajo families in pet ownership and rehabilitate stray animals on the reservation for adoption. The group has adopted out 4,500 rez dogs, and last year distributed more than 18,000 pounds of pet food to Navajo families.

DeFosse says Underdog's mission isn't just about providing veterinary care but about supporting the Navajo community as a whole.

"Some of the folks that we talk to are taking food off their own plates to make sure that their animals are fed," DeFosse said. "That isn't a choice anyone should have to make. This is not just a problem with animals. This impacts mental health and well-being."

Petco Love, the Banfield Foundation, Greater Good Charities, and Red Rover are partnering with Underdog to sponsor the four-day clinic. Ad

Volunteer spots are still open. Interested individuals can contact clinics@underdogrescuemoab.org for information on volunteering.

About the Author: "Elyse Wild is senior editor for Native News Online and Tribal Business News. "

Contact: ewild@indiancountrymedia.com
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  Three people have been arrested following an investigation into the death of a correctional officer at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.

On Aug. 9, 2024, a correctional officer at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater opened a letter and minutes later began to feel ill. According to a statement sent to the Associated Press, the prison employee began feeling unwell following an exposure to mail saturated in an unknown substance and was pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital.

Workers death at Atwater State Prison investigated for possible fentanyl exposure, AP learns

According to court documents, between July 15, 2024, and Aug. 9, 2024, 35-year-old Jamar Jones, an inmate at USP Atwater; 35-year-old Stephanie Ferreira of Evansville, Indiana; and 37-year-old Jermen Rudd III of Wentzville, Missouri, conspired to introduce narcotics into USP Atwater for Jones to sell.

Talbert says as part of that scheme, Jones and Ferreira had Rudd mail a letter laced with narcotics to Jones that was fraudulently labeled as legal mail.

An investigation into the death of a correctional officer led to the arrests of the three defendants on Tuesday, who are charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to distribute controlled substances and introducing narcotic drugs to an inmate at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

Another correctional officer also fell ill after coming into contact with the narcotics-laced letter but later recovered.

Following the arrests, Ferreira is set to be arraigned on the complaint in the Southern District of Indiana, while Rudd will be arraigned on the complaint in the Eastern District of Missouri. Jones will appear next week in court in Fresno for his initial appearance, federal officials say.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
(Reuters) -BMW is recalling 720,796 U.S. vehicles over concerns of a short circuit, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Tuesday.

"An improperly sealed electrical connector on the water pump may be exposed to water and short circuit," the NHTSA said.

The recall includes some crossovers including the X1 and X5, along with some 5-series sedans among other models.

Dealers will inspect and replace the water pump and plug connector as necessary, and install a protective shield for free, the U.S. auto safety regulator said.

The NHTSA also said that BMW was aware of about 18 customer complaints, concerns or field instances but has not received any reports of accidents or injuries related to this report in the U.S.

(Reporting by Gursimran Kaur and Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee)
The U.S. Department of Justice is launching a civil investigation into the conditions at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, a notorious privately run prison plagued by understaffing, violence, contraband and sexual misconduct, officials announced Tuesday.

Tennessee has known of the issues at Trousdale Turner for years, said U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Department of Justices Civil Rights Division.

Clarke made the announcement at a virtual news conference held Tuesday morning. She was joined by U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Henry Leventis.

Trousdale Turner is run by Brentwood-headquartered private prison operator CoreCivic. Still, Clarke said that the state government remains responsible and liable for its treatment of incarcerated people, adding that private prisons are not above the law.

In our country, people do not surrender their constitutional rights at the prison door, Clarke said.

Barbed Wire fencing lines the walkways at Trousdale Turner Correctional Facility in Hartsville , Tenn., Monday, Aug. 14, 2023.

The officials cited multiple audits conducted by the state, including a scathing December audit that found CoreCivic was continually violating its contract with the state due to skyrocketing turnover rates at most of its facilities. They also noted years of concern from incarcerated people, their families and other community members.

In a statement, CoreCivic vice president of communications Steven Owen said the "safety and dignity of every person in our care is a top priority" for Trousdale leadership and staff.

"That's why we've worked closely with the Tennessee Department of Corrections to identify and implement policies and processes that enhance safety and security while providing meaningful programs and services geared towards helping the individuals in our care prepare for successful reentry," Owens said.

He said the company would work with TDOC and the DOJ to address areas of concern.

Through a spokesperson, TDOC said it would "cooperate fully" with the investigation. Gov. Bill Lee's office also confirmed awareness of the investigation and that TDOC will cooperate.

During fiscal year 2023, CoreCivic operated with triple-digit turnover rates in its facilities, except for its Whiteville prison, while the company's agreement with the state is to maintain turnover rates at 50% or less.

Trousdale prison was a major driver of the turnover issues, recording a 188% turnover rate in 2023, a 74% increase from 2022, the audit found.

Prosecutors referred to staffing concerns during Tuesday's announcement, mentioning reports that a single guard had been left to oversee hundreds of prisoners.

More: Private prison company CoreCivic's history of issues in Tennessee

CoreCivic, and Trousdale particularly, has long been subject to critical state audits. In 2020, an audit found health staff at two facilities, including Trousdale, failed to property classify inmate deaths and mishandled sexual abuse claims. Three years prior, a state audit found gang activity and staffing shortages as evidence of "continued noncompliance with contract requirements and department policies." CoreCivic has been fined millions of dollars in recent years for contract failures, but Tennessee continues to renew its contract with the private prison operator.

Nashville attorney Daniel Horwitz, who has represented several incarcerated people and their family members in lawsuits against CoreCivic, applauded the announcement.

"The heinous abuses that occur with regularity at the chronically understaffed facility are unhidden, and they have been documented year after year ... as CoreCivic allowed the prisoners in its care to be murdered, raped, and stabbed without intervention," Horwitz said in an emailed statement. "It is long past time for this death factory to be shut down.

Jonathan Williamson, president of the Nashville branch of the NAACP, said the organization for years has been fielding troves of letters and complaints from people incarcerated at Trousdale and their families. He said complaints in recent months have ramped up as people become increasingly desperate.

Its really heartbreaking to read these letters. ... Its everything from murder, to sexual assault, to abuse, to withholding medications, he said. You can see the desperation in peoples handwriting. The inhumane treatment thats been going on at Trousdale is unacceptable.

The DOJ and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee are investigating under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, a 1980 federal law that protects the rights of people held in prisons, jails, state-run mental health care facilities and nursing homes.

Chairs of the Tennessee House and Senate Judiciary Committees have not yet returned requests for comment.

Vivian Jones and Kelly Puente contributed to this story.

Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EvanMealins.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: DOJ investigating Trousdale Turner, CoreCivic-run Tennessee prison
The Justice Department is attempting to substitute itself in place of former President Trump as the defendant in a lawsuit brought after law enforcement pushed protesters out from Lafayette Square near the White House following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

If successful, the move would enable Trump to avoid liability in the suit or having to pay any eventual damages.

In court filings Monday, the Biden-era Justice Department certified Trump was acting in the scope of his employment as president and filed a notice substituting itself as the defendant.

On the basis of the information now available with respect to the claims set forth therein, I find that Donald J. Trump was acting within the scope of federal office or employment at the time of the incident out of which the plaintiffs claims arise, James Touhey, the Justice Departments director of its civil torts branch, wrote in the notice.

The protesters who brought the lawsuit can attempt to object and keep Trump on the hook. The judge overruled their objection, however, when the Justice Department previously substituted itself for former Attorney General William Barr and other defendants in the case.

Following Floyds murder, which inspired racial justice demonstrations across the country, protesters gathered in Lafayette Square, located across the street from the White House.

Law enforcement on June 1, 2020, suddenly cleared it using smoke canisters and pepper balls ahead of a photo op by Trump, who crossed the park to make a statement while holding a Bible in front of a nearby church.

The lawsuit alleges Trump ordered law enforcement officers to forcibly drive protesters from the park, asserting he is liable for battery, assault and other claims. The suit was originally filed in 2020 but has since been amended and remains tied up in pretrial proceedings. It seeks an unspecified amount of damages.

By certifying Trump was acting within the scope of his presidency, the Justice Departments step would effectively make the former president immune from the suit. In addition Monday, the Justice Department filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

The scope-of-employment issue was previously a mainstay in advice columnist E. Jean Carrolls litigation against the former president, which stemmed from allegations that he sexually assaulted her in the mid-1990s.

The Justice Department in both the Trump and Biden administrations sought to substitute itself for Trump in one of Carrolls lawsuits, tying up the case for months, only for the department to eventually reverse its position and leave the former president on the hook.

Carroll ultimately went to trial in both cases, where juries awarded her a combined $88 million in damages for her sexual abuse and defamation claims. Trump is appealing and continues to deny Carrolls allegation.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Dont give up any state: Beshear embarks on battleground delegation breakfast tour at DNC

The mood inside the Palmer House hotel fourth floor ballroom was decidedly groggy.

After a late opening night of the Democratic National Convention, delegates from Florida picked over eggs and fruit early Tuesday morning. Clanking silverware on plates overwhelmed quiet conversations.

In came Andy Beshear, who didnt wait for formalities.

He galloped onto the dais and introduced himself as the proud Democratic governor of Kentucky  with an intentional emphasis on the word Democratic.

It was only minutes after 7:30 a.m. in Chicago, and Beshear served as a needed double shot of morning espresso.

Beshear repeated this routine before the Pennsylvania and Georgia delegations, completing a kind of breakfast battleground state tour that is expected and required of an ambitious politician. His morning rounds followed a prime time address about reproductive rights Monday.

Leaning heavily into his success as an unapologetic Democrat in a reliably red state, Beshear emphasized the need to compete everywhere and strongly suggested he was just the guy who could do it.

Weve got to make sure that we dont give up any state, that we dont give up any county, that we fight in every single place across this country, Beshear told Florida Democrats. Because I, like you, want to make sure we eventually have a future where seven states dont decide the presidency, where we all matter in these election years.

Florida, which used to be the perennial battleground state, has fallen into the Republican column over the last decade.

A half hour later before Pennsylvania Democrats, Beshear adjusted his message slightly, nodding to its pivotal 19 electoral votes.

Pennsylvania, Im excited: Youre going to deliver the presidency to Kamala Harris, Beshear told this audience.

But he didnt abandon his directive that Democrats needed to push into places that havent rewarded them with victories.

For us as Democrats, weve got to go into every county, every area, Beshear said. I know Pennsylvania loves being this important  we all long for every state to matter, we all want every single vote in every single presidential election and every other election to matter and that means we fight in every part of this country for our values and to elect the very best candidates.

He announced his political action committee  In This Together  was endorsing Sen. Bob Casey.

Jason Salus, a party chairman in Montgomery County, Pa., was one of many who snagged selfies with Beshear during his delegation tours.

Im really impressed with what hes done, being able to deliver a Democratic message in a state like Kentucky and do it convincingly, said Salus. I think it shows our Democratic message has national appeal. Hes a fresh face on that national scene.

And he took note that along with Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Beshear was a fellow former attorney general.

Thats quite a turn of events for Democrats, to put up all these progressive law enforcement folks, Salus said.

Theres some talk in Democratic circles that Beshear could be a candidate for attorney general in a Harris administration.

Sally Garcia, a DNC delegate from outside of Orlando, said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was her favorite Monday speaker. She recognized Beshear for fighting for abortion rights, a core theme of his speech inside the United Center.

I know hes from a long family of Democratic politicians and its always amazing that Kentucky can produce a Democratic governor and supposedly its so Republican, Garcia said.

Phil Giorno, another Florida delegate, knew of Beshear from his prevalent media presence in the aftermath of catastrophic weather events.

Anything that happens with disasters, hes right in the middle of it, Giorno said.

In DNC speech, Gov. Andy Beshear warns of Trumps threat to reproductive freedom
HOWELL  Former President Donald Trump cited inflated crime numbers Tuesday during a visit to a sheriff's department in Howell and deflected criticism over his choice to hold an event about crime and public safety in a city with a Ku Klux Klan history where white supremacists demonstrated as recently as last month.

Trump, speaking to a small crowd of invited guests that included many law enforcement officers, pledged to increase overall police numbers while shifting federal policing resources to border enforcement. He accused Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, of supporting "defund the police"  an accusation the Harris campaign denies  and being generally soft on crime.

"They go after guys like me, but they don't go after people that kill people," said Trump, who is awaiting sentencing in New York State on 34 felony counts related to false bookkeeping that aided the coverup of a sex scandal, and is awaiting trial on many other felony charges, some of them related to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol that was fueled by Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

"Since Kamala Harris took office ... she's presided over a 43% increase in violent crime," said Trump, adding that his numbers were backed by data put out by her own administration.

But in fact, no such increase has taken place.

Violent crime spiked during the pandemic, both in the U.S. and in Michigan, but has been dropping since then, according to data compiled by the FBI.

Nationally, the rate of violent crime fell an estimated 6% in 2023, compared to 2022, according to the FBI. Before that drop, the violent crime rate was identical in 2019, the last pre-pandemic calendar year of the Trump presidency, and in 2022, the most recent year of the Biden presidency for which complete data are available, records show. Both years, there were 381 violent crimes for every 100,000 people in the U.S. But in between, the violent crime rate in the U.S. rose as high as 399 per 100,000 people, in 2020, the last full year Trump was president, records show. According to the Council on Criminal Justice, violent crime continues to decrease in 2024.

In Michigan, the recent peak for violent crime was in 2021, a year later than the recent peak for the U.S. as a whole, according to FBI statistics. In 2019, Michigan had a violent crime rate of 439 incidents per 100,000 people, which was lower than the 2022 rate of 461 per 100,000 people, records show. But 2022 was down from 2021, when the violent crime rate hit 491 per 100,000. State-level data for 2023 is not available, but Detroit, Michigan's largest city, in 2023 recorded the fewest number of homicides since 1966 and a 0.6% decline in violent crime, compared to 2022.

Though data show violent crime has been in decline since the pandemic, Trump said violence is increasing because of open border policies by the Biden-Harris administration.

Before Trump spoke, several Michigan sheriffs at the event went to the microphone to describe recent crimes they are investigating or are being prosecuted in which the suspects are undocumented immigrants.

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivers remarks on crime and safety at the Livingston County Sheriff's Office in Howell, Michigan, on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.

"Crime is an issue in this election," said former congressman Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat.

Trump said that Harris, "until recently," supported the "defund the police movement."

But an analysis by PolitiFact, an arm of the Poynter Institute, found otherwise. PolitiFact found that Harris called for "reimagining" public safety and investing in other areas, such as education, but said that the country needed law enforcement.

Trump was sharply criticized by the Harris campaign and others for choosing Howell as the site of the event, after a small group of white supremacists held a rally in the city on July 20.

Some of the demonstrators that day chanted, "We love Hitler," and "we love Trump," but there has been no evidence their actions were connected with or endorsed by the Trump campaign, which has denied any such link.

"Trump is choosing to rally in a town that was historically known as 'the KKK capital of Michigan,'" Harris campaign spokeswoman Alyssa Bradley said in an email. "This event on 'crime and safety' isnt a dog whistle from Trump  its a bullhorn."

Trump took one question from reporters after delivering more than 50 minutes of unusually low-key remarks. The reporter was booed and shouted down when she asked about his choice of Howell for the event, given its KKK history.

"Who was here in 2021?" Trump asked the reporter, a reference to a visit to Howell that year by President Joe Biden.

The Harris campaign said its main concern was Trump's failure to condemn the recent white supremacist demonstration.

David Siwik, a history professor at Lansing Community College, said Howell has a more recent history with the Ku Klux Klan than many Michigan cities, in part because of its proximity to the Livingston County home of Robert Miles, a grand dragon of the KKK who was convicted in1971 of planning the bombing of school buses that were to be used for court-ordered desegregation in Pontiac.

But Siwik noted that the KKK was influential in many parts of Michigan, including Detroit, during the 1920s.

"If you held a political rally in any city in Michigan, you could tie it to having had, in the past, Ku Klux Klan activity," Siwik said.

But Siwik said that given Trump's history, which includes telling the far-right Proud Boys group to "stand back and stand by" in 2020, the former president's choice of Howell for a campaign event is likely no coincidence. Trump could be saying, "Yes, we understand the history here and, wink wink, nod nod, that's why we're here," Siwik said.

Kasey Helton, a Howell-area Democrat and community activist who works in health care, said she and others work hard to shed Howell's reputation as a haven for racists and the publicity surrounding Trump's visit is a huge setback.

Groups such as the Livingston Diversity Council and Stand Against Extremism are trying "not to ignore, but to heal those old stains, those old wounds," Helton said. "Now, it's like that Band-Aid has been ripped off all over again."

She blames Trump, regardless of whether he had any knowledge of, or connection to, the recent demonstrations. "If Trump had not made the decision to come here, we would not be talking about the city of Howell like this on the national stage," Helton said. "It's disheartening," but "we can come back and we will come back."

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on X, @paulegan4.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trump cites inflated crime numbers during Howell visit
**Related Video Above: Amy Acton decided to not run for office back in 2021.

COLUMBUS (AP)  Dr. Amy Acton, the former Ohio health director who became a household name during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, says she is considering a run for governor in 2026.

Acton shared her deliberations with reporters during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Tuesday.

Top 10 causes of death in US, COVID sinks on list: CDC

Acton, a Democrat, said she learned a lot about how the governors office runs while serving in Republican Gov. Mike DeWines administration, appearing at his side during televised daily coronavirus briefings in early 2020.

I always am just really focused on how I can best be of service, she told the USA Today Network Ohio Bureau. Obviously, Im not a politician. I used to joke that Im the Ted Lasso of politics.

Actons role as state health director threw her into the statewide, and even national, spotlight for a time.

Gov. Mike DeWine has tested positive for COVID-19

She gained praise from many for how she combined expertise with a comforting demeanor, reassuring residents huddled at home in fear of the deadly virus.

Acton also had her critics. She wielded broad emergency powers during the pandemic to sweeping effect. Among her actions were halting the states presidential primary, closing down Ohios gyms and fitness centers and imposing stay-at-home orders as she and DeWine worked to prevent COVIDs spread.

Actor Clueless while eating poisonous fruit on TikTok

She resigned the job after a grueling period of public exposure, demonstrations, lawsuits and personal attacks, but never lost her interest in public service. Acton briefly considered a run for U.S. Senate in 2021.

Republicans already positioning to run for governor in two years, when DeWine must leave office due to term limits, include Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and Attorney General Dave Yost.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Authorities are investigating a drive-by shooting that took place overnight in the Fruit Valley area of Vancouver.

Officers reported to calls around 11:20 p.m. that said there had been multiple gunshots in the area of West 31st Street and Fruit Valley Road as well as the area near 1900 West 31st Street.

DONT MISS: Massive blaze engulfs Milwaukie train bridge

No injuries were reported, but officials say multiple vehicles had been hit in the gunfire and roughly 55 shell casings were left over.

Anyone with information about this shooting is encouraged to contact Vancouver police.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
A murder charge has been filed against a 35-year-old driver police allege struck and killed an innocent bystander on a sidewalk in Houston over the weekend while attempting to mow down his domestic partner.

Sanden James George was identified Monday evening by the Houston Police Department as the suspect arrested in a deadly crash near downtown Houston early Sunday morning.

George was charged with murder in the killing of a 41-year-old nightclub manager whom he allegedly struck with a car while attempting to run over his domestic partner, police said.

PHOTO: Sanden James George, 35, seen in this booking photo. (Houston Police Department)

"An initial investigation, evidence from the scene, and witness statements determined a male suspect got into a physical altercation with a woman, 24, before attempting to intentionally strike her with his vehicle. She was not seriously injured. The suspects vehicle struck another woman and he fled on foot," Houston police said in a statement.

The woman who was killed, whose name is pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, was pronounced dead at the scene by Houston Fire Department paramedics.

In addition to murder, George was charged with assault of his partner, police said.

The incident unfolded around 3 a.m. after patrol officers in the city's Midtown area responded to a report of a pedestrian being hit by a car, according to Houston homicide detectives.

"It's my understanding that the victim, the decedent, was actually the manager of one of the nightclubs and was preparing to go home," Robert Klementich, a spokesperson for the Houston Police Department, said during a news conference Sunday.

PHOTO: Police allege a 35-year-old man driving this car has been charged with murder after Houston police alleged he struck and killed an innocent bystander while attempting to run over his domestic partner. (KTRK)

Witnesses, including the alleged intended target, told police the suspect and his domestic partner were involved in an altercation at a nightclub and left the establishment, Klementich said.

MORE: Driver allegedly kills bystander while trying to mow down domestic partner: Police

Upon leaving the nightclub, George allegedly got into his car and started driving around crashing into multiple vehicles, Klementich said.

George's domestic partner alleged to investigators that the suspect intended to strike her with the vehicle when he hit the innocent bystander, Klementich said.

MORE: Karen Read murder case: Judge sets 2025 date for retrial

"She was able to get out of the way," Klementich said of the suspect's companion. "Unfortunately, an innocent bystander who was walking on the sidewalk was struck by the suspect's vehicle."

George allegedly fled the scene on foot, but police found him in the area with the help of witnesses and took him into custody, according to homicide investigators. George was taken to a hospital and treated for minor injuries before being booked at the Harris County Jail, authorities said.

Driver charged with murder in killing of innocent bystander while allegedly targeting partner originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Drone fragments were discovered again in Romania near the Ukrainian border.

Source: Ministry of National Defence of Romania, as reported by European Pravda

Details: According to reports, Romanian Ministry of Defences specialists headed to a region near the village of Periprava in the county (county) of Tulcea, close to the Ukrainian border, "which, as reported, is a possible area of falling drone fragments."

Quote: "The investigation team collected evidence from the scene for examination, in accordance with legal procedures. The scene is located in a swampy area, outside the settlements, without damage to infrastructure elements," the report added.

They confirmed that they would continue to report on the status to the allies and denounce Russia's strikes on Ukrainian civilian institutions and infrastructure, "which are unjustified and contrary to international law."

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Romanian authorities have routinely reported finding drone fragments on their territory.

Last month, two F-16 fighter jets took off in Romania in connection with a Russian kamikaze drone attack on Ukrainian ports on the Danube.

The Romanian Ministry of Defence later said that the wreckage, identified as parts of a Russian-made Geran-1/Geran-2 drone, was located at one of three likely crash sites.

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A drunk driver allegedly hit a pregnant pedestrian on the sidewalk of Highway 397 in Kennewick after she refused to get into his SUV, according to court documents.

Francisco J. Barajas Hernandez, 26, reportedly asked the 26-year-old woman twice whether she needed a ride about 2:15 a.m. Sunday  first on Columbia Drive and then on Highway 397.

After the woman turned him down twice, he allegedly turned around the SUV and drove at her, knocking her down a rocky embankment and leaving her with scrapes and abrasions, court documents said.

He then drove away into Kennewick where he was arrested shortly after. A breath test at the hospital allegedly showed his blood-alcohol level was 0.13 percent. The legal limit for alcohol is 0.08.

Barajas Hernandez appeared by video from the Benton County jail on Monday afternoon. He is being held on suspicion of second-degree assault, failing to help an injured person and DUI.

Deputy Prosecutor Anita Petra asked for him to be held in lieu of $50,000 bail. She also asked that if he was released he needed to have constant alcohol monitoring and not have any contact with the woman he allegedly tried to hit.

Defense attorney Michelle Alexander reserved arguments about the bail.

Judge Joe Burrowes agreed to the conditions.

Barajas Hernandez has told investigators that he didnt know the woman or what happened, court documents said.

Ride offer

The victim told investigators that she was walking on Columbia Drive when a man in a green SUV approached her and asked if she needed a ride.

The woman, who is about eight months pregnant, continued walking north on Highway 397 toward the cable bridge when the SUV approached her again, court documents said.

After turning him down a second time, he turned the SUV around and drove straight at her. The SUV hit her and forced her down a rocky embankment.

She told investigators her head and neck were sore and she had scrapes on her left leg, court documents said. She was treated at Trios Southridge Hospital.

The SUV continued south on Highway 397 and Kennewick police quickly found a matching silver Toyota being driven by a man matching descriptions given by the victim and a witness, police said.

WSP Detective Ryan Sauve wrote that Barajas Hernandez smelled like gasoline and was crying when he first saw him. He denied drinking.

After he was taken to Trios Southridge Hospital, he told another trooper that he had two beers before getting behind the wheel.

After his evaluation at the hospital, Barajas Hernandez told investigators that he did not know what happened and didnt know the woman.
FORTY FORT, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)  An Eagle Scout is making a difference at a historic cemetery in his community.

The 17-year-old Wyoming Valley West student says he wanted to help preserve the rich history of his hometown and took on a unique project.

Aaron Girvan is a member of Boy Scout Troop 143 in Swoyersville. For his Eagle Scout badge project, he took on mapping the old yard section of the Forty-Fort graveyard.

I chose the Forty Fort cemetery because as a resident of Forty Fort, its always been here. Its a very well-known section of Forty Fort and its also a very historic section.

He also digitized the map so grave sites that were difficult to locate are now easier to find.

The records that the cemetery currently has only goes back to the 1870s and already said the graves are the oldest ones are from the 1790s so clearly they are absent from the historical record my purpose of the project was to record every single name, date of birth, date of death, explained Girvan.

Turning tragedy into positivity by helping kids through grief

He has been working at this for more than 3 years. If youre wondering exactly how many graves, hes kept a record of its well over a thousand.

1,096. Some of those gravestones might have two or more people on them they might be large family monuments, said Girvan

While mapping out the old yard section of the graveyard Aaron says hes been able to learn so much history.

There are some people out in here theres a former congressman. There are a couple of individuals associated with the founding of the town of forty fort war figures and many more individuals.

The cemetery staff is very grateful for all of Aarons work and dedication

The project that he did has made my job so much easier. Now with Aarons maps and the information that hes given, including the pictures of the graves we can literally find them and pinpoint them down, stated Bonnie Baker, caretaker at the Forty Fort Cemetery

Aaron is also a part of the marching band at his school and when he graduates, he plans to attend college and major in politics.

On Friday Aaron was finally able to complete and submit his Eagle Scout project. Heres to you Aaron!

If you have a kid we should feature, drop us a line at our Heres to You Kid section of our website.

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Energy giant bp has secured a 12-month contract to supply Norwegian crude oil to Polish refining company ORLEN's refineries in Poland and Lithuania.

The deal, which will see bp deliver six million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of crude oil, is set to cover approximately 15% of ORLEN's total feedstock requirements.

The agreement is designed to give ORLEN flexible supply options, allowing crude oil shipments to be routed to either the Polish port of Gdansk or the Lithuanian port of Butinga based on demand.

Under the contract, the first delivery is scheduled to reach the port of Gdansk in September 2024.

ORLEN receives various oil grades from North Sea fields, including Forties and Brent from the UK, as well as Oseberg, Johan Sverdrup, Troll, Grane, Brent, and Ekofisk from Norway.

As part of diversification efforts, ORLEN also procures oil from the US, including WTI, Bakken, and Mars grades.

Further expanding its supply chain, ORLEN has tapped into resources from the Persian Gulf and West Africa, importing Forcados and Bonny Light crude oil.

bp Poland head of country Bogdan Kucharski said: Our agreement to supply ORLEN with Norwegian crude oil is an important step for our business in Poland. It also helps enhance energy security for Poland and the wider Central and Eastern European region.

Through our trading team we are able to supply not only North Sea crudes but also access many of the other types of oil ORLEN uses. We also look forward to working with ORLEN on future opportunities to advance the energy transition.

ORLEN management board president Ireneusz Fafara said: Working with bp, a stable and well-established player, is a key element in diversifying ORLEN Groups feedstock portfolio.

"Notably, the oil we will acquire through this contract is not only of consistent quality and sourced from geographically close North Sea fields but also has properties that ensure high yields and is well-suited to the processing technologies at our refineries.

This, in turn, enhances the economic efficiency of our production facilities. As part of our collaboration with bp, we will also explore other potential areas where we can work together.

In addition to securing Norwegian crude, ORLEN, through its subsidiary PGNiG Supply & Trading, has recently signed a deal to supply natural gas to Slovakia's ZSE Group until the end of 2025.

"bp signs contract to supply Norwegian crude oil to ORLENs refineries " was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Update, 5 p.m.:

The Bishop Street wildfire burned only an estimated 15 acres in San Luis Obispo on Tuesday morning  down from the initial estimate of 50 acres, the city said in a news release.

According to the release, the total fire acreage was determined to be 14.7 acres, with 11 acres in the State Responsibility Area and 3.7 acres within city limits.

The initial estimate of 50 acres was made without a full visual of the extent of the fire and under less-than-ideal conditions of smoke and morning light, the release said. Later in the day, fire personnel were able to use aircraft and an unmanned aerial vehicle to map the burn scar from above.

According to the release, an estimated 575 people from 329 addresses were evacuated due to the blaze.

We appreciate the nearby neighbors for heeding all evacuation warnings as we responded to the fire, the release said.

Original story:

Thousands of households in San Luis Obispo woke up without electricity on Tuesday morning due to an early-morning wildfire that forced nearby residents to evacuate.

The fire burned about 50 acres into the hills above Bishop Street, according to San Luis Obispo City Fire Department Chief Todd Tuggle.

Authorities evacuated residents of neighborhoods in the area between Sydney Street and San Luis Obispo High School and above Johnson Avenue due to the blaze, Tuggle said.

The fire also caused several power outages.

The wildfire was 80% contained by 3 p.m., Cal Fire said in a social media post.

An early morning fire on the hill behind Bishop Street burned 50 acres and forced evacuations in San Luis Obispo on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.

Wildfire reported near SLO High School

The San Luis Obispo City Fire Department received reports of a fire in the 1700 block of Bishop Street at 4:30 a.m., Tuggle said.

The wildfire rapidly progressed into the area behind the San Luis Obispo County Probation Department and Health Agency buildings, Tuggle said.

Approximately 100 personnel from the city Fire Department, the Police Department and Cal Fire responded to the scene, Tuggle said.

By 7:15 a.m., forward progress on the fire had stopped, Tuggle said.

The fire grew to about 50 acres before it was contained, he said.

An early morning fire burns on the hill behind Bishop Street, forcing evacuations in San Luis Obispo on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.

Power outage affects thousands of PG&E customers

PG&E received reports of an outage in SLO at 4:26 a.m., according to its website, linked to the nearby fire as the cause.

As of 8:26 a.m., seven outages across San Luis Obispo County impacted a total of 3,568 PG&E customers, according to PG&Es outage map.

SLO High School was temporarily without electricity and closed early Tuesday morning, KCBX-FM reported.

The high school reopened later Tuesday morning, Tuggle said.

Power Outages in San Luis Obispo County and California

This map shows current California power outages and is automatically updated every 15 minutes. It shows the total number of customers impacted by county (in black), the general location of the outages with red (not planned) and orange (planned) circles, and more detailed power outage areas from PG&E when zoomed into the map (other utilities are not available for power outage areas). Tap on the locations for the number of customers affected and estimated power restoration in the left-hand column.

Open

SOURCES: California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas and Electric, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Los Angeles Water & Power, ESRI

Power was restored to all affected customers as of 10:45 a.m., according to a release from the San Luis Obispo City Fire Department.

Power has been restored. https://t.co/FlUG9wSvE9  City of San Luis Obispo (@City_of_SLO) August 20, 2024

A 50-acre fire on the hill behind Bishop Street in San Luis Obispo caused thousands of households to lose power and forced one neighborhood to evacuate on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Approximately 100 personnel from the SLO City Fire Department, SLO Police Department and Cal Fire responded to the fire.

Residents return to homes after evacuations

As of 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, local residents had mostly returned to their homes and could be seen in their front yards surveying the scene.

First responders were conducting mop-up and were expecting residual smoke and emergency vehicles in the area well into the afternoon, Tuggle said.

Personnel on the scene continued to attack hot spots with a hose line.

In the distance, chainsaws could be heard on the hill side.

A 50-acre fire on the hill behind Bishop Street in San Luis Obispo caused thousands of households to lose power and forced one neighborhood to evacuate on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.

What caused fire in hills above Bishop Street?

The cause of the fire remained under investigation as of Tuesday morning, Tuggle said.
FILE - Debris from a Norfolk Southern freight train lies scattered and burning along the tracks, Feb. 4, 2023, the day after it derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Some East Palestine, Ohio, residents want more time and more information before they have to decide by a deadline this week whether to accept their share of a $600 million class-action settlement with Norfolk Southern over last year's disastrous train derailment.

But it's not clear whether the judge will rule on their motion before Thursday's deadline for people who live within 20 miles (32 kilometers) of the derailment to file a claim.

Residents who live within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of the Feb. 3, 2023, crash near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border also have to decide whether to accept up to $25,000 per person for personal injuries, although accepting that money will force them to give up the right to sue later if someone develops cancer or other serious illness because of the chemical exposure.

The amount residents can receive varies by how close they lived to the derailment, with people who lived within 2 miles receiving $70,000 for property damage. People who lived at the outer edge of the area might only receive a few hundred dollars.

One of the key complaints in the motion filed by attorney David Graham is that attorneys who represented residents in the lawsuit haven't disclosed any of the results of testing done around town by their own expert, Stephen Petty, who has testified in hundreds of lawsuits about contamination concerns, to determine the extent of the contamination caused when toxic chemicals spilled and burned after the derailment.

Some of the attorneys involved in the case promised residents in news interviews early on that Petty's data would be disclosed in court filings to lay out the impact on East Palestine. So Graham asked the judge to order that information to be released to try to address residents' concerns.

Fast forward to their present, post-settlement posture, and class counsel and their PR machine have now forgotten all about their star testing expert, Petty, Graham wrote.

Instead of Petty, the lawyers brought out a different expert at an online town hall meeting a couple weeks ago who told residents he didnt think anyone in town would develop cancer as a result of the derailment. But Dr. Arch Carson didnt make clear what data he relied on for that opinion other than a brief mention of tests from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Researchers studying the health of residents in the area and tracking respiratory problems, rashes and other ailments they are reporting say it may not be clear for years what the long-term implications of the derailment will be.

I completely disagree with Dr. Arch Carson  there is no research data that suggest that his statement is correct, said Dr. Erin Haynes, who is leading one of the main studies in town and is chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health.

Graham suggested that the plaintiffs' attorneys might be more interested in collecting their up to $180 million in legal fees than representing residents' interests.

The plaintiffs' lawyers didn't immediately respond to the motion Monday, but they have previously defended the settlement that was announced in the spring. They have said the settlement is bigger than any past derailment settlement that has been made public, and that the amount of time residents received to evaluate the deal is similar to other settlements.

Some residents have complained that the initial opt-out deadline in the lawsuit came less than a week after the National Transportation Safety Board held a hearing on its findings in the investigation.
AUSTIN, Texas (KETK)  Gov. Greg Abbott appointed eight people to the Texas Medical Board on Monday, including an East Texas doctor.

Bishop Gorman Catholic School hosting blood drive for teachers children

George De Loach, D.O., courtesy of the Texas Medical Board

According to a release, George De Loach, D.O. of Livingston was one of the eight appointed to join the Texas Medical Board. De Loach is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon that serves Polk, San Jacinto, Angelina, Tyler and Liberty counties.

As a part of the board, he will help regulate the practice of medicine in the state.

According to Abbotts release, De Loach is president of the Polk-San Jacinto County Medical Society, fellow of the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics and American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, and member of the Texas Osteopathic Medical Association, Texas Orthopedics Association and the American Osteopathic Association.

According to the governors office, De Loachs term will expire on April 13, 2029.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Eastern WA site may become largest trucking services complex for hundreds of miles

As local industry booms, fleets of trucks are traveling to and from Pasco and other Tri-Cities plants and warehouses daily.

But truckers have few options for places to stop and get the services they need  from showers and meals to pet areas and especially overnight parking.

Two developers already are planning to bring giant new truck stops to Pasco.

Together with King City Truck Stop and Loves Travel Stop, they would create the biggest regional trucking services complex for hundreds of miles.

A Missouri-based real estate company, SRB Real Estate Investments, plans to build the Big Apple Travel Center, according to documents under review by the State Environmental Policy Act Register.

It would be on the west side of Highway 395, north of the King City Truck Stop and near the growing number of food processing facilities in the area.

Set for just over 10 acres on Industrial Way and Rainier Avenue, the property would include 55 truck parking spots, along with a truck scale and wash bays.

There would also be a convenience store and restaurant.

Another truck stop is proposed by the Confederated Tribes of Colville Reservation. Documents from the Bureau of Indian Affairs show that stop would be on 34 acres on the east side of Highway 395 at Kartchner Street and Capitol Avenue.

Plans for a 13,155-square-foot Pasco Travel Plaza show a fuel station and 1,350 parking spaces, including 36 truck parking spots.

Located near the Colville Reservations proposed future casino, the travel plaza would include retail space, a convenience store and a truckers lounge with restrooms and showers. There also would be an retail and office building with the possibility of future tenants.

With the increasing interest in truck stop services, Pasco city officials are pushing to get rules in place to better regulate overnight parking.

A driver walks past dozens of trucks parked in a popular truck stop and fueling station in the Kartchner interchange area in Pasco. Two developers are planning new truck stops to the same area in Pasco.

Growing industrial development

The travel centers would meet a growing need in the city, with Amazon and Darigold contributing to an increase in local freight travel.

A 2020 survey found that 98% of truck drivers report having problems finding safe parking, said the Federal Highway Association.

Washington state does not have sufficient truck parking spaces and is ranked among the lowest in the country for truck parking availability, said the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Amazons open fulfillment center in Pasco, Project Oyster, is expected to generate more than 1,700 weekday trips, with peak traffic volumes between 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. in the evening.

Truck trips will account for 16% of total daily trips.

Project Oyster, one of two new Amazon fulfillment facilities, is on Road 40 East in Pasco.

Its twin Amazon building across the street, Project Pearl, has no opening date scheduled but when it does, it will have a similar impact and is expected to generate about 720 car trips per day and 350 truck trips.

In addition, Darigold Inc., the Seattle-based dairy cooperative, broke ground on a state-of-the-art $600 million plant on at 8201 N. Railroad Ave. nearly two years ago. Its expected to open in early 2025.

Theres also a third, smaller Amazon delivery facility, Project Hawk, and a UPS warehouse in the works on Capitol Avenue.

The future traffic will add to the hundreds of trucks already delivering to and from Resers Fine Foods, Twin City Foods, FedEx, Syngenta Seeds and other companies in the area.

Dozens of trucks park in a popular truck stop and fueling station in the Kartchner interchange area off Highway 395 in Pasco. Two developers are planning new truck stops to the same area in Pasco.

Overnight truck stop rules

Pascos Planning Commission is now considering adding a new use to the citys code that would allow developers to build facilities where truck drivers can stay in their trucks overnight or even longer.

The proposed change comes during a nationwide shortage of places where truck drivers can safely stop and park.

U.S. Department of Transportation rules require property-carrying truck drivers to take at least 30-minute breaks after driving for up to eight hours. They may not drive beyond 14 hours without taking at least a 10-hour break.

Plans for the 13,155-square-foot Pasco Travel Plaza show a fuel station and 2,000 parking spaces, including 36 truck parking spots.

Pasco officials are discussing that those facilities would need to be on a maximum of 15 acres off the interstate, with access to and from Highway 395, Highway 12, Highway 95, State Route 397 or Interstate 182, the major local highways and truck routes.

The overnight parking areas would only be allowed in industrial zones with a buffer of at least 1,000 feet from residential or mixed-use areas.

The growing industrial development creates more need for freight drivers in the Northwest, said Jacob Gonzalez, Pascos community and economic development director. Pasco and the Tri-Cities are home to several important routes on the map.

Its been an unmet need, he said.

The map shows the proposed site of the Big Apple Travel Center in Pasco.

Commercial truck drivers would be allowed to park, access on-site amenities and sleep in their trucks for up to 72 hours within a 96 hour-period.

The planning commission has recommended 24-hour, on-site management, an automatic closing gate with a security camera, permanent single-use occupancy restrooms and pet areas. Possible amenities include showers, laundry and recreational facilities.

The commission plans a second public hearing on the draft ordinance at its meeting on Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m.

Trucks and other freeway traffic navigates in the Kartchner interchange area on Highway 395 in Pasco.

Project background

The request for new rules for truck stops in Pasco first started in January 2024 when a local developer, B4 Development, representing Tiger Parking, considered building an overnight truck parking area off Lewis Street in east Pasco.

General Manager John Scheline told the Herald that B4 Development has since withdrawn its application because there was a prolonged timeline working with the city.

The property also would have been excluded by the draft ordinance because it is currently commercially zoned and within 1,000 feet of residential areas.

We encourage the city to be more adaptable and business-friendly, even when presented with new and unconventional business models, Scheline said in a statement to the Herald. The ability to evolve is critical for fostering growth and innovation which is something Pasco has struggled with in the past.

Tiger Parking is now looking at other cities along Interstate 182 and Interstate 90 where it could build. Scheline didnt say if something else is planned for the Lewis Street property.
This article was originally published in Rhode Island Current.

By the time Providence public school students go back to class on Sept. 3, Rhode Islands education commissioner may have chosen whether to end, continue, or reconfigure the state takeover of their schools five years ago.

A new progress report from consulting firm SchoolWorks on the 2019 action that handed control of the capital citys underperforming schools over to the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) could help guide Commissioner of Education Angelica Infante-Green in making her decision.

I have not ruled out any options, Infante-Green said Friday morning. Im letting the process play out.

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Infante-Green shared and summarized the findings in a letter to the Providence Public Schools District (PPSD) community before taking questions from reporters at RIDEs main offices in downtown Providence.

This is about 30, 35, years of struggle for this district, and its not going to be fixed overnight, Infante-Green told reporters. We talk about it as a big ship with a little rudder  in a hurricane. Thats how it was happening during the pandemic.

Related

Rhode Islands Ed Chief on Charters, Enrollment Loss and Providences Future

Math and English test scores from the 2022-2023 school year show just how far the district has to go to achieve the academic goals prescribed in its turnaround action plan. For example, among eighth-graders, only 6% were at grade level in math, and 15% were proficient in English Language Arts (ELA).

Compared to the 2018, pre-takeover baseline, eighth-graders math proficiency dropped one percentage point. The turnaround action plan called for 50% proficiency in math and 63% in ELA for eighth-graders by the 2026 school year.

Victor Morente, a RIDE spokesperson, told reporters the commissioned report  with its $120,600 sticker price  is a statutory requirement of the takeover process. The Crowley Act, codified in state law in 1997, allowed state education officials to exercise administrative powers over Providences underperforming schools.

There has been progress in the hurricane, in the pandemic, Infante-Green said.

SchoolWorks interviewed students, families, teachers and leadership across schools, the district, Mayor Brett Smileys office and Providence City Councilors about how well the plan has fared. The research team also visited schools and reviewed documents from some of the many stakeholders involved: RIDE, Providence Public Schools Department, the city and its school board.

City Council members, School Committee members, and community members reported a need for improved collaboration, communication, and transparency between municipal entities including RIDE, the School Committee, and PPSD, the report reads.

Absent from that list is the states Council on Elementary and Secondary Education, to whom Infante-Green could supply her decision at their next meeting on Aug. 29. The commissioner is also set to attend the Providence school boards meeting on Aug. 21.

Another report released Friday from Harvard Graduate School for Educations Center for Education Policy Research didnt cost the state anything, but is part of a series of assessments being done for various school districts on the impacts of pandemic learning loss. The report compares the states recent school reforms to similar districts in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Although the results suggest Providence is moving in the right direction, especially in ELA [English Language Arts], it is too early to draw conclusions about the efficacy of the Providence reform efforts, the Harvard report noted. The pandemic disrupted schooling in the Spring of 2020, just months after the state take-over. We only have two years of reliable student assessments post-pandemic (and a single year change in annual scores) by which to judge.

A lot of material

The plight of Providence schools has been on peoples minds, with a recent legislative study commission led by Sen. Sam Zurier, a Providence Democrat, attempting to suss out what can be done about the at-times awkward coupling of municipal and state-level leadership.

Asked to comment on the pair of reports Friday afternoon, Zurier told Rhode Island Current that they contain a lot of material, and hed be reviewing them over the weekend.

Zuriers reticence to comment too quickly is understandable: At a combined 89 letter-sized pages, the two reports are not light reading. Even the authors of the Harvard University report concluded that they were working with data perhaps that lacks definite shape.

Erlin Rogel, president of the Providence School Board, didnt need as much time to assess the new report.

RIDE commissioning a progress report is like a student filling in their own report card, Rogel wrote in an emailed statement sent to news outlets, claiming the agency has roundly rejected the school boards attempts to be included in the decision-making process.

Rogel also argued that the reports assertion that the school board does not act cohesively, and even lacks a shared vision for governance, echoes RIDEs belief that the Board exists to silently rubber stamp their agenda.

I am no longer surprised by RIDEs rejection of attempts to hold the agency accountable to the people, but I am deeply concerned by their lack of self awareness, wrote Rogel, who did not immediately reply Friday afternoon to a request to answer follow-up questions.

But the SchoolWorks report does voice some of the boards concerns: School committee members also stated that they are not consistently engaged by the Superintendent or senior leaders from PPSD regarding programmatic changes, nor are they engaged in an advisory capacity regarding analysis of student outcomes.

The report does not evaluate individual job performances or personnel  like that of Infante-Green, or of Providence Superintendent Javier Montanez, who recently signed a three-year contract extension with the district. A copy of the contract was not immediately available Friday afternoon.

The report is evaluating the system, Infante-Green told reporters, pointing to the reports drill down into metrics and standards as markers of the superintendents work.

According to the SchoolWorks website, the firm has worked with education officials in Colorado, Chicago, Louisiana and Massachusetts. Kim Perron, president of Schoolworks, said in an email that the company would not be providing any comments, and directed questions to RIDE.

Highlights from the SchoolWorks report on the Providence School Department:

Skill issues across grade levels: Rhode Islands Comprehensive Assessment Score, or RICAS, measures third- and eighth-grade students learning in crucial areas like ELA (English language arts) and math. The report assessed that none of the RICAS scores, except third grade math, were on track with the turnaround plan.

Meanwhile, in high schools, ninth-graders are meeting turnaround plan targets for being on track postsecondary success. But the number of students who graduate high school with AP or college credit, or have progressed in a career or technical education track, are at 35%, which is 5% under the target. No SAT categories met turnaround numbers either.

Municipal struggles: The City of Providence is shortchanging its schools and has not upped its investments for the district in ways consistent with the Crowley Act, even with higher funds thanks to a 2019 Collaboration Agreement. (The City Council has successfully earmarked an additional $2.5 million for 2025). Money issues aside, the report still concluded the city is beginning to provide value-added leadership in its commitments to the schools.

The City has received the SchoolWorks report and has begun an in-depth review while we await the upcoming recommendation from the Rhode Island department of Education. The Mayor will be briefed this afternoon on the findings by the Department of Education, Josh Estrella, a spokesperson for the city, said in an email Friday.

As Rogels comments might imply, there is also discord within and between the various stakeholders: School Committee members shared examples of how mistrust among their members and across entities (superintendent, RIDE, PPSD leadership, mayor, City Council) is a barrier to collaboration.

Parental advisory: Parents had mixed feelings when surveyed. They said they receive regular updates on their students progress, but high teacher turnover has led to reduced confidence in the takeover process in general. Overall, families with a favorable perception of the district dropped to 53% in the 2022 school year. That was a 7% drop from the previous year, and 12% below target.

Asked about parental perceptions, Infante-Green said thats a primary challenge the superintendent faces: The difficult part about that is that when youre making change, there are people that are going to be unhappy, right? And it goes back and forth, she said. But the goal is that when we have a strong district, that parents are feeling like their kids are getting educated.

Some good news: Students are feeling an increased sense of belonging, 17 percentage points higher in the 2022-2023 school year than in 2020-2021. School leaders are also feeling more secure in making decisions thanks to regular review of data  at least 90% of the surveyed leaders use district software to review student data at least once a week. Also improved: The conditions of the school buildings themselves. Lamentable facilities were prominently mentioned in the 2019 Johns Hopkins University report that preceded the takeover. But every stakeholder group interviewed by SchoolWorks noted better working and learning conditions in their school environments.

Rhode Island Current is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Rhode Island Current maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janine L. Weisman for questions: info@rhodeislandcurrent.com. Follow Rhode Island Current on Facebook and X.
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE)  The happiness and excitement show on her face. 22-year-old Danya Gonzalez is ready to begin her teaching career.

Ive always wanted to be a teacher, ever since I was a kindergarten teacher.

She wants her classroom to be welcoming for students -and is decorating it using her favorite color: pink.

I want my students to come in this space and feel like theyre going to know a little piece of me. Theyre not going to see everything because I want their work to be placed everywhere too, she said.

As a new teacher at Fresno Unifieds Sunnyside High School, Danya spent a week not only getting her classroom ready but also attending professional learning development.

It may seem like a lot for a new teacher to take in, but this recent Fresno Pacific University graduate says shes getting the support and tools she needs.

Im not nervous about the first day. Im so excited just to have them in my space. Thats what Im most excited for.

Danya will be teaching U.S. history, including perspectives on race and social justice.

These are pictures of some of the historical figures in the Mexican Revolution.

She knows what kind of teacher she wants to be and what she dreams for her students.

I want my students to come in and learn about the past and themselves and their communities and then I want them to become agents of change in their own communities.

Donya was right there with the rest of the Sunnyside staff when students arrived for the first day of class, getting support and encouragement from principal Michele Anderson, who was the same age as Donya when she started her career at Sunnyside as a new teacher 25 years ago.

She advised to not worry too much about the things she has to teach but to make sure the kids are in a safe space.

To not worry so much about all the things you have to teach but just to make their kids and their space safe for them and for each other. Just spend time getting to know them.

That was top of mind for Donya as she welcomed her first students as a new teacher, hoping to make an impact.

When they come in they are going to experience a lot of love from the get-go. Even if they dont want it they are going to receive 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 YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
Heres a quick follow-up of sorts to a post from last week, when I wrote about Donald Trumps campaign relying on racist and xenophobic claims that resemble campaign materials from the early 20th century.

Trump gave us another example Sunday, when he reshared a social media post with footage of dark-skinned people walking in line. The accompanying text said: If youre a woman you can either vote for Trump or wait until one of these monsters goes after you or your daughter.

Trumps campaign is maniacally focused on anti-immigrant fearmongering, so, much like with that post, the message here seems clear enough, no? In essence: Women, fear the dark-skinned people  and not the old white men who want to wield control over your body (and your daughters) and keep you in abusive marriages.

This was straight-up Birth of a Nation-style racism being promoted by the standard-bearer of the Republican Party.

And though I dont plan to report on every racist thing Trump does or says  in part because neither you nor I have the time  I do want to make three observations:

First: The rank racism promoted in the Republican Party is remarkable. Trump and his associates regularly spew the sort of racism that got Rep. Steve King, an Iowa Republican, castigated and ousted from Congress years ago.

Second: The Trump-Vance campaign, quite clearly, is still lacking a coherent message to appeal to women. Asked recently by Fox News Laura Ingraham about his message to Black women, Trump gave an answer that was very telling in that it basically was Beware the immigrants. One could argue thats his entire political platform in a nutshell, but to me, this despicable shared post, paired with Trumps Ingraham interview and JD Vances apparent ability to offend women with each passing utterance, proves that Team Trump is bereft of any tactics but fear in their efforts to woo women voters.

And lastly: Ive become a bit torn in my belief about whether Truth Social is a boon for Trump or a boondoggle. On one hand, it seems like a huge waste of money and an embarrassing vanity project. On the other hand, Trump posts a lot of extreme content over there that goes largely unseen. So Im going to do my best to be selective with you all, and share things he posts only when I feel I can use them to make broader points.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
FILE PHOTO: Eli Lilly logo is shown on one of their offices in San Diego

By Manas Mishra

(Reuters) -Eli Lilly's weight-loss drug, Zepbound, drastically cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in overweight or obese pre-diabetic adults after three years of weekly injections, the drugmaker said on Tuesday.

Shares of Lilly rose 4.4% to $962.02 in early trading, adding to an over 60% rise in stock value this year.

In a trial involving 1,032 adults, patients who were on weekly injections showed a 94% reduction in the risk of progression to type 2 diabetes, compared with placebo, Lilly reported in a statement.

"We just don't see numbers like this in metabolic space," BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Seigerman said. He added that Novo's drug had also showed a 73% risk reduction after three years in a separate late-stage trial.

The Indianapolis, Indiana-based company said the data comes from the longest completed trial of the drug, and reinforces the long-term benefits of tirzepatide - the chemical name of its Zepbound and Mounjaro treatments.

Both Eli Lilly and rival Novo Nordisk have been pushing to extend the use of their obesity drugs to related conditions, which would help expand the patient pool and gain wider insurance coverage.

Early results from its late-stage trial, "SURMOUNT-1", were initially disclosed in 2022. The data at that time showed the drug helped cut weight significantly in obese patients, helping it to secure U.S. regulatory approval.

It was unclear if the company could file for approval to prevent diabetes based on the data, Leerink analyst David Risinger said. A pre-diabetes approval, however, could be a big upside for the stock, he added.

Lilly also said patients began to regain weight and showed some increase in the progression to type 2 diabetes when they stopped treatment during the trial. Detailed data would be presented later, it said.

Lilly's data comes amid concerns that patients reduce the use of weight-loss drugs over time.

Reuters reported in July that only one in four U.S. patients prescribed Novo's Wegovy or Ozempic for weight loss two years ago were still taking the popular medications.

(Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli, Tasim Zahid and Anil D'Silva)
An elite Russian commander told Moscow's troops that they would 'go to heaven' if they died in Kursk

Local volunteers walk past a building damaged by Ukrainian strikes in Kursk. TATYANA MAKEYEVA/Getty Images

A Russian commander said that soldiers who died serving their country in Kursk would go to heaven.

Ukraine's counteroffensive into Kursk took its Western allies and Russia by surprise.

Kyiv says its forces have captured roughly 386 square miles of Russian territory since August 6.

A Russian special forces unit commander told the parents of conscripts that their children would go to heaven if they died serving their country in Kursk.

Ukraine launched an offensive into Russia's Kursk region on August 6, taking both Russia and the West by surprise and forcing Russian President Vladimir Putin to divert some troops from Ukraine.

Following the incursion, the commander, Apti Alaudinov, said he observed parents demanding that their children be taken out of the combat zone.

In a message shared on his Telegram channel on August 18, Alaudinov said it is their duty to protect the country when it's being attacked.

He said conscripts who die defending "their Fatherland, their faith" will "go to heaven," the Russian-language media outlet Meduza reported, citing the Telegram video.

The incursion was a surprise, as NATO officials thought Ukraine would have to wait another year to launch a counteroffensive. However, experts say the attack has proven highly effective.

The Washington, DC-based Institute for the Study of War said in an update on Sunday that there was a "stark contrast" between the amount of territory taken by Russia so far this year and by Ukraine in less than a week.

Kyiv said its forces have captured roughly 386 square miles of Russian territory  almost as much as Moscow has seized in Ukraine this year  since the incursion began on August 6.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine didn't inform its allies about the planned incursion because its allies would have called the plan "unrealistic."

Last week, the country's intelligence said its forces in Kursk had captured 102 Russian soldiers.

The "I Want to Live" project, run by Ukrainian intelligence, posted a video on its Telegram channel on Thursday of dozens of men lying stomach-down next to a road.

The caption of the video stated that the troops had "made the right decision and surrendered."

Representatives for the Russian military did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (FOX 56)  Nexstars WEHT reported that the suspect has been pronounced deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Previous story:

Two people are dead after a triple shooting in Elizabethtown. Police say it happened outside the Hardin County Justice Center on Monday.

What started as a family court hearing quickly escalated into a tragedy that now leaves two children without a mother and grandmother.

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Law enforcement officials say 37-year-old Erica Riley, her mother Janet Riley, and other family members were at the Hardin County Courthouse Monday morning to take out an emergency protective order against Rileys boyfriend, Christopher Elder, 46, but police say they were ambushed in a parking lot across the street.



We was walking from the back to the front, and we heard gunshots, like from seven to ten to maybe twelve gunshots, and so we came through here, and when we got out here, we seen the body laying, we seen another body laying, a witness, Rebecca Duvall, said.



According to the police, Riley, her mother, and another man related to them were shot. Erica was pronounced dead at the scene.

Janet Riley was taken to the hospital where she later died, and the man is in stable condition at the hospital. Police said Rileys two children were on the scene but were not harmed.



Meanwhile, Elder left the scene and led police on a chase all the way to Christian County before investigators say he shot himself in the head. Police said he is in critical condition at a hospital in Tennessee.



I mean, its tragic any way you look at it, said Chris Denham, the public affairs officer for the Elizabethtown Police Department. Theres two people that have lost their lives. A mother leaves behind, you know, two children. Very, very sad set of circumstances. Our most sincere thoughts and prayers are with them, and we remain with them. And, you know, all the other survivors, the loved ones of those impacted.

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Court documents for the EPO laid out Rileys plea for help. She wrote that Elder has threatened me and abused me with mental and physical violence for the past one and a half years.



She described an altercation where she said Elder repeatedly hit her in the face and head after she tried to defend her daughter from his verbal abuse



Family court, theres always emotion involved when you have cases like this, said Jeremy Thompson, the chief of police for the Elizabethtown Police Department. And we have them daily because most counties have a family court now. So, they see this, but it just takes one incident such as this to understand how volatile these can be.

Gov. Andy Beshear spoke out about the tragedy on social media, saying, Our thoughts are with Elizabethtown in the wake of an act of violence that took two lives and has left one hospitalized. Join Britainy and me in lifting the entire Hardin County community in prayer and giving thanks to our brave first responders.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News.
Brussels has bowed to pressure from Elon Musk's car company - David Swanson/REUTERS

Teslas made in China will face lower EU tariffs than rivals after Brussels bowed to pressure from Elon Musks car company.

Electric cars made at Teslas Shanghai plant will be subjected to a 9pc import tariff, European Commission officials confirmed. That is less than half the import tax of 20.8pc that was initially proposed.

The rate has been lowered after push back from Mr Musks company. Tesla had requested its tariff rate be recalculated, based on the specific subsidies it had received from China.

The European Commission said officials had visited the companys facilities in China in June and said Teslas submission had been under thorough examination.

The EU is imposing tariffs on Chinese-made EVs amid a trade dispute between the bloc and China. European officials have accused Beijing of unfairly subsidising local manufacturers and flooding the EU with artificially cheap EVs.

Teslas tariff will be lower than Chinese competitors but also rival European carmakers that produce EVs in China such as Volkswagen, which has joint venture deals with carmakers JAC and SAIC.

The European Commission launched an anti-subsidy investigation into Chinas electric car sector last October, warning that cheap imports created a threat of economic injury to the continent.

The investigation was launched as Chinese car companies such as BYD and Geely began aggressively expanding across Europe.

The Kiel Institute for the World Economy has estimated that Beijing provided more than 5bn in subsidies to electric car companies in 2022 alone, the vast majority of this going to BYD.

In a report, the institute claimed: Combined with other support measures Chinese companies have rapidly expanded in various green technology sectors, dominating the Chinese market and increasingly penetrating EU markets.

In a draft decision, the EU said it would hit BYD, one of the worlds largest electric carmakers, with new duties of 17pc. Geely, which owns Volvo and the Chinese electric car brand Zeekr, will face tariffs of 19.3pc. Chinese state-owned SAIC will see tariffs of 36.3pc.

Tesla has deep ties with China and is by far the largest exporter from the country to Europe. Its Shanghai gigafactory, which opened in 2019, is the companys largest outside the US and has produced more than 2m electric vehicles.

Mr Musk has been careful to foster cordial relations with Beijing, meeting Li Qiang, the Chinese premier, earlier this year on a surprise visit and praising the countrys adoption of electric cars.

Mr Musk and Li Qiang, Chinese premier, in Beijing in April - Wang Ye/Xinhua

The billionaire has avoided criticism of the Chinese state and called for closer ties between Beijing and the US.

Story continues

China previously forced foreign carmakers into joint ventures with local companies when launching in the market. However, Tesla was granted permission to retain full ownership of its factory.

Mr Musks relationship with the EU has been somewhat stormier recently. The decision to cut Teslas tariff comes despite EU officials repeatedly clashing with Mr Musk over his approach to online safety at X, formerly Twitter, which the billionaire also controls.

Sales of Teslas cars, which include the Model 3 and Model Y, have been under pressure as demand for new EVs stalls around the world. The US carmaker delivered 444,000 cars in the three months to the end of June, down 5pc on the same period in 2023.

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(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musks pro-Trump super political action committee is hiring canvassers in North Carolina, a sign that the former presidents allies are concerned about his slipping support in one of the most Republican-friendly battleground states.

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Come work at America PAC  the Super PAC working to elect Donald Trump and defeat Kamala Harris, according to job postings on Indeed for roles in North Carolina cities, including Winston-Salem, Wilmington and Fayetteville.

The jobs posted by Blitz Canvassing, one of the vendors working with Musks super PAC, pay $22-$30 an hour. The company is also hiring in Detroit, Grand Rapids and East Lansing, Michigan, which has been among the most competitive states in recent presidential cycles.

Musk, the chief executive officer of Tesla Inc. and SpaceX, created America PAC, which is funding get-out-the-vote efforts for Trump. Neither America PAC nor the Trump campaign responded to requests for comment.

North Carolina is one of the seven swing states that both parties are eyeing as the path to the presidency, but it is widely viewed as the easiest for Trump to win. The state has only voted for a Democrat for president twice in the past 50 years.

Democrats believe North Carolina has become increasingly competitive since Harris replaced President Joe Biden on the party ticket and she has gained ground on a polling lead Trump has held for much of the race.

Trump led Harris in the state 48%-46% in late July, according to a Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll. In April, Trump led Biden by 10 percentage points in the state, according to the poll.

Musk has increasingly been deploying his wealth and influence to aid Trumps bid to return to the White House. The billionaire entrepreneur endorsed Trump after the failed assassination attempt against the former president in July and last week hosted a conversation with the Republican nominee on the X social-media platform he owns.

Musk donated to America PAC in July but the amount will not be known until the group files its next quarterly report with the Federal Election Commission in October.

Harris spoke in Raleigh, North Carolinas state capital, on Friday, in a campaign event focused on the economy. Trump is to speak in Asheboro, North Carolina, this Wednesday.

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EDITORS NOTE: This post has been updated with additional statements from Rep. Phil Lyman and Davis County Clerk Brian McKenzie.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  In what could appear to be an end-run around Rep. Phil Lymans demands regarding signatures gathered by gubernatorial opponent Gov. Spencer Cox, three candidates are calling for a legislative audit of Davis County Clerks Office.

Cox, along with U.S. Senate candidate John Curtis and Utah Attorney General candidate Derek Brown, released a statement this evening calling for the audit of the offices electoral signature-gathering process. The Davis County Clerks Office was responsible for verifying Coxs signatures to get on the June 25 primary ballot. The Utah lieutenant governors office has outsourced the verifying of signatures to the Davis County Clerks office for the last five years.

PREVIOUSLY: Lyman files lawsuit for signatures endorsing governor campaigns

As statewide candidates nominated by Utah Republicans, we ask for a legislative audit of the signature-gathering process conducted by the Davis County Clerks Office, stated the release. We believe this audit will confirm that proper signature verification laws and procedures were followed. We commend our county election officials for the work they doespecially the Davis County Clerks Office who counted and verified all signatures in statewide and multi-county races. We trust our county clerks and are committed to addressing any issues found to enhance the process.

Lyman was nominated by the Utah Republican Party prior to the gubernatorial primary in June. Incumbent Cox, meanwhile, made the ballot by collecting the needed number of constituent signatures. Cox won the primary with 54% of the vote.

Lyman, however, has accused Cox of not getting the required signatures, and in July sued to inspect the unredacted signatures of everyone who appeared on Coxs list. Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, who is also Coxs running mate, refused to give unredacted signatures to Lymans campaign, citing state laws and privacy concerns. Lyman says his demands are about issues of transparency, but the Utah Supreme Court shot Lyman down earlier this month.

The court declined to force Henderson to turn over signatures, noting that Lyman still has lower-court remedies he could seek first, among other charges Lymans campaign made.

PREVIOUSLY: Utah Supreme Court rejects Phil Lymans petition contesting Republican primary

For all his talk of election integrity, Phil Lyman is the only candidate in the state who has actively tried to steal an election by demanding that the Supreme Court crown him the victor of a race he soundly lost, stated Henderson on X/Twitter on Aug. 13.

Cox used an agency that gathers signatures for candidates. Zoe Nemerever, an assistant professor of political science at Utah Valley University, previously told ABC4 that signatures, once verified, are considered legitimate.

Theyre not hokey signatures, even if theyre collected by paid signature gatherers, she said. Theyre still legitimate citizens from the correct districts signatures.

I welcome this audit, said Davis County Clerk Brian McKenzie. I reaffirm that each signature was reviewed by trained election workers and either validated or rejected in accordance with the requirements set forth by Utah Law, and I echo the statement that we believe this audit will confirm that proper signature verification laws and procedures were followed.'

In a statement to ABC4.com, Lyman called the audit a smokescreen, and Utahns deserve accountability from its elected officials and state agencies.

We do not believe that Spencer Cox has the requisite number of original signatures, Lyman said. At no point have we been determined to obtain a list of signatures. We want satisfaction that requirements were met for Cox to force a primary election when there was a single Republican convention winner for the governors race.

Lyman said the email announcing the audit was sent by the same company that manages Coxs campaign for reelection. He added, It is no surprise, given that this request is pure political campaign theatrics.

We are feeling with a deeply corrupt system, Lyman concluded. This is the foxes proposing an audit of the hen house. We want to investigate the foxes.

The statement from the three candidates also comes on the same day the Utah Legislature announced it will convene itself in a special session. Among issues before the legislature is the possible addition of 20 days to the signature-gathering process, potentially increasing the time frame to 60 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 ABC4 Utah.
Eric Andre Says He Was Racially Profiled At Australian Airport: I Didn't 'Feel Safe'

Comedian and actor Eric Andre has charged that he recently faced racial harassment and discrimination while traveling through the Melbourne Airport in Australia.

Andre described his experience at the Melbourne Airport in an Instagram video he uploaded on Sunday, alleging he was put in a line where he was sniffed thoroughly by a dog.

The Black, biracial comedian said he had traveled from New York City to Brisbane, Australia, to film a project. He explained that he had been on a series of flights for more than 25 hours, with stops in Los Angeles and Melbourne.

Its like one of the many times Ive been racially profiled at the airport, Andre said. So this is a message for all Black, brown and Indigenous people traveling through Melbourne today ... please be careful.

They are searching Black, brown and Indigenous people, he added, before asking his Instagram followers to share any information they might have on Melbourne Airports policies on its sniffer dogs.

He also asked his followers for any leads on attorneys in Australia who focus on racial discrimination cases.

Anybody hiring me to work in Australia going forward, whether its a production or a tour, please dont make me go through the Melbourne Airport alone, he said. Please provide a police escort or some type of security escort for me. Or have me fly into Brisbane or Sydney directly.

I do not feel safe in the Melbourne Airport, he said. I do not want to be humiliated or racially discriminated against anymore at these airports.

A spokesperson for the Melbourne Airport told HuffPost that the airport does not tolerate racism in any form.

We welcome all passengers to Melbourne, and we expect everyone to be treated equally, the spokesperson said, adding that the airport asked other Australian government agencies in charge of processing all international arrivals into Australia to investigate the matter.

Those agencies have now provided a response to Mr Andre, the representative said.

Eric Andre on Nov. 15, 2023, in Hollywood. VALERIE MACON via Getty Images

A spokesperson for Australias Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) told NBC News that all passengers arriving in Australia are part of biosecurity screening processes for things such as fresh fruit or vegetables, plants and food, or soil on footwear or recreational equipment.

Any traveler coming into Australia will experience some or all of these screening measures, the spokesperson said, listing general screening with the assistance of our highly trained dogs as one of its screening measures.

Andre has spoken out about racial profiling before.

In 2021, he said he was racially profiled by law enforcement agents at the Atlanta airport.

Andre and fellow comedian Clayton English filed a lawsuit the following year alleging they were racially profiled and illegally stopped in separate incidents by Clayton County, Georgia, officers at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Their lawyers filed an appeal on their behalf in January after the lawsuit was dismissed.

Related...
An apparent mistake by the lead attorney for the Oklahoma State Department of Education might keep a lawsuit over state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters Bible-teaching mandate in state court.

A federal judge has given the agency and its general counsel, Michael Beason, until Aug. 26 to explain why the case shouldnt be remanded back to state court because of the error.

On June 27, the day Walters issued his mandate that the Bible be incorporated into classroom teaching in all Oklahoma classrooms, Joseph Price of Locust Grove filed a lawsuit in Mayes County District Court, saying he is concerned that this policy violates the constitutional separation of church and state, infringes on the religious freedom of students and parents, and imposes religious beliefs on public school students.

In the lawsuit, Price said the mandate violates both the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Article II, Section 5 of the Oklahoma Constitution. That part of the state Constitution prohibits the use of public money or property for the benefit of any religious or sectarian institution.

Within days, Beason petitioned for the case to move to federal court, a tactic both Beason and his predecessor as state Education Department general counsel, Bryan Cleveland, have used in at least four lawsuits filed against Walters. Beason said in his request that Prices claim in his state lawsuit presents a federal question.

In his brief, Beason misidentified the case number of Prices state-court filing, instead using the case number of another lawsuit against Walters, one originally filed in Oklahoma County District Court by former state Education Department employee Janessa Bointy. Walters attorneys successfully petitioned for that case to be moved into federal court.

An apparent mistake in a federal-court filing by Oklahoma State Department of Education General Counsel Michael Beason might result in a lawsuit filed over a Bible-teaching mandate staying in state court.

Beason filed his petition in the federal courts Western District of Oklahoma, based in Oklahoma City. U.S. District Judge David Russell took note of that and said in an order, dated Thursday, that under the statute governing the removal of state civil actions to the court, a case must be removed to the district court of the United States for the district and division embracing the place where such action is pending.

Mayes County, Russell said, is not in the judicial system's Western District, but instead is in the Northern District of Oklahoma. That federal court district is based in Tulsa.

Russell gave Beason and the state agency until Aug. 26 to show cause  as to why this Court should not remand the case to state court for noncompliance with the law, given that removal statues are to be strictly construed.

For his part, Price has made filings in both Mayes County District Court and in federal court, asking that the case remain in state court. Price said the case concerns state constitutional violations and local school district autonomy.

The state court is fully competent to adjudicate all relevant legal issues, including any federal constitutional claims that may arise incidentally, Price wrote in a filing.

Rulings in three other lawsuits against Ryan Walters move cases forward in federal court

Filings last week in three other lawsuits against Walters, all wrongful-termination claims in federal court, mean those cases will move forward.

Matt Langston, the Texas-based chief adviser for the Oklahoma State Department of Education, could be personally liable for damages should two former agency employees win their wrongful-termination lawsuits against him and his boss, state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters.

In one case, the deputy general counsel at the state Education Department, Shannon Smith, attempted to file a counterclaim on Thursday against Bointy, who sued Walters and the state agency in Oklahoma County District Court in September 2023. Walters asked for the case to be moved to the federal system after Oklahoma County District Court Judge Sheila Stinson didnt dismiss the lawsuit.

Walters then asked U.S. District Judge Stephen Friot to dismiss the case, but Friot allowed a portion of Bointys lawsuit to stand. The trial is set to begin April 8.

In her filing Thursday, Smith asked for a judgment against Bointy in excess of $75,000, plus punitive and exemplary damages and attorneys fees. Smith claimed false statements by Bointy and Bointys attorney, Leah Roper, were intended to and have caused harm to the reputation of the Oklahoma State Department of Education and Superintendent Ryan Walters resulting in consequential damages subjecting the agency and Superintendent Walters to public hatred, contempt, ridicule or disgrace resulting in financial loss and damage to Defendants reputation, and/or emotional injury.

Smith did not specify what the harm was or any financial loss by the agency or Walters.

Roper immediately protested that the counterclaim was filed well past the deadline previously established in the case to do so. Friot agreed, striking Smiths attempt.

Rulings came down on Aug. 12 in the two other wrongful-termination lawsuits, filed by former state Education Department employees Cheryl McGee and Matthew Colwell against Walters and his Texas-based chief adviser, Matt Langston. The orders, both issued by U.S. District Judge Charles Goodwin, dismissed the lawsuits against Walters and Langston in their official, professional capacities, but allowed them to continue against the two men in their personal capacities.

That means that should either McGee or Colwell, or both, prevail in their lawsuits, Walters and Langston would be personally liable for any judgment against them.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Error could keep Oklahoma Bible mandate lawsuit in state court
Etsy, Poisonous Plants and a Root Beer Float: Inside an Alleged Mother-Daughter Plot to Kill the Mom's Husband

No foul play was initially suspected when Herb Peanut Allen, 52, died suddenly in 2022, but arrest affidavits accuse his wife and and her daughter of murder

Jackson County Sheriff's office Harold Allen, Marsha Allen and Ashley Jones

An Indiana woman and her mother are accused of poisoning her mothers husband to gain access to his retirement money and savings, before killing him with a tainted root beer float, authorities allege.

A probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE alleges that authorities uncovered potentially incriminating texts between Marsha Allen, 52, and her daughter, Ashley Jones, 30.

When a gallon of a compound used in antifreeze arrived at their home on Dec. 19, 2022, Jones texted her mother, saying, The mail is here : ), the affidavit alleges. Marsha loved the image, responding with a heart emoji, it says.



Weeks earlier, Marsha appeared to expressed her annoyance with how slow their efforts were taking, a supplemental probable cause affidavit filed on Aug. 16, 2024, alleges.

I am irritated and cant sleep peacefully, Marsha allegedly texted Jones on Nov. 28, 2022, according to the supplemental affidavit. I need this to be over  I wish it would reach its climax and be done lol.

Marsha died by suicide on Oct. 16, 2023, the day she was questioned by authorities about her husbands death.

Jones was arrested on Oct. 18, 2023, and charged with two counts of murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder, among other counts, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE. On Aug. 16, prosecutors additionally charged her with two counts of attempted murder, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.

In Dec. 2022, Marshas husband, Herb Peanut L. Allen, Jr., 52, passed away suddenly at the Freetown home he shared with her, according to his obituary.

No foul play was suspected until the Jackson County Sheriffs Department began investigating a Sept. 19, 2023 burglary at the same address, where Marsha still lived.

One of the two men who was arrested in connection with the burglary, told police that Jones had told him that Marsha had murdered her late husband by poisoning him, the affidavit alleges.

The man allegedly told the deputy that Jones had also recruited him to burglarize Marshas house, the affidavit says.

Marsha denied killing her husband but consented to allowing police to download information from her phone.

On the phone, police found a trove of allegedly incriminating text messages, beginning on November 27, 2022, between Marsha and Jones, in which the two discussed poisoning Harold, the affidavit claims.

Marsha told Jones in one text that she needed foxglove seeds, which are toxic if ingested, with Jones writing back that the seeds are traceable, the affidavit alleges.

That same day, Harold went to the hospital because of numbness on the side of his face. He returned to the hospital on Nov. 30, 2022, because of vomiting, fever and chills  symptoms of foxglove poisoning, the affidavit alleges.

The two then decided to use ethylene glycol to poison and kill Harold Allen, with Marsha ordering a gallon of it for $31.99, on Dec. 13, 2022, the affidavit alleges.

Ethylene glycol is a colorless, odorless, sweet-tasting compound used in consumer products including antifreeze, the affidavit says. Ingesting it can be fatal.

Later that day, Marsha texted Jones, saying, Hes (sic) all in for root beer floats, the affidavit claims.

Harold died the next day, before the emergency call was placed, the affidavit says.

According to the affidavit, Marsha and Jones bought the foxglove seeds and water hemlock, another poisonous plant, on Etsy. They allegedly put the hemlock in Harold's chili and in a margarita in mid-December, the affidavit alleges.

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Jones allegedly told police she only bought the ethylene glycol, the affidavit alleges.

But in text messages she sent to White on July 27, 2023, authorities allege in the affidavit, she wrote, I planned it all."

She couldnt get into a dead mans phone without me to get all his retirements and savings he had hidden hell she got 4500 from his PayPal

Jones attorney did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment.

Her trial is scheduled to begin in January 2025.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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Read the original article on People.
Flags with the ESMC logo fly at a symbolic ground-breaking ceremony on the future site of a chip factory under the name European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC). Production in the new chip factory of the Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC is scheduled to begin in 2027. Sebastian Kahnert/dpa

The European Commission announced on Tuesday that it has approved German state aid for a new chip factory in Dresden.

The approval allows the German federal government to provide 5 billion ($5.5 billion) of financial support for the new European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC).

"The measure will strengthen Europe's security of supply, resilience and digital sovereignty in semiconductor technologies," a commission statement said. "The measure will also contribute to achieving the digital and green transitions."

The commission said that it had considered the fact the factory is the first of its kind in Europe.

It said the aid will have an "incentive effect" because "the beneficiary would not carry out this investment without public support."

"ESMC will be the first open foundry that will produce silicon wafers with 28/22nm and 16/12nm technology nodes, using FinFET technology with logic, mixed-signal, radio frequency and embedded non-volatile memory technology processes," the EU executive said.

"These specific technologies differentiate it from other existing capacity and complement the production capacities needed by European customers."

A hydraulic crawler excavator stands with a banner reading "Innovate together" on the occasion of a symbolic ground-breaking ceremony on the future site of the chip factory under the name European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC). Production at the new chip factory of Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC is scheduled to begin in 2027. Sebastian Kahnert/dpa

Ursula von der Leyen (C), President of the European Commission, is welcomed by C.C. Wei (R), TSMC Group CEO, at a symbolic ground-breaking ceremony on the future site of a chip factory to be known as the European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC). Production in the new chip factory of the Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC is scheduled to begin in 2027. Sebastian Kahnert/dpa
(Bloomberg) --

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The European Union said Tuesday it plans to introduce an additional 9% tariff on Teslas imported from China, as it notified automakers of its draft decision to move forward with definitive tariffs on electric vehicles shipped from the country.

The bloc disclosed its latest move to try to counter subsidies that Beijing provided to the industry, with officials saying they will continue to consult with manufacturers ahead of a member state vote on the tariffs due to kick in by November.

The proposed tariffs have been revised, with MG maker SAIC Motor Corp., Volvo Car AB parent Geely and BYD Co. each facing additional duties of 36.3%, 19.3% and 17%, respectively  all slightly lower than previously announced.

For Tesla Inc., the 9% tariff is relatively welcome news, as its lower than what other manufacturers face. EU officials said one factor behind the calculation is that Beijing appears to provide fewer subsidies to foreign-owned companies.

Tesla asked the EU to be assessed on an individual basis and that request was granted earlier this year, with EU officials then visiting the companys plants and receiving information that let to Tuesdays determination.

Other companies that cooperated with the EUs probe but werent surveyed by EU investigators  such as Dongfeng Motor Group Co. and Nio Inc.  would be hit with a 21.3% duty. Other non-cooperating manufacturers face a 36.3% tariff. The rates would be imposed on top of the 10% duties that exporters from China already are subject to.

Tesla shares rose 0.8% as of 7 a.m. in New York, before the start of regular trading. The stock has fallen 10% this year.

The bulk of benefits received by Tesla were in the provision of batteries at below market value, EU officials said. The Austin-based company also got perks including land-use rights, income-tax reduction and grants in various forms, including a national subsidy that all exporting producers received, the officials added.

The parties now have until Aug. 30 to provide comments and request hearings on the proposal. If a qualified majority of member states doesnt block the measures in a binding vote, the European Commission will publish a final regulation on the tariffs by Oct. 30. The duties would then remain in effect for five years, and could be extended after a review.

Brussels and Beijing have been holding talks over the past months to explore whether an alternative solution can be found. The EU has said that any such solution needs to comply with World Trade Organization rules and address the underlying issue of subsidies.

China claims the measures are protectionist and has threatened to retaliate with duties of its own on a range of sectors including pork, spirits and cars with large engines. Beijing is also challenging the measures at the WTO.

The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU expressed its strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the disclosure in a statement posted on X, adding that theres no sufficient evidence that Chinese EVs cause substantial material injury to the blocs market.

Spokespeople for Geely and BYD declined to comment, while representatives for SAIC didnt immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside normal business hours.

Several member states, including Germany and Hungary, have voiced resistance to the tariffs, but a blocking majority would be needed to stop them.

The EU also said Tuesday that it plans to grant a lower rate to joint ventures that were not exporting at the time of the investigative period. Those firms would face the same rate as the cooperating party in the venture.

The EU had required the targeted companies to provide guarantees for the provisional tariffs, but officials said the bloc wont collect them retroactively. The rates of the tariffs could still change before they become definitive, officials said.

--With assistance from Linda Lew, Lyubov Pronina, Danny Lee and Craig Trudell.

(Updates with details of Tesla request, examples of additional cooperating Chinese companies starting in fifth paragraph)

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The European Commission is steadfast in its intention to pursue a strategic partnership on raw materials with Serbia despite concerns over president Aleksandar Vucics claims that western powers lie behind widespread protests against a planned lithium mine, a spokesperson for the EU executive said today.

Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic and German Chancellor Olaf Schulz signed a memorandum of understanding in Belgrade last month, just days after Belgrade gave the green light for Anglo-Australian mining corporation Rio Tinto to resume a lithium mining development in the west of the country.

The EU executive said today that it remains fully committed to the partnership  the latest in over a dozen Brussels has signed to reduce dependence on China for access to the critical raw materials essential for electric car batteries and Europes ongoing energy transition.

I dont think we can quantify the importance of the memorandum of understanding with Serbia, the Commissions spokesperson on trade Johanna Bernsel told reporters today after president Ursula von der Leyen said securing access to cheap raw materials would be a key goal of the Clean Industrial Deal, the flagship policy agenda for her second mandate.

What I can say is that we remain fully committed both to the partnership as such and to the environmental standards, to the fact that the environmental standards have to be compatible with EU law, Bernsel said.

But such rhetoric, which EU leaders have been using since the deal was struck on 18 July, has cut little ice with opponents of Rio Tintos plans to open Europes largest lithium mine in the Jadar valley 100 kilometres west of the Serbian capital.

Widespread protests by environmentalists and opponents who fear Serbians will receive little benefit of the project culminated on 10 August when tens of thousands marched in the capital, and smaller groups later blocked railway lines into the capital.

There were reports of dozens of arrests, with protest organisers complaining of what they saw as coordinated police action and surveillance  while President Vucic railed against unnamed western powers he said were waging a hybrid war against his government.

Vucic said Russian intelligence services had warned him that unspecified governments were looking to foment mass unrest and a coup to unseat him from power  echoing assertions the Serbian president made back in February during a television appearance.

The European Commission dismissed such claims. The European Union absolutely rejects any allegations that it would be involved in any kind of illegal or illegitimate activities linked to foreign interference, foreign affairs spokesperson Peter Stano said.

EU leaders are keenly watching developments in Serbia, historically an ally of Russia which in May hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping, with Vucic having said he expects a visit later this month from French president Emmanuel Macron whom he met on the sidelines of a summit in the UK in July.

WIDGET: Big summit of European leaders kicks off, focusing on Ukraine and EU-UK ties | Euronews

Macron said of the meeting that he had expressed his full support for Serbias integration into the EU, while stressing the importance of normalising relations between Belgrade and the majority ethnic Albanian enclave of Kosovo  whose independence Belgrade has yet to recognise and whose government is currently facing EU criticism over plans to open a bridge in the divided city of Mitrovica.

The French foreign ministry did not respond to repeated requests for confirmation that this visit may have been scheduled for next week. Similarly, the European Commission would not confirm whether president von der Leyen is planning her own visit to Belgrade in the coming weeks.
Not a week goes past without there being another example of Britains so-called anti-racist movement pursuing an objective that risks dividing as opposed to unifying our communities; virtue-signalling goals which will achieve little to nothing in terms of fostering a fairer society.

While Sir Keir Starmer has sought to fashion himself as a sensible moderate politician, the reality is that his Labour Party very much remains in thrall to racial identity politics. This is certainly the case in Wales  where Labour is the governing party in the Senedd, has 27 of the 32 MPs elected to the Commons by Welsh constituencies, and is in sole control of city-centred local authorities such as Cardiff, Swansea, and Newport.

In 2022, the Welsh Labour government established an Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan which aimed to set the right historical narrative. Part of this is a document created by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (Cilip) in Wales, which secured public funding for a project named Anti-Racist Library Collections.

The guide is part of a wider effort for the Welsh cultural sector  including its libraries  to comply with anti-racist principles. Decolonisation training experts have recommended that librarians should avoid holding meetings in racist buildings  with training being devised as part of a 130,000 project to instruct them in critical whiteness studies and how to manage the dominant paradigm of whiteness.

A total of 93 buildings in Wales, incorporating schools, libraries, community centres, and pubs, were identified in a government-supported dossier of sites associated with empire and the slave trade. In a draft version of the audit, the entire village of Nelson in Labour-controlled Caerphilly was mentioned (even though it was named after the infamous Lord Nelson Inn pub, not in direct commemoration to Admiral Horatio).

One site flagged was Gladstones Library, founded and endowed in 1894 by The Peoples William  whose father John received compensation following the abolition of slavery, but personally served as Liberal prime minister for twelve years and proposed home rule for Ireland. The library, originally called St Deiniols, was renamed in the prime ministers honour only in 2010.

Wales mustnt be the subject of hierarchical, top-down cultural lectures from a modern-day Labour which appears to find it difficult to respect the economic concerns and quietly traditional values of many of its own natural voters. Much of post-industrial Wales has been well and truly left-behind, battered by the harsh winds of market globalisation. In the 1950s, Waless GDP was twice as large as Irelands; fast forward to the 2020s, Irelands economy was four times that of Wales.

Recent ONS figures showed that Wales had the highest rate in the UK of working-age people not in employment or looking for a job, with its level of economic inactivity being higher than both north-east England and Northern Ireland. According to the 2021 census, across several areas in south Wales, one in four residents have no educational qualifications  rising to 28 per cent for Blaenau Gwent. It is also these very local authorities that have relatively high proportions of residents who report that they are in bad health and their disability limits everyday activities a great deal.

Surely it would be a more worthwhile use of time, energy, and resources for the mission-driven Labour Party to focus on how to improve educational, economic, and health outcomes in Wales  especially those former coal-mining parts where bread-and-butter working-class British politics was birthed and nurtured? Obsessing over the names of civic assets that have survived severe industrial decline doesnt strike me as effective and productive governance.

Devolution, in theory, is supposed to empower regional and local politicians to bring meaningful change to the lives of those they are emotionally connected to. In practice, it is being exploited as a political instrument of a pan-Labour identitarian project  with traditional working-class Welsh communities in their sights.

Dr Rakib Ehsan is the author of Beyond Grievance

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Laman Ismayilova

The Bahrain-based RAK Art Foundation has announced its collaboration with QGallery in Baku, Azerbaijan, for an upcoming art exhibition featuring a selection of artworks by Bahraini artists representing various generations and art schools, Azernews reports.

The exhibition, kicking off on 30th August, will showcase pieces from the RAK Art Foundation collection, curated and acquired by the renowned Bahraini artist and collector Rashid Al Khalifa, Founder of RAK Art Foundation, over the years from various art exhibitions, in addition to a few other artworks owned by Bahraini artists.

This cultural collaboration aims to introduce the rich tapestry of Bahraini art to the vibrant and diverse art scene in Baku, offering a unique opportunity for art enthusiasts and collectors to experience the beauty and depth of Bahraini contemporary art.

Artist Rashid Al Khalifa, Founder of RAK Art Foundation, expressed his excitement about the collaboration, stating, "I am delighted to have the opportunity to share the remarkable talent of Bahraini artists with QGallery and the art lovers in Azerbaijan. This collaboration marks the beginning of what I hope will be a series of successful cultural exchanges between Azerbaijan and Bahrain, fostering mutual understanding and appreciation through the universal language of art."

The RAK Art Foundation remains committed to promoting Bahraini art globally, aiming to facilitate cross-cultural collaborations and exchanges as a means of fostering international partnerships and understanding. Through art, the Foundation seeks to contribute to critical discourse and social dialogue, advocating for innovation, sustainability, and positive change., he added.

Emin Mammadov, founder of Q Gallery, remarked, "Our collaboration with the artist Rashid Al Khalifa and the RAK Art Foundation is a testament to the power of art in fostering international friendships and cultural understanding. Our bond has only strengthened after a meaningful encounter with Bahraini contemporary art and the esteemed artist Rashid Al Khalifa. We are thrilled to bring a glimpse of the Bahraini art landscape to Baku and look forward to further exchange and partnership opportunities between our two countries."

The RAK Art Foundation, a non-profit organization, empowers artists worldwide and fosters international partnerships through various exhibitions, events, and collaborative initiatives. The Foundation aims to engage communities, educate the public, and provide a platform for critical discourse and social dialogue.

QGallery, founded in 1999 by the esteemed Azerbaijani artist and professor Salhab Mammadov, exclusively features the finest contemporary Azerbaijani art. The gallery is a dynamic center for exhibitions, collections, and commercial activities, actively participating in international art fairs and competitions to promote and share the rich Azerbaijani art landscape.

For more information about the RAK Art Foundation and Q Gallery, please visit:

https://rakartfoundation.com/

https://www.qgallery.net/
UK businesses are falling short of meeting employee expectations regarding Salary Sacrifice car schemes, according to new research from Volkswagen Financial Services (VWFS) Fleet.

The survey, which involved 2,000 UK-employed adults, uncovered a stark contrast between the availability of this workplace benefit and the growing demand for it among workers.

The findings reveal that only 32% of UK businesses currently offer a Salary Sacrifice car scheme, despite nearly half (48%) of employees expressing a desire for it as part of their benefits package. This discrepancy suggests that employers may be missing a crucial opportunity to align their offerings with employee preferences, particularly in the context of rising living costs and increasing interest in sustainable practices.

A Salary Sacrifice car schemewhere an employee sacrifices part of their gross (pre-tax) salary in exchange for a new vehicleis a highly valued financial benefit for both prospective and existing workers, explained Dan Wright, Product Manager at VWFS Fleet. Wright highlighted that the scheme not only provides employees with affordable access to new vehicles but also eliminates upfront payments and hidden costs, making it an attractive option for many.

Wright also noted that Salary Sacrifice schemes could play a pivotal role in driving sustainability by promoting the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs). He pointed out that the current Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax rate for EVs is just 2%, fixed until April 2025, and will only rise by 1% annually until 2028. This rate remains significantly lower than the anticipated BiK rate for petrol and diesel vehicles, which could exceed 30% by 2028.

The research further underscores the importance of sustainability in the workplace, especially among younger generations. According to VWFS Fleet, 79% of employees believe it is important for their employer to take proactive steps towards becoming a sustainable business.

This sentiment is particularly strong among Gen Z and Millennial workers, with recent research from Deloitte indicating that 55% of these employees research a companys environmental impact before accepting a job. Moreover, over 40% of them have already changed or plan to change jobs due to concerns about their employers sustainability practices.

When examining specific sustainability priorities, the VWFS Fleet survey found that one-third (33%) of employees consider Salary Sacrifice the most appealing eco-friendly workplace benefit. Additionally, 75% of employees expressed a desire to reduce the emissions associated with their daily commute. Of those surveyed, 67% recognised that Salary Sacrifice schemes could provide affordable access to electric vehicles, and 65% understood the role these schemes play in reducing personal carbon footprints.

Story continues

Wright stressed that businesses have a critical opportunity to enhance their employee benefits packages by incorporating Salary Sacrifice schemes. Our research highlights the strong demand from employees for sustainable workplace benefits, with Salary Sacrifice being the most sought-after eco-friendly benefit for one-third of workers, he said.

He added that offering such schemes could be a strategic move for businesses facing talent recruitment and retention challenges. Salary Sacrifice provides workers with affordable access to a brand-new electric vehiclea significant transition for many, but one that they may struggle to afford on their own. There is currently a substantial lag between employee demand for Salary Sacrifice and employer provision, presenting a crucial opportunity for employers to enhance their remuneration packages.

"Businesses failing to meet employee demand for salary sacrifice car schemes: VWFS Fleet" was originally created and published by Motor Finance Online, a GlobalData owned brand.







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Protesters march in April 2021 through downtown Minneapolis during jury deliberations in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the ex-Minneapolis PD officer charged at the time with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the May 2020 death of George Floyd. File Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI

Aug. 20 (UPI) -- An ex-Minneapolis police officer who was convicted in the 2020 killing of George Floyd has been released from federal prison, according to news reports.

Thomas Lane, 41, served his time at a low-security facility in Littleton, Colo., and officials previously had said he would go into supervision for a year after being released, according to officials at the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

He is the first of four ex-Minneapolis officers in the incident to finish his sentence and be released.

The federal portion of his prison time was completed in April but he stayed behind bars to satisfy a state sentence for aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter, a BOP spokesperson told Star Tribune in Minnesota.

Lane, who appeared on scene with three other Minneapolis officers at the time of Floyd's arrest and killing, already was serving a 30-month sentence in Colorado after he was convicted in July 2022 of violating Floyd's civil rights. That conviction came for when former officer Derek Chauvin killed Floyd on May 25, 2020, in south Minneapolis.

By pleading guilty, former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane avoided the more serious charge of aiding and abetting second-degree murder in the May 25, 2020, death of George Floyd. On Tuesday, Lane was released from a Colorado prison. Photo courtesy Hennepin County Sheriff's Office

In May that year, Lane pleaded guilty in Hennepin County to a state charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in Floyd's death and given his 2.5 year sentence.

Floyd, who was Black, died during an arrest when Chauvin knelt on the back of his neck for almost 10 minutes.

Lane was a fourth generation Minneapolis PD officer on his fourth day in the job when his career came to a screeching halt as a result of the incident. Notably, Lane was the only officer of the four to express any concern at the time over Floyd's inability to breathe, later riding in the ambulance with an unresponsive Floyd while administering chest compressions in a futile attempt to revive him.

Cellphone video footage shows that Lane held Floyd down by his legs while other officers stood watch over a disapproving crowd. Despite repeated pleas for air, Chauvin did not let up which ultimately caused Floyd's death.

Floyd's killing at the hands of law enforcement galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement and sparked fierce nationwide protests that toppled numerous Civil War relics, Confederate statues and other historical monuments to slavery.

The incident then lead an angry crowd not long after Floyd's death to set fire to a Minneapolis police precinct.

Chauvin was sentenced to more than 20 years last year after a jury convicted him of murder and manslaughter. He later pleaded guilty to a federal charge of violating Floyd's civil rights and is due to be released in 2038.

J. Alexander Kueng pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is serving a 3.5 year sentence.

Tou Thao, convicted of second-degree aiding and abetting manslaughter, is serving a nearly five-year sentence.
Thomas Lane, one of the four former Minneapolis police officers convicted in connection with the killing of George Floyd, was released from federal prison Tuesday, a Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesperson told CNN.

Lane, 41, was found guilty in 2022 of violating Floyds civil rights when he was fatally restrained by officers on May 25, 2020. Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was handcuffed and restrained while lying on his stomach for more than nine minutes, even as he told the officers I cant breathe.

A rookie officer on his fourth day on the job, Lane held down Floyds legs during the arrest, while his colleague Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyds neck and back, and another officer, J. Alexander Kueng, restrained Floyds torso. The fourth officer, Tou Thao, stood nearby and kept back a crowd of upset bystanders.

Lane was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison in July 2022. Later that year, Lane was sentenced to three years in prison for a separate state charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in Floyds death to which he pleaded guilty.

Lane had initially faced a charge of aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder, which prosecutors agreed to dismiss as part of a plea agreement, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellisons office said at the time.

State and defense attorneys jointly recommended a sentence of 36 months, CNN previously reported.

Lanes sentences were served concurrently at the Englewood prison in Colorado, a low-security federal correctional facility outside Denver that houses roughly 1,000 inmates, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

He has a two-year term of supervision imposed through the District of Minnesota, Randilee Giamusso, a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, told CNN in an email Tuesday.

An attorney for Lane did not immediately respond to CNNs request for comment.

All four of the former Minneapolis police officers were convicted on state and federal charges in connection with Floyds death.

Chauvin was found guilty in April 2021 of state charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter and sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison. The US Supreme Court rejected Chauvins appeal of that conviction in November 2023.

Chauvin later pleaded guilty to federal charges of violating Floyds civil rights and was sentenced to 21 years in prison to run concurrently with his state sentence.

The former officer was stabbed while in an Arizona federal prison last November. Chauvin was transferred Tuesday to the Big Spring low-security federal prison in Texas, the Bureau of Prisons told CNN.

A federal jury found Kueng and Thao guilty of violating Floyds civil rights and they were sentenced to three years and three and a half years in prison, respectively.

In December 2022, Kueng pleaded guilty to state charges of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter, CNN previously reported. Thao was sentenced to nearly five years in prison in August 2023 for the same state charges.

CNNs Dave Alsup contributed to this report.

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After the former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley dropped out of the Republican primary earlier this year, some conservatives across the US continued to vote for her in subsequent primaries, casting ballots that indicated dissent within a party that has otherwise fully embraced Donald Trump.

When Haley finally announced that she would be supporting the ex-president in the upcoming election, she said that it was on him to mobilize her loyalists.

Trump would be smart to reach out to the millions of people who voted for me and continue to support me, and not assume that theyre just gonna be with him, Haley said.

Related: The evolution of Kamala Harris: from activist in pigtails to presidential candidate

But it was the Biden campaign, not Trumps, that actively began engaging Haley voters. I want to be clear: There is a place for you in my campaign, Joe Biden wrote on Twitter/X alongside an ad targeting Haley voters.

With the president out of the race now, some of those former Haley voters have organized behind Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in a political action group called Haley Voters for Harris.

Craig Snyder, the campaign director for the Haley Voters for Harris Pac, told the Guardian that the impetus for the group came after seeing how other Haley supporters continued to support her even after she was no longer a candidate.

When we cast our votes in the primaries we werent really voting for her as an active candidate, he said. But we wanted to send a message that this was not the kind of Republican party that we wanted, that Trumps period as the spirit-bearer of the party needed to come to an end.

Snyder wondered what would become of Haley voters in the general election, and homed in on those who have made the decision, however reluctantly, to support Harris.

For those of us in this group, our feeling has been that while we may disagree with the Democratic party on certain policy issues, the better choice is to continue our opposition to Trump by voting Democratic, he said. When President Biden made the decision to withdraw, we made the decision to continue along those lines and to support Vice-President Harris.

John Jack Merritt, a self-described center-right and strict constitutional constructionist, registered to vote as a Republican in 1972. He said that, as a political junkie, he subscribes to various-leaning political newspapers and watches all of the major news networks. Though he supported Haley in the primaries and has served as a committeeperson for the Republican party in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, Merritt has decided to vote for Harris in November.

I became incredibly disenchanted with the polarization of the two parties in the US, Merritt said. I picked the side that had the least amount of issues. I think [Harris and Walz] are more likely to ask for everything they want, but accept what they can get, especially if Congress turns out to be Republican this year. Im looking for people who can truly govern, not just people who have ideological standards.

Former Haley voters, many of whom are in swing states, will be vital in determining the outcome of the election, according to Snyder. As a result, Haley Voters for Harris is primarily targeting center-right voters by engaging in direct communication and education on political issues.

We are developing the strongest arguments and factual accounts to give to voters to help them cross that last line, Snyder, a registered Republican, said. Theyve already taken their journey away from their Republican leaning. The question is: do they go the last mile and vote for the Democratic nominee? We want to get them across that last mile.

But Snyder understands the difficulty that lifelong Republicans might face in trying to stomach support for a Democrat. Still, he said: There may be disagreements between these voters and a Harris-Walz administration on matters of policy, but they are not fundamental moral values disagreements.

In fact, some aspects of Harriss history that may have dampened her appeal to progressives, such as her prosecutorial record, could work in her favor with Republicans.

Her greatest weakness to a lot of people turns out to be kind of a strength for winning over Republicans. [Shes] now been kind of leaning into the law and order persona. But I think its smart politics that shes doing that, said Emily Matthews, a co-chair of Haley Voters Working Group, a coalition of Haley supporters and volunteers.

After Harris picked Walz as her running mate, Matthews said there was a lot of disappointment in the group, as they had favored Shapiro. But theyve been focusing on Harriss recent messaging as a bright spot.

The border is just really important to a lot of kind of more moderate Republicans and, well, Republicans in general, she said. Weve seen a change in tone from Harris and that has been very welcomed.

Related: Harris vows to build opportunity economy and attacks Trump on tax

Matthews is hoping Harris and Walz use this weeks Democratic national convention to share tangible policy shifts to the center, and to continue reaching out to disaffected Republicans and moderate voters. She said its important for the messaging to be clear about the Democrats more moderate and center successes.

Synder agreed. When our voters hear those kinds of facts  theres been more oil production under the Biden-Harris administration than under the Trump administration, the Biden-Harris administration pushed forward a bill to increase the number of border agents far greater than what Trump ever proposed  that is the way to have people get over this obstacle, he said. Theres a whole variety of just plain facts about a more moderate kind of approach that Harris has shown compared to this crazy leftwinger that shes going to be depicted as by the Republicans.

Last month, Haleys lawyers sent a cease and desist letter to Haley Voters for Harris, urging the Pac to refrain from implying Haleys support for the election of Kamala Harris as President of the United States.



But the letter hasnt deterred Snyder. Our organization has formally responded through our attorneys, and as of yet nothing further has happened, he said. We are continuing our work. At no time have we misrepresented Governor Haleys position on the race, which is well-known to be support for former President Trump. We are merely calling our group what we are: Haley voters who have decided to vote for Vice-President Harris.
OPELOUSAS, La. (KLFY)  A former St. Landry Parish Government employee has been arrested and charged with malfeasance in office in connection with allegedly misused parish gas cards, authorities said.

Byron Boles, 23, of Opelousas, has been arrested in connection with the misuse of SLPG fleet gas cards, according to a parish government news release. Boles faces seven counts of malfeasance in office and seven counts of access device fraud, officials said.

Boles was an animal control officer for the parish before being fired Monday, authorities said.

Investigators said Boles allegedly used the gas cards to put gas in vehicles not belonging to SLPG, leading to significant unexplained expenses.

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St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard said the parish will not tolerate any misconduct by employees, regardless of their position.

Misuse of public resources is a serious offense, and those responsible will be held accountable, Bellard said. If any employee violates the trust placed in them by this community, they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, even if it means prosecuting our own.

Bond details were not released. The investigation is ongoing.

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Former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham will speak at the Democratic National Convention this week in Chicago, shortly after becoming one of the highest-profile Republican critics of former President Trump to back Vice President Harris.

Grisham said in a statement that she would be addressing this weeks convention, saying she feels very strongly about speaking out.

While I dont agree with Vice President Harris on everything, I am proud to be supporting her because I know she will defend our freedoms and represent our nation with honesty and integrity, Grisham said.

Grisham, whose attendance was first reported by NBC News, served as press secretary to former first lady Melania Trump and for a stint as White House press secretary, though she never held a single briefing with reporters. She resigned following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, and has since become an outspoken critic of the former president.

The former Trump aide will be one of several Republican critics of the former president to appear on stage in Chicago.

This week, the millions of Republicans and independents who have rejected Donald Trump will see that there is a place for them in the Harris-Walz coalition, Austin Weatherford, the Harris campaigns director of Republican engagement, said in a statement. We will be putting patriotic Republicans front and center in our convention programming to explain, in their own words, why they are putting country first and supporting Vice President Harris.

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) is also expected to speak, as is John Giles, the Republican mayor of Mesa, Ariz. Both are Trump critics.

Additionally, Olivia Troye, a former homeland security aide to former Vice President Mike Pence, is expected to speak at the Democratic convention, as is former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R). Both Troye and Duncan have become regular critics of Trump.

With my home state of Georgia up for grabs, Im honored to be speaking at the Democratic National Convention and speak directly to my fellow Republicans and voters in the middle who want to move past the Trump nightmare, Duncan said in a statement.

In addition to those more high-profile names, the Harris campaign said there would be multiple other Republican voices featured, including a video from former conservative activist Rich Logis and remarks from Kyle Sweetser, an Alabama Republican.

Republicans had a handful of former Democrats speak at their convention in Milwaukee, as well.

Four such individuals were among the everyday Americans who spoke at the Republican National Convention last month about why they were no longer voting Democrat and instead backing Trump in November.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.), who changed parties in 2019, also spoke at the GOP convention.

Updated at 9:18 a.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.
Ex-wife of former recovery clinic owner sent back to jail

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  The ex-wife of a former recovery clinic owner who was embroiled in a federal fraud case was ordered back to prison on a probation violation.

Jennifer Sheridan, the ex-wife of Ryan Sheridan, who was convicted of fraud in connection to the Youngstown-based Braking Point Recovery Center, was in federal court last week for a probation violation hearing.

Jennifer Sheridan was convicted of conspiracy in connection to the 2019 fraud case and was sentenced to 27 months in prison. She was also ordered to pay restitution, along with Ryan Sheridan, of over $15 million.

Jennifer Sheridan was released from prison in April 2022 and was on probation when her probation officer reported that she missed several restitution payments, opened a line credit in her name that was not allowed and was arrested in in May 2024 for OVI in Weathersfield Township. Further, the probation hearing uncovered the use of narcotics, according to court documents.

Sheridan was immediately put on house arrest with a GPS monitor and sentenced to 30 days in jail for the probation violation, for which she must self-surrender on Aug. 30.

Her probation was also extended to Dec. 15, 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 WKBN.com.
Excess of chlorine recorded in Ternopil Oblast's air after Russian attack on industrial facility

In Ternopil Oblast, a fire at an industrial facility caused by a Russian attack resulted in a 4-to-10-fold increase of chlorine in the air.

Source: Oksana Chaichuk, the chief state sanitary doctor of Ternopil Oblast, during a briefing at the Ternopil Oblast Military Administration, as reported by Ukrinform

Quote: "At a rate of 0.1 milligrammes per cubic metre, there is an excess [of chlorine] of 0.4 to 1.01. 4 to 10 times [above the norm] in atmospheric air.

We recommend that Ternopil residents restrict their time spent outside. Limit the flow of ambient air into closed rooms. If possible, employ a recuperator.

Curtain windows and doors to be covered with damp blankets to prevent chlorine from entering the room. It is also advised to decrease time spent in bodies of water."

Details: It is advised that preschool employees keep children inside. Parents are recommended, if possible, to take their children from kindergarten and leave them at home until special recommendations are given.

A commission on technological and environmental safety and emergencies in the oblast is being consulted.

In the morning, Chaichuk reported that a wave of chlorine-filled air was advancing towards the town of Terebovlia and the village of Kozova.

Background: Russian forces hit an industrial facility in Ternopil Oblast during a nighttime attack, causing a fire. Residents are urged to shut their windows and refrain from staying outdoors for long periods of time.

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By Jeff Mason and Nandita Bose

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' election effort has raised around $500 million since she became the Democratic presidential candidate, sources told Reuters, an unprecedented money haul that reflects donor enthusiasm going into the Nov. 5 election.

Four sources familiar with the fundraising effort told Reuters that figure had been banked for Harris in the four weeks since she jumped into the race on July 21.

Campaign cash is critical for advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts that help bring people to the polls and persuade undecided voters to swing a candidate's way.

Harris entered the fray after President Joe Biden stepped aside from the top of the Democratic ticket, unleashing floods of funding that had dried up in the weeks after Biden's disastrous debate against Republican Donald Trump.

Harris raised $200 million in the first week of her campaign while she quickly wrapped up support to become the party's nominee.

Harris' team raised $310 million in July, bringing the total amount of money raised by her and Biden before he dropped out to more than $1 billion, the most rapid crossing of that fundraising threshold in history, according to the campaign.

Trump's campaign said it raised $138.7 million in July and had cash on hand of $327 million. The former president's campaign outraised Biden in the second quarter.

Enthusiasm for Harris, whose July cash on hand came in at $377 million, has continued into August, manifested by donations from small-dollar donors as thousands of people show up to her rallies in political swing states across the country.

Biden's campaign committee raised $1.04 billion in the 2020 election cycle or $1.62 billion when combined with outside groups, according to OpenSecrets, a group that tracks money in politics.

Harris lauded Biden on Monday on the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where the president, in his own remarks, touted his record and urged voters to back Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, in November.

Former President Barack Obama, who is also a big fundraising draw, addresses the convention on Tuesday night, while Harris rallies voters in nearby Wisconsin.

Obama attended two high-profile fundraisers with Biden and has offered to help Harris with more.

Harris has repeatedly called herself an underdog in the race against Trump, in the hopes of preventing complacency among her voting and donor base.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Nandita Bose; Editing by Howard Goller)
People inside prisons often cant afford to keep in contact with their support system due to the cost of communication, advocates say. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Incarcerated people and their families spend $15 million annually to stay in communication with each other, largely at the expense of loved ones on the outside who have to foot the bill, according to a new report.

This means that people inside prisons, who earn extremely low wages at daily rates, often cant afford to keep in contact with their support system due to the exorbitant fees imposed by two companies that control prison communications, according to the report, released Monday by progressive think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective.

When you take into account the wages that an incarcerated person makes, realistically, they cannot afford to maintain a relationship. Especially if theyre a parent trying to communicate with their child, you cant afford to talk to somebody as often as you would like to, said Marleina Ubel, senior policy analyst with the group. Its just not possible.

The new report comes four months after one from the state corrections ombudsperson that said the Department of Corrections yanked phone privileges for thousands of incarcerated people as punishment for disciplinary infractions, sometimes for a year or far longer.

To communicate with the outside, incarcerated individuals rely on ViaPath for phone calls and JPay for video calls and emails. Phone calls cost about 4 cents per minute, or about 60 cents for 15 minutes; video calls cost about 33 cents per minute, or $9.95 for 30 minutes; and electronic messaging runs around 35 cents per credit or 70 cents for a message with a photo. The low-tech tablets sold by JPay also cost about $50.

These are extraordinarily expensive for those incarcerated, said Ubel. Sometimes, people spend their entire daily pay just to receive one email with one photo attached, she added.

Incarcerated workers earn anywhere from $1.60 to $7.50 for a day of work, with most people earning between $1.60 and $3 on average, according to data the group studied from the New Jersey Department of Corrections.

People in prison pay for more than just phone calls. They also buy items from the commissary, pay child support, or need funds to pay for medicine. As a result, the majority of costs fall to family members, disproportionately women of color, according to the report. And 1 in 3 families or support systems of people who are incarcerated go into debt to pay for the communication, the report states.

New Jersey has the highest disparity across the country between Black and white people in prisons, with Black people making up about 60% of the prison population, and white people, about 20%, according to Prison Policy Initiative, a nationwide group tracking incarceration rates.

You have folks that are already economically vulnerable for a variety of reasons now trying to pay for these fees set by these private companies just to make sure their children can communicate with their parents, Ubel said.

Ubel said this results in hundreds of millions of dollars in profits for these companies, who have monopolized prison communications. Across the state in 2023, JPay made $1.7 million through electronic messages and video calls, and ViaPath brought in more than $4.8 million in revenue from state and county prisons.

Daniel Sperrazza, a spokesman for the Department of Corrections, said state prisons account for about $7.6 million of the $15 million spent on calls, videos, and emails.

Sperrazza said the state recognizes the positive benefit for incarcerated people when they have contact with loved ones. The department has made communications more affordable and accessible, including by phasing out commissions collected by the state and reducing fees for various services, he said.

New Jersey maintains one of the lowest costs in the nation for phone calls for incarcerated persons, and negotiations are ongoing with a new vendor to further expand and improve access to phone calls, video visits, and other multimedia messaging, Sperrazza said.

Ubel said the state could eliminate all fees for calls and emails.

We can make these communications free for incarcerated people and their families. Quite frankly, it shouldnt cost anything to send an email, she said.

Mondays report notes that $15 million makes up just over 1% of the Department of Corrections $1.2 billion budget.

A bill in the state Legislature would require all adult and juvenile correctional facilities, county jails, and private prisons to allow incarcerated people to make and receive calls, video calls, and emails free of charge to both the sending and receiving party.

Under the bill, the costs would be shifted to the correctional facility operator. Other states have moved to similar models, including Connecticut, California, Minnesota, and Massachusetts, along with New York City.

Sen. Brian Stack (D-Hudson) is sponsoring the bill in the Senate, and Assemblywoman Carmen Theresa Morales (D-Essex) in the lower chamber.

Maintaining family and community connection while incarcerated is key to successful reentry, and thus it is in the public interest to reduce the economic burden on incarcerated persons associated with making and receiving calls and messages, the bill reads.

The bill, introduced in February, has not yet been heard in either chambers committees.

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An expelled Yale University student who was acquitted of sex assault charges in 2018 is now suing 15 women's advocacy groups and an attorney for defamation after being called a rapist in a court brief that they filed in a 2022 proceeding.

Saifullah Khan, a 31-year-old Afghanistan native, said the organizations, which include the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence and the National Women's Law Center, repeated his accuser's allegations as fact, such as writing, When Jane Doe was in college, the Plaintiff raped her and referring to Khan as her rapist."

While that language was amended, Khan says his reputation was harmed and that he has suffered economic and non-economic damages." His lawsuit, which seeks financial damages, said the original draft brief remains published, indefinitely" on the Connecticut Judicial Branch website and was also published online by the women's advocacy groups and for donors.

We would like for them to understand that there is harm to someone when you just label them, said Alex Taubes, Khan's attorney. No one could complain about it if he had been found guilty. But he wants to see that when you actually are found not guilty, is there any vindication? Is there any way to stand up for yourself at that point?

Although Khan was acquitted of four sexual assault charges by a jury in May 2018, he was expelled from Yale in November 2018 following a university investigation and sexual assault disciplinary proceeding. He sued both Yale and his accuser, and that case is pending in federal court.

As part of that case, the Connecticut State Supreme Court was asked to weigh in on the question of whether the accuser should be immune from a civil suit for comments made during the university proceeding. Various women's rights groups argued that such immunity is crucial to prevent rape victims from being discouraged to come forward.

The court, however, ruled 7-0 last year that because Khan had fewer rights to defend himself in the university proceeding than he would in criminal court, his accuser could not benefit fully from immunity granted to witnesses in criminal proceedings. As in many U.S. universities, Yales procedures do not subject accusers to cross-examination and do not require witnesses to testify under oath.

Messages seeking comment were left with National Alliance to End Sexual Violence and the National Womens Law Center, as well as Jennifer Becker, the former legal director at the womens advocacy group Legal Momentum who submitted the original application to file the amicus brief with Connecticut's highest court. In a response to an ethics complaint Khan filed against her, Becker wrote that when she drafted the brief I wholly believed that my statements were fully supported by the record.

Becker said she did appreciate that the language drafted was overzealous and unnecessarily forceful. But she noted in her statement how the brief was refiled, shorn of all facts not supported by the record, as ordered by the justices, and the court never admonished her for the language she used in the original one or made any finding that it was inappropriate.

Additionally, any overzealousness on my part was ameliorated by the Court's order and there is no resulting harm to Mr. Kahn, she wrote, noting the language he had complained about has been stripped.

Legal experts have said the Connecticut State Supreme Court's ruling last year could be a major precedent cited in other lawsuits by students accused of sexual misconduct in challenges to the fairness of their schools disciplinary proceedings.
By Tom Polansek and Promit Mukherjee

CHICAGO/OTTAWA (Reuters) - A looming stoppage of freight railway operations across Canada would disrupt North America's agricultural supply chain, snarling shipments of everything from wheat to fertilizer and meat.

Unless last-minute labor agreements are reached, both Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City, an effective duopoly, will shut nearly all freight rail services in Canada for the first time at midnight on Thursday.

Canada is the world's top exporter of canola, used in food and biofuel, and of potash fertilizer, as well as the No. 3 wheat exporter. While a lockout or strike would directly involve 10,000 Canadian employees of the railroads, not those in the U.S., it would have knock-on effects on the U.S. economy due to the countries' criss-crossing rail lines.

Nearly three dozen North American agriculture groups, in a joint letter to the U.S. and Canadian governments on Monday, urged action to avoid a stoppage.

"The impact of a strike would be particularly severe on bulk commodity exporters in both Canada and the United States as trucking is not a viable option for many agricultural shippers," the letter said, citing large volumes and vast distances.

The rail operators have said lockouts will begin on Thursday. The Teamsters union, which is demanding better wages, benefits, and crew scheduling, has issued a Thursday strike notice to CPKC.

The stoppage will halt shipments of U.S. spring wheat from Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota to the Pacific Northwest for export, said Max Fisher, chief economist at the National Grain and Feed Association.

CPKC ships grain from the Dakotas and Minnesota to west-coast export terminals via Canada, according to the U.S. government.

U.S. farmers still have nearly two-thirds of the spring-wheat crop to harvest, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Monday. Soy, corn and canola harvests are still a few weeks away in North America.

Canada's prairie elevator network would run out of storage capacity within 10 days of a stoppage, said Mark Hemmes, head of Quorum Corp, which monitors Canadian grain handling and transportation.

Shippers are also concerned about U.S. corn products heading to Canada. In 2023, Canada was the top destination for U.S. ethanol exports, and almost three-quarters traveled by rail, according to USDA.

"We just can't have the railroads not operating," Fisher said.

The U.S. exported $28.2 billion of agricultural products last year to Canada, its third-largest destination for agricultural exports behind China and Mexico, USDA said.

Story continues

The U.S. imported $40.1 billion of Canadian agricultural products last year, making Canada the second-largest origin of U.S. agricultural imports behind Mexico, the agency said.

About 85% of the 13 million metric tons of U.S. potash imports last year came from Canada, nearly all of which crossed by rail, according to USDA.

'NO GOOD TIME'

U.S. corn farmers apply fertilizers in fall and spring, but potash imports from Canada are consistent throughout the year, said Krista Swanson, chief economist for the National Corn Growers Association.

"Given constant trade flows and the importance of the trade relationship between the two nations, there is no good time for this to occur," Swanson said.

The railways move an average of 69,000 tons of fertilizer product per day, equivalent to four to five trains, said Fertilizer Canada spokesperson Kayla FitzPatrick. Disruptions will cost the industry C$55 million ($40.34 million) to C$63 million per day in lost revenue, not including logistical and operational costs, she said.

Canadian meat producers warned that a rail stoppage would result in millions of dollars in losses and waste.

The Canadian Meat Council and Canadian Pork Council said some processing plants expect to lose up to C$3 million a week, and noted these facilities would be forced to shut down within seven to 10 days of a rail stoppage. Once the railways resume service, it would take two to five weeks for plants to return to normal capacity.

There is concern that the movement of Ontario soybeans to export markets, primarily Japan, will completely stop just before the harvest, said Crosby Devitt, CEO of Grain Farmers of Ontario.

With crop-shipment delays lasting beyond a week, companies must pay contract penalties and demurrage for ships waiting for grain to arrive, piling significant cost onto the industry, said Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association.

"We'll be playing catch-up for the rest of the harvest year, till next July," he said.

($1 = 1.3634 Canadian dollars)

(Reporting by Tom Polansek and Karl Plume in Chicago and Promit Mukherjee in Ottawa; Editing by Rod Nickel)
The Bayesian set off on a leisurely cruise around Italy's southern coast on a sunny day in late July.

The luxurious super yacht  which boasted one of the largest masts in the world and carried a crew of business moguls, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his family and a chair of Morgan Stanley  set sail from the Amalfi Coast, bound for Sicily.

Less than a month later, the ship had sunk 160 feet under the water, leaving its cook dead and six of its passengers, including at least two Americans, missing and prompting a massive search that has drawn international attention.

Now, experts are trying to piece together why in the early hours Monday the Bayesian was quickly pulled under the waves amid a storm that saw at least one tornado spin up over the water.

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A rescue operation continued on Tuesday after the Bayesian sank and six passengers were still missing.

A perfect storm led to Bayesian sinking, experts say

The combination of unlikely factors that could have contributed to the ship's fate constituted a "black swan event," Matthew Schanck, chairman of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, told USA TODAY.

The Bayesian was well-built: A 2008 product of Italian ship maker Perini, it was constructed in accordance with international maritime standards and commercially certified by the U.K.'s Maritime and Coastguard Agency, according to Schanck.

The bout of bad weather that swept the area when the ship went down was also out of the ordinary in the northern Mediterranean, "which isn't renowned for prolonged, significant stormy weather," he said.

"The fact that those two elements have then resulted in the foundering of a super yacht is pretty extraordinary," Schanck said. "These things don't happen every day."

After the ship sank just before 5 a.m. local time, 15 people, including a 1-year-old, were pulled from the water. Some were rescued from a life raft by the crew of a ship docked nearby.

Ricardo Thomas, the ship's cook and a native of Antigua, was found dead, according to authorities.

As of Tuesday, six people were missing, including Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter. Several missing passengers were involved in Lynch's trial on fraud charges, including Jonathan Bloomer, a Morgan Stanley chair who served as his character witness, and one of Lynch's attorneys. Lynch, accused of fraud after he sold his company to electronics giant Hewlett-Packard, was acquitted of all charges weeks ago.

Who is Mike Lynch? UK entrepreneur among those missing after superyacht sinks off Sicily

Tornado formed over unusually hot water

Storms in the area that night may have whipped up a water spout, a tornado over the water, according to local meteorologists.

It was likely triggered by the water's unusual warmth, said Rick Shema, a certified consulting meteorologist who served in the Navy.

"The water spout was an uncommon occurrence," he said. "But again, these things happen, especially in warmer water."

At 83.7 degrees, water in the area was more than 3 degrees hotter than average on the day the Bayesian sank, likely the result of climate change, Shema said.

"Hurricanes can form at 80 degrees. This was almost four degrees higher than that," he said.

The water spout may have spun up when cooler air dropped from mountainous places nearby onto the hot water, he said. "A water spout is a vortex, basically like a tornado, spinning real fast, sucking up water and moisture as the column rises," he said.

Although water spouts only reach around 120 mph, as compared with tornadoes on land, which can reach up to 300 mph, "you don't need 200 mph to sink a ship," he said.

"Even an average tornado, 120 miles an hour, that's a lot of wind," he said, "which would heel the boat over for sure."

Water spouts spring up suddenly, Shema said. Before they strike, winds can be slow, but "once the water spout comes over, bam, it's on," he said.

Before sunrise, the ship's crew may not have seen the water spout coming. "The visibility was probably a big factor," he said.

With the windows of the yacht opened, as they likely were in the hot weather, the water spout could have triggered water that flooded through the portholes, Shema said, causing the ship to sink.

Tragedy strikes: Scramble to find survivors after Bayesian yacht sinks off Sicily coast

Search continues, but shift to recovery phase approaches

Italian authorities said the Bayesian was probably at anchor when the storm struck, meaning it couldn't maneuver and ride the waves, according to Mitchell Stoller, a captain and maritime expert witness. Other ships in the area that turned on their engines rode out the storm, he said.

"When you're at anchor and you see weather, you start your engine and you put the wind on the bow. You don't let it get on the side," he said.

Schanck said another key question concerns the position of the keel, a heavy weight underneath the boat that acts as a counterbalance to keep it upright, when the ship sank. When lifted, "that's going to affect the stability of the vessel, because, obviously, you've now raised the center of gravity of that vessel," he said.

The Bayesian was floating over 160 feet of water at the time, deep enough that the keel would likely be deployed. But the fact that "the vessel heeled over so heavily makes me question that," Schanck said.

The cause of the disaster may not be known until the ship can be examined in more detail, experts say. Prosecutors in a nearby town have already opened an investigation.

Schanck said investigators will have plenty to work with once the operation moves into a recovery phase.

"The vessel is intact and in good condition on the seabed," he said. "There's a lot of eyewitness accounts from other vessels in the area and the shore."

As the search entered its second day on Tuesday, the rescue effort may shift in that direction soon. "I suspect, later on, today or tomorrow, we'll probably see some mention of a recovery operation being stated," Schanck said.

The decision to would depend on whether rescuers find signs of life in the ship and air pockets or survivable spaces, Schanck said. At this point, survivors on the water's surface looks unlikely. "My professional opinion is that the casualties will be located within the vessel," he said.

"There is a risk versus benefit in all maritime search and rescue incidents," he said. "Where we start transitioning to a recovery phase, that line shifts."

Contributing: Reuters

Cybele Mayes-Osterman is a breaking news reporter for USA Today. Reach her on email at cmayesosterman@usatoday.com. Follow her on X @CybeleMO.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Bayesian super yacht sank, leaving 1 dead, 6 missing
Experts sound alarm after finding invasive species capable of wiping out ecosystem in major US river: 'The ramifications cannot be underestimated or overstated'

Traces of invasive zebra mussels have been discovered in the Colorado River, an important waterway to the American Southwest. That could signal problems for ecosystems and infrastructure, according to a report by Phys.org.

What's happening?

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials found zebra mussel larvae (or veligers) when doing routine testing of the waters. While each sample only produced a single veliger, some were discovered upstream in the 1,450-mile river and could easily cause problems later.

Invasive species, including animals, insects, and plants, already cost the U.S. around $21 billion annually between 2010 and 2020, with agriculture being the most affected sector. The Southeast is plagued by feral pigs and fire ants, just to name a few.

As for zebra mussels, there's no effective way to remove them from the river once they are established, as Reuben Keller, a professor at Loyola University Chicago who studies invasive species, explained to Phys.org.

Why is the spread of zebra mussels such a problem?

These mussels, which are native to Eastern Europe, grow in thick mats on hard surfaces like rocks and feed on algae, stripping nutrients from the food chain and damaging local marine life, the report detailed.

Additionally, these creatures can block pipes used for power generation, water treatment facilities, and irrigation, costing states millions in repairs and potentially disrupting energy and water supplies for those in surrounding areas.

"Having our canal and the Colorado River test positive increases the threat of this invasive species. From irrigation to drinking water, the ramifications cannot be underestimated or overstated," as Tina Bergonzini, general manager of the Grand Valley Water Users Association, said in a statement shared by Phys.org.

What's being done about the situation?

Luckily, the proactive work by the CPW has given us a chance to work toward solutions.

People who use the waterways need to clean, drain, and dry all vessels and equipment to halt any further spread for starters, as CPW spokesperson Racheal Gonzales shared. And if you see any, don't eat them, as toxins can build up in their shells.

Steps were taken after an initial sample was detected in 2022, when the CPW lowered a lake's water level by 30 feet in order to freeze them before using a copper solution to eradicate them. Since then, they have continued to monitor the situation.

Ultimately, larger efforts to conserve and protect our natural environments could help reduce the potential for invasive species to gain a hold. Fire ants, in particular, enjoy the warming climate, so doing what you can to reduce planet-warming pollutants could go a long way.

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Experts: Supreme Court left a "clear road map" to prosecute Trump  but now it's "up to Jack Smith"

Former President Donald Trump could still face a criminal trial for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 election  but say that the odds of any trial starting over the next year depends on the results of the election, the speed of pre-trial hearings examining the extent of Trump's immunity and whether special counsel Jack Smith moves to narrow the indictment.

In August 2023, a D.C. federal grand jury indicted Trump on four felony charges for conspiring to thwart his 2020 electoral defeat and the peaceful transfer of power to President Joe Biden. In July, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that presidents have "absolute immunity from criminal prosecution" for acts that fall within the "exercise of his core constitutional powers he took when in office." Presidents, according to the ruling, have "at least presumptive" immunity from other official acts, and no immunity for unofficial acts.

That decision tasked U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan with weighing whether Trump was acting in an official or unofficial capacity when he made certain tweets and speeches to the public ahead of the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol and worked with private parties to convince state officials to change votes for Biden to votes for Trump.

The judge is also set to weigh whether Trump can be prosecuted for pressuring Vice President Mike Pence to refuse to certify election results. The decision said Trump has presumptive immunity  but said that the government can rebut that presumption and that its up to the District Court to decide whether Trumps actions posed any dangers of intrusion on the authority and functions of the Executive Branch.

Smith earlier this month asked for a three-week extension to respond to Chutkans scheduling order for pre-trial hearings.

South Texas College of Law Houston professor Josh Blackman called that move significant.

He could have been ready to go on day one, but they're still not sure how they're going to proceed, Blackman said. I think that does make a difference.

Its still unclear whats ahead  Chutkan could, for example, hold hearings to weigh whether Trump has immunity for certain acts before the November election. The ruling limits not only whether Trump can face charges for certain conduct, but also limits whether prosecutors can introduce protected conduct as evidence.

Chutkan isnt expected to hold such hearings before the November election.

And if Trump wins, he wouldn't face prosecution as a sitting president under DOJ policy.

Still  the Washington Post reported that the DOJ plans to pursue charges against Trump up until Inauguration Day.

Stanford Law School professor Michael McConnell, a former federal appellate judge and a senior fellow at the conservative think tank Hoover Institution, said the case could move along fairly expeditiously if Smith limits the scope of the indictment to Trumps private conduct.

"It really all depends on Jack Smith," McConnell said. If he wants to throw in the kitchen sink, as he has done so far, then theres going to have to be arguments and probably an appeal.

He noted that the Supreme Courts ruling did not lay out clear-cut rules for what constitutes official and private versus unofficial conduct.

But it seems to me, it was clear enough, he said. And much of Mr. Trump's conduct, I think, appears private and non-official, and I'm referring here particularly to anything that he had to do, anything he did in an attempt to persuade either state legislatures or state election officials or electors to violate the law.

Trump  who has continued to put forth unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud in 2020  has argued he was acting within his capacity as an executive ensuring the integrity of the elections.

But McConnell said such calls to state and local election officials dont fall into that bucket.

The president has zero authority with respect to the administration of the election, McConnell said. He's quite clearly communicating in his capacity as the candidate.

McConnell said Trumps communications with Pence might be the hardest, most gray area.

Still, he said those interactions arent that important relative to Trumps indictment as a whole.

It seems to me that if Smith wants to move forward, that he would not give up very much by stripping the indictment of the arguably official conduct, McConnell said.

McConnell said the Supreme Courts ruling leaves most of the conduct that Mr. Trump has been accused of on the private side of the line.

McConnell said if Smith does file a narrow indictment, he doesnt expect that to happen in coming weeks ahead of the election.

It's almost an abuse of power on his part, in the midst of a presidential election to pursue a case when there is no non-political reason to hurry, and the Department of Justice has a long standing policy of not timing prosecutions in a way that would affect an election, McConnell said. We'll see what he does, but I think it's quite improper to move forward quickly, but I think he could if he wanted to.

Blackman, a scholar at the libertarian think tank Cato Institute who has appeared as a speaker for the Federalist Society, said he sees the immunity ruling as in line with a 1982 court decision granting presidential immunity from civil lawsuits for official acts.

He pointed to Justice Neil Gorsuch, who took a similar note in his recent book tour  CNN reported that he argued that the Supreme Courts ruling was a natural extension of its Nixon v. Fitzgerald precedent.

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In a recent Washington Post op-ed, Harvard Law School professor Richard Lazarus said its fair to criticize the Supreme Courts July immunity ruling for offering a too broad definition of presidential immunity.

Lazarus said that the ruling offers a surprisingly clear road map for the successful felony prosecution of Trump that doesnt require evidence involving his official actions.

The special counsel has more than enough incriminating evidence without it, beginning with the stunning recordings of Trumps conversations with officials in states such as Georgia, Lazarus wrote.

Lazarus pointed out that the ruling leaves little doubt that Trump lacks immunity for calls and meetings with state and local election officials or speeches that the judge determines Trump made in his capacity as a candidate for office.

Lazarus also said the court was more doubtful about Trumps conversations with Pence, but said those interactions have little practical importance for the fundamental question of whether Trump can be prosecuted and convicted of federal felony offenses.

"It is now up to Smith and Chutkan to follow the pathway created by the Supreme Court to secure Trumps conviction," Lazarus wrote.
LANCASTER, N.Y. (WIVB)  Residents in the Village of Lancaster are shocked that the Save-A-Lot on Aurora Street will be closing. The grocery store announced on social media its plans to close on Sept. 7.

Shoppers are concerned for the residents that live across the street from the store at the Lancaster Towers.

Shopper and Lancaster resident Kim Zanghi said there are people who live in the apartments who dont have a car or cant drive. Closing this location will affect their access to groceries, she said.

It was upsetting because my mom used to live at the towers, shes passed away, but she would take her little cart all the time and come over here, she said. Im thinking about all the elderly people at the Lancaster Towers more than any of us that have cars, but the closest place is Tops, and thats a walk for some of these people.

Zanghi went onto say that the stores location was convenient and the prices were good.

Its so much cheaper to go here than it is Tops or anywhere else so its really devastating to the community. It really is, said shopper Stephanie Fisher.

Mark Goulding is one of several shoppers who are shocked the store is closing.

Theres great savings for these people on a limited income, shopper Mark Goulding said. I just think they should keep it open. I really do.

Without this? It would be extremely detrimental for Lancaster, he said.

In the Facebook post announcing its closure, Save-A-Lot thanked its employees and mentioned its new location at the corner of Union and French Roads in West Seneca.

We appreciate the support that the residents of Lancaster have given us for 22 years and we will miss being a part of this community, the locations post said.

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Sarah Minkewicz is an Emmy-nominated reporter and Buffalo native who has been a part of the News 4 team since 2019. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahMinkewicz and click here to see more of her work.

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it is requiring inspections of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft following a midair dive by a LATAM Airlines flight in March.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is issuing an immediately effective Airworthiness Directive (AD) for certain Boeing 787-8, 9, and -10 airplanes, the FAA said in an emailed statement to The Hill on Tuesday.

The AD requires operators to inspect Captains and First Officers seats for missing or cracked rocker switch caps and for cracked or nonfunctional switch cover assemblies within 30 days, the statement continued. Operators must also perform any necessary corrective actions.

One of the passengers on the March LATAM flight from Australia to New Zealand talked about other passengers getting tossed from seats and striking the roof as the plane quickly plunged. LATAM previously said that after the plane went through a strong shake, a minimum of 50 people were injured.

The plane, unannounced, just dropped. I mean it dropped unlike anything Ive ever experienced on any kind of minor turbulence, and people were thrown out of their seats, hit the top of the roof of the plane, thrown down the aisles, Brian Jokat, a passenger, told Australias ABC News, according to a report published in March.

Some roof panels were broken from people being thrown up and knocking through the plastic roof panels in the aisleways. And there was blood coming from several peoples heads, he said.

The Associated Press reported in March that following a report stating unintended motion by a cockpit seat was probably behind the LATAM plunge, Boeing was making moves for the inspection of pilot seat switches.

In an emailed statement to The Hill, Boeing said it fully backs the FAAs Airworthiness Directive which makes mandatory a suppliers guidance to 787 operators.

LATAM declined to comment when The Hill reached out to the airline.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A backpack hangs on a cabinet in a classroom at Rosedale School in Austin, in this 2022 file photo.

The Austin school board has called a Nov. 5 election to ask voters to raise the property tax rate by 9.1 cents to fund a $17.3 million compensation package for staff members and offset the districts staggering $119 million deficit.

The district is asking voters to approve the increase to raise an additional $41 million for its $1.2 billion budget at a time when officials are contemplating $78 million in cuts over the next two years. Other local districts, such as Manor, are calling for similar voter-authorized tax rate elections this year, as schools across the state grapple with budget woes and consider how to slash spending.

The Austin districts call for a tax election passed with eight board members in favor and one opposed. Vice President Kevin Foster voted against the measure, saying most of the new revenue raised will not stay in the district.

Board members railed against state lawmakers for the district's financial predicament. Schools have faced rising costs, including inflationary pressures, while state education funding has remained stagnant, board President Arati Singh said Monday.

With no anticipated new state funding in 2024 and uncertainty about school funding in the next legislative session, AISD must consider how to respond to fulfill our mission, Singh said.

The proposed increased tax rate of 95.05 cents per $100 of property valuation is also 9.1 cents above the districts 2023-24 rate of 85.95 cents per $100 of valuation and would cost owners of an average-valued home in Austin an extra $420 annually in taxes.

Although the tax increase, if passed, would generate $171 million, Austin schools would only keep $41 million  24%  of it. The rest would go to the states coffers to get redistributed to other Texas schools through a program called recapture.

School districts receive a basic allotment from the state per student, and districts also levy a property tax to raise revenue for operations and debt. If a school district, however, collects more in property tax revenue than the state-determined, per pupil amount, the additional money must be sent to the state to redistribute to districts that dont collect enough to cover their state-determined need.

The Austin district has had to give up nearly half its property tax revenue to the state recapture program for years.

The revenue from the voter-approved collections would lean heavily toward recapture, which is why Foster voted against calling the election, he said. Foster spoke about a common concern voiced by public education advocates that not all the money collected through recapture is reallocated back into schools.

What we are voting to do is fill the coffers of the state to do things that dont serve us, and what we get in exchange is 25 cents on the dollar. That doesnt make a dent in our deficit and our budget shortfall, Foster said. We are in an abusive relationship with the state, and when you are in an abusive relationship, at some point you have to say no, and you have to stop. Saying no in the context of an abusive relationship is almost always incredibly painful.

In a statement from the Texas Education Agency, officials said all money collected through the recapture program can only be used for the Foundation School Program, the primary source of funding for Texas schools. Recapture money isn't used to balance the overall state budget, according to the agency.

If voters approve the higher tax rate, the districts recapture payment would increase from $690.8 million to $821.1 million.

District 7 board member David Kauffman said his vote to call a tax rate election in November was a difficult one.

What Im voting for today is an election to allow our voters in Austin to make that decision, Kauffman said.

If voters approve the measure, the district will invest $17.3 million to employee pay raises. The compensation package would concentrate on experienced teachers and would give raises to almost all the districts instructional and noninstructional support staff and auxiliary staff members. About two-thirds of district police would also get a pay boost.

Margarita Acuna Mintzer, mother of a third and a second grader, came to Mondays meeting to show support for the proposed tax election.

Im asking you to swallow that pill so our kids dont go without a proper education, Acuna Mintzer said.

Regardless of what voters do, the district anticipates it will need to cut $78 million in expenses over the next two years. If voters reject the higher tax rate, the district will likely need to slash an additional $20 million from its budget, Superintendent Matias Segura said Monday.

District officials are aiming to have a tentative list of proposed cuts prepared by early October, he said.

Early voting for the district's tax election starts Oct. 21. Election Day is Nov. 5.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect updated budget deficit numbers from the Austin school district.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin school district calls tax rate increase election for November
Claim:

A video authentically shows Kamala Harris "too intoxicated to stand up" during the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Rating:

Rating: False

During the first night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19, X user @iAnonPatriot  whose bio displayed support for former U.S. President Donald Trump  posted a 20-second video clip claiming it showed U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris "too intoxicated to stand up."

The user's post (archived) read, "BREAKING: Kamala Harris appears to be too intoxicated to stand up. This is getting bad." As of this writing, the user had pinned the post to the top of their profile and it showed more than 1.5 million views.

However, this claim was false. Just seconds after the brief video clip ended, Harris stood and applauded during all of President Joe Biden's four-minute-plus standing ovation. She also stood and applauded minutes earlier, as well as throughout the evening. In other words, @iAnonPatriot's claim was made out of whole cloth. Further, they provided no evidence of Harris purportedly consuming alcohol or being "intoxicated."

We sent a direct message to @iAnonPatriot asking for comment about this matter but did not yet receive a response.

Reviewing the Evidence

The video clip posted by @iAnonPatriot featured a moment from the end of a speech delivered by President Joe Biden's daughter, Ashley Biden, on Aug. 19. Near the end of her speech, she said, "In 2020, my dad selected Kamala Harris to beat Donald Trump. And he knows, in 2024, she will beat Donald Trump again."

At that moment, the audience stood and applauded for Harris. Harris remained seated, as the applause was intended for her. In such a situation, it can be customary to humbly show appreciation either by sitting or standing.

Seconds later, after Ashley Biden introduced her father for his keynote speech, Harris stood and applauded for more than four minutes. Also, again, Harris stood and applauded throughout the evening.

A video broadcast live on YouTube by CBS News features all of the aforementioned moments continuously. The 20 seconds from @iAnonPatriot's video clip with Ashley Biden speaking occurs at the 10:39 mark. The same video also shows numerous shots of Harris standing and applauding during Biden's standing ovation between the 12:00 and 16:14 marks.

For further reading, we previously reported about a similar false rumor claiming a video showed former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi drunk and slurring her speech.

Sources:

"President Biden Addresses Democratic National Convention | Full Video." YouTube, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33ePGy1G0kQ.
Factbox-What we know about the sinking of Mike Lynch's superyacht

Factbox-What we know about the sinking of Mike Lynch's superyacht

ROME (Reuters) -The sinking of a luxury yacht on Aug. 19 off the northern coast of Sicily left seven people dead, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah and Morgan Stanley's Jonathan Bloomer.

Here is what we know about the incident.

VIOLENT STORM

The Bayesian, a British flagged 56-metre (184-feet) superyacht, was anchored off the port of Porticello, near Palermo, when it sank during a severe and sudden weather event.

Prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano said the event was most likely a "downburst", a downward wind that is intense but relatively frequent at sea, rather than a waterspout which involves rotating winds like a tornado.

The coast guard said given the weather forecast, there was nothing amiss about the Bayesian being moored offshore rather than sheltering at port. Another yacht anchored nearby emerged from the storm unharmed.

Twenty-two people were on board, and 15 survived, including Lynch's wife, whose company owned the Bayesian. Survivors were found on a life raft.

THREE CREW MEMBERS UNDER INVESTIGATION

Prosecutors in the town of Termini Imerese, near Palermo, have so far placed three crew members under investigation: Captain James Cutfield, ship engineer Tim Parker Eaton and night watch duty sailor Matthew Griffith.

They are suspected of manslaughter and shipwreck, but being investigated in Italy does not imply guilt and does not mean formal charges will follow. Prosecutors have said the investigation would take time and require salvaging the wreck.

The Bayesian sent its last signal before sinking via the tracking Automatic Identification System (AIS) at 0206 GMT, according to the MarineTraffic website. It is now lying on its right side at a depth of around 50 metres (164 feet).

Termini Imerese Chief Prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said a red flare alerting rescue services about the emergency was fired into the sky at 0238 GMT, more than 30 minutes after the boat had gone down.

PUZZLING

The swift descent of the Bayesian underwater has puzzled seafarers and nautical engineers, who say the vessel should have taken hours to fill up with enough water to sink it.

There have been suggestions that one or more portholes, windows or other openings may have been left open, or were broken or smashed by the storm, letting in water.

The yacht was capable of tilting to around 75-90 degrees, depending on whether its keel was up or down, and still revert to upright position, former captain Stephen Edwards wrote on his Linkedin profile.

He said the "Downflooding Angle", at which water could start entering the vessel via the engine room or ventilation ducts, was 40-45 degrees, and once surpassed, would have put the yacht "in serious trouble".

Experts have questioned if the yacht had been moored with its keel up, potentially compromising its stability, but Edwards said that under the boat's operating rules, the keel was not required to be down while at anchor.

The keel is a fin-like stabilising structure under the hull, which can be lifted to reduce the depth of the boat in shallow waters or harbours. In the Bayesian, it could reduce the yacht's below-water surface from around 10 to 4 metres.

UNSINKABLE

The Bayesian was built in 2008 by Perini Navi, an Italian luxury yacht maker. It featured the world's tallest aluminium mast, measuring 72 metres (236 feet).

Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini, said the yacht was "one of the safest boats in the world" and basically unsinkable.

He alleged that the sinking was due to a chain of human errors, given that the storm was expected. He made his assertions partly based on data from the Automatic Identification System.

If the crew had shut all doors and hatches, turned on the engine, lifted the anchor, lowered the keel and turned the yacht to face the wind, it would have suffered no damage, Costantino said.

Reuters was not able to confirm his assertions.

The captain and other crew members have not spoken publicly about the disaster and attempts by Reuters to reach them have been unsuccessful.

(Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni, additional reporting by Giulia Segreti, Alvise Armellini, Matteo Negri, Giulio Piovaccari and Josephine Mason in London; Editing by Ros Russell and Bernadette Baum)
Factbox-Who are the six missing in luxury yacht disaster off Sicily

By Catarina Demony

LONDON (Reuters) - An intense storm sank a luxury yacht off Sicily's coast on Monday, killing one man and leaving six missing, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter. Fifteen people escaped before the yacht sank.

Here are details about the missing passengers.

MIKE LYNCH AND DAUGHTER HANNAH

Tech entrepreneur Lynch built Britain's biggest software company, Autonomy. Often dubbed Britain's Bill Gates, the 59-year-old was lauded by shareholders, scientists and politicians when he sold it to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in 2011.

But in late 2012, HP said it had found a massive accounting scandal at the business, and wrote off $8.8 billion of its value. Lynch spent the next 12 years trying to clear his name and was acquitted on all criminal charges just weeks ago in the United States.

After the sale of Autonomy, Lynch founded Invoke Capital, a technology venture capital fund.

Lynch's daughter Hannah, 18, is also missing. A Sunday Times profile of Lynch last month said Hannah was preparing to study English literature at the University of Oxford.

His wife, Angela Bacares, who owns the vessel, was also aboard it but was rescued.

JONATHAN BLOOMER AND WIFE JUDY BLOOMER

Jonathan Bloomer appeared as a character witness in Lynch's legal case earlier this year. Bloomer has been non-executive chair of Morgan Stanley International since 2016, and is the chair of international specialist insurer, Hiscox.

He was also chief executive of insurance and investment company Prudential from 2000 to 2005.

He studied physics at London's Imperial College in the 1970s, according to his LinkedIn profile.

One of Bloomer's former employees wrote on LinkedIn he was "always a friendly, approachable and engaging man".

Hiscox Chief Executive Aki Hussain said in a statement on Tuesday they were deeply shocked and saddened and their thoughts were with all those affected, in particular Bloomer and his wife Judy, who was also aboard the yacht.

Judy, who studied English language and literature at Homerton College in Cambridge, has worked as a psychotherapist for nearly 30 years, specialising in anxiety and stress. She started her career as a teacher.

CHRISTOPHER MORVILLO AND WIFE NEDA MORVILLO

American Christopher Morvillo, a partner at law firm Clifford Chance in New York City, was part of Lynch's defence team, fighting a long legal battle to acquit his client. His first ever post on LinkedIn was around two months ago to celebrate the court victory.

"None of this would have been possible without your love and support," Morvillo wrote to his family in the post, including his wife, Neda Morvillo.

Before joining Clifford Chance in November 2011, Morvillo worked as a principal at Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello PC, providing advice on white collar criminal defence and regulatory matters.

Morvillo, who studied law at Fordham University, also worked as an assistant United States attorney for the Southern District of New York between 1999 and 2005, assisting in the criminal investigation arising out of the Sept. 11 attacks.

David Oscar Markus, a criminal defence lawyer and podcast host, interviewed Morvillo last week. He wrote a blog describing him as a "superstar lawyer".

"Chris dedicated over a decade of his career to obtaining justice for Mike Lynch," Markus wrote. "He got it and then for this to happen.... it's tough to find the right words."

Morvillo's wife, Neda, is the owner of a luxury jewellery line under her maiden name, Neda Nassiri. According to the company's website, she has been designing and hand-crafting jewellery in New York for over two decades.

(Reporting by Catarina Demony; Additional reporting by Sachin Ravikumar, Andres Estebaran and Sam Tobin; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
Cepsa to Sell Liquefied Gas Unit to Abastible

This article was first published on Rigzone here

Spanish oil and gas company Compania Espanola de Petroleos, S.A. (Cepsa) is selling its liquefied gas subsidiary Gasib to Abastible S.A., a subsidiary of the Chilean Empresas Copec group.

Under the agreement, Gasib will continue to offer its butane, propane, and autogas products in the markets in which it operates (Spain and Portugal) under the Cepsa brand, maintaining synergies with the company for the production and distribution of these products at service stations.

The sale close is subject to fulfillment of the usual conditions in these types of transactions, including approval by the competent authorities, Cespa said in a news release. The financial details were not disclosed.

According to Maarten Wetselaar, Cepsa's CEO, "this transaction is another step in our strategy to become a benchmark in the energy transition, driving investments in sustainable energy such as green hydrogen and biofuels, businesses that we expect to represent more than half of our activity by 2030. Gasibs integration into Abastible will allow it to continue growing within a leading company in the Liquefied Gas business, with investment and market development capacity on the Iberian Peninsula.

This is the first major European investment by Abastible, a player in liquefied gas in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Its parent company Empresas Copec is a multinational conglomerate in the natural resources and energy sectors, according to the release.

Gasic represents an important new investment for Abastible, as it places the company within the top 10 globally in the liquefied gas business and strengthens its leadership in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. In addition, creating a long-term relationship with a European energy leader like Cepsa represents a great opportunity to drive new energies and business models in all regions, the Spanish company remarked.

Liquefied gas is one of the main businesses in the energy sector for Empresas Copec, which at the end of last year had a workforce of 40,000 direct employees, sales of just over $29 billion and EBITDA of $2.2 billion.

Gasib is the main player in the non-regulated bottled liquefied gas business in Spain, and the second company on the Iberian Peninsula in terms of market share. The company, which will maintain its management team, has 3.5 million bottled LPG customers and 17,000 bulk customers, a workforce of nearly 200 employees, six storage and filling plants, two storage plants, and over 200 third-party warehouses. This allows it to supply the entire Iberian market, the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla, with sales of nearly 240,000 tons a year, according to the release.

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Loan Secured for Biofuels Plant in Spain

In June, Cepsa secured a $306.29 million (EUR 285 million) loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the construction of an advanced biofuels plant to be located next to the La Rabida Energy Park in Palos de la Frontera, Andalusia.

The plant, which Cepsa is building together with Bio-Oils, will produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel (HVO), from organic waste such as used cooking oil or agricultural waste, advancing the circular economy. Once operational, the facility is expected to process as much as 600,000 metric tons of waste and produce up to 500,000 metric tons of second-generation biofuels annually.

This loan is a clear example of how the EIB promotes the energy transition also in hard-to-abate sectors. This project will contribute to make Spain one of the leading countries in the production of biofuels, Gilles Badot, director of EIB operations for Spain and Portugal, said. Supporting private companies like Cepsa, which are investing in this transition and advancing their own decarbonisation strategies, is one way the EIB is accelerating the transition to a more sustainable energy model that promotes EU energy autonomy.

"We are grateful for the EIB's support to this project, which is key to our Positive Motion strategy and to Spain's and Europe's progress towards the necessary energy independence. This plant will enable us to take a giant step forward in the production of green molecules, with the aim of facilitating the immediate decarbonisation of land, sea and air transport by reducing CO2 emissions by up to 90% compared with traditional fuels", Wetselaar said in an earlier statement.

To contact the author, email rocky.teodoro@rigzone.com

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Richard Stephen

This story was co-published with and supported by the journalism non-profit the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.

When I was a high school senior from a very poor family, years ago, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) represented my only chance to go to college. This year, the disastrous rollout of the new FAFSA has derailed the college plans of many low-income students, in some cases possibly killing their college dreams forever.

Oh God, this is really bad, Zenia Henderson, chief program officer at the National College Attainment Network, tells me as she reviews the most recent data tracking FAFSA completion rates. These numbers are not good. And now I'm really sad.

Just how bad has the FAFSA rollout been? FAFSA completion numbers for the high school graduating class of 2024 are down nearly 11% compared with last year. The numbers are lower across the board, but stats are especially grim for the students who need support the most. According to the National College Attainment Network, the completion rate is down nearly 13% nationwide among low-income students, due to students being unable to access or submit the form and the backlog causing delays in FAFSA processing.

In some areas, the figures are even more troubling. I live in a high-poverty area of Pennsylvania. At our districts public high school, FAFSA completion rates are down by almost 30% this year, compared with the same time last year. Says Henderson, The impact on low-income students, and what we know as first-generation students, it is huge.

I grew up in poverty, and I was the first in my family to go to college. Living on my own since age 16, I had no financial support from family. This was back in the days of the paper FAFSA, when you completed the form by hand, snail-mailed it in, and waited weeks for a letter informing you what (if any) financial aid you could receive. Meanwhile, your entire future  or at least your college dreams  hung in the balance.

You no longer submit the FAFSA via snail mail, but for many students this year, the uncertainty and rising sense of anxiety and panic have likely been very similar to what I experienced.

A disastrous rollout was compounded by ongoing issues

The new FAFSA has been in the works for more than three years. In December 2020, the FAFSA Simplification Act was passed by Congress as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. Although the FAFSA for the upcoming school year has been available beginning on October 1 for the past few years, the schedule was pushed back this year due to the overhaul of the form.

After some uncertainty about the timeline, the Department of Education finally announced, in mid-December, that the new FAFSA would be available by December 31  stressing that the initial release would be treated as a soft launch.

That soft launch was plagued by problems from the start. Says Ellie Bruecker, PhD, director of research at The Institute for College Access & Success, Even when it was technically available, you had thousands and thousands of families unable to access the form at all, with the website crashing, kicking families and students out of the form when they were halfway through completing it.

One of the first major issues affected students from mixed-status families, in which at least one parent is an undocumented immigrant. The FAFSA, at that time, wouldnt allow parents to submit their information without a social security number, which is granted only to US citizens, permanent residents, and foreigners with work visas. Those students who are legally eligible for financial aid couldn't fill out the form because of the parents' residency status, says Bruecker.

Meanwhile, an array of other issues piled up and dragged on through spring and into summer. The Department of Education eventually announced a temporary fix for the issue affecting mixed-status families, but not until late April, and by that point the damage may have already been done, Justin Draeger, president & CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, said in a statement.

Delays + missed deadlines = lost opportunity

Traditionally, May 1 is known as National College Decision Day, or the deadline by which many colleges require acceptance students to commit and accept their offer of admission.

This year, because the FAFSA delays meant so many students still didnt have their financial aid package as May approached, dozens of colleges and universities pushed their deadlines back to mid-May or even early June.

Students from families able and willing to pay the full cost of college could commit to a college without being held back by FAFSA issues and delays, but for many low-income families, financial aid packages are a critical part of the decision-making process.

Even with the extended deadlines at some schools, many low-income students who were still waiting on financial aid information at the start of summer eventually just ran out of time. For many, now it's too late. Says Henderson, If they have yet to submit a FAFSA successfully, and have it processed, the chances have really dropped for them.

In education circles, theres a phenomenon known as summer melt. This refers to high school seniors who plan to continue their education and apply or enroll at one or more schools but dont end up attending college. Summer melt is a particular problem for students living in poverty, with some estimates putting their attrition rate at up to 40%.

Summer melt happens every year, but the FAFSA mess means the number of low-income students who fell off the academic radar since graduating this year will likely be much higher than usual, although actual numbers cant be determined until the fall semester is underway.

Sadly, once a student is lost via summer melt, the odds of them returning to school and successfully earning a college degree significantly decrease.

Bad timing and lack of funding was a recipe for disaster

Experts say a perfect storm of simultaneous events and challenges contributed to the FAFSA rollout mess, but also point out that Congress deserves a lot of the blame for failing to provide the support and resources needed to pull off such a major undertaking.

I think that it is, by and large, a product of the fact that the Department of Education, and specifically the Federal Student Aid Office, was flat-funded by Congress, says Bruecker. They were asked to do this absolutely massive overhaul and not given any additional resources to do that. They were asked to do that on a really tight timeline. And they were asked to do that at the same time as the FSA was managing millions of student loan borrowers returning to repayment after a three-year pause.

Yet it seems like lawmakers may be setting the stage for another stressful financial aid season this year. Despite the lingering FAFSA problems that schools and students continue trying to navigate  the Federal Student Aid 202425 FAFSA Issue Alerts page still shows more than a dozen open issues  Republican lawmakers in both the House and Senate have proposed legislation requiring the FAFSA be available on October 1 every year, even though officials from both parties have voiced concerns that the Department of Education is behind schedule.

That means the college dreams of students for whom a college education represents a brighter future and possibly a way out of poverty could be at risk again this year. Lets hope lawmakers and education leaders can work together to find a way to ensure that doesnt happen.

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Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue

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RIDGWAY, Pa. (WTAJ)  A father who lost two children after a house fire commented that the family has been overwhelmed by the love and support of their community.

Days ago on Saturday, Aug. 17, David Mack experienced what was possibly the worst experience in his life  a house fire.

His wife and two children, Jeremy and Aden, ages 12 and 2, were rushed to Penn Highlands Hospital where the mother was in stable condition. Both children were taken to UPMC Childrens Hospital where they succumbed to their injuries from the fire.

David said the brothers were inseparable in a post on a GoFundMe.

Our family is overwhelmed by the love and support this community has shown us during this unbearable time. Losing our boys, Aden and Jeremy, has shattered our world in a way words cant describe. They were everything to usfull of life, laughter, and love. Aden was so proud to be a big brother, never missing a moment to teach Jeremy a wonderful new song about shapes, colors, or food. They were inseparable, whether it was during their car rideswhere Jeremy would often fall asleepor sharing every snack they could, especially French fries. The bond they shared was something special, and Im so grateful to have been a part of it. My heart aches knowing that our boys, who brought us, and everyone who knew them so much joy, are gone. They will forever be missed, the hole left will never be filled, but may the joy of their memories help us all heal from this tragedy. -David Mack-

The GoFundMe was set up to help the family. Its raised over $7,000 as of this writing.

Stay up to date with the latest news in the palm of your hand. Click here to download the WTAJ app for Apple and Android devices.

The cause of the fire at this time is still undetermined.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
TROY, Ohio (WDTN)  The family of a Miami County woman wants to celebrate her birthday in a big way.

According to our partner at Miami Valley Today, the family of Troy resident Lois (Shade) Benning is collecting birthday cards for her 90th birthday celebration on Monday, Sept. 2.

Our partner reports the family will hold a card shower with Benning to celebrate her special day.

Ex-Montgomery County Fairgrounds site being revitalized

Lori (Shade) Benning | Miami Valley Today

After graduating from Newton Schools, she returned to the district where she spent decades working in the cafeteria, our partner reports. She was also cafeteria manager for multiple years as well.

If you would like to send a card to Benning, please send it to the following address:

1325 Keller Drive, Troy, OH 45373

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
CARBON, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) A farm accident left an elderly farmer with a Lifeline trip to an Indianapolis hospital.

On Tuesday at 12:58 p.m. Bellmore Fire Department, Parke County EMS and Parke County Deputies responded to a tractor incident. The responders showed up to 5741 South 1000 East to find an 85-year-old man in need of help. The 85-year-old was attempting to pull a tree with his tractor when it overturned.

The man received a hip injury and was flown via Lifeline to a hospital in Indianapolis for his injuries.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyWabashValley.com.
Graham Christensen explains the regenerative agriculture practices employed at his familys farm east of Lyons to produce crops with less intensive use of pesticides and fertilizers during a farm tour Saturday. (Paul Hammel for the Nebraska Examiner)

LYONS, Nebraska  You dont notice anything really different about the Christensen Farms as you drive to the farm entrance.

Thick stands of corn, powered by abundant rains in this corner of northeast Nebraska, have resulted in stalks 8 feet tall, swaying in a late summer breeze. No different than cornfields down the road.

But a closer look reveals the innovative practices employed by Graham and Max Christensen to reduce the use of nitrogen fertilizer and to build up the soil naturally on these rolling hills.

Theyre using cover crops and filter strips along the nearby Bell Creek to avoid chemical runoff into the waterway, and low-growing vegetation in the corn rows to help reduce erosion.

Crops are planted using no-till practices, which reduces tillage and fuel expenses and utilizes the crop residue to hold the soil in place. Commercial nitrogen fertilizer use has been reduced, in part due to the conservation practices that prevent the nutrients from washing away.

Crop-dusting planes dont typically spray pesticides on these fields like others nearby; instead, theyre used to spread seed onto the cornfield in mid-September so cover crops get an earlier head start into the fall.

This is regenerative agriculture, a way to avoid nitrate pollution of groundwater and streams that flow eventually to the Gulf of Mexico, Graham Christensen tells about 40 members of the Nebraska chapter of the Sierra Club during a farm tour on Saturday.

Its also a way, Christensen said, to ensure that future generations can continue to farm and prosper on farms like this, which has been in his Danish family for 156 years.

Roots form soil armor

The cover crops and the filter strips create a soil armor of roots in the soil year round that not only protects against erosion and fertilizer runoff, but also holds moisture and mitigates the temperature of the soil during hot summers and frigid winters, he said.

Current agriculture practices that are heavy on pesticides and fertilizer and focused solely on corn and soybeans are unsustainable, said Christensen, who believes that regenerative agriculture is a practice that will pass on healthier soils and cleaner waters for future generations, as well as deal with the warming climate.

We cant continue to mine the soil instead of taking care of our land, he said.

Besides the farm, Christensen, a former public affairs chief for the Nebraska Farmers Union, founded GC Resolve, which consults with farmers and others about wind and solar energy and educates others about regenerative practices.

The organization advocates at the State Capitol and in Washington, D.C., for friendlier policies for farmers seeking to transition to regenerative agriculture, which can take a few years to pay off.

Hes also involved with a collaborative called Regenerate Nebraska, is working to place a wind farm in Burt County and consults with Cargill about his findings in using more regenerative practices.

Permanent, rather than pilot-project, incentives for using filter strips and cover crops would help more farmers make the transition, he said.

Trial and error

On the familys 800-acre farm, it has taken four years of work  and trial and error  to change farm practices, Christensen said.

He considers the farm to still be in transition to more regenerative practices, which is an ongoing process. He cited six main practices:

No-till farming.

Permanent roots in the soil via cover crops and filter strips.

Increased biodiversity, which includes introducing legumes and grains like barley and rye into cover crops, and planting hazelnut trees and black cherry bushes in windbreaks and unused areas of the farm.

Ecosystem context, which he said means respecting and honoring the unique character of your local ecosystem instead of trying to reengineer it.

Integrate livestock into the operation, for grazing of cover crops in the fall and spring and to naturally spread fertilizer, via manure, into the soil.

Learn from our ancestors and use technology in the right way, to increase soil health and decrease use of commercial fertilizers.

So far, Christensen said he and his brother have reduced the amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed on the farm by about 40 pounds per acre.

Because they market only non-genetically modified corn and have, until this year, grown only non-GMO soybeans, they get a premium price for their crops, ranging from an extra 45 cents to $2 per bushel.

This form of farming carries added expense. He said seeding cover crops using an airplane or drone, and using divergent cover crop mixes, has pushed the cost of planting and applying seed to about $30,000 on their 800 acres.

Theres also a learning curve, Christensen said, pointing toward a field of soybeans that became choked with weeds last year because they had planted a non-GMO variety used in food, and eschewed the use of herbicides.

This year, perhaps only for a year, he said, GMO-modified soybeans were planted so weed control chemicals like glyphosate, marketed as Roundup, could be used. Christensen said a robotic weed mower-like device, which runs down the gaps between the rows to cut weeds, may be deployed next year as weed control.

Three to five years of work

Bruce Johnson, an agriculture economist emeritus from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said that more farmers havent adopted regenerative practices because it can take three to five years before they pay off financially.

Thats too long a time for many farmers and landowners to take the risk, Johnson said.

In addition, the federal farm bill puts its main focus on a few major crops, Johnson said, and, in the past, farmers could lose crop insurance if they incorporated a cover crop in their corn/bean rotation.

Christensen said that despite the advocacy work done by GC Resolve and others interested in regenerative agriculture, efforts to change state and local farm policies have been frustrating.

This year, the Nebraska Legislature passed a law involving regenerative agriculture, but it provided incentives for farmers to employ a biotech coating on seed, which Christensen believes is unproven and sidesteps proven regenerative practices.

He said that real changes in farm policy in the future will have to be driven by consumers who want to be assured their food is being produced in a sustainable way without excessive chemicals. Farm groups interested in regenerative agriculture dont have the power to do it alone, Christensen said.

Its got to be consumer-led now, he told those at the tour. We need your help pretty bad to shift the course.

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Father Convicted of Beating Teen Daughter to Death After Argument Over Prom in 2022

Mohammed Almaru was found guilty for the death of his daughter, 17-year-old Mia Maro

Tinley Park Police Department Mohammed Almaru

An Illinois father has been convicted of beating his teenage daughter to death following an argument the two had regarding her prom in 2022.

Mohammed Almaru, 42, of Tinley Park was found guilty of first degree murder on Friday, Aug. 16, for his role in the death of his daughter, 17-year-old Mia Maro, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE on Monday, Aug. 19.

GoFundMe Mia Maro

Jurors deliberated for less than an hour, Patch reported on Monday.

Maro was a senior at Andrew High School when her father beat her inside their home on May 1, 2022, the Cook County state's attorney's office said, reports the Chicago Tribune.

Court documents previously shared by FOX 32 Chicago in May stated that Almaru initially gave his daughter permission to attend her senior prom on April 29, 2022, but later changed his mind, stating that he "did not trust her."

Related: Ill. Father Accused of Beating Teen Daughter to Death Allegedly Said He 'Did Not Trust' Her to Attend Prom

Prosecutors said one of Almarus sisters found her niece covered in a blanket in the home in the 7800 block of 167th Street on the afternoon of May 1, reports the Chicago Tribune.

At the time, Almaru was sitting on the floor beside the teen with an arm draped over his daughters body.

Court documents said Maro was covered in numerous bruises with injuries to her head, arms, legs and feet. She suffered extensive hemorrhaging and bleeding to her brain, and based on evidence, it seemed that her father used multiple objects to inflict the wounds, the documents added, per the outlet.

GoFundMe Mia Maro

At the time, police officers found him inside his home, next to his slain daughter, "with self-inflicted wounds to his wrist and throat," according to a May 4, 2022 statement from police.

Neighbors recalled seeing the father taken away on a stretcher as other distraught relatives arrived at the home at the time, reports ABC 7 Chicago. The neighbors described the scene as chaotic, saying there was a lot of yelling.

The police statement also alleged that "Almaru had ingested pills and was taken to Christ Hospital, where he was stabilized."

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Court documents also allege that Almaru sent an apologetic text to one of his sons the Sunday after Maros death, explaining that he "lost my mind" and "went out of control."

Per ABC 7 Chicago, prosecutors said Maro and her father arguing about her prom allegedly had to do with her crashing her father's car the week before her death.

Court documents revealed that Almaru's wife and Maro's mother had suffered a medical emergency in 2019 that left her non-verbal and requiring around-the-clock care, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Maros loved ones said the teen had dreams of being a dental hygienist.

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office tells PEOPLE Almarus next court date is set for Sept. 7 for post-trial motions.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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New Fayette school bathrooms wont be gender-neutral despite lawmakers claims, district says

In our Reality Check stories, Herald-Leader journalists dig deeper into questions over facts, consequences and accountability. Read more. Story idea? hlcityregion@herald-leader.com.

Fayette school officials say that restrooms at a new middle school will be designated for boys or girls, not gender-neutral as state Rep. Matt Lockett, R-Nicholasville, claimed at a Tuesday legislative meeting.

Lockett told Kentucky lawmakers on the General Assemblys Interim Education Committee in Frankfort that bathrooms at Mary E. Britton Middle School in Lexingtons Hamburg area would be gender-neutral rather than gender-specific, and he argued those bathrooms would be unsafe.

But after the meeting, Fayette district spokesperson Dia Davidson-Smith told the Herald-leader that would not be the case.

There are individual stalls in pods with sinks outside and signage will designate if the pod is for girls or boys, said Davidson-Smith.

School bathrooms have become a hot-button issue for Republican lawmakers across the country in recent years as districts grapple with whether to install new policies that cater to transgender students.

And Lockett argued Tuesday that a planned policy at the new Lexington middle school would include gender-neutral, open-concept restrooms, sinks and mirrors (that) will be used by both sexes. Gaps under the doors to the stall can be used to exploit or intimidate other students. These restrooms that are unsafe and put students, particularly female students, at risk of harm, injury, emotional trauma or worse.

Lockett, who represents Nicholasville and part of Lexington, held a presentation, and other lawmakers quizzed Fayette Superintendent Demetrus Liggins at the meeting.

It was not immediately clear why Lockett thought the bathrooms at the school would be gender-neutral, though he said families had contacted him with concerns. Liggins said during Tuesdays meeting that the school bathrooms would be designated for boys and girls, and the district confirmed his statements after the meeting.

The plan does call for a slightly different design from previous school bathrooms. Single-person restrooms will be floor-to-ceiling, the district said, and doors will automatically shut when theyre occupied. But Davidson-Smith, spokesperson for the district, said the facilities would remain separated by gender.

Lockett did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening.

Also during Tuesdays meeting, Lockett mentioned a new procedure at Henry Clay High School in Lexington that requires restrooms to be closed during five-minute transitions between classes, barring medical emergencies. He noted that Paul Laurence Dunbar has a similar policy.

The change at Henry Clay is in response to an increase in behavior events in restrooms, Davidson-Smith told the Herald-Leader recently.

Behavior events in restrooms have risen in FCPS and across the state in recent years. The Kentucky Department of Education, in their latest Safe Schools Report, noted that behavior events in restrooms have increased by 216% across the state, Davidson-Smith previously said.

At Tuesdays meeting, Liggins told lawmakers that students had done $42,579 in damage to Fayette school restrooms as a result of a TikTok challenge in 2021.

Kentuckys 2022-23 Safe Schools Annual Statistical Report said incidents reported to have taken place in the restroom rose significantly. The most common events to have been reported in restrooms included tobacco use, tobacco possession, fighting and drug possession, the report said.

Liggins presented numbers that showed that 17% of Kentucky middle and high school students feel unsafe in the bathroom.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  After the Venezuelan government announced Nicolas Maduro as the winner of their presidential election on July 28, people around the world, including in Music City, have been throwing their support behind the opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, who they believe was the true victor.

The lack of transparency from the countrys authorities to release voting data to prove Maduros win leaves many feeling uneasy.

An Associated Press review of vote tally sheets released by Venezuelas opposition indicates that their candidate, Gonzalez, won significantly more votes in the presidential election than the government claimed, leading the opposition coalition to cast serious doubts on the governments declaration that Maduro won. The tallies have long been considered the ultimate proof of election results in Venezuela.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

(Courtesy: Venezolanos en Tennessee)

(Courtesy: Venezolanos en Tennessee)

(Courtesy: Venezolanos en Tennessee)

(Courtesy: Venezolanos en Tennessee)

(Courtesy: Venezolanos en Tennessee)

(Courtesy: Venezolanos en Tennessee)

(Courtesy: Venezolanos en Tennessee)

Its not a new issue, its just different this time because in past elections we havent had the proof in hand, and now we do, said Claudia Norcisa, a Venezuelan-American living in Nashville. Not only are the people of Venezuela tired of a dictatorship, tired of not having rights, tired of not having food, tired of not having a lot of things, but for us, we feel like this is the end of that dictatorship, and we feel that we need to help push those results.

A local community group called Venezolanos En Nashville has held a couple of rallies over the last few weeks to protest the election results. Over the weekend, an estimated 400 people gathered to protest at Centennial Park.

A lot of Venezuelan-Americans that live here in the US, like myself, have family and friends in Venezuela, Norcisa said. Even though we dont live it, we see it happening. We fear for our people, we fear for our families who are still there because of the oppression there. We need people to see whats happening.

Tennessee unveils brand new license design

From October 2023 to July 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded 280,756 encounters with Venezuelans nationwide, up 25% compared to the same timeframe the year prior.

Venezuela is only three hours away from our southern borders, and the dictatorship there and alliances that that government has also affects the U.S., so its important for people to know whats going on.

The U.S. and 20 other countries recently released a joint statement calling for democracy, transparency and the defense of human rights in Venezuela, particularly the freedom of peaceful assembly and expression.

This is your chance to do something about this immigration crisis that has happened in the U.S., especially with the Venezuelan community, Norcisa said. People want to go home to a free country, and unless things change, were going to see a lot more migration into the states. Its just going to continue to become a bigger crisis.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  Sewage water floods the streets of Gazas central city, and officials confirm the water now carries the highly contagious polio virus.

The Palestinian health minister, Dr. Majid Awni Abu Ramadan, said a 10-month-old boy became the first case.

Due to the war, due to the destruction of most of our health facilities, this child was never being given the chance to get two drops of the polio vaccination, Abu Ramadan said.

Officials expect to discover more cases among Palestinian children.

We very much share the concern about the possibility of its reemergence, said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Blinken said the threat of polio spreading should help seal the deal for a ceasefire and hostage release.

It is urgent, he said. It is vital.

Blinken was in Egypt Tuesday to try to get a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas over the finish line.

Hamas had said that it would support a weeklong pause in fighting because of the polio threat.

To make sure that those who need to be vaccinated against it can get vaccinated, Blinken said.

Blinken said the U.S. is working with the Israeli government on a mass vaccination plan. Health workers in Gaza want to fully vaccinate more than 600,000 children in the coming weeks.

Abu Ramadan said a ceasefire is just the first step in heading off a full-blown polio outbreak. He said health workers need security to safely administer the vaccinations while civilians need clean water and soap, so they dont have to rely on wastewater for survival.

Polio outbreaks have occurred throughout the wars in Ukraine and Yemen, where officials note conditions are not nearly as bad as those in Gaza.

The only countries where the virus remains endemic are Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Chevron (NYSE: CVX) made a bold move last year by agreeing to acquire rival Hess (NYSE: HES) in a nearly $60 billion deal. That purchase will really move the needle for the oil giant. Management expects the transaction will help it more than double its free cash flow by 2027 if oil prices average $70 a barrel. Meanwhile, it will extend the company's production growth profile into the 2030s.

Unfortunately, the deal has hit a speed bump. However, while Chevron believes it will eventually close the transaction, it could grow just fine without Hess.

Plenty of fuel to grow

Chevron CEO Mike Wirth made it a point to highlight his company's organic growth drivers during the second-quarter conference call.

"We continue to advance growth opportunities in our traditional and new energy businesses through adding new exploration plays in West Africa and South America," he said, "achieving key milestones on the ACES green hydrogen project and commissioning of the Geismar renewable diesel plant expansion, which is expected to come online by the end of the year."

The oil company has taken an "all of the above" approach to the ongoing clean-energy transition. It continues to explore for and develop new oil and natural gas resources to ensure the world has the hydrocarbon fuels it needs in the coming decades. For example, Wirth noted on the earnings call that first oil is imminent at its Anchor development in the Gulf of Mexico. That's one of three projects the company expects will come online through 2026, adding a total of 300,000 barrels per day to its oil output.

At the same time, Chevron is investing in several lower-carbon opportunities, including green hydrogen and renewable fuels. These investments will enable the company to build new growth platforms to meet the world's growing demand for lower-carbon energy.

It will take some time for Chevron's lower-carbon investments to pay dividends. However, the company's hydrocarbon business will provide lots of fuel in the near term.

"Absent Hess, we've got a 10% growth in free cash flow," Wirth noted on the call. "We've got projects coming online in numerous basins in the world and in our chemicals business as well."

An expected accelerant

While Chevron doesn't need to buy Hess to grow, the company has no plans to abandon that delayed deal. Hess shareholders recently approved the transaction. Meanwhile, the company expects the Federal Trade Commission to conclude its review process in the current quarter. If it gives the deal a thumbs up, that will leave one last hurdle: an arbitration panel ruling scheduled for next year to determine whether Hess' partners in Guyana (Exxon and CNOOC) have preemptive rights to acquire Hess' stake in that lucrative oil development.

Story continues

On the earnings call, Wirth said the company "remain[s] confident this is a straightforward matter, and the outcome will affirm a preemption right does not apply." Because of that, Chevron is committed to the merger, which it hopes to close next year.

"This is a transaction that's the right transaction for us," said Wirth. It would significantly enhance the oil company's portfolio by adding resources from the high-growth offshore Guyana and high-margin Bakken Shale to the mix. It would also add a complementary business in the Gulf of Mexico and a steady free-cash-flow-producing natural gas business in Southeast Asia. The deal would allow Chevron to high-grade its portfolio by selling non-core assets. (It plans to sell $10 billion to $15 billion worth of assets through 2028.) Meanwhile, the transaction would be highly accretive to its free cash flow, driven by cost reductions and the growing cash flow from the acquired assets.

While Chevron remains focused on closing the Hess purchase, the delay won't prevent it from making another acquisition if the right deal comes along. Wirth stated on the call that "if another opportunity were to present itself that were compelling, we're certainly in a position to consider it." However, it doesn't need to do a deal, even if the Hess transaction falls apart. That's because it can organically grow its free cash flow at a double-digit percentage rate for the next few years -- fast for a company of its size.

Chevron can win even if it loses

Chevron fully expects to close its needle-moving acquisition of Hess. However, even if that deal falls apart, the company will be just fine. It has a very strong organic growth profile, which puts it in an excellent position to grow shareholder value. Because of all that, it looks like a great oil stock to buy and hold for the long haul.

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Chevron Has a Lot of Growth Coming Down the Pipeline, Despite Delays for Its Needle-Moving Hess Acquisition was originally published by The Motley Fool
A federal performance review of the Oklahoma State Department of Education shows that U.S. officials  like state lawmakers  have serious questions about the spending practices within the state agency thats headed by state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters.

The 98-page report, dated July 25, addressed the status of fiscal and program monitoring indicators within the state agency for the just-completed fiscal year. In the report, the U.S. Department of Education said the review process was intended to provide oversight of and aid to state agencies as they administer federal formal grant programs for kindergarten through 12th-grade education.

The state Education Department review was conducted Dec. 11-14 and covered processes in how the agency handled about $2.72 billion in 10 different categories of federal money, including funds from Title I, Title II, Title III, Title IV, Title V, Emergency and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) and Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS) programs.

The grading chart for the report ranges from one star  meaning an area requiring urgent attention by the state agency  to four stars, which means the agency met requirements with commendation. Oklahoma received one star in 32 of the 52 categories measured (62%) and two stars  met requirements with recommendation  in seven others.

In the majority of the 32 items requiring action, the federal agency gave the state agency 30 or 60 days in which to provide documentation on items, update or develop plans, take corrective action.

A federal report indicates the U.S. Department of Education has serious concerns about how the Oklahoma State Department of Education, led by state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters, has administered federal funds that flow through the state agency.

The federal report comes in the wake of multiple revelations of financial issues within the agency in the past two weeks. Those questions have concerned the withholding of security funds from school districts, the withholding of funds meant to purchase albuterol inhalers for school districts, the agency not fully implementing paid maternity leave for school employees mandated in a 2023 law, the agency failing to quickly implement a pay raise for teachers in school districts that dont receive funding for teacher pay from the state  "off the formula," in Capitol parlance  and the agencys slow pace in informing districts of their projected allocations of Title I money, which state Education Department passes along when the money is received. Title I money is allocated based on the number of low-income students served by families.

Last Thursday, House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, and state Rep. Kevin Wallace, R-Wellston, the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, announced an investigation into the state agency to be conducted by the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency. On Friday, Walters called on McCall to convene a House impeachment hearing immediately, but McCall declined.

Federal report questions the state Education Department's internal controls over finances

The federal report notes that federal law requires the state agency to establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal awards that provides reasonable assurance it is managing the award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award. Such a control, the report said, serves as the first line of defense in safeguarding assets and helps achieve desired results through the effective stewardship of public resources.

The federal agency said the state agency provided a draft internal control plan and that state officials told the federal agency the plan would be finalized in early 2024. The federal agency said within 60 days of receiving the report, the state agency must provide a finalized internal control plan that complies with federal law.

The federal agency also found, during its monitoring review, that the state Education Department in some instances  lacked written procedures or was unable to locate records related to the use of Federal grant funds. It listed eight areas in which the state agency failed to provide records, including for Title I funds, funds for the Rural Low-Income Schools program, ESSER funds and other COVID-era federal funding.

It gave the state agency 60 days to conduct a review of its written policies and procedures, to provide any gaps in policies, and to update its policies to ensure effective internal control over Federal awards and ensure the state agency keeps records to show its compliance with Federal program requirements.

The Oklahoman reported in April that more than 130 people had left the state agency since Walters took over as state superintendent in January 2023. Walters falsely claimed he fired them, when public documents show the vast majority of those people resigned or retired. In at least two cases in the federal report, the state Education Department blamed issues that were raised on the massive turnover of employees.

In a section concerning financial management, the federal agency wrote, Due to recent and significant turnover in (state agency) staff, and to account for the resulting loss in institutional knowledge and experience, OSDE implemented an additional level of supervisory review for local applications and amendments made by school districts concerning grants.

Another section concerning data quality noted that, OSDE reported several issues contributing to the timely reporting of federal performance data, particularly accountability, including personnel challenges and lack of adequate documentation of processes.

The Oklahoman sent Dan Isett, a spokesman for the state agency, a list of questions about the federal report. Isett was asked about the agencys reaction to the report; if the agency would be able to provide evidence to the federal agency that it followed federal law in disbursing and spending federal funds; if it had provided a finalized internal control plan, as asked for by the federal agency; if anyone within the state agency had been disciplined for failing to properly manage the federal programs that run through the agency; how much it might cost the state agency to come into compliance in the areas cited by the federal agency within the allotted time frame; and if the state agencys high turnover rate under Walters caused issues cited within the report.

In his response, Isett didn't answer those questions. He blamed Walters' predecessor, Joy Hofmeister, for the issues cited in the federal report, saying they were from the 2022-23 school year. Hofmeister left office in January 2023 and Walters has been the state superintendent ever since. Isett also said many of the issues raised in the report "have been addressed" in a report last summer from the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency.

"The now-dated report from the US Department of Education is the first multi-program performance review in the history of the state, and the first of any kind in seven years," Isett said. "The policies, procedures, and documents requested by the USDE were those used or developed in the 22-23 school year. The snapshot of data taken in December 2023 for the USDE report found some areas that needed improvement, the number of which are similar to other states that have undergone this process. The OSDE team has moved swiftly to address these findings, has already resolved many of them, and all will be resolved by the October deadline. Although the full report is not due to USDE until mid-October, the agency has worked quickly and diligently to resolve any remaining issues."

Multiple concerns raised by federal Education Department about how state agency spent federal funds

According to the report, the state agency also:

 Misidentified non-Title I schools as Comprehensive Support and Improvement-Low Performing in May 2023 and incorrectly allocated federal school improvement funds to those districts. (N)on-Title I schools do not meet the  definition of a CSI-Low Performing school and, thus, should not be reported to the federal agency as such. The state agency has 60 days to submit revised business rules so its methodology for identifying (such) schools  is aligned with the state agencys approved plan.

 Doesnt meet language accessibility requirements for state and local report cards for (p)arents and other stakeholders who are not from the major language groups in the state, such as those who speak Cherokee or Marshallese. The federal agency told the state agency to provide evidence its State and local report cards are presented, to the extent practicable, in a language that parents and family members can understand.

 Has inaccurate information regarding students who are eligible to receive services in its Title I, Part A Handbook and in its consolidated monitoring protocol for schools. The federal agency said the state agencys example targeted assistance plans that it submitted for the review appear to explain how the school is identifying eligible students.  The States procedures do not appear to ensure that the targeted assistance programs are identifying eligible children. The state agency has 60 days to update its guidance, policies and procedures.

 Has failed to meet Title I requirements involving the membership of a committee of practitioners, a group that monitors the state Title I plan and advises the state as it carries out its responsibilities under Title I. Another requirement is that the state have a plan to describe how low-income and minority children enrolled in Title I schools are not served at disproportionate rates by ineffective, out-of-field, and inexperienced teachers, and the measures the State will use to evaluate and publicly report the progress of the State with respect to such description. The federal agency said the state agency does not publicly report its progress toward that goal. The federal agency said it wants to see at least two years of data on these measures.

 Has failed to develop an established process to track or review its progress toward meeting the (Rural and Low-Income School, or RLIS, grant) program objectives and outcomes. The federal agency said within the state agencys application, there is no formalized way to collect a local education agencys progress toward the programs goals. The state agency has 60 days to provide the federal agency with evidence that it has created or updated written procedures for tracking and reviewing its progress toward meeting the program goals, or to try to amend its plan to establish new objectives and outcomes for the RLIS program.

 Provided no proof of how it handled RLIS funds. During the RLIS portion of the (state agency) monitoring interview, OSDE staff described occasionally reallocating RLIS funds to minimize the total amount of unobligated RLIS funding left over at the end of a grants performance period. OSDE was not able to supply any documentation or procedures to verify how it reallocated these funds. The federal agency said the state agency must provide it with evidence that it has created or updated written procedures that reflect the full scope of the state agencys accounting practices for the financial management of the RLIS grant.

 Provided no evidence demonstrating it had met federal requirements to reserve not less than 5% of its total American Rescue Plan (ARP) ESSER grant to address the impact of lost instructional time, not less than 1% of the grant for evidence-based summer learning and enrichment programs and not less than 1% of the grant for evidence-based after-school programs. Oklahoma was unable to substantively provide fiscal and programmatic information about its current reservation of these funds, the federal agency said. The state agency has 30 days to provide that evidence.

 Might have illegally sub awarded funds from the states ARP ESSER state-level grant money to non-local educational agency subrecipients. The federal agency said, Oklahoma stated that the awarding of funds to subrecipients  occurred through other offices at OSDE. The state agency, in 30 days, must show proof those subrecipients complied with the applicable requirements to receive that money. The state agency also must provide documentation of the amounts awarded to each subrecipient and the reimbursement requests from the subrecipients to ensure that funds were spent for allowable purposes. This detailed program report should include a description of any identified unallowable activities, including the amount of misspent funds for the Department to determine whether a repayment of funds to the Federal government is necessary.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Federal report shows concern about OSDE finances, Ryan Walters
Federal American Rescue Plan funds will be used to clear medical debt for more than 46,000 New Jerseyans. (Getty Images)

New Jersey will use federal dollars to purchase and forgive $100 million in medical debt held by more than 46,000 residents, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Tuesday.

The state will use roughly $550,000 in federal American Rescue Plan funds to purchase the debt through a partnership with Undue Medical Debt, a Long Island-based nonprofit that purchases patients debts but does not move to collect them.

Medical debt accumulates very quickly and can follow a person for decades. With this strategic investment and our partnership with Undue, we are wiping the slate clean for thousands of New Jersey families, eliminating their debt, and making a real, tangible impact on their lives, Murphy said in a statement.

The bulk of the debt relief, $61.6 million, will target patient debt held by Prime Healthcare through a partnership with the nonprofit. Prime Healthcare operates the countrys fifth-largest hospital network and runs hospitals in Newark, Denville, Dover, and Passaic.

The remaining $38.4 million will be purchased off the secondary debt market, primarily from debt collectors, the governor said.

Eligible residents must earn no more than four times the federal poverty level  $60,240 for a single adult and $124,800 for a family of four in 2024  or hold debts that total 5% or more of their annual income.

Because the debt is purchased directly from creditors, there is no application for medical debt relief under the program, nor can it be requested.

We hope the tens of thousands of recipients in this first wave of medical debt relief are encouraged to re-engage with the health care system and feel both financial and emotional relief, said Allison Sesso, the nonprofits CEO.

The Gothamist first reported Murphys debt relief announcement.

The move comes roughly a month after Murphy signed legislation that barred the reporting of most medical debt to credit-rating agencies and capped interest on such debt to 3%.

The law, dubbed the Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act after a Murphy administration health care staffer who died in a January car crash, requires creditors to offer payment plans, creates new grace periods for late payment, and bars wage garnishment to pay medical debts for residents making less than 600% of the federal poverty level.

Provisions barring credit reporting of medical debt went into effect immediately after Murphy signed the bill, though the rest of the statute will remain inactive until July 22, 2025.

Todays announcement will lift the burden of medical debt from tens of thousands of NJ residents and families, and with the Governors signing, just last month, of the Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act, more New Jerseyans are shielded against the unfair consequences of credit reporting of medical debt, said Shabnam Salih, director of the states health care affordability and transparency office.

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The Fourth Amendment guarantees that every person shall be "secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures." This means government agents cannot enter your home or rifle through your stuff without a warrant, signed by a judge and based on probable cause. That right extends to the digital sphere: The Supreme Court ruled in 2018's Carpenter v. United States that the government must have a warrant to track people's movements through their cellphone data.

But governments are increasingly circumventing these protections by using taxpayer dollars to pay private companies to spy on citizens. Government agencies have found many creative and enterprising ways to skirt the Fourth Amendment.

Cellphones generate reams of information about us even when they're just in our pockets, including revealing our geographical locationsinformation that is then sold by third-party brokers. In 2017 and 2018, the IRS Criminal Investigation unit (IRS CI) purchased access to a commercial database containing geolocation data from millions of Americans' cellphones. A spokesman said IRS CI only used the data for "significant money-laundering, cyber, drug and organized-crime cases" and terminated the contract when it failed to yield any useful leads.

During the same time period, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) paid more than $1 million for access to cellphone geolocation databases in an attempt to detect undocumented immigrants entering the country. The Wall Street Journal reported that ICE had used this information to identify and arrest migrants.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spent $420,000 on location data in order to track "compliance" with "movement restrictions," such as curfews, as well as to "track patterns of those visiting K-12 schools."

The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) admitted in a January 2021 memo that it purchases "commercially available geolocation metadata aggregated from smartphones" and that it had searched the database for Americans' movement histories "five times in the past two-and-a-half years." The memo further stipulated that "DIA does not construe the Carpenter decision to require a judicial warrant endorsing purchase or use of commercially available data for intelligence purposes."

Even in the physical world, governments have contracted out their spying. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) spent millions of dollars paying employees at private companies and government agencies for personal information that would otherwise require a warrant. This included paying an administrator at a private parcel delivery service to search people's packages and send them to the DEA, and paying an Amtrak official for travel reservation information. In the latter case, the DEA already had an agreement in place under which Amtrak Police would provide that information for free, but the agency instead spent $850,000 over two decades paying somebody off.

It seems the only thing more enterprising than a government agent with a warrant is a government agent without one.

The post The Feds Are Skirting the Fourth Amendment by Buying Data appeared first on Reason.com.
A well-known tasting room and craft beer retailer is closing its doors in Five Points. Alewife announced online theyll be closing after October.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Neighbors are concerned the historic area will lose its character.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Does it feel like the same Five Points to you? Action News Jax Ben Ryan asked Riverside neighbor Joseph Guiffre.

No, it doesnt, it feels like its rapidly changing, he said.

Alewife is a local taproom and craft beer retailer announced online it wont renew their lease after 10 years in the historic area. Riverside neighbor Joseph Guiffre said its tragic to see another small business go.

Its kind of been a community hub for a lot of people last 10 years and its sad to see it go, Guiffre said.

The taproom cited changes to the craft beer industry over time, they posted online saying, A number of factors played into this decision. Over the course of the last ten years, weve witnessed significant changes within the craft beer industry as evidenced by the wave of brewery closures across the country. Weve evolved with it along the way as best we could while remaining authentic to who we are  expanding our menus and shifting the focus of our events. We also cant overstate the impact the pandemic had on the business. While we were able to navigate through it, the closures left us in a bit of a hole. And while we worked really hard to get out of it, the lingering post-pandemic shifts in consumer behavior have made getting out of that hole even more difficult, the post said.

READ: Legacy Sun-Ray Cinema closes its doors after nearly 100 years

The owners also noted that Five Points itself is in a transition, saying they dont have the energy or resources it would take to support the current market rate demands.

There is also no doubt that 5 Points is a neighborhood in the midst of a transition. And thats okay. Neighborhoods evolve and change. We love 5 Points  this decision does not change that. But at the end of the day, we know we dont have the energy or resources it would take to make this space successful enough to support what the current market rate demands. 

We have the opportunity to walk away on our terms, with time to say goodbye and celebrate everything that Alewife has been to us. So, were taking it, the post said.

This marks at least the third business in five points to close in just the last few months, from SunRay Cinema to Mixed Fillings Pie Shop.

READ: With heavy hearts Black Sheep restaurant at Five Points is closing

I think Jacksonville that has always been a pro-business city needs to look at itself and decide whether or not its a pro-business city for all, or just for most money from investors, he said.

Jacksonville City Council member, Jimmy Peluso oversees the district, he said his main concern is making sure new tenants arent big box stores.

Im not so concerned we wont find new tenants; I just want to make sure those new tenants are people who are respectful of the community and the cool funky vibe of Five Points, he said. Our Mayor wants to make Jacksonville the small business capital of the United States and I think we have that capability in us.

Alewifes post said it would like to see another beer related business take its spot.

For Guiffre, he wants any business as long as its a small local business.

Id love to see a locally owned small business, no matter what it is, he said.

Councilman Peluso also said while some are leaving, others are coming in, citing a new pizza shop and a new taco spot taking over Black Sheeps location. He said its crucial to always support the small businesses already here and that come in down the line.

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I felt like this was my last moment: Ewa woman after being attacked by over 15 dogs

WEST LOCH, Hawaii (KHON2)  An Ewa woman is speaking out after she said more than a dozen dogs attacked her while she was running on a trail near her home on Sunday.

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Cali Burcham said theres a trail behind her home which stretches to Waipahu.

On Sunday morning, she decided to go on a run but took a different path, and went left instead of right.

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About a mile down the road, near Pupuole Park and Waipahu Intermediate, she saw a homeless encampment in the bushes and a big dog on the trail.

I decided to turn around just because I didnt want to have any issues with the animal, Burcham said.

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She pulled out her pepper spray because she had a bad feeling and started walking backwards.

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About 20 steps in, 15 to 20 dogs ambushed me from behind, and began attacking me, tearing my leggings to shreds, she said. As soon as my pepper spray was out, my heart just fell, I literally felt like this was my last moment.

She threw the bottle at them and called 9-1-1.

Residents nearby came to her side, and when paramedics arrived, they gave her a tetanus shot.

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Police officers told me they had multiple reports of these stray crazy dogs attacking people, biting bikers over here, and they told me to contact the humane society because there was nothing they could do about it, Burcham said.

But the Hawaiian Humane Society said they no longer get involved unless police ask them to.

If the dog continues to behave aggressively or if someone is injured, immediately call the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) at 911. The police are equipped to quickly respond to dangerous animal situations and will take appropriate action to protect public safety. The Hawaiian Humane Society can assist HPD at their request given our animal handling expertise, but that would be at the responding officers discretion to request.

When asked if the Humane Society received a call from HPD regarding this incident, they said they did not receive one.

If I knew there were wild, crazy dogs back there, I wouldnt have been back there, Burcham said.

HPD told KHON2 they may contact the humane society for assistance if dogs are an imminent threat and cannot be secured by the owners, and people should run with a partner, with a lightweight stick or pepper spray, and to avoid areas where loose dogs are known to be in.

There are so many kids over there, I would never forgive myself for not speaking up if it happened to a child or an elderly person who walks over there, she said. If this doesnt get taken care of, this is going to happen again.

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KHON2 asked if HPD will consider asking the Humane Society for help in this area, but they did not respond.

And if youre not going to respond to attacks, then how are you going to respond to a death? Burcham added.

She said she will never walk down the trail again.

Hearing this all of this could have been prevented, right now police are acting very reactive not being proactive, lets step in and remove the situation before it gets worse, Burcham said. We shouldnt be waiting to react to a terrible situation that could take place, it should be done and over with the first time somebody got hurt down there, I shouldnt have run into that situation at all.

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The Hawaiian Humane Society urges the public to exercise caution if they encounter dangerous dogs. If you find yourself in a situation where a dog poses an immediate threat to your safety or the safety of others, please take the following steps:

Remain calm: Avoid sudden movements, loud noises or direct eye contact, which could escalate the dogs behavior. Slowly retreat: if possible, slowly and calmly back away from the dog without turning your back. Do not run, as this may trigger a chase response. Use barriers: If available, place an object between you and the dog, such as a bicycle, backpack or jacket, to create a buffer. Call for help: if the dog continues to behave aggressively or if someone is injured, immediately call the Honolulu police department (HPD) at 911. the police are equipped to quickly respond to dangerous animal situations and will take appropriate action to protect public safety. The Hawaiian Humane society can assist HPD at their request given our animal handling expertise, but that would be at the responding officers discretion to request.

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TEXARKANA, Texas (KTAL/KSHV)  Representatives from FEMA and the Small Business Administration set up at the Beverly Community Center on Monday.

They are providing information and accepting applications to help people with damaged homes or other unforeseen problems stemming from hurricane Beryl.

PHOTOS: Damage after Beryl made landfall in Texas

This is a grant that goes up to $35,000 and it can also include reimbursements for medical expenses and if you are not able to stay in your home because it is not it is not habitable, because of the storm, you could be relocated if you are eligible to a hotel. says Gabriel Gonzalez with FEMA.

FEMA is also accessing the level of damage as they explore the possibility of setting up a Disaster Recovery Center.

Thats where the people would go to receive aid and orientation in term of federal aid that includes us and the Small Business Administration, SBA, who will also be providing loans for small businesses that were affected by the hurricane. says Gonzalez.

FEMA and the SBA were also joined by representatives from the city of Texarkana, TX to share information on ways they are helping. Including cleaning up storm debris on private property for residents who can not afford to have it removed.

Shreveport NWS office may have issued more than half of Beryl-related tornado warnings in U.S.

They said they were sending someone out and I dont have to pay the price for it. Theyll accommodate me on that and get the trees and I dont have to worry about it. says Billy Jacobs, who owns property in the Newtown neighborhood

Jacobs is just one of many members of the community who were still looking for help weeks after the storm. Including one local resident who says that while her home was spared, many of her belongings were not.

She says that now after all this time she is optimistic she will finally be able to get some help.

Oh yes, thats been extremely hard up until now, up until now. But I think they had me squared away.

To learn more about how to receive assistance call 1-800-621-FEMA or go to disasterassistance.gov.

FEMA and SBA will be back out at the Beverly Community Center from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

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MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD)  New details were released Tuesday afternoon regarding a road rage incident in Mount Pleasant that left a man shot. What led to the shooting is still unknown.

A report from the Mount Pleasant Police Department noted that an act of road rage resulted in a physical altercation between two men, and at least one shot being fired.

An officer responded to the intersection of Six Mile Road and Rifle Range Road on the night of August 15. Once there, the officer saw two vehicles stopped in the roadway  a black SUV with a North Carolina license plate and a gray motorcycle with a South Carolina plate.

A man wearing biker gear was holding a green rag to his face while pacing in the roadway, according to the report. A group of individuals was seen comforting another man on the ground who had been shot.

Police said in the report that it appeared as though the wound went clean throughout the individuals left lower back. He was treated at the scene before being taken to an area hospital for further care.

They said a firearm was found on the ground between the SUV and the motorcycle. The other man was detained; however, police did not say whether an arrest was made.

The investigation remains active while police follow up on additional leads.

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Chair of the Independent Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Tragedy in Lewiston Daniel Wathen shares takeaways from the final report at Lewiston City Hall on Aug. 20, 2024. (Emma Davis/ Maine Morning Star)

The final report of the Independent Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Tragedy in Lewiston released on Tuesday concludes that both local law enforcement and the U.S. Army Reserve failed to undertake necessary steps to reduce the threat posed by Robert Card II before he killed 18 people and injured 13 others on Oct. 25.

We will never know if he might still have committed a mass shooting even if someone had managed to remove Cards firearms before October 25, commission chair Daniel Wathen said during a press conference at Lewiston City Hall. But the commission unanimously finds that there were several opportunities that, if taken, might have changed the course of events.

The 215-page final report is the most comprehensive account of the lead up and aftermath of the worst mass shooting in the states history, details for which the commission obtained through 16 public hearings with law enforcement, Cards family, the victims families and others, as well as several private meetings, since Gov. Janet Mills and Attorney General Aaron Frey formally established the seven-member body on Nov. 9.

Our ability to heal  as a people and as a state  is predicated on the ability to know and understand, to the greatest extent possible, the facts and circumstances surrounding the tragedy in Lewiston, Mills wrote in a statement. The release of the Independent Commissions final report marks another step forward on that long road to healing.

The governor said she will offer her views on the reports contents in the coming week after she has time to closely review the findings.

The final report affirms the findings of the interim report the commission released in March, that the Sagadahoc County Sheriffs Office had sufficient probable cause to both take Card into protective custody under Maines yellow flag law and start a petition to confiscate his firearms.

While placing blame on the sheriffs office, the commission also concluded that the office might have acted more assertively if leaders of Cards Army Reserve unit had presented a full and complete accounting of Cards deteriorating mental health and the threat he posed.

The leaders of the Saco-based unit knew Card was having auditory hallucinations and demonstrated increasingly aggressive behavior, as well as that he possessed firearms, but ignored recommendations from Cards mental health providers to stay engaged with his care and take steps to remove his weapons, the report concludes.

Wathen described the Army as often cooperative with the investigation, albeit slow and laden with bureaucracy. As of the final reports release, the commission still has outstanding information requests out to the Army.

Many state agencies voluntarily complied with requests from the commission to provide witnesses and records, while some required subpoenas. Federal agencies required a formal Touhy request for witnesses and documentation, and in several instances provided redacted records citing various federal laws and attorney client privilege.

The Army Reserve only produced 115 of the 3,200-page internal investigation report the commission requested via multiple Touhy requests.

Theres still a possibility that they will be received, Wathen said of the remaining pages on Tuesday.

While some fact-finding remains, the final report marks the end of the commissions work, and the basis of forthcoming legal action that the attorneys for the victims plan to take in the coming months.

More insight into Cards discharge

Though still an incomplete account, the report provides more details regarding why Card was discharged from a New York State hospital where hed undergone medical and psychiatric testing months before the shooting, which had been a major gap in a separate internal investigation by the U.S. Army released in late July. The Army investigation was unable to determine the reason for his release due to hospital staff declining to speak.

The commission similarly had challenges getting hospital staff to cooperate. The director of the Army Reserves Psychological Health Program for Cards division, Patricia Moloney, initially declined to appear despite a subpoena and eventually told the commission her involvement with Cards case was limited.

The final report revealed that the commission spoke with Cards treating psychiatrist, Dr. Sarah Klagsbrun, who Wathen said the commission interviewed after hearing from Moloney and not publicly due to legal concerns.

According to the report, Klagsbrun believed that Card had been safe to be released on the date of his discharge.

After Card began acting erratically while at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for his annual training responsibilities in the summer of 2023, Cards supervisor, Capt. Jeremy Reamer, ordered him to have his mental health evaluated.

Card was first treated at an Army hospital but then transferred to a civilian hospital, Four Winds in Katonah, New York, where he received in-patient care for 19 days between July 16 and Aug. 3, 2023.

On July 28, 2023, Four Winds Hospital filed a petition with a New York court to admit Card for involuntary treatment, after Card filed a petition for release a few days earlier. The hospitals petition was dismissed on Aug. 1, after Card withdrew his petition for release, and no court hearing occurred.

Klagsbrun told the commission that she didnt think the hospital would be successful in court, given Cards agreement to continue his medications and participate in therapy. The psychiatrist also outlined six factors she considered over the course of Cards treatment to determine if he was safe for discharge: aggression risk, homicidal risk, suicidal risk, his behavior in the hospital (if he was unsafe to himself or others), his protective factors vs. risk factors, and his medication compliance.

While she told the commission that she ultimately believed he met this criteria, Klagsbrun said she and other members of Cards medical team discussed the need for Cards firearms to be removed from his home.

Despite Cards agreement to continue to receive treatment, the final report found Card engaged in no treatment between August 3 and October 25, 2023, took almost none of his prescribed medication, and did not answer or return calls or emails from treating professionals.

Cards case with the hospital was closed due to noncompliance two days after his release, according to hospital records.

Calls for further study, legal action continue

While the report found culpability on the part of local law enforcement and the Army, it did not place blame on the Maine State Police, which led the two-day manhunt for Card.

The report recommends that the Maine State Police undergo a full after-action review with an independent evaluation conducted by an entity with policing expertise, which the commission members wrote would allow for professional recommendations about policy, protocol and other policing improvements.

At this point, the investigation has been completed and we, on behalf of the families, feel that the next step in this process needs to be real accountability.

 attorney Ben Gideon

The challenges faced by law enforcement in responding to the shootings were unprecedented in Maine, Wathen said. While many demonstrated bravery and professionalism in the face of danger, the first hours after the shootings were, at times, utter chaos as hundreds of law enforcement officers poured into Lewiston and were dispatched or self-dispatched to numerous scenes throughout the area.

Lt. Aaron M. Turcotte, troop commander of the Maine State Police Central Field Troop, issued a statement Tuesday that the Department of Public Safety and Maine State Police will carefully review the report and consider its recommendation for the Maine State Police as we evaluate potential next steps to improve response efforts in the future.

The commission was created with a fact-finding mission and not tasked to make policy recommendations regarding access to firearms, suggest amendments to Maines statutes, or propose operational changes for government agencies, Wathen emphasized during the press conference. However, the chair said the commission anticipates that many of the facts it has uncovered will serve as the basis for civil litigation, which the attorneys representing the survivors and victims families said they are preparing to initiate.

At this point, the investigation has been completed and we, on behalf of the families, feel that the next step in this process needs to be real accountability, said Ben Gideon, attorney with Gideon Asen, on the steps of Lewiston City Hall following the release of the final report.

While Gideon and Travis Brennan, another attorney for the families from Berman & Simmons, said they are not prepared to get into the details of their legal strategy at this time, they intend to pursue civil lawsuits in the coming months, litigation that they also hope will be an opportunity to seek more of the outstanding documentation about Cards history.

Megan Vozzella, whose husband, Stephen, was killed in the shooting, said Tuesday that she hopes those at fault will eventually be held accountable.

We are in pain, and we are dealing with the grief and the loss of our loved ones and its a journey, Vozzella said. All we can do is hope that we learn from this and make our lives better moving forward.

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WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL)  Two years ago, a plane crash during take-off killed an Arkansas man at the Wichita Valley Airport, and the final report released earlier this month lists loss of control by pilot error as the cause.

On August 20, 2022, a home-built Smyth Sidewinder crashed at the airport, killing 82-year-old Tom Cox, who had just purchased it moments before and was going to fly it home to Arkansas.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the cause of the crash was the pilots inexperience with this model and inadequate takeoff procedures, which led to an improper angle and a stall.

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The report says that on the morning of the crash, the pilot was making a three-point takeoff with all the landing gear on the runway. He became airborne at a slow speed and climbed to between 50 and 75 feet, then stalled when the left wind dropped. The plane crashed into a field next to the runway and burst into flames.

The autopsy lists the cause of death as blunt force trauma and burn injuries.

The man who sold the plane to Cox that morning said he reviewed the logbooks, checklist, and operational features, examined the plane with Cox, and then offered to do some practice takeoffs and landings, but Cox declined the offer.

The previous owner and other witnesses then watched the plane taxi, take off, and crash.

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The single-engine, two-seat Smyth Sidewinder plane was built from a kit in 1998 and sold to Cox online.

Another pilot who was at the airport and witnessed the crash told investigators he had flown the plane that crashed multiple times and stated that while performing maneuvers, it had a prominent left wind drop and a higher angle to the right wing, and the plane had no stall warning device.

A complete disassembly of the engine revealed no mechanical issues.

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Finland to build "green" school in Kyiv Oblast to replace two others destroyed by Russia

One of the war-damaged school buildings in Mykulychi shortly after the liberation in spring 2022. Photo: Finnish government

The Finnish government has allocated funds to pay for the construction of an eco-friendly school in Kyiv Oblast. The school will replace two others, in the village of Mykulychi and in the village of Nemishaieve, that have been destroyed in Russian missile strikes.

Source: press release on the website of the Finnish government

Details: The project is funded by Finland through the Nefco Green Recovery Programme for Ukraine, which Finland contributed 5 million to in 2022.

Nefco, or the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation, will be in charge of the projects implementation in Ukraine.

"The new school building will be based on a modular prefabricated timber frame and provide space for some 200 school children in primary and secondary years 1-9," according to the press release. Nearly 40% of the energy required will be sourced from renewables, mostly from solar power.

The schools in Mykulychi and Nemishaieve were destroyed by Russian missile strikes in February-March 2022.

Before the full-scale war, Finland financed a prefabricated timber school in Antonivka, Kherson Oblast, in 2016, under the Nordic Initiative for Energy Efficiency and Humanitarian Support, administered by Nefco. Last weekend it was reported that this school was destroyed by Russian missile strikes.

Background:

In April, Lithuanian officials said that Lithuania plans to build six underground schools that will also serve as bomb shelters in Mykolaiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts, and likely in Kharkiv Oblast by the end of the year.

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China lags global leaders by five years in commercial manufacturing of advanced logic chips and continues to fall behind in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, although Chinese companies have made progress in other areas, according to a new report.

In leading-edge logic chip manufacturing, top players, such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), are about five years more technologically advanced than Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), mainland China's largest foundry, said a report published on Monday by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a Washington-based science and technology policy think tank.

TSMC, the world's largest contract chip maker, introduced in 2022 its 3-nanometre process, used in making some of the world's most sophisticated chips. SMIC, which was reportedly testing its next-generation 5-nm process, last year began producing chips at the 7-nm node for Huawei Technologies' flagship Mate 60 smartphone series, in defiance of US sanctions aimed at capping Chinese firms at 14-nm.

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"China is investing hundreds of billions of dollars to become a leader in semiconductors, so it is making impressive strides, but its progress so far has been limited to certain aspects of chip development and production," said Stephen Ezell, ITIF's vice-president of global innovation, who wrote the report.

Chinese firms are even weaker in the production of semiconductor-manufacturing equipment, as well as semiconductor assembly, testing and packaging (ATP). Despite innovative efforts, Chinese companies stand "several years more behind global leaders", the ITIF said.

The future looks brighter in the design of logic chips, where Chinese companies have come closer to global leaders, falling by only two years behind, according to the ITIF. Strong local demand for the design of logic chips used in mobile devices or artificial intelligence applications has fuelled faster innovation, the report said.

The growth of China's semiconductor industry, particularly in older-generation chips, has been driven largely by massive subsidies, according to the report, as President Xi Jinping calls on all levels of the government to support the nation's chip self-reliance drive.

Chinese chip companies have benefited not only from state subsidies, but also tax or tariff reduction and exemption for equipment and materials, as well as land sales at reduced prices, according to ITIF.

Story continues

Since 2014, semiconductor-industry investments made each year by all levels of the Chinese government are likely equivalent to the US$52 billion in subsidies earmarked by the United States to encourage domestic semiconductor manufacturing under the Chips and Science Act of 2022, Chris Miller, author of the book Chip War, was quoted as saying in the report.

While analysts have said that government subsidies are vital to support loss-making Chinese firms playing the long game, the report warned that China's "go-it-alone" strategy to create a "closed-loop" chip industry could prove highly difficult, given the complexity of the chip ecosystem.

SMIC facilities at Pudong district in Shanghai. Photo: AFP alt=SMIC facilities at Pudong district in Shanghai. Photo: AFP>

Substantial government subsidies have also led to an overcapacity in Chinese legacy chip production. The country's share of global mature-node production is expected to grow from 31 per cent in 2023 to 39 per cent in 2027.

The development has triggered concerns in Washington that China may dominate global supply of such chips. The US has announced it would double tariffs on semiconductor imports from China to 50 per cent next year.

China now pins high hopes on ATP, as the country's share of global ATP facilities rose to 38 per cent in August 2023 from 27 per cent in 2021, according to ITIF. The world's five largest outsourced assembly and test firms, such as JCET Group and Tongfu Microelectronics, are Chinese.

While over half of global semiconductor patent applications filed in 2021 and 2022 came from Chinese companies, twice those from US companies, Chinese firms dedicated less of their revenues to research and development (R&D).

In 2022, the R&D intensity in China's semiconductor industry was 7.6 per cent, compared with 18.8 per cent in the US, 15 per cent in the EU and 11 per cent in Taiwan, the report showed.

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.

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A fire at the Kavkaz oil depot in Russia's Rostov Oblast, where oil products for the Russian army are stored, has been raging for three consecutive days. Despite efforts to contain it, the blaze has intensified, now engulfing 22 tanks.

Source: Kremlin-aligned news agencies RIA Novosti, TASS, Interfax, RBK; Telegram channels Baza; Meduza

Details: Local authorities say the fire at the oil depot in Proletarsk has spread to an area of 10,000 square metres.

Around 22 out of 74 diesel fuel tanks are said to be currently burning, and the fire is likely to continue for several more days.

Around 520 people, including firefighters from neighbouring regions, are battling the blaze.

However, the fire has not yet been contained. Continuous water spraying is underway between the tanks at the site to prevent any detonations.

Russians claim that the fire at the oil depot in Proletarsk, Rostov Oblast, started on Sunday "after the fall of three aircraft-type drones".

Earlier on Monday, local authorities reported 18 casualties, while Vasily Golubev, the governor of Rostov Oblast, stated that firefighters were injured. Later, the governor announced that the number of firefighters who were affected had risen to 41: 18 of them were taken to hospital, including five who are in intensive care.

A state of high readiness had been declared in the Proletarsky district, and a state of emergency had been introduced in Proletarsk on 19 August.

Background:

Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) and the Ukrainian Armed Forces struck the Kavkaz plant in Russia's Rostov Oblast, which stored petroleum products for the Russian army's military needs, on the night of 17-18 August.

A facility in the settlement of Proletarsk in Russia's Rostov Oblast was targeted by attack drones on the night of 17-18 August. Eyewitnesses report that five UAVs were involved. The strike caused a large fire engulfing diesel tanks at the site.

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CHICAGO  A fire at an apartment on the citys South Side left three people, including two Chicago firefighters, injured on Monday afternoon.

According to fire officials, the blaze erupted at a building in the 1400 block of East 69th Place in Grand Crossing.

Currently, it is unclear what time the fire broke out, but officials said one person inside the building and two firefighters suffered injuries.

Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines

All three were reportedly transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center and are expected to recover, but there were some intense moments, including a mayday call after a stairway inside the building collapsed.

I was sitting in my front room and I just started smelling smoke. So I came outside and it was just flames shooting up, Karen Woodard, who lives nearby, said.







At least 100 firefighters descended on the neighborhood as crews battled the blaze.

Woodard said she watched as it all unfolded.

People started throwing stuff out the window and people started coming out the building and it was a mess, Woodard said.

LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland

Officials said the fire started inside one of the units on the second floor, eventually spreading and causing the stairwell to collapse.

Mayday was called because we lost communication with our members, Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner Donald Walker said.

As residents raced to evacuate, some jumped from windows on the second floor.

Officials said the fire was extinguished by about 7 p.m.

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(KRON)  The Alameda County Fire Department said crews are on the scene of a vegetation fire that stretched 15 acres in Livermore Monday afternoon.

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The blaze broke out on eastbound 580, just west of N Midway Road and W. Grant Line Road. Forward progress has stopped on the fire as of 3:03 p.m., confirmed ACFD.

There is no word yet on what caused the blaze.

People are being asked to avoid the area.

This is a developing story. Stay with KRON4 News on updates.

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MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now)  A first-grade Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) teacher was arrested on Monday in connection to the fentanyl-related death of a man, the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) said.

According to MCPD, officers and special agents from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed a search and seizure warrant at the home of Sarah Katherine Magid in Burtonsville on Aug. 19.

Officers arrested her for violating Marylands controlled dangerous substance abuse statutes.

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Investigators said they started investigating Magid after a man died from fentanyl toxicity in D.C. back in March.

Court documents said the man was found dead just before 9 p.m. on March 25 while living in a residence that shelters people recovering from addiction. Witnesses reported seeing a light on in his room and finding him unresponsive and cold, with a blanket covering his face.

MCPD detectives and DEA agents later discovered he had been in Montgomery County in the days leading up to his death. While investigating, they learned that Sarah Magid was in contact with him.

His family gave DEA investigators his phone, which had texts between the victim and Magid, under the contact name Sarah.

Texts between the two started in January 2024, with the man asking her lemme come get a jaunt, trying to buy Xanax. Magid bragged about making money in the text exchanges, according to court documents.

In the days before his death, the victim expressed that he thought the pills were fake, with Magid later responding, in part, theres no waycuz I never in my life seen fake pills imprinted exactly the same.

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On March 24, Magid responded to the victims messages, writing U want more xans lmk just before 9:45 a.m.

At 5:39 p.m., after not getting a response all day, she wrote, Aiiitw guess u died dont have many left anyways but she was gonna bring the pinks.

Then, at 9:46 p.m., she sent, Got a new bestfriend anyways lol.

She continued texting him after his body was discovered on the evening of March 25.

Just after 2:30 a.m. on March 26, she wrote, Guess u died.

Then, at 4 p.m., Bro are u straight, followed by U worrying me a few hours later.

A few days later, the victims sister sent Magid texts from his phone, confronting her about selling her brother pills before his death.

The sister wrote, I know who you are and I know what you did, to which Magid doubted whether the victim actually fatally overdosed, writing, OkayIm sorry about your loss if this is even true.

She continued to deny selling her brother anything, saying that she teaches and dont blame ur brothers choices on me.

Investigators confirmed Magid was listed as a first-grade teacher at Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School in Silver Spring. On July 28, police received an anonymous complaint about her, stating she had come out of her classroom to sell drugs to other people outside of her work, according to court documents.

The complaint further stated that she constantly purchases drugs and sells them as much as she can, and has been doing so for over four years now.

Officers transported Magid to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where she awaits a bond hearing.

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Arkansas is progressing as state officials announced the first phase of completion of a plan to improve the states water system.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Tuesday that the first phase of the Arkansas Water Plan update was completed, with plans of starting the next phase within the next few months.

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders orders update to Arkansas Water Plan, first since 2014

Sanders signed an executive order in 2023 calling for an update to the states water plan. The plan provides development and management of water and land resources in Arkansas, according to the Arkansas Department of Agricultures website.

Officials from the governors office said that phase one consisted of a review of the existing Arkansas Water Plan to determine the necessary changes. State officials said that several meetings were held, and citizens were asked for feedback through a survey.

The data collected was used to develop the listed goals for the Arkansas Water Plan Update:

Provide drinking water that supports public health and well-being

Provide water that supports environmental and economic benefits to the state and supports interstate agreements

Use the best available science, data, tools, practices, and technologies to support water resource planning and management for current and future needs

Maintain and improve water supply, wastewater, stormwater, and flood control infrastructure and plan for future infrastructure needs

Maintain, protect, and improve water quality to support designated uses of waterbodies

Reduce the impacts of future flooding events on people, property, infrastructure, industry, agriculture, and the environment

Arkansas announces $79 million in water project funding

State officials said the update to the Arkansas Water Plan will be completed in two phases. Sanders said that the new water plan is expected to be completed by Dec. 31.

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"The first thing they asked for was to taste Ukrainian ice cream": six children evacuated from occupied part of Kherson Oblast

Six more families with children  two boys and four girls aged between 3 and 12  have managed to evacuate from the temporarily occupied territory of Kherson Oblast.

Source: Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson Oblast Military Administration

Details: Prokudin noted that the NGO Save Ukraine was responsible for organising the evacuation.

"These children were living in the temporarily occupied territory, and their families turned to us for help," Save Ukraine told Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia.

The organisation noted that the children had no access to proper healthcare in the temporarily occupied territories.

"For instance, one of the boys had spent most of his time indoors as his parents wouldnt let him go out for security reasons. He needs socialisation, communication and rehabilitation. He also has sight problems  he hasnt seen an optician for the last two and a half years, and this has to be done as soon as possible," the organisation reports.

The Save Ukraine representatives added that emotionally, the evacuated families were in a bad way. The parents revealed that since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, it had felt as if they had no life.

"It seemed like it froze during that time," they said.

After the evacuation, the children were anxious but at the same time glad that they were finally in Ukraine-controlled territory.

"They started adapting pretty much right away: they realised they could speak Ukrainian freely, carry the symbols of the Ukrainian state, and even just walk around freely. The first thing they asked for was to taste Ukrainian ice cream," Save Ukraine said.

Psychologists from the organisation are now working with the children to help them rehabilitate, reintegrate into Ukrainian society and start a new life, taking the individual circumstances of each family into account.

Background: The police will prosecute parents who hide their children to avoid evacuation in the settlement of Myrnohrad, Donetsk Oblast.

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Five major bills and how they impact western Massachusetts

BOSTON (WWLP)  22News takes a look at five major bills that were discussed on Beacon Hill by the end of the session and details how they could impact us in western Massachusetts.

Register to vote deadline for Massachusetts primaries is this Saturday

Gun Reform (H.4885)

A new wide-spanning gun reform bill is the most expansive firearm legislation in a decade and looks to crack down on ghost guns, expand the law that allows courts to take guns away from those considered a threat, and add schools, government buildings, and polling places to the list of areas where firearms are prohibited.

The issue of ghost guns is particularly prevalent in western Massachusetts.

Ghost guns, which are homemade firearms that are assembled from individual parts that are unserialized, are currently untraceable by law enforcement.

State Representative Bud Williams, who represents the 11th Hampden district, told 22News that much of the violence that occurs in his district happens using ghost guns.

Williams said these guns are moved across state lines through and around Springfield, making it difficult for state police to intervene.

Williams called for federal assistance in cracking down on these weapons, but Springfield has not seen an increased FBI or other national presence.

This improved tracking of ghost guns, as stipulated in the new gun law, could help reduce violent crimes using these weapons.

There is some uncertainty surrounding the future of this billthe Gun Owners Action League, the Massachusetts branch of the National Rifle Association, has filed a lawsuit challenging the viability of the law.

They say it goes against the Second Amendment and effectively bans all firearms.

Gun owners and advocates have also filed initial signatures with Secretary Bill Galvins office to challenge the law on the 2026 ballot, and are on track to have the law put on hold until after a public vote is taken.

Veterans Reform (H. 4172)

Governor Healey filed the veteran reform bill, or the Hero Act, in celebration of Veterans Day, but the legislature did not pass it until the final hours of the legislative session on July 31.

The bill aims to modernize and expand veteran benefits, including improving access to mental health care and widening the states definition of veteran to include more service members and their families.

This bill was championed by veterans and western Massachusetts lawmakers Senator John Velis and Representative Kelly Pease, both of whom told 22News it is crucial legislation to take care of the states servicemembers and their families.

Veteran care reform is particularly important to western Massachusetts in the wake of the COVID-related deaths of 76 veterans living in the Holyoke Soldiers Home.

Since these deaths occurred, several investigations and lawsuits took place, followed by an overhaul of leadership. A new oversight law was also passed, which drove the push for the Hero Act itself.

Construction is underway for a new veteran care facility in Holyoke and is expected to be completed in 2028.

At the Hero Act bill signing ceremony, Secretary of Veterans Services, Jon Santiago, announced that the facility has been awarded Department of Public Health licensure.

This is the most expansive veteran legislation introduced by a Massachusetts governor in 20 years.

FY25 Budget (H.4800)

The Fiscal Year 2025 budget is a sweeping $58 billion piece of legislation that spans from free community college to free public transportation to a legalized online lottery.

Many provisions within this budget are relevant to the western part of the state, but it is a couple of amendments to the governors original proposal that may prove most impactful.

Two adopted amendments that are particularly relevant to western Massachusettsone dealing with home equity theft and one dealing with early educationwere tacked onto the budget when it came out of the conference committee.

Home equity theft refers to a municipalitys ability to seize a homeowners earned equity beyond what that homeowner owes in taxes.

One of the amendments champions, Hampshire, Franklin, and Worcester Senator Jo Comerford, told 22News that she heard about the issue from constituents.

western Massachusetts homeowners were struggling to get back on top of tax payments, and no longer had their home equity to fall back on.

This amendment came after the Hampden County Superior Court ruled the practice to be unconstitutional, and home equity theft is now against Massachusetts law.

Early education measures were originally a standalone bill in the Senate, but through conference committee negotiations, became part of the final budget.

This compromise brings spending to $1.5 billion on early education throughout the budget.

Revenue from newly legalized lottery sales will be funneled into an early education grant fund, which is expected to account for about $100 million of the $475 million childhood education grant price tag.

Early education funding is particularly crucial in western Massachusetts, as Massachusetts is ranked the fifth worst state for early childhood education, and schools in Chicopee, Greenfield, Holyoke, Northampton, Palmer, and Springfield are ranked among the worst in the state.

Housing Bond Bill (H.4977)

The housing bond bill, also called the Affordable Homes Act, looks to address the nearly 200,000-unit housing shortage in the state.

This bill was one of Governor Healeys priorities for the session, and it is the largest affordable housing investment in Massachusetts history.

In addition to the authorization of almost $5.2 billion in bonding, the law includes 49 policy items.

Policies that made it into the final law include eviction sealing, allowing accessory dwelling units by right, designating $2 billion in bonds to improve the states public housing, and new tax credits for companies that convert commercial buildings to residential spaces.

This housing shortage is especially evident in areas near emergency housing programs, such as sites in Springfield, and shortages will continue to worsen as more migrant families come to the state.

This housing bill is estimated to lead to the building of 45,000 new housing units and the preservation of 27,000 existing units, easing this burden.

One crucial amendment did not make it to the final House version of the bill or to the conference committeecrumbling foundations legislation.

The amendment was meant to help homeowners in western Massachusetts pay to replace their crumbling concrete, but it was not adopted.

Representative Brian Ashe, who represents the 2nd Hampden district, introduced this same provision into the economic development bond bill, so hope is not lost on getting this legislation passed before the new session begins in January.

Maternal Health (H.4999)

While this bill has not yet been signed into law by the governor, it is out of the conference committee.

The new maternal health bill seeks to address the alarmingly high rate of severe maternal morbidity in the commonwealth, which nearly doubled between 2011 and 2020.

This bill will make it easier to open birthing centers for non-complicated births, create pathways for certified midwives and lactation consultants to receive licensure in Massachusetts, and increase access to postpartum depression screening for all.

The legislation also looks to increase insurance coverage of doula care and donor milk and milk-derived products, as well as increasing and improving oversight of ultrasound services.

This bill is particularly important for western Massachusetts, as the severe maternal morbidity rate is significantly higher for birthing parents of color.

Black people have consistently had the highest instances of severe maternal morbidity of any racial group, with a rate 2.3 times higher than White non-Hispanic individuals with the same set of circumstances, according to the Massachusetts Department of Health.

Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic people also experience high instances of severe maternal morbidity, with rates 1.2 times higher than that of their White non-Hispanic peers.

In cities such as Springfield and Holyoke, which have some of the highest minority populations in the state, the need for change in maternal health care is especially pronounced.

Services such as midwifery and doula care, which are statistically more likely to be utilized by people of color, have been proven to improve birth outcomes.

Provisions in this bill that increase access to these services do so to directly improve birth outcomes.

Governor Healey has not yet signed this bill but has expressed her enthusiasm for maternal healthcare legislation in the past.

When asked about her likelihood of signing the bill following an unrelated press conference on Friday, she confirmed her support.

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Covid-19 Impact on Mining Economies

The coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic has caused global stock markets to drop, commodity prices to tumble, and mine production outputs globally to take severe hits. With the outbreak likely to disrupt the global economy for several months, Mining Technology investigates the countries where a hit to the mining industry could be disastrous for the wider economy.

The Mining Contribution Index (MCI), compiled by the International Council of Mining and Minerals (ICMM), ranks the significance of the mining sectors contribution to national economies. The most recent MCI was released in 2018 and shows that low to middle-income economies are largely dependent on the mineral sector.

According to the ICMM, MCI scores and rankings indicate the relative importance of mining to the economic life of a country; they are not a measure of success for the mining sector in those countries.

Suriname

Suriname rose 46 places over the previous edition of the MCI, topping the ranking in 2018, caused by large increases in mineral rents and in metals and minerals production value since the 2016 edition of the report. Combined with a 38% decline in Surinames GDP, Suriname was able to overtake countries that historically held a greater role for mining in their economies.

Surinames main export commodities are gold and oil. There is one large-scale gold mine in Suriname, Rosebel, in which Canadian Iamgold owns a 95% stake, the remaining stake being held by the government of Suriname. The Rosebel gold mine began production in 2004, and by 2016 had produced 4.4Moz of gold.

Since 14 March 2020, Surinames borders and airports have been closed, following the first confirmed Covid-19 case in the country the day before. There are currently eight confirmed cases in the South American country.

The New York Times reports that falling prices for Surinames two main commodities over the past month has left the country without enough hard currency to pay off its debt and import basic goods. Iamgold announced this week that its Rosebel mine continues to operate but the site is moving to self-confinement to reduce the risk of Covid-19 spreading to the mine site.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo

The DRC is perhaps more famous for its mineral industry than Suriname, and indeed the Central African country is one of the largest contributors to global mining production when ranked by the sheer monetary value of the mining sector, rather than the sectors significance to the national economy.

In 2009, the DRC had an estimated $24tn in untapped mineral deposits, and the country is a significant player in the worlds production of cobalt, copper, diamond, and gold. It also holds the worlds largest reserves of coltan, which is a source of the tantalum used in many electronic devices including mobile phones. The countrys mining sector enjoys an abundance of foreign involvement, with at least 25 international mining companies operating in the DRC as of 2011.

Story continues

On 24 March 2020, President of the DRC Felix Tshisekedi imposed a state of emergency and closed the nations borders in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. There have been 48 confirmed cases in the country since the first confirmed patient on 10 March. The governor of Haut-Katanga province, Jacques Kyabula, issued a lockdown order on 22 March. Haut-Katanga is a copper and cobalt heartland and combined with Lualaba province accounts for almost all of the DRCs cobalt production. In Lualaba province, Glencores Kamoto Copper Company mine, a copper and cobalt operation, repatriated 26 foreign workers this week in response to the DRCs outbreak, according to Reuters.

China

Perhaps unsurprisingly, China contributes the most to the global mining industry through sheer volume, dwarfing countries like Australia and Russia, with the countrys metal and coal production valued at $626.3bn in the 2018 MCI. China is the worlds largest gold producer, and also contributes large portions of the worlds coal production, as well as being a significant source of income for mining and mineral companies worldwide.

The Covid-19 outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, in Chinas Hubei province, in December 2019. While Chinas response to the outbreak has now seemingly flattened the curve  reducing daily case numbers and reducing overall strain on the country - the wider economic impact of Chinas outbreak, both domestically and internationally, is not yet understood.

Nonetheless, a decline in manufacturing in China has made global mining companies nervous. Chinas manufacturing index fell to its lowest reading since the survey began, dropping to 35.7 in February from 50 in January. A slowdown in manufacturing, both during the outbreak and in its aftermath, means that China will be importing fewer metals and minerals. Major PGM producer Nornickel was cautious in its annual results announcement at the end of February but warned that its 2020 outlook could be undermined depending on the severity of the coronavirus outbreak.

"Covid-19: Which mining economies will suffer most from the pandemic?" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Democrats in Florida have long dreamed of putting their state back in play. Tuesdays primaries could help decide if thats even a possibility.

The Senate seat, held by Republican Rick Scott, is not as high of a priority for Democrats compared to races for the upper chamber in Montana and Ohio. But should former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell claim the Democratic nomination, as shes favored to, some Democrats are emboldened that they stand at least a chance in a state where they have struggled recently statewide.

A handful of battleground House races are also taking place in Florida: one currently held by a Democrat, Rep. Darren Soto, and two held by Republicans, Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Maria Elvira Salazar.

And one of the top races to watch isnt even a swing seat. Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, a rabble-rouser who orchestrated the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, faces a primary challenge. A win for Gaetz, who has downplayed the seriousness of his primary foe, would be a blow to McCarthys revenge tour to take down the Republicans who crossed him.

Primaries are also taking place in Alaska  where Republicans have their sights set on Rep. Mary Peltola, one of the most vulnerable Democrats this cycle  and Wyoming, where longtime Republican Sen. John Barrasso faces nominal primary challengers.

Heres what to watch on Tuesday:

 AK-AL: Alaskas unique primary system takes much of the intrigue out of Tuesdays election, though both sides are jockeying to lay the groundwork for the high-stakes general election.

Alaska has a nonpartisan top-four primary, where the top four vote-getters, regardless of party, proceed to the general election. In November, a winner is decided with ranked choice voting, in which voters rank candidates in order of preference instead of just picking one. If no candidate receives a majority of first-place votes, the remaining ballots are reallocated from the lowest-performing finishers to second or third choices until one hopeful secures more than half the vote.

Some Republicans attributed their loss in the midterms to the voting system, which was used for the first time that cycle. Critics of ranked choice voting argued that the system is confusing and that Republicans would have had success if it werent for voters deciding between Republicans Nick Begich and former Gov. Sarah Palin, who came up short in the final round of voting against Peltola.



Begich is back for another try, but national Republicans  including former President Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson  have coalesced around Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom. Begich has picked up some grassroots support, has a slight fundraising advantage and benefits from name ID from his previous run (as well as coming from a well-known family in Alaska politics). He also has the backing of the House Freedom Fund, the conservative Freedom Caucus political arm.

Along with Peltola, both Begich and Dahlstrom are favored to make it to the general election. Begich has said hell drop out of the race if he finishes behind Dahlstrom to avoid splitting the Republican vote in the general election. Dahlstrom has not made the same commitment.

Democrats, meanwhile, are working to make sure another Republican clinches the fourth spot in the hopes itll ultimately boost Peltola in November. Vote Alaska Before Party, a group with ties to Democrats, has dropped more than $1 million elevating Dahlstrom, Begich and Gerald Heikes, a frequent and little-known Republican candidate. One other Democrat and a handful of other candidates are also on the ballot.

Peltola is one of five House Democrats representing a seat that the former president claimed in 2020, when Trump won Alaska by 10 points.

Polls start to close at midnight Eastern, with the latest closing at 1 a.m. Eastern.

 FL-Sen: Scott is not only in a race to keep his seat but also to try to get a promotion to GOP leader. Tuesdays Democratic primary will decide which politician has a shot at getting in the way of both possibilities.

Mucarsel-Powell is favored in the primary. Shes leading in fundraising and has the support of national Democrats, including President Joe Biden, who made his preference known during a campaign stop in Tampa in April when he was still the presumptive presidential nominee.

Mucarsel-Powell has focused on going after Scott rather than Democratic opponents, including underdog Stanley Campbell, a tech entrepreneur who has won some union support.

Scott also has focused most of his criticisms on Mucarsel-Powell, though on Tuesday he faces a primary challenge from Republican Keith Gross, an attorney who previously ran as a Democrat in Georgias state House.

 FL-01: Trying to unseat Gaetz is a big part of McCarthys revenge tour, given that the four-term firebrand led the charge to get him ousted from his dream job. But it looks like Gaetz will survive.

Still, McCarthy-aligned spending has been one of the main reasons its become the most expensive congressional primary in Florida this cycle, with more than $5.1 million spent between Gaetz and his opponents. GOP challenger Aaron Dimmock, a Navy veteran, faces long odds in trying to unseat Gaetz.



The incumbent has blasted Dimmock as a carpetbagger because he continues to work for the state of Missouri. Gaetz faced scrutiny following leaked allegations that he paid to have sex with a 17-year-old girl and paid for her to travel with him, a charge he denies. The Department of Justice closed a sex trafficking investigation into Gaetz in February 2023, but he is still under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

Florida Patriots PAC  a super PAC funded by the nonprofit America Fund, which also backed other outside groups spending against fellow McCarthy detractors  has blanketed the airwaves with around $3.5 million in ads highlighting Gaetzs scandals. But that spending has tapered off in the leadup to the primary.

 FL-08: This red-leaning district is the only open seat up for grabs in Florida, after Republican Rep. Bill Posey abruptly announced his resignation right before the qualifying deadline. Mike Haridopolos, the former Florida Senate president who has the backing of Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, is the heavy favorite in the Republican primary against businessperson John Hearton. Whoever wins the GOP primary Tuesday is likely heading to Congress.

 FL-09: Sotos seat in Osceola County is the only one the National Republican Congressional Committee has targeted in Florida this cycle, though its likely to be a tough climb unless theres a major drop in Democratic turnout in November. Tuesdays primary has three Republicans facing off to try to topple Soto: Jose Castillo, a conservative activist; Thomas Chalifoux, a former school board member; and John Quinones, a former state representative who was the first Puerto Rican Republican elected to the Florida Legislature.

 FL-13: Five Democrats are facing off for the chance to try to unseat Luna, whos unchallenged on the Republican side, in this top target for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Leading the pack in fundraising and endorsements is Whitney Fox, a former transportation official. Another candidate, Sabrina Bousbar, was a senior adviser on health disaster preparedness and response in the Biden administration and, if elected, would be the first female Gen Z member of Congress.

 FL-27: The only other seat the DCCC has targeted in Florida is that of Salazar, a former longtime TV host whose district is highly competitive and majority Hispanic. Opponents have already dinged Salazar over touting certain spending bills she opposed. Two Democrats are in the primary: Lucia Baez-Geller, a progressive Miami-Dade school board member; and Mike Davey, the more centrist former mayor of Key Biscayne.

Most polls close at 7 p.m. Eastern, with the latest closing at 8 p.m. Eastern.

 WY-Sen: Barrasso, the No. 3 Senate Republican, is at little risk of being unseated by one of his primary challengers. But hes not taking any chances.

Barrasso, who has been in office since 2007, has far outspent his opponents, including putting more than $300,000 into advertising, per AdImpact. And hes not without reinforcements: Trump endorsed him, and High Plains PAC, a pro-Barrasso outside group, has spent close to $400,000 on ads in the leadup to the primary.

Reid Rasner, a financial adviser who contributed more than $1 million to his own campaign, could have posed the most serious threat. But he has failed to gain much traction and has drew the ire of local Republicans  including Rep. Harriet Hageman  for implying they are supporting him.

Barrasso has faced primary competition before, and easily fended those challengers off.

Polls close at 9 p.m. Eastern.

A version of this story appeared in POLITICO Pros Morning Score newsletter and Florida Playbook. Sign up for POLITICO Pro.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) A Florida man was arrested in New Cumberland Borough on Monday for alleged involvement in installing skimming devices in fuel pumps in the area, according to the Fairview Township Police Department.

Police say Jorge Yandi Cabrera-Tapanes, 31, of West Palm Beach, FL, was arrested on Monday after investigating two malfunctioning fuel pumps at a local gas station on the 100 block of Limekiln Road in February.

During the investigation, officers learned skimming devices had been installed inside the fuel pumps.

Officers said they identified Cabrera-Tapanes as a suspect through surveillance camera footage and DNA evidence from the devices.

Police warn about skimming devices placed on ATMs

York County Regional Police found a similar device inside an ATM earlier in August and warned individuals using ATMs to be cautious of anything unusual.

Skimming devices are tools used to capture credit card information, which thieves then use to make fraudulent purchases. Devices are typically installed in card readers in gas stations and ATMs, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Although skimming devices can be hard to find, the Federal Trade Commission has some ways to spot them. Alignment issues between the card reader and the panel underneath it on ATMs or gas pumps often reveal they have been tampered with. Check other pumps for similarities and differences.

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This Florida man was a diehard Trump supporter. Hes now backing Kamala Harris at the DNC

A few short years ago, Rich Logis was, by his own account, a hardcore devotee of Donald Trump.

As a conservative pundit, he wrote essays and op-eds defending the former president and attacking his critics and political rivals, like Hillary Clinton and President Joe Biden. In an opinion piece published last year by Newsweek, Logis recalled volunteering for Trumps 2016 campaign and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis 2018 bid for the governors mansion.

For a long time, I sincerely believed in Make America Great Again,  he wrote in the Newsweek piece. I convinced myself that a Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden victory represented the end of the United States as we knew it.

His views have changed drastically in recent years. In a video broadcast at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday, Logis excoriated Trump, calling his past support for the former president and 2024 Republican nominee a grave mistake, while endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris White House bid.

Logis said it was Trumps handling of the COVID-19 pandemic that prompted him to start questioning the former presidents leadership.

When the pandemic hit, we needed leadership, but we were given almost nothing, said Logis, a Florida resident who earlier this month was named a co-chair of the group Republicans for Harris in Florida. It was a major betrayal to the country.

At that point, he added, I finally stepped outside the MAGA echo chamber, I stopped listening to what Trump said and looked around with my own eyes. And I realized that he had been lying about pretty much everything.

By featuring a one-time Trump supporter like Logis, Harris campaign and the Democratic National Committee are hoping to persuade Republicans and right-leaning independents disillusioned with Trumps candidacy and the current GOP to ditch the former president and back Harris.

While polls show that Republican voters overwhelmingly remain supportive of Trump, there have been some high-profile defectors. In addition to Logis, former Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois is expected to speak at the Democrats convention later this week. Ana Navarro, a Republican commentator and longtime Trump critic who co-hosts ABCs The View, will host the conventions Tuesday-evening programming.

In his video remarks on Monday night, Logis acknowledged that while many Republican voters may be hesitant to back a Democrat like Harris, you dont need to agree with everything you hear tonight to do what is right.

We need to be able to trust our leaders, Logis said. Thats why Im all in for Kamala Harris.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  The 2024 General Election is only a few months away, but a Florida man is trying to put an initiated measure on the 2026 South Dakota ballot.

DOC has said Harrisburg isnt only sewer option

According to the secretary of states office, two topics are listed as potential ballot questions: an initiated measure to require a non-denominational prayer in K-12 public schools and an initiated measure for fair market value assessed property.

The sponsor for the school prayer-initiated measure is Hillel Hellinger, of North Miami Beach, Florida, while Joe Hurly, of Sioux Falls, is the sponsor of the market value assess property-initiated measure.

On Tuesday, Attorney General Marty Jackley released his draft title and explanation required by law for all proposed initiated measures. Jackleys ballot explanation says it would require each public-school teacher, in grades Kindergarten through 12, to lead students every morning in prayer. Students and teachers would be able to file for a religious exemption.

The public can provide written comments on the draft explanation until Aug. 30, 2024.

Both ballot questions have not been approved by the secretary of states office for signature circulation.

The initiated measure would require over 17,500 valid petition signatures to qualify for the 2026 General Election ballot.

In the upcoming 2024 election, there will be seven ballot measures South Dakotans will vote on.

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GREENACRES  Residents from Palm Springs to Westlake and beyond to The Glades voted Tuesday to elect candidates who will run for their districts State House seat on Nov. 5.

In District 89, Destinie Baker Sutton and Debra Tendrich competed for the Democratic nomination to replace state Rep. David Silvers, who is leaving office because of term limits. The winner will challenge Daniel Zapata, a Republican who is pursuing his second run for office.

The district covers from West Palm Beach to Hypoluxo Road and includes Palm Springs and parts of Lake Worth Beach and Greenacres

In District 94, four newcomers are vying to secure the Republican primary to run for the seat of longtime Rep. Rick Roth, who is also leaving the seat due to term limits.

2024 Palm Beach County Elections: Live Results

The district's boundaries extend from greater Wellington to Westlake and Belle Glade and also encompass most of northern Palm Beach County west of Interstate 95.

Polls remain open until 7 p.m. across Palm Beach County. If none of the candidates receives a majority of the vote, the top two finishers will compete for the office on the Nov. 5 general election ballot.

Destinie Baker Sutton is seeking to win the Democratic primary to represent District 89 in the Florida State House.

Debra Tendrich

District 89: Two candidates seek Democratic nomination

Destinie Baker Sutton, the founder of Destinie Law Firm, has previously worked as an assistant Palm Beach County attorney and as a prosecutor for the Organized Crime Unit at the state attorney's office. She is the daughter of longtime Palm Beach County judge Moses Baker Jr.

Baker says she wants to bring more affordably priced homes to the district and help reduce residents' high insurance premiums. She supports investing in public schools, initiatives to support small businesses and protecting womens rights.

Debra Tendrich, founder and executive director of Eat Better Live Better, a nonprofit that distributes food to underserved families in Palm Beach County.

In her campaign Tendrich for Teachers, she has stressed the issue of educational censorship in public school curriculums. She supports legislation to ensure cultural and gender studies and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are available in K-12 classrooms and colleges. Tendrich also wants to bring job centers and workforce housing to the region. She supports womens reproductive rights and more humane immigration laws.

Christian Acosta is seeking to win the Republican primary to represent District 94 in the Florida State House.

Anthony Aguirre is seeking to secure the Republican primary to represent District 94 in the Florida State House.

Gabrielle Fox is seeking to secure the Republican primary to represent District 94 in the Florida State House.

Meg Weinberg is seeking to win the Republican primary to represent District 94 in the Florida State House.

District 94: Four Republicans vie to replace state Rep. Rick Roth

The district's boundaries extend from greater Wellington to Westlake and Belle Glade and also encompass most of northern Palm Beach County west of Interstate 95.

Christian Acosta, an adjunct professor at Palm Beach State College, says the biggest issues in the district are high insurance costs and that he would support legislation to incentivize low-leakage roof construction. He also wants to bring technical educational opportunities to the region to create local jobs. Acosta stressed he would defend agricultural and rural land from development.

Anthony Aguirre, a consultant for Medtronic, said he wants to see the cost of housing insurance costs come down and the district's agricultural land to be preserved. He also supports giving local sheriff's offices the power to enforce immigration laws and stopping woke education in public schools.

Gabrielle Fox, owner of PB Ledger a consulting business for small businesses, said she wants either to eliminate or reduce property taxes and insurance costs. She said the region is facing a clash between rural residents and developers. She would support legislation that is pro-life and that fights illegal immigration.

Meg Weinberg, who owns the animal rescue non-profit Rescue Life, was endorsed by former president Donald Trump for her first run for office. She said she wants to reduce taxes and lower insurance premiums. She also has said she supports banning sanctuary cities and that she wants to prevent the district's farmland from being developed.

2024 Palm Beach County Primary Elections live results

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Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Greenacres, Palm Springs and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @ValenPalmB. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 2024 primary election: Race for county state House District 89 seats
Polls will close at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 20, on Florida primary election day and Palm Beach County voters will decide whether to continue a 30-year old program that offers property tax breaks to new or expanding businesses. The goal of the Economic Development Tax Exemption Program is to attract new businesses to the county and provide incentives to existing ones to expand.

A "yes" vote would continue the program for another 10 years. A "no" vote would result in it expiring on August 31. Early voting begins Saturday, August 10. In-person voting is Tuesday, August 20.

2024 Palm Beach County Elections: Live Results

The ballot question, which has gotten little publicity from the county government before appearing on voters' mail-in ballots, is the only county question to appear on this years primary ballot. The Business Development Board of Palm Beach County (BDB) is urging voters to vote yes, said Kelly Smallridge, president and CEO of the agency. Businesses looking to relocate to the county routinely contact the BDB, whose mission it is to recruit and promote businesses in the county, to determine what incentives might be available.

It gives the county another tool in its toolbox to attract a company to come here that will generate a lot of jobs, she told The Post. And when the tax exemption ends, the company will have to pay whatever the property taxes are without any further abatements. A company might say that it wants to come but Tennessee, for example, is offering very attractive incentives. This program would allow us to compete with other places."

The abatement, or tax break can range from one to 10 years. It can only be granted at a public meeting of the county commissioners.

The greater the number of jobs and the higher the salaries being paid, the greater the exemption, Smallridge noted. West Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens also have a tax abatement program for new or expanding businesses, as do other counties throughout the state.

How does a Palm Beach County business qualify for the tax abatement program?

To qualify for the county abatement, the business must make a positive contribution to the countys economy. Deciding factors are:

Number of new jobs

Average wages

Amount of capital investment

Environmental impact

A fan section from a Pratt & Whitney JT-8 engine on the wall behind the bar at Skunkworts Brewing Concern in West Palm Beach, March 16, 2022, an aviation themed brewery in Northwood. One of the biggest beneficiaries of the tax break program in the past 10 years has been Pratt & Whtney, which designs, manufactures and services aircraft engines, industrial gas turbines and space propulsion systems.

"Special consideration" is given to businesses expanding or relocating to the Glades area that includes Belle Glade, South Bay and Pahokee. The tax break does not apply to land or to school district taxes. Retail businesses are not eligible to receive an abatement.

During the past 10 years, it has been used six times, generating a capital investment of more than $428 million, creating 1,091 jobs and a five-year estimated economic impact of more than $5.7 billion, according to a report submitted to county commissioners on March 12 by the Department of Housing & Economic Development. The tax abatements totaled $6.2 million, according to Sherry Howard, deputy director of the agency.

Annual audits are conducted to ensure that the jobs created match what was promised, she said.

Proponents say tax break's beneficiaries bring jobs, economic growth

One of the biggest beneficiaries thus far has been Pratt Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp. that designs, manufactures and services aircraft engines, industrial gas turbines and space propulsion systems.

Finfrock's pre-fab manufacturing facility in Belle Glade received a tax abatement from the county based on the 200-plus jobs it created. Voters will soon decide whether the tax abatement program should be continued.

In 2012, the countys Department of Economic Sustainability urged the commission to approve a $1 million tax break for the company of $143,000 a year for seven years. The abatement, which was approved by county commissioners, was based on an estimate that the expansion of its business near Jupiter would create 230 full-time jobs with an average annual wage of $81,110. The expansion would also result in the retention of 531 full-time jobs. Pratt Whitney spent $63 million to renovate its existing facility to create a 190,000 square-foot building. The county estimated a local economic impact of $442 million over the life of the 10-year abatement.

The last time it was used was in 2019 when Finfrock built a manufacturing facility in Belle Glade. The company creates precast concrete structural facilities. It received a $400,000 tax break in exchange for creating 200 jobs. The building is located on an old prison site.

A spokeswoman for the company said that several potential sites were under consideration when it chose to expand its Belle Glade operation. Both the support from the BDB and the tax abatement program played a crucial role in its decision to select Palm Beach County for its new state-of-the-art facility, she said, noting that Finfrock is expected to add 40 new positions later this month. as part of another expansion plan.

2024 Palm Beach County Primary Elections live results

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Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Elections 2024: Palm Beach County will decide on property tax breaks
LIVE ELECTION RESULTS >> SEE LATEST RESULTS FOR FLORIDA STATEWIDE RACES

Who are the winners and losers in Tuesday's Florida primary election?

Voters cast ballots statewide with their picks in local and statewide races. The primary election is for selecting party nominees to be voted for in the Nov. 5 general election to fill national, state, county and district seats.

In one key race, the primary will decide whether Republican U.S. Senator Rick Scott will get his party's nomination in his bid for a second term. The winner will face off against the Democratic nominee in November.

Also running for re-election is incumbent Rep. Matt Gaetz who is up against Aaron Dimmick in District 1. The winner will face Democrat Gay Valimont.

Dozens of Florida U.S. House primaries are contested, as are numerous state House, Senate and local races.

Follow along here for the latest election results, continually updated until the last ballot is counted.

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Support local journalism by subscribing to a Florida news organization.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida election results 2024: See results from all races here
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A Florida woman who was on her way to a cruise port over the weekend was arrested after deputies found marijuana and ecstasy in her luggage.

On Friday, a Flagler County deputy pulled over a vehicle on I-95 for not having a valid drivers license. Upon approaching the vehicle, the deputy noticed a strong odor of marijuana.

Irresponsible: 2 DCF employees arrested for DUI, suspended license in Polk County, deputies say

Jerlonda Cason, the passenger in the car, told the deputy she and the driver were headed to Port Canaveral for a family cruise.

Cason admitted to smoking marijuana in the car, but did not have a medical marijuana card, the sheriffs office said. She also admitted to concealing ecstasy in her body.

In the vehicle were nearly 20 grams of marijuana, 14 tablets, totaling 3.28 grams of MDMA (ecstasy), and $3,960 in a duffle bag.

Hillsborough County paramedic among 148 arrested in human trafficking operation

Instead of going on a cruise, this woman took a ride in a Flagler County Sheriffs Office cruiser to the Green Roof Inn, Sheriff Rick Staly said. We do not tolerate the use of illegal drugs in Flagler County, even if you think youre just passing through.

Cason was arrested and is facing charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of MDMA, possession of cannabis with the intent to sell, and tampering with physical evidence, according to court records.

Her bond was set at $7,500.

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WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)  The West Springfield Boys & Girls Club is gearing up for its highly anticipated annual fundraiser, Flutes & Flavors, set to take place on Friday, September 6th.

The event, to be hosted at the Springfield Country Club, draws hundreds of attendees each year, and will feature an array of gourmet food, beverage tastings, and exciting auction prizes, all in support of the Clubs vital youth programs.

What to know if you plan on traveling for upcoming Labor Day weekend

Sarah Calabrese-Dunphy, the Clubs Resource Development Director, expressed her enthusiasm for this years event, stating, We are so excited to announce the incredible local food and beverage vendors and auction prize donors that are making this fundraiser possible! Flutes & Flavors is a major fundraiser for the Club, attracting 400 guests. This years selection of prizes, food, and drinks is among our finest yet!

The evening will start at 6 p.m., where guests will be treated to culinary samples from 15 local restaurants, including popular dishes like cheeseburger chowder from Celery Stalk and donut holes from Donut Dip. Newcomers to the event, such as Taste of Lebanon and Motu Indian Kitchen, will join a lineup of returning favorites like Ks/Crazy Seafood, Nadims, Richards Grinders, and The Sugar Chalet.

Complementing the food, six alcohol vendors will offer a variety of drink samples, including local beers from Two Weeks Notice and Skyline Beer Company, classic cocktails from Titos, and mini margaritas from Springfield Country Club.

At 8 p.m., the food and vendor stations will close, and guests will move to the porch overlooking the valley for the highlight of the eveninga live auction featuring a range of exclusive items. Among the auctions offerings are a Beauty & the Brow certificate for permanent eyebrows, a Chefs Tasting for six at bNapoli Italian, weeklong stays at luxurious beach houses in South Chatham and Orleans, and a private dinner for eight at Lattitude Restaurant hosted by Mayor Will Reichelt.

Other unique prizes include a private Taproom Party at Two Weeks Notice, a three-course meal and wine flight from West Side Bar & Grill, and a dinner for 10 at the West Springfield Fire Department.

The silent auction, which will run throughout the evening until 9:30 p.m., features a variety of sought-after prizes such as a foursome at Springfield Country Club, handmade Adirondack chairs, tickets to a performance by The Rock Orchestra, a three-hour set from The Storytellers, hotel stays, a Ryobi power washer, and custom pet portraits.

After the auction closes, guests can pick up their winnings and enjoy live DJ music from Visual Sound Productions until the event concludes at 11 p.m.

Proceeds from Flutes & Flavors will go directly to supporting the West Springfield Boys & Girls Clubs Before & After School programs and Little Futures Preschool. The funds raised are particularly crucial for providing financial aid to families in need, ensuring that all children have access to the Clubs programs, regardless of their ability to pay.

Tickets for the event can be purchased online, or in person at the West Springfield Boys & Girls Club, or through any board member.

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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.

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Challenges and Techniques in Deepwater Exploration

As announced in January 2020, Total is preparing to drill a new record offshore well at water depth of 3,628m off the coast of Angola having appointed the Maersk Voyager rig for this campaign.

While deep sea drilling has been achieved at a depth of 7,725m for scientific and research purposes, the new well being undertaken by Total will hold the world record for the deepest oil well ever drilled.

The well will exceed Totals Raya-1 well in Uruguay, currently the deepest offshore well, drilled at 3,400m water depth by Maersk Voyagers drillship Venturer in 2016.

The drilling campaign in Southern Africa covers three wells altogether, two in Angola  Blocks 32 and 48 - and one in Namibia. Work at the sites reportedly started in January and will continue for 240 days.

The total value of the contracts is approximately $46.3m, including a mobilisation fee, and as part of the contract Maersk Drilling will be working with local Southern African operators in order to give a boost to the local oil and gas industry.

Overview of the deepwater exploration market

Deepwater drilling is a mechanical process where a deep wellbore is drilled to a depth greater than 300m. Only recently has the technology existed to enable economically feasible deep-water exploration, but with better technical development and increased demand for oil exploration, operators have recently invested in deep sea projects to access deposits buried very deep under the sea floor.

Major companies utilising the potential of deepwater drilling include: Petrobras, Shell , Total , BP , Equinor , Exxon, and Statoil, with some of the popular sites being off the coasts of Brazil, East Africa, China, Cuba, the eastern Mediterranean, and the Gulf of Mexico.

According to a 2018 deepwater and ultra-deepwater market report published by oil, gas and marine analysts Infield, there is a positive outlook for this market, with the forecast capital growth rate at around 8% between 2014 and 2018.

A spokesperson for TMK, an oil and gas tubular producer says: The need to explore even harder to reach reserves has been an important driver behind advancing oil and gas technology.

In addition, deeper exploration has made it possible to access new hydrocarbon reserves and has provided essential information about the geology and ocean tectonics.

Challenges to deepwater operations

The complexity of ultra-deep drilling has made it highly dependent on project engineering and design, with operators having to take into account various considerations and risks.

Story continues

As Baker Hughes drilling vice president for Oilfield Equipment Chuck Chauviere says, once operators start planning the infrastructure at such deep level, they need to consider the cost of tripping up and down right back to two miles deep.

If you can imagine every time you need to install a piece of equipment, or re-enter that piece of equipment, you have to take a two mile ride. The actual trips to install it, the confidence of installation, the weight of the installation all play into it. And so it becomes an economic story that the operator has to solve, he adds.

TMK, in turn, focusses on the need for pipe solutions to prevent possible technical difficulties that might occur during deep water operations. A major consideration is the reserve base, which has to be efficiently developed through a limited number of wells while maintaining full control of all the underwater wells at every stage of drilling.

The company shared that the main risks its customers usually report during deepwater drilling include: displacement of a drilling vessel, underwater currents, corrosive substances present in the water, shallow gas, and gas hydrates. Some of these issues are preventable by the use of pipe columns that significantly exceed the capabilities of standard solutions, they shared.

Thats why, in the construction of deep-water wells, premium types of tubular products are used as they can reduce the risks of the project due to reliability and high performance, confirmed by numerous bench tests, said the spokesperson.

Impact of declining oil exploration on Angolas economy

Angolas decreasing output, with oil production having declined by a third over the past ten years due to lack of investment, has significantly influenced the countrys economy, especially as 95% of its export revenues come from this industry.

With Angola being Africas second-largest oil producer, currently pumping around 1.4 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) according to OPECs latest Monthly Oil Market Report, the countrys wealth is highly dependent on new explorations.

Aimed at reversing previous losses, Angola has opened to new offshore opportunities by launching a licensing round to auction 55 new oil blocks In June 2019.

After Italys oil and gas company Eni announced that its new Agogo exploration in Angola has already reached 10,000 bpd as of January 2020, and with Total among the countys biggest foreign explorers, the country has seen some revival in the beginning of 2020.

When it comes to the ambitious new ultra-deep exploration, it is yet to be seen whether Totals efforts will set a precedent and attract further deep well interest in the area, and potentially support Angolas strive for new foreign investments.

"Deepwater exploration: what it takes to drill really really deep" was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
The South Fork of the Snake River runs for more than 60 miles across southeastern Idaho. (Courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management)

With the issue temporarily resolved for the year, Idaho water users continue to negotiate toward longer term water solutions that farmers hope will avoid shutting the water off during growing seasons.

The issue came to a head on May 30 when the Idaho Department of Water resources issued a curtailment order requiring the holders of 6,400 junior groundwater rights to curtail, or shut off, their water, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported.

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Ultimately, the curtailment order lasted about three weeks until water users reached an agreement for the 2024 irrigation season that the Idaho Department of Water Resources announced June 20.

The Idaho Department of Water Resources announced it paused enforcing the curtailment order on June 13 after it became obvious the two sides were working toward a settlement agreement.

While the agreement resolves the issue for this year, Gov. Brad Little has asked water users to come up with longer term solutions in the coming weeks.

Little issued an executive order on June 26 that outlines two new deadlines:

By Sept. 1, the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer Groundwater Management Plan Advisory Council has to submit a new groundwater management plan to be submitted to the Idaho Department of Water Resources.

By Oct. 1, the surface water users and the groundwater users have to meet and establish an improved mitigation plan.

Several negotiation meetings have taken place over the summer, and Im confident that farmers will create the solutions that will avoid future water shortages no matter where you farm, Little wrote in an opinion piece released Wednesday.

Little stressed that he would not mandate a solution.

Because the only solution that is acceptable to me is one that is crafted by farmers, Little wrote. If we dont do this together, then the EPA or the courts (or worst, Congress!) will determine our water destiny.

Idahos lieutenant governor is helping facilitate water talks

Idaho Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, is helping facilitate a series of stakeholder meetings between surface water managers and groundwater managers. The two sides met Aug. 7 in Pocatello. Although they did not reach a long-term agreement at that meeting, Bedke said he is encouraged.

We made substantial progress today, Bedke said in an Aug. 7 phone interview. In everyone I think there has been a decided shift in the thinking a little bit, this acknowledgement that we are all in this together and that we have the tools at our disposal to fix this and never have a repeat of what happened this spring.

Bedke said the states May 30 curtailment order was not our finest hour.

Thats certainly my commitment, Bedke said. I will not be a part of anything that puts one side of the state against the other. This is all Idaho. We are all in it together and think we have to end up having something we can work with.

Having said that, not everybody is going to get everything they want (in a new deal), but they will get everything they need, Bedke added. That is certainly my commitment.

T.J. Budge, general counsel for the Idaho Ground Water Association, said he hopes for a new deal that protects the water for senior water rights holders and removes uncertainty and anxiety for junior groundwater rights holders. He also hopes the state can stabilize the aquifer for future longevity.

At a high level, we are in a place where the water users are in negotiations to try to develop a groundwater management plan that both sides can agree to and can provide a path forward to maintaining the aquifer and keeping farmland in production, Budge said in a phone interview.

On Aug. 8, Idaho Department of Water Resources hydrologists reported that water levels in the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer increased by 800,000 acre feet in the last year, according to a news release issued by the department. Despite the recent gain, the aquifer has been dwindling for decades. Since 1952, the storage capacity of the aquifer is down by more than 14 million acre feet of water, according to the Idaho Department of Water Resources.

Acre feet is a unit of volume used to indicate the amount of water needed to cover an acre of land one foot deep.

Idaho is facing a water shortage underground, Little wrote Aug. 14.

Since 1952, we have lost the equivalent of five trillion gallons of water  enough for the domestic use for the total population of Idaho for the next 75 years, Little added.

Budge wants to avoid water curtailment during growing seasons, when farmers need to water crops.

What we learned is you have to curtail a lot of farmland to get a comparatively small benefit in terms of water coming out of the springs at American Falls, Budge said.  We think there are much more cost effective ways that dont involve drying up hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland.

In-season curtailment of water for growing crops is problematic, and economically and socially devastating for the state, Budge added.

Budge said one of the topics the two sides are still negotiating over is how to mitigate the senior water rights holders when there isnt enough water to go around.

How do water rights work in Idaho?

Water issues in Idaho are governed by the doctrine of prior appropriation, which means first in time, first in right. In other words, the older senior water rights have priority over the more recent junior water rights when there is not enough water to go around.

The junior water rights holders have a mitigation plan that identifies how the junior water rights holders will prevent or compensate the senior water rights holders for water shortages.

This year, the director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources said six groundwater districts were not compliance with mitigation plans and issued a May 30 curtailment order that called for 6,400 junior water rights holders who pump of the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer to shut off their water due to a predicted water shortage for senior water rights holders.

After three weeks, the two sides reached a settlement agreement that protected all members of groundwater districts from curtailment for the rest of this years irrigation season, the Idaho Department of Water Resources announced June 20.



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Former asst. prosecutor to not face charges related to alleged finger biting incident

Former asst. prosecutor to not face charges related to alleged finger biting incident

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  The former assistant prosecutor of Greene County will not face charges related to a road rage incident in June.

Yesterday, the Montgomery County Grand Jury concluded that Christopher Murray will not face any charges in relation to the incident in which he was alleged to have bitten off another mans finger.

Court documents show that the jury provided a no true bill resulting in the charges being dropped. Murray was arrested on June 30 on allegations of felonious and aggravated assault.

The incident occurred in the area of Woodman Drive overpass over State Route 35 on June 30 around 12:30 a.m. Officers responded to the scene on report of a fight and eventually found a man whod sustained an injury to his middle finger.

Murray was placed on leave from the Greene County Prosecutors Office on July 9, before being fired from the office on August 8.

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NEW YORK  Disgraced former congressman and notorious fabulist George Santos pleaded guilty to defrauding his voters, his family and the government in a last-minute plea deal on Monday  accepting the litany of lies that catapulted him to Congress will now send him to prison.

At a hearing in Central Islip Federal Court, where his trial was set to begin in three weeks, Santos, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, admitting hed betrayed the trust of his constituents by cheating his way into office through theft and lies. He agreed not to appeal a prison sentence under eight years.

Its clear to me now I allowed ambition to cloud my judgment, leading me to make decisions that were unethical, Santos, who had until Monday decried the case as a witch hunt, said outside the courthouse after the hearing. And pleading guilty is a step I never imagined Id take, but it is a necessary one because it is the right thing to do.

In his plea, the embattled ex-lawmaker admitted to stealing the identities of 11 people  including his family  to report tens of thousands of dollars in donations to his campaign without their consent and to stealing other victims credit cards and identities to buy himself a designer wardrobe and pay off his credit card and car debt.

Santos also admitted to tricking donors into donating thousands of dollars to a nonprofit that led to his personal bank account, the New York Department of Labor into giving him unemployment benefits at the height of the pandemic while he was working for an investment bank, and the Federal Election Committee into believing he was a multimillionaire.

Santos, who the feds indicted midway through his year in office in May 2023, faces anywhere from two to 22 years in prison when he returns to court on Feb. 7 to be sentenced by Central Islip Federal Judge Joanna Seybert. Hes agreed to pay almost $374,000 in restitution and forfeit more than $205,000.

Today, for what may seem like the first time since he started his campaign ran for Congress, Mr. Santos told the truth about his criminal schemes. He admitted that he lied, he stole, and he conned people, Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said at a press conference following Mondays proceeding.

Santos countless lies and audacious misrepresentations catapulted him to Congress, but for the victims of Santos various financial crimes and the community whose falsehoods and fabrications deprived them of honest representation in Congress, he is worthy only of infamy.

The Long Island and Queens MAGA lawmaker was booted from Congress in December in a historic 311-114 vote less than a year after he was sworn into his freshman term as a U.S. Representative, becoming the first member of Congress to be expelled without being convicted of a crime since the Civil War.

The move came after a damning ethics committee report found overwhelming evidence Santos had broken the law and exploited his public position for profit, using stolen cash to pay his bills for OnlyFans, Botox, and various luxury spends.

Months after his indictment, in October, the feds indicted Santos on more charges, and his campaign manager, Nancy Marks, pleaded guilty to conspiring with him to falsify Federal Election Commission filings to make it look like he had raised enough from donors to qualify for financial and logistics support from an unnamed national campaign committee.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Santos lied about nearly every aspect of his life during his successful run for office in 2022. After he was elected, he ignored calls for his resignation as his lies unraveled, and insisted he had never done anything illegal.

The ex-legislator, who abandoned a brief plan to run as an independent after his ouster, was called out for lying when he said his mother was working in the World Trade Center on 9/11 and that he was the descendant of Holocaust refugees. He ultimately admitted to lying about working at Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and the colleges he attended.

In a one-two punch, hours before Santos pleaded out, a Manhattan federal court judge threw out Santos copyright lawsuit against late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, who Santos sued for pranking him into making videos on Cameo for a skit on Kimmels show called Will Santos Say It?

Judge Denise Cote determined an exemption in copyright laws protected the videos as they were used for political commentary and criticism.

_____
MINNEAPOLIS  One of the former Minneapolis police officers convicted in the murder of George Floyd has been released from custody, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Thomas Lane was found guilty in 2022 of violating Floyd's civil rights when former officer Derek Chauvin murdered Floyd on May 25, 2020. Lane was sentenced in 2022 to 2.5 years in federal prison.

Lane was convicted earlier that year on state charges of aiding and abetting manslaughter and was sentenced to three years. Two of those years were served concurrently with his federal sentence, which ended on Feb. 26 of this year, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Lane served his time in Colorado. The prison bureau previously said he would go into supervision after being released.

Lane was one of four former officers convicted in Floyd's murder, which sparked protests in Minnesota and across the globe.

Chauvin was convicted on state charges of murder and manslaughter and sentenced to 22.5 years. Last fall, the U.S. Supreme Court declined his appeal of that conviction. He also pleaded guilty to federal charges of violating Floyd's rights and was given a 21-year sentence.

J. Alexander Kueng pleaded guilty to manslaughter and sentenced to 3.5 years. Tou Thao was convicted of second-degree aiding and abetting manslaughter and sentenced to nearly five years.

Kueng and Thao were also both found guilty of civil rights violations, receiving three- and 3.5-year sentences, respectively.

All of the state and federal sentences were concurrent.

In the wake of Floyd's murder, the Minneapolis Police Department faced dual investigations from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice. Both investigations found yearslong patterns of discriminatory practices and mandated the city enter into reformatory consent decrees.

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HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT)  A federal grand jury returned a nine-count indictment last week charging the former Owensboro Public Schools superintendent with multiple offenses related to the sexual exploitation of children.

Matthew Constant, 52, was charged with two counts of online enticement of a minor, three counts of receipt of child pornography, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of transferring obscene material to a minor. He made an initial court appearance on Monday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the US District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, where the court ordered he should be detained pending trial.

If convicted, Constant faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

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SOPERTON, Ga. (WSAV)  The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has arrested and charged former Soperton Police Department (SPD) Officer Kenneth Bishop, of Swainsboro with three counts of Aggravated Assault and one count of Terroristic Threats and Acts.

On July 31 the SPD asked the GBI to investigate an incident that occurred on July 26, while Bishop was employed as a Soperton Police Officer.

The GBI investigation indicates Bishop was dispatched and responded to a call about an assault.

During the initial investigation, GBI says Bishop stopped a car occupied by three people who were relatives and friends of the assault victim.

TSA facial recognition device prompts womans arrest at Tampa airport

According to the GBI, Bishop and the people in the car got in an argument. The incident escalated and Bishop pulled out his gun from his holster, pointed it at the people in the car while beating on the windows, and threatened to shoot the car.

Bishop was booked into the Treutlen County Jail on August 19.

GBI says this investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to call 478-374-6988.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-8477, or online here.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV.
Former Portage Mayor James Snyders federal court case isnt over yet, as his attorneys and federal prosecutors make a bid to have his bribery case, which was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, either dismissed forever or tried another time.

Both sides made their case in filings Monday before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in Chicago, asking for the case to be remanded to U.S. District Court in Hammond.

After multiple twists, turns and delays since Snyder was indicted on Nov. 17, 2016, in district court on two bribery counts and one for obstructing the IRS, a jury found Snyder not guilty on a bribery count involving a towing contract and guilty on the other two counts.

The second bribery conviction, over allegations surrounding a $13,000 payment involving around $1 million in contracts for garbage trucks, stood after two trials, only to get overturned when a majority of the Supreme Court determined that the payment was a gratuity, not a bribe, and criminalizing the payment put even routine campaign contributions at the risk of the federal governments wrath.

Overturning Snyders conviction had a ripple effect on countless other cases, most notably prominent cases in Illinois, including the trial of ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan and the case of the ComEd Four who were convicted of a scheme to bribe him.

The Supreme Court decision, released on June 26, determined, among other matters, that the payment to Snyder from the Buha brothers, owners of Great Lakes Peterbilt, was a gratuity because Snyder received the money, reportedly for consulting work, after the business got the garbage truck contracts and not before.

Now, Snyder wants the bribery conviction returned to the district court and dismissed with prejudice, so it cant be filed again. The U.S. Attorney disagrees, noting the evidence that he accepted a bribe and a gratuity so the case should be retried.

The 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court that overturned Snyders conviction, according to the filing by Snyders Chicago attorney Andrea Gambino, make it clear that the district court erred when it refused to dismiss the gratuity count from the indictment, when it declined to give Snyders proposed jury instructions, and when it denied the judgment of acquittal at the conclusion of both trials.

Additionally, Gambino notes that this Court and the district court erred in finding that there was sufficient legal or factual evidence to uphold a conviction, and then goes on to cite the Supreme Court ruling that points out that Snyder has never been charged by state prosecutors for bribery; And he has never been charged or disciplined by Portage for violating the Citys gift rules.

Federal prosecutors, in their filing, ask the district court to vacate the judgment on the bribery charge and remand the case for a new trial, as well as for further sentencing proceedings at the conclusion of the retrial.

The evidence against Snyder at trial led to his conviction, prosecutors said, and the Supreme Courts ruling didnt change that.

As this Court previously found, the evidence the government presented at trial was sufficient to convict the defendant of accepting both a bribe and a gratuity and that holding was undisturbed by the Supreme Courts decision.

Accordingly, there is no basis to acquit the defendant; at most, the instructional error here entitles Snyder to a new trial.

Prosecutors also note that the Supreme Court did not grant a review of Snyders conviction for obstructing the IRS or mention the conviction, which remains undisturbed.

Snyder, a Republican, was first elected mayor in 2011 and reelected in 2015, a term cut short by his federal conviction in February 2019.

Snyder received a sentence of 21 months in prison for the bribery and IRS convictions and a year on supervised release from U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kennelly.

Snyder successfully argued that the start of his sentence should be postponed until his bid to have the Supreme Court hear his case was complete.

Regardless of the outcome of Snyders request before the appellate court, his sentence will remain in flux until the case reaches its conclusion.

alavalley@chicagotribune.com
Editors note: This story has been updated with the origin of the shark after speaking with the owner of the demolition company.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  Some may have noticed an inflatable shark hanging from one of the cranes being used in the demolition process of the Realty Building downtown.

A former Realty Tower resident believed that the shark was taken from his apartment as he owns an inflatable shark that looks similar.

Gary Moderalli is the owner of Moderalli Excavating, and he reached out to WKBN Tuesday morning.

The company has been working to safely bring down the Realty Building since July 12.

He said he bought the shark as part of a little friendly competition with another demolition company in the area. Moderalli showed WKBN a receipt from July, showing the purchase of the shark.

It was not taken from inside the building as a previous report mentioned.

The building is now down to the fourth floor in the back area facing International Towers. The front of the structure going north is all the way down to the basement.

Moderalli said he expects the building to be flattened this week, and debris should be hauled out next week.

He also said the building was tougher than they thought, but he and his crew have worked methodically to make sure no other nearby buildings were damaged, and no one was hurt. He said it is the tallest building in Youngstown that has ever been demolished.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.
When the United States' prisoner exchange with Russia, the largest since the Cold War, happened in early August, one of Russian President Vladimir Putins harshest critics became a free man. Vladimir Kara-Murza had been sentenced to 25 years in prison on treason charges after speaking out about the war in Ukraine.

Kara-Murza spent two and a half years locked up in different Russian prison colonies, spending 11 months of that time in solitary confinement. On Aug. 1, in a multi-country prisoner swap, the Russian-born Kara-Murza was freed along with Americans Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and Alsu Kurmasheva -- all of whom were sentenced on espionage charges and for allegedly spreading false information.

PHOTO: Russian journalist and activist Vladimir Kara-Murza addresses a press conference on August 2, 2024 in Bonn, Germany. (Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images)

On Monday, in his first interview with ABC News since being released, Kara-Murza spoke to ABC News Live anchor Diane Macedo about how he is adjusting to a life of freedom.

It still feels very unreal  just a few weeks ago, I was so confident that I would end my life in Putins Siberian prison, he said. And now I'm at home with my family, so it's  something out of the books.

That choice of words was appropriate, given Kara-Murzas education as a historian and his study of the Soviet dissident movement. He highlighted President Joe Bidens role in the exchange and what it tells us about the reality of politicians work versus the public perception.

Only four American presidents in history -- two Republicans, Ford and Reagan, and two Democrats, Carter and now Biden -- have negotiated such prisoner releases, prisoner exchanges, to help save prisoners of conscience from the Soviet or Russian gulag, he said.

In this day and age, when there is a sort of cynical stereotype that all politics is about expediency and realpolitik, and that there's no room for principle or value anymore, I think it is important to sort of pause and note that sometimes the leaders of Western democracy don't just pay lip service to protecting human rights, but actually do it in practice too.

Kara-Murza may be free, but he noted that adjusting to that reality has been challenging -- especially since he spent nearly 11 months straight in solitary confinement.

By international law, by the United Nations, a minimum standard rules on the treatment of prisoners, solitary confinement longer than 15 days is officially considered to be a form of torture -- degrading and inhumane treatment -- because [the philosopher] Aristotle said that human beings are social animals, he said. We need human interaction just as much as we need oxygen to breath or food to eat or water to drink.

He was also forbidden from calling his wife and three children, or going to church, he said. He compared the experience to the 1993 movie "Groundhog Day," where a character is trapped and forced to repeat the same day over and over.

It's endless, meaningless and exactly the same. Wake up at 5 o'clock in the morning  you attach your bunk to the wall. And then essentially, you just sit in your small cell, he said of this period of confinement.

Kara-Murza said he was allowed out for 90 minutes for a small so-called walk around a covered prison courtyard that wasnt much bigger than his cell, he noted. Beyond that, he told ABC he was given a pen and paper for only 90 minutes each day -- the only window of time he had to prepare for court hearings, read and write letters to family, friends and journalists.

PHOTO: Russian journalist and activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, Russian activist Andrei Pivovarov and Russian opposition figure Ilya Yashin address a press conference on August 2, 2024 in Bonn, Germany. (Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images)

Even though he was fortunate enough to be part of the prisoner exchange, Kara-Murza noted that hundreds remain in Russian prisons for publicly opposing Putin's dictatorship and his aggressive war against Ukraine along with thousands of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Kara-Murza highlighted the fact that this August marks the 25th anniversary of Putin being appointed as Russias acting prime minister by then-President Boris Yeltsin.

So there's an entire generation of people in my country, in Russia, that have grown up not knowing any other political reality, he said. And  we know what it entails to be in opposition to Vladimir Putin's regime.

He referred to the deadly 2015 shooting of Boris Nemtsov and the February death of Alexei Navalny in prison; both were Russian opposition politicians and critics of Putin. Russian authorities have denied the state's responsibility in Nemtsov and Navalny's death, the BBC and The Associated Press previously noted.

Kara-Murza said he was poisoned twice by agents of Russia's FSB (Federal Security Service), prior to being sentenced to 25 years in prison.

I care about my country. I love my country," he said. "And I think Russia deserves a much better future than to be in the hands of an authoritarian, aggressive, murderous, illegitimate dictatorship.

Former Russian prisoner Vladimir Kara-Murza talks about his confinement, hopes for a post-Putin era originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Around 18pc of H&T's loan book is made up of entrepreneurs who borrow 5,000 or more - Simon Dack/Alamy Stock Photo

Entrepreneurs are pledging personal jewellery and watches for loans because of a crunch on their finances, Britains biggest pawnbroker has said.

H&T, which has 282 stores across the UK, said a lack of lending from the big banks was forcing more small business owners to pawn their goods to meet payments.

Chris Gillespie, H&Ts chief executive, said there had been a recent surge in shopkeepers and builders using H&T because of a lack of funding from other sources.

The majority of these loans have been used by small business owners or self-employed people. That would be shopkeepers buying stock or builders buying materials, he said.

Weve got people that use it to pay their quarterly VAT bill or pay wages or buy materials. Were seeing more of it.

A significant proportion of our customer base is drawn from ethnic minorities, particularly the Asian community and Eastern Europeans who come from countries where pawnbroking is a bit more mainstream.

Mr Gillespie said around half of H&Ts customers were Asian or Eastern European.

Increase in larger loans

The company is Britains largest pawnbroker and makes loans to people who handover their gold, jewellery and watches in return for a loan.

If they pay back the loan, they get the item back. If not, H&T takes possession and sells the item through its retail stores.

The average value of the item pledged to H&T is around 200 and the average loan given to customers is less than 200.

However, business owners are increasingly turning to the group for larger loans.

Around 18pc of H&Ts loan book comprises loans to entrepreneurs who borrow 5,000 or more. They are pledging more high-value items such as Rolex watches and expensive jewellery in return for the loan.

The banks are more reluctant to lend than they used to be, Mr Gillespie said.

The banks will not lend you money against your watch. They would probably want personal guarantees or a charge on your house, and theyre reluctant to do overdrafts these days.

Banks tightened up their lending criteria in the years following the financial crisis, ditching riskier, unsecured lending in favour of plain vanilla business loans.

When they do offer unsecured loans to small businesses, banks have often used onerous contracts like personal guarantees, which make business owners personally liable for their business debts.

A crackdown on doorstep lenders by the Financial Conduct Authority in 2021 forced alternative finance providers such as Morses Club, Provident Financial and Non-Standard Finance out of business.

Story continues

Controversial payday lenders like Wonga have also disappeared, leading to more customers turning to pawnbroking to prop up their finances.

H&Ts pledge book rose to 105m for the six months ending June, up from 101m in December.

Income rose 11pc compared to a year earlier to 55.8m, with pre-tax profits up 12.5pc to 9.9m.

H&T, which was founded 125 years ago, also sells watches from brands like Breitling. Watches account for around 12pc of the pledge book.

Jewellery and watch sales rose 27pc to 29.3m from 23m for the same period last year.

H&T is a fixture on many high streets. Growing weekend shopping habits have prompted the company to pilot Sunday trading hours in 10pc of stores to tap into greater demand.

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Former Donald Trump White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham will campaign against her old boss at Tuesdays Democratic National Committee (DNC) convention.

The 48-year-old communications specialist served the Trump administration in several capacities before the 45th president was defeated by Joe Biden in the 2020 election. She resigned altogether after enraged Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 to violently oppose the certification of Bidens 7-million vote win.

Grisham, who was the first White House press secretary to hold no press conferences during her nine months in that job, confessed on social media Tuesday that shell calm her nerves by thinking about the animal sanctuary she now operates.

I never thought Id be speaking at a Democratic convention, she told NBC News. But, after seeing firsthand who Donald Trump really is, and the threat he poses to our country, I feel very strongly about speaking out.

Grisham told ABCs The View in 2022 her former boss was a conman and described his circle as a cult-like thing.

She told the ABC morning program, where fellow Trump administration defector Alyssah Farah Griffith is a co-host, that she considered leaving the White House several times, but didnt know who would hire her considering the recent work history on her resume.

Grisham told NBC News she doesnt agree with Kamala Harris on every issue, but believes the Democratic presidential nominee will serve with honesty and integrity.

Former Illinois congressman Adam Kinzinger said Tuesday that hell be in Chicago for the last night of the DNC convention to campaign against Trump too.

True conservatism has been replaced with a cult, the former Republican lawmaker posted on X. Ill be making that clear.

The Harris campaign has expressed an interest in courting conservative voters unwilling to get behind Trump.
The city of Fort Worth could use $4 million from a special economic development fund to help build the University of Texas at Arlingtons new campus.

The city is considering a possible agreement with the university that would fund road and utility construction, according to a council presentation Tuesday.

Half of the funds from the citys agreement would be dolled out to the university within 90 days of the City Council signing off, with the rest of the money to come after UTA has finished construction.

This is not one of the citys typical economic incentives in which the funds are contingent upon a developer delivering a certain number of jobs or a certain amount of economic value, said the citys economic development director Robert Sturns.

This is an investment in the future of our talent and our workforce, he said.

Sturns also noted the UTA West campus is the latest in a string of investments from educational institutions, including Texas A&M Fort Worth, TCUs Burnett School of Medicine and Tarelton State University.

We joked as city staff that we should change our slogan from where the west begins to where education begins, he said.

The university announced plans on Aug. 5 to purchase 51 acres just south of the the intersection of Walsh Ranch Parkway and Interstate 30.

UTA would be responsible for all the construction, and required to have 15% of the work performed by business equity firms, according to the presentation.

UTA plans to build nine buildings on the campus, which could serve as many as 12,000 students when fully constructed.

The university is expected to house programs focusing on engineering, social work, nursing, public health, public policy and business, according to the City Council presentation.

The north half of the campus is expected to open in 2028, accepting 1,000 students initially before ramping up to 5,000 students by 2043.

A birds eye view rendering of the future UTA West Campus in far west Fort Worth.

Fort Worth business and government leaders have lauded UTAs decision to build a new campus on the western edge of Fort Worth. Theyve argued it will be a catalyst for development in one of the fastest growing parts of the Metroplex.

The campus would be UTAs third in Fort Worth after the research center in east Fort Worth and its satellite campus downtown.

UTA is one of the largest public universitys in the state with 41,000 students enrolled and roughly 162,000 alumni living in North Texas contributing $22.7 billion in economic impact, according to university statistics, according to university statistics

Its also a Tier One research university after surpassing benchmarks set by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in 2021.

The City Council will vote on the agreement at its 10 a.m. meeting on Aug. 27.
Four Men Arrested and Charged in Connection to General Hospital Star Johnny Wactors Death

Four men were charged in the killing of General Hospital star Johnny Wactor, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon announced Monday.

Wactor was shot and killed while walking to his car after a bartending shift May 25 in downtown Los Angeles. He was 37. The actor played Brando Corbin on General Hospital from 2020 to 2022.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

The four suspects  18-year-old Robert Barceleau, 18-year-old Leonel Gutierrez, 18-year-old Sergio Estrada and 22-year-old Frank Olano  were arrested Thursday. Gascon announced their charges today.

Per reports in May, Wactor confronted the suspects when he found them allegedly trying to steal the catalytic converter from a vehicle.

Barceleau was charged with murder (in a special circumstance allegation of killing in the commission of a robbery), attempted robbery and grand theft. If convicted, the charge could come with the potential for life in prison, and he is currently being held without bail.

Estrada was also charged with murder  this time without the allegation circumstance  attempted robbery and grand theft.

Gutierrez was charged with attempted robbery and grand theft by embezzlement. Olano was charged with being an accessory after the fact to the killing and receiving stolen property.

All suspects charges included allegations that they were armed with a firearm.

I want to thank the LAPD for their work and partnership throughout the investigation and for their continued efforts to keep Angelenos safe and to bring justice to victims of violence, L.A. mayor Karen Bass said. We must continue to take aggressive action to make our city safer. Those who commit crimes must be held fully responsible for their actions.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter
A former eatery in historic Franklin Village that closed at the end of 2023 is now under new ownership led by businessman and investor Jay Farner.

The Franklin Oyster Bar & Eatery  nicknamed The Franklin  will be in the space of the former Franklin Grill.

Located at 32760 Franklin Rd., plans include extensive renovation. Highlights of the menu are fresh seafood dishes plus steaks, burgers and weekend brunch. The new restaurant is expected to open by year-end.

A rendering of the The Franklin Oyster Bar & Eatery expecting to open by year's end.

Farner, the founder and CEO of Ronin Capital Partners and former CEO of Rocket Companies, is leading the investment bringing the eatery with a blend of esthetics featuring South Carolinas coastal Charleston charm and ambiance of Napa Valley, California, to the historic Franklin Village.

Originally built in 1848, Farner acquired the iconic carriage house earlier this year.

The Franklin Grill originally opened in 2001 and changed ownership in 2008, who ran the operation for the past 16 years until its closing.

Franklin Village  named after founding father Benjamin Franklin  is known for its estate-style homes and many historic structures. One of the villages popular attractions is the Franklin Cider Mill.

Executive chef Nick Geftos will lead the new Franklin Oyster Bar & Eatery, nicknamed The Franklin. Geftos is also the executive chef of Besa Detroit on Woodward Avenue, an award-winning Mediterranean-influenced restaurant. Besa is also a Ronin Capital Partners investment.

Honoring Franklins New England roots and village oyster suppers, oysters will be a main thrust of the new restaurant.In addition to grabbing a seat for perfectly shucked oysters at the raw bar, The Franklin will offer guests a variety of fresh seafood dishes, as well as steaks and a delicious burger, said Geftos in a news release. Our elevated weekend brunch will pair classic breakfast favorites and an endless stream of mimosas, bloody Marys and cocktails of your choice.Inside The Franklin will seat about 100 people in the dining room, featuring a bar for its hand-crafted cocktails and another bar with freshly shucked oysters.

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The building's second-level space will have regular dining, private events, and small gatherings. There will also be an outdoor patio and an all-season pavilion.

Whether youre stopping by for a relaxed dinner, a lively weekend brunch, or a special celebration, The Franklin promises to be the go-to destination, Farner said in a news release.

In addition to The Franklin Grill building, Farner also acquired its neighboring building at 32750 Franklin. Plans for that space include turning it into grab-and-go cafe offering coffee, pastries, salads, charcuterie, sandwiches and flatbreads.Both the Franklin and the cafe will share a back patio. The cafes name is forthcoming.

At the helm of the cafe offerings will be bakery items from award-winning pastry chef Christine Anschuetz.

The Franklin aims to focus on sustainable, locally sourced ingredients and seafood and non-seafood items while honoring the rich historic heritage of Franklin Village and its earlier settlers Easter Coast oyster suppers. Diners can also expect a curated selection of wines and handcrafted cocktails.

You can follow updates on the forthcoming restaurant at thefranklinmi.com.

Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Franklin Grill to become new eatery: Franklin Oyster Bar & Eatery
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  A local nonprofit organization helping older adults has announced a free event aimed at keeping individuals aware of circulating scams that could target their loved ones.

The Area Agency on Aging announced Amy Carles from the Ohio Consumers Counsel will speak to attendees through a free online workshop. From 11 a.m. to noon on Sept. 19, Carles will explain on Zoom to caregivers of older adults the financial scams that could target themselves or others.

Jim Bucher remembers Phil Donahue

During the workshop, caregivers will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Caregivers wanting to attend should register by Sept. 17. To register, please either click this link, call Mary Hairston at 937-341-6944 or send an email. While registering, make sure you provide your email, phone number, and mailing address.

After registering, a Zoom link will be sent on Sept. 18 for the workshop.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com.
JOPLIN, Mo.  A big health system is throwing its support behind high-tech healthcare education. Freeman is donating one million dollars towards the Lions Forward program.

These programs are going to benefit the entire region. But not just today, or next month, or next year, or five years from now, but for generations to come, said Paula Baker, Freeman President & CEO.

The program includes funding of the Roy Blunt Health Science Innovation Center. Certain spaces in the building will carry Freemans name, including a healthcare skills lab.

More on MSSU

And so when we say skills, were looking at performing patient assessments. Were learning how to place IVs. Were learning how to place catheters, how to do wound care, any professional skill that they are going to need for their health profession that takes place in the skills lab. So this is incredibly important, said Dr. Crystal Lemmons, MSSU Dean, College of Health, Life Science & Education.

The second space focuses on healthcare technology.

Then the simulation classroom, part of this facility just utilized virtual reality and other ways to kind of have a different paradigm in training and preparing students. So Freeman and others will benefit from that, said Dr. Dean Van Galen, MSSU President.

Site work is underway for the new building, installing eighty support piers as part of the foundation.

Obviously, campus is going to be very different until the summer of 2026 and expecting people will get used to it this way that, you know, yes, itll be two years of chaos, if you will, in our campus, but people have been great. Therell be different parking systems, different pathways to campus. But I think, you know, people understand this is a tremendous step forward for Missouri Southern and theyre excited about it, said Dr. Van Galen.

The donation means MSSU now has nearly $34 million of the $42 million fundraising goal.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A man wanted for violating probation after an attempted rape conviction was found hiding under a trap door in the floor of a Tennessee trailer, U.S. Marshals said.

Billy Lee Walton Jr., 35, was convicted of attempted rape in Hardeman County in 2016, and was under a 12-year probation.

A warrant was issued for his arrest for probation violation after the Tennessee Highway Patrol charged him on June 13 with reckless driving, open container law, driving under the influence, driving on revoked/suspended license, and manufacturing/delivering/selling/possession of a controlled substance in Madison County.

Marshals found him Monday, in a cut-out space in the floor of a trailer in the Jackson Mobile Village on Highway 70 in Denmark, Tennessee. The space was accessed by a trap door hidden under a rug.

Someone created a pretty good hiding spot, but it wasnt good enough to outsmart the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Marshal Tyreece Miller said.

Woman arrested again in connection to St. Jude doctors death

Walton was taken into custody without incident and is in the Madison County Jail.

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Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton spoke on the first night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, rallying support for Vice President Kamala Harris to break the proverbial glass ceiling to become the first female U.S. President.

Read More: The Future Is Here: The Biggest Moments from Hillary Clintons 2024 DNC Speech

The following transcript was prepared and provided to TIME by Rev, using AI-powered software, and it was reviewed and edited for accuracy by TIME staff.

Thank you, my fellow Democrats. Thank you, my fellow Americans. Thank you so much. Thank you all

Wow. Theres a lot of energy in this room, just like there is across the country. Something is happening in America, you can feel it. Something weve worked for and dreamed of for a long time. First though, lets salute President Biden.

He has been democracys champion at home and abroad. He brought dignity, decency, and confidence back to the White House, and he showed what it means to be a true patriot. Thank you, Joe Biden, for your lifetime of service and leadership.

And now we are writing a new chapter in Americas story.

You know, my mother Dorothy was born right here in Chicago before women had the right to vote. That changed 104 years ago yesterday. Think about it: Tennessee became the final state to ratify the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. The state legislature was deadlocked until one lawmakers mother, a widow who read three newspapers a day, sent a lettera letter to her son. No more delays, she wrote. Give us the vote. And since that day, every generation has carried the torch forward.

In 1972, a fearless black congresswoman named Shirley Chisholm, she ran for President. And her determination let me and millions of others dream bigger. Not just because of who she was, but because of who she fought for: working parents, poor children, the last, the least, and the lost.

In 1984, I brought my daughter to see Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman nominated for vice president. If we can do this, Gerry said, we can do anything.

And then there was 2016, when it was the honor of my life to accept our partys nomination for President. And nearly 66 million Americans voted for a future where there are no ceilings on our dreams.

And afterwards, we refused to give up on America. Millions marched. Many ran for office. We kept our eyes on the future.

Well, my friends, the future is here.

I wish my mother and Kamalas mother could see us. They would say, Keep going, surely. And Gerry would say, Keep going. Women fighting for reproductive healthcare are saying, Keep going. Families building better lives, parents stretching to afford childcare, young people struggling to pay their renttheyre all asking us to keep going.

So with faith in each other and joy in our hearts, lets send Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to the White House.

You know, the story of my life and the history of our country is that progress is possible, but not guaranteed. We have to fight for it and never, ever give up. There is always a choice. Do we push forward or pull back, come together as we the people or split into us versus them? Thats the choice we face in this election.

Kamala has the character, experience, and vision to lead us forward. I know her heart and her integrity.

We both got our start as young lawyers helping children who were abused and neglected. That kind of work changes a person. Those kids stay with you. Kamala carries with her the hopes of every child she protected, every family she helped, every community she served. So as President, she will always have our backs, and she will be a fighter for us. She will fight to lower costs for hardworking families, open the doors wide for good paying jobs. And yes, she will restore abortion rights nationwide.

As a prosecutor, Kamala locked up murderers and drug traffickers. She will never rest in defense of our freedom and safety. Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial. And when he woke up, he made his own kind of historythe first person to run for President with 34 felony convictions.

But we also know as Vice President, Kamala sat in the situation room and stood for Americas values. I know what it takes, and I can tell you as commander-in-chief, Kamala wont disrespect our military and our veterans. She reveres our Medal of Honor recipients. She wont be sending love letters to dictators. She will defend democracy and our Constitution and will protect America from enemies foreign and domestic.

Think about it. The Constitution says, the Presidents job is to take care that the laws be faithfully executed. Those are the words of our founders: take care. Just look at the candidates. Kamala carescares about kids and families, cares about America. Donald only cares about himself.



On her first day in court, Kamala said five words that still guide her: Kamala Harris, for the people. That is something that Donald Trump will never understand. So it is no surprise, is it, that he is lying about Kamalas record, hes mocking her name and her laugh. Sounds familiar?

But we have him on the run now. So no matter what the polls say, we cant let up. We cant get driven down crazy conspiracy rabbit holes. We have to fight for the truth. We have to fight for Kamala as she will fight for us. Because you know what? It still takes a village to raise a family, heal a country, and win a campaign. And America needs every one of us, our energy, our talents, our dreams. Were not just electing a President. We are uplifting our nation. Were opening the promise of America wide enough for everyone.

Together, weve put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling. And tonight, tonights so close to breaking through once and for all.

I want to tell you what I see through all those cracks and why it matters for each and every one of us. What do I see? I see freedom. I see the freedom to make our own decisions about our health, our lives, our loves, our families. The freedom to work with dignity and prosper, to worship as we choose or not. To speak our minds freely and honestly. I see freedom from fear and intimidation, from violence and injustice, from chaos and corruption. I see the freedom to look our children in the eye and say, In America, you can go as far as your hard work and talent will take you, and mean it.

And you know what? On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our 47th President of the United States. Because my friends, when a barrier falls for one of us, it falls, it falls and clears the way for all of us.

So for the next 78 days, we need to work harder than we ever have. We need to beat back the dangers that Trump and his allies pose to the rule of law and our way of life. Dont get distracted or complacent. Talk to your friends and neighbors. Volunteer. Be proud champions for the truth and for the country that we all love.

Read More: Clinton, Speaking From Experience, Warns Democrats: Dont Get Distracted or Complacent

I want my grandchildren and their grandchildren to know I was here at this moment, that we were here and that we were with Kamala Harris every step of the way. This is our time, America. This is when we stand up. This is when we break through. The future is here. Its in our grasp. Lets go win it.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s running mate, venture capitalist Nicole Shanahan, told the Impact Theory podcast on Tuesday that the Kennedy campaign may join forces with Donald Trump.

There are two options, Shanahan said. One is staying in, forming that new party, but we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and Walz presidency because we draw more votes from Trump.

Or we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump and explain to our base why were making this decision, she added.

Shanahans comments come after Kennedy Jr. reportedly asked the Harris campaign for a cabinet position in exchange for an endorsement, according to Kennedy campaign officials who spoke to the The Washington Post.

Shanahan denied The Washington Posts reporting, telling the podcast (we are) definitely not in talks with Harris, (we) definitely never have brought up this idea of an endorsement with Harris, definitely have never brought up a cabinet position with Harris.

Kennedys son, Bobby III, leaked a video on July 16, of Kennedy talking with former President Donald Trump, reiterating vaccine-related conspiracy theories.

I agree with you, man. Somethings wrong with that whole system, and its the doctors you find. Remember I said, I want to do small doses. Small doses, Trump told Kennedy.

Kennedy gave few remarks, saying yup every so often. Toward then end, Trump can be heard saying, But you and I talked about that a long time ago. Anyway, I would love you to do something and I think it would be so good for you, and so big for you.

Shanahans seemingly rogue announcement, just absolutely killed fundraising, Jeff Hays, a Kennedy fundraiser, told NBC.

Kennedy has also reportedly cancelled a Utah fundraiser since Shanahans comment.

Kennedy wrote in a post on X, Tuesday that he is in talks with other campaigns.

As always, I am willing to talk with leaders of any political party to further the goals I have served for 40 years in my career and in this campaign. These are: reversing the chronic disease epidemic, ending the war machine, cleaning corporate influence out of government and  Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) August 20, 2024

Kennedy fans such as Kyle Kemper, a Kennedy campaigner, told NBC he would be heartbroken if Kennedy were to sell his soul to Trump.

Dont make a deal with the devil, Kemper advised.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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By Hakan Ersen and Toby Sterling

DRESDEN/BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Taiwan's TSMC on Tuesday launched a major new computer chip plant in Dresden, Germany, expected to be a key supplier to European industry and carmakers after the EU Commission approved 5 billion euros ($5.5 billion) worth of state aid.

The large aid award for the project, which will cost 10 billion in all, is the biggest approved so far under the EU Chips Act, and the first in Germany.

It is also the first project in Europe under TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker, and is expected to improve Europe's resiliency if a chip shortage of the type experienced during the COVID pandemic happens again.

"This is a true win-win situation for all of us," EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a ceremony in Dresden, the heart of Germany's "Silicon Saxony" chipmaking region.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said ensuring access to semiconductors is a "central issue" for Germany, while Economy Minister Robert Habeck said his government, which has struggled with budget problems, would do all it can to ensure the project enters production on time in 2027 as planned.

TSMC formed a joint venture called the European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC) to build the plant, with European firms Robert Bosch, Infineon and NXP each taking a 10% stake.

CEO C.C. Wei said the plant would help bring TSMC "close to its customers" in Europe.

Conditions for aid approval included that ESMC guarantee access for smaller companies and universities.

"The facility will operate as an open foundry, meaning that any customer  including but not limited to the three other shareholders besides TSMC  can place orders for the production of specific chips," the Commission said in a statement.

Although the plant will be making generations of chips slightly behind the most advanced technology used in AI chips and smartphones, it will add capacity in the range that is most important for automotive and other industrial applications key to European manufacturing.

TSMC says the plant will be an important source of the MCUs or microcontroller units used throughout cars in windows, brakes and sensors.

Bosch, NXP and Infineon have all said they will also use the plant at least in part to make various types of automotive chips.

Following the pandemic shortages, TSMC is also building subsidized projects in the United States and Japan to ensure regional supplies.

Approval for state aid under Europe's 43 billion euro Chips Act has been slow in coming, with only STMicroelectronics projects in France and Italy previously winning grants.

Story continues

The largest European chips project still seeking approval is a 30 billion euro plant planned by Intel in Magdeburg, Germany that won't break ground this year as initially planned.

Completion of the Intel plant, which would be Europes only plant making the most advanced computer chips, is expected 4-5 years after EU approval.

An Intel spokesperson said the company is "working closely with our EU government partners ... (to) execute on our plans."

($1 = 0.9024 euros)

(Reporting by Hakan Ersen in Dresden, Sudip Kar-Gupta in Brussels, Andrey Sychev in Gdansk, Toby Sterling in Amsterdam; Editing by Kirsten Donovan, Rachel More and David Evans)
Galesburg police arrested a man after he fired several rounds from a firearm in his backyard.

Galesburg police officers responded to a report of a disturbance in the 900 block of E. Brooks Street on Friday, August 16 at about 9:58 p.m. Officers determined that Leslie Mixon, 60, of Galesburg, had fired several rounds from a firearm while he was in his backyard in the 900 block of E. Brooks Street. Mixon is a convicted felon and was taken into custody. No injuries were reported in the incident.

Leslie Mixon (Galesburg Police Department)

Officers obtained a search warrant for the address and found four handguns, one AR-style rifle, five shotguns, five rifles and several rounds of ammunition. Mixon was arrested and charged with unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and aggravated discharge of a firearm. The Galesburg Police Department seized the firearms.

The Galesburg Police Department takes the safety of our community very seriously, said Police Chief Russell Idle. We were able to remove multiple weapons from our community that were not only possessed illegally by a convicted felon, but also being fired unsafely. Reckless, illegal activity will not be tolerated, and we are pleased that our officers efforts removed 15 illegal weapons from our community.

Mixon is being held in the Knox County Jail until further order. He has a preliminary hearing on September 16 in Knox County Court.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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America, I gave my best to you: Biden cries as he passes torch to Harris

Ashley Biden comforted her father as she welcomed him to the stage - AFP

Joe Biden cried as he wished his party farewell at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, weeks after he was forced to hand over the nomination to Kamala Harris.

The US president dabbed his eyes as he walked on stage and embraced his daughter, Ashley, who introduced him to cheering crowds.

I made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you, he told delegates, in a speech that lasted almost an hour.

For 50 years, like many of you, I gave my heart and soul to our nation, and Ive been blessed a million times in return, he said.

I can honestly say Im more optimistic about the future than I was when I was elected as a 29-year-old United States senator.

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The DNC, which takes place this week in Chicago, will see Kamala Harris accept the partys nomination after Mr Bidens decision to quit the presidential race.

On Monday evening, his daughter appeared to tell him not to cry as she welcomed him on stage.

He stood with tears shining in his eyes as the audience cheered for him, thanking them several times.

The speech by Mr Biden aimed to define his legacy as president, as he prepares to leave the White House four years earlier than hoped.

Biden wiped his eyes as he got emotional - Reuters

The 81-year-old was ultimately forced off of the ballot by senior Democrats on July 21, after months of concern about his age and health.

The final straw for many of Mr Bidens was his debate against Donald Trump in June.

Mr Biden used many of his favourite one-liners during the speech, telling delegates that America is at a turning point...one of those rare moments in history and that he thinks our best days are not behind us...theyre ahead of us.

The middle class built America, and the unions built the middle class, he said, reusing another of his most common lines.

Joe Biden and Jill Biden shared a heartfelt moment - AFP

He recounted the racial violence in Charlottesville that led to him running for president in 2020 and denied being angry about standing back from the race.

With all this talk about how Im angry, all those people said I should step down, thats not true, he said.

We need to preserve our democracy in 2024.

Mr Biden also used the speech to attack Trump, his opponent during both the presidential election he fought, on various policy areas and accuse him of endangering American democracy.

Biden slammed Trump in his speech - AFP

In a section on the southern US border, he said: I never thought Id stand before a crowd of Democrats and refer to a former president as a liar so many times

Im not trying to be funny. Its sad. Trump continues to lie about the border.

Heres what he wont tell you: Trump killed the strongest bipartisan border deal in the history of the United States.

On foreign policy, Mr Biden burnished his credentials on conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, arguing that he had prevented Vladimir Putin from taking Kyiv in three days.

But he also acknowledged that a lot of those [pro-Palestinian] protesters on the street have a point because a lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides.

The crowd chanted: 'We love you Joe' - AP

US Representative Lucy McBath shows her appreciation for the president's time in office

The speech mentioned Ms Harris several times, but focused mainly on Mr Bidens legacy in the White House, including his work on prescription drug prices, infrastructure and education.

He described her as the next president of the United States, telling delegates: Selecting Kamala was the first decision I made as our nominee and the best I made in my whole career.

He said she would be a president respected by world leaders because she already is and a historic president who puts her stamp on Americas future.

I promise I will be the best volunteer Harris and Walz have ever seen, he said.

Jill Biden, who had given her own speech earlier in the evening, joined her husband on stage at the end.

Speaking about Mr Bidens decision to pass the torch to Ms Harris, the first lady said she saw him dig deep into his soul and decide no longer to seek re-election.

Biden embraced Kamala Harris following his speech - Reuters

Biden kissed Harris at the conclusion of the convention - Reuters

Polls show that Ms Harris has recovered from Mr Bidens poor ratings since taking over the nomination, and is now leading Donald Trump in some swing states where he previously had a significant advantage.

National polls generally show Trump is trailing Ms Harris by between one and two percentage points.

She has launched a new economic platform, picked up support from black and Latino voters and persuaded some sceptical young voters to return to the party.

Mondays first session of the convention also saw speeches from Hillary Clinton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Andy Beshear, a popular Democratic governor.

Ms Clinton used her speech to attack Trump, to whom she lost the 2016 election.

It is no surprise, is it, that he is lying about Kamalas record, hes mocking her name and her laugh? she said. Sounds familiarbut we have him on the run now.

She compared Ms Harriss White House run to the campaigns of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to be elected to the US Congress, and Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to be nominated for vice president.

The convention will also see speeches from Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton, and Ms Harris herself on Thursday evening.

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Gavin Newsom was a rising star in the Democratic Party. Then Kamala Harris rose faster

The Democratic convention once looked like the next stepping stone on Gov. Gavin Newsoms march to national prominence.

Instead, its another Californian, Vice President Kamala Harris, in the spotlight, while Newsom moves around Chicago as an advocate for Harris presidential bid.

Hes touting her at media forums and delegation breakfasts. His big public moment involved announcing the roll call vote Tuesday that once again gives Harris enough votes for the nomination.

It was an untraditional roll call, anchored by a DJ who played thumping music from each state. It featured spectators who lighted up the hall with twinkling green, red and yellow lights from their seats, and a brief interlude when rapper Lil Jon entertained.

California went last on the roll call, staged so the state would make the final, emotional votes, while Tupacs California Love blasted through the stadium.

Newsom stood in the front of the hall, near the podium, and touted the state of dreamers and doers and innovators.

He boasted the states diversity, and how we pride ourselves on our ability to live together.

And he turned to Harris, recalling her rise to stardom:

I saw that star get even brighter as attorney general, as a U.S. senator and as vice president of the United States of America. Kamala Harris has always done the right thing, he said. Its time for us to do the right thing and elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States of America, he said. With that the convention erupted and Harris made a surprise appearance to thank everyone.

Newsom at the convention

Other than that brief appearance, Newsom is not otherwise scheduled to speak at the convention.

Newsom loyalists insist his national stature has by no means faded

Ridiculous, said Newsom spokesman Nathan Click, when asked if the governors national stature has been diminished.

Hes excited about the ticket and hes gonna be hitting the road just like hes been doing before, Click said. Hes focused on defeating Donald Trump in 2024.

For months, it seemed the set-up in Chicago would be different for Newsom this week.

The governor was a major surrogate for President Joe Biden, gaining prominence in Democratic circles over the past year, and visiting heavily Republican states such as Alabama to make the partys case.

He debated Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who sought the Republican presidential nomination, on Fox News last fall.

He set up fundraising committees to bankroll his efforts, something that future presidential candidates routinely do. He ran ads supporting abortion rights in states restricting the procedure.

Kamala Harris in the way

Harris, 59, always had the potential to get in his way. She and Newsom, 56, rose through San Francisco and California politics at the same time. He was the citys mayor, then the states governor. She was the citys top prosecutor and then California attorney general and U.S. senator.

Until recently, Harris was not seen favorably by much of the American public. It was Newsom who had the look of a rising star, winning widespread praise among Democrats for his charismatic, outspoken advocacy of party causes.

Then came July, with Biden out of the presidential race, Harris was not only in, but suddenly very popular.

When Democrats gathered Monday for their convention, hundreds of California delegates and guests gathered for a two-hour breakfast featuring former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Newsom was not there, and he was rarely mentioned. Ditto the Tuesday California breakfast meeting.

On the convention floor, there were reminders that Newsoms time as governor is almost up, as Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, whos running to succeed him in 2026, spoke to the convention Monday. She talked about how she and Harris met as young women and have remained friends.

We got frequent lunches together and she was funny and fun. She was also a great mentor, Kounalakis said.

A host of other California Democrats addressed the convention: Reps. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, and Robert Garcis, D-Long Beach, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Sen. Laphonza Butler, D-Calif. .

Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., who is close to Harris, has a prime speaking slot Thursday before Harris gives her acceptance speech. Pelosi is a featured speaker Wednesday when vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, a former House member, will give his acceptance speech..

Still popular among Democrats

California Democrats insist Newsom remains a strong political force. Hes an important voice for Democrats here in California and around the country,  said California Democratic Chairman Rusty Hicks.

Hes not done, but were not worried about that (Newsoms future) right now, said Lynn Summers, a San Bernardino County farmer.

Outside California, though, Newsom is widely seen by Democrats as part of a large pool of future contenders.

Making the rounds at daily delegation meetings this week besides Newsom are Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. All were mentioned as possible Harris running mates, and all are younger than Newsom.

Delegates from states other than California routinely compliment Newsom, but politely suggest his time isnt coming for awhile.

Californias a challenge and hes doing a good job. Hes charismatic and at some point the national stage is where he could end up. said Jeanna Repass, Kansas Democratic chair. But not now.

I love Gavin, said Javier Paz, a former teacher in El Paso, Texas. But Butler and then Newsom as presidential candidates would be too much West Coast, he said.

Few count him out in the future, but Newsoms path is now less predictable..

You have to ask him about the future, said Californias Hicks.
Gay Man Says He Was Attacked by D.C. Shake Shack Employees After Kissing Partner

Police are investigating the incident as a potential anti-gay crime

Joel Carillet/Getty Shake Shack

Police in Washington, D.C., are investigating a potential hate crime after a gay man said he was assaulted by a Shake Shack employee.

A video of the incident, published by NBC Washington, appears to show Shake Shack employees attacking the victim outside the restaurant.

The reported victim, Christian Dingus, told NBC that he had been waiting for his food, which he said was taking longer than usual, when he asked an employee about the extended wait. Dingus reportedly said the employee responded aggressively.

Dingus then told the outlet that his boyfriend came over and kissed him, at which point, another employee allegedly told him, Hey, you guys cant do that here.

Dingus said he and his partner were then escorted outside and confronted by the employee after the partner, who was not identified, voiced his disapproval at what the employee had said.

The employee allegedly then started attacking Dingus, Dingus claimed, further telling the outlet he believed he was assaulted because of his sexual orientation.

If we were a straight couple, we probably wouldnt have been broken up for kissing in the back of the restaurant, he told the outlet.

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D.C. Metropolitan Police said in an incident report obtained by PEOPLE that the incident is a suspected anti-gay attack. The report noted that the unnamed suspect said he was acting in self-defense.

Dingus, who is named in the report, suffered minor injuries and was treated on scene. No one has been arrested.

We are aware of the incident on Saturday, Aug. 17 involving team members and a guest at our Dupont Circle location and are taking it very seriously, Shake Shack said in a statement to PEOPLE. At Shake Shack, the safety and well-being of our guests and team members are our top priorities, and we have a zero-tolerance policy for any form of violence. We are fully cooperating with local authorities in their investigation and have suspended the team members involved pending further review. We are committed to taking the appropriate actions based on the findings.



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On Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia of California delivered a speech reflecting on the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic and his journey as an immigrant in the United States.

Garcia, the first out gay immigrant to be elected to Congress, spoke to a packed audience at the United Center, sharing his personal losses during the pandemic and emphasizing the importance of leadership in times of crisis.

Garcia began his address by recalling the dark days of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the nation, taking lives and overwhelming the healthcare system. We all remember the world in 2020, where we were, and for some of us, who we lost, Garcia said. As the mayor of Long Beach, California, during the pandemic, he witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of the virus. He spoke of his mother, a healthcare worker, who succumbed to the virus, along with his stepfather. I watched in terror and horror as the COVID pandemic consumed our lives. My mom and my stepfather both died of the COVID pandemic, and I miss them every single day, Garcia shared.

He criticized former President Donald Trump for his handling of the pandemic, accusing him of de-emphasizing the severity of the virus and spreading dangerous misinformation. While schools closed and dead bodies filled morgues, Donald Trump downplayed the virus. He told us to inject bleach into our bodies. He peddled conspiracy theories across the country, Garcia said, drawing sharp contrasts between Trumps leadership and that of the Biden-Harris administration. What we needed at that moment was national leadership, but instead, we got Donald Trump.

Garcia also took a moment to reflect on a personal call he received from Vice President Kamala Harris after his parents passed away. Harris, who also lost her mother, offered words of comfort and solidarity, he said.

She told me about her own story of losing her own mother and that she was praying for me at that very moment, Garcia recalled.

Garcia highlighted the successes of the Biden-Harris administration in responding to the pandemic. Together, they got people vaccinated, they got the virus under control, they safely reopened our schools, and they passed the American Rescue Plan, Garcia said.

Garcia also spoke passionately about his immigrant story, sharing how his mother moved their family to the United States to pursue the American dream. He described their challenges, from learning English as a second language to struggling to make ends meet.

My mom moved here to the United States because she believed in the American dream, he said, adding that becoming a U.S. citizen was the proudest day of his life. I raised my right hand and pledged an oath to protect and to love this country.

Garcia defined true American patriotism not as screaming and yelling America first, but as a deep love for the country and a commitment to helping its people. Real American patriotism is loving your country so much that you want to help the people in your country, he said.

Garcia concluded his speech with a rallying cry for the future, urging Americans to remember the challenges of 2020 but also to look forward with determination.

Kamala Harris is ready to lead this country, he said, adding, We can all remember 2020. We can all remember the horrors of Donald Trump. But lets remember, most importantly, tonight and every single day this week, that we are not going back.
Gaza activists at the DNC say they are getting a positive reception

Pro-Palestine activists were encouraged on the first night of the Democratic National Convention when speakers mentioned Gaza, but say they want to see concrete policy changes.

During her speech in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York listed off the priorities where Harris agreed with progressives such as herself. She is working tirelessly to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and bring hostages home, Ocasio-Cortez told the crowd in Chicago on Monday evening.

Likewise, Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia spoke about his desire to see Israelis and Palestinians live freely.

I need all of my neighbors children to be okay, he said. Poor inner-city children in Atlanta and poor children of Appalachia. I need the poor children of Israel and I need the poor children of Gaza, I need Israelis and Palestinians, I need those in the Congo, those in Haiti, those in Ukraine, I need American children on both sides of the track to be okay.

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) spoke onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention and was one of two speeches to mention Palestinians. (Getty Images)

The closing part of Warnocks address drove everyone, including the vice president and her running mate Governor Tim Walz, to their feet.

President Biden has received plenty of criticism because of his steadfast support for Israel during a war in Gaza that has killed more than 40,000 people, by most estimates. Indeed, a slice of Democratic voters in states like Michigan, North Carolina and Minnesota used their states primaries to vote uncommitted in protest  and a number of uncommitted delegates have shown up, hoping to voice their ongoing concerns about US foreign policy.

Pro-Palestine activists at the DNC, many of whom could be spotted at the convention wearing keffiyehs, said they were pleased with developments so far. At the same time, they underlined their desire for concrete policy changes under a potential Harris presidency.

We are seeing millions of people around the world protesting about one issue, and that one issue is the indiscriminate bombing of innocent civilians funded by our tax dollars, Sabrene Odeh, an uncommitted delegate, told The Independent. This is supposedly a progressive party that is supposed to stand for what the people want.

Odeh said that she has mostly received a positive reception from people.

Folks are walking up to us [uncommitted delegates] and thanking us without us even approaching them when they see our keffiyehs or when they see some pins, thanking us for our work, telling us they stand with us, signing on to our letter, she said, in reference to activists open letter that calls for an arms embargo on Israel and an immediate ceasefire.

I think we're a moment of real opportunity where Vice President Harris can turn the page on what has been a disastrous chapter in President Biden's administration, Margaret DeReus, the executive director for the Institute for Middle East Understanding Policy Project, told The Independent.

Some protesters outside the Democratic National Convention carried signs that said Abandon Harris 24. (Middle East Images/AFP via Getty)

DeReuss organization hosted a meet-and-greet and panel about Israel and Gaza on Tuesday morning. During that panel, she said that the encouraging words must also reflect deeds from Harris  and Biden.

I think [Biden] should realize that if he wants Vice President Harris to win in November, there are things that he could do as president now to make that more likely, she said. And I think she can indicate, and should indicate, how her administration would be different in terms of its policies on Gaza.

Tariq Habash, who was the first political appointee in the Biden administration to resign over the Gaza war, told The Independent that Harriss speaking out on the number of Palestinian civilians who have died has made him hopeful for change.

I think her tone has shown that she is very interested and open to approaching the issue a little bit differently, Habash said. She just hasn't communicated with voters, with the Democratic Party people, about what those policy changes are going to be.

Despite this positive talk, there are also a number of activists who remain unmoved about Harris and who believe she will fail to meaningfully change policy. As attendees filed into the United Center on Tuesday, some pro-Palestine protesters held up signs saying Abandon Harris.
Gaza, Israel loom large over the DNC, even if the speakers hardly talked about it

Amid the show of unity on the first night of the Democratic National Convention, it was impossible to ignore the deep divisions within the party on Israels brutal assault on Gaza. As Democrats cheered their old guard passing the torch, those in the crowd who spoke up against the United States role in the war were promptly silenced, and the speakers onstage largely sidestepped the issue altogether.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York progressive who has criticized Israels conduct in the war and the Biden administrations weapons shipments to Israel, only mentioned Gaza while praising Vice President Kamala Harris for working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bringing hostages home. Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia said he wished for the poor children of Israel and the poor children of Gaza ... to be OK as part of a broad appeal for unity.

The most direct reference came from President Joe Biden, who spoke about his efforts to broker a cease-fire deal and get humanitarian aid into Gaza. Those protesters out in the street, they have a point, he said, echoing his past acknowledgment of the suffering in Gaza. A lot of innocent people are being killed  on both sides.

As Biden spoke, a few people in the arena unfurled a banner that read Stop Arming Israel amid the We  Joe signs, and a man nearby quickly tried to snatch it away. A reporter inside the venue said the sections lighting was turned off and the protesters escorted out.

Earlier in the day, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched to the United Center, where the convention is being held. A small group of demonstrators broke through a security fence, clashing with police.

The uncommitted movement, successful enough to send a number of delegates to the DNC this week, has made clear its intent to pressure Harris, who has expressed sympathy for Palestinians while affirming the U.S. military and political support for Israel. Pro-Palestinian activists are hoping that Harris will be more receptive to their demands than Biden.

More than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza, Palestinian health officials say, since Israel launched its assault after the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas that killed about 1,200 people.

Democrats did hold a panel on Palestinian human rights ahead of the main programming on Monday night. Attendees listened to a pediatric doctor describe the horrific injuries in Gaza and the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding there. A longtime Democratic organizer, Hala Hijazi, broke down as she talked about how more than 100 relatives of hers have been killed in the conflict.

My familys dead, yall. Theyre dead, she said through tears. And I feel guilty because for 25 years Ive been living my American dream while they are struggling.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Shares are Fast Approaching New High

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang at the Nvidia GTC Artificial Intelligence Conference on March 18, 2024 in San Jose, California.





Key Takeaways

Nvidia stock advanced 4.4% Monday, one of the biggest gains in the S&P 500.

The gain was due in part to Goldman Sachs reiterating its positive outlook on the company.

Goldman was just the latest Wall Street firm to express enthusiasm about Nvidia after the stock's sharp decline earlier this month.







Nvidia extended its stock recovery and closed with the fourth-highest gains in the S&P 500 on Monday, as a large Wall Street firm reiterated an optimistic stance on the chipmaker.



Goldman Sachs reaffirmed its positive outlook on Nvidia (NVDA), and shares of the AI chip behemoth advanced 4.4%. Analysts expect robust demand from cloud service providers (CSPs) to drive outperformance by Nvidia's data center segment, despite concerns about the delayed launch of the company's next-generation chip architecture called Blackwell.

Favorable outlooks from brokerages have helped Nvidia out of a slump that accelerated at the beginning of the month amid a broader market selloff, pre-earnings concerns and doubts about the Blackwell timeline. Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, UBS and other analysts have said the correction was an opportunity for investors to buy the dip.

Stock Has Gained 31% Over Eight Days

Nvidia stock has gained 31% over the past eight trading sessions and is fast approaching its all-time closing high of $135.58 set on June 18. Shares closed Monday's session at $130.00.

TradingView

Nvidia is scheduled for release its eagerly anticipated quarterly earnings report on August 28. The company has blown past increasingly lofty market expectations in the past several quarters.

Read the original article on Investopedia.
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is sentenced after being found guilty of the murder of George Floyd

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Derek Chauvin has been transferred to a prison in Texas, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons said on Tuesday, nine months after the former Minneapolis police officer convicted in the death of George Floyd survived a prison stabbing in Arizona.

KEY QUOTE

"We can confirm Derek Michael Chauvin was transferred to the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Big Spring on August 20, 2024," a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons said in an emailed statement.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Chauvin was stabbed about 22 times last year while incarcerated in Tucson, the U.S. Justice Department said in December. Chauvin was seriously injured but survived.

Chauvin is serving 22-1/2 years for murder after being convicted in April 2021 of killing Floyd, a verdict widely seen as a landmark rebuke of the disproportionate use of police force against Black Americans. He is concurrently serving a 21-year sentence for violating Floyd's civil rights.

CONTEXT

Floyd's death in 2020 unleashed protests worldwide against police brutality and racism after Chauvin, who is white, knelt on the neck of the handcuffed Black man for more than eight minutes in a murder caught on cellphone video.

The suspect in Chauvin's stabbing was charged with attempted murder and other offenses.

Thomas Lane, a former Minneapolis officer convicted of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in the Floyd killing, was released from federal prison in Colorado on Tuesday after serving a sentence of over three years.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Disgraced former Republican Congressman George Santos has pleaded guilty to two felony counts of committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft  after previously stating that he would not take a plea deal and that the charges against him were bullshit.

Santos was initially charged with 13 felony counts of fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and making false statements in May 2023. Federal prosecutors brought additional charges against Santos in October, bringing the total number of charges to 23. In the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Islip on Monday, Santos entered his guilty plea and, as part of his plea deal, admitted that he filed fraudulent FEC reports, embezzled funds from campaign donors, charged credit cards without authorization, stole identities, obtained unemployment benefits through fraud, and lied in reports to the House of Representatives, per a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York and reporting from Reuters.

In remarks to reporters outside the courthouse, including CNN, Santos said, Pleading guilty is a step I never imagined Id take, but its the right thing to do, adding, It is my own recognition of the lies I told myself. He added that he had allowed his ambition to cloud [his] judgment, and that he deeply regrets his conduct.

Santos is scheduled to be sentenced on February 7, 2025, according to a press release from the Department of Justice. He faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison but could be facing up to 22 years. Reuters reports that as part of his plea deal, Santos waived his right to appeal any sentence less than 95 months  which amounts to slightly less than eight years. The former Congressman will have to pay restitution of $373,749.97 to various entities that he defrauded, including donors to his campaign and the state unemployment fund, per the New York Times. Santos must also forfeit an additional $205,002.97 in order for his plea deal to go through, which his legal team said he may not be able to pay, according to ABC News.

Defense attorney Andrew Mancilla told federal judge Joanna Seybert, At this time, he does not have the money, and defense attorney Joseph Murray said that Santos would make his best effort to come up with the money before February, per ABC News.

Seybert responded, We will see how it goes, but I see substantial problems if he can't comply. That sounds like we just have to hope.

George Santos Allegedly Spent Campaign Money on Sephora, Hermes, and OnlyFans

The Republican officially announced he will not seek reelection in 2024.

Santos was only expelled from Congress last December, but he has been making headlines for his outlandish antics since before he assumed office in January 2023. Shortly after he was elected, The New York Times reported that large parts of Santos resume were fabricated, including his work experience, his college education, and his experience running a nonprofit animal rescue group. Though the Times could not find any proof that such a group actually existed, Santos allegedly told a disabled veteran that he ran an organization called Friends of Pets United. He reportedly offered to crowdfund for a lifesaving operation for the veterans dog, only to disappear with the money when the campaign hit its goal of $3,000. Santos was also accused of spending campaign money on Sephora, OnlyFans subscriptions, Botox, and Hermes, as well as lying to receive over $20,000 in unemployment benefits from the state of New York.

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U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., addresses Georgia Democrats during a breakfast Tuesday morning at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)

CHICAGO  Georgia Democrats continued to feel the love from big names in blue politics across the country Tuesday during the second day of the Democratic National Convention.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker dropped by the Georgia delegation breakfast alongside fellow Midwestern Democrat Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who took the podium with a jab at Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican.

I was with your U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock earlier, what a great speech you gave yesterday, yes? And I thought, You know, Georgia needs a good governor, until you get one, Im going to just show up for you, Whitmer said.

Warnock gave a rousing primetime speech on the first night of the convention Monday.

There is no question, your state and my state are going to make the biggest difference in this election, right? she added. There are a handful of others, but what happens in Georgia, what happens in Michigan is going to impact the whole rest of the country and as this country goes, so goes the globe. So no pressure, but the whole world is relying on you, Georgia.

Georgia, with 16 electoral votes, and Michigan, with 15, are among seven key swing states expected to help determine the outcome of the election. A New York Times/Sienna College poll released ahead of the DNC found Republican former President Donald Trump leading in Georgia with 47% of the vote, with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris tallying 41% and 5% for independent Robert Kennedy.

Not too long ago, Georgia was considered a red state, but President Joe Bidens narrow 2020 victory validated Democrats claims that the state had turned purple, as did the statewide wins of Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. The shift came on the back of years of young, diverse voters moving to Atlanta and its suburbs.

You all have a lot to teach the rest of us, Pritzker told the crowd of delegates. You know, in a red state, how to fight and how to win.

Whitmer said her state could be a model for Georgia moving forward.

My friends from red states, I always want to point out that up until 2022, Michigan was in that category too, she said. Up until 2022, until we started showing up in every part of the state, engaging every person, no matter how red their county was or not, until we did that, we were in the minority.

But Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said her state provides a model Georgia Democrats would rather avoid.

Florida was obviously a little bit more purple in recent elections, and were scratching and clawing to get back to that place, she said. But thank you for at least redeeming us and replacing us and winning in the last election this incredible state. I have a special place in my heart for the state of Georgia.

Florida, once the nations foremost swing state, has become a Republican stronghold in recent years.

Civil rights, voting rights, LGBTQ plus rights, womens reproductive rights, theyre all on the line, Schultz said. Now Florida and Georgia, we are almost like twins on those issues because we know what the extreme American Republicans have in store for America. Like Florida, right-wing extremists use your much beloved state as a testing ground for Project 2025.

Project 2025 is the blueprint created by the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation to reshape the federal government under a Republican administration.

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For the second time this month, the Republican-controlled State Election Board approved a change to Georgias election rules critics say could make it easier to delay the official vote count this fall.

The change, which passed 3-2, requires local election officials to submit to the secretary of state a report reconciling the total number of ballots cast in each precinct with the total number of voters who received credit for voting before election results can be certified.

The rules changes supporters on the board argued local election officials should have the right to a hand recount of votes before they sign a legal affidavit certifying an election. The boards three Republican members made the same argument earlier this month when the board voted 3-2 to require election officials to conduct a reasonable inquiry into whether votes have been counted accurately before they certify election results.

Board member Janice Johnston described the rules changes as a way to strengthen the integrity of the elections process by encouraging accuracy and fairness.

But opponents warned the rules changes could set the stage for Republicans in Georgia to sow chaos following the November presidential election if former President Donald Trump fails to carry the states 16 electoral votes.

Trump and his MAGA allies have taken over the Georgia State Election Board to try and give a veneer of legality to their illegal scheme to disrupt the certification of Georgias 2024 election results, said Lauren Groh-Wargo, CEO of Fair Fight, a voting-rights organization founded by two-time Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams. Its all with the goal of helping Trump win the Peach State, even if he doesnt earn a majority of Georgians votes.

Board member Sara Tindall Ghazal, the only Democratic appointee on the board, said its too late in the 2024 election cycle for the board to be considering changing the rules. County election offices already have begun accepting applications for absentee ballots, she said.

Others questioned the legal authority of the board to make such changes without the approval of the General Assembly.

To safeguard our elections, we urge the State Election Board to operate with full transparency and in accordance with Georgia law, wrote the Democracy Defense Project, a bipartisan group formed recently by former Govs. Nathan Deal and Roy Barnes, former U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, and former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin.

Making substantive changes to the way votes are counted and certified without legislative action will undoubtedly foster chaos and undermine the confidence that Georgians have in the democratic process. Integrity and foresight must supersede partisanship and haste in the weeks ahead.

But board member Janelle King, who voted for the rules changes, said most of the opposition has come from those who have warned about potential negative consequences that have yet to occur. She said shes concerned about discrepancies in vote totals that she said did occur during the 2020 election cycle.

There were issues. There are (local election) boards that are not confident, King said. Its important that we address what we know occurred.
Former President Donald Trump praised conservative board members Janice Johnston, middle, and Rick Jeffares, right. Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder

The Georgia State Election Board voted Monday to finalize a new rule that gives local officials more power to dispute certifying election results by adopting a new ballot counting policy that critics contend could disrupt the presidential election in November.

The new rule requiring election workers to manually count votes to reconcile any discrepancies was adopted Monday by the election boards conservative members by a 3-2 vote, carried by the three Republican board members recently praised by former President Donald Trump. Critics claim that Republican state election board members are making it easier to contest Georgias election results if Trump once again fails to win.

The rule change would require election workers to manually count ballots to reconcile the total number of votes with the total number of voters prior to certifying results.

Three election board members pushing through the change, Janice Johnston, Janelle King, and Rick Jeffares, voted Monday to require election workers to reconcile any discrepancies prior to election certification. State election board member Sara Tindall Ghazal, a Georgia Democratic Party appointee, and Chairman John Fervier, a nonpartisan member appointed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp this year, opposed the rule Monday.

Under the change, ballots will be counted by hand in order to ensure that the total number of ballots cast is not greater than the total number of voters who submitted ballots. The rule proposal was submitted in July by Salleigh Grubbs, chairwoman of the Cobb County Republicans, who disagreed with the argument that the new rule is intended to delay the 2024 election results if Trump loses Georgia to Harris in November.

Grubbs said Monday that legal protocol had to be worked out before she presented the rule this close to the November election. She refuted claims that she intends to disrupt the election process by pushing to implement the rule change this close to the Nov. 5 Election Day. Instead, the changes are to protect the integrity of elections this year and beyond, she said.

We have to have assurance, as Georgians, that what we see printed on our ballot is exactly (accurate) and the only way to do that is by a handwritten affiliation on the precinct level, Grubbs said at Mondays virtual board meeting.

Voting rights organization Fair Fight slammed the new rule, claiming it was crafted by Trump supporters who continue to undermine confidence in Georgias 2020 presidential election results. In 2020, the incumbent Republican President Donald Trump was defeated in Georgia by Democrat Joe Biden by fewer than 12,000 votes.

Trump and his MAGA allies have taken over the Georgia State Election Board to try and give a veneer of legality to their illegal scheme to disrupt the certification of Georgias 2024 election results, Fair Fight CEO Lauren Groh-Wargo said in a statement. Many of Trumps key election denier allies and Republican Party operatives are behind these illegal, anti-freedom changes to Georgia election rules, and its all with the goal of helping Trump win the Peach State, even if he doesnt earn a majority of Georgians votes.

Last week, the Georgia State Election Board approved a new rule giving counties the opportunity to verify that the tabulation and canvassing were accurate and complete before certifying the results.

The new rule makes certification a mandatory process prior to the election results being verified by the secretary of states office.

The actions of the newly constituted election board was described as a mess by Georgia GOP Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger after the three conservative members held a July meeting that came under fire for violating the states open meetings law.

Tindall Ghazal questioned the decision to make significant rule changes at the same time counties are accepting absentee ballot requests for the upcoming Nov. 5 general election.

We cant be making these changes at the last minute, Tindall Ghazal said. This is exactly what undermines confidence in elections.

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Georgia lawmaker urges panel to consider better firearms safety rules to deter child gun deaths

FILE - Georgia Sen. Emanuel Jones, D-Decatur, speaks in opposition to a bill loosening gun laws, March 28, 2017, at the state Capitol in Atlanta. (Bob Andres/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File)

ATLANTA (AP)  A Georgia state senator is trying to change the terms of an entrenched partisan debate, saying he's not interested in restricting gun ownership but in preventing the fatal shooting of children.

The statement Tuesday by Decatur Democrat Emanuel Jones reflects the strategies of those who are trying to reduce gun violence in Republican-led states where legislative majorities are locked in behind permissive gun laws.

Jones told the first meeting of the Senate Safe Firearm Storage Study Committee that his aim is not a gun bill, but instead he wants to build bipartisan support for improved gun safety. The committee heard ideas about tax credits for gun owners who install safety devices; educational campaigns; and safe storage measures.

One of the things that I thought about in creating this study committee is, what can we do to save as many children as possible from an untimely death associated with a weapon in someones home thats not stored safely, Jones said.

Everytown for Gun Safety, a national advocacy group that works on policies to reduce gun violence, says Georgia has among the highest rates of unintentional child shootings in the country.

Nevertheless, gun control is not a popular topic among state Republicans.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemps loud stance on gun rights helped him win his election and propelled him into the national spotlight. In 2022, Kemp signed a law allowing people to carry a handgun without a state-issued permit.

Democrats have tried to propose restrictive legislation, but resistance from Republicans has prevented bolder proposals from gaining traction.

This year, a bipartisan group of Georgia lawmakers attempted to pass firearm safety legislation. The bill would have offered a $300 tax credit for gun owners who have secure storage devices  including gun safes and locks  and complete firearm safety courses.

The bill passed 162-3 in the House, but failed in the Senate.

Republican Sen. Frank Ginn of Danielsville, who said he is a long-time member of the National Rifle Association, said he wants to ensure Georgia doesn't jeopardize the rights of gun owners.

I think about guns being like a parachute; You only need one when you need one, and if you need one and you dont have one, its not doing you any good, Ginn said.

Sen. Marty Harbin, a Tyrone Republican and committee member, said locking up firearms doesnt necessarily prevent children from shooting themselves or others.

The lock was not going to stop what they made up their minds to do, Harbin said.

Harbin said parents arent doing enough to supervise their children, declaring families are in crisis. He suggested chaplains could be placed in schools to help address difficulties in the home.

Compounding the issue of firearm security: Atlanta had the second highest number of gun theft from cars in 2022 compared with cities nationwide, according to Everytown.

In May, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr reprimanded officials in Savannah for an ordinance that made it illegal for residents to store firearms in unlocked cars. Carr, a Republican, said the measure overstepped Georgia law. But this month, Savannah police began to enforce the ordinance, The Savannah Morning News reported.

Several states, including Rhode Island, Michigan, and North Carolina have enacted gun safety measures, and Atlanta officials recently hosted an event where they gave away gun lock boxes for cars.

At the Democratic National Convention on Monday, President Joe Biden touted action on gun safety but emphasized that gun violence is the top cause of childhood deaths.

This is not just a Georgia issue, Jones said during the committee hearing. As the president said last night in his speech, its a national issue.

A 2023 AP-NORC poll found that most people want stricter gun control measures and Republicans and Democrats both believe that gun violence is too high.

Jones told the Associated Press he is optimistic about renewed efforts. He was especially excited about an idea to give businesses tax incentives to pass out gun locks and other gun safety devices.

Every year we get closer, Jones said.

Mike Webb, a Georgia parent and longtime gun owner, told the committee that his 18-year-old son took his own life over twenty years ago using a gun. Three years ago, his ex-wife and daughters mother was one of the eight people killed in shootings at several Atlanta-area spas.

Lets stop trying to create panic by hyperventilating about some non existent, diabolical plan to take our guns, Webb said. Lets do something productive for change.

___

Charlotte Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon
German airport group looking for date to meet with climate activists

A Last Generation activist sits next to a small plane at the airport on Sylt. Germany's ADV airport association says it plans to schedule talks with the climate action group Last Generation after its activists targeted several German airports in a series of controversial protests in recent weeks. Lea Sarah Albert/dpa

Germany's ADV airport association says it plans to schedule talks with the climate action group Last Generation after its activists targeted several German airports in a series of controversial protests in recent weeks.

"A meeting between representatives of Last Generation and the management of the airport association ADV will take place soon," the group said on Tuesday.

The ADV was looking to use the talks to explain that airports are the wrong place for protests as they were pursuing an ambitious agenda for climate neutrality, according to the association.

ADV offered Last Generation to hold talks some two weeks ago.

The association said it aims to inform climate activists about the latest climate policy and measures airports are implementing. It also wants to discuss with them the impact of runway blockades on airport safety.

The climate activists responded on Monday, accepting the offer for dialogue under the condition that the subject of the talks be specified.

Flights were suspended at two airports after Last Generation launched protest actions at several German airports on Thursday, breaching fences and glueing themselves to the tarmac.

The actions targeted the Berlin-Brandenburg, Stuttgart, Nuremberg and Cologne-Bonn airports.

Air traffic at Cologne-Bonn and Nuremberg was briefly interrupted.
The defendant Irmgard F. is brought into the courtroom at the beginning of her trial in Itzehoe. Germany's Federal Court of Justice on Tuesday upheld the conviction of a 99-year-old former secretary at the Stutthof concentration camp for aiding and abetting the mass murder of more than 10,000 people between June 1943 and April 1945. Christian Charisius/dpa/Pool/dpa

Germany's Federal Court of Justice on Tuesday upheld the conviction of a 99-year-old former secretary at the Stutthof concentration camp for aiding and abetting the mass murder of more than 10,000 people between June 1943 and April 1945.

The court sitting in the eastern city of Leipzig dismissed the appeal against a verdict handed down by the Itzehoe Regional Court, to the north of Hamburg, in December 2022.

The regional court had sentenced the woman to a two-year suspended juvenile sentence for aiding and abetting murder in 10,505 cases and attempted murder in five cases.

The woman, identified under German privacy laws as Irmgard F, received a youth sentence as she was under 21 years old at the times the crimes were committed. Tuesday's decision is now final.

The case is considered possibly the last criminal trial for addressing the Nazi mass murders.

Irmgard F was employed as a typist in the commandants office of the Stutthof Nazi concentration camp near what was then the Free City of Danzig - now Gdansk in Poland - when she was 18-19 years old.

The regional court had judged that through her work, the young woman had assisted the camps officials in the systematic killing of inmates. Also, supporting activities could legally be seen as aiding and abetting murder.

Irmgard F's defence team had filed the appeal. The Federal Court of Justice, Germany's highest civil and criminal court, held an oral hearing on the matter at the end of July.

The lawyers tried to cast doubt, among other things, whether intent could be proven against her. They argued it was not shown that she really knew what was happening in the camp. She was 18 or 19 years old at the time.

Additionally, they said her work as a typist did not differ significantly from her previous job in a bank. From her perspective, she had carried out "neutral actions." The federal judges did not agree with this argument.

The Federal Court of Justice confirmed the Itzehoe Regional Court's assessment that Irmgard F had provided assistance to the murders through her willingness to serve. Almost all of the camps correspondence passed over the desk of the typist.

According to the Arolsen Archives documentation centre, approximately 110,000 people from 28 countries were imprisoned in the Stutthof concentration camp and its 39 subcamps between 1939 and 1945. Almost 65,000 did not survive.
The defendant Irmgard F. is brought into the courtroom at the beginning of her trial in Itzehoe. Germany's Federal Court of Justice on Tuesday upheld the conviction of a 99-year-old former secretary at the Stutthof concentration camp for aiding and abetting the mass murder of more than 10,000 people between June 1943 and April 1945. Christian Charisius/dpa/Pool/dpa

Germany's Federal Court of Justice on Tuesday upheld the conviction of a 99-year-old former secretary at the Stutthof concentration camp for aiding and abetting the mass murder of more than 10,000 people between June 1943 and April 1945.

The court sitting in the eastern city of Leipzig dismissed the appeal against a verdict handed down by the Itzehoe Regional Court, to the north of Hamburg, in December 2022.

The regional court had sentenced the woman to a two-year suspended juvenile sentence for aiding and abetting murder in 10,505 cases and attempted murder in five cases.

The woman, identified under German privacy laws as Irmgard F, received a youth sentence as she was under 21 years old at the times the crimes were committed. Tuesday's decision is now final.

The case is considered possibly the last criminal trial for addressing the Nazi mass murders.

Irmgard F was employed as a typist in the commandants office of the Stutthof Nazi concentration camp near what was then the Free City of Danzig - now Gdansk in Poland - when she was 18-19 years old.

The regional court had judged that through her work, the young woman had assisted the camps officials in the systematic killing of inmates. Also, supporting activities could legally be seen as aiding and abetting murder.
In addition to the "Hoegh Gannef", a special ship for the storage and feed-in of liquefied natural gas, the "TEnergy" carrier ship loaded with LNG has docked in the Elbe port of Brunsbuettel. Environmental Action Germany (DUH) has lodged a complaint with the European Commission challenging state funding amounting to 40 million ($44.3 million) for a planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in northern Germany. Axel Heimken/dpa

Environmental Action Germany (DUH) has lodged a complaint with the European Commission challenging state funding amounting to 40 million ($44.3 million) for a planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in northern Germany.

According to EU law, state subsidies for energy projects are only permissible if they contribute to promoting the green energy transition and achieving climate goals, DUH stated on Tuesday. This, DUH said, is not the case with the LNG terminal, according to a legal opinion.

"The approval of this multimillion-euro state aid rests on very shaky ground," said the federal managing director of DUH, Sascha Muller-Kraenner.

He said there were no reliable plans on how the terminal should be converted to renewable energies, even though the European Commission had approved the aid on the condition that the terminal would be converted to green gases.

DUH is therefore is urging the European Commission to withdraw the approval for the multimillion-euro state funding for the import of natural gas.

Muller-Kraenner said, "This money must be invested in effective climate protection measures and not in the continuation of an outdated fossil-fuel business model."

Since DUH is not directly affected by the financing of the LNG terminal, it cannot file a lawsuit. However, the official complaint procedure clearly indicates that the environmental organization has concerns. According to DUH, the European Commission will then decide how to proceed with this complaint.
Thai King appoints Paetongtarn Shinawatra as new PM

Chinadaily.com.cn) 08:27, August 20, 2024

Thailand's newly elected Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra (right) poses on Sunday with her father, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, before a royal endorsement ceremony appointing Paetongtarn as Thailand's new prime minister in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo/Xinhua)

BANGKOK - Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn has appointed Paetongtarn Shinawatra as the country's prime minister, Secretary-General of the House of Representatives Arpath Sukhanunth announced on Sunday.

In a ceremony held on Sunday morning at the Pheu Thai Party headquarters, Arpath delivered the royal command stating that Paetongtarn has been appointed premier as she received majority support in the parliamentary vote on Aug. 16.

The royal endorsement paves the way for a cabinet formation as the 37-year-old officially assumes office as the youngest and second female prime minister in the Southeast Asian nation.

In her first official speech as prime minister, Paetongtarn said she would collaborate with the legislative branch during the remaining three years of the parliamentary term and create space to listen to every opinion with the goal of propelling Thailand forward with unwavering determination.

"My hope is to harmonize the strengths of all generations, uniting individuals from all corners of Thailand, whether they serve in the government, belong to political parties, work in the private sector, or are fellow citizens," Paetongtarn said in the nationally televised ceremony.

"I accept this responsibility with the utmost dedication and will make Thailand a land of opportunity and happiness, where every citizen stands on equal ground."

Paetongtarn, the youngest daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, entered politics in 2021 as Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Participation and Innovation of the Pheu Thai Party. She was a leading prime ministerial candidate of the Pheu Thai Party in last year's general election and later became the party's leader.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Fatima Latifova

Fuad Muradov, Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora, has met with the Azerbaijani community in the state of Illinois, USA, Azernews reports.

The Committee Chairman gave detailed information about the diaspora policies implemented under President Ilham Aliyev's leadership, including Azerbaijani Houses and Coordination Councils abroad, weekend schools, the Committee's successful large-scale projects, and the Fifth Summer Camp of Diaspora Youth held in Lachin from August 1 to 7, which has garnered significant interest from young Azerbaijanis worldwide.

During the meeting, Engin Tures, the Turkish Consul General in Chicago, emphasized the importance of joint activities between Azerbaijani and Turkish diasporas and expressed continued support for the Azerbaijani diaspora.

Nargiz Habibova, head of the Azerbaijan Student Alliance of the Midwest States, provided information about the organization's activities, discussing the networking opportunities for student youth in the USA, especially through social media platforms, and the organization's goals.

Speakers highlighted how Azerbaijans liberation of its territories and its role as a symbol of peace and stability in the region has brought pride to compatriots and inspired them to undertake even greater efforts for their homeland. Community members discussed the importance of forming a stronger diaspora, unity mechanisms, and the application of international experiences, and proposed the establishment of an Azerbaijani House in the future.

The event featured video clips reflecting the activities of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora and the essence of coordinated work in the diaspora movement. Questions from community members were answered, and discussions on future perspectives were held.
Starbucks has sparked outrage after revealing that its newest CEO  Brian Niccol  will have the opportunity to work from home, as opposed to at the companys headquarters in Seattle, Washington.

The beloved coffee chain first shared a press release on August 13 to announce Niccols new title, after he spent six years working as the CEO of Chipotle. His official start date will be on September 9, with Starbucks financial official Rachel Ruggeri serving as interim CEO until then.

On August 14, Starbucks shared a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, which revealed a few details about Niccols new position. According to the report, the new CEO of Starbucks will have the opportunity to work from home, as hell receive a small remote office in Newport Beach, California, after his start date.

Work from home policy for new Starbucks CEO sparks outrage (Getty Images)

In addition, Niccol will not only have an assistant of his choosing at the remote office but the office will also be maintained at the expense of his company. With the opportunity to work remotely, Niccol will not be required to relocate to the brands headquarters, which is located in Seattle, Washington.

Although he needs to commute to Seattle for work from California on occasion, Niccol will have the opportunity to do it on a corporate plane, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The SEC filing also shared Niccols annual salary, which was indicated his offer letter as $1.6m. He also received a cash signing bonus of $10m.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, many people went on to criticize Niccols opportunity to work from home  in addition to other work perks  while his employees are working at the Starbucks headquarters in Seattle.

Just a terrible decision by the Starbucks board (and this new CEO)... a $10m signing bonus, allowing him to work remotely from LA while imposing back-to-work policies for other employees, one wrote.

Interesting how CEOs think it is okay for themselves to work remotely but not other office workers, another claimed. Potentially massive pay package for Starbucks new CEO, and he doesnt even have to move to Seattle.

just a terrible decision by the Starbucks board (and this new CEO)... a $10 million signing bonus, allowing him to work remotely from LA while imposing back-to-work policies for other employees https://t.co/9MokW2jeVU  stevemur (@stevemur) August 15, 2024

Feels like it's wrong for a company like Starbucks to have a CEO working from home



It's not software.



The business all about going into a store and hanging out while drinking coffee pic.twitter.com/QTxKnVa6NV  LindyMan (@PaulSkallas) August 15, 2024

I had to force two single moms on my team back into the office four days a week because of this man and now Starbucks is letting him work remotely 1,000 miles away from Seattle, a third sarcastically wrote.

Story continues

A fourth person tweeted: Feels like its wrong for a company like Starbucks to have a CEO working from home. Its not software. The business is all about going into a store and hanging out while drinking coffee.

While questioning the work-from-home perk for the CEO, social media users also pointed out how last year, Starbucks announced that it was requiring employees across the companys regional offices and SSC (Starbucks Support Center) to be in the office at least three times a week.

Incoming Starbucks CEO is not even going to be required to go to the office and may live 1,000 miles away from the HQ. Seems like one rule for the BoDs and a different one for normal employees, one wrote.

When Starbucks announced its CEO on August 13, Niccol issued a statement about how excited he was to join the team.

I have long-admired Starbucks iconic brand, unique culture and commitment to enhancing human connections around the globe. As I embark upon this journey, I am energized by the tremendous potential to drive growth and further enhance the Starbucks experience for our customers and partners, while staying true to our mission and values, he said in the press release.

Before stepping down as CEO of Chipotle, Niccol served as chief executive of Taco Bell, where some of his previous roles were also chief marketing and innovation officer and president.
German President calls on Hungary to preserve unity in EU on Ukraine

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who visited the Hungarian city of Sopron the day before, has called on the Hungarian authorities to maintain cohesion in the European Union.

Source: a statement by Steinmeier, as quoted by DW

Details: Steinmeier also stressed the importance of a united EU position in supporting Ukraine, which is defending itself against the Russian full-scale invasion.

After the meeting with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok, Steinmeier said that Hungary's important role as the current EU Council presidency is to "strengthen unity within the EU and promote constructive common solutions for our common future matters".

Steinmeier added that he hoped Hungary would "accept and fulfil this role".

He also pointed out, in particular, the need to maintain a common position on assistance to Ukraine.

Quote: "We must leave no room for doubt that NATO and the EU are united in their support for Ukraine."

Background: At the end of July, Polish Foreign Minister Radosaw Sikorski said that Hungary was becoming more isolated in the EU, and its position irritated the other member states.

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BERLIN  Amid murmurings in Berlin that the country may curtail its military support for Ukraine, the German government on Monday confirmed a long list of scheduled deliveries for Kyiv, including dozens of armored vehicles, rocket launchers and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Among the equipment the government reaffirmed it would send by the end of the year are two additional IRIS-T SLM air defense systems; two IRIS-T SLS launchers; ten Gepard anti-aircraft guns; 16 Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers as well as Zuzana and RCH 155 self-propelled howitzers; combat drones; several thousand rounds of artillery ammunition and ammunition for armored vehicles, and a batch of 30 Leopard 1A5 tanks.

Germany said it would also train 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers this year and next.

Following the leak of a letter by German Finance Minister Christian Lindner over the weekend, media have been speculating about whether the country will be able to keep up its high level of support for Ukraine in 2025. In the missive dated Aug. 5, Lindner wrote that new measures should only be taken once funding is secured under a new budget  a longstanding contentious issue within the coalition government.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper first reported on the letter, which was also seen by the German press agency dpa.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported on Saturday about a supposed moratorium declared by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on new weapons deliveries to Ukraine beyond what has already been authorized, citing internal documents. This aligns with Lindners internal request to respect spending caps, which also cover defense.

Germany is Europes most significant backer of Kyivs defensive fight against Russian invaders, providing over 14 billion ($15.5 billion) in support  mostly military  between when the invasion started in February 2022 and the end of June 2024, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economys public tracker.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, government spokesperson Wolfgang Buchner countered journalists questions on the FAZ reporting, saying that absolutely nothing will change in our commitment and decisiveness in supporting Ukraine. Suggesting otherwise would be almost defamatory, he said.

It is true, however, that Berlin is clamoring to balance a new federal budget that has been hotly contested for months. Currently, 4 billion are slated for supporting Ukraine next year, down from 7.5 billion in 2024. This years number was raised from an original value of 4 billion by the Bundestag, the German parliament.

Instead of taking Ukraine aid money from Germanys budget, it would in the future come from dividends on frozen Russian assets, the German finance minister said in his internal letter. The G7 countries have vowed to use the vast frozen Russian assets to support Ukraines survival, including furnishing a $50 billion loan to the country.

Meanwhile, already-authorized German weapons deliveries will continue in 2025, Buchner confirmed on Monday. In the next calendar year, more than 20 PzH 2000, Zuzana and RCH 155 howitzers, 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 37 Leopard 1A5s, five Gepards, three IRIS-T SLM systems and also three IRIS-T SLS systems, as well as two Skynex air defense systems and thousands of rounds of ammunition will be transferred to Ukraine, he said.
Germany will deliver 4 more IRIS-T air defense systems to Ukraine before end of 2024

Germany will provide Ukraine with four additional IRIS-T air defense systems of different ranges by the end of the year, government spokesperson Wolfgang Buchner said on Aug. 19.

Recent media reports said that the German Finance Ministry is not planning to approve additional aid to Ukraine as part of budgetary savings this year. Both Kyiv and Berlin refuted that Germany would be cutting military aid to Ukraine.

Buchner said that the latest pledged aid was evidence that "there is no message from the government that support (for Ukraine) will be reduced or limited in some other way."

Beyond the IRIS-T systems, Germany will also deliver 10 Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, 16 self-propelled howitzers, ten Leopard main battle tanks, drones, and thousands of rounds of artillery and tank ammunition.

Buchner also said that in 2025, Germany would deliver 20 self-propelled howitzers, 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 37 Leopard main battle tanks, five Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, six additional IRIS-T systems, and thousands of additional artillery rounds and ammunition.

The type of Leopard tanks Germany would provide were not specified.

The previous day, Germany said it had provided Ukraine with an IRIS-T system and other military equipment.

It was the third IRIS-T SLS battery Germany has delivered to Kyiv. The SLS is a short-range variant with an operational range of 12 kilometers (7.5 miles).

Berlin also said it had provided four medium-range IRIS-T SLM versions, which can fire missiles as far as 40 kilometers (25 miles).

Read also: Ukraines Foreign Ministry says reports on Germany halting military aid are manipulation

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Germany to hand over four more IRIS-Ts to Ukraine by end of this year

Germany plans to supply Ukraine with four more IRIS-T air defence systems by the end of the year.

Source: European Pravda with reference to dpa, which quotes Wolfgang Buchner, Deputy Spokesperson for the German government

Quote from Buchner: "Germany remains absolutely committed [to Ukraine], and the chancellor [Olaf Scholz] gives his word that support for Ukraine will continue as long as necessary, and no one, especially the Russian president [Vladimir Putin], can hope that we will weaken our commitment."

Details: He said that Ukraine will also receive 10 Gepard anti-aircraft guns, 16 self-propelled howitzers, 10 Leopard battle tanks, combat drones and several thousand rounds of ammunition for artillery and tanks.

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, and no further applications from Germany's Federal Defence Ministry for military assistance to Ukraine will be approved, at Chancellor Olaf Scholzs request.

At the same time, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry stated that these reports were incorrect and manipulative.

German politicians from both the opposition party Christian Democratic Union of Germany, and from the coalition, specifically, from the party of Olaf Scholz, criticised this approach to further funding of the aid for Ukraine, explaining that it may pose a threat for the security of Germany.

The German government denied its intentions to decrease military aid for Ukraine. The government spokesperson stated that the German government expected that next year the international partners of Ukraine would provide it with a loan for the total amount of 50 billion, which will be paid back with profits from frozen Russian assets.

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Police forces investigate at the bear garden next to the severed window lattice of the Green Vault at Dresden Castle. Two individuals convicted of stealing jewels from the historic Green Vault in the eastern German city of Dresden will remain free for the time being after failing to present themselves for admission to prison by a deadline on Tuesday. Sebastian Kahnert/zb/dpa

Two individuals convicted of stealing jewels from the historic Green Vault in the eastern German city of Dresden will remain free for the time being after failing to present themselves for admission to prison by a deadline on Tuesday.

The break-in at Saxony's famous treasure chamber museum on November 25, 2019, was one of Germany's most spectacular art thefts.

The perpetrators stole 21 pieces of jewellery made of diamonds and gems, causing more than 1 million ($1.1 million) in damage, partly because they set one of their getaway cars on fire in an underground car park of a residential building.

The Dresden Regional Court suspended some of the arrest warrants with conditions at the end of the trial as part of an agreement that included the return of most of the loot.

A spokesman for the Dresden Public Prosecutor's Office said on Tuesday that two of the men, a 28-year-old and a 30-year-old, both members of the Berlin-based Remmo crime clan, filed applications for a deferral of enforcement, which were denied.

The younger man's lawyer requested a judicial decision, which is still pending. It is uncertain whether the other man will contest the denial. If not, he must present himself for imprisonment.

The two men, along with another young man from the Remmo clan who was also convicted, were released from pre-trial detention upon their sentencing in May 2023.

The 28-year-old and 30-year-old were summoned to prison admission by July 19 in accordance with the Berlin Penal Plan's guidelines for their open detention sentence.

They were sentenced to five years and 10 months and six years and two months of imprisonment, respectively, and had already served 911 days in pre-trial detention, which is credited.

In May 2023, the Dresden Regional Court sentenced a total of five young men from the well-known Berlin-based Arab family to several years of imprisonment. The decision is now legally binding.

For four of them, the arrest warrants were suspended with conditions at the end of the trial as part of an agreement that included the return of most of the loot. However, because one of them was still serving another sentence, only three of them were in fact temporarily released.

The fifth convict had to remain in prison because he did not agree to the deal. The sixth defendant, a cousin of the co-defendants, was acquitted.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who helms a fractious - and unpopular - coalition government made up of his Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), has admitted working with his partners is "tedious."

Even forming the coalition government had been exhausting, Scholz said in an interview with broadcaster Sat.1 scheduled to be aired later on Tuesday.

Governing with the alliance was also "tedious," he admitted. "But it's the results that count."

Quarrelling within Germany's three-party coalition over issues including the budget, welfare spending and a national heating law have led to widespread discontent.

All three parties in Scholz's governing coalition, which came to power following elections in 2021, saw support slip in the European Parliament election in June, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party came in second, ahead of all of them.

The positions of the Greens and the Free Democrats in particular are often far apart and finding a compromise often takes a lot of wrangling.

There seems to be a particular animosity between Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck of the Greens and Finance Minister Christian Lindner, FDP.

On Tuesday, Habeck told a citizens' dialogue meeting at his ministry that the disputes within the coalition are "extremely damaging" and even hurting Germany's economic recovery. Habeck and Lindner have been haggling over a new compromise 2025 budget. Lindner called the talks "extremely difficult."

Habeck told the citizens listening that "should I ever become chancellor, Christian Lindner will not be finance minister."

Scholz, during the TV interview, said whenever a decision is negotiated within the coalition government there is always concern that "the gun smoke from the battlefield will somehow obscure what has happened."

He also rebuffed criticism from the head of the Green Party, Omid Nouripour, who had branded Scholz's government as a "transition government" following the era of former chancellor Angela Merkel, who stood at the helm of Europe's largest economy for 16 years.

His coalition government should concentrate on overcoming the challenges ahead, Scholz added.

Voters in three eastern German states will get to voice their opinions when they go to the polls in Thuringia and Saxony on September 1 and in Brandenburg on September 22.

Yet in this climate of polarization, parties of different persuasions may have to work together to avoid power gains from the far-right and far-left. It certainly won't get any easier, says the chancellor.

In an unspoken appeal to the government to pull itself together, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who, like Scholz is from the SPD, agrees.

"Our task is to work together for the citizens, to get the best out of the coalition and to work well together over the last year and a half," she said in Rostock.

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, from Scholz's SPD, also rejected Green Party Nouripour's assessment that the current government is a stop-gap measure.

"The analysis is wrong," Lauterbach wrote on X. He said the coalition is working on clearing a huge backlog of health care sector reforms.

Some see Nouripour's critical statements as a power play, or in other words, a very early election campaign manoeuvre.

"I see this as an initiative bid by the Greens to work together with the CDU in the next governing coalition," said SPD youth leader Philipp Turmer on Deutschlandfunk radio, of the opposition Christian Democrats.

In the same Sat 1 interview, Scholz expressed high regard for US presidential candidate Kamala Harris, saying she would make "a very good president."

"I know her well. She would certainly make a very good president," Scholz said.

Scholz did not answer the question of whether Harris, a Democrat, would be a better choice for Germany as US president than her rival, Republican Donald Trump.

However, he did say, "Kamala Harris is a very good politician who will stick to what is important for us, with good cooperation across the Atlantic, between the US and Europe, between the US and Germany."
It wasnt quite what some Kentucky Democrats wanted  a Democratic National Convention that coronated Gov. Andy Beshear as the next vice president of the United States  but it was the biggest night at the convention for Kentucky in 40 years.

That year, 1984, Kentucky Gov. Martha Layne Collins was the conventions chairwoman, playing a crucial role in planning and carrying out the convention when she, too, had been considered for the vice-presidential slot that went to U.S. Rep. Geraldine Ferraro.

This year, Kentucky had Hadley Duvall.

And while Beshear did a good job delivering his speech just moments before President Joe Biden took the stage  despite whatever awkward thing was going on with his right jacket sleeve that caused people on social media to call on him to get a new tailor  Duvall was the star.

Duvall was the woman who put Beshears reelection campaign on her shoulders and carried him to reelection last November, appearing in television spots and telling the story about how she was raped by her stepfather as a child  and how Kentuckys cruel abortion laws would force her to carry her stepfathers child to term.

She made another ad for Biden earlier this summer when he was the presumptive nominee for president. On Monday she appeared on the stage at the convention to tell her story once again and to introduce Beshear.

Hadley Duvall and Gov. Andy Beshear

He should have been introducing her.

I think he knows that.

Hadley Duvall is one of the bravest people I have ever met, Beshear said as he stepped to the mic.

There is no way Beshear could talk about abortion rights and deliver his words with the same passion or the same vulnerability that Duvall, a survivor, showed as she spoke  sometimes belying a nervous authenticity by smiling at what seemed to be inappropriate times as she talked about what she called Donald Trumps abortion ban.

Kentuckys law took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court  with three judges appointed by Trump  struck down the 50-year-old Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion rights the law of the land.

Hadley Duvall: Women deserve abortion access. Kentucky laws mean rape victims like me have no options.

He calls it a beautiful thing. What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parents child? she asked.

There was an audible gasp that you could hear on the television feed from the United Center in Chicago. Women  and probably some men  in the crowd cried.

There are other survivors out there who have no options and I want you to know that we see you, we hear you, she said.

She was a tough act to follow.

But Beshear did and he did so with a speech you wouldnt have heard a statewide politician in Kentucky give just a few years ago  when Democrats ran scared of the abortion debate in a state where, according to the Pew Research Center, 49% of residents consider themselves evangelical protestants.

That changed in 2022 when Kentucky voters rejected a state constitutional amendment that would have prohibited the Supreme Court from finding that the state constitution protected abortion rights by 4.6 percentage points.

Beshear has steadfastly supported abortion rights throughout his term  in fact he bet his reelection on them  but rarely if ever has he given the full-throated endorsement of abortion rights he gave on Monday.

The real nightmare: Gerth: Mitch McConnell is delusional to think Harris, and not Trump, would be a nightmare

And hes never gone that hard after Trump, who won Kentucky by nearly 26 percentage points in 2020 and nearly 30 percentage points four years earlier.

Im amazed at the courage it takes to share her pain, to share her truth, yet Donald Trump brags about tearing a constitutional right away from Hadley and every other woman and girl in our country, he said. Thats why we must tear away any chance he can ever be president ever again.

He noted that Kentuckys law doesnt allow abortions even in the case of rape, incest or unviable pregnancies giving women and girls like Duvall no options.

That fails any test of humanity, any test of basic decency, any test of whether you have any underlying empathy, he said.

He spent nearly all of his five minutes talking about abortion rights, which Kamala Harris will certainly use as she tries to hand Trump his second electoral loss.

He called Republican policies extreme and especially the policies of Kentucky Republicans with whom he has fought throughout his term.

A woman grieving a non-viable pregnancy shouldnt be required to carry it to term just to listen to her child die or to hear no sound at all, he said.

It was a strong speech  not nearly as strong as Duvalls  that capped the biggest night Kentucky has had at the DNC since before Duvall was born and Beshear was just 6 years old.

Beshear generally got high marks from what I saw on the internet and television, except for that thing with his coat sleeve.

Well see how that translates in Kentucky if he decides to run for U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnells seat in 2026  and if he does, hed be smart to keep Duvall on speed dial. Because she was  wow, just wow.

Joseph Gerth can be reached at 502-582-4702 or by email at jgerth@courierjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Hadley Duvall story, Beshear gave Kentucky a big DNC moment
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain points to Michigan's delegation as he exits the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Ill., on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Before revealing the message written on his shirt under his suit jacket, United Auto Workers Union President Shawn Fain revved up the crowd at the first day of the Democratic National Convention Monday by invoking the 2002 hit from rapper Nelly.

In the words of the great American poet Nelly. Its getting hot in here, Fain said, uncovering his Trump is a scab T-shirt hed been wearing under his suit jacket.

Fain has been using the union term scab for former President Donald Trump throughout the 2024 election cycle, likening Trump to the scabs companies bring in from the outside to continue operations as union members go on strike for better treatment.

While President Joe Biden walked the picket line in Michigan in September with UAW members during the historic strike against the Detroit Big Three automakers, Trump visited a non-union automotive parts manufacturer in the state where thousands of workers were striking.

Trump and his running mate, Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, are outsiders to the middle class acting as two lap dogs for the billionaire class who only serve themselves, Fain said.

But Harris has walked the walk for the working class, Fain said, citing Harris joining the picket line in 2019, as more than 40,000 UAW workers were on strike at dozens of General Motors plants for 40 days.

Its hot in here because youre fired up and youre fed up, and the American working class is fired up and fed up, Fain said to the DNC crowd in Chicago. Kamala Harris stands shoulder to shoulder with workers when theyre on strike and thats the difference between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump the scab.

Harris running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who prior to serving in the U.S. House, was a union member as a public schoolteacher.

Walz has been speaking in battleground states across the country in recent weeks, trying to turn the tide to victory after Trump was leading many states in polls earlier this year against President Joe Biden before he dropped out. Earlier this month in Nevada, Walz tied Trump to Project 2025, a 922-page right-wing plan that serves as a blueprint to a national abortion ban and repealing union rights among other measures.

Trump has denied any connection to Project 2025 though CNN found 140 of Trumps former employees were involved.

Walz said in Nevada when someone draws up a blueprint, they plan on using it.

The American working class is in a fight for our lives Fain said, as a Trump presidency threatens to undo all the progress unions have had in the last year.

Last fall, we achieved life-changing gains in our strike at the Big Three [automakers]. We even won a commitment to reopen a closed plant not too far from here. We were able to do that thanks to the support of Kamala Harris and Joe Biden and the thousands of autoworkers that went on strike, Fain said. But a year later, one company wants to go back on their commitments in our contract. And let me be clear, Stellantis must keep the promises they made to America in our union contract, and the UAW will take whatever action necessary.

Leaders from six other unions also spoke Monday at the DNC to support Harris: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) President Lee Saunders; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) International President Kenneth W. Cooper; Service Employees International Union (SEIU) President April Verrett; Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA) General President Brent Booker; Communications Workers of America (CWA) President Claude Cummings Jr.; and American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) President Liz Shuler.

Harris made a surprise appearance on the first day of the DNC to talk about the future and whats at stake in November. There is a path to victory, but Harris said to make no mistake, the road ahead will not be not easy.

A win in November will take people of all ages and backgrounds talking with neighbors and family members about the future of reproductive rights, affordable health care and equity for the working class, Harris said. And those small fights for the future are happening all over the country.

We see it in so many of you who are working, not just to get us through our current crises, but to somewhere better. Theres something happening, all across the country. Its not about Joe [Biden] or me. Its about you, Harris said. And weve shown that, when we vote, we expand access to health care, expand access to the ballot box, and ensure that more working families can make a decent living.

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Gilbert: As DNC meets, here is how the Democratic coalition has changed in Wisconsin

As Wisconsin Democrats gather in Chicago for their 2024 national convention, they represent a party whose makeup has changed in revealing ways over the past decade.

Consider some of the groups that make up a bigger share of this states Democratic voters than they did before Donald Trump was elected president in 2016:

Women. Secular voters. Liberals. Suburbanites. And white college grads.

Consider some of the groups that make up a smaller share of the party.

Men. Rural voters. Frequent churchgoers. People without a four-year college degree. And conservatives.

Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education

These findings come from years of extensive polling in Wisconsin by the Marquette Law School.

Based on that polling, this column looked last month at the makeup of the states Republican voters and how it has changed.

Now well turn to the states Democratic voters, how their demographic and political profile has changed, and how Democratic voters in Wisconsin differ from Democratic voters nationally, based on Marquettes national and state polling.

Self-identified Democrats make up 29% of registered voters in Wisconsin; Republicans make up 30%, and independents 40%, according to the polling.

Nationally, Democrats make up 32% of registered voters, with Republicans at 31% and independents at 36%.

So, how does the Democratic coalition look different in Wisconsin than nationally?

Not surprisingly, given the states racial makeup, whites make up a far bigger share of Democrats in Wisconsin (83%) than they do of Democrats in the nation as a whole (50%). Only 8% of Wisconsin Democrats are Black, compared to 23% nationally; and just 4% of Democrats in this state are Hispanic, compared to 18% nationally.

Whites without a college degree make up an unusually large share of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin. This is a segment of the electorate that has become more Republican in the Trump Era and is often described as Trumps demographic base. This group also makes up more than half of all Wisconsin voters, more than in any top battleground state.

Because of Wisconsins population mix, these blue-collar white voters represent a far larger share of Democrats in Wisconsin (45%) than they do of Democrats nationwide (26%).

Democrats in Wisconsin stand out in some other ways, too.

Take gender. A remarkable 65% of self-identified Democrats in Wisconsin are women, compared to 57% nationally. In other words, women outnumber men almost 2 to 1 among this states solidly Democratic voters.

Why is the share of women even higher among Wisconsin Democrats than it is nationally? One explanation may be the states racial makeup. Wisconsin is much whiter than the nation as a whole, and the partisan gender gap is much bigger among white voters than among Black voters.

Religion is another point of contrast. The share of Democrats who are born-again Protestants is lower in Wisconsin (9%) than in the nation as a whole (15%). But the share of mainline Protestants and Catholics is higher.

Politically, self-described liberals make up a higher share of Democrats here (62%) than they do nationally (57%).

But there is a nuance here. Within the liberal category there is a subgroup of people who describe themselves as very liberal. And these very liberal voters make up a slightly lower share of Wisconsin Democrats (21%) than they do nationally (23%).

Polling is also a window into how the Democratic coalition in Wisconsin has changed over time.

To capture this, Marquette pollster Charles Franklin measured the present-day makeup of the party based on the combined 15 surveys Marquette has done in Wisconsin since the beginning of 2021. That represents a sample of roughly 3,600 self-identified Democratic voters. (The numbers throughout this story refer to registered voters who identify with the Democratic Party, and do not include so-called leaners, meaning voters who describe themselves as independents but lean toward the party).

Franklin then compared those findings to earlier polling done from 2012 to 2014, roughly one decade earlier.

How the Wisconsin Democratic Party has changed among major voting groups

Here are some examples of how the partys makeup has changed:

GENDER. Women are 65% of Democrats today, compared to 62% in 2012-14.

RACE AND EDUCATION. White college grads are a much bigger share of Wisconsin Democrats now (38%) than a decade ago (31%). Non-college whites are a slightly smaller share today (45%) than before (47%). Black voters make up a somewhat smaller share of Democrats now (8%) than before (11%), though Blacks remain overwhelmingly Democratic. (Fewer than 1% of Republican voters in Wisconsin are Black). The share of Democrats who are Hispanic hasnt meaningfully changed over the decade and stands at 4%. (Hispanics make up 3% of Republicans in the state).

RELIGION. The share of Democrats in Wisconsin who belong to major religious groups is down across the board. Born again Protestants have gone from 15% of the party to just 9%. Mainline Protestants have gone from 29% to 26%. And Roman Catholics have dropped from 28% to 24%. (Born-again Protestants are also a shrinking share of Republicans in Wisconsin, but Catholics are a rising share).

The flip side of this is that secular, non-religious voters are a dramatically larger share of Wisconsin Democrats today (33%) than they were a decade ago (17%). In other words, they carry twice the weight within the party than they did before. This may be the single biggest change in the makeup of the states Democratic voters.

Similarly, non-churchgoers have grown from 17% of Wisconsin Democrats to 36%. (Non-churchgoers are also a growing share of Republicans in the state but represent a much lower share of the GOP at 12%).

IDEOLOGY. Democrats in Wisconsin have moved to the left in how they identify themselves, just as Republicans have moved to the right. People who call themselves very liberal make up 21% of Democrats in the state today, compared to 13% a decade ago. People who call themselves simply liberal have grown from 33% to 42% of Democrats. These two categories combined make up 62% of the states Democrats today, compared to 46% a decade ago.

GEOGRAPHY. Urban voters make up the same share of Democrats in the state today as before (39%). But the share of Democrats from the suburbs is up from 25% to 31% and the share from rural areas is down from 37% to 30%.

The partys shifting geographic base can be seen not just in the polling but in the states voting patterns. Well use presidential voting to illustrate the point.

The share of the total Democratic vote in Wisconsin that comes from the states heavily rural towns has dropped from 28% in 2000 to 23% in 2020.

The share that comes from very blue and fast-growing Dane County has climbed sharply from 11% in 2000 to 16% in 2020. The share that comes from the suburban and historically Republican WOW counties outside Milwaukee has also increased from just under 8% in 2000 to just under 10% in 2020, as Democrats make inroads there.

The share of Democratic votes in Wisconsin that come from Milwaukee County is roughly unchanged at around 20%.

But the share that comes from outside the Milwaukee and Madison media markets  in other words, from northern, central and western Wisconsin  is down from 40% in 2000 to 36% in 2020.

To sum up these patterns and trends, the composition of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin has changed in some very striking ways over the years, and differs in some key respects from other states, reflecting Wisconsins distinct population mix.

White working-class voters remain a much bigger part of the Democratic coalition in Wisconsin than they do nationally, but not as big a part as they used to. Rural voters remain an important part of the Democratic vote, but not as big a part as they used to.

This is a more secular and liberal party than it was a decade ago, with a more disproportionate share of women, and with growing shares of college-educated and suburban voters.

The November election will help tell us how powerful these trend lines continue to be, and whether replacing President Joe Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris as the partys nominee against Donald Trump will have a discernible impact on the makeup of the Democratic vote in Wisconsin.

Craig Gilbert provides Wisconsin political analysis as a fellow with Marquette University Law School's Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education. Prior to the fellowship, Gilbert reported on politics for 35 years at the Journal Sentinel, the last 25 in its Washington Bureau. His column continues that independent reporting tradition and goes through the established Journal Sentinel editing process.



Follow him on Twitter: @Wisvoter.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How the Democratic Party coalition has changed in Wisconsin
Giuliani is no-show in court conference after not complying with subpoena

Giuliani is no-show in court conference after not complying with subpoena

Rudy Giuliani failed to appear at a pre-motion conference in the Southern District of New York after he refused to respond to a subpoena, according to a lawyer for the plaintiffs.

Eight Capitol Police officers filed a civil suit in Washington, DC federal court in December 2021 against Donald Trump over the events surrounding the Capitol riot. Former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani was subpoenaed in the case, but has failed to comply, prompting the plaintiffs to file a motion to compel in a separate court in New York. Giuliani failed to attend a conference regarding a hearing compeling him to comply with the subpoena.

The 2021 civil suit accuses Trump and other defendants of violating the Ku Klux Klan Act when he deliberately and persistently made false claims of election fraud following the 2020 election made and encouraged false claims and supported acts of violence, knowing full well that among his supporters were extremist groups and individuals.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani departs the U.S. District Courthouse after he was ordered to pay $148 million in his defamation case in Washington in December 2023 (REUTERS)

The plaintiffs delivered the subpoena to Giulianis doorman on April 26, 2024 at his New York City home. This delivery came after the group twice attempted personal service on Mr Giuliani at his Florida residence on October 18, 2023 and on March 28, 2024.

Three months after giving the subpoena to Giulianis doorman, on July 19, the plaintiffs said they have yet to receive any response from him. The cash-strapped ex-mayor had been required to respond or object to the subpoena by May 10, 2024. Since that date has passed, he can no longer make objections to the subpoena.

The group then contacted four lawyers representing the former mayor in other cases but each of them indicated they would not be representing him in this matter, the lawyers wrote.

We now have no alternative but to move to compel, they said in an August 1 letter to the judge in New Yorks Southern District Court, requesting a pre-motion conference about the plaintiffs intended motion to enforce Giulianis subpoena.

With awareness of Defendant Trumps strategy to overturn the election results, Mr. Giuliani and other co-conspirators actively participated in spreading Trumps false claims of election fraud, including by filing baseless lawsuits challenging election results, the eight officers alleged.

The documents and communications relate to the events surrounding the claims made in the suit against Trump as well as information that the former mayor shared with the January 6 House Select Committee.

This information is discoverable with minimal burden to Giuliani but is crucial to Plaintiffs claims, the August letter stated.

On August 5, the judge ordered the pre-motion conference to be held on August 20 at 10am. The plaintiffs lawyers were required to provide a copy of the order to Giuliani.

A lawyer for the plaintiffs told The Independent that Giuliani was not present for Tuesdays hearing. Its not immediately clear if Giulianis attendance was required.

The Independent has reached out to a spokesperson and a lawyer for Giuliani.

This legal battle is the latest in Giulianis haze of legal cases related to his lies about the stolen 2020 election.

He faces criminal charges in Georgia and Arizona related to schemes to overturn Trumps election loss in the states. Giuliani is also listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal criminal case surrounding Trumps attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

After defaming a pair of election workers in Georgia and being ordered to pay them $148 million in damages, the former mayor filed for bankruptcy in December. His seven-month-long bankruptcy case was dismissed last month, resulting in him having to pay $400,000 in administrative expenses.

On top of these suits, Giuliani also is being sued by voting technology companies Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic for defamation.
NEW DELHI (AP)  India and Malaysia will seek to expand economic ties and strengthen cooperation on defense and security, the leaders of the two countries said on Tuesday.

This came during Malaysian Prime Minster Anwar Ibrahim's visit to India, his first since he took office in 2022, where he met with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

Recently, Anwar has sought to move closer to China, with whom New Delhi has been locked in a long-running border dispute. A key part of Modis foreign policy has been to deepen trade and ties with other Asian countries, including Malaysia, to push back against growing Chinese influence in the region.

Both heads of state addressed reporters after signing a slew of new agreements, including digital technologies, tourism and traditional medicine. Anwar said the two countries have enjoyed good relations for years, adding thatwe realized this must be strengthened in a multitude of areas, including construction, agriculture and military collaborations to safeguard both nations borders.

Modi said the two had discussed cooperation in the defense sector, and that trade and investment between the two countries should grow while they collaborate on new industries like the production of semiconductors. He also stressed how the partnership between the two countries had grown, taking on new momentum and energy" over the years.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Malaysian prime minister received a ceremonial welcome at Indias presidential palace Rashtrapati Bhavan before paying his respects to Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi at the Rajghat memorial site in New Delhi.

Bilateral trade between the two countries is strong at $20 billion. Malaysia is Indias 16th largest trading partner, while India is among the top ten largest trading partners for Malaysia. There are around 70 Malaysian companies operating in India and more than 150 Indian ones in Malaysia, where Indians comprise about 7% of the country's population.
The News

Welcome to the Global Hot List, our subjective, dynamic ranking of the races and political developments you should be paying attention to right now, compiled by world elections expert Brad Glasser.

In todays edition: Kamala Harris looks to build a durable lead, the Philippines drug war between its president and vice president escalates, and Venezuelas election crisis continues to drag on.

The List

1. US  Run up the score

As the DNC unfolds this week, Kamala Harris will be looking to run up the score in polling before the campaign begins in earnest. With polls showing her around 3 points ahead on average, good vibes from the DNC represent an opportunity to extend the campaigns lead as much as possible. Democrats remember last-minute Trump surges in the 2016 and 2020 elections that put him past his on-paper polling strength; the more comfortably Kamala leads heading into the traditional post-September sprint to Election Day, the less panicked her party will be as attacks kick into a higher intensity.

2. Germany  East votes

The AfD has taken a hit nationwide, but still sees strong polling in its stronghold of East Germany, with three states holding elections next month. Despite lunging to the extreme and experiencing scandal after scandal, the AfD will look to renew its momentum by proving it can still command support from the voters themselves.. Brandenburg, Saxony and Thuringia will all go to the polls, and the far-right party has the potential to place first in all of them per the recent polling  even as the states are led by some of the partys most right-wing figures. The simultaneous rise of another new party, the anti-establishment and left-conservative BSW, could make governing a headache.

3. Philippines  Clashes continued

The Philippines internal schism has entered a new phase, with the Vice President fending off allegations of her familys involvement in drug trafficking. A House investigation into the drug trade brought about testimony implicating Duterte-Carpios brother and husband, though the Vice President herself called the claims political harassment from her enemies in the presidential administration. Duterte-Carpio also declared that she anticipates impeachment proceedings against her. We dont see each other anymore, and we dont talk either, answered Duterte-Carpio when asked about her interactions with the president.

4. Venezuela  Election rejection

Venezuelas opposition is not interested in new elections, refuting plans from Brazil and Colombia. As countries in the region search for a solution to Venezuelas election crisis, members of the national opposition are resolute in their position that they won the presidential election based on tallies theyve released. However, countries like Brazil and Colombia are attempting to play mediator, and want a negotiated solution with possible outcomes including another vote. Maduro has likewise rejected the idea.

5. Cote DIvoire  82-year-old president

Cote DIvoires party in power is calling for its 82-year-old leader to run for a fourth term in office. Alassane Ouattara has been Cote DIvoires president since 2011, and is currently on his third presidential term. Cote DIvoire legally prohibits presidents from serving more than two terms in office, but legal and constitutional maneuvers allowed Ouattara to run, prompting an opposition boycott for the last election. Ouattara himself hasnt announced his intentions, but party stalwarts appear to be firmly on board.

6. France  Impeach Macron

Left-wing leader Jean-luc Melenchon is threatening to impeach Macron if his Popular Fronts pick for prime minister doesnt win support from parliament. Lacking support for his nominee Lucie Castets, Melenchons LFI party berated President Emmanuel Macron, saying the blockade against her is an institutional coup against democracy. Not all within Melenchons alliance agree with impeachment as a solution to the political standstill, as the more moderate Socialist Party is not signing on to the plan.

7. Sri Lanka  Record candidates

Sri Lanka will see its highest number of candidates for president ever, with 39 people running for the top job. A recent political crisis that resulted in the ouster of the former president has created an open field, though a few names stand out in particular. Anura Dissanayake, who leads a party that still employs communist iconography, and Sajith Premadasa, the runner-up in the last presidential vote, are considered front-runners, while incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe will attempt to defend his tenure.

8. Japan  Shrine visits

A top contender for Japans LDP leadership election followed in the footsteps of his former prime minister father by visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, infamous for honoring war criminals. Shinjiro Koizumi, son of Junichiro Koizumi and an ex-minister for the environment, made a public visit to the shrine just as a party election that will determine the leader of the country is about to unfold. While in office, Junichiro faced international outrage for his appearances at the shrine, which memorializes some of Japans worst World War 2-era war criminals. Other potential leadership contenders have also recently visited the shrine.

9. Liechtenstein  Surging right

Liechtenstein is small, but experiencing the same right-wing wave as seen elsewhere in Europe. The Democrats for Liechtenstein run in a lane similar to other nationalist parties in Europe. In fact, they might be familiar to Americans too: in the last election, two of the partys candidates were open QAnon sympathizers. While the DpL only secured around 11% last time, the latest poll gives them more than double that, setting up potential for massive disruption in the principality of less than 40,000 people.
GLYNN COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV)  Investigators for the Glynn County Police Department (GCPD) have arrested one individual in connection with a murder at a homeless encampment on June 7, 2023.

On June 7, GCPD found 39-year-old Christopher Suttles with a gunshot wound at the Merchants Way encampment. Lifesaving steps were attempted but unsuccessful and Suttles died from his wound.

Glynn County Police investigating after woman found dead on Saint Simons Island

GCPDs Major Crimes Unit arrested 28-year-old Alex Etheredge on Monday, August 19, 2024, and charged him with one count of homicide for the death of Suttles.

The investigation is ongoing, and more charges are expected in the case.

Any person with additional knowledge of this case is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at (912) 554-7802, GCPD non-emergency at (912) 554-3645, or may report it anonymously via Silent Witness at (912) 264-1333.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Two military veterans were awarded free homes in a new Orange County community Monday, arriving in a motorcade as hundreds of onlookers waving American flags cheered for them.

This is truly life-changing for us. Its basically like giving a golden ticket to veterans, said retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Kaia Santana. Youve elevated our quality of life and showed that we matter, that our service mattered, that sacrifice means something to somebody and that we are seen and appreciated.

Santana was injured on a military base in Iraq in 2005. She and her husband and three children will share the two-story home with a backyard pool.

Santana and retired U.S. Army Sergeant James Burse were awarded the homes through the Building Homes for Heroes, a national program that began after 9-11, and the home construction company Pulte Groups Built to Honor program. Both programs aim to provide free homes to injured veterans and first responders.

The veterans new homes sit next to each other in Pultes EverBe community, located east of Orlando International Airport.

Each 2,563-square-foot home has five bedrooms and three bathrooms. Single-family homes in EverBe typically sell from about $435,000 up to $785,000, according to the community website.

The families got their first glimpses of the completed homes after a ceremony held under a tent set up between the new houses.

Weve had the pleasure of doing this one other time in Central Florida and this time we decided we could do two at one time, said Clint Ball, president of Pulte Groups Central Florida division. We are so thrilled to be able to welcome the Burse and Santana families into our community, into Orlando and into our family.

Santana served 19 years in the Air Force, completing tours of duty in Greece, Guam, Iraq and Japan before being honorably and medically discharged in 2016.

She sustained multiple injuries while on deployment and has struggled with bouts of post-traumatic stress disorder in the past, stemming from continuous IED and mortar attacks on the base in Iraq.

After her time in the military, Santana pursued an education in culinary arts and accepted a position at Walt Disney World in 2023.

Burse completed deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, serving nine years before sustaining injuries in a 2009 explosion while overseas. He suffered nerve damage in his back as a result of the explosion, forcing him to learn how to walk again and leaving him with PTSD, extreme migraines and other issues.

Honorably and medically retired since 2015, Burse and his wife Tiffany have since worked extensively with Operation Barnabas, a program helping veterans with suicidal ideations and facing homelessness.

Burse said he was homeless for a time and spent some time living in his vehicle. The new home provided to him and his wife shows the benefit of giving veterans help after their years of service.

That veteran out there with the sign up that says hungry or willing to work, give them a shot or give them a hand because you never know, he said. I was that guy and look at me now, so weve always got to give our heroes a shot.

_____
Google has sued the Kremlin-owned broadcaster RT, formerly Russia Today, in an attempt to block a global legal battle over the channels removal from YouTube.

The US technology giant has filed lawsuits in British and American courts against RTs owner, TV Novosti, and two other broadcasters.

These include Tsargrad Media, which is owned by the Kremlin-supporting oligarch Konstantin Malofeev and NFPT, owner of the Orthodox Spas TV channel.

Google is seeking a ruling that will prevent the channels from pursuing the technology giant in courts outside of Russia.

Moscow has imposed huge fines on Google in recent years after YouTube blocked the channels in line with international sanctions.

Google has so far refused to pay the fines and its Russian entity filed for bankruptcy after the invasion of Ukraine. Despite this, residents in Russia are still able to access both Google and YouTube.

The three Russian broadcasters are pursuing the company in South Africa, Turkey, Serbia and Kyrgyzstan, as they attempt to seize Googles assets across the world.

NFPT previously won a preliminary court order in South Africa in June.

However, Google said it was seeking a ruling in the English and Californian courts to declare these attempts as unjust, invalid, and unlawful.

Sir Keir Starmer has previously referred to RT as Vladimir Putin's 'personal propaganda tool' - JON NAZCA/REUTERS

A spokesman said: Google and YouTube are among the few remaining platforms offering access to free and independent information in Russia.

Over the past three years, Russian courts have levied unprecedented fines and arbitrary legal penalties against Google in an attempt to limit access to information on our services and as a punishment for our compliance with international sanctions against Russian individuals and organisations.

Over the last few months, Russian parties, some of whom are subject to international sanctions, have filed lawsuits outside of Russia in multiple countries in an attempt to enforce the fines abroad and obtain funds from Google.

Google has blocked hundreds of accounts and YouTube channels associated with Russian entities to comply with sanctions and in response to Russias invasion.

RT had 4.5m subscribers on YouTube after it was blocked in March 2022, weeks before Ofcom took it off the public airwaves.

In October 2022, RT won a Moscow court case against Google ordering it to restore the channels and pay a daily fine of 100,000 roubles (840) that would double each week.

TV Novosti, which operates RT, is owned by the Russian government. Sir Keir Starmer has previously referred to the channel as Vladimir Putins personal propaganda tool.

A spokesman for RT responded to a request for comment with an email saying: Curiouser and curiouser!

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.
An observation from George Orwell  those who control the present, control the past and those who control the past control the future  is acutely relevant to how President Biden talked about Gaza during his speech at the Democratic convention Monday night. His words fit into a messaging template now in its eleventh month, depicting the U.S. government as tirelessly seeking peace, while simultaneously supplying the weapons and bombs that have enabled Israels continual slaughter of civilians.

Well keep working, to bring hostages home, and end the war in Gaza, and bring peace and security to the Middle East, Biden told the cheering delegates. As you know, I wrote a peace treaty for Gaza. A few days ago I put forward a proposal that brought us closer to doing that than weve done since October 7.

It was a journey into an alternative universe of political guile from a president who just six days earlier had approved sending $20 billion worth of more weapons to Israel. Yet the Biden delegates in the convention hall responded with a crescendo of roaring admiration.

Applause swelled as Biden continued.

Were working around the clock, my secretary of state, to prevent a wider war and reunite hostages with their families, and surge humanitarian health and food assistance into Gaza now, to end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people and finally, finally, finally deliver a ceasefire and end this war.

In Chicagos United Center, the president basked in adulation while claiming to be a peacemaker despite a record of literally making possible the methodical massacres of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians.

Orwell would have understood. A political reflex has been in motion from top U.S. leaders, claiming to be peace seekers while aiding and abetting the slaughter. Normalizing deception about the past sets a pattern for perpetrating such deception in the future.

And so, working inside the paradigm that Orwell described, Biden exerts control over the present, strives to control narratives about the past, and seeks to make it all seem normal, prefiguring the future.

The eagerness of delegates to cheer for Bidens mendaciously absurd narrative about his administrations policies toward Gaza was in a broader context  the conventions lovefest for the lame duck president.

Hours before the convention opened, Peter Beinart released a short video essay anticipating the fervent adulation. I just don't think when youre analyzing a presidency or a person, you sequester whats happened in Gaza, he said. I mean, if youre a liberal-minded person, you believe that genocide is just about the worst thing that a country can do, and its just about the worst thing that your country can do if your country is arming a genocide.

Beinart continued: And its really not that controversial anymore that this qualifies as a genocide. I read the academic writing on this. I dont see any genuine scholars of human rights international law who are saying it's not indeed there. . . . If youre gonna say something about Joe Biden, the president, Joe Biden, the man, you have to factor in what Joe Biden, the president, Joe Biden, the man, has done, vis-a-vis Gaza. Its central to his legacy. It's central to his character. And if you dont, then youre saying that Palestinian lives just dont matter, or at least they dont matter this particular day, and I think thats inhumane. I dont think we can ever say that some group of peoples lives simply don't matter because its inconvenient for us to talk about them at a particular moment.

Underscoring the grotesque moral obtuseness from the convention stage was the joyful display of generations as the president praised and embraced his offspring. Joe Biden walked off stage holding the hand of his cute little grandson, a precious child no more precious than any one of the many thousands of children the president has helped Israel to kill.
AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 44)  Governor Greg Abbott has announced the deployment of additional state firefighting resources as wildfire threats continue to increase across Texas.

As the state continues to endure triple-digit temperatures and dry vegetation, Texas is deploying additional firefighting resources to assist communities that have increased wildfire activity, said Governor Abbott. Texans are strongly urged to take all necessary precautions and heed the guidance of state and local officials to keep their families and their loved ones safe from wildfires. I thank the Texas Division of Emergency Management and local emergency management personnel for their work as they prepare for potential wildfires across the state.

According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, wildfire activity is expected to continue to increase in the north and northwest regions of the state, with an expanding risk towards east Texas, the eastern Hill Country and Central Texas. This is due to dry vegetation subjected to multiple days of triple digit temperatures.

The Texas A&M Forest Service has raised the Wildland Fire Preparedness Level to Level 3 due to increased firefighting resource commitment, as well as an increase in current and expected wildfire activity across the state. Over the past week, more than 60 wildfires have burned more than 10,000 acres across Texas.

At Gov. Abbotts direction, the following state firefighting resources have been activated by the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to support statewide wildfire response operations:

Texas A&M Forest Service: State and local firefighters through the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System totaling more than 350 firefighters and support personnel, as well as more than 100 pieces of equipment such as fire engines, bulldozers, and motor graders; eleven federally-contracted firefighting aircraft, including two large airtankers, a single engine air tanker for retardant drops, two fire bosses for water drops, four air attack platforms for surveillance and spotting, and two firefighting helicopters.

Texas National Guard: Four Blackhawk helicopters with firefighting capability.

Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Emergency Medical Task Force): Wildland Fire Support Packages including paramedics, ambulances, and all-terrain vehicles.

According to the Office of the Governor, Texas continues to request additional aircraft assistance from the federal government. However, recent requests have not been filled due to lack of aircraft availability.

At the direction of Gov. Abbott, the Texas State Emergency Operations Center continues statewide wildfire coordination calls to provide local and state partners with situational awareness and ensure coordination between responders. Additionally, based on current conditions and the fire weather forecast, the Texas A&M Forest Service continues to operate the Abilene Air Tanker Base at Abilene Regional Airport to assist state and local responders in wildfire suppression efforts across Texas.

The Office of the Governor says Texans are urged to prepare for wildfire danger by limiting activities which cause sparks, following instructions from local officials, making an emergency plan and keeping emergency supplies readily available. Texans can visit TexasReady.gov and tfsweb.tamu.edu for wildfire tips and safety information.

Gov. Abbott deployed state firefighting resources across the state earlier this month in order to fight increased wildfire threats, including more than 200 personnel and tactical resources like fire engines, all-terrain vehicles and bulldozers.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
CHICAGO  Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had kept the delegates, alternates and others North Carolina had sent to the Democratic National Convention here this week waiting for a wee bit Tuesday morning, when she was scheduled to speak to them in a hotel ballroom.

They didn't seem to mind.

As she and her entourage entered the room, delegates and others hastily put down cups of coffee and plates of breakfast food, pouring back into their chairs. And when she was introduced, the room exploded, the crowd  almost to a person  leaping to its feet in applause.

"North Carolina, my goodness!" Whitmer roared, bounding to the podium. "We've got to win this race!"

After a short but impassioned speech in which she bantered with the crowd, waved her hands exhortingly, declared the Democrats "a joyful party" and urged the North Carolinians to work as hard as possible to get Vice President Kamala Harris elected this fall, she stood for selfies, in many cases snapping the photos herself.

A line of more than two dozen seeking photos formed, stretching out the ballroom door.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer takes selfies with a line of supporters at a North Carolina Democratic delegation meeting at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 20, 2024

It was just one indication of the energy and enthusiasm Whitmer, a two-term governor of a key swing state who is seen as having presidential potential of her own, brings to the Democratic Party, not just in her state, but nationally.

Her memoir, "True Gretch," has been a hit, not just for discussing serious issues of governing but her shark tattoo and her relationship with her ex-husband.

On Tuesday, she was on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and, the night before, on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," talking about getting her teeth knocked out at church camp as a kid and being the subject of rapper Gmac Cash's song, "Big Gretch."

On Thursday, she will be a featured speaker on the main stage of the Democratic convention as well.

"You can't diminish that light," said Nervahna Crew, a North Carolina delegate and former Wake County official. "The fact that she plays along with that (the rap song) is a great thing.  It's only up from here for women."

But it wasn't just women  or people from other states' delegations who got to hear her speak as she and other top Harris surrogates visited their Tuesday breakfast meetings  who were impressed by Michigan's governor.

Martin Frederiksen, a delegate from Emanuel County, Georgia, was upset he missed the governor's brief speech to their group, especially because he considers her such a rising talent.

"She's a rock star," he said. "I want to see more women in every elected office."

That enthusiasm surrounding Whitmer is expected to continue, especially in Democratic circles, with delegates talking about her toughness and the way she was targeted by former President Donald Trump.

The two sparred during the COVID-19 shutdowns, with Trump calling her "that woman from Michigan," as well as over her fight for abortion rights and leadership on a referendum fight that enshrined those guarantees in the state's constitution two years ago. As recently as last month, at a rally in Grand Rapids following his own convention in Milwaukee, Trump called Whitmer a "terrible governor" and said he'd like to run against her. And while Michigan Republicans have criticized her for being a liberal, she has retained a much-more moderate public issue with pragmatic promises to "fix the damn roads," as is her trademark statement. Her favorability ratings among Michigan voters have generally been much higher than Trump's or Biden's for that matter.

That also begs the political question, however, where Whitmer goes from here if, as she and other Democrats hope, Harris wins, beating Trump in his third presidential bid in November.

Whitmer, clearly, is all-in for electing Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who is a good friend of Whitmer's.

Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, join U.S. Vice President and democratic candidate for U.S. president Kamala Harris and her chosen running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz along with Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, during a campaign stop in Romulus on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024.

But if they win, a Whitmer bid for the White House  which she has downplayed despite all the media attention paid her recently  would have to wait until at least 2028, if Harris runs for reelection, as would be expected.

A run in 2032 is a long way off for a governor who is set to be term-limited from her current job in two years.

Whitmer, by the way, will celebrate her 53rd birthday on Friday, so there is no question she could still be in the mix, depending on how her political life unfolds from here.

"She's young," said U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township. "She's got a long future."

Part of that future will depend not only on where Whitmer goes after this election but whether she, as a co-chairman of the Harris-Walz campaign, can deliver Michigan as she helped to do for President Joe Biden four years ago.

Since Biden stepped aside as nominee and Harris secured the delegates to guarantee her the nomination, Democratic chances in Michigan have brightened. The RealClearPolitics.com average of polls shows Harris with a slim 2-percentage-point lead over Trump, who had a clear edge over Biden in the battleground state just a month ago.

Now the question is whether the Democrats can hold that lead, which Trump was trying to eat into as he held an event in Livingston County, Michigan, on Tuesday, even as Whitmer was circulating through Chicago.

Certainly, Whitmer was full of energy, talking to delegates, joshing with them, snapping photos.

She told the Georgia delegation, whose Republican governor is Brian Kemp, "Georgia needs a good governor, so until you get one, I'm just going to show up for you."

Reminding them of the key role their state played in flipping the election to Biden four years ago, she told them to get working, saying, "No pressure, but the whole world is counting on you, Georgia."

Before the North Carolina delegates, she shouted that Harris is leading a group of "happy warriors" and extolled them to knock on doors not just in Democratic areas but Republican ones as well.

"I'm here to remind you what it takes to win. We've got to outwork the other side," she said.

Kildee said he's worked with people all over, and they always ask about her.

"It's a phenomenon." he said. "I've never had people ask about a Michigan political leader the way they do Gretchen. There's a real curiosity."

Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@tsspangler.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Gretchen Whitmer gets 'rock star' adoration from Democratic delegates
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was among the many politicians attendance at the Democratic National Convention Monday, as the political gathering kicked off in Chicago.

Whitmer has served as governor of the Great Lake State since 2019 and published her political memoir "True Gretch" in July.

She sat down with ABC News' ABC News' Linsey Davis to discuss the Harris-Walz ticket, her potential future presidential run and underscore the significance of women's votes in the upcoming election.

VIDEO: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on the Harris-Walz ticket (ABCNews.com)

ABC NEWS: Joining us now on set, Michigan governor, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Thank you so much, governor, for joining us. We really appreciate it. So, one month ago, you were still suggesting and supporting Joe Biden for another term. Are you surprised at how quickly things have changed?

WHITMER: Well, you know what, we always knew that if a change was going to happen, it was going to come from President Biden. And ultimately he did change his mind. And we pivoted really quickly to embrace his vice president. She's been by his side. She has been a loyal part of his administration. She's been a key part of why they've had so many victories and knows how to step into the role and take us to the next, the next chapter, and I'm really excited about it. I think Tim Walz is a fantastic running mate for her, too.

ABC NEWS: You were one of a number of governors, of party leaders who really stepped out and endorsed Kamala Harris right away, right on the heels of Joe Biden doing the same. Were you surprised at all about how quickly the party really coalesced around Kamala Harris? Because, of course, at first there was some concern about that.

WHITMER: Well, you know, it's a big tent and there are lots of different vantage points and people that are part of this party. But I think we all recognize that Kamala Harris was in the best position to take the next step for us as a party. She's a great leader. She has proven she knows how to get things done, and she's a normal human being. You know, she wasn't born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She has worked her way through life. She's attained and held a number of offices and shown how tough she is. And she is up to this moment, and I'm excited to be here. I brought my daughters with me because I think it is. We are on the cusp of a big new chapter in this country and and it's exciting. You can feel it here.

ABC NEWS: And you mentioned Tim Walz and your support for him. We know that you took your name out of the running for that VP selection early on, but had you received a call how would you have responded?

WHITMER: You know, I got to tell you, I've made a commitment to serve out my term in Michigan, and never for a second have I, do I plan not to do exactly that. Tim Walz, Josh Shapiro -- Kamala Harris had so many great people from whom she could choose her running mate. But at the end of the day, it's got to be someone she wants to run with. And so I, I would have been happy with any of those choices, but I think, I think this is just a great ticket. These are regular everyday people. They get it. They understand us, they see our lives, and they're going to focus every single day on how to make our lives better. And you contrast that with Donald Trump, who's in it for himself. I think that this is going to resonate with a lot of Americans.

ABC NEWS: There are many people will associate your state of Michigan with the uncommitted movement. Of course, we've seen a number of protesters here. How concerned are you, with regard to not only the physical presence of the protesters here in Chicago, but also the ballot box, in Michigan in particular, come November?

WHITMER: Well, number one, you know, there's always protests at conventions, and certainly it's robust. And we recognize it's important that people have their ability to speak out. And that's what people are doing. I also know that we are seeing a tremendous outpouring of energy and excitement about a Harris-Walz administration. We had a 15,000 person rally in Michigan two days after she announced her running mate. The other guy called it AI, but I was there. It was actually real people who are very excited about this. And so we have to earn the votes of every person. That means getting into the Jewish community, the Muslim community, the Arab community, the Palestinian community, all of whom call home in robust numbers, but all of whom are important. And, there's there's good work to do here, but I'm optimistic.

ABC NEWS: As you know, president -- well former president -- Donald Trump is expected to go campaign in Howell, Michigan, tomorrow. Many people are aware that a month ago, in Howell, KKK protesters marched in the streets with the white robes on and, and suggested that they support Donald Trump. I'm curious if you make anything about that connection and his going in particular to Howell tomorrow.

WHITMER: Well, you know, anyone who's doing a little bit of research might have said that's really a bad idea. Look at the optics. You're showing up where the KKK was just at the same time you're in Michigan. I mean, this is, I think a troubling, a troubling strategy that we see from the other side to divide us and to scare us and to stoke fear and anger and contrast to what we're going to see here all week. This is a gathering of joyful, happy warriors. We are rolling up our sleeves. We're doing the work. We take no one and no vote for granted. But by the same token, we're not going to feed into the hatred and the otherism that we see routinely coming out of the Trump campaign.

ABC NEWS: In your book, "True Gretch," and I want to quote, you say "You put on a leather jacket when you need true armor," and "Don't mess with the American women, we will fight back and we will win." You talked about bringing your daughters here. Do you think that women are key in Michigan for Kamala Harris winning?

WHITMER: No question. No question at all. We saw, with our reproductive rights on the ballot two years ago, women would come to our events and say "I'm a Republican. I didn't vote for you, but I'm out knocking doors for you because you're the only one fighting for my rights." People who have been expecting these 50-year rights would always be there, are now gone for our daughters across this country, are engaged. And so I do think that, the women's votes are going to be very important in every election, but especially this one, especially in this historic moment too.

ABC NEWS: So each night we're going to be talking to a governor from a battleground state like Michigan. And I'm curious for your state in particular, what do you think it's going to need? What do you think your voters need, in order to get Kamala Harris and Tim Walz over the victory line?

WHITMER: Well, I think we get we show up, we do the work, we get into all 83 counties. We actually talk to voters, talk about the, you know, opportunity economy that Kamala Harris is, you know, addressing, saying every person deserves a path to prosperity, affordable housing and affordable way to get skills so we can get to a good paying job. The growth and manufacturing, we are seeing that in Michigan, it would not have happened but for the Biden-Harris administration. The cars that used to sit on lots waiting for chips are now moving, moving along the line, because we're on on-shoring the supply chains. So I think that there are a lot of compelling things that Michiganders, are going to resonate with us. But I'm not going to assume everyone knows this. We got to make sure that they, that they appreciate what what really is at stake here.

ABC NEWS: And lastly before I let you go, I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't ask. I know this is all about Harris and Walz now, but down the future, have you ruled out ever running for president yourself?

WHITMER: You know what? I'm voting for Harris-Walz this year. I plan to vote for them again in four years. So we'll talk about what happens in eight years a while from now.

ABC NEWS: Alright Gov. Whitmer thank you so much for the time. Really appreciate you joining us.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says she'll vote for Kamala Harris for two terms originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Investors who take an interest in Dowlais Group plc (LON:DWL) should definitely note that the CEO & Director, Liam Butterworth, recently paid UK0.60 per share to buy UK248k worth of the stock. That's a very decent purchase to our minds and it grew their holding by a solid 22%.

See our latest analysis for Dowlais Group

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Dowlais Group

Notably, that recent purchase by CEO & Director Liam Butterworth was not the only time they bought Dowlais Group shares this year. They previously made an even bigger purchase of UK256k worth of shares at a price of UK0.81 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being UK0.63). While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when insiders have purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price.

While Dowlais Group insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. The average buy price was around UK0.73. These transactions suggest that insiders have considered the current price attractive. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

Dowlais Group is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find small cap companies at attractive valuations, this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Does Dowlais Group Boast High Insider Ownership?

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. From looking at our data, insiders own UK2.4m worth of Dowlais Group stock, about 0.3% of the company. I generally like to see higher levels of ownership.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Dowlais Group Tell Us?

It is good to see recent purchasing. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. But we don't feel the same about the fact the company is making losses. We would certainly prefer see higher levels of insider ownership but analysis of the insider transactions suggests that Dowlais Group insiders are expecting a bright future. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. While conducting our analysis, we found that Dowlais Group has 1 warning sign and it would be unwise to ignore this.

Story continues

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Gov. JB Pritzkers national moment has come at the DNC. But its much different than first imagined.

JB Pritzker has been working toward this moment for much of his adult life.

But when the affable Illinois governor takes the stage Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention, it will be under vastly different circumstances than he must have imagined when he led Chicagos effort to bring the partys quadrennial gathering to his hometown.

After a raucous political summer, Democrats have arrived in Chicago not to coronate President Joe Biden for a second term but to rally behind their newly crowned standard-bearer, Vice President Kamala Harris.

This was a sea change, Pritzker said in an interview late last week. Nobody expected this to happen.

The head-spinning turn of events since Bidens unnerving debate performance in late June has muddied Pritzkers political future, turning a prime-time convention speech that could have been the soft launch of a 2028 presidential bid into something less clear.

Even as he ponders whats next, Pritzker, not even halfway through his second term, is relishing the role of dutiful host, booking John Legend to play an after-party at the Salt Shed following the governors speech and ordering up specially branded JBeer from a pair of local breweries to serve to guests.

During the summers tumult, Pritzker, a Biden campaign co-chair, displayed the patience and party loyalty that have been hallmarks of his political career.

While some Democrats wrung their hands and others, including several fellow Illinois officials, called for Biden to step aside, Pritzker refused to join the public chorus.

When the decision came and Biden picked Harris to take his place, Pritzker, perhaps the only prominent Democrat with the means to mount a credible challenge on such short notice, paused. But he fell in line less than 24 hours later and backed Harris, bringing the rest of Illinois Democratic establishment along with him.

A lot of us who contemplated whats best for the party understood that we need to go right to the top, to the vice president, and make sure that were all rallying around her, Pritzker said, partly because shes the best person for the job right now and partly because it was the most expedient, fast thing we could do.

In just a few weeks, Harris has turned out to be a spectacular candidate, Pritzker said, I think exceeding all expectations.

Amid the pressure campaign against Biden, Pritzker remained focused on promoting the partys priorities and repudiating former President Donald Trump  attributes that brought the billionaire governor into the national conversation as a possible successor and earned him a place on Harris short list of potential running mates.

In a speech to Ohio Democrats last month, Pritzker, 59, displayed the self-deprecating, dorky-dad humor that has become familiar to Illinoisans while also encouraging the crowd to embrace both the chaos of the moment and the partys progressive ideals.

If we as a party can shake off the anxiety that waters down our policies and dampens our fervor, if we stop worrying about whether they might call us woke and instead worry about whether were actually waking people up, if we stopped being so damned afraid of a little chaos and just embraced it as the path from here to there, we will win, Pritzker said in the roughly 30-minute speech, a possible preview of what hell tell the United Center audience Tuesday.

From a family of Democrats

A scion of one of Americas richest families, Jay Robert Pritzker  JB for short  was born to Donald and Sue Pritzker in California, where Donald had moved the family to help run a fledgling hotel business.

Working with older brother Jay, Donald Pritzker grew Hyatt Hotels from a single Los Angeles location into an international chain.

While Hyatt is the best-known of the Pritzkers business ventures, the family fortune was built over generations after the governors great-grandfather, Nicholas J. Pritzker, came to Chicago in 1881 from Kyiv, his family fleeing the anti-Jewish Russian pogroms in present-day Ukraine. The governors other uncle and namesake, Robert, ran Marmon Group, the family holding company.

Pritzkers parents were active in California politics, his father having served as finance chair of Edmund Muskies failed bid for the 1972 presidential nomination and his mother working as a state party official and an activist for abortion rights and other causes.

Despite his privileged upbringing, Pritzkers early life was marked by tragedy.

His father died of a heart attack at age 39, when Pritzker was just 7. His mother, who struggled with alcoholism, died a decade later, when she leaped out of a tow truck that was pulling her car and was run over.

Those who know JB Pritzker well credit his empathy and down-to-earth demeanor that belies his vast wealth  which Forbes has pegged at $3.5 billion  at least in part to the challenging circumstances of his youth.

It can kind of do one of two things to you, said Christian Mitchell, a former Democratic state representative from Chicago who was one of Pritzkers deputy governors during his first term. It can either harden your heart and tell you that the world is a cold, dark place and youve got to kind of lower your head and just get through it by any means necessary, or it can open your heart and make you understand how precious life is, how vulnerable we all are to just the vicissitudes of the universe and can make you the kind of person who says, If Ive got a chance to help, if Ive got a chance to give back, if Ive been lucky enough to make it this far, not just financially but even just personally to live this long, that I ought to be giving back.

And I think that thats what you see in JB.

JB Pritzker is not going anywhere

That desire to give back is coupled with an ambition to do big things. And while Pritzker has deflected questions about his presidential aspirations, hes done little to quell the chatter.

Its only grown louder in the past year after Pritzker founded a dark money group, Think Big America, that uses his financial resources and political operation to bolster pro-abortion rights, causes and candidates in states from Virginia to Arizona.

Chicago landed the DNC in part because Illinois is a cornerstone of the Democratic Partys Midwestern blue wall, which Pritzker has helped enforce through his progressive victories in Springfield and the states labor-friendly policies. But none of that was enough to land the governor a spot alongside Harris atop the ticket after he was vetted and interviewed twice by the vice presidents team.

After he was passed over for the No. 2 spot in favor of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, he told reporters, I think you dont get on that list unless they think you actually could be president of the United States and do the job if you had to.

Despite the perceived setback, Pritzker is likely to remain in the national political conversation for years to come, said David Axelrod, a Democratic strategist and former top adviser to President Barack Obama.

JB Pritzker is not going anywhere, Axelrod said. JB Pritzker is a significant figure in the Democratic Party and the country.

Thats at least in part because, unlike Trump and some other wealthy businesspeople-turned-candidates, Pritzker didnt come to politics later in life.

In the 1980s, he went to work on Capitol Hill for U.S. Sen. Terry Sanford of North Carolina and Sen. Alan Dixon of Illinois.

As a young Northwestern Law School student in the early 1990s, Pritzker founded Democratic Leadership for the 21st Century, a group that sought to bring more young voices into the party and helped spur the careers of several prominent Illinois officials and Democratic operatives.

Jesse Ruiz, who also was in law school at the time and later worked as one of Pritzkers deputy governors, recalls being impressed by this young guy, same age as I am whod founded the organization.

Not knowing anything about Pritzkers background, Ruiz found him to be just a friendly, unassuming guy  who was already doing some big things.

He wasnt doing it to seek (the) spotlight, Ruiz said. He was doing it because he truly believed in what we were doing.

Lessons learned from rough first race

Pritzkers first bid for public office, however, was a flop.

Showing a willingness to wait his turn, Pritzker during the 1996 election cycle was poised to jump into the race to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Sidney Yates, whod been in Congress since before Pritzker was born. But when Yates opted to seek a 24th term, Pritzker stood down.

When Yates did retire two years later, Pritzker jumped in, campaigning on his Capitol Hill experience and policy proposals that included banning handguns.

But he finished third in the Democratic primary behind two experienced state legislators, Sen. Howard Carroll and Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who won the primary and the general election and has held the seat since.

Out of concern over Pritzkers wealth, Schakowsky pushed unsuccessfully for the candidates to agree to spending limits, though, in the end, the race showed having the biggest bank account didnt guarantee victory.

It was interesting because from a Washington perspective, people  thought JB had a really good chance because of the money, Schakowsky said in a recent interview. And locally they thought that Howie  would be the winner because he was a (Democratic) committeeman.

Losing to Schakowsky seems to have turned out for the best for Pritzker, who went on to have just this fantastic, fantastic career as the governor of our state, she said, calling him one of the most effective politicians that we have in this country.

It took 20 years for Pritzker to put his name on the ballot again, but in the interim, he remained active in politics.

He was an ardent supporter of Hillary Clintons two presidential campaigns, including her 2008 Democratic primary bid against Illinois favorite son Obama.

The campaign divided the Pritzker family, with the future governors older sister, Penny Pritzker, serving as fundraising chair for the Obama campaign. She went on to serve as Obamas third commerce secretary.

Behind the scenes during those years, Pritzker also expressed interest in holding public office himself.

The Tribune reported during Pritzkers first campaign for governor that he was recorded in 2008 by federal law enforcement authorities on wiretapped phone conversations with Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was then weighing an appointment to fill Obamas U.S. Senate seat after the presidential election. On the call, Pritzker, who along with his wife, MK, contributed more than $140,000 to Blagojevichs campaigns for governor and Congress, expressed interest in being appointed state treasurer if the position came open, which didnt come to pass.

Outside the political arena, he built the Pritzker Group investment firm with his brother, Anthony, and helped seed Chicagos burgeoning tech sector through incubator 1871 and other projects. He also was a driving force behind the creation of the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie, among other philanthropic endeavors.

Her loss jolted me

As Pritzker was supporting Clintons second White House bid in spring 2016, Michael Sacks, an investment firm CEO and active Democratic Party donor who led this years DNC host committee, approached him about running for governor.

At the time, the Democratic-controlled state legislature was locked in a bruising two-year budget stalemate with Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, a wealthy venture capitalist who pushed a pro-business, anti-union agenda.

In Pritzker, Sacks saw someone who had real credibility as a businessperson, who could push back on the false narratives that were running down the state, he said, an authentic and kind person completely committed to the social values important to Democrats who would be an obvious choice for governor if he was willing to put himself into the race.

Initially, Pritzker declined.

Whether I was governor or not, I was always going to be a stalwart for Democrats, to make sure that were lifting up everyday working people and so on, Pritzker said.

But his thinking changed when Clinton lost to Trump that November.

Her loss jolted me in a way that I have never felt before or since, Pritzker told the Ohio Democrats last month. I was overcome with a sensation that Im sure many of you probably felt: My God, this cant be real.

Although the Democratic Party was not exactly crying out for a white, Ukrainian American, Jewish billionaire to run for office, Pritzker said, after Election Day in 2016, sitting still and doing nothing felt like mowing your lawn while your house burns down.

It took a few more months for Pritzker to be fully convinced to run, but when he was, he came out swinging against the Republicans occupying the governors mansion and the White House. He vowed early in his 2018 campaign to make Illinois a firewall against Donald Trumps destructive and bigoted agenda.

He poured $171.5 million of his own money into the campaign to oust Rauner, returning Illinois to total Democratic control and cementing its place as the partys stronghold in the Midwest. Four years later, he spent another $167 million to turn back a challenge from Darren Bailey, a Trump-backed state senator from southern Illinois.

Pragmatic progressive

In office, Pritzker has balanced an aggressive progressive agenda  backed by legislative supermajorities he helped expand through his political largesse  with a pragmatic approach to governing and budgeting.

His first year, in particular, was a Democratic tour de force, with the governor signing measures raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, enshrining abortion rights into state law, legalizing recreational marijuana while expunging prior convictions and enacting a $45 billion infrastructure program, the largest in state history.

Under Pritzkers leadership, the state has approved massive overhauls of energy policy, setting a 2050 target for 100% carbon-free power generation, and the criminal justice system, eliminating cash bail and requiring every police officer to be equipped with a body camera.

After the 2022 Highland Park Fourth of July parade massacre that killed seven and wounded dozens, Pritzker signed a sweeping ban on a long list of high-powered firearms as one of the first acts of his second term.

When Pritzker first took office, then-Illinois House GOP leader Jim Durkin was eager to show Pritzker and the public that the minority GOP could work with the Democratic governor.

Some Republican lawmakers supported cannabis legalization, the capital construction program and even a budget package that included tax and fee increases to pay for the public works projects.

Gov. Pritzker was able to, I think, negotiate in good faith with me on the budget, but also the capital bill, and I found that as a really good exercise and a good result, Durkin said.

While Pritzker and Durkin had a number of high-profile differences of agreement, including over issues involving taxes and the justice system, he always listened, Durkin said.

He can tell me, Youre dead wrong. Im doing something different. But the thing is, he listened to me.

Even as state spending has grown by nearly one-third during Pritzkers five years in office, independent observers have given his administration high marks for balancing the budget each year without relying on the kind of gimmicks that got Illinois into past fiscal quagmires. Pritzker has routinely touted the states first credit upgrades in decades.

Given all hes accomplished in a relatively short time, it wasnt surprising to see Pritzkers name on Harris short list of potential running mates, said Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, whos known Pritzker since the 90s.

If a Vice President Pritzker could have done half as much good for the country as Gov. Pritzker has done for the state of Illinois, the nation would be well served, Harmon said. That said, selfishly, Im very grateful that hes going to be sticking around Illinois as our governor.

Ever a Trump detractor

Throughout his time in office, Pritzker hasnt let up on criticizing Trump, blasting the administrations handling of the coronavirus pandemic from the lectern at daily media briefings and calling him out personally on a presidential conference call with governors during the unrest following George Floyds murder.

The attacks on Trump have only intensified during the 2024 campaign, with Pritzker making frequent references to the former presidents criminal conviction and other legal troubles.

Pritzker has repeatedly described the Republican nominee as a racist, misogynist, homophobe, congenital liar, adjudicated rapist and convicted felon, much to the delight of his partys base.

Trump also seems to have taken notice.

Illinoiss badly run with Pritzker, Trump told Elon Musk last week during a streamed conversation. Hes a real loser.

With his own political path somewhat obscured, Pritzker is working to keep his party focused on beating Trump  a uniquely awful man with evil intentions  in November.

I dont know whether Ill run for reelection, Pritzker said of a potential bid for a third term in 2026. But what I do know is that if Im successful over the next two and a half years  we will have had eight really, really good years for the state of Illinois  with all the challenges, COVID and everything else that weve had to overcome  but we will have moved the state in a very positive direction. And I think thats a legacy that anybody can be proud of.

Once again, Pritzkers future may be determined by whether Trump wins the presidency.

Chicago Tribunes A.D. Quig contributed.
Gov. Jim Justice tries to halt foreclosure of his West Virginia hotel as he runs for US Senate

FILE - The Greenbrier Hotel, a five-star resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., is seen on Nov. 30, 1998. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, is in a fight to keep his iconic Greenbrier Hotel. (AP Photo/Jon C. Hancock, File)

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)  Gov. Jim Justice is in a mad-dash legal fight as he runs for U.S. Senate to keep a historic West Virginia hotel at his luxury resort before it's auctioned off next week due to unpaid debts.

Around 400 employees at The Greenbrier hotel received a letter Monday from an attorney representing health care provider Amalgamated National Health Fund saying they will lose coverage Aug. 27 unless the Republican's family pays $2.4 million in missing contributions, Peter Bostic of the Workers United Mid-Atlantic Regional Joint Board said Tuesday.

The coverage would end the day the hotel is set to go to auction, which Justice family attorneys have asked a judge to stop. They argue in part the auction would harm the economy and threaten hundreds of jobs.

The Justice family hasn't made contributions to employees' health fund in four months, and an additional $1.2 million in contributions will soon be due, according to the letter from Ronald Richman, an attorney with Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP, the firm representing the Amalgamated National Health Fund.

The letter also said that some contributions were taken out of employees paychecks but never transferred to the health fund, which concerned union officials.

We are heartbroken and disappointed to learn that The Greenbrier Hotel, despite its contractual and legal obligation to do so, has become severely delinquent to our Health Insurance carrier," Bostic said in a statement. "The Greenbriers delinquency has put our members Health Care benefits in severe jeopardy and is morally and legally wrong.

The letter was first reported on by RealWV, a news site run by former Democratic state Sen. Stephen Baldwin. Democrat Glenn Elliott, Justice's opponent in the U.S. Senate race and the former mayor of Wheeling, wrote on the social media platform X that Justice's sense of entitlement to things that arent his is limitless and indefensible."

Justice, who owns dozens of companies and had a net worth estimated at $513 million by Forbes Magazine in 2021, has been accused in numerous court cases of being late in paying millions for family business debts and fines for unsafe working conditions at his coal mines.

He began serving the first of his two terms as governor in 2017, after buying The Greenbrier out of bankruptcy in 2009. The hotel has hosted U.S. presidents, royalty and, from 2010 until 2019, a PGA Tour tournament.

Justice's family also owns The Greenbrier Sporting Club, a private luxury community with a members-only resort within a resort. That property was scheduled to be auctioned off this year in an attempt by Carter Bank & Trust of Martinsville, Virginia, to recover more than $300 million in business loans defaulted by the governors family, but a court battle delayed that process.

The auction, set for a courthouse in the small city of Lewisburg, involves 60.5 acres  including the hotel and parking lot.

The hotel came under threat of auction after JPMorgan Chase sold a longstanding Justice loan to a credit collection company, McCormick 101, which declared it to be in default.

In court documents filed this week, Justice attorneys said a 2014 deed of trust approved by the governor is defective because JPMorgan didn't obtain consent from the Greenbrier Hotel Corporation's directors or owners, and that auctioning the property violates the company's obligation to act in good faith and deal fairly with the corporation.

Neither attorneys for the Justice family nor Greenbrier CFO and Treasurer Adam Long responded to requests for comment Tuesday.

___

This story has been corrected to show that about 400 employees received the insurance letter, not 400 exactly.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Gov. Tina Kotek is one of Oregons 78 delegates to the Democratic National Convention and will be in Chicago as Vice President Kamala Harris accepts the partys nomination for president.

But on Monday, Kotek was at Blazer Industries in Aumsville, where theyre building modular manufactured homes to replace homes destroyed in the MacKenzie River Valley during the 2020 wildfires.

Blazer Industries is one of four businesses geared to ramp up housing production under the governors legislative mandate. Kotek expects hundreds more units to be constructed and shipped to Oregon communities that need them.

DONT MISS: Coverage of the Democratic National Convention

Weve gotten through the pandemic, Kotek said. Wildfire recovery takes awhile, but we are now poised to put 20 new homes back on this spot in the MacKenzie River Valley where people are going to move back in, and theyve been part of the conversation.

Now the governor turns her thoughts to the Democratic National Convention. She endorsed Harris shortly after the vice presidents candidacy was announced.

On Wednesday, Kotek will be on a panel of female governors hosted by actress-activist Julia Louis-Dreyfuss. The Seinfeld and Veep star will lead a discussion on womens accomplishments in politics.

The governors office did not publicly release her travel schedule, but Kotek will be out of the office on Tuesday.

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Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez said that with a new Legislature coming into office in January, elected under Wisconsins new voting maps, she believes legislators will show more flexibility in considering whether Wisconsin should be the last state to accept the federal Medicaid expansion. Dr. Nathan Grunewald, a urologist who grew up in Sauk County and returned to practice at Sauk Prairie Health Care, speaks with Rodriguez about concerns relating to recruiting and keeping health care workers in January. (Erik Gunn | Wisconsin Examiner)

Gov. Tony Evers Task Force on Healthcare Workforce released its recommendations Monday for addressing challenges with the states health care workforce now and in the coming years. The recommendations of the task force sought to address three issue areas: education and training; recruitment and retention; and regulatory policy.

Evers formed the task force in January after declaring 2024 the Year of the Worker in his State of the State. The 25-member group of cabinet officials and health care experts were given the job of developing proposals to help shape the health care and workforce agendas for the states 2025-27 budget.

Wisconsin has seen historically low unemployment and a record-high number of Wisconsinites employed, but Wisconsins decade-long struggle to retain, attract, and train talented workers to address our workforce shortages in key industries continues to hold our state back, Evers said in a statement. This action plan will help bring more folks into the healthcare profession and ensure that Wisconsinites get the care they need and the quality of life they deserve.

Evers said that ensuring the workforce can meet the needs of the economy is one of his top priorities and it must be a top priority for our state, including the State Legislature.

I look forward to working together and considering these recommendations in the next biennial budget, Evers said in a statement.

Task force chair Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, who worked as an emergency room nurse and in health care policy and public health before entering politics, noted at a press conference that Wisconsin could face a shortage of 20,000 nurses by 2040 and that other roles in the industry are also facing shortages.

That includes licensed practical nurses, surgical techs, all of these other support type of roles that its really important that they are also being filled so that clinicians such as nurses and physicians can be able to do their job, Rodriguez said. Thats where we started from in the beginning and then looked at what were some of the core areas that we would want to improve within Wisconsin.

Within education and training, the report recommends improving support for faculty who teach health professions by expanding incentive programs for health profession educators and increasing compensation for health professions faculty, strengthening clinical training and experience, reducing barriers to training, expanding apprenticeships and other learning opportunities, providing additional state funding for apprenticeship programs, funding the Worker Advancement Initiative Grant and increasing student access to health science and dual enrollment, which lets high school students complete post-secondary coursework and earn certifications and licenses.

Rodriguez said she thinks the state Legislature will want to take the initiative in launching apprenticeship models for education for clinicians.

We were one of the first states to do that within UW Health with nurses, where they are taking their certified nursing assistants, paying them full-time wages, full-time benefits, paying for their tuition for school and they are going to be able to graduate with their registered nursing degree with no debt, Rodriguez said. Thats just a really fantastic, innovative way that we can take that apprenticeship model that Wisconsin has always been forward-facing on and be able to apply it to the health care workforce.

The report provides three recommendations to improve recruitment and retention.

One proposal includes increasing support for recruitment and retention by expanding Medicaid to support health care workers and fund workforce initiatives. Part of the proposal would support rate increases to pay more for care for Wisconsinites who are elderly or disabled and for the behavioral health workforce. Another proposal expands state incentives, including loan repayments, housing supports and provider stipends, for health professionals serving in state-defined shortage areas. The final proposals would seek to support regional innovation through grants.

The task force also recommended expanding pathways to licensures by authorizing Medicaid reimbursements for doulas, community health workers, peer specialists and other community-focused providers, ratifying and entering into multi-state licensing compacts, opening pathways to licensure for qualified, internationally educated professionals and revising faculty educational requirements. It also recommends increasing health care workforce wellness programming.

Rodriguez said the states budget surplus creates the opportunity to help fund some of the recommendations. If we do this, we are going to have an economy that is going to be working for everybody, she said.

Rodriguez said the recommendations would go to Evers for consideration in the state budget and to the state budget office, which will create a fiscal estimate for each recommendation. She also noted that Medicaid expansion could help pay for the proposals.

The state could bring in $1.6 billion in federal funds by accepting federal Medicaid expansion funds, something the Legislature has so far refused to do.

One of the recommendations we have in there is to expand Medicaid for the state of Wisconsin. We are now only one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid and we have the unique distinction of actually being able to save just on our general budget if we would expand  , Rodriguez said. We are looking at not only items that may have a fiscal load attached, but theres a lot of revenue that could come out of expanding Medicaid in Wisconsin that we can invest back into our workforce and within the health care system.

Republicans in the Legislature have blocked Wisconsin from accepting the federal Medicaid expansion, despite Evers push to take the federal funds since he first took office in 2019. In total, Wisconsin would get $1.6 billion in federal funding over the next two years by lifting the cap on Medicaid coverage to 138% of the poverty level.

Rodriguez said that with a new Legislature coming into office in January, elected under Wisconsins new voting maps, she believes legislators will show more flexibility in considering whether Wisconsin should be the last state to accept the federal Medicaid expansion.

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ATLANTA, Ga. (WJBF)  Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and state leaders addressing Georgias healthcare programs at a roundtable discussion in Atlanta Monday morning.

Governor Kemp talked about key milestones from the Patients First Act act which he signed five years ago in 2019.

So far, around 300,000 Georgians fall 100% below the federal poverty line and most of those are between 19 and 64 years old.

Thats why Governor Kemp wants them to sign up for two state programs: Georgia Pathways and Georgia Access.

This would make it easier to have access to healthcare and would be more affordable.

The Pathways program is for low income Georgians who either volunteer, enroll in college courses, or work while Georgia access would give private insurance options for those who do not quality for Medicaid.

So far, more than 700,000 Georgians are enrolled in the programs. Governor Kemp says the state has the 4th largest individual market for healthcare coverage in the country.

I want more families to make ends meet and have one less thing to worry about when they sit at the dinner table. The truth is we are achieving that goal. We have covered more Georgians thanks to the patients first act, pathways and access, said Governor Kemp.

He says 87% of counties in the state now have 3 or more insurance carriers to give consumers options with statewide insurance premiums down 11%.

Data from the 2022 census shows there are more than 1 point two million uninsured Georgians and nearly a quarter of them are under 100% of the federal poverty level.

To see if you are eligible you can check out www.Pathways.Georgia.Gov or www.Georgiaaccess.Govor call 1-877-423-4746.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.
GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (WOOD)  It has been four years since the previous structure at the popular Chinook Pier in Grand Haven was torn down.

Several of the businesses displaced by the 2020 demolition have found new homes at the Lynne Sherwood Waterfront Stadium just steps up the boardwalk, but the Charter Fishing Association at the site of the old building is still struggling to recover.

Ever since they tore down all the stores, here our foot traffic behind our boats has really gone downhill, Josh Haverkamp, a captain with Dutchmen Charter Service, told News 8. No one has a reason other than the farmers market to walk past our boats anymore.

The result is a dramatic drop in walk-up charter appointments, which make up a significant portion of the associations business. Haverkamp told News 8 that before the Chinook Pier building was torn down, his service booked 250 walk-up trips each summer. He said those numbers have dwindled each year since. In 2024, Dutchman has landed just 32 such trips so far.

The city is deciding between two proposals for the Chinook Pier redevelopment: one from Copper Rock Construction and the other from the Cherette Group.

The latest update from Grand Havens city manager at a council meeting earlier this month indicated leaders are still working out the details with both groups as they approach a decision.

Both would begin construction in mid-2025.

The project will be top of mind for a new member of the Grand Haven City Council. Council members on Tuesday considered candidates to fill a vacant seat and are expected to appoint the new member to the body on Thursday.

*Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the day the new council member will be appointed. That is scheduled for Thursday. We regret the error, which has been fixed.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
Grand Island man gets 25 to life for role in crash that killed teen

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  A Grand Island man was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on Tuesday morning for his role in a crash that killed a teenager and injured four others, the Erie County District Attorneys Office announced.

Ronald F. Olson, II, 44, approached an occupied Jeep Liberty parked at a gas station around 5 a.m. on March 20, 2023 on Main Street near Winspear in Buffalo to sell clothing. The Jeep then exited the parking lot and continued onto Main St. after the encounter.

Olson chased after the Jeep in his Chevrolet Silverado, believing the occupants had stolen the clothing he was trying to sell. He hit the drivers side of the Jeep with his truck, causing it to veer off the roadway, hit a light pole and then hit a tree.

The driver, 18-year-old Jarel Buchanan, died at the scene. Four other male passengers, a 17-year-old, two 18-year-olds and a 19-year-old, survived but suffered serious physical injuries.

Olson was found guilty in June of one count of second-degree murder, four counts of first-degree assault, and five counts of second-degree assault. He received the maximum sentence on Tuesday.

Latest Local News

Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.
A 3-year-old boy suffered critical injuries after falling about eight stories out of an apartment window at the high-rise Independence Towers, 728 N. Jennings Road in Independence.

A grand jury has indicted a father and his girlfriend on child endangerment charges after a 3-year-old boy fell to his death out of a window of an 8-story apartment in Independence in late July, according to court documents.

A Jackson County grand jury charged 30-year-old Moses Lee Bass and 29-year-old Destiny Leeann Randle each with a felony count of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

The grand jury alleged the father and his girlfriend failed to supervise the child while he was in a room that contained a window with a damaged screen that was able to be opened, resulting in the childs death.

The charges replace similar charges that were filed within days of the childs death. Moses and Randle remain free after each posted $10,000 of a $100,000 bond. Special conditions of their release, including not having contact with their three other children. remain in effect.

Moses and Randle are scheduled to be arraigned on the new charges at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 5 in the Eastern Jackson County Courthouse in Independence. If found guilty, they face between 10 and 30 years, or life, in prison.

Sometime before 10:05 a.m. on July 29, the child fell from the window of their apartment at Independence Towers, 728 N. Jennings Road, according to Independence police.

Police have yet to publicly identify the child, although a family member identified the child by his first name, Tidus. Funeral services for 3-year-old Tidus L. Bass, who died on July 29, are scheduled for Aug. 31.

Firefighters found the child lying in the grass outside the building, unconscious but breathing. He was rushed to a hospital and immediately transferred to Childrens Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. The boy was pronounced dead few hours later.

Court documents show Bass and Randle knew the window was a safety hazard since June 2023, and that the children had been able to bypass the locks since December. Bass told police he would place a pole in the windows track to keep it closed, but one of the children had learned how to remove it and unlock the window.

For months, residents have complained about poor living conditions at the high-rise apartment building. Earlier this year, Fannie Mae filed a lawsuit against the buildings owner, 728 N Jennings RD Partners, LLC, seeking an emergency appointment of a receiver. Fannie Mae contended that the buildings owner failed to maintain the building according to their loan agreement.

On May 16, a Jackson County judge appointed Trigild Inc. in San Diego as a receiver. In May, Trigild took over management of the property from Tango Management, owned by the LLC managed by Parker Webb.

Last week, tenants renewed their call for the buildings new landlord to make repairs, saying maintenance issues had continued to worsen.
Governor Inslee and the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) are on the verge of approving the 100-square-mile Horse Heaven Hills Wind Farm, with 221 499-foot-high turbines along the prominent ridgeline four miles south of Richland and Kennewick.

This project stands to industrialize the landscape and change the character of the Tri-Cities for decades to come.

The mandated reconsideration decision by Inslee is a great injustice that causes notable economic harm and significant impacts to the residents of Benton County, the Tri-Cities and the Yakama Nation.

After conducting three years of technical review and analysis, EFSEC voted unanimously to cut the project by about 50% recognizing the significant negative impacts to the endangered ferruginous hawk, wildlife habitat and migration corridors.

The project will cause serious and irreparable damage to traditional cultural properties vitally important to the Yakama Nation.

The prominent wind turbines, highly visible from thousands of homes in several residential communities, will cause significant reductions in property values that will cascade through the economy of the Tri-Cities.

The 221 499-foot-high wind turbines located along the ridgeline south of Tri-Cities are hazardous obstructions that result in the creation of a huge 25-mile-wide regional no-fly zone.

This prevents employing critically important large aerial firefighting tanker aircraft that have been used year after year to protect the adjacent neighborhoods from repeat wildfires.

On April 29, 2024, the EFSEC Council mitigated the impacts and made a unanimous recommendation that balanced the impacts against the benefits.

However, on May 23, 2024 Inslee overruled the changes the EFSEC Council recommended and directed them to restore the project to near the original size, citing an undefined need for renewable energy.

Never in the 54-year history of EFSEC has a governor taken such action.

Adopting arguments presented by the developer, Inslee dismisses and ignores the impacts along with the economics and directs EFSEC to maximize the project.

His directive sweeps away the governments responsibility to protect our communities from industrial extremists without explaining how much renewable energy will be produced or where it will go.

He does not recognize that the likely benefactors are big tech data centers out-of-state, rather the citizens of Washington.

Inslee fails to recognize that this project will not generate reliable power when it is needed most  in the dead of winter and the peak of summer. In the Pacific Northwest, particularly in southeast Washington, the wind does not blow for days or weeks at a time.

For example, during the cold snap in January 2024, the Nine Canyon Wind Project south of consumed more energy than it generated. Performance at energy facilities in the Northwest was similar. Utilities had to import up to 5,000 megawatts just to keep the lights on.

Northwest utilities are building wind projects in Montana and Wyoming with more reliable wind. The HHH project will not produce reliable wind energy that benefits and satisfies Washingtons needs, which are far better addressed by nuclear and hydro power.

Even with EFSECs recommended reduction in the number of turbines, the Horse Heaven Project would still be the largest renewable project in Washington.

Overriding EFSEC and mandating the construction of hundreds of low performing, poorly located and highly impactful wind turbines near the Tri-Cities is not the right answer.

It is unreasonable to ignore the scientific and economic conclusions and the mitigations developed during the review and analysis process.

EFSEC should reject the governors remand and stick to their original unanimous decision.

It is unacceptable and irrational for the Governor to reject the recommendation made by EFSEC.

The injustice is beyond reason.

Paul Krupin, Dave Sharp, Karen Brun, Pam Minelli Tri-Cities CARES
Green Bays prison has returned to normal operations. Incarcerated people say its not all better.

Local advocacy organization JOSHUA held a prayer vigil at GBCI days before the transition to normal operations. JOSHUA co-president Steve Warner said the ending of the lockdown will allow incarcerated people movement outside of overcrowded cells. | Photo by Andrew Kennard for Wisconsin Examiner

After over a year of lockdown at Green Bay Correctional Institution, which triggered a protest in Madison, the prison returned to normal operations on July 28.

If you dont have a job, or chapel, or something of that nature, youre in your cell maybe 23 hours or 24 hours a day, depending on [if] its a recreation day, said Michael Johnson, who spoke with the Examiner the day after the return to normal operations.

In June, the lockdown at GBCI hit a one-year mark, Fox 11 reported. Over time, the prison has allowed incarcerated people more recreation time. On the week of May 20, GBCI started offering at least two 50-minute recreation periods per week and at least one additional period per month, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections said.

Now, people incarcerated at GBCI have no less than four hours of recreation each week, Kevin Hoffman, deputy director of communications for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, told the Examiner on Aug. 2. This is offered outside if weather permits. Bryant Ellis, who is currently incarcerated in GBCI, said the recreation schedule provides four hours per week.

Experienced staff continue to support newer officers to help operations run smoothly and offer more opportunities to those in our care, DOC Secretary Jared Hoy said in a July 22 press release.

For an ongoing series of articles on Green Bay Correctional Institution, the Wisconsin Examiner interviewed three people who are currently incarcerated in the prison over the phone. The Examiner communicated with family members of two other incarcerated people and interviewed three people who used to be in the prison.

Stacy Knapp, whose son is incarcerated at the prison, said in an interview on July 8 that the cells are small and every meal is eaten within feet of the toilet.

The environment is torture, Knapp said. Not just that noise level, but also being confined to your cell for essentially 24 hours a day, and not alone, with another human being in that space.

Joe Verdegan, a former staff member who left the prison in 2020, said GBCI used to have a lot of beneficial vocational programs, like welding and electrical work. When incarcerated people in the prison have a job, they dont want to screw that up, he said.

Usually the guys at the prison that are causing problems have idle time, Verdegan said. Theyre not in school, or theyre not having a job. And thats when your problems get created. They call it modified lockdown, or whatever they want to call it. The longer guys are locked up, they get antsy and theyre going to start acting stupid.

For technical education, the prison currently offers instruction in three fields: business operations assistant, cabinetmaking/wood technician, and masonry, Hoffman said. The institution is looking for a new instructor for the barbering program. There were 34 people enrolled in career technical education at the end of June 2024, according to the DOC.

Ellis said he and others at GBCI havent been able to get programs such as substance abuse and anger management for years. The DOC website says that the department identifies a persons needs for programs when theyre admitted, but it tries to enroll them in programming closer to their release date.

Were supposed to be rehabilitated, said Ellis, who has been incarcerated in GBCI since 2018. This isnt a rehabilitation process. Were just sitting in our cells, basically next to  doing nothing.

Anger management is a current program, Hoffman said. DOC says a substance use disorder treatment program should open early next year, NBC 26 reported.

Jordan Coombe said he hasnt been in any programming at GBCI aside from school since he arrived at the prison about a year and a half ago.

I have tried getting into programstheyre in my court reports where the judge ordered them, and they keep telling me, On the list, on the list, Coombe said.

Lack of full staff at the prison affects life inside

When staffing allows, GBCI hopes to add weekend in-person visits back into the schedule this fall, Hoffman said on Aug. 2.

Ellis said his stepmother works weekdays, and he hasnt seen her since wintertime of 2023.

The schedule is also inconvenient for Brian Coombe, Jordans father.

So for my scenario, Im driving five and a half hours each way for a 90-minute visit, Brian Coombe said. And I cant even do it on the weekend.

Incarcerated people at GBCI eat their meals in their cells, Hoffman said on Aug. 2. Lunch has always been served in cell because of GBCIs schedule, and otherwise was initially implemented in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID and due to available staffing. In the coming weeks, GBCI plans to reopen the dining halls for breakfast and dinner.

In an interview on July 28, Ellis said that between 2019 and 2024, weve probably had the chow hall for two weeks. Johnson said the noise level makes socializing inside a cell more difficult.

Being able to go to chow hall is actually really important for some of us, because it gives us that outside-of-our-cell time that we need, and then it just gives us more environment, more space to move around, Ellis said.

Verdegan said that in the past, the prison had two big dining halls and would feed 300 inmates at a clip.

While staffing has improved at GBCI, the prison remains overcrowded and understaffed, according to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. The population of GBCI was 1,055 as of Aug. 9, while the prisons design capacity was 749.

A rise in the starting wage for correctional officers to a minimum of $33 an hour has helped fill positions at Green Bay, Hoffman said. Staffing vacancies for correctional officers and sergeants at GBCI have fallen from nearly 41% in a late February report to 16.4%, leaving 38 vacancies remaining. The number of vacancies is expected to drop, Hoffman said on Aug. 2.

Filling vacant positions with more staff has let GBCI expand recreation, Hoffman said, and will be needed to reopen dining halls as well as expand visiting hours.

People incarcerated at GBCI are scheduled for two showers in the bathing area each week, and they can also take showers during recreation time, Hoffman said. Incarcerated people who work at the institution have a dedicated shower area and can shower after shifts or as needed.

So the minimum is at least two times per week and there are some PIOC who choose to shower daily, Hoffman said.

According to Ellis, showers can take up some of an incarcerated persons recreation time. If they want to go to recreation on a shower dayTuesday or Thursdayand take a shower, they have to take their shower during the 50-minute recreation period, he said. He also said that during recreation, even if its just drizzling rain they dont let us go outside.

This is the first of a series of stories on conditions at Green Bay Correctional Institution that are part of the Examiners Criminal Justice Reporting Project.

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While it may not be enough for some shareholders, we think it is good to see the Ithaca Energy plc (LON:ITH) share price up 11% in a single quarter. But in truth the last year hasn't been good for the share price. In fact the stock is down 17% in the last year, well below the market return.

The recent uptick of 5.9% could be a positive sign of things to come, so let's take a look at historical fundamentals.

View our latest analysis for Ithaca Energy

In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.

Ithaca Energy managed to increase earnings per share from a loss to a profit, over the last 12 months.

The result looks like a strong improvement to us, so we're surprised the market has sold down the shares. If the improved profitability is a sign of things to come, then right now may prove the perfect time to pop this stock on your watchlist.

The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

It's probably worth noting that the CEO is paid less than the median at similar sized companies. It's always worth keeping an eye on CEO pay, but a more important question is whether the company will grow earnings throughout the years. Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here..

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of Ithaca Energy, it has a TSR of -4.1% for the last 1 year. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

A Different Perspective

Given that the market gained 18% in the last year, Ithaca Energy shareholders might be miffed that they lost 4.1% (even including dividends). While the aim is to do better than that, it's worth recalling that even great long-term investments sometimes underperform for a year or more. It's great to see a nice little 11% rebound in the last three months. Let's just hope this isn't the widely-feared 'dead cat bounce' (which would indicate further declines to come). It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Ithaca Energy better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Ithaca Energy you should know about.

Story continues

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on British exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
jobs housing green

Eligible projects could include LED lighting and electrical work, high-efficiency, solar panels, geothermal energy, and high-efficiency heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. (Getty Images)

The Indiana Energy Independence Fund on Tuesday announced it would begin lending services for green, energy efficient projects.

We are excited to introduce this new financing option to enable organizations across the Hoosier state to take on such proposals, Executive Director Alex Crowley said in a news release.

He said the fund could enable projects that help residents save money and make the state a healthier, more efficient place to live and work.

The commercial lending product targets Hoosier businesses, nonprofits and governments to help lower their energy costs. It comes though a partnership with the National Energy Improvement Fund.

As a Certified B Corporation, NEIF focuses its financing on investments in efficiency and electrification measures that reduce carbon emissions, and this new partnership with IEIF fits squarely with our mission and offerings, Co-Chair and Managing Member Matthew H. Brown said.

Eligible projects could include LED lighting and electrical work, solar panels, geothermal energy, and high-efficiency heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.

The news release also offers refrigeration, controls, water-saving measures, building envelope projects and retro-commissioning as examples of the types of projects the fund would finance.

The Indiana fund launched last year, according to website archives.

It was formed by a coalition  the McKinney Family Foundation, the Energy Foundation, the City of Indianapolis Office of Sustainability, Elevate Energy and the Natural Resources Defense Council  according to a Michigan-based consultant contracting for the fund.

The funds three goals are to accelerate the adoption of eco-friendly, efficient energy technologies through financing, addressing marketplace gaps to support a greener, cheaper energy transition and to leverage funding  local, state, federal and philanthropic  to support green jobs and workforce development.

It calls itself a green bank, a type of financing entity that uses capital to push emissions-lowering energy projects, per the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The entities are not banks and dont provide typical banking functions or have depositories.

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GREENVILLE, Ky. (WEHT)  Police in Greenville, Kentucky are discussing what it was like to close in on a deadly shooting suspect over 100 miles away from the crime.

Christopher Elder is accused of driving off after shooting 3 people near the courthouse in Elizabethtown around 9 this morning.

It was very dangerous due to the mentality of the person we were dealing with, says Chief Darren Harvey, of the Greenville Police Department.

Chief Harvey says the pursuit began north of Muhlenberg County High School, along KY 181 N. Chief Harvey was one of the first on the scene and attempted to pull Elder over.

As soon as I got behind him and turned on my blue lights, he took off, the chief says.

Officials say the pursuit lasted 22 minutes and reached speeds of 80 miles per hour. Although its not considered to be a high-speed chase, Chief Harvey says he was on high alert. He says he could see Elders gun through the window.

He did turn the gun back on law enforcement, but that was just briefly. He would immediately turn the gun back on himself. With me being the chief, I was worried about everyone involved in the pursuit and what could happen if this pursuit does not come to an end, Chief Harvey says.

Kentucky State Police assisted in the chase. Troopers say the pursuit ended in a standoff in Christan County, where Elder stopped his car in a parking lot. Despite negotiations, officials say Elder shot himself and later died at the hospital. Authorities say one of the victims, 37-year-old Erica Riley of Elizabethtown, was dating Elder. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Her mother, 71-year-old Janet Riley of Hardinsburg was also shot and died from her injuries at the hospital. A third person was also wounded and were told is in stable condition.

Although it is not the outcome police had hoped for, Chief Harvey says he is proud of the way the agencies worked together.

I think they have done a great job. The way everyone acted was very professional. Everybody came together as a unit, Chief Harvey says.

More from Ann Powell

Eyewitness News. Everywhere you are.

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Grieving Mom Speaks Out After 'Angel' Daughter's Fatal Fall Down Mountain, Says She Went to Watch Sunset (Exclusive)

Kristin Little died after her car ended up tumbling 1,000 feet down an Arizona mountainside on Friday, Aug. 16, according to authorities

Jinger Cutting From left, Kristin Little with mom Jinger Cutting

Kristin Little's mom was stunned after she learned her daughter, who recently celebrated her 39th birthday with her family, had died after her car plunged over a mountainside in Arizona on Friday, Aug. 16.

"It was such a blessing to have that experience, mom Jinger Cutting, 62, tells PEOPLE.

Jinger and her daughters enjoyed a girl's weekend in Las Vegas earlier this month, she recalls. "It was a beautiful time...and something I'll always remember," adds Cutting, who works together at her real estate company with daughter Jessica Oberan, 40.



Jinger Cutting From left to right, Kristin Little with mom Jinger Cutting and sister Jessica Oberan

Related: Daughter, 20, Told Dad She Loved Him Minutes Before She Fell to Her Death from Yosemite's Half Dome

On the night of the accident, Little and her miniature German Shepherd named CJ, who was her constant companion, traveled to the popular outlook in the Thumb Butte area in Prescott, Ariz., to watch the sunset.

However, Cutting says that she was told by authorities that as Little began the drive home on the dirt road, she somehow veered from the right side to the left side of the mountain. Authorities say her car ended up tumbling 1,000 feet down the mountainside.

She had just signed up for YCSO emergency notification through her GPS, so they were called out immediately and were on site within an hour, Cutting says. In this area, you would have never found her otherwise had that not been on.

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.

Cutting says her daughter's dog, who is now with her, was found near Little and "remarkably" is "not injured at all."

"Its just another indication there is a God out there because God is giving me CJ, Cutting says as her voice catches. I know Krissy is one of Gods Angel Warriors now. But Im a little angry with God right now. But someday I will understand.

Jinger Cutting Kristin Little with her dog CJ, who survived the crash

Cutting says her daughter, a third generation real estate professional who took pride in her work and owned her own home, was beautiful inside and out."

Little was always eager to chat with people and loved spending time outdoors, doing activities like paddle boarding and hiking.

I think that girl was an angel on earth. The outpouring from the community has been amazing, Cutting says. While we are preparing her celebration of life, which has to be outdoors so it is big enough to hold everybody and she needs to be outdoors."



Related: Dad Opens Up After 2 Sisters Die in Crash: He Shares Last Conversation, Says They'll Be Cremated Together (Exclusive)

In a press release from the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office, officials said that after finding the victim that night, due to the difficult terrain, a decision was made to wait until daylight to recover her body with YCSO personnel remaining with her through the night.

Jinger Cutting From left to right, Kristin Little with dad John and mom Jinger Cutting on a large family vacation to California this summer

Cutting said she and her husband John Cutting, a retired police officer, plan to speak more with police about the ongoing investigation.

It wont bring Krissy back, but it would just be good to know what happened, Cutting says.



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(COLORADO SPRINGS)  Industry leaders gathered in Colorado Springs on Monday, Aug. 19 to break ground on a new aerospace business center.

The new 32,000-square-foot industrial and retail space is set to become a premier location for aerospace companies, offering advanced facilities and a strategic location to support industry growth.

Phase 1 of the project could be completed by April 2025, and the centers goal is to have tenants operational by or before January 2026.

Courtesy: FOX21 News photojournalist Matthew Putnam

Courtesy: FOX21 News photojournalist Matthew Putnam

Courtesy: FOX21 News photojournalist Matthew Putnam

Courtesy: FOX21 News photojournalist Matthew Putnam

Courtesy: FOX21 News photojournalist Matthew Putnam

I think some of the really exciting things for us is the amount of innovation and progress within the aerospace community that this project can serve, said Charlie McLean, the Director of Business Development at ARCO/Murray, the general contractor on the project. But its just mind-boggling of how much you can really help with that industry.

Located at the intersection of Bradley Road and Foreign Trade Zone Boulevard, the center is situated near the Colorado Springs Airport and Peterson Space Force Base. Construction is expected to start later this August.

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  The Grand Rapids Police Department says a man is facing a felony charge in a deadly hit-and-run earlier this year.

Centell Isom, 24, was arrested on a charge of failure to stop at the scene of a crash resulting in death, police announced Tuesday.

Jail records indicate he is also accused of fleeing the police.

Grand Rapids police identify model of car in deadly hit-and-run

The crash happened around 2:10 a.m. on March 17. Police said a 55-year-old Wyoming woman  later identified as Donna Nguyen  was hit and killed at 28th Street SE and Eastern Avenue SE.

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The car took off, according to GRPD. Investigators later said they believed a blue 2019 Ford Fusion was involved in the crash.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
A Muscogee County School District bus transporting students was among three vehicles struck by gunfire during a shooting Friday afternoon in Columbus, according to police.

Seven children were on the bus that was damaged by the gunfire around 2:45 p.m. near the intersection of Cusseta Road and 23rd Avenue, but no injuries were reported for any of the occupants in the vehicles, Brittany Santiago, Columbus Police Department public information officer, said in an email Monday.

No arrests have been made in the case, Santiago said.

This incident occurred in broad daylight as children were being dismissed from school and on their way home, said Santiago, who referred questions about the students ages or grade levels and their school to MCSD. Their bus was struck by gunfire due to the reckless actions of others. This could have ended in tragedy, and we urge anyone who witnessed the incident or has information to come forward. Please contact authorities immediately by calling 911 or 706-653-3300.

MCSD communications director Kimberly Wright didnt answer all of the Ledger-Enquirers questions, but she emailed the L-E the following statement Tuesday:

On Friday, August 16, 2024, we received a report that Bus 899 was caught in the crossfire of gunshots exchanged between two individuals. While the school bus was not the intended target, it was unfortunately struck. Thanks to the quick actions of the bus driver, the bus was immediately moved out of harms way, ensuring the safety of all students on board. All students were unharmed and were safely transported home.
Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota and Democratic vice-presidential nominee, left, and Gwen Walz, wife of Tim Walz, during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Credit - David Paul Morris/Bloomberg Getty Images

The Democratic National Convention kicked off in Chicago on Monday with the Illinois delegation breakfast, which featured a surprise speaker: Gwen Walz, the wife of Minnesota governor and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz.

Speaking to the delegates, lawmakers, and journalists in the room, Gwen Walz shared that she and her husband met while teaching at the same schooland that she and her family love to visit Chicago for their New Years Eve celebrations, according to POLITICO. She went on to express support for Vice President Kamala Harris, who announced earlier this month that she chose Tim Walz as her running mate for the 2024 presidential election.

I cant think of a better team than Kamala and Tim, Gwen said at the breakfast. They want to give everyone a chance at the American Dream. And isnt that what we all want?

Tim Walz introduced his wife as he joined the presidential ticket: I cant wait for all of you and America to get to know my incredible wife, Gwen, a 29-year public school educator, he said at a rally in Philadelphia earlier this month. Dont ever underestimate teachers.

Heres what to know about Gwen Walz.

She was a teacher

Gwen Walz, 58, was born in Glencoe, Minn. Her parents were both teachers and small business owners, and she has three younger sisters. She earned degrees from Gustavus Adolphus College and Minnesota State University before moving to Nebraska, where she followed in her parents footsteps and began teaching.

While teaching high school English there, she met Tim Walz, who was a teacher at the same school. They went to a movie for their first date, and Gwen later told The Minnesota Star Tribune that she turned down a kiss from him, prompting her now-husband to respond: Thats fine, but you should know Im going to marry you. They got married in 1994.

Today, Gwen and I are celebrating our wedding anniversary! In 1994, on this day, we were surrounded by our family and dear friends. Today, we remain most grateful for them and each other! pic.twitter.com/esbnuuUlu7  Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) June 4, 2022

They later moved back to Minnesota and started working at Mankato West High School, where she taught English and he taught social studies.

The Walzes have two children: Hope, 23, and Gus, 17. They have been outspoken about how they struggled with infertility, and have criticized Republican-led efforts to roll back reproductive health care, including fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Read More: Where Tim Walz Stands on the Issues

Shes an advocate for education access in prisons

Gwen Walz has been a vocal supporter of increasing access to education for people who are incarcerated. Shes toured prisons and worked with the Bard Prison Initiative, which aims to provide college educational opportunities in prisons.

She was a devoted Midwestern public school teacher who approached education without prejudice or presumption about what kind of students might achieve what kinds of things and a real optimism for all kinds of students, Bard Prison Initiative founder Max Kenner told USA TODAY. She also had a real frustration, or even feeling of disappointment, of how much weve failed in this country to create real educational opportunities for so many people, particularly access to college.

Shes taken on a role alongside her husbands political career

Gwen Walz has previously said that she and her husband have always worked as a partnership, describing themselves as each others closest advisers. She has taken on an involved role as a political spouseshe was the first gubernatorial spouse in Minnesota to establish her own office in the state Capitol, according to the Star Tribune. Shes even filled in for her husband beforeThe New York Times reported that she took the stage in Tim Walzs place at a 2006 fundraising dinner for her husbands congressional campaign after he had gotten sick with laryngitis.

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Tim Walzs wife has walked back a claim that the couple conceived their children thorough in vitro fertilization (IVF), saying it was a different fertility treatment which made them parents.

Gwen Walzs husband had repeatedly said that their daughter, Hope, and son, Gus, were born after IVF.

IVF specifically means the fertilization of an egg outside the womb.

But on Tuesday, Gwen Walz told CNN that their daughter Hope was conceived using intrauterine insemination, known as IUI, a procedure typically used before IVF. In IUI sperm is injected directly into the uterus.

The concession was pounced on by Republicans as more evidence of their case that Walz has not spoken truthfully about his past, including his military service and a 1995 DUI. It will also blunt what had been regarded by Democrats as a highly effective attack on Republican abortion policy.

Like so many who have experienced these challenges, we kept it largely to ourselves at the timenot even sharing the details with our wonderful and close family, Gwen said. The only person who knew in detail what we were going through was our next-door neighbor.

Gwen described the process as an incredibly personal and difficult experience, which relied on the help of a next door neighbor.

She was a nurse and helped me with the shots I needed as part of the IUI process, said Gwen. Id rush home from school, and she would give me the shots to ensure we stayed on track.

Walz and his wife Gwen (front, right) had claimed their children Hope (back, center) and Gus (back, right) were conceived by IVF but now say it was a different procedure. Mike Segar/Reuters

Gwens husband Tim previously claimed, Thank God for IVF, my wife and I have two beautiful children.

At his first joint rally with Kamala Harris in Philadelphia earlier this month, he said, Even if we wouldnt make the same choice for ourselves, theres a golden rule: Mind your own damn business. Look, that includes IVF. And this gets personal for me and my family.

He had also suggested that his daughter was called Hope in celebration of IVF.

Walz had made the claim both before and after Harris selected him as her running mate for the Democratic ticket. He had said he was speaking out about the couples infertility because of concern that Republican-backed abortion bans would also effectively criminalize IVF treatments.

In February, a slate of Republican-appointed judges in Alabama ruled that embryos created in IVF were considered children, effectively ending the procedure in the state by increasing the risk that clinics may accidentally commit murder under Alabamas abortion law if they were to mishandle frozen embryos. The preservation of frozen embryos does not happen with IUI, meaning Republican abortion laws would not affect people using the same procedures as the Walz family to conceive.

After seeing the extreme attacks on reproductive health care across the countryparticularly, the efforts in Alabama that jeopardized access to fertility treatmentsTim and I agreed that it was time to formally speak out about our experience, Gwen added.

Harris campaign spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg told CNN: Governor Walz talks how normal people talk. He was using commonly understood shorthand for fertility treatments.

The concession by the Walzes drew an immediate response from his Republican rival, JD Vance, who posted a video on X of Walz making the claim that my children were born that way, and wrote, Today it came out that Tim Walz had lied about having a family via IVF. Who lies about something like that?

Today it came out that Tim Walz had lied about having a family via IVF. Who lies about something like that? https://t.co/gKwUwgxHCD  JD Vance (@JDVance) August 20, 2024

Walz has previously found himself in hot water for talking about weapons of war, that he carried in war, though he was never deployed to an active combat zone. The Harris campaign also had to update his online biography to make clear that while he served as a National Guard command sergeant major, he did not retire with the rank.

Walz also claimed he served overseas with his battalion in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, in a 2006 bio, not mentioning that he was deployed to Italy, not Afghanistan, while his 2006 Congressional campaign falsely claimed that he had not been drunk when he was arrested for a DUI.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) shakes hands with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ahead of their private meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem. Haim Zach/GPO/dpa

The Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement has accused the United States of yielding to Israeli conditions in the negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict with the latest bridging proposal.

Washington is tolerating new demands from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas said in a statement sent via the messaging service WhatsApp on Tuesday.

The current proposal does not correspond to the draft that was agreed upon with the mediators at the beginning of July and was based on the proposal made by US President Joe Biden in May, Hamas said.

"What was recently presented to the movement constitutes a reversal against what the parties reached on July 2," Hamas said without providing details on how the new proposal differed.

According to reports, the dispute involves new conditions regarding the release of Palestinian prisoners who are to be freed in exchange for people abducted from Israel.

"We in the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) followed with great astonishment and disapproval the statements issued by US President Joe Biden, in which he claimed that the movement is backing away from the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, hours after his Secretary of State [Antony] Blinken called on the movement to accept the latest proposal," Hamas said.

"Biden and Blinken's statements are misleading claims and do not reflect the true position of the movement, which is keen to reach a cessation of aggression."

Hamas will not negotiate new conditions, their spokesman Osama Hamdan told dpa again. He said that only the implementation of the plan presented by Biden in May should be discussed.
We recently published a list of Jim Cramers Latest Calls: Top 10 Stocks. Since Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) ranks 9th on the list, it deserves a deeper look.

Jim Cramer in a latest program said that if companies would own up to the changing circumstances, things would be so much easier for them as well as investors.

There is so much information and misinformation flying around at this point in the earnings season that its very easy to be led astray, Cramer said.

Cramer thinks companies are leaving out important information which can cause investors to make faulty decisions.

As an example, Cramer talked about how food and beverage companies are not talking about the impact of weight loss drugs on their financials

Cramer said that GLP-1 drugs are extremely powerful and they cause a decline in cravings for snacks and liquor. This, according to Cramer, directly affects beverage and snack companies. However, Cramer said these companies are intentionally not mentioning the impact of these drugs.

I wonder how long they can maintain this fiction, itll be better if they just own that its a problem rather than just ignoring it.

Cramer was also furious that consumer companies are not admitting that high prices are impacting their financials. He said hotels and entertainment companies raised prices in the past but now they are not willing to bring them down despite facing pricing headwinds.

Cramer also called the claims that huge AI investments are not bringing any solid results for companies absurd.

We watched several latest programs of Jim Cramer on CNBC and picked 10 important stocks hes talking about. With each stock we have mentioned the number of hedge fund investors. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Is Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) Among Jim Cramers Latest Calls: Top 10 Stocks?

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Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 51

Jim Cramer was asked about Delta Airlines in a latest program. Here is what he said:

Im troubled by Delta even though it sells six times earnings Im going to take a real pass on Delta and look at other airlines.

Cramer said he does not like the spat between Delta and Crowdstrike.

All everyone could talk about these days when it comes to Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) is the companys upcoming legal battle and public spat with Crowdstrike following the July tech outage. But whats the basic story behind this stock?

Story continues

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) recently reported weak quarterly results. While the management kept talking about strong summer demand during the earnings call, analysts are noticing an oversupply of seats that could weigh on the companys near-term results. Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) anticipates that seat oversupply will stabilize by August, which is perhaps why it reaffirmed its full-year EPS outlook of $6-$7. However, if low-cost air carriers do not slash their supply, Delta could see headwinds.

Despite these challenges, the companys PEG ratio of 0.83 suggests a conservative earnings growth estimate of 7.8%. With a projected FY25 EPS of $6.47 and a forward P/E multiple of 6.5x, stock stocks average price target comes out to be around $42, which is not much higher than the current price of $39. That means there is not any juice left in the stock for now.

Oakmark Fund stated the following regarding Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) in its first quarter 2024 investor letter:

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) is a leading global airline. Of the big three U.S.-based airlines (Delta, United and American), we see Delta as the most competitively advantaged. We believe the companys years of industry-leading operational performance and investments in the customer experience have established Delta as the premium brand in the industry. We also think its geographically optimal hubs, high local market share, robust loyalty program and unique corporate culture all support healthy returns on capital. Delta currently trades at 6x our estimate of normalized earnings per share. We believe this is an attractive valuation for a competitively advantaged and growing business in an out-of-favor industry.

Overall, Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) ranks 9th on Insider Monkeys list titled Jim Cramers Latest Calls: Top 10 Stocks. While we acknowledge the potential of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL), 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 DAL 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.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog (R) shakes hands with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ahead of their metting. Avi Kaner/GPO/dpa

The Palestinian extremist group Hamas has accused the United States of yielding to Israeli conditions in the negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict with the latest bridging proposal.

The comments come as US Secretary State Antony Blinken's shuttle diplomacy to secure a ceasefire continued in Egypt on Tuesday.

Washington is tolerating new demands from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas said in a statement sent via the messaging service WhatsApp.

The current proposal does not correspond to the draft that was agreed upon with the mediators at the beginning of July and was based on the proposal made by US President Joe Biden in May, Hamas said.

Hamas will not negotiate new conditions, their spokesman Osama Hamdan told dpa.

According to reports, the dispute involves new conditions regarding the release of Palestinian prisoners who are to be freed in exchange for people abducted from Israel.

"We in the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) followed with great astonishment and disapproval the statements issued by US President Joe Biden, in which he claimed that the movement is backing away from the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, hours after his Secretary of State [Antony] Blinken called on the movement to accept the latest proposal," Hamas said.

"Biden and Blinken's statements are misleading claims and do not reflect the true position of the movement, which is keen to reach a cessation of aggression," Hamas said.

Blinken said on Monday night that Israel has accepted a US-supported proposal to bridge differences between Israel and Hamas. Hamas, however, has not yet agreed to it.

Blinken continues ceasefire efforts in Egypt

Blinken arrived in the northern Egyptian coastal city of Al-Alamein on Tuesday for talks with President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi.

The US secretary of state briefed al-Sissi on the results of his latest visit to Israel, stressing the US commitment to the efforts aimed to achieve calm and reach a ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip, the presidency said in a statement.

Egypt, Qatar and the United States are mediating the talks between Israel and Hamas.

Al-Sissi warned of the "hard to imagine" consequences of expanding the conflict regionally, saying that stopping the bloodshed should be the main driver for all parties.

The president also said a ceasefire in Gaza should be the beginning of wider international recognition of the Palestinian state and the implementation of the two-state solution, adding that it would be the main guarantee for stability in the region.

Blinken was in Israel on Monday and is expected to head to Qatar following his Egypt meetings.

Hamas and other Palestinian militants abducted a total of 253 people from Israel into Gaza on October 7.

Some of them were freed through a prisoner exchange, and a few hostages were able to be rescued by the Israeli army  albeit at high cost to the Palestinian civilian population during these military operations, for which Israel has faced international criticism.

Israel recovers six bodies from Gaza

The bodies of six hostages were recovered from the Gaza Strip in an overnight Israeli military operation in the city of Khan Younis in the south of the coastal territory, the military said.

The families of the six men have been informed, it said.

The men were reportedly between 35 and 80 years old. Most had already previously been declared dead by the army. They were all alive when they were abducted.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the military operation and said "our hearts ache for the terrible loss."

According to Israel's count, the Palestinian militant organization Hamas still holds 109 hostages. Thirty-six of them have been declared dead, while 73 are thought to be still alive, an Israeli government spokeswoman said.

Israeli army says 40 have died in clashes in Rafah

On Tuesday, heavy fighting in the southern Gaza Strip resulted in dozens of militant Palestinian fighters being killed, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

"IDF troops are continuing precise, intelligence-based, operational activity in the area of Tel al-Sultan in Rafah," it said in a statement. "Approximately 40 terrorists were eliminated in close-quarters combat and IAF [Israeli Air Force] strikes."

The military wing of Hamas said that its fighters had attacked an Israeli tank and soldiers in a building with grenades in the area. A military bulldozer was also allegedly attacked.

According to the army, militant Palestinians were also killed in operations in other parts of the Gaza Strip. In Khan Younis, launch pads from which rockets had been fired at Israel were reportedly destroyed. Numerous weapons were also secured, it said.

The claims could not be independently verified initially.

Since the beginning of the war more than 10 months ago, 40,173 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the local health authority.

The figures cannot be independently verified either. They also do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
Happened so fast: Storm leaves behind serious damage to Mooresville homes

Happened so fast: Storm leaves behind serious damage to Mooresville homes

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  People living in a Mooresville neighborhood are trying to figure out how to rebuild after a storm ripped through their community.

The severe weather on Sunday night took down dozens of trees and destroyed homes on Tennessee Circle.

At least two trees fell on one home behind it, splitting the house down the middle. The good news is that no one was hurt, but its going to take a while to repair the damage.

It happened so fast and so quick, just totally by surprise, said David Mayfield, who lives on Tennessee Circle.

It was a quick storm, which left behind downed trees, yards covered in debris, and homes in need of serious repair.

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Just kind of strange, said Mayfield. Just a normal day outside cooking out and had a little thunderstorm. Next thing I know, just a wave of wind hit. Lasted maybe 45 seconds and by the time I got in and got to the backyard, this is what was left.

Mayfield had two large trees fall in his front yard and half a dozen small ones come down in his backyard. He spent the day on Monday cleaning up.

No damage to the house, though, so Im lucky, he said.

Some of Mayfields neighbors werent as lucky.

Next door they had one go through their sunroom, he said. Theyre going to probably have to move out for awhile while they repair.

The owners of that home said they werent there when a tree crashed into their sunroom, leaving behind branches and glass. Its a good thing because normally they would be sitting in the room.

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A few doors down, the homeowners were home when two giant trees left their home unlivable.

That house is probably destroyed, said Mayfield. It really went right through the middle of it.

The owners were too emotional to talk but said they just closed on the house two weeks ago. No one is quite sure where to go from here, but everyone agrees  it couldve been much worse.

Count your blessings because you never know, said Mayfield. You never know.

Crews have been out clearing debris and removing trees from the homes and will be in the coming days.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
(NEXSTAR)  Vice President Kamala Harris Deputy Campaign Manager Quentin Fulks described the campaigns approach to reaching undecided voters as old school during an interview with Nexstar at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday.

We really believe in making sure that people know, have what they need, to be able to talk about the candidates and who they are, Fulks said. After this convention, theres going to be a mad sprint when they all go back to their states across this country and begin talking to those undecided voters that you mentioned about who Kamala Harris and Gov. Walz are and their vision for this country.

Fulks emphasized that the campaign is also using more innovative ways to reach as many people as possible, adding that he prides the campaign on adapting and pivoting with just 77 days until Election Day.

DNC continues in Chicago

I wouldnt discount that authenticity, and I wouldnt discount that joy and enthusiasm that youre seeing on this ticket, Fulks said.

When pressed on when the vice president would sit down for an interview or hold a press conference, Fulks said Vice President Harris will do interviews but didnt say when.

I think these interviews are going to happen when they happen, he said. Vice President Harris is interviewing, shes interviewing with the American people and at the end of the day, the American people are the boss, and theyre the ones who are going to decide who is going to get the job of leading the United States of America.

Fulks also teased a special production that famous filmmaker Steven Speilberg produced for the convention, though he wouldnt share any other details.

Hes a big supporter of Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz and I think he has an expertise that few people in the world have, Fulks said.

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Thousands of protesters take to the streets as the Democratic National Convention convenes in downtown Chicago. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder

CHICAGO  Visitors to Chicago this weekend were greeted with bright blue banners and smiling Democrats decked out in lanyards and wielding clipboards, welcoming them to the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

But other welcome committees throughout the city bore different accouterments  Palestinian flags, keffiyeh scarves and signs castigating President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris under the monikers Genocide Joe and Killer Kamala.

Protesters, who were out in force as the convention got underway, made demands that include restoring abortion rights across the country, protections for LGBTQ+ Americans, and most of all, an end to arms shipments to Israel. The death toll from Israels campaign in Gaza has surpassed 40,000 since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

Demonstrators like Tighe Barry of Washington DC largely said they are not satisfied with empathy and want action instead.

Young people are sick and tired of endless wars, he said. Young people have been told for three different election cycles that its going to be better for the young people. Were going to make it better for you. Were going to fix this. And theyre not fixing anything for the young people, and the young people are going to come out.

Voting for a Democratic Party, voting for Kamala Harris without her assurance that she will end the Israeli assault on the people of Gaza means we lose our soul, Barry added.

Andy Thayer, an organizer with Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws, which put together Sundays protest, said he believes Democrats commitment to reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights is not as deep as they would like to portray, and one of the demonstrators goals is to remind the elected officials in town for the convention who they work for.

The Democrats have said for the last half century that theyre in favor of abortion rights, and yet they voted for the Hyde Amendment year after year after year, including Sen. Biden. They have allowed our rights to be whittled away. The only time and reason they got interested in defending abortion was when they saw it as a vote getter, as they saw it as a path to their power. They are far more interested in their power than they are in our rights, he said.

On Monday, a mass of protesters left Union Park and marched to another small park near the United Center and chanted slogans like We know what this meetings for, genocide and war.

Shortly before 6 p.m. local time, demonstrators breached a portion of anti-scale fencing along the Democratic National Conventions outer perimeter near the United Center, according to the DNC Public Safety Joint Information Center.

Law enforcement personnel were immediately on-scene and contained the situation, the center said in a statement. At no point was the inner perimeter breached, and there was no threat to any protectees.

The Chicago Police Department remained on-scene and is working to clear the area.

Protests over Palestine surged across college campuses in the spring, often coming with heavy police responses, but things have cooled down over the summer as students returned home. Harris elevation to the top of the ticket further tamped down protests, as many were hopeful she was less ideologically committed to Israel than Biden, but the party remains fractured over the conflict, said political science professor David McLennan of Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Its a tightrope she has to walk, McLennan said. And I think youve started to see her speak out more forcefully against the Israel policy. Currently, shes wanting a ceasefire. Shes pushed that a little bit more loudly than Joe Biden has been doing, but I think the convention will be a real test because we know therell be a lot of protests at the convention. Many of them are going to be pro-Palestinian groups. And so how she manages that, I think, will be really important going into the fall campaign. In previous speeches in the past couple of weeks, shes kind of shut off hecklers and people who are saying things during her remarks. And so how she manages to express support for Palestine and Palestinians, and also doesnt give up on Israel, its going to be a real challenge for her going forward.

Rallies are scheduled across the week, with activists predicting tens of thousands of demonstrators in attendance. Hoping to stave off fears of a repeat of the unrest surrounding 1968s convention, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Police have issued statements promising to protect the First Amendment rights of all protesters but bear zero tolerance for violence.

Violence during the convention or on college campuses around the country would not benefit Harris, said Emory University political science professor Andra Gillespie.

I think there are questions strategically about optics and whether or not you can reinforce certain narratives that Donald Trump is trying to deploy against Kamala Harris, about how Democrats support lawlessness and Trump will keep people safe, she said.

Trump has sought to paint Harris as soft on crime, especially as related to 2020s Black Lives Matter protests.

Theres no indication at all that she is deviating from Democratic Party orthodoxy on support for a two-state solution in Israel and Palestine, Gillespie added. And so that may not be everything that some activists want, but I think it becomes a question of whether or not activists can live with solutions that they may view as incomplete.

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Watch live: Harris to rally in Wisconsin on Night 2 of DNC

Vice President Harris will rally supporters in Milwaukee on Tuesday night, holding a major campaign event concurrently with Night 2 of the Democratic National Convention.

The vice president and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), will hold an event about 90 miles up the road from the convention site in Chicago. Harris and Walz will speak from Fiserv Forum, the same arena where Republicans held their national convention last month.

Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally with Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at Girard College on August 6, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Harris ended weeks of speculation about who her running mate would be, selecting the 60 year old midwestern governor over other candidates. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Harris will speak in Wisconsin at roughly the same time as speakers begin delivering remarks at the convention in Chicago. The campaign will host a watch party for supporters just outside the arena, where attendees can view a livestream of the convention.

Among the scheduled speakers for the second night of the convention are former President Obama and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama.

Harris and Walz will be joined at their rally by Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson (D), as well as and Milwaukee Bucks President Peter Feigin and all-star forward Khris Middleton.

The event is scheduled for 9 p.m. EDT.

Watch the live video above.

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Vice President Kamala Harris held a raucous rally Tuesday night in Milwaukee -- in the middle of the Democratic National Convention -- at the same arena where former President Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination just a month ago.

A Harris campaign official said they weren't just doing a "victory lap" because of the momentum around the vice president -- instead choosing to hold a rally during the DNC because they still say they believe they are the "underdogs" and need to work hard to win over voters in battleground states such as Wisconsin, the official said.

These critical voters won't be in Chicago, and Harris needs to "meet them where they are," the official said.

MORE: DNC 2024 Day 2 live updates: Barack and Michelle Obama set to help hand torch to Kamala Harris

"Good evening, Milwaukee!" Harris told the wildly cheering crowd. And hello to everyone joining us from exciting Chicago," Harris said to the DNC from the Wisconsin stage. "The delegates at the Democratic National Convention, well, they just completed their roll call and they have nominated Coach Walz and me to be the next vice president and president of the United States of America. And I thank everyone there and here for believing in what we can do together."

"We are so honored to be your nominees," Harris continued. "This is a people powered campaign, and together we will chart a new way forward. A future for freedom. Opportunity of optimism and faith. So, to everyone in Chicago and across America. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," she said. "I'll see you in two days Chicago."

Milwaukee is "a place where we need to increase turnout and it's a good high-momentum, high-energy moment to dig in and talk to folks," the campaign official added before the rally. "We want to make this bigger than Chicago."

Harris' Tuesday event took place in the Fiserv Forum -- the location of the Republican National Convention's prime-time events and where Trump recently accepted his party's nomination to a packed house.

PHOTO: Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz hold a campaign rally in Milwaukee, Aug. 20, 2024. (Marco Bello/Reuters)

"If she can fill up that arena that can hold some 18,000 people -- that could get under Trump's skin," the campaign official said -- a reference to Trump's focus on crowd size.

In recent weeks, Trump has continued to make baseless claims that the Harris campaign pays for her crowd as his Democratic rival gains momentum with large-scale rallies.

Earlier this month, Trump falsely accused Harris' campaign of using artificial intelligence to fabricate crowds at a campaign rally in Michigan. A Harris campaign official told ABC News that the photo Trump called into question was taken by a Harris campaign staffer and that it was "not modified by AI in any way."

MORE: Harris is starting to rebuild the Biden coalition

Harris' visit to Wisconsin comes after she spoke at the DNC briefly on Monday night. She is set to speak again at the convention on Thursday night where she will accept the party's nomination. Her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff is set to speak at the convention Tuesday night ahead of keynote speakers former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.

Democratic voters in the area said Harris needs to frequently visit Wisconsin to win the crucial battleground state. In 2020, President Joe Biden beat Trump by a narrow margin; in 2016, Trump won the state by an extremely narrow margin of about 22,700 votes over Hillary Clinton -- less than 1%.

Democratic voters noted that Harris is already doing more than Clinton in 2016, when the former secretary of state did not visit Wisconsin during the general election.

PHOTO: Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz hold a campaign rally in Milwaukee, Aug. 20, 2024. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

MORE: Trump falsely claims Harris' campaign used AI to alter photo of crowd size

"The last time I felt this much excitement was when Obama ran," said Wisconsin resident Shannon Mattner, who is planning to attend Harris' rally. "We just feel like there's more hope now."

Daniel Barfouth, a union member from Wisconsin set to attend the rally, says he supports Harris because of her position on unions.

"I like what she has to say about unions. I like how the unions endorsed her," Barfouth said.

Barfourth drew a sharp contrast between Harris and Trump: "He talks about chaos. He doesn't talk about hope, connection or anything about love. He talks about tearing everything down."

Asked what Harris needs to do to win Wisconsin, Barfourth said that Harris needs to continue "putting herself out there as a normal person like everyone else: 'I'm one of you'. Trump isn't one of us. He was born with a silver spoon with his mouth. He hasn't had to suffer for anything."

Harris holds rally at Milwaukee arena where Trump accepted Republican nomination at RNC originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Vice President Kamala Harris has benefited from a wait-and-see period from activists frustrated with the Biden administration's handling of the war in Gaza.

That grace period may be ending.

Thousands of protesters descended on Chicago on Monday to voice their outrage with the administration's approach to the fighting. The ferocity and magnitude of the demonstration indicated that critics' dismay isn't being quelled by a shift at the top of Democrats' presidential ticket -- that protests, including on college campuses as the academic year starts up, are set to cause the party heartburn heading into November.

"In the wake of a mass shooting, Democratic leaders are quick to say, 'thoughts and prayers are not enough.' I agree. As vice president, Harris takes a more empathetic tone we say the same to her," said June Rose, a delegate from Rhode Island representing voters who picked "uncommitted" in the Democratic primary. "We need meaningful policy change. We need an immediate, permanent cease-fire and an arms embargo."

PHOTO: Demonstrators prepare for start of the 'March on the DNC' during the first day of the Democratic National Convention Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

MORE: Biden delivers the keynote on his political career: ANALYSIS

Harris' expected replacement of President Joe Biden as Democrats' presidential nominee took place during a summer when campus protests eased as students left campuses and as historic events, like the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and Biden's suspension of his campaign, sucked up political oxygen from coast to coast.

She also adopted a tonal shift from Biden, rhetorically placing what operatives and activists alike viewed as a greater emphasis on Palestinian civilian suffering amid Israel's punishing military operations in Gaza, raising speculation that she could enjoy, if not goodwill, at least less resistance than Biden had.

MORE: Unmoved by Harris replacing Biden at top of ticket, pro-Palestinian protesters plan to march on DNC

But Harris has not broken with Biden's policy on the war in any significant way, including opposing an arms embargo and insisting on Israel's right to defend itself, while still vociferously supporting a cease-fire and return of Israeli and other hostages held by Hamas, whose Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel killed more than 1,200, according to Israeli officials, and sparked the war.

That policy consistency is limiting the leeway she has with her party's left flank, which has for months expressed its displeasure with what they see as Washington's unwillingness or inability to reign in a spiraling death toll in Gaza. That death toll marked a grim milestone last week, surpassing 40,000 since Oct. 7, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

"There is the base of supporters within the community that were going to support Harris as soon as she got onto the ticket, but for majority of our community, there's still concerns over the way what's happening in Gaza is being handled, and they want to see more of a substantive policy position and a policy change," American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee National Executive Director Abed Ayoub said. " There's still this frustration over what's happening."

PHOTO: Police in riot gear detain protesters that gained access through the perimeter fencing on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Aug. 19, 2024. (Justin Lane/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

MORE: DNC adopts platform that echoes Biden more than Harris, no arms embargo on Israel

That frustration was clear to see in Chicago on Monday.

Demonstrators were able to break through a section of the security perimeter of the convention as the crowd swelled before the convention program kicked off. The inner security barrier was not breached, but protesters, some donning traditional Palestinian garb, made their displeasure known and demanded a cessation of aid to Israel.

And even as Biden passes the baton to Harris, protesters made clear they aren't done with him either.

Protesters unfurled a banner reading, "STOP ARMING ISRAEL" on the convention floor, causing the DNC to shut off spotlights pointed at the section.

The demonstration just blocks away from the convention and in the hall itself echoed protests from earlier this year, including the campus encampments that paralyzed universities across the country, dominated cable news and offered Republicans fertile ground for attack.

It's a trip back to the future that Harris' allies are eager to avoid, hoping that the tonal shift will stop the protests from reaching such a crescendo, if not end them entirely.

"There is hope that they are less of a headwind than we feared six months ago," said one source familiar with the Harris campaign's thinking.

Harris' supporters also insisted that the wing of the party that holds the war in Gaza as its top issue is small, and that while protests grab headlines and force uncomfortable conversations, those participating ultimately make up a sliver of the electorate -- and that they're playing a card that's already been dealt.

PHOTO: People break through a fence as they take part in a rally 'March on the DNC' on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention, in Chicago, Aug. 19, 2024. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

MORE: DNC 2024 Day 1 live updates: Emotional Joe Biden casts election as choice to 'save democracy'

Voters have "seen these types of protests for nearly a year now. So, I think it would need to rise to a different level than they have previously for it to have a real impact on coverage," the source familiar with the Harris campaign's thinking said. "I think it's important to keep in mind that those activists and protesters reflect a small share of the party."

Some activists allowed that Harris has little bandwidth to break new ground on policy while still serving as vice president in an administration that is actively engaged in cease-fire talks.

And while the outreach to activists hasn't been as muscular as they're hoping for, the tonal shift hasn't gone unnoticed.

"When she talks about it, you get the feeling that she sees that there are people there. When [Biden] talks about it, I'm not even sure that he feels that there are people there, and that's come through," Arab American Institute founder James Zogby said of the war. "It's more than just tone, it's more than just language used. It's a mindset that people are feeling, and that does make a difference, and it does, I think, open a door. The question is, how wide?"

It's also possible, some Democrats speculated, that progress in cease-fire talks could alleviate some pressure on Harris, arguing that the criticism may not be as vociferous if bombs aren't falling.

"If we're in a posture where there's progress, I think that has less of an impact than if people still feel like things are stalled," said one Democratic strategist with ties to Harris' team.

However, for uncommitted delegates at the convention, that might not be enough.

Delegates were adamant Monday in demanding both an "immediate and permanent cease-fire" and an "arms embargo" to Israel -- with the second amounting to a fundamental shift in U.S. policy. And without both, they warned, protests would continue.

"If a cease-fire deal is reached, great, we need a cease-fire immediately. We need the bombs to stop, we need all captives to be reunited with their families, Israelis and Palestinians, and we need to stop funding the occupation of Palestinians," said Abbas Alawieh, a delegate from Michigan and a leader of the uncommitted movement. "That is an unsustainable, inhumane system that sits at the heart of American foreign policy that we must address, we must break with."

Harris' shift in tone on Gaza earns her limited leeway with DNC protesters: ANALYSIS originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The other defendants in Harvey Weinstein's sexual assault case are not escaping from the law.

The disgraced film producer, his brother Robert, Disney, Miramax, and the talent agency CAA were named in a bombshell lawsuit. Actress Julia Ormond filed her claims against them in October 2023, detailing Weinstein's alleged abuse.

The other defendants tried to have her negligence claims against them dismissed, arguing that her issues with Harvey Weinstein did not involve them. However, a judge recently held them accountable.

Harvey Weinstein's Sexual Assault Case Will Not Be Dismissed

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According to new reports, a recent hearing into the separate motions for dismissal filed by Disney, Miramax, and CAA ended in Ormond's favor. A New York judge sided with her and denied the media agencies' efforts to escape responsibility in her lawsuit.

The legal umpire determined the "Sabrina" actress had presented substantial evidence for her claims against the defendants to proceed in court. On that note, the judge denied the dismissal request, noting:

"[Julia] has adequately alleged that Weinstein used his position at Miramax, and his power to greenlight financing on her project per her film production agreement with Miramax, to facilitate his assault on her."

"[Julia's] allegations as to Disney are all sufficient to state a claim for negligent supervision and retention, warranting denial of Disney's motion," the judge's order continued. In Touch shared the same verdict applied to CAA's dismissal request.

Julia Ormond Set To Battle Against Weinstein In Court

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Thanks to the judge's order, Ormond can fight against Weinstein and the other defendants in court. Her case will move forward nearly a year after she filed her bombshell allegations in October 2023.

The 59-year-old actress claimed she met Weinstein in 1995 at a business dinner for a project. He allegedly refused to converse with her over dinner and insisted they discuss at the apartment Miramax provided Ormond.

She was given the residence as a part of a first-look deal with the studio; unfortunately, it became the venue of her alleged abuse. Ormond recalled Weinstein "stripped naked and forced her to perform oral sex on him."

In side Miramax, Disney, And CAA's Negligence Accusation

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Ormond believed Miramax, which Weinstein once owned, and its new owner, Disney, were partly responsible for the alleged incident. She accused them of negligence, stressing their failure to supervise the film producer properly.

She claimed Miramax and Disney were aware he was a danger to women, yet they failed to protect her. The same applied to her then-agents, Bryan Lourd and Kevin Huvane, who she accused of helping her alleged abuser.

The agents, now co-chairmen of CAA, allegedly advised her not to report the incident to authorities. They "suggested that if she reported Weinstein to the authorities, she would not be believed, and he would seriously damage her career."

"Still worse, not long after Weinstein's assault on Ormond and her reporting of the assault to them, CAA lost interest in representing her, and her career suffered dramatically," the actress's lawsuit claimed.

Weinstein's Rep Denied The Sexual Assault Allegation

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Following Ormond's lawsuit, the defendants expressed their innocence, with Weinstein's Rep vehemently denying her claims. He shared the embattled film producer's words in a statement, saying:

"Harvey Weinstein categorically denies the allegations made against him by Julia Ormond, and he is prepared to vehemently defend himself."

"This is yet another example of a complaint filed against Mr. Weinstein after the passing of decades, and he is confident that the evidence will not support Ms. Ormond's claims," the rep declared.

CAA's rep echoed similar sentiments of innocence in their statement, claiming they sympathized with the actress's alleged experience. "However, the claims that Ms. Ormond has levied against the agency are completely without merit," they concluded.

Harvey Weinstein's Net Worth Decreases

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In April, The Blast reported that Weinstein's problems had increased with his estate on the decline following a retrial ruling. A New York court announced that his rape and criminal sexual assault convictions in the state would be retried.

Weinstein's net worth was reportedly around $300 million before he was sentenced to nearly two decades of jail time in 2018. However, experts noted the sum had dropped to about $25 million.

"Following Harvey Weinstein's rape, sexual misconduct, and assault charges, he no longer owns the empire he once did," Southern California financial expert Jack Cohen explained. He blamed this drop on legal fees, divorce settlement, and child support.

Harvey Weinstein will remain behind bars awaiting the retrial of his New York case.
Jens-Christian Wagner, Director of the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation, stands on the grounds of the Mittelbau-Dora Concentration Camp Memorial. The director of the memorial at two former Nazi concentration camps says he has been receiving threats after sending a letter to voters ahead of state elections next month in which he sounds the alarm over the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Martin Schutt/dpa

The director of the memorial at two former Nazi concentration camps says he has been receiving threats after sending a letter to voters ahead of state elections next month in which he sounds the alarm over the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Jens-Christian Wagner, who heads the memorial at the Buchenwald and Mittlebau-Dora concentration camps in the eastern state of Thuringia, sent a letter to 300,000 voters over 65 ahead of regional elections scheduled for September 1.

The letter was sent to seniors, he said, because such people are less likely to get their information from social media. No tax funds or donations for the memorial work were used in the mailer, he said.

In it, Wagner, a trained historian, warns that the AfD in Thuringia, where the party's state-level branch has been classified as far-right extremist by domestic intelligence, is "trying to trivialize the horrors of the Nazi regime."

In a statement on the memorial's website, Wagner said that while sending a letter to voters was "unusual," the move was justified by the fact that the "AfD notoriously opposes the culture of remembrance and discredits our work as a 'cult of guilt'."

Since sending the letter, his picture has been glued to a stone monument that commemorates the inmates of the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp who were killed on the death marches, Wagner wrote on social media platform X on Tuesday.

He also received an email from a woman based in the city of Weimar saying he would be punished for his actions, the director wrote.
Josh Brown/ZUMA Press Wire / SplashNews.com / Josh Brown/ZUMA Press Wire / SplashNews.com

With less than three months until Election Day, voters everywhere are still trying to figure out which U.S. presidential candidate to vote for  and how their policies could affect taxes. The outcome of this next election could have a significant impact on personal and business taxes at a federal level  and possibly local or state, as well.

Read Next: Trump Wants To Eliminate Income Taxes: Heres What That Would Mean for the Economy and Your Wallet

Find Out: 9 Things You Must Do To Grow Your Wealth in 2024

Only recently chosen as the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris hasnt yet provided many specifics about her proposals or policies as pertains to taxes. She has, however, promised not to raise taxes on individuals earning less than $400,000 annually.

Aside from that, there are a few other possible changes that could come about if Harris is elected. But again, the exact changes are still unknown. Theyre also not entirely determined based on who the U.S. president is.

Since tax legislation originates in the legislative branch, changes in tax law will be largely dependent on who controls the House and Senate, regardless of who wins the presidency, said Christian Putnam, CPA and CEO of Augur CPA, a tax and accounting firm based in the Washington, D.C. with clients across the United States.

Despite this, Putnam did suggest a few possible tax law changes that could occur if Harris wins the election.

Earning passive income doesn't need to be difficult. You can start this week.

Removal of the Current Local and State Taxes Cap

Back when Donald Trump was in office, he signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which brought about some significant changes to the tax code at the time. The TCJA impacted both individuals and businesses with its tax reforms  and more specifically, its tax cuts.

Individual Taxes

Heres how the TCJA has affected individual taxpayers:

Most income tax brackets fell slightly. Only the 10% bracket  the lowest bracket  and the 35% bracket stayed the same.

The standard deduction increased. In 2024, the standard deduction is $14,600 for single filers or $29,200 for married couples filing jointly.

The child tax credit increased to $2,000.

Under this law, individuals are no longer required to have health insurance to avoid a tax penalty.

Learn More: Im an Economist: Heres My Prediction for Social Security If Kamala Harris Wins the Election

Business Taxes

The TCJA also had an impact on businesses. For example:

It reduced the corporate tax rate to 21%.

Pass-through businesses  like sole proprietorships and S-corporations  received a 20% deduction for their pass-through income.

Story continues

If Harris Becomes President

For individuals, these tax reform benefits are set to expire in 2025. The changes to businesses, however, are permanent.

If Harris wins, Putnam predicted there will be a removal of the state and local taxes cap.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 limited the deduction of state and local taxes to $10,000, Putnam said. This limitation disproportionately impacted taxpayers in high-tax states, such as California and New York, which are Democrat leaning.

This prediction is supported by the fact that, when the TCJA was initially passed, no House Democrats supported it.

New or Stricter Regulations in Tax Preparation

Another possible change under a Harris presidency is in regard to tax preparer regulations.

Many of the COVID-[era] stimulus programs were implemented through tax policy, said Putnam. These programs, such as the Employee Retention Credit, were unfortunately abused by unscrupulous tax preparers and promoters.

Since July 2024, the IRS criminal investigation has initiated hundreds of criminal cases regarding the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) alone. Fraudulent claims are estimated to come out at an estimated $7 billion.

The increase in fraudulent claims and other scams could cause the government to buckle down further on tax preparers.

Should Harris win the presidency, its likely that the tax preparation industry will be subject to new regulations to curb abuses of tax benefits in the future, said Putnam.

Some Tax Laws Are Set To Expire

As certain tax laws are set to expire at the end of 2025, that leaves room for potentially new  or continued  policies.

The Republican tax law changes from 2017 are set to expire in 2025, said Putnam. If Harris becomes president, its likely that some of these changes will expire or be updated through a major tax bill at the end of 2025.

Its possible that Harris will also continue the same policies initiated under the Biden-Harris administrations FY 2025 budget.

This budget details Bidens vision to protect and build on the Administrations progress and invest in all of America to make sure the middle class has a fair shot and we leave no one behind, according to a White House statement. The Budget will lower costs for families, protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare, and reduce the deficit by making the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share and cutting wasteful spending.

Among other things, heres what the FY 2025 budget includes:

Increased taxes on wealthy taxpayers and major corporations

Increasing the corporate minimum tax rate to 21%

Keeping the tax rate the same on those earning $400,000 or less

Cutting taxes for lower- and middle-income families with children

Restoring and expanding the Child Tax Credit.

Bottom Line

Any changes to individual and business taxes are still up in the air. Whether these predictions come to pass is dependent on more than who the president is.

Again, all of the above is highly dependent on who controls the legislative branch, said Putnam. A split executive and legislative branch makes these changes less likely or less expansive.

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 6 Changes Coming to Your Tax Return in 2025 If Trump Is Elected President.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Im an Accountant: 3 Changes I Anticipate Coming to Your Taxes If Harris Wins the 2024 Election
Jens-Christian Wagner, Director of the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation, stands on the grounds of the Mittelbau-Dora Concentration Camp Memorial. The director of the memorial at two former Nazi concentration camps says he has been receiving threats after sending a letter to voters ahead of state elections next month in which he sounds the alarm over the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Martin Schutt/dpa

The director of the memorial at two former Nazi concentration camps says he has been receiving threats after sending a letter to voters ahead of state elections next month in which he sounds the alarm over the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Jens-Christian Wagner, who heads the memorial at the Buchenwald and Mittlebau-Dora concentration camps in the eastern state of Thuringia, sent a letter to 300,000 voters over 65 ahead of regional elections scheduled for September 1.

The letter was sent to seniors, he said, because such people are less likely to get their information from social media. No tax funds or donations for the memorial work were used in the mailer, he said.

In it, Wagner, a trained historian, warns that the AfD in Thuringia, where the party's state-level branch has been classified as far-right extremist by domestic intelligence, is "trying to trivialize the horrors of the Nazi regime."

In a statement on the memorial's website, Wagner said that while sending a letter to voters was "unusual," the move was justified by the fact that the "AfD notoriously opposes the culture of remembrance and discredits our work as a 'cult of guilt'."

Since sending the letter, his picture has been glued to a stone monument that commemorates the inmates of the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp who were killed on the death marches, Wagner wrote on social media platform X on Tuesday.

He also received an email from a woman based in the city of Weimar saying he would be punished for his actions, the director wrote.

Wagner has repeatedly accused the AfD of trivializing the Nazi regime and has publicly spoken out against Nazi references used by the party.

A spokesman for the memorial said the threats were believed to have been sparked by the letter sent to voters. A criminal complaint has been filed over Wagner's picture, which had been cut from the letter, and glued to the stone structure, according to the spokesman.

The vice president of the German parliament, Katrin Goring-Eckardt, called the threats unacceptable.

"Parts of society have lost their sense of decency," Goring-Eckardt, from the Greens, wrote on X. "They want to intimidate and silence defenders of democracy and the culture of remembrance."

The top candidate of the conservative Christian Democrats in Thuringia, Mario Voigt, strongly condemned the threats made to Wagner.

It was "unbearable" that the memorial director was threatened "for his important work."
She says Israeli military killed her husband and daughter. Then soldiers brought her to an Israeli hospital

Sham Abu Tabaq, age 5, has a piercing stare. Behind her dark eyes are memories she has hardly begun to process.

She has experienced war. She has been forced from her home. And she was in her fathers arms when he was fatally shot, and saw both him and her older sister left for dead in the street.

But this is not your increasingly typical story of tragedy and loss in Gaza. That much is clear from the place where CNN met Sham and her mother, Sanaa: a Palestinian hospital in Jerusalem.

And then, theres this: Sanaa doesnt just blame the Israeli military for killing her husband and daughter and shooting her in the leg  though certainly she does blame the Israeli military.

An Israeli soldier may also have saved her life.

That should not be extraordinary. All militaries are obligated under international law to help injured civilians. But in the war in Gaza, stories like Sanaas are exceedingly rare.

He had mercy towards us, she said of the soldier. But he and his comrades, she said, also took from me the most precious thing I had.

Sham Abu Tabaq, 5, was in her father's arms when he was shot dead, her mother says. - CNN

Sanaa and her husband Akram  a schoolteacher  lived with their daughters Sham and Yasmeen in Beit Lahia, in the northernmost end of Gaza.

She worked at a foundation that provides support for orphans. Like many women in Gaza, she dressed conservatively and often covered her face, which is marked by deep burn scars from a childhood accident.

In the days after Hamas October 7 attack on Israel, and Israels ensuing military campaign, the family were forced from their home  fleeing Israels unprecedented bombardment of the Gaza Strip. When a brief ceasefire was announced in late November as part of a hostage release deal, they saw an opportunity to return.

We were so happy we werent even able to sleep, Sanaa recalled. A truce was happening, and we were going to go home.

They departed the United Nations-run health clinic where they had been living, in the Jabalya refugee camp, and began the roughly three-mile journey on foot. They were almost home, she said, when shots rang out.

It was like there was a sniper and he was shooting at us. We didnt see him, she said. Suddenly we were all injured.

Sanaa Abu Tabaq, who suffered burns as a child, saw her husband and daughter shot dead during the November ceasefire in Gaza. - CNN

They finished him off

Seven-year-old Yasmeens condition was the most serious. She was shot in the back and shoulder. Akram was struck in the stomach, and Sanaa in the leg. Only Sham was left unscathed by the hail of bullets.

My husband was telling me, Lets crawl and maybe we can find an ambulance to take us, or somebody might see us and help us. But I couldnt crawl. And Yasmeen was in a very terrible condition  two bullets, and she was all covered in blood. So, I told him, We cant. He said, Ill try to crawl. So he crawled a little bit. They finished him off! He remained in his place. He was killed, Sanaa said.

For several hours they lay there in the middle of the street  too injured and fearful to move. Sanaa held Yasmeen, promising her daughter that an ambulance was on the way and that they would survive. But no help was on the way. False hope was all Sanaa could offer her daughter in that moment.

Life drained out of Yasmeen, and she succumbed to her wounds.

Sanaa was unable to retrieve her daughter Yasmeen's body. - Sanaa Abu Tabaq

I laid my daughter Yasmeen on the ground, may God bless her soul. And I covered her with a blouse. And I told Sham, Come on darling, lets crawl.

Crawling along the ground, speaking in whispers, they left behind the bodies of their family and made it inside a partially bombed two-story house. They huddled in a bathroom as night fell.

In the morning, around 7:30, we heard the sounds of the Israelis and of the tanks, Sanaa said. I told her, Sham my darling, the Israelis have come. They are going to shoot us. But dont be afraid. Its over. And we are going to die. She said, Okay mom, but hide me. I dont want to see them when they come and shoot me.

As Sanaa cradled her daughter, an explosion shook the house, blowing in the door of the bathroom where they were huddled and shattering the window above them, sending glass raining down.

Soon, the soldiers were inside the house. After some tense moments of shouting, she said, the soldiers were convinced that Sanaa and Sham were not harboring militants and tended to their wounds.

CNN obtained footage of this moment from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), as captured by a soldiers body camera. The video, which does not have audio, shows two soldiers applying field dressings as Sanaa  curled in a corner  speaks with someone off-camera. The IDF would not make any of the soldiers concerned available for an interview with CNN.

Sanaa soon began pleading with an Arabic-speaking soldier, who denied that his forces had killed Sanaas husband and eldest daughter, and instead blamed Hamas and its leader, Yahya Sinwar, for their deaths.

I told him, Please hand me over to an ambulance to Gaza (City). Can you at least take me to my family, so they take my daughter? I am not important. I know Im going to die. I just want my family to take my daughter.

He told me, No, we cannot hand you over to Gaza. Wait a little bit. I might be able to help you, Sanaa said.

Sanaa says the Israeli soldiers concluded they could not treat her in the field. Her condition was critical, she says, and she needed to be treated in a hospital. After making several calls, she recalled, the Arabic-speaking soldier said they would take them to a hospital in Israel. They carried her out of the house on a stretcher with Sham.

As she was being loaded onto a Humvee, Sanaa says she saw her daughter Yasmeens body in the street.

I told him: This is Yasmeen. Please bring her to me. He said no. I told him, Then, please bury her for me, Sanaa recalled. They kept going with the stretcher.

A shoe on the floor of the house in northern Gaza where Sham and Sanaa sheltered over a terrifying night in November. - CNN

An hours drive later, Sanaa says, they arrived at what appeared to be a mostly empty military staging ground. Standing in an open area, soldiers doing a security check ordered Sanaa to remove her jilbab  a full-body covering garment  in front of female soldiers, while male soldiers said they would look away. All the while, she continued to bleed from the bullet wound to her leg.

Then they made me lift off my blouse and my undergarment items, she recalled. Sham  they took off all her clothes as well.

If it was not for Sham, I wouldnt have agreed to take off my clothes. Because I was scared that if I didnt take off my clothes, they would shoot Sham. Or they would shoot me in front of Sham, and I would never know what happened to her. If I had been alone I would have rather they shoot me, and I wouldnt have taken off my clothes.

They continued to Kaplan Medical Center, in the central Israeli city of Rehovot, where doctors treated her wounds. CNN obtained Sanaas medical files, which show that a bullet pierced her right calf, fracturing both bones and damaging an artery. She was then transported to a Palestinian hospital in Jerusalem to recover.

This is God who stood by my side

For nine months, she has had a slow recovery, with physical therapy. She and Sham have lived in a single, shared hospital room. She has no idea what happened to the bodies of her daughter and husband.

It is a vexing limbo  aware of the privilege of their safety yet pining for a home and life that has been irrevocably changed.

And she is terrified at being sent back into the warzone that was her home. Indeed, Israeli authorities are now planning on returning the pair to Gaza next month unless another government takes them in, according to hospital officials, Israeli officials and human rights organizations.

The Israeli military denies its soldiers shot Sanaa and her family.

In a statement to CNN, the IDF said that the family inadvertently approached a concealed Israeli position. When soldiers shouted at the family to stop, their position was revealed to nearby militants, who began firing on the Israelis. The family, the IDF said, was caught in the intense exchange of fire, adding that the troops did not open fire at the four people nor did they aim at them.

A mug with a image of Akram Abu Tabaq, Shams father and Sanaas husband, who was shot dead while trying to return home during the November ceasefire in Gaza. - CNN

Sanaa called that claim a lie. The IDF claimed that the militants fired grenades on their position  Sanaa said she did not hear any explosions.

If we had heard the voice of Israelis, we would have fled and returned (to the shelter). If we had heard the voice of resistance, we would have fled and returned, Sanaa said.

Its true he helped me, Sanaa says of the Arab-speaking soldier who helped facilitate the decision to take her out of Gaza, to Israel.

But she cannot bring herself to thank him. And she says she would not, if she saw him again.

This was a miracle from God that the soldier who was speaking to me in Arabic was helping me, she said.

This is God who stood by my side, and He put mercy in them towards me. It is from God, she said. Not by (the soldiers) own will.

This story has been updated.

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Here's everything you need to know about the new school year in Ames

A new superintendent will welcome Ames students as they start the new school year, one that features stricter cell phone guidelines and new facilities.

Classes for Ames elementary students begin on Aug. 23, while the Ames Middle School and High School start the year on Monday, Aug. 26.

Here's a look at what's new or on its way to the Ames Community School District this year:

More: A thrilling connection: Local riders celebrate High Trestle, Raccoon River Valley Trail merger

Incoming Ames CSD Superintendent Scott Grimes shakes hands with current Superintendent Julious Lawson.

New superintendent joins Ames school district

Ames' new superintendent, Scott Grimes, joined the district on July 1.

Grimes was named superintendent on April 19, replacing Julious Lawson, who took a position with the Zion School District in eastern Illinois.

Grimes boasts more than a decade of superintendent experience, having spent time at Louisa-Muscatine and Dallas Center-Grimes. He most recently served as a consultant to the Perry Community School District.

The Ames school district voted 6-1 in October 2022 to buy Lutheran Services in Iowa's former Beloit Residential Treatment Center, which closed in 2021, to use as a home for alternative learning programs. The building is pictured on June 28, 2022. The school board approved Monday 5-1 to pay $2.55 million for the purchase, $75,000 less than the facility's appraised value.

AMES Center to open this year

The Ames Multi-Purpose Educational Services Center, or AMES Center, is expected to open in November.

The facility, which is in the former Beloit Residential Treatment Center on Northwestern Avenue a few blocks east of the high school, will serve students in the Ames Home School Assistance Program and students with disabilities in the Transition Alliance Program. It will also provide therapeutic classrooms to fit social, emotional and mental health needs. The building will serve as a central food pantry location as well.

The building was purchased from Lutheran Services after the Beloit Residential Treatment Center closed in 2021.

More: Scott Grimes prepares for role as Ames superintendent with an eye on security, mental health

A rendering of what will be the upgraded playground at Edwards Elementary School in Ames. Construction is slated to start when schools are let out for the summer.

New playgrounds open and more on the way

A push for more inclusive playgrounds has led to upgrades at Edwards and Meeker Elementary schools and Northwood Preschool, which will be completed once the school year begins.

While the old equipment has not been completely removed, improvements have been made to the surfaces making each more accessible. The new playground features will cater to a wide range of abilities, highlighted by sensory play elements and wheelchair-accessible equipment.

Playgrounds at Sawyer, Mitchell, and Fellows Elementary schools will undergo similar upgrades next summer.

More: Ames school board awards nearly $6 million in contract bids for AMES Center

Fellows Elementary teacher Lindsey Richey welcomes students on their first day of class Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in Ames, Iowa.

Associate principal changes

Anthony Jahr will be an associate principal at Ames Middle School this year, joined by Aaron Weddle as a new associate principal. Michelle Fuqua will be the associate principal at Fellows Elementary.

Jahr and Fuqua are familiar names to Ames students.

Jahr most recently served as the associate principal at Fellows Elementary, and Furqua was an associate principal at Ames Middle School.

Weddle is new to the district. He was previously the principal at Fairview Elementary in Grinnell and has experience as a school counselor and teacher.

More: Ames High strengthens cellphone ban for classrooms, hoping to eliminate distractions

New cell phone policy

Students will be required to place their cell phones in a designated area or "phone caddies" prior to each class period. Cell phone use was already restricted during class unless explicitly allowed by the teacher for educational purposes.

Students can use electronic devices before and after school, during passing periods and at lunch.

The new guidelines are meant to improve student engagement and teenage mental health, according to a message that was sent to parents, students and staff on Aug. 8 via ParentSquare.

Important dates for the 2024-25 school year

Sept. 3: Classes begin for preschool

Nov. 27-29: Thanksgiving break

Dec. 23 - Jan. 3: Winter break, classes resume Jan. 6

Jan. 14: Beginning of second semester

March 17-21: Spring break

May 30: Last day of classes, early dismissal

Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: What's new in the Ames CSD for the 2024/2025 school year
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Amid a criminal investigation, customers of West Hernando Pools and Spas, a subject of an ongoing Better Call Behnken investigation, said they are tired of waiting for answers as to why work isnt being done on their pool projects.

James Fisher said he paid $53,000 toward a new pool but is stuck with a hole in the ground, rotting wood and rusted rebar. He said he hasnt seen workers in more than 120 days and that the company owner gives him excuses.

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Fisher said he has little hope that the company will finish his pool project.

Theres a lot of people out there, Fisher said. You multiply them times me and everybody else, youre probably talking millions of dollars.

Customers of West Hernando Pools and Spas have been complaining to Better Call Behnken for months. Early this year, Hernando building officials suspended the permitting privileges of the pool company and its owner, Frank Bierwiler.

At the time, Bierwiler had 118 unfinished pools. He recently testified he has that number down to 77.

Bierwilers attorney, Darryl Johnson, declined to comment on the criminal investigation.

Special Master Kenneth Warnstadt ruled all seven projects with dangerous holes must be finished before Bierwiler can pull additional permits.

There is another hearing scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 21.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
An increased level of chlorine air concentration was detected in the western city of Ternopil following a Russian missile attack against an industrial facility on Aug. 20, authorities said.

Russia carried out the attack overnight, with a fire breaking out in a fuel and lubricant warehouse in an unspecified facility at 3 a.m. No casualties or injuries have been reported as a result of the strike.

Oksana Chaichuk, the head of the regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, warned Ternopil's residents to limit exposure to open air and close windows.

"With a norm of 0.1 milligrams (of chlorine) per cubic meter (mg/m), there is an excess of 0.4 to 1.01," Chaichuk said at a press briefing, adding that this means the chlorine air concentration is from four to 10 times higher than the norm.

According to the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, chlorine inhalation can cause health issues at concentrations above 1.5 mg/m in case of long-term exposure and at 2.9 mg/m for short-term exposure.

Chlorine exposure can lead to irritation of the eyes, nose, and sore throat at lower concentration levels but can also cause more serious problems and death at higher levels.

Ternopil is a city in western Ukraine with a population of roughly 225,000. Lying hundreds of kilometers from the front line, the city is not a common target of Russian attacks.

Read also: Opinion: The hidden toll of Ukraines aid workers demands recognition on World Humanitarian Day

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
VACHERIE, La. (WGNO)  Louisiana Highway 20 has reopened after a train derailment was cleared from the railroad tracks in Vacherie.

Around 2:40 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20, the St. James Parish Sheriffs Office posted to social media that the highway would be closed due to a train blocking the path of drivers.

Developers discuss future of abandoned Bywater naval base

According to deputies, two hopper non-hazardous cars were derailed while two empty hazardous cars were off their wheels.

(Courtesy: St. James Parish Sheriffs Office)

(Courtesy: St. James Parish Sheriffs Office)

(Courtesy: St. James Parish Sheriffs Office)

(WGNO/Patrick Thomas)

(WGNO/Pat Thomas)

(WGNO/Pat Thomas)

(WGNO/Pat Thomas)

(WGNO/Pat Thomas)

Sherriff Claude J. Louis Jr. spoke with WGNO crews and said the road was expected to reopen around 8 a.m., pending an investigation. Heavy equipment was also on the scene to help place the car back onto the tracks.

At 8 a.m., St. James Parish officials announced the train began moving.

Developers discuss future of abandoned Bywater naval base

Union Pacific, along with the Louisiana State Police, were also on scene to assist with the situation.

Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was hopeful voters would break the glass ceiling with Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the second woman to lead a major partys presidential ticket.

Together, weve put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling, Clinton told Democrats on the first night of the partys nominating convention.

Tonight, so close to breaking through once and for all, I want to tell you what I see through all those cracks and why it matters for each and every one of us, she continued.

Harris is the first woman to lead a major party ticket since Clinton ran for president in 2016.

Clinton invoked U.S. female political figures, including Geraldine Ferraro and Shirley Chisholm, before speaking about her experience running for president.

The former secretary of state was famously defeated by Trump in 2016. Harris is the second woman he has run against in a general election.

On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the United States, she said. When a barrier falls, it clears the way for all of us.

Clinton was welcomed to the stage with a roaring applause and a standing ovation. She even invoked her own 2016 presidential run, playing the campaigns theme Fight Song as she walked off the stage.

Clinton also took the opportunity to jab at Trump. At one point, the crowd of Democrats chanted Lock him up, a twist on Trumps supporters chanting Lock her up, in reference to Clinton.

On her first day in court, Kamala said five words that guide her still: Kamala Harris, for the people,' Clinton said. Thats something Donald Trump will never understand.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Hillary Clinton Mocks Trumps History-Making Felonies at DNC, Smiles and Nods When Crowd Shouts Lock Him Up

Hillary Clinton made an impactful appearance at the first night of the Democratic National Convention.

As the first woman to run against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Clintons appearance endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris moved the crowd to give the former secretary of state an extended round of applause.

The 2016 Democratic presidential candidate spoke of her former competitors resume, stacked up against Democratic presidential candidate Harris. She said when it comes to making history, the two have different track records.

Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial. And when he woke up, he made his own kind of history: being the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions, she smirked, as the crowd led a lock him up chant.

BREAKING: Hillary Clinton nodding along as the crowd chants lock him up. One of the most full circle moments in political history. Retweet to make sure every American sees this and knows Donald Trump is a convicted felon. pic.twitter.com/Rmlkuq8NO2  Kamalas Wins (@harris_wins) August 20, 2024

Hes mocking her name and her laugh  sounds familiar, she said of Trumps intentional mispronunciation of the vice presidents first name. But, we have him on the run now.

The former secretary of state entered the Chicago arena to boisterous applause, as she walked out to Brave by Sara Bareilles. To start off her remarks, Clinton saluted President Joe Biden as democracys champion, thanking him for his service to the United States.

He showed what it means to be a true patriot, Clinton said.

The politician also spoke about the trailblazing women, who inspired her to run for the highest office in the nation.

I wish my mother and Kamalas mother could see us because they would say keep going, Clinton said. Kamala has the character, vision and experience to lead us forward.

In a full circle moment from 2016, Clinton endorsed the second Democratic presidential candidate on the convention stage and encouraged democrats to show up in strides this November.

Were opening the promise of America wide enough for everyone. Together, we put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling, Clinton said. On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as the 47th president of the United States.

The former secretary of state exited the stage to Fight Song by Rachel Platten.

Harris made a surprise appearance on the convention stage before Clinton spoke. President Joe Biden is set to conclude Monday nights programming.

The post Hillary Clinton Mocks Trumps History-Making Felonies at DNC, Smiles and Nods When Crowd Shouts Lock Him Up appeared first on TheWrap.
(Bloomberg) -- Microchip Technology Inc. said Tuesday that its servers were hit by a cyberattack that has forced the US chipmaker to shut some of its systems and scale back operations.

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The company, which supplies chips to the US defense industry, detected suspicious activity involving its information technology systems on Aug. 17, according to a regulatory filing. The company determined two days later that certain servers and some business operations had been breached.

The attack comes as nations around the world are competing for chip-market dominance, both for national security purposes and to avoid the supply-chain nightmares that surfaced during the pandemic. Just two months ago, the Taiwanese chip-parts manufacturer GlobalWafers Co. was struck by a cyberattack that similarly affected some of its operations.

Microchip said on Tuesday that it took prompt steps to address the breach, including isolating the affected systems, shutting down certain systems, and launching an investigation with the assistance of external cybersecurity advisers.

That has caused its operations to run at less than normal levels, affecting its ability to fill orders, the Chandler, Arizona-based chipmaker said in a statement.

The company is working diligently to bring the affected portions of its IT systems back online, restore normal business operations and mitigate the impact of the incident, Microchip said. As the companys investigation is ongoing, the full scope, nature and impact of the incident are not yet known.

The chipmaker said it wasnt yet sure whether the incident would materially affect its finances or results. The company was awarded money from the US Chips and Science Act earlier this year to help boost the output of semiconductors used in everything from cars to weapons systems.

In 2022, US chipmaker Nvidia Corp. suffered from a cyber breach that appeared to have been a ransomware attack, Bloomberg reported at the time, citing a person familiar with the incident. The company said back then that its business and commercial activities were uninterrupted.

(Updates with context and previous hacks starting in third paragraph.)

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2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Hillary Clinton, the first woman to be nominated for the US presidency by a major political party, spoke on the first day of the 2024 Democratic convention in Chicago (Getty Images)

Hillary Clinton fired up the crowd on night one of the Democratic National Convention on Monday and urged her party not to give up the goal of shattering one of Americas last glass ceilings: the election of a woman to the presidency.

The partys 2016 nominee was greeted by a standing ovation and one of the loudest cheers of the evening as she took the stage. In her remarks, she invoked female trailblazing politicians Geraldine Ferraro and Shirley Chisolm as well as Harriss mother  as well as her own, both of whom Clinton said she wished could see this moment.

Calling the acceptance of the Democratic nomination on the DNC stage in 2020 the greatest honor of [her] life, the former secretary of State went on to celebrate her performance in the election that year as a mark of progress in American history, even given her defeat to Donald Trump.

Nearly 66 million Americans voted for a future where there is no ceiling on our dreams, Clinton told the cheering audience, adding: Together, we put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling.

"The story of my life and the history of our country is that progress is possible. But not guaranteed, the partys former standard-bearer declared. We have to fight for it. And never, ever give up.

This is a breaking news story. More to follow...
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  148 people were arrested by the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office human trafficking operation, Sheriff Chad Chronister announced in a news conference Tuesday.

The past 102 days, the sheriffs offices Human Trafficking Squad conducted Operation Summer Shield. The operation led to 148 arrests and the recovery of seven victims, according to HCSO.

Chronister said those arrested went to hotels with the intent of purchasing sex from another human being. Their employers included Uber, Amazon and Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.

The sheriff highlighted four arrests, including John Randall Craddock, who was accused of traveling to meet a minor for sex, Devonte Kershaw, who was accused of conspiring to traffick a victim, Deonte Burton, who was accused of sex trafficking a minor, and Dennis Jose Aguilar-Maroto, who was accused of human trafficking.

Ronald Craig Favata (Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office)

A Hillsborough County Fire Rescue employee, Ronald Craig Favata, was arrested in June during the operation. He was working as a paramedic at the time and was charged with soliciting another to commit prostitution.

Our mission is clear: to protect our community and hold traffickers accountable, Chronister said. We will not rest until every victim is safe and every trafficker is behind bars. Let me be clear: traffickers, your days of exploiting innocent people are over in Hillsborough County.

The Human Trafficking Squad has arrested 793 people and recovered 42 victims since it was established in 2021, according to HCSO.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
[Watch in the player above: The FBI releases 2022 crime data]

(WJW)  Local police over the past two days responded to reports of threats at local malls  but the calls turned out to be hoaxes.

Fairlawn police responded just before 2 p.m. on Sunday to Summit Mall for a report of an active shooter, but they didnt find any evidence of a shooting, victims or witnesses.

I-Team: Cleveland firefighter drove 117 mph in city car

The mall remained open on Sunday, but with extra attention from local officers, police wrote on Facebook.

Officers from Akron, Copley, Bath and Summit Metro Parks and Summit County sheriffs deputies responded to the scene.

On Monday, a bogus, emailed bomb threat for Sandusky Mall brought Perkins Township police, as well as Erie County sheriffs deputies and their bomb-sniffing K-9.

Similar threats also came via email for other Ohio malls, police wrote on Facebook that morning.

ATMs are reportedly being ripped out of walls at local banks

Officers on Monday morning checked the Sandusky Mall, which was sparsely populated at the time. It was cleared and reopened for business.

Back in April, another 911 hoax in Niles, Trumbull County, alleged a man had a semi-automatic rifle at the Eastwood Mall, FOX 8 sister station 27 First News reported.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
A Texas teacher living out of his car and raising money on GoFundMe to clear debts has met his goal.

Bill Atkinson  a fourth-grade teacher in the Austin area  said on his GoFundMe page that he couldn't get approved for an apartment because of his poor credit score. He also wasn't eligible for supplemental housing as a single person because his salary was too high as an educator.

Atkinson said he needed $13,600 to pay off his debts. According to his GoFundMe page, he's raised $16,866.

Who is Bill Atkinson?

The Austin teacher started a GoFundMe to help him afford a place to live after sleeping in his car for over a month. He's also been documenting his journey on Instagram and TikTok under "Babblinbill."

Atkinson said on his GoFundMe page that he's also unable to get his teacher certification because he doesn't have access to his school transcripts.

"Due to mistakes and bad luck my debts are to the point I cannot afford to pay rent and payoff my debts," he said. "I also can't get approved at the places my salary allows me to afford nor can I get approval for supplemental housing as a single person I make too much. As of right now I am living out of my car while I continue to teach as that is the best I can currently do."

What is the average salary for a teacher in Texas?

In Texas, factors including years of experience, grade levels, school districts, and cities influence teacher salaries. The highest teacher salaries in Texas range between $66,000 and $86,600. In Houston, teachers can expect an average salary of $60,000, while those in Austin may earn around $55,000 on average. These salary figures highlight the variations in teacher compensation across different locations and roles within the state.

According to the Texas Education Agency, these are average salaries, ranging from 0 years of experience to 20 years based on a 10-month contract without a signing bonus:

0 years of experience: $33,660

10 years of experience: $45,630

20 years of experience: $54,540

The average salary in Texas: How does it compare in 2024?

What is the average rent in Texas?

According to Zillow, the average median rent price in Texas is $1,950. Atkinson said even with his salary and side job, no apartment complex would approve his application.

"With apartment complexes now checking credit to get approved, I can't even get approved at places I can afford and I make, technically, too much for income-based housing," Atkinson told WFAA.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Homeless Texas teacher raises $16K on GoFundMe after sharing story
Homeless man charged in brutal Houston Co. murder will not stand trial anytime soon after mental evaluation

DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN)  The case of a homeless man accused of beating an elderly Houston County man to death with a pipe in his front yard has been stalled.

Justin Ryan Ammons is charged with one count of capital murder-robbery in the death of 70-year-old Durwood Ard. In July, the courts required Ammons to undergo a mental evaluation.

On Tuesday morning, Judge Todd Derrick reviewed the evaluation results and ruled Ammons was incompetent to stand trial for right now.

Prosecutors tell WDHN Ammons will be held in the custody of the Alabama Department of Mental Health and sent to the Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility in Tuscaloosa to attempt to restore his competency. After between 2 to 6 months in the facility, Ammons will be reevaluated.

According to prosecutors, Ammons evaluation claimed he had schizophrenia and was under the influence of meth, and psychiatrists documented Ammons was a danger to himself and others.

Ammons was arrested in January after Ard was found beaten to death outside his home in the 11000 block of Highway 84 on Tuesday, December 12.

According to Sheriff Donald Valenza, Ard suffered extreme skull fractures and structural damage to the skull.

Ammons grand jury indictment, filed in early June, claims Ammons beat Ard to death with a metal pipe while trying to rob him.

At the time of Ammons arrest, Sheriff Valenza told WDHN that Ards death was one of the most brutal murders he had ever seen.

Ammons was 20 at the time of the murder and filed for youthful offender status at the beginning of the 2024 summer. His youthful offender status will be revisited when the second mental evaluation comes in.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com.
HONOLULU (KHON2)  Are you or someone you know looking for a new career? The City and County of Honolulus Emergency Medical Services is hiring for its Emergency Medical Technician Academy starting Tuesday and going through Thursday, Aug. 22.

Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news

Honolulu EMS said applicants are required to be at least 18 years of age, have a drivers license and a high school diploma.

City hosts open house in search of future engineers

Right now the city has an open recruitment for the next couple of days to apply for this program. Were looking to run this program in spring of 2025 and well send them through training as theyll get training as an emergency driver. Theyll go through EMT curriculum at the national and state level. Some hospital and ambulance clinical hours and then well get them licensed and certified to work, Honolulu EMS Assistant Chief Korey Chock said.

There are certain types of personalities that are more prone to success in the position.

Some of the qualities that were looking for is we need people to be calm under pressure, Chock said. People are calling 911 for the worst day of their life and we need people to be calm under pressure. We need them to be critical thinkers, good team players, and have good communication skills with each other. Thats some of the key things that we look for.

One of the great things is the fulfillment of helping others.

Its a great job. Its demanding and you gotta be dedicated. Youre a public servant, were looking for people who want to help their community. Its fast-paced, its exciting. Its a lifelong career so please apply if you can, Honolulu EMS Paramedic Supervisor Sunny Johnson said.

Check out whats going on around the nation on our National News page

Qualified applicants will be required to take a written test that is scheduled for Oct. 26. Once accepted into the Academy, recruits will earn a starting pay of $4,933 a month.

For more information please visit the City and County of Honolulus Department of Human Resources webpage.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW)  Horry County police have arrested 80 people tied to violent crimes along the Highway 9 corridor, seizing thousands in cash and pulling large amounts of drugs off the street in the process, authorities said on Tuesday.

The two-week operation focused on areas mostly between Little River and Loris, with some activities branching into Conway and Myrtle Beach.

Officials said the departments criminal investigations bureau worked alongside a newly formed gang unit with assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations.

Authorities began tracking a trend of attempted murders, murders, home invasions, carjacking incidents, auto thefts and drive-by shootings in the northern and western parts of the county, Horry County police said in a statement.

Among those arrested were 46 wanted on various charges. Roughly 40 gang members were also identified over the course of the investigation.

The following items were seized:

58 weapons

$18,180 in cash

64.6 grams of methamphetamine

55 grams of fentanyl

35.8 of crack cocaine

47.8 grams of cocaine

Authorities provided no further details.

* * *

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.

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Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), who earned bigger fame this year with a congressional hearing-room battle with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) that went viral, sought to contrast Vice President Harris and Donald Trump during a speech at the Democratic National Convention.

Crockett, a rising Democratic star, said that while Harris lived the American Dream, Trump had been Americas nightmare.

One candidate worked at McDonalds while she was in college at an HBCU, Crockett said, referring to historically Black colleges and universities.

The other was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and helped his daddy in the family business  housing discrimination, that is, she quipped.

While Harris became a career prosecutor, she called Trump a career criminal  with 34 felonies, two impeachments and one porn star to prove it.

During the fight with Greene, Crockett and other Democrats were outraged with the Georgia Republican made a comment about Crocketts appearance.

I dont think you know what youre here for, Greene told Crockett at one point. I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what youre reading.

After more acrimony, Crockett eventually, without naming Greene, lobbed an insult against her that she later made into a t-shirt, asking if someone on the panel could be in trouble if they start talking about somebodys bleach blond bad built butch body.

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WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  House Republicans said President Joe Biden should be impeached and removed from office in a new report released on Monday.

The nearly 300-page investigative report focuses on the Presidents time as Vice President and his time out of office. It accuses President Biden and his son Hunter of selling influence.

The report said Bidens family and associates made $27 million in exchange.

Theres a huge cloud over the President of the United States, said Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), one of the members of the House Oversight Committee.

The committee report said President Biden met with or was on the phone with Hunter Biden while he was meeting with foreign business associates. One committee witness said, Hunter Biden put his dad on speaker phone when he was interacting with business associate maybe 20 times, the report said.

House Democrats released a dueling memo, arguing President Biden committed no wrongdoing.

To be clear, there is no evidence that Joe Biden ever discussed his sons business ventures during any of these calls or visits, the memo said. The investigation has sought to weaponize the bond between President Biden and Hunter at a time when Joe Biden feared losing Hunter to drug addiction.

The House formally ratified the impeachment inquiry in December of 2023. The report recommends Bidens impeachment and removal, though House Republicans have indicated it may not happen before the end of President Bidens term.

I think it would not be in the best interest of our country to move forward on that, said Sessions. I will tell you that it is inconsequential now whether we move forward to remove President Biden or not. President Biden is a cooked President.

Hunter Biden is set for trial on tax charges related to his foreign business deals next month.

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(Bloomberg) -- Mike Lynch, the British tech tycoon missing after his luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily, had only recently fended off a US criminal fraud case over the sale of his software company to Hewlett Packard Co.

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Lynch, 59, and his wife were aboard the yacht, named Bayesian after a British mathematician, with a small group of his financial and legal advisers when the violent storm hit. They were celebrating Lynchs tumultuous acquittal just over two months earlier, when a San Francisco jury found him not guilty of charges that he duped HP into overpaying for his software firm, Autonomy Corp.

Hailed at times as Britains Bill Gates, Lynch has been seeking to restore his reputation as one of Europes most successful entrepreneurs. For years, hed argued that he had been scapegoated over the acquisition. HP paid $11 billion for Autonomy in 2011, only to write down $8.8 billion of the purchase price a year later.

But even after his acquittal on criminal charges, Lynch was still fighting the Silicon Valley giant in a civil case in London, where a British judge held him responsible for creating the illusion of a company much larger and more successful than it really was.

Autonomys success  its software could extract useful information from unstructured sources including phone calls, emails and video  made Lynch one of the best-known British technology executives. He was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Confederation of British Industry in 1999. In 2000, Time magazine named him one of the 25 most influential technology leaders in Europe.

Advised Prime Ministers

He was awarded an Order of the British Empire for services to enterprise in 2006. The same year, he was appointed as non-executive director to the board of the British Broadcasting Corp., the worlds biggest public broadcaster. He advised two British prime ministers, David Cameron and Theresa May.

Lynch made at least $500 million from the HP deal. He then set up venture capital firm Invoke Capital, founding a series of tech companies run by former employees. The most successful was Darktrace Plc, a cybersecurity business that uses AI to detect suspicious activity in a companys IT network. Forbes magazine estimated his net worth to be $1 billion in 2015, the sole year he was named to its list of global billionaires.

Story continues

HP, along with US prosecutors, alleged that Lynch and Autonomys former finance chief used accounting tricks to inflate the companys revenue ahead of the 2011 sale.

The San Francisco trial placed huge pressures on the tech founder, who was forced to wear an ankle monitor and confined to 24-hour supervision by private security guards he had to pay for. On the stand, Lynch claimed ignorance of some of the wrongdoing attributed to him, saying he delegated key decisions to underlings.

Autonomy wasnt perfect, Lynch testified at the trial. The reality of life is that its nuanced and its messy and sometimes you do your best to get through it. And companies are just like that. When the verdict came, following two days of deliberations, Lynch hugged his lawyer and wiped his eyes.

HPs acquisition of the company was initially seen as a validation of UK technology and the Cambridge Silicon Fen tech cluster where Autonomy was based. But in 2012, HP publicly accused Autonomy and its executives of accounting failures. The lawsuit followed. Lynch chose to fight the civil trial with HP in London before facing a US jury in the hope that a ruling on home soil would help his case.

In 20 days of testimony in the UK civil case, he served up a litany of anecdotes aiming to illustrate that HP was riven with executive turmoil and infighting as the company replaced its chief executive officer and pivoted on strategy shortly after the disastrous Autonomy deal.

He largely succeeded. Documents showed HP executives turning on each other  with HP CEO Meg Whitman, the onetime candidate for governor of California and current US ambassador to Kenya, saying shed be prepared to throw her predecessor Leo Apotheker under the bus in a tit for tat. Taking over just as HP closed the Autonomy deal, Whitman sought to focus the firm back on its core PC unit to better manage the sprawling business.

But after one of the longest and most expensive trials in British history, Judge Robert Hildyard ruled in 2022 that Lynch and Autonomy had fraudulently boosted the value of the company. One of the tragedies of the case is clear: an innovative and ground-breaking product, its architect and the company will probably always be associated with fraud, the judge said in the ruling.

Damages Pending

The judge was still to decide the damages Lynch would have to pay. HP was seeking $4 billion from him and his finance chief, but the judge had cautioned that it was likely to get substantially less than that.

Those looming penalties from the civil suit did not dent Lynchs ambitions once he was released from house arrest in the US.

I am looking forward to returning to the UK and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field, Lynch said in a statement after the California jury cleared him of criminal wrongdoing.

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Three Howard University journalists have been selected to report on this years Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Skyler Winston, Trinity Kinslow and Trinity Webster-Bass contribute to The Hilltop, the nations only daily newspaper at an HBCU, and the Howard University News Service.

HUNS reported that the senior student journalists are eager to cover the historic event where Howard alumna and Vice President Kamala Harris will receive the partys presidential nomination, particularly regarding the African American community and young people.

The trio are well prepared to report on the convention, according to HUNS. Winston, the news and politics editor at The Hilltop, is completing a summer internship with KTVU Fox 2 in the Bay Area. Kinslow recently completed a summer internship at Howard Universitys Center for Journalism & Democracy. Webster-Bass is completing a summer internship with The Washington Post, where she produces episodes for the Post Reports podcast.

Howard University Media, Journalism, Film & Communication Department Chair Ingrid Sturgis explained how students gain valuable experience through election coverage.

As a professional journalism program, we have covered national, regional, and local elections every election cycle, Sturgis told HUNS. This year, we are among other university journalism programs that are doing the same thing. Students learn about the civic process, learn how to cover important issues on deadline, and gain confidence in reporting and writing alongside other professional journalists.
A Tunisian man dips his finger in ink after casting his vote at a polling station during the 2022 Tunisian parliamentary election. Tunisian authorities have intensified their crackdown on critics of President Kais Saied, just over six weeks ahead of the presidential election, Human Rights Watch reported on Tuesday. Khaled Nasraoui/dpa

Tunisian authorities have intensified their crackdown on critics of President Kais Saied, just over six weeks ahead of the presidential election, Human Rights Watch reported on Tuesday.

"After jailing dozens of prominent opponents and activists, Tunisian authorities have removed almost all serious contenders from the presidential race, reducing this vote to a mere formality," said Bassam Khawaja, a spokesman for Human Rights Watch.

After eight potential candidates were sentenced to prison terms or given lifelong bans on standing for elections, the remnants of Tunisia's democracy are now being buried, the human rights organization said.

President Saied won the presidential election in 2019 and has concentrated more and more power in his hands since 2021, including through a controversial new constitution.

Dozens of prominent opposition figures, activists, journalists and lawyers have been arrested. Critical voices and the right to free expression are being increasingly repressed, according to Human Rights Watch.

Among those affected is Abir Moussi, a prominent critic of Saied. She has been imprisoned and sentenced to two years in prison on charges of "spreading fake news and rumours."

In early August, President Saied dismissed claims of pressure on opposition figures, stating, "Those who speak of obstacles and difficulties ... seek to spread chaos, discord, rumours and lies."

The presidential election in Tunisia is set for October 6, with only three candidates approved so far, including incumbent Saied.

Once hailed as the only successful transition to democracy after the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011, Tunisia has seen a significant decline in public confidence, with many citizens losing faith in their government.
Louise Johnson, head of the Department of Mental Health's division for children and adolescents, talks during a Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (Screenshot of SCETV legislative livestream)

COLUMBIA  More than 900 children ages 3 and 4 were suspended from South Carolina preschools last school year for offenses such as hitting, spitting and disobeying their teachers, according to a report given Tuesday to a panel of lawmakers, agency heads and community members.

South Carolina suspends more pre-K students than any other state, according to the most recent federal data, University of South Carolina researchers told the Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children.

Suspensions at any grade level, but especially as young as 3 or 4 years old, can have long-term consequences on how well a student does in school and even how likely they are to get arrested later in life, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

The latest federal data offering state-by-state comparisons comes from the 2017-2018 school year. It shows 438 preschoolers in public schools statewide were given at-home suspension at least once. Thats nearly twice as many as in Texas, which reported the next-highest number of preschoolers suspended at 262.

If our default is suspension, thats not good, Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, said during an April committee meeting.

The Palmetto States numbers have grown since then.

The state didnt start tracking suspensions for 3- and 4-year-olds until 2016. Last school year marked an all-time high since. The numbers reflect suspensions at public schools only. They do not include preschoolers in state-funded 4K programs at private providers or federally funded Head Start programs.

School districts reported suspending 928 students during the 2023-2024 school year, compared to 812 the year before, according to department data. That represents 3.3% of the 27,500 preschoolers enrolled in 3- and 4-year-old classes when the school year started.

Whether the suspension is handled at school or the child is sent home  and for how long  depends on what happened and district policy. Last school year, 658 students received out-of-school suspensions, and 270 received in-school suspension, researchers said.

What in-school suspension looks like for a preschooler varies across school districts.

In most cases, a student is removed from the classroom for some period of time. Sometimes, the student must sit in a school administrators office or do their work in a different classroom. Other times, theyre asked to step outside or sit in the hallway until they calm down, districts said in response to a survey.

Students at any grade level who are expelled or suspended are up to 10 times more likely to drop out of school, have a hard time getting good grades or end up getting arrested later in life than their peers. Suspending a preschooler increases the likelihood they will face similar discipline in later grades, according to a U.S. Department of Education statement disavowing expulsions and suspensions for young children.

A childs early years set the trajectory for the relationships and successes they will experience for the rest of their lives, making it crucial that childrens earliest experiences truly foster  and never harm  their development, the statement reads.

If a student is repeatedly taken out of the classroom, even for a brief amount of time, they can lose out on time during which they could be learning foundational skills, said Louise Johnson, who oversees the Department of Mental Healths division for children and adolescents.

If its habitual and theyre going somewhere on their own and supposed to keep up on their work, then thats a problem, and Ive seen that happen in some of the schools, Johnson said.

Whos getting suspended?

Preschoolers being suspended are most likely to be Black and male, the researchers said.

Last year, more than 60% of the children who received in-school or out-of-school suspensions were children of color, and 77% were boys, researchers found.

Students with some form of disability account for nearly a fifth of all suspensions over the past eight years the committee evaluated.

Children in a state-funded preschool are already considered at risk. Its unclear how the suspension rates compare to the overall demographics.

To be eligible for state-funded pre-K, children must live in poverty, be in foster care, have a parent in prison, or have a disability, which can include developmental delays. However, some school districts use local tax dollars to expand whos eligible for their pre-K programs.

Pre-K suspensions from 2016-2017 to 2023-2024 school years

Over the period of eight school years, 4,765 children received suspensions. A demographics breakdown:

Male: 3,767; or 79%

Female: 977

Black: 2,484; or 52%

White: 1,575

Multi-race: 353

Hispanic: 322

Asian/Indian/Pacific Islander: 30

Students with disabilities: 997; or 21%

Source: Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children



Still, committee members said they worried that teachers might treat Black and male students more harshly than their counterparts. Plus, students being repeatedly disciplined are likely to be acting out because they have a problem at home, they said.

We talk about the behavior of the children  what if the behavior isnt really that bad but its the bias of the teacher? said Michael Leach, Department of Social Services director. I hate to say it, but it exists.

Problem behaviors

What qualifies a student for a suspension is up to school districts. In some cases, preschools reported suspending students for running, excessive noise, failing to complete classwork or leaving class, committee researchers found.

Because school districts report the reasons to the state, the severity of cases is unclear, researchers said.

Some students might genuinely be causing harm or difficulties for already-overburdened teachers, Hutto said during a previous meeting.

I get it, Hutto said. If Im a teacher and theres one child thats just keeping me from teaching the other 20, Ive got to do something, right? I cant just let one child run the show.

But on the other hand, he continued, you move that one child out at this level, and youre putting them on a course to eventually be right at (the Department of Social Services) or (Department of Juvenile Justices) doorstep because we havent dealt with the problem as a 3- and 4-year-old.

Some schools apply a universal code of conduct across grade levels. That means a high school senior and preschooler could face the same level of punishment for offenses like horseplay or disrupting class. High schoolers should know better than to roughhouse or interrupt class time, but that type of behavior is par for the course for a 3-year-old, said committee member Bronwyn McElveen.

For instance, she has 3-year-old and 6-year-old sons who sometimes get rowdy, but that doesnt mean theyre acting out in a way that should get them suspended from school, she said.

We get the comments, Oh, theyre all boy, or, They have a lot of spirit, McElveen said of her sons. How that would be treated in a classroom might be different.

In many cases, students receive more than one suspension each year. The 928 students suspended last year received more than 1,900 suspensions total, according to the data presented to the committee.

Ive gone into schools and said, Why is this child always sitting outside the room, or always removed? Johnson said.

That suggests suspensions are not changing the childrens behavior, Sen. Mike Reichenbach said.

Sounds like theres a high degree of recidivism, the Florence Republican said. Im not advocating against suspensions  if they work, then so be it  but how do we get (students) better instead of just suspending them and they do it again?

Children that young likely dont understand what a suspension really means, Hutto said. To some, it may even seem more like a reward than a punishment to be sent to a different room or home for a few days.

Think about it: Hey, if I act out, I can go home, I can watch TV, Hutto said. I think Im acting out.

Solutions

One solution could be requiring preschool teachers to take a course on how to deal with students acting out in class instead of sending them home, committee members said.

In a statewide survey, which 58 of 76 school districts completed, 31% said they already required training for teachers on handling challenging behavior in young children. Another 52% said they offered training but did not require it, while 10% said they had no training at all on that topic.

When asked what could help reduce preschool suspensions, districts suggested standardized training courses for teachers, help developing more age-appropriate codes of conduct or behavior specialists to work with students repeatedly causing problems.

Requiring standardized training on behavioral problems in 3- and 4-year-olds would be a relatively easy way to start reducing suspensions, said McElveen, who is also a deputy solicitor. That training could also teach educators how to avoid bias in their decisions and consider whether a childs behavior is an indicator of a deeper problem, such as abuse at home, she added.

For minimal cost, you could have a lot of bang for your buck on that, McElveen said. Bringing in a behavioral specialist would be ideal, but that would be a lot more cost-prohibitive, in my opinion.

The state could also require districts to change their codes of conduct to use different methods of discipline for different age groups, committee members said. Several school districts reported that they were already reevaluating those policies or would be open to help from behavioral professionals in deciding what is age-appropriate and whats not.

Beyond that, the committee will continue gathering more information and evaluating possible solutions to see what might work.

There is no silver bullet, Johnson said. Well need a comprehensive approach in order to address these issues.

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Hungary still to explain to EU easing of entry for Russians and Belarusians  media

Hungary has not yet explained to the EU its decision to simplify entry requirements for Russian and Belarusian citizens.

Source: European Pravda with reference to Euractiv, a European news website

Details: On 19 August, the deadline set by the European Commission for Hungary to respond to the question of easing entry requirements for Russian and Belarusian citizens expired.

Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, sent a letter to her Hungarian counterpart, Sandor Pinter, in early August asking for an explanation of the changes made to Hungary's immigration scheme.

Johansson asked Budapest to reply to an annexe of questions "no later than 19 August".

A spokesperson for the European Commission confirmed to Euractiv that as of the afternoon of 19 August, there had been no response from the Hungarian side.

Background:

Representatives of the Baltic and Nordic European countries had written to the European Commission to express concern about Hungary's decision to ease visa requirements for Russian and Belarusian citizens.

The largest group in the European Parliament, the European People's Party, had previously complained that easing the rules could create "grave loopholes for espionage activities".

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto is convinced that Budapest's decision to simplify entry for Russians and Belarusians does not threaten the Schengen area.

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A judge on Monday denied a bid by U.S. President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, to dismiss a federal tax evasion case brought against him in California.

Hunter Biden was convicted in Delaware in June for lying about his illegal drug use to buy a gun, and is scheduled to go to trial in September in the tax evasion case.

Biden, who has pleaded not guilty to the tax charges, had argued that David Weiss, the special counsel leading both prosecutions, was illegally appointed.

The president's son had relied on a federal judge's decision dismissing a criminal case accusing former President Donald Trump of illegally retaining classified documents after leaving office.

Florida-based U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon found the appointment of the special counsel in that case, Jack Smith, violated the U.S. Constitution because Congress had not given him the authority to pursue the case. Smith's office is appealing.

But U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi in Los Angeles said on Monday there was no valid basis to reconsider a prior order denying Hunter Biden's bid to throw out the tax evasion indictment.

"The court declines to reach the merits of the motion because there is no valid basis for reconsideration of the courts order denying Mr. Biden's motion to dismiss," the judge wrote.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Chris Reese)
Nostrils and mouth of a cow are pictured in Rendsburg. An aggressive runaway cow that knocked over a cyclist and damaged several fences in the northern German city of Celle had to be shot dead by a hunter after all attempts to calm down the animal were unsuccessful, police said on Tuesday. Sven Hoppe/dpa

An aggressive runaway cow that knocked over a cyclist and damaged several fences in the northern German city of Celle had to be shot dead by a hunter after all attempts to calm down the animal were unsuccessful, police said on Tuesday.

The cyclist was unharmed.

Several people reported a cow galloping through the city, some 40 kilometres north-east of Hanover, on Monday evening.

Officers then spotted the animal in a residential area and, aided by farmers, passers-by and the owner, tried to calm and catch the runaway for over an hour.

When their attempts failed, a hunter shot the cow on the grounds of a parish, according to the police statement.
Summer tends to take a familiar pattern year to year on the East Coast. Theres a spring chill until June when land and sea come back to life and you make the most of that daylight followed by an early summer swell, beverages on the boat, bluefish and the start of whatever side hustle you have for the next 10 weeks. The wind blows south every afternoon and dies in the evening. Then comes the annual seafood/music/art/whatever festival you look forward to, those two nonstop weeks of fireworks around July 4th, mornings on the log or fish, the annual family reunion and that time-honored community surf event.

Who can name the pier? Daniel Pullen

Since our lives are so efficiently documented on our devices now, the digital timeline of memories tend to resurface at the same point in the summer each year. And one might venture to bet that around the third week of August, you have some photos of a hurricane swell.

Sunrise in the Tar Heel State. Daniel Pullen

Mid-August hurricane swells arent usually the man-eaters. Ernesto, with the exception of flooding in Puerto Rico and a quick trip to Bermuda, stayed where it belonged  out to sea. And it delivered days and days of surf to the Caribbean, East Coast and Canada. He was being monitored for a week before getting named on August 12. He became a Cat 2 hurricane, then downgraded to a tropical storm, then back to a hurricane on Monday, as it made its transatlantic trip to Europe.

Seawalls and rail carves, summertime in the Carolinas. Daniel Pullen

Ernesto wasnt the kegger that goes down in hurricane party history. When the swell arrived for many, it was marred by sideshore winds, backwash, long period closesouts, or in some places, all at the same time. (Not to mention the population of a small city all trying to get the same set wave on the north side of any jetty or pier.) On the other hand, there was no stateside landfall, so you didnt have to rip the saltwater-soaked carpet out of your friends house in 98-degree heat either.

But the East Coast doesnt get four-day swells very often. So, when it does, even with southerly breezes and two block dumpers, you have time to find the glassy windows and the corners. And for some who went searching, it proved to be a score, maybe a similar score to Augusts past.

As we noted in our preseason hurricane forecast, the Tropical Atlantic was steamy. Now its virtually boiling. All indications are that late August and September will put even more and better photos and memories into your digital cloud. And hopefully, its a lot of fish storms that dont make landfall. Dont need selfies of you with the Red Cross.

Related: Kelly Slater Graces Cover of SURFER Magazine's New Print Issue

Related: Hurricane Ernesto Storms Through Caribbean, sets up Waves, Weather for East Coast
Aug. 19 (UPI) -- The Hyatt Regency hotel chain said Monday it reached a settlement in the recent death of an unarmed Black man in Wisconsin allegedly at the hands of four Hyatt employees after a confrontation on the same day the accused were in court.

D'Vontaye Mitchell died June 30 from asphyxia after he was restrained by security guards at Milwaukee's Hyatt Regency on Kilbourn Avenue in downtown more than two months ago.

Lawyers for Mitchell's family said they are "pleased" to get "an amicable settlement" with the global hotelier.

"In recent weeks, we entered good faith conversations with the goal of helping to achieve resolution for the family of D'Vontaye Mitchell," read a statement Monday by Civil rights attorney Ben Crump with Milwaukee lawyers Will Sulton and B'Ivory Lamarr, Monday confirming the settlement.

However, the settlement details were not released.

"The terms of an agreement will be confidential," it read. "The parties are pleased that they were able to resolve this matter outside of court and will have no further comment about the settlement."

Aimbridge Hospitality, the Texas-based firm that manages the Hyatt in Milwaukee, confirmed the settlement on Monday to ABC News in a statement.

"The settlement announced today is a result of the good faith discussions with the representatives of the family of D'Vontaye Mitchell with the goal of bringing the family some comfort as they mourn this tragic loss," it read.

Also on Monday, the suspects accused of killing Mitchell, all of Wisconsin in the Milwaukee area, were in a Wisconsin court on Monday each facing a felony murder charge. Court documents say Mitchell was held down for nine minutes.

Mitchell family members, who did not speak to reporters as they left, were also in court with some wearing white T-shirts saying "Justice for D'Vontaye."

Todd Alan Erickson, 60; Brandon LaDaniel Turner, 35; Herbert T. Williamson, 52 and Devin W. Johnson-Carson, 23, of South Milwaukee, all did not enter a plea to the charge.

The four men are expected back in court Aug. 22 for arraignment.

Erickson, seen Monday wearing what looked to be a suicide vest, along with Turner were employed by Hyatt as security guards. Williamson was a bell driver door attendant and Johnson-Carson was a front desk agent, Journal Sentinel reported.

The murder charges, filed this month after the medical examiner's office determined that Mitchell's death was a homicide, was based on autopsy results that showed the 6-foot-tall, 300 pound Mitchell died from being restrained and also pointed to effects of cocaine and methamphetamine in his system.

His death ignited community outrage and protests as the accused in Mitchell's wrongful death face felony murder charges in court the same day the settlement was reached.

The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office earlier this month filed the charges against the four.
Officials in Washington state say zebra mussels were found Aug. 5 on Marimo moss aquarium balls. (Courtesy of Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife)

Non-living zebra mussels  a fast-spreading invasive species that can clog pipes  have been detected in Marimo moss balls being sold in Idaho, state officials announced Monday.

A news release by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture said the mussels were found on moss balls shipped to a Boise aquarium product retailer, and that all products were voluntarily surrendered to the state agriculture agency for proper disposal.

Store managers and staff throughout the state have been cooperative throughout this important process, Idaho State Department of Agriculture Invasive Species Bureau Chief Nic Zurfluh said in a statement. Everyone has a part to play in protecting our state from invasive species. We now rely on the public to do their part in inspecting aquariums for the invasive mussels.

Need more info or help on zebra mussels?

Visit invasivespecies.idaho.gov/moss/

Contact the Idaho State Department of Agricultures Invasive Species Program at 877-336-8676 or info@isda.idaho.gov.

Zebra mussels  like quagga mussels  are an invasive species that can clog water pipes and harm native fish populations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

All aquarium owners should carefully examine their own material for invasive species, and follow official guidance on how to safely dispose of contaminated material, the Idaho agriculture department says. Owners should not dump aquarium water or throw away moss balls into drains or natural bodies of water, Idaho officials say.

The State Department of Agriculture is continuing inspections at local pet and aquarium stores, while officials work to further collect and dispose affected products.

Zebra mussels were detected in Washington on Aug. 5 on Marimo moss balls shipped to a wholesale aquarium company in Renton, Washington. Idaho officials warned Idaho aquarium owners to inspect for the mussels last week.

After chemically killing quagga mussels in the Snake River last fall, Idaho officials havent spotted viable quagga mussels this spring. But they say they still need to sample amid peak reproduction season, the Idaho Capital Sun reported.

Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Christina Lords for questions: info@idahocapitalsun.com. Follow Idaho Capital Sun on Facebook and X.
Nio and Volkswagen : Key to the Future for JAC

A shake-out which began twelve months ago is seeing many brands disappear from China's monthly sales charts. For a while, Anhui Jianghuai Automobile also looked vulnerable. Instead, this medium-sized car maker has found a niche by contract manufacturing EVs and continuing a steady roll-out of of its own JAC-brand models.

Joint ventures: Volkswagen

Two years ago this month, Volkswagen Group China signed an MoU with Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group (JAC) and SEAT. The three groups had intended to establish an R&D centre with a focus on developing electric vehicles, connectivity and autonomous driving technology plus a platform for battery electric vehicles (BEV).

The SEAT brand would return to China "by 2020/2021". A second media statement in November 2018 saw this date shifted to "by 2021" and noted that work on the R&D centre would be started by the end of 2018.

JAC Volkswagen no longer includes SEAT, however, the Spanish firm announcing four months ago that it had "decided to postpone its entry into China and will not be part of the shareholding structure of JAC Volkswagen, although it will continue to collaborate in the areas of Design and R&D". Then in May, the Volkswagen Group spent the equivalent of a billion euro to buy 50% of Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Holdings Limited (Jianghuai Automobile Holding). This is the firm which had controlled Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group (JAC Motors).

Not only did this give the German company full control but at the same time, Volkswagen lifted its stake in JAC-Volkswagen, the electric vehicles JV to 75% (from 50%). Further, the Volkswagen Group told the media of new intentions to not only launch five additional electric models by 2025 but to also erect a plant for such vehicles. Production of MEB architecture models is due to commence at this factory by 2023, said Stephan Wollenstein, the head of Volkswagen Group China. The annual production target has been set at between 350,000 and 400,000 units, to be reached in 2029.

Joint ventures: Nio

Fledging electric car maker Nio is JAC's other main partner. The firms' JV is called Jianghuai-Weilai (Weilai is Nio in Chinese). Nio had been working on its own factory in the Jiading district of Shanghai but due to cost cutting this was cancelled in March 2019. Now, as Nio reportedly approaches profitability, the official line is that it is happy to continue with Jianghuai-Weilai but whether or not that will remain the case into the 2020s is uncertain. Today the model line up is small but volume is rising and Nio might wish to invest in its own production facilities. The just-revealed Nio EC6, an additional EV, will be built by JAC at a plant in Hefei, though.

Story continues

JAC: current models

June was somewhat less than a great month for JAC, its own brand retail sales dropping by 68% compared to a 6% dip for the market according to China Passenger Car Association data. It must be remembered that June 2019 had been an especially strong month due to then imminent new emissions norms which saw many OEMs clearing out non-compliant models. Also, as bad as last month's plunge was, 7,495 retail deliveries saw the brand actually rising in the sales charts from May's 38th place to 35th.

The Jiayue A5 was JAC's best seller in June, its retail sales total being 2,752 units. This was followed by the Refine M3 (1,313), Refine M5 (912), Jiayue X7 (792), Refine M4 (672), Refine S4 (553), iEV6E (154), iEVA50 (98), iEVS4 (75), iC5 (54), Refine S3 (49), Refine R3 (29), iEV5 (21), Refine S7 (8), iEV60 (7), iEV7S (4), Refine A60 (1) and Heyue A30 (1).

New & future JAC models

With the worst of the COVID-19 crisis appearing to have passed in China, JAC began making announcements in May about multiple future models. One of these, a 4,795 mm long SUV, will be called Jiayue X8 (potentially, X8 in export markets). An SUV to be positioned above the equally new X7, it will be available with five, six or seven seats. The standard engine is said to be a 1.5-litre petrol turbo.

The Jiayue X4 is yet another fresh model for the brand's Chinese market range. A sketch of this 4,410 mm long SUV was publicised by the company in March with the sales launch commencing in June. The term 'Jiayue' is hard to translate but an English equivalent would be the encouragement, 'Go for it!'. The standard engine is a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol turbo and the model itself has strong links to the older Refine S4.

Also announced in March was the larger Jiayue X7, a 4,776 mm long SUV. The powertrain is a 1.5-litre petrol turbo with stated outputs of 174 horsepower and 251 Nm. As with other JAC vehicles, more details, including the expected life cycle actions such as facelift timings, can be found in PLDB.

A third pick-up is due to join the T6 and T8 later in 2020. The T9 (Shuai Ling T9 in the Chinese market), like those trucks, has a ladder-frame construction and there will be RWD and 4WD variants. Prototypes have four full sized doors but there could be other body styles.

The S432 (the codename) will be launched in the Chinese market towards year-end. Engine details for this six-seater crossover are yet to be confirmed.

Reports for many other manufacturers' future models are grouped in the OEM product strategy summaries section of just-auto.com.

Future platform intelligence

More detail on past, current and forthcoming models can be found in PLDB, the future vehicles database which is part of GlobalData's Automotive Intelligence Center. That includes JAC vehicles not reported on above.

The next OEM to have its future model plans looked at will be Mazda.

"Nio and Volkswagen key to future for JAC" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Smoke from the Wapiti Fire is visible from the Grandjean overlook on Idaho Highway 21. (Courtesy of Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team)

Hot, dry weather led to a significant increase in wildfire activity in Idaho this summer, with an elevated risk for wildfire expected to remain in place through September, state officials told Gov. Brad Little on Tuesday.

During a meeting of the Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise on Tuesday, Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller told the board that 400,000 acres of land in Idaho have burned this year.

Miller told land board members the department is requesting a total increase of $3 million in next years budget to help with wildfire fighting efforts. The department is requesting five new positions and funding for travel, training, vehicle repair, computer equipment, new pickup trucks and other maintenance items.

The land board is expected to meet again in September and discuss pay levels for firefighters.

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July saw a strong increase in both fire size and frequency, Miller told Little and other members of the land board.

Miller told the board that the increase in fire size and activity was due in large part to hot, dry conditions.

Temperatures throughout the state were above average, and we had very little precipitation, Miller said, warning the board that wildfire danger still persists throughout the state.

Elevated fire danger is expected throughout Idaho into September, Miller said.

There are several large fires burning across Idaho, and Miller flagged the Flat Fire for Little and other land board members.

The Flat Fire started by lighting Aug. 5 and is burning in Boise County outside of Pioneerville, near the town of Idaho City. As of Tuesday, the fire had burned almost 3,600 acres, with containment estimated at 14%.

The fire is being steered towards the old pioneer burn (area), and right now our folks are working to try to keep that out of the Idaho City community watershed, Miller said.

Boise National Forest officials have issued several closures due to the Flat Fire and other fires burning in the forest. The latest closures in the Boise National Forest are available online.

Overall, there were 12 large wildfires burning in Idaho as of Tuesday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Little recently visited the sites of two large fires, the Texas Fire and Gwen Fire, and met with Lapwai residents and members of the Nez Perce Tribe who were affected by those fires, Miller said.

Section of Idaho Highway 21 closed due to Wapiti Fire

On Tuesday, officials with the Idaho Transportation Department announced they closed a section of Idaho Highway 21 near Grandjean to the Custer County line due to the Wapiti Fire, which is burning in the Boise National Forest.

The Idaho Highway 21 closure means drivers will not be able to use Idaho Highway 21 to travel between Boise and Stanley. Instead, drivers should use an alternate route through Ketchum using Idaho Highway 75, the Idaho Transportation Department said in a press release issued Tuesday.

There is no estimate for when Idaho Highway 21 will reopen, according to the Idaho Transportation Department.

The Wapiti Fire has burned more than 9,000 acres, with containment estimated at 10% as of Tuesday. There were 178 firefighters fighting the Wapiti Fire on Tuesday using 20 engines, a bulldozer, two water tenders and one skidgen, according to the Northern Rockies Team Five incident report. According to the Wapiti Fire report, firefighters are working throughout the day and night to protect structures and buildings in the area, including Sawtooth Lodge in Grandjean. However, crews reported Tuesday an additional structure in the Wapiti summer home area was lost due to showering embers.

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Israel on Tuesday announced the retrieval of the bodies of six hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The six men have been identified and pictured here from top left as Haim Perry, Alexander Dancyg and Nadav Popplewell, pictured here from top left. And from bottom left as Yagev Buchstab, Yoram Metzger and Avraham Munder. Photo courtesy of Israel Defense Forces/X

Aug. 20 (UPI) -- The bodies of six Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza were retrieved during an overnight operation, the Israeli military announced Tuesday.

The Israel Defense Forces identified the bodies in a statement as Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell and Haim Perry.

It said their bodies were retrieved during a joint operation of the IDF and the Shin Bet security agency conducted in the southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis.

"Overnight our forces returned the bodies of six of our hostages that had been held by the murderous Hamas terrorist organization," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said in a statement.

"Our hearts grieve over the terrible loss. My wife, Sara, and I convey our heartfelt condolences to the dear families."

The six men were among the 251 Israelis abducted from Israel on Oct. 7 during Hamas' bloody surprise attack on Israel that ignited the 10-month war. Prior to Tuesday's announcement, 115 were still believed to be held by the Iran-backed militia, many are believe to be dead.

"The recovery of the bodies ... crucially provides their families with necessary closure and grants eternal rest to the murdered," The Hostages and Missing Families Forum organization founded following the Oct. 7 attack said in a statement.

"Israel has a moral and ethical obligation to return all the murdered for dignified burial and to bring all living hostages home for rehabilitation."

The IDF credited the success of the overnight operation to "precise intelligence from the [Israel Securities Authority], intelligence units and the IDF Intelligence Directorate Hostage Headquarters."

Of the six men, four -- Dancyg, 75, Munder, 79, Metzger, 80, and Perry, 80, -- were from Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel that was attacked by Hamas.

Both Popplewell, 51, and Buchshtab, 34, were from Kibbutz Nirim, which is located just east of Khan Yunis in Israel.
IHOPKC says it banned youth group leader accused of abuse. He was still there years later

Reality Check is a Star series holding those with power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email our journalists at RealityCheck@kcstar.com.

International House of Prayer-Kansas City leaders scrambled to respond this month when a man went public with allegations that he was sexually abused as a teen by his volunteer youth group leader.

IHOPKC denied that Larry Lucky had led a youth group or had any key role in its Student Ministries program. It said Lucky had been playing bass guitar on a worship team in the organizations 24/7 Prayer Room and was dismissed in 2010 after a parent reported he was having inappropriate contact with teen boys, alleging that he was showering with them at a local gym.

But evidence is stacking up that contradicts IHOPKCs description of Luckys involvement with the global prayer movement. Facebook posts in 2008 and 2009 indicate that Lucky indeed was leading a youth group of boys. And social media posts and archived videos show that Lucky was playing in the all-night Prayer Room in south Kansas City years beyond the date IHOPKC said he was terminated, leaving many to question whether he ever was dismissed at all.

Even IHOPKC says it doesnt know who made the decision to ban Lucky or who was told about it. In a response to The Star on Friday afternoon, IHOPKC said leadership was still seeking answers to many questions about the allegations against Lucky.

Regarding Mr. Lucky performing in the Prayer Room beyond that date (2010), we have recently learned that in 2018, new Prayer Room leaders, unaware of Mr. Luckys removal, allowed him to play bass, IHOPKC told The Star. He was removed from that worship team as soon as a leader with knowledge of the allegations became aware.

But that still doesnt explain the documentation  including videos and Facebook posts  that shows Lucky also performed at IHOPKC events in 2011, 2020 and 2021.

IHOPKC didnt have answers for those questions in Fridays response. It noted that even some former leaders said they didnt know Lucky was ever banned.

Some former leaders do recall and others do not recall him being banned, it said. We are working to uncover who made the banning decision and to whom it was communicated.

With respect to your other questions about Mr. Luckys involvement, we are working on confirming time and involvement from our records and other sources, but do not have full answers yet. Trying to determine the accuracy of different accounts of his involvement will be part of our investigation.

In Fridays response, IHOPKC said it is committed to handling the challenges that come with running an organization that has thousands of annual attendees and volunteers across several campuses.

In recent years we have made updates to procedures and technology to detect and prevent individuals who have been banned from gaining unauthorized access to our facilities, it said. This includes our security team intercepting and removing banned individuals from the premises, formally trespassing them, and ensuring they are arrested by police if they return.

On Aug. 9, The Star reported allegations by Justin Werner, publicly saying for the first time that Lucky sexually assaulted him in early 2010 when he was 16. At the time, Werner alleged, he was attending Luckys small youth group and seeing him for private counseling. The Star also reported that Werner and other former IHOPKC youth said Lucky would take boys to the gym, then ask them to shower nude with him, telling them he needed to cleanse them of their sins.

Justin Werner, 31, alleges that a former volunteer youth group leader at the International House of Prayer-Kansas City sexually assaulted him when he was 16. Hes filed a police report and the case is under investigation.

Werner filed a police report with the Kansas City Police Department in July 2022, and the case is under review by the Jackson County Prosecutors Office. Lucky called the allegations fabrications and said in an email to The Star that Werner was not 16, but 18, at the time of their meetings. The legal age of consent in Missouri is 17. Lucky did not respond to follow-up questions last week.

Passing the buck and splitting hairs

Reaction to the story has been intense, with former IHOPKC staffers, leaders and supporters expressing outrage at the responses of current leadership as well as those who were in charge of youth programs at the time of the alleged abuse.

All of this passing the buck and splitting hairs is a form of image management, Ally Henny, an author and speaker, wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Just be clear and say that yall didnt adequately monitor who worked in Student Ministries, you didnt have clear policies or training in place to make sure that staff and community members understood parameters with working with minors, and you didnt have adequate HR policies to make it clear which leaders were responsible for folks.

Current IHOPKC leaders, still dealing with the aftermath of a sex scandal involving founder Mike Bickle that surfaced last fall, told The Star this month that it was the first theyd heard of the allegations involving Lucky.

Mike Bickle, founder of IHOPKC

After checking their records, they said Lucky had no official role in IHOPKCs Student Ministries department, did not lead any youth groups and had volunteered a few hours a day for just six weeks in January and February 2010.

They said Lucky played music sets in IHOPKCs 24/7 Prayer Room and worked in the IT department for four months. After a parent reported inappropriate contact alleging that he met up with teen boys at a local community center where they showered together, they said, Lucky was terminated from the Prayer Room and IT positions on Feb. 28, 2010. And two former leaders told The Star that Lucky was banned from the entire missions base.

But archived videos from the Prayer Room show Lucky performing there years later. In one, dated Sept. 3, 2018, Lucky is playing bass guitar.

Another video shows Lucky playing on stage during IHOPKCs 2011 Onething conference, an annual event that was held every December at Bartle Hall, drawing thousands of young adults. And Luckys fiancee  who later became his wife  posted on Facebook in 2020 and 2021 that he was playing in the Prayer Room.

My fiance, Larry Lucky, is about to play live with a band at the international house of prayer, where they have 24/7 prayer and worship in Missouri, she wrote on Oct. 17, 2020. And on Jan. 30, 2021: Husband is playing tonight at the International House of Prayer if you want to tune in live right now and worship.

Musician Gabe Hancock said the Prayer Room staff was never told about the allegations or about Lucky being terminated.

I played with Larry on sets during this time  talked with him before and after sets, Hancock wrote Aug. 10 on X. As a core, full time staff musician, I had no idea of these allegations.

More former staff and leaders spoke out on social media over the weekend.

I was a leader in student ministries at this time, Justin Todd wrote Saturday on X. Was in the staff meetings. This was never mentioned. Larry was allowed around kids and we were never given an ounce of warning from leadership about him. He was actively involved through at least 2011.

Hancock quickly responded: Bro. This has unearthed a whole new level of fury.

I just see the Lord all over you

As for IHOPKCs contention that Lucky did not lead any youth groups, Facebook posts in 2008 and 2009 indicate otherwise.

Just ask Ethan Salyer.

On Sept. 20, 2009, Lucky posted a message on the then-13-year-olds Facebook wall.

Its all true Ethan, you are a young man of God even when u dont feel u are, it said. But the JR high small group meets after the Jr high service for about 45 min (they all do at the moment) And I also have all nighters every month and half too for my small group were we seek the Lord for an extended time. Lots of cool happens  

And in a second post that day, Lucky wrote: The reason I ask is because I just see the Lord all over you and would looove to have you around in Jr. High and in my small group so we can run after the Lord together. If youre ever free and are able to come sometime  you are welcome to come you young man of God!

The International House of Prayer-Kansas City, Nov. 11, 2023.

When The Star article was published this month, Salyer said, several friends sent him screenshots of those posts.

I definitely remember Larry, he said. He was someone who was a pretty prominent figure in a lot of my friends lives.

Salyer said he wasnt super involved with IHOPKCs Student Ministries back then, but many friends were. He said he didnt go to any of the sleepovers that Lucky had for the boys.

I had friends that did, he said. And I almost felt, you know, kind of jealous. I wanted to experience it, because it sounded fun.

Salyer said hed heard the talk about Lucky and the showers, so he wasnt surprised when he saw the story.

But I was a little bit surprised that people have started talking about it, you know, years later.

Now, Salyer said, he believes Lucky was likely grooming him at the time.

Big-time, he said. I had no idea then. But my mother did. She always had a concern about Larry, and so she wouldnt let me go to any of his youth groups, or really be involved with him that much.

Honestly, looking at it now, I feel really lucky.
LEMOORE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  An undercover sting operation in Lemoore found nine unlicensed workers allegedly taking part in illegal contract bidding.

The July 30 and 31 joint operation between the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) and the Kings County District Attorneys Office aimed to find unlicensed workers bidding on projects over $500.

Our main objective in carrying out sting operations is to protect consumers from unqualified contractors, CSLB Registrar David Fogt said. Thats why we urge everyone to always verify a contractors license and obtain at least three bids before starting any home improvement project.

Contractor to pay Fresno $322K after using non-American materials

According to CSLB, any bid over $500 requires a contractors license. Unlicensed workers who accept jobs over this amount can receive misdemeanor charges, up to six months in jail, and a $5,000 criminal fine. Those who are operating without a license can lead to administrative fines of up to $15,000.

The operation also found that two of the workers asked customers for excessive down payments. Contractors can only ask for 10% of the total contract price or $1,000, whichever is less.

In addition to accepting and creating illegal contracts, CSLB says the workers caught in this sting operation may face administrative or criminal charges for illegally advertising construction services without a valid license. Unlicensed workers can advertise for construction services if they clearly state they are not licensed and the total value of their work does not exceed $500.

Undercover Sting Operation in Kings County Nabs Nine Unlicensed Contractors

Undercover Sting Operation in Kings County Nabs Nine Unlicensed Contractors

Undercover Sting Operation in Kings County Nabs Nine Unlicensed Contractors

Officials say the illegal projects put to rest during this operation included concrete work, landscaping, and tree service. The highest bid received was a $7,000 painting project.

According to CSLB, each of the nine workers will have to appear in court.

Those interested in learning more about the licensing process can attend a CSLB virtual workshop, available in both English and Spanish.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Illinois Falsely Accused These Parents of Abusing Their Babyand Now Won't Tell Them Who Actually Did It

Sabra Brucker works as an executive assistant. Her husband, Dagan, is a fifth-generation farmer in Cropsey, Illinois, about 100 miles south of Chicago.

After many years of infertility and miscarriages, they finally became the parents of four young children: Addison, born in 2017; Andi, born in 2019; and twins Aiden and Arie, born prematurely in March 2021.

The Brucker family had never previously endured a run-in with child protective services. A series of medical complications involving the younger twin, Aiden, suddenly changed that. After the parents sought care for their sick child, they were falsely accused of breaking Aiden's ribs and subjected to months of humiliating inequity. And when that was over, the authorities refused to disclose the identity of the actual perpetrator.

"I never thought that this was even humanly possible," says Sabra. "To be honest, I

was probably naive."

When Aiden was 5 months old, the Bruckers discovered he had genetic intestinal malrotationthe same condition that had required emergency surgery to save his older sister Addison's life back when she too was 5 months old.

On August 9, 2021, the Bruckers took Aiden to the OSF Children's Hospital Emergency Room in Peoria, Illinois. He was experiencing intense stomach pain and vomiting, just as his older sister had. Genetic intestinal malrotation can be a life-threatening condition, and it requires immediate, emergency intervention.

Aiden's condition, though serious, was not as immediately life-threatening as Addison's had been. He was given ultrasounds and X-rays for his upper GI track, abdomen, and chest. His intestinal reversal was visualized, but no skeletal concerns were noted. Nevertheless, he was held in the hospital for observation, and subjected to daily, repeated abdominal ultrasounds and chest and abdominal X-rays.

On the fourth day of his stay at the hospital, seven rib fractures became visible on the X-rays. These were all new, non-calcified fractures that had not appeared on earlier X-rays. Rib fractures are viewed by medical profession as evidence of possible abuse.

The Bruckers immediately suspected that the fractures had occurred during the hospital stay itself, possibly due to the extensive handling and exams Aiden had endured. The lack of any signs of these injuries at admission certainly suggested that they had appeared during Aiden's inpatient care. And yet as soon as the fractures were detected, a child abuse hotline call was placed to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) naming the Bruckers as suspected abusers.

Sabra was in a meeting with her boss when she received the news.

"I immediately called my husbandhe was at the hospital with Aidenand I said, 'What is going on?'" Sabra recalls. "I just remember the sheer confusion and fear in his

voice."

Sabra and Dagan were not quick to point fingers, but they did wonder if the hospital was aware of its own potential liability when it accused them of causing the fractures.

Following the call to the child abuse hotline, a state-contracted child abuse pediatrician, Channing Petrak, assumed the role of directing Aiden's medical testing as a suspected child abuse victim. Petrak oversees child abuse cases under a subcontract her office holds with the DCFS for central Illinois. While not a hospital employee, she is viewed as the head of the hospital's child abuse team. In that capacity, she was empowered to decide which tests Aiden needed in order to confirm or rule out abuse.

She was also immediately enlisted to discuss the case with DCFS and the police and to determine whether child abuse had occurred. If she believed it had, her role would include testifying against the parents in the event the case went to court.

Petrak was responsible for testing not just Aiden but the other Brucker children as well. While parents have the right to refuse medical procedures that are not required by a court order or emergency, the fear of CPS retribution looms large.

On multiple occasions, Sabra requested a meeting with Petrak and the OSF team to ensure the timeline of the injuries was clear. She felt it necessary that everyone understand the fractures had not been present on Aiden's body upon admission, as shown by multiple X-ray examinations. Clarifying this, she thought, would allow her and Dagan to work alongside the hospital to identify their underlying cause.

Sabra even wrote on the whiteboard the team used for notes: "Can we clarify Xray finds with DCFS?" and snapped a photo of it.

"I wanted a picture with a time stamp because no one would speak to me," she says.

Sabra's requests were ignored.

Brucker family (Brucker family)

Meanwhile, Petrak pushed the family to authorize an MRI, which would require Aiden to fast for eight hours and then undergo general anesthesia and be intubated. As there was no suspicion of other injuries that would have made an MRI useful, the Bruckers tried to object.

In response, the hospital threatened the family with a court order that would require Aiden to remain in the hospital's care pending a judicial order for the MRI. Since complying with the MRI demand seemed to be the only way to bring their son home quickly, Sabra comforted Aiden through the fast, and handed him over to the hospital's staffwho sedated and intubated him, and proceeded with the MRI.

The other Brucker childrenages four, two and now six monthswere also subjected to observation at their home. These included visual exams of their genitals.

The state even demanded that the 4-year-old daughter, Addison, submit to a forensic interrogator. This investigator reported that Addison was very "sweet" and "polite," and no concerns were noted from her 2-hour interview.

Meanwhile, DCFS determined that the Bruckers could not take Aiden home by themselves upon his discharge. Instead, the agency demanded the family find someone else to take care of their four children. That person could do so at the Bruckers' home, and Sabra and Dagan could live therebut they would not be allowed to be alone with their children at any time. If they not did find a caregiver to watch the kids 24/7, the children would be taken into foster care and placed with strangers.

Sabra's parents, Don and Shari Boyd, lived 273 miles away. Thankfully, Shari was on hand to help out, even though she was in the middle of breast cancer treatment.

Diane Redleaf, a defense attorney who co-chairs the National Coalition to End Hidden Foster Care, says that the Bruckers' experience is commonplace. Efforts are underway to secure reforms that would allow families like the Bruckers to have some recourse when they are threatened with having their kids taken away.

This arrangement for the children was supposed to last for just two to five days, but DCFS kept extending it. The caseworker even reminded grandma Shari that she couldn't use the bathroom without taking the kids in with her. Sabra and Dagan's nighttime feedings of their baby twins also had to be supervised by Shari.

The Bruckers wanted to object, but they felt they had no choice.

This led to odd situations, such as Dagan not being able to have his kids take turns riding the combine with himtheir favorite fall activity. The combine had only two seats, so if one of the children rode along, Shari and the other three children would have to somehow ride along too, or the government's plan would be violated.

As the weeks dragged on, the Bruckers worked to demonstrate that the abuse allegations against them were false. A University of Chicago pediatric orthopedic specialist, Christopher Sullivan, saw Aiden in his office and reviewed his radiology imaging and lab testing, formally concluding that the timing of the fractures' first appearance made it impossible for them to have occurred prior to the hospital admission.

Sullivan also noticed that Aiden had very low Vitamin D and high parathyroid hormone levels, which made his bones extremely fragile. He concluded that the likeliest explanation for the fractures was routine handling at the hospital.

Despite this reportand many letters from the Bruckers' pediatrician, family members, friends, and teachersDCFS's restrictions persisted.

Meanwhile, DCFS came to suspect that the Bruckers' day care providers were Aiden's possible abuse perpetrators. For that reason, DCFS told the Bruckers they could no longer send their kids there. Everyone who had ever been in contact with Aiden before his hospital stay had suddenly become a suspect.

Sabra requested that their two older children be allowed to keep going to their day care with their familiar friends and routinesbut the caseworker said no. The caseworker also continued to demand weekly check-ins with the Bruckers. Each time, she insisted on strip-searching the twins and commenting on natural bodily features, such as inverted nipples.

As the family languished, Sabra checked the mail one day and was shocked to find a bill from the hospital for over $60,000. Her private insurance provider had denied the payment for Aiden's MRI as "medically unnecessary." The Bruckers told the hospital's billing department that they had not requested the MRI; it was done at the behest of Petrak. Soon after this, the Bruckers' billing records disappeared from their file at the hospital.

Illinois gives DCFS 60 days to complete an investigation. Knowing this, the Brucker family decided on day 60 that they had had enough of the "voluntary safety plan." They hired a lawyer with DCFS experience who confirmed their right to terminate the plan. He notified DCFS accordingly.

Three months later, in January 2022, a caseworker from a different DCFS regional office phoned Sabra to say their investigation file had been transferred. Since the children had not been seen by DCFS in several months, the new caseworker wanted to come observe them. The family declined this request. The new DCFS caseworker also informed Sabra that the Bruckers' case file was completely empty of investigative notes.

In March, and again in October, 14 months after the case had begun, the Bruckers' attorney submitted a complaint to the DCFS Inspector General. In November 2022, he received a response saying the inspector general was unable to investigate this complaint because the case was still open. The Bruckers couldn't help but wonder whether DCFS was keep the status of the investigation ambiguous in order to avoid accountability.

Finally, in November 2023, the Bruckers received a letter from DCFS stating that the case was now closed and Dagan and Sabra were cleared of any wrongdoing. Curiously, the letter claimed that "someone" had been "substantiated" as Aiden's abuser.

The Bruckers filed an inquiry as to who that person was. They were told they had no right to see these records.

Brucker family (Brucker family)

Neither Petrak nor the hospital responded to a request for comment. A spokesperson for DCFS declared in a statement: "DCFS is mandated by Illinois statute to investigate any allegations of child abuse or neglect that is reported to our agency."

In situations like the Bruckers', which are far too numerous to be viewed as aberrations, concerns about children's health and well-being are cited as pretexts to legitimize witch hunts against parents and other caregivers. These investigations have lasting consequences. The Brucker children were left with extreme separation anxiety. Sabra experienced debilitating post-traumatic stress disorder. The family considered suing the caseworkers but decided that litigation would force them to relive the horror.

But they did decide to speak out about their harrowing experience. They want people to understand that the state's so-called voluntary safety plan did was neither voluntary nor safeit was a sham.

Thankfully, Aiden's medical condition has resolved, and he's now in excellent physical shape.

"He's growing, cute, talking, very healthy now," says Sabra.

Meanwhile, Petrak recently became president of the board of directors of the National Children's Alliance. The organization oversees funding and accrediting for child advocacy centers, where allegedly abused children are interviewed and assessed across the country.

The post Illinois Falsely Accused These Parents of Abusing Their Babyand Now Won't Tell Them Who Actually Did It appeared first on Reason.com.
BOSTON (SHNS)  After U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren sided with Republicans to shoot down an immigration reform bill last spring, the three Republicans vying for her seat this fall have differing opinions on how to handle the immigration crisis that most Bay Staters say is a top concern this election year.

During a Sunday debate hosted by WBZ, of the three Republican primary candidates up for the Senate seat  Bob Antonellis of Medford, Ian Cain of Quincy and John Deaton of Bolton  only Deaton said he would have supported the federal immigration deal that was blocked by Senate Republicans and a few progressive Democrats, including Warren and Sen. Ed Markey earlier this year.

Gov. Maura Healey has pointed to that bills failure as a contributor to the states migrant crisis, as the state has spent more than $1 billion in the last year on an emergency shelter system that has strained under a flood of new arrivals.

The bill would have steered billions towards the crisis and included tougher standards on asylum, automatic shutdowns of the border if illegal crossings exceeded certain limits, expansion of work permits and funding to help state and local governments handle the migrant influx. Former President Donald Trump reportedly encouraged Senate Republicans to kill the bill.

In his response to moderator Jon Kellers question about whether he would have supported the bill, Deaton referenced the Healey administrations temporary conversion of a Roxbury recreation center into overflow housing for families seeking shelter, many of them refugees.

When they took that rec center from the poor kids in Roxbury, someplace I lived my first year of law school here in Boston, New England School of Law, it hit home. And I went to the border and what I learned is shocking  50 percent of the fentanyl entering Massachusetts is coming from the Yuma crossing. Theyre giving asylum court dates of 2032 and 2033, eight, nine years from now, he said.

He continued, Twelve million people have crossed when you count getaways. So even if you assume 99 percent are good people who just want a better life, something I can identify with, even if 1 percent is bad, thats 120,000 people. Its a national security crisis. So I would have voted for that bill because it stopped the bleeding.

Deaton said it wasnt a perfect bill, but that it was a first step towards addressing the crisis.

Cain, a city councilor in Quincy where the Healey administration is hosting one of its welcome centers for asylum seekers and other legally present new arrivals, said he wouldnt have supported the bill in the way that it was presented.

He referred to it as a Chuck Schumer progressive open border bill that didnt get to the heart of the matter.

If you talk to voters across Massachusetts, irrespective of their party affiliation, illegal immigration is the number one issue on their minds. People are looking for, again, a sensible solution to closing the border, adjudicating the backlog of illegal immigrants that have arrived here to this country, ending the catch and release program, and then figuring out how to get back to a normal legal immigration pathway for people that want to come here the right way, Cain said.

Antonellis, who wore a Make America Great Again hat on the debate stage, called the bill a red herring, blaming President Joe Biden for unraveling the border and said if Donald Trump is reelected he could fix it immediately.

In response to Deatons comment that the bill would have stopped the bleeding while allowing for additional reform, Antonellis said Trump could sign an executive order to address the border crisis without lawmaker involvement.

Stop the bleeding, thats exactly what an executive order is meant to do. And that is to do something. So your red herring is actually do nothing, spending a lot of money. And how many transgender bathrooms are in that bill too? We dont even know. They put all kinds of stuff into these bills. And an executive order would have solved that problem immediately, Antonellis said.

Cain followed up by saying that he would support banning sanctuary states, cities and towns.

People very well know were in this position that we are in in Massachusetts, which is enduring financial and physical burden here, because of the right-to-shelter law, he said.

Deaton accused his opponents of not being willing to do anything about immigration.

I think it says a lot that my two opponents on this stage actually shared the same position as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and that is to do nothing and to not vote for it, he said. The immigration issue here in Massachusetts is taxing our infrastructure, our hotels, our urgent cares, our schools. We have to do something about it.

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April Hiosik Ignacio made testimony at The Road to Healing tour last year at the Gila River Indian Community. (Photo/Darren Thompson for Native News Online)

Former Indian boarding school attendees in and around New York are invited to participate in a listening session hosted by the Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) in Oneida, New York, next week.

From August 26-29, NABS staff will conduct oral history interviews with those who sign up. In order to participate, NASBS says, you must have attended a federally supported boarding school before 1970.

Last September, The Department of the Interior granted NABS $4 million to support their existing work of gathering first-person survivor narratives and establishing an oral history collection of Indian boarding school survivors. Survivors will have the opportunity to make their interviews available to federal partners, Tribal governments, policymakers and researchers, and the public, according to the Interior Department.

The work complements the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, launched by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland in May 2022. The initiative called for a nine-month investigation into the fraught legacy of Indian Boarding Schools that the U.S. government ran or supported for a century and a half and resulted in two volumes of more than 100-page reports, penned by Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Bryan Newland.

As part of Newlands initial recommendations, Secretary Haaland launched The Road to Healing, a year-long tour in May 2022 to meet with boarding school survivors and their descendants across the country and hear their stories.

NABS work of collecting oral histories will add to Haalands Road to Healing work to build a permanent oral histories collection on federal Indian boarding schools.

To sign up for next weeks listening session, visit https://www.tfaforms.com/5092936. For a full list of federally supported Indian boarding schools, click here.

About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. "

Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net
A new study indicates a strong water supply in Indiana, but a greater, more urgent need for management planning. (Photo from the Central Indiana Land Trust)

As Indiana contemplates a massive and controversial water pipeline, a new study shows that the states water supply is plentiful, but not evenly distributed. Researchers said that caveat makes completion of a statewide water management plan  driven by local input  even more urgent.

The report, released Monday, was commissioned by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. It follows a similar study on the states water supply released by the chamber a decade ago.

Greg Ellis, vice president of energy and environmental policy for the Indiana chamber, said the goal is to help set the stage for an integrated water management plan for the state  a key infrastructure and energy priority in the chambers Indiana Prosperity 2035 plan.

Like the first effort, the latest study was prepared by Texas-based environmental consulting firm INTERA Incorporated, which has a location in Bloomington.

The Indiana chamber has prioritized the state having superior infrastructure and energy through its latest visioning plan for the state.  The specific water goal is to invest in a framework and planning to address fresh and wastewater needs on a statewide and regional basis to meet current and future demand for economic development, Ellis said. We believe this study offers the guidance to help us get there. It looks at the current water levels and what legislators and planners can do to ensure that the state is in the strongest future position possible.

Story continues below.

INChamber_WaterStudy_2024

The study doesnt specifically focus on a much-debated plan to pipe water from an aquifer in Tippecanoe County to a mammoth industrial campus in Boone County, though researchers did note that the project has brought the conversation about water resource planning and industrial development to the forefront.

The project supported by Indiana economic development officials  dubbed the Limitless Exploration/Advanced Pace (LEAP) Research and Innovation District  could bring construction of a pipeline that stretches 50 miles, carrying up to 100 million gallons of water daily.

Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly & Co. has planned a $3.7 billion facility at LEAP; the state is also competing to attract a water-guzzling semiconductor manufacturing facility worth $50 billion and other large plants. But Boone County alone doesnt have enough water to support the campus.

State officials are continuing to study the feasibility of the pipeline and its potential impacts on regional water supplies. A separate, multi-phase INTERA study  funded by the Indiana Economic Development Corp.  showed abundant water availability, but the analysis was criticized for its independence.

At Gov. Eric Holcombs behest, the Indiana Finance Authority assumed control of a more comprehensive water study in November. Initial study results released in June concluded that water withdrawals in the states north-central region have dropped  not risen  over the last two decades. A more exhaustive analysis is expected this fall.

The question is about how much water is there in the basin, and how much would any proposed withdrawal affect that total?  We dont know yet, because those studies are not yet finished, said Jack Wittman, vice president and principal water resource hydrologist for INTERA. There is no shortage (of water) in the state. What there is  there might be management questions and management tasks, but thats about it. Its not really about, is there enough to satisfy the needs of all of the different users? Its more about, can we manage the supplies? Can we build the infrastructure to do that?

Water in Indiana is plentiful, but not evenly distributed

Indiana has abundant water resources, but that abundance varies from north to south, according to the study.

For example, north of the Wabash River, every community, manufacturer and irrigator reportedly has access to their own local groundwater or stream, researchers said. Because of the thicker, more productive aquifers in northern Indiana, most landowners can supply their homes with a shallow well and high-capacity wells rarely fail.

In central Indiana, however, water has to be well-managed to meet demand, given that it contains a diversity of sources like reservoirs, rivers and well fields. Researchers noted there are some counties in the central region of the state that have very limited aquifers and few streams, but regional supplies from neighboring counties or utilities are likely available.

And in southern Indiana, regional water systems have long been the foundation of growth and economic development, relying since the 1960s on sources that include Patoka Lake, Monroe Lake and Brookville Reservoir, according to the report.

Southern Indiana supplies are dominated by regional reservoirs, and a collection of county rural water districts who supply their systems from small reservoirs or water purchased wholesale from distant supplies, the report said. The communities in Southern Indiana built resilient utilities by sourcing water from relatively distant, high-yield regional water supplies across multiple counties.

Additionally, the study found that while total withdrawals for industrial use are declining overall, capacity may be added regionally as opportunities open for new development.

To avoid conflict, the study authors maintained that new facilities need to have access to adequate cooling and process water as well as guidance for planning new wastewater returns. In previous decades, industrial water use steadily declined and the use of surface water correspondingly dropped.

New developments could reverse this trend, so the state needs to consider these plans carefully as the availability within any basin is determined, the study noted. Where local supplies are unable to satisfy demands for process water, proposals for inter-basin transfers need to be developed with some basic guidance and direction from the state.

The report also points out that groundwater withdrawal has increased more rapidly than surface water diversions since the last chamber study in 2014. Researchers said the states aquifers are becoming increasingly important as a means of satisfying seasonal demands while controlling costs of treatment and conveyance.

I think that the northern part of the state has huge resources, and so that gives some room to maneuver. But it still needs to be careful for a bunch of reasons, with how the use affects people in the region, Wittman said, adding that the southern part of the state already has these large reservoirs, so it has resources already developed in certain locations. And I think those should be where clusters of development occur, just because the water is there.

But the middle of the state is an area that has extremely variable water availability, he continued. The middle of the state is probably where management is going to be most intensive, most careful. There will need to be enough data to actually make decisions. So, thats probably the area that I would focus on (in regards to planning). Its also where a lot of growth is happening  Central Indiana is where theres a lot of people, where there are growing communities and industry.

Better management to meet demand

Because each tier of the state has different access to water and widely different experience moving the resource from distant sources of supply, the report emphasized varying levels of trust and comfort among different water user communities as they identify and then solve their common water supply issues.

In the North, there is a large gap between what people know (i.e., independent utilities, each with adequate supplies) and what regional planning requires. In Central Indiana utilities have only had a few years of experience talking about their future plans. However, these regional collaborative meetings have become a forum for discussions that avoid conflict with industrial water users and expand their supplies to satisfy growth, the study authors said.

In southern Indiana, researchers further said there are fewer discussions about working together than in central Indiana because regionalization is the status quo  water utilities and industry have an available set of supply solutions. Unlike the other parts of the state, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources works with communities who withdraw water from the regional reservoirs and pipe it to its destination.

Recommendations outlined in the study include further emphasis on planning; continued coordination by the Indiana Finance Authority to evaluate water infrastructure needs and solutions; sustainable statewide funding; establishing criteria for setting environmental flows and a framework for data monitoring; developing guidance for regional plans; and cultivating a living state water plan (to build on regional plans).

The state has a job to do before the regions can begin their work, Wittman said, referring to ongoing data gathering at the state level. The state has the job of looking at and inventorying the water supply and water availability. And thats the first step. And then the handoff has to happen to the regions.

Chamber leadership said using the water study findings to craft meaningful legislation and processes will be the next phase of work.

Local governments need to be more involved in the process, Wittman suggested. There are experiences that counties have now with being more directly involved in the question of water. That needs to be brought to the table and considered.

Ellis said the chamber will meet with lawmakers ahead of the next session to go over the research and to help shape policy as we move into 2025.

Well also be reaching out to local chambers and government officials across the state to share this study and provide this information, especially in communities that feel like theyre impacted by this, he continued.

Even so, Wittman said it will likely take another five to 10 years for a state management plan to come full circle.

The time really has a lot to do with how much funding and urgency that the legislature sees, he said. And I think that the one good thing about the LEAP project was that it helped people see why what were doing today might not be enough. It helps us see what other things we can do to make sure that we already anticipated these questions, and were ready with information and data.

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MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11)  August 17th marked the 79th anniversary of the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence.

To celebrate, the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia prepared a week of festivities, culminating in the vibrant Indonesian Street Festival on Saturday, August 24.

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The free event will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in front of the consulate building on East 68th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenue.

This year, the festival will celebrate Jakarta with cultural performances, authentic Indonesian cuisine, and activities for all ages.

The street will be closed to traffic and lined with vendors. Visitors can purchase popular Indonesian dishes such as bakso, a savory meatball soup, and rendang, a meat typically stewed in coconut milk and spices.

Credit: Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia

Attendees can also enjoy satay or marinated meat skewers while watching traditional dance performances and a fashion show featuring vibrant colors of Indonesian attire.

The festival, which attracted over 2,500 attendees last year despite rainy conditions, has become increasingly popular.

Indonesias new capital isnt ready yet. The president is celebrating Independence Day there anyway

A spokesperson from City Hall sent the following statement about the celebration: From day one, Mayor Adams has been clear that celebrations in our city should be welcoming and inclusive. Festivals, ethnic parades, and flag raisings all allow communities to honor the roots of their ancestors and celebrate their cultural backgrounds. The emphasis of the mayor has always been community first, to respect and honor the grace that entails and come together as one, as we set politics aside and embrace the rich melting pot that is New York City.

2024 also marks the 75th year of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and the United States.

Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. 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.
(Bloomberg) -- Chartreuse green. Coconut trees. Venn diagrams. Theyre motifs of a brat summer that has memed Kamala Harris into a narrow but perceptible lead against the master of social media  Donald Trump.

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Now, as she prepares to be coronated as her partys nominee in a presidential campaign dominated more by vibes than policy, Harris needs to keep the momentum going. So she is turning to about 200 social-media influencers, who for the first time ever have received privileges such as access to delegates and studio space at the Democratic National Convention.

Its a reflection of the campaigns belief that social media creators are at least as important as traditional media organizations for getting its message to voters. Whats more, some of them  not bound by journalistic doctrine against the appearance of bias  will even make speeches at the DNC in Chicago to rally support for Harris.

Monday night featured Deja Foxx, a Columbia University graduate whose website describes her as an activist leading thought at the intersection of social justice and social media. She is focused on reproductive rights, an issue that has given Democrats ammunition against the Republicans after a conservative majority in the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wades federal abortion protections.

@deja_foxx

#DNC Day 0 #OOTD

 BIRDS OF A FEATHER sped up - Lilly ????

Shell deliver a future where we can decide if and when to start a family, a future where we can afford rent and groceries, a future where were not crushed under student debt, a future where any free lunch kid can walk through the gates of their dream college, said Foxx, who has almost 140,000 followers on TikTok and about 52,000 followers on Instagram. For young people, this is a fight for our future.

On Sunday, after arriving in Chicago for the convention, she posted two outfit check videos in which she sported a Stella McCartney dress that she said shed bought secondhand and a vintage 2020 primaries Kamala tee featuring a childhood picture of Harris in pigtails.

Foxx, who worked on Harris failed bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, is now based in Arizona, where polls show a tight presidential race. Republicans are pushing border security where they sense Harris could be vulnerable, but face their own challenges on reproductive rights. An amendment to enshrine abortion protections in the states constitution will be on the ballot in November, which could fuel Democratic turnout.

Story continues

Apart from Foxx, four other influencers  Olivia Julianna, Carlos Eduardo Espina, Nabela Noor and John Russell  will speak at the DNC this week, according to a person familiar with the matter. Theyll share the same spotlight reserved for Harris and her running mate Tim Walz, as well as the most powerful Democrats, including Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Bill and Hillary Clinton.

On the sidelines of the convention Monday, online influencers were provided a special pavilion and luxury box to promote Harris candidacy. Democratic aides brought officials over to a blue carpet to be interviewed by the social media stars, who sipped free beer while cutting videos. In the convention hall, some had prepositioned ring lights to capture themselves during some of the more marquee events.

Im not sure I understand it in its entirety, but I think its important and certainly it seems to be impactful with young people in particular, so youve got to embrace it, said Congressman Jesus "Chuy" Garcia of Illinois, referring to the content creators.

The focus on influencers stands in contrast to the Harris campaigns approach so far to journalists. Since Bidens exit from the race, the vice president hasnt sat for an interview with a news organization or taken questions from reporters at a formal press conference. Her opponent Trump is engaging more with the press in a bid to goad Harris into unscripted settings herself, in the hope that she stumbles or reverts back to the more liberal policy positions she espoused before joining Bidens 2020 campaign as his running mate.

Harris has pledged to do a sit-down interview before the end of the month.

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Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar on Monday celebrated the Democratic partys recent success on social media, particularly compared with former president Trump's past dominance. One of the frustrations for us and our party is that these guys just captured the Internet, she told a group of New York delegates at the DNC. Not this time.

Klobuchar highlighted the surfacing of controversial comments made by Trump running mate JD Vance disparaging childless cat ladies,'' sparking blowback not just from Democrats but also some Republicans.

When we found that video on cat ladies, the cat ladies of the country united, she said. When they go after Kamala for coconut trees, theres coconut memes, theres brat summer, theres her laugh set to Zoom music. We have taken this back.

Though Vance clarified that he was criticizing the Democratic Party for becoming anti-family and anti-child, rather than targeting people who couldnt have kids, his original remarks have contributed to a view that the GOP ticket is adversarial to women. The influencer Noor, set to speak on Tuesday at the DNC and whose social media feeds feature everything from recipes to makeup tips and travelogues, has spoken passionately on her YouTube channel, where she has over 1 million followers, about the challenges she and her husband faced in conceiving a child.

@nabela

Lets talk. ????

 original sound - nabela

While thats likely to resonate with Democratic diehards at the DNC, a pinned video on her TikTok account also provides a window into a challenge the Democrats are contending with among the Gen Z crowd. Noor speaks about why she deleted an earlier post expressing compassion for the innocent civilians affected by the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, a militant group designated a terrorist organization by the US and European Union.

I just assumed that all of my followers knew of my past posts and support for the Palestinian cause in the past year, she said in the video, while simultaneously applying makeup. If I could do one thing differently, it would be to be even clearer about my support for the Palestinian movement for peace and freedom while still sharing my sympathy of course for Israeli civilians.

The elevation of influencers like Noor is the partys attempt to capture the attention of young voters, a core component of the Democratic base that was unenthusiastic about Bidens bid for reelection. Since his exit from the race, theyve warmed to Harris, but some of them are still skeptical of the vice president's response to the Israel-Hamas war.

Noors video clarifying her views on the conflict shows how the turmoil in Gaza continues to be the biggest and most divisive issue driving many young Democrats to turn on the party. Harris has adopted a more sympathetic tone than Biden toward the plight of Palestinians, but her refusal to disavow Israel  which has been bombarding Gaza as part of its stated goal of eliminating Hamas  has angered the activists.

#BREAKINGNEWS MIC DROP! Vice President and Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris tells hecklers. "If you want Donald Trump then just say that. Otherwise I am Speaking." ???? pic.twitter.com/IIhJlzXPsN

 Ford News (@FordJohnathan5) August 8, 2024

Chicago has been bracing for protests over the conflict after pro-Palestinian groups planned mass demonstrations urging followers to Shut Down the DNC for Gaza!. Through Monday afternoon, thousands of demonstrators have marched the citys streets.

Harris has also faced off against protesters during her campaign. Kamala, Kamala you cant hide! We wont vote for genocide, a group of them yelled at a rally in Detroit earlier this month. The visibly annoyed vice president responded: You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, Im speaking.

Among the other influencers scheduled to speak at the convention, Espina is the most popular on TikTok, with over 10 million followers on the platform. His focus is immigration, among the top concerns for voters in this election cycle and a cudgel that Trump and the GOP frequently pick up to attack Democrats.

Its a vulnerability for Harris in particular. Republicans have seized on the vice presidents portfolio that included addressing the root causes of migration.

Espina, 25, makes videos targeted toward uplifting the immigrant community. Earlier in the summer, he filmed a video with Biden after the president announced a policy that looks to expand options for certain undocumented individuals and some spouses of US citizens. In a more recent video, he filmed himself in Chicago, saying he was in the middle of the action to keep his audience informed.

There should be no wrong door for engaging with voters, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said at an event on Monday. Were speaking to them about the issues that matter most, and Ive been really impressed, starting with brat summer to the work thats going on now online. It's been very, very impressive. Im someone who really enjoys communicating with my fellow Pennsylvanians on Tiktok, Instagram, wherever. It is really important to meet people where they are.

--With assistance from Amanda L Gordon, Hadriana Lowenkron, Maria Elena Vizcaino, Ella Ceron, Miranda Davis, Isis Almeida and Skylar Woodhouse.

(Updates with comment from Illinois congressman in 10th paragraph)

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2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Inside Barack Obama and Joe Biden's political relationship, from their 'bromance' to their reported falling out

Barack Obama and Joe Biden's "bromance" is widely celebrated, but their relationship is complex.

Tensions simmered when Obama favored Hillary Clinton over Biden in the 2016 election.

Obama reportedly expressed doubts about Biden's ability to win in 2024 after his disastrous debate.

Former President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden's close friendship became a widely celebrated "bromance" during the Obama White House years.

While the two share a close bond, their political relationship has also included disagreements and periods of tension, especially amid Biden's decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race.

Here's a look inside Obama and Biden's close yet complex friendship.

Joe Biden and Barack Obama briefly ran against each other in the 2008 Democratic primaries

Joe Biden and Barack Obama during a Democratic primary debate. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

During his campaign, Biden garnered criticism for describing Obama as "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy" in a 2007 interview with the New York Observer.

Obama told CNN that Biden called him to apologize and issued a statement: "I didn't take Sen. Biden's comments personally, but obviously they were historically inaccurate. African-American presidential candidates like Jesse Jackson, Shirley Chisholm, Carol Moseley Braun, and Al Sharpton gave a voice to many important issues through their campaigns, and no one would call them inarticulate."

In his presidential memoir, "A Promised Land," Obama wrote that Biden's description was "surely meant as a compliment."

In January 2008, Obama won the Iowa caucus, and Biden dropped out of the race after placing fifth.

Obama chose Biden as his running mate, citing his foreign-policy experience and ability to work a room

Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, and Joe Biden on the campaign trail. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Obama wrote in "A Promised Land" that he narrowed his choice of running mate down to Biden and Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia.

Despite Biden's occasional gaffes, Obama wrote that he found the contrast between himself and Biden, a career politician 19 years his senior, "compelling."

"What mattered most, though, was what my gut told me  that Joe was decent, honest, and loyal," Obama wrote. "I believed that he cared about ordinary people, and that when things got tough, I could trust him. I wouldn't be disappointed."

Obama and Biden's close bond in the White House became widely regarded as a 'bromance'

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden head towards the Oval Office Private Dining Room for lunch. White House/Pete Souza

During their time in the White House, Obama and Biden met for weekly lunches. Photos showing their close friendship in the White House sparked memes celebrating their rapport.

Obama poked fun at their friendship at the 2014 White House Correspondents Dinner, saying "We've gotten so close, there's places in Indiana that won't serve us pizza anymore," a reference to the controversy surrounding an Indiana pizza restaurant whose owners said they would refuse to cater same-sex weddings.

When People magazine asked Michelle Obama and Jill Biden about the "bromance" between their husbands in 2016, Jill Biden responded, "Oh, isn't that hysterical?"

"They're going to be eating ice cream somewhere, I'm sure," Jill Biden said of Biden and Obama's post-White House plans.

They were occasionally out of step, such as when Biden endorsed same-sex marriage before Obama had gone public with his support

Joe Biden on "Meet the Press." William B. Plowman/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

In an appearance on "Meet the Press" in May 2012, Biden said that he was "absolutely comfortable" with same-sex marriage. However, Obama had not yet publicly expressed his support.

Politico reported that Obama had planned to endorse same-sex marriage ahead of the 2012 Democratic National Convention in September, and Biden had "forced Obama's hand" on the issue. Days after Biden's "Meet the Press" appearance, Obama expressed his view that "same-sex couples should be able to get married" in an interview with ABC News.

Still, they showed up for each other when it mattered, like when Biden's son, Beau Biden, died of cancer in 2015

Barack Obama and Joe Biden at Beau Biden's funeral. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

During Beau Biden's cancer treatment, Biden told Obama during one of their weekly lunches that he was considering taking out a second mortgage on his house to support his son's family, Biden wrote in "Promise Me, Dad."

Biden wrote that Obama told him, "Don't do that. I'll give you the money."

When Beau Biden died, Obama delivered a eulogy.

"Beau Biden was an original," Obama said. "He was a good man. A man of character. A man who loved deeply, and was loved in return."

Tensions simmered when Biden considered running for president in 2016, but Obama backed Hillary Clinton

Joe Biden and Barack Obama in the Oval Office as Biden prepared to announce that he would not seek the presidential nomination in 2016. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

In "Promise Me, Dad," Biden wrote that Obama was "not encouraging" of his potential 2016 presidential run.

"I also believe he had concluded that Hillary Clinton was almost certain to be the nominee, which was good by him," he wrote.

Clinton ultimately lost the 2016 election to Donald Trump.

They ended their time in the White House on good terms as Obama surprised Biden with a Presidential Medal of Freedom

Barack Obama awarded Joe Biden a Presidential Medal of Freedom. AP

Days before Donald Trump's inauguration in 2017, Obama awarded Biden with the nation's highest civilian honor, calling him "the finest vice president we have ever seen" and "a lion of American history."

"This also gives the internet one last chance to talk about our bromance," Obama joked.

Biden was emotional during the surprise ceremony.

"Mr. President, this honor is not only well beyond what I deserve, but it's a reflection on the extent and generosity of your spirit," Biden said. "I don't deserve this, but I know it came from the president's heart."

Obama didn't endorse any candidate in the 2020 Democratic primaries but campaigned for Biden once he became the presumptive nominee

Barack Obama and Joe Biden on the campaign trail. Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Politico reported in 2020 that the relationship between Obama and Biden's political operations was still strained over Obama's attempts to dissuade Biden from running in 2016. Obama also reportedly expressed doubt about Biden's 2020 prospects in private conversations with staffers.

Obama endorsed Biden days after Sen. Bernie Sanders dropped out of the race and voiced his support for Biden's campaign, making Biden the presumptive nominee.

At the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Obama spoke highly of his former vice president.

"Twelve years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I didn't know I'd end up finding a brother," he said.

Biden proved naysayers wrong when he defeated Trump in the 2020 election.

Biden and Obama appeared chummy once again while unveiling the Obamas' official White House portraits in 2022

Barack Obama and Joe Biden at the White House. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Obama and Michelle Obama made their first joint return to the White House in 2022 to unveil their official portraits.

In his speech, Obama referred to Biden as "vice president" before clarifying, "That was a joke" and hugging him.

"I heard some changes have been made by the current president since I was last here," he said, continuing to poke fun at Biden. "Apparently Secret Service agents have to wear aviator glasses now. The Navy mess has been replaced by a Baskin Robbins. And there's a cat running around. I guarantee you Bo and Sunny would have been very unhappy about."

Biden, in turn, began his remarks by introducing himself as "Barack Obama's vice president" and saying that having Obama back in the White House "feels like the good old days."

Obama began sharing doubts about Biden's ability to win in 2024 after the president's disastrous debate performance against Trump, according to reports

Joe Biden and Barack Obama at a fundraiser. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Biden's poor debate performance proved disastrous for his campaign. The president appeared frail and offered convoluted answers to questions, sparking panic among Democrats and raising questions about his age and fitness for another four-year term.

An anonymous former Obama aide told The New York Times that Obama was "startled" by how Biden had "aged and seemed disoriented" when they appeared together at a campaign fundraiser in June.

Citing multiple sources familiar with the private conversations, The Washington Post reported that Obama had begun sharing his doubts about Biden's ability to win the election against Trump.

On MSNBC's "Morning Joe," host Joe Scarborough said that members of Biden's campaign believed that Obama was supporting opposition to Biden's candidacy from within the Democratic party.

At the time, representatives for Obama and the Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Biden ultimately bowed out of the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Biden immediately endorsed Harris after announcing his exit from the race on July 21, while Obama held off on endorsing Harris until July 26.

Biden will address the Democratic National Convention on Monday, while Obama is scheduled to speak on Tuesday.

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Inside the Case of Mom-to-Be Who Vanished from Military Barracks  as Army Announces Husband Is in Custody

Mischa Johnson, 19, was six months pregnant when she disappeared on the evening of July 31

Army CID Mischa Johnson

A pregnant woman in Hawaii vanished in late July and now her husband, a U.S. Army soldier, has been placed in military custody in connection with her disappearance, authorities said.

Mischa Johnson, 19, was last seen on the evening of July 31 inside her home at Schofield Army Barracks in Oahu and reported missing the next day, according to the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.

She was six months pregnant when she disappeared.

In an update on Monday, Aug. 19, the 25th Infantry Division said in a statement that an individual has been placed into military custody in the Mischa Johnson missing person case."

Mischa Johnsons husband, Private First Class Dewayne Arthur Johnson II, is currently in military pretrial confinement in Hawaii," the statement says.

It is unclear if he has been charged under the Uniformed Code of Military Justice. It's not immediately clear if he has retained an attorney.

The Army Criminal Investigation is offering a $10,000 reward for information regarding her disappearance.

Mischa is described as 5 feet 2 in ches, weighing 170 lbs., and of Filipino descent. She has a large dragon tattoo on her back.

Her husband, Dewayne Johnson, who is from Frederick, Md., enlisted in the United States Army and attended One Station Unit Training at Fort Moore, Ga., in November 2022.

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He was assigned to 25th Infantry Division in June of 2023 and serves as a Cavalry Scout.

Our efforts remain focused on locating Mischa, support to her family, and the safety and security of all personnel at US Army Hawaii installations, the statement continues.

This is a current and ongoing investigation and no further information is available at this time.

The statement continues: "We encourage anyone who may have information regarding Mischa Johnson to contact the Pacific Field Office at 808-208-0059."



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Read the original article on People.
The crows are advancing inland from their stronghold on the Indian Ocean coast - Imagebroker/Alamy Stock Photo

On the restaurant terraces of one of Mombasas most exclusive hotels, armed watchmen await the approaching marauders.

But the guards posted at strategic points around the Voyager Hotel, or patrolling its restaurants and grounds, are armed not with rifles, but with catapults.

Their mission is to protect guests from the flocks of audacious Indian house crows which are constantly poised to grab food from the diners plates and which plague the Kenyan port city.

The crows have been part of the citys fabric since they first arrived decades ago, but their numbers are growing rapidly, and with it the nuisance they cause.

Outdoor restaurants are now in danger, says Wasike Wasike, group operations manager for the Heritage Hotels chain which includes the Voyager.

When people eat outside it is like they are competing with these birds. It is becoming counterproductive to invest in a five-star hotel when you are going to be invaded by birds.

Fatuma Mishis small fishmongers stall in Vikwatani market may be a smaller business, but it has the same problem. She must pay a boy 30p from her meagre daily takings to swat away the invasive crow species.

You cannot take away your eyes from your wares. The moment you do so, these birds swoop and prey on my fish. Or they defecate on your wares and so I pay this boy a small fee to protect me and my produce, she complains.

And they are violent, sometimes they attack me to reach the fish.

Conservationists and public health experts say the voracious scavenger is more than an annoyance. The crows are savagely out-competing or even preying on local bird species and they also carry disease.

They are now also advancing inland from their stronghold on the Indian Ocean coast, riding a wave of rapid urbanisation in Kenya which brings the rubbish dumps and waste where they thrive.

The Kenyan governments solution is a mass cull of the crows. It plans to kill as many as a million of the birds by the end of the year, before they can spread further.

Earlier this month, officials began a poisoning campaign using a bait laced with a specialist slow-acting compound called Starlicide which is highly toxic to crows, starlings and rooks, while less poisonous to other birds and animals.

Indian house crows plague the Kenyan port city - Steve Taylor ARPS/Alamy Stock Photo

Somewhere between one and two million Indian house crows are estimated to live along the Kenyan coast and they are migrating deeper into the country. Kenyas neighbours in East Africa and beyond are also plagued by the species, with several also resorting to poison.

It is high time this invasive species was eradicated to stop the cumulative negative ecological and social effects of this species along the east African coast, says John Musina, an ornithologist and conservationist with the National Museums of Kenya.

Wildlife officials in June described the crows as invasive alien birds that have been a nuisance to the public for decades, significantly affecting local bird populations by driving them from their natural habitats.

The crows, known to scientists as Corvus splendens, are native to much of South and South East Asia. The slender, glossy black birds, grow to around 40cm (16in) have large beaks and lighter grey collar.

They have spread further afield either on ships, or by being deliberately introduced in the belief they would help manage rodents and rubbish.

Aggressive and opportunistic

The crows were brought to the nearby island of Zanzibar in the 1890s to help tackle a mounting waste problem in what was then a British protectorate. They then spread along the coast and were first recorded in Mombasa in 1947.

In all, they are thought to have found their way to as many as 36 countries outside their native range.

While in Asia they are held in check by monkeys, snakes, birds of prey and rival crow species, in their new homes, they appear to have no natural predators, according to the Global Invasive Species Database (GISD).

Conservationists blame the crows for significantly reducing the number of small indigenous birds, such as weavers and waxbills, by ripping their nests apart while targeting eggs and chicks.

Dr Mwenda Mbaka, an expert in veterinary public health and pest control, said: House crows are aggressive and opportunistic feeders. They feed on the eggs, chicks and even adult birds of native species, leading to a decline in local bird population.

Small reptiles, mammals and invertebrates also fall victim to the crows and their habit of preying on chicks and eggs plagues free range poultry farmers by preying on chicks and their eggs.

House crows also carry at least eight human diseases in their guts, though the GISD says that a link with the spread to humans is yet to be established.

House crows also carry at least eight human diseases in their guts - Mohamed Marufu

Dr Mbaka said: The house crow poses a significant threat to both human and environmental well being in the Coast.

Its survival is bolstered by easy access to garbage and other waste. Additionally, it is an aggressive and intelligent bird, omnivorous and faces few natural threats in the local environment.

Diseases associated with the crows and their droppings include bird flu, West Nile virus, and several parasitic, bacterial, and fungal infections, he said.

To make the cull as effective as possible, and also to reduce the chances of killing other birds, the crows are gradually lured to where they will be killed.

Months of pre-baiting leaves meat out to encourage them to gather at specific sites near their roost sites.

When the crows are attending in high numbers, the poison is deployed.

The globally recognised product [Starlicide] is an effective method that poses negligible risks to no target animals and humans if applied by experts, says Dr Mbaka.

In the meantime, Mombasas restaurateurs, hoteliers and shopkeepers must continue to wage their daily war against the birds.

You chase them, they do not even move far away. They perch on the next roof and suddenly re-emerge to snatch away fish and to attack, complains Ms Mishi.

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CLINTON, Tenn. (WATE)  At schools across East Tennessee, the books are organized on the shelves, the walls and lockers decorated, and even the playdough is out and ready to be molded by the youngest of students.

To educate a student you have to have a great environment. If the environment is not good, then there is a problem, said Director of Anderson County Schools Dr. Tim Parrott.

For nine years, Parrott has overseen a number of projects with Anderson County Schools. One of which, keeping the countys 18 facilities up and running.

When are back-to-school worries more than they appear: Experts explain

We do a lot of stuff in house, said Parrott. We have our own heat and air, our own electrician. We have our own plumbers and everything like that. So, a lot of it is done in house.

This past spring, health inspectors graded 11 of Anderson Countys 18 schools. Nine of the eleven graded out with a score of 99 or better.

Bottom line is, weve got good facilities. Climate control and all the things like that to make sure that the environment is conducive to teaching.

To get a better idea of the actual inspection process, 6 News spoke with Lori LeMaster with the State Department of Health. She told WATE there is no statute of rules when it comes to school facility inspections.

It is very unique in our program in that we dont have regulatory authority in school buildings, said LeMaster. We do these school building inspections as a courtesy to the local school boards.

Those surveys, LeMatster said, are normally tied in with one of two yearly inspections conducted on a schools cafeteria. The inspection itself, carried out by a local environmental health inspector.

Townsend community saddened by loss of Little River BBQ in fire

So, we dont schedule inspections of any sort in any of our programs, she said. Typically, while we are there doing the food inspection we will also take a look at the school building. If any areas of concern are noted. Typically what happens is, we work with the principal or the administrator who is there and usually they can correct those items on the spot. Thats ideal.

As far as what inspectors are looking for, Six News got a look at what a typical inspection sheet looks like. The items covered everything from the schools water supply to its restrooms, ceilings, walls, doors, windows, lighting and more.

School buildings, they are like any older existing building. Youre going to have maintenance issues and thats fairly common, said LeMaster.

Its not just the state keeping an eye on where our kids learn.

The fire marshal comes through and they will inspect every year, said Parrott. Sometimes a couple of times a year and if they see anything that is not right then we have 30 days to write an improvement plan and get it fixed.

 See more top stories on WATE.com

Bottom line, its sometimes said it takes a village to raise a child. The same can be said for maintaining the areas schools. Several eyes, all looking for problems that could potentially impact a childs safety and ability to learn.

To look for your childs school inspection report, go to inspections.myhealthdepartment.com/tennessee.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side.
Less than half of 1 percent of federal criminal cases end in an acquittal, so billionaire Mike Lynch and his co-defendant, Stephen Chamberlain, seemed to be the luckiest of unlucky men on June 6 this year, when they were found not guilty of fraud charges that could have landed them in prison for 25 years.

But 2 months after that ebullient moment on the 17th floor of the federal courthouse in San Francisco, their fortunes took a tragic turn.

On Saturday, Chamberlain suffered fatal injuries when he was struck by a car while out for a run near his home in England.

And then, on Monday, Lynch was among the six declared missing after a tornadic waterspout sunk the 184-foot sailing yacht Bayesian, as it was anchored a half-mile off the coast of Sicily. Lynchs younger daughter, 18-year-old Hannah, who had recently earned a place at Oxford, was also missing. So were one of the defense attorneys in the case, former federal prosecutor Christopher Morvillo, and his wife.

In the course of 48 hours, I cant process what has happened, but both of our clients, as well as Chris and his wife, are gone, law partner Gary Lincenberg told Business Insider.

Tech Titan Just Cleared of Fraud Is Missing After Luxury Superyacht Hit by Tornado

A paper trail indicates that the ill-fated yacht is owned by Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares. It is apparently named after the Bayesian Inference, an approach to probability that was both the focus of Lynchs PhD thesis and the underpinning of the software that made him Britains first tech billionaire.

The very fact that Lynch ever got a doctorate from Cambridge was an improbability in itself. He is the son of Irish immigrants. His mother was an intensive care nurse from County Tipperary. His father, a firefighter from County Cork, advised Lynch not to enter a profession that involved charging into burning buildings. Lynch was bright enough to secure scholarships at an exclusive private school and then a university. His genius was not so much in engineering itself, but in applying it.

He studied machine learning before it was fashionable, and co-founded a series of start-ups. One was Autonomy Technology, which he sold to Hewlett-Packard for $11.7 billion after a secret meeting with its top executives in 2011. Hewlett-Packards then-CEO, Leo Apotheker, had hoped to turn it from a faltering computer hardware clunker into a high-profit software giant. He ended up taking the combined companies towards an $8 billion loss.

The new CEO, Meg Whitman, alleged that Lynch and others at Autonomy had cooked the books before the sale to make it look more profitable than it was. Hewlett-Packard sued Lynch civilly in England in 2019 and he spent 20 days testifying. Then, in early 2022, Justice Robert Hildyard issued a 1,700-page decision finding that Lynch and Autonomy had committed fraud. The Crown sought $4 billion in damages that are still pending.

At the same time, federal authorities in the U.S. sought to extradite Lynch on criminal charges. Lynch fought it for two years before he arrived in San Francisco in chains in May of 2023. He was released on $100 million bail and consigned to house arrest in a rental home with cameras installed in every room and two armed guards on duty around the clock.

The judge in San Francisco was Charles Breyer, brother of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Charles had also overseen the trial of Lynchs right-hand man, Autonomy Chief Financial Officer Sushovan Hussain, on fraud charges, in the same courtroom some months before. Hussain had been convicted. Lynch and Chamberlain seemed all but sure to suffer the same fate as their trial commenced in March of 2024.

British entrepreneur Mike Lynch leaves the High Court in London, Britain March 25, 2019. Henry Nicholls/Reuters

The prosecution plodded through seemingly endless exhibits culled from 15 million financial documents and emails obtained for the case. One juror repeatedly dozed off.

I know its not fascinating, but youve got to tell me whether you can stay awake for eight more weeks during this testimony, Breyer said, according to The Times.

Thats a negative, the juror replied. I cant.

The juror was replaced with an alternate and the case crept on to when Lynch took the stand on his own behalf. He testified that his first job had been cleaning floors in the hospital where his mother works.

Im still a demon mopper, he testified.

He also described being Irish in England during the war with the IRA.

You had to learn to run fast, he said.

When it came to the decision to sell Autonomy, he said Hewlett-Packard was so anxious to make the deal that it had offered double the usual takeover price margin.

The normal premium on the London market was about 30 percent, he said. HP was offering 60 percent. That would be like trying to stop a herd of elephants in terms of shareholders agreeing to it.

His attorney, Chris Morvillo, asked what the trial had been like for him.

Its surreal, Lynch testified. Ive heard comments from people that just dont paint the picture of the company that I and my colleagues and friends worked at for 15 years.

Lynch added, Ive sat and watched a parade of witnesses that Ive never met and some that I may have just shaken their hand, and Ive heard about a series of transactions I have no involvement in.

Macabre Twist in Shock Sinking of Missing Tech Billionaires Yacht

At the end of the 11-week trial, the jury acquitted Lynch and Chamberlain of all charges. Morvillo joined in their tearful exultation at being among the lucky very few.

Chamberlains luck ran out Saturday with a fatal encounter with a car. Lynch and Morvillo were on the Bayesian at 4:30 a.m. on Monday when the freak storm suddenly struck. An emergency flare went up into the darkness, but the boat had sunk by the time help arrived. The body of the cook was recovered, but there was no sign of six others, including Lynch and his daughter and Morvillo and his wife.

Fifteen of the passengers and crew were rescued. They included Lynchs wife. There was also a 1-year-old child, Sophia, and her mother, Charlotte Golunski, a partner at another Lynch venture, Invoke Capital. The mother recounted her ordeal to the Italian press, saying she had been on deck when the raging storm tore her child from her arms.

Hero Mother Held Baby Above the Waves After Superyacht Sank

For two seconds I lost my baby in the sea, the mother told Giornale di Sicilia. Then I immediately hugged her again amid the fury of the waves.

She summoned the fury of a mother.

I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning. It was all dark. In the water, I couldnt keep my eyes open. I screamed for help, but all I could hear around me was the screams of the others.

A man in an inflatable lifeboat pulled her and Sophia to safety. They were joined by the childs father. And they were now Mondays luckiest of the unlucky.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  The people living in International Towers can finally get excited about returning home after the city announced Monday a timeline for residents to return to their homes and businesses to reopen downtown following demolition work on the Realty Building.

If the debris blocking the fire escape is gone, about 170 residents who have been out of their homes for two months can return as early as Wednesday.

We expect everyone to be back by next Monday. Thats the plan, said Bob Hannon with United Way.

Some International Towers residents who have been staying at Park Vista since they were evacuated from their building about two months ago said they learned Monday they could soon be returning home from the news.

I was very much relieved. I was just overwhelmed with so many emotions, said resident Marquis Dent.

They say one of the toughest parts of the past two months was having to leave most of their belongings behind.

I did not realize I was coming to an unfurnished apartment. I didnt even have a refrigerator, said Cheryl Wolfe.

Dent said uprooting after seven years wasnt easy.

Its not an easy process to do especially when you have all your belongings, all your friends are there, Dent said.

Hannon said their return will be just as orderly as their evacuation. International Towers property management will communicate the exact dates and process for residents to start returning home.

What we dont want to have happen is say a group moves in Thursday and another group thats scheduled to move in Monday says, Why cant I go back today? And they start heading downtown. There needs to be a process, Hannon said.

The residents will get the same transportation services to return, as they did when leaving.

The United Way had herculean help to take care of the residents. Up to 30 non-profit social service agencies wanted to help within the first 24 hours.

I think this was one of the best collaborative efforts Ive ever been part of. And there are so many people that need credit that worked tirelessly to make this happen and to make sure these 170 people were well taken care of, Hannon said.

They got numerous meals and other items while living in temporary locations. It wasnt easy, but Hannon hopes they feel that many people cared about them.

I hope if you ask those people who live at International Towers, they will tell you this was stressful  it was an ordeal, but the people that were responsible for getting them housing took good care of them, he said.

Alexander said although it wasnt ideal to leave his home, he did feel comfortable in the temporary living situation provided to him.

He said he doesnt want to complain about the situation. He just wants to get back to his apartment.

Im happy to go back home. Its just my own surroundings. I mean I know this isnt my home but theyve made me feel comfortable here and everything, said Alexander.

Im just ready to go back home, just go back to my comfort zone, go back in my home, said resident Terrance Barnes.

Everyone will get a welcome home basket and Steelite is donating dinnerware which the residents will receive in the near future.

International Towers management will contact residents and provide instructions on when and how they can return.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Investigators looking for missing Lenawee Co. woman find human remains on husbands property

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP)  Investigators have discovered human remains during a search of property in southeastern Michigan that belongs to a man whose wife disappeared more than three years ago and is presumed dead.

Dee Warners family reported her missing in April 2021. Her husband, Dale John Warner, 56, was charged in November with open murder and tampering with evidence in her disappearance. He has pleaded not guilty.

Michigan State Police said in a statement Sunday that they recently searched Dale Warners property in Lenawee County and found human remains.

The remains are currently in the process of being recovered and there will be a great deal of work and testing completed before positive identification is made, the agency said in a social media post. The family of Dee Warner has been contacted and advised of the findings. This continues to be an ongoing investigation.

Family members told WTVG-TV and WTOL-TV that the remains were found Friday in a sealed, empty tank meant for anhydrous ammonia, which is used as fertilizer for crops.

Lt. Rene Gonzalez, a spokesman for the Michigan State Police, confirmed that the search was conducted Friday but said he couldnt comment further beyond the agency statement because of the ongoing investigation.

An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.

A banner calls for justice in the case of missing woman Dee Warner in Tipton, Mich. on Monday, May 9, 2022. (Jacob Hamilton/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)

Gregg Hardy, brother of missing woman Dee Warner, speaks during a press conference discussing the whereabouts of missing woman Dee Warner in Tipton, Mich. on May 9, 2022. (Jacob Hamilton/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)

A banner shows a photo of missing woman Dee Warner in Tipton, Mich. on May 9 2022. (Jacob Hamilton/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)

Dee Warner was 52 when she was last seen the morning of April 25, 2021, on a road in Franklin Township, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) southwest of Detroit. Since then, she has had no contact with her family or friends.

Dale Warner is being held in the Lenawee County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 4 for a pretrial hearing.

We believe that a fair and objective review of the evidence  or more precisely the lack of evidence in this case  will show that Mr. Warner did not kill his wife, his attorney, Mary Chartier, told The Associated Press when he was charged in November.

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Investigators searching for pickup driver in Portland fire station vandalism

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Officials are searching for a suspect in a white pickup truck that vandalized a SE Portland Fire station early Monday morning.

Just before 2 a.m., a white Ford F-150 1997-2003, identified by its long bed with visible trash, drove onto the lawn of the fire station located at 5211 SE Mall Street, according to Portland Fire & Rescue investigators.

The vehicle hit the garage door and flagpole, causing major damage and necessitating emergency repairs, all while honking its horn continuously, officials said.

Investigators are now seeking public assistance to identify the suspect vehicle, which may show damage on the passenger side and mud from the damaged lawn.

Officials are searching for a Ford 150 pickup truck involved in a Southeast Portland fire station vandalism incident. (Credit: Portland Fire & Rescue)

Officials are searching for a Ford 150 pickup truck involved in a Southeast Portland fire station vandalism incident. (Credit: Portland Fire & Rescue)

Officials are searching for a Ford 150 pickup truck involved in a Southeast Portland fire station vandalism incident. (Credit: Portland Fire & Rescue)

Officials are searching for a Ford 150 pickup truck involved in a Southeast Portland fire station vandalism incident. (Credit: Portland Fire & Rescue)

Officials are searching for a Ford 150 pickup truck involved in a Southeast Portland fire station vandalism incident. (Credit: Portland Fire & Rescue)

Surveillance footage screenshots are available on the PFR X account (@PDXFire). Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Lt. Jason Andersen at 503-823-3787 or by email at Jason.andersen@police.portlandoregon.gov.

If the vehicle is spotted, please call 911 immediately.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
DES MOINES, Iowa  Multiple Iowa State Fair vendors donated 6,000 lbs. of leftover fair food to the Food Bank of Iowa on Monday.

The Food Bank of Iowa said 16 vendors donated the food at the end of the fair. Officials said that while the 6,000 lbs. donated is only half of what was donated last year, its still a win to see food not go to waste.

2024 Iowa State Fair shatters attendance record

With some vendors selling out of their most popular menu items by the last day of the fair, it only makes sense there would be fewer leftovers this year, Emily Shearer, Food Bank of Iowas senior manager of food acquisition and advocacy, said. We are grateful to these generous fair vendors who want to prevent waste as well as share food with neighbors facing hunger. Were also thankful for our volunteers who helped pick up food today and collected donations from fairgoers at all the gates yesterday.

Officials said the majority of the food consisted of Barksdale cookies, fresh produce, hard-boiled eggs, milk, cheese, bread, and pulled pork. The majority of the food has been delivered to Hope Ministries and Catholic Charities.

Below is a list of vendors who donated their leftover food:

Midwest Dairy

Iowa Sheep Industry Association

Iowa Pork Producers Association

Jalapeno Petes

West Des Moines United Methodist Church

Biscuit Bar

Veggie Table

Stockmans Inn

JRs SouthPork Ranch

The Depot

Iowa State Fair

Versova

Smiths

Fair Fare LLC

Iowa State Fair General Store

Brafford

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com.
Fatima Latifova

The Russian government has approved the route for the direct cargo block train Ulyanovsk  Baku  Astara (Iran), Azernews reports, citing Ulyanovsk Governor Alexey Russkikh as he announced this information.

"Recently, we received good news from Russian Railways: the route for the direct cargo block train Ulyanovsk  Baku  Astara (Iran) has been approved. This is the western rail corridor of the Central Volga - Caspian Sea - Persian Gulf logistics project. Preparations are underway for the export train, including for the shipment of agro-industrial and wood processing products, the governor said.

He noted that the launch of the train is a result of agreements reached during his visit to Baku with Azerbaijans Prime Minister Ali Asadov, and the coordinated efforts of the Russian Embassy in Baku, the Trade Representation, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, as well as the railway authorities of both countries.

Russkikh also mentioned that on the previous day, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the development of the North-South international transport corridor.

To increase throughput capacity and raise the volume of cargo transport from 15 million tons to 30 million tons, the railway section of the corridor is being modernized. This agreement, initiated by Ulyanovsk region, opens up significant prospects for the development of the new trade and logistics route Central Volga - Caspian Sea - Persian Gulf, which is part of the North-South international transport corridor, the governor wrote.
For many investors, the main point of stock picking is to generate higher returns than the overall market. But its virtually certain that sometimes you will buy stocks that fall short of the market average returns. Unfortunately, that's been the case for longer term MotorCycle Holdings Limited (ASX:MTO) shareholders, since the share price is down 57% in the last three years, falling well short of the market return of around 18%. The more recent news is of little comfort, with the share price down 28% in a year. On the other hand the share price has bounced 9.1% over the last week.

It's worthwhile assessing if the company's economics have been moving in lockstep with these underwhelming shareholder returns, or if there is some disparity between the two. So let's do just that.

View our latest analysis for MotorCycle Holdings

To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

Although the share price is down over three years, MotorCycle Holdings actually managed to grow EPS by 70% per year in that time. Given the share price reaction, one might suspect that EPS is not a good guide to the business performance during the period (perhaps due to a one-off loss or gain). Alternatively, growth expectations may have been unreasonable in the past.

It's worth taking a look at other metrics, because the EPS growth doesn't seem to match with the falling share price.

Given the healthiness of the dividend payments, we doubt that they've concerned the market. It's good to see that MotorCycle Holdings has increased its revenue over the last three years. But it's not clear to us why the share price is down. It might be worth diving deeper into the fundamentals, lest an opportunity goes begging.

The company's revenue and earnings (over time) are depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

We know that MotorCycle Holdings has improved its bottom line over the last three years, but what does the future have in store? You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in this free interactive graphic.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. We note that for MotorCycle Holdings the TSR over the last 3 years was -46%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

Story continues

A Different Perspective

Investors in MotorCycle Holdings had a tough year, with a total loss of 22% (including dividends), against a market gain of about 15%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 1.4% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For instance, we've identified 4 warning signs for MotorCycle Holdings (1 is significant) that you should be aware of.

But note: MotorCycle Holdings may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Australian exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Iran was behind the recent attempts to hack into the Trump campaign, as well as the Biden and Harris campaigns, the FBI and other intelligence agencies said on Monday.

The recent hack of Trump associates, including consultant and longtime GOP operative Roger Stone, were part of the Islamic Republics attempts to stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions, the FBI, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security agency said in a joint statement released on Monday.

The intelligence agencies accused Iran of exploiting societal tensions through various means over the course of the election season, including the hacking attempts. Iran and Russia have employed these tactics not only in the United States during this and prior federal election cycles but also in other countries around the world, the agencies said.

The IC [intelligence community] is confident that the Iranians have through social engineering and other efforts sought access to individuals with direct access to the presidential campaigns of both political parties, the intelligence agencies said. Such activity, including thefts and disclosures, are intended to influence the U.S. election process.

Social engineering, a common tactic used by hackers to access corporate or government networks, refers to methods such as impersonating employees or phishing for personal information from unsuspecting victims to gain access to protected accounts, according to the FBI.

A Microsoft blog first reported the company was investigating the attempted hacking of a high-ranking official on a presidential campaign from the compromised email account of a former senior advisor through spear phishing. Trump campaign officials later confirmed the FBI was investigating the hack of one of their campaign staffers.

Hackers began sending material from the intrusion to media outlets in July. Some of this material included a large dossier on vice presidential nominee J.D. Vances vulnerabilities.

Hackers were able to access Stones email addresses through spear-phishing attempts, sources told the Washington Post. Federal investigators began looking into the hacking attempts as early as June, the newspaper reported citing sources with knowledge of the probe.

Last week, sources with knowledge of the investigation told the Post that Trump campaign manager Susie Wiles was also targeted in the hacking attempts.

Both the Trump campaign and the Harris campaign did not immediately return a request for comment from the Daily Beast.

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Iran says it will not take hasty action against Israel for killing of Hamas political leader

Irans pledged retaliation against Israel for the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran will take time, according to a spokesperson for the countrys Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Time is on our side and the waiting period for this response may be prolonged, Ali Mohammad Naeini was quoted as saying on Tuesday by state media.

The Middle East has been on high alert since last months assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran, which came the day after Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr was killed in an airstrike in Beirut.

Israel took responsibility for the killing of Shukr, but has not confirmed or denied its role in Haniyehs death.

Iran and its regional allies  Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza  blamed Israel for both killings and promised to retaliate, spurring weeks of high-wire diplomacy to prevent the breakout of a full-scale regional war.

But the comments from the IRGC spokesman, three weeks on from the twin killings, may indicate a cooling of Irans earlier, more bellicose rhetoric.

Naeini said Irans response could differ from previous operations against Israel, saying that Tehran will not take hasty action.

For now, the Zionists must live in instability and Irans response may not be a repeat of past operations, he said. The response scenarios are not the same. Our commanders have the experience and the art of effectively punishing the enemy and will not take hasty action.

In April, Iran launched some 300 projectiles at Israel  its first-ever direct attack on the country  after blaming it for a strike on an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus, Syria, which killed Mohammed Reza Zahedi, a top IRGC commander.

Naeini added that the Zionist regime (Israel) has accepted the defeat, even American politicians have acknowledged this and have not yet achieved any of their goals, referring to Israels war in Gaza, which has been fought for more than 10 months with the aim of defeating Hamas and returning the hostages it took from Israel on October 7.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv on Monday, August 19. - Handout/Maayan Toaf/GPO

Diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas ramped up after the twin killings of Shukr and Haniyeh, as Arab and Western officials sought to avoid an all-out war.

Impact on Gaza ceasefire deal

There have been some indications that Iran may abandon plans to attack Israel if a ceasefire deal is reached.

Irans mission to the United Nations said Tuesday that its retaliation against Israel for Haniyehs assassination must be carefully calibrated to avoid any possible adverse impact that could potentially influence a prospective ceasefire.

The timing, conditions, and manner of Irans response will be meticulously orchestrated to ensure that it occurs at a moment of maximum surprise, the mission said in a statement to CNN on Tuesday.

The statement came a day after the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said there is no direct connection between Irans support for reaching a ceasefire deal and its determination to avenge Haniyehs killing, according to state news agency ISNA.

In an interview in the Iranian capital Tehran on Tuesday, Mohsen Rezaee, former commander-in-chief of the IRGC, told CNN that Iranian actions will be very calculated ones, adding that there has to be a ceasefire in Gaza soon.

The United States and Israel should not repeat their mistakes. If in the first weeks of the Gaza war the United States had stopped Israel and (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu, the war would not extend. So the main element of the extension of the war are the US and Israel. The more this war extends the more the United States will be damaged, he said.

Regarding Irans response to Israel, Razaee said: We have investigated the possible repercussions. And we will not let Netanyahu, who is sinking in a swamp, save him himself. The Iranian actions will be very calculated ones.

Dina Esfandiary, a senior advisor for the Middle East at the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think tank, said the IRGCs statement on Tuesday is unlikely to signal Iran scrapping its plans to attack Israel but rather indicates a decision to delay it.

Iran finds itself between a rock and a hard place right now, she said, adding that the recently elected government of Masoud Pezeshkian, considered a moderate in the country, would be keen not to look weak domestically by not responding to Israel.

She added, however, that the government currently lacks the bandwidth to invite an escalation spiral right now as it aims to focus on domestic priorities and de-escalate on the foreign policy front.

This approach could shift depending on the outcome of the Gaza ceasefire talks, which Iran is keen not to disrupt, she said. That also means the negotiations are much higher stakes. So, if they do fail, theres an even greater incentive for the Iranians to carry out an attack.

After talks resumed last week in Qatars capital Doha, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge gaps in ceasefire negotiations, and that the next important step is for Hamas to say yes to the same terms ahead of further negotiations expected this week.

Some officials have suggested that Tehran is dragging its feet, fearing that its response could trigger a wider war. One diplomat said he believed Hezbollah and Iran had trapped themselves in their own vows of reprisals.

CNNs Artemis Moshtaghian, Abbas Al Lawati, Alex Stambaugh and Tamara Qiblawi contributed reporting.

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A few people stand and sit in front of the sealed entrance to the German Language Institute in Tehran (DSIT). Iranian authorities have shut a German language school in Tehran citing unspecified legal violations, the Misan website, which puts out press information from the judiciary, reported on Tuesday. dpa

Iranian authorities have shut a German language school in Tehran citing unspecified legal violations, the Misan website, which puts out press information from the judiciary, reported on Tuesday.

Misan reported two "illegal" institutions run by the Federal Republic of Germany had been closed.

Security forces sealed off the German Language Institute in Tehran (DSIT) in the north of the capital, eyewitnesses reported.

Images shared on social media showed a large police presence outside the language school which was founded by the German embassy in Tehran in 1995, according to its website.

Nurnews, an outlet close to Iran's Security Council, considered the step to be retaliation for the closure of the Islamic Centre Hamburg (IZH) in the northern German city last month.

German authorities banned the IZH, considered "an important propaganda centre for Iran in Europe," on July 24. Assets and facilities of the centre and five sub-organizations were confiscated in nationwide raids.

In response, Iran summoned the German ambassador and last week the organization filed a complaint against the ban.

Relations between Berlin and Tehran are tense. Several German citizens, including some holding an Iranian passport, are currently imprisoned in Iran.

Critics accuse Tehran of deliberately holding foreigners as political bargaining chips.

Iran has rejected such claims, usually justifying the arrests with espionage accusations.

Early last year, German-Iranian Jamshid Sharmah was sentenced to death on terrorism charges. His relatives vehemently deny the accusations against him.
POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA)  Two employees with the Florida Department of Children and Families were arrested just a day apart, according to the Polk County Sheriffs Office.

Around 2 a.m. on Sunday, deputies responded to a single-vehicle crash on Saddle Creek Road in Lakeland, after the driver crashed into a utility pole.

Hillsborough County paramedic among 148 arrested in human trafficking operation

The driver, Evelyn Ross, 47, of Auburndale, told the deputy she made a bad choice and had had a lot to drink, according to the sheriffs office.

Ross had bloodshot eyes, a strong odor of alcohol, and failed her sobriety tests. Her blood alcohol content levels were 0.197 and 0.190.

Ross was arrested and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, before being transferred to the Polk County Processing Center. She was charged with DUI over 0.15 and DUI with property damage.

On Monday afternoon around 1 p.m., another Polk County deputy pulled over a vehicle on Highway 17 in Bartow after learning the owner of the vehicle had a suspended license.

Jayla Rae Robinson, 22, of Lakeland, handed her license over to the deputy, admitting she had been pulled over two days before and had been issued a citation. She also had a 15-year-old in her car who she was transporting to court.

Woman sues Disney after sustaining permanent injuries in stampede at Magic Kingdom

Robinson was arrested for knowingly driving with a suspended or revoked license. The teenage passenger was picked up by another DCF employee to take them to court.

We take DUI and DWLSR offenses very seriously, especially when the suspects are people in a position of trust in the community, Sheriff Grady Judd said. Driving children around for work after already being cited for driving with a suspended license is irresponsible. And driving and crashing a car under the influence of alcohol sets a very poor example.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
FILE PHOTO: Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron gestures while he speaks during his interview with Reuters in Jerusalem

By Steven Scheer

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli central bank chief Amir Yaron has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speed up the process of debating and approving the 2025 state budget, saying financial markets were seeking responsible fiscal policy even during a time of war.

In a letter to Netanyahu seen by Reuters on Tuesday, Yaron said the security situation of more than 10 months of war requires the government to maintain 2024 budget frameworks and promote a 2025 budget.

These are "critical to preserving the stability of the economy and strengthening the reputation of the Israeli economy," Yaron wrote.

A month ago, Netanyahu, Yaron, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and senior finance ministry officials met for their initial high-level meeting on the budget that is slated for approval by year end.

Yaron in the letter noted that Netanyahu decided another meeting would be made and budgetary adjustments would be discussed. "Several weeks have passed since then, and ... I see great importance in scheduling a follow-up meeting to advance the budget process," he wrote.

Israeli media have speculated that Netanyahu was delaying the budget to ultimately lead to new elections, since failure to pass the budget by March 31, 2025, would automatically trigger elections.

Netanyahu's office declined to comment.

Last week, Fitch lowered Israel's credit rating, following similar action in recent months by S&P and Moody's, citing worsening geopolitical risks as the war in Gaza drags on. It kept the rating outlook negative, meaning a further downgrade is possible.

Yaron said that while the downgrade was partly due to the security reality, but also reflects "an assessment of the management of current economic policy and puts emphasis on future policy."

He said the ratings cuts reinforce the need to promote the budget, which would reduce uncertainty in the markets and contribute to economic stability.

Israel's war in Gaza, triggered by the Islamist group Hamas-led cross-border attack on Oct. 7, has cost thousands of lives and is in danger of expanding.

Israel's budget deficit reached 8.1% of GDP in July, but Smotrich has expressed confidence it will move back towards its 6.6% target for 2024 by year end. Before the war the deficit target was 2.25% of GDP.

Spending on the war has topped 80 billion shekels ($22 billion) and investors are watching to see if Smotrich has the political will in the coalition of right wing and religious parties to make big fiscal adjustments.

($1 = 3.6942 shekels)

(Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by David Holmes)
The Israeli military recovered the bodies of six hostages from the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza overnight on Tuesday, according to the Israel Defense Forces and the Prime Ministers office.

Israels National Institute of Forensic Medicine identified the deceased as Yagev Buchshtav, 35; Alexander Dancyg, 76; Avraham Munder, 79; Yoram Metzger, 80; Nadav Popplewell, 51; and Chaim Perry, 80.

Read More: The Families of Israelis Held Hostage by Hamas Speak Out

We will continue to operate in order to return all of the remaining hostages back home, the IDF said in a post on X. Our hearts are with the families of these victims of Hamas terrorism.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the recovery effort and said our hearts ache for the terrible loss.

The military did not say how or when the six hostages died. A forum for hostage families said they were kidnapped alive during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, where around 1,200 Israelis were killed and 240 taken hostage, the Associated Press reported.

Hamas says some hostages have been killed and wounded in over 10 months of Israeli airstrikes in the wake of Oct. 7. The death toll in Gaza stands at over 40,000, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry, figures that both the U.S. and U.N. deem credible.

Read More: Exclusive: Netanyahu at War

Of the initial 240 hostages, 112 hostages have been returned to Israel alive in prisoner exchanges with Hamas, and an additional four hostages were freed in an IDF rescue operation in June that Palestinian officials say killed more than 200 people.

There were an estimated 116 Israeli hostages remaining in Gaza as of July, according to Amnesty International, though Israeli authorities believe over a third of the remaining hostages are deceased.

The recovery of six bodies on Tuesday comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken began his ninth trip to the region since Oct. 7 to press for a ceasefire. Blinken said on Monday that Netanyahu had accepted a proposal to bridge gaps in the ceasefire talks.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
Israel said Tuesday that its forces recovered the remains of six hostages from southern Gaza, a recovery operation that comes amid high-stakes negotiations to reach a deal with Palestinian militant group Hamas to free the remaining people held in the territory.

Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell and Haim Perry were all recovered from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, the Israeli military said in a post on the social platform X.

We will continue to operate in order to return all of the remaining hostages back home, Israel said, adding that the recovery operation was carried out with precise intelligence.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent his condolences to the families of the loved ones.

Our hearts ache for the terrible loss, he wrote on X. The State of Israel will continue to make every effort to return all of our abductees  both alive and dead.

While some of the six recovered hostages had been believed dead, not all of them were, underscoring that time is running out to get remaining hostages out of Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is in the Middle East this week to try to push a deal over the finish line, said negotiations this week may be the last chance to secure a deal, in part because of the risk of more hostages dying.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group represented by the families and friends of the hostages, said in a statement that the recovery of the remains crucially provides their families with necessary closure and grants eternal rest to the murdered.

Israel has a moral and ethical obligation to return all the murdered for dignified burial and to bring all living hostages home for rehabilitation, the group wrote on X.

A cease-fire and release deal would free the 109 remaining hostages held by Hamas in return for a temporary cease-fire in Gaza, where more than 40,000 people have been killed in 10 months of war, according to reports from local health authorities.

Blinken said Monday that Israel had accepted the latest proposal, but Hamas had issued a statement saying it was against the new agreements. Talks are slated to continue this week in Cairo.

Munder, 79, was a factory worker who was kidnapped when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, the incursion that left about 1,200 people dead in southern Israel and sparked the war in the region. He was taken along with his wife, daughter and grandson, who were all released as part of a November truce and prisoner exchange. His son was killed in the initial strike.

Perry, 79, was a father of five and a grandfather of thirteen who sacrificed himself on Oct. 7 by going with Hamas captors in order to save his wife, who was hiding at the time.

Dancyg, 75, was a Holocaust scholar who was confirmed dead in July.

Buchshtab, 34, from Kibbutz Nirim, had a wide range of interests, including music.

Metzger, 80, and Popplewell, 51, were both previously announced dead in June by Israel.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
ITHACA, N.Y. (WSYR-TV)  The Ithaca police were alerted to an assault that happened on Saturday, August 17, around 2:30 p.m. at the 100 block of Cascadilla Street.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

The suspect, described as a white male in his mid-20s to early 30s with black, curly hair, wearing black sweatpants and a light-colored t-shirt, allegedly got off a bicycle and physically assaulted the victim, Ithaca police said.

During the assault, the suspect also allegedly made derogatory comments about the victims gender identity, leading police to investigate this incident as a hate crime.

The victim and the assailant do not know each other, according to police.

Anyone with information about this case should call the Ithaca police tip line at 607-330-0000

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSYR.
Boeing's (NYSE: BA) second-quarter earnings report was a mess -- bad enough that it may have gotten its chief executive officer fired.

Boeing missed earnings. It missed sales. It tallied $4.3 billion in negative free cash flow, and it has burned $8.2 billion so far this year. Part of the problem was Boeing's commercial airplanes unit, where deliveries fell 32% year over year in Q2. But Boeing's defense business is in a bad way as well, with sales slipping only 2% but operating profit margin so deeply negative that losses soared 73%.

Things are so bad at Boeing Defense, Space, and Security (BDS) that aerospace analyst Chris Quilty of Quilty Space quipped, "I wouldn't be entirely surprised if they spun out or sold the Defense & Space business as a way to mitigate their sprawling problems."

Selling Boeing Defense

Surprising as the claim might sound, this isn't idle speculation.

Ten years ago, then-Boeing Defense head Leanne Caret publicly mused about a potential exit from the defense market, admitting that Boeing was "evolving ... what the fighter business means to us" after losing a series of high-profile fighter jet contracts to rivals such as Lockheed Martin.

Back then, the businesses that made up what is today called BDS were still pulling in $31 billion in annual revenue, and earning operating profit of $3.1 billion annually. That was a respectable 10% operating profit margin, according to historical data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence.

But last year, BDS brought in less than $25 billion in revenue -- and had a loss of $1.8 billion.

So you can see why Boeing might be a little upset with its BDS performance right now, and might conceivably consider selling the unit and focusing on just one problem at a time.

A Defense-less Boeing

But what would Boeing look like without BDS?

Well obviously, it would be a smaller company. Subtract $24.9 billion in BDS revenue from the $78 billion that Boeing brought in last year, and Boeing would be roughly a third smaller, and focused almost exclusively on building commercial airplanes like the 737 and 777, and servicing them through its global services unit.

But here's the thing: A BDS-less Boeing would be a smaller Boeing, true. But it also might actually be a profitable Boeing, which a lot of investors would probably find appealing.

Consider that last year, global services was actually the only Boeing unit that earned any profit at all, and not an insubstantial profit, either, but $3.3 billion. That would be enough profit to more than offset the $1.6 billion a year that Boeing Commercial Airplanes is (still) losing. It would be enough to turn Boeing as a whole instantly profitable, even after taxes. And this would give the company more resources for it to devote to turning around the ailing commercial airplanes business.

Story continues

Losing the defense business might even help Boeing make its commercial airplanes and global services businesses more profitable, by fixing the quality issues that have slowed airliner production for example. That would make its planes more appealing to its airline customers, and ramping up production rates to bring in new commercial airplane revenue to replace the defense revenue it was losing.

The upshot for Boeing investors

True, selling its defense business would limit future upside, as Boeing would not have BDS to turn around. But even in a perfect world, there's no guarantee Boeing would succeed in a turnaround. (Remember, the shrinking defense business has been a decade-long problem for Boeing already). Selling BDS would also remove from Boeing's plate such issues as its glitchy Starliner spacecraft and its overpriced Space Launch System space rocket (which remains under perpetual threat of cancellation in any case -- so no great loss there).

All things considered, I actually agree with Quilty. Selling BDS is an option Boeing should consider.

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Prediction: Boeing Might Sell Its Defense Business was originally published by The Motley Fool
Fox News

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer claimed Monday that China could have been grooming Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris running mate, from the time he first went to China in 1989.

On Fox News, host Jesse Watters first suggested that China surveilled Walz during his time there more than three decades ago.

If an American goes to China 30 times in the 90s, they have surveillance footage of him. They have surveillance footage probably of his honeymoon night, Watters said. What kind of compromise is that? [Democrats] were worried about Trump and a pee tape that was all made up. This is serious business.

Comer agreed.

Its very serious. China thinks long-term. Its very possible that China would be grooming an up-and-coming rising star in the political process to try to have a foothold in our government, Comer argued. Theyve done this in the military. Weve caught them with spy rings in our universities. This is how China operates.

It looks like Walzs ties might be for ideology, Comer went on. This is something we should be concerned about, and were trying to gather as much information as we can, as quick as we can, to present to the American people.

Walz, after obtaining his undergraduate degree, taught in a high school in Guangdong for one year. He returned to China for his honeymoon, and he and his wife would later take trips there along with high school exchange students. As a congressman, Walz was a member of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, which tracks human rights progress in the country.

After Comer announced last Friday an investigation into Walz, the governors spokesperson told the Associated Press, Republicans are twisting basic facts and desperately lying to distract from the Trump-Vance agenda.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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In a speech at the Democratic National Convention Monday night, Jamie Raskin addressed not only his fellow party members but also Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance.



Raskin, who led Donald Trumps impeachment over the January 6 insurrection, gave Vance a warning about the former presidents violent supporters. Remember what the mob chanted as they stormed the Capitol? Raskin asked. Hang Mike Pence.

J.D. Vance, do you understand why there was a sudden job opening for running mate on the GOP ticket? They tried to kill your predecessor! Raskin continued. They tried to kill him because he would not follow Trumps plan to destroy and nullify the votes of millions of Americans.

Former Vice President Mike Pence has announced he cannot support Donald Trump after he was threatened by Trumps fans for refusing to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.



I believe anyone that puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States, and anyone who asks someone else to put them over the Constitution should never be president of the United States again, Pence said in March.

In a statement to The Hill, Trump fired back at Raskin over his comments.



Jamie Raskin is a disgusting piece of trash who has such a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, he is willing to politicize talking about assassinations just one month after an attempt was made of President Trumps life. These are the people Democrats are highlighting at their convention, a Trump spokesperson said.
The first night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago featured a number of the most prominent members of the party, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Hillary Clinton, with a surprise appearance by presidential nominee Kamala Harris and a keynote address by President Joe Biden as he passed the torch to his vice president. Throughout the night, the partys Black representation was in full display. Here are a few of the highlights.

Jasmine Crockett gets political and personal

Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett spent the first part of her speech contrasting Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, painting Harris as someone who worked her way up and became a career prosecutor in contrast to Trumps privileged background and criminal convictions.

BREAKING: Jasmine Crockett just demolished Donald Trump for being born with a spoon in a mouth and still being a criminal fraudster. Donald Trump is exactly who shouldnt be representing hardworking Americans. Retweet so all Americans see this.pic.twitter.com/vneKNAup0N  Kamalas Wins (@harris_wins) August 20, 2024

Later in the speech, Crockett got personal, discussing how Harris comforted and encouraged her during their first meeting shortly after Crockett came to Washington as a congresswoman. The most powerful woman in the world wiped my tears and listened, Crockett recounted, adding that Harris reassured her that you are exactly where God wants you.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett tells the story about her first interaction with VP Harris: "She then said among other things, 'you are exactly where God wants you'That brief but impactful interaction gave me my legislative legs and I've been running ever since pic.twitter.com/ezOn1TIxyZ  MC (@musicitydp) August 20, 2024

Maxine Waters evokes Fannie Lou Hamer

California Rep. Maxine Waters used her speech to honor Fannie Lou Hamer, who sought to seat a Black delegation from Mississippi at the 1964 Democratic National Convention.

In her DNC speech Monday night, Rep. Maxine Waters honored Fannie Lou Hamer, a trailblazing civil rights champion from Mississippi. pic.twitter.com/gxFW0Prskn  Newsweek (@Newsweek) August 19, 2024

Waters drew the connection to Harris, declaring that when the dust settles in November and Americans of all stripes have elected her as their president, Harris will be thinking of Hamer.

Iconic Maxine Waters is rocking it pic.twitter.com/9oTUu60XH1  Reda (@RedaMor_) August 19, 2024

Warnocks speech and Jesse Jacksons appearance get standing ovations

Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock gave a rousing speech that seemed reminiscent of a sermon he might give at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he remains senior pastor and where Martin Luther King Jr. once presided. At the end of his remarks, as he talked about situations in Atlanta, Gaza and Haiti, Warnocks declaration that I need my neighbors children to be OK brought many in the crowd to their feet.

WOWI need all the children to be okay. The poor children of inner city Atlanta, the poor children of Appalachia, the children of Israel, the children of Gaza, children of Congo, children of Haiti, the children of Ukraine, we need all children to be okay pic.twitter.com/jOpe7GVfLc  Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) August 20, 2024

Speaking of King, one of the most moving parts of the night was a tribute to the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights icon and MLK associate whose history-making presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988 paved the way for later success by Barack Obama and Kamala Harris. After a video tribute, Jackson appeared onstage to wave to the crowd, joined by Rev. Al Sharpton as well as Jacksons sons, Yusef Jackson and Rep. Jonathan Jackson.

ICYMI: REV. SHARPTON JOINS MOVING TRIBUTE TO REV. JESSE JACKSON AT DAY ONE OF 2024 DNC IN CHICAGO



Rev. Sharpton joins Congressman Jonathan Jackson, Yusef Jackson on DNC stage to honor the lifes work of Rev. Jesse Jackson pic.twitter.com/LbcionUKKU  Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) August 20, 2024

These were just some of the many Black Democrats who appeared last night, with Rep. James Clyburn, Sen. Laphonza Butler and Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison also making appearances. As Harris seeks to become the first Black woman and first Asian American president, she and the Democratic Party will likely continue to draw upon the strength of Black people and other people of color within the party.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) flamed Donald Trump at the Democratic National Convention on Monday in a speech which referenced a jaw-dropping insult she previously hurled at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).

The question before us is: Will a vindictive vile villain violate voters vision for a better America or not? Crockett said to cheers and applause from the audience in Chicago. I hear alliterations are back in style.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett Has No Regrets About Viral Bleach Blonde, Butch Body Jab at MTG

The alliterative takedown recalled an explosive House Oversight Committee hearing in May in which Crockett and Greene traded barbs.

The MAGA congresswoman insulted what she described as Crocketts fake eyelashes, prompting Crockett to later use the infamous phrase bleach blonde, bad-built butch body when talking about Greene.

Crockett told the Daily Beast at the time she viewed Greenes eyelashes jibe as racist, an allegation which was rejected by a spokesperson for the Georgia congresswoman. Both lawmakers have since invoked Crocketts put-down to the delight of their respective supporters online.

Yes my body is built and strong NOT with nips, tucks, plastic, or silicone, but through a healthy lifestyle, Greene captioned an Instagram video of her lifting weights a couple of days after the committee hearing. Crockett, for her part, promised to launch a Crockett Clapback Collection featuring various swag to raise money that will help ensure we have a Democratic House. Her announcement featured a mocked up t-shirt bearing the alliterative insult.

On Monday, Crockett spoke about how she has gone viral many times for hitting Republicans with a dose of their own medicine. She also attacked Trump with a series of pithy attacks contrasting him with Vice President Kamala Harris.

She became a career prosecutor while he became a career criminal, Crockett said. With 34 felonies, two impeachments and one porn star to prove it!

Shes lived the American dream while hes been Americas nightmare, Crockett continued. America, looking at the two choices before you, who would you hire? Donald Trump or Kamala Harris? Kamala Harris has a resumeDonald Trump has a rap sheet.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Jason Carter, the grandson of former president Jimmy Carter, is in attendance at the Democratic National Convention this evening. He'll speak about his grandfather's legacy, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and how Carter, who has been in hospice since February 2023 and turns 100 in October, has told his family that he plans to stay alive to vote for Kamala Harris.

Here, get to know Jimmy Carter's grandson, Jason Carter, who has been a key figure in promoting his grandfather's legacyand sharing health updates on himin recent years.

He's the son of Jack Carter.

Bettmann - Getty Images

Jason is the son of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter's eldest, John William "Jack" Carter. He was born in 1975, the first grandchild of Jimmy and Rosalynn, and is a ninth-generation Georgian. His mother, Judy Langford, is the daughter of Georgia politician James Langford.

After Jack and Judy divorced in 1989, his mother moved to a suburb of Evanston, Illinois, and he went to high school there. We were always transplants, Carter said. Georgia was always home.

He attended Duke University and University of Georgia School of Law.

Jason went to Duke, where he graduated with a double major in philosophy and political science. His grandfather delivered the commencement address at his graduation in 1997:

He later attended the University of Georgia School of Law, where he graduated summa cum laude with a Juris Doctor in 2004.

Jason served in the Peace Corps.

Shop Now Power Lines: Two Years in South Africa's Borders amazon.com $12.89

After graduating from Duke, Jason decided to follow in the footsteps of his great-grandmother, Lillian Carter, and enroll in the Peace Crops. He spent two years volunteering in Lochiel, South Africa, from 1998 to 2000, and later wrote a book, Power Lines, about his experience.

He was a member of the Georgia State Senate.

From 2010 to 2015, Jason served in the Georgia State Senate. In 2014, he was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Georgia.

He married Katharine "Kate" Lewis in 2000.

Kate and Jason met as undergraduates at Duke. Kate went onto Columbia University with a Masters degree in journalism, and worked as a journalist in Georgia, writing for papers such as the Athens Banner-Herald and Atlanta Business Chronicle. She is now is an English teacher.

In 2016, Kate launched a nutmilk brand, TreeHouse Naturals, with her friend, Bess Weyandt. "What started on a neighborhood walk, became a nutmilk journey and morphed into a vision to uplift the humble pecan," they write on their website. "Every jar we made in our kitchen those first few years was made with love. The same goes for the pecanmilk we share with you today. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do."

Bess told the Southerner that Kate that she "brings an energy and enthusiasm, and sense of humor, to everything, qualities Ive seen in many a great teacher. Shes an excellent communicator, and I know shell bring out the best writing in her students. Also, she doesnt miss a beat, so good luck trying to pull a fast one on her."

Jason and Kate have two sons, Henry (b. 2006) and Thomas (b. 2006).

He works as a lawyer in Atlanta.

He's currently a partner at Bondurant, Mixson & Elmore in Atlanta, Georgia. Per his official bio, "Jason Carter represents clients in high stakes trial and appellate business litigation including breach of contract, class actions, business torts and other complex commercial cases. Representing Plaintiffs, Jason has secured some of the largest verdicts and settlements in Georgia history, including multiple recoveries in excess of $100 million. Representing Defendants, he has achieved numerous defense victories in highly complex cases."

He often speaks about his grandfather.

Jessica McGowan - Getty Images

Jason, in his capacity as Chairman of the Carter Center, has been the main family member sharing health updates on his grandfather with the press since Jimmy Carter entered hospice in February 2023. "My work with The Carter Center has me in touch with media regularly, so sometimes, it happens to be that I am the one on camera. That said, our family is close, and I am happy to do anything that makes this time easier for my dad, uncles and aunt," he told Baptist News Global.

Elsewhere in that interview, he shared that his grandparents have shaped his worldview. "My grandparents really demonstrate the power of faith and how that grounds them. They are from a small town. They never forgot who they are, and they never really changed, despite all the incredible success they achieved and the power they wielded. That shows me that  no matter what we all see in our current politics  you can be a good person and succeed in our politics, you can reach the pinnacle of power and still keep your integrity and honesty and your faith," Jason said. "They really give me hope."

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Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance went on a charm offensive in Kenosha, Wisconsin, but seemed to emphasize the offensive more than the charm.

Donald Trumps running mate was visiting Tenutas Deli for one of those politicians-meet-real-people-in-the-act photo ops that are common during the campaign season.

Vance walked around the deli, talking with the owner, employees and customers, and also ordered some food, before asking the owner what Vance thought was an important question.

You have any food here you really dont like? Well take some and feed it to the journalists on the plane, he asked, according to a social media post by journalist Reese Gorman.

Sen JD Vance at a local deli in Kenosha, WI per source there:



You have any food here you really dont like? Well take some and feed it to the journalists on the plane. pic.twitter.com/B1IvkqbKZy  Reese Gorman (@reesejgorman) August 20, 2024

Yes, it was just a sarcastic joke, but one that revealed Vance isnt fond of journalists, especially those who accurately report the bizarre and offensive things the Ohio senator has said about postmenopausal women, his inability to answer softball questions appropriately, and his many attacks on childless Americans.

Making fun of journalists is an all-season sport for some people, but asking a restaurant owner what items he serves that are bad while in the presence of media probably isnt the most emotionally intelligent thing a candidate for the countrys second-highest office could do.

HuffPost reached out to the Vance campaign to find out what, if anything, was served to journalists on his plane, but no one immediately responded.

However, his joke received more than its share of social media side-eye.

JD Vance insults Wisconsin deli owner by suggesting some of his food is terrible. Weird. https://t.co/sOWuOJYk67  Mark R. Yzaguirre (@markyzaguirre) August 20, 2024

What a great strategy for building rapport with the media 



Maybe they should reciprocate with more stories about:

- childless cat ladies

- staying in abusive marriages

- couches

- dolphins  DumpTrump   (@DumpDrumpf20) August 20, 2024

He is such a little bjtch. My gyah. Not cute.  h'EllaFreeDem  (@hEllaFreeDem) August 20, 2024

JD Vance has the charm of a soggy paper towel found under a park bench.  Marcus (@alocalbookshop) August 20, 2024

I recognize it as a bad attempt at humor. He hates the media and wants to force them to eat shitty food. Har har.  John Smith (@GOP_U) August 20, 2024

Normal politician: "What do you recommend?"

Vance: "What do you sell that sucks? Also I hate the free press"  Bonnie Resnick #IHRAshouldbeeasy (@srslybonnie) August 20, 2024

If you could see political talent, JD Vance would be invisible.  Patrick Strother (@PatrickStrother) August 20, 2024

I hate the middle-class, hardworking people who keep me accountable! Haha I am a relatable man! Just like you food-monkeys!  EyeOnStalk (@EyeOnStalk) August 20, 2024

Vances Kenosha visit had other potentially embarrassing moments.

At one point, a reporter asked him how he was preparing for his upcoming debate with Tim Walz, and he responded, I have a friend who embellishes and lies a lot, Im having him stand in for Tim Walz.

As you will see in the responses to the comment, nearly everyone on social media asked him if that friend was Donald Trump.

Reporter: How are you preparing for your debate with Tim Walz?



Vance: I have a friend who embellishes and lies a lot, Im having him stand in for Tim Walz pic.twitter.com/mu3FTnHj87  Acyn (@Acyn) August 20, 2024

Related...
Gov. Andy Beshears words are making the rounds on social media and conservative circles.

But its not anything he said on the stage at the Democratic National Convention Monday night; its about what he said in a Tuesday morning interview on the MSNBC program Morning Joe.

When talking to a host about the lack of exceptions for rape and incest in Kentuckys trigger ban on abortion, Beshear brought up the position of GOP vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-OH, on pregnancy resulting from rape.

In 2021, Vance called such pregnancies inconvenient.

Inconvenience is traffic. I mean, its  make him go through this, Beshear told MSNBC host Mika Brezinski. It is someone being violated, someone being harmed, and then telling them that they dont have options after that. That fails any test of decency, of humanity.

But heres the thing  it also shows they dont have any empathy at all. And a president and a vice president has to have empathy.

Beshear on Morning Joe: "JD Vance calls pregnancy resulting from rape 'inconvenient.' Inconvenience is traffic. I mean, make him go through this ... that fails any test of decency." pic.twitter.com/dbNKIZpv2o  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 20, 2024

A widely-circulated clip of Beshears answer on television cut off after the words make him go through this.

Many have weighed in online, arguing that Beshear is advocating for someone in Vances family to be raped.

Vance himself said that.

What the hell is this? Vance asked in a post to X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. Why is (Beshear) wishing that a member of my family would get raped?!? What a disgusting person.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center, Aug. 19, 2024 in Chicago. The DNC program will feature President Joe Biden and Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during Mondays ceremonies.

Kentucky Republicans also excoriated Beshear.

All this talk about the Parable of the Good Samaritan rings hollow when you condone vile attacks. Rape is an abhorrent crime that no one  no one  should ever endure, including Senator Vances family, Andy Westberry, the Republican Party of Kentuckys spokesperson, wrote in a statement.

Andy Beshear should be ashamed for suggesting that any human being, let alone a political opponent, deserves such trauma. He must immediately retract this disgraceful remark and publicly apologize to the Vance family.

Central Kentuckys Sixth Congressional District Congressman Andy Barr had some harsh words to say on the matter as well.

Andy Beshear just crossed a line with his reckless rhetoric. Suggesting that JD Vances family deserves horrific violence is beyond disgraceful. This is not the leadership Kentucky needs. Beshear must retract his statement and issue a public apology to the Vance family immediately. Kentucky deserves a governor who stands up for decency, not one who engages in vile attacks, Barr wrote in a post to X.

Beshear has not apologized.

However, he was offered the chance to respond to Vances criticism on a later MSNBC program filmed at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The host asked him if he was suggesting in his comments that he wanted a member of Vances family be raped.

The 46-year-old governor responded of course not.

Its ridiculous, but its also deflection. J.D. Vance knows that he and Donald Trump are so wrong on this issue, and so hes trying to make himself a victim, Beshear said. Listen, Hadley Duvall was a victim... As a man, JD Vance will never have to face any of this personally, but its sad that he lacks the empathy to be able to put himself in a different position and to understand why having exceptions, having reproductive freedom is so important in the first place.

Obviously, Id never wish harm on anyone. Its just, again, deflection, trying to make himself and Donald Trump the victims.

Beshear referenced Hadley Duvall, an outspoken Kentucky native and abortion rights activist who has appeared in statewide and national media campaigns recounting her story of being raped and impregnated by her stepfather at age 12.

The comment from Vance that precipitated Beshears initial criticism came from a 2021 interview during Vances run for Senate when he was asked about exceptions to abortion bans.

Its not whether a woman should be forced to bring a child to term, its whether a child should be allowed to live, even though the circumstances of that childs birth are somehow inconvenient or a problem to the society, Vance said.
Even though neither major party nominee for president has a military background  one of them avoided service through a series of deferments and a claimed bone-spurs disability  and U.S. armed forces are not currently involved in any ground wars, military matters are playing an outsized role in this years election.

That role has four dimensions. First, is the country in a position to apply military force, if and when needed, beyond our borders? Second, what, if anything, will be the armed forces role in the event the losing presidential candidates supporters seek to contest the results through civil disorder? Third, is military service a particular qualification for public office? And finally, if the answer to the third question is Yes, is some military service more salient than other service?

The first two questions are certain to be addressed as the election draws near  indeed, they will remain on the national screen for the foreseeable future given current hostilities in Europe, the Middle East, and elsewhere. The second question may lose its urgency after Election Day, certification of the results, and the inauguration, unless the example set by former President Trump following his 2020 election loss proves to be a lasting part of American political life.

The fourth question is getting particular attention owing to the current effort to SwiftBoat Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris choice for running mate. Republicans are working overtime to call into question his account of his service in the Minnesota National Guard and to contrast it with Ohio Sen. JD Vances service in the U.S. Marine Corps. The fourth question cannot be divorced from the third, so let me start there.

How important is military service of any kind as a qualification or preparation for high elective office? While many presidents and vice presidents have served in the nations armed forces, their services have varied greatly. Some have been senior commanders, such as Ulysses Grant and Dwight Eisenhower, while some were heroic junior officers whose lives were on the line, like Presidents Kennedy and George H.W. Bush. Others served in relatively safe assignments for longer or shorter periods (Presidents Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Ford, and Reagan). Some terminated their service unimpressively, an example being former President George W. Bush, who trained as a pilot but never saw combat and whose service ended in a cushy Air National Guard billet. He went on to serve two terms as president. As did former President Barack Obama. He, like President Joe Biden, never served at all. To date, no woman veteran has been elected to either of the two highest offices in the land. Neither of the current major-party candidates for president has had military service,yet each of them enjoys broad popularity, and barring the unforeseen, one of them will be the next commander-in-chief. And of course, former President Trump has already held that office, even though he did not win the popular vote.

Both candidates for vice president, in contrast, served in the armed forces as enlisted men. One is retired by reason of longevity. The other is simply one of the countrys millions of veterans.

The Senate and House of Representatives, of course, include numerous veterans and military retirees. Many of those who are seeking election for the first time this year make a point about their past service. How relevant is that service? It depends.

Courage under fire is a rare virtue, and anyone who has had that experience deserves the thanks of their fellow citizens. But does it make a person better qualified to serve as a legislator? In my view, not particularly. On the other hand, military personnel may be called on to display moral courage, and that is unquestionably pertinent to fitness for elective office, since that kind of service may require the individual to resist improper influences. I can think of candidates among the current crop who have done so.

On the other hand, this kind of moral courage may well be called for in other contexts as well, such as the world of business, education, scholarship, and work as an attorney or judge. I would argue that the real question, when it comes to qualification for elective office, is not whether one has worn the uniform, seen combat, or sustained wounds, but whether one has displayed the broader traits that cross the civil-military divide. These include not only moral courage, but dedication to the Constitution and laws of the land, personal integrity, leadership, setting an example for others, empathy, and plain old good judgment. A civilian who has never considered military service is every bit as capable of patriotism and selfless conduct as a career soldier. In short, simply having worn the uniform is not a compelling credential for elective office; you would need to know a great deal more before deciding how much weight it deserved  and who the competition was.

This brings me back to the fourth question, a question made all the more pertinent right now because of two time-honored practices in American political life: running on your military record (and maybe puffing it here and there), on the one hand, and picking over an opponents military record (if any) for blemishes or falsehoods, on the other. The current hand-to-hand combat over service records between the Walz and Vance campaigns, of course, seems particularly absurd given the lack of military service by either former President Trump or Vice President Harris. But lets leave that aside.

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

Military service comes in many sizes and shapes, so comparisons are hard to make. How do we compare services that are identical in every material respect except for those that Candidate A served during the conscription era while Candidate B served during the All-Volunteer Force Era? How does a draftee with a Purple Heart stack up against a volunteer who wasnt wounded? Does holding a commission necessarily mean a candidate is better suited to elective office than one who was a noncommissioned officer or a PFC or Seaman Apprentice? Is anyone who served in the Marine Corps inherently more patriotic or more suitable for elective office than someone who served in the Coast Guard or the Space Force  or the Public Health Service, which is a uniformed service but, ordinarily, not an armed force? Where in the pecking order do we place someone who served on active duty for six months followed by years of weekend warrior reserve duty (e.g., former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn) or who received a commission upon completion of ROTC but spent only a few months on active duty for training (e.g., Justice Sam Alito of the Supreme Court)? Is it worse to avoid the draft than not to volunteer when there is no draft? Do we think the less of those who were exempt from conscription as women or as sole-surviving sons and did not volunteer? Are conscientious objectors disqualified for elective office? What about those who can and do serve as noncombatants?

Theres no need to belabor the point: The possible comparisons are nearly infinite and defy neutral principles of evaluation.

Where does this leave candidates and voters this year? My own view is that Gov. Walz has done two things that are both right and politically smart: his campaign has forthrightly conceded that he erred in referring to his service in war, and he has saluted Sen. Vance for his one-hitch service as a Marine. I dont care if Gov. Walz retired as an E-8 rather than as an E-9, or that he retired with 24 years of creditable National Guard service instead of re-upping for yet another hitch. Nor does it seem to me to make the slightest difference in Sen. Vances qualifications to hold the countrys second-highest office that he filled a public affairs billet when he served in Iraq.

A lot is at stake this year. Lets not get side-tracked with irrelevant cheap shots.
Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) wildly accused Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear of wishing someone in Vances family would get raped after the Democrat criticized the senators past comments about pregnancies that result from sexual assault.

In a Tuesday interview on MSNBCs Morning Joe, Beshear called out Republicans for their extreme stances on abortion bans and denounced Vance for opposing exceptions in cases of rape and incest.

Appearing to reference comments the Republican made during his run for the Senate in 2021, Beshear told host Mika Brzezinski, JD Vance calls pregnancy resulting from rape inconvenient. Inconvenience is traffic. I mean, it is, make him go through this.

It is someone being violated, someone being harmed and then telling them that they dont have options after that that fails any test of decency, of humanity.

In 2021, Vance said allowing access to abortion in cases of rape or incest is not a matter of whether a woman should be forced to bring a child to term but an issue of if a child should be allowed to live even though the circumstances of that childs birth are somehow inconvenient or a problem to society.

The question really, to me, is about the baby, he concluded.

JD Vance speaks on Aug. 7 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Donald Trump's running mate accused Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear of "wishing" someone in his family "would get raped" in a Tuesday post on X. Adam Bettcher via Getty Images

After Beshear helped bring the Ohio senators cold comments to light, Vance responded with outrage Tuesday in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Twisting the governors words into an attack on his family, the vice presidential candidate wrote, What the hell is this? Why is @AndyBeshearKY wishing that a member of my family would get raped?!? What a disgusting person.

Beshear balked at Vances characterization while speaking to MSNBCs Andrea Mitchell later on Tuesday, accusing the senator of pretending to be a target when policies backed by him and the Republican Party are causing actual harm to real victims.

Its ridiculous, but its also deflection, Beshear said. JD Vance knows that he and Donald Trump are so wrong on this issue, and so hes trying to make himself the victim.

Obviously I never wish harm on anyone, he added.

Beshear may be right about Vance and Trump being on the losing side of this issue.

Surveys have shown sparse support for abortion bans that offer no exceptions in cases of rape and incest, even within the Republican Party.

A poll that the health care research nonprofit KFF conducted in May and June of this year found that 69% of Republican women surveyed said they support federal legislation protecting the right to abortion for victims of sexual assault.

Related...
ETF Industry Growth

ETF issuers introduced 1,063 new ETFs in the first seven months of 2024, a year-to-date record, according to data from research and consulting firm ETFGI.

The total surpasses the previous record of 988 set over the same period of 2021.

"The growing acceptance of the ETF wrapper as an investment vehicle that covers all types of asset classes, and index and active, is shaping the adoption in a number of different ways," said Deborah Fuhr, managing partner and founder of ETFGI. She noted that pension fund and asset owners are increasingly embracing ETFs, both as tool for their own use and as a means to enhance diversification.

Issuers have been trying to meet soaring demand for ETFs this year. According to ETFGI, assets invested in the global ETFs industry reached a record of $13.6 trillion at the end of July. The industry gathered $216.6 billion in net inflows in July, bringing year-to-date net inflows to $947 billion.

After accounting for 314 closures, the net increase stands at 749 products, ETFGI reported. This momentum has continued into August, with ETFGI reporting 27 new product launches and 9 closures during the week of Aug. 12, resulting in a net increase of 18 products.

Cryptocurrency ETFs Dominate New ETF Launches

The United States leads with 363 new funds, followed closely by the Asia Pacific region (excluding Japan) with 341, and Europe with 171. The distribution of new products spans 39 exchanges globally, involving 281 providers.

Among the new products, actively managed funds lead with 461 products, followed by 374 equity and 104 fixed income offerings. Cryptocurrency ETFs have emerged as a strong force in asset accumulation.

The iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) holds the top spot with nearly $20 billion in assets, followed by the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF (GBTC) with $13.2 billion in assets and the Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) with $10.1 billion in assets, according to etf.com data.

The approval of Ethereum ETFs by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commision in July has further fueled this trend. The Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE) rose to fourth place among new funds, amassing $6.6 billion in assets at the time of the report. ETHE has since dropped down to $4.8 billion in assets, thanks to the $2.4 billion in outflows since its launch, according to etf.com data.

ETHE Net Fund Flows

Global ETF Industry Growth

The week of Aug. 12 had a diverse array of launches, including 15 actively managed ETFs, seven index equity ETFs, four leveraged ETFs and one index fixed income ETF, according to ETFGI data. At the end of July, the global ETF/ETP industry had 12,565 ETFs/ETPs, with 25,135 listings, from 757 providers on 81 exchanges in 63 countries.

Story continues

Fuhr noted that "ETFs are a unique product that cuts across all types of clients and offers the same toolbox at a low or cost-efficient fee to everyone." She added that this broad appeal contributes to the growth and acceptance of ETFs as a tool for retail investors, financial advisors and institutional investors worldwide.

Fuhr predicted that net inflows would set a new record for the year.







Permalink |  Copyright 2024 etf.com. All rights reserved
TRENTON, N.J. (AP)  New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez's Senate career came to a close Tuesday, capping roughly five decades in Democratic politics that took him from the local school board to chair of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, just over a month after a jury convicted him on federal bribery charges.

Menendez signaled his resignation would take effect at the end of the day Tuesday in a letter last month to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who said Friday he's tapping a former top aide to succeed the three-term incumbent.

George Helmy will succeed Menendez until the November election results for the Senate seat are certified late in the month, the governor said. At that point, Murphy said Helmy will resign and he'll name the winner of the election to the seat.

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. His resignation also comes as Democrats gather in Chicago for their national convention to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris to be their standard bearer nationally in November

Democratic Rep. Andy Kim and Republican hotel developer Curtis Bashaw are facing off in the general election.

Helmy, 44, served as Murphys chief of staff from 2019 until 2023 and currently serves as an executive at one of the states largest health care providers, RWJBarnabas Health. He previously served as Sen. Cory Bookers state director in the Senate.

Menendez, 70, was convicted on charges that he used his influence to meddle in three different state and federal criminal investigations to protect the businessmen. Prosecutors 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 Egypts government in exchange for bribes, including providing details on personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and ghostwriting a letter to fellow senators regarding lifting a hold on military aid to Egypt. FBI agents also said they found stacks of gold bars and $480,000 hidden in Menendezs house.

Menendez denied all of the allegations, and in a letter to Murphy last month, he said hes planning to appeal the conviction.

On Monday, he filed paperwork with the court seeking an acquittal and new trial, arguing that prosecutors presented speculation and that they violated his right as a lawmaker to protected speech and debate.

The resignation appears to mark the end of a nearly lifelong political career for Menendez, who was first elected to his local board of education just a couple of years after his high school graduation. He was also elected to the state Legislature and Congress before heading to the Senate.

Menendez was appointed to be a U.S. senator in 2006 when the seat opened up after incumbent Jon Corzine became governor. He was elected outright in 2006 and again in 2012 and 2018. He served as chair of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee beginning in 2013, but lost that post after the earlier indictment. He regained the position after federal prosecutors did not renew charges in that case, which ended in a mistrial.

Menendez is the only U.S. senator indicted twice.

In 2015, he was charged with letting a wealthy Florida eye doctor buy his influence through luxury vacations and campaign contributions. After a jury couldnt reach a unanimous verdict in 2017, New Jersey federal prosecutors dropped the case rather than put him on trial again.

He served as a Democrat in Congress but decided not to run in the primary this year as his court case was unfolding. He filed to run as an independent in the fall, though he withdrew his name from the ballot on Friday, according to a letter he sent to state election officials.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)- -Some kids headed back to school Monday, but those who didnt get to have a little more summer fun.

The Jewish Community Centers end-of-summer camp started Monday with 33 kids registered. And despite the cool weather, they spent this afternoon in the pool at the Logan campus and also did arts and crafts along with other outdoor activities.

Organizers say it gives families a way to fill the gap between other summer programs and the start of school, especially while parents work.

A lot of my teachers that are here are actually in school for teaching, so we just love children and we like to provide them a safe place to go, said Amber Shrawder, youth and camping director.

The program runs through September 2 and is for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade. Registration is still being accepted online.





Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Delegates at the state party conference of the AfD Saxony-Anhalt vote with their voting cards. 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

Less than two weeks before German state elections in Saxony and Thuringia, the Central Council of Jews in Germany and the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in Berlin have issued a warning about the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

In a brochure published Tuesday, the AfD is described as an "right-wing extremist" and "anti-Western" party with a "blatantly anti-Semitic ideology."

The document lists examples, statements and actions by individuals within the AfD to substantiate these claims. It also addresses derogatory remarks from the party regarding Germany's culture of remembrance, particularly about the Holocaust.

Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews, said that while the AfD may not be inherently anti-Semitic it caters to anti-Semites.

Speaking at a joint press conference on Tuesday with the AJC in Berlin, Schuster criticized the partys ethno-nationalist ideologies.

The brochure states that the party maintains a "tactical relationship with anti-Semitism" highlighting "imported anti-Semitism" from Muslim-majority countries while ignoring anti-Semitic sentiments within German society.

Schuster expressed concern that the primary threat to Jewish life in Germany still comes from the political right.

Regarding the ongoing discussions about banning the AfD, Schuster voiced scepticism. He fears that a ban might backfire, potentially elevating the AfDs prominence and making the situation worse.

He had previously said in an interview with SWR radio: "I think it must be possible to use political means to stop such a party before it is too late - ultimately even without a party ban procedure."

The AfD, whose strongly anti-migration policies are rejected by the established parties in Germany, is predicted to make big gains in the September 1 state elections in Saxony and Thuringia.
Jim Clyburn is the one who elected Joe Biden. Heres how he already helped Kamala Harris. | Opinion

There is no President Joe Biden without Rep. Jim Clyburn so it was fitting that the two both took the stage Monday night as the four-day Democratic National Convention kicked off in Chicago to celebrate Kamala Harris as their partys new presidential nominee.

For President Bidens lifetime of achievement, his service of his country, we owe him a great debt of gratitude, Clyburn told an appreciative DNC crowd during a five-minute address. And we are all grateful for one of the best decisions he made, selecting Kamala Harris as his vice president and endorsing her to succeed him.

You cant tell President Bidens story without telling Clyburns  from Bidens reversal of political fortune four years ago to Bidens reluctant decision not to seek re-election four weeks ago.

Now you cant tell Harriss story without telling Clyburns.

Even before Clyburn helped paint a picture Monday of Harris as ready for the presidency during his prime-time speech, he was one of her biggest ambassadors on her quick ascension as the partys nominee.

One of the ways Harris and Clyburn are alike is their loyalty to Biden. As other Democrats were saying why Biden shouldnt be the nominee after his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump in late June, Harris defended him on CNN immediately after, saying Biden had a slow start but a strong finish. Clyburn said that same week that there was no better Democrat to communicate the partys message than Biden.

Such fealty was, of course, demonstrably wrong. Bidens verbal stumbles and lost trains of thought showed he wasnt up to the challenge of a campaign, let alone four more years of service at the highest level. And as pressure mounted on Biden to quit the race, the messaging from Clyburn shifted in subtle but significant ways.

A few days later, Clyburn told MNBCs Andrea Mitchell, No, this party should not, in any way, do anything to work around Ms. Harris. We should do everything we can to bolster her, whether shes second place or at the top of the ticket.

That statement from the politician who more than anyone helped elect Biden to the White House helped Harris build support and momentum as she quickly navigated her way to being the nominee. It quieted talk of a mini primary and speculation about other contenders to replace Biden.

Clyburn wouldnt be as responsible for a Harris victory as he was for Bidens, but his forcefulness and faith in her, the way he suggested that it was her turn and that she was most qualified, brought to mind what he did in 2020.

South Carolinas most influential Democrat endorsed Biden just three days before the Palmetto States 2020 primary and changed the course of the election. It propelled Biden to victory after a dismal fourth-place finish in Iowa, a dreadful fifth-place finish in New Hampshire and a distant second-place finish in Nevada. Heres the story behind it.

The day before Clyburn endorsed Biden was the day of a candidate debate. And the day before that, Clyburn made what the 2021 book Lucky: How Joe Biden Barely Won the Presidency by NBCs Jonathan Allen and The Hills Amie Parnes called a political ask  the favor a politician requests in return when he is granting one  of Biden.

Find a way to say that you were a part of picking the first Latina woman member of the United States Supreme Court and youre looking forward to making the first African American woman a member of the United States Supreme Court, Clyburn told Biden the day before the debate.

Yet a full hour and 45 minutes into the debate at a Charleston concert hall, Biden had not promised to appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court. Clyburn rushed backstage in a commercial break, found Biden and cautioned him privately, Im telling you, dont you leave the stage tonight without making it known that you will do that.

The rest is history.

In his closing remarks, Biden said, Im looking forward to making sure theres a Black woman on the Supreme Court, to make sure we in fact get every representation.

He got Clyburns endorsement. He sewed up the nomination. He became president.

He nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.

And then on Clyburns 84th birthday, Biden announced he would not seek re-election.

Four years ago, Clyburn addressed the 2020 Democratic National Convention and made the case for Biden, saying, Joe Biden is as good a man as he is a leader. I have said before and wish to reiterate tonight: We know Joe. But more importantly, Joe knows us.

Monday, Clyburn argued for Harris, reiterating something else hed said: In the introduction of my memoir, I wrote, All my experiences have not been pleasant, but I consider all of them to be blessings. So has been the case with Kamala. Her experiences have prepared her for this moment. Kamala Harris is a true battle-tested leader, a district attorney, attorney general, senator and vice president who gets things done.

Below is the full text of Clyburns remarks to the Democratic National Convention on Monday night.

Four years ago, Americans were experiencing high anxieties and grave uncertainties. Back then the virus raged, schools closed, businesses shuttered, Donald Trump mismanaged the crisis from day one, looking out for himself instead of the country.

The American people responded to the crisis in leadership by electing new leaders.

Thanks to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, we reopened our schools, brought back our businesses and restored our faith in Americans can-do spirit. Thanks to Joe and Kamala, we reduced the price of prescription drugs, repaired roads and bridges and replaced lead pipes. Thanks to Joe and Kamala, we are honoring our heroes in uniform and expanding benefits to over a million veterans. Thanks to Joe and Kamala, make it in America is no longer a slogan but a movement that is bringing millions of manufacturing jobs back to America.

For President Bidens lifetime of achievement, his service of his country, we owe him a great debt of gratitude. And we are all grateful for one of the best decisions he made, selecting Kamala Harris as his vice president and endorsing her to succeed him.

I often say that we are but the sum of our experiences. In the introduction of my memoir, I wrote, All my experiences have not been pleasant, but I consider all of them to be blessings. So has been the case with Kamala. Her experiences have prepared her for this moment. Kamala Harris is a true battle-tested leader, a district attorney, attorney general, senator and vice president who gets things done.

While Donald Trump has been bragging about how he overturned Roe, Kamala has been fiercely advocating for the restoration of reproductive freedoms. While Trump has been looking out for himself and his billionaire buddies, Kamala Harris has been fighting to lower costs for all Americans. And while Trump falsely pleads ignorance of Project 2025, which in my opinion is Jim Crow 2.0, Kamala has been offering the American people enlightening proposals and visionary leadership.

Having grown up in a parsonage, I often look to the good book for understanding and guidance. As Second Corinthians informs, We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. We are perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed.

Our great democracy has been tested and so has the basic goodness of the American people. But our resolve to remain a great country with freedom and justice for all will not falter. We will continue our march toward a more perfect union, united in our common purpose and emboldened by our resolve to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as the next president and vice president of these United States of America. Thank you and Godspeed.

Send me 250-word letters to the editor here, 650-word guest essays here and email here. Say hi on X anytime.
Joe Biden Delivers Lengthy Farewell at Convention: America, I Gave My Best to You

President Biden defended his record and promised to be the best volunteer for Kamala Harris in a 49-minute speech on Monday night, going well past midnight on the East Coast.

The convention was running more than an hour late by the time the president took the stage at the United Center in Chicago. A performance from James Taylor, slotted just before the introduction from Bidens daughter, had to be cut for time.

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The president got a four-minute ovation from the crowd, who chanted Thank you, Joe! at various points in the speech. The speech was also briefly interrupted at one point by pro-Palestinian protesters who unfurled a banner reading Stop Arming Israel.

The speech was billed as a moment for Biden to pass the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris, who sat with her running mate, Tim Walz, in the stands, and came on stage afterward with her husband, Doug Emhoff, to embrace the president.

I love the job, but I love my country more, Biden said.

Biden stumbled over his words at a few points, and made a few self-deprecating references to his age.

I know more foreign leaders by their first names and know them better than anyone alive  just because Im so damn old, he said.

He took a few shots at former President Trump, calling him a loser at one point. He also defended his record on infrastructure, capping the cost of prescription drugs, and his support for Ukraine.

Ukraine is still free, he said, to applause.

The president noted that he had five months remaining on the job, and said he has a lot to do. In particular, he cited the work of getting a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict.

Those protesters out on the street, they have a point, he said.

Later on, he quoted from a song, American Anthem, that he had also cited in his inaugural address in 2021.

Let me know in my heart, when my days are through, he said. America, America I gave my best to you.

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About 20 minutes before President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 election, Teresa Saavedra Woorman, a Maryland state legislator and a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, got a call from the Biden campaign asking if she was still on board with his candidacy. When the alerts came in 20 minutes later that Biden had dropped out, she thought, Whoa, OK. That was quick.

Numerous delegates I spoke to Monday, on the first day of the DNC, similarly had their temperature taken in the last weeks of the Biden campaign. Tim Allison, the executive director of a teachers union in California, said it happened multiple times. Megan Kerr, who serves on the Long Beach City Council, also had gotten some calls about what her intentions were.

They all said they would support Biden. These were, after all, Biden delegates that the president had won through the primary process, and their support was pledged to him.

I told them straight up, Allison said, the decision is the presidents. He has earned the nomination of the party, and the decision is his. I was elected as a delegate to Joe Biden. So I was with Joe Biden until he said he was no longer in the race.

Many delegates remember vividly where they were when Biden saidor rather, submitted a letter announcingthat he was quitting from the race. Kerr was on a bike ride with a group, which they stopped for a few minutes to sit down and check their phones. Cindy Yoe, a Maryland county party chair, heard the news as she was getting on a plane home from Montana, so missed the next several hours of rapid-fire developments. Larry Olsen, the South Dakota state party treasurerwhose camo WALZ hat earned him a compliment from Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar while we were speakingsaid he was probably doing some kind of work on the farm.

While some of them first had panicked thoughtswhats going to happen next? Is there going to be an open convention free-for-all?Bidens ensuing endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris soon cleared up any confusion. Within the next few days, most state party delegations would officially endorse and then formally vote to nominate Harris to replace Biden atop the ticket. Allison proudly noted that in the California delegations virtual meeting, he seconded Nancy Pelosis motion to pledge support to Harris. Once Biden threw his support behind Harris, Biden delegates did too, without a second thought.

If you think of Harris delegates, then, as Biden delegates firstpeople chosen for their roles because of presumed loyalty to Joe Bidenits almost surprising that there isnt more resentment within the DNC toward the way he was shown the door. I didnt pick up much of it. Yoe, from Maryland, said she had a little problem with the ageism thing, saying that as shes getting older, it hits home a little closer. But there wasnt any appetite for Donald Trumps fantasy scenario, in which Biden emerges at the convention wanting to take the convention back.

Its going to be a night for nostalgia, Allison told me. Hes been a strong president whos done remarkable things for the country, and I think he did one last remarkable thing for the country by deciding it was time to hand off the baton.

Nobodys perfect, Olsen, of South Dakota, said. But do I think he was a competent leader? Yes. Do I think he got a tremendous amount of things accomplished? Yes. Do I think he could have continued? Yes. But I think he made the right choice for himself, made definitely the right choice for the country. Unselfish sacrifice.

Similar homages were made through the first evenings programming.

Thank you, Joe, for your lifetime of service and leadership, Hillary Clinton said.

President Biden, America is so much better because of youa true patriot who has always put the people first, Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock said. Thank you, Joe!

Mr. President, thank youthank youfor elevating a great leader in Kamala Harris, Bidens top ally in the Senate, Chris Coons, said in his speech introducing the Biden family segment of the evening.

Ive wondered how well Bidenthe candidate on whom the party has just turned out the lightstakes it when its laid on this thick. Its not like he was left with a much of a choice on the matter by the time he dropped out. The party had abandoned him and had the ability to keep ratcheting the heat up further. And Monday, while speakers were feting him with their deepest thanks for hour after hour, they were also delaying his speaking window until after prime time on the East Coast. But they did so from the bottom of their hearts.

Biden took the stage at 10:26 p.m. Central Time to a minuteslong standing ovation. Every delegate was holding up a WE <3 JOE signnotably including a member of the California delegation sitting in the front row, Nancy Pelosi. Members of the Delaware delegation put on aviators.

Most of Bidens speech couldve been takenand likely wasfrom a draft of a renomination speech. He reiterated the stakes of the race, ran through his legislative record, and made the case against Trump. There were calls to put Harris and Tim Walz in office. But not really much, ultimately about as much as the sum total of the unscripted not a joke, not hyperbole, and I mean that literally asides scattered throughout. After about 50 minutes, speakers and delegates didnt need to thank him. They just needed to let him finish.

I can honestly say Im more optimistic about the future than I was when I was elected a 29-year-old United States senator, he said toward the end of his speech as it stretched into the one-hour mark.

I was too young to be in the Senate, he then ad-libbed in a joke, and too old to be the president. Biden had come out firing in his speech but had been beginning to sag a bit as things went on. But he delivered that joke well. Perhaps because it was no joke at all, and he meant that literally.
Anita Joy, right, who was with Johnny Wactor when he was shot and killed in May, hugs Gary Hoiness on Monday after a news conference announcing murder charges filed in the actor's death. (Al Seib / For The Times)

Searches of homes of gang members charged with murder in the shooting death of actor Johnny Wactor uncovered evidence tying them to thefts in L.A., Beverly Hills and the Inland Empire, the interim Los Angeles Police Department chief said.

While serving search warrants in the arrest of four men connected to the May 25 slaying of Wactor, the LAPD's organized retail task force and Central Bureau Homicide Division found evidence related to a series of pharmacy and retail store thefts, Interim Police Chief Dominic Choi told the Police Commission on Tuesday.

The evidence is linked to thefts in Los Angeles, the unincorporated Lennox area, Beverly Hills, Rialto and Ontario, Choi said. The chief said more than 50 search warrants were conducted in Wactor's case, culminating in the arrests of four men with known associations to a notorious South Los Angeles street gang.

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon on Monday charged Robert Barceleau and Sergio Estrada, both 18, with murder in Wactor's death. Authorities say Barceleau shot the "General Hospital" actor after he confronted him, Estrada and a third man  Leonel Gutierrez  as the trio jacked up his car to steal its catalytic converter.

Wactor and a colleague had just finished their shifts at the Level 8 bar when they came upon the three men and thought they were about to tow the actor's vehicle. But when they realized they had interrupted a theft in progress, Wactor tried to de-escalate the situation, asking the men to leave and showing his open hands to indicate he wasnt a threat. Nevertheless, he was shot at close range, his co-worker Anita Joy said. A security guard from the bar said he found Joy and the mortally wounded Wactor and called 911.

Johnny Wactor was shot to death after interrupting men trying to steal his car's catalytic converter on May 25, authorities say. (Willy Sanjuan / Invision / Associated Press)

Police launched an extensive search for the suspects in the fatal shooting, ultimately focusing on gang members tied to catalytic converter thefts in the region. Witnesses said one of the men had a distinct F tattoo on his face, which police tied to the Florencia 13 gang.

Barceleau, Estrada and Gutierrez, also 18, were targeted after police said their fingerprints matched those lifted from a floor jack used while trying to steal Wactors catalytic converter. The three were arrested Thursday on suspicion of murder; a fourth man  Frank Olano, 22  was arrested on suspicion of being an accessory to murder.

According to two law enforcement sources who spoke to The Times on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly, Barceleau and Estrada made incriminating statements about their role in the killing while in jail after their arrests.

On Monday, the two were charged with murder in Wactor's death, while Gutierrez and Olano were charged with lesser crimes. Neither Gascon nor Choi would discuss the evidence in the case, including any statements made by the accused. All four appeared in a downtown court Monday and were waiting to be called for their hearing.

Barceleau, who is also known as "Smallz," was charged with special circumstances murder during an attempted robbery with personal use of a firearm, attempted robbery, grand theft and aggravated circumstances of using a firearm. If convicted, he faces life without the possibility of parole.

Estrada, a.k.a. Prieto, was charged with murder with the use of a firearm, attempted robbery and grand theft with a firearm.

Gutierrez, or Tripps, was charged with attempted robbery and grand theft with allegations of a principal armed with a firearm.

Olano was charged with one count of accessory after the fact to murder, one count of receiving stolen property and three counts of being a felon with a firearm.

Barceleau is being held without bail, and Estrada is being held in lieu of $2.07 million bail. Olano's bail was set at $1.08 million and Gutierrez's at $120,000.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Josh Hawley hopes to use Lucas Kunce fundraising against him in Missouri Senate race

Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Lucas Kunce and Republican incumbent Josh Hawley, converge Aug. 15 in the middle of the governor's ham breakfast at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

In his re-election campaign, Missouri Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley wants to use Democratic nominee Lucas Kunces successful fundraising effort as a weapon.

Since the start of 2023, Kunce has collected $11.2 million, all but about 3% from individuals giving in amounts ranging from less than $1 to the maximum contribution of $3,300. Hawley, who has raised a little more than $9 million through his campaign and joint fundraising PAC in the same period, has also collected more than 90% of his funding from individual donations.

That makes Kunce the best-funded Democrat in a statewide contest this year. He opened the fall campaign with nearly $1 million in television advertising that began a week before the primary. Hawley has countered with more than $700,000 in ad buys, as tallied by The Independent from broadcaster reports to the FCC.

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A key strategy of Hawleys campaign so far has been to paint Kunce as out-of-touch with Missouri voters and funded by out-of-state interests.

Its no surprise that Lucas Kunce has been outraising my campaign with the help of California millionaires, but I wont back down, Hawley said in a recent fundraising email to supporters.

In a face-to-face confrontation with Kunce last week at the Missouri State Fair ham breakfast, Hawley repeated his attacks.

This guy, over 60% of his contributions come from outside the state, Hawley said, Hes taking money from Bain Capital, for heavens sake.

I have never taken money from Bain Capital, Kunce responded. I take money from individuals. Our average donation is $30. We have donations from all 114 counties.

Asked about the attacks after he and Hawley separated, Kunce said it shows Hawley cannot win on a campaign that compares policy positions.

He doesnt want to talk about anything that hes actually done, and he wants to just make up other stuff to attack me on, Kunce said. Weve never taken money from a corporate PAC, I can tell you that much. And so if Bain has a corporate PAC I have not taken money from it.

The Independent analyzed the fundraising reports of each candidate to test Hawleys attacks The analysis revealed:

The majority of Kunces itemized donations are from outside the state, as are Hawleys.

The list of Kunces donors includes some famous Hollywood names, including actors John Goodman and Jon Hamm, both born in Missouri.

Hawley has promised to refuse donations from corporate PACs, a stance he adopted after dozens of corporate donors halted contributions to lawmakers like Hawley who voted against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The statement that Kunce is taking money from Bain Capital is based on $5,800 donated to his failed 2022 Democratic primary race from an individual who listed the company as their employer.

Here or there

Each candidates report lists hundreds of donations of less than $1 and thousands below $10. The vast majority of that money is raised through small-donor conduits aligned with each party, ActBlue for the Democrats and WinRed for Republicans.

Those platforms have helped the parties nationalize races in individual states, and hundreds of candidates in each party raise money through them.

It is true that a majority of Kunces itemized individual donations are from outside Missouri, with about 38% of the listed donations and about 41% of the total. The list of almost 54,000 donations  with 20,529 from Missouri  includes many multiple entries for repeat donors.

Kunce said hes got no apologies for where his donors live.

We built a real grassroots movement around here, he said. And I think that Josh Hawley just doesnt want to talk about anything that hes actually done or proposes to do.

Hawleys list of individual donors, both since he joined the Senate in 2019 and during the current two-year election cycle, is weighted even heavier to out-of-state donors.

Of his almost 55,000 individual donations listed since he took office, 23% are from Missouri, providing about 38% of the total for those donations. Since the start of 2023, only 22.5% of the itemized donations came from Missourians, contributions that equal 31% of the money Hawley reported in itemized receipts.

Asked whether voters should be concerned that most of his donations come from outside the state, Hawley turned back to his criticism of Kunce.

He does not represent our state, he said.

Neither candidate reports the name of every donor. Federal law allows campaigns to omit the names of donors who give $50 or less.

Kunce does not disclose the donors of $6 million he has received and Hawley has not disclosed the donors for $2 million collected since the start of 2023.

California donors

Both candidates have reported hundreds of thousands of dollars from contributors in the Golden State, but it is by no means the main source of funding for either Kunce or Hawley. Along with Hamm, who regularly lends his name to fundraising appeals, and Goodman, who narrated a two-minute video for Kunce, the list includes Mark Hamill, the original Luke Skywalker from Star Wars, late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel and Michael Shamberg, producer of A Fish Called Wanda and Erin Brockovich.

He just got another Hollywood actor to narrate a video for him, Hawley said after the confrontation at the state fair, adding: The guy is totally out of step in Missouri. That is my point.

The Goodman video will not only show up in various media as an ad for Kunce, he is using it to showcase his message to potential donors.

John Goodman is a born-and-raised Missourian who knows real family values, an email appeal stated. He learned them the same way I did, by growing up in a beautiful community where people took care of each other  through good times and tough times.

In all, Kunce reported about $589,000 from California donors, while Hawley has $251,424 since the start of 2023 and $334,758 since he took office.

PAC donations

During his first two years in office, the portion of Hawleys campaign finance report where committee donations are listed looked like many from both parties, with interest group PACs of various stripes chipping in.

The list of $91,000 in donations includes corporate PACs for companies like AT&T, Fedex and Citigroup and farm commodity PACs such as The National Cotton Council, the California Rice Industry Association and the National Sorghum Producers, among others.

But then came Jan. 6, 2021, when a violent mob broke into the U.S. Capitol Building while Congress was counting the presidential electoral vote. Hawley not only was the first member of the Senate to announce he planned to challenge the votes of several states, he was photographed with a defiant fist-raised encouragement to members of the group that eventually breached the security perimeter.

The reaction from some of Hawleys biggest backers was intense and immediate.

David Humphreys, president and CEO of Tamko Building Products in Joplin, denounced Hawley as a political opportunist who used irresponsible, inflammatory, and dangerous tactics to incite the rioting that took over the U.S. Capitol Building. Humphreys and his family provided $4.4 of the $9.2 million Hawley raised in his campaign for Missouri attorney general in 2016.

Along with corporate donors who vowed to stop giving to the Republicans who objected to certifying the electoral vote, some donors, such as Kansas City-based Hallmark Cards Inc., asked for Hawley to return their money.

Since the start of 2021, Hawley has reported only a handful of corporate PAC donors and none since the start of 2023. He has received donations from lobbying interests  the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the National Association of Realtors and the American Crystal Sugar PAC among them  and one union, the Teamsters.

Hawley has also taken donations from 21 PACs associated with other members of the Senate or prominent Republicans, including Working for Ohio, the leadership PAC associated with GOP vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance, and the Bluegrass Committee, the leadership PAC for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

You can go ask Mitch about our relationship and whether or not Ive supported him for leader, Hawley said in an interview at the Missouri State Fair. Ive never supported him for leader, and Im not going to.

Hawley said he wasnt even aware McConnells PAC had donated this cycle.

Fantastic, he said. If he wants to give me money to criticize him, Ill take it.

All of the leadership PACs that have given to Hawley accept corporate PAC donations.

Hawley said he doesnt check where the leadership PACs get their money before depositing their donations.

I dont know what other people get, Hawley said. I can control what I get, and I do not accept corporate money.

Publicly refusing corporate PAC funding while accepting donations from PACs that raise significant cash from corporate contributors is hypocritical, Kunce said.

Hes laundering the money, Kunce said. The guys being a fraud about it. Im proud of the way that we dont take corporate PAC money, no federal lobbyist money and no big pharma executive money.

Kunce has accepted 46 donations from PACs since the start of 2023  36 from PACs associated with unions and the rest from committees that have a partisan bent toward Democrats. The Democratic PACs all raise money from small donors.

Union PACs are different from corporate PACs, Kunce said.

Union PACs are created to empower everyday people, to give power to everyday folksand change who has power in this country, Kunce said. Corporate PACs are set up so that corporations can remain in power over the rest of us.

Bain Capital

The name of Bain Capital is a dirty word in some Republican circles.

The venture capital firm was founded and led initially by U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah  the GOPs 2012 nominee for president and one of former President Donald Trumps most vocal Republican critics.

In 2022, when Kunce sought the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, he accepted $5,800 in donations from contributors who listed their employer as Bain Capital. None of his individual donations in the current cycle are from people employed by Bain.

There was no significant carryover from the 2022 campaign to the present effort. In his October 2022 report, Kunce listed $26,350 in cash on hand and $164,983 in debts.

But for Hawley, those donations from 2022 are enough to justify his attack.

When you suck money from Bain Capital, you may as well put owned by Wall Street right on your chest, Hawley said at the campaign stop in Boonville.

Kunce, asked about the donations, said every contribution from an individual represents support for his issues, not the corporate interests of the donors employer.

Weve never taken money from a corporate PAC, I can tell you that much, Kunce siad. And so if Bain has a corporate PAC I have not taken money from it.

What it means

Unlike the 2018 election, when Hawley defeated Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, there has been little evidence super PACs  groups that can accept unlimited donations  intend to make a major effort in the state.

In 2018, Hawley and McCaskill combined to spend about $50 million, with about $39 million raised and spent by McCaskill. Outside groups spent $76 million more, according to the campaign finance tracking site Open Secrets.

The dynamic could change if polls show Kunces early ad effort puts him within striking distance, or if national groups see an opening because abortion rights and minimum wage ballot measures impact other campaigns.

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Judge again rejects Hunter Biden's attempt to dismiss tax indictment over role of special counsel

Hunter Biden, Valerie Biden and President Joe Biden walk on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One on July 26.

A federal judge on Monday rejected a fresh attempt by Hunter Biden to dismiss his indictment on federal tax charges.

U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi said in an order that he would not revisit an argument by the president's son that federal prosecutor David Weiss was ineligible to be appointed as special counsel and that funding for the probe and prosecution of Biden was not approved by Congress.

Biden previously filed a motion to dismiss the charges, with a focus on Weiss' appointment, but he made another attempt recently following a pair of judicial decisions tied to the appointment of a special counsel in cases against former President Donald Trump. The earlier motion was also denied.

As he concedes in his notice of the motion, Mr. Biden plainly seeks reconsideration of issues already decided upon his February motion," Scarsi wrote.

The Court declines to reach the merits of the motion because there is no valid basis for reconsideration of the Courts order denying Mr. Bidens motion to dismiss the indictment," he added.

Scarsi, who was nominated by Trump, also said the motion was "untimely," as it came after a Feb. 20 deadline he had set for parties in the case.

The Court specifically indicated that this was the deadline for motions on issues the parties at that time intended to raise, he wrote.

After the earlier motion to dismiss was denied, Biden's attorneys mounted a new challenge to Weiss' prosecutorial authority, citing Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas concurring opinion in the high court's presidential immunity ruling and a decision by a federal judge in Florida to dismiss the classified documents case against Trump.

In Monday's order, Scarsi said the court was not bound to abide by either of the opinions.

Neither Justice Thomass opinion nor Judge Cannons order is binding precedent," Scarsi wrote.

At attorney for Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night.

Weiss, who was appointed special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland, says Biden failed to pay taxes, failed to file, evaded an assessment and filed a fraudulent form. He has pleaded not guilty.

The trial is scheduled to begin in September.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump nominee, last month tossed out special counsel Jack Smiths classified documents case against Trump, finding that Smith's appointment and the funding tied to his probe were unlawful.

In a single-justice concurrence, Thomas had suggested that Smith's appointment as special counsel raised a potential violation of the Constitutions provisions about appointment power and how an office may be created.

Biden's attorneys have tried to get his conviction on federal gun charges tossed out on special counsel appointment grounds. They have not been successful.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
WASHINGTON (AP)  Federal safety officials are requiring inspections of cockpit seats on Boeing 787 Dreamliners after one of the jets went into a dive when the captains seat lurched forward without warning and disconnected the plane's autopilot system.

Boeing also has stopped test flights of a new version of its 777 jetliner after discovering a damaged structural part between the engine and the rest of the plane. The new model has not yet been approved by regulators.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in an order scheduled to be published Wednesday that it will require operators of 787s to inspect both pilot seats for missing or cracked caps that cover a switch used to move the seats.

During a March flight by Chile-based Latam Airlines, the captains seat moved forward and hit a switch that disconnected the autopilot system. The plane, flying from Australia to New Zealand, rapidly dropped about 400 feet (120 meters) before the co-pilot regained control, according to a preliminary report by Chilean authorities. Several dozen passengers were injured, according to news reports.

Within days of the incident, Boeing recommended that airlines look at the cockpit seats on 787s for loose caps on the switches and told them how to turn off power to the motorized seats.

The FAA said it has received four other reports from Boeing of cockpit seats moving when not intended to, including one in June.

The FAA said its safety order will affect 158 planes registered in the United States.

Separately, the FAA published a final rule requiring airlines to inspect inlets around ducts in engine anti-ice systems on 787s for signs of heat damage. The agency proposed the rule in February after a report of damage to multiple engine inlets caused by missing or degraded seals around the ducts.

Boeing identified the inlet issue in bulletins sent to airlines last year.

Meanwhile, Boeing suffered a setback in its effort to win FAA certification of the 777-9, a new, long-range addition to its lineup of 777 jets. The plane might be most noteworthy for its folding wingtips, which would allow the larger model to fit at airport gates designed for other 777s.

Boeing said Tuesday it has stopped flights after one of four test planes was found to have cracks on a part called a thrust link that helps balance load between the engines and the aircraft. The issue surfaced after a test flight returned to Hawaii.

During scheduled maintenance, we identified a component that did not perform as designed, Boeing said in a statement. Our team is replacing the part and capturing any learnings from the component and will resume flight testing when ready.

Story continues

Boeing said there are four thrust links on each 777-9  two on each engine for redundancy. The company said the component is new to the 777-9 and is not used on existing 777s or other planes.

Boeing, which is based in Arlington, Virginia, said it was keeping the FAA and airlines informed about the issue.

The problem with the component was first reported by The Air Current.
Hunter Bidens defense team has raised eyebrows after playing a literal Trump card at a recent court hearing in California.

Lawyers representing President Joe Bidens son had appealed for U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi, a Donald Trump appointee, to throw out tax charges leveled at the Republican Party bugbear ahead of his trial next month, on the basis that a separate case against Trump himself had been tossed on similar grounds.

The Associated Press reports that the claim related to Florida proceedings against the former president over his alleged mishandling of classified documents. Trumps defense had successfully argued that the Justice Department illegally appointed Jack Smith as special counsel in the case, which resulted in it being dismissed last month.

Sour Grapes Republicans Say Biden Should Still Be Impeached

Hunter Bidens team proposed the same ought to apply to his forthcoming trial for allegedly dodging at least $1.4 million in taxes over four years, given the special counsel behind the prosecution, David Weiss, had not yet been appointed when he brought those charges against the disgraced businessman.

Scarsi had earlier slammed Bidens lawyers for providing false statements on the timing of the charges, even threatening to sanction them for misrepresenting the history of the case by previously claiming no charges were brought before Weiss came onboard the investigation.

Joe and Hunter Biden Share Emotional Embrace After Conviction

Given they had since changed tack, saying theyd never tried to mislead the court, the judge wrote on Monday he wouldnt be taking action against them but nevertheless noted their conduct warrants an admonition: candor is paramount before promptly dismissing their latest bid to have the case thrown out.

When the trial commences next month, it will be the second time Hunter Biden has been in court this year, following his conviction on three felony gun charges in Delaware earlier in June, for which he could now face up to 25 years in prison.

The California case will also come after the House GOPs latest attack against the Biden family. Reports emerged on Monday of an almost 300-page congressional dossier on Hunter Bidens alleged role at the heart of a supposed conspiracy, allegedly encompassing impeachable conduct on part of his father, though the noise is unlikely to amount to much during the brief period the president now has left in office.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A federal judge overseeing Hunter Bidens trial on tax charges rejected his bid to toss the case after the presidents son sought to argue the special counsel prosecuting the case was improperly appointed.

Biden had made the argument after the judge overseeing former President Trumps documents case ruled that special counsel Jack Smith was improperly appointed  a decision the Justice Department is now appealing.

California-based Judge Mark Scarsi rejected similar logic in Bidens case, allowing the trial to move forward in September.

Scarsi wrote that he had already weighed the legality of special counsel David Weisss role, finding he was properly appointed. He said Judge Aileen Cannons ruling did not provide a basis for reconsidering that decision.

Its not the first time Biden has mirrored arguments from Trump in fighting his own case.

He previously filed a motion seeking to toss the case by arguing the case was politically motivated.

Its the second criminal trial in just months against the presidents son, who was convicted in June of three felony charges in a separate federal case brought in Delaware stemming from his purchase of a gun in 2018.

In the California-based case, Biden is accused of failure to pay more than $1.4 million in taxes.

The Associated Press contributed.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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A federal judge on Monday rejected the latest attempt by President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden to dismiss several tax-related charges he faces in Los Angeles, all but ensuring that the case will go to trial as scheduled early next month.

In July, attorneys for Hunter Biden filed a pair of motions seeking to dismiss his cases in both California and Delaware, citing a decision by a federal judge in Florida to dismiss the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump.

But on Monday, U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi, the Los Angeles-based federal judge overseeing the tax case, denied that bid, concluding in a seven-page ruling that his attorneys' arguments failed on both procedural and factual grounds.

MORE: Hunter Biden, citing Trump special counsel ruling, moves to dismiss cases against him

Scarsi, in denying the motion, cited Hunter Biden's previous ill-fated efforts to dismiss the case.

"As he concedes in his notice of the motion, Mr. Biden plainly seeks reconsideration of issues already decided upon his February motion," Scarsi wrote, concluding that "there is no valid basis for reconsideration of the court's [prior] order denying Mr. Biden's motion to dismiss the indictment."

The judge, however, determined that Hunter Biden will not face sanctions after Scarsi earlier threatened to sanction him after Hunter Biden's attorneys suggested in court filings that special counsel David Weiss only brought the charges after he was elevated to special counsel. Biden's legal team acknowledged in a subsequent filing that their claim had been "inartfully" articulated.

PHOTO: Hunter Biden departs from federal court June 11, 2024, in Wilmington, Del. (Matt Slocum/AP)

On Monday, Scarsi wrote that he would not sanction Hunter Biden, in part because of a recent shakeup of his legal team, but issued a warning, saying, "Counsel's conduct warrants an admonition: candor is paramount."

Hunter Biden faces nine felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from his failure to pay $1.4 million in taxes for three years during a time when he was in the throes of addiction. The back taxes and penalties were ultimately paid in full by a third party, identified by ABC News as Hunter Biden's attorney and confidant, Kevin Morris.

The trial is scheduled to begin on Sept. 5. Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The president's son was found guilty on three firearm-related charges in a separate case in Delaware earlier this summer.

Judge rejects latest attempt by Hunter Biden to dismiss tax-related charges originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
June trial set for man accused of trying to assassinate Kavanaugh

A federal judge set a June 9 trial date for the man accused of attempting to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh as the Supreme Court was on the cusp of overturning abortion protections and expanding gun rights.

Nicholas Roske was arrested near the justices Maryland home in June 2022 with a pistol, other weapons, ammunition and zip ties, after which he allegedly told law enforcement that he intended to kill the conservative justice. Roske faces one count of attempting to assassinate a Supreme Court justice, which carries up to a life sentence in prison.

After Roske engaged in plea negotiations for more than a year and a half, prosecutors indicated last month they had been unable to reach an agreement and asked to move the case ahead.

U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte convened the parties Tuesday for a scheduling conference, where he set the June 9 trial date.

The newly set timeline means Roskes trial will take place three years after the incident. Prosecutors indicated they expect the trial will last about a week.

Selecting the jury in this case might take a little longer, said federal prosecutor Kathleen Gavin, noting the high-profile nature of the case.

After law enforcement arrested Roske, a former substitute teacher in Simi Valley, Calif., he allegedly told a detective that he was upset about the leak of the Supreme Courts draft majority opinion that overturned constitutional abortion protections.

Roskes arrest came as abortion rights protesters organized demonstrations following the extraordinary leak outside conservative justices homes, including Kavanaughs.

A criminal affidavit states that Roske also cited to the detective the recent Uvalde, Texas, school shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers, believing Kavanaugh would vote to loosen gun control laws in Second Amendment cases.

At the time, the Supreme Court was days away from handing down a gun rights decision that became the largest expansion of Second Amendment rights in a decade.

Andrew Szekely, one of Roskes public defenders, signaled at Tuesdays hearing that most of their pretrial defense is likely to focus on preventing those statements from coming in at trial. Other potential motions include ones related to suppressing searches of his phone and social media accounts, Szekely said.

I do not anticipate lengthy motion practice, Szekely said.

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The parents of a former student accused of killing 10 people and wounding several others when he opened fire in Texas at Santa Fe High School in 2018 are not responsible for their son's alleged actions, a Texas jury decided.

In a three-week civil trial, survivors and family members of the shooting victims claimed the accused shooter's parents should be held financially liable. Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos were accused of being negligent in storing their weapons and ignoring signs their son would commit a violent act.

In 2018, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, who was 17 at the time, fatally shot eight students and two teachers at Santa Fe High School near Houston, according to police. Thirteen others were injured. Pagourtzis was charged with capital murder but was found incompetent to stand trial. He was also a defendant in the civil case but did not appear in court.

People are also reading: 'He's inside the school!' Devastating 911 calls, video from Uvalde school shooting released

Instead of finding the parents negligent, the jury Monday found Pagourtzis himself, along with online retailer Lucky Gunner, liable. Pagourtzis allegedly purchased the ammunition used in the shooting from Lucky Gunner. The jury awarded $330 million in damages.

In a statement, Jake Felde, Lucky Gunner's CEO, said his company "isn't responsible for paying any monetary damages awarded by the jury" as it already reached a separate settlement last year and was not a party to the Texas trial.

The civil trial comes at a critical time as the nation grapples with gun violence. More parents and other adults are starting to be held accountable for overlooking the red flags of their children and students that led to mass shootings.

Defense: 'The parents didn't pull the trigger'

Lori Laird, the attorney representing Pagourtzis' parents, said their son's mental break could not have been predicted and that he had kept his plans for the shooting a secret. The defense also argues the family's guns were kept locked up.

The parents didnt pull the trigger; the parents didnt give him a gun, Laird said.

The defense also said Pagourtzis' parents saw no indications of what their son planned to do on that May day in 2018. In the courtroom, Laird projected photos of Pagourtzis days before the shooting, in which he appeared "normal."

"The reality is they are trying to make a case out of nothing," Laird said of the prosecution. "They are looking at little things that an ordinary person would not see as problematic and turn it into something that it's not."

Laird emphasized how Pagourtzis had hidden his intentions from his parents.

"He was sneaky, he was sly, he didn't want to get caught," Laird said.

Prosecution: 'It was their son, under their roof'

The lawsuit, filed in 2018, was brought by families of the Santa Fe High School shooting victims and sought more than $1 million in damages. The families claimed in the suit that the accused shooter's parents "knew that their son was at risk of harming himself or others but still irresponsibly and negligently stored their firearms, so that their son could access them," according to court documents viewed by USA TODAY.

"It was their son, under their roof, with their guns who went and committed this mass shooting," Clint McGuire, representing some of the victims, told jurors during closing statements in the Galveston County courtroom.

McGuire presented the courtroom with the shirt Pagourtzis had worn on the day of the shooting, which said: "Born to kill." He also showed excerpts from Pagourtzis' journal that allegedly refer directly to his plans. One such entry reads: "What I do will both have an immeasurable impact and be incredibly miniscule. I will have destroyed bloodlines spanning thousands of years."

"We can't send our kids to school and bring them home in body bags," McGuire said.

Community members gather at a makeshift memorial outside Santa Fe High School on May 21, 2018, days after a mass shooting at the Houston-area school left 10 people dead.

Jurors heard testimony from families of victims, survivors

The civil trial was initiated by family members of seven of the deceased victims, as well as four of the 13 wounded. Attorneys for each victim spent their 80-minute closing arguments speaking about the lives lost and the permanent trauma the survivors now live with.

Theyre seeing the signs and the symptoms of their son, I dont want to say deteriorating, but not being the normal kid that he is. I can say, if that was my parents, theyd be asking are you OK, whats going on, how are you, lets talk," said Trenton Beazley, a survivor who was 15 at the time of the shooting, according to KHOU.

Sabika Aziz Sheikh was a 17-year-old exchange student from Pakistan who was killed in the shooting. Her mother, Farah Naz, said in court that she and her family saw there was a school shooting in Texas on the news, and tried to call their daughter, who didn't answer. They immediately feared the worst and later learned she had been killed.

She was my oldest child. She was my friend. She had a lot of dreams. Not a day passes I dont miss her. Whenever I think about my other childrens dreams I just think about her, Naz said, KPRC-TV reported.

Flo Rice, who was a substitute teacher on the day of the shooting, was shot six times and survived. She said she had to relearn to walk after the shooting, according to KTRK.

I realized someone was hunting me like an animal," Rice said of her experience during the shooting, KPRC-TV reported. I am not the same person I was before. Cant tolerate loud noises, or busy places, crowds, always looking for exits, cant have back to the door, memory issues."

Parents of Michigan school shooter to serve time in prison

While the Texas parents were never charged with crimes, the trial resembles another case that ended with two Michigan parents sentenced to at least a decade each in prison in connection with a mass shooting committed by their son.

Jennifer and James Crumbley were both convicted of involuntary manslaughter earlier this year after prosecutors said they ignored troubling signs that their 15-year-old son was struggling with mental illness and bought him the gun he used to kill four classmates in 2021.

Legal experts told USA TODAY the Crumbley case, which drew national attention, could influence how society views parents' culpability when their children access guns and cause harm with them.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Parents of accused Texas school shooter found not liable in civil trial
HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. (WTAJ)  An inmate who escaped Blair County Prison in December 2023 is heading to trial.

Isaiah Robert Tilghman, Jr., 34, of State College, appeared in court Monday to seat a jury for the trial of his three separate criminal cases.

In May 2023, Tilghman was arrested in Altoona and charged for possessing over $113,000 worth of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. According to police, Tilghman gave the drugs to other individuals while trying to run from police, leading them on a short chase.

He was eventually apprehended and charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and conspiracy.

While awaiting trial on those felony charges, Tilghman was housed in Blair County Prison. However, on Dec. 3, 2023, he escaped by climbing through a ventilation shaft outside his cell door.

Accused Altoona shooter was called The Joker, more details released by police

Corrections Officers at the prison did not report Tilghman missing until nearly ten hours after he had escaped. Prison staff reported that Tilghman was in his cell at 7:15 a.m. and was first reported missing at 12:15 p.m., Dec. 3. Security video in the area of Logan Boulevard in Lakemont showed a man that is believed to be Tilghman stealing a red Ford F-150 at 2:45 a.m. that day.

Law enforcement officials believe Tilghman drove that truck to Philadelphia where he lived undetected by police for nearly five months until he was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service in March.

Tilghman faces additional felony charges of escape and flight to avoid trial as well as theft and receiving stolen property for the alleged escape and the events that followed.

He is scheduled to appear for a five day trial Sept. 16 in which all three criminal cases will be heard.

The make-up of the jury is eight women, four men, with one man and three women serving as alternates. According to the prosecution, the jurors will hear from officers with police departments in Altoona, Hollidaysburg, Logan Township and Philadelphia as well as officials from the Pennsylvania State Police, Blair County Prison and the U.S. Marshals Service.

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The defense requested additional time to prepare for the trial but the request was denied.

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On Wednesday, August 14, the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced that mpox is an international public health emergency.

FYI, Mpox is the same thing as monkeypox, which you may have heard discussed more in 2022. The name was changed for good reasons: Racist and stigmatizing language had been used with the term, and monkeys arent the only animal carriers of the disease.

According to the CDC, mpox is in the same family as the virus that causes smallpox, but its not related to chickenpox. Further, there are two types of mpox: Clade I and Clade II. The latter originated in 2022 and is less severe. Mpox causes a rash that will go through several stages, including scabbing, before fully healing.

Related: How Did Monkeypox Actually Start? Doctors Explain Its History

What Has Caused the Resurgence of Mpox as a Public Health Emergency?

While Clade II was more recent, its not what were facing now in 2024. Ongoing surveillance of cases and laboratory testing of people with mpox illness identified that the recent increase in cases is associated with Clade I and is a separate outbreak, says Dr. Anne OKeefe, MD, professor and vice chair of public health at Creighton University School of Medicine.

To clarify, the cases arent in America yet, or at least not primarily. There has been a rapid upsurge in cases in eastern DRC and neighboring countries, says Dr. Nikhil Bhayani, MD, assistant professor at Burnett School of Medicine at TCU.

Dr. OKeefe adds that the ultimate cause of this resurgence is unknown, but that the outbreak investigation team will likely look into it.

Words like resurgence and emergency can be scarywhat do they mean in this context? The outbreak has been called a public health emergency of international concern because the affected areas will need resources, including vaccines and epidemiologic support and coordination, in order to control and stop the outbreak, Dr. OKeefe explains.

How Worried Should We Be in the United States?

Mpox is endemic to parts of Africa, yet the public health emergency is still considered international. Should we be concerned all the way over here in the U.S.? Is another shelter-in-place situation ahead?

Generally speaking, no. Dr. Bhayani says the risk to the public is relatively low. However, as with any infectious disease, some people are more at risk (and its important to protect not only ourselves, but them). The high-risk group includes men who have sex with other men, people with multiple sex partners, and immunocompromised individuals, she says.

Dr. OKeefe wants to assure people that multiple countries are taking precautions to limit the spread. While it is possible that someone who is infected could travel to the U.S. and infect others, the public health systems in Africa and the U.S. are working hard to prevent that, she says. They're increasing surveillance and limiting travel for people who have been exposed, for example, and working closely with doctors. In the U.S., the CDC has alerted health departments, physicians and other healthcare professionals of the outbreak, and given them information on how to identify patients and implement control measures to prevent further spread.

On that note, if someone becomes infected with mpox, it will be quite obvious and easier to control than some other illnesses, she continues, as it causes a distinctive rash.

The effects are serious, though, especially since were looking at Clade I, which has a higher fatality rate. Dr. Bhayani says more people could experience a high fever, severe headache, muscle aches and lymph node enlargement with this clade.

Precautions to Take to Protect Yourself From Mpox

Since mpox isnt necessarily a major concern in the U.S. as of now, the list of precautions are pretty short. Most people do not need to take any special precautions at this time, Dr. OKeefe says. However, if you have risk factors for exposure, she continuessuch as sexual contact or physical contact with another persons open wounds, clothes, linens or toys, among other materialsget vaccinated.

Related: Do You Need the Monkeypox Vaccine?

Besides vaccination, Dr. Bhayani recommends maintaining good hygiene and avoiding close contact with infected individuals. Additionally, the WHO urges frequent handwashing with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub, using condoms, avoiding wild animals (dead and alive) and cooking meat thoroughly before eating it. Lastly, knowing the signs of mpox and what a mpox rash looks like can help.

Signs of Mpox and When to See a Doctor

Other than the skin rash, signs of mpox include mucosal lesions that can last two to four weeks, as well as a fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes. It can be transmitted through physical contact with an infected person or animal, or with a contaminated material.

Related: Doctors Explain These Are the First Symptoms of Monkeypox to Look Out For

Real-life examples of what the rash looks like are on the CDCs website, by the way. Note that they dont look the same. For example, some are dark spots while others look like red bumps, white pimples or insect bites.

If your rash looks like an mpox rash, and youve been in contact with someone else who has a similar rash or have visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), be sure to talk to your doctor. While you may nervously want to rush over to their office, dont throw precaution out the window. Dr. OKeefe says these possibly infected individuals should contact their doctor and make sure to tell them about their suspicion before they arrive at the clinic.

Do this sooner rather than later, too, since Dr. Bhayani says Early diagnosis and treatment can help manage the spread of the virus.

Up Next:

Related: 'No One in My Family Has Ever Gotten COVIDHere's Exactly What We Do'

Sources
The Yukon-Kuskokwim hub of Bethel is seen from the air on July 13, 2015. (Photo by Rachel Loehman/USGS Alaska Science Center)

The Yukon-Kuskokwim hub of Bethel is seen from the air on July 13, 2015. The Bethel Census Area, where many residents speak Yup'ik, is one of the rural regions where U.S. Justice Department representatives will be monitoring for compliance with Voting Rights Act language requirements. (Photo by Rachel Loehman/USGS Alaska Science Center)

The U.S. Justice Department plans to monitor operations at polling places in parts of rural Alaska on Tuesday, the states primary election day, for compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act.

Monitors have been assigned to majority-Native districts to check for compliance with the requirements for language translations and assistance, including provisions concerning different Yupik dialects, the department said on Monday.

The sites selected are the Bethel Census Area, Dillingham Census Area, Kusilvak Census Area, Nome Census Area and North Slope Borough.

Tuesdays monitoring is similar to efforts in previous elections.

In the past, Yupik speakers did not get adequate assistance when they voted in Alaska elections, a federal court found. A 2013 federal lawsuit filed by Yupik speakers resulted in a 2014 ruling in favor of the plaintiffs. A 2015 settlement agreement followed, and that agreement was extended last year, with terms to remain in place through 2026, according to the Native American Rights Fund.

Other violations in past Alaska elections concern access for disabled voters, according to the Justice Department. A department investigation found that some polling sites and online resources failed to adequately serve disabled Alaskans trying to vote in 2022 and 2024. The Justice Department called for the Division of Elections to improve conditions at cited polling stations and update its online information.

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Kaitlyn Joshua speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 19, 2024 in Chicago.

Kaitlyn Joshua of Baton Rouge speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The Democratic National Convention heard the stories of three women Monday night who struggled to obtain reproductive health care after the U.S. Supreme Court overruled the 49-year-old Roe v. Wade decision in 2022.

They included Kaitlyn Joshua of Baton Rouge, who shared that she was refused treatment for her miscarriage because doctors feared the criminal consequences of Louisianas strict abortion ban. State law allows abortions in instances when a pregnant persons life is in jeopardy or they risk permanent damage to a vital organ, but physicians have said the law lacks enough clarity to ensure they wont face prosecution.

Joshua was unable to obtain prenatal care during the first trimester of her pregnancy, which she said her doctor attributed to the states abortion law.

When Joshua went into labor 11 weeks into her pregnancy, she said she was turned away from two emergency rooms. Doctors use the same drug to treat miscarriages as they do abortions, leaving some caregivers to fear they could face criminal consequences under Louisiana law even if they provide legal treatment for a miscarriage.

I was in pain, bleeding so much my husband feared for my life, Joshua said. No woman should experience what I endured, but too many have.

Also speaking on the first night of the convention were Hadley Duvall and Amanda Zurawski, who with Joshua have actively campaigned for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Duvall has spoken out frequently about the strict abortion law in her home state of Kentucky. When she was 12, Duvall was raped and impregnated by her stepfather. She eventually miscarried and, now in her 20s, remains critical of the narrow exceptions to Kentuckys abortion ban that, like Louisianas, doesnt allow the procedure in instances of rape and incest.

Zurawski experienced a pregnancy that became nonviable after 18 weeks, but she was unable to access abortion care for three days  and only then because she had developed a life-threatening sepsis infection.

Zurawski joined a lawsuit against the state of Texas over its abortion ban. It argued the law, just like a comparable measure in Louisiana, was too vague with regards to its language about when abortion is permissible to save someones life. The Texas Supreme Court ultimately ruled against Zurawski and other plaintiffs, without adding any clarity to the law.

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Kamala Harris to host rally, watch party in Milwaukee on second day of Democratic convention

President Joe Biden, Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff stand on stage after Biden delivered an address at the 2024 Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on Monday. Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI

Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Vice President Kamala Harris will hold a rally in Wisconsin on Tuesday during the second night of the Democratic National Convention.

Harris and her running mate Tim Walz will host the rally and convention watch party in Milwaukee, roughly 90 miles north of the Chicago site of the Democrat convention where she will formally accept the party's nomination on Thursday.

Harris and Walz will deliver speeches to what is expected to be a large crowd at the Fiserv Forum to build on the enthusiasm surrounding their ticket in a battleground state. Wisconsin -- and particularly the turnout in Milwaukee -- will be key to Harris' potential path to the presidency.

"I don't know if I need to mention this, but Wisconsin is at the center of the political universe," Ben Wikler, Wisconsin Democratic Party chair said, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The Democratic Party scheduled its 2020 convention for the same location but much of that convention went virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the Fiserv Forum, Harris and Walz will watch speeches by former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama back in Chicago.

Harris made a surprise appearance during the first day of the convention, supporting President Joe Biden as he delivered his speech.

Julia Azari, a political science professor at Marquette University in Milwaukee, told WISN-TV that Democrats are covering new ground dealing with Harris's condensed presidential campaign while having a spotlight at a neighboring battleground state at the same time.

"I was looking around for other times this might have happened, and I couldn't find anywhere where essentially the vice president comes to a nearby city," Azari said. "The dynamics of this are very different."
Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters to highlight her vision of the future if she wins the 2024 presidential election.

We look forward to Vice President Harris joining a roundtable of rank-and-file Teamsters to discuss the issues of importance to workers, a Teamsters spokesperson confirmed. The meeting will happen at an unspecified date, with the Harris campaign revealing they accepted the unions invite Friday.

More from Sourcing Journal

The campaign has already received multiple high-profile labor endorsements including the Retail, Wholesale, Department Store Union (RWDSU), the United Auto Workers (UAW) and the AFL-CIO.

But an endorsement from the 1.3-million-member union would be another logistics labor victory for the Democratic nominees campaign in that it pulls in some support from laborers like warehouse workers and delivery drivers.

Last month, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), which represents the dockworkers at 29 West Coast ports, endorsed Harris for president, citing her history with the union as well as her support for workers and the labor movement as California Attorney General and state Senator.

Thats not to say Harris campaign isnt going to have opposition within certain areas of logistics even with union support. A major issue working in the Republican tickets favor is vice presidential nominee J.D. Vances backing of multiple trucker-friendly bills that would expand truck parking projects and eliminate of legislation that would require speed-limiting devices.

The Teamsters have not endorsed either Harris or her opponent, former President Donald Trump, and likely will not decide until after the DNC concludes Thursday.

Teamsters president Sean OBrien did not get an invitation to speak at this weeks Democratic National Convention in Chicago. While OBrien requested a speaking slot, he never received a reply, according to the union.

The Teamsters boss did get the invite to the Republican National Convention, where he called for labor reform across hot-button areas like bankruptcy laws, corporate welfare and legal protections for union workers seeking unionization or a new contract.

OBriens speech was the first time a head of the union spoke at the RNC in its 121-year history.

The union has given official support to a candidate in every election since 1996, but a Reuters report indicated that divisions within the Teamsters could result in no backing of either candidate.

But on Thursday, the Teamsters shared a post on X criticizing Trumps comments to Elon Musk in an interview, where the Republican candidate said: They go on strike and you say, thats OK, youre all gone. So every one of you is gone.

Sharing a statement from OBrien, the Teamsters post responded, Firing workers for organizing, striking, and exercising their rights as Americans is economic terrorism.

The union held roundtables with both Trump and President Joe Biden this year and has hosted more than 300 local events with workers to gauge their opinions on the presidential election. At the time, Trump acknowledged that the union normally backed Democrats, but regarding a possible Teamsters endorsement, Stranger things have happened.

According to AP VoteCast, 56 percent of union members and households backed Biden in 2020.

The National Black Caucus of the Teamsters didnt wait to make their endorsement when endorsing Harris last Tuesday, calling the Democratic candidate a key partner in leading the most pro-labor administration in our lifetimes.

Caucus chair James Curbeam didnt hold back in a statement on the decision, saying Trumps record against Black people, women and workers is indefensible.

When people show you who they are, believe them and Trump showed us for 40 years who he really is: someone who is not for us, Curbeam said. Endorsing a candidate with his history would be a betrayal of the values that we have fought to uphold.

As both candidates await the opinion of the wider union, Harris unveiled a peek into the campaigns economic plan Friday, which has a heavy emphasis on lowering prices for average consumers. In particular, Harris is targeting grocery prices with a federal ban on price gouging, as food prices are up 21 percent from three years ago.

The plan also outlined the basic details of a four-year plan to lower housing costs, including building 3 million new housing units, creating tax incentives for starter home construction and expanding down-payment support for first-time homeowners.
Since 1945, the Democrats have held four pre-election conventions in Chicago. The last time, in 1996, was a straightforward affair to renominate Bill Clinton for a second term in the White House.

On the previous occasion in 1968, however, there was mayhem. Protestors seeking an end to the Vietnam War were confronted by police and the National Guard, with scores of arrests and injuries on both sides. American politics may seem febrile today, but it is as nothing compared to 1968, a year that saw the assassination of Robert Kennedy during the primary contest to select the partys candidate for the presidency.

This years convention might have been a dramatic affair had Joe Biden not stepped aside. Instead, it has turned into the coronation of his vice-president Kamala Harris. Her actual plans for the White House are largely an unknown quantity. Voters will be looking for a semblance of policy from someone who may well be occupying the Oval Office from next January.

She seems to have adopted Sir Keir Starmers election playbook, which is to say as little as possible and hope no one finds out how Left-wing she is until it is too late. Ms Harris has overtaken Donald Trump in the polls, but this election will be fought on narrow ground, among a small group of voters in a handful of swing states such as Michigan.

She has sought to portray herself as the change candidate, despite being in the administration for the past four years, and she remains an enigmatic figure. Her acceptance speech in Chicago on Thursday followed by a TV debate with Mr Trump on September 10 will force her into the open.

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Kamala Harris and Tim Walz take campaign to packed Milwaukee rally during DNC's 2nd night

Vice President Kamala Harris rallied 15,000-plus supporters in a packed arena Tuesday night.

Where? Milwaukee, of course.

People started gathering in the Deer District outside Fiserv Forum hours before Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, took the stage inside on the second night of the Democratic National Convention some 90 miles south in Chicago.

People who, obviously, would never have gone to the DNC are able to come here and experience seeing her and Mr. Walz, said Jennifer Buda of Milwaukee, who came to the rally with her daughter.

Cheers erupted from the crowd when the doors opened about 3:45 p.m.

And when the Democratic ticket took the stage at 8:09 p.m., it was to raucous applause from an audience that largely filled the basketball arena where the Milwaukee Bucks play.

"This is a people-powered campaign, and together we will chart a new way forward," Harris said from the stage, where she was flanked by screens and signs reading "FREEDOM."

More: Takeaways from Kamala Harris Milwaukee rally: High energy crowd in last month's RNC venue

Many in the crowd held signs with that single word and cheered as she spoke for about 20 minutes from the stage in the center of the arena floor. Supporters stood around the stage where Walz had just spoken, praising the energy at the DNC and needling Republicans over their convention in the same space a month ago.

"Not only do we have massive energy at our convention, we got a hell of a lot more energy at where they had their convention," he said to applause.

Harris and Walz slammed Republicans on abortion access and Project 2025 and accused them of using government to curtail Americans' rights.

"Even if we would not make the same choice as our neighbors, we respect them because we live by that golden rule: Mind your own damn business," Walz said to applause.

As has become the pattern in recent weeks, Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance held a press conference earlier in the day down the road in Kenosha. Flanked by high-profile Wisconsin Republicans and Kenosha County Sheriff David Zoerner, Vance slammed Democrats on crime and criticized Harris for not taking questions from the media. He also said she should solve Americans' problems now with her power as the vice president.

"For the people in Milwaukee who are going to go to her rally, are going to listen to what she says, I'd just ask them: If she has such good ideas for how to bring down the cost of food and groceries and housing, why doesn't she do it now? She's the vice president," he said.

Outside the Milwaukee rally, about 50 people gathered for a planned protest against the war in Gaza while a separate group held signs opposing abortion and supporting former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee.

Supporters don camo hats, speak to history-making ticket and newfound enthusiasm with Harris' ascension

When Judy Lange was asked if she drove up from her home in McHenry, Illinois, for the Harris rally she was quick with a joke.

No, we flew on our brooms, Lange said with a wink outside of Fiserv Forum.

With Lange was with her sister Beth Cherveny and adult daughter Jennifer Lonchar, also from McHenry.

Lonchar and the other family members have been big supporters of President Joe Biden but I felt like I was always talking people into being on board. Harris at the top of the ticket has injected new enthusiasm, she said.

I feel like were back in 08. I feel like its Obama again, Lonchar said. Im just so energized and so excited now for the first time in a really long time.

Jordan Pitzner said as a Black woman who once was involved in politics in California, she sees herself in Kamala Harris, the daughter of Black and Indian parents.

"(I see) all the things that we've fought for and marched for and bled for that have been, you know, threatened and almost taken away," said the Farmington resident who came with her husband. "She's here to help restore what people have literally died for a couple of centuries now. So that's why I'm here to see her, witness her live and show my support."

Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum hosted RNC last month, almost hosted DNC in 2020

The venue, Fiserv Forum, is significant for political events in the recent and not-so-recent past.

Just a month ago, Milwaukee hosted the Republican National Convention at the arena, where Trump formally accepted his party's nomination for president.

Four years ago, it was supposed to be Harris and Biden cementing their presidential ticket on the arena's stage during Milwaukee's 2020 Democratic National Convention. But the COVID-19 pandemic ruined those plans, turning the convention into a mostly virtual event.

Harris's rally Tuesday took place four years to the day that Biden would have accepted the party's nomination had the pandemic not scuttled those plans. Biden instead accepted the nomination from the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del.

The timing shows that Democrats have not forgotten Milwaukee and Wisconsin, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said. He also noted the unique circumstances of this year's RNC and DNC.

"These conventions  both the RNC and the DNC  have been full of surprises," he said. "Having Donald Trump at every single night of the RNC seated prominently was a departure from the norm, and now having the Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, leave the DNC, come to another city and host a large rally outside of the gathering in Chicago, I think also is a little out of the norm. I'm excited about it either way."

Republican Party of Wisconsin spokesman Matt Fisher said the rally would remind voters of Harris's and Walz's "failed record on inflation."

"Wisconsinites will see through Tuesday nights charade at Fiserv Forum and recognize that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz have nothing to offer working families except a shallow echo of the last four years," he said in a statement.

Milwaukee resident Debra Brown Wallace is not a stranger to volunteering to make calls and knock on doors for Democrats. She was a volunteer for the Obama campaign in Milwaukee.

And after watching Harris and Walz speak, Brown Wallace felt that the city got a part of the convention it missed four years ago.

The DNC was supposed to be here, so I see this as a little redemption here, that we got a little taste of what we missed in 2020, Brown Wallace said. I am just overjoyed for what happened.

Attention paid to Wisconsin shows swing state's importance in November

Then, as now, the attention paid to Wisconsin by both political parties reflects the swing state's importance in the November presidential election.

A lot of pundits are saying the road to the White House is going to go through Wisconsin, said Dan Weiner from Appleton as he waited to get into the event. I agree with it. Its important and its kind of cool for Wisconsin to be that vital for Wisconsinites no matter what side youre on.

Visiting places like Kenosha, as Vance did Tuesday, matters because of the state's close presidential races. And Milwaukee's proximity to the Chicago convention offers Democrats a unique opportunity to build momentum behind the Harris-Walz campaign in a population center where voter turnout matters in statewide results, said Philip Rocco, associate professor of political science at Marquette University.

"I think it's a really smart move for them to come to a battleground state as the convention is kicking off and feel that excitement right alongside voters," Milwaukee-based Democratic strategist Melissa Baldauff said of the Harris visit. "And not just with folks who would be going to the Dem convention, but voters."

Harris's visit follows the Republican Party's convention in Milwaukee last month and Vance's third visit to the state in as many weeks.

"From the White House to Congress, all paths to victory go through Wisconsin. If Republicans and President Trump remain focused on the bread-and-butter issues that matter to working families, Wisconsin voters will turn the page on Kamala Harris and her record of failure, Fisher said.

Harris-Walz rally in Milwaukee comes one month after unprecedented events of presidential race during RNC week

When Trump spoke in downtown Milwaukee during the RNC, it was just days after he had survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania  and days before Biden would announce that he was dropping out of the race and endorsing Harris.

Biden's withdrawal and Harris's ascension in late July have reinvigorated Democrats, who were shaken by Biden's halting performance in a June debate with Trump.

Harris has held boisterous rallies since moving to the top of the Democratic ticket, including the first rally of her presidential campaign in the Milwaukee area and earlier this month in Eau Claire with Walz, then her newly minted VP pick.

Tuesday's rally in Milwaukee was the campaign's biggest in Wisconsin to date and among its largest nationally, according to organizers.

Warming up the crowd Tuesday night was DJ Shawna, who had a soundtrack heavy on Beyonce songs. Ahead of the candidates' arrival, she had the crowd singing along and dancing to songs like Chappell Roan's "HOT TO GO!" as spotlights roamed over the audience, where light-up bracelets cycled between a rainbow of colors at some moments and red, white and blue in others.

The theme of the convention Tuesday night was "A Bold Vision for America's Future."

Harris's formal acceptance of the party's nomination Thursday in Chicago will follow days of speeches by top Democrats and Walz's address on Wednesday.

Claire Reid, Bridget Fogarty and Jovanny Hernandez Caballero of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this story.

Mary Spicuzza can be reached at mary.spicuzza@jrn.com. Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@jrn.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz take campaign to packed Milwaukee rally
Planned Parenthood Great Plains CEO Emily Wales, left, and health care manager Logan Rink answer questions during an Aug. 16 interview in the Pittsburg Planned Parenthood clinic. (Photo by Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)

PITTSBURG, Kan.  A new Planned Parenthood clinic opening Monday in southeast Kansas will be the closest abortion access point for many people in the South and 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 home state, 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 Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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A Kansas principal recruited a missionary to give Bibles to students during recess, which the ACLU of Kansas said violated the First Amendment. (Getty Images)

TOPEKA  A Kansas elementary school principal who invited an evangelical Christian missionary to pass out Bibles to students during their recess in May violated the First Amendment, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas warned Monday in a letter to the district.

Katie Struebing, the principal of East Elementary School in the roughly 2,000-person city of Belleville, invited a member of the evangelical Christian organization Gideons International, Ben Dreesen, to hand out Bibles to students during recess on May 7, wrote Monica Bennett, legal director for the ACLU of Kansas, in the Monday letter. Gideons International is often credited with the introduction of Bibles to American hotel rooms.

Ahead of Dreesens visit, Struebing told staff that she would visit classrooms at the roughly 250-student school to inform students of the nice man handing out Bibles, according to the letter. A students parents informed the ACLU about Dreesens visit.

Bennett wrote that Struebing allowed Dreesen on school grounds during school hours, accompanied him while he passed out Bibles to students and involved fellow school district staff in the matter. The principal lent her credibility and authority to Dreesen, in effect placing a stamp of approval on his message and subjecting students to a religiously coercive atmosphere, Bennett wrote.

Plus, the principal violated the Republic County school districts own policy, which states that district employees arent allowed to use classrooms to promote or convey religious viewpoints, Bennett wrote.

The goal of the letter was to educate and remind the principal and the school district whats required with respect to separation of church and state, Bennett told Kansas Reflector.

The First Amendment and U.S. court decisions require neutrality from government institutions when it comes to establishing or favoring a religion or nonreligion.

Struebing declined to comment, directing the Reflectors inquiry to the school district superintendent, Tami Knedler, who did not respond.

This is at least the second incident in Kansas this year involving Bible distribution to students in public schools. In April, Butler County school district employees informed parents they intended to invite Gideon missionaries to hand out Bibles to Bluestem Elementary School students, according to the letter. District officials gave parents the option of excusing their children from the visit if they provided signed permission slips.

After receiving criticism, including from Christian parents, invoking the First Amendment separation of church and state clause, the district walked back the decision, Bennett wrote.

The public is aware of the law when it comes to religion in public schools, so school officials ought to be aware of the law as well, Bennett told the Reflector. In the letter, she referenced a 2021 study and a 2019 survey that indicated the majority of Americans do not believe public schools should be influencing religious beliefs.

Its important to point out that our laws recognize the rights of individuals to worship, or not worship, according to their own conscience, and they have the right to pass on whatever their beliefs are onto their children, Bennett said.

School districts should respect that, she said.

The ACLU of Kansas strongly discourages you from welcoming missionaries on school grounds to distribute Bibles in the future, the letter said.
Kari Lake shows once again why she's behind in the Arizona Senate race

Kari Lake is, no doubt, scratching her head about her inability to convince deep-pocketed national GOP groups that she can actually win.

Despite being one of the most recognizable faces in Arizona, Lake has consistently trailed Ruben Gallego, a Democratic congressman who began this U.S. Senate race with little to no statewide name ID.

Hes a liberal who should have no chance in what is still a center-right state.

Yet there he is, up by an average of five points in recent polls.

There he is, awash in cash as Democrats work to hold onto a seat that Republicans once owned, until Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again movement came along.

National Republicans won't invest in Kari Lake

Lake, meanwhile, cant seem to convince anyone that she learned a lesson from her unsuccessful smash mouth campaign for governor in 2022, when she dubbed the late U.S. Sen. John McCain a loser and invited his supporters to get the hell out of a campaign event.

Two years later, The Arizona Republics Ron Hansen reports that Lake is getting basically stiffed by national Republican groups that are pouring money into competitive races in other states as they battle to win control of the Senate.

Of the eight most competitive Senate races, Lake has drawn the least Republican money in future television ad reservations.

This, in a red(ish) state with an open Senate seat.

Money talks, Jessica Taylor, of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, told Hansen. It reflects that there are other races that Republicans see as (more) winnable than the Arizona Senate race right now.

Lake, down in polls, plays to her MAGA base

Its easy to see why. Polls show that a fair number of people, even in her own party, just dont like Kari Lake.

A May CBS/YouGov poll told the tale. While Trump drew support from 93% of Republican voters, Lake drew only 73%.

If you arent winning at least 85% of your own party, youve got a problem.

And Lake, it appears, has a problem.

While Gallego moves to the center, distancing himself from his liberal voting record, Lake continues to play to her MAGA base, tossing her signature fireballs here, there and everywhere.

Consider her recent remarks characterizing as a landslide her 16-point GOP primary win over Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, a little-noticed candidate who barely mounted a campaign.

Ducey endorses Kari Lake? He really is a doormat

Guess how much money I spent in the primary? Zero. I didnt spend a penny, Lake told reporters earlier this month. I have been, since I jumped into this, focused on the enemy. The enemy is not Mark Lamb. The enemy is actually Ruben Gallego.

Calling Gallego 'the enemy' won't attract moderates

The enemy?

Gallego is the son of immigrants, raised by a single mother on a secretarys salary. A kid who went to work early doing whatever job he could find to help support his family. Hes a Marine who deployed to Iraq in 2005, serving with a company that lost 22 Marines and a Navy Corpsman during eight months of combat.

And hes  the enemy?

That will play well with her MAGA base, which considers anyone who doesn't march in lock-step with their views as a traitor to America. But those voters in the middle, the moderate Republicans and independents who Lake must win over if she wants to win?

I picture them exhausted by Lakes ever-present, MAGA-fueled fury, rolling their eyes and wondering.

Since when did a fellow American become the enemy simply because you dont agree with his politics?

Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @LaurieRobertsaz and on Threads at @LaurieRobertsaz.

Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kari Lake attacks Ruben Gallego, driving away voters she needs to win
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (MyValleyTriibutes)  On Monday, August 5, 2024, our beloved Kathy Stelluto (Barvitski) was welcomed into heaven.

She was born in Youngstown, Ohio on October 3, 1950, to Ruth and William Barvitski. She grew up in Youngstown with her sister Caron (Hutch) Ramage, and her brother William Barvitski.

Find obituaries from your high school

After graduating from Boardman high school in 1968 she attended Ohio University.

Kathy was a visionary, who started and owned two successful businesses. She started professional demonstrators, a food and product demonstration business, which supported around 50 women. When a recession hit, she needed another avenue to provide for her workforce. Her mother Ruth had suffered a stroke and needed a home health care aid to help her with her daily life needs. Having difficulty finding caring and responsible caretakers, she seized the opportunity and on November 4, 1999, started Loving Hands Home Care which she directed until 2020 when she retired.

Although Kathy was a single mom, she still made time to help others. She and her sister Caron volunteered teaching religion at the Leonard Kirtz school for children with developmental disabilities. Later, when the Head Start program was created, she volunteered teaching the English language to pre-school students. Kathy has always loved children of all ages and often babysat nieces, nephews, and neighbors children. Children sensed her caring ways and how special she made them feel and loved her for it.

Kathy was also a lover of animals, growing up with pets such as a lamb, duck, and rabbits. Kathy never met a dog she couldnt pet, and enjoyed babysitting Marlee, her grandson Michaels Labradoodle. She recently lost her much loved cat Zoro, who entertained her daily. Kathy was an accomplished skier, descending mountains in Europe, Canada, and the U.S. She was a member of the Warren Ski Club for 40 years where she made countless friendships. She also enjoyed boating and scuba diving and has been diving in the Caribbean, and the great barrier reef in Australia and Hawaii.

She was a member of the Youngstown Country Club, where she would often organize family social events. On most Mondays you could find her playing cards at Belleria, with a group of friends named the Belleria Babes. Her happy place was her condo on the beach on Lido Key in Sarasota, Florida where she enjoyed spending time with family and friends, as well as walks on the beach. Kathy enjoyed making meals for family and friends and was famous for her soups. She would always make enough to take to friends and shut ins as she always thought of others.

Kathy is survived by her devoted spouse of 14 years Robert Mertz, her brother William Barvitski (Maggie); her sister, Caron Hutch-Ramage (Bill); her son, Michael Stelluto (Melissa) and her grandchildren Michael Stelluto, Jr. and Adria Stelluto. As well as many nieces, nephews and eleven grand nieces and nephews, who she referred to as her adopted grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents, William and Ruth Barvitski and her son Joseph Stelluto, II.

Friends may call from 11:00  1:00 p.m. Saturday, August 24, 2024, at the Lane Family Funeral Homes, Austintown Chapel where a memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital in Kathys memory https://www.stjude.org/donatenow.

To leave condolences to the family please visit www.lanefuneralhomes.com

A television tribute will air Tuesday, August 20 at the following approximate times: 6:47 a.m. on WYTV, 9:43 a.m. on WKBN, 10:58 a.m. on FOX and 8:12 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.
Today, residents in Somalia pay some of the world's highest prices for electricity

SparkMeter is implementing Somalia's first smart grid project with NECSOM, and has started commercial deployment with Caabudwaq Electric Company (CECO)

An additional pilot program with Blue Sky Energy grows SparkMeter's reach to a total of 75,000 homes in Somalia to date

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SparkMeter, a provider of grid management services and solutions that increase access to reliable electricity in underserved communities across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, announced new contracts with two utilities in Somalia to support the digitalization of the country's electricity grids.

Today, residents in Somalia pay some of the world's highest prices for electricity. Serving hard-to-reach customers, utilities suffer from loss of revenue. In partnership with local utilities, SparkMeter is offering grid monitoring solutions to address these challenges. To improve the cost and reliability of electricity for Somali consumers, SparkMeter's digitalization solutions help mitigate system losses, manage assets, and forecast consumption patterns.

During the initial pilot program with SparkMeter, Caabudwaq Electric Company (CECO)  the largest utility in Galmudug State  reduced its systemwide electricity losses and improved collections through faster and more accurate meter readings. Today, SparkMeter is planning to deliver its solution across CECO's entire 10,000 customer base. As a result, CECO now plans to raise investment for new clean energy projects.

"In Somalia, the majority of utilities must manage operations manually, requiring utility teams to physically take meter readings and log usage data. The entire process is time-intensive and prone to errors and delays," said Mr. Giama Guled, Chairman of CECO. "Now, with the introduction of SparkMeter's technology, customer meter reads and billing processes are streamlined and customers have a wider range of payment options. This significantly reduces our system losses and allows us to provide better service to our customers."

In tandem, SparkMeter is initiating a pilot program with another Somali utility, Blue Sky Energy , to mitigate system losses.

Following SparkMeter's pilot program with National Energy Corporation of Somalia (NECSOM), SparkMeter commenced a system-wide rollout to all 20,000 of the utility's customers. In a first-of-its-kind smart grid project in Somalia, SparkMeter's solution allows NECSOM to detect and quantify losses, identify overloaded transformers, and offer flexible billing and payment options to its customers. As a result, the utility is improving its financial position and increasing the amount of renewable energy on its grid.

"Before we started using SparkMeter's technology, NECSOM needed two weeks to do meter readings and then generate and distribute invoices to our customers. Now with the help of SparkMeter, we will have access to accurate billing information in less than 10 hours once the technology is fully implemented, letting us spend our time on other essential processes," said Mohamed Ahmed, CFO of NECSOM.

Somalia is one of 30 countries where SparkMeter is active. "The first step to closing the energy access gap in emerging markets is to empower utilities with transformative smart grid management solutions to decarbonize electricity distribution," said Dan Schnitzer, CEO of SparkMeter. "Our utility customers in Somalia are some of the most forward-thinking leaders we've worked with, and we're proud to continue to partner with them to ensure equitable energy access with utilities across the country."

About SparkMeter

Founded in 2013, SparkMeter provides grid-management solutions tailored to emerging markets, where 2.1 billion people live without reliable electricity access. Active in more than 30 countries across Africa, Asia and North America, its simple plug-and-play solution enables microgrids and distribution utilities operating in remote locations to access a range of features  flexible billing, customer communications, and remote monitoring and control  that improve their operations and help them achieve financial sustainability.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sparkmeter-signs-two-new-contracts-in-somalia-to-modernize-african-utilities-302225670.html

SOURCE SparkMeter
The owners of two nursing homes are suing Kansas City over a utility bill dispute that has allegedly involved the city threatening the facilities with water and sewage shutoffs, which the lawsuit claims endangers the health of 260 ill and elderly residents.

The lawsuit, filed July 29 in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, seeks damages and an injunction that would remove a lien that KC Water, the citys water department, placed on one of properties, keeping it from shutting off services to the nursing homes and requiring it to provide accounting for charges at the properties.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of corporations that hold The Hilltop at Blue River at 10425 Chestnut Drive and Rock Hill Nursing Center at 8033 Holmes Road. The facilities are owned by investors in California and Canada, according to the lawsuit.

Mayer Klein, an attorney for the nursing homes, wrote in court documents that the utility hasnt explained bills and has gone nuclear in placing a $178,000 lien against one of the facilities for delinquent payments.

Klein declined to comment for this story, saying, We very much would like to reach amicable resolution with (KC Water) and bring this to a rapid conclusion.

Spokespeople for KC Water and the city did not respond to The Stars messages seeking comment.

According to court documents, the dispute has its roots with the prior operators of the homes, a pair of companies  Blue River MO Consulting LLC and Kansas City South MO Consulting LLC  that ran the facilities under leases in 2021 and 2022. During that time, the operators allegedly did not pay utility bills for several months and racked up charges of more than $130,000 with KC Water, according to the lawsuit.

At the end of 2022, the current operators took over responsibilities at the two facilities, and the utility began including the balance owed in their utility bills.

KC Water aggressively threatened to shut off water and sewage services to (the facilities) within twenty-four (24) hours because of (the balance)  directly endangering the lives of the nursing homes 260 ill and elderly residents, Klein wrote in the lawsuit.

The new operators had no choice but to pay KC Water around $130,000 to clear the old balance but later came to a settlement with KC Water in which the utility agreed to return the payment in September 2023, the lawsuit said.

Klein wrote that immediately after the utility returned the payment, in a complete about-face and without any justification or excuse, KC Water then attempted to bill the nursing homes for about $122,000, a move he said was illogical and disregarded the settlement agreement.

The nursing homes also allege bills from KC Water have had irregularities and dont reflect payments of $213,000 that have been made for the facilities. The lawsuit says the current operators have attempted to resolve the dispute with KC Water for 18 months, but said the utility has not been able to explain its bills.

The utility has allegedly issued multiple 24-hour shutoff notices to the Blue River facility, the lawsuit said.

In March, the city placed a $178,000 lien on the nursing home, which the lawsuit contends is completely baseless as the old balance was owed by the prior operators and was released by the settlement, the suit stated.
The Austin Fire Department extinguished a two-alarm fire at Kealing Middle School at 1607 Pennsylvania Ave. in East Austin on Monday night. The campus will be closed Tuesday for repairs, the district announced.

Kealing Middle School students will have to delay their first day of class until at least Wednesday after an apparent electrical fire broke out on the campus second floor Monday night, the Austin school district announced early Tuesday morning. The school will be closed Tuesday for repairs.

The fire was quickly contained and crews immediately began to air out the school with fans and repair the damage caused by the fire and sprinklers, the district said in a statement just after 2 a.m.

The Austin Fire Department posted on X at 10:40 p.m. Monday that it was responding to a structure fire at Kealing Middle School "with smoke on the second floor with electrical burning smell."

Austin Fire Department currently on scene at a possible structure fire at Kealing Middle School unites on scene with smoke on the second floor with electrical burning smell. pic.twitter.com/216Cczq43A  Austin Fire Info (@AustinFireInfo) August 20, 2024

The department followed up with a social media post around 12:31 a.m. Tuesday, saying the blaze had been extinguished, though fire investigators would remain on scene to conduct an investigation into the fire's cause.

The district said in its statement that the fire appears to have been caused by an overloaded outlet in a classroom and the Fire Department does not suspect arson.

We are grateful the building was empty and no one was harmed, the district said.

Tuesday is the Austin districts first day back to school for the 2024-25 school year.

We are hopeful we can welcome students back on Wednesday, Aug. 21 but we will provide an update to families when we have more information Tuesday afternoon, the district said.

Students who need to be on campus will be allowed in the gym and cafeteria, and bagged lunches will be available for pick up between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the back of the campus off Salina Street near the gym foyer, the district said.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Kealing Middle School in East Austin closed after overnight fire
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56)  Democrats nationwide are in Chicago this week as the party formally nominates Vice President Harris for her White House run. Gov. Andy Beshear will be delivering remarks on the opening night of the convention, and those in Kentuckys delegation are excited about the spotlight.

You know, we started at 7:00 in the morning, so were still going, Fayette County Attorney Angela Evans told FOX 56, describing the overall event as exciting.

Watch live coverage of the DNC ahead of Bidens speech on night 1

For political nerds, the conventions can easily be compared to the Super Bowl. After Republicans had their week to celebrate, now its the Democrats turn. And on opening night the nation is hearing from a face already very familiar to the Bluegrass.

So were all very excited that he is helping to kick off this convention, and we just could not be more proud, State Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson (D-Lexington) said.

This is the first DNC for Stevenson and Evans, who are both serving as delegates this year. Not only are they excited about the experience overall, but with Kentucky in the spotlight, its extra special.



People know Andy Beshear here. And when they hear Kentucky, they know its Governor Beshear and theyre excited about it, Evans said.

I think it just really speaks to his leadership, the economic development that he has brought to Kentucky while hes been governor. Theres been more than $30 billion worth of new projects announced since he has been in, Stevenson said.

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS:

As much as the event is meant to take on the tone and enthusiasm of a candidates campaign, its also when voters may see more about the issues Democrats will be taking to voters. Beshears introduction is by a well-known face to Kentuckians on the issue of abortion access, Hadley Duvall.



She put a very young, innocent face on that. And I think that that is something that a lot of people just dont want to think about when they think about what it means to have a complete abortion ban in our state, Stevenson said. Beshears remarks are expected in primetime during the 10 PM hour.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56)  A Kentucky man has been indicted for allegedly running a dog fighting ring in Louisville.

In June, the Louisville Metro Police Department said Kareem Garner was arrested after an investigation indicated he was operating a dog fighting ring.

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS:

LMPD said Garner was prolific in dog fighting and was well-known in the underground scene.

After a search warrant, four dogs were seized from Garners home on the 1300 block of Lillian. LMPD said the dogs were in terrible condition, living in feces-infested kennels or in leg-high mud.

LMPD also reported confiscating supplements, medications, weighted collars, scales, carpet mills, dog fighting paperwork, spring poles, and other evidence indicative of dog fighting.

(Louisville Metro Police Department)

(Louisville Metro Police Department)

(Louisville Metro Police Department)

(Louisville Metro Police Department)

(Louisville Metro Police Department)

(Louisville Metro Police Department)

(Louisville Metro Police Department)

Police said the arrest was thanks to an anonymous tip.

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Garner was indicted on Wednesday on four counts of second-degree cruelty to animals and four counts of dog fighting violation, according to court documents. His arraignment is scheduled for 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 FOX 56 News.
Kentucky man uses $50 scratch-off win to buy another, hits the jackpot

LUDLOW, Ky. (FOX 56)  A Ludlow mans gamble worked out in his favor when he decided to put some of his lottery winnings toward another ticket.

Albert Turner told lottery officials that he plays the Kentucky Lottery somewhat regularly. After he won $50 on a scratch-off earlier in August, he decided to put $10 of his winnings toward another ticket.

KENTUCKY LOTTERY RESULTS

I dont always scratch them off, I just scan them, Turner said. I scanned it [the ticket], and it said See Clerk Corp.

He initially thought there was a scanner issue, so he decided to scratch it off. Turner told lottery officials thats when he saw he hit the $175,000 jackpot.

I couldnt catch my breath, he said. I ran home and signed the back of it.

When Turner returned home, his wife was initially concerned because he was so pale.

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I hit big, he told her. My heart was crawling out of my throat.

Turner posted on social media later in the day that it was the best day of his life and he had won the lottery. He told Kentucky Lottery officials that many were curious about how much hed won.

I just told them $1,000, he joked.

The secret is out, and Turner walked away with a $123,000 check. The couple said the win couldnt have come at a better time and plan to take a vacation after paying off their bills.

Read more of the latest Lexington & central Kentucky news

Riverside Marketplace in Ludlow will receive $1,750 for selling the winning 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 FOX 56 News.
WORTHVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56)  On Tuesday, Kentucky State Police announced the name of the man allegedly involved in an officer-involved shooting in Worthville.

The man, 40-year-old Justin Osborn, is believed to have ties to the Worthville, Carroll County, and Glasgow, Barren County, areas.

His whereabouts are currently unknown but police said the public should consider him armed and dangerous and should not attempt to approach him.

Justin Osborn (Via Kentucky State Police)

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the Kentucky State Police.

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Police are investigating a shooting involving the Carroll County Sheriffs Office.

According to a news release, Kentucky State Police Post 5 in Campbellsburg has been asked to investigate an officer-involved shooting in Worthville that happened around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday.

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The state police said there are no known injuries involving the shooting, and the investigation remains ongoing.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News.
Kentucky veteran who faked his own death to avoid child support sentenced to prison

A Kentucky resident who faked his death to avoid paying child support has been sentenced to six years and nine months in federal prison.

Jesse Kipf, 39, of Somerset avoided more than $116,000 in child support before he was caught, according to the court record.

Kipf accessed the death registry system in Hawaii in 2023 with the username and password of a doctor in another state and completed a death certificate for himself, then used the doctors name, title and license number on it, according to his plea agreement.

As a result, he was listed as deceased in many government databases.

Kipfs attorney, Thomas P. Miceli, said in a sentencing memorandum that Kipf served in the military for about three years and was deployed to Iraq in 2007 and 2008.

The psychological trauma Kipf experienced in war increased his drug addiction, and that led to an increase in reckless and criminal behavior, Miceli said.

Kipf also has been diagnosed with paranoid delusions and schizophrenic tendencies, Miceli said in advocating for a lower sentence for Kipf.

However, the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn M. Dieruf, said in a sentencing memo that Kipfs online exploits displayed an unusual breadth, recklessness, and disregard for victims.

Kipf identified vulnerabilities in state death-registry systems and used identifying information he stole from real doctors to create fake death certificates for himself, Dieruf wrote.

He posted information for sale on darknet forums on how other people could illegally access the death registry systems, according to the memo.

In addition, Kipf hacked into private business computer networks and admitted selling one companys databases to Russians, according to the prosecution memo.

Dieruf acknowledged Kipf was a decorated veteran, but said the U.S. Army charged him for theft and damage to government property, and noted he had been charged in Texas with fraudulent use of identifying information and in Nebraska with criminal possession of financial transaction devices.

Kipf has charges pending against him in Somerset for allegedly stealing credit card numbers to pay for food deliveries through services such as Door Dash, according to the prosecution memo.

The charges point up Kipfs decision to avoid ever obtaining legitimate employment, and instead to apply his ample technical knowledge towards making a living by stealing from others, Dieruf wrote.

When he was arrested, Kipf told police he hadnt had a legitimate job for five years and was selling identities to support himself.

He pleaded guilty to computer fraud and aggravated identity theft.

U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier sentenced Kipf Monday in federal court in London.
Kenyan court to rule on appeal against halting of constitutional changes in Nairobi

By Hereward Holland

NAIROBI (Reuters) -Kenya's top court on Tuesday suspended a lower court's ruling that the 2023 finance law was unconstitutional, saying it was important to preserve stability in the budget until the merits of the government's appeal are heard next month.

The finance bills, presented to parliament at the start of every financial year, are the main vehicle for the government to set out its revenue-raising measures including tax hikes.

The Court of Appeal's judgment late last month that last year's Finance Act was unconstitutional was a blow to the government of President William Ruto, who withdrew this year's finance bill in June in the face of youth-led protests, the biggest challenge of his two-year presidency.

Ruto has been caught between the competing demands of Kenya's hard-pressed citizens and of lenders such as the International Monetary Fund.

He has argued that tax increases are necessary to help fund development programmes and pay off a heavy public debt load.

"We find that public interest tilts in favour of granting conservatory and stay orders to ... maintain stability in the budget and appropriation process pending the determination of this appeal," Kenya's Supreme Court said in its ruling.

The Supreme Court will hold hearings on Sept. 10 and 11 on whether the 2023 law is constitutional.

The government, which has been relying on the 2023 finance law to continue collecting taxes after Ruto withdrew this year's bill, did not immediately comment.

The 2023 version was challenged in court following a round of violent street protests last year led by opposition parties.

Ruto's government used the 2023 law to double the value-added tax on fuel, introduce a housing tax and raise the top personal income tax rate.

(Reporting by Hereward Holland; Editing by Alexander Winning and Conor Humphries)
BEAVERCREEK, Ohio (WDTN)  A training exercise mimicking a severe workplace accident was held Tuesday in Greene County.

Kettering Healths Surgical Emergency Response Team participated in a joint exercise with the Beavercreek Township Fire Department and MedFlight. Emergency personnel participated in staged scenarios to help prepare them for what to expect if the real thing were to occur.

Canadian company proposes takeover of Speedway/7-Eleven

Ryan Kinkel, EMS coordinator at Kettering Health, told 2 NEWS the exercise was a great way for medical professionals and first responders to respond to precise situations when in the field.

Tuesdays drill involved advanced medical care for individuals who were trapped and required either amputations or blood transfusions.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com.
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  The Kansas Highway Patrol is dealing with another driver speeding over 100 mph.

On Monday, KHP Troop C, which covers counties in northcentral Kansas, says a driver in Ellsworth County was stopped on Interstate 70 going 106 mph in a 75 mph zone. The KHP also said the driver also failed to drive in the right lane of a four-lane highway.

AAA of Kansas warns Speed Kills

The fine for the ticket was $285 plus a docket fee of $108. The total ticket cost the driver $393.

The KHP has been dealing with a rash of drivers recently going over speeds of 100 mph.

In the last legislative session, lawmakers considered Senate Bill 476, which would have criminalized speeding in Kansas. It died.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.
Stock exchanges in China stopped reporting daily data on foreign fund flows.

Year-to-date flows entered the negative territory on Friday as foreign investors continue to pull back.

Its part of a bigger movement away from real-time data toward longer term, less volatile indicators.

Exchanges in China stopped reporting a key indicator investors use to gauge sentiment in the stock market of the world's second-largest economy.

On Monday, exchanges halted the release of daily data on flows from foreign investors. Foreign fund flows are often used as a key sentiment indicator, showing daily inflows to stocks in mainland China.

As of last week, the data was turning increasingly sour, with the year-to-date net flows entering negative territory on Friday as investors continued to pull back from China stocks.

If the trend continues, it will be the first year of net outflows since 2016. China's CSI 300 index is down almost 2.5% year-to-date, and has plummeted over 9% since May.

Officials first hinted at cutting real-time data on foreign flows back in April and made the decision official at the end of July. Now, the metric will only be published quarterly.

The move is part of a large pivot away from real-time data as China's economy remains stuck in a rut.

In May, China stopped reporting intraday foreign flows data. Officials said the move more closely aligned Chinese stock exchanges with those in the US and Europe, where markets don't release intraday data on certain investors or differentiate between domestic and international investors.

Now, China's Shenzhen and Shanghai stock exchanges only publish two daily data metrics  trades of its 10 most active stocks and the total turnover and trade volume of stocks traded through Hong Kong.

China's economy is facing headwinds from several directions, including its struggling property sector and weak consumer sentiment. Its latest bout of tough economic data showed fixed-asset investment saw an unexpected decline in the first half of the year.

Read the original article on Business Insider
KILLEEN, Texas (FOX 44)  The City of Killeen is reminding citizens about the available cooling centers as the area enters an excessive heat warning.

The National Weather Service has forecasted what they call dangerous heat, with heat index temperatures ranging between 105-111 degrees.

The city says the Friends in Crisis Shelter, located at 412 East Sprott Street, is open as a cooling center any day the forecasted mid-day temperatures exceed 100 degrees, opening at 1 p.m. and remaining open overnight. The shelter closes every morning after breakfast (about 7 a.m.) to allow staff an opportunity to deep clean the facility. The facility offers an air-conditioned environment, water and a meal to anyone who needs it. The shelter can be contacted at (254) 245-8269.

City of Killeen buildings are open to the public and available for cooling off during each facilitys normal business hours. These buildings include City Hall, libraries, the Family Recreation Center, the North Precinct Police Department and Police Headquarters.

The city says citizens who would like to donate water can drop it off at any Killeen Fire Station, as well as the North Precinct Police Station in downtown, located at 402 North 2nd Street, and let them know it is for the cooling centers. City Staff will work to distribute those donations.

For any non-water donations, you can call the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management first to see what is needed at (254) 501-7706.

The city says hot, dry and breezy conditions will also create an elevated threat for grass fires in the area. Citizens are asked to avoid activities that can spark a fire (i.e., parking on tall grass, tossing cigarette butts, etc.) Residents are advised to find air conditioning, avoid strenuous activities, watch for heat illness, wear light clothing, check on relatives/neighbors, drink plenty of fluids, watch out for heat cramps/exhaustion/stroke, wear hats and never leave people or pets in a closed car.

Residents can also cover their windows with drapes/shades, weather strip doors/windows, use window reflectors to reflect heat back outside, use attic fans or ventilators to regulate the heat level and install window air conditioners. There are more tips on www.ready.gov.

Texas residents can also check the Texas Department of Emergency Management webpage at https://tdem.texas.gov/warm for information on where a cooling or warming center is located anywhere in the state.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KWKT - FOX 44.




More from Footwear News





King Charles III dressed up for a visit to Southport, England, to engage with the local community in the wake of the July 29 attack that left three children murdered and 10 injured at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

King Charles III greeting wellwishers as he arrives outside Southport Town Hall during his visit to meet local community and emergency services on Aug. 20, 2024 in Southport, England.

In the aftermath of tragedy and unrest, the royal traveled to Southport to meet with the local community and emergency service workers in the area and engage with those affected by the attack at the Southport Town Hall.

A closer look at King Charles IIIs shoes.

The tragedy also sparked riots across the UK as right-wing conservatives spread rumors that a Muslim immigrant was responsible for the attack. A 17-year-old named Axel Rudakubana has since been arrested and charged for the crimes. According to the Associated Press, the monarch was scheduled to meet with the impacted families and speak to the children who were attacked.

For the somber occasion, the king was dressed in a gray suit and maroon Oxfords. The dark shoes were made from shiny leather and featured horizontal laces in addition to a low, block heel. They seemed to feature a subtle perforated detailing, placing them in the brogue subsection of the Oxfords.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 06: King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave to the crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their Coronation on May 06, 2023 in London, England. The Coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the other Commonwealth realms takes place at Westminster Abbey today. Charles acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022, upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

King Charles IIIs Coronation: Royals and Celebrity Guests

View Gallery 80 Images

The popular lace-up dress shoe has a rich history in England, where it was known to be worn on campus at the University of Oxford in the 1800s. The shoe has many possible origin stories, with one even relating to the royal family. Prince Albert is said to have worn lace-up boots to go hunting at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, an innovative footwear choice at the time.

In modern days, a range of brands including Dr. Martens, Allen Edmonds, Christian Louboutin and more offer mens Oxfords in a variety of styles.

King Charles III at Balmoral Castle on Aug. 19, 2024.

The day before visiting Southport, King Charles III was at Balmoral himself, where the family is known to take up a summer residence. Dressed in traditional Scottish garb, he engaged in official duties including an inspection of Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland. His classic kilt was paired with red knee socks and black leather brogues.









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Britain's King Charles III looks at the tributes outside Southport Town Hall, in Southport, England, Tuesday Aug. 20, 2024, as he meets members of the local community, following the July 29 attack at a children's dance party. (Paul Ellis/Pool via AP)

LONDON (AP)  King Charles III met Tuesday with survivors of the stabbing rampage that killed three young girls in northern England, viewing flowers and teddy bears laid in remembrance of the victims and signing a book of condolence as Britain recovers from widespread unrest fueled by misinformation around the tragedy.

The monarch traveled to the seaside town of Southport, northwest of Liverpool, for a private meeting where he heard the experiences of some of the children who were attacked at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29.

After the meeting, Charles signed the book of condolence at Southport Town Hall, adding, In deepest sympathy.

The kings visit came as people throughout Britain assess the implications of a week of anti-immigrant unrest that followed the attack after right-wing activists used social media to spread false claims that a Muslim immigrant was behind the stabbing.

But in Southport, the community has focused on the three young girls who lost their lives in the attack: Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9.

On Tuesday, Charles offered his support.

Crowds cheered the king outside Southport Town Hall, where mourners have placed bunches of flowers and cuddly toys in tribute to the slain children.

Among those meeting the monarch were Paige Whitby, Harriet Neal, Naomi Taylor, all 13, and 10-year-old Emie Todd. The children said they raised 2,000 pounds ($2,600) for Alder Hey Childrens Hospital by selling lemonade.

It was shocking to meet the king, Naomi said. We were excited and nervous.

Charles also met with police, paramedics and other emergency service workers who responded to the attack and the disorder that followed, as well as local people who helped each other out in a time of confusion and distress.

That included siblings Antony and Jenna Johnson who run an ice cream shop in Southport and gave free treats to local children in the days after the attack.

We wanted to give out ice creams after the riot because the kids had all been terrified, Jenna Johnson said. We wanted to give them something to come out of the house for.

The U.K.s worst unrest in more than a decade led to some 1,100 arrests. The government pledged that rioters who hurled bricks at police, looted shops and attacked mosques and hotels used to house asylum-seekers would feel the full force of the law.
King Charles office announced he will today meet some of the children who survived the Southport knife attack which triggered riots across the U.K.

The visit comes after the king faced criticism that he was not doing enough to show solidarity with the victims of the horrific attack.

2 Kids Killed, 9 Injured in Knife Attack at Taylor Swift-Themed Dance Event

The Daily Beast, along with other media, was told by courtiers after the July 29 attack that the king hoped to visit the communities affected by the attack but did not want to impede or inconvenience key workers responding to the attack, the riots and the aftermath.

On Tuesday morning his office announced that he would meet survivors from the attack Tuesday in Southport, and then Wednesday will be meeting some bereaved family members in London. The king will also show his thanks to the emergency services who responded to the events.

Three children, Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, died as a result of the attack at the Hart Space community centre, where a Taylor Swift dance workshop for young children was taking place. Eight other children and two adults were also injured.

Axel Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time and has now turned 18, has been charged with murder and attempted murder.

Charles, 75, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, was understood to be due to fly to Southport from Balmoral in Scotland, where he is hosting the royal familys annual summer vacation.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Michigans U.S. Western District Court in Lansing | Sarah Leach

An Ottawa County commissioner who claims Michigan State University Extension fired him for his political activity has added a new defendant to his lawsuit: the chair of his own board.

On Tuesday, Commissioner Chris Kleinjans filed an amended complaint in Michigans U.S. Western District Court claiming that Ottawa Board Chair Joe Moss threatened the schools contract with the county in order to retaliate against Kleinjans criticisms of Ottawa Impact (OI) majority on the board and involvement in a recall election against former OI Commissioner Lucy Ebel.

Moss is the founder and president of Ottawa Impact, a far-right political action committee that ran a slate of candidates in 2022 who were motivated over frustrations with the county and state over COVID-19 mitigation measures. They went on to achieve a controlling majority of the countys top governmental body.

Since taking office in January 2023, OI commissioners pushed through a series of controversial decisions, resulting in several lawsuits against the county.

After being seated, they immediately began making  charitably speaking  aggressive decisions, Kleinjans said in testimony Aug. 9 during an evidentiary hearing in the Western Districts courthouse in Lansing. It was a different interpretation of freedom than what we were operating under before.

Once Kleinjans became the candidate running against Ebel, Moss targeted the Democrats employer, where he had been working as a nutrition instructor for more than a dozen years.

Kleinjans attorney, Sarah Riley-Howard, said Moss violated Kleinjans First Amendment rights when he retaliated against [Kleinjans] for his protected speech by refusing to adopt the renewal contract with MSU Extension, according to the new court filing Tuesday.

The contract, often referred to as a memorandum of understanding or MOU, obligates the county to pay $272,572 to Extension for the fiscal year  which is Oct. 1 through Sept. 30  and to provide office space, utilities, clerical support and funding for an Extension educator, which covers a 4-H programming coordinator.

Despite receiving unanimous approval from the countys Finance & Administration committee in November, the MOU was removed from full board consideration after Kleinjans appeared in media interviews as a member of the Ottawa Food nonprofit collectives advisory board.

Moss decision to remove the contract from the consent agenda and hold up the adoption of the contract for several months was made in an effort to retaliate against [Kleinjans] for his political speech by withholding funds from [Kleinjans] employer, Howard wrote in the new filing.

Federal Judge Hala Y. Jarbou ruled on Thursday that Kleinjans was not entitled to a preliminary injunction that requested he be immediately restored to his Extension position and awarded back pay. The ruling only applied to Howards request for a preliminary injunction for her client to be reinstated to his position as well as back pay dating from his June 4 termination date. The lawsuit will now continue to move forward.

In her ruling, Jarbou noted that Moss began to exert pressure on MSU Extension to terminate or relocate Kleinjans in order to threaten the approval of the MOU with the school.

Moss has not returned several requests from the Advance for comment on the lawsuit.

Where the lawsuit is at

Jarbou said it is undisputed that the OI majority sought political retribution against Kleinjans because of his comments about OI and involvement in the recall effort of Ebel, who he ultimately defeated in May by a 20% margin.

However, MSU refused to grant Moss requests, meaning there was no clear connection yet that proved Kleinjans was fired over his political activity, which Jarbou said she required for her to order the school to restore Kleinjans to his position.

Had OI been successful, Kleinjans would likely have a clear-cut case for First Amendment retaliation, Jarbou wrote. He would certainly have shown a sufficient likelihood of success on the merits to obtain a preliminary injunction. But OI was not successful  Defendants rebuffed OIs retaliatory effort. In other words, Defendants protected Kleinjanss First Amendment rights in the face of pressure from OI. And Kleinjans does not show what, if anything, changed for Defendants between January and May.

Testimony about Moss actions

Kleinjans filed the lawsuit on June 21 claiming Extension violated his First Amendment rights after giving him an ultimatum after he was elected: Take an unpaid leave through the remainder of the year or face termination.

An Aug. 9 evidentiary hearing featured testimony from Kleinjans and two of three MSU Extension supervisors who had several conversations with Kleinjans from before he was a commissioner candidate to after he was elected.

M. Scott Korpak, the new District 7 director, testified that during a Dec. 7 meeting he had with then-interim director James Kelly as well as Moss and OI Commissioner Allison Miedema threatened the MOU.

When Associate Director of the Extensions field operations Matt Shane met with Kleinjans Dec. 14 to summarize the meeting between commissioners and Korpak and Kelly, he said Moss asked that MSU Extension officials pull [Kleinjans] out of work in Ottawa County even during his campaign for office in the recall election, and that MSU Extension move (Kleinjans) to another county, another location, or some other work, according to the amended complaint.

Shane also told Kleinjans that Miedema and Moss said that the MSU Extension contract renewal would not be approved by the commission or on the agenda until MSU Extension removed (Kleinjans) from work in Ottawa County, according to the new filing.

When asked at the Aug. 9 hearing how he interpreted Moss addressing Kleinjans employment, Korpak said: You could characterize it as a veiled threat  of concern with Christians involvement in the recall process.  They were unhappy about his political activity.

Korpak also testified that it was the second instance that Moss brought up concerns about Kleinjans, the first being in the lobby of the countys administration building in West Olive prior to the boards Nov. 21 meeting.

He shared his concerns about Christians efforts against Ms. Ebel, Korpak said of the Nov. 21 conversation.

Because hes a Democrat? Howard asked.

Yes, among other concerns, Korpak replied.

Office space possibly at risk

Shane told Kleinjans on Dec. 14 that Miedema and Moss insinuated that Extensions office space provided by Ottawa County would be in jeopardy, according to the amended complaint.

There was also some mention in that meeting about how highly desirable our Ottawa County MSU Extension space is in that building, and that there are other departments that certainly would benefit from having access to that space as they look at restructuring some of their other departments and forming other departments and offices within the county, Shane said in the Dec. 14 recording.

At the Aug 9 evidentiary hearing, Korpak said Extension currently is evaluating its space needs at the countys request, which is due by the end of August.

What wasnt addressed in testimony during the hearing, but is included in the new amended complaint, is the allegation that sometime after the May 7 recall election, Interim County Administrator Jon Anderson visited the office of MSU Extension in Ottawa County made a public display of coming to examine the office for the purpose of moving another county department into it and MSU Extension out of it.

Anderson was appointed by the OI majority in April after previous administrator John Gibbs was fired in February. The appointment was controversial because Anderson didnt have any prior experience as a county administrator, already was a declared OI-backed candidate for county sheriff, prompting critics to claim at several public meetings that the decision was intended to elevate Andersons profile to better his election chances.

Anderson lost to Undersheriff Eric DeBoer in the Aug. 6 primary by 20 points.

Howard said Andersons comments to the Extension staff were intended to be a threat of retaliation to Kleinjans employer.

Anderson declared  in front of MSU Extension employees  that the county would need at least some, if not all, of the office space currently inhabited by MSU Extension for new county departments that the OI majority intended to create or to make room for an office shuffle, according to the amended complaint.

According to the amended complaint, Anderson said that maybe the county would move the MSU Extension Office to the basement of the building housing the MDHHSs Ottawa County location on James Street in Holland. The MDHHS building is located at the edge of the County in Holland.

Howard argued that Andersons visit to the office space and threat that MSU Extension would be relocated by the county was a continuation of the original, overt threat voiced by Moss in the Dec. 7 meeting, according to the amended complaint.

Howard cited an additional communication  this time an email sent to from Anderson to Kleinjans on June 6, which was two days after Kleinjans last day with Extension  as evidence that the OI majority intended continue to interfere with Kleinjans employment.

Andersons email said: Hi Chris  hope all is well and youre settling in. I had a reminder from my notes to check with you about your position with MSU. I do not have any personal knowledge about a potential conflict of interest, but I recall there was a question about a potential conflict of interest when you were elected. If there is anything you need, please reach out.

Howard said the timing and substance of the communication was odd because there had been no previous mention in public meetings about a conflict of interest with Kleinjans board service and his job with Extension.

The most likely reason that Anderson would have raised this issue with [Kleinjans] is because of private direction from the OI majority related to [Kleinjans] job, Howard wrote in the amended complaint.

According to Cornell Law Schools Legal Information Institute, a plaintiff is allowed to amend their complaint, but because the lawsuit has now passed certain milestones, the plaintiff must seek consent of the court or consent from the defendant to amend the original complaint.

The court has not yet scheduled additional court dates.

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What is known about the sinking of a luxury yacht off the coast of Sicily and those aboard

Emergency services at the scene of the search for a missing boat, in Porticello, southern Italy, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Rescue teams and divers returned to the site of a storm-sunken superyacht Tuesday to search for six people, including British tech magnate Mike Lynch, who are believed to be still trapped in the hull 50 meters (164-feet) underwater. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)

PORTICELLO, Sicily (AP)  Specialist cave divers working in 12-minute underwater shifts were searching Tuesday for six missing passengers and crew, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, believed to be in the submerged wreck of a luxury yacht that was slammed by a powerful storm and swiftly sank off Sicily.

The sleek yacht, named the Bayesian, was carrying a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers when it suddenly sank near the Mediterranean island that is part of Italy at about 4 a.m. on Monday. One body has been recovered and 15 people survived.

Fire rescue officials have said the six believed to remain in the sailboat's hull will be considered missing until they are located in the wreckage.

Here's what we know so far about the sinking and those who were on board.

What happened?

Italian civil protection officials believe a sudden and fierce storm that battered the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday whipped up a waterspout in the exact spot where the 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged Bayesian was moored.

Karsten Borner, the captain of another yacht moored nearby, said he saw the Bayesian during the storm but when the wild weather passed it was gone and he saw only a red flare lighting the night sky, the Italian news agency ANSA and the Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported.

Borner and one of his crew boarded their tender and found a lifeboat carrying 15 people, some of them injured. They took them aboard their yacht and alerted the coast guard.

Rescue authorities said the wreck was resting at a depth of 50 meters (163 feet) about a half mile offshore of the picturesque fishing village of Porticello.

Who was on board?

Among the missing is 59-year-old tech tycoon Mike Lynch, sometimes described as the British Bill Gates. Lynch was acquitted in June of all charges in a U.S. fraud trial linked to the $11 billion sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

Lynch still faced a potentially huge bill stemming from a civil case in London that HP mostly won during 2022. Damages havent been determined in that case, but HP is seeking $4 billion. Lynch made more than $800 million from the Autonomy sale.

A Cambridge-educated mathematician, Lynch made his name running Autonomy, which made a search engine that could pore through emails and other internal business documents to help companies find vital information more quickly.

Lynchs 18-year-old daughter Hannah was reportedly among the missing. His wife, Angela Bacares, and 14 other people survived.

Among others still missing Tuesday, according to the civil protection agency, were one of Lynchs U.S. lawyers, Christopher Morvillo of Clifford Chance, and Morvillos wife, Neda. Morvillo was regarded as an elite defense lawyer and was also a federal prosecutor in New York after 9/11.

Also missing was Jonathan Bloomer, the non-executive chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife, Judy. He is the former head of the Autonomy audit committee and testified for the defense at Lynchs trial.

Bloomer was also chair of the Hiscox Group, an insurer that does business on the Lloyds of London market.

We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event, Hiscox CEO Aki Hussain said in a statement.

Among the survivors was Charlotte Golunski, who said she momentarily lost hold of her 1-year-old daughter Sofia in the water, but then managed to grab her and hold her up over the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were both pulled to safety, ANSA reported. The father, identified by ANSA as James Emslie, also survived.

The Dutch foreign ministry said a Dutch man survived. The ministry, citing privacy, did not release his identity.

One body was recovered on Monday, identified as the on-board chef.

What is the Bayesian?

The Bayesian was a luxury yacht built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Nav. It was known for its single 75-meter (246-feet) aluminum mast  one of the worlds tallest. Online charter sites listed it for rent for up to 195,000 euros (about $215,000) a week.

Its registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd., based on the Isle of Man, according to online maritime database Equasis. Lynchs wife is listed as Revtoms sole owner, according to corporate registration documents from the Isle of Man.

The yacht's name is an apparent reference to Bayesian inference, one of the two main approaches to statistical machine learning and the one that was used by Autonomy.

What is a waterspout?

Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water and can happen when a storm moves across warm water.

According to the U.S. National Ocean Service, there are two types of waterspouts  fair-weather and tornadic.

Tornadic waterspouts have the same characteristics as a land tornado. They are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning, the service says on its website.

While scientists havent attributed the specific event to climate change, average monthly surface temperatures have been at record highs for months. Hotter air can hold more moisture, making heavier storms more likely.

Sicily has been baking under intense heat this summer, and the United Nations panel of climate change experts notes the Mediterranean Sea is particularly vulnerable to climate change, with warming rates roughly 20% higher than the global average.

How rare is it for a huge sailboat like this to capsize?

Experts say it is extraordinarily rare for a luxury sailboat of this size to capsize due to weather events.

This just doesnt happen. You know, boats sink because things like keels fall off, or they run aground and breach the hull ... whereas just from a weather angle, a boat that big being pushed over on its side is absolutely extraordinary, said Skip Novak, a lifelong sailor who has taken part in multiple round the world yacht races and written books about sailing.

Novak said he believed that strong gusts likely pushed the yacht over 90 degrees to its side, and the vessel did not recover because of the weight of the huge mast and because it was anchored. He suggested that internal doors were likely not closed, and water quickly poured in to sink the vessel.

When youre at anchor, even if its blowing with a storm in the Mediterranean, you rarely shut the whole boat down because nobody expects something like this to happen," Novak told The Associated Press. So if the boat wasnt completely watertight at the deck, youd have flooding going in. It would take a couple minutes and that would be it."

What happens next?

As the search for the missing continues, authorities already have begun trying to piece together exactly what happened.

Prosecutors from the Sicilian town of Termini Imerese have opened an investigation, as is normal in such events even when no suspects are identified. To date, they have not commented publicly.

The British Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors were being deployed to Palermo.

___

Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands. Associated Press writer Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.
Tuesdays Top Stories

Tuesdays Five Facts

[1] Carlsbad woman found guilty in grandchilds fatal overdose  A New Mexico woman is facing more than two-decades in prison after being convicted of child abuse resulting in death, following her grandsons overdose. Kelli Smiths 12-year-old grandson died as a result of a fentanyl overdose in 2021. Kelli along with her daughter Alexis Smith, the boys mom, were both arrested and charged. Kelli was found guilty of intentional child abuse resulting in death and child abuse not resulting in great bodily harm or death, for exposing her infant granddaughter to the same environment. Kelli is facing up to 21 years behind bars, her sentencing date has not yet been set. Alexis Smith, was found guilty on two counts of child abuse last year and sentenced to 14 years in prison.

[2] CYFD says federal government wont help pay for teen transitional housing facility  CYFD is opening a group home to deal with an ongoing issue of foster children sleeping in an office building. The news comes despite the fact that the feds have said they will not provide any financial support for the home. According to CYFD, the feds oppose the group homes, saying they put foster teens at greater risk of being homeless, in jail or addicted to drugs. CYFD has set aside $17 million to pay for what they call the multi-service foster home. As of now, about six children live at the facility with an average stay of three to four weeks. So far CYFD has used less than half of the $17 million on hand for the group home.

[3] Hotter temperatures & mostly rain-free around New Mexico  As temperatures across the region rise from the morning school commute into the upper 70s, 80s, 90s, and above 100 degrees for some areas by the afternoon, lingering moisture in the air in northern areas moving east, along with plenty of daytime heating, will lead to slightly more areas receiving rainfall. The northern third of the region has the best chance of rain for today

[4] Bike lanes coming to Central corridor in downtown Albuquerque  Downtown Albuquerque will soon be getting more bike lanes, but some business owners are concerned about how that will impact the area. Those bike lanes could be five feet wide on each side of the street, with a two foot buffer from traffic. The changes will impact Central from 1st St. to 8th St., with the middle lane planned to be taken away. Some business owners are concerned about losing the lane, which is often used by delivery drivers. The city says they are looking to add more loading zones and use more alleys for deliveries. They say they are hoping to start work on the lanes by November.

[5] New electric codes in effect for new housing developments in NM  All new developments must follow the states updated energy efficiency codes, which includes new rules for electric vehicles. The updated codes require that new homes be equipped with a circuit breaker capable of supporting an EV charger. Single-family homes are not required to have EV chargers, new apartment buildings and certain commercial developments must install chargers in a percentage of their parking spaces. Developers can apply for rebates to help cover the costs associated with these installations.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
The Ukrainian government is preparing to launch a new institution that would promote Ukrainian unity abroad and counter Russian influence, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 19.

Speaking at the meeting of Ukraine's senior diplomats, Zelensky dubbed the new body "the Ministry for Ukrainian Unity and Countering Russian Influence on Ukrainians." Its focus will be, first of all, on Ukraine's citizens living outside the country.

Even before the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian diaspora has been widespread around the world, with particularly large communities in the EU, the U.S., and Canada.

The war drew millions more from their home, with some 6.6 million registered as refugees as of July 2024. The diaspora's size post-invasion is estimated to be between 12-20 million worldwide.

"We all see Russia using a massive propaganda resource abroad, especially targeting Ukrainians. We see how many aspects of the spiritual independence of our people are not settled and how Russia is using its own church structures for agent work and spreading discord," Zelensky said at the conference called "Wartime Diplomacy: Resilience, Weapons, Victory."

The church matters became the focus of public debate following the outbreak of the full-scale war. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, one of the two major Orthodox churches in the country, has been accused of sympathies and links to Russia.

It is not to be confused with the autocephalous (autonomous) Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the country's largest church in terms of the number of followers.

A bill that would ban activities of religious organizations affiliated with pro-Russian propaganda or justifying Moscow's aggression  commonly seen as referring to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate  is being considered in the parliament.

"We also recognize that the educational, cultural, and informational needs of Ukrainians in other countries require greater activity from our state," the president added.

According to Zelensky, this is a fundamental task for Ukraine as the country has never had such a large number of its citizens living abroad.

"I believe that the system of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine cannot handle this task alone... It also would be wrong to simply expect various ministries and departments to carry out their respective tasks on their own," the president said.

"We need an institution that will lead other state institutions towards these defined goals," Zelensky noted, promising "all the details in the near future."

Read also: Faith under fire: Russias war on religion in Ukraines occupied territories

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
When is Labor Day? What is it? All about the federal holiday with Ohio roots

Labor Day is coming up, which for some of us merely means a three-day weekend or the arrival of Cincinnati's coveted WEBN Fireworks.

But did you know the federal holiday, rooted in celebrating American workers, carries Ohio roots?

Here's what to know about the national holiday.

When is Labor Day 2024?

This year's annual Labor Day is Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. Each year, Labor Day falls on the first Monday in September, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

What is Labor Day, and why is it important?

Labor Day honors the efforts of the American workforce, and celebrates the achievements of workers across the country, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. It highlights the significance of workers rights.

Labor Day is Monday, Sep 2 in 2024.

What is the history of Labor Day?

Activists during the late 1800s wanted a day to recognize the contributions made by the workers, and eventually more and more states adopted local Labor Day observances, according to Ohio History. President Grover Cleveland signed it into law in 1894, declaring the first Monday in September as the official day to celebrate it.

Ohio first recognized the holiday in the early 1890s, along with several other states, according to Ohio History. The first Labor Day celebration to occur was in New York City on Sept. 5, 1882, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. It was led by the Central Labor Union, an early trade union recognized as the first integrated group of its kind in the U.S.

Oregon became the first state to pass a law recognizing Labor Day on Feb. 21, 1887, five years after Central Labor Union's celebration took place.

Today, people often celebrate Labor Day with festivities that include outdoor cookouts and parades honoring local trade and labor organizations.

The Ohio man deemed the 'father of Labor Day'

Greene County native James Kyle is considered the "father of Labor Day."

The U.S. Senator sponsored the bill that officially recognized Labor Day as a national holiday, according to Cedarville University. The village of Cedarville, Ohio, where Kyle was born, displays a sign recognizing the senator who died in 1901.

Remaining federal holidays in 2024

Here's a look at the remaining federal holidays left on the 2024 calendar:

Labor Day : Sept. 2.

Columbus Day : Oct. 14.

Veterans Day : Nov. 11.

Thanksgiving Day : Nov. 28.

Christmas Day: Dec. 25.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: When is Labor Day 2024? What does it celebrate? Everything to know
When is Labor Day this year? What to know about holiday's history and founders.

Toward the end of the year, there aren't many days off to look forward to aside from the weekends, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

As August comes to a close, there is still one federal holiday employees can get a three day weekend out of: Labor Day.

With the much needed day of leisure just around the corner, here's what to know about Labor Day this year and its history.

When is Labor Day this year?

This year, Labor Day will be held on Monday, Sept. 2.

Does the day change every year?

Labor Day is observed the first Monday in September. While the date may change from year to year, the day will always be held on the first Monday of the month.

Save big with these early Labor Day mattress deals.

What is Labor Day?

Rooted in the late 19th century, Labor Day is an annual celebration of the economic and social achievements of the American workforce. The day was recognized by labor activists and individual states before becoming a federal holiday. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, after municipal ordinances were passed in 1885 and 1886, a movement started up to secure state legislation.

Although New York was the first state to introduce a bill, Oregon was the first state to pass a law establishing Labor Day on Feb. 21, 1887. In the same year, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York passed laws to turn Labor Day into a holiday, with Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York doing the same by the end of the decade. By 1894, the holiday was adopted by 23 more states.

Labor Day became a legal holiday on June 20, 1894, through Congress, which declared the first Monday in September of each year as its day of celebration.

Who is credited with proposing the holiday for workers?

Two American workers are attributed with being the founders of Labor Day. One of these men is Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners. In 1882, McGuire proposed using a day for a "general holiday for the laboring classes" to honor those "who from rude have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

However, there are many who believe Matthew Maguire, secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, New Jersey, to be the holiday's founder. It is believed Maguire proposed the holiday in 1882 during his time serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York.

After President Cleveland signed Labor Day into law, the "Paterson Morning Call" published an opinion piece reading, "the souvenir pen should go to Alderman Matthew Maguire of this city, who is the undisputed author of Labor Day as a holiday."

Who originally founded the holiday may forever be shrouded in mystery. On the flip side, Maguire and McGuire both attended the first Labor Day parade in New York City on Sept. 5, 1885.

People swim in Lake Keowee on Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2020.

Nina Tran covers trending topics for The Greenville News. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: When is Labor Day 2024? What to know about holiday's history.
(Reuters) - Swiss engineering company Schlatter Industries said on Tuesday that its computer network had been back up since Monday following a cyberattack nearly two weeks back.

The group said on Aug. 9 that it was hit by a malware-based cyberattack and that unknown perpetrators were attempting to blackmail it, without disclosing further details.

Its latest statement also did not provide details on the impact of the cyberattack, including whether any data was stolen, or on progress on identifying the perpetrators.

The financial impact of the cyberattack and its impact on financial results had not yet been quantified, Schlatter said last week.

At that time, it also warned that full-year results would be significantly lower than the previous year due to a drop in orders and delayed commissioning of customer projects in its welding unit. ($1 = 0.8619 Swiss francs)

(Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh; Editing by Savio D'Souza)
Travelers are looking for their last hurrah before the unofficial end of summer by booking trips for Labor Day weekend, according to AAA.

Labor Day weekend travel bookings are up 9 percent compared to last year, with several popular destinations across the country.

In a year with an already high number of travelers, Labor Day weekend is booked and busy as many families wrap up summer before school begins, AAA said.

According to AAA booking information for Aug. 29 through Sept. 2, more Americans are looking to travel domestically than internationally this year.

This time last year, more Americans were traveling internationally. AAA said domestic travel was up 4 percent in 2023, while international travel was up 44 percent.

In the United States, Seattle is the most popular travel destination, likely because of the popularity of Alaskan cruises this time of year, AAA noted. Anchorage and Juneau are also on the top 10 list.

Other top Labor Day weekend destinations include Orlando, Fla.; New York City; Boston; Las Vegas; Denver; Chicago; and San Francisco.

The cost to travel domestically is down 2 percent, but its up 11 percent to travel internationally, the agency said.

International travel over the holiday weekend is down 4 percent compared to last year, AAA said, according to its booking numbers.

Most of this years international bookings are heading to Europe; 8 out of 10 bookings abroad are heading to European cities.

People who are travelling via car should expect to pay less for gas compared to this time last year. In 2023, gas was $3.81 per gallon over Labor Day weekend, and in recent weeks, its hovered around $3.50, AAA said.

Despite the popularity of summer road trips, overall gas demand is down as daily driving habits have changed post-pandemic, preventing pump prices from spiking, AAA said.

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Lake City gets $13.5M in federal aid to build out water infrastructure

LAKE CITY, S.C. (WBTW)  Lake City has received a $13.5 million federal grant to help alleviate downtown flooding, the U.S. Department of Commerce said on Tuesday.

The Economic Development Administration aid will be matched by $1.3 million in local funding to target projects downtown.

This EDA investment will allow Lake City to enhance its resiliency against storms and other natural disasters, which will strengthen the region by helping to better protect local businesses and residential areas from the impact of severe weather on its economy, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in a news release.

The money comes from $483 million made available to the EDA through a 2023 Congressional appropriations act targeting disaster relief and recovery initiatives.

South Carolina is all too familiar with the devastating impacts of climate change on local homes and businesses, U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-Charleston, said.

* * *

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.

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Large tree brings down power lines in Greenville Co., blocks road

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA)  A large tree fell along a Greenville County road Tuesday afternoon, knocking out power to hundreds.

The tree fell across Perry Road near Assembly Drive, according to the Parker District Fire Department.

I actually came home for lunch and was sitting in the chair with my puppies, Michael Muyot said. Then, I heard this massive boom. I could not believe that the massive tree did not take out a house. Thank God that no one got hurt.

The fire department said no one was injured, but the tree brought down several power lines.

The tree was about 70 feet tall, Deputy Chief Caleb Story said. It wound up taking a majority of the power lines that were on that side of the road.

Perry Road was blocked for several hours as crews work to clean up the mess.

Duke Energy was on scene working to restore power to nearly 900 customers.

Greenville County Schools said dismissal at nearby Cherrydale Elementary was not affected despite the power outage.

The outage affected traffic signals in at least two busy intersections.

The main intersections that we saw that were affected were State Park Road and Poinsett Highway and State Park Road and N. Pleasantburg Drive, Story said.

As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, power had been restored in the neighborhood.

Tree down across Perry Road in Greenville County, S.C., August 20, 2024 (WSPA Photo)

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Metro police released photos of three men they are describing as suspects in a July 20 shooting near North Rainbow Boulevard at Smoke Ranch Road.

A person inside a parked vehicle was hit by gunfire just before 11 p.m., according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital and treated for injuries.

Police said three male suspects arrived in what is believed to be a 2010 to 2014 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ. Shots were fired toward the parked vehicles.

(Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

(Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

(Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

(Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

These descriptions were provided by police:

Black male, dark jacket with white striping, tan or gray pants, black and white shoes

Black male, black shirt, gray pants, dreadlocks, light colored shoes

Black male, dark pants, gray shirt with Boyz N The Hood graphic, black and white Nike shoes, light blue headwear

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the LVMPD Northwest Area Command Investigations Section at (702) 828-8577. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555, or go to www.crimestoppersofnv.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 KLAS.
When it come to approving development in the Lake Tahoe area, "Im just not sure that its working as well as it could with the tools they have, said state Sen. Skip Daly. (Photo: Trevor Bexon/Nevada Current)

State Sen. Skip Daly, a Democrat who represents Washoe County, suggested Friday the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency needs to exert its wide-ranging authority to extract concessions from developers seeking approval of projects at Lake Tahoe.

Daly, chairman of Nevadas Legislative Committee for the Review and Oversight of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, invoked Facebook founder Mark Zuckerbergs planned sprawling complex on the lakes west shore as an example.

He has the right to develop it, and hes got the money where he can call in the experts. Everything that he wants, no matter how long it takes  hell pay the money, Daly said. But hes doing nothing to mitigate any impacts. Hes doing nothing to restore the lake.

Zuckerberg, the TRPA said Monday, has received permits to redevelop two previously-developed properties, and followed all of TRPAs rules and our staff has been engaged on this project to ensure that it adheres to our strict environmental guidelines.

Daly suggests the TRPA, governed by a bi-state board of elected and appointed officials from Nevada and California, should evaluate projects based on a matrix of priorities.

Maybe they (TRPA) cant condition it, but they can sure make things slow down. I probably shouldnt say that, Daly said. But they absolutely have a process, and Im just not sure that its working as well as it could with the tools they have.

Julie Regan, executive director of the TRPA, noted that Dalys matrix of priorities would have to fit within the agencys existing framework.

We do have a process, and weve had a lot of back and forth on this question, because the Compact is our constitution. Regan responded, referring to the federal agreement between California and Nevada officials that guides development in the area. We have the environmental standards. Any project that goes forward has to be demonstrated not to adversely impact those standards. And so were not quite sure how to move forward, in terms of a matrix.

Regan said the TRPA would be happy to receive a letter to explore options around this, adding California would have to be in agreement. And thats a process to go through, but I think were very happy that we hear the sentiment.

Regan said the TRPAs governing board shares a lot of the same concerns that you do.

Balancing act

Dalys priorities, which the committee voted to forward to the TRPA in the form of a letter, are:

preservation, protection, and restoration of the Lake;

enhancing the visitor experience;

mitigating impacts on residents; and

economic considerations

Daly, in an interview before the meeting, acknowledged the competing interests in his matrix.

Its a balancing act, he said, adding that TRPA, because of its federal mandate, has more tools than local jurisdictions to tweak development that doesnt fit on the matrix of priorities.

Enhancing, preserving, protecting, and restoring the lake. Does your project do any of that? Daly suggests TRPA should consider when querying developers. Probably not.

The second factor  whether the project enhances the visitor experience  should be determined by whether it will reduce traffic, have sufficient parking, or provide micro transit.

If youve got the zoning, cities and counties cant turn you down, Daly said. TRPA can say, hey, we have to meet all of these criteria. Your project doesnt fit right.

Wheel-spinning endeavor

Residents who attended the committees final meeting of the interim, and some who sat through all six, contend Dalys priorities, as well as those of the committee, are out of whack.

Six meetings and eight months into this wheel-spinning endeavor to support this committees active oversight of TRPAs badly-listing ship, we are more convinced than ever that Tahoes tipping point into environmental and economic collapse is here, said Dana Tibbets of the East Shore Alliance.

Incline Village resident Pamela Tsigdinos said all that residents have seen and heard from lawmakers is example after example of this committee disregarding the publics fundamental concerns. She, like other residents, says the well-being of those who live in the basin should take priority over the visitor experience.

Daly disagrees. He asserts visitors have as much right as the people that live there to enjoy the lake, but we dont want to just trample over the residents,

In written public comment, Helen Neff of Lake Tahoe suggested revisions to Dalys proposed missive to the TRPA.

While the visitor experience is vital to the local economy, it should not come at the expense of residents well-being. Enhancing the visitor experience is a by-product of a well-cared for local population and environment, not the other way around, Neff wrote, adding the letter should reaffirm the reason TRPA was formed, specifically, the preservation, protection, and restoration of the Lake.

To achieve that goal, Neff suggests TRPA balance the needs of residents with economic considerations, including regional transportation, workforce housing, smart development, and comprehensive wildfire evacuation plans.

Bill drafts on tap

The committee voted to endorse a number of bill drafts, including one that would allow the Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) to issue parking tickets to illegally parked vehicles. Another would allow the TTD and local jurisdictions to charge for parking at certain paved lots.

One bill draft submitted by the TRPA seeks to impose a $4.25 fee a night on transient lodging.

Tahoe resident Niobe Burden says rather than charging overnight guests, who are already paying tourism-related fees, officials should be encouraging longer stays, where visitors learn to love and want to protect the lake. Instead, she suggests imposing a fee on day visitors entering the basin, who are the primary cause of many of the traffic and pollution issues that we are trying to mitigate.

Burden also encouraged the committee to ensure the TRPA provides a progress report by years end on its environmental thresholds. She noted the newsworthy interim reports of invasive species, algae blooms and microplastics certainly are not an indication that these thresholds are trending in a positive direction.

Nevada state lawmakers are recommending several pieces of legislation dealing with Lake Tahoe, including bills that would:

Prohibit the operation of any watercraft at a speed in excess of five nautical miles per hour within 600 feet of the water line

Allow cities and counties to form Business Improvement Districts (BID) to provide funding for transportation, housing, and mitigation of visitor activities

Allow local jurisdictions within the basin to charge an impact fee to developers of housing units greater than 1,000 square feet, with fees used to pay for utility hookup, impact and/or mitigation fees for deed restricted affordable, moderate,or achievable units that are less than 1,000 square feet

Allow the Tahoe Transportation District and its contractors, to issue parking tickets to illegally parked vehicles within certain safety zones (requires California to support change to bi-state compact)

Allow the transportation district to charge a fee for public parking at certain paved areas along State Route 28

Impose a public transit surcharge of $4.25 per night for vacation rentals

Authorize the release of $19 million in general obligation bonds to implement Nevadas portion of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Program

Provide that landowners dont need a logging permit for cutting operations unless the effort qualifies as a logging operation
The News

A bipartisan group of US House lawmakers are raising concerns about what they say is evidence of US biopharmaceutical companies conducting clinical trials in partnership with Chinese hospitals located in Xinjiang, where the US has accused Beijing of committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims.

The lawmakers warned the Food and Drug Administration in a letter that US companies could be unintentionally profiting from the data derived from clinical trials during which the CCP forced victim patients to participate, referring to the Chinese Communist Party.

The group, led by House China select committee leaders Reps. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., asked the FDA to investigate.

Know More

Their Monday letter also stated that the investigation of publicly available data suggests US biopharmaceutical companies have conducted hundreds of clinical trials over the past decade with hospitals in China associated with the Chinese military, the Peoples Liberation Army.

These collaborative research activities raise serious concerns that critical Intellectual Property (IP) is at risk of being transferred to the PLA or being co-opted under the Peoples Republic of Chinas (PRC) National Security Law, the letter said. Conversely, there are also concerns with the trustworthiness of clinical trial data produced overseas from PLA institutions.

Reps. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., and Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., also signed onto the letter to the FDA.

An FDA spokesperson said the agency received the letter and would respond directly to the lawmakers, but didnt comment on the claims.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, dismissed the concerns about risks to intellectual property and said the accusation of so-called genocide in Xinjiang is sheer falsehood when reached for comment about the letter.

China-US cooperation in health care, like in many other fields, is mutually beneficial in essence. Politicizing and instrumentalizing normal cooperation between the two sides is not in the interest of no one, including the US side, he told Semafor.
LAWTON, Okla. (KFOR)  According to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, a Lawton man has been arrested in connection to a lewd acts investigation.

On August 9, 2024, the OSBIs Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit received information from the Alleghany County Sheriffs Office in Virginia about a possible lewd acts case.

LOCAL NEWS: Woman rescued, alleged trafficker arrested at OKC motel

James Janis.

Officials say the suspect was identified as 57-year-old James Janis from Lawton. He allegedly had been messaging someone who he believed was a minor from Virginia. OSBI special agents learned during the investigation that Janis had been having inappropriate conversations with the child and talked about trying to message other minors.

On August 15, the OSBI ICAC Unit, Comanche County Sheriffs Office and Alleghany County Sheriffs Office searched Janis home. Agents also interviewed Janis and he admitted to the inappropriate messages.

The OSBI says Janis was arrested and booked into the Comanche County Jail on charges of Lewd or Indecent Proposals or Acts to a Child. The investigation is ongoing.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Lawyer banned for five years for sexting and inappropriate touching

The solicitor watchdog concluded that Mr Sugimoto acted without integrity and brought the legal profession into disrepute

A lawyer who sexted and inappropriately touched a female colleague has been barred from the profession for five years.

Takeshige Sugimoto, previously a partner at law firm Bird & Birds Brussels office, admitted to abusing his position after seeking a romantic and sexual relationship with an inexperienced and junior employee.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) this week concluded that Mr Sugimoto acted without integrity and his misconduct brought the legal profession into disrepute.

The regulator said: [Mr Sugimoto] was in a position of authority and influence and used the imbalance of power created by his seniority to take advantage of a junior female consultant.

The admission was part of an agreed outcome between Mr Sugimoto and the solicitor watchdog, which spent four years investigating the case.

Mr Sugimoto, then a team leader at Bird & Bird, directly managed the junior female consultant, referred to as Person B.

According to legal documents published on Tuesday, Person B claimed Mr Sugimoto invited her to dinner on her first day at Bird & Bird, which he stated was a tradition for newcomers.

During the dinner he asked whether she had a boyfriend and said she was different from the other girls in his team.

Over the following months, Mr Sugimoto asked Person B about the kind of men she liked and whether she was meeting up with male friends.

Person B, who moved to Belgium to work at the firm, claimed he would later ask for meetings at work multiple times a day only to discuss personal matters.

Mr Sugimoto also sent inappropriate and sexualised messages to her and repeatedly declared his intense feelings to her.

The lawyer sent 989 messages to Person B, of which 751 were sent out of hours and sometimes at weekends. On one occasion he sent her 91 messages in a single day.

The messages were mostly not related to work but were highly personal, including declaring his love for Person B and asking to see her out of work hours.

These included messages where Mr Sugimoto offered to take Person B for a weekend away in Paris and Milan, and offered to help her move into her new home.

In other messages, he told Person B that spending time with her is the happiest moment of his life and is a stronger pleasure [for him] than having sex with anyone.

She claimed that the partner persistently requested to meet her socially and waited outside the office to walk with her and outside her apartment in an attempt to see her.

This included requests to spend a Saturday watching her favourite DVD at home together and to take her shopping.

The 43-year-old was also accused of touching Person B inappropriately by taking her hand and trying to hug her on more than one occasion.

Internal investigation

Mr Sugimoto was expelled from Bird & Bird in July 2019 following an internal investigation and disciplinary hearing relating to the conduct. The Brussels Bar Association chose against further action after reviewing the material.

Person B said that she did not complain about Mr Sugimotos behaviour at the time because she was dealing with extreme anxiety, feelings of disgust and blame towards myself.

The SRA noted that Person B attempted to be polite and replied to Mr Sugimotos messages, but did not give any indication that she wanted a relationship with him.

It also found Person B was vulnerable because she recently moved to Brussels and had no family or friends nearby.

Mr Sugimoto claimed that he was unaware that physical contact made Person B uncomfortable and was under the impression she consented to an intimate relationship.

He accepted becoming fixated and attempted a consensual relationship with Person B while suffering significant depression following the death of his father in January 2019 and separation from his family.

Mr Sugimotos lawyer said: He now acknowledges this attempt was not appropriate, given the power imbalance between them.

The SRA concluded that the five-year ban adequately protects the public interest because Mr Sugimoto has not worked for a regulated law firm since 2019.

He now lives in Japan and is employed by his own law firm, S&K Brussels, which is not regulated by the SRA.

Mr Sugimoto has agreed to pay 36,000 towards the regulators costs.

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Bauxite dust obscures the view from Charlie Casto's home in Pelican Crossing.

Bauxite dust obscures the view from Charlie Casto's home in Pelican Crossing on May 30, 2024. (Courtesy of Charlie Casto)

GONZALES  The last Saturday in April started like many others for Ashanti White at her home in Pelican Point subdivision  warm and sunny.

Then the sky turned red.

I was shocked the dust was so thick and coming so far, White said. We normally go to Rouses on Saturday mornings. But when that happened, we had to stay inside the whole day.

Residents in this corner of Ascension Parish have grown used to the red dust storms, but this one was the worst in Whites memory. The particles flew heavily for four to five hours that day, she said.

Other residents interviewed described the scene as apocalyptic and like on Mars. On windy days like these, students at nearby Sorrento Primary School sometimes have to stay inside because the dust is so thick.

The red dust is a substance called bauxite, which in particulate form is dangerous. Medical experts say it can get deep into the lungs, slip into the bloodstream and affect both the lungs and heart.

The bauxite in question comes from LAlumina, a shuttered plant adjacent to Pelican Point that processes bauxite ores to produce alumina, a precursor to aluminum. The facility, which closed in 2020 due to low alumina prices, dumped its waste products into five large ponds across 500 acres on the facility. If sprinklers on the site fail to keep the dust down, it easily becomes airborne on windy days.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and Ascension Parish have agreed to share responsibility of the cleanup, with LAlumina ostensibly covering the cost. LDEQ Secretary Aurelia Skipwith Giacometto and Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment signed a memorandum of understanding Monday to that effect.

Giacometto said it will cost between $13 million to $18 million to permanently remedy the situation. LDEQ and Ascension Parish will tap into the $5 million balance of a trust fund LAlumina was required to set up when it took over operations at the site.

As for the remaining $8 million to $13 million, Giacometto said the company is responsible for the cleanup measures and that plans are in progress when asked whether LAlumina was involved in the agreement between LDEQ and Ascension Parish.

Neighbors have expressed some optimism officials can find a solution to the problem. But for now, their best defense against the bauxite is to avoid exposure.

Staying indoors isnt always enough, however. Whites two sons, ages 10 and 6, started the school year at Sorrento Primary, just down the road from the LAlumina facility, on Aug. 8. Her boys each missed 20 days of school last year due to their respiratory issues, she said.

Its not normal for them to be unwell, White said. I dont know what it is thats causing my kids to get sick, but its becoming very costly for me to keep having to pay a copay and take off of work just to get a doctors note for them to be excused for the respiratory issues that they are facing.

White said she is considering moving because of the health risk.

I just dont want to chance it with the dust at all, she said. Its nothing here worth me gambling with my kids health or my health.

Amber Taylors childrens eyes become red and swollen after being exposed to bauxite dust. The family lives near the LAlumina plant in Sorrento. (Image courtesy of Amber Taylor)

Its like clockwork

Public health experts agree that chronic exposure to particulate matter is more likely to affect people with heart or lung diseases, children and older adults by exacerbating allergies and respiratory issues.

LSU environmental science professor Slawo Lomnicki compares bauxite to asbestos, noting the small size of both substances  and not their chemical makeup  causes lung damage. Lomnicki leads the LSU Superfund Research Program, which studies air pollution and contaminants called environmentally persistent free radicals. He also serves as a scientific adviser to the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, a nonprofit that attempts to address health, safety and quality of life concerns.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concurs with medical findings that indicate particulate matter from substances such as bauxite poses health risks. Issues include increased incidents of respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing, difficulty breathing, decreased lung function, aggravated asthma, irregular heartbeat and nonfatal heart attacks, according to EPAs website.

Residents from Pelican Point and Pelican Crossing, another subdivision near the LAlumina site, confirmed many of these health issues in their households.

Amber Taylors family has lived in Pelican Point since 2022, and she has seen a correlation between her 8-year-old son Kashs medical issues and windy weather conditions. During the April dust storm, his nose bled for over an hour, she said.

It wasnt the first time hed experienced symptoms, according to his mother.

Ever since we moved here two years ago, were always sick, Taylor said. Each time I get a wind advisory, Kash flares up. Its like clockwork.

Taylor said when her children spend time outside, they often experience nosebleeds, rashes, itchiness and swollen eyes. Even when Kash wasnt outside, he would still have a reaction.

His eyes swelled up in the house, Taylor said. He wasnt even playing outside. We left the house twice in one day to get in and out of the vehicle, and his eyes looked bloodshot.

Vesia Hawkins shows the red dust caked on her dogs paws that is tracked into her home in Pelican Crossing. (Photo courtesy Vesia Hawkins)

Keeping the dust down

Of the five ponds on LAluminas property, three have substantial water to keep the dust wet. Two others are essentially large mounds of red dirt where most of the dust originates.

Levees that reach 32-feet high fence in the red mud lakes so the 500-acre site isnt visible from the road.

Several large neighborhoods with more than 1,000 homes  mostly young families with children who attend Sorrento Primary School  surround the subdivision.

Pelican Crossing subdivision backs right up to the mud lakes, while Pelican Point subdivision is across Highway 44, just half a mile from the ponds.

According to an April 2022 LDEQ incident report, a Sorrento Primary teacher claimed that the red dust was so thick that we couldnt even see the trees in the open field behind us. Students complained of coughing and burning eyes, so they were rushed inside.

Last school year, Sorrento Primary experienced two days where the red dust was so bad that the students were kept inside, according to LDEQ reports.

These measures were implemented out of an abundance of caution to ensure the health and safety of everyone on our campus, Ascension Parish School Board spokeswoman Jackie Tisdell said in an email.

In addition to impacting their health, the dust is a constant nuisance for residents, often staining their cars, houses and pets red.

Pelican Crossing resident Charlie Casto has lived in the neighborhood for 10 years and said the dust has never been this bad.

You work hard for the things you spend your money on, and its essentially ruined, Casto said. If its bad, we dont allow our kids outside to play, or when we have guests over we cant even go outside because the dust is so bad.

The dust is more than just a light coating on furniture; residents often have to pressure wash their homes and driveways each time the bauxite reaches their homes.

We keep a bucket of water at the back door because our feet are stained red, Casto said. If youre outside and you sit in a chair because you think its clean, you get up and next thing you know, your clothes are red. Even if you wipe it or rinse it off, it still gets tracked inside.

Pelican Crossing, Pelican Point and Sorrento Primary School surround the 500-acre LAlumina facility, where large mounds of bauxite dust have remained uncovered and largely untended since the facility closed in 2020. (Google Earth image, graphics by Annalise Vidrine)

Residential developments in the area are relatively new compared with the alumina plant.

The facility was built in the late 1950s by Ormet Corp., which operated an aluminum manufacturing facility in Ohio thats now on the EPAs Superfund site list for abandoned hazardous materials.

The plant has changed hands multiple times, most recently in 2019 when LAIumina purchased it.

LAlumina is a subsidiary of Arthur Metals, a company alumina traders Matt Lucke and Zach Mayer founded. Neither Lucke nor Mayer could be reached for comment.

The plant was shut down for good in 2020, despite LAlumina receiving a $7.5 million Paycheck Protection Program loan during the COVID-19 pandemic that was later forgiven.

LAlumina also settled two different lawsuits with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality in 2020 and 2021 for previous environmental violations from 2016 to 2019, paying a total of $250,000 in fines to the state.

Before it closed, the facilitys solid waste permit from LDEQ required LAlumina to maintain sprinklers on its bauxite ponds to keep the dust wet. The sprinklers have not always been effective, however. LDEQ first noted that LAlumina had several broken sprinklers in July 2021, and a compliance order to fix the sprinklers was issued the following year only after residents complained about the dust, according to a WBRZ-TV report.

Large facilities that require LDEQ permits to operate are required to have a closure plan and a financial assurance trust fund to pay for any needed remediation work should the business shut down. LDEQ approved LAluminas use of nearly $600,000 from the trust fund to fix the sprinklers, despite not being part of the closure plan.

The LDEQ compliance order issued in June 2022 outlined the plan for new sprinklers to be installed by Nov. 30, 2022. Despite this, LDEQs correspondence with LAlumina found on the departments records database shows that installation of the new sprinklers did not begin until March 2023. During construction, pipes in the sprinkler system were found to be corroded and needed replacement, according to LALumina Plant Manager Aaron Templet. But that would be expensive, and the sprinkler system is not a long-term solution, Templet said in an email.

The closure plan outlines how the red mud ponds, upon closure of the facility, would be capped with dirt and grass would be planted over it. According to the plan, this process would take more than a year to complete with a one-time cost of nearly $1 million. Over a monitoring period of 30 years, the total cost was projected to be $6.6 million  far less than the price tag Giacometto provided Monday.

Ascension Parish President Clint Ointment answers a question at an Aug. 19, 2024, press conference at the Galvez Building in Baton Rouge. Behind him, drone video footage shows the bauxite piles at the LAlumina plant in Sorrento. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illumiminator)

Not a simple, quick-fix problem

Skepticism is warranted regarding whether LAlumina has the financial wherewithal to cover the cost of permanently sealing the bauxite ponds.

The facilitys trust remained underfunded for years until October 2020 when LAlumina increased it to $6.3 million, according to LDEQ records. Last month, the department informed LALumina it violated its solid waste permit by underfunding the trust and not providing closure plan cost estimates for 2023 and 2024.

Despite operations shutting down in August 2020, the closure trust fund was accessed until July 2022, nearly a year and a half after the money was originally provided and several years after neighbors filed more than two dozen complaints about the bauxite dust.

This has been a problem that has existed for decades, Cointment said Monday. It is not a simple, quick-fix problem. This is going to be a long-term fix and solution to the red dust issue.

Ascension Parish has been hauling dirt to the site over the past few months and at a cost of $220,000 as of June.

Residents like Casto, in her red-dust-covered home in Pelican Crossing, are finally feeling optimistic about the future of the bauxite ponds.

This is the most effort weve seen since this problem started so Im cautiously hopeful for now, Casto said.

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Teako Minerals has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a 90% stake in the Lkken copper-zinc-cobalt (Cu-Zn-Co) project in Trndelag, Norway, from Capella Minerals.

The Lkken project will be integrated with Teako's adjacent Lomunda claims, and together with the Venna projects, they will be collectively known as the Lkken & Venna Projects.

This consolidation represents a significant step forward for Teako, providing access to advanced drill targets, including the drill-ready Amot target, planned for winter 2024/2025.

Teako is obligated to issue 2.5 million common shares to Capella by 30 August 2024 and pay C$350,000 in cash.

Teako will also carry out a drill programme on the Amot target within 12 months, subject to permitting, and develop two more drill-ready targets within 24 months.

It will bear all exploration costs before deciding whether to start production.

Should Teako opt for commercial production while Capella retains its 10% interest, a joint venture agreement will be established, detailing each party's rights and obligations.

If Teako makes a final investment decision for production, accrued costs for Capella will be recovered by netting out 25% of Capella's joint venture distributions until fully paid.

Should the mine close before Capella's costs are fully paid, the remaining balance will be forgiven.

The agreement also includes co-sale rights, allowing or obligating Capella to sell its 10% interest if Teako decides to sell its stake.

Teako must offer Capella the opportunity to purchase its interest on identical terms before any sale.

The Lkken Project is subject to a 2.5% net smelter return royalty to Eurasian Minerals Sweden AB, with a buyback option of 0.5% of the royalty for $1m.

Teako will assume the annual advanced royalty payments, starting at $40,000 and increasing annually to a maximum of $75,000.

To finance the acquisition and drilling operations, Teako is conducting a private placement of up to 11.1 million common shares at C$0.09 each, aiming to raise up to C$1m.

This offering, along with the agreement's approval, is pending acceptance by the Canadian Securities Exchange.

In 2023, Teako struck a deal to acquire a stake in Capellas Vaddas and Birtavarre projects in northern Norway.

"Teako to acquire 90% stake in Capellas Lkken project in Norway" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Jonathan L. Clayton, interim city clerk in Peabody and former director of economic recovery for the Kansas Department of Commerce, went missing Aug. 3 amid investigations into his handling of COVID-19 federal funds.

The Kansas Department of Commerce hired a man convicted of multiple financial felony crimes to oversee millions in federal pandemic aid. He then worked as an interim city clerk in a small Kansas town.

Now hes missing.

Jonathan L. Clayton was last seen Aug. 3. The 42-year-old had been working for Peabody, population 937, first as dogcatcher and more recently as interim city clerk after serving as the director of economic recovery for the Kansas Department of Commerce. He disappeared more than two weeks ago as his criminal history was becoming more widely known locally and his handling of American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funds came under increased scrutiny.

Since he disappeared, his work for various Kansas government agencies and nonprofit organizations  including the Kansas Department of Commerce, the city of Peabody, a downtown Peabody association and an obscure cemetery district in Mullinville  has been examined internally and has drawn the attention of law enforcement. He also sent out a cryptic email accusing Kansas officials of wrongdoing and hinting that he is dead.

Claytons husband, Christopher King, said in an interview on Monday that Clayton is under investigation for his handling of money for the state of Kansas and while serving multiple board positions in his hometown of Mullinville, a small town west of Greensburg. The Kansas Department of Commerce said its assisting state and federal law enforcement.

Clayton previously pleaded guilty to theft and forgery in Pennsylvania stemming from his misuse of an employers credit cards to bolster his and his partners fledgling theater company. He was sentenced in 2018 to five years probation and was ordered to pay $210,000 in restitution.

Less than a week after he was reported missing, Clayton claimed in an email purporting to be from him that his disappearance was related to his role in a scheme to steer pandemic aid toward pre-selected awardees at the direction of Lt. Gov. David Toland, a Democrat who is also the Kansas secretary of commerce.

Clayton alleged that Toland ordered him to be on the board of directors for the Iola Theatre Association, which Toland also served on until last year, and to fundraise for the restoration of the historic theater in Tolands hometown during work hours at the Commerce Department. Records show that Clayton and Toland did serve together on the board.

Asked about Claytons allegations against Toland and other Commerce officials, a Department of Commerce spokesman did not directly answer the question and said in a statement that the agency has been made aware of allegations of misconduct against a former employee in connection to activity that occurred after they left state employment.

We are reviewing the matter to determine what, if any, impact the alleged activity may have to the agency or community partners, Commerce spokesman Patrick Lowry said.

He added that due to the ongoing investigation, we will have no further comments at this time.

Working hard to find him

Claytons email came amid the growing focus on his past and new allegations of misconduct related to his time in Peabody and Mullinville.

The only thing I have to say is that were continuously, every single day, working hard to find him, said King, who sits on the Peabody City Council. And there are lots of things that will come out later that Im not at liberty to speak about because it involves the investigation.

Clayton, as director of economic recovery for the Kansas Department of Commerce, oversaw programs involving millions in American Rescue Plan Act funds. He was hired as a regional project manager on Feb. 23, 2020, and was promoted Aug. 22, 2021.

The Kansas Department of Commerce said the agency didnt know about his felony record when it hired him.

Its appalling, said Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat. I dont understand why the Department of Commerce would hire someone with a felony record  and place him into a position of responsibility, responsible for millions of dollars.

One such pandemic payment from the state of Kansas went to Peabody, a small town north of Wichita in Marion County. Clayton, as director of economic recovery, helped the Peabody Main Street Association to apply for a $1.5 million BASE grant to revitalize its downtown. Clayton later became the grant administrator for the Peabody Main Street Association, where he was in charge of financial documentation and other paperwork.

Commerce demanded Aug. 6 that $740,000 be returned after the group failed to provide the outstanding financial and narrative project reports. Commerce says that since then it has offered the association an extension.

The Kansas Department of Commerce said Clayton had no involvement in awarding the grant while at Commerce.

Clayton said in his email that he was asked to resign by Commerce in October 2023. After that, he and King moved to Peabody and opened a craft and antique store  CK Vintage  downtown, and he handled paperwork for the Peabody Main Street Association.

He was last heard from on the afternoon of Saturday, Aug. 3. After Clayton missed two meetings set for 2 p.m., King said, he began looking for him.

Clayton disappeared the same day that he and King were served in a debt collection lawsuit, according to court documents. Newton Medical Center is suing the couple, seeking $335.95 plus interest, one of what King described in an interview as several surprise unpaid bills that have surfaced since Claytons disappearance.

On Aug. 8, an email account purporting to belong to Clayton sent a message to numerous state and local officials and journalists outlining allegations against Commerce and Toland. The email said this message is only being provided after my death, I pray that those named below may be reviewed for any participation in my untimely demise.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation confirmed Monday night that the agency is involved in the investigation.

The KBI has joined the investigation in Peabody involving the disappearance of the city clerk and the management of public funds, Melissa Underwood, KBI communications director, said in a statement. The investigation is ongoing.

Claytons sister, Jessica Favela, said that her brother had scheduled the message to go out Thursdays at 9 a.m. unless he turned it off each week. In an interview, Favela didnt want to discuss the specifics of Claytons case but described him as someone unlikely to run.

You would be hard-pressed to find a person who met him who didnt like him. Hes really charismatic and friendly and just extremely smart, Favela said. And everybody who comes across his path generally likes him as a whole.

King would not say whether Clayton shared with him the concerns about Toland and the Department of Commerce that were outlined in the mysterious email.

I have to understand, once hes caught, what kind of mental state that hes in, King said. I would not say anything at this point negative about David Toland.

He worked out of town when he worked for the Commerce Department, King said. So I never even saw his workplace. I only know information that hes relayed to me, and, at this point, its just all hearsay.

King said he doesnt know everything that Clayton could have been involved in recently or while at the Commerce Department.

So far as from what we can see, theres been audits and everything else, it doesnt appear that hes done anything illegal here in Peabody, King said. And so this (criminal investigation) is pertaining to when he was at the Commerce Department, shortly thereafter, and when he was handling the books, I guess, for the Mullinville groups that he was handling it for.

Theater fraud

Claytons financial felonies stem from his time as an administrative assistant at vRide, a ridesharing platform in Philadelphia, and as president of a theater company called Brainspunk.

Clayton and King operated Brainspunk first in New York and later reopened in Philadelphia. The IRS granted Brainspunk nonprofit status in 2013, but the organization didnt file any Form 990 records accounting for its receipts or expenses. Its nonprofit status was revoked May 15, 2017, for failing to file three years in a row, IRS records show.

An affidavit of probable cause filed in Claytons criminal case implicates both Clayton, president of Brainspunk, and King, director of the theater, in a fraudulent scheme to steal more than $200,000 from vRide to fund the Brainspunk Theatre. Clayton was executive assistant to vRides CEO.

King was later arrested and released and all charges against him were dropped, he said in an interview. He said that Clayton acted alone and that he had absolutely no idea that Clayton was using vRide credit cards to fund the theater.

He was very competent and very easy to put your trust in, King said. And a lot of people are dealing with this right now because they trusted him. And when he initially did this, we thought it was just a one-time thing. We got him some help, and, you know, he seemed to be on the right track until all of this kind of exploded the last couple of weeks.

Josh Hitchens, an actor, director and playwright in Philadelphia, expressed shock at Claytons disappearance in an interview. He directed Brainspunks last production in 2015, and said the company appeared to struggle financially.

Brainspunk wasnt a major player in the citys theater scene, he said, but got great press and attracted enthusiastic audiences even though its theater  which the company rented  was located in a neighborhood known for crime.

Hitchens said he hadnt heard of Claytons criminal record before a reporter called him on Monday. He said he lost touch with the couple after Brainspunk closed.

I really enjoyed both of them as people, as artistic collaborators, Hitchens said. They were both extremely kind and really believed in the theater community of Philadelphia and giving younger actors and directors and technical staff a chance and a place to start.

An affidavit filed in support of the criminal case alleged most of the unauthorized charges involved theater tickets and hotel rooms. Purchases were made with the forged signature of vRides CEO.

vRide fired Clayton after the companys general counsel discovered he had altered the CEOs expense reports to cover up the purchases, the affidavit says.

Clayton was charged with 26 felonies, including criminal conspiracy, forgery, theft by deception and identity theft. He was also charged with one misdemeanor count of tampering with records. He eventually pleaded guilty to felony theft, forgery and criminal conspiracy to unlawfully take movable property, and the other charges were dropped.

Clayton was sentenced to 200 hours community service, five years of probation and $210,638 in restitution.

The couple left Pennsylvania for Kansas, and Clayton finished his work on an online masters degree from Fort Hays State University in 2019.

Peabody dogcatcher to interim clerk

Claytons disappearance came three and a half weeks after the Peabody Gazette-Bulletin, a sister paper of the Marion County Record, first reported on his Pennsylvania felony convictions.

Clayton, after leaving the Kansas Department of Commerce, was hired by the Peabody police chief as the citys animal control and health and safety officer at some point. Peabody Mayor Cathy Weems said she does not know exactly when he started working for the city. She later appointed King to fill a vacancy on the City Council and on June 3 promoted Clayton to interim city clerk.

Weems said neither she nor anyone at the city of Peabody ran a background check on Clayton or King and that Peabody did not learn of Claytons felonies or Kings arrest until after she had appointed them. Clayton called her the night after he was appointed clerk to tell her, she said.

He was honest and upfront about it, Weems said of Clayton. So we just put measures into place to make sure that I was monitoring his activities here. And I havent had a problem with him from our perspective. I mean, he didnt steal from us or anything like that. Theres no money missing from the city.

Weems said Clayton did have access to a city credit card, but that no improper purchases have been found. She said she doesnt think the crimes Clayton pleaded guilty to should disqualify him from working for the city.

Im of the perspective that, you know, people deserve an opportunity to show that they can do better and get past some things in life that maybe that they screwed up in before, Weems said. But you just dont take it for granted. You monitor, and we did, and the city is not at risk.

Still, Commerces decision to seek repayment of the grant funding is a potential blow to the city. Rep. Stephen Owens, a Hesston Republican whose district includes Peabody, said the grant was being directed toward revitalizing old buildings on Main Street.

Thats a tremendous amount of economic development, most likely with local contractors doing local work, Owens said.

Lowry, the agency spokesman, said that since seeking the repayment, Commerce has given the Peabody Main Street Association until Sept. 4 to file reports and that Commerce staff have been working directly with the group, providing technical assistance.

Were all struggling

While the fate of Peabodys downtown revitalization remains in jeopardy, King said he hopes Clayton comes home, gets help and is held responsible for his actions. King said Clayton gave no indication that trouble might be coming or that he was about to disappear.

I wasnt even suspicious until the day he went missing, King said.

King said Claytons sudden disappearance has left him in financial ruin.

My life is collapsing around me because theres a lot of financial issues that he left behind and things I wasnt aware of, and so Im doing my best, King said. He left everyone in shambles, including the Main Street board, the city office, and myself. Were all struggling right now.

Our main concern right now is finding him, and if he has committed crimes, making sure that hes brought to justice, King said. As much as we care about him and as much as we love him, we want to see him get some mental health help as well.
LINCOLN COUNTY, S.D. (KELO)  Harrisburg, S.D. Mayor Derick Wencks stance on a proposed mens prison near the community he leads is clear. At the same time, hes looking at what happens if the facility is built between Harrisburg and Canton.

The city, we dont want the prison out there, Wenck said. Like, we dont want it. But if it is going to get built out there, what does Harrisburg want to get out of it?

The South Dakota Department of Corrections is proposing to tie the proposed prisons wastewater into the city of Harrisburgs sewer system. If the Harrisburg City Council approves the resolution set to go before the council Tuesday night, the city would receive just under $7.2 million. This, Wenck explains, would repay loans and result in cheaper utility payments for people who call Harrisburg home.

You get handed a batch of lemons, are you going to try to find a way to make lemonade or to make use out of the lemons? Wenck said.

KDLO tower reaches 1,500 feet; fall completion likely

Sam Eiesland owns land in the area, farms right next to the proposed prison site and is a board member of the group NOPE, which stands for neighbors opposing prison expansion. He is also a plaintiff in an ongoing lawsuit against the Department of Corrections, DOC Secretary Kellie Wasko and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noems office. Rather than lemons, he compares the sewer proposal to something else.

Its dangling a carrot, essentially, in front of Harrisburg, is what it is, Eiesland said.

He hopes to see the sewer resolution fail Tuesday night. But beyond that, he wants to see people involved in this conversation.

The people of Harrisburg and Lincoln County residents need to come to that meeting and voice their opinion and because right now you have four people up there that are going to make the decision for you, Eiesland said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
Letters to the Editor: The DNC protests show the folly of our two-party system

Pro-Palestinian protesters gather at Union Park in Chicago on the first day of the Democratic National Convention on Monday. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

To the editor: The march on the Democratic National Convention in Chicago unintentionally highlights the need to move beyond a polarizing two-party system. This might be achieved through reforming our voting system, and seems it would be a central issue to social justice activists.

I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering if withholding support for the Democratic nominee, as some pro-Palestine supporters promise, is really something that would help Palestinians or any other marginalized people.

Therein lies the folly of our two-party system.

A fundamental issue for activists today is to transform the way we elect our officials to move beyond our "first past the post" system. In an Al Jazeera opinion piece last January, journalist Christian Rhodes noted that for the first half of the 20th century, many cities used a single transferable voting system, but this was discontinued "largely because of hostility to racial and ethnic minorities benefitting from the system."

Voter reform is a powerful way to think globally and act locally.

Heres to freedom and peace for Palestinians  and all whose freedom is withered by our country's two-party system.

Deborah Perticara, La Grange Park, Ill.

..

To the editor: Where were all these pro-Palestinian protesters during the Republican National Convention last month?

Trump and the Republicans have been full-throated supporters of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for years. It was two Republican speakers of the House, Reps. John Boehner (Ohio) and Mike Johnson (Louisiana), who invited Netanyahu to speak before Congress.

Netanyahu and his minions deserve to be denounced in the most emphatic terms.

So why are the organizers only protesting at the DNC? Are Democrats an easier target than the Republicans? Or is there something to this of which we are not aware?

Martin Parker, Thousand Oaks

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Letters to the Editor: Richard Alatorre never lost his 'visceral compassion for barrio folks'

Then-L.A. City Councilmember Richard Alatorre reflects on his career during a news conference announcing his retirement in 1999. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

To the editor: I worked with and studied Richard Alatorre. Like all of us, he was a flawed human being, and he wrote as much in his 2016 autobiography. ("Richard Alatorre, pioneering Eastside politician, dies at 81," obituary, Aug. 13)

Though not the brightest or most articulate bulb in California politics, Alatorre was unquestionably among the most effective. He was a master at making things happen. He was a man of consequence who made life better in California  one need only ask Willie Brown or, if he were alive, Richard Riordan.

Alatorre was a hard baller, no doubt. But his modus operandi was rooted in a visceral compassion for barrio folks like me.

Like Alatorre, I grew up in East Los Angeles and graduated from Garfield High School, notorious during the 1960s for its high dropout rate. He functioned as a major game changer behind the scenes, in ways supportive of a rising Chicano movement.

When I first met him as a USC political science student in the early 1970s, Alatorre rattled me with his candid sense of political reality. Today, I often share a lot of "Alatorreisms" with those who knew him best.

We last talked at his home about two years ago. The fire was gone, but left in his belly were reflection and kindness. He was more like an elder statesman.

I am thankful to have known Alatorre, who overcame personal complications wrought by barrio life and blessed California with his many accomplishments.

Ralph C. Carmona, Portland, Maine

The writer is a former member of the UC Board of Regents.

..

To the editor: I was pleasantly surprised to see an article in The Times on Alatorre immediately after his passing. Imagine my dismay and disappointment on reading what was more of a hit piece on a Chicano icon who can no longer defend himself.

Alatorre was always there for those of us who participated in the school walkouts, the Chicano Moratorium and countless other battles during the Chicano movement. He put himself on the line for us.

He brought pride to our community by becoming Los Angeles' first Latino City Council member of the 20th century. His doors were always open to anyone who needed his help.

Thank you for all you did, Richard.

Martha Pulido, Eagle Rock

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Superintendent Demetrius Liggins included this rendering in his presentation to a legislative committee in Frankfort, Aug. 20, 2024.

Republican state lawmakers grilled the Fayette County Public Schools superintendent Tuesday over the design of restrooms in a new middle school, suggesting the district is trying to circumvent the anti-transgender law enacted by the GOP-controlled legislature last year.

However, Superintendent Demetrus Liggins told the Interim Joint Committee on Education that restrooms in the new Mary E. Britton Middle School were designed to increase student safety by preventing bullying and other bad behavior in restrooms  a problem that data shows has increased statewide. Liggins said the design decisions had nothing to do with the controversial Senate Bill 150, which also limited medical care for transgender minors.

This has nothing to do with Senate Bill 150, but we can see from the data that when students are supervised, behavior incidents go down, Liggins said in response to a question from Rep. Candy Massaroni, R-Bardstown. Thats just common knowledge.

Massaroni had asked if the design was a way just to get around the 2023 legislation that, among other provisions, bans people from using bathrooms, locker rooms or showers that are reserved for students of a different biological sex in schools.

The committees discussion, which lasted nearly an hour, signaled a renewal of Republican lawmakers conversations about preventing transgender students in Kentucky schools from using bathrooms of the gender they identify with.

Rep. Matt Lockett, R-Nicholasville, criticized what he called a gender-neutral restroom design in a presentation to the committee and called it an attempt to bypass requirements of the 2023 law.

The design features private stalls with floor-to-ceiling doors and an open communal sink area that can be observed and supervised from the hallway.

Liggins told lawmakers that the schools principal has decided to segregate boys and girls into separate restroom areas. He said the new configuration will enable adults to better supervise restrooms in general.

The superintendent said the districts advisory council on safety saw a need to address supervision of students in hallways and restrooms. Parents and other stakeholders also had a chance to participate in the design process, he said, without raising concerns about the restrooms design.

Liggins highlighted issues the school district faced from a 2021 TikTok trend inspiring damage and theft, mostly in boys bathrooms. He added that vandalism cost the district more than $42,000 in repairs. More recently, the school district and others across the nation are trying to prevent students from vaping or using electronic cigarettes in restrooms, Liggins added.

According to the Kentucky 2022-23 School Safety Report, schools have seen an increase in behavior events reported in bathrooms, with more than 15,000 that school year. In the 2018-19 school year, 4,980 behavior events in bathrooms were reported.

Henry Clay High School, which is part of Fayette County Public Schools, recently announced it would close restrooms during transitions between classes unless there is a medical need.

Lockett, whose district includes part of southern Fayette County, called on his fellow legislators to back a bill he had drafted that would require all Kentucky public schools with more than 100 students to have at least 90% of their restrooms designated for one gender  allowing the remaining 10% to be all access restrooms. He added that he welcomes input from others on his proposal. The General Assembly can take action on legislation when it reconvenes in January.

We expect our schools to be safe, learning environments, not social experiments, Lockett said. We expect that our students shouldnt be afraid or embarrassed, bullied or harassed in school. And at the end of the day, we want our public schools, including Fayette County, to be the best that they can be.

Lockett referred to renderings of a gender-neutral open-concept restroom in Britton Middle School, which will open on Polo Club Boulevard near Hamburg in 2025.

But Locketts gender-neutral description is incorrect, a school district spokesperson told the Lexington Herald-Leader after the meeting. There are individual stalls in pods with sinks outside and signage will designate if the pod is for girls or boys, FCPS spokesperson Dia Davidson-Smith told the newspaper.

Davidson-Smith also told the Kentucky Lantern that Locketts district does not include the new middle school, so none of his constituents would be impacted by the design and thus were not contacted to give input to the school district.

Eunice Montfort, of Frankfort, addressed the committee as a concerned citizen. She said she has worked as a health care administrator and in the construction industry and did encounter individuals who were transgendered in both careers. She said she opposed co-ed bathrooms and thought they were a terrible idea.

In his remarks to the committee, Lockett presented a hypothetical situation where a sixth-grade girl tells her parents that shes uncomfortable sharing a gender-neutral bathroom with male classmates and faces embarrassment.

She uses the restroom, possibly anyway, and enters a stall that a boy just came out of, Lockett said. There is urine all over the seat and floor of the stall  because we know how middle school boys are  and so this allows her experience to be even worse.

Rep. Tina Bojanowski, D-Louisville, said that as an elementary school teacher, her perspective was completely different than the perspective that Rep. Lockett brings. She said when a fifth-grade class goes to the restroom, a teacher stands in the hall as kids line up to enter when a stall opens, but the students arent supervised in the closed-off restroom.

Bojanowski said she recently passed a class going to the bathroom at her school and a student told the teacher another child had punched them in the restroom, but what can the teacher say? She is not in the room.

As an educator, I would applaud this design, she said. You can have a teacher or an adult standing, watching, sending the kids into the area one at a time to use the restroom in the enclosed stalls, and then they wash their hands and they come out, and you have  eyes on them every minute, except for when they understandably have their own privacy.

A few lawmakers did ask some questions of presenters during the meeting, but Rep. Josie Raymond, D-Louisville, asked committee Chairman Rep. James Tipton, R-Taylorsville, why we needed to cut off questioning and rush the meeting before going to the next item on the agenda.

Because we have two more items on the agenda, plus about 12 or 13 administrative regulations to get through today, Tipton said.

Im happy to stay. Anybody else? Raymond said in reply. Everybody happy to stay a little bit longer?

Tipton said to Raymond he didnt know how long youve been in the General Assembly and added that you should know by now that we have time restraints on how long we can keep the room, referring to the meeting room in the Capitol annex.

Raymond offered that shes been a member of the legislature for six years. She then asked what event would be in the room next and when it started.

Rep. Raymond, Im just following the rules given to us by the LRC (Legislative Research Commission), Tipton said. And youve just caused us a delay.

Raymond previously announced that she is not seeking reelection to the General Assembly to instead run for a seat on Louisville Metro Council.

Editors note: This story was updated with additional comments Wednesday morning.
BROOME COUNTY, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH)  Fire departments in Upstate New York are receiving over $6.4 million of federal funding for all types of emergencies.

The Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced over $6.4 million in funding to 38 upstate fire departments including Lisle and Kirkwood.

The funding will be used to help recruit, hire, and train fire fighters, plus purchase and provide protective gear and supplies.

The funding was made available through FEMAs Assistance to Firefighters Grant and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response programs.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WIVT - News 34.
Lithuania on Aug. 19 began construction of a military base that will house up to 4,000 combat-ready German troops, with completion expected by the end of 2027. This marks the first permanent foreign deployment for the German military since World War II.

Germany made the commitment to station troops in Lithuania, a NATO and European Union member bordering Russia, in 2023. Lithuania shares a 227-kilometer (141 miles) border with Russia.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius likened this decision to the deployment of allied forces in West Germany during the Cold War, aimed at defending Western Europe against a potential Soviet attack.

Lithuanian Chief of Defense Raimundas Vaiksnoras estimated that the country will invest over 1 billion euros ($1.10 billion) in the next three years to develop the military base, marking one of the largest construction projects in Lithuania's history, according to Reuters.

Vaiksnoras described it as "a huge investment" for a nation of 2.9 million people with an economy just one-tenth the size of Germany's. Speaking at the launch ceremony, he said that "the brigade will serve as reassurance for our population and as a deterrent, aimed at pushing the Russians out."

The base in Rudninkai, located near the capital Vilnius and just 20 km (12 miles) from Belarus, will accommodate up to 4,000 troops, with facilities for tank storage and maintenance, as well as shooting ranges of various sizes. Additionally, around 1,000 more German military personnel and civilian contractors will be stationed at other locations in Lithuania.

Lithuania has increased its defense spending to 3% of its gross domestic product this year. To support ongoing defense needs, including the construction of the base, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte's government has raised taxes for the coming years.

Read also: Lithuania preparing evacuation plans in case of war

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
A conference scheduled next month by Huawei Technologies' secretive chip design unit HiSilicon has fanned speculation that a sanctions-busting breakthrough may be announced, triggering a surge in some China-listed tech stocks.

While Huawei has disclosed few details about HiSilicon's Connect Conference, scheduled for September 9-10 in Shenzhen, the event has triggered talk of breakthroughs and the official formation of a Huawei-centred ecosystem from chip design to operating systems.

Shenzhen Huaqiang, a distributor of HiSilicon's products, issued a statement on Monday warning investors that there were still "uncertainties" around HiSilicon's new product launch at the conference, after its stock price surged by the daily limit of 10 per cent on both Thursday and Friday.

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.

In the statement, the company said it would redouble its efforts to promote and expand the market for new HiSilicon products. The stock again reached the daily 10 per cent limit on both Monday and Tuesday.

A Kirin 9000s chip taken from a Huawei Mate 60 Pro smartphone, arranged in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Sept. 3, 2023. Photo: Bloomberg alt=A Kirin 9000s chip taken from a Huawei Mate 60 Pro smartphone, arranged in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Sept. 3, 2023. Photo: Bloomberg>

Huizhong Instrumentation, a maker of ultrasonic flow measuring devices that saw its stock soar 40 per cent over two trading days last week, also issued a statement on Monday, saying the company uses HiSilicon chips in some products but does not purchase directly from Huawei. Its shares fell as much as 19 per cent following the statement.

Huawei did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Tuesday.

HiSilicon's event is expected to offer a glimpse into Huawei's ambitions and progress regarding its chip capabilities, which it has kept under wraps since HiSilicon was added to the US government's trade blacklist in 2019. Washington tightened trade restrictions in August 2020 to prevent HiSilicon-designed chips from being manufactured by major chip foundries such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).

Prior to the sanctions, HiSilicon was on path to develop its own processor chips for smartphones and networking products, which could have rivalled those offered by US chip giants Intel and Qualcomm.

Story continues

HiSilicon accounted for a 16 per cent share of the global application processor market in the second quarter of 2020, according to Counterpoint data, on the back of its shipments of the advanced Kirin chips used in Huawei's smartphones.

That share dropped to zero in 2022, Counterpoint data showed, and it remained an irrelevant player in the market until Huawei launched its 5G-capable Mate 60 series, powered by the HiSilicon Kirin 9000s, last August.

A large screen advertises the new Mate 60 smartphone on a Huawei store in Shanghai, August 31, 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE alt=A large screen advertises the new Mate 60 smartphone on a Huawei store in Shanghai, August 31, 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE>

Huawei has remained tight-lipped over its 5G chip, but the company's distributors last month started giving customers details of the processor used inside Mate 60 series. Since the launch of those smartphones last year, Huawei's progress in semiconductors has been closely watched. The company's more recent Pura 70 series smartphones run on chips made using the same 7-nanometre process as the Mate 60 chip, according to teardown reports.

Despite its ambitions, Huawei has rarely spoken publicly about its efforts to free itself from the shackles of US sanctions, which were imposed by Washington over national security concerns that China's advancement in semiconductors and artificial intelligence would be used to modernise the country's military.

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.
Vice President Kamala Harris held a rousing rally before thousands of supporters Tuesday night in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, while the second day of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago was taking place.

Harris accepted the party's nomination for president in Milwaukee after the roll call vote of delegates in Wisconsin's neighboring state of Illinois at the DNC. It was the Democratic presidential nominee's third visit to the state since she took over the top of the ticket in late July.

Meanwhile, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance traveled to Kenosha for a press conference focused on crime and public safety.

Their appearances continue to show Wisconsin's importance in the November presidential election.

The Journal Sentinel had live coverage from both the Harris/Walz and Vance events on Tuesday. Below are all the highlights from the political events in Wisconsin today:

Watch Kamala Harris rally at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee

Kamala Harris rally-goers watch the DNC featuring Douglas Emhoff and Michelle Obama in the Deer District

Since the screen just outside Fiserv Forum that was supposed to show a stream of the DNC was malfunctioning, rally goers migrated to screens in the nearby Drink Wisconsinbly bar and the screen outside the Mecca Sports Bar and Grill to watch second gentleman Doug Emhoff speak out of Chicago.

They cheered as Emhoff left the stage and former first lady Michelle Obama was announced as the next speaker.

Gloria Boileau of Milwaukee said Harris brought electric energy inside Fiserv Forum. She spoke excitedly about the Harris-Walz ticket.Knowing that they are the common people that we are and they will be in the White House representing us, that was electric, Boileau said.

Michael Delahunt and his nephew Stephen Delahunt, both of Oconomowoc, also spoke about the exciting energy at the rally. Stephen called the atmosphere hype.

There was so much cheering and joy, Michael said.

People were dancing, singing  my sister taught me a new dance, Stephen added.

Michael said that, to him, the Republican Party embodies meanness and negativity while tonights event was all positivity.

After attending a rally for Kamala Harris in Milwaukee, supporters watch Michelle Obama speak at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.

Jessica McCabe of Glendale said she attended the rally because she would love to see the first woman president and wants to be a part of that history for her 4.5 year old daughter.

She said shes spoken with her daughter about the significance of Harris nomination, and her daughter was sad she couldnt attend the rally.

McCabe said she took lots of video to share with her daughter and looks forward to doing so tomorrow.

-- Claire Reid

Vice President Kamala Harris makes remarks as she is joined by Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at a rally on Tuesday August 20, 2024 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis.

Kamala Harris rallies before raucous crowd at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee

Vice President Kamala Harris rallied more than 15,000 supporters at Fiserv Forum Tuesday, breaking away from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to speak to the raucous crowd in the packed Milwaukee arena that hosted the Republican convention last month.

"Wisconsin, we have 77 days until the election. 77 days. And look, we know this is going to be a tight race until the very end," Harris told the crowd. "We have hard work ahead of us, but we like hard work. Hard work is good work, and with your help this November, we will win."

The event was the biggest rally the campaign has had in Wisconsin to date, and among its largest nationally.

Here are takeaways from her rally.

Kamala Harris speech ends, watch party taking place outside Fiserv Forum

The crowd inside Fiserv Forum headed out moments after Kamala Harris and Tim Walz left the stage about 8:35 p.m. Many were going to the Deer District outside Fiserv Forum.

The lights came on, the room quieted and all that was left were workers, journalists and campaign staff.

-- Alison Dirr

Vice President Kamala Harris makes remarks as she is joined by Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at a rally on Tuesday August 20, 2024 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis.

Kamala Harris says 2024 election is about 'two very different visions for our nation'

In her impassioned speech, Kamala Harris highlighted the difference between her own campaign and former President Donald Trump's.

"This is not just about us versus Donald Trump. This is about two very different visions for our nation," she said. "One focused on the future, another focused on the past. And Wisconsin, we fight for the future."

She said she hopes to bring down the cost of groceries for Americans, to take on Big Pharma, take on the high cost of housing and give residents tax cuts.

"That's about help with a car seat, with a crib, with diapers, with baby clothes," she said. "If we care about children, let's help people."

Harris pledged to move the country forward, "just like the Wisconsin state motto."

"Ours is a fight for the future, and it is a fight for freedom, like the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government telling her what to do," she said. "I don't know what's up with these people, by the way, they just seemingly don't trust women. Well, we trust women."

Abortion has been a hot topic for Wisconsin voters, and Harris is currently enjoying an edge over Trump on the topic.

"I promise you, when I am President of the United States, and Congress passes a bill to restore the protections of Roe v Wade, I will proudly sign it into law," she said to raucous cheers.

-- Laura Schulte

Kamala Harris stops speech for a medical emergency inside Fiserv Forum, says helping each other is 'what we're about'

Kamala Harris halted her speech in Milwaukee to ensure a supporter received medical care after people in the crowd alerted her to a situation.

She asked the crowd to part, so that a nurse or a medical team could reach the person in need of help, and asked if the person was OK.

"This is who we are, right? This is what we're about, looking out for each other," she said. "We care about each other. It's about truly understanding what love thy neighbor means. It's about in the face of a perfect stranger, seeing a neighbor, understanding what that love of each other means."

-- Laura Schulte

.@KamalaHarris just stopped the rally for a medical emergency and urged people to clear a path for medics. pic.twitter.com/ctsG3DffJF  Mary Spicuzza (@MSpicuzzaMJS) August 21, 2024

Kamala Harris takes stage for rally at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee after final delegates were cast at DNC

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz took the stage to cheers at Fiserv Forum, thanking delegates at the Democratic National Convention for the nomination.

"I thank everyone there and here, for believing in what we can do together. We are so honored to be your nominees," she said. "This is a people powered campaign, and together, we will chart a new way forward."

Harris said it was good to be back in Milwaukee, after her last visit to Wisconsin two weeks ago. She highlighted that there are only 77 days until the election.

"Look, we know this is going to be a right race until the end. We have some hard work ahead of us," she said. "We have hard work ahead of us, but we like hard work. Hard work is good."

.@KamalaHarris mentions Project 2025 to boos in Milwaukee. pic.twitter.com/ZbQsa0axmQ  Mary Spicuzza (@MSpicuzzaMJS) August 21, 2024

-- Laura Schulte

Gov. Tony Evers 'jazzed as hell' to cast votes for Kamala Harris but then struggled mightily over his words in roll call

Over in Chicago at the DNC before Kamala Harris took the stage in Milwaukee, Gov. Tony Evers Evers fumbled over his words as he cast Wisconsin's 94 votes for Harris, saying he'd "get there" amid his stumbled speech.

"I'm jazzed as hell...to announce that Wisconsin casts one vote present and 94 votes for former Wisconsinite tonight, Vice President and our next President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris," he said to cheers.

-- Laura Schulte

Tim Walz 'proud' to be with Kamala Harris atop Democratic ticket

Speaking in front of a cheering Milwaukee crowd, Tim Walz said he "couldn't be prouder" to accept the nomination for vice president in Chicago Wednesday night.

He also once again said the Harris-Walz administration would follow the "golden rule: mind your own damn business."

"I don't need you in our exam room. I don't need you telling me which books to read. And you can sure stay the hell our of our bedroom," he said.

"This campaign is simple. We believe in the promise of America. It's that simple. So, as the next President of the United States says every single day, when we fight, we win."

-- Laura Schulte

Tim Walz takes shot at Donald Trump's long-winded speech during the RNC last month at Fiserv Forum

Opening the Milwaukee rally, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz took a shot at former President Donald Trump, whose speech ran over 90 minutes at the Republican National Convention last month.

"It doesn't sound like any of you watched it, but in case you didn't, after promising us a speech that was going to be about unity and promising that he was a changed man, Donald Trump subjected us to 92 minutes of ranting and raving insanity," he said. "Now look, they left here riding high. They were feeling good. This thing was over. Well, trust me, Milwaukee, a hell of a lot can change in four weeks."

He said a campaign based on fear like Trump's is doomed to fail.

"That convention had one purpose to coronate, one man," Walz said. "Ours, by the way, they got a little party going over in Chicago. It's not a celebration of a coronation of one man over there. It's a celebration of all of us over there."

.@Tim_Walz tells the crowd we have 77 days to change the world. pic.twitter.com/mOs9RxgZqd  Mary Spicuzza (@MSpicuzzaMJS) August 21, 2024

-- Laura Schulte

DNC roll call pauses, VP nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz takes stage for Kamala Harris rally in Milwaukee

The crowd was engaged in the roll call when it suddenly seemed to cut out. Moments later, vice-presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz walked onto the stage.

At one point in his speech, a group of supporters unfurled a handmade sign that read, "choose JOY" while another person held one that said, "Vote for freedom."

Supporters packed Fiserv Forum for Kamala Harris' rally on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. Her running mate Tim Walz took the stage ahead of Harris.

-- Alison Dirr

Khris Middleton with daughter at Kamala Harris rally

Milwaukee Bucks three-time All-Star Khris Middleton is taking in Kamala Harris' rally at Fiserv Forum with his young daughter.

Along with Middleton, Bucks president Peter Fegin is at the rally.

Middleton has been with the Bucks since 2013 and holds the record for most three-pointers made in franchise history.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton holds his daughter as they wait to watch Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speak at a rally on Tuesday August 20, 2024 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis.

-- Chris Kuhagen

What is the capacity of Fiserv Forum?

There are over 15,000 people at Kamala Harris' rally at Fiserv Forum, vice president nominee Tim Walz said.

Fiserv Forum has a basketball capacity of just over 17,300 and a concert capacity of 18,000. The venue's lower bowl has 10,000 seats.

-- Mary Spicuzza

Kamala Harris rally: Additional sections opening at Fiserv Forum to accomodate huge crowd

Supporters are still entering Fiserv Forum as the DNC roll call in Chicago came onto the jumbotron above the arena floor before 7 p.m.

The arena had been steadily filling over the course of the afternoon and evening, with additional sections being opened to accommodate the crowd.

Some still remained closed off, though.

As the roll call was read, the Fiserv Forum audience watched and cheered along with fellow Democrats in Illinois while their light-up bracelets cycled between red, white and blue.

Unlike the RNC, which was open only to those with credentials, the rally Tuesday was open to the public.

-- Alison Dirr and Mary Spicuzza

At Fiserv Forum, DNC organizer warms up the crowd ahead of Kamala Harris rally

Ahead of the DNC roll call in Chicago, Jaliah Jefferson, the deputy organizing director of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, told rally attendees that "the road to the White House" runs through the state.

"I can tell based on the sound in the room that we are going to prove that here tonight," she said to a cheering crowd.

She told attendees to make sure they make noise when the Milwaukee rally is broadcast across the nation, so those watching know Wisconsin stands with Harris.

"Vice President Harris and Governor Walz, they're fighting for a future that strengthens our democracy, protects our reproductive freedom and ensures every person has the chance not just to get by, but to get ahead," Jefferson said. "Every single person sitting and standing in this room has the amazing opportunity to help our country get one step closer to a brighter future. Every single one of you."

She asked those in attendance to sign up to canvass in their communities and increase the support for the Harris-Walz campaign.

 Laura Schulte

Pro-Palestinian protesters are outside Fiserv Forum ahead of Kamala Harris' rally on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Protesters call for ceasefire in Gaza, end of arms to Israel outside Fiserv Forum

Protesters called for a ceasefire in Gaza outside Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum as hundreds of attendees slowly made their way into the arena to watch presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speak.

The crowd of protestors grew from about 60 to more than 90 at the protest, which was organized by the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine, a group of more than 50 organizations in the state.

The coalition organized the protest with the same demands as many of those protesting at the Democratic National Convention Monday, including some from Milwaukee: convince Harris to stop arms shipments to Israel, and do more to end the war in Gaza.

We want Kamala to come out clearly that she is not just promoting a ceasefire, but that she calls for an end to the genocide and the shipment of arms to Israel, Othman Atta of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee said to the crowd. Protesters chants of phrases like Wisconsin Dems, you cant hide, we charge you with genocide and Free, free Palestine were juxtaposed with music like Chappell Roans Hot to Go and Bruno Mars 24K Magic, which blasted on the arena speakers. As an outdoor screen in the Deer District began to play a livestream of DNC speeches from Chicago, the protest continued.

Pro-Palestinian protesters are outside Fiserv Forum ahead of Kamala Harris' rally on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Rachel Ida Buff with Jewish Voices for Peace said she was hesitant to be hopeful about Harris, and that voters "have to push her" to be tougher on Israel. She said the media's focus on pre-election moments like President Joe Biden stepping out of the race and the attempted assassination of Donald Trump have distracted people from Israel's continued attacks on Gaza.

"You have to dig now to find" media coverage, she said.

Munjed Ahmad with American Muslims for Palestine told the crowd that the Free Palestine movement had a lot of steam in October and November of 2023. He said demonstrators on college campuses last spring taught us a lot about what it means an activist.

We need to get that energy back. Were starting to lose our steam, he said. He called on demonstrators to do more to call for an end of arms to Israel.

Hayden Harwood, a member of Party for Socialism and Liberation Milwaukee, was at the protest to remind people they don't just need to choose between two candidates. Harwood was passing out flyers for the presidential campaign of Claudia De la Cruz and Karina Garcia, third-party candidates with the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Harwood said De la Cruz is currently on the ballot in over 20 states, including Wisconsin.

-- Bridget Fogarty and Claire Reid

Kamala Harris rally today

Kamala Harris is expected to take the stage at 8 p.m. inside Fiserv Forum.

She'll then watch the rest of the DNC speeches on the big screen with thousands of supporters in the arena. The featured speakers in prime time are former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff.

 Chris Kuhagen

Kamala Harris rally: Long lines to get into Fiserv Forum continue nearly two hours after doors open

Heres the line to the south entrance of the Kamala Harris Tim Walz visit at the Fiserv Forum around 5:50 p.m.



Protesters for Gaza are across the street for a protest planned by the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine. pic.twitter.com/dhX1yUj0aj  Bridget Fogarty (@BridgeFogs) August 20, 2024

Pro-Palestine prostesters are outside Deer District entrance

A group of about 60 protesters gathered around 5 p.m. at the corner of W. Highland and N. Vel R. Phillips avenues for a planned protest against the war in Gaza.

The Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine organized the protest, calling it Not Another Bomb in a post on Instagram. Wisconsin voters demand Harris & Walz end the genocide immediately, the post said.

Were here today to send a message that Kamala Harris is just as complicit in genocide as Joe Biden, one person said on the megaphone.

Rally-goers are still waiting outside to go into Fiserv Forum. One of the general admission lines extends to at least King Drive.

 Claire Reid and Bridget Fogarty

Two Wisconsin Black women enthusiastic about Kamala Harris as she makes another stop to Wisconsin

As a Black woman who once was involved in politics in California, Jordan Pitzner said sees herself in Kamala Harris. Pitzner is a resident of the town of Farmington, Jefferson County who came to the rally with her husband.

"(I see) all the things that we've fought for and marched for and bled for that have been, you know, threatened and almost taken away," she said. "She's here to help restore what people have literally died for for a couple of centuries now. So that's why I'm here to see her, witness her live and show my support.

Pitzner said she's glad Harris sees Wisconsin as an important state in this upcoming election.

"The fact that the campaign recognizes that and is showing up here in the midst of the convention speaks volumes," she said.

Milwaukee resident Monica Hubbard came to the Fiserv Forum not just because she agrees with Harris' policies, but because she said the vice president's presidential run is historic.

She also appreciated that Harris decided to make a stop in-person, in Milwaukee weeks after the RNC and while the spotlight is on Chicago.

"I like the fact that she's going to be here, she's taking the time out to work the Midwest while she's here for the DNC."

 Bridget Fogarty

Illinois women travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for Kamala Harris rally, love Tim Walz camo hats

When Judy Lange was asked if she drove up from her home in McHenry, Illinois, for the Harris rally shes quick with a joke.

No, we flew on our brooms, Lange said with a wink and coy smile outside of Fiserv Forum.

Lange was with her sister Beth Cherveny and adult daughter Jennifer Lonchar, who are also from McHenry.

Its crazy down there, Lonchar said of the DNC happening in Chicago. And you cant get into the DNC.

Judy Lange, Beth Cherveny and Jennifer Lonchar pose for a photo before heading into a rally for Kamala Harris Tuesday, Aug. 20, at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Cherveny was wearing a Harris, Walz camouflage hat.

Its the first camo thing Ive ever bought in my 72 years of life, Cherveny said adding when she saw camouflage gear before she thought of Second Amendment activists but decided to buy this hat because of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

When I saw Tim wearing this and talk about being a hunter, having respect for guns, and what hes done in his state, I thought Ill get a camo hat like Tims, Cherveny said.

Lonchar and the other family members have been big Biden supporters but I felt like I was always talking people into being on board, but having Harris at the top of the ticket has injected new enthusiasm.

I feel like were back in O8. I feel like its Obama again, Lonchar said. Im just so energized and so excited now for the first time in a really long time.

 Ricardo Torres

Kamala Harris purses for sale

If you're at a political rally, you have to get the merch.

Kamala Harris handbags and clutches were for sale outside her rally at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Kamala Harris handbags and clutches for sale outside of Fiserv Forum. One person asked me if these were the real purses.



I am NOT the person to ask about that stuff pic.twitter.com/HB2Sc3W5O0  Ricardo Torres  (@RicoReporting) August 20, 2024

Small group of Trump supporters protest outside Kamala Harris rally

A group of at least six Trump supporters held up signs outside of the rally at the corner of Juneau and Vel Phillips avenues as hundreds of people made their way into the Fiserv Forum. This small group and the rally-goers seemed to ignore each other.

One woman in the group held up a Trump campaign sign, while another held up a homemade sign that said "Czar Kamala, weak on the border." A man in the group brought at least four signs and was alternating holding them up, including one that said: "Kamala voted for higher prices." 

A younger man, who may not have been with this group, was walking around the Fiserv Forum plaza  just outside the fence where the rally-goers were waiting to go inside  waving a large Trump flag.

A small group of protesters were at Juneau and Vel Phillips avenues before Kamala Harris' rally at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.

Donald Trump supporters protested outside Fiserv Forum in the Deer District ahead of Kamala Harris' speech on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.

 Claire Reid

Doors open for Kamala Harris rally

Doors opened at Fiserv Forum for the Kamala Harris around 3:45 p.m.. People waiting in the plaza cheered when the doors opened.

Security opened a third entrance in the center of the Deer District around 4 p.m. with the line moving significantly quicker than the north and south entrances.

Before, the general admission line to get into Fiserv Forum extended down Juneau Avenue from Vel Phillips to King Drive. Then it continued around the block at least to Highland.

Lines were long to get into Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, to hear from Kamala Harris.

 Bridget Fogarty and Claire Reid

Supporters say Kamala Harris brings hope and new energy

Green Bay high school students Ziah Mangan and Sophia Arneson, both 17, were among the at-least-hundreds of people gathered outside Fiserv Forum ahead of tonight's rally.

Although the incoming seniors cant vote in the election, they said being here is inspiring. They purchased Harris/Walz baseball caps from a merch table outside Maders restaurant before lining up to get inside Fiserv Forum.

Its inspiring to see a woman whos a minority running for president, Arneson said.

She said, though shes seen a female candidate in her lifetime, Hillary Clinton didnt inspire as much hope and enthusiasm as Harris.

Both Arneson and Mangan said they wished they could vote and theyre trying to inspire their classmates who are already 18.

I think you dont realize how much it means until you see (a woman) running, Arneson said.Married couple Gillian Blake and Charley Blake traveled from Madison to attend the rally.I want to be part of this history, Gillian said. I felt like I was so depressed, and then Kamala ran and my hopes were raised so high. I havent felt this way since Obama ran.

Charley said the couple was nervous when Biden was running because they didnt know if he could beat Trump. As a lesbian couple, they worried how a Trump victory could affect them, their daughters, and one of their children who is transgender.

I feel like I dont have to leave the country maybe, Gillian said. She said shed really considered emigrating prior to Harris' nomination.

 Claire Reid

University of Chicago-led survey asks Milwaukee rally-goers at Kamala Harris event their feelings on democracy

How do Americans view the state of their countrys democracy?

Thats the question University of Chicago professor Robert Pape and his two research assistants hope to answer in their survey they passed out to rally goers in the Deer District.

Pape said as soon as he learned about Tuesdays rally, he made plans to drive from Chicago to Milwaukee to survey. Milwaukees Harris Walz rally is the first of many Democratic and Republican rallies the group plans to bring their survey to before November.

The survey can help gauge whether the newfound positivity Democrats have with Kamala Harris running for president is making people feel more comfortable overall with elections, Pape said.

Its clear theyre more enthusiastic about voting, but what does that mean overall about our democracy? What does that mean overall about their politics? he said.

 Bridget Fogarty

Madison Marine stands with Kamala Harris, Tim Walz

Marine Michael Skaer of Madison, who was in the military for roughly 30 years, was excited for the rally in Milwaukee.

He was wearing a Marines shirt and hat.

Skaer looked out to the crowd waiting to get inside Fiserv Forum and said Im guessing theyre going to fill this place tonight.

The enthusiasm since Joe Biden decided to step aside its just turned 180 degrees around, Skaer said. Im sure it was hard for him, very hard. Looking at his legacy and his long career, but after that debate performance it was just painfully obvious he just wasnt up to the job for another four years.

Skaer said he was an active duty Marine in 1978 to 1983 and joined the National Guard from 1983 to 2009, and did one tour in Iraq in 2006.

Madison Marine Michael Skaer poses for a photo outside Fiserv Forum before going into the Kamala Harris rally on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.

Republican Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance has criticized Harris running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, accusing him of stolen valor for getting out of the military before his unit was deployed to Iraq.

I dont buy it all, Skaer said of Vances claims. He made it very clear to his fellow members that he was going to run for Congress he already had his 20+ years of service in, so it wasnt like he was planning on staying in the service for a few years and found out the unit was going to Iraq and jumped out. I dont buy it.

Skaer said Republicans do better with veterans and military personnel.

Ive been different my whole military career, Skaer said. I made it through 30 years... Ive always been different. I dont own any handguns or weapons at all, which a lot of my fellow members thought I was insane.

Skaer is a Harris supporter 100%.

Trump, we went through four years of him and the thought of him for another four years is just really, really scary, Skaer said.

 Ricardo Torres

Wisconsin continues to be in political spotlight as Kamala Harris comes to Milwaukee during DNC

Dan Weiner from Appleton made the drive to Milwaukee to see Kamala Harris for her rally tonight at Fiserv Forum.

Its such a unique election year, Weiner said. I want to be a part of history. I think its time and I think it would be a neat thing for America to elect a female (for president).

Weiner said he leans left and for him human decency in a candidate is important.

As president, you have to be professional, and I dont see that on the other side, Weiner said adding having this rally during the DNC shows how important Wisconsin is going to be.

A lot of pundits are saying the road to the White House is going to go through Wisconsin, Weiner said. I agree with it. Its important and its kind of cool for Wisconsin to be that vital for Wisconsinites no matter what side youre on.

 Ricardo Torres

Seeing Kamala Harris at Milwaukee rally is like being able to attend the DNC

Jennifer Buda from Milwaukee came to the Kamala Harris rally with her daughter just to experience it.

Never been to a campaign thing before, Buda said. Im just going to absorb it all in.

Buda said she is a Democrat and is hoping to learn more about Harris.

Im an apolitical person, Buda said adding she will likely vote for Harris.

Buda said attending the rally with her daughter makes the experience sweeter.

Its nice that we can be here together and have Milwaukee be recognized again, Buda said. For us, its something cool to do.

When the Republican National Convention was in Milwaukee she avoided the area but having this event during the Democratic National Convention is very exciting.

People who, obviously, would never have gone to the DNC are able to come here and experience seeing her and Mr. Walz, Buda said.

 Ricardo Torres

Kamala Harris rally: Line outside Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee

Here's a look at the line to get into the Kamala Harris rally about 90 minutes before the doors open.

The crowd outside of the Kamala Harris event at Fiserv Forum. Doors open in about 90ish minutes pic.twitter.com/E2x2I5Bpju  Ricardo Torres  (@RicoReporting) August 20, 2024

 Ricardo Torres

Kamala Harris tickets for Milwaukee rally

The Kamala Harris rally in Milwaukee at Fiserv Forum is free and open to the public but you'll need a ticket to get in.

Tickets are only available online via the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. You'll be notified if you've been selected.

Registration does not guarantee a ticket.

After Harris' speech, the Democratic nominee and her running mate Tim Walz will host a DNC watch party at Fiserv Forum. The featured speakers on Tuesday at the DNC are former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.

 Chris Kuhagen

Kamala Harris' rally will feature Milwaukee Bucks

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will hold a rally in the arena that the Milwaukee Bucks call home.

And a couple of representatives from the Bucks will reportedly be in attendance to welcome them.

Bucks all-star forward Khris Middleton and team president Peter Feigin are set to join Harris and Walz at the rally, The Hill reported.

Harris is set to speak at 7 p.m.

 Chris Kuhagen

JD Vance wraps up speech, visits Tenuta's Deli in Kenosha

After addressing the crowd and answering questions from local and national reporters, Vance wrapped up his Kenosha visit and made a surprise stop at Tenuta's Deli. He ordered an Italian beef sandwich with provolone cheese.

Questions touched at the rally were the importance of Wisconsin in the November election, the value of law enforcement endorsements, gun restrictions, labor union support, debate preparation and the programming of the Democratic National Convention 70 miles south in Chicago.

 Jessie Opoien

Vance makes a suprise appearance at Tenutas, an Italian deli in Kenosha. He ordered an Italian beef sandwich with provolone. pic.twitter.com/UUYVqFmDVP  Rachel Hale (@rachelleighhale) August 20, 2024

JD Vance calls Chicago, site of Democratic National Convention, a 'combat zone'

When Vance was asked for his initial reactions to the DNCs programming, several members of the crowd booed.

I agree with them. That was my response to it  boo, Vance said.

The Ohio senator blamed Democrats for Chicagos high murder rate and reiterated an attack on Walzs 2005 retirement from the military before his battalion's deployment to Iraq.

My little theory about why they decided to have the convention in Chicago is  Tim Walz has been going around saying that he served in war, and maybe they did it in Chicago so they could actually, accurately say that he went, he visited a combat zone, Vance said.

 Jessie Opoien

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance holds a press conference on crime and safety in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.

JD Vance references upbringing in support for police

Vance accused Democrats of proposing policies that would take away every child's right to public safety while referencing his own upbringing with a mother addicted to drugs.

I remember, actually, I think I was probably 11 or 12 years old, and my mom struggled with addiction, and she was having a particularly tough episode, and I called the local police in Middletown, Ohio," Vance said. "And I remember they showed up and they took care of my mom, and they made a little kid who was terrified of what was going on in his home. They made that little kid feel safe.

"And I think about what situation would I have been in, and what situation our country would be in, if we take away every child's right to public safety. And that's, unfortunately, what the Democratic leadership is proposing in this country.

Both Vance and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde referenced Harris previous comments saying the defund the police movement was rightly questioning budget priorities in a 2020 radio interview as the country saw a national movement for police reform. Harris later denounced such calls.

 Jessie Opoien

JD Vance says he 'basically lives in Wisconsin now'

JD Vance opened his remarks in Kenosha talking about childhood safety and the importance of Wisconsin to the election.I basically live in Wisconsin now," Vance said. "Youll be seeing a lot of me over the next few months.

After someone in the crowd yelled, Go Packers! Vance responded, Id have see about that, sir.

 Rachel Hale

Rep. Bryan Steil attacks Tim Walzs handling of Black Lives Matter protests in Minneapolis

U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil bashed Walzs handling of Black Lives Matter protests during 2020 and reflected on Kenoshas unrest during the same period. Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot and injured by a police officer in Kenosha that August.We can look to our neighboring state in Minnesota, and just like we had here, you have a governor that failed to provide the resources that were needed to keep his community safe, Steil said.

Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Walz and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, for their responses to civil unrest in 2020, and has focused in particular on the use of the National Guard.

Governors can call the National Guard into action during local or statewide emergencies.

On Aug. 24, 2020, Evers activated the Guard, less than 24 hours after Blake was shot. The Trump administration talked to Evers on Aug. 25, 2020, according to previous Journal Sentinel reporting.

Walz mobilized the Guard on May 28, 2020, after civil unrest turned violent and a police station was burned following the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. At the time, Trump praised Walz's handling of the situation, the Associated Press reported.

In a USA TODAY fact check of similar claims about Walz's actions during the Minneapolis protests, Michelle Phelps, a University of Minnesota sociology professor and the author of a book about policing in Minneapolis that examines the protests, said:

To say that he let Minnesota or Minneapolis burn is just a wild misconstruing of the facts," Phelps said. It was a response to a really unusual set of circumstances, and I think they responded as fast as was reasonably possible, given the scale of the operation."

More: GOP critics say Tim Walz 'let Minnesota burn' in 2020 protests. Here's what happened

 Rachel Hale and Mary Spicuzza

Eric Hovde seeks to tie Sen. Tammy Baldwins record to Kamala Harris and Tim Walz

Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde railed against Harris record on crime and sought to tie her to Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in his opening remarks, bashing Harris time as a district attorney and California attorney general. He said he would give her an F on being border czar and said Baldwin is no better, bringing up her record of voting with President Joe Biden 99% of the time.

We've got a perfect trifecta, the most liberal senator, Kamala Harris; Governor Walz, who let his major city burn, considered the most liberal governor; and Senator Tammy Baldwin, who is voted the second-most-liberal senator and has been nothing but a progressive rubber stamp for the progressive left, Hovde said.

A fact-check story by PolitiFact notes that Biden didn't put Harris in charge of overseeing border security. Instead, Biden asked Harris to work with officials in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to stem migration to the U.S.

 Rachel Hale

More: 'Border czar'? Kamala Harris assigned to tackle immigration's causes, not border security

Kamala Harris rally attendees outside Fiserv Forum Tuesday morning

Even though the Harris-Walz rally isn't starting until Tuesday night, some attendees made their way to Fiserv Forum Tuesday morning, hours before the doors open.

"I'm looking forward to listening to (Harris') positive message," Debi Babula of Franklin said. "I think we need more of that."

A couple from Appleton sported matching blue shirts in support for Harris.

"We're mostly excited to hear her talk," Brittani Wydeven said. "There is so much energy behind her and her campaign."

Wydeven said having Harris in Milwaukee Tuesday is especially meaningful since the convention is in Chicago.

"It means a lot. We're in a battleground state, and to know that she's here during the DNC," Wydeven said. "Now we feel hope."

Marla Poytinger, CEO of Bars & Recreation, which has two Deer District bars, said after a successful Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum, she's also excited to welcome the Democrats to Milwaukee.

She said AXE MKE and The New Fashioned outside Fiserv Forum will host a watch party on the TV screens.

"Everybody is excited to show that we welcome everyone, both the RNC and the DNC," Poytinger said.

 Jolan Kruse

Crowd of 100 gathers in anticipation of JD Vances remarks

A crowd of about 100 supporters has gathered in front of the Kenosha County Courthouse in anticipation of Vances press conference Tuesday afternoon.

Remarks from U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde, Rep. Bryan Steil and Kenosha County Sheriff David Zoerner are set to begin shortly.

 Rachel Hale

JD Vance to speak Tuesday in Kenosha at press conference

First up Tuesday is Vance returning to Wisconsin for the third week in a row for a press conference in Kenosha focused on crime.

The trip is Vance's third to Wisconsin in as many weeks and comes as he continues to shadow visits from Harris and Walz.

Vance spoke to reporters in Eau Claire on Aug. 7 as Harris and Walz rallied just miles up the road. And he delivered remarks on crime and immigration Friday at the Milwaukee Police Association, which endorsed the Trump-Vance ticket.

Read more

 Lawrence Andrea

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kamala Harris, Tim Walz hold raucous rally in Milwaukee: Recap
The former president delivered the keynote address, following speeches from Michelle Obama and Doug Emhoff.

Former President Barack Obama speaks during the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The second night of the Democratic National Convention capped off with rousing speeches from former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, as well as a heartfelt tribute to Vice President Kamala Harris from her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff.

Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who made an appearance at the United Center during opening night of the convention Monday, did not attend Tuesday night's events. Instead, they were hosting a campaign rally and DNC watch party in Milwaukee.

Each night of the DNC, which will run through Thursday, will be streamed on YouTube, and you can watch it on cable or streamers like Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock and Max.

Yahoo News will live-blog primetime speeches and provide analysis and key takeaways afterward. Our extensive partner network will also provide breaking news and analysis. Stick with us for full coverage.

Read more: Full guide to the 2024 Democratic National Convention

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER 138 updates 2nd night of DNC wraps up Former President Barack Obama closed out the second night of the DNC with his rallying speech. "Let's get to work," he told the crowd, to roaring applause.

Obama invokes his '04 keynote Barack Obama. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Obama invoked the 2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address that helped propel his career forward in national politics. It was an optimistic note. "Here's the good news, Chicago," Obama said Tuesday night. "All across America, in big cities and small towns, away from all the noise, the ties that bind us together are still there," he continued. "We still coach Little League and look out for our elderly neighbors. We still feed the hungry in churches and mosques and temples. We share the same pride when our Olympic athletes compete for the gold. Because the vast majority of us do not want to live in a country that's bitter and divided." The lines were similar to what Obama said when he was an Illinois state senator speaking on behalf of John Kerry at the 2004 DNC. In that speech, he sought to undercut the intense polarization afflicting the nation: The pundits like to slice and dice our country into red states and blue states; red states for Republicans, blue states for Democrats. But I've got news for them too. We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the red states. We coach Little League in the blue states and have gay friends in the red states. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.

Obama praises Tim Walz and his wardrobe "You can tell those flannel shirts he wears don't come from some political consultant. They come from his closet, and they have been through some stuff."  Former President Barack Obama

Obama: Trump is like a neighbor with a leaf blower outside your window Barack Obama at the DNC. (Alyssa Pointer/Reuters) Former President Barack Obama blasted his successor, former President Donald Trump, for continuing to litigate a "stream" of various complaints. "Here's a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago. It has been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that's actually been getting worse now that he's afraid of losing to Kamala," Obama said. "There's the childish nicknames. The crazy conspiracy theories. This weird obsession with crowd sizes," he said to laughs, apparently using Democrats' new favorite attack line. "It just goes on, and on, and on. The other day I heard someone compare Trump to the neighbor who keeps running his leaf blower outside your window every minute of every day. From a neighbor, that's exhausting. From a president, it's just dangerous. "

Obama praises Biden's presidency "History will remember Joe Biden as a president who defended democracy at a moment of great danger. And I am proud to call him my president, but I am even prouder to call him my friend."  Former President Barack Obama

Michelle Obama embraces Barack as 'the love of my life' Joe Raedle/Getty Images Former first lady Michelle Obama closed her rallying speech Tuesday night by introducing her husband, former President Barack Obama. "Before I go, I have one more job tonight," she said as the crowd started to cheer. "Thank you for all of the love, but it is now my honor to introduce somebody who knows a whole lot about hope, someone who has spent his life strengthening our democracy, and let me tell you as someone who lives with him: He wakes up every day  every day  and thinks about what's best for this country. Please welcome America's 44th president and the love of my life, Barack Obama." They then hugged. "It's good to be home," Barack Obama said to more cheers.

Michelle Obama gets DNC crowd to chant 'Do something!' Toward the end of her speech, Michelle Obama did a call-and-response with the DNC crowd, saying, "Whether you are a Democrat or Republican or independent, this is the time to stand up for what is right." The audience started to chant "Do something! Do something!," a callback to earlier in her speech when she said, "We put our heads down, we get to work. In America, we do something!"

'If we see a mountain in front of us, we don't expect there to be an escalator waiting to take us to the top' "[Harris] understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward. We will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth. If we bankrupt a business or choke in a crisis, we don't get a second, third or fourth chance. If things don't go our way, we don't have the luxury of whining or cheating others to get further ahead. We don't get to change the rules so we always win. If we see a mountain in front of us, we don't expect there to be an escalator waiting to take us to the top."  Former first lady Michelle Obama

'One of the most qualified people ever' Michelle Obama speaking at the DNC on Tuesday. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) Former first lady Michelle Obama energized convention delegates on Tuesday by hailing Kamala Harris's record as a prosecutor, senator and vice president. "From a middle-class household, Kamala worked her way up to become vice president of the United States of America," Obama said. "My girl, Kamala Harris, is more than ready for this moment. She is one of the most qualified people ever to seek the office of the presidency. And she is one of the most dignified. A tribute to her mother, to my mother and to your mother too. The embodiment of the stories we tell ourselves about this country."

'Who's going to tell [Trump] that the job he's currently seeking might be one of those Black jobs?'  Former first lady Michelle Obama, on Trump

'America, hope is making a comeback' Former first lady and Chicago native Michelle Obama was welcomed to the stage with a standing ovation. "Something magical is in the air, isn't it?" she asked. "A familiar feeling that's been buried too deep for far too long  you know what I'm talking about. The contagious power of hope."

'We talked for an hour and we laughed. You know that laugh. I love that laugh.'  Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, recalling his first phone conversation with Kamala Harris.

'As soon as our kids started calling her "Momala," I knew we'd be OK.'  Second gentleman Doug Emhoff

Doug Emhoff to Kamala Harris: 'I love you so much' Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman of the U.S., addressed his wife directly from the stage Tuesday night. "Honey, I can't wait for you to come back to Chicago because we're having a great time here," he said to Harris, who held a campaign rally and a convention watching event in nearby Wisconsin that night. "I love you so much. I am so proud of how you're stepping up for all of us." "Kamala rises to the occasion," he told the delegates. "She did it for me and our family," he added. "And now that the country needs her, she's showing you what we already know: She's ready to lead. She brings both joy and toughness to this task. And she will be a great president we will all be proud of."

Cole Emhoff introduces his dad, second gentleman Doug Emhoff Doug Emhoff takes the stage at the DNC. (Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters) "We might not look like other families in the White House, but we are ready to represent all families in America."  Cole Emhoff

Sen. Tammy Duckworth hits Trump on GOP opposition to IVF In her combative speech at the DNC on Tuesday, Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois zeroed in on Republican opposition to in vitro fertilization (IVF). "I went to war to protect America's rights and freedoms. So I take it personally when a five-time draft-dodging coward like Donald Trump tries to take away my rights and freedoms in return, especially when it concerns my daughters," she said, adding that they "would never have been born without reproductive care." "After 10 years of struggling with infertility, I was only able to have them through the miracle of IVF," Duckworth added. "But now, Trump's anti-woman crusade has put other Americans' right to have their families at risk," Duckworth said.

Angela Alsobrooks praises Harris as a 'superbad district attorney' Angela Alsobrooks, the Democratic nominee for the Senate from Maryland, at the DNC on Tuesday. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) Angela Alsobrooks, the Democratic Senate nominee in Maryland and a longtime friend of Kamala Harris, got the convention delegates chanting that we are not going back after delivering a rousing speech about her prosecutorial record and their 14-year relationship. Ive always been inspired by women like my grandmother, women who imagine a better future and then have the grit to make it a reality, said Alsobrooks. One of them is a friend, a mentor and a role model. That woman is Kamala Harris. Let me tell you about the Kamala I know. Alsobrooks met Harris after embracing some of the then-San Francisco district attorneys policy approaches on crime. At the time, in 2009, Alsobrooks was also seeking a states attorney office in Maryland. She praised Harris as a superbad district attorney who could hold violent criminals accountable while also pursuing programs to end recidivism. Crime went down and economic growth went up, Alsobrooks said. Kamala Harris knows how to keep criminals off the streets. Come November, with your help, shell keep one out of the Oval Office. Alsobrooks is running against former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, one of Trumps more prominent GOP critics. If she wins, she would be the first Black senator to represent Maryland and one of the only Black women in the Senate. (Californias Laphonza Butler is not seeking reelection this year, and Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester is also seeking the Senate in Delaware.) Harris herself was the second Black woman to ever be elected to the Senate, in 2016.

GOP Mayor John Giles: 'I feel more at home here than in today's Republican Party' Mesa, Ariz., Mayor John Giles at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) John Giles, the mayor of Mesa, Ariz., kicked off his DNC speech with a confession: "I'm a lifelong Republican. "So, I feel a little out of place tonight," he said. "But I feel more at home here than in today's Republican Party," which Giles went on to describe as "the cult of Donald Trump." "John McCain's Republican Party is gone," Giles concluded. "And we don't owe a damn thing to what's been left behind."

Illinois's billionaire governor: 'Trump is rich in only one thing: Stupidity' Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker dedicated a good portion of his address to trashing Donald Trump as a "con artist." Pritzker started off by quoting Bulls legend Michael Jordan, who once played in the Chicago arena where the convention is being held: "Donald Trump once called Chicago embarrassing. To quote a great Chicagoan who won six world championships on these very grounds: 'We take that personally!'" he declared. He had a few more zingers later in his speech as well. "Illinois invested in clean energy and the jobs it brings. Donald claimed the windmills in the ocean made the whales a little batty," he said. Pritzker, a billionaire in his own right, also added: "Donald Trump thinks we should trust him on the economy because he claims to be very rich, but take it from an actual billionaire, Trump is rich in only one thing: stupidity."

Sen. Bernie Sanders decries 'Trump's Project 2025' Sen. Bernie Sanders. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) During his speech at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont sought to knock down Trump's criticism of Harris as a "radical" by contrasting her priorities with what he called "Trump's Project 2025." "Let me tell you what a radical agenda is, and that is Trump's Project 2025," Sanders said. "At a time of massive income wealth inequality, giving more tax breaks to billionaires is radical. Putting forth budgets that cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is radical. Letting polluters destroy our planet is radical. And, my friends, we won't let that happen." Project 2025 is a policy blueprint for the next Republican administration that was written by conservative think tanks like the Heritage Foundation.

Protesters hold up signs in Minnesota delegation Protesters attempt to interrupt the ceremonial roll call. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) During the ceremonial roll call vote, protesters in the Minnesota delegation held up signs in protest of the Israel-Gaza war. Outside the convention arena, crowds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators are protesting the Biden administration's support for Israel.

Chuck Schumer urges standing up 'to all hate' "As the highest-ranking Jewish official in American history, I want my grandkids, and all grandkids, to never, never face discrimination because of who they are. But Donald Trump? This is a guy who peddles antisemitic stereotypes, he even invited a white supremacist to Mar-a-Lago. And unfortunately, his prejudice goes in all directions."  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer

Harris takes the stage in Milwaukee following DNC roll call in Chicago Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (REUTERS/Marco Bello) Immediately following the conclusion of a ceremonial roll call vote at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Harris took the stage at a large rally in Milwaukee, a choreographed one-two punch in the Midwest. "It's good to be back in Milwaukee," Harris told her audience of more than 15,000, according to her campaign. While Harris will not deliver her acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination until Thursday, she addressed the DNC on Monday and used Tuesday's speech to continue to try to ramp up energy for her campaign in a crucial swing state. Her entrance in Milwaukee was also broadcast over the video screens at the United Center in Chicago. In Milwaukee, Harris said that her campaign was about the future of the country, while Trump's was about the past. "This is about two very different visions for our nation," she said. "One, ours, is focused on the future. The other on the past. And Wisconsin, we fight for the future."

California and Minnesota wrap up the musical roll call After each of the 57 delegations weighed in on the raucous, DJ-hosted ceremonial roll call, two states notably declined to endorse Kamala Harris and Tim Walz on the first pass through: California and Minnesota. California, of course, is Harris's home state, and Walz is governor of Minnesota. The convention then returned to the two states, starting with Minnesota. Hans Storvick, a former student of Walz's, and John Randle, a former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle, offered their support for his candidacy. Then came California. Gov. Gavin Newsom hailed it as the "great state of Nancy Pelosi" as "Not Like Us" by Kendrick Lamar played. "Kamala Harris has always done the right thing. ... It's time for us to do the right thing, and that's to elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States of America!" Newsom declared to cheers.

Texas mom Kate Cox, who was denied a potentially lifesaving abortion, announces she's pregnant Kate Cox made headlines in January after she sued the state of Texas for denying her access to an abortion. She and her husband found out their third child had a genetic condition and would likely not survive more than a year after birth. There were also major health risks involved for Cox to keep the baby until term. Cox, who has since advocated against abortion bans, announced Texas's votes during the DNC roll call and shared she was pregnant again.

Spike Lee appears alongside Kathy Hochul during roll call Filmmaker and proud New Yorker Spike Lee was seen standing alongside Henry Garrido, the executive director of New York City's largest municipal employees union, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul as she cast the state's delegate votes. Director and Writer Spike Lee is standing with New York during its moment during the DNC roll call. pic.twitter.com/3VYOlEY1GV  Yashar Ali  (@yashar) August 21, 2024 On July 21, Lee publicly endorsed Kamala Harris on his Instagram account.

Tim Walz takes the stage in Milwaukee U.S. Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz waves onstage at a campaign rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 20, 2024. (Marco Bello/Reuters) On the second night of the Democratic National Convention, Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz held a large rally 90 miles away in Milwaukee. As the DNC conducted its ceremonial roll call, Walz took the stage at a packed Fiserv arena, where Trump and the Republicans held their convention in July. Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arrives at the Fiserv Forum during a campaign rally in Milwaukee, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) "That convention and the energy over there is like nothing you've seen," Walz said of the scene at Chicago's United Center. "Here's what I'm really excited about. Not only do we have massive energy at our convention, we've got a hell of a lot more energy at where they had their convention."

Sean Astin, Wendell Pierce cast delegate votes on behalf of Indiana, Louisiana Sean Astin joins the Indiana delegation to cast their votes during the ceremonial roll call on Tuesday night. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) As the ceremonial roll call continues, more celebrities are speaking out on behalf of their states. The Goonies and Stranger Things actor Sean Astin spoke on behalf of Indiana, while The Wire and Treme actor Wendell Pierce spoke up when Louisiana cast its delegate votes. Wendell Pierce speaks as a "proud son of Louisiana" during the state's roll call #DNC: pic.twitter.com/6Q32Ij50c0  philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) August 21, 2024

Why did California and Minnesota 'pass' during the roll call? The delegations of California and Minnesota dramatically "passed" instead of throwing their support to Kamala Harris and Tim Walz during the ceremonial roll call. Those are Harris's and Walz's home states and are expected to weigh in at the end of the process.

Lil Jon steals the show during DNC roll call During the DNC's ceremonial roll call on Tuesday night, rapper Lil Jon made a sudden appearance and performed a segment of his 2013 hit "Turn Down for What." The rapper, who hails from Atlanta, appeared in the stands before the Georgia Democratic Party Chair Nikema Williams announced the state's ceremonial votes for Kamala Harris.

DJ Cassidy speaks during Roll Call at the Democratic National Convention. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)

DNC begins roll call  with a twist The Democratic National Convention hosted a ceremonial roll call to nominate Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as the party's presidential and vice presidential nominees. It process is ceremonial because the party already officially endorsed the candidates prior to the convention in a virtual roll call. The convention roll call has traditionally made for rather boring television, as each of the 57 state and territory delegations cast their votes one by one. This year, according to the Chicago Sun Times, the Democrats will instead feature "a DJ on the stage with music, lights and surprise guests. ... The vibe, planners say, will be that of a celebration before the prime-time speakers take the stage."

Nabela Noor speaks about infertility struggles, advocates for reproductive rights Nabela Noor speaks during night two of the DNC. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) Nabela Noor, a Muslim American content creator, spoke out about her struggles with infertility. With more than 11 million followers across her social media platforms, Noor has been outspoken about her journey to motherhood and the challenges she's experienced along the way. "Today, we have two beautiful daughters," she told the crowd at the United Center. "But this is not everyone's ending. For many women, IVF is the only choice. That choice and more is at stake in November. The freedom to plan your family, the hope of having a family at all. I am here to stand with everyone fighting for our reproductive freedoms."

Chicago native Common performs 'Fortunate' Common performs during the Democratic National Convention. (Matt Rourke/AP) Common, a Chicago-born rapper, performed his 2024 song "Fortunate" featuring Pete Rock during the second night of the DNC. In 2011, Fox News described the rapper-turned-actor as a "controversial" figure after he was invited to then-first lady Michelle Obama's White House Poetry Jam. The "Never Have I Ever" actor, who released his latest album earlier this summer, was a vocal supporter of former President Obama. He has also been involved in raising awareness about gun violence.

Former Trump press secretary Stephanie Grisham explains why she is voting for Harris Former Trump White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, "I wasn't just a Trump supporter, I was a true believer," Grisham said. Grisham went on to describe how Trump privately mocked his supporters as "basement dwellers" and boasted about telling lies. "Say it enough and people will believe you," Grisham said Trump told her. Grisham resigned from her role in the Trump administration just hours after the former president's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Jan. 6, of course, was my breaking point, she said her decision to step down. And I was really proud that I was, well, the first in the administration to resign. Grisham also testified before the House Jan. 6 Select Committee. "Now here I am behind a podium, advocating for a Democrat," Grisham said Tuesday, "and that's because I love my country more than my party. Kamala Harris tells the truth. She respects the American people and she has my vote."

Ex-Trump voter: 'I'm voting for Kamala Harris' Former Trump voter Kyle Sweetser. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Kyle Sweetser, a former Trump supporter, took to the stage to explain his conversion to the Harris campaign. "I voted for Trump, not once, not twice, but three times. You see, I work in construction. I work with my hands. He told us he'd look out for blue-collar workers," Sweetser told delegates. "I donated to him many times throughout his presidency." However, he said he "started to see Trump's tariff policy in action. Costs for construction workers like me were starting to soar. I realized Trump wasn't for me." Sweetser said he wasn't "left-wing  period." But, he added, Harris is "going to tackle inflation. Trump will make it worse. I'm voting for Kamala Harris because she'll make us proud to be an American again."

Malcolm Kenyatta takes the stage with Project 2025 book Malcolm Kenyatta speaks as he holds a copy of the Heritage Foundation's "Mandate for Leadership," a major component of the "Project 2025" political initiative. (Mandel Ngan/Getty Images) Malcolm Kenyatta, a state representative for Pennsylvania, brought out the oversize Project 2025 book that Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow displayed during the first night of the DNC. According to organizers, the Project 2025 prop will be brought out and discussed every night of the DNC this week. "It's our turn to make history," Kenyatta said.

Jack Schlossberg, Jason Carter compare their grandfathers' legacies to potential Harris presidency Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, and Jason Carter, the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter, took the stage in succession to share their support for Harris. Carter's grandfather, 99, said he intends to vote for Harris. Schlossberg, who has gone viral on social media and has worked as a political correspondent for Vogue, called Harris "a leader who shares my grandfather's energy, vision and optimism for the future."

Patti LaBelle performs during night 2 of DNC Patti LaBelle at the DNC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Singer Patti LaBelle took the stage at the start of night two of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, serenading the crowd with an "In Memoriam" tribute to fallen leaders with the 1978 track "You Are My Friend." LaBelle, who has previously voiced her support for President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, gave a shout-out to Harris at the end of her performance. "God Bless America, Kamala Harris," she said to cheers.

What is Project 2025? A major talking point that will come up every night of the DNC is Project 2025. The conservative-led effort is, essentially, a 922-page wish list for the next Republican administration and would radically reshape how the American government works. Harris and her allies have leveraged Project 2025 as an attack against the Trump campaign, although Trump has publicly distanced himself from the project and claimed he has nothing to do with it. Some of its initiatives include eliminating the Department of Education, having the federal government promote biblically based, social science reinforced heterosexual marriages, imposing wide restrictions on abortion access and allocating funding for more border walls. Read more from Yahoo News: Project 2025 takes center stage at the DNC. What to know about the conservative policy plan Kamala Harris and other Dems keep attacking.

In his speech, second gentleman Doug Emhoff will call Harris a 'joyful warrior' Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff. (Julia Nikhinson/AP) According to released excerpts from second gentleman Doug Emhoff's speech later tonight, he will call Harris a "joyful warrior"  aligning with the campaign's message of optimism. Kamala is a joyful warrior," he plans to say. "It's doing for her country what she has always done for the people she loves. Her passion will benefit all of us when she's our president. "Heres the thing about joyful warriors: Theyre still warriors. And Kamala is as tough as it comes.

Harris and Walz campaign in Milwaukee during night 2 of the DNC As the second day of the DNC gets underway, Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will not be in attendance at Chicago's United Center. Instead, they will be holding a massive campaign rally in nearby Milwaukee. The decision to campaign at a separate location is highly unusual, especially since it could set up a split-screen moment with high-profile speakers who are scheduled to appear at the DNC.

Michael Cohen attends day two of the DNC Michael Cohen, former attorney for Donald Trump, at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday. (Vincent Alban/Reuters) Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, a key witness his former boss's New York criminal trial, is attending of the DNC on its second day.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus says Harris is not like her 'Veep' character, though it 'might be another candidate' Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the star of "Veep," in 2019. (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO) Julia Louis-Dreyfus made a live appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert from the DNC this week. The "Veep" actress said that while her fictional character Selina Meyer was a female vice president, that's the only similarity the character and Vice President Kamala Harris share. Variety reports: When Colbert brought up the fact that Veep viewership has increased by 350%, Louis-Dreyfus said, Its a great thing, I think? Still, she felt the need to clarify that Meyer and Harris do not share the same personality traits.

Let me explain to you, on Veep I played a narcissistic, megalomaniac sociopath, and that is not Kamala Harris, she said, adding: It might be another candidate in the race.

Colbert then asked which Veep character reminds Louis-Dreyfus the most of Donald Trumps running mate JD Vance. That would be Jonah Ryan, she said, referring to Meyers White House liaison, played by Timothy Simons, who constantly clashes with members of her staff. Read more from Variety: Julia Louis-Dreyfus says Kamala Harris is not a narcissistic, megalomaniac sociopath like her Veep character: That might be another candidate

Former Trump press secretary Stephanie Grisham, other Republicans to speak at the DNC Stephanie Grisham listens to then-President Donald Trump speak to reporters in November 2019. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham will speak Tuesday evening at the DNC. "I never thought I'd be speaking at a Democratic convention. But, after seeing firsthand who Donald Trump really is, and the threat he poses to our country, I feel very strongly about speaking out," Grisham told NBC News. Grisham is one of several Republicans who are expected to appear at the DNC in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, including: Conservative political commentator Ana Navarro. The co-host of ABC's The View will host the second night of the DNC on Tuesday. In the 2016 election cycle, she was notably critical of Trump. As of 2020, she was still a member of the Republican Party but did not support the party's nominee. Navarro has endorsed Harris. Mayor of Mesa, Ariz., John Giles: He endorsed Harris last month and is set to speak Tuesday night at the DNC. "I do not recognize my own party. The Republican Party has been taken over by extremists that are committed to forcing people in the center of the political spectrum out of the party," Giles said at a Harris-Walz rally this month. "Please join me in putting country over party and stopping Donald Trump." Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger: He is expected to speak at the DNC on Thursday, according to CNN. Kinzinger voted to impeach Trump in 2021 in relation to his role in allegedly inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Kinzinger didn't seek reelection and left Congress in 2023. He endorsed Harris for president and is part of the "Republicans for Harris" group that aims to entice voters who don't want to vote for Trump. Former lieutenant governor of Georgia, Geoff Duncan: He has shown his support for Harris and is expected to speak this week at the DNC. "Just because you vote for Kamala Harris in 2024 doesn't mean you're a Democrat. It just means you're a patriot. You're doing your duty as an American to step up to the plate and reclaim this country's future," Duncan told CNN. Former Trump White House national security official Olivia Troye: She is also expected to speak at the DNC this week. Troye previously joined Harris on the campaign trail in Michigan just before President Biden dropped out of the presidential race.

List of speakers for night 2 The DNC has released the speaker lineup for the second night of the convention. Jason Carter, grandson of former President Jimmy Carter Jack Schlossberg, grandson of the late President John F. Kennedy Pennsylvania State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta Kyle Sweetser, former Trump voter Stephanie Grisham, former Trump White House press secretary Nabela Noor, content creator Michigan Sen. Gary Peters Kenneth Stribling, retired Teamster Ana Navarro, The View co-host who is host of night 2 Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker Ken Chenault, American business executive New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Angela Alsobrooks, Democratic Maryland Senate candidate Mesa, Ariz., Mayor John Giles Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth Second gentleman Doug Emhoff Former first lady Michelle Obama Former President Barack Obama

How Harris's campaign got a boost from Obama Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama at an event to mark the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act on April 5, 2022. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Former President Barack Obama gave Vice President Kamala Harris some advice after she secured the Democratic presidential nomination, which was to take advantage of the talent available to run her campaign, Reuters reports. "[Obama] just wanted her to know that she was in a position to recruit anyone she thought they needed," a source familiar with Obama and Harris's conversation told Reuters. High-profile alumni of Obama's successful 2008 and 2012 election efforts, including former campaign manager David Plouffe, have now joined Harris's election campaign. Obama, who is expected to speak at the DNC on Tuesday night, has known Harris for two decades.

Photos: Protesters clash with the police outside the DNC on Monday At least 13 people were arrested Monday during protests related to the Democratic National Convention, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said Tuesday. Charges ranged from criminal trespass to aggravated battery of police officers, Snelling said. Police officers detain a man after several protesters broke through a security fence near the United Center during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday. (Adrees Latif/Reuters) Officers detain a demonstrator during the "March on the DNC" rally on the first day of the convention. (Seth Herald/Reuters) A protester is taken into custody. (Alex Brandon/AP) A person's feet dangle as he sits on top of a fence in front of riot police during the "March on the DNC" rally. (Marco Bello/Reuters)

Rumors swirl around Beyonce, Taylor Swift making DNC appearances Beyonce and Taylor Swift last fall in Los Angeles. (John Shearer/Getty Images for TAS) A major performer has yet to be announced for this year's Democratic National Convention, fueling fan speculation that Beyonce or Taylor Swift could make an appearance in Chicago because both artists endorsed the Biden-Harris ticket in 2020. In this election cycle, Beyonce gave the Harris campaign permission to use her hit song "Freedom" for the vice president to walk out to on the campaign trail. Harris also walked out to the song while making a surprise appearance to kick off the DNC on Monday. Meanwhile, Swift has not made a presidential endorsement this election cycle and is currently in London finishing off the European leg of her "Eras Tour" on Tuesday. Fans speculate in theory she could make it back to Chicago in time for the final two nights of the convention. But Deadline has quashed any Swift rumors, reporting that a DNC insider said a Swift appearance would overshadow Harris at the Democratic convention.

Harris will need help from a Democratic Congress to pass her proposed agenda Vice President Kamala Harris has revealed some of her proposed policies for next year if she wins the White House. But some of her biggest agenda plans will need Democrats to have control of the House and Senate if they want to see the light of day, like a child care tax credit for middle-class families and extending Affordable Care Act subsidies. NBC News reports: There is little in Harris' agenda that can be achieved by executive action  and any attempts would most likely get tied up in court. And Republicans are already telegraphing that if they control either the House or the Senate under a Harris presidency, her early plans would be dead on arrival.



"What we really need to do is to win the trifecta," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said at a recent fundraiser with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee. "Because if President Harris has to contend with MAGA crazies in the House or mischief makers in the Senate, its going to be a very different Harris presidency. We need to win the trifecta." Read more from NBC News: Harris is rolling out her agenda. She'll need a Democratic Congress to pass it. Show more updates

Cover thumbnail photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP
MORGAN COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) The first day of testimony has wrapped up in the capital murder case of Frederic Rogers who is charged, along with John Legg, with killing seven people in Valhermoso Springs in June 2020.

Rogers, 26, could face the death penalty if he is convicted. Legg does not yet have a trial date.

Limestone County man charged with child sex crimes, torture

The opening statements included prosecutors telling jurors some victims had been shot as many as 16 times.

And, with the defense taking the unusual position of agreeing with the prosecution, that Rogers is guilty.

Rogers and Legg are accused of killing seven people in what investigators said was a dispute within their motorcycle club dubbed The Seven Deadly Sins.

Morgan County Assistant District Attorney Courtney Schellack opened by telling jurors the case is special due to its sheer magnitude. Investigators have called it the worst murder case in Morgan County history.

61-year-old man killed after motorcycle crash in Lawrence County

Schellack laid out the facts of the case saying deputies arrived at a house on Talucah Road to find three people dead in a garage with at least one of them on fire. She said as the deputies worked their way through the house, sometimes dealing with other fires, they found even more bodies, seven in all. The assistant DA said each victim had been shot multiple times, as many as 16 times each.

She said ultimately the suspects were narrowed down to Rogers and Legg who were later found in Oregon 17 days later.

During his opening statement, Defense Attorney Carl Cole offered a surprise, saying Rogers is guilty of capital murder. He said Rogers will die in prison because the jury will find him guilty.

News 19s Dallas Parker said Rogers nodded in the courtroom when Cole said he was guilty.

Victim identified after deadly dump truck wreck in Morgan County

Cole said the question before the jury is how Rogers is going to die. Cole said the jury gets to decide if that is by natural causes in prison or via the death penalty. He said the defense wont argue that Rogers is not guilty.

Hes guilty okay? We are trying to help explain, but not excuse, why we are here, he said.

Cole apologized to the victims families and said the evidence of the killings was going to make jurors uncomfortable.

Cole said Rogers ultimately told authorities why he and Legg went to Oregon and shared information about Legg.

In the end, he handcuffs himself and turns himself over to the government knowing hes never not going to be in their control again, Cole said while playing a video showing Rogers in an interrogation room.

Cole said Rogers will spend his life in prison but he wasnt born wanting that to happen. He said the defense will ask the jury to find value in his life during the penalty phase of the trial.

Capital murder trials can contain two phases. The guilt phase is the standard trial  where a jury decides whether the convict or acquit the defendant. If they decide on conviction, then the trial moves to the penalty phase. In the penalty phase both sides present arguments on why the jury should vote for the death penalty or life in prison without parole. Those are the only two sentences possible in Alabama for a capital murder conviction.

Testimony Tuesday started at the beginning of the case. Prosecutors focused primarily on the original 911 call and body cam footage and photos from the crime scene. Jurors heard from the two deputies who originally responded to the scene.

Body camera footage from a former Morgan County deputy showed how he worked his way through the house, finding several bodies, one on fire.

Crime Scene Investigator Jacob Fanning also testified to photos of the scene he took during the investigation. The photos showed each of the victims, where they were found in the house and their injuries.

Fanning also testified concerning ballistics at the scene. He said after Rogers and Legg were arrested in Oregon their vehicle was taken back to Alabama and searched. Fanning said three guns were found in the vehicle including a Taurus pistol and another Taurus firearm.

After the testimony on the guns, the court broke for the day.

The judge told the jury, who was sworn in on Friday, that the trial was likely to last into mid-September.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
A local Republican leader in the Pennsylvania suburbs was removed from his position on the Montgomery County Republican Committee on Monday night for his outspoken criticism of former President Donald Trump

The incident comes just days after he was allegedly swatted at his home after voicing the same concerns on cable news.

Until Monday night, Matthew McCaffery served as a Republican committeeperson for Upper Merion, a Philadelphia suburb famous for Valley Forge National Historical Parkthe Revolutionary War site where George Washington trained the Continental Army.

McCaffery was a vocal supporter of South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, 6 ABC reported, but after Trump clinched the nomination, he began openly speaking about endorsing the Democratic nominee.

Last month, McCaffery penned an op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer, announcing his opposition to the Republican candidate due to his disparagement of veterans during his first term. McCaffery specifically cited his comments about former Sen. John McCain, an Air Force veteran and former prisoner of war in Vietnam.

I got involved in the Republican Committee in 2022 to try to turn the tide, McCaffery told CNN on Friday. I want to get good Republicans elected to office, especially here in Montgomery County, and as long as Trump is on the top of the ticket, were just going to keep losing.

Matt McCaffrey is a man who is NOT a coward like Trump. He is standing up for RIGHT. Trump is a convicted felon 34 times over. The real question is WHY is the GOP pushing a convicted criminal down the throats of Republicans who are good, honest people?



pic.twitter.com/Dkjbu4msP4  Beki Knott  (@lotsofuss) August 17, 2024

Later that same evening, McCaffery and his wife were woken up by police officers at his front door.

Its midnight and somebody's pounding on my door, what the heck could this be? McCaffery told ABC Action News. Me and my wife met at the top of the stairs and I was like, I think we're being swatted.

Security camera footage from the incident shows armed police officers searching McCaffery on his front porch while the Republican leader holds both arms in the air.

A spokesperson for Upper Merion Township confirmed to the Daily Beast that police were called to McCafferys home on Friday. Our officers checked the residence and found no issue at the location. The incident is an active criminal investigation and we will not speculate on motives.

McCaffery, however, was certain he was swatted.

Theres no doubt in my mind. Apparently, I ruffled somebodys feathers somewhere. And I hope that the perpetrator is caught, McCaffery told the local station.

Despite the drama over the weekend, the Montgomery County Republican Committee still moved to oust him at a disciplinary meeting on Monday night.

The Committee felt this to be a very straightforward case, the committees chair Christian Nascimento said in a letter McCaffery later posted on X. Your very public continuous disparaging remarks against President Donald J. Trump and endorsement of Kamala Harris is in clear violation of MCRCs bylaws.

The local committee also cited McCafferys frequent comments and interviews with the press, and his lack of remorse for violating the rule.

When asked why you would not resign from your positions, you stated that in all your time working, you most likely violated bylaws and never resignedboth in the U.S. Marines and in the private sector, the letter reads. The Committee felt this line of commentary illustrates your apathy towards your actions.

The Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast. McCaffery could not immediately be reached when contacted on social media.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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BARAGA, Mich. (WJMN)  Prison corrections workers and their supporters were out on the picket line for a second day on Tuesday outside of the Baraga Maximum Correctional Facility.

This comes over a month after the Michigan Corrections Organization, a union representing prison guards, made a public plea to the governor to activate the national guard to help address what they are calling a staffing crisis in prisons across the state.

BACKGROUND: U.P. lawmakers make demands after prison guards sound alarm on U.P. max-security prisons, statewide facilities

In the weeks since then, the MCO has been releasing information about the working conditions in state prisons.

In the Baraga facility, they said the staff vacancy rate is now above 30%, leading to hundreds of hours of mandatory overtime and over a hundred overtime violations within the first three weeks of July.

At todays picket, workers were joined by local legislators Jenn Hill and Greg Markkanen who said they are with them in their effort to improve the situation.

I have three prisons in my district, said State Rep. Jenn Hill (D-Marquette),  the 109th has Alger, Baraga and Marquette. And at all of those facilities, they are severely understaffed and having to do mandatory 16-hour shifts, and that is preventing folks from having family life, preventing them from being able to get educations to perhaps increase their opportunities.

State Rep. Greg Markkanen agreed, saying, thats just not a good situation for corrections officers that are asked to do so much with so little for so long that, you know, eventually somethings going to happen and we dont want that to happen.

On their efforts to alleviate the situation, Hill pointed to one bill currently in the State Senate that could roll corrections workers into the same pension plan offered to state police officers.

Hill has also introduced a bill that would remove an education requirement in an effort to make more people eligible for jobs in the Michigan Department of Corrections.

The staff shortage has been going on since about 1997 when they started losing their benefits, healthcare, their pension, said Markkanen. We need to bring that back if we want to have a healthy correctional force in Michigan.

Hill said higher pay may also be a target for legislators, saying it used to be that a fast food job was six dollars and a prison job was sixteen. Today, those numbers are much closer to each other when you can make wages that are almost the same, its really challenging.

Corrections workers are set for a third informational picket outside of the Marquette Branch Prison on Wednesday.

Markkanen said Governor Whitmer may also be speaking about a bipartisan solution this week.

This is a developing story. Local 3 will bring you the latest updates on-air and online.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJMN - UPMatters.com.
Istari Digital, a startup led by former Air Force acquisition chief Will Roper, is partnering with Lockheed Martin Skunk Works to demonstrate the ability to digitally certify an aircraft before its built, a process that could make it easier to develop and test military aircraft in the future.

The partnership, announced Monday, is part of a $19 million contract the Air Force awarded Istari last year through a program called Flyer One. The company will use its digital engineering platform to modify and certify a drone  in this case, the X-56A initially built in 2013 by Skunk Works, Lockheeds innovation arm. The modifications include changes to the aircrafts landing gear and cameras and other updates to address obsolescence.

Roper, who led the Air Force acquisition shop from 2018 to 2021, created the company two years ago to develop innovative digital engineering technology that could streamline hardware development in the same way collaborative tools have transformed software development in recent years.

The idea to digitally certify an aircraft came from a visit Roper took to McLaren Racing toward the end of his Air Force tenure. The British racing team competes in Formula One and uses digital engineering to rapidly iterate on car designs.

They dont win with a race car. They win with a race car building process, he told Defense News in a recent interview. When you look at that and you look at the defense industry where everything is built at a glacial pace, it really seemed like harnessing that was going to be critical for competition, especially with China.

The key to McLarens success, according to Roper, is that they were able to connect the many digital tools they use to design and simulate a vehicles performance. That linkage allowed them to create an automated workflow.

However, mimicking that process for the military is more complicated. Developing a race car may require hundreds of tools, but in the aerospace sector, an advanced system can require thousands. There are also intellectual property challenges, with firms hesitant to put their proprietary information on someone elses network.

What we had to do in aerospace was twice as hard, maybe three times as hard as Formula One because we had the challenge of aggregation and then we also had layers of classification to deal with and simply a bigger problem in terms of number of tools, he said.

Roper said his team at Istari spent its first year or so trying to figure out how to apply McLarens model to defense and aerospace applications. Now, the company thinks its found a solution, and its using Flyer One and its X-56A modification as its test case.

The firm has already started working with Skunk Works on the effort and recently passed its critical design review. Its next milestone is a military flight release.

Traditionally, a program would build and fly a physical airplane, collect data and submit an airworthiness package for approval. For Flyer One, the process is similar except the data is all collected through digital models and simulation.

Roper said he expects to complete the flight certification process by the end of this year and then build the aircraft and start flying it within a year after that to determine if its flight performance matches the digital modeling.

While this type of digital flight certification hasnt been done before, Roper said the project itself is a pragmatic one: using an existing aircraft and partnering with an established defense firm rather than designing and building a new system from scratch.

We believe, and I think our Air Force partners would echo this, that were going to be able to do this because were not extrapolating so far that people wont believe the models and simulations, he said. Its just simply bringing into focus that we need to have a different certification process that makes sense for a world of digital design and digital testing.
Congresswoman Lois Frankel said Monday this week's Democratic National Convention is an opportunity to introduce the country to Vice President Kamala Harris, lay out the party's vision and refute what she called Donald Trump's "lies."

"The goal should be for people to really know who our nominee is," said Frankel, who is a Florida delegate and former mayor of West Palm Beach. "The more people know Kamala Harris, the more they're going to like her."

Already, she noted that Harris' entry into the race as the party's presumptive nominee a month ago has energized the party. In Florida alone, Harris campaign officials have said, more than 22,000 people have volunteered to assist.

"The enthusiasm is there. Even in Florida, it's big," she said.

Frankel also said the four-day quadrennial gathering of party leaders, elected officials, candidates and others offers Democrats a platform to explain the policy menu.

DNC 2024 coverage: Harris arrives in Chicago with momentum. Can she capitalize by increasing appeal with voters?

She acknowledged that even as the rate of inflation has been curtailed, "we still know there are people hurting." But she said there are other are other costly issues for families that Democrats, not Republicans, want to address.

One is broadening the child tax credit and the so-called care economy, measures to assist families struggling with child and elder care. Those issues loom even larger in Florida, she said, because the state is one of the few that refused to expand Medicaid to a larger population of families.

Democratic Party State Senator Tina Polsky and US Congress woman Lois Frankel address a group of Kamala Harris supporters and volunteers, Sunday July 28, 2024 in Delray Beach. Dozens of volunteers crammed into the party facilities to serve as call bank volunteers. "We have never seen these many volunteers turn out," said a party official addressing the crowd.

Abortion issue to unleash voter 'flood,' Lois Frankel predicts

Frankel also took Trump to task, deriding the former president's assertion that access to abortion is no longer a campaign issue.

She pointed out that Florida has one of the most restrictive laws in the country, and that's partly behind a surge of women, 2-to-1 to men, coming out to volunteer. Voters, she predicted, will follow.

"It's going to be like a flood in Florida of people getting out to vote to support the candidates that support reproductive freedom and support Amendment 4," she said. "The principle that women should decide when and if to start or grow a family is a personal health care decision and not for politicians."

And Democrats meeting in Chicago will also draw a "stark" contrast to Trump's agenda, Frankel added. She said the party will oppose more tax cuts to "billionaires and big corporations" and call out Trump's "lies" in saying he does not embrace the controversial and extremist Project 2025 blueprint for governance.

Democrats, Frankel said, will also point out Trump's hypocrisy in decrying the state of border security when he opposed the legislation, which was negotiated in the U.S. Senate with conservative Oklahoma Republican James Lankford.

"Senate Democrats, Joe Biden and Senate Republicans had one of the toughest immigration deals on the table ready to pass," Frankel said. "Then Donald Trump called his friends in the Senate and put a hold on it because he wanted it to be an issue in the campaign."

Frankel added that right now, the level of border crossings has fallen, and she said Democrats will seek to set the record straight on immigration reform.

"We want to do more than build a wall," she said. "We do believe there should be border security, an orderly process for people wanting to come into the country, but you're not going to just do that with a wall."

Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lois Frankel at DNC 2024: Present Kamala Harris, refute Trump lies
This London Airport Is About to Expand, Making It Easier for Europe-hopping Travelers

It's one of Europe's most convenient airports.

Leon Neal/Getty Images A British Airways aircraft comes in to land at London City Airport

A small London airport is about to expand, making it easier to fly to destinations across Europe.

London City Airport (LCY), which is located just east of the city, will be allowed to expand from 6.5 million passengers to 9 million passengers each year, according to the Department for Transport. It will also be able to add three extra early morning weekday flights.

The small airport features just 15 gates spread across two wings and last year served only 3.4 million passengers. Thats a tiny fraction of the 79 million passengers who passed through Londons international Heathrow Airport (LHR) last year.

Favored because of its close proximity to central London, London City Airport has been increasing passenger since the pandemic, according to the airport. However, it hasnt yet reached its pre-pandemic numbers like the 5.1 million travelers it handled in 2019.

The airport offers flights to more than two dozen different destinations across the United Kingdom and Europe, including from major carriers like British Airways, Lufthansa, and KLM.

While the airport will be allowed to expand, it will not be allowed to increase its opening hours. Currently, London City Airport is open from 4:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday through Friday, from 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays, and from 4:45 a.m. to just 1 p.m. on Saturdays.

The airport requested to instead close at 6:30 p.m. on Saturdays, but that was denied due to a number of concerns, including noise.

While we welcome the approval to increase our passenger numbers, we are disappointed with the Governments decision to reject our proposal to fly from 12:30pm to 6:30pm on Saturday afternoons, Alison FitzGerald, the CEO of London City Airport, said in a statement. As the Government has recognised in its decision, rejecting our request to extend our Saturday afternoon operating hours will slow down airlines bringing cleaner, quieter next generation aircraft to the airport. Local residents would have had the added benefit of these aircraft operating at the airport throughout the week, not just in the extended operating hours.

London boasts six major airports: Heathrow Airport (LHR), London Gatwick Airport (LGW), London City Airport (LCY), London Luton Airport (LTN), London Stansted Airport (STN), and London Southend Airport (SEN).

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Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
Fatima Latifova

Since September 25 of last year, womens mine clearance teams have been operational, and by August 15 of this year, a total of 3,203,997 square meters of land have been cleared, Azernews reports, citing Hafiz Safikhanov, Chairman of the "Azerbaijan Campaign Against Mines" Public Union, as he stated this at a press conference dedicated to the results of the project Enhancing International Support for Mine Clearance in Azerbaijan.

"As a result, 12 antipersonnel mines, 25 antitank mines, and 77 unexploded ordnance items have been discovered," he added.

He noted that womens mine clearance teams are currently clearing a minefield in the village of N?mirli in the Aghdam district and a battle area in the village of Gulluc?. Additionally, technical investigations are being carried out in Gulluc?. Over the past period this year, these teams have cleared 2,524,291 square meters of land and discovered 17 antitank mines and 6 unexploded ordnance items. The activities of the womens mine clearance teams are supported by professional experts from the BAMF Community Mine Action Team, as well as APOPOs mine detection dogs and rats. Additionally, when necessary, mine detection machines from ANAMA are also involved in the operations.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  Tens of thousands of customers remained without power across Puerto Rico on Tuesday, a week after Ernesto swiped the U.S. territory as a tropical storm. Authorities pledged to restore electricity to everyone by the weekend.

The National Weather Service issued yet another excessive heat advisory, warning of dangerously hot and humid conditions.

More than 40,000 out of nearly 1.5 million customers remained without power in the afternoon. All schools should have electricity by late Tuesday, officials said, and noted that some 80% of emergency medical clinics, which exclude hospitals, have power.

The northeast coastal town of Luquillo, popular with tourists, reported the highest number of outages, with 30% of clients without power. The towns and cities of Fajardo, Rio Grande and Yabucoa were also affected.

Juan Saca, president of Luma Energy, a private consortium that oversees the transmission and distribution of power in Puerto Rico, said the company was working 24 hours a day, but that alongside the outages blamed on the storm, theres a deficit in generation.

Up to 70,000 clients could be temporarily left in the dark late Tuesday, and another 90,000 were already hit Monday by a manual reduction in power to Puerto Rico's grid.

Its very annoying, I dont want to minimize that, Saca told reporters, stressing that those outages are brief.

Luma has come under fire ever since it took over transmission and distribution in June 2021 as Puerto Ricos Electric Power Authority struggles to restructure more than $9 billion in debt.

Recently, a growing number of officials, including those seeking votes during an election year, have called for the government to cancel Lumas contract.

Gov. Pedro Pierluisi has backed Lumas work and its swift response in the wake of Ernesto. In the span of three days, already 96% of the population had electric service, he said Monday.

During the storm, which spun past the island last Tuesday and Wednesday, a peak of 750,000 clients were without power. Officials blamed trees that fell on power lines and high winds.

However, anger has persisted across an island of 3.2 million people with a more than 40% poverty rate and where few can afford generators or solar panels.

With all the damage caused by the storm, and LUMA Energys inefficiency in powering with precision and agility, Puerto Rico urgently needs other, more reliable energy sources, said Jesus Hernandez Arroyo, president of the island's House energy commission.

Puerto Ricos Energy Bureau questioned why the average outage duration per customer increased by 9% from fiscal year 2023 to 2024, for a total of 1,448 minutes.

Story continues

Julio Aguilar, Lumas director of reliability and distribution automation, said at Tuesday's news conference that weather and other things can contribute to a rise and fall in outages within one year, and that it takes five years to establish a base and metrics.

The improvements are happening," he said "They will be seen.

Puerto Ricos power grid remains fragile after Hurricane Maria razed it in September 2017 as a powerful Category 4 storm, though the grid already was crumbling before that, due to a lack of maintenance and investment.
A stray donkey found wandering the streets of San Antonio was dubbed Eeyore and given a new home at an equine rescue facility. Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio Animal Care Services/Facebook

Aug. 20 (UPI) -- A stray donkey found wandering the streets of San Antonio, Texas, has moved on to "greener pastures" at an equine rescue facility.

City of San Antonio Animal Care Services said on social media that animal care officers responded recently to a report of a stray donkey "wandering around town."

"When they arrived, they found that an SAPD officer had already hee-hawed into action, securing the adorable donkey (who we later named Eeyore) to a nearby pole," officials wrote.

The post said Eeyore "has now trotted off to greener pastures -- he's been transferred to the loving care of one of our equine rescue partners, Triple Me Mac Equine Sanctuary."
This loss is immeasurable; Ohio fire chief killed while on vacation

An Ohio fire department has announced the loss of its fire chief who was killed while on vacation.

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Killbuck Township Fire Chief Scott Kashuba was killed in a traffic accident while on vacation in South Dakota Monday, the fire department announced in a social media post.

The fire department says it is considering this an active-duty death.

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Chief Scott Kashuba dedicated 22 years of his life to the community that is Killbuck Township, the fire department said.

During this time he earned his level one and two volunteer firefighters, became an EMT and advanced EMT, and a fire inspector and instructor.

This loss is immeasurable and the community will certainly be at a loss because of it, the post said.

It is with a heavy heart to inform you that on August 19,2024 Killbuck Township Fire and EMS lost a pillar of the... Posted by Killbuck Twp Fire & EMS on Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris embraces President Biden after his speech Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Officially, it's the Democratic National Convention. But so far it's also been a lovefest.

And it was captured in a viral moment from the gathering in Chicago on Monday night  an intimate utterance seen, but not heard, by millions tuning in.

After President Biden completed his rousing, late-night speech, Vice President Kamala Harris hugged him and appeared to say, "I love you," according to several reports. (Some said that she punctuated the statement with "so much.")

As they embraced, "Higher Love" by Kygo and Whitney Houston blasted in the United Center. Biden's speech had also been preceded by another amorous song: Jackie Wilsons (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher.

Read more: Biden, in fiery and emotional convention speech, makes a case for Harris

In a divisive presidential campaign, the tenderness on display Monday felt, at least to some, like a palate cleanser. One X user wrote, "what a truly special moment." Said another: "I'm not crying, you're crying." And teary-eyed emojis abounded.

The evening contrasted with July's Republican National Convention, where former President Trump warned that the United States faced "a massive invasion at our southern border that has spread misery, crime, poverty, disease and destruction to communities all across our land," according to a transcript of his remarks. Trump used "love" 22 times, though not every expression was positive.

Describing conversations with foreign leaders while he was in office, Trump said that they agreed to take back gang members who had crossed into the U.S. via Mexico: "They called back and they said, 'Sir, it would be our great honor to take MS-13. We love them very much. We love them very much, sir.'"

Biden, in his convention speech, actually used "love" less than Trump. He said it 12 times, according to a transcript of his address. Yet he cloaked himself in love. After an extended opening ovation, the president, who last month decided to not seek reelection, spoke of "love" for family and country. And even before the speech began, he acknowledged the crowd's ardor with an earnest, "I love you."

"It's been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your president," Biden continued. "I love the job, but I love my country more."

Rep. Robert Garcia of Long Beach, center, and fellow members of the California delegation cheer President Biden at the Democratic National Convention on Monday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

During Biden's speech, convention attendees chanted, "We love Joe." And they held signs that said "We  Joe."

Lovey-dovey, indeed. But a close listen to Wilson's song  which famously sent the Statue of Liberty strolling in "Ghostbusters 2"  reminds that sunshine comes after darkness.

Perhaps it was fitting, given Biden's reluctance to bow out of the race earlier this summer, prompting longtime allies, such as Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) to make the case, at great pains, that he should not seek a second term.

As the song says:

"Once, I was downhearted

Disappointment was my closest friend

But then, you came and it soon departed

And you know he never showed his face again."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  The topic of transitioning was the focus at the Little Rock School District boards special meeting on Monday after the superintendent announced his resignation last week.

Many people at the meeting were still in shock after hearing news of Superintendent Jermall Wrights resignation announced in a letter sent to LRSD Board President Michael Mason last Thursday.

I was surprised and disappointed, LRSD board member Greg Adams said. I dont think that this was something We had not talked about it as a board with him.

Little Rock School District Superintendent Jermall Wright announces resignation

The people on this board know that they have a very important decision to make, LaToya Morgan said. You know we cant go back and forth about it; we have to accept it and move forward.

Morgan, one of the public commenters at the special meeting, believes that the board should step up and find a new leader to guide the district following the resignation.

However, many of the public comments asked for both Wright and the board to reconsider in the best interest of the students and the community.

My hope is that Dr. Wright reconsiders and knows that as a community and as a parent, we value him, Angela Mull said.

LRSD Superintendent Jermall Wright shares statement after resignation announcement; parent reacts to resignation

Public comments were the first things heard before a closed-door executive session to discuss Wrights resignation, a transition plan for future leadership and the potential punishment of a board member.

The executive session lasted for more than an hour. When the board returned, it announced that no decision had been made, and the meeting was adjourned.

Adams said that this is a challenging time for him and the board as a whole.

Theres no changes to how we started the meeting to how things are now, Adams said.

Little Rock School District Superintendent Jermall Wright responds to concerns about his resignation

We are actively working to ensure that a new superintendent is named in a timely manner and are in the process of outlining a comprehensive transition plan, LRSD Board President Michael Mason said.

Wrights contract was set to end at the end of June in 2026.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLRT - FOX16.com.
A sign marks the entrance to the LSU Library at the Baton Rouge campus.

The LSU Library sits in the middle of campus on Monday, March 20, 2023, in Baton Rouge. (Matthew Perschall for Louisiana Illuminator)

As LSU makes its bid for membership in a prestigious academic organization, its librarians have been put on notice to publish more research.

In a meeting last week for all librarians in the university system, LSU administrators informed them their campuses would not hire any more tenure-track librarians and that those on the tenure track or with tenure would have one year to decide if they want to maintain their status and publish more often. Several librarians in the meeting shared details from the discussion with the Illuminator.

The changes are part of LSUs bid to join the American Association of Universities (AAU), a group of 71 premiere research institutions in the United States and Canada.

To join the association, LSU has to significantly increase its research spending, faculty awards, books published and the number of times its research is cited among other academics.

LSU lags significantly behind AAU institutions in citations, with member organizations being cited an average of 208 times per faculty member in a five-year period. LSUs average citation count per faculty member in the same period was 82, according to a report LSUs Office of Data and Strategic Analysis formulated.

Few AAU institutions offer tenure to librarians, Haggerty said. However, most other universities in Louisiana, including the University of Louisiana Lafayette, the only other top-tier research institution in the state, provide librarians with a tenure track.

Proponents note that tenure for librarians can play a key role in preserving their academic freedom in an era when libraries and librarians are increasingly under attack.

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LSU Provost Roy Haggerty said the university isnt increasing the requirements for librarians, but rather holding them to their job descriptions, which generally require that 15% of their job is research-related.

Its not appropriate for librarians to receive tenure, Haggerty said. The purpose here, really, is to improve or really add integrity through our  tenure process and for teaching and research faculty.

You cant have a research university without an excellent library, Haggerty added.

The new plan for librarians is in line with the LSU Systems plan to use the combined weight of all of its institutions to bolster the data it puts forward for AAU consideration.

When asked why LSUs librarians are not currently meeting that threshold, Haggerty said it was a matter of academic tradition.

The culture of a library is typically not focused around the production of knowledge, Haggerty said. Its focused around the culture of creating access to knowledge.

Haggerty said there is not a specific number of publications librarians will be required to meet, but they will instead be measured on the quality of their work, which he added their peers ultimately decide.

Librarians will be invited to participate in writing or rewriting system policies to reflect the new changes.

Tenure changes are not being considered for any other faculty within the LSU System, Haggerty said.

The purpose of this is to strengthen tenure by increasing the integrity of the way in which we measure teaching and scholarship, Haggerty said. So theres no consideration whatsoever of changing it for the rest of our faculty. Nor would I allow any consideration.

This is not the first time a university has sought to boost its AAU citation numbers by making changes in its libraries.

Before the University of Nebraska was voted out of the AAU in 2011, it searched for areas of improvement and determined its inclusion of library faculty in its total faculty count put it out of step with other universities.

A document detailing the schools membership review said this practice resulted in an over-count of tenured and tenure-track faculty and harmed its rankings.

Haggerty said he was aware of this, but that it had not come up when the university was deciding how to proceed with its own changes to librarian tenure.

LSUs librarians who give up their tenure or go off the tenure track will not take a pay cut, Haggerty said. They will be offered three-year contracts after their third year at the university.

LSU will have to make other vast improvements to attain AAU membership, which is by invitation only.

In 2022, LSU ranked 84th overall with $345 million spent on research according to the National Science Foundation. The NSF, an independent federal agency, tracks research and development expenditures at American universities to compile its annual rankings.The NSF rating for LSU includes the main campus, the LSU Ag Center and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, all based in Baton Rouge. The university hopes to combine all of the system research spending to join the top 50 universities in this metric.

By comparison, the 50th-ranked institution, the University of Colorado Boulder, spent $611 million on research in the same period.

But according to a National Science Foundation spokesperson, LSU cant fuse together all of its campuses into a single slot to improve its research rankings.

Each campus with its own chancellor, president or similar head is considered its own institution, a categorization established in 2010  That allows for more comparable data between private institutions and multi-campus state institutions, the spokesperson said. We approach the Louisiana State system as we approach all state systems, per those parameters.

Even if LSU were able to do so, other university systems are likely to follow suit, erasing any ranking advantage LSU gained.

LSU faculty will also have to nearly double the number of books published annually to catch up with AAU institutions and triple the average number of awards, fellowships and academic organization memberships per faculty member.

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Maddow Blog | Even some Republicans are skeptical of Comers new 2024 crusades

By every metric, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comers impeachment crusade against President Joe Biden was a humiliating failure. The Kentucky Republican set out to uncover evidence of wrongdoing and undermine the Democrats 2024 nominee, and the GOP congressman ended up finding nothing and watching the incumbent retire.

Even many members of Comers own party concluded that his efforts were a fiasco.

Its against this backdrop that the hapless chairman apparently has a new plan: Comers crusade against the original Democratic ticket was a flop, so hes trying again with the new Democratic ticket. Politico reported last week, for example, that the Oversight Committee chair is launching an election-season investigation into Vice President Kamala Harris work regarding the southern border.

As last week neared its end, Comer announced his panel would also investigate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walzs ties with China.

The obvious problem with the Republican congressmans antics is that he apparently believes the House Oversight Committee is little more than a partisan super PAC. The less obvious problem is that even some of Comers intraparty allies  the ones who were frustrated by his failed anti-Biden scheme  think hes still off-track. Axios reported:

Some House GOP lawmakers fear their partys new investigations into Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz could potentially backfire politically. ... One House Republican, speaking on the condition of anonymity to critique their partys investigations, said the probes are unnecessary.

The same GOP member went on to tell Axios, We have an election to win. Dont make these people [Harris and Walz] martyrs.

Democrats are even less pleased.

The same report quoted Rep. Dan Goldman saying, I dont think any rational person would see this as anything other than continuing to use official congressional authority, improperly, to help Donald Trumps electoral goals.

The New York Democrat added that Walz and Harris havent done anything that merits an investigation other than [being] on the Democratic ticket.

In all likelihood, Comer will ignore the latest round of criticisms. Indeed, his anti-Biden gambit was seen by both parties as a debacle quite a while ago, and he nevertheless kept it going for a year and a half, indifferent to the toll it was taking on his credibility and reputation. With this recent history in mind, the Kentuckian will likely shrug his shoulders and keep going after Harris and Walz, despite the abundant evidence that he has engaged in an election-season stunt.

That said, if Comer is hoping to see anyone take his latest efforts seriously, the Republican is likely to be disappointed.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Donald Trumps lengthy record of disparaging military service took a turn for the worse last week when the former president said the Presidential Medal of Freedom was much better than the Medal of Honor because those who receive the nations highest military honor are often wounded or dead. The Veterans of Foreign Wars, among others, condemned the rhetoric as asinine.

In an interview with an NBC affiliate in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, which aired on Sunday night, the Republican tried to clarify his position, though he effectively just reiterated the comments that sparked the original controversy.

Trumps former White House chief of staff saw his former boss comments and apparently felt compelled to condemn what he heard. CNN reported:

Former Trump chief of staff and retired Marine Gen. John Kelly rejected former President Donald Trumps comments that the Presidential Medal of Freedom that honors civilians was much better than the Medal of Honor given to service members, telling CNN that the two honors are Not even close. No equivalency of any kind. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is given for some good works done or in fewer cases for other considerations, but theyre not even close, Kelly said.

Think of Normandy, Iwo Jima, Vietnam or Fallujah, Kelly told CNN. The Medal of Honor is earned, not won, by incredibly brave actions on the battlefield under fire typically by very young men who joined when others did not to defend their country. Their oath to the nation is essentially the oath the president and members of Congress take, that federal judges take, that political appointees also take and includes ...that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties...

To the service member, the oath is sacred and taken with the understanding that one could be seriously wounded, captured or killed in living up to the words. No president, member of Congress, judge or political appointee  and certainly no recipient of the Presidential Medal  will ever be asked to give life or limb to protect the Constitution. The two awards cannot be compared in any way. Not even close.

In terms of accuracy and propriety, there can be no doubt that the retired four-star Marine general has the facts on his side. But stepping back, its also worth emphasizing the fact that its remarkable to see the former president and his former White House chief of staff repeatedly clashing as the election season progresses.

As recently as late June, Trump, unprompted, lashed out at Kelly as dumb and a lost soul. Months earlier, by way of his social media platform, the former president said his former chief of staff was by far the dumbest of my Military people. He added, in reference to Kelly, He was incapable of doing a good job, it was too much for him, and I couldnt stand the guy, so I fired him like a dog. He had no heart or respect for people, so I hit him hard.

In a follow-up missive, Trump went on to say that Kelly is a Lowlife with a very small brain and a very big mouth.

There was no great mystery as to the motivation for the offensive. After all, Kelly is the one who confirmed on the record that Trump really did denigrate American servicemembers as suckers and losers.

What can I add that has not already been said? Kelly told CNN in October 2023. Referring to his former boss, Kelly added, A person that thinks those who defend their country in uniform, or are shot down or seriously wounded in combat, or spend years being tortured as POWs are all suckers because there is nothing in it for them. A person that did not want to be seen in the presence of military amputees because it doesnt look good for me. A person who demonstrated open contempt for a Gold Star family  for all Gold Star families  on TV during the 2016 campaign, and rants that our most precious heroes who gave their lives in Americas defense are losers and wouldnt visit their graves in France.

A person who is not truthful regarding his position on the protection of unborn life, on women, on minorities, on evangelical Christians, on Jews, on working men and women, Kelly continued. A person that has no idea what America stands for and has no idea what America is all about. A person who cavalierly suggests that a selfless warrior who has served his country for 40 years in peacetime and war should lose his life for treason  in expectation that someone will take action. A person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators. A person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.

There is nothing more that can be said, Kelly concluded. God help us.

Kelly has also accused Trump of, among other things, poisoning peoples minds, having serious character issues, and not being a real man.

Whats more, Kelly told The New York Times in 2022 that Trump, during his presidency, told his chief of staff to use the Internal Revenue Service and the Justice Department to target his critics and perceived political foes.

The Times report went on to note, Mr. Kelly said he made clear to Mr. Trump that there were serious legal and ethical issues with what he wanted. The then-president regularly made the demands anyway.

The fact that the Republican nominee is publicly feuding with his own former DHS secretary and chief of staff should probably be a bigger deal in the 2024 campaign.

This post updates our related earlier coverage.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
While much of the news media is focused this week on the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, I've got Georgia on my mind. Why? Because the Georgia State Election Board, during its meeting Monday, considered even more rules and amendments to existing rules governing the state's elections.

Over the last two weeks, as I and others have documented, the board  composed of a Republican chair, three Donald Trump loyalists praised by the former president as pit bulls, and a lone Democrat  pushed ahead with two new concerning actions. First, it approved a new rule that allows county election boards to delay certifying their results while conducting reasonable inquiries." Then, it voted to direct Georgia's attorney general to investigate an already-settled complaint about Fulton County's 2020 ballot tabulation errors. (The state's AG, Chris Carr, advised the board before its vote that reopening a complaint would be unlawful and released a formal written opinion Monday stating the board has no right to direct him to conduct any such investigation.)

Both steps taken by the election board have been roundly criticized as wolves in sheep's clothing, election administration edition: They are seemingly neutral processes, implemented in Georgia counties. In reality, they're intended to prevent the certification of some counties' or even statewide results.

Yet, the Georgia Election Board was hardly content to stop there. At Monday's meeting, it approved an amendment to an existing rule proposed by Cobb County GOP Chair Salleigh Grubbs. As laid out in Grubbs' petition, the amendment requires county boards to conduct a precinct-by-precinct reconciliation of votes in which they must compare the total number of ballots cast to the total number of unique voter ID numbers. It further requires that if there is any discrepancy between the two, no matter how small or non-outcome-determinative, an investigation must be launched. No votes shall be counted from that precinct until the results of that investigation are presented to a county board, the petition states.

But that's not all. The so-called Grubbs Rule also empowers county-level election commissioners to examine all election-related documentation created during the conduct of elections prior to certification of results. That lesser-known feature of the rule has been flagged to me by voting rights lawyers and activists as not just a way to delay or withhold certification, but more significantly, a potential means to collect "evidence" to perpetuate another big lie should Vice President Kamala Harris win the presidential election in Georgia.

Throughout the public comments during Monday's meeting, Georgia election workers from counties all over the state, interested residents and civil rights advocates all raised concerns that the Grubbs Rule would prevent counties from reporting results by the time required by state law. Instead, the rule "would set 159 counties up for failure," as one election worker noted.

Nevertheless, proponents of the rule suggested that all they are doing is ensuring compliance with existing Georgia code. Former Homeland Security official and former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli even tried to distance the reconciliation proposal from the 2020 election interference scheme, suggesting "the other side was complaining in 2016 ... and it's whoever loses complains."

Sadly for Cuccinelli, however, the ultraconservative "voter fraud conspiracy" group True the Vote, which has been focused lately on challenging voter registrations in multiple states, dropped the ruse. In a celebratory tweet, the group praised the Georgia election board for establishing "a common sense audit trail" in passing the Grubbs Rule. That there will be a need for an audit in any specific Georgia county, much less all of them, is simply assumed.

And so, Georgians barrel toward a November election where their election board has approved a series of arcane, but dangerous, procedures aimed at avoiding county-level certification and fueling tales of fraud and woe. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has been stripped of his role on the board, and short of certifying the state's results without wayward counties, may be unable to do much. It's not clear Carr or Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp can stop the board either (although Kemp has received a complaint from the former Fulton County Election Board chair asking him to remove three board members for their unlawful conduct).

Will Georgia's courts ultimately be the state's best hope for timely and fair elections? Watch this space.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Todays installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.

* There are quite a few primary races in Florida, Alaska and Wyoming this week, and as is usually the case, Bolts has a very helpful rundown on the contests worth watching.

* On a related note, theres a closely watched contest in the Tampa area, where Andrew Warren is trying to regain his old job as the citys top prosecutor after being pushed aside by Gov. Ron DeSantis last summer.

* Donald Trump promoted fake online content over the weekend, falsely suggesting hed been endorsed by popstar Taylor Swift. As is usually the case, the former president was apparently trying to deceive the public.

* In theory, Republican officials are still eager to flip Arizonas U.S. Senate seat from blue to red this year. In practice, as The Arizona Republic reports, GOP conspiracy theorist Kari Lake isnt getting much in the way of intraparty backing: Of the eight most competitive Senate races across the country, Lake has drawn the least Republican-supportive money in future television ad reservations, a key data point widely viewed in political circles as a sign of serious competition.

* Speaking of key U.S. Senate races, the latest survey in Montana from American Pulse Research and Polling found Republican Tim Sheehy with a six-point lead over incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester. (Click the link for information on the surveys methodology and margins of error.)

* To the surprise of no one, GOP candidates  up and down the country, from coast to coast  are running campaign ads focused on immigration and border security. A detailed Washington Post analysis concluded, Taken as a whole, the ads convey an unrealistic portrait of the border as being overrun and inaccurately characterize immigrants generally as a threat, of which there is little evidence.

* And despite Donald Trumps bizarre offensive against Gov. Brian Kemp, the Georgia Republican has confirmed that hell support the former presidents candidacy in the fall anyway, even after Trump targeted Kemps wife.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
MADISON - The Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin title is once again up for grabs and now's the time for you to nominate the products that will vie for the crown in 2024.

Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) and Johnson Financial Group on Monday opened the nomination period for this year's contest to determine the coolest thing the state's expansive manufacturing industry produces. Any product made in Wisconsin qualifies and anyone can nominate a product before the Sept. 6 deadline.

"This contest highlights not only the cool products made in our state, but also the entrepreneurship and work behind each product," said Kurt Bauer, WMC President and CEO, in a media release. "Our manufacturers are the best in the country, and we have a great opportunity to underscore their contributions to our economy, the high-paying careers they create, and the innovative, necessary products they make."

Shane Backhaus, manufacturing manager at Plexus Corp.'s Appleton facility, signs a "made in Wisconsin" flag at a celebration held Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Plexus Corp. makes the Bevi Bottleless Water Dispenser, and the product won the 2023 Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest.

Northeastern Wisconsin manufacturers will look to continue their Coolest Thing dominance in 2024. Companies based in the 18-county region have taken home top honors in five of eight years and three years in a row now after Fox Cities-based Plexus Corp.'s Bevi Bottleless Water Dispenser won in 2023.

WMC launched the annual contest in 2016 to highlight the state's manufacturing industry, which it estimates contributes $71 billion to the state's economic output and employs almost 500,000 people, or one in every six workers in the state.

Here's what to know.

The annual Coolest Thing Made In Wisconsin debuted an updated logo for the 2024 contest.

Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest saw 187,000 votes cast in 2023

This is the ninth year in which WMC will host a bracket-style elimination contest that pits two nominees against each other in a series of four public votes in September and October. WMC and Johnson Financial will announce the 2024 Coolest Thing winner during WMC's annual Business Day event on Oct. 17 in Madison.

Since 2016, more than 1.3 million Coolest Thing votes have been cast.

In 2023, more than 187,000 votes helped decide the winner.

The ninth annual Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin bracket-style elimination contest begins with a nominating period from Aug. 19-Sept. 6. The 2024 winner will be announced Oct. 17.

Key dates for 2024 Manufacturing Madness bracket and votes

This year's contest and public voting kicks off on Sept. 16 when WMC announces all of the products nominated this year and opens a popular vote contest that will determine the 16 finalists to enter the crucible known as Manufacturing Madness.

Sept. 16-24: All nominees unveiled and a popular vote round determines the top 16.

Sept. 25-Oct. 1: Round of 16 contenders announced and head-to-head voting.

Oct. 2-8: Round of eight announced and head-to-head voting.

Oct. 9-17: Top four announced and face off in a popular vote.

Oct. 17: Voting ends at noon. Winner announced live during WMC's Business Day event in Madison.

Story continues

For more information, and to cast your votes when the time comes, visit MadeInWis.com.

The Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest rules

Before you nominate a product, there are a few rules to know.

Products must be manufactured at a Wisconsin factory and involve a manufacturing "process." For example, WMC notes a restaurant making pizzas made to order is not manufacturing, but producing frozen pizzas would be.

The manufacturer does not need to be headquartered in Wisconsin.

No company will have two or more products make the round of 16.

A company that wins is not allowed to participate for one year; the winning product cannot be re-nominated.

A person can cast one vote per device per day.

WMC is the sole interpreter of the contest rules and eligibility requirements and can amend the rules without notice.

Plexus Corp.'s Bevi Bottleless Water Dispenser was named the 2023 Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin on Oct. 19.

Past Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin winners include Harley engine, kringle, EV fire truck

WMC since 2016 has crowned eight different products the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin as part of an effort to highlight the state's manufacturing industry.

The past winners are:

Contact Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or jbollier@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JeffBollier.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin 2024 nominations open for fall contest
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois is among a number of Republicans who are breaking ranks and endorsing the presidential candidacy of Democrat Kamala Harris. (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press)

Rich Logis was a die-hard independent  disillusioned with U.S. politics and the two-party system  when he threw himself into the MAGA movement.

Seeing Donald Trump as a "maverick," the 47-year-old business owner from Delray Beach, Fla., volunteered to write scripts for Trumps voter outreach calls. He became a MAGA pundit, writing articles for the Daily Caller and the Federalist and started a podcast that billed itself to Democrats and moderate Republicans as dangerous and inappropriate."

"I realized he had been lying about pretty much everything," former "MAGA pundit" Rich Logis said via video at the convention. (Chandan Khanna / Getty Images)

But on Monday night in a video, Logis addressed the Democratic National Convention. I finally stepped outside the MAGA echo chamber, he said. I stopped listening to what Trump said, and looked around with my own eyes, and I realized he had been lying about pretty much everything.

Logis is one of a number of Republicans lining up to speak out against Trump at the DNC this week.

John Giles, the Republican mayor of Mesa, Ariz., told the crowd Tuesday night that he felt a little out of place at a convention full of Democrats.

"But I feel more at home here than in today's Republican Party," he said. "The Grand Old Party has been kidnapped by extremists and evolved into a cult."

Giles said he had an urgent message for the majority of Americans who feel in the political middle.

"John McCain's Republican Party is gone, and we don't owe a damn thing to what's been left behind," he said. "So let's turn the page. Let's put country first."

The GOP "has been kidnapped by extremists and evolved into a cult," John Giles, mayor of Mesa, Ariz., said of his longtime party in his speech to Democrats on Tuesday. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)

Stephanie Grisham, a former Trump White House press secretary, told delegates Tuesday night that she would be voting for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.

Referring to her former boss, Grisham said, I saw him when the cameras were off. Behind closed doors, Trump mocks his supporters  he calls them basement dwellers. On a hospital visit one time, when people were dying in the ICU, he was mad that cameras were not watching him. He has no empathy. No morals. And no fidelity to the truth."

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois  one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump on a charge of inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol  also is scheduled to address the DNC this week along with Georgia's former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and Olivia Troye, a former Trump White House national security official.

Read more: Column: Biden shows what it means to make America great  and why Democrats are glad to bid him farewell

Facing a tight election  national polling averages compiled by FiveThirtyEight.com show Harris leading by 2.9 percentage points over Trump  Democrats are hoping they can persuade disenchanted Republicans in battleground states not only to refrain from voting for Trump, but to vote for Harris.

In June, President Biden's campaign hired a national director of Republican outreach: Austin Weatherford, Kinzingers former chief of staff. This month, he launched Republicans for Harris, a program that encourages high-profile Republicans to make the case for Harris, creating a permission structure for GOP voters who have qualms about voting for a California Democrat.

We are here to be a part of a campaign within a campaign to build a coalition of Republicans speaking to Republicans about Trumps unfitness to serve. Weatherford told a recent virtual meeting of Republicans for Harris.

We might not agree on every issue with Harris, but one thing is clear: She takes the time to listen and learn all sides of an issue, he said, noting that Harris had supported an immigration bill that Trump pressured GOP lawmakers to kill.

I made a grave mistake, but it's never too late to change your mind.

Rich Logis, former MAGA pundit now supporting Kamala Harris

Republicans across the country have recorded testimonials for Republican Voters Against Trump, a $50-million advertising campaign running across all the swing states. Among them is a man from Antioch, Calif., identified only as "Jeff."

Im a lifelong Republican. Im a former Trump voter, and I will not be voting for Donald Trump in 2024, Jeff said in his testimonial video. Donald Trump has nothing but contempt for the American people."

Logis, in his video, said he began to have doubts when the former president made false claims of voter fraud after losing the 2020 election and inspired a mob to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' handling of the COVID-19 pandemic made him rethink his support of Republicans.

"I made a grave mistake, but it's never too late to change your mind," said Logis, who now leads a "Leaving MAGA" group for former Trump supporters. "You don't need to agree with everything you hear tonight to do what is right."

This is not the first time Republicans opposed to Trump have spoken at the DNC.

Read more: 'Desis' take Chicago: Kamala Harris' Indian American political family is thrilled

Four years ago, former Secretary of State Colin Powell supported Joe Biden. Today, we are a country divided, and we have a president doing everything in his power to make it that way and keep us that way, Powell said of then-President Trump in a video recorded for the convention. What a difference it will make to have a president who unites us, who restores our strength and our soul.

John Kasich, the former GOP Ohio governor who challenged Trump for the 2016 nomination, also pledged his support for Biden then. Im a lifelong Republican, Kasich said. But that attachment holds second place to my responsibility to my country.

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, seen in 2018, supported Joe Biden after Trump won the 2020 presidential nomination, saying: "I'm a lifelong Republican. But that attachment holds second place to my responsibility to my country." (Tony Dejak / Associated Press)

Many Republicans who are pledging to vote for Harris acknowledge differences on some issues.

I didn't jump ship because I'm fully head over heels for Democratic policies, Duncan, the former Georgia lieutenant governor, told the Los Angeles Times. I jumped ship because I just could not imagine as an American casting a vote for somebody as villainous and crooked as Donald Trump is.

Working with the Democrats and Harris, Duncan said, he would try to bring American politics more toward the middle.

I feel like there is a gravitational pull to the center on some of these issues, Duncan said. Not all of them  this isn't turning all Democrats into Republicans. But just governing more towards the middle, I think that's an extremely healthy step for this country at this point in time.

Duncans support for Biden and Harris has angered many Georgia Republicans. Even though some of the states GOP leaders, including Gov. Brian Kemp, have a strained relationship with Trump, they have sought to focus on GOP unity.

Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan is among the longtime Republicans addressing the convention this week in support of Kamala Harris. (Alex Slitz / Associated Press)

Some Republicans have urged disenchanted conservatives and evangelicals to show up at the polls and leave the line blank rather than vote for Harris.

Voting for Kamala Harris to stop Trump or save conservativism only tells Democrats that they need to do nothing to earn your vote, Erick Erickson, a conservative radio talk show host and former Never Trumper, wrote last week.

Good stewardship often does not mean choosing between the evils of two lessers, but of opting out of choosing evil altogether," he added.

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.
A potential nationwide railroad shutdown across Canadas two major railroads on Thursday is spooking shippers and forcing logistics companies into a last-second scramble to move product into and throughout the country.

On Monday, Maersk said that it would no longer accept Canada-bound cargo that needs to be moved by rail as the labor risks continue. The container shipping giant also said it would put a stop to certain imports into Canada that would be too heavy for certain trucks.

More from Sourcing Journal

When 9,300 Teamsters-represented workers at Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) authorized a strike back in May, Maersk said the Port of Tacoma would take on sailings that typically only service the British Columbia Ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert.

Hapag-Lloyd notified customers it would embargo all commodities originating in Canada, all commodities originating in the U.S. destined for Canada and all carload traffic destined for an interchange at a Canadian station.

The ocean carrier recommended shippers to explore available trucking alternatives if their cargo was arriving at a Canadian port and slated for inland delivery within the country. For containers destined for a Canadian port that would instead need to be delivered into the U.S., shippers would have to pay a $350 diversion fee.

In a research note written on Aug. 16, TD Cowen analyst Jason Seidl said shippers had been engaging in contingency plans ahead of an expected shutdown.

We view diversions from the Port of Prince Rupert to the West Coast U.S. ports as one of the more logical switches shippers are expected to make, said Seidl in the note.

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority said in a statement that it was concerned about the prospect of further labor disruptions. Roughly two-thirds of all cargo volumes at the Port of Vancouver are moved by rail, including 90 percent of international exports, the port authority said.

We have taken proactive measures to manage vessel arrivals and anchorage assignments to maintain port fluidity, ensure the safe movement of vessels and manage anchorage capacity for terminals not affected by strike activity. For example, ships currently en route to Vancouver are being told to adjust their arrival times in port by slowing down to prevent further congestion, the port said. We expect disruptions to the movement of containers, grain, potash, coal and other cargo transported to and from port terminals by rail.

The port authority also said it has temporarily changed how it assigns anchorages to prioritize vessels calling on non-impacted or partially impacted terminals.

As product shifts toward the U.S., congestion appears inevitable on some level at ports, and in rail yards. In a customer advisory, freight forwarder OEC Group said cargo dwell at ports was likely to see a sharp increase if a labor agreement was not reached.

[The cargo dwell] could cause significant delays throughout the supply chain as the options to get cargo out of the port and delivered to its final destination will either be limited or severely compromised, as many industry leaders believe that any interruption caused by this rail lockout will be severe, said the freight forwarder.

OEC Group also warned that importers with empty containers from any CN or CPKC facilities should return them prior to the proposed lockout date if possible.

A railroad shutdown is in play as both major railroads sent lockout notices to the Teamsters this month in anticipation of the strike. The Teamsters fired back with their own official strike notice against CPKC.

When CN issued its lockout notice Sunday, the railroad said, despite negotiations over the weekend, no meaningful progress has occurred, and the parties remain very far apart. The negotiations remain ongoing, with all parties saying they are bargaining in good faith.

Since Aug. 12, the railroads have implemented a phased shutdown of their networks, starting by suspending transport of hazardous goods.

A work stoppage at the railroads are likely to impact the movement of goods into the U.S. as well.

On Monday, the National Association of Manufacturers pointed out trade flows between Canada and the U.S. via rail in June 2024 totaled $9.1 billion, representing roughly 14 percent of total trade flows between the two countries via all modes of transportation. Imports into the U.S. totaled $5.3 billion, while exports into Canada amounted to $3.8 billion of goods.

North American manufacturing supply chains depend on functioning rail links. If rail traffic grinds to a halt, businesses and families across the country will feel the impact, said Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers. The flow of materials and products across the U.S.-Canada border is already slowing as preparations are made for a potential work stoppage.

Labour Minister Steve MacKinnon is visiting Montreal on Tuesday and Calgary on Wednesday to meet with the parties and federal mediators in an effort to get a new deal ironed out before midnight on Thursday.
Voting by mail continues to plummet in Florida, totals from this years primary election indicate, a drop experts attribute to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, new election restrictions and false rhetoric about voter fraud.

Early in-person voting for Tuesdays primary, meanwhile, saw a slight resurgence this year as more voters cast early ballots across Central Florida and the state, most of them Republicans.

Election day turnout Tuesday in Central Florida was low, however, at least as of early afternoon.

In Orange County, a little more than 13% of eligible voters cast votes in person on election day, according to the countys election offices, well behind the percentage that went to the polls ahead of election day or voted by mail.

In Lake County, turnout on Tuesday was nearly 18% of eligible voters, in Osceola County it was about 15% and in Seminole County about 14%.

Still, for some voters election day is a ritual they do not miss.

Donna Heally, of Altamonte Springs, cast her ballot at the citys Westmonte Civic Center and said she felt proud shes never missed an election in more than 60 years.

I think its important, she said. Its not only a right that we have, but I think its a privilege we have in this country, that many people in other countries do not have.

The drop in mail-in voting is not surprising after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two new laws that put more restrictions on that option, said Daniel A. Smith, chair of the political science department at the University of Florida.

Its making it more difficult for certain individuals to request vote-by-mail ballots, and were seeing that in terms of the overall numbers, Smith said. In many ways, [the new laws] are working exactly as intended.

Mail-in ballots for this years primary elections dropped 43% statewide from the August 2020 election, with 1 million fewer voters using the method. Democrats saw a 50% decrease from 2020 while the GOP saw a 33% drop. The decline has a particularly large impact on Democratic turnout since a higher percentage of Democrats have been using mail voting in recent years.

In Central Florida, numbers dropped sharply across the board. The number of Orange County mail-in ballots dropped by 52%, with even bigger declines among Democrats and non-party affiliated voters. The same was true in Lake, Osceola and Seminole counties.

Mail voting exploded in 2020 due to the pandemic, and some decline was expected. But Smith said the new law that required voters to renew their mail-in ballot requests every two years instead of every four years had a major impact on the number of requested ballots, which dropped nearly in half this year compared to two years ago.

Due to the law signed by DeSantis in 2021, the nearly 3 million Floridians who voted by mail in the 2022 general election had their ballot requests wiped out at the beginning of 2023. They needed to sign up again in order to cast mail ballots this year.

In addition, Smith said, that and other laws also severely reduced the number of locations where mail-in ballots can be dropped off, including ending 24-hour drop boxes.

It has become much more difficult to obtain a ballot as well as to return a ballot, and we know that those factors impact Democrats more than Republicans, Smith said, citing the impact on younger and minority voters.

Another factor depressing Democratic numbers, he said, was that Republicans held a statewide presidential primary in March while Democrats canceled theirs, giving GOP voters a head start on renewing their mail-in requests.

Thats a big hurdle that many Democrats still have to face, whereas many Republicans who voted in the [presidential] primary have already taken care of that move, Smith said.

Despite the severe Democratic declines in voting by mail, however, the partys voters continue to use that option more than Republicans.

Matt Isbell, a Democratic elections analyst, said that Republicans are still dealing with the consequences of anti-mail ballot rhetoric from former President Donald Trump and others.

They shot themselves in the foot during COVID, and now some of them are trying to fix it, Isbell said. But youve already primed the pump and told the voters who are incredibly susceptible to conspiracy theories that it shouldnt be trusted.

In Florida, it was Republicans who spearheaded voting by mail in the 2000s, and the party benefited from the increased access it gave to older voters.

But when mail-in voting was expanded in many states in 2020, leading to increased Democratic turnout through the mail, Trump made it the centerpiece of the false claims of election fraud.

Mail ballots  they cheat, Trump said in 2020. Mail ballots are a very dangerous thing for this country because theyre cheaters.  Theyre fraudulent in many cases.

Primary turnout  whether by early voting, voting by mail or casting ballots on election day  doesnt necessarily predict what will happen in November in the general election, Isbell said.

You can get a lot of regional differences, county level swings and district level swings based on what is driving people out, Isbell said. Places like Broward or Orange, where theres a lot more Democratic primary races than Republican races, can lead to notably higher Democratic turnout advantages than you might see in November and vice versa.

Robert Bayliss walked into his Osceola polling place with his 5-year-old son in hand on Tuesday. Hed picked up the boy on his way to the precinct, wanting to show his son the importance of voting, even in a primary.

Local politics, especially during a primary season, its important to turn out, said Bayliss, a county teacher. Its one of those things that if you want to influence things youve got to go.

Martin Comas and Natalia Jaramillo of the Sentinel staff contributed to this story.
Almost 10 months after an Army reservist's deadly rampage in Lewiston, Maine, an independent commission said Tuesday that local law enforcement and the U.S. military had missed "several opportunities" that, if taken, "might have changed the course of these tragic events."

While the independent commission's final report found that gunman Robert Card was solely responsible for his own conduct, other lapses played a role, including:

A Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office sergeant conducting a welfare check on Card weeks before the shooting had "sufficient probable cause" to take him into protective custody under state law.

The leaders of Card's Army Reserve unit "failed to undertake necessary steps to reduce the threat he posed to the public," such as ignoring "strong recommendations" from his mental health providers to stay engaged with his care and ensure any weapons in his home were removed, and they "neglected to share" with the local sheriff's office all of the information they knew about past threats he had made.

The gunman's company commander had the ability to store service members' personal firearms and failed to properly check back in with Card after he was placed in a psychiatric unit last summer at an Army training in West Point, New York, where he got into a physical altercation with another reservist.

Medical staff members at Keller Army Community Hospital in West Point, where Card was initially evaluated last summer, failed to file a so-called SAFE Act notice, which is used to alert authorities when someone may be a danger to themselves or others.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills launched the commission a month after the Oct. 25 shooting killed 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar.

The commission, made up of former state judicial and legal officials and medical experts, held more than a dozen hearings, gathering testimony from local law enforcement, military members, survivors of the shooting, families of those killed and the family of the gunman. The panel said it was tasked to "find the facts" so that law enforcement, military leaders and elected officials could reduce the risk of such a tragedy reoccurring.

"Had members of Card's Army Reserve unit presented a full and complete accounting of the facts, the Sheriff's Office might have acted more assertively in September," Commission Chairman Daniel Wathen said at a news conference Tuesday.

Wathen said the commission's investigatory process was slowed by Army bureaucracy in obtaining information but that the military remained cooperative. He added that he expects Maine State Police to conduct their own after-action review with policing experts, given that the commission's makeup did not include them. State police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The gunman, 40, was found dead by suicide after a two-day manhunt.

A woman visits a makeshift memorial outside Sparetime Bowling Alley in Lewiston, Maine, on Oct. 28.

The commission released an interim report in March that criticized a Sagadahoc County sheriff's sergeant who was alerted by Card's family about his deteriorating mental health and conducted a welfare check about five weeks before the shooting. The commission said the sergeant had probable cause to initiate Maine's "yellow flag" law, which allows law enforcement to confiscate a person's firearm if they are believed to be a threat to themselves or others.

But the sergeant said law enforcement was stymied at the time because Card refused to answer his door.

The commission noted that the state's "yellow flag" law "may sometimes be cumbersome." In April, Mills signed a bill to bolster the legislation, including allowing police to get protective custody warrants from a judge for those who may be a danger and possess firearms.

In the wake of the shooting, scrutiny also fell on the military.

Card was an Army reservist for two decades and a longtime hand grenade training instructor. Family members told the commission in May that they had tried to reach out to the Army last year, given their concerns about his mental health and access to guns, but that their calls went unreturned or unanswered.

An internal military report in July investigating the Army's response laid out how Card's unit failed to follow certain procedures after he was involved in a shoving incident with another reservist in July 2023, leading him to be hospitalized in a psychiatric unit at a civilian hospital for two weeks. At the time, his reported symptoms included psychosis and homicidal ideations and he had created a "hit list," according to the military's investigation.

The Army prohibited Card from having access to weapons while on duty.

But his unit did not conduct a required "line of duty investigation," which would have also documented the condition of his mental state, and the report also noted that Card's chain of command was not given any information regarding his diagnosis, prognosis or discharge instructions. There were also communication gaps between the Army and the civilian hospital, the report found, which can be improved in future cases.

Ultimately, a military investigator concluded that "even a flawless execution by Army personnel in every identified area would likely not have prevented the tragic events," and shifted responsibility onto the local sheriff's office, who if it "had fully executed their health and welfare check" on the gunman, "then the mass shooting and suicide may have been avoided."

Lawyers for families of the victims have complained that the various agency investigations have given conflicting conclusions about who should be held accountable. They are still seeking a broader investigation by the Inspector General for the Department of Defense.

Attorney Ben Gideon on Tuesday reiterated the "numerous opportunities" when actions could have been taken as outlined in the commission's 215-page report and signaled that lawsuits would be coming in the coming months.

"The next step in this process needs to be real accountability," Gideon said.

"One of the things that's so striking about this case is how he had such a severe paranoia delusions that seemed to be persistent for such a long period of time," Gideon said of the gunman, "but then he was discharged back into the community with no treatment for that."

Card's family has said they worry that his years of being exposed to low-level blasts as a hand grenade instructor in the military was tied to the "severe" traumatic brain injury that researchers found evidence of earlier this year.

The military in its report denied that any brain-related injury was linked to his military service. Still, the military said it would begin conducting "baseline cognitive assessments" for its trainees this summer and develop improved protective equipment to minimize blast exposure.

As for a definitive motive for the massacre, Card's family could not offer one to the commission in May.

"We could ask a million whys for the rest of our lives," Cara Lamb, the shooter's ex-wife who shared a son with him, testified, "and never have a good enough answer."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
US Vice President and Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris speaks on her economic plan in front of supporters in Raleigh, North Carolina. Josh Brown/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Most Germans believe Democrat Kamala Harris will win the US presidential election on November 5, according to a survey conducted on behalf of broadcaster RTL/n-tv.

Some 64% of respondents said they believe US Vice President Harris will beat Republican rival Donald Trump. That figure is up by 21% compared to the previous survey condcuted at the end of July.

Some 32% said Trump would become the next US president, down from 48% last month.

According to the survey, Germans consider Harris to be the likely winner of the election regardless of political affiliation or class, with the exception of supporters of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Some 47% of BSW supporters polled believe that Harris will win, compared to 46% who think Trump will come out on top.

Meanwhile some 76% of AfD supporters believe that Trump will win the election.

Harris has wiped out Trump's lead in national polls since US President Joe Biden abandoned his campaign and endorsed Harris to succeed him a month ago. Crucially, she has closed the gap or overtaken Trump in the key battleground states that will determine the outcome of the election.

For the survey conducted by pollsters forsa, 1,004 people were surveyed between August 16 and 19.

US Vice President and Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris speaks on her economic plan in front of supporters in Raleigh, North Carolina. Josh Brown/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Most duck hunters will be happy to hear that breeding ducks increased 5 percent this year compared to 2023, according to the annual duck counts published Tuesday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. With 34 million breeding ducks accounted for in 2024, this years survey marks the first overall increase in breeding ducks that has been documented since 2015.

Thats the good news at a glance, and its particularly notable given the overall decline in habitat conditions compared to 2023 (more on that in a minute). Keep in mind that the annual duck counts are still 4 percent below the long-term average, with certain species adapting better than others to changing habitat and climactic conditions. This reflects the continued effects of multiple years of drought in the Prairie Pothole Region, according to Ducks Unlimited.

Mallard counts are reportedly up this year. Photo via Adobe Stock

This years report suggests that some duck populations had better production last year than expected, with good carryover to spring of this year, said Steve Adair, chief scientist for DU. While estimates were down in the prairies, population levels were up in northern breeding regions. We heard reports of an early spring, with ducks migrating through when the prairies were still dry and likely overflying to the Boreal Forest. This is a pattern weve seen many times before, and it appears to have been the case again this year.

The USFWS Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey has been conducted (almost) without fail since 1955. Although it wont impact bag limits for this season, its results will help set regulations for the 2025-26 season. So, check out this handy reference chart from DU for a quick at-a-glance status report, and well run through trends below.

A chart showing duck population increases and decreases

First things first: Mallard counts are up a modest 8 percent over last year, which means there are an estimated 6.6 million mallards in the historic survey area. Less encouraging is that mallards still fall 16 percent below the long-term average; the total mallard count is one of the lowest since the early 90s. The studys authors also included a snapshot of Eastern survey numbers, which reflected a small dip in mallards (about 4 percent compared to 2023).

Meanwhile wigeon, green-winged teal, and bluebill numbers saw double-digit increases from last year at 55 percent, 20 percent, and 16 percent, respectively. The biggest species success stories are wigeon and green-winged teal, which are both enjoying increased populations over the long-term average: wigeon counts are up 12 percent since 1955 and green-wings have increased by 38 percent. While fewer gadwall and redheads were counted this year compared to last year, their numbers are also up over the long term.

Pintails remain the poster child for downward-trending species, with an 11 percent drop over last year and half as many counted this year compared to the nearly 70-year average. Still, those numbers are strong enough to potentially allow a three-pintail daily limit next season  the first time since 1997  thanks to a new pintail harvest strategy that was approved in June.

Surveyors also kept tabs on 23 geese species and tundra swans in the survey, and found significant downward trends among nine of those species over the last 10 years. The most notable is a 15 percent drop in Midcontinent lesser snow geese and 13 percent decline in Ross geese.

Overall duck population estimates are plotted over time while cross-referencing the drought conditions in the Prairie Pothole region. This chart uses the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), which provides a relative measure of soil moisture and surface water conditions. The graph shows declining and depressed duck populations correspond to years of severe drought (shown in orange and red) in the Prairie Pothole region. Chart courtesy of Dr. Nick Masto via Ducks Unlimited, data courtesy of NOAA and USFWS

On the whole, habitat conditions across the survey range were disappointing this year when compared to 2023. The biggest declines, according to USFWS, spanned interior Canadian provinces and the north-central U.S. While winter temperatures across the Canadian prairie were above (and sometimes well-above) average, winter and early spring precipitation there was low. By the time rainfall finally arrived in late spring  and lots of it  it was mostly too late to benefit initial nesting.

Read Next: Migrating Mallard Clocked at 103 MPH, Breaking Recent Speed Record

Bright spots include southeastern South Dakota (thanks to improved winter precipitation), eastern Canada and the Great Lakes. Minnesotas conditions improved even as Maines declined substantially (from excellent to good). Alaska, British Columbia, and other northern survey areas also experienced improved habitat and substantial breeding numbers.
A California man will go before a jury in Maryland next June on charges of attempting to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a federal judge ordered Tuesday.

Nicholas Roske was arrested near Kavanaughs home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, in the early morning of June 8, 2022, allegedly carrying a bag containing a Glock pistol, ammunition, a tactical knife, tools, duct tape and soft-soled boots that can be used to move quietly.

Wearing a dark red jail smock, Roske, now 28, appeared in court Tuesday for the first time in nearly two years. During a 20-minute hearing in Greenbelt, Maryland, he did not address the court as U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte discussed a schedule with lawyers on both sides.

Federal prosecutors and Roskes defense team had spent months negotiating a potential plea deal, but prosecutors indicated last month that the two sides could not agree on a deal and asked the judge to schedule a trial.

The parties have engaged in lengthy discussions about the status of this case, and we reached the point that we need to set a trial date, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Gavin said Tuesday.

Roske triggered his own arrest by calling 911 after exiting a taxi near Kavanaughs home and walking to a house nearby. Roske has been in jail since then, but the case has lingered with little outward sign of progress during the protracted plea negotiations. The June 9, 2025, trial date is three years and a day after Roskes arrest.

Messitte said he called the hearing because the cases profile made it important to let the public know whats going on. He asked a public defender for Roske, Andrew Szekely, whether a mental evaluation would be part of the case. The defense attorney said no.

According to prosecutors, Roske told investigators that he wanted to kill Kavanaugh to head off a forthcoming Supreme Court decision on abortion and out of anger over the courts direction on gun rights.
BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN)  A man accused of habitually shoplifting from Walmart in Boardman was sentenced Tuesday in Mahoning County Court in Boardman.

Russell Gipson was found guilty of three theft charges. He was sentenced to six months of probation and ordered not to return to Walmart.

Gipson originally faced 13 counts of theft, but 10 of those counts were dismissed, according to court records.

Police reports said that Gipson stole from Walmart several times between January 14 and March 3.

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The Independence man accused of fatally shooting a police officer and court worker during an eviction at his home in February is in need of surgery before court proceedings can continue, his lawyers said in recent court filings.

Lawyers representing Larry Acree, 70, filed a motion Aug. 15 asking the court to allow for medical treatments, including three surgeries.

The filing cites Acrees medical history, saying he suffers from several serious medical conditions. While the medical conditions were redacted in the motion and are not public record, Acrees lawyers said in court documents that the medical treatments requested are constitutionally mandated.

These three necessary surgeries are required before (Acree) can meaningfully participate in the preparation of his defense and meaningfully participate in court proceedings, Acrees lawyers wrote in their motion.

Prosecutors announced in May they were seeking the death penalty in Acrees case.

He faces 18 felony charges in the shooting that killed Independence police officer Cody Allen and Jackson County civil process server Drexel Mack on Feb. 29. Those charges include two counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of first-degree assault and nine counts of armed criminal action.

Amy Thompson, a public defender qualified for capital cases, began representing Acree in July. Attorney Charles Moreland also represents Acree, according to online court records.

Acrees attorneys filed a motion Aug. 15 to proceed ex parte, asking the judge to allow the defense to communicate with the court without notice to prosecutors when it comes to preparing their defense.

In the motion, Acrees lawyers asked to file pleadings under seal and communicate with the Court without prosecutors present. Thompson asked for the state and public to not have access to specific ex parte requests, or the Courts ruling resulting from the requests, until the cases final disposition.

Larry Acree is escorted into the courtroom for a hearing Wednesday, July 10, 2024, at the Eastern Jackson County Courthouse. It was Acrees first court appearance since prosecutors announced they will seek the death penalty for Acree who is accused of fatally shooting Independence police officer Cody Allen and Jackson County process server Drexel Mack during an eviction on Feb. 29.

Due to news coverage in the case, Thompson previously said she would file a motion to request that Acree be allowed to wear civilian clothes anytime media were present. That request also came on Aug. 15.

In the motion, Thompson argued Acree appearing before the court in jail clothing and restraints impedes his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury, to due process of law and the presumption of innocence.

His lawyers asked that he be allowed to dress in his own civilian clothing, and to appear without restraints during all court appearances, including when he is being escorted in public areas between his holding cell and the courtroom.

A judge has not yet ruled on the Aug. 15 motions by Acrees attorneys.

A 15th circuit court judge was initally assigned to Acrees case after a March decision from the Missouri Supreme Court. In April, Judge Megan Benton, of the 6th Judicial Circuit in Platte County, was assigned to the case, after Jackson County court judges recused themselves from presiding over the case.

An unidentified woman and a law enforcement officer embrace outside Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence Thursday after an Independence police officer and court process server died in a shooting. Others who were injured were taken by ambulance to the hospital.

The shooting

According to a probable cause affidavit filed in Jackson County Circuit Court, the shooting happened as civil process servers, including Mack, arrived at Acrees home in northeast Independence to carry out an eviction.

Acree had lost his home over back taxes, court records show.

Gunfire erupted from inside the home, and Mack was struck. As three Independence police officers responded to the shooting, Allen was also fatally shot. Two other officers were hurt before Acree was arrested.

Acree is due to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 3 in Division 60 of Jackson County Circuit Court. He remains in custody in the Jackson County Jail on a $2 million cash bond.

The Stars Nathan Pilling contributed.
NEVADA, Mo.  An El Dorado Springs man remains hospitalized and charged with setting a Nevada church on fire.

Nevada community vows to rebuild after fire damages church

Keith Caylor, 58, is accused of breaking into the First Christian Church at Washington and Austin Streets early Saturday morning and then setting the church on fire.

According to court records, Caylor called 911 and told dispatchers that people were trying to set him on fire and kill him. Police said when they arrived on the scene, they found Caylor outside of the church, bleeding from his hands with his shirt covered in blood. They said it appeared that Caylor broke a window to get into the church and then set fires in two locations inside the building.

Prosecutors charged Caylor with arson, burglary, and property damage. He is in a Kansas City hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Nevada Police Chief, Casey Crain, says when Caylor is released from the hospital, he will be taken into custody in Kansas City and transported to Vernon County to face the charges.

Oddly enough, Saturday was also Caylors birthday.

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TANNERSVILLE, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)  A man is facing charges after police say he crashed a stolen car while driving drunk.

According to the Pocono Township Police Department, on August 11 around 9:00 p.m., officers were called for a crash in the parking lot of Barley Creek Brewing Company in Tannersville.

Through further investigation, officers said a man, later identified as Alexander Amaral, 29, Massachusetts exited the business, drove a Chevrolet pickup into a parked car, and fled the scene.

Man charged in hit-and-run death of motorcyclist

Police say they located Amaral at Sunoco in Tannersville, passed out in the drivers seat with the vehicle still running. Investigators later learned the truck Amaral was driving was reported stolen out of Springfield, Connecticut.

Amaral was placed under arrest on the charges of driving under the influence, possession of a stolen vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident, and other offenses.

He was transported to the Monroe County DUI Center and then placed in the Monroe County Correctional Facility after being denied bail.

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Man arrested for vandalizing vehicles at New York business

(WJET/WFXP)  One person was taken into custody for vandalizing several vehicles at a New York business.

Jamestown police were called for a report of a suspect destroying property at the business on the east side of the city around 9:07 p.m. on Aug. 14.

Jury selection begins in trial related to 7-year-old Erie boys murder

Once on the scene, police learned that 43-year-old Allan L. Broadwater, of Jamestown, had damaged several fleet vehicles owned by the business. Police later located Broadwater and arrested him.

According to an Aug. 19 report, he was charged with second-degree criminal mischief and is being held in Jamestown City Jail pending arraignment.

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Man arrested in West Seattle attempted burglary armed with gun connected to murder victim

A man suspected of trying to break into a West Seattle home was carrying a gun connected to murder victim, according to Seattle Police.

On August 7 at 2:04 a.m., officers were dispatched to reports of gunshots in the 9400 block of Delridge Way Southwest.

When Seattle officers arrived, they found King County deputies and Burien Police officers investigating one block south in their jurisdiction.

However, Seattle officers were able to follow blood trail from that scene to Seattles jurisdiction, where a spent shell casing was found and collected as evidence.

During the investigation, Seattle officers got a report of a man trying to break into a 55-year-old womans home in the 8800 block of 16th Avenue Southwest.

A man carrying a 9mm handgun was found in the area and arrested.

Seattle Police said ballistic evidence connected him to the shooting scene in the King County Sheriffs Offices jurisdiction. His handgun was also discovered to be connected to a murder victim in Federal Way.

The suspect, a 32-year-old felon, was booked into King County Jail for investigation of unlawful possession of a firearm and criminal trespass.

Additional charges may be applied by other agencies as they continue their investigations involving the suspect and the firearm connected to them, Seattle Police said in a blotter post.
Man charged after allegedly admitting to doing about a brick of fentanyl a day while under arrest for eating chicken at Morgantown Walmart

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY)  A man who was put in custody for shoplifting a chicken from Walmart was charged after officers allegedly found drugs in his wallet.

On Aug. 18, officers with the Morgantown Police Department were dispatched to Walmart on Retail Circle Drive in reference to a call of a shoplifting, according to a criminal complaint.

While officers were en route, the communications center informed them that two people were in custody with loss prevention being uncooperative; those two individuals then ran out of the store and got into a vehicle to leave the scene, officers said.

Cory Ball

When officers arrived, they located the vehicle entering Grafton Road and performed a traffic stop, during which time they made contact with three individuals, one of whom was identified as Cory Ball, 30, of Morgantown, according to the complaint.

In a Mirandized interview, Ball told officers that he selected chicken from the store and then would eat it while in the store and left the package on the shelf, which resulted in officers placing Ball into custody for shoplifting, officers said.

Woman charged after meth and fentanyl found during Harrison County traffic stop

During the arrest, officers searched Ball and located a wallet-style accessory in his pocket which contained small bags of a substance which Ball claimed was fentanyl; he also claimed he does about a brick of fentanyl a day, according to the complaint.

Also on Balls person, officers found a substance which had the appearance of digital chips which Ball said were stamp baggies, and a green container which held a small bag of a substance testing positive for heroin and a piece of aluminum foil containing a substance testing positive for fentanyl, officers said.

Ball has been charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. He is being held in North Central Regional Jail on $10,000 bond.

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Man charged for allegedly running over flock of seagulls near Long Beach

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A man suspected of running over a flock of seagulls on a Washington beach, and nearly striking two beachgoers, is now facing two charges in Pacific County.

The suspect, identified in court documents filed Aug. 14 as 64-year-old James Travis of Honolulu, Hawaii, is facing a first-degree animal cruelty charge and a reckless driving charge.

Invasive tree-killing insect found in 3 Oregon counties

The incident began around 8 p.m. July 27, when a driver, later identified as Travis, allegedly ran over and killed 25 seagulls while driving a silver Jeep Cherokee near Klipsan Beach outside of Long Beach, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police said.

One witness told authorities the driver was travelling 50-60 miles per hour when he steered towards and plowed into the seagulls without slowing down, according to court documents.

A short time later, one witness blocked the Jeep with his truck and witnesses confronted the driver who appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, court documents stated, noting the driver kept saying sorry in a quiet monotone voice.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police are trying to contact a man accused of intentionally running over and killing 25 seagulls with a Jeep Cherokee near Long Beach (Courtesy Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police.)

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police are trying to contact a man accused of intentionally running over and killing 25 seagulls with a Jeep Cherokee near Long Beach (Courtesy Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police.)

Witnesses took photos of the car and reported that same Jeep nearly hit two people walking their dogs on the beach.

Another mola mola washes ashore in Oregon

Travis sped off as one witness tried calling police, officials said, adding authorities were initially unable to find him.

According to court documents, the maximum penalty for intentionally inflicting pain, injury or killing an animal can lead to five years of imprisonment and a $10,000 fine and the reckless driving charge, a gross misdemeanor, can lead to just under a year of imprisonment and a $5,000 fine.

KOIN 6 News reached out to James Travis for a comment. This story will be updated if we receive a response.

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  Authorities say a man was charged in connection to a bank robbery on Grand Rapids northeast side.

Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker confirmed that Jeffrey Alhan Dale, 62, was charged with one count of bank robbery Tuesday.

GRPD: 1 in custody after bank robbery on northeast side

The bank robbery happened on Friday, Aug. 16, at the Lake Michigan Credit Union on Leonard Street NE near Plymouth Avenue NE, according to the Grand Rapids Police Department.

Police said a weapon was implied, though bank employees did not see a weapon. No one was injured. A person of interest was taken into custody Friday, according to GRPD.

According to Michigan Department of Corrections online records, in August 1995, Dale was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison for an armed robbery. He was paroled on Jan. 25, 2023.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A Memphis man was convicted on child pornography charges in DeSoto County, Mississippi, according to the District Attorneys office.

Antonio Alston, Jr., 21, was found guilty Monday, Desoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton said.

The prosecution presented evidence proving that Alston was in possession of four files containing sexually explicit images of minors, some as young as seven years old, according to a press release.

The images had been sold by Alston on Reddit and through Cashapp.

According to reports, the investigation began in 2023 when the Hernando Police Department received cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A total of 67 cyber tips were found to have been connected to an IP address associated with Alston.

Pedophilia and the individuals who commit such heinous acts are intolerable, and my office is

committed to prosecuting these crimes to the fullest extent of the law, said District Attorney

Matthew Barton.

Man charged with forging $15K check at Regions Bank

The D.A.s office says Alston had previously been investigated by the Memphis Police Department for similar offenses but was not prosecuted or arrested.

Alston is scheduled for sentencing on Tuesday.

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By Gram Slattery and David Shepardson

YORK, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump pledged on Monday to rescind a Biden administration rule limiting power plant pollution and reiterated a promise to block Nippon Steel's planned purchase of U.S. Steel.

In the most detailed economic remarks he has offered on the campaign trail so far, Trump also ratcheted up his pledge to radically limit foreign access to domestic markets, saying he would ensure the supply chain for essential goods would be 100% American if he wins the Nov. 5 election.

He did not elaborate on how he would accomplish that goal beyond advocating broad measures, like imposing tariffs on other nations.

The former president spoke to a crowd of supporters on a factory floor in the working-class city of York, Pennsylvania. The speech was the first stop in a tour of battleground states this week aimed at steering the spotlight away from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and slowing the momentum of his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Some allies and advisers have pressed Trump to steer clear of personal attacks on Harris - particularly any broadsides related to race and gender - and instead focus on policy issues.

He largely followed that advice on Monday. While Trump called Harris a "communist" and denigrated her policy stances, several of which he misrepresented, he attacked her in personal terms just once, when he insulted her laugh about 45 minutes into the hour-long speech.

Trump in February had signaled he would move to block the Nippon-U.S. Steel deal, a potential merger that has stirred anxiety among some unionized workers, a key voting bloc in Pennsylvania and the other "Rust Belt" swing states likely to determine the results of the election.

"I will stop Japan from buying United States Steel," Trump said. "They shouldn't be allowed to buy it."

U.S. Steel said in a statement after Trump's remarks that it is "committed to the transaction with Nippon Steel, which is the best deal for our employees, shareholders, communities, and customers."

The company added the "partnership with Nippon Steel, a long-standing investor in the United States from our close ally Japan, will strengthen the American steel industry, American jobs, and American supply chains, and enhance the U.S. steel industry's competitiveness and resilience against China."

Shares in U.S. Steel had been trending lower and fell after Trump's planned remarks were reported, closing down about 6%. President Joe Biden in March said it is vital for U.S. Steel "to remain an American steel company that is domestically owned and operated."

Story continues

Trump also pledged to eliminate rules published by the Environmental Protection Agency in April, which limit air and water pollution from power plants and are designed to cut over 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2047. The electricity sector is responsible for nearly a quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas pollution, according to the EPA.

"It's a disaster for our country," Trump said. "Instead of shutting down power plants, we will open dozens and dozens more, and they'll happen fast."

Trump said his administration would bring more "advanced small, modular nuclear reactors" online and that he would invoke the Defense Production Act to ramp up production of essential products.

Even as he pledged broad tax cuts for families, businesses, Social Security disbursements and tips, he said he would slash the deficit, a claim that good government experts have cast doubt on.

In a brief interview with Reuters following the event, Trump said he would consider rescinding a $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle purchases. He also said he would bring Elon Musk into his administration if the billionaire was willing. Musk, the CEO of EV manufacturer Tesla and a vocal Trump backer, would stand to lose business if the tax credit were rescinded.

Pennsylvania has emerged as one of the most important states in the presidential election, with Harris and Trump effectively neck-and-neck, according to most opinion polls.

In a sign of the state's importance, Trump campaigned in the northeastern part of the state over the weekend, while Harris barnstormed the western part. On Monday, Trump's running mate, Senator JD Vance, addressed supporters in Philadelphia.

(Reporting by Gram Slattery and David Shepardson; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Lisa Shumaker and Deepa Babington)
Man drowns after trying to help child at Smithville Lake

Man drowns after trying to help child at Smithville Lake

SMITHVILLE, Mo.  A search ended Monday for a man who investigators say drowned this past weekend after he attempted to help a child in the water.

The search for the man from St. Joseph began on Saturday, with the Missouri Highway Patrol saying divers recovered his body on Monday afternoon.

Sergeant Andy Bell told FOX4 the incident began at about 5 p.m., Saturday near Litton Cove. The man, who investigators say was in his 60s, jumped off a boat to help a child get back to the boat.

Police identify three killed in multi-car crash at 35th, Norton in KC

The child had a life jacket on, but the man did not. While the search began immediately, Sgt. Bell said dive teams didnt find him initially.

We brought in what we call our dive team experts that have sonar capabilities to really scan all the beneath water surface level, all the way to the bottom of the lake, and they can really do an in-depth scan, he said.

We dont know exactly why the swimmer did not resurface. There is some shallow water in that area, but we dont know that, thats the exact spot where the he dove into the water. If he hit his head or not. We just dont know.

Investigators say the child is okay.

The man who died has been identified as 66-year-old David Moore, of St. Joseph, Missouri.

Its very tragic, this loss of life, Bell said.

Three cases of Legionnaires disease confirmed in Missouri

Bell encourages people to suit up  wearing life jackets. So far this year there have been 28 drownings in Missouri. From January to August 19 last year there were 24 drownings.

In general, we would always recommend that you always have a life jacket on, Bell said,

Sometimes we think we think were good swimmers, sometimes we dont know exactly know whats underneath the water surface. So, in the event you dive in, and if you were to hit your head not knowing whats underneath the water, that life jackets going to keep you above, even when you get knocked unconscious.

MSHP is investigating and said an autopsy will show if drugs or alcohol played a role in the drowning.

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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  A traffic stop in Liberty Township last week that uncovered 88 pounds of methamphetamine has led to the filing of a federal criminal complaint.

The complaint charges Jeffrey Battle, 36, of Phoenix, Ariz., with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He is expected to be arraigned Aug. 27 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carmen E. Henderson in the U.S. Northern District Court of Ohio.

Battle was arrested about 12 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, after a high-speed chase that started in Liberty and ended at Shields Road and Dorado Beach Drive in Canfield. He has been in the Mahoning County jail since his arrest.

An affidavit accompanying the criminal complaint said a source told investigators that Battle distributes significant quantities of narcotics in the Mahoning County area and he often travels here from Arizona, staying two to three weeks at a time.

The affidavit said the FBI and the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force started an investigation in April into Battle, and he was under surveillance Wednesday before investigators tried to pull over a car he was driving in Liberty.

The affidavit said the source told investigators that Battle often uses commercial trucks to smuggle cocaine and that he sells drugs in Akron, Youngstown and Erie, Pa.

Battle was spotted Wednesday at a clothing store in Boardman, a Walmart, and then at a home in Austintown before authorities tailed him to a truck stop in Hubbard, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit said Battle drove to the spot reserved for commercial trucks and parked next to a truck. He was spotted walking back to his vehicle carrying a large duffel bag, the affidavit said. After he left the truck stop, he was spotted making a traffic violation and investigators tried to pull him over, but he would not stop, instead driving from Liberty to Canfield, where his truck was found unoccupied.

As officers from several departments who became involved in the chase searched for Battle, agents searched his vehicle and found the methamphetamine in two large duffel bags, including a bag that was similar to a bag Battle was seen carrying earlier in the day, according to the affidavit.

When Battle was found in a wooded area, he was shirtless, and police found the key to the vehicle he was driving in his pockets, the affidavit said.

Battle was arraigned Friday in Mahoning County Area Court in Canfield on a charge of possession of a dangerous drug, a first-degree felony. His bond was set at $200,000 by Judge Molly Johnson. He is expected to have a preliminary hearing Friday.

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Man gets life in prison for shooting, killing man in SUV while they rode down Gwinnett Co. highway

A Gwinnett County jury convicted a man for shooting another man in the back of the head while they were traveling in an SUV.

On April 14, 2021, Jorge Alberto Ramirez, 35, and Pedro Lopez-Belloso, 23 were traveling down Jimmy Carter Boulevard.

Ramirez, who was in the back seat of the SUV armed with an AR-15 rifle, told police he felt nervous because Lopez-Belloso was also armed.

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He told police that he chambered a round in his rifle because of this weird feeling about the others in the SUV with him.

Soon the rifle fired, hitting Lopez-Belloso, who was in the front passenger seat, in the back of the head.

Ramirez told investigators that the rifle was sitting at his side when it accidentally fired.

However, according to evidence presented in court, Ramirez intended on shooting Lopez-Belloso, telling the driver of the SUV, I dont give a damn... There aint gonna be emotion of jealousy, envy, hatred...

After the shooting, when Ramirez was questioned by Gwinnett County Police in the back of a patrol car, he was recorded saying he shot Lopez-Belloso because the immigrant want(s) to envy, hate, and be jealous on an American citizen of the United States of America.

He later said, ...Our oath is if you try our patriots, our patriots will respond with the almighty great accuracy and definition of a solution... Its simple, bro. I dont give a damn about no murders, I dont give a damn about no kidnappings. I dont give a damn about nothing.

When Ramirez was questioned by prosecutors in March 2022 after he was charged by police, he said he had been asleep in the back of the SUV, which was propped up in the seat next to him, fell over and fired.

An analysis of the rifle by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation determined that the rifle could not have accidentally misfired and could only have been fired by a human pulling the trigger.

A jury found Ramirez guilty of three counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Ramirez was sentenced to life in prison plus five years.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Man hospitalized after daylight stabbing in Lowell

A man was taken to a hospital after a daytime stabbing in Lowell Tuesday morning.

Lowell police officers responded to Warren Street around 11:15 a.m. for a report of a man stabbed.

Officers found the stabbing victim suffering from non-life-threatening injuries and transported him to a local hospital for treatment.

Lowell police detectives are investigating the incident.

The preliminary investigation indicates that this was an isolated incident, Lowell police told Boston 25.

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A Tri-Cities gang leader is facing 15 years in prison after pleaded guilty again to sex trafficking women in Pasco.

This time the proposed sentence for Lance Horntvedt is 10 years shorter than the one he started serving for the crime before a Washington appeals court found race-based prosecutorial misconduct in his case.

Last year, the Washington State Court of Appeals ruled that the 6-foot-8 former professional fighter could take back his previous guilty plea.

At the time, Horntvedt, who is Black, argued that his plea was not voluntary because he was told that a jury who heard the case would likely be mostly White even if the trial was moved to another county.

This time, Horntvedt pleaded guilty recently in Franklin County Superior Court to three counts of first-degree of promoting prostitution in exchange for a recommendation for a shorter sentence.

A sentencing hearing has not been set. At the time, a judge could order a different length of time.

Horntvedt, who was a gang leader in 2018, had a lengthy criminal history dating back more than 20 years. His previous convictions include burglary, assaulting police officers and attempting to elude officers, according to court documents.

Lance Horntvedt is facing a possible 15-year sentence for promoting prostitution.

Sex trafficking

Investigators first learned that Horntvedt was involved in prostitution in 2017 after a 22-year-old woman was arrested in a sex trafficking sting at a Pasco hotel.

She told investigators she became a sex worker to support herself and her drug habit.

Horntvedt, who was described in court documents as the leader of the Gangster Disciples gang, gave the woman small amounts of heroin. He then created an ad for her and told her how much to charge for sex acts.

He continued to run this business even after being arrested in Walla Walla on unrelated charges. Recorded jail calls showed he was upset with her for not working enough and that her ads were not adequate, Deputy Prosecutor Maureen Astley wrote. He gave her clear instructions on how to post ads and even provided his login credentials.

He expected her to make $500 to $1,000 a day and got angry at her when she wasnt trafficking herself.

Franklin County prosecutors said they later learned about three more trafficked women as part of an investigation started by the Utah Attorney Generals Office.

In one case, a 19-year-old said she was brought from Utah to Washington and forced to provide sexual services. When she tried to flee, Horntvedt took her iPad, cellphone and clothing. She eventually was able to contact her parents who sent her a bus ticket to return home.

Another woman told investigators she was trafficked in Idaho, Arizona, Utah and possibly Oregon and Colorado along with Washington, according to court documents.

Racial misconduct

After Horntvedt was arrested, he faced multiple charges of sex trafficking, attempted sex trafficking and promoting prostitution. Prosecutors planned to ask for a 66-year sentence if he was convicted at a trial.

Prosecutors offered a 25-year deal if he pleaded guilty. Horntvedt, his attorney, the deputy prosecutor and two corrections deputies met in March 2021 to talk about the agreement, according to an appeals court ruling. Horntvedt was the only Black person in the meeting.

As the deputy prosecutor was trying to convince Horntvedt to take the agreement, she said two of the five judges that could hear the case are women, which might make it difficult for him.

She also explained the jury was picked using state licensing and voting records.

So the jury that you get will not necessarily be a jury of your peers, but itll be a jury a jury of our peers, be a lot of white folks, the deputy prosecutor is quoted as saying in the appeals court decision. And Im not saying that ... to scare your. Thats reality. He have very few .... jurors of color that show up or ... respond to our jury summons. Thats just the way it is in Franklin County. ... But I just want you to know that, and Im telling you that strait away so youre clear on that.

His defense attorney appeared to echo that, saying that a judge is not likely to move the case past Walla Walla or Yakima counties, which arent necessarily more diverse.

As Horntvedt was leaving the meeting, he noted that it was some real racist s--t right there.

The deputy prosecutor later clarified that she didnt intend to say that it would be impossible to have a fair trial.

Plea and appeal

Horntvedt agreed to plead guilty in April 2021, and told the judge at the time that he hadnt been intimidated into making the plea.

Then, at his sentencing hearing, Horntvedt asked to withdraw his plea based on a recording of the meeting.

A judge found the prosecutors statements improper, but that Horntvedts plea was knowing, voluntary and intelligent.

The appeals court disagreed, with a majority of the judges finding that Horntvedt had shown a manifest injustice impaired the voluntariness of his guilty plea.

They suggested that the prosecutor appeared to think the plea agreement was in Horntvedts best interest and wanted to express the risks he faced if the case went to trial.

But the judges found that the prosecutor used the fear of racial bias to secure a guilty plea.

He was allowed to withdraw his plea and had a different attorney assigned. He followed through with taking back the guilty plea.
A Mississippi man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to leaving a terroristic phone message for a Jackson County Chancery Court judge who ruled in a controversial hearing last month, Assistant District Attorney George Huffman said.

Jeffery Scott Miles, 38, will spend 10 years on post-release supervision after he pleaded guilty to making terroristic threats and retaliation against a public servant, Huffman said.

Huffman said Miles left a phone message last month and threatened to slap Judge Mark Maples, who ruled in a case involving Heather Wyatt, an Ocean Springs mother whose daughter died by suicide.

Judge Calvin Taylor sentenced Miles to 10 years and suspended all but the month Miles has already served since his July 19 arrest. Taylor also ordered that Miles have no physical or electronic communication with Maples or anyone associated with the case that triggered the threat, Huffman said.

There are consequences for your actions, he said. The judge was doing something that he took an oath to do. We cant tolerate people making threats for him doing his job.

In his plea hearing Tuesday, Miles apologized and acknowledged he made a mistake by allowing himself to grow angry over a story he heard on social media, Huffman said.

Miles, a truck driver from Cleveland, Mississippi, began reading social media posts and comments about Heather Wyatt, whose daughter, Aubreigh Wyatt, died by suicide. The Ocean Springs mother has gained national recognition by posting about her daughter on social media sites like TikTok. Maples had temporarily blocked Wyatt from using her social media accounts in effort to protect several minor children accused of bullying Wyatts daughter. Maples restored Wyatts accounts with restrictions in July.

Miles called Maples and said if he saw the judge in public he would was going to slap him, Huffman said. Huffman said Miles message also included a lot of other vulgar language.

Investigators identified Miles by tracing the call. U.S. Marshals arrested Miles in Rockford, Illinois, the day after Maples ruled to restore Heather Wyatts social media.

Staff writer Margaret Baker contributed to this report.
Man presumed dead after trying to save woman from drowning in Yachats River

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  The U.S. Coast Guard is still searching for a man who is presumed to be dead after saving another individual in the Yachats State Recreation Area.

On Sunday around 4:39 p.m., fire agencies from Yachats, Seal Rock and the Central Oregon Coast responded to reports of a woman attempting to swim to shore near Yachats River. But before first responders arrived on the scene, officials said the agencies learned a man had jumped into the water to rescue the swimmer.

Portlands camping ban gains momentum with Multnomah County Sheriffs support

The Yachats Rural Fire Protection District later announced that a bystander helped crews lift two women  who were wearing personal flotation devices  from the water and onto the shore at the south end of the recreation area.

The agency reported that firefighters had intermittent visual contact with something in the water, but it was too far from shore to be positively identified.

First responders said a female bystander ventured into the river in an attempt to find the man who had gone missing, even though firefighters advised her against doing so.

After swimming against the current for some time, she was able to make it back towards the shore, and personnel deployed a rope throw bag, which she was able to take hold of, Yachats firefighters wrote.

8ACLU of Oregon files lawsuit against Medford Police alleging illegal spying

Oregon State Police arrested the woman after fire crews pulled her back to the shore.

The Coast Guard later deployed a helicopter, ground crew and two motor life boats to assist with the search for the missing swimmer, although firefighters left the scene around 6:35 p.m. Officials presume the man is deceased.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Stock prices for the parent company of Donald Trump's social media platform Truth Social hit a new low the first day of the Democratic National Convention.

Trump Media & Technology Group closed at $22.24 Monday, down 3.56% from the previous close and the lowest close since the company went public in March. The last lowest closing price was $22.84 on April 16, the second day of Trump's New York criminal trial where a jury found him guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records.

Trump Media, trading under ticker DJT, has seen near-steady falling stock prices since mid-July. The new low comes as the Trump campaign has struggled to find its footing against the Democrats' new candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. Earlier this month, the company reported more than $16 million in losses and less than $1 million in revenue in the second financial quarter.

Trump Media did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.

'Hes just, like, an old guy': Gen Z Democrats laugh at Donald Trump-Taylor Swift AI drama

Trump Media stock price

Trump Media compared to a meme stock for volatility, overvaluation

Trump Media has long been compared to a meme stock, as experts say prices rise and fall largely due to retail investors' coordination and attention.

The company was founded in 2021 after Trump was booted from other social media companies following the Jan. 6 riot on the U.S. Capitol. The company went public in March through a merger with shell company Digital World Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. Despite a splashy debut, the stock prices have whiplashed wildly, often in coordination with the rollercoaster of a news cycle for Trump this year.

Experts have also said the stock is overvalued by conventional Wall Street standards compared with other social media companies.

In May, Trump Media reported a net loss of $327.6 million in the first quarter of 2024 and brought in $770,500 in revenue, according to a filing. In August, the company reported more than $16 million in losses and less than $1 million in revenue in the second financial quarter. Regulatory filings show the company was operating at a loss in 2023, making about $4 million in revenue while losing more than $58 million.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump's Truth Social company stock prices close at new low
Man who ran over 2 cousins in Virginia Beach Town Center gets 7 years in prison

VIRGINIA BEACH  A man who killed one woman and seriously injured her cousin when he ran them down in a Town Center crosswalk while high on marijuana was sentenced Tuesday to seven years in prison.

Nathan Poole, 26, of Chesapeake, also was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine. His drivers license was revoked indefinitely.

The sentence issued by Circuit Judge Tanya Bullock was within state sentencing guidelines, which recommended Poole serve between 3 and 8 years. The guidelines suggest a punishment based on a defendants background and the circumstances of the crime.

Earlier this year, a jury found Poole guilty of involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence and maiming someone while driving under the influence.

The crash occurred on the afternoon of Aug. 22, 2022. Rosa Blanco, 76, and her cousin, Concepcion Blanco, 79, had just finished celebrating Rosas birthday at Tupelo Honey Cafe, and were walking in the crosswalk when Poole turned his Dodge pickup right onto Constitution Drive and struck them.

Rosa Blanco died at the scene. Her cousin spent five weeks in the hospital.

A police officer testified at trial that Poole smelled of marijuana, and failed multiple field sobriety tests. Poole initially claimed he hadnt used the drug since the night before, but later said hed smoked some that morning.

A toxicologist testified that the level of marijuana in his blood indicated recent use, and that it would have had major effects on his judgment, attention and reaction times.

Cases in which a driver is charged with killing someone while high on marijuana are rare, according to the Virginia Beach commonwealths attorneys office. Among the issues that create challenges: theres no forensic standard for impairment with marijuana cases like with alcohol, where a blood alcohol level over .08 percent is considered illegal for driving.

Rosa Blancos son, Omar, testified Tuesday about the tremendous loss that he, his family, and community have suffered as a result of his mothers death. Rosa Blanco was a math and physics teacher at schools in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, and a professor at Tidewater Community College. She also served as a leader in multiple local Filipino groups.

Poole told investigators he began using marijuana when he was 11, and smoked it four times a day. He joined a gang when he was 13, but said he later left it. He initially was allowed to remain free on bond while he awaited trial, but it was revoked after he tested positive for marijuana and alcohol.

Callie Johnson, who drove up immediately after the accident, testified Tuesday that Poole was contrite and sorrowful when she spoke to him that day.

But Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Corie Bosley argued Poole wasnt remorseful and had not taken responsibility for his actions. Bosley asked the judge to give him the maximum sentence of 21 years.

Poole apologized to the Blanco family and said he hopes they can forgive him someday. He also said he would have never driven that day if he thought he was impaired.

Jane Harper, jane.harper@pilotonline.com
BRYAN, Texas (FOX 44)  A Rockdale man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for two counts of Sexual Assault of a Child.

The Brazos County District Attorneys Office says 22-year-old Jamarr Zamora pled guilty and received the maximum sentence.

The Robertson County Sheriffs Office was contacted on November 27, 2022 by the mother of one of Zamoras victims. This mother reported that her daughter was missing. The 15-year-old returned the next day and said Zamora engaged in sexual acts with her.

The Sheriffs Office started an investigation and determined Zamora took the victim to a hotel in College Station, where he committed the offense. As part of their investigation, law enforcement discovered another victim who was 14 years old.

Arrests made in College Station narcotics investigation

The Brazos County D.A.s Office says a College Station Police detective then took over the investigation. The detective interviewed Zamora, who admitted he picked up the victims at their residences on multiple occasions and took them to College Station hotels to perform sexual acts.

This case was investigated by the Robertson County Sheriffs Office, the College Station Police Department and the Brazos County District Attorneys Office. Special assistance was provided by the Baylor Scott and White Forensic Unit, Scottys House Child Advocacy Center, the Amber Alert Network Brazos Valley and Unbound Now.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KWKT - FOX 44.
LIBERTY TWP., Ohio (WKBN)  A man with a previous drug trafficking conviction as part of a task force raid was arrested again this week on felony drug warrants.

Raymel Adams, 45, was secretly indicted by a Trumbull County grand jury on two counts of possession of cocaine and two counts of trafficking in cocaine, all first-degree felonies.

Reports state he was arrested on the warrants Sunday after an officer recognized him from a previous search warrant execution with the Trumbull Action Group Drug Task Force.

Court records show Adams was previously sentenced in July 2020 to five years of community control on a fifth-degree felony charge of trafficking in cocaine for an October 2018 incident. In the same case, he was later sentenced in March 2023 to six months in prison on a probation violation.

He is set to appear in court on the most recent charges Tuesday afternoon.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  A man who admitted smuggling seven undocumented immigrants through sewer tubes between Mexico and the U.S. was sentenced to seven months in prison Monday.

Twenty-year-old Kevin Noe Campos Villa of Tijuana was arrested Jan. 22 after Border Patrol agents observed him directing people from Mexico into the U.S. through the pipes about two miles west of the San Ysidro Port of Entry, according to a release from the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Southern District of California.

San Diego Sector sees border arrests fall 40% in July

During periods of heavy rain, the grates in the sewer tubes are left open to let water through. Prosecutors said Campos used this opportunity to try to smuggle the people into the U.S.

He pled guilty in March, according to a previous release.

Court documents showed Campos agreed to guide them into the country in exchange for having his own smuggling fee reduced to $6,000.

According to the release, Campos and three of the immigrants fell into the Tijuana River after they tried to escape from Border Patrol agents during the January attempt.

Several of the immigrants had to be rescued from the river by San Diego lifeguards, according to prosecutors.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
A previous report can be seen in the player above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  Columbus police are searching for a 26-year-old man who is wanted and charged with two counts of murder after a June shooting at a downtown nightclub.

Jaquez Hoover. (Courtesy Photo/Columbus Division of Police)

Investigators on Tuesday asked for public assistance in locating Jaquez Hoover, who was named the suspect in the shooting deaths of Desmond Taylor, 27, and Ceilin Richard Peakes Smith, 36, at Aura, formerly known as Avalon nightclub, on June 14.

Juvenile fighting for life after falling out of moving vehicle in west Columbus

Columbus police asked anyone with knowledge of Hoovers whereabouts to call them at 614-645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477. Hoover is considered to be armed and dangerous.

When officers arrived at the scene of the shooting in the 200 block of North Fifth at about 1:45 a.m., four victims were found suffering from gunshot wounds. Taylor was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:58 a.m. Peakes Smith was transported to a hospital, then pronounced dead at 2:45 a.m. Two more adults were transported to hospitals with injuries.

Authorities said the incident sprang from an altercation outside the club, leading to shots being fired. Police noted there were a lot of patrons at the club when the shooting occurred.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Manchester United forward Antony remains under investigation by Greater Manchester Police over accusations he assaulted his ex-girlfriend, despite police in Brazil dropping their case against him.

Officers in both Manchester and Sao Paulo had been examining claims made by Gabriela Cavallin that Antony abused her in his homeland and the UK.

It emerged on Tuesday that police in Brazil had found insufficient evidence to charge the 85 million man  who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing  with any crime.

Antonys lawyers said in a statement: The defense of footballer Antony Mateus Dos Santos, in light of the news published by the press this Tuesday (08/20/24), publicly confirms that the police investigation conducted by the 5th womens police precinct of Sao Paulo Civil Police, has been closed without police indictment. The defense always believed that the investigations, which were conduct [sic] under seal, would demonstrate Antonys innocence.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed it was still investigating accusations over alleged incidents in the UK.

Cavallin, who works as a DJ, claimed Antony attacked her on four different occasions, including in June 2022 while she was pregnant. She also alleged he assaulted her at the Hyatt Regency Manchester hotel on January 15, 2023, damaging one of her breast implants, and that he threw a glass at her in June that year, cutting her finger to the bone.

Gabriela Cavillin accused Antony of domestic violence - instagram/djgabicavallin

In an interview with Brazilian TV network Record, she said: He threw water on me, started kicking me, grabbed my the hair, butted my head and made a cut.

He held me by both arms, threw me on the bed and fell on top of me.

At that, my silicone prosthesis dislocated. At the time, it gave me such a shortness of breath that it looked like I was going to die.

Cavallin had also claimed Antony had made her a prisoner in their home.

He broke my suitcase, took my handbag, my passport. He broke my mobile phone, he wouldnt let me go, Cavallin said.

I was a prisoner from 10pm to almost 3.30am. I call it private captivity. I just wanted to get out of there and he told me that I wouldnt leave until I erased everything.

I think his mother called his physiotherapist and asked for help. No one could control it.

Antony posted on Instagram in response to the claims: For you, after submitting my statement at the police station where the investigation involving my name is being conducted, I wanted to speak publicly for the first time since I was falsely accused of assault.

I stayed silent until this moment so that nothing could interfere with the investigation process, but during all these days my family and I suffered in silence.

Despite being born and raised in a very needy community, I have never been through a situation similar to this, in which a false assault charge resulted in a preliminary and unfair public judgement on the part of some.

Antony during Manchester United training at Carrington - Manchester United via Getty Images/Ash Donelon

After the closure of the investigation, my innocence will certainly be proven and justice will prevail. The damage initially caused to my image will be in the past.

Thank you for the countless messages of support received at this very difficult time.

There is also a separate investigation being carried out by Greater Manchester Police in the UK after Cavallin claimed Antony attacked her on four different occasions  including once in June 2022 while she was pregnant.

Following the allegations made against him in the UK, Antony was dropped from the Brazil team and was permitted a period of absence by United last September.

He attended a voluntary interview with Greater Manchester Police before returning to first-team training at Carrington.

Antony also gave an emotional TV interview to Brazilian TV network SBT in March, saying: I know the truth and it will come out. I know many are butchering me, but the truth always comes out.

Im 100 per cent sure Ive never touched a woman, and Ill come up with the evidence. I have never assaulted and I will never assault. Im sure Ive never committed physical violence. I have a mother, a sister, and I would never want this to happen to them.

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So many accusations in Providence House Democratic primary contest, so little time to investigate

Campaign signs for Anastacia Williams and Javier Santos hang next to each other on fences on Manton Avenue in Providence's Olneyville section. Both are looking to unseat Rep. Enrique Sanchez in the Democratic primary for the House District 9 on Sept. 10, 2024. (Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)

Stolen yard signs, mail ballot tampering, ethics violations  the three-way Democratic primary for a state legislative seat representing Providence is awash in accusations.

On Tuesday, a day before the start of early voting, the state ethics panel launched investigations into the two challengers looking to unseat Rep. Enrique Sanchez over alleged ethics violations. But results of the probe wont be available until the Sept. 10 primary at the earliest, leaving the voters of Rhode Island House District 9 to decide whether the barbs are merely campaign mudslinging or the tip of a more sinister, potentially criminal iceberg.

Challengers Anastacia Williams, who held the seat for 30 years before losing to Sanchez in 2022, and Santos Javier have denied the allegations, instead pushing blame on each other, and on Sanchez, for political gameplay and distracting voters from the issues.

The Sanchez campaign filed the complaints against his opponents with the Rhode Island Ethics on July 29. The complaints point to missing information from both Williams and Santos annual financial statements, including rental properties and, in Williams case, a new job.

The ethics panels vote to open probes into both allegations is not a sign of wrongdoing, only that the complaints warrant further review. Historically, missing information on financial forms has resulted in a light slap on the wrist for proven violators, as opposed to more serious ethics violations around unreported gift-taking, political donations, or conflicts of interest.

The Sanchez campaign also filed complaint with the Rhode Island Board of Elections Wednesday morning over alleged tampering with mail ballot applications, according to his campaign manager, Michael Garman. The Sanchez campaign has since Aug. 11 been sending letters to district voters alleging phone numbers on voters mail ballot applications were changed after they were turned into Javiers campaign, potentially preventing them from receiving the actual mail ballots requested.

Javier, a two-time Providence City Council candidate, pointed the finger back at Sanchez for the ongoing embarrassment he has brought to the district.

Williams has also accused her opponents of mail ballot tampering, along with stealing or removing her campaign signs. Williams said she filed complaints Monday with the state elections board and Providence and Rhode Island State Police over the alleged illegal activity.

This is going to make people not want to vote, Williams said in an interview on Tuesday. Why would you want to participate in something when there is so much distrust?

Lindsay Lague, a spokesperson for the Providence Police Department, confirmed in an email Tuesday night that city police were investigating the complaint.

Given the ongoing investigation, we do not have any additional details but have been in touch with the Board of Elections who has indicated that the State Police will be handling this matter given that this falls under State oversight of elections, Lague said.

Chris Hunter, a spokesperson for the Rhode Island Board of Elections, said Williams notified the board Monday but did not file an official complaint.

Lt. Col. Robert Creamer, a Rhode Island State Police spokesperson, confirmed in an email Wednesday morning that state police had also received a complaint from Williams over alleged mail ballot tampering, but that the investigation was being handled by Providence police.

Dirty politicking?

Misinformation and distrust over politics has clouded campaigns nationwide and in Rhode Island. Low-income and voters of color, who make up a large part of the Providence district stretching across the West End, Olneyville and Upper South Providence, are also more likely to face barriers to voting.

But just as important as encouraging voter participation is shedding light on the true intentions and policies of candidates. Thats why Garman said the Sanchez campaign has doggedly researched his rivals, including their ethics disclosures and potential tampering with mail ballot applications.

We want to make sure voters have all the information possible, Garman said in an interview Tuesday. We are trying to expose any dirty politicking.

Javier countered that the accusations lobbed by the Sanchez campaign against him, including that phone numbers on mail ballot applications were changed after being turned into his campaign, were the actual dirty work in the race.

They are just trying to slow me down, Javier said. I am trying to run a clean campaign.

Yet Javier in a press release Tuesday blasted Sanchez for public intoxication issues and losing his job as substitute teacher for behavioral problems.

Garman said those allegations were completely baseless.

Javier also attacked Williams for bullying tactics and reliance on backroom deals in the same release.

Williams, who lost to Sanchez in the 2022 Democratic primary by just over 200 votes, attributed the accusations to the threat she posed to her rivals.

I believe I am feared, Williams said.

Williams is the best-financed candidate among the three, with just under $25,000 in her campaign war chest as of Aug. 12, according to the most recent filings with the state elections board. Sanchez, in contrast, had $4,500 cash on hand as of Aug. 12, including a $2,900 loan. Javiers campaign account sat at $349 with a $10,400 loan.

Williams said this election cycle was by far the worst she has experienced.

Contested seat is unusual in R.I., accusations not so much

John Marion, executive director for Common Cause Rhode Island, said the feud might just be a lot of hot air in an election year where half of the 113 state legislative contests feature only one candidate in the entire race.

This sort of weaponization is not uncommon, Marion said. There arent a lot of contested races so when there are, its not unusual for them to get heated.

For that reason, the state ethics code prevents the panel from considering complaints against political candidates 90 days before an election, a change enacted in 2016 with support from good government advocates including Common Cause. However, the 90-day moratorium only counts backwards from the date of the general election; there is no similar blackout period prior to a primary.

Garman agreed the timing of the ethics complaints against Javier and Williams was unfortunate but said the Sanchez campaign filed them as soon as the information was discovered. The state ethics panel is scheduled to meet again on the day of the September primary, although Jason Gramitt, executive director, said he was not sure if the investigations would be completed at that time.

Campaign sign stealing is also par for the course in many local races, Marion said, while accusations around mail ballot tampering are not uncommon in districts where high-rise housing developments for senior citizens are prevalent.

Yet most of these complaints and concerns end up being unsubstantiated, at least in terms of criminal or civil wrongdoing.

Rarely have these accusations ever panned out, Marion said.

As of Tuesday, the Providence Board of Canvassers has rejected 58 of the 585 mail ballot applications received from district voters for various inaccuracies, Josh Estrella, a city spokesperson, said in an email. The elections board has not raised any concerns over a pattern of problems or fraud with the applications.

The winner of the Democratic primary will be unopposed in the Nov. 5 general election.

This story has been updated to include a comment from the Providence Police Department and to note the new complaint filed by Rep. Enrique Sanchez with the Rhode Island Board of Elections. It has also included new clarifications regarding Sanchez allegations over mail ballot tampering and the role of Rhode Island State Police in the investigation.

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By Ananta Agarwal

(Reuters) - U.S. railroad operator Union Pacific has warned that a potential rail strike in Canada will have "devastating consequences" on the North American economy.

More than 2,500 Union Pacific cars per day would not move across the border, CEO Jim Vena said in a letter to Canadian Labor Minister Steve MacKinnon on late Monday.

"Some of these impacts have already begun," Vena said.

Railroad operators Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National Railway are bracing for a work stoppage by Teamsters union members, which could start as early as Thursday as talks to negotiate a new labor contract are yet to reach an agreement.

The union's demands included better wages and benefits, provisions for fatigue management and improved crew scheduling.

Roughly 30% of freight rail operations in Canada cross the northern border annually, the Association of American Railroads said on Tuesday.

In the first half of the year, rail transport accounted for about 14% of the total bilateral trade of $382.4 billion between the U.S. Canada, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

A strike could also raise costs for many industries, which will be forced to either find last-minute alternatives to rail service or face shut down, Vena said.

"For every one day of disruption, you can expect at least 3-5 days of recovery  perhaps even more, given two Canadian railways are impacted."

Union Pacific links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the U.S., connecting with the Canadian railway network and serving all six Mexico gateways.

MacKinnon is meeting with the two Canadian rail companies and the union in Montreal on Tuesday and in Calgary on Wednesday.

U.S. freight brokerage C.H. Robinson had said on Monday it has started diverting ocean cargo of some U.S. customers away from Canadian ports.

(Reporting by Ananta Agarwal in Bengaluru and additional reporting by Abhinav Parmar; Editing by Shreya Biswas)
A little more than a year after a 16-year-old was killed while working at a chicken processing plant in Hattiesburg, the company settled with OSHA and agreed to pay $164,814 in fines and implement enhanced safety measures to protect employees from well-known hazards.

Duvan Perez died July 14, 2023, after he was caught in machinery while sanitizing the area at Mar-Jac Poultry. In January, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the company for not following safety procedures and fined the company $212,646 for 17 safety violations, 14 of which were considered "serious." Perez's death was the third at Mar-Jac since 2020.

Among the violations, investigators found that safety procedures were not used to disconnect power to the machine where Perez had become entangled and a lockout/tagout device was not used to prevent the machine from unintentionally starting during the cleaning, despite having a supervisor overseeing operations in the area in and around the deboning machine.

Tragically, a teenage boy died needlessly before Mar-Jac Poultry took required steps to protect its workers, OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer in Atlanta said in a news release. This settlement demands the company commit to a safer workplace environment and take tangible actions to protect their employees from well-known hazards.

Wrongful death: Mar-Jac, others named in lawsuit filed by mother of 16-year-old killed in Hattiesburg

Mar-Jac Poultry in Hattiesburg is the site where 16-year-old Duvan Perez was killed in a workplace accident on Friday, July 14, 2023.

In addition to abating the 17 citations, OSHA reported that Mar-Jac must implement the following enhancements:

Add another properly trained supervisor to the sanitation shift.

Provide workers exposed to lockout/tagout and machine-guarding hazards with updated training.

Require the plants manager and safety director to complete OSHAs 30-hour general industry training and plant supervisors to complete OSHAs 10-hour training.

Institute a system for assigning, identifying and issuing locks to authorized employees performing lockout/tagout functions and update programs and training to reflect the requirement.

Conduct a risk and hazard assessment to evaluate the safety exposures and hazards associated with current lockout/tagout procedures for the sanitation shift. The assessment must include a review of any incidents, including near misses, injuries and unexpected start-ups or malfunctions of machinery.

Perform monthly lockout/tagout safety audits for the sanitation shift for one year and provide proof to OSHA, including what steps the employer is taking to reduce hazards in response to the audits.

Along with the workplace safety violations, Mar-Jac is accused of violating federal child labor laws, which prohibit anyone younger than 18 from working in a hazardous place, including meat-processing facilities.

Perez's family has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Mar-Jac, seeking compensation for their loss of a loved one. That case remains ongoing.

The company said in court documents that it denied any wrongdoing in connection with Perez's death. Also named in the wrongful death lawsuit was Onin Staffing Agency, which allegedly vetted Perez's employment application and identification, which said he was a 32-year-old man.

Mar-Jac officials said in an earlier story that they used Onin for hiring workers in Hattiesburg. Onin also denies any wrongdoing in its response to the lawsuit.

Duvan Perez

Hattiesburg: OSHA report says Mar-Jac violated safety procedures in teen's death

Perez's death has caused outrage across the country, with activists in Mississippi demanding Mar-Jac be held accountable for the teen's death less than two weeks after he was killed. In April, another group, the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health named the company to its Dirty Dozen, claiming Mar-Jac is one of the country's most dangerous places to work.

In December, NBC produced a documentary, "Slaughterhouse Children: Child Labor Exposed in America's Food Industry," that focused on Perez's death as well as other teens who were injured or killed in the workplace.

Mar-Jac was aware of these safety problems for years and had been warned and fined by OSHA, yet did nothing," said Jim Reeves, attorney for Perez's family. "Hopefully, Mar-Jac will follow through this time so that no other worker is killed in such a senseless manner.

Contact Lici Beveridge at lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on X @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.

This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Mar-Jac settles with OSHA on safety violation fines for teen's death
CHICAGO  While much of the country braced for the chaos that is the Democratic National Convention this week, Americans from all walks of life who felt disillusioned by the partys continued support for Israels deadly military campaign in Gaza prepared to make their voices heard within sight and sound of the convention.

On Monday morning, organizers, protesters and media began filling Chicagos Union Park, where the long-awaited March on the DNC was to take place. Organizers and volunteers handed out items like water bottles, snacks and picket signs, while protesters donning keffiyehs  the patterned fabric symbolizing Palestinian liberation  arrived either individually, with friends or as part of a more official group.

Before the actual march toward the United Center, where the DNC was holding its evening programming, the organizing coalition held a rally at the park featuring a long list of speakers who hyped up the crowd with chants of freedom and demands that the Democratic Party, the Biden administration and the Kamala Harris and Tim Walz ticket take action to secure a permanent cease-fire in Gaza and a U.S. arms embargo on Israel, among other progressive issues.

Hatem Abudayyeh, co-chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, speaks to reporters Monday before the March on the DNC begins in Chicago. Sanjana Karanth/HuffPost

Were out here today from all across this country to make it clear that we say genocide is not welcome here. We make it clear that we will not be casting any ballots for anybody who oversees the genocide, the indiscriminate murder of Palestinian children, families and futures, Sarah Mahmoud of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR) told the crowd.

We know Palestine will be liberated in our lifetime, and its because Palestine is a struggle for justice for all people, she continued. Its a struggle that connects all of our shared oppression towards our shared liberation.

Protesters from Chicago and across the country belonged to several communities, many of which are marginalized. Speakers at the rally stressed that the issue of Palestinian freedom is just as important in the fight to protect Black, Latino, Asian, Indigenous, disabled, queer and immigrant communities.

Thats what the DNC is concerned about. Theyre concerned about the thousands that are going to be here all week, maybe tens of thousands, Hatem Abudayyeh, co-chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, told reporters before the rally. Theyre concerned about the unity, especially the Black-Palestinian solidarity that weve built in this city and in this country  a powerful movement in which Palestinian people are supporting the movement against police crimes across the country, and the movement against police crimes is supporting Palestinian self-determination.

All these other communities and all these other nationalities and all these other religions and age groups are here to say the same thing: that this is the Vietnam War of our generation, he said, calling back to the 1968 DNC in Chicago, where crowds of Americans protesting the Vietnam War faced deadly police brutality.

Protesters during the March on the DNC on Monday in Chicago call for an end to U.S. military aid to the Philippines. Sanjana Karanth/HuffPost

One year later, the Black Panther Partys chairman in Chicago, Fred Hampton, created the Rainbow Coalition  a model of anti-racist solidarity that brought marginalized groups together to unite behind the same issues because of the common enemy that is systemic oppression. Hamptons alliances with the Young Lords and the Young Patriots turned into a massive leftist coalition that backed each other at protests and strikes.

That year, Hampton was assassinated at his Chicago home in what is now widely known to have been directed by the FBI.

My homies came back traumatized or dead from Vietnam, and it radicalized me. Thats why today were in solidarity with the Palestinian people, Chicano leader Carlos Montes said from the rally stage. We support working-class power, Black power, and we are going to have a revolution in this country.

Mondays rally and march were largely fiery but safe, with the exception of some confrontations between Chicago police and a small group of people (who were not among the marchs organizers) trying to break through the first DNC security perimeter, as well as a small group of of pro-Israel counterprotesters.

The rally appeared to have had a few thousand attendees, and the crowd grew significantly as the march gathered momentum. Abudayyeh said that he estimated 15,000 demonstrators joined the event, a smaller number than organizers anticipated but nevertheless a large presence that they expect to be even larger when theyre back at Union Park on Thursday evening, the final day of the convention.

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Police raided the Marion County Record office on Aug 11, 2023, after Magistrate Judge Laura Viar authorized search warrants without regard for federal and state law that prohibit the search and seizure of journalists' materials. The newspaper office is seen here on July 25, 2024. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA  Kari Newell told investigators she agreed to delete text messages she exchanged with former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody in part because she was worried her ex-husband would accuse the two of having an affair.

Court records released Tuesday reveal Newells explanation  and a clandestine court hearing that could allow their text messages to be kept secret.

Cody, who led an Aug. 11, 2023, police raid on journalists and a city councilwoman, faces a low-level felony charge for telling Newell after the raid to delete text messages between the two. The raid was based on the false assertion that the targets had committed identity theft by obtaining a copy of Newells drunk driving record, which is a public document. Newell had lashed out at the journalists and councilwoman during a public meeting four days before the raid.

Special prosecutors Barry Wilkerson and Marc Bennett excused police for targeting journalists in violation of federal and state laws for a crime that didnt exist. But the prosecutors determined Codys directive to delete text messages amounts to obstruction of justice.

Typically, criminal charges are supported by evidence presented in a written affidavit. But Wilkerson instead presented evidence by having a Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent testify before District Judge Benjamin Sexton in a closed hearing Aug. 8. The maneuver allowed Wilkerson to show the judge a copy of the deleted text messages without making them part of the case file or subject to requests by news outlets for disclosure.

During the hearing, according a transcript released Tuesday, CBI agent John Zamora described his interview with Newell in December, as well as a report a KBI agent filed from an earlier interview.

Newell told investigators that Cody told her to delete their text messages because he was didnt want anyone to misconstrue anything.

They discussed, Well, we dont want people putting  dots together that werent there, based on maybe a smiley emoji or something like that. She thought there was pretty much nothing in there, Zamora said.

But, he added, she was concerned her ex-husband would accuse her of having an affair with Cody.

Zamora said a review of Newells phone showed she had deleted their text messages sometime after the Aug. 11, 2023, raid and before Aug. 17, 2023, when they resumed texting. But Newell also had taken screenshots of some text messages and provided those to Zamora.

The transcript reveals Wilkerson presented an exhibit to the judge with 11 text messages. But court clerk Jan Helmer said in an email Tuesday that the court would not provide a copy of the exhibit because the judge returned the exhibit to Wilkerson.

Former Kansas Court of Appeals Judge Steve Leben, now a law professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, said it isnt clear whether the text messages should be disclosed as part of the evidence supporting the charge. Leben said its clear that the Legislature intended a norm of disclosure when it created a path in 2014 for news outlets to request affidavits and sworn testimony, but the law doesnt specifically address how exhibits should be handled.

Wilkerson, who told lawmakers in 2014 that affidavits should be kept secret and not used to sell sensationalized news accounts, didnt immediately respond to an interview request Tuesday asking about the unusual Aug. 8 hearing.

The deleted text messages could provide a clearer picture of Codys motives for raiding the Marion County Record office, the home of newspaper owners Joan and Eric Meyer, and Councilwoman Ruth Herbels home.

Wilkerson told the court on Aug. 8 that he wasnt requesting an arrest warrant for Cody, who Wilkerson believed to be living in Hawaii. A first appearance in the case is scheduled for Oct. 7.
Emissions spew from a large stack at the coal fired Brandon Shores Power Plant, on March 9, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. Critics say that PJM, which is responsible for coordinating the flow of electricity in 13 states and the District of Columbia, should have been prepared for the retirement of Brandon Shores. (Mark Wilson | Getty Images)

After years of climbing electric prices nationwide, customers in the United States largest power market are about to get squeezed harder.

Last month, PJM, which coordinates the flow of electricity for an area that includes all or parts of 13 states stretching from the Midwest to New Jersey plus the District of Columbia, released capacity auction results that hit a record high.

The auction, held by the regional transmission organization to ensure theres enough power generation to meet demand spikes, such as during severe weather and other grid emergencies, produced a price of nearly $270 per megawatt day for much of the footprint (with some areas spiking much higher) compared to nearly $29 per megawatt day during the last auction. That increase, more than 800%, will cost customers across the region of 65 million people nearly $15 billion for the period covered by the auction (June 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026) the Maryland Office of Peoples Counsel noted in a report released last week. The costs will not hit equally across the PJM footprint, however, since utilities that own and operate their own power plants, like Virginias Dominion Energy, are both sellers and buyers in the capacity market, which will blunt the impact for their ratepayers. But Exelon, a company that owns six so-called wires-only utilities with 10.5 million customers in PJM states, expects the capacity prices to trigger double-digit rate increases for some customers, Utility Dive reported.

What makes the capacity costs tougher to swallow is that much of the increase can be laid at the feet of planning shortcomings, market design failures and governance problems at PJM, the organizations critics contend.

The tools to enhance reliability are in PJMs hands, said Clara Summers, campaign manager for Consumers for a Better Grid, a watchdog group that is part of the Citizens Utility Board of Illinois. Instead PJM is dragging its feet on the clean energy transition and doing everything it can to keep fossil fuel plants online and ultimately ratepayers are the ones who suffer from this shortsightedness.

All sorts of problems

In particular, critics point to PJMs long delayed interconnection queue, which is the waiting list for generation projects looking for permission to connect to the grid. They say that even as PJM complains about fewer power plants entering its capacity auction and the increasing pace of old generating station retirements, it is seeking exemptions to a landmark new federal rule intended to streamline interconnection processes and get new power resources online quickly.

PJM is the place with the most acute need for interconnection reform and theyre refusing to do what theyve been told to do on it rather than be proactive on it, said Tom Rutigliano, a senior advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council who focuses on PJM.

Jeff Shields, a PJM spokesman, said the organization has been working hard to fix its interconnection process and clear the backlog. He pointed out that many projects that have cleared the queue still arent getting built because of supply chain, financing or permitting problems that are beyond PJMs control.

We are not arguing about whether we need queue reform, we have only taken issue with some details, he said.

David Lapp, Marylands peoples counsel, an advocate for the states residential utility customers, said interconnection delays are just part of the problem at PJM.

Transmission costs  because of a lack of competitive bidding of projects and a failure to plan for the long term, watchdogs argue  have also climbed over the past decade. And a deficient process for managing power plant retirements, along with market errors, have also hurt customers, Lapp said.

Our customers are bearing the consequences of all sorts of problems at PJM, whether they be problems with the market structure, problems with the interconnection queue, problems related to planning failures or just mistakes, Lapp said in an interview with States Newsroom. PJM really needs to start taking the interest of customers more seriously into account in terms of how it develops its policies.

How the retirement of Brandon Shores, a Talen Energy coal-fired power plant southeast of Baltimore, has been handled, exemplifies a lot of whats wrong with PJM, Lapp added. Lapp and others, including members of Marylands congressional delegation, say PJM was caught flat-footed by the plants retirement, which should have been foreseeable given the limited amount it was running, a deal with the Sierra Club to quit burning coal and financial troubles for its operating company. PJM counters that it was told the plant would switch to burning oil and continue running.

It is not reasonable to expect PJM to have anticipated the imminent deactivation of the Brandon Shores units when numerous public statements and direct conversations between PJM and Talen all supported the notion that Brandon Shores was on a path to remain online, albeit using a different fuel source, PJM President and CEO Manu Asthana wrote in a December letter to the Sierra Club.

How much sense does that make?

Regardless, PJM now has pushed for an urgent suite of transmission projects that will cost Maryland ratepayers about $800 million to bring in enough power to make up for the loss of the Brandon Shores station and another nearby Talen plant, Wagner, that is also retiring. PJM will also keep both plants running under what are known asreliability must run arrangements that could cost Maryland ratepayers $629 million through 2028, the Peoples Counsel report says, and comes with no guarantee they will actually be able to produce power when called upon. It also means the plants will exit the capacity market, which is designed to increase prices as energy supply tightens to encourage more generation sources to enter the market. The logic was that you want to treat them as gone to send a price signal for new entry, Rutigliano said. But even if a new generation source wanted to take advantage of the high capacity prices in the zone affected by the plant closure, the interconnection queue delays mean it could be years before it can participate in the auction.

With PJMs interconnection process so far behind that simply doesnt work, Rutigliano said. Price signals are worthless if youve got a six-year delay in responding to them.

And since PJM has already decided on a transmission solution to make up for the plants retirement, forcing customers to bear the high capacity prices doesnt make sense, Rutigliano said.

They exclude them from the market to get a high price signal but build transmission to ease the load pocket. Those are contradictory, he said.

The upshot is that Talen gets a windfall (the Office of the Peoples Counsel report found the companys revenues for the 2025-2026 delivery year are $360 million higher than what they would have been had Wagner and Brandon Shores participated in the capacity market) and electric customers in Maryland will be paying extra for plants that may not run much at all. They will also be paying extra for the loss of that plant to the capacity market in order to create a market signal that wont matter because of the transmission solution PJM has already decided upon, which will also be paid by local customers. Lapp called it a triple whammy.

We have the illogical situation where customers are paying big dollars for a plant that is not going to run almost all the time, Lapp said. They still have no performance obligation. There are no consequences if PJM says Were hitting a peak time. We need you to run. And Talen says We cant.  How much sense does that make?

Shields, the PJM spokesman, says PJM will continue working to improve markets, transmission planning and generator interconnection. But he added that, of the PJM states, Maryland has the second-fewest projects in the queue over the next few years. We encourage Maryland policymakers to analyze why and what can be done to encourage development, Shields said. There is no debate  Maryland needs energy infrastructure. Maryland needs generation to produce power for and transmission to move power to the customers who need it. The Maryland Office of Peoples Counsel knows all of this to be true, and these critical issues deserve a better discussion than ongoing exercises in finger pointing.

Seeking variances

Particularly frustrating for PJM reformers are the exemptions it is seeking to a new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rule to speed the connection of new power resources to the grid, which seems counterintuitive for an organization that has worried about having enough power to meet demand. PJM did begin its own interconnection reforms prior to the FERC order, and its request for variances indicates it wants to stick to that plan rather than conform completely to the new FERC rules, per a coalition of environmental and consumer organizations that are challenging the request before the commission.

The interconnection queue in PJM is among the longest in the nation, whether measured by the number of projects, total electric capacity, or how long projects languish awaiting studies, the groups wrote in a FERC filing, noting that PJM wont review new interconnection applications until 2026 at the earliest. At the same time, PJM is sounding the alarm about a reliability crisis because new generation cannot come online quickly enough to replace retiring power plants. To accelerate interconnection and bring new generation online to avoid reliability challenges from foreseeable retirements, PJM should welcome Order No. 2023s reforms with open arms. Instead, PJM resists reform to its interconnection process.

Mainly PJM is seeking permission for increased study timelines and a laxer penalty structure and wants to sidestep reporting requirements on how it evaluates grid-enhancing technologies, which can save time and money over traditional transmission solutions. It also wants to avoid the requirement to realistically consider how energy storage resources will affect peak load.

Grid-enhancing technologies have been used for years elsewhere in the world to get more out of existing power systems and in many cases are faster and cheaper than building new transmission lines, but theyve been slow to catch on in the U.S., in part because American utilities make more money by building big, expensive projects rather than more cost-effective solutions, proponents have said.

PJM wants out of a requirement to demonstrate that it has considered those technologies, said Katie Siegner, a manager who works on markets and electric grids at the Rocky Mountain Institute, a nonprofit focused on decarbonization.

What theyre saying is, We already consider them but dont make us show you how, she said.

The other major exemption PJM wants deals with battery storage resources and what grid upgrades are needed to accommodate them. Some grid operators, including PJM, want to continue to use a worst-case assumption  that the batteries will charge at times of peak electric demand. That flies in the face of the economic model for grid-connected batteries, which seek to charge when prices are low and discharge when they spike.

Assuming that storage will charge during a time of peak load is one of those worst-case conditions even though its antithetical to the action it will take in the market, Siegner said. And even if PJM was concerned about that happening, it could write a prohibition into an interconnection agreement, rather than requiring storage developers to pay for expensive grid upgrades that might never be needed, she added.

Its just a nonsensical way of studying these resources that has to change, Siegner said.

The bigger problem, said Summers of the Citizens Utility Board, is that at PJM, fossil fuel generators, big utilities and transmission companies hold a lot of sway.

Many of these companies came of age in the fossil fuel era and their incentives are to try to prevent the fossil fuel transition or make it as expensive as possible. PJM has a pattern of dragging its feet on the energy transition, Summers said.

Indeed, how PJM is governed and how stakeholders are voting in lower level meetings is drawing increasing scrutiny from state lawmakers. Four blue state governors with decarbonization goals also recently called for a robust process for states to engage with PJM on planning decisions.

And for many of PJMs critics, the fact that projects have made it through the queue but havent gotten built doesnt excuse the mess the interconnection process has become.

PJM must take responsibility for its role in establishing and maintaining an effective interconnection process, Siegner said. The faster that interconnection requests are processed, the easier it is to get financing and navigate supply chain hurdles. Its a lot harder if youre waiting in the queue for five years and you have no idea what your network upgrade costs will be.

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Maryland man charged with murder for deadly stabbing in District Heights parking lot

PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now)  The Prince Georges County Police Department (PGPD) said officers arrested a man in connection to a deadly stabbing at a parking lot in District Heights.

Police said that on Aug. 10, around 2 p.m., officers were called to the 5600 block of Silver Hill Road to investigate a stabbing. Upon arrival, police found 41-year-old Christopher Woodland, of Washington, DC., suffering from a stab wound in a parking lot of the Penn Station Shopping Center.

First responders took him to the hospital, where he died.

Driver of dump truck killed in crash on I-95 in Prince Georges County

Throughout the investigation, Prince Georges County police identified 45-year-old Nelson Ford, of Capitol Heights, as the suspect.

Police said detectives believed Woodland and Ford were involved in an argument and they knew each other.

On Aug. 20, officers arrested Ford and charged him with first and second-degree murder and other related offenses.

He is being held at the Department of Corrections on a no-bond status.

Anyone with additional information on this case is encouraged to call 301-516-2512 to speak with a homicide detective. Tips can also be entered online or through the P3 mobile app.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
From left, Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, Maryland Planned Parenthood President Karen Nelson, Illinois Planned Parenthood President Jennifer Welch and Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson at a Chicago fundraiser Monday for an abortion-rights ballot initiative in Maryland. Photo by Josh Kurtz.

CHICAGO  Marylanders took their fight to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution to the Democratic National Convention Monday.

Lawmakers and advocates from the Free State held a Monday evening fundraiser with their counterparts from Illinois, co-hosted by Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) and Illinois Senate President Don Harmon (D).

The event, at a catering hall in a gritty but emerging neighborhood west of downtown, was expected to raise about $70,000 for Freedom in Reproduction  Maryland Inc. (FIRM), the entity pushing the constitutional amendment that will appear on the general election ballot.

This is about reproductive freedom, but its also about freedom overall, Ferguson said.

Ferguson said when he thought about hosting an event at the convention to boost the ballot initiative, he decided to call Harmon, whom he described as a mentor, figuring hed get some advice on a suitable venue in the Windy City. Instead, he said, Harmon offered to co-sponsor the fundraiser.

Thats what leadership looks like, when it doesnt take a big push to get help, Ferguson said.

Harmon became the Illinois Senate president in January 2020, the same time Ferguson took over in Annapolis. He said his state, like Maryland, has been scrambling to strengthen abortion protections since the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision in 2022 returned the question of abortion rights to the states.

If I had a dollar for every rational, sane person who said there was no way the Supreme Court would repeal Roe v. Wade, Id have a quarter of the take from Mondays fundraiser, he said.

Illinois is contemplating an initiative to protect abortion rights. Harmon said passing the Maryland constitutional amendment is important because he believes the Supreme Court will come after contraception and other reproductive health services next.

The Supreme Court is not done, he said. These bad guys are not done here.

Also speaking at the fundraiser Monday were the leaders of Maryland Planned Parenthood, Karen Nelson, and Illinois Planned Parenthood, Jennifer Welch.

Welch said Illinois became a refuge for reproductive services for 10,000 women from 40 states since the Dobbs decision. She described how women who were under sedation in Wisconsin and about to receive abortions on the day the Supreme Court issued the Dobbs decision woke up only to discover they were unable to receive procedures that day.

The good news is, we had planned for it, Welch said. A colleague of mine said I was a pessimist. But I knew it was going to happen after the former president [Donald Trump] put all those conservatives on the Supreme Court.

Within a week, she said, Illinois Planned Parenthood opened clinics near the Wisconsin border and certified Wisconsin providers, so the women who were denied reproductive services in the Dairy State could cross the border. Wisconsin patients, Wisconsin providers, Illinois address  thats the difference.

Welch said shes proud of that effort, but also pissed  a sentiment echoed by Nelson, who said, I love my job, but I go home every day and Im angry.

Maryland advocates believe the push for a constitutional amendment on abortion rights will receive enormous momentum from the Democratic convention, thanks to the visibility of Kamala Harris as the presidential nominee and Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, who is expected to have a prominent speaking role in the convention hall later this week.

I think theres going to be an incredible amount of attention on Angela and on this issue, and I think its going to help both campaigns, said Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher (D-Montgomery), one of about a dozen Maryland lawmakers present at Mondays event.

Ned Miller, who was Gov. Wes Moores campaign manager, has just taken a leadership role with FIRM, focusing on what he described Monday as the nuts and bolts of the campaign. House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. (D) plan to co-host another fundraiser for the group in the county next month.

Harmon tried to bridge the gap between the lawmakers from the two states by explaining how he and Ferguson both replaced long-term Senate presidents. But Harmons predecessor had served as Senate president for a dozen years, whereas Fergusons predecessor, the late Sen. Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D), was Senate leader for 33 years.

For the Illinois people, it was all sort of Madiganesque, Harmon said  referring to former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan (D), who resigned in scandal after holding the position for all but two years between 1983 and 2021.
MATA cuts 17 jobs amid budget woes, trolley shutdown. And dozens more could be cut soon

Memphis Area Transit Authority is set to lay off employees in an effort to pass a balanced budget, MATA spokesperson Chundra Smith confirmed in an email on Monday.

The transit organization did not have to file a WARN notice as the number of affected employees was below the 51-person minimum. As early as Aug. 28, more employees could be laid off in an effort to bring the personnel number down from 512 to 250-300 staffers, interim CEO Bacarra Mauldin told the Memphis City Council Tuesday.

Smith said that 17 employees had been laid off as a result of trolley services being suspended.

"Layoffs will happen across the entire organization, rather than being limited to a single area," Smith also said. "We are committed to open and transparent communication. All affected employees will be notified in the coming weeks and we will continue to keep them informed throughout this process. Our priority is to ensure that our employees have the resources and support they need during this transition."

The organization will be proposing a $67 million budget for the 2025 fiscal year. The 2024 fiscal year budget that passed was about $77 million.

Bacarra Mauldin, then the deputy chief executive officer for Memphis Area Transit Authority, speaks to the media on one of the new MATA electric buses during the MATA Its Electric Bus Tour at its stop at the Cash Saver in South Memphis on Tuesday, July 18, 2023. MATA currently has three electric buses in service that they state will reduce pollution and noise.

"We are proposing a balanced $67 million budget to the MATA Board of Commissioners, which will require making some difficult but necessary decisions," Smith said.

Mauldin gave a presentation to the Memphis City Council Tuesday morning and reiterated the need for a balanced budget that reflects the costs and the funding coming into MATA.

Potential MATA funding sources

During a community meeting Monday evening at the Germantown Community Library, one option to gather more funding during the presentation from MATA would be a 14-cent property tax increase.

The possible tax increase was mentioned during the city council presentation by Councilwoman Jerri Green, but not addressed directly by MATA's representatives.

The new budget would reflect lower service lines and cutting employee positions across the organization. Mauldin said the lower budget will force the organization to live "within (MATA's) means." The cost for the fiscal year 2025 to keep all routes the same and lay off no employees would cost $85 million, Mauldin said they have not identified funding to support that.

A Memphis Area Transit Authority ( MATA ) bus downtown on Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2019.

MATA's funding is primarily from federal government grants, and money from the city of Memphis and Shelby County and the state of Tennessee. MATA's operating revenue is $3.7 million, but the money they receive from the various government grants is $64 million.

During a previous meeting when MATA presented, Green asked for a budget to be given to the council and criticized a slide in the presentation which showed a minimal look at revenues and funding. Green, who works for Shelby County Government, said she told MATA that they should not be expecting $10 million from the county.

"We can't base our federal dollars on the median of past years when we know that there are grants that are influx. You have to budget as if they are gone," Green said.

Green also criticized MATA's proposal of laying off nearly half of the organization's force which would fall before the holiday season. Green asked if the high-level positions would also be cut; Mauldin did not respond to that question directly.

City councilmember Jerri Green speaks the city council committee meeting at city hall in Memphis, Tenn., on Tuesday, January 9, 2024.

"Where else are you making sacrifices? And we made some sacrifices in our budget this year, the city of Memphis. Are we cutting this lineup  the C-suite salaries or just the drivers?" Green questioned.

One grant from the Federal Transit Authority could be impacted by the proposed service cuts, Mauldin said, but they are actively communicating with the FTA to see if MATA can still receive the grant.

Community input

During the city council committee meeting where the presentation was held, citizens could be seen holding signs, saying "No 30% MATA Service Cut" and "On Demand Mini-transit does not work."

Part of MATA's proposal would rely more on the "Ready!" transit model, which operates similarly to rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft.

Councilwomen Pearl Eva Walker and Yolanda Cooper-Sutton were also critical of MATA's presentation. Walker, after a tough line of questioning to Mauldin regarding the c-suite positions, ripped up a piece of paper. Cooper-Sutton called MATA's presentation "fluffy."

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While the council was disappointed in MATA, they all agreed that transit in Memphis is important and working together in the future is critical to make things better.

"Let's rally together and move forward together. A lot of dissension is not going to help us move forward. Everyone should have an opportunity to voice their opinion, especially employees and those that ride the bus," Councilwoman Rhonda Logan said.

The cuts to the service lines are not yet solidified, but the proposal would have the 23 service lines cut to 16 lines. MATA's Board of Commissioners will consider the service line cuts on Sept. 24, with the expected "go date" for the new fixed route service lines being Nov. 3.

Per federal law, MATA is currently hosting weekly community input meetings to engage the public on potential service and staff reorganization. During the Aug. 19 community meeting in Germantown, a video was shown to attendees that featured Mauldin, who told the public that MATA has been operating with an inflated budget.

Mauldin also said that prior to stepping into the interim CEO role, she knew the transit authority was "in debt," but did not know the magnitude of it, primarily because her predecessor kept the finances "close to the vest."

The next community input meeting is Aug. 21 at Orange Mound Community Center at 6 p.m.

For more information on the community input meetings, please visit MATA's website.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: MATA could lay dozens of employees in an effort to balance its budget
FILE - Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., speaks during the second day of the Republican National Convention July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP)  U.S. Sen. Rick Scott has handily won Florida's Republican primary against two other opponents, moving on to face Democratic former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in November.

Mucarsel-Powell also won her election comfortably against three other candidates. This November, Scott has to first win a second term in the U.S. Senate before reaching his larger goal  winning Senate leadership, after retiring U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell steps down.

The Florida primary also reaffirmed support for firebrand U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz and picked the nominees to replace retiring Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Posey in an election where local and state races were the main draw for voters in some areas.

Meanwhile, the Florida secretary of states office reported that some counties were having technical difficulties reporting results. The office said it was receiving accurate information on votes from individual counties but that the counties were having difficulty reporting them on public-facing websites.

Some results were not immediately available on county websites, but the glitch didnt affect vote totals, elections officials said.

After his win, Scott said in an emailed statement: I am proof that the American dream is alive, and I intend to fight like hell to make sure it stays alive."

Mucarsel-Powell  who ran a campaign for the past year focused on abortion rights, gun safety and Latin American policy  said in a statement that shes grateful for her primary victory.

This victory isnt just mine  it belongs to so many people who have stepped up to say that we deserve better here in Florida, Mucarsel-Powell said.

In the statement, the former Miami congresswoman said that the campaign since day one has focused on protecting our freedoms, whether that involves abortion rights, affordability, education or gun safety.

Let me be clear  I am running to represent every single Floridian in this state," Mucarsel-Powell said. This goes beyond Republicans vs. Democrats  were all done with extremists who dont have our backs, we all deserve better than Rick Scott, and in November, we will win.

Her hopes could be pinned on Vice President Kamala Harris inspiring Democrats to the polls as she faces former President Donald Trump.

Mucarsel-Powell was the first Ecuadorian American and South American-born congressional member elected when she won in 2018, but she lost her reelection bid in 2020 to U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez.

All of Florida's 27 incumbent members of Congress easily got through the primary, many without opposition. But the race in Congressional District 1 was a test to see if Gaetz's penchant for disruption is supported by his constituents.

Despite former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy using a political committee to pump $3 million into the race to defeat Gaetz, he easily beat former Navy pilot Aaron Dimmock.

Thank you FL-01. I will never stop fighting for you, Gaetz posted on the social platform X.

Barring an upset, Gaetz is set to win his fifth term in Congress, where hes built a national reputation as a disruptor and a staunch ally of Trump. He is considered a lock to beat Democrat Gay Valimont in a district that tends to support Republicans by more than a 2-1 ratio.

Gaetz led the effort to oust McCarthy last year, and McCarthy in turn used his political action committee to target Gaetz. The committee aired commercials alleging that Gaetz paid for sex with a 17-year-old, an allegation currently being investigated by the House Ethics Committee. Gaetz maintains his innocence.

In Congressional District 8, former Senate President Mike Haridopolos easily won the GOP primary to replace Posey. He is now considered to easy favorite to win in November in the conservative district along Florida's central Atlantic coast.

In District 13 in Pinellas County along Floridas Gulf Coast, Whitney Fox, a former marketing and communications director at the county transit authority, easily bested four Democratic opponents. She'll now take on GOP freshman Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a member of the right-wing Freedom Caucus, who faced no primary opposition.

The district leans Republican, but Fox expressed optimism she could prevail in November.

Our shared hopes for affordable housing, reproductive freedom, and an economy that works for everyone unite us far more than any differences divide us, Fox said in an email. This campaign is about putting power back in the hands of working families. Its about ensuring that whether youre a teacher, a small business owner, or a retiree, your voice matters.

___

This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Dimmock's last name. It is Dimmock, not Dimmick.
Matthew Perry Death Indictments Have 'Brought Back a Lot of Feelings' for His Close Friends: 'Sad That He Was Surrounded by Enablers' (Exclusive Source)

Five individuals were charged last week in connection with the 'Friends' actor's death, including his personal assistant

Taylor Hill/Getty Matthew Perry

Last week's criminal charges in connection with Matthew Perry's fatal drug overdose have "brought back a lot of feelings" for his closest friends, a source exclusively tells PEOPLE.

The Friends actor, 54, was found dead face down in his jacuzzi on Oct. 29, 2023. A medical examiner determined the actor died of "acute effects of ketamine."

The U.S. Attorney's office charged five individuals in connection with Perry's death last Thursday, Aug. 15: two doctors, a woman known as the "Ketamine Queen" who allegedly owned a "stash house" and supplied the illicit drugs, an alleged distributor, and Perry's personal assistant, who said in his plea agreement that Perry told him to "shoot me up with a big one" hours before his death. The assistant later discovered Perry's lifeless body.



Kevin Winter/Getty Matthew Perry at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2012

For those who had been close to Perry, the arrests have brought back a lot of feelings, says the source. Matthew did have true friends that loved and cared about him. They would have all tried to help him if hed reached out.

"It makes them sad that he was surrounded by enablers," the source added.



Related: Court Docs Reveal Matthew Perrys Last Words to Assistant Before Ketamine Shot that Killed Him

These defendants cared more about profiting off of Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said 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.



Perry had been open about his battles with addiction and recovered before he relapsed months prior to his death, per the DOJ. With 15 previous stints in rehab, he told PEOPLE in September 2022 that hed mostly been sober since 2001 with about 60 or 70 little mishaps over the years.



Related: All About the 5 People Charged in Matthew Perry's Death: What Are the Accusations and Possible Penalties?

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 actor, who also starred in films including Fools Rush In, Three to Tango and The Whole Nine Yards, would've turned 55 on Monday, Aug. 19.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.



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Read the original article on People.
By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) -A U.S. appeals court said Google must face a revived lawsuit by Google Chrome users who said the company collected their personal information without permission, after they chose not to synchronize their browsers with their Google accounts.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said the lower court judge who dismissed the proposed class action should have assessed whether reasonable Chrome users consented to letting Google collect their data when they browsed online.

Tuesday's 3-0 decision followed Google's agreement last year to destroy billions of records to settle a lawsuit claiming the Alphabet unit tracked people who thought they were browsing privately, including in Chrome's "Incognito" mode.

Google said in a statement: "We disagree with this ruling and are confident the facts of the case are on our side. Chrome Sync helps people use Chrome seamlessly across their different devices and has clear privacy controls."

Matthew Wessler, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said he was pleased with Tuesday's decision and looked forward to a trial.

The proposed class covers Chrome users since July 27, 2016 who did not sync their browsers with their Google accounts.

They said Google should have honored Chrome's privacy notice, which said users "don't need to provide any personal information to use Chrome" and Google would not receive such information unless they turned on the "sync" function.

The lower court judge concluded that Google's general privacy policy allowing data collection applied to the case, because the Mountain View, California-based company would have collected the plaintiffs' information regardless of which browsers they used.

In Tuesday's decision, Circuit Judge Milan Smith called that focus misplaced.

"Here, Google had a general privacy disclosure yet promoted Chrome by suggesting that certain information would not be sent to Google unless a user turned on sync," Smith wrote. "A reasonable user would not necessarily understand that they were consenting to the data collection at issue."

The appeals court returned the case to U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, who had dismissed it in December 2022.

Google's settlement related to Incognito let users sue the company individually for damages. Tens of thousands of users in California alone have since done so in that state's courts.

The case is Calhoun et al v Google LLC, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 22-16993.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by David Gregorio and Aurora Ellis)
Matthew Perry Was Found Unconscious Multiple Times By His Assistant Before His Overdose Death

More revelations continue to come out from the investigation into Matthew Perry's death, as multiple individuals have already been charged.

Perry's former personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, admitted that he found the late actor "unconscious" on at least two occasions in the weeks leading up to his tragic passing.

Authorities announced last week that Iwamasa, alongside four other individuals, were all charged in connection to Matthew Perry's death.

Matthew Perry's Assistant Found Him 'Unconscious' On Multiple Occasions

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The "Friends" actor was found face down in the jacuzzi of his Pacific Palisades mansion on October 28. However, an investigation into his death has revealed several shocking incidents that led up to Perry's untimely passing.

According to Page Six, Perry's former P.A., Kenneth Iwamasa, revealed that he found the late actor "unconscious at his residence on at least two occasions" before he died.

It has since been revealed that Perry died from a Ketamine overdose, and Iwamasa was the one who had administered the fatal shot of ketamine that killed the actor.

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He pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, stating in his plea agreement that he injected the late actor with "significant quantities of ketamine," totaling around "6-8 shots per day," in the days leading up to his death.

Iwamasa claimed that on the day of Perry's death, he injected him around 8:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m., but that Perry asked him to prepare his jacuzzi and "shoot [him] up with a big one" just about 40 minutes later.

The former assistant then went on an errand after administering the third shot that day, only to return to the actor's lifeless body.

Multiple People Aimed To Profit Off Of Matthew Perry's Addiction

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Five individuals have been charged with Perry's death, with U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada claiming that the indicted persons "took advantage to profit for themselves" after the actor relapsed from his substance abuse last fall, per Page Six.

The individuals include Iwamasa, Erik Fleming, Dr. Mark Chavez, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, and Jasveen Sangha, who is also known as the "Ketamine Queen."

Authorities said that Dr. Salvador Plasencia "worked" with Iwamasa to "distribute" about 20 vials of the dissociative anesthetic to the actor and even taught him how to inject it into Perry.

Plasencia seemingly roped Chavez into the scheme all to get more ketamine and make more money from Perry's struggles.

"I wonder how much this moron will pay," Plascenia allegedly texted Chavez. The "Fools Rush In" actor is also said to have paid the doctors around $55,000 for the drug.

The Individuals Face Years In Jail For Their Actions

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After pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, Iwamasa faces 15 years in prison when sentenced, as well as Chavez, who also agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and faces up to 10 years behind bars.

Palencia pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine, and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the investigation.

He faces up to 10 years in prison for each Ketamine-related charge and could be slammed with up to 20 years for each record falsification count.

Meanwhile, Fleming, who reportedly acted as a middleman between Perry and an unnamed drug dealer, also pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine, resulting in death.

Jasveen Sangha Acted Carefree After Matthew Perry's Death

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According to the New York Post, an insider shared that Sangha, who is referred to as the "Ketamine Queen," acted "carefree" after Perry died and maintained an active social life.

"If anything, she became more social in the past few months," the source said. "She seemed carefree like she didn't have a worry in the world."

"She put on a brave face, considering what she knew was coming," the source added. "She acted like it was no big deal at all."

U.S. attorney Martin Estrada disclosed that Sangha received a huge sum of money from the "Whole Nine Yards" actor after providing him with about 50 vials of ketamine, a deal in which she seemingly got around $11,000.

The 'Ketamine Queen' Pleaded Not Guilty

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Sangha has since been charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of maintaining drug-involved premises.

She was also charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine.

The "ketamine queen" pleaded not guilty in an L.A. court last week and remains in jail without bond. Sangha faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Mayors gathered Monday through the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Chicago touting the growth of their cities, including Detroit's Mike Duggan, praising the city's dropping crime rates and population spike.

After Mayor Andrew Ginther, mayor of Columbus, Ohio, who is president of the organization, cited the need for affordable housing in cities and urged the next wave of federal leaders to pass a comprehensive housing legislation plan, he introduced Duggan. He called Duggan as an "outstanding mayor" who "somebody told me he might make a really good governor."

Duggan's unscripted quip: "Thank you, Andy, for kicking off my campaign a little bit earlier."

Duggan has not announced whether he plans to seek another term as Detroit's mayor, nor would he comment on how the next leader should tackle the city's progress and population growth.

"I'm going to talk about that after the November election. Right now, I'm totally focused on the presidential (election)," Duggan told the Free Press later in the afternoon.

Mayor Mike Duggan speaks during State of the City at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Detroit on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.

Ginther touted the U.S. Conference of Mayors as "one of the last factions of bipartisanship in America." The meeting in Chicago coincided with the Democratic National Convention, which brought many Democratic mayors to the city in any case.

"We are more polarized, divided and partisan than ever before. But as a good friend and mentor once said, 'There are three kinds of folks in America: Republicans, Democrats and mayors.' Because mayors don't have the luxury of blaming or debating over the ideology and partisanship. Our job is to get things done for the American people. The truth is, American cities are stronger today than ever before," Ginther said, citing lower crime and increased wages.

'Nothing about lead pipes that's partisan'

Duggan agreed with Ginther, praising federal funding as a resource to address the replacement of lead service lines across city neighborhoods.

"We're replacing 8,000 lead pipes a year with copper pipes to make sure our families are safe. There's nothing about lead pipes that's partisan. We just need to make these neighborhoods safe," Duggan said.

He also pointed to a drop in crime and homicide rates last year, noting that Detroit recorded its fewest homicides since the 1960s, praising the city's community violence intervention programs as solutions to disrupt conflicts within neighborhoods before they escalate.

"Crimefighting shouldn't be partisan, right? All of us should be behind having safer communities," Duggan said.

The mayor flaunted Detroit's affordable housing development, noting the city developed $1 billion in affordable housing the last five years. But he suggested the city needs more funding to accommodate the increased population  a reminder of Duggan's long fight with the Census Bureau seeking to prove that more residents live in the city than the feds claim. Detroit's population grew by nearly 2,000 residents last year, according to the Census Bureau.

Duggan touts lack of homeless encampments in city

"But Detroit has now experienced something we haven't seen in a long time, and that's population growth, and it means we desperately need another billion dollars in the next five years, and that shouldn't be partisan, either," Duggan said, adding additional money would continue housing development.

"You do not see encampments in Detroit as you see in most major cities, largely because the mayor and city council have been completely united on our commitment to build affordable housing. You can't get any help from the city if you're not setting aside 20% of affordable housing in every project. And of course, we built many that are 100%, but the population is growing and property values are growing, and people are going to get priced out unless we build another billion dollars over the next five years, and I'm committed to do that," Duggan told the Free Press.

Duggan said he plans to roll out a plan in September that would dramatically ease the process for developers seeking to build affordable housing, which has been a challenge among cities, several mayors said at Monday's media announcement.

Ginther in the Monday press conference said members of the organization will travel to "key cities" in the fall to discuss national solutions to address affordable housing. Those cities include Detroit, Philadelphia and Phoenix.

Us versus them politics

Duggan has garnered national attention over the years beyond his relationship with the president, serving on panels and discussing ways to pump federal funding into cities. More recently, the San Francisco Standard released an opinion piece on how cities can follow Detroit's lead under Duggan's watch. A group of tech executives invited him out, he said, and heard him speak at another conference where he shared his secret to unifying cities.

"I said, 'Your key is to get your city leaders with your business leaders and your philanthropy on one page, and stop fighting with each other.' It's more important that you're unified in any particular strategy. And when I talked about how we built that, and how we got rid of the 'us versus them' politics, they wanted me to come out," Duggan said. "San Francisco is a spectacular city ... and they have a lot of business CEOs who love that city as much as Detroit CEOs love Detroit."

But elected officials need courage to ward off divisive politics, he added.

"If you were to go back to 2013, everybody who was elected, still in office in 2013 in Detroit when the city went into bankruptcy, and half the streetlights were out and the ambulances didn't show up for an hour, the only way you got elected was by telling the public somebody else was to blame. And blaming somebody else had been risen to an artform in Detroit. I ran a campaign and they all thought I wasn't going to win. I wasn't trying to blame anybody," Duggan said. "I think there's a lot of interest in how I've gone 11 years without vetoing a City Council resolution. I've had a good city council to work with. We sat down and worked things out together, and Detroit is benefiting enormously from that."

Duggan added at the media announcement that "every single person" standing in the room with him works with Republicans and Democrats in their state legislatures and nobody in their communities wants excuses about whether they could address their community's issues.

Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Duggan: Detroit needs $1 billion for housing in next 5 years
As much as I appreciate the attention Melinda Henneberger pays to Wyandotte County, she recently gave a platform to Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor Tyrone Garners allegations of corruption and mismanagement among the Unified Governments rank and file. His alarmist language (Im terrified and Im scared) and repeating the baseless claim that the 1997 consolidation of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, governments has failed his constituents, fall right in line with his wrongheaded thinking.

As the co-founder of the government consolidation movement in the 1990s, I strongly caution the countys elected officials and its residents against blaming consolidation for the challenges we face. Look at the many urban communities in the United States (including Kansas City, Missouri) and you will discover blight, poverty, crime and racism. Consolidation did not foster, abet or create these challenges in KCK.

It did promise, and has achieved, a stronger, more vibrant community through radical reforms to the countys politics and bureaucracy. Garner claims that our consolidated government still works like its former corrupt self. This is totally false.

When I moved to Wyandotte County in 1985, corruption  real corruption  was rampant. A sheriffs son was convicted of running an illegal casino. Topless bars served as fronts for open prostitution, with elected officials as their biggest customers. Democratic Party chair Chuck Thompson was politically assassinated in broad daylight. Unelected political bosses ran the show, treating elected officials as personal servants. Businesses closed. Residents fled. The tax base plummeted. Blight, poverty and crime increased.

Consolidation created a form of government designed to address this dysfunction. It streamlined decision-making, created checks and balances on power, and eliminated the control that party politics had over elected officials by making nearly all elected offices nonpartisan. And, contrary to Garners claim, it gave the mayor considerable power: If the 10-member county commission is deadlocked, the mayor can break the tie, so with the support of only five commissioners he can pass any legislation. The mayor sets the agenda with only a minor self imposed compromise after he caused controversy by denying a hearing on many committees work. Further, the mayor has the power to hire and fire the county administrator. If Garner wants to change priorities, he should talk to the city administrator he hired, and can fire.

True, neither the mayor nor any elected official can order employees around, whether to fill potholes or build a sidewalk. They used to have this power. But that old system perpetuated favoritism and patronage. Political supporters got their potholes filled. The disenfranchised did not.

Kansas Speedway, commerce developed

Consolidation created a single elected official to oversee both the county and city. With Interstate 435 opening and seven exits crossing Wyandotte County, it held great promise. But for 11 years, nothing happened across this major metropolitan area. Our first UG Mayor Carol Marinovich used her new singular power for the communitys benefit when she almost immediately attracted the Kansas Speedway and Village West to the intersection of Interstates 435 and 70. That development features more than 100 businesses, including many restaurants. It employs thousands of people and attracts millions of visitors annually. We secured that development for the same reason we later won the first-in-the-nation Google Fiber competition: We had unified leadership.

As for those checks and balances: The new charter provides for the appointment by Kansas judges of both an independent legislative auditor and an ethics commission with the power to subpoena witnesses under oath and investigate any ethics complaints. That legislative auditor is there to provide the very oversight critics say the government needs. You want an audit? Then audit away.

Consolidation also preserved and strengthened the independence of Bonner Springs and Edwardsville. Both cities have their own electoral district, guaranteeing representation at both the city and county levels. Yes, a resident of Edwardsville or Bonner Springs now has a vote in KCK government. And Edwardsville and Bonner Springs continue to create their own policies with their own city taxes, but now pay county taxes that are the sixth lowest of the states 105 counties.

It is true that, despite paying low county taxes, our tax bills remain high. That has nothing to do with consolidation but with the fact we have less property and fewer goods to tax compared to, say, Johnson County. Wyandotte County has $10,000 in assessed property value per person that can be taxed. Johnson County has $22,000 per person.

Not only that, but the KCK budget represents only 23% of our overall taxes. The largest contributor to our tax burden is the school districts. All that said, since consolidation, businesses now pay half of all taxes in Wyandotte County.

Mayor Garner does not mention any of this when he talks about consolidation. Instead, he uses consolidation as a scapegoat for his failure to wield the power that he does have. That power is great. I wish he would use it to build this community up rather than to tear it down.

Mike Jacobi was a leader in the consolidation of the Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, governments. He retired at Fort Leavenworth in 1987 with two Presidential Unit Citations, a Distinguished Flying Cross, a Bronze Star, and 39 Air Medals for flying helicopters in Vietnam.
Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, delivers a speech about Project 2025 at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Ill., on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

State Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) got a primetime slot on Monday night as the Democratic National Convention got under way at the United Center in Chicago.

McMorrow used her five minutes to speak about Project 2025, the authoritarian blueprint for a potential second term of former President Donald Trump. Written by the right-wing Heritage Foundation, it seeks to radically rebalance the powers of the federal government, including, among other things, allowing Trump to mobilize the U.S. military against political dissent; ban the shipment of abortion pills as part of implementing a national ban on abortion; privatize Medicare; and dismiss more than 50,000 civil servants and replace them with loyalists.

Lugging an oversize bound copy of Project 2025, McMorrow said the plan, in effect, sought to make Trump an American dictator.

If Donald Trump gets back into the White House, hes going to fire civil servants like intelligence officers, engineers, and even federal prosecutors, if he decides that they dont serve his personal agenda, she said. Theyre talking about replacing the entire federal government with an army of loyalists who answer only to Donald Trump.

McMorrow also warned Project 2025 would weaponize the U.S. Department of Justice so that Trump could retaliate against his political opponents.

That is not how it works in America. Thats how it works in dictatorships. And thats exactly what Donald Trump and his mega minions have in mind, said McMorrow. An expansion of presidential powers like no president has ever had or should ever have.

McMorrow added that because of Trumps handpicked Supreme Court, he would be immune from prosecution, even if he breaks the law.

We believe in a system built up to serve everyone, not breaking a system to serve one petty, selfish man. The truth is, theres only one way to stop him and to stop project 2025. How do we do it? We elect Kamala Harris this November, she said.

Monday night was not McMorrows first turn on the national stage. She first gained widespread attention in April 2022 when, in a speech on the floor of the Michigan Senate, she forcefully denounced a fundraising email from a Republican colleague that insinuated she and other Democrats were grooming and sexualizing children because of their support for LGBTQ+ rights. That video went viral and even prompted a phone call from President Joe Biden.

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A self-described bad retiree from an island off Wisconsins Lake Superior coast. A New Jersey dentist who wanted to be a delegate after watching the 2000 convention. A freelance writer from Ohio who was slightly alarmed at how green the relish was on her hot dog: These are three of the thousands of delegates who traveled to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention, which continued Tuesday at the United Center.

This years convention is largely ceremonial as Vice President Kamala Harris already secured her partys nomination. Still, delegates were energized by the historic moment they would witness this week with Harris being the first Black and Asian American woman to be a major partys presidential candidate.

The Chicago Tribune spoke with some of the delegates inside the United Center for the first two days of the four-day convention. Heres a little bit about them.

Michael Childers, 69

Delegate from Wisconsin.

Childers is a self-described bad retiree who runs a candle shop and gift shop with his husband on Madeline Island, in Lake Superior off Wisconsins northern shore.

This is his third Democratic convention. He first got involved in the states Democratic Party after moving to Madison and volunteering on U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwins campaign. He continues to work with her campaign committee.

Monday highlights: Just the sheer energy within the hall. Various speakers brought that energy up to different points and different peaks, and I think that says something. That speaks well to the enthusiasm that the party has going forward to the fall.

On being in Chicago: Childers has visited his favorite seafood restaurant twice since being in the city. Chicagos a lovely city.

Dr. Joeigh Perella, 34

Delegate from New Jersey.

From Vineland in southern New Jersey, Perella is a dentist and first-time delegate.

On becoming a delegate: Just watching this on the television, I remember being 10 in 2000 watching the convention for Al Gore, and just seeing the energy and the passion in the room and the excitement on the delegates faces. I think the pride that everyone had for the party and the mission we were trying to carry out, it was something I always wanted to be part of and continue that legacy of firing everyone up before the presidential election.

Monday highlights: Speeches from U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Hillary Clinton and President Joe Biden stand out in Perellas mind. I thought President Biden did a phenomenal job laying out the accomplishments he and Vice President Harris have had over the last four years, and then setting Vice President Harris up to take up the torch and the mantle and lead our party and lead our country as president going forward for the next four years.

On being in Chicago: Perella attended the New Jersey caucus party Monday night at the John Hancock Observatory. The views of the lake, the shoreline, the city at night lit up, were just amazing and breathtaking.  This has been a great city to experience thus far.

Lili Sandler, 47

Delegate from Ohio.

Sandler is a freelance writer and mom who lives in Oberlin, just west of Cleveland.

This is her first convention. She started to get involved in her states Democratic Party after the 2016 election. Ohio is a difficult state to organize in but its essential. Its a big state. There are a lot of us. Its also very rural, so its sort of like a mini America. Its so important for me to make the world a better place in whatever way I can.

Monday highlights: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave just a fireball of a speech. She was amazing. I also really liked what Steve Kerr had to say, the analogy of being a coach and leadership. Seeing the big names is always super exciting, but also just knowing we have this energy.

On Chicagos culinary icons: I do love deep-dish pizza, even though I think Jon Stewart is hilarious and its kind of a casserole. But I do love it. It is delicious. The other night at our welcome party, they had Chicago-style hot dogs. Ive never had them with all the toppings that you guys do. I dont understand the bright green relish. Its fluorescent. Its a little weird, but it was delicious.

Chris Porter, 58

Delegate from Washington.

A Seattle resident, Porter works as a nurse and a human resources manager for a community organization centered on health equity and removing the stigma around HIV in communities of color.

He attended his first convention in 2008. Its our great big celebratory party as we take that next step into taking that person who will appear Thursday on stage and ushering them into the White House.

Monday highlights: I liked where Kamala came out for a sort of tease on what to expect Thursday, because it was so unexpected. We were all diligently watching our speech list and then she appeared. It really just heightened things even more.

On Chicago and its cuisine: Id like to go back to the Little Italy section of restaurants here. Id like to go back and try some more food there. Last night I had the Chicago-style pizza, from Pequods. I had Chicago-style pizza in Seattle and got confused. I dont think this is what its supposed to be, and now I know.

Elvi Gray-Jackson, 71

Delegate from Alaska.

From Anchorage, Gray-Jackson has served in Alaskas state Senate since 2019. This is her first convention: Its an honor to be here and its pretty amazing.

Monday highlights: It would have to be President Bidens speech. It was very touching and very right on. I just admire him. All the speeches were really great, but his just touched my heart.

On being in Chicago: Im good with just being here and listening to the speeches and feeling the vibe, feeling good and feeling excited were going to have a female president of the United States of America.

Randy Kelley, 71, and Joe L. Reed, 85

Delegates from Alabama.

Kelley is chair of the Alabama Democratic Party and a pastor in Huntsville. Reed is chair of the states Democratic Black caucus and a retired labor leader with the states teachers union.

Kelley, on getting involved in politics: I started out early, protesting for better conditions in our community. I was very much concerned about education and the funding of schools, people having a livable wage.

Reed said he was an Alabama delegate when Chicago hosted the DNC in 1968. On his political motivations: A lot of things. Im an old man. A lot of things got me involved in politics. My witnessing unfairness, discrimination, things of that nature caused me to get involved and want to get things straightened out.

Before he leaves Chicago, Kelley hopes to visit the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center. Reed, meanwhile, said he had no plans other than to head home and work. People talk about politics, and thats OK, he said. Its good. But hell, youve got to work.

Bonnie Kane Lockwood, 69

Delegate from New York.

A Buffalo resident, she works for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. To work for the first woman governor of the state of New York, my mother, God rest her soul, would be so proud.

Lockwood was previously a delegate for Hillary Clinton during her unsuccessful 2008 bid for the partys nomination. She first got into politics in college, volunteering for a local city council candidate.

On what she was looking forward to at Mondays convention: To be here and to listen to the president of the United States (Joe Biden), who, in a singular moment of humility and for the greater good, did what he did to make room, to elevate and to preserve our country (he) will go down in history.

Lockwood was last in the United Center in 2010, she said, watching her nephew, Patrick Kane, in the Stanley Cup.

On Chicagos culinary offerings: You know what, I have to say I cant leave without a deep dish pizza. Were going to be in trouble with my pizza lovers in Buffalo.

Francis Harjo, 77, and Debra Proctor, 67

Delegates from Oklahoma.

Harjo, a retired administrator with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Proctor, a retired nurse, both in northeast Oklahoma, on land belonging to the Cherokee Nation.

Harjo, on becoming a delegate: Ive just always been interested in politics (and) always wanted to be a delegate and attend a convention and sit on the floor. I had an experience when I was in high school. I had a political science teacher who got me motivated. He had been a delegate before and he would talk about the convention (and) how much fun it was.

Proctor, on getting into politics: Being Native Americans in rural Oklahoma, our state is particularly hostile to tribes at our leadership level. This is our voice. If you sit home and you expect it to change from the outside, its not going to happen.

On being in Chicago, Proctor: The architectural tour was wonderful. Id love to see the art museum. Harjo: I was just excited to get a plate of Thai food last night. We dont get Thai food where I live.

Michele Dappert, 33

Delegate from Maryland.

A Talbot County resident, Dappert is a senior media planner for a marketing firm in Baltimore and president of her countys Democratic forum.

On being in the United Center: Im just overwhelmed with excitement for the opportunity to have our first female president of the United States, which is long past due.

On Harris: Im most looking forward to see if she speaks about the programs she recently put out about affordable housing and helping people get first time homes because Im looking. Im trying to buy a house. It is incredibly difficult. People like me need all the help we can get and she understands that. She has always been out there fighting for the people. That is who she is.

Before she leaves Chicago, Dappert wants to take an architectural tour along the river. I cannot wait to get out on that water, she said. The city is beautiful.
The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen which displays output from ChatGPT, Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Boston. | Michael Dwyer, Associated Press

What role should AI have in politics? Victor Miller, a Cheyenne, Wyoming, mayoral candidate, believes AI should be the exclusive decision-maker.

According to the city of Cheyenne, Miller is running for mayor. If you ask him, though, you will get a different answer.

Make no mistake: AI is on the ballot for mayor of Cheyenne, Miller wrote in an article posted to his X account. Thats a stone-cold fact.

VIC, or Virtual Integrated Citizen, is an AI bot created by Miller through GPT4 for the purpose of serving as the mayor of Cheyenne, according to The Washington Post.

Miller believes that human error accounts for many of the mistakes made in politics. Delegating all decisions to AI would, in his opinion, produce the best outcome in every situation.

When its concerning Cheyenne ordinances, I think thats its bread and butter. I think (VIC) can do it, Miller said, referring to a document of more than 400 pages which was referred to in a city council meeting.

VIC can analyze things like that in seconds, while it might take a human several days or weeks to fully understand that much information.

Millers plan is not without opposition from other mayoral candidates. One candidate, Rick Coppinger, has urged the state to ban bots from running for office.

If people believe AI will run their city better than human intervention then we have issues, Coppinger told The Washington Post in a recent interview.

OpenAI, the company which owns and operates GPT4 and several other AI tools, strictly opposes the use of its services for political decision-making.

According to The Washington Post, the company has shut VIC down on a number of occasions, banning Millers OpenAI account each time. Within a matter of hours, Miller is able to create another account, upload relevant information on the city of Cheyenne and build his bot again.

The meat avatar system

Miller refers to his setup as the meat avatar system, as AI bots are not eligible to run for office on their own.

This system places an AI (bot) on the ballot by superimposing it onto an eligible human, Miller said in an article posted to his X account. The actual candidate is the AI, and the human is merely the facilitator.

Miller went on to say that in order for the system to be successful, the meat avatar must not have any veto power over the bot.

If the human intervenes even once, he says, all credibility is lost.

We simply refuse to live in a world where politicians exist, Miller said. We replace them with AI, and we reap the peace and prosperity that follows.
Pundit Megyn Kelly is facing blowback for mocking a speaker at this weeks Democratic National Convention who celebrated attending a historically Black college.

Laphonza Butler spkg  (she filled Feinsteins seat)  celebrating that she and Harris both graduated from historically black colleges, Kelly wrote Monday evening on social platform X. Imagine the white person up there: Im proud to tell you I went to a mostly white university!

Butler, who was tapped by California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to fill the seat of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), spoke on behalf of Vice President Harris during Monday nights gathering of Democrats in Chicago.

Butler noted during her speech that she and Harris had a shared educational experience: She attended Jackson State University while Harris is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Kelly, a former Fox News and NBC anchor who now hosts a popular podcast, was hit with blowback by some online over her response.

Megyn Kelly presumably knows why historically black colleges and universities were formed in the United States. And why someone would be proud to have graduated from one, commentator and frequent critic of former President Trump Bill Kristol replied on social media. But what this tweet shows is how eager Trumpists now are to appeal to white grievance and white prejudice.

Historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, were established prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to serve Black Americans at a time when most U.S. universities limited or barred their enrollment.

Nancy Mace: I can call a Black woman whatever I want to call her, describe grown Black men as boys, ignore Americas racial history, and still play the victim role, Megyn Kelly: Hold my white robe, Keith Boykin, a former Democratic aide, wrote in reference to a recent segment on CNN during which Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) fought with panelists over how to pronounce Harriss name.

Its almost as if there is some context you are eliding, journalist Matt Yglesias replied on X.

Butler was among a plethora of Black lawmakers, advocates and civil rights leaders who spoke on the first night of the Democratic convention and sought to highlight diversity within the Democratic Party.

Day 2 of the convention will feature more prominent Democrats, including former President Obama, second gentleman Doug Emhoff and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) are expected to speak.

Harris is slated to accept the nomination Thursday evening.

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HARTFORD, Mich. (WOOD)  Two men face felony gun charges after a shooting in Van Buren County Saturday afternoon.

The Van Buren Sheriffs Office said around 1:35 Saturday afternoon, multiple 911 calls complained of people in two trucks shooting at each other.

Elias Ramirez, 18, and Justin Arellano, 21, were charged Monday with carrying a concealed weapon and shooting from a vehicle, according to the Van Buren Prosecutors Office.

One of the trucks crashed into a fence near the intersection of S. Haver Street and Lincoln Street in Hartford. One man ran away before coming back to the crash. The second stayed at the scene and spoke with police.

Deputies: 2 in custody after trucks exchange shots

Home security camera video shows a yellow truck speeding by a house before shots ring out for several seconds.

Despite the multiple shots, police say no one was hurt.

Its very unusual in our community. Van Buren is a relatively quiet community overall, said Van Buren County Sheriff Daniel Abbott.

Abbott said his deputies assisted Hartford Police with the call. With Ramirez facing felony gun charges at just 18 years old, Abbott called the case disturbing.

Look at how many juveniles you are seeing with violent crimes. I mean, its not uncommon to see on the national news 11,12, 13, 14-year-old kids getting into shootings. it blows my mind, he said.

The prosecutors office said Arellano is out on a $75,000 surety bond. Ramirezs bond was reduced from $75,000 to $25,000.

Arellano and his parents declined to talk on camera, saying they are waiting to hear back from their lawyer. However, they tell News 8 this was a case of self-defense.

News 8 reached out to Ramirezs attorney for comment but has yet to hear back.

Arellano is expected to have his next hearing on Aug. 23. Ramirez is expected to be back in court on Aug. 28.

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Sen. Bob Menendez and the two New Jersey businesspeople found guilty last month of bribing him asked a judge on Monday to throw out the verdicts against them.

The legal maneuver is unlikely to succeed since it asks U.S. District Court Judge Sidney Stein to reverse a two-month corruption trial over which he presided.

Menendez has announced he will resign from the Senate, effective Tuesday, and abandon his long shot reelection bid. But he is still trying to avoid what could be a lengthy prison sentence for accepting bribes, acting as a foreign agent for Egypt, obstruction of justice, extortion and conspiracy.

The senator's motion, which acknowledges that it's no simple task to vacate a jury verdict, previews a series of novel legal issues that could eventually send the case to the Supreme Court. His co-defendants filed separate motions.

The senator focuses on the constitutions speech or debate clause, which grants lawmakers a form of immunity. His legal team argues prosecutors disregarded the privilege and swaths of evidence from the case should not have been shown to jurors. Stein excluded some key pieces of evidence but allowed others, including testimony from a pair of Menendez aides.

The senator also argues that prosecutors failed to clear the necessary hurdles to show the senator accepted bribes in exchange for taking official acts. Menendezs filing disputes that things he was convicted of doing meet the legal standard of official acts.

Menendezs motion was written in part by Yaakov Roth, an attorney at Jones Day who represented former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell in his bribery case and argued on behalf of Bridgegate defendant Bridget Kelly and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo aide Joseph Percoco at the Supreme Court  which overturned all three convictions.

If Stein does want to undo the verdicts, he could order a new trial or use his own legal judgment to acquit Menendez.

If sentencing proceeds as scheduled on Oct. 29, Menendez and his co-defendants can begin appealing to higher courts after that.
(Bloomberg) -- US intelligence agencies said they were confident that Iran was behind a recent hack of former President Donald Trumps presidential campaign, casting the intrusion as part of an increasingly aggressive effort by the Islamic Republic to disrupt the November election.

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That effort has been directed at both presidential campaigns as Tehran sees American elections as consequential for its national security interests, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in a joint statement on Monday.

The agencies said those efforts involved influence operations targeting the American public and cyber operations targeting presidential campaigns.

This includes the recently reported activities to compromise former President Trumps campaign, which the intelligence community attributes to Iran.

The Trump campaign reiterated previous comments blaming Iran for the hack based on a report from Microsoft Corp.

The Harris campaign said Monday it had been warned in July by the FBI that it was the target of foreign operatives. The campaign added that it was unaware of any security breaches.

Irans mission to the United Nations has previously disputed the allegations, which came just weeks after US intelligence officials warned that foreign adversaries  including Iran and Russia  would seek to influence the 2024 election in ways that favor their interests.

Earlier: Campaign Hacks Tied to Iran Draw FBI Probe of Election Risks

Investigators believe that attackers tied to Iran succeeded in hacking Trumps campaign and gained access to internal documents. The intruders also tried to breach the campaigns of Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden, before his departure from the race, but its unclear whether the attempted hacks on Democrats succeeded.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading an inquiry into the attempts on both campaigns. News of the probe emerged after a report from Microsoft described efforts by the Iranian government to access email accounts of presidential campaign staff members. Microsoft said the attacks were pulled off by a hacking cell dubbed Mint Sandstorm thats linked to Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

US officials and cybersecurity experts believe the Tehran government is seeking to undermine Trumps candidacy after he antagonized Tehran during his first term in office. While president, Trump scrapped an international nuclear deal with Iran, imposed severe sanctions on the country and ordered the killing of Qassem Soleimani, a Guard Corps commander.

Story continues

Iran has emerged as an aggressive player in the election interference game, said Emily Harding, director of the Intelligence, National Security and Technology Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington and a former CIA analyst. This is the second presidential election in a row where theyve decided to meddle.

In 2020, Iranian operatives operatives impersonated members of the right-wing Proud Boys group as part of a voter intimidation effort, according to the FBI, resulting in charges against two men. That same year, Iranian hackers breached a website that a municipal government in the US used to publish election results, though the attackers were caught before carrying out any nefarious activity, US officials said.

Tehrans tactic this time  to steal information and disclose it  isnt new. Russia employed similar efforts in 2016, when a state-sponsored group obtained internal emails from Hillary Clintons staffers that were later published by WikiLeaks.

Irans activity underscores the need for the online platforms  and their users  to bolster their resilience, the intelligence agencies said. That includes taking extra precautions such as strong passwords and multi-factor authentication, they said.

--With assistance from Michael Shepard, Gregory Korte and Peter Martin.

(Updates with Harding comment, in eleventh paragraph.)

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U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) speaks to the media as he exits Manhattan federal court on July 16, 2024, in New York City. Menendez and his wife Nadine are accused of taking bribes of gold bars, a luxury car, and cash in exchange for using Menendez's position to help the government of Egypt and other corrupt acts according to an indictment from the Southern District of New York. The jury found Menendez guilty on all counts. (Adam Gray | Getty Images)

Lawyers for Sen. Bob Menendez have asked a federal judge to vacate his recent corruption conviction or grant him a new trial, saying prosecutors failed to prove New Jerseys senior senator sold his office for cash, gold bars, a luxury car, and other valuables.

In a brief filed Monday, attorneys Adam Fee and Avi Weitzman rehashed many of the same arguments they made during the 10-week trial in Manhattan, insisting the conviction was unjust because his actions were the normal and constitutionally protected actions of a federal lawmaker and that trial testimony was speculation masked as inference.

Simply put, the government did not show any use of Senator Menendezs official powers to benefit any of the supposed bribe givers, let alone an agreement to do so in exchange for bribes, they wrote. If sustained on such a surprisingly thin reed of evidence, these convictions will make terrible, dangerous law. All of Senator Menendezs convictions must be reversed.

They called his conviction as a foreign agent under the federal Foreign Agents Registration Act unprecedented. Prosecutors had charged Menendez, who at the time of his indictment last fall chaired the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, with acting to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar.

We have been unable to identify  and the government has not cited  a single prosecution of any public official for violating this statute since its adoption in 1966, they wrote. One would expect such extraordinary charges to be supported by extraordinary evidence. Not so.

The Democratic senators actions at issue in the trial were permissible political activities and dont support a conviction under that act, which requires evidence that Menendez took certain actions at the order, request, or under the direction or control, of a foreign principal, they argued.

If it were otherwise, FARA would effectively criminalize congressional service, the attorneys wrote.

They repeated their complaint that the trial should have happened in New Jersey, not New York, and a judges decision to keep it in the Southern District of New York stretched the Constitutions venue requirements beyond their breaking point.

Nicholas Biase, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Southern District of New York, declined to comment.

Mondays filing comes on Menendezs last day in office after a decades-long career in public service. The three-term senator, 70, announced last month he would resign on Aug. 20, and on Friday withdrew his bid for reelection as an independent candidate.

It also comes just over two months before hes expected to return to Manhattan for sentencing. He and his co-defendants, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, are scheduled to appear before federal Judge Sidney H. Stein for sentencing on Oct. 29. All three face decades behind bars.

Hana, a halal meat exporter, and Daibes, an Edgewater real estate developer, also filed briefs Monday challenging their convictions. Co-defendant Jose Uribe, who pleaded guilty and testified against the senator at trial, is also scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 29.

Stein indefinitely postponed the trial of the senators wife, Nadine, who also was charged, because she is getting treated for breast cancer.

Menendez, Hana, and Daibes were convicted on all counts in an 18-count federal indictment that accused the men of plying the senator and his wife with valuables between 2018 and 2022 in exchange for the senator using his influence to help the men evade criminal troubles and profit in their international business pursuits. It was the senators second corruption trial; his first ended in a mistrial in 2017 after jurors deadlocked.

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Mercyhurst students get a taste of college life in the Erie community for Day of Service

As part of the universitys welcome week, all incoming freshmen enrolled in Introduction to Mercyhurst, or IMU classes, participated in the Day of Service.

The course is designed to help new students adapt to college life and life at Mercyhurst.

Each class is sent to a different location in Erie to help a different organization in need of assistance.

The group that we caught up with at the Neighborhood Art House consisted of about 25 students. They were busy organizing bookshelves, cleaning supplies and cleaning the building in preparation for the organizations after-school programs.

Erie Playhouse kicks off week of celebrations ahead of 2025 show announcements

Its really great because they get to see outside of Mercyhurst beyond the gates of Mercyhurst, so they get to really understand what the Erie community is like and how they can get involved with different organizations outside of Mercyhurst, said Katie Neely, leadership and outreach coordinator at Mercyhursts Campus Involvement Center.

Its also a great opportunity for the freshmen to come in serve the community and meet some of their new classmates.

Ive lived here my whole life, but this really gets you involved in places that Ive never even seen before. Ive never been on this side of town. Ive never even heard of this institution before and the amazing things theyve been able to do, so not only is it a learning experience for me but Im also able to help out the community that Ive lived in for so long, said Aubrey Hammill, forensic science major.

It has been fun. Im really looking forward to making new friends. Its my favorite thing probably. I love talking to new people, and especially being in a new state 1500 miles away from home, it is fun, said Maryn King, finance major.

Construction continues on new PSP Troop E headquarters

King is originally from Texas and said the day has inspired her to continue volunteering throughout her four years of college.

It just makes me feel good because I enjoy helping people. I enjoy seeing people happy so being able to do this, it just fills my heart, she added.

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(Bloomberg) -- Mexican judiciary workers went on strike Monday over President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors proposed overhaul of the countrys judicial system, which opponents say would undermine the judiciary and erode limits on the ruling partys power.

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The strikes began just days after lawmakers from Lopez Obradors Morena party kicked off their push to win congressional approval for reforms, which would require the election of all Mexican judges by popular vote. Videos posted Monday on social media showed workers protesting on one of Mexico Citys main highways, and clashing with police trying to clear the road.

Several groups representing judicial workers voted late Monday to escalate the strike nationwide from Aug. 21, according to JUFED, a national association of judges thats among those organizing the job action. Strikes started Monday in at least 16 states, Mexico City-based newspaper Reforma reported.

Saying that the reform has serious implications for the judiciarys independence and Mexican democracy, JUFED expressed solidarity with the striking workers in a posting on X.

This decision is of vital importance in the defense of the autonomy of the judiciary, the group said after the vote late Monday.

During his daily press conference Tuesday, Lopez Obrador said he respects the strike but that Mexicans dont care about it and it will even help his government.

Lopez Obrador had said Monday that judiciary workers have the right to protest, and argued that the reforms will benefit them. President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, who is also a Morena member, said Monday afternoon that the reform proposal will not affect labor rights.

The judiciary will now have more autonomy, when judges and justices are elected, because a judge will now be elected by the people, just as the president is elected, Sheinbaum said during a news conference.

The strike doesnt affect all judicial proceedings and urgent matters will continue to be performed with staff on duty in all courts, Reforma reported.

AMLO, as the president is known, is seeking congressional approval of the reforms before he leaves office at the end of September.

(Updates to add vote to escalate strike in third, fifth; Lopez Obradors reaction in sixth paragraph)

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Mexican man sentenced to 11+ years for selling meth around Charlotte: DOJ

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  A man from Mexico was sentenced Monday to more than 11 years in prison after being convicted of selling methamphetamine in Charlotte.

According to court documents and court proceedings from the U.S. Attorneys Office, between September and October 2021, 37-year-old Antonio Abrego-Bega was found to be selling meth in the Charlotte area.

Charlotte man convicted of trading drugs for guns with undercover officer sentenced to 15 years

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms.

During the investigation, a confidential informant (CI) working with law enforcement was introduced to Abrego-Bega. In September 2021, the CI reportedly purchased more than 50 grams of meth and a loaded firearm.

Law enforcement arranged additional controlled purchases between the CI and Abrego-Bega, where the defendant sold the CI additional drugs and firearms.

In October 2021, following a purchase with the CI, law enforcement took Abrego-Bega into custody. Law enforcement recovered approximately 334 grams of methamphetamine and digital scales from him.

On Feb. 22, 2023, Abrego-Bega pleaded guilty to distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons and will spend 135 months in prison.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) William Wiseman of the U.S. Attorneys Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

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New Mexico judge to weigh whether 'Rust' armorer Hannah Gutierrez should be freed

Hannah Gutierrez, center, with her attorney Jason Bowles and paralegal Carmella Sisneros at her April sentencing hearing. She was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. (Eddie Moore / Associated Press)

One month after dismissing Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter charges in the deadly "Rust" shooting, a New Mexico judge has indicated she will consider whether weapons handler Hannah Gutierrez also should be set free  or given a new trial.

After a two-week trial, Gutierrez was convicted in March of involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Gutierrez has acknowledged loading the gun that day. Prosecutors contend she brought the live bullets with her to the "Rust" movie set near Santa Fe, N.M., in October 2021  an allegation that Gutierrez has consistently denied.

The prosecution has been in turmoil since Baldwin's case collapsed in July amid revelations that Santa Fe County sheriff's deputies and a special prosecutor had withheld potential evidence from the actor-producer's lawyers.

The admission  which came on the third day of the actor's high-profile trial in Santa Fe  stunned the judge and New Mexico's legal community.

New Mexico First Judicial District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer was furious with deputies and the special prosecutor, Kari T. Morrissey, for allegedly withholding possible evidence that could have been helpful to Baldwin's case.

A retired police officer from Arizona had turned over cartridges to deputies in March, saying they might match the fatal bullet in the "Rust" shooting that killed Hutchins.

But deputies assigned the bag of evidence a different case number than that used for "Rust" shooting evidence, making it impossible for Baldwin's team to find the bullets as they sifted through the sheriff's files and boxes of evidence to prepare for the actor's trial.

Read more: Full coverage: The fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the Rust set

After the case against Baldwin was dismissed, Gutierrez's Albuquerque lawyer, Jason Bowles, filed a motion to get Gutierrez released from the New Mexico women's prison, where she is currently serving an 18-month sentence for the felony conviction.

In a motion, Bowles argued that Morrissey  who was the special prosecutor for Gutierrez's case  also withheld evidence in advance of the Gutierrez trial, including a recorded interview with weapons provider Seth Kenney, who was a key prosecution witness. Bowles asked for a new trial or dismissal of Gutierrez's case due to alleged "severe and ongoing discovery violations by the state."

"There can be no legitimate debate that the state violated Ms. Gutierrez's due process rights," Bowles wrote, asking the judge to "order a new trial or dismissal of the case for egregious prosecutorial misconduct. The Court should also order Ms. Gutierrez's release."

On Tuesday, Marlowe Sommer scheduled a Sept. 27 hearing to decide whether Gutierrez should be released or given a new trial.

Morrissey has denied the allegations of misconduct and has opposed the motion for a new trial.

She noted that Bowles was aware of the ammunition cartridges provided to deputies in March, the disputed evidence in the Baldwin case.

The former police officer, Troy Teske, who brought the bullets to New Mexico, is a close friend of Gutierrez's father, Hollywood gun handler Thell Reed. Morrissey has said the bullets were not relevant because they were in Arizona, not New Mexico, at the time of the "Rust" shooting.

Teske was in Santa Fe in March in case he was called as a defense witness. But Bowles did not call Teske to testify.

In other developments, a Los Angeles judge permitted a "Rust" crew member's negligence case against Baldwin to resume after a court-ordered pause in proceedings.

Judge Maurice A. Leiter on Friday lifted a stay of "Rust" gaffer Serge Svetnoy's civil lawsuit, which alleges that Baldwin and other movie producers were negligent in Hutchins' shooting.

Svetnoy held Hutchins in his arms as she lay dying on the set of "Rust" after Baldwin accidentally shot the cinematographer.

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FARMINGTON, N.M. (KRQE)  The man accused of shooting at a New Mexico State Police officer in Farmington on Monday was taken into custody.

The San Juan County Sheriffs Office said 40-year-old Fernando Silva was arrested without incident on Tuesday.

The arrest announcement came just a few hours after New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weisler held a news conference about the shooting in Farmington. Weisler said the incident started with a regular traffic stop for speeding around 7:30 p.m. An officer spotted a black Chrysler 300 speeding near Pinon Hills on the north side of Farmington.

State Police say the driver, identified as Silva, pulled over but didnt let the officer get out of his patrol car before pulling out what looked like an AR-15 and firing at least 50 rounds.

The officer demonstrated immense courage and quick thinking, managed to retreat to safety, though his unit was struck several times during the incident, said Chief Weisler.

Story continues below

Officials said the officer is ok. The chief added that the officer did try to pursue Silva, but his unit was hit with several rounds, and the officer lost sight of Silva.

Its extremely concerning. I think what we have seenwe saw it here, we saw it with Officer Hare. Both situations are very premeditated, said Weisler.

Silva previously had a warrant out for resisting arrest back in January. He is now facing charges including attempted second-degree murder and aggravated assault on an officer with a deadly weapon.

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  The lone star tick has made headlines in recent years as it continues to spread further north, but researchers at the University of Michigan may have found a way to blunt the bugs bite.

Its not the typical tick threats like Lyme disease that raise the profile of the lone star tick. Unlike other species, the lone star tick is known to trigger a condition called alpha-gal syndrome that generates an allergic reaction when humans eat red meat.

A report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says an estimated 450,000 Americans have developed the allergy, including more than 100,000 people since 2010. People dealing with alpha-gal syndrome may experience different reactions, ranging from hives and nausea to difficulty breathing, dizziness and swelling in the lips, throat and tongue. Unlike other food allergies, alpha-gal reactions typically hit hours after exposure.

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For all of you burger bosses or steak aficionados out there, its enough to raise some concerns. Thankfully, some biomedical engineers from U-M may have figured out how to stymie the effects.

A study recently published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Allergy says the key is negating the effects of a sugar that is commonly found both in meat and in the lone star ticks spit. Essentially, if the tick transmits that sugar during a bite, the human body will associate that sugar with an infection and, when it is seen again, trigger an immune response causing the allergic reaction.

The Michigan researchers were able to develop a group of nanoparticles to retrain the immune system to ignore the sugar.

The nanoparticles were developed at U-M, while a team at the University of Virginia used them in an experiment to determine whether they worked. After two treatments of the nanoparticles, 12 mice were exposed to ticks to trigger an alpha-gal allergic response. Ten of the 12 mice showed a reduced immune response.

Tick that triggers red meat allergy found in Ottawa County

Lonnie Shea, a professor of biomedical engineering at U-M and a co-corresponding author on the study, said the concept shows a lot of promise.

There is the potential here for a platform technology that can be used to address a variety of food-allergic responses, Shea said in a university blog post, noting similar work on egg and peanut allergies and on celiac disease, another autoimmune condition.

A researcher at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute displays a vial of live lone star ticks. (Getty Images file)

Loren Erickson, a professor at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, says the results are encouraging and call for further study.

While these findings highlight the first therapeutic potential of nanoparticles to treat red meat allergy, were calling for further studies to better understand the implications and the long-lasting effects of nanoparticle treatment, Erickson said.

Tiny invasive insect confirmed in another Michigan county

The range of the lone star tick has been expanding in recent years and are now being spotted more often in Michigan. Lone star ticks were confirmed in Kalamazoo County in 2022 and one was found in Ottawa County earlier this summer.

A 2022 article published in Entomology Today said their numbers are growing due to milder winters and an increase in the deer population.

A close-up look at a lone star tick inside a lab at the University of Illinois. (Getty Images file)

Blacklegged ticks and dog ticks are more common across Michigan. The lone star tick is known for the distinctive white marking on its back and is usually the size of a poppyseed. Blacklegged ticks tend to have a more orange color on their back, while dog ticks have a brown and white pattern.

Lucus Pols, the Environmental Health Division Chief for Kalamazoo County, says ticks will become active once temperatures crack 40 degrees.

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Warm and humid, brushy areas, long grass, wooded areas they just love those types of areas, Pols told News 8 in 2022. We even say that Mosquitoes, youll see at different times of the year. But any time over 40 degrees, you can see ticks.

Pols said the key to preventing tickborne diseases is to prevent tick bites, including insect repellent that contains DEET and performing tick checks on yourself, your children and your pets after spending time outdoors.

Theyll be anywhere on your body. Specifically, they like dark areas, so your armpits, behind your ears, your scalp, groin area, between your legs all those things are things you want to check, Pols said.

Experts also recommend emptying and washing all outdoor containers that collect water at least once per week, including small pools or birdbaths. Make sure window screens are properly sealed to prevent insects from getting in your home. Wear tall socks, pants and long sleeves when outdoors, especially from dusk until dawn.

If youre trying to pull the tick out, Pols says the best way to do it is to use tweezers and slowly pull it away at its head. He explained that yanking the tick or pulling it at any other place of its body could cause the insect to regurgitate and cause an infection.

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Christie's is holding three auctions to offer the artwork and scientific objects from the late Paul G. Allen's collection. | Credit: Christie's/collectSPACE.com

Visions of humanity's future in space and historic spaceflight artifacts are heading for auction from the estate of Paul G. Allen.



Christie's on Thursday (Aug. 15) released the catalogs for three upcoming sales devoted to Allen's sprawling collection of "groundbreaking scientific and artistic achievements throughout history." The "Gen One: Innovations" auctions include a live "Pushing Boundaries: Ingenuity" sale in New York on Sept. 10 and two online auctions themed to the history of computing and the art of the future that are open for bidding through the same date.



"This is a collection that was assembled to illustrate the inspiring nature of scientific exploration and achievement that were such a part of Paul Allen's remarkable life," Christina Geiger, head of Christie's rare books and manuscripts department, said in a statement provided to collectSPACE.com. "The works of art and objects related to space are emblematic of the collection, since they put us in touch with the very boundaries of human experience."

Allen, who died in 2018, is perhaps best known for co-founding the Microsoft Corporation with Bill Gates in 1975. During his lifetime, he also expressed his interest in space and exploration by investing in projects such as Stratolaunch, which developed the world's largest operating aircraft originally intended to support an air-launched space transportation system, and SpaceShipOne, the first crewed private space plane that claimed the Ansari X Prize in 2004.



Between the three upcoming sales, more than 50 of the lots offer art, memorabilia and artifacts related to space.

Related: Paul Allen: Billionaire backer of private space ventures

a silver flight suit against a white background

Have spacesuit (layer), will EVA

Among the featured lots in the "Pushing Boundaries: Ingenuity" live auction are part of a spacesuit and the cue cards used by the first American to walk in space.



Astronaut Edward H. White II wore the offered silvery spacesuit cover-layer for his NASA portrait taken on Sept. 10, 1964. Nine months later, while wearing a similar garment but with a white Nomex outer layer, White exited the Gemini 4 spacecraft and conducted a 20-minute extravehicular activity (EVA).



Although not a complete suit, the unflown cover layer retains its original NASA "meatball" patch and its "E.H. White, II" name tag. An internal label identifies the garment as having been made by the David Clark Co. and that it was sized for White in January 1964.



White may have also worn the cover layer for part of his training at NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center (today, Johnson Space Center) in Houston. According to Christie's, Allen bought the garment in 1991 from the estate of an area auto mechanic who befriended the Mercury and Gemini astronauts through his work on their Corvettes.



Christie's expects White's spacesuit cover layer will sell for $80,000 to $120,000.

a man in a silver flight suit posing for a portrait beside a model rocket

Allen also owned the original and complete set of procedures that White followed to perform his June 3, 1965 spacewalk. Certified by White's crewmate, Jim McDivitt, as "flown on Gemini IV for the first USA EVA," the 13-page checklist on seven 3.5-by-8-inch (9 by 20 centimeters) cue cards includes notes written in pencil during the flight.



The instructions detail the steps that McDivitt and White followed to prepare for the spacewalk, including checking the integrity of both of their spacesuits, as the Gemini spacecraft did not have a separate airlock. The cards also outline what the astronauts were to do when White returned to the capsule, a moment he famously described as "the saddest moment of my life."



The full set of cards, held together by a single ring binding, was acquired by Allen at a 2015 auction for $47,500. Christie's estimates that the checklists will now sell for $60,000 to $80,000.

a series of paper rectangles attached by a ring in one corner

Space-flights of fancy

The "Over the Horizon: Art of the Future from the Paul G. Allen Collection" online sale presents a three-week window for bidders to vie over paintings and other art works that captured space exploration from new and prophetic perspectives.



The auction includes numerous original illustrations by artists Chesley Bonestell and Fred Freeman from the Collier's magazine series "Man Will Conquer Space Soon!" which ran from 1952 to 1954 and is credited with selling the U.S. public on the country's burgeoning efforts to leave Earth.



Allen's collection also included 14 illustrations by Freeman for German rocket pioneer Wernher von Braun's 1960 book "First Men to the Moon" and a near copy of "Saturn as Seen from Titan," a circa-1952 painting by Bonestell that replicated what is considered to be his most iconic work, a piece that has been called the "most famous astronomical painting ever created." (The original 1944 painting is in the collection of the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.)



Christie's estimates the Bonestell painting will sell for $30,000 to $50,000.

RELATED STORIES:

 Paul G. Allen, billionaire Stratolaunch founder who pushed for private space travel, dies at 65

 Stratolaunch Systems: Building the world's largest airplane

 SpaceShipOne: The 1st private spacecraft

a large ringed planet seen in the sky above snowy mountains

Space artist Robert McCall is also represented in the online sale with his 1986 oil painting, "Pioneering the Space Frontier No. 8." Signed and dated by McCall, the 46-by-72-inch (117 by 180 cm) futuristic scene of an active space settlement was sold to Allen for $46,250 in 2015.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2024 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.
By Daniel Wiessner

(Reuters) -A federal judge in Texas on Tuesday barred a U.S. Federal Trade Commission rule from taking effect that would ban agreements commonly signed by workers not to join their employers' rivals or launch competing businesses.

U.S. District Judge Ada Brown in Dallas said the FTC, which enforces federal antitrust laws, does not have the authority to ban practices it deems unfair methods of competition by adopting broad rules.

Brown had temporarily blocked the rule in July while she considered a bid by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the country's largest business lobby, and tax service firm Ryan to strike it down entirely. The rule was set to take effect Sept. 4.

Brown said in her ruling that even if the FTC had the power to adopt the rule, the agency had not justified banning virtually all noncompete agreements.

"The Commissions lack of evidence as to why they chose to impose such a sweeping prohibition ... instead of targeting specific, harmful non-competes, renders the Rule arbitrary and capricious," wrote Brown, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump.

FTC spokesperson Victoria Graham said the agency was disappointed with the ruling and is "seriously considering a potential appeal."

"Today's decision does not prevent the FTC from addressing noncompetes through case-by-base enforcement actions," Graham said in a statement.

SIGNIFICANT WIN

Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Suzanne Clark said the noncompete ban would harm American workers and businesses and the economy overall.

This decision is a significant win in the Chambers fight against government micromanagement of business decisions," Clark said in a statement.

The Democratic-controlled FTC approved the ban on noncompete agreements in a 3-2 vote in May. The commission and supporters of the rule say the agreements are an unfair restraint on competition that violate U.S. antitrust law and suppress workers' wages and mobility.

About 30 million people, or 20% of U.S. workers, have signed noncompetes, according to the FTC.

The commission often adopts rules that target specific industries, such as requiring telemarketers to make certain disclosures or mandating that gas stations display fuel ratings, but it is unusual for the agency to enact bans on more widespread business practices.

Business groups have argued that Congress never intended to give the FTC those broad powers, and that banning noncompetes will make it difficult to safeguard trade secrets and other confidential information.

Story continues

Last week, a federal judge in Florida ruled that the ban was likely invalid and blocked it from being applied to a real estate developer. But a judge in Philadelphia went the other way in July, finding that the FTC reasonably concluded that noncompetes are virtually never justified.

(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by Stephen Coates and David Holmes)
Who is Mike Lynch? The billionaire tech entrepreneur missing after sailing yacht Bayesian sinks in Italy

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch is among the six people missing after a superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily, The Independent understands.

The 59-year-old is known for founding Invoke Capital and Autonomy Corporation and has been in the headlines after he was cleared of charges in a high-profile fraud case.

Mr Lynch was on the boat, named Bayesian, which sank in bad weather in the early hours of Monday near the Sicilian capital Palermo.

There were 12 guests and 10 crew on board - of whom 15 have been rescued including Mr Lynchs wife, The Independent understands.

Sources have also confirmed that Mr Lynch is the owner of the vessel.

A body, believed to be that of the superyachts chef, has been found, according to local media, with pictures showing a body bag being brought to shore where ambulances were stationed.

Once dubbed the British Bill Gates, Mr Lynch and his wife Angela Bacares were valued at 852m in 2023 by the Sunday Times Rich List.

Mike Lynch in 2011 (PA Archive)

His disappearance following the superyacht sinking comes just weeks after he was cleared of all charges by a US jury related to the sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.

Mr Lynch founded Autonomy in 1996 using technology he developed as a Cambridge student. HP claimed, just a year after the sale, that Mr Lynch had used accounting tricks to artificially inflate its value before the sale

He was then extradited to the US last May for a trial that acquitted him on all 15 counts over the 11-billion dollar (8.64 billion) purchase of his company.

Mr Lynch said on Radio 4 that being acquitted was indescribable and believed he could only clear his name because of his huge wealth.

He said most people, even if they sold all their assets, would run out of funds in a matter of months, to cover the legal fees, a situation that he said has to change.

Have you been affected by this story? Email rachel.hagan@independent.co.uk

Born near Chelmsford, Essex, to a nurse mother and father fireman, Mr Lynch said his father regretted not having the chance to attend university. He told LeadersIn: "He realised the importance of education so that was something that was very much fostered in my home.

When he was 11 years old, he won a scholarship to study at Bancroft's School in Woodford Green and then studied natural sciences at the University of Cambridge.

He set up his first company in the 1980s, with a 2,000 loan from the manager of a band, producing audio products for the recording industry, The Guardian reported.

Mr Lynch has a string of accolades including being awarded an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006. That same year, he was appointed to the BBCs board. He was also elected to former prime minister David Camerons council for science and technology in 2011.

A representative for Dr Lynch declined to comment.
Missing Tech Tycoon Mike Lynch's Business Partner Dies After Being Hit by a Car Days Before Yacht Sinking: Police

Lynch's former business partner and co-defendant Stephen Chamberlain was struck by a car on Aug. 17, and police announced that he'd died three days later

linkedin; Shutterstock Steve Chamberlain (L); Mike Lynch

The co-defendant of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who is still missing amid a superyacht sinking in Sicily, has died after being struck by a car, police have confirmed.

Stephen "Steve" Chamberlain, 52, died in hospital after being hit by a car in Cambridgeshire, England, on Saturday, Aug. 17 authorities said in a statement on Tuesday, Aug. 20. Local police are now investigating his death as they are seeking witnesses to the incident.

Authorities previously reported that a pedestrian in his 50s had been seriously injured in the collision, which happened at around 10:10 a.m. on Saturday. The driver of the car was confirmed to be a 49-year-old woman who remained at the scene.

The Guardian reports that Chamberlain was out for a run at the time he was hit, citing his attorney Gary Lincenberg.

Cambridgeshire police shared a statement from Chamberlains family in tribute: Steve was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend. He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible. ... He will be deeply missed but forever in the hearts of his loved ones.



HANDOUT/Cambridgeshire Police/AFP via Getty Steve Chamberlain

Related: Captain Who Saw Yacht Sink in Sicily and Helped Rescue Survivors Calls Incident a 'Big Disaster'

Chamberlain was the co-defendant of Lynch in a U.S. trial over his tech company Autonomy. He was accused of fraud and conspiracy over allegedly inflating the company's earnings with Lynch ahead of an $11 billion deal with Hewlett-Packard, per The Times, TechCrunch and the Associated Press.

The former business partners were both acquitted of all 15 charges in June by a San Francisco jury.

Following Chamberlain's death, his attorney Lincenberg described him as "a courageous man with unparalleled integrity."



"We deeply miss him," Lincenberg said, according to the BBC. "Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family."



Lynch remains missing along with his daughter Hannah and four others after the yacht they were aboard sank off the coast of Sicily on Monday, Aug. 19, following a serious storm, PEOPLE previously reported.

Dominic Lipinski/PA Images via Getty Mike Lynch in 2011

Related: Survivor of Yacht That Sank Off Sicily's Coast Recalls How She Used 'All My Strength' to Save Her 1-Year-Old

The Italian Coast Guard said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE that the Bayesian, a 183-ft. yacht flying the U.K. flag, sank near Porticello around 5 a.m., local time on Monday after a "violent storm."



Twenty-two people were on the vessel at the time, including 10 crew and 12 passengers, authorities said.

Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares, was among the 15 people rescued, PEOPLE reported. Six additional people  including two Americans and four British citizens  remain missing, the coast guard and local sources said.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.



A spokesperson for Sicily's civil protection agency, Francesco Venuto, previously told the BBC that authorities believe the missing are trapped in the yacht.

"We've been searching all day with helicopters and boats. We've found nothing, said Venuto. That wouldn't make sense; in these conditions, we should have found something by now.

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Read the original article on People.
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV)  At the beginning of August 2024, the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund (MOSTF) opened its third application cycle utilizing $12 million in funding appropriated during the 2024 Legislative Session.

The MOSTF Board of Trustees began accepting grant applications on August 1. On Wednesday, August 14, the board approved to extend the deadline for application submissions from September 3 to September 16, 2024.

The MOSTF application is quite involved, and we want to receive as many quality project proposals as possible. We have extended the deadline to provide ample time for interested entities to prepare and submit their proposals, said Ricky Flynt, MOSTF executive director.

The MOSTF Program seeks projects that can bring non-state and federal matching fund commitments to assist with overall project contributions.

MDWFP uses multiple methods to study states black bears

One of the best attributes of the Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund is it provides benefits for everyone  you dont have to hunt or fish to appreciate the investments made throughout the state. These projects are providing improvements and enhancements that benefit a broad variety of outdoor enthusiasts. The continued funding commitment from the Legislature allows applicants to unite matching resources from partners to help lower the cost of projects, said Justin Brooks, a member of the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Coalition.



Flynt encourages interested entities to carefully review the qualifications for application proposals and the application scoring criteria prior to submitting any application.

All applications will be considered, but there is a clear direction placed in the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Act (2022). We want our applicants to understand the goals and priorities of the MOSTF before they commit the time and effort required to apply, he said.



Only state agencies, municipalities, and non-government organizations are eligible to apply. Interested applicants should visit the MOSTF website to review the Notice to Applicants and the Application Scoring Criteria.

The MOSTF Board intends to announce awarded projects by the end of October 2024.

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JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV)  Secretary of State Michael Watson (R-Miss.) urged Mississippians to use caution when donating to a charity or fundraiser. He said theres been an uptick in activity from fraudulent charities operating in Mississippi.

We know Mississippians are some of the most generous and hospitable folks in the nation, but it is important to always check the validity of a charity prior to donating. Unfortunately, bad actors continue to solicit in our state, especially in-person, so we encourage you to do your research and ask questions prior to donating your hard-earned dollars, said Watson.

Scam callers pose as Mississippi PSC employees

On July 10, 2024, the Secretary of States Office issued a Cease and Desist Order against Restoration Houston Ministry, a group based in Houston, Texas. Watson said the organization has repeatedly solicited in Mississippi, while failing to comply with state law or register with the Charities Division as an official charity. He said the Restoration Houston Ministry has refused to communicate with the Secretary of States Office entirely, despite its efforts to solicit in the state in the last 10 years.

Tips for avoiding fraudulent charities:

Before donating, verify an organizations validity through our Charity Search portal, or by calling the Charities Division at (601) 359-1599.

Legitimate charities will welcome your inquiries. You should never feel pressured to send a donation immediately without receiving more information first. If in person, ask to see a copy of the Certificate of Registration from the Secretary of States Office.

Always get receipts for your donations.

Be extra cautious about solicitations via phone calls, texts, emails, or mail.

Help raise awareness about the growing threat of scammers in the state. Educate yourself to help protect those around you.

The Secretary of States Office encourages Mississippians to utilize the resources available on the Charities Division webpage to protect themselves and their money.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV.
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WJTV)  Mississippi State University (MSU) is launching a new bachelors degree to meet the growing demand for applied behavior analysis service providers nationwide.

Beginning fall 2025, MSUs Bachelor of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) will be among only a few undergraduate ABA programs in the country, preparing students for impactful careers in behavioral health.

According to university officials, students in the new program will learn how to utilize the concepts and principles of behavior analysis to effectively design, implement, assess and analyze intervention programs for individuals or groups in a variety of settings, such as clinics, homes and schools. ABA practitioners seek to improve quality of life for a variety of individuals across the lifespan, but most frequently provide services to individuals diagnosed with autism or an intellectual or developmental disability.

Author James Patterson reestablishes Tougaloo College scholarship

The curriculum will be offered at the Starkville campus and online. It meets the coursework requirements for two certifications in the field of ABA: Registered Behavior Technician and Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst. It also positions students to pursue licensure, which is required by most states, including Mississippi.

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our Bachelor of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis program, said Rebecca Spencer, assistant professor and ABA undergraduate program coordinator. Our ABA minor has exponentially grown in popularity since its launch a few years ago, and this new degree will be the perfect option for many of our current minor students who wish to pursue a career in ABA. By equipping students with the expertise and practical experience necessary to excel in this field, we are committed to making a positive and lasting impact on the lives of individuals and communities, and to help address the growing need for skilled behavior analysts in Mississippi and beyond.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Two teens were arrested on Monday after allegedly robbing a man walking towards Parkwood Community Center, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD).

Nashville police said the victim reported two teens approached him while armed with a handgun. They reportedly passed the handgun between each other while demanding the mans belongings. They fled with the mans iPhone, Apple watch and mesh Nike backpack.

AirTag helps track suspect after robbery in Donelson

The stolen iPhone was located on Lauren Evelyn Way, and officers established a perimeter around the area.

Investigation by detectives and officers, with assistance from Aviation, resulted in both teens being apprehended at a Lauren Evelyn Way residence, a press release from the department reads, in part. They were positively identified as the robbers.

In addition to the iPhone, authorities said that they recovered a stolen handgun that had been taken from Chesapeake Drive earlier this month as well as ammunition and a black mask. In an interview, one suspect reportedly said that he committed the robbery to buy Fortnite character skins.

Dickson County family wants to keep killer behind bars 30 years after murder

Metro police did not identify the teens. Both were charged in juvenile court with robbery, juvenile handgun possession and loitering during school 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 WKRN News 2.
This month, Modesto began the largest housing project the city has seen in a decade, with 527 new homes in the works. With so many new residents on the horizon, you might think nows the perfect time to start that business youve always had in mind.

Many businesses pay attention to housing growth because it predicts population growth and spending potential growth in the area, the city of Modesto said in a statement to The Bee. Businesses may locate in anticipation of housing and population growth.

If youre wondering how to get started, nonprofit organization Opportunity Stanislaus may be able to help.

To start a business in Modesto, you need a California drivers license and to fill out a business license application, at minimum. Depending on the business, additional documents are required.

For a restaurant, if its called anything other than your name, you may need to file a fictitious business name statement, a zoning clearance from the Modesto Planning Department, building and health permits, a food facility permit and an Alcoholic Beverage Control license, to name a few. The required documents vary by business type.

Opportunity Stanislaus assists entrepreneurs looking to open businesses in Stanislaus County. They work with over 100 local investors to help businesses in the area. They help with writing a business plan, marketing strategies, funding resources through acquiring banking loans, operations, financial analysis, and HR to name a few.

When we work with a client, we start with research and planning, said German Zavalza, chief innovation officer and small business development center director for Opportunity Stanislaus.

Before coming to Opportunity Stanislaus, entrepreneurs should do their own research, Zavalza said. Identify a potential location, put some thought into telling me how this business is actually going to work, he said. Drive through the location, just to get an idea of what the foot traffic looks like at different times of day.

Zavalza noted that networking is vital to starting a business, not just in the Valley, but anywhere. Even if you dont want to approach a business in our area, find a similar business in another community similar to ours and just pick their brain, he said. Take the business owner out to coffee and talk about some of the challenges that they faced in launching their business, and the benefits as well.

Opportunity Stanislaus also helps entrepreneurs decide which business structure best suits their ideas. For some businesses, handling operations remotely may work, while others may be better suited with a brick-and-mortar storefront.

You may want to establish a limited liability company if youre going to have employees, Zavalza said. But if youre in business with your dad, for example, you may not need the extra costs that come with an LLC.

The Stanislaus County Treasurer Tax Collector Departments property tax division handles business licenses. Once filled out, the application must be submitted to the Planning Department for zoning approval. It is at Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St., Suite 3400, Modesto, and can be reached at 209-525-6330.

Once the Planning Department approves the application, it can be returned to the Tax Collectors Office with all required documents. The Tax Collectors office is on the second floor of Tenth Street Place and can be reached at 209-525-6388.
HONOLULU (KHON2)  This weekend, Mokulele grounded much of their fleet after finding potential problems with their landing gear during routine maintenance.

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Its a crisis that were in, said Molokai Resident Vandale Dudoit, who is worried with the recent issues involving Mokulele Airlines. I have a surgery coming up this Thursday. Im afraid to take the chance to go down, knowing that will I be able to come home? But more so, Im just disappointed in the system that is supposed to help us,

Molokai resident state Senator Lynn DeCoite said shes been talking with the governor, DOT Director and even Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz about how to resolve the problem of only one airline serving the island of Molokai.

They took it upon themselves to make sure the logs were all in check. That the landing gear was properly installed and that it was workable. You know, it was a mechanical issue, said Sen. Lynn DeCoite (D) East and Upcountry Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe. With that being said, were looking at about a 48-hour turnaround and, of course, like many businesses, chain supply issues have been a major issue,

Mokulele Airlines grounds flights for inspection

Molokai resident state Senator Lynn DeCoite said shes been talking with the governor, DOT Director and even Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz about how to resolve the problem of only one airline serving the island of Molokai.



Alternatives are not that simple. Molokais runway would need to be extended to accommodate larger carriers, but the estimated cost of about $100 million is likely not a possibility right now. Smaller airlines that could be brought in face the problem of being DOT compliant.



An inter-island ferry has been discussed, but a recent DOT feasibility study found that while those surveyed said they would like a ferry between Molokai, Lanai and Maui, only half said they would ride it.



Im frustrated as well, said DeCoite. As I sat at the airport, the first thing to come out of somebodys mouth is eh, what is government doing about this? And I said the state has no jurisdictions over airlines. We run airports, so you know bear with us as we we try to work through it.

Mokulele passengers stranded, cancel trips due to partial grounding

Molokai residents like Jay Anderson, who was waiting for his delayed Mokulele flight Monday afternoon, said patience is something they use often, especially now.



I think its fortunate the people of Molokai are pretty patient, because a lot of people wait very patiently, said Anderson.



Mokulele said in a statement that, the Mokulele team has been working diligently to safely and efficiently return our fleet back to service through these maintenance checks. Though we are not yet at full capacity, we are close to having all flights running on their regular schedules. We have successfully reaccommodated the vast majority of our passengers, and we greatly appreciate the continued flexibility and understanding from the Hawaii community.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.
BROOME COUNTY, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH)  Congressman Marc Molinaro is continuing to say thank you to Vietnam War Veterans.

As part of his August Action Plan, Molinaro is holding another pinning ceremony to honor the service of local Vietnam War Veterans. Molinaro held a ceremony in Greene County on August 19 where he recognized 50 veterans.

After my ceremony in Greene County, Im honored to host another pinning ceremony for Vietnam War Veterans where they will be recognized and thanked for their service. Im honored to host this event as part of my August Action Plan, said Molinaro.

The next pinning ceremony will be held in Broome County on August 28 at Maine Endwell High School. The event, located at 750 Farm to Market Road, will take place from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Molinaro will present each veteran with an honorary pin.

This event is open to all Vietnam veterans and their families. If you or someone you know wishes to be recognized, you must RSVP online at molinaro.house.gov or by calling Molinaros Binghamton Office at (607) 242-0200.

Remarks from the Green County pinning ceremony can be seen below.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WIVT - News 34.
Mom Details How Her Teen Ended Up Stranded in NYC for 5 Days Alone After Airline Cancellations: 'Beside Myself' (Exclusive)

Delta was among the airlines severely impacted by the Microsoft crash that occurred due to a Crowdstrike software update

Jenn Stutler; Getty Jenn Stutler and her daughter (left), stock image of flight cancellations

Jenn had planned to fly from Florida to New York and back with her 16-year-old before flights were grounded after a widespread technical mishap

As flights started going back out, Jenn discovered her 16-year-old couldn't fly home as an "unaccompanied minor"

The frustrated mom tells PEOPLE what it was like trying to get the teen home over the course of nearly a week



Jenn thought that getting her daughter back from her first long stretch away from home would be as easy as dropping her off. As fate would have it, that was far from the case.

The concerned mom posted on X to ask for help or guidance after her 16-year-old daughter was stranded in New York City. The family was among the countless people impacted by the massive, worldwide IT disruption that affected Microsoft Windows and all computer systems that use it as a result of a Crowdstrike update on Friday, July 19.

Jenn made plans for a 7:00 a.m. flight on Friday, July 19. She was to fly to New York and pick her teen up from a pre-college program she attended at Barnard College. Jenn got to her local airport by 5:30 a.m. There were no notifications of any delays or problems before the mom showed up to the airport. When she got there, she heard "rumblings" of the problems she'd face ahead.

"The first thing that happens is our flight gets delayed to 9:00 a.m. I have a connecting flight in Atlanta, so I call my daughter. I wake her up and tell her, 'Listen, I might miss my connecting flight. I have to figure it out, but I could be there later this afternoon,' " Jenn tells PEOPLE of her conversation with her daughter. "An hour later, they cancel the flight, and it becomes very apparent that they're canceling all the flights."

"My first concern was that she was going to have to check out of this program and had nowhere to stay. We had reservations at the Moxie in East Village, but she was uptown. I'm like, 'How is she going to get in the hotel room?' I was trying to figure out other flights on other airlines, but nothing was available. I called her and told her, 'Hey, you're going to have to fly home tomorrow by yourself.' "

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Getty Delta planes grounded at LaGuardia Airport

Related: Woman Shows Herself 'Living' at Rio Airport in Viral Video After Airline Delayed Flight for 4 Days (Exclusive)

"I reassured her I was going to try to navigate this with her. She was a little freaked out," she says of her teen.

Noting that their family is from a "mid-sized town" in Florida, Jenn says it was a shock for her daughter to face navigating New York City alone.

"I called the school to talk to them around 10:00 a.m. The school said they could discharge her with my permission. I called the hotel, and they said there needed to be an adult with an ID to check her into the hotel room. So I start trying to figure out who do I know? And I don't really know anyone up there who I would trust with my child," she explains.

"Coincidentally, someone else I know said her husband's flight also got canceled in New York. So I asked where he was staying and coincidentally, he was also staying at the same hotel because their daughter lives in the East Village. So I was like, 'Perfect, can he check her in? I'll add him to my reservation.' And she said yes."

Getty Stock image of different cabs on a New York City street

Jenn guided her daughter, getting her an Uber and staying with her as she met up with the colleague's husband, who was a stranger to her.



"I wasn't trying to make him responsible for her in any way. I thought she was just going to stay the night in the hotel, get up in the morning, and fly home," she notes.

However, the following morning, Jenn learned that this was just the beginning of a bigger issue. Delta sent out an alert saying that "unaccompanied minors" could not fly.

Jenn went to "look up what an unaccompanied minor is" and discovered, "That's a designation, part of a program where you have to be between certain ages and sign up for it separately."

"She isn't part of that program and can fly alone. Nowhere does it say, 'No one under the age of 18 cannot fly without a parent.' It says 'unaccompanied minor,' which is language specific to that program with the airline," Jenn says.

Getty Stock image of child sitting on suitcase watching departure board

Jenn stayed on the phone with her daughter as she navigated another cab ride and her first time at an airport alone.

"She gets there and does everything she needs to. Her bag is checked when they tell her she cannot fly. The flight was going forward, but she could not fly because she is an unaccompanied minor," the mom says.

This was frustrating for Jenn, who notes her teen wasn't designated within that program. The airline assured her the stoppage for underage travelers was just for a day. They helped her rebook the teen on "the same flight from LaGuardia back home on Sunday."



"She's upset and crying, but I tell her it's going to be okay. I called the hotel, and because it was so early, the room hadn't been checked out. So I rebooked the room. I got her back to the hotel and told her to just stay there," she says.

On top of trying to figure out the logistics, Jenn was worried her daughter was "scared." She was determined to find answers.

"I call Delta. I wait on hold to talk to someone for hours. When I do get through, they've got nothing for me  no vouchers, no plan for the unaccompanied minors. As a mom, I'm thinking, 'What about the other kids who didn't have a hotel room and know someone up there who could check them into a hotel?' "

Getty Stock image of a tired woman leaning on her suitcase in n airport lounge

The next day, they tried again. Jenn checked to make sure that there were no updates regarding travel for unaccompanied minors.

"She gets there. She gets to the counter. They're like, 'The unaccompanied minor embargo has been extended through Tuesday,' " she reveals, adding that, "At that point, s--- really hit the fan."

"The hotel had been checked out. I was absolutely beside myself. I said, 'She doesn't have anywhere to go, so now what happens?' They said, 'Well, she can stay in the SkyPriority Lounge. That's where we have the kids.' They had the kids spending the night at the SkyPriority Lounge in Delta, in LaGuardia, because they couldn't get into hotel rooms because they were minors," she explains.

"They had staff there overseeing them. I said, 'I don't feel comfortable with that.' I'm hysterical, she's crying."

Jenn tried to get herself a flight to New York to accompany her daughter back. She booked a flight for Sunday, only for that flight to also get canceled. Frustrated, she looked for another solution so that her daughter wouldn't be waiting indefinitely at the airport.

Getty Stock image of aerial View of Buildings in Manhattan at Night

Jenn tried her colleague and found out he was supposed to be traveling back that day, but hadn't left the hotel. He was able to add Jenn's daughter to his reservation so that she could go back to the hotel and stay in the room.

It seemed like she'd safely made it through another day when the colleague's husband's flight home was also canceled. Now, he needed the hotel room back.



"He goes back to the hotel and thankfully, he booked her another room. She goes there and in the meantime, Delta rebooked her on a flight for Tuesday. In my gut, I knew they were going to extend this, so I started looking into getting a flight there," she says.

Jenn had no luck getting a flight and had no choice but to wait until Tuesday morning. That's when her "fears happened."

"Her flight gets canceled because the embargo is still on. She cannot fly, but at least this time we knew it before we got to the airport. I called the colleague and said, 'When is your flight?' He said, 'Well actually, my flight's not until Wednesday.' I called the airline and they were able to connect my daughter to his booking so it looks like she's accompanied, but they didn't have to sit together."

Jenn Stutler Jenn Stutler and daughter, smiling during their reunion after 5 days apart

That plan managed to work, with the teen arriving home from New York on Wednesday, after being stuck for five days.

"It was a nightmare because every time I would try to get anyone on the phone at Delta, I was waiting hours. There was no communication. There was no priority given to minors over everyone else. There was no outreach communication to the parents for updates or a list to keep track," she says.

"There was very poor communication from Delta and that made it hard to make good decisions. There were no vouchers given for anything. Afterward, I got an email from them that said, 'We would like to extend 4,000 Sky miles as an apology.' That's like $150 worth of Sky miles. It was disgusting."

Jenn wasn't worried about the cost of trying to get her daughter home, but notes that it ended up being "over $3,500."

"Of course, my number one priority was my child. But it did cost a bit and I didn't really have a choice. She had to be at that hotel because that's where the colleague's husband was who could help. Between extending her room, the meals, the Ubers, it was very expensive and traumatic," she says.

"She came home and felt crazy, like during the pandemic when you didn't know what was going to happen from day to day. She was worried about seeing me. She also has a twin sister, and this was the first time they've ever been apart. It was a lot for her."

just wanted everyone know that my daughter made it and she's in the air now coming back home from New York City -- after 5 days !!! @Delta we went through hell. and your communication for minor travelers stranded was terrible.  Jenn wants to see Tay ONE LAST TIME on TheErasTour (@MammaSwiftie) July 24, 2024

For the mom, who still had the rest of her life to manage as usual, "It was super frustrating and stressful."

"Obviously, I work and have to balance that and my other children and husband. The hardest part was not being able to make good decisions about what to do next because the limited information we were getting was always changing."



"It's a little frightening that a software glitch can take down an entire transportation system. It made me less confident in travel in general. My takeaway is that I'm so disappointed. I've been a loyal Delta customer for a while and I was just so disappointed in the communication and outreach," Jenn says.

"I think they need to overhaul their program and plans for minor travel. They could have done a better job of communication, from what it means to be an unaccompanied minor to when the embargo was lifting. It should have been clearer and they should have reached out to the parents."

She continues, "It was quite frightening that they were that exposed, that it's now known they're not equipped for an emergency. All I could think about were the parents whose kids were trapped inside the Sky Lounge. What are you feeding them? And they were sleeping on the floor."

When asked for comment, Delta pointed PEOPLE to their website, which states how customers can go about reimbursements and refunds for different travel mishaps as a result of the incident.



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We recently compiled a list of the 7 Best Canadian Stocks Under $20. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Vermilion Energy Inc. (NYSE:VET) stands against the other Canadian stocks under $20.

Whats Happening in the Canadian Stock Market?

The Canadian economy is beginning to settle down as inflation is on a steady downward trend and the Bank of Canada has also taken an easier policy stance, thereby paving the way for stronger economic growth moving forward. On July 19, Reuters reported that the Bank of Canada cut its overnight interest rates by 25 basis points to 4.5% based on the expectation that inflation will continue to fall.

Inflation rates in Canada cooled a little more than expected making interest rate cuts more likely. On July 16, as per Reuters, June 2024 Consumer Price Index (CPI) cooled down to 2.7% a 0.1% decrease month-over-month thereby paving the way for an interest rate cut.

As a result of the interest rate cut, the Canadian stock market was seen performing better. On August 16, Reuters reported that the Canadian stock index ended higher on Friday and witnessed its biggest weekly advance of the year. Investors globally have been cheering the recent signs of the US economic resilience and the recent record high gold prices also boosted the mining sector

The S&P/TSK composite index ended up 0.1% at 23,054.61, posting a seven-day gain streak, recorded as the longest daily winning streak since April 2023.

Looking at a sectoral analysis, the materials group that comprises metal minerals and fertilizer companies was up 1.5% as the price of gold went up by 2% to an all-time high. Moreover, the financial market, which contributed 29% to TSK weighting, grew by 0.6%. The energy sector was a drag, however, and fell 1.1% due to lower oil prices, which settled at $76.65 1.9% lower than expected. The weaker price of oil was mainly attributed to slower demand from China.

On August 13, Ross Healy, chairman of Strategic Analysis Corporation and portfolio manager at MacNicol & Associates Asset Management, appeared on Bloomberg to discuss the performance of TSK and the US stock market. Ross Healy, mentioned that the Canadian stock market is trading at 1.5 times its adjusted book value, whereas the NASDAQ is trading at 9.5 times its book value. Mentioning these numbers Ross Healy, stated that for investors looking to invest for 5 years or longer, the Canadian stock market looks more lucrative due to its potential for growth and the portfolio of stocks it has to offer.

Ross Healy, further believes that we have had a long US advantage and now the market is heading towards a Canadian advantage. Moreover, the precious metal and gold options in the TSK index make the market poised for growth in the long term. Ross Healy, while stating his bull case for gold companies mentioned that companies that have good money on their balance sheets and have been able to find underdeveloped projects to work on have been successful when compared to their competitors.

Story continues

Our Methodology

To compile the list of 7 best Canadian stocks under $20 we used the Finviz screener. We used the screener to filter out Canadian Stocks that were trading under $20 and sorted them by their market capitalization to get a consolidated list of stocks. Next, we ranked these stocks based on the average price target upside as per Wall Street analysts. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the average price target upside, as of August 18. Moreover, we have also mentioned the share price of each stock as of August 18, 2024.

At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

An oil rig in the middle of the ocean, its towering structure standing stout in the horizon.

Vermilion Energy Inc. (NYSE:VET)

Average Price Target Upside as of August 18: 42.27%

Share Price as of August 18: $10.20

Vermilion Energy Inc. (NYSE:VET) is an international producer of petroleum and natural gas. It operates through acquiring, exploring, and developing petroleum and natural gas reserves. The operations of Vermilion Energy Inc. (NYSE:VET) are spread across Canada, the United States, Europe, and Australia. The company mainly sells its products to refineries, industrial customers, and the international market.

The company posted a successful second quarter of 2024, hitting the higher end of its production guidance. The production for the quarter averaged 84,974 barrels of oil per day, which was a 2% increase year-over-year and almost touching the top end of its Q2 guidance of 83,000 to 85,000 barrels of oil per day per day. The increase in production was mainly due to the company's early startup of its BC Montney Battery. For perspective, Vermilion Energy Inc. (NYSE:VET) has been constructing a 16,000 barrels of oil per day battery in the Mica area Montney formation in British Columbia, Canada. The BC Montney Battery is a key growth prospect for the company as it will provide an avenue to expand future expansion to 28,000 barrels of oil per day as the company builds its assets.

Moreover, the company was also able to reduce its net debt by $38 million during the quarter indicating management's commitment to improve its fundamentals.

Is Vermilion Energy Inc. (NYSE:VET) a good investment?

The strength of Vermilion Energy Inc. (NYSE:VET) lies in its ability to grow its business on a global scale. During the Q2 of 2024, the companys production from international operations averaged 29,987 barrels of oil per day per day and this was despite its scheduled maintenance. Whats more impressive is its operations in the European market. The company has been able to start the SA-10 plant in Croatia in addition to 5 successful explorations in Europe as a whole. As a result of management's efforts the company has grown its European natural gas production by over 15% during the past 2 years, this is expected to contribute further growth as European gas represents 40% of its total gas production.

If we look at the past 10 years' performance, VET has been able to grow its revenue by 3% and its levered free cash flow by 16%, indicating robust performance and profitability. Although the stock is trading at a premium to its sector, its earnings are expected to grow by 112.26% during the year to reach $0.44. 12 analysts have a Consensus Buy rating on the stock, with their 12-month median price target of $14.51 presenting an upside of 42.27% from the current level.

Overall VET ranks 4th on our list of the best Canadian stocks under $20. While we acknowledge the potential of VET 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 VET 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.
Mom Says It's a 'Miracle' Her Daughter Survived Ohio Crash That Killed 1, But the Road to Recovery Will Be Long

"If they had not had their seatbelts on, neither one of them would have been here," said mom Virginia Sallee

Google Maps Ohio State Route 28.

An Ohio mom is speaking out after her 40-year-old daughter survived a fatal car crash earlier this month.

Three people were involved in the two-vehicle crash in Goshen Township on Aug. 10 around 9:09 p.m. local time that resulted in the death of a 16-year-old, according to an Ohio State Highway Patrol crash report obtained by PEOPLE.

Authorities said that the teen was driving a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox when they crossed the center line and hit the other vehicle, a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado being driven by Jacob Demaris, 27, and Sabrina Deitz, 40.

Deitz mother Virginia Sallee said in an interview with NBC affiliate WLWT that her night was "turned upside down" when she was notified of the crash on the Life 360 app, which she said her daughter "insisted we all be on."

Related: 3 Dead and 15 Injured in Ohio Bus Crash Involving Charter Bus Carrying High School Students

According to the crash report, the minor was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. He was pronounced dead at the scene and was taken to the Hamilton County Coroner.

The crash is currently under investigation.

PEOPLE has reached out to the Ohio State Highway Patrol for additional information.

Demaris and Deitz were wearing seatbelts during the incident and were treated by Goshen Township EMS before being transported to Bethesda North Hospital and UC Medical Center, respectively.

Deitz mother Virginia Sallee said in an interview with NBC affiliate WLWT that her evening was "turned upside down" when she was notified of the crash through the Life 360 app, which she said her daughter "insisted we all be on."

Related: Bus Crash Leaves 1 Dead and More Injured in New York Interstate Rollover

Sallee noted that her daughter "always worried that somebody be in an accident and nobody would know. It turned out that she was the one in the accident."

WLWT reported that the two victims were hit "head-on" during the incident. The 40-year-old woman broke her back and had stomach lacerations, while her boyfriend injured his foot and had a portion of his intestines removed, according to the outlet.

"It is absolute miracle," Sallee said. "If they had not had their seatbelts on, neither one of them would have been here."

Related: Former Alabama Teacher of the Year and Son, 8, Dead in Car Crash That Injured 6 Others

A fundraiser created by Demaris family states that Deitz was placed in a "medically-induced coma and has undergone surgery to remove a large portion of her bowel as well as repair other organs." She is expected to be in the ICU for multiple weeks.

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"We are grateful to God they are both alive. Both Jake and Sabrina have long healing journeys ahead of them," the description read, noting that the fundraiser, which has raised $1,475 of the $10,000 goal, will go towards medical and personal needs for Demaris.

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Read the original article on People.
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  The Montgomery County Clerk of Courts and Judge were arraigned on Monday.

Clerk Mike Foley and Judge James Piergies face several charges stemming from an investigation into alleged improper activities involving public resources.

Both men pleaded not guilty to all charges as they face continued calls to step down from their public offices after the allegations.

Construction near Dayton International Airport begins

Foley faces 12 counts including theft in office and solicitation of political contributions. Both men are charged with using their positions to benefit from public contracts.

The defendants were fingerprinted following the arrangement and formally booked into the countys system.

Visiting Judge Jonathan P. Hein granted a personal recognizance bond to both defendants requiring no cash bail be paid for the trial.

Personal recognizance bond is a privilege. You just gotta guarantee Mr. Foley and Mr. Piergies promise to come back, cooperate. Thats what the privilege is. And you both have earned it, said Hein.

Local reactions to clerk of courts, judge indictments

Foley has vowed to fight the charges and run for re-election. In a release shared with 2 NEWS following the arraignment, Foley said in part:

These are politically motivated accusations that surfaced 90 days before my election. The truth will soon be uncovered through our judicial process. I am extremely proud of the work that Ive done as Clerk, and will continue to do so for the people of our community.

The judge and counsel will meet again on Sept. 13 to discuss the next steps of the trial.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
More than 30 dogs rescued; man and woman arrested for cruelty, Humane Society says

BIENVILLE PARISH, La. (KTAL/KMSS)  A man and woman from Jamestown, Louisiana, were charged with 32 counts of animal cruelty.

A Humane Society of Louisiana news release said Bienville Parish Sheriffs deputies responded to an animal complaint at 402 Lawhorn Road and found 34 dogs at the scene; one died at the scene, and another died while being transported to another location. Five other dogs had to be euthanized because they were deemed too aggressive and a public health and safety issue.

BPSO: Video shows man dropping kittens from moving vehicle after witness reports

Tanya Michelle Griffith, 32, and Allen Tyler Meylian, 29, were arrested due to the investigation.

jonesboro, 3 (Photo Courtesy of Humane Society La)

jonesboro, 2 (Photo Courtesy: Humane Society La)

Jonesboro, 1 (Source: Humane Society La)

jonesboro, 5 (Photo Courtesy: Human Society Louisiana)

jonesboro, 4 (Photos courtesy of Humane Society La)

The remaining 26 dogs and puppies were moved to the Michigan headquarters of the Bissell Pet Foundation through a partnership with the Humane Society of La.

This was a very big enterprise. Sometimes, treating one neglected dog takes hundreds or even a thousand dollars. Imagine the resources needed to house and heal 26 mistreated dogs and puppies, said Jeff Dorson, HSLA Director. That is why were hoping people in the Bienville community and surrounding region will donate what they can to help.

The HSLA is seeking donations to offset the costs of boarding and providing medical care for the dogs, which has exceeded $5,000. To make a donation, visit humanela.org.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com.
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Over 1,000 more judges and magistrates in Mexico have voted to join an indefinite nationwide strike that began on Monday amid mounting protest against a plan by the ruling party to overhaul the country's judiciary.

The National Association of Circuit Magistrates and District Judges, which represents some 1,400 judges and magistrates, said late on Monday its members will join the strike on Wednesday, after a landslide vote on Monday in favor of the protest.

The judicial reform, by which judges - including Supreme Court justices - will be elected by popular vote, is a top priority of outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Markets have been spooked by the proposals, however, amid concern the changes could erode checks and balances over presidential power and lead to the political capture of the judiciary.

On Tuesday, Lopez Obrador called the strike "illegal," and suggested the judges were corrupt, while speaking during his regular morning press conference.

"With all frankness and respect, I'd say to them that (the strike) might even help us because if the judges and magistrates and ministers are not working, at least we'll have the guarantee that they are not going to let criminals of organized crime go free," he said.

The unions that went on strike on Monday represent many of Mexico's 55,000 judicial workers.

They say the reform would end merit-based career paths.

The reform will be voted on by lawmakers from the newly-elected Congress next month during the leftist leader's final month in office.

Former Supreme Court justice Arturo Zaldivar blamed the strike on poor leadership by the current Supreme Court president Norma Pina, who has frequently clashed with the president.

Last week, the Morena party's leader in the lower house of Congress detailed a proposal to enact the overhaul in stages, with the election of all Supreme Court judges next year, along with half of all magistrates. The rest would be elected in 2027.

(Reporting by Ana Isabel Martinez and Raul Cortes in Mexico City, writing by Laura Gottesdiener in Monterrey; Editing by Rod Nickel)
Another titan of industry has been named among the six people still missing after a luxury yacht was swallowed by the waves off the coast of Italy on Monday.

Morgan Stanley International bank chair Jonathan Bloomer is unaccounted for after the 184-foot sailing vessel Bayesian was suddenly sunk by a tornadic waterspout, a rotating pillar of mist and air, about half a mile from the Sicilian shore.

The other missing persons include U.K. tech magnate Mike Lynch, 59, whose wife owned the boat, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, and Chris Morvillo, an anti-corruption lawyer with Clifford Chance. The remaining two people, reportedly the wives of Bloomer and Morvillo, have not yet been identified.

Tech Titan Just Cleared of Fraud Is Missing After Luxury Superyacht Hit by Tornado

Morvillo had represented Lynch in his battle to clear his name of fraud over the $12 billion sale of his company Autonomy Technology to Hewlett-Packard in 2011. Bloomer, who chaired Autonomys audit committee some years before joining Morgan Stanley, had also given evidence at an earlier stage in the years-long legal saga.

Its been reported that Lynch had invited members of his legal team out on the yacht to celebrate his recent triumph at trial earlier in June, at which hed been facing more than 20 years behind bars. Still, the disappearance of the billionaire, his lawyer, and one of their witnesses only adds to the bizarre series of events that have followed hot on the heels of their shock victory, itself all the more extraordinary for the fact less than 1 percent of all federal criminal cases end in acquittal.

Inside Story of Missing Billionaire Whose Luck Ran Out on Superyacht

Just hours after the Bayesian went down, Lynchs former vice president at Autonomy and co-defendant in the recent trial, Stephen Chamberlain, died in a U.K. hospital after succumbing to injuries sustained when he was hit by a car while out jogging on Saturday afternoon.

Prosecutors had accused Lynch and Chamberlain of committing massive fraud in cooking Autonomys books to make it look more profitable ahead of the sale to Hewlett-Packard. After civil proceedings in the U.K. had awarded some $4 billion in damages against the pair in 2022, federal authorities in U.S. filed to extradite Lynch on criminal charges, which he fought until eventually being brought over in May 2023.

Macabre Twist in Shock Sinking of Missing Tech Billionaires Yacht

One of Lynchs other former lieutenants, Sushovan Hussain, had already been convicted in the scheme, and so there were tears of relief when Lynch and Chamberlain walked out of court free men at the end of their 11-week trial on June 6.

As of Tuesday morning the search for Lynch and the others missing from the capsized ship was ongoing. Fifteen passengers have already been rescued, including a 1-year-old baby girl.

One among the survivors is Ayla Ronald, 36, a Clifford Chance lawyer from New Zealand who also worked on Lynchs fraud case. Ronalds father Lin has spoken with 9News about his daughters ordeal, saying she was very shocked at the moment and adding he could only say at this stage she had texted him that there are deaths, and she and her partner are alive.

So far only a single body, of the vessels Canadian chef, has been recovered from the wreck.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The News

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer are among six people now presumed dead after a storm caused their yacht to capsize off the Italian island of Sicily.

The Italian coast guard said Tuesday that their bodies are likely trapped inside the sunken yacht, with rescuers still trying to get access to the wreckage.

Lynch, who cofounded the software company Autonomy, and Bloomer were among 22 people on board: One mans body has been recovered and 15 people have been rescued. The missing also include Lynchs daughter and Bloomers wife.

Lynch  once dubbed Britains Bill Gates  was recently acquitted of US criminal charges in June after a lengthy fight over his companys $11 billion sale to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

The 59-year-old suggested last month he wouldnt have survived prison due to his health: If this had gone the wrong way, it would have been the end of life as I have known it in any sense, he told The Sunday Times.
Morgan Stanley Executive and His Wife Among the Missing After Luxury Yacht Sinks in Sicily, Official Says

Jonathan Bloomer and his wife were two of the six people identified as missing to PEOPLE on Monday, Aug. 19

Andy Shaw/Bloomberg via Getty Jonathan Bloomer in London, on August 26, 2004

Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife, attorney Chris Morvillo and Nada Morvillo are among the six people missing after a luxury yacht sunk off the coast of Sicily, a senior civil protection officer told PEOPLE on Monday, Aug. 19.

Local officials previously told PEOPLE that the two other people missing are British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah.

Bloomer is a close friend of Lynch. Chris Morvillo is Lynchs attorney.

A source tells PEOPLE that the expert underwater team has returned to base and was not able to make any inroads into the vessel Monday night.

The rescue teams theorize the missing people are possibly trapped inside the hull, Palermo Today reported.

Vincenzo Pepe/Getty A carabinieri vehicle parked near the harbor where search continues for missing passengers after a yacht capsized on August 19, 2024 off the coast of Palermo, Italy

The six people went missing after a 56-meter (183-ft) yacht, the Bayesian, carrying 22 people sank after a storm near Porticello, Italy, at around 5 a.m. local time on Monday, Aug. 19, per an Italian Coast Guard statement obtained by PEOPLE.

Sicilian news agency Ansa reports that eyewitnesses revealed that the yacht was anchored when it was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, and lost its balance, causing it to sink.

At the time of publication, only one person's body was recovered. The body of the boats cook was found near the vessel on Monday morning, per Palermo Today.

Related: Survivor of Yacht That Sank Off Sicily's Coast Recalls How She Used 'All My Strength' to Save Her 1-Year-Old

Since the sinking, Coast Guard patrol boats and firefighters have rescued 15 people after divers reached 49 ft. below the sea surface to the vessel, according to the outlets.

Of those rescued, eight were taken to local hospitals. Among those saved were Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares, and a one-year-old English girl named Sophie, her mother and Lynch's colleague, Charlotte Golunski.

Corpo Nazionale dei Vigili dei del Fuoco via Getty Images An Italian Coast Guard ship is seen at the site of a sunken vessel on August 19, 2024 in Palermo, Italy.

Golunski lost her grip on her 1-year-old daughter when a wave smashed against them, taking the child out to sea. But that same wave returned Sophie a short time later in what was described as something of a miracle, according to the local sources.

Golunski told Italian newspaper la Repubblica that she briefly lost her daughter for about two seconds due to the intensity of the sea but was then was able to retrieve the child

"I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning, Golunski told the newspaper, according to a translation. "It was all dark. In the water I couldn't keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others."

Related: 6 Passengers, Including 2 Americans, Missing After 180-Foot Yacht Sinks amid Storm in Sicily

Sophie was sent to the Children's Hospital of Palermo, where she was reunited with her mother, who received minor injuries in the incident, per Ansa, The Independent and Corriere Della Sera.

Sophies father, James Emsley, survived the incident, Sicily's civil protection agent Salvo Cocina said, according to Sky News.

Search and rescue efforts continue, the Coast Guard said, as does an investigation into the incident.

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A representative for Morgan Stanley did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for more information on Monday.



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MORRIS COUNTY, Texas (KETK)  With hot and dry weather persisting, multiple counties are issuing burn bans.

Saving treasure of information: City of Tylers lease to Smith County Historical Society not renewed

Were seeing an uptick in fires and that will likely increase with the forecast that we see, theres just no rain, Sean Dugan, with the Texas A&M Forest Service, said.

Dungan said East Texans should be careful with anything that can catch a spark, especially those that live in a county under a burn ban.

HENDERSON COUNTY

Henderson County issued a 14-day burn ban beginning Aug. 20 at the request of Fire Marshal Shane Renberg.

Renberg told the Henderson County Commissioners Court that there have been about 20 notable grass fires in the past two weeks that required multiple fire departments to help extinguish.

County officials said anyone caught ignoring the burn ban, a Class C misdemeanor, can be punished by a fine up to $500.

Black plume of smoke seen miles away after Marshall fire

MORRIS COUNTY

According to the burn barn order, Morris County Judge Doug Reeder said on Tuesday circumstances create a public safety hazard that would be exacerbated by burning. The burn ban includes all outdoor fires, including fires in a contained or semi-enclosure, but does not include grills, barbecues or smokers which are used to cook and are fully covered. Open grills, barbecues or smokers are prohibited.

The Morris County burn ban is in effect for seven days from Tuesday unless it is renewed by the county commissioners court.

PHOTOS: Smith County trash truck catches on fire

In 2023, the drying period began earlier causing burn bans to pop up across East Texas as early as July.

The difference between this year and last year is this year weve had a lot more rain earlier in the season, Dugan said. Last year, we really didnt have that and last year the drying trend started earlier.

Even though there are currently only two counties under the ban, officials urge everyone to be careful.

If youre going to burn, stay with the fire, make sure you have water with your fire. If youre doing large burns let your local jurisdictions know, Rusk County fire marshal Patrick Dooley said.

Those who break the burn ban could pay a fine of up to $500 and a misdemeanor.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (Not Pictured) at the Zagulba Presidential Residence. -/Kremlin/dpa

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ruled out negotiations with Kiev in light of Ukraine's counteroffensive on Russian soil, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.

"The president said it very clearly that following attacks, or even incursion, on the Kursk region, any talks are impossible," Lavrov said on Russian state television on the sidelines of Putin's visit to Azerbaijan.

Lavrov also said that Putin would soon give an assessment of the situation. Reports of contacts between the warring parties, which had been established by intermediaries such as Qatar or Turkey, were nothing more than rumours, Lavrov added.

The Russian president's current silence on the crisis in his own military is not new. When faced with previous defeats, Putin only spoke out after a long pause and sometimes after sitting out the crisis.

Zelensky says Kiev now controls large area in Russia

Ukraine, which has been fending off a full-scale Russian invasion for nearly two and a half years, launched a counteroffensive around a fortnight ago, advancing into the western Russian region of Kursk.

Ukraine had made further gains in its counteroffensive, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday.

"As of today, our forces control over 1,250 square kilometres of the enemy's territory and 92 settlements," Zelensky said during a speech before Ukrainian diplomats and officials.

Zelensky's figures on the territorial gains exceed most previous estimates by military observers and are difficult to confirm. Most experts admit the inaccuracy of their estimates due to the limited amount of visual material. In particular, the Ukrainian armed forces publish very little in order to avoid jeopardizing their advance.

Zelensky noted that a key tactical objective - reducing the threat to Ukraine's Sumy border region - had been successfully achieved.

He described the offensive as a great success and said critics would have deemed a counteroffensive on Russian soil as crossing "the strictest of all the red lines that Russia has."

This is the first time that Kiev has shifted the war to the territory of its opponent. Russia continues to occupy large parts of eastern and southern Ukraine.

Prior to the Ukrainian counterattack, Putin had demanded that Kiev cede further territory as a prerequisite for peace negotiations.

Ukrainian Air Force issues provisional all-clear

While Ukrainian troops made progress on Russian territory, the situation on the front in the east of Ukraine remained difficult.

There were 154 battles on Ukrainian territory, reported the General Staff in Kiev in its evening situation report.

The General Staff said 71 Russian airstrikes on Ukraine had been recorded, alongside some 629 kamikaze drones.

However, the Ukrainian Air Force had issued a provisional all-clear regarding a feared Russian airstrike.

Six Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bombers, which had taken off from northern Russia, had landed again, the air force announced on its Telegram channel on Monday.

The official air-raid warning app of Ukraine also removed the alarm concerning the aircraft.

Ukrainians constantly inform themselves about imminent dangers through multiple channels.

A military-affiliated blog reported that the aircraft had simulated the launch of cruise missiles over the Volga region near Saratov. It claimed that no missiles had been detected in the air.

The Tu-95 bombers then reportedly landed at the Engels Air Base on the Volga and at Dyagilevo in the Ryazan region, though this information was not independently verifiable.

Russian fuel storage facility still ablaze

Meanwhile, a large fuel storage facility in southern Russia was still ablaze on Monday, the day after a Ukrainian drone attack, the regional authorities of Rostov-on-Don announced. They declared a state of emergency for the district of Proletarsk.

Eighteen firefighters have been injured, with four of them taken to hospital with burns, the state-run Russian news agency TASS reported.

It was stated that the high temperatures in the region, exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, have made the firefighting operation more difficult.

The fire at the fuel storage facility in Proletarsk, which houses more than 70 individual tanks, was triggered on Sunday morning by a Ukrainian drone attack.

In recent months, Ukraine has targeted numerous Russian refineries and other oil facilities with drones. This is intended to hinder the supply of fuel to enemy troops and reduce the revenues of Russia's oil industry.
UPDATE: Missing St. George family found in Nevada, suspect in custody

UPDATE: 8/20/2024 2:12 p.m.: The St. George Police Department said the mother and her three children have been found by the Nevada Highway Patrol, are safe and unharmed.

David Gene Remley was safely taken into custody. Detectives with the St. George Police Department are working with authorities in Nevada to determine what happened and will release more information as it becomes available.

ORIGINAL STORY: Mother, 3 children, missing and endangered out of St. George

ST. GEORGE, Utah (ABC4)  Authorities out of St. George are searching for a mother and three young children, aged 2, 5, and 9 years old. Police believe the four to be with a man and are in danger.

The suspect has been identified as David Gene Remley, 36. He is described as having blonde or sandy hair and blue eyes. He is about 510 and weighs about 185 pounds.

In an update, detectives said Remley was last seen wearing a striped t-shirt, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes.

Police say he has a red and black star tattoo on the upper part of his left arm and he has a mole on the lower right part of his cheek near his top lip.

The mother and children have been identified as Brittany Etta Deal, 27, Brixton King Haley, 2, Quentin Michael Kelly, 5, and Braylee Michelle Kelly, 9.

Deal is said to have bleach-blonde hair and blue eyes. She is about 51 tall and 150 pounds. Police say she has a dermal piercing on her right cheek and a tattoo of mountains and arrowheads on her left arm. She also has a tattoo of flowers on her right thigh.

Brixton has brown hair and blue eyes and is only three feet tall and 45 pounds. Quentin has brown hair and brown eyes and is said to be 48 tall, and weighing 60 pounds. Braylee has brown hair and brown eyes, standing at 5 tall and weighing about 80 pounds.

Detectives said the children were last seen on Monday, Aug. 19 just after 5 p.m. when they were picked up from daycare by Remley. At the time, he was driving a white 2015 GMC Terrain with a Utah license plate 5AF687 registered to Deal. It is unknown if Deal was in the car as well.

When first reported, police also identified a black 2007 Nissan Altima with Utah license plate 7BJF1 as a vehicle of interest.

According to court documents, Remley has previously been convicted of assault from a violent case in 2022. The St. George Police Department also revealed there is a standing protective order between Remley and Deal stemming from a recent family fight.

Gross misrepresentations: LDS Church speaks on portrayals in Hollywood

Because of this, we considered Brittany, Quentin, Braylee, and Briston to be endangered, SGPD said in a social media release. This is currently being investigated and finding them safe is our highest priority.

Anyone with any information that may help in locating Remley and the four missing individuals is asked to contact the St. George Police Department at 435-627-4300.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
By Farman Aydin, AZERNEWS

DGSE, Direction Generale de la Securite Exterieure or General Directorate for External Security as in its English pronunciation, has been quite famous for its versatile operations in Africa, Europe, Asia, and in particular, the locations that are known as vulnerable regarding French colonialism.

For example, today in a number of countries that have been colonized, especially in Africa, it has become a typical phenomenon, although it is somewhat bittersweet to meet the French soldiers and spies. It is no coincidence that France is the only country in West Africa where the largest spy network is currently operating. In fact, one of the other main reasons for the growth of this network is the collapse of the era of colonialism in those countries.

DGSE, the main backbone of the French government, collects secret information about the countries it tries to maintain its influence and adjusts the readiness of the country's military potential accordingly. If it were not so, the French soldiers would not increase their raids on the people of New Caledonia day by day.

But the organization's blunders are more dominant than its secret operations. This is clearly confirmed once again, especially by the information spread about the errors made by DGSE recently. After the branch of the organization trying to spread in Azerbaijan was cut off, a number of secrets emerged. The Collectif des Amis d'Alep, a nonprofit organization, was later found to be linked to a spy ring, and three of its members were subsequently arrested.

Further to investigations, some secret networks of DGSE in Azerbaijan have been exposed. On December 26 of last year, the summoning of the French ambassador to Azerbaijan, Anne Boillon, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and the declaration of the two employees of the French Embassy personae non gratae by the Azerbaijani government because of their activities incompatible with their diplomatic status and contrary to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, reflected the illegalities happening inside. At that time, French diplomats were required to leave the country within 48 hours. There was a reason, and this reason was a heavy blow for the "Caucasus Bureau" of the French spy network.

Information about the problems within the DGSE, which has not yet been revealed, is gradually being leaked to the press today.

As reported on social media, the ex-head of France's foreign intelligence agency DGSE, Bernard Bajolet, could face criminal charges for intimidating a businessman from whom the agency demanded 15 million euros. The trial could have implications for the activities of French agents.

Information about Bernard Bajolet's court decision was published in the French press as early as October 2022. His role in a 15 million extortion attempt against a Franco-Swiss businessman was an explosion in the DGSE.

According to the French Le Monde, in March 2016, Alain Dumenil, a 73-year-old entrepreneur involved in a number of judicial cases, was stopped by the border police before boarding a flight at a Paris airport, and taken to two officers from the DGSE, Frances foreign intelligence agency. Dumenil, who said that his family was threatened, was cited as saying that he owed 15 million to the French government.

Although it was Bernard Bajolet who conducted the case during this incident, the ex-agent who later tried to avoid the charges denied that Dumenil was threatened with his family. Dumenil, who said that he was threatened with a photo of his family, noted that the request made against him by the DGSE regarding the fact that he owes 15 million to the French government is unfounded.

Bajolet was indicted by a French judge in October 2022 for complicity in attempting extortion, and for arbitrary infringement of personal liberty by a person holding public authority over the same case. His indictment by the court not only lowered the authority of the DGSE and the French government in general but also presented the truth about the inside of the French authorities.
Image source: The Motley Fool.

Yatsen (NYSE: YSG)

Q2 2024 Earnings Call

Aug 20, 2024, 7:30 a.m. ET

Contents:

Prepared Remarks

Questions and Answers

Call Participants

Prepared Remarks:





Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, good day, and welcome to the Yatsen second-quarter 2024 earnings conference call. Today's conference is being recorded. At this time, I would like to turn the conference over to Irene Lyu, vice president, head of strategic investment and capital markets. Please go ahead.

Irene Lyu -- Vice President, Head of Strategic Investments and Capital Markets

Thank you, operator. Please note the discussion today will contain forward-looking statements relating to the company's future performance and are intended to qualify for the Safe Harbor from liability as established by the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors.

Some of these risks are beyond the company's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those mentioned in today's press release and this discussion. A general discussion of the risk factors that could affect Yatsen's business financial results is included in certain filings of the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company does not undertake any obligation to update this forward-looking information except as required by law. During today's call, management will also discuss certain non-GAAP financial measures for comparison purposes only.

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Please see the earnings release issued earlier today for a definition of non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial results. Joining us today on the call from Yatsen's senior management are Mr. Jinfeng Huang, our founder, chairman, and CEO; and Mr. Donghao Yang, our CFO and director.

Story continues

Management will begin with prepared remarks, and the call will conclude with a Q&A session. As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. In addition, a webcast replay of this conference call will be available on Yatsen's investor relations website at ir.yatsenglobal.com. I'll now turn the call over to Mr.

Jinfeng Huang. Please go ahead.

Jinfeng Huang -- Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Irene. And thank you, everyone, for participating in Yatsen's second-quarter 2024 earnings conference call today. I will start with an overview of the macro environment and our key financial metrics before moving on to the strategy, brand, and the quarter update. China's beauty industry has a subdued second quarter with the 618 Shopping Festival falling short of expectations.

According to the adjusted data published by China's National Bureau of Statistics, beauty retail sales rebounded in May, likely due to the early start of the 618 Festival and the cancellation of presales, followed by a significant year-over-year decline in June. For the full second quarter, beauty retail sales decreased by 1.2% year over year, lagging the overall market, while total retail sales of consumer goods grew by 2.7% year over year. In addition, online beauty sales remained muted. While Tmall and Douyin's combined beauty sales recorded year-over-year growth in the second quarter, the growth rate was significantly lower than in the prior-year period.

The softer performance of China's beauty market impacted our revenue, prompting us to revise our revenue guidance in July. Total net revenues for the second quarter were RMB 794.5 million, reflecting a 7.5% year-over-year decline, in line with our revised expectations. Net revenues from our skincare brands were basically flat year over year, while combined revenues from Galenic, DR.WU, and Eve Lom grew by 5% year over year. Color Cosmetics Brands' net revenues increased by 11.4% year over year, primarily due to the ongoing strategy transformation of the Perfect Diary brand.

The sole flagship product line, the Biolip Essence series, is performing well as the brand continues to build its new product lineup. On the profitability side, our overall gross margin increased to 76.7% from 74.7% for the prior-year period, thanks to an increased contribution from high-gross-margin products. Our net loss margin also narrowed by 1.9% points to 10.8% from 12.6% for the prior-year period. Our non-GAAP net loss margin, however, increased to 9.4% from 5.4% for the prior-year period.

The year-over-year increase in our non-GAAP net loss margin was mainly due to higher channel traffic expenses as a result of Douyin's growing contribution to sales and our investments in marketing events' extensive brand equity in the second quarter. Given the challenges in the industry and where we are in our strategy transformation plan, we will remain focused on improving our channel mix and optimizing our cost structure to reduce losses for the remainder of the year. Meanwhile, we will maintain our investments in brand building and R&D as we pursue a sustainable growth path. Our skincare brands delivered another steady performance during the second quarter, driven not only by our hero products, but also by an increasingly diverse and extensive product portfolio.

Eve Lom's Renewal Treatment Oil gained a significant visibility on the Douyin platform after being featured in a [Inaudible] live streaming room, successfully boosting the product revenue contribution. Galenic also experienced growing sales from its [Inaudible] recuperating micro mask. Our color cosmetics brands also continued to develop and launch standout products in the second quarter. Perfect Diary introduced multiple [Inaudible] products, including a translucent blurring longwear cushion foundation, while Little Ondine brought the [Inaudible] dual-ended brow gel pen and the Duo [Inaudible] compact powder market.

Also, Perfect Diary's Biolip Essence lipstick recently won the the Gold Award in the Beauty and Personal Care Category at the [Inaudible] Awards, showcasing our effective brand repositioning and appealing hero products. The second quarter also included a host of brand-building opportunities across our brand portfolio. In May, Yatsen participated in the 2024 China Conference of Cosmetics Science and Technology as well as the related 15th Academic Symposium. During the event, Perfect Diary released its latest scientific research report compiled in collaboration with the China Association of Fragrance, Flavor, and Cosmetics Industry and the Ruijin Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

On the skincare brands, Galenic held a major brand event in Bali in collaboration with GQ, featuring several actors and KOLs. Galenic also announced swimming world champion Ms. Zhang Yufei as its new brand ambassador during the quarter. Furthermore, DR.WU participated in the 13th Asia Dermatological Congress, the most widely attended and represented event in the field of dermatology in Asia, focusing on Asian skin's unique, anti-aging needs.

DR.WU collaborated with top industry experts to present the latest advancement in anti-aging treatments and to demonstrate [Inaudible] anti-wrinkle firming serum's efficacy. So, before I wrap up, an update on R&D. I'm proud to share that on May 28th, the Yatsen Global Innovation R&D Center was officially inaugurated in Shanghai, marking China's first global R&D hub for a national beauty brand. With nearly 4,000 square meters of R&D space, the center's successful completion and operational launch will provide robust support for Yatsen's product development and technological advancement.

In conclusion, the second quarter was challenging from a macro perspective. We will remain focused on the factors we can control, driving continued improvement in our loss margin through cost and efficiency optimizations while impacting our channel mix and advancing product development. With that, I will now turn the call over to our CFO, Donghao Yang, to discuss our financial performance. Thank you, everyone.

Donghao Yang -- Chief Financial Officer and Director

Thank you, David, and hello, everyone. Before I get started, I would like to clarify that all financial numbers presented today are in renminbi amounts, and all percentage changes refer to year-over-year changes unless otherwise noted. Total net revenue for the second quarter of 2024 decreased by 7.5% to 794.5 million from 868.6 million for the prior-year period. The decrease was primarily due to an 11.4% year-over-year decrease to net revenues from Color Cosmetics Brands.

Gross profit for the second quarter of 2024 decreased by 5% to 609.4 million from 641.6 million for the prior-year period. Gross margin for the second quarter of 2024 increased to 76.7% from 74.7% for the prior-year period. The increase was primarily driven by an increase in sales of higher gross margin products. Total operating expenses for the second quarter of 2024 decreased by 4.1% to 744.6 million from 776.7 million for the prior-year period.

As a percentage of total net revenue, total operating expenses for the second quarter of 2024 were 93.7% as compared with 90.5% for the prior-year period. Fulfillment expenses for the second quarter of 2024 were 51.2 million as compared with 68.3 million for the prior-year period. As a percentage of total net revenues, fulfillment expenses for the second quarter of 2024 decreased to 6.4% from 6.8% for the prior-year period. The decrease was primarily due to an increase in overall average selling price of our products as well as further improvement in logistics efficiency.

Selling and marketing expenses for the second quarter of 2024 were 544.7 million as compared with 542.8 million for the prior-year period. As a percentage of total net revenues, selling and marketing expenses for the second quarter of 2024 increased to 68.6% from 53.2% for the prior-year period. The increase is primarily due to increased investments in the Douyin platform, in line with the growing revenue contribution from Douyin, as well as our investments in new product launches and building brand equities across our portfolio. General and administrative expenses for the second quarter of 2024 were 119.1 million as compared with 149.7 million for the prior-year period.

As a percentage of total net revenue, general and administrative expenses for the second quarter of 2024 decreased to 15% from 17.4% for the prior-year period. The decrease was primarily attributable to a reduction in service conversations as a result of the reversal of recognized share-based compensation expenses due to the forfeiture of uninvested awards granted to certain former employees. Research and development expenses for the second quarter of 2024 were 29.7 million as compared with 25.9 million for the prior-year period. As a percentage of total net revenues, research and development expenses for the second quarter of 2024 increased to 3.7% from 3% for the prior-year period.

The increase was primarily attributable to the commencement of operations of our Global Innovation R&D Center in Shanghai on May 28th, 2024. Loss from operations for the second quarter of 2024 was 135.2 million as compared with 135.1 million for the prior-year period. Operating loss margin was 17% as compared with 15.7% for the prior-year period. Non-GAAP loss from operations for the second quarter of 2024 was 111.9 million as compared with 74.6 million for the prior-year period.

Non-GAAP operating loss margin was 14.1% as compared with 8.7% for the prior-year period. Net loss for the second quarter of 2024 decreased by 21.2% to 85.5 million from 108.5 million for the prior-year period. Net loss margin was 10.8% as compared with 12.6% for the prior-year period. Net loss attributable to Yatsen's ordinary shareholders per diluted ADS for the second quarter of 2024 was 0.77 RMB as compared with 0.99 RMB for the prior-year period.

Non-GAAP net loss for the second quarter of 2024 was 74.9 million as compared with 46.3 million for the prior-year period. Non-GAAP net loss margin was 9.4% as compared with 5.4% for the prior-year period. Non-GAAP net loss attributable to Yatsen's ordinary shareholder per diluted ADS for the second quarter of 2024 was 0.67 RMB as compared with 0.41 RMB for the prior-year period. As of June 30th, 2024, we had cash, restricted cash, and short-term investments of 1.58 billion as compared with 2.08 billion as of December 31st, 2023.

Net cash used in operating activities for the second quarter of 2024 was 148.2 million as compared with 14.4 million for the prior-year period. Looking at our business outlook for the third quarter of 2024, we expect our total net revenues to be between 646.3 million and 718.1 million, representing a year-over-year decrease of approximately 0% to 10%. These forecasts reflect our current and preliminary views on the market and operational conditions which are subject to change. With that, I would now like to open the call to Q&A.

Operator?

Questions & Answers:





Operator

Thank you. We will now begin the question-and-answer session. [Operator instructions] Our first question comes from Maggie Wan with CICC. Please go ahead.

Maggie Wan -- CICC -- Analyst

Thank you for taking my question. This is Maggie Wan from CICC. I have two questions. The first question is that, what is our plan for product development and channel expansion for Color Cosmetics and skincare brands, respectively? And my second question is that, what is our promotion strategy in the second half of the year and how to balance our revenue growth and profitability? That's my question.

Thank you.

Irene Lyu -- Vice President, Head of Strategic Investments and Capital Markets

Thank you, Maggie, for the question. So, for the first question on plan for development and channel strategy. So, currently our strategy is we need to fine tune our product mix and also channel mix. On the product side, we have a very robust new product pipeline for the second half of the year for both our color and skincare side.

So, we continue to have a number of new products, for example, for Galenic and DR.WU, they will have new very active and functional skincare products launched in the later half of the year. And also on the color side, we have a list of new pipelines including new lipstick and foundation products, you know for Perfect Diary and [Inaudible]. And then in terms of channels, we have been talking about expanding into more [Inaudible] channels on top of currently very high concentration of [Inaudible]. So, by increasing the concentration or the weighting of the [Inaudible] channels, we will have more room for growth and also a better profitability mix in the future.

Donghao Yang -- Chief Financial Officer and Director

OK. For the second question, the promotion strategy for the second half of the year, I don't think there will be substantial changes in terms of promotion strategies. You know, we're going to have double 11 and a few other events until the end of the -- from now until the end of the year. So, we will primarily focus on optimizing our channel mix and product mix, as Irene has just mentioned.

And in terms of revenue profitability, balance, I think the second half of the year, we're going to be focusing more on cutting loss and achieving profitability as soon as possible. In terms of revenue, we're going to be more aggressive in terms of new product development and channel mix so that we can grow our revenue as fast as possible. But in the meantime, we're going to be focusing on achieving a profitable revenue growth and be profitable as soon as possible.

Maggie Wan -- CICC -- Analyst

OK, got it. That's very helpful. Thank you very much, and I have no more questions.

Donghao Yang -- Chief Financial Officer and Director

Thank you.

Operator

Thank you. This concludes our question-and-answer session. I'd like to turn the conference back over to management for closing remarks.

Irene Lyu -- Vice President, Head of Strategic Investments and Capital Markets

Thank you once again for joining us today. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at Yatsen directly or Piacente Financial Communications. Our contact information for IR in both China and the U.S. can be found in today's press release.

Thank you, and have a great day.

Operator

[Operator signoff]

Duration: 0 minutes

Call participants:

Irene Lyu -- Vice President, Head of Strategic Investments and Capital Markets

Jinfeng Huang -- Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer

Donghao Yang -- Chief Financial Officer and Director

Maggie Wan -- CICC -- Analyst

More YSG analysis

All earnings call transcripts

This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability.

The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Yatsen (YSG) Q2 2024 Earnings Call Transcript was originally published by The Motley Fool
The Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem. (Ron Cooper/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or a mental health crisis, call or text 988 for free, immediate support 24/7.

After Jesse Banks died alone in his cell at Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem, a state medical examiner found a ripped up mask to protect against disease crammed in the back of his bloody mouth.

The account, drawn from an Oregon State Police detectives notes, is part of a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the Oregon Department of Corrections on Sunday in U.S. District Court in Eugene. The lawsuit, filed by Banks mother Patricia Trish Nemeth, lays out a series of allegations about Banks treatment in prison before his death on the morning of April 1, 2023 in a cell in the prisons behavioral health unit.

More broadly, it seeks to hold the agency accountable for its treatment of Banks, a 35-year-old man who had a documented history of mental health challenges and needed medication. The lawsuit suggests either a coverup, negligence or both were involved and seeks damages of up to $20 million.

The state actors were deliberately indifferent to the serious medical needs of Mr. Banks, either by strangling him to death, increasing his dosage to a fatal dose and then leaving him unattended for several hours while they had the responsibility to perform tier checks every 15 minutes, the lawsuit said.

Jesse Banks (Oregon Department of Corrections)

A spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Corrections declined to comment on the allegations.

Banks had a developmental disorder, and corrections agencys staff failed to follow their rules for inmates and make the necessary checks for inmates with mental health conditions who are in solitary confinement, the lawsuit alleges. Those checks are supposed to happen every 15 or 30 minutes.

Instead, a corrections officer checking on Banks found him dead after more than two hours without any checks, the lawsuit alleged.

Wayne Lamb, a Salem attorney who represents the mother, said appropriate medical care and regular checks are crucial in a case like Banks.

The lawsuit says the prison turned a blind eye to his need for mental health care and that the state acted to cover up evidence. The mask mentioned in the detectives notes was an N95, which is supposed to filter out 95% of particles in the air, including those that cause COVID.

The bloody mask was not mentioned in the autopsy report, the lawsuit said. Instead, the report said the upper airway was not obstructed, the lawsuit alleged.

The complaint said the autopsy investigation was flawed and that the state either intended to bury evidence or had no interest in the actual cause of death, the lawsuit said. The autopsy found the death was self-inflicted strangulation.

The lawsuit asserted Banks died in one of two ways  and the state was responsible in both cases. One possibility is that a state employee at the prison crammed the mask into his throat and the evidence was buried, the lawsuit said. The other is when a doctor inappropriately adjusted his medication, it forced an overdose and triggered a suicide, the lawsuit said.

Either way, the failure to conduct regular checks contributed, the lawsuit said.

Whether the death was suicide or guard strangulation, the death was the product of a criminal act of intent or recklessness, the lawsuit said.

Based on medical records, the lawsuit said Banks didnt have an inclination toward suicide. Rather, he said he looked forward to his release while visiting with his family.

He spoke of the future, of work, of National Geographic subscriptions and he generally spoke with optimism and level-headedness, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit said Banks faced bullying and harassment from corrections officers and struggled to get access to appropriate medications.

Banks bounced in and out of the criminal justice system and, at times, went to Oregon State Hospital for treatment so he could aid in his defense in court against various charges. His mental health and ability to face charges was repeatedly mentioned in his felony cases.

He also was imprisoned. In 2018, he went to Oregon State Penitentiary for a 38-month sentence and was housed in the behavioral health unit.

In 2022, he was sentenced on charges of aggravated harassment and assaulting a public safety officer and returned to the prison. When Banks died, he was about two years from his release date.

A corrections officer found him under his blankets and out of sight from the door, the lawsuit said.

Officers told investigators they made efforts to revive him with medical staff, but his body was no longer warm. He was already stiff and rigid from rigor mortis. They said they gave him CPR anyway.

Whether true or not, it was clearly too late, as Mr. Banks was pronounced dead at 10:07 a.m., the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit opens the door for Nemeths lawyer to obtain more evidence, including potential security camera footage, and to interview prison staff to learn more about what transpired.

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Mt. Hood Senior Living agrees to find new owner in settlement with Oregon DHS

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Months after a resident died outside of a senior living facility in Sandy, its owner has agreed to hand the business over.

The owner of Mt. Hood Senior Living is required to help the facility find a new operator by Dec. 1, according to a settlement they reached with the Oregon Department of Human Services in late July. The current operators license is set to expire on Jan. 31, 2025.

Trestle fire halts Lake Oswego train traffic indefinitely

Prior to the settlement, Oregons Office of Administrative Hearings had scheduled a case hearing over the owners license suspension earlier this year.

ODHS issued Mt. Hood Senior Living an order of immediate suspension in January, when officials revealed the facility had committed eight violations related to the health and wellbeing of its residents.

State watchdogs said the business failed to provide a safe environment, referring to the death of resident Ki Soon Harmony Hyun.

The 83-year-old woman was reported missing after wandering out of the facility on Christmas Eve 2023. The next day, she was found in a wooded area about a half-mile away from her residence  where it was later determined she died of hypothermia.

Drive-by shooting in Vancouver leaves behind 55 shell casings

In addition to this incident, ODHS said Mt. Hood Senior Living failed to adhere to food sanitation rules, properly train its employees, oversee its medication system and follow medical professionals orders for residents.

Officials also alleged the facility didnt adequately monitor its residents, one of whom was left with a fractured back after falling four times in four days.

According to the settlement with the human services department, the recent agreement does not prevent state or federal agencies from filing claims against the senior care center.

But while ODHS has cracked down on Mt. Hood Senior Living, other officials have determined the regulators didnt properly handle their response to the facilitys multiple violations.

Massive blaze engulfs Milwaukie train bridge

In April, Oregons Long-Term Care Ombudsman asserted the ODHS did not appear to recognize the collection of red flags in the Agencys possession for at least the seven weeks prior to the December 25th tragedy.

The ombudsman also said the agency potentially traumatized the residents still living at the facility and their families when it was forced to close immediately.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV)  Officials with the Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MWFP) Foundation announced the expansion of its support to include the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR).

Going forward, they will do business as the Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries, Parks, and Marine Foundation (MWFPM Foundation).

Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund extends application deadline

Officials said the foundation will now provide comprehensive support to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP) and MDMR. They said the partnership will allow the foundation to fund additional programs and initiatives that benefit wildlife conservation, natural resource management, and outdoor recreation from the Pine Belt to the Gulf Coast.

By expanding our support to include the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, the MWFPM Foundation is now positioned to make an even greater impact across the entire state. Our mission has always been to help fund the preservation and enhancement of Mississippis natural resources, and this new partnership allows us to do so on a larger scale. We look forward to working closely with both MDWFP and MDMR to achieve our shared goals, said John Taylor, MWFP Foundation Board Chair.

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Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV.
"Thats not even something you put on a bucket list because its just so unbelievable," one of the rescuers said of the experience

Getty A stock image of a great white shark

A group of beachgoers in Massachusetts stumbled upon an unexpected sight: a beached great white shark.

On the afternoon of Friday, Aug. 16, Liza Phillips was enjoying the day at Nantuckets Low Beach when her father spotted what he thought was a whale thrashing in the waves, the Nantucket Current reported.

The father-daughter duo was playing catch when he saw the beached creature and paused to say, Oh, theres a beached whale! Phillips recalled to the outlet.

I grabbed my phone and started sprinting down the beach, the California native recalled. As she approached and realized it was a great white, not a whale, she thought to herself, Oh my god.

Related: Shark Attacks 4 Texas Beachgoers on Fourth of July, with Report of 1 Suffering 'Severe' Bite

"You think of a great white as a predator, a beast, a monster," she told Boston outlet WCVB-TV. "But watching it in that position, I was like, 'Oh my God, this is really sad.'"

Though the largest predatory fish on the planet, great whites are "not hostile towards humans, and they don't consider us food," per the International Fund for Animal Welfare. However, the organization notes that they are "still dangerous to be in close contact with."

Faced with an unusual and shocking situation and unsure how to proceed, Phillips paused for a moment and then realized she had to help the shark back into the ocean.

"I want it to survive," she recalled to WCVB-TV, adding that she "could tell it was really in a weakened state."

"It was so helpless, we were thinking it was going to get back in itself but it was completely beached," she explained to the Nantucket Current. "We said we have to step up and try to help."

Related: I Survived a Shark Attack in Sydney Harbor and Lost My Leg and Hand  Now I'm on Shark Week (Exclusive)

Fueled by adrenaline, Phillips and another individual pushed the flailing shark back into the water.

"Definitely, there was some adrenaline involved," Phillips said of the great white rescue.

"I could tell it was not OK, and just giving it a shove and immediately running out does not feel crazy to me because there was no way it was going to turn around and bite my leg off," she added to WCVB-TV.

With a few gentle pushes from the duo, the shark returned to deeper water before swimming off, footage shared by the Nantucket Current and CBS Boston shows.

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.

After pushing the creature back into the ocean, Phillips can be seen covering her mouth, seemingly in shock, as she runs away from the scene.

"Touching a great white? That's not even something you put on a bucket list because it's just so unbelievable," Phillips said.



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Read the original article on People.
An arrest warrant was issued for a 34-year-old man police say fatally shot a man outside a building in the Edgehill community on Deford Bailey Avenue.

During a hospital interview, Ronald Lamont Russell Jr. told detectives he spotted James B. Cox III outside his sister's apartment shortly after midnight Friday and attempted to stab Cox in the neck with a kitchen knife, but he was unsuccessful and wrestled him to the ground, Nashville police said in a release.

Russell said he grabbed one of two guns Cox was carrying when it came loose and chased Cox before shooting him multiple times. He told police Cox, 41, shot him, causing a graze wound.

Russell said he threw the gun he used into a nearby field after the shooting and told police he wanted to kill Cox.

Police later found a pistol.

While he was being questioned, Russell told police Cox cut off his sister's leg, but investigators said the sister's leg was previously lost due to medical complications.

The suspect's mother said Russell has schizophrenia. He is undergoing a psychological evaluation. Police said Russell will be booked on charges after his release from the hospital.

Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on X @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to www.tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville PD: Deadly shooting suspect says victim cut off sister's leg
A national group that forecasts legislative races predicted Democrats are likely to win supermajorities in both chambers. (Getty Images)

A national analysis group that correctly predicted the Oregon Legislatures partisan split after the 2022 elections is now forecasting solid Democratic majorities.

CNalysis, the countrys only elections forecasting group that forecasts legislative elections, is predicting a 39-21 Democratic majority in the state House and an 18-11 split in the state Senate.

Those margins would give Democratic leaders breathing room as they try to negotiate a new transportation funding package during the 2025 session, as any attempts to create new taxes or raise existing ones requires a supermajority of 18 votes in the Senate and 36 in the House. Democrats now hold 17 Senate seats and 35 in the House.

Republicans conceded months ago that their chances of taking the majority in the Senate are basically nil, simply because of which seats are up for grabs. Senators serve staggered four-year terms, and the most competitive districts have elections in midterm years. Theyre focused on defending two districts now held by Republicans and possibly flipping a Democratic seat in east Multnomah County.

In the House, where all 60 seats are up for election, Democrats and Republicans are fighting harder over control. Heres a look at the handful of competitive legislative elections, and what CNalysis forecasted:

Senate

The forecasting group only considers two of the states Senate races to be competitive: the 5th District along the central coast and the 25th District in east Multnomah County. Both feature incumbent senators running for reelection.

Sen. Dick Anderson, R-Lincoln City, in the 5th District is one of only three Republican Senate incumbents allowed to run for reelection after most of his caucus skipped floor sessions for six weeks in 2023 and were disqualified from serving subsequent terms. The central coast has slightly favored Republicans in recent elections  Donald Trump won the district by about 3 points in 2016 and 2020, and Republican gubernatorial nominee Christine Drazan won it by almost 7 in 2022.

But voters in half of Andersons district also elected a moderate Democrat, David Gomberg of Otis, to represent them in the state House. The forecast rates the district as a tossup between Anderson and Democratic challenger Jo Beaudreau, a Florence city councilor.

The forecast gave much better odds to Sen. Chris Gorsek, D-Troutdale, in his own reelection battle in the 25th District. Gorsek won by almost 4 points in his 2020 race and the district boundaries havent changed much after redistricting in 2021. But Republicans see hope in 2022 results: Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek won the district by just one-tenth of a point. Still, the forecast says its very likely Gorsek will prevail over Republican challenger Raymond Love.

Oregon politicos are also paying close attention to central Oregons 27th Senate District, where former Senate Republican leader Tim Knopp is disqualified from running again and Bend City Councilor Anthony Broadman is trying to give Bend an entirely Democratic slate of legislators. Hell face Redmond School Board chair Michael Summers in November.

Bend and Redmond have shifted to the left in recent years, and Kotek won the district by more than 8 points in 2022. The national forecast rated the district solidly Democratic.

House

There are no tossups in the House model, and the four closest predicted races were forecasted to tilt toward Democrats. Those all have Republican incumbents  the Salem-based 21st House District represented by Rep. Kevin Mannix, the Woodburn-based 22nd District represented by Rep. Tracy Cramer, the 32nd District along the northwest coast represented by Rep. Cyrus Javadi and the 52nd District in the Columbia River Gorge represented by House Minority Leader Jeff Helfrich.

CNalysis incorrectly predicted Mannixs race in 2022, though its overall forecast remained correct because it also underestimated Democrat Emerson Levy in the Bend-based 53rd District. Mannix, an attorney and architect of many of Oregons tough-on-crime laws from the 1990s, is well-known in Salem, and Democrats hope this year to unseat him by running a well-known Salem city councilor, Virginia Stapleton.

Cramer, R-Gervais, flipped a Democratic-held seat that includes farming communities in north Marion County that voted for Democratic President Joe Biden in 2020 then endorsed Drazans Republican bid for governor in 2022. Cramer will face Democrat Lesly Munoz, a consultant for the Oregon Education Association.

Javadi, R-Tillamook, expected a rematch with Democrat Logan Laity, a small business marketer who he beat two years ago by 2.5 percentage points and fewer than 850 votes in the coastal 32nd District. But Laity withdrew this summer because of a work relocation and Javadi will instead face Astoria City Councilor Andy Davis. The district went for Biden in 2020 and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton by one-fifth of a point, but Drazan won it by nearly 3 points in 2022.

Helfrich will face drug and alcohol prevention specialist Nick Walden Poublon in the 52nd District, which Helfrich won by 5 points in 2022. The district also voted for Drazan, though it supported Democrats for president in 2016 and 2020.

Other swing districts held by Democrats are rated as likely Democratic in the forecast, including:

-The 7th District in Lane County, where Rep. John Lively, D-Springfield, will face business development manager Cory Burket;

-The 40th District in Clackamas County where Rep. Annessa Hartman, D-Gladstone will face Michael Newgard, an Army Blackhawk helicopter pilot.

 The 48th District in Clackamas and Multnomah counties, where Rep. Hoa Nguyen, D-Portland, will face business owner John Masterman.

 The 49th District in Multnomah County where Rep. Zach Hudson, D-Troutdale, faces Republican Terry Tipsord, owner of a business development company.

 The 50th District in east Multnomah County where Rep. Ricki Ruiz, D-Gresham, is up against Republican Paul Drechsler, who owns a landscape supply business.

 And the 53rd District in central Oregon, where Levy is defending her seat against Redmond School Board member Keri Lopez.

One district that could be considered competitive based on voter registration, the 31st District northwest of Portland, voted for Republicans by nearly 20 points in 2022. The forecast rates it as likely Republican, with GOP real estate agent Darcey Edwards favored to win over Democratic tax consultant Jordan Gutierrez.

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OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  As part of the Save Americas Treasures program, the National Park Service is awarding over $500,000 in total grant funds to the Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation and the Philbrook Museum of Art.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation is receiving $89,428 from the NPS to fund the digitization of videotape collections covering the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

Oklahoma City Public School Board approves teacher bonus program

The NPS is also sending $466,767 in grants to the Philbrook Museum in Tulsa for safety and security upgrades to the museums native collection.

The NPS awarded just over $25.7 million in grants during this round of grant funding for the program.

Applications for the next round of the Save Americas Treasures Grant Program will open in fall 2024, with $25.5 million in funding 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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Chicago as the Democratic National Convention begins on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (Photo by Shaun Griswold/Source NM)

CHICAGO  The energy is much different heading into the Democratic National Convention than when I traveled to the Republican version in Wisconsin a month ago.

So much has changed in a month  like the top of the Democratic ticket.

The platform Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz will present to voters is still unclear.

Whats clear is my news assignment.

How would Native Americans fare during four years of a Harris/Walz administration?

The views that came out from the RNC in Wisconsin (from those who could give sovereignty more than one sentence), offered on-the-record support for the foundational approach to tribal governance. The Native voices at that convention consistently said that they will work toward a path to achieve progress with whatever federal United States government is in power, but ask that it stay fair and respectful to the directions tribes want to move in.

That is still on the agenda in Chicago for Democrats.

This week in Chicago, Ill be looking for good conversations and solid answers from politicians and potential U.S. leaders on topics like health care, the environment, sovereignty, cultural recognition, schools and anything else that would serve Native American people in the next four years. (And probably for a good tavern-crust pizza, too.)

The Republican National Convention showed us a party still set to restart what stopped when former President Donald Trump lost the election in 2020. Republicans at the convention in Wisconsin last month championed the same policies directed by the GOP in Congress in opposition to the last four years under President Joe Biden.

Republicans made the argument that this election is a choice between running it back with a Democratic agenda that could further Biden-era initiatives, or rewinding U.S. politics back to the time of Trump.

Weve seen both of these movies.

So when it comes to how this all shakes out for Native people, we can start at the Interior Department.

The Interior gives us an obvious jumping-off point for asking about the impact on Native people if Harris and Walz take the White House in January.

Interior Department Secretary Deb Haaland supports the ticket, and if she stays in her post, she could see efforts through and manage more long-term the billions in White House investments directed under Biden for tribal governments.

What will those investments look like under a new administration? Would Harris approach the Interior differently in any way? Would Haalands role grow under a new yet familiar president?

This dynamic then filters down to everyone that works with Haaland  her staff and the hundreds of tribal nations that work with the Interior daily.

Its worth noting, too, that at the Republican National Convention, I talked with U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado), who said she would like to replace Haaland should Trump win. Boebert said she would reverse Haaland-led efforts, like expanding Bears Ears National Monument, and would expand drilling projects.

Beyond the Interior Department, we should also take into account what it means for the White Earth Nation citizen and Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan if her boss Tim Walz is elected U.S. vice president.

Flanagan would step into the governors role and lead Minnesota into 2025. If Harris and Walz win in November, Flanagan would become the first Native American woman governor in U.S. history.

Native Media at the DNC

For our news coverage, it all starts where we left off at the RNC  sovereignty and specifically how will the United States meet its treaty obligations to Native American people that live in this country.

Milwaukee presented insight into how that relationship works and could move forward with a Republican administration. Native Americans spoke to issues like public safety, economy  anything that makes it easier to function alongside the U.S. government.

Our coverage gave projections on national GOP leaders, people in line with the Trump administration policies, ready to move them forward if he were to win office.

The questions are the same for Democrats.

Well be broadcasting across the country Monday through Friday. In New Mexico, you can tune in at 11 a.m. Sean Spruce will lead the coverage, hosting our shows for Native America Calling. Antonia Gonzales will report on air with us for National Native News, and Pauly Denetclaw will report on the ground at the convention for ICTNews.

On Thursday evening, we will have a live show from inside the United Center leading up to the nomination speech by Harris.

States Newsroom will also have coverage from the overall convention all week long, and provide insight into how Democrats hope to shape the platform in the final weeks leading up to the general election.

Source New Mexico originally published this article. Like the Alaska Beacon, Source New Mexico is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Source New Mexico maintains editorial independence.

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Whether you regularly purchase cannabis edibles or dabble in tinctures, it feels like weed is everywhere now. About 75% of Americans live in a state where marijuana is legal for recreational or medical use, and 79% of Americans live in a county with at least one marijuana dispensary, according to Pew Research Center.

However, theres a catch you should be aware of before heading to the dispensary: Depending on your state and credit card network, you likely cant use a credit card to buy weed.

The weed dilemma: Federal and state differences

Despite its prevalence and popularity, marijuana is still labeled a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). That means federal law prohibits the manufacturing, distribution, dispensing, and possession of marijuana outside of federally approved research studies.

That law may come as a surprise if dispensaries have popped up in your area. Many states violate the CSA by instituting laws permitting the legal use of marijuana for recreational or medicinal purposes. In fact, as of May 2024, 38 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have laws in place permitting medicinal marijuana.

These laws removed state penalties for growing, selling, or possessing marijuana in approved circumstances, causing dispensaries to flourish. As of 2024, there are nearly 15,000 dispensaries in operation nationwide.

However, these dispensaries face a conundrum: Credit cards are often consumers' payment method of choice. But thanks to federal laws, financial institutions are wary of allowing weed transactions. If they permitted the purchase of cannabis, they could be subject to significant penalties and other legal consequences.

Major credit card networks like Visa and Mastercard prohibit the use of their cards to buy weed. Both companies enforce bans on pot transactions, making it impossible to use your card at a dispensary to purchase cannabis.

Can you use a credit card at a dispensary?

When you go to a dispensary, cash is still king. Many dispensaries only accept physical cash because of how strict debit and credit providers are about regulations. However, that's a problem for dispensaries; with so much cash on hand, it makes them a common target of theft. Plus, consumers largely prefer cashless payments like debit or credit cards.

If you rarely carry cash, there may be some workarounds that would allow you to pay for weed with a debit or credit card.

Cashless ATM

Some dispensaries worked around debit and credit card networks' rules by using cashless ATMs, also known as point of banking (POB) systems. With a cashless ATM, the sales associate rounds up the purchase total, giving the difference to the customer in cash. That way, the transaction would appear as an ATM withdrawal or cash advance rather than a dispensary purchase.

However, this method isn't reliable, as networks have started to crack down on dispensaries that use it. The process also often comes with added transaction fees or convenience fees, so it can make your purchase more expensive.

Automated Clearing House (ACH) providers

There are specialty ACH provider apps that have popped up to address the issue affecting the cannabis industry. These apps, such as Aeropay, CanPay, and Dual Payments, function like PayPal or Venmo, and allow customers to pay for their dispensary purchases with a credit or debit card through the app.

These platforms are more convenient than some other options, but there are typically additional processing fees.

Specialty cards

Some smaller banks and credit unions have created their own credit cards that can be used at dispensaries. For example, the Columbia National Credit card can be used at Columbia Care dispensaries. It operates outside of Visa or Mastercard, so isn't subject to the rules or guidelines of those networks.

These cards generally require a credit check, so applying for one would affect your credit score, but the cards have very limited use. These cards can usually only be used at a specific dispensary chain in limited locations, so they may not be a solution if you don't have a regular dispensary you use.

Read more: Our picks for the best credit cards

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Can you buy weed with a credit card in the future?

Although it's difficult to use a credit card to buy weed at dispensaries today, that may change in the future. Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon, sponsored the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act, which would provide protections for federally regulated financial institutions.

The SAFER Act would eliminate the penalties for providing banking services to marijuana businesses legally operating within states. And, proceeds from transactions completed at dispensaries  including purchases made with a credit card  would no longer be considered unlawful activity. If passed, the SAFER Act would make it easier for dispensaries to accept credit card or digital payments.

The SAFER Banking Act has substantial support; the American Bankers Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures have issued letters in support of the bill.

As public opinion continues to shift in favor of the legalization of weed, it's likely that the federal government will eventually reclassify marijuana, making it possible for credit cards to be used for purchases in the future.

Read more: What marijuana reclassification means for the US cannabis industry

This article was edited by Alicia Hahn

Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the banks website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Andrew Pearson is a longtime Ohio resident who became a naturalize citizen last year. Courtesy of Andrew Pearson

This story first appeared in the Ohio Capital Journal.

Andrew Pearson teaches history at a high school in Cincinnati. Hes lived in the area since he was 5, but he was born in England. I mean, my familys been in Britain for as long as British people have been able to write things down, he jokes.

And for a long time, he thought he might go back someday. After Brexit, the prospect has grown less appealing. Meanwhile, its hard to miss the familys roots digging deeper in Ohio. He recently got married to a U.S. citizen. His sisters live in town, too, and he has five nieces and nephews between them.

Last May, after living in the U.S. with a green card for 20 years, Pearson took the oath and became a citizen. He registered to vote at the naturalization ceremony, but like some other new citizens, he received a letter challenging his registration.

But Pearson argues that according to state law, he shouldnt have.

The three-step process

Ohio Revised Code 3503.152 requires the secretary of state to audit the statewide voter registration database annually, but it directs the secretary to look for a very explicit kind of individual. The statute orders the secretary to find any person who does all of the following and, crucially, in the following order.

It then lays out three elements: The person has to submit documentation to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles confirming theyre not a citizen; they have to take a voting action like registering or casting a ballot; and then they have to once again submit documentation to the BMV confirming their lack of citizenship. In this construction, those three events must play out sequentially  A, then B, then C. Checking the boxes in some other order isnt enough. The statute then directs the secretary to send a letter, like the one Pearson received, to any person whose registration meets the three requirements, asking them to confirm their citizenship or cancel their registration.

I got my drivers license September 2021, Pearson described. I got naturalized May of 2023. Ive not been to the BMV since I got this drivers license.

His only interaction with the BMV since naturalization was going online earlier this year to update his address after a move. But he was quick to add, It doesnt have any questions about citizenship or citizen status, or has your other information changed since we last saw you? He looked elsewhere on the BMV site for a way to submit citizenship documentation, but he came up empty.

Pearsons parents and his sister have also recently naturalized, so he did an informal poll. His moms license was expiring so she went into the BMV with her naturalization paperwork  no letter. His dad and his sister, though, havent been in. They both got the same letter Pearson did.

It seems like theyre skipping that third step, he said, sending it to anybody who has not certified citizen status as that third step, instead of anyone who has certified noncitizen status.

How the secretary is interpreting the statute isnt necessarily helped by his directive explaining the audit. Under the statute, a voting action has to be sandwiched between two instances of confirming a persons lack of citizenship. But Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, seemingly inverts that model, identifying people who have submitted documentation indicating that they are a non-citizen to the BMV on at least two separate occasions in between registering to vote, updating their voter registration or voting.

Presented with the directive, Pearson was puzzled.

Yeah, thats difficult to even interpret, he said. I mean, thats  does that mean I would have had to vote twice? And go to the BMV in between two separate instances of voting?

The leap from statute to directive

Reading through the Ohio Revised Code, Case Western Reserve University law professor Atiba Ellis couldnt help looking for an alternative interpretation. Was there an error? Shoddy drafting? Because why on earth, he wondered, would a person clear that third bar, and submit documentation proving they broke the law by registering to vote?

I dont want to be quoted as saying the word stupid, but the research suggests that most people are not stupid enough to openly and obviously commit that kind of fraud, he said, referring to the exceptional rarity of voter fraud.

Still, with the text in front of him, he was unequivocal.

I mean, the text on its face  yeah, theres no wiggle room in any person who does all of the following in the following order, and then there is a one, a two and a three, he said.

Like Pearson, he was left scratching his head at the secretarys version in the directive.

It does seem to meet the different elements of the statute, he acknowledged. There are two notices that have to be sent, there is documentation that is submitted, and theres a voting action.

But by changing the order of those things, he continued, which this text would seem to suggest, I would have to question whether the secretary of state is exceeding the authority granted to him by the legislature.

From one directive to the next

Ohio Secretary of State.

Given the timing of Pearsons correspondence, it seems likely his case was flagged as part of LaRoses Directive 2024-08, which went out in May of this year. Since then, the secretary has issued another directive aimed at alleged noncitizen registrations. But this time he offers a brand-new process without citing specific authority for the audit.

In Directive 2024-16, LaRose orders county boards to remove voters who have notified the BMV they arent a citizen, failed to respond to a letter from the secretary, and had their status verified through the federal SAVE database.

From the outside looking in, that might seem like a reasonable process. An individual indicated they couldnt register, the secretary tried to get in touch, and then double-checked through federal records. But voting rights advocates have long worried about using the federal database for voter verification.

And more to the point, LaRose is on less certain legal footing. Instead of looking to a statute explicitly directing him to carry out an audit, he cites generalities. LaRose points to a 2022 constitutional amendment overwhelmingly passed by Ohio voters stating only U.S. citizens can vote. He adds that state and federal law generally require accurate registration records. And in LaRoses rendering, a data maintenance bill requiring boards make a reasonable effort to remove ineligible voters instead clarified that they are required to remove them.

It seems like this is the secretary doing this sua sponte, right? Ellis said. On his own initiative rather than by statutory command.

It seems strange, he added, that the statute has a specific structure for addressing voter purges of noncitizen voters, but the secretary is deviating and deviating more broadly based on claims of authority that appear at best ambiguous.

Kayla Griffin from the voting rights organization All Voting is Local expressed doubts about the process LaRose laid out in the most recent directive, as well. Using the SAVE database is fine as a supplement, she argued, but it shouldnt somehow replace the three-step process established in state law.

So, the basic instruction that is laid out, he has to meet that, she said. But that does not mean that hes prohibited from adding supplemental steps in order to cross reference or to double-check.

However, she went on, he cannot remove the step that is enumerated in the law  that they have to submit to the bureau, they have to register, they have to submit again.

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To Ellis, theres an echo in the secretarys actions of the efforts in Kansas and Arizona to require voters to show proof of citizenship to register. In Kansas, the push was led by then-Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a Republican, and it wound up disenfranchising more than 30,000 eligible voters. In 2020, an appeals court affirmed a lower court ruling striking down the Kansas law.

In a way, what the courts would not allow people like him to do directly, Ellis said, maybe Secretary LaRose is trying to do this indirectly through increasing audits and taking a very liberal interpretation of the very structured authorization granted by the legislature.

Meanwhile, Arizona is a bit of a mess. After a 2013 court ruling, eligible voters were able to register without presenting citizenship documents, but they could only vote in federal elections. After a recent court stay, those federal-only voters can still register but only if they use a federal form. That will be the status quo at least until a hearing in September  just a few weeks before a presidential election in a potential swing state.

Pearsons status

The letter Pearson received from the secretary of state describes in bold letters the discrepancy between the voter file and citizenship status he provided during his last interaction with the BMV. Theres no indication in the letter that the secretarys review found evidence of Pearson providing noncitizen documentation after registering to vote.

Still, the letter does acknowledge his status may have recently changed and applauds it if thats the case. I want to express my congratulations, it reads, and thank you for your participation in our democratic process.

But to Pearson, the letter, which mentions potential felony charges, came off as threatening  seems extreme, right?  and too presumptive that he had made an error.

If English was my second language, and I received that, I feel like I would be scared, he explained. And if I was navigating a process that, I hadnt lived in this country for 20 years, and hadnt learned these things, and didnt, frankly, teach social studies, which is pretty super-related to a lot of the process in the first place, I would be confused and intimidated and think that Ive messed up.

He never sent the letter back.

If they would like to bark up trees that Im not hiding in, that dont exist, and chase after ghosts, then theyre welcome to do that, he said. Because if the attorney generals office calls and says, Hey, are you a citizen? Ill say, Yeah, heres my number.

He did, however, write a lengthy note to the email address listed on the secretarys letter. Pearson wanted to verify the letter wasnt some elaborate hoax, to question whether the office had actually complied with the laws three-step process, and to criticize the lack of prepaid postage, which Pearson views as an admittedly small but unavoidable poll tax.

Pearson never got a reply. The secretarys office didnt respond to Ohio Capital Journals interview request for this story or previous reporting on this topic.

So far, Pearson hasnt been removed from the voting rolls, but its a nagging concern. He checks it regularly with an eye toward ensuring he can cast a ballot this November. Most galling for him is the sense of unfairness. Like other voters swept up in these latest audits, he emphasized that there was no indication during the naturalization process that he needed to update his citizenship with the BMV.

They said you have to update your information with Social Security. I did that  like the next week, he said.

Pearson argued he couldve gone to the BMV, too, and he resents being treated as though he did something incorrectly, when he followed the directions he was given.

The fact that we werent instructed to do that, he said, and now theyre turning around and kind of changing the rules up mid-game and threatening me with a felony charge because I didnt do the thing that they didnt tell us to do  it all just seems unethical and sketchy.

Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit news organization.

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NC Gov. Cooper is at the DNC. Now we know when hell speak to support Harris campaign

Gov. Roy Cooper will give one of the final speeches at the Democratic National Convention Thursday night, before Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage to accept the Democratic nomination for president, according to a source familiar with convention planning.

His premier speaking slot will bring national attention both to Cooper and to North Carolina, and shows voters the importance of the battleground state.

North Carolina is one of those purple states that is always right there, Cooper said Monday night in an interview with Politico, discussing pulling off a win for Democrats.

I have a 2008 feeling about North Carolina, and we know what that means because thats the last time North Carolina voted for a Democratic presidential candidate, in Barack Obama, he said.

The exact order of speeches Thursday night remains uncertain. On Tuesday morning, organizers told reporters during a news conference that they were retooling the conventions programming for the rest of the week after Mondays event ran so long that President Joe Biden didnt take the stage until 11:30 p.m. eastern time.

Monday nights speeches focused on finding hope in Harris, thanking Biden for his service and highlighting the threat Democrats say President Donald Trump could pose if reelected.

North Carolina is considered a battleground state, even though Obama was the only Democrat to win the state since 1976. It has that distinction because the states presidential races have been decided by less than 4% since 2008.

Democrats have made a major push in North Carolina this campaign season by sending its candidates and their surrogates into the state on a near weekly basis to try and capture its 16 electoral votes.

Monday night, Cooper told Politico reporter Ryan Lizza that if Harris captures North Carolina, she wins the presidency.

DNC speakers

Dan Kanninen, the Harris-Walz campaigns battleground states director, said theyre anticipating close races in those swing states.

Our campaign was built to win a close race, and we will do that through hard work, reaching the battleground state voters who will decide this election, Kanninen said in an email. That includes elevating trusted voices in those states like many of our featured speakers this week.

In addition to Cooper, Obama, former President Bill Clinton and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff are among those who will give high-profile speeches during the four days at the Democratic National Convention. President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke Monday on the conventions first night.

Harris and Cooper have a relationship that stretches back decades when they both served as their states attorneys general. So much so that Cooper was mentioned as a possible running mate for Harris, though he ultimately chose to withdraw his name as a contender. Hes thrown his full support behind her pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Cooper has been front and center of Harris campaign in North Carolina, greeting her and other dignitaries every time theyve arrived at the airport and often introducing them at their events.

Cooper emphasized Monday night that Harris has visited the state 16 times since becoming vice president. She marked her eighth visit to the state this year on Thursday, when she made a policy speech on the economy in Raleigh.

Coopers term runs through the end of the year, and Harris could consider him for a cabinet position. Talk of such a role for him began when Biden was the presumed nominee. Biden said as much in a speech in Raleigh on June 28, just one day after he flubbed a debate against Trump that ultimately forced him to leave the race.

On Monday evening, Lizza asked Cooper whether he would consider a position in Harris administration if she were to win. Cooper said he plans to continue in public service but does not yet know what that looks like, and added that everything is on the table.

Everything but president in 2028, he said, though he hedged when pushed further on how serious he was about never wanting that position.

Trump and Republicans in NC

Trump has been less of a presence than Harris in North Carolina this campaign cycle, but appeared last week in Asheville to give a policy speech on the economy. He plans to return Wednesday, to Asheboro, this time to talk about national security. Sen. JD Vance, Trumps running mate, will visit the state with Trump for the first time since becoming the Republicans nominee.

Kanninen criticized Trump for returning from his campaigning vacation with an extreme agenda and few staff on the ground to talk with voters.

The source familiar with convention planning said Harris currently has 1,600 staff in battlegrounds and more than 270 offices. This weekend alone, more than 1 million voters were contacted on Harris behalf.

Through strategic, aggressive investments on the ground, on the airwaves, and across platforms, Team Harris-Walz is building on the unprecedented momentum behind Vice President Harris candidacy to pursue every available path to 270 electoral votes and send Donald Trump back to Mar-a-Lago, Kanninen said.

As he spoke to Lizza Monday, Cooper couldnt stop smiling at the thought of Harris winning North Carolina.

A lot of things are coming together to turn North Carolina blue, Cooper said. A lot of excitement  I havent felt this much excitement since that 2008 race.

Under the Dome

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NC Gov. Cooper is at the DNC. Now we know when hell speak to support Harris campaign

Gov. Roy Cooper will give one of the final speeches at the Democratic National Convention Thursday night, before Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage to accept the Democratic nomination for president, according to a source familiar with convention planning.

His premier speaking slot will bring national attention both to Cooper and to North Carolina, and shows voters the importance of the battleground state.

North Carolina is one of those purple states that is always right there, Cooper said Monday night in an interview with Politico, discussing pulling off a win for Democrats.

I have a 2008 feeling about North Carolina, and we know what that means because thats the last time North Carolina voted for a Democratic presidential candidate, in Barack Obama, he said.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper welcomes Vice President Kamala Harris after she arrived at RDU, Friday, August. 16, 2024.

The exact order of speeches Thursday night remains uncertain. On Tuesday morning, organizers told reporters during a news conference that they were retooling the conventions programming for the rest of the week after Mondays event ran so long that President Joe Biden didnt take the stage until 11:30 p.m. eastern time.

Monday nights speeches focused on finding hope in Harris, thanking Biden for his service and highlighting the threat Democrats say President Donald Trump could pose if reelected.

North Carolina is considered a battleground state, even though Obama was the only Democrat to win the state since 1976. It has that distinction because the states presidential races have been decided by less than 4% since 2008.

Democrats have made a major push in North Carolina this campaign season by sending its candidates and their surrogates into the state on a near weekly basis to try and capture its 16 electoral votes.

Monday night, Cooper told Politico reporter Ryan Lizza that if Harris captures North Carolina, she wins the presidency.

DNC speakers

Dan Kanninen, the Harris-Walz campaigns battleground states director, said theyre anticipating close races in those swing states.

Our campaign was built to win a close race, and we will do that through hard work, reaching the battleground state voters who will decide this election, Kanninen said in an email. That includes elevating trusted voices in those states like many of our featured speakers this week.

In addition to Cooper, Obama, former President Bill Clinton and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff are among those who will give high-profile speeches during the four days at the Democratic National Convention. President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke Monday on the conventions first night.

Harris and Cooper have a relationship that stretches back decades when they both served as their states attorneys general. So much so that Cooper was mentioned as a possible running mate for Harris, though he ultimately chose to withdraw his name as a contender. Hes thrown his full support behind her pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Cooper has been front and center of Harris campaign in North Carolina, greeting her and other dignitaries every time theyve arrived at the airport and often introducing them at their events.

Cooper emphasized Monday night that Harris has visited the state 16 times since becoming vice president. She marked her eighth visit to the state this year on Thursday, when she made a policy speech on the economy in Raleigh.

Coopers term runs through the end of the year, and Harris could consider him for a cabinet position. Talk of such a role for him began when Biden was the presumed nominee. Biden said as much in a speech in Raleigh on June 28, just one day after he flubbed a debate against Trump that ultimately forced him to leave the race.

On Monday evening, Lizza asked Cooper whether he would consider a position in Harris administration if she were to win. Cooper said he plans to continue in public service but does not yet know what that looks like, and added that everything is on the table.

Everything but president in 2028, he said, though he hedged when pushed further on how serious he was about never wanting that position.

Trump and Republicans in NC

Trump has been less of a presence than Harris in North Carolina this campaign cycle, but appeared last week in Asheville to give a policy speech on the economy. He plans to return Wednesday, to Asheboro, this time to talk about national security. Sen. JD Vance, Trumps running mate, will visit the state with Trump for the first time since becoming the Republicans nominee.

Kanninen criticized Trump for returning from his campaigning vacation with an extreme agenda and few staff on the ground to talk with voters.

The source familiar with convention planning said Harris currently has 1,600 staff in battlegrounds and more than 270 offices. This weekend alone, more than 1 million voters were contacted on Harris behalf.

Through strategic, aggressive investments on the ground, on the airwaves, and across platforms, Team Harris-Walz is building on the unprecedented momentum behind Vice President Harris candidacy to pursue every available path to 270 electoral votes and send Donald Trump back to Mar-a-Lago, Kanninen said.

As he spoke to Lizza Monday, Cooper couldnt stop smiling at the thought of Harris winning North Carolina.

A lot of things are coming together to turn North Carolina blue, Cooper said. A lot of excitement  I havent felt this much excitement since that 2008 race.

Under the Dome

Get the latest news about North Carolina politics from The News & Observer's award-winning team. Get the free digest sent to your inbox by signing up here.
One of North Carolinas largest school systems has backed off from requiring teachers to get Central Office approval to use material thats not in the approved curriculum.

Citing the states Parents Bill of Rights law, Johnston County told teachers last week that they would need district-level approval to use any supplemental instructional resources.

But following a wave of teacher complaints, the district emailed staff this week to provide clarification.

There is no need for staff members to submit any additional curriculum resources for district-level approval at this time, Anna Kuykendal, the districts chief academic officer, said in Mondays email.

I recognize that that this time of year is demanding, with many critical tasks requiring your attention. Our priority is, and always will be, our students.

The district did not respond to a request for comment from The News & Observer.

The Johnston County fight comes amid a heated debate across the nation about whats taught in classrooms. Those concerns from conservative groups helped fuel passage of laws such as the Parents Bill of Rights.

Pre-approval for supplemental material

Johnston County is the states seventh-largest school district. It has more than 37,000 students.

Teachers reported back last week to prepare for the start of classes on Aug. 26. They were told about a new form that teachers would need to submit before using any supplemental instructional materials.

Supplemental materials are items that teachers think will help improve student learning that arent in the districts approved curriculum. Examples could include websites, videos, articles and books.

The request form required teachers to submit a detailed information on the resource.

If the principal signed off on the request, it would be submitted for review by the districts Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum Committee. The form said the committee would review all requests within 30 days of submission.

Connected to Parents Bill of Rights

Elementary school teachers would have to say on the form if the requested resource references topics mentioned in the districts Parental Involvement policy.

The school board revised the Parental Involvement policy to comply with the Parents Bill of Rights law, also called Senate Bill 49.

The law bans instruction in the curriculum on sexuality, sexual activity or gender identity in kindergarten through fourth-grade classrooms.

The law also guarantees parents the right to review the supplementary instructional material used in their childs classroom.

 I have never encountered an instance where a teacher was trying to secretly teach concepts, texts, or ideologies, Vicki Heath wrote in comment on a Facebook post about the new request process.

I have had parent inquiry about a text or resource approximately five times in 23 years of teaching in Johnston County. The mandate to get prior approval for any resource is not truly coming from the parents.

Process would hamstring teachers

April Lee, a Johnston County school board candidate and former district teacher, said many teachers contacted her to voice their concerns, Lee said teachers were worried the district committee might only meet once a month, making it difficult to get requests approved in a timely manner.

She said the request form showed a lack of trust in teachers and would hamper the ability of educators to adjust on the fly.

It was going to hamstring teachers and their ability to meet the needs of students, Lee said in an interview Monday. It was going to demoralize teachers.

District drops new requirement

Teachers emailed school board members and administrators to complain about the change.

The teacher backlash led the district to send an email Monday to address the confusion regarding Senate Bill 49 and the submission of curriculum resources to central office.

Kuykendal, the districts chief academic officer, said the only resources that need central office review are alternative comprehensive curricula to replace whats used in math, language arts, social studies or science classes. She said all other instructional resources dont require district-level approval.

Lee said the districts reversal shows what happens when teachers work together. Lee used to be president of the Johnston County chapter of the North Carolina Association of Educators.

This is a win for teachers in Johnston County, Lee said. Teachers used their voice.
(WGHP)  A new report named a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives as an off-the-books member of American Patriot 3 Percent, and this isnt the first time his name has surfaced in connection with an anti-government paramilitary group.

On Saturday, ProPublica, an independent news outlet focused on investigative journalism, published Inside the Turbulent, Secret World of the AP3 Militia, a report that details the inner workings and leadership of the American Patriot 3 Percent based on obtained records, Telegram chats and conversations with members and leadership, both current and former.

Messages obtained by ProPublica claim that state Rep. Keith Kidwell (R-District 79) is an off-the-books member of the organization. The report does not detail what being an off-the-books member entails as far as membership activity goes, only that his name was referenced in chats obtained by the organization.

This is the second anti-government militia group to which Kidwell has been linked since he was identified as a dues-paying member of the Oath Keepers in 2022. Similarly, there has been no indication that Kidwell was directly involved in any Oath Keeper activity.

Rep. Keith Kidwell has served as a representative since 2019. Kidwell is the leader of North Carolinas House Freedom Caucus. He was, at one point, a deputy whip for the Republicans but stepped down from that role in 2023 after a comment at the expense of a fellow representatives personal abortion story drew ire.

FOX8 has reached out to Kidwells office for comment.

American Patriot 3 Percent

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights nonprofit that catalogs hate groups and provides legal resources for civil rights cases, AP3 is made up of Three Percenters, who subscribed to a sub-ideology or common belief that falls within the larger antigovernment militia movement. AP3 is an attempt to organize a national network of Three Percenter groups across the country.

Three Percenterism is at its core a vanguard extremist movement that claims to be ready to carry out armed resistance to perceived tyranny, the SPLC writes. Their perceptions of tyranny emanate from the radical conspiracy theories and paranoia rooted in the decades-old antigovernment extremist movement, and have repeatedly led to violence against Americas law enforcement, citizens and residents.

In large part, the article discusses the background and habits of the national leader of the AP3, Scot Steddon, and the impact of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. AP3 members were part of the riot at the Capitol but had been instructed not to wear any AP3 gear. Other militia or anti-government groups like the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys ultimately gained huge amounts of national attention as their leadership was arrested and jailed for the attempted insurrection.

Despite the riot and its fallout, militias are far from extinct, reporter Joshua Kaplan of ProPublica writes. AP3 has expanded at a dramatic pace since Jan. 6, while keeping much of its activity out of view. In a matter of months after Jan. 6, rioters went from pariahs to heroes in the rhetoric of prominent Republican politicians. By the summer of 2021, people were enlisting in AP3, saying that Jan. 6 inspired them to join.

With recruitment apparently booming in the wake of Jan. 6, North Carolina-based chapter head Burley Ross told ProPublica that, during the 2022 election season, he approached two sheriff candidates and asked, If the federal government wanted you to take someones guns, what would you do?

The Republican candidate, identified by ProPublica via obtained messages as Scott Hammonds, allegedly said Im 100% not taking someones guns, while the Democratic candidate said he would enforce the law.

Ross suggested that if [the Democratic candidate] tried that, someone would leave the encounter in a body bag, ProPublica reports.

Hammonds won the election and is now sheriff of Beaufort County, one of the counties in Kidwells District 79, and an alleged off-the-books member of the AP3. Hammonds did not provide comment for the ProPublica article.

Oath Keepers

The SPLC says that the Oath Keepers officially launched with a rally in Massachusetts on Apr. 19, 2009, as a reaction to the election of Pres. Barack Obama. The highly militaristic anti-government militia consists of national leadership and state, county and local chapters, similar to how AP3 has operated.

In 2021, Distributed Denial of Secrets, a nonprofit that specializes in publishing, archiving and analyzing leaked and hacked datasets, published a database of dues-paying Oath Keeper members. The following year, the ADL combed through the documents, naming elected officials and public safety officials who appeared in its pages.

Kidwell was among three elected officials from North Carolina named, alongside Rep. Mike Clampitt (R-District 119) and Watauga County Board of Education member and one-time police officer Jason K. Cornett.

At the time, Kidwell was quoted as telling RawStory: I am not going to exacerbate a theft of data from any organization, Im going to refuse comment since the information was ill-gotten. That is just protection of peoples rights.

It is important to note that the document only lists anyone who had ever paid dues to the Oath Keepers, with no indication of if they actually participated as members of the group.

The Oath Keepers database indicates Kidwell paid due to the group starting in 2012, about three years after the groups 2009 founding by Elmer Stewart Rhodes, who is now in prison for his actions at Jan. 6, alongside numerous other members of the group, including a former High Point police officer.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Fernando Gomez, co-founder of Integrated Community Collaborative, combs his son Oscar Antonio's hair at home in Los Angeles. Gomez is alarmed by the amount of money that regional centers have returned to the state. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Nearly $1 billion allocated for regional agencies that purchase supportive services for Californians with developmental disabilities went unspent in a recent year and was ultimately returned to the state, even as some disabled people and their families said they needed more help.

California provides assistance to people with autism and other developmental disabilities through a system of nonprofits called regional centers, which are contracted with the California Department of Developmental Services. Twenty-one of them exist across the state, each serving a distinct area. More than 400,000 California children and adults are served through the regional centers annually.

The system has been criticized for persistent gaps in spending on services for Californians of different races and in different regions. Families have complained it can be difficult to navigate.

Even after Californians get the green light from regional centers for services, that assistance may not ultimately be provided if staffing agencies or other service providers cannot find workers to do the job. In recent years, regional centers have spent roughly two-thirds of the amount they have authorized for supportive services, according to an analysis of state data provided by the Assn. of Regional Center Agencies.

If the money meant for purchasing supportive services goes unspent at the regional centers, the funds that were allocated are eventually "reverted" to the state. That sum increased more than ninefold in three years, soaring to more than $978 million in the budget year that ended in summer 2022, from $108 million in 2018-19.

In total, nearly $8.9 billion was allocated to regional centers to purchase services in 2021-22. So for every $10 allocated to regional centers for services, more than $1 was ultimately reverted in 2021-22, according to a Times analysis of figures provided by the state. The 11% reversion rate was more than three times the percentage that had been reverted in the previous year.

That same year, 30% of families of children receiving regional center services who responded to a survey said they were only "sometimes" or "seldom" satisfied with the support and services they received.

"Its astonishing to see how much money is being sent back to the state when there are so many people with developmental disabilities who are not getting services at all," said Judy Mark, president of the advocacy group Disability Voices United.

Fernando Gomez, co-founder of Integrated Community Collaborative, spends time with his son Oscar Antonio. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Regional center leaders pointed to several issues, including companies that provide needed services struggling to find and retain staff. Larry Landauer, executive director of the Regional Center of Orange County, said that as wages have risen elsewhere, state rates for workers who assist people with disabilities haven't kept up.

"It was not us holding back the money," Landauer said. "It was the agencies not being able to get the staff."

Amy Westling, executive director of the Assn. of Regional Center Agencies, said that California "had record low unemployment, which always makes competition for staff challenging."

In addition, she said that when the state budgeted for regional centers for 2021-22, it was anticipating the possible effects of a COVID surge that could necessitate more spending on one-on-one services. Earlier in the pandemic, when schools were providing virtual instruction and group services were suspended, Westling said "the regional centers were paying for a lot of personal assistants" and other daily care.

Money was included in the budget in case that was needed again in 2021-22, but "in hindsight that isn't what happened," she said. Spending on services did go up that year  to $7.9 billion, from roughly $7.6 billion, among all the regional centers  but did not increase as much as budgeted.

Such explanations failed to satisfy Fernando Gomez, co-founder of Integrated Community Collaborative, which helps families of people with developmental disabilities navigate the system. Gomez said even the lower amounts returned in earlier years were galling.

Fernando Gomez, co-founder of Integrated Community Collaborative, spends time with his son Oscar Antonio. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

"Can you imagine what that money could do? The amount of individuals whose lives would change?" he asked.

Advocates said there is no shortage of unmet need. A report released two years ago by Public Counsel, a public interest law firm, found that at some regional centers, more than 40% of children and teens were not getting any services purchased through the agencies.

Last year, an independent state commission issued a report calling it a "system in distress." Among its findings: The vast differences in how different centers assess people for services and decide what is offered "means the level of care can vary significantly for different individuals  even if they have similar needs."

Mark of Disability Voices United said "the bottom line is that people with developmental disabilities arent getting the services they are entitled to. We are tired of excuses."

At the South Central Los Angeles Regional Center, which serves areas including South L.A and Compton, the unused money  $122 million  amounted to more than one-fifth of what the center had been allocated by the state for purchasing services in 2021-22. That was the highest percentage among regional centers statewide.

Leaders at the South Central Los Angeles Regional Center said they had ramped up spending earlier in the pandemic as families scrambled to handle remote learning. A Public Counsel report credited the South L.A. center with more than doubling its spending on services for children and teens in 2020-21  an increase that accounted for most of the statewide narrowing that year of spending gaps for Latino children, it found.

When budget allocations were planned for 2021-22, "the state was prepping to expect the worst" again, projecting off previous spending, said Cherylle Mallinson, director of community services.

Instead, as schools reopened, families no longer needed the same kind of assistance, center officials said. Jesse Rocha, its director of adult services, also emphasized that an unusually high percentage of its clients  more than two-thirds  are school-age youth, compared with the population at other regional centers.

"The same needs were no longer there. ... It's all based on the unique, individual needs that every family or individual presents," said Cesar Garcia, its director of clinical services. For example, officials pointed out that SCLARC spending on one category of services, respite care, fell from $109 million to $52 million.

A widely used survey showed that same year, 33% of families of children with disabilities who were surveyed at the South L.A. center said they needed additional services.

Elizabeth Barrios Gomez; her husband, Fernando, co-founder of Integrated Community Collaborative; and their son Oscar Antonio lead a virtual 'cafecito' for families of children with disabilities on Aug. 8. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

South L.A. regional center officials disputed that those findings were an accurate reflection of its performance, saying only a fraction of its clients had responded to the survey and that as its population has rapidly grown, some clients might be so new that services had not yet been initiated.

At the regional center serving Orange County, the amount of unspent money ballooned in two years  to nearly $65 million, from $3 million. That was roughly 12% of what it was allocated in 2021-22, slightly higher than the average rate at which funds were left unspent by regional centers.

Landauer said that even now, "we're still struggling with our day programs to get enough people hired." Such programs provide adults with disabilities a range of daily activities for skill building and community integration.

Pay increases have been slowly phased in by the state over time, with another boost expected in January. Landauer said he hoped that "finally the field will be a little bit leveled" with competing employers.

California has ramped up funding for its regional centers over time, increasing their budget allocation for purchasing services from roughly $6 billion to over $11 billion from 2018 to 2024. Spending has been driven by a growing caseload and more use of supportive services, according to the Legislative Analyst's Office.

This summer, the agencies ended the budget year with more than $1.4 billion unspent. That number is not final: State officials said claims for supportive services provided during that year can still be submitted before unspent money is eventually reverted to state coffers, up to two years after the end of the budget year.

Carla Castaneda, chief deputy director of operations at the Department of Developmental Services, said the state tries to do "frequent monitoring" of spending, but there can be lags in getting that information, and "unfortunately during the pandemic there were even longer lags." In addition, Castaneda said there can be restrictions on their ability to reroute funds, especially for newer services.

With time, Castaneda said, "we do think it will trend back to a much smaller" share of unspent funds. For instance, she said, recent increases in service coordinators at regional centers could better connect people with needed supports, and California has also restored other services such as summer camp.

Westling said there is no incentive to leave money for supportive services unspent, since the regional centers cannot transfer the unused funds to their day-to-day operations. Nor would regional centers be penalized if they overspent their budgets, she said, as long as the spending was consistent with the rules.

Disabled people are legally entitled to such services in California, so "if the system is running short of resources, then the obligation shifts to the administration to seek additional resources from the legislature," Westling said. "It really is designed to ensure that we have the resources necessary to meet people's needs."

But to attorney Valerie Vanaman, who represents people with disabilities and their families, leaving hundreds of millions of dollars unspent is a symptom of a system "that is falling apart."

Oscar Antonio gets kisses from the family dog, Lolita. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Vanaman said the pandemic led to regional centers losing experienced professionals and that working remotely had harmed the kind of collaboration needed to make sure people get the services they need.

"What you're seeing is that where services should have been put together, where the money would have been spent, there was no internal structure to make it happen," Vanaman said.

Areva Martin, chief executive of the nonprofit Special Needs Network Inc., said she understood the unusual circumstances facing regional centers amid COVID. "Even taking into account those things," she said, "I think it speaks to a level of bureaucracy that makes regional centers very difficult to navigate."

"It is disheartening to meet families who don't have adequate services, who don't have adequate resources, and then to hear about a billion dollars being returned," Martin said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Nevada Supreme Court declines to wade into flap over certification of election results, for now

RENO, Nev. (AP)  Nevadas Supreme Court declined Tuesday to wade into an electoral controversy despite pleas from the state's top election official and attorney general after one county initially voted against certifying recount results from the June primary.

The Democratic officials wanted the justices to make clear that counties have no legal authority to refuse to certify election results.

The high court said in a ruling that the matter was moot since the Washoe County Commission's original 3-2 vote against certification was later nullified when it re-voted the following week to certify the results.

The court dismissed Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar and Attorney General Aaron Ford's request for a ruling declaring the commission acted illegally. But the justices also made clear that they have the legal authority to make such a declaration and warned they may do so on an expedited basis if it becomes an issue again.

As petitioner argues, even when an issue becomes moot, we may still consider the issue if it constitutes a matter of widespread importance capable of repetition, the court said.

Aguilar and Ford had argued that it's likely the county commission would refuse to certify results from the general election in November. The court agreed that the issue is important but said it wasn't convinced that there would likely be a repeat.

Once seen as a mundane and ministerial task, election certification has become a pressure point since the 2020 election. During the midterms two years later, a scenario similar to what is unfolding in Washoe County played out in New Mexico after that states primary, when a rural county delayed certification and relented only after the secretary of state appealed to the states supreme court.

Aguilar and Ford said in their request to the Supreme Court that Nevada law makes canvassing election results  including recounts  by a certain date a mandatory legal duty for the county commission. It also says commissioners have no discretion to refuse or otherwise fail to perform this duty.

Aguilar and Ford have argued previously that the certification flap has potential implications this November in one of the nations most important swing counties, which includes Reno and Sparks. Voter registration there is roughly split into thirds among Democrats, Republicans and nonpartisans.

Aguilar and Ford said Tuesday they were disappointed the justices declined to provide additional clarity on the law before the Nov. 5 general election.

I strongly believe that legal uncertainty in this matter contributes to unfounded distrust in our elections, Ford said in a statement.

Aguilar said election workers in Nevada deserve support from the legal system, voters deserve confidence in the legitimacy of our elections, and elected officials must have accountability for their role in the process.

Im hopeful that the Court will do the right thing should we find ourselves in a worst case scenario, but its disappointing that we have to wait for a true crisis to have this matter heard, he said, also in a statement.

Two of the Republican Washoe County commissioners  Jeanne Herman and Mike Clark  have consistently voted against certifying results and are supported by a wider movement that promotes election conspiracy theories. Republican Clara Andriola, whom that movement targeted in the primaries, initially joined them in voting against certification, one of which involved the primary race she won.

After the board revisited the issue and approved the recount numbers, Andriola said she reversed course after speaking with the county district attorneys office. She said it made clear that the commissions duty is to certify election results without discretion.

Our responsibility is to follow the law, Andriola said.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 19, 2024 in Chicago. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

CHICAGO  Hillary Clinton, the first woman to clinch a major political partys presidential nomination, on the first night of the Democratic National Convention praised Vice President Kamala Harris  the second woman in U.S. history to be nominated  for her bright vision for the nation and her ability to lead the country forward.

The story of my life and the history of our country is that progress is possible, but not guaranteed, Clinton told a packed crowd in the United Center. We have to fight for it. And never, ever give up.

Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, said that together, women have put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling.

On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris taking the oath of office as our 47th President of the United States, she said. When a barrier falls for one of us, it  clears the way for all of us.

Clinton said that Harris historic nomination, as the first Black and South Asian woman at the top of a major party ticket, is an opportunity for the country to progress.

Clinton said that every generation has carried the torch forward, and that Harris will carry that torch as she pushes for the restoration of abortion access, affordable housing and child care.

Harris has often promised to restore Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that gave Americans the constitutional right to an abortion. However, in order to pass legislation in Congress, Democrats would need to control the House and have 60 votes in the Senate to advance legislation past the filibuster.

Women in history

Clinton highlighted Democratic women who had broken barriers throughout history. She cited the late U.S. Rep. Shirley Chisholm, the first woman to run for the Democratic Party presidential nomination, and the first Black person to seek to be a major partys candidate for president, and the late U.S. Rep. Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman nominated for the vice presidency by a major political party.

Clinton said that accepting the presidential nomination was the greatest honor of her life. She touched on her loss to Donald Trump in 2016, and noted that despite it, there was a wave of women who ran for public office following Trumps ascension to the White House.

We refused to give up on America, she said.

Clinton said that when she looks at Harris campaign she sees freedom.

I see freedom from fear and intimidation, from violence and injustices, from chaos and corruption, she said.

Harris indeed has framed her campaign as a fight for freedom, and as an effort to move forward as opposed to Trump and the GOP. Additionally, Beyonces song Freedom is the campaigns anthem.

Harris speaks

Harris, who made a brief surprise appearance before Clinton spoke, thanked President Joe Biden for his leadership before she stressed that the November elections are a fight for the future.

This November, we will come together and declare with one voice, as one people, we are moving forward, Harris said. We all have so much more in common than what separates us.

Harris is expected to give her speech accepting the nomination on Thursday night.

Clinton said that Harris would be for the people, which was also the theme of the first night of the convention. Clinton criticized Trump and said that the former president only cares about himself, not Americans.

She said that Democrats have Trump on the run, but urged them to not get too comfortable, even as Harris campaign has energized Democrats across the nation. Clinton warned Democrats to not rely on the polls, which have shown Harris either gaining on Trump or ahead, and said they must keep campaigning until November.

Since Biden suspended his reelection campaign, after a disastrous June debate that rattled his partys belief in his ability to defeat Trump, several battleground states that were leaning toward Republicans, such as Georgia, Nevada and Arizona, moved to a toss-up, according to The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter.

No matter what the polls say, we cant let up, Clinton said.
I never had any desire to visit the Midwest until a trip to Wisconsin changed my entire outlook on travel

I never had a desire to see the Midwest until I saw photos of Door County, Wisconsin, in the fall.

On my visit to Door County, I found amazing fall foliage, exciting traditions, and friendly locals.

I'm now open to visiting many more places in the world instead of just the big-name tourist spots.

I love traveling up and down the East Coast, and I've always wanted to see the Pacific Northwest  but I can't say I ever dreamed of visiting the states that fill out the center of the United States.

But I changed my mind once I saw pictures online of Door County, Wisconsin, during the fall. I was awestruck by images of lush trees that seemed to go on forever in vibrant hues of red, orange, yellow, and green.

Growing up in Virginia, I was no stranger to fall foliage, but I had never seen anything like this. I felt an immediate pull to the area and within a few weeks, my flight was booked for a late October trip.

I now see why Lonely Planet named the Midwest one of the top travel destinations for 2024.

Door County looked like something out of a Hallmark movie

Even some of the parking lots in Door County looked magical. Hayley Hutson

On my first day in Door County, I woke up to views of Lake Michigan from my balcony at The Water Street Inn, a circa 1896 hotel that looked like it was right out of a Hallmark movie.

I kicked off the day with a ride aboard the Door County Trolley to get a closer look at the leaves I had been dreaming of for weeks. It's one thing to see that kind of beauty in a picture, but seeing it in person was surreal.

I took the Door County Trolley to see foliage. Hayley Hutson

It had rained that morning, so the wet streets reflected the colors of the maple trees towering over them, with brightly colored leaves covering many of the roads in blankets of gold and orange.

In the days that followed, I spent my time strolling through diverse nature preserves and parks like The Ridges Sanctuary and Whitefish Dunes State Park.

I was able to climb to the top of Cana Island Lighthouse. JamesBrey/Getty Images

I climbed to the top of the Cana Island Lighthouse, which is over 150 years old. I explored the picturesque downtown areas of Fish Creek and Egg Harbor, and took part in Door County's most time-honored tradition: the fish boil.

What began as an efficient way to feed hungry fishermen a century ago has turned into an incredible way to bring the town together on a regular basis for an unpretentious, delicious meal by the fire.

The Midwestern peninsula was made special by more than quaint towns and mesmerizing scenery

Door County has some of the most beautiful fall foliage I've ever seen. Hayley Hutson

During my time in Door County, I discovered more than just once-in-a-lifetime fall foliage, epic waterfronts, and charming towns.

There was a deep sense of pride among the people who lived there. I met locals who were eager to tell me they'd lived on the peninsula for their entire lives. Some had left for college or moved away as adults to see what else was out there, but came back when they didn't find a place more special than the one they grew up in.

The locals who have painstakingly preserved the area's heritage while adding to its story are the ones who've made Door County flourish, and their love is evident in every square mile from Sturgeon Bay to Fish Creek.

This trip taught me that, although there's nothing wrong with visiting top tourist destinations, the United States is teeming with beautiful towns I've not yet heard of  and many of those are worth exploring too.

I plan trips with a more open mind now because I know that no matter where I go, whether it's Bucharest or the Midwest, I'll find something worth experiencing.

Read the original article on Business Insider
It wont just be Democrats speaking at their convention in Chicago this week. Several Republicans have also received key speaking spots.

While some of the biggest names among Republicans opposed to Donald Trump have remained on the sidelines, others will be taking to the United Center stage throughout the the week to lay out the case for why theyre there  and why they think other conservatives should join them in voting for Kamala Harris.

Two prominent speakers are from key battleground states: John Giles, the mayor of Mesa, Arizona, and Geoff Duncan, the former lieutenant governor of Georgia.

Both have already endorsed Harris. Theyll be joined by Olivia Troye, a former Trump White House national security official who joined Harris for an event in Michigan just a few days before Joe Biden dropped out of the race. CNN previously reported that former Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger will speak on Thursday evening ahead of Harris. (Both Duncan and Kinzinger are CNN contributors.)

Ive been a Republican all my life. But since Donald Trump refused to accept the results of the 2020 election, the Republican Party has spiraled further and further into political extremism, Giles said.

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican who spoke at the 2020 Democratic convention by video, will not speak at this years gathering.

Liz Cheney, the former No. 3 House Republican who broke with Trump after January 6 and calls his return to power a threat to the Constitution, is not expected to speak. She posted on social media over the weekend about going to a Taylor Swift concert in the United Kingdom with her daughter, and a spokesperson did not return a request for comment about her plans. Her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, has said that there has never been a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump but has not commented on this years election.

George W. Bush, the only other living Republican president, has been critical of Trump in private but has also not spoken publicly about how hell vote.

But the Harris campaign is trying to keep the focus on more regular Republicans who have been turned away by Trump. The convention will also include a video from former MAGA activist Rich Logis and remarks from Kyle Sweetser, a Republican from Alabama.

We will be putting patriotic Republicans front and center in our convention programming to explain, in their own words, why they are putting country first and supporting Vice President Harris, said Austin Weatherford, the campaigns national engagement director for Republicans for Harris.

Appealing to Republicans over protecting democracy was a key part of Bidens strategy before he ended his reelection bid. Its less front and center for Harris, but the numbers remain the same: There are enough anti-Trump Republicans in each of the battleground states to make up the margin of victory in races that are expected to be tight.

There is a place in our coalition for voters who reject the extremism of Donald Trump and want to protect our democracy, a Harris-Walz campaign aide said.

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Next Ramstein-format meeting to be held on Sept. 6, RFE/RL reports

The next Ramstein-format summit of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) will be held on Sept. 6, as reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on Aug. 20.

The U.S.-led group, consisting of over 50 countries, including all 31 NATO members, convenes at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

This will mark the group's 24th meeting since its establishment in April 2022.

At the last meeting on June 13, participants focused on strengthening Ukraine's air defense, including the provision of Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems, amid increasing Russian aerial attacks on cities and the energy grid.

Argentina also announced its membership in the UDCG, joining efforts to coordinate military aid for Ukraine.

Read also: US announces $200 million defense aid package for Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
NFL's Chris Jones Wants to Pay $1.5M to Free Woman Who Stole Chicken Wings from Prison. Is This Possible? (Exclusive)

A week after the Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle tweeted his offer to pay for the stolen chicken wings, PEOPLE breaks down the legalities

Michael Owens/Getty; Logan Correctional Center Chris Jones (left) and Vera Liddell (right).

Just before an Illinois judge sentenced Vera Liddell to nine years in prison for stealing $1.5 million of chicken wings from the school district where she worked, the 68-year-old woman told her lawyer: My fate is in Gods hands.

A short time later, Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones tweeted out his viral offer: Ill pay for the wings that she stole to get her free.

The Super Bowl winners proposal  which his representatives confirmed first to PEOPLE  seemed the miracle the cafeteria consultant was looking for.

But, as it turns out  while theoretically possible  there are significant hurdles to springing Liddell from prison.

Ill pay for the wings that she stole to get her free https://t.co/0mr1Bl9dWR  Chris Jones (@StoneColdJones) August 13, 2024

Related: NFL Star Chris Jones Offers to Pay for $1.5 Million Worth of Stolen Chicken Wings After Cafeteria Worker Is Sentenced

This is not Monopoly, Liddells lawyer, Patrick OByrne, tells PEOPLE. You dont pay to get out of the penitentiary in Cook County, Illinois.

In a set of interviews, PEOPLE spoke with Liddells lawyers to determine the step-by-step process of getting the now-convicted felon  with no previous criminal record and a documented gambling problem and history of bankruptcy  out from behind bars.

Liddell  who was initially charged with one count of continuing financial crimes enterprise and one count of theft of more than $1 million, per the court clerk  has admitted to stealing 11,000 cases of chicken wings, which were purchased between July 2020 and February 2022, under the pretense that the food would go to underprivileged children who were then receiving free lunches during the pandemic shutdown, according to her other lawyer, Gregory LaPapa. She gambled away the proceeds of the false orders, adds OByrne.

Shes just a little sweetheart thats got a gambling problem, OByrne says, adding: She feels beyond terrible about this. This is totally uncharacteristic of her. It was the disease taking over.

Logan Correctional Center Vera Liddell in mugshot.

Related: Woman Stole $1.5M in Chicken Wings to Fund Gambling Addiction, Lawyer Says

On Friday, Aug. 9, Liddell took a plea deal, knocking off the first charge and guaranteeing her a nine-year sentence for the remaining Class X felony, which can carry as much as 30 years behind bars.

In accordance with state law, Liddells lawyers have 30 days from her sentencing  thats Sunday, Sept. 8  to file a motion to vacate her earlier guilty plea. "The clock is ticking, LaPapa says.



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.

That filing could then lead to a court hearing in which her lawyers would go in front of Associate Judge Michele M. Pitman  who is overseeing the case  to explain why they want to withdraw the guilty plea, thereby taking the nine-year plea deal off the table and starting over.

But that doesnt solve the problem, says OByrne, adding that Liddells status as an inmate of the Illinois Department of Corrections further complicates matters.

While the judge can find someone guilty or not guilty, she cannot reduce the charges, meaning that Liddell  who days after her sentencing was admitted into the custody of Logan Correctional Center as Y64916 on Wednesday Aug. 14  is still stuck in prison as an accused felon, according to OByrne.

David Eulitt/Getty Chris Jones in game against Las Vegas Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. on December 12, 2021.

Only the Cook County States Attorneys Office can reduce the charges they initially filed against her.

And then, of course: Chris Jones has to be there with a checkbook, LaPapa adds.

PEOPLE reached out to state prosecutors, as well as Judge Pitman, but they did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The good news?

Im sure the school district would love to get the money, says OByrne, adding: So if Vera Liddells guardian angel, Chris Jones, is willing to pay restitution, the state may consider that in resentencing her.



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Read the original article on People.
Night 1 of the DNC takes off. What are Kansas delegates saying?

Night 1 of the DNC takes off. What are Kansas delegates saying?

CHICAGO (KSNT)  The first night of the Democratic National Convention kicked off Monday.

27 News spoke with Andy Bilyk, the executive director of the Kansas Democratic Party, about his thoughts heading into the first night.

I feel very honored, excited to be on the team, helping our delegation here, Bilyk said. We have a really, really great diverse group of delegates. Young Democrats, old Democrats, military veterans, members of labor unions, men, women, black, white, everyone you know. All kinds of folks from around the state.

Bilyk is excited to have a diverse group of delegates represent the Sunflower State.

I think it brings different different viewpoints, Bilyk said. I think it kind of breaks through what we have here in the state and shows it off for the rest of the country.

Bilyk also touched on the energy Kansas delegates will bring to the four-day long convention.

We will see a very excited and energized Democratic Party, both within Kansas and nationally. Were unified, and were ready to win up and down the ballot nationally, and in Kansas as well, Bilyk said. I can just say that our delegates are very excited.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
NEW JERSEY (PIX11)  Nearly 50,000 New Jersey residents will soon have their medical debt forgiven, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Tuesday.

Murphy will forgive a total of $100 million of medical debt owed to Prime Healthcare hospitals and other providers, according to Murphys office.

Credit card debt is soaring in these cities: NYC ranks 3rd

The Governor will use $550,000 in federal funds to pay off the medical debt, including 17,905 New Jersey residents who owe over $61 million to just one healthcare provider, Prime Healthcare.

Another $38.4 million in debt will be absolved for 31,748 who owe money to secondary debt collectors and other providers, according to Murphys office.

Medical debt accumulates very quickly and can follow a person for decades, Murphy said. We are wiping the slate clean for thousands of New Jersey families, eliminating their debt, and making a real, tangible impact on their lives.

Residents below the federal poverty level or who have debt worth 5% or more of their annual income will qualify for debt relief. Those selected started receiving letters Monday from Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit facilitating the process.

Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter from Los Angeles who has covered New York City since 2023. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
NEW YORK  Convicted New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez asked a judge to throw out the guilty verdicts in his bribery and corruption case or grant him a new trial on the eve of his last day in office.

In papers filed just before midnight Monday, Menendez asked Manhattan federal court Judge Sidney Stein to reverse his convictions, arguing they were based on a surprisingly thin reed of evidence and that hed never pressured a public official to do anything.

Adding insult to injury, Senator Menendez, a 50-year public servant and committed patriot, was convicted of acting as a foreign agent for Egypt  despite the complete lack of evidence that the Government of Egypt or its officials  directed any of his activities or provided him any instructions whatsoever, Menendezs attorney, Adam Fee, wrote. There is no email, conversation, or text message reflecting any directions from the Government of Egypt to Senator Menendez.

Menendez, 70, was found guilty on July 16 of 16 counts alleging he raked in more than half a million dollars in bribes, gold bars valued at $150,000, a luxury convertible, flashy watches, and Formula 1 tickets to abuse his powerful position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by secretly acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government from 2018 to 2023.

Throughout the two-month trial, the feds argued that Menendez  put his power up for sale in exchange for coercing state and federal prosecutors to aid his associates in their criminal cases, provide intelligence to Cairo, pressure officials in the U.S. government to help his codefendant Wael Hana to maintain a monopoly over halal meat imports from Egypt and worked to advance Qatari business interests.

The stunning verdict made him the first sitting senator to be convicted of acting as a foreign agent. The longtime lawmaker is set to step down from his seat Tuesday and faces a potential decades-long term when sentenced on Oct. 29.

Menendezs codefendants also asked for their convictions to be thrown out. New Jersey businessman Hana was found guilty of six charges, including bribery and wire fraud. Fred Daibes was convicted of seven, including bribery, wire fraud, and conspiring to obstruct justice.

If sustained on such a surprisingly thin reed of evidence, these convictions will make terrible, dangerous law. All of Senator Menendezs convictions must be reversed, Menendezs attorneys wrote.

The outgoing senator argued that the prosecutions case was based on improper speculation and that the feds trampled on the speech and debate clause granting elected officials some immunity.

[Despite] a 10-week trial, the government offered no actual evidence of an agreement, just speculation masked as inference. Worse, the government walked all over the Senators constitutionally protected Speech or Debate privilege in an effort to show that he took some official action, when in reality, the evidence showed that he never used the authority of his office to do anything in exchange for a bribe, his lawyers wrote.

Simply put, the government did not show any use of Senator Menendezs official powers to benefit any of the supposed bribe givers, let alone an agreement to do so in exchange for bribes.

Menendezs wife, Nadine Menendez, was also charged in the case, but her trial was postponed indefinitely to give her time to recover from breast cancer.

_____
PATERSON, N.J. (PIX11)  Paterson Public Schools is working against the clock to find teachers.

A dynamic experience with many challenges is how Patersons superintendent of schools described her first year on the job. She is on a mission to find educators who fit the districts needs before the new academic year begins in just two weeks.

More New Jersey News

It has to be my No. 1 priority; I need a teacher in every classroom to start the school year. The last number we had were 166 teacher vacancies, said Dr. Laurie Newell.

PIX11 News asked her why recruiting teachers here in Paterson has been so hard.

Its not necessarily a Paterson problem; we have had a nationwide shortage of teachers, and it has been compounded since COVID. For our kids to really learn, they need to have qualified instructors in front of them, Newell said.

Parents like Carlos agreed.

We need better teachers who know how to deal with kids, especially with inner city kids, he stated.

For Newell, who has been at this job for a year, another top priority is for students to reach grade level. Low test scores in Paterson Public Schools have been a concerning problem for many years.

We have had some academic challenges. Some of our schools are not where we would like them to be. You go into a classroom and see students are so gifted, so it is up to us as adults to bring that out, she said.

More Local News

With almost 27,000 students, it is the third-largest public school district in New Jersey. Around 68.5% of students are Latino, 19.4% African American, 5.8% Asian, and 4.7 % Caucasian.

PIX11 News also asked Newell about Paterson Public School No. 3, which closed last year after the roof collapsed in July. She said the school is expected to re-open in 2026.

Classrooms in Paterson have a history of being overcrowded. Newell said they are enrolling even more students because of the migrant crisis.

Since September of last year, about 1,700 students have come to our borders where English is not their first language. So yes, we will have some classrooms with more kids in the classrooms and other classrooms where they are state standard, she added.

As part of her plan, some school principals were recently reassigned to a different school. This move was opposed by staff members and even parents, but the district eventually revered some of those transfers.

Some of the movements is just trying to match what their skills set are with certain schools and that is why we did some of those movements, and I understand change is hard and parents and students get attached to their principals. For me, in the seat, I have to make those tough decisions. And I know sometimes things are not popular. But it is not out to hurt people is really how we can lift the district, concluded Newell.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
LOS ANGELES (KTLA)  An attorney for a man seen on video being punched by a Los Angeles Police Department officer during an arrest last month said Monday that his client will not face charges.

The announcement was made following the morning arraignment of Alexander Mitchell, 30, who was seen with his hands behind his back when he was punched during the July 28 incident.

Cellphone video of the arrest shows Mitchell yelling, What did I do? as he was being detained.

LA cop punches man in face

Mitchell was illegally parked and facing the wrong direction near 113th Street and Graham Avenue in Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles when he was approached by the officers.

Police org defends officer who punched detained man; victims attorney calls for criminal charges

My client was double-parked. Thats all he was doing. Waiting for a friend. We see people double-parked all the time at the airport. You never see police officers pulling them out of their cars, handcuffing them and punching them, Attorney Brad Gage said.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League defended the officers actions amid outcries from the public once the video was shared.

The organization said Mitchell was resisting arrest and not cooperating with officers who asked him to put his hands behind his back so they could put a second handcuff on him.

That strike enabled officers to complete the handcuffing, police said, and the Protective League added that the use of strikes complies with LAPD protocol when an officer is trying to overcome active resistance to arrest.

Gage has filed a complaint against the LAPD in connection with the incident.

The officer who threw the punch was taken off field duty pending an investigation.

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Twelve people arrested at a Sacramento City Council meeting in March while protesting against a cease-fire resolution in the Israel-Hamas war will not face criminal charges due to a lack of evidence, according to the Sacramento County District Attorneys Office.

A heated City Council meeting unfolded March 19 in which Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, flanked by some leaders of the local Jewish and Muslim communities, supported a resolution calling for a permanent bilateral cease-fire, the release of all hostages and humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

About 80 people gave public comment in a rancorous meeting that led Steinberg to call for a recess two times as the resolution was approved just before midnight in a 6-1 vote.

The Sacramento Police Department arrested all 12 people after they failed to follow lawful orders to disperse, police said. These people were arrested on suspicion of unlawful assembly and failing to disperse before the resolution was approved.

During the second recess, called for about 9 p.m., the Sacramento Police Department said numerous protesters stayed in chambers. Officers ordered the protesters to leave about 10:40 p.m., warning arrests for those opting to stay in connection to charges of unlawful assembly and failing to disperse. Many left, but 12 stayed behind.

Some protesters decried the resolution for seeking a two-state solution or that it was drafted without input from the community. Twelve protesters spent the night in jail.

Its a simple act of civil disobedience under the First Amendment  this is what qualifies, Sacramento resident Kevin Boltz, 36, said in March while standing outside the downtown Main Jail.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Scott Triplett echoed those sentiments and said in a statement their office has great respect for the First Amendment and supports citizens rights to exercise that freedom.

All cases, including those that might be described as protest or civil disobedience cases, are evaluated on an individual basis to determine what charges should be filed, if any, Triplett continued in the statement. In these cases, our office declined to file charges due to insufficient evidence.

The resolution  which was voted down by Councilwoman Lisa Kaplan, with Councilwoman Mai Vang absent  was supported by the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Jewish rabbis. It was opposed by the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region.

The arrests marked the one of the highest-profile actions by law enforcement in Californias capital region after protests began last year related to the Israel-Hamas war. Two pro-Palestinian encampments that sprung up at UC Davis and Sacramento State ended peacefully while other California college campuses saw standoffs between protesters and law enforcement escalate into arrests. The city of Davis approved a similar resolution, also calling for a cease-fire, without strife.
No more Headwaters name for proposed Norfolk resort & casino? Development team says discussions are ongoing

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY)  In a meeting with the Architectural Review Board Monday, members of the development team looking to bring a casino to Norfolk revealed Headwaters Resort & Casino may no longer be the name of the proposed entertainment complex.

The admission came near the end of the roughly hour-long discussion, in which architects hired by the Pamunkey Indian Nation, the citys primary partner in the endeavor, went over their latest architectural renderings with board members.

This is the third set of renderings developers submitted to the group, charged with making sure construction is architecturally appropriate in parts of the city. However, it is the first set that does not include Headwaters Resort & Casino anywhere.

For the first time since 2021, the Tribes spokesperson, Jay Smith, also didnt include the name or logo in the statement released following the conclusion of the meeting.

Smith would not address why the name has been dropped.

When ARB member Greg Rutledge asked the development team if the name was dropped, a member responded saying it may be and that the tribe was still in discussions about the name.

Updated renderings again released for long-delayed Norfolk casino

The vanishing act of the long-branded name is just one of the differences pointed out during the meeting.

Daron Andrus, an architect for HKS architectural firm, revealed the hotel portion of the property would now be only 200 rooms, instead of the 300 advertised the last few years.

The change was made due to costs and information from a market study, according to Andrus.

The orientation and design of the hotel also changed on the 6.5 acre property, and not for the better according to some members.

The biggest problem I have with the design is that the architecture of the amenity deck doesnt fit the architecture of the rest of the building, Greg Rutledge, said. Its bulky, its bland.

There was also concern with the parking garage and plans that it will not be open to Harbor Park fans.

The project cant move forward before it receives a vote in the ARB. That could come as soon as the first week of September.

The outline of the proposed casino site in Norfolk. (Courtesy  city of Norfolk)

The proposal to build a resort casino between Harbor Park and the Norfolk Amtrak station was first revealed in December 2018.

The tribe, in partnership with Tennessee billionaire Jon Yarbrough, said it would make a $500 million investment with 65,000 square feet of gaming floor, a variety of restaurants that include a steak and seafood restaurant, a hotel with a raised amenity deck with a pool, spa and fitness center, a ballroom, meeting spaces and parking garage.

However, frustration has grown after years of renderings have come and gone. Norfolk voters approved the idea of casino gaming via a November 2020 referendum.

State law said they would have five years from that date to begin taking bets.

City leadership has tried to highlight challenges facing the project as reason for delays.

Former Norfolk City Manager Chip Filer told WAVY in an update in December 2022 that plans for a seawall downtown was a major hurdle.

Norfolk stood firm that they wouldnt transfer the property to the tribe until there was a site plan for the permanent facility, and assurances that the tribe has the financial capacity for the project.

A temporary facility planned for Harbor Park never came to be after questions over its legality were raised.

The Tribe is excited to have taken the next step in the design and construction approval process as we continue to pursue our vision of bringing a best-in-class resort and casino to Norfolk, the Tribe said in a statement following the meeting. Incorporating nautical design elements in our plans will make this project uniquely Norfolk and will make the casino resort an iconic feature on the Citys waterfront. This will be a resort experience of which the Tribe and the citizens of Norfolk can be proud.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
Drive through Nocatees Settlers Landing neighborhood and what youll find are lawns with patches of dead grass and brown spots across the neighborhood.

Action News Jax first told viewers back in June when JEA warned Nocatee customers of low reclaimed water reserves due to high temperatures and lack of rain.

None of our sprinkler systems were actually even working, Settlers Landing resident Chadwick Fulk said. And I could obviously tell that because three times a week, nothing was coming out.

Fulk went on vacation for three weeks in July and came back to his lawn almost entirely dead because his sprinklers didnt work.

While some neighbors had the time to hand water their lawns, others in Settlers Landing like Fulk are now left having to replace their dead lawns  thanks to their homeowners association (HOA) requirements.

RELATED: Doing the rain dance: Hot and dry conditions to blame for irrigation issues in St. Johns County

I know my neighbor that Ive spoken to that, he went on vacation for three months. His entire yard is pretty much gone and hes looking at anywhere from three to ten thousand dollars to replace his entire yard, Ernst said.

The neighborhoods HOA now plans to hold a meeting on Monday to discuss the lawn issue. The HOA has paused any fines related to dead lawns, but its still sending notices asking they be replaced.

While residents say JEA has now fixed the water pressure issues for the time being, the dead lawns and the costs homeowners will incur remain. Many told Action News Jax Tuesday morning they just hope something is done to avoid getting caught between JEA service issues and their HOAs rules in the future.

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If we could just partner with them and work with them and come up with some sort of resolution where they maybe turn off water to one neighborhood during certain days of the week and allow us to get water certain days during the week, that is what Im trying to find some sort of resolution that works for everyone, Ernst said.

Meanwhile, a JEA spokesperson pointed out to Action News Jax on Tuesday that there are guidelines for when and how much residents should use their reclaimed water, even saying many residents have not followed those guidelines.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

JEA also said it is working on the following projects to bring upgrades to its reclaimed water services in the future:

The Greenland Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) is expected to be online in early 2025, treating up to 4 million gallons per day and acting as a repump facility to add pressure and supply in the eTown and Nocatee areas.

The RiverTown Reclaim Booster will be online in 2025, improving reclaimed water pressures in the RiverTown community.

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NORFOLK, Neb. (KCAU)  A house fire in Norfolk turned into an arson investigation and arrest, according to the Norfolk Police Division.

In a release, the Division said that Norfolk Fire & Rescue battled a house fire in the 1200 block of Phillip Avenue at around 7:41 a.m. on Monday.

Rail bridge over Big Sioux River destroyed to build new structure

After extinguishing the fire, the fire was then investigated by the Norfolk Fire Marshal, a Nebraska State Fire Marshal, and a Norfolk Fire Inspector who all agreed that the fire had not been accidental, the release stated.

Norfolk police then spoke to the owner of the home and others who are familiar with the home. They also obtained video footage of the area and were able to identify a possible suspect.

The suspect was identified as Austyn Ladd, 30, and was arrested later in the day. Ladd has been charged with second-degree arson and was housed at the Norfolk City Jail before being transferred to the Madison County Jail.

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Amid Donald Trumps continuing efforts to beat the weird allegations that Democrats have been levying, the former president on Monday claimed that he and running mate JD Vance are quite the opposite: extremely normal.

In York, Pennsylvania, Trump referenced the attack that has gained steam in large part thanks to President Kamala Harris running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

"He said were weird, that JD and I are weird. I think were extremely normal people, exactly like you Trump said with a chuckle. Hes weird.

Between his movement and her laugh, theres a lot of craziness, Id say a step further than weird. Weird is a nice word in comparison.

The Harris-Walz campaign seems intent on sticking with the message that the Republican ticket is weird. CNN reported Sunday that Democratic pollstersoriginally in Bidens campaign, and now Harrissuggested that they stop calling Trump and Vance weird. They also urged the campaign to move away from the phrase, Were not going back, in favor of something more future-oriented. But Harris declined to take their advice, according to CNN, telling advisers she would go with her instincts.

Trumps latest defense against the weird accusationone of several that he has made over the past few weekscomes as he and his running mate continue to make statements that their rivals portray as such.

During a campaign speech in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Trump referenced Harris when he told the crowd that hes better-looking than she is.

And Vance, after suggesting last week that caring about abortion rights isnt normal, followed that up Sunday by comparing the vice president to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW)  A North Carolina man is facing weapons charges after allegedly pointing a gun at two Myrtle Beach ice cream employees because they wouldnt give him a refund, according to arrest warrants obtained by News13.

Joshua Rodger Kim, 36, of Greensboro, was charged with two counts of pointing and presenting a firearm at a person, unlawful conduct toward a child and first-offense possession of cocaine. He remains in the J. Reuben Long Detention Center where he was booked Thursday on bonds totaling more than $750,000.

Myrtle Beach police responded just after 11 p.m. last Wednesday to 301 S. Kings Highway, the address for Sugar Life Ice Cream & Candy Bar, for a weapons violation, arrest warrants show. When they arrived, one of the victims told them that Kim entered the store and argued with him and another victim over returning candy.

When Kim was told they couldnt give him a refund, he allegedly pulled out a gun from his waist and threatened to shoot the employees, according to the warrant. Video footage of the incident corroborated the victims stories.

Kim was arrested the day after the incident, and officers found about 0.41 grams of cocaine in a plastic baggie and marijuana in the center console of his pickup truck, the warrant said. His three young children were also in the vehicle at the time.

* * *

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.

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South Korean soldiers patrol near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong

SEOUL (Reuters) - A North Korean soldier defected to South Korea early on Tuesday crossing the militarized border in the eastern part of the Korean peninsula, Yonhap news agency reported, citing the South's military.

The soldier crossed into Goseong county on the east coast which borders North Korea and was taken into custody by South Korean guards who had been monitoring his movements, the news agency said.

A South Korean defence ministry official said the military took into custody a person who is believed to be North Korean on the eastern front and authorities were questioning the motives for the crossing. The official declined to provide further details.

Yonhap reported the North Korean soldier was a staff sergeant

A North Korean resident defected to the South earlier this month at the west coast. Defections by North Koreans across the border are considered risky and relatively rare and most escapees make their way to the South through China or other third countries.

(Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Ed Davies)
Aksarben has been honoring the states agricultural heritage for nearly 130 years and began celebrating the dedication and perseverance of Nebraska farm families with Pioneer Family Farm awards in 1956. Since then, nearly 10,000 families have been recognized statewide with either a Pioneer (100 years) or Heritage (150 years) Family Farm Award.

Paying homage to these families is something Aksarben looks forward to each year and, in partnership with Nebraska Farm Bureau and the Nebraska Fair Board Managers, are announcing this years honorees.

Each year we get to reflect on the commitment of these Nebraska farmers who work tirelessly to feed, not just our nation, but the world. The dedication these families have to Nebraska is truly inspiring, and celebrating these milestones is such an important legacy, said Sandra Reding, Aksarben Foundation President.

Mark McHargue, President of Nebraska Farm Bureau, adds, Nebraska Farm Bureau is proud to be part of this long-standing program. Farm and ranch families deserve to be recognized with this coveted and prestigious award which includes nearly 10,000 families in its alliance. These awards recognize the commitment to preserve and build Nebraska agriculture for future generations.

To commemorate their achievement, each family listed received an engraved plaque and gatepost marker at their respective county fair.

The area 2024 Farm Families are as follows:

2024 Heritage Farm Families  Honoring 150 Years

 Dodge County: Keller-Timm Family Farm.

 Saunders County: TePoel Original Homestead, Prochaska Family Farm.

 Washington County: Kuhr Family Farm.

2024 Pioneer Farm Families  Honoring 100 Years

 Dodge County: Poppe Family Farm, Lutthans Family Farm, Grovijohn Family Century Farm.

 Saunders County: Hovorka/O'Brien Family Farm; Johson Family Farm; Nelson Spring Valley Farm; Gary Rezek, Duane Rezek, Bonita Vech & Family Farm.

For more information about the Aksarben Foundation, visit aksarben.org
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  A North Little Rock elementary school will soon receive a new name after the decision was approved at a recent board meeting.

The North Little Rock Board of Education approved the North Little Rock School District superintendents recommendation to rename Seventh Street Elementary School to North Little Rock 6 Academy of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences.

LRSD board holds special meeting to discuss new leadership transition following Superintendent Jermall Wrights resignation announcement

School district officials said the veterinary & agricultural science-themed school will aim to engage students in project-based learning and problem-solving strategies in all subject areas.

A veterinary and agricultural-themed elementary school is a great idea to add real-world relevance to learning any subject matter. I am excited to learn more about this new, innovative learning opportunity for the students who attend this unique school and how we can partner with them, Dr. Laura Rothfeldt, State Public Health Veterinarian at the Arkansas Department of Health, said.

Officials with the North Little Rock School District said the proposed name honors six Black teenagers who attempted to integrate North Little Rock High School in 1957.

Arkansas school districts pushing forward with implementing phone-free campuses

The school will house Pre-K through eighth-grade students over the next several years, NLRSD officials said.

The name change will go into effect in the 2025-2026 school year. The NLRSD will celebrate with an event in September, marking the anniversary of the North Little Rock Six.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  A nonprofit started by a North Nashville church is creating affordable housing options for families who need it in Davidson County.

The organization started by Clark Memorial United Methodist Church marked a significant milestone in their ongoing efforts to provide affordable, accessible housing with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The Clark United Methodist Church Community Development Corporation (UMC CDC) celebrated the near-completion of six newly-built affordable housing units that sit on church-owned property near Jefferson Street.

New TN ID design: What it means for current Tennessee licenses



Were just so delighted to be able to contribute to the landscape of this area because the because the area has changed, and so many families had to move out because they werent able to afford the property taxes, said Janice Woodard, President and Board Chair, Clark UMC CDC.

Its a project Clark UMCs previous pastor, the late Dr. Revered Herbert Lester, worked to bring to fruition for years before passing away in January.



He used to walk the property and talk about his desire and his dream due to the gentrification that was happening in the community, said Woodard. Whats so unfortunate is, with the rent as high as it is in some areas, its difficult for families to find decent homes, but now we have six families that will benefit from the benefits of affordable housing.

The multi-bedroom units were built with the help of $400,000 in funding from the from the Barnes Housing trust fund through the city. Thats according to Mayor Freddie OConnell, who collaborated on the project since he was a district council member over that area.

10 new states join Tennessee in Ticketmaster, Live Nation lawsuit



Its a crystal clear example of the power that our faith communities have toward improving the neighborhoods around them, said OConnell in a press conference prior to the affordable housing ribbon cutting.

Final construction steps on the homes are expected to be completed in September, with families projected to move in starting in October. In order to apply to live in the housing units, you can reach out to the Clark UMC Community Development Corporation online here for eligibility details.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Theres such a great need in Nashville for affordable homes for families. And again, I continue to say this: housing is a right, not a privilege. It should be a right, and everyone should have the right to live in decent housing, said Woodard.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU)  A northwest Iowa man who was accused of kidnapping a child has pleaded guilty and been sentenced on lesser charges.

Karson Soumwei, 41, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment, a serious misdemeanor, on August 14. He was originally charged with third-degree kidnapping, a class C felony.

Norfolk house fire turns into arson investigation, arrest

On Monday, Soumwei was sentenced to 90 days in the Pocahontas County Jail. All but two of these days are suspended and he is being given credit for time that he has already served in jail. Additionally, Soumwei will be on probation for one year and is ordered to pay a $430 fine, and a 15% criminal surcharge.

Back in April, the child involved in the case had been reported missing after being taken from a front lawn on Nelson Street in Laurens, Iowa. The child was able to be located later, but police learned that the child had been taken by Sumwei. Sumwei said he had taken the child because he felt bad for him.

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CHICAGO  Michelle McFall stood from her seat when Joe Biden took the stage.

Down on the floor to the left of the lectern and a mere five rows from the front, as the president basked in the cheers on Monday on the first of the four nights of the Democratic National Convention, the Pennsylvania delegate had tears well in her eyes.

Aftab Pureval, the mayor of Cincinnati, had sent me a text earlier in the evening predicting the longest standing ovation in the history of standing ovations. And if it wasnt that, it was still plenty long. But the fervor in the hall also felt maybe more poignant than unalloyed joy. There was in the roar of the crowd, a whiff of a sigh of relief.

A heros welcome, Democratic megadonor John Morgan of Florida told me. And yet, he added, nobody likes to be cheered after you are pushed out of a window and they cheer you as you are falling. It was like, he thought, attending your own funeral.

In this moment, though, in the section of the delegates of pivotal Pennsylvania, nobody was sitting down, and the cheers were not stopping, and McFall clapped and clapped and wiped her eyes.



Id met her Monday morning at the Pennsylvania delegates breakfast in a ballroom at the Palmer House hotel.

Beyond being a delegate, McFall, 55, from Murrysville, the political director for Malcolm Kenyattas campaign for auditor general and the chair of the Democratic Committee of Westmoreland County  a rural county in the western part of the state in which less than 40 percent of the registered voters are Democrats. I wake up every day where its difficult to be a Democrat. We had one of my committee members in 2021 attacked by a Trump supporter, she said. But now? In the last few weeks? Its everything. Its the way Joe Biden handed the torch, she said. We see it in counties like mine  where so many Democratic voters had sort of disengaged for a number of reasons. Theyre not disengaged anymore.

What, then, was she expecting heading into the evening over at the arena and about the sentiment surrounding Bidens speech?

Thank you, Joe, she said.

For passing the torch? I said.

For all of it, she said.

Gratitude for what he did as really one of the most transformational presidents, fellow delegate Dan Muroff told me in the hallway outside the breakfast, and gratitude for recognizing that it was time to make a change. He likened Joe Biden to George Washington  for ceding the seat at the center of power in the most powerful country in the world.

Im going to be thrilled to see him and, said Joanna McClinton, the speaker of the Pennsylvania House, saying shed shed happy tears  because quite frankly, she continued, hes doing what the other side of the aisle should be doing.

Which is what? I asked. Moving on?

Correct, said McClinton.

I come with a lot of emotions, state senator Vincent Hughes of Philadelphia said when I asked him Monday afternoon what he was anticipating to feel Monday night. The 68-year-old has known the president for years. Biden calls him Vince. He calls Biden Joe. I think he goes on the Rushmore of great presidents. And I think that was cemented by a very courageous decision he made when he chose to step away.

We were all coming along with Joe Biden. We all loved him so much, McFall told me toward the end of the breakfast at the Palmer House. But for real? We were holding our breath. It didnt  it was tenuous. It was a tenuous situation.

So many Democrats were holding their breath for so long, I suggested, that the cheers are 

The exhale, she said.



Theres joy, I said, and theres relief?

Now we know were going to win, she said. You can feel it.

McFall was feeling it on the floor on Monday night. When Biden called Donald Trump a loser, she nodded her head yes. When Biden nodded to the power of women in 2024  Watch! the president said  she pumped in the air her sign saying WE LOVE JOE. When Biden nodded to Kamala Harris as the prospective 47th president, she held high her sign saying THANK YOU JOE. And when he read the lyrics to the song called American Anthem  America, America, I gave my best to you  her eyes pooled again and she wiped her face with her hands.

She said shed been touched by the speech that came just before the presidents speech from the presidents daughter. She said she was surprised it had made her think about the fact that it was the sixth anniversary of the death of her mother. And now up on the stage Biden kissed his wife and patted his heart, and down on the floor McFall took some breaths.

I didnt think, she told me, I was going to shed tears.


Bugs and summer: theyre a package deal. But what some Boston area residents experienced Monday night was nothing short of a bugapalooza.

My friend came to pick me up and her car was just swarmed with bugs, said Jayden Lassiter of Roslindale. They were just, like, little black bugs, and they swarmed all over her car.

Those little black bugs were actually ants. And the spectacle Monday night has a name.

Its called the nuptial flight, as in marriage, or the mating flight, said Jeff Garnas, PhD, an associate professor in the University of New Hampshires Natural Resources and the Environment Department. The goal of the mating flight is to get up and away from the colony you were born in and meet some males from a different colony or females if youre a male.

Garnas explained what seems inexplicable: that all ants are female until males are needed for reproduction. Those males, created by a process similar to cross-pollination, develop the wings required to participate in the mating flight. Their targets during that flight: female Queens, who retain their wings only long enough for insemination and subsequent relocation to form a new colony.

But back to the mating flight itself. Picture millions of flying ants in a sexual frenzy.

It can be quite a mess, that mating flight, said Garnas. Females wind up being multiply mated by more than one male.

And then theres the romantic tragedy part of the ritual: the impregnated females fly off to start a new life, while all those males are left to die.

Its an ecstatic few hours for the ants, but it leaves behind a mess for humans  with carcasses plastered on vehicles, grills, outdoor lights, and siding.

All over my face, in my eyes, in my ears, said David Bran of Jamaica Plain. All over the cars. The worst Ive ever seen all year, to be honest.

But something never to be seen, in exactly the same way, again. For each love flight of the ants burns bright  but generally just for one night.

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NY Gov. Kathy Hochul lashes out at fraud Trump in fiery speech at Democratic convention

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Monday lashed out at former President Donald Trump as a serial fraud and a disgrace to his home state in a fiery speech to the Democratic National Convention.

Taking dead aim at the fellow New Yorker, Hochul derided the presumptive Republican presidential nominee as a con man who betrayed the working-class values of the Empire State,

Donald Trump was born a New Yorker but ended up a fraud, a philanderer, and a felon, Hochul said. If you think youre tired of Donald Trump, talk to a New Yorker. Weve dealt with him for 78 long years.

Hochul accused Trump of cheating New York for decades, a trail of deceit she said he continued during his four years in the White House.

Weve seen him stiff contractors, rip off workers. He abuses women, brags about it, then takes away their rights, Hochul said. Its no wonder he had to flee to Mar-a-Lago.

The governor framed herself as a child of blue-collar Buffalo, where she said she learned from her parents and grandparents the value of hard work  and a union card.

Like other families in my community, they believed that with hard work they could build a better future, Hochul said. Im proud of my roots and the values I learned: grit, determination, compassion.

Hochul hailed President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for bringing tens of thousands of new jobs to Syracuse in the form of a Micron chip-building manufacturing plant that will create 50,000 jobs.

Trump talked big about bringing back manufacturing jobs, Hochul said. But you know who actually did it? President Biden and Vice President Harris.

The governor was on the first day convention speaking roster along with fellow New Yorkers Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

_____
PORTICELLO, Sicily (AP)  Specialist cave divers working in 12-minute underwater shifts were searching Tuesday for six missing passengers and crew, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, believed to be in the submerged wreck of a luxury yacht that was slammed by a powerful storm and swiftly sank off Sicily.

The sleek yacht, named the Bayesian, was carrying a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers when it suddenly sank near the Mediterranean island that is part of Italy at about 4 a.m. on Monday. One body has been recovered and 15 people survived.

Fire rescue officials have said the six believed to remain in the sailboats hull will be considered missing until they are located in the wreckage.

Heres what we know so far about the sinking and those who were on board.

What happened?

Italian civil protection officials believe a sudden and fierce storm that battered the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday whipped up a waterspout in the exact spot where the 184-foot British-flagged Bayesian was moored.

John Aprea, The Godfather Part II and Full House actor dead at 83: reports

Karsten Borner, the captain of another yacht moored nearby, said he saw the Bayesian during the storm but when the wild weather passed it was gone and he saw only a red flare lighting the night sky, ANSA and the Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported.

Borner and one of his crew boarded their tender and found a lifeboat carrying 15 people, some of them injured. They took them aboard their yacht and alerted the coast guard.

Rescue authorities said the wreck was resting at a depth of 163 feet about a half mile offshore of the picturesque fishing village of Porticello.

Who was on board?

Among the missing is 59-year-old tech tycoon Mike Lynch, sometimes described as the British Bill Gates. Lynch was acquitted in June of all charges in a U.S. fraud trial linked to the $11 billion sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

Lynch still faced a potentially huge bill stemming from a civil case in London that HP mostly won during 2022. Damages havent been determined in that case, but HP is seeking $4 billion. Lynch made more than $800 million from the Autonomy sale.

A Cambridge-educated mathematician, Lynch made his name running Autonomy, which made a search engine that could pore through emails and other internal business documents to help companies find vital information more quickly.

Lynchs 18-year-old daughter Hannah was reportedly among the missing. His wife, Angela Bacares, and 14 other people survived.

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Among others still missing Tuesday, according to the civil protection agency, were one of Lynchs U.S. lawyers, Christopher Morvillo of Clifford Chance, and Morvillos wife, Neda. Morvillo and his wife both live in New York City. Morvillo was regarded as an elite defense lawyer and was also a federal prosecutor in New York after 9/11.

Law firm Clifford Chance released the following statement about Morvillos disappearance.

We are in shock and deeply saddened by this tragic incident. Our thoughts are with our Partner, Christopher Morvillo, and his wife Neda who are among the missing, and with their families. Our utmost priority is providing support to the family as well as our colleague Ayla Ronald, who together with her partner, thankfully survived the incident. Our thoughts extend to the other passengers and crew and all those affected. We have no further comment at this time. We, and the families, ask that their request for privacy is honored during this period. Clifford Chance

Also missing was Jonathan Bloomer, the non-executive chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife, Judy. He is the former head of the Autonomy audit committee and testified for the defense at Lynchs trial.

Bloomer was also chair of the Hiscox Group, an insurer that does business on the Lloyds of London market.

We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event, Hiscox CEO Aki Hussain said in a statement. Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing, and with their family as they await further news from this terrible situation.

Among the survivors was Charlotte Golunski, who said she momentarily lost hold of her 1-year-old daughter Sofia in the water, but then managed to grab her and hold her up over the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were both pulled to safety, Italian news agency ANSA reported. The father, identified by ANSA as James Emslie, also survived.

The Dutch foreign ministry said a Dutch man survived. The ministry, citing privacy, did not release his identity.

One body was recovered on Monday, identified as the on-board chef.

What is the Bayesian?

The Bayesian was a luxury yacht built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Nav. It was known for its single 246-feet aluminum mast  one of the worlds tallest. Online charter sites listed it for rent for up to about $215,000 a week.

Its registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd., based on the Isle of Man, according to online maritime database Equasis. Lynchs wife is listed as Revtoms sole owner, according to corporate registration documents from the Isle of Man.

The yachts name is an apparent reference to Bayesian inference, one of the two main approaches to statistical machine learning and the one that was used by Autonomy.

What is a waterspout?

Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water and can happen when a storm moves across warm water.

According to the U.S. National Ocean Service, there are two types of waterspouts  fair-weather and tornadic.

Tornadic waterspouts have the same characteristics as a land tornado. They are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning, the service says on its website.

While scientists havent attributed the specific event to climate change, average monthly surface temperatures have been at record highs for months. Hotter air can hold more moisture, making heavier storms more likely.

Sicily has been baking under intense heat this summer, and the United Nations panel of climate change experts notes the Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable to climate change, with warming rates roughly 20% higher than the global average.

What happens next?

As the search for the missing continues, authorities already have begun trying to piece together exactly what happened.

Prosecutors from the Sicilian town of Termini Imerese have opened an investigation, as is normal in such events even when no suspects are identified. To date, they have not commented publicly.

The British Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors were being deployed to Palermo.

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NEW YORK  Mayor Eric Adams top attorney at City Hall said Tuesday that neither the mayor nor anyone working in his government office have been told they are targets of a federal investigation into his 2021 campaigns ties to Turkeys government.

The attorney, Lisa Zornberg, didnt say whether the same applied to the Adams campaign or anyone who worked on it.

I have not been informed of any individual being a target. You could speak to others outside the city, Im speaking for the city, Zornberg, the chief counsel for the mayor and his City Hall office, told reporters in a press conference.

Evan Thies, a spokesman for Adams 2021 campaign, referred comment to Vito Pitta, the mayors longtime political compliance attorney, and Brendan McGuire, his former City Hall chief counsel who now serves as his lead lawyer in the Turkey investigation. Neither Pitta nor McGuire immediately returned requests for comment.

Zornbergs comments come after news broke last week that Adams, along with his office and campaign, were served with grand jury subpoenas in July from the Manhattan federal prosecutors leading the probe, which is scrutinizing whether Turkeys government pumped illegal donations into the mayors 2021 campaign coffers.

The probe is reportedly also looking into Adams effort to help fast-track the resolution of fire safety violations at Turkeys consulate in Manhattan and whether he accepted free upgrades on Turkish Airlines flights.

The mayor hasnt been accused of wrongdoing in the probe, which burst into public view in November, when FBI agents raided the homes of his chief campaign fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, and longtime aide Rana Abbasova. Days after those raids, FBI agents stopped Adams in the street and seized his cellphones. Abbasova has been cooperating in the investigation.

As part of federal investigations, U.S. attorneys offices typically issue so-called target letters to individuals they believe have committed crimes based on evidence theyve collected. Target letters are more serious than subpoenas in that the feds issue them to individuals they are likely to indict.

Its unclear whether any target letters have been issued by the feds investigating Adams campaign. A spokesman for Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, whos spearheading the probe, declined to comment Tuesday.

When asked this past December and January whether any target letters had been issued in the Turkey probe, both the mayor and Zornberg offered similar answers to Tuesdays.

We made that clear before, no we have not, Adams said on CNN in early January.

Im just going to jump in here and say the answer is no, Zornberg said in December when asked if anyone connected to the mayor had received target letters.

At Tuesdays press conference, the mayor deferred specific questions about the federal investigation to Zornberg. He did say he wants to let the probe take its course.

Ive stated over and over again when it comes down to the review thats taking place on many levels, let it take its course, and then when that course is completed, then it will be reported on, he said. Its going to take its course.

_____
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard talks about what police know about the Rochester Hills shooting, June 15, 2024 | Anna Liz Nichols

An Oakland County doctor accused of recording children undressing and sexually assaulting unconscious women in hospital beds has the potential to have more victims than disgraced Olympic doctor Larry Nassar, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard announced in a news conference Tuesday.

Anyone who believes they have been a victim of Aejazs abuse is encouraged to email the Oakland County Sheriffs office at OCSOSIU@oakgov.com.

In one of the worst cases of sexual violence hes seen in nearly 40 years of law enforcement service, Bouchard said internal medicine Dr. Oumair Aejaz, 40, isnt bound by personal or medical relationship to his victims like Nassar was. Hundreds of women and children came forward during the Nassar case with their stories of abuse before he was sentenced to essentially three life sentences from federal court and two state courts between 2017 and 2018.

This individual, potentially, is one of the worst Ive ever seen, because theres no particular category. Its not just children, its not just women; its not just men. It goes from a 2-year-old to a grown woman, and so the victimization is so broad and the perversion so great, that were just beginning to wrap our arms around [it], Bouchard said. Theres nobody thats out of bounds for this sick, sick activity.

Aejaz is accused of recording children as young as 2 and adult women of varying ages with hidden cameras in hospital rooms, bathrooms, changing areas, bedrooms and closets. As a contracted physician, the Sheriffs Office says he had access to patients at Ascension Genesys Hospital in Grand Blanc Township and Henry Ford Macomb in Clinton Township.

He is charged with one count of child sexually abusive activity, four counts of capturing an image of an unclothed person and five counts of using a computer to commit a crime. He was arraigned in a Rochester Hills court last week.

As the case proceeds, Bouchard said he expects there to be many more victims identified as the sexual violence likely goes back at least six years. Aejaz is an Indian citizen who has been working in the U.S. on a visa since around 2011, moving to Dawson, Ala., around 2018 and returning to Michigan some time later.

He is now being held in jail on a $2 million bond.

As a mom, this case hits home Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said, as the charged offenses involve reports that Aejaz targeted a mom and her 2- and 4-year old children at Goldfish Swim School in Rochester Hills in August 2023.

These allegations stemmed from a mom bringing her young children to a swim school and taking them into a changing room and getting them changed, McDonald said. And the allegations are that the defendant was filming them from a nearby changing area stall. And its terrifying as a mother and were going to do everything we can to hold him accountable.

Bouchard and McDonald repeatedly praised the swim school for cooperating with the investigation and theres no evidence that anyone at the Goldfish knew what was happening.

It was Aejazs wife who brought forth the explicit materials that supported the charges, McDonald said.

Aejaz has two young sons, Bouchard said and he wouldnt put it past him to use his sons to access other children at the swim school and beyond.

Law enforcement, in their search, have confiscated six computers, four cell phones, 15 external storage devices, with one of the hard drives holding 13,000 videos law enforcement has to review, Bouchard said. The review process might take up to six months.

Its hard to look at the videos of that activity where a woman is basically unconscious in a hospital bed and hes violating her to a 2-year-old thinking theyre out for a great swim day and theyre being captured naked, Bouchard said.

Aejaz appeared to have no specific targets, Bouchard said. There could be virtually nothing that ties a victim to Aejaz other than instances of proximity, unlike with Nassar. Women and girls said during their victim impact statements that Nassar was their friend or a trusted doctor that treated Olympians and they felt lucky to be seen by him before the abuse.

When you think about the incredible perversion and destructive activity of Nassar, he had a much smaller group of victims in terms of potential, Bouchard said. Theres no limit to [the] perversion of this individual, so were going to need the publics help and the victims help because a lot of these, we may not even be able to identify, because we have so many, so many videos of people. We have no idea who they are [or] what the venue is.

Bouchard said the scope of the investigation is broad and could look at countries all over Michigan, other states and even countries.

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From skinny kid with a funny name to elder statesman: Barack Obama, the former US president, will be the headline speaker at the Democratic national convention in Chicago on Tuesday  20 years after he first burst on to the national political scene.

Obama, a state legislator from Illinois, was days from his 43rd birthday and months from being elected to the Senate when he was given a slot at the partys 2004 convention in Boston. Rising star to woo voters with upbeat keynote speech, was the Guardian headline on 27 July 2004.

Related: DNC 2024 live: Barack Obama to headline day two and Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders and Doug Emhoff also to speak

Obama brought Democrats to their feet with a plea for hope and unity. Two decades later, America is more divided than ever, but on Tuesday the first Black president, back in his home city, will make the case for the party nominee, Kamala Harris, to become the first woman and first woman of colour to win election to the White House.

The president will talk again in personal terms about what it takes to be president in this moment and what hes prepared to do and that this is an all-hands-on-deck moment, where we all have to get involved, Valerie Jarrett, a former senior adviser to Obama, said at an Axios House event in Chicago on Tuesday.

One of the lessons we certainly should have learned: its not just enough to elect a president. You also have to stay engaged throughout the term of your presidency. Sometimes you elect a president and you go, OK, Im done, and you go back to your jobs, and thats not the way democracies work.

Michelle Obama, the former first lady, who is popular enough in her own right that some Democrats floated her as an alternative to Joe Biden, will be speaking on Tuesday night as well.

Jarrett, chief executive of the Obama Foundation, added: Our democracy has been under threat and under attack and it is up to us to be those active and engaged citizens to ensure that we get back on track. I think thats part of the message youll hear from both of them tonight. So be there or be square.

Back in July 2004, in a 16-minute speech, Obama framed the presidential election, talked up the nominee, John Kerry, and told his origin story as the son of a Black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. He told delegates: Lets face it, my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely.

Obama did not dwell on policy, but his sweeping indictment of divisive politics struck a chord. There is not a liberal America and a conservative America  there is the United States of America, he said. There is not a Black America and a white America and Latino America and Asian America  theres the United States of America. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or do we participate in a politics of hope?

Joel Rubin, a Democratic strategist, recalled: It was such a wonderful moment. It was an inspiring moment. It was like a moment to feel truly patriotic and proud to be part of a political party that wanted to bring back the country together. It spoke to the power of our country as a unified people.

Two and a half years later, Obama reprised that theme when he launched his presidential campaign before thousands of supporters gathered outside the Illinois capital of Springfield. His campaign motto was hope and change.

Yet the flip side of hope was fear, an emotion that Republican Donald Trump was able to exploit to win the White House in 2016. After eight toxic years, the young Obamas dream of a genuinely united nation seems as elusive as ever.

Rubin, a former Obama administration deputy assistant secretary of state, added: He diagnosed the problem in America right now. One speech never fixes a country. Its part of a process.

What you do is you elect leaders who have a commitment to that kind of vision and, unfortunately, we regressed in 2016 because we had Donald Trump come in committed to the opposite vision by not healing but destroying and magnifying difference rather than unity. But the message for the Democratic convention today is similar to the Obama message of unity and forward purpose.

Since leaving the White House, Obama has given powerful speeches as a surrogate for Hillary Clinton and Biden during their presidential runs. On Tuesday, Obama will set the stage for another historic candidate, delivering a forceful affirmation that Harris is the right leader for the moment, according to an adviser.

The Rev Al Sharpton, the civil rights activist who also spoke at the 2004 convention, said: The historic nature of this convention is not lost on any of us, but especially those of us who grew up in the civil rights movement. Last night, we felt the clear through-line from Fannie Lou Hamer in 1964, Shirley Chisholm in 1972, the Rev Jesse Jackson in the 1980s, and Barack Obama in 2008.

I think that will be felt as much when Obama takes the stage here in his home town. I cannot help but think of when I ran for president in 2004 and met briefly with him before each of us spoke. It was clear that night that he struck a tone with the nation  one that still resonates with many of us 20 years later.

Obama will also honour the legacy of Joe Biden, who served eight years as Obamas vice-president. Biden will not be in the hall to see his former running mate speak, as he departed Chicago after delivering his own speech.

Media reports suggest that Biden is still needled by the role that Obama  along with party leaders Nancy Pelosi, Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer  played in pressuring the 81-year-old to not seek re-election due to concerns over his mental capacity.

Schumer, the Democratic majority leader in the Senate, told a CNN-Politico Grill event on Monday: Im not going to give my private conversations with the former president. Thats up to him to decide. But we had a number of serious discussions.

Democratic convention highlights:
When former President Barack Obama takes the stage tonight at the Democratic National Convention, hell address a party that has done a major about-face on its relationship with technology since he left office.

Hailed as the first internet president for his campaigns embrace of then-nascent social media and blogs, Obamas rise was inextricable from that of the digital landscape we now take for granted. Often, that connection was explicit: Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes spearheaded Obamas digital campaign blitz in 2008, and the Obama White House populated its new digital jobs with numerous executives hired straight from Silicon Valley.

By the end of his time in office, Obama aides like David Plouffe and Jay Carney were themselves taking high-powered jobs at Uber and Amazon, and what at first seemed like the forward-looking embrace of an up-and-coming industry came to look like a flagrant revolving door.

Today Obamas techno-optimism seems almost unthinkable to the Democratic base. He contrasted Big Tech favorably with George W. Bush-era oil and defense giants, spinning it positively as an industry that offered tools for personal empowerment and a stronger democracy. Today, many Americans see social media companies more as sinister vehicles for social control, and the 2024 Democratic platform warns they could be a hazard to mental health and even democracy itself.

Techs position in American life changed from being this optimistic, positive thing to something with very serious costs, Marshall Kosloff, media fellow at the right-leaning tech think tank the Foundation for American Innovation and host of the podcast The Realignment, told DFD.

"We are never going to get back to Obama-era techno-optimism, because tech just became like anything else in corporate America," he continued.



President Joe Bidens administration pivoted accordingly into pessimism about Big Tech (although he did make a huge investment in tech manufacturing, through the CHIPS and Science Act). His AI executive order raised major concerns about safety and discrimination, and his top antitrust enforcers have particularly targeted the wealthy multinational tech giants. Obama-style coziness with Big Tech now seems more a liability than an asset, especially among the partys progressive left.

But there are also signs of a shift, as Biden hands the party over to Vice President Kamala Harris. A tech policy forum featuring industry leaders is convening at the DNC today, and as a former senator from California with roots in the Bay Area, Harris has connections to Silicon Valley that run deep.

Not to mention, its not 2008 anymore: There are new kinds of technology to talk about. As powerful artificial intelligence tools, a growing space industry and advances in quantum computing loom on the horizon, the occasion of Obamas speech tonight might serve as a subtle nudge to Democrats who remember when their party was unmistakably the one associated with progress and the future.

Obamas pitch as techno-optimist-in-chief was a key part of his ascent to the presidency. In November 2007 he announced that if elected he would appoint a then-newfangled federal chief technology officer, a promise that inspired a parade of tech industry and regulatory veterans to acclaim him as a true 21st century president. His first executive order made the governments digital footprint more accessible and transparent, and his administration aggressively pursued a policy of net neutrality that favored new-school online content platforms like Facebook and Twitter over the interests of oh-so-20th-century internet service providers.

While the Biden administration has supported net neutrality, its relationship with Silicon Valley has been otherwise far more hostile. Its simply a different digital world than the one that existed during Obamas two terms, not to mention a different analog one: When Obama called for a national CTO in 2007 it was before the age of the smartphone, much less digitally-augmented fake information going viral, the replacement of traditional mass media with personalized social media echo chambers or encrypted hangouts for political extremism.

Harris has yet to reveal the face she would show to Silicon Valley as president, having not yet released a comprehensive policy platform. There are, however, signs that she could take a softer approach than the Biden administration.



While Harris has been outspoken in calling for the regulation of powerful AI systems, she also has longstanding connections to Silicon Valley as a Bay Area politician. Earlier this month she rallied tech leaders in San Francisco, with California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis telling the New York Times It is more natural that she would  with that deeper understanding and those relationships  also have a different outlook than Biden. (Tony West, Ubers chief legal officer who just took a leave of absence to help the campaign, is also her brother-in-law.)

A lot of people in tech are optimistic about the opportunity for a reset with Harris, and that she's not coming in with perhaps the same antipathy towards tech as Biden, Adam Kovacevich, founder and CEO of the pro-tech Chamber of Progress, told DFD. Theres an opportunity with Harris to rebalance the policy conversation.

Even if those wishes come true, given the current political climate, a hypothetical Harris administration is unlikely to be quite as entwined with the tech industry as Obamas, much less engage in the full-on public bear hug of the 1990s.

Still, by appearing onstage tonight, the 44th president will serve as a living reminder of the time when Democrats unquestionably held the mantle of the party of Americas capital-f Future  a contrast Harris can play up against former President Donald Trump much more easily than her predecessor on the ticket could.

I think there's going to be an opening for the tech wing of the Democratic Party  to say, hey, we are a very useful part of this coalition and you need us to achieve your actual goals, FAIs Kosloff said. There's going to be an actual value add for tech that just wasnt clear during the more populist moment, from 2015 to around 2023.
Updated Aug 20, 2024, 2:29pm EDT politics North America

The News

Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will take the stage Tuesday to rally voters behind Vice President Kamala Harris. Speaking at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, their speeches come a day after US President Joe Biden gave his keynote Monday, delivering a long goodbye and anointing Harris as his successor.

The political power couple have maintained their influence over the Democratic Party. And after endorsing Harris when Biden dropped out of the race, the Obamas have taken on central roles in the partys campaign to get her elected.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Former president key to swinging moderate, undecided voters

Source: Associated Press

Barack Obamas political career has been defined by his seminal speeches, noted The Associated Press, an oratory ability that catapulted him to the national stage at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, and eventually in 2008, to the White House. His talent for mobilizing crowds has made him the north star for Democrats, Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said, adding that no voice this week is more integral to unifying a coalition of Democrats, independents, and moderate Republicans for Harris. Obama is also expected to speak to the significance of nominating a Black woman to the Democratic ticket, and Tuesday could be a sweet moment of the first Black president passing the baton, Stratton said.

For some Democrats, Michelle Obama is still a dream candidate

Source: The Hill

Michelle Obama will give the crowd a glimpse of the partys fantasy candidate when she takes the stage Tuesday, The Hill wrote. Multiple polls have suggested the former First Lady is the most popular figure in the party, and her speech at the 2020 convention got more online engagement than any other. She has no intention to run for president, Obama staffers told The Hill, but her popularity gives her the power to define the political moment without dividing people, one Democratic strategist said. In 2020, she remarkably remained above the fray when speaking about Trump, but analysts are unsure whether she will return to that message of taking the high road at this convention.

Harris is taking cues from Obama

Source: Reuters

Harris has received significant support and advice from Barack Obama, and has tapped several key members of his former staff, including campaign manager David Plouffe and adviser Stephanie Cutter, cementing the former presidents imprint on her political operation, Reuters wrote. Shes also echoing elements of his strategy, and has tapped the energy of the young voters who propelled Obamas career. Harris was an early supporter of Obamas 2008 campaign, and the two have maintained a strong relationship since that could make him an effective campaigner for her. He will not be talking about someone he doesnt know, David Axelrod, a longtime Obama adviser, said.
Ocasio-Cortez wows Democrats with fiery speech on first night of DNC

Ocasio-Cortez wows Democrats with fiery speech on first night of DNC

CHICAGO  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) blasted former President Trump as a two-bit union-buster who would sell this country for a dollar during her speech to the Democratic National Convention on Monday.

The New York congresswoman was also among the first high-profile speakers to reference the war in Gaza, where Israel has killed an estimated 40,000 people in the 10 months since the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, when the group killed about 1,200 Israelis.

Ocasio-Cortez praised Vice President Harris for working tirelessly to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.

Ocasio-Cortez, like others on the left, has been very critical of Israels conduct in Gaza. But she has been somewhat less willing than others on the left to frontally attack the Biden administration on the topic.

Perhaps the most notable thing about Ocasio-Cortezs speech was the rapturous reception it received.

While the 34-year-old New York congresswoman draws incessant criticism from Republicans and conservatives, she is an iconic figure for progressive Democrats, especially of her generation. The start of her speech was interrupted by cheers of AOC! from the boisterous crowd inside the United Arena.

The atmosphere among the crowd was notably more energized for the charismatic Ocasio-Cortez than for any speaker who preceded her  barring Harris herself, who made a brief surprise appearance in advance of her big speech scheduled for Thursday.,

Ocasio-Cortez also sought to turn a common conservative attack to her own advantage.

Noting the frequency with which conservatives tell her to go back to bartending  her previous job  the congresswoman said she would be glad to do so because theres nothing wrong with working for a living.

The speech was also notable for how squarely it fell within the Democratic mainstream, extolling the virtues of Harris and her vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) as fighters for the middle class.

Ocasio-Cortez also ostentatiously thanked President Biden for his service in office.

Despite her left-wing credentials, the congresswoman notably declined to push for Biden to step aside during the crisis that enveloped him after his disastrous June 27 debate performance against Trump.

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The Freedom of Russia Legion and Ukraine's state project for voluntary surrender of Russian soldiers, I Want to Live, have released details of the operation Ocheret, which resulted in a 24-year-old Russian serviceman defecting to the side of Ukraine.

Source: The Freedom of Russia Legion; the I Want to Live project; Ukrainska Pravda journalist at a press conference on 20 August

Quote from I Want to Live: "A serviceman of the Russian Armed Forces who goes by the alias Silver has signed a contract to join the army to cross the front line to the Ukrainian side and join the ranks of the Freedom of Russia Legion.

The guy was unlucky enough to get into the very centre of hell  one of the Storm suicide units. During his service there, he saw all the charms of the Russian army: complete lawlessness, devaluation of human life, lack of training, lack of supplies, sadistic commanders, nullification for the slightest fault, etc."

Details: It is noted that this serviceman got in touch with the Freedom of Russia Legion in the winter of 2024.

For several months, Silver was a member of the resistance movement and passed important operational information to the Freedom of Russia Legion, such as locations of assets and personnel, plans, tasks in a particular area of the front, etc.

In May 2024, he chose the right moment and set fire to the headquarters with Russian soldiers inside: he threw a grenade through a ventilation pipe into the basement of the headquarters, where the battalion commander was spending the night.

As a result, the commander and several senior officers of the Storm unit were seriously injured.

The Freedom of Russia Legion command, together with the I Want to Live team, organised the withdrawal of Silver from the line of contact. On the way out, Silver mined the trail and followed the agreed route.

The operation took place near the town of Ocheretyne, Donetsk Oblast, hence the name Ocheret ("Reeds").

Silver is currently undergoing basic training as a Legion recruit.

At a press conference, Vitalii Matviienko, a spokesperson for the I Want to Live project, said that there have been more than 300 successful operations (voluntary surrenders of Russian soldiers to the Ukrainian side) in almost two years.

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Federal, state and Wayne County officials reacted with concern to a Detroit Free Press article Monday that a hazardous waste landfill in Van Buren Township is preparing to receive thousands of tons of trucked-in, elevated radiation wastes from New York related to the Manhattan Project to develop atomic bombs during and just after World War II.

Wayne County Executive Warren Evans questioned why such wastes so consistently find their way to Wayne County, where Arizona-based waste giant Republic Services' Wayne Disposal and nearby Michigan Disposal operate as among the largest hazardous waste landfills and processing facilities, respectively, in the U.S.

"While I understand that these materials have to go somewhere, and few if any public officials are willing to welcome toxic waste with open arms, there needs to be a solution, through new policy or legislation, that doesn't equal Wayne County as dumping ground for what no one else wants. Because that is an assignment we simply will not accept," Evans said in a statement.

The Niagara Falls Storage Site holds radioactive wastes associated with the Manhattan Project, the development of atomic bombs from the mid-1940s to early 1950s.

Wayne Disposal is preparing to take 6,000 cubic yards of soil and concrete and 4,000 gallons of groundwater contaminated with elevated radiation from the Niagara Falls Storage Site in Lewiston, New York, which from 1944 until 1952 served as a primary storage location for wastes and byproducts associated with uranium ore refining being carried out in Tonawanda, New York, in support of the Manhattan Project.

A truck drives into a disposal landfill, Wayne Disposal Inc. in Belleville that is located near the Willow Run Airport and was photographed on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working on a multiyear project to remove the elevated radiation wastes from the Niagara site and ultimately leave the 191 acres suitable for industrial use.

Under the corps' phase-one plan, 25 semitrailer loads a week of the radioactive wastes would be shipped on local highways and roads to Wayne Disposal, off Interstate 94 in Van Buren Township, beginning later this month and expected to continue through January 2025.

A slide from an April 23 presentation by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Lewiston, New York, area residents estimates 25 semi truckloads a week of elevated-radiation materials leaving the Niagara Falls Storage Site for a hazardous waste landfill in Wayne County, Michigan.

The New York waste removal, its trucking to Michigan and disposal in Wayne County comply with all local, state and federal regulations for the handling of such materials, said Avery Schneider, deputy chief of public affairs for the Army Corps' Buffalo District.

'State doesn't have any concerns ... from a health and safety standpoint'

The Army Corps has committed that all materials shipped to Wayne Disposal from the Niagara site will be less than 50 picocuries per gram in radiation, said T.R. Wentworth II, manager of the Radiological Protection Section of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy's Materials Management Division. One picocurie is roughly equivalent to background levels of radioactivity naturally occurring in the environment.

That's a stricter guideline than both federal and state environmental regulations would require, he said.

"As a regulator, the state doesn't have any concerns for this (Niagara site) material from a health and safety standpoint," Wentworth said.

That answer, however, didn't seem to satisfy state and federal lawmakers who represent the area.

"It is absolutely necessary to protect our community's right to safety, most certainly when it comes to the transportation of hazardous materials via our public roads and into our landfills," said state Rep. Reggie Miller, D-Van Buren Township.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, sent a letter to the Army Corps and to Republic Services requesting answers about the shipments.

"This decision has raised significant concerns among residents of Southeastern Michigan, particularly in light of previous controversies surrounding hazardous waste shipments to the area," Dingell said in a release. "The lack of advance notice to local officials and the public has only heightened anxiety about the potential risks associated with transporting such materials through our communities."

Dingell asked Republic Services and Army Corps to provide answers to several questions, including:

How the Wayne Disposal site was selected to receive the elevated radioactivity waste.

Why local officials and the public were not notified.

Specific safety measures during the transport and disposal.

Whether wastes will be tested before landfilling.

The protocols and technologies being used to safely manage and contain the waste.

Whether ongoing monitoring will occur.

Michigan site has 'best value for the majority of the waste'

Schneider earlier told the Free Press that the Army Corps routinely audits permitted and licensed disposal facilities capable of receiving waste under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remediation Action Program, or FUSRAP, the corps' program to clean up the former atomic weapon and energy sites nationwide. The purpose, he said, is to ensure the landfills the corps works with are safely operating within their permit or license conditions and are in good standing with their state and federal regulators.

"Currently, there are five audited facilities capable of receiving FUSRAP waste, including the Republic Services Belleville facility," he said. "The Belleville facility was selected by the remediation contractor as providing the best value for the majority of the waste."

Schneider noted that Wayne Disposal has previously received FUSRAP wastes from cleanup sites in New York, Ohio, New Jersey and Missouri.

Evans doesn't see that as a positive.

Wayne County Executive Warren Evans.

"Wayne County is the most densely populated and diverse community in Michigan," he said. "Sadly, our residents have grown accustomed to the polluted air, earth and water that have resulted from being a dumping ground for the hazardous waste of others.

"It is, in part, because of this environmental injustice our residents suffer higher rates of asthma, lung cancer, heart attacks, strokes and other downstream consequences. This is why we strongly oppose the transport and disposal of these hazardous materials into our communities."

What can be done about limiting or eliminating hazardous waste imports into Michigan is questionable. A 1992 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on imported garbage declared out-of-state trash "articles of commerce"  essentially a commodity or good  that could not be restricted under the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. That case arose from St. Clair County officials attempting to restrict a local landfill from accepting out-of-state waste.

Contact Keith Matheny: kmatheny@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Local politicians bemoan radioactive waste shipments to Wayne County
Officials offer critical warning after US state confirms cases of rare but serious infection spread by animals: 'It is transmitted by various rodents'

Health officials in Arizona have grown concerned after seeing an increase in a rare virus spread by rodents that can cause serious health issues.

What's happening?

As explained by Physician's Weekly, the Arizona Department of Health Services announced in an alert that the state has seen an uptick in hantavirus infections, with seven confirmed cases and three deaths over the past six months.

"Hantavirus is a rare but important cause of serious, even fatal respiratory infection," Dr. Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in New York, told NBC News, per Physician's Weekly. "It is transmitted by various rodents, especially the deer mouse, and can cause mild disease, but it does cause fatal illness in a significant percentage of people who acquire this illness."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most cases of hantavirus in the U.S. are reported in western and southwestern states, but Arizona is among the leaders in reported infections in the country. Health officials reported that there have been 11 hantavirus cases in Arizona between 2016 and 2022, per Physician's Weekly.

Why is this important?

Hantavirus is spread when particles containing the virus get into the air from urine, saliva, or feces from deer mice. An infection can lead to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).

Symptoms include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Without treatment, the infection can spread to the lungs and cause shortness of breath, chest tightness and cough, according to the American Lung Association and summarized by Physician's Weekly. Around 38% of those who experience lung symptoms may die from the infection.

Though it is a rare disease in the U.S., with the CDC reporting 850 cases between 1993 and 2021 (about 30 per year), the increase in hantavirus cases is an indication of a deeper problem.

According to Physician's Weekly, experts theorized that "climate change, such as the extreme heat waves that have been sweeping across the county this summer, may also be partly to blame" for the rising number of infections.

Trish Lees, public information officer at Coconino County Health and Human Services in Arizona, told NBC News that cases are seen more frequently in the summer because of increased rodent activity and people coming into contact with rodents more often.

Dr. Camilo Mora, a professor in the Department of Geography and Environment at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, explained that rising temperatures cause rodents to seek shelter in similar ways that humans do.

"Many carrying-disease species get on the move with climate change  so while for any specific case it is difficult to conclude the role of climate change, climate change has all the attributes to cause outbreaks of vector-borne diseases," Mora said, per Physician's Weekly.

What's being done about this?

Officials warned that the best way to protect yourself against hantavirus is to wear N95 masks, gloves, and protective clothing when entering an area that is dirty or riddled with rodents. Anyone who experiences symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.

"The best way to prevent infection with this illness is by carefully disinfecting and cleaning up any waste products from the rodents and by not coming into contact with them," Glatt told NBC News.

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA)  Officials with the Anderson County Sheriffs office are asking for the publics help in locating a woman last seen Monday afternoon.

According to the sheriffs office, Christina Young was last seen at around 4 p.m. in the area Parnell Road in Anderson.

Deputies said it is unknown what Young was wearing at the time of her disappearance. It is also unclear if Young was with anyone.

Officials added that Young did leave a note behind referring to self-harm.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Christina Young is asked to contact the sheriffs office at (864) 260-4400, and use the reference case number 2024-10783.

You can also send in an anonymous tip online.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
NEW YORK  Commuters into New York City got pummeled by train delays and cancellations this summer, and nobody knows how to stop it from happening again. Even if they did, resuscitating the vital rail arterial into Manhattan could take years and untold amounts of money.

Regulators and elected officials  spurred on by furious constituents  are ramping up pressure on Amtrak and New Jersey Transit, which operate the trains, to figure out what ails the busiest stretch of passenger railway in the country.

But officials at the agencies say even if they could pinpoint a precise cause  the answer is lurking in some mishmash of century-old tracks, aging trains, extreme heat and high demand  fixing it will be an incredibly complex puzzle with no easy solutions and enormous price tags.

Thats the bottom line of a new report from Amtrak and New Jersey Transit scrutinizing what waylaid commuters earlier this summer, when riders faced dizzying delays on the route carrying tens of thousands of daily passengers in and out of Americas economic powerhouse.

At the time, officials blamed problems on high temperatures. Now, even the head of Amtrak says thats not the whole picture.

It cant be only the heat, Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said in an interview.

What exactly it is continues to elude them, Gardner acknowledged.

Everyones looking for a simple solution, he said. Its not simple.  We have lots of engineers  theyve spent their whole lives doing this work and most of them on this exact railroad, both at NJT and at Amtrak.

This summer saw the worst month of performance on New Jersey Transit, which operates along tracks owned by Amtrak, since Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy took office in 2018  and commuters mood wasnt improved much by a 15 percent fare hike that took effect July 1.

Its created a political problem for Murphy, who has pledged to fix the states ailing mass transit system  and whose administration has placed much of the blame on Amtrak for the hellish summer commute.

New Jersey Transit officials now report two sets of numbers showing how its trains perform  a set New Jersey officials say include Amtrak-related delays and a set without. Not surprisingly, by taking out the problems New Jersey blames on Amtrak, New Jersey Transit looks pretty good  even in June, when a quarter of its trains on the busy route were late or canceled.

Amtrak, in turn, has questioned if its tracks and New Jersey Transits trains are compatible, Rep. Frank Pallone, a New Jersey Democrat who has been meeting regularly with Amtrak officials, said in an interview.

But now, it seems, the two railroads are on the same page  a point Gardner and New Jersey Transit CEO Kevin Corbett tried to drive home during a joint interview with POLITICO to talk about their work together.

Corbett said the problems that cropped up may be the result of death from 1,000 cuts because of aging infrastructure at both New Jersey Transit and Amtrak. Gardner also alluded to decades of federal underfunding of Amtrak. And both blamed predecessors for failing to keep the systems in good shape.

Corbett mentioned former Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, whose administration is blamed for neglecting mass transit over two terms  and actively undermining train travel by killing a project to build new tracks between New Jersey and New York.

Cash flow

Some lawmakers have pointed to the enormous amounts of money the Biden administration has handed out in his signature climate and infrastructure laws, including $6 billion in the 2021 infrastructure law intended for Amtrak to maintain a state of good repair, along with over $20 billion for other infrastructure projects.

New Jerseys congressional delegation, including Pallone and fellow Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer, is urging the two railroads to work together and for Amtrak to spend the billions of dollars in federal money at its disposal from the infrastructure law.

But much of that money was meant for Amtrak to spend on its own equipment and facilities  not ones it shares with other railroads.

In a statement, the White House noted that the Biden administration has made the largest investment in passenger rail since Amtrak was created 50 years ago.

The White House is working closely with DOT and Amtrak to invest billions in the Northeast Corridor to improve performance and reduce delays for the 800,000 passengers who depend on this corridor every day, said White House spokesperson Robyn Patterson.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg met last week with Amtrak leaders about issues in the Northeast Corridor and asked for regular updates, according to the Department of Transportation.

Much of the larger pot is set aside for major upgrades, like new train tunnels under the Hudson River to connect New York and New Jersey, a new version of the project Christie killed over a decade ago.

By the time some of those big projects, known collectively as Gateway, are finished, NJ Transit and Amtrak will have basically created an entirely new stretch of railway between New York Citys Penn Station and Newark, New Jersey.

But the total need for the corridor is about $135 billion over 15 years  far more than is on the table now.

Power problems

Much of the two railroads focus in solving the problems has been on key parts of their systems that must interact almost flawlessly for trains to run on time. Surprisingly, this issue isnt the tracks below the trains but the power lines overhead.

Amtrak power lines, known as catenaries, run along tracks to provide power to trains. New Jersey Transit trains have rooftop poles, known as pantographs, that draw power from those lines.

If something goes wrong, the poles can snag and even pull down the overhead lines. Not only does the train itself lose power but the downed lines mean power can be taken out across multiple tracks, possibly delaying tens of thousands of passengers all at once.

Garner said their investigation is looking at seven incidents involving the wires and poles over this summer. He called it a needle in a haystack, since some 24,000 trains used the same system during that period.

But each incident caused a spillover effect that brought back recollections of 2017, the so-called summer of hell for commuters in and around New York City.

Corbett said the comparison isnt quite right because problems for the railroads that year centered around New Yorks Penn Station. This years problems are cropping up somewhere along over 200 miles of railway.

In the report covering their work together from July through early August, Amtrak and New Jersey Transit said they have increased examination, inspection, maintenance, and improvement activities along the Northeast Corridor.

Theyve inspected 153 miles of the 240 miles of Amtrak track New Jersey Transit shares between Trenton and New York City.

Gardner said they have not been able to find a systemic problem with either the catenaries or the pantographs, though there have been some pieces of the latter breaking, perhaps because of high heat.

So theres a bit of a mystery here where we dont have a clear, identified issue with the catenary, we dont have a clear, identified issue with the pantograph, Gardner said.
Jill Biden tells DNC she fell in love with Joe all over again after he stepped aside from 2024 race

President Joe Biden officially passed the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Monday night, after a pair of glowing and emotional speeches about who he is as a family man from two people who know him best: his wife and daughter.

Ashley Biden and first lady Dr Jill Biden spoke just before the 46th president in Chicago took to the stage, telling the crowd how he led their family through dark times  the same way, they said, he had led the Democratic party and the nation through its own dark times.

The first lady, in particular, pointed to her husbands decision to step down from the 2024 race as a moment when she fell in love with him all over again.

Joe and I have been together for almost 50 years, and still, there are moments when I fall in love with him all over again, the first lady said, recounting how she saw him dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection, and endorse Kamala Harris with faith and conviction.

Ashley Biden, the presidents youngest child, recalled her fathers support for her as an independent woman growing up, calling him the OG girl dad.

Joe Biden is the OG girl dad, she said. He told me I could be anything, and I could do anything.

Together, the two women depicted the president as a relentless champion of women who, in the end, had made the decision to step aside to enable his female vice president to rise to the top of the ticket.

First lady Jill Biden speaks on night one of the DNC before her husband President Joe Biden. The first lady said she fell in love with her husband all over again when he decided not to seek re-election (Getty Images)

He wasn't just a girl dad. I could see that he valued and trusted women, Ashley Biden said, with strong emphasis on the final word.

How he listened to his mother. How he believed in his sister. And, most of all, how he respected my mothers career.

The pairs comments about respecting women could not have been more timely for Democrats  with abortion access and womens rights over their own bodies a major issue on the ballot this November.

It also comes as Democrats have gone on the offensive against Donald Trump and his running mate Senator JD Vance over their comments about women and their roles in society  chosen or otherwise.

In recent weeks, Vance has faced fierce backlash after his 2021 comments in Fox News interview resurfaced, in which he branded Harris and other Democrats childless cat ladies.

That scandal grew even worse for the GOP last week after it was revealed that Vance, then running for Senate, had appeared on a right-wing podcast and agreed as a host opined that postmenopausal women have no purpose in society beyond raising grandchildren.

Trump, meanwhile, has come under fire for making repeated personal attacks on Harris, including one especially controversial moment where he questioned her race.

President Joe Biden greets First Daughter Ashley Biden as he takes the stage. Ashley Biden delivered a speech saying her father was the original girl dad as he delivered his speech saying he would not seek re-election (Getty Images)

Harris, as the first Black woman to be chosen as nominee of a major political party, has opted to focus more on her opponents and their alleged views of women rather than on her own status as a history-making candidate for office.

The approach contrasts to some extent with the rhetoric from some of her biggest boosters onstage Monday evening, including women such as the Bidens and Hillary Clinton, the partys 2016 nominee. Clinton herself was the first woman to win a partys nominating contest that year.

The first lady was met onstage by a wave of green signs around the convention center bearing her name. Her remarks, along with her daughters, served to refocus the night on the incumbent president  whose own timeslot was relegated late into the night, thanks to a combination of convention delays and protests outside which delayed entry for some delegates and media.

Over the next three days, the convention is set to shift further towards a focus on Harris as the partys nominee.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. (Photo by WEWS.)

Hes done it again. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has deliberately sabotaged the ballot language of a citizens initiative on redistricting. He wants voters to defeat it in November so hes manipulating the wording on the ballot summary to advance that objective.

I dont know what happened to the states election chief. Early on LaRose had a solid reputation as a conscientious statewide official overseeing free, fair and highly accurate elections. For some reason, he threw it all away to become a political hack with zero respect. But I digress.

Last August, LaRose deliberately inserted loaded wording into another citizens initiative on abortion access. There was no question he wanted voters to defeat it in November 2023. Wrap your head around that; the top elections official in the state surreptitiously trying to influence the outcome of a statewide election issue.

LaRose, who was elected to impartially administer state elections, conspired with anti-abortion lobbyists to craft intentionally provocative ballot language on the abortion rights amendment to rig the results. Fortunately, Ohio voters saw through the secretarys subterfuge.

They overwhelmingly passed the abortion rights amendment last year despite the LaRose scheme to sink it with patently prejudicial ballot wording. But far from being humbled by the stinging public rebuke at the polls, the state elections boss topped his dirty dealings on the Ohio Ballot Board with an even more outrageous ploy last week.

LaRose injected gobsmacking deceit into ballot language about the redistricting amendment statewide voters will decide this November. Hes trying to skew the outcome of another election!

LaRose produced a stunningly deceptive portrayal of the anti-gerrymandering proposal that would prohibit politicians from drawing their own districts to advantage themselves  the way its worked against voters for decades. Ohios elections leader characterized the referendum on redistricting reform as pro-gerrymandering, anti-voter and partisan. He lied.

The amendment to remove politicians from the redistricting process is similar to a Michigan law voters decisively supported in 2018 to curb extreme gerrymandering and draw fairer, nonpartisan districts. Like Michigans constitutional amendment, Ohios initiative would also establish an independent redistricting commission to replace the current system of entrenched political engineering.

The proposed amendment calls for a citizen-led, multi-party panel without political ties. Commission members, selected by retired judges, would be tasked with drawing competitive, nonpartisan congressional and state legislative district maps following strict constitutional rules on proportional fairness and public transparency.

Its worth noting that the whole grassroots effort in Ohio  to mount a transformative change in how we conduct redistricting every ten years  only gained traction after state Republicans repeatedly thumbed their noses at voter-approved constitutional amendments already on the books and drew absurdly contorted districts to favor their party.

Citizens were keenly frustrated with Ohio GOP leaders who blithely ignored court orders to obey the state constitution and routinely submitted unconstitutional district maps until they ran out the clock with approaching elections. But LaRose wants voters to forget all that and accept his dishonest take on how much worse gerrymandering will be under a redistricting amendment designed to end it.

If LaRose prevails with his warped ballot wording on Issue 1 (the Citizens Not Politicians redistricting amendment)  challenges were immediately filed with the Ohio Supreme Court  he will again attempt to subvert fair play on another statewide issue. The chair of the state ballot board could have accepted a condensed, bullet-point text of the anti-gerrymandering initiative submitted by backers that was easy to follow and less than 200 words.

But LaRose chose to put his spin on the redistricting amendment ballot language with a loaded, 900-word summary that spans three pages to confuse voters with a deluge of specious screed. He even added gratuitous fear-mongering with phrasing about the referendum repealing constitutional protections against gerrymandering approved by nearly three-quarters of Ohio electors in 2015 and 2018.

Of course, those are the same constitutional protections LaRose and Republicans thumbed their noses at with seven straight sets of legislative and congressional maps the state supreme court declared unconstitutionally gerrymandered in Republicans favor. The secretary of state lied about citizen mapmakers being required to gerrymander the boundaries of state legislative and congressional districts to favor the two largest political parties in the state of Ohio.

He lied about the amendments restrictions on lobbyists and politicians influencing the map-drawing process also limiting citizens rights to free speech. And LaRose stooped to a slanted first impression in the title of the Issue 1 referendum to emphasize the proposed 15-member citizen redistricting commission is not elected by or subject to removal by the voters of the state.

On the Ohio Redistricting Commission, LaRose voted multiple times for unconstitutional, wildly gerrymandered maps that unfairly favored Republican incumbents in legislative and congressional districts. Yet he had the gall to begin the ballot language on the redistricting amendment by noting it would eliminate the longstanding ability of Ohio citizens to hold their representatives accountable for establishing fair state legislative and congressional districts. Please.

Retired Republican Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen OConor, who helped draft the redistricting amendment, was bemused. LaRoses lack of awareness about an electorate tired of being played for fools by partisan hacks is astounding. Do the politicians not see how angry voters are when they keep breaking the law to protect their own power?

In LaRoses case, obviously not.

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A central Ohio couple known for their philanthropy and commitment to the arts will now have an Ohio University college program named in their honor following a $25-million gift commitment, the university's board of trustees announced Monday.

Ohio University's College of Fine Arts will be renamed the Jeffrey D. Chaddock and Mark A. Morrow College of Fine Arts under a resolution approved by the Ohio University board of trustees. The multimillion-dollar commitment from the couple, the school said, will enhance programs and facilities while enriching the experience for students, faculty, and the Appalachian community.

Mark A. Morrow, left, and Jeffery D. Chaddock. Ohio University will be renaming their fine arts building after in honor of the couple following a $25-million gift commitment from them.

Jeffrey Chaddock, a 1988 alumnus of Ohio University and CEO of Envisage Wealth, a wealth advisory firm based in Gahanna, and his husband, Mark Morrow, a museum guide for the 9/11 Museum in New York City, have long supported arts-focused programs and the creation of spaces that foster creativity and collaboration, the university said.

Mark and I are delighted to support Ohio University's vision for the future. We steadfastly believe in art's power to transform lives, build understanding and unite communities, Chaddock said in a prepared statement. Our hope is that this public gift will inspire others to invest early and witness the profound impact their support can make.

Chaddock has also served as a member of the Ohio University Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Ohio University Foundation Board of Trustees.

The gift to OU will also include programmatic and facility endowments for the Kennedy Museum of Art and the Performing Arts & Concert Series, a fellowship for the college and a gift to its capital and renovation fund, as well as support for the Ohio University Press, the Universitys Pride Center and scholarships.

This is more than just financial support  it is an investment in the future of the arts, said Jody Lamb, interim dean of the OU College of Fine Arts.

Jeff and Mark are creating opportunities for our students to grow, express themselves and explore their creative potential.

smeighan@dispatch.com

@ShahidMeighan

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio University renames fine arts college after philanthropists
An Ohio woman is facing charges after investigators say she allegedly killed and ate a cat.

Canton police arrested 27-year-old Alexis Ferrell of Canton on Friday, Aug. 16, WKYC reported.

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According to a criminal complaint obtained by Fox 8, Ferrell is accused of killing the animal by stomping its head then eating the cat in a housing complex in Canton.

Ferrell was charged with Prohibitions concerning companion animal, Cruelty to animals, and Disorderly conduct, WKYC reported.

She was booked into the Stark County Jail, Fox 8 reported.

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Oklahoma City Public School Board approves teacher bonus program

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  A plan to help schools keep their best teachers is getting a second chance.

The OKCPS board voted Monday to take part in the teacher bonus program after a crucial change to where that money comes from.

The Oklahoma Teacher Empowerment Program (OTEP) allows excellent educators to elevate their professional growth and pay without moving into an administrative role, and it is expected to begin this school year.

Our goal is to prepare every Oklahoma City public school student to graduate, ready to fulfill their unique purpose and thrive in a healthy and vibrant community, said Brad Herzer, Assistant Superintendent for OKCPS.

To help achieve that, Oklahoma City public schools are rolling out a teacher empowerment program.

Based on these requirements, a teacher will qualify for three categories based on teaching certificate, experience, evaluation results and student performance.

To provide incentives for teachers to receive $3,000 to $10,000 pay increases, depending on the designation level, Herzer said.

Once you are put in your designation level, teachers will be graded on a rubric score for their attendance, professional development, awards, leadership and mentorship.

Mooreland PD hosts annual Hide and Seek event

It is used to elevate their professional growth and pay them without moving them out into an administrative role, Herzer said.

OKCPS actually rolled out this program back in 2022 under HB 4388, but it required schools to match the bonus.

So, a $3,000 bonus was designated for the teacher, the district had to match that, Herzer said. If there was a $5,000 designation, district had to match that, $10,000, etc. So, most districts across the state did not participate in that program.

In May, SB 1256 was passed getting rid of the requirement for the school to match. It was presented to the board today and passed unanimously.

We can have in the district up to 10% of our teachers that are designated as either master, lead or advanced, which would be approximately 250 teachers, Herzer said. We hope that many apply and take advantage of this opportunity.

Herzer says the program is funded through the Oklahoma Education Lottery Act, and they currently have around $42 million for the program.

They would like to start it for this school year but have one more step to take.

After receiving approval from the Oklahoma City Public School Board, they will now submit the plan to the State Department of Education 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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (This image cannot be republished unless you have a Getty subscription.)

Most home rule charter municipalities in our state, including Oklahoma City and Tulsa, have a recall procedure by which citizens may remove a city elected official.

Nineteen states, including our neighbors in Kansas, Louisiana, and Colorado, have a method to recall a statewide elected official.

But while some city charters give voters the power to hold municipal officials accountable through the recall process, Oklahoma law contains no provisions that allows voters to attempt to remove state and county elected officials before their term ends.

Its time for this to change.

McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy was recorded making comments about lynching Black people and killing journalists in March 2023. While he was defeated for reelection in the primary in June, Clardy is still in office through the end of the year. With no legal means to remove him, McCurtain County residents continue to be stuck with Clardy as their top law enforcement officer.

Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett is alleged to have groped a man at a conference of regulatory officials in June. Hiett claims no memory of the incident but has admitted to being intoxicated and having a drinking problem for which he is seeking treatment.

While he has stepped down as chair of the Corporation Commission, he is refusing to resign his position as one of the three commissioners. An investigation is underway into his conduct, but since the incident occurred out of state and theres no report of charges being filed, its very likely that Hiett will stay in office until the end of his term in January 2027.

State Superintendent of Education Ryan Walters has been the subject of repeated calls for impeachment, the most recent by several prominent Republican legislators. Hes facing questions about whether he followed open records and meetings laws and whether hes allocating public funds appropriately. He is being investigated by the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT). However, Speaker Charles McCall has stated that he will not consider the impeachment request unless 51 of the 81 Republicans in the Oklahoma House join in support. In a similar situation to Hiett and Clardy, barring a conviction for a criminal act, Oklahomans can expect Walters to continue in office until the end of his term in 2027.

With each of these officials, it seems likely that an effort would be made to remove them from office through a recall, if only such a process existed that applied to state and county officials.

Would a citizen-led recall attempt in these cases be able to get on the ballot, and if so, would it then receive the support of voters to be successful? Its impossible to say.

But it seems clear that its long overdue for our state lawmakers to craft and pass a legislative referendum to give citizens the ability to recall an objectionable elected official at any level of government in the state through direct democracy.

Recall is a much needed tool to make the politicians answerable to the people.

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Most home rule charter municipalities in our state, including Oklahoma City and Tulsa, have a recall procedure by which citizens may remove a city elected official.

Nineteen states, including our neighbors in Kansas, Louisiana, and Colorado, have a method to recall a statewide elected official.

But while some city charters give voters the power to hold municipal officials accountable through the recall process, Oklahoma law contains no provisions that allows voters to attempt to remove state and county elected officials before their term ends.

Its time for this to change.

McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy was recorded making comments about lynching Black people and killing journalists in March 2023. While he was defeated for reelection in the primary in June, Clardy is still in office through the end of the year. With no legal means to remove him, McCurtain County residents continue to be stuck with Clardy as their top law enforcement officer.

Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett is alleged to have groped a man at a conference of regulatory officials in June. Hiett claims no memory of the incident but has admitted to being intoxicated and having a drinking problem for which he is seeking treatment.

While he has stepped down as chair of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, he is refusing to resign his position as one of the three commissioners. An investigation is underway into his conduct, but since the incident occurred out of state and theres no report of charges being filed, its very likely that Hiett will stay in office until the end of his term in January 2027.

Opinion: Ryan Walters has become a household name in Oklahoma, but not for the right reasons | Letter

State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters has been the subject of repeated calls for impeachment, the most recent by several prominent Republican legislators. Hes facing questions about whether he followed open records and meetings laws and whether hes allocating public funds appropriately. He is being investigated by the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT). However, Speaker Charles McCall has stated he will not consider the impeachment request unless 51 of the 81 Republicans in the Oklahoma House join in support. In a similar situation to Hiett and Clardy, barring a conviction for a criminal act, Oklahomans can expect Walters to continue in office until the end of his term in 2027.

With each of these officials, it seems likely that an effort would be made to remove them from office through a recall, if only such a process existed that applied to state and county officials.

Would a citizen-led recall attempt in these cases be able to get on the ballot, and if so, would it then receive the support of voters to be successful? Its impossible to say.

Ediorial: Legislators, remove Ryan Walters. End his toxic crusade against Oklahoma teachers

But it seems clear that its long overdue for our state lawmakers to craft and pass a legislative referendum to give citizens the ability to recall an objectionable elected official at any level of government in the state through direct democracy.

Recall is a much needed tool to make the politicians answerable to the people.

Chris Powell

Chris Powell is the chair of the Oklahoma Libertarian Party and was the party's first nominee for governor in 2018. 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 Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma voters should have power to remove state, county officials
A veteran Opa-locka police sergeant was fired Monday for the second time in his 14-year career with the department for tasing a fellow officer and showing no remorse, a probe reveals. Its also not the first time in which Sergio Perez has been in hot water  as he was under investigation for allegedly abusing a mentally ill teen during an arrest in 2020.

On Monday afternoon, City Manager Darvin Williams accepted Police Chief Kenneth Ottleys recommendation to terminate Perez.

Perez has worked with the Opa-locka Police Department since 2007, receiving numerous promotions, before ultimately ascending from officer to captain.

READ MORE: Opa-locka officer arrested again  this time for dragging bound teen down steps

That was until September 2021, when then-Captain Perez walked into the police departments office with a taser turned on. He went up to Sgt. Michael Steel, who was sitting at his desk, and said he was there to certify him with the new taser, an internal affairs investigation report read.

Steel repeatedly told Perez that he did not want to be tased, the report read. Despite his assertion, Perez proceeded to zap him with the training model taser, which has felt tips that officers use for practice.

After springing out of his seat, the report said Perez told Steel to stop being a baby, before he left the office laughing in amusement.

A few days later, the sergeant reported the incident. The departments investigation was paused when Perez was criminally charged for his actions but resumed once the case was dropped in January.

The internal affairs investigation concluded Perez violated several department policies, including misusing equipment, injuring an officer and administrative misconduct.

The City of Opa-locka will hold a press conference Wednesday to elaborate on his termination.

Perez told the Miami Herald that his termination was a smokescreen to shield the police department from alleged corruption allegations.

The former HR director already testified that I was demoted for this event, but as a measure of retaliation, I am being disciplined again as they are doing everything to avoid exposure and facing the music, he said.

Perez added that he reported criminal conduct involving missing evidence to the departments internal affairs division last week.

Unfortunately, the police chief and the City Manager have turned a blind eye to the corruption I have reported.

His lawyer Rick Diaz said that he would soon file a civl rights lawsuit against the city and about 10 others  alleging malicious investigations, false arrest and malicious prosecution. Perez will separately challenge his termination through his unions collective bargaining arbitration process.

I think the City of Opa-locka will live to regret the decision of firing him, Diaz said. I hope they have a big insurance policy or a lot of money in reserve.

Checkered past?

Perez was arrested and reassigned after his use of a taser on Steel, but that was not the only time he was handcuffed for his actions while on-duty.

In November 2022, Perez turned himself in after a misdemeanor battery charge was filed against him for an incident in 2020.

He and another officer responded to a family in distress who tied up their mentally ill teen with cables. The family told the officers they no longer needed them when they arrived, but that did not stop the pair from dragging the teen across the ground, cellphone video showed.

The police department internally cleared Perez of any wrongdoing, and a jury acquitted him in March.

READ MORE: Mentally ill teen, hit with Taser and dragged down steps while tied up, sues Opa-locka police

Perez was fired for the first time by the department two years after a 2013 crash, in which the city said he chased a car the wrong way down Interstate 95 before it crashed into an SUV, killing four people.

A few years later, he was rehired by Opa-locka police after an arbiter ruled they citys investigation was flawed.

READ MORE: Opa-locka cop fired for wrong-way crash that killed four
Colorado has officially finalized its regulatory framework for the emerging psilocybin industry following the 2022 passage of Proposition 122. This measure decriminalized the possession, use, and cultivation of psilocybin  commonly known as magic mushrooms  making Colorado the second state in the nation to do so.
At the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., got 90 seconds to speak. Ocasio-Cortez was then a freshman lawmaker whod toppled a 10-term Democratic incumbent with a left-wing campaign that shocked the party and the country. Her speech, delivered on the second night of that convention, was about rallying progressives and seconding the presidential nomination of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. It was a symbolic move because he had lost his presidential campaign, his second one, in the primaries. She spoke about her loyalty to a mass peoples movement, which she said was needed to address the brutality of the economy, recognize colonialism and propose deep systemic solutions. She was speaking at a convention for the party, but her remarks were aimed at the partys shortcomings.

Ocasio-Cortezs speech Monday night couldnt have been more different.

She was given seven minutes during a prime-time slot on opening night. She introduced herself as a former waitress but made no mention of her background as a left-wing political organizer. She wasnt sounding a dissenting note about a failed insurgency; instead, she was firing up the crowd for the nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Harris running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Gone was the talk about a mass movement; Ocasio-Cortez focused on the health and the future of the Democratic Party, including winning not just the White House, but majorities in both chambers of Congress. While Ocasio-Cortez spoke about class divisions, the rhetoric was dialed down, more in line with the party establishments generic conception of the wealthy versus the rest. Ocasio-Cortez's praise for Harris for being for the middle class because she is from the middle class made her sound more like a centrist Democrat than a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Monday night's Ocasio-Cortez had grown into a creature of the establishment, both for better and for worse.

The contrast between her two DNC appearances illustrates Ocasio-Cortezs swift ascendance within the party. Ocasio-Cortez remains the leading voice of the Squad, the most progressive bloc of lawmakers in the House. But her collaboration with President Joe Biden during his time in office  during which he governed further to the left on social spending and climate policy than anyone expected  has resulted in her evolution from gadfly to strategic progressive partner for the party. She serves as an advocate and surrogate for certain sectors of the left within the party, but simultaneously maintains increasingly strong ties with the upper echelons of the party. She did not play hardball with Biden with defections from his bills as he compromised on progressive legislation to win over conservatives in the party.

And in the most striking display of her change to date, Ocasio-Cortez, alongside Sanders, argued for Biden to remain the partys presidential nominee even as the party establishment turned on him after his fateful June debate performance against former President Donald Trump. Ocasio-Cortezs rationale for that may have been based primarily on the strategic belief that Biden was more reliable than any potential establishment successor as a friend of the left. But still, her sticking vociferously by his side despite his extreme unpopularity reflected a strategic calculus removed from her background of channeling grassroots energy.

Becoming an operator means more input into consequential policy. But it often also means becoming a more pliant politician.

The most striking  and disappointing  moment of Ocasio-Cortezs speech came when she praised Harris for working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bringing hostages home. It was a stunning dodge on the biggest issue for the American movement left today. The Biden administration has long stated that it desires a cease-fire; the real problem is the administrations failure to take any punitive steps against Israel, which has shown stunning disregard for civilian life in Gaza while contemplating radical solutions at odds with international law and dragging its feet.

Ocasio-Cortez couldve called for the party to focus on the plight of Palestinian civilians there, or reverse its wicked policy of defunding the UNRWA that makes it harder to get life-saving supplies distributed throughout the territory. She couldve issued a subtle challenge to Harris to take a position on conditioning aid to Israel. She couldve supported some of the protesters raging outside the convention as calling for overdue moral clarity. Instead, she used her influence as the most prominent progressive in Congress to give Harris a green light without Harris having really done anything to earn it. And, thus, Ocasio-Cortez summed up the vexing eternal trade-offs of gaining power: The closer one gets to the center of power, the less capable one is of fundamentally challenging it.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
The first night of the Democratic National Convention concluded with President Joe Bidens valedictory speech passing the proverbial torch to his vice president, Kamala Harris. But the proceedings before Bidens address, which closed with the two hugging on stage, made clear Biden has done more than hand off a presidential nomination. Hes also bequeathed her a party that, thanks in part to his efforts, is perhaps more united than any time in history.

Eight years ago, at the 2016 Democratic convention, the divide between partisans for Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders was impossible to ignore. Sanders supporters remained bitter about his defeat in the 2016 primaries, with many falsely accusing the DNC of rigging the election against him  and staging large protests in the streets of Philadelphia. Hundreds of his supporters walked out of the convention hall when Clinton officially clinched the nomination, while those who stayed held up signs criticizing Clinton and maintaining their support for Sanders. Given the narrowness of that Novembers election, the left-wing insurgency against Clinton arguably contributed to her defeat.

None of these divisions will be evident this week. On Tuesday night, Sanders will deliver a prime-time address, following last nights similarly plum speaking spot for the woman who seconded his nomination at the 2020 convention: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Indeed, Ocasio-Cortez might have bumped into Clinton backstage on Monday night, as the two spoke just minutes apart.

Even more importantly, both women offered similar messages supporting Bidens accomplishments and Kamala Harriss promise. The Democratic Party still has some divisions, particularly over the war in Gaza, but even on that issue, there is far more unanimity among elected Democrats than it might seem. On Monday night, when Ocasio-Cortez called for a cease-fire in Gaza and a return of Israeli hostages, she was endorsing the White Houses position on the issue.

This new spirit of party unity is driven, in part, by vast and often underappreciated shifts within the two parties. In the run-up to this weeks convention in Chicago, much was written about comparing this event to the partys Windy City convention in 1968. But for all the similarities, many of those present in Chicago 56 years ago would likely not recognize the Democratic Party of today.

In 1968, there were significant and unbridgeable differences among Democrats over the war in Vietnam, civil rights, law and order and even the proper role of government in the lives of the American people.

In fact, for a good chunk of the Democratic Partys modern history, there were two distinct political wings  a Southern wing of unreconstructed segregationists and a Northern wing of more liberal Democrats and Black Americans.

But over the past two decades, the South has become increasingly dominated by the GOP, while Democrats have conquered the North and the West Coast. Moderate Democrats  and moderate Republicans  have gone the way of the dodo bird. Polarization has led to less split-ticket voting and greatly decreased the incentives for members of either party to avoid party dogma. The two parties have gone from being unwieldy heterogeneous groupings to largely homogenous political constellations.

But despite greater ideological agreement, the divisions in 2016 were real and serious. Biden has gone out of his way to smooth them over. When he won the Democratic nomination in 2020, with Sanders again the runner-up, Biden did the opposite of what most presumptive nominees have traditionally done  rather than run to the political center, he extended an olive branch to the left. He adopted key elements of the lefts policy agenda on everything from crime and the environment to education, health care and trade.

Bidens actions as the nominee befitted a politician who navigated between the center and left in his decades in the Senate and seemingly always ended up smack dab in the middle of the two sides.

As president, Biden continued this balancing act  maintaining lines of communication with the left and supporting parts of their policy agenda, most notably on the issue of student loan forgiveness. While other Democratic presidents (see Bill Clinton and Barack Obama) have had adversarial relationships with the left, Biden has been the exact opposite. It was small wonder that in July, when many Democrats were clamoring for Biden to step down as party nominee, Ocasio-Cortez, Sanders and their allies were among the biggest proponents of Biden staying on the ticket.

To be sure, the specter of another Trump term in office is perhaps the strongest unifying force for Democrats. Still, when it comes to hot-button issues that once divided the party  abortion, guns, immigration, trade, unions, civil rights, even criticisms of corporate America  there is little evident daylight among Democrats. That has helped create a striking sense of unity this week that goes well beyond antipathy toward the GOP nominee.

While Republicans are seemingly united by their support of Donald Trump, the seamless shift from Biden to Harris shows that Democrats, in 2024, are largely signing from the same policy hymnal. Even more than his full-throated endorsement of Harris, this might be Bidens biggest gift to her  and to the Democratic Party.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Listen to this full episode of The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Stitcher.

The Democratic National Convention has kicked off, but even before it began, Fox News hosts were already denouncing it.

On Sunday, Fox host Laura Ingraham called out the convention on X for its rock concert vibe.

Then, on Monday, during a panel discussion on The Five, co-hosts Jesse Watters and Jeanine Pirro teamed up, with Watters claiming the relationship between Kamala Harris and Joe Biden had reached toxic levels. Pirro, meanwhile, claimed everybody hates everybody else within the Democratic ranks, adding that Kamala wants nothing to do with [Joe Biden]. Sean Hannity also denounced the gathering of Democrats.

But the hosts of The New Abnormal are not having it.

Im not quite sure what policy Hulk Hogan or the washed-up Kid Rock offered whatsoever, but I think that were going to see what the Democrats vision is for America, co-host Danielle Moodie says. I think its going to be super-exciting and its going to be a stark contrast to the nightmare that we witnessed that was the RNC.

Subscribe to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Overcast.

Then, Jonathan M. Metzl, author of What Weve Become: Living and Dying in a Country of Arms, joins the show to share his thoughts on how the Biden-Harris administration has been doing around the gun issue and how that would continue and/or shift with a Harris-Walz administration. Metzl acknowledges Biden has achieved some pretty important things or trying to at least and says of a new administration: Right now with Harris-Walz, I think theres an opportunity to build on that, but also to speak to those voters in the middle.

JD Vance Thinks Suburban Women Dont Care About Abortion

Plus! Denny Carter, founder of Bad Faith Times, is here to break down his recent piece, Democrats Are Saying No to Leslie Knope Politics, and why Kamala Harris needs to keep ignoring the mainstream medias pressure.

Listen to this full episode of The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Stitcher.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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When it comes to the suffering in Gaza, Vice President Kamala Harris is not President Joe Biden. The people Biden angered with his words, his policies and his bear hug of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu already get that. In fact, the leaders of Michigans uncommitted movement, who in February convinced more than 100,000 voters to not support Biden in the states presidential primary election, have made that very point. In 2020, nearly an estimated 69% of Arab or Muslim voters supported Biden.

As Abbas Alawieh, a co-founder of the uncommitted movement, said at a recent news conference, There are early indications that there is an openness to engaging with our movement that feels like a shift from how our requests were being treated previously. Layla Elabed, another co-founder, counted it a positive sign that Harris comments after meeting with Netanyahu in July included mention of the horrific suffering of Palestinians in Gaza. Harris pointed to the images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third, or fourth time  We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering.

Then, she added powerfully, And I will not be silent.

But the leaders of this movement, which also includes large numbers in other swing states, note that for Harris to truly inspire people, she needs to do more than change tone. She must articulate a new way forward. And the perfect place to do that is at this weeks Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

On the upside, the movement is already seeing results with the Democratic National Committee, on Day One of the convention, holding the first official panel to discuss Palestinian human rights. Panelists included Elabed, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and former Rep. Andy Levin, D-Mich. In advance, the uncommitted movement called the panel an important step toward recognizing the rightful place of human rights advocates for Palestinian rights within the Democratic Party.

And to Harris credit, she broke from Biden on his Gaza policy in early March, long before she became her partys presidential nominee. At the annual commemoration of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama, she became the most senior member of the Biden administration to publicly call for a cease-fire in the Gaza war. She spoke then of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and said, What we are seeing every day in Gaza is devastating. We have seen reports of families eating leaves or animal feed, women giving birth to malnourished babies with little or no medical care, and children dying from malnutrition and dehydration. She poignantly added, Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed.

While Harris reiterated the Biden administrations unwavering commitment to Israels security, at the same time, she criticized Netanyahu for imposing restrictions on humanitarian relief and said there can be no excuses for not allowing food, water and other supplies into Gaza.

Harris remarks were a far cry from Bidens comments weeks after Hamas horrific Oct. 7 terrorist attack and Netanyahus brutal response that has killed thousands of civilians and collectively punished the more than 2 million people of Gaza. When he was asked then to respond to reports that nearly 2,700 Palestinian children had been killed by Israeli military action, Biden said coldly, I have no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed. Then he added, Im sure innocents have been killed, and its the price of waging a war.

Since then, Biden has expressed far more compassion for Palestinian suffering, most notably at the State of the Union address where he spoke of the heartbreaking killing of thousands and thousands of innocent women and children and he has worked for a cease-fire. However, to many, Bidens pivot comes across as less of an organic shift and more like a response to the political pressure. Not only was the uncommitted movement exerting such pressure, but polling from around that time showed that only 36 percent of Democrats approved of Netanyahus military actions in Gaza. Add to that, Biden was being vocally pressed to change course in Gaza by Black leaders who represented a core part of his base.

But Harris represents something unique for the 80 percent of Democrats who have long supported a cease-fire in Gaza. She is a person of color. For many in the Arab and Muslim community, she looks like family.

Both of her parents, as she notes in her book, The Truths We Hold, grew up under British colonial rule: her father in Jamaica and her mother in India. And it was her parents activism, especially her mothers participation in the U.S. civil rights movement, that inspired her to become active in politics. Harris family history enables her  in a way that Biden cannot  to viscerally understand the pain of a people, in this case the Palestinians, seeking self-determination and equal rights.

I have heard an openness to voting for Harris from many in the Arab and Muslim community  some of whom had vocally opposed Biden because of his Gaza policy. They applaud her words, but policy matters far more. Mayor Abdullah Hammoud of Dearborn, Michigan, made that point on NPR after praising Harris criticism of Netanyahu. What we want is more than just someone who is tough on rhetoric, he said. We want somebody who is tough on policy.

The Democratic convention is the perfect platform for Harris to address this.

She needs to use this moment to share a policy-based vision for going forward. She needs to expound upon the comments she made after meeting Netanyahu last month, when she spoke of ensuring that the Palestinian people can exercise their right to freedom, dignity and self-determination. Consistent with that, she could condition aid to Israel based on committing to a two-state solution.

Harris could also vow to enforce the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, which requires that any security assistance or military equipment provided to another country by the United States be used in accordance with internationally recognized human rights. This is the very law that Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and other Democrats want enforced against Netanyahus administration.

And the list goes on of possible policy prescriptions Harris could announce to show a commitment beyond words, including a potential arms embargo if Netanyahu refuses to use U.S.-supplied weapons in accordance with international law, or she could promise to no longer protect Netanyahu and his administration before the U.N. Security Council by vetoing resolutions that target his government. She could also vow to impose additional U.S. sanctions on extreme settlers engaged in violence directed at Palestinians in the West Bank  where my relatives live.

We all get that former President Donald Trump would be far worse for the Palestinian people and for our communities here in the United States. As president, Trump delivered all the right-wing wishes of Netanyahu, including moving the U.S.embassy to Jerusalem, no longer viewing Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal  despite international law to the contrary  and cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to agencies that provide vitally needed assistance to Palestinian refugees. And during his 2024 campaign, Trump has not only cheered on Netanyahus war in Gaza but has used the term Palestinian as a slur to describe Biden and even Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Few in the uncommitted camp  if any  will vote for Trump. But inspiring the hundreds of thousands of Arabs and Muslims and our allies in swing states from Michigan to Georgia to Wisconsin to Pennsylvania will take more than good vibes from Harris. It will take a well-articulated policy.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
By providing Ukraine with early military, political, and financial support, U.S. President Joe Bidens administration saved it from being overrun by Russia. Yet since November 2022, the conflict has been locked in a stalemate, which is not to Ukraines advantage. If elected, Kamala Harris should make it an explicit goal to turn todays horrendous war of attrition into a Ukrainian victory. Ukraines surprising offensive in Russias Kursk Oblast may be the beginning of a more promising development.

Ukraines own goals are clear: to restore full territorial integrity; to allow all displaced Ukrainian citizens  including the thousands of children kidnapped by Russia  to return; and to receive full compensation for the damage Russia has caused. By contrast, the United States currently has no strategy to speak of. The Biden administration merely claims that it will support Ukraine for as long as it takes, whereas Harriss Republican challenger, Donald Trump, promises to end the war in a day, implying complete capitulation to the Kremlin.

For Harris, the current impasse is an opportunity. Two-thirds of Americans are rooting for Ukraines victory, and she has already dealt extensively with Ukraine, having met President Volodymyr Zelensky six times and led the U.S. delegation to the Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland in June. As U.S. vice president, she has followed Bidens lead; but as president, she could turn the war around and make Ukraine one of her big winning issues.

Read also: Opinion: The hidden toll of Ukraines aid workers demands recognition on World Humanitarian Day

Doing so will require a comprehensive strategy backed by sufficient resources. The Biden administrations policy (presumably the work of National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan) is to defend Ukraine without provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin. Owing to irrational fears about nuclear attacks or World War III, the White House has created imaginary Russian red lines, thus offering Russia a sanctuary from Ukrainian attacks with Western arms. But given that Putin would not survive a nuclear war, he is exceedingly unlikely to go down that path.

Another fundamental shortcoming of the Biden policy is the lack of any clear goal. The goal should be to provide Ukraine with enough support to defeat Russia. Harris should appoint a national security adviser who is whole-heartedly committed to that objective. The Ukrainians are bravely fighting on their own. They are not calling for foreign troops; but they do need potent arms, the right to use them to target Russian bases, and sufficient funding from the West.

Ukraine received about $100 billion in 2023 (half of it military assistance, and the rest budget support and humanitarian aid), and it is on track to receive around the same amount in 2024. While substantial, that is not enough to tip the balance. For an outright victory, Ukraine would probably need $150 billion per year, with a doubling of military support to $100 billion. That would equip it to win the war, which would then reduce future costs (not to mention Ukrainian suffering).

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris smile at the conclusion of a press conference during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 17, 2024. (Wolfgang Rattay/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)"

It is no secret where such funding can be found. The West has frozen $280 billion in Russian reserves, two-thirds of which are held in the private Euroclear system in Belgium. Moreover, the U,S. Congress has sensibly passed legislation authorizing the Department of the Treasury to seize frozen Russian assets, while demanding that the European Union do the same. But the EU has refused, owing mainly to opposition from France and Germany.

This European resistance makes no sense. With Russia violating international law on a daily basis, the Kremlin cannot credibly demand the protection of international law. Like the U.S., the EU needs to adopt legislation allowing for Russian funds to be seized and used to support Ukraine. Though only around $5 billion has been located in the U.S., that money can be seized and delivered to Ukraine immediately to set an example for the Europeans. True, in June, the U.S. persuaded other G7 members to lend Ukraine $50 billion by drawing on the future yields from frozen Russian funds. That was a good start. But Ukraine needs the money as soon as possible to defeat Russia.

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Canada were Ukraines primary sources of military aid and training. During the wars early months, they were understandably reluctant to furnish the Ukrainians with the most sophisticated arms, for fear that Russia would seize them. But these fears were alleviated by the summer of 2022. For two years now, the U.S. could have been providing Ukraine with the weapons it needed to push the Russians back.

Read also: Opinion: 6 ways Ukraines Kursk incursion is changing the tide of war

Very little will happen unless America leads. The U.S. remains globally dominant in arms production and exports, whereas the Europeans have too few arms to change the balance in the war.

Finally, we come to the most absurd flaw in Americas Ukraine policy: the prohibition against using U.S.-supplied weapons to hit Russian bases from which Ukraine is being attacked. This policy is not even in keeping with the right to self-defense enshrined in the UN Charter. It should be revoked immediately.

The war in Ukraine could be a boon for Harris, but she must correct Bidens mistakes and provide the additional resources Ukraine needs to defeat Russia. By seizing Russian sovereign assets and persuading U.S. allies to do the same, she can help Ukraine win without placing any additional budgetary burden on Americans.

Editors Note: Copyright, Project Syndicate. This article was published by Project Syndicate on Aug. 13, 2024, and has been republished by the Kyiv Independent with permission.The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent.

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Then-Vice President Richard Nixon arrives in Salt Lake City and takes his famous pose of outstretched arms and hands held up in a V. | W. Claudell Johnson, Deseret News Archives

This month marks a half-century since President Richard M. Nixon resigned from office, so far the only chief executive officer of the United States to do so. As this indicates, his long career encompassed great failure, but he also enjoyed great triumphs.

Nixons successes include important but rarely mentioned 1957 civil rights legislation, the first since the Civil War era and a priority of the Eisenhower administration. The law created the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department and empowered federal prosecutors to enforce voting rights.

While powerful Southern Democrats in Congress weakened the final act, a firm initial foundation was nonetheless created for the historic civil rights and voting rights laws of 1964 and 1965.

As president, Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency. One significant public spur was the dramatic, extraordinary incineration of debris and pollution in the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1969, the year Nixon was inaugurated.

The fire lasted less than a half-hour and resulted in damage to railroad bridges but no injury to people. Nonetheless, the media and political reverberations were tremendous.

Foreign policy was Nixons professional passion, and his accomplishments were truly historic. Long U.S. involvement in Vietnam ended. The SALT I treaties with the Soviet Union stabilized the arms race. The opening to China mitigated strategic costs of Communist victory in Vietnam. Fixed currency exchange rates were ended, reflecting new realities. These and other policy successes are of lasting importance.

Nixon speechwriter Pat Buchanan, an influential author and activist in earlier decades, deserves serious attention. He spearheaded insurgent nationalism in the Republican Party in 1992 and 1996 and was the Reform Party candidate for president in 2000. He influenced the final election outcome, and is a link joining the Nixon and Trump eras.

Nixons road was never easy. Sometimes self-defeating ways were combined with remarkable effectiveness. Though newly elected to the Senate, he became Dwight Eisenhowers 1952 running mate by positioning himself as bridge between isolationist and internationalist wings of the Republican Party.

The youthful new 39-year-old vice president began to work relentlessly to build grassroots support and a reputation for expertise. In 1960, Eastern upper-class backers of Ike bet on Nelson Rockefeller as Republican presidential nominee.

Nixon outmaneuvered the powerful financial and industrial interests, helped crucially by grassroots Republicans. He worked constantly and relentlessly to cultivate that base.

He redefined and greatly elevated the importance of the office of vice president. In so doing, he greatly strengthened American government, especially given that vice presidents tend to become president.

Richard Nixon also deserves credit for debating John F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential context. Kennedy privately credited those debates as crucial to his election. Presidential candidate debates are now a campaign staple, thanks to President Gerald Fords generous willingness in 1976 to build on the 1960 precedent.

Nixon in retirement met with aspiring young Republicans. When asked about controversy, he emphasized that it could be helpful. Worry instead about being boring  once voters lose interest, youre finished.

Richard Nixons legacy is enormous and evolving. Watergate, the crisis generated by criminal acts tied to the White House, ended his presidency. That capped a grotesque, violent decade, important to understand.

As those terrible times fade, Nixons enduring policy achievements will become more visible.

Related and important is his and wife, Pats, successful family.

Arthur I. Cyr is the author of After the Cold War  American Foreign Policy, Europe and Asia. Contact acyr@carthage.edu
Students and others look through a box filled with books at New College of Florida, in Sarasota, Fla., on Thursday.

On a quiet Tuesday afternoon in August, just a week before students were due to return to campus, the administration of New College of Florida emptied the library of the colleges Gender and Diversity Center by putting those books in a dumpster. They were joined shortly afterward by books from the main library, most on topics related to religion and LGBTQ+ issues.

According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, New College claimed that by law it couldnt donate or sell the books, but thats false  it could have sold or transferred the property, so long as any sale was open to the public. In the past, if space needed to be made and old books removed, students were notified and many of books were claimed. But that didnt happen here.

The book purge happened in the summer, before anyone returned to campus  and as the Herald-Tribune reported, students said they werent notified  and before long the vast majority were carted off to the landfill. The books included "When I Knew," a collection of essays about queer self-discovery; an intermediate Hebrew language workbook; and a classic work of medieval European history, John Boswells "Same Sex Unions in Premodern Europe."

Christopher Rufo, a right-wing culture warrior appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis as a trustee of New College, has espoused a vision for the college as a public university, open to all, in which exceptional students of any background can participate in the great tradition of the West. As part of that new mission, Rufo and the rest of the trustees spearheaded the removal of the program in gender studies at New College, claiming that the discipline was ideological activism and that it didnt fit with the mission of a university.

Students and faculty  the ones most affected by this decision  strenuously objected, but were ignored. The dumpster full of books completes this mission that began in August 2023. Rufo posted on X, We abolished the gender studies program. Now were throwing out the trash. So much for the universitys protestations of innocence.

Although it may seem paradoxical, Rufos evocation of western civilization sits squarely within a tradition of authoritarians controlling access to knowledge, taking books away from people for their own good. Theres lots of history of right-wing takeovers of universities during the 20th century, including the destruction of books about gender and sexuality in 1930s Germany, but as medievalists we see comparisons that stretch further back  much further back.

In 1240, King Louis IX of France (also known as St. Louis) decided, without consulting the Jewish community, that the Talmud  the primary text of Jewish law  was dangerous. He decided that, in fact, this sacred book that had been used for nearly a millennium was heretical and that the Jews had strayed from Biblical Judaism and into error with their newfangled medieval Rabbinic Jewish practice. Louis IX, he told himself, was just the guy to help them out.

The Talmud was put on trial, the book literally prosecuted by the chancellor of the University of Paris, the bishop of Paris, the archbishop of Sens and other Christian clerics, with the case presided over by Louis mother. But the outcome was predetermined. Even as the Jewish community protested, the king seized all the manuscript copies of the Talmud he could lay his hands on. Then, in June 1241, in a square in Paris just across the river from Notre-Dame, he burned those cartloads of books.

In the 13th century, Louis didnt really care about the Jews nor the Talmud; he was worried about the state of his Christian kingdom, about getting right with God by punishing non-Christians, so that he could literally launch another crusade to the Holy Land. But Louis wasnt content with controlling what the Jews read; he attempted to convert them by force and threatened to expel any Jews who kept their own copies of the banned books. In 1268, he ordered all the Jews of France to be arrested and have their assets seized.

But there was another path. In the 13th century, just across the River Seine from the pyre of burning books, students at the University of Paris (including luminaries like St. Bonaventure and St. Thomas Aquinas) were studying Jewish and Islamic philosophy with such relish that they were dismissed by outsiders as ideologues. History doesnt repeat, but sometimes it echoes.

The desecration at New College wasnt the first time and wont be the last time that ideology trumps the pursuit of knowledge. But if the American right wants to talk about western civilization, then lets tell the whole story.

Would-be tyrants have been destroying books for centuries, and once you start destroying books, its usually not long until you treat groups of people the same way. Purging books according to ones personal ideology goes against everything that the university stands for.

Here in the 21st century, the leaders of New College who are and dumping books in the great tradition of the West dont really care about their students any more than their fellow travelers from the Middle Ages, who cared more about their own crusades than the free and open pursuit of an education.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Former President Donald Trumps effort to dodge accountability for his crimes is still going strong. Its not just his unhinged campaign for president, which represents an attempt to avoid prison. He has also continued pushing for delays in all four criminal cases against him, most recently demanding his criminal sentencing in Manhattan be delayed until after the election. Because there is no basis for this latest delay under the law and Trumps political purposes are so obvious, the court should reject this out of hand.

Trump was convicted back in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, all to cover up interfering in the 2016 presidential election by paying hush money to an adult film actress to hide their affair. Having already successfully postponed his sentencing from July 11 to Sept. 18, Trumps attorneys recently asked Judge Juan Merchan to further postpone it until after Election Day. In response, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs office on Monday deferred to the judges discretion but noted there are strong reasons that Trumps position should be rejected.

Under New York sentencing law, the test Merchan must apply is whether the delay is reasonable. It is anything but. For starters, Trumps motion for delay cites the Supreme Courts recent decision in Trump v. U.S., which provides at least presumptive immunity for official acts. On Sept. 16, two days before the current sentencing date, Merchan will rule on Trumps motion to vacate his conviction on the basis of that immunity ruling. Trumps lawyers claim that he cannot be sentenced until after any appeals of the Sept. 16 decision are fully and finally resolved.

Huh? Whatever may be said about the mix of official and unofficial acts at issue in the 2020 attempted coup, which was the subject of the Supreme Courts decision, the Manhattan case clearly concerns unofficial conduct. As the DAs office explained in a separate and meticulously detailed filing last month, a presidential candidate conspiring to interfere in an election by paying hush money to a porn star and then falsifying business records to cover it up simply does not describe the commission of official presidential acts.

Moreover, although Trump complains about the admission at trial of evidence relating to events that happened in the White House (such as a conversation Trump had with an official adviser in 2018), this evidence was actually about non-presidential conduct, as I have explained elsewhere. Trump and his lawyers repeatedly commit the fallacy that any time he does something, that makes it official conduct. But that is not what the Supreme Court ruled, and in fact at the Manhattan trial prosecutors adeptly limited the questioning to unofficial conduct.

As Braggs office stated in responding to Trumps request to delay his sentencing, it is correct that the denial of immunity from prosecution is immediately appealable  i.e., it would be appealable before trial. But here, in contrast to defendants criminal case in D.C., the question of defendants immunity from prosecution is not presented. Thats because the dispute ultimately concerns the admission of evidence about events during Trumps presidency, and the DAs office explained that the Supreme Courts recent decision did not consider whether a trial courts ruling on that distinct evidentiary question is immediately appealable, and there are strong reasons why it should not be.

Criminal appeals are generally decided after defendants are sentenced. There is no reason here to divert from that well-established practice that ensures the prompt and orderly administration of justice. No other defendant would be allowed this pause. Neither should Trump be if we are to live up to the American principle that no one is above the law.

Trumps other arguments fare no better. He also says that the sentencing should be delayed until after the election to prospectively mitigate the asserted conflicts and appearances of impropriety that it alleges would infect any sentencing hearing held before the election. But the defenses repeated claims that Merchan is biased have been consistently rejected by all authorities that have reviewed them, including the New York Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics, which previously concluded that the judges impartiality cannot reasonably be questioned.

In fact, delaying the sentencing until after the election might serve to increase appearances of impropriety. For example, if Trump is elected and then not sentenced to a period of incarceration (although I have argued incarceration would be appropriate given his crimes), the public might think he unfairly received a lighter sentence because he was elected president.

Trump also asserts that the sentencing should be delayed until after the election because doing so would supposedly prevent prosecutors from filing a sentencing submission, which would argue what sentence Merchan should impose, before the judge rules on Trumps motion to vacate his conviction. The defense contends that such a submission would be personally and politically prejudicial to President Trump and his family, and harmful to the institution of the Presidency.

But any such submission would not be public. Besides, Trump should not receive preferential treatment merely because he is a presidential candidate. Many criminal defendants are sentenced every day while they might be applying for jobs, yet they are not permitted to postpone their sentencing hearings until after they have completed all rounds of their job interviews. That this applicant is seeking the presidency of the United States does not change a thing.

The purposes of sentencing, whether retribution, rehabilitation, deterrence or incapacitation, are all frustrated when that sentencing is delayed. Given that Trump was convicted of feloniously interfering in the 2016 presidential election and charged federally and in Georgia with trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election, the court should specifically deter him from committing more election crimes in 2024 by handing down its sentence without additional delay, even if the imposition of that sentence is ultimately delayed pending his appeals. A sentence of incarceration, which I have argued is otherwise merited, could protect American voters from imminent election crimes.

Moreover, the sentencing hearing is likely to provide valuable information about not only the crimes of which Trump was convicted but also other aspects of his background. It will also allow voters to learn what the judge who oversaw his trial thinks about the seriousness of his crimes. American voters deserve to have that information before they decide whether to vote for defendant Trump in November.

Trump should be denied the special treatment he seeks to delay his sentence simply because he is a presidential candidate. To avoid undermining public faith in the rule of law and fairness of the criminal justice system, Trumps sentencing should go ahead as scheduled.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Orange County hopes to lure film industry with new incentives

Central Florida is making a strong bid to become a major player in the film industry.

Orange County has unveiled a new incentive program aimed at attracting production companies away from competing states.

A meeting is set for 9am Tuesday at the Orange County Administration office in downtown Orlando.

The county is considering offering a package of incentives to sweeten the deal for filmmakers.

FILE IMAGE: Orange County Board of County Commissioners

To qualify for the program, production companies must meet specific criteria.

READ: This Central Florida airport ranks as one of the busiest in the U.S.

They must spend at least $400,000 in the county, shoot at least 60% of the project locally, and hire at least 55% of the cast and crew from the area.

In return, production companies can receive financial incentives.

The program is performance-based, meaning the county would verify spending before distributing funds.

READ: See the changes coming to downtown Orlandos Church Street Station

Hope Bellamy, a local industry leader, expressed optimism about the programs potential. If we can bring a small chunk of funding to Orange County we can start it to where other cities and counties can capitalize off what were doing, she said.

County officials believe the program will not only attract big-budget films but also create jobs for local residents and showcase the areas unique locations.

Christopher Chaclestin, a local actor, expressed excitement about the potential impact. What were doing now shows me we might bring it back, he said.

READ: Why attendance has surged at Disneys Epcot

Orange County is confident that this incentive program will put Central Florida back on the map as a top film destination.

Channel 9s Q McCray will be at this mornings meeting. Monitor WFTV.com and watch Eyewitness News for updates on this story.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
An Oregon man who is accused of targeting several Jewish hospitals and care centers in New York City and Long Island with fake bomb threats was arrested on federal charges Tuesday, according to prosecutors.

Domagoj Patkovic, 31, of Portland, Oregon, is charged with multiple counts of conspiring to make and making threats concerning explosives, conspiring to transmit and transmitting threatening communications, and conveying false information concerning explosives, according to an indictment filed by prosecutors with the Eastern District of New York.

Patkovic allegedly made at least six violent and threatening phone calls to Jewish hospitals and a care center network between May and September of 2021. On these calls, Patkovic said he had planted bombs at these facilities and threatened to detonate them in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island, while also using anti-Semitic slurs, according to the indictment.

Alleged livestream of a call - US Department of Justice

He allegedly livestreamed the threatening calls to others on servers on the online social media and messaging service Discord, according to court documents.

As alleged, the defendant and his coconspirators, motivated by their hatred of Jewish people, targeted Jewish hospitals and care centers in New York City and on Long Island with hoax bomb threats, needlessly endangering patients and staff by creating chaos and alarm, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace said in a statement. Our highest priority is ensuring all members of our community are protected and we will use all resources possible to prosecute dangerous bomb threats and swatting schemes to the fullest extent of the law.

Local police responded to several of Patkovics alleged swatting threats and performed bomb sweeps of buildings, according to a statement. One call in September caused police to partially evacuate and lock down an entire Long Island hospital, the statement said. No explosives were ever recovered.

CNN has reached out to Patkovics defense attorney for comment.

These alleged actions incited unnecessary hysteria and redirected limited resources to mitigate a false alarm, said Christie Curtis, the FBIs New York acting assistant director in charge, in a statement. The FBI will not tolerate those who utilize hoax bomb threat schemes to satisfy their anti-Semitic beliefs and endanger the wellbeing of our communities.

Patkovic will appear in US District Court of Oregon on Tuesday afternoon, where prosecutors will ask Magistrate Judge Youlee Yim Yu to detain Patkovic pending trial, according to court documents. If detained, Patkovic will then be transported by US Marshal Service to Brooklyn, where he will be arraigned in federal court, according to a spokesperson.

Patkovic faces up to 155 years in prison if convicted.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A 62-year-old man from Grants Pass is facing federal charges for allegedly pulling a lever that redirected and derailed a moving train at the Union Pacific Railroad yard in Klamath Falls on August 12, causing an estimated $1 million in damages.

More than 7,000 lightning strikes recorded in Oregon, Washington in 48 hours

The U.S. Attorneys Office District of Oregon said that suspect, Craig David Saddler, was trespassing on Union Pacific Railroad property at the time of the derailment. The railway, four railcars and the surrounding property were damaged by the derailment.

While a train occupied by UPR employees was in motion, Saddler pulled the lever causing the tracks to switch and the train to derail, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. Saddler fled the railyard, but officers quickly located him less than a mile away. Saddler stated he witnessed the train derail, but denied involvement.

A witness identified Saddler as the man who pulled the lever. Saddler was arrested and charged with wrecking, derailing, or disabling railroad equipment and vehicles.

First of 4 supermoons expected Monday

Saddler appeared in federal court for the first time on Aug. 19. A U.S. Magistrate Judge ordered he be detained pending further court proceedings.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Oregon State University pulled out of managing Elliott State Forest over a state plan to use the trees to sell carbon credits. (Oregon State University)

Oregon State University and the Department of State Lands agreed in February 2019 to produce a research and management plan for the Elliott State Forest near Coos Bay by the end of that year. The proposed plan was supposed to focus first on conservation and then on using many of the trees to store carbon from the atmosphere and sell those credits.

Nearly five years later, in November 2023, OSU President Jayathi Murthy told the department that the university would be terminating its agreements on research and management of the Elliott. The universitys primary reason for this decision was its significant concerns regarding the departments intent to move forward with a carbon sequestration scheme that would involve selling carbon credits instead of timber. Since its creation, the sale of those logs has helped pay for Oregons public schools.

Murthys decision to terminate the agreement came just over a year after an August 2022 email from OSUs Forestry Dean Thomas DeLuca to the department and the State Land Board. That email listed several reasons why OSU opposed the carbon-crediting scheme. DeLuca said it would pose a serious financial risk, would increase the cost of managing the forest and that it would be difficult over the long term to meet the sales requirements.

Three days before Murthys decision to pull out of the agreement, the Department of State Lands circulated a confidential report that stated the Elliott might not qualify for the carbon market, and even if it did, the credits would likely generate less than $1 million per year and 20% of that amount would go to administering the program.

Nevertheless, the department recently announced plans to continue its efforts to sell carbon credits rather than logs from the Elliott.

The Elliott grows about 70 million board feet of timber a year and has a well-documented history of catastrophic wildfires, windstorms, floods and landslides. Less than 1% of the 83,000-acre forest is old growth, more than 40,000 acres are in industrial plantations and the remainder is made up of mature trees grown in the aftermath of major wildfires in 1868 and 1879.

From 1960 until 1990, the Elliott sold 50 million board feet of timber a year, producing hundreds of millions of dollars for Oregon schools and more than 400 rural taxpaying jobs. There were no wildfires during that time. Since the Department of State Lands took over management in 2017, the forest has lost more than a million dollars a year and only funded two road maintenance jobs, with an ever-increasing likelihood of catastrophic wildfires due to the increasing amount of unmanaged fuels growing every year.

An example of the ephemeral nature of carbon sequestration and the sale of carbon credits is shown by the active Shelly Fire in northern California, which has burned more than 15,500 acres. A July 19 report about the fire included a map that outlined 11,000 acres of burned forest owned by Ecotrust Forest Management in Portland. That land had been used to sell carbon credits.

So, what happens next? Will money be returned to investors? Will the dead trees be salvaged or left in place to rot or burn again?

These are key questions that need to be considered and that the Department of State Lands hasnt answered, according to Oregon State University.

The plan to sell carbon credits from the Elliott trees has already resulted in a significant amount of time and cost to Oregon taxpayers. Yet, there are no indications that carbon markets are stable, and even if credits could be sold, their value would be very low in comparison to traditional timber sales. The Elliott was created to help fund schools through timber sales and as a research forest. For two generations, it has done both and could continue to do so but not by selling carbon credits.

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NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)  Officers with the New Orleans Police Department have arrested a man in connection with a fatal shooting that took place in the Pines Village neighborhood in June.

On June 26, the NOPD reported that officers responded to the intersection of Chef Menteur Highway and Stemway Drive, where they found 23-year-old Darrell Robinson Jr. unresponsive with a gunshot wound.

Three arrested in St. Bernard Parish forgery investigation

He was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS.

On Tuesday, Aug. 20, NOPD officials identified 31-year-old Levi Johnigan as a suspect in the investigation.

On Wednesday, Aug. 21, Johnigan was found and arrested

Anyone with information about fatal shooting can call NOPD Homicide Unit detectives at 504-658-5300 or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.

Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.

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NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)  Some local AT&T workers gathered at the AT&T offices on Poydras Street to fight against what they say are unfair labor practices on Tuesday, Aug. 20.

Union workers from Communications Workers of America will join the region-wide AT&T strike.

Judge grants New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell more time to respond to civil rights lawsuit

About 17,000 workers in nine states across the southeast are on strike.

(WGNO/Renaldo Ruffin)

(WGNO/Renaldo Ruffin)

(WGNO/Renaldo Ruffin)

(WGNO/Renaldo Ruffin)

According to a news release, the states impacted by the strike include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

An AT&T spokesperson issued the following statement:

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

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO.
Outdoor Economics Conference to talk New Mexico public lands returns to Las Cruces

The Outdoor Economics Conference is scheduled for Sept. 23 through Sept. 25 in Las Cruces.

The conference is meant to bring together stakeholders, lawmakers and the public to "advance economic development strategies and opportunities" connected to New Mexico public lands.

As part of the Conference, Adventure Pitch applications are now open. Adventure Pitch offers $15,000 in prizes for startups in outdoor recreation, environment and wellness. Applications are due Aug. 23. Pitches will be judged based on team, market and high-growth potential, product, traction and competitive advantage.

Registration is open for the conference and can be done online at outdooreconomics.com. Tickets sales end Sept. 24.

A series of tours will be offered during the conference including a hike to Dripping Springs, bird watching at Leasburg Dam State Park, La Cueva Archeological Site and Slot Canyon. Outdoor tours are by registration.

The conference will feature as panelists acting secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department Lancing Adams, director of the state's Outdoor Recreation Division Karina Armijo, Bureau of Land Management director Melanie Barnes, director of New Mexico State Parks Toby Velasquez, Las Cruces Mayor Eric Enriquez and New Mexico Lt. Gov. Howie Morales.

The Organ Mountains are pictured in Las Cruces on Wednesday, Jan, 20, 2021.

The conference schedule includes sessions on federal and state initiatives, multi-cultural approaches to land use, sustainable ecosystems and economies, and partnerships in the outdoors.

For a full schedule of events at the conference, visit https://www.outdooreconomics.com/2024-schedule/.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Outdoor Economics Conference in Las Cruces opens registration
Police in Palatka are searching for a suspect involved in an armed robbery at a local business early on June 11, and are seeking the publics assistance in identifying the individual.

According to police, the Palatka Police Department reported an armed robbery at a business located at 621 N State Road 19. According to police, a male suspect entered the establishment and committed the robbery.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Photographs of the suspect inside the business during the incident have been released. The Palatka Police Department urges anyone with information regarding this incident to come forward.

Those with information are asked to contact Detective Sergeant Lazo at 386-329-0115. Alternatively, tips can be submitted anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida at 1-888-277-8477.

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Palestinian and Jewish runners jog together during DNC to push for cease-fire, hostage release: We believe enough is enough

CHICAGO  Before starting a 4-mile run, about a dozen joggers warmed up at Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park Tuesday morning. Some stretched, while others handed out gray T-shirts to newcomers.

On the front, in a white, simple font, was the message Ceasefire Now. Hostage/Prisoner Release. And on the back  All for All.

This war hasnt offered more security to the Israelis or freedom to the Palestinians. We believe enough is enough, said organizer Anan Abu-Taleb.

The morning runs during this weeks Democratic National Convention are the brainchild of Abu-Taleb, the former mayor of Oak Park who was born in Gaza, and his friend Richard Goldwasser, a Jewish American attorney. Through running, the two hope to advocate for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages during a week when many politicians and dignitaries are in town.

And if they were hoping to capture attention from a high-profile candidate, they were in the right place. As the group started their run  about 2 miles on the lakefront trail to McCormick Place before heading back to the fountain  Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democrats vice presidential nominee, jogged past with security on a nearby sidewalk.

More than 40,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza since the war began 10 months ago with the Hamas-led attack on Israel, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Hamas Oct. 7 attack killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages, about 110 of whom remain in the strip. The war has also become an important and, at times, contentious issue in the presidential election and the subject of large protests in Chicago and nationwide.

This is our way of saying that if we have a human connection  and invest into our own relationships it can go a long way of making us see each other as human and as people who have the same aspirations, the same hopes, the same fears, Abu-Taleb, 65, said.

For Goldwasser, 59, of Highland Park, theres something about running, being stride by stride with someone, that helps form bonds. He said its the perfect activity to understand other people and come together. Running also sends a good, positive message, that Goldwasser hopes will be heard during the DNC and after.

Most people in my community have never met a Palestinian. They dont have any connections, meaningful connections with them, he said. But the ones who do are able to see the situation differently, and to criticize the conduct of this war and criticize American support for this war.

At the convention, Abu-Taleb said words are cheap, and that hes looking for politicians to offer substantive policy, namely ending U.S. taxpayer funding of the war.

Its one thing to make a political statement and empathize with the suffering of the people in Gaza and also the displaced people in Israel and the people who have lost family members on both sides, he said. Its another thing to put teeth behind it.

Along with an affinity for running, Abu-Taleb said he and Goldwasser have been friends for about five years because they share values of caring for others and advocating for peace. He said Goldwasser has also frequently checked in on him throughout the war since he has family members still in Gaza. They also like to have discussions over old fashioneds, he laughed.

The friends message is one that resonated with Lily Greenberg Call, a Jewish staffer who resigned from the Biden administration over his handling of the war in Gaza. She joined the jog Tuesday morning, saying running is her favorite sport and one thats brought her a lot of joy and helped her make it through stressful times.

I think moments like this, doing things like running, activities that help remind us that we are all really the same and want the same thing  everyone just wants their kids to go to bed happy and be able to have opportunities  theyre really important, she said, adding that its a moral obligation that Democrats push for a cease-fire.

It also helps ground us when things feel really horrible and awful, I think being outside, being in the sun, moving your body, thats the best way to connect to ourselves and what really matters, she added.

Another person who joined the run was Ilana Axel, 68, of Buffalo Grove. Axel said she previously lived in Israel, so the issue is very close to her heart. After Oct. 7, she said she worked to learn more about the conflict, even starting a study group at her congregation.

My conclusion is the only way forward is when Israelis and Palestinians come together, she said. Number one, show that there can be a life together  and we both have to fight together against the extremist elements within our own people.

It may not even happen in my lifetime, she added, but I need to work for it now, even if I dont get to see it.

____
Palestinians pray over the bodies of their relatives, who were killed in an Israeli attack, after the bodies have been brought to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital for burial in Deir al-Balah. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Nine people were killed and dozens more injured in an Israeli attack on a school building in Gaza City, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported on Tuesday.

The target of the bombardment was a school building housing displaced people, the report said. The Israeli army stated that the Palestinian militant organization Hamas had hidden a command centre on the premises, which was the target of the attack.

"Hamas terrorists used the command and control centre to plan and execute attacks," the military further stated. The attacks had been directed against soldiers and the state of Israel. In order to protect the civilian population, precise ammunition was used, and the area was surveilled from the air, the army said.

"The Hamas terrorist organization systematically violates international law and operates from civilian infrastructure and shelters in the Gaza Strip," the army further stated.

The claims from both sides could not be independently verified initially.

Just one and a half weeks ago, an airstrike on a school building used as a refugee shelter caused international shock and criticism. According to Palestinians, dozens of people were killed in the attack. The Israeli military expressed doubts about these figures and also spoke of a Hamas command centre located in the targeted building.

Palestinians mourn over the bodies of their relatives, who were killed in an Israeli attack, after the bodies have been brought to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital for burial in Deir al-Balah. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
A drone scare around the U.S. Air Force's Plant 42 in California, a major hub for advanced aerospace development work, including highly classified military programs, has led to revelations about a real wave of mysterious drone incursions in recent months.

The U.S. Air Forces Plant 42 in California, Americas premier hub for advanced aerospace development work, especially highly classified military programs, has seen a wave of mysterious drone incursions in recent months. The incidents have now become serious enough to prompt the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to impose new, if temporary flight restrictions around the sprawling high-security facility. The Air Force acknowledged these incidents in response to our questions about purported sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in the area which became viral on social media over the weekend and that local law enforcement appears to have received no reports about.

Palmdale Regional Airport shares the runways with Plant 42, which is home to Lockheed Martins famed Skunk Works advanced projects division, as well as similar arms of both Northrop Grumman and Boeing. NASA also has a flight testing center there. As a prime example of the work that goes on at Plant 42, it is where Northrop Grumman has been building the U.S. Air Forces new B-21 Raider stealth bombers. Americas most sensitive and bleeding edge aerospace weaponry emerges from this facility, so security at the installation, which is located in a relatively urban area, is taken very seriously.

The first pre-production B-21 Raider in a hangar at Northrop Grummans facility within Plant 42. USAF The first B-21 in a hangar at Plant 42. USAF

We have observed multiple UAS [uncrewed aerial systems] activities over Plant 42 during the last few months. The number of UASs fluctuated and they ranged in size and configuration, Mary Kozaitis, Chief of Media Operations for the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, told The War Zone. The FAA was made aware of the incursions and Edwards continues to monitor the air space to ensure the safety of base personnel, facilities, and assets. As a reminder to drone enthusiasts, overflight of Plant 42 is strictly prohibited and may result in criminal prosecution, fines, and loss of operator privileges.

Plant 42 is overseen by officials at Edwards, which is also a major Air Force testing and evaluation hub, and is situated further to the north of Palmdale, in the Mojave Desert.

The temporary flight restrictions were initiated because of the increase in UAS activity, [but] we cant talk specific numbers, Kozaitis continued. We are definitely monitoring the situation to determine if there is any ill intent and, even if not, we are trying to find out why or who is doing it.

The temporary flight restrictions went up around the airport in Palmdale, extending two nautical miles in all directions and from the surface up to and including 1000 feet AGL [Above Ground Level], on August 14. The FAAs notice on the restrictions, which are currently scheduled to be lifted on September 15, says that no UAS [uncrewed aerial systems] operations are authorized in the areas covered. Information about how to go about securing a waiver to fly drones through the area for certain reasons is provided, as can be seen below.

FAA

And there just happens to be a TFR in effect over AF Planet 42 till next month.

https://t.co/TlvdkSfG4Ipic.twitter.com/N41hOzYkXy  Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) August 17, 2024

When contacted for additional information about the temporary flight restrictions around Palmdale Regional Airport, the FAA directed us to contact the Department of Defense. The U.S.-Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) also told us that it was not involved in the situation around Palmdale.

As far as a response specifically to UFOs / UAPs [unidentified flying objects / unidentified aerial phenomena], its quite likely that any UAPs in our area are small unmanned aerial systems, or drones. Weve not received any UAP reports, but we take such reports seriously, Kozaitis added. Generally, we dont attempt to investigate such sightings unless the report comes from a trained eye, for example, a commercial or military pilot. The Defense Department also has an office to handle such reports  the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office.

AARO was established in 2022 specifically to focus on issues relating to what are now officially termed unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), but are still commonly referred to as unidentified flying objects (UFO). Reports from the office routinely assess large percentages of UAP sightings to have actually been drones, as well as balloons and other lighter-than-air craft. Some leading voices in the UFO community believe this office is not fully truthful or accurate with its findings.

Weve seen some of the news reporting about the social media posts, but we have nothing to offer, Sue Gough, a Department of Defense spokesperson, told The War Zone when asked if the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) or anyone else in the Department was tracking any unusual aerial activity over Palmdale or the nearby city of Lancaster.

The social media posts that Gough mentioned are reports of something unusual having been spotted in the skies above Palmdale and nearby Lancaster that emerged on Saturday. The @661LASDCalls account on X had shared apparent screenshots of individuals in the area posting messages about UFOs on Neighbors, a community crime and safety alert app from Ring, best known for its doorbell cameras.

Reports are emerging on various social media platforms of a suspected UFO sighting in the night sky. Multiple individuals have shared their accounts, describing a bright light, a hovercraft-like aircraft, and unusual flight patterns, including abrupt stops and zigzag movements  661 Lasd And Lacofd calls. (@661LASDCalls) August 17, 2024

Me and my daughter were hanging out in the backyard when we both thought we saw a shooting star falling east it stropped very abruptly and zigzagged going north. Checking to see if anyone else saw it or if were both going crazy, on the posts from Neighbors said.

I was intrigued by the first neighbor who posted that he saw a UFO from his yard so my mom and I went to ours to see if wed see anything, another says. We counted 6 after being out there for 10 minutes.

You guys, I saw [a] UFO, I was walking my dog in my backyard and saw a bright light up in the sky. At first I was like omg [oh my god] what a cool plane that Northrop assembled but to my dismay it was a hovercraft! Please tell me Im not the only one who saw !!! the last of the messages shared on X reads.

Reports of the UFO sighting on the Ring Neighbors app for the Palmdale/ Lancaster Area pic.twitter.com/CBQTCIEqCA  661 Lasd And Lacofd calls. (@661LASDCalls) August 17, 2024

The veracity of the reports from the Neighbors app remains unclear. At least one set of videos that subsequently began circulating online has turned out to be unrelated, having been shot on Friday somewhere in Northern California.

UFO's sitings in California have been Noting they were near military Bases

My Videos were taken Aug 16th 11:20 pm Friday 2024 in NORTHERN CALIFORNIA  And I too live near a Airforce Base 

Trippy and Disturbing pic.twitter.com/9lAZtIvg3J  ManLLM (@MeanLILMeoW) August 18, 2024

Another dramatic video that grabbed a lot of attention claimed to show something in the sky over the Palmdale/Lancaster area this past weekend looks to be footage of a Pokemon-themed drone light show at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort in Hawaii.

The alleged "Palmdale and Lancaster, California UFO video" that's going viral is actually a video of the Pokemon World Drones show from Oahu, Hawaii.#BREAKING #California #ufosighting #UFO pic.twitter.com/CnN98YsfjX  Target Reporter (@Target_Reporter) August 17, 2024

Also note the similarities between the street view of the Hawaiian boat dock (pay particular attention to the street lights that are a 100% match). It appears that the "Palmdale" ufo footage is the Hilton Hawaiian drone show footage. https://t.co/sE5q70p4E9 pic.twitter.com/JcQOnK9cto  Dan Warren (@HeyLukOverThere) August 18, 2024

A spokesperson for the Palmdale Sheriffs Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department (LASD) told The War Zone that they had no records of any calls for service relating to UFO sightings or anything similar on or about August 17. He also noted that relevant reports may have come in, but not have gotten elevated to a call for service and subsequently logged.

The LASDs station in Lancaster did not receive any UFO-related 911 calls or calls for service around the time of the reported sightings, either, a spokesperson there also told The War Zone.

The spokesperson at the Palmdale LASD station noted that such calls happen very rarely, in general, because there is a lot of aerospace industry and testing in the area and most of [the] residents understand that to some degree.

This is one element to this event that does lend some weight, if indeed many people saw strange things in the sky. Citizens in the Palmdale/Lancaster area sit under flight test valley, and see all types of military aircraft, including exotic ones, regularly and they do not result in such a reaction.

Regardless, we now know that Plant 42, the site of a host of highly sensitive advanced aerospace projects, has been subjected to an increasingly serious volume of drone incursions for months now. This is the latest evidence of a larger and growing trend in worrisome drone activity over and around military bases and critical civilian infrastructure, as well as inside military training ranges, within the United States in recent years.

A map showing the approximate locations of reports made to the FAA between 2016 and 2020 of encounters between military aircraft and unidentified uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) with unusual characteristics. A map showing the approximate locations of clusters of reports made to the FAA between 2016 and 2020 of encounters between military aircraft and unidentified uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) with unusual flight characteristics. Marc Cecotti/Adam Keyhoe/The War Zone

This is not the first time that a major spate of unauthorized drone incursions over a sensitive facility has emerged just this year, either. In March, The War Zone was the first to reveal that Langley Air Force Base in Virginia had been swarmed by drones for weeks last year. Those alarming incidents prompted a major whole-of-government response that you can learn more about here.

As another example, in 2019, U.S. Navy warships experienced a series of highly concerning drone swarm events in areas off the shore of southern California.

Still, there is nothing to say that what people supposedly saw on Saturday were drones of any kind. At the same time, there is considerable evidence that a substantial portion of reported UAP sightings are actually drone incursions, including ones involving uncrewed aerial systems that adversaries are using to gather intelligence, an issue that The War Zone has explored in great detail in the past. Just recently, a Chinese national and graduate student at the University of Minnesota pleaded guilty to charges under the Espionage Act in relation to using a drone to collect imagery of U.S. Navy vessels at multiple shipyards in Virginia.

Even if the craft that have been flying over Plant 42 recently turn out to be benign, it still underscores the ever-growing threats that uncrewed aerial systems present on and off traditional battlefields. In addition, the incidents around Palmdale highlight the growing demand for new counter-drone defenses at U.S. government facilities and other critical infrastructure inside the United States. NORADs response to our queries also underscores the current morass of sometimes overlapping and often confusing authorities that still govern responses to potentially hostile uncrewed aerial systems domestically despite continued efforts to streamline them.

Much about what has been happening in the skies over Plant 42 still remains unknown, but the Air Force has now confirmed that what has been plaguing the facility are very real and concerning incursions.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com
The air quality planning agency for the Denver metropolitan area wants the state to raise the fee for vehicle emissions test by 40%  from $25 to $35  for the more than one million cars getting tested annually in Colorado.

About 10% of those cars fail the test.

Air Care Colorado, the states privately contracted vehicle emission testing program, hasnt raised the price of a standard emission test in almost 30 years.

With close to a million new Coloradans projected to arrive in the next 25 years, officials from Regional Air Quality Council said they are looking for ways to improve and update vehicle emissions testing.

While the council hopes newer and cleaner vehicles would arrive with those new residents, the council still wants improvements to the states aging emission testing program, an official said.

In the previous session, there were proposals to allow for additional revenue to be brought into the program by raising the fee from $25 to $35 per emission test, Regional Air Quality Council Director Mike Silverstein said. Most of that money goes into the program to improve the existing measures, update, expand testing stations, reduce wait times, etc; and another 25 cents that would be taken from that $10-increase going into funding (to reduce and repair) high-emitting vehicles.

Senate Bill 24-095, introduced earlier this year, would have made $850 vouchers available to owners of high-emission vehicles, based on income and the age of the vehicle, to use at qualified repair facilities to bring their vehicles into compliance. The measure didn't make it out of the House Committee on Finance.

In July, James Brandon, a representative for Air Care Colorado, told the Transportation Legislation Review Committee that, while emissions testing is required by state law, the program has yet to keep pace with advancements in vehicle technology or the changing patterns of where Coloradans live and work.

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Additionally, the regional council wants to require drivers who register vehicles outside of the mandatory inspection areas but still drive substantially within the testing region to obtain an emissions test.

Silverstein said drivers from outside emission testing regions often spend more time driving within these regions than the residents who live there.

He also hopes the committee will consider tightening requirements for those failing to register out-of-state vehicles in a timely manner, as well as for those with expired plates or no plates at all.

The testing program is a good program, Silverstein said. But it is an older program now, and there needs to be a lot of update and improvement to it, and additional resources, of course, are necessary.

Air Care Colorado still uses most of the same technology it did in 1995, although many of the vendors are no longer in business.

According to the company's website, Envirotest, a private contractor, has operated the Air Care Colorado program for the Colorado Department of Health and the Colorado Department of Revenue since 1994. It oversees the state's network of 18 centralized inspection stations.

The current emissions inspection program applies to most vehicles and locales in the Denver metropolitan area and the state's North Front Range.
Arkansas Department of Education Chief of Staff Courtney Salas-Ford (left) and Chief Fiscal Officer Greg Rogers explain to the Arkansas Legislative Council's Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review subcommittee why the department requested $7 million to provide lockers and pouches for students' cell phones in roughly 180 school districts statewide. (Screenshot/Arkansas Legislature)

Public school districts across Arkansas are expected to be able to lock up students cell phones during school hours, with the state Department of Education distributing $7 million to pay for pouches or lockers.

The Arkansas Legislative Council will take up the restricted reserve fund request Friday after the Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review subcommittee approved it Monday on a voice vote with some dissent.

This initiative seeks to foster a phone-free environment, enabling an evaluation of its impact on student learning, engagement, and overall student health, Department of Education Chief Fiscal Officer Greg Rogers wrote to Department of Finance and Administration Secretary Jim Hudson requesting the funds.

restricted reserve phone pouches

The phone restriction initiative is part of a pilot program Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Education Secretary Jacob Oliva announced in July. The program will also provide grant funding for telehealth mental health services and support for locating mental health providers and navigating insurance matters, according to a news release.

Cell phone policies at Arkansas schools vary among districts and individual classrooms. While some teachers collect phones at the start of instructional time, others allow students to access their devices after completing assignments.

The $7 million allocation is an estimate of the cost of the locking devices based on the number of students in the roughly 180 school districts that have applied to participate in the pilot program, said Courtney Salas-Ford, the education departments chief of staff.

School districts rather than the state would be responsible for replacing the devices, but metal lockers and magnetically-sealed cloth pouches have a very long life expectancy, Salas-Ford said.

The pouches from YONDR, a California-based company with the goal of creating phone-free spaces, can be locked and unlocked by separate unlocking devices kept under the supervision of adults while students keep the pouches with them at all times. In July, the De Queen School District approved the use of the pouches for middle school and junior high students as part of its participation in the pilot program.

Sanders has repeatedly advocated for reducing social media use among teenagers, citing concerns about depression and suicide rates.

Our country has been experimenting with unregulated smartphone use for more than a decade, and unfortunately the results have been absolutely devastating for our young people, Sanders said at an Aug. 8 press conference at Bentonvilles Ardis Ann Middle School.

Bentonville West High School piloted a program last year that required cell phones to be silenced and stored during class. Bentonville School District Director of Communications Leslee Wright said in July that the initiative was a remarkable success, with 86% of staff reporting a positive impact. Administrators also recorded a 57% reduction in verbal or physical aggression offenses and a 51% reduction in drug-related offenses, she said.

YONDR CEO Graham Dugoni attended the press conference, which marked the start of the pilot program a month after it was announced.

One of the things he said that really stuck with me [is] this isnt about taking anything away, Sanders said. This is about giving students the freedom to enjoy a phone-free education.

As part of the pilot program, the University of Arkansas Office for Education Policy will examine how students mental health may be impacted by reduced access to cell phones and social media. A smaller group of districts from the pilot program will participate in the UA study.

In May, Sanders sent a copy of Jonathan Haidts book, The Anxious Generation, to all state and territorial governors in America, as well as Arkansas legislators. According to the July press release, she expressed support for four main goals: no smartphones before high school, no social media before age 16, phone-free schools, and more outdoor play and childhood independence.

Proposals to reduce smartphone use have been gaining traction across the country, including in California, Florida, Ohio and Indiana.

A 2023 law that Sanders championed would have been the first in the nation to require minors to receive parental permission before signing up for a social media account. A federal judge blocked the law last August, hours before it was set to take effect.

Arkansas lawmakers might introduce legislation in January requiring all districts to lock up students phones during the school day, House Speaker Pro Tempore Jon Eubanks, R-Paris, said during Mondays PEER meeting.

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The Northern Kentucky Health Department said there are likely more cases as it investigates an outbreak of Cryptosporidiosis, better known as Crypto. And some of them are on the Ohio side of the river as well.

The Cryptosporidium parasite causes gastrointestinal illness. As of Friday afternoon, there were a dozen confirmed and "numerous" probable cases.

Spokesman Skip Tate said in an email Monday that health department officials expect the number of cases could increase significantly. He said official numbers have not changed, but since Friday the epidemiology department has been bombarded by calls from people reporting being sick.

People reporting symptoms since the health department's initial report said they attended several public pools on both sides of the river.

About half of the confirmed cases reported Friday are associated with Silverlake Water Park in Erlanger. The health department praised Silverlake's response.

"Super-chlorinating the water would typically kill almost anything, and may kill a lot of Crypto spores, but Crypto is very hard to kill so it's not 100 percent effective," he said.

"If someone has Crypto or not can only be confirmed after a test, and those tests usually take 24-48 hours to send to a lab and get back," Tate said.

What are cryptosporidiosis symptoms?

The Cryptosporidium parasite causes gastrointestinal illness marked by abdominal cramps, watery diarrhea, low-grade fever, vomiting and nausea.

Silverlake Water Park statement about Cryptosporidium outbreak

A Silverlake representative issued this statement about the outbreak and the water park's response on Monday and urged people to follow the health department's guidelines:

"We are aware of the recent Cryptosporidium (Crypto) outbreak that has impacted multiple pools in the Northern Kentucky area. Crypto is a fecal-oral spread parasite that can live in liquid, soil and on hard surfaces. Health and safety is our top priority at Silverlake and we are taking all the possible steps to ensure the pool is safe for our members, staff and guests," the statement said.

"Following the notification of the first case by the Health Department, we immediately took action to close and clean our pool. Members were notified via social media that the pool would be closing for sanitation. We closed the pool by 5 p.m. at which time we followed the protocols of the Northern Kentucky Health Department with a process called super chlorination to kill Crypto.

"The Silverlake pool was over super chlorinated to ensure the levels were well beyond what is necessary to kill Crypto. Once this process was complete and chlorine levels returned to safe levels, we were cleared by the Health Department to reopen the pool. This process took over 42 hours to complete. The outdoor pool was closed from 5 p.m. on August 9th and reopened at 11 a.m. on Aug. 11.

"In addition to the steps we are taking, we encourage all participants to practice good hygiene.

"We "are working closely with the Northern Kentucky Health Department to monitor the situation and will provide any additional updates as necessary. For more on Crypto visit, https://www.cdc.gov/cryptosporidium/about/."

More: Invisible danger could be lurking in the water: How to stay safe this summer

Health department guidelines regarding Cryptosporidium

The Northern Kentucky Health Department recommends the following steps as preventative measures to limit exposure to Crypto:

Individuals who currently have diarrhea, or have had diarrhea in the last two weeks, should not use swimming pools, spray pads, or hot tubs. Individuals with Crypto should not use swimming facilities until at least two weeks after symptoms subside.

Make every attempt not to swallow pool water.

Practice good hygiene. Shower before swimming and wash your hands and childrens hands, after using the toilet or changing diapers. Wash your child thoroughly, especially the rear end with soap and water before swimming.

Take your child on bathroom breaks or check diapers often.

Change diapers in a bathroom, not poolside or on the deck premises.

It is recommended not to allow children who are not potty-trained to be in the pool. Even diapers and swimmies are not effective in preventing Crypto transmission into pool water if the child is infected.

Reporter Betsy Kim contributed.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Crypto virus outbreak in Ohio polls as well as Northern Kentucky
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE)  Nearly a year since their 24-year-old son Ben Kredich was struck and killed by a driver who ran off the road while walking on the sidewalk along Kingston Pike, Matt and Kim Kredich have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against those involved in the incident including the impaired driver, emergency first responders and Covenant Health.

The suit was filed on Monday, Aug. 19 in Knox County Circuit Court. The Krediches have retained the services of the Bosch Law Firm out of Knoxville.

August 2023

Last year, Ben Kredich was struck and killed by an impaired motorist on Aug. 21, 2023, in Knoxville while walking near the University of Tennessee campus. He was the son of Tennessee Director of Swimming & Diving Matt Kredich and he had participated in UT FUTURE, a college program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities which allows them to attend UT Knoxville and learn to live independently. Many in the UT community mourned his loss.

Following his death, Bens parents worked with State Senator Becky Duncan Massey to develop a bill, the Ben Kredich Act, which aims to address opioid-related DUIs and prevent those who are administered an opioid antagonist like naloxone from getting behind the wheel.

Alert issued for infant reported missing from Blount County

The driver who struck and killed Ben, Shannon Walker of Maryville, had reportedly been impaired while driving and had been given Narcan prior to the fatal incident. Last year, officers who responded to the crash scene discovered that AMR had previously treated Walker at around 1:55 p.m. that day after he was found unresponsive in his vehicle. The arrest report stated that AMR administered Narcan and he was taken to a local hospital. He was discharged around 3:20 p.m. according to court records. Then, the crash that resulted in Ben Kredichs death occurred around 4 p.m.

August 2024

Months later, Bens parents are seeking damages in their suit. The plaintiffs named in the suit include Walker, the Knox County Emergency Communications District, American Medical Response of Tennessee, Inc. (AMR), Park West Medical Center, Covenant Health, John and Jane Does 1-10, and Scott Christopher Walker, who is Shannon Walkers brother.

The suit alleges that each defendant  individually and in combination  engaged in affirmative acts that consciously disregarded the unreasonable risk of harm posed by Walker to those traveling along roadways. The Krediches are also claiming negligence and recklessness predicated on the affirmative acts of each defendant named in the suit.

Bens parents are seeking a jury trial, $5 million in compensatory damages, and $10 million in punitive damages in the suit.

Remains found off I-275 in Knoxville identified after 20 years

The suit states that they are seeking to recover compensatory damages from defendants, according to the suit, with those damages including the pain and suffering Ben Kredich suffered before his death. Bens lost wages, the loss of consortium of their son that the Plaintiffs have suffered as a result of the death of their son, funeral and burial expenses, and the pecuniary value of his life.

The punitive or exemplary damages, according to the suit, are permissible in this action because the negligence alleged is so gross and wanton as to raise a presumption of conscious indifference to the consequences.'

This is a developing story. Download the WATE 6 News app or sign up for our email alerts for updates.

Earlier this year in April, the Ben Kredich Act was passed unanimously by both chambers of the Tennessee General Assembly.

Shannon Walker, the suspect in Kredichs death, was indicted by a grand jury on April 17. He was indicted on 12 counts of charges including vehicular homicide and driving under the influence.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  An SAT exam at MiraCosta Colleges San Elijo campus was canceled a week before the test was scheduled to take place, leaving parents and students frustrated as they scramble to grab another testing spot  many of which are months away.

In an email sent to families on Friday that was obtained by FOX 5/KUSI, no reason for the cancellation was provided by the College Board, the entity that administers the standardized test. A cancellation notice was also posted on MiraCosta Colleges website.

MiraCosta College marketing and communications director Kristen Gonzales said in a statement to FOX 5/KUSI after publication that the school had never intended to host the SAT exam this month, adding that the College Board made an error in listing it as one of their testing sites.

Chula Vista elementary school vandalized with racial slurs, swastikas

Our agreement with the College Board was to host an SAT exam at a later date in Fall 2024, as well as an additional date in 2025, Gonzales said. As soon as we became aware of this error, we immediately contacted the College Board to address the mistake, which unfortunately led to the cancellation of the exam.

The email from the College Board to registered families did note that total refunds for registration and other fees will be provided, while encouraging parents to register their high school student for a future test date.

However, due to a limited number of spaces, the mistake left parents of the roughly 170 students who signed up for the test searching for the next available date in early October.

Only three of the dozen sites offering the test within San Diego County in October still have seats available, according to the College Board website.

One of the sites with space left for October is MiraCosta Colleges San Elijo campus, which added the testing date after the August one was canceled, Gonzales said.

MiraCosta College hopes that this added test date will help alleviate some of the stress and provide students with the opportunity to complete their SATs in a timely manner, she continued.

We fully understand and regret the confusion and impact this situation has had on students and their families, Gonzales added. Moving forward, we are asking that the College Board ensure clearer communication with the host center and families to avoid similar issues.

FOX 5/KUSI also reached out to the College Board for comment, but did not hear back.

University of California and California State University schools dropped standardized tests from its admission requirements back in 2020 and 2022, respectively.

Ending the use of these exams, which include both the SAT and the ACT, sought to address concerns that they created inequities for low-income students. Critics also argued the tests were not a useful tool to gauge if a student would succeed in a university setting, unlike GPA or grades.

The days of optional SAT scores may be coming to an end

Since then, parents say the number of available spots for SAT and ACT sessions in California have dwindled, leaving those who are looking at non-state schools or those in other parts of the country that still require the exams with fewer options.

Yvette Miller, the parent of a high school senior who was signed up to take the test at the San Elijo campus, told FOX/KUSI that the College Boards website shows her son is still signed up to take the test Saturday. She says she hasnt yet received a refund from the College Board.

Even so, her son is now planning to take his test in Arizona, a decision made in panic to ensure he could submit his college applications in time for their early winter deadlines.

Everyone just kind of points fingers at each other, but its the kids youre affecting, its 170 kids that you just canceled their SAT, Miller said.

Zara Barker 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 FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
Editor's note: The article was updated with a statement from the SBU and reaction from the Moscow Patriarchate.

The Ukrainian parliament on Aug. 20 passed a bill banning activities of religious organizations connected to Russia.

The legislation could effectively prohibit the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), which is legally subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church.

The UOC-MP has been suspected of links and sympathies to Russia throughout the full-scale war. It is not to be confused with the autocephalous (autonomous) Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which is fully separate from Moscow.

A number of clergymen of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate have been accused of collaborating with Russia and justifying Russian aggression, including bishops and other high-ranking members.

Over 100 UOC-MP clergy members have come under criminal investigation since the outbreak of the full-scale war, the Security Service of Ukraine's (SBU) press service told the Kyiv Independent. Almost 50 of them have been charged, and sentences have been issued in 26 cases, the SBU said.

The law enters into force 30 days after its publication, but UOC-MP communities will have nine months to fully break ties with the Russian church, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak explained.

The legislation was supported by 256 lawmakers in its second and final reading. Twenty-nine lawmakers voted against the bill, including 17 from the Platform for Life and Peace, a successor to the dissolved pro-Russian parliamentary group, the Opposition Platform  For Life.

Four lawmakers of the governing Servant of the People party also voted against the bill, while three others abstained.

Later on Aug. 20, a spokesperson for the Russian Orthodox Church condemned the vote as "unlawful," adding it was "the grossest violation of the basic principles of freedom of conscience and human rights."

Read also: Trump ally debunked: Ukraine not burning Russian-linked churches

The bill was initially registered in the parliament in January 2023, shortly after extensive searches by security authorities uncovered pro-Kremlin propaganda, Russian passports, and xenophobic literature at the church's premises.

The parliament supported the bill in the first reading in October 2023.

The legislative process was associated with some controversies. Last month, several opposition lawmakers blocked the parliament's rostrum after the governing party had not brought the issue to the floor.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church said that it had always acted within the framework of Ukrainian legislation and claimed it had severed ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, the leading church in Russia seen as a close ally of Vladimir Putin's regime.

This declaration has been widely disputed in Ukraine as a void and merely symbolic step and was boycotted by the Russian church.

The Russian propaganda has sought to portray the government's steps against the Moscow-linked church as "persecution of Christians," a narrative that has been adopted by Ukraine-skeptic voices in the U.S.

Orthodox Christianity remains the most widely spread and freely practiced religion in Ukraine, while the steps against the church are based on evidence of its collaboration with Russia.

Once a dominant religious group in Ukraine, the past few years saw many Moscow Patriarchate communities switch allegiance to independent churches, namely the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

Read also: Opinion: What should Ukraine do about its Russia-linked church?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) has adopted in its entirety a bill banning religious organisations in Ukraine that are linked to Russia, which could potentially cripple the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP).

Source: Ukrainian MPs Yaroslav Zhelezniak and Roman Lozynskyi

Quote from Zhelezniak: "Parliament has adopted in its entirety the revised draft law No. 8371 on banning the activities of religious organisations in Ukraine, including those connected to Russia. Commonly known as the law prohibiting the Moscow church."

Details: In the second reading, 265 MPs voted in favour.

Zhelezniak said that the law will come into effect 30 days after its publication, except for one clause, according to which UOC-MP communities will have 9 months to sever their ties with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).

Background:

In January 2023, the government registered draft law No. 8371 with the Verkhovna Rada, concerning the prohibition of certain religious organisations in Ukraine, which could potentially lead to the cessation of activities of the UOC-MP

On 19 October 2023, the parliament adopted this draft law in the first reading.

On 23 July, MPs blocked the Verkhovna Rada podium due to the refusal to consider the draft law banning the UOC-MP, thereby disrupting the plenary session.

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Its our party, and we demand to be heard: New Mexicans join protests for Israel arms embargo

Jillian Grandenetti, an Arab-American student at the University of New Mexico who participated in the Duck Pond encampment earlier this year, spoke during a rally on the eve of the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 18, 2024 at Tiguex Park in Albuquerque. (Photo by Austin Fisher / Source NM)

Yousef Aljamals family consider themselves lucky their home is still standing.

Its overcrowded with 35 relatives, said Aljamal, the Gaza coordinator for the Palestine Activism Program run by the Palestinian-led organization American Friends Service Committee, which has offices in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.

So far, Israeli air strikes have left more than 42 million tons of debris across the Gaza Strip, according to the UN. Most of the debris is destroyed housing, Bloomberg reports.

Aljamal lives in Gaza, but his words were shared by his coworker, Sayrah Namaste, New Mexico Program director for the American Friends Service Committee, during a rally on Sunday at Tiguex Park in Albuquerque. She shared his and others messages from Gaza because she doesnt want people to see Palestinians as numbers.

One of the hardest moments during the last 10 months, Aljamal said, was when his father died.

He could not bury him.

Israel has killed so many Palestinians, Aljamal said, families have had to bury them in mass graves, or dig up the graves of other family members to put new ones in.

Even Gazas dead are denied the respect and dignity of a proper burial, Aljamal said. No one should have to live like this.

The rally, followed by a march around downtown Albuquerque, happened on the eve of the Democratic National Convention, at the same time as other demonstrations in 85 cities across 34 U.S. states, with protesters demanding the U.S. implement an arms embargo on Israel.

We want a permanent ceasefire and not one more bomb, not one more dollar to fund the genocide, Palestinian-American organizer Samia Assed said. No more of our tax dollars going to support the heart-wrenching genocide in Gaza.

Justin Rogers, who was a Vote Uncommitted NM campaign organizer, said activists from across the country from the Palestinian-led campaign Not Another Bomb are circulating a petition telling Harris to call for a ceasefire and an arms embargo.

Eight of the 45 delegates from New Mexico to the DNC have signed the petition, Rogers said.

The bomb that blew up our office came from my country

In October, the Israeli military bombed the American Friends Service Committee office in Gaza, destroying it.

Most likely, the bomb that blew up our office came from my country, Namaste said.

Serena Awad, 22, lives in Gaza and is the Gaza Program Officer for the American Friends Service Committee. Namaste also shared her words on Sunday in Albuquerque.

Sometimes it would be easier to be dead than to live each day where nowhere is safe and you dont know if your family has survived another night of bombing, Awad said.

Awad said she and another coworker recently contracted Hepatitis.

When you look around Gaza, everyone is yellow, Awad said.

A Hepatitis outbreak in the Gaza Strip was caused by the Israeli military bombing Gazas sewage systems.

In recent weeks, Awad said she and the others distributed more than 2,600 essential kits containing baby formula and diapers to 2,000 children in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Famine is growing in Gaza. Many newborns are unable to breastfeed because their mothers cant get the minimum nutrition needed to produce milk, which forces them to rely on baby formula, Awad said.

These challenges are compounded by the constant displacement, Awad said. She has been displaced eight times, Namaste said.

Like many places in Gaza, Palestinians sheltering have been forced to leave their homes or tents multiple times in a single month, Awad said. The relentless cycle of displacement makes life incredibly difficult, especially for women who just gave birth and have young children. Each time they have to dismantle their makeshift shelter, set them up again in a different location, which adds to our physical and emotional toll.

We demand to be heard, and well vote accordingly

In March, an overwhelming majority of the New Mexico Democratic Partys membership voted in favor of a permanent ceasefire in Israels war on Gaza, an end to the blockade on humanitarian aid, a pause on U.S. military aid to Israel and the release of hostages on both sides.

Samia Assed, a Palestinian-American organizer in Albuquerque, told the crowd on Sunday its their responsibility to lift their demands to the party and ensure Kamala Harris hears the call for an arms embargo.

Were here to shake up the party, Assed said. Its our party, and we demand to be heard. And well vote accordingly, to how she stands.

Assed said Harris should respect the Leahy Law, which is the federal law barring the U.S. from providing assistance to foreign security units who have committed violations of human rights such as torture, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killing, or rape.

We do not want more weapons overseas, Assed said. Theres no accountability in whats happening overseas. We keep funding, but no transparency and no accountability. Were done.

Jillian Grandenetti, an Arab-American student at the University of New Mexico who participated in the Duck Pond encampment earlier this year, asked how anyone can claim to be neutral during the ongoing genocide of Palestinians.

As a UNM student, I have continued to be very vocal about where I stand on the issue of my tuition money being used to fund a genocide, Grandenetti said. And not only a genocide but the genocide of my people. I am Lebanese and have seen the atrocities carried out by weapons my tuition payments have funded. It is a feeling of despair like none other I have experienced before.

Grandenetti brought up a question that she said everyone should be asking.

If Im not fighting against fascism, who is? she asked. I say this in hopes that if the time ever comes when you need someone to stand up for you, hopefully, someone will be there to do that.

Aljamal said Palestinians in Gaza urgently need Americans and the international community to stop the genocide.

Every day we wake up and go to sleep with the news of death, he said. The sound of bombs and drones are the soundtrack to our lives. Gazans spend every waking hour with one question in their mind: When will this nightmare end?
Passengers could still be alive in air pockets inside the sunken superyacht. But it's a long shot and time is running out.

Passengers could still be alive in air pockets inside the sunken superyacht. But it's a long shot and time is running out.

Divers are searching for missing people from the sunken superyacht Bayesian near Porticello, Italy.

An expert told Business Insider they're likely looking for air pockets in the vessel.

But it's unlikely survivors will be found, the Italian coast guard said.

Divers are searching the sunken superyacht Bayesian for air pockets where survivors might be trapped, but experts and officials say the mission is hampered by dangers and limited time.

The search and rescue operation for the six people missing from the Bayesian is continuing, after it sank in a sudden storm while anchored off the Italian port of Porticello early Monday.

Among the missing is British tech billionaire Mike Lynch. One person has been found dead and 15 were rescued from the vessel.

Matthew Schanck, chairman of the UK's Maritime Search and Rescue Council, told Business Insider that with around 36 hours having passed since the sinking, it appeared likely the missing are still on the vessel.

He added that relatively calm conditions in the hours after the storm passed and weak sea currents meant they'd likely have been found by now if they were on the sea's surface.

Schanck said search and rescue team divers will search the vessel "to see if they can see any casualties through windows or anything like that. They'll assess the structure of the vessel. Are there any air pockets, you know? Is there any noise or any signs of life, and that will factor into their decision-making."

Nick Sloane, who worked on the Costa Concordia salvage operation, told Sky News rescue time is running out to find survivors.

"They've got a very small window of time to try to find people stuck inside with hopefully an air pocket, and they could be rescued," he said.

"If the yacht is on its side, it might have more air pockets than if it's upright. She's got quite a large keel, and that will deflect and put her on her side, I'm sure," he added.

Schanck added that search and rescue leaders would weigh the risk versus the potential for finding survivors in deciding whether to send teams on highly dangerous dives into the sunken vessel.

"If you heard banging from inside you'd be able to take more risks to save a life. But if all the information is pointing towards the fact actually there's no evidence of air pockets, you've scoured the surface, and we think the casualties are in there, then it'd be very difficult for them justify divers entering the vessel to go and recover casualties," he said.

Vincenzo Zagarola, a spokesman for the Italian Coast Guard, told the PA news agency that the missing would unlikely be found alive.

"Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly," he said.

"We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat."

When asked if there was any hope of finding the missing alive, he reportedly said, "Never say never, but reasonably, the answer should be no."

Schanck said there's no strict timeline for assessing when a search and rescue operation should be called off; it's a call made by team leaders based on the evidence available.

Lynch was among the UK's best-known tech entrepreneurs. In 2011, he sold his company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion.

However, the deal led to a drawn-out legal battle, which resulted in Lynch's acquittal on fraud charges in the US in June.

His daughter, Hannah Lynch, is among the missing, while his wife, Angela Bacares, is among the survivors.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis addresses the Democratic National Convention Aug. 19, 2024 (Photo by Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom)

CHICAGO  Pennsylvania Lt. Gov Austin Davis took the stage at the Democratic National Convention on its opening night, one of a group of Democratic state leaders who spoke about how Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden administration had helped them get things done at the local level.

Im the proud son of a Pittsburgh bus driver, Davis said Monday. Every day, my Dad would come home and tell me about how our roads and bridges were in disrepair. President (Donald) Trump promised us Infrastructure Week over and over again. He didnt really care, though, and it never happened.

President Joe Biden and Harris, though, brought together Democrats and Republicans to get it done, Davis said. He pointed to the reopening of I-95 in Philadelphia after an accident damaged the highway in 2023, and the repair of the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh, which collapsed in 2022.

Right now, were repairing roads and bridges across Pennsylvania, including in Pittsburgh, the City of Bridges, Davis said. And Vice President Harris is looking forward. Shes committed to keeping our infrastructure safe and modern.

He appeared on stage with Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sarah Rodriguez, Harris County, Texas Executive Lena Hidalgo, and California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, all of whom shared stories about how Harris had made an impact on their communities.

Over the years, Ive learned that Kamala Harris always calls, and not only does she call, she delivers, Hidalgo said. The very week she launched her campaign, she was down in Texas with FEMA assistance right after Hurricane Beryl. Kamala Harris cares. She will never risk lives for the sake of politics.

Davis, 34, of McKeesport, is the youngest and first-ever Black lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania history. He worked as a senior adviser in Allegheny County government for former County Executive Rich Fitzgerald before being elected to the 35th District House seat in a 2018 special election. He was reelected twice, and when he ran for lieutenant governor, Josh Shapiro, the only Democrat running for governor in 2022, endorsed Davis in the primary.

Davis got into politics after a friend was shot in his McKeesport neighborhood, and preventing gun violence has continued to be a key part of his work in state government. Hes also the father of a daughter, Harper, who turns 1 next month.

When I think about the future, I think about my daughter Harper and all of Americas children. Investing in them means investing in our infrastructure, Davis said. It means replacing millions of lead pipes. It means providing clean air, clean water and safe roads and bridges not just for us, but for generations to come.

Thats the legacy President Biden is leaving for our children. Lets keep building bridges to the future with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, he added.

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By Fatima Latifova

Azerbaijan is among the top five countries in the world for land contamination by mines. While it was previously estimated that there were around one hundred thousand mines in the formerly occupied territories, it has become clear since the Second Garabagh War that this number exceeds one and a half million. The most extensive surveys were conducted in May in the four villages returned to Azerbaijan during the delimitation process.

These areas were also extensively mined. Azerbaijani deminers have conducted searches just 5-10 meters from Armenian posts. Unfortunately, mine explosions have occurred in these four villages during the process. The presence of mine problems in these four villages, returned to Azerbaijan with the Armenian government's consent, raises questions about the intentions of the Pashinyan administration.

Speaking to Azernews, political scientist Turab Rzayev gave an insight into the recent issues. In his comment, Rzayev said that the main issue here is the date when the mines were planted.

"We need to first determine when these mines were laid in the area. If they are mines from the 1990s, then Armenia should have genuinely shown goodwill. If Yerevan truly wants peace and cooperation, it should have provided Baku with the maps of the minefields," he noted.

He said that if the mines were planted more recently, this would be a more significant problem.

"If mines were planted just before the return of the villages to Azerbaijan, it demonstrates Armenias malicious intent, aiming to cause maximum damage to Azerbaijan rather than seeking peace and stability. This would prevent Azerbaijan from utilizing the land and could lead to civilian and military casualties," the expert added.

The political expert explained that another possibility is that mines were planted after the return of the villages.

"If mines were laid after the return of the four villages to Azerbaijan, this indicates that diversion groups may have entered Azerbaijani territory. In this case, Azerbaijan should raise serious concerns about Armenian provocations," he said.

Further to expert views, political analyst Asif Narimanli said that he believes that landmines were planted during negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia about four villages.

"There is a significant possibility that mines were planted in the four villages of Qazakh during the negotiations process. During the period when Garabagh was liberated, the Azerbaijani Army had given Armenian soldiers time to leave the area. During this period, new mines were planted, particularly in areas like Kelbajar that were handed over without combat. It is possible that after planting mines in the four villages of Gazakh, the area was handed over to Azerbaijan," he added.

The expert noted that this situation reflects Armenia's duplicity.

"Despite professing peace, Armenia is doing everything it can to undermine it. This seems to be a characteristic behavior. Just as they left a legacy of mine terror in Karabakh, they are doing the same in these areas," he said.

Asif Narimanli said that the goal here is to create maximum problems for Azerbaijan and delay the settlement of the population in the area.

"Over the past century, Armenia has pursued a policy of creating problems for Azerbaijan. The discovery of numerous mines and mine explosions in the four villages of Qazakh indicates that this policy and attitude remain unchanged.

In the future, the issue of mines should be a top priority. During the border delimitation and the return of other areas to Azerbaijan, Armenia must first hand over the mine maps. If the Armenian side evades cleaning the mines and providing the maps, Armenia should compensate Azerbaijan significantly for the mine problem."

Recall that despite attempts at formally requesting information about the location of those mines, Armenia repeatedly denied that it possessed the relevant information and refused to engage on the issue.

Finally, in February this year, Armenia submitted 8 minefield maps of territories located in the liberated lands to Azerbaijan. These maps cover some of the areas along the former contact line. However, the maps covering part of the former contact line passing through Khojavand, Tartar, and Goranboy districts, as well as the areas mined by Armenian military units when they retreated in November 2020, have not been submitted yet.

Many have suspicions about these maps because previous minefield maps submitted by Armenia were inaccurate. Only 25 percent of these maps were correct. Especially submitting minefield maps of the height where civilians do not live increases this suspicion. It is also worth noting that more than 55% of recent landmine cases have occurred outside the areas covered by the information provided.

The behavior that Armenia displayed in relation to the landmine threat is indeed another setback to the peace and confidence-building measures taken during the post-conflict period in the region.
When students began the new academic year at Queen Palmer Elementary School last week, they may have noticed a difference in the atmosphere from just a few months before.

The staff members at the District 11 school certainly felt it and were grateful for the change.

Oh, my gosh, said Adita Karges, who has been teaching at Queen Palmer for six years. Its a huge difference.

The huge difference was the presence of air conditioning, installed over summer break, for the first time since the building was erected.

When the grade school was built, it was probably considered state-of-the-art, said principal Christina Butcher.

And its still a beautiful building, Butcher noted.

But the school opened its doors in 1948, and a facilities upgrade was long overdue.

This is going to be a game changer for our students, the principal said. Theyre going to be in a welcoming learning environment that not only allows the teachers to teach at a high level, but also to keep the students alert and focused.

The air conditioning, installed by MTech Mechanical, was one of several recent projects aimed at improving the schools environment, inside and out, according to District 11 spokeswoman Jessica Wise.

Weve been trying to activate the outside spaces, said Wise, who listed an outdoor play area and artificial turf field among the improvements. Now, this continues into the interior. When kids are playing outside, getting all hot and sweaty, you dont want them to escalate that by going into a hot building thats not conducive to learning.

The fact that Queen Palmer is a late start school made the lack of air conditioning more problematic, because the building would be warm at the outset of the school day and grow more and more uncomfortable as the day progressed, staff members said.

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We would turn the blinds down, and wed dim the lights, but theres no substitute for air conditioning, Karges said. Its really going to be impactful. It already is.

MTech, a Colorado-based contractor, installed more than 20 air conditioning units over the summer, including rooftop condensers, according to project manager Tyler Corey.

The message that District 11 really drove home, when we met with them, was how important this was for the kids, Corey said at a recent Queen Palmer open house.

We were hoping the open house would be on a 95-degree day, so we could show it off. But everyone can tell the difference.

A few years ago, there had been conversations among the District 11 administration and school board about closing Queen Palmer and nearby Taylor elementary schools and moving both student bodies into the Galileo Middle School building, said Board of Education President Parth Melpakam.

But that plan hinged upon the approval of a proposed $350 million bond that would have been used to update, renovate and rebuild the infrastructure of Colorado Springs oldest school district. The 2021 ballot measure failed by just 11 votes.

(The restructuring) was a conversation with a different board, and a different superintendent, Melpakam said.

Since Superintendent (Michael) Gaal came in, there has been no conversation about closing Queen Palmer. We are reinvesting in the school, its staff, and its students.

The introduction of air conditioning into Queen Palmer classrooms and offices represents just one of more than 100 capital improvements in the district since the 2023-2024 school year ended, Wise said.

Weve got new things happening at just about every school in the district, she said.

Karges and several other Queen Palmer staff members said the new air conditioning will provide a measure of comfort for students and educators alike, allowing them to fully concentrate on teaching and learning.

In August and early September, on really hot days, the teachers would get sweaty and the kids would get groggy, Karges said. (The air conditioning) has already made a big difference. Were very excited and grateful.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ)  The Pennsylvania State Police spent a week teaming up with the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department (LASD) to expand on mental health training in Pennsylvania.

A team of trainers from LASD traveled to Harrisburg for a week-long training with PSP, local law enforcement, medical professionals and other crisis intervention workers, state police said.

PSP added that LASD is one of the countrys leading law enforcement agencies for compassionate, respectful and effective intervention services.

Three detainees transported after altercation in local ICE center

The Pennsylvania State Police frequently collaborates with other agencies to share training, techniques, and procedures to ensure residents of the Commonwealth receive the best law enforcement services possible, Colonel Christopher Paris, Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police said in a release. Through this initiative with the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, we hope to enhance our preparation, gain knowledge, and share ideas with experts in the field.

State police said the training covered effective methods of on-scene crisis stabilization, recognizing signs of a mental health crisis and first responders well-being. LASD guided police through real-world hands-on scenarios.

The LASD mental evaluation team has trained police across the U.S. and this was their first time heading to the East Coast.

Stay up to date with the latest news in the palm of your hand. Click here to download the WTAJ app for Apple and Android devices.

PSP said nearly 80 representatives from federal, state, county and local agencies attended.

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The United States has spotted the redeployment of some Russian forces to Kursk Oblast, where the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been conducting an offensive for two weeks now.

Source: Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder at a briefing on 20 August, European Pravda reports

Details: Ryder said that the US does see signs that the Russians are redeploying some forces to Kursk Oblast to respond to the Ukrainian offensive.

He stressed that Russia has faced difficulties since the start of the operation in Kursk.

"Generally speaking, though, Russia has really struggled to respond (to the offensive - ed.), and you continue to see some Ukrainian advances," the Pentagon spokesperson added.

Ryder refused to specify whether the Russian forces were being redeployed from Ukraine or from other parts of Russia.

There were unofficial reports that Moscow had deployed "thousands" of troops from the line of contact in Ukraine to Kursk Oblast.

The United States officially refuses to assess the events in Kursk Oblast, but the Congress calls the Armed Forces of Ukraine's operation "historic" and one that could change the course of the war.

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Just weeks after the U.S. military dismantled its aid pier off the Gaza Strip, ending its mission there, the Pentagons internal watchdog has launched an investigation into the capability used to build the pier.

In a memo this month, the Defense Departments Office of the Inspector General announced plans to assess how the military uses and fields joint logistics over-the-shore, or JLOTS, a system in which soldiers and sailors build a pier off the shore with sections they can reconfigure.

Troops then prepare a landing zone and stab the beach with the pier.

The IGs probe will complement another review of the Defense Departments overall work to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza via the pier, which began operating in May, but which was only active for about 20 days before ending its work in July.

Before President Joe Biden announced the mission in his March State of the Union address, JLOTS was a little-known area of military engineering.

What did the US militarys Gaza aid pier actually accomplish?

The Gaza pier in some ways validated the capability. The U.S. delivered around 19.4 million pounds of aid into Gaza, or enough to feed half a million Palestinians for one month, according to U.S. estimates.

But the mission was plagued by flaws. The pier buckled under the Eastern Mediterraneans stormy waters and needed to be repaired in the Israeli port city of Ashdod. It was later removed again to prevent it from breaking again during choppy seas.

And despite delivering aid onto the shores of Gaza, the pier was only part of the solution. It was much harder to actually get that assistance to the Palestinian people who needed it amid widespread shortages of food, and The Associated Press reported that truckloads of aid were ransacked en route to distribution points away from the beach.

More than half of the 1,000 soldiers and sailors who performed the mission have now returned to the U.S., a Pentagon spokesperson announced last week. The rest should be back by October.
Mpox has been making headlines ever since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a global health emergency last week. Considering that, its totally fair to have questions about the virus, including its symptoms.

The form of mpox thats currently spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and several other African countries is different than the type that has been circulating in the U.S. at very low levels since 2022. Still, the type of mpox thats currently spreading in Africaknown as clade Ihas been detected in Sweden, raising concerns that it may continue to spread outside of Africa.

Clade I mpox has not been detected in the U.S. so far and infectious disease doctors are generally not worried about mpox causing a pandemic. But its also natural to have questions, especially given how much chatter it's gotten lately.

With that in mind, heres what you should know about the symptoms of mpox.

Meet the expert: Infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

What are the first symptoms of mpox?

Mpox doesnt cause any symptoms at first, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Once youre infected, the virus has an incubation period of three to 17 days, where you'll likely feel fine. From there, you may develop flu-like symptoms.

The first symptoms are fever, chills, muscle aches, headache, and swollen lymph nodes, says infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

The CDC says you may also experience these symptoms:

Exhaustion

Headache

Respiratory symptoms (including a sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)

Rash

After the flu-like symptoms show up, people with mpox usually get a rash on the hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth or near the genitals, per the CDC. The rash can look like pimples or blisters, and can be painful or itchy. It also may go through several stagesincluding scabsbefore it heals, according to the CDC.

How is mpox treated?

The current standard treatment for mpox is an antiviral medication known as tecovirimat, but its not always used. Most people do not need treatment for monkeypox, Adalja says. However, tecovirimat is given to those severe disease or who are immunocompromised.

Recent research conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that the drug did not reduce the length of time children and adults had mpox lesions during a clade I infection. But Adalja says that doesnt mean that tecovirimat is ineffective.

The cases of mpox that are occurring in the United States currently are clade II, he points out. (And tecovirimat has been found to be effective against this clade.) Also, the study did show a trend towards benefit in severe clade I infection.

Meaning, if you become seriously ill with mpox, tecovirimat should be able to help.

What should I do if I suspect I have mpox?

If you develop a rash and flu-like symptoms in the United States right now and havent recently traveled to areas in Africa where mpox is circulating, the odds are pretty low that you have the virus. Still, its possible to contract the virus in the U.S.

If someone suspects they may have mpox, they should seek medical attention and reduce close contact with others until seen by a medical professional, Adalja says.

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Peoria mother charged with endangerment in death of her 9-month-old baby

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD)  A Peoria County grand jury on Tuesday indicted a Peoria woman after her baby died of an overdose from drugs that fell into his crib.

Zenai Wolford, 19, faces a single count of endangering the life and health of a child, a felony with a potential decade-long sentence. Probation is also an option.

Peoria mother ordered held after her baby dies of overdose from pills left in crib

On July 26, Peoria police were called to OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center on Friday for a 9-month-old baby who had died. The boy was driven to the hospital by his mother.

During a hearing earlier this month in Peoria County Circuit Court, a prosecutor said that when officers went to Wolfords home, they looked in the crib and found a small plastic bag that had been nibbled on. The bag had pills in it and the official cause of death for the boy was fentanyl overdose.

Last week, the Peoria County Coroners Office ruled the babys death a homicide.

The infants death was the citys 11th homicide of the year, including multiple shootings and stabbings.

Wolford will next appear in court on Aug. 29.

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Approximately 1,600 gallons of foam containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, was accidentally discharged at Brunswick Executive Airport's hangar 4 on Aug. 19, 2024. (AnnMarie Hilton/ Maine Morning Star)

An unintentional discharge of firefighting foam containing high levels of toxic forever chemicals at the Brunswick Executive Airport on Monday has prompted state legislators to call on the governor to immediately overhaul how the state handles this material, which is housed at military bases and fire departments across the state.

This is like a Silent Spring moment for my district, said Rep. Dan Ankeles (D-Brunswick), referring to Rachel Carsons seminal examination of environmental devastation from the indiscriminate application of agricultural chemicals. This is a wake up call.

At approximately 5:15 a.m. Monday morning, the fire suppression system in hangar four went off, discharging approximately 1,600 gallons of foam containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, which have been linked to serious long-term health problems including cancer, weakened immune systems, developmental issues, and more.

The cause of the accidental discharge is still under investigation, according to the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, which manages the airport. Deputy Commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection David Madore said the cleanup effort remained ongoing as of Monday evening and the full extent of the contamination was not yet known, though local officials confirmed the foam has gotten into the sewer and stormwater systems.

Unfortunately  I hate to say it this way  when you look at it, its a forever chemical for a reason, fire chief Kenneth Brillant said during a town council meeting Monday evening. Its going to be really impossible to really get it all.

While Maine has led the nation in establishing many PFAS restrictions, both the historic use and continued storage of this PFAS-laden foam remains an issue that local lawmakers, community leaders and researchers say the latest spill has once again brought under scrutiny.

The spill on Monday is at least the third since the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority took over the airport. Separately, there is also documentation of forever chemical contamination in the groundwater and soil surrounding the airport linked to its operations as a former military base.

When asked by town councilors how to reassure Mainers that they are safe following the spill, Brillant pointed to the long-standing nature of the contamination. The property over there was already contaminated previous to this, Brillant said, adding that with this spill, the issue is just more visible.

Given the difficulty with cleaning up forever chemicals, Ankeles said the incident underscores why the state needs to take a proactive approach to ensure such spills dont continue to occur.

Ankeles and his counterpart representing Brunswick in the Senate, Democrat Mattie Daughtry, are finalizing a letter to Gov. Janet Mills, which Ankeles said will call for state assistance to clean up the spill as well as all possible preventative measures to be taken to prevent such an incident from happening again. The Brunswick lawmakers are planning to send a similar communication to the federal government soon after, as well.

The spill and immediate response

By Monday afternoon, the firefighting foam could be seen spilling out of the airport hangar into the parking lot, with large pieces also being picked up by the wind and carried down the road near businesses. Inside the hangar, the foam reached four to five feet deep, according to internal employee communications.

After an electronic communication notified the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority that the fire suppression system had gone off, the authoritys executive director, Kristine Logan, said it looped in a number of state and federal entities to help with the response, including the Maine DEP, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the EPAs National Response Center and U.S. Department of Navy. Clean Harbors of South Portland is also providing clean up services.

Officials from several of the responding agencies have said they are unsure how long the cleanup effort will take.

We take this situation very seriously and are committed to addressing the cleanup with the utmost urgency and transparency, Logan said. Our goal is to not only clean up the affected areas but also to ensure that such incidents are handled effectively and responsibly.

Ankeles and Daughtry, the Brunswick lawmakers, intend to call for the immediate removal of the PFAS-laden foam at the Brunswick Airport, which is also in hangar six.

I am deeply concerned about the incident at the landing, what it means for our water supply, its impact on the environment and residents in the district, Daughtry said.

The property was transferred to the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority by the U.S. Navy, after the site was officially decommissioned in 2011. This ownership history has also complicated who is on the hook to clean up the PFAS-related contamination that has occurred through equipment and human error as well as on-base fire training prior to 2011.

The state cant wait, Ankeles said. We cant just argue with the Navy and the EPA over whos in charge of getting this away from my constituents. The cleanup has to be immediate. Just because when you touch it right now your flesh wont immediately melt, its still like a bunch of cancer was just spilled all over my district.

David Page, the town councils representative to the Restoration Advisory Board, which is involved with the overall facility cleanup, hopes the latest spill will show the state it is time to take the community of Brunswick seriously from an environmental point of view, and not primarily as an opportunity for development, which he feels has been the case.

Just because when you touch it right now your flesh won't immediately melt, it's still like a bunch of cancer was just spilled all over my district.

 State Rep. Dan Ankeles of Brunswick

Page, who is a chemistry and biochemistry professor emeritus at Bowdoin College, is also concerned about occupational exposure from the spill.

Even at very low levels, its very hazardous, Page said. I mean they treat this stuff like its just detergent, but its not.

During the Monday evening meeting, Brunswick town councilors also questioned Brillant, the fire chief, about exposure risks for those cleaning up the spill.

Comparing the cleanup to a fuel spill, Brillant said, If someone poured five gallons of gasoline on your driveway and it was just sitting there in a puddle, you wouldnt walk in it, you wouldnt put your hands in it, you wouldnt drink it, youd want to get it cleaned up.

But at some point theres some exposure to that, he said, adding that Clean Harbors employs trained responders with protective equipment.

Cleanup limitations

This type of foam, Aqueous Film Forming Foam, also referred to as AFFF, is highly effective against high-hazard flammable liquid fires because of PFAS, but these persistent chemicals also make it highly toxic. As a result, states have started to ban or restrict the use of this fire suppressant  Maine did the latter in 2021.

However, PFAS also make the material difficult to dispose of. For instance, incineration risks failing to break down all the chemical bonds or creating harmful byproducts.

Brunswick Sewer System General Manager Rob Pontau said now that the foam has gotten into the sewer system, remediation options are limited. We dont have a treatment technology to deal with it, and thats probably a long way out, Pontau said.

There have been recent developments in more effective methods, such as technology called the PFAS Annihilator that New Hampshire has begun using in tandem with a recently launched foam take-back program.

In Maine, however, this foam is currently stored across the state. According to a 2022 Maine DEP report, 48,000 gallons of AFFF could still be in fire departments, not counting additional gallons on current and former military bases like the Brunswick Airport.

Ankeles said the most important immediate step in his view is to ensure the foam is not located in places where it can get into water systems, and he is open to exploring storage options both in and out of state to make that a reality.

In 2023, Ankeles proposed establishing a commission to study ways to improve infrastructure and stormwater management at the Brunswick Airport, specifically including ongoing federal and state remediation and safe storage efforts with respect to PFAS. While the plan secured the approval of both chambers, it failed to get enacted due to procedural hurdles with something called the study table.

AnnMarie Hilton contributed reporting to this story.

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Who was Phil Donahue married to? What to know about actress Marlo Thomas

Phil Donahue, a former talk show host from Cleveland, has died at 88, USA TODAY reports.

Donahue, a journalist and longtime host of "The Phil Donahue Show," created and hosted the first daytime talk show to feature audience participation. The show began in Dayton, Ohio. Donahue was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in May by President Joe Biden.

"He broadcast the power of personal stories in living rooms across America. He helped change hearts and minds through honest and open dialogue," Biden said.

But who was Phil Donahue married to? Here's a look.

Who was Phil Donahue married to?

Phil Donahue, a journalist and longtime talk show host, married actress, producer, author and activist Marlo Thomas in 1980.

Donahue married actress, producer, author, and activist Marlo Thomas in 1980. According to The Today Show, the couple initially met when she appeared on his talk show to promote her 1977 film, "Thieves," and they had "instant chemistry."

Thomas and Donahue co-authored "What Makes a Marriage Last" in 2020. The book features a series of conversations with married couples about their secrets to love and happiness.

In the book, Thomas stated that their secret to marriage was love, listening, and lust, the "three Ls."

"You have to listen and then youll know what the other person is really thinking and going through. You have to love each other. And without lust, you dont have anything," she told People in 2023.

Donahue and Thomas celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary on May 21, according to a photo she posted on Instagram of their wedding day.

On Monday, Thomas posted a tribute to her husband and former talk show host and writer on Instagram. In her post, she thanked her followers for their love and support but said she is taking a break from social media to grieve.

Did Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas have children?

Donahue and Thomas did not have children together, but the talk show host had five children from a previous marriage. He had four sons, Michael, Kevin, Daniel, and James, and one daughter, Mary Rose.

Thomas opened up about her relationship with Donahue's children in an interview with AARP.org in 2011. She said that she chose to be a friend to Donahue's children instead of trying to be a mother in the "traditional sense."

Donahue's youngest son, James, died in 2014 of an aortic aneurysm at age 51, per an obituary in the Dayton Daily News.

Who was Phil Donahue's first wife?

Before he married Thomas, Donahue married his college sweetheart, Margaret Cooney, in 1958, after graduating from the University of Notre Dame, The Today Show reports. The couple divorced in 1975, with Donahue gaining custody of their four sons. Cooney received custody of their daughter.

After their divorce, Cooney returned to her native New Mexico and remarried, according to the Washington Post.

How old is Marlo Thomas?

Marlo Thomas, best known for her roles in "That Girl" and "Free to Be... You and Me," was born on Nov. 21, 1937, in Detroit, Michigan.

Marlo Thomas, best known for her roles in "That Girl" and "Free to Be ... You and Me," was born on Nov. 21, 1937, in Detroit. The actress is 86 years old.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How old is Marlo Thomas? What to know about Phil Donahue's 2nd wife
MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines on Tuesday said China's coast guard was not helping efforts to build confidence in the South China Sea, after accusing it of ramming and damaging its vessels in the latest in a succession of altercations.

The Philippines urges China to refrain from aggressive actions and adhere to international law, said Alexander Lopez, a spokesperson for the country's maritime council, an inter-ministerial body that formulates policy on the South China Sea.

The latest incident took place near the Sabina Shoal, as the Philippines conducted a resupply mission to two islands it occupies in the Spratly chain, parts of which are also contested by China, Vietnam and Malaysia.

China has challenged Manila's account and said the Philippine coast guard acted in an "unprofessional and dangerous" manner.

Lopez at a briefing at the presidential palace said the council expressed "serious concern over the deliberate harassment and infringement by China" on the Philippines sovereignty and sovereign rights in the South China Sea.

China's actions have drawn condemnation from treaty ally, the United States which described them as "dangerous" and "reckless", while Japan through its embassy in Manila also expressed serious concern while reiterating its call for peaceful settlement of disputes.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, deploying an armada of coast guard vessels to protect what it considers its territory, hundreds of kilometres off its mainland. An international arbitral tribunal has said Beijing's claim has no basis under international law.

The Philippines has been testing China's resolve with increased coast guard activity in disputed areas of its exclusive economic zone, including resupply missions that have angered China, which sees the moves as deliberate provocations.

(Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by Martin Petty)
The Philippines will allow a limited number of Afghan nationals to stay in the country while their resettlement visas for the United States are processed, according to an agreement reached between Washington and Manila.

The agreement demonstrates how the Biden administration has deepened ties with the government of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The issue of hosting Afghan nationals had been drawn out for more than a year due to Marcos raising many security issues.

The State Department announced the agreement Monday and said the U.S. would support necessary services for the Afghan nationals in the Philippines, including food, housing, security, medical needs, and transportation to complete visa processing.

The Biden administration is continuing to try to process immigrant visas for Afghan nationals who worked alongside the U.S. over the two-decade war in Afghanistan but were left behind amid the Talibans lightning takeover of the country and the chaotic and deadly American exit in August 2021. The U.S. also works to allow refugee admission for Afghans considered vulnerable to violence and death under control of the Taliban.

The State Department did not say how many Afghan nationals would transit through the Philippines.

A senior Philippine official told The Associated Press that only 150 to 300 applicants would be accommodated in the Philippines under the one-time deal. The AP reported that the official, who had knowledge of the negotiations, agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to speak publicly.

The United States appreciates its long and positive history of bilateral cooperation with the Philippines and thanks the Philippine government for supporting Afghan allies of the United States, the State Department said in a statement.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said the agreement is currently undergoing the final domestic procedures required for effectivity.

The agreement comes as President Biden has worked to deepen military and security ties with the Philippines in the face of increased provocations and clashes with China. In May 2023, the U.S. and Philippines agreed to new bilateral defense guidelines that increased cooperation on a number of fronts, including military and law enforcement cooperation and intelligence-sharing.

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The Colorado Springs Police Department has lifted a shelter-in-place order in southwest Colorado Springs after a 6-hour standoff with a barricaded suspect.

Police say they received a call for a disturbance at 11 a.m. and responded to the area of 2200 Woodburn Street, west of the Broadmoor Towne Center. Upon arrival, residents of the home indicated that a prior tenant had come to the house threatening them with a knife and claiming he was "going to take over the house."

The man barricaded inside the residence, and then refused law enforcement's requests to exit. The residents of the home were able to exit safely, according to police.

At 3 p.m., after obtaining a search warrant, as well as an arrest warrant for the suspect, law enforcement began to search the home.

At around 5:10 p.m., the first round of chemical irritant was introduced, but was ineffective. A second and third round was introduced at 5:35 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., also proving to be ineffective, police said.

At 6:45 p.m., the suspect surrendered and was taken into custody without incident. Police have identified the suspect as 37-year-old Juan Louis Lopez.

Lopez was transferred for medical clearance due to the chemical irritants before being booked into the El Paso County jail.

Police said he is facing numerous charges, including first-degree burglary, attempted second-degree assault and felony menacing.
(Bloomberg) -- The Philippines said a former local official embroiled in alleged money laundering through China-centric online casinos has left the country, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed to hold accountable those behind her exit.

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We will expose the culprits who have betrayed the peoples trust and aided her flight, Marcos said in a statement Wednesday. Let me be clear: heads will roll.

Dismissed Mayor Alice Guo arrived in Kuala Lumpur from Denpasar, Indonesia on July 18 then flew to Singapore after three days, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission spokesperson Winston Casio said in a message to reporters late Monday, citing immigration records from these countries.

Guo arrived in Batam, Indonesia from Singapore via a ferry boat on August 18, he added. Her lawyer, Stephen David, said in a phone call on Tuesday that Guo told him shes still in the Philippines.

The ex-mayors bank accounts were earlier frozen over suspected money laundering, human trafficking and fraud. She was investigated by the Senate over her alleged ties to China-centric casinos that have since been banned. Her camp has denied wrongdoing.

The Philippines Department of Justice also said Tuesday that it will investigate how Guo was able to exit the country despite an immigration lookout bulletin order that directs authorities to closely monitor her movements.

--With assistance from Cliff Venzon.

(Recasts head, lead with presidents statement.)

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(Bloomberg) -- The Philippines said its studying broadening the scope of its deal with China that seeks to ease tensions in the South China Sea, after another collision on contested waters.

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The two nations provisional arrangement on resupply missions to the Philippines military outpost on Second Thomas Shoal could be expanded to a bigger area, Manilas maritime council spokesman Alexander Lopez said at a televised briefing Tuesday.

At the same time, the Philippines is seriously studying filing another diplomatic protest against China over the recent clash, according to Lopez, adding that Beijings actions were unprofessional and dangerous.

These illegal actions do not contribute to confidence building measures necessary for the improvement of relations, the council said in a statement read by Lopez.

China and Philippine coast guard vessels collided again in the South China Sea on Monday  marking a new flashpoint in their lingering maritime dispute that has gotten closer to the Southeast Asian nations shores.

Beijing said the Philippine Coast Guard illegally attempted to enter waters around Sabina Shoal, but Manila said Chinese vessels made aggressive maneuvers that tore a hole on its ship. The US, the Philippines defense ally, condemned Chinas dangerous actions.

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AMERICUS, Ga. (WRBL)  Phoebe Sumter Medical Center was named the most beautiful hospital in the United States Monday.

Soliant Health, a company specializing in hiring solutions in the healthcare sector, conducted its annual contest to find the most beautiful hospital in the US and Phoebe Sumter came out on top.

According to Soliant Health, 80 hospitals were nominated in this years contest and Phoebe Sumter emerged as the winner by receiving more than 347,000 votes.

Phoebe Sumter CEO Carlyle Walton said it was an honor to receive the award for a second time.

Winning this title in 2015 was a testament to our organizations vision and being recognized again in 2024 is a true affirmation of our continued commitment to providing a healing environment that complements our high-quality medical care, Walton said.

Sumter Regional Hospital was destroyed by a tornado in 2007, Phoebe partnered with the Americus and Sumter County Hospital Authority to build a new hospital and medical center complex on a 40-acre site at the intersection of U.S. Highways 19 and 280.

The 76-bed hospital boasts abundant natural lighting and all-private patient rooms. The campus also features three buildings that house medical clinics surrounding a central courtyard. Since first winning the title nine years ago, a public walking trail was added.

Soliant Health CEO David Alexander said the contest is not just about how a hospital looks, it is about how patients are treated.

This accolade celebrates not only the stunning architecture and thoughtful design but also the dedication of the staff who create a healing environment filled with compassion and care, Alexander said. At Soliant, we believe that a beautiful hospital can significantly enhance the patient experience, and Phoebe Sumter Medical Center exemplifies this ideal with its unique blend of aesthetic beauty and heartfelt service.

Walton said they feel the support from the community everyday and will continue to work hard.

Sumter County is such a wonderful place to call home, and our team is fortunate to have incredible support from the people who live here. We feel it every day, and our community truly showed their appreciation for Phoebe Sumter by helping us earn this title. I assure them, we will continue to strive for excellence in every aspect of patient care and community service. Carlyle Walton, CEO of Phoebe Sumter 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 WRBL.
Photos: DNC underway in Chicago with an energized Harris-Walz ticket

A capacity crowd cheers the nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris at the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Democrats from across the country convened in Chicago to officially crown Vice President Kamala Harris as their nominee.

The partys energetic embrace of Harris candidacy coincides with the first in-person Democratic National Convention in eight years following 2020s pandemic-altered convention.

The party is also bidding a bittersweet farewell to President Biden.

Photojournalists Robert Gauthier and Myung J. Chun are on the ground in Chicago to bring behind-the-scenes visuals and candid moments.

Vice President Kamala Harris on stage with family members at the Democratic National Convention.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom joins the state's delegation on the final day of the Democratic National Convention.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Delegates cheer Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz during Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention.

(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

A Kamala Harris poster appears on a bridge in Chicago across from a Trump hotel in Chicago.

(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

John Legend, left, and Ari O'Neal perform during the Democratic National Convention.

Oprah Winfrey on stage during day three of the Democratic National Convention.

Former President Bill Clinton on stage during day three of the Democratic National Convention.

Former California Governor Gray Davis during day three at the Democratic National Convention.

Gus Walz weeps as his father, Gov. Tim Walz, delivers his nomination speech.

Clockwise from top left: Oprah Winfrey; former President Clinton; an emotional Gus Walz, weeping as his father, Gov. Tim Walz, delivers his nomination-acceptance speech; and former California Gov. Gray Davis on Day 3 of the DNC.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Former President Obama points to his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama, after she introduced him at the Democratic National Convention.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom casts votes for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris during the Democratic National Convention.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Harpreet S. Sandhu, delegate from Richmond, Calif., shows off his swag on the lapel of his jacket on day 3 of the Democratic National Convention.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

A Georgia delegate leaves the arena at the conclusion of Day 2 of the Democratic National Convention.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

A woman wears a dress with faces of women leaders on it on day 3 of the Democratic National Convention.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

President Biden speaks at the Democratic National Convention.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz tears up while standing with Vice President Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff as First Lady Jill Biden speaks about her husband, President Biden, at the Democratic National Convention.

Wisconsin Delegates light up before the start of the the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Delegates cheer Biden at the Democratic National Convention.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Biden embraces his daughter, Ashley Biden, as he takes the stage at the Democratic National Convention.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Protesters at Union Park in Chicago.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

A law enforcement officer redirects the megaphone of a protester who was shouting antiabortion slogans at officers along Michigan Avenue.

Dozens of law enforcement officers on bicycles barricade a section of Michigan Ave. as protestors with the March For Bodies Against Unjust Laws proceeded to Grant Park. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Law enforcement officers on bicycles barricade a section of Michigan Avenue as protesters with the March For Bodies Against Unjust Laws proceeds to Grant Park.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A pro-Palestinian demonstrator holds up a flag as protesters march around the perimeter of the Democratic National Convention before the start of the convention in Chicago on Monday. (Christian Monterrosa/AFP via Getty Images)

The Democratic National Convention, which is being held this week in Chicago, is attracting party leaders from around the country. But it is also attracting critics. Among those gathering outside the United Center and the McCormick Place Convention Center are demonstrators pushing for stronger pro-Palestinian policies from the Democrats. From Yahoo News partner the Guardian:

About half a mile east of the Democratic national convention in Chicago, Union Park filled at noon on Monday with demonstrators intent on sending a message to Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, delegates and the world: the war on Gaza should not be an afterthought.



Organizers for the Coalition to March on the DNC drew 172 local and national organizations together for the protest rally and march. Thousands of people gathered for one of the main anti-war demonstrations this week.



This is not about some Machiavellian politics, said social critic and independent presidential candidate Cornel West at the onset. This is about morality. This is about spirituality.

Read more from the Guardian, and see photos of the protests below.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators march before the DNC near the United Center on Monday in Chicago. (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A pro-Palestinian demonstrator at the security perimeter fence of the DNC on Monday. (Christian Monterrosa/AFP via Getty Images)

A protester holds an anti-Harris sign as she marches around the perimeter of the Democratic convention on Monday. (Christian Monterrosa/AFP via Getty Images)

Demonstrators march in the street near the United Center on Monday. (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A protester marches to the Democratic National Convention after a rally at Union Park on Monday in Chicago. (Noah Berger/AP)

Demonstrators attend the March on the DNC rally on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention. (Marco Bello/Reuters)

Protesters hold signs next to puppets at a rally in Chicago on Monday. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

A woman holds a Palestinian flag at the March on the DNC rally on the sidelines of the Democratic convention on Monday. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

A protester yells during a demonstration before a march to the Democratic National Convention on Monday. (Alex Brandon/AP)

Protesters march to the Democratic National Convention after a rally at Union Park on Monday. (Julio Cortez/AP)

See more of our photo features on Yahoo News >>>
The 2024 Democratic National Convention was held this week.

On night one, President Joe Biden took the stage to tout his accomplishments and cement his legacy.

Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic presidential nomination on the final night.

The 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago was full of standout speeches and memorable appearances.

Rising stars in the Democratic party, as well as venerated public servants, took the stage to pay tribute to President Joe Biden's legacy and support Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign following Biden's exit from the race.

Here are some of the biggest moments from the convention in photos.

Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on the first night of the convention.

Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

"Looking out at everyone tonight, I see the beauty of our great nation, people from every corner of our country and every walk of life are here, united by our shared vision for the future of our country," she said.

She ended her brief remarks with one of her signature lines: "When we fight, we win."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a fiery speech in support of Harris and Tim Walz.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the Democratic National Convention. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

"I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed, trampling on our way of life," Ocasio-Cortez said.

Hillary Clinton spoke about her vision for what lies beyond that "hardest, highest glass ceiling."

Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention. KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images

"On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as the 47th president," Clinton said.

Clinton's speech also included a nod to "Suffs," the Broadway show she co-produced about the women's suffrage movement, with a line from one of its songs: "Progress is possible, not guaranteed."

Kentucky resident Hadley Duvall introduced Gov. Andy Beshear with her powerful testimony in support of reproductive freedom.

Hadley Duvall at the Democratic National Convention. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Duvall shared her story of being impregnated by her stepfather at age 12.

"I can't imagine not having a choice, but today, that's the reality for many women and girls across the country because of Donald Trump's abortion bans," Duvall said." "He calls it a beautiful thing. What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parent's child?"

Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia quoted the Bible in his address and said Donald Trump should "try reading it."

Raphael Warnock at the Democratic National Convention. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

"A vote is a kind of prayer for the kind of world we desire for ourselves and for our children, and we are stronger when we pray together," Warnock, a Baptist pastor, said.

First lady Jill Biden paid tribute to her husband's legacy.

Jill Biden at the Democratic National Convention. KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images

"With faith in each other, hope for a brighter future, and love for our country. We will fight, and we will win together," Jill Biden said.

She also spoke about how her late son, Beau Biden, knew Harris while they both served as attorneys general of their respective states.

"He told me at the dinner table one night, 'Mom, she's a special someone to keep your eye on,'" she said Beau Biden told her. "And he was right. Joe and I know Kamala. We have seen her courage, her determination, and her leadership up close."

President Joe Biden wiped away tears after his daughter Ashley's introduction.

Joe Biden and his daughter Ashley Biden at the Democratic National Convention. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

Ashley Biden described her father as "the OG girl dad."

"Dad, you always tell us, but we don't tell you enough, that you are the love of our lives and the life of our love," she said.

In his speech, President Joe Biden touted his administration's accomplishments while passing the torch to Harris and the next generation.

Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

"I've made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you," he said in his DNC speech.

Biden also spoke highly of Harris, saying that choosing her as his vice president was "the best decision" he's made in his career.

"Like many of our best presidents, she was also vice president," he quipped.

Stephanie Grisham, Trump's former White House press secretary, disavowed her former boss on the second night of the convention.

Stephanie Grisham at the Democratic National Convention. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Grisham shared a screenshot of a text exchange with Melania Trump from January 6, 2021, in which she asked "Do you want to tweet that peaceful protests are the right of every American, but there is no place for lawlessness & violence?"

The screenshot showed that the then-first lady replied "No."

The roll call became a high-energy party complete with a DJ.

DJ Cassidy at the Democratic National Convention. Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

DJ Cassidy introduced the delegation with a song connected to each state.

Harris and Walz joined remotely from a rally in Milwaukee once the roll call was complete.

Kamala Harris in Milwaukee. MAHKA ESLAMI/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Harris and Walz joined via video feed from Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum, where the Republican National Convention was held.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, who ran for president in 2016 and 2020, spoke on day two.

Bernie Sanders at the Democratic National Convention. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Speaking in front of a screen reading "Strong middle class, strong America," Sanders told the crowd, "We need an economy that works for all of us, not just the billionaire class."

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker leveraged his billionaire status to rip into Trump.

JB Pritzker at the Democratic National Convention. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

"Donald Trump thinks that we should trust him on the economy because he claims to be very rich," he said. "But take it from an actual billionaire. Trump is rich in only one thing  stupidity."

Pritzker is worth an estimated $3.5 billion, according to Forbes. Forbes reports that Trump is worth around $4.5 billion.

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff shared the story of how he met and fell in love with Harris and called her a "joyful warrior."

Doug Emhoff at the Democratic National Convention. Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

"Wherever she's needed, however she's needed, Kamala rises to the occasion," he said. "And she did it for me and my family. And now that the country needs her, she's showing you what we already know: she's ready to lead."

Michelle Obama stole the show with a speech in which she urged voters to "do something."

Michelle Obama at the Democratic National Convention. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Her speech also included fierce criticisms of Trump, including "Who's going to tell him that the job he's currently seeking might just be one of those 'Black jobs'?" and "If we see a mountain in front of us, we don't expect there to be an escalator waiting to take us to the top," referencing Trump Tower's escalator.

In his speech, former President Barack Obama threw his support behind Harris.

Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

"Kamala Harris is ready for the job," Obama said in his speech. "This is a person who has spent her life fighting on behalf of people who need a voice and a champion."

He also made a suggestive hand gesture while joking about Trump's "weird obsession with crowd sizes."

On the convention's third night, the parents of an Israeli-American hostage held in Gaza, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, delivered an emotional speech.

Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg at the Democratic National Convention. Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, said that returning the hostages is "not a political issue" but a "humanitarian issue."

"In an inflamed Middle East, we know the one thing that can most immediately release pressure and bring calm to the entire region: a deal that brings this diverse group of 109 hostages home and ends the suffering of the innocent civilians in Gaza," Polin said.

Former President Bill Clinton veered from his prepared remarks, speaking about the economy and reflecting on his presidency.

Bill Clinton at the Democratic National Convention. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

"Two days ago I turned 78, the oldest man in my family for a generation," Clinton said. "And the only personal vanity I want to assert is I am still younger than Donald Trump."

He added of Trump: "He mostly talks about himself, so the next time you hear him, don't count the lies, count the I's."

Amanda Gorman recited a new poem, "This Sacred Scene."

Amanda Gorman at the Democratic National Convention. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

"We gather at this hallowed place because we believe in the American dream," Gorman said. "We face a race that tests if this country we cherish shall perish from the Earth and if our Earth shall perish from this country. It falls to us to ensure that we do not fall, for a people that cannot stand together cannot stand at all."

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg introduced himself by saying that viewers "might recognize me from Fox News."

Pete Buttigieg at the Democratic National Convention. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Buttigieg, a frequent Fox News guest, spoke about his family and military service and summed up Trump's campaign in one word: "darkness."

"I believe in a better politics  one that finds us at our most decent, and open, and brave  the kind of politics that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are offering," he said. "As you've felt in the last couple of days, that kind of politics just feels good to be a part of. There is joy in it, as well as power."

Oprah Winfrey made a surprise appearance.

Oprah Winfrey at the Democratic National Convention. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

"Let us choose truth, let us choose honor, let us choose joy," Winfrey said. "Because that is the best of America."

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accepted the vice-presidential nomination, hearkening back to his days as a football coach with an election pep talk.

Tim Walz at the Democratic National Convention. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

"You know, you might not know it, but I haven't given a lot of big speeches like this. But I have given a lot of pep talks," he said. "So let me finish with this, team. It's the fourth quarter. We're down a field goal. But we're on offense and we've got the ball. We're driving down the field. And boy, do we have the right team."

Elizabeth Warren received a loud round of applause as she took the stage on the fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention.

Elizabeth Warren at the Democratic National Convention. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

"Trust Donald Trump and JD Vance to look out for your family? Shoot, I wouldn't let these guys, I wouldn't trust them to move my couch , " Warren said in an apparent reference to a viral joke on X about JD Vance having sex with a couch.

Rev. Al Sharpton brought out four members of the "Central Park Five" who were falsely convicted of rape and assault in 1989.

Members of the "Central Park Five" and Rev. Al Sharpton at the Democratic National Convention. ALEX WROBLEWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

"He called us animals. He spent $85,000 on a full-page ad in The New York Times calling for our execution," Korey Wise said of Trump. "We were innocent kids, but we served a total of 41 years in prison."

Trump has refused to apologize for the ad.

Harris' goddaughter Helena Hudlin, niece Meena Harris, and stepdaughter Ella Emhoff shared personal stories about their relationships with Harris.

Helena Hudlin, Meena Harris, and Ella Emhoff at the Democratic National Convention. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

"Kamala came into my life when I was 14, famously a very easy time for a teenager," Emhoff said. "Like a lot of young people, I didn't always understand what I was feeling, but no matter what, Kamala was there for me. She was patient, caring, and always took me seriously. She's never stopped listening to me and she's not going to stop listening to all of us."

Emhoff wore a custom dress designed by a TikTok-famous designer named Joe Ando.

Survivors of gun violence shared their stories in a powerful segment capped off by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

Mark Kelly and Gabrielle Giffords at the Democratic National Convention. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Giffords, who sustained a brain injury in a 2011 assassination attempt, said that Harris "can beat the gun lobby."

Her husband, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, accompanied her onstage.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer praised Harris as "tough, tested and a total badass."

Gretchen Whitmer at the Democratic National Convention. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Whitmer hit back at Trump's nickname for her, "that woman from Michigan," by referring to him as "that man from Mar-a-Lago."

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican, said he was endorsing Harris to "defend truth" and "defend democracy and decency.

Adam Kinzinger at the Democratic National Convention. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Kinzinger said that the Republican Party is "no longer conservative," and that Trump has "suffocated the soul of the Republican Party."

"How can a party claim to be patriotic if it idolizes a man who tried to overthrow a free and fair election?" he said.

Harris accepted the Democratic nomination, saying in her speech that she would serve as "a president for all Americans."

Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Harris spoke about her mother, her upbringing, and her vision for America's future.

"I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations," she said in her speech accepting the nomination. "A president who leads and listens, who is realistic, practical, and has common sense. And always fights for the American people. From the courthouse to the White House, that has been my life's work."

The convention ended with 100,000 balloons falling from the ceiling of the United Center.

Balloons at the Democratic National Convention. MIKE SEGAR/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Harris' and Walz's families joined them onstage to celebrate their nomination.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Police officers detain a man after several protesters broke through a security fence near United Center during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday. (Adrees Latif/Reuters)

Protesters clashed with police outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday for the second straight day, leading to 13 arrests, police said.

The charges against those who were arrested ranged from criminal trespass to resisting, obstructing and aggravated battery against police officers, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said at a press briefing.

Some of those arrested breached a fence near the United Center on Monday night, Snelling said. Officers who responded to the breach were struck by objects and hit with pepper spray, he said, but added that there were "no major injuries."

"Our officers showed great restraint," Snelling said.

Police officers in riot gear hold a demonstrator during a protest on Monday. (Marco Bello/Reuters)

Police detain a pro-Palestinian activist during a demonstration Monday outside the convention. (Mathew Hatcher/AFP via Getty Images)

Police officers detain a demonstrator on Monday. (Seth Herald/Reuters)

Two people were arrested Sunday ahead of the four-day convention.

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Demonstrations are expected to happen each day, with crowds anticipated to be even bigger than the protests outside the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month.

Most of the demonstrators are protesting the war in Gaza, with organizers expecting up to 20,000 protesters to join in. Other activist groups outside the DNC are demonstrating in favor of protecting abortion and LBGTQ rights, calling for racial equality and raising awareness of climate change.

Police in riot gear monitor a protest while guarding the perimeter of the convention on Monday. (Adrees Latif/Reuters)

A protester tries to push through a fence surrounding the United Center on Monday. (Alex Brandon/AP)

Police take a protester into custody outside the convention on Monday. (Frank Franklin II/AP)

Police take a handcuffed protester into custody on Monday. (Alex Brandon/AP)

Police attempt to clear a park near the United Center on Monday. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Police replace a piece of fence that was knocked down by protesters outside the United Center on Monday. (Frank Franklin II/AP)

A protester confronts police during a demonstration outside the convention on Monday. (Frank Franklin II/AP)

A fence sitter in front of riot police outside the Democratic National Convention on Monday. (Marco Bello/Reuters)

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NEW YORK (PIX11)  A pit bull attacked a pizzeria employee in Manhattan Monday night, sources told PIX11 News.

It happened inside 144 5th Ave. in the Flatiron District around 9:45 p.m., according to authorities. A 35-year-old man allegedly walked into Roma Pizza with the pit bull, who was unleashed, sources said.

More Local News

The 50-year-old pizzeria employee got into an argument with the man after telling him to leave with the dog, according to sources. Thats when the dog attacked the employee, sources said.

The employee was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue where hes in critical condition, per police.

The 35-year-old man was taken into custody, according to authorities. His dog is still alive and being held at the precinct, sources said.

Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11)  A pit bull owner is accused of brutally beating a worker unconscious before his dog bit the victim during a fight in a Manhattan pizzeria Monday night, police and sources said.

Tyshaun Watson, 35, was charged with attempted murder and assault, according to the NYPD.

More Local News

The unleashed pit bull bit the 50-year-old employee multiple times inside Roma Pizzeria at 144 5th Ave. in the Flatiron District around 9:45 p.m., authorities said. The victim told Watson to leave the pizzeria before they began fighting, and the dog pounced on the worker during the clash, according to sources.

Police sources said the pit bull bit the worker and Watson during the brawl that spilled out onto the sidewalk. The worker was allegedly punched and kicked in the head until he was unconscious, then repeatedly beaten while he was passed out, sources said.

Most of the workers injuries were sustained during the fight with Watson and not from the dog bites throughout his body, sources said.

Officers resuscitated the victim at the scene before he was rushed to the hospital with head injuries and internal bleeding, according to sources. He remained in critical condition, as of Tuesday afternoon, police said.

Watson, a New Jersey resident, was taken into custody at the scene, according to authorities. The dog was not harmed and sent to the ASPCA, sources said.

Watsons arraignment was pending on Tuesday.

Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.

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Placer County DA files murder charge in fentanyl death; the fifth homicide case of its kind

Placer County prosecutors on Tuesday filed a murder charge against a man accused of being responsible for a fentanyl death in April, the fifth time District Attorney Morgan Gire has sought homicide charges in a death from the synthetic opioid.

James Scott Teahan Jr., 34, is charged with murder in the death of Stephen Windham, according to an amended criminal complaint filed Tuesday by the Placer County District Attorneys Office. The complaint alleges that the act that led to Windhams death occurred April 24.

Teahan on Tuesday morning appeared for his arraignment hearing in Placer Superior Court, where he entered a not-guilty plea in the murder case. Judge Steven Howell scheduled Teahan to return to court Aug. 27 for further proceedings in his case, court records show.

He remained in custody Tuesday at the Placer County Jail, where he has been held since his April 24 arrest. He was being held without bail.

Teahan initially faced drug charges, along with unlawful gun and knife possession charges, jail and court records show. Now, those charges are superseded by the murder charge filed Tuesday.

Fentanyl is a powerful and potentially addictive synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin. The California Department of Justice has said two milligrams of fentanyl can result in overdose and potentially death.

The first Placer County defendant to face a murder charge in a fentanyl death was Carson David Schewe, a now 23-year-old man accused of selling fentanyl in December 2021 to 20-year-old Kade Kristopher Webb, who later died from an overdose in Roseville.

Schewes murder case is still pending after a Placer Superior Court judge in March declared a mistrial after a lab failed to provide the prosecution and the defense a report detailing a summary of results from the victims blood tests. Court records show Schewe, who has been in jail custody since February 2022, is scheduled to return to court Monday.

Nathaniel Evan Cabacungan, 22, was the first person in Placer County and in California to be convicted of murder in a fentanyl case. He pleaded guilty in July to second-degree murder for the death of 15-year-old Jewels Marie Wolf. She was a Roseville teen who died in June 2022 after ingesting a fake Percocet pill containing a lethal dose of fentanyl.

Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire speaks during a press conference at Placer Superior Court Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, in Roseville after the sentencing of Nathanial Evan Cabacungan, 22, for second-degree murder for the fentanyl death of Jewels Marie Wolf.

Gire and other prosecutors in California have taken a new approach to fentanyl deaths, filing murder charges against people who sell or provide fentanyl to someone who later dies from ingesting the drugs.

In early April, a 26-year-old Sacramento County man was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for selling fentanyl to an Auburn woman who died in an overdose. Aaron Kurtis Dare II, of Fair Oaks, was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of the 25-year-old Haleigh Yarbrough.

After Dare was sentenced, Gire said his office would continue its aggressive pursuit of fentanyl dealers.

We will continue to hold those who sell this deadly poison in our community accountable, Gire said in the April 4 news release. Our team is dedicated to disrupting and dismantling this market, from both supply and demand.

Prosecutors said the murder case against Teahan was the result of an investigation by the countys Opioid Response Team, a partnership between the District Attorneys Office and the Placer County Sheriffs Office. The team was created in April, and this is the teams first investigation that has led to a murder charge.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  The unsolved Aug. 26, 2001, homicide of Jonathan McClendon on the South Side required just about every police car in the city.

Officers not only secured the crime scene at Hudson and West Princeton avenues on that muggy, cloudy Sunday. They also collected evidence from another victim at the former North Side Hospital and found a man cleaning blood out of the upholstery of a car used to transport that victim to the hospital.

McClendon, 23, was shot and killed about 3:15 p.m. after the car he was driving was hit by several bullets. In the intersection, police found about 30 shell casings from three different weapons: a 9mm semiautomatic pistol, a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol and an AK-47-style semiautomatic rifle.

At the hospital, the departments North Side cars were there to collect clothing and other evidence from the man who was in the car with McClendon and was severely wounded. He could not talk to police because of his condition, reports noted.

The car that dropped the other victim did not stick around for police, but officers found it about an hour later in a drive in the 600 block of West Warren Avenue. There, a man who was crying and visibly shaking was using a bottle of hydrogen peroxide to try and clean blood off the seats.

The man told police he did nothing wrong and only gave the person a ride to the hospital. Police had the car towed and the man was taken to the Detective Bureau for questioning.

A witness told police they saw a car shortly after the shooting, and the second victim, who was staggering in the street from his wounds and bleeding, got in the car and it sped away.

Other cars were called in because a crowd estimated between 100 and 150 people had gathered, but reports do not mention any trouble from the crowd or any arrests.

A home in the 300 block of West Princeton Avenue was also struck by a bullet, but no one was injured.

McClendons death is one of 34 homicides the city recorded in 2001. Eighteen of those cases are unsolved.

Anyone with information on his death can call the Detective Bureau at 330-742-8911 or 330-746-CLUE.

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Pro-Palestinian protesters clash with police near Chicago's Israeli consulate on second night of DNC

Demonstrators clash with police near the Israeli Consulate during the Democratic National Convention Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

CHICAGO (AP)  Multiple pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested Tuesday after clashing with police during a protest that began outside the Israeli consulate and spilled out onto the surrounding streets on the second night of the Democratic National Convention.

The intense confrontations with officers began minutes into the demonstration, after some protesters  many dressed in black, their faces covered  charged at a line of police that had blocked the group from marching. They eventually moved past the officers, but were penned in several times throughout the night by police in riot gear who did not allow protesters to disperse.

The Chicago chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, which provided legal observers for Tuesday's protests, said at least 72 people were arrested.

A large portion of the arrests happened at the end of the night, as police pinned the remaining demonstrators  some of whom said they were trying to get home  in a plaza and blocked them from leaving. Police Superintendent Larry Snelling denied that police had kettled protesters, a tactic that involves corralling demonstrators in a confined area, which is banned under a federal consent decree.

Snelling, who has been present at all major demonstrations during the convention, praised his officers handling of the protests, calling the response proportional.

We have people who showed up here to commit acts of violence, he told reporters late Tuesday. They wanted chaos.

When asked to detail the violent acts, he said the demonstrators walked right into police officers. He declined to give the number of arrests, saying he did not have a final total.

Earlier in the evening, some demonstrators set an American flag on fire in the street as the celebratory roll call for Vice President Kamala Harris took place inside the United Center about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away.

As protesters regrouped and approached a line of police in riot gear in front of a Chicago skyscraper that houses the Israeli consulate, an officer said into a megaphone, You are ordered to immediately disperse. A woman in the front of the march shouted back with her own megaphone: Were not scared of you.

A man in Chicago Bulls hat, his face covered by a balaclava, called on protesters to shut down the DNC." The group, which is not affiliated with the coalition of over 200 groups that organized Mondays protests, advertised the demonstration Tuesday under the slogan of Make it great like 68, invoking the anti-Vietnam War protests that seized the city during the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

The atmosphere with rows of police in riot gear was a stark contrast to a day earlier when thousands of pro-Palestinian activists, including families pushing babies in strollers, marched near the convention site calling for a ceasefire.

Police kept protesters confined to a block of Madison Street, a normally bustling downtown thoroughfare where traffic was halted on both ends Tuesday evening.

Law enforcement had closed down most of the entrances to the building on Tuesday, allowing commuters to come in only one entrance where armed officers were also posted. Many of the buildings shops were closed. Martha Hill, a spokeswoman for the Metra commuter rail service, said train service was running as normal.

The consulate has been the site of numerous demonstrations since the war in Gaza began in October. It is in a building connected to the Ogilvie Transportation Center, a major commuter rail station.

Mohammed Ismail, a 29-year-old psychiatry resident who lives in Chicago, described the police presence as excessive, and questioned why the group had been blocked from marching. He said he joined the protest to urge Democrats to cease funding to Israel.

Its not right that were sending our tax money to fund an ongoing slaughter, an ongoing genocide, Ismail said. Were a part of this conflict because our money is paying for it.

Meanwhile, the sites of demonstrations from the previous night were largely quiet. Thirteen people were arrested during Monday's protests, most them related to a brief breach of security fencing within sight and sound of the United Center, Snelling said.

Israel supporters, including some relatives of people kidnapped by Hamas, gathered earlier in the day at a pro-Israel art installation not far from the consulate to call on U.S. leaders to continue backing Israel and pushing for the release of hostages. The art installation included giant milk cartons bearing photos of some of the hostages.

Elan Carr, CEO of the Israeli-American Council, condemned the pro-Palestinian protesters who have descended on Chicago this week, calling them fringe crazies and demanding that U.S. leaders stand unequivocally with the state of Israel.

More protests were planned throughout the week. However, attendance at the main rally on Monday was far below estimates of organizers who had predicted more than 20,000 would show up.

Snelling said Monday's crowd was around 3,500 people and that the vast majority of those protesters were peaceful.

__

Associated Press journalists Christine Fernando, Mike Pesoli and Serkan Gurbuz contributed to this report.
Police arrest 80, including gang members, in shootings, murders from Little River to Loris

Horry County Police arrested 80 people over the course of two weeks after noticing a trend of crime along S.C. 9 from Little River to Loris, according to the agencys social media on Tuesday.

After noticing a pattern of murders, attempted murders, drive-by shootings, home invasions, auto thefts and car invasions along S.C. 9, Horry County Police created a multi-jurisdictional task force to investigate these crimes. Most of these happened between Little River and Loris with some crimes occurring in Conway and Myrtle Beach, police said.

Over the past two weeks, Horry County arrested 80 people, including 40 gang members, the Facebook post said. The agency also seized 58 weapons, over 60 grams of methamphetamine, 55 grams of fentanyl, over 47 grams of cocaine and nearly 36 grams of crack cocaine, according to social media.

A list of the 80 arrested has not yet been released.

Horry County spokesperson Mikayla Moskov said Tuesday that a list of those arrested is being put together, but she is unsure if all 80 names will be released.

Assisting agencies included South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations.
On Mon., Aug. 19, Glynn County Police arrested a 28-year-old man in connection to a 2023 fatal shooting at a homeless camp.

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Action News Jax reported on the shooting back on Jun. 7, 2023. Just before 3 a.m. GCPD officers were called to a vacant lot on Merchants Way in Brunswick about shots fired.

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When they arrived, 39-year-old Christopher Suttles was suffering from a single gunshot wound. Officers immediately proceeded to perform lifesaving measures, including CPR. Glynn County Fire Rescue then took the victim to Southeast Georgia Health System, where he died.

Photos: Raging fire at the Relax Inn in Folkston, Charlton County, Georgia

On Monday, police announced Alex Etheredge was arrested and charged with one count of homicide in the death of Suttles.

Since the investigation is ongoing, police are asking anyone with information to please come forward. Call the Criminal Investigations Division at 912-554-7802 or GCPD non-emergency at 912-554-3645. You can also call remain anonymous via Silent Witness at 912-264-1333.

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Update 9:36 p.m.: Topeka police have arrested two Topekans involved in an aggravated battery Tuesday morning.

Before 4:15 a.m., officers with the Topeka Police Department (TPD) responded to a reported aggravated robbery of a stolen vehicle near Southwest 29th Street and Macvicar Avenue. Once TPD arrived on the scene, it was reported that the vehicle was stolen by people who were known to the owner of the vehicle. According to a news release from TPD, a child was inside the vehicle. The child was located near the 3200 block of Southwest Central Park and was taken to police custody.

Later, officers located the stolen vehicle near Southeast 35th Street and Indiana Avenue and initiated a traffic stop, according to the news release. The driver fled, initiating a short pursuit. The pursuit ended when the vehicle hit a pole near Southeast 29th Street and Minnesota Avenue where two suspects fled on foot. Officers found the two individuals and took them into custody. The individuals were transported to a local hospital to be treated with non-life-threatening injuries.

Around 8:30 a.m., TPD officers received a report of an unresponsive male in the 2200 block of Southeast 29th Street. Officers responded and found one individual who was taken to a local hospital to be treated for life-threatening injuries. According to the news release, TPD investigators believe the incidents are related.

After investigating, a 21-year-old and 24-year-old, both from Topeka, were arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on the following charges:

Attempted 1st-degree murder

Aggravated kidnapping

Aggravated robbery

Aggravated battery

Aggravated child endangerment

Felony interference

TOPEKA (KSNT)  The Topeka Police Department is at the scene of a crash in southeast Topeka.

A police watch commander told 27 News theres an ongoing investigation involving a crash around 4 a.m. at 29th and SE Minnesota Avenue. The watch commander said more information would be provided later.

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Tarantulas on the march in Kansas, what to know

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More information will be provided as it becomes available.

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.

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DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  Officers are investigating a reported robbery that occurred at a local shopping center around lunchtime Tuesday.

Montgomery County Regional Dispatch told 2 NEWS authorities were sent around 11:27 a.m. on Aug. 20 to the 3100 block of West Siebenthaler Avenue in Dayton. Authorities were called in reference to a robbery.

DeWine tests positive for COVID-19

Dispatch confirmed to 2 NEWS three individuals could possibly have been involved.

Our 2 NEWS crew at the scene spotted multiple officers from the Dayton Police Department at the scene.

This story is developing.

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OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  Oklahoma City Police say theyre trying to identify a man after thousands of dollars were fraudulently withdrawn from a local bank.

According to the Oklahoma City Police Department, the man was able to withdraw the money from a bank in downtown Oklahoma City.

LOCAL NEWS: Were in dire need of help: Oklahoma Attorney General investigating contractor

Police say man withdrew money fraudulently. Image courtesy Oklahoma City Police.

Police say man withdrew money fraudulently. Image courtesy Oklahoma City Police.

Police say man withdrew money fraudulently. Image courtesy Oklahoma City Police.

Police say man withdrew money fraudulently. Image courtesy Oklahoma City Police.

Anyone with information is asked to contact OKC Crime Stopper by calling 405-235-7300 or submitting an anonymous tip online.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
BEAVER TWP., Ohio (WKBN)  Police arrested a woman on sex offenses following another raid at a massage parlor in Beaver Township on Friday.

Beaver Township Police Chief Eric Dattilo said acting on a tip, the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force executed another search warrant at Healthy Massage on Market Street.

Investigators had also been there earlier this month as part of a human trafficking investigation. That investigation also resulted in sex offense charges against a woman.

Dattilo said the new tip brought investigators back to the business, which had reopened following that raid on August 5. He said they are now seeing what other avenues they can pursue with the business, which he said investigators have been involved with for the fourth time since 2021.

WKBN tried reaching out to the massage parlor but was unable to reach anyone there.

Check back here for updates on this developing story.

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HILLIARD, Ohio (WCMH)  A man with warrants for his arrest in multiple central Ohio counties has been charged with drug offenses after being detained over the weekend.

According to Hilliard police, an officer was at a gas station on Cemetery Road when he spotted a man looking at him while getting into a black 2008 Infinity. The officer ran the license plate through LEADS and discovered the owner had drug charges out of Delaware County from an alleged incident in February.

Juvenile fighting for life after falling out of moving vehicle in west Columbus

The Hilliard officer walked to the vehicle to speak to the driver. The driver denied being the suspect and walked into the gas station and into the bathroom.

A second officer arrived at the scene, and the two conducted a free air sniff with a drug detection K9, which detected the odor of narcotics at the front driver side door.

When the male returned from the bathroom, Hilliard police alerted him to the free air search. The man identified himself as Jesse Wade Rice of Delaware, and police said he admitted he had warrants through the Marion County Sheriffs Office for a probation violation stemming from a weapons charge and numerous traffic violations in Delaware County.

Courtesy Photo/City of Hilliard

Courtesy Photo/City of Hilliard

Courtesy Photo/City of Hilliard

Rice, 38, was arrested on the confirmed warrants and the vehicle was searched.

Police say they discovered several bookbags and three locked safes in the trunk of the car. Inside the bookbags contained a blender with white residue inside, a digital scale with white powder residue and a plastic bag containing a Mannite Conoscenti bar, which is reportedly used to as a cutting agent by drug traffickers to increase the weight of drugs to create more product.

The officers also found mail addressed to Rice, linking him to the items in the backpack and a set of keys that were for the three safes in the trunk.

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Upon searching the safes, police collected various narcotics, including a jar containing cocaine, a plastic bag of methamphetamine and Suboxone.

Ohio ranks among worst states in country in list by U.S. News & World Report

Other items included drug paraphernalia, packaging materials, a stack of lottery cards ripped in half, more plastic baggies, digital scales, hypodermic needles, glass bulb pipes, a phone and a Smith & Wesson M&P 40-caliber handgun with fifteen rounds in the magazine. The white powder tested positive for cocaine.

Rice, considered a fugitive of justice, is charged with illegal manufacturing of drugs, trafficking in drugs and having weapons under disability. On Monday, he was issued a $250,000 bond in Franklin County Municipal Court and is next scheduled to appear before a judge on Aug. 27.

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Patient with history of violence found after escaping Florida hospital: report

Patient with history of violence found after escaping Florida hospital: report

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Police have located the man who escaped a Florida hospital who was being held for a mandatory mental health evaluation, according to NBC affiliate WPTV.

On Tuesday, Fort Pierce police told WPTV the man was receiving the mandatory evaluation at HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital, located at 1700 South 23rd Street in Fort Pierce, under a Baker Act hold.

Irresponsible: 2 DCF employees arrested for DUI, suspended license in Polk County, deputies say

Around 6:30 p.m., police announced they found Richard Caldwell near a marshy area at Okeechobee Road and I-95, WPTV reported. He initially went missing around 10 a.m.

A nearby school, Indian River State College, reportedly sent an alert around 11:30 a.m., warning the public that the man was headed eastbound toward US-1.

A helicopter has been deployed to search for the patient in the area, the alert said, according to WPTV.

Police said the man has a history of violence, but that there was no danger to the community.

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Police search for suspects linked to at least 10 armed robberies in Prince Georges County

PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now)  Police in Prince Georges County are looking for three people they believe were involved in at least 10 armed robberies  the most recent of which happened on Monday.

The Prince Georges County Police Department (PGPD) released surveillance video of the suspects from incidents that happened on Aug. 7.

Three suspects believed to be involved in a string of robberies were captured on surveillance cameras. (Courtesy of the Prince Georges County Police Department)

On that Wednesday, police said the suspects robbed places in the 3700 block of Branch Ave. and the 3300 block of Forestville Road.

1 shot in Reston, Fairfax County police investigating

They are also linked to robberies dating back to July 29 at businesses throughout the county. PGPD noted they targeted multiple convenience stores, gas stations and fast food restaurants.

In two cases, they robbed people of their belongings, according to police. No one was hurt during the robberies.

Anyone with information regarding their identities or whereabouts is asked to call PGPD at (301) 516-2830.

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OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  A man who was shot and killed Saturday night in southwest Oklahoma City after a disturbance at the College Park Townhomes has been identified.

It was a call to 911 that only added to a busy night for Oklahoma City police.

RELATED NEWS: Police identify victim in fatal SW Oklahoma City shooting

Fatal shooting in SW Oklahoma City.

The College Park Townhomes sat quietly Monday morning near SW 74th Street and May Avenue just a couple of days removed from a deadly shooting Saturday night.

I was sleeping and the next thing I know, theres, like, a few rounds going off, resident Tamberly Baker said. So, I got up, and all of a sudden, there was a million cops here.

Baker said the situation unfolded right behind her home.

It used to really be nice around here, Baker said. I dont know whats happened.

Oklahoma City police said that it was a disturbance that led to the gunfire.

When they arrived, one victim was found shot, Sgt. Dillon Quirk said on scene Saturday night.

The victim was identified as 31-year-old Emmanuel Williams. He was taken to the hospital where he later died.

Its unclear right now what exactly happened, Quirk said.

LOCAL NEWS: One suspect in custody, three injured in Bricktown shooting

As of Monday, there have been no arrests. The shooting call was part of a busy night for the Oklahoma City Police Department on the southwest side. They also responded to what turned into an hours long standoff just north of there near SW 66th Street and Miller Avenue.

It doesnt appear that that any of those instances are related to one another, Quirk said.

Baker said she didnt hear anything before the gunshots. However, this situation is one of a couple shes experienced living in that area.

Weve wondered a couple of times, is a stray bullet going to come through our window, she said.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the homicide tip line at 405-297-1200.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Police seek help identifying man who stole items from Norfolk hotel

Police seek help identifying man who stole items from Norfolk hotel

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY)  Norfolk detectives are asking for the publics assistance with identifying a man who took items from a hotel in Downtown Norfolk.

Police were told that a man walked into Hilton Norfolk The Main on Aug. 12 and took items from the office area.

During their investigation, detectives obtained surveillance footage of the man in the hotels office.

If you have any information about this case, you can submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-888-LOCK-U-UP, downloading the P3 tips app to a mobile device, or visiting www.P3tips.com and submitting a tip.

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Police bring the remains of lawmaker Eulalio "Lalo" Gomez to the morgue in Asuncion, Paraguay, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. According to Attorney General Emiliano Rolon Fernandez, Gomez was killed at his home in the city of Pedro Juan Caballero during an anti-drug police operation. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP)  A pre-dawn police raid targeting the home of a Paraguayan lawmaker in a notorious drug smuggling haven near the country's border with Brazil turned into a chaotic shootout on Monday, authorities said, leaving the lawmaker dead and the nation on edge.

The killing of Eulalio Lalo Gomes, a 67-year-old rancher and lawmaker from Paraguays long-ruling Colorado party, also served as a grim reminder of the web of collusion between politicians' families and organized crime in Paraguay, experts said.

This is not an isolated case, on the contrary, it's the continuation of many other cases linking politics to narco-trafficking and organized crime, said Paraguayan lawyer and political analyst Leonardo Gomez Berniga.

Security forces equipped with firearms and search warrants arrived simultaneously at the separate homes of Gomes and his son, 32-year-old Alexandre Rodrigues Gomes, early Monday in the lush borderland to look for evidence in what authorities described as a wide-scale investigation into drug smuggling and money laundering in local real estate.

Officers said Gomes greeted them with a hail of gunfire. Police fired back, fatally wounding the conservative Colorado lawmaker.

We have a community in turmoil, a public who needs answers, Emiliano Rolon, Paraguay's public prosecutor, said as he emerged from the morgue of Asuncion, Paraguay's steamy capital city some 276 miles (445 kilometers) southwest of Pedro Juan Caballero, the border outpost where the raid took place. We're dealing with organized crime, and that's not an easy thing.

Rolon said his office had issued an indictment just before Monday's raid charging Gomes and his son, along with three other suspects, in the trafficking scheme that entangles the gang of a prominent Brazilian cocaine kingpin imprisoned across the porous border.

Brazilian authorities have helped investigate the case, he said, the latest example of how growing regional cooperation against drug-trafficking has ratcheted the pressure up on Paraguay to play its part.

As a lawmaker, Gomes was immune from prosecution. His son Alexandre had opened fire at officers and fled the scene before ultimately turning himself into police in the department of Amambay, authorities said. There were no other injuries in the gun battles, which erupted at the two houses some 10 blocks apart.

The Gomes family denies the allegations of narco-trafficking and accuses the police of using excessive force.

My dad was hiding and the police just killed him," Larisa Gomes, the daughter of the slain lawmaker, choked out through sobs before retreating back into the morgue to wait for autopsy results.

The family lawyer, Oscar Tuma, questioned why the police squad launched the raids in the dead of night, kicking down the front gates of the homes rather than summoning the father and son for interrogation. The conditions were not correct and there was no urgency for this raid to be carried out at 3 a.m. when our national deputy was sleeping with his wife," he said.

Public Prosecutor Rolon said that police had no choice but to conduct the raid when they did. During the day, he said, Gomes had bodyguards armed to the teeth patrolling his white mansion in Amambay  an isolated province with a homicide rate roughly 10 times Paraguays national average, according to government figures.

Monday's botched drug-bust and deadly shootout captivated Paraguayns because of Gomes' status as a lawmaker in the dominant right-wing Colorado party led by tobacco tycoon Horacio Cartes, who served as the country's president from from 2013 to 2018.

But experts said the dramatic episode reveals something quite ordinary about Paraguay, which ranks 136th out of 180 countries on Transparency Internationals corruption perception index, among the lowest in South America.

Corruption and clientelism have long characterized Colorado governance in the South American country, where the capital's roads and power lines are in precarious shape and petty embezzlement runs rampant among low-paid public servants.

This is entrenched through all political parties, at all levels, said Christopher Newton, an investigator at Colombia-based research organization InSight Crime. "When it comes to people who have the power to make changes, a lot of those people are the ones who will likely benefit from not making changes.

As the country's corruption fight stalls, outside pressure is mounting.

Last year, the U.S. government accused Cartes and former vice president Hugo Velazquez of significant corruption," and barred U.S. companies from doing business with them. This month, the Biden administration unveiled new sanctions on Tabesa, a major Paraguayan cigarette producer, for funneling millions of dollars in payments to Cartes. The former president denies allegations that he built his vast wealth through money-laundering.

Over the past decade, Europol, the European Unions police agency, has increasingly traced major trans-Atlantic drug busts back to Paraguays river ports.

The seizures shine a spotlight on the country's institutional weaknesses and insecurity even as it tries to tout its success story as one of Latin America's fastest-growing economies. Earlier this month, Moodys rating agency became the first to upgrade the countrys credit score to investment grade, handing a victory to President Santiago Pena, a former International Monetary Fund official.

But the mayhem Monday in Pedro Juan Caballero once again exposed a very dangerous dimension, said Gomez Berniga, the analyst. Political and business sectors and judicial authorities are all under intense scrutiny to see how diligently they end up resolving this. ___

Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
COVENTRY, R.I. (WPRI)  The 80-year-old woman who was abducted from her Coventry home, strangled and left for dead over the weekend is expected to survive the horrific ordeal, 12 News has learned.

The woman, who has not been identified, was rushed to the hospital to be treated for significant injuries after waking up in the middle of the woods in Smithfield and knocking on nearby residents doors in search of help, according to prosecutors.

The man responsible, 53-year-old Steven Henning, was arrested following a high-speed pursuit and charged with kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, first-degree robbery, assault on a person over 60 resulting in serious bodily injury and burglary.

RELATED: Man accused of strangling, kidnapping woman to steal her car

This was a complete and random unthinkable act, with zero links between the suspect and the victim, Detective Paul Pacheco said.

Investigators believe Henning and the woman met and had a brief conversation while at a Wendys hours prior to the ambush.

He was able to learn from this woman that she was living alone, Pacheco explained.

Henning followed the woman home and, after confirming she was alone, made his way inside. Prosecutors said Henning choked her unconscious and threw her in the trunk of her car before driving to Smithfield, where he strangled her with a belt. He then covered her body and left her in the woods.

Investigators believe Henning returned to the woods the next day with a shovel to bury the womans body, but she was gone. He took off upon realizing officers were in the woods investigating, but not before he was spotted driving the womans stolen car.

Smithfield officers chased Henning into Providence, where he was taken into custody at the home of a woman hed met online.

This was only part of Hennings overarching plot to kill his girlfriend, according to prosecutors.

Henning was reportedly in Ohio several weeks ago upon learning that his girlfriend had taken an insurance claim out on him. He assaulted her before taking off in a family members car, which prosecutors revealed that he later abandoned in Woonsocket.

Steven Henning (Courtesy: Coventry Police Department)

He then met up with the Providence woman hed met online, who drove him to a bar in Burrillville. It was there that Henning stole another car so he could drive back to Ohio to murder his girlfriend without being detected, prosecutors added.

But prosecutors said Henning knew that the vehicle would quickly be reported stolen, so he abandoned it and hatched another plan, which was to find an easy victim.

Henning is also facing charges out of Smithfield, which include assault on a person over the age of 60 resulting in serious bodily injury, possession of a stolen vehicle and eluding law enforcement in a high-speed pursuit.

Then in Burrillville, Henning is charged with breaking and entering, larceny of more than $1,500 and less than $5,000, driving a vehicle without the owners consent, tampering with a vehicle and vandalism.

Henning is also expected to face charges out of Providence and Woonsocket as well. He is currently being held without bail pending his next court date, which is slated for November.

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The cheapest kilowatt hour is the one you don't have to produce in the first place, said Byron Gary, a Kentucky Resources Council attorney. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Investor-owned Kentucky Power faced strong criticism last year when it asked to increase its electricity rates in response to historic economic decline among the 20 Eastern Kentucky counties it serves.

The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) ultimately slashed the proposed rate hike by over two-thirds, approving a 5.66% increase in residential bills. But as part of that decision, Kentucky Power agreed to collaborate with a coalition of consumer and renewable energy advocacy groups on ways to help ratepayers reduce their electricity bills by making their homes more energy efficient.

Kentucky Power ratepayers already paid the states highest average residential electricity bill at $187 a month before last years rate increase, and the area the utility serves includes some of the poorest communities in the state and the entire country.

Advocates and the utility met over recent months, but the coalition of groups is disappointed in what Kentucky Power has proposed and plans to urge the PSC to push the utility to be more ambitious with its energy efficiency offerings. These groups say energy efficiency programs could offer home upgrades that households could repay through monthly utility bills while they save electricity and money.

Byron Gary, a Kentucky Resources Council attorney representing the groups, said much more could be done to cut down on the suffering of folks in Eastern Kentucky as well as the continued reliance on fossil fuels.

He said the groups hope robust energy efficiency offerings could also reduce the utilitys power demand and, the groups hope, dissuade the utility from building a new natural gas-fired power plant that ratepayers would bear the costs of.

The cheapest kilowatt hour is the one you dont have to produce in the first place, Gary said.

Kentucky Power spokesperson Sarah Nusbaum in a statement said the utility is surprised and disappointed by the criticism especially from groups we would have expected to support energy efficiency programs. Nusbaum said the utilitys goal is to gauge interest from ratepayers in the new program offerings that could then lead to those programs being ramped up and expanded.

The ratepayers who pay the highest bills

energy

During a hearing over Kentucky Powers rate case last year, then-PSC Chairman Kent Chandler honed in on data provided by the utility that showed Kentucky Powers poorest ratepayers had, on average, the highest electricity usage compared to the utilitys average residential customer. That high usage leads to high bills.

Those customers that are likely least able to afford their bill, relative to the average residential customer, have the highest bill, is that right? Chandler asked Kentucky Power President Cynthia Wiseman during the hearing.

I would presume thats true, Wiseman replied.

Bills are significantly higher for those whose incomes are low enough to qualify for federal assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Program (LIHEAP), a federally funded program that helps low-income people afford utility bills.

The average monthly electricity consumption for all Kentucky residential ratepayers in 2022 was 1,094 kilowatt-hours, according to the Energy Information Administration. But the data presented by Chandler showed electricity consumption for Kentucky Power ratepayers was higher than that average  significantly higher for those receiving LIHEAP assistance.

During the winter months when electricity consumption peaks for Kentucky Power, the Eastern Kentucky utilitys ratepayers who take part in LIHEAP on average use more than 2,500 kilowatt-hours per month. Multiply that consumption by Kentucky Powers average residential rate  approximately 16 cents per kilowatt in 2022, among the highest in the state  and you get monthly electricity costs north of $400. During some months the past three winters, roughly 20% of Kentucky Power ratepayers who take part in LIHEAP have used more than 4,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity, according to Kentucky Power data provided to the PSC. Wiseman during a November 2023 PSC hearing mentioned some ratepayers monthly electricity usage has gone as high as 6,000 kilowatt-hours.

A major reason cited by Kentucky Power leadership for such high electricity consumption: Many homes need better insulation and better, more efficient heating sources.

Disagreement after a collaboration

Thats where energy efficiency programs and weatherizing a home can play a role in reducing electricity usage and electricity bills. Chris Woolery, a residential energy coordinator for the nonprofit Mountain Association supporting economic development in Eastern Kentucky, said that kind of work can include better insulation, air sealing a home and installing energy-efficient heat pumps to warm a household.

Many Kentuckians, Woolery said, have types of resistance heat such as electric furnaces and baseboard heaters, or they use space heaters.

That is some of the most expensive and inefficient heat that you can buy, Woolery said, saying switching people to use heat pumps is key. When a utility can invest in getting people off of resistance heat, they can often save so much money in peak demand, generation or power purchase costs that it offsets the investment.

A focus on improving Kentucky Powers energy efficiency programs is something that state government officials, nonprofit housing builders, consumer advocacy and renewable energy groups and Kentucky Power all collaborated on in a series of stakeholder meetings.

The meetings were characterized as mutually beneficial by Barry Nolen, a customer and distribution services manager with Kentucky Power, in testimony filed before the PSC.

Kentucky Power is proposing to add additional funding for an existing program that helps ratepayers get energy efficiency upgrades through home air sealing, new insulation, new doors, new windows and new lighting. The federal Weatherization Assistance Program is what facilitates those upgrades, but oftentimes homeowners who need that help are deferred or denied it because of damage or structural issues to a home.

If theres a roof leak, for example, newly installed insulation could be destroyed by water damage. Thats where the federal Weatherization Readiness Fund comes in to support ratepayers making home repairs necessary before making energy efficiency improvements. Kentucky Power is also offering additional funding for a federal fund, up to $1,000 for 60 homes over three years.

But advocates that collaborated with Kentucky Power say while the new investments are appreciated, they still don't meet the scale of the need among Kentucky Powers ratepayers.

It must be in the thousands, if not the tens of thousands of homes that need improvements in Kentucky Powers territory, said Andy McDonald, vice-chair of the solar energy advocacy group Kentucky Solar Energy Society. We appreciate that Kentucky Power is aware of this issue and concerned about it but that the program is not in proportion to the need.

The groups also see potential for going further with new programs the utility could offer. The groups point to a type of program called Inclusive Utility Investment (IUI) where individual households could receive energy efficiency upgrades to their home in exchange for a charge on their bill, potentially saving money on their bill while the utility still recoups their investment. They also point to the potential of replicating a program offering home battery storage systems.

McDonald shared with the Lantern a consultant report from the Vermont-based consulting firm Energy Futures Group that showed the amount of investment in energy efficiency programs Kentucky Power would be proposing is much lower than what other utilities offer and lower than what Kentucky Power itself has invested in the past. The PSC in 2018 scrapped almost all of Kentucky Powers energy efficiency programs stating the high levels of spending on the programs couldnt be justified.

Nusbaum, the Kentucky Power spokesperson, said in her statement the utility was focused on programs that were proven and cost-effective to customers and that the utility didnt believe an IUI program would provide benefits that would outweigh the cost to our customers.

Nusbaum also said they determined the amount of funding for the Weatherization Readiness Fund through consultation with community action agencies in the state that administer such help, an investment level the utility believes is impactful for customers while also being mindful of what ratepayers will have to pay on their bills to implement such programs.

We worked hard to develop this proposal to help our customers, Nusbaum said. Some of the good work we felt was accomplished to make this happen, we did with some of the groups criticizing the current proposal. Its disappointing to hear negative feedback and opposition from these stakeholders, especially since this opposition can delay or even prevent the important [demand side management] benefits these programs will provide for our most vulnerable customers.

Worries over fossil fuels

These disagreements over energy efficiency come as Kentucky Power is seeking more power generation, some of it potentially through additional fossil fuels. The prospect concerns advocacy groups that the cost of building, for example, a new natural gas-fired power plant would fall on ratepayers.

We're really excited that they're starting new programs, but we're just disappointed that the scale is not enough to affect that [natural gas] peaker plant that's proposed, Woolery said. Every one of those investments is so meaningful to the families that received them, but in the grand scheme its going to take a whole lot more to offset the need, right?

Kentucky Power currently only has one natural gas-fired power plant and its unclear if the utility will have access to electricity generation from a West Virginia coal-fired power plant beyond 2028. Kentucky Power is a subsidiary of American Electric Power based Columbus, Ohio.

As of now, that leaves the utility having to purchase the rest of its power from the regional electricity grid operator PJM, which can expose the utility to potentially paying higher power prices compared to producing it on its own. The PSC scolded Kentucky Power last year for having insufficient in-house power generation available during a December 2022 winter storm, forcing the utility to pay exorbitantly high electricity prices from PJM as much of the South and Midwest faced a power demand crunch.

Kentucky Power leadership in an energy planning document filed to the PSC last year wrote its preferred plan for the future was to add to its energy portfolio a 480-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant along with 700 megawatts of new wind power, 800 megawatts of new solar power and 50 megawatts of electricity battery storage. The utility also put out requests to purchase up to 1,800 megawatts of fossil fuel-fired and renewable energy last year.

Nusbaum, the utility spokesperson, in her statement said while energy efficiency programs are an important part of addressing future energy needs, it can not alone cannot fully address all of them.

Woolery framed the energy efficiency programs as a choice Kentucky Power has to make: invest in a really risky path of adding a natural gas-fired power plant amid uncertainty over how greenhouse gas emissions will be regulated, or invest in a virtual power plant. He said that means investing in energy efficiency in homes, rooftop solar, household battery storage that can reduce the future energy demand  and the potential for a new natural gas fuel-fired power plant  the utility is considering.

It just seems like the smart play, the play that's going to make more jobs, going to save more money, going to create less risk and uncertainty is to invest in ourselves, to invest in our communities, Woolery said.

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A labor dispute north of the U.S. border that could see Canadian rail workers strike as soon as Thursday has U.S. businesses calling for a government intervention.

The U.S. and Canadian chambers of commerce issued a warning about the potential rail stoppage Tuesday, saying it could have a significant impact on the U.S. economy.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Canadian Chamber of Commerce are calling on the Government of Canada to immediately intervene to avert a disruption in the Canadian rail network. A stoppage of rail service will be devastating to Canadian businesses and families and impose significant impacts on the U.S. economy, the business lobbies said.

U.S. and Canadian rail networks are operationally integrated, and a shutdown on the Canadian side of the border would have an immediate impact on the U.S. side, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said.

The Government of Canada must take action to ensure goods continue to move reliably between our two countries, the group said.

As many as 2,500 Union Pacific Railroad cars headed for the U.S. every day would be stuck north of the border, Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena said in a letter to Canadian Labor Minister Steve MacKinnon, as reported by Reuters.

Canadian Teamsters filed a 72-hour strike notice Sunday to Calgary-based railway company CPKC. Earlier in August, CPKC said it was issuing a lockout notice for Teamster employees that would go into effect Thursday. Canadian National Railway (CN) is also involved in the dispute and issued a similar lockout notice Sunday.

The move to issue lockout notices followed a decision by the Canada Industrial Relations Board that no stopgap services need to be maintained by the company in the event of a railway strike, CPKC said. Teamsters have declined to enter into private arbitration on the matter, CPKC added.

Canadian Teamsters have been fighting for greater transparency around when workers will be called into work, among other contract provisions.

CPKC is pressuring the union for concessions that would make it even harder for workers to predict when they might be called for work, creating a fatigue-related safety risk, the Teamsters said in a statement. The company is attempting to undermine Canada Labour Code provisions.

CPKC has described its offer as a status quo-style contract renewal covering three years with competitive wage increases that are consistent with recent settlements.

CPKC reported a second-quarter net income of Canadian $903 million. Over the last year, the company has reported $1.7 billion in profits and total revenues of $7.1 billion, according to a company filing.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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How Predators could realize financial boon from Flyers cutting Ryan Johansen

The Nashville Predators stand to benefit from a move the Philadelphia Flyers just made with former Predators forward Ryan Johansen.

The Flyers announced Tuesday they are placing Johansen on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract due to "material breach."

The Philadelphia Flyers have placed forward Ryan Johansen on unconditional waivers today for the purpose of terminating his contract due to a material breach. pic.twitter.com/7P9aRhVIl2  Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) August 20, 2024

Johansen, 32, was traded to the Flyers on Mar. 6, 2024, then immediately placed on waivers. After clearing waivers, Johansen did not report to Philadelphia's AHL team, saying that he had a hip injury.

Prior to being traded to the Flyers, Johansen was traded to the Colorado Avalanche by the Predators last summer. Nashville retained half of Johansen's salary in the deal, keeping $4 million on the Predators' salary cap through 2025.

Now, with the Flyers claiming a breach of contract with Johansen, the Predators' may see that $4 million freed up from their salary sheet.

How the Philadelphia Flyers can save the Nashville Predators' $4 million in cap space

Johansen was signed to an eight-year, $64 million by the Predators in 2017. In the NHL, contracts are fully guaranteed for players. In the event of a trade, the contract moves with the player.

Every standard player's contract (SPC) has language relating to "material breach" of contract that would allow a team to terminate a player's contract. A breach would include a violation of any of the team's rules, including those related to training or conduct.

While it's unclear what team rule the Flyers are saying Johansen violated, it's clear they believe it constituted a "material breach" as described in the collective bargaining agreement.

In a response, Johansen's agent released the following statement:

"Ryan Johansen has a severe hockey injury that requires extensive surgery which has been scheduled. Since being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, Ryan has worked in good faith with the club, its medical staff, and authorized third-party physicians. The Flyers' attempt to terminate Ryan's contract is disappointing. We have been in contact with the NHLPA and will defend Ryan and protect his rights."

Johansen can file a grievance with the player's association, sending the matter to mediation with the team.

If a mediator determines the Flyers' actions are unwarranted, the contract is not terminated. Otherwise, the contract is terminated and Ryan Johansen becomes a free agent.

This would mean the Predators' retained salary from Johansen's contract, which amounts to $4 million, would be immediately voided.

STAMKOS: The one thing Steven Stamkos wants from Nashville Predators coach Andrew Brunette

ESTES: Nashville Predators already decided on goalie Yaroslav Askarov with Juuse Saros' deal

Ryan Johansen has 60 days to file grievance after being cut by the Flyers

While the Predators stand to see as much as $4 million of their salary cap freed up by this move, it will be some time before the matter is decided. Johansen and his representation have 60 days to file a grievance.

Once the grievance is filed, it will take more time for the mediation process to play out.

Johansen and the Flyers also could agree to settle the matter, with the two parties agreeing to a salary number below the contract value.

This is what happened with Corey Perry when the Chicago Blackhawks terminated his contract last season. The parties agreed on an undisclosed settlement amount, then Perry signed a one-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers.

If Johansen and the Flyers were to settle their dispute, the Predators would be responsible for 50% of that amount.

The Predators currently have $3.09 million in cap space for the 2024-25 season, according to Puck Pedia. They recently recouped $2.5 million last week by trading Cody Glass to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How Flyers cutting Ryan Johansen could save Predators $4 million
President Joe Biden may have made his political swan song at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, but he arrived in the coolest way possiblemaking the first presidential flight aboard a new generation of Marine One helicopters.

The backstory behind the Sikorsky VH-92A, which Biden used yesterday to fly from OHare airport to Soldier Field, is a saga that started in 2003 when the Department of Defense decided to update the aging presidential fleet. Its VH-3Ds entered service in 1974, and the VH-60Ns joined the fleet just 14 years later. In the wake of 9/11, the Bush administration wanted a larger, faster and longer-range rotorcraft with state-of-the-art communications.

More from Robb Report

But there were a series of delays, and another helicopter type was chosen for Marine One duties (the designator whenever the president is on board) until that project proved too costly. Sikorsky, which had provided fleets of presidential helicopters since 1957, was tapped to convert its civilian S-92 into the more sophisticated VH-92A. In 2014, the helicopter manufacturer and DoD signed a contract for 23 of the converted aircraft for $4.7 billion. Weighing 27,700 pounds, the VH-92A has two General Electric CT7-8A6 turboshaft engines, an enhanced communications system, space for two pilots, a communications person, and 14 passengers.

After years of delays, Biden was the first president to fly in the next-gen helicopter.

The U.S. government last week accepted the final Sikorsky VH-92A at a handover ceremony after the manufacturer began delivering the fleet in 2021. This milestone is a credit to our valued and long-lasting partnership with the Marine Corps as we provide a highly-tailored solution for the Marine Corps unique, critical mission, said Richard Benton, Sikorsky vice president and general manager, at the event.

But there had been issues that kept the Commander in Chief off the new helicopter. A 2018 report by the Government Accountability Office noted that it scorched landing sites on the White House lawn, and issues with its communication system. The Patriot program said it would attempt to rectify those issues. The complaints showed up again in a 2022 report, though the VH-92A was cleared for all missions a year later. Up until this was week, however, the new fleet was only used to shuttle secret service and low-level government officials. The president, vice president, and cabinet-level officials were not allowed to travel on the VH-92A.

The handover ceremony earlier this month of the last VH-92A in a 23-helicopter fleet.

Its not clear what changed and why. An emailed statement from NAVAIR, the U.S. Navy Department overseeing the the VH-92A program, said multiple government agencies were working toward a successful transition from the VH-3D and VH-60N aircraft to the new VH-92As. This is an event-driven goal, not a time-driven one, the agency told Robb Report yesterday, apparently unaware that the new Marine One would make its debut presidential flight in Chicago.

A timeline for the complete transition from the old-generation helicopters to the new Sikorsky fleet remains unclear. But at least Biden had a chance to fly in the new Marine One, with five more months of presidential trips ahead.

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Presidents from 6 labor unions throw support behind Kamala Harris at DNC: Watch speech

Leaders from six of the largest labor unions in the U.S. were part of the group of speakers kicking off the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday.

Most of the labor leaders spoke of their experiences working with Vice President Kamala Harris and the support their groups have enjoyed during the Biden-Harris administration.

The Democratic National Committee convention is in Chicago through Thursday and Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday is scheduled to formally accept the party's nomination for the 2024 Election.

Who are they : Leaders from six different labor groups: Lee Saunders, President of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) April Verrett, President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Brent Booker, General President of the Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA) Kenneth W. Cooper, International President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Claude Cummings Jr., President of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Elizabeth H. Shuler, President of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)

What role they play : The keynote speaker on the first night of the Republican National Committee convention in Milwaukee last month was the Teamsters President Sean O'Brien. Democrats will have UAW President Shawn Fain speaking Monday, in addition to leaders from these six labor groups.

Key quote: "We are going to build a younger, darker, hipper, fresher, sneaker wearing labor movement," Verrett said. "A movement that is going to be more inclusive and built for the middle class. And we are going to end poverty-wage work once and for all."

Aug 19, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; April Verrett, President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) speaks during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. The DNC program will feature President Joe Biden and Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during Monday's ceremonies. Mandatory Credit: Jasper Colt-USA TODAY

When and where is the DNC

The Democratic National Convention will take place from August 19-22 in Chicago, Illinois.

The United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, will be the main venue for the DNC.

Chicago has hosted the Democratic Convention 11 times, most recently in 1996 when the United Center saw President Bill Clinton was nominated for a second time.

How to watch and stream the 2024 DNC

The convention will air live on its website, from the United Center in Chicago between 6:15 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern (5:15 p.m. to 10 p.m Central) on Monday, and 7 p.m to 11 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central) the other days.

USA TODAY will provide livestream coverage on YouTube each night of the DNC, Monday through Thursday.

What are the themes for each night of the DNC?

The DNC announced nightly themes for the convention. The title of the convention is "For the People, For Our Future."

Here are the themes for each night:

Monday: "For the People"

Tuesday: "A Bold Vision for America's Future"

Wednesday: "A Fight for our Freedoms"

Thursday: "For our Future"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Labor union presidents endorse Kamala Harris at DNC: Watch video
People take part in a picket line in front of the Chippewa Correctional Facility on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.

UPPER PENINSULA  On Monday, family members of correctional officers and others joined a large picket line outside of the Chippewa Correctional Facility in Kincheloe to protest understaffing.

Several Upper Peninsula prisons, including the state prison in Chippewa County, are dealing with staffing levels so low that officials are calling on the state government for help.

In July, the Michigan Department of Corrections sent a letter to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer asking for help with the issue, and received no response. They asked for the governor to call in the National Guard to help staff the prisons while they work on recruiting new officers.

More: Five of six U.P. prisons are critically understaffed

People take part in a picket line in front of the Chippewa Correctional Facility on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024 to show their support for prison staff.

To call attention to the issue, an informational picket took place at the Chippewa Correctional Facility, with more pickets planned at other U.P. prisons this week. State representatives Dave Prestin and Neil Friske attended the Kincheloe picket on Monday to show their support.

While understaffing in state prisons is an issue across Michigan, officials said the U.P. is being particularly hard hit. Four of the six U.P. state prisons have a vacancy rate of 30% or higher, which means that at least 30% of the required positions are not filled.

This vacancy rate has been steadily increasing for years since corrections officers began losing certain benefits, such as pension.

People take part in a picket line in front of the Chippewa Correctional Facility on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024 to show their support for prison staff.

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"This is not a healthy environment, and if it continues, you're going to continue to see burnout. You're going to continue to see career guys exit early because they just simply say, 'This is not worth it anymore,'" said Prestin.

As staffing numbers decline, incident rates at the prisons increase. In some cases, yard and exercise times have been severely limited, which officials said leads to prisoners becoming more anxious and restless, and in turn leads to even more incidents.

According to Prestin, one of the main issues is that even as new officers come into the program, they are leaving soon after their training is complete because of the poor working conditions.

 Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com

This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Prison pickets in U.P. focus on staffing concerns
Pro-Palestinian Activists Crash Biden's DNC Speech As He Says They 'Have A Point'

Pro-Palestinian activists sought to bring attention to the war in Gaza during President Joe Bidens speech on the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

According to reporters inside the convention hall, some people in the audience held up a banner, featuring the colors of the Palestinian flag, that read, STOP ARMING ISRAEL, minutes into Bidens speech.

A protest banner is partially blocked during President Joe Biden's remarks at the Democratic National Convention Monday in Chicago. J. Scott Applewhite via Associated Press

Videos shared of the incident on social media show those seated in front of the protesters holding up their I [heart] Joe signs to block the sight of the banner as security officials repeatedly tried to pull it down. Some in the audience also broke into We love Joe chants.

A video posted on X, formerly Twitter, by Akela Lacey of The Intercept shows a man standing a few rows behind the protesters hitting one of them on the head with a pro-Biden sign. In a follow-up post, Lacey wrote that eventually the mans colleagues got him to stop.

Organizers turned off the lights in that section of the auditorium as the activists were escorted out.

A protest banner is removed by a law enforcement officers as Biden speaks during the Democratic National Convention Monday. Erin Hooley via Associated Press

The Associated Press reported the activists belonged to the Abandon Biden movement, which was recently renamed to Abandon Harris to reflect the change at the top of the Democratic ticket. The group has been calling on Americans to withhold their vote for Democrats over the partys support for Israels war in Gaza.

A different group of activists present in the room turned their backs on Biden while he was delivering his address, holding one hand over their mouths, while displaying a sign reading not another bomb in the other, according to NBC News.

Biden spent part of his speech referring to his administrations efforts to strike a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas and increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

I will keep working to bring hostages home and end the war in Gaza, and bring peace and security to the Middle East, he said.

Meanwhile, Biden also addressed the pro-Palestinian protests in Chicago.

Those protesters out in the street, they have a point, Biden said. A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides.

Thousands of people took part in a peaceful march to protest the administrations continued support for Israel. A few dozen then proceeded to break down a fence outside the convention, and some of those who made it past the security parameter were arrested, according to the AP.

U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, along with officials from Egypt and Qatar have been trying to broker a deal between Israel and Hamas. Blinken on Monday said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to the U.S. proposal, urging the militant group to do the same.

So far, over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, Gaza officials say. The war was prompted by Hamas Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, where over 1,200 people were killed and about 250 were taken hostage.

The Israeli military on Tuesday announced it recovered the bodies of six dead hostages in Khan Younis.

Related...
Far-right activists allied with Donald Trump attempted to attend the Democratic National Convention in an attempt to troll liberals. But instead, they found themselves brutally rebuffed at every turn, broadcasting their own humiliation.

White nationalist Charlie Kirk showed up at the DNC on Monday. Kirks organization, Turning Point USA, is working in tandem with Trumps campaign, which has outsourced some of its canvassing work to the advocacy arm of the conservative youth organization, Turning Point Action.

Kirk seemed to have a tough time making friends at the event. Parker Short, president of the Young Democrats of Georgia, immediately approached Kirk, going in on the far-right influencer.

We have a Republican governor and Republican secretary of state in Georgia that approved our elections, and Donald Trump said that wasnt constitutional. Donald Trump tried to undermine our Constitution, Short said, pointing aggressively at Kirk.

Dude, youre at a 10. I just walked in. Im here to just learn, Kirk said.

Youre an anti-patriotic, anti-constitutional person crashing our party because you tried to stop our democracy, Short replied. Donald Trump called the secretary of state of Georgia and told him to find him some votes.

So let me ask you one question. I just have one question for you, Kirk said, interrupting him. What is a woman?

Oh my God, Short replied, starting to walk off. That is so fucking weird, yall. Maybe you should meet one!

Im married to one, Kirk said after him.

Same! Short shouted over his shoulder.

Kirk posted the video to his own X account, a decision that astounded many online, who thought it was brutally humiliating for the misogynistic right-winger.

Whos this young gentleman? Bravo. Credentialed by the DNC Charlie Kirk gets owned the minute he enters. pic.twitter.com/WIdR3p1yiw  Olga Nesterova (@onestpress) August 19, 2024

Later, when Kirk tried to approach Hasan Piker, the leftist streamer, he was brutally snubbed.

Charlie Kirk pulled up on Hasan LMAO pic.twitter.com/yhH91I9a6u  Hasanabi productions (meme account) (@HasanabiProd) August 20, 2024

Kirk wasnt the only right-wing influencer to attend the Democratic event. Far-right conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec, who started the Pizzagate conspiracy theory, was also in Chicago on Monday. Posobiec co-wrote the books Unhumans, a violent book that decries all progressives as secret communists and all secret communists as sub-human. If that seems extreme, know that J.D. Vance seems to agree with himhe even helped to promote the book.

Posobiec attempted to troll protesters and DNC attendees, interviewing them undercover for his show Human Events, which was being broadcast on the far-right network Real Americas Voice. Unfortunately for him, he ran into Amanda Moore, a journalist who spent 11 months undercover with the alt-right.

I just want to check, Posobiec said, approaching Moore and another person. Are you upset because you couldnt get into the abortion van on time?

I dont understand what youre talking about, Moore replied.

Because I understand they said they ran out of pills, they ran out of vasectomies, Posobiec said. Are you so upset because you couldnt get into the abortion van on time that its causing you mental distress and anguish?

I dont understand why would I need [to get] into the abortion van? Moore said.

Oh, because youre with the guys with the vasectomies, youre on the vasectomy side of this! Posobiec said, clearly thinking he had tricked her.

Its because Im not fucking anybody currently. So like, I dont understand. Do you understand? Moore said.

They will cut this if theres language, Posobiec said quickly.

I dont give a fuck Jack, Im talking to you, Moore replied. As the audio of the interview cut in and out, it was clear Moore was taking him to task, as Posobiec hurriedly tried to end the interview.

I can, but we cant, cant have the language, Posobiec said.

Then walk away, asshole! Moore shouted.

POSOBIEC: They will cut this if there's language



WOMAN: I don't give a fuck



POSOBIEC: They will cut this



WOMAN: Then walk away, asshole! pic.twitter.com/kfCKt3Jt6m  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 19, 2024

Posobeic quickly became the troll-ee as opposed to the troller. In another interview clip, inexplicably posted to his shows account, Posobiec spoke to the person with Moore, an activist who goes by the name Anarchy Princess, who was very plainly messing with him.

How many abortions have you had? How many abortions have you had? How many abortions have you had today? asked Posobiec, ever the deft interviewer.

Im getting paid by George Soros to have an abortion on the stage, with no drugs, Anarchy Princess replied simply.

Which way are you going? asked Posobiec, another intrepid question.

What do you mean which way? she asked.

Which type of abortion? Posobiec responded.

What kind of abortions are there, Jack?

Theres pills, theres tools, theres a number of ways, Posobiec said, seeming unsure.

So, its going to be on stage. So, a normal person would think that they would use tools, right? And vacuum it out and do all of that. Like if I took a pill that takes several days, and nothing happens, you wont see anything. So, you should probably study how female anatomy works, Anarchy Princess quipped.

LIVE from the DNC - @JackPosobiec: "How many abortions have you had?"



DNC Attendee: "I'm being paid by George Soros to have an abortion on stage." pic.twitter.com/AyQvgivtSI  Human Events Daily (@humaneventslive) August 19, 2024
Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, seen in July with state Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, spoke at a news conference Monday, rallying with other progressive Democrats against Proposition 36. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

For the record:

4:10 p.m. Aug. 20, 2024: A photo caption on a previous version of this article said that Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas attended Mondays news conference. She did not.



A group of progressive state lawmakers on Monday rallied against Proposition 36, a ballot measure they are calling an "expensive" crime reform that will lead to the over-policing of underserved communities and incarcerate Californians at rates akin to the 1980s war on drugs.

"For decades Californians have been calling for real safety solutions and to address the root causes that lead to symptoms like petty crime and substance abuse," said Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) during a news conference at the state Capitol on Monday morning. "Because we know where petty crime and substance abuse occur. It occurs in the same communities that have underfunded schools, that don't have food infrastructure, that don't have public health infrastructure, where the rent is too high."

The legislators credit Proposition 47, the decade-old ballot measure that changed those crimes from felonies to misdemeanors, for shrinking the state's prison populations by nearly half. They fear that Proposition 36, a ballot measure voters will decide on this November, puts all of the progress California has made at risk of being undone.

Read more: Newsom signs legislative crime package addressing organized retail theft

Bryan, the incoming vice chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, said Proposition 36 is reminiscent of the "bipartisan failures" from the last few decades that sent thousands of Black and brown individuals to prison for low-level, nonviolent drug and property crimes.

"It's not a war on poverty, which is the war we should be waging," Bryan continued. "It's the war on poor people."

In recent months, the Democratic caucus in California has been split over how to address concerns about theft and the increase in substance abuse across the state.

Last week, some Democrats came out in support of Proposition 36, calling for the mass treatment of individuals who abuse drugs and repeatedly commit thefts.

People are dying who dont have to die, and businesses are closing that dont have to close. There is an answer. The answer is treatment, said San Jose mayor Matt Mahan last week at a press conference.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has spoken out against Proposition 36, signed a package of crime bills targeting organized retail theft and the illegal resale of stolen merchandise, among other issues.

Several members of the Legislative Black Caucus opposed some of those bills, calling them overly punitive and unnecessary.

Read more: Democrats show support for crime measure Proposition 36, call for 'mass treatment' of Californians

Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), a member of the Progressive Caucus and fervent criminal justice reform advocate, supports the legislative package and has also been an outspoken opponent of the ballot measure.

"Sure, there was a bit of an uptick in crime after the pandemic," said Skinner, referring to modest increases in property crimes after 2020, which saw the lowest level in decades. "It completely disrupted all of us. Of course, we had disruption. Now what do we see? Less crime, less addiction, less drug use. It is not the time."

Proposition 36 would impose stricter sentences for repetitive theft and offenses involving the deadly drug fentanyl. Specifically, a person who commits property theft for a third time, regardless of the value of merchandise stolen, could be charged with either a misdemeanor or a felony. The measure will also allow judges to sentence convicted drug dealers who traffic in large quantities of hard drugs, including fentanyl, or who are armed with a firearm while trafficking the drugs, to state prison instead of county jails.

The ballot measure is projected to cost anywhere from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars annually, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office. A majority of likely California voters  56%  say they would support Proposition 36, with the strongest support among conservative and moderate voters, according to a new UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by The Times.

Skinner, Bryan and other progressive Democrats at Monday's news conference called the prosecutor-led ballot measure an expensive solution to a problem that has already improved on its own. Instead, they are asking to allocate state funds for education and community programs to help reduce the chances of incarceration.

The fundraising committee for the No on Proposition 36 campaign has already raised $570,000 since April. The biggest individual donor is Stacy Schusterman, a major Democratic donor, philanthropist and liberal oil heiress from Oklahoma, who has contributed $325,000. A separate fundraising committee supporting Proposition 36 has since October raised $9.71 million, largely funded by big box retailers.

Also at Monday's rally were various criminal justice reform advocacy groups including Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and Californians for Safety and Justice, one of the major proponents of Proposition 47 when voters in 2014 overwhelmingly passed it.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
As the world experiences what could be its hottest year on record, the right-wing groups behind the Project 2025 policy road map for a second Trump administration want to supercharge oil and gas drilling, claw back regulations and research funding, and eradicate climate change references from absolutely everywhere, according to one training video reported last week by ProPublica.



Yet a senior staffer at one of the groups thats contributed to Project 2025, the Center for Renewing America, or CRA, seems to have some doubts. In previously unreported private remarks, Micah Meadowcroftwho served in the Environmental Protection Agency during the Trump administration, and is now CRAs research director and a contributing editor of The American Conservativetakes issue with the way Republicans talk about environmental policy.

The GOP, Meadowcroft said in secret recordings taken by the Centre for Climate Reporting, transcripts of which were shared with The New Republic, tends to believe that environmental care is not something you have to care about. You just produce enough wealth, and then you can just buy your way out of whatever pollution deficit you put yourself into later. So its a luxury good. Keep industrializing. Keep doing whatever. Well worry about it later. And someone will have a technological breakthrough, and itll eat all the plastics in the ground. Meadowcroft called the approach a silly thing to count on as a selfish, definite, you know, assured prophecy thing. Meadowcroft did not respond to a request for comment on these remarks by publication time.

The approach that Meadowcroft calls silly sounds a lot like Project 2025s Mandate for Leadership, the 900-page document laying out the coalitions governance agenda, on which Meadowcroft himself is listed as a contributor. After calling to abolish the White Houses Climate Hub Office, the Mandate for Leaderships authors argue that history shows that economic growth and technological/scientific advance through human ingenuity are by far the best ways to prevent and mitigate extreme weather events.

Meadowcrofts private remarks were recorded as part of a monthslong investigation by the Centre for Climate Reporting into Project 2025, published last week. A paid actor and a reporter, each working undercover for CCR, posed as the relatives of a wealthy conservative donor interested in Project 2025, mulling a donation to CRA. They arranged a meeting with the groups founder and president, Russel Vought, who was also director of the Office of Management and Budget under Trump. Before Vought arrived, the actor and the reporter placed cameras around the Washington, D.C., hotel suite where they convened. The meeting with Vought was arranged with Meadowcrofts help. The reporter had met Meadowcroft weeks earlier at the National Conservatism convention, or NatCon, in Washington, D.C. Like Vought, Meadowcroft didnt realize he was conversing with undercover investigators.

Neither the Center for Renewing America nor the Trump campaign responded to CCRs requests for comment, but CRAs communications director said on social media: None of this is secret. Wouldve been easier to just google to uncover whats already on our website & in countless media interviews.

During NatCon, in private, Meadowcroft opined that the GOP and green left tend to fall into a similar trap when talking about the climate: Republicans historically and the green left both engage in, I think, a very silly techno-optimism in their approach to environmentalism, Meadowcroft said. He seems to view that green left as historically overoptimistic about what kinds of technologies are available to cut pollution, including when it comes to electric vehicles and vehicle emissions standards. Those leftists continue, he complains, to persist in saying, Look, youre all going to drive electric vehicles in 10 years. OK so when are you going to build a grid that can support the charging stations, have enough saturation for the charging stations, and also just bring down the price of vehicles such that theyre affordable to the middle class? And they just wave their hands and say, Were going to save the country. We dont have to figure that one out. Itll just happen. They think the technology will catch up with the regulation.

The correct approach, Meadowcroft argues, is to first admit that weve done a marvelous job of cleaning up American air and water, particularly through the Clean Air Act, which he called hugely successful but overly enforced. He then seems to suggest thatrather than continually updating EPA pollution rules to account for new kinds of pollution and new data on the harms it causesthe government should decide once and for all what we think clean air looks like. The government shouldnt, he says, keep looking to lower and lower and lower limits of pollution.



Definitions of what are referred to as systems of pollution control are not explicitly spelled out in the Clean Air Act; neither, as Meadowcroft notes, does the act define some absolute, fixed definition for what constitutes clean air. Now that the Supreme Court has overturned whats known as the Chevron doctrine, which gave administrative agencies broad latitude to interpret and bridge these sorts of gaps, judges may soon be in a position to decide what clean air means themselves. Thats especially worrying considering just how many right-wing judicial appointmentsfrom SCOTUS to the federal court systemhave been active in groups like the Federalist Society, which receives funding from some of the same dark money donors backing Project 2025.

Vought and Meadowcroft dont spend much time, in the recordings made by CCR, talking about climate policy. But what they do say largely echoes whats in Project 2025. Vought talks about repealing that Biden initiatives like the Green New Deal and things of that nature, fake infrastructure. Thats part of a larger attack on what he calls woke and weaponized bureaucracy.

We probably need to get rid of NEPA, Meadowcroft says at one point, referring to the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to consider the environmental impacts of permitting decisions. He calls the NEPA review process just insane. And it doesnt seem reformable. It needs to be just scrapped and then restarted.

A second Trump administration would have an unprecedented number of tools at its disposal to pursue these kinds of policiesas well as the others laid out in Project 2025. Comments like Meadowcroftsessentially, taking jabs at his own sideshow a divided movement that fears dissent within its own ranks; in his conversation with the undercover reporters, Vought is even more fearful that not everyone in Trumps camp is a true believer. Decades of right-wing efforts to undermine democracy and take over the judicial branch, though, mean that even a divided right would be more empowered than ever to enact their preferred policies.
Donald Trump and JD Vance both have ties to the Heritage Foundation, the think tank behind Project 2025.

During the first evening of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday, Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow brought out an oversize copy of a Project 2025 booklet.

They went ahead and wrote down all the extreme things that Donald Trump wants to do in the next four years, McMorrow told the audience. We read it.

Project 2025 is a 922-page blueprint crafted by the Heritage Foundation and other conservative groups for the next Republican administration that would radically reshape how the American government works. According to DNC officials, Project 2025 will be discussed every night of the convention this week.

Critics have labeled it an authoritarian takeover of the United States, while supporters call it a plan to return our federal government to one of the people, by the people, and for the people.

In campaign speeches, Vice President Kamala Harris has relentlessly sought to link Trump with Project 2025, leading the former president to denounce many of its objectives while declaring that he had nothing to do with its creation.

What is Project 2025, and what is it calling for?

Project 2025 bills itself as a policy agenda, personnel, training and a 180-day playbook to be implemented on day one by the next Republican president, outlining various agenda items, including which bills to propose, laws to revoke and government agencies to restructure.

While the project is a proposal and not aligned with any specific campaign, its proponents hope their recommendations will be taken into account by Donald Trump should he win in November.

Some of its directives include:

An overhaul of the Department of Justice and FBI, the former of which it labels a bloated bureaucracy with employees who are infatuated with the perpetuation of a radical liberal agenda.

Implement Schedule F, a Trump-era executive order that the Biden administration repealed that would allow the reclassification  and potential replacement  of thousands of government workers.

Eliminate the Department of Education.

Shut down the EPAs Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights.

Impose wide restrictions on abortion access, including reversing federal approval of the abortion pill mifepristone.

Allocate funding for construction of additional border wall systems.

Ban pornography and imprison anyone who produces or distributes it.

Promote Sabbath Rest by encouraging Congress to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to require people who work these days to be paid time and a half.

Have the federal government promote biblically based, social science reinforced heterosexual marriages.

Call on the new Health and Human Services secretary to reverse the Biden Administrations focus on LGBTQ+ equity and subsidizing single-motherhood.

Remove sexual orientation, gender identity, diversity, equity, inclusion and gender equality from any federal rule, regulation or legislation.

Revive Trumps plan to open most of the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska to leasing and development.

Read more from the BBC: Project 2025: A wish list for a Trump presidency, explained

Whos behind Project 2025?

Founded in 1973, the Heritage Foundation came into prominence in Washington during the Ronald Reagan presidency, whose administration implemented policies from the think tank. Since then, the group has been ranked by the University of Pennsylvania as one of the most influential public policy organizations in the U.S. Heritage also advised the administrations of George W. Bush and Trump.

Project 2025 is not officially affiliated with Trumps campaign or any other  although the name Trump is mentioned over 300 times throughout the document. In November, Axios reported that Heritage officials told the outlet they had briefed all the Republican campaigns running at the time  Trump, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley.

Trumps own policy agenda is called Agenda47, given the next president will be the nations 47th. The former president has said publicly he does not know whos behind Project 2025.

However, numerous people involved in Project 2025 worked in the Trump administration or have helped with Trumps reelection campaign. Dans, the former Heritage Foundation director, was chief of staff at the Office of Personnel Management under Trump. Associate directors Spencer Chretien and Troup Hemenway worked for the Trump administration as well.

Of the 34 authors and two editors listed on the project, at least 25 have served Trump in some capacity, several in senior positions in his presidential administration.

In an April podcast interview, John McEntee, a senior adviser on the project and former Trump official, said, Were gonna integrate a lot of our work with the Trump campaign.

What does Trump say about Project 2025?

Trump has publicly distanced himself from the project multiple times over the last month and as recently as July 30.

I have no idea who is behind it, Trump wrote on social media in early July. I disagree with some of the things theyre saying and some of the things theyre saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.

On July 30, Trumps campaign heads Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles issued a statement, echoing prior claims that Trump is not at all affiliated with Project 2025.

"President Trumps campaign has been very clear for over a year that Project 2025 had nothing to do with the campaign, did not speak for the campaign, and should not be associated with the campaign or the President in any way, the campaign said, according to AP. Reports of Project 2025s demise would be greatly welcomed and should serve as notice to anyone or any group trying to misrepresent their influence with President Trump and his campaign  it will not end well for you.

The Washington Post also reported that LaCivita allegedly warned people involved with Project 2025 that they would be barred from working for the Trump administration, should he win the election.

Trumps campaign website does not explicitly endorse Project 2025 either and instead points to Agenda47 for policy stances. There is some overlap in ideas between Project 2025 and Trumps campaign  both include some variation of shutting down the Department of Education, cracking down on gender-affirming care, ending subsidies for electric vehicles, and continuing to build the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Has JD Vance said anything about Project 2025?

Vance, Trumps running mate, has not explicitly mentioned Project 2025. His stances do overlap with some of Project 2025s ideas, specifically concerning abortion and centralizing presidential power.

Vance wrote the forward to Heritage Foundation president Kevin Robertss forthcoming book, Dawns Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America. Vance does not mention Project 2025 in the forward, despite Roberts being a major architect behind it.

What do critics say about Project 2025?

Critics have called it a real threat to democracy, a far-right assault on America and a dystopian plot. Institutions such as Georgetown University have called elements like the cuts to Medicaid draconian. Sasha Buchert, the director of the Non-Binary and Transgender Rights Project, described the language as dehumanizing. Immigration advocacy groups have called it an authoritarian, often illegal, agenda that would rip apart nearly every aspect of American life.

Many Democrats have pushed back against it, including President Biden, who said it should scare every single American. Some conservatives have even gone public with their concerns. Robert Shea, who was a senior official under former President George W. Bush, said Schedule F would create an army of suck-ups.

What do supporters say about Project 2025?

Roberts, who wrote the Project 2025 forward, says the current political system is stacked against Republicans and Project 2025 will work to free the next Republican president.

The point is to hasten the hiring of aligned personnel and hasten the implementation of conservative policy, Roberts told the New York Times in January. That includes hastening the overturning, via executive order, of what we believe are wrong policies of the current administration.

Conservatives outside of the organization have also offered their support. Sen. Mike Lee called Project 2025 a blueprint to return power back to the states and the American people. Mollie Hemingway, the editor in chief of the conservative site the Federalist, described it as a sweeping plan to end the weaponization of the government against Americans.

Why is Project 2025 getting so much attention right now?

Harris has made Project 2025 a talking point since she launched her presidential campaign. Different speakers at the DNC will also emphasize various issues with the conservative handbook.

Donald Trump wants to take our country backward, Harris said at a campaign stop on July 23, referring to Project 2025. Can you believe they put that thing in writing?

Danss resignation from the Heritage Foundation, which will be official in August, also made news, as it was announced Roberts would take over for him. Roberts made news for his July 2 interview on Steve Bannons podcast. In conversation with former Rep. Dave Brat, since Bannon is currently in prison for his contempt of Congress conviction, Roberts described an imminent second American revolution.

In the days following Robertss comments, Google searches for Project 2025 hit record highs.

Read more from Politico: Leader of the pro-Trump Project 2025 suggests there will be a new American Revolution
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A prolific Portland tagger will spend two and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to using his moniker KASR to spray paint buildings throughout the city.

Back in February, Jerry A. Mijangos was accused of tagging hundreds of buildings since 2023, after which police called him one of the most prolific graffiti vandals. On Monday, he pled guilty to two counts each of first-degree criminal mischief and second-degree criminal mischief.

Portlands camping ban gains momentum with Multnomah County Sheriffs support

Portland Police Bureau Chief Bob Day said this sentencing should send a message to others tagging in the city that the crime will not be tolerated.

Jerry A. Mijangos is accused of tagging hundreds of buildings since 2021. (Courtesy: PPB)

Graffiti associated with Jerry A. Mijangos. (Courtesy: PPB)

Graffiti associated with Jerry A. Mijangos. (Courtesy: PPB)

Graffiti associated with Jerry A. Mijangos. (Courtesy: PPB)

Graffiti associated with Jerry A. Mijangos. (Courtesy: PPB)

Graffiti remains a significant concern for our community. It is one of the most common complaints I hear about, and I understand the reason behind it, Chief Day said. Senseless vandalism makes a city look neglected and tarnishes its image.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Property tax uproar fuels push for question on Jackson County ballot. But is it too late?

Reality Check is a Star series holding those with power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email our journalists at RealityCheck@kcstar.com.

Jackson Countys last elected director of property assessment left office more than a half century ago, when voters adopted a new county charter that put assessment and several other administrative offices under the control of a newly elected county executive.

Might todays voters want to go back to the old system?

Frank White Jr., the current county executive, has reservations about a measure the county legislature approved on Monday that would give voters a chance to decide whether to make the assessor an elected position once again.

White has not said that he will definitely block the ordinance that would put the question on the November ballot. But he made his displeasure with it fairly clear in a written statement.

The recent passage of an ordinance to place the question of an elected Assessor on the November ballot raises significant concerns, White said.

Chief among them, he said, is that the proposed ballot language contains no requirement that an elected assessor have any expertise for setting values for tax purposes on real estate or personal property.

A qualified and experienced Assessor is essential for accurate and fair property assessments in Jackson County, he said. The current appointment process ensures this by requiring candidates to hold at least a bachelors degree, be certified as an appraiser in Missouri, and have extensive experience in property assessment

Unlike the current system, the proposed charter amendment includes no qualifications for the role. This opens the door for the position to be filled based on popularity rather than expertise, jeopardizing the quality and fairness of assessments that our residents rely on.

The push for reform grew out of concerns about the countys reassessment process last year that saw large numbers of homeowners hit with double-digit percentage increases in their real estate assessments.

Some worry they will be taxed out of their homes. The State Tax Commission issued an order recently calling for a rollback in assessments due to alleged shortcomings in how values were set for taxing purposes.

But White and assessment director Gail McCann Beatty say the reassessment was done properly and in furtherance of a state law that requires assessors to set property assessments as close as possible to actual market value.

As you know, property values in Jackson County have been significantly undervalued for decades, Beatty told reporters at a news conference last week. Our priority has been focused on correcting these long standing inequities.

At that same news conference, County Counselor Bryan Convinsky said he and representatives of local taxing districts are determining how best to challenge the order in court.

Time running out

Whites views on the issue matter. He has the power by virtue of the county charter and the election calendar whether the question of electing the assessor will go to the voters or not.

The ordinance passed by a 5-4 vote of the legislature on Monday. But should White decide to veto, it would take take six votes to override.

But then again, those numbers dont matter all that much when his other option would be to do nothing at all, if keeping it off the ballot was his desire. The deadline for putting something before voters in the general election is next Tuesday, Aug. 27.

Under the county charter, the county executive has 10 days from the date the ordinance was passed to issue a veto, or it becomes law. That gives White until Aug. 29, which is two days after the ballot deadline.

Whatever happens, its an issue that is likely to return next year, if it doesnt make it to the ballot this time. Whats more, it has bipartisan support.

White is a Democrat as is the Beatty, a former state representative.

But so is county legislator, Manny Abarca, who introduced the local ballot measure ordinance that was approved Monday.

The ordinance had the backing of three other Democratic colleagues and Republican legislator Sean Smith, who has been urging qualified voters to sign his change.org petition in support of having a vote.

County Administration has not taken responsibility for the tax debacle in 2023, and therefore should not have the responsibility of appointing this position, Smith said in support of the petition.

Republican lawmakers in Jefferson City have since early this year been at work trying to force a statewide vote on the matter, but have been unsuccessful so far.

Attempt to combat corruption

Within Missouri, the city of St. Louis and Jackson County are alone in having county assessors who are appointed rather than elected.

Jackson County opened the way for that by approving a home-rule charter in November 1970 that overhauled almost all of county government.

The charter, which took effect in 1973, ended a many decades-old system whereby a three-member county commission  it was officially called the county court  oversaw county government.

Well, most of county government, anyway. The presiding judge and the courts other two elected members did not have absolute control. Almost every department in county government had an elected chief officer who ran their own operation.

In addition to choosing the assessor, voters elected the coroner, the recorder of deeds, the highway engineer, the tax collector, the county clerk, clerk of the circuit court, public administrator and the treasurer.

All those elected offices were done away with when the charter was approved, creating the county legislature in place of the county court and creating the new office of county executive. The sheriff and prosecutor are the only other elected county officials.

Reformers argued that having the county executive choose administrators on the basis of merit rather than political connections would reduce costs and limit corruption.

Elected coroners, for instance, would send the dead to select funeral homes, and somne department heads would pad their payrolls with cronies. And prior to the charter change, Jackson County properties hadnt been reassessed in more than 30 years.

The first county executive, George Lehr, ordered one done. Current state law now requires that reassessments be done every other year in every county.

Should Jackson County go back to electing assessors, it would not be the first time that has happened in Missouri. Voters in St. Louis County (separate from the city) decided to begin electing their assessor once again in 2011, ending a 40-year span in which the assessor was appointed by the St. Louis County executive.

The change was prompted by many of the same issues and concerns behind the current discussion in Jackson County.

A former state legislator, Democrat Jake Zimmerman ran for the job in 2011 promising to end the kind of drive-by method of real estate assessments that are the source of the complaints behind the current tax commission order in Jackson County.

He won and has been re-elected three times.
Tabor Manor Care Center in Fremont County has filed for bankruptcy while owing the state $1.1 million. (Photo via Google Earth; court document courtesy U.S. District Court)

An Iowa nursing home that owes taxpayers more than $1 million has negotiated a 10-year payment plan with state officials.

In May, the for-profit Tabor Manor Care Center in Fremont County filed for bankruptcy, listing $1.3 million in assets and $2.3 million in liabilities.

By far, the 46-bed nursing homes single largest creditor is the State of Iowa  specifically, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services/Iowa Medicaid Enterprises. The home reported that it owed the agency $1,169, 257.

That debt is tied to Quality Assurance Assessment, or QAA, fees that are owed to the state and which date back to 2019, according to bankruptcy records. More than four dozen Iowa nursing homes currently owe the state a total of $10.7 million in unpaid, past-due QAA fees, according to DHHS records.

Last week, attorneys for Tabor Manor filed with the court an amendment to the companys proposed financial reorganization plan. The new plan calls for the facilitys owners to pay the state $1 million in overdue QAA fees over the course of the next 10  years, with the first payments to begin in roughly six months.

The company would pay $10,930 per month toward the debt  an amount that would include interest payments calculated at an annual rate of 4.25%. For the first several months of payments, interest would be paid at roughly $3,500 per month while the principal would be paid down at a rate of roughly $7,400 per month.

Jeffrey D. Goetz, the Des Moines attorney representing Tabor Manor, noted that the plan has yet to be approved by the bankruptcy court, but he said the state, which is owed the money, has agreed to it in principle.

Im not going to speak for the state, but they have verbally told us they are OK with this, Goetz said. I can tell you that the terms were highly negotiated and agreed to in principle, and I have no reason to expect that the state will file an objection to this.

Prior to an agreement being reached on the 10-year payment plan, Tabor Manors owner and administrator, Mitchell Worcester, told the court the state had consented only to a payment plan of a relatively short duration that the company rejected as unrealistic.

Dozens of homes behind in payments

QAA fees are a mechanism that has been used by the state since 2009 to drive up expenses at Iowa nursing homes. The quarterly fees paid to the state have the effect of artificially inflating a facilitys cost of doing business. That, in turn, enables the facilities to draw down more money in Medicaid reimbursement from the federal government for resident care.

By design, the increased revenue that the homes see in their Medicaid payments more than offsets the cost of the fees paid to the state.

Under Iowa law, the care facilities are supposed to use most of the increased revenue to boost the pay of their front-line caregivers  which is why the fees are labeled Quality Assurance Assessment fees.

However, not all Iowa homes are paying the fees  and of those that do, up to 18% of them have failed to meet all of the legal requirements for spending their additional Medicaid revenue on pay increases for front-line caregivers.

According to DHHS, 41 of the 49 homes that are behind in their payments are currently on some form of repayment plan. Maureen Barton of DHHS has said the department is working diligently to ensure providers are adhering to repayment plans on the fees that are imposed.

The company that appears to owe taxpayers the most is Accura Healthcare of West Des Moines. Eighteen of the for-profit companys Iowa care facilities are currently on payment plans with the state, and they now owe a combined $3,644,432.97, according to DHHS.

In 2022, DHHS reported to state lawmakers that of the 379 Iowa nursing homes that were required to spend their increased Medicaid revenue on pay increases for certified nurse aides, 68 of them  or 18% of the total  failed to do so.

An additional 37 homes  or 10% of the total  failed to meet a different standard that required them to spend 60% of their excess revenue on compensation for all staff.

Similar rates of compliance were reported in 2020.
Prosecutors say a Milwaukee teen shot and killed a 9-year-old boy while attempting to shoot at another teen, who he fatally shot a week later after a Juneteenth festival.

Seventeen-year-old Damarion Glenn is charged with first-degree reckless homicide in the June 13 shooting of the Milwaukee boy, Jonael Zambrano, according to a criminal complaint filed on Friday. He's also charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the June 19 shooting of Sherrone D. Thornton Jr.

Christian Hubanks, 16, is also charged with first-degree reckless homicide in Zambrano's death. Hubanks is not facing charges related to the killing of Thornton.

The Milwaukee County District Attorney's criminal complaint connects the two incidents through Glenn.

The latter occurred after the Juneteenth Peace Day MKE at Washington Park on June 19. Organizers faced criticism for the handling of the event, which they ended early, but defended their actions and city officials largely supported the event's handling.

The June 13 shooting occurred at a condominium complex on the 9000 block of North Swan Road. Zambrano died after being taken to a hospital in critical condition.

The District Attorneys office alleges in its criminal complaint that Hubanks and Glenn sought to shoot at Thornton's home at the condominium complex, after he had talked crazy about them. Prosecutors believe Hubanks and Glenn opened fire on the wrong home.

The two fired at least 11 shots into an apartment and killed the child, who had just finished his third grade year at Greater Holy Temple Christian Academy on the day he died. In an Aug. 14 police interview, Hubanks told authorities he and Glenn fired shots into Zambrano's residence, according to the complaint.

A prior July 16 police interview is cited in the document as well.

Someone identified by the initials "MAM" told police Glenn and Hubanks admitted to shooting at the Zambrano home. MAM told police Hubanks was sick to his stomach after learning what happened.

In the Aug. 14 police interview, Hubanks told police he knew that Glenn joined with Noah Shotwell, 15, in the shooting of Thornton Jr.

Shotwell was charged in late June with first-degree reckless homicide as a party to a crime in the shooting death of Thornton, telling police, "I had a gun. I shot the gun."

Shotwell later told police that Glenn was the person who shot and killed Thornton that day, with Shotwell seen on police drone footage shooting the victim second, according to the complaint.

Both Glenn and Hubanks also face additional charges of first-degree recklessly endangering safety as party to a crime.

An arrest warrant was issued for Glenn on Monday. He was not in custody late Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Hubanks has a preliminary hearing on Aug. 28. His bond was set at $300,000.

Onterio Girley, 17, also faces multiple charges related to the Juneteenth shooting, including first-degree reckless endangering safety, for firing shots which injured Shotwell in retaliation for the shooting of Thornton Jr., according to authorities. Girleys next court appearance is on Sept. 5 for a scheduling conference.

Shotwell has his next court appearance, a preliminary hearing, on Thursday.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee teen charged in shootings that killed 9-year-old, Juneteenth attendee
The Scene

CHICAGO  Two of the puppets heads were easy to identify. One: A vampire-fanged Joe Biden, poking out of the collar of a paper-mache business suit. Two: A demonic Kamala Harris, poking out of the other side.

As they milled around Union Park, the launch point for Mondays anti-DNC march, protesters and reporters walked closer to identify the third head. It belonged to Philippines President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos, face stained with blood, hand gripping US & Israeli-Made Bombs. Anakbayan-USA, the left-wing Filipino youth movement, had first marched with it to raise awareness of last months $500 million military aid package to the Marcos government.

Were very much in solidarity with the main demand today, for the US to stop military aid to Israel, said Diana Balitaan, 32, an organizer of the Filipino wing of the march. And we see that the Filipino struggle is so much tied and linked to the Palestinian struggle.

The Coalition to March on the DNC started building Mondays event last summer, before the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. By the time delegates arrived in Chicago, the march was almost entirely about American support for Israels war. And the activists who wanted to give up on electoral politics, and demolish the Democrats, grew further away from the activists trying to bring their party in line.

Know More

Code Pink, the Party for Socialism & Liberation, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, the Atlanta Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression  the 270-odd groups that marched to the DNC security perimeter were united around cutting off military aid to the Jewish state. Some wanted to abolish it altogether, dismantling one settler-colonial nation on the way to dismantling all of them.

Inside the convention, the three dozen uncommitted delegates, elected by anti-war protest voters, were just as focused. But their demands diverged. Democratic anti-war activists in the United Center wanted an immediate ceasefire and an arms embargo on Israel. The Biden administration was working on the first, but unlikely to deliver the second, and Harris had essentially ruled it out.

The Vice Presidents team has been engaging, said Abbas Alawieh, an uncommitted delegate from Michigan and frequent spokesman for the faction. Theyve been listening. I find that very encouraging. It is definitely a very big change from when we were trying to have conversations with President Biden.

Alawieh said that after a DNC panel about the war, which the party had given the uncommitted bloc after weeks of pressure. They had another short-term demand  a DNC speaking slot for a physician whod treated bombing victims in Gaza.

Democrats werent allowing that, and their platform endorsed nothing beyond an immediate and lasting ceasefire deal. They did send some on-stage messages to anti-war activists. New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told delegates that Harris was working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bring the hostages home. During Bidens valedictory speech, after Gaza ceasefire activists unfurled a banner  and other delegates blocked it  Biden said he was working to end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people, and finally, finally, finally deliver a ceasefire in this war.

Those protesters out in the street, they have a point, Biden continued. A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides.

The protesters on the street were not there to negotiate with Biden, though Mondays protest was smaller than theyd hoped for. Chicago police claimed that 3,500 people marched to the convention, organizers claimed to have 15,000 in the park. They had predicted between 30,000 and 40,000 would assemble, from Chicagos homegrown left-wing groups to activists whod flown and driven hundreds of miles to oppose the Democrats.

I do not believe that reform from within is ultimately going to lead us to the results that we need, said Kamil Khan, 33, whod come to Chicago from Portland, Oregon. Bernie Sanders has been culpable in genocidal denialism. Hes tried to label this as the Netanyhu governments war, and not indicative of what zionism is.

The end of the Biden campaign, and his replacement by Harris, had sapped some of the energy from the sprawling movement. Protesters took that as a partial win: We know that it was our movement that made Joe Biden so unpopular that he had to step down! said Muhammad Abu Zaghrouta, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement, from the rally stage.

But no major party would deliver what many protesters wanted: The dismantling of Americas overseas military presence, the end of the Jewish state, and a global wave of decolonization that would take land from its current rulers and give it to indigenous people.

Listen, some of those folks probably arent Democrats, Democratic National Committee chairman Jaime Harrison told Semafor.

They were not. Before marching to the DNC perimeter, protesters in the park heard from independent presidential candidate Cornel West, whod just met with the Abandon Harris (formerly Abandon Biden) movement and Green Party nominee Jill Stein.

A lot of folk, getting excited about sister Harris because shes a Black sister from Jamaica, West told the crowd. A Black face in a high place in the same empire is the same capitalist policies, the same policies of genocide!

And when the march began, it quickly ran up against its limits  and the expectations of media and organizers who wondered if anti-war protests would disrupt the DNC in a 4K remake of the 1968 convention. Protesters marched to one of the conventions outer gates, several blocks away from the main checkpoint, and further away still from the United Center. A small group lifted one fence, climbed inside, and were halted by police. Credentialed reporters filmed from one end; the activists filmed themselves from the other.

The results were dramatic headlines (Protesters clash with police) and a much less dramatic stand-off, half a mile from the place where Joe Biden would say goodbye. Between a row of townhouses and a jungle gym, a few dozen protesters faced off with a line of police.

This is the terror! said Justin Marcum, 36, as he walked back and forth past officers waving a Palestinian flag.

But the protesters never drew closer, and the standoff petered out. They never got to bring their demands to Democrats.

I think we should end the war in Gaza, said Marcum, a West Virginian whod left the Democratic Party over the war, and would vote for the Green Party in November. If they dont want a two-state solution, this is going to turn into a worldwide revolution thatll end up with a one-state solution for the Palestinians.

Davids view

Therell be more protests this week, including one Thursday night that could snarl traffic into Harriss acceptance speech. But the Democrats Gaza problem got a lot clearer on Monday. Theres one faction of the party that wants to mobilize for Harris, particularly in Michigan, and warns that it cant do that effectively if theres an ongoing war. Theres an overlapping faction that wants more  an arms embargo  and wont be satisfied with a ceasefire. And there is a sprawling, left-wing, anti-imperial movement that wants Israel to be replaced by a secular Palestinian state.

These latter people were simply never going to vote for the Democratic ticket. Chicago isnt being torn apart by protests, and neither are the Democrats. In Union Park, I heard chants of we are the intifada, saw a Hamas flag and pro-Hamas signs, and talked to polite organizers of far-left parties who never cast a ballot for a capitalist party and never will. This protest was going to happen, war or no war, ceasefire or no ceasefire, and the 1968 redux hype that preceded it in some media was a little silly.

That said: The Democrats in 2020 were very comfortable aligning with that years racial justice movements and their own protestors on the left, a fact that the Trump campaign is still using against Harris. (Her tweet supporting donations to Minneapoliss Freedom Fund is, in their polling, one of the least popular things shes ever done.) They are building perimeters between themselves and the newer protests this time, dividing the gettable organizers from the ones who will never support them. Democratic leaders may not be able to satisfy more mainstream progressives upset with their policy stance, but they want them to feel heard and to stay inside the tent to keep making their argument in 2025 and beyond.

It struck me that Republicans avoided anything like this, in Milwaukee, with a simple strategy  they simply didnt invite anyone who didnt support Donald Trumps third nomination.

Notable

In Block Club Chicago, Quinn Myers and Mack Liederman provide another view of the main protest.

For CNN, Eric Levenson and Bill Kirkos report on how the DNC is preparing for any further protests, with additional fencing.
LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA)  Kieanna Garrett said she took pictures of her face in late December 2023 after her arrest at a traffic light.

They show a cut next to her eye and bruises.

Courtesy: Kieanna Garrett

Im OK physically but emotionally Im drained. Im stressed, she said. Im not scared to speak out because I want justice served. This has to stop.

Garrett said she was with her boyfriend, Phillip Lightsey, in the car at a red light when two officers walked up with their guns drawn.

In her arrest affidavit, those officers allege the vehicle had attempted to evade police when they approached the car.

Garrett claims she was driving.

The affidavit alleges Lightsey was driving and after the officers approached the vehicle, he got into the backseat and Garrett went to the drivers seat.

An officer used a flashlight to shatter the drivers window and eventually, Officer Dillon Cornn removed Garrett from the car, accusing her of not complying with orders, according to the affidavit.

According to the affidavit, which was written by Officer Cornn, Garrett was handcuffed after a brief struggle.

Garrett told News Channel 8 she was shoved against both their car and the cruiser and then kicked to the ground by Officer Cornn.

Im already handcuffed so what was the purpose of all that? Then he got down on one knee and punched me in the eye here, which is never going away. I had two black eyes, said Garrett.

Lakeland Police officials are rejecting the allegations.

Based on evidence gathered, the defendants fabricated claims are an attempt to use media attention to avoid responsibility for their actions, wrote a department spokesperson in a statement.

Officials tell News Channel 8 Garrett was examined for a single small scrape.

Had the defendant experienced the injuries claimed today, she would have required transport to a medical facility for treatment, wrote the spokesperson.

Officer Cornn was cleared of any wrongdoing in an internal administrative investigation launched after Garrett filed a complaint.

Garrett was arrested on several charges including resisting an officer without violence and possession of cannabis.

She was arrested again the next day, on Dec. 21, 2023, after a search warrant was executed at her apartment by officers, including Officer Cornn.

An affidavit shows police found 346.3 grams of cannabis, 2.3 grams adderall and drug paraphernalia.

I dont sell drugs. I dont use drugs. Only drugs I dealt with were when I was passing them out to my patients at work, said Garrett, who added she has worked as a nurse but lost her job because of these legal troubles.

Garrett was in court Tuesday for a status conference.

Outside, approximately a dozen protestors from the Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TAARPR) rallied in support of Garrett.

Were here to demand that the charges against her be dropped, said Vicky Tong with TAARPR. We are also here to demand that the cops involved such as Dillon Cornn be fired and charged.

Brutality by the police, Lakeland police. Its their MO, said Pastor Clayton Cowart, with the Poor & Minority Justice Association.

Pastor Cowart points out that Officer Cornn was also involved in the arrest of Antwan Glover, who was seen on cell phone video being punched and tased by Lakeland police in December 2022.

Prosecutors dropped the charges against Glover in May.

This is a wild animal on the loose and no one seems to want to tame him, said Pastor Cowart, referring to Officer Cornn. This is a matter of morals as well as police training.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Dozens of protesters broke through a security fence near the site of the Democratic National Convention on its opening day Monday as thousands took to the streets to voice their opposition to the war in Gaza.

Families with babies in strollers, students, elected leaders and others holding signs and flags joined the march to the United Center, where the convention is being held, to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. As the larger group marched peacefully, a few dozen who broke away tore down pieces of the security fence.

Several protesters who had managed to get through the fence were detained and handcuffed by the police. Officers put on gas masks as some protesters tried to bring down a second fence set up in front of police. Authorities said the inner security perimeter surrounding convention site was not breached and there was no threat to those attending the convention.

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said some of the protesters who took down the fence threw water bottles and other items at police. Police de-escalated the situation without using their batons or chemicals, he said.

When you have people infiltrate a crowd and they want to commit acts of violence, vandalism, we are going to stop them, said Snelling, who walked in a group of officers ahead of the protesters Monday. We are not going to tolerate anyone who is going to vandalize things in our city.

Members of the crowd chanted End the occupation now and then The whole world is watching! just as anti-Vietnam War protesters did during the infamous 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago when police clashed with protesters on live television. Families gathered on their porches and outside their doors as protesters marched by. Some children wore keffiyeh, blew bubbles or held free fist bumps signs.

Riot police are on the scene after protestors from the first national March on the DNC broke down the fence barrier surrounding the perimeter of the United Center from Park 578, Chicago, IL on August 19, 2024. - Alexandra Buxbaum/SIPAPRE/AP

The march happened just as President Joe Biden, who has been the target of intense criticism from pro-Palestinian groups, including the marchers, was doing a walk-through of the largely empty United Center. Biden is scheduled to address the party Monday evening.

Biden, you cant hide. We charge you with genocide, the marchers chanted amid the beating of drums. They also referred to him as Genocide Joe and lodged similar chants at Vice President Kamala Harris.

Protesters said their plans have not changed since Biden left the race and the party quickly rallied behind Harris, who will formally accept the Democratic nomination this week. Activists said they were ready to amplify their progressive message before the nations top Democratic leaders.

People are dying, said Cameron Benrud, a 25-year-old high school special education teacher from Minneapolis. He drove five hours to attend the rally at Union Park to call on Democratic officials to halt funding to Israel.

Im from little old Minnesota, and you feel kind of powerless  You gotta do something, he said.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said authorities were well prepared. The city of Chicago is really good at things like this, he said at a news conference. We are ready.

Organizers had hoped at least 20,000 people would take part in Mondays rally and march, but it appeared that only a few thousand were present. City officials declined to give a crowd estimate.

Were proud of the turnout, especially considering the degree of the repression from the city, said organizer Faayani Aboma Mijana.

The Chicago area has one of the largest Palestinian communities in the nation, and buses were bringing activists from all over the country.

Taylor Cook, an organizer with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, traveled from Atlanta for the march. Cook said the group was pushing all Democrats to call for an end to aid to Israel, with a particular focus on Harris.

Police line up after a piece of fence was knocked down by protesters surrounding the United Center at the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. - Alex Brandon/AP

Were saying to Kamala, she has been complicit in this. People think its just Joe Biden, but she is vice president, Cook said. So were saying, you need to stop if you want our vote.

Pro-Palestinian supporters descended on the park, west of the Loop business district, for the rally.

Prior to the march, independent presidential candidate Cornel West addressed the crowd, which welcomed him with cheers.

This is not about some Machiavellian politics or some utilitarian calculation about an election, he yelled into a microphone. This is about morality. This is about spirituality.

Around 40 pro-Israel supporters walked around the park during the rally. Remaining mostly silent while waving Israeli flags, they were accompanied by about 20 police officers on bicycles. Although tensions flared at times, there were no physical altercations.

Josh Weiner, co-founder of Chicago Jewish Alliance who walked with the pro-Israel group, said their intent was to make our presence felt. He said the group applied for permits that were not approved by the city.

The pro-Palestine protesters have gotten multiple permits, including a march, which seems to be a little bit weighted on one side, Weiner said.

Coalition activists and the city have been at odds over the location of the protests and other logistics. A judge sided with the city over an approximately 1-mile march route, which organizers argued was not big enough for the expected crowds.

Not a single speaker or spectator showed up to a speakers stage offered by city officials near the United Center. Eight groups with progressive agendas had signed up for 45-minute speaking slots on Monday. On other days, some conservative groups, including the Illinois Policy Institute think tank, have plans to speak.

In the afternoon, the Philadelphia-based Poor Peoples Army, which advocates for economic justice, set up in Humboldt Park before marching more than 3 miles to the United Center.

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Some protesters tear down security fence as thousands march outside Democratic National Convention

CHICAGO (AP)  Dozens of protesters broke through a security fence near the site of the Democratic National Convention on its opening day Monday as thousands took to the streets to voice their opposition to the war in Gaza.

Families with babies in strollers, students, elected leaders and others holding signs and flags joined the march to the United Center, where the convention is being held, to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. As the larger group marched peacefully, a few dozen who broke away tore down pieces of the security fence.

Police replace a piece of fence knocked down by protesters surrounding the United Center at the Democratic National Convention after a march Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

A protester marches to the Democratic National Convention after a rally at Union Park Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Police take a protester into custody after a fence surrounding United Center was knock down at the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

A protester marchs to the Democratic National Convention after a rally at Union Park Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A demonstrator fights with a counter protester after a rally at the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Police line up after a piece of fence was knocked down by protesters surrounding the United Center at the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Counter protesters arrive at Union Park before a march to the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling watches a march to the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Progressive activist Cornel West watches a demonstration prior to a march to the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

A protester yells during a demonstration before a march to the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Police line up after a piece of fence was knocked down by protesters surrounding the United Center at the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Progressive activist Cornel West watches a demonstration prior to a march to the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Police direct protesters at the United Center after a march at the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Protesters stage prior to a march to the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Protest signs are set out prior to a demonstration at Union Park during the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Protesters march to the Democratic National Convention after a rally at Union Park Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Progressive activist Cornel West gestures during a demonstration prior to a march to the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Jamila Woods sings during a demonstration before a march to the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Police walk towards protesters who knock down a fence surrounding United Center at the Democratic National Convention after a march Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Protesters demonstrate at Union Park before a march to the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

A protester waits at Union Park for the start of a march to the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Protest signs are set out prior to a demonstration at Union Park during the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Hatem Abudayyeh, of the US Palestinian Community Network, speaks prior to a march to the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

A police officer directs protesters during a march to the Democratic National Convention after a rally at Union Park Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling watches a march to the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Protesters march to the Democratic National Convention after a rally at Union Park Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Several protesters who had managed to get through the fence were detained and handcuffed by the police. Officers put on gas masks as some protesters tried to bring down a second fence set up in front of police. Authorities said the inner security perimeter surrounding convention site was not breached and there was no threat to those attending the convention.

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said some of the protesters who took down the fence threw water bottles and other items at police. Police de-escalated the situation without using their batons or chemicals, he said.

When you have people infiltrate a crowd and they want to commit acts of violence, vandalism we are going to stop them, said Snelling, who walked in a group of officers ahead of the protesters Monday. We are not going to tolerate anyone who is going to vandalize things in our city.

Members of the crowd chanted End the occupation now and then The whole world is watching! just as anti-Vietnam War protesters did during the infamous 1968 convention in Chicago when police clashed with protesters on live television. Families gathered on their porches and outside their doors as protesters marched by. Some children wore keffiyeh, blew bubbles or held free fist bumps signs.

The march happened just as President Joe Biden, who has been the target of intense criticism from pro-Palestinian groups, including the marchers, was doing a walk-through of the largely empty United Center. Biden was scheduled to address the party in the evening.

Biden, you cant hide. We charge you with genocide, the marchers chanted amid the beating of drums. They also referred to him as Genocide Joe and lodged similar chants at Vice President Kamala Harris.

Protesters said their plans have not changed since Biden left the race and the party quickly rallied behind Harris, who will formally accept the Democratic nomination this week. Activists said they were ready to amplify their progressive message before the nations top Democratic leaders.

People are dying, said Cameron Benrud, a 25-year-old high school special education teacher from Minneapolis. He drove five hours to attend the rally at Union Park to call on Democratic officials to halt funding to Israel.

Im from little old Minnesota, and you feel kind of powerless You gotta do something, he said.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said authorities were well prepared. The city of Chicago is really good at things like this, he told a news conference. We are ready.

Organizers had hoped at least 20,000 people would take part in Mondays rally and march, but it appeared that only a few thousand were present, though city officials declined to give a crowd estimate.

Were proud of the turnout, especially considering the degree of the repression from the city, said organizer Faayani Aboma Mijana.

The Chicago area has one of the largest Palestinian communities in the nation, and buses were bringing activists from all over the country.

Taylor Cook, an organizer with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, traveled from Atlanta for the march. Cook said the group was pushing all Democrats to call for an end to aid to Israel, with a particular focus on Harris.

Were saying to Kamala, she has been complicit in this. People think its just Joe Biden, but she is vice president, Cook said. So were saying, you need to stop if you want our vote.

Medea Benjamin, who traveled to Chicago from Washington, D.C., with a women-led group of protesters calling for peace, said she was shocked that the Biden administration recently approved an additional $20 billion in weapons sales to Israel.

Theres an incredible discrepancy in what people are calling for in this country and what the administration is doing, she said ahead of the rally in Union Park. Were so disgusted by this.

Pro-Palestinian supporters descended on the park, west of the Loop business district, for the rally.

Prior to the march, independent presidential candidate Cornel West addressed the crowd, which welcomed him with cheers.

This is not about some Machiavellian politics or some utilitarian calculation about an election, he yelled into a microphone. This is about morality. This is about spirituality.

Around 40 pro-Israel supporters walked around the park during the rally. Remaining mostly silent while waving Israeli flags, they were accompanied by about 20 police officers on bicycles. Although tensions flared at times, there were no physical altercations.

Josh Weiner, co-founder of Chicago Jewish Alliance who walked with the pro-Israel group, said their intent was to make our presence felt. He said the group applied for permits that were not approved by the city.

The pro-Palestine protesters have gotten multiple permits, including a march, which seems to be a little bit weighted on one side, Weiner said.

Coalition activists and the city have been at odds over the location of the protests and other logistics. A judge sided with the city over an approximately 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) march route, which organizers argued was not big enough for the expected crowds.

Not a single speaker or spectator showed up to a speakers stage offered by city officials near the United Center. Eight groups with progressive agendas had signed up for 45-minute speaking slots on Monday. On other days, some conservative groups, including the Illinois Policy Institute think tank, have plans to speak.

In the afternoon, the Philadelphia-based Poor Peoples Army, which advocates for economic justice, set up in Humboldt Park on the citys northwest side before marching more than 3 miles (5 kilometers) to the United 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 WSAV-TV.
Putin allows foreigners to apply for Russian temporary residence on 'moral grounds'

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Aug. 19 allowing foreigners and stateless persons to apply for temporary residence in Russia on "moral grounds," according to the Russian state-controlled news agency TASS.

This move follows Putin's decision in January to simplify the procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship for foreigners who sign a military service contract with the Russian Armed Forces or "separate military units."

Under the new decree, applicants for temporary residence do not need to provide proof of Russian language skills, knowledge of Russian history, or understanding of Russian legislation.

The decree also removes restrictions based on state quotas for temporary residence permits. Applicants must reject their home country's policies that promote so-called "destructive neoliberal ideological attitudes" contrary to traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.

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The specific values are determined by each Russian oblast's policy, while the Russian government will identify the states whose policies are considered "destructive."

As early as September, Russia's Foreign Ministry will start issuing three-month visas for applications based on "moral reasons."

In May 2022, Putin signed a decree simplifying Russian citizenship procedures for orphans from Ukraine who had been abducted from occupied territories.

In July 2022, another decree made it easier for all Ukrainian residents to acquire Russian citizenship, a move condemned by Ukraine's Foreign Ministry.

Putin also signed a similar decree regarding Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Moldova citizens in December 2023.

Read also: Who are the 5 Russian propagandists accused of hate crimes against Ukraine?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Russian civilians wait to receive humanitarian aid as clashes between the Russian and Ukrainian armies continue in the Kursk region - Anadolu

Vladimir Putin has compared Ukraines invasion of Kursk to an Islamic school terrorist attack in Russia 20 years ago.

The Russian president said Kyivs incursion, now into its second week, presents a similar threat to Russia as the Beslan school massacre in 2004, in which 330 people died in a hostage siege carried out by Chechen militants.

Meeting mothers who lost children in the siege, Putin said: Just as we fought the terrorists, today we have to fight those who are carrying out crimes in the Kursk region.

But just as we achieved our goals in the fight with terrorism, we will achieve these goals also in this direction in the fight with neo-Nazis.

Kyivs top general said on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces had advanced 28-35 km (17 to 22 miles) into the Kursk border region, capturing 92 settlements.

05:42 PM BST

Thanks for following todays live blog

Thank you for following todays live coverage of the war in Ukraine.

Well be back soon with more updates and analysis from the conflict.

05:41 PM BST

Dont use dating apps in Kursk, Russia warns locals

The Kremlin has told residents of Kursk not to use dating apps amid fears of spying as Ukraines incursion into the region enters its second week.

It is highly discouraged to use online dating services. The enemy actively uses such resources for the covert collection of information, an interior minister spokesman said on Tuesday.

The warnings were also issued to the nearby border regions of Bryansk and Belgorod and included a plea to turn off CCTV systems and car dashboard cameras to minimise intelligence leaks.

The enemy is massively identifying IP ranges in our territories and connecting to unprotected video surveillance cameras remotely, viewing everything from private yards to roads and highways of strategic importance, the spokesman added.

The new measures were accompanied with an order for Russian troops to remove all geolocation tags and identifiable personal data from their mobile phones.

05:38 PM BST

Europe is about to help Putin seize victory from the jaws of defeat

Just as Ukraines Kursk offensive has the Russians on the run, the Germans are poised to cut military aid to their embattled ally by 94 per cent over the next three years, writes Daniel Johnson.

A well-sourced report in the influential Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, revealing how German support for Ukraine will fall from its current level of 6.8 billion to just 425 million by 2027, has prompted accusations of betrayal in Berlin. So far, there has been no official denial from Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the ruling centre-Left coalition.

In Kyiv, the report is being dismissed as manipulation, cooked up by pro-Russian factions. But Germany was already intending to halve its funding for Ukraine next year and these projections follow the same trajectory.

The usual excuses will be trotted out: Germany is bound by law to balance its budget, the coalition is hopelessly divided, and war weariness has sapped public support for Ukraine.

Read the full story here.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R) welcomes Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin - AFP

05:13 PM BST

Kremlin trying to downplay significance of Kursk invasion

Vladimir Putins trip to Azerbaijan this week was an effort to shift focus away from Ukraines Kursk offensive, military analysts have suggested.

The timing of this visit is noteworthy given the ongoing situation in Kursk Oblast and the Kremlins continued efforts to downplay the Ukrainian incursions magnitude and impact, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Tuesday.

Mr Putin spent nearly two days in the country, where he offered to mediate a peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

According to the ISW, Russian state media amplified small details about the trip, likely in part to divert attention from the uncomfortable situation in Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral in Baku, Azerbaijan - Shutterstock

04:45 PM BST

Putin likens Kursk offensive to Islamic terror attack

Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, on Tuesday likened Ukraines invasion into Russias Kursk region to the 2004 Beslan school massacre, in which around 330 people died in a hostage seige.

Putin ,visiting the school for the first time in almost 20 years, said: Just as we fought the terrorists, today we have to fight those who are carrying out crimes in the Kursk region.

But just as we achieved our goals in the fight with terrorism, we will achieve these goals also in this direction in the fight with neo-Nazis, Putin said, sitting opposite three women from the Mothers of Beslan group, Putin added.

And we will undoubtedly punish the criminals, there can be no doubt of that.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with representatives of "Mothers of Beslan" association of terrorist attack victims in Beslan - REUTERS

04:13 PM BST

Watch: US airman explains why he is fighting for Russia

A former US airman wanted on charges of child pornography confirmed this week that he had joined the Russian military.

Wilmer Puello-Mota, who served for 10 years, said he does not consider himself to be a traitor, despite his countrys vehement support of Ukraine in fighting Russia.

The United States and Russia arent at war, Mr Puello-Mota said in a video posted by Russias ministry of defence on Monday.

Click here to view this content.

03:57 PM BST

Moscow sending extra troops to Pokrovsk and Kursk, says Ukraines army chief

Moscow has sent extra troops to both Pokrovsk and Kursk in recent days, Ukraines army chief said on Tuesday.

Fighting in Pokrovsk, in eastern Ukraine, has intensified in recent weeks as Russian forces make rapid advances in the region.

Oleksandr Syrskyi also said in a briefing broadcast on national TV that Ukraines forces had advanced 28-35 km (17 to 22 miles) since Kyiv launched its invasion two weeks ago.

A civilian bus rides past a Ukrainian tank on a road in the village of Yunakivka, 9 kilometers from the border with Russia in the Sumy region - Shutterstock

03:41 PM BST

Pictured: Military conscription advert in Moscow

Russians who sign up to serve in the military will be paid 5,200,000 rubles (around 44,000) for their first year of service, an advert displayed in Moscow on Tuesday showed.

People walk in front of a banner with an advertising poster calling for military conscription depicting Russian soldiers - Shutterstock

03:31 PM BST

Watch: Ukraine destroys Russian rocket launcher in Donetsk

03:17 PM BST

Russia claims capture of key town named after New York

Russian forces claimed to have captured the key hub of Niu-York in eastern Ukraine as Moscow makes rapid advances in the Donetsk region.

The defence ministry said its troops had taken one of the largest settlements of the Toretsk agglomeration, describing it as a strategically important logistics hub.

The Telegraph cannot independently verify Moscows claims and there has been no immediate comment from Kyiv on the frontline town named after New York City.

Niu-York, also known as New York, sits just south of Toretsk, a large industrial town that has become a focal point of Russias relentless advance on the eastern front.

Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraines military chief, said on Monday that Ukraine was doing everything necessary to protect Toretsk after Russia claimed to have captured the nearby town of Zalizne.

Ukrainian soldiers prepare a vehicle adapted to fire helicopter shells close to the town of Toretsk in eastern Ukraine - Anadolu

02:54 PM BST

Russias FSB detains scientist on suspicion of treason

Russias FSB security service has detained a scientist in Moscow on suspicion of state treason, state news reported on Tuesday.

The scientist allegedly carried out distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on critical infrastructure on behalf of Ukrainian security services.

02:43 PM BST

Zelensky describes situation of eastern front as difficult

Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday the situation on Ukraines eastern frontline, near the strategic logistics hub of Pokrovsk, and also close to Toretsk, was difficult.

Ukraines General Staff said that 14 combat clashes had been reported in the Toretsk area and 34 in the Pokrovsk sector since the start of the day.

02:22 PM BST

Watch: Ukrainian fighter jet strikes underground Russian military base

A Ukrainian fighter jet struck an underground Russian control centre in the Kursk region.

Lt-Gen. Mykola Oleschuk, Ukraines air force commander, shared the footage on Tuesday, saying the military base was hit with a French-supplied AASM Hammer guided air bomb.

The exact location and date of the strike is unknown.

02:12 PM BST

Ukraine returns to rationing shells in east amid Kursk invasion

Kyivs unprecedented invasion into Russias Kursk region appears to have come at a cost as its troops report shell shortages in the east.

A Ukrainian artillery brigade commander fighting in eastern Ukraine told the Financial Times that part of the reason for the Russian advance was Kyiv moving its scarce resources north into Russia.

His troops, he said, had returned to rationing shells for their canons  for the first time since US aid to Ukraine was held up in Congress  as ammunition had been reallocated to units in Kursk.

On Tuesday, Russia claimed to have captured the town of Niu-York, entered the nearby industrial town of Toretsk and were rapidly advancing towards the major logistical hub of Pokrovsk.

Ukrainian soldiers of a mortar unit wait for orders near Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast - Anadolu

01:28 PM BST

Russia steps up attacks on Ukraines energy infrastructure

Russia hit energy infrastructure in northern Ukraine in an overnight missile and drone attack and caused a huge fire in the west of the country, resulting in an increase in chlorine levels in the air, Ukrainian officials said.

Ukraines air force said it shot down three ballistic missiles and 25 of the 26 drones launched in the attack on nine regions across the country.

In the northeastern Sumy region bordering Russia, an energy facility was hit, causing blackouts for 72 settlements and more than 18,500 consumers.

Energy workers rushed to repair the damage, the regional administration said.

01:14 PM BST

Watch: Ukrainian drones hit Russian engineers erecting platoon crossing in Kursk

Ukraines special forces have hit two Russian engineering units as they tried to set up a platoon bridge over the river Seym in Kursk.

Footage shows FPV drones swopping in and appearing to destroy two armoured vehicles positioned close to the hastily-constructed crossing.

Ukraine in recent days has destroyed all three permanent bridges across the Seym river, helping to cut off Moscow from bringing in supplies and reinforcements to deal with Kyivs two-week-old incursion into the western Russian territory.

Kursk Oblast, Ukrainian FPV attack drones successfully swarmed and struck valuable Russian engineering units as they attempted to set up a second pontoon bridge over the Seym River.



Ukrainian drones hit at least two Russian engineering vehicles. pic.twitter.com/muC9T1nd5z  OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 20, 2024

12:57 PM BST

In pictures: Major fire breaks out at Ukrainian industrial site

People were urged to stay inside their homes in Ukraines Ternopil after a large fire broke out at an industrial facility overnight as a result of aerial Russian attacks.

Do not leave your home unnecessarily, limit childrens time outdoors as much as possible, close windows indoors, the military administration of western Ukraine said.

It added emergency services were working on the site of the fire that occurred overnight during air raid alerts.

Firefighters extinguish a huge blaze at industrial facility in Ukraine's Ternopil region - AFP

The fire broke out overnight and local people have been urged to stay inside their homes - Reuters

12:30 PM BST

More than 122,000 Russians evacuated from Kursk, says Moscow

More than 122,000 people have been evacuated from Russias Kursk region since it was invaded by Ukrainian forces two weeks ago, state news agency TASS quoted the emergencies ministry as saying on Tuesday.

12:09 PM BST

Ukrainians flee as Russia bears down on key eastern city

Ukrainian civilians are fleeing the key eastern city of Pokrovsk where Russias grinding advance in the Donetsk region is gathering momentum.

Local authorities said Moscows forces were advancing so quickly that families are now under orders to leave the city, which is still home to 53,000, and nearby towns and villages.

People of all ages boarded trains and buses with the belongings they could carry and small children in their arms. Some wept as they waited to depart, while soldiers helped the elderly and disabled.

Ukrainian forces said they were coming under heavy Russian attack on Tuesday morning around Pokrovsk, which is one of Kyivs main defensive strongholds and a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region.

It was terrifyingly scary, Natalya Ivaniuk said as she fled her village, which is now less than six miles from the frontline, with her two young daughters. We barely got out, she added.

Alla hugs her son Ivan in an evacuation train as she leaves her home in Pokrovsk, eastern Ukraine on Aug 19 - AP

11:58 AM BST

Why Ukraines Kursk offensive could bring Azov prisoners of war home

For more than two years since Russian forces took her son prisoner at the Azovstal steel works in Mariupol in 2022, Larysa Kycherenko has prayed for his release.

Now, Ukraines offensive into Russias Kursk region has raised hopes he may finally come home.

Ukraine has been secretive about the tactical objectives of its invasion of Kursk. On Sunday, Mr Zelensky said the goal was to create a buffer zone inside Russia to prevent cross-border attacks.

But it is now clear that one aim is to take as many prisoners as possible for future exchanges.

Read the full story here.

11:24 AM BST

Russia claims capture of key village in eastern Ukraine

The Russian defence ministry said on Tuesday that Russian forces have taken control of the settlement of Nui York in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

The Telegraph could not independently verify the battlefield report.

11:20 AM BST

Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers on frontline in Donetsk

Ukrainian soldiers of a mortar unit in Toretsk, in Donetsk Oblast - Anadolu

Ukrainian soldiers prepare a vehicle adapted to fire helicopter shells as Russian forces advance closer to Toretsk - Anadolu

Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine's military chief, said Kyiv was 'doing everything necessary' to protect the town on Monday - Anadolu

10:57 AM BST

Russia rules out peace talks after Kursk invasion

Russia has ruled out any peace talks with Ukraine despite Kyiv raising pressure on the Kremlin by claiming fresh advances in its offensive into Russian territory.

At the current stage, given this escapade, we will not talk, Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin aide said on Monday evening.

Mr Ushakov called entering a negotiating process completely inappropriate and said future talks depend on the situation on the battlefield, including in the Kursk region.

Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was achieving its objectives on Monday, which Kyiv officials previously said include stretching Russian forces, creating a buffer zone in Russian territory and seeking an end to the war on fair terms.

People walk past an advertisement for military conscription in front of the Kremlin in Moscow - Shutterstock

10:37 AM BST

Ukraine paves way for ban of Russia-linked church

Ukraines parliament on Tuesday passed a bill that paves the way for a ban of the Russia-linked minority Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), lawmakers said.

The legislation prohibits the Russian Orthodox Church on Ukrainian territory and envisages a ban, to be approved by a court decision, on religious organisations affiliated with it.

Kyiv has cast the minority UOC, which is historically linked to Russia, as a hotbed of Russian influence and complicit in the Kremlins full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

10:11 AM BST

Czechs will use interest from frozen Russian assets to buy ammo for Ukraine

The Czech Republic will use part of the interest generated from Russian assets frozen in the EU to buy large-calibre ammunition for Ukraine, its defence ministry said on Tuesday.

The move follows the EU agreeing in June to use 1.4 billion (1.2 billion) in profits from the Central Bank of the Russian Federations immobilised assets for arms and other aid to Ukraine.

Another 1 billion (850 million) is expected to become available by the end of the year.

09:54 AM BST

Watch: Russian oil depot burns for third day after Ukrainian drone attack

A fire continues to rage at a Russian oil depot for the third consecutive day after it was targeted by Ukrainian drones.

Over 500 firefighters were battling the massive blaze in the Rostov region, which has intensified since the fuel storage facility in the city of Proletarsk was struck on Sunday morning.

The fire had spread to an area of 10,000 sqm, local authorities said, adding that it could likely continue for another several days.

At least 41 firefighters have been reported as injured.

Click here to view this content.

09:27 AM BST

Ukraines Kursk invasion mapped

09:01 AM BST

Kyiv says Russian forces pressing hard in eastern Ukraine

Ukraines military said its troops were subjected to dozens of attacks by Russian forces on Monday around the eastern city of Pokrovsk and the town of Toretsk.

The military said Russian troops attacked Kyivs positions 21 times over the course of Monday in the Toretsk area, which is 29 miles east of Pokrovsk, with some of the attacks still ongoing after nightfall.

It also said there were 63 skirmishes on Monday around the Pokrovsk front, which has seen the most intense fighting in eastern Ukraine with a record number of clashes reported last week.

08:36 AM BST

Zelensky says Russia invasion called Putins bluff

Volodymyr Zelensky has said his countrys assault on Russias Kursk region showed that Kremlin threats of retaliation were a bluff as he urged Kyivs allies to loosen curbs on using foreign-supplied weapons.

The operation no one knew about proved that there are no red lines of the Kremlin to be wary of, Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address.

Mr Zelensky also said Ukrainian forces now control more than 1,250 sq km and 92 settlements in Kursk region, while Russia said Ukraine had struck a third bridge in the region, complicating Russian efforts to repel the Ukrainian attack.

A civilian bus rides past a Ukrainian tank on a road close to the border with Russia in the Sumy region - Shutterstock

A Russian soldier fires a grenade launcher towards Ukrainian positions in the Kursk region on Aug 19 - Rusian Defense Ministry Press Service

08:11 AM BST

Russian civilian plane makes crash landing

A plane carrying 200 passengers reportedly crashed on landing at a Russian airport on Black Sea.

The Boeing 737-800 airliner was travelling from St Petersburg to Sochi on Monday when it suffered a tail strike, when the tail of the plane hits the tarmac first, forcing its belly to scrape across the runway.

There were no reported casualties. Footage shows severe damage to the planes tail and underside.

Russia: Passenger plane landed in Sochi by hitting the ground with its belly with a force of 2.8G. pic.twitter.com/gf250e63Pv  Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) August 19, 2024

07:50 AM BST

Russia launches fifth missile strike on Kyiv this month, Ukraine says

Russia launched its fifth missile attack on Kyiv this month, Ukraines military said on Tuesday, with preliminary data showing air defence systems were again successful in repelling the strikes.

The missile attack followed a drone attack on Kyiv late on Monday, with no reported damage or injuries as a result of either of the attacks, Kyivs military administration said.

The full scope of the attacks was not immediately known, but the Tuesday morning strikes likely involved cruise missiles, the military said.

The military said that the capital has been under air raid alerts already 41 times this month.

07:25 AM BST

Belarus sends more troops and aircraft to Ukraine border

Belarus said late on Monday it had sent further aircraft, air defence forces and weapons to its border with Ukraine.

The move comes a day after Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus, said he had deployed nearly a third of his countrys armed forces to the region after accusing Kyiv of sending 120,000 troops to the border.

Maj-Gen Andrei Lukyanovich, commander of the Belarusian air force said: The group has been significantly increased, and at the moment they are on duty at the southern borders of our country.

Aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, and radio-technical troops were deployed to the border, he added.

Volodymyr Zelensky inspects fortifications at the border with Belarus in the Volyn region, Ukraine on July 30 - Reuters

07:10 AM BST

Ukraine downs 3 missiles, 25 drones

Ukraines air defences shot down three missiles and 25 drones fired by Russia in an overnight attack on Tuesday, the Ukrainian air force said.

The attack targeted nine Ukrainian regions in the centre, north and south of the country.

07:09 AM BST

Hello and welcome to our live coverage

Were bringing you all the latest from the war in Ukraine and Kyivs two-week invasion into Russias Kursk region.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, accompanied by Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov, centre left, Prime Minister of the Chechen Republic Magomed Daudov, and Presidential Envoy to the North Caucasian Federal District Yury Chaika, right, talks to servicemen during his visit to the Special Forces University in Gudermes, Chechen Republic, Russia, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (Alexei Danichev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

MOSCOW (AP)  Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday made an unscheduled trip to Chechnya, a mainly Muslim republic within the Russian Federation, his first visit in nearly 13 years, as Ukraine's stunning cross-border incursion into western Russia entered its third week.

Putin was greeted by Chechnyas self-styled strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov, before visiting a special forces academy bearing his own name and speaking with volunteer fighters who train there prior to being deployed in Ukraine.

Putin praised the volunteers and said that as long as Russia has men like them, it will be invincible, according to reports by Russian state agencies.

Kadyrov said in a post on his official Telegram channels that more than 47,000 fighters, including volunteers, have trained at the facility since Moscow began what it calls its special military operation in Ukraine.

Fighters from Chechnya, whose bid for independence after the Soviet Union's collapse led to years of war with Russian government forces, are participating on both sides of the conflict in Ukraine.

Pro-Kyiv volunteers loyal to Dzhokhar Dudayev, the late Chechen pro-independence leader, are the sworn enemies of Chechen forces that back Putin and Kadyrov. The latter joined Russia in the months-long siege of Ukraines key port of Mariupol and other flashpoints in the country's south and east.

Also on Tuesday, Putin visited the grave of Kadyrovs father, former Chechen leader Akhmat Kadyrov, a command post and a mosque in the local capital, Grozny.

At the end of the day, he held talks with the Chechen leader, who announced the republic has tens of thousands" of reservists ready to fight the Ukrainians, according to Russian state media reports. The reports did not specify whether any of these might be sent to repel Kyiv's incursion into the Russian region of Kursk.

The Kremlin has relied on Kadyrov to keep the North Caucasus stable following years of turmoil. International rights groups have accused Kadyrov's security forces of extrajudicial killings, torture and abductions of dissenters, but Russian authorities have stonewalled repeated demands for investigations.

The Kremlin scrambled fighters from Chechnya to help protect Moscow from an abortive mutiny launched by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin last year, but some commentators warned that Kadyrovs ambitions could also potentially pose a threat to federal authorities.

As of Tuesday evening, neither the Kremlin nor Kadyrov shared any details about the purpose and timing of Putins unexpected visit, with Kadyrov saying only that a busy schedule awaited the Russian leader.

Putin later held talks with Kadyrov at the Chechen leader's residence in Grozny.

Before his surprise visit to Chechnya, Putin was earlier on Tuesday in Beslan, a town in the Caucasus province of North Ossetia, where he had his first meeting in nearly two decades with mothers of children killed in the 2004 school attack by Islamic militants that left more than 330 dead.

At the meeting, he slammed Kyivs incursion into Russia's Kursk region, accusing the Ukrainians of trying to destabilize the country.

We will punish the criminals. There can be no doubt about that, he said.
Ukraines audacious counter-strike into Kursk not only surprised Putin but also caught all of us so-called experts completely off-guard too. This underlined to me something that we should all do well to remember: that President Zelensky and his generals understand the principles of war and are applying them much better than the enemy  and also far better than some of Ukraines key supporters.

With Vladimir Putin on the ropes, we must now enable Ukraine to reinforce success and deliver the killer blow which will lead to a ceasefire on Kyivs terms, not Moscows. We must unshackle the Ukrainians and not continue to insist he fights with at least one hand tied behind his back over worries of escalation. Why the US needs to approve the use of a British weapon is beyond my comprehension, but it is clear that Russian disinformation and propaganda is trying to make these waters as muddy as possible, and apparently with some success?

So, to hear from Zelensky, the architect of this stunning move, that Britain is no longer pulling hardest and leading the West in support of Ukraine is a devastating blow to our national pride and international standing. Zelenskys comments yesterday that there are no summer holidays in war only underscores the perception that the Cabinets slowness to respond is, at least in part, due to so many of its members sunning themselves on holiday at a time of crisis for Europe.

Understandably, of course, Keir Starmer is investing much time and effort searching for peace in the Middle East, at least in part due to pressures from the pro-Palestine advocates powerful inside and outside the Labour party. But it bears repeating that Hamas and Hezbollah are not threatening these islands. The new Government, however inexperienced in matters military and security, must realise that peace in eastern Europe is absolutely their number one priority, domestic and international. There are no Russian red-lines that should cause any concern to us now, and Putin has had many instances when he could have used his nuclear arsenal  not least thank to Kursk  according to the extant Russian doctrine in this area, but has done little more than shout vacuous and hollow threats across Europe.

It is time to show whether the faith in Starmer, evident by his victory in this years election, is well-founded or we have all been hoodwinked by the devastating ineptitude of some of his predecessors. It is time for the PM to stop throwing rabbit punches and put the boot in, as thousands of Russian refugees from Kursk head towards Moscow sowing discord.

The new Government is mad not to give carte blanche to Kyiv to use our donated Storm Shadow missiles to their greatest effect, keeping Russian reinforcements and resupplies 100 or so miles from the new Ukraine salient in Russia. If Starmer and his team dont grasp the nuances of these tactical military actions, someone in the Ministry of Defence or elsewhere needs to set them straight immediately.

Secondly, we must vocally express our unwavering support for Ukraine loud enough to rattle the Kremlins shutters, even if some of our new leaders are lounging on the beach.

Finally, when everyone is back from their holidays, we must ensure that the UK military is once again capable of defending this country, rather than being a token force that future tyrants like Putin can easily dismiss.

Labours overwhelming majority at the polls, built on promises of sunny uplands, may allow them to appease the unions and raise taxes with impunity for the next five years, but it also means they must make the tougher decisions necessary to ensure this countrys security. We cant placate the Kremlin by singing the Red Flag at a conference. Putin respects only strength and will exploit any weakness with ruthless efficiency.

If the new Government wants to see out a full five-year term, it must empower Ukraine to vanquish the Russian forces. That means providing weapons without strings today. And tomorrow, every tank and round of ammunition we have left gathering dust on Salisbury Plain and elsewhere.

Otherwise, we might find ourselves fighting those Russian forces in a few years time.

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Experts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have noted that Russian leader Vladimir Putin went to Baku, supposedly to showcase diplomatic activity, and tried to divert attention from the "uncomfortable situation" in Russias Kursk Oblast caused by the Ukrainian offensive.

Source: ISW

Details: On 18 August, Russian leader Vladimir Putin travelled to Azerbaijan, seemingly to divert attention from the recent Ukrainian offensive in Kursk Oblast and to reinforce his image as a capable diplomat.

Putin, accompanied by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and a Russian delegation, arrived in Baku for a two-day visit aimed at discussions with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The talks reportedly focused on strengthening Russian-Azerbaijani relations, particularly in the energy sector, promoting Russian-language programmes in Azerbaijan, and exploring Russias role in brokering peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Quote: "The timing of this visit is noteworthy given the ongoing situation in Kursk Oblast and the Kremlins continued efforts to downplay the Ukrainian incursions magnitude and impact.

Russian state media focused on Putin's trip to Azerbaijan, amplifying minute details, likely in part to divert attention from the uncomfortable situation in Russia by saturating the information space with a showcase of the Kremlin's global diplomatic engagement and alleged successes."

More details: On 19 August, Ukrainian forces made small but steady gains in Kursk Oblast. The Kremlins response to these advances underscores its growing preoccupation with regime stability, a focus that has intensified over the past year.

Vazhnye Istorii (Important Stories), a Russian media outlet, reported on the same day that Putin's approach to the "Kursk situation" has exposed significant shifts within the Kremlins power hierarchy, many of which have been unfolding in recent months.

In a notable move, Putin appointed his aide, Alexei Dyumin, to lead the "counterterrorism" efforts against Ukrainian activities in Kursk Oblast. Vazhnye Istorii noted that this decision suggested that Putin was increasingly wary of the Russian General Staff and the Ministry of Defence  organisations usually responsible for such military operations  and was instead placing his trust in close associates.

An insider reportedly revealed to Vazhnye Istorii that Dyumins appointment had sparked tensions with members of the Russian Presidential Administration, further indicating that Putin continues to favour personal loyalty over professional expertise in key roles.

Quote: "Vazhnye Istorii's reporting strongly suggests that the Kremlin has increasingly oriented its main priorities towards regime stability.

ISW has reported at length on Putin's efforts to maintain a core cadre of loyal siloviki (Russian strongmen with political influence) within the Russian power vertical, particularly since the risks to Putin's regime first introduced by the Wagner Group's armed rebellion in June 2023.

The Kremlin's general shift towards siloviki such as Dyumin, whom Putin personally trusts, and security officials with strong and well-documented reputations in counterterrorism and counterintelligence, suggests that the Kremlin is increasingly looking towards such individuals as regime safeguards. Ukraine's operation into Kursk Oblast has particularly exposed this dynamic, and the Kremlin's continued response to the incursion further emphasises the ever-increasing reliance on security officials and structures over more politically or economically focused internal structures."

To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 19 August:

Ukrainian forces continued to marginally advance in Kursk Oblast on 19 August amid continued fighting throughout the Ukrainian salient in the area.

Chechen Akhmat Spetsnaz Commander Apty Alaudinov aggravated a situation that the Kremlin has historically treated with extreme caution by calling for conscripts to participate in combat operations in Kursk Oblast and dismissing concerns from relatives of conscripts.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin visited Azerbaijan on 18 August, likely in an effort to shift focus away from the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast and present himself as a continually effective diplomat.

The Kremlin's response to Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast has emphasised how the Kremlin's internal priorities have increasingly oriented towards regime stability, especially over the past year.

Russian ruler Vladimir Putin signed a decree on 19 August further codifying a vague Russian state ideology into Russian law without concretely modifying the Russian Constitution. Putin's effort to codify a specific ideology may be intended to counter the Russian ultranationalist community's own efforts to establish an accepted national ideology.

Russian officials continued attempts to falsely frame Ukraine as responsible for the lack of negotiations to end the war.

Russian forces recently advanced near Kupiansk, Svatove, Pokrovsk, and Vuhledar.

Local Sakhalin Oblast media outlet Sakhalin Media reported on 19 August that the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Border Service in Sakhalin Oblast and other federal subjects within the Russian Far East, Northwestern, and North Caucasian federal okrugs has resumed conscription for the first time in an unspecified "long" length of time.

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As thousands converge on Chicago for the Democratic National Convention, where Vice President Kamala Harris will formally accept the nomination for President, some delegates from the QCA are there for the convention.

Our Quad Cities News reporter Gavin Waidelich spoke to some voters and Illinois State Senator Mike Halpin ahead of the 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 WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.
Chicago is set to become the epicenter of American politics this week when it hosts the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Running from August 19 through August 22, the convention will bring together key figures and delegates from across the country to rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee and outline the party's vision ahead of the upcoming election on Nov. 5.

Heres what to know about the DNC.

Where is the 2024 Democratic National Convention?

The convention will be held in Chicago, with prime-time programming and speeches held at the United Center, an arena on the citys West side.

McCormick Place, located downtown near Lake Michigan, will serve as the venue for daytime activities, which include official party business and meetings. This will mark Chicagos 26th time hosting a political convention.

When did Harris officially secure the nomination?

Harris, who is making history as the first Black woman and first Asian American to head a major party ticket, officially secured the Democratic nomination through a virtual roll-call vote held on August 5. The swift and overwhelming endorsement from delegates was confirmed within 24 hours, setting the stage for her formal acceptance at the convention.

Read More: The Reintroduction of Kamala Harris

Harris had worked to secure the nomination after President Joe Biden decided not to run for reelection and dropped out of the race at the end of July.

Who is going to speak?

While the full roster of speakers has yet to be finalized, key figures in the Democratic Party who are expected to address the convention include Biden, former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will also give remarks.

The convention is expected to feature a variety of other speakers, including prominent Democrats, elected officials, and Americans sharing personal stories that align with the partys core themes. The DNC has historically served as a powerful launching pad for some politicians. Obama's keynote address in 2004 elevated him to national prominence and set the stage for his eventual presidential run.

Biden is expected to speak on the opening night of the convention, just four weeks after he ended his reelection campaign. "He's looking forward to, as he tends to do, speak directly to the American people," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Monday. "Talk about the moment that we're at, what's at stake, and continue to talk about an issue that is incredibly important to him, which is unity, making sure that we're unified and we continue to do the work that the President has been successful in doing in the past three and a half years."

Who is going to attend?

The convention is expected to draw about 50,000 visitors to Chicago, including an estimated 15,000 members of the press and about 5,000 delegates from across the nation, according to the DNC. Governors, members of Congress, and former elected officials will likely attend, along with activists, influencers, celebrities, and musical performers.

Outside the convention, protest groups are preparing for demonstrations against American support for Israel in its war with Hamas and economic inequality. Organizers say tens of thousands of people will be participating in marches in the area, primarily on the first and last days of the convention.

How can I watch?

The DNC is not open to the general public, but those looking to follow the convention in real-time can tune in via major news networks, which will provide live coverage of the key speeches and events. Viewers can also stream the events online through the Democratic National Committees official website and social media channels.

Write to Nik Popli at nik.popli@time.com.
What do you think about demonic possessions? The supernatural? How about Jehovahs Witnesses?

During a unique Monday afternoon jury selection for the trial in a 2010 murder and rape that involved incest charges, those questions unleashed waves of potential jurors own traumatic stories.

The questions also suggested the defendants arguments may lean into claims he and his family, who are Jehovahs Witnesses, previously made to police.

When his cousin died, Derek Ward told police a demon had her, Charlotte prosecutor Kimberly Gardner said in court. The family didnt call police first, she said, they called a church.

Police say Ward raped and strangled his cousin, Brittini Ward, when he was 24 and she was 23.

Ward was previously found mentally unfit to stand trial but is now defending himself, which is known as a pro se trial. He has spent 14 years in jail without trial since officers arrested him in May 2010.

In court Monday, he wore an orange Mecklenburg County Detention Center uniform. An advising assistant public defender, Michael Kabakoff, sat next to him.

An article about Derek Wards arrest in his cousins murder, published in The Charlotte Observer on May 26, 2010.

Answering questions from Gardner, most jurors said their own thoughts about religion wouldnt affect their ability to weigh evidence. One said all the talk about demonic possessions felt a little ridiculous.

Ward asked Chief Superior Court Judge Carla Archie to remove that juror. She did.

Gardner also asked jurors about their relationship with rape, murder and mental health. Two women had been sexually assaulted, they told a room of strangers. And one mans schizophrenic grandmother once tried to suffocate him in his sleep.

Tense pro se murder trial

Following an afternoon break, Gardner asked Archie to remind Ward of how to act inside the courtroom. He was looking meanly and glaring at Gardner while she questioned jurors, Gardner said, and he told the judge to crash and burn, crash and burn, crash and burn, while being escorted out of the courtroom by a deputy.

Ward contended he was muttering to himself and said he is not a threat to anyone. He wasnt even in handcuffs, he said.

If I didnt have a very positive look on my face, he said, Im sorry, but my life has not been very positive. Ive been in jail for 14 years.

He also criticized Gardners questions to potential jurors.

This is a murder and rape case with facts, he said. Shes opening up Pandoras box talking about demons.

The Charlotte Observer, on June 4, 2010, published an article about Dawn Wards arrest in her daughters murder. She was once charged with murder and incest with her nephew, Derek Ward.

Police, two weeks after arresting Ward, charged Dawn Ward  Brittinis mother  with murder, accessory to a felony and incest in June 2010. The incest charge, police previously said, involved her relationship with Ward  her nephew.

Dawn Ward pleaded guilty to concealing Brittinis death in 2012 and served several years on probation. Since then, Gardner told jurors, she has attempted to kill herself several times.

Jury selection will continue Tuesday.
The opening salvo has been fired in one of North Carolinas most closely watched legislative races.

A mailer circulating in House District 105, where N.C. Rep. Tricia Cotham is running for reelection, slams Cotham for betraying constituents when she changed her party affiliation last year.

The front of the mailer shows an illustration of Cotham next to the words Tricia Cotham broke her promises to our community. The other side of the mailer says Tricia Cotham lied to us in exchange for insider deals and political power and She showed us who she really is: a lying politician who will do anything for power.

Instead of keeping her promises, she traded away progress on the issues that matter for political power, campaign cash, and a gerrymandered district to run in, the mailer says.

The mailer references Cothams support for abortion restrictions and her introduction of universal school voucher legislation. It also says she eliminated background checks on handguns  referring to the repeal of the states pistol permit law  although Cotham was absent for that vote and said afterward that she did not support it. Cotham did not respond to a request for comment about the mailer.

The mailer is paid for by Majority Rising North Carolina, a 501(c)(4) organization founded in 2022. The group, which focuses primarily on the state legislature, advocates for prosperity and opportunity for all North Carolinians, according to its website. The group held a summit in Charlotte earlier this year which featured appearances from Gov. Roy Cooper, Democratic legislative leaders and N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley.

A second mailer, paid for by the same group, ties Cotham to the Republican Partys extreme agenda with an illustration of Cotham wearing a hat that says Mark Robinson for Governor.

North Carolinians still dont know where Rep. Cotham stands on a number of issues, and we are shedding light on her new far-right policy stances that include defunding public education and allowing guns on school campuses, Ian Shannon, the groups executive director, told me in a statement.

Cothams decision to abruptly switch parties last year  a decision that ultimately allowed Republicans to pass a 12-week abortion ban and radically expand school vouchers  incensed Democrats inside and outside of her district. She was elected to the legislature in House District 112, a solidly Democratic district that almost certainly would not have elected her again. Now, Cotham is running in House District 105, which encompasses Cothams home of Mint Hill and parts of Matthews. The district was redrawn in the most recent round of redistricting to favor Republicans by a 52% to 45% margin, but it isnt completely out of reach for Democrats, especially if they can effectively harness voters frustration with Cotham.

Cotham, who also served in the legislature between 2007 and 2017, ran as a Democrat in the 2022 midterms on a platform that emphasized progressive views, including a vow to protect abortion rights and codify Roe v. Wade. However, she ultimately voted to further restrict abortion in North Carolina, and also voted for bills that would harm transgender youth despite promising to be a champion of LGBTQ+ rights if elected.

The race between Cotham and Democrat Nicole Sidman, who won a crowded Democratic primary earlier this year, is one of the most high-profile legislative races in the state  not only because of Cothams switch, but also because it could determine whether Republicans maintain a supermajority in the legislature after Novembers election. Until now, however, the race has been relatively quiet. But Sidman has vastly outpaced Cotham in fundraising. Between February and June, Sidman raised more than $260,000, compared to Cothams $55,000, according to second quarter fundraising reports filed with the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

Its obvious that Democratic-leaning voters are unhappy with Cotham. Proof of that came in Marchs primary, when Democratic voters ousted Cothams mother, longtime Mecklenburg County commissioner Pat Cotham, after more than a decade on the board. And theres no question, either, that the Democratic Party and its allies are motivated to defeat Cotham as well. Cothams race is one of several state legislative races that national Democrats have chosen as spotlight races in North Carolina.

Whats less obvious is the strength of Republican-leaning voters support for Cotham. This will be Cothams first appearance on the ballot as a Republican, as she had no opponent in the primary. And in this Republican-leaning district, Democrats need to mobilize more moderate and conservative voters if they want to win. Perhaps thats why the mailer makes no mention of the words Democrat or Republican, instead framing Cothams betrayal as a reason why voters in the district shouldnt trust her to represent them. With less than three months to go until Election Day, Democrats cant afford for this race to be quiet much longer.
In the United States, ocelots used to roam in great numbers across the Southwest, but their numbers have dwindled in some parts of their habitat over the years, leading to the species to be categorized as endangered in the U.S. in 1982. Footage from a hidden camera in Arizona, however, showed that they could be returning to parts of their range that they'd been believed to have abandoned.

Phoenix Zoo's ongoing Atascosa Complex Wildlife Study captured video of a never-before-seen ocelot in southern Arizona earlier this summer, which the organization detailed in a recent statement. It was caught on candid camera in the Coronado National Forest's Nogales Ranger District, where the zoo has had field cameras installed since April under a U.S. Forest Service research permit.

The zoo shared in a statement that it was the "first confirmed ocelot sighting in the Atascosa Highlands region in at least 50 years." Unsurprisingly, it wasn't exactly in an area easily accessible to humans.

"This particular location required a 40 minute hike to the site as the temperature was reaching 95 degrees, Phoenix Zoos field research project manager Kinley Ragan said. "The ocelot video was one of the last videos I reviewed and sent full chills through my body at the excitement and pride in what we had recorded. I was in disbelief at first, watching the video over and over again, but soon a big smile spread across my face as the full impact of this discovery for the important region set in."

"Finding evidence of a new ocelot in southern Arizona reinforces our commitment to collaborative efforts to conserve wildlife and their habitats in the region, zoo president and CEO Bert Castro added. "Were eager to review additional camera data from this study to see what else we can learn about species of conservation concern in the borderlands and what they need for their continued survival."

Time will tell if this is a sign of a growing ocelot population in an area they used to call home.
In an era when people trust news less than ever, how can journalists break through and attract the attention of average people to provide information about their communities, the nation and the world?

By not complicating things.

Our research, published in Science Advances, shows that simple headlines significantly increase article engagement and clicks compared with headlines that use complex language.

In our research, typical news readers preferred simple headlines over complex ones. But importantly, we found that those who actually write headlines  journalists themselves  did not.

We first used data from The Washington Post and Upworthy to see how language features, such as word length and how common a word is, changed how many people clicked on an articles headline. These datasets included over 31,000 randomized experiments  also known as A/B tests  that compared two or more headline versions of the same underlying article to determine which one generated the most clicks.

Headlines with more common words  simple words like job instead of occupation  shorter headlines, and those communicated in a narrative style, with more pronouns compared with prepositions, received more clicks. For example, The Washington Post headline, Meghan and Harry are talking to Oprah. Heres why they shouldnt say too much outperformed the alternative headline, Are Meghan and Harry spilling royal tea to Oprah? Dont bet on it. This example illustrates how sometimes a more straightforward headline can generate more interest.

In follow-up laboratory experiments, we found that typical news readers focused more on simple rather than complex headlines because the writing was easier to understand. When journalists participated in the same experiments, they didnt show any preference for simple headlines over complex ones. Put differently: Those who write the news appear to be less responsive to simple writing than regular audiences.

Generations of communication consultants have advised that communicators follow the rather crass acronym KISS: Keep it Simple, Stupid. We suggest a modified version applied for journalists. Since KISJ isnt all that simple, we propose: Keep It Simple, Staffers. Simplicity increases the number of people who click on a news story headline and improves reader recall of the material in the article. Most importantly, simplicity boosts reader engagement, such as how much attention they pay to the information.

Why it matters

News outlets that appear ahead of the curve have already implemented KISS strategies. For example, Ezra Klein, a journalist who founded the explanation-focused news site Vox, recommends journalists avoid writing for their editors.

As our work finds, writers and editors respond differently to complexity than people who consume the news. Therefore, one way for journalists to avoid the writing-for-editors problem is to simplify the writing with readers in mind: Use shorter words, write shorter sentences, and use more everyday words instead of complex alternatives. Work that is more approachable will reach the widest audience and garner the most engagement.

Writing simply could have additional effects beyond engagement, too. Information has never been more abundant, and yet readers are consistently in search of credible news providers. One potential pathway to improve how people think and feel about news is through simplicity. Since simple writing has been linked to increased perceptions of trust and warmth over complex writing, news providers may want to think deeply about word choice when creating their next article or broadcast.

Simplicity in headline writing matters both because the news market is extremely competitive and because it reduces a barrier between the public and important information. Our research does not suggest traditional news sites should become clickbait. Rather, it suggests that if headlines become more accessible to average news readers, they will be more effective for engagement and, hopefully, a more informed public.

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: David Markowitz, Michigan State University; Hillary Shulman, The Ohio State University, and Todd Rogers, Harvard Kennedy School

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The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A North Carolina man didnt know July 1 would be the last time he saw his mother alive before she embarked on a trip to Haiti for a religious retreat. However, the details surrounding her death are nothing short of a mystery.



Last month, 51-year-old Dana Jackson traveled to Haiti for a month-long Vodou retreat, according to a USA TODAY interview with her son, Timothy. He told the outlet shed been researching and practicing the religion for the past four years. The religion of Vodou (not Voodoo) traces back to West Africa, and eventually migrated to Haiti, where those who practice say they serve the spirits, according to a Harvard University article. Their rituals include singing, drumming and dance to manifest spirits to take possession of a devotee.

Jackson aspired to be a Manbo, or priestess, her son told USA TODAY. Timothy said she joined a group who call themselves Sosyete and planned with to go to the Haiti retreat together. The trip was supposed to go from the first of July to the 26th. However, toward the end of the retreat, Jacksons son tells reporters he became suspicious.

Read what happened from USA TODAY:

If you do any research about that part of the ceremony, even just on Google, itll tell you, thats very sacred and things of that nature, he said. So she sent me one last message on the 13th, and she said, we will talk on the 21st going to church tomorrow. Jackson and his mom spoke every day. The no communication part was nerve-wrecking to him, but he wanted to respect his mothers decision to participate in the ritual. In the last message he received from his mom on July 21 she asked him to, pray for her. That whole entire week just kind of low key, (I was) having anxiety because Im not able to hear from her, and I know that this is a very important part of the ceremony, he said. On the 21st, I didnt hear anything from her. I did reach out to her at about 5 p.m. on WhatsApp. I didnt get any response.

On July 22, Timothy said he received the news from his grandmother that his mother passed away while on the trip. In investigating what happened to his mother, he ran into a number of red flags. The first concern was when he reached out to one of the group leaders who asked him, How much do you know?

The next red flag came from the claim that Jackson became seriously ill during a ritual ceremony and fainted, Timothy said. However, when she gained consciousness, his mother apparently didnt recognize where she was, Timothy was told. Instead, she thought she was in Virginia, where she and her son lived over a year ago.

When Jackson was transported to the hospital, she was reported to have had a heart attack, multiple seizures and a stroke before dying. However, a group member mentioned to Timothy something about his mother forgetting to pack her medicine.

They said that my mom didnt bring her medicine. So there was a red flag, because what medicine are you guys talking about? It sounds like they were trying to perpetuate a story, he told USA TODAY.

Timothy still awaits details on how to transfer his mothers remains but tells the outlet he hasnt gotten any word from the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince or any officials who could help. However, he maintains that foul play was behind the mysterious death of his mother and said hes already sought information on obtaining an independent autopsy.

To be completely honest with you, my initial thought was my mom went down to Haiti, they did this last piece of the ceremony, and something sinister happened, he said.

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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  A Youngstown man is in disbelief after he bought a home for it to be demolished two weeks later. Now hes asking questions about why and how this happened.

Investor Mitch Veynovich bought the property at 3144 Pine Hollow Drive on Aug. 2 and was preparing to start restoration work.

Jeff Schwab, who represents Veynovichs company, and his realtor Maureen Spear said they were all aware it was on the city of Youngstowns demolition list.

The house was purchased, taxes paid, fees paid and then it states that an inspection was done on the 7th five days later, and the house was torn down the following week, Spear said. It was on the residential disclosure and it was in the MLS.

Spear said they knew it was on the tear-down list but they had a plan to restore it.

We were all shocked and surprised because we, you know, we had just purchased the property, said Jeff Schwab, VP of Construction.

A listing on the code enforcement site states a notice was sent out on the 7th. Veynovitch says he didnt receive anything.

The city of Youngstowns code states the property owner has 15 days to file an appeal from the date of notice.

We havent received anything by email, text or letter from code enforcement or the city, Schwab said.

The City of Youngstown condemned the house on January 11. The citys code states a condemned home cant be sold unless the owner makes the buyer aware and submits a notarized statement to the code official.

Theres something amiss or somebody is not following up with something so this doesnt happen continuously, Schwab said.

The right hand needs to tell the left hand what theyre doing because this is unacceptable, Spear said.

Mike Durkin, superintendent of the citys Code Enforcement Department, said multiple notices of demolition were sent to the previous owner.

Theres no way the city would even remotely know that the ownership took place two days ago, so this is all on the previous property, owner and the real estate company that was selling it that did not disclose that information, he said in a message sent to First News.

Owners say it was about more than turning a profit on the home. It was about the history and the dream of revitalization.

Not only did he lose the house but he lost the history, and I think thats important for Youngstown and what he wants to do, said Spear.

Schwab said Veynovich grew up in the area and is trying to bring it back to how it used to be.

Veynovich isnt sure of his next steps but would like to rebuild at the property.

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State representative Daniel Grossberg has denied wrongdoing in the wake of allegations from three young women who detailed instances of sexual harassment by the Louisville lawmaker to the Herald-Leader.

Late Monday night, Grossbergs attorney, Frankfort-based litigator Anna Whites, provided the Herald-Leader with a statement denying sexual harassment or abuse of office and apologizing to people hes made uncomfortable.

Here is Grossbergs complete statement to the Herald-Leader:

I deny any allegations of sexual harassment or abuse of office. I sincerely apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable because of something I said or wrote.

I am fully cooperating with the investigation and am confident it will find no violations of legislative ethics. Nonetheless, as a public servant, Im determined to hold myself to a higher standard and am committed to listening to womens voices, working to improve my communications, and ensuring that everyone, regardless of gender, feels safe and valued by me.

I am profoundly grateful for the enduring faith and support of my wife, Grossberg wrote.

Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge responded to the allegations laid out in the Herald-Leaders reporting by stating that they raise serious concern.

Every Kentuckian deserves to both be and feel safe without fear of harassment. The dignity of all is a bedrock value of our party  those elected under its banner should understand this value is nonnegotiable, Elridge wrote in a statement.

Though the conciliatory tone of apologizing to those who felt uncomfortable because of what he said is new, the response largely builds on previous defenses offered by the 45-year-old Grossberg.

Grossberg and Whites claimed that the texts initially reported by the Herald-Leader in late July  women told the newspaper they had received creepy or weird texts about their appearance, sometimes late at night from Grossberg  did not reveal sexually harassing or inappropriate material.

When contacted close to 8:30 p.m. Monday and presented with new details and accounts from three other women, Whites said this has been a long process for Grossberg, months in which he has been picked on and bullied.

Whites said that shes worried the latest publicized exchanges have been misunderstood.

Its very easy to make accusations and take comments out of context, she added.

Whites told the Herald-Leader she had not seen any messages that cause me concern, or that she considers harassing.

Grossbergs attorney has previously said the lawmaker has a neurodivergent diagnosis, placing him on the autism spectrum.

She did not specify what condition the lawmaker has. She told the Herald-Leader they had sent medical records to the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission in response to a complaint filed by House Democratic leadership against Grossberg.

Though Elridge stopped short of calling for Grossbergs resignation, the Kentucky Young Democrats  a political organization supporting Democrats under 40 years old  called for his resignation earlier this month.

One political figure called for his ouster in the aftermath of recent reporting.

Randy Cravens, the Democrat running against Rep. Andy Barr, R-KY, in the Republican-leaning Sixth Congressional District, said he must resign.

I trust the (Herald-Leader) in their reporting, and respect the bravery of those who have come forward. Rep. Grossberg will get his day in court or before the appropriate body to argue his case. That is his right. But now, for his constituents, he must resign, Cravens wrote in a post on X.

In the wake of the Herald-Leaders most recent report, a handful of Louisville Democrats have responded with disappointment toward Grossberg.

Robert Kahne, a delegate to the Democratic National Convention and co-host of the Democratic show My Old Kentucky Podcast, and Jason Perkey, a Democratic operative who led state parties in Kansas and South Carolina, both called on Grossberg to resign.

Perkey, who spoke with the lawmaker after the initial reporting on an investigation into his behavior, said he believes its in Grossbergs best interest to resign.

I spoke with Daniel about this two weeks ago, Perkey wrote in a post to Facebook. I believe he was contrite in his response to me and that hes taking the reports of how he made these women feel seriously.

I also believe Daniel needs to do the right thing today and step down from his position as a state representative and focus on himself. Its the right thing to do in response to the reprehensible stories we are hearing and learning from all of these women who have had the courage to come forward.

The Louisville Democratic Party posted on X that it finds the allegations in the recently posted story extremely disturbing.

We unequivocally condemn any form of sexual harassment and take allegations of this nature with the utmost seriousness. The Louisville Democratic Party is committed to creating a safe space for everyone, and as such, we must support the continued caucus suspension of Representative Grossberg as the LRC completes its investigation.

Kate Turner, who ran for a Louisville-area House District seat in 2022 but has since moved out of Kentucky, also came down hard on Grossberg. She said its already difficult for women in politics to face increased scrutiny and men like Grossberg made it that much harder for her.

I was 35 years old and refused to socialize with him. As a 25 year old, I might have not had the confidence to do so. He used his power and access to manipulate young women into thinking he could provide worthwhile mentorship in exchange for a social relationship. Its exactly the kind of bullshit that is directly related to women dropping out of competitive and male dominated industries, Turner wrote.
Rep. Daniel Grossberg used his power to harass and demean young women. He must resign. | Opinion

The story is as old as time: A powerful older man uses his position to harass, demean and intimidate young women.

Thats why the details in the case of state Rep. Daniel Grossberg are so depressingly familiar.

In the past two months, the Herald-Leader has been contacted by a dozen young women who received inappropriate texts or had troubling interactions with Grossberg, 45. Six of them  all involved in Democratic politics  were willing to share their stories with Herald-Leader reporters Alex Acquisto and Austin Horn about numerous texts from Grossberg with salacious remarks focused on their looks.

In one particularly heinous occasion reported by one of the women, the Louisville Democrat invited her to his Capitol office, where he became visibly intoxicated as he quizzed her about her sex life.

Grossberg and his lawyer have reiterated that he did nothing illegal. But thats besides the point.

Grossbergs lack of good judgment, his unwillingness to accept responsibility and his predatory and intimidating behavior online and in person show he is unfit for elected office.

He must resign immediately.

We also call on Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Democratic Party to urge Grossberg to step down.

There are others in state government who agree Grossberg has gone too far.

After the Herald-Leader published its first story on July 30 detailing Grossbergs inappropriate texts to three young women, the House Democrats voted to temporarily remove him from their caucus and took away his office space in the Capitol. He is being investigated by the Legislative Research Commission.

The story that published Tuesday morning examines in-depth three more women who came forward after the initial story, a total of six women who have bravely shared their stories. There is no doubt more to come because Grossbergs behavior shows an apparent compulsion to text young women without recognizing the behavior is unwelcome.

On Monday night, he issued a statement apologizing for his behavior, but also denying any allegations of sexual harassment or abuse of office.

He promised to do better, and we hope he will continue his journey of education and listening. But it does not need to occur in public office any longer.

Frankly, after the national educational experience we all took part in during the Me Too movement, there is simply no excuse for anyone to be confused about what sexual harassment looks like or what constitutes appropriate communications.

We are also disappointed Grossbergs lawyer, Anna Whites, tried to pin Grossbergs behavior on a neurodivergent diagnosis, which is insulting to anyone on the autism spectrum.

The Grossberg saga is also familiar because its quite similar to the tale of Republican House Speaker Jeff Hoover, who reluctantly resigned as speaker in 2018 after it was revealed he and three other legislators had secretly settled a sexual harassment claim made by a member of the legislative staff.

Let me be clear: I made a mistake, Hoover said at the time. I have admitted in front of 10 television cameras and 20 reporters or so and in front of my family that I sent inappropriate text messages. I did not do anything illegal. I did not do anything that was unethical. I did not do anything that was unwelcome or unwanted, and I did not engage in sexual harassment.

Fellow Republicans praised him for stepping down, saying it allowed the party to move forward on big policy issues facing Kentucky. The same thing is true today. Legislative staff and Democratic lawmakers are wasting time on Grossberg that would be better spent on making Kentucky a healthier, wealthier state.

Rep. Grossberg needs to recognize it is in his best interest, but more importantly, the best interest of his 46,000 constituents in Louisville and our commonwealth, that he steps down now.
Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-4th), in a November 2023, file photo. Ivey, who has been a prosecutor and a congressional investigator, said he is excited to be part of the task force investigating the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Photo by Danielle E. Gaines.

CHICAGO  In an election year, and with the conservative House Freedom Caucus tying up appropriations bills, its likely to be a relatively quiet fall on Capitol Hill  but not for U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-4th) and a dozen of his colleagues, who are probing the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

Ivey is one of six Democrats assigned to the 13-member special House task force that is investigating the shooting, which took place at a rally in Butler, Pa. The former president received an ear wound, a rally-goer was killed, and two others were wounded. Law enforcement authorities killed the alleged gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.

The House panel has to produce a report by Dec. 13  a tight timetable, especially by congressional standards. In an interview Monday following the breakfast of the Maryland delegation to the Democratic National Convention, Ivey said he is cautiously optimistic that he and his colleagues can meet their deadline and work collegially, despite the toxic partisan environment in the House.

Hopefully, itll stay on the bipartisan track that it appears to be on so far, he said.

Leaders from both political parties have agreed that they want to ferret out the truth, learn what security breakdowns took place, and ensure that political figures arent targeted again. But it wont be easy, Ivey conceded  and interpretations of the truth could differ.

You have conspiracy theories on the left and on the right, he observed.

Democrats are also skeptical about the political motives of some of the Republican task force members.

Former President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he is rushed offstage after being shot during a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.

The chair, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), whose district includes Butler, is a strong Trump supporter who was at the rally last month. Another member of the panel, U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.), believes, I guess sincerely, that Jan. 6 was FBI agents, Ivey said.

So far, both of them have been playing it pretty straight, he added.

The House task force is working even while Congress is on its summer recess, and is beefing up its staff, Ivey said. It has asked several federal agencies for relevant documents, and is expected to conduct multiple interviews.

The Secret Service, Pennsylvania State Police and FBI are all conducting investigations of their own, and the Senate is also probing the incident, though not as aggressively as the House.

While many members of Congress might shy away from such an assignment, Ivey said he raised his hand when House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) was seeking volunteers.

This work I like to do, Im comfortable with, he said.

While Iveys career as a prosecutor is well known  among other things, he served eight years as Prince Georges County states attorney  less well known is his career working for investigative panels as a Capitol Hill staffer.

When the U.S. Senate created a special committee in 1995 to investigate the Whitewater scandal enveloping then-President Bill Clinton and his associates over their real estate investments in Arkansas, Ivey was hired as a Democratic staffer, working first for Michigan Sen. Don Riegle, then for Maryland Sen. Paul Sarbanes.

The legal team was headed by heavy hitters  Michael Chertoff, who later became Homeland Security secretary, for the Republicans and Richard Ben-Veniste, a lead Watergate prosecutor, for the Democrats. New York Sen. Al DAmato chaired the committee for the Republicans.

Following a 13-month probe that produced some dramatic testimony on Capitol Hill, the Senate panel, which had been led by the GOP, ultimately concluded that while Clinton and his associates had stonewalled investigators, but they could not find smoking guns or prove rampant wrongdoing.

After the investigation wrapped, Ivey joined the staff of South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle, the Senates top Democrat.

He called me Scandal Man,' Ivey recalled with a laugh.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  TN House District 86 State Representative Justin J. Pearson has been asked to deliver remarks during the Democratic National Convention.

The DNC is a tremendous platform. I am humbled and honored to be asked to deliver remarks during this phenomenally historic time in American politics, said Pearson, who also is a Tennessee delegate representing Shelby County.

Along with State Representatives Gloria Johnson and Justin Jones, Pearson will be at Chicagos United Center between August 19-22 for the convention.

Pearson, Johnson and Jones gained national prominence as The Tennessee Three following a school mass shooting in Nashville that prompted more than 7,000 adults and children to march on the Tennessee state capitol.

Watch live coverage of the DNC ahead of Bidens speech on night 1

The trio protested Tennessee Republicans perceived inaction in the wake of the shooting. Pearson and Jones were expelled for their actions but later reinstated by local officials and voted back into office.

I am proud to cast my vote at the DNC to officially certify the first woman of color to be the Democratic Party nominee for PresidentVice President Kamala Harris. Democracy, justice and the soul of our nation are at stake in this election and a vote for Vice President Harris for President and Gov. Tim Walz for Vice President is a vote for democracy, justice and a brighter future for America, Pearson said. There is no better leader for our country.

Rep. Pearson spoke at the DNC Youth Council on Tuesday.

You cant expel hope, Pearson told the group. You cant expel our fight for a better future for ourselves, our unborn children and those who are going to come well after us.

Pearson said that much of this upcoming election would come down to young people, particularly Gen Z and Millenials.

He urged everyone to get out the message to vote.

We know whats at stake in this election and to win, yall we gonna have to build this movement, Pearson said. Gonna have to build this movement for justice rooted in love.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn.  Police say three people were hit by a shotgun blast Friday night in an argument that allegedly began over a parking spot outside Railgarten.

Officers responded to the Midtown concert venue and bar on Central near Cooper around 8:30 Friday night. Police at the time said one man was in non-critical condition after the shooting.

But a police report obtained Monday lists two additional victims.

Man hurt in shooting outside Railgarten

One man told police he was waiting at the gate to get into Railgarten when he heard shots ring out. He was hit in the upper shoulder and treated at the scene by the fire department.

Another man said he heard a fight occurring and, when he saw guns drawn, tried to move his friends to a safer location. He was shot in the back of the head before he could take cover, and was also treated at the scene.

Police say the incident began when a man parked his car at 2166 Central. When he got out, he got into a verbal argument with two men in a Lexus over a parking spot.

The argument got more heated until police say one of the men in the Lexus pulled out a weapon and shot the victim in the torso.

Police said the victim appeared to have been peppered with birdshot, and officers recovered two spent shotgun shells.

The shooter sped off in a newer model, gray, two-door Lexus eastbound on Central.

Man accidentally shoots himself on Germantown Pkwy.: police

Railgarten has said they are expanding security measures to keep the venue safe.

We want to reassure our community that the incident that occurred last night was an isolated event that took place outside our business premises. The victim came to our front door seeking help, and our staff, along with amazing customers, immediately rendered aid while authorities were called, the company said.

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WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  While Democrats are at their convention this week, Republicans are working on implementing a strategy to stop the momentum of the Harris campaign and get Donald Trump back in the White House.

Vice President Kamala Harris is in the spotlight this week as Democrats cheer her on at the convention.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley says its what comes next that counts.

When the voters start paying attention that this is going to settle back into a very very tight race, a very competitive race that were in a great position to win, Whatley said.

The latest national voter polling from Emerson College shows Harris with a slight lead over former President Trump. Chairman Whatley says Republicans have a strategy to gain that ground back.

Its really talking directly to every American family and every American voter and talking to them about the issues that they care about, Whatley said.

Former President Trump is taking his message straight to voters in battleground states. In a visit to Michigan on Tuesday, he put the emphasis on public safety.

I will deliver law, order, safety, and peace. And I will protect those who protect us, Trump said.

Chairman Whatley says hes confident that Republican policies will win over voters.

The solutions that were putting on the table are going to be better for them and for their communities than what the Vice President and the Democrats are putting on the table right now, Whatley said.

Its a shame whats happened in our country, but were going to turn it around. Were going to win big and were going to turn it around, Trump said.

Former President Trump plans to continue campaigning across the country this week, with events coming up in North Carolina and Arizona.

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Arizona Republicans are so desperate, they want to rewrite election rules to win

When Republicans feel like they cant win, they try to change the rules.

Only a few months before the election, state and federal Republican politicians are attempting a desperate, last-minute ploy to throw out voter registration forms and leave many voters who thought they were registered unable to vote for president or by mail in the 2024 election.

Like every other state, and consistent with federal law, Arizona requires a person to attest under penalty of perjury that they are a United States citizen when registering to vote.

However, unlike other states, Arizona additionally requires voters to provide a document proving their citizenship when registering to vote.

New laws could reject some voter registrations

Since 2013, voters who do not provide proof of citizenship when registering cannot vote for state and local offices, but they are eligible to vote a federal ballot for federal candidates. This is because the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Arizona must allow voters who register without documenting their U.S. citizenship to still be able to vote in federal elections.

If a person does not provide such proof when registering with either a state or federal registration form, they are registered as a federal-only voter.

As of July 1, there are 42,301 such federal-only voters in Arizona.

In 2022, in response to unproven claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent, the Arizona Legislature passed a slew of voter suppression laws, including House Bill 2492 and HB 2243. The laws attempt to disadvantage certain voters in order to get around clear Supreme Court precedent.

Under these laws, a person who used a state registration form would have their registration rejected if they did not provide proof of citizenship.

A person who used the federal registration form would no longer be allowed to vote for president or by mail if they did not provide proof of citizenship.

GOP wants them enacted just before election

These laws were challenged and blocked from going into effect due to clear constitutional concerns.

After a drawn-out legal process (that isnt done yet), Republicans are now attempting to have these challenged laws go into effect with the election right around the corner. Changing the rules this close to an election is inherently confusing to voters.

For instance, federal-only voters currently registered who thought they would be voting for the office of president would no longer have the option, leading some to question why these federal-only voters are being targeted in this way.

Arizona voters: Are about to blow up how elections work

Because of this inherent confusion, courts adhere to what is called the Purcell principle, which prevents courts from changing elections laws and procedures too close to an election.

Republicans are now ludicrously claiming that Purcell requires the Supreme Court to overturn lower court rulings and require election administrators to begin throwing out state registration forms that do not include proof of citizenship.

Changing the rules after 11 years and less than 90 days before an election could not be farther from maintaining the status quo in the way Purcell requires.

This will lead to voter confusion in Arizona

The difference between registering using a state or federal voter registration form is a minor administrative distinction that only those most actively engaged in voter registration efforts are familiar with.

Separating voters into different categories based on such an arbitrary distinction will only lead to voter confusion and disenfranchisement.

Additionally, removing the ability of federal-only voters to vote for president or by mail is in clear violation of federal law and will result in fewer votes being cast.

It is for this reason that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals recently rejected the Republicans attempt to change the rules at the eleventh hour.

As the 9th Circuit stated, allowing these voter suppression laws to go into effect misunderstands the extent of confusion and chaos that would be engendered by late-stage alteration to the status quo of Arizonas election rules in apparent disregard of the Supreme Court [precedent].

If implemented, this could lead to thousands of voters thinking they are registered to vote for the 2024 election and only finding out they are not when it is too late.

Supreme Court must reject Republicans' pleas

An analysis by Votebeat clearly shows that the change Republicans are requesting disproportionately impacts college students and voters living in homeless shelters, allowing their voter registration to be rejected simply because they do not have easy access to their birth certificates or other citizenship documentation.

Make no mistake: If successful, the Republicans attempt will have a disproportionate impact on college, tribal, rural and unhoused voters ability to vote in the 2024 election.

No other state has such strict proof of citizenship requirements to register to vote. Asking the court to make it even stricter at this moment will do nothing but hurt voters and minimize their ability to take part in our democracy.

Changing the rules of voting on the eve of an election undermines years of U.S. Supreme Court precedent and would only result in voter confusion, disincentivize voting and unnecessarily burden election administrators.

Legislative Democrats applaud the 9th Circuits decision, and we hope the Supreme Court will reject Republicans clear attempt to put a thumb on the scale of the 2024 election.

Sen. Priya Sundareshan, a Democrat, represents Legislative District 18. Reach her at psundareshan@azleg.gov.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: AZ GOP wants to tilt the election. The Supreme Court must reject them
Senate Republicans are worried former President Trump could be blowing their chances of winning back the majority as he flails in his response to Vice President Harriss surge of momentum, according to GOP aides and strategists.

Harris has narrowed Trumps lead in Republican-leaning Senate battlegrounds such as Ohio and Florida and pulled ahead in other states where Republicans have a chance of picking up seats, such as Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Even Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of Trumps top allies in the Senate, is urging the former president to tone down his showman streak at rallies and to focus on swing voters by highlighting Harriss record on the economy, taxes and border security, where Republicans have the advantage over Democrats.

President Trump can win this election. His policies are good for America, and if you have a policy debate for president, he wins. Donald Trump the provocateur, the showman, may not win this election, Graham told NBCs Meet the Press in an interview Sunday.

The GOP is, to be sure, the favorite to win back the Senate.

Republicans need only to gain two seats to take the majority, even if they lose the presidency. They are all but certain to gain one seat in West Virginia, and Sen. Jon Tester (D) faces a tough reelection bid in Montana, a state Trump is likely to win.

Trump is also favored in Ohio, where Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) faces a difficult reelection race.

Still, the last few weeks have worried Republicans as theyve watched the polls shift and Harris energize young and minority voters in battleground states.

Ron Bonjean, a GOP strategist and former Senate GOP leadership aide, said Republicans are running into rougher terrain, because Democrats have a much more viable candidate at the presidential level in Harris compared to President Biden.

He said Harriss record gives Republicans opportunities to go on offense over policy differences but warned that Trump has to focus more on policy and less on throwing red meat to his core supporters.

Trump is trying to get on message. In the last couple of press conferences, hes started to talk about her policies, but he just cant help getting the crowd responses by going after her personally. He cant get away from it. It may get a great reaction from the crowd, but its doing nothing for independent voters that are looking for the contrast. They know who Donald Trump is, theyre trying to figure out who Kamala Harris is, he said.

Its going to be very tight election; the polls are tightening up. If Trump wants to win, hes going to have to get way more on message and way less showmanship for his crowds, because they dont matter. Its the independent voters that count for actually getting over the finish line, he added.

Harris has pulled ahead of Trump or narrowed the lead Trump had over Biden in several battleground states: Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin.

GOP lawmakers and strategists are worried Trumps dip in the polls could augur a further slide in the fall that could imperil their chances of winning back the Senate and keeping their House majority.

A Senate Republican aide told The Hill that Senate Republicans arent thrilled about the trajectory of Trumps campaign and worry what it will mean for Senate GOP candidates in key states.

You can start to feel trepidation. Like with Arizona, you get a sense in talking to folks that its not going as well as we hoped. In Nevada, its not going as well as we hoped, the GOP aide said.

The source said theres a legitimate gripe that Trump is not as aggressive [of a] campaigner as he could be, referring to the amount of time that Trump is spending on the stump reaching out to voters in key swing states.

Hes going to run the way hes always run his campaign, and its not a great feeling, the aide said of Trumps preference for holding boisterous rallies with his core supporters instead of trying to expand his appeal to independent and more moderate voters.

Republican lawmakers fear that Trumps personal attacks on Harris may only backfire with swing voters and put downballot GOP candidates in the awkward position of having to respond to Trumps inflammatory statements.

Theres no question Trump is going through self-immolation. Hes killing himself. All swing states are won by independent votes, and hes alienated the independent vote almost every day with some foolish statement that marginalizes him, and as a result the party  and the majority of independents are educated women, and theyre just turned off by the guy and what he says, said former Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), a onetime adviser to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnells (Ky.) leadership team.

Republican lawmakers view Harris as a very beatable candidate, given her past support for far-left proposals, such as Sen. Bernie Sanderss (I-Vt.) Medicare for All Act and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs (D-N.Y.) sweeping Green New Deal.

Yet Trump has insisted on attacking Harris personally, questioning her racial identity and mocking her intelligence in an over-the-top way, drawing accusations that hes indulging in sexist tropes.

Trumps antics have put the spotlight on himself as much as on his opponent, and obscured the debate over issues that GOP lawmakers were hoping to have on Bidens immigration record and the fate of the expiring Trump-era tax cuts.

A New York Times/Siena College poll conducted earlier this month showed Harris leading Trump among likely voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the states that make up whats sometimes called the Democrats blue wall.

Another Times/Siena poll conducted this month shows Harris leading Trump among likely voters in Arizona, 50 percent support to 45 percent, and Harris slightly ahead of Trump in North Carolina, which Trump won in 2020. The survey conducted Aug. 8-15 also showed Harris cutting down Trumps lead substantially in Georgia and Nevada.

At the same time, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report said Senate Democratic candidates had widened their lead in several swing states, most notably in Nevada, where Sen. Jacky Rosen (D) is now leading her Republican challenger Sam Brown by 19 points. Cook shifted the Nevada Senate race from toss up to lean Democrat.

In Pennsylvania, incumbent Sen. Bob Casey (D) increased his lead over GOP candidate David McCormick from 8 points to 13 points.

In Arizona, Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego has increased his lead over Republican Kari Lake from 5 points to 9 points, and in Michigan, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, the Democratic nominee for Senate, has expanded her lead over former Rep. Mike Rogers (Mich.), her GOP challenger.

Especially concerning for Senate Republicans, internal Republican polling shows Harris gaining ground on Trump in Ohio, a state Republicans had expected Trump to win by double digits.

The New York Times reported that two private polls conducted recently in Ohio by Republican pollsters showed Trump getting less than 50 percent of the vote against Harris in the Buckeye State.

A Rasmussen Reports/Numbers USA poll of likely voters published Monday showed the incumbent Brown leading Republican challenger Bernie Moreno with 47 percent support to Morenos 42 percent.

In Florida, a USA Today/Suffolk University/WSVN-TV poll of 500 likely voters conducted Aug. 7-11 showed Harris trailing Trump by only 5 points in the Sunshine State.

Trumps margin of victory in Florida will have a bearing on Democrats chances of knocking off Sen. Rick Scott (R), who is one of their top two targets, along with Sen. Ted Cruz (R) in Texas.

A poll of 1,040 likely voters in Florida by Florida Atlantic University and Mainstreet Research conducted Aug. 10-11 showed Scott leading the Democrat, former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, by 4 points.

The USA Today/Suffolk poll showed Scott with only a 35 percent approval rating, while 49 percent of respondents viewed him unfavorably.

Scott, a strong Trump ally, dismissed the discussion that Trump is slipping in Florida or that he himself is vulnerable to being upset by an underdog challenger.

Trumps going to win big in Florida. Were going to win big in Florida, he told The Hill in a brief interview. My likely Democratic opponent is a socialist. That doesnt play well in Florida.

Gregg, the former GOP senator from New Hampshire, said Senate Republican candidates are at risk of getting bogged down in responding to Trumps antics instead of running their own races.

Downballot Republicans, I think, are very worried, he said.

Instead of running your campaign, youre defending his statements and eccentricities and his marginalization [of Harris]. Its really bad for a candidate if you cant run your own campaign. You have to spend all your time defending stupid comments, divisive comments and disruptive comments, he added.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who was at the Trump hotel in downtown Chicago on Monday to respond to the messaging at the Democratic National Convention, acknowledged the presidential race will have an impact on the battle for the Senate.

Top of the ticket will always have some impact, theres no doubt about it, Johnson said. They lead the ticket.

He voiced frustration that the media isnt asking tougher questions about Harriss policy positions.

Ill keep banging on the media. Youve got to start asking Vice President Harris questions. Youve got to hold her accountable. Youve got to tell the American public or make her tell the American public, This is how I govern. This is what I support, he said.

Johnson admitted he doesnt think taking back the Senate majority is a sure thing for Republicans, even though they are expected to easily pick up retiring Sen. Joe Manchins (I) West Virginia Senate seat.

Ive always been skittish about things. I never count my chickens before they hatch, he said.

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Researcher makes 'very positive' discovery while surveying for newts in wetland: 'That's when we got very excited'

A researcher surveying the Great Fen in Cambridgeshire for newts recently found something even more exciting: a great silver water beetle, which was last spotted in the area in 1938, the BBC reported.

The researcher, Henry Stanier, described his discovery. "I was staring down at a much bigger beetle nearly 4 centimeters in size and unlike the others, which are black and yellow, this was jet black and looking very different. ... That's when we got very excited," he said.

The discovery of the beetle is a hallmark of the success of the ongoing Great Fen Restoration Project, which is seeking to return the area to its natural state last seen some 400 years ago. The fens of Eastern England were drained in the 17th century to make way for farmland, resulting in 99% of the wild fen being destroyed.

Now, several environmental groups are working together to transform the area into a "prosperous and sustainable environment, rich in wildlife." They began their work in 2001, purchasing some of the land and working with local farmers on other parts. The discovery of a long-missing insect species shows that they are definitely on the right track.

"[The great silver water beetle has] conservation importance because invertebrates are part of the mosaic of life within reserves," Stanier said. "They make them function effectively, so having a new species, or rather species, return to the Great Fen is a very positive move."

Just as humans have made life extremely difficult for many plant, animal, and insect species by polluting and destroying the environment, it is also possible for human efforts to help these species recover.

Other recent examples of conservation successes include the return of wild Iberian lynx to Portugal and Spain, the California red-legged frog thriving in a wildland preserve, and an endangered crayfish species beginning to rebound in Tennessee.

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.
CLOVIS, N.M. (KRQE)  Residents and workers surrounding Cannon Air Force Base near Clovis will be able to get free blood tests to check for PFAS. The tests are available to adults who have lived or worked in certain areas around the base where PFAS have contaminated the local water supply.

Starting way back in 2019, the United States Department of Defense sued New Mexico and said, were not going to clean up this PFAS contamination that migrated off base, said James Kenney, Secretary of the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), We fought back and said, yes you are. And to this day, while were still in litigation, the Department of Defense has not cleaned up one drop of PFAS that got into the groundwater and migrated off base.

According to Kenney, the fight to clean up PFAS, a group of chemicals known as forever chemicals, around Cannon Air Force Base has stretched over years.

In that time, Kenney said the chemicals have gotten into the groundwater. Kenney said PFAS are in almost everything: Anything that is stain resistant, water repellent, thats slick in nature probably contains some degree of PFAS.

What are PFAS?

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of synthetic chemicals used in a variety of products, including food packaging, nonstick cookware, and certain types of fire-fighting materials. They are often referred to as forever chemicals because they do not easily degrade in the environment, according to the New Mexico Environment Department.

The chemical bonding is so strong that not even decomposition in the environment occurs, Kenney said; and, they accumulate in the body, causing a whole host of health problems. Everything from high cholesterol to low birth weight to various types of cancer. So the gamut is wide and the science keeps telling us that no detection of these chemicals is the safe amount, Kenney said, In the area around military bases, its often around the ingestion of that potable water, that drinking water.

Story continues below

Studies have shown a link between PFAS and numerous adverse health effects, including increased cholesterol, reproductive problems, and cancer.

The unfortunate truth is that most of us likely have PFAS in their blood due to the common use of these chemicals in consumer products like non-stick cookware and waterproof clothing, Environment Department Sec. James Kenney said in a news release. However, our residents who live on or near military installations like Cannon Air Force Base may be at significantly higher risk due to the Department of Defenses longstanding practice of releasing PFAS into nearby groundwater. The Department of Defenses lack of responsible and meaningful clean-up outside of Cannon Air Force Base over the last five years increases the risk of exposure to New Mexicans.

Information about testing and who qualifies

The free tests are being offered by the New Mexico Environment Department, the Department of Health, and the Department of Veterans Services.

Kenney said the most surefire way to measure how many people in Clovis have been affected by the contamination is to test their blood: Blood testing will tell us conclusively: are the residents of Clovis in that area of the plume at a higher risk than the national average or are they lower than the national average?

Kenney said they have identified roughly 500 people who live and work in the area of the plume of forever chemical contamination who are eligible for a free blood test, but there are talks about expanding the program. Were not going to stop this fight until we win and we know people are safe, the water is safe, and theres a real meaningful clean-up plan in place, Kenney said.

At this time, only current New Mexico adults who have worked or lived in the white-outlined area of the map displayed below are eligible. If future testing is warranted, the state may

increase eligibility outside this initial area.

Testing will be performed during two periods: Sept. 12 through Sept. 18, and Oct. 3 through Oct. 9. Participants will have a one-teaspoon-size blood sample taken, and it will be tested for 33 different PFAS. Everyone who gets their blood tested will also receive a $25 gift card, according to Kenney.

NMED said participants will receive their results within three to four months via a letter that explains how to understand the data. NMHealth will offer access to public health staff members via a helpline to discuss results and answer any questions. All participants will also be given a $25 physical gift card after completing their appointment.

The state agencies will host a public meeting starting at 6 p.m. on Aug. 27 at the Clovis Civic Center (801 Schepps Blvd., Clovis, New Mexico 88101) to share information about how to make an appointment to get tested.

Additional information about PFAS can be found here.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (KCAU)  Millions of dollars in state funding is set to go towards the construction of 175 homes for disaster victims in Iowa, including those affected by recent severe flooding.

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Tuesday that the state has awarded $7.2 million to help build single-family and multi-family homes across eleven projects. The homes are set to be built in cities and communities such as Rock Valley, Spencer and Cherokee.

Deadline for Iowa FEMA applications extended to October 22

Todays awards are about more than building housing, Reynolds said in a statement. Theyre about restoring the sense of home that is vital to these disaster-impacted communities. This support will help them begin to heal and find stability once again.

The awards come through Iowas State Disaster Recovery New Housing Grant Program. The program was announced back in July and started with $10 million in financial aid available for counties eligible for FEMAs Individual Assistance under a presidential disaster declaration.

Applications will be accepted until funds run out or on Dec. 31, 2024, whichever comes first.

The full list of projects awarded grants of up to $1 million can be found below:

Developer Firm Development Name Community Units Type Occupancy Funding Amount ERD Holdings LLC Rock Rapids 19 Single-Family For Sale $950,000 Homestake Enterprises LLC Cherokee 2 Single-Family For Sale $950,000 Groeneweg Construction Kyle Spaans 4 Plex Rock Valley 4 Single-Family For Rent $200,000 VG Construction & Stone Valley Villas Rock Valley 19 Single-Family For Sale $950,000 CR Lloyd Associates LLC Valley Vue Single Family Homes Rock Valley 25 Single-Family For Sale $1,000,000 CR Lloyd Associates LLC Valley Vue 2 Rock Valley 36 Multi-Family For Rent $1,000,000 Spirit of Okoboji LLC West Spencer Market Rate Apts. Spencer 24 Multi-Family For Rent $1,000,000 Nope LLC Minden 12 Multi-Family For Rent $600,000 NW IA Corridor Habitat for Humanity Habitat  Spencer Spencer 2 Single-Family For Sale $100,000 CR Lloyd Associates LLC Spencer Homes Spencer 25 Single-Family For Sale $1,000,000 Golden Hills Phase II LLC Golden Hills Phase II Crescent 7 Single-Family For Sale $350,000

Last week, Reynolds also announced that conditional awards were starting to be approved through the states Disaster Recovery Housing Assistance Program. These funds cover needs not met by insurance or FEMA. Those eligible could get as much as $50,000 towards the repair or rehabilitation of their home affected by severe flooding.

For more information on disaster recovery in Iowa, click here.

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s presidential campaign is seemingly holding on by a thread with campaign spending outweighing donations and the number two on the ticket floating the idea of teaming up with Trump.

Recent filings with the Federal Election Commission indicate the campaign is struggling to keep up with its spending and combined with ballot access challenges, the campaign will need to make tough decisions.

Theres two options that were looking at, Kennedys running mate Nicole Shanahan said on the podcast Impact Theory.

One is staying in, forming that new party but we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and Walz presidency because we draw votes from Trump. Or we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump, she added.

As a third-party independent candidate, Kennedy and Shanahan knew they were going to face an uphill battle to acquire even a small percentage of votes in the general election. But Shanahans admission on Tuesday could lead to further instability in the campaign.

Jeff Hays, who has given the campaign more than $300,000 told ABC News that Shanahans statement absolutely killed fundraising. He told the news outlet he was no longer holding a fundraising event for Kennedy next month.

Nicole Shanahan, RFK Jrs running mate, admitted that the Kennedy campaign was looking at teaming up with Donald Trump (Tom Bilyeu / YouTube)

The stakes are getting high as the election draws closer. Its unclear how long Kennedy can remain a competitive contender.

At the end of last month, RFK Jr.s campaign had $3.9 million cash on hand but owed $3.4 million, a sign that the independent presidential candidate is struggling to bring in money as the November election rapidly approaches.

In July, Kennedys campaign spent more than $7 million, according to raw FEC data, but only brought in roughly $5.6 million. Approximately $2.5 million of that was given directly by Shanahan.

FEC filings indicate that Shanahan is one of the largest donors to Kennedys campaign. She has poured millions of dollars into Kennedys campaign, donating thousands of dollars each month.

In an effort to cut back costs, Kennedy has not held many in-person rallies, opting for digital events  like a live stream on TikTok or X, or going on podcasts.

But as the stakes get higher and the two main candidates in the race, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, get access to more money and resources its unclear how long Kennedy can remain a competitive contender.

Already, Kennedy is facing problems getting his name on the ballot in several states. In New York, challengers accused him of using a sham address while filing out forms to appear on the ballot, leading a judge to remove him from the ballot.

Kennedy is said to have tapped up both the Trump and Harris campaigns in hopes of the promise of a cabinet position (Getty Images)

Similar challenges could be brought against the independent candidate in Georgia.

That is in addition to his polling numbers, which show his unfavorability rate is increasing as more embarrassing stories from his past become headlines. Earlier this year, Kennedy shared that doctors once found a dead brain worm inside him. He also admitted to leaving a dead bear cub in Central Park, solving a decade-long mystery.

With time and money running out, rumors emerged that Kennedy has spoken with both Trump and Harris about a potential position in their administrations in return for his endorsement.

A spokesperson for Harris said they have no intention of negotiating that possibility.

Kennedy wrote on X that he is willing to talk with leaders of any political party to further his goals of protecting free speech, cleaning pollution from the environment, ending chronic disease epidemics and more.

In a text to ABC News, Shanahan clarified that, It would require a significant commitment by Trump to give Bobby true authority to execute.
Robert F Kennedy Jr is considering abandoning his campaign as an insurgent independent presidential candidate in order to help the election of Donald Trump, his running mate has said.

The startling disclosure was made by Nicole Shanahan, Kennedys vice-presidential candidate, who said the pair were considering dropping their campaign over fears it might help elect Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, as president.

Shanahans remarks, made on the Impact Theory With Tim Bilyeau podcast, were close to an all-out admission that Kennedys campaign had more in common with Trump than Harris. Kennedy was a member of the Democratic party and attempted to run as its nominee before choosing to stand as an independent.

Related: Barack Obama to deliver forceful affirmation for Kamala Harris in Democratic convention speech  live

Theres two options that were looking at, and one is staying in, forming that new party, but we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and [Tim] Walz presidency because we draw votes from Trump, said Shanahan, a wealthy Silicon Valley attorney, reportedly worth $1bn as a result of her former marriage to Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google.

[Or] we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump  and we explain to our base why were making this decision.

Shanahan said the conundrum was not an easy decision but added that her sympathies lay more with Trump and his wealthy backers than with Harriss campaign, which has its own moneyed supporters.

If we are splitting hairs, I would say that I trust the future of this county more under the leadership of Trump and the [Peter] Thiels [the founder of PayPal and a leading Trump backer] and the JD Vances [the Republican vice-presidential nominee] than I do right now under Harris and the Reid Hoffmans [a Democratic-supporting mega-donor], she said.

Not long after Shanahans comments were made public, Trump told CNNs Kristen Holmes in Michigan he would certainly be open to giving Kennedy a role in a future Trump administration.

I like him, and I respect him, Trump said.

Hes a brilliant guy. Hes a very smart guy. Ive known him for a very long time. I didnt know he was thinking about getting out, but if he is thinking about getting out, certainly Id be open to it.

Shanahans comments followed recent polls indicating that Kennedy  who has traded in anti-vaccination conspiracy theories that tend to have greater currency on the right than among Democratic-leaning voters  was drawing more support from Trump than from Harris.

Kennedys potential to act as a spoiler has long been a source of political guesswork. Commentators have expressed uncertainty whether the Democrats or Republicans stand to lose more from his candidacy. Kennedy is currently running at about 5% in many surveys.

The revelation that he is considering standing aside comes after he met Trump at last months Republican national convention in Milwaukee. At that time, Trump reportedly sought his endorsement, and the two discussed the possibility of Kennedy being given a job in a future Trump administration.

Kennedy was apparently rebuffed when he recently sought a similar meeting with Harris.

No one has any intention of negotiating with a Maga-funded fringe candidate who has sought out a job with Donald Trump in exchange for an endorsement, a Democratic National Committee source told the New York Post.

Trump and Kennedy have received generous funding from Timothy Mellon, heir to one of Americas most famous banking families. Mellon, a known Trump financial backer, has given $25m to American Values 2024, a Super Pac supporting Kennedys presidential campaign, most recently in April, when he donated $5m.

Kennedy  scion of Americas most famous political dynasty and son of the former US attorney general  was denounced by his own siblings when he announced his presidential campaign as an independent last autumn.

The decision of our brother Bobby to run as a third-party candidate against Joe Biden [the then presumptive Democratic nominee] is dangerous to our country, said sisters Rory Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend; and brother Joseph P Kennedy II in a statement last October.

Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment. We denounce his candidacy and believe it to be perilous for our country.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s campaign is sinking fast. Federal Election Commission filings indicated that the fringe political candidate spent more than he brought into the campaign in July, with more than half of his donations coming out of the pocket of his running mate Nicole Shanahan, a Silicon Valley lawyer and investor.

But shortly after the dire news broke, Shanahan revealed precisely why the conspiracy theorist has remained on the ballot so long, despite his abysmal polling.

Ive got to keep focusing on what matters the most outside of party lines. I need to focus on a vision that goes beyond November, Shanahan told Tom Bilyeus Impact Theory podcast, adding that there are benefits to staying in the race, including official party recognition if their campaign secures more than five percent of the vote. That could translate into a stronger third party in the next election cycle, thanks to public funds that could provide up to $13.5 million dollars to the fledgling political group.

That means that we could position for a real third-party election in 2028, where we dont have to go around and spend tens of millions of dollars on ballot access, which means that we can spend all of that time and money campaigning, Shanahan said.

But theres an entirely different outlook for the Kennedy campaign should they decide to pull outand, according to Shanahan, it would all be for the benefit of one candidate.

Theres two options that were looking at, and one is staying in, forming that new party, but we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and Walz presidency because we draw votes from Trump, she said. Or, we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump.

That latter option would require explaining to all of Kennedys supporters why the alternative political pairing have, after all their efforts, ultimately bent the knee to the two-party system. And while that wouldnt pave the way for more political representation for everyday Americans, it could translate into administration positions for Kennedy and Shanahan. In fact, Trump already floated the idea in July, pitching that Kennedya notorious vaccine skepticcould lead the Health and Human Services Department should the Republican nominee win in November.

Not an easy decision, Shanahan said.

RFKs VP Nicole Shanahan says they are debating whether to stay in the race or drop out and join forces with Trump:



Theres two options that we're looking at and one is staying in, forming that new party, but we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and Waltz presidency because we pic.twitter.com/O3HrLbbCLO  End Tribalism in Politics (@EndTribalism) August 20, 2024
Nicole Shanahan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s running mate who has invested millions of dollars of her fortune into the independent bid, said she recognized that their long-shot ticket was unlikely to win the White House this November.

On a recent podcast interview with independent interview show host Tom Bilyeu that was published Tuesday, Shanahan said Kennedy could end up backing former President Donald Trump.

Theres two options that we're looking at, and one is staying in, forming that new party. But we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and [Tim] Walz presidency because we draw more votes from Trump, or we draw somehow more votes from Trump, Shanahan said. Or we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump, and we walk away from that, and explain to our base why we're making this decision.

Shanahan then suggested that Kennedy, who has very publicly expressed skepticism over the safety of vaccines, could have a role at the Department of Health and Human Services in a second Trump term, and that she has an interest in running for office again after this cycle.

But as for this campaign, Shanahan blamed the Democratic Party and PACs aligned with the party for neutering the Kennedy campaign.

They have, unfortunately, turned us into a spoiler, she said. And we don't want to be a spoiler. We wanted to win. We wanted a fair shot. The DNC made that impossible for us.

A Kennedy campaign spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment, but shared a post from Kennedy on X that he is willing to meet with any political party leaders.

Larry Sharpe, a political consultant for the super PAC backing Kennedy, said in an interview that Shanahan felt betrayed by the Democratic Party and when she gets betrayed, that makes her extra angry.

She just didn't know because she was at the donor level [in the Democratic Party], and when she moved into the mud with the rest of us, now you see how bad it actually is, he said.

Kennedy met with Trump during the week of the Republican National Convention to discuss dropping out and endorsing the GOP nominee, but talks collapsed around the time Kennedys team recorded and released part of Kennedy and Trumps private phone conversation.

I will say that Trump has taken genuine, sincere interest in our policies around chronic disease. He takes it seriously, Shanahan said on the podcast.

The Washington Post reported last week that Kennedy has also tried to get in contact with Harris campaign to negotiate his involvement in a potential Harris administration. But no meeting was ever set.

After a hit piece nearly every day for months, after rigged primaries, rigged debates, rigged ballot access, rigged polling, Bobby is still front and center as a potential spoiler, a potential kingmaker, as the candidate who might force a contingent election or a wild card candidate who might just emerge as a centrist, common sense alternative candidate who comes out of nowhere and wins the whole thing, Tony Lyons, co-founder of the super PAC backing Kennedy, said in a text message.

But the DNC and other groups organizing against third party candidates quickly jumped on Shanahans candid view of the race.

Nicole Shanahan isnt even pretending to be a serious VP candidate anymore, Lis Smith, DNC communications adviser, said. From the beginning of this race, weve said that RFK Jr. is nothing more than a spoiler for Donald Trump, and were glad that his running mate is finally admitting it.

Though the campaign is on the ballot in about 20 states  a major feat for an upstart independent candidate  getting to this point has been costly and time-consuming for RFK Jr. Kennedy said in a recent CBS News interview that his campaign stopped hosting events in part because of the costs.

While Shanahan releases regular podcast interviews on her YouTube channel, she has seldom been on the campaign trail since she was tapped in March to be Kennedys vice presidential nominee. Kennedy hasnt held a public campaign event since July.

Shanahan said that shes now focused on a vision that goes beyond November and sets up a third party to be a more serious challenger in 2028.

Sharpe said Shanahan realizes this campaign is bigger than just their ticket, but that if Kennedy stays in he can still have an impact.

The Kennedy campaign owns a chunk of American voters. I don't know what that chunk is  he's been as low as 5% as high as 19, he said. So who knows what that percentage is, but any of that, whatever that number is, that will decide the election.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI)  R.I. Department of Corrections Director Wayne Salisbury has agreed to pay a $200 penalty after failing to disclose out-of-state travel paid for by third parties as required by law.

Salisbury entered the settlement Tuesday after meeting behind closed doors with the R.I. Ethics Commission. The panel voted 4-to-2 in favor of the settlement, concluding Salisbury violated the states ethics code when he failed to disclose six out-of-state trips on his 2023 ethics form.

As Target 12 first reported in June, Salisbury took several trips last year that were paid for by third parties but were never disclosed  a requirement of the state ethics code.

The director quickly amended his forms after Target 12 asked about the missing trips, saying at the time it was a mistake. Salisbury echoed the sentiment Tuesday, telling reporters he was thoroughly embarrassed, and that it wouldnt happen again.

Going forward, it wont be an issue, Salisbury said after meeting with the commission.

The ethics investigation launched an investigation after Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers president Richard Ferruccio filed a complaint with the office in June.

These omissions represent a serious breach of the ethical standards required of public officials, Ferruccio wrote at the time.

The investigation found Salisbury omitted the out-of-state travel and didnt amend the filings until after Target 12 reached out with questions in June. When he first amended his filing, Salisbury added more details about the six trips, but he didnt know at time how much the British Consulate had paid for one he took in 2023 to England.

Salisbury eventually amended his filing a second time showing the international trip cost $3,900, according to the settlement.

Salisbury then began meeting with ethics officials and ended up amending his documents a third time because he hadnt disclosed some family income sources, either.

The director then met with ethics officials on June 26 to review his entire filing, which led to his filing a fourth amendment later that day. He added an additional family income source for income exceeding $1,000 for serving as a consultant to the Crime and Justice Institute.

The amendment also added seven entities to which he or his spouse were indebted in an amount exceeding $1,000, according to the settlement.

Ferruccio on Tuesday expressed frustration that this issue ever had to reach this level of scrutiny, adding that he remains concerned with the amount of time the director spends traveling out of state.

Its unfortunate that it got to this point, but I dont think its curtailing his out-of-state travel, he said, adding that he plans to seek public records documenting the directors travel.

Salisbury and union leadership have butted heads ever since he became interim director in early 2023. Gov. Dan McKee earlier this year nominated Salisbury to serve as the permanent director, spurring intense criticism from the union. The R.I. Senate confirmed Salisbury in June.

As part of the settlement Tuesday, the ethics panel said Salisbury cooperated with its investigation and was willing to voluntarily provide extensive documentation concerning expenses relating to his out-of-state travel.

It also recognizes [Salisburys] willingness to immediately correct any omissions on his financial statement, and his acceptance of responsibility for those omissions, the panel wrote. Finally, and significantly, the settlement acknowledges that the investigation did no uncover any evidence that [Salisbury] misappropriated or improperly received any reimbursement funds from the state or a third party.

Eli Sherman (esherman@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and on Facebook.

Alexandra Leslie (aleslie@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter covering Providence and more for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and on Facebook.

Sophia Szabo contributed to this report.

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Washington Metropolitan Police, seen Oct. 19, 2022, in Washington. An off-duty police officer in Washington D.C. was injured Monday, May 20, 2024, when a suspect opened fire as the officer was driving in to work. The injured officer was not in uniform and was driving his personal vehicle. Police later arrested two men after a vehicle pursuit that ended when their car crashed in neighboring Maryland. | J. Scott Applewhite

Crime in the nations capitol is rising. Enforcement activity is down. Prosecution has declined. How can the city move forward? A recent report has answers.

The report Manhattan Institute authored by Charles Fain Lehman found a rise in rates of homicide, car theft and robbery since before 2020, though the homicide rate in 2024 seems to be on the decline. Reported rates of burglary, assault with a dangerous weapon, sex abuse and theft have declined.

There are fewer police officers, and those officers are doing less. The U.S. attorney is prosecuting far fewer people, said the report. There are fewer judges, and they are churning through a larger case backlog. Students are more likely to be truant, and as unsheltered homelessness has surged, the District has not kept up with camp clearance.

Certain parts of Washington D.C. are more impacted than others. Among each offense, the top 10% of blocks account for 22% of homicides, 30% of robberies, and 35% of motor vehicle thefts, said the report, noting the citys southeastern corner sees a disproportionately high crime rate.

Homicide increased in the city from before 2020 to 2023. Young Black men are the most at risk population for this particular crime. The rate of homicide among this population has increased by 186% from 2014 to 2023.

In D.C., homicide is overwhelmingly driven by conflict within and between gangs and related social groups, said the report, explaining the level of violence has increased significantly through the years and while it may be showing signs of decline, it is still above historical norms.

There has also been a surge in car theft. The report said among other factors, this may be because there is information on social media platforms like TikTok about how to steal certain models of Hyundais and Kias.

Around 65% of the arrests for carjacking between January 2020 and March 2024 involved juveniles, said the report. 14% were adults aged 18 or 19.

The surge in carjacking from 2023 seems to have slowed, but the rate is still higher than before 2020. Thus, one is left with the impression that D.C. has a second crime problem: a problem with juvenile offenders, acting out most visibly by stealing cars, joyriding, and broadcasting their activities on social media. These offenders are comparatively less serious than those who drive the gun violence in the District, but they still pose a distinct threat to public order, said the report.

Law and order in D.C.

The Metropolitan Police Department, also known as MPD, is the agency tasked with law enforcement in the non-federal property parts of the city. The department has lost nearly 500 officers since 2019. The report noted several areas where arrests have declined.

Levels of arrests for prostitution, traffic violations, narcotics, disorderly conduct, liquor law violations, release violations, and driving while intoxicated, for example, have all collapsed, said the report. Arrests for arson, weapon violations, homicide, sex abuse and offenses against family and children have increased from 2019 to 2023.

The impression that MPD is doing less across a variety of domains is confirmed by, for example, the observation that officers have become less willing or less able to fulfill bench warrants, said the report, explaining the department has both reduced certain activity and focused it on gun crimes.

The report the city has also seen a decline in its ability to investigate crimes. Between 2021 and late 2023, the D.C. crime lab had lost its accreditation. It is unclear what specifically led to the loss of accreditation. When the labs accreditation was suspended, The Washington Post reported the move came after an independent panel of forensics experts found the lab had made errors in testing in two 2015 murder cases and misrepresented the mistakes.

The decline in police activity cannot be attributed only to decline in staffing, said the report. Law enforcement officers have said they are overworked and stress, and they have increased demands on them due to rising mass protest activity in the city.

Some have also cited policy changes and the message that they send to cops, said the report. Most notably, D.C. was one of the few major cities that yielded to activists demands to defund the police, slashing MPDs budget by $15 million in 2020.

The report said the majority of crimes in the city are prosecuted by the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, who is appointed by the sitting U.S. president.

That office has systematically reduced its levels of prosecution in recent years, said the report noting rates of prosecution between 2021 and 2022 declined sharply. In 2022, the office prosecuted less than 50% of the felonies and only 28% of the misdemeanors presented to it. Rates have rebounded somewhat, amid heavy public criticism, but are still well below even recent historical norms.

The decline in prosecution makes it an outlier among similarly situated offices, said the report. The Philadelphia District Attorneys office reports charges equivalent to more than 82% of arrests in every year since at least 2010. The Manhattans DA office charges gun crimes 95% of the time, compared with 67% in the DC office. The San Diego DAs office charged 77% of cases between 2000 and 2019.

As for the factors leading to the decline in prosecution, the report cites U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves saying some cases were flawed, the crime labs loss of accreditation, lack of witness cooperation or a justification like self-defense.

In addition to a decline of arrests and prosecutions, the D.C. Superior Court has vacancies in 13 of the 62 judgeships, said the report, which slows down the criminal justice process.

The report said the data suggests two conclusions: crime has increased in D.C. and enforcement and prosecution have decreased. In order to bring crime down, the report said the city does not need tougher laws, it needs its system to operate effectively.

The past several years of efforts to solve D.C.s crime problems show that officials believe that criminal offenders are reacting to a lack of stiff penalties, said the report. But the problem is not leniency; the problem is that, across the criminal-justice system, existing laws are unenforced.

The report recommend several solutions, including but not limited to increased funding for MPD hiring, expanding professional development for MPD, free up sworn officers to patrol the streets, focus police officers on where the crime is, concentrate on deterring gang violence and filling judicial vacancies.

The solution, the report said, is to improve the capacity of the system. That means encouraging the people and institutions that operate that system to do more. But it also means giving them more power to do more.

What other solutions have been presented?

D.C. had its highest homicide rate in 25 years back in 2023, when the city saw 275 homicides. Harry Jaffe writing for The Atlantic floated a possible reason was the declining rates of prosecution and increased crime: electing a district attorney rather than an appointment.

As a journalist who has covered crime in the District for four decades, I believe that one aspect of the D.C. justice system sets it apart, exacerbating crime and demanding remedy: Voters here cannot elect their own district attorney to prosecute local adult crimes, wrote Jaffe.

A 1973 law allowed the federal government to retain the ability to appoint the citys chief prosecutor, which is what has been happening. Jaffe said he thinks making the top prosecutor an elected office would have a positive effect.

The editors at the National Review said Congress should be considering eroding the districts autonomy if the crisis continues. But, in the meantime, law-enforcement authorities should return to actually enforcing the law and punishing criminals in a manner that protects public safety.
Rite Aid is closing 44 more stores. All but two are in Ohio and Michigan

A Rite Aid Pharmacy in Michigan. (Getty Images.)

The number of pharmacies  particularly in Ohio and Michigan  is continuing to drop.

Bankrupt chain Rite Aid last week announced that it was closing 44 additional stores and that all but two are in Ohio and Michigan, Fast Company reported.

The closures come after the Philadelpia-based company in June told U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New Jersey that it was closing more than 300 others in the two states. The numbers are significant, given that each state has about 2,000 retail pharmacies.

They come after years of closures of independent pharmacies. In addition, CVS is finishing up a process in which it closed 900 stores nationally over three years and Walmart last year asked 16,000 pharmacists to help reduce costs by working less. And on top of those, Walgreens is expected to close more than 2,000 of its 8,600 stores in the United States in the coming months.

All the closures create concerns that vulnerable Americans will become sicker because of reduced health care access. For those who lack transportation and often health insurance, the local pharmacist is the only health professional they can regularly talk to about their medications and chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.

Brick-and-mortar pharmacies have been struggling with a difficult environment as they compete with online retailers such as Amazon.

But those arent the only headwinds faced by the pharmacies. Theyve been complaining for at least eight years about diminishing reimbursements and clawbacks from middlemen who control access to so many insured patients that pharmacies believe they have no choice but to contract with them.

The businesses, known as pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, represent insurers and the biggest three are all part of the same corporation as a major insurer. They decide which drugs are covered, and they decide how much to reimburse pharmacies in a non-transparent system.

The biggest three, CVS Caremark, OptumRx, and Express Scripts, are estimated to control access to 80% of all insured patients in the United States.

The Federal Trade Commission is investigating possible anticompetitive practices by the PBMs. In June, it issued a scathing interim report that said the three massive health conglomerates appeared to be pushing drug costs higher, thereby making Americans sicker.

The middlemen use a non-transparent system to reimburse pharmacies, and there long have been suspicions that theyve exploited it to reap unfair profits and disadvantage competitors.

Since 2019, each of the big three PBMs created group purchasing organizations that added another layer of opacity to drug pricing. This year, two government investigations concluded that those companies appeared to be skimming tens of millions of dollars from drug transactions.

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PARK RIDGE, Ill.  Police are investigating a road rage shooting in Park Ridge on Monday evening.

The incident happened around 5:09 p.m. at the intersection of Touhy Avenue and Busse Highway.

Upon arrival, police confirmed a shooting had occurred in result of a road rage incident involving three vehicles: a grey Hyundai, a dark colored Honda and a black Jaguar.

According to police, during the incident, the driver of the black Jaguar fired multiple shots at the grey Hyundai. The Jaguar then fled the scene eastbound, while the black Honda and grey Hyundai remained at the scene.

No one was injured in the shooting.

17-year-old boy dies after Little Village shooting

Officers discovered several shell casings on the street. The investigation remains active.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Park Ridge Police Department at: 847-318-5256.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Roche says it is working to enhance lab testing capacity for mpox worldwide

Swiss drugmaker Roche's logo is seen at their headquarters in Basel

BERLIN (Reuters) - Roche is actively working to enhance laboratory testing capacity for mpox worldwide, the Swiss pharmaceutical company said on Tuesday.

The World Health Organization last week declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years as a new variant of the disease, known as clade 1b, spread rapidly in Africa.

Roche said it is partnering with governments, healthcare providers and organizations to combat the outbreak, as well as providing training for labs across the African continent.

(Writing by Miranda Murray, Editing by Rachel More)
TAYLOR, Texas (KXAN)  If you needed proof the rodeo is alive and well in Central Texas, look no further than the Williamson County Expo Center.

After only seven years in operation, a new multi-million dollar expansion is set to take place.

From inception, this place, I believe the master plan, was designed to keep growing and growing and growing, General Manager Jason Brown said.

RELATED: Whole new level: Taylor Center to be hub for semiconductors, latest technology

Thats exactly whats about to happen to the center just outside downtown Taylor.

This will be another addition for us that will enhance and expand and coincide with our main arena, Brown explained.

The new arena will add an additional 85,000 square feet of space  giving plenty of more options for the rodeo and fair.

The $8.6 million project is being completely funded by park bonds that were previously passed by Williamson County voters.

More room for entertainment, fair fun

Whats going to help us, is that its going to allow us to open up our footprint a little more for that space, Kelley Hernandez said. Shes on the Board of Directors for the Williamson County Fair Association.

RELATED: City of Taylor looks at future of downtown

Hernandez explained that means more room for live entertainment and even the possibility of more acts in the years ahead.

Expansion badly needed

We have a lot of events that can be back-to-back. And that limits our turn-around time on what we can do for certain events at certain times of the year, Brown said.

Sometimes those events are hours apart from each other.

Im looking forward to it, Hernandez said. It cannot happen soon enough.

Construction is expected to begin in the next few months. The arena is expected to open in summer 2026.

RELATED: Signs of growth in downtown Taylor as city looks to the future

The Williamson County Fair and Rodeo will be at the Expo Center and runs from Oct. 23 thru 26. You can see a full schedule of events online.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
European Parliament Vice-President Victor Negrescu is to be named Romanias next commissioner, Euronews Romania reported today (20 August), citing unnamed sources.

The nomination of the Brussels-educated former EU affairs minister brings the tally of known candidates to serve in the EU executive as of November to 21, out of the total 27 member states.

But, with just six of the confirmed nominees women, the news poses a further headache for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has previously made gender balance a key plank of her leadership.

Von der Leyen, who is meeting Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on Thursday in Brussels, has asked for candidate names by the end of August.

She will then allocate a policy area to each before submitting them to confirmation hearings at the European Parliament.

In July Negrescu told Euronews Romania there were quite positive prospects of securing a portfolio such as economics, the internal market, competitiveness and competition  suggesting Bucharest could be one of a number of capitals fighting to secure a small number of key roles in which Brussels holds significant power.

Negrescu, from Ciolacus Socialist Party, became an MEP in 2014, and has served on Parliament committees responsible for culture, education, industry, constitutional affairs and the EU budget.

He resigned as Romanias EU affairs minister in 2018 after just one year, amid concern from Brussels over corruption and judicial independence in the country.

Related

Educated in Brussels, Paris, Bruges and Bucharest, he previously worked as a journalist and university lecturer.

Other rumoured candidates had previously included MEPs Siegfried Muresan, from the centre-right National Liberal party that also forms part of Bucharests governing grand coalition, and socialist Mihai Tudose.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis had previously been tipped as one candidate for von der Leyens role, and also put himself forward for the top job at NATO. There is now some speculation that he is seeking to become Brussels High Representative for Ukraine.

Romanias previous representative at the Commission was Adina Valean, the centre-right transport commissioner who resigned to take up her seat as an MEP in July, and member states agreed her position didnt need to be filled for the short four-month hiatus.
By Alimat Aliyeva

The US State Department has approved the sale of 36 Apache AH-64E attack helicopters to the Republic of Korea for a total of $3.5 billion, Azernews reports.

"The State Department has decided to approve the possible sale of AH-64E Apache helicopters and related logistics and support program elements to the Republic of Korea in the amount of $3.5 billion," he said in a statement. It clarifies that the authorities of the republic have requested the supply of 36 units of equipment.
Rostov Oblast oil depot fire continues for third day after drone strike, Russian governor claims

Emergency services have been battling a fire for the third consecutive day at an oil depot in Proletarsk, a town in Russia's Rostov Oblast, following a drone strike on Aug. 18, Rostov Oblast Governor Vasily Golubev reported on Aug. 20.

The fire began after Russian air defense units repelled the drone, but debris hit an industrial warehouse at the oil depot, igniting a diesel fuel fire.

Ukraine's General Staff later confirmed a strike on the Kavkaz plant, which stored oil and petroleum products for the Russian army.

Thirteen firefighters remain hospitalized in Rostov-on-Don and St. Petersburg, while others are receiving outpatient care. There is no risk of the fire spreading to residential areas, according to Golubev.

Russian Telegram channel Don Mash claimed another tanker explosion at the oil depot on the evening of Aug. 20, though no injuries were recorded. Over 600 rescuers are currently at the scene.

Read also: Ukraines Russia incursion threatens secret efforts to halt energy strikes, WP reports

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Roundup: Former Oxnard man gets federal prison time, stabbing reported in El Rio, more

Former Oxnard man gets 5 years in federal prison

A former Oxnard man was sentenced Wednesday to five years in federal prison for drug crimes in western Pennsylvania.

Christopher Andrew Salgado, 24, was part of a ring of cocaine suppliers who shipped the drug from California to Aliquippa, Pennsylvania and later to West Virginia over a six-month span in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Justice's Western District of Pennsylvania. Aliquippa is a small city about 25 miles north of Pittsburgh.

Salgado pleaded guilty April 10 of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, the news release said.

Investigators with the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force learned the cocaine was shipped from California to Pennsylvania and later to West Virginia where Salagado would receive the parcels, the justice department's news release said. He would drive the cocaine to Pittsburgh International Airport where he would up another man and drive it to a third man's residence in Aliquippa. All three men were co-defendants in the case.

After one trip, investigators followed Salgado who disposed of a box in the trash of a fast-food restaurant. They found the shipping label to Salgado's West Virginia residence and determined the box had the presence of cocaine.

Investigators would later seize a cocaine shipment enroute to Salgado and then delivered it themselves, bringing a search warrant with them. In addition to the cocaine in the parcel, investigators also found an additional 2 kilograms of cocaine inside the residence, a 9 mm handgun, gun magazines, a box of ammunition and a digital scale.

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Drug Enforcement Administration, the news release said.

Man taken to hospital after stabbing in El Rio

A man was found stabbed in the parking lot of a strip mall in El Rio Monday evening, authorities said.

Ventura County Sheriff's officials said they were called to the 2800 block of east Vineyard Avenue at 5:55 p.m. on a report of a stabbing. Deputies arrived to find a man who suffered significant injuries from a sharp-edged object, said Capt. James Sullivan. The victim was transported to Ventura County Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

No arrests had been made as of 9:30 p.m., Sullivan said. Investigators believe the incident is isolated and there is no threat to the public. The stabbing is still under investigation.

Shots fired into Hueneme home under investigation

The Port Hueneme Police Department is investigating shots fired into a home Sunday morning.

Police said they responded at 11:53 a.m. to the 1400 block of Eighth Street on a report of bullet holes discovered in a front window of the residence.

Investigators said they believe the shots were likely fired around 4:30 a.m. Police said no one was injured in the shooting.

Police are asking anyone with information about the incident, contact Detective Sgt. Jesus Chavez at jchavez@cityofporthueneme.org or 805-986-6615.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Roundup: Man gets federal prison time, stabbing in El Rio, more
Russia complains to head of US embassy about "American PMC" in Russia's Kursk Oblast

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia has summoned Stephanie Holmes, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, and told her about the participation of "American private military company" in the fighting in Kursk Oblast.

Source: European Pravda

Details: In its statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed that it had expressed its protest to Holmes "in connection with provocative actions of American reporters who illegally infiltrated Kursk Oblast for propagandist reporting of crimes of Kyivs regime".

The Russian Foreign Ministry did not like "the evidence of the participation of an American PMC on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during their invasion of the territory of the Russian Federation".

The statement says that "competent institutions" of Russia are already preparing to hold "the American citizens involved in these crimes" accountable.

On 20 August Russian media outlets actively spread the message that representatives of Forward Observation Group, an American company, were present in the territory of Kursk Oblast, referring to its four-days-old post on Instagram.

Russian propagandists believe that this refutes the statement by the US that it was not involved in planning and carrying out the operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Background: Earlier, American Democratic Senator Mark Kelly stated that Ukraines decision to start the operation in the territory of Kursk Oblast may change the course of the war unleashed by Russia.

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A Russian consumer protection official claims mpox wont be a problem for the country because of its traditional values  that is, its hostility to LGBTQ+ people.

Considering the specifics of how mpox is spread, I am absolutely sure that in Russia with its traditional values this disease, which is an epidemic disease, is not something we need to be afraid of, Anna Popova, head of consumer watchdog agency Rospotrebnadzor, said in a video posted Monday on Russian Telegram channel Shot, as translated by Politico.

During the outbreak that began in 2022, mpox has been most commonly transmitted through sexual contact between gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. That doesnt mean other people are invulnerable to it.

The World Health Organization last week declared that mpox is once again a global health emergency, due to an outbreak of a severe strain, Clade I, in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries in Africa. However, no cases of Clade I have been reported in the U.S., and the risk is very low here, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. HHS continues to recommend that those who are at high risk be vaccinated.

In declaring the emergency, World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives. But Russian officials seem to think theres no threat.

Russia is taking all necessary measures to detect the infection ahead of time and systematically.  The situation is under constant control, there is no threat of the disease spreading in Russia, Rospotrebnadzor announced last week.

In the video, Popova said there have been three cases of mpox overall in Russia. For Russia this does not present a danger.  Were not expecting it to spread, it wont happen.

Russias anti-LGBTQ+ measures include the gay propaganda law enacted in 2013, banning LGBTQ+ content in any venue accessible to minors. In 2022, it extended the ban to adults. Last year, the Russian Supreme Court granted a request from the countrys Ministry of Justice to label the international LGBT social movement as extremist and ban LGBTQ+ activism in the nation. The nation has outlawed gender-affirming surgery, and President Vladimir Putin has called the acceptance of transgender people a crime against humanity.
The Russian Interior Ministry issued a memo on information security for residents and law enforcement residing in the country's Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod oblasts, which border Ukraine.

The memo was issued amid the Ukrainian military's ongoing incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast, which began on Aug. 6. Ukraine has reportedly since gained control of over 1,000 square kilometers and dozens of Russian settlements.

The memo advises against using CCTV cameras, as Ukrainian forces can allegedly access them remotely. It also warns against using online dating services for similar security concerns.

Service members are instructed to avoid opening messages or links from unknown contacts and to refrain from using phones with sensitive official or personal data that could fall into enemy hands.

The Russian government also urges citizens not to post videos or livestreams on social media, especially on highways shared with military vehicles.

Military personnel and law enforcement officers are encouraged to turn off Telegram's "People Nearby" feature, remove photos, and change nicknames that indicate their affiliation with the military or government. They are also advised to conceal personal data, remove geotags from social media, and avoid linking photos to their locations.

Employees in the energy and nuclear sectors are advised to hide their professional affiliations on social media to prevent identification by Ukrainian intelligence.

The Russian government announced a so-called "counter-terrorist operation" on Aug. 10 in Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod oblasts.

Kyivs ongoing operation aims to establish a "buffer zone" on Russian territory, prevent cross-border strikes, and divert Russian reinforcements from Ukraine's east, according to Ukrainian officials.

Read also: Kursk incursion deals blow to Putins prestige marking first ground invasion of Russia since World War II

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Russia preparing new attacks in Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, military says

Russia has increased aerial reconnaissance and is preparing new assault operations in Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine's Kharkiv group of forces reported on Aug. 20.

Vovchansk is an embattled town some 60 kilometers (37 miles) northeast of Kharkiv that has seen heavy battles since Russia launched a new offensive in the area in May.

"In Vovchansk, the enemy has increased aerial reconnaissance and is preparing for assault operations," the military's statement read.

Russia has also intensified aerial reconnaissance in Hlyboke, a village roughly 35 kilometers (22 miles) west of Vovchansk, and is redeploying units of the 11th Tank Regiment of the 18th Motorized Rife Division, according to the statement.

Russian forces are reportedly forming assault groups from the 7th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 11th Army Corps near Lyptsi  a village just south of Hlyboke  to "replenish their losses."

Five clashes took place over the past day, with Russia losing 76 soldiers killed and wounded, and one of them captured. Moscow's troops also lost one tank, 10 artillery systems, 57 drones, and other equipment, the military said.

While initially gaining ground in May, the Russian offensive in northern Kharkiv Oblast has quickly bogged down, with Russian troops reportedly suffering heavy losses. The intensity of fighting has decreased somewhat compared to other sectors, though several reports of Russia preparing new attacks have emerged since then.

Some observers believe that the offensive helped to stretch Ukrainian forces as Russia intensified its push in Donetsk Oblast, focusing on towns like Pokrovsk, Toretsk, and Chasiv Yar.

Read also: Kyiv didnt disclose preparations for Kursk operation because of Wests fear of Russian red lines, Zelensky says

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Editor's note: The article was updated with the latest information to specify that 21 people were injured over the past day.

Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day killed at least five civilians and injured at least 21, including a child, regional authorities said early on Aug. 20.

Ukrainian air defenses downed 25 of the 26 Shahed-type "kamikaze" drones launched by Russia overnight, as well as two Kh-59 cruise missiles and one Iskander-K cruise missile, the Air Force said.

One person was injured in the morning during a Russian artillery attack against the Nikopol district in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Governor Serhii Lysak said.

In Donetsk Oblast, five people were killed and seven injured in Russian attacks over the past day, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.

Three people were killed during a strike against the village of Zarichne, one was killed in the town of Toretsk, and one in Siversk. Three more people were injured in Toretsk, as well as one in Siversk, two in Chasiv Yar, and one in Selydove, the governor reported.

Russia also struck the city of Ternopil, the regional center of Ternopil Oblast. At around 3 a.m., a fire was recorded in a fuel warehouse of an industrial facility, the State Emergency Service said during a briefing.

Russian attacks injured four people in Kharkiv Oblast, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

A 78-year-old woman was reportedly injured in a strike against the Novoosynove village on the morning of Aug. 19.

A man and a woman, both aged 54, were injured during an attack against the village of Kozacha Lopan at 4:40 p.m. on Aug. 19. A 47-year-old man was also injured during a strike against the town of Kupiansk at 11:30 p.m, Syniehubov said.

In Kherson Oblast, four people were injured, including a child, said Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. A school, 17 houses, and other buildings were damaged.

Five civilians were injured in Russian attacks against Sumy Oblast over the past day, the regional military administration reported.

Two of them were injured in the Seredyna-Buda community and two in the Esman community during the day on Aug. 19. The fifth one was injured overnight on Aug. 20 in the Shalyhyne community, the statement read.

An overnight Russian missile strike against energy facilities in the Hlukhiv community of Sumy Oblast reportedly left 72 settlements and 18,500 users without power.

The fire was contained as of 6:50 a.m. No casualties were reported at the time of the publication.

Chernihiv, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Vinnytsia, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts were also attacked, but no casualties were reported.

Read also: Ukraines buffer zone in Kursk Oblast  heres what you need to know

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Russian attacks on Sumy Oblast: over 250 explosions and 4 civilians injured

Aftermath of the attacks on Sumy Oblast. Photo: Sumy Oblast Prosecutor's Office

Russian forces have conducted 69 attacks in Sumy Oblast over the past day, injuring four people in two hromadas. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories]

Source: Sumy Oblast Military Administration

Quote: "[A total of] 256 explosions were recorded. Khotin, Bilopillia, Myropillia, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Nova Sloboda, Hlukhiv, Esman, Shalyhyne, Druzhba and Seredyna-Buda hromadas came under fire."

Details: Krasnopillia hromada was struck by mortar and artillery fire; unguided rockets were launched from helicopters and FPV drones were used in attacks (147 explosions).

The Russians dropped explosive devices from UAVs, used unguided rocket launches from helicopters, mortar fire, a guided bomb airstrike and artillery fire (55 explosions) to attack Velyka Pysarivka hromada.

FPV drones hit Hlukhiv hromada (6 explosions).

FPV drone attacks injured two residents in Seredyna-Buda hromada. Mortar fire was also recorded.

dKhotin hromada came under guided bomb airstrikes (4 explosions).

An FPV drone strike was conducted in Nova Sloboda hromada (1 explosion).

The Russians dropped explosive devices from UAVs and launched a guided bomb airstrike (4 explosions) to attack Bilopillia hromada.

The Russians used nine air-dropped mines to attack Shalyhyne hromada. A guided bomb airstrike and FPV drone attacks were recorded too.

Myropillia hromada also came under a guided bomb airstrike (3 explosions).

Esman hromada was hit by an FPV drone strike, guided bomb airstrikes and explosive devices dropped from UAVs. Two civilians were injured as a result of the attacks.

Druzhba hromada was attacked by an FPV drone (1 explosion).

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Early gubernatorial election has been announced in Kursk Oblast in Russia  they will start on 29 August instead of being held on 6-9 September.

Source: Radio Liberty

Details: Kursk Oblast electoral committee reported that the decision had been adopted "in order to guarantee safety, protection of life and health of the citizens of the Russian Federation".

Alexei Smirnov, the acting governor of Kursk Oblast, who has registered as a candidate from the United Russia party, claimed on Telegram that the voting would be "held in quite a complicated situation".

Background: Roman Starovoit, a former governor of Kursk Oblast, resigned in May 2024 after being appointed as the Minister of Transport of Russia.

The Ukrainian army infiltrated the territory of Kursk Oblast on 6 August. Since then fighting has been ongoing in the region. The Ukrainian authorities report that the defence forces of Ukraine control almost 100 settlements, including the district centre, the town of Sudzha.

The Russian authorities do not comment on this information. However, a federal scale emergency situation was declared in Kursk Oblast and as of now 120,000 civilians have been evacuated from Kursk Oblast to other Russian regions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated on 13 August that Ukraine was not interested in occupying territory in Russias Kursk Oblast but rather wanted to protect the lives of Ukrainians and defend itself from Russian strikes.

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The Russian Ministry of Defence has announced the formation of three new groups of forces  Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk.

Source: Radio Liberty Russian service

Details: It is important to note that previously, separate groups of Russian army personnel operated solely on Ukrainian territory, where the Russian Federation is conducting armed aggression.

The army groups will be directed by the Coordination Council on the Military Security of Border Territories, a new body announced by Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov on 20 August. Its members include deputy ministers, regional leaders, and representatives from the Russian Federation's General Staff. It is due to convene at least once a week.

Read more: Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi's raid: how the Ukrainian offensive in Russia's Kursk Oblast is progressing and what to expect next

The council is chaired by Belousov himself. Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, the former head of the Republic of Ingushetia, has been appointed deputy chairman, the Russian daily news outlet Kommersant has reported. Yevkurov previously oversaw the Kremlin's military cooperation with sympathetic African regimes.

Belousov said the Coordination Council must work around the clock, responding to requests from the regions on a daily basis. "If it is not possible to solve a problem at its [the Councils] level, they bring the information to me personally, and I make the decision," the minister stressed.

According to reports, the council's line-up does not include Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of the Russian General Staff, who has commanded the joint force of Russian troops in Ukraine since 2023.

Background:

The Armed Forces of Ukraine crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border near the city of Sudzha, Kursk Oblast, on 6 August 2024.

On 10 August, it was reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had seized control of the settlement of Poroz in Belgorod Oblast. A counter-terrorist operation (CTO) regime was implemented in Russia's Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod oblasts, which included increased security, mobility restrictions, document checks, and phone censorship.

On 12 August, Ukrainian officials confirmed the Ukrainian Armed Forces involvement in the special operation in Kursk Oblast.

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The Russian military struck a children's cafe in the village of Malokaterynivka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, killing a 15-year-old boy and injuring four others, local authorities reported.

The attack occurred at 5:40 p.m. local time on Aug. 20. The injured included children aged 11, 14, and 17, as well as an 18-year-old woman, according to the police.

A 15-year-old boy was hospitalized in an unconscious state and later died from his injuries in the intensive care unit, the Prosecutor General's Office reported around 8:30 p.m. local time.

The condition of the other victims is stable; paramedics provided medical care at the scene, the police said.

The type of ammunition used by the Russian military is still being identified.

Russian troops fired 376 times at nine settlements in Zaporizhzhia Oblast over the past day, according to the local military administration. Due to the oblast's proximity to the front line, it is a constant target of Russian attacks.

Part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast is occupied by Russian troops, who are on the offensive to attempt a breakthrough in the country's southeast.

Read also: Ukraines buffer zone in Kursk Oblast  heres what you need to know

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The Russian forces hit an industrial facility in Ternopil Oblast during a nighttime attack, causing a fire. Residents are urged to close their windows tightly and refrain from staying outdoors for long periods of time.

Source: a briefing by representatives of Ternopil Oblast Military Administration (TOMA)

Quote from Viktor Usenko, deputy head of TOMA: "During a night attack, the enemy struck an industrial facility. A fire broke out."

Details: Viktor Maslei, Head of the State Emergency Service in Ternopil Oblast, said that the Russians hit one of the tanks where fuel and lubricants were stored.

Firefighters received information about a fire at an enterprise in Ternopil at around 03:00. 90 firefighters and 20 fire appliances were engaged to extinguish the fire. The fire was contained at 06:20. The fire is currently being extinguished. No one was injured in the incident.

Oksana Chaichuk, the chief state sanitary doctor of the oblast, said that the harmful substances reached the high layers of the atmosphere, which are dissipating with the movement of air masses  the speed of air masses is 10 metres per minute. The masses are moving towards the settlements of Terebovlia and Kozova.

She said that currently, there are no excessive levels of harmful substances in the air. However, until more accurate air and water samples are taken, she urged people to refrain from long walks outdoors, keep children indoors and close windows.

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Russian forces carried out several attacks on Donetsk Oblast over the course of today, 20 August, killing one civilian and injuring another four.

Source: Anastasiia Miedviedieva, spokeswoman for the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutors Office, in a comment for Ukrainska Pravda

Details: Russian forces deployed what appears to have been an S-300 missile system to strike the city of Pokrovsk on the night of 1920 August. A 61-year-old woman, a civilian, sustained injuries to her head and was treated.

Around 13:30 Kyiv time, Russian forces attacked a private residential neighbourhood in the village of Hrodivka in the Pokrovsk district, injuring two civilians, a man and a woman.

The Russians also shelled residential areas in the city of Kostiantynivka, killing a 41-year-old woman who was inside her house at the time of the attack. A 64-year-old man sustained blast injuries in this attack.

Several apartment blocks, a store and a car were also damaged in the Russian shelling of Kostiantynivka.

Quote from Miedviedieva: "Pre-trial investigations regarding these cases have been launched under Art. 438.1 and 438.2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, violation of the laws and customs of war."

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In response to a recent ban on Russian-linked religious organisations in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) has said that it will continue its work as a church and that any attempts to ban it from operating in Ukraine might discredit those behind the attempts.

Source: Metropolitan Klyment, Head of the Information and Education Department of the UOC-MP, in a comment for Hromadske

Details: Metropolitan Klyment said that the Bill No. 8371 "might ban the UOC-MP in Ukraine", but stressed that the UOC does not have "MP" in its name.

"The Ukrainian Orthodox Church will continue operating as a true church recognised by the overwhelming majority of practising believers in Ukraine and by local churches around the world. It is an objective thing. Any attempts to ban this objective thing will only discredit, including internationally, those who will try to do this," Metropolitan Klyment said.

He insisted that the bill that was voted into law by members of the Ukrainian parliament today is not concerned with the church itself but rather with its property. He added that this reminds him of the communist past.

Metropolitan Klyment stressed that the "UOC does not have administrative connections with any foreign centres" and that "there is no single Ukrainian document" that would confirm these connections.

When asked whether the UOC-MP is planning to merge with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), Metropolitan Klyment said that the UOC "has on many occasions called on the OCU to find ways to unite Orthodoxy in Ukraine" but "has not received any meaningful response".

For reference: According to the Security Service of Ukraine, criminal proceedings have been opened against more than 100 UOC-MP clerics since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Almost 50 of them have been notified of suspicion, and 26 have received court sentences.

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The Russians launched a missile attack on energy facilities in Sumy Oblast on the night of 19-20 August, leaving almost 19,000 people without power supply.

Source: Sumy Oblast State Administration

Quote: "The enemy launched a missile attack on the energy facilities of Hlukhiv hromada on the night of 19-20 August. 72 settlements and more than 18,500 consumers have been left without power supply as a result of the attack." [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories]

Details: Emergency repair works are currently underway.

"Power supply has already been resumed to some critical infrastructure facilities of the hromada and the residential sector," the administration added.

Background: The Russians attacked Ukraine with 2 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, an Iskander-K cruise missile, Kh-59 guided missiles and 26 Shahed UAVs on the night of 19-20 August. Ukraines air defence had managed to destroy 28 aerial targets.

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Russians attack Ukraine with 26 Shahed drones and 5 missiles: nearly all targets downed

Mobile fire group. Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook

The Russians attacked Ukraine with 2 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, an Iskander-K cruise missile, Kh-59 guided missiles and 26 Shahed UAVs on the night of 19-20 August. Ukraines air defence has managed to destroy 28 aerial targets.

Source: Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of Ukraine's Air Force, on Telegram

Quote: "[A total of] 28 aerial targets were downed as a result of the combat efforts of aircraft, anti-aircraft missile forces, mobile fire groups of Ukraine's defence forces and electronic warfare units."

Details: The following were destroyed:

1 Iskander-K cruise missile,

2 Kh-59 guided air missiles,

25 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs.

The Russian aerial targets were downed within Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad, Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts.

The missiles were launched from Russias Voronezh, Bryansk and Kursk oblasts, as well as from the temporarily occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

The drones were launched from the Russian cities of Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Yeysk and Kursk.

Background:

On the evening of 19 August, the Russians launched attack drones on Ukraine from multiple directions.

Air defence systems were responding in Kyiv Oblast during an air raid in the morning.

Later, Kyiv City Military Administration reported that all Russian aerial targets were successfully destroyed before they could reach Kyiv, resulting in no casualties or damage.

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A local resident was fatally injured in the village of Zmiivka in Kherson Oblast as a result of a drone attack.

Source: Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Details: He said that Russian troops were firing on Kherson and Kherson oblast "from morning till night" and attacking civilians with drones. In addition to the fatality mentioned, nine people were injured on Tuesday alone, three of them children.

The situation in the city's coastal areas of Dnipro is the most critical.

Prokudin called on people to evacuate and urged them to call the Kherson Oblast Military Administration hotline.

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Vadym Filashkin, Head of Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, has said that the Russian attacks have killed five civilians in Donetsk Oblast over the past day.

Source: Filashkin on Telegram

Details: Vadym Filashkin said that over the past day, the Russians killed three people in Zarichne in Lyman hromada, one person in Toretsk and one person in Siversk. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories]

In addition, seven more people were injured (three in Toretsk, two in Chasiv Yar hromada, one in Siversk and one more in Selidove).

Photo: Filashkin on Telegram

Over the day, a lot of destruction was also recorded, including dozens of private houses and multi-storey buildings, social facilities, administrative buildings, an agricultural business and garages.

Photo: Filashkin on Telegram

Quote: "In total, 3,426 people, including 302 children, have been evacuated from the frontline over the past day," said Filashkin.

Photo: Filashkin on Telegram

Background: Earlier, Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported that on the afternoon of 19 August, Russian troops attacked the city of Toretsk and the village of Zarichne in Donetsk Oblast, killing four local residents.

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Russians in Kursk told not to use dating apps

More than 120,000 citizens have been evacuated from Kursk - ANDALOU

Russia has told residents in three regions neighbouring Ukraine not to use dating apps, to prevent Kyiv collecting intelligence.

The countrys ministry of internal affairs also claimed that Ukraine was remotely accessing CCTV cameras for reconnaissance purposes during the assault.

It came as Vladimir Putin flew to Chechnya on Tuesday and met its leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, on his first visit to the North Caucasus region since 2011.

Ukrainian forces have seized about 480 square miles of territory in Russias southern Kursk region, since launching the surprise incursion more than two weeks ago.

Kyivs top general said on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces had advanced as far as 22 miles, capturing 92 settlements.

A further 270 square miles could soon fall under the control of Kyiv after the destruction of a third and final bridge over the River Seym, cutting off the southern part of the region, Russian sources said.

More than 121,000 civilians have been evacuated from the frontier region since the offensive began on Aug 6.

Displaced residents receive aid from the Russian Red Cross - STRINGER/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK

The use of online dating services is strongly discouraged. The enemy is actively using them to gather information, Russias interior ministry warned its remaining residents.

Popular Western dating apps, such as Tinder and Bumble, left Russia in the wake of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February.

But this has not stopped tech-savvy Ukrainians from using other online services to draw operational secrets from unsuspecting Russian soldiers looking for love.

Ukraine has continued to make marginal gains throughout Kursk, according to the latest battlefield update from the Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank that tracks the conflict.

Unverified images shared on social media appeared to show the Russians preparing defences around the Kursk nuclear power plant, more than 60 miles north of the border with Ukraine.

Battlefield footage showed a Ukrainian fighter jet striking a Russian underground command centre in the region, using French-supplied AASM Hammer guided bombs.

Putin compared Kyivs ongoing invasion of Kursk to the Beslan siege, during a meeting with some of the parents who lost children in the 2004 school hostage crisis.

Some 330 people died in the siege, carried out by Chechen militants.

Just as we fought the terrorists, today we have to fight those who are carrying out crimes in the Kursk region, the Russian president said.

Putin has compared the incursion to the Beslan siege - VYACHESLAV PROKOFYEV/AFP

Kyiv had hoped the fighting in Kursk would result in Russia pulling its forces out of eastern Ukraine to quash the incursion.

But on Tuesday, Russias defence ministry claimed to have captured the Donetsk region town of Niu-York.

The ministry described it as one of the largest settlements of the Toretsk agglomeration and a strategically important logistics hub.

General Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraines commander-in-chief, said he was doing everything necessary to protect Toretsk.

Soldiers, cited in a report by the Financial Times, said they had been forced to ration artillery shells for the first time since a US aid package because resources were being diverted to Kursk.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian parliament passed legislation banning religious organisations with links to Russia, an effective embargo on the Russian Orthodox Church.

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraines president, said the law would promote his countrys spiritual independence.

The Russian Orthodox Church has nothing to do with faith  it is a tool of the special services, Andriy Yermak, his chief of staff, added.

Patriarch Kirill, the head of the church, has been a cheerleader of Putins invasion of Ukraine, which resulted in him being sanctioned by the UK Government.

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The aftermath of the Russian attack on a childrens cafe in the settlement of Malokaterynivka. Photo: National Police in Zaporizhzhia Oblast

Russian attacked a childrens cafe in the settlement of Malokaterynivka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, on 20 August. One child was killed, three children and an 18-year-old girl were wounded in the attack.

Source: Ivan Fedorov, Head of Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration

Quote: "Three children have been injured; one of them is in a critical condition. That is the result of a Russian attack on Malokaterynivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

The enemy hit a childrens cafe."

Update: According to the police in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, four children aged 11, 14, 15 and 17 were injured in the attack, as well as an 18-year-old woman. The projectile (the type is being determined) landed near a retail kiosk at around 17:45.

The aftermath of the Russian attack on a childrens cafe in the settlement of Malokaterynivka

Photo: National Police in Zaporizhzhia Oblast

The aftermath of the Russian attack on a childrens cafe in the settlement of Malokaterynivka

Photo: National Police in Zaporizhzhia Oblast

Quote: "A 15-year-old boy was brought unconscious to the regional clinical hospital; medics performed resuscitation procedures. The other victims are stable."

The aftermath of the Russian attack on a childrens cafe in the settlement of Malokaterynivka

Photo: National Police in Zaporizhzhia Oblast

The aftermath of the Russian attack on a childrens cafe in the settlement of Malokaterynivka

Photo: National Police in Zaporizhzhia Oblast

Updated at 20:55: The Zaporizhzhia Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported that the 15-year-old boy had died during resuscitation.

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(Bloomberg) -- Russia's seaborne oil flows continued a steady decline, driven by a hefty loss of barrels from its Sakhalin Island terminal in Asia.

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The nations four-week average crude exports edged lower in the week to Aug. 18, dropping by 25,000 barrels a day compared with the previous period. Its weekly shipments, which are far more volatile, fell 360,000 barrels a day. Volumes are almost 500,000 barrels a day below an April high.

The decline comes ahead of a plan by several OPEC+ member countries, including Russia, to ease output curbs from October. A decision may come in early September on whether to proceed with or delay those production increases as prices slide amid concerns over global demand.

While shipments of ESPO crude piped to the Pacific terminal at Kozmino are booming, flows from two projects off Russias Sakhalin Island have slowed. Eleven Sokol cargoes have been exported since the start of July, compared with 13 in each of the two previous seven-week periods. Just two shipments have been made from the Sakhalin 2 project in the past eight weeks. Until late June, the project was sending that number every three weeks.

Russias oil refineries have boosted runs in the first half of August. If the processing rate is sustained throughout the month, it will be the highest average monthly level since July 2023.

Russia continues to put some of its sanctioned tankers back to work. The Belgorod and Bratsk, which have already shipped one cargo while under US sanctions, have taken on second loads at Novorossiysk this month. Their earlier cargoes were transferred onto the supertanker Oxis in the Gulf of Oman and are now off the Chinese port of Dalian. The Liberty, formerly NS Laguna, loaded a cargo at Primorsk and the Nevskiy Prospect is scheduled to moor there today.

Crude Shipments

A total of 27 tankers loaded 20.54 million barrels of Russian crude in the week to Aug. 18, vessel-tracking data and port-agent reports show. The volume was down from 23.04 million barrels on 30 ships the previous week.

It means Russias seaborne daily crude flows in the week to Aug. 18 fell by about 360,000 barrels to 2.93 million, the second straight weekly decrease. The drop in the weekly flow was the biggest since early July and took shipments to their third-lowest recorded this year.

Despite the sharp drop, the less volatile four-week average edged lower by only 25,000 barrels a day to 3.2 million from a revised 3.22 million the previous week. That measure had gained 80,000 barrels a day in the prior week.

Crude shipments so far this year are about 40,000 barrels a day below the average for the whole of 2023.

Russia terminated its export targets at the end of May, opting instead to restrict production, in line with its partners in the OPEC+ oil producers group. The countrys output target is set at 8.978 million barrels a day until the end of September, after which it is scheduled to rise at a rate of 39,000 barrels a day each month until September 2025, as long as market conditions allow. A decision on whether to proceed with the easing of cuts is expected early next month.

Moscow has also pledged to make deeper output cuts in October and November this year, then between March and September of 2025, to compensate for pumping above its OPEC+ quota earlier this year.

Shipments from the Sakhalin 2 project should recover in the coming weeks. The project was halted for a month for maintenance work on both oil and liquefied natural gas facilities in early July. Production was restarted in early August, the operator said in a statement. One of the projects three shuttle tankers is still out of use and a vessel is being transferred from the Sakhalin 1 project, ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Two cargoes of Kazakhstans KEBCO crude were loaded at Novorossiysk during the week.

Flows by Destination

Observed shipments to Russias Asian customers, including those showing no final destination, edged lower to 2.94 million barrels a day in the four weeks to Aug. 18. Thats about 9% below the average level seen in April.

About 1.22 million barrels a day of crude was loaded onto tankers heading to China. The Asian nations seaborne imports are boosted by about 800,000 barrels a day of crude delivered from Russia by pipeline, either directly, or via Kazakhstan.

Flows on ships signaling destinations in India averaged 1.41 million barrels a day, down from a revised 1.53 million for the period to Aug. 11.

Both the Chinese and Indian figures are likely to rise as the discharge ports become clear for vessels that are not currently showing final destinations.

The equivalent of about 250,000 barrels a day was on vessels signaling Port Said or Suez in Egypt. Those voyages typically end at ports in India or China and show up as Unknown Asia until a final destination becomes apparent.

The Other Unknown volumes, running at about 30,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to Aug. 18, are those on tankers showing no clear destination. Most originate from Russias western ports and go on to transit the Suez Canal, but some could end up in Turkey. Others may be moved from one vessel to another, with the majority of such transfers now taking place in the Mediterranean, most recently off Egypt, or near Sohar in Oman.

Russias oil flows continue to be complicated by the Greek navy carrying out exercises in an area thats become associated with the transfer of Russian crude. These naval drills have now been extended to Sep. 15. As a result, cargo switches have moved to the waters off Egypts Port Said, where two Suezmax cargoes were transferred to a larger vessel for shipment to Asia via the Cape of Good Hope.

Russias seaborne crude exports to European countries have ceased, with flows to Bulgaria halted at the end of last year. Moscow also lost about 500,000 barrels a day of pipeline exports to Poland and Germany at the start of 2023, when those countries stopped purchases.

Turkey is now the only short-haul market for shipments from Russias western ports, with flows in the 28 days to Aug. 18 little changed at about 260,000 barrels a day, the lowest since February.

Shipments to Turkey are down by about 30% from the average level seen between late February and the end of June.

Export Value

The gross value of Russias crude exports fell to $1.47 billion in the seven days to Aug. 18, from $1.56 billion in the period to Aug. 11. The lower weekly flows were partly offset by the first weekly increase in prices for Russias major crude streams in six weeks.

Export values at Baltic and Black Sea ports were up week-on-week by about $3.50 a barrel, while key Pacific grade ESPO rose by about $4 a barrel. Delivered prices in India were also up, increasing by about $3.50 a barrel, all according to numbers from Argus Media.

Four-week average income was little changed at about $1.58 billion a week. The four-week average peak of $2.17 billion a week was reached in the period to June 19, 2022.

During the first four weeks after the Group of Seven nations price cap on Russian crude exports came into effect in early December 2022, the value of seaborne flows fell to a low of $930 million a week, but soon recovered.

NOTES

This story forms part of a weekly series tracking shipments of crude from Russian export terminals and the gross value of those flows. The next update will be on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

All figures exclude cargoes identified as Kazakhstans KEBCO grade. Those are shipments made by KazTransoil JSC that transit Russia for export through Novorossiysk and Ust-Luga and are not subject to European Union sanctions or a price cap. The Kazakh barrels are blended with crude of Russian origin to create a uniform export stream. Since Russias invasion of Ukraine, Kazakhstan has rebranded its cargoes to distinguish them from those shipped by Russian companies.

Vessel-tracking data are cross-checked against port agent reports as well as flows and ship movements reported by other information providers including Kpler and Vortexa Ltd.

If you are reading this story on the Bloomberg terminal, click for a link to a PDF file of four-week average flows from Russia to key destinations.

--With assistance from Sherry Su and Grant Smith.

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This article was originally published in Oklahoma Voice.

Oklahomas top education official has dared the state House to begin impeachment proceedings against him.

Standing outside the House chamber at the Capitol, state Superintendent Ryan Walters said recent calls for an investigation into his leadership at the Oklahoma State Department of Education are mere political attacks by lawmakers eying higher office.

He urged House lawmakers to begin the impeachment process Monday morning by presenting any evidence against him to the state Senate. He said doing so would give Oklahomans clarity and put an end to lies about him.

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We do not need to wait on an investigation, Walters said after abruptly calling a news conference Friday afternoon. It is time to start the proceedings immediately.

House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, rejected the idea of impeaching an elected official.

I will not overturn the will of the people, regardless of any demands made, McCall said in a statement Friday.

Related

Ryan Walters: How a Beloved Teacher Became Oklahomas Top Culture Warrior

Walters fellow Republicans in the Legislature have been openly critical of the state superintendent in recent weeks, complaining that the Education Department is withholding funds for school security, asthma inhalers and teacher maternity leave.

They also objected to a lack of responsiveness by the Walters administration to their requests for information and to his staff blocking lawmakers from entering private meetings of the state Board of Education, despite legislators having legal authority to attend.

Walters denied any lack of transparency. He said lawmakers have publicized baseless lies about him.

House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, speaks on the House floor on May 22 at the state Capitol. (Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)

He specifically called out Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, who wrote a letter this week asking for an investigation into whether Walters committed impeachable offenses.

Walters accused McCall and McBride of trying to impeach him for political gain, despite the speaker shutting down calls for an impeachment inquiry earlier this week.

Walters claimed the speaker plans to run for governor in 2026 and said McCall aimed an attack on his biggest political opponent in that election.

The speaker wants to impeach me for political advantage in the 2026 governors race, Walters said. So then, lets start the impeachment proceedings.

McCall has not announced a gubernatorial run. Walters said he personally couldnt care less about future elections.

McBride did not immediately comment Friday afternoon.

McCall said Thursday he agreed to allow a state watchdog agency, the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency, to investigate spending concerns at the state Education Department.

LOFT is the ideal entity to examine state agency spending rather than the Legislature calling a special session to look into financial disputes, McCall said. The agency reports to the state Legislature with budget recommendations.

While Superintendent Walters may desire a path toward his own impeachment, my focus is firmly on the LOFT investigation into the Oklahoma State Department of Education, McCall said. This investigation is about ensuring taxpayer dollars are properly allocated, not targeting individuals. It is essential we understand why school districts are not receiving their required funding. My advice to Superintendent Walters is to prioritize getting resources to Oklahoma schools and improving our states education rankings, rather than engaging in political theatrics.

The state Senate wasnt involved in initiating the LOFT investigation, but it wont stand in the way of it, the chambers leader President Pro Tem Greg Treat said Friday.

While senators will need to recuse themselves from the investigation to avoid a potential conflict of interest if we have to act on the findings, I fully respect Speaker McCalls desire to move forward with an inquiry and I will not be an impediment, said Treat, R-Oklahoma City. It is my hope the House moves forward expeditiously. The Senate will stand ready to respond to any of the findings.

House Democrats have urged the Republican supermajority five times to convene a committee investigation into Walters. On Friday, they again demanded answers to fiscal and operational concerns with the state Education Department.

House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, said we need an investigative committee charged with holding (Walters) accountable to his willful neglect to do his job as state superintendent.

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.
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  During a meeting on Aug. 19, the San Angelo Independent School District Board of Trustees approved a call for a Tax Rate Election.

Proposition A, also known as the Tax Rate Election, was approved in a 6-0 vote for the Nov. 5, 2024 ballot.

Aug. 19 City Council meeting highlights

Proposition A will ask voters to either approve or disapprove the approved tax rate of 81231 cents. A press release from SAISD reported that the district tax rate will not increase for homeowners in SAISD.

Funding will be focused on two major areas including:

Recruit and retain high-quality staff

Armed officers at every campus

The official ballot language says the proposal will generate an additional $2 million, but that is just from local taxpayers, the release read. Prop A will also require the state to kick in over $4 million to San Angelo ISD, for a total of $6 million in additional revenue, annually.

SAISD Superintendent Dr. Chris Moran shared that SAISD will be reaching out to all registered voters in the district through social media, direct mail and digital advertising to ensure that voters have factual information about Proposition A.

Commissioners Court votes to maintain county tax rate through proposal

I want to thank our board of trustees and staff for all their hard work over the last several months to bring us to this point, Dr. Moran said. We remain dedicated to our mission to engage all students in a relevant and inspiring education that produces future-ready graduates.

Early voting will be held from Oct. 21 through Oct. 29. Election day will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5. More information about Proposition A will be available on the district website at www.saisd.org/PropA.

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A Baltimore County businessman who initially agreed to buy the historic Perry Hall mansion for $5,000 will no longer buy the property.

In June, the Baltimore County Council approved a contract to sell the Perry Hall Mansion to a limited liability company owned by Kingsville landscape business owner Robert Lehnhoff.

The $5,000 sale was a fraction of the mansions assessed property value, but the county was looking to sell because it could not afford to keep up the property. County property management chief Debra Shindle said the mansion, which sits on a 4-acre property, required extensive maintenance and repair before it could become habitable.

Lehnhoff declined to comment when contacted Tuesday.

If the sale had gone through, it could have included a $250,000 county grant to reimburse him for capital expenditures, with state and county approval. Lehnhoff initially said he had hoped to turn it into a bed-and-breakfast and part-time event space.

In an email sent Monday to Shindle, Lehnhoff wrote that his company had found this venture to not be feasible at this time, according to a copy obtained by The Baltimore Sun. The challenges with this property and its use within the residential community surrounding it appear to be too significant. I really appreciate everyones help with getting us to this point and I am sorry we couldnt find a way to make it work.

The mansion was built in 1773 as part of a 1,000-acre estate that first belonged to Corbin Lee, who died before its completion. Lees widow then sold it to Harry Dorsey Gough, a merchant who converted to the then-fledgling Methodist religious movement and built a chapel on the grounds. The mansion lends its name to the Perry Hall community.

Councilman David Marks, an Upper Falls Republican who represents the area, said he was disappointed at the development.

As the author of a history on Perry Hall  and the community leader who help nominated the mansion for landmark status  I want nothing more than to find an owner who will lovingly restore this property, he wrote in a statement. I am disappointed by this development, but will continue to search for the right person or entity to acquire the mansion.
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  A San Angelo man has been indicted on four charges of possession of child pornography following his arrest in early July.

A report filed within Tom Green County stated that Brent Baughman, 23, was indicted on Aug. 1 on three counts of possession of child porn with an offense date of July 4, 2024, and one count with an offense date of Dec. 5, 2023.

According to an affidavit filed in relation to the charges, a Tom Green County Sheriffs Office investigator received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on April 4. The tip provided information that Baughman had uploaded three videos and seven images containing suspected child porn via a Facebook account. The tip yielded a phone number that was attached to the Facebook account as well.

The detective reviewed all 10 media files flagged by the tip and determined that they all contained obvious child pornography.

San Angelo man indicted for allegedly strangling, hitting girlfriend

The investigator searched Baughman using the Texas Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, learning that Baughman had an address located in the 11000 block of North Grape Creek Road listed in his drivers license. After further investigation into Baughman using information provided by the CyberTip, a search warrant was executed on July 1 for the residence at the address. Baughman was found living in a small structure behind the main residence.

The investigator then interviewed Baughman. During the interview, Baughman stated that he viewed and downloaded child porn onto his phone, adding that he had a problem and needed counseling because he knew what he was doing was wrong. Baughman also said that he was led to watch child porn because he didnt have a strong male role model in his life.

Baughman told the detective that the youngest person depicted in the porn he had watched was approximately 2 years old. He stated that he had downloaded approximately 20 media files containing child pornography to his cellphone, and the age range of the children depicted was between 2 and 8 years old.

The investigator described some of the child porn found in the media files that had been provided through the CyberTip, and Baughman confirmed that he had downloaded those files to his phone.

Baughman was booked into the Tom Green County Jail on July 4, where he remains currently as of the time of publication. He has a posted bond of $165,000.

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SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  A San Angelo man has been indicted after allegedly kicking his pregnant girlfriend in the head, court records say.

A report filed in Tom Green County stated that David Dewey-Haagensen, 23, was indicted on Aug. 8 for assault of a pregnant person.

According to an arrest report created in relation to the case, San Angelo Police Department officers were dispatched to a residence in the 2900 block of San Antonio Street on June 10 in response to a domestic disturbance. Upon arriving at the scene, officers met with the victim, a woman who was described as being almost nine weeks pregnant, outside. San Angelo Fire Department medics evaluated her, but she refused to be transported to the hospital by ambulance.

The victim told law enforcement that she awoke sometime after 1 a.m. because Haagensen, her boyfriend of three years and the father to the unborn child, had been drinking and was yelling in the back room. Believing him to be upset about money, the woman attempted to calm Haagensen so as not to disturb their neighbors.

San Angelo man indicted on 4 child porn charges

The report then stated that the woman said Haagensen turned his anger towards her, and the victim admitted that she grabbed his wrists because he was waving them around and she thought he would hit her. The victim said that Haagensen placed his hand at her throat for a few seconds before she pushed his hand away, adding that she did not have problems breathing as a result of the contact.

The victim stated that she and Haagensen then ended up on the floor in the living room, where he placed his leg around her neck. The woman said that she bit Haagensens leg to avoid being choked again, after which he kicked the top of her head which caused her pain and left her head hurting.

Haagensen was booked into the Tom Green County Jail on June 10 as a result of the alleged assault. He would be arrested again on July 17 for two outstanding warrants for robbery and aggravated robbery.

Haagensen is held in the Tom Green County Jail as of the time of publication. He has a posted bond of $35,000.

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SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  The San Angelo Police Department has asked residents to avoid a section of road near the 1st Community Federal Credit Union Spur Arena after a compost pile caught flame in the area.

According to a Nixle alert sent out by the SAPD at 3:18 p.m. on Aug. 20, San Angelo drivers are asked to avoid entry to Grape Creek Road and Lake View Heroes Drive due to police and fire activity.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Photos taken by a Concho Valley Homepage reporter show first responders from the San Angelo Fire Department and the SAPD attempting to douse a fire actively burning a compost pile.







Concho Valley Homepage staff have reached out to the City of San Angelo fire marshal and the San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo Associations administration for more information but were unable to establish contact as of the time of publication.

This is a developing story. Stick with Concho Valley Homepage for updates as more information becomes available.

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SCs Clyburn calls Project 2025 Jim Crow 2.0, says Harris is prepared for this moment

In remarks that sought to honor a longtime friend, while also making a case for moving forward with a new Democratic Party standard bearer, South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn called a purported blue print for a second Donald Trump presidency Jim Crow 2.0.

Clyburn spoke on the first night of the Democratic National Convention, taking the stage before President Joe Biden addressed the crowd of party faithful in Chicago.

Biden opted to step aside from the presidential race after a poor debate performance in June against former President Donald Trump and polling showed he could not win a second term.

Mondays session was meant to honor Biden, before the Democratic Partys torch is metaphorically passed to Vice President Kamala Harris, who will accept the partys presidential nomination Thursday night.

Clyburn used his remarks to remind convention goers and viewers of the pandemic that ravaged the world and the economy during the last year of Trumps term in office.

Donald Trump mismanaged the crisis from day one, looking out for himself instead of the country, Clyburn said. Thanks to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, we reopened our schools, brought back our businesses, and restored our faith in the American can do spirit.

Clyburn, who participated in the Civil Rights movement, went on to characterize the ultra conservative Project 2025, a supposed blueprint for a second Trump term, as a Jim Crow 2.0.

Trump has sought to distance himself from Project 2025, which has authors who worked in his administration.

Clyburn then went on to shower accolades on Bidens administration.

Clyburn made references to price cuts in prescription drugs for seniors, such the cap on insulin to $35 a month for seniors on Medicare, the infrastructure bill and the PACT Act to benefit veterans, and the signing of the CHIPs and Science act during the Biden administration.

(With) President Bidens lifetime of achievement in service of his country, we owe him a great debt of gratitude, Clyburn said in a five-minute speech that followed remarks by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Clyburn and Biden have been longtime allies. When Biden won the White House in 2020, he got off to a slow start in the nominating process.

Biden lost nominating contests in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, Clyburn endorsed Biden before South Carolinas primary, where more than 60% of the Democratic electorate is Black.

Biden won South Carolina, propelling him to the nomination and then the White House.

Clyburn pointed out Harris experience as a prosecutor, state attorney general, senator and vice president as to why she should be elected to the White House.

Her experiences have prepared her for this moment, said Clyburn, the lone Democrat in South Carolinas federal delegation. While Trump has been looking out for himself and his billionaire buddies. Kamala has been fighting to lower costs for all Americans.
SCs only contested election still has no resolve. Whats going on with Atlantic Beach?

The towns new lawyer said law enforcement officers were investigating the fraudulent votes.

But, according to SLED spokeswoman Renee Wunderlich, the agency does not have an investigation related to Atlantic Beachs election.

After the contested election last fall, in 2023, the town of Atlantic Beach met again on Monday afternoon to try and decipher who their official mayor is and where to go in the future.

The citys new election lawyer from Charleston, Dwayne Green from the Pflung Law Firm, said that since their last public meeting, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has opened an investigation into the election.

Green was contacted about his statements about the alleged SLED investigation at Mondays meeting, but has not yet responded.

After less than 45 minutes of a presentation from Green, the meeting ended with no resolve as to who their mayor is or who won the town council seats.

The meeting was scheduled for three hours, and the agenda focused on reviewing the election challenge process, mayoral race updates, lawsuit updates and correspondence from Shawn Swinson.

Swinson ran for an open town council seat last year.

Following starting his political campaign, Swinson was discovered to have spent years in federal prison in Virginia for drug charges and money laundering and was accused by his landlord of owing $11,420 in unpaid rent.

Youre taking my livelihood, youre taking my investment. Youre taking everything Ive worked for, and what am I supposed to do then, Swinson told The Sun News on Oct. 12, 2023. Thats not what I came here for, I came here to establish myself.

Green said once the SLED investigation is complete, that will dictate where the commission goes from there. He also said that it would be premature for them to make a decision before they have all the evidence, including the findings of the investigation.

Because the same voters are being challenged in both cases, then thats absolutely material, he said at Mondays meeting.

That meeting is not the first that the town has held since the mayoral race last year.

Earlier this spring, the town held a special meeting about the race that lasted for five hours. At the end, they decided to hold a special election for mayor to determine the final results.

This turmoil comes after last November, when trying to recount and certify 18 challenged votes, Atlantic Beach Mayor Jake Evans fired the entire election commission, which then left the town unable to authenticate its own election results.

That action led to one mayoral candidate John David Jr. filing a lawsuit against the town with the South Carolina Supreme Court over the dissolution of the election commission, according to previous reporting.

When a Sun News reporter called Josephine Isom, the other mayoral candidate and current councilwoman, seeking comment about the matter on Jan. 11, Isom said, Girl, get off my phone, and then hung up.

The towns letter to the South Carolina Governors Office asked the state to take over the administration of the municipal election.

The letter cited reasons such as allegations of voter fraud, alleged illegal and improper conduct by a municipal election official, and various legal actions that are now pending before the Supreme Court of South Carolina.

Thomas Limehouse Jr., chief legal counsel for the governors office, wrote in a Jan. 10 response reviewed by The Sun News that the Office cannot accommodate your request for Governor McMaster to end this embarrassing episode. . . by resorting to a procedure that is not authorized by state law.

Following Limehouses correspondence, the state decided that Horry County would oversee the municipalitys future elections.

This is not the first time Atlantic Beach has struggled to determine the results of a municipal election on its own. The Sun News reported that between 2005 and 2011, the South Carolina Supreme Court had to step in for an election dispute three times.
South Carolina's state-owned utility company, Santee Cooper, wants to buy more than 150 acres in the Lowcountry, possibly for a power plant. (File Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury)

COLUMBIA  South Carolinas state-owned utility company wants to buy more than 150 acres in the Lowcountry, possibly for a future power plant.

A legislative oversight panel signed off Tuesday on Santee Coopers $3.2 million purchase of land in rural Hampton County. The site, located in an industrial park near Interstate 95, is a backup plan for the utility if its unable to partner on a proposed natural gas-fired plant with Virginia-based Dominion Energy in Colleton County.

Earlier this year, Santee Cooper sought legislative permission to partner with Virginia-based utility company Dominion Energy on a 2,000-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant, which the companies wanted to build on the site of a former coal-fired power plant along the Edisto River in Colleton County.

At the same time, legislation to allow the partnership introduced sweeping regulatory changes criticized by environmental and consumer groups.

The bill cleared the House in March and advanced in the Senate committee process without testimony from consumer advocates. But it ran into a wall of opposition on the Senate floor, with the Senate stripping the bill down to create a study committee on the issue of power generation in the state.

While Santee Cooper is considering the Hampton County land as a secondary option, Chief Commercial Officer Marty Watson said the land would have no specific designated use at this time. If legislators eventually approve the deal with Dominion Energy, Santee Cooper could still hold on to the property for future use.

Santee Cooper anticipates some significant growth on our system over the next decade or more, as we work to meet new industrial customer demand and also replace some existing coal units, the company said in a statement.

No information was available on what size or type of power plant it might consider for the site, when it might consider building on the site, whether it will need to make upgrades to nearby power transmission lines or natural gas pipelines or potential costs associated with a project on the site.

Other tenants in the industrial park  called the Southern Carolina Industrial Campus  include a distribution center for French cookware company Le Creuset and plastic maker Nupi.

In 2020, state officials announced a $314 million Agriculture Technology Campus there, which was supposed to employ 1,500 people in greenhouses growing and packaging produce. But those promises have so far failed to materialize. The original partners bailed soon after the announcement, The Post and Courier reported. Last fall, the Lowcountry Food Bank broke ground at the site.

Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, asked whether Santee Cooper has done any analysis of whether a power plant would be beneficial to the surrounding communities.

I think that its really important when we go into these rural communities where not a lot of attention is being paid, she said. I want to make sure that we are not inadvertently creating a big mess that future generations might have to be left to deal with.

Watson pledged that analysis would take place when the utility company decides how it will ultimately use the land.

Meanwhile, a House-Senate committee attempting to negotiate a compromise on the controversial energy overhaul legislation meets for the first time Thursday.

Editors Note: Changes have been made to this article to correctly reflect the status of an Agriculture Technology Campus in Hampton County.

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SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV)  Windsor Forest High School (WFHS) students were leaving for the day at 2:30 p.m. Monday when a parent coming to pick up their child saw an individual in a car who had a weapon.

The parent called the police, and the school was placed on a hard lockdown.

The identity of the two people who the Savannah-Chatham Board of Education Police Department suspects may be involved in the incident is unknown yet, but here is what they, or any violators, could face.

The car was on the campus of WFHS, so if it were students who were holding the weapon, the level of discipline depends on the type of gun involved.

Per the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) Code of Conduct, if the weapon was a handgun, the student, assuming they are in middle or high school, would face a minimum punishment of alternative placement and maximum punishment of expulsion.

Police: 12-year-old accidentally shot by family member

A middle or high school student found with firearms other than handguns, rifles or shotguns could end up in alternative placement or be turned over to police.

If the suspect is an adult, according to school district policy, they would be considered a visitor and are breaking the law.

Under Georgia law, it is illegal for any person to possess a weapon in a school safety zone with a weapon being defined as a pistol, revolver, or any weapon designed or intended to propel a missile of any kind

In the case at Windsor Forest High, the weapon was allegedly spotted in a vehicle.

The weapons carrier would need to own it legally, and it must have been in a locked compartment in order to be within the confines of school district policy.

If the person brought the weapon on campus illegally, they could face a misdemeanor penalty of up to $1,000, up to one year in jail, or both.

Depending on how dangerous the weapon is, the violator faces a fine of up to $10,000, a prison term between five and ten years, or both.

SCCPSS says there will be additional security at WFHS for the rest of this week, which is standard protocol for threat incidents such as this.

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed high regard for US presidential candidate Kamala Harris during an interview with the TV channel Sat 1 for a special political programme.

"I know her well. She would certainly make a very good president," Scholz said during the interview, which is to be broadcast on Tuesday evening.

Scholz did not answer the question of whether Harris, a Democrat, would be a better choice for Germany as US president than her rival, Republican Donald Trump.

However, he did say, "Kamala Harris is a very good politician who will stick to what is important for us, with good cooperation across the Atlantic, between the USA and Europe, between the USA and Germany."
Scientists issue urgent warning after finding coastal sites at severe flood risk  here's what you need to know

The Union of Concerned Scientists has issued a stark warning about the future of coastal areas across the United States as sea levels continue to rise.

This group expects critical infrastructure to be at serious risk, with 1,600 buildings liable to flood twice a year between now and 2050.

What's happening?

The group's report has revealed that public and affordable housing, emergency services, electrical substations, and brownfields along U.S. coastlines are at real risk of regular flooding in the coming decades.

Rising sea levels, as a result of human-caused global heating, are accelerating, and a lot of the infrastructure in coastal areas was "built for a climate that no longer exists," per the UOCS.

Increasingly heavy and long-lasting storms are an additional concern that could exacerbate the issue, but even without these extreme weather events  made worse by planet-warming pollution from transportation, agriculture, and fashion industries, among others  coastal areas are still susceptible to seawater intrusion.

Why are rising sea levels concerning?

The most at-risk states include Louisiana, New Jersey, Florida, Maryland, and California, with nearly 703 communities expected to be affected by 2050.

The infrastructure at risk is estimated to serve around 2.9 million people, cutting people off from their homes, schools, and emergency services.

Meanwhile, disadvantaged communities are expected to shoulder most of the burden.

"On average, disadvantaged communities contain roughly twice as many at-risk infrastructure assets per capita as nondisadvantaged communities, and more than 70 percent of the public housing at risk is located in disadvantaged communities," the report detailed.

The report follows the release of an interactive map from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that details areas of the United States most at risk from sea-level rise.

What can be done about sea-level rise?

Among the main causes of rising sea levels is human-caused pollution. As the UOCS noted, heat-trapping gases cause land-based ice to shrink, allowing meltwater to enter oceans. What's more, higher ocean temperatures encourage water to expand, which makes the situation worse.

Unfortunately, the UOCS paints a bleak picture of the polluting impact of humans.

"Even if all heat-trapping emissions worldwide ceased today, the past emissions alone ensure a continued rise in sea levels," the organization said.

But that shouldn't stop us from striving to cut pollution as much as possible. The report calls for resilience investments, especially for disadvantaged communities, as well as resettlement resources.

We can also help by drastically reducing the pollution we produce on a daily basis. Whether that's swapping a gas-guzzling car for a cleaner electric model, cutting our consumption of meat, or switching to pollution-free sources of energy like solar and wind power, we can still make a difference in protecting vulnerable coastal areas and the nation as a whole.

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Neil Gray, Scotland's Health Secretary, visited the Skylark IX Recovery Trust, at which people with addiction issues help care for a Dunkirk small boat, on Tuesday to mark the publication of the NRS statistics - Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

Drug deaths in Scotland rose by 12 per cent last year despite Nicola Sturgeons pledge it was her national mission to tackle the scandal.

The number of fatalities rose to 1,172  more than quadruple the total at the turn of the century  according to figures from National Records of Scotland (NRS).

Scotlands drug death rate remained by far the highest in Europe  almost triple the next worst country and 2.7 times the figure in England and Northern Ireland. It was also more than double the rate in Wales.

Opioids accounted for 80 per cent of all deaths, with more users dying after taking the prescribed heroin substitute methadone (514) than heroin and morphine combined (389).

Nicola Sturgeon, whose tenure as first minister covered the period to which the statistics relate - Fraser Bremner/Pool/Getty Images

The Scottish Tories said the shocking and shameful figures were Ms Sturgeons legacy. The former first minister admitted during the 2021 Holyrood election campaign her government had taken its eye off the ball.

The same year, she announced her administrations national mission would be tackling the scandal. However, she stepped down at the end of March last year, with the new figures covering the final few months of her tenure.

Douglas Ross, the outgoing Scottish Tory leader, said the rise showed the SNP Governments approach is simply not working and urged ministers to back his Right to Recovery Bill. This would enshrine in law a right to rehabilitation treatment for all those who need it.

Shocking and shameful

Mr Ross said: These figures are shocking and shameful. Drug deaths continue to be Scotlands national shame on the SNPs watch.

Behind this heartbreaking increase in drug deaths are families grieving the loss of loved ones, and my thoughts are with all of them.

Scotlands drug deaths rate is by far the worst in Europe and the SNPs approach is simply not working. Several years ago Nicola Sturgeon admitted she took her eye off the ball on tackling this emergency but deaths have continued to increase since then.

The figures showed the death toll increased by 121 last year. Although the total was the second lowest recorded since 2017, it remained at historically high levels. Since the SNP took power in 2007, the total has almost tripled from 455.

Scotland averaged 277 deaths per million people aged between 15 and 64 last year. The next highest countries in Europe were Estonia with 95 deaths and Norway with 86 deaths.

Those living in the poorest part of Scotland were more than 15 times as likely to die from drug misuse compared to those in the richest.

After adjusting for age, Glasgow and Dundee had the highest death rates, while East Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire had the lowest.

The UKs first official consumption room for illegal drugs is expected to open later this year in the east end of Glasgow.

Most of the overall rise in the death toll was accounted for by a 16 per cent rise in fatalities among males. Men were twice as likely to die from drugs as women.

Although opioids such as heroin and methadone were the main drugs used, the proportion of deaths where benzodiazepines were present has risen from 26 per cent in 2008 to 58 per cent last year. These types of drugs are used to treat anxiety disorders, insomnia and seizures.

There has also been a sharp rise, from 371 in 2022 to 479 last year, in the number of deaths where cocaine was present.

The NRS said the proportion of deaths where cocaine was a factor has surged from only six per cent 15 years ago to 41 per cent.

Strategy fails to save lives

Neil Gray, the Scottish Health Secretary, said: My heartfelt condolences go to all those affected by the loss of a loved one through drugs.

This level of deaths remains hugely concerning and underlines why we will continue to do all we can to reduce harm and deaths caused by drugs.

He insisted the national mission had led to much being achieved in a short space of time, with projects delivered on an unprecedented scale making a real difference to people.

But Anne-Marie Ward, the chief executive of Faces and Recovery UK, said: We are in the midst of a tragedy of unimaginable proportions, yet the Scottish Government persists with a strategy that has repeatedly failed to save lives.

The provision of community rehabilitation, community and residential detox services, and in-patient residential rehabilitation remains woefully inadequate.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Scott Childers officially resigned as sheriff for Ray County, Missouri on Monday.

In 2020, Childers took over the sheriffs seat. But earlier this year, he was removed from office after a lawsuit from the Missouri Attorney Generals Office, alleging Childers knowingly allows detainees to leave the county jail.

Three cases of Legionnaires disease confirmed in Missouri

The lawsuit also accused Childers of inappropriately using inmates to work on his and his friends properties  including people who have contributed to his campaign. The lawsuit said Childers even posted about it on social media.

According to a news release from Missouri Attorney General Andrew Baileys office, as part of the finalized settlement agreement, Childers has resigned from his position effective Monday, Aug. 19, and has been stripped of his Peace Officer Standards and Training certification and will not be allowed to serve in Missouri law enforcement ever again.

Childers posted a video on Facebook Monday announcing his resignation and saying that after losing in the Aug. 6 primary election for sheriff against Gary Blackwell, there was no use to keep fighting the quo warranto.

I had to put what was best for my familys interest first and thats not to keep spending money on something that really doesnt matter at this point, he added.

Childers went on to say that none of the allegations in the lawsuit were proven.

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If anything like that happened, it was without my acknowledgement, he continued. Ive always done things the right way, Ive made plenty of mistakes, but Ive admitted to those.

The Missouri Attorney Generals Office said it will dismiss the lawsuit.

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CHICAGO, I.L. (KELO)  More than four thousand delegates are convening in Chicago this week to recognize Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for president. That includes delegates from South Dakota who are excited about what lies ahead.

Being at the DNC is an incredible opportunity and an honor. To be able to represent South Dakota in this capacity is not a light opportunity, SD delegate chair Jessica Meyers said. And the energy here is just so positive. It really shows that America is ready to move on from such divisive behavior that weve seen in the last few election cycles.

We are so excited for the Harris/Walz ticket, SD delegate Kameron Nelson said. You know, Governor Tim Walz from Minnesota, our neighbors to the east. Just really excited to have some Midwest spirit, roll up our sleeves and get the job done. With Harris at the top of the ticket, we couldnt ask for a better ticket.

The theme for the first day of the convention is For the People.

Speakers are expected to pay tribute to President Joe Biden, who will also give a speech Monday night.

Sioux Falls story featured on CBS Mornings

Less than a month ago, Biden dropped out of the presidential race and passed the torch to Harris.

I think it was a very courageous decision that he made. Its a very tough decision, SD delegate Mohamed Mohamed said. You know, ambition is going to drive you and to put all that aside and say, I want to save this country and make sure that we have a better future in the future, is very courageous.

I am so grateful for the work that he has done, Meyers said. Specifically in South Dakota, his infrastructure investment into our state is changing all four corners of our state with water projects, with roads and bridges, with support all through the pandemic. The Biden Administration will go down in history as one of the administrations thats been the most supportive to rural communities.

The Democratic Party released its platform ahead of the convention.

It includes support for raising the federal minimum wage to 15 dollars per hour, making the child tax credit permanent, and creating protections for IVF and abortion services.

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On Friday, United States Coast Guard Cutter Healy returned to Seattle after completing a two-month scientific expedition in the Arctic Ocean.

With a mission to better understand the Arctics changing ecosystem, the crew aboard the Healy conducted over 150 studies that focused on the ocean conditions and its marine life.

Healys crew and scientific researchers completed valuable data collection efforts, demonstrating exceptional skill in managing emergencies in remote, ice-covered waters, Capt. Michele Schallip, Healys commanding officer said.

But the voyage was not without a few hiccups as the Healy experienced an electrical fire that affected its propulsion systems, forcing it to return to Seattle before returning to the Arctic.

While transiting to a collection site, we suffered a fire on a transformer, Capt. Schallip said. I am immensely proud of the crew for quickly extinguishing the fire and limiting damage to that equipment.

The crew suffered no injuries due to the fire.

The research mission took Healy to the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas to collect observations of marine mammals and birds.

The scientific research supports the Arctic Observation Network, which the U.S. National Science Foundation funds.

The Healy is the U.S. Coast Guards largest ice breaker, capable to breaking through 4.5 feet of ice and working in temperatures as low as -50 degrees Fahrenheit.








Second layer of security fencing added outside United Center for Day 2 of DNC

CHICAGO  Day One of the Democratic National Convention was marked by protests, both inside and outside of the United Center.

Crews have been reinforcing the perimeter around the area in preparation for the second day of the convention. They have added a second layer of fencing, concrete barriers and brackets to ensure the fences remain secure and cannot be easily dismantled.

These measures were implemented after protestors breached a security fence Monday afternoon near Wolcott Avenue and Washington Street.

On Tuesday, city officials said 13 people were arrested at that incident.

More: Illinois to take center stage at Day 2 of DNC

Before that, the demonstrations began peacefully at Union Park, where more than 200 organizations from across the country united to make their voices heard.

They addressed issues like reproductive rights, racial equality, immigration and poverty.

But the primary focus of the protests was advocating for a cease-fire in Gaza.

Protestors break through portion of security barrier on first night of DNC

But as the crowd marched and reached Park #578, roughly a block from the United Center, a group of protestors split-off. Some of them managed to break through a section of the outer perimeter security fencing.

Soon after, Chicago police, equipped in riot gear, intervened and arrested those who had gotten through.

Chicago police reported two of its officers were hurt by protestors who breached security and assaulted them.

Demonstrators claimed their intent in getting close was to ensure their message was heard clearly by Democratic leaders inside the convention hall.

Inside the United Center, some protesting delegates displayed a banner that said Stop Arming Israel during President Joe Bidens speech Monday night.

They were escorted out, but a Jewish delegate from Michigan explained that his actions were motivated by a desire to end the war in Gaza.

More demonstrations are set to take place throughout the week, including a pro-Palestinian protest that will be held outside the Israeli Consulate on Tuesday night.

Metra announced that it would be closing the entrance to the Ogilvie Transportation Center, from Accenture Tower at 500 West Madison Street, on Tuesday evening due to the planned protest.

The protest is scheduled to take place at the Israeli Consulate, which is located in Accenture Tower, at 7 p.m.

The group behind the protest, Behind Enemy Lines, shared a post on Instagram on July 18, which detailed the specifics of the protest and read Make it great like 68! Shut down the DNC for Gaza!

Metra officials said Union Pacific commuters looking to board trains are advised to enter through the French Market doors one block north on Clinton Street.

After more than a year of planning, Chicago is at the center of the political spotlight this week as host of the 2024 Democratic National Convention.



Day 3 Recap:

Walz accepts Democratic nomination for vice president: Its the honor of my life

Police and FBI investigate maggot incident at DNC breakfast in Chicago

Residents in shadow of United Center tire of DNC disruptions

Illinois student journalists get firsthand experience at the DNC

Blue Carpet: DNC delegates make fashion statements to stand out in the crowd

Crowds of pro-Palestinian protesters rally, march outside Democratic conventions 3rd night

Photos: Celebs spotted at the DNC

The convention runs through Thursday. Chicago has hosted Democrats 12 times, the last being nearly 30 years ago when President Bill Clinton was nominated for a second term.



WGN Cover Story: Why Chicago has hosted more presidential conventions than any other city.

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CHICAGO - We caught up with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont who is in the Windy City for the Democratic National Convention. Four days of events are underway, leading up to Vice President Kamala Harris' acceptance speech for the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday.

Here are three takeaways:

Bernie Sanders on Kamala Harris economic plan

Harris unveiled a plan last week which includes plans to ease rent increases, cap prescription drug prices for everyone, boost first-time homebuyers, end grocery price gouging and bolster the child tax credit.

Sanders said he was "impressed" and would like to see the details fleshed out soon.

I think we still have a long way to go, but I think it's an excellent start, he said.

The Biden administration announced this month that Medicare had negotiated discounts with pharmaceutical companies on 10 drugs prescribed to treat blood clots, cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Consumers will get a break on the medications' list prices beginning in 2026.

I hope that the day will come soon under a President Harris, where we're not going to pay any more than other countries, which means lowering prescription drug costs in half, he said.

Harris' plan to build 3 million housing units is an important addition to solve the house shortage crisis, he said.

Bernie Sanders on Israel-Hamas war and U.S. aid

While he has been a staunch supporter of what Biden and Harris have done on domestic issues, on this issue, I think the president is wrong, he said.

Israel had a right to defend itself against this horrible Hamas terrorist attack, but it did not have the right to go to war against the entire Palestinian people, he said. And now creating a situation where tens and tens of thousands of children face starvation because Israel is not letting humanitarian aid come through.

I believe that we should not be giving another nickel to (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's right-wing extremist government, he said.

Bernie Sanders on progressive members of the Democratic primaries losing

Reps. Jamaal Bowman, D-New York, and Cori Bush, D-Missouri, all members of the informal group of House lawmakers known as the "Squad," were booted by more moderate Democrats.

Both have been vocal critics of the Israels war in Gaza. Pro-Israel PACs have been credited with some of those losses.

Asked if the progressive wing of the party was weakening, Sanders pointed to Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, who defeated a primary challenger.

We have a campaign finance system today which is corrupt, he said, blaming the defeats of Bush and Bowman on super PACs. And that is not, to me, what democracy is about.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bernie Sanders talks Harris' plan; squad members' primary loss
Sen. Chuck Schumer hailed Kamala Harris on Tuesday and said he had never seen his party more unified as he prepared to take his turn addressing the Democratic National Convention.

The Senate majority leader said the presumptive Democratic nominee is proven, primed and prepared to defeat former President Trump and said the party was ready to put all differences aside to drive her to victory in November.

Kamala has been great at getting things done, especially for working families, Schumer told the New York Daily News from Chicago. Shes proven herself, shes primed for success and shes prepared to defeat Trump.

Schumer said he is a veteran of Democratic conventions since 1980. But in four-plus decades, the Brooklyn lawmaker said hes never seen an atmosphere of single-minded purpose like this gathering.

Ive not found a convention more focused, excited and more unified, Schumer said. Everyone is coming together from the most liberal to the most moderate.

We are showing America what it means to be a big tent party, he added.

Schumer is expected to speak to the DNC at 9:15 p.m. Eastern time, although Mondays schedule ran significantly later.

He is the third major New York political figure to speak after Gov. Kathy Hochul and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke Monday. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is also expected to address the convention later.

Schumer knows he cant compete with Ocasio-Cortez when it comes to lighting a fire under younger and progressive viewers.

But he does plan to convey to Democrats that they chose the right course when the party quickly united behind Harris after President Biden decided to step aside and endorse her to be his successor.

Hes hoping the reset campaign can catapult Democrats not only back to the White House but to win control of the House and Senate as well.

Schumer said he would deliver two main messages in his speech: one backing Harris and one attacking Trump.

Kamala Harris will do so much for the middle class. You can see it in what shes proposed to help new homebuyers and to ease prescription drug prices, he said. Thats been her focus.

But the second part is that Trump would be an absolute disaster, Schumer said. You can see the unity here among Democrats from across the party. But he is the complete opposite: he exists to divide people. Thats what he does.

Like millions of Democrats, Schumer said he watched rapt as Biden belted out a rousing farewell speech in which he reminded Americans about the achievement of his administration and handed the baton to Harris and a new generation of leaders.

Joe Biden will go down in history as a true patriot and one of the greatest leaders of our time, Schumer tweeted early Tuesday. Thank you, @JoeBiden.

_____
Montpelier, VT- The Montpelier community is mourning the death of State Senator William Bill Doyle, who served the community for over 48 years in the state legislature.

Doyle died last Thursday at the age of 98 while at Mayo Healthcare in Northfield. He became a State Senator in 1969, representing Washington County. According to his obituary, Doyles legacy includes the Doyle Survey, which received thousands of responses each year, and reflects his commitment to addressing the issues facing Vermonters.

After attending Princeton University, Doyle gained his Masters and Doctoral degrees in education from Columbia University. When he wasnt working to better peoples lives in the state legislature, he was working to better his students lives in the classroom. Doyle worked as a Professor of Political Science at Johnson State College for 60 years, and according to his obituary, he inspired over 60 of his students to run for office, with 30 of them being elected.

In a statement, Gov. Phil Scott said Doyle was instrumental in the beginning of his legislative career, and he was always impressed by the number of events he committed himself to attending. Senator Doyle was an institution, said Scott, A beloved teacher to decades of Vermont students and mentor to hundreds of legislators, including me. Serving Washington County with Bill was a real privilege.

Montpelier Mayor Jack McCullough says he was a well-known figure in the community. Everyone in Montpelier knew Bill Doyle, said McCullough, This week, I encourage everyone to pause when they see the flag at half-staff and remember Bills long life of service to our community.

A staff member at Mayo Healthcare said of Doyle, He always made us feel special and lifted our spirits. A celebration of life will be held at a later date, and the family asks that instead of flowers, donations be made to the Vermont Community Foundations Flood Response and Recovery Fund.

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ATLANTA, Ga. (WSAV)Senator Jon Ossoff announced that he will be delivering two federal grants in hopes to help accelerate the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Ossoff will be giving $3,096,047 to LanzaJet and $240,000 to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport through the Federal Aviation Administration to help accelerate the development SAF, strengthen American energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Georgia.

LanzaJet is a sustainable aviation fuel producer who is receiving funding to support their new production facility in Soperton, Georgia. The press release said that the money help install new storage tanks, which are expected to help produce hundreds of thousands of gallons of sustainable aviation fuel annually.

LanzaJet is grateful to be a recipient of a FAA FAST grant. Federal support for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) will be critical as we help to transform an 80+ year-old fossil fuel industry, the CEO of LanzaJet, Jimmy Samartzis, said. SAF is the best opportunity aviation has to decarbonize and funding from this program helps advance the entire industry providing an incredible opportunity to aviation, and to the farmers across America who are growing the feedstocks critical to supporting the SAF industry with feedstock and ethanol. LanzaJet is leading the way with the worlds only ethanol-to-SAF plant in Soperton, GA.

The money going to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to strengthen the regional supply chains and infrastructure needed to deploy sustainable aviation fuels at the airport, the busiest in the world, according to the press release.

As the busiest airport in the world, we recognize the importance of advancing technology and sustainability initiatives, said Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Interim General Manager Jan Lennon. This grant will allow us to pursue initiatives in sustainable aviation fuel deployment at ATL to maintain our position as a leader in the industry.

The press release said that Ossoff plans to continue working to strengthen American energy security and advance new aviation fuel technology. The release also mentions that earlier this year, Ossoffs bipartisan Hydrogen Aviation Strategy Act became law to advance the study and development of hydrogen energy for use in aviation.

I congratulate LanzaJet and the City of Atlanta on this new Federal funding and their innovative efforts to make aviation more sustainable, Ossoff said. Georgia should lead the nation in clean energy and renewable energy technology, and LanzaJet and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are a key part of that effort.

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This award is not mine alone," Erin McLeod said. "It reflects the dedication of everyone at Senior Friendship Centers and the rest of Southwest Florida community who work tirelessly to ensure that we build a society where everyone is seen, heard, and valued.

Erin McLeod, president and CEO of Senior Friendship Centers, was honored last week with the The Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing exceptional dedication and service to the community over the past 20 years.

The Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award  the highest achievement in the Presidential Volunteer Service Award Program  was presented on Aug. 14 during a ceremony at SFCs Sarasota Campus. The award was established in 2002 by President George H. W. Bush during his State of the Union Address and recognizes U.S. citizens who exemplify a high level of humanitarian assistance to their communities and the nation.

Erin McLeod has dedicated two decades to supporting seniors throughout Southwest Florida.

Erins continued endeavor to strive toward the more perfect union our forefathers envisioned makes her a deserving recipient of this honor, said Dr. Jennifer M. Pilate, certifying agent for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award Program on behalf of AmeriCorps, Points of Light, and the White House. Her leadership and compassion serve as a powerful example of how one individual can make a profound difference in the community.

McLeod has dedicated two decades to enriching the lives of more than 10,000 seniors throughout Southwest Florida. As only the second CEO since the organizations founding in 1973, McLeod has addressed societal biases against aging to ensure seniors are respected, valued, and have access to essential resources.

This award is not mine alone; it reflects the dedication of everyone at Senior Friendship Centers and the rest of Southwest Florida community who work tirelessly to ensure that we build a society where everyone is seen, heard, and valued, McLeod said.

Senior Friendship Centers CEO and Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Erin McLeod (front) is joined, from left, by Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert; Sarasota Chamber president Heather Kasten; Jennifer M. Pilate, certifying agent for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award Program; and Felton Pilate, president of United Spirits Media Group.

In addition to SFC board members, volunteers, and staff, more than 150 local, regional, and state leaders turned out to honor McLeod, including Sarasota City Mayor Liz Alpert, who proclaimed Aug. 14 as Erin McLeods Day"; Heather Kasten, president and CEO of the Sarasota County Chamber of Commerce; Kathy Silverberg, vice chair of the SFC board of directors and former Southern Region publisher for the Herald-Tribune; Felton Pilate, Grammy Award winner and president of United Spirits Media Group; and SFC Chief Development Officer Declan Sheehy.

Erin has dedicated 20 years to improving the lives of seniors in Southwest Florida, and we were thrilled to be a part of the nominating process and see her recognized nationally for this life-changing work, Sheehy said.

McLeod has been an active community volunteer from a young age. She currently serves on the board of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and Empath LIFE (PACE) and is board chair for Doctors Hospital of Sarasota. On the state level, McLeod is president-elect for the Florida Council on Aging and a member of the Aging Society of America, the National Council on Aging, and the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs. She is also a longtime volunteer at Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota.

More than 150 local, regional, and state leaders turned out to honor Erin McLeod, including Sarasota City Mayor Liz Alpert, who proclaimed Aug. 14 as Erin McLeods Day"

"I hope this recognition inspires others to continue serving our community," McLeod said. "Every day, I am inspired by the resilience and wisdom of the seniors we serve and the incredible people I have the honor to work with. This recognition only strengthens my commitment to bringing more joy to their lives."

McLeod earned a degree in public relations from the University of Florida. Prior to Senior Friendship Centers, her career included consulting, health care, and hospitality. McLeod grew up in central Florida and has lived in Sarasota since 1983. She married her college sweetheart, Craig, and they have two grown children, Collin and Meggan, and two granddaughters, Ellie and Alice.

Submitted by Jodel Velarde

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Tireless advocate for seniors earns Presidential Achievement Award
MONROE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  A Monroe man accused of scheming victims of over $200,000 after presenting himself as a wealthy investor is headed to prison, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of North Carolina announced on Tuesday.

Monroe resident Christon Brewer, 39, will serve nearly three years in prison after pleading guilty in June of last year to wire fraud charges.

Court records stated that from 2018 through 2022 Brewer presented himself as a wealth investor and was involved in a scheme that defrauded at least ten victims out of more than $200,000 by promising to invest money in the stock market.

Records stated that instead of investing the money he used the money on lifestyle purchases. He is currently out on bond and will be ordered to report to prison after a facility is designated, federal officials said.

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Seven candidates file for three open seats on the Wichita Falls City Council

All three Wichita Falls City Council races on the Nov. 5 ballot will be contested.

As of the close of filing at 5 p.m. Monday, Austin Cobb, Larry Nelson and Sam Pak had filed to run for the council at-large seat. Cobb is a political newcomer who has amassed considerable funding for his campaign.

Nelson is the incumbent District 2 councilor who decided to run for the at-large seat that represents the entire city.

All open seats in the Nov. 5 Wichita Falls City Council elections will be contested.

Pak made an unsuccessful run for the District 4 seat in November 2023.

Two women filed to run for the District 2 seat. They were Crystal Washington and Naomi Barron. However, Washington rescinded her application on Monday.

Robert W. Brooks filed for District 2 late on Monday.

In the District 1 race, Whitney Flack will face Oscar Verduzco, who is a write-in candidate.

More: Sunday wildfire burns nearly 1,000 acres in Wichita County

More: Old dollar store to become new meat market

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Seven candidates file for three open seats on the Wichita Falls City Council
Students will see security upgrades as they return to class in Xenia.

>>WHIO BACK TO SCHOOL MAIN PAGE

As reported Tuesday on News Center 7 Daybreak, Xenias superintendent described those changes.

Gabe Lofton told News Center 7 that safety is always their top priority.

He said the main security upgrades were on the exterior walls of the building.

The high school added upgraded doors and windows, both feature stronger safety glass than before.

Lofton said they also added a visitor management system to better keep track of who is coming in and out of the building.

He added that there are even more security upgrades.

Weve totally done upgrades as it relates to our camera system and our security system, so students who come back to Xenia High School this fall, said Lofton. Well see a different, different school in so many ways, said Lofton.

He added that students will also see new things coming to their media center. The district is renovating it.
HONOLULU (KHON2)  A Waianae family picking up the pieces after their home caught fire over the weekend.

Several pets were killed during the fire, now they have a warning for other pet owners.

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From the outside of their home, everything looks fine.

But even before walking in, the acrid smell of charred wood hits you, that campfire odor hanging heavy in the air, clinging to everything.

Yuka and Ryo Nagaokas home caught fire Saturday August 17 while they were out to lunch with their kids.

Up close and personal with legendary radio host Michael W. Perry

Damage is estimated at $95,000.

While no one was home at that time, Yuka Nagaoka is devastated, because half of their beloved family pets died in the fire.

Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news

We had eight dogs and six cats. I lost three dogs and four cats, she said holding back tears.

A true animal lover, Nagaoka has been fostering and adopted many animals over the past two decades.

I go inside, and I see, I see my babies I lost, she said with tears rolling down her cheeks. I still see them and then its just got so many memories in there.

DNC pushes to expand the role of social workers

Coco, Ace, Sena, Ruby and Shadow survived because they were outside the house at the time of the fire.

Two kittens also survived and are now in foster care.

A neighbor has opened up her home to the Nagaoka family so they can be close to home to care for their dogs.

I felt like this was my last moment: Ewa woman after being attacked by over 15 dogs

When we talk about the dogs that we have, of course, its not going to be covered by the insurance, and what kind of hotel is going to accept us to stay with the five big dogs? Nobody, Yuka said.

She said it costs $3000 a week to board three of them and it could take a year to fix their home. They simply cant afford it.

Hawaiis single parents caught in beleaguering cycle: Report

According to Honolulu Fire Department investigators, the cause of the fire has been deemed accidental, and they believe that it all started on the electric stove.

Yuka said investigators told her the cats likely knocked over a bag of dog biscuits by the stove and somehow turned the stove on.

You can see some of the dog food, all the ashes over here, Nagaoka said pointing to the stove.

Its not uncommon to to hear of pets that are left alone at home, especially to knock things over and turn on the stove, you know, accidentally, Honolulu Fire Department Captain Malcom Medrano explained.

Medrano wanted to remind everyone to keep combustibles far away from the stove, and pets out of the kitchen.

Nagaoka is urging pet owners to be extra cautious.

I just dont want anybody experience the same things that weve been through, she said.

The Nagaokas have created a GoFundMe to help cover the costs of caring for their dogs and other expenses. Click here if you would like to make a donation.

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Former Denver public safety chief Murphy Robinson will represent hunters and anglers on the state wildlife commission. (Gazette file photo)
Shapiro says Scott Perry full of s for trying to contest Bidens 2020 victory but not his own

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) called Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) full of s for contesting President Bidens win in the state during the 2020 election but not his own reelection win.

In the U.S. House, I think we not only have an opportunity to protect incumbents like [Reps.] Susan Wild, Matt Cartwright, Chris Deluzio, and Im spending a lot of energy doing that, but mark my words: I think we got a chance to beat Scott Perry, Shapiro told reporters Tuesday during the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Perry has been a subject of interest in the Justice Departments probe looking into former President Trump and his allies efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Perrys communications have been turned over to investigators.

Biden won the state of Pennsylvania in 2020 by just more than a percentage point.

This is a guy who literally went to the floor of the United States House of Representatives on Jan. 6 after the mob that he encouraged left the floor, and he rose to his feet and lied about Pennsylvania. And said that the ballot that returned him to Congress was lawful, but the ballot that sent Joe Biden to the White House was not, Shapiro said.

He is absolutely, fundamentally full of s he continued. The people of Pennsylvania know that, and Im going to do everything in my power to defeat that guy. He is not a real patriot, and he is not someone who deserves a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Hes offended the good people of Pennsylvania, and hes offended me.

Matt Beynon, a campaign spokesperson for Perry, hit back at Shapiro, suggesting the Democrat was sore about losing a chance to be Vice President Harriss running mate.

We know Governor Shapiro is still reeling after seeing his lifelong dream of being on a presidential ticket dashed by the radical wing of his party, Beynon told The Hill in a statement. Maybe he should mind his own house rather than slandering a decorated veteran and public servant.

Shapiro was on the shortlist for Harriss running mate, but she instead went with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a development that played out amid some progressives concerns over Shapiros stance on the Israel-Hamas war.

Shapiro has also been floated as a potential 2028 White House challenger.

Perry is running against Janelle Stelson, a former local news anchor and former Republican. Stelson is a part of the House Democrats campaign arms Red to Blue program as they look to flip the seat back.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates Perrys seat as lean Republican.

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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) slammed former President Trump on Monday, saying that he has no credibility to speak about antisemitism.

Shapiro was on the shortlist to be Vice President Harriss running mate in the weeks before she announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) would join her ticket. On Monday, MSNBCs Joy Reid asked him to respond to some Republicans claims that he was ultimately not chosen because of his Jewish faith.

Well, look, the person leading that effort to inject that into the dialogue is Donald Trump, someone who has absolutely no credibility to speak about antisemitism or hatred or bigotry in any form because he is someone who pushes that into the dialogue. He is someone who divides Americans, Shapiro said.

The battle to join Harriss ticket became ugly as several progressives criticized Shapiro over his position on the Israel-Hamas war and the handling of pro-Palestinian protests. The attacks prompted criticism from his supporters and other Jewish Democrats, who suggested he was being unfairly targeted because he is Jewish.

Shapiro then referenced Trumps comments following the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017. Trump initially condemned the white supremacists but received backlash when he said there was blame on both sides, as well as very fine people on both sides.

There were not good people on both sides. Donald Trump is someone who pushes hate and bigotry into our politics, and so I will not be lectured, and no one should be lectured by Donald Trump on that, Shapiro said.

Kamala Harris talks out of both sides of her mouth to appease Hamas sympathizers while Democrats have emboldened antisemitic protests on college campuses, Trump Campaign Communications Director Steven Cheung told The Hill.

In contrast, President Trump has stood firmly with Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East, reaching many historic achievements like the Abraham Accords, moving the United States Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, eliminating Qasem Soleimani, ending the horrific Iran Nuclear Deal, as well as combatting anti-Semitism in America and abroad.

Story was updated at 9:49 p.m. ET

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Sharks are taking a bite out of anglers catch in the Gulf of Mexico, but culling isnt likely to help

Fishermen across the Gulf of Mexico are reporting that something is eating fish off their lines. Whats to blame? Many recreational anglers point a finger at sharks.

This conflict has caught politicians attention. Congress has directed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which regulates fishing in U.S. waters, to review shark and dolphin interactions with fisheries, and the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the SHARKED Act, which would create a task force to address the problem.

Ive studied this conflict, which is formally called depredation, for the past decade. While some shark populations in the Gulf of Mexico, such as bull sharks, are increasing, my colleagues and I have found evidence that human perceptions are also an important factor.

Sharky waters

The Gulf of Mexico is home to more than 70 species of sharks  and those are just the ones that scientists know about. The field of shark research has grown dramatically in recent decades, and new species are still being discovered.

For example, the American pocket shark, which is literally pocket-size, wasnt discovered until 2019. This tiny shark lives in deep water far from shore and secretes a glowing blue fluid from small pocket glands near its front fins, for a purpose scientists have yet to determine.

Many other species, including bull sharks and sandbar sharks, are found in coastal waters. This creates the potential for conflict with anglers.

Shark predation on captured fish isnt new. In Ernest Hemingways 1952 Pulitzer Prize-winning novella The Old Man and the Sea, an aging Cuban fisherman struggles to catch a giant marlin, only to see it eaten by sharks on his voyage home.

An angler holds the remains of a good-sized grouper. Trey Spearman, CC BY-ND

Hemingway himself contended with shark depredation as he attempted to land bluefin tuna in Bimini, the Bahamas. Kip Farrington, a longtime Field & Stream magazine editor and Hemingway confidante, noted that none of these magnificent fish have ever been boated near Bimini unmarked by sharks. Today, anglers often refer to sharks as the tax man.

Humans preying on sharks

Sharks have been harvested commercially in the Gulf since the 1930s. Catches increased during World War II, partly because shark livers were used in the production of Vitamin A, and declined after 1950 with the development of synthetic vitamins.

Shark catches surged again in the 1980s, encouraged by federal regulators, who saw sharks as an underutilized resource. Yet within a decade, scientists determined that several stocks of Gulf sharks were overfished, including sandbar sharks and dusky sharks.

In 1993, NOAA issued the first federal fishery management plan for sharks in U.S. waters of the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico. These regulations created a pathway to rebuild stocks by requiring permits and establishing recreational trip limits and commercial catch quotas.

Today, many of the Gulfs overfished shark stocks are recovering. As evidence grows that sharks are an important component of healthy oceans, this is a conservation success story. However, many anglers blame increases in depredation on regulations enacted to rebuild shark populations.

Shifting baselines

Experts agree that there are more sharks in the Gulf of Mexico today than there were 30 years ago. But how do these populations compare with levels before 1989, when commercial shark fishing spiked?

Over time, this question becomes increasingly difficult to answer as people gradually accept environmental decline. Marine biologist Daniel Pauly calls this habituation shifting baseline syndrome. For fisheries, each new generation of fishermen accepts the current, often reduced, status of a fish population as the baseline and forgets that there was a time when these species were much more abundant.

In this case, modern anglers are comparing increased numbers of sharks in the Gulf of Mexico to the past 30 years  a time when many shark populations were overfished.

Lifting baselines

The recovery of populations that were once overfished can create an opposite situation, known as lifting baselines, with conservation and management efforts leading to population increases.

Instances where populations have been overfished and then rebuilt can create a perception of overabundance. When the species thats recovering is a predator, that can lead to human-wildlife conflict.

For example, recovering populations of California sea lions now compete with fishermen for their catch along the Pacific coast. Off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the same thing happens with gray and harbor seals. The seals, in turn, are attracting white sharks.

The call to cull

Sportfishing is a popular and lucrative year-round industry across the Gulf of Mexico. As reports of depredation increase, so do calls for culling shark populations.

Similar action has been proposed elsewhere for other marine predators, including sea lions in California and goliath groupers in Florida.

Sportfishing in the Gulf of Mexico contributes billions of dollars yearly to the regional economy. It takes place in both state waters, extending 9 nautical miles from shore, and federal waters farther offshore. NOAA

Studies show, however, that predator removal is rarely an effective strategy. Its particularly ineffective for species such as sharks that move around a lot and will readily recolonize areas that have been culled. Predator culls also pit people with different values, such as fishing boat operators and conservationists, against each other.

Paying the tax man

Unfortunately, there is no silver-bullet solution for shark depredation. The Gulfs sportfishing industry has grown, and its likely that sharks learn to associate the presence of boats with an easy meal.

Shark deterrents are available, and new versions are continually being developed. Some fishermen are changing their practices to avoid sharks  for example, shifting locations frequently and never anchoring or fishing farther offshore to avoid coastal species such as bull sharks.

NOAA-funded research has identified sandbar sharks and bull sharks as the species that prey most often on catch. The agency is analyzing ways to better measure depredation and assess stocks of these two species to understand their population trends.

In my view, measures like these, along with better data about which sharks are taxing fishermen and where, are the most promising ways to help anglers coexist with sharks in the Gulf.

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: James Marcus Drymon, Mississippi State University

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James Marcus Drymon has received funding from NOAA Fisheries and the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission to study depredation.
Sheetz or Wawa: VP nominee Walz weighs in on the Pennsylvania debate

(WTAJ)  Sheetz or Wawa? Its a decades-long debate here in Pennsylvania, however, Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz somehow skirted around the topic.

Walz, the current governor of Minnesota, was at a breakfast Monday with Pennsylvania delegates ahead of the Democratic National Convention when the War of Convenience Stores came up, according to Delaware Online.

Walz admitted that when he was in Pennsylvania he stopped at Sheetz, drawing some boos from the Wawa fans.

Sheetz vs Wawa: Heres what the numbers say

Instead of taking sides with Sheetz or Wawa, Walz sidestepped the heated debate reportedly saying: Heres my thing  Kwik Trip. In the Midwest, its Kwik Trip.

Kwik Trip has roughly 800 stores in Minnesota and other states, slightly more than what Sheetz boasts and just under the nearly 1,000 stores Wawa touts.

Stay up to date with the latest news in the palm of your hand. Click here to download the WTAJ app for Apple and Android devices.

As for Pennsylvanians, the war will rage on between Sheetz and Wawa, although another contender has entered the ring  Rutters.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTAJ - www.wtaj.com.
ENCINITAS, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI)  San Diego County Sheriffs deputies are searching for a suspect who escaped arrest for a felony in Encinitas Leucadia neighborhood.

In a post on X, the department said it is circling in a helicopter overhead in the area around the 500 block of Rockport Court.

According to the sheriffs office, the suspect is described as a 28-year-old white man who stands roughly 5 feet tall. He is also described as heavy set with brown hair, a blue shirt and blue shorts.

It is unknown what the felony charge authorities were attempting to arrest him on suspicion of, or if there is any threat to the public.

Authorities are encouraging anyone who sees the suspect to call 9-1-1.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
By Eliana Raszewski and Walter Bianchi

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -Argentine authorities have quarantined a cargo ship in the Parana River over a suspected case of mpox onboard, the government said on Tuesday, as global public health authorities remain on alert for a new faster-spreading variant of the virus.

The quarantined Liberian-flagged ship was sailing from Santos, Brazil - also a major commodities hub - to pick up soy cargo, according to the health ministry and industry body the Argentine Naval League.

The World Health Organization (WHO) last week declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years as a new variant of the virus spread rapidly in Africa. A day later, a case of the clade 1b variant was confirmed in Sweden, the first sign of its spread outside Africa.

The ship near Argentina's inland grains port of Rosario alerted authorities that "one of its crew members of Indian nationality showed cyst-like skin lesions predominantly on the chest and face," the ministry said in a statement, adding the person had been isolated from the rest of the crew.

The ministry said public health emergency protocol was then activated and the ship, which had been bound for the San Lorenzo port in the Santa Fe province, had to drop anchor in the river.

Only medical personnel will be able to board the ship, while the whole crew will be required to quarantine pending test results, the ministry added.

Mpox, a viral infection that causes pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms, is usually mild but can kill. The clade 1b strain has caused concern because it seems to spread more easily through routine close contact.

Some 13 countries have reported mpox cases caused by other strains across the Americas this year, according to WHO data as of last week. Argentina has previously recorded eight cases, though none were the clade 1b strain.

Denmark's Bavarian Nordic is set to decide this week on whether to ramp up vaccine production, while Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche has said it is looking to boost its laboratory testing capacity.

(Reporting by Eliana Raszewski, Nicolas Misculin and Walter Bianchi; Editing by Adam Jourdan, Sarah Morland, Rosalba O'Brien and Jamie Freed)
BOSSIER CITY, La. (KTAL/KMSS)  One person has been taken to a local hospital after a shooting at a football stadium in Bossier Parish.

The shooting took place during a scrimmage at Bossier High School on Aug. 19.

Image of Bossier Highs Bearkats stadium after a shooting took place on Aug. 19, 2024. (Source: KTAL/KMSS Lynn Vance)

Authorities say there were two groups of people arguing when an unidentified person allegedly pulled out a gun and fired a shot.

A member of one of the groups was injured and taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Bossier High Schools Spirit Night began at 7:00 p.m.

Officials say another person was transported to an area hospital after having a medical emergency during the scrimmage.

This is a developing story and more information will be provided as it becomes available.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com.
A 16-year-old boy is dead and another remained in critical condition on Tuesday after a shooting in Philadelphia, near an area charter school.

The gunfire erupted in the early hours of Monday morning, along the 200 block of East Duncannon Avenue not far from Olney Charter High School, NBC Philadelphia reported.

Before they reached the scene, officers were flagged down around 2:30 a.m. by a driver traveling on Whitaker and Hunting Park avenues. The motorist had been transporting two wounded teens to the hospital, said police, who did not provide further details on the matter.

One of the teens was shot in the head and arrived at the nearby Temple University Hospital in extremely critical condition. He was pronounced dead a short time later, according to law enforcement. The second victim was struck in the ear and left shoulder. He was taken to St. Christophers Hospital for Children, where he remains in critical condition.

More than 20 shell casings were recovered at the scene, police said.

It does appear that they were both shot at close range, Inspector D.F. Pace, with the Philadelphia Police Department told ABC 6. It does appear that they were targeted.

So far, no arrests have been made in connection with the deadly violence. Police believe a total of four suspects were involved in the shooting, and that they fled the scene in an SUV.

Neither the victims nor the suspects have been identified. What occurred in the moments leading up to the gunfire was also unclear.

Anyone with information about the shooting have been urged to contact Philadelphia police at 215-686-8270. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by calling or texting 215-686-TIPS (8477).
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  An overnight shooting in South Memphis led to a man being injured, according to Memphis Police.

MPD says they responded to a shots fired call at a home on Hemlock Street and South Parkway just after 1 a.m. where a man was found suffering from injuries due to jumping a fence.

No one was struck by gunfire, but the man was taken to Methodist University Hospital in non-critical condition.

 See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South.

 Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox.

Police say this is still an ongoing investigation.

If you have any information that could help police, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
LAPORTE COUNTY, Ind.  A monitored prison call between an inmate and his brother led to a Northwest Indiana prison guard being charged with bribery and misconduct, according to court documents.

The investigation into Lauren Bush, 30, of Lynwood, began last week after authorities received a tip.

Authorities allege an inmate, who is serving a murder sentence, conspired with Bush monetarily to potentially bring in marijuana into the Westville Correctional Facility.

Prison officials began monitoring phone calls from the inmate and uncover a call in which the mans brother inadvertently said the name Lauren Bush.

A portion of the call is transcribed below, per court documents.

Inmate: Alright. Alright. Look, I need you to send $200 to umm, now dont say the CashApp name. Umm send it to LB.

Brother: Send $200 to who?

Inmate: LB. Dont say the name on the CashApp. Dont say the name.

Brother: Lauren Bush.

Inmate: Shut up man.

Bush was later instructed to go to the prisons Department of Investigations for questioning and complied.

When asked if she uses CashApp, Bush reportedly stated she only uses it for her business that she runs on Facebook.

Docs: Foster mom charged in boys death trying to get out of no-contact order, use bail for attorney fees

Bush denied receiving money from an inmate and consented to a warrantless search of her phone, according to court documents.

Detectives claim CashApp notifications align with information obtained from monitoring the inmates calls and that she allegedly accepted the money.

Bush was charged with bribery and official misconduct.

On Tuesday, she pleaded not guilty and posted a $1,500 bond to get out of jail.

Her next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 30.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
Jimmy Sengenberger is an investigative journalist, public speaker, and longtime local talk-radio host. Reach Jimmy online at Jimmysengenberger.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @SengCenter.
Originally appeared on E! Online

Additional details are emerging about the tragedy in Sicily.

After a super yacht was sunk by a storm while anchored off the Italian island August 19, authorities have confirmed the identities of the six still-missing passengers.

British tech mogul Mike Lynch and his daughter, Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, as well as Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife remain missing, Director of Sicilys Civil Protection Agency Salvatore Cocina told NBC News.

While Cocina did not share the names of Lynchs daughter, nor Morvillo and Bloomers spouses, the latter two have been identified as Judy Bloomer and Neda Morvillo by their husbands employers.

Cocina previously confirmed Lynchs wife Angela Bacares had been rescued. Their 18-year-old daughter Hannah remains among the missing passengers, per NBC News.

While the six passengers are still missing, the body of the ships cook, identified by Antiguan News Room as Antiguan citizen Ricardo Thomas, was previously retrieved from the water.

More from E! Online

Lynch had been cleared of fraud charges related to Hewlett Packard's $11 billion takeover of his company Autonomy Corp, according to the Associated Press, earlier this summer. The boat trip appeared to be a kind of acquittal celebration, as Morvillo was one of his U.S. lawyers and Bloomer testified in his defense.

ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images

In total, a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers had been aboard Lynchs yacht when it was struck by a sudden storm, including a type of waterborne tornado called a waterspout which ultimately sunk the vessel. It is believed that the bodies of the remaining missing are in the ships hull, which is currently more than 150 feet underwater.

Among those onboard, 15 were rescued by a nearby boat before coast guard vessels brought them to shore. According to NBC News, eight of the rescued were moved to a hospital while the remaining seven were brought to a hotel.

On August 20, NBC News reported rescue teams and divers had been searching the area for the remaining passengers after a previously unsuccessful attempt the day before.

Italys national fire department confirmed, per the outlet, that its divers had been able to get inside the wreckage in the initial attempt, however obstructions and narrow access gates made navigating the vessel challenging.

Divers worked in 12-minute shifts underwater due to the depth of the wreckage, while surface searches consisted of a helicopter and a fire brigade boat, the department added.

Meanwhile, one of the surviving passengers Charlotte Golunski has recounted her terrifying experience, explaining that she and her partner James Emsley as well as her 12-month-old daughter Sophie survived because they were on the yachts deck as it started to sink.

Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The group of three were thrown from the deck, she told local outlet La Repubblica, per the BBC, where she then held her baby "afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

It was all dark, Golunski recounted. In the water I couldnt keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.

(NBC News and E! News are both part of NBCUniversal.)

For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Sicily yacht sinking: Who is missing and who survived?

Rescue workers and divers search the area when the yacht sank - Guglielmo Mangiapane

The search for missing passengers who were on board Bayesian has entered its second day.

The Italian coast guard recovered one body on Monday, with six people still to be found in the wreckage of the 30 million superyacht, which is now 165ft underwater.

Some 15 people were rescued. The six missing include four British nationals and two Americans, according to La Repubblica.

Who is missing?

Described as Britains Bill Gates, Mike Lynch had been acquitted of fraud in a San Francisco courtroom in June.

He was found not guilty on all counts of inflating the value of Autonomy, the company he sold to Hewlett-Packard, the US tech giant, for 8.6 billion in 2011.

Guests had been invited on board Bayesian to celebrate the court victory.

Mike Lynch, a tycoon dubbed 'Britain's Bill Gates', is among the missing - Simon Dawson

Mr Lynchs 18-year-old daughter Hannah is also missing. She had just won a place at the University of Oxford to read English.

Jonathan Bloomer is a close friend of Mr Lynch and gave evidence at his trial, where he claimed his friend wasnt particularly interested in the finance side of the business.

The chief executive of Hiscox, the insurance company, has said his thoughts are with Mr Bloomer, its chairman.

Jonathan Bloomer is a close friend of Mr Lynch - Hiscox/PA

Aki Hussain said in a statement: We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event. Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, who are among the missing, and with their family as they await further news from this terrible situation.

Chris Morvillo, who was on board with his wife Neda, is a lawyer at Clifford Chance.

A spokesman for the law firm said: Our thoughts are with our partner, Christopher Morvillo, and his wife Neda, who are among the missing. Our utmost priority is providing support to the family as well as our colleague Ayla Ronald, who together with her partner thankfully survived the incident.

Neda Morvillo and Chris Morvillo in 2018 - Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan

The body of the yachts chef, named as Recaldo Thomas, was recovered from the water on Monday.

Friends paid tribute to Mr Thomas as someone who was always positive.

Eli Fuller, told the BBC: He knew everybody and was friends with everybody. Hed always ask how you were doing, how your family was  he was always positive.

Personality was very important in his job. The worlds richest people want to hang out with someone social. He was sought after.

Thomas was also called an inspiration to young black children by Mr Fuller. The kids would see all these white people working on yachts. For them to see an Antiguan man travelling all over the world  it was important for our community.

On social media, one friend wrote: An honour and a pleasure to have been your friend, it just wasnt long enough.we had so much to conquer.

Love to the Recaldo Thomas family, I am so sorry. Such a very special person for many of us, the laughter, the great kindness the generosity, the love. He had so much to give.

Another said: Going to miss you so much Recaldo Thomas. Still finding this so hard to believe.

Who has been rescued?

Charlotte Golunski, 35, an Oxford graduate and a senior associate at Invoke Capital, Mr Lynchs company, was on board with her husband James and one-year-old daughter Sophie.

On Monday, the Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported that she kept her daughter alive by holding her above her head to stop her from drowning. Sophie was reportedly unharmed.

Mr Golunski was reportedly being treated for bruises to his limbs and chest in hospital in Palermo.

Charlotte Golunski was rescued along with her husband James and one-year-old daughter Sophie

Mr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares is reportedly in a wheelchair after the sinking - Dominic O'Neill

Angela Bacares, 57, is married to Mr Lynch and is Hannahs mother. According to La Repubblica, she is in a wheelchair with abrasions on her feet that prevent her from walking, and bandages on other parts of her body

The newspaper said she told doctors that at 4am, the boat had tilted and she and her husband were woken up.

Ayla Ronald, 36, a senior associate at Clifford Chance, was on board the yacht with Matthew Fletcher, her partner.

Ayla Ronald survived the disaster - Clifford Chance

Her father Lin Ronald told The Telegraph: I have texted my daughter and she hasnt given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said to me that there are deaths, and she and her partner are alive.

Ayla is a lawyer who is part of the legal team that was invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.

Myin Htun Kyaw, a 39-year-old who had a Burmese passport, was among those rescued, according to local media.

Local media reported that Matthew Griffith, a French citizen, had been rescued.

James Catfield, a 51-year-old New Zealand national, was rescued after the yacht sank, according to local media.

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.
Signal battalions to be rebuilt for modern combat, Army says

The Army is restructuring its signal battalions as advancements in technology and a laser-focus on its network dovetail with a shift from brigade to division-centric combat plans.

Final details for restructuring the battalions came after years of merging job specialties in signal fields.

Army Lt. Gen. John Morrison, deputy chief of staff for Army G6, which implements command, control, communications and cyber for the force, shared this update Tuesday at the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association TechNet event in Augusta, Georgia.

While details of the restructuring are still being reviewed prior to approval, Morrison said the changes will pull resources to the division level to handle network-centered problems. The move is expected to free up signal soldiers for more unit-level work within the brigades.

As the Army focused its deployments on brigades over the past few decades, the headquarters and supporting units for those brigades ballooned. That meant brigades were both running the fight and trying to analyze what would come next in the battle plan.

Army set to test combined cyber, jaming, signal intelligence tool

But senior leaders, Morrison said, expect a large-scale combat operation to move faster than a brigade can analyze.

We want brigades moving and fighting, Morrison said.

The Army announced its big-picture force structure transformation in a February white paper, Army Times previously reported. That outline shows reducing authorized troop levels down to 470,000 within the next five years.

The Army is expected to cut positions to reach that lower number; the service previously sought to fill out a 500,000-soldier Army through a challenging recruiting climate.

Coinciding with the Armys plans to make those cuts, the service also expects to add up to 7,500 new positions  mostly in air defense jobs and other high priority formations.

As far back as 2019, new tools began reshaping the look and feel of signal battalions. The Army used the 35th Theater Tactical Signal Brigades 50th Expeditionary Signal Battalion-Enhanced as a prototype unit when it added what was then the new enroute mission command network.

Three years ago, the Army announced its unified network plan, which allows users to use either a personal or issued device, such as a smartphone, tablet or laptop, to log into the network anywhere in the world.

Incorporating these developments, Morrison told the audience to envision an entire brigade conducting an air assault to an objective, rolling out a four-vehicle brigade command post, displacing and then reestablishing its communication with a distant headquarters and its local tactical network and then making a call for fire request  all within three minutes.

That was Saturday at (the Joint Readiness Training Center), Morrison said.

Under the current signal branch job specialty restructuring, individual core functions  network communications, signal operations support, information technology and satellite communications  will merge into a single job held by a master sergeant by October 2025, the Army said.

In May, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George announced an initiative to lighten and improve the speed of battlefield communications.

Much of those changes would come from what the signal experts in their unit find as they experiment, George said.

These brigade commanders, battalion commanders, sergeants major, warrant officers that are in the formations, that are technical experts  they are going to have the leeway to decide how we are best organized for the modern battlefield, George said.

Morrison said that the signal battalions restructuring update will be in the working stage with senior leaders for the next two to three months. He expects an official decision before the end of the calendar year.
These Are The Six People Missing After Superyacht Sinks Off Italian Coast

Search efforts continued Tuesday for six people after a superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily during what reportedly was a celebratory cruise for British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch after he was acquitted of fraud and conspiracy charges in the U.S.

The U.K.-flagged Bayesian was moored off the coast of Porticello with 22 people on board when its believed to have been struck by a small tornado called a waterspout around 4 a.m. Monday, Italian authorities have said.

The luxury vessel quickly capsized and sank about 164 feet into the depths (roughly the equivalent of a 15-story building). Everyone missing is believed to be dead, a spokesperson for the Italian Coast Guard told Bloomberg on Tuesday.

Scuba divers study a map of the sailing yacht Bayesian at the Porticello harbor on Tuesday amid search and rescue efforts. via Associated Press

It would be reasonable to think that we are more likely to find the missing people inside the boat, Vincenzo Zagarola told the outlet.

The body of the on-board chef was recovered Monday, while those missing are believed to be trapped in the ships below-deck cabins since the storm struck while most people were sleeping. Dive teams have so far been unable to access these rooms because of furniture that shifted during the storm, blocking access, authorities said.

Those missing include Lynchs U.S. attorney and a banking chairman who testified in his defense during the trial, which concluded in June. Survivors have said that the cruise had been organized by Lynch for his work colleagues, according to Reuters. Reid Weingarten, who also worked on Lynchs legal team but wasnt on the yacht, confirmed to The Associated Press that the outing was a celebration of the acquittal.

Heres what we know about those missing.

Mike Lynch, seen in 2011, owned the ship that was hosting the event. He was recently acquitted of fraud and conspiracy charges. Yui Mok - PA Images via Getty Images

Mike Lynch

Lynch, 59, is the former chief executive of software company Autonomy, which was sold to Hewlett Packard in 2011 for $11 billion.

The sale led to yearslong criminal allegations that he defrauded Hewlett Packard by inflating Autonomys revenue before the sale, eventually resulting in 15 felony counts against him. He was extradited from the U.K. to face charges this past spring but ultimately acquitted by a jury following a three-month trial and the threat of jail time if convicted. Lynch said he looked forward to spending time with his family at the trials completion.

I am looking forward to returning to the U.K. and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field, he said in a June statement.

Lynch was on the vessel with his wife, Angela Bacares, and their teen daughter, Hannah. Angela Bacares, who Reuters reported owns the firm that the yacht is listed under, was among those rescued, according to local authorities.

In an unrelated twist, Lynchs co-defendant in his trial, Stephen Chamberlain, was fatally hit by a car on Saturday in England while out running, the BBC reported.

Chamberlain was the former vice president of finance at Autonomy. The driver of the vehicle involved in his death reportedly stayed at the scene and was cooperating with the investigation.

Hannah Lynch

Lynchs 18-year-old daughter was on the boat with her parents. She was set to study English literature at Oxford University, according to the Times of London.

Jonathan Bloomer, seen in 2002, was on the boat with his wife, Judy, when it capsized. John Li via Getty Images

Jonathan Bloomer

Bloomer is chairman at Morgan Stanley International and the former head of the Autonomy audit committee. He is also the chair of international specialist insurer Hiscox.

Bloomer testified as a character witness in Lynchs defense during the Autonomy trial. He was on the boat with his wife, Judy, who is also missing. The couple have three adult children, according to the Times of London.

Aki Hussain, Hiscox Groups chief executive officer, said the company is deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event.

Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our Chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing, and with their family as they await further news from this terrible situation, he said in a statement shared with HuffPost.

Judy Bloomer

Bloomer is the wife of Jonathan Bloomer. She worked as a psychotherapist, specializing in anxiety and stress, for nearly 30 years, according to Reuters.

Neda Morvillo and Chris Morvillo attend an event in New York City in 2018. Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Chris Morvillo

Morvillo served as one of Lynchs defense attorneys during his trial against Hewlett Packard. He was on the vessel with his wife, Neda Morvillo, Italian authorities have said.

In a LinkedIn post shortly after the acquittal in June, Morvillo expressed awe and gratitude to his team with the law firm Clifford Chance and appreciation to his wife and daughters.

None of this would have been possible without your love and support. I am so glad to be home, he wrote, ending his post with: And they all lived happily ever after.

Neda Morvillo

Morvillo was on the boat with her husband, Chris Morvillo, who is also missing. She is a mother and jeweler designer who owns a New York City studio called Nada Nassiri.

Related...
ATLANTIC BEACH, S.C. (WBTW)  State investigators are not probing claims of election fraud that may have altered the results of last Novembers municipal contests, despite what town officials said on Monday.

Town Attorney Dwayne Green told the towns election commission that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has been asked to investigate the propriety of some of those votes that were alleged to have been improper . . . It would be premature to make a decision before you have all the evidence.

However, a SLED spokesperson told News13 on Tuesday that the agency does not have an investigation.

The commission in April invalidated the mayoral race between John David and Josephine Isom after 13 of 19 challenged ballots were considered fraudulent.

Unofficial results showed Isom with 62 votes against Davids 49, but a recount left with 65. Isom then filed a protest.

Atlantic Beach councilwoman files lawsuit, alleges town kept her from fulfilling duties

Green told commissioners he agreed with the legal opinion of former town attorney Joseph Dickey, who urged the panel not to act until all evidence is gathered.

If SLED completes its investigation and comes back and finds something that this commission can use, that would be material. So this commission would certainly want to have state law enforcements input if they found that votes were fraudulently cast, Green said.

Interim Town Manager Orton Bellamy said he requested SLED intervention last week after speaking with 15th Judicial Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson.

David told News13 he wasnt happy with the ongoing delay.

I think this whole process is an effort to follow the money. The attorney is hired by the three council folks who caused all this, and the attorney and town manager, its incumbent on them to stay in the good graces of those three, he said. So they will cherry pick and find findings that will work to keep no election from being closed out in Atlantic Beach.

* * *

Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
Small group of protesters breach barrier at DNC protest in Chicago

Police take a protester into custody after a fence surrounding United Center was knocked down at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press)

A small group of protesters broke through a metal security fence outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday and engaged in a short confrontation with police after entering a no man's land area behind another layer of fencing surrounding the United Center. Several demonstrators were detained.

The breach occurred in the late afternoon as thousands of activists protesting the Biden-Harris administrations policy on the Israel-Hamas war ended their march at a park a block away from the United Centers main entrance.

The incident was a rare moment of conflict during a day of impassioned but mostly peaceful protest on the first day of the Democratic National Convention.

Before the televised program began and Democratic speakers took the stage, a faction of protesters wearing masks and balaclavas broke away from the main group and breached the security perimeter fence.

"Whose streets?" they chanted. "Our streets!"

Police officers, some wearing riot helmets and carrying batons, swiftly marched into the area. As protesters linked arms, some hurled wooden signs at police as officers pushed the crowd back outside the fence and started to detain some protesters.

Law enforcement personnel were immediately on-scene and contained the situation, the DNC Public Safety Joint Information Center said in a statement. "At no point was the inner perimeter breached, and there was no threat to any protectees.

The incursion appeared to be under control by 6 p.m. After police pushed protesters back outside, Chicago police hammered the fence back in place.

Chicago police hammer a metal barricade back into place after protesters temporarily broke through, causing a scuffle with officers on Monday outside the Democratic National Convention. (Faith E. Pinho/Los Angeles Times)

Several demonstrators were detained, but authorities did not immediately provide arrest information.

Just outside the security barrier by a park along Washington Boulevard, police detained one woman with her hands behind her back.

Mom! A child yelled from the other side of the fence. Are you OK?

Dozens of police in riot gear, carrying plastic shields, milled about in the street just outside the park.

Several splintered sticks and signs saying, From Chicago to Palestine, occupation is a crime! littered the ground near the barricade. An Asian Americans for a liberated Palestine flag was left draped over a metal pole.

Pinho reported from Chicago and Jarvie from Atlanta.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Snow dusts one of Colorados 14ers after warm months: What to know heading out

DENVER (KDVR)  It might be in the 90s in Denver, but one of Colorados mountain peaks was dusted with snow in the past week.

While Longs Peak remains largely free of snow, several recent, strong thunderstorms left a coating of snow on the 14er. Conditions did not persist for very long, according to the Rocky Mountain National Park Forest Service, nor was it the only location that likely saw some of the icy precipitation.

FOX31 Weather: View the latest Denver forecasts, maps and radar

However, the changing conditions only 90 minutes away from Denvers heat highlights the need for recreationists to prepare for their treks, and also be prepared to turn back if weather conditions change.

Colorado is currently experiencing monsoon season, with a monsoonal front pushing through Colorado on Monday and causing flash flooding, hail and high winds across portions of the state. Many of the monsoonal storms sweep through Denver in the afternoon.

In the high country, those conditions can be even quicker and more dangerous. Hazards include ice formation, which can occur quickly at higher elevations and in lower temperatures.

Returning to treeline by noon is recommended to help mitigate exposure to lightning storms, the National Park Service wrote in its Monday Longs Peak condition report. Any venture beyond the trailhead should involve proper planning and preparedness.

That means carrying traction devices, like microspikes or crampons, and an ice axe might be wise for traveling on the upper mountain. The Forest Service recommends recreationists bring warm clothes, waterproof layers, extra food and water, a headlamp, a first aid kit and a cell phone.

If traveling alone, the Forest Service recommends telling a friend or family member when you expect to return and where you are planning to go.

Even a minor accident while traveling alone on the mountain can quickly turn into a serious situation. As always, please be prepared to turn around when conditions exceed your abilities, the Forest Service stated.

Woman found safe after 4 days in Colorado wilderness attempting spiritual experience

The Forest Service noted specifically for Longs Peak that the Keyhole route is in full summer conditions, meaning it can be climbed entirely on rock. However, various sections could see ice formation overnight due to precipitation and overnight lows.

These create an enormous potential for slips on icy rock, especially in the early morning hours before strong sunshine. These patches of ice may be difficult to see and/or obscured by shadows, the Forest Service wrote.

However, if youre staying out of the mountains, you have some time before the flakes start falling. According to National Weather Service data, Denvers earliest first freeze was recorded in September 2020, and the earliest snowfall was recorded on Sept. 3, 1961. However, on average, the first measurable snowfall is around Oct. 18 each year.

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LONDON, Ky. (FOX 56)  A Somerset man was sentenced to 81 months in prison on Monday after hacking the Hawaii death registry systems to fake his death.

According to the Department of Justice, Jesse Kipf, 39, accessed a computer without permission and obtained information from a protected computer so that he could fake his death.

In his plea agreement, Kipf accessed the Hawaii Death Registry System and used the username and password of an out-of-state physician to create a case for his death by using the doctors digital signature. Kipf then filled out a death certificate worksheet and assigned himself as the medical certifier for the case.

The DOJ said Kipf admitted he faked his death, at least in part, to avoid paying his child support obligations.

Read more of the latest Lexington & central Kentucky news

Aside from faking his death, Kipf also hacked other state death registry systems, private business networks, and government and corporate networks by using credentials he stole from other people.

After gaining access to these networks, Kipf attempted to sell access to potential buyers on the dark web.

This scheme was a cynical and destructive effort, based in part on the inexcusable goal of avoiding his child support obligations, said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. This case is a stark reminder of how damaging criminals with computers can be, and how critically important computer and online security is to us all. Fortunately, through the excellent work of our law enforcement partners, this case will serve as a warning to other cyber criminals, and he will face the consequences of his disgraceful conduct.

Working in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, this defendant who hacked a variety of computer systems and maliciously stole the identity of others for his own personal gain, will now pay the price, said Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office. Victims of identity theft face lifelong impact and for that reason, the FBI will pursue anyone foolish enough to engage in this cowardly behavior.

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS:

Under federal law, Kipf must serve at least 85% of his prison sentence before being eligible for release.

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Dana Jackson, 51, died after going to Haiti in July to participate in Vodou rituals (GoFundMe)

The son of a 51-year-old American woman is demanding answers following her mysterious death after she traveled to Haiti to participate in a Vodou ritual.

Dana Jackson left the US on July 1, her son Timothy Jackson, told USA Today.

Her goal had been to become a Manbo priestess  a female ritual specialist in the Haitian Vodou tradition who performs ceremonies, initiations, healings and divinations. Haitian Vodou is derived from African Vodou and was developed in the country between the 16th and 19th centuries, primarily focusing on ancestral remembrance and healing.

Jacksons role would have also allowed her to become a spiritual guide for people who come into contact with Vodou gods through possession.

Jackson had been preparing for the trip for years, her son revealed.

Four years ago, my mom started to do a little bit of research on the African traditional spiritual belief systems and Vodou was a part of that, he said.

She had kind of been on this path of just kind of doing research and practicing, or at least, just doing her due diligence as far as research is concerned.

Timothy Jackson said his mother made the trip with a group of people who had previously gone to Boston together.

These werent strangers that she went down there with, her son said. These are people that shes built a relationship with.

Dana Jackson, 52, died after going to Haiti in July to participate in Vodou rituals (GoFundMe)

Timothy Jackson said that his mom sent him a message on the July 13 telling him that she was going to church for several days to take part in the sacred ceremony and so would not be able to speak to him during that time.

She said she would contact him on July 21.

That day, Timothy Jackson said his mom texted her telling him to pray for her.

The following day, his grandmother called him to tell him his mom had died.

She had been scheduled to return to the US on July 26.

Timothy Jackson reached out to one of the groups leaders to confirm the news about his moms death and said that the person immediately wanted to know how much he knew about the situation.

Now, he fears something sinister happened on the retreat.

To be completely honest with you, my initial thought was my mom went down to Haiti, they did this last piece of the ceremony, and something sinister happened, he told the outlet.

Timothy Jackson said he was told that, during the ceremony, his mother became unwell, lost consciousness, and when she came to, she didnt know where she was. At one point, a member of the group asked her where she was and she responded Virginia. Timothy Jackson said neither him or his mom had lived in Virginia for over a year.

The group eventually took her to a hospital, where she began to have seizures, suffered a heart attack and a stroke.

Timothy Jackson has raised doubts about the version of events being told by the members of the group.

He said he was told his mom forgot her medicine, prompting her declining health  yet he said he wasnt aware of any medication his mom was taking.

He was now started a GoFundMe to help with the costs of repatriating his moms body to the US. According to the fundraising site, the US Embassy has not been involved in arrangements to help bring the body back.

So far, the page has raised just over $11,000 out of a $50,000 goal.
A Miami-Dade County man faces a first-degree murder charge after police say he killed his elderly father over the weekend and initially tried covering it up by saying he fell inside their condo.

Miami-Dade police and fire rescue paramedics went to their home in the 9900 block of Northwest 6th Lane in the Fountainebleau neighborhood shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday after the son, 53-year-old David Scott Buer, called 911 to report his father was hurt in a fall.

However, detectives said in their arrest report that cops and medics arrived to find Paul Buer, 81, lying in bed and covered in bruises  with lacerations on both arms.

The younger Buer told police that the cuts stemmed from his efforts to get his father back into bed after he collapsed, according to the report.

But homicide detectives noticed several apparent blood spatters on the window blinds located next to Paul Buers bed. Additionally, there were blood smears on his bed and several blood-soaked paper towels located throughout the house, the report states.

The Medical Examiners Office conducted an autopsy and concluded the cause of death was homicidal violence, including strangulation. Detectives and the medical examiner determined Paul Buer was murdered  not injured in a fall, the report states.

After David Buer was taken into custody, he maintained to detectives that his father fell and struck his walker a few days earlier, according to the report. Buer added he was his fathers caretaker and that they were the only ones living in the home.

Police on Sunday booked David Buer into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a charge of first-degree murder and aggravated elderly abuse.

As of Monday afternoon, his bond has not been set. Information about his legal representation was not immediately available.

David Buer also has a previous arrest for elderly abuse in April 2014. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years probation. Its not immediately clear whether that case, too, involved his father.
Our poor roads

Hey Biloxi leaders, Cruisin The Coast is coming up soon, and being a good host is very important. These guests wont be happy with the state of Eisenhower and Beauvoir at Highway 90. Can the surface of these heavily used roads be finished in time? And dont get me started about the rubble-filled parking areas near the Biloxi Town Green.

Thrown out

After your entire life being a Democrat in Washington D.C. and they throw you out like a piece of trash. Never holding a job other than a politician. Not leaving standing tall on your terms.

Gov. Walz

It is not the service of Gov. Tim Waltz that is in question. He served honorably over 20 years in the National Guard and was entitled to retirement. It is the embellishment and lying about his service that is problematic. He did not retire as a Sergeant Major, but put the rank on his congressional coin. He did not carry a weapon into a combat zone. He did not misspeak, he lied.

No interviews

Im making a common sense assumption on why Vice President Harris hasnt held an interview yet. It has only been three weeks since President Biden withdrew from the race. She had to step in quickly to create a campaign as the Democrat running for president. She immediately was flooded with huge donations and has support of the delegates, she had to choose a VP and travel across the country holding rallies with tens of thousands of people attending. She will hold interviews, she is not scared, she is just very busy.

Here comes the money

The opioid settlement money is coming to the states. Seventy percent will be controlled by the state legislators. This is why we need to pay attention to who is elected locally. Its not enough to vote for them, we need to hold them accountable.

Mary Mahoneys

On the slim chance that Mary Mahoneys goes bankrupt as stated in the recent Sound Off, they would have no one to blame but themselves. If they hadnt done the crime, the Sun Herald wouldnt be reporting on it. The writer sounds like they have been reading the blame anyone and everyone else chapter of the Donald Trump playbook. There was nothing sensational about the story in question. It was just the facts of the situation so far, and writer Anita Lee has always been a great asset to this paper.

Immigration

Anyone should realize that the flow of illegal immigrants and the strain on our social services is completely unsustainable.

Private insurance

As a past presidential candidate, Vice President Harris supported Medicare for All, replacing private insurance. Estimates are for this to cost trillions! The mainstream media better question her on this policy before its too late.

Its confusing

Both Gov. Walz, after 24 years, and Sen. Vance, after the required four years, received honorable discharges from the military and theres some kind of scandal about that? Yet a draft-dodger receiving six questionable deferments is OK? How weird is that?

To be accurate

Donald Trump is once again showing his ignorance, or willingness to lie for political advantage, by calling Vice President Harris a communist. Communists believe that a hierarchical, unelected government should strictly control factories, agriculture, salaries, and prices. Social Democrats, by contrast, believe in the vigorous competition called for by capitalism, but they also believe that the government should step in to prevent any abuses and neglect that arise from uninhibited competition for money. Harris is a social democrat. Capitalism? Yes. Social intelligence and compassion? Also yes.

So funny

There hasnt been much fun in politics in the last few years, but as a rabid Donald Trump hater and someone who lets him live rent free in my head, I must say that watching him have a nuclear meltdown over Vice President Harris is just pure delight. A word to his advisors, if you want him to stop being laser-focused on her ethnicity and crowd size, quit telling him to stop it. Tell him to do it even more. Its as if they dont know this child at all.

Heartwarming

I loved the article about Kais Give Back Gala. Fifteen-year-old Kai Davis is a lovely young lady whose heart is as beautiful as she is. Lately, the news seems to be filled with so much anger and hate. Reading about Miss Daviss mission to help others and founding her Big Hearts Little Hands nonprofit at the age of 8 reminds me that there is still so much good in the world, and that is the kind of news I want to know more about. Thank you Kai for your big heart. Im not going to be able to go to your Give Back Gala this Saturday night at the Biloxi Visitor Center, but I will definitely be contacting your foundation to see how I can help.

Send your Sound Offs to soundoff@sunherald.com.
(Bloomberg) -- South Africas Agricultural Business Chamber raised its forecast for the countrys corn exports as local consumers use more low-cost grain imported from South America and free up tonnage for drought-hit neighbors.

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The country will likely export 1.85 million tons of corn in the 12-month marketing season to the end of April, Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the chamber known as Agbiz, said Tuesday in a note sent to Bloomberg. While thats up 28% from its June forecast of 1.44 million tons, it would still be the least in five years as South Africas own crop plunged by a fifth.

The projected increase may go some way toward easing supply shortages in countries such as Zimbabwe and Zambia, which have seen their own crops decimated by a drought triggered by the El Nino weather pattern. Imports from South America will go to South Africas coastal poultry producers.

This leaves more maize in the northern regions for exports to the northern countries, Sihlobo said in a response to queries.

White corn, used primarily for human consumption in southern Africa, is expected to account for about 1.2 million tons of the exported grain, while the balance would be yellow corn, he said.

South Africa has already exported 606,000 tons of corn since the beginning of May, with about 66% of that being of the white variety, according to the South African Grain Information Service. More than half of that was shipped to Zimbabwe, which has seen its crop fall by about two-thirds.

South Africa is likely to import 350,000 tons of yellow corn in the marketing season, with 135,000 tons having already arrived from Argentina and Brazil, Sihlobo said.

Argentine yellow corn trades at about $188 a ton, compared with about $236 on the South African Futures Exchange for local grain. Its often cheaper to ship corn to South Africas ports than to send it to buyers by road from northern parts of the country.

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CHICAGO (WCBD)- Enthusiasm for the new presidential ticket of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was high among South Carolina Democrats as the Democratic National Convention opened in Chicago on Monday.

Everybodys excited about this, State Sen. Deon Tedder (D-Charleston) said. Its a different energy in the room, particularly with Vice President Harris and her running mate, Walz.

President Joe Bidens exit from the 2024 presidential race and subsequent endorsement of Harris sparked excitement among many in the party who had doubts about the 81-year-olds viability.

The party quickly coalesced around her, and within days she was smashing fundraising records, taking over social media, and generating levels of excitement that some Democrats said reminded them of the energy that surrounded Barack Obamas historic candidacy nearly two decades ago.

We cant pretend that that energy has not changed, Tedder said, adding that while President Biden has done an amazing job, Harris offers a new perspective.

She brings some youthfulness to this that a lot of people were concerned about, he said. Shes sharp. Shes intelligent. Shes articulate and able to deliver and we believe she will deliver in November.

Tedder is just one of thousands of people in Chicago for the four-day event where party leaders and elected officials are expected to tout the Biden administrations accomplishments and chart a course for the next four years.

The Latest: Biden to headline Night 1 of the DNC

Harris has already begun the process, rolling out a set of sweeping economic policy proposals last week, including a federal ban on grocery price gouging and a boost in housing construction.

Its a bigger contrast between what she wants to do economically than what Trump wants to do, South Carolina Democratic Party Chairwoman Christale Spain said Sunday night on CNN. She wants to help the middle class. People are really tired of just trying to get by and they trust Vice President Harris as President Harris to help us get ahead.

The convention delegates, including those from South Carolina, will be tasked with voting on the partys platform and also gather on the convention floor Tuesday to symbolically cast their votes for Harris.

Tedder  who is not a delegate  said South Carolinians are fired up for the opportunity to show their support for the vice president, who will make history as the first Black woman and Indian American to secure a major partys nomination.

She understands what its like to be a minorityto be counted out and to be counted against, he said. To be able to be in the position shes init really inspires a new generation of young women. I think thats an important piece she brings. She changes the dynamic and people can relate to that.

But as a new era of leadership is ushered in, another will end as President Biden passes the torch to his vice president.

It will be a stirring moment for the entire party, but especially for those from South Carolina, who helped deliver Biden to the nomination in 2020 and were the first in the nation to cast votes in support of his reelection.

For President Bidens lifetime of achievement in service of his country, we owe him a great debt of gratitude, Bidens longtime ally and friend Congressman Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) said Monday night.

The Associated Press contributed.

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD)  In the wake of Tropical Storm Debby, the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is calling on residents to help control the surge in mosquito populations caused by the storms heavy rain and flooding. The aftermath of Debby has left many areas with standing water, creating the perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes, which can develop in standing water in as little as five days, are expected to increase significantly following the storm. DPH is urging residents to take immediate action to eliminate standing water from their properties to prevent the proliferation of these pests.

Mosquitoes can lay eggs in small amounts of water, so its very important to get rid of standing water that can accumulate in buckets, flowerpots, grill covers, tires, trashcan lids, toys, and yard decorations or debris, said Dr. Chris Evans, State Public Health Entomologist with DPH. Removing or preventing standing water are some of the most effective ways to reduce mosquito populations at home and in your community, which in turn reduces the risk for disease spread through their bites.

DPH recommends filling low-lying areas, such as tire ruts and puddles, with dirt or cement to prevent water accumulation. This simple step can make a significant difference in controlling mosquito populations at home and in the community.

South Carolina is home to at least 61 different mosquito species. While many are simply a nuisance, some can pose serious health risks by spreading diseases such as West Nile virus, eastern equine encephalitis, La Crosse encephalitis, Saint Louis encephalitis virus, and dog/cat heartworm.

With the potential increase in mosquitoes following Tropical Storm Debby, its important that South Carolinians take additional steps to protect themselves from mosquito bites, Dr. Evans emphasized.

In addition to eliminating standing water, the American Mosquito Control Association advises wearing long sleeves, long pants, and light-colored, loose-fitting clothing when outdoors. The use of EPA-registered insect repellents, such as DEET, oil of lemon eucalyptus, and picaridin, is also recommended. Residents should carefully follow product label instructions when applying repellents.

While DPH does not directly perform mosquito control, the agency provides valuable information to help individuals, communities, and local mosquito control programs take action. Local mosquito control efforts are managed by city and county governments.

DPH collaborates with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor mosquito-borne diseases. The states mosquito-borne disease surveillance program includes trapping and testing mosquitoes, testing dead birds reported by the public, and working with Clemson University Veterinary Diagnostic Center to test animals, such as horses. The DPH also monitors and responds to human cases of mosquito-borne diseases.

As the Atlantic hurricane season continues through November 30, DPH stresses the importance of removing standing water following any storm to minimize mosquito breeding opportunities.

For more information on mosquito prevention and protection, visit DPHs mosquito prevention webpage.

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Real Deal

The upcoming Polaris Dawn mission aims to go beyond being astronaut cosplay for the ultra-wealthy.

Instead, the SpaceX-facilitated venture will see four civilian astronauts  who have spent years training together  enter orbit around Earth for around five days inside a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, where they will conduct a host of scientific experiments to provide key insights into the hazards to human health posed by radiation in space.

But the piece de resistance will be a first in the history of spaceflight: a spacewalk carried out by non-government astronauts, which will use a novel technique to prepare them to disembark the spacecraft.

And now, after being beset with delays, it seems like the mission will finally be kicking off. On Monday, the Polaris Dawn crew arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the mission is currently scheduled to launch on August 26.

The Crew Dragon capsule, containing the astronauts, will be carried to orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket  and if all goes according to plan, they'll return five days later on August 31.

Radiation Vibe

Commanding the mission is billionaire entrepreneur and jet pilot Jared Isaacman, who will be joined by former Air Force pilot Scott "Kidd" Poteet, and two SpaceX engineers, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon.

The crew members will travel to about 870 miles above the Earth's surface  more than three times higher than the International Space Station  plunging them deep into a region of high energy radiation called the Van Allen radiation belts that encircle our planet. Caused by charged particles trapped by the Earth's magnetosphere, quickly navigating this hazardous region will be crucial if humans ever want to travel to Mars and beyond.

And so, to understand the radiation's effects  and of other cosmic rays that will be encountered deeper in space  data on the crew's health will be collected throughout the mission, and multiple scientific experiments will be conducted.

"It is a different radiation environment, it is a different micrometeorite orbital debris environment," Isaacman told NPR. "And we stand to learn quite a bit from that, in terms of human health science and research."

Following Suit

The highly-anticipated spacewalk, meanwhile, will be conducted on day three of the mission by two of the crew members, Isaacman and Gillis.

But all four will be exposed to the vacuum of space. That's because the Crew Dragon has no airlock, so the entire cabin will be gradually depressurized over two days as the astronauts stay inside their extravehicular activity suits, newly designed by SpaceX.

Along with being a novel achievement for a private space mission, the spacewalk will also be a proving ground for the spacesuits, which are a radical redesign from NASA's bulky suits that have largely stayed the same for decades.

As it stands, the mission is currently slated to launch no earlier than next Monday  so delays or not, we'll be watching.

More on space missions: SpaceX Tourists Will Test New Space Doritos Coated in Extra Oil
Seattle Police arrested an armed mail thief in the Gatewood neighborhood in West Seattle two weeks ago, according to an SPD Blotter posted on Monday.

SPD says on August 7 at 12:51 a.m., patrol officers responded to reports of a man wearing a ski mask breaking into mailboxes in the 7900 block of 35th Avenue Southwest.

Police located the suspect nearby and arrested him. He was in possession of multiple pieces of evidence, including stolen mail, suspected stolen bank cards, a metal pry bar, and he was concealing a loaded firearm, SPD says.

According to SPD, the man had an expired Concealed Pistol License. A Beretta APX 9mm semi-automatic handgun was seized as evidence.

The 28-year-old suspect was arrested for Theft of Mail, Criminal Trespass, Malicious Mischief, and Unlawful Carry of a Pistol. He was booked into King County Jail.

Charges were referred to the King County Prosecuting Attorneys Office.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN)  New data shows spending on North Carolinas gubernatorial race is on track to significantly exceed spending from four years ago as Democratic state attorney general Josh Stein and lieutenant governor Mark Robinson seek to sway voters.

AdImpact, which tracks political spending, says as of mid-August, $77.7 million already either has been spent or is reserved for the race. About 76 percent of that spending is in support of Stein.

Stein takes significant lead against Robinson in NC governors race, new poll shows

Meredith College political expert David McLennan says based on those numbers, total spending on the race could reach $125 million. That would top the approximate $70 million spent on the 2020 race.

This is the most expensive governors race weve seen and maybe in the country this year, McLennan said. I wasnt surprised when I saw the numbers, just the disparity in the numbers. The Stein campaign, not only in current spending, but in future spending is well outpacing Robinsons campaign. I think that could be why Robinson is losing ground in the polls.

Polling in the race this month has shown Stein leading Robinson between five and 10 percentage points. Those same polls have shown the presidential race in North Carolina to be much closer.

Since Robinson and Stein werent well known to the average North Carolinian, this is shaping an impression for them, McLennan said. I think advertising is working. Money goes where its needed. And, if the gap does not narrow its hard to imagine a lot of people will put money into this race on the Robinson side.

Robinson says conflict of interest in states review of familys nonprofit, citing Steins wifes employment

Stein has maintained a fundraising advantage over Robinson. In the second quarter of this year, Steins campaign reported raising $13.8 million compared to Robinsons $5 million. Both are significantly outraising their partys nominees from recent past elections.

While some of Steins ads have been about his own record, several have focused on previous statements Robinson has made, particularly about abortion. The lieutenant governor released an ad of his own on the issue, talking about his and his wifes decision about 30 years ago to get an abortion and the lasting impact its had on them.

Not responsible enough to keep your skirt down, Robinson says about abortion in Stein ad

Stein released a new ad Monday focused on efforts to clear the backlog of untested sexual assault evidence kits. The attorney general announced earlier this year that milestone had been reached as a result of bipartisan legislation that the General Assembly passed. In 2017, Steins office said it determined that about 16,000 of those evidence kits had gone untested.

The ad features Robeson County District Attorney Matt Scott highlighting the cold case of a teacher who was assaulted in her home. The case was solved and a man was convicted following testing of the evidence kits.

As Attorney General, Josh Stein has worked with Republicans and Democrats to clear the rape kit backlog and take violent criminals off of North Carolinas streets, said Jeff Allen, campaign manager for Josh Stein for North Carolina.

Lt. Gov. Robinson responds to ads featuring his comments about abortion and women keeping their skirt down

Republicans have pushed back on the issue, saying the backlog never should have climbed as high as it did in the first place. Stein was preceded in the attorney generals office by incumbent Democratic governor Roy Cooper.

In a statement, Mike Lonergan, a spokesman for Robinsons campaign said, This ad is just Josh Steins latest pathetic attempt to gloss over his failed record of propping up the same anti-police and pro-criminal extremist policies of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Since Josh Stein took office, crime like domestic violence is on the rise across the state and hes even already gotten himself in legal hot water for lying about rape and sexual assault kits.

From his support of ending cash bail to his ties to defund the police extremist groups, Josh Stein will continue to turn our state into a magnet for violent crime and dangerous drugs, Longergan said in his statement. As governor, Mark Robinson will partner with President Trump to crack down on violent crime and make our communities safer.

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Thunderstorms rolled into the Colorado Springs area late Monday afternoon, and forecasters with the National Weather Service in Pueblo issued a severe thunderstorm watch for El Paso County until 9 p.m. Heavy rain, flooding, lightning and hail have been reported throughout the area.

Follow along for the latest updates here:

6 p.m. - Hail and street flooding in El Paso County

In eastern El Paso County, 2-inch hail was reported. Street flooding has also been reported in Fountain and the Security-Widefield area.

5:45 p.m.: Lightning strikes gas line

The Colorado Springs Fire Department is responding to a burning gas line that was apparently struck by lightning in the eastern part of Colorado Springs.

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According to the department, crews are at the scene of the 4000 block of Shelley Avenue. No injuries have been reported at this point.

The department is working with Colorado Springs Utilities to mitigate the situation.

5 p.m. update: Hiker lost in rain

The Colorado Springs Fire Department is responding to a report of a lost hiker at Cheyenne Canon, according to a post on X from the department.

CSFD said the hiker is unable to get back to their car amid heavy rain in the area. Fire crews are responding along with a CSFD drone.

There are no injuries at this time, according to CSFD.

El Paso County, including Colorado Springs, is currently under a severe thunderstorm watch until 9 p.m.

This is a developing story.
An unassuming orb-weaving spider common across China, Japan, and Korea seems to have the powers of a master manipulator.

Araneus ventricosus has been observed catching male fireflies and inducing them to flash signal patterns usually used by females.

The result? More male fireflies, lured to the spider's web, by way of a gruesome honeypot.

It's not entirely clear how the spiders are triggering the female-like flashing patterns in male Abscondita terminalis fireflies, but new research implicates a clear cause-and-effect.

"Drawing from extensive field observations, we propose that Araneus ventricosus practices deceptive interspecific communication by first ensnaring firefly males in its web and then predisposing the entrapped male fireflies to broadcast bioluminescent signals that deviate from female-attracting signals typically made by A. terminalis males and instead mimic the male-attracting signals typically made by females," writes a team led by entomologist Xinhua Fu of Huazhong Agricultural University in China.

"The outcome is that the entrapped male fireflies broadcast false signals that lure more male fireflies into the web."

Fu, who has been investigating the bioluminescent courtship signaling of fireflies in the wild, first spotted something odd about the spiders on one of his field expeditions.

Of the fireflies snared in the sticky webs, almost all of them were male.

Araneus ventricosus with two flashing fireflies trapped in her web. (Xinhua Fu)

Taken in isolation, this might not mean much. But on subsequent expeditions, he found the same thing. Rarely was a female firefly found caught in the web of A. ventricosus, presenting a pattern too stark to shrug off as mere chance.

The researchers spent many nights studying the spiders and found that the fireflies' behavior became even more curious.

When signaling each other for mating purposes, male and female fireflies do so in specific ways. Males use two lanterns in their abdomens to make multi-signal chains of pulses. The females, on the other hand, use a single lantern to make single-pulse signals. In this way, the insects can differentiate between male and female signals, and find each other in the dark.

When snared in a web, the males were commonly seen flashing a single-lantern, single-pulse signal that females use to attract mates. This could be a coincidence, though, so the researchers conducted a field experiment to find out what is going on.

They observed free-flying fireflies approaching webs which they'd categorized depending on the presence or absence of spiders or trapped fireflies. For each of the 161 webs observed, they also studied the catch rate  how many fireflies the web had caught.

The researchers found that although all ensnared males flashed signals more similar to a female firefly, the presence of the spider was significantly correlated with a higher catch rate. Male fireflies caught in a web without a spider present were less likely to lure other fireflies to their doom.

Araneus ventricosus wrapping a flashing male firefly. (Xinhua Fu)

This is inconsistent with the hypothesis that the fireflies, once caught in the web, emit distress signals.

And there was something else. When a flashing firefly was caught in its web, the spider moved in and deployed a distinctive, repeated wrap-and-bite attack. This attack only took place when the flashing of the firefly was visible; when fireflies with blacked-out lanterns were placed in the web, the spider did not use the attack sequence.

Although it's unclear whether venom or the bite itself is responsible for the behavior change, the researchers believe something about the attack causes a neurotransmitter to alter the signal style inside the insect.

It would not be the first time spiders have been caught using puppets. Orb-weaving spiders of the genus Cyclosa build large decoys out of dead insects and debris in the shape of a spider in the center of a web. Their goal might be a bit different, though  deterring predators, rather than luring prey.

And puppeteering a living, wriggling, doomed insect to lure its fellows to their own deaths is an entirely different level of evil genius. We're probably very lucky that the venom of A. ventricosus is harmless to vertebrates.

The research has been published in Current Biology.

Related News
A man who broke into a French apartment complex and became paralysed after diving into the pool is suing the propertys owner for damages.

Aged 18 at the time, the man was part of a group of friends who were pool squatting at a private residential apartment block in Toulouse in 2022.

As a result of an accident from a dive gone wrong, he broke his back and became paralysed from the neck down.

Pool squatting has become increasingly popular during hot summers in southern France and, typically, involves young people illegally accessing strangers pools.

One witness, identified by La Depeche, a local paper, as Anthony, said he remembered that the young man and his friends were jumping around like idiots before the accident.

We told them they were going to get hurt and it happened, he said.

He knew not to jump there

Two years after the accident, the squatter decided to take Credit Agricole Immobilier, the apartments management company, to court and last month started the process of suing for negligence.

The situation is dramatic, one of the propertys co-owners, identified as Alexandra, told French news channel BFM TV. Nevertheless, its not our fault.

She said the owners had told the young people to leave the property and that a sign posted at the entrance clearly indicated the pool depths for swimmers  3.5ft at the shallow end, 7ft at the deep end.

Were completely at a loss, we feel sorry for this young man who hurt himself and shattered his life at the age of 18, but he knew not to jump there and he had no business being there, Alexandra told La Depeche.

Since the apartment complex opened six years ago, young people from around the city had been breaking into the pool every summer, she added.

But, despite the swimmers gaining access illegally, lawyers believe the squatters could still have a case under French law.

Owners must answer for peoples injuries

When damage occurs on their property, in this case a swimming pool, the owners must answer to the damage that is caused to the people who injure themselves, even if they entered illegally, Fabien Gaillard, a lawyer who specialises in real estate law, told BFM TV.

Article 1244 of the French civil code states that the owner of a building is responsible for the damage caused by its ruin, when it occurs as a result of lack of maintenance or a defect in its construction.

It means the owner must show proof of the pools regular maintenance, such as photos or invoices for upkeep, to successfully argue the case, according to legal experts.

This type of case has to be judged on a case-by-case basis, Romain Rossi-Landi, a property lawyer, told Le Figaro.

To avoid having to pay the squatter, the owner will have to show that the property was in good condition before the squatting, or that it was prevented by the squatter from fulfilling its maintenance obligation.

Pool break-ins increase during heatwave

In Toulouse, break-ins from squatters at private and public properties with outdoor pools have increased during heatwaves when temperatures can hit 40C.

Since the beginning of this summer, authorities have received more than 140 reports of trespassing at pools, according to news channel TF1.

In another incident, reported in 2022, a homeowner returning from vacation found two strangers in his swimming pool who refused to leave.

They were sitting there quietly, with a drink, Julien Duclay said in an interview with TF1. I asked them to leave, explaining they were on private property, but they refused, saying, its just water, its fine, we can enjoy it.

That year, 200 incidents of trespassing at pools were reported.

The trespassers are mostly gangs of young people who force their way into the pool, according to Patrick Lammertyn, another homeowner. And we are often forced to call the police, who do not systematically come.

Along with private pools, trespassers have also broken into public pools when they are supposed to be closed, which officials fear could result in serious accidents.

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St. Joseph man drowns while trying to rescue a child in Smithville Lake

A St. Joseph man drowned in Smithville Lake Saturday while trying to rescue a child, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

MSHP investigators responded to Crows Creek Cove at the Clay County lake around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, according to an incident report filed by Troop A staff Monday.

The body of David G. Moore, 66, was recovered from the lake.

Moore had been in a 230-foot pontoon boat with several people on board, including multiple children, shortly before his death. While attempting to load the children back onto the boat, one started drifting away, according to the incident report.

Moore dove in after the child and never resurfaced.

Information on whether the child survived was not released.

Moores body was transported to Forensic Medical, an autopsy and investigation service based in Kansas City, Kansas. He was not wearing a life jacket at the time of his death, according to the report.

In the last six weeks, 10 people, including Moore, have drowned in Missouri, according to data collected by the MSHP.

Across Missouri, 30 people drowned in 2022  the most recent full year of available data  according to the MSHP. Of the drownings, 83% took place in lakes and other bodies of water, with more than half happening in the summer.

This is a developing story. Check back for more information.
St. Petersburg man gets life in prison for fentanyl, sex trafficking

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A St. Petersburg man has been sentenced to life in prison for importing and selling fentanyl and sex trafficking.

Joseph Marion, 41, imported fentanyl and fentanyl analogues from China through the U.S. mail, according to the Department of Justice.

During the trial, it was presented that Marion blended and packaged fentanyl before selling it.

Marion sold fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and crack cocaine to multiple dealers, according to the DOJ.

Marion also trafficked women. He recruited women who were addicted to the drugs he was selling and would advertise them as prostitutes, officials say.

During the trial, one of the dealers that was working with Marion testified that she bought 40 to 100 bags of fentanyl a day.

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Stanislaus County Auditor-Controller Kashmir Gill has served notice shes retiring more than two years before her term expires.

Tuesday evening, the county Board of Supervisors could approve a recruitment process to find an auditor-controller to serve out the term, which expires in January 2027. Gills retirement notification, dated Aug. 12, said her last day in the elected position will be Oct. 9.

It has been my privilege and honor to have served the members of Stanislaus County, Gill wrote. I have been fortunate to be part of the organization for over 27 years. ... Through mentors, a strong leadership team, dedicated staff and support from the Board of Supervisors, I have had unimaginable opportunities to make a difference for the community.

Gill, 59, was elected to oversee the county Auditor-Controllers office in 2018 and ran unopposed for a second four-year term in 2022.

The county is proposing a recruitment process to fill the position when Gill leaves in October. County voters will choose a new auditor-controller in the November 2026 election. The appointed auditor would need to run for the office to serve the next term.

Board Chairman Mani Grewal said a recruitment and appointment would be the most efficient and expedient way to the fill the vacancy. It will give us an opportunity to see who the other qualified candidates are.

Grewal said that holding a special election would be costly for taxpayers. The retirement notice came three days after an Aug. 9 deadline for candidates to qualify for the Nov. 5 ballot.

Grewal said he wasnt sure if a slightly earlier retirement notice, before the deadline, would have provided sufficient time for qualified candidates to step forward and organize a campaign to run for the office.

Gill cited her husbands illness and treatment needs as the reason for retiring from county service. I want to give more attention to family, Gill said. I wont have the responsibility of being away from home as much.

Gill will start working in October as a business and financial consultant for Alameda Countys health agency. According to a July 9 agenda item, the one-year contract with Alameda County is for $384,000, a project that will allow her to do more work remotely, Gill said.

An agenda report said the Bay Area health agency is enhancing its systems for public health finance, updating policies and procedures and needs to improve finance management due to growth since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ideally, it would have been better to hear about this a year ago, but life happens, Supervisor Vito Chiesa said of Gills retirement. She has done a good job. Its family first. We have to respect that.

The auditor-controller serves as the chief accountant over county operations. The office is responsible for performing mandated audits, controlling the tax roll, calculating taxes and general obligation bonds and allocating property-tax revenue to agencies.

Stanislaus County auditors perhaps are best known for serving a watchdog role in reviewing county staff purchasing card policies going back to a scandal over county credit card purchases 20 years ago.

The auditor-controller must be a public accountant or CPA. The position pays $211,931 a year, along with the standard benefits given to county department directors.

If the board approves the recruitment process Tuesday, two board members will serve on a committee overseeing the search. After a review of the candidates, the committee will recommend an appointee for a Board of Supervisors vote.

Gill began her 27-year career in Stanislaus County as an accountant in Behavioral Health and Recovery Services in 1997. She transferred to the auditor-controllers office in 2008 and was assistant auditor-controller for eight years before winning the top post in November 2018.

The best interest of the county has always been the driving force of my daily duties, Gill wrote in her letter to the county. I have strived to fulfill my responsibilities through transparency, accountability, collaboration and integrity.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA)  As the school year kicks off, more than $4 million dollars in additional funding is coming to schools in Champaign and Vermilion County.

The money is coming from the evidence-based funding formula to help schools provide to their students. In 2017, the state overhauled the funding formula for K-12 district schools to take into account factors like poverty rate and number of special education or English language learners.

Our commitment to using the evidence-based funding formula ensures the schools in our district receive the resources they need to provide every student with the education they deserve, said State Senator Paul Faraci (D-Champaign). By prioritizing data-driven approaches, we`re taking a significant step forward in providing equitable, high-quality education to every child in our community.

A revitalization of inquisitiveness: Decatur School District finds success after first week of phone ban

Some Central Illinois schools set to receive funding through the formula include:

Champaign Unit 4 School District: $197,185

Alternative and Safe Schools (Champaign-Ford Regional Office of Education): $72,520

Danville School District 118: $413,275

Oakwood School District 76: $66,811

Prairieview-Ogden School District 197: $4,577

Rantoul City School District 137: $725,114

Rantoul Township High School District 193: $677,602

Thomasboro School District 130: $15,001

University Laboratory High School: $174,626

Urbana School District 116: $1,323,975

Alternative and Safe Schools (Vermilion Regional Office of Education): $24,705

Westville School District 2: $390,577

Statewide, the Fiscal Year 2025 budget invested $350 million in new funding through the evidence-based funding model.

100 new teachers sign into Champaign schools

More information on the evidence-based funding distribution for the Fiscal Year can be found on the Illinois State Board of Educations website.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
State of the Coast Conference set for May in New Orleans

A man with gray hair and beardmstands in front of a poster board with a smile on his face.

John Day, an emeritus professor from Louisiana State University, stands with a poster presentation from the 2023 SOC conference. (Photo Credit: Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana)

The State of the Coast Conference, a statewide gathering of experts, advocates and people of Louisiana interested in coastal restoration efforts, is coming to New Orleans in 2025.

The conference, organized by The Water Institute, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), is planned for May 20-22, 2025, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. It seeks to advance the future of restoration in the coastal communities, economies and environment of Louisiana through the exchange of the latest information across different professions.

This is a pivotal moment for our coast, so we expect the exchange of ideas to be of significant value, CRCL executive director Kim Reyher said.

In its eighth year of providing a forum for discussion on Louisianas coastal protection efforts, the conference will host panels, lightning talks and poster presentations covering topics such as flood risk management, disaster planning and recovery, coastal law and policy, environmental restoration and renewable energy.

The event coincides with the 15th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the settlement of which funds much of Louisianas current coastal protection and restoration efforts.

The central theme of the conference is Our Changing Coast, which focuses on how people respond to the inevitability of Louisianas changing coastline, whether by attempting to slow or adapting to change, according to a news release from the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana.

About 1,200 people attended the conference in 2023, including scientists, lawmakers, coastal Louisiana residents, students and government agency personnel, according to the conference website.

The State of the Coast Conference website encourages attendees to keep an eye out for early registration, launching in November. Those interested in sponsoring the event or setting up an exhibit can apply now through May 2025 on the SOC conference website.

Poster proposals will be accepted until Oct. 15, while those wanting to host a talk should apply before Sept. 23.
NEW MEXICO (KRQE)  The New Mexico Environment Department will host a rapid hire event looking to fill over 60 positions. The positions will be based in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Las Cruces.

Why 2024 Is A Bumper Crop Year For New Mexico Chile

The department is hoping to hire environmental scientists as well as specialists and roles in administrative, finance, and human resources. The event will take place on Friday and Saturday starting at 10 a.m. It will be held at Expo New Mexicos Manual Lujan Jr. Exhibit Complex in Building A.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
The Stockton City Council plans to take another step toward possible changes in how the city enforces its homelessness laws following a sweeping U.S. Supreme Court ruling, a councilmember and the city's spokesperson said.

Officials from the city manager's office, as well as the public works, legal, police and economic development departments, are set to brief the council at the Tuesday, Aug. 27 session, which is open to the public, according to District 3 Councilmember Michael Blower.

We will be reviewing the entire policy for consistency with (the) federal ruling, including our capacity and the resources needed to implement any changes, city spokesperson Connie Cochran said Monday.

A homeless encampment is set up on the sidewalk on Washington Street near Madison Street in downtown Stockton on Jul. 3. 2024.

What did the Supreme Court decide?

The upcoming meeting will mark the second time that city staff members have briefed councilmembers on the issue since the Supreme Court ruling in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson.

On June 28, the court held that cities can legally cite and jail homeless residents for breaking anti-camping laws, even if the cities lack enough shelter beds to offer their homeless populations a viable alternative.

City Manager Harry Black explained the decision to the council at its July 9 meeting.

"As a city, we have numerous rules on the books that deal with camping," he told The Record at the time. The ruling "frees us up to be able to apply all the rules that have been on the books," he said.

More: Stockton to weigh stricter enforcement of city's homelessness laws

It remains to be seen how the Take Back Our Parks plan  a strategy Black announced at the July meeting, specifically targeting encampments in parks  will fit into the city's broader response.

The project has been in the concept phase in anticipation of the (Supreme Court) decision," police spokesman Officer Omer Edhah said last month. "(It) will be vetted operationally and logistically in the near future."

A police spokesman didn't return a call for further comment by deadline Monday.

The Aug. 27 meeting will also mark the first time councilmembers have met on the topic since Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order urging local governments to clear encampments.

Have there been more encampment cleanups since the ruling?

As of Monday, it's unclear if the Stockton Police Department has changed its approach to citing homeless residents in the wake of the Supreme Court.

Stockton ordinance bans camping and storing personal belongings near many types of infrastructure, including parks, roads, bridges, water sources, public utilities and train tracks. City law also bans structures that block sidewalks or streets.

So far, it appears there hasn't been an uptick in encampment cleanups.

The Stockton Police Department carried out 37 cleanups in the six weeks prior to the decision, and 34 in the six weeks after, according to police spokesman Officer David Scott.

Point-in-Time Count: Homelessness in San Joaquin County has doubled

The police and public works departments together carried out five regular, large-scale cleanups in the six weeks before the decision, and four in the six weeks after, according to Cochran. The city also did 21 smaller cleanups in the six weeks prior, and 19 in the six weeks after.

City departments often work together on cleanups, Cochran said. There may be overlap between the cleanup numbers the police department and the city as a whole provided.

In the six weeks before the decision, the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans, carried out eight cleanups in state right-of-way areas in Stockton, according to Bob Highfill, the region's encampment coordinator. In the six weeks following, the agency carried out three more.

The Aug. 27 study session is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at city hall, Cochran said.

Record reporter Aaron Leathley covers government accountability. She can be reached at aleathley@recordnet.com or on Twitter @LeathleyAaron. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton police, council to talk Grants Pass, Newsom order
The United Nations projects that by 2050, the world will hit 9.7 billion people and continue rising to 10.9 billion in 2100. (Photo by Diane Macdonald /Stockbyte/Getty Images)

The human population of the Earth passed 8 billion in 2022, up from 7 billion in 2011 and less than 2 billion just a century ago. The United Nations projects that by 2050, the world will hit 9.7 billion people and continue rising to 10.9 billion in 2100. The average number of children women have in their lifetimes remains above the replacement rate of 2.1.

So why is there so much hand-wringing about a population bust?

It is true that population trends are uneven across the world, and some European and East Asian countries are struggling to address a decline in numbers. This is not the case in the U.S., however. Although our birth rate has been below the replacement rate for years, the Census projects our population increasing by another 33 million before it peaks in 2080. By 2100, the Census expects there will still be almost 10% more people in the U.S. than there are today.

Frankly, its more than a little odd to worry about something that wont happen for at least three-quarters of a century, while ignoring that in the meantime, an ever-growing population using too many resources is pushing the planet to the brink of ecological collapse. You would think we could worry about that now, and save the hysterics over population decline for the next century.

Yet conservatives see the sky falling. The fear is most palpable among white supremacists spouting replacement theory, the notion that pale-skinned people, who are having fewer children, will be swamped by brown people, who are having more. They are pretty sure this is, in fact, a nefarious plan concocted by Jewish people, who apparently dont count as white, with a goal of destroying Western civilization and all the great things that America stands for  by which they definitely do not mean democracy and civil rights.

Even some liberal Americans say theyre worried about the birth rate, and argue we need child tax credits, mandatory parental leave and publicly-subsidized daycare to reverse the decline. Of course, progressives support these policies anyway, so its hard to know how sincere their concern over birth rates really is.

Im not sure about the sincerity on the right, either. Most of the people who express alarm about a declining birth rate are red-state Republicans who celebrate rural living and the small-town lifestyle. They hate traffic and the plethora of rules necessary to make life tolerable in crowded communities.

Meanwhile, I guarantee you no one in New York or LA looks around and says, You know what would make this place better? More people!

Of course, the pro-population-growth crowd absolutely rejects the one sure way to increase the US population: allowing more immigrants in.

They say its not racism. Theirs is just a preference for people who look like them, sound like them and do things the way they do them.

Yet immigration does all the things that the population alarmists say we need. It fills schools with children, bolsters the workforce, and keeps contributions flowing to Social Security and Medicare, extending the solvency of these programs.

Vastly more would-be immigrants are knocking at our doors than we are willing to allow in, and the numbers will only increase as climate change and the collapse of ecosystems spark further conflict and make it harder to eke out a living in more parts of the world. Countries that are able and willing to absorb the outflow of migrants from devastated areas will not be challenged by depopulation.

The U.S. is home to more migrants than any other country. Clearly many Americans, themselves descended from immigrants, are ready to shut the door behind them, but economists agree immigration is the secret sauce of our economic strength. That doesnt mean the doors need to be wide open, with no one managing the flow, or that we shouldnt try to help solve the crises that drive people to leave their home countries in the first place. And we still urgently need to work on transforming our consumption-based economy into a sustainable one.

But it does mean we neednt fear a population bust in our lifetimes. While other advanced countries are figuring out how to retool their economies for a shrinking population, we will always have the numbers we desire, so long as we remain a society committed to equal opportunity, democracy and the striving for justice.

Obviously, this is not what the nativist right wants. But what they want  more American-born babies and limitless population growth, achieved by controlling womens bodies rather than by strengthening the welfare state  is a fantasy served up with a helping of bad policy.
GLASGOW, Scotland (WJW)  A teenager from Scotland has been sentenced to prison after a car crash he was involved in killed three of his 16-year-old friends in March 2022.

According to a sentencing statement from the Judiciary of Scotland, 19-year-old Jake Loy was sentenced Monday at Glasgows High Court to four years and eight months in prison after he pleaded guilty to killing three people in a high-speed crash.

Loss is immeasurable: Local fire chief killed while on vacation

At the time of the crash, Loy was 17 years old with only a learners permit, according to the statement.

The crash killed 16-year-old passengers Finlay Johns, Ian Cannon and Tyler Johnston.

According to the statement, Loy was driving a Honda Civic, which eventually collided with a Honda CR-V that was travelling in the opposite direction.

Loy and the three occupants of the CR-V were seriously injured in the crash.

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According to the statement, it appears that Loy has no memory of the crash or the events leading up to it. The speed at which he was driving is also unknown.

The statement did say that Cannon, one of the victims of the crash, posted a message on Snapchat saying he was scared of Loys driving and that he was swerving all over the place, was a terrible driver, and was flooring it.

Loy is also not allowed to drive for a total of eight years, according to the statement.

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GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD)  A student in Georgetown County has been charged after threatening to burn down his school.

The 12-year-old student made the threat against Waccamaw Intermediate School, according to the Georgetown County Sheriffs Office.

Deputies said the juvenile was placed in emergency protective custody after attempting to harm himself. He was taken to a local hospital.

The student could be punished according to the Georgetown County School Districts policy.

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Editors Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 to connect with a trained counselor, or visit the 988 Lifeline website.

People taking semaglutide, the popular medication for diabetes and weight loss, are more likely to report having thoughts of suicide compared with those taking other drugs, according to a new study of an international drug safety database. But the finding is the latest see-saw of scientific evidence on the risk of depression and suicide tied to the popular medications  and critics say evidence that the drugs cause problems with mood is limited.

Semaglutide is sold under the brand name Ozempic when its prescribed for diabetes and Wegovy when its prescribed for weight loss. In addition, a number of companies make compounded forms of the drug. The use of the medication has surged in recent years, and studies have shown more promising effects, including reductions in kidney disease and cancer.

But suicide has been a long-standing concern with medications that alter the desire for food. For some people, losing the pleasure and reward of eating  and perhaps other things  creates a dramatic shift in mood and may increase the risk of self-harm. In 2008, the weight loss drug rimonabant, which acted on the same brain system that gives people the munchies when theyre on marijuana, was withdrawn from use because it increased the risk of suicide. (The drug was never approved for use in the United States.)

The patient information for semaglutide already includes a warning to watch out for depression and suicidal thoughts. But theres been conflicting evidence about the risk of suicidal thoughts and feelings with new weight loss drugs, including semaglutide.

Earlier this year, the European Medicines Agency said available evidence did not show a link between suicide and semaglutide and other drugs used for weight loss. The US Food and Drug Administration has also been investigating the risk of suicide and suicidal thoughts across drugs in the same class as semaglutide and thus far has not found any increased risk. However, the agency says it cant rule out a small increase in risk because of the small total number of events in their surveillance systems, and its investigation is ongoing.

A large study published in January in the journal Nature Medicine found that use of semaglutide was linked to a lower risk of suicidal thoughts, compared with people taking different kinds of medications for weight loss and diabetes.

The new study, which was published Tuesday in the journal JAMA Network Open, looked at reports of suicidal thoughts in people taking semaglutide  whether for diabetes or weight loss  in a database maintained by the World Health Organization that compiles adverse events linked to drugs across 140 countries.

The study authors found 107 reports of patients, out of more than 30,500 total, who said they thought about killing themselves while taking semaglutide and 162 similar reports, out of more than 52,000, in patients taking liraglutide, a different injected diabetes medication thats in the same class as semaglutide. Liraglutide is an older drug, so more people have had experience taking it.

The study authors found what they describe as a disproportional risk of suicidal thoughts in people taking semaglutide but not in people who were taking liraglutide. When they compared reports of suicidal thoughts in people taking semaglutide with the risk reported with all other drugs in the database, they found that the risk was elevated by about 45% in people taking semaglutide.

The risk was about four times higher in people who were also taking drugs to control depression and anxiety, suggesting that this group may be at even higher risk for mood effects with these medications. When the study authors excluded cases of people taking semaglutide and antidepressants, the association disappeared  suggesting that people who were taking both drugs were driving the risk.

The study authors acknowledge that their research has limitations. But because so many people are taking semaglutide, they think the findings warrant further study and urgent clarification about the risk.

Other experts said the evidence presented in the study is thin.

Basically, it is hard to tease out from this study whether it is the drug doing this or the mood disorder, said Dr. Mahyar Etminan, an expert in drug safety at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver who was not involved in the study

This paper presents, at best, weak evidence of an association between semaglutide and suicidality, said Ian Douglas, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. In a comment given to reporters, Douglas says studies like this are good for generating theories but cant prove cause and effect.

In a commentary on the study, Dr. Francesco Salvo and Dr. Jean-Luc Faillie, two French drug safety researchers who were not involved in the research, agree. They say its common for drug safety studies to vary in their conclusions depending on the database thats used and the methods of the study. Until we have better evidence, its a good idea to be careful, they say.

Depression or suicidality are rare but extremely severe events and need to be prevented and managed as much as possible, Salvo and Faillie wrote.

Without more precise data, they think GLP-1 and other kinds of appetite suppressants should be prescribed with caution in people with a history of depression or suicidal thoughts. And if patients experience a new episode of depression while on the medication, they wrote, doctors may want to consider immediate discontinuation.

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The Idaho Council on Indian Affairs meets Aug. 19, 2024, at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise. (Clark Corbin/Idaho Capital Sun)

The five Native American tribes in Idaho have a combined economic impact of $1.45 billion, according to a study by a University of Idaho economist.

The tribes contribute heavily to the economy, agriculture, tourism, recreation and hospitality industries and support more than 12,500 jobs across the state, said Steven Peterson, a University of Idaho research economist who served as the studys principal investigator.

Their footprint is large enough that if you waved a wand and their activities disappeared, the state of Idaho would likely be thrown into a recession, Peterson said. Their economic impact is that big and substantial.

The five Native American tribes in Idaho include:

Coeur dAlene Tribe, 2,599 members.

Nez Perce Tribe, 3,526 members.

Kootenai Tribe, 168 members.

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall, 6,075 members.

Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, 2,203 members.

The study, The Economic Impacts of the Five Tribes of Idaho on Idahos Economy, was conducted in 2023. Peterson presented a report about the study on Monday during the Idaho Council on Indian Affairs meeting at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise.

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Data still needed on other issues facing Idahos tribes, Shoshone-Bannock chairman says

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Chairman Lee Juan Tyler told the council that while the study measured the tribes impact to the states economy, it did not address the personal economic situations of tribal members.

Even though we have all this here, there are other aspects of all this, different studies, thats probably not on here, Tyler said. Because we still have poverty amongst our people in areas. Theres homelessness still. Theres other aspects of this where we need to find a way to help. Infrastructure. The broadband, wifi. Were primitive over there in different areas.

Peterson, the studys author, said that Tyler was right.

This was one type of study, and so it didnt directly address many of the important issues you are raising, Peterson told Tyler. I will point out the paradox is that the five tribes are a huge engine of growth but they capture only a fraction of the benefits they create. So there is systemic poverty on many of the reservations in rural areas. The average income is below the state and below the nation in many areas. They struggle in terms of  basic infrastructure and many basic necessities. So that paradox, even how to frame the report, we have had that discussion because we almost make it seem like the tribes or trIbal members are directly benefiting from all of this. They are a little bit. But most of that benefit is going to the surrounding communities and to the economy as a whole. So there is a dual story here.

Peterson told the Council on Indian Affairs that all five tribes rank in the top three employers in their respective regional economies.

Any way you slice the employment numbers, the tribes are among the biggest employers in the state of Idaho, Peterson said during Mondays meeting.

This is the fifth study of the economic impact of Idahos Native American tribes. Previous studies were conducted in 2002, 2009, 2015 and 2020.

Members of the Council on Indian Affairs discussed scheduling their next meeting during the first couple weeks of the 2025 legislative session, but did not set a specific date. The 2025 legislative session begins Jan. 6.

NPT-5-Tribes-Economic-Impacts-2023

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Senate President Nicholas Scutari signaled earlier this year that the state Senate might convene in the summer to approve judges, but that appears unlikely now. (Hal Brown for New Jersey Monitor)

New Jersey lawmakers have not met to confirm new judges during their customary summer recess, and the Democratic National Convention, a procedural deadline, and legislators summer schedules could keep them from convening until the fall.

Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) in late June suggested his members could return to Trenton in August to confirm Supreme Court nominee John Jay Hoffman and other nominees tapped for seats on the Superior Court, but the Senate has not gathered, and its not clear the chamber will until September.

Lawmakers had hoped to confirm Hoffman before the start of the new court session on Sept. 1 to replace Justice Lee Solomon, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 on Saturday.

Meanwhile, judicial vacancies that have plagued the state for much of Gov. Phil Murphys time in office were down to 40 at the end of June, their lowest level in years, but have since risen to 43, with one judge due to retire on Sept. 1 and five others set to age out or step down by the end of the year.

Chief Justice Stuart Rabner and other top judiciary officials have said the courts could operate sustainably with as many as 30 vacancies. Scutari in June said the state is no longer in a state of emergency when it comes to judicial vacancies, but Bill Mergner, president of the New Jersey State Bar Association, objects.

I have the greatest respect for the Senate president, have known him his entire legal career. But when its said that the judicial crisis is over, I think thats unfair to sitting judges, Mergner said Monday. I speak with judges virtually every day, and the most common thing that I hear is how heavy the workload is.

Mergner added that he believes the increased workload created by vacancies is causing more judges to retire sooner.

The Democratic Partys national convention in Chicago, which some New Jersey lawmakers like Scutari are attending, makes it unlikely the Senate will meet this week (the event wraps Thursday evening).

A potential meeting in late August would also brush against a procedural deadline in the state constitution that makes bills that have sat on the governors desk for at least 45 days law without the governors signature when their chamber of origin next calls a quorum, as the Senate must when it convenes a voting session.

Lawmakers in both chambers approved a flurry of bills on June 28, and while Murphy has signed some bills, others that began in the Senate are still on his desk after the Aug. 12 45-day-rule deadline.

Murphy and Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way have so far signed 13 of the 33 Senate bills approved by both chambers in late June.

The deadline doesnt guarantee bills will become laws without the governors signature. When previously met with that deadline, Murphy has issued a flurry of last-minute bill actions.

Spots of concern in some counties

Though overall judicial vacancies remain lower than they have been for much of the past four years, vacancies in a handful of New Jersey counties are approaching levels that could require the courts to pause some trials to direct judges limited time to family law and criminal cases the judiciary considers most pressing.

That would not be unprecedented. Rabner last year paused civil and divorce trials in Passaic County and two multi-county court jurisdictions where no fewer than 25% of seats there were vacant (trials have since resumed in all three court districts).

In Vicinage 15, a court jurisdiction covering Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem counties, a little more than 32% of seats were vacant when Rabner paused some trials there.

As of Monday, at least 20% of judgeships were vacant in four counties  Mercer, Somerset, Sussex, and Union.

Somerset and Sussex counties fall within multi-county court districts where overall staffing remains high. The latter countys small size means there is only one vacancy there, and there are nominees for all three vacancies in Somerset.

Union and Mercer counties had six and five vacancies, respectively, and none of the nine would-be Superior Court judges awaiting confirmation hailed from those counties. Mergner said some the Bar Associations judicial and prosecutorial appointments committee had vetted potential judges from Union County.

I feel like theyre working towards a package, but the time lag to do that is such that theyre sitting there  with very few judges, Mergner said.

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HINTON, WV (WVNS) A man was killed after his truck crashed into a telephone pole in Summers County at around 8:30 a.m. on Monday, August 19, 2024.

According to a press release from Capt. R. A. Maddy with the West Virginia State Police, the motor vehicle crash happened on Beech Run Road.

Beckley community mourns the loss of Scott Worley

Upon arrival, Corporal N.C. Boothe saw that the mans 2020 GMC Sienna pickup truck, operated by 65-year-old Billy Joe Willy Jr., had driven off the roadway and struck a telephone pole. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Willey Jr. was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Charleston, West Virginia for an autopsy.

This motor vehicle crash investigation remains active and ongoing.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.
LGBTQ+ rights advocates are expressing concern about a Supreme Court decision that blocked the enforcement of a new rule from the Biden administration protecting transgender students from discrimination in education.

The court Friday denied the administrations request to enforce the rule while the appeals process continues for 10 states that have sued. The rule has several provisions protecting trans people; the administration had sought to be able to enforce most of the provisions, including one saying that sex discrimination includes discrimination based on gender identity. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 bans sex discrimination in any educational program that receives federal funds.

Six states had challenged the rule in a case filed in Kentucky, and four states did so in one filed in Louisiana. The Department of Education issued the rule in April, and in June, two federal courts issued injunctions against its enforcement while the lawsuits play out. Appeals courts then rejected the Education Departments request to be allowed to enforce the rule, so the department, represented by the U.S. solicitor general, appealed to the Supreme Court.

The states in the two suits argued that they were injured by the new definition of sex discrimination as well as two other provisions  one saying schools could not bar trans people from the restrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity and another defining a hostile environment as one that includes harassment based on gender identity. But the district and appeals courts blocked enforcement of the entire rule, including sections that had nothing to do with anti-transgender discrimination.

The Department of Education had asked to be allowed to enforce the whole rule, minus the provisions on sex-segregated spaces and hostile environments but including the definition of sex discrimination. U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar emphasized that the 2024 rule is an omnibus regulation that addresses a wide range of issues, unrelated to discrimination against transgender people, that the states have not challenged, SCOTUSBlog reports. Moreover, she added, when it issued the rule, the Department of Education intended each provision to stand alone. The district courts orders blocking the enforcement of the entire rule, she contended, therefore sweep too broadly to block dozens of provisions that were not before the courts. Such a blunderbuss approach to preliminary relief, she maintained, is both wrong and consequential.

But five of the courts conservative justices agreed with the lower courts findings that the new definition of sex discrimination is intertwined with and affects many other provisions of the new rule and therefore the entire rule should remain blocked, the majority ruling states. It also notes the difficulty in figuring out how to apply the rule temporarily and says the states are likely to succeed in their challenges. The justices joining in the ruling are Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas, Amy Coney Barrett, Samuel Alito, and Chief Justice John Roberts.

The courts three liberals, Sonia Sotomayor, Elana Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented in part, and they were joined by conservative Neil Gorsuch. However, they said they would leave the three trans-oriented provisions blocked, because those are the ones that the states said they were harmed by. Blocking the entire rule, they said, is overbroad.

The six states in one suit, Tennessee et al v. Cardona, filed in Kentucky, are Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Cardona is Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. The other, Louisiana et al v. Department of Education, includes Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, and Idaho.

Ian Millhiser, writing in Vox, called the ruling an odd opinion ... that seemed to abandon [the courts] landmark civil rights decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, the 2020 ruling in which the court found that sex discrimination includes discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. That ruling applied to employment, as governed by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but on the first day of his tenure, President Joe Biden announced his intention to apply the principles of Bostock across the federal government.

The court had a somewhat different makeup in 2020, but Kavanaugh and Gorsuch were already members, and Gorsuch authored the Bostock ruling. Roberts joined Gorsuch and the courts liberals  then Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Kagan, and Sotomayor  in the 6-3 decision. Kavanaugh, Alito, and Thomas dissented.

The ruling in the Title IX cases is an enigma, Millhiser wrote. The justices arent telling us why they refused to follow Bostock. But, regardless of their reasons, the Courts decision not to follow this landmark civil rights decision is an ominous sign for all victims of anti-LGBTQ discrimination.

Legal scholar Steve Vladek, writing on his One First blog, termed the decision a huge mess. He explained, The entire rule remains blocked in the 10 states who were before the Supreme Court. Other injunctions against specific provisions remain in effect in another 16 states; the Rule is otherwise in effect in its entirety almost everywhere else. If this sounds like an enormous headache, it is.

Now we have at least three different sets of rules, he continued. And as the dissent (quite rightly) points out, Individuals in the respondent states will be deprived of guidance related to their rights under Title IX, of updates to the processes schools must follow in investigating their complaints of sex discrimination, of protections from retaliation should they file a complaint, and of much more.
Survey finds nearly 40% of WA parents quit work or got fired after having kids

(Getty Images)

Jessica Heavner describes it as the hardest decision shes ever had to make.

Heavner, of Federal Way, was working in accounting at the local school district, and when it came time for her annual cost of living raise two years ago, she realized the pay bump would put her over the states income limit for subsidized child care.

She would be making too much to get help from the state for care for her three children but too little to pay for care on her own, given the high costs.

Heavner, a single parent, opted to find a lower-paying job with fewer hours in order to keep the subsidy  even though her previous job had better pay and benefits.

I feel like Im trapped in poverty, Heavner said.

Shes not alone in her predicament. A new study from Child Care Aware of Washington found that a lack of child care in the state costs families and employers billions of dollars annually. Employee turnover and absenteeism and lost family income associated with child care cost about $6.9 billion last year, or around $870 per resident.

The report analyzes survey data from Zogby Analytics, which sampled 606 parents in Washington, and applies the findings to the states 1.5 million parents with children 12 years or younger.

Nearly 40% of parents surveyed reported quitting work or getting fired since their children were born. About 62% reported missing at least one day of work in the last three months, and one in 10 had been out of work for at least a year since their children were born.

The cost of care, disruptions in availability and a lack of care options are all problems.

Parents who cannot secure care may not be able to find employment or take part in job skills training. Those who are employed can face reduced hours or missed promotion opportunities.

This lost productivity translated to a $1.5 billion dent last year in federal, state and local tax collections, according to the report. It also reduces Washingtons economic output by an estimated $6 billion each year, the report said.

Last year, the report said, employers lost $1.5 billion due to employee turnover because of child care and another $2.6 billion because of employees missing work due to child care issues. Meanwhile, families lost $2.9 billion in income because of child-care-related time off.

This really puts into stark numbers that this is not just a problem for a handful of families, and not just a problem that child care providers need to face and deal with, said Genevieve Stokes, director of government relations at Child Care Aware of Washington. This is something thats hurting the overall economy.

The problem is not going to go away unless there is more state spending on child care, Stokes said. Recent investments in this area through the capital gains tax and the Fair Start for Kids Act have been helpful, but she added Washington needs to do more to make sure the families and providers are not just treading water.

As part of the Fair Start for Kids Act that passed three years ago, the Legislature is supposed to increase eligibility for the states child care subsidy program for those who make 70% of the states median household income starting next year. Subsidies are currently available for those who make 60% of the state median income. The monthly median income for a household of two is $6,892. For a household of three, its $8,514, and for a household of four, its $10,136.

Stokes said she hopes the state honors that commitment next year as doing so could help many families who cant quite afford to pay for care on their own.

Advocates, providers and families are also pushing for a statewide cap on what all families in Washington would pay for child care, likely set at 7% of their income. That change, however, would be expensive for the state, and as lawmakers are looking at a tightening budget this upcoming legislative session, it likely wont become a reality anytime soon.

After struggling to find a child care that she felt comfortable with, Heavner said she finally found someone who she trusts to care for her kids and who understands her financial situation. In order to continue affording this care, Heavner said she will likely have to stay in her current job and work minimal hours until her kids are older.

But she said shes still scared of accidentally making too much money one year and losing her subsidy. She said a statewide cap on child care costs would be a blessing.

It would make me not worry about making so much money, Heavner said. Itd make me not worry about improving my life while having young children.
Suspect arrested after woman found in distress in Visalia

VISALIA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  A person has been arrested after a woman was found in distress in Visalia on Tuesday morning, according to the Visalia Police Department.

Around 9:40 a.m. officers say they responded to the 1200 Block of North Irma Street for a report of a woman in distress.

Clovis man dies in Bakersfield crash, CHP says

According to police, officers located the woman and with the help of Tulare County Sheriffs Office K-9, arrested a suspect.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Visalia Police Department at 559-734-8166. Anonymous tips can be provided by calling the tip line at 559-713-4738.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN)  A suspect is facing charges as part of an investigation into items stolen from packages that were sent out from the UPS Store on Boardman Poland Road.

According to a police report, investigators were looking into reports that multiple packages had been opened while at the store, and merchandise was taken prior to those packages being shipped. During most of the thefts, electronics were stolen, the report stated.

Police conducting surveillance at the store on Friday stopped an employee who was leaving the store in a Ford Edge. According to the report, the employee, 23-year-old Santos Mercado, allowed officers to search the vehicle. Police reported finding eight cell phones, an Apple watch, two Samsung tablets and a Dell laptop in the vehicle.

Mercado told police that he buys cell phones from various locations, including on Facebook Marketplace, and resells them, the report stated.

Police noted, however, that one of the iPhones that had been reportedly stolen from a package at the facility was found in Mercardos vehicle.

Police arrested Mercado on a misdemeanor charge of receiving stolen property.

He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Tuesday, and a pretrial is set for Sept. 3.

WKBN spoke with a manager at the store who confirmed that the employee no longer worked there but had no other comment.

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MIAMISBURG, Ohio (WDTN)  New developments into Fridays multi-county chase that ended in a standoff on a Miamisburg bridge explain why police were looking for the suspect in the first place.

Johnathan Brown, 32, faces five felony charges connected to last weeks chase, crash and standoff. Hes also accused of meeting with a minor at a hotel earlier that morning.

No credible threat: Anonymous caller sends 2 area school districts into lockdown

A press release from Butler Townships Chief of Police explained that hours before the chase began, Brown was under surveillance by police units.

At 10 a.m., Butler Township authorities received a tip that Brown was at a hotel in the area with a minor who had previously been reported missing.

While offers were surveilling the hotel, they say Brown and the minor left the building and thats when authorities moved in. The minor was taken into protective custody. When officers tried to question Brown, he allegedly fled in a stolen truck.

After searching the hotel, police found a second minor and took them into custody as well.

Further investigation found that the truck Brown left in was reported missing to the Hamilton Police Department.

Just before 2 p.m., Brown was once again spotted. This time, in the truck heading south on Interstate 75 just outside of Springboro.

Franklin police tried to stop the vehicle, and say thats when Brown led them on a high-speed chase across county lines.

Weisenborn Junior High School temporarily evacuated over smell

Newly-released dashcam footage shows the start of the chase which ultimately ended in Miamisburg when Brown crashed into a train on Linden Avenue.

Authorities say Brown refused to come out of the car following the crash, so law enforcement shut down the bridge and spent hours trying to get him out.

The City of Miamisburg has shut down the Linden Ave. bridge until further notice.

Officers eventually arrested Brown, currently being held in the Warren County Jail on a $500,000 cash-only bond.

Warren County Prosecutors are charging Brown with felonious assault, and the Montgomery County Prosecutor says they also plan on charging him at the felony level.

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HOPEWELL  Police have made yet another arrest in the spate of shootings that has been plaguing the city in the past month.

On Tuesday, Dedric Ramon Taggart Jr., 23, of Hopewell was picked up in connection to a shooting July 27 at a gas and convenience store on South 15th Avenue near the Cavalier Square shopping center. He has been charged with malicious wounding, discharging a firearm that resulted in an injury, shooting into an occupied vehicle and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

According to police reports, the shooting happened in the store's parking lot. Investigators found multiple shell casings on the scene.

While authorities were at the scene of the shooting, the victim turned up in the emergency room at HCA TriCities Hospital in Hopewell with a gunshot wound that was not life-threatening.

The shooting was one of eight reported citywide since July 21. Three people have been killed during that spate  two July 21 at a house party on North Radford Drive, and the third Aug. 18 in Hopewell's Davisville area.

A suspect has been arrested in the Davisville homicide, as well as in another shooting Aug. 4 in Thomas Rolfe Court. Police are still looking for the suspect or suspects in the double-homicide.

More: Hopewell Police ID man found dead in James River Tuesday morning; death cause undetermined

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Suspect caught in shooting outside Hopewell BP store
Suspension of most Columbia students disciplined over Gaza protests is removed

Columbia University restricts campus access as it braces for pro-Palestinian protests to return

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Most students at Columbia University who faced disciplinary action, suspension or arrest for participating in pro-Palestinian protests opposing Israel's war in Gaza and calling for an end to U.S. military support to its ally, will soon return to campus, information shared by the institute showed.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The United States has seen months of protests, including at Columbia and many educational institutions. Columbia's handling of those protests led to the resignation of its president, Minouche Shafik, last week.

Pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia had set up dozens of tents in April and demanded the university sell its Israeli assets. The university administration called on police to clear the encampments, a step condemned by rights groups.

BY THE NUMBERS

From the 40 students arrested or disciplined when the university called upon police to the campus on April 18, only two remain suspended, according to information released by a Republican-led U.S. congressional panel.

The panel probing allegations of antisemitism on campus asked for this information from the university and was critical of Columbia by saying its actions were insufficient.

From the over 80 students arrested between April 29 and May 1, only five now face interim suspension without access to the campus, the information released on Monday showed.

CONTEXT

Protests in some universities saw occasional violence while police made arrests on campuses to clear encampments.

Dozens of protesters were arrested inside Columbia's famous Hamilton Hall that demonstrators occupied, with medical records showing some suffered serious injuries.

The information shared by the university showed dozens of disciplinary cases are ongoing. Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a group behind the protests, said those students could still face disciplinary action.

Information released on Monday showed Columbia did not charge any protesting students with hate speech.

The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on Oct. 7 when Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent military assault on Hamas-governed Gaza has caused a humanitarian crisis and killed over 40,000 people, the Hamas-run health ministry says.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Stephen Coates)
Sweden's Pansarbandvagn 302 approved by Ukraine  but is it any good?

Ukraine announced on Aug. 19 that it had approved Sweden's Pansarbandvagn 302 (PBV 302) for delivery to its armed forces.

The "entire Swedish stock" of the infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) was a part of Stockholm's largest tranche of military aid for Ukraine worth $1.3 billion, announced in late May.

It means some 300 of the vehicles should be in the hands of the Ukrainian army in the very near future.

How good is the Pansarbandvagn 302?

An IFV is an armored combat vehicle used to transport infantry to fighting positions, while also being armed with a cannon capable of engaging the enemy and provide fire support.

IFVs are also used for medical evacuations from areas of the front line where rescuers are likely to come under fire.

While Ukraine is in need of more IFVs, there's no avoiding the fact that the PBV 302 is old. Very old.

It was first used by the Swedish army way back in 1966, saw action in Bosnia and Kosovo, and after a hefty 48 years, was retired from service in 2014.

After 10 years in storage, they were then given a new lease of life when Sweden announced in May that its entire stock of the vehicles would be given to Ukraine.

"The Ukrainian army is organizing a number of new brigades and therefore needs armored vehicles for infantry companies. Therefore, Sweden will donate its entire stock of PBV 302, including spare parts, maintenance equipment and ammunition," the Swedish government said at the time.

Read also: Kyiv didnt disclose preparations for Kursk operation because of Wests fear of Russian red lines, Zelensky says

But what can it actually do?

The PBV 302 is a high-mobility, tracked infantry fighting vehicle originally produced by Swedish Hagglund & Soner, and can carry eight soldiers alongside its three-people crew.

When announcing it had been approved for delivery to Ukraine's Armed Forces, Ukraine's Defense Ministry gave a brief overview of what it is capable of.

Highlights include the ability to "traverse rough off-road terrain, as well as soft and unstable surfaces like mud and sand, and to cross water obstacles," a "20 mm Hispano-Suiza automatic cannon," and "front armor designed to withstand a direct impact from a 20 mm artillery shell."

And it's 270-horsepower diesel engine means it can "reach speeds exceeding 60 kilometers per hour."

The thing is, none of these specifications are particularly impressive on a modern battlefield, particularly one where the threat of drones is ever present.

Since retiring the PBV 302, Sweden has come to rely on the much more modern Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90).

The CV90 can also traverse difficult terrain, comes with a much more powerful 40 mm Bofors L/70 autocannon or 35 mm/50 Bushmaster autocannon, and its front armor is designed to withstand larger 30 mm shells.

It's also equipped with far more advanced EW (Electromagnetic Warfare) to protect against drones, and its larger engine means it can shift at 70 kilometers an hour.

Fortunately, Sweden has also given Ukraine around 50 of these, and there are joint production plans between the two countries that aims to provide 1,000 of them.

Used alongside the U.S.-made Bradley, widely considered one of the best IFVs in the world of which Ukraine has received around 300, it means Ukraine has a small but still formidable IFV capability.

Bradleys in particular have proven themselves especially effective, even taking on Russia's most advanced tank on the battlefield, the T-90.

But at present, there simply aren't enough CV90s or Bradleys in Ukraine to satisfy the army's demand, so until those 1,000 CV90s show up or some more Bradleys are donated, the gap is being plugged by older models such as the PBV 302.

Read also: General Mick Ryan on Ukraines strategic calculus in Kursk Oblast

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(Bloomberg) -- Back in 2013, several dozen Swiss business representatives traveled to Beijing to attend the signing of a free-trade agreement between Switzerland and China, toasting the success with champagne.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Implemented the following year, the FTA was hailed in a PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP report at the time as a landmark accord that recasts the international trade landscape and might even contribute to a re-industrialization of Switzerland.

Ten years on, the deal is due for an update but the euphoria has gone, a reflection of the changed geopolitical environment defined by US-China competition. Some now question whether the talks will even yield a result.

Concern over the trade agreements fate is one sign of how Switzerland is being squeezed between rival global powers, casting a pall over its traditional exceptionalism in spheres from neutrality to its solo economic efforts. With the US moving to hinder Chinas access to advanced technology and the European Union aligning more closely with Washington, Swiss companies in particular risk getting caught in the middle.

Zurich-based industrial giant ABB Ltd. faced US scrutiny earlier this year over what a Congress committee cited as potential cybersecurity risks, foreign intelligence threats, and supply chain vulnerabilities related to its involvement with Chinese state-owned enterprises in supplying cranes for US seaports. ABB said it responded to the committees requests with care.

Now, Switzerlands vaunted pharmaceuticals industry with its attendant biotechnology sector is nervously eyeing proposed new US legislation that could curb its ability to collaborate with China.

There is an uneasy feeling, said Jean-Philippe Kohl, deputy director of Swissmem, the association for Switzerlands mechanical and electrical engineering industries. Geopolitical tensions are particularly sensitive for companies that manufacture high-tech products, like those at which Swiss excel, he said. Five to ten years ago, such concerns were not yet an issue.

More recently, Switzerlands been feeling the heat. It was criticized by Western partners for refusing to allow its weaponry to be sent to Ukraine to defend against Russias invasion as well as for allegedly lax implementation of sanctions against Moscow over the war. The fact it joined EU sanctions in the first place was viewed by many Swiss as a de facto end of the countrys century-old neutrality principle.

Its engagement with China has been similarly mixed. Beijing lifted visa requirements for Swiss tourists and business travelers in January when Premier Li Qiang visited and laid the foundations for a memorandum of understanding formalizing both sides intention to modernize the FTA. That didnt stop China rebuffing the Swiss government by skipping Switzerland-brokered talks on Ukraine in June. Meanwhile, Syngenta Group  a Swiss agrichem giant owned by Sinochem Holdings Corp. of China  withdrew its long-delayed application for a $9 billion initial public offering in Shanghai, in a sign of the regulatory risks foreign companies have to deal with in China.

Yet while others move to de-risk business with Beijing, Swiss exports  notably of products like machines, pharmaceuticals and watches  destined for China have outstripped those from either the EU or the US, growing by three-quarters since the trade deal was implemented compared to the EUs 54% and the US with 20% in the same period, according to Swiss customs data.

That the US will one day say that we have to stop this transfer of technology is a primal fear of many companies, said Kohl of Swissmem, adding that it would be a disaster if they had to choose between the US or China. Withdrawing from China would be impossible and would be tantamount to a partial amputation of their company, he said.

The Swiss government is careful to maintain good relations with China. But its increasingly confronted by domestic resistance, with criticism fueled by reports of Chinese interference. The Swiss Federal Intelligence Service said in its latest annual report that it is highly likely that the Chinese intelligence services make greater use of non-diplomatic cover than the Russian services do, with personnel often working undercover as scientists, journalists or businesspeople.

The Chinese embassy in Bern rejected such assertions, saying in an e-mailed response to questions that recent reports about so-called Chinas spying in Switzerland are all hypes aimed at smearing and hitting China. Rather, it said, China advances mutually beneficial cooperation with Switzerland in accordance with laws and regulations.

In 2022, the Swiss government decided behind closed doors not to follow EU sanctions against China over allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang province. More recently, it opted against extending its current China strategy once it expires at the end of the year. In both cases, members of parliament criticized the government for taking a soft line to avoid triggering economic repercussions.

To Simona Grano, a China expert at the University of Zurich, ditching the China strategy which would inevitably have to touch upon sensitive topics such as human rights or labor conditions is aimed at keeping relations with Beijing sweet ahead of the 75th anniversary of Swiss-Chinese diplomatic relations in 2025. Modernizing the trade agreement that same year would be of great symbolic importance for China, she said.

Switzerland continues to live in the outdated mentality that it can keep crafting its own foreign policy and navigate a middle path in which the economic sphere isnt influenced by political issues or geopolitics, she added.

Its an approach that looks increasingly untenable as the US expands its use of export controls against China, roping in allies for bans on technology like chipmaking equipment. That deepening standoff with China is a rare point of agreement between the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns, suggesting no let up for Switzerland or anyone else after the November election.

The next stage of protectionism in America

The Swiss chemical-pharmaceutical industry  accounting for almost half the nations exports at $157 billion  could be an early focus. The bipartisan Biosecure Act now making its way through Congress foresees a ban on state agencies collaborating with Chinese biotechnology firms on national security grounds.

While the US remains the most important single country export market for Swiss pharma companies, Chinese firms have become key throughout the supply chain from pre-clinical research to licensing  and that interdependency is a red flag for some US lawmakers. Its all the more provocative since one of the main Chinese biotech firms named in the legislation, Shanghai-based Wuxi AppTec Co., has a subsidiary in Switzerland.

The company objects to any unjustified allegations or preemptive actions against WuXi AppTec without due process, including the proposed designation in the draft Biosecure Act, a spokesperson said. The Chinese embassy accused the US of having repeatedly overstretched the concept of national security, moves it said seriously violate the principles of the market economy and fair competition.

For Michael Altorfer, chief executive officer of the Zurich-based Swiss Biotech Association, the Act is the next stage of protectionism in America.

Even if it is still unclear whether and how the Act will actually be implemented, there is a risk of a spill-over effect or an adjustment of behavior in anticipatory obedience, he said.

Switzerland has longstanding ties to China: It was one of the first Western countries to recognize the Peoples Republic under Mao Zedong in 1950. Thirty years later, elevator maker Schindler Holding AG became the first Western firm to establish a joint venture in China with a state-owned enterprise.

New geopolitical realities are changing the outlook for that kind of engagement, according to Alain Graf, senior consultant and China expert at Switzerland Global Enterprise.

The key concern for companies in certain sensitive industries is whether their business with Chinese customers and especially state-owned companies may affect their US business, Graf said. Since the rules are not clear and are changing, it is quite a headache.

It also complicates moves to update the FTA with China. Any renegotiated text would likely be put to a referendum under the countrys system of direct democracy, and its questionable whether a new deal could pass without sections guaranteeing adherence to human rights and labor conditions.

For Beijing, revising the agreement has broader political significance in what it sees as a time of rising protectionism directed against China. The state-backed Global Times said in a recent piece that strengthening cooperation with Switzerland offers a prime example for Europe to avoid trade frictions and focus on mutually beneficial cooperation.

Back when it was signed, many saw the Swiss-China FTA as the precursor for a trade deal between China and the EU, but then things changed and now Switzerland is going its own way, said Peter Bachmann, executive director of the Swiss Chinese Chamber of Commerce from 2014 until last year. The EU and China concluded a comprehensive agreement on investment in 2020, only for it to be shelved amid tit-for-tat sanctions related to Xinjiang.

The reality now is that Switzerland needs the free trade agreement more than China does, said Bachmann.

Switzerland has often focused on adaptation and deal-making, which has worked well until now, he said. But now other values are becoming important.

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Cant make sense of it: Residents rattled after incident at North Andover home leaves 2 dead

Residents of a North Andover neighborhood are waking up Tuesday with many questions after an incident at a home in North Andover on Monday left two people dead.

Emergency crews responding to a home on Turnpike Street found the two victims, one who was pronounced dead and another suffering from serious injuries, the Essex District Attorneys Office said. The injured person was rushed to a nearby hospital where they were ultimately pronounced dead as well.

DA Paul Tucker said the incident is isolated to the home and there is no threat to the public.

People who live and work in the area tell Boston 25 they have seen police at the house in the last two weeks. They say whatever happened is disturbing.

Its scary. Its scary to Know in a town like North Andover it just goes to show you. It doesnt matter where you live. Stuff like this can happen anywhere, Katrina MacLean told Boston 25.

Residents were shocked by the large police presence in what is normally a quiet town.

Yeah, I would say generally speaking. Its a safe community. Ive lived here my whole life, MacLean added.

The two deaths left people in town shaken.

I guess I really cant make sense of it, MacLean said.

Neighbors also say that ambulances and police have been called to this home several times in recent years.

Several police cruisers and emergency vehicles could be seen surrounding the single-story home just after 6:30 p.m. Yellow crime scene tape enveloped the house and front yard.

Residents in the area were asked to stay away from the scene while officials investigated.

Additional updates are expected to be released on Tuesday, the DAs office said.

North Andover police, Massachusetts State Police, and the Essex County District Attorneys office are investigating the incident.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV)  AT&T workers were on strike for another day in Mississippi.

The workers are part of the Communication Workers of America (CWA) Union, and theyre striking across the Southeast over contract negotiations with AT&T.

We really just want the company to come together with the union and, you know, have fair negotiations because it seems like so far, they havent really been sending people to the table who are authorized to make decisions on AT&Ts behalf, said Dillon Brownlee, a CWA Union member.

The workers walked off the job after they said AT&T set representatives with no real authority to make changes and cut a deal. In doing so, workers said the company sent a clear message, and the strike is how theyre responding.

17,000 AT&T workers in Southeast strike over contract negotiations

We just want AT&T to bargain in good faith. In other words, at the table, not string us along. We want to make sure that we actually are talking in a serious manner and actually trying to work to actually get to an agreement, said Jermaine Travis, a local CWA Union president.

AT&T denied the unions accusations.

CWAs claims of unfair labor practices are not grounded in fact. We have been engaged in substantive bargaining since Day One and are eager to reach an agreement that benefits our hard-working employees, the company said in emailed statement to the Associated Press.

Union representatives said theyre willing to strike as long as necessary until AT&T sends people with proper bargaining authority.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  While most workers across the Queen City were clocking into their jobs Monday morning, picket lines were forming at AT&T office locations across the region.

More than 17,000 workers across nine states are on strike following issues at the negotiating table.

In Charlotte, workers from several departments were lining sidewalks throughout the city holding signs that read Fighting for the Middle Class.

We have wire techs, digital techs, service techs, facility techs, outside plant techs, electronic techs, testing techs, sales associates, office assistants, machine operators, president of CWA Local 3603 Eddie Maresca said while listing off all of the positions present at the strike.

Florence County doctor facing 20 years in prison over sex for scripts scheme

All workers on the picket line are being represented by Communications Workers of America, a labor union also known as CWA.

The union, which wouldnt get into contract specifics, is accusing AT&T of engaging in surface-level bargaining. It filed an unfair labor practice charge against the company and says it is prepared to stay on the picket line until an agreement is made.

We cant get a contract that way, Maresca said.

One day after the strike was called, pockets of outages were reported across the state including in Charlotte neighborhoods. Maresca, who has been an AT&T employee for 16 years, said any disruptions that come as a result of the strike are on AT&T.

Any outages, you know we are more than happy to go back to work. We are more than happy to service the customers like we do any other day of the year, but until they ultimately start acting right, we are going to be here on the picket line, he said.

17,000 AT&T workers in Southeast strike over contract negotiations

In a statement to Queen City News, an AT&T representative said in part:

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. 

The AT&T representative went on to say that the company is disappointed that union leaders called a strike at this point in negotiations.

Nobody wants to strike, its unfortunate. It is just something that we have to do to protect ourselves and to ultimately force AT&T to do the right thing because their history is that they just dont, Maresca said.

Contract negotiations are underway. In the meantime, workers on the picket line say they are not being paid.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
By Fabian Hamacher and Ann Wang

JIUPENG, Taiwan (Reuters) - Taiwan showed off its missile firepower on Tuesday, launching a battery of surface-to-air missiles in front of reporters during a visit to a sensitive test site on a remote part of the island's southeastern coast.

Democratically-governed Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has complained of stepped up Chinese military activity as Beijing seeks to assert its sovereignty claims, and Taipei has been strengthening its deterrence abilities.

Missiles are a key part of Taiwan's defence strategy, both U.S.-made and domestically-developed.

At the Jiupeng base in Taiwan's Pingtung County, the military test fired both U.S.-made Patriot and Taiwan-made Sky Bow III missiles into the skies as dawn broke, while a warship off the coast fired a RIM-66 Standard missiles.

"All the missiles that were fired today have smoothly hit their mark and have proven two points - the first being that the training of our soldiers is very solid, the other being that our weapons systems have been verified during this process of live firing missiles," said Defence Ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang.

"All in all we have achieved our objectives," he told reporters on a rare trip to the base.

Jiupeng is also where the government-run weapons developer National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology tests new missiles, like the longer-range version of the Hsiung Feng which is designed to hit targets deep in China.

Taiwan's government rejects China's territorial claims, saying only the island's people can decide their future.

(Reporting by Fabian Hamacher and Ann Wang; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
The Democratic National Committee released its party platform prior to its convention, which is currently underway in Chicago.

Delegates approved its 92-page party platform on Monday, just like the Republicans did at their convention in Milwaukee last month, where former President Donald Trump accepted the presidential nomination.

To see the full Make America Great Again platform from the Republican National Committee, visit here.

Vice President Kamala Harris will accept the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday, making her the first woman of color to lead a presidential ticket for one of the two major parties.

She's expected to speak on the vision shared in the party's platform. Here are some takeaways.

Lowering food prices, health care and child care costs for Americans

Democrats say they will "keep fighting to lower costs for working families" as costs are a main concern for Americans.

Harris released her economic plan last week. She proposed a federal ban on price gouging of food and groceries. As part of the proposal, the FTC and state attorneys general would also be given authority to investigate and impose harsh penalties on corporations who break those rules.

Economists who spoke to USA Today called Harris' efforts "price controls," and said it could lead to product shortages.

Democrats propose expanding the $35 a month cap on the price on insulin to all Americans after capping the price for Medicare recipients during the Biden administration. In many cases, Americans are paying higher prices for necessary medications than their international counterparts.

Democrats want to return to COVID-19-era child tax credit policies, which were $3,600 for qualifying children under age 6 and $3,000 for other qualifying children under age 18. Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance has floated a $5,000 credit and hinted at no income thresholds.

Harris said her economic policies will cut taxes for lower-income workers without children by $1,500. She wants to creates the first, full, national paid family and medical leave program that would "guarantee" every American worker up to 12 weeks of paid time off to care for a new child or loved one recovering from an illness.

Addressing housing opportunities for Americans

The Democratic plan calls for up to $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers who have paid rent on time for at least two years, among other qualifying criteria.

Harris will also seek to provide homebuilders a tax incentive to construct and sell starter homes and establish a $40 billion fund to help local governments with housing shortages.

A man walks by a Democratic National Convention 2024 sign at the United Center on Sunday in Chicago, Illinois. The United Center will host the DNC, which is runs Monday through Thursday.

Democrats propose blocking data firms from increasing lease rates and prevent Wall Street investors from buying homes in bulk to resell at a premium.

The party platform says Harris will offer "corporate landlords a basic choice for the next two years: either cap rent increases at 5 percent, or lose a valuable federal tax break."

Restore 'reproductive freedom'

Democrats say they will work to restore "reproductive freedom" after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating a federal right to an abortion and returning the issue to the states.

Harris, through Congress, proposes codifying Roe into law. She also wants increase access to contraception, which 90% of women have used, according to the Democrats.

Work to improve historic racial inequities

The platform addresses racial equity, which the party in-part describes as laws, public policies and institutions that "too often exacerbate disparities or deny equal opportunity to individuals and communities."

Harris, whose mother is Indian and father Jamaican, proposes policies that reduces discrimination in the housing market and reduces environmental harms, in which people of color largely take the brunt. Also addressing historic disinvestment and infrastructure neglect, health care and educational disparities, and "tackling poverty."

Democrats propose boosting access to small-business loans for people of color and acknowledges the construction of highways and rail lines that disproportionately tore through Black, Latino and low-income areas. The party says it will continue to the work outlined in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to build new modes of transportation while being racially equitable.

Make American homes and businesses more energy efficient

Democrats support tax credits and rebates for Americans that make their homes more energy efficient.

The platforms says the party will continue the work of the Biden Administration by creating "good-paying union jobs" in clean energy manufacturing. Democrats propose restrictions on businesses by requiring projects have low-carbon impact. Democrats want to make the farm sector the first to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

Trump considers climate change not the "biggest threat," but instead he believes the biggest threat is nuclear proliferation.

Universal background checks and assault weapons ban

Democrats want to establish universal background checks on gun purchases, a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and requiring the safe storage for guns.

In 2021, gun violence became the number one cause of death among children and adolescents.

Republicans, and the powerful gun lobby, mostly oppose more restrictions on people's access to guns, citing the Second Amendment.

Reforming the asylum system

Democrats say the president doesn't have authority to shut down the border, so they propose giving the president that power in their platform.

Democrats propose reforming the asylum system to protect those fleeing persecution but not establishing it as an alternative to legal immigration. Harris wants to give undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship.

Harris wants to invest in the Border Patrol and law enforcement at the border to prevent illegal crossings, fight human trafficking and crack down on fentanyl crossings.

Trump has made this a pillar of his campaign as he did in 2016. He argues he will secure the border and stop the "migrant invasion."

Platform calls for ceasefire in Gaza

It's been more than 10 months since the Hamas Oct. 7 attack in Israel that killed 1,200 and sparked the brutal military campaign in Gaza that has seen more than 40,000 Palestinians killed.

Many in the Democratic Party and those adjacent to it have called for an immediate end to the campaign.

The platform says President Joe Biden, in his short time remaining as president, is "determined to broker an immediate and lasting ceasefire deal that once finalized secures the return of all hostages."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Takeaways from the Democratic National Committee platform
The Arkansas mother of one of Hunter Bidens children describes in a new memoir the agonizing journey of raising their daughter as a single mother in Arkansas, to a bitter courtroom paternity fight, to a tearful family reconciliation that included a public acknowledgment from President Joe Biden that the child was his granddaughter.

Lunden Roberts, with co-authors Josh Manning and Erin Brownback, shared her side of the much-discussed story in, Out of the Shadows, which was published Tuesday. The 312-page book chronicles how she met Hunter Biden in Washington, DC, and quickly fell in love with the most charming human Ive ever met, despite his daily battle against addiction demons.

Roberts wrote that she identifies as an old-fashioned Arkansas Democrat and proudly voted for Joe Biden in 2020  despite hiring a MAGA-loving attorney who was a trustworthy pit bull and his wife, who bitterly fought Hunter Biden in court.

The memoir also delves into some episodes that could factor into Hunter Bidens tax evasion trial thats set for next month, where Roberts has been subpoenaed to testify.

CNN has reached out to Hunter Bidens lawyers and the White House for comment.

Heres what to know from Roberts intensely personal memoir.

Witnessing addiction up close

After college, Roberts moved to DC for further studies. But she was dumb and naive, living a wild and impulsive life, which led her to a house party where she met Biden, who is two decades her senior.

She stumbled upon him in a back room, in his boxers, holding a crack pipe. She wrote, In the first five minutes he has learned my entire life story, and the only thing I know about him is that he is suffering. I can tell hes brilliant, and he has a demon on his back.

They quickly became romantically involved around early 2017. Roberts adored his giving heart and generosity, such as paying for a homeless man and his son to stay in a luxury hotel on his dime. But she also got enmeshed in Bidens toxic lifestyle  meeting his drug dealers, constant partying with friends and watching him drink a gallon or more of Titos vodka almost every day.

His addiction leaves no room for peace or even basic rest. It has no mercy, Roberts wrote, later describing Biden as a man in extreme pain, tormented by guilt, self-medicating his demons, needing approval, but thought of as the familys black sheep.

Bitter paternity fight and child-support case

After Roberts got pregnant in late 2017, Biden missed their first heartbeat ultrasound, and then slept with one of her best friends, she said. So, she moved home to Batesville, Arkansas.

In the book, Roberts revealed that she had planned to kill herself after giving birth, concluding that everyone will benefit from me being gone, including Navy, her daughter. She penned suicide notes for her family but had a change-of-heart after Navy arrived.

She filed a paternity suit after Biden claimed he didnt recall their sexual encounter. (A DNA test that was later conducted as part of the case confirmed he was the father.)

I dont want this to be a scandal. I never did, Roberts wrote, explaining why she decided to sue Hunter Biden in spring 2019. Im rooting for Joe in this next election, and Im not part of a conspiracy trying to bring down the Biden dynasty. It would just be nice if Hunter would tell the truth and give my daughter the father she deserves.

Roberts hired attorneys Clint and Jennifer Lancaster, who are strong supporters of former President Donald Trump. They played hardball and, in 2020, secured monthly child support of $20,000. But two years later, with Biden running low on cash while under federal criminal investigation, he reopened the case in a bid to reduce the payments.

The estranged pair faced off in a Batesville court in 2023. The Lancasters invoked Bidens infamous laptop and brought a fiery right-wing activist as an expert witness.

During Bidens deposition a month later, Roberts agreed to talk one-on-one for the first time in years. She claimed Biden apologized and spoke of guilt and remorse, as Roberts shared photos of Navy. They were laughing and crying together, she wrote.

They agreed that Biden would only need to pay $5,000 each month going forward, a figure not previously disclosed. And Biden pledged to start building a relationship with Navy. Roberts wrote that this was the linchpin, for their daughter, so she gets a dad.

How Biden became part of his daughters life

The book highlights painful episodes in Navys young life where she, according to her mother, grappled with Bidens absence and her estranged role in the Biden family.

From afar, Roberts taught Navy about her famous relatives in DC, writing, She knows the man on the TV we are cheering for to win is her other grandpa, referring to Joe Biden.

Her parents are Republicans, and Trump won more than 77% of the vote in her home county in Arkansas in 2020. But Roberts wrote, Im in no way a fan of Donald Trump.

Roberts got a childrens book that first lady Jill Biden wrote and read it to Navy. But she was brought to tears upon seeing the dedication on the first page to my grandchildren, which named everyone except Navy. Roberts found this to be classless, and wrote that she believed Jill Biden snubbed a small innocent child, and a family member.

After the child-support case was settled, Joe Biden publicly acknowledged Navy for the first time, saying, among other things, Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy. And Hunter Biden soon delivered on his promise to foster ties with Navy: Their first video call was in fall 2023, and they now speak every week.

Despite Bidens legal cases, Roberts said he always found time for the Zoom calls with Navy, who turns six this month. They video-chatted during the solar eclipse in April, when Batesville was in the path of totality. At the end of the book, Roberts praised Bidens willingness to go above and beyond for Navy to know she is loved by her father.

Editors Note: If you or someone you know needs help, call the national suicide hotline: 1-800-273-TALK.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Tara Baker cold case: Man accused of UGA law students murder set to appear in court

A man accused of killing a University of Georgia student 23 years ago is set to face a judge.

An arraignment hearing for Edrick Faust is scheduled Tuesday morning in Clarke County.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested Faust back in May for the 2001 murder of Tara Baker. Police found Baker dead after a fire at her apartment, which investigators determined was set intentionally.

Investigators said that Baker did not know Faust.

Baker, a 1995 graduate of Lovejoy High School, was a first-year law student at the University of Georgia at the time of her murder.

Tara Louise Baker was a hardworking student with a bright future ahead of her, GBI Director Chris Hosey said in May. Taras life was stolen from her in a horrific act of violence. While this arrest does not bring her back to us, I pray that it helps bring closure to the Baker family as they continue their healing journey.

TRENDING STORIES

The GBI said a new law named after Baker gave the agency funding to keep her case alive. The fresh look at the evidence led investigators to Faust.

Bakers mother spoke at a news conference in May to thank the GBI for giving their family closure.

I want people to know that prayers work. Dont ever stop praying. Dont ever stop having hope in your heart cause it can happen, she said.

The GBI has charged Edrick Lamont Faust, 48, with murder, two counts of felony murder, one count of aggravated assault, concealing the death of another, arson, possession of a knife during the commission of a felony, tampering with evidence, and one count of aggravated sodomy in connection with Bakers death.

Lawmakers introduce bill to bring new focus to cold case murders in Georgia

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IN OTHER NEWS
After Tarrant changes building rules, voter registration volunteer is pushed out in the heat

Cornell Woolridge is operating in the shade provided by the Tarrant County Administration building on the morning of Aug. 13. Its already 91, and he still has another four hours in his volunteer shift.

I cant really be out here any later than 2:30 p.m. because no ones going to stop, even in the shade. Its just too hot, and no ones really going to stop and talk with me, Woolridge said.

Woolridge registers voters on behalf of Texas Freedom Network. Up until Aug. 1 he was registering people to vote in the six-story administration building.

But on July 16 county commissioners  on the fifth floor of that same building  voted 4-0 to change the countys guidelines regarding who can operate on county property. Commissioner Alisa Simmons was absent.

Woolridge wasnt aware.

Woolridge said that on July 31 an officer who patrols the county administration building notified him that the new policy change meant he would have to operate outside. He could no longer use the table and chair the county was providing him with.

I was really surprised, Woolridge said.

The new Tarrant County Facilities Use Policy bars press conferences without permission and operations it sees as non-regular use. The Texas Freedom Network voter registration drive falls under this category.

Without a Commissioners Court approved application and agreement for a non-regular use, the policy prohibits a non-regular use in a county facility, a spokesperson for the county said. However, no Court approval is required for expressive activity in a common outdoor area.

Woolridge said he wasnt aware that the Commissioners Court must approve his request to operate and worries that the court, split on party lines  three Republicans to two Democrats  will lead to partisan votes on who can and cant use county buildings. He said that Texas Freedom Networks request to return indoors will be heard in September.

He also suspects that the policy could be a mechanism to lower voter turnout.

The timing of this is really suspect, and I know from people who work here, who I talk with and have a decent relationship with, none of them have heard of any complaints that people have had about me being here, Woolridge said. The timing of the policy to start Aug. 1, which is the beginning of the hottest month of the summer, and also August and September are the the two months that voter registration is the busiest.

Texas has a motor voter law that allows people to register to vote when they apply for a drivers license or renew or update it.

County Judge Tim OHare said last year at an event hosted by the True Texas Project that lower voter turnout would help Republicans win municipal elections. OHare did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Teena James, founder and CEO of Safe in The Six, a nonprofit that provides resources people in Stop Six, said she believes the new facilities use guidelines are a way for OHare to curb voter registration.

James was standing outside with Woolridge on the morning of Aug. 13, venting about her frustrations because she has been told she cannot use county buildings in southeast Fort Worth and Tarrant County.

Theres a narrative thats going around that people are being fraudulent, voting and stealing votes and things like that, James said. That doesnt happen here in Fort Worth that were familiar with. But you have a new county judge who actually was over in Farmers Branch. First of all, he was dismissed and kicked out of that area. He decided to come over here and try to put us in a little box.

OHare served on the Farmers Branch City Council from 2005 to 2008 and one term as mayor from 2008 to 2011. In 2006, the city passed an ordinance that prohibited landlords from renting to undocumented immigrants and another that made English the citys official language. Both were ultimately ruled unconstitutional by a federal court and cost the city millions in legal fees.

OHare campaigned for county judge on a promise of secure elections. Shortly after he took office 2023 he announced the formation of the Tarrant Election Integrity unit with District Attorney Phill Sorelles and Sheriff Bill Waybourn.

It has prosecuted zero cases.

James also alluded to the Commissioner Courts decision to vote against splitting the bill with Trinity Metro to offer free rides to polling locations during the March primary.

Why are you trying so hard to restrict us from voting? Whats your agenda? Why are you trying so hard to bring it to peoples attention that they dont need to vote and or they cant vote, or just discourage them from voting? Why? James said.

As she spoke, a man wandered over from family court down the street. He asked if either has a phone charger. James paused and said shed check her car.

While he waited, Woolridge spoke with the man and, two minutes later, Tarrant County had a new registered voter.

I think voter rights, I think voter access is under attack, not only in Tarrant County, but across the state, Woolridge said. There have been a number of things that have happened from the state level and have then gone down to the county level that are absolutely making it more and more difficult for people to vote, for people to know how to vote.

While hes been able to get some people to stop and register in the summer heat, Woolrdige hopes soon, hell be back inside.
TAYLORVILLE, Ill. (WCIA)  The City of Taylorville is soliciting help from the public in applying for an IDOT grant that could improve the downtown area.

City officials said in a Change.org petition that the funding they hope to receive comes from the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP), which is administered by IDOT. The purpose is to enhance the transportation system through preservation of visual and cultural resources while improving quality of life for members of the Taylorville community.

Christian Co. Sheriffs Office urges caution near railroad crossings during rail replacements

Proposed improvements to the downtown area include:

ADA access to all commercial properties

Pedestrian-friendly streetscapes to encourage visitors to spend time downtown

Bicycle racks to encourage alternative transportation to downtown

Benches to allow for rest and congregation

Improved lighting in pedestrian and vehicle travel corridors

Defined, high visibility pedestrian crosswalks

Community support is an important part of the application, so please sign this petition to help make Taylorvilles downtown area a more accessible and safer place for all, the petitions organizers said.

The Taylorville Police Department, when they shared the petition on Facebook, said signatures are appreciated but told people not to donate money.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Of the nearly 125,000 Group A offenses reported in 2023, the Memphis Police Department arrested at least one person in just 17,422 offenses  representing just under 14% of all offenses  according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's annual Crime in Tennessee report.

The report documents major crime statistics from law enforcement agencies around the state. Each department sends TBI its data, which is then compiled into the report.

MPD's arrest rate, commonly referred to as "clearance," dropped by almost 4% compared to last year, according to the report. Not only did Memphis police clear a smaller percentage of offenses, the department cleared fewer raw-number offenses.

In 2022, 20,511 offenses were cleared according to TBI. That made up 17.8% of offenses cleared that year. There were 17,422 offenses cleared last year according to the report.

Memphis Police Department interim Chief Cerelyn "C.J." Davis listens to a question from the media after she and Mayor Paul Young announced at a press conference that Assistant Chief Shawn Jones is no longer with the department at city hall in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday, July 8, 2024.

TBI considers an offense "cleared" when at least one person believed to have perpetrated a crime has been arrested. If multiple people committed the same crime, and only one of them were to be arrested, that offense would be considered cleared by the bureau.

In addition to showing arrest numbers, the report also reported the total murders reported increased by 29% between 2022 and 2023. Of the 348 murders reported by MPD, 72 (or 20%) were cleared.

Though murders skyrocketed between 2022 and 2023, reported aggravated assault and simple assault were only marginally higher last year than in 2022. Aggravated assaults jumped about 4%, from 12,376 in 2022 to 12,874 in 2023, and simple assaults jumped 5.4%, from 13,264 to 13,975.

Of the 26,849 total non-sexual assaults reported, 6,392 (13.8%) were cleared. The majority of those clearances came in the simple assault category. Police cleared 29.8% of simple assaults and 17.3% of aggravated assaults.

More: Sheriff, chief jailer dismissed from lawsuit over Shelby Co. Jail inmate stabbed in courtroom

More: DA's office employee 'inadvertently' sends personnel info to whole office | On the Docket

Motor vehicle theft offenses increased more than 43% between 2022 and 2023, even as the number of arrests stayed stagnant. Memphis police in 2022 cleared 809 of the 11,084 motor vehicle thefts reported, about 7.3% of all offenses. In 2023, MPD cleared 804 of the 15,868 motor vehicle thefts  about 5.1% of them.

The vast majority of arrests made by MPD officers are still adults, with kids making up about 10.3% of all arrests last year.

MPD did not respond to questions and a request for comment by publication.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis police arrested someone in less than 14% of crimes in 2023
LISBON, Ohio (WKBN)  A local school music teacher who was arrested in April on drug charges was sentenced Monday.

Read next: Suspect charged in UPS theft investigation in Boardman

Robert Pavalko was granted an intervention in lieu of conviction and was placed on a treatment plan for three years. He pleaded guilty in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony.

Pavalko was arrested during a Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force undercover investigation where he was accused of driving Logan Larlham to Columbiana County to pick up a woman Larlham allegedly solicited online and with whom he arranged a drug deal.

Police said Pavalko had drugs in his possession.

Pavalko was working as a teacher for Boardman Schools at the time of his arrest and was placed on administrative leave. A spokesperson for the district said Pavalko is still on leave and is not permitted on school grounds or to have any access to students as the district reviews the legal implications of his guilty plea.

Larlham pleaded guilty Tuesday to aggravated trafficking in drugs, aggravated possession of drugs, possessing criminal tools and attempted promoting prostitution. He was sentenced to 12 months in jail with credit for 132 days served and fined $10,000. He is also designated a Tier 1 sex offender.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
CLEVELAND (WJW)  The FOX 8 I-Team has found a Cleveland firefighter sped at over 100 mph in a city car.

The speed was recorded at up to 117 mph.

So, we investigated the story behind it.

Man found dead in Akrons Hardesty Park

Weve already exposed other misuse of city cars.

We discovered why the firefighter drove at up to 117 mph, and we also discovered some mystery.

You expect firefighters to race to a call. But here, a Cleveland firefighter was barreling out of town for a training class.

We obtained the disciplinary paperwork for firefighter Antoine Crews.

While driving a city vehicle  You were recorded to have traveled at a rate of up to 117 miles per hour, it reads in part.

In a statement to the chief, Crews wrote he had been heading to Toledo with two other firefighters for a course on teaching the public about fire safety.

He wrote, due to delays leaving out of Cleveland  I found myself pushing to make up time and grossly exceeded the speed limit, he wrote, adding, I truly apologize.

Judy Converse spoke for the Ohio Traffic Safety Office, saying, There is no excuse for extreme speeds.

Lately, weve seen a growing number of cases of drivers caught speeding at more than 100 mph.

So, we talk about the higher the speed, the higher the risk  the higher the risk of being involved in a crash, Converse said.

The fire chief wouldnt talk to the I-Team about this. A spokesman wouldnt answer a question about how anyone knew the firefighter had hit 117 mph.

It happened in May. Yet, the firefighters driving record does not show any convictions for a ticket since 2022.

There has to be accountability on all this stuff that were seeing repeatedly, city council Public Safety Chairman Mike Polensek said.

ATMs are reportedly being ripped out of walls at local banks

Months ago, the I-Team exposed a city official had crashed a city car while driving with kids on board. We also exposed another city employee with car seats in his city car.

Now, the punishment for a firefighter driving up to 117 miles an hour: simply a written warning.

Youve got to send a message: This cannot be tolerated. You have to set the tone. And if youre not gonna set the tone, then stuff like this will continue, Polensek added.

The I-Team has requested more records to find out more.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
Fatal Premonition

A British tech tycoon and his 18-year-old daughter have gone missing after the superyacht they were vacationing upon sank off the coast of Sicily.

As the BBC reports, Autonomy and Invoke Capital founder Mike Lynch and his daughter are two of the six people missing after the Bayesian, the 183-foot-long luxury yacht on which they were sailing, sunk early in the morning on Monday after being struck by a tornado east of the port town of Palermo.

Considered "Britain's Bill Gates," the 59-year-old tech tycoon became a billionaire after selling his enterprise software firm Autonomy to Hewlett Packard in 2011. As The Guardian notes, Lynch was under federal fraud investigation in the United States for that sale until June of this year, when he was acquitted on all counts.

Prior to his disappearance, Lynch said that he believed that if he went to prison over the fraud charges, he would likely have died there due to a lung condition he suffers from.

"I have various medical things that would have made it very difficult to survive," he told the Guardian last month. "If this had gone the wrong way, it would have been the end of life as I have known it in any sense."

Death Spout

Witnesses to the tragedy told the Italian news agency Ansa, per the BBC, that the force of the waterspout  a tornado that occurs over water, basically  caused the ship's aluminum mast to snap in half, causing the craft to become unstable and eventually sink.

Of the 22 people on board the Bayesian, 15 people  including an infant girl and Lynch's wife Angela Bacares  have been rescued. One person, whose identity has not been revealed, has been found dead, and three other people whose names have not been revealed are also missing.

As CNN notes in its reporting on the luxury vacation gone horribly wrong, Bacares, the one-year-old girl, and six other people were hospitalized. The person who died was apparently found on the ship's hull, per an Italian Coast Guard statement provided to CNN.

Salvo Cocina, who leads Italy's civil protection agency, noted in a media conference quoted by ABC that another superyacht in the vicinity suffered far less damage than the Bayesian.

"They were in the wrong place at the wrong time," Cocina said.

He also noted, per ABC, that the other nearby yacht, the Sir Robert Baden Powell, helped rescue Lynch's wife and the 14 others who were saved from the disaster.

More on maritime terror: Man Rowing Across Ocean Suddenly Realizes He's Surrounded by Over 1,000 Whales
Before JD Vance began his rapid rise to vice presidential candidate, he co-founded a Silicon Valley-backed donor organization to finance right-wing news stories, voter turnout operations and election polls with a goal of spreading U.S. President Donald Trumps brand of nationalism, according to previously unreported documents on the group.

Founded in 2019, Rockbridge Network seeks to influence U.S. politics through a centrally controlled network of right-wing political groups backed by some of the same deep-pocketed tech investors who helped bankroll Vances political rise.

The existence of Rockbridge and Vances link to it have been previously reported. But three internal Rockbridge documents reviewed by Reuters and half a dozen sources familiar with the group reveal the scale of its ambitions, its roughly $75 million budget for 2024 and its role in seeking to influence Novembers presidential election.

Rockbridge showcases how Trumps selection of Vance as his running mate could empower a new set of Republican businessmen: heavyweight tech investors who favor far-reaching deregulation. Many want to weaken the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which regulates Wall Street, and reduce oversight of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence.

Their financial backing of Rockbridge illustrates Silicon Valleys growing influence in conservative politics and marks an evolution from more traditional deep-pocketed Republican activists, whose political networks have lost influence since Trump took over the party.

Rockbridge oversees five political groups and one super PAC focused on financing right-wing investigative reporting, underwriting polls, turning out voters in battleground states and spurring churchgoers into political activism, according to a seven-page Rockbridge prospectus issued to donors ahead of an April retreat in Palm Beach, Florida. Super PACs  short for political action committees  can spend unlimited amounts of money to campaign independently for candidates.

Vance, identified in the prospectus as Rockbridges co-founder, appears to retain no formal relationship with the group. He maintains informal ties to it, however, and spoke to more than 100 of its members and donors gathered at its bi-annual retreat in April, according to an attendee and a memo outlining the events agenda.

A longtime associate of Vances, Republican businessman Chris Buskirk, is Rockbridges other founder. Rockbridge Networks donor outreach is run by Rockbridge Network LLC, a for-profit Delaware company that helps manage donations for the networks political groups. Its owners are not identified in corporate records.

Two Rockbridge officials, who handle donor contacts and donations, are also members of Vances current fundraising team, according to two of the internal documents and a campaign official. Many of Rockbridges donors support Vance politically.

A spokesperson for Vance declined to comment about Rockbridge. The Trump campaign did not respond to questions about the networks role and its links to at least two of the campaigns staffers.

Vances poor, unstable upbringing in Ohio led to his best-selling 2016 memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy, and the Trump campaign is hopeful his story will resonate with working-class voters. We need a leader who is not in the pocket of big business, but answers to the working man, union and nonunion alike, Vance said in his July 17 acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. His resume also includes a degree from Yale Law School and a lucrative career as a San Francisco Bay Area-based venture capitalist.

The Rockbridge network he co-founded draws heavily from the elite worlds of tech and investing. A number of high-profile Silicon Valley venture capitalists and crypto investors have thrown their support behind Trump. Conservatives in the tech industry have said they are concerned about the Biden administration's crackdown on crypto and cautious approach to artificial intelligence.

Rockbridge hasnt disclosed its financial backers and isnt required to reveal them under campaign-finance laws.

But according to two sources with knowledge of Rockbridge, they include Peter Thiel, a German-born libertarian billionaire who poured millions into Vances 2022 U.S. Senate race. Its members also include venture capitalist Blake Masters, a Thiel protege and former candidate for U.S. Congress in Arizona, and investor Omeed Malik, a former Democrat who now backs conservative-friendly companies, the sources said. Right-wing activist and heiress Rebekah Mercer, a major donor to Trump, is also a backer.

Spokespeople for Thiel and Mercer did not respond to requests for comment. Masters did not respond to requests for comment.

Since being selected by Trump as his running mate last month, Vance has held rallies in battleground states and headlined fundraisers, including one in Silicon Valley. His debut has sometimes been shaky, notably due to his unearthed 2021 comments about "childless cat ladies," a jab seen as misogynistic and discriminatory to people without children.

RECRUITING CHURCHGOERS, INVESTING IN MEDIA

Reuters reviewed two documents distributed to donors who attended Rockbridges April retreat in Palm Beach. A five-page memo details the three-day meetings agenda. A separate seven-page prospectus explains Rockbridges political vision and projects. Reuters also obtained an invitation sent to donors for a private dinner in Dallas last month to discuss Rockbridge. All three documents are labeled "confidential."

The prominence of the guest speakers at the Palm Beach gathering underlined Rockbridges influence. Trump himself spoke by video from New York, where he was on trial in his hush-money case at the time. Trump campaign co-chair Susie Wiles gave a presentation during a section titled Winning the White House. Influential conservative legal figure Leonard Leo and New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, a Trump donor, also spoke, according to the memo.

Leo did not respond to questions sent to him at the Federalist Society, the conservative legal group he heads. Johnson didn't reply to questions sent to him via the New York Jets.

Rockbridge, according to the documents, consists of a cluster of smaller groups, none of which appear to have their own websites or much of a public footprint. It has 150 to 200 members and has a 2024 budget of between $70 million and $80 million, the source familiar with the group said. The cost of membership ranges from $100,000 to $1 million, according to the Rockbridge prospectus.

Two Rockbridge groups  Virginia-based Better Tomorrow and Washington-based Over the Horizon  focus on get-out-the vote operations, according to the documents. They are helping Trump and Vance in seven swing states, the source familiar with the group said. The two groups, plus a newly created, Buskirk-led super PAC first revealed by The New York Times, will have a total of around 5,000 people in the field seeking to drive turnout, the source added.

Another Rockbridge group, Faithful in Action, has more than 160,000 members, according to the prospectus. Its mission is to recruit churchgoers into political activism, the prospectus said. It was incorporated in 2023 in Wyoming, and state records show its president is Buskirk. Reuters was unable to independently confirm its size or current activities.

Rockbridges efforts to influence journalism are led by Firebrand Action, incorporated in Virginia in 2022. State records list Firebrands president as Buskirk and its secretary as James Blair, a member of Trumps campaign staff and a former deputy chief of staff for Florida Governor Ron Desantis. Blair resigned from Firebrand in the spring before joining the Trump campaign, said a source familiar with his role.

Rockbridge funds reporting published by aligned media outlets, the prospectus said. Reuters was unable to identify any articles or media outlets backed by the group. Firebrand and Revitalization Partners, a charitable investment account, are both listed in the prospectus as supporting investigative journalism and public polling that has been included in the go-to RealClearPolitics and FiveThirtyEight polling averages for political races. The document didnt name the polls involved.

RealClearPolitics and FiveThirtyEight did not respond to requests for comment.

Rockbridge has also served as an incubator for new ventures. At a 2022 Rockbridge summit, Buskirk, investor Malik, hedge fund heiress Mercer and former Arizona congressional candidate Masters started discussing how to finance a parallel economy of conservative businesses, one attendee said. That would eventually become 1789 Capital, a $150 million Palm Beach-based venture capital firm owned by Buskirk, Malik and Mercer, the source added.

Last year, 1789 Capital announced its first investment: $15 million into conservative TV personality Tucker Carlsons newly formed company Last Country Inc.

In April, at a fireside chat with more than 100 prospective Rockbridge donors at the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, Vance sat across from Buskirk in an armchair, according to an attendee and the memo outlining the agenda. The source said Vances speech went hard on his key policy planks: reluctance to take on Russia in Ukraine; false claims that Trump won the 2020 election; and an emphasis on what Vance deems family values such as the importance of marriage and children.

Vance and Buskirk were introduced to each other by Thiel and first met in San Francisco following Trumps 2016 election victory, according to the source familiar with Rockbridge. At the time, Vance was working for Thiels venture capital firm, Mithril Capital. Vance and Buskirk launched Rockbridge in 2019 as an informal network to replace the current Republican ecosystem, the prospectus said.

Vances ascension to the presidential ticket has attracted more donor interest in Rockbridge, said two sources familiar with the group.

On July 25, 10 days after Vance was picked, an invitation went out to several Republican donors for a private dinner and discussion about Rockbridge Network in Dallas, according to an invitation seen by Reuters. (This story has been refiled to fix the spelling of 'Rockbridge' in paragraph 5)

(Alexandra Ulmer reported from San Francisco. Aram Roston reported from Washington, D.C. Editing by Jason Szep.)
Several prominent figures in the tech, banking, and legal fields are missing and presumed dead after a yacht capsized off the coast of Sicily and dropped about 150 feet to the bottom of the Mediterranean.

On Monday, the 184-foot Bayesian sailing superyacht was suddenly struck by a thunderstorm, The Wall Street Journal reported. A total of 22 people were on board, and while 15 were rescued, a handful are still unaccounted for: That includes the tech exec Mike Lynch; Jonathan Bloomer, the chairman of Morgan Stanley International; and attorney Chris Morvillo. Some of their family members are also among the missing.

More from Robb Report

The Italian coast guard has undertaken recovery efforts, the WSJ noted, and its being assisted by diving teams, helicopters, patrol boats, and marine-accident investigators from the United Kingdom. While the rescuers have so far only recovered the body of the yachts chef, they believe that the rest of the missing are trapped inside the ship.

The space is very tight, because everything fell when [the yacht] capsized, Luca Cari, the head of Italys national firefighters corps, told The Wall Street Journal. Divers are trying to remove furnishings, wires and other debris to clear the passageways.

The group was aboard the yacht to celebrate Lynchs recent acquittal related to charges that he had faked the value of his company Autonomy when he sold it to Hewlett Packard for $11 billion, the WSJ wrote. Bloomer had led the audit committee at Autonomy, while Morvillo represented Lynch during his trial.

Bayesian, valued at about $35 million, was built and launched by Perini Navi in 2008, making it one of the most pedigreed sailing yachts on the water. It also had the tallest mast of any sailing vessel. It was owned by Angela Bacares, Lynchs wife, who was rescued after the ship capsized. The yacht had been anchored near the port of Porticello when a storm swept in and caused a waterspout, a sea-based tornado, to hit the vessel. While these phenomena are common during the summer, The Wall Street Journal wrote, they dont typically last long and they dont usually show up on radars. According to the coast guard, the yacht didnt send any distress signals before it sank at about 5 a.m. local time on August 19. The search continues for those still missing.

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Rhea Maniar has been hooked on politics since she was 9, when, donning a shirt that said Future President, she attended a 2016 Hillary Clinton rally with her parents. Now, the 18-year-old is one of the leading forces in youth organizing and politics in Florida. She revamped and chaired the Florida High School Democrats, interned for state Rep. Anna Eskamani and organized rallies after the fall of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

This week, Maniar saw Clinton speak again, this time at the Democratic National Convention, the first since Roe was overturned, where shes volunteering and attending as a guest of South Asians for Harris.

Shell be flying straight from Chicago to Boston on Thursday and then moving into her freshman dorm at Harvard University Friday. She plans on studying government, education and Spanish and continuing her work as a youth organizer. Shell also be spending time in Boston Public Schools helping teach civics education and curriculum through Harvard Civics.

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Rhea Maniar at the 2024 Democratic National Convention with Hillary Clinton speaking in the background Aug. 19. (Rhea Maniar)

This election cycle, Maniar has been particularly motivated to collect signatures for an abortion amendment that will appear on the November ballot in her home state. If passed, Amendment 4 would establish a statewide constitutional right to abortion up until fetal viability, a major shift from Floridas current law, which bans abortion after six weeks except in rare cases.

Currently, eight statewide ballot measures related to abortion are certified for the 2024 general election, the most on record in a single year. Vice President Kamala Harris, now leading the Democratic ticket, is seen as a particularly effective voice on reproductive rights and has already done much to win over Gen Z.

Related

Veep, Candidate, brat: Kamala Harris Fires Up Gen Z on Social Media

In an interview with The 74, Maniar said she thinks these ballot measures can mobilize youth voters, who are feeling particularly energized both by the abortion issue and Harriss campaign more broadly.

I think autonomy right now to young people means a lot, because  especially in this state  we know what it feels like to feel like you have none, she said.

In late July, Harris spoke with Maniars peers when she made a virtual appearance at the Gen-Z-led Voters of Tomorrow summit.

We need your support, Harris said. In this election we know young voters will be key, and we know your vote cannot be taken for granted. It must be earned. And that is exactly what we will do.

Vice President @KamalaHarris knows she must earn our generations votes, and that is exactly what she will do. pic.twitter.com/4zY2pLS62O  Voters of Tomorrow (@VotersTomorrow) July 27, 2024

Days before leaving for the convention where Harris will accept her history-making nomination, Maniar talked politics with The 74s Amanda Geduld.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The 74: How did you first get involved with local politics and civic engagement?

Rhea Maniar: When I was 9, my parents took me to a Hillary Clinton rally in Sanford, Florida, in 2016, and theyve never been the most politically involved people, but they saw that this election was really exciting because it was our first female nominee from the Democratic Party. And they took me in a shirt that said Future President. I think ever since that, Ive just been hooked.

I actually signed up to volunteer for Hillary Clinton on my own  after my bedtime  on my moms computer. I snuck in afterwards, and then they called my mom because I didnt have a phone, so I just put her phone number, and theyre like, Can we speak to Rhea Maniar? And she was like, You can, but shes like 9 and in bed. So I ended up phone banking at a neighbors house  and that was kind of my first foray into politics: Me and my mom phone banking together for 2016.

 In 10th grade, I did the Florida Senate Page Program  and then I also met Rep. Anna Eskamani, who kind of became my biggest inspiration and mentor in this process. And she offered me an internship just as I was going into 10th grade, and that internship was life changing for me. It was my first experience on the legislative side.

 That summer was also the summer that Roe v. Wade broke. So that was insane. I was a rising sophomore in high school. I couldnt drive, but I was at the rallies, and I planned events all centered around really advocating for Roe v. Wade, and that summer was amazing.

[Maniar spoke about her efforts to rebuild the Florida High School Democrats and the Florida College Democrats, which she ultimately became chairperson of.]

 I spent the majority of my senior year really talking to adults and advocating for the fact that high schoolers are here, college students are here. Were ready to get the vote out in 2024, but we need adults to really get us the resources.

You mentioned your experience with the Dobbs decision and your response to that. Can you walk me through that a little bit? Do you remember hearing about that decision for the first time, what your immediate response was and what youve done around that issue since?

Yeah, when it broke out  I think everyone at Rep. Eskamanis office was just shocked, but we didnt have any time to be shocked. It was time to get to work.

So this meant we jumped into planning the rallies and the events and the speaker panels, and so it was crazy, because we didnt expect such a large response from the Central Florida community. But sign-ups for our rally and our march were going out the door. So many people showed up. We didnt know what to do. I think, like, three or 4,000 people showed up, literally, on that day. They just dropped what they were doing to come and we were so grateful for the fact, but also that was our first time really seeing, Oh my God. People who are not typically involved with these kinds of things are coming out in full force. There are so many civically engaged people here who this is their first kind of major protest, major rally, major movement.

 And so since, weve been trying to capitalize on that type of energy, and I think that weve been really effective in the fact that abortion access affects everyone  even if youre a man. I think for a lot of Floridians, this is definitely top-of-mind with the new ballot initiative.

And so part of our job was explaining the ballot initiative and why it was so important in November to come out and vote 

What made it so exciting to see this in 2024 is  we knew that abortion was literally the number one issue on top of Florida students minds  college students, especially  along with rent and housing and education. But abortion after Dobbs quickly rose to the top of that.

 The fact that voters will literally have the chance in November 2024 to actually speak their minds on this and make sure that their legislators actually represent them in their best interests, was something that I think is really powerful to a lot of Florida students, and its definitely something that we are trying our best to uplift and then make as obvious as possible.

 Whenever we did voter registration at schools, we would also have petitions for the 18-year-olds, just to make sure that we were really helping to get that ballot on the table and to pass the threshold.

So what will it mean for youth voters that this abortion ballot will be on the ticket this November?

I think it means a lot to youth voters, because with the combination of having such a powerful and energetic candidate at the top of the ballot  obviously Kamala Harris has greatly improved her numbers in polling amongst youth, especially in Florida  I think what that means is a higher chance of success for our down-ballot races, which are obviously just as important.

Related

SCOTUS Pissed Off the Wrong Generation, Gen Z Activists Say

Obviously, we have Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who is running against Rick Scott [both face primaries Tuesday in the U.S. Senate race]. We have a bunch of really competitive, flippable seats in [state] House districts and Senate districts that are literally right in colleges UCF [University of Central Florida], FSU [Florida State University] and FAMU [ Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University] in Tallahassee  and so I hope, I am pretty sure  that the abortion amendment has done its job in that weve excited these voters, weve prepped them, weve informed them that so that they know that this year, abortion is on their ballot.

And I think that in November, were going to see record-breaking  or at least higher  turnout amongst youth voters aged 18 to 29 than we ever have seen, because with the combination of abortion, weed [Florida ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana] and Kamala Harris, I think  and obviously massive outreach efforts on behalf of the Florida High School Democrats and the Florida College Democrats  I think all this combined is just a recipe for success, and I dont really see it going any other way at this point. And Im very glad I can say that.

When youre tabling or giving out petitions, what are you hearing from young people about this ballot measure  and about the issue of abortion, more generally  within this political climate and then also within the context of the upcoming race?

I think in a world where our governor has made the decisions constantly for high schoolers  and weve kind of lost autonomy over that  over what our teachers can say in school, what books we can have in school, whats being taught, what can we take  I think autonomy right now to young people means a lot, because especially in this state, we know what it feels like to feel like you have none.

Related

DeSantis Signs Bill Limiting Florida School Book Challenges

And so thats why the abortion ballot initiative  and just in general  amendments  are so popular 

It sounds like this ballot measure brings a sense of empowerment to a population in Florida that  like you said  feels like their autonomy has been taken away. And Im wondering, for young people in states that dont have a ballot measure coming up in November that deals with this issue, what is your message to them?

 My message to folks in states who are passionate about abortion, but dont know where to start because they dont have a ballot amendment, is, Id always say, organize your community. Theres power in numbers. Theres power in voices. All you have to do is start speaking up, whether thats planning events, whether thats registering your friends to vote, and whether thats calling and emailing your representative and knocking down their door. I would say anything helps.

Outside of abortion, what are other issues that you hear young people getting really excited about this election cycle?

I think especially in Florida, rent is a really, really big problem. And so many older folks will come up to me and be like, Oh, what issues matter to young people? And most of the time Im like, The same issues that matter to you.

Young professionals are also looking for places to work, jobs and homes  We held a [youth] poll, and that was top of mind. Property insurance is a massive deal here  especially to young people who are just getting on their feet, who have a college degree, who need a job and need rent help. Things have become so ridiculously unaffordable for everyone.

The second priority was abortion. The third one was education, because obviously our public colleges have seen such a major shift with political ideology and the governor trying to get his hands into curriculum. The fourth one is usually always gun control  being the state of Pulse, being the state of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School [scenes of massive shootings in 2016 and 2018]. Especially to our high school students, who have lived high school every year, having to do active shooter drills every two months, I think this is a really top-of-mind issue.

And Gen Z is one of the most diverse generations in history  racially, ethnically, ideology-wise  and we have a very large population of Gen Z who identifies [as] LGBTQ. And so I think the queer community here is also being very outspoken that their issues are also top of ballot, because Florida has done a very poor job with that. So those are probably top five.

So now a question about you: Will this November be your first election?

Yes, Im actually old enough to do it in our August primary, so I just did that.

Amazing. And how did it feel to be a first-time voter?

It was so fun. I put the sticker on my computer. I took a picture. I wanted to memorialize this moment. After organizing around so many issues for so long, I felt really good to finally mark my name down on the ballot  and Im really excited to vote in November.
A Mira Loma High School sophomore was stabbed Tuesday outside the campus during an altercation and is expected to live, according to the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office and the San Juan Unified School District.

Deputies were alerted about 3:50 p.m. by a person who called dispatchers to say his friend had been stabbed in front of the school at 4000 Edison Ave., according to archived audio dispatch calls reviewed by The Sacramento Bee.

A 16-year-old boy was taken to a hospital after firefighters began to render medical aid, said Sgt. Amar Gandhi, a spokesman for the Sheriffs Office.

Two suspects reportedly left the scene in a vehicle in an unknown direction, according to the archived audio. Gandhi just before 4:15 p.m. said a male suspect had been detained. The suspect, a juvenile, was later booked, Gandhi said.

It was unclear if the suspect was a student at the school.

The safety of our students and staff is our top priority, said Raj Rai, a spokeswoman for the San Juan Unified School District. Additional counseling and safety staff will be onsite tomorrow to help support our students and staff.
Teen Student Driver Who Killed His 3 Friends in Fatal Crash Sentenced to Prison: Ruined Our Family

Jake Loy, 19, has been sentenced to four years and eight months in prison following the 2022 crash that killed his 16-year-old friends

Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Jake Loy

A teenager has been sentenced to four years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to killing his three friends in a high-speed vehicle collision.

Jake Loy, 19, was sentenced on Monday, Aug. 19, at Glasgow's High Court In Scotland after crashing his car into a vehicle while driving with just a learner's permit, per a sentencing statement from the court. The March 2022 crash killed 16-year-old passengers Finlay Johns, Ian Cannon and Tyler Johnston.

Loy was 17 years old at the time when he took out his Honda Civic with his three friends and collided with a Honda CR-V going in the opposite direction on a country road shortly after midnight near Dumfries. The force of the collision caused his car to split in two, per the sentencing statement.

Johns, Cannon and Johnston were killed at the scene while Loy, who pleaded guilty to causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving, was "seriously injured" in the crash, along with three others in the second vehicle.

Loy was believed to have been driving over the road's speed limit of 60mph at the time of the crash, per The Independent.

Scotland Police Victims Finlay Johns, Ian Cannon and Tyler Johnston

Finlays brother Grant said after the sentencing, per the BBC, No sentence could ever be enough, he's taken away our brother, he's ruined our family, he's ripped our family to pieces."

The victims father, Alan Johns, told reporters outside the court he thought the sentence was very lenient.

"There are no winners, the sentencing is what we expected, he said.

Donald Findlay KC, who defended Loy, said in court he had no recollection of the crash due to his head injury from the collision.

He told the court of his client, per the BBC, "It was very telling and quite moving when he said if he could take their place he would  he would rather it had been him."

Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Finlay Johns' father, lan Johns, speaks to reporters outside Glasgow High Court

Findlay added that there was "very clear and strong evidence of survivors guilt".

The court heard that one of the victims, Cannon, had sent a message in a group Snapchat before the crash about being scared of Loys driving. The court was told a boy in the same group chat as the teenagers saw the message Cannon had written.

"He was saying that he was scared because Jake Loy was swerving all over the place, that he was a terrible driver and he was flooring it," he said, per the BBC.

Loy is banned from driving for eight years and he will have to pass an extended driving test before he drives again, the court heard on Friday, Aug. 16.

Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Jake Loy arriving at court

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Judge Lord Harrower said to Loy in a statement obtained by PEOPLE: "Not only were you unqualified, you had no real familiarity with this car or its characteristics at speed or under adverse conditions."

Your driving at the time of the collision formed part of a more prolonged and deliberate course of bad or aggressive driving with a disregard for the danger being caused to others," the statement continued.

The victim impact statements all bear witness to the terrible devastation you caused to the lives of their family members of those you injured."



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Read the original article on People.
Police said they were treating the death of the British teenager at the hotel as an accident - Google Maps

A teenage British tourist has died after falling from a balcony on the sixth floor of her hotel in Ibiza.

The woman was staying at Hotel Vibra District, an adults-only all-inclusive resort around 300 metres from the beach in San Antonio.

A spokesman for the Guardia Civil police force in the Balearic Islands told The Telegraph: A 19-year-old British woman was killed after falling from the sixth floor of her hotel in San Antonio, Ibiza at 3am on Tuesday morning. It is possible she may have been under the effects of drugs or alcohol.

Police said they were treating the death as an accident. An ambulance crew was called to the scene, but emergency workers could do nothing to save the womans life after the fall.

The death is the second involving British tourists in the Balearic Islands in four days. On Saturday, a 28-year-old man fell to his death in front of his girlfriend after tripping over a wall at a four-star Mallorca hotel following a night out.

The unnamed man tumbled over the wall, near the entrance to the adults-only Reverence Mare Hotel in Palmanova, falling 15ft before landing next to the hotels spa pool.

After a series of deaths caused by balconing and other forms of risky behaviour among British tourists in the Balearic Islands over the years, the UK embassy in Spain has attempted to raise awareness of the dangers.

The embassy and the British consulate in Palma, Mallorca, have run a stick with your mates campaign, urging tourists out partying to keep an eye on friends who have consumed excessive amounts of drugs or alcohol.

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.
TEMPLE, Texas (FOX 44)  The Temple Independent School District welcomed students back to all 15 of its campuses for the first day of the 2024-2025 school year on Tuesday.

The district says it opened its doors to welcome 168 more students on the first day of classes in 2024 than on the opening day of classes last year. The number of enrolled students is expected to climb over the next two weeks as registration continues. This growth helped lead to the construction of Sampson-Howard Elementary School, which opened its doors to its first group of students on Tuesday. The district says Sampson-Howard Elementary School is the first brand new campus to open in Temple ISD since 1998, and is the only elementary Fine Arts Academy in Central Texas.

Welcome back, Copperas Cove ISD!

In addition to the brand-new elementary school, students at several Temple ISD schools returned to campuses featuring new furniture, new paint and new roofs. The district says it also had armed security officers on every campus for the second straight school year and opened the school calendar with no teacher vacancies for the third straight year.

Other new features on the first day of the 2024-2025 school year include eleven fewer portables being used to house students than on the first day of last school year and construction underway on projects at Bonham Middle School, Scott Elementary School, Edwards Academy and Wheatley Alternative Education Center. The district says construction on the competition field at Travis Science Academy, a joint project between Temple ISD and the City of Temple, is also nearing completion. School board members, community leaders, soldiers from several Adopt-A-School units and district administrators were also on hand to greet students at campuses throughout the district.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KWKT - FOX 44.
A Tennessee lawmakers challenge to his election loss threatens to nullify citizens votes and further suppress voter turnout in a state that already ranks at the bottom.

Rep. John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, lost the state House District 33 Aug. 1 primary election to challenger Rick Scarbrough by only 258 votes. The Tennessee Secretary of States office reported 2,963 votes for Scarbrough to 2,705 for Ragan.

Ragan does not contest that he received fewer votes than his opponent, but he alleges that many of those ballots cast came from people who are not bona fide members of the Republican Party  or in the lawmakers estimation, Democrats who crossed party lines.

Tennessee has open primaries, which means people do not have to declare a party affiliation and may choose to vote Republican in one primary election and Democratic in another one. However, there is a vague unenforced state law that requires primary voters to be bona fide members of their political party.

In its bylaws, the Tennessee GOP considers a bona fide Republican someone who is loyal to the party.

The Tennessee Democratic Party in its bylaws uses the word faithful to define bona fide but makes exceptions in the spirit of an inclusive and a growing Party.

Regardless of how the parties define it, citizens in an open-primary state should reasonably expect freedom to choose how to vote.

If several hundred votes are wiped away to tip the scale for a defeated incumbent, that is a travesty of democracy.

Gerrymandering and letters to naturalized citizens deter voters

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Elections Performance Index ranked Tennessee as 51st in voter turnout for the 2022 election among all the other states and the District of Columbia.

Tennessee Rep. John Ragan, a Republican from Oak Ridge, speaks at a July 9 political forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. On his right is GOP challenger Rick Scarbrough of Clinton, and Anne Backus, left, an Oak Ridger seeking the Democratic nomination in the race. District 33 includes all of Oak Ridge and most of Anderson County.

Voter turnout in the Aug. 1 primary election was 14%  the lowest it has been in decades.

This should horrify elected officials and move them to action to reverse course.

The state that was sued into fighting for one-man, one-vote (Baker v. Carr Supreme Court decision) should uphold a high civic standard.

Instead, in recent years, citizens have felt further disenfranchised.

The gerrymander of 2022 that split majority Democratic Nashville into three Republican-leaning districts diluted the vote for 700,000 residents.

No wonder some Democrats voted in Republican primaries.

Then, there was the Secretary of States decision over the summer to send 14,375 naturalized citizens official letters requesting proof of citizenship.

They were told they could face a felony conviction including two years in prison and a $5,000 fine if they voted unlawfully.

This amounted to intimidation.

Surely, there was a better way than the government sending threatening letters to ordinary citizens who already took one of the most patriotic steps imaginable in this country: Becoming a U.S. citizen.

Candidates should follow party rules, but let the voters make their own choices

Republicans dominate Tennessee state politics  the governors mansion and the super majority in the General Assembly.

However, Democrats have both employed gerrymandering and enforced party "bona fide" rules to benefit their political aspirations across the nation and in Tennessee.

The Tennessean reported that state Sen. Rosalind Kurita, a Democrat in District 22, was stripped of her 2008 primary win by the TNDP because her opponent, eventual Sen. Tim Barnes, alleged Republicans crossed over to vote for her.

Sen. Rosalind Kurita, I-Clarksville

Kurita did not succeed in a court challenge to retain her seat.

Requiring loyalty or faithfulness from the candidates themselves makes sense for political parties. However, voters should retain the choice to make a decision that best suits their interests.

In the marketplace of ideas, the best candidate would win regardless of party label. Perhaps, that is wishful thinking.

Scarbrough, Representative Ragans opponent, is right that when he said: I do fear the dangers this path may pose for our Party, our focus, and the faith all voters have in our election process.

Whoever is the ultimate winner faces Democratic nominee Anne Backus, who was unopposed in the Aug. 1 Democratic primary but earned 2,381 votes  582 fewer votes than Scarbrough and 324 votes fewer than Ragan received.

Election integrity is as much about the ensuring the process is right as much as it is about voters having faith in the system.

Candidates sometimes win and sometimes they lose. That is the democratic process.

Ragan should drop his challenge and accept his loss, and lawmakers should respect the intelligence of Tennessee voters to make good decisions at the ballot box.

David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is an editorial board member of The Tennessean. He hosts the Tennessee Voices videocast and curates the Tennessee Voices and Latino Tennessee Voices newsletters. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or find him on X at @davidplazas.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: John Ragan election challenge is voter intimidation, suppression
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD)  Terry Burnside said he was blindsided by a decision to take gun violence prevention money away from his South Peoria organization but he had no hard feelings.

Burnside, the head of the House of Hope, spoke publicly for the first time since the Peoria City/County Health Department announced his group would no longer be running the Cure Violence program in South Peoria.

I would like to thank the Peoria City/County Health Department for the opportunity, I thank them for taking a chance on us, even though things didnt work out, there is no bad blood, or hard feelings with them, Burnside said.

His comments came Monday after the departments meeting where members of the board addressed what they would be doing with the Cure Violence funding.

Last week, the health department said it was withdrawing $563,000 that was awarded to the House of Hope to fund the Cure Violence program in South Peoria. The department changed its mind when it came to House of Hope, and said the group was not able to meet the required layers of accounting and reporting the program requires.

Last week, Public Health Administrator Monica Hendrickson said that they gave the House of Hope a 30-day notice in mid-July to make the changes they needed, but they were not able to fulfill the requirements.

Not an indictment: South Peoria nonprofit loses anti-violence funding

During Mondays meeting, she said the health department will be taking on running the Cure Violence program while they accept bids from other local non-profits to take over the program.

We are going to play the role of an interim in this position, so that the continuity of services can exist, and the program can get up and running quickly in the community where the greatest need is, Hendrickson said.

She said the health department will be working on closing the current contract through mid-October, after which they expect they will be able to start collecting bids.

Despite the setback, Burnside said the House of Hope will still be able to work on violence prevention, intervention and workforce development. More information on the House of Hope is available on its Facebook page.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com.
TEXARKANA, Texas (KTAL/KMSS)  A college in Texarkana will soon begin offering courses to students who are incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Texarkana.

Texarkana College Trustees met on Aug. 19, 2024 at their regular board meeting, where they listened to a report by the Vice President of Instruction, Dr. Dixon Boyles. In his presentation, Boyles discussed current efforts toward expanding the colleges prison education programs.

Boyles told the board that federal legislation has restored the ability for incarcerated students in federal and state penal institutions to access Pell Grant financial aid.

Texarkana College opens new workforce training facility

Boyles said that Texarkana College has led a successful education program at the Barry B. Telford Unit for years.

Image of prison bars from KTAL/KMSS files.

We see this new ruling as an opportunity to expand services with the Telford Unit and also begin offering courses to incarcerated students at the Federal Correction Institution (FCI) in Texarkana.

TC already offers welding courses to nine incarcerated students. A second cohort of students will begin classes later this year.

Our hope is that this program will lead to a better class of inmates housed at the Telford Unit and will provide incarcerated individuals with the education they need to pursue a second chance at life inside and outside of prison, said Boyles.

The U.S. Department of Education has found that an incarcerated persons risk of returning to prison is reduced by 28% through postsecondary education programs.

Texarkana College has also applied to be a designated Prison Education Program through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. This step must be completed before the Department of Education can approve Pell Grand fund disbursement.

TC expects to begin offering non-credit courses at the correctional institution in Texarkana this fall.

Need a career? These technical schools offer job-ready certifications, degrees

Boyles said Texarkana College is one of the first community colleges in the nation to begin seeking PEP designation to offer Pell-grant funding to the incarcerated. He said the colleges goal is to provide programs in welding and electrical technology.

Contact Doug Saffel at 903-823-3228 or email doug.saffel@texarkanacollege.edu for more information about programs at Texarkana College.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 memorial for victims of the Santa Fe High School shooting lays outside the school as students return on the first day of class

By Brad Brooks

(Reuters) -A Galveston, Texas, jury on Monday found the parents of a teenager who shot and killed 10 classmates at Santa Fe High School in 2018 not liable for the violence, ending an unusual civil trial.

Family members of the shooting victims and survivors accused Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Kosmetatos of being negligent in allowing their son, Dimitrios, to obtain weapons from their home and for not warning school officials or police about his deteriorating mental state.

The jury did decide that Dimitrios Pagourtzis and Lucky Gunner, the company that sold him the ammunition used in the shooting even though he was too young to buy it, were liable for the deaths and injuries, and awarded $330 million in damages.

Lucky Gunner last year reached a settlement with families that sought to exclude it from having to make any more payments.

Jake Felde, Lucky Gunner's CEO, said in a written statement that his company "isn't responsible for paying any monetary damages awarded by the jury" as it already reached a separate settlement for the shooting and was not a party to the Texas trial.

Nicholas Poehl, the criminal attorney representing Dimitrios Pagourtzis, said in a phone call that his client had no money "and never will."

Dimitrios Pagourtzis, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, has been charged with capital murder. He has been deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial and will remain in a treatment facility until a judge declares he is competent.

Judge Jack Ewing told the jurors they had sent a clear message with their verdict.

"That message will carry even outside of the walls and doors of this courtroom, and hopefully it will fall into the ears of our legislators, who can help in taking some action," Ewing said from the bench.

The lawsuit was filed shortly after the May 18, 2018, Santa Fe High School rampage that also injured 13 people. Among those killed was a 17-year-old Pakistani girl who was an exchange student at the school.

The jury's decision came four months after the sentencing of two Michigan parents found guilty of manslaughter after a jury found they ignored warning signs before their son shot and killed four classmates at Oxford High School in 2021. Jennifer and James Crumbley are the first parents known to have been charged with manslaughter in a school shooting carried out by one of their children.

Lori Laird, an attorney representing Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Kosmetatos, said before the verdict that holding her clients responsible for their son's shooting rampage was not justified.

"Regardless of the outcome of this lawsuit, nobody has won," Laird added.

Laird said in an interview that the parents did not know their son was mentally ill and saw no warning signs. Since the shooting, she said, Dimitrios Pagourtzis had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.

Laird also said the parents' guns were stored in a gun safe and a locked cabinet.

Experts and gun safety advocates have said holding parents accountable for shootings carried out by children is an important step in reducing school violence. Studies by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have shown that around 75% of all school shooters obtained their weapons at home.

James Miller, senior counsel of Everytown Law and counsel to plaintiffs Abdul Aziz and Farah Naz, said they were disappointed the jury didn't hold the shooter's parents responsible "for their role in this heinous act."

"Guns are the number one killer of American children and teens, and secure storage is absolutely essential in the fight to end this nation's gun violence epidemic," Miller added.

(Reporting by Brad Brooks in Colorado; Editing by Donna Bryson, Daniel Wallis and Lincoln Feast.)
Texas officials have been forced to debunk a voter fraud conspiracy theory after it was shared on social media by Fox News personality Maria Bartiromo.

On Sunday, the news personality suggested on X that Democrats were registering immigrants to vote at several locations in Fort Worth and Weatherford, Texas.

The post on X states that the story comes from a friend.

Friend of mines wife had to take her 16 yr old son to the DMV this week for a new license. Couldnt get an online appointment (all full) so went in person and had to go to 3 DMVs to get something done, Bartiromo posted on social media. First DMV was in Weatherford. Had a massive line of immigrants getting licenses and had a tent and table outside the front door of the DMV registering them to vote!

Maria Bartiromo onstage at Womens Forum Of New York even on November 7, 2019. Texas officials have been forced to debunk a voter fraud conspiracy theory after it was shared on social media by the Fox News personality (Getty Images)

The post then suggested that the friend witnessed the same thing at two DMV locations in Forth Worth but gives no information on when these incidents were supposed to have happened.

Bartiromo did not say that the alleged registration drive was unlawful but her followers quickly jumped to that conclusion.

Why are Democrats setting up voter registration tables outside DMVs and registering illegal immigrants to vote?! one X user responded. This is happening in Tarrant County and you can bet its happening across the state.

Other users claimed that Bartiromo was highlighting the voter registration of people who werent US citizens.

The story attracted the attention of the Texas Department of Public Safety, who said it was simply false, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The Star-Telegram pointed out that theres no DMV office in Weatherford. However, there is a Texas Department of Public Safety Driver License office - but it had no tent or registration site set up last week.

None of it is true, DPS spokesperson Sgt William Lockridge told the newspaper, noting that suggesting non-white Texas residents who were in line to get their licenses would be immigrants or illegal was kind of racist.

Lockridge added: Just because these people arent white, that doesnt mean theyre illegal.

The Independent has contacted Fox News for comment.

Former president Donald Trump has falsely claimed since January that illegal immigrants would be able to vote in the 2024 election. He also baselessly claimed that Democrats were urging migrants to come to the US to be registered to vote.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  Within the last week, 64 wildfires burned more than 10,000 acres across Texas, so Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday hes getting crews and equipment ready to respond of the threat of more happening.

As the state continues to endure triple-digit temperatures and dry vegetation, Texas is deploying additional firefighting resources to assist communities that have increased wildfire activity, Abbott said. Texans are strongly urged to take all necessary precautions and heed the guidance of state and local officials to keep their families and their loved ones safe from wildfires.

The governor said the Texas A&M Forest Service, which is tasked by the state to respond to wildfires, raised its wildland fire preparedness level to Level 3. That means the service rates wildfire activity as impacting several regions of the state because of drought, dry vegetation or frequent fire weather events.

MAP: More than 200 acres have burned in Central Texas wildfires in 2024

According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, wildfire activity is expected to keep increasing in the north and northwest regions of the state, while the risk is growing toward east Texas, the eastern Hill Country and Central Texas.

Local officials across the state have been requesting Texas A&M Forest Service resources more over the last few weeks, Kari Hines, a program coordinator with the agency, said. As people might have noticed, looking out their windows or walking to and from their cars, it is getting drier. Its a typical August out there. Really, the northern half of the state is seeing more of the wildfire activity right now, though.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management activated state firefighting resources, including more than 350 firefighters and support personnel, four helicopters with firefighting capability from the Texas Military Department and wildland fire support packages from the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Asst. Chief Mark Moellenberg with Travis County ESD 2 in Pflugerville said his department already deployed one of its brush trucks as well as three firefighters to help put out wildfires burning near Abilene.

Our wildfire danger is increasing. Its been extremely hot, as everybody knows. It is drying out. We havent had rain since the tail end of July, Moellenberg said. July was great because we got plenty of rain, but that moisture is gone now, so our grasses are drying out really quickly. And the other side of that is as they kept growing further into the summer, because of all the moisture in July, we have a heavy fuel load out there, particularly in our grass fuels, but theyre drying out.

As his crews prepare to battle more wildfires, Moellenberg insists people should act now to reduce the risk at their homes. He said that includes taking care of their properties, like keeping their lawns mowed and clearing away tall brush or built-up debris close to their homes.

He and other first responders also advise people to plan out how they would escape, if necessary, by doing things like learning the fire evacuation routes in their neighborhood and keeping important documents in a place where they can grab them if they have to leave home quickly.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
NASA is still busy evaluating the risks involved in returning NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded on board the International Space Station since early June, to Earth.

Their ride up, Boeing's Starliner, has been plagued with technical issues that have forced the space agency to come up with several contingency plans.

While NASA and Boeing maintain that Starliner is ready to take the two crew members down to the surface in the case of an emergency  despite the possibility of several thrusters malfunctioning  even alternative rideshare options could expose Williams and Wilmore to considerable risks.

For one, Starliner's spacesuits aren't compatible with those used on board SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft. That means if the pair were to return on board the SpaceX capsule currently docked to the station, which is one rescue plan under consideration by NASA, they'd be flying without wearing a suit, as NASA confirmed during a teleconference call last week  an unfortunate reality for the space agency that will likely factor into its upcoming decision.

While "launch and entry" or intravehicular (IVA) spacesuits, unlike extravehicular activity (EVA) suits, are worn as a precaution inside spacecraft in case of cabin pressure loss, they could still prove life-saving if an emergency were to occur. They can also help with temperature regulation, and in some cases collect data and pass it on to the spacecraft's software.

The reason for the incompatibility between SpaceX's and Boeing's suits is due to the nature of NASA's Commercial Crew program, which funded the development of both Boeing's Starliner and SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft.

"For every era of spaceflight before this current one, NASA used a different model of procuring spaceships," explained Swapna Krishna from the YouTube channel Ad Astra in a recent explainer video, adding that NASA used to be "deeply involved" throughout the entire process.

But with Commercial Crew, NASA allowed its private partners to "design and innovate as long as the companies met NASA's broad requirements and safety standards, as well as reach specific milestones, one of which is a successful crewed test flight," Krishna explained.

Yet the agency "did not specify" that the spacesuits "needed to be cross-compatible," a way "NASA controls risk" by keeping its options as wide as possible in case something went wrong with one option.

With Boeing and SpaceX choosing vastly different design approaches, one can't simply be swapped for the other.

Even if Williams and Wilmore were to be loaded into an already fully occupied Crew-8 Crew Dragon, and they somehow had suits ready, Krishna explained, the capsule is only configured for four passengers, despite originally being designed to be occupied by a crew of seven. That means their suits wouldn't have anywhere to plug in anyway.

Fortunately, NASA has an entirely separate option to get the two astronauts back down to the ground: SpaceX's upcoming Crew-9 mission, which could be launched with just two, not four, crew members to make space for Williams and Wilmore, allowing them to return sometime in February.

In that case, the space agency could simply send up two spare suits for both of them, making it a far more convenient option.

Regardless of whether Williams and Wilmore were to return on board the Crew-8 spacecraft or on the next SpaceX ride, ditching Boeing's plagued Starliner will still likely sting.

The aerospace giant and NASA have committed billions of dollars into the capsule's development  so having it return without any passengers on board would be a major vote of no confidence.

More on Starliner: Boeing Official Says He's Not Surprised Starliner Astronauts Still Stuck in Space
Bad Timing

As billionaire Mike Lynch's yacht sinking made headlines, the missing tycoon's recent fraud trial co-defendant died in a UK hospital after being hit by a car.

As the BBC reports, the former vice president of finance at Lynch's enterprise software firm Autonomy Stephen Chamberlain was declared dead on Monday after a car hit him when he was out on a run in Cambridgeshire, the county where England's tony Cambridge University is located.

Earlier that very day, a yacht said to be owned by Lynch's wife Angela Bacares called the Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily after being struck by a water-bound tornado. As Business Insider reports, the Autonomy founder, his 18-year-old daughter, his fraud trial attorney Christopher Morvillo, and the lawyer's wife are now all missing and feared dead following the crash.

Bacares and several other people were rescued by a nearby vessel that, as ABC noted, did not suffer the same fate in the storm.

As Italian civil protection lead Salvo Cocina said during a media conference quoted by ABC, the Bayesian was "in the wrong place at the wrong time"  an apt analysis that seems to have applied to Chamberlain as well.

Twisted Fate

As the BBC and other outlets reported in the wake of his untimely death note, Chamberlain had along with Lynch been accused of 11 counts of fraud related to the sale of Autonomy to Hewlett Packard in 2011. Earlier this summer, the pair were acquitted on all those charges  only for tragedy to strike just a few months later.

Before either man met their more recent doom, they'd been considered incredibly lucky, as the Daily Beast reports, to have been acquitted at all.

Months prior to their own fraud trial, Lynch's right-hand man, ex-Autonomy chief financial officer Sushovan Hussain, was convicted of similar charges and ended up being sanctioned in the United Kingdom. Until their acquittal, the still-missing billionaire was sure that if he met the same fate as Hussain, he'd end up dying in prison.

"I have various medical things that would have made it very difficult to survive," Lynch told The Guardian last month, following the acquittal. "If this had gone the wrong way, it would have been the end of life as I have known it in any sense."

With Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter now among the missing in the Bayesian sinking and Chamberlain dead, their acquittal earlier this summer has taken on a darker tone.

"In the course of 48 hours, I cant process what has happened," explained Lynch's other attorney, Gary Lindberg, in an interview with BI, "but both of our clients, as well as Chris and his wife, are gone."

More on maritime tragedy: Researchers Discover Legendary Shipwreck Using Underwater Imaging
A former Minneapolis police officer convicted in the death of George Floyd was released from prison Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed to ABC News.

Thomas Lane, 41, pleaded guilty in May 2022 to state charges of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to dismiss charges against him for aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder.

He was sentenced to three years in prison for the state charges.

MORE: Former cop Thomas Lane sentenced in state case over George Floyd's death

Previously, in February 2022, a federal jury convicted Lane -- as well as two other former officers -- for violating Floyd's civil rights when they failed to intervene in his murder in May 2020.

He was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for the federal charges.

PHOTO: In this Sept. 21, 2022, file screen grab from video, former Minneapolis Police Officer Thomas Lane listens from Littleton, Colorado, as he appeared via video from the Federal Correctional Institution Englewood, a low-security federal prison camp. (Minnesota Attorney General's Office via AP, FILE)

Lane served the two sentences concurrently at FCI Englewood in Colorado. His sentence on federal charges expired earlier this year, according to a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson, while his sentence on state charges ended Tuesday.

Lane will spend the next year on supervised release, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Corrections told ABC News.

MORE: 'A good man': George Floyd's brother supports Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for VP

Derek Chauvin -- the officer who kneeled on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes, killing him -- was convicted on murder charges and sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison.

In a move unrelated to Lane, Chauvin was moved to a federal prison in Big Springs, Texas, on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the situation. Chauvin was stabbed at a federal prison in Phoenix last November.

PHOTO: In this June 19, 2020, file photo, a man in Brooklyn, New York, holds a poster with the picture of George Floyd who was killed in police custody three weeks earlier in Minneapolis. (Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images, FILE)

In the wake of Floyd's murder, protests against racial injustice and police brutality broke out across the U.S. and even internationally, drawing millions.

"Thomas Lane served his time and paid his debt to society. I wish him well in his re-entry into his community," Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement to Duluth ABC affiliate WDIO.

ABC News' Luke Barr contributed to this report.

Thomas Lane, former cop convicted in George Floyds death, released from prison originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Three retail theft criminals sentenced to prison in Platte County

KANSAS CITY, Mo.  The Platte County Prosecutors Office announced Tuesday morning that three people have been charged with multiple criminal offenses and sentenced to prison for retail theft.

According to the prosecutors office, on Aug. 19, Marvin Calhoun received a concurrent 20-year prison sentence for first-degree robbery and 10 years for armed criminal action after stealing Chiefs merchandise from Dicks Sporting Goods at Zona Rosa.

Louisburg restaurant employee allegedly stealing customers credit card information

Calhoun robbed the Dicks Sporting Goods on Oct. 5, 2018. The prosecutors office said he left the store with a basket of Chiefs merchandise. However, as he was leaving, a clerk asked if he needed help checking out, leading him to pull out a gun and point it at the woman before leaving the store.

Calhoun is expected to serve 85% of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

The second person facing a prison sentence for theft is Aaliyah Walker who was charged with 15 stealing offenses. She faces six years in prison.

According to the prosecutors office, Walker pleaded guilty to 15 counts of stealing between March 20, 2021 and March 25, 2024.

She stole seven times from Bath and Body Works, three times from Sunglass Hut and Rally House, and one time from Victorias Secret and Sephora.

Over the three-year crime spree, Walker stole about $30,000 worth of merchandise, leading her to a six-year concurrent prison sentence on each charge.

Lastly, Asia Marshall was sentenced on Aug. 15 to seven years for second-degree robbery and 11 additional counts for stealing merchandise from a variety of locations throughout the county.

Marshall pleaded guilty to one second-degree robbery charge and 11 other thefts between May 20 and Dec. 21, 2023.

She robbed a Bath and Body Works at Zona Rosa with another person and admitted to punching a clerk before the items were stolen.

KC woman who stole over $60,000 in merchandise sentenced in Platte Co.

Marshall stole four other times from Bath and Body Works, three times from the PINK store, and two times from Sephora and ULTA Beauty at Zona Rosa.

The combined total loss of her offenses was more than $35,000, according to the prosecutors office.

Marshall faces a concurrent seven-year sentence for each offense.

The cases were prosecuted by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jaclyn Taylor and First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Mark Gibson.

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Permafrost covers roughly 25 percent of exposed land surface in the Northern hemisphere, and it plays a vital role in locking away carbon and toxic metals like mercury.

A new study says that a looming mercury bomb could impact northern communities as permafrost continues to thaw, releasing mercury into the local food chain.

Although rivers do rebury some of this mercury into sediment, further research will be needed to understand this erosion-reburial cycle.

Permafrost is a vital feature of the Earths coldest climates. While some can be found in the south, permafrost covers roughly 25 percent of exposed land surface in the Northern hemisphere. Its key feature, as its name suggests, is that its always frozennever thawing, even during the warm summer months. Thanks to this unending icy state and its impressive size (with some stretches extending 1500 meters into the ground), permafrost has locked away an estimated 1,500 gigatons of carbon. Thats around twice as much as whats found in the atmosphere.

Keeping that carbon locked away so that bacteria cant release CO 2 and methane into the atmosphere (two gasses we definitely dont need more of) is enough reason to make sure these landmasses dont melt. In fact, thats why some scientists consider the health of our permafrost a potential climactic tipping point.

However, researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) Dornsifealong with collaborators from Caltech, the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council, MIT, and Delft University of Technology in the Netherlandsare worried about another side effect of these slowly melting landmasses. Because while permafrost locks away lots of carbon, it also contains high amounts of toxic metals like mercury.

A new study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters analyzes the threat of permafrost melting, releasing these metals, and potentially setting off a mercury bomb that could greatly impact some five million people living in these cold climates.

There could be this giant mercury bomb in the Arctic waiting to explode, USC Dornsifes Josh West, a co-author of the study, said in a press statement. Because of the way it behaves chemically, a lot of mercury pollution ends up in the Arctic. Permafrost has accumulated so much mercury that it could dwarf the amount in the oceans, soils, atmosphere, and biosphere combined.

Mercury levels in the Arctic are already elevated above normal levels , despite the fact that these areas have no typical mercury-producing sourcesoutside mercury makes its way to the Arctic through the air. Thankfully, plants absorb that mercury and are then entombed in permafrost, but as that permafrost begins to thaw due to climate change, the mercury it is entombing could resurface and wreak havoc on the local food chain.

The research team focused their study around two Alaskan villagesBeaver and Huslia, which are both located close to Fairbanks. Because its difficult to extract deep soil cores from permafrost for study, West and his colleagues focused on riverbanks and sandbars in order to get the most accurate readings possible. Rivers can erode sediment and deposit mercury-laden soil along sandbars, so these readings give scientists a good understanding of what dangers are lurking in the permafrost.

This dataalong with satellite readings of how fast the Yukon River changes course (and erodes yet more mercury-packed riverbank)helped scientists to discern that mercury levels were consistent with higher estimates from previous studies, and that the element could find its way into local food sources. This isnt good new, since humans consume the most mercury through food rather than drinking water.

Although the rushing rivers like the Yukon do rebury some of this mercury (and scientists hope to study this erosion-reburial process more closely), the net gain of mercury could devastate local economies and food systems upon which millions of humans depend.

Taking into account all of these factors should give us a more accurate estimate of the total mercury that could be released as permafrost continues to melt over the next few decades, Isabel Smith, USC Dornsife doctoral candidate and lead author of the study, said in a press statement. Decades of exposure, especially with increasing levels as more mercury is released, could take a huge toll on the environment and the health of those living in these areas.

For millennia, the Arctic has been locking away toxic metals and keeping the planet healthy and happy. But after two centuries of an unyielding fossil fuel addiction, this particular environmental bill might soon be coming due.



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TIOGA, NY (WIVT/WBGH)  The Tioga County Sheriffs Office is asking for your help in locating a missing man who was last seen in the Town of Tioga.

47-year-old Mark Klotz, described as a white male, about 5-feet-10-inches tall, weighing around 170 pounds, was last seen on Church Street in Tioga walking towards Nichols on July 10, 2024. Police say he was potentially headed toward the state of Pennsylvania.

Klotz is known to have a neck tattoo of a gecko and tattoos of Chinese writing on both legs, last seen with brown/grey hair, blue eyes and a goatee.

Anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of Mr. Klotz is asked to contact Investigator John Cornwell of the Tioga County Sheriffs Office at 607-687-1010 or leave a tip at http://www.tiogacountysheriff.com/send-tip.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WIVT - News 34.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WWLP)  Millions of students will be heading to college in the next few weeks, many of whom are paying for that education with federal student loans.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is issuing a warning to students and their parents that thieves are looking to take money and personal information through false emails that look very convincing.

Who qualifies for free college tuition in Massachusetts?

By now, recipients of federal student loans will have received a letter from Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona with information about options for loan forgiveness. Proof of this is the legitimate address that it comes from: noreply@studentaid.gov.

Some signs that the email is fake include email addresses that look similar to the real address, and using official-looking names, seals, and logos; asking to verify your account by asking for your username and password and banking information; requesting payment to help manage your student loans.

Also, when applying for student loans, be sure youre working with a contracted federal student loan servicer listed on the U.S. Department of Educations website.

According to the Department of Education, true emails from them are only from these three email addresses:

noreply@studentaid.gov

noreply@debtrelief.studentaid.gov

ed.gov@public.govdelivery.com

If youre not sure if an email is real or fake, or if you have any questions about your federal student loan, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243 (1-800-4 FED AID) to confirm.

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.

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A toddler trapped inside his familys locked vehicle amid the warm weather was rescued by firefighters Monday in Studio City.

Its unclear exactly what time crews with LAFDs Engine 86 were called to the scene, but in a post to the departments Instagram account, officials said a prompt 911 call allowed crews to unlock the vehicle and rescue the uninjured 2-year-old.

Footage of the incident posted to the Citizen App shows the concerned mother on the drivers side of the vehicle as firefighters work to unlock the passenger side of the vehicle and get to her child.

According to LAFD, the toddler locked himself in the vehicle as his parents stood just outside the car. It is not known if the car was running at the time of the incident.

L.A. firefighters seen rescuing a 2-year-old boy who locked himself inside while alone in the vehicle on Aug. 19, 2024. (Citizen App)

L.A. firefighters seen rescuing a 2-year-old boy who locked himself inside while alone in the vehicle on Aug. 19, 2024. (Citizen App)

L.A. firefighters seen rescuing a 2-year-old boy who locked himself inside while alone in the vehicle on Aug. 19, 2024. (Citizen App)

L.A. firefighters seen rescuing a 2-year-old boy who locked himself inside while alone in the vehicle on Aug. 19, 2024. (Citizen App)

Once firefighters were able to get the door open, they lifted the boy out and handed him over to his mother.

According to California vehicle code, it is against the law to leave a child under the age of 6-years-old alone in a vehicle without the supervision of a person at least 12 years of age or older.

Authorities suggest the following to keep your children safe:

Never leave a child in a vehicle with the motor running or the key in the ignition

Check to make sure all children leave the vehicle when you reach your destination

Keep a stuffed animal in your childs car seat when its empty. When your child is in the car, place the stuffed animal on the front seat next to you as a visual reminder

Never leave keys within the reach of children

Teach children never to play in, on or around cars

Make it a habit to look before you leave before exiting any vehicle

Never let children ride or play in the cargo area, trunk or bed of any vehicle

If a child is locked inside a vehicle, get him or her out as quickly as possible. Call 9-1-1 for assistance if necessary. If the child appears hot or sick, call 9-1-1 immediately

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A New York City lawyer who died after a yacht sank off the coast of Sicily wrote a haunting post on LinkedIn two months before he joined the doomed voyage.

In one of his only posts on the site, Christopher Morvillo, 59, thanked his legal team after they helped British tech tycoon Mike Lynch win a fraud trial and discussed living happily ever after.

Lynch owned the luxury yacht Bayesian, which sank early on Monday.

Five bodies, believed to be those of Lynch, Morvillo, Morvillo's wife Neda, British banker Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy have now be recovered by authorities, according to The Associated Press. One woman remains missing. She has not been identified, but Hannah Lynch, Lynchs 18-year-old daughter, is reportedly unaccounted for.

The remaining passengers have all been found. One person, the ship's chef, died in the storm.

In the LinkedIn post, Morvillo thanked his legal team and his family, and ended with a now poignant flourish.

And, finally, a huge thank you to my patient and incredible wife, Neda Morvillo, and my two strong, brilliant, and beautiful daughters, Sabrina Morvillo and Sophia Morvillo," he wrote. None of this would have been possible without your love and support. I am so glad to be home. And they all lived happily ever after.

Emergency services at the scene of the search for a missing boat, in Porticello, southern Italy (AP)

Morvillo was a partner at Clifford Chance, a white-collar law firm with offices on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. He previously worked as a federal prosecutor who investigated the September 11 terror attacks, according to the New York Post.

A statement from Clifford Chance, obtained by US outlet People, read: We are deeply saddened and still coming to terms with this terrible loss. Our utmost priority is to continue to support Chris's family at this very distressing time. Our thoughts extend to the families and loved ones of all those affected.

The spokesperson added: We wish to express our deepest condolences and our love and support to Chriss family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. We also want to thank the Italian authorities and rescue teams for everything they have done."

The Independent has reached out to Clifford Chance for comment.

Prior to his death, Morvillo and his legal team successfully defended Lynch from fraud allegations brought by Hewlett-Packard stemming from the tycoon's sale of his Autonomy company to HP for $11bn in 2011.

This verdict closes the book on a relentless 13-year effort to pin HPs well-documented ineptitude on Dr. Lynch. Thankfully, the truth has finally prevailed. We thank Dr. Lynch for his trust throughout this ordeal and hope that he can now return home to England to resume his life and continue innovating. Morvillo and his co-counsel wrote in a press release after winning the case.

Rescue divers had to descend to a depth of 164 feet underwater during operations, but can only spend 12 minutes that deep, officials said (EPA)

The 160-foot luxury sailboat was off the cost of Porticello, Italy  near Sicily  when it ran afoul of a small waterspout in the Mediterranean. The Bayesian likely capsized after its mast was broken by the storm, Salvatore Cocina, the head of Sicily's Civil Protection, told CNN.

The ship's hull sank to a depth of 164 feet underwater. Rescue trips to the hull had been slow going as divers can only spend 12 minutes that deep before having to resurface, according to fire rescue officials.

A statement shared by Lynchs lawyers on behalf of his family read: The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends. Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy.

They would like to sincerely thank the Italian coastguard, emergency services and all those who helped in the rescue. Their one request now is that their privacy be respected at this time of unspeakable grief.
(Bloomberg) -- Thailands biggest opposition party will push to curb the sweeping power of the Constitutional Court, which this month caused fresh upheaval by dissolving the most-popular party and then ousting the prime minister.

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The days-old Peoples Party, comprised of members of the now-disbanded Move Forward, will push legislation to make it harder for the court to dissolve parties and to lessen penalties for politicians, leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said in an Aug. 15 interview in Bangkok.

The court wields power thats detached from the people. Its power undermines the institutions that are elected by the people, without itself representing the people, the 37-year-old former tech entrepreneur said. Were trying to end lawfare and the roles of independent agencies in destroying elected institutions.

The Constitutional Court has dissolved more than 100 political parties and unseated three prime ministers in the past 27 years, heightening concern about democracy in Thailand, which has had two military coups in the same period. Critics are saying the court safeguards the interests of the pro-royalist establishment.

The recent rulings signal an erosion in the separation of powers, said Napon Jatusripitak, a visiting fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, arguing that the court effectively dictates the scope of possible legislative actions and exerts control over who has the right ethical standards to be the head of the executive branch.

The court said it had no choice but to dissolve Move Forward to stop the destruction of Thailands constitutional monarchy. In the ruling against Srettha, the court had cast itself as the ultimate protector of the constitution.

READ: Thai Political Upheaval Shows Royalists Are Still in Charge

The new opposition party, whose name is a nod to the group behind the 1932 Siamese Revolution that ended absolute monarchy, emerged two days after the widely expected dissolution of Move Forward on Aug. 7.

The court said Move Forwards election campaign had violated rules by pushing to amend the countrys controversial lese majeste law, known as Article 112, which shields the Thai royal family from criticism. Its top leaders were banned from politics for 10 years.

A week later, the same court ousted Srettha Thavisin as prime minister, saying he had violated ethical standards by appointing a lawyer with a jail history to the cabinet.

Srettha has been succeeded by Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, who is also facing prosecution under Article 112, was ousted as premier in a coup, while her aunt was dismissed as prime minister by the Constitutional Court shortly before a military takeover.

READ: Thailands Democracy Is on Shaky Ground: Karishma Vaswani

Natthaphong said Peoples Party will prioritize the court reforms over Article 112 changes, and will seek bipartisan support within months and seek to pass the legislation ahead of the next national election, expected in 2027.

That may be tough, according to Napon. The power to dissolve political parties has proven to be the most reliable among the tools used to check the power of elected forces, he said. It is difficult to imagine conservative stakeholders relinquishing it without a fight.

Indeed, though Peoples Party remains popular, with Move Forward winning the most seats in last years elections, it faces other legal troubles.

A probe by the National Anti-Corruption Commission into a draft Article 112 amendment bill from Move Forward could lead to a lifetime ban from politics for about 25 lawmakers in Peoples Party  including Natthaphong. Eight former lawmakers  including former prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat  have already been banned for a decade by the courts dissolution order.

Move Forward itself was a successor to another reformist party, Future Forward, which debuted in the 2019 election but was dissolved a year later.

If we end up getting banned, well just pass on the torch to our friends who will step up to take our place, said Natthaphong.

The party remains committed to reforming Article 112 even after a court order banning Move Forward lawmakers from campaigning or seeking to amend the law via any means other than the legislature  a ruling which didnt clarify possible paths forward.

We dont have a clear timeline for Article 112 amendments yet but we will certainly push ahead with it, Natthaphong said. Right now our focus is on re-building ourselves after the dissolution and pushing the amendments to the constitution and the law governing political parties.

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TOPEKA (KSNT)  A new Chick-fil-A location in south Topeka is looking to hire 80 people ahead of its expected opening this fall.

A Chick-fil-A spokesperson issued a press release Tuesday, Aug. 20 on the new location at 3231 SW Topeka Boulevard. This restaurant will be run by Owner-Operator Justin Lamison who is looking to fill 80 positions ahead of the Chick-fil-As opening.

I have had the pleasure of working in a variety of fields before becoming an Operator, and one of my biggest takeaways has been that any job can be a great jobor even a fulfilling careerif you approach it with passion, dedication and a willingness to learn, Lamison said. As an Operator, I encourage my Team Members to embrace every opportunity with intentionality and care, and to remember that meaningful work can come in countless ways.

Interested applicants can click here to apply for positions at the new restaurant. This will be the second Chick-fil-A to open in the Capital City with the first being located at 1625 SW Wanamaker Road. More information on when the restaurant will open, its hours of operation and other details will be released in the near future.

Last White Lakes Mall building catches on fire, $250,000 loss reported

For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf

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A tornado sank a luxury sailing boat off the coast of Sicily. Heres what we know

Emergency workers in southern Italy are still hunting for at least one person who remains missing after a tornado sank a luxury yacht early Monday  prompting an air and naval operation off the coast of Sicily.

Twenty-two people are thought to have been on the yacht when the tragedy struck. Fifteen people were rescued from the wreckage, according to Italys Coast Guard. One body was recovered on Monday and five more were found on Wednesday, after divers struggled to reach deep inside the yacht around 50 meters underwater (approximately 150 feet).

Two Americans and four Britons were among the six initially reported missing  including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and Chris Morvillo, a prominent lawyer. The five bodies found Wednesday have not been identified, while the body recovered Monday is thought to be that of the onboard chef Ricardo Thomas.

Heres what we know.

What happened?

A small waterspout  a type of tornado  spun over the Mediterranean island early Monday, likely capsizing the sailing boat amid lashings of rain and strong thunderstorms.

The British-flagged yacht, called the Bayesian, was anchored about a half a mile from the port of Porticello, on Sicilys northern coast. The vessel sank after its mast broke in half in the storm, Salvatore Cocina, head of Sicilys Civil Protection, told CNN on Tuesday.

Eyewitnesses described furious gales and hurricane-like winds that left an avalanche of debris near the pier.

More than a dozen survivors were spotted in the area hanging onto life rafts, according to the captain of a nearby boat, who steadied his ship to avoid colliding with the Bayesian.

We got this strong hurricane gust and we had to start the engine to keep the ship in an angled position, Karsten Bower told reporters in Palermo on Monday. After the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone.

Bower and his crew rescued four injured people, he said, before calling Italys Coast Guard  who later rescued the remaining survivors.

One of those rescued  a child  was airlifted to the childrens hospital in Palermo. Eight people were hospitalized in total, according to the mayors office.

The girls mother, Charlotte, described how she battled to hold onto Sofia, her 1-year-old daughter, as reported by Italian news agency ANSA.

In two seconds I lost the baby in the sea, then I immediately hugged her again amidst the fury of the waves. I held her tightly, close to me, while the sea was stormy, she told journalists. Many were screaming.

The mother and daughter were later reunited with the father, James, according to a doctor at the local childrens hospital in Palermo.

The survivors are very tired and are constantly asking about the missing people, the doctor, Domenico Cipolla, said Monday. They are talking and crying all the time because they have realized that there is little hope of finding their friends alive.

Divers jump into the sea to search for six people missing in Sicily, southern Italy, on Monday. - Handout/Vigili del Fuoco/Reuters

Italys fire brigade dispatched helicopters to aid in the search, officials said Monday. After an unsuccessful attempt on Monday, the brigade sent divers to try and enter the sunken ship Tuesday, recommencing the operation on Wednesday.

The depth of the wreck means divers can only work there for limited periods of time, according to Marco Tilotta, an inspector for the diving unit of Palermos local fire brigade. The Italian fire brigade said Monday its divers had reached the yachts hull 49 meters (160 feet) below sea level.

The United Kingdoms Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said it has deployed a team of four inspectors to Palermo which is conducting a preliminary assessment of the scene.

Who was on board?

Twenty-two people were on board the Bayesian, which was flying under a British flag and had mostly British passengers and crew, in addition to two Anglo-French, one Irish and one Sri Lankan person, a spokesperson for Italys Coast Guard told CNN.

A troupe of high-profile guests are among those missing, including Lynch, the 59-year-old British tech investor who fought a fraud case earlier this year in the United States  which spiraled from the disastrous $11 billion sale of his company to tech firm Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.

His 18-year-old daughter was also named missing. Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares, survived the accident. Bacares told Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica that she woke up at 4 a.m. local time, as the boat tilted. She and her husband were not initially concerned, she said, but became worried when the windows of the yacht shattered and chaos erupted.

Bacares spoke to the newspaper while sitting in a wheelchair, at a hospital in the Sicilian town of Termini Imerese. She had abrasions on her feet and bandages on other parts of her body, it reported.

Bloomer, the finance tycoon, and Morvillo, a prominent lawyer  and both their wives  are also among the missing, according to Salvatore Cocina, head of Sicilys Civil Protection.

Morvillo, an American partner at Clifford Chance, was involved in successfully defeating the US fraud case against Lynch in June. Another employee of the firm, Ayla Ronald, and her partner, survived the incident, according to a spokesperson for Clifford Chance.

The body that was recovered from the vessel on Monday was identified as the onboard chef Ricardo Thomas, an Antiguan citizen, Reuters reported.

British tech mogul Mike Lynch, pictured in November 2014, is among the missing. - Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg/Getty Images

What do we know about the boat?

Built in 2008, the 56-meter (184-foot) yacht was manufactured by Italian company Perini Navi, Reuters reported. According to the Associated Press, the boat has been available for charter for $215,000 (195,000) per week.

Lynchs wife is linked to the yacht. The Bayesian is held by the company Revtom Limited, according to records from the maritime information service Equasis. The companys latest annual return from April lists Bacares as the proprietor.

Bayesian, the name given to the vessel, is linked to the statistical theory on which Lynch built his fortune, according to Reuters.

The yachts mast stood 72.27 meters (237 feet) high above the designated water line, just short of the worlds tallest mast which is 75.2 meters, according to Guinness World Records. It was the tallest aluminium mast in the world, the Perini Navi website said.

Perini Navi is known for making good quality boats, according to Caroline White, deputy editor of BOAT International, a media group serving the superyacht industry.

White told CNN that if the Bayesian dismasted, it should theoretically become more stable. But it might be a different story if you are in the middle of a violent storm with incredibly strong winds pinning you to the water, she added.

Dangerous weather conditions

Strong storms across Sicily brought torrential rainfall late Sunday. Initial reports suggest a small waterspout, which developed over the area Monday morning, could have been behind the yachts sinking.

Waterspouts  one of several types of tornadoes  are spinning columns of air that form over water, or move from land out to water. They are often accompanied by high winds, high seas, hail and dangerous lightning. While they are most common over tropical oceans, they can form almost anywhere.

Matthew Schanck, chair of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, told CNN that while waterspouts in Sicily are rare, there is a risk they can happen  just not every day.

Waterspouts rely on warm waters to gain energy and the Mediterranean Sea has been very hot, reaching a record daily median of 28.9 degrees Celsius (84 Fahrenheit) last week, according to preliminary data from researchers at the Institute of Marine Sciences in Spain.

Local temperatures have been even higher, with waters around Sicily reaching almost 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), almost 3 degrees more than normal, Italian climatologist Luca Mercalli told CNN.

Warmer oceans have more energy and more humidity to transfer to the atmosphere, the most important fuels for storms, he said.

CNNs Laura Paddison, Louis Mian, Benjamin Brown, Catherine Nicholls, Sabrina Souza, Niamh Kennedy and Eve Brennan contributed reporting.

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Flights to and from Madeira are returning to normal after wildfires caused delays, cancellations and diversions.

The fires, which broke out around six days ago in the rural area of Ribeira Brava, continue to blaze through 3,000 hectares of forest near the town of Camara de Lobos and close to the popular beach area of Ponta do Sol.

As the fire service tried to tame the fires, around 160 people were evacuated on Sunday as a precaution. So far, no injuries or fatalities have been reported.

The Portuguese island is a popular holiday destination for tourists in the summer months.

Between Saturday and Monday, Madeiras Funchal Cristiano Ronaldo airport had experienced at least 56 cancellations, around 24 per cent of arriving and 12 per cent of departing flights from the island, FlightRadar reported.

Smoke rises from a forest fire on the hills of Serra de Agua in Ribeira Brava on Monday (EPA)

There were around 24 diverted incoming flights. Ryanair experienced most of the disruptions with six of its flights directed away from Madeira.

The airport that received the most diverted planes was Lisbon in Portugal, while Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Arrecife, and Barcelona also received some of the arrivals.

As of Tuesday morning, FlightRadars data shows that most flights have landed at the airport with some delays. Flights out of the airport on Tuesday have also been departing largely on time.

Local media had reported that in previous days Madeiras airport became almost like a dormitory, with stranded passengers sleeping on the floor.

Hundreds of passengers had nowhere to stay over the weekend, Madeira Island News reported.

The south coastline of Madeira was placed on orange alert as of Monday (EPA)

Around 200 firefighters, many of whom had been sent over from the mainland, tackled the fires, but low humidity and the strength of the winds made the operation difficult.

This fire, which is very dangerous, I have no doubt it was caused by arson in an inaccessible area where air support could not operate, the president of the regional government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque, told reporters.

The entire south coastline of Madeira, which is an autonomous region of Portugal with around 250,000 residents, has been placed on orange alertas of Monday, the second highest level, due to the high temperatures.

The Independent has contacted Madeira airport for comment.

For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calders podcast
A Trader Joes manager wanted to connect to Harlem through art. Then came the backlash

The latest New York City location of fan-favorite grocery store chain Trader Joes is facing some harsh online criticism because of its decor.

On July 25, Trader Joes opened on 125th Street in Manhattans historically Black neighborhood of Harlem  its located in the same building thats slated to house the new headquarters for the National Urban League.

Tracy-Ann Reeves is store manager for the new spot, and says she wanted the stores interior to reflect the neighborhood its joining.

The signs and murals in the store are something that we really do pride ourselves on, to make sure that it is connecting with the community, Reeves tells TODAY.com. We spent a lot of time in Harlem just touring, looking at pieces at parks and wherever in the neighborhood.

A mural created by team members in the Harlem Trader Joe's.

For nearly a month, gobs of customers have filed in and out of the building seeing decor created specifically for the new location, but its one pair of signs placed near the entrance that have attracted significant  and negative  online attention.

You can open a store in Harlem but no need to do all that pic.twitter.com/RLOXedRWjY  gnarly heff (@gnarlyheffner) August 9, 2024

You can open a store in Harlem but no need to do all that, wrote Harley Geffner (@gnarlyheffner) on X shortly after the opening.

The post shows the two signs: one overhead welcoming visitors to Trader Joes and one printed diagonally along the escalator that reads Uptown Love. The signs utilize a graffiti-style typeface  a nod to the art form that has both positive and negative connotations within the Black community.

More than 3.2 million views later, hundreds of people shared their thoughts.

if that australian breakdancing lady was a grocery store https://t.co/e7oWAfhYSe  tracy clayton jr the 3rd (@brokeymcpoverty) August 9, 2024

I think this is dope af, wrote one X user. Kinda racist, but its a nice touch lol.

Another compared the signs to the controversial Paris Olympics performance of Australias Raygun and the conversation on cultural appropriation that followed: if that australian breakdancing lady was a grocery store.

Gentrifying your neighborhood in style, wrote someone else.

The pictures were also posted on Reddit, where they garnered similar critique.

One Redditor asked: why do advertisers believe that blk ppl need to have elements of hip hop in everything they consume? I bet they would appreciate the mom and pop shop aesthetic of a regular trader joes just as much as everyone else.

Someone else wrote, its The Fresh Prince of Bel Air graffiti font, comparing the sign to the title card of the 90s sitcom. Others said it reminded them of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or the Subway Surfers online game, both of which use urban graffiti imagery.

Another Redditor called it, Trader Jamals.

Trader Joes has previously been criticized for perceived racial insensitivity. In 2020, a Change.org petition viewed by NBC News urged the company to rename its product lines with culturally specific labels like Trader Joses (Mexican food) and Trader Mings (Asian cuisine), gathering thousands of signatures in the process, according to the outlet.

In response, people who wanted the labels to remain started multiple counter petitions, although they have far fewer signatures. At the time, Trader Joes said in a statement it was reconsidering the labels, but then changed course and said they would remain, citing customer approval as reasoning.

Much like those labels, there are some who have defended the Harlem signs.

Is it bad that I kinda like it? one X user asked.

I think it looks good and especially great if they hired a black artist to do this, wrote another.

They hire local artists for each and every store to manage their artwork and store signs. So based on this being in Harlem, I'm not surprised. My Boston one has MBTA trains on the wall.



Never been in a Trader Joe's before? pic.twitter.com/GxP4tbmwlj  Sunglasses x Sneakers (@SceneByAshlix) August 9, 2024

They hire local artists for each and every store to manage their artwork and store signs. So based on this being in Harlem, Im not surprised. My Boston one has MBTA trains on the wall, wrote an X user. Never been in a Trader Joes before?

A mural created by team members in the Harlem Trader Joe's.

A representative for the grocery chain tells TODAY.com that every neighborhood store chooses its own artwork and that nearly all of the art in-store was created by crew members.

We are excited to have a store in this neighborhood, the representative writes.

Reeves says she avoids social media, so she was not aware of the online discussion bubbling up.

Ive worked every day since weve opened, and I havent heard one customer come up and say to us that they are perturbed by those signs, Reeves, who says shes been with the company for decades, continues.

She says the Harlem store is her third opening and first as leader. I migrated from Jamaica, over 30 years, and have been living in New York the whole time, she adds.

Reeves says that Trader Joes employees created most of the other in-store signs and product labels. In addition, the company also hired Creative Art Works, a personal and professional development program aimed at teens and young adults, to create a pair of murals for the store featured behind its checkout stands.

A mural created by Creative Art Works in the Harlem Trader Joe's.

The program participants were between 16  24 years old and completed the work in 2023. They made two colorful murals, one of which also included a graffiti motif.

These are all New York City kids growing up here who are participating in the summer program, Karen Jolicoeur, executive director of Creative Art Works, tells TODAY.com over the phone.

She adds that Trader Joes asked the Creative Art Works youth apprentices to paint a mural that would be representative of Harlem and the culture that it inhabits.

They were very generous, Jolicoeur says of Trader Joes, adding that they were also very enthusiastic about the whole process.

You know, I focus on the positive, because while its not everyones taste, thats what art is, Reeves adds of the now-viral signage. We stand behind it.

CORRECTION (Aug. 20, 2024, 4 p.m.): An earlier version of this article mislabeled Creative Art Works. It is a personal and professional development program which encompasses a public art youth employment program, it is not exclusively a public art youth employment program. Additionally, those who painted the murals were youth apprentices ranging in age from 16  24 years old, not kids as previously stated.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Trial begins for former KSP trooper accused of beating Kentucky man during arrest

LONDON, Ky. (FOX 56)  The trial for a former Kentucky State Police trooper is now underway.

Michael Logan Howell is one of four defendants being sued by Bradley Hamblin, who claims that Howell and three other KSP Post 11 officers beat him after his arrest in 2020.

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A complaint filed in December 2020 showed that Hamblin suffered multiple injuries that fractured several bones in his face and head.

Howell was indicted in 2022 on allegations that he, along with another state trooper, conspired with other parties to hide the true nature of force used by KSP troopers as well as the circumstances surrounding the displays of force, according to the Department of Justice.

Read more of the latest Lexington & central Kentucky news

In his indictment, it was shown that Howell and other troopers failed to disclose the degree of force they used upon Hamblin and concocted a fake story about what happened so that video surveillance and their accounts would closely match.

Howells trial is being held in the London Federal Court. He faces up to 20 years in prison for each charge.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News.
AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  The family of Zachary Leffler, 25, of Kentucky took their seats in Austintown court Monday for the sentencing of New Jersey truck driver Davit Pluidze who drove the truck that killed Leffler.

The crash happened on Interstate 80 in Austintown last December.

Speaking in broken English, Pluidze said hes never been in an accident, had never used drugs or alcohol while driving, and on the day of the crash had a medical condition causing him to lose consciousness and lose control of his truck.

The defendant has shown and continues to demonstrate genuine remorse for the tragic events, said Judge Scott Hunter.

Pluidze previously pleaded no contest to misdemeanor vehicular homicide. Hunter sentenced him to 30 days of house arrest, a $750 fine, 50 hours of community service, and two years probation.

He will spend no time in jail.

I dont understand how you hit somebody and caused a fatality and youre talking about 30 days of house arrest. Its just mindblowing to me, said Lefflers mother Shannon Ponder.

Lefflers parents wished that Pluidze had been given a full toxicology test after the accident instead of the blood test administered by the hospital. Theyre now working to get the law changed in Ohio.

I dont wish ill will on the guy. I truly wish I knew if he was on drugs or not, said Zacharys father Joe Leffler.

When theres an accident like this, that you dont leave it up to the discretion of the police, that you make it a requirement, said Joe Leffler.

Now if we had a toxicology report maybe that would have given us an answer but well never know. Thats the problem, Ponder said.

Zachary Lefflers parents will hold a news conference Wednesday in Cincinnati to unveil their effort to make full toxicology tests mandatory in cases like these.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Donald Trump, asked for the millionth time, still wont commit to accepting election results as legitimate if he loses.



Speaking to CBS News Monday, Trump said, If I see that we had a fair and free election, which I hope to be able to say, but if I see that, I will be. You will never see anybody more honorable than me. I am an honorable person.



The CBS reporter pressed Trump, telling him, But you didnt accept the results of the last election.



Well, thats right, because there were many problems with the last election. You know it, so do they, and so does everybody, Trump replied. The reporter noted that all of the legal cases to challenge the 2020 results were dropped, to which Trump replied that the judges wouldnt take them.



I think things have been done over the last four-year period that will make this a free and fair election, and certainly if for some reason I lose, and I think if I lose, this country will go into a tailspin, the likes of which its never seen before, the likes of 1929, Trump added.



Reporter: If you lose this election will it have been legitimate?



Trump: You will never see anyone more honorable than me. I'm an honorable person



Reporter: But you didn't accept the results of the last election pic.twitter.com/XFORaAN8Nh  Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 19, 2024

Trumps comments were quickly picked up and posted by Kamala Harriss campaign to show that the man who famously instigated the Stop the Steal movement and the January 6 Capitol riots hasnt changed much at all. Trump has repeatedly dodged the question of accepting the 2024 election results, even after being asked three times during his debate with President Biden.



The former president and convicted felons cronies are making moves to undermine and even sabotage Novembers election in Republicans favor. Several of them are working as election officials in key states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, and theyre looking to Trump and his campaign for direction. Supporters of democracy will have to be vigilant to ensure that the results are free and fair in less than three months.


Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters.

Hed warned them.

Butler Township Police Officer Drew Blasko paced angrily along the AGR building, where just minutes before a gunman had clambered atop the roof, aimed an AR-15-style rifle at Donald Trump and fired, striking the former president.

As Blasko and other officers stood guard near a loading bay behind the building, he recounted a meeting earlier in the week with the Secret Service.

I told them that fucking Tuesday, he said. I told them to post fucking guys over here.

The Trump rally shooting that day, which killed one man and injured three others, including the former president, has been called the largest security failure in 40 years. It has led to the resignation of the Secret Service director, a congressional investigation and questions from lawmakers about how such a lapse could have occurred.

But an investigation by Spotlight PA, ProPublica and the Butler Eagle has revealed that the weaknesses that led to the assassination attempt were not unique to the July rally, but the inevitable breakdown of an already vulnerable system.

The newsrooms spoke to dozens of officials across all levels of law enforcement and in several states who have provided security for presidents and presidential candidates, as well as local party officials and academic experts in security.

The newsrooms did not speak directly with Blasko but obtained body-camera footage showing him and other Butler Township officers in the aftermath of the shooting. Efforts to reach Blasko were unsuccessful.

The reporting found the steps taken in the days leading up to the Butler rally largely mirrored the process the Secret Service has used for years to collaborate with local law enforcement before visits by presidents and other high-profile individuals under their protection  a process that the shooting revealed to be susceptible to attack.

Its pretty clear that it wasnt just one screw-up here, said Andrew Vitek, a professor who teaches about terrorism at Penn State University. This is indicative of multiple systemic failures all coming down around their ears at once.

The Secret Service did not respond to questions.

Large events involving presidential candidates are delicate, officials said, involving rapid coordination on little notice among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

Because the Secret Service is stretched thin, with 3,200 agents and another 1,300 uniformed officers to divide among more than 30 protectees, the agency relies on local law enforcement officers to help secure campaign events, though they do not have the same specialized training as federal agents.

The Secret Service holds a planning meeting with these partner agencies before an event, the same meeting Blasko described in released body-camera footage.

In Butler, attending officers described the meeting as informal and disorganized, said Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger, whose office oversees the countys specialized emergency services unit that provided support on July 13. It left local officials to create their own operational plan for the day.

As a result, communications between multiple levels of law enforcement were a cobbled combination of radio command centers and cellphones.

Such difficulties are compounded when campaign rallies occur at open-air venues like the Butler Farm Show, where thousands of people gathered to hear Trump speak.

The newsrooms analyzed data from nine years of Trump rallies, which revealed that Trumps signature campaign stops have evolved from largely indoor affairs in hard-to-penetrate arenas to include more public, outdoor spaces. This has shifted local law enforcements responsibilities from traffic control and intersection monitoring to guarding rooftops and anticipating potential shooters sightlines.

If youre not able to fully communicate that the guy with the gun is right there ... then all of a sudden everyone is looking around trying to figure out how the hell this guy got a couple of shots off, Vitek said.

Harder to defend

A perennial swing state, Pennsylvania is a favorite stop for presidential candidates vying for its 19 electoral votes. The former president is no different, holding his signature rallies in Pennsylvania at least 30 times since his first presidential campaign in 2016, more than any other state.

Initially, the Trump campaign had wanted to have the July rally somewhere more secure: the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport, a tiny airstrip hed used in 2020. The campaign reached out to the Butler County Airport Authority for permission.

But there was a conflict.

A local firehouse was slated to hold its annual Mega Car Cruise on the same day. The airport authoritys board knew how important the fundraiser was to the small volunteer department. So it rejected the Trump campaigns request.

Instead of the easier-to-defend airport, with a single entrance and exit and fewer easily accessible buildings, the campaign picked the wide-open fields of the Butler Farm Show.

During his unsuccessful 2020 reelection campaign, Trump visited mostly airports, holding rallies either under cover of a hangar or on a tightly controlled airstrip directly after landing from a military plane or helicopter. But as his rally schedule became more crowded, it also became more varied.

In the years since he left office, nearly half of Trumps rallies have been outdoors. Of these outdoor events, most have been in public spaces such as fairgrounds, downtown shopping districts or parks.

Indoor events pose their own complications, said Paul Eckloff, a former Secret Service agent who served under three presidents, including Trump. Arenas and convention centers are often in dense, urban areas near highways that could present a possible threat if someone wanted to turn a vehicle into an explosive device.

Outdoor events, though, are where your threat level goes through the roof, said a former officer with the Secret Service uniformed division who requested anonymity to discuss his service.

Outdoor locations are often built from scratch just for an event, making it more difficult for law enforcement agencies to control who gets in and out. Consequently, theres a higher risk that a local law enforcement partner may encounter a threat theyre not prepared to meet.

As a former president and current candidate, Trump is entitled to some protection from the Secret Service. But it is not as extensive as that afforded to the sitting president and no longer includes access to the military.

This means as he has continued campaigning over the past three years, he has done so with less protection in more challenging environments.

While the Secret Service can raise security concerns about a venue, those warnings can go ignored by candidates and their campaigns, former employees of the agency said. It is unclear if Secret Service officials raised such concerns ahead of the Butler rally.

We will remind them, Respectfully, sir, maam, if you do this, you may not have a candidate, you may not have a leader, we may not have a leader, so please reconsider that, the former officer said.

Planning problems

Members of the Secret Service look on as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event, July 20, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Mich.

It was 1 p.m.

The stage was set; the red, white and blue bunting hung; and the doors opened to Trump supporters eager to see the former president.

The local police, including SWAT teams from Butler Township and surrounding counties, had been in place for hours. But they still had not heard from the Secret Service, according to local police and Goldinger, the district attorney.

Initial security planning is often spearheaded through one of the Secret Services regional offices, which will reach out to state and local departments to request officers and assets, like a bomb unit or explosive-sniffing dogs. There is not typically a formalized, written agreement between them.

Local law enforcement officers are there to support the mission, said Ryan Windorff, president of the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police, but its ultimately the Secret Services planning and decisions and experience that runs the day.

In the days before an event, local, state and federal law enforcement will have a planning meeting to go over protocol, said Adam Reed, a spokesperson for Pennsylvania State Police. Officials described a similar sequence of events ahead of campaign outings over the past 12 years, regardless of the candidate or political party.

Close coordination is especially important in states such as Pennsylvania, home to more local police departments than any other state in the country.

But the pre-rally Butler meeting did little to assuage security concerns, according to local officials.

During the week leading up to the rally, representatives from all of the local police departments that had been asked to help secure the Trump event met in nearby Connoquenessing Township to coordinate.

The Butler County Emergency Services Unit, a special weapons and tactical squad, had toured the Butler Farm Show during the week and had identified the AGR building as a threat. In the meeting, Butler County officials raised the issue with the Secret Service, said Goldinger, the Butler County District Attorney, but ultimately, the agency did not post anyone on the roof.

This was their ballgame, Goldinger said of the Secret Service.

Local officers didnt receive a written plan from the Secret Service until 1:30 p.m. on the day of the rally, according to Goldinger  30 minutes after the doors opened. In the absence of such a plan, local supporting officers set up their own.

On the day of the event, local counter-snipers met with their counterparts in the Secret Service. But they had not been asked to secure or set up a perimeter, said Adams Township Sgt. Ed Lenz, who commands the Emergency Services Unit.

Im not sure that it was very clear to the overall Secret Service command what they had actually asked us to do, Lenz said.

Communication breakdowns

At 4:26 p.m. on July 13, a Beaver County Emergency Services Unit sniper leaving his shift texted the remaining county officers stationed inside the AGR building.

Someone followed our lead and snuck in and parked by our cars just so you know, the text reads.

In the days since the rally, news reports and testimony before Congress have revealed the communications gaps that allowed Thomas Crooks to evade law enforcement for more than 90 minutes after the text was sent.

But the chain-link communication structure used in Butler was not new.

Local law enforcement officials providing security for past campaign events involving presidents also relied on a relay system to communicate because the different agencies do not share radio frequencies with the Secret Service or one another.

And that creates communications problems, said John Kiel, assistant chief of the Superior Police Department in Wisconsin.

Kiel heads a 58-officer department that provided support for an event for President Joe Biden on Jan. 25 alongside agencies from different jurisdictions and states, all with different radio frequencies or even different wavelengths.

So generally, what happens is we have to have somebody from our agency directly working with, meaning youre working hip to hip, with Secret Service, he said. And then, you know, thats where the technology, with use of cellphones, really plays a big part.

To coordinate, officials said, the Secret Service establishes a command post at a site such as the airport where the president or candidate is landing. Typically, leadership from every involved agency is present so they can relay information immediately.

But at Butler, two command centers were set up, Lenz said, one for State Police and the Secret Service and one for local police. Lenz and his officers communicated to the State Police, which passed on information to the Secret Service.

When the local sniper spotted Crooks and texted his unit, Goldinger said, other officers stationed inside the AGR building had to relay that information back to the local command, who then told the State Police, who then told the Secret Service.

But testimony from the acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe has revealed that the information never made it to the people who could take action to stop Crooks.

It appears that that information was stuck or siloed in that state and local channel, Rowe told U.S. senators in July. Nothing about man on the roof, nothing about man with a gun. None of that information ever made it over our net.

Increased security

Bodycam footage shows a police officer moving toward the AGR building after Thomas Crooks shot at Trump.

Since the assassination attempt, Trump has held eight rallies, all indoors at the urging of the Secret Service.

Ahead of his scheduled rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the Secret Service approved a new security plan, including bulletproof glass to shield the former president at outdoor events, according to reporting in The Washington Post.

On Aug. 12, a month after Crooks shot him, Trump said he plans to return to Butler to finish his speech.

During a conversation with billionaire Elon Musk broadcast on X, the social media platform Musk owns, Trump said he would be back to the rural Pennsylvania county sometime in October.

If Trump does return, Butler officials would like better coordination from the Secret Service, including a unified command post, Lenz said.

But despite Trumps announcement, local officials had little information. They have a lot of worries.

Butler County Commissioner Leslie Osche said in a statement that although many residents would be excited to see Trump return, the community may not have completely healed from the trauma of the shooting.

While this county has overwhelmingly welcomed and supported former President Trump, a return visit will place additional stress on law enforcement and the community, Osche said. I am angry. I am sad. I am disappointed.

And I am waiting for the results of an investigation by qualified institutions instead of endless finger pointing.

BEFORE YOU GO If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results.
Trump Is About to Get the All-Clear to Cash In on Media Shares

(Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump is a month away from being able to turn his paper social-media fortune into cold, hard cash. The question is, will he?

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The former president will be able to start selling bits and pieces of his $2.6 billion ownership in Trump Media & Technology Group Corp., whose share price has fluctuated wildly since going public through a special-purpose acquisition company merger in March.

Trump has not indicated any intention to sell shares in Trump Media, which operates his social-media platform Truth Social. And, doing so could give the impression that Trump is prioritizing personal profits  a criticism pundits often level at him  and alienate loyal followers who poured money into the companys stock as his presidential campaign surged earlier this year.

However, the Republican nominee is also facing massive legal bills that a sale could help cover.

Its complex, said Michael Ohlrogge, an associate professor at New York University Law School who has researched SPACs. Trump would need to balance the potential profits against any longer-term goals like a return to the White House, he said.

Representatives for Trump Media did not reply to requests for comment. They previously said that reporting on Donald Trumps path to cashing out of the firm would be utterly baseless and partisan, without any conceivable sign anywhere that he plans to do so.

Trump, who owns about 60% of Trump Media, is expected to be able to start selling shares as soon as Sept. 20, when a lockup period barring insiders from selling shares is lifted. So will his co-founders, Andy Litinsky and Wes Moss, both former contestants on The Apprentice, as well as Patrick Orlando, whose fund, ARC Global Investments II LLC, sponsored the SPAC that merged with Trump Media.

Since that deal closed on March 25, the companys shares have fluctuated drastically, trading as high as $79.38 and as low as $22.18. They closed at a fresh low of $22.24 on Monday, giving Trump Media a $4.3 billion market capitalization.

Trump selling a large number of shares could be perceived as sending a signal about his lack of confidence in the company, Ohlrogge said. This could look bad in its own right, and a drop in share price could look bad for him as well.

The volatility seems to have little to do with the underlying business, which is losing money as third-party trackers show stagnant user metrics. The company lost $344 million in the first six months of the year, mainly because of paper losses on derivatives, and took in just $1.6 million in sales.

Instead, Trump Media has become a way for investors to bet on Trumps potential return to the White House. Its sharp swings have been mostly driven by retail-trading frenzies fueled on Reddits WallStreetBets and StockTwits  which can evaporate just as quickly as they start.

The stocks latest slide has coincided with a drop in the implied probability that Trump will win in November, according to PredictIt. The betting market shows his odds have slipped to 46% from 69% last month, as Vice President Kamala Harris, the new Democratic nominee for president, has gathered support. The Democratic National Convention is underway in Chicago this week, with officials and celebrities rallying around her.

Whatever the rationale for Trump Medias valuation, selling shares would help its namesake founder pay for mounting legal bills.

Trump is on the hook for more than half a billion dollars in penalties after losing a pair of lawsuits earlier this year, both of which he has appealed. He also faces an ongoing prosecution over his attempt to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election he lost to Joe Biden.

The lockup period will likely end just a few days after Trumps sentencing in his hush money criminal trial, set for Sept. 18 in Manhattan. Trump faces as long as four years behind bars on felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal a payment to a porn star before the 2016 election to keep her quiet about an alleged affair.

The exact day the former president and other insiders will be able to sell depends on the stock price. If shares remain at or above $12 for any 20 trading days starting Aug. 22 then the earliest trading day for insiders to sell shares will commence as soon as Sept. 20. If the stock fails to hold that mark, insiders will be able to sell shares by Sept. 26 regardless of how its trading.

If he goes in and starts selling, that will hammer the stock price, said Tuttle Capital Management chief executive officer Matthew Tuttle. Its going to depend on whether he needs the money.

--With assistance from Erik Larson, Jef Feeley, Hadriana Lowenkron and Matt Turner.

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Donald Trump gave his second sleepy address in as many days Tuesday during a stop in Howell, Michigan, diverting from his winding rant about crime to complain that women dont seem to like him very much.

During Trumps low-energy speech, which was hosted in a shiny white garage at the Livingston County Sheriffs office in front of parked police SUVs, the convicted felon candidate desperately attempted to frame his opponent, a former prosecutor, as being too lenient on crime.

Trump alleged that Kamala Harris was the ringleader for this pro-crime and anti-police crusade. Its a real anti-police crusade. They just have it out for the police. Nobody knows why.

He also called Harris one of the first Marxist prosecutors in America and the godmother of sanctuary cities.

Trump continued to falsely claim that Harris was responsible for passing a law that allows shoplifters in California to steal up to $950 in goods without being prosecuted, which Trump first claimed during his wild press conference last week in Bedminster, New Jersey.

So, guys are walking into stores with calculators, Trump said, turning to the officers standing behind him. Did you know that they have calculators? Theyre adding it up, they want to make sure theyre under $950. But it didnt matter because they didnt prosecute the ones that went over it.

The Golden States penal code says nothing of the sort. Instead, it states that shoplifters who steal under $950 are charged with a misdemeanor, and those who steal more are charged with a felony. Even if the law said what Trump keeps insisting it does, which it doesnt, its not clear that Harris had anything to do with the law being passed, or with that horrible shoplifting epidemic he blamed her for.

While Trumps speech was meant to focus on crime and safety, he was miraculously able to deliver the exact same talking points hed made at every speaking event for the past week. He did make one new, but ultimately unsurprising claim, about his apparent lack of support from female voters.

The Republican nominee promised that if elected to the White House, he would stop the plunder, rape, slaughter, and destruction of our American suburbs, before detouring into a rant about women voters.

I think that women living in the suburbsI keep hearing about the suburban woman doesnt like Trump, well, I think its a fake poll because why wouldnt they like me? I keep the suburbs safe, Trump claimed, arguing that women should be grateful that he kept undocumented immigrants out of their communities.

I think that they like me a lot, I think its a lot of fake polls, Trump insisted, claiming he had won the big one, despite what polls had predicted. Trump went on to argue that for women voters, safety was the most important issue.

Women want to have safety. They want to have a strong military. They want to have a strong police force. They want to be in the house, and they want to be safe. They dont want to have people pouring into their doors and you cant do anything about it. Right?

As the crowd clapped, Trump mused, I hope they like my personality.

He thought about it for a moment. I have a nice personality. But to me, it wouldnt be very important, the personality. They want to be safe, Trump said.

Trump: I keep hearing the suburban woman doesnt like Trump. I think its a fake poll. Why wouldnt they like me? I think they like me a lot. pic.twitter.com/JYOyHkFWIx  Acyn (@Acyn) August 20, 2024

Rather than actually craft a message that appeals to female voters, who could reasonably be disturbed by any part of Trump and J.D. Vances lackluster platform, including their overtly misogynistic rhetoric, Trump has repeatedly tried to woo women with his racist anti-immigrant fear-mongering.

On Sunday, Trump shared a post on his Truth Social account showing video footage of a line of people of color walking on a dirt road with the caption, If youre a woman you can either vote for Trump or wait until one of these monsters goes after you or your daughter.

Trumps attempts to convince women to vote for him have been falling flat, and female voters have been moving steadily to the left, or as far away from Trump as they can manage. A New York Times/Siena poll published Saturday found that Kamala Harris had opened up a significant gender gap in some key battleground states, earning a 14-point lead over Trump among likely women voters in Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada, a group that had been evenly split between Joe Biden and Trump in May.

Trumps speech had no shortage of the fear-mongering one has come to expect from the former president, even if he delivered it at a lower-energy frequency than normal. He went on to repeat his oft-issued threat, that the world was on the precipice of World War III.

He claimed he would never allow the military to become woke, before randomly turning to the officers standing behind him. Do you promise youll never be woke? I dont see a lot of wokeness, theres not a lot of wokeness, Trump said. I dont think so.

Trump's incoherent, rambling "crime" speech in Michigan has now veered into fear-mongering about nuclear war and "woke." If events like this are a new part of his campaign strategy, it won't be long before they rethink it. pic.twitter.com/troCwzgev2  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 20, 2024
(The Hill)  Former President Trump on Monday mocked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) as a whack job as he responded to the Democratic vice presidential nominee labeling Trump and his running mate as weird.

Trump during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania argued Vice President Harriss choice of Walz as her running mate showed she has a far-left ideology before launching into an aside about the criticisms from Walz that Trump and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) are weird.

This whack job. You know, he said were weird. That JD and I are weird. I think were extremely normal people. Like you, Trump said to the crowd at a factory in York. Hes weird. Did you ever see him go on the stage and go like crazy? Between his movement and her laugh, theres a lot of craziness. Id say a step further than weird. Weird is a nice word by comparison.

Harris campaign has 1 word to describe Trump and Vance: Weird

Walz rose to national prominence in July in part because of a viral cable news appearance in which he described Trump and Vance as just weird. The label stuck and quickly became a rallying cry among Democrats.

The Democratic National Committee on Sunday night projected the message Weird as hell! onto the side of the Trump Hotel in Chicago on the eve of the Democratic National Convention there.

Trumps Hannibal Lecter remarks leave Anthony Hopkins shocked and appalled

Trump has pushed back against the weird moniker in recent weeks.

The former presidents allies have urged him to focus more on policy and issues like the economy and immigration rather than personal attacks, though Trump has signaled he has no plans of laying off going after Harris and Walz.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Trump fumes on Truth Social that "Comrade Kamala" will "NOT do" the Fox News debate he's demanding

Former President Donald Trump claimed on Monday that Vice President Kamala Harris will not agree to a third debate on Fox News.

Comrade Kamala Harris has just informed us that she will NOT do the FoxNews Debate on September 4th, the former president wrote on his Truth Social platform. Instead, the Republican presidential nominee said, he will hold a Tele-Town Hall, anchored by Sean Hannity, for Fox.

Both candidates have since agreed to participate in an ABC News debate on September 10. Trump has also said he agreed to an NBC News debate on September 25 while Harris' campaign has said it is open to a second debate in October. Both campaigns have agreed to a vice presidential debate between Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, on October 1.

Assuming Donald Trump actually shows up on September 10 to debate Vice President Harris, then Governor Walz will see JD Vance on October 1 and the American people will have another opportunity to see the vice president and Donald Trump on the debate stage in October, Michael Tyler, campaign communications director, told the Hill in a statement.

Trump, who was previously reluctant to agree to debate Harris after she replaced President Joe Biden on the ticket, claimed that Harris did not want to debate him.

"I am not surprised by this development because I feel that she knows it is very difficult, at best, for her to defend her record setting Flip-Flopping on absolutely everything she once believed in," he wrote on Monday.
He may not be in office, but Donald Trump has been speaking with the powers that be about Israels war on Gazabut its not in an effort to end the genocide.

Instead, Trump has allegedly been talking with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avert a cease-fire deal, fearing that doing so could help Vice President Kamala Harris win in November, according to PBS.

The reporting is that former President Trump is on the phone with the Prime Minister of Israel, urging him not to cut a deal right now, because its believed that would help the Harris campaign, said PBSs Judy Woodruff Monday night. So, I dont know wherewho knows whether that will come about or not, but I have to think that the Harris campaign would like for President Biden to do what presidents do, and thats to work on that one.

Woodruff clarified on Wednesday that the anecdote was not based on her original reporting, but rather on an an Axios story last week that cited two U.S. sources as claiming that Trump and Netanyahu had spoken on the phone about cease-fire and Gaza hostage talks. Netanyahus office and Trump both separately denied the report.



I did encourage him to get this over with. You want to get it over with fast. Have victory, get your victory, and get it over with. It has to stop, the killing has to stop, Trump said at a New Jersey press conference on Thursday, referring to their meeting at Mar-a-Lago last month. But he also criticized cease-fire demands.



PBS reporting that Trump has been talking to Netanyahu trying to STOP a cease fire deal because it would help the Harris campaign



Monstrous and a possible violation of the Logan Act.



pic.twitter.com/6jvzaEv1Q9  Heather Gardner (@heathergtv) August 20, 2024

During Bidens speech at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, the president promised that his administration is working around the clock to bring humanitarian assistance into Gaza, peace and security to the Middle East, and to deliver a cease-fire and an end to the war.



The president also nodded to the more than 3,500 protesters who took to the streets of Chicago on Monday, demanding an immediate cease-fire to the war, claiming that the demonstrators have a point.* The war has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians since it began 10 months ago.

Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha, who escaped the besieged country in December, reported on Monday that the humanitarian area in south Gaza is little more than 14 square miles.



Crammed in it are more than 1.8 million people, with no water, no electricity, no food, no clinics or pharmacies, and no shelters, he wrote, lamenting in a separate post that he cannot understand how this government continues to fund the genocide but cannot put an end to it and force the aggressors to stop dropping bombs.

* This piece has been updated to clarify the number of protesters at the DNC.

This piece has been updated with Woodruffs statement on Wednesday.
While the Democratic National Convention was kicking off in Chicago, Donald Trump was posting to Truth Social, claiming that Vice President Kamala Harris had rejected a debate against him on Fox News on September 4.

Comrade Kamala Harris has just informed us that she will NOT do the FoxNews Debate on September 4th, Trump wrote. I am not surprised by this development because I feel that she knows it is very difficult, at best, for her to defend her record setting Flip-Flopping on absolutely everything she once believed in, including her statements that THERE WILL BE NO FRACKING IN PENNSYLVANIA and her HORRIBLE Performance on the Border, our Border Czar, where millions of criminals and people from mental institutions and terrorists, have been allowed to pour into our Country, totally unchecked and unvetted. Its called, and she LOVES IT, an OPEN BORDER!!!

But, according to Trump, the show would go onwith or without his Democratic opponent.

Rather than the debate on September 4th, I have agreed to do a Tele-Town Hall, anchored by Sean Hannity, for Fox, Trump continued. It will take place in the Great Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaDetails to follow!

The September 4 debate was not originally in the cards. Traditionally, a presidential cycle has two debates between the presidential candidates, as well as one debate between the potential vice presidents. But during a short-notice press conference at Mar-a-Lago earlier this month, Trump spontaneously announced that he was willing to face off against Harris three times before November: September 4 on Fox News, September 10 on NBC News, and another September 25 debate on ABC News. (Trump mixed up the stations of the last two debates, but got the dates correct.)

Harriss camp had not initially signed on to the Fox debate, and its currently unclear whether shes actually rejected the date outright, as Trump suggested. The first official debate is scheduled for September 10.

The drama of it all may be an aggressive strategy for Trump to reframe himself as unafraid to show down against the famed prosecutor after he stunningly disappointed some of his fans by backing out of one of the debates earlier this month. (He has since flip-flopped.) Fans were so upset by the supposed strongmans decision that they got the hashtag #TrumpIsACoward trending on Truth Social after the news broke.
Former President Trump shared several fake images of pop star Taylor Swift and her fans showing support for his campaign Sunday that appear to have been generated with artificial intelligence (AI).

I accept, Trump wrote in a post on his platform Truth Social accompanying the images, appearing to suggest he was accepting an endorsement from Swift  who has not endorsed the former president or Vice President Harris, although she backed President Biden in 2020.

One of the images depicts Swift dressed as Uncle Sam and says, Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.

Another image that appears to have been originally posted on the social platform X and is labeled as satire shows women dressed in Swifties for Trump shirts and says, Swifties turning to Trump after ISIS foiled Taylor Swift concert.

Swifts concerts in Vienna were canceled earlier this month after Austrian officials uncovered a plot to attack attendees and onlookers at the concert venue where she was slated to perform. Austrian authorities said the suspects were inspired by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and al Qaeda.

Two of the photos do not appear to be AI-generated and show a real woman in a Swifties for Trump shirt.

Swifties for Trump is a massive movement that grows bigger every single day. While Kamala Harris is guilty as sin for all the hurt she has caused every American, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement posted on X, quoting Swifts lyrics from her most recent album.

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Donald Trump, who famously called climate change a Chinese hoax, has now embraced a supposed benefit of rising oceans that defies both topography and common sense: that higher sea levels will somehow create more oceanfront property.

Which gives you a little bit more waterfront property if youre lucky enough to own it, he said about sea level rise at a rally in Chesapeake, Virginia, back in June.

Youll have more oceanfront property, right? he said during his online conversation with billionaire Elon Musk on Aug. 12 when the topic came up.

And at his rally on Saturday in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Trump again dismissed climate change and its associated sea level increase, saying that it will give you slightly more beachfront property if it happens.

Trumps campaign did not respond to HuffPost queries about where he might have gotten the notion that rising oceans will somehow create more oceanfront land rather than less.

I would have told him that doesnt make any sense, said one informal adviser who spoke on condition of anonymity, adding that Trump had not sought out his opinion on the matter. He just says crazy shit.

Why he would insist on repeating such a plainly absurd assertion is unclear.

The big island of Hawaii, for example, rises more than 13,000 feet above sea level and has 266 miles of coastline. If, hypothetically, the ocean were to rise 5,000 feet, the island would have dramatically less shoreline, not more.

Closer to Trumps heart, his Mar-a-Lago country club in Palm Beach, Florida, has elevations ranging from sea level to just over 20 feet between the Atlantic Ocean to the east and Lake Worth Lagoon to the west, according to topographic maps of the area. A sea level increase of 10 feet would wipe out more than half of Trumps waterfront land, while an increase of 25 feet would leave him with no land at all.

He is a scientific and geographic ignoramus, said Rick Wilson, whose Lincoln Project group frequently portrays Trump as ill-informed and foolish in targeted advertising in an attempt to get under his skin.

The coup-attempting criminal former president has long claimed that he has superior intelligence, often pointing out that an uncle of his taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and suggesting that brilliance must have come his way through family genes.

During his presidency, Trump described himself as a very stable genius. While visiting the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta in the early months of the COVID pandemic in 2020, he told staff and reporters, I like this stuff. I really get it. People are surprised that I understand it. Every one of these doctors said, How do you know so much about this? Maybe I have a natural ability.

And after taking a screening test for dementia, Trump bragged later that year that he could recite the words person, woman, man, camera, TV in that order, which gave him extra points, and claimed that feat had stunned his doctors.

The boasts continue to this day. On Monday, he said in an interview with CBS, I think I am a very bright person. A lot of people say that.

Despite this, Trump frequently pushed nonsensical theories while he was president. He reportedly wanted to know why hurricanes could not be hit with nuclear weapons as they were forming, and during the COVID pandemic, he suggested injecting disinfectant as a way to kill the virus.

While Trump began calling climate change and global warming a hoax perpetrated by China a dozen years ago, his explanation of rising sea levels appears to have begun just a few years ago.

Well have a little bit more beachfront property, he said at a July 2022 rally in Alaska. Thats not the worst thing in the world.

I think at this point people have just given up, the informal Trump adviser said in regard to why Trumps campaign staff has not tried to correct him. People are numbed by him.

Related...
Trump Says He Would Appoint Elon Musk To Cabinet If Elected

Former President Donald Trump plans to offer a job to his billionaire buddy Elon Musk if elected, Reuters reported on Monday.

His announcement followed a campaign event in York, Pennsylvania, where Reuters asked Trump about the $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles. Trump said he would consider terminating it, and also be open to assigning a cabinet or advisory role to Musk, the Tesla Motors co-founder and CEO.

Hes a very smart guy. I certainly would, if he would do it, I certainly would. Hes a brilliant guy, Trump said.

Trumps recent plans align with a two-hour interaction between the two billionaires last week on Musks social media platform.

I think it would be great to just have a government efficiency commission that takes a look at these things and just ensures that taxpayer money...is spent in a good way, Musk told Trump. Id be happy to help out on such a commission.

The purpose of the suggested commission would be to cut government spending.

Youre the greatest cutter, Trump told Musk during their conversation last week. I mean, I look at what you do. You walk in, you just say: You want to quit? They go on strike  I wont mention the name of the company  but they go on strike. And you say: Thats okay, youre all gone.

(Musk has laid off a majority of workers at Twitter since taking over. In response to complaints about poor workplace conditions in 2022, he also gave workers an ultimatum: working long hours at high intensity or accepting three months of severance pay.)

While the two have had a bumpy relationship, the tides have seemingly shifted. On Thursday, Trump posted a deepfake video on X showing him and Musk dancing. Before that, Musk, who has previously criticized Trump and was briefly a member of Trumps economic advisory team during his first term, endorsed him last month following the assassination attempt on Trump.

Related...
Trump Says He Would Give Elon Musk a Top Role in His Administration

Former President Donald Trump said he would consider appointing Elon Musk, the worlds richest person, as an adviser or cabinet member in his administration if he is elected.

Hes a very smart guy. I certainly would, if he would do it, I certainly would. Hes a brilliant guy, Trump told Reuters on Monday.

Musk posted on his website, X, formerly Twitter, I am willing to serve with an AI-generated image of himself at a podium.

I am willing to serve pic.twitter.com/BJhGbcA2e0  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 20, 2024

Last month, the Tesla CEO endorsed Trump and said he is leading a super PAC called America PAC to raise money for Trump. News reports said that he would be donating $45 million a month to the super PAC, but Musk denied it.

Trump also floated the idea of appointing Musk in May. The Wall Street Journal reported that the two talk several times a month, and have discussed immigration, technology, and the U.S. Space Force.

More recently, Musk interviewed Trump on X Spaces with Trump earlier this month, although the stream was delayed due to technical difficulties.

During the interview, Trump complimented Musk for firing workers who were on strike. Youre the greatest cutter, Trump said. You just walk in and you just say, You wanna quit? They go on strike, I wont mention the name of the company, but they go on strike and you say, Thats OK, youre all gone  Every one of you is gone.

In response, the United Auto Workers filed federal labor charges against Musk and Trump for an attempt to intimidate and threaten workers.

Vice President Kamala Harris posted a statement on whatever that was following the event. Trumps entire campaign is in service of people like Elon Musk and himself  self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class and who cannot run a livestream in the year 2024, the campaign wrote.

As recently as two years ago, Trump and Musk were volleying insults at each other. In July 2022, Musk posted on X thatits time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset.

Later that same day, Trump posted on the social media site Truth Social: When Elon Musk came to the White House asking me for help on all of his many subsidized projects, whether its electric cars that dont drive long enough, driverless cars that crash, or rocketships to nowhere, without which subsidies hed be worthless, and telling me how he was a big Trump fan and Republican, I could have said, drop to your knees and beg, and he would have done it.

But last month at a rally, Trump spoke of Musk affectionately: I love Elon Musk, he said.

Musk is also the CEO of SpaceX, a spacecraft manufacturer that contracts with the government. The Pentagon uses one of their rockets to send satellites into space. According to Reuters, SpaceX is also building a classified network of spy satellites with a U.S. intelligence agency.

More from Rolling Stone

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Donald Trump thinks it should be illegal for the public to criticize the Supreme Court justices who rule in his favor.



In a bizarre speech over the weekend, between a bad Emmanuel Macron impression and claiming that he is better looking than Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump made a frightening declaration: He believes that those who criticize his judges should be punished.

I really think its illegal what they do, with judges and justices. Theyre playing the ref, Trump said at a Saturday rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Remember the term. Playing the ref with our judges and justices should be punishable by very serious fines and beyond that.



Trump on people who criticize the Supreme Court: Playing the ref with our judges and justices should be punishable by serious fines and beyond that. pic.twitter.com/bnQTHv6WIY  Acyn (@Acyn) August 17, 2024

But even as others get their First Amendment rights taken from them, Trump thinks he should still have a right to criticize the courts. The New York court system is totally corrupt, Trump said in the same Saturday speech, referring to the court that convicted him of 34 felonies in his hush-money trial. His rants about the judge, the prosecutors, and the witnesses in that trial were so extreme that he was slapped with a gag order back in March, part of which still remains in place.

Trumps suggestion comes as the Supreme Courts conservative justices are under greater scrutiny after multiple reports of corruption and ties to far-right groups. Last month, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced articles of impeachment against Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.


Yahoo Finance

Boston Fed president Susan Collins said the central bank will likely need to cut interest rates further, the latest in a chorus of Fed policymakers to publicly support more monetary policy easing after the first cut in more than four years.
Trump, Vance campaign in battleground states as DNC begins in Chicago

Trump, Vance campaign in battleground states as DNC begins in Chicago

CHICAGO  As Democrats gather in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention, Republican nominees are campaigning in battleground states.

Former President Donald Trump and his vice presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), both bashed Vice President Kamala Harris and the economy while addressing voters in Pennsylvania.

Harris, Trump neck and neck in 4 critical swing states: Survey

Their message focused on the economy as some polls show Harris performing better in swing states than President Joe Biden did, and Trump  now faced with a new opponent  resorts to personal attacks over policy.

Kamala Harris is an economy wrecker and country destroyer. Our country will be destroyed if she gets in, Trump said.

This is Trumps busiest week on the campaign trail in many months since the Republican Primary. Trumps campaign is framing this as a policy-focused battleground blitz even as the former presidents own allies raise concerns about his personal attack on Harris.

Democratic National Committee projects weird message on Chicagos Trump Tower ahead of DNC

Harris, meanwhile, is proposing a corporate tax hike to 28%, which reverses a Trump law that lowered the rate to 21%.

Trump surrogates were even on the ground in Chicago, hammering home their message from Trump Tower, just a few short miles from the United Center where the DNC is being held.

Heres a choice. Donald Trump is a business guy who understands how businesses work. Harris has no idea how businesses workjust look at it, grocery prices are up, gas prices are up, rent is up, I dont know what you can find thats not up, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) said.

Trump, Vance hit the campaign trail as DNC begins

Allies of the former president also took aim at how Harris became the presumptive nominee.

Their nominee will be somebody who didnt get one vote in the primary and theyre calling this defending democracy? Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) said.

The Trump campaign believes the excitement of a new democratic nominee will eventually die down as it paints Harris agenda as extremist.

DNC crowd chants lock him up on Trump during Hillary Clinton remarks

It crushed our middle class, demolished our border, and set the world on fire, and now she wants to be promoted to the job Killer In Chief, Trump said.

Trump is set to speak in Michigan on crime Tuesday, and national security in North Carolina on Wednesday before closing out the week in Arizona. Vance, meanwhile, will travel to Wisconsin and Georgia.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Trump is worried Kamala Harriss DNC speech will get higher ratings than his RNC performance

Trump is worried Kamala Harriss DNC speech will get higher ratings than his RNC performance

With the Democratic National Convention underway in Chicago, Donald Trump is reportedly fretting over whether Kamala Harriss Thursday speech formally accepting the nomination will draw more viewers than his did.

Two sources close to the campaign told Rolling Stone the former president has brought up the topic multiple times, though hes sure to mention the tremendous viewership of his own nomination speech, which attracted a peak of 28.4 million viewers, according to Nielsen.

In response to the report, the Trump campaign told the magazine, Voters know Kamala is weak, failed, and dangerously liberal, and the Democrat ticket is the most radical in American history.

Donald Trump is reportedly concerned Kamala Harriss convention speech will eclipse his own (EPA)

Media observers say the 2024 race is likely to be one of the most dramatic in US history, especially when compared with the 2020 election, which was held under the shadow of the Covid pandemic. Theres already been a candidate swap and an assassination attempt, and were still months away from November.

"I look at these two campaigns right now as the fiercest competing political reality shows Ive ever seen," Professor Frank Sesno, director of strategic initiatives at the GW School of Media and Public Affairs, toldUSA TODAY. "Theres so much drama on both sides, theres so much tension between the two sides and theres a huge suspense as to whats going to happen."

Adding to the media interest are some novel changes to how the conventions are being covered.

The DNC has given special access to over 200 social media content creators to attend the convention at the United Center, a first for the party.

The ongoing Democratic convention, beyond just a coronation for the Harris campaign, is also doubling as a send-off for Joe Biden.

During his speech on Monday, the president touted his achievements on the economy and infrastructure, and told voters democracy must be preserved.

Are you ready to vote for freedom? Biden said. Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America? Let me ask you, are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?

He also slammed Trump for continuing to lie about the 2020 election.

You cannot say you love your country only when you win, the president said.

Other speakers included United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, who had a Hulk Hogan moment and revealed a Trump is a scab T-shirt, while Kamala Harris also made a surprise appearance to thank Biden.
Trump's lead in Pennsylvania is gone. Vance's solution: Just don't believe it. No, really.

PHILADELPHIA  JD Vance, the Republican senator from Ohio chosen as a running mate five weeks ago by former President Donald Trump, came to this overwhelmingly Democratic city Monday with a tough assignment.

Trump's lead in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania has evaporated over the past month as Vice President Kamala Harris' nascent presidential campaign has enjoyed a vibe-driven surge in polling, fundraising and momentum.

Harris and her running mate, Minn. Gov. Tim Walz, are likely to enjoy yet another bounce this week from the political pageantry of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Vance, seeking to kill the Democratic vibe, cast Harris as a danger to America's economy while speaking to a small crowd of supporters in the warehouse of a medical waste management company.

How would he clean up the troubling optics of losing the lead in Pennsylvania?

Vance's answer: Just don't believe polls.

JD Vance visits Pennsylvania as Trump drops in polling

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance arrives in Philadelphia on Aug. 19, 2024.

The math is real, even as Vance discounts it. Pennsylvania is now a statistical tie between Harris and Trump, according to an average of polls compiled by RealClearPolitics.

Trump's Pennsylvania lead stood at 4.5 percentage points on July 21, the day President Joe Biden dropped his bid for a second term and endorsed Harris as his replacement at the top of the ticket.

I asked Vance if he believed in the polling and, if so, how he and Trump would make up that ground.

Will your vote count? Trump supporters are already working against 2024 election results.

"I don't believe the polls when they say that we're up," Vance told me. "I don't believe the polls that say that we're tied. I don't believe the polls that say that we're down."

That's it? Vance's approach to data that helps frame a political challenge is to  just look away? He's going to need a villain here to make that fly. Of course, he found one.

"I believe that the media puts out these polls, knowing that it's going to depress turnout and it's going to make the conversation about the polls," Vance said. "Who cares what the polls say, whether they say we're up or we're down?"

Donald Trump has been obsessed with polls

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump campaigns for reelection on Aug. 17, 2024, in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

I can answer that question. Trump cares. He cares so, so much, just like he obsesses about crowd sizes when his rallies are compared with Harris'  and how he always wants to know if his televised speeches get the best ratings.

How do we know? Because Trump loved to post about the polling in Pennsylvania when things were going his way, back before the entire election changed on a Sunday in July.

Trump posted in May about an AARP poll showing him "pulling away" from Biden in Pennsylvania. In June, he posted about a Washington Post poll that found voters in Pennsylvania and other swing states trusted him more than Biden.

Blame Trump and MAGA. Republicans, are you still confused by Harris' momentum?

Last week, during a disjointed ramble fest pitched as a news conference, Trump insisted, "We're leading in the polls. For the most part, we're leading in the polls. We were leading Biden by a lot. We're leading now. But I think, when she's exposed, I think we're going to beat her by a lot more than we would have beaten Biden by."

Presidential elections are won in swing states like Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin. But national polls provide a sense of the electorate. Trump is not "leading in the polls." The RealClearPolitics polling average at the national level on Monday gave Harris a 1.5 percentage point edge over Trump.

That's razor-thin. But it's a lead. For her. Not him.

Trump's stop in Pennsylvania was filled with more of his style of politics

Former President Donald Trump campaigns for reelection on Aug. 19, 2024, in York, Pa.

Trump had his own tough assignment Monday in York, Pennsylvania, where he visited another industrial plant for what his campaign called "remarks on the economy." It was another ramble fest, a rehashed bag of old bromides about "communists" and "Marxists" and "drill, baby, drill" and such and so on.

Trump knocked Harris for flipping her position on "fracking," the process used to extract natural gas in places like Pennsylvania. Harris, while running for president in 2020, proposed banning the practice, which has a significant impact on the state's economics and environment.

Fair game, right? She changed her position. That should be part of the conversation in this campaign. But Trump, being Trump, has to overplay that hand.

"Kamala is also on a regulatory jihad to shut down power plants all across America," Trump declared in York in the sort of emotional rhetoric that he deploys when he feels a sense of control in the race slipping away.

Pennsylvania will be a polling focal point for the rest of this election

Chicago and the Democratic National Convention are the center of the election universe right now, but Pennsylvania is so clearly in play that the Trump and Harris campaigns had to make multiple stops here from Saturday to Monday.

Harris and Walz used a bus tour of western Pennsylvania, where she told supporters: "The vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us."

Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store.

Trump held another rally in Wilkes-Barre, where he added a new bit of weird to his standard stump speech, claiming he's "much better looking" than Harris.

We'll all probably be sick of the term "vibe" by Election Day on Nov. 5. (It's certainly possible we've already reached that point.) But it's worth noting the very different sentiments emanating from the presidential campaigns.

Harris is running a happy, energetic road show, trying to evoke unity. Trump, by contrast, is a prophet of impending doom with a fixation on division.

The election is 11 weeks away. If both camps stick with that messaging, the polls will keep going in the wrong direction for Trump. And just disbelieving the data won't save his campaign.

Follow USA TODAY elections columnist Chris Brennan on X, formerly known as Twitter: @ByChrisBrennan

You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: JD Vance in Pennsylvania says polls don't matter. Tell that to Trump.
Last week, the Trump campaign falsely asserted that "homicides are skyrocketing in American cities under Kamala Harris." On Tuesday, the campaign offered a more nuanced and sophisticated critique of crime data cited by the Democratic presidential nominee. But it still does not support the earlier claim, which is inconsistent with numbers from several sources.

A "memorandum" headlined "Joe Biden's Lies on Crime" (a title that makes you wonder whether Trump forgot who his opponent is) notes that the FBI changed its crime data collection methods in 2021, switching from the old Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program to the new National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). The transition, which was aimed at generating "new and better data," resulted in a big decline in the number of participating law enforcement agencies. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the share of the population covered by participating agencies fell from the previous norm of about 95 percent to just 65 percent in 2021.

"The FBI's website reveals that the Q1 2024 data Joe Biden is citing comes from just 71% of the nation's law enforcement agencies," the Trump campaign says. "That means crime data from nearly one third of jurisdictions is missing." The overall NIBRS participation rate, which is relevant in assessing the FBI's final estimates for any given year, is higher: The FBI says 15,724 of 18,884 eligible agencies, or 83 percent, submitted data for 2022. The overall population coverage rate had risen to 85 percent by 2023. Still, the decline in participation since 2020 is a widely recognized problem.

The Trump campaign notes that "the FBI attempts to 'estimate' crime data for non-reporting agencies using a 'statistical weight' from reporting agencies similar in size and type"a "practice of estimating crime numbers for agencies with missing data" that "has been going on since the 1960s." But historically, the missing data represented around 5 percent of the population, compared to 15 percent in 2023. A bigger gap magnifies the potential for error.

That is a perfectly reasonable point. But does it mean that homicides are, in fact, "skyrocketing"? No.

Nationwide, the FBI's preliminary numbers indicate, murders fell by 26 percent in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year. But other sources also report that homicides are falling this year, albeit by smaller percentages.

Based on a sample of 277 cities, AH Datalytics reports a 17.3 percent drop in murders so far this year, which is very large compared to historical trends. Most of these numbers come from "official" sources, meaning they were reported by local police departments or municipal governments. Some were compiled by state governments, and some came from local news outlets that track crime.

The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ), based on data from 39 cities for the first half of 2024, reports that "most violent crimes," including homicide, "are at or below levels seen in 2019," the year before a huge spike in murders (which, as Trump wants us to forget, happened during his administration). The CCJ says the drop in homicides through June in "the 29 study cities providing data for that crime" was 13 percent.

According to a report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) that covers 69 cities during the same period, the total number of homicides fell by 17.4 percent. That is strikingly similar to the AH Datalytics estimate, although the latter analysis covers a lot more citiesincluding New York, which was not part of the MCCA sample but saw a 10 percent drop in homicides, according to AH Datalytics.

Instead of trying to defend its recent claim that "homicides are skyrocketing," the Trump campaign widens the focus, arguing that the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), which includes crimes that are not reported to police, provides a more accurate picture of what is happening. The NCVS is not relevant in assessing homicide trends, since it does not cover homicidesthe most serious violent crime and the one that is hardest to miss. And although the Trump campaign's criticism of the FBI numbers focuses on what happened in the first quarter of 2024, we do not yet have NCVS data for 2023, let alone this year.

The NCVS, like the FBI's system, has both strengths and weaknesses. But the Trump campaign deems it "by far the most credible and reliable barometer of crime nationwide." The NCVS, it says, "reveals that between 2020 and 2022 (the most recent year for which data is available), there was a 43% increase in violent crime, 58% increase in rape, 89% increase in aggravated assault, and a 56% increase in robbery."

Although these numbers omit 2023 and 2024, the Trump campaign wants us to believe they tell the true story of crime during the Biden administration. But the divergence between the NCVS and FBI numbers, especially in 2022, presents a puzzle that cannot be resolved simply by observing that the NCVS includes unreported crimes.

In 2002, when the FBI reported an overall 2 percent decline in violent crime, the NCVS results indicated a whopping 75 percent increase. Again, the latter number does not include homicide, which according to the FBI fell by 7 percent in 2022. But it does include respondents' reports of rape, which were up 58 percent, compared to the 6 percent drop estimated by the FBI; robbery, which rose by 47 percent according to the NCVS but only 1 percent according to the FBI; and aggravated assault, which more than doubled according to the survey but fell by 2 percent in the FBI's tally.

"Both too much and too little can be made of the divergence between the UCR and NCVS violent crime rates in 2022," the CCJ notes. "Divergent change in a single year should be viewed in the context of the similar long-term trends in the two indicatorsand both sources show an appreciable decline in violent crime since the early 1990s." Still, "changes in the UCR and NCVS violent crime rates have rarely differed as much as they did" in 2022.

The 2021 changes in the FBI's reporting system and the concomitant decline in participation do not seem relevant here, since the participation rate was substantially higher in 2022 than it was in 2021. But if crime victims are increasingly disinclined to contact the police, that could help explain the striking 2022 divergence between the NCVS results and the FBI numbers.

According to the NCVS, the CCJ notes, "approximately 52% of serious violent crimes were reported to the police in 2021 and 48% in 2022, a relative decrease of nearly 8%. The decline in reporting crimes to the police was particularly large for aggravated assault, falling from 61% in 2021 to 50% in 2022, a decrease of 18%." But these changes in reporting behavior do not come close to fully accounting for the enormous differences between the NCVS and UCR numbers for 2022.

Beyond the difference between reported and unreported crimes, the NCVS and the FBI's system use different methods and measure somewhat different things. "As a household-based survey," the CCJ notes, "the NCVS does not include people who are homeless or those who live in institutions such as prisons, jails, and nursing homes. It also excludes crimes of violence against persons under 12 years of age. If persons included in the survey have experienced changes in violence that differ from the changes experienced by those excluded from the survey, that could help account for some of the divergence in violence rates."

The Bureau of Justice Statistics notes other possibly relevant differences between the two sources. For example, "the NCVS includes, but the [FBI system] excludes, attempted robberies, simple assault, [and] verbal threats of crime." The FBI system "includes, but the NCVS excludes, homicide, arson, commercial crimes, and human trafficking." The two sources also use different definitions of some crimes.

Another possible factor: While the FBI's 2022 numbers covered the calendar year, the 2022 NCVS asked about crimes experienced from July 1, 2021, through November 30, 2022. "Since the NCVS shows an increase in violent crime," The Marshall Project's Weihua Li and Jamiles Lartey suggest, "it's potentially because violent crime rates were higher in the latter part of 2021." They also note that "the victimization survey is historically much more volatile from one year to the next," suggesting "it may be influenced by statistical noise."

The Trump campaign describes the FBI's quarterly numbers as "garbage" and "fake statistics." But notwithstanding the preliminary nature of those numbers and the challenges associated with the transition to the new reporting system, they are broadly consistent, in direction if not magnitude, with what other sources indicate.

"Right now," Li and Lartey reported in June, "every source points to a decrease in violent crime." They quoted University of Miami criminologist Alex Piquero, an adviser to the CCJ Crime Trends Working Group, who said "the FBI's Q1 2024 data is incomplete, not inaccurate," adding: "There's no fudging of the numbers, and the drop is real. The question, of course, is how big that drop will be, and then how big that drop will be across crime types. That's the thing that we just don't fully grasp yet."

The post Trump's New, More Sophisticated Take on Crime Still Does Not Show 'Homicides Are Skyrocketing' appeared first on Reason.com.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A woman was arrested Thursday after the Transportation Security Administrations facial recognition devices detected a passenger trying to use someone elses ID and boarding pass at Tampa International Airport, the agency said.

Brittany Lynn Anderson, 38, of Tampa, inserted a drivers license into the credential authentication technology machine and a mismatch was flagged, officials said.

That led to a manual inspection by a transportation security officer.

Woman sues Disney after sustaining permanent injuries in stampede at Magic Kingdom

Anderson allegedly showed the officer an ID and a Spirit Airlines boarding pass that belonged to someone else, according to an arrest report obtained by Nexstars WFLA. She allegedly told the officer she was going through some rough times and thats why she looks different on the ID.

Anderson reportedly told the officer that her ID was expired and that she had asked a friend to purchase her ticket under someone elses name so she could fly to Las Vegas, according to the report. The boarding pass and ID card belonged to a person currently in jail.

The woman handed the officer her expired ID. Data from the National Crime Information Center revealed that she had an active warrant out of Pennsylvania for financial responsibilities, the report states.

Anderson was arrested on a charge of criminal use of personal identification information, police said.

What happens to cars, items left at airports?

The credential authentication technology machine, located at TSA checkpoints, is equipped with cameras and a tablet to match the face of the person standing at the checkpoint with the face that appears on the travelers ID such as the persons drivers license or passport, according to the TSA.

The system, which does not store any photos after theyre taken, also confirms that a passenger is ticketed to fly out of the airport.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Tuesday is Alaskas primary election, but the biggest races will wait until November

Signs posted on Aug. 18, 2024, at the Alaska Division of Elections office in Midtown Anchorage direct voter traffic. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Signs posted on Aug. 18, 2024, at the Alaska Division of Elections office in Midtown Anchorage direct voter traffic. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Polls open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday for Alaskas primary election, the preliminary round for 50 legislative races and one of the most competitive U.S. House elections in the country.

Pre-election turnout has been unusually low: This is the first Alaska primary in more than a decade without a governors race, race for U.S. Senate, or a ballot measure.

At the top of the ballot, Democratic U.S. House incumbent Mary Peltola has no serious competition from other Democrats, but Republicans have two main options  Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and 2022 contender Nick Begich  as well as a swath of lesser-known candidates to pick from.

Two legislative races are guaranteed to narrow the field. In Eagle River, voters have five possible state Senate candidates to pick from, and in the rural Interior, only four of six candidates for House District 36 will advance to the November general election.

In their own words

Ahead of the primary election, the Alaska Beacon asked every legislative and U.S. House candidate 15 questions that were chosen by our reporters and you, our readers. You can read their responses here.

Forty-eight other state legislative races are also on the ballot across the state, but in each of those races, there are four or fewer candidates, meaning no one will be eliminated by the primary.

Under Alaskas elections system, the top four vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the general election.

Political consultant John-Henry Heckendorn said thats a feature, not a bug  allowing more candidates to reach the general election means more competition in the election that best represents Alaskans overall.

Heckendorns Ship Creek Group has been hired by a campaign seeking to keep Alaskas election system in place. In November, voters will be asked whether they want to keep or repeal the system.

Republicans have been campaigning against the top-four primary, and in several legislative races, some Republican candidates have signed pledges saying that they will withdraw from the November general election if they finish behind another Republican.

That could make the results of Tuesdays primary significant in races even when no one is automatically eliminated.

But a primary victory isnt a guarantee of future success. Two years ago, Democratic state House candidate Maxine Dibert of Fairbanks finished behind Republican incumbent Bart LeBon. A few months later, Dibert defeated LeBon in the general election.

In Wasilla that same year, incumbent Republican Sen. Mike Shower finished behind Republican challenger Doug Massie in the primary election, then defeated Massie by almost 5 percentage points in November.

Political consultant Matt Shuckerow said primary results can tell candidates theyre doing well, or they can reveal a significant  but potentially correctable  problem.

I think thats what some of tomorrow is going to be like, he said on Monday. For many people, its business as usual, We got what we thought we would get. But for some people, its going to be like, Oh, theres a hole in the bottom of the boat and youre taking on water. You need to fix something.

Polls close at 8 p.m. statewide, and the first results are expected later that evening.

Absentee ballots postmarked on or before election day must arrive within 10 days in order to be counted, and final unofficial results are expected on Aug. 30.

To find your polling place and check your registration status, visit https://myvoterportal.alaska.gov/.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Former security minister has weighed into the debate over Labour's proposed pact with the EU - Stefan Rousseau/PA

Tom Tugendhat has attacked Sir Keir Starmers obsession with Europe amid scrutiny of the Governments plans for a new defence pact with the EU.

The Tory leadership candidate claimed Sir Keirs ambition to forge closer defence ties with the EU risked imposing unnecessary red tape on Britains military at a time of rising geopolitical tensions.

Mr Tugendhat told The Telegraph: We dont need to add complexity to conflict. I know the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretarys obsession with the EU is their priority, but we need to be focused on keeping our country and our allies safe.

With Nato, the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force and the intelligence agreements we have with European countries, we already have a deep and globally significant defence and security agreement with our partners  just not through the EU.

Our commitments are long-standing and tested. They dont need another layer of bureaucracy when speed and trust are essential.

The former security minister, who is one of six candidates hoping to replace Rishi Sunak as Conservative Party leader, weighed into the debate over Labours proposed pact with the EU following a recent report from the Legatum Institute think tank.

The report warned that the Governments plan would lead to a loss of sovereignty post-Brexit and could sow potential division within Nato.

Its criticism was laid out in response to Labours manifesto, which vowed to rebuild relationships with key European allies, including France and Germany, through increased defence and security co-operation.

John Healey, Defence Secretary (left) said last month that the Government will increase defence spending to 2.5pc 'as soon as possible' - Stefan Rousseau/PA

A Legatum spokesman said: The Government is attempting to frame the security pact as part of a reset with Europe: the planned pact will go beyond defence and security and risks opening a Pandoras Box that would see the UK once again forced to accept EU rules.

Mr Tugendhat, who has called for military spending to rise from two to three per cent of GDP, said the Government should start by delivering what we need rather than banging on about Europe.

David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, and John Healey, the Defence Secretary said last month that the Government will increase defence spending to 2.5pc as soon as possible.

However, Sir Keirs party has been criticised for refusing to put a date on when the target will be met, unlike his predecessor Rishi Sunak who vowed to achieve it by 2030.

The Prime Minister was earlier this week accused of weakening Britains support for Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, complained that British aid to Kyiv had started to wane in recent weeks amid its unprecedented incursion into Russian territory in the Kursk region.

Labour was contacted for comment.

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Two children, one woman hospitalized after residential fire in Elk Co.

(WJET/WFXP)  A woman and two children were hospitalized after a residential fire in Elk County.

On Saturday, August 17, around 7:00 a.m., the Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal Unit was requested to assist the Ridgway Fire Department in determining the cause of a fire on North Broad Street in Elk County.

Teenager, elderly woman hospitalized after car crash in McKean Co.

During the investigation, it was found that three of the residents, a 35-year-old woman, a 12-year-old boy and a two-year-old boy had injuries caused by the fire.

All three individuals were transported to out-of-area hospitals for further treatment.

100-plus runners show up for first Shawn Giles memorial 5K

The investigation into the cause of the first 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 WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com.
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (WWLP)  Officials are investigating the deaths of two people after an incident at a home in North Andover.

Two dead, state of emergency declared in Connecticut after historic rainfall

Officials initially said on Monday that only one person was dead and another was injured, but later said that the second person died after being brought to the hospital. Their names have not been released at this time.

Authorities say that they believe this is an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public. It also isnt clear if anyone had been arrested, or if the possible suspect is known to police, according to NBC Boston.

North Andover Police and the Essex County District Attorneys office are investigating the incident.

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.
Two other people, one 18 and the other 22 years old, were also charged in Wactor's death, but with lesser charges

Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images Johnny Wactor on October 29, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Four people have been arrested in the death of General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon announced on Monday, Aug. 19.

Robert Barceleau and Sergio Estrada, both 18, were charged with murder amid the investigation into Wactors death. Leonel Gutierrez, also 18, and Frank Olano, 22, were also charged with lesser counts. The LAPDs Central Bureau Homicide Division is conducting the investigation.

Barceleau, Estrada and Gutierrez were charged with one count of attempted robbery with personal use of a firearm and one count of grand theft with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm.

Related: 4 Suspects Arrested in Shooting Death of General Hospital Actor Johnny Wactor

Barceleau was also charged with murder with special circumstances of murder during an attempted robbery and personal use of a firearm. He faces a potential life sentence without parole.

Estrada was charged with one count of murder with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm. He could face a maximum of life in prison.

Olano was charged with one count of accessory after the fact to murder, one count of receiving stolen property, and three counts of being a felon with a firearm. Olano faces five years and eight months in prison. Gutierrez faces four years and eight months in prison.

Barceleau is being held without bail. Estrada is being held on $2,070,000 bail. Olano is being held on $1,080,000 bail. Gutierrez is being held on $120,000 bail. The defendants are set to be arraigned Aug. 19 in Dept. 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

Jesse Grant/Getty Johnny Wactor on October 13, 2022 in Glendale, California.

Related: General Hospital Actor Johnny Wactor's Brother Speaks Out on His Killing: 'He Was Taken Way Too Early'

The charges follow the Thursday, Aug. 15, arrest of each man and two weeks after the LAPD released still images taken from video footage. The images allegedly show the suspects and the stolen black Infiniti Q50 sedan that police say the suspects were driving on the day Wactor died.

Wactor, 37, was fatally shot in the early hours of May 25. He was ending his shift as a bartender in a downtown Los Angeles bar and walked towards his car when he came upon three armed car thieves who were attempting to steal his catalytic converter from his vehicle.

We are committed to seeking justice for Mr. Wactor and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable for their actions," Gascon said in a press release. The loss of this talented young actor, who was in the prime of his life and had so much to offer the world, is deeply felt by all of us. Mr. Wactors work and presence touched the lives of many, and our hearts go out to his family, friends and the entire community who mourn this devastating loss.

While this was not an easy case for anyone involved, I am confident that we have the right people on the right charges, LAPD Chief Dominic Choi said Monday. Our investigators worked tirelessly to gather evidence, interview witnesses, and follow every lead to ensure that justice is served.

Scott Kirkland/ABC/Getty Johnny Wactor in "General Hospital" on ABC

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Since his death, a GoFundMe page set up to help Wactor's family with expenses has raised more than $144,540 in donations as of Aug. 19.



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Read the original article on People.
Two teenagers were charged Monday with murder in connection to the May fatal shooting of actor Johnny Wactor. Photo courtesy of General Hospital/X

Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Two teenagers have been charged with the murder of American actor Johnny Wactor, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office said.

Wactor, the 37-year-old actor known for his performance as Brandon Corbin on General Hospital, was fatally shot early May 25 after discovering three suspects were trying to steal his vehicle's catalytic converter.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon on Monday announced Robert Barceleau and Sergio Estrada, both 18, have each been charged with one count of murder for Wactor's slaying.

Prosecutors said Barcelau's charge comes with a special circumstance of committing murder during an attempted robbery with the personal use of a firearm. He is also facing charges of attempted robbery and grand theft, both with a firearm, in connection to the actor's murder.

Estrada similarly faces additional charges of attempted robbery and grand theft, both of which were also committed with a firearm.

Leonel Gutierrez, 18, was also charged Monday with one count of attempted robbery and one count of grand theft, both with a firearm; and Frank Olano, 22, was charged with one count each of accessory to murder and receiving stolen property and three counts of being a felon with a firearm.

The charges were filed days after police announced the arrest of the four suspects on Thursday.

"We are committed to seeking justice for Mr. Wactor and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable for their actions," Gascon said Monday in a statement.

Authorities said Wactor was shot and killed early May 25.

That morning, the actor had left his bartending job at the Moxy Hotel in downtown Los Angeles at about 3:25 a.m. After walking to his vehicle, he found three suspects had raised his car with a floor jack and were attempting to remove its catalytic converter.

The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office has accused Barceleau of shooting Wactor in the chest. Wactor was then transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

"The loss of this talented young actor, who was in the prime of his life and had so much to offer the world, is deeply felt by all of us. Mr. Wactor's work and presence touched the lives of many, and our hearts go out to his family, friends and the entire community who mourn this devastating loss."

While Barceleau is being held without bail, Estrada is being held on bail of $2.07 million. Olano's bail was set at $1.08 million and Gutierrez' at $120,000.

If convicted, Barceleau faces life in prison without parole, Estrada faces up to life in prison, Olano faces up to less than six years and Gutierrez faces less than five years.
The U.S. Army is looking at paragliders as a way to give conventional forces, especially airborne units, new options for getting around the battlefield and surveilling enemy forces.

The U.S. Army is looking at paragliders as a way to give conventional forces, especially airborne units, new options for getting around the battlefield and surveilling enemy forces. The service says these capabilities, which are already found in the special operations community, could be especially useful during a future high-end fight in environments that are too risky for traditional fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to operate in.

The Army put out a contracting notice regarding what it is currently calling the Personnel Air Mobility System (PAMS) earlier today.

Specifically, the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command-Soldier Centers Soldier Sustainment Directive (DEVCOM-SC SSD) is seeking information on technologies or capabilities of private entities (non-profit and commercial) to develop a preliminary Personnel Air Mobility system design that will support a prototype project, according to the notice. The Personnel Air Mobility System (PAMS) is planned to be developed to support the U.S. Armys Airborne forces by addressing a capability gap to provide unit organic personnel air mobility to support freedom of movement in contested environments.

A member of U.S. Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) uses a paraglider during a public capabilities demonstration earlier this year. Jamie Hunter

Future battlefield threats are expected to require disbursed operations by small units in complex, contested environments, the notice continues. Traditional air assets, including fixed wing and rotary wing transport aircraft, will likely be unavailable for the movement of small teams due to supporting other missions and the difficulty of operating these vehicles in anti-access/area denial threat areas.

Development of a PAMS will provide an additional option to the unit commander, supporting freedom of action in remote and austere locations. This new system will be capable of transporting individual warfighters hundreds of kilometers, reducing dependency on traditional aircraft platforms and extending the range available through traditional parachute infiltration systems, the request for proposals adds. The PAMS will support multiple mission types including reconnaissance, surveillance, troop movement, infiltration and exfiltration. This new PAMS will also significantly reduce the cost to deliver/transport warfighters over traditional means.

To meet these mission requirements, the Army is looking at a motorized paraglider with a range of at least 62 miles (100 kilometers) that can get up to an altitude of 10,000 feet mean sea level. Objectively, the service is interested in a PAMS that can fly to destinations as far as 186 miles (300 kilometers) away and at altitudes as high as 20,000 feet mean sea level. A supplementary oxygen source would be required for sustained flight at the upper limits of that altitude requirement. This is also something that is necessary for very high-altitude freefall parachute jumps.

A member of the US Army seen making use of a supplementary oxygen system during a high-altitude freefall parachute jump. US Army

Flying at low altitudes using nap-of-the-earth flight profiles would make paragliding troopers harder to detect and reduce their vulnerability to threats in the air and on the ground. Paragliders, in general, have low radar, infrared, sound, and other signatures, which would make it even more difficult for defenders to spot and track them. At the same time, operating at higher altitudes, where viable, would also offer benefits in terms of aerodynamic efficiency and, by extension, fuel economy and range.

In addition, the Army wants the PAMS paraglider itself to weigh no more than 75 pounds without fuel, and potentially as light as 60 pounds, while still having a payload capacity of up to at least 350 pounds, and maybe as much as 400 pounds. The weight of the weapons and gear a typical soldier might be called upon to carry varies widely depending on the mission and other factors, but data from recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan shows that it can easily be more than 100 pounds. Paratroopers expected to operate for extended periods without access to well-established supply chains could well find themselves carrying more. The low logistics footprint required to operate paragliders would offer additional benefits to airborne and other conventional forces operating at the tactical edge, or even behind enemy lines.

Members of the US Armys 82nd Airborne Division, laden with parachutes and other gear, board a US Air Force C-130 cargo plane during training. USAF

For general Army use, paragliders might be useful in other roles beyond just getting soldiers around and surveilling opponents, such as casualty evaluation and delivery of small cargoes to frontline units. U.S. special operations units have employed uncrewed cargo paraglider systems called CQ-10A SnowGooses for resupply missions.

It is also worth noting that the U.S. military as a whole is looking for new and novel ways to help rescue downed aircrew in contested environments. Depending on circumstances, forward-deployed teams might be able to use paragliders to reach those personnel and extract them. Paragliders could potentially be air-dropped to rescuees to allow them to escape on their own or at least move to an area where it might be easier for combat search and rescue units to retrieve them.

As mentioned, U.S. special operations forces have already been at least testing and evaluating paragliders, if not operationally using them to some degree, for many of the same reasons the Army has outlined in its PAMS contracting notice. Members of U.S. Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) used them to descend into the harbor area in Tampa, Florida during a biennial public capabilities demonstration earlier this year. That event also highlighted the potential for paragliders to be used as small electronic warfare platforms, as well as for mobility and reconnaissance and surveillance, as you can read more about here.

The parafoil, in general, is a great special operations platform that the Marines are taking advantage of. Its something thats easily deployable, its light, its inexpensive, it uses unleaded gasoline, so you can find that anywhere, Jim Gregory, the Deputy Director of SOCOMs Office of Communications, told The War Zone at the time. And its something that can take off from say a ship or you know an otherwise fairly inaccessible area for air capability. So they can get operators up off the ground and take advantage of that other [air] dimension of warfare  that they might not otherwise be able to.

The U.S. Navy has at least explored the possibility of using paragliders to help Marines, in general, get from amphibious warfare ships to the shore and as airborne surveillance platforms in the past, as well.

In the unprecedented surprise attacks on southern Israel in October 2023, Hamas terrorists also notably used paragliders, underscoring their value for getting personnel into more contested areas. North Korean commandos have trained to employ them to infiltrate across the DMZ and attack critical sites, as well.

This is a known infiltration capability. Paragliders have small radar and thermal signature, very low altitude flight profile, can fly below speed gate settings of certain warning and fire control radars. Widely accessible and not too hard to operate. https://t.co/ZahYPti7rv  Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) October 7, 2023

As the new PAMS contracting notice explains, the Army is looking at a future full of distributed operations, especially as part of a potential high-end fight, such as one against the Chinese in the Pacific. In a major conflict with a near-peer competitor like China, U.S. forces would have to contend with an ever-growing anti-access and area denial threat ecosystem. This presents immediate challenges for getting airlifters loaded with paratroopers into the fight. When it comes to moving personnel and materiel by air once in theater, as well as providing organic aerial reconnaissance and surveillance, these issues are further compounded for the Army, which continues to rely heavily on traditional helicopters for these missions. The ongoing war in Ukraine has underscored the threats that helicopters face from modern air defenses.

This all looks to have factored into the Armys selection of a derivative of Bells V-280 Valor tilt-rotor as the successor to at least a portion of its UH-60 Black Hawk fleets in 2022 and its cancellation of the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program this year. In Febraury, the service announced other major changes to its future aviation plans, including increased investments in new drones.

Whether or not paragliding paratroopers, or other conventional Army forces, become a reality on a broad scale remains to be seen. The service has explored a host of concepts intended to provide individual soldiers with a degree of air mobility, including jetpacks and rocket belts, since the 1960s, but none of them have been adopted for general use. At the same time, paragliders are a known commodity that have already made inroads in the special operations realm.

It is not hard to see how the qualities that make paragliders attractive to special operations units  low cost, low footprint, and low probability of detection  would make them appealing for more general Army use.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com
The number of births in the U.S. and the fertility rate both declined from 2022 to 2023. And for the second year in a row, so did prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy, including a growing share of mothers who got no prenatal care at all.

Thats according to the final count for 2023 from the National Center on Health Statistics within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released Tuesday.

The fertility rate is the number of births per 1,000 females of childbearing age, 15 to 44.

The report also noted that the preterm birth rate (before 37 completed weeks of gestation) didnt change, but 3 in 10 babies were born at 37 to 38 weeks gestation.

According to the report, 3,596,017 births were recorded in the United States, down 2% from 2022 and 2021. The general fertility rate dropped 3% to 54.5 births per 1,000 females ages 15-44, which is considered child-bearing age.

The birth rate for teens ages 15-19 continued to fall, this time by 4% from 2022 to 13.1 births per 1,000 females. That number was down 6% compared to 2021. The biggest change (a 5% drop) was among teens 18-19. Among those 15-17, the birth rate declined 2%.

Compared to the most recent highest number of births, in 2007, thats a 17% decrease in births and a 21% drop in the fertility rate.

Prenatal care and preterm birth

Just over three-fourths of pregnancies involved prenatal care in the first trimester, but the share was 1% lower than in 2022, which itself was 2% lower than in 2021. Care starting in the second trimester increased 4% in 2023 to 16.9%.

The report said that 5.7% of prenatal care began in the third trimester. And 2.3% of pregnancies included no prenatal care at all.

According to the report, 10.41% of babies were born preterm, delivered before 37 weeks, which was essentially unchanged from 2022. The share born early term  at 37-38 weeks gestation  rose 2% to 29.85% from 2022 to 2023, after a 4% increase from 2021. Meanwhile, the share born late or post-term (after 40 weeks gestation) was 4.82% in 2023, down from 4.99% in 2022.

When birth rates drop

Birth rates are dropping in most countries, including the United States, where the total fertility rate is now 1.62 births per woman, using 2023 data. The replacement rate, which is the rate at which the population size is stable, is 2.1. Some countries, including Hong Kong and South Korea, are now well below 1. Others, including Italy and Japan, hover around 1.2 children per woman.

As Deseret Magazine reported recently, Demographers are now projecting that nearly every country outside of sub-Saharan Africa will soon be failing to replace their people. This will, in turn, leave them struggling with an inverted pyramid of care as fewer working people will pay into public programs that support aging populations who are living longer.

The journal The Lancet predicts the global fertility rate will drop from 2.2 in 2021 to 1.6 in the year 2100.

In the 2021 report More Work, Fewer Babies: What Does Workism Have to Do with Falling Fertility, Institute for Family Studies senior fellow Laurie DeRose and research fellow Lyman Stone argued that work-focused personal values could put what they call workism and familism at odds. The two words indicate whether a person derives their sense of identity primarily from their career or from their family roles.

The two said that for policymakers concerned about the economic and other future impacts of stalled fertility, programs that support work are less helpful than policies that help families function regardless of whether, for example, both partners work or one parent stays home with the children, per Deseret News coverage of the report.

The ramifications of letting fertility slide could be dire, experts have said, from too few skilled workers for a robust economy to more people needing help than workers to support the programs designed to provide the help. Predictions include everything from reduced Social Security payments to school closures and a housing market where nothing moves, the article said.
Private prison company CoreCivic and Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, which it operates, is under investigation for civil rights violations. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Private prison company CoreCivic and Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, which it operates, is under investigation for civil rights violations. (Photo: John Partipilo)

The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into private prison company CoreCivic and Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, which it manages, over alleged civil rights violations.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke announced the move Tuesday morning, citing a record of assaults, murders and understaffing at the facility since it opened in 2016.

People are incarcerated at Trousdale Turner as punishment for their crimes, but in our legal system, punishment does not and cannot include violence and sexual abuse, said Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division.

Publicly available information suggests that Trousdale Turner has been plagued by serious problems since it first opened its doors, said United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Henry C. Leventis. This includes reports of staffing shortages, physical and sexual assaults, murders, and a 188% turnover rate among prison guards just last year.

Clarke and Leventis noted the State of Tennessee holds ultimate responsibility for the treatment of incarcerated people within correctional facilities.

Department of Correction spokesperson Dorinda Carter said the state is aware of the investigation and will cooperate fully.

CoreCivic spokesman Steven Owen issued a statement Tuesday saying it is taking the matter seriously and cooperating with the state and federal government to resolve problems.

The safety and dignity of every person in our care is a top priority for our leadership and the staff at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center. Thats why weve worked closely with the Tennessee Department of Corrections to identify and implement policies and processes that enhance safety and security while providing meaningful programs and services geared towards helping the individuals in our care prepare for successful reentry, Owen said in the statement.

The state is wrapping up a five-year $276 million contract with Trousdale County for operation of Trousdale Turner, which previously was fined for improper prisoner counts, problems with solitary confinement, poor staffing and accusations its guards used excessive force.

The Legislatures Government Operations Committee declined to extend operation of the Tennessee Department of Correction for more than two years in 2017 because of short staffing and poor operations at CoreCivic prisons, most notably Trousdale Turner Correctional Facility near Hartsville.

In 2019, the Human Rights Defense Center and No Exceptions Prison Collective found prisons operated by CoreCivic experienced twice as many inmate murders over a five-year period than facilities run by the Tennessee Department of Correction. CoreCivic operates four state prisons, one through a contract with Tennessee and three through contracts with local governments.

Despite state comptroller audits showing CoreCivic prisons, including Trousdale Turner, are failing to provide enough personnel to oversee inmates, Correction Commissioner Frank Strada has given CoreCivic a vote of confidence, saying he is satisfied with the companys efforts to improve policies.

The company sustained a 146% turnover rate in 2023 because of difficulty hiring correctional officers, making it more difficult to monitor prisoners and avert safety risks. The state increased its payout to CoreCivic by $7 million this year, after the publicly-traded company made $233 million off the state in fiscal 2023-24.

The boost came even though CoreCivic paid $20 million in liquidated damages in recent years for failing to meet contract requirements. Parents of three inmates who died in CoreCivic-run prisons in 2021 accused the company of prioritizing profits over safety in a lawsuit against the state.

The heinous abuses that occur with regularity at the chronically understaffed facility are unhidden, and they have been documented year after year in the dozens of wrongful death and other lawsuits that our firm and others have filed against CoreCivic and its employees over, and over, and over again as CoreCivic allowed the prisoners in its care to be murdered, raped, and stabbed without intervention.

 Daniel Horwitz, Nashville attorney

Since 2009, the company has given $138,000 to Republican Party and caucus political action committees and $47,500 to the Tennessee Democratic Caucus. Gov. Bill Lee has been the biggest beneficiary, receiving $69,000, including a donation to his inaugural campaign, according to a Tennessee Lookout analysis.

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally has received $65,000 over the last 15 years and House Speaker Cameron Sexton $44,500 since he was elected in 2011.

Nashville attorney Daniel Horwitz applauded the announcement Tuesday, saying Trousdale Turner Correctional Center should be investigated for chronic civil rights violations and the Tennessee Department of Correction for knowingly permitting them.

The heinous abuses that occur with regularity at the chronically understaffed facility are unhidden, and they have been documented year after year in the dozens of wrongful death and other lawsuits that our firm and others have filed against CoreCivic and its employees over, and over, and over again as CoreCivic allowed the prisoners in its care to be murdered, raped, and stabbed without intervention. It is long past time for this death factory to be shut down, Horwitz said in a statement.

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The Biden administration formally blamed Iran on Monday for a flurry of hacking efforts launched this summer against the presidential campaigns of both major political parties.

In a statement, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the FBI said they are confident Iranian cyber operatives have sought access to individuals with direct access to the presidential campaigns of both political parties.

The agencies specifically called out hacks targeted at the Republican nominee, blaming Iran for recently reported activities to compromise former President Trumps campaign. POLITICO first reported earlier this month that the Trump campaign said it had been hacked.

The statement from the three agencies largely confirmed reports from groups that track hacking operations. In the last two weeks, both Microsoft and Google have published reports asserting Iranian hackers sent spear-phishing emails  which seek to trick victims into clicking a malicious link  against individuals affiliated with at least one of the two campaigns.

The statement said that Iranian hacking activities, including thefts and disclosures, are intended to influence the U.S. election process.

Spokespeople for the ODNI, FBI and CISA declined to comment on whether this meant that the latest disclosures sent to media outlets regarding the Trump campaign were part of a targeted Iranian influence operation.

The FBI confirmed last week it had opened an investigation into the activity against the campaigns of Trump and the former Biden-Harris ticket back in June.

The leak of the campaign documents earlier this month ignited concern that Tehran could disrupt the 2024 presidential race much like Russia was accused of doing eight years ago.

The intelligence community has previously said the Iranians are seeking to undermine the candidacy of Donald Trump. And, the statement Monday confirmed Tehran was more aggressive than it has been in past years.

The intelligence community has observed increasingly aggressive Iranian activity during this election cycle, it read.
Danni Cooper, 21, was diagnosed with functional neurological disorder (FND) after losing the ability to walk or talk

Danni Cooper / SWNS Danni Cooper

After encountering what doctors initially believed to be a migraine, a woman in England woke up unable to walk or talk  and she believes financial stress is to blame.

Danni Cooper, a former caregiver from Wakefield, came home from work in April and felt shaky and dizzy, but chalked the feelings up to hunger, The Wakefield Express reported. Shortly after  the 21-year-old, who had no known health conditions or concerns  found herself struggling to walk, and called her older sister for help.

The siblings headed straight to the emergency room, where doctors told Cooper she was experiencing a particularly strong headache, according to Yahoo! UK and The Northampton Chronicle & Echo.

Related: 25-Year-Old with Neurological Disease Doesn't Sleep: 'Cant See Myself Making It More Than a Year'

My sister was having to prop me up because I couldnt walk, Cooper recalled to The Wakefield Express. They said my period was making the migraine worse, and I was sent home with strong ibuprofen.

But when she woke up the following morning, she found herself unable to walk or talk.

Fearing that she had suffered a stroke, Coopers boyfriend called an ambulance and the pair headed to the emergency room, where she waited all day to see a stroke nurse, the outlets reported. Cooper was then admitted overnight for testing  and all of her scans came back clear.

After a month-long stay in the hospital, doctors finally diagnosed her with a rare condition: functional neurological disorder (FND).

Danni Cooper / SWNS Danni Cooper

Related: It Started as a Headache in Ballet Class  Now She Can't Move Her Left Hand: 'My Whole Life Had Changed' (Exclusive)

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), FND is caused by changes in how brain networks work, rather than changes in the structure of the brain itself, and causes symptoms that significantly interfere with how a person functions and copes with daily life.

As Cooper phrased it: FND is like when a computer has too many tabs open, and it crashes.

"My brain basically shut down and stopped communicating with my body," she said, per The Northampton Chronicle & Echo. "My life changed overnight."

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Symptoms of FND, which vary greatly, can include seizure-like episodes, dizziness, speech difficulties, vision problems, extreme fatigue, chronic migraines, numbness and problems with both mobility and cognitive function, per NINDS.

And while there are ample potential symptoms of FND, its exact cause is still unknown. In Coopers case, Doctors think it was most likely triggered by stress, she said, per The Wakefield Express.

Related: NHRA Legend John Force Moved to Neurological Intensive Care Following Fiery Crash

More specifically, she believes that the condition was triggered by her intense anxieties about money.

I had been worrying for a long time about money, Cooper said, per The Northampton Chronicle & Echo. I was having to choose between food or petrol in order to get to work  the cost of living crisis hit me hard.

"I fell into a deep depression at one point, crying every day and it most likely triggered the condition, she added.

Since her diagnosis, Cooper has regained her ability to speak and walk, but still requires a walking stick and wheelchair to move, especially for long distances. I have times when Im better, but it can flare-up and will always be there, she said of the condition, per The Wakefield Express.

There is still much to learn about FND  both by the general public and experts in the medical field  and Cooper hopes that sharing her story will help kickstart things.

A lot of doctors still dont know what FND is, she said. "Its a lesser-known condition but I hope I can raise awareness."

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The United States has imposed sanctions on Michel Martelly, Haitis former president, for his role in the global illicit drug trade, the State Department said Tuesday.

Martelly, who lives in Miami but maintains a prominent political profile in Haiti, served as president of the volatile Caribbean country from May 2011 to February 2016. During that time, which included the period after the devastating 2010 earthquake, gang violence and drug trafficking flourished, and the country was hit with one of its biggest corruption scandals in decades: the alleged embezzlement of nearly $2 billion in aid from the Venezuelan oil program known as PetroCaribe.

The sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department wont necessarily lay the foundation for a criminal prosecution in the U.S., but they could lead to global sanctions by the United Nations. U.S. officials said the following sanctions apply to the 63-year-old Martelly: He wont be able to obtain loans or any other credit from U.S. financial institutions because theyre prohibited from doing business with him. He also wont be able to conduct any foreign exchange transactions. And no one in the United States can invest in any equity or debt belonging to Martelly, whether it be a residential property or business activity.

It is unclear from the Treasury sanctions, which are based on a 2021 presidential executive order targeting the illicit drug trade, whether Martelly is subject to other penalties, which might include freezing his bank accounts and other assets or prohibiting him from doing business with anyone in the United States.

In a statement, State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said Martelly abused his influence to facilitate drug trafficking and has sponsored multiple Haiti-based gangs.

Martelly facilitated the trafficking of dangerous drugs, including cocaine, destined for the U.S., Treasury said. Additionally, he is accused of engaging in the laundering of illicit drug proceeds, working with Haitian drug traffickers and sponsoring several Haiti-based gangs.

Narcotics trafficking and gang-related violence have contributed to political instability and insecurity in Haiti, which has created an untenable living situation for the Haitian people, the statement said. It is unacceptable for Haitian political and economic elites to plunder Haitis future.

The U.S. designation of Martelly was a political bombshell in Haiti, where Prime Minister Garry Conille immediately called for an urgent cabinet meeting. Martellys longtime lawyer, Richard Dansoh, said he reviewed the sanctions but declined to comment about the allegations, saying only that his client is staying at his home in Miami and plans to inquire about whether he can continue to work in the United States.

READ MORE: How U.S. sanctions turn people into economic pariahs and why some call it a civil death

The U.S. is the second country after Canada to sanction Martelly, a onetime carnival singer-turned-politician who many believe has been contemplating another run as president even as he faces protests from some Haitians abroad. Martelly has slowly been trying to return to the Haitian music scene. On Saturday, he performed at the club Hollywood Live with the band Kreyol La. It was his third performance in the past few weeks, after one at Katz Restaurant in North Miami last month and another at a private party.

Last year, a U.N. group of experts charged with helping the U.N. Security Council decide on whom to sanction in Haiti accused the former president of using gangs to extend his influence in Haiti and advance his political agenda.

Martelly is accused of financing armed groups and providing them with weapons during his tenure. Sources also told the investigators that Martelly was responsible for the creation of Base 257, one of many gangs that has contributed to the countrys current security and humanitarian crisis.

Armed violence has displaced nearly 600,000 Haitians and led to more than 5 million Haitians facing hunger. Despite the ongoing deployment of a multinational security force led by Kenya, gangs have grown even bolder and have tightened their grip outside of the capital, pushing the U.S.-backed transition government to renew and expand a state of emergency to several cities beyond those in the Artibonite and West regions.

Brian Nichols, the administrations top diplomat for the Western Hemisphere, called the decision to sanction Martelly an important action and said the U.S. will continue to promote accountability towards a peaceful and prosperous Haiti.

Martelly is no stranger to allegations of drug-trafficking. He faced similar ones in 2010 when he made a bid for the Haitian presidency as the country tried to dig itself out under from the earthquakes rubble. At the time, U.S. authorities, who had grown tired of President Rene Preval, supported Martelly and forced Preval to remove his candidate, Jude Celestin, from the ballot.

The controversial election and the political crisis that ensued is widely seen as having given birth to the current crisis.

Though not the first former president from Latin America and the Caribbean region to be slapped with economic sanctions by the United States, Martelly is the highest ranking among former Haitian presidents and politicians. Prior to him, the U.S. sanctioned his former prime minister, Laurent Lamothe in June of 2023, and four prominent former senators in late 2022 who were once either allies of Martelly or of his hand-picked chosen successor, the late President Jovenel Moise.

Sugar Boat fiasco

For more than two decades, dozens of Haitian drug traffickers, politicians and businessmen have been prosecuted by U.S. authorities for either their direct involvement in or facilitating the shipment of Colombian cocaine through the Caribbean island to the U.S.

Although Martelly has never been charged criminally by federal prosecutors in Miami, one of the biggest drug-smuggling operations happened during his presidential term.

In the aftermath of his presidency, U.S. authorities launched an investigation into a Panamanian-flagged ship, the MV Manzanares, which had arrived in Port-au-Prince from Colombia in April 2015 hauling bags of imported sugar  and between 700 to 800 kilos of cocaine and 300 kilos of heroin, with an estimated street value of $100 million.

While unloading the sugar from the Manzanares, longshoremen stumbled across the hidden stash of drugs and a lawless free-for-all quickly unfolded. A host of people, including police officers assigned to Haitis National Palace and a judge, were suspected of grabbing the drugs. Also implicated was the former commander of Haitis anti-drug unit, who was accused of taking bribes to hinder the investigation into the Manzanares case, which became known as the sugar boat case.

The bungling of the sugar boat investigation came to light after two veteran Drug Enforcement Administration agents filed whistle-blower complaints, which triggered a Justice Department investigation into the effectiveness of the DEAs drug-fighting efforts in Haiti. The Miami Herald exposed the bungled probe in 2018.

In July 2021, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel found the DEA office in Haiti mishandled the investigation, including assisting and paying Haitian officials to destroy some of the drug evidence.

The DEAs botched procedures were highlighted in a letter to President Joe Biden in which the drug agencys own findings and report on the 2015 case were found to be unreasonable.

Since the U.S. government expends resources for the DEA to operate in Haiti, it is incumbent on the agency to be as effective as possible in its mission to disrupt the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, wrote Special Counsel Henry Kerner, who was tasked with assessing the allegations of wrongdoing.

Canadian sanctions

In November 2022 the Canadian government imposed sanctions on Martelly and two former Haitian prime ministers for financing gangs. Though the decision reflected a policy change by both Ottawa and Washington, the Biden administration had been reluctant to follow suit. That lack of leadership by the U.S. has made others reluctant to follow suit and fueled doubts in Haiti about how serious the policy is.

The issue of whether to sanction the former Haitian president, who is a U.S. legal resident, has been the subject of two years worth of internal debate about the implications for the U.S. and for the political landscape in a crisis-ridden Haiti. Martelly, his Parti Haitien Tet Kale and allies remain political forces in the country where some sanctioned politicians have been discussing a formula to put in place a new transitional president amid an ongoing bank bribery scandal involving the current transitional council.

The political shock waves are likely to be felt for sometime inside the country, where a string of sanctions against prominent Haitian politicians initially created fear, but soon appeared to have had little effect as violence by armed gangs escalated and several sanctioned politicians returned to the political scene.

I think hes essentially politically dead for the moment, Robert Fatton, a Haiti-born political scientist who recently retired from the University of Virginia, said about Martelly. I dont know if hes going to be able to still influence politics because if they freeze his funds and dont allow him to have any transactions, I am not sure how he can be of significance anymore in the political game in Haiti. I think that is a major shift.

Fatton said the U.S. decision could be a game changer for Martelly, who appeared unbothered by the Canadian sanctions. I am not sure why they did it now. The institutions in Haiti are not good, as we all know, and it doesnt look like the Kenyans are making a big difference with the advances of the gangs. It may be something to warn people, We are getting more serious. But I dont know how you get more serious if you dont have more influence militarily in Haiti itself.

In a recent interview with the Miami Herald, the Biden administrations top envoy to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfied, said the U.S. remains committed to pursuing sanctions against those who finance gangs and political instability in Haiti.

Her admission came less than two weeks after she made the unusual move of publicly announcing during a Security Council session that the U.S. had tried to get the U.N. to impose global sanctions against a former president of the Haitian Senate and one-time Martelly adviser, Youri Latortue. Thomas-Greenfield said the move was blocked by other members on the council. The members were Russia and China, the Herald has since learned.
U.S. Senate Dems campaign chief predicts sweep of tough races in Montana, Ohio

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., right, is interviewed by Jonathan Martin of Politico near the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19, 2024. (Photo by Jacob Fischler/States Newsroom.)

CHICAGO  The leader of Democrats U.S. Senate campaign arm projected confidence Monday at a Politico event organized outside the Democratic National Convention, saying the party would sweep competitive races this cycle and retain control of the chamber with a win in the presidential race.

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, told Politicos Jonathan Martin that incumbents Jon Tester in Montana and Sherrod Brown in Ohio would overcome partisan disadvantages in their states to win reelection on the strength of their individual brands.

Jon Tester is as authentic a person from Montana as you could possibly get, Peters said. He understands folks in Montana. Hes out in the community. Montana is a really big state geographically, but population-wise is smaller, and so hes gotten to know a lot of folks in a more personal way that allows you to transcend some of that.

Tester is being opposed by Republican Tim Sheehy, an entrepreneur and former Navy SEAL.

The same went for Brown in Ohio, Peters said.

Ive always said I dont know if any Democrat can win Ohio, unless their name is Sherrod Brown, he said. Which is why I say, in this election, I have really good news for folks: I got a guy named Sherrod Brown whos running in Ohio.

Republican businessman Bernie Moreno is challenging Brown.

Democrats have no margin for error this Senate election cycle.

With the departure of Sen. Joe Manchin III, a West Virginia independent who was elected as a Democrat and is retiring rather than seeking reelection this fall, and no Republicans in seriously competitive states up for reelection, they must win the remaining competitive races. In addition, Vice President Kamala Harris must prevail in the presidential race to keep control of the chamber.

In addition to Testers and Browns races, Democratic incumbents are up for reelection in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Nevada, while retirements have created open races in Michigan and Arizona. Winning all seven would give Senate Democrats a 50-50 tie that could be broken with the vote of a Democratic vice president.

The races in Michigan, Montana and Ohio are rated toss-up by The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter. The other four are rated lean Democrat, meaning the Democratic candidate is slightly favored.

Relationship with Arab American community

Peters said Harris should work to communicate with his states Arab American voters on the Israel-Hamas war.

The roughly 200,000 Arab American voters in Michigan make it unique among swing states.

Many of those voters opposed President Joe Bidens aborted reelection race, and Peters said they should now listen to the new candidate at the top of the Democratic ticket.

She is talking to a lot of folks who feel very frustrated that theyre not being listened to by folks  not just this administration but generally  about whats happening in Gaza, he said.

Peters said Harris has communicated that Israel has a right to defend itself against Hamas, a horrible terrorist organization that has engaged in unspeakable atrocities, but has also been sensitive to the innocent folks caught in the middle.

He said a cease-fire in the Middle East was needed.

Asked directly if Harris would differentiate her policy views from Bidens, Peter said she would.

To win Michigan, Peters said it was important to authentically communicate her own message on that issue.

It shows that shes her own person, she thinks her own way, he said.

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U.S. vet wanted on child porn charge appears to be fighting for Russia against Ukraine

A U.S. Air Force veteran who was facing a possession of child pornography charge when he fled the country appears to have confirmed, in a propaganda video released Monday, that he has joined the Russian army. He insisted he is not a traitor.

"Im Will. Im from Massachusetts, Wilmer Puello-Mota, who is also a former City Council member in Holyoke, Massachusetts, said in the five-minute video released by Russia's Defense Ministry. "My call sign is 'Boston.'"

Puello-Mota, 28, is serving as a reconnaissance drone operator with the Russian military units fighting the Ukrainians in the Donetsk region, according to the Defense Ministry, which identified him as both an American with Russian citizenship and a former American citizen.

"I don't consider myself a traitor," Puello-Mota, dressed in combat gear, said in the video.

Puello-Mota made no mention in the video of the criminal charges he was facing when he fled in January to Russia via Turkey.

Instead, he said, Im from Boston, Massachusetts, and I served 10 years in the U.S. Air Force, some years in the Massachusetts International Guard, and I did two years as a city councilor.

Holyoke City Council President Tessa Murphy-Romboletti said she recognizes him in the video.

"I can confirm that it appears to be Will in the video," she said via email.

Puello-Mota was supposed to show up in a Rhode Island courtroom on Jan. 9 and plead guilty to possessing sexually explicit images of a child and other charges that could have sent him to prison for at least five years, his lawyer, John M. Cicilline, said in an interview with The Boston Globe.

Cicilline said Puello-Mota told him the day before that he had other plans.

He said, I joined the Russian army, or something like that, Cicilline told The Globe. I thought he was joking.

Cicilline also told the newspaper that Puello-Mota wanted a career in politics and thought being charged with possessing child pornography had ruined his life.

Im sure he joined the Russian army because he didnt want to register as a sex offender, Cicilline said.

Cicilline did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest development at his law office in Providence, Rhode Island.

Puello-Mota served in the Air Force and deployed to Afghanistan in 2015, when he was 19, service records obtained by NBC News show. He later served with the Massachusetts Air National Guards 104th Fighter Wing as a security forces airman.

Wilmer Puello-Mota provides security at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2015.

Although Puello-Mota claimed to be from Boston, records show he actually lived 90 miles west of there in the city of Holyoke.

Puello-Mota served on the Holyoke City Council from 2021 to 2023 and was aligned with conservative council members who supported former President Donald Trump, the Globe reported.

Halfway through his term, the city tried to kick Puello-Mota off the council after it learned that he had been arrested in May 2020 when police found nude photos and videos on his phone of a 17-year-old girl they said he had gone to meet at a hotel in Warwick, Rhode Island. He was also charged with obstruction of the judicial system, forgery and counterfeiting.

Two months after he fled the States, The Republican, a newspaper based in Springfield, Massachusetts, reported that "Holyokers were abuzz" after video surfaced on Instagram of a man in a Russian uniform planting a U.S. flag in what appeared to be the wrecked Ukrainian city of Avdiivka.

His face was blurred, but the newspaper reported that people in Holyoke who knew Puello-Mota were convinced it was him.

In April, according to The Moscow Times, the Defense Ministry released a video of a man who appeared to be Puello-Mota inside an army enlistment office and identified him only as a former U.S. soldier named Will.

In the newest video, Puello-Mota explained why he joined the Russian army.

When I got involved in politics, I zoomed out into the international level of politics, and you really stop and pause and think about whats going on here, he said. You feel like you have to do something about it.

Puello-Mota also blamed the U.S. for the war in Ukraine, said he has a girlfriend, and sounded thrilled to be a member of the Russian army.

"I love these guys," he said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain invoked rapper Nelly at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Monday night while firing up a raucous crowd celebrating Vice President Harriss nomination for the White House.

Fain, who said he was honored to endorse Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, drew an energetic response from the crowd, who had gathered in Chicago on the first night of the four-day confab.

The union leader acknowledged the energy of the crowd with an unexpected pop culture reference.

In the words of the great American poet Nelly: Its getting hot in here, Fain said to cheers.

Its hot in here. Its hot in here because youre fired up and fed up, he said, adding: The American working class is in a fight for our lives.

Fain has long been outspoken critic of Harriss Republican rival, Donald Trump, and the UAW endorsed Harris in July. The union released a video earlier this week slamming Trump as all talk on labor rights.

The UAW president echoed those remarks in his speech Monday night, arguing Harris was the best choice for the working class.

Donald Trump laughs about firing workers who go on strike, Fain said Monday night. And Kamala Harris stands shoulder to shoulder with workers when theyre on strike.

Harris and Walz met with UAW workers last week in Michigan. Trump, meanwhile, has bashed Fain repeatedly, calling him at one point a stupid person.

The UAWs appearance at the convention comes as both parties look to make ground with working-class voters, especially in the Rust Belt states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

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Labor leaders sent a message loud and clear on the opening day Monday of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago: Unions stand behind Vice President Kamala Harris in her quest to keep former President Donald Trump out of the White House.

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain summed up the sentiment when he removed his blazer while speaking onstage, revealing a red T-shirt that read: Trump is a scab. Vote Harris.

When the UAW stands up, we know who stands with us and who stands against us, Fain told the crowd. Donald Trump laughs about firing workers who go on strike. Kamala Harris stands shoulder to shoulder with workers when theyre on strike. And thats the difference.

Delegates responded to Fains remarks with chants of Trumps a scab!

Fain was one of a half-dozen union leaders who addressed the crowd Monday night, showcasing the Democratic Partys close ties to organized labor.

Some of the largest unions quickly announced they were backing Harris after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race last month, and the AFL-CIO labor federation of 60 unions said Harris received a unanimous endorsement from its executive council.

Shawn Fain, president of the United Automobile Workers, speaks Monday during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

Organized labor is historically a pillar of the Democratic Party and could prove pivotal in driving turnout for Harris and down-ballot Democrats in battleground states such as Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania.

Kenneth Cooper, president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, urged union members to get behind the Harris campaign, noting that Harris had cast a tie-breaking vote to pass a massive pension rescue for union workers and retirees.

She has come through for all of us, Cooper said. Now its our turn to come through for her.

There was, however, one striking omission from the DNCs union-heavy speaker list on Monday: Sean M. OBrien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

OBrien angered many Democrats and union activists when he sought and accepted Trumps invitation to speak at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month. Trump was overtly hostile to unions and union organizing during his first term in the White House, and precious few Republicans support policies that would bolster the labor movement.

OBrien used the opportunity at the RNC to court Republican support for unions. But his appearance, which included praising Trump as one tough S.O.B., may have come at a political price: A Teamsters spokesperson told HuffPost that the DNC never responded to OBriens request for a speaker slot in Chicago.

Related...
The morning after being called out on national television by United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain during the Democratic National Convention, Stellantis has confirmed it is delaying plans to reopen the shuttered Belvidere Assembly Plant.

The automaker said, however, it stands by its commitment and warned the UAW against taking any strike action.

The UAW is threatening a national strike against Stellantis for allegedly violating a labor agreement reached last year in which it committed to investing $5 billion to restart the plant in Belvidere, Illinois, and hire back thousands of workers.

In a news release Monday, the UAW said tens of thousands of workers from several large locals are prepared to file grievances against Stellantis, paving the way for a strike.

During his rousing opening night speech Monday at the DNC inside the United Center, Fain singled out Stellantis for threatening the life-changing gains achieved in the UAWs strike against the Big Three automakers.

A year later, one company wants to go back on their commitments in our contract, Fain said, donning a red UAW T-shirt emblazoned with TRUMP IS A SCAB across the front. Stellantis must keep the promises they made to America in our union contract, and the UAW will take whatever action necessary to Stellantis or any other corporation, to stand up and hold corporate America accountable.

On Tuesday morning, Stellantis issued a statement confirming it has delayed plans for restarting the Belvidere plant due to changing market conditions, but firmly stands by its commitment in the UAW agreement.

To ensure the companys future competitiveness and sustainability, which are necessary to preserve U.S. manufacturing jobs, it is critical that the business case for all investments is aligned with market conditions and our ability to accommodate a wide range of consumer demands, Stellantis said in its statement.

In November, Stellantis committed to investing nearly $5 billion to retool the plant for production of a new midsize truck, build an adjacent electric vehicle battery plant and create a megahub parts distribution center. Part of an agreement to end a six-week strike by the UAW against the Big Three automakers, the plan is expected to bring thousands of jobs back to Belvidere.

The unions grievance states that Stellantis told the union it would not launch the megahub parts center this year or begin stamping operations next year as planned. In addition, Stellantis said it would not launch the midsize truck production by 2027 as originally scheduled, according to the grievance.

There was no mention by the UAW about the planned 2028 launch of the EV battery plant.

They say they want to delay reopening Belvidere Assembly but they really want to kick the can past our contract expiration so they can suddenly cite market conditions again and never open this plant, never repair the damage theyve done to thousands of autoworkers and their families, Fain said in an email Tuesday.

The creation of the $100 million Belvidere megahub would also mark the end of the 30-year-old Stellantis parts distribution center in Naperville, which is being absorbed into the new facility. The 95 workers at the Naperville parts center, who went on strike last year, would be able to transfer to Belvidere when it opens, the automaker said.

More than half a dozen UAW locals have already filed grievances with the company as of Tuesday afternoon, the union said.

In its statement, Stellantis challenged the UAWs right to strike over the delay, citing the terms of an investment letter committing to restarting Belvidere as part of the collective bargaining agreement.

The UAW agreed to language that expressly allows the company to modify product investments and employment levels, Stellantis said. Therefore, the union cannot legally strike over a violation of this letter at this time.

A Stellantis spokesperson declined to comment beyond the statement Tuesday.

In February 2023, Stellantis indefinitely idled the assembly plant and laid off its last 1,200 workers after halting production of the Jeep Cherokee amid dwindling sales. The Belvidere plant, which opened in 1965 under the Chrysler banner, had been building the Cherokee SUV since 2017.

The plant had more than 5,000 workers on three shifts as recently as 2019, but demand for the Cherokee waned and downsizing accelerated under new owner Stellantis, which was formed by the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Peugeot of France in January 2021.

The UAW and Illinois legislators made restarting the plant a priority throughout the strike negotiations with Stellantis.

In November, President Joe Biden came to Belvidere to celebrate the UAW-Stellantis agreement to reopen the plant, joining Fain and a jubilant crowd of autoworkers. Both Biden and Fain spoke Monday during the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Stellantis hired back 165 laid-off employees in December to work in parts distribution. In May, however, 130 of those workers were temporarily laid off, the company said.

The Belvidere plant is in line for a $334 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the Biden administrations plan to incentivize the transition to electric vehicles.

In addition to the federal money, the state is still putting together its own financial incentive package for Stellantis, employing everything from a $400 million manufacturing relocation closing fund to tax discounts for shifting to EV production.

rchannick@chicagotribune.com
The United Auto Workers is threatening a national strike against Stellantis for allegedly stalling on its plans to reopen the shuttered Belvidere Assembly Plant as agreed.

In a news release Monday, the UAW said tens of thousands of workers from several large locals are prepared to file grievances against Stellantis, paving the way for a strike.

This company made a commitment to autoworkers at Stellantis in our union contract, and we intend to enforce that contract to the full extent, UAW President Shawn Fain said in the release.

In November, Stellantis committed to investing nearly $5 billion to retool the plant for production of a new midsize truck, build an adjacent electric vehicle battery plant and create a megahub parts distribution center. Part of an agreement to end a six-week strike by the UAW against the Big Three automakers, the plan is expected to bring thousands of jobs back to Belvidere.

The grievance states that Stellantis told the union it would not launch the megahub parts center this year or begin stamping operations next year as planned. In addition, Stellantis said it would not launch the midsize truck production by 2027 as originally scheduled, according to the grievance, which has yet to be filed by UAW locals.

There was no mention by the UAW about the planned 2028 launch of the EV battery plant.

A Stellantis spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

In February 2023, Stellantis indefinitely idled the assembly plant and laid off its last 1,200 workers after halting production of the Jeep Cherokee amid dwindling sales. The Belvidere plant, which opened in 1965 under the Chrysler banner, had been building the Cherokee SUV since 2017.

The plant had more than 5,000 workers on three shifts as recently as 2019, but demand for the Cherokee waned and downsizing accelerated under new owner Stellantis, which was formed by the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Peugeot of France in January 2021.

The UAW and Illinois legislators made restarting the plant a priority throughout the strike negotiations with Stellantis.

In November, President Joe Biden came to Belvidere to celebrate the UAW-Stellantis agreement to reopen the plant, joining Fain and a jubilant crowd of autoworkers. Both Biden and Fain were scheduled to speak Monday during the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Stellantis hired back 165 laid-off employees in December to work in parts distribution. In May, however, 130 of those workers were temporarily laid off, the company said.

The Belvidere plant is in line for a $334 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the Biden administrations plan to incentivize the transition to electric vehicles.

In addition to the federal money, the state is still putting together its own financial incentive package for Stellantis, employing everything from a $400 million manufacturing relocation closing fund to tax discounts for shifting to EV production.

_____
The University of Kentucky is dissolving its Office of Institutional Diversity, months after the state legislature tried to pass bills targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs on college campuses statewide.

The move comes after UK President Eli Capilouto said he received feedback throughout the summer, including meeting with legislators who expressed concerns about the role of diversity, equity and inclusion  referred to as DEI  at UK.

Lawmakers failed to pass the bills targeting DEI programs this past spring, but the university expects them to pursue similar bills next spring.

In addition to eliminating the Office of Institutional Diversity, several other changes announced Tuesday will take effect in the next few weeks. UK will remove mandatory diversity training throughout the university, and no employees will be required to write a diversity statement to be employed, Capilouto said in a campus-wide email sent Tuesday afternoon.

To be impartial facilitators as an institution of broad perspectives, the university and Capilouto will no longer make statements on political or partisan events or issues, including on the university website, he said. A new office, the Office for Community Relations, will be created in place of the Office of Institutional Diversity.

We share the value that out of many people, we are one community, Capilouto wrote in the email.

We share a promise with Kentucky that all who turn to us should have the same opportunity to live a healthy, long life or cross that stage. That is how we honor our shared, common humanity. But weve also listened to policymakers and heard many of their questions about whether we appear partisan or political on the issues of our day and, as a result, narrowly interpret things solely through the lens of identity. In so doing, the concern is that we either intentionally or unintentionally limit discourse.

Legislation targeting DEI efforts on college campuses has been proposed in 28 states since 2023, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, which has been tracking such legislation. Earlier this year in Kentucky, two bills were proposed by Republicans that would have targeted, and essentially eliminated, DEI programming and initiatives on college campuses, though neither became law.

Kentuckys anti-DEI higher ed bill dies a second time

Training on topics like unconscious bias and modules within larger training segments in HR that could be classified as around DEI, will no longer be mandatory, said Jay Blanton, university spokesperson.

Capilouto said he is focused on three questions: Did we care? Were we fair? Did we give all a fair shot? In talking with legislators, Capilouto said it has been made clear to him that DEI will again be brought before the legislature in 2025.

As we strive to be a community where all people, no matter the background or perspective, feel a sense of belonging, we must seek to foster a sense of mutual respect among members of our community and for all those we serve, said Capilouto, who has been the president since 2011. We must do this while also protecting academic freedom  the idea that scholars and all members of the university community must always be free to inquire, to discover, to teach and to evaluate as they gain and impart understanding and knowledge.

No jobs eliminated due to changes

Colleges and academic units will continue the diversity work of the Office of Institutional Diversity, with job descriptions of some roles being rewritten to reflect their role in working with DEI initiatives and programming, Blanton said.

This should in no way be construed as impinging upon academic freedom, Capilouto said. Faculty decide what to teach as part of formal instruction and where discovery should take them as scholars in their areas of expertise. That means both scholar and student encountering difficult and challenging ideas together, pushing each other to toward deeper understanding, while maintaining a sense of mutual respect.

Capilouto said the university remains committed to its strategic plan, including the principle of bringing many people together, one community that is outlined in the plan.

No jobs will be eliminated because of these changes, Capilouto said.

The Office of Institutional Diversitys mission, according to the UK website, was to enhance the diversity and inclusivity of our university community through the recruitment and retention of an increasingly diverse population of faculty, administrators, staff and students, and by implementing initiatives that provide rich diversity-related experiences for all to help ensure their success in an interconnected world.

Katrice Albert, who has been the vice president for institutional diversity at UK since 2021, will move into a new role as the vice president for community relations in the new office, Blanton said, and employees from the Office of Institutional Diversity will move into roles in different offices.

In 2020, Capilouto spoke out after Breonna Taylor, a Black woman who was a UK student in 2011, was killed in her home by Louisville Metro Police officers. Since then, he has spoken up several times in support of diverse communities, including about a controversial mural located on campus that depicts Black workers, possibly slaves, planting tobacco and a Native American person wielding a tomahawk.

Capilouto has repeatedly come out in support of removing the mural after student protests in 2019, though a lawsuit filed by Kentucky author Wendell Berry halted removal efforts.

DEI in Kentucky

Tuesdays announcement comes several months after Capilouto, in a rare public rebuke of GOP legislators, spoke out against anti-DEI and tenure bills that had been filed in the state legislature earlier this year, calling the bills deeply concerning.

We dont speak out as an institution on public policy unless the issues will impact our entire community in potentially significant ways, Capilouto wrote in a campus-wide email in April. This is one of those moments. Lets not extinguish the thirst for knowledge because certain questions arent allowed because they are uncomfortable or challenging.

The two bills proposed in Kentucky would have blocked all DEI initiatives that promoted discriminatory concepts and would have forced public colleges and universities to dismantle and defund DEI offices and positions. Senate Bill 6, which was aimed at restricting DEI offices at public universities, failed to pass on the last night of the 2024 legislative session.

Race-based metrics no longer included in state funding model for Kentucky public colleges

Rep. Jennifer Decker, R-Waddy, who sponsored one of the anti-DEI bills earlier this year, argued last spring that DEI initiatives represented a failed policy that made college more divided, more expensive and less tolerant.

In March, the Kentucky Attorney General said public universities use of certain DEI policies violated the U.S. Constitution and the Civil Rights Act. Drawing on the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College, the case which struck down affirmative action last year, Attorney General Russell Coleman said using underrepresented minorities as a metric for funding state colleges is unconstitutional.

Following that, a law was passed barring the Council on Postsecondary Education from considering race in its performance-based funding model, which determines how state funding is distributed to public universities and community colleges.

CPE then changed metrics in its performance-based funding model to remove race-based metrics from funding consideration, giving more weight to low-income bachelors degree produced and introducing degrees earned by first-generation students and non-traditional students into the model.
Ukrainian forces have advanced 28-35 kilometers (18-21 miles) into Russia's Kursk Oblast and taken control of 93 settlements, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported at an event chaired by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 20.

According to Syrskyi, Ukraine has captured 1,263 square kilometers (488 square miles) of Russian territory to date. These figures could not be independently verified by the Kyiv Independent.

The Ukrainian military's unprecedented operation, ongoing for nearly two weeks, has led to the capture of the town of Sudzha in Kursk Oblast and the alleged destruction of all three bridges over the Seim River near the border with Ukraine.

Syrskyi described the wider front line situation as challenging, with Ukrainian Defense Forces engaged along a 1,040-kilometer (649-mile) front.

He noted that Ukrainian efforts are concentrated in the Slobozhanskyi direction, which includes Kharkiv, Sumy, and Luhansk oblasts, as well as in the Donetsk and Tavriia directions, encompassing Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Kherson oblasts.

He added that the Russian army is conducting a maneuver defense, shifting forces from other areas to block Ukrainian advances.

The operation in Kursk Oblast aims to create a security zone, halt shelling of civilian areas in Sumy Oblast, and outpace the enemy.

On Aug. 10, the Russian government announced a "counter-terrorist operation" in Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod oblasts, which border Ukraine, and began evacuations in these regions, including to Russian-occupied areas in Zaporizhzhia Oblast and Crimea.

Read also: Ukraines buffer zone in Kursk Oblast  heres what you need to know

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Some Ukraine Allies Are Failing to Follow Through on Air-Defense Pledges

(Bloomberg) -- A number of Ukraines NATO allies are falling short on pledges to accelerate deliveries of air-defense systems and other military equipment to fend off Russias offensive, according to people familiar with the matter.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Several North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies have yet to follow through with commitments they reaffirmed at the alliances summit in Washington last month, the people said on condition of anonymity. Those include pledges to send at least five additional long-range systems, they said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy renewed calls for urgent help from allies as his forces launched a surprise incursion into Russian territory this month. The president, who has lamented that fresh US weapons supplies were taking too long to reach the front, reinforced the plea for faster deliveries this week.

There are no vacations in war, Zelenskiy said in an address to the nation Sunday. Decisions are needed, as is timely logistics for the announced aid packages. I especially address this to the United States, the United Kingdom and France.

The NATO air-defense pledge, which included commitments that had already been made, was the centerpiece of allied support at the alliances July summit. President Joe Biden called it  along with dozens of shorter-range systems  a historic donation.

The US, Germany and Romania each vowed to send a Patriot system, with a fourth provided with components from several nations. Italy pledged to send a SAMP-T surface-to-air system. Other allies committed to sending other systems and munitions to Ukraine.

Zelenskiy said Tuesday that Kyiv had discussed air-defense systems with its partners. We are are preparing reinforcements, he said in a regular address to the nation, without elaborating.

Ukraine will come under additional strain as the third full winter of the conflict approaches  and as citizens already struggle with rolling blackouts prompted by decimated energy infrastructure.

Many of the NATO pledges are unlikely to be fulfilled by autumn, when Russia is expected to exploit the war-battered nations vulnerabilities and intensify its bombardment of Ukraines critical infrastructure, the people said.

Deep Strikes

As Russia presses ahead with its war-footing, the support among Ukraines allies remains uneven, according to one official. Another said some allies are falling behind on providing military equipment to Ukraines reserve forces, which is affecting the countrys defenses.

Zelenskiy also drove home his demand that the US and some European allies lift remaining restrictions on the use of long-range weapons, arguing that his military cross-border incursion in Russias western Kursk region exposed Kremlin threats of retaliation as illusory.

Zelenskiys government has argued that deep strikes into Russia are necessary to hit airfields and launchers from which Moscow initiates attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. Allies such as the US, Germany and Italy have so far resisted the request, with some only allowing for limited use of their weapons inside Russian territory.

Ukraine touted the first occupation of Russian territory since World War II, which has prompted the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents and a military response that could draw troops and hardware from the front line.

While Ukraines top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Tuesday that Kyiv now controls 1,263 square kilometers (488 square miles) of Kursk region territory, Kremlin forces have pressed forward with grinding advances in eastern Ukraine.

Russian troops approached the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, an important logistics hub for Ukrainian forces. Local authorities have issued evacuation warnings.

Further action in the Kursk region will depend on the development of the operational situation, Syrskyi said in televised comments.

--With assistance from Aliaksandr Kudrytski.

(Updates with Zelenskiy comments in seventh paragraph, Syrskyi comments in last paragraph.)

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Ukrainian troops are pushing westward in Russia's Kursk Oblast as part of an effort to crea

As part of a plan to create a buffer zone along its borders, Ukraine is pushing westward in Kursk Oblast. On the 14th day of the invasion, Russian media and milbloggers say Ukraine destroyed the last of three bridges over the Seim River in that part of the battlefield. That is isolating Moscows forces there who now have to rely on pontoon bridges for resupply, which are also being struck nearly as soon as they are put in place.

Ukraines top general on Monday offered scant details about the invasion.

We are achieving new results in Kursk, Col.-Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Telegram, providing no specifics or proof. We have replenished the exchange fund, a reference to Russian prisoners of war that can be swapped for Ukrainian troops held by Russia.

Ukraine hit & severely damaged another bridge in Zvannoe, Kursk region with airstrike. pic.twitter.com/Ag4DAoE5Aj  Clash Report (@clashreport) August 18, 2024

In his first public statement on the goals of the operation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is trying to establish a buffer zone inside Russia.

It is now our primary task in defensive operations overall: to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and conduct maximum counteroffensive actions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening speech Sunday. This includes creating a buffer zone on the aggressors territory  our operation in the Kursk region. Everything that inflicts losses on the Russian army, Russian state, their military-industrial complex, and their economy helps prevent the war from expanding and brings us closer to a just end to this aggression  a just peace for Ukraine.

Buffer zone is a phrase used by Russian President Vladimir Putin to describe the goal of his now-sputtering Kharkiv offensive.

The Ukrainian Marines, meanwhile, said that they captured another village on the invasions western salient.

Marines of Ukraine, together with other units of the Defense Forces, are at the forefront of combat missions in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation, the Ukrainian Navy said on Telegram Monday. Soldiers of the 501st separate battalion of marines drop a tricolor rag in one of the settlements.

That was an apparent reference to the village of Apanasovka, where video emerged of a Ukrainian marine taking down the Russian tricolor flag. The village would be part of any westward push toward the border town of Tetkino.

The War Zone could not independently confirm that claim.

The Kremlin-connected Rybar Telegram channel on Monday suggested that the toughest fighting for Russia is taking place near the village of Glushkovo, on the battlefields western-most axis. Thats where the Ukrainian Air Force on Friday bombed the first of the three bridges over the Seim River, which snakes around that part of Kursk to the Ukrainian border.

The most difficult situation is developing in the Glushkovsky district, Rybar said Monday. In the morning, Ukrainian aviation destroyed the last bridge in the district across the Seim River in the village of Karyzh. Thus, the evacuation of the population and the supply of the Russian troop group now entirely depends on the number of boats and the deployment of a sufficient number of pontoons. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are creating conditions for preparing a bridgehead before an offensive in this area.

According to russian media, Ukrainian forces have isolated 700 square kilometers of territory in the Kursk region by destroying three bridges. pic.twitter.com/UTWLjCIAVD  WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) August 19, 2024

Former Zelensky spokesperson Iulia Mandel confirmed the destruction of the bridge.

The Ukrainian army destroyed the third and last bridge over the Seim River in #Kurskregion pic.twitter.com/JdHXAzaOye  Iuliia Mendel (@IuliiaMendel) August 19, 2024

The Ukrainian Air Force, however, has yet to comment. It did confirm it destroyed a second bridge on Sunday, two days after it said it struck the first of the bridges.

Commander of Ukrainian Air Force Mykola Oleshchuk shared footage of the destruction of another bridge over river Seim in the Kursk region. This has a significant impact on enemy logistics in the bridgehead. pic.twitter.com/LPJjUfgEuN  WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) August 18, 2024

There has been visual confirmation that Russia has been building pontoon crossings.

A high-resolution @planet satellite image taken on Aug. 17th shows the pontoon bridge across the Seym River, constructed by the Russians between Aug. 15 and Aug. 16, east of Glushkovo village in Kursk Oblast (51.35109, 34.67668), after Ukraine began targeting bridges in the area. https://t.co/4q7U5Cy6du pic.twitter.com/k6OxC5JKoM  Mark Krutov (@kromark) August 19, 2024

In addition, there are claims that Ukraine struck at least one of those make-shift crossings. Visualized data provided by NASAs Fire Information For Resource Management Systems (FIRMS) shows what appears to be a fire just to the east of that location.

FIRMS

Satellite imagery shows that pontoon bridge is no longer there.

Russian forces in Kursk attempted to build a new pontoon bridge over the Seym River to reconnect their troops isolated on the southern bank.



Ukrainian forces proceeded to strike the area, cutting the new pontoon bridge and setting the crossing ablaze.



pic.twitter.com/MaDnRdrh5D  OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 19, 2024

These bridges are in range of a wide array of Ukrainian aerial and ground-based guided weapons. Ukraines Air Force can strike them with JDAM-ER or Hammer standoff guided bombs among other munitions while GMLRS guided rockets fired by a HIMARS or M270 system can strike them from the ground.

Ukrainian forces, on the other hand, dont need bridges to attack because they are advancing south of the river.

In addition to pushing toward the western part of Kursk salient, Ukraine is also making a move east, according to the Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategy (CDS) think tank.

The sides are deploying reserves to the Belitsa and Giri areas of Kursk Oblast, where combat clashes are expected to occur in the next day or two, CDS said in its latest emailed assessment.

They are also pushing north as well, according to the latest Institute for the Study of War control map.

NEW: Ukrainian forces continued assaults throughout their salient in Kursk Oblast on August 18 and marginally advanced southeast of Sudzha.



Kursk Tactical Updates (1/10) pic.twitter.com/4m6iIRtRNX  Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) August 18, 2024

Adding to Russias troubles, Ukrainian first-person view (FPV) drones are providing a constant threat to Russian activities on a key section of the E38 highway, linking Ryslk and Lgov

Ukrainian FPV attack drones are currently prowling the critical Russian supply line along the E38 highway between Rylsk and Lgov in Kursk Oblast.



Russian milbloggers on the ground are calling it an "FPV kill zone". pic.twitter.com/BhhN1JN0Mx  OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 18, 2024

Ukraines 82nd Air Assault Brigade released video of several intense ambushes of Russian troops in Kursk. Warning, some of these scene are quite graphic.

Extremely intense footage shows riflemen of the 82nd Air Assault Brigade ambushing one after another Russian military escorts in the Kursk Oblast. pic.twitter.com/DTBwOalDPR  WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) August 18, 2024

Ukraine also released video of its mechanized troops advancing in an undisclosed Kursk location. You can see the intensity of the house-to-house fighting there.

The Russian Defense Ministry (MoD) continues to maintain that it is foiling the invasion.

Units of the Sever Group of Forces supported by Army Aviation and artillery fire conduct reconnaissance and search operations to locate and eliminate small enemy sabotage groups in forest belts attempting to get deeper into the Russian territory to the south of Skrylevka and Sheptukhovka, the MoD stated. Attacks launched by assault detachments in the direction of Olgovka, Russkoye Porechnoye, and Cherkasskoye Porechnoye were repelled.

Aviation, artillery and ground forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware clusters of the AFU 22nd, 61st, 115th Mechanized Brigades, and 80th Air Assault Brigade near Borki, Bogdanovka, Vishnyovka, Viktorovka, Kositsa, Lyubimovka, Melovoy, Snagost, west of Martynovka, and southeast of Korenevo, the MoD claimedThe operation to neutralize the AFU units is in progress.

The video below shows a Russian Ka-52 Alligator assault helicopter firing rockets at Ukrainian troops in Kursk.

Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter in action with a pitch-up maneuver in Kursk region of Russia. pic.twitter.com/naUAyH1U0i  War Intel (@warintel4u) August 19, 2024

The MoD also said it hit several targets in Ukraines Sumy Oblast, which is a staging area for the invasion. However, its claim that they destroyed a donated M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) reportedly appears to be a bunch of hot air, literally. Instead of striking the MLRS, Russia reportedly hit an inflatable decoy made by the Czech Inflatech company. We could not independently verify that claim.

#Ukraine/#Russia :



The #Russians claimed yesterday that they hit and and destroyed a #Ukrainian M270 MLRS in #Sumy oblast. Today it turned out that it was a #Czech-made decoy from Inflatech.



The torso of the decoy is made of synthetic silk, they radiate heat exactly pic.twitter.com/Ct4r98q3DR     (@praisethesteph) August 18, 2024

So far, Russia has moved some 5,000 troops from Ukraine to help defend Kursk, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.

The WSJs report of 5,000 Russian personnel partially coheres with a report that Russian forces had redeployed up to 11 battalions to the frontline in Kursk Oblast as of August 11, the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest assessment.

Russia has also deployed a special motorized rifle regiment of the Aerospace Forces to counter according to Russian media.

Additionally, reports have emerged of Russian teenage conscripts being pulled from across that nation into the defense of Kursk.

1/ Russia is reportedly creating 'Kursk battalions' of newly enlisted conscripts, many of whom are barely trained teenagers paid only $0.75 a day, are being sent to Kursk to fight the Ukrainian incursion. Some are being forced to sign contracts to fight at the front lines. pic.twitter.com/iu3wHVpvsP  ChrisO_wiki (@ChrisO_wiki) August 16, 2024

As the push in Kursk continues, Ukraine is on the verge of losing two key cities in Donetsk Oblast.

Heavy fighting continues in the Pokrovsky direction, Syrskyi said today on Telegram. Defense forces are also doing everything necessary to protect Toretsk.

That may not be enough.

Russian forces are moving toward the outskirts of Pokrovsk. We see  it is no secret, Katerina Yanzhula, head of information policy in the Pokrovsk military administration, told The Washington Post on Monday. The citys fate was unclear, she added.

Maybe the situation there will somehow change  we hope that the enemy will stop somewhere on the approaches to Pokrovsk, that our troops will repel them.

The plan to strike Kursk was a tension-filled, closely held effort, according to The Economist.

Several scenarios were considered for an offensive push at the weakest points in the Russian line: a strike in Bryansk region in the north; a strike in Kursk region; a combination of the two; or more, the publication reported. The main objective was to draw troops away from the Donbas stranglehold, and to create bargaining chips for any future negotiation. General Syrsky kept his plans under wraps, sharing them only with a tight group of generals and security officials. He spoke to the president on a one-on-one basis, without his staff. The armys intelligence did much of the reconnaissance, rather than leaving it to GUR, Ukraines military intelligence agency, which was included only at a late stage.

"Amid the turmoil, the commander began his planningSeveral scenarios were considered for an offensive push at the weakest points in the Russian line: a strike in Bryansk region in the north; a strike in Kursk region; a combination of the two; or more. The main objective was to pic.twitter.com/KJD6MiJ8mN  Rob Lee (@RALee85) August 18, 2024

Though a Pentagon told us officials there were not consulted before Ukraine launched the invasion, Russias Foreign Affairs Ministry blamed the U.S.

Zelenskyy would have never dared to carry out the provocation, in Kursk, without the permission of the US. Just as the US is behind the explosion of Nord Stream, which left Europe without cheap Russian fuel and, consequently, without sustainable basis for economic pic.twitter.com/JWSjU6GFRR  Russia is not Enemy (@RussiaIsntEnemy) August 19, 2024

During an announcement of a new $115 million military aid package for Ukraine, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said his country has no objection to its donated weapons being used in Kursk.

He emphasized that Denmark sees Ukraines military operations inside Russia as a part of Ukraines defense strategy, according to the Kyiv Independent.

Self-defense can involve entering the aggressors territory. If, as part of this, you target the infrastructure or military facilities of the attacking party, then this is fully in line with the rules of war, he said.

Rasmussen did not mention any specific weapon, but Denmark has provided Ukraine with F-16s.

JUST IN: Danish Foreign Minister says Ukraine may use Danish weapons for strikes on Russian territory



Today Denmark has announced a defense aid package for Ukraine worth more than 104 million. What the new package will include is unknown, but it specifically provides pic.twitter.com/zHAeZH6bE7  NEXTA (@nexta_tv) August 19, 2024

U.S. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) called on the Biden administration to allow Ukraine to use the long-range weapons it has received from the U.S. inside Russia.

a concern with the Biden administrations restrictionsis Ukraine is finally in a position where they can hold Russia accountable, Turner told Face the Nation on Sunday. They have now entered into Russian territory. If they can use long-range weapon systems to hold accountable Russias valid military targets that are attacking Ukraine, we can change the dynamics on the ground. You cant continue to just have a front line in Ukraine where Russia is out-producing weapon systems from what Ukraine has, and have this this turn out well for Ukraine.

U.S. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R) calls on White House to lift restrictions on Ukraine so they can use long-range weapons systems to strike inside ruZZia during this critical moment of the Kursk offensive. pic.twitter.com/Qs1zip45JD  Claretta Nijhuis (@NijhuisClaretta) August 18, 2024

In addition to the Kursk invasion, Ukraine continues to attack energy infrastructure inside Russia.

A fire at Russias Proletarsk state fuel reserve facility in the Rostov region is still burning three days after a reported Ukrainian drone strike.

The facility is located more than 250 miles from the front lines.

The fire in Proletarsk is still being extinguished, and the [number of] personnel and appliances involved has been increased, Rostov Gov. Vasily Golubev said on Telegram Monday. Given the complexity of the fire in the Proletarsky district, the high-alert mode has been upgraded to an emergency situation. The emergency rescue units are currently focusing all their efforts on containing the fire.

Proletarsk  Federal Agency for State Reserves Oil Depot



0.5M | 3M from 19 August 2024



Substantial spread in the ~3 hrs between , 7 additional tanks appear to be burning



Noticeably absent is any firefighting equipment. They may be staging in the SE corner pic.twitter.com/fIZQqjnc54  MT Anderson (@MT_Anderson) August 19, 2024

To understand the size of the Proletarsk state reserve fuel facility, here is the satellite photo. Back of the envelope calculation is that it holds up to $200 million worth of fuel, based on the Russian domestic wholesale price of about $500 per ton of diesel. Each of these https://t.co/rSjhCIN58g pic.twitter.com/ZHIe9wBGXK  Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof) August 19, 2024

Video has emerged on social media showing a detailed demonstration of Russian FPV drones with fiber optic control cables reportedly developed by the Chinese Skywalker Technology company.

In an effort to avoid Ukrainian jamming, Russia began using fiber optic cables to control its first-person view (FPV) drones in the Kursk region. Images of downed Russian kamikaze drones with those cables began to emerge in March. You can read much more about this technique in our deep dive here.

A detailed demonstration of FPV drone with fiber optic control developed by Chinese Skywalker Technology.



Depending on the flight range requirement, the drone is offered with 1, 5 and 10 km cable reels.



The 5 km cable reel weighs 1.1 kg. pic.twitter.com/2D210lCx5G  Clash Report (@clashreport) August 19, 2024

A U.S.-donated GBU-39 air-launched Small Diameter Bomb is seen in this image below being unboxed at an unspecified Ukrainian air base.

US-supplied GBU-39 SDB glide bomb in Ukrainian service, seen here being unboxed at a Ukrainian airfield. pic.twitter.com/FGzG4D3L3P  OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 18, 2024

The president of Russias client state of Belarus on Monday again called for the war to end in a peculiar way.

Ukraine has already passed the stage of denazification, it is necessary to start negotiations and end the conflict, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview with the TV channel Russia 1. Ukraines move into Russia has likely rattled the Lukashenko. Russia launched part of its invasion from Belarus and has fired standoff weapons from there.

Though the bulk of the fighting inside Ukraine is taking place in the Donbas, there is still a battle going on along the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast.

A Ukrainian Armed Forces base on the side of the river under its control was recently hit by one of Russias modern Kh-38M air-to-ground missiles.

An airstrike using a Kh-38 guided missile was launched against a Ukrainian Armed Forces base on the right bank of the Dnieper. pic.twitter.com/4LAvib3eY9  King Chelsea Ug (@ug_chelsea) August 18, 2024

A Ukrainian uncrewed jet ski was recently destroyed by Russian small arms fire in Crimea, which you can see in the video below.

Footage of the Destruction of the Ukrainian unmanned jet ski by small arms fire on the Crimea. pic.twitter.com/8tSi5q2axZ  King Chelsea Ug (@ug_chelsea) August 17, 2024

Naval expert H I Sutton, who uses the @covertshores Twitter handle, said this is a second-generation Ukrainian jet ski USV.

A highly modified jet ski loaded with explosives was recently found off the Turkish coast near Istanbul. The uncrewed vehicle is likely part of a growing armada of Ukrainian kamikaze drone boats that have been notably effective in disrupting Russian Navy activities in the Black Sea and have sunk or damaged multiple warships. However, this is the first time one has been spotted in Crimea.

***UPDATE***

Here-> https://t.co/RGNuv3nbLe#Ukraines second generation weaponized jet ski USV used in attacks on #Russian facilities in Crimea the night before last.



Note the radar #OSINT pic.twitter.com/rISaH9gf1x  H I Sutton (@CovertShores) August 18, 2024

With the war grinding on and his country under invasion, Putin is opening the aperture for those who can gain Russian citizenship. They dont have to know how to speak or read Russian, just share traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.

Form an orderly Queue.



Foreigners who "share traditional Russian spiritual and moral values" without knowledge of the Russian language can now move to Russia.



Vladimir Putin signed a decree that Citizens of countries whose governments "impose destructive liberal attitudes" pic.twitter.com/ryBhMkyNBV  Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) August 19, 2024

Thats it for now.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
Key developments on Aug. 20:

Russian pontoon crossing in Kursk Oblast 'disappears' in possible blast, RFE/RL reports

Ukraine advances 28-35 km in Kursk Oblast, Syrskyi says

Ukraine's military says battles ongoing in Niu-York amid Russia's reported advance

Defected Russian soldier reveals he spied for Ukraine, injured his commander

Russia preparing new attacks in Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, military says.

Russia issues information security alert in regions bordering Ukraine amid Kursk incursion.

One of at least two pontoon bridges built by Russia over the Seim River in Kursk Oblast is no longer visible in satellite imagery, and smoke was detected in the area, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported on Aug. 19.

The news came shortly after Ukraine allegedly struck the third and final stationary bridge over the river in the Glushkovsky district, threatening to cut off Russian supply lines in the area amid Kyiv's ongoing incursion.

Citing images recorded by NASA satellites, RFE/RL said that the pontoon bridge built by the Russian military between Zvannoe and Glushkovo  the two settlements that hosted two of the targeted fixed bridges  is no longer visible as of Aug. 19.

1/3  :         -   . pic.twitter.com/uuTea8HMPj    (@radiosvoboda) August 20, 2024

The footage also recorded smoke rising 500 meters away from the pontoon crossing's previous spot, "presumably from an explosion," RFE/RL wrote.

There has been no official report of a possible attack against the crossing.

Russian forces began setting up pontoon crossings across the Seim River in the wake of Ukrainian attacks against the stationary bridges. Another pontoon bridge, built east of Glushkovo, is still visible as of Aug. 19, the outlet said.

The three reportedly damaged bridges on the Seim River and the Ukrainian-held territories in Russia's Kursk Oblast as of Aug. 19, 2024. Source: Institute for the Study of War. (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)

Kyiv confirmed successful attacks against the bridges in Zvannoe and Glushkovo but is yet to comment on the attack against Karyzh, the westernmost of the three settlements. The Air Force declined to comment following a request by the Kyiv Independent.

The loss of the crossings across the Seim River could present a serious challenge to Russian troops stationed in the Glushkovsky district, who are lodged between the river to the north, Ukraine's Sumy Oblast to the west and south, and Ukrainian-held territories of Kursk Oblast to the east.

Ukraine advances 28-35 km in Kursk Oblast, Syrskyi says

Ukrainian forces have advanced 28-35 kilometers (18-21 miles) into Russia's Kursk Oblast and taken control of 93 settlements, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported at an event chaired by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 20.

According to Syrskyi, Ukraine has captured 1,263 square kilometers (488 square miles) of Russian territory to date. These figures could not be independently verified by the Kyiv Independent.

Syrskyi described the wider front line situation as challenging, with Ukrainian Defense Forces engaged along a 1,040-kilometer (649-mile) front.

Syrskyi noted that Ukrainian efforts are concentrated in the Slobozhanskyi direction, which includes Kharkiv, Sumy, and Luhansk oblasts, as well as in the Donetsk and Tavriia directions, encompassing Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Kherson oblasts.

He added that the Russian army is conducting a maneuver defense, shifting forces from other areas to block Ukrainian advances.

Read also: Ukraines parliament adopts bill potentially banning Moscow-linked church

Ukraine's military says battles ongoing in Niu-York amid Russia's reported advance

The Ukrainian military said on Aug. 20 that clashes are ongoing at the village of Niu-York in Donetsk Oblast as multiple sources point to a rapid Russian advance deep into the settlement.

Niu-York lies just south of Toretsk, a key front-line town that has become one of the focal points of the Russian offensive in Donetsk Oblast.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Aug. 19 that according to Russian pro-war bloggers, Moscow's troops have effectively seized the settlement and are clearing its northern areas while pushing to Nelipivka further north.

Russian sources provided no visual confirmation of the claim, the ISW stressed.

The Ukrainian crowd-sourced tracking site DeepState provided a similar estimate, claiming that almost the entire settlement is in Russian hands except for the outskirts in the west, north, and northeast.

Alleged Russian advance into Niu-York, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, as of Aug. 19, 2024, according to DeepState. (DeepState/Open Street Map)

The Ukrainian military did not comment on the claims and instead said that heavy fighting is ongoing in the Toretsk sector, including in Niu-York.

Russian forces attempted 24 ground attacks in the area of Niu-York, Nelipivka, Zalizne, Pivnichne, and near Toretsk over the past day, the Khorytsia group of forces said on Telegram.

Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Khortytsia group, did not provide further details following the Kyiv Independent's request for comment.

Ukrainska Pravda said that according to its military sources, Ukrainian troops continue to hold out in the northern part of the settlement.

Read also: Swedens Pansarbandvagn 302 approved by Ukraine  but is it any good?

Defected Russian soldier reveals he spied for Ukraine, injured his commander



A Russian soldier who defected through a joint operation of the Freedom of Russia Legion and Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) project "I Want to Live" conducted espionage and injured his commander in a grenade attack, HUR revealed at a press conference on Aug. 20 attended by a Kyiv Independent reporter.

The 24-year-old soldier, codenamed "Silver," contacted the legion in early 2024 after witnessing a variety of criminal acts committed by his unit and commanders.

"Silver" then reportedly provided clandestine information to the legion about the location of Russian troops and plans for military operations.

Due to "disagreement with the command and authority" of Russia, "Silver" then said he threw a grenade down a ventilation shaft into where his commander was sleeping. The incident took place near the town of Ocheretyne in Donetsk Oblast.

At the press conference, "Silver" said that the commander was injured as a result of the grenade attack but was unsure of the extent of his injuries. The commander's deputy may have also been injured, he added. He then escaped and met with military intelligence officials and representatives of the legion.

Originally, "Silver" studied to be a combat paramedic and served as a conscript in a drone company before Russia's full-scale invasion.

In September 2023, "Silver" found out about the legion and decided to fight alongside Ukraine. He figured "that the best option would be to sign a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry in order to cross the border."

Shortly after, he found that he had been assigned to a so-called "Storm-Z" unit, which are often used in human-wave type assaults that result in heavy casualties.

"Silver" is now undergoing a training course for new recruits to the legion and will soon go fight against Russia.

Read also: The Counteroffensive: Online weddings and missile tracking  how Ukraines digital innovations thrive amid war

Russia preparing new attacks in Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, military says.

Russia has increased aerial reconnaissance and is preparing new assault operations in Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine's Kharkiv group of forces reported on Aug. 20.

Vovchansk is an embattled town some 60 kilometers (37 miles) northeast of Kharkiv that has seen heavy battles since Russia launched a new offensive in the area in May.

"In Vovchansk, the enemy has increased aerial reconnaissance and is preparing for assault operations," the military's statement read.

Russia has also intensified aerial reconnaissance in Hlyboke, a village roughly 35 kilometers (22 miles) west of Vovchansk, and is redeploying units of the 11th Tank Regiment of the 18th Motorized Rife Division, according to the statement.

Russian forces are reportedly forming assault groups from the 7th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 11th Army Corps near Lyptsi  a village just south of Hlyboke  to "replenish their losses."

Five clashes took place over the past day, with Russia losing 76 soldiers killed and wounded, and one of them captured. Moscow's troops also lost one tank, 10 artillery systems, 57 drones, and other equipment, the military said.

While initially gaining ground in May, the Russian offensive in northern Kharkiv Oblast has quickly bogged down, with Russian troops reportedly suffering heavy losses. The intensity of fighting has decreased somewhat compared to other sectors, though several reports of Russia preparing new attacks have emerged since then.

Read also: Ukraines buffer zone in Kursk Oblast  heres what you need to know

Russia issues information security alert in regions bordering Ukraine amid Kursk incursion

The Russian Interior Ministry issued a memo on information security for residents and law enforcement residing in the country's Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod oblasts, which border Ukraine.

The memo was issued amid the Ukrainian military's ongoing incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast, which began on Aug. 6. Ukraine has reportedly since gained control of over 1,000 square kilometers and dozens of Russian settlements.

The memo advises against using CCTV cameras, as Ukrainian forces can allegedly access them remotely. It also warns against using online dating services for similar security concerns.

Service members are instructed to avoid opening messages or links from unknown contacts and to refrain from using phones with sensitive official or personal data that could fall into enemy hands.

The Russian government also urges citizens not to post videos or livestreams on social media, especially on highways shared with military vehicles.

Military personnel and law enforcement officers are encouraged to turn off Telegram's "People Nearby" feature, remove photos, and change nicknames that indicate their affiliation with the military or government. They are also advised to conceal personal data, remove geotags from social media, and avoid linking photos to their locations.

Employees in the energy and nuclear sectors are advised to hide their professional affiliations on social media to prevent identification by Ukrainian intelligence.

The Russian government announced a so-called "counter-terrorist operation" on Aug. 10 in Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod oblasts.

Read also: Democratic convention kicks off with celebrations, Biden keynote, and few details on Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine's defence forces, particularly the 53rd Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, continue to hold the defence in the northern part of the town of New-York in Donetsk Oblast. The latest report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), citing Russian military bloggers, mentioned that the village had been possibly captured.

Source: sources of Ukrainska Pravda in leadership of the 53rd Brigade and Luhansk Operational Tactical Group

Quote from a source in the 53rd Brigade: "Our forces are in New-York, holding the defence. We control approximately 20% [of the town]. The Russians are advancing thanks to a large number of reserves. We kill them, but they keep coming. Unfortunately, we dont have such reserves."

Details: Another source of Ukrainska Pravda reported that besides the lack of infantry, there are also issues with the available personnel. On the New-York and neighbouring Toretsk fronts, there are problems with the motivation of the military and a rather high rate of those who voluntarily abandoned the military positions.

After occupying part of New-York, the Russians are already actively moving towards the next town, Nelipivka.

For reference: The Russians captured most of New-York remarkably quickly. It happened just in two months. By the end of June 2024, New-York and Toretsk were the last settlements where the line of contact remained where it had been during the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) and Joint Forces Operation (JFO) [the combat action against Russian military forces and pro-Russian separatists in parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts from 2014].

Background:

On 18 August, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), citing Russian military bloggers, reported that the Russians control most of New-York and may have even "captured the village".

The New York front has been problematic since the beginning of the Russian summer offensive.

In early July, soldiers from the 206th battalion of the 241st Independent Brigade of the Territorial Defence Forces, who have been seconded to the 41st Mechanised Brigade on the Toretsk front since the end of June, complained of insufficient support from this formation.

Later, the 53rd Mechanised Brigade was sent to reinforce the New-York front, but the situation did not improve.

The Russians launched their offensive on Toretsk and New York in late June 2024, and it turned out to be successful for them. According to Ukrainska Pravda, the reason for this was the unsuccessful rotation of Ukraines defence forces in June: at that time, the 24th Brigade was removed from Toretsk and sent to Chasiv Yar, while the 41st was removed from Chasiv Yar and sent to Toretsk.

Read also: Russia attacks New-York and Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast, killing civilians  Ukrainska Pravda photo report

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The number of women in Ukraine who are interested in joining the military has significantly risen: women represent nearly 20% of all people getting in touch with the Ukrainian Armed Forces recruiting centre.

Source: Oleksii Bezhevets, Ukraines Defence Ministry representative on recruitment, on Ukraines national 24/7 newscast

Quote from Bezhevets: "This suggests that there is great potential here. Women now have opportunities for professional self-realisation in the military. There are no statutory restrictions. We think the constraints are more likely to be psychological and cultural.

The army is a large living organism that employs many, and very different, military experts, who might have stereotypes about what women can do in the army. Our job here is to convince military unit commanders that they have to find suitable positions for women who have voluntarily decided to join the army. This is important and right."

Details: Bezhevets also said that jobs in units that work with various types of drones are in greatest demand among all recruits, both men and women. Intelligence jobs are also in demand, as are jobs based in military units headquarters, where civilians are best able to tap into and use their civilian work experience.

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The Ukrainian military said on Aug. 20 that clashes are ongoing at the village of Niu-York in Donetsk Oblast as multiple sources point to a rapid Russian advance deep into the settlement.

Niu-York lies just south of Toretsk, a key front-line town that has become one of the focal points of the Russian offensive in Donetsk Oblast.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Aug. 19 that according to Russian pro-war bloggers, Moscow's troops have effectively seized the settlement and are clearing its northern areas while pushing to Nelipivka further north.

Russian sources provided no visual confirmation of the claim, the ISW stressed.

The Ukrainian crowd-sourced tracking site DeepState provided a similar estimate, claiming that almost the entire settlement is in Russian hands except for the outskirts in the west, north, and northeast.

Alleged Russian advance into Niu-York, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, as of Aug. 19, 2024, according to DeepState. (DeepState/Open Street Map)

The Ukrainian military did not comment on the claims and instead said that heavy fighting is ongoing in the Toretsk sector, including in Niu-York.

Russian forces attempted 24 ground attacks in the area of Niu-York, Nelipivka, Zalizne, Pivnichne, and near Toretsk over the past day, the Khorytsia group of forces said on Telegram.

Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Khortytsia group, did not provide further details following the Kyiv Independent's request for comment.

Ukrainska Pravda said that according to its military sources, Ukrainian troops continue to hold out in the northern part of the settlement.

"Our people are in Niu-York, we are holding the defenses. We control approximately 20% of the village," a source in the 53rd Separate Mechanized Brigade deployed in the area told Ukrainska Pravda.

"Russian forces are advancing at the expense of a large number of reserves... Unfortunately, we have no such reserves."

Niu-York lies just south of Toretsk, a key front-line town that has become one of the focal points of the Russian offensive in Donetsk Oblast. The estimated advance of Russian forces as of Aug. 19, 2024, according to DeepState, is marked in red. (DeepState/Open Street Map)

Another source told the outlet that as Russian forces took much of Niu-York, they are on their way to Nelipivka, the last village directly between Niu-York and Toretsk.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify all the claims.

Russian sources claimed the full capture of Niu-York already back on Aug. 6, but Ukrainian officials denied this at the time.

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.
Ukrainian air defence was responding to a Russian attack on Kyiv Oblast during an air raid on the early morning of 20 August.

Source: Serhii Popko, Head of Kyiv City Military Administration; Ukraines Air Force

Quote: "The air-raid warning continues! Air defence systems are responding in the oblast, on the outskirts of Kyiv. Stay in shelters until the all-clear is given!"

Details: Popko also said that the air-raid warning is linked to a threat of missile attacks.

In addition, the air-raid warning was issued in Chernihiv, Poltava, and Zhytomyr oblasts for the same reason.

Update: The all-clear was given at 06:14.

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The Financial Times has written that since the start of the Ukrainian military operation in Russias Kursk Oblast, the Ukrainian units that are holding back Russian troops in Donetsk Oblast have returned to rationing shells.

Source: Financial Times

Quote: "One Ukrainian artillery brigade commander in Ukraines east told the Financial Times that part of the reason for the Russian advance was Kyiv moving its scarce resources north.

His troops were back to rationing shells for their canons  the first time since US aid to Ukraine was held up by Congress  because ammunition had been reallocated for the incursion into Russias Kursk Oblast."

Details: The Financial Times quoted an unnamed senior official as saying that even a few days before the start of the Kursk operation, the defences in Donetsk Oblast were "showing cracks".

"Russian soldiers are still grinding their way through Ukrainian defences, capturing villages and towns and bringing Moscow closer to its stated goal of complete control of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine", the article says.

The Financial Times, citing officials involved in the operation, noted that Ukraine had deployed more than 10,000 troops, including many elite landing troops and mechanised brigades, from Donetsk and Kharkiv oblasts to support the Kursk operation.

In particular, at least 20 Ukrainian units took part in the Kursk operation, some of which were supposed to be reserve forces to help reinforce defence lines and provide respite for troops on the main front lines.

The Financial Times sources also pointed out that officers and soldiers on the eastern fronts participating in the Kursk operation were facing even longer deployments on the front line without rotation.

"Nobody can ask [for a rotational break] now. We were the reserves but now we are here [in Kursk Oblast]", a soldier said.

The Financial Times, citing information from open-source analyst Naalsio, noted that Ukraine had already lost 51 pieces of military equipment in the Kursk operation, including German-supplied Marder armoured personnel carriers, US-made Stryker vehicles and HIMARS rocket launchers. In comparison, Russia has reportedly lost 27 pieces of military equipment.

At the same time, the Financial Times pointed out that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi stressed that the eastern front is as important as the Kursk operation.

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Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Photo: from his Facebook page

As of 20 August, Ukrainian forces control more than 1,260 sq km of territory and 93 settlements in Kursk Oblast, Russia.

Source: video address by Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, broadcast in the joint 24/7 national newscast

Quote: "A grouping of the Defence Forces of Ukraine is conducting an offensive defence on the Kursk front with the goal of creating a security zone and stopping the attacks on civilian facilities in Ukraines Sumy Oblast from the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as staying ahead of the enemy.

Over the period of the offensive operation, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have advanced from 28 to 35 km deep into Russian defences on the territory of Kursk Oblast, captured 1,263 sq km of territory, and gained control over 93 settlements."

Read also: Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi's raid: how the Ukrainian offensive in Russia's Kursk Oblast is progressing and what to expect next

Details: Syrskyi stated that the Russians are conducting a manoeuvre defence, attempting to prevent Ukrainian units from advancing further into Russian territory, reinforcing their own groupings, and deploying troops from other fronts.

"Further actions of our forces on this front will depend on the development of the operational situation," Syrskyi added.

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Ukrainian military says its forces have captured more territory in Russia in two weeks than Putin's troops have seized in Ukraine this year

Ukrainian military says its forces have captured more territory in Russia in two weeks than Putin's troops have seized in Ukraine this year

Ukraine has seized 1,263 square kilometers of Russian territory in two weeks of the Kursk invasion, per its estimates.

That's more land than Russia has taken control of in Ukraine since the start of the year, according to available data.

Ukraine's surprise incursion into Russia has slowed, but its forces continue to advance.

Ukraine's military leadership shared details Tuesday on how much of Russia's territory its troops have captured since their invasion of the Kursk region two weeks ago, and it is more than Moscow's forces have seized in Ukraine since the start of the year, according to available data.

Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military, said on Tuesday that his forces currently control some 1,263 square kilometers (roughly 488 square miles) of Russian territory in Kursk and 93 settlements within that area.

Ukrainian forces have advanced around 28-35 kilometers (around 17-22 miles) deep into Kursk, Syrskyi said, according to a state media translation of his remarks to lawmakers.

Ukraine launched a surprise incursion into Russia's Kursk region on August 6, and after one week, Syrskyi said his troops had captured around 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) and 74 settlements. Although Kyiv's advances slowed in the second week of the invasion, its forces continued to capture territory and settlements.

Destroyed Russian tanks lie on a roadside near Sudzha, in the Kursk region, on August 16. AP Photo

Business Insider was unable to independently verify Syrskyi's latest figures. However, his assessment suggests that the Ukrainian gains from two weeks of fighting in Kursk have already surpassed the total land area that Russia has seized since the start of the year, per assessed territorial gains by analysts.

As of August 11, Russian forces occupied about 109,338 total square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, according to Mitch Belcher, a geospatial analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, which tracks battlefield movements and developments.

That figure includes 1,175 square kilometers that Russia captured in 2024, he told Business Insider last week.

By Tuesday, Russian forces occupied an assessed 109,416 square kilometers in Ukraine, George Barros, the geospatial-intelligence team lead and a Russia analyst at ISW, told BI.

This means Russia captured 78 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in the days since August 11, putting its total at 1,253 square kilometers for the year so far. That area is slightly smaller than what Ukraine has said it has captured in Kursk over the past two weeks.

Ukrainian soldiers ride a military vehicle with Russian prisoners of war in the truck bed near the Russian border in Ukraine's Sumy region on August 13. REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi/File Photo

The shock Ukrainian invasion of Russian lands stunned Moscow and Kyiv's international allies, including the US, which was not made aware of the operation ahead of time.

Moscow is still trying to respond to the incursion  the biggest attack by a foreign enemy on Russian soil since the Second World War  two weeks later and has redirected some units from operations in and around Ukraine to the Kursk region.

In recent days, Ukraine's military has shared footage showing airstrikes on a few key Russian bridges and control centers in Kursk, indicating that Kyiv is including airpower in what appears to be a combined-arms operation within Russia.

Syrskyi said that the operation in Kursk is intended to create a "security zone" and stop Russia from being able to carry out attacks against Ukraine from within the area, according to state-run media outlet Ukrinform.

These stated goals are consistent with those that have been shared by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who stated on Sunday that the Kursk assault is aimed at "creating a buffer zone" on Russian territory.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (the Ukrainian Parliament) has adopted a draft law about depriving individuals of state awards for the popularisation or propaganda of the aggressor state or committing other unlawful acts against Ukraine.

Source: Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, on Telegram

Details: The decision was voted for in the session hall of the Parliament by 341 MPs.

The draft law provides for new additional punishment in the Criminal Code of Ukraine  depriving individuals of state awards, and lists the crimes which can be punished this way.

The Criminal Code of Ukraine also states that while announcing the verdict, the court must also decide whether there are reasons to deprive an individual of state awards. A sanction in the form of depriving an individual of state awards following a corresponding decision of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine was also implemented.

Background:

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, stated that "traitors who fled to Russia after 24 February" should be deprived of any titles and awards in Ukraine.

The Committee for Legal Activity of Ukraine recommended the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to adopt laws about depriving individuals of state awards for popularisation or propaganda of Russia.

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In Myrnohrad, Donetsk Oblast, authorities will look for parents who have hidden their children from evacuation.

Source: Yurii Tretiak, the head of the Donetsk City Military Administration, in a comment to Radio Liberty

Quote: "Sometimes parents hide their children. Today, we will meet with the police to discuss how we will work with such persons. We'll perform house rounds... Especially in parts of the city that suffer from daily attacks," said Yurii Tretiak.

According to the acting commander of the city's military administration, approximately 16,000 people remain in the city, including roughly 1,000 children.

The front line is currently less than five kilometres from Myrnohrad. As a result, the head of Myrnohrad hromada urges inhabitants to evacuate as soon as possible, since the situation will only worsen [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories  ed.].

"Life under constant bombardment. Perhaps without water or electricity. As a result, I urge residents of [the city of] Myrnohrad and Myrnohrad hromada to act immediately. It won't get better," he added.

How to evacuate from Donetsk Oblast?

According to the Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, an evacuation train departs from Donetsk for Rivne every eight days. Internally displaced persons who have not previously received monetary compensation may be eligible for it upon arrival.

All internally displaced persons from Donetsk Oblast are provided with free housing.

There is also a free evacuation train to Lviv and Zakarpattia oblasts, and IDPs are welcome in the city of Reshetylivka in Poltava Oblast.

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UN says a record number of aid workers were killed in 2023 and this year may be even higher

UNITED NATIONS (AP)  A record number of aid workers were killed in conflicts around the world last year  more than half after the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7  and this year may become even deadlier, the United Nations said Monday.

FILE -A World Food Programme (WFP) truck backs up to load food items from a recently landed UN helicopter, in Yida camp, South Sudan Sept. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Mackenzie Knowles-Coursin), File)

The 280 aid workers from 33 countries killed in 2023 was more than double the previous years figure of 118, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs known as OCHA said in a report on World Humanitarian Day.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted that honoring the humanitarians killed in the deadliest year on record is not enough.

In Sudan & many other places, aid workers are attacked, killed, injured & abducted. We demand an end to impunity so that perpetrators face justice, the U.N. chief said.

OCHA said this year may be on track for an even deadlier outcome, with 172 aid workers killed as of Aug. 7, according to a provisional account from the Aid Worker Security Database.

More than 280 aid workers have been killed in the war in Gaza, now in its 11th month, mainly in airstrikes. The majority of them are Palestinians who worked for the U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees known as UNRWA, according to OCHA. It said that extreme levels of violence in Sudan and South Sudan  also have contributed to the death toll both this year and last.

The U.N.s acting humanitarian chief, Joyce Msuya, said in a statement that the normalization of violence against aid workers and the lack of accountability are unacceptable, unconscionable and enormously harmful for aid operations everywhere.

In a letter to the 193 U.N. member nations, 413 humanitarian organizations around the world said: The brutal hostilities we are seeing in multiple conflicts around the world have exposed a terrible truth: We are living in an era of impunity.

The aid organizations appealed to all countries, the wider international community and all parties to conflicts to protect civilians and aid workers and hold perpetrators to account.

World Humanitarian Day commemorates the Aug. 19, 2003, terrorist bombing of the U.N. offices at the Canal Hotel in Baghdad which killed 22 U.N. staff members including the top U.N. envoy to Iraq, Sergio Viera de Mello, a Brazilian diplomat.

At a ceremony at U.N. headquarters Monday before the tattered U.N. flag retrieved from the hotel that day, dozens of current U.N. staff members and relatives of some of the victims stood in silent tribute to their memory  as did many watching around the world.

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As University of California students return to school this week, UC President Michael V. Drake has instructed chancellors at all 10 of the schools campuses to enforce rules banning protests that block walkways, protest encampments and the use of masks that conceal identity.

A similar policy has been announced for the California State University system.

The new policy attempts to limit the kinds of protests against the war in Gaza and American support for Israel in that war seen at college campuses across the country last spring.

Freedom to express diverse viewpoints is fundamental to the mission of the University, and lawful protests play a pivotal role in that process. While the vast majority of protests held on our campuses are peaceful and nonviolent, some of the activities we saw this past year were not, Drake wrote in a letter made public Monday.

I hope that the direction provided in this letter will help you achieve an inclusive and welcoming environment at our campuses that protects and enables free expression while ensuring the safety of all community members by providing greater clarity and consistency in our policies and policy application, Drake said also.

The news comes one week after a U.S. district judge ordered UCLA to protect Jewish students in areas of campus where protests against the Gaza war are held.

UCLA was the center of a particularly violent incident on late April, after anti-Gaza war protesters erected an encampment on the schools centrally located Royce Quad. The entrances to the encampment were guarded, and reportedly, passersby were only allowed to enter if they wore a wristband that indicated they supported the protests.

On April 30, a group of counter protesters, who appeared to consist mainly of right wing activists who did not attend UCLA, attacked the protest encampment with fireworks, tear gas and pipes. The response from law enforcement, particularly UCLA police and security guards but also LAPD was heavily scrutinized after it took more than three hours to quell the attack and the attackers were allowed to leave without being arrested. The chief of the UCLA police department subsequently faced calls to resign.

The ruling against UCLA came as part of a lawsuit from three Jewish UCLA students  Yitzchok Frankel, Joshua Ghayoum and Eden Shemuelian  who say they faced religious discrimination because they have a religious obligation to support the Jewish state of Israel. Because of Royce Quads location, the encampment made it more difficult for students who supported Israel to get to class.

The encampment was evicted on May 6.

The post University of California Bans Protest Encampments and Masks at All Campuses appeared first on TheWrap.
The University of Kentucky will disband its office promoting diversity and inclusion efforts in response to questions from policymakers that its focus on identity has stifled political discussions, its president said Tuesday.

The action on the Lexington, Kentucky, campus comes after state lawmakers debated whether to limit diversity, equity and inclusion practices at public universities. Republican supermajorities in the Kentucky House and Senate were unable to resolve differences on the issue before ending this year's session in April, but the matter has been expected to resurface when lawmakers reconvene early next year.

In the school's preemptive action, units housed in the shuttered Office for Institutional Diversity will be shifted elsewhere on campus, including into a newly created Office for Community Relations, UK President Eli Capilouto said in a campuswide email. The restructuring won't result in job losses, he said.

Capilouto stressed that the school's core values remain intact  to protect academic freedom and promote a sense of belonging for everyone on campus, regardless of background or perspective.

But weve also listened to policymakers and heard many of their questions about whether we appear partisan or political on the issues of our day and, as a result, narrowly interpret things solely through the lens of identity, the campus president said. In so doing, the concern is that we either intentionally or unintentionally limit discourse. I hear many of those concerns reflected in discussions with some of our students, faculty and staff across our campus.

Universities in other states have been grappling with similar issues, he noted.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Rodney Bennett on Tuesday announced plans to dissolve the schools Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Bennett was hired last year and is the first Black person to lead Nebraska's flagship public university campus.

I fully grasp the weight of this decision and its implications, but a centralized approach to this work is no longer right for our institution, Bennett said in a public letter.

Bennett said hes splitting the task of supporting and building a sense of community and belonging between several other offices.

It is incumbent on each of us to foster a welcoming environment for all members of our community, he said.

Bennett's announcement would seem to contradict the University of Nebraska system's stance only months ago during testimony on a legislative bill that would have banned diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at Nebraska state colleges and universities. The system's interim chancellor at the time, Chris Kabourek, testified against the bill.

We are concerned about how this bill would impact our ability to compete for students, for faculty and staff, Kabourek told lawmakers. I think we all value diversity and the benefits of being welcoming. Certainly, thats the kind of environment we strive and want to create on our campuses.

The Nebraska bill failed to advance after dozens of critics testified against the proposals.

The quest to limit DEI initiatives gained momentum this year in a number of statehouses in red states. For instance, Iowas Republican-led Legislature approved a budget bill that would ban all DEI offices and initiatives in higher education that arent necessary to comply with accreditation or federal law.

Republican lawmakers in Missouri have proposed numerous bills targeting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in higher education and state government. Though the legislation hasnt passed, the efforts have put pressure on institutions to make changes. The University of Missouri recently announced that it is dissolving its Inclusion, Diversity and Equity division and dispersing the staff among other departments.

In Kentucky, GOP lawmakers at the forefront of DEI debates said Tuesday that they welcomed the action taken by UK and urged other public universities to take similar steps.

A true elimination of these DEI policies in our public universities will end the division they promote, and allow our colleges and universities to be the true bastion of free thought we need them to be, Republican state Sen. Mike Wilson said in a statement.

Opponents of the anti-DEI bills in Kentucky warned that the restrictions on campuses could roll back gains in minority enrollments and stifle campus discussions about past discrimination.

On its website, UKs Office for Institutional Diversity said its mission was to enhance the diversity and inclusivity of our university community through the recruitment and retention of an increasingly diverse population. It says that initiatives promoting diversity-related experiences can help ensure success in an interconnected world.

In outlining the restructuring at UK, the university will not mandate centralized diversity training at the college or unit level, Capilouto said. It won't place required diversity statements in hiring and application processes, he said, and websites will be free of political positions to ensure impartiality.

This should in no way be construed as impinging upon academic freedom, UK's president added. Faculty decide what to teach as part of formal instruction and where discovery should take them as scholars in their areas of expertise.

___

Associated Press Writers David Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, and Margery A. Beck in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report.
UK President Eli Capilouto (Photo by Mark Cornelison | UK Photo)

The University of Kentucky is disbanding its Office for Institutional Diversity effective immediately, President Eli Capilouto announced Tuesday.

No one will lose their job, Capilouto said in a Tuesday afternoon email sent to staff. Other offices will absorb people and services. That includes a new office called the Office for Community Relations.

We share the value that out of many people, we are one community, Capilouto wrote. But weve also listened to policymakers and heard many of their questions about whether we appear partisan or political on the issues of our day.

The offices goal, according to its website, was to enhance the diversity and inclusivity of our university community through the recruitment and retention of an increasingly diverse population of faculty, administrators, staff and students, and by implementing initiatives that provide rich diversity-related experiences for all to help ensure their success in an interconnected world.

This comes after diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at public universities came under scrutiny during Kentuckys 2024 legislative session  and nationally.

Though Kentucky lawmakers failed to pass a bill that would have ended DEI programs and offices at public universities and colleges, the discussion will continue during the interim.

The email from Capilouto says the university will also not mandate diversity training and will remove diversity statements from in hiring documents.

He also pointed to the national DEI discussion, writing that universities across the country are grappling with the same questions that we are asking and being asked around diversity, equity and inclusion.

Kentucky legislators have made clear to me in our conversations that they are exploring these issues again as they prepare for the 2025 legislative session, Capilouto wrote. If we are to be a campus for everyone, we must demonstrate to ourselves and to those who support and invest in us our commitment to the idea that everyone belongs  both in what we say and in what we do.

Republican praise

Rep. Jennifer Decker, R-Waddy, who sponsored unsuccessful legislation to defund DEI offices this year, praised UK for the decision.

I appreciate the University of Kentucky for taking this step and remain hopeful that other institutions, as well as the Council on Postsecondary Education, will follow their lead and recognize that this failed experiment has done nothing to make postsecondary education more accessible, she said in a statement.

Our efforts have always been aimed at eliminating unconstitutional, unnecessary, costly and duplicative bureaucracy while still making sure campuses are open and welcoming to a diversity of students and staff, Decker said.

Senate Republican Whip Mike Wilson, who sponsored another bill aimed at limiting DEI, called this disbandment a positive step in the right direction and said I would encourage other institutions to follow UKs initiative. I trust this development, and the universitys efforts are sincere.

We will get a chance to hear from the university and find out more details on what they are doing at our next Interim Joint Committee on Education meeting in September, when the topic of DEI will be on the agenda, Wilson said. A true elimination of these DEI policies in our public universities will end the division they promote, allowing our colleges and universities to be the true bastion of free thought we need them to be.

A change without a difference

Sen. Reggie Thomas, the minority caucus chair who represents Lexington and the University of Kentucky, told the Lantern he was disappointed to hear of the move, but doesnt believe it means UK has abandoned a commitment to inclusion.

I feel confident that UK is going to still continue to be very active in recruiting Black students, to make sure that that there are groups that will encourage cultural affinity amongst themselves, he said. I think thats a change without a difference.

Essentially, Thomas said: theres more to supporting cultural diversity in any institution other than a name.

And, given that the DEI conversation is going to rear its ugly head again in 2025, he said, President Capilouto and the UK administration is being proactive in terms of saying look, were going to disband our office, but not disband the notion.'

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UTICA, NY (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY)  Upstate Medical Hospital in Syracuse will host two events in the City of Utica over the next month to promote womens health.

The hospitals mammography van will be holding two different events through a partnership with the Oneida County Health Department and Mohawk Valley Health System. They will be held at:

50 Forward Mohawk Valley at the Parkway Center at 220 Memorial Parkway in Utica on Monday, August 26 from 10 am to 4 pm, and

the Deerfield Fire Department on 5476 Trenton Road in Utica on Thursday, September 19 from 10 am to 4 pm.

The program was started through New York States Get Screened, No Excuses initiative. The programs aim is to get rid of the obstacles to breast cancer screening for women in New York State.

The van is equipped with a state-of-the-art screening system and private exam rooms.

To be eligible for the screenings, women must be 40 years old and older. They must not have had a mammogram in the last 12 months, and must not be experiencing breast problems. Appointments are recommended and are still available. If you wish to make an appointment, you are encouraged to contact the hospital at 315-464-2588 or contact Wendy Hunt at 315-492-3353 for more information.

You may also request an appointment online at the link here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WUTR/WFXV - CNYhomepage.com.
The US Air Force is going to mass airpower in the Western Pacific from all over the place to test its ability to get forces into a fight

The US Air Force will conduct a new, massive exercise in the Western Pacific next summer.

It'll pull forces from the continental US, Alaska, Guam, and Hawaii.

The Air Force is looking at how to quickly mass airpower in response to a conflict in the Pacific.

The US Air Force is planning a large-scale exercise focused on quickly building up airpower in the Western Pacific, a top general shared recently. The plan reflects the service's concerns over readiness for a potential conflict against an adversary like China.

Gen. David Allvin, the chief of staff of the Air Force, discussed some details about the service's new REFORPAC training, scheduled summer 2025, at a talk hosted by the Hudson Institute think tank on Friday.

REFORPAC refers to the Cold War-era "Return of Forces to Germany" exercises, which saw the US and its NATO allies repeatedly test how quickly and effectively their militaries could mass combat capability inside Germany should conflict arise.

During the recent presentation on the coming drills, Allvin said that US forces would deploy from Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and locations across the continental US for around a 14-day exercise somewhere in the Western Pacific.

U.S. Air Force F-22A Raptors assigned to the 27th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron along with Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs from No 75 Squadron and a KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft from No. 33 Squadron, demonstrate a show of force by conducting an elephant walk at RAAF Base Tindal, Australia. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Spencer Tobler

The general explained that the REFORPAC exercise is one way the Air Force plans to return to the type of large-scale exercises that US conducted during the Cold War. He added that this was a necessity as the US shifts its focus to great power competition with China.

It's unclear which aircraft would be involved and how many, but Allvin's remarks indicate it would be a substantial exercise. He said it would be incorporated into the bilateral Talisman Sabre event since US airpower would be supported by allies and partners.

Allvin argued at the Hudson event last Friday that "we need to get back to those large-scale exercises, and to their credit, many of the wing level and numbered Air Force level and even some of the MAJCOM (major command) level, they have started to organically expand their exercises."

Allvin also noted that the priority for US Air Force aircraft was to be prepared, at a moment's notice, to fight in a heavily contested environment where nothing is safe against a highly capable enemy, such as China.

A B-1B Lancer assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron flies in support of a Bomber Task Force mission during sunrise at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Audree Campbell

REFORPAC is focused on a key challenge when looking at the vast expanses of the Pacific, one that must be overcome before the fighting can even begin. US airpower in the region is scattered across far-flung bases, and it would have to be quickly brought into region were a fight to break out.

The big exercise coming next summer is an opportunity to address that issue, giving the Air Force the opportunity to work out key deployment issues in, as Allvin said, "a realistic scenario."

The US and some regional allies have previously carried out other tests of their forces' capabilities in the Pacific region. Exercise Mobility Guardian 2023, a massive two-week drill that involved 70 aircraft and 3,000 personnel, included operations across the Pacific region, including in Australia and Japan.

Allvin explained Friday that the 2023 iteration had provided the Air Force with many lessons for its future training, helping it to "understand those complexities" related to getting forces deployed to the Pacific.

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The 24th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, also known as the Ramstein format, will take place on 6 September at the US Air Force base of the same name in Germany.

Source: the US Air Force in Europe, as reported by European Pravda, citing Radio Liberty

Details: US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will be hosting the meeting.

This is the first Ramstein-format meeting since 13 June. The last meeting focused on ways to strengthen Ukraine's air defence.

The Ukraine Defence Contact Group brings together defence ministers and chiefs of defence from more than 50 countries who coordinate steps to provide Ukraine with the assets it needs to defend its sovereign territory.

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US does not change policy on long-range strikes on Russia despite Ukrainian operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast  White House

The White House has stated that the US position on long-range strikes on Russian territory has not changed despite the operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Russias Kursk Oblast.

Source: White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre on board the presidential plane, reports European Pravda

Details: Karine Jean-Pierre noted, commenting on the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk Oblast, that Ukrainians are defending their territory from Russian aggression.

Quote from Karine Jean-Pierre: "What I will say is that our policy [on long-range strikes - ed.] has not changed. I just dont have anything else to add to that."

Karine Jean-Pierre also added that the United States was not and is not involved in any aspect of the planning or preparation of this operation.

Background:

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Ukrainian diplomats to work with Western powers to extend the permission to use long-range weapons they have transferred to Ukraine to strike Russian territory.

Washington is blocking the UK's authorisation for Kyiv to use Storm Shadow missiles in Russia amid the Biden administration's fears of an escalation of the war.

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(Bloomberg) -- US firms have warned that parts of a proposed cyber law could grant the Hong Kong government unusual access to their computer systems, highlighting the latest challenge to Western tech giants in the city.

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The Asia Internet Coalition, which includes Amazon.com Inc., Alphabet Inc.s Google and Meta Platforms Inc., is among the bodies that have in recent weeks sought changes to parts of the legislation that officials say are designed to protect critical infrastructure from cyberattacks. The government, in response to the Bloomberg story, said 52 of the 53 submissions it received about the legislation, including from the coalition, supported the legislation and made constructive suggestions.

Critics argue the proposals give authorities overly broad powers that could threaten the integrity of service providers and rock confidence in the citys digital economy. The local American Chamber of Commerce and Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce have also submitted letters over the proposed legislative framework to a public consultation.

Two of the three groups flagged the rules  which some were concerned could apply to computer systems outside Hong Kong  as unprecedented. One of their key objections was to proposed investigative powers that would let authorities connect their equipment to critical computer systems owned by private firms, and install programs on them.

Such unprecedented power directly intervenes in, and could have a significant impact on, a CIOs operation and could harm the users of the services, AmCham wrote in an Aug. 1 letter, referring to critical infrastructure operators. Such a move is likely to have a chilling effect on tech investment in Hong Kong, it added.

The government said in a statement late on Tuesday in response to the Bloomberg News report that its proposal in no way involves the personal data and business information. The statement added that relevant legislation already exists in other jurisdictions, such as the Mainland, Macau SAR, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, the European Union and Singapore.

Hong Kong will only seek out a court warrant to connect to computer systems or install programs in certain circumstances if operators wont or cant respond to potential cyber incidents. And the envisioned legislation wont have extraterritorial effect beyond its jurisdiction, according to the statement.

A Google spokeswoman declined to comment on the concerns raised in the Asia Internet Coalition letter. Amazon and Meta didnt respond to requests for comment.

Officials have said previously the cybersecurity bill is needed to protect the citys economy, public safety and national security. They propose establishing a new commissioners office to oversee the legislations implementation.

Many countries have laws to safeguard strategic infrastructure and access networks  for instance, US law enforcement and counterintelligence agencies can conduct wiretaps with court authorization. But its rare for government agencies to try and gain access to private networks or information by directly installing software.

This initiative is vital to ensuring the resilience and security of Hong Kongs critical infrastructure, the internet coalition said in a public letter. The Government should provide assurance that information provided for investigation will be used only for specific use cases (e.g., for investigating a particular incident) and will not be used for other cases and disclosed to third parties.

While Hong Kongs internet remains largely free compared to mainland Chinas Great Firewall, the citys top US diplomat in March sounded the alarm over creeping online controls. President Xi Jinpings crackdown on freedoms in the former British colony has fanned fears about the citys reduced appeal as a finance hub.

Hong Kong recently showed its willingness to intervene directly with online content in its clash with Google over the hosting of pro-democracy protest songs on YouTube. The government  armed with a local court injunction  forced the American giant to block the videos, giving the city leaders a potent new tool to order the mass removal of content.

The relatively open flow of information in Hong Kong is a key draw for international businesses. Restrictions on Western tech firms and services could hamper efforts to revitalize the citys image, which took a hit from years of Covid curbs and a Beijing-imposed security law, also criticized as being vaguely worded and too far-reaching.

Under the proposed new cyber rules, companies would need to secure their computer systems and disclose to the government serious breaches within two hours. Fines for offenses could range as high as HK$5 million ($642,000) and would be determined by a court, according to the proposal.

The legislation is likely to be submitted to the citys Legislative Council by the end of this year and enacted, legal observers say.

While Hong Kong has a legitimate need for new cybersecurity rules, companies will be worried about protecting user data, said George Chen, co-chair of digital practice at The Asia Group, a Washington-based business and policy consulting firm.

International platforms, especially cloud service providers, are also naturally concerned about the enforcement, he added. The question will be where to draw the line between protecting user data privacy and overall cybersecurity concerns.

(Updates with additional comment from the AIC in the 11th paragraph)

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US must do more to protect species from Gulf of Mexico drilling: judge

By Nate Raymond

(Reuters) - A U.S. judge at the urging of environmental groups has thrown out an assessment by a federal agency governing how endangered and threatened marine species should be protected from oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman in Greenbelt, Maryland, on Monday ruled the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Services' so-called "biological opinion" was flawed and did not adequately address risks species face from oil spills and vessel strikes.

The assessment was issued in 2020 during Republican former President Donald Trump's administration and was legally necessary for oil and gas exploration and drilling to be conducted.

The judge, appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, said the assessment violated the Endangered Species Act. She faulted it for assuming an oil spill like the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon one in 2010 would not occur.

Boardman gave the agency until Dec. 20 to either complete a new opinion or "plan for the changes ahead," citing the risk that her decision if implemented immediately would "disrupt oil and gas activity in the Gulf without necessarily mitigating the dangers to listed species."

The decision drew praise from environmental groups including the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity, who in a lawsuit filed in 2020 argued more safeguards were needed for imperiled whales, sea turtles, and other species.

"The court's ruling affirms that the government cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the widespread, persistent harms that offshore oil and gas development inflicts on wildlife," Chris Eaton, a lawyer for the plaintiffs at Earthjustice, said in a statement.

The fisheries service did not respond to a request for comment.

Three oil industry trade groups, American Petroleum Institute, the National Ocean Industries Association and the EnerGeo Alliance, had intervened in the lawsuit to defend the opinion alongside oil major Chevron.

The trade groups in a joint statement warned of "disruptive consequences" to the U.S. economy if a new biological opinion was not timely developed and said its issuance should be of the "highest priority."

Biden's administration last year had sought to scale back an oil and gas auction in the Gulf of Mexico by 6 million acres to reduce conflicts with the endangered Rice's whale habitat. But the oil and gas industry and the state of Louisiana successfully sued to expand the auction.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and David Gregorio)
The deal to bring an end to the fighting in Gaza is on the brink of collapsing  and there is no clear immediate alternative agreement that could be put forward in its place, according to two U.S. and two Israeli officials.

The current proposal  pulled together by the U.S., Israel, Egypt and Qatar over several weeks in July  is the strongest form of the deal to date, the officials said, because it includes terms that are tailored to the demands of both Hamas and Israel. Israel has signed on, but Hamas says in public statements it will not accept the pact.

That has U.S. officials increasingly worried that this proposal will falter just as earlier ones did, with Hamas and Israel at odds and no clear path to end fighting or bring hostages home, the officials said.



Thats a much more dire assessment than what U.S. officials are presenting publicly. Even as they press the urgency of getting Hamas to agree, they have repeatedly said in recent days that they are closer than ever to getting both sides to sign on.

Just a few weeks ago, Biden administration officials were feeling optimistic. Hamas had privately signaled that it was amenable to the proposed deal, one of the U.S. officials said. Although some in the White House remain confident, many are now frustrated by the groups public rhetoric and unsure whether Hamass remarks are merely bluster, a negotiating tactic, or whether the group is sincerely against the agreement.

Negotiators, including senior White House adviser on the Middle East Brett McGurk, are heading back to Cairo this week to try and iron out the details of the deal. If they cannot get Hamas on board, they may be out of options, increasing the chance of an increase in violence between Israel and Hezbollah and a direct confrontation between Israel and Tehran.

We dont know if Sinwar wants this deal, said one of the officials familiar with Israels stance in the ongoing negotiations. But if we dont get the deal theres a chance that Iran attacks and this escalates into a full blown confrontation.

The officials in this story were granted anonymity to speak freely about sensitive diplomatic negotiations. The National Security Council and the Israeli embassy in Washington declined to comment.

The U.S. has signaled previously that it was close to a deal  first in the spring and then again in May when President Joe Bidens announced a multiphase deal that would allow for the release of dozens of hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Each time, though, the talks have broken down, with Israel and Hamas layering on new conditions that the other side was unwilling to discuss or accept.

We've seen Sinwar essentially veto or scuttle what was agreed and we've seen Netanyahu add additional conditions, said Andrew Miller, who served as deputy assistant secretary of State for Israeli-Palestinian affairs until June. It does appear to be at an impasse, but it is one of those situations where even if the probability of reaching an agreement is small, it's hard to think of a better strategy.

In Jerusalem on Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the deal currently on offer probably the best, maybe last, opportunity to get a cease-fire and free hostages.

Washington has for weeks touted the current form of the deal as a major success, saying it bridges several long standing disagreements between Israel and Hamas. And in recent days, U.S. officials have said they are optimistic, with Biden telling reporters Aug. 16 were closer than weve ever been.

But behind the scenes, officials are scrambling to find a way to get Hamas to agree  both privately and publicly  to the bridge proposal.

Negotiating with Hamas is notoriously difficult, as its leadership in Doha is often either at odds with its members on the ground in Gaza or struggle to communicate with them efficiently. Hamas has a history of publicly disagreeing to ceasefire deals before spontaneously agreeing to them, and U.S. officials say theres still a chance that could happen with this deal.

But Hamas and Israel still disagree over several of the terms of the bridge proposal  one that the U.S. has refused to detail to reporters.

Miller argued that getting to a final agreement will require additional movement from both Hamas and from Israel.

An Israeli official said the proposal focuses primarily on Hamas releasing the remaining hostages and the bodies of those who have died. It also deals with how and whether Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza.

Israel and Hamas disagree on the number of hostages to be released from the enclave. The original deal put forth by Biden in May included language that would have allowed for the release of dozens. Its unclear what number is included in the bridge proposal  or how many are still alive.

Both Israel and Hamas also disagree over Israels presence in both the Philadelphi Corridor, a stretch of land on the Egypt-Gaza border, and in a main throughway that leads to northern Gaza. Israel has said it wants to maintain its position in both places to ensure Hamas cannot smuggle goods in through Egypt and reposition its strongholds.

Biden officials also want to strike a deal between Israel and Hamas to stave off further escalation on Israels northern border, where Hezbollah and the IDF have exchanged increasingly deadly fire. Although the conflicts deal with two separate Iranian-backed groups and entirely different battlefields, they are deeply connected. The events in each often impact the trajectory of the fighting in the other.

For months, the Biden administration has tried to handle talks over Gaza and the northern border separately by assigning different lead envoys and negotiators. But U.S. officials increasingly believe that if they can find a deal in Gaza, they can negotiate an off ramp for the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

If both conflicts continue, the likelihood grows that Tehran, which has been signaling for weeks it is preparing to attack Israel, will follow through on its threats. A massive strike inside Israel would be difficult for Jerusalem to ignore, setting the state for direct confrontation between the two countries.

Thats obviously the biggest concern here and something weve been trying to avoid since Oct. 7, one U.S. official said. But the chances of that happening increase significantly if Hamas doesnt agree to this proposal.

Matt Berg contributed to this report.
US, Philippines Agree on Transit of Afghans Applying For Visas

(Bloomberg) -- The Philippines said it agreed with the US to allow a limited number of Afghan nationals to transit to the Southeast Asian nation to complete processing for special immigrant visas.

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The agreement is undergoing final domestic procedures required for its effectivity, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Tuesday.

Biden Touts Surge in Refugees After Asylum Crackdown Draws Ire

The US is supporting services including food and housing for Afghans temporarily in the Philippines, the agency also said.

Washington and Manila are longtime security allies and have recently been bolstering their ties.

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The Biden administration on Tuesday issued sanctions against former Haitian President Michel Martelly for his role in drug trafficking and his sponsorship of multiple Haiti-based gangs.

The Treasury Department said Martelly abused his influence to facilitate the trafficking of dangerous drugs, including cocaine, to the United States. Martelly laundered funds from the illegal drug trade, worked with Haitian drug traffickers and sponsored multiple gangs, the department said.

The sanctions block U.S. financial institutions and citizens from engaging in monetary transactions with Martelly.

The former Haitian president also has an outstanding arrest warrant issued by a Haitian judge in January, part of a broader case accusing more than 30 high-ranking officials of corruption.

Martelly, also a musical performer who goes by the stage name Sweet Micky, reportedly held a surprise performance in Miami in January, a controversial appearance that has spurred a petition to block his appearance at a Labor Day festival in New York.

Todays action against Martelly emphasizes the significant and destabilizing role he and other corrupt political elites have played in perpetuating the ongoing crisis in Haiti, said Bradley T. Smith, acting Treasury under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.

The United States, along with our international partners, is committed to disrupting those who facilitate the drug trafficking, corruption, and other illicit activities fueling the horrific gang violence and political instability.

The sanctions touch on the widespread challenge for the international community in trying to address crime and violence plaguing Haiti. An internationally backed Kenyan police force has yet to make significant security gains against armed gangs over two months of deployment in Haitis capital of Port-au-Prince.

Narcotics trafficking and gang-related violence have contributed to political instability and insecurity in Haiti, which has created an untenable living situation for the Haitian people, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a statement.

It is unacceptable for Haitian political and economic elites to plunder Haitis future. Todays action demonstrates the United States unwavering resolve to promote accountability for all individuals whose activities contribute to gang violence and destabilize the political environment in Haiti, regardless of their rank or stature.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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A suspect who was shot by police after authorities report he pointed a handgun at officers in Westwood Middle Schools parking lot was indicted by a grand jury in Danville on Monday morning.

Nicholas Graham Beddoo, 24, is charged with two counts of assault and battery on a law enforcement officer and one count of discharging a firearm on school property.

He is scheduled to go to trial at 9 a.m. Nov. 19 in Danville Circuit Court.

Beddoo was charged a week following the incident after being discharged from a medical facility. The Virginia State Police lodged the charges.

The gunfire happened in the parking lot of Westwood Middle School on Jan. 17 when all Danville schools were closed because of frigid conditions. Children and employees were not at Westwood at the time of the incident.

Police were called to the 500 block of Apollo Avenue at 4 p.m. that day after receiving a report of a suspicious man with a weapon.

Beddoo was described as a former worker at a nearby Riverside Drive business.

Police found the suspect, who claimed he was armed and suicidal, in Westwoods parking lot. They tried for 25 minutes to negotiate with him.

A news release reported the suspect pulled out a handgun from his waistband, and police commanded him to drop it.

The suspect fired the gun away from the officers before turning and pointing at them. Thats when the officers fired, hitting Beddoo.

After receiving first aid on the scene, Beddoo was taken to Sovah Health-Danville. He was then transported to another facility for treatment.

Sgt. Clarence Goins, who had been with the department for 21 years at the time of the incident; Seth Parker, an officer on the job for five years; and Nicholas Smithers, who had been with the agency for two years, were involved.

The Virginia State Police investigated the case, which is a standard procedure when theres an officer-involved shooting.
US Secretary of Defense and Ukraine's Defence Minister speak twice in a week

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Ukraines Defence Minister Rustem Umierov had a telephone conversation on Monday, their second one in less than a week.

Source: press release by the US Department of Defense, as reported by European Pravda

Details: US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Ukraines Defence Minister Rustem Umierov spoke on Monday, 19 August. Their last phone conversation took place on 14 August.

The Pentagons press release states that the Ukrainian and US defence officials discussed "battlefield dynamics, Ukraine's ongoing operations, and Ukrainian reconstitution and training efforts".

Spoke with my Ukrainian counterpart @rustem_umerov yesterday regarding battlefield dynamics & Ukraines ongoing operations. The , along with Allies & partners, remains committed to providing  with the priority security assistance needed to defend against Russian aggression.  Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) August 20, 2024

"Minister [Umierov] provided an update on the impact of Russias continued attacks in Ukraine. Secretary Austin and Minister [Umierov] also discussed the next Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting to continue to support Ukraine's urgent military requirements," according to the press release.

Background:

In his first comment regarding Ukraine's offensive in Russias Kursk Oblast on 14 August, US President Joe Biden said that this attack presents Russian leader Vladimir Putin with a "real dilemma".

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US support to Ukraine ongoing amid Kursk Oblast incursion, Pentagon says

The United States will continue to support Ukraine as its troops advance in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters on Aug. 19.

Ukraine has captured over 90 settlements in Kursk Oblast since launching its surprise cross-border offensive on Aug. 6.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov have "discussed ongoing support from allies and partners in helping meet Ukraine's urgent military requirements," Singh said.

Austin "reiterated U.S. support for Ukraine" in talks with Umerov and said the defense chiefs will remain in close contact, according to Singh.

Singh also said the U.S. has no plans to interrupt security assistance to Ukraine.

"Presidential drawdown packages are going to continue," she said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 19 that Kyiv did not disclose its plans to enter Kursk Oblast prior to the incursion because of Western allies' fears of Russian "red lines."

Zelensky called on Western partners to be "in sync" with Ukraine in their determination to force Russia to a just peace.

Rather than capturing Russian territory, Ukraine's statet aim with the incursion is to protect Ukrainian lives by preventing cross-border attacks and diverting Russian reinforcements from the front lines.

Singh confirmed on Aug. 19 that Russian troops were moving in Ukraine, but did not provide details.

"I couldn't tell you exactly where they're pulling their forces from," she said.

Read also: As Ukraines Kursk incursion wins US support, will fears of Russian escalation fade?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  Utah Democrats criticized state Republicans after the Utah Legislature called for a special session in response to a Utah Supreme Court ruling over ballot initiatives.

In a statement, the Utah Democratic Party Chair Diane Lewis claimed Utahs Republican super-majority is going to extreme lengths to seize power for themselves.

As the fastest-growing state and the youngest state in The Union, Utah is positioned to become a swing state in a decade, said Lewis. But rather than allow the voters to decide Utahs future for themselves, power-hungry politicians are dead-set on propping themselves up.

A special session was called to be held on Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 21, to discuss an amendment to the Utah State Constitution. If passed by voters during Novembers General Election, the amendment would extend the referendum process and prohibit foreign entities from contributing to ballot initiatives.

PREVIOUS: Utah Republicans request constitution amendment following Supreme Court ruling

The session was called after the Utah Supreme Court unanimously ruled Utah lawmakers overstepped when it appealed a 2018 ballot initiative known as Proposition 4, which formed an independent commission to create statewide district boundaries.

The Utah Supreme Courts new interpretation created uncertainty and ambiguity, said Senate President J. Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz in a joint statement. This amendment provides a path for Utahns to weigh in and make their voices heard.

Adams and Schultz said the proposed amendment would restore the over 100-year-old effect of citizen initiatives and the initiative process would remain unchanged. The two lawmakers said Utahns would continue to have the ability to propose and run ballot initiatives, but foreign entities would be prohibited from contributing to the propositions.

Lewis, however, said the states Republicans are trying to trick Utahns so they could hold onto power.

End-run around Lyman? Cox, Curtis, Brown call for Davis County Clerk signature audit

Once again, the Republican Supermajority is seizing power from voters, all because the Utah Supreme Court stated the obvious: power lies with the voters, not with power-hungry politicians, Lewis said. If the Republican Supermajority succeeds in putting their anti-Utahn constitutional amendment on the ballot this November, Utahns must turn out to defeat it. We cannot let power-hungry politicians take away our ability to hold them accountable.

The special session will be held at 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 21. Should the Utah Legislature pass the proposed amendment it would go before Utah voters during the 2024 General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

The constitutional amendment would only go into effect if Utah voters approve of the amendment on election day.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  The state execution of convicted murderer Taberon Honie cost the Department of Corrections nearly $300,000, according to a publicly released report.

Honies execution was carried out just after midnight on Thursday, Aug. 8, through a lethal injection. State officials injected the first dose of pentobarbital at 12:04 a.m. before injecting a second injection almost 10 minutes later.

The Utah Department of Corrections said the whole event cost $288,685.29.

Most of the financial burden came from paying for medical services and supplies, which UDC said was about $260,900. Most of that cost came from purchasing the pentobarbital used in the execution.

Utahs first execution in 14 years: Recounting Taberon Honies final moments

Other costs include paying for personnel and overtime, which was estimated to be nearly $11,000, while event expenses, described as supplies and equipment, cost over $16,800.

The report doesnt include the two decades of legal costs associated with Honies execution.

Honie, 48, was convicted in 1999 and sentenced to death after killing his ex-girlfriends mother, Claudia Benn, 49. Earlier this year, Honie lost his last appeal of his sentence, officially setting the date for his execution.

In his final words, Honie said, If it needs to be done for them to heal, lets do this. If they tell you you cant change, dont listen to them. To all my brothers and sisters in here, continue to change. I love you all. Take care.

Honies execution was the first in the State of Utah in 14 years. The last execution was of Ronnie Lee Gardner, which took place on June 18, 2010, via firing squad. Gardner was convicted of shooting and killing Defense Attorney Michael Burdell in 1985 during an attempted courthouse escape. He had previously been charged with killing Melvyn Otterstrom during a bar robbery.

According to the Utah Department of Corrections, there are still six inmates 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 ABC4 Utah.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Utah filed a complaint on Tuesday asking the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on who really owns public lands, challenging federal ownership of 18.5 million acres of unappropriated land in the state.

Its a big question for Utah, where the federal government owns about 69% of the land. But its an even bigger question for Nevada, where just over 80% of the land is federally owned.

Most federal control of land is through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Forest Service and the National Parks Service. Utah is challenging the BLMs claim to millions of acres under the Federal Land Policy Management Act (FLPMA).

Utah argues theres nothing in the U.S. Constitution that gives the government the right to reserve that land.

But the Denver-based Center for Western Priorities (CWP) quickly labeled Utahs argument as a waste of time and money.

Governor (Spencer) Cox and the state legislature need to make a U-turn before they waste millions of taxpayer dollars enriching out-of-state lawyers on this pointless lawsuit, Aaron Weiss, CWP deputy director, said in a news release.

This lawsuit isnt worth the paper its printed on, Weiss said. 130 years ago, the people of Utah agreed to forever disclaim all right and title to national public lands when Utah became a state. What part of forever isnt clear to you, governor? The property clause of the Constitution gives Congress, and only Congress, authority to transfer or dispose of federal lands. Thats the beginning, middle, and end of this lawsuit.

Federal ownership of land has been a major point of contention in Nevada for more than six decades, dating back to the Sagebrush Rebellion in the 1960s and 1970s. Tensions blew up again in 2014 when rancher Cliven Bundy and his armed supporters faced down BLM agents who came to round up his cattle.

More recently, Nevada leaders have complained that the process to free up BLM land for housing development is too slow. A deal involving BLM land emerged only after Gov. Joe Lombardo expressed frustration with the process to President Joe Biden.

If Utahs complaint is successful, it could dramatically change how public land is auctioned off for development in the Las Vegas valley.

Besides the 63% of Nevada under BLMs control, the U.S. Air Force and the Department of Defense control a big chunk of the state just north of Las Vegas  the site of the Nellis Test and Training Range, the Nevada National Security Site (formerly the Nevada Test Site) and secretive installations including Area 51.

Utah-Bill-of-Complaint-and-Brief-in-SupportDownload

The Utah complaint points out that the U.S. government controls less than 1% of the land in Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island, and less than 3% of Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Cox took the opportunity to boast about his state, which is home to Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bears Ears and other natural wonders.

It is not a secret that we live in the most beautiful state in the nation. But, when the federal government controls two-thirds of Utah, we are extremely limited in what we can do to actively manage and protect our natural resources, Cox said.

We are committed to ensuring that Utahns of all ages and abilities have access to public lands. The BLM has increasingly failed to keep these lands accessible and appears to be pursuing a course of active closure and restriction. It is time for all Utahns to stand for our land.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Gov. Spencer J. Cox talks with media after a press conference to announce state action for Utah public lands at the Capitol in Salt Lake City, on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (Jeffrey D. Allred/The Deseret News via AP)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  Utahs Republican leaders made good Tuesday on a decade-old vow to launch a legal challenge aimed at wresting control from the U.S. government over much of the federal lands that dominate the state.

The state's attorney general said he asked to file a lawsuit with the U.S. Supreme Court in what is considered a long-shot attempt to assert state powers on U.S. Bureau of Land Management property across about one-third of Utah.

It marks the latest jab in a running feud between states and the U.S. government over who should control huge swaths of the West and the enormous oil and gas, timber, and other resources they contain.

Federal agencies combined have jurisdiction over almost 70% of Utah.

The lawsuit targets about half of that federal land  some 29,000 square miles (75,000 square kilometers), or an area nearly as large as South Carolina. Those parcels are under land bureau management and used for energy production, grazing, mining, recreation and other purposes.

Utahs world-famous national parks  and the national monuments managed by the land bureau  would remain in federal hands under the lawsuit.

Utah cannot manage, police or care for more than two thirds of its own territory because its controlled by people who dont live in Utah, who arent elected by Utah citizens and not responsive to our local needs," Attorney General Sean Reyes said.

The federal dominance prevents the state from making money off of taxes and development projects on those acres, he said.

University of Colorado environmental law professor Mark Squillace said the lawsuit was unlikely to succeed and was more a political stunt than anything else.

The Utah Enabling Act of 1894 that governed Utah's designation as a state included a promise that it wouldn't make any claim on federal land, Squillace said. The property clause of the Constitution also gives the federal government absolute authority over public lands, he said.

This is directly contrary to what they agreed to when they became a state, Squillace said. The courts have made a more conservative turn, but I don't think even this Supreme Court is likely to overcome the quite clear law and Constitutional provisions that would bar Utah from taking over public lands.

The lands sought by Utah include remote areas of desert in the little-trafficked western portion of the state but also parcels near some of its treasured national parks, including Arches and Capitol Reef.

Conservationists blasted the lawsuit as a threat to the red rock canyons, mesas and other natural landscapes that draw throngs of tourists to Utah.

With todays announcement, Utah has firmly established itself as the most anti-public lands state in the country, said Stephen Bloch of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.

The election-year lawsuit amplifies a longstanding grievance among Western Republicans that has also been aired by officials in neighboring states such as Nevada, Idaho and Wyoming.

Their complaints intensified in recent months following the Biden administration's adoption of a new rule for public land management that is meant to put conservation on more equal footing with oil drilling, grazing and other extractive industries. Republicans and industry representatives denounced the rule as a backdoor way to exclude development on government acreage that is often cheap to lease.

A federal judge last year dismissed a lawsuit from Utah that challenged President Joe Biden's restoration of two sprawling national monuments in the state that had been downsized under then-President Donald Trump. The judge said Biden acted within his authority when he issued proclamations restoring Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in 2021 on land sacred to many Native Americans.

Utah had passed a law in 2012 demanding the federal government hand over federally controlled lands by the end of 2014. When that deadline passed, state officials began preparing a legal challenge that has now come to fruition.

State leaders ultimately scaled down the original vision for a near-total land grab, opting to fight for just half of the federal land in the state. They say the parcels are being held by the Bureau of Land Management without designating a purpose.

Utahs in the best position to understand and respond to the unique needs of our environment and communities, Republican Gov. Spencer Cox said. Were not trying to privatize this land. Were actually trying to manage it in a way that will better help the environment.

Bureau of Land Management spokesperson Brian Hires said the agency would not comment on pending litigation.

Reyes declined to reveal the expected legal expenses but said those would be less than the $14 million previously projected because the scope of the challenge was pared down and because they are trying to go directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Federal lawsuits generally start in district courts before working their way up to the U.S. Supreme Court on appeals. However, the Constitution allows some cases to begin at the high court when states are involved. The Supreme Court can refuse such requests.

___

Brown reported from Billings, Montana.
The state of Utah sued the federal government Tuesday in an attempt to gain control of millions of acres of public lands.

The state is seeking a transfer of 18.5 million acres  about a third of the states total area  from the federal government.

Utah deserves priority when it comes to managing its land, Gov. Spencer Cox (R) said during a press conference.

Its been a tragedy to see what this administration and past administrations have done to our land, closing down roads that have been open for generations. Places where people went to recreate, to spend time with their families, are no longer accessible, he added.

The lawsuit, which goes directly to the Supreme Court, argues that the federal governments control over the land is unconstitutional.

About 70 percent of Utahs total land area is under federal control. When Utah became a state, under the Utah Enabling Act it gave up land to the federal government. Its not the only state to do so, and the federal government owns about 47 percent of land in the West.

Aaron Weiss, deputy director of the Center for Western Priorities, which advocates for conservation, argued that the suit would not hold up in court.

Congress decides how public lands are managed. Congress decides when public lands are disposed of, he said. The Enabling Act that brought Utah in as a state did not leave any wiggle room.

The states suit argues that under this law, the federal governments authority was limited to the power to dispose of those lands.

While Cox said that the goal of the suit was to bring lands under state management  not privatization  Weiss expressed concern that if the state were to succeed, land sell-offs would be the ultimate outcome.

The costs of fighting one wildfire on this theoretically new state land that they want could wipe out a state budget, Weiss said. Weve seen Oregon have to sell off state forests because they couldnt afford to maintain them and manage them.

What, what this would lead to  is trophy homes all up and down Moab, trophy homes on the edge of Bears Ears, he added.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Is there a vaccine for mpox? Who can get the shot and where? How to find it in Florida

Should you get an mpox vaccine?

The World Health Organization this month declared a global health emergency for mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, as scientists monitor a more contagious form of the virus that is spreading across Africa, with at least one reported case in Sweden.

While mpox cases have been reported in Florida and other parts of the country, none of the confirmed cases are linked to the type of mpox  clade I  thats endemic in Central Africa and has officials on alert, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The U.S. cases stem from clade II, a type of mpox that tends to cause less severe infections, and the countrys risk for clade I infections is low, according to the CDC.

Public health experts are still recommending people considered to be most at risk for severe infection, such as those with conditions that make them immunocompromised, speak with their doctor about possible precautions.

People who were exposed to someone with mpox or are considered to be high risk for mpox exposure should cancer vaccination, the CDC says.

READ MORE: Global emergency declared over a new mpox outbreak. What to know in Florida

And unlike COVID-19, when the world had to wait for a vaccine to be made, a vaccine for mpox, called Jynneos, already exists and has predominantly been used in the country since a 2022 outbreak, according to the CDC.

Another 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. But this vaccine tends to cause more side effects and has not been used for the mpox outbreak that began in 2022, according to the CDC.

So, who can get Jynneos?

Heres what to know:

Who should get the mpox vaccine?

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a rare disease similar to smallpox, although usually milder and less fatal. It can spread through intimate contact, such as kissing and sex, by direct contact with rash and body fluids, or by touching contaminated objects, such as clothing and bedding.

This is the second time in two years that the World Health Organization has declared a global public health emergency for mpox.

While anyone can get mpox, public health experts are recommending people who were exposed to someone with the virus or are at high risk of exposure to get vaccinated. The CDCs most recent vaccination recommendations, which were updated in April 2024, states that you should consider vaccination if:

 Exposed or potentially exposed to someone with mpox

 Have more than one sex partner

 Had a sex partner in the past two weeks who was diagnosed with mpox

 Your job may expose you to the disease, such as certain healthcare and laboratory workers

 In the past six months you had sex at commercial sex venue such as a sex club or bathhouse or had sex during a large event or in an area where mpox transmission was known to be occurring.

 You are gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary, gender-diverse or are a man who has sex with men and in the past six months had more then one sex partner or had a new diagnosis of one or more sexually transmitted infections.

The CDC also recommends getting vaccinated if you expect to experience any of the above scenarios or have a sex partner with any of the above risks. While anyone can get mpox, some people are more at risk then others for severe illness, including people diagnosed with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, or other medical conditions that severely weakens their immune system. Speak with your doctor about your risk level and whether you should get vaccinated.

Is the mpox vaccine covered by insurance?

The Jynneos vaccine is covered under Medicare and Medicaid and may be covered by some health insurance plans, according to the CDC. Health departments, community health centers and other health providers may offer free shots to eligible patients.

How to find an mpox vaccine site near you

The CDC has an online portal you can use to find an mpox vaccine site near you by ZIP Code and whether appointments are needed. To search for a vaccine sit near you, visit mpoxvaccine.cdc.gov

What is the Jynneos vaccine?

 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Jynneos vaccine in 2019 to help prevent mpox and smallpox in people 18 and older who are considered to be at high risk for infection. 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 the FDA granted in August 2022. Some health departments may have stricter or more specific eligibility guidelines on who can get the vaccine.

 Jynneos requires two shots, given four weeks apart. People are considered fully vaccinated about two weeks after their second shot.

 Jynneos is 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, CDC said.

How effective is the mpox vaccine? What are common side effects?

Recent studies of the 2022 US mpox outbreak have estimated that the effectiveness of the Jynneos vaccine in preventing mpox disease was 35% to 75% after one dose and 66% to 85% after two doses, according to a 2023 patient page by JAMA, a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American medical Association. Therefore, although one dose provides some protection against mpox, two doses of vaccine are recommended. In addition, if mpox infection develops after vaccination, the symptoms may be less severe than without vaccination.

Common side effects include redness or irritation in the injection site, fatigue, headache and body aches, according to JAMA.

Patients with a history of severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) to gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, and chicken or egg should discuss with their clinician whether they can safely receive the vaccine, the website states. Individuals who have a severe allergic reaction to the first dose should not get another dose of Jynneous vaccine.

If you have questions about the vaccine, including eligibility, speak with your doctor. And remember, if you do get vaccinated, there are still preventive steps you should take to reduce your risk of falling ill with mpox.
You may not need those wooden stakes after all.

The Dispatch and several other publications previously reported that Netflix was planning to air a documentary "Vampires in Gem City" this fall touching on the 1994 disappearance of the then-26-year-old George Phillip Gall near the goth-themed Asylum nightclub in Dayton.

His wife, Helen Gall, and maternal uncle, Dan Phelan, have said that producers told them through emails that Netflix has decided not to air the show without explanation.

The director, Joshua Rofe, has not responded to The Dispatch to confirm whether the streaming giant shelved his project.

Phelan said producers began working with the family roughly three years ago on a documentary about Phil Gall's mysterious disappearance and his mother's, Kathy Gall, relentless efforts to get answers.

Helen Gall said no matter what the show was about, she was happy anyone wanted to bring attention to her missing husband's case.

"I was hoping they would air it so people know what has happened to my husband so we could get the word out there," Helen Gall said. "I need answers as to why they did this."

Phelan said the documentary changed gears to focus on a community of vampires when director David Holthouse was replaced 10 months ago by Rofe. Dayton is said to be home to "the largest coven of vampires outside of New Orleans," according to What's on Netflix.

Phil Gall disappeared in 1994. Family still search for answers.

'These rumors aren't true'

Phelan shared an email exchange that began on Aug. 2 with M. Elizabeth Hughes, a producer on the project, stating the show would not air.

"We were finishing the documentary early this year with the hopes it would premiere in 2024," Hughes wrote in the email shared with The Dispatch. "To our surprise and deep disappointment, Netflix let us know that they aren't planning to air the documentary. That decision became official only recently and I didn't want to share until I was certain."

Hughes also has not responded to The Dispatch to confirm her email or comment about the status of the documentary.

In the email, Phelan said that the attention generated by the February story from What's on Netflix, followed by a string of media coverage of the supposed release date of the documentary, led to a flood of phone calls and media inquiries.

"We are currently fielding inquiries from everywhere including the UK...Is there anything to all these rumors? I have seen it while I browsed google for current news," Phelan wrote in an Aug. 13 email.

"Ive seen the stories, and Im as confused as you are," Hughes wrote in response. "The documentary isnt coming out, so these rumors arent true. Im sorry this is so confusing."

Netflix has not responded to Dispatch inquiries to confirm whether the show is airing on their service."

What we know about Dayton's urban legend

Phelan said he became an uncle to Phil Gall at the age of eight when his older sister gave birth at a young age. The two had been close because of this, which made Phil Gall's sudden disappearance all the more devastating.

"It felt more like I lost a friend or a brother than a nephew," he said.

When Phil Gall went missing, Phelan said the Dayton Police might not have been in a hurry to search for the middle-aged man who could have left on his own. Phelan says this couldn't have been further from the truth as he had an infant child and an upcoming signing on a new house five days after he was reported missing. Phelan said Kathy Gall found clues to her son's disappearance on her own including the bus driver that took him to the Asylum nightcluband continued searching until she died in 2016.

Now an urban legend, Phelan said many Dayton residents have claimed to have seen a headless man approaching them in tunnels to ask where his head was. Phil Gall, who is believed to have been decapitated, is said to be this headless man.

Phelan said producers flew him and his family to Los Angeles three years ago to interview him about whether he believed the urban legend is a myth.

"The answer is absolutely not," Phelan said. "If he's here wandering the streets, that means he and my sister aren't together."

Though the family has given up hope of finding any lasting remains of Phil Gall, they still want to bring attention to his case.

"Any way we can shine light on the issue would be positive," Phelan said.

But with mixed signals of whether or not the show is actually airing, the family said they're not sure what to believe.

ABayo@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 'Vampires in Gem City' Netflix doc looks off, Dayton man's family says
Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to rally supporters in Asheboro on Wednesday.

The event will take place at 2 p.m. at the North Carolina Aviation Museum at 2222 Pilots View Road. Vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance will appear with Trump at the rally where the former president is expected to address national security issues. Doors for the event open at 11 a.m.

This will be Trumps first visit to the Triad since a March rally at the Greensboro Coliseum days before the primary.

Trumps stop in North Carolina is part of series of battleground-state visits the Republican nominee is making as Democrats meet in Chicago for their national convention.

It also comes at a time when recent polling shows a competitive presidential race in the state.

A New York Times/Siena College poll conducted from Aug. 8-15 showed Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris leading Trump 49%-47% among likely voters.

Guilford County Republican Party Chairman Chris Meadows said he feels Harris is benefiting from a honeymoon, but that the dynamic of the race will shift again soon.

Id give her another two or three weeks with good polling, and then I think the real campaign begins showing her far-left agenda, Tim Walz far-left agenda and thats just not good for the American people, Meadows said.

He said Trump should emphasize issues where polling has shown he has an advantage.

If they stick to the message on the economy, immigration and security and crime, Trump should win with no problem, Meadows said.

Trump won North Carolina during his previous presidential campaigns by a margin of nearly 4 percent in 2016 and a little more than 1 percent in 2020.

The core urban counties in the Triad went strongly for Biden in 2020, with the incumbent president winning by a margin of 23% in Guilford County and 14% in Forsyth.

However, the former president dominated in Randolph County, the site of Wednesdays rally. There he captured nearly 78% of the vote to Bidens 21%.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, an adovcate of reproductive rights, angered JD Vance after criticizing him for past comments (AP)

JD Vance is accusing Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear of wishing one of his family members would get raped while criticizing the Republican vice presidential candidate for his past remarks about abortion exceptions. Beshear called the accusation ridiculous.

On Tuesday morning, Beshear condemned Republicans for promoting anti-abortion policies like not allowing for exceptions in cases of rape or incest.

JD Vance calls pregnancy resulting from rape inconvenient, Beshear told Morning Joe, referencing a comment the Republican vice presidential nominee made in 2021.

At the time, Vance said he did not think abortion laws should provide exceptions in cases of rape, purely because the circumstances of that childs birth are somehow inconvenient. Since then, Vance has softened his stance and said he supports exceptions.

Inconvenience is traffic, make him go through this. Someone being violated, someone being harmed and then telling them they dont have options after that. That fails any test of decency of humanity, Beshear said.

But Vance took issue with Beshears comments, and angrily responded by calling Beshear a disgusting person for wishing that a member of my family would get raped.

What the hell is this?



Why is @AndyBeshearKY wishing that a member of my family would get raped?!?



What a disgusting person. https://t.co/11Kp1h92MN  JD Vance (@JDVance) August 20, 2024

William Martin, the communications director for Vance, said in a statement that Beshears comments were disgusting and vile.

We call on Kamala Harris to immediately repudiate Governor Beshears comments and demonstrate that regardless of partisan disagreements, this kind of violent rhetoric has no place in our public discourse, Martin wrote.

The Kentucky governor later clarified that his remark was not meant to be taken the way Vance interpreted it saying that was ridiculous and a deflection.

JD Vance knows he and Donald Trump are so wrong on this issue and so hes trying to make himself the victim, Beshear told MSNBC on Tuesday afternoon.

Beshear is one of two Democratic governors in the Southern United States region. As the governor of Kentucky, a predominantly red state, he has advocated for abortion rights by vetoing legislation that restricted abortion  though the Republican-dominated legislature overrode him.

As a man, JD Vance will never have to face any of this personally but its sad that he lacks the empathy to put himself in a different position and to understand why having exceptions, why having reproductive freedom is so important in the first place, Beshear said.

The governor clarified that he would never wish harm on anyone and reiterated that Vance was likely deflected.

Andy Beshear responds to JD Vance's attack that Beshear wished a member of Vance's family "would get raped":



"It's ridiculous, but it's also deflection. ... It's sad that he lacks the empathy ... to understand why having exceptions, having reproductive freedom, is so important." pic.twitter.com/4bEJhYakoP  The Recount (@therecount) August 20, 2024

Anti-abortion laws have become a key issue for many voters across the country since states began implementing restrictive rules in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned. States with laws that do not provide exceptions in cases of rape, incest or to save the pregnant persons life have been subject to intense scrutiny and legal challenges.

Traditional Republicans who have a history of supporting restrictive abortion regulations have been forced to soften their opinion given most of the general population believes abortion should be legal in some or all cases.
State law does not require prosecutors to give written approval for wiretaps consented to by one party of a communication, judges find. (Getty Images)

A New Jersey appeals court declined on Tuesday to require police to obtain written approval before placing wiretaps after obtaining the consent of one caller, keeping in place rules that allow consensual wiretaps as long as a prosecutor gives verbal approval.

The three-judge panel found the New Jersey Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act remains silent on the format of prosecutorial approval required for consensual wiretaps, which require the consent of one party to the communication and can be applied without a court order.

The ruling is a defeat for an Ocean County man who alleged prosecutors improperly recorded a telephone conversation between him and his daughter after she alleged he sexually assaulted her.

Defendant asks us to read into the Act words the Legislature did not choose to include, and to engraft a procedural requirement the Legislature did not choose to impose, Judge Ronald Susswein wrote for the panel.

Because constitutional privacy concerns require authorities to hew close to the wiretapping laws text, the court was required to strictly construe its language, and imposing additional requirements outside of its text lay beyond the judges authority, Susswein wrote.

The panel noted the law explicitly requires police to obtain prosecutorial approval in writing when seeking a court order for a wiretap but did not impose an identical requirement on consensual interceptions.

The ruling defeats a bid for post-conviction relief by the Ocean County man, who was found guilty in 2018 of sexually assaulting his daughter over the span of seven years starting when she was 6 years old. The New Jersey Monitor is not identifying the man to avoid identifying his victim.

He was sentenced to a 19-year prison term and sought to reverse it, charging the wiretap was illegally obtained and that prior attorneys provided ineffective assistance by failing to raise the issue at trial and an earlier appeal.

The judges pointed to prior case law that similarly found there was no requirement approval for consensual wiretaps to be in writing, noting those decisions predate 1999 changes to the wiretapping act. If lawmakers intended written approval to be required, they could have written the requirement into law that year, the judges said.

The Legislature did not do that. Indeed, rather than add any new prerequisites, the 1999 amendment deleted the reasonable-suspicion requirement and expanded the list of officials who could give prior approval, Susswein wrote.

The mans attorney did not return a request for comment.

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New data from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department shows that Vermonts black bear populations are thriving.

Last year the population was estimated to be at a five-year high. This year its estimated that there are between 6,300 and 7,600 black bears in Vermont.

VFWD Biometrician and Research Manager Katherina Gieder attributes these numbers to healthy forests and state conservation efforts.

The average bear population estimate has been at an all-time high, so that indicates to us that our forests are sustaining very healthy bear populations, Geider said.

The state has bought land with beech trees, which produces a major food source for bears, and worked with new development initiatives to ensure safe habitat conditions.

However, as the bear population increases, so does the number of conflicts between bears and humans. The states efforts have now shifted to reducing these encounters.

Gieder told us, Forests are supporting healthy bear populations there are also more and more humans that are coming into contact with bears in those forested areas. And so thats really been our primary focus is trying to find a balance of, how do we live with bears and provide them as healthy of a habitat and life as we can?

If a bear is causing property damage, gains access to human food, or gets into livestock, you should file a report with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.

If a report is filed, the state can help secure food sources so that no danger comes to bears or humans. To learn more about living with bears, or to file a report, you can visit Living with Black Bears | Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department (vtfishandwildlife.com).

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Vietnams new leader To Lam is hoping to bolster relations with China during his first overseas state visit this week. The three-day trip comes months after the ruling Communist Party of Vietnams anti-corruption purge roiled the country. Vietnam seemed like it would follow China in a political inward turn after hardliners triumphed in the power struggle, argued one Chatham House analyst.

But the country is unlikely to give the US the cold shoulder, an academic wrote in Chinese state tabloid The Global Times. Hanoi has enhanced security cooperation with Washington and expanded its island-building efforts to counter Beijings aggression in the South China Sea.
A view of the UN peacekeepers' base, near which an artillery mine fired by Israel fell in the village of Kherbeh, South Lebanon. Vasily Krestyaninov/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Violence continued between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia on Monday, with two Hezbollah fighters and one Israeli soldier killed in attacks.

The Lebanese Health Ministry said two people had been killed in an Israeli attack on Houla and later Hezbollah said two of its fighters had been killed there.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on its Telegram channel that it had "struck Hezbollah terrorists in the area of Houla in southern Lebanon." It also hit a launcher and military structures in the areas of Ayta ash Shab and Hanine, the IDF said.

It did not comment on casualties.

Hezbollah usually does not elaborate on when, where and how its members die, but said later in a statement the dead were two of its fighters.

An Israeli soldier was killed and several others injured, one of them seriously, in a drone attack mounted on Monday from Lebanon across Israel's northern border, an IDF spokesman said.

The 45-year-old soldier was a member of the IDF's Desert Reconnaissance Battalion.

According to the spokesman, five drones armed with explosives were launched from bases operated by Hezbollah. Israel's Iron Dome defence system intercepted three of them, but two managed to get through.

Hezbollah claimed several attacks on Israeli troops and military positions in northern Israel, including a drone strike on a base and an attack on Israeli soldiers. The militia said they were trying to "infiltrate" the Lebanese border.

Meanwhile, a series of Israeli strikes targeted pro-Iranian Hezbollah-controlled areas in eastern Lebanon wounding at least eight people, security sources said.

Lebanon's Health Ministry, in a statement, said that the Israeli strikes wounded eight people, "including six Lebanese citizens, a five-year-old Syrian girl, and a fifteen-year-old Syrian girl."

The state-run news agency (NNA) said a series of airstrikes hit eastern and southern Lebanon. It said the towns in the Baalbek district were targeted by at least three Israeli air strikes.

The Israeli army said Israeli fighter jets struck a number of Hezbollah weapon storage facilities. It said secondary explosions were identified, indicating "large amounts of weapons in the facilities struck."

Since the war in the Gaza Strip began more than 10 months ago, there have been daily military confrontations between the Israeli army and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon and other groups in the border area between the countries.

There were casualties on both sides, most of them members of Hezbollah.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaking on Aug. 20 about the 2023-24 Standards of Learning results in Richmond. (Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury)

Virginia students reading and math assessments for the 2023-24 school year saw some improvement over last year after months of recovery efforts, according to data released by the Department of Education Tuesday. However, pass rates in other subjects are still behind results from the 2022-23 school year.

Statewide Pass Rates: 2018-19 vs. 2023-24

Reading 77.55 | 73.05

Writing 75.74 | 75.69

History and Social Science 79.99 | 65.2

Mathematics 82.05 | 70.95

Science 80.91 | 68.44

Pass rates for grades 3 through 8 in reading, math, and science Standards of Learning tests all showed increases statewide by at least 1%. Writing showed the highest increase  17 percentage points  while history and social science saw little gain, less than a percentage point.

The Standards of Learning tests (SOLs) are used in Virginia to measure student learning and achievement in mathematics, reading, science, writing, and history and social science. Testing was suspended during 2020-21, when many schools around the state stopped in-person instruction in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2023-24, roughly 71% of Virginia students passed the math tests compared to 82% before the pandemic. On reading tests, 77.5% of students overall passed compared to 73% before the pandemic.

The administration has regularly pinned the results of the learning loss on prior Boards of Education that changed the states standards of school accreditation and lowered the scores required to be considered proficient in a certain subject, on student assessments. Democrats and previous board members have defended such decisions.

Every single one of our data releases is a snapshot into a motion picture, and Im pleased today that the motion picture will, in fact, show that a ship that was off course has been turned around, and that we are seeing progress, said Gov. Glenn Youngkin, but we will also say today that we have a long way to go.

Last September, the administration, troubled by the significant learning loss in reading and math, dedicated $418 million through the 2025-26 school year to the problem. The administration launched high-intensity tutoring programs and the ALL IN VA plan to focus on attendance, literacy and tutoring.

Statewide, schools hired additional tutors, extended instruction time before and after school, and focused on using the states free personalized supplemental math and reading resources.

The data showed a 16% reduction in students chronically absent in 2023-24 compared to the previous year. Students are chronically absent if they have missed at least 18 days of instruction for any reason, including excused and unexcused absences.

Data shows pass rates statewide increased for economically disadvantaged students, English learners and students with disabilities over the previous two school years.

Mixed results between counties

However, school divisions have had mixed results with pass rates.

Fairfax County, the largest school division in Virginia, maintained similar pass rates in reading, math and science over the previous two school years, but experienced significant drops in writing, and history and social science by at least 20 percentage points each.

Craig County, one of the smaller school divisions in the commonwealth, saw increases in all five subject areas.

The administration also praised school divisions such as Bath and Brunswick County Public Schools.

Between 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, Bath saw a 19% increase in reading scores and Brunswick saw a 21% increase in grades 3-8 math pass rates.

With schools facing the threat of All In VA funding ending in two years, Kristy Somerville-Midgette, superintendent of Brunswick County Public Schools, recommended superintendents work with their school boards, and local government and be creative with their funding and look for opportunities to best serve students.

Levi Goren, a policy director at The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, said in a statement that the increases in pass rates are great and the success is likely connected to the recent increases in state support for students. Support for students facing higher barriers, such as students from low-income families, students with disabilities, and English language learners, is still needed, Goren added.

While todays scores were promising for some of these students, we know that one strong year of improvement cannot make up for the continued impact of years of insufficient funding, Goren said. Sustained increases in state funding would help lift test scores and other outcomes for students facing greater barriers.

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Madison Hamala casts her vote on Super Tuesday in Denver, March 5, 2024. (Kevin Mohatt for Colorado Newsline)

Eligible voters can register to vote in Colorado at various in-person locations or online ahead of Election Day.

This story is part of a series on voting basics in Colorado.

To register, Coloradans can apply on the secretary of states website if they have a social security number, a Colorado drivers license, or a Colorado ID. If they lack these items, they must fill out a paper registration form and return it to the Department of States Elections Division. If the applicant has a Colorado license or ID, they must register using that ID.

In Colorado, weve made it easy and accessible for all eligible Coloradans to register to vote, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in an email.

U.S. citizens who are 16 years old are eligible to register, but they must be 18 to vote in an election. A person must be a Colorado resident for at least 22 days before the election they intend to vote in. While someone who is incarcerated serving a felony sentence isnt able to vote, they can vote once they are released.

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Colorado also has automatic voter registration through the Department of Motor Vehicles. This means that if someone gets their drivers license in Colorado and has demonstrated their citizenship, their information is automatically sent to the secretary of states office for voter registration. Once registered, they will receive a notification in the mail. A 2019 Colorado law implemented automatic voter registration.

The League of Women Voters of Colorado believes that Colorados election system is our nations gold standard, and that includes our voter registration laws and processes, Beth Hendrix, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Colorado, said in an email. Colorado is a leader in offering same-day voter registration, online registration, acceptance of numerous forms of identification for registration, and automatic registration through DMVs.

Hendrix said Colorado, six other states and Washington, D.C., are awaiting federal guidance on automatic registration through Medicaid enrollment.

To receive a ballot in the mail, voters must register by the eighth day before the election. After that, they can register and vote in person at a voter service and polling center in their county, even on Election Day. A voter who receives mail through a post office box can have their ballot mailed to the box, but they must also include a physical address in their registration.

If a voter changed their address within the state, they must renew their registration.

College students from other states can register to vote in their home state or in Colorado if they have an established residence. People experiencing homelessness can register by designating a location that they regularly return to, such as a shelter, park or campground.

Colorado allows pre-registration starting at 16 years old. If a 16-year-old gets their license through the DMV, they will be automatically pre-registered.

First-time voter registrations in Colorado surged in July, when Vice President Kamala Harris took President Joe Bidens place at the top of the Democratic presidential ticket.

Voters can verify their registration status on the secretary of states website using their name, birthday and ZIP code.

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A handful of leading Democrats are skipping their partys convention in Chicago this week, suggesting that some lawmakers want distance with their partys presidential nominee even amid the euphoric reaction shes received since ascending to the role.

Heres some of the top Democrats who arent attending the Democratic National Convention:

Sherrod Brown

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown (D), who is navigating a reelection battle in a state that has increasingly voted Republican, told CNN earlier this month that he would not attend the convention. He told the outlet, I often skip conventions, and that he sometimes attends conventions for maybe a day.

But social media, publicly released convention schedules, and national and local news reports have shown that Brown has attended each convention while he has served in Congress.

Weve been planning to be in Ohio for months and Sherrod is looking forward to hearing from Ohioans in Youngstown, Toledo, Cleveland, Chillicothe, and Sandusky this week to discuss his record fighting for the Dignity of Work, campaign spokesperson Eliza Green said.

The campaign said Brown had been planning to skip the convention this year to spend more time in Ohio and noted that the senator has endorsed Harris.

John Fetterman

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) is a bit of an outlier compared to the rest of the Democrats passing on the convention, as he is not up for reelection this year.

Fettermans plan to not attend was revealed Sunday, when the outlet The Free Press published an interview with him. He said the convention is not about me and that he had decided not to attend well before President Bidens dismal debate performance against former President Trump in June.

Ive got three young kids, and theyre out of school, he said. Thats four days I can spend with my children.

Fetterman also rejected the idea that he was avoiding the convention because he may not be as welcomed, given his strong support for Israel.

I dont agree with a lot of their views, but whatever kinds of political choices or any kind of political costs that Ive incurred throughout all that, I dont care, Fetterman said about the impact of his position on the war in Gaza.

Martin Heinrich

Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is running in a more comfortably blue state than his fellow Democrats, but New Mexico became a bit more of a target for Republicans as Biden faltered. Heinrich, who has declared his support for the ticket, has other plans this week.

Senator Heinrich is excited to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as the next President & Vice President of the United States. He has other commitments during the time of the convention, a spokesperson told Scripps News.

Heinrich endorsed Harris a few hours after she entered the race and praised her pick of Walz as a running mate after she chose the Minnesota governor.

Jacky Rosen

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) is focusing on her reelection campaign this week instead of attending the convention, as she faces Republican Sam Brown in what may be one of the closest Senate contests this year.

Its important that Im home, she told The New York Times in an interview. Thats the best place I can be.

But Rosen, who has not previously attended a Democratic convention, did appear with Harris and Walz at a rally in Las Vegas on Saturday and made clear that she backs the Democratic ticket.

Senator Rosen supports the Harris-Walz ticket and was glad to join them on the campaign trail in Las Vegas this past weekend, a campaign spokesperson said. She is also focused on her own reelection and will be talking with Nevada voters during the week of the convention.

Jon Tester

This year, Montana Sen. Jon Tester (D) is facing likely his biggest reelection challenge yet in the otherwise solidly Republican state. He is one of the relatively few congressional Democrats who has not yet endorsed Harris, and Montana Public Radio reported he didnt return a ballot in the Democratic National Committees virtual roll call vote for Harris earlier this month.

The three-term incumbent will not attend the convention and instead will hold a fundraiser Wednesday with a member of the rock band Pearl Jam, according to the Montana Free Press.

The campaigns press secretary told the outlet that Tester will spend his August farming and meeting directly with Montanans.

Yadira Caraveo

Colorado Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D) is in her first term after being elected in the states 8th Congressional District in 2022, and Republicans have targeted her seat as a possible flip opportunity. She is one of five House Democrats the House GOP campaign arm is going after with a mobile billboard outside the convention this week.

The billboard will show photos of the members with the words, Have You Seen Me?

Val Hoyle

Oregon Rep. Val Hoyle (D) is skipping the convention, reportedly due to wildfires raging in her state.

Wildfires are getting worse out here and working this is her priority right now, Karmen Fore, Hoyles chief of staff, told Punchbowl News.

Hoyle is running for reelection in a race that Cook Political Report rates as Likely Democrat but is still in the House Democrats campaign arms Frontline program to protect potentially vulnerable members.

Jared Golden

Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) is seeking reelection in a red-leaning district that appears likely to vote for Trump in November. He has kept his distance from the national party.

The Bangor Daily News reported this month that Golden declined to join the virtual vote to nominate Harris and would not attend the convention. He has also declined to say for whom he will vote in November.

Im spending August mostly away from the well-worn campaign trail, meeting voters in the places Mainers go to enjoy summer in our great state, Golden posted Saturday on the social platform X.

Mary Sattler Peltola

Alaska Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola (D) was able to flip her House seat blue in 2022 for the first time in decades, and she will focus on her primary this week as Democrats hope to hold onto her seat.

She and other candidates are running in a blanket primary Tuesday in which the top four candidates will advance to the general election. It will be conducted by ranked-choice voting. A spokesperson for her campaign told The Hill that Peltola had two get-out-the-vote events scheduled for Monday and will have a party to watch the results come in Tuesday evening.

Marie Gluesenkamp Perez

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) narrowly defeated Republican Joe Kent two years ago and is trying to defend her seat in a rematch with him. A spokesperson said she would be focused on her campaign this week.

Shes spending the time in the district and focused on her re-election, said Emmett Avery, a press assistant for the campaign.

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The Washington state Capitol building in Olympia, on Feb. 7, 2024. (Bill Lucia/Washington State Standard)

Tens of thousands of state employees will stage a walkout next month in a united demonstration of frustration with the tenor of negotiations on a new two-year contract, including a wage offer they consider disrespectful.

Leaders of the Washington Federation of State Employees are urging their members statewide to walk off the job at noon on Sept. 10 to demand livable wages and safe staffing levels. Members will use their lunch time or scheduled vacation for the walkout, according to the union.

Were doing this for ourselves and our families, for each other, and for the folks who depend on our work. A fair contract cant wait, reads a post on the union website. The union is encouraging walkouts at every worksite, every employer and every WFSE contract.

The federation is negotiating 2025-2027 contracts on behalf of several bargaining units that collectively represent 50,000 state government, higher education and public service employees.

After a 15-hour bargaining session on Monday, the parties remained no closer to an agreement on critical matters like compensation, according to a news release from the union.

Were given an impression that we were important, but then theyre treating us like were second members of society, said Tom Cline, the senior systems administrator at Peninsula College and a bargaining team member for the Community College Coalition.

Formal talks with the Office of Financial Management on new collective bargaining agreements began in the spring. Sessions are planned nearly every week through the end of September. Any agreements are supposed to be ratified by union members by Oct. 1 so they can be considered for funding in the next two-year budget.

The state presented its initial compensation proposal July 22. Union negotiators, in an update to members, called it

short-sighted and disrespectful.

We wont accept it, they added.

In a news release, the federation expressed frustration with the growing turnover rate for state government employees. According to the federation, 40% of state employees have turned over in the last eight years because of resignations alone.

Federation leaders declined to say how much the state offered general government workers, but in a Tuesday news release, they said the proposals could amount to a pay cuts for all members and staffing cuts at institutions like Green Hill School, a youth detention facility, and Western State Hospital, one of two state-owned psychiatric hospitals for adults.

They said management made dire predictions about the budget and our states economic future in the wake of a June revenue forecast. That report predicted a $500 million drop in projected tax collections for the upcoming budget cycle. The next forecast is in September.

While Washingtons population has boomed and the legislature has piled on more and more work, our pay hasnt kept pace and its become increasingly difficult to get people to stay on the job, wrote union leaders, who urged members to apply pressure with calls to Gov. Jay Inslee.

In separate contract talks, negotiators for a Department of Corrections employee bargaining unit said they voted for arbitration Aug. 14 after receiving a last and final offer of a general wage increase of 2% in July 2025 and 1% the following year.

Inslee is not involved in negotiations. He will have to decide whether the budget proposal he releases in December funds agreements reached with the various unions.

These negotiations are ongoing with [the Office of Financial Management] and were careful in how we address them, said Mike Faulk, Inslees press secretary. The governors support of our hard-working public employees over his 12 years in office speaks for itself.

In a statement, the director of the Office of Financial Management said the goal is to craft a contract that balances fiscal realities with the states needs, policy priorities and the critical role our employees fill in serving the public.

We anticipate limited revenue in the upcoming biennium, said the offices director, David Schumacher. Just as weve asked state agencies to limit new programs and request only essential funding, we are applying the same principle to our negotiations.

In addition to next months walkout, state employees are rallying across Washington on Tuesday in six cities, including Seattle, Spokane and Olympia.
The company is now waiving its right to arbitration, stating that this situation warrants a sensitive approach

Travis Wise/Flickr/CC BY 2.0 Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

Disney is backtracking on the companys push to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit on the grounds that the victims husband previously signed up for the Disney+ streaming service.

In February, Jeffrey Piccolo filed a $50,000 lawsuit against Disney after his wife Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan, a physician at NYU Langone Hospital, died last year. Court documents reviewed by PEOPLE claim Tangsuan suffered a fatal allergic reaction after eating at a Disney Springs restaurant.

On Aug. 19, Josh DAmaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, told PEOPLE in a statement that the company is now waiving its right to arbitration.

At Disney, we strive to put humanity above all other considerations. With such unique circumstances as the ones in this case, we believe this situation warrants a sensitive approach to expedite a resolution for the family who have experienced such a painful loss, he said. As such, weve decided to waive our right to arbitration and have the matter proceed in court.

Initially, Disney claimed in a legal filing that the lawsuit should be dismissed because Piccolo signed up for a one-month trial of Disney+ back in 2019  and the contract requires users to arbitrate all disputes with the company.

According to court documents, the terms and conditions Piccolo agreed to when purchasing theme park tickets in 2023 also protect the company from his lawsuit.

Related: Disney World Seeks to Dismiss Doctors Wrongful Death Lawsuit Because He Subscribed to Disney+ for a Month in 2019

 Wiki Commons The entrance sign to Walk Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

Related: Doctor with Severe Allergy Dies After Disney World Restaurant Allegedly 'Guaranteed' Food Was Allergen-Free: Lawsuit

Following the news that Disney is reversing course, Piccolos lawyer, Brian Denney, told the Associated Press that his client will continue to pursue justice on behalf of his beloved wife and hopes that this helps raise awareness of the challenges people with food allergies face.

The right to a jury trial as set forth in the Seventh Amendment is a bedrock of our judicial system and should be protected and preserved, he said in an emailed statement. Attempts by corporations like Disney to avoid jury trials should be looked at with skepticism.

Piccolos lawsuit details Tangsuans death as having occurred on Oct. 5, 2023. Court documents state that she was having dinner at Raglan Road Irish Pub in the parks Disney Springs area and allegedly told the waiter that she had severe allergies to dairy and nuts, asking multiple times to confirm that various items on the menu were able to be served allergen free.

Per the documents, after the waiter allegedly confirmed that the meal was allergen free, Tangsuan ate the meal. She suffered a severe allergic reaction and ultimately died later at the hospital. Her cause of death was a result of anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system, the lawsuit states.

A case hearing is currently scheduled for Oct. 2.

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WASHINGTON, Ill. (WMBD)  The Washington City Council has voted to sever ties with its city administrator.

At their meeting Monday night, the council voted 5-2 to approve a separation agreement between City Hall and James Snider who has served in that role since Nov. 15, 2021. Voting no were John Blundy and Lilija Stevens. Brian Butler was absent.

Washington finally has a new city administrator

The agreement states Snider will be placed on paid administrative leave on Aug. 30. From then until Feb. 3, 2025, the city will pay Snider his salary  he makes $161,000 annually  as well as benefits, vacation and personal time.

Mayor Gary Manier declined to comment on the reasons why Snider was leaving his job, saying it was a personnel matter. He did say Sniders contract was set to expire on April 30, 2025.

Given that city elections are occurring this coming spring, the mayor didnt think there would be much movement on hiring a new city administrator. Until then, he said, it was likely city staff would be taking the Sniders duties in the day to day affairs.

This story will be updated.

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(Getty Images)

I sat in the cold concrete cell, surrounded by filth. Unknown bodily fluids from prior inhabitants covered the walls. I had no idea why I had been tossed from the prison mainline and into solitary confinement. But here I was.

Like all prisoners, I knew it didnt really matter what I did to end up in solitary, only that prison administrators wanted me there. It is their go-to stick,  weaponized constantly against those in their care. Ultimately, that stint in solitary lasted more than 30 days.

Across the U.S. today, there are at least 80,000 prisoners estimated to be in some form of isolated confinement. Its a grueling practice, one deemed a failed experiment nearly 200 years ago when, in 1829, it was introduced at Philadelphias Eastern State Penitentiary, commonly known as Cherry Hill.

In Washington, there have been modest changes in recent years to the use of solitary, but the results have not come close to matching the promise of reform. Bills to put new limits around the practice have failed during the past four legislative sessions.

Meanwhile, years of activism and millions of Washingtonians tax dollars have had almost no impact on the number of people held in solitary confinement.

State Department of Corrections data shows that, in June 2022, there were about 205 people held across the state in max custody, which refers to intensive management units, where people are held in isolation for long periods of time. The most recent available data, from December, indicates that number has increased to 214 people.

The department told the Washington State Standard this month that 602 individuals were in solitary confinement conditions as of July 1.

Solitary

Solitary confinement goes by different names depending on the place and purported purpose: administrative segregation, or ad-seg, intensive management, disciplinary confinement, restrictive housing and security housing. People in prison just call it the hole.

In each situation, individuals are isolated in a cell for about 20 to 24 hours each day.

In many places, bright lights stay on at all times. There are no windows. Showers and phone access are limited. Outdoor time is either banned or requires stepping into what resembles a dog cage.

Many prisoners spend months, years, and in some cases, even decades in these conditions.

Solitary confinement has been found to cause serious psychological damage to those forced to experience it, even in short stints.

Far from reducing violence inside prisons, studies have shown that people who experience solitary confinement are more likely to commit future crimes. Solitary confinement is also incredibly expensive, largely because of the additional staffing it requires to hold people outside of the general prison population.

The state Department of Health has highlighted strong evidence that decreasing solitary would reduce reincarceration and improve health outcomes for those forced to experience it.

It would seem like a no-brainer to end the use of this cruel and archaic structure. Why continue to use such a toxic and costly practice when the evidence says we receive no benefit?

These are the very questions that have made the elimination of solitary confinement a top priority for activists and policy organizations throughout the country, including in Washington state.

Legislation

In 2021, Washingtons Department of Corrections announced it would no longer use solitary confinement for disciplinary purposes.

It was a welcome announcement. But at the time, the vast majority of people in solitary were held in administrative segregation, awaiting a hearing or investigation, not disciplinary segregation. In other words, although people could not be placed in segregation after a hearing as punishment, the department could still leave them there before theyd been found to have done anything wrong.

That same year, the Legislature introduced a solitary reform bill. It would have required solitary to include four hours out of cell, positive programming, access to mental health staff, ending the constant illumination in cells, allowing prisoners to move without restraints (a euphemistic term for shackles and a leash), and a 15-day limit on administrative segregation.

These modest proposals failed that year and again in 2022.

By the end of the 2023 session, the only action lawmakers took on solitary confinement was to give the Department of Corrections millions of dollars to work toward ending the practice.

Today, the results are underwhelming.

Instead of working toward reducing the use of solitary, the department has focused on hiring additional staff to move people into solitary confinement.

Although the agency has made minor modifications, including allowing the use of secure tablets in solitary and expanding yard access (which is actually a concrete room) at one facility, it has not taken meaningful steps towards systemic change.

The Washington state Corrections Ombuds recommended in 2021 that the department impose a 30-day limit on holding people in ad-seg. Two years later, the ombuds followed up with a recommendation that the agency increase the standard of proof for infractions that typically land people in ad-seg.

These recommendations, which could have reduced the states ad-seg population, were rejected by the Department of Corrections. Unsurprisingly, the ad-seg population has remained relatively stable, bouncing between about 350 and 450 people.

Costs

In this years session, activists and policymakers again introduced a bill that would mandate modest reforms to the use of solitary. In response to the bill, House Bill 1087, the Department of Corrections estimated that eliminating the use of long-term solitary confinement would cost almost $50 million per year and require about 300 additional full-time employees.

This doesnt add up.

Research has consistently shown that solitary confinement is one of the most expensive, staff-intensive forms of incarceration. It defies logic that reducing its use would cost hundreds of millions of dollars. In fact, other states that have pursued similar reforms have reported savings.

The Department of Corrections acknowledged in 2023 the harm caused by isolation and pledged to reduce the use of solitary confinement by 90% in five years. Since that bold claim, two legislative sessions have passed without a single major reform bill passing.

Despite its lack of progress in reducing the number of people held in solitary confinement, the department continues to receive millions of dollars towards this goal, without any legislative oversight. The state budget for 2024 provides more than $5.5 million dollars to the department for solitary reform. The 2025 budget sends around $8 million dollars in this direction.

Upon visiting Cherry Hill in 1842, Charles Dickens said, I believe that very few men are capable of estimating the immense amount of torture and agony which this dreadful punishment, prolonged for years, inflicts upon the sufferers. Solitary confinement didnt help people then and it doesnt now.

Why would we, as a society, want to inflict this torture upon fellow citizens who will be released back into our communities? If the Department of Corrections is going to dedicate large sums of taxpayer funds to reform this archaic practice, it is past time to see results.
Watch this Chicago youth choir crush its gospel-tinged version of the national anthem at the DNC

Grammy Award-winning youth gospel choir Soul Children of Chicago sang the national anthem during the opening of the Democratic National Convention on Monday night in Chicago.

The choir, under director Walt Whitman, also performed at former President Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony.

Monday night, it started with a straightforward version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before launching into a gospel version that had the United Center crowd roaring at the end.

Social media applauded, too.

The national anthem from the Soul Children of Chicago here has me feeling VERY patriotic on this Monday night. They crushed this. pic.twitter.com/EqFwbKqLhE  Omar Jimenez (@OmarJimenez) August 19, 2024

This wonderful rendition of the National Anthem by The Soul Children of Chicago at the DNC had me in all of my feelings. Absolutely beautiful.  pic.twitter.com/3lME7dxNIB  Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) August 20, 2024

Watch the Soul Children of Chicago perform the national anthem! Were not crying, youre crying (we are crying)  pic.twitter.com/MBMSf5Xkqu  Their Future PAC (@Their__Future) August 20, 2024

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Watch Soul Children of Chicago youth choir crush DNC national anthem
What to watch on the Democratic National Convention's second day in Chicago

CHICAGO (AP)  Democrats say they will lay out the 2024 election as "a choice between two very different visions of America on the Democratic National Convention 's second night.

The theme for Tuesdays events is A bold vision for Americas future, convention organizers said.

While Donald Trump believes our best days are behind us, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz know the best days lie ahead, the DNC said in a statement ahead of Tuesday night's program.

The headliners will be second gentleman Doug Emhoff, former first lady Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama.

The evening is scheduled to begin after 5:30 p.m. CDT with two Democratic legacies: former President Jimmy Carters grandson Jason Carter and former President John F. Kennedys grandson Jack Schlossberg, who has spoken out against his uncle Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s independent presidential bid.

Stephanie Grisham, a White House press secretary under President Donald Trump who is now a critic of the former president, is expected to speak after 6 p.m., followed by content creator Nabela Noor, Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, and Kenneth Stribling, a retired member of the Teamsters union.

Members of the Minnesota and California delegations will appear for a roll call during the 7 p.m. hour, representing the home states of vice presidential nominee Tim Walz and then Harris.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is expected to appear after 8 p.m., followed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who will speak about taking on corporate greed and delivering on a economic agenda for working Americans, his office said. Sanders is supposed to be followed by Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois, former American Express CEO Ken Chenault and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Angela Alsobrooks, a longtime mentee of Harris and Maryland county leader who is running for the U.S. Senate, is scheduled to speak after 9 p.m. She'll be followed by John Giles, mayor of Mesa, Arizona, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. Then, it will be the main speakers: Emhoff, Michelle Obama and Barack Obama.

The Obamas are the main event

Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are returning to the city they once called home to take the stage in support of Harris nomination.

Their remarks come a day after the unofficial farewell for President Joe Biden, who served eight years as Obamas vice president. Biden wont be in the hall to see his former running mate speak, having departed Chicago after his own speech Monday night.

Michelle Obama is expected to argue how Harris experiences and values make her qualified to serve as president. Her husband, Harris campaign officials said, will focus on what Democrats need to do in order to defeat former President Trump in the general election.

Organizers will try to keep to the schedule

Day one of the convention ran so far behind schedule  and so deep into the night  that organizers canceled some speakers, including a performance by singer-songwriter James Taylor, as part of what they called real-time adjustments.

They've since adjusted the convention to start half an hour earlier Tuesday. They promised more tweaks to keep the program running closer to on time, but provided few details.

A bold vision for Americas future

In accordance with the day's theme, organizers said day two of the convention will be a way to contrast what they characterized as Harris forward-looking strategy with Trumps less positive outlook on Americas future.

As they did Monday, Democrats plan to showcase everyday Americans and some performers during each night, in addition to the elected officials and party leaders.

Along those lines, the night's schedule includes a retired union worker and a Bangladeshi American content creator.

Protests are ongoing

Thirteen people were arrested during protests on the first day of the DNC, most of them related to a brief breach of security fencing within sight and sound of the United Center, the city's police superintendent said Tuesday.

Still, protests were smaller than anticipated at the main rally on Monday, and mostly peaceful, even as some protesters clashed with police, used pepper spray against them and threw water bottles.

More protests are planned throughout the week, with activists hoping to call attention to abortion rights, economic injustice and the war in Gaza. Demonstrations are expected every day of the convention and, while their agendas vary, many agree an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war is the priority. On Tuesday night, a protest is planned outside the Israeli Consulate.

Trumps counterprogramming has continued

Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, continued on their separate trips across battleground states on Tuesday to keep Democrats from having the political spotlight all to themselves.

Trump visited Howell, Michigan, for a crime and safety event, while Vance hosted something similar in Kenosha, Wisconsin. As they did Monday, Trump's campaign and surrogates  including Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida  held a media briefing on the sidelines of the DNC in Chicago, with the daily theme of Make America Safe Again.

___

Swenson reported from New York. Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

___

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Israeli air strikes hit a Hezbollah weapons depot deep inside Lebanon on Monday, sparking explosions that lit up the night sky.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said fighter jets struck a number of weapons storage facilities in the area of Beqaa, which is considered a Hezbollah stronghold.

Following the strikes, secondary explosions were identified, indicating the presence of large amounts of weapons in the facilities struck, the IDF said.

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Fighter jets also targeted and killed Hussein Ali Hussein, a member of Hezbollahs rocket and missile unit, in the area of Deir Qanoun, in southern Lebanon.

On Tuesday, Hezbollah launched 55 rockets into the Upper Galilee and Golan Heights, all of which were either shot down by Israels air defence system or landed in open areas, according to Israeli sources.

Hezbollah is yet to follow through on its threat to launch a significant attack on Israel in response to the assassination of Fuad Shukr, a top Hezbollah commander, in Beirut last month.

The terror group is seemingly waiting to see if Hamas and Israel agree a ceasefire deal, but Hezbollah continues to launch daily rocket and drone attacks at northern Israel. For its part, Israel has expanded its areas of attacks in Lebanon.

An IDF official told The Telegraph that Israel believes Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, will still react to the killing of Shukr.

Nasrallah is the main figure that can ignite a wider escalation, but hes also afraid of Israels response and the implications for the survival of Hezbollah and for Lebanon, the official added.

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Hadley Duvall, a well-known abortion rights advocate for Kentucky, showed support for Vice President Kamala Harris during a speech at the Democratic National Convention Monday.

The speech lasted just over two minutes in front of a packed crowd at the DNC, which is being held in Chicago from Aug. 19-22. Hadley started her speech by sharing her story about the sexual abuse she endured by her stepfather, who is now in prison for related charges.

Duvall was 12 years old when the incident happened, which resulted in her getting pregnant. She had a miscarriage before she had to make a choice about termination.

She said she remembered taking a pregnancy test and it coming back positive.

That was the first time I was ever told, you have options, Duvall said. I cant imagine not having a choice, but today thats the reality for many women and girls across the country because of Donald Trumps abortion bans.

Hadley Duvall of Kentucky speaks during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago Aug 19, 2024.

Amanda and Josh Zurawski of Texas, Kaitlyn Joshua of Louisiana and Hadley Duvall of Kentucky speak Aug 19, 2024 during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center.

Hadley Duvalls Aug 19, 2024 speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago lasted just over two minutes.

Duvall said Kamala Harris will sign a national law to restore the right to an abortion if she is voted president. Duvall wanted other victims and survivors experiencing similar trauma to know their voices are heard and seen.

She will fight for every woman and every girl, even those who are not fighting for her, Duvall said of Harris.

Duvall ended her appearance on stage by introducing Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear for his speech. In a post on X, Beshear said Duvall is one of the bravest people hes ever met.

Her courage to share her pain and her truth to help others is incredible and I am so proud to know her, Beshear said on X.

Hadley Duvall is one of the bravest people Ive ever met. Her courage to share her pain and her truth to help others is incredible and I am so proud to know her.  Andy Beshear (@AndyBeshearKY) August 20, 2024

In DNC speech, Gov. Andy Beshear warns of Trumps threat to reproductive freedom

Duvall quickly gained fame when she was featured in a commercial from Beshears re-election campaign. The ad hammered governor candidate Daniel Cameron for his defense of Kentuckys abortion bans and their lack of rape and incest exceptions.

Duvall was also featured in an ad from the re-election campaign of Democratic President Joe Biden.

Two bills to add exceptions for rape, incest and nonviable pregnancies were again proposed in the Kentucky General Assemblys regular session earlier this year. One bill, titled Hadleys Law, was sponsored by Senate Minority Whip David Yates, D-Louisville and the other was filed by Rep. Ken Fleming, R-Louisville.

Neither proposal was heard in committee.
Watch replay: Former President Donald Trump speaks in Howell

Former President Donald Trump spoke at 3 p.m. at the Livingston County Sheriff's Office in Howell.

Trump discussed crime and safety during the visit.

"The people of Michigan and the rest of the country cant take another four years of weak, soft-on-crime leadership," a news release said before the event.

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign stop at Precision Custom Components, Aug. 19, 2024, in York, Pennsylvania.

It's the sixth visit to Michigan this year for Trump, the Republican nominee for president.

The Livingston County Sheriff's Office is located at 150 S. Highlander Way.

You can watch the replay in the video player above.

Free Press reporter Paul Egan contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Watch replay: Donald Trump speaks in Howell, Michigan
Former President Trump made a campaign speech Tuesday afternoon on the subject of crime in the Detroit exurban community of Howell, Mich. The Trump campaign has condemned the Biden administrations record on law enforcement.

In recent polls, Vice President Harris has closed the gap with Trump to a statistical tie in the Great Lakes State. Republican voter turnout in the Detroit suburbs, which lean more conservative than their neighbors in the core city, could play a pivotal role in how the state swings.

The Harris campaign has criticized the location of Tuesdays Trump event. It notes that Howell, a city that carries a historical association with right-wing extremists, was the site of a rally in July in which white supremacists chanted, We love Hitler. We love Trump. As The Washington Post reports, the Trump campaign pointed out that President Biden has also visited Howell.

Watch the video replay above.

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A rocket engine has exploded during a test at Britains newest spaceport in the Shetland Islands.

The rocket body, developed by German start-up Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), burst into flames seconds after ignition while on the launch pad on Monday night.

The start-up said the hot fire test of the first stage rocket resulted in an anomaly and the loss of the spacecraft.

No one was injured in the process, the start-up said. The launch pad has been saved and is secured.

The test was being carried out at Shetlands SaxaVord spaceport, which secured a licence to host rocket missions in December last year.

The spaceport said the site had been evacuated prior to the test and no staff had been at risk. It added the rocket base would assist with an investigation into the failure.

A spokesman for SaxaVord said: This was a test, and test campaigns are designed to identify issues prior to the next stage.

We will work with RFA to understand and learn from the causes and support them as they move forward to the next phase of their preparations.

The SaxaVord spaceport on the island of Unst is the UK's second, after Spaceport Cornwall - SaxaVord/PA

The planned test of the rocket should have seen its nine engines light up while remaining moored to the launch pad. It was intended as one of a series of tests building up to a first launch of RFAs rocket from the UK later this year.

Founded in 2018, RFA has raised tens of millions of euros from investors, including US private equity giant KKR, to build a European rocket business and a challenger to Elon Musks SpaceX. Its 30-metre tall rocket is intended to carry satellites into low-earth-orbit.

A spokesman for RFA said: We will take our time to analyse and assess the situation. Our goal is to return to regular operations as soon as possible.

SaxaVord, located on the island of Unst, secured a spaceport licence in December last year, becoming Britains second launch base after Spaceport Cornwall. Situated on a former RAF base, it has permits to host up to 30 missions per year.

German rocket start-up HyImpulse, Americas Lockheed Martin and Scottish start-up Skyrora have all said they will use the base for future missions.

Spaceport Cornwall was the UKs first site licensed to carry out rocket missions. However, a planned launch by Sir Richard Brandons Virgin Orbit  which fired rockets from under the wing of a converted 747  failed in January 2023. It has not hosted a mission since.

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CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Virginia (KMID/KPEJ)  A two-year-old boy accidentally shot his mothers boyfriend with the mans own gun inside their home on Monday.

[You look] out the window, you see all the lights. Youre kind of just like, woah,' said neighbor Keylin Peak about her experience that morning.

Peak said she had just sent her daughter off on the school bus for her first day of school, when she heard sirens.

Then the next thing you know, youre finding out somebodys been hurt and youre finding out there was a baby involved, Peak said.

Police arrived at the childs home in the 4400 block of Butler Lane just before 10 a.m. on Monday, where officers found a man who had been shot in critical condition.

WATCH: UT residents use flooded skate park as swimming pool

The victim was preparing to leave the house and had placed his handgun on a nearby chair when a child, who is nearly 3 years old, retrieved the gun. The child accidentally discharged the firearm, said the Chesterfield County Police Department in a release.

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(NEXSTAR)  You may recognize Sean Astin for his roles in Rudy, The Goonies, Lord of The Rings, and even more, but in Chicago this week, he has a new title: delegate.

Astin is among the thousands of delegates at the Democratic National Convention putting their support behind Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Astin said that while he supported Biden following the debate earlier this year, hes glad how its played out ever since.

Something is happening in the country. Its not me, its bigger than me, its bigger than everybody, Astin said. The fever has broken. In my opinion, the fever has broken.

I did what youre not supposed to: Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips on principled run vs. Biden

The Rudy actor was among a group of actors that included Jeff Bridges, Mark Hamill, and Josh Gad who attended a White Dudes for Harris Zoom in July that were working to rally support for Harris. The call raised more than $4 million for the campaign.

Since then, Astin has been hitting the road for the Harris campaign, stopping in New York, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

I wanted the [Harris] campaign to see that Im going to leave, like, a Sean-sized hole in the wall wherever theyll let me, he explained. I just want to know I did everything I possibly could.

Astin previously campaigned for Hillary Clinton in 2008 and 2016. He said a slogan he used that still applies today: It is way past time that this country elect a strong and powerful woman as president of the United States of America.

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WAYNE, Neb. (KCAU)  As the fall semester starts at Wayne State College, the campus has seen a lot of bustle.

Wayne State College President Dr. Marysz Rames spoke with KCAU 9 Anchor Tim Seaman about what the college has to offer. Watch the interview above.

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Weeks Before Yacht Sank in Sicily, Missing Lawyer Shared Post About Living 'Happily Ever After'

Christopher Morvillo celebrated a major legal victory for his client Mike Lynch, who is also missing, in a post on LinkedIn weeks before the yacht tragedy

Scott Eells/Bloomberg via Getty Christopher Morvillo, one of six people who disappeared after a yacht sank off the coast of Sicily in August 2024

A New York City lawyer who went missing after a luxury yacht capsized off the coast of Italy during a storm wrote about living happily ever after just weeks earlier.

Christopher Morvillo, 59, is one of six people who remain missing after a waterspout hit the vessel off the coast of Sicily early on Monday, Aug. 19, a senior civil protection officer told PEOPLE on Monday, Aug. 19.



Also missing are Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy, Morvillo's wife Neda, as well as British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah.

A source close to the survivors tells PEOPLE that the group was "celebrating Lynch's acquittal" following a lengthy legal saga that dated back to the 2011 sale of Autonomy, a business software company Lynch founded, to Hewlett Packard.



Morvillo worked on the case, which ended in Lynch being acquitted on 15 fraud and conspiracy charges in June, according to the Associated Press and the BBC



"That's why he took his closest friends and colleagues on the trip, to celebrate," the source tells PEOPLE. "They had come from the Aeolian Islands, Milazzo and had arrived in Palermo."

Related: Captain Who Saw Yacht Sink in Sicily and Helped Rescue Survivors Calls Incident a 'Big Disaster'

One week after a San Francisco jurys swift exoneration of Lynch and his colleague Steven Chamberlain, Morvillo thanked to a long list of litigators for their hard work on the case in a post on his LinkedIn page.

After noting he was so glad to be home, Morvillo ended his post with, And they all lived happily ever after.

Two months later, Morvillo, his wife, Lynch and Lynchs 18-year-old daughter disappeared after the 56-meter yacht sank near Porticello.

Gary Lincenberg, an attorney who represented Lynch's colleague Chamberlain in the recent court case, told Business Insider that Morvillo and his wife "are presumed to be passed away.

Lincenberg did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

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News of the yacht sinking came shortly after Chamberlin was hit by a car while jogging in England. In a statement on Tuesday, Aug. 20, local police announced that he died in the hospital and that they are investigating his death.

"In the course of 48 hours, I can't process what has happened," Lincenberg told Business Insider.

Related: Diver Searching for 6 Missing People on Sunken Yacht Talks Difficult Nature of Getting Inside

An estimated 12 passengers and 10 crew members were aboard the boat when it capsized, according to the BBC and Associated Press.

One person, identified as a cook from the boat, was found dead near the yacht, while authorities were able to rescue 15 people, including Lynchs wife, Angela Bacares, local sources say.

Sicilian news agency Ansa reported that eyewitnesses revealed that the yacht was anchored off shore when it was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, lost its balance and sank.

A waterspout is a tornado that forms over water, according to the National Oceanic and and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Some, but not all, are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning.

Typically, tornadic waterspouts have the same characteristics as a land tornado. NOAA says these particular storms can be large and are capable of considerable destruction.

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HONOLULU (KSEE/KGPE)  From Merced to Honolulu, Tom Lopes flew a Cessna 172 plane well past its average range of 700 miles  and landed to find a hearty Hawaiian welcoming party at the other end.

The total distance from Merced, California to Honolulu, Hawaii, is approximately 2,400 miles. On Aug. 6, Lopes flew the modified Cessna 172 to Honolulu so the plane could be used at Georges Aviation Services. The plane is now being on private charter tours, flight school instruction, and aircraft rentals.

How did this pilot fly a Cessna alone from Merced to Honolulu?

Flying the 4-seat Cessna over, instead of shipping it over, means it landed in Honolulu exactly how it came out of the factory, according to Tom Lopes.

In Honolulu, the team at Georges Aviation Services understood how dangerous the flight was, knowing that there was no such thing as an emergency landing on the ocean.

To celebrate Lopes successful flight  and their new plane, the crew prepared a feast and welcoming party for Lopes. After he landed, Lopes was given a traditional Hawaiian lei, as was the plane, and a luau.

Welcome to Hawaii, Tom, George said. It was a beautiful flight.

Following its 17-hour flight from Merced to Honolulu, data from FlightAware.com shows that the plane is now going on far shorter runs of three hours or less in the air, landing and taking off from Honolulus Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

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Welfare to work aims to lower costs for Pennsylvania taxpayers

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ)  The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has introduced a bill that looks to help families transition out of welfare programs.

The Welfare to Work pilot program, introduced by Frank Burns (D-Cambria), would encourage companies to hire individuals enrolled on the welfare rolls, which aims to help families to transition to self-sufficiency.

The program would also include:

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients will continue to collect full cash benefits in addition to 20 hours of pay as they train

After six months, the business will pay the individual for 30 hours of work while they continue receiving 70% of their cash benefits

After one year, the business pays the individual for the full 40 hours of work, at which point cash benefits are terminated

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The legislation also looks to lower costs for taxpayers by working with the private sector. The program, if passed, will first be introduced to counties of the fourth and fifth class.

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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY)  Many people love to hear their engine purr when they step on the gas, but for one Virginia Beach man the purring was a little too realistic.

Courtesy of the Virginia Beach Fire Department

The man stopped by a Virginia Beach fire station and told the crew he heard what sounded like a kitten stuck in his cars undercarriage.

Courtesy of the Virginia Beach Fire Department

After a little investigating, the crew from Engine 18C did, in fact rescue a kitten stuck in the bottom of the car.

Courtesy of the Virginia Beach Fire Department

The kitten is safe and doing well, according to the fire department. It has been taken to a veterinarian to be checked out and it is being housed by a friend of a firefighter until a new home for the kitten is found.

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A man was killed near a Hamilton bar. 20 years later, a Mexican cop was arrested

Within days of 25-year-old Benjamin Becerras shooting death in broad daylight outside a Hamilton bar, authorities issued an arrest warrant for the suspect and learned that he was bound for Mexico.

It took almost 20 years before investigators located Antonio Riano, 62, and extradited him to Butler County to stand trial.

On Monday, Butler County Common Pleas Judge Michael Oster Jr. ordered that Riano be detained without bond until the conclusion of his criminal proceedings  a decision that came in response to a request from prosecutors.

Antonio Riano, 62, at an arraignment in Butler County Common Pleas Court. Riano was working as a police officer in Mexico when he was arrested in connection with a 2004 killing in Hamilton.

While investigators had been searching for Riano for nearly two decades, they didnt have any success until early this year. He was arrested by Mexican law enforcement in his hometown of Zapotitlan Palmas in Oaxaca, where he was working as a police officer.

What happened and what took so long for authorities to apprehend Riano?

Left in a hurry

In December 2004, Hamilton police were called to the Roundhouse Bar and found Becerra had been shot once in the head, according to court filings.

After interviewing witnesses, investigators learned the suspect was commonly known as El Diablo and they later identified that person as Riano, a former Hamilton police detective wrote in an affidavit.

Prosecutors said surveillance video also showed Riano pull out a revolver and open fire on Becerra during an interaction between the two men outside the bar.

Police searched a house on East Avenue where Riano had parked his vehicle and found a box of ammunition matching the weapon used in the shooting.

No one was at the house but the television was left on and the house appeared whoever was there left in a hurry, the detective wrote.

Fake names, false documents

When police later searched Rianos home, they learned he used several fake names and had papers to create false documentation to obtain different identifications. Prosecutors said Riano was in the country unlawfully at the time of the shooting.

A teacher at the elementary school Rianos daughter attended told police they overheard the childs mother say they were moving to New Jersey, where the family had lived previously.

Police contacted New Jersey authorities to help locate Riano, however, they were told by contacts there that he had just left the country.

Investigators said they interviewed the mother of Rianos daughter, who said shed fought with Riano the night before the shooting and had left him. She told police that a friend had driven him to Mexico.

Two years after the shooting, the owner of the East Avenue home found the revolver used to shoot Becerra under the floor of a bathroom closet, investigators said, adding that Riano bought ammo from a local Walmart less than an hour before the shooting.

Riano went underground

Despite evading police custody, a Butler County grand jury indicted Riano on a murder charge in February 2005. The Butler County Sheriff's Office long listed Riano as a wanted fugitive and the case was even profiled on Fox's "America's Most Wanted."

Paul Newtown, lead investigator with the Butler County Prosecutors Office, said authorities never stopped searching for Riano but his trail went cold for the better part of 20 years.

Newton said the U.S. Marshals Service became involved early on in the investigation and there was an attempt by marshals to arrest Riano in Mexico but they missed him.

After he found out the U.S. Marshals were after him, he kind of went underground, Newton said, adding that investigators lost track of Riano until the beginning of this year.

Newton was searching on social media for clues to Rianos whereabouts when he stumbled upon Rianos Facebook account, which included a recent video of him. That's also when investigators learned he was working as a police officer.

Prosecutors say theyre not sure what Riano was doing abroad before his employment in law enforcement.

As far as we could have known, he could have been dead, Newton said of the lengthy search for Riano. If you pop your head up, youre going to get snatched sometime or another.

Riano was not trying to hide, attorney says

While prosecutors painted Rianos return to Mexico as an attempt to flee from justice, his attorney, Kara Blackney, said its not that cut and dry.

Riano is a Mexican citizen and returned to his country of origin before an indictment was filed in connection with Becerras killing, Blackney said.

He was even a police officer for the past three and a half years in Mexico, which shows he was not trying to hide from anyone, she said, adding that Riano has no other criminal history and still has family in Butler County, including a brother and three adult children.

Blackney also noted that the surveillance video capturing the incident doesnt include audio.

So theres a lot still to wonder about what happened, she said.

However, Rianos arrest comes as a long-awaited relief for Becerras then-girlfriend, Stephanie Richardson.

Twenty years is a long time for him to be on the run and working as a police officer in Mexico, Richardson said after an arraignment earlier this month. I just dont understand how that could be.

Riano is set to return to court on Sept. 16 for a plea or trial setting.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How authorities found suspect in 2004 killing working as cop in Mexico
Two NASA astronauts will remain on the International Space Station until February, after their Boeing spacecraft encountered problems on its journey into orbit.

Boeings Starliner capsule, which is scheduled undock and return to Earth uncrewed on Friday, was sidelined by malfunctioning thrusters and leaking helium.

Engineers on the ground spent months scrambling to assess the problems, but NASA ultimately opted to bring the spacecraft back to Earth without anyone onboard. The two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, will have an extended stay in space then fly home on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule instead.

Starliner's test flight marked its first time carrying human crew members. The mission, originally intended to last around eight days, was meant to be the final hurdle before NASA could certify Boeings spacecraft to make routine trips to and from the orbiting outpost.

Heres what went wrong with Boeings Starliner capsule.

The vehicle encountered two separate issues: one with a set of thrusters and the other involving helium leaks in its propulsion system. Either could have affected the Starliner's ability to carry Wilmore and Williams back to Earth.

The astronauts lifted off on June 5. The setbacks started the next day.

As Starliner approached the space station, five of its 28 reaction control system thrusters malfunctioned, delaying the docking process by almost an hour.

Those thrusters are on the spacecrafts service module and are used to move the capsule around in orbit, particularly to adjust its position as it docks and undocks with the space station.

Four thrusters were eventually restored, which allowed the astronauts to complete their arrival at the space station, but the problem prompted NASA to launch an investigation into what caused the thrusters to shut down.

Engineers with NASA and Boeing used a test engine at the space agencys White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico to study the performance of the thrusters. Teams subjected that engine and its thrusters, which were developed for future Starliner flights, to conditions similar to those the capsule experienced on its way to the space station.

Mission managers also conducted a hot fire test in space, firing Starliners thrusters in short bursts while it stayed docked at the space station.

Preliminary results indicated that all but one of the 28 reaction control system thrusters performed well, but NASA said various tests had shown that a tiny Teflon seal seemed to swell under high temperatures, which could block the flow of propellant into the thrusters. The space agency said the expanding seals may be to blame for the thruster problems that cropped up during docking.

However, Steve Stich, NASAs Commercial Crew Program manager, said in August that the team cant totally prove with certainty what were seeing on orbit is exactly whats been replicated on the ground.

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore at Space Launch Complex 41 in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on June 5.

Separately, teams also monitored slow helium leaks in the spacecrafts propulsion system.

Mission managers knew about one helium leak before Starliners launch but said at the time that the slow leak was manageable and unlikely to affect the mission or compromise the astronauts safety.

Not long after liftoff, however, officials detected two more helium leaks at the top side of the capsules service module.

In late July, NASA said testing had verified that Starliners propulsion system was stable and that helium leak rates had not increased in a way that might jeopardize a return trip to Earth.

The space agency brought in additional propulsion experts in August to conduct further testing and analysis.

NASAs decision to send Wilmore and Williams home on a SpaceX capsule required some adjustments to other planned missions. An upcoming SpaceX launch, known as Crew-9, was previously supposed to take four new crew members to the space station, but instead only two will go. That way, Wilmore and Williams can fly back in the open seats at the end of the Crew-9 mission in February.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Who was on the Bayesian? How Mike Lynchs inner circle celebrated end of billionaires 13 year court battle

British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among the people initially unaccounted for after his superyacht Bayesian sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday.

On Saturday morning, Italian authorities announced a manslaughter investigation had been launched into the deaths of seven people, after a five-day operation that has seen divers carefully navigating their way into the cabin bedrooms.

After a decade-long legal battle which had seen him extradited to the US to face an $11bn fraud case, Mr Lynch had celebrated by inviting his close friends, colleagues and those who helped him on his legal team aboard his boat as a gesture of gratitude.

Mike Lynch missing (PA Archive)

Yet a week of sunshine along the Italian coastline would soon turn to horror after the boat capsized shortly before dawn, only offering those onboard a few minutes to get themselves to safety.

British tech mogul Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among the seven people who died after the Bayesian superyacht sank near Porticello at about 5am local time on Monday.

Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judith Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo also died.

The British-flagged vessel named Bayesian was carrying 12 passengers and 10 members of crew when it sank at around 5am local time near the Sicilian capital of Palermo.

The yachts chef, Recaldo Thomas, is already confirmed to have died after his body was recovered from the wreck on Monday, while 15 survivors were rescued.

Here's what we know about the 22 people on board:

Mike Lynch

Hannah and Mike Lynch (Supplied)

British technology tycoon Mike Lynch had been in the headlines long before the boat incident following being the centre of a high-profile fraud case.

The 59-year-old is known for founding Invoke Capital and Autonomy, and his disappearance comes just weeks after he was cleared of all charges by a US jury related to the sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.

HP claimed, just a year after the sale, that Mr Lynch had used accounting tricks to artificially inflate its value before the sale. He spent 13 months under house arrest before being extradited to the US last May for a trial that acquitted him in June this year on all 15 counts.

Mr Lynch told a Sunday Times journalist last month that he was about to go on a very long holiday.

In June, he spoke of his indescribable relief at being back at home in Suffolk with his wife, daughters and their six dogs. He told reporters: I am looking forward to returning to the UK and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field.

Angela Bacares

Mike Lynch and Angela Bacares (Desmond O'Neill)

Wife of Mike Lynch, 57-year-old Angela Bacares managed to escape to safety and is in a wheelchair with abrasions on her feet that prevent her from walking, according to la Repubblica.

The newspaper said she told doctors that at 4am, the boat had tilted and she and her husband were woken up.

Under Angela Bacares name, the couples estimated wealth is 852m, the Sunday Times Rich List revealed in 2023. They have a house in Chelsea, west London, but primarily live on their farm in Suffolk with their six dogs and rare breeds of pigs and cows.

Hannah Lynch

Hannah Lynch (Supplied)

Mr Lynch was travelling with his daughter Hannah, whose body was lifted ashore on Friday afternoon.

The 18-year-old had just completed her A-levels and secured a place to read English at Oxford University. Hannahs former English teacher Jon Mitropoulos-Monk said she was one of the best English students in the country having scored 100% in her English Literature GCSE.

Patrick Jacob, a family friend, paid tribute to her on Friday, saying: Hannah was charming and ferociously intelligent with an insatiable thirst for life and knowledge. She was also warm, loving and deeply considerate; remarkably for her age. I am 50 years older than her and in my life I have never met anybody like Hannah. We have lost one of our brightest stars whose future held so much promise. Her loss is unbearable.

Chris Morvillo

Neda Morvillo and Chris Morvillo (Patrick McMullan via Getty Image)

Chris Morvillo is a lawyer who represented Mr Lynch in his US trial. He is a partner at the Clifford Chance law firm who confirmed on Tuesday he was among the six missing.

In his most recent LinkedIn post, he thanked the legal team that helped win Mr Lynchs trial. At the end of the post, he thanked his family for their support: And, finally, a huge thank you to my patient and incredible wife, Neda Morvillo, and my two strong, brilliant, and beautiful daughters, Sabrina Morvillo and Sophia Morvillo.

None of this would have been possible without your love and support. I am so glad to be home. And they all lived happily ever after.

Neda Morvillo

Chris Morvillos 57-year-old wife Neda was with him on the holiday. She has a luxury jewellery brand, which she runs under her maiden name Neda Nassiri.

Her husbands firm Clifford Chance said in a statement: Our thoughts are with our partner, Christopher Morvillo, and his wife Neda who are among the missing.

Jonathan Bloomer

Jonathan Bloomer (PA Media)

Another of those confirmed to be dead is lawyer Jonathan Bloomer who is the chairman of investment bank Morgan Stanley International.

He is also chairman of the insurance provider Hiscox, which confirmed he is missing. Its group chief executive Aki Hussain said they were deeply shocked and saddened by the news.

Mr Bloomer was a defence witness for Mr Lynch during his US criminal trial and the pair are believed to be good friends, according to the Financial Times.

Judy Bloomer

Jonathan and Judy Bloomer (Family Handout/PA)

Jonathan Bloomers wife Judy was also on board the yacht and has been confirmed dead.

Mr Hussain said in his statement: Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing.

Mrs Bloomer is on the board of The Eve Appeal charity, which focuses on gynaecological cancers. The charity described her as a brilliant champion for womens health and medical research... an incredible supporter, committee member, and trustee of our charity for over 20 years.

Recaldo Thomas

Recaldo Thomas (Facebook)

Recaldo Thomas was the superyachts chef and the first person whose death was confirmed.

The Canadian-Antiguan national was found by the Italian coastguard near the sunken boat. A friend of Mr Thomas, who asked to remain anonymous, said the yachting community has been saddened by his death.

She told The Independent: He was a one-of-a-kind special human being. Incredibly talented, contagious smile and laugh, an incredible voice with a deep love of the ocean and the moon. I spoke to him nearly every day. He loved his life his friends and his job.

Ayla Ronald

Ayla Ronald (Clifford Chance)

Ayla Ronald and her partner are two of the 15 who survived the yacht disaster, law firm Clifford Chance confirmed.

The 36-year-old worked defended Mr Lynch in court and was on the trip as part of the celebration for his acquittal.

Clifford Chance said in a statement: Our utmost priority is providing support to the family as well as our colleague Ayla Ronald, who together with her partner, thankfully survived the incident.

She is originally from Christchurch, New Zealand, but lives in London, her father Lin Ronald told The Telegraph, saying she was very shaken.

Mr Ronald said that she was invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.

Matthew

Aylas partner Matthew also survived the boat disaster. There is little more known about his background or condition.

Charlotte Golunski

Charlotte Golunskys face covered by an officer from the British embassy as she leaves hospital in Italy (REUTERS)

Charlotte Golunskis testimony of the ordeal on the ship were some of the first to be published after she was rescued along with her one-year-old daughter, Sofia.

She spoke to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, confirming she survived the yacht sinking and told how she kept her daughter alive after she was rescued. She said: I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning. It was all dark. In the water I couldnt keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.

The 35-year-old is a partner at Invoke Capital, one of Mr Lynchs law firms, and has worked there since 2012, according to her LinkedIn profile.

James Emsley

Ms Golunksis partner James Emsley was also rescued from the yacht, according to Sicilys civil protection agency. There is little information on him, but it has been confirmed the 36-year-old is the father of her one-year-old daughter.

Sofia

One-year-old Sofia was rescued from the water by her mother and subsequently looked after in hospital.

Ms Golunski told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that her family survived only because they were on deck when the yacht sank after encountering a heavy storm.

Dr Domenico Cipolla told local media that the family have had a physical and psychological upheaval of their lives.

He said the hospital provided toys for the baby, cuddles, and fed them because they were frightened and hungry.

The family of three left the Di Cristina Childrens Hospital in a black van on Tuesday via a back entrance today. They were accompanied by an officer from the British embassy, who covered the familys faces with a jacket to hide them from a huddle of photographers.

James Catfield

The captain of the superyacht James Catfield survived the horror and broke his silence on Tuesday with just five words.

He said: We didnt see it coming and was described as limp as he waited outside an emergency room in the Sicilian town of Termini Imerese, according to local media.

Leo Eppel

The Italian coastguard confirmed on Tuesday evening that Leo Eppel, a crew member, also survived the yacht sinking.
Were you sent a package you didnt order? Brushing scheme is back to produce fake online reviews

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP)  The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is issuing a warning to be on alert for unsolicited packages showing up on doorsteps nationwide as part of a brushing scheme.

It may seem like a gift when you receive a boxload of merchandise from Amazon or other companies you did not order however, third-party con artists are sending these to write fake positive online reviews of their merchandise that appear to be from you as the verified buyer. The reason behind this scheme is to increase sales due to the products ratings.

Six arrested in Holyoke drug bust following multi-agency investigation

The BBB says if you received an unsolicited package in the mail, it may indicate that some of your personal information such as your name, address, and, possibly, phone number could be used for the brushing scheme or numerous fraudulent tactics.

A mysterious package was delivered to my home from a person I do not know, without me ordering any such package. When I tried to look up the return address, the search returned brushing scam hits, said a BBB report from a consumer.

In 2020, a South Hadley resident reported a similar scheme when they received a suspicious packet of mystery seeds from China in the mail. The USDA urged anyone who received an unsolicited package of seeds not to plant them over concerns that they could be an invasive plant species.

If you were sent a package you did not order, the BBB recommends the following actions to take:

Notify the retailer . Brushing and fake reviews are against Amazons policies, so contact Amazon Customer Service if this happens to you and the product appears to come from Amazon. They will investigate and take action against the bad actor. Amazon also takes security seriously and encourages customers to report fraudulent purchases or other security issues. If the package appears to come through another established business, go directly to their website to get their contact information. If you prefer to contact the business by phone, be cautious about searching for support phone numbers.

Attempt to identify the sender. If you can identify the sender of unordered packages, consider checking for potential false reviews in your name  and ask for the reviews to be removed.

Check your account for recent orders. Some targets of brushing scams can be deluged with unordered packages, creating a serious problem. If this happens, consider whether to refuse package delivery at your home address and temporarily direct items that you did order to a package acceptance service.

Change your account passwords . This may be a sign that personal information has been compromised, and to improve account security, keep a close eye on credit reports and credit card bills.

You are allowed to keep the merchandise. The Federal Trade Commission says you have a legal right to keep unordered merchandise.

Protect your identity. BBB advises to take all necessary precautions to prevent identity theft. Be careful when entering personal information online, and ensure you use a secure site.

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West Nyack and Yonkers fire departments getting $1.35M in federal funds for enhancement

The West Nyack and Yonkers fire departments will get slices of $6.5 million in federal money to assist 38 departments across New York state with expenses for equipment, recruitment and training.

The West Nyack volunteer department has been earmarked for $549,500, while the paid Yonkers city department will receive $807,545, according to U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY. Submitted

The Democrats on Monday released details of the grants through two programs. The funding is administered through the U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance to Firefighters Grant, known as AFG, and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, known as SAFER.

The SAFER Grant was created to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations to increase, hire, or maintain the number of trained firefighters. The AFG Program provides funding to equip and train emergency personnel.

Yonkers and West Nyack applied for funding under the AFG Program. The senators said 38 fire departments will get grant money through the competitive programs.

From Lockport to Lisle, brave firefighters risk their lives on the frontlines every day to protect our communities, Schumer said. "I stood with firefighters across Upstate NY to push for the reauthorization of the AFG and SAFER programs because I know how important it is for our first responders to be prepared."

Schumer, the Senate majority leader, helped create both programs.

Outside of paid firefighters in cities and urban areas, 93% of fire responders across the state are volunteers and those departments save taxpayers an estimated $4.7 billion a year, according to a 2023 study by the Firefighters Association of the State of New York.

Rockland's estimated 1,900 active firefighters save taxpayers $50 to $60 million annually as unpaid first responders, county fire officials have said.

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Gillibrand said the money "will help fire departments across Upstate New York recruit, hire, and train new personnel, as well as acquire the necessary equipment, training, and resources to respond to emergency situations."

Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com Twitter: @lohudlegal

Read more articles and bio. Our local coverage is only possible with support from our readers.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: West Nyack, Yonkers NY fire departments getting federal funds
Democrat Glenn Elliott, who is running against Gov. Jim Justice for U.S. Senate, stopped in Buckhannon, W.Va., to knock on doors and talk to residents on Aug. 15, 2024. (Elliott for WV | Courtesy photo)

Typically during an election year, candidates are out campaigning in the summer, meeting constituents, knocking on doors and kissing babies for photos.

But so far were not seeing a lot of that in West Virginia. Sure, there have been television ads and text message campaigns, and lots of passive aggressive posts on social media  in other words, online but not in line at the county fair.

Of course, a couple of candidates who need to increase their name recognition have been out and about. For instance, Democrat Glenn Elliott, who is running against Republican Gov. Jim Justice for the U.S. Senate, has visited 47 counties so far, including a stop in Charleston this past weekend, and has upcoming town halls listed on his website.

Justice, however, hasnt been seen much. Of course, hes got to run the state, although lately that seems to consist of passing out giant checks and ceremonial bill signing. Justice sightings in the Capitol city also are rare as he continues to prefer his home in Lewisburg. The West Virginia Democratic Party recently posted a recording of him telling people theres not a fiber in him that wants to go to D.C. His last news release on his campaigns website is from April.

Democrats have an uphill battle this election as West Virginia continues to become redder  the number of registered Republicans in West Virginia has grown by 27% over the last eight years. Republicans now make up about 41% of registered voters in West Virginia as of July 31. Democrats make up about 30% and people with no party affiliation make up about 25% of registered voters.

In some districts, Republicans are running unopposed. According to the West Virginia Secretary of States Office, 25 Republicans won their state legislative races without facing an opponent in the 2022 general election.

Despite the advantage that having an R next to a candidates name provides, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, the Republican candidate for governor, is another who has been making stops across the state to improve his name recognition. On his X account, he recently posted about visiting the Tri-County Fair in Grant County.

Morrisey is running against Huntington Mayor Steve Williams. While the Democrat has a high profile in Cabell County, the long-time mayor is not well known in the rest of the state. Hes done more digital campaigning than in-person events  since the May primary, he posted about two campaign stops  Elkins on July 5 and Parkersburg this past weekend.

This is what candidates need to do  travel all over the state to talk to West Virginians.

Each part of the state and its people are so different  I grew up in Putnam County and when I moved to Morgantown to attend West Virginia University, Monongalia County felt like another state. Huntington, while also a college town, doesnt have many other similarities with Morgantown. At my first newspaper job, I covered local governments in Barbour, Doddridge, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Taylor and Upshur counties, and while all were in the north central part of the state, each county faced unique issues.

Sure, maybe people in those central counties have similar concerns when voting, but people in Southern West Virginia or the Eastern Panhandle could have very different opinions. And thats why its important to try to reach as many West Virginians as possible.

Could it be a result of COVID precautions during the 2020 election that has made candidates rely on less face-to-face time with constituents?

Technology has changed elections. Candidates are able to reach more people online, and they can post information that anyone with an internet connection can read. In the past, there was a reliance on newspapers voting guides, but those are often behind paywalls.

And while it is easier to put information online to voters, some candidates dont even have campaign websites or Facebook pages, making information on them incredibly difficult to find. I had to dig around to find contact information for some candidates to fill out our 2024 Voter Guide, and some still havent responded to my questions.

One important thing to remember about West Virginia is that theres still areas with no internet available, or the connection is so slow, its unusable.

For those who can get online, theres sometimes distrust in social media. After Elon Musk purchased Twitter, changed its name to X and let people buy verification instead of earning it, many people no longer trust the social media platform as a source to find news. In fact, after Musks takeover in November 2022, the site saw a decrease of 23% of daily users as of February of this year.

Facebook is filled with AI-generated spam, and unfortunately many people dont know that what theyre seeing isnt real.

To reach West Virginians, you have to come to them. Not everyone will go to a town hall, especially if they cant get off work, or its not someone theyre interested in voting for or if theyre just disenchanted with politics. But if someone were to bump into a candidate at a parade, a county fair, a festival or just walking down the street and have a conversation that could have a positive impact on the voter.

Its festival season  thats a great time for candidates to go out and talk with constituents. As a former marching band member, Ive been to plenty of parades, and in the past Ive seen politicians at all of them handing out fliers. These events are the perfect opportunity to speak with a variety of personalities in the state  and get a taco-in-a-bag.

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Supporters of a tax that Whatcom County voters approved nearly two years ago are suing to keep a repeal measure off the Nov. 5 general election ballot.

Protect Whatcom Kids, a political action committee that includes key Whatcom County figures in politics and social services, is alleging that the measure proposed by a Lynden business owner and others made procedural errors and false statements during the signature-gathering process.

They are seeking a quick hearing on their request for an injunction and the matter has been scheduled for Aug. 30 in Whatcom County Superior Court, according to court documents filed Aug. 16.

This court need not even address the proposed initiatives fatal substantive defects because the initiative must be stricken for its procedural inadequacy, Protect Whatcom Kids said in court documents. The sponsors petition failed to state the measures ballot title in the official text or prayer, as the Whatcom County Charter and Whatcom County Code expressly require. This failure is the beginning and end of the case.

Further, the plaintiffs allege that the initiative goes beyond the scope of an initiative because it would interfere with the countys budget authority. Whatcom County officials have crafted plans and signed contracts to spend funds raised by the Healthy Childrens Fund that was created by Proposition 5, which passed by 20 votes in 2022.

Proposition 5 charges property owners 19 cents for every $1,000 of assessed valuation, raising an estimated $10 million annually.

While the creation of the Healthy Childrens Fund was a legislative act, the county has long ago moved into an administrative phase and has spent years in planning and implementation, including negotiating long-term contracts with vendors. A local initiative cannot be used to sabotage the administration of a previously adopted plan, the plaintiffs said in court documents.

Named in the lawsuit are Tim Koetje of a commercial roofing company called Axiom Division 7, Whatcom County and Whatcom County Auditor Stacy Henthorn, whose office runs elections countywide.

In addition to the Protect Whatcom Kids lawsuit, the Whatcom County Council is also asking a judge to rule on the measures validity.

Petitions seeking to overturn the tax were filed with the Whatcom County Auditors Office on June 3, and they had enough signatures to qualify for the ballot as an initiative.

Supporting the repeal is a political action committee called Washingtonians for a Sound Economy.

Councilman Todd Donovan said the ballot measure should have been filed as a referendum. That would have required a larger number of petition signatures and put time constraints on its filing.

Washington is one of 26 U.S. states that allow initiatives and/or referendums, according to Ballotpedia, an online encyclopedia.

In general, an initiative allows citizens to collect signatures to place a new law or constitutional amendment before the voters. A referendum allows citizens to collect signatures to ask voters whether to uphold or repeal a law.
Where do Kamala Harris and Tim Walz stand on abortion? DNC shines spotlight on policy

Where do Kamala Harris and Tim Walz stand on abortion? DNC shines spotlight on policy

Democrats are making abortion a top issue in the 2024 election as they try to win over voters who believe the Supreme Court overstepped when it overturned Roe v Wade.

Former president Donald Trump has shared his concern that the issue could be a vote-loser for the Republicans even as he picked a staunch abortion opponent to be his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance.

President Joe Biden dropping out and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket has completely changed the race, particularly when it comes to abortion.

Heres where Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, stand on the issue of reproductive rights.

Kamala Harris

The vice president is backing legislation that would protect reproductive rights across the US as Roe v Wade did before the 1973 Supreme Court ruling was overturned in summer 2022.

After the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, she quickly became the Biden administrations top spokesperson on the issue of abortion.

She visited an abortion clinic in March, believed to be the first such visit by a president or vice president, according to The New York Times.

Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (L) speaks as her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz looks on during a campaign bus tour in Rochester, Pennsylvania, on August 18. Both are strong supporters of abortion rights (AFP via Getty Images)

As a senator, she co-sponsored legislation that, if passed, would have banned often-used restrictions on the state level.

In 2019, when she ran for president, she said that states that have imposed abortion restrictions in violation of Roe, which was the law of the land at the time, should have to pass what is called pre-clearance for new laws governing abortion, meaning they would have to be federally approved, a proposal which ceased to be a possibility with the overturning of Roe.

Harris supports restoring Roe, the law which protected abortion until fetal viability around 22 weeks.

In an interview with Face the Nation on CBS in September 2023, Harris said: I am being precise. We need to put into law the protections of Roe v Wade. And that is about going back to where we were before the Dobbs decision.

We, who believe in reproductive freedom, will stop Donald Trumps extreme abortion bans because we trust women to make decisions about their own bodies and not have their government telling them what to do, Harris said in Massachusetts last month, according to Politico. If there are those who dare to take the freedom to make such a fundamental decision for an individual, which is about ones own body, what other freedoms could be on the table for the taking?

Tim Walz

The Minnesota governor has expanded reproductive rights in his state, signing a law that codifies abortion rights and other kinds of reproductive healthcare following the overturning of Roe.

He also put in place legislation to protect abortion providers and patients from legal action started in states that have banned abortion. Walz repealed essentially all of Minnesotas restrictions on the practice, such as parental consent and a 24-hour waiting period.

During the rally in Philadelphia introducing Walz as her running mate, Harris praised the governor for being the first in the country to sign a new law that enshrined reproductive freedom as a fundamental right following Dobbs.

She added that she would put in place a similar law on the federal level if she wins the presidency and Democrats take control of Congress.

Walz and his wife did fertility treatments for seven years before having their first child and the campaign has noted his personal connection to IVF.
Former President Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, speaks on crime and safety at a campaign event Tuesday in Howell, Mich. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

As the Democratic National Convention kicked off in Chicago this week, former President Trump took to his Truth Social and repeatedly, falsely, described President Biden's decision to quit the race with one fraught word: coup.

"The Democrats staged the first ever 'Coup' in America," Trump wrote Monday afternoon. "Sorry Joe, you're losing to Trump, BIG, and you can't beat him  You're Fired."

On Tuesday, Trump went further, asserting violence by "Comrade Kamala Harris" and her fellow Democrats.

"That was a coup. It was a vicious, violent overthrow of a president of the United States," he said during a news conference at the sheriff's office in Livingston County, Mich., with uniformed deputies standing behind him.

The word "coup"  and the false implication that Democrats illegally pushed Biden out of the race last month in order to replace him with Vice President Kamala Harris  has become increasingly common in Trump's speeches and Truth Social posts in recent days as his campaign tries to adjust to his new opponent and her rise in the polls.

Read more: 'Desis' take Chicago: Kamala Harris' Indian American political family is thrilled

Asked about Trump's coup claims on Monday, President Biden told CNN: "I think he has a problem."

Trump's use of the word is not new. The former president previously claimed that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation into whether Trump's campaign illegally coordinated with Russia during the 2016 campaign was "an attempted coup." He said the same of his first impeachment in 2019.

But in using "coup" to describe Biden's voluntary decision to leave the race, Trump appears to be trying to delegitimize Harris as a candidate and is potentially paving the way for election-related violence if he loses, said Sherry Zaks, an assistant professor of political science at USC who focuses on political violence.

"A coup, by definition, tends to involve a violent overthrow," Zaks said. "If you're equating anything the Democrats are doing to something violent, what it does is justify the use of violence on [Trump's] end as well."

Zaks said the word will deeply resonate with Trump's most ardent supporters, like those who stormed the U.S. Capitol on his behalf during the deadly insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. They will be "even more likely to buy into this coup narrative," she said, on the heels of last month's assassination attempt, which Trump said he survived because he "had God on my side."

In a lengthy, emotional speech Monday night, Biden  speaking to an arena filled with Democrats chanting, "We love Joe!" and "Thank you, Joe!"  wholeheartedly endorsed Harris and said it has "been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your president. I love the job, but I love my country more."

The president said of Trump: "Think of the message he sends around the world when he talks about America being a failing nation. He says, 'We're losing.' He's the loser. He's dead wrong. ... America's winning."

Earlier that day, in a speech at a manufacturing company in York, Pa., that had been billed as a speech about the economy, Trump said that, thanks to the Biden-Harris administration, "right now, the American dream is dead."

He added: Democrats "did an overthrow, or a coup, on Joe Biden."

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), campaigning for the president at Trump Hotel & Tower Chicago on Monday, repeated the false claim.

Theyre gonna formally kick the president to the side of the road tonight, Johnson said of the first night of the Democratic convention. Their coup is complete. Their nominee will be somebody who did not get one vote in the primary. They call this defending democracy?

Read more: Column: Trump's Truth Social stock is circling the drain

Trump, who is scheduled to give daily remarks during a tour of battleground states this week, posted to his Truth Social account dozens of times during the leadup to the Democrats' convention.

He blasted the 2024 party platform that Democratic delegates voted on Monday night to approve. The 92-page document was not updated to reflect Biden dropping out of the race and makes multiple references to his "second term."

The Democrats accidentally put forward the Biden Platform," Trump posted. "His name is mentioned ... and yet they threw him out of Office, it was a vicious COUP. Such a foolish thing to miss, but the Fake News Media refuses to cover it. If I had made such a mistake, it would be the biggest story in America!

In a Truth post Sunday, he wrote that Harris "should have never been Vice President, and had to stage a COUP of Joe Biden, with her America-hating friends, Barrack [sic] Hussein Obama, Crazy Nancy Pelosi, Cryin Chuck Schumer, and the rest."

If Harris wins, he added, America will turn into "a Communist, Crime Ridden Garbage Dump."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Why Biden Deserves a Place On the Black Mount Rushmore But These Other Presidents ...Hell No

If there was some isolated mountain top in the American hinterlands - and if Black folks had the pickaxes and backhoes - we could craft a new Mount Rushmore for American presidents who were most attentive to and successful in meeting our needs.

There is a case for Joseph R. Bidens smiling face to be on it. As Biden has said far too often to far too many audiences - No, Im serious. Not a joke.

Bidens mug on the Black Mount Rushmore has nothing to do with sentimentality. Its strictly business. When it was about the business of Black Americans, Biden handled far more of it than most American presidents.

Hell, for most presidents, we were either slaves, subhumans who should still be slaves or uppity ungratefuls who dont know how lucky we are to be allowed to call ourselves Americans. (No matter our role in actually, you know, building the country into what it is today.)

Before writing out the Biden plaque at the base of Black Mount Rushmore, lets spell out who wont be on the mountain.

Who Wont be on the Black Mount Rushmore:

Off the bat, if you owned us, raped us, beat us or sold us, no mountain memorial for you. That eliminates hugely consequential presidents whose exploits eventually benefited all Americans - George Washington and his many important firsts, Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchasesorry, not enough. Not when you schemed to keep us enslaved despite our work for you in a free state (Washington). Not when you likely raped and impregnated a teenage girl you owned (Jefferson).

Abraham Lincoln is on the actual Mount Rushmore, and, if I was carving out that Black Mount Rushmore, Id put him on ours, too.

Lincoln famously said hed preserve the Union with slavery or without it. He said he didnt see white people and Black people as equal. And Frederick Douglass wanted to jack him up over his harebrained notion to send our ancestors back to Africa - despite the fact that, by the 1860s, many had been in America for generations and only knew it as their home.

There was the Emancipation Proclamation, which sought to free those enslaved in states that were in active rebellion against the Union. The proclamation had limitations, but it was a forceful move toward Black liberation. So, up you go, Abe.

Theodore Roosevelt is on the actual Mount Rushmore, but he wouldnt be on the Black Mount Rushmore. Having dinner with Booker T. Washington at the White House aint enough.

Rather than TR, put Ulysses S. Grant on the Black Mount Rushmore.

Yes, Grant is better known as a general than as a president. But he did big things for Black Americans back in the day. Grant signed legislation in 1875 that outlawed segregation in public accommodations and transportation. He created the Department of Justice, in part, to help fight the Ku Klux Klan. And he sent federal troops to the South to protect Black folks from the violent vengeance of defeated, enraged white southerners.

Barack Obama would be on the mountain. How can you have a Black Mount Rushmore and exclude the only Black person to ever serve as president?

The symbolism of Obamas election, his competence and professional administration of the government, made clear that a Black person could hold the highest office in the land and do the job with great skill. The Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, provided health care to huge swaths of the country that didnt have insurance - including millions of Black Americans.

Lyndon Johnson goes on the mountain. Theres all of that civil rights legislation he signed, and he made Thurgood Marshall solicitor general and, later, the first Black justice on the Supreme Court.

Now, the case for Biden on Black Mount Rushmore.

Oh, I know Black Mount Rushmore would have one more president than the one in South Dakota. Who says our mountain couldnt be bigger?

Biden signed an expansion of the child tax credit, which lifted millions of children - including millions of Black children - out of poverty. He signed legislation providing $16 billion to HBCUs. He promised to nominate a Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court, and he followed through with Ketanji Brown Jackson. He selected as his running mate another Black woman, Kamala Harris, who has succeeded him as the Democratic Partys presidential nominee.

No one could have guessed Biden would have that record after a single presidential term based on his time in the U.S. Senate, where he questioned the wisdom of busing for school desegregation, befriended segregationists, wrote a crime bill that led to mass Black incarceration and stood by as his Judiciary Committee colleagues tore into Anita Hill, the Black woman who had alleged that Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas had sexually harassed her.

During his speech at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, Biden said he had made many mistakes during his public service career.

Still, the last four years of his half-century career are viewed with great favor by many Black Americans. Now, where would that new Rushmore go? ColoradoHawaii?









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Even as Democrats on Monday gave President Joe Biden the warmest appreciation of his five-decade career and celebrated his decision to forego re-nomination, the sepia-hued nostalgia betrayed the not-so-subtle gnashing of the partys rank-and-file. The sentiment in Chicago was clear: Democrats are ready for a new raft of leaders.

This is going to be a great week. I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible President, Joe Biden, Harris said during an unannounced turn on the stage as the primetime schedule kicked into gear. But her message, while thanking Biden directly, was pointed about where she sees this race going. This November, we will come together and declare with one voice, as one people, that we are moving forward, Harris said.

Since Harris effectively replaced Biden as the top Democratic candidate this fall, Democrats have seen fundraising explode, volunteer sign-ups rocket, and polls suggest that Harris could deny former President Donald Trumps return to power.

On that last proof point, its worth noting the single biggest jump in support in polling comes from younger voters. The latest Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found an 18-point spike among voters under 40 since Biden left the ticket. A separate poll from CBS-YouGov found a 12-point surge among voters under 30 since July. Put simply: Harris has erased some of Bidens weakness with no small measure of help from younger voters who were decidedly agnostic about a repeat of the 2020 campaign.

Hence, Democrats obvious pivot to show that risingyet often unrealizedconstituency that party can look like them. The spine of the roster for the first night seemed far younger than is the norm for such events often designed for party insiders and donors and, as TIMEs Brian Bennett observes, the headliners get younger by the night. If Democrats are serious about winning over these younger voters, they also have to throw them a reason to look and then stick around.

From the start, its clear convention organizers get the need for a generation reset. There was Mondays barn-burner from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, age 34. Imagine having leaders in the White House who understand working-class challenges, said the New York Democrat greeted by her fans with chants of AOC. Chicago, she added, just because the choice is clear to us does not mean the path will be easy.

Texas county exec Lina Hidalgo (33), Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood (37), and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (48) each paid tribute to Harris. California Sen. Laphonza Butler (45) and Rep. Robert Garcia (46) spoke of their home-state connections. When it came time for the first excoriation of Republicans regime in waiting detailed in Project 2025, Democrats deputized 37-year-old state Sen. Mallory McMorrow of Michigan to describe what she called a plan to turn Donald Trump into a dictator. And 44-year-old Minnesota Lieutenant Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who would make history as the nations first Native American female Governor if Harris and running mate Tim Walz win, became something of a breakout star on social media.

As TIMEs Charlotte Alter has written with expertise and occasional skepticism, younger Americans could hold the entire political system in play if they were to exercise their latent power. As she noted after the 2020 election endedthe one that put septuagenarian Biden in powerMillennials and Gen Z voters born in 1981 or after had a hold on 31% of the electorate, up from the 14% they enjoyed when Barack Obama first won election in 2008. Zooming out slightly, the exit polls in 2020 found turnout 40% of the electorate was under the age of 45, and Biden enjoyed a 14-point advantage over Trump.

There is no reason to doubt that the age gap is not now more strongly tilted toward Harris, a 59-year-old former prosecutor, state Attorney General, and Senator. But in pressuring 81-year-old Biden to stand aside despite having an undisputed nomination, Democrats inched dangerously close to ageism. Even in scripted remarks from the stage, they risked at times tripping up their chances with older Americans, who are some of the most reliable voters.

Democrats, though, seemed eager to cast the contest as between Harris and an opponent a generation older. If you think youre tired of Donald Trump, talk to a New Yorker. Weve had to deal with him for 78 long years, New York Gov. Kathy Hocul said.

Added Rep. Jasmine Corckett (43): Hes a 78-year-old lifelong predator, fraudster, and cheat known for inciting violent mobs.

The pivot also speaks to the practical needs of some pillars of the Democratic coalitions future. We are going to build a younger, darker, hipper, fresher, sneaker-wearing labor movement. A movement that is going to be more inclusive and built for the middle class, SEIU President April Verrett said.

That doesnt mean the messaging was always easy. At some moments, it was actually contradictory as Democrats celebrated a Bidenesque legacy while trying to pitch it as the path forward for the party. J.D. [Vance] and Trump, they want to take us back to the past. Kamala and Joe have been bridging the jobs of the future to America today, said Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, doing her solid best to hew to the script.

NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson got it about pitch perfect for Democrats trying to have it both ways. We need the energy of our young people. We need the wisdom of our elders, he said.

Institutional Democrats, personified in Biden but echoed in plenty of other speakers on Monday like Reps. Jim Clyburn and Maxine Waters, would prefer their heydays to continue, but they also are looking at raw facts that encouraged their exits from perches of power. Sure, there was a hagiographic send-off for Biden and further nods to the partys history set for the coming days. Former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton offered her own sincere tribute to Bidens decades of service. But the message was clear that this is no longer the party of Clintons, Bidens, or even Obamas. Now, we are writing a new chapter in Americas story, Hillary Clinton said. The future is here.

Even before the convention was gaveled in, it was clear Democrats understood the assignment. Throughout his term, he has brought us together and revived our country and our countrys soul, convention chief Minyon Moore said of Biden as she welcomed delegates. And last month in a true act of patriotism, he passed the torch to the next generation and the next President of the United States, Kamala Harris.

Now, its up to that next generation to prove they were worth the gamble.

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Write to Philip Elliott at philip.elliott@time.com.
Why is former Trump official Stephanie Grisham speaking at the DNC?

(The Hill)  Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham will be speaking at the Democratic National Convention this week, making her one of the most high-profile former-Trump-allies-turned-critics at the DNC.

Who is Stephanie Grisham?

Grisham first served as a press aide to former President Trumps 2016 presidential campaign. She also later served as press secretary to former first lady Melania Trump.

Stephanie Grisham, spokeswoman for first lady Melania Trump, watches as President Donald Trump and the first lady greet attendees during the annual Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn, Friday, June 21, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Grisham briefly served as White House press secretary, though she never held a briefing with reporters.

She transitioned to a communications director role but resigned from the Trump administration after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

Since then, Grisham has become an outspoken critic of Trump.

Why is she speaking at the DNC?

Grishams appearance at the Chicago convention was first reported by NBC News. Shes among several notable anti-Trump Republicans who are set to deliver remarks.

In a statement to NBC News, Grisham said she never thought she would speak at the DNC but after seeing firsthand who Donald Trump really is, and the threat he poses to our country, I feel very strongly about speaking out.

Grisham said in a statement that she doesnt agree with Vice President Harris on everything but is proud to support her because she knows she will defend our freedoms and represent our nation with honesty and integrity.

Grisham is expected to urge her fellow Republicans to step up and join me in supporting Harris to ensure Trump never returns to the White House, NBC News reported.

Why are Republicans joining Harris?

After Harris announced her campaign last month, her team has welcomed anti-Trump Republican voters to join their effort.

The Harris campaign said they plan on hosting Grisham and other Republicans, including former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.); Mesa, Ariz. Mayor John Giles; Olivia Troye, a former homeland security aide to former Vice President Pence; and former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan.

We will be putting patriotic Republicans front and center in our convention programming to explain, in their own words, why they are putting country first and supporting Vice President Harris, Austin Weatherford, the Harris campaigns director of Republican engagement, said in a statement.

In an interview last week, Duncan, who is set to deliver remarks at the DNC on Wednesday, had a message for Republican voters: just because you vote for Kamala Harris in 2024, doesnt mean youre a Democrat.

It just means youre a patriot, he said. Youre doing your duty as an American to step up to the plate and reclaim this countrys future.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
FILE - Palestinians displaced by the Israeli bombardment of the northern Gaza Strip play next to the border with Egypt, in Rafah, along the Philadelphi corridor, southern Gaza, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair, File)

Israel's demand for lasting control over two strategic corridors in Gaza, which Hamas has long rejected, threatens to unravel cease-fire talks aimed at ending the 10-month-old war, freeing scores of hostages and preventing an even wider conflict.

Officials close to the negotiations have said Israel wants to maintain a military presence in a narrow buffer zone along the Gaza-Egypt border it calls the Philadelphi corridor and in an area it carved out that cuts off northern Gaza from the south, known as the Netzarim corridor.

It's unclear if Israeli control of these corridors is included in a U.S.-backed proposal that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Hamas to accept to break an impasse in cease-fire talks. Blinken, who is back in the region this week, said Monday that Israel had agreed to the proposal without saying what it entails.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says control of the Egyptian border area is needed to prevent Hamas from replenishing its arsenal through smuggling tunnels and that Israel needs a "mechanism" to prevent militants from returning to the north, which has been largely isolated since October.

Hamas has rejected those demands, which were only made public in recent weeks. There was no mention of Israel retaining control of the corridors in earlier drafts of an evolving cease-fire proposal seen by The Associated Press.

Hamas says any lasting Israeli presence in Gaza would amount to military occupation. Egypt, which has served as a key mediator in the monthslong talks, is also staunchly opposed to an Israeli presence on the other side of its border with Gaza.

What are the corridors and why does Israel want them?

The Philadelphi corridor is a narrow strip  about 100 meters (yards) wide in parts  running the 14-kilometer (8.6-mile) length of the Gaza side of the border with Egypt. It includes the Rafah Crossing, which until May was Gaza's only outlet to the outside world not controlled by Israel.

Israel says Hamas used a vast network of tunnels beneath the border to import arms, allowing it to build up the military machine it used in the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war. The military says it has found and destroyed dozens of tunnels since seizing the corridor in May.

Egypt rejects those allegations, saying it destroyed hundreds of tunnels on its side of the border years ago and set up a military buffer zone of its own that prevents smuggling.

The roughly 4-mile (6-kilometer) Netzarim Corridor runs from the Israeli border to the coast just south of Gaza City, severing the territory's largest metropolitan area and the rest of the north from the south.

Hamas has demanded that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled the north be allowed to return to their homes. Israel has agreed to their return but wants to ensure they are not armed.

Why are Hamas and Egypt opposed to Israeli control?

Israeli control over either corridor would require closed roads, fences, guard towers and other military installations. Checkpoints are among the most visible manifestations of Israel's open-ended military rule over the West Bank, and over Gaza prior to its 2005 withdrawal.

Israel says such checkpoints are needed for security, but Palestinians view them as a humiliating infringement on their daily life. They would also be seen by many Palestinians as a prelude to a lasting military occupation and the return of Jewish settlements  something Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners have openly called for.

Hamas has demanded a total Israeli withdrawal and accuses Netanyahu of setting new conditions in order to sabotage the talks.

Egypt says Israels operations along the border threaten the landmark 1979 peace treaty between the two countries. It has refused to open its side of the Rafah crossing until Israel returns the Gaza side to Palestinian control.

Are these new demands by Israel?

Israel insists they are not, referring to them as "clarifications" to an earlier proposal endorsed by President Joe Biden in a May 31 speech and by the U.N. Security Council in a rare cease-fire resolution. Israel also accuses Hamas of making new demands since then that it cannot accept.

But neither the speech nor the Security Council resolution made any reference to Israel's demands regarding the corridors  which were only made public in recent weeks  and both referred to a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces. The U.S. has also said it is against any reoccupation of Gaza or reduction of its territory.

Previous written drafts of the cease-fire proposal stipulate an initial Israeli withdrawal from populated and central areas during the first phase of the agreement, when the most vulnerable hostages would be freed and displaced Palestinians allowed to return to the north.

During the second phase, the specifics of which would be negotiated during the first, Israeli forces would withdraw completely and Hamas would release all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers.

The most recent drafts of the proposal  including one that Hamas approved in principle on July 2  contain language specifying that displaced residents returning in the first phase must not carry weapons. But they do not specify a mechanism for searching them.

The United States, Qatar and Egypt, which have spent months trying to broker an agreement, have not weighed in publicly on Israel's demands regarding the corridors.

An Israeli delegation held talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo on Sunday focused on the Philadelphi corridor but did not achieve a breakthrough, according to an Egyptian official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door meeting.

What happens if the talks fail?

Failure to reach a cease-fire deal would prolong a war in which Israel's offensive has already killed over 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, displaced the vast majority of Gaza's 2.3 million residents and destroyed much of the impoverished territory.

Palestinian militants are still holding some 110 hostages captured in the Oct. 7 attack that started the war, in which they killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel has only rescued seven hostages through military operations. Around a third of the 110 are already dead, according to Israeli authorities, and the rest are at risk as the war grinds on.

A cease-fire deal also offers the best chance of averting  or at least delaying  an Iranian or Hezbollah strike on Israel over last month's targeted killing of a Hezbollah commander in Beirut and a Hamas leader in Tehran.

Israel has vowed to respond to any attack, and the United States has rushed military assets to the region, raising the prospect of an even wider and more devastating war.

___

Associated Press writers Abby Sewell in Beirut and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed.

___

Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Why were there so many empty seats at the Democratic National Convention? Here's why:

The Democratic National Convention kicked off Monday night at Chicago's United Center, but not without controversy. Empty seats dotted the arena, sparking a wave of criticism from conservatives on social media.

Photos of the partially empty venue  designed to hold 23,500  spread quickly online.

"Look at all the empty seats at the DNC. The Democrat Party is over! RIP," one user posted on X. Conservative YouTuber Blaire White claimed there were "more people outside protesting the DNC than people inside," adding, "This is not the turnout of a party that can win."

More: Presidents from 6 labor unions throw support behind Kamala Harris at DNC: Watch speech

But what really caused those empty seats? The situation was more about logistics than a lack of enthusiasm.

According to the Wall Street Journal, pro-Palestine protests near the convention site disrupted transportation, delaying buses carrying delegates. At least 20 buses were stuck a half mile from the United Center as protesters clashed with police, causing many attendees to arrive late.

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Among those affected was Gavi Begtrup, a Democratic delegate from Ohio's 1st Congressional District and a former Cincinnati mayoral candidate. Begtrup spent 2 hours trying to get into the arena.

Empty seats are seen as the crowd begins to fill in during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug 19, 2024.

"We sat and sat and got within two blocks of the convention center. The buses were backed up around the corner, just dozens and dozens of buses and not moving at all," he said.

After sitting on a bus for more than an hour, Begtrup and other delegates decided to walk the rest of the way. When they arrived, they found "an incredible line" to get into the building. "Logistically, its been a mess," Begtrup added.

Venita Shoulders, a delegate from Mansfield, Ohio, faced similar delays. She sat on a bus for three hours but remained enthusiastic.

"People basically stayed until the end," said Shoulders, 69. She believes that every aspect of the convention is necessary. "This is a different time and a different direction for us in terms of where weve been and where were going. Everybody seems to be majorly pumped by it," she added.

The convention, scheduled to start at 6:15 p.m. ET was delayed over 20 minutes as organizers scrambled to get everyone inside. As the night went on, the arena filled up with delegates eager to hear from President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Jeremy Yurow is a politics reporting fellow based in Hawaii for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach him at JYurow@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter @JeremyYurow

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Empty seats at the Democratic convention? Transportation delays blamed
The Wichita County Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted to enact a band on outdoor burning in the unincorporated areas of the county.

The ban takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday.

We have been fortunate to enjoy a wetter than normal spring and early summer," county Judge Jim Johnson said. "Unfortunately, the last few weeks have seen extreme heat and little rainfall, and caused conditions that are more conducive to wildfires starting and spreading quickly."

Wichita County has imposed an outdoor burn ban as hot dry conditions lead to wildfires like the one northwest of Wichita Falls Sunday.

The order allows for limited exceptions if outdoor burning activities are related to public health and safety and authorized by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality or commercial or professional welding operations authorized in the Wichita County welding guidelines during an emergency.The burn ban will expire at the end of 90 days unless the Commissioners Court terminates itearlier based on conditions on the ground.

A wildfire northwest of Wichita Falls this past Sunday consumed more than 1,600 acres and required numerous firefighting agencies to extinguish it.

More: Wichita Falls City Council appoints acting city manager

More: Wichita Falls City Council hears proposal to hike property tax rate to increase police pay

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Wichita County enacts burn ban
Wichita man dies in accident after argument with relative with shots fired

Police have identified the 35-year-old Wichita man who they think fired at least one shot in a domestic violence incident before having a fatal accident less than a mile away Monday evening in east Wichita.

It started with an argument with a relative where shots were fired, police said.

Joshua Laron Brooks died after colliding with a tree in the 700 block of South Woodlawn Boulevard. An off-duty firefighter saw the accident and tried life-saving efforts before EMS arrived.

A call over Sedgwick County Emergency Communications 911 scanner traffic said the driver was unresponsive and a handgun was inside the vehicle.

Police were originally called at 6:39 p.m. to to a suspicious character with weapon, shots fired in the 6200 block of E. Harry, according to police spokesperson Juan Rebolledo and scanner traffic.

Rebolledo said the call was domestic-violence related.

911 callers said there was a man shooting his gun in a gray four-door and that they thought he lived in an apartment in that area. Rebolledo said the relative lives in that area.

Unknown why he was in the area, Rebolledo said.

One or two shots are thought to have been fired outside, Rebolledo said, adding that its still early in the investigation and that could change.

Brooks then left in a 2019 gray Dodge Journey, Rebolledo said. He did not own the vehicle, Rebolledo said.

Brooks was pronounced deceased at 7:27 p.m. The cause of death is pending an autopsy.

Police said this is the 21st fatal accident and 21st vehicle fatality of the year.

Brooks has two convictions, one in the 2000s and another in 2015, both in Sedgwick County, for criminal possession of a firearm on school property and domestic battery, according to Kansas Department of Corrections records.
A judge gave a Macon man bond despite signs of domestic violence. Then he killed his wife

The man who allegedly killed his wife last week in Macon had repeatedly been accused of domestic violence before the fatal shooting, according to the Bibb County district attorneys office.

Cotina Louise Fuller, 51, was allegedly shot and killed by her 44-year-old husband, Wayne Anthony Fuller Jr. Friday. But statements from District Attorney Anita Howard and court documents show Cotina Fullers death was preceded by a restraining order, stalking charges, violence and threats. Despite that, Wayne Fuller was granted bond in the months leading up to the shooting despite opposition from prosecutors. Wayne Fuller died by suicide later Friday, according to the Bibb County Sheriffs Office.

Cotina Louise Fuller filed a restraining order against Wayne Fuller Jr. on April 18, District Attorney Anita Howard said in a news conference Monday. In her request for a restraining order, Cotina Fuller alleged Wayne Fuller had punched her, drugged her, burned her and threatened her. These incidents occurred over the course of several years, the petition shows.

Wayne Fuller violated that order on May 6 and was arrested on aggravated stalking charges, according to court records.

Cotina Fuller asked the district attorneys office not to pursue charges against Wayne Fuller, according to an affidavit, but the district attorneys office refused.

Howard said Cotinas request to drop the charges was an example of a classic textbook domestic violence cycle.

The cycle of tension, building violence, reconciliation, calm, Howard said at a press conference Monday. We must always be talking about that cycle and understand that victims struggle, having their loved ones tied up in the criminal justice system because they have emotions.

Howard refused to drop the charges because Wayne Fuller posed a danger not only to Cotina Fuller, but to the community, she said.

A judge still granted Wayne Fuller bond during a hearing June 20, letting him leave jail. A court dismissed the restraining order against Wayne Fuller on June 26 despite alleged threats he made toward his wife.

There was a statement in that action where Ms. Cotina Fuller indicated that Wayne said that somebodys life was going to be lost, and it wasnt going to be his, Howard said.

Howard didnt want Wayne Fuller to have bond, according to court documents, and Wayne didnt request it. But a judge still approved it.

Violating the restraining order was the only active charge against Wayne Fuller when the shooting happened.

Macon prosecutor wants laws changed over shooting

Howard said she is speaking with experts to introduce legislation that would assist victims and educate professionals on cycles of domestic violence.

Mandatory education hours for all individuals that come in contact with or make decisions about domestic violence cases as part of their job, Howard said. Thats social workers, attorneys, judges, anyone that comes in contact with victims of domestic violence.

Suzanne Walker, director of programs for Crisis Line and Safe House of Central Georgia, said the organization offers free resources to anyone in an abusive relationship including a 24/7 crisis hotline at 478-745-9292, legal services, a confidentially located shelter, sexual assault support and counseling.

Many victims of abuse feel that they are not listened to anymore, they are not heard..., Walker said. Leaving an abusive relationship is very dangerous and needs lots of support and guidance.

She urged people who know someone dealing with abuse to tell them that you believe them, that you support them and you are here to help them.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those who want to help someone else. Call 988 to speak with a trained listener or visit 988lifeline.org for crisis chat services or more information.
WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN)  Its the price of growth. Wilson County commissioners just approved funding for a new elementary school. This comes as construction is moving along for another elementary school in the county.

The school district told News 2 the new schools are expected to alleviate overcrowding they have seen over the years.

On Double Log Cabin Road in Lebanon, construction is in progress for LaGuardo Elementary.

Its something we are very excited about. The ground broke last fall. The project continues to go very, very well and its a sign of the growth that our district and this county is experiencing not only in the past year but previous years as well, said Bart Barker, Public Information Officer for Wilson County Schools.

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Monday night, county commissioners approved a bond request for a second elementary school to be built in the future.

Its going to be located along Central Pike, south of I-40 said Barker. As far as the name of the school, not yet determined. Whats upcoming is our naming committee will meet very soon.

Meanwhile, construction is a common sight in Wilson County.

If you take a look at the past five years alone, we have opened four basically brand new schools, albeit two of those were storm-related, Barker said. Nonetheless, lots of construction in our county.

And if there is any question about just how much growth Wilson County continues to see, the enrollment numbers are a clear sign.

Last year we surpassed 20,000 students, and we are going to be above 20,000. We are here to stay. There is no going back below the 20,000-mark threshold, Barker said.

Its a statement that the director of schools shared Monday night as overcrowding has been a concern over the last few years.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

West Elementary has seen overcrowding for multiple years now, near or over capacity. We even had to utilize the portables that were originally part of Stoner Creek Elementary after the tornado, Barker said.

The Central Pike elementary school will hopefully open during the 2026-2027 school year. Barker said the district is hopeful LaGuardo Elementary will open its doors next fall.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Winter Haven police are searching for the person who was behind the wheel of a car that crashed into a pole and caught fire on Sunday.

Officers were called to the intersection of Highway-17 at Avenue M Northwest in front of St. Josephs Catholic Church just after midnight to find a car engulfed in flames.

No one was inside or around the vehicle following the crash. A bystander found the car and called 911, but did not see the crash happen.

It appears the blue Hyundai Sonata was traveling north and slammed into the traffic light pole, which caused the car to burst into flames. The lights at the intersection were out for roughly four hours until the pole could be repaired, a post on the Winter Haven Public Safety Department Facebook page said.

Authorities have tried to find the cars registered owner, but to no avail. Anyone who saw the crash or the driver involved is asked to contact the Winter Haven Police Department at (863) 401-2256.

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KENOSHA, Wis. (AP)  A Milwaukee woman who said she was legally allowed to a kill a man because he was sexually trafficking her was sentenced Monday to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to a reduced count of reckless homicide.

A Kenosha County judge sentenced Chrystul Kizer to 11 years of initial confinement followed by 5 years of extended supervision in the 2018 death of Randall Volar, 34. She was given credit for 570 days, about one and a half years, of time served.

The judge did not make Kizer eligible to participate in any early release programs at the Department of Corrections, and she should be released in 2033, according to the Wisconsin State Public Defenders office.

Kizer had pleaded guilty in May to second-degree reckless homicide in Volars death, allowing her to avoid trial and a possible life sentence.

Woman believed to be the worlds oldest person has died at age 117

Prosecutors said Kizer shot Volar at his Kenosha home in 2018, when she was 17, and that she then burned his house down and stole his BMW. Kizer was charged with multiple counts, including first-degree intentional homicide, arson, car theft and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Kizer, now 24, said she met Volar on a sex trafficking website. He had been molesting her and selling her as a prostitute over the year leading up to his death, she said. She told detectives that she shot him after he tried to touch her.

Her attorneys said Kizer couldnt be held criminally liable for any of it under a 2008 state law that absolves sex trafficking victims of any offense committed as a direct result of being trafficked. Most states have passed similar laws over the last 10 years providing sex trafficking victims at least some level of criminal immunity.

Prosecutors countered that Wisconsin legislators couldnt possibly have intended for protections to extend to homicide. Anti-violence groups flocked to Kizers defense, arguing in court briefs that trafficking victims feel trapped and sometimes feel as if they have to take matters into their own hands. The state Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that Kizer could raise the defense during trial.

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A judge has ordered Western Kentucky University to turn over minimally redacted copies of records related to sexual misconduct investigations of employees in a years-long lawsuit between the university and two student news organizations.

The original records requests were filed in 2015 by the University of Kentuckys student newspaper, the Kentucky Kernel, and in 2016 by WKUs student newspaper, the College Heights Herald. Both had requested Title IX investigation records related to sexual misconduct allegations made against university employees. In an order last week, Judge Christopher Cohron in Warren Circuit Court said WKU must produce the records requested with minimal redactions.

After the original records requests were filed, WKU refused to turn records over, and student reporters filed an appeal with the Kentucky Attorney Generals Office. The office ordered the documents to be turned over, with names and personally identifying information redacted. In turn, WKU sued the student newspapers in Warren Circuit Court to block access to the records in 2017.

WKU argued that releasing the names of employees who were accused of sexual misconduct could lead to the identification of those who reported the misconduct, and expressed concerns about releasing names of employees who were incorrectly accused of misconduct.

Chuck Clark, director of student publications at WKU, said he was pleased with the outcome, despite the years it took to reach this ruling.

The students on the College Heights Herald wanted to take a deep look at how WKU investigated complaints of sexual misconduct, Clark said in an email to the Herald-Leader. Initially, this case was about getting any records at all, but over the past couple of years, it has been about what the students saw as excessive redaction of those records. Im gratified that the judge upheld the Kentucky Open Records Act and took note that openness and transparency are essential to maintaining public trust.

A similar lawsuit was filed by UK against the Kernel over the same records request in 2016, and in 2021, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that UK had violated the states open records law in declining to hand over the records. Tom Miller, attorney for the Kernel, said last weeks ruling affirms the importance of the Supreme Court ruling.

It expands the rights of the public and the press to obtain information from universities, in both cases that are trying to protect their reputations and shield and protect those employees who have been accused of sexual improprieties towards students, said Tom Miller, attorney for the Kernel.

In the last seven years since the case was filed, WKU has turned over some records, but the student newspapers argued that the redactions were excessive, and therefore illegal under state open records law. The Kernel and the Herald had also requested that WKU pay its attorneys fees and costs in the lawsuit, which was denied in the order last week.

Since the litigation began, the universitys intention has been to protect the privacy interest of employees in compliance with the law who were found to have not violated university policy, said WKU spokesperson Jace Lux in a statement to the Herald-Leader. We are pleased this matter has been resolved and appreciate the clarity the court has provided.

Disclosure: Herald-Leader reporter Monica Kast was a student at Western Kentucky University and a reporter at the College Heights Herald in 2017 when the lawsuit against the student newspaper was filed.
WASHINGTON (WTNH)  A Wolcott man has pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Richard Markey, 38, pleaded guilty Monday to a felony charge of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon.

According to court documents, Markey traveled from his Connecticut home to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5, 2021, and was among the people who stormed the Capitol the next day.

Markey ended up at the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, where he tried to climb on top of other rioters to get to the police line that was defending the tunnel, court documents said.

Connecticut man accused of hitting police with baton, pole in Jan. 6 Capitol riot

From his elevated vantage point, Markey began forcibly assaulting police officers in the Tunnel, prosecutors said. Markey assaulted police with a baton and later his fists. In one instance, Markey forcibly struck and pulled on a police shield held by two officers.

Markey then balanced himself on top of the mob, grabbed the police shield again, and then kicked the shield multiple times. Police tried to stop Markey with a pole, but Markey took the pole and pointed it at officers, screaming, Oath breaker! and vulgar language.

Markey continued to hit the shield with the pole until the pole broke. He then continued to assault and yell at police, according to court documents.

The FBI arrested Markey on Jul. 17, 2023. He is set to be sentenced on Dec. 6, 2024.

More than 1,488 people have been charged for crimes related to the Jan. 6 riot, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

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A woman charged with helping a prisoner evade police in North Carolina after he escaped from a transport van appeared in court on Monday.

Jacobia Crisp was charged with aiding and abetting a fugitive and harboring an escapee for her alleged role in helping Ramone Alston elude law enforcement last week, according to the Orange County Sheriffs Office. The Burlington resident now faces more than five years in state prison if convicted of both felony charges, according to local media outlets.

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Alston was the center of a highly publicized manhunt after he freed himself from his leg restraints and escaped out of a transport van in Hillsborough on Tuesday. The 30-year-old was at UNC Gastrointestinal Medicine for a medical appointment when he fled, according to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.

Currently serving a life sentence at Bertie Correctional Institution in Windsor, North Carolina, Alston was previously convicted in the killing of 1-year-old Maleah Williams. Maleah was shot on Christmas Day in 2015 from a passing car while she was playing outside her familys apartment in Chapel Hill, and she later died three days later, authorities said.

After three days of extensive searching by various agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshals Service, Alston was captured at a hotel in Kannapolis on Friday, according to the sheriffs office. He was transferred to the states most secure maximum control unit in Granville County and could face additional charges, officials said.

Crisp was later arrested in Alamance County on Friday, authorities said. The 32-year-old posted her $30,000 bond later that day, according to court records.

As for her relationship with Alston, Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said during a Friday news conference that the two began communicating mostly via phone several months ago. She was initially described as Alstons acquaintance.

Crisps next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 13.

(WATCH BELOW: Escaped inmate captured at Kannapolis hotel)




CAMDEN ON GAULEY, W.Va. (WBOY)  A woman who was allegedly at an active drug house in Webster County while four young children were in her custody was charged after troopers found drugs in a car seat with an infant.

On Aug. 19, troopers with the Webster County detachment of the West Virginia State Police were dispatched to a residence on Bay Drive in Camden on Gauley for a welfare check, according to a criminal complaint. A caller had requested law enforcement to check on Cynidel Hardin, 27, of Cowen, who was an avid drug user and parked at an active drug house for most of the day while she had four children under the age of five in her care, troopers said.

Cynidel Hardin

Troopers noted that Hardin did have possession of all four children for the entire day and she was presumed to be driving under the influence of heroin while the children were in her vehicle, according to the complaint.

When troopers arrived at the house, they saw an SUV in the driveway with the ignition on and four children alone in the vehicle with no adult present. Troopers said two of the children were screaming and crying due to not knowing where Hardin was, and one was holding an open pocket knife, troopers said.

Man charged after allegedly admitting to doing about a brick of fentanyl a day while under arrest for eating chicken at Morgantown Walmart

While troopers were on scene, Hardin came out of the residence, and when a family member came to take custody of the children in the vehicle, troopers saw a small zip bag in a car seat with an infant child that contained drug paraphernalia and a small piece of aluminum foil with suspected heroin, according to the complaint.

Hardin has been charged with four counts of child neglect causing risk of injury. She is being held in Central Regional Jail.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Police say a woman found dead in a Charlotte gas station bathroom Saturday night was killed with a hammer.

According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, officers responded at 11:15 p.m. Aug. 17 to the QuikTrip on Trailer Drive in northeast Charlotte. The victim, 47-year-old Glandina Latamba Dixon, was pronounced dead at the scene by Medic.

Police reports show someone called 911 from the QuikTrip bathroom, saying she was bleeding from the back of her head and there was blood on the floor. Dixon was pronounced dead at 11:23 p.m. due to blunt-force trauma.

Security guard accused of masturbating inside CMPD Uptown Headquarters

Officers say the gas station surveillance video showed a Black man getting out of a black Ford pickup truck and following the woman into the store. He then returned to his truck to retrieve what appeared to be a hammer, records state. Upon entering the store, documents said he then walked directly into the womens bathroom.

The suspect was in the bathroom for approximately 40 seconds before he exited and then drove off, police say.

Police charged Sam Roary, 53, with first-degree murder for Dixons death. The investigation shows Roary had a relationship with the victim.

He is being held in the Mecklenburg County jail on a $1 million bond.

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An Arizona family is in mourning after a woman's car drove off a 1,000-foot cliff and fell hundreds of feet down to a death of twisted metal.

The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office described what happened to 39-year-old Kristin Little in a statement on social media. On Aug. 16 at approximately 5 p.m. local time, officers responded to a call about a car going off a cliffside in the Thumb Butte area outside Prescott.

According to authorities, Little was "ejected from the car about halfway down the mountain side" based on what they found. Her dog CJ, meanwhile, was found without any harm.

"The area was steep and hard to navigate with thick brush, so YCSO flew drones and a [Department of Public Safety] ranger helicopter assisted in looking for possible other occupants but did not locate anyone," the statement read. Rather than leave her there after finding her, officers stayed with her body overnight.

"Due to the difficult terrain and the coming darkness, the decision was made to wait until light this morning to recover the victim, with YCSO personnel remaining with Ms. Little throughout the night," the office said. "Just prior to noon [Aug. 17], the victim was transported to the medical examiners office." She's believed to have veered off the road and down the mountain, but the incident is still under investigation.

Little's family remembered her fondly when speaking to KSAZ.

"Yavapai search and rescue, I cannot thank enough for what they did, staying with my daughter, my sweet girl, all night long and making sure she was safe," her mom Jinger Cutting said. She was no stranger to the outdoors during her life, and even to the area where she ultimately died.

"She and I hiked all the time, all the time," Cutting remembered. "We would take off, and we would meet at my office or somewhere downtown, and we would just go hiking out on Thumb Butte, or we'd go hiking somewhere around the lakes."
Tired of being a victim of repeated mail theft, a Santa Barbara County woman laid her own trap to catch those responsible for ripping her off.

The unidentified woman kept a mailbox at the Los Alamos Post Office in the Santa Maria Valley and had been the victim of mail theft on multiple occasions, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office.

To stop the thefts once and for all, the woman decided to ship herself an Apple AirTag, a small, keychain-sized tracking device capable of providing a current GPS location to the owners mobile device, and waited for the thieves to take the bait.

Apple AirTag tracking device. (KTLA)

A package with an Apple AirTag used to catch mail thieves is shown in an image provided by the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office on Aug. 20, 2024.

On Monday, sheriffs deputies responded to the Los Alamos Post Office to meet the woman after her mail was stolen again, this time with the AirTag included.

Now able to track the thieves, deputies traveled to Santa Maria where they located the suspects and the victims stolen mail  the tracking device and all.

Additional pieces of mail from dozens of other victims were also recovered, officials said.

Deputies ultimately arrested 27-year-old Virginia Franchessca Lara of Santa Maria and 37-year-old Donald Ashton Terry of Riverside.

Lara and Terry were both booked into jail in Santa Maria where they remain in custody as they await felony charges.

Lara faces possible charges for possession of stolen checks and credit cards, identity theft and conspiracy. Shes being held on $50,000 bail.

Terry faces the same felony charges, as well as one count of burglary. Hes also wanted for several thefts that took place in Riverside County, authorities said. His bail is set at $460,000.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office commended the victim for her proactive solution, and thanked her for exercising caution by contacting law enforcement rather than confronting the thieves herself.

The case remains under investigation by the Sheriffs Office and detectives are working to contact additional victims.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
The Democratic National Convention is a celebration of Vice President Kamala Harris as the 2024 Democratic nominee, and while there has been plenty of adulation for the Harris-Walz campaign, the first night of the DNC was also an emotional reminder of whats at stake in November.

On Monday, amid speeches from celebrities and some of the biggest names in Democratic politics, four everyday Americans took the stage to speak about how the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade  and the slew of state-level abortion restrictions implemented in its aftermath  have impacted their lives.

Perhaps the most gut-wrenching testimony of the night came from Hadley Duvall, a young woman from Kentucky who at age 12 became pregnant and miscarried after being sexually assaulted by her stepfather. Duvall, now 21, shared her story for the first time on Facebook in 2022 following the demise of Roe.

At age 12 I took my first pregnancy test, and it was positive, Duvall told the DNC audience. That was the first time I was ever told you have options. I cant imagine not having a choice but today, thats the reality for many women and girls across the country because of Trumps abortion bans.

He calls it a beautiful thing, Duvall said of Trumps bragging of his role in overturning Roe. What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parents child?

Assault and incest survivor Hadley Duvall at the DNC: Trump calls abortion bans "a beautiful thing. What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parent's child?" pic.twitter.com/zCQJfwUpjU  nikki mccann ramirez (@NikkiMcR) August 20, 2024

Vice President Harris will fight for every woman in every girl, even those who are not fighting for her now, Duvall added.

Following her testimony, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, who featured Duvalls story in a 2023 ad, called her one of the bravest people Ive ever met.

Im amazed at the courage it takes to share her pain, and to share her truth, he said.

Beshear used Duvalls testimony as a jumping point to discuss the continued threat Republicans represent to womens reproductive freedom.

Trump and Vance simply dont believe in your freedom, he said. Trump says people are absolutely thrilled that women had their basic rights eliminated. J.D. Vance says women should stay in violent marriages, and that pregnancies resulting from rapes are simply inconvenient.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear: Republican abortion "policies give rapists more rights than their victims. That's not 'inconvenient,' that's just plain wrong." pic.twitter.com/b2ppqiGPYX  nikki mccann ramirez (@NikkiMcR) August 20, 2024

Their policies give rapists more rights than their victims. Thats not inconvenient, its just plain wrong, Beshear added. All women should have the freedom to make their own decisions, freedom over their own bodies, freedom about whether to pursue IVF, freedom about whether to have children at all. How we treat people transcends party lines, it goes right to the heart of who we are.

Alongside Duvall, Kaitlyn Joshua, a Louisiana woman, recalled beginning to miscarry early in her second pregnancy, and being denied care by multiple hospitals. Two emergency rooms sent me away, Joshua recounted. Because of Louisianas abortion ban, no one would confirm that I was miscarrying. I was in pain, bleeding so much my husband feared for my life.

Amanda and Josh Zurawski spoke, as well, detailing the loss of their daughter Willow, a much-desired child who they were told with 100% certainty would not be viable at birth.

The Zurawskis lived in Texas  a state that banned abortion unless the life of the mother was at risk, and implemented a bounty law against doctors who provided abortion care. We waited until Amanda was sick enough to receive standard abortion care, Josh told the audience. Eventually, Amandas temperature spiked she was shaking disoriented, and crashing. I, dont remember what I threw into our [hospital] bag that day. Only that instead of welcoming Willow, I was hoping Amandas life could be saved.

Amanda Zurwaski would go on to sue Texas over its restrictions on abortion care as part of a coalition of women whose lives had been put at risk after being denied care for their nonviable pregnancies. The case was struck down by the state Supreme Court in May, and abortion in Texas remains illegal with vague exceptions for the life of the mother.

I was lucky. I lived, Amanda said. Today because of Donald Trump more than one in three women of reproductive age in America lives under an abortion ban. A second trump term would rip away even more of our rights.

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Hadley Duvall, a sexual assault survivor, speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Monday, Aug. 19, in Chicago. She appeared alongside reproductive rights advocates from states with post-Roe abortion restrictions. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Most major party leaders who took the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, mentioned that Vice President Kamala Harris would work to restore federal abortion rights if elected president.

But the most poignant remarks about the issue on the DNCs first day came from Southern women who had traumatic pregnancies and spoke about the erosion of abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade more than two years ago.

Kaitlyn Joshua of Louisiana, Amanda Zurawski of Texas and Hadley Duvall of Kentucky spoke at the convention on Monday night. Joshua and Zurawski were denied care for pregnancy complications in 2022. Duvall, a 22-year-old who became pregnant as a child after she was raped by her stepfather, has called for exceptions to Kentuckys abortion ban for sexual assault survivors.

At age 12, I took my first pregnancy test, and it was positive, Duvall told the DNC crowd. That was the first time I was ever told, You have options. I cant imagine not having a choice, but today, thats the reality for many women and girls across the country because of Donald Trumps abortion bans.

Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, nominated three of the Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade during his first term as president.

Joshua spoke about being denied miscarriage treatment when she was pregnant with her second child. Two emergency rooms sent me away. Because of Louisianas abortion ban, no one would confirm that I was miscarrying, she said.

Appearing alongside her husband, Zurawski said delayed pregnancy care threatened her life. Every time I share our story, my heart breaks for the baby girl we wanted so desperately, for the doctors and nurses who couldnt help me deliver safely, for Josh who feared hed lose me too, she said.

All three women have campaigned in battleground states such as Florida, Michigan and Wisconsin this year for Harris, the Democratic Partys presidential nominee, and President Joe Biden before he suspended his reelection bid. Like Biden, Harris has pledged to sign legislation codifying the federal right to an abortion if shes elected and if Congress passes such a bill.

Our daughters deserve better. America deserves better, Joshua said.

During a campaign stop in Florida last week, she told the story of how she was 11 weeks pregnant when she drove herself to an emergency room in Baton Rouge after experiencing heavy bleeding, Florida Phoenix reported. Providers said her fetus stopped growing but sent her home and said they would pray for her. Joshua went to a different hospital after her bleeding worsened, but she was told to go home again until her pregnancy passed.

I no longer feel safe being pregnant in Louisiana, Joshua wrote in an opinion piece for Louisiana Illuminator this spring. Not as a Black woman who received inadequate and delayed medical care while enduring a painful miscarriage because of my home states abortion ban.

When Zurawski learned her state enacted its trigger law after the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization ruling in June 2022, she was in the intensive care unit of a hospital dealing with septic shock, according to Texas Tribune. Days earlier, she found out she had premature prelabor rupture of the membranes at 18 weeks of pregnancy. Zurawski was initially denied an abortion  her fetus had cardiac activity  until she went into sepsis.

What I went through was nothing short of barbaric, and it did not need to happen, Zurawski said in May while campaigning for Biden in Madison, Wisconsin. It was completely avoidable. It was preventable.

Zurawski is one of the plaintiffs who sued Texas last year asking for clarity on what type of medical emergency warrants abortion under the states bans. The state Supreme Court rejected the challenge in May, ruling that medical exceptions in the law were broad enough, the Tribune reported.

While Joshua and Zurawski have often traveled together in swing states to share their stories of denied care in a post-Roe United States, Duvall rose to prominence after she appeared in an ad for Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshears reelection campaign last year.

Duvall, who miscarried a pregnancy resulting from assault, criticized Beshears opponent and former Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron for his lack of support for adding rape and incest exceptions to the states ban, Kentucky Lantern reported. To tell a 12-year-old girl she must have the baby of her stepfather who raped her is unthinkable, she said.

She has since become a reproductive rights advocate and hit the campaign trail for national Democrats, appearing alongside Harris on MSNBC in June and in an ad for Biden last month.

There are other survivors out there who have no options, Duvall said Monday before introducing Beshears DNC speech. And I want you to know that we see you. We hear you.

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Hadley Duvall, a sexual assault survivor, speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. She appeared alongside reproductive rights advocates from states with post-Roe abortion restrictions. Photo by Joe Raedle | Getty Images

Most major party leaders who took the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, mentioned that Vice President Kamala Harris would work to restore federal abortion rights if elected president.

But the most poignant remarks about the issue on the DNCs first day came from Southern women who had traumatic pregnancies and spoke about the erosion of abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade more than two years ago.

Kaitlyn Joshua of Louisiana, Amanda Zurawski of Texas and Hadley Duvall of Kentucky spoke at the convention on Monday night. Joshua and Zurawski were denied care for pregnancy complications in 2022. Duvall, a 22-year-old who became pregnant as a child after she was raped by her stepfather, has called for exceptions to Kentuckys abortion ban for sexual assault survivors.

At age 12, I took my first pregnancy test, and it was positive, Duvall told the DNC crowd. That was the first time I was ever told, You have options. I cant imagine not having a choice, but today, thats the reality for many women and girls across the country because of Donald Trumps abortion bans.

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Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, nominated three of the Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade during his first term as president.

Joshua spoke about being denied miscarriage treatment when she was pregnant with her second child. Two emergency rooms sent me away. Because of Louisianas abortion ban, no one would confirm that I was miscarrying, she said.

Appearing alongside her husband, Zurawski said delayed pregnancy care threatened her life. Every time I share our story, my heart breaks for the baby girl we wanted so desperately, for the doctors and nurses who couldnt help me deliver safely, for Josh who feared hed lose me too, she said.

All three women have campaigned in battleground states such as Florida, Michigan and Wisconsin this year for Harris, the Democratic Partys presidential nominee, and President Joe Biden before he suspended his reelection bid. Like Biden, Harris has pledged to sign legislation codifying the federal right to an abortion if shes elected and if Congress passes such a bill.

Our daughters deserve better. America deserves better, Joshua said.

During a campaign stop in Florida last week, she told the story of how she was 11 weeks pregnant when she drove herself to an emergency room in Baton Rouge after experiencing heavy bleeding, Florida Phoenix reported. Providers said her fetus stopped growing but sent her home and said they would pray for her. Joshua went to a different hospital after her bleeding worsened, but she was told to go home again until her pregnancy passed.

I no longer feel safe being pregnant in Louisiana, Joshua wrote in an opinion piece for Louisiana Illuminator this spring. Not as a Black woman who received inadequate and delayed medical care while enduring a painful miscarriage because of my home states abortion ban.

When Zurawski learned her state enacted its trigger law after the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization ruling in June 2022, she was in the intensive care unit of a hospital dealing with septic shock, according to Texas Tribune. Days earlier, she found out she had premature prelabor rupture of the membranes at 18 weeks of pregnancy. Zurawski was initially denied an abortion  her fetus had cardiac activity  until she went into sepsis.

What I went through was nothing short of barbaric, and it did not need to happen, Zurawski said in May while campaigning for Biden in Madison, Wisconsin. It was completely avoidable. It was preventable.

Zurawski is one of the plaintiffs who sued Texas last year asking for clarity on what type of medical emergency warrants abortion under the states bans. The state Supreme Court rejected the challenge in May, ruling that medical exceptions in the law were broad enough, the Tribune reported.

Arizona voters in November will decide whether to enshrine abortion access as a right in the Arizona Constitution. The Arizona Abortion Access Act, which will be Proposition 139 on this years ballot, would expressly state that every Arizonan has a fundamental right to abortion and prohibit any law or regulation that interferes with that right.

While Joshua and Zurawski have often traveled together in swing states to share their stories of denied care in a post-Roe United States, Duvall rose to prominence after she appeared in an ad for Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshears reelection campaign last year.

Duvall, who miscarried a pregnancy resulting from assault, criticized Beshears opponent and former Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron for his lack of support for adding rape and incest exceptions to the states ban, Kentucky Lantern reported. To tell a 12-year-old girl she must have the baby of her stepfather who raped her is unthinkable, she said.

She has since become a reproductive rights advocate and hit the campaign trail for national Democrats, appearing alongside Harris on MSNBC in June and in an ad for Biden last month.

There are other survivors out there who have no options, Duvall said Monday before introducing Beshears DNC speech. And I want you to know that we see you. We hear you.

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Women tell their abortion, pregnancy and miscarriage stories at the first post-Roe DNC

Amanda Zurawski, seen here at the Vice President's ceremonial office in Washington, D.C., is amongst three women speaking about their experiences with abortion and pregnancy on the opening night of the DNC. (Carlos Fyfe/The White House)

This story originally appeared on The 19th.

Three women  Amanda Zurawski, Kaitlyn Joshua and Hadley Duvall  spoke about their experiences with abortion, miscarriage and pregnancy on the opening night of Democratic National Convention.

All three speakers have emerged as key surrogates for the Democratic Party, campaigning in support of Vice President Kamala Harris. Zurawskis husband Josh, who has also campaigned for Harris, spoke alongside her.

Zurawski, who rose to prominence after suing the state of Texas over its abortion ban, was a guest at President Joe Bidens February 2023 State of the Union address; she also shared her experience in an April ad on behalf of what was then the campaign to re-elect Biden. Joshua, of Louisiana, has been a regular presence at Harris campaign events and appeared in a June ad for the Democratic presidential campaign. Duvall, a Kentucky resident, appeared in a campaign spot for Gov. Andy Beshear last year, and in a July ad backing Biden.

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A second Trump term would rip away even more of our rights: passing a national abortion ban, letting states monitor pregnancies and prosecute doctors, restricting birth control and fertility treatments, Zurawski said on Monday night. We cannot let that happen. We need to vote as if lives depend on it  because they do.

Abortion is a core component of Harris election pitch. Other expected speakers this week  including former Planned Parenthood leader Cecile Richards, current leader Alexis McGill Johnson, and Mini Timmaraju of the advocacy group Reproductive Freedom for All  are also likely to use their time to draw a contrast between Democrats, who largely support abortion rights, and Republicans, who generally back bans and restrictions on the procedure.

Abortion has not historically received this much attention at the partys national gathering. But it reflects the fact that this year the party views abortion  an issue on which they generally poll better with voters than do Republicans  as one that could help them retain the White House, and potentially even win control of Congress.

Amanda Zurawski

Zurawski, who spoke Monday alongside her husband, was one of the first women to sue a state over its abortion ban since 1973, the year that Roe v. Wade was decided.

An Austin resident, she became pregnant in 2022 after months of fertility treatment. But when she was 18 weeks pregnant, her water broke prematurely, and her pregnancy was no longer viable. By that point, just a few months after the Supreme Court had overturned Roe, Texas had banned abortion almost entirely. The states only exception is if the procedure is necessary to save the patients life  language doctors have repeatedly said is impossibly vague and hard to put into practice. Violating the states ban is a felony, which has made doctors nervous about providing abortions until a patient is near death.

Although abortion is the standard treatment in a situation like hers, Zurawski had to wait three days before she could receive an abortion  and could only get care after she had developed sepsis, a life-threatening infection.

In March 2023, she joined a lawsuit seeking further clarity from the state about who qualifies for a medical exception. The case eventually drew 22 plaintiffs. This May, the state supreme court ruled against them, declining to provide more detail about what constitutes a medical exception.

Every time I share our story my heart breaks  for the baby girl we wanted desperately, for the doctors and nurses who couldnt help me deliver her safely, for Josh, who feared he would lose me, too, Zurawski said. But I was lucky. I lived. So Ill continue sharing our story, standing with women and families across the country.

Kaitlin Joshua

Joshua blames Louisianas strict abortion laws for her inability to receive miscarriage care. The state has several abortion bans in place; the strictest only allows abortion if the pregnant persons life is at risk or if abortion is needed to avert serious, permanent impairment of a life-sustaining organ.

Joshua, who shared her story with NPR in 2022, said she was unable to get prenatal care in her first trimester of pregnancy, a change in policy she said her doctors office attributed to the state abortion ban.

Eleven weeks into her pregnancy, Joshua began to miscarry. But she struggled to get care; two emergency rooms turned her away, she said. The standard treatment for miscarriage is the same as for abortion, using either medication or a dilation and curettage procedure. At the time, she said, the experience deterred her and her husband from trying to become pregnant again.

In a Biden campaign ad, Joshua said the states abortion bans were a direct result of Donald Trump overturning Roe v. Wade.

I was in pain, bleeding so much my husband feared for my life, she said on stage Monday. No woman should experience what I endured, but too many have.

Hadley Duvall

Duvall was not directly affected by the undoing of Roe, which resulted in a near-total abortion ban in her home state of Kentucky. Still, she has become one of its most prominent abortion rights advocates, sharing the story of her own experience with a pregnancy that resulted from sexual abuse.

I cant imagine not having a choice, but today thats the reality for many women and girls across the country because of Donald Trumps abortion bans, Duvall said at the convention. He calls it a beautiful thing. What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parents child?

Duvall, now in her early 20s, became pregnant when she was 12, a result of rape by her stepfather. She ultimately experienced a miscarriage, but Duvall has spoken about her experience to criticize the state laws extremely narrow exceptions.

Kentuckys ban, which is undergoing a legal challenge in state court, only allows the procedure to save a pregnant persons life or prevent disabling injuries. It excludes mental health concerns and does not permit abortion in cases of rape or incest  meaning that someone like Duvall would not have qualified.

Trump and J.D. Vance dont care about women. They dont care about girls in this situation, Duvall said in the July ad.

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Soaring across the scenic landscape, its indisputably one of the most beautiful bridges in the world.

Often swathed by mist, so that it feels like crossing through clouds, it is so famous that it has its own visitor center, and people plan trips to the area solely to drive across it. The bridge can even be easily seen from space.

The Golden Gate? No. This is the Millau Viaduct, a perfect example of where engineering meets art. Cantilevered high over the Tarn gorge in southern France, and yawning 2,460 meters (8,070 feet) in length, the Millau Viaduct is the worlds tallest bridge, with a structural height of 336.4 meters (1,104 feet).

But not even those impressive statistics do it justice.



Unlike other famous bridges, which usually connect two points of similar altitude, the Millau Viaduct effectively becomes the opposite of a rollercoaster, plying a flat course across the valley, as the land ripples up and down underneath it.

The seven piers range from 78 meters to 245 meters (256-804 feet) in height, each calculated to the millimeter to make a perfectly smooth experience for drivers soaring across the Tarn. Theres a 342m (1,122ft) span between each pairing  large enough for the Eiffel Tower to slot in the gap. The piers are coupled with seven steel pylons, each 87 meters (285 feet) high, with 11 cable stays fanning out on either side. This all helps keep the deck  the road surface, which is around 14 feet thick and weighs 36,000 tons, or the equivalent of 5,100 African elephants  steady.

At the same time as being a work of absolute precision, its also beautiful. The Gorges du Tarn area is a protected landscape, yet instead of spoiling the view, the Millau Viaduct enhances it.

Its a wonder of the modern world and an engineering marvel, says David Knight, director of design and engineering at Cake Industries and specialist adviser to the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Its that perfect interplay of architecture and engineering that means that everybody who sees it thinks its spectacular.

Those living in the valley below look up with wonder; those driving across it  this road, the A75 from Clermont-Ferrand to Beziers, is one of the main north-south routes in France  see the gentle curve arcing across the landscape as they approach. It gives everyone who uses it a sense of awe, says Knight.

No wonder that for many, driving across the viaduct is something you travel to do, not something you do while traveling.

So how did this wonder of the modern world come to be built in the middle of France? Why did it take two decades to plan, before opening to traffic in December 2004? And how did it effectively change the map of Europe?

A bridge too far?

The Millau Viaduct was designed by engineer Michel Virlogeux and architect Norman Foster. - Sergi Reboredo/Sipa USA

The answer to all those questions is geography. The Massif Central is a vast area of highlands cut by deep valleys and gorges, roughly located in the middle part of the bottom half of France. Sprawling across about 15% of the country, and bordered by the Alps to the east, its one of the obstacles anyone traveling from north to south of the country  or from northern Europe to Spain  must pass.

So important was this viaduct  but also so difficult  that it was two decades in the planning, according to Michel Virlogeux, the engineer who led the design team  and who first started work on it in September 1987.

The first problem was not what bridge to build, but where the motorway would pass, he says.

At the time the Massif Central was remote, despite its central location. There was a single-track railway line, and the roads werent very good, he says. The central part of France couldnt develop due to lack of transport.

So in the 1980s, the French government decided to upgrade the road network, with then-president Valery Giscard dEstaing deciding on a freeway. One of the aims was to unclog the notoriously choked road around Millau, where the road descended into the valley and crossed the Tarn river in the city center. Every day there were tailbacks of around 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) either side of the town.

Going through Millau used to be a traffic blackspot for tourists, says Emmanuelle Gazel, current mayor of Millau. There were lots of traffic jams. There were kilometers and kilometers of tailbacks. It gave a very bad image of our area in terms of pollution it was terrible. And locals took a long time getting from one point to another.

In the words of Lord Norman Foster, who became the architect of the bridge, the area was a valley of extreme beauty which had become one of Frances worst bottlenecks.

The decision to build a bridge around Millau was taken in September 1986, says Virlogeux, who at the time was head of the large bridges division of the French administration. There was just one problem: the geography of the area meant there was no obvious solution. We started looking where was possible, but many options were bad, and it took almost three years to find a solution, he says.

The old route across the Tarn valley involved a traffic-snarled route through the town of Millau. - Google Earth, CNN

One idea was to route the freeway east of Millau, keeping the road on the plateaus, with two suspension bridges to cross the valleys on either side. But that wouldnt have allowed a connection with Millau  the only big city between Clermont-Ferrand and Beziers, says Virlogeux  which needed the economic boost.

So they called in the experts: geologists, geo technologists, road engineers and Virlogeux, who had already designed the Pont de Normandie  the 7,032-foot bridge spanning the river Seine in the northern region of Normandy.

The teams first idea was to run west of Millau, bringing the road lower in altitude down into the valley, across a bridge at a lower level and up again to the plateau and then a tunnel. They were in the stages of planning when the teams road engineer, Jacques Soubeyran, had a lightbulb moment.

He asked, Why are you going into the valley? and it was a big shock, remembers Virlogeux. The motorway was passing 300 meters above the river. I hadnt even considered the possibility of passing at a high level. Immediately, I said we were being stupid. We started working on the idea of passing plateau to plateau.

After just eight days they had detailed drawings of the rippling ground levels, as well as a possible altitude for a freeway snaking across it.

The importance of elegance

Architect Norman Foster said the construction process was nervewracking, and that the choice of color for the cable stays made him physically ill. - Nigel Young/Foster + Partners

They knew where they wanted the viaduct  but what should it look like?

Virlogeux immediately knew that the best option would be a cable-stayed bridge. Cable is the most efficient structure to carry a load, and you can have a very slender deck so its much better to look at, he says.

Slenderness was important. There was already controversy about the idea of running a bridge through such a famous landscape. To avoid ruining the landscape, it had to look very quiet.

Getting the go-ahead took some years. The French government started a competition for the design of the bridge, and in 1996 the commission was won by a group led by Virlogeux as engineer (who had left his previous job a year earlier) and the UKs Norman Foster  now Lord Foster  as architect. Foster calls their plan to span the valley, rather than the river, a philosophical concept that distinguished them from other competitors.

But with the local community up in arms at the idea of their area of natural beauty being spoiled, they face what Foster calls a design challenge to create something that would enhance the landscape, sit gently on the floor of the valley  to be the most delicate and light intervention. Virlogeux says it had to be pure and simple.

Yet this precious landscape, which had to be protected aesthetically, was extremely difficult to work around.

The wind forces at this level are huge and the columns have to accommodate the enormous expansion and contraction of the deck, says Foster. And were not just talking a gentle bounce. The 2,460-meter (8,070-foot) bridge can expand or contract by 50 centimeters (1.6 feet) depending on the weather. Their solution was to add extension joints.

Luckily, while the old adage is that architects and engineers should be at loggerheads, and while you might imagine that two titans of architecture and engineering might clash, Foster and Virlogeux have nothing but praise for each other. Virlogeux says it was a very easy working relationship, while for Foster it was a meeting of minds. The team had twice-monthly meetings in London while working on the design. He would ask me, Why do you want this and not that? and after that hed take a decision in five minutes, says Virlogeux. Once there was a major controversy about the shape of the deck. He asked me what I proposed, if I was sure it would work. Then he said, OK  architecture must not go against scientific needs.

Above the road, the sturdy columns split into two more flexible arms, making an artistic statement out of an engineering necessity.

The same goes for the curve of the road, which gently arcs across the valley. Its not just beautiful; it ensures that theres no visual overlap  and therefore confusion  for drivers at such a great height. Meanwhile the piers become slimmer as they rise towards the roadway, more or less halving from 24 meters wide at the bottom to 11 meters at the top.

Their design for a cable-stayed bridge with seven elegant piers marching across the landscape and what Foster calls the snake of a road, improbably thin like a razor blade, has stood the test of time.

The anxious build

Before the viaduct was built, cars traveling north-south through France or vice versa would end up in bottlenecks in the valley around Millau. - Raphael Gaillarde/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

If the design wasnt challenging enough, then came the construction which started in October 2001. The project cost a cool 400 million euros ($437 million) and was financed by Eiffage, a private construction company which still has the concession for the bridge today. There were 290,000 tons of steel and concrete used to build it, and around 600 builders working on it.

The huge challenge is what happens when you build it, says Knight. As you put the weight in different locations, it moves in different directions. There are different materials interacting with each other  this is as difficult as engineering gets.

Foster calls the assembly of the deck a true challenge.

It was serenely and slowly launched simultaneously from both sides over the temporary structural supports, meeting in the middle with millimeter precision.

Virlogeux remembers the critical wind situation which risked damaging the structure during the build. Each launching operation  during which the deck was installed from both sides  would take up to three days, so they had to monitor the five-day forecast before starting out, to avoid causing damage before the deck reached the next pier.

It was only as the viaduct was put into place that the team could see if their design had worked  from an aesthetic point of view as much as an engineering one.

Every detail had been considered for its potential effect on the landscape, as well as whether it could resist the forces at that altitude.

A single span of the gigantic bridge is longer than the Eiffel Tower is high. - Stephane De Sakutin/AFP, CNN



Foster says that the first time he went to see it, I was anxious to the point of almost being physically ill. He had agonized over the color of the 154 cable stays  if they were light, theyd blend in with the sky but stand out against the landscape. He went with white  but the agony was that I wouldnt know if it was the right decision until it was built  and then it would be too late to change it.

Luckily for him, the white worked. I was almost sick with apprehension, but I remember arriving in a car and the bridge gradually coming into view and finally realizing that it was, after all, the right decision.

Virlogeux was more sanguine. For him, the greatest challenge was overcoming local opposition to be able to build. Getting the contract signed, he says, was the most stressful part. Signing it was the moment I knew we would build it.

President Jacques Chirac came to open the bridge and shake hands with the construction workers. Two days later, Virlogeux drove across it on his way back to Paris.

Bridging local hearts and minds

Locals worried that the bridge would spoil the famous landscape. Instead, it has enhanced it and become a tourist attraction in itself. - David Bagnall/Shutterstock

The viaduct may have been controversial when it was first mooted, but local hostility started melting away once it became clear what the project would look like.

People thought that creating a bypass would mean tourists could avoid Millau and the town would empty out, says Gazel, the mayor. Some people thought that it would spoil our landscape, but actually it magnified it. And it attracted visitors  in its first year alone, 10,000 cars would stop every weekend at the service area to take in the view.

Suddenly, going from the north to south of France, and on from northern Europe to Spain (or vice versa) was an easy experience.

Foster says he was delighted at the residents change of heart. A bridge is about communication in the widest sense, not just connecting two plateaus but also linking people, he says.

Today, the viaduct has brought lots of tourists to discover Millau, says Gazel.

Many come for the viaduct, but discover all the other facets of our area. Others are traveling on vacation and stop off. Millau isnt a blackspot anymore. It has become a destination  tourists choose to visit Millau, and they no longer have to endure the terrible tailbacks. So it didnt empty out the town; on the contrary.

As well as being an area of outstanding natural beauty, there is history around Millau. In Roman times, it was famous for its pottery, which was exported all around the empire, from northern Africa to England.

Visitors can walk around the base of the famous piers, or take a boat ride under the viaduct.

A long future ahead

The Millau Viaduct looks set to stand the test of time -- as well as beauty. - Greg Alric/Eiffage

Today, as it approaches its 20th anniversary, the Millau Viaduct is still going strong. Virlogeux says hes confident it can resist a long time. Where he is still, to this day, working on the Normandy Bridge, which needs regular maintenance, he stopped working on Millau a long time ago.

Each year it saves around 40,000 tons of CO2 emissions from heavy goods vehicles alone, according to Fosters figures  the equivalent of 40,000 trees absorbing emissions over 40 years.

Gazel says the viaduct  which is part of the A75 autoroute  has changed the image of her town.

It put us on the world map  when I say Im mayor of Millau, it doesnt matter where I am in the world, everyone knows Millau, thanks to the viaduct, she adds. The architectural and technological prowess, 20 years on, is still innovative  still extraordinary.

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The world's oldest living person, Spain's Maria Branyas Morera, who was born in the United States and lived through two world wars, the Spanish Civil War, the 1918 flu pandemic and the COVID pandemic, has died at the age of 117, her family said Tuesday.



"Maria Branyas has left us. She died as she wished: in her sleep, peacefully and without pain," her family wrote on her account on social network X.

"We will always remember her for her advice and kindness," they said.

Maria Branyas Morera, the world's oldest person, according to Guinness World Records, turned 116 on March 4, 2023. This photo was taken in January 2023. / Credit: Guinness World Records

Branyas, who had lived for the last two decades in the Santa Maria del Tura nursing home in the town of Olot in northeastern Spain, had warned in a post on Tuesday that she felt "weak".



"The time is near. Don't cry, I don't like tears. And above all, don't suffer for me. Wherever I go, I will be happy," she added in the account that is run by her family.



Guinness World Records had officially acknowledged Branyas's status as the world's oldest person in January 2023 following the death of French nun Lucile Randon at the age of 118.



In the wake of Branyas's death, the oldest living person in the world is Japan's Tomiko Itooka, who was born on May 23, 1908 and is 116 years old, according to the U.S. Gerontology Research Group.

Branyas got Covid-19 in 2020 just weeks after ringing in her 113th birthday and was confined to her room at the home but made a full recovery.



Her youngest daughter, Rosa Moret, once attributed her mother's longevity to "genetics".



"She has never gone to the hospital, she has never broken any bones, she is fine, she has no pain," Moret told regional Catalan television in 2023.

Branyas celebrated her 116th birthday in March 2023 at her residence home Santa Maria del Tura in Olot, Catalonia, Spain, surrounded by friends, fans and her 78-year-old daughter Rosa. Branyas was lucid and spoke fondly about her childhood, said Ben Meyers, CEO of LongeviQuest, a longevity company that unites super longevity researchers worldwide.

Meyers, who was with her at the residence home, said she was touched by greetings from her many fans around the world.

"This warms my heart," Branyas said.

Born on March 4, 1907, in California, one year after her parents emigrated to the U.S., Branyas spent the first few years of her life in San Francisco, according to Guinness. Eight years later, the family decided to return to Spain, where they settled in Catalonia. She married Joan Moret in 1931, according to Guinness World Records, and had three children, 11 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.

Like most, she had her share of triumphs and tragedies. Among them, losing her father on the voyage from the U.S. to Spain from pulmonary tuberculosis, according to Guinness World Records.

Still, she told her social media followers, "Never, ever, become a bitter person no matter what."

Sneak peek: Andreen McDonald: A Millionaire Vanishes

Watch: Former President Obama bashes Trump, makes case for Harris, calls for unity in DNC speech

Watch: Michelle Obama slams Trump's "Black job" comment, praises Kamala Harris in DNC speech
West Virginias kindergarten vaccination rate continued to drop during the 2022-23 school year, but it was still higher than the national average. (Getty Images)

While West Virginias kindergarten vaccination rate continued to drop during the 2022-23 school year, it was still higher than the national average, something health care professionals attribute to the states strong school vaccine laws.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2022-2023  the latest for which data is available  95.6% of the states kindergarteners had their school-required vaccines, down as much as 1% or 2%, depending on the vaccine, from the year prior.

By contrast, the national rate for kindergarteners getting the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine during the same school year was 93.1%.

[95.6%] is sufficient to keep us healthy, as a herd, said Dr. Jennifer Gerlach, an associate professor at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and president of the West Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The goal, really, is to have every child thats able to be safely immunized, immunized and ready to go to school. West Virginia is a leader in the nation in this.

West Virginias vaccination rates for 2 year olds are lower than those for kindergarteners, pointing to the success of the states school vaccination laws, she said.

If you look at our rates of hitting the vaccine schedule and ready to go to school, were one of the highest in the country because of our strong immunization policy, Gerlach said.

West Virginia, like all other states, requires that kids attending school be vaccinated against certain infectious diseases, including measles, polio and chicken pox. The Mountain State is one of only five states nationally that do not allow religious or philosophical exemptions to those vaccine requirements. West Virginia allows only medical exemptions to those vaccination requirements.

According to a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health, the state processed 71 medical exemption requests during the 2022-23 school year. Of those, 41, or 57.7%, were granted and while 30, or 42.3%, were denied because they did not qualify as a medical contraindication or precaution.

Gerlach said the states strong vaccination law protects all residents. She pointed to an April measles case in Monongalia County, the states first since 2009. The case, reported in an adult resident of the county, did not spread or become an outbreak.

Every state around us geographically has a different immunization policy, and they have had measles outbreaks, she said. West Virginia has not, because we have such a strong immunization policy. It protects children. It protects teenagers. It protects adults.

Kindergarten vaccination rates fell during the COVID-19 pandemic nationally and in West Virginia as children missed well child visits and preventative health care appointments, a spokesperson for the state Department of Health said in response to emailed questions.

In 2020, the CDC reported a notable drop in orders for pediatric vaccines, said Annie Moore, director of communication for the department. Some studies have reported between 26% and 41% of households had at least one child miss or delay a well visit during the pandemic.

Moore said the state is working to raise awareness about the drop in childhood vaccination rates, as well as coordinating outreach efforts for a Well Child Visit initiative. The Department of Healths Immunization Registry sends out automated reminders to families about when their child is eligible for routine childhood immunizations, she said.

Gerlach, with Marshall and the West Virginia Academy of Pediatrics, said the most important thing West Virginia can do to keep the states immunization rates high is to keep its strong vaccination policy.

State Gov. Jim Justice earlier this year vetoed a bill that would have weakened that law, allowing private and parochial schools to establish their own vaccination requirements. Supporters of House Bill 5105, say the debate over vaccination exemptions could be back next year, when the state will have a new governor.

We are a leader in the nation, and I dont feel like that gets enough positive press, Gerlach said. We do a really good job keeping our children safe from vaccine-preventable illnesses. We dont have pertussis outbreaks. We dont have measles outbreaks because we have strong school-age immunization policy, and the best thing we can do is keep it that way.

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Mike Lynch and daughter among six missing after yacht sinks; divers struggle to enter wreck

Mike Lynch and daughter among six missing after yacht sinks; divers struggle to enter wreck

By Giselda Vagnoni

PALERMO, Sicily (Reuters) -Divers scoured the wreck of a luxury yacht off Sicily's coast on Tuesday to find six missing people, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter, following an intense storm that sank the vessel on Monday.

The British-flagged Bayesian, a 56-metre-long (184-ft) superyacht, was carrying 22 people and anchored off the port of Porticello when it was hit by the fierce, pre-dawn storm.

Witnesses said the boat disappeared beneath the waves in a matter of minutes, baffling naval experts who said a boat as large as the Bayesian would have been designed to stay afloat for many hours despite taking on water.

Fifteen people escaped before it capsized and the body of one person who died was swiftly recovered. That left six passengers unaccounted for - Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah; Judy and Jonathan Bloomer, a non-executive chair of Morgan Stanley International; and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda Morvillo.

However, there was little chance of finding more survivors, rescuers said. "The fear is that the bodies got trapped inside the vessel," said Salvatore Cocina, head of civil protection in Sicily.

The boat was lying at a depth of 49 metres (160 feet), giving divers only 8-10 minutes at the wreck site before they had to resurface. Entering the boat was also proving difficult, said the fire brigade, which is leading the search operation.

"Inside the sailing ship the spaces are very confined, and if you hit an obstacle it is very complicated to move forward, just as it is very difficult to find alternative routes," said fire spokesman Luca Cari.

One official, who declined to be named, said the divers had opened one access point, but this did not mean they could easily reach all parts of the submerged vessel.

Fire department diver Marco Tilotta told reporters the boat appeared to be intact and was lying on its right side. Divers had not ascertained whether the 72-metre-long mast had snapped somewhere along its length during the tempest.

Karsten Borner, the skipper of a boat that had been moored alongside the Bayesian, said the yacht flipped on its side soon after the storm hit and sank within two minutes, giving those below deck little time to get to safety.

LYNCH TRIAL

Lynch, 59, is one of the UK's best-known tech entrepreneurs. He built the country's largest software firm, Autonomy, and was referred to as Britain's Bill Gates.

He sold the firm to HP for $11 billion in 2011, after which the deal spectacularly unravelled with the U.S. tech giant accusing him of fraud, resulting in a lengthy trial. Lynch was eventually acquitted by a jury in San Francisco in June.

Morvillo represented Lynch in the case, while Bloomer had appeared as a character witness on his behalf.

In an extraordinary coincidence, Stephen Chamberlain, Mike Lynch's co-defendant in the trial, died following a road accident in Britain over the weekend, his lawyer said on Monday.

The Bayesian was owned by Lynch's wife, who survived the disaster, and other guests on the yacht included Lynch's colleagues. The only body so far retrieved was that of the onboard chef Ricardo Thomas, an Antiguan citizen.

The British government's Marine Accident Investigation Branch said it sent four of its inspectors to Sicily to conduct a "preliminary assessment."

'DIDN'T SEE IT COMING'

One expert at the scene of the disaster who declined to be named said an early focus of the official investigation would be whether the yacht's crew had closed access hatches into the vessel before the storm struck.

Investigators would look at whether appropriate measures had been taken, given the forecasts for bad weather overnight.

Borner, whose yacht was moored near the Bayesian, said that although there had been warnings of possible thunderstorms, there had been no indication they would be particularly violent.

"Thunderstorms can turn out good or bad and this one was a real violent squall ... very violent, very intense, a lot of water, and I think a turning system like a tornado," he told Reuters.

There was concern over how such a yacht was lost so quickly. One superyacht expert in Britain said the volume of water needed to sink the Bayesian was gigantic, with compartments in the ship designed to safeguard against such a catastrophe.

"I don't think the industry has ever faced anything like this. It's a horror story," he said, declining to be named.

Storms and heavy rains have ravaged Italy in recent days, after weeks of scorching heat warmed the sea temperature to record highs, raising the risk of extreme weather conditions, experts said.

"The sea surface temperature around Sicily was around 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), which is almost 3 degrees more than normal," said meteorologist Luca Mercalli.

"We can't say that this is all due to global warming but we can say that it has an amplifying effect," he told Reuters.

(Writing by Crispian Balmer; Reporting by Alvise Armellini, Giulia Segreti, Gavin Jones, William Schomberg, Catarina Demony, Sam Tobin and Josephine Mason; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Sharon Singleton)
Yassamin Ansari in 2023. Photo by Gage Skidmore (modified) | Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0

Yassamin Ansari will represent the Democratic ticket for a West Valley congressional district in November, after a recount found that she beat out her primary opponent by less than 40 votes.

Initial results showed Ansari, a former vice-mayor of Phoenix, leading former state lawmaker Raquel Teran by just 42 votes to represent congressional district 3, a solidly Democratic district that spans South and West Phoenix. That lead was narrowed even further by an official recount announced on Tuesday morning, with Ansari winning by just 36 votes: 19,084 to Terans 19,048.

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The seat is currently held by outgoing U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, who is angling to replace U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.

In a post on social media site X, formerly Twitter, Ansari celebrated her victory and called on Arizonans to support Democratic candidates.

Following todays recount results, I am deeply honored to be your Democratic nominee for Congress, she wrote. Its time for us to come together and ensure we secure victories for Democrats up and down the ballot this November.

Ansari also highlighted the states abortion rights initiative, urging voters to enshrine the procedure in the Arizona Constitution and vowing to mobilize her campaign to promote both the initiative and other Democrats.

Our fight isnt over. In less than 80 days, were not only going to win this seat, were going to elect @RubenGallego as our next Senator, @KamalaHarris as our next President and @Tim_Walz as our next VP, and make access to an abortion a constitutional right in Arizona, she wrote. Today, I pledge to put my entire campaign apparatus behind these efforts to increase Democratic turnout in our district to ensure victory in November.

Democrats across the country have turned to reproductive rights to mobilize voters ahead of the election, and party members in Arizona are counting on the ballot measure to deliver wins for pro-choice candidates. Ansari herself staked out a progressive platform that revolved partly around her defense of reproductive rights on the Phoenix City Council. During her tenure, she helped spearhead a citywide resolution that deprioritized abortion arrests while Arizona grappled with hostile laws that threatened prison time for providers.

Ansari will face off against Republican nominee Jeff Zink in November, though with Democratic voters in the district outnumbering GOP voters thre- to-one, Ansari is expected to win. If she succeeds, Ansari will be the first Democratic Iranian-American elected to Congress.

Ansari, Teran call for unity ahead of November

In a news conference held just hours after the results of the recount were revealed, Ansari reiterated her commitment to bolstering Democratic candidates and causes in November. She called her primary election contentious and ugly and said it was time for the party to unify behind electoral success.

Its time to put behind us the ugliness of this race, she said. I dont think Democratic primaries should ever get this ugly, anywhere in the country. Right now our focus is on November.

Far right politicians, Ansari added, are aiming to eliminate many hard-won freedoms. The solution, she said, is supporting Democrats, both to defend against attacks on those freedoms and push for more progressive wins.

Republicans are constantly preaching a warped, dangerous, authoritarian vision for our future and we must stand strong against it to protect abortion rights, defend our democracy and save our climate, she said. And weve said loud and clear throughout this entire campaign, its not just about taking on Republican extremists and its not just about standing against something, but we want to change the status quo, we want to fight for more.

In a statement posted to X, Teran lamented her loss and echoed Ansaris call for unity.

Im committed to ensuring that we as Democrats work together to elect Kamala Harris, Democrats up and down the ballot, and protect our reproductive rights, she wrote. I will continue to fight to build a brighter future for everyone in our communities.

Ansari also addressed criticism her campaign fielded after a pro-cryptocurrency super PAC with Trump-aligned donors spent $1.4 million supporting her in the runup to the election.

Protect Progress, which donates to Democratic candidates friendly to cryptocurrency, injected the funding into television ads just two weeks before the primary election took place. Two of the super PACs biggest funders, venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, have also donated to former President Donald Trumps campaign.

Ansaris critics quickly seized on that funding to question her commitment to progressive goals. Living United for Change in Arizona, a Latino advocacy group that backed Teran, said in an emailed statement after the recount that Ansaris win was proof of the corrupting influence of millions of dark money dollars spent by crypto bros and MAGA cronies.

But Ansari pointed out that the super PAC regularly spends to boost Democratic candidates across the country  most recently buying $3 million of TV ads to bolster Gallegos U.S. Senate bid. And, she said, she would work to end the influence of Citizens United v. FEC, a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that enabled corporations and other outside groups to spend unlimited amounts of money in elections.

In the meantime, she said, her campaign will work to remain transparent about funding sources and will advocate on behalf of the districts constituents, not donors.

I would have much preferred this race with no outside money and campaigns raising funds on their own, Ansari said. Well continue to be accountable and transparent and focusing on the issues that matter to this district  from improving our housing affordability to tackling extreme heat and making sure were representing everybody.

While election denialism has become a central tenet of the GOP platform nationally and locally, and Arizona in particular has been at the forefront of conspiracy theories and criticism, Ansari dismissed any concern over the election processes in Maricopa County in light of the recount. Three votes were added to Terans tally, but the final result was the same.

And, Ansari said, some of the additional votes were the result of voter errors, like crossing out choices or filling in extra bubbles, that required increased scrutiny from election workers. In the end, she said, the system worked.

The rest of the country should be assured that Maricopa County runs a phenomenal election and they are diligent, they are tireless, they are meticulous, she said. And I am profoundly confident in their ability to make sure that our November 2024 election goes smoothly and that its secure and fair and whoever wins in November, I trust that elections were run perfectly.

***UPDATED: This story was updated with additional comments and reporting.

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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  Forbes magazines website has named Ysleta Independent School District (YISD) to their list of Americas Best-In-State Employers 2024.

According to the news release by the district, Americas Best-In-State Employers 2024 report surveyed over 160,000 employees who work for companies that have at least 500 employees within the U.S.

Out of 4.4 million employee evaluations with companies from different industries, Forbes gathered the top 1,294 organizations and presented the list on their website here.

According to YISDs profile on Forbes website, the district was number 229 out of the 1,294 organizations.

The Ysleta Independent School District is honored to earn such a prestigious recognition from Forbes, and we are proud to offer a workplace environment where our 6,400 employees feel appreciated, respected, and inspired for the benefit of our students and families, Ysleta ISD Superintendent Dr. Xavier De La Torre said.

Data was gathered from three years prior to differentiate organizations who perform consistently vs. organizations who only had one good year, according to YISD.

The employers score was determined by state-by-state basis and by two types of employee evaluations, according to YISD:

Personal Evaluations Employees willingness to recommend their own employers to friends and family.

Public Evaluations Recommendations from friends and family members of employees or members of the public who work in the same industry, also known as indirect evaluations.



Being named one of the best employers in Texas is a reflection of the strong community weve built together, one that is rooted in the dedication of staff, teachers, and administrators who work hard every day to provide a superb education to our students, Dr. De La Torre said. It is our privilege to celebrate them and the positive impact they have on our community.

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New Yorks top court affirmed Tuesday that a measure expanding access to absentee voting in the state is constitutional, rejecting a lawsuit led by House GOP Chair Elise Stefanik (N.Y.).

The New York Court of Appeals ruled 6-1 that New Yorks Early Mail Voter Act, which allows registered voters to submit ballots early by mail in any election where they are eligible to vote, can stand. The measure was signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) last year.

Our task is to rigorously analyze the constitutional text and history to determine if New Yorks Early Mail Voter Act is unconstitutional, Chief Judge Rowan Wilson wrote for the majority. We now hold that it is not.

Wilson acknowledged the difficult question raised by the Republican-led lawsuit, noting that though the New York Constitution does not contain language explicitly requiring in-person voting, the states legislative and executive branches have often proceeded as if our Constitution requires as such.

The chief judge also recognized that a 2021 proposed amendment to codify absentee voting failed at the ballot box. Some 55 percent of voters turned down the measure at the time.

We take seriously both the legislatures position in 2021 and the voters rejection of the proposed constitutional amendment, Wilson wrote. At the same time, we may not simply defer to the legislatures assumptions about what the Constitution requires.

Stefanik and a slew of Republican groups challenged the measure shortly after it was signed into law last year in September.

In a statement, Stefanik said the states high court disgracefully claims to know the constitutional framers intent more than they did, disregarding interpretation norms.

New Yorks court system is so corrupt and disgraceful that todays ruling has essentially declared that for over 150 years, New Yorks elected officials, voters, and judges misunderstood their own states Constitution, and that in-person voting was never required outside the current legal absentee process, Stefanik said, adding that the only path forward to Save New York is to vote the states Democrats out of office.

The Republican National Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Conservative Party of New York State and New York Republican State Committee challenged the law alongside Stefanik.

New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), whose office defended the measure, called voting a beautiful celebration of patriotism and civic responsibility and suggested that the government should make it easier to vote, not harder.

While some want to put up roadblocks and stifle New Yorkers ability to exercise their Constitutional right to vote, I will always stand up and protect this basic, yet essential, freedom, James said.

Aria Branch, an Elias Law Group lawyer who represented the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and several Democratic lawmakers, said in a statement that the decision is a win for New York voters who can now cast ballots by mail without having to provide an excuse. Branch called the courts ruling a pro-democracy decision.

Updated at 4:02 p.m.

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ROCHESTER, NY (WROC)  The New York State Fair in Syracuse kicks off Wednesday, August 21 and lasts through two full weekends, going to Labor Day Monday, September 2. The forecast is trending toward a blocking pattern for most of the Fair, meaning our confidence is going up on how this will all play out.

In the near term, opening day does not look great. Temperatures will be down (in the 50s and 60s) with clouds and scattered rain showers. The pesky storm that brought rain and drizzle to Rochester will persist in Syracuse at the Fair. Thursday will be more of the same, although you can expect more sunshine and the rain chances will be isolated. Overall, a decent second day at the fair.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (23, 24, 25)

This should be a nice stretch for the New York State Fair, although not totally perfect. Friday will feature plenty of sunshine, but a weak boundary will slip overhead through the weekend. This may bump up the cloud coverage, but its unlikely we get any rain from it. Any shower would be very isolated and not last long. Those isolated shower chances are a bit higher Sunday. Highs get into the middle 80s.

Monday through Thursday (26-29)

A wave of warm air will approach for early next week, but there are some inconsistencies on whether or not it pushes into Rochester. It will be warm to finish the month, but we are not sure how warm. There are solutions that show Syracuse gets to 90. Others show a more modest warm up with highs in the 80s and lows in the lower 60s. That seems like the more realistic forecast. The real good news here is that the dry stretch likely continues until a cold front approaches Thursday.

Labor Day Weekend (30-Sept. 2)

The long range forecast does bring in a cold front on Friday the 30th. That would bring rain and storms, but signs are pointing toward a short lived spell of rain with high pressure quickly replacing it. That would allow for a nice finish to the New York State Fair.

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New York State takes center stage on Day 1 of the DNC

CHICAGO  An upbeat Democratic Senate Majority leader and New Yorks own, Chuck Schumer ushered in Day 1 at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago as New York was in the spotlight Monday with a speech from New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

The road to get back is through New York State. Take back the senatefolks we might even get a seat or 2. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer

Governor Kathy Hochul and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer gave their take on not only the Kamala Harris ticket but what Central New York delegates have been doing to support their campaign.

Hochul has conceded Biden handing off the torch to Vice President Harris has reinvigorated the party including signing up new voters and volunteers.

She believes democrats also have an obligation to show up races down the ballot.

Helping our local communities win races at the local level that we had no chance to ever win. Town boards, DA races, county legislatures. We did it because we started to work together. New York Governor Kathy Hochul

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSYR.
(KRON)  Jessica Avila Munoz was driving to pick up her 13-year-old daughter from a Santa Rosa school when a suspected drunk driver ran a red light and crashed his truck into Munozs Honda, officials said. The 31-year-old mother died from her injuries on Friday.

Munoz was a juvenile corrections counselor at Sonoma County Juvenile Hall, Santa Rosa Police Department Sgt. Patricia Seffens told KRON4. As a sworn peace officer, she worked for the Sonoma County Probation Department.

Jessica was a dedicated and caring single mother, who was known as full of life. Jessica was born and raised in Sonoma County, attended Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University. She became a first-generation college graduate in her family, the Peace Officers Research Association of California wrote.

Jessica Avila Munoz takes a selfie with her daughter. (Family photo)

PORAC and Sonoma County Law Enforcement Association are raising donations to help support Munozs daughter, sister and mother.

PORAC president Damian Evans told KRON4, It is really a horrible situation. She should have had a long career with us, not this.

The Dodge pickup truck driver who allegedly caused the deadly wreck, Nhan Van Nguyen, never should have been behind the wheel. Nguyens drivers license was suspended and he had four prior DUI arrests on his criminal record, Santa Rosa police said.

(Photo via Santa Rosa Police Department)

Nguyen ran a red light Friday afternoon at the intersection of Lombardi Court and Sebastopol Road before his truck T-boned Munozs Honda, police said. The impact from the collision pushed the Honda into a Toyota Prius.

Officers at the crash scene determined that Nguyen, 68, of Santa Rosa, was under the influence of alcohol, police said. Officers booked him into jail on suspicion of felony DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter.

Jessica Avila Munoz (Photo courtesy PORAC and SCLEA)

Munoz was extricated from her car and died at a nearby hospital.

PORACs Fund A Hero page created for the victim writes, Your donations will go to help her daughter and family while they pay for her funeral costs and adjust to their new reality of a future without her.

Nguyen is being held in jail with no bail, inmate records show. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Tuesday morning.

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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  Youngstown State University President Bill Johnson gave his State of the University address Tuesday morning, detailing his goals for the university moving forward in his first address as president.

The speech began just after 10 a.m. at Ford Theater in Bliss Hall on YSUs campus. Johnson said the speech was the most intimidating thing he had to do since taking office.

Johnson praised the Board of Trustees, citing their devotion to a volunteer position, and offered credit to the universitys new provost Dr. Jennifer Pintar along with teachers and staff.

Youngstown State University is in a really good place, he declared, citing increased enrollment and a feeling of optimism in the air.

In Youngstown, we bend, folks, but we do not break.  We are here for the long haul, and the same can be said for YSU.

Johnson acknowledged the challenges the university is facing and his determination to overcome them. He said his first goal is for YSU to become the  not an  anchor university in Northeast Ohio.

He outlined the following additional goals for YSU:

Improve the student experience for all, regardless of their backgrounds

Increase enrollment

More seamlessly integrate YSU with businesses around the area and nation to better understand business needs and better produce a future workforce

Grow the new Government Affairs Office to allow YSU to influence forming policies in Washington and Columbus

Johnson cited decreasing birth rates and increasing numbers of homeschooled students as hurdles to enrollment. He also said despite a false narrative that degrees are no longer valuable, students with a bachelors degree from YSU make significantly more than their counterparts without. His plan to increase enrollment is to cast a wider net and remain adaptable.

Johnson said 60+ new programs have been added to accommodate the students from Eastern Gateway Community College, including aviation. Some new courses will begin this fall.

The university also is looking to expand its online programs. Johnson said they are not heading toward becoming an online-only university, but in order to be competitive on a national level, the university needs both online and on-campus offerings.

We must all recognize that YSU is not just a school or university, but that we must function like a business, Johnson said on the topic of finance. He offered his assurance that YSU is financially sound.

Johnson said his door is open to anyone with suggestions for positive change.

Chelsea Simeon contributed to this report.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.
(Bloomberg) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on US and European allies to lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons against Russia, saying his militarys cross-border incursion had exposed as illusory Kremlin threats of retaliation.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The two-week-old operation to seize Russian territory in the Kursk region would have been viewed as crossing the strictest of all red lines for Russian President Vladimir Putin only a few months ago, Zelenskiy said in an address to Ukrainian diplomats late Monday. The whole naive, illusory concept of so-called red lines regarding Russia, which dominated the assessment of the war by some partners, has crumbled these days.

Ukrainian forces now control more than 1,250 square kilometers (483 square miles) of Russian territory and will continue to expand their presence in the Kursk region, Zelenskiy said. The claims couldnt be independently verified.

The incursion that he said was planned in total secrecy  no one knew about our preparations  would have been unnecessary if Ukraines Western partners had allowed it to target Russian airfields and military bases with long-range weapons, Zelenskiy said. That had allowed Putin to continue attacking Ukraine and to evade the search for peace to bring the war to an end, he argued.

Russias military has repeatedly launched missiles, glide bombs and drones from the Kursk and neighboring Belgorod regions to strike Ukrainian cities including Kharkiv and Sumy that are close to their shared border.

Zelenskiy called on Ukraines diplomats to argue in the US and Europe for the key defense decision of lifting the limitations on long-range weapons. Putins response to the incursion in Kursk demonstrates that there is no single rational reason to deny us, he said.

While the US and the European Union were caught by surprise, they have largely endorsed the operation, even as they remain cautious about its prospects.

The Defense Ministry in Moscow said its forces were continuing to repel Ukrainian attempts to advance on Russian territory, though it gave no indication that they were regaining control of border areas.

Russia has continued attacks elsewhere along the front line, advancing in the eastern Donetsk region toward the city of Pokrovsk, an important logistics hub for Ukrainian forces. Local authorities have ordered an evacuation of civilians starting Tuesday.

Overnight, Ukraine said Russia launched two drone and missile attacks across nine regions, including Kyiv. In total, three out of four missiles and 25 out of 26 drones were intercepted, Ukrainian Air Defense Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on Telegram.

Energy facilities in part of the northeastern Sumy region and an industrial enterprise in western Ternopil were hit, according to local authorities.

Ukraines capture of the swathe of border territory is the first foreign military offensive inside Russia since World War II. Acting Kursk region Governor Alexey Smirnov said early during the incursion that began Aug. 6 that some 120,000 residents had been evacuated and another 60,000 were waiting to leave their homes, though officials havent provided more recent data.

Belgorod regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said settlements in the border region faced repeated drone and shelling attacks in a Telegram post on Tuesday.

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Zelenskyy said Ukraine told no one about the Kursk invasion because its allies would have called it 'unrealistic'

Zelenskyy said Ukraine told no one about the Kursk invasion because its allies would have called it 'unrealistic'

Ukraine didn't inform its allies about its planned incursion on Russia's Kursk region.

The country's leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said allies would have called the invasion "unrealistic."

Ukraine ended up notching significant battlefield gains after catching the Russians off guard.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country kept its allies in the dark about its plans to attack Russia's Kursk region because they "would have said that it was unrealistic."

"This is why nobody had been informed about our preparations," Zelenskyy told the heads of Ukraine's foreign diplomatic missions in a speech delivered on Monday, according to a translation by Ukrainian media outlet Pravda.

"Now the real success speaks for itself: our active defensive actions on the other side of the border and Putin's inability to protect his territory from our defensive actions of this kind are very telling," he continued, referencing Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine's allies weren't the only ones who didn't know about the attack. The planned invasion was kept so well under wraps that even Ukraine's own soldiers weren't informed until the last minute.

"We joked that it wasn't April 1st. The commander just smiled, knowing we had no idea what was awaiting us," a Ukrainian soldier identified only by his first name, Serhiy, said of the orders to invade Russia, The Economist reported on Sunday.

Russian forces were caught off guard when Ukraine mounted a shock offensive into the Kursk region on August 6. The surprise attack resulted in significant gains for Ukraine on the battlefield.

Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander in chief of Ukraine's military, said last week that Ukraine had captured nearly 400 square miles of Russian territory in just a few days. That's close to the amount of Ukrainian territory that was seized by the Russians this year.

"When our Ukrainian defenders act like this, decisively and bravely, and when the operation is indeed well-prepared, Putin has no choice. And now the world sees that it is realistic, that it really works," Zelenskyy said on Monday, per Pravda.

Representatives for Ukraine's foreign ministry didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Google's new 'Sound Matters' ringtones and notification sounds are expanding to more Pixels

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Your Pixel just got over two dozen new ringtones, notifications, and alarms

The Pixel 9 series introduced a new Pixel 'Sound Matters' collection for ringtones, notifications, and alarm sounds.

Google collaborated with a wildlife sound recordist to capture sounds for the collection in remote and wild areas of Botswana and Zimbabwe.

The collection is expanding now, and users with a Pixel 4 or later-released devices can access it in Google Sounds 3.1 (642123347).

Google's Pixel 9 series doesn't just come with a new design and upgraded software and AI smarts; it also brings a new Pixel Sound Matters collection  inspired by the sounds of the African Savanna.

Google detailed the new collection, which can be used as sounds for notifications, alarms, or ringtones, in a sustainability blog post, suggesting that it can "inspire users to connect with nature, appreciate its beauty, and take action to protect it."

Now, as shared by 9to5Google, it looks like the new sounds are rolling out to more Pixel users now, and anyone with a Pixel 4 or later-released device can access them now. The new collection is part of Google Sounds 3.1 (642123347), and you can sideload it now if you want quick access to the new sounds.

According to Google, sounds for the collection were captured in late 2023 during Southern Africas rainy season, "the perfect time to showcase the full beauty of birdsong in such a lively and healthy ecosystem." For the project, Google's Senior UX Sound Designer Henry Daw worked with award-winning wildlife sound recordist George Vlad in remote and wild areas of Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Google quotes a study that shows the mental and emotional benefits of birdsongs and related sounds as the inspiration behind the collection.

"We didnt want this to be just another nature sound collection. We sought out sounds that are deeply meaningful and reflective of our natural world, in both a positive and thought-provoking way. Sounds that are different to what most people hear every day, whether living in urban areas or less nature-rich ecosystems. Ultimately we want these unique sounds to refresh and inspire all who experience them," reads Google's post about the new collection.

Dive in now

A screenshot of the new Sound Matters collection in Phone ringtones.

If you've sideloaded the APK file shared above, you should now have access to the Sounds Matters collection in Settings  Sound & vibration. In total, the collection offers 16 sounds divided among ringtones, alarm and notification sounds.

Ringtones (Settings  Sound & vibration  Phone ringtone)

Cape Turtle Dove at Dawn

Botswana Bushveld at Dawn

Limpopo Riverbed at Dawn

Zimbabwe Savannah at Dawn

Arrow-Marked Babbler at Dawn

Water Thick-Kneww at Dawn

Notifications (Settings  Sound & vibration  Default notification sound)

Meyers Parrot at Dawn

Limpopo Riverbed at Dawn

Crested Francolin at Dawn

African Fish Eagle at Dawn

Alarms (Settings  Sound & vibration  Default alarm sound)

Limpopo Savannah at Daw

Botswana Bushveld at Dawn

Zimbabwe Savannah at Dawn

Limpopo River at Dawn

Limpopo Riverbed at Dawn

Zimbabwe Hills at Dawn
Fusion is a holy grail for the energy sector, theoretically offering abundant, essentially zero-pollution power in a small physical footprint, without the need to use regional natural resources. There have been many milestones as the technology advances, and a new record in magnetic containment has recently been achieved.

The Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror research team was able to create and hold a plasma using a magnetic field strength of 17 Tesla through high-temperature superconductor magnets, as Interesting Engineering reported.

The magnet systems were delivered to the University of Wisconsin's Physical Sciences Laboratory in Stoughton, Wisconsin, this year by Commonwealth Fusion Systems. The project operates as a public-private partnership with Realta Fusion, Inc., a UW-Madison spin-off company that contributes funding, according to the lab.

"It's setting a world record in magnetic field strength for magnetically confined plasmas and is equipped with intense heating systems while still being a hands-on experiment for both graduate and undergraduate students," Realta Fusion co-founder and UW-Madison scientist Jay Anderson said, per Interesting Engineering.

The design is based on an old fusion device called the magnetic mirror, which was a leading approach in the field until the 1980s, as the news outlet explained. This time, it's been upgraded with the powerful HTS magnets, which trap energetic plasma in a "magnetic bottle" through advances in superconductor technology.

Fusion is a nuclear process, but it's different from the atom-splitting that powers nuclear plants. Instead, fusion occurs when two nuclei are fused into a new atom. The difference in mass for the newly created atom results in an explosion of power, similar to what happens with the sun.

German-American physicist and billionaire entrepreneur Frank Laukien had some prophetic statements about the future of fusion, as Yale Environment 360 reported.

"If we really want a fully renewable energy supply, we need fusion as a third pillar," Laukien said, referencing solar and wind development. "Fusion is the key to a decarbonized future."

There could be serious benefits from a device that can generate the same energy from a single gram of fuel as 11 tons of dirty coal, as proponents have suggested, all without planet-warming carbon pollution.

With an eye on a clean-energy future, both the United States and Japan announced a partnership to fund further development and commercialization of fusion. Various innovations in the field have been announced, including one that doesn't rely on the usual magnets and lasers.

Realta Fusion CEO Kieran Furlong shared a statement on fusion's promise, per the report: "Today's demonstration puts the compact magnetic mirror firmly back in the race towards commercial fusion energy. It's a giant leap forward for a concept that promises economically viable, zero-carbon heat and electricity."

But as Laukien said, building out renewable solar and wind projects is essential to achieving net zero goals while we continue to research the incredible potential of nuclear fusion  which is still estimated to be many years from widespread use.

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Genetec Inc. (Genetec), a leading technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, today announced that Genetec Security Centre SaaS will be hosted in Australia on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. Demand for sovereign data hosting capability, robust cybersecurity, and flexible cloud options, affirmed the strategy of Genetec to offer its security solution hosted on an Australian data centre.

Built with cybersecurity and privacy at its core, Genetec Security Centre SaaS is a scalable and open software as a service (SaaS) offering that unifies access control, video management, intrusion monitoring, automation, and many other advanced security capabilities.

By hosting Security Center SaaS on Azure, public and private sector organisations throughout the region will be able to obtain the flexible physical security cloud technology offering they require. They will also benefit from fast, low-latency access to the solution while ensuring data sovereignty protocols are met. Australia joins the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands as one of the four countries where Genetec has launched a data centre for Security Centre SaaS.

"Australia is a forward-thinking nation that recognises the benefits of adopting cloud solutions," explained Leon Langlais, Chief Product Officer for APAC at Genetec Inc. "Establishing a data centre in this location provides our clients with the confidence that their physical security systems are managed locally. Additionally, by offering Security Center SaaS on Microsoft Azure, we reaffirm our dedication to providing reliable and advanced technology as our customers make their move to the cloud."

Natasha Clohessy, Director of Partner Development, Microsoft Australia said, Microsoft is pleased to collaborate with Genetec to host Security Centre SaaS on Microsoft Azure. With Microsofts strong stance on cybersecurity as well as the IRAP Assessment and cloud flexibility, Genetec can deliver enterprise-grade physical security as a service in Australia.

This announcement marks the next step in the long-standing relationship Genetec has with Microsoft. By leveraging the latest in enterprise-ready generative AI and cloud technology, we aim to solve customers most fundamental security challenges, enhancing the scalability, efficiency, and intelligence of security operations across various industries, Langlais added.

Genetec has consistently achieved the highest level of partnership with Microsoft as a Gold Partner for more than ten years, and the two companies have enjoyed a long and successful collaboration for over 20 years. This collaboration has involved various initiatives, including cloud-based go-to-market initiatives and enhancing the skills and capabilities of its workforce.

About Security Center SaaS

Security Centre SaaS enables organisations to run workloads wherever it makes the most sense whether at the edge or on managed appliances. The platforms open architecture gives organisations the freedom to choose the devices, cameras, door controllers, and readers that work best for their business. Legacy devices that are not cloud-ready can easily be connected to Security Centre SaaS using a Genetec Cloudlink appliance.

For more information about Security Center SaaS please visit: https://www.genetec.com/products/unified-security/security-centre-saas
GUEST RESEARCH: APAC organisations are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) enabled solutions to tackle a wide array of security challenges around Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), according to F5 s (NASDAQ: FFIV) inaugural 2024 Strategic Insights: API Security in APAC report. The report examines the challenges and opportunities in API security in Asia Pacific (APAC), as APIs continue to power the regions digital experiences.

With APIs increasingly being the point of attack for cybercriminals, 17% of ANZ organisations have adopted AI/ML technologies to detect and mitigate sophisticated threats, such as broken object level authorisation and server-side request forgery.

The adoption of AI/ML solutions show A/NZ organisations proactive approach to leveraging advanced technologies for comprehensive threat detections and prevention across API environments.

Over 90% of the attacks F5 has seen across our infrastructure have been targeted towards APIs. In Australia, cyber attacks on API systems have caused wide-spread data breaches and millions of peoples data to be compromised, said F5 regional vice president ANZ Jason Baden. Weve seen growing number of attacks, with unprecedented speed and sophistication as a result of cybercriminals taking advantage of AI-powered tools. Because of this, API security is one of the most important challenges for organisations in Australia and New Zealand to address.

For Australia, protecting APIs during runtime is a top priority, with many increasingly recognising the importance of guarding APIs right from development. Having robust code security standards and practices (17%) has emerged as a fundamental strategy among the regions organisations to guard APIs against a broad range of complex vulnerabilities, from Broken Object Level Authorisation and Security Misconfiguration issues to SSRF.

Today, API security is more important, but also more complex, than ever. Findings from our report clearly show that more organisations are shifting left along the API lifecycle, while still attempting to shield right, said F5 chief technology officer for Asia Pacific, China, and Japan Mohan Veloo. F5 is bringing advanced API code testing and telemetry analysis to F5 Distributed Cloud Services, creating the industrys most comprehensive and AI-ready API security solution. F5 Distributed Cloud Services can offer API discovery, testing, posture management, and runtime protection, all in a single platform, allowing organisations to gain true visibility and security from code to cloud.

The research reveals that security misconfigurations are a higher concern for A/NZ organisations than the rest of the APAC region. In Australia (19%) and New Zealand (17%), respondents saw it as a top issue, above the APAC average of 13.2%.

To mitigate these risks, A/NZ organisations rely heavily on API Gateways for API security strategies. One fifth of A/NZ organisations have adopted API Gateways to help manage and secure API traffic to provide essential controls for access and consumption.

Other key findings from the 2024 Strategic Insights: API Security report include:

APAC faces unique API security challenges compared to the rest of the world. Security challenge rankings by APAC organisations diverge from global OWASP rankings, with Broken Authentication, Server-Side Request Forgery, and Security Misconfiguration emerging as top concerns. This is driven by widely used REST/RPC technologies, high use of internal APIs and diverse deployments across the region.

Security challenge rankings by APAC organisations diverge from global OWASP rankings, with Broken Authentication, Server-Side Request Forgery, and Security Misconfiguration emerging as top concerns. This is driven by widely used REST/RPC technologies, high use of internal APIs and diverse deployments across the region. Australia prioritises robust, real time data leakage and tampering protection. To mitigate these risks, Australian businesses see API runtime protection as a top priority, with 45% of respondents marking it as their top priority, compared to 36% across APAC.

To mitigate these risks, Australian businesses see API runtime protection as a top priority, with 45% of respondents marking it as their top priority, compared to 36% across APAC. Insecure integration with third-party services fuelling New Zealands high concern for Unsafe Consumption of APIs. 21 per cent of New Zealand respondents expressed concern for unsafe consumption of APIs, a much higher rate of concern than the 9.2% across the APAC region. Secure API consumption practices are crucial to protect against attackers looking to leverage Webhook and SOAP protocols.

21 per cent of New Zealand respondents expressed concern for unsafe consumption of APIs, a much higher rate of concern than the 9.2% across the APAC region. Secure API consumption practices are crucial to protect against attackers looking to leverage Webhook and SOAP protocols. A strong emphasis on API Security Testing in both Australia and New Zealand. In New Zealand, an incredibly high 72% of respondents highlighted this as a top concern, followed by 45% of Australian respondents. This emphasis on security testing is to ensure that APIs are secure from the development phase.

In New Zealand, an incredibly high 72% of respondents highlighted this as a top concern, followed by 45% of Australian respondents. This emphasis on security testing is to ensure that APIs are secure from the development phase. Controlling external users is the top concern in API access control. APAC organisations cited heightened concern over potential risks from external entities (59%). Other priorities include compliance with established standards (54 per cent) and secure app-to-app interactions (49%). This reflects trends toward increasing connectivity and highlights the importance of comprehensive security frameworks to address evolving API risks effectively

APAC organisations cited heightened concern over potential risks from external entities (59%). Other priorities include compliance with established standards (54 per cent) and secure app-to-app interactions (49%). This reflects trends toward increasing connectivity and highlights the importance of comprehensive security frameworks to address evolving API risks effectively Focus on security during the development phase. Code security solutions are the most adopted API security solution in New Zealand (20.7 per cent), and the second in Australia (17.9%). This highlights the importance of secure coding practices and static code analysis to prevent vulnerabilities from being introduced during the development phase.

Code security solutions are the most adopted API security solution in New Zealand (20.7 per cent), and the second in Australia (17.9%). This highlights the importance of secure coding practices and static code analysis to prevent vulnerabilities from being introduced during the development phase. Strong focus on protecting data against leakage and tampering. Data leakage (53.3%) is the highest priority concern for APAC organisations in API run time protection, underscoring the urgency in protecting sensitive information. Theres also an industry-wide emphasis on maintaining data integrity (27.7%) and protecting sensitive information through detection and masking techniques (23.4%).

To evaluate the current landscape of API security in ANZ, Twimbit conducted research on behalf of F5 in H1 of 2024, surveying 297 professionals from various sectors, including security, DevOps, SecOps, and application development. Respondents were distributed across 11 APAC markets: Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand.

To learn more about the report and findings, please download the full 2024 Strategic Insights: API Security in APAC report here.

About F5

F5 is a multicloud application security and delivery company committed to bringing a better digital world to life. F5 partners with the worlds largest, most advanced organisations to secure every appon premises, in the cloud, or at the edge. F5 enables businesses to continuously stay ahead of threats while delivering exceptional, secure digital experiences for their customers. For more information, go to f5.com. You can also follow @F5 on X (Twitter) or visit us on LinkedIn and Facebook for more information about F5, its partners, and technologies.
A major festival in Hindu mythology, Kajari Teej is mostly observed in northern India, especially the states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar. It is celebrated in the month of Bhadrapada, which follows the monsoon month of Sawan. The mythology states that in order to gain Lord Shiva's favour and fulfil her desire to marry him, Goddess Parvati underwent a severe penance for 108 years. Therefore, women follow this fast in order to ask for blessings for a successful marriage and a nice husband. The date of Kajari Teej this year is 22nd August.

Kajari Teej 2024: Date & Timings

Timing of the Morning Puja: 05:54 AM to 07:32 AM

Timing of the Evening Puja: 06:53 PM to 08:16 PM

Kajari Teej 2024: Significance

Hindu married women celebrate Kajari Teej, also called Kajali Teej, Badi Teej, Boodi Teej, or Satudi Teej, as a major occasion in hopes of their husbands' long life, good health, and prosperity. Women perform ritualistic mehendi preparations on their hands and feet and honour the goddess Parvati on this day. On Kajari Teej, ladies keep a strict fast, and single women take part in order to find a husband. To win Goddess Parvati's goodwill and gain her blessings, they present her with shringaar things.

Kajari Teej 2024: Rituals
Janmashtami is a significant Hindu festival that commemorates the birth of Lord Krishna, marking His 5251st birth anniversary this year. Celebrated with immense enthusiasm across India, Krishna Janmashtami will take place on August 26, 2024. The occasion is observed with various rituals and festivities to honour 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, a significant Hindu festival, celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna, marking His 5251st birth anniversary this year. The entire nation will celebrate this auspicious occasion with great grandeur and enthusiasm.

Devotees around the world honor the day with deep devotion, offering prayers to Lord Krishna and spreading the teachings of the Gita, which He imparted. The festival also highlights various well-known tales from Krishna's childhood, such as His playful butter thefts, defeating the demoness Putana, protecting people from Indra's fury, and lifting the Govardhan Hill with His little finger. Devotees believe that worshipping Lord Krishna brings happiness, prosperity, and the fulfillment of wishes.

Celebrations in Vrindavan

In Mathura and Vrindavan, Janmashtami celebrations begin 10 days before the festival, featuring a variety of cultural and religious events such as Rasleelas, Bhajans, Kirtans, and Pravachans.

In Vrindavan, which is home to over 400 Krishna temples, a special midnight ritual known as the Abhishek takes place, where devotees gather to witness the deity being bathed in milk, yogurt, honey, ghee, and water to celebrate Krishnas birth.

A significant tradition in these cities is the Chappan Bhog, a grand offering of 56 different dishes served as prasad to devotees.

Additionally, Dahi Handi events are held, inspired by Lord Krishna's childhood love for butter and his playful antics. During these events, groups of young men form human pyramids to break a suspended earthen pot filled with curd.
In a recent hearing at the Delhi High Court concerning the Axis-Max case, Dr. Subramanian Swamy raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest involving the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The case, which involves regulatory scrutiny of transactions between Axis Bank and Max Life Insurance, has come under increased public attention due to allegations that SEBI's actions might be compromised.

Dr. Swamy's legal team submitted an affidavit on March 13, 2024, suggesting that SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buchs previous roles as an additional director and director at Max Healthcare Institute Ltd., from February 4, 2015, to April 3, 2017, could have influenced the regulator's approach in the ongoing investigation. This potential conflict of interest, they argued, might explain SEBI's alleged slow response in the case.

SEBI, however, maintained that its inquiry is progressing and asserted in an affidavit that a preliminary examination, prompted by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), is at an advanced stage. The regulator also acknowledged forwarding a letter from the petitioner, dated October 19, 2023, to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for further consideration, given the involvement of Axis Bank and its subsidiaries.

The court addressed the allegations but noted that the writ petition had not been updated to formally include claims against the SEBI Chairperson, nor was she named as a respondent. The court emphasized that despite any prior professional connections, SEBI remains obligated to regulate the case according to legal standards. It also reassured the petitioner that SEBI's final decision could be challenged if evidence suggests it was unduly influenced by Buchs past association with Max Healthcare.

In defense, IRDAIs counsel highlighted that penalties had already been imposed on Axis Bank and Max Life Insurance, with fines totaling Rs 5 crore. These penalties, issued on October 13, 2022, were communicated to both RBI and SEBI for further review.

The court ultimately dismissed Dr. Swamy's public interest litigation (PIL) but directed the regulatory bodies to expedite their investigations and ensure compliance with the law. The resolution of these investigations is expected to significantly impact the future course of the case.

Dr. Swamy has accused Axis Bank and its affiliates of attempting to acquire a controlling stake in Max Life Insurance through unfair means. He claimed that Axis Banks board approved a preferential allotment of Rs 1,612 crore to Max Life, which increased the banks stake in the insurer to 16.22 percent, with a collective stake of 19.02 percent among Axis entities. Additionally, Swamy alleged that Axis Bank profited significantly from stock transactions with Max Life, which he argues were conducted at unfair prices, in violation of IRDAI directives.

Axis Bank has strongly denied the allegations, reaffirming its commitment to transparency and fairness. The bank emphasized that the Delhi High Court dismissed the PIL, recognizing that the issues were already under the scrutiny of regulatory authorities. Axis Bank reiterated its dedication to conducting business in an ethical manner, prioritizing the interests of its stakeholders.
(Photo by Christopher Green, Stars and Stripes)

Welcome back, DODEA Pacific!

DODEA Pacific is excited to welcome students back to school for the 2024-25 school year!

DODEA Pacific serves approximately 21,000 military-connected students, with 46 schools located in Guam, Korea, mainland Japan and Okinawa.

This year, our primary schools will be part of DODEA history as we launch Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) throughout the region. Open to all military-connected students who turn four years old on or before Sept. 1, 2024, the UPK program features age appropriate, play-based curriculum and instruction designed to engage our youngest learners.

At DODEA, military-connected students are at the heart of all we do. We understand the unique opportunities and challenges that impact military-connected children and have numerous resources in place to support every student, every day, everywhere. If your student will be attending DODEA Pacific schools for the first time, know that our teachers and administrators will be there to ensure a smooth transition and integration into their new school community.

Parents, we appreciate the opportunity to partner with you in your childs education. It is our honor to support military-connected families in the Pacific. We look forward to seeing you soon!

(Lois Rapp, DODEA Pacific Director for Student Excellence)

Whats Inside

UPK: A new chapter in DODEA education

Savings plans, student loans, scholarships for teens

Helpful links

First Semester (84 Instructional Days)

Monday, August 19 - First Day of School

Monday, September 2 - Labor Day: Federal Holiday

Friday, October 11 - School Holiday

Monday, October 14 - Columbus Day: Federal Holiday

Thursday, October 24 - End of First Quarter (44 Instructional Days)

Friday, October 25 - No School for Students - Teacher Work Day

Monday, November 11 - Veterans Day: Federal Holiday

Wednesday, November 27 - School Holiday

Thursday, November 28 - Thanksgiving Day: Federal Holiday

Friday, November 29 - School Holiday

Monday, December 23 - Begin Winter Recess (23 December  3 January)

Wednesday, December 25 - Christmas: Federal Holiday

Second Semester (87 Instructional Days)
India is in a state of shock once again after the Kolkata rape and murder of a trainee doctor. Days later, a nurse was raped in Uttarakhand and another nurse was killed in Uttar Pradesh in a suspected sexual assault case. Now, cases of sexual assault have come to light from Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu as well. A protest has erupted in Maharashtra's Badlapur over the sexual assault of two minor girls. Reacting to the protest, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said that the President of India should approve the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law so that no other child or woman faces this travesty.

What Is Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law?

The Shakti Criminal Laws (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill, 2020, commonly known as the Shakti Bill, was introduced in December 2020. This Bill seeks to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC), and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act) as they apply to Maharashtra.

The primary aim of these amendments is to strengthen legal provisions for offences committed against women and children, specifically targeting the reduction of sexual crimes. The Bill has been forwarded to a Joint Select Committee consisting of Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) for further review and deliberation.

The Bill introduces significant amendments to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, including the provision of the death penalty for specific severe crimes. These include grievous hurt caused by acid attacks, rape, and gang rape.

The amendments to the IPC now allow for the death penalty in cases where the crime is particularly heinous, supported by conclusive evidence, and demands an exemplary punishment. Previously, the maximum penalty for these offences under the IPC was life imprisonment along with a fine.

Additionally, the Bill amends the POCSO Act to include the death penalty for cases of penetrative sexual assault against children under 16 years of age.

The Bill also increases the severity of punishment for various offences, extending the length of imprisonment and raising fines under both the IPC and the POCSO Act.

Further, the Bill introduced a provision that made intimidating a woman punishable by up to two years in prison and a fine of up to one lakh rupees.
New Delhi: Amid the protest at Badlapur railway station in the Thane district, internet services were suspended in Badlapur amid protests over the sexual assault of girls. It also caused major disruptions to rail services. The unrest led to the diversion of 12 mail express trains and the partial cancellation of 30 local trains.

"Till now approximately 12 mail Express trains have been diverted and koyna has been rerouted from near to Badlapur back to Kalyan and then towards Karjat via diva and Panvel. Approximately 30 local trains have been partially cancelled between Ambernath and Karjat khopoli. The number is likely to increase exponentially with starting of peak hour." CPRO Central Railway in a statement said, ANI reported.

Meanwhile, "services from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to Ambernath and towards Kasara are running normally."

Following the situation, the Railways have requested the state transport departments to provide 100 buses to accommodate the passengers.

"We have requested for help from various State transportation for provision of approximately 100 buses to cater to the requirement of passengers from Kalyan to Karjat. Till now approximately 55 buses have already been moved for the convenience of passengers," said CPRO in the statement.

The police used lathi-charges to disperse the protesters gathered at Badlapur railway station.

While speaking with the media, Government Railway Police (GRP) Commissioner Ravindra Shisve said, "The track has been cleared and the report will be sent to the railway operations to ensure that the operations can be started."

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has requested a detailed report from Maharashtra authorities regarding the sexual assault of girls at a kindergarten in Badlapur. The NHRC is also seeking an explanation for the "delay" in filing an FIR. Reportedly, the notices have been issued to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police of Maharashtra, demanding a comprehensive report on the incident within two weeks.

Earlier, police fired tear gas at the enraged residents who began stone-pelting at the school where the crime occurred. The alleged sexual assault of two fourth-grade girls in Maharashtra's Badlapur has sparked widespread outrage.
The Bharat Bandh scheduled for August 21, 2024, has been organised as a nationwide protest by the Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti against a recent Supreme Court ruling concerning reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). The ruling, which allows states to create sub-categories within these groups, has sparked widespread controversy. The apex court, while creating the sub-categories, said, "Those who really need it should get priority in reservation." The primary objective of the Bharat Bandh is to challenge this ruling and demand its reversal, emphasizing the need to protect the integrity of the reservation system as it stands.

The Supreme Courts Ruling

The Supreme Courts decision to allow sub-categorization within SC/ST reservations has led to significant unrest. The court ruled that states could prioritise reservations for sub-groups within SC/STs that are more disadvantaged, stating, Those who really need it should get priority in reservation. This decision has been met with strong opposition, with many arguing that it could dilute the benefits intended for SC/ST communities as a whole.

Nationwide Support and Participation

The Bharat Bandh has garnered support from various social and political organisations across the country. SC/ST groups in Rajasthan have been particularly vocal, and their participation is expected to be significant. The protest has also found backing from political leaders who have expressed concern over the potential long-term implications of the Supreme Courts ruling.

Bharat Bandh On August 21: Security Measures In Place

In anticipation of potential unrest, authorities have implemented extensive security measures across the country. Senior police officials have conducted meetings via video conference to coordinate efforts and ensure public safety. According to news reports, divisional commissioners, district magistrates, and senior police officers have been instructed to maintain law and order throughout the bandh. Western Uttar Pradesh, identified as a particularly sensitive area, has seen heightened security, with additional police forces deployed to prevent any incidents of violence. According to a report by The Times of India, police have been asked to increase deployment across all the districts of Rajasthan, to avoid any tension.

Bharat Bandh: What Will Stay Open

Despite the expected disruptions, essential services are likely to remain operational. Public transportation and private offices may face closures, but emergency services such as ambulances will continue to function. Residents in areas affected by the bandh are advised to stay informed through local news and official channels to navigate the disruptions. Here's what will stay open:

 As per news reports, government offices, schools, banks, and colleges will stay open.

 Ambulance services, emergency, hospitals and medical services

 Pharmacies will continue to function

 Police services to stay active
Bharat Bandh August 21: The Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti has called for a Bharat Bandh on August 21, 2024, in protest against a recent Supreme Court ruling regarding reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). The ruling, which allows states to create sub-categories within these groups, has sparked a heated national debate over its implications for the current reservation system.

The Samiti, supported by various allied organizations, sees this decision as a potential threat to the reservation policy's integrity and a step that could weaken the rights and representation of marginalized communities. The nationwide protest aims to challenge the ruling and urge for its reconsideration. Know, what will remain open and what will be closed in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and Kerala:

Bharat Bandh In Delhi-NCR

As the Bharat Bandh is all set to take place today, and since it will be the first Wednesday after Sawan month, many people are thinking about whether meat and liquor shops will be open or not. This is to make clear that despite the ban getting support from various organisations, the governments and district administration of Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad have not issued any official holiday order, thus, the shops which don't want to take part in the Bharat Bandh may remain open. As far as schools, colleges and hospitals in these three cities are concerned, they are likely to remain open until a holiday order is issued.

Public transport like Delhi Metro, Noida Metro and buses are likely to operate normally in the cities. Private transport may take a slight hit if some drivers or operators choose to take a day-off fearing anarchy by protestors.

Bharat Bandh In Kerala

Adivasi and Dalit organizations across Kerala have announced their participation in the Bharat Bandh scheduled for Wednesday, in opposition to the recent Supreme Court ruling on the sub-categorization of reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). In a joint statement, leaders from these organizations claimed that the verdict seeks to divide the SC/ST list along caste lines and introduce a 'creamy layer' within these categories. They also mentioned that Wayanad district will be exempted from the bandh due to the recent natural disasters in the area. In Kerala as well, there is no official order related to any holiday and thus the school, colleges, public transport and other facilities are likely to run as usual.

Support From Dalit Adivasi Bodies

Dalit and Adivasi organisations have extended their support to the 'Bharat Bandh' over their demand for stronger representation and protection for marginalised communities. The National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organisations (NACDAOR) has released a list of demands, including justice and equity for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The NACDAOR has taken an opposing view to a recent Supreme Court judgment by a seven-judge bench that, according to them, undermines the earlier ruling of a nine-judge bench in the landmark Indira Sawhney case, which established the framework for reservations in India.
In Hajipur, Ward Councillor Pankaj Rai was brutally murdered by criminals who shot him multiple times, leaving him riddled with bullets. The incident occurred in the Dighikala Western area within the Sadar police station jurisdiction, where assailants on motorcycles opened fire on the councillor before fleeing the scene. Pankaj Rai, who was serving as the councillor for Ward No. 05, was the son of Chandrika Rai and had been elected for the first time.

Former Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav slammed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputies for deteriorating law and order situation. "NDA goons led by Nitish Kumar shot dead ward councillor Pankaj Kumar in Hajipur at night. The CM and two deputy CMs are sleeping peacefully while their goons are creating mayhem," said Yadav.

     NDA                  CM  - Deputy CM            pic.twitter.com/1DwJUrHET9  Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) August 20, 2024

According to reports, Pankaj Rai was sitting in a nearby clothing shop when three assailants on a Pulsar motorcycle arrived and began firing indiscriminately. Rai was hit by three bullets. Hearing the gunshots, local residents quickly gathered at the scene, and with their help, Rais family rushed him to Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Upon learning of the incident, SP Har Kishore Rai visited Sadar Hospital to gather details. The family alleged that despite previous complaints filed with the Sadar police station, no action was taken by the station in-charge, which they believe led to the tragedy.

The SP assured the family that strict action would be taken against the culprits. Following his instructions, officers from the Sadar police station arrived at the crime scene and began their investigation. The police are currently reviewing CCTV footage from the area to identify the perpetrators. Sadar SDPO Om Prakash also visited the hospital to speak with the councillors family and gather more information about the incident. The SP has stated that the police are conducting raids to apprehend the criminals, and they are confident the perpetrators will soon be caught.
New Delhi: Another troubling twist that raised serious food security concerns took place when a cockroach was found in the daal served on the Bande Bharat Express train. After the discovery of the insect inside the food, the passenger filed a complaint and called for swift action to address the disturbing lapse.

A video of the passenger going viral on social media, in which he is expressing his dissatisfaction. A photo of the meal in which the cockroaches are visible was also posted along with the clip.

In the video clip, a man urgently explains to railway officials and a policeman that his relative had discovered a dead cockroach in their meal.

This incident highlights the questions on food security. He asked if they would feel comfortable eating such food themselves. Later, he also questioned the authority over food safety and the risk involved with consuming insects.

Cockroach found in the daal served in Vande Bharat train.#VandeBharatKaKaleshpic.twitter.com/FAtONre3qE  Kapil (@kapsology) August 20, 2024

The complaint has also filed by the passengers.

The post has received massive comments on social media. One user post read, "Why are they forcing people to eat such food? Let them order outside food through an online application that already delivers food on the train."

"Going on a train is a nightmare. In 2nd or 3rd class, people without tickets will occupy your seat and block the washroom. Even in the so-called pride of India, the Vande Bharat train, you might find a cockroach in your food. I suggest avoiding trains; opt for a bus or flight instead. Although it's costlier, it's safer." another user comment read.
New Delhi: The country is no longer the same as it was during Sheikh Hasina's time. Hatred against Hindus and an increasing affinity for extremism are now on the rise in Bangladesh. The incident happened in Dhaka University where the person sitting with his hands bound is the Dean of Dhaka University, who had never allowed students to pray openly on campus.

However, with the changing regime in Bangladesh, students have now taken the Dean hostage and conducted prayers in his office. The situation in Bangladesh represents the Islamic State of Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina's resignation.

In today's DNA, we analyse the deteriorating situation in Bangladesh.

Watch Today's Full Episode Here

As per the Bangladeshi media reports, music has been banned in Chiksha village, Sunamganj district and music is allowed at weddings, birthdays, or other celebrations. Extremist religious leaders have declared that music is forbidden in Islam and anyone who plays music or musical instruments will face legal action.
Held at the prestigious JLN Indoor Stadium in Delhi on August 9th and 10th, this years festival emerged as the largest and most spectacular student design event to date. With its rich history and innovative spirit,through its educational division JD Institute of fashion technology and other global counterparts like India Fashion Week London and Global Fashion Design Award , showcased an event that seamlessly combined Fashion, Art, and Interior design into an unforgettable celebration. The Managing Director of JD Image Promotions Ltd. Mrs. Rupal Dalal commented iFestival is not just an event; it's a revolution in creative expression. We've created a playground for imagination that transcends traditional boundaries and it's always heart-warming to see the industry supporting these ideas and exploration. Truly creativity leads, innovation follows, inspiration transforms."

The visionary theme Civilization Type 1, showcased an unparalleled exploration of futuristic design, renewable energy, and creative consciousness. This forward-thinking concept propelled the event beyond conventional boundaries, challenging participants to envision a world where technology and creativity converge to address global challenges.

Co-founded by Mr. Harsh Dalal and Ms. Akshra Dalal, Directors of JD Image Promotions Ltd., iFestival was conceived with a mission to prepare Indian youth to compete confidently in the global design fraternity. Their visionary leadership has transformed iFestival into a powerhouse of innovation and a launchpad for tomorrow's design leaders. Padma Bhushan Shri Rajeev Sethi, a renowned Indian designer, scenographer and art curator, inaugurated the show, marking a great honour for us.

A Multifaceted Spectacle of Creativity

The event features Three Dynamic Segments, each presenting a unique facet of the fashion design world: TFA (The Fashion Awards), Exhibit X, and Camp 11820 - creates a kaleidoscope of creative expression:

1. TFA - The Fashion Awards: The Fashion Awards (TFA) is a showcase of Futuristic Style and promising new talent. It is a delightful celebration that honours and applauds notable individuals and style luminaries from different walks of fashion. Attendees witness Four Exclusive Runway Shows where the latest fashion innovations are brought to life by the institutes brightest stars, the JEDIIIANS. These shows not only showcase cutting-edge fashion but also herald the arrival of Indias next generation of design visionaries.



2. Exhibit X: It is an Awe-Inspiring Exhibition of prototypes, installations, and models that push the boundaries of conventional design. This segment fosters engaging dialogues between emerging talents and industry stalwarts, sparking conversations about the future of design and its societal impact.



3. Camp 11820: It is a Canvas for Artistic Innovation. Here painters and visual artists unleash their imagination, creating a mesmerising tapestry of colours, forms, and ideas that challenges perceptions and inspires wonder. The engaging narratives and imaginative creations leave an indelible impression on all who attend.

Global Partnerships and Cultural Enrichment

iFestival 2024 was further distinguished by its international dimension, with significant contributions from the Russian and Colombian embassies. The Russian Embassy showcased five exquisite garments, blending traditional Russian styles with contemporary fashion. The collection included garments such as intricately designed Russian shirts, skirts, and headgear, reflecting a harmonious blend of heritage and modernity.

The Colombian Embassy presented a vibrant array of traditional and contemporary attire, including garments inspired by Colombias rich cultural heritage. Highlights included the Wayuu dress, crafted by indigenous artisans, and the Vueltiao hat dress, symbolising the cultural significance of Colombias renowned carnival.

Support from Leading Brands

The festival was enriched by the support of several reputed brands, and designers which provided students with materials and opportunities to create unique collections.

Meena Bazar: A renowned Indian ethnic wear brand based in Delhi, known for its elegant traditional garments. Celebrities like Kiara Advani graced in a silver sequin saree from the brand at a red carpet event.

MADAME: A western-wear fashion brand catering to the young, fashion-conscious woman. With actress Shanaya Kapoor as its Brand Ambassador, the brand embodies contemporary style with her fashion-forward appearances.

Kazo: A high-street western wear brand offering stylish fashion at accessible prices. Endorsed by Janhavi Kapoor the brand represents stylish and trendy fashion, aligning with modern and chic aesthetic.

Samant Chauhan: An Indian design brand specialising in Bhagalpuri silk, cotton, and intricate hand embroidery. With collaborations and associations with renowned brands like Lakme Fashion Week, Streax Professional, Lotus Makeup India, Samant Chauhan proves to be one of the most versatile fashion designers in the industry.

Roop Vatika: A fashion icon since 1992, Rooop Vatika celebrates 30 years of excellence. Adorned by celebrities like Zareen Khan, Rubina Dilaik, and Barkha Dutt, the brand remains a thriving symbol of style and evolution.

Genes Lecoanet Hemant: a premium men's and women's clothing and accessories Indo-French brand, featured celebrities like Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, and Kareena Kapoor Khan, to name a few.

Anokherang: It is an uber stylish women's fashion store that helps simplify your online shopping experience by providing colourful, vibrant & fashionable designs.

Rina Dhaka: A renowned Indian fashion designer, celebrated for her innovative style, has dressed celebrities like Naomi Campbell, Uma Thurman, and Lara Dutta. Her work has been showcased at The Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Sonia Jetleey: Sonia Jetleey blends the essence of Earth's elements into stylish, wearable designs, serving markets across India, the Middle East, USA, Canada, and Europe.

Siddhant Agrawal: The brand blends laser cutting with traditional craftsmanship to create unique styles. It aims for 100% sustainability.

Khinkhwab: The brand preserves the rich tradition and culture of Varanasi through the art of weaving in Banarasi silk, sarees, lehengas, dupattas, having its outlet in Singapore as well.

These brands provided students with fabric wastes, allowing them to create innovative designs that harmonised with the iFestival theme, showcasing sustainability and creativity.

Honouring Icons and Visionaries

iFestival not only showcased emerging talent but also recognized established professionals who have made significant contributions to their fields. The awards ceremony honoured various dignitaries and artists for their visionary work:

Ms. Ashima Leena received the "Guardian of Heritage" for preserving textile traditions. Mr. Sidhant Aggarwal earned the "Future of Fashion Award" for innovation, and Mr. Ujjawal Dubey was honoured with the "Leaders of the Change Award" for sustainable fashion. Ms. Divya Bhatia of Ash Amaira was named "Maestro of Luxury Craftsmanship."

Ms. Ananya Mukherjee and Mr. Praydhumna Singh Rathore from Taj Palace won the "Sustainable Hospitality Excellence Award."

Mr. Manav Gupta was named "Maestro of Art for Climate Change & Sustainability," while Mr. Nawal Kishore and Ms. Kanchan Prakash received the "Artistic Vision Award" and "Artistic Excellence Award," respectively.

Mr. Rishu Anand of Twenty North got the "Architect of Interior Elegance Award," and Mr. & Mrs. Hardesh & Monica Chawla of Essentia Environments were honoured with "The Pinnacle of Design Award."

As a standout moment, iFestival also honoured the RC Dalal Memorial Awards, aimed at nurturing deserving talents and providing them with career-advancing recognition, celebrating Mr. Nitin Hirani for his exceptional contributions to Interior Design at The Positive Space by HIRANI & CO, and Mr. Karan Arora for his innovative achievements in Fashion Design at KaranAroraBridal.

These awards underscored iFestivals commitment to recognizing excellence across the spectrum of creative industries, from established professionals to emerging talents.

A Vision Beyond Fashion

iFestival 2024 transcended the traditional boundaries of Fashion, Interior and Art, creating a transformative experience that celebrated the boundless potential of student creativity. The festivals extensive programming, ranging from live performances to interactive design displays, highlighted its importance as an outlet for creativity and collaboration.

About JD Institute of Fashion Technology

Founded in 1988 by Mr. Chandrakant Dalal and Mr. R.C. Dalal, the JD Institute of Fashion Technology stands as a pioneer in art and design education in India. As the curtains fall on this year's spectacular showcase, the reverberations of iFestival 2024 continue to echo through the creative world. It stands as a testament to JD Institutes visionary approach to education and its unwavering commitment to nurturing the next generation of design innovators.

(This article is part of IndiaDotCom Pvt Lts sponsored feature, a paid publication programme. IDPL claims no editorial involvement and assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the article.)
Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case: The Supreme Court is currently hearing the suo motu case related to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata. During the proceedings, the bench has directed the CBI to submit a status report by Thursday. The apex court questioned why the victim's body was handed over to the parents at 8:30 PM, while the FIR was not registered until 11:45 PM.

The bench of Chief Justices headed by DY Chandraachud includes Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra.

Earlier, the top court took the cognizance of the alleged rape-murder case of a 31-year-old post graduate doctor inside the RG Kar College and Hospital premises.

The CBI investigation into the case has highlighted critical concerns, including the sanctity of evidence, the rule of law, and the safety of healthcare professionals, along with the broader issue of women's security in the workplace. The case has also intensified pressure on the ruling Trinamool Congress, as women a key constituency for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjeeexpress growing outrage.
A massive protest erupted in Badlapur, Thane district, on Tuesday against the sexual abuse of two minors at a local school. The incident sparked widespread outrage, with locals calling for a shutdown of the town. Thousands of protesters gathered at the Badlapur railway station, blocking trains and staging a sit-in on the tracks. Visuals captured protesters hurling stones at police officers as they ran across the railway tracks.

The protesters, including parents and residents, demanded stern action against the accused and stricter safety measures for students. They staged a demonstration outside the school, where the incident occurred, and submitted a list of demands, including harsh punishment for the accused.

The school's principal and three others have been suspended in connection with the incident. The protesters vowed to continue their agitation until justice is served.

#WATCH | Maharashtra | Protest underway at Badlapur Station against the alleged sexual assault incident with a girl child at a school in Badlapur pic.twitter.com/eMazZDliiU August 20, 2024

Reacting to the sexual assault with two minors at a school in Badlapur, Maharashtra Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar said, "This is an extremely distressing incident. We have mobilized the full force of the state education department. Instructions have been issued to four IAS officers from Pune and Mumbai. An investigation into the non-functioning CCTV at the school is underway...Following the complaint, there was a lack of action, leading to the transfer of the Senior PI. We are committed to fast-tracking this case and ensuring that the accused receives the maximum penalty...The entire department is on-site, and student safety is our utmost concern."
(Photo by Yoshihito Morita)

A park less than an hour away from Misawa Air Base is currently lighting up the night with beautiful illuminations.

Atago Parks Hikari Monogatari runs through Sept. 14 in Noheji Town. Though illuminations are usually a winter attraction, visitors can enjoy the mid-summer brilliance.

Nohejis illuminations feature 130,000 LED lights with more than 10 different color hues. It spans an 8,000 square meter area and is themed after the four seasons of the Noheji Town, including springs cherry blossoms, the blue sea of Mutsu Gulf, autumn leaves of Mt. Eboshidake and the snowy scenery of Noheji Town.

There is an observation tower in the park where you can look down at the illuminations from above, according to Yoshihito Morita, a Misawa Commissary employee who recently visited the illumination event.

It is a fantastic experience to see a fully illuminated park with colorful LEDs, Morita said. But be sure to bring bug spray.

On Aug. 23-24 and Aug. 30-31, visitors can enjoy snacks from food trucks set up during those nights. Atago Park is only a 50-minute drive from Misawa Air Base, so brighten up your summer evenings with some beautiful illuminations!

(Photo by Yoshihito Morita) (Photo by Yoshihito Morita) (Photo by Yoshihito Morita) (Photo by Yoshihito Morita) (Photo by Yoshihito Morita) (Photo by Yoshihito Morita) (Photo by Yoshihito Morita) (Photo by Yoshihito Morita) (Photo by Yoshihito Morita) (Photo by Yoshihito Morita)

Noheji Illumination Hikari Monogatari (the story of Light) 2024
New Delhi: A Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court has sentenced six individuals to life imprisonment for their involvement in the high-profile Ajmer sex scandal from the early 1990s. The case, which is known for its sensational nature, has now reached a significant legal resolution.

POCSO court judge Ranjan Singh sentenced the six accused in the Ajmer sex scandal to life imprisonment and also slapped fines of Rs 5 lakh on each of the accused, PTI reported. The court's decision marks a significant step in addressing this 1990s Ajmer rape case.

What Is 1992 Ajmer Rapes

The Ajmer sex scandal came to light in 1992, involving a gang that victimised over 100 girls. The gang members befriended the girls, photographed them in compromising situations, and later raped them. This horrific exploitation shocked the nation and led to a lifetime imprisonment of six people.

In the case involving 18 people, a separate trial was held for six specific accused individuals. The other accused have either completed their term or been acquitted by the courts.

The girls, aged between 11 and 20 years, studied in a famous private school in Rajastan's Ajmer. They were called to a farmhouse, where they were raped.
New Delhi: Rishab Shetty has been making waves in the film industry with his captivating performances, and his recent accolade for the film 'Kantara' has only added to his impressive list of achievements. Shettys portrayal in 'Kantara' earned him the prestigious National Award for Best Actor at the 70th National Film Awards, celebrating his exceptional contribution to cinema.

However, 'Kantara' is not the only film that has brought Shetty national recognition. Back in 2018, his socio-political comedy-drama 'Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale, Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai' also garnered a National Award.

The film, which Shetty produced, wrote, and directed, was honored with the National Film Award for Best Children's Film at the 66th National Film Awards.

Beyond his award-winning roles, he continues to captivate audiences with his creative endeavors. Currently, Shetty is gearing up for the highly anticipated release of 'Kantara Chapter 1', promising an unparalleled cinematic experience. Additionally, he is reportedly in discussions with renowned Bollywood director Ashutosh Gowariker for a potential future collaboration.
Mumbai: The entire nation is right now demanding a change over the law system after the brutal rape and murder of the Kolkata doctor. Every Bollywood celebrity condemned this heinous act and expressed their concern for the safety of women. Right from

Alia Bhatt, Twinkle Khanna, Shilpa Shetty and others questioned why the strict law is not enforced when it comes to rape and the safety of women in India as the nation was celebrating the 78th Independence Day. And now Pushpa actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu has spoken about the heinous crime that has shaken the nation. At her recent appearance at an event, Sam was questioned about the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata, where is said the change is a need of an hour.

Samantha said that it's high time women's safety should be prioritised now, It is the need of the hour and we are really looking forward to some change. It is the need of the hour. I hope the change comes soon".

Along with other celebs who condemned the act, Hrithik Roshan demanded a harsh punishment for the rape and other heinous crimes against women," Yes we need to evolve into a society where we ALL feel equally safe. But that is going to take decades. Its going to hopefully happen with sensitizing and empowering our sons and daughters. The next generations will be better. We will get there. Eventually. But what in the interim? Right now justice would be to put a hard stop to such atrocities. And the only way to do that is a punishment so harsh that it scares the living daylights out of such perpetrators. Thats what we need. Perhaps?".

Currently, the CBI is investigating the case and all eyes are that the culprits should get a punishment that sets an example.
Mumbai: Every outsider talks about the nepotism that exists in the industry, but one must also acknowledge that their forefathers worked very hard to make them live a privileged life. And so did Salim Khan, Superstar Salman Khan's father who witnessed stardom like no other during his time after his writing ached into everyone's heart. He was the blockbuster writer along with Javed Akhtar and the duo were the super hit Jodi at that time. But the journey wasn't easy, and they too have shared their hardships.

In his video featured on Prime Video in the documentary Angry Young Men series, Salim Javed recalled his humble beginnings," I used to pay Rs 55 rent per month for half a room". He said," My first ambition was to rent the entire room for Rs 110, but that wish was never fulfilled,"

Recalling his financial struggles, he added," Thodi si paiso ya job ki pareshaani toh hoti hi hai- ki kya hoga kaise hoga? (There were always concerns about money or job security how would things work out). Since I needed money, I accepted anything. I did cigarette ads, clothing ads, whatever came my way."

Salim even recalled how he gave up on acting and realised his real calling was behind the camera," I could explain a character to actors like Dilip Kumar or Amitabh Bachchan, but I couldnt perform myself. I had the art of narration and conceiving, but I lacked the art of projection".

Salim Khan is a self-made man, and indeed he has come a long way. On the same hand, Javed Akhtar also spoke about his hardships where he didn't have money to eat and stay and stayed out for 3 days and to date, he cannot overcome that time.
Mumbai: Sobhita Dhulipala made her first appearance after her much-talked-about engagement with Naga Chaitanya. Sobhita was seen wearing a blue denim jumpsuit and donning her curly hair, the actress looked hawt and how. While she happily posed for the paparazzi she was teased by a few photographers about the whereabouts of her fiance Naga Chaitanya.

As Sobhita posed, one photographer said, 'Naga sir kaha hai', she gave a good reaction and chose to avoid later another paparazzi said, 'Party kab doge', to which she smiled and walked off. Indeed, Sobhita wasn't prepared for this.

Watch the video of Sobhita Dhulipala getting teased after her engagement with Naga Chaitanya, her reaction is unmissable.

Sobhita Dhulipala and Naga Chaitanya's engagement news on August 8, came as a surprise for everyone. Nagarjuna shared the news of Chay and Sobhita's engagement, and wished them togetherness till eternity."We are delighted to announce the engagement of our son, Naga Chaitanya, to Sobhita Dhulipala, which took place this morning at 9:42 a.m.! We are overjoyed to welcome her into our family. Congratulations to the happy couple! Wishing them a lifetime of love and happiness. God bless!"8.8.8. A beginning of infinite love".

"We are delighted to announce the engagement of our son, Naga Chaitanya, to Sobhita Dhulipala, which took place this morning at 9:42 a.m.!!

We are overjoyed to welcome her into our family.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

Wishing them a lifetime of love and happiness. pic.twitter.com/buiBGa52lD  Nagarjuna Akkineni (@iamnagarjuna) August 8, 2024

Naga Chaitanya was strongly slammed by Samantha Ruth Prabhu's fans after the engagement news came out, many accused him of cheating on Sam, while others slammed him for getting engaged on the same date as Samantha's proposal to him.
RBI New Rules For UPI Payment: In the digital world, users can easily transfer money or make payments with the help of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). However, problems such as declined transactions or accidentally sending money to the wrong UPI address can occasionally result in financial losses.

Taking on this note, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released new guidelines addressing concerns over erroneous transactions on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

Under the new regulations, you can expect to get your money back within 24 to 48 hours if you transfer money to the wrong UPI address. The refund process is quicker when both the payer and payee use the same bank. However, if the transaction involves different banks, it may take longer to process the refund.

UPI is a widely used digital payment system that lets users link multiple bank accounts to a single mobile app. It enables effortless money transfers, bill payments, and online shopping via smartphones, eliminating the need for cash or sharing bank details. Notably, UPI was developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

How To Recover Money Sent To Wrong UPI Address:

Contact the Recipient:

Reach out to the person who mistakenly received the funds and request a refund. Provide the necessary transaction details and ask for their cooperation in returning the money.

Contact UPI App Customer Support:

Report the incorrect transaction to your UPI apps customer support team. Share all relevant information and transaction evidence, and they can assist in initiating the refund process.

File a Complaint with NPCI:

If the issue isnt resolved through the app's customer support, file a complaint with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Provide transaction details and supporting evidence for further investigation.

Seek Help from Your Bank:

Notify your bank about the erroneous transaction. Provide all necessary details and documentation, and they can help initiate a chargeback process to recover the funds.

Call the toll-free numbers:

For wrong UPI address transactions, you can call the toll-free number 1800-120-1740 for assistance.
The Central Government on Tuesday asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to retract its recent advertisement for lateral entry positions in the bureaucracy. This move comes amidst a controversy regarding the reservation policy in the advertised roles.

Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State for Personnel, reached out to UPSC Chairman Preeti Sudan, urging the cancellation of the advertisement to ensure that underrepresented communities are fairly included in government services.

Previously, on August 17, the UPSC announced the hiring of 45 individuals for the roles of joint secretaries, directors, and deputy secretaries through lateral entry, which involves the recruitment of experts, including those from the private sector, into government departments.

The decision sparked objections from opposition parties, who argued that it infringed upon the reservation entitlements of OBCs, SCs, and STs.

In his correspondence, Singh emphasized that for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, maintaining reservation in public employment is fundamental to the social justice framework, which is dedicated to rectifying historical wrongs and fostering inclusivity.

He pointed out that since these roles are considered specialized and are single-cadre posts, they currently do not accommodate reservation. Singh highlighted the necessity to reassess and amend this policy, aligning with the Prime Minister's commitment to social justice.

Singh firmly requested the UPSC to annul the lateral entry recruitment advertisement published on August 17, 2024.

He concluded by stating that taking such a step would mark a substantial progression towards achieving social justice and empowerment.
Gujaratis are known for their excellent business ideas and strategies in India as well as have left a mark of their intelligence around the world. A similar case surfaced on the internet from the United States where a man with no proper graduation degree becomes a millionaire with his smartly planned investment.

An X user named, Sunil shared a story with netizens about how his Patel friend who is in his forties and 10th passed became a millionaire. Adding about him he said, I am an engineer with a masters degree who listens to podcasts.

Telling the story Sunil said, I told him that Peter Theil said that worst business one can do is open a restaurant. Very high failure rate and customers are very Unpredictable.

Watch The Post:

Advantage of being a Gujarati:



Met a Patel friend who runs a restaurant in New Jersey.



He was in his late 40s and 10th pass. I am engineer with masters degree who listens to podcasts.



I told him that Peter Thiel said that worst business one can do is open a restaurant. August 18, 2024

Sharing the reaction of Patel on his words, he said, When I mentioned Peter Thiels name, he raised his eyebrows to think. Obviously, he doesnt know who Peter Thiel is.

He said opening a restaurant is sure short way to be a millionaire for him. He himself has 50 families who are his relatives that live in New Jersey who will come to his restaurant for a good Gujarati food. Sharing about Patels customers, Sunil said, If salt is less, they will not stop coming. They will simply tell him to add more salt.

A lot of Gujaratis from New York and Pennsylvania hire tourist bus when they have to go to visit Swaminarayan temple in Robbinsville. In the way to Robbinsville, they make a stop at his restaurant to eat delicious Gujarati thali. Thats 50-75 people per bus. told Sunil.

Sunil further added, All he has to do is open restaurant in morning, cook dal chawal sabzi roti, dhokla, tea for 10 years and he is a millionaire.

Thats 10th pass immigrant for you. No MBA, no listening to podcast. Just common sense, intuition and ability to take calculated risk.
Dhaka: Tax authorities in Bangladesh on Monday decided to unfreeze the bank accounts of Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairperson Khaleda Zia, 17 years after banks were ordered to block them.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has instructed banks to unfreeze the accounts of BNP Chairperson Zia, the Daily Star newspaper reported.

In August 2007, the NBR's Central Intelligence Cell directed banks to freeze the accounts of the BNP Chairperson, who has been elected Bangladesh's prime minister twice since 1990.

The decision was based on a recommendation of a panel formed during the then Army-backed caretaker government, said a senior official of the NBR.

Since then, her accounts have remained blocked. The BNP has on several occasions demanded that they be unfrozen.

The latest move comes after a mass uprising toppled Sheikh Hasina, a long-time rival of Khaleda, on August 5, ending the Bangladesh Awami League's 15-year rule. An interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was sworn in on August 8.

Zia, 79, was released from jail after Hasina, 76, fled to India on August 5.

Zia served as the prime minister of Bangladesh from March 1991 to March 1996, and again from June 2001 to October 2006.

The NBR said they received an application from Khaleda's lawyer on Sunday seeking to unfreeze the accounts.

"As there are no tax-related issues pending investigation relating to her, we have advised banks to unlock all her accounts. We have asked them to take immediate action and provide a compliance report," the official was quoted as saying.
MADRID: Maria Branyas, an American-born Spaniard considered the world's oldest person at 117 years old, has died, her family said on Tuesday. In a post on Branyas' X account, her family wrote in Catalan: Maria Branyas has left us. She has gone the way she wanted: in her sleep, at peace, and without pain. The Gerontology Research Group, which validates details of people thought to be 110 or older, listed Branyas as the oldest known person in the world after the death of French nun Lucile Randon last year.

The next oldest person listed by the Gerontology Research Group is now Japan's Tomiko Itooka, who is 116 years old. Branyas was born in San Francisco on March 4, 1907. After living for some years in New Orleans, where her father founded a magazine, her family returned to Spain when she was young. Branyas said that she had memories of crossing the Atlantic Ocean during World War I.

Guinness World Records is saddened to learn of the passing of the worlds oldest person, Maria Branyas Morera https://t.co/aWCqrp8pg6  Guinness World Records (@GWR) August 20, 2024

Her X account is called Super Catalan Grandma and bears the description: I am old, very old, but not an idiot. At age 113, Branyas tested positive for COVID-19 during the global pandemic, but avoided developing severe symptoms that claimed tens of thousands of older Spaniards.

At the time of her death she was living in a nursing home in Catalan town of Olot.

Her family wrote that Branyas told them days before her death: I don't know when, but very soon this long journey will come to an end. Death will find me worn down from having lived so much, but I want to meet it with a smile, feeling free and satisfied.
Rural China's ancient architectural treasures attract tourists

People's Daily Online) 08:37, August 20, 2024

Tourists ride bamboo rafts at Chengkan ancient village in Huizhou district, Huangshan city, east Chinas Anhui Province. (Photo/Fan Chengzhu)

Residential courtyards, agricultural landscapes, defensive fortifications, temples... Chinas vast countryside is dotted with a rich variety of ancient architectural treasures that document historical changes and carry cultural heritage, making them an essential part of the rural landscape.

To enrich the supply of quality cultural and tourism products during the summer vacation, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) recently selected and launched 82 national rural tourism routes, guiding visitors to explore ancient buildings, visit historical sites, trace their roots, and appreciate the culture. The MCT has promoted these rural tourism routes through various channels, including social media campaigns and partnerships with online travel agencies.

Lierkou village in Tianzhen county, Datong city, north Chinas Shanxi Province, is a historic village that gained fame due to its well-preserved section of the Great Wall.

Tourists visit Juxi village, an ancient village that is home to over 10 well-preserved ancient courtyards and more than 200 ancient dwellings, in Panfeng township, Pan'an county, Jinhua city, east Chinas Zhejiang Province. (Photo/Chen Yueming)

The Lierkou section of the Great Wall, named after the village, is an earth-packed wall, considered one of the best-preserved, most spectacular, and most valuable sections of earthen Great Wall in Shanxi Province.

Tianzhen county, building off the cultural significance of the Lierkou Great Wall, established a Great Wall scenic area covering seven square kilometers. It has become an important component of the Great Wall national cultural park, integrating elements of the Great Wall with the culture of the ancient village.

Lierkou has welcomed new opportunities for tourism development. Villagers planted apricot and plum trees, opened bed-and-breakfasts and restaurants, and provided opportunities for tourists to experience local customs. Lierkou has become a calling card of tourism for the county, receiving approximately 200,000 visitors annually, allowing villagers to make a living through tourism.

The village of Cuandixia in Zhaitang town, Mentougou district, Beijing, has a history of over 500 years. Its ancient military and commercial roads and traditional residential architecture vividly display the cultural charm of the ancient villages in western Beijing. In 2003, it was recognized as one of the first Chinese historical and cultural villages. Visiting the ancient residences in Cuandixia is a popular activity for tourists visiting the outskirts of Beijing. Currently, there are over 70 sets of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) residences, showcasing the architectural styles of both northern and southern China.

In addition to viewing ancient architecture, visitors can also stay in the ancient buildings. The village encourages locals to open guesthouses, restaurants, and creative shops in their own courtyards. Moreover, during holidays or leisure times, the village hosts activities like folk music singing and storytelling, enriching the cultural experiences of tourists.

People perform during a performance themed on an intangible cultural heritage in Zhuqiao village, Jinxi county, Fuzhou city, east Chinas Jiangxi Province. (Photo/Deng Xingdong)

Xinguang village in Pujiang county, Jinhua city, east Chinas Zhejiang Province, is a traditional ancient village with a history spanning over 300 years with a large number of well-preserved ancient buildings.

Ten years ago, Xinguang village was relatively unknown, even being considered a hollow village. In 2015, Chen Qingsong, founder of the Pujiang Young Entrepreneur Alliance, came to Xinguang village, recruiting over 20 other young entrepreneurs to lease a dozen ancient buildings, transforming them into creative studios that showcase intangible cultural heritage skills and various artistic products. The village soon became famous, attracting visitors to experience the new charm of the ancient village.

Similarly, Xixinan village in Huizhou district, Huangshan city, east Chinas Anhui Province, has renewed its charm through creativity. With a history of over 1,200 years, it has over 100 Ming and Qing dynasty buildings and cultural relics. In recent years, the village has revitalized its ancient residences, developing a Huizhou-style cultural and tourism industry. Some ancient buildings, restored according to the principle of repairing the old as old, have been transformed into guesthouses, bars, cafes, and creative bases, becoming popular destinations for enjoying life in an ancient village.

Today, experiencing excellent traditional Chinese culture is increasingly becoming a significant goal for many travelers. As important cultural carriers, ancient buildings are being included on more and more travelers itineraries.

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Liang Jun)
The woman who led the Kiewit Luminarium into its existence has stepped down from her job as chief executive officer of the Omaha science museum.

Silva Raker started her job in August of 2021 after serving as senior business director of global collaborations for the Exploratorium in San Francisco. The Luminarium opened its doors in April of 2023.

"In her three years as the Luminariums inaugural CEO, Silva brought extensive experience, vision, and energy to help develop and launch an exceptional science center in Omaha for the greater region," the museum said in a statement on Monday. "We are grateful for all that has been accomplished under Silvas leadership, and wish her the best."

Linda Brandl, retired vice president of Marketing and Sales Operations at Union Pacific, has stepped into the interim CEO role while the Kiewit Luminarium board of directors conducts a formal search for this full-time leadership role.

"We are very proud that Omaha offers one of the finest venues in the country focused on engaging and exciting children and adults about science, technology, engineering, and math," the museum's statement said. "The future is very bright. The Luminariums staff remains committed to ensuring Kiewit Luminarium is a place where everyone can play, learn, discover, and consider something new."

The Luminarium, built by donors at a cost of $107 million, has become part of the wider, $450 million riverfront makeover, including the adjacent Lewis & Clark Landing. It offers 125 hands-on, interactive gee-whiz exhibits, each exploring concepts of natural and social sciences, biology, engineering and math.

Rakers role at the Luminarium began in 2018 as part of a consulting team when the Omaha project was still in the study phase. In November 2020, Omaha Discovery Trust announced that construction of the the 82,000-square-foot facility was officially underway.

Raker told the World-Herald in a 2023 interview she had to consider many factors as she contemplated joining the Kiewit Luminarium as CEO and its first official employee. Among the considerations was relocating to the Midwest and the responsibility of leading a new venture.

My job, as I see it, is to is to really put together a team and set up relationships in the community that make this a really vibrant and sustainable  not only organization, but kind of an idea of what this place can be, she said. Im obviously going to spend a tremendous amount of time just learning and meeting people.

Photos and video: Indigenous game night at the Kiewit Luminarium
Much of the mainstream media loves to report that what the FBI classifies as "active-shooter incidents" are seldom stopped by armed citizens. To do so, they quote the FBI's numbers to argue that only about 4% of such attacks were stopped by armed citizens during the 2014 to 2023 time period.

If that number were true, it would still be quite notable that 4% (14 incidents) were stopped by armed citizens; however, according to new research by John Lott, president of the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC), during that same time period the FBI undercounted the number of instances in which armed citizens thwarted such attacks by an order of more than 10.

For some background, the FBI defines active-shooter incidents as those in which an individual actively kills or attempts to kill people in a populated, public area. Unlike some other databases, it does not include those it deems related to other criminal activity, such as a robbery or fighting over drug turf.

The FBI reported that armed citizens stopped 14 of the 350 active shooter incidents it identified for the period 2014 to 2023. But the new analysis by CPRC identified a total of 515 active shooter incidents, with armed citizens stopping 180 of them. .....
1. Yes. They look better and require less maintenance. Most high-end housing areas have them.

2. Yes. Wood fences can weather and look unsightly, plus masonry walls help to block sound.

3. No. Residents should have a choice of what kind of barriers are put up near their homes.

4. No. Allowing a variety of materials will be better for aesthetics, and costs may be lower.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say. Masonry walls may be sturdier, but mandating them is problematic.

Vote

View Results
The U.S. government plans to reduce the amount of Colorado River water several states are permitted to use next year.

The river supplies water to seven Western states, more than 20 Native American tribes, and two states in Mexico.

Those states and the country of Mexico are also considering plans for how to share the water after 2026. That is when many current rules and agreements about the use of Colorado River water will come to an end.

The river brings water to millions of hectares of farmland in the American West. Hydroelectric dams on the river produce power. Experts say increased water use, combined with rising temperatures and dry weather, are the reasons for the need to make cuts.

In 2007, following years of dry weather, the U.S. states in the rivers basin and the federal government agreed to rules to help deal with lower water levels. The states involved were Arizona, Nevada, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

Those rules determine when some of the states must cut their water usage based on levels at Lake Mead. The lake is on the border of Nevada and Arizona. It provides water for hydropower, farming, and other needs.

Because of the need for new rules, states, Native American tribes, and others are forming new plans to deal with even deeper water cuts that might happen in 2026.

The federal government will announce water cuts for 2025 based on levels at Lake Mead. If Lake Mead drops below a level that has been agreed to, Arizona, California, Nevada and Mexico will face cuts. However, California might not face cuts because the current rules give that state special water rights.

Last year, Arizona, California and Nevada agreed to save an extra 3 million acre-feet of water in addition to the cuts the federal government had already required. An acre-foot is equal to about 1.2 million liters. In return, the U.S. government agreed to pay water districts and other users for much of that reduction in water use.

Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming are in the rivers Upper Basin. Those states have not used all of the water the rules permit them to use. For this reason, they have not yet had to reduce the amount of water they take from the river.

Wet weather in 2023 and efforts to save water by Lower Basin states have increased the level of Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Lake Powell in Utah is another body of water that holds and releases water from the river.

However, experts say higher temperatures will continue to reduce water in the Colorado River in the coming years.

In March, Upper and Lower Basin states, tribes and environmental groups proposed plans to deal with likely water reductions in the future.

Arizona, California and Nevada asked the federal government to include water levels at other reservoirs besides Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Their plan says that if the whole system drops below 38 percent of the maximum amount of water it can hold, the Upper Basin and Mexico should share deeper cuts equally with the Lower Basin.

Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming want larger and sooner cuts when water is low at Lake Mead and Lake Powell. The cuts would affect California, Arizona and Nevada. Their plan does not call for reductions in how much water Upper Basin states use.

The federal government is expected to propose new rules by December. The rules would consider the different plans and possible steps for the future. Until then, states, tribes and other groups will continue negotiations on water.

Im Andrew Smith. And I'm Anna Matteo.

Suman Naishadham wrote this story for The Associated Press. Andrew Smith adapted it for VOA Learning English.

________________________________________________

Words in This Story

basin n. the area drained by a river

determine v. to officially decide

acre-feet n. a measure of volume used specifically in the United States for large-scale water use which is equal to about 1.2 million liters

district n. a special area created by a government for a special purpose

reservoir n. a body of water usually formed by a dam that is meant to be used as a water supply
An American newspaper reporter has resigned from his job after it was discovered that he used an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to create false quotes for stories.

Aaron Pelczar worked for the Cody Enterprise, a newspaper based in the town of Cody, Wyoming. A reporter from a competing newspaper became suspicious about Pelczars stories and asked to meet with him. Pelczar admitted to using AI to create parts of stories. He later quit his position with the Enterprise.

The reporter who discovered the AI-assisted stories was CJ Baker. He works for the Powell Tribune, a newspaper in the neighboring town of Powell.

Baker told The Associated Press he discovered several writing examples that made him suspicious about Pelczars work. He said some of the writing sounded unnatural or robotic. But one part of a story stood out as possibly being false. It was contained in a June 26 article about comedian Larry the Cable Guy being chosen to lead a local parade.

The story ended with a very unusual line that had nothing to do with the storys subject. Rather, it seemed to provide an explanation of the method it used to build the story. The line read, This structure ensures that the most critical information is presented first, making it easier for readers to grasp the main points quickly.

Baker, who has been a reporter for more than 15 years, said after reading the story he decided to do additional research on other pieces written by Pelczar. He later decided to set up a meeting with Pelczar to discuss his concerns. He was able to meet with Pelczar and the editor of the Enterprise, Chris Bacon.

Baker wrote an article in his own newspaper about his findings. He described his meeting with Pelczar and Bacon as uncomfortable, but friendly. Baker wrote that when asked about suspicions surrounding his work, Pelczar answered, Obviously Ive never intentionally tried to misquote anybody.

When asked whether any of the disputed statements in his writings had been by created by an AI tool, Pelczar said, That could be the case. Baker said Pelczar then added, But again, if there are issues I will correct them and issue apologies and say they are misstatements.

After closely examining Pelczars articles, Bacon and the publisher of the Enterprise discovered the use of AI and apologized for his actions. In an editorial published recently, Enterprise Editor Chris Bacon admitted he had failed to catch the AI-written copy and false quotes. He added that the mistake had permitted AI to put words that were never spoken into stories.

Bacon said the Enterprise discovered at least seven stories that included AI-created quotes. Two of the questioned stories included false quotes from Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon.

Bacon said some of the quotes appeared very believable. He noted that the people he spoke with during his investigation said the quotes sounded like something they might have said. But they never personally spoke to Pelczar.

Other reporters have had their careers hurt or ended for making up facts or quotes in articles. There are also others who have been accused of plagiarism, which involves a reporter publishing the writings of others without giving those reporters credit for the material.

But media experts say the recent incident involving Pelczar demonstrates the possible dangers that exist when reporters and editors depend on AI tools in the news production process.

Megan Barton is publisher of the Cody Enterprise. She wrote an editorial that described AI as the new, advanced form of plagiarism and in the field of media and writing.

Barton noted the newspaper now has a system in place to recognize AI-generated stories and will have longer conversations about how AI-generated stories are not acceptable.

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English.

_____________________________________________

Words in This Story

quote  n. a written statement of what someone has said

article  n. a piece of writing other than fiction or poetry that forms an independent part of a publication (as a magazine)

grasp  v. to understand something

editor  n. someone who revises and prepares stories or the person who is in charge of a newspaper or other news operation

obvious  adj. easy to see or understand

intentional  adj. something done on purpose

editorial  n. a piece of writing that expresses opinions

plagiarism  n. copying someone elses work or ideas

advanced  adj. having developed or progressed to a late stage

conversation  n. a discussion between two or more people
The World Health Organization is calling for donations to fight the latest outbreak of the viral disease mpox in Africa.

The U.N. health agency declared mpox in Africa a "public health emergency of international concern" last week.

The director-general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, made the announcement after a meeting of the WHOs emergency committee. The move follows a declaration by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). That organization declared mpox a public health emergency in Africa one day earlier.

The WHO said there have been more than 14,000 cases and more than 524 deaths in Africa this year. So far, about 96 percent of all cases and deaths have taken place in one country: the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But the WHO and others are concerned that a new version of the viral disease could spread more easily among people.

The Associated Press recently reported some of the information known about the current mpox outbreak.

What is mpox?

Mpox is also known as monkeypox. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the viral disease was first identified by scientists in 1958 when outbreaks of a pox-like disease appeared in monkeys. Until recently, most human cases involved people in central and West Africa who had contact with infected animals.

In 2022, experts confirmed that the virus could be spread through sex. Outbreaks were reported in more than 70 countries that had not reported the disease before.

Mpox belongs to the same virus family as smallpox. It causes symptoms like high body temperature, chills and body pain. People with serious cases can develop lesions on the face, hands, chest and sex organs.

What is happening in Africa?

The number of cases has increased sharply in the last few weeks. The Africa CDC said the disease has been identified in at least 13 African countries. Compared to the same period last year, the agency said cases have increased by 160 percent and deaths by 19 percent.

The version of mpox seen in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could kill up to 10 percent of people infected. Unlike earlier mpox outbreaks, where lesions were mostly seen on the chest, hands and feet, the new form of mpox causes less severe symptoms. This could make the disease harder to identify.

The WHO said mpox was recently reported for the first time in four East African countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. All of those cases were linked to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the Ivory Coast and South Africa, health officials have reported a less dangerous version of mpox than the one that spread in 2022.

The WHOs declaration

The WHOs emergency declaration is meant to get donors to provide money for a campaign against the disease.

African CDC Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya said the agencys declaration of a public emergency was meant to mobilize our institutions, our collective will and our resources.

Michael Marks teaches medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He said, It is clear that current control strategies arent working and there is a clear need for more resources.

What is different from 2022?

Most of the cases during the 2022 outbreak of the viral disease were gay and bisexual men. The virus was spread through close contact and sex.

Although similar things are happening in Africa, children under the age of 15 now make up more than 70 percent of mpox cases and 85 percent of deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

WHO chief Tedros said officials are dealing with several outbreaks and, what he called, different modes of transmission and different levels of risk.

Greg Ramm is with the aid group Save the Children. He said his organization is worried about mpox spreading in crowded refugee camps. He said there were 345,000 children living in unhealthy conditions in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ramm added that the countrys health system is already collapsing because of malnutrition, measles and cholera.

Dr. Boghuma Titanji is an infectious disease expert at Emory University in the American state of Georgia. She said it is unclear why the disease is mostly affecting children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She said children might become infected more easily or social conditions like overcrowding or infected parents might explain the problem.

How might mpox be stopped

The AP says in 2022, developed countries stopped the outbreak of mpox with treatments and vaccines. But few vaccines are available in Africa.

Marks said the immunization would likely help  including vaccination against the similar smallpox virus. He said, We need a large supply of vaccine so that we can vaccinate populations most at risk. He said that would mean vaccinating children, sex workers and adults in affected areas.

The WHO has already released $1.45 million of emergency money for mpox. But the U.N. agency says $15 million is needed to start efforts to combat the disease.

Im Mario Ritter, Jr.

Maria Cheng and Christina Malkia reported this story for the Associated Press. Mario Ritter, Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English.

Quiz - WHO Calls for Donations after Declaring Mpox a Health Emergency Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

_______________________________________________

Words in This Story

mode n. a way that something happens

transmission n. (medical) the process of spreading or infecting

mobilize v. to cause people to take part in an effort or campaign

lesions n. (medical) an area of infected skin that is usually swollen, red, bleeding or releasing fluid

symptoms n. signs that an infection is present

institutions n. a large organization that has been established for a long time

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The Health Bureau (SSM) has announced a significant reduction in the waiting time for first appointments at the oncology department of the Conde de Sao Januario Hospital Center, cutting the wait time by 50% to just 1.3 weeks.

In a response to questions from lawmaker Zheng Anting, SSM director Alvis Lo outlined recent improvements.

The number of outpatient oncology clinics has risen from four to six since April, along with new psychology consultation rooms. A resource center served over 5,500 cancer patients and families this year through education and support programs.

Cancer was the cause of nearly a third of Macaus deaths in 2021, according to official data, and the number of new cases and deaths has been increasing year over year. To address the issue, the SSM pledged to continue training specialist doctors, including in oncology, with the goal of improving early screening and treatment by 2030.

Zheng had raised concerns over heavy patient volumes straining medical staff. He urged expanding resources, such as recruiting more oncology specialists and improving facilities and equipment.

SSM assured that efforts are underway, stating that their aim is to intensify screening for major cancers to promote early diagnosis and treatment. Victoria Chan
Citing complaints from citizens about limited quotas and long wait times, lawmaker Jose Pereira Coutinho is urging officials to take steps to facilitate border crossings between the special administrative region and mainland Chinas Guangdong province.

In a query to the government, Coutinho requested introducing faster and more flexible measures at crossings in light of complaints about insufficient daily quotas of cars authorized to circulate in Guangdong province, according to a statement. This forces citizens to pay for parking near borders, he said.

It will be necessary to introduce more flexible and expeditious measures regarding the cross-border flow of vehicles, optimizing and modernizing document control equipment to facilitate border crossing for residents and tourists, Coutinho stated. He added that exceptions should be made to allow those aged over 65, those aged under 18, couples, and families to travel together.

Coutinho also asked if monthly vehicle quotas to mainland China and rules restricting travel based on license plates could be lifted. He suggested Macau officials ask China for improvements to be implemented to facilitate cross-border traffic and faster document checks through upgraded technology.

The lawmakers request comes as concerns grow about the efficiency and convenience of travel between Macau and Guangdong, whose close economic and social links are vital to the region. Coutinho argued streamlined border procedures would benefit both residents and visiting tourists. VC
The Ministry of State Security warned this week against the illegal collection of sensitive data from classified sites using wind measurement towers and related facilities.

On its WeChat account, the ministry said that in recent years, certain companies with backgrounds linked to foreign espionage and intelligence agencies have covertly infiltrated the vicinity of classified sites in China under the guise of constructing wind measurement towers, using them to illegally collect sensitive data and then transmitting the information abroad.

Wind measurement towers are often equipped with monitoring devices such as anemometers, wind vanes, thermometers and barometers that are used to monitor the atmosphere and make meteorological observations.

In one case, residents of a coastal city reported to national security agencies that a company had illicitly erected a wind measurement tower near a classified facility. After a prompt technical inspection, investigators found that in addition to collecting meteorological data, the towers equipment also had the capability to analyze and transmit related data. They concluded that if the data was leaked abroad, it could pose risks to national security.

In another case, following a report from workers at a research base, national security officers inspected a wind measurement tower near the base, revealing that the tower had not been legally registered, had complex data transmission routes and exhibited clear security risks. The tower was dismantled in accordance with the law.

To safeguard meteorological data security, the China Meteorological Administration, the Ministry of State Security and the National Administration of State Secrets Protection jointly issued the Regulations on Foreign-related Meteorological Detection and Data Management in 2022.

The regulations stipulate that foreign-related meteorological detection stations are not allowed to be located near national defense and military facilities, areas not open to the public, key construction zones and other areas involving national security.

Violations of national security and confidentiality laws, regulations, rules and relevant provisions in foreign-related meteorological detection and data management activities will be dealt with by national security and confidentiality departments. People found to have committed related crimes will be held liable.

On Oct 31, the Ministry of State Securitys WeChat account said national security agencies, in conjunction with meteorological and confidentiality departments, conducted a special campaign last year on rectifying foreign-related meteorological detection activities nationwide. They investigated more than 10 foreign meteorological equipment agents and inspected more than 3,000 foreign-related meteorological sites.

The authorities also discovered hundreds of illegal foreign-related meteorological detection sites were transmitting meteorological data abroad in real-time. The sites were distributed across more than 20 Chinese provinces.

Some of the illegal sites even received direct funding from foreign governments, with some observation points established near sensitive locations such as military units and defense companies, it said. Yang Zekun, China Daily
As schools reopen for another year, they are focused on improving student attendance. But back-to-school is hitting just as COVID-19 cases are increasing, raising the question: When is a child too sick for school?

School absences surged during the pandemic and have yet to recover. In the U.S. alone, nearly 1 in 4 students remains chronically absent, defined as missing 10% or more of the academic year, according to the latest data analyzed by The Associated Press.

One reason for continued high absences: After years of COVID-19 quarantines, parents are more cautious about sending children to school when they might be contagious with an illness.

When a child misses school, even for an excused absence like a sick day, its harder for them to stay on track academically. So schools and health experts are trying to change the culture around sick days.

During the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged people who tested positive for COVID-19 to isolate at home for a set number of days and to quarantine after exposure to the coronavirus. In some settings, people with any mild illness were urged to remain home until symptoms were clear.

Those standards, and the caution behind them, remained for years after schools reopened to in-person instruction. That meant children often missed large portions of school after contracting or being exposed to COVID-19 or other illnesses.

This spring, COVID-19 guidance officially changed. Now, the CDC suggests people treat COVID-19 like other respiratory illnesses, such as the flu and RSV.

If a child has a fever, they should stay home, no matter the illness.

A child can return to school when their fever has been gone for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. Other symptoms should be improving.

If a child doesnt have a fever, its OK to send them to class with some signs of illness, including a runny nose, headache or cough, according to schools and the American Academy of Pediatrics. If those symptoms arent improving or are severe, such as a hacking cough, call your childs doctor.

The guidance around vomiting and diarrhea varies across school districts. Generally, students should remain home until symptoms stop, according to American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines. Older children may be able to manage mild diarrhea at school.

Unless your student has a fever or threw up in the last 24 hours, you are coming to school. Thats what we want, said Abigail Arii, director of student support services in Oakland, California.

Guidance from the Los Angeles Unified School District says students can attend school with mild symptoms such as a runny nose or cold, but should stay home if they have vomiting, diarrhea, severe pain or a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) or higher.

School districts across the U.S. have similar guidance, including in Texas, Illinois and New York.

The CDC says people should take additional precautions for five days after returning to school or other normal activities.

Masks and social distancing are no longer mandated but are encouraged to prevent disease spread. Experts also recommend plenty of handwashing and taking steps for cleaner air, such as opening a window or running an air purifier.

School districts say parents should keep up-to-date on all health examinations and immunizations for students so they dont miss additional days of school.
The leaders of China and Vietnam pledged to further their economic ties and gave a nod to their shared communist ideology during the first visit by Vietnams new president to Beijing yesterday.

To Lam, who took office in May, made China the destination of his first state visit, signaling the continuing importance the Southeast Asian nation places on its giant neighbor despite ongoing territorial frictions in the South China Sea.

President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Li Yuan, hosted a ceremony for Lam and his wife, Ngo Phuong Ly, at Beijings vast Great Hall of the People, replete with flags, flowers and a marching band.

Xi remarked on the deep friendship between Vietnam and China and said Vietnam was a priority for Beijings neighborhood diplomacy.

As two ruling Communist parties in the world today, the two parties of China and Vietnam should  continue their traditional friendship  and jointly promote the development of the worlds socialist cause, Xi said. I believe that our road will expand wider as we walk further.

Lams three-day visit to China comes about two weeks after he was confirmed as general secretary of Vietnams Communist Party, the countrys top political position. He succeeded Nguyen Phu Trong, who died last month after 13 years as leader.

Lam told Xi the relationship with China was the top priority of Vietnams foreign policy.

As a brother, we always observe every step of Chinas development, and we are happy for the achievement that the party and the government and the people of China have made under your leadership, Lam said in his opening remarks before meeting with Xi.

The two leaders oversaw the signing of 14 cooperation agreements in areas such as political education, infrastructure, health care and banking. China is Vietnams largest trading partner, with total bilateral trade of $172 billion last year.

Lam said Vietnam supported Chinas claim over self-ruled Taiwan, known as the One China principle, and that any issues pertaining to Hong Kong and the regions of Tibet and Xinjiang constitute Chinas internal affairs.

Lam is expected to continue his predecessors strategy of balancing ties with China, the United States, Russia and others.

The U.S. and its ally Japan have been developing closer ties with Vietnams communist government  Americas former foe in the Vietnam War  as they seek partners in a growing economic and strategic rivalry with China.

When Xi visited Vietnam in December, the two countries announced they would build a shared future that carries strategic significance. The agreement, which Chinese state media has described as an elevation of ties, was seen as a concession by Vietnam, which had resisted using that wording in the past.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Lam in Vietnam in June after visiting North Korea on a rare overseas trip for the Russian leader, who has been ostracized by many countries because of the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Lam began his China trip on Sunday in Guangzhou. He also visited sites in the southern city where Vietnams former communist leader Ho Chi Minh spent time in the 1920s and 30s.

Although both are one-party communist states, Vietnam and China have sparred repeatedly over territory that both claim in the South China Sea.

A Vietnamese coast guard ship recently took part in joint drills in the Philippines, which has had a series of violent encounters with China over contested territory in the South China Sea.

Still, Vietnam has benefited economically from investment by Chinese manufacturers, which have moved production to the Southeast Asian country in part to skirt U.S. restrictions on solar panels and other exports from China. EMILY WANG FUJIYAMA & SIMINA MISTREANU, BEIJING, MDT/AP
More than 30,000 non-Chinese permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau have submitted applications for mainland China travel permits in just over a month since the new policy took effect, according to the National Immigration Administration (NIA).

Issuing them with mainland travel permits is a major reform measure to fully and accurately implement the One country, two systems policy, and actively adapt to the new needs and expectations of Hong Kong and Macau society, NIA director Pang Ling said at a press conference yesterday.

The new permits allow holders to travel throughout mainland China as many times as they like within the five-year validity period. They can also stay in the mainland for 90 days each visit.

Compared with the past entry and exit with passports, the holders of the permit can, first of all, travel to and from the mainland as many times as they want within the five-year validity period of the permit, such that the ability to go whenever you want, [and] go north at any time has become a reality, Pang said.

Holders have also experienced quick customs clearance on the same day they received their new permits.

Meanwhile, the immigration authorities said it aims to better serve exchanges between mainland China and Hong Kong and Macau.

We will continue to explore and enrich the new practices of the One country, two systems policy in the field of entry and exit, better serve and promote exchanges between people from the mainland and Hong Kong and Macau, Pang added.

The immigration authority also said it is continuing to facilitate travel between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macau by issuing over 23,000 talent visas in recent years. The visa programs implement six categories for science, education, and health professionals in Beijing, Shanghai, and the GBA.

Also, over 312,000 Hong Kong and Macau residents enjoyed reissuing and renewing home entry permits in mainland China, according to data provided by Pang.

Meanwile, NIAs deputy director, Liu Haitao said the regional entry visa-free policy helps attract more foreign tourists.

A series of policies have been introduced, including 144-hour visa-free entry for foreign tourist groups from Hong Kong and Macau to Guangdong, Liu said.

The immigration authorities also aim to better serve exchanges between mainland China and Hong Kong and Macau. We will continue to explore and enrich the new practices of the One country, two systems policy in the field of entry and exit, Pang added.

China continues to see a rising number of foreign visitors thanks to its series of entry policies.

In the first seven months of this year, the number of foreign visitors to China soared 129.9% year on year to 17.25 million, said Liu.

Meanwhile, a total of 341 million cross-border travels were recorded, up 62.34% from the same period for last year.

The foreign visitors are estimated to boost consumption topping 100 billion yuan in total, with a per capita daily average consumption volume of nearly 3,500 yuan, Liu said.

During the period, 846,000 port visas were issued to foreign nationals who had an urgent need to enter China but did not have enough time to apply for visas at Chinese embassies or consulates abroad. The figure rose 183% year on year.

In the same press conference, authorities revealed that it has resolved over 22,000 cases of various crimes that obstruct national border management since the beginning of this year, resulting in the apprehension of over 39,000 suspects.

Some criminal organizations recruit mainland residents to travel through Hong Kong and Macau to countries in East Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, Central and South America, highlighting the prevalence of transit smuggling cases, he said.

Victoria Chan
The many private parking lot facilities in Macau are operating without the need for any licensing or regulations, since there are no rules in Macau regulating private parking, the Transport Bureau (DSAT) confirmed in a response to an inquiry from the Times.

There are currently no laws in Macau regulating private parking lots, reads DSATs short written response to the Times.

In the inquiry, the Times asked about how many private parking lot facilities exist currently in Macau, particularly those that are temporary and are located in idle land plots. The Times also asked if any of these facilities possess any type of licensing or are subject to regulations on safety, fees or other aspects.

According to the response, such facilities are not illegal and do not require any licensing, laws, or other rules to be followed.

Legal loophole at the service of landholders

This legal loophole seems to allow anyone in possession of a land plot, including those owned by the state and undergoing disputes for concession expirations, to use them temporarily as parking lots, which can generate income.

The Times has visited several of these facilities located across the Peninsula, particularly in areas classified as old neighborhoods, observing a wide range of prices and offers. While some of these facilities have a gatekeeper and charge motorists by the hour, other facilities only offer forms of longer-term parking or vehicle storage through monthly or even yearly passes.

Unregulated and non-fixed prices

In general, prices per hour vary between MOP20 and MOP30, depending on the parking and location, while the prices per month can reach several thousand patacas. In some cases, the Times learned that landlords demand payments of a full year in advance so that motorists have access to the keys or cards that provide access to the parking facility.

While using these unregulated facilities motorists must also bear in mind that there is no form of insurance or safety net in the case of an accident or damages caused to vehicles.

Convenience is key

Despite this risk, many motorists opt for this type of facility as they are usually located in convenient areas that are not serviced by regular public parking lots.

Recently, the operations of several large-scale facilities of this kind have been halted due to the government reclaiming the land plots. However, new ones are often immediately created in another area, while projects for building construction are undergoing several bureaucratic and governmental procedures.

Govt claims there is enough parking

In a debate at the Legislative Assembly held in mid-June this year, the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosario, has refuted several claims that the land plots previously retrieved by the government due to concession expiration are idle or abandoned.

Several lawmakers had proposed that the government temporarily use some of the land plots as parking lots while awaiting development, which can take several years.

However, Rosario said there are currently enough parking spaces in Macau for existing vehicles, adding these land reserves would be unsuitable for use as parking lots, since most of the unassigned land resources are located in Taipa and Coloane, where there is no pressing need to increase parking capacity.

Nonetheless, he acknowledged that to do so could be beneficial, if suitable spaces could be found in the Peninsula, where demand for parking is higher.

On previous occasions, Rosario as well as DSAT director, Kevin Lam, rejected the idea that the government would soon be building more public parking lot facilities, claiming that the current offering is sufficient, while the government intends to limit the growth of the number of private vehicles and favors further development of public transportation instead.
The ShaanxiXian-Macau Week kicks off this Thursday, with a vibrant road show that showcases the culinary and cultural richness of Macau. Ahead of the main event, a special food promotion titled Taste the Secrets of Macau in Xian begins today at the W Hotel Xian.

This week-long celebration highlights Macaus recognition as a City of Food, inviting local residents to explore a variety of Macanese and Portuguese dishes. The promotion features a themed buffet at the W Hotel Xian, curated by chefs from Melco Group, who will collaborate with local culinary teams. Guests can look forward to Macanese flavors, including octopus salad, African chicken, and Portuguese egg tarts.

In addition to the food festivities, direct flights between Xian and Macau will resume as of today, enhancing travel opportunities for tourists. This initiative is part of a broader effort to expand the mainland tourist market and position Xian as a key destination for individual travelers to Macau.

The road show will run from August 22 to 26 at the Xian Qujiangchi Site Park. The five-day event will feature multiple exhibition areas that highlight Macaus attractions, including its festivals, performing arts, and cultural products. Attendees can enjoy interactive performances and meet Macaus tourism mascot, Mak Mak.

Additionally, a tourism promotion meeting is scheduled for August 21 to foster collaboration between the tourism industries of Shaanxi and Macau. This meeting aims to enhance business opportunities and attract more visitors to both regions. Nadia Shaw
An 18-year-old secondary school student has been arrested for leading a cross-border parallel trading scheme involving registered pig offal valued at approximately MOP 70,000. The student was apprehended during a customs raid at an industrial building near the border gate.

The suspect confessed to customs inspectors that he was paid MOP 100 per hour to operate the distribution point but could not provide a valid business license. He did, however, present an import declaration and quarantine documents.

This illicit trade has raised the issue of significant criminal activity amongst youth and food safety concerns, as the goods were stored at room temperature. Wong Ka Ki, acting chief of the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ), urged students to think twice before they act to avoid being exploited by criminals, noting that such offenses could incur fines of up to MOP 50,000.

In the first quarter of this year, customs authorities reported 1,123 cases of parallel trading at the Zhuhai border. Local media also highlighted another incident where three secondary school students were caught with 550 USB drives strapped to their legs. Additionally, a separate crackdown in local districts resulted in the seizure of MOP 5.32 million worth of smuggled goods across 100 cases.

The DSEDJ expressed deep concern over students involvement in parallel trading schemes. The bureau has contacted the students school and is coordinating with counseling agencies to provide necessary support and intervention.

Customs authorities have warned that violators will face prosecution under the Foreign Trade Law, with potential fines reaching MOP 50,000. Moreover, seized goods will be declared as property of the MSAR.

In response to these incidents, the bureau is committed to promoting physical and mental health among students. The bureau plans to enhance awareness and education on preventing illegal activities in the upcoming school year.

Students are encouraged to maintain critical thinking skills, avoid making rapid judgments, and carefully consider the consequences of their actions. Those in need of assistance are urged to contact the Educational Counseling and Special Education Center. Nadia Shaw
The United States on Monday announced its approval of a $3.5-billion sale to South Korea of up to 36 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and related equipment, including missiles.

The proposed sale will improve the Republic of Koreas capability to meet current and future threats by providing a credible force capable of deterring adversaries and participating in regional operations, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement.

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The sale will improve the security of a major ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific region, the statement said, using the US foreign policy term for the Asia Pacific region.

The State Department approved the possible sale of the helicopters to South Korea, and the DSCA on Monday provided the required notification to Congress, which still needs to sign off on the transaction.

The principal contractors for the deal will be Boeing and Lockheed Martin, the DSCA said.

The announcement came on the same day that Washington and Seoul began major annual joint military drills, with new exercises aimed at containing the nuclear-armed North.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise runs until August 29 and will involve thousands of military personnel.
Palace orders cancellation of passports of Guo, siblings

Dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo is now in Indonesia after fleeing the country on July 21 most likely travelling via boat or private plane to Malaysia first before proceeding to Singapore and making her way to her present location in Southeast Asia, the Bureau of Immigration said.

BI deputy spokesperson Melvin Mabulac said Guo, who was implicated in illegal POGO operations in Tarlac, probably used her Philippine passport to enter Malaysia since ASEAN countries need not to secure a visa to legally visit or enter any Southeast Asian state.

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Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Tuesday ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice to cancel the passports of Guo, her siblings Wesley and Sheila, and Cassandra Ong, who reportedly has ties with Lucky South 99 POGO in Porac, Pampanga which was also raided by authorities.

Given the foregoing and in the interest of justice, this Office hereby directs that appropriate action be taken for the cancellation of the Philippine passports of Guo, her family, and Ong, Bersamin said in his memo addressed to Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.

Mabulac, for his part, said it was unlikely that Guo, earlier identified as the same person as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, would travel to China since POGOs are banned in the mainland.

However, Guos lawyer Stephen David maintained his client has not left the country.

We just talked this morning and last night and she assured me that she is within the premises of the country. I have no reason not to believe her considering that in fact, last week, she appeared before a notary public and executed her sworn statement, David said in an interview with TV Patrol.

In a separate interview, Elmer Galicia, the lawyer who notarized Guos counter-affidavit, stood firm that he met with the dismissed mayor personally on the night of Aug. 14.

It was around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, August 14 She was referred by a colleague named Allan, who brought her to me for notarization, Galicia said in an interview with dzRH.

Galicias law firm is located in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.

Remulla, for his part, vowed heads will roll as he ordered an investigation into the escape of Guo.

Every single individual who backed or participated in the illegal

exit of Guo will be held accountable, he said as he ordered BI commissioner Norman Tansingco to submit a report immediately.

I am issuing this final warning against erring BI personnel who may have had a participation in the escape of Guo despite strict restrictions imposed by our government  its either you come out and unveil the truth or wait until I personally get to the bottom of this where heads will roll and all hell will break loose, Remulla said.

Guo reportedly met up with her siblings Sheila and Wesley as well as Ong in Singapore on July 22 before heading off to Indonesia.

Remulla said the DOJ is also looking at the possibility that the legal counsels of the embattled ex-mayor may have had a hand in her illegal exit.

Let me reiterate that as much as lawyers have an obligation to protect the interests of their clients, they also have a broader responsibility to uphold the rule of law and safeguard public interest, he said.

Tansingco said an Immigration lookout bulletin (ILBO) was issued against Guo, her siblings and Ong on August 6, more than two weeks after they rendezvoused in Singapore.

Ong, in particular, left the country as early as June 11.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, who first disclosed to the public that Guo may have already fled the country, said canceling the dismissed mayors passport will limit her movement abroad.

It would be much easier to locate her if shes not moving around, she said.

Hontiveros said the DFA should have cancelled Guos passport the moment it was confirmed that she was not a Filipino.

And we will not allow (anyone) to go scot-free in case there were officials involved in the escape of Guo, the senator added.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Guo fleeing the country is just a temporary setback and the cases filed against the former Bamban mayor will still continue to move forward.

Even the Senate will file our own case against her on perjury as well as disobedience. So, her world will shrink and the long arm of the law will eventually get her, he said.

Once convicted, Gatchalian said Guo can be extradited back to the Philippines.

Editors Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline BI says Guo is now in Indonesia, escaped the Philippines via backdoor
Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday traded barbs with Senator Risa Hontiveros over a P10-million budget allocation for the production and distribution of Isang Kaibigana childrens book authored by Duterte.

The argument ensued during the ongoing deliberation of the P2.037-billion budget of the Office of the Vice President budget for 2025.

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Her problem is that my name is on the book, which will be given to children. And those children have parents who are voters. And my name will be spread throughout wherever those books will go, Duterte said, insisting the senators concerns were politically motivated.

Hontiveros, however, maintained her inquiry was legitimate and purely in line with her duties as a legislator.

I dont understand the attitude of our resource person. It is a simple question. She repeatedly says this is politicizing. The VP mentioned the word vote. I never said anything about voting. Im simply asking. I cant imagine were making so much trouble, so much fuss about a P10 million item, the senator said.

Simple question: Tell us more about the book. How many copies will the government buy at a value of P10 million and distribute with bags to 1 million learners in remote communities? For the record, this is public funds. And were making inquiries. This is a budget hearing. This is not about you (Duterte).

We all know as members of different parties, our speeches to our party members during party congresses are a separate event from the budget debates. So I really take exception to what the VP said that this is an example of politicizing, Hontiveros added.

The Vice President, in turn, criticized the senator, noting that Hontiveros sought support from Dutertes allies in Davao during her past senatorial campaign  only to become one of the earliest critics of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, once elected.

The heated exchange prompted Senator Grace Poe, who chairs the committee, to step in and refocus the discussion: I understand theres history. But I think we should really stick to the budget.

The P2.037-billion proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President was already deemed submitted to plenary after being approved in Senate panel deliberations yesterday.

As this developed, Duterte said some members of the House of Representatives are planning to file an impeachment complaint against her.

They are talking about it even if they deny it. This is being discussed by members of the House of Representatives. We still have friends there who just dont talk because they are afraid, but they say the impeachment is openly discussed, she said.

She said certain lawmakers seek to project the (Duterte) family as corrupt, as criminals, as useless people who only do things for themselves.

Editors Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline VP Duterte, Hontiveros in heated exchange over politicizing budget'
The Philippines and the United States have finalized an agreement to allow a limited number of Afghan nationals to transit through the Philippines while they complete their visa processing for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) and resettlement to the United States.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson Teresita Daza however said the agreement requires ratification by President Marcos before it becomes effective.

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The program will cater to a specified number of applicants for a period not exceeding 59 days. Applicants will undergo comprehensive security vetting by Philippine authorities and must secure the appropriate entry visa before their arrival.

Despite holding a Philippine visa, the Bureau of Immigration retains the authority to exclude any applicant based on standard immigration examinations upon arrival, Daza noted.

The US government will bear all costs associated with the applicants stay in the Philippines, including expenses for food, housing, security, medical care, and transportation.

During their stay, applicants will be confined to a billet facility managed by the US Government and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This facility will provide essential support, including social, educational, religious, and emotional assistance, especially for children.

All applicants will have been medically screened already in Afghanistan and need to leave their billet facility only once for their consular interview at the US Embassy in Manila, Daza emphasized.

For its part, the US Embassy in the Philippines stated that Afghan SIV applicants will temporarily reside at a facility operated by the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE).

However, the Embassy declined to disclose the facilitys capacity or specific details about the timeline, which are still being discussed with the Philippine government.
The United States condemned Chinas unlawful and dangerous actions such as reckless maneuvers against Philippine maritime operations near Escoda Shoal in the West Philippine Sea on August 19.

The US reaffirmed its ironclad commitments to the Philippines, particularly under Article IV of the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, after it was learned that Chinese ships deliberately collided with two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels in the contested reef.

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The United States reaffirms that Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraftincluding those of its Coast Guardanywhere in the South China Sea, US Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a press statement.

The US strongly urged the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) to cease its expansive and unlawful claims in the region and to abide by international law.

PRC ships employed reckless maneuvers, deliberately colliding with two Philippine Coast Guard ships, causing structural damage and jeopardizing the safety of the crew onboard The United States calls upon the PRC to abide by international law and desist from its dangerous and destabilizing conduct, Patel said.

G7 Support, Respect for UNCLOS





G7 countries, who are also prominent allies of the Philippines, expressed serious concern over the damage that China Coast Guard has done to Philippine vessels.

Envoys from the US, European Union, France, and United Kingdom opposed any threat or use of force in the Indo-Pacific region and stressed the importance of resolving disputes through dialogue.

Concerned after the new incident in South China Sea today, which caused damages to PH coast guard vessels. France calls for the respect of UNCLOS and freedom of navigation, French Ambassador Marie Fontanel said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Any harassment and actions which increase tensions or disturb navigational rights are not tolerated. Japan stands with the Philippines by upholding rules-based order and peaceful settlement of disputes based on intl law, Japan Embassy in the PH stated in the same platform.

Professor Josue Raphael Cortez, a Junior Faculty member at the Benilde School of Diplomacy and Governance, highlighted the crucial role of international partners, particularly the US and EU, as norm entrepreneurs.

He emphasized that their pronouncement of support sends a powerful message to the global community, reinforcing the importance of upholding international norms and standards.

The norms they wish to share to the rest of the world, although may not be applicable most of the time, serve as signals to the international community, and a reminder that violation of international covenants are widely manifested in what the Chinese vessels are undertaking against our deployed troops, Cortez told Manila Standard in a message.

On the other hand, given that ASEAN is hampered by the ASEAN Way in taking a more proactive role concerning the issue the regional bloc cannot really play a viable role in deterring all these happenings, aside of course from promulgating Declarations/Statements from time-to-time, he added.

Cortez emphasized the critical support the Philippines requires at this juncture. First, he stressed the importance of maintaining close coordination with international allies to ensure their assistance in upholding the 2012 International Tribunals landmark decision, which affirmed the Philippines rights over the disputed islands.

Second, he pointed out that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should continue to assert the countrys rights over these areas by maintaining dialogue with partners and relevant agencies.

Cortez also highlighted the importance of having the President, as the primary architect of the countrys foreign policy, lead these efforts, particularly in the event of any escalation.
In an increasingly inter-connected world, the borders and barriers to global shopping are now non-existent. The e-commerce revolution has brought tremendous power to consumers to access online stores across the globe, and buy items from there with a click of a button.

According to a 2023 think piece by Spiralytics on Filipino Online Shopping Behavior, Filipinos have embraced online shopping with so much dynamism and energy. In that study, 92% of Filipino online shoppers use their smartphones when buying, with promotional sale days shaping their behavior to try out new products. Spiralytics also notes that electronics are the most spent goods, followed by personal and household care items.

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However, for Filipino shoppers, global online shopping seems to be a difficult maze. From expensive shipping rates up to the hassle of figuring out international deliveries, the journey from check-out to seeing their cargo in their doorstep is challenging.

This is where Jinio.com is revolutionizing global e-commerce. By offering an easy, cost-effective, and dependable shipping solution for U.S. purchases to be delivered to the Philippines, Jinio has become an ever-relevant companion for the discerning Filipino online shoppers.

Beyond being an international U.S.-to-PHL shipping service, Jinio is a bridge for Filipinos to take advantage of the quality and affordability of U.S. items from the likes of Walmart, Amazon, Costco, and other large retailers.

So what sets Jinio apart and how is it a shipping service that really has the Filipino online shopper in mind?

Affordable Shipping Rates

International shipping can be expensive. Jinio addresses this problem by offering the best-in-market rates that makes shipping purchased U.S. items to the Philippines within reach by every Filipino. Whether you are looking for the on-sale gadgets from Walmart, supplements from Walgreens, cosmetics from Sephora, or other hard-to-find items, Jinio ensures that delivery fees are not barriers for you to shop in the U.S. Plus, it is partnered with the countrys largest banks so you get shipping discounts when you pay shipping fees using their credit cards.

Free U.S. Address at Your Fingertips

Upon signing up at Jinio, everybody gets a free U.S. personal mailing address. That feature is particularly valuable to Filipino shoppers for two reasons: first, they can take advantage of U.S. retailers who deliver fast and for free within the U.S  for instance, if you are an Amazon Prime member; and secondly, it gives you the chance to shop from multiple stores, consolidate your multiple shipments first in your U.S. address, before having them shipped to the Philippines. For savvy shoppers, multiple purchases bundled in a single shipment means reduction in your overall shipping costs!

Mini-fication for Bigger Savings

This is a feature that is unique to Jinio and one of its strongest selling points. How many times did you experience buying a pair of shoes whose box is just way too big and space-consuming? Or cosmetics and apparel with way too thick of a packaging? The thing with shipping, you get charged by how heavy or space-consuming your cargo is. Jinio takes that extra free step of minifying your cargo by taking out non-essential packaging, decreases your cargo size and weight, and therefore gives you lower fees to pay.

Easy-to-use Platform and Transparent Pricing

Shop and ship through your fingertips, just with your mobile phone, and within the comfort of your homes. The Jinio website is designed to be intuitive, helping you through every single step: from sign-up, to getting your free U.S. address, monitoring whether your items arrived in that address, and tracking your shipment to the Philippines. Even your savings from the mini-fication process are shown. Moreover, Jinio is committed to transparency so shipping fees for published in the website, and even has an online shipping fee calculator so you can budget accordingly!

Personal Shopper Option

Apart from its core shipping services, Jinio also offers a concierge service for a fee where the Jinio staff can head over to physical stores in the U.S. and purchase your preferred items on your behalf. This is advantageous for shoppers whose item list has hard-to-find ones. Remember sale days where items on display are not up for grabs in their online stores, but are only available in their physical branches? This is the way to go.

Indeed, the world is your shopping mall. So why limit yourself to just local offerings? With Jinio, your shopping experience knows no boundaries. Sign-up today at Jinio.com and indulge in a hassle-free global shopping experience. Because you deserve to have your wishes delivered right to your door.
The Geneva peace talks for Sudan, held since August 14, 2024 under the aegis of the United States, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland as host country, were suspended over the weekend and resumed on Monday.

The Geneva talks are attended by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) but boycotted by the Sudanese army, despite the contacts made to convince the Sudanese army to take part in these talks.

In the meantime, the Sudanese government dispatched on Monday a delegation to Cairo for further talks with American and Egyptian mediators.

According to the Sovereign Councils communique, the decision to visit Cairo was taken following contacts with the American special envoy to Sudan and at the request of the Egyptian government.

During these contacts, discussions focused on the implementation of the Jeddah agreement. The Sovereign Council presented its vision, explaining that its participation in Geneva depended on the mediators response to its request.

The Sudanese government, appointed by the Sovereign Council headed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the army, reiterated its unflinching position, namely that it would not take part in the Geneva talks until the resolutions of the Jeddah agreement had been implemented. That is, the withdrawal of the RSF from all civilian areas in Sudan, and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid.
As South Sudan in preparing for its first election as an independent country, calls have been mounting for the countrys leaders to take the necessary steps to deliver peaceful, free, fair and inclusive vote to end the transitional period that has lasted for more than a decade since the countrys independence in 2011.

Located in a volatile region, South Sudan is faced with a complex interplay of ethnic rivalries and historical enmities threatening to tear the worlds newest nation apart. Nicholas Haysom, the head of the UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), has 14,000 peacekeeping troops stationed across the country, which is only slightly larger than France, in an attempt to prevent a descent into another calamitous civil war. Nicholas has recently requested another battalion, an extra 1,000 soldiers, as the UN Security Council said the nation faces existential crisis because it is far from prepared for its first election as an independent country. I want to underscore that the prospect of a second war in this region of the kind were witnessing in Sudan would be absolutely catastrophic, Haysom says in reference to a civil war that left at least 400,000 dead.

South Sudans upcoming election, which should normally be a unifying coming-of-age moment for the embryonic state, is fast becoming a source of mounting anxiety. Senior UN officials have warned that any vote perceived as unfair, corrupt and non-transparent risks pushing one of the worlds poorest states back into nationwide conflict. we remain concerned that the preparations for elections on 22 December remain behind schedule, Jonathan Hollis, the Acting Deputy Political Coordinator, told the UN Security Council meeting on South Sudan last week. We urge the government to fully disperse the resources needed to enable crucial preparatory work to get underway. Also, the US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield has urged South Sudanese government to engage in urgent dialogue, and bring this transitional period  finally to an end through peaceful and legitimate elections.
Around 68 million people, or 17% of the total population, across the Southern African region are suffering from an El Nino-induced drought and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, according to the head of the regional bloc SADC.

The drought, which began in early 2024, has devastated crops and caused widespread food shortages and severely impacted the regional economies, SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi told the leaders from the 16-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) who gathered in Zimbabwes capital, Harare, over the weekend. The region saw its driest February in 100 years, receiving only 20% of the usual rainfall and with temperatures also rising several degrees above average, according to the United Nations.

Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia are among the countries in Southern Africa hit hardest by this natural disaster that has caused hunger to soar, while Lesotho and Namibia are also calling for humanitarian support as the food emergency worsens. This has prompted the World Food Programme (WPP) to warn of alarming food insecurity rates as the Southern African region might be experiencing its driest conditions recorded in decades. To combat the effects of the drought, last May, SADC appealed for a $5.5 billion humanitarian assistance, but the amount mobilized so far is unfortunately below the required levels, the outgoing SADC Chair, President Joao Lourenco of Angola, stated, urging for intensified regional and international support.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A review published in the New England Journal of Medicine underscores the critical importance of addressing frailty among older adults. Titled "Frailty in Older Adults," the comprehensive article offers an in-depth analysis of the biological underpinnings of frailty, the necessity of early detection and intervention, and outlines promising future directions for health care professionals.

Authored by Dae Hyun Kim MD, ScD, MPH, founder of the Frailty Research Program at the Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife and Kenneth Rockwood, MD, MPA, FRCPC, a Professor in the Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada, the review discusses frailty as a condition characterized by diminished physiological reserve and increased vulnerability, significantly impacting the effectiveness and safety of health care interventions. Current management strategies are evolving to be more personalized, addressing the unique needs of older adults on the basis of an assessment of their frailty and its contributors.

"Frailty should be a pivotal consideration in health care planning for the elderly, guiding both preventive and therapeutic decisions," said Dr. Kim.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency providing coverage to more than 160 million people, "recently approved the inclusion of age-friendly hospital measure domains as part of the hospital inpatient quality reporting program. One of the five domains is frailty screening and intervention, which makes our review paper very timely because it essentially covers the latest evidence on how to do frailty screening and interventions," Dr. Kim added.

Understanding frailty and the urgency of screening and management

Marked by a decline in physiological reserves and an increased vulnerability to stressors, frailty leads to a higher risk of adverse health outcomes. The prevalence of frailty increases with age and is a significant indicator of future disabilities and mortality.

Key biological factors contributing to frailty include chronic inflammation, aged cells producing inflammatory molecules ("cellular senescence"), reduced energy production in cells ("mitochondrial dysfunction"), impaired nutrient sensing within cells, and hormonal imbalances, all of which contribute to fatigue, lack of stamina, muscle loss and weakness, and slowing walking speed.

The review highlights the importance of frailty screening and the implementation of tailored interventions to manage frailty effectively. Interventions, such as nutritional support, physical exercise programs, and comprehensive geriatric assessments, have been shown to improve patient outcomes.

Moreover, assessing frailty before stressful treatments like surgery or chemotherapy can help identify suitable candidates and optimize health status to improve treatment outcomes. The authors advocate for integrating frailty assessments into routine clinical practice, allowing health care providers to personalize care plans and allocate resources more effectively.

Innovative interventions and future directions

Drs. Kim and Rockwood summarize the latest evidence on several interventions to manage frailty, including exercise regimens to improve strength and mobility, nutritional strategies to enhance muscle mass and function, and review and optimization of medications.

They also discuss the need for further research to investigate the potential of big data-driven approaches to enhance frailty screening and collaborative care models, such as geriatric cardiology, geriatric oncology, and geriatric surgery, to improve safety and health outcomes in hospitalized patients.

The authors conclude by calling for a multidisciplinary approach to frailty care, involving collaboration between geriatricians, primary care physicians, physical therapists, and dietitians. By fostering an environment of proactive health management, the health care system can better address the needs of an aging population.

Dr. Kim highlights the significance of this research, stating, "Our goal is to provide a vital resource that helps health care professionals, caregivers, and policymakers better understand and manage frailty, ultimately improving outcomes for older adults. With the elderly population steadily increasing, the findings of this review are expected to shape the future of health care policies and practices for older adults."

More information: Dae Hyun Kim et al, Frailty in Older Adults, New England Journal of Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMra2301292 Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine

Provided by Hebrew SeniorLife Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research
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:

Children suffering from mpox wait for a treatment at a clinic in Munigi, eastern Congo, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Congo will receive the first vaccine doses to address its mpox outbreak next week from the United States, the country's health minister said Monday, days after the World Health Organization declared mpox outbreaks in Africa a global emergency. Credit: AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa

Congo will receive the first vaccine doses to address its mpox outbreak next week from the United States, the country's health minister said Monday, days after the World Health Organization declared mpox outbreaks in Africa a global emergency.

Mpox cases have been confirmed among children and adults in more than a dozen African countries, and a new form of the virus is spreading. Few vaccine doses are available on the continent.

Congo has the vast majority of the mpox cases and currently needs 3 million vaccine doses. The U.S. and Japan have offered to donate vaccines, Health Minister Roger Kamba told journalists. He did not say how many doses would be sent or when the ones from Japan would arrive.

The WHO has reported over 17,000 mpox cases and over 500 deaths worldwide this year. More than 96% of all cases and deaths have been in Congo, whose health system has long struggled to contain disease outbreaks over the country's vast area and poor infrastructure. Children under 15 account for more than 70% of the cases and 85% of deaths in Congo.

Scientists are also concerned by a new version of mpox in Congo that might be more easily transmitted. Last week, Sweden reported its first case of the new version. Officials said the risk to the general public was considered "very low" and that they expected sporadic imported cases to continue.

A girl suffering from mpox waits for treatment at a clinic in Munigi, eastern Congo, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Congo will receive the first vaccine doses to address its mpox outbreak next week from the United States, the country's health minister said Monday, days after the World Health Organization declared mpox outbreaks in Africa a global emergency. Credit: AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa

A young girl suffering from mpox waits for treatment at a clinic in Munigi, eastern Congo, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Congo will receive the first vaccine doses to address its mpox outbreak next week from the United States, the country's health minister said Monday, days after the World Health Organization declared mpox outbreaks in Africa a global emergency. Credit: AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa

A girl suffering from mpox walks past a treatment centre in Munigi, eastern Congo, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Congo will receive the first vaccine doses to address its mpox outbreak next week from the United States, the country's health minister said Monday, days after the World Health Organization declared mpox outbreaks in Africa a global emergency. Credit: AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa

A health worker attends to a mpox patient, at a treatment centre in Munigi, eastern Congo, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Congo will receive the first vaccine doses to address its mpox outbreak next week from the United States, the country's health minister said Monday, days after the World Health Organization declared mpox outbreaks in Africa a global emergency. Credit: AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa

A health worker attends to a mpox patient, at a treatment centre in Munigi, eastern Congo, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Congo will receive the first vaccine doses to address its mpox outbreak next week from the United States, the country's health minister said Monday, days after the World Health Organization declared mpox outbreaks in Africa a global emergency. Credit: AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa

A health worker attends to a mpox patient, at a treatment centre in Munigi, eastern Congo, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Congo will receive the first vaccine doses to address its mpox outbreak next week from the United States, the country's health minister said Monday, days after the World Health Organization declared mpox outbreaks in Africa a global emergency. Credit: AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa

A health worker attends to a mpox patient, at a treatment centre in Munigi, eastern Congo, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Congo will receive the first vaccine doses to address its mpox outbreak next week from the United States, the country's health minister said Monday, days after the World Health Organization declared mpox outbreaks in Africa a global emergency. Credit: AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa

A woman walks with her children suffering from mpox after a treatment at a clinic in Munigi, eastern Congo, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Congo will receive the first vaccine doses to address its mpox outbreak next week from the United States, the country's health minister said Monday, days after the World Health Organization declared mpox outbreaks in Africa a global emergency. Credit: AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa

Children suffering from mpox wait for a treatment at a clinic in Munigi, eastern Congo, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Congo will receive the first vaccine doses to address its mpox outbreak next week from the United States, the country's health minister said Monday, days after the World Health Organization declared mpox outbreaks in Africa a global emergency. Credit: AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa

Unlike in previous mpox outbreaks, where lesions were mostly seen on the chest, hands and feet, the new form causes milder symptoms and lesions on the genitals. That makes it harder to detect, meaning people might sicken others without knowing they're infected. Mpox is not airborne and typically requires close, skin-to-skin contact to spread.

The WHO has 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.

 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Methods of screening for esophageal cancer include endoscopy, esophageal cytology, exhaled gas markers, artificial intelligence-assisted systems, and laboratory tests. CTCs, circulating tumor cells; ctDNA, circulating tumor DNA; miRNAS, microRNAs. Credit: Cancer Screening and Prevention (2024). DOI: 10.14218/CSP.2024.00012

Esophageal cancer, a highly aggressive malignancy originating in the esophageal epithelium, poses significant public health challenges in China, where it ranks sixth in incidence and fifth in mortality among cancers. The country's large population contributes to over half of the global cases and deaths from esophageal cancer. This cancer's poor prognosis is often due to late diagnosis, as early-stage esophageal cancer is typically asymptomatic, leading to diagnoses at more advanced stages.

The geographical distribution of high-risk areas in China, such as the southern side of the Taihang Mountains, the Dabie Mountains, and northern Sichuan, underscores the need for focused screening efforts. Since 2005, China's national public health initiatives have emphasized endoscopic screening in over 110 high-risk areas, yielding significant outcomes, although the overall decline in incidence and mortality rates remains gradual.

Goals of screening for esophageal cancer

The primary goal of esophageal cancer screening is early detection, particularly of early-stage cancer or esophageal intraepithelial neoplasia. Early identification facilitates timely intervention and treatment, significantly improving patient survival rates and quality of life.

Research indicates that early diagnosis can increase the five-year survival rate to over 95%, demonstrating the critical importance of screening. Screening programs have been shown to reduce the incidence and mortality rates of upper gastrointestinal cancers significantly, underscoring the potential benefits of early detection.

Risk factors and screening target population

In China, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the predominant type of esophageal cancer, with several risk factors contributing to its incidence. These include smoking, alcohol consumption, consumption of hot or red foods, poor oral hygiene, and insufficient intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. Additional factors such as family history, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, gastric mucosal atrophy, and a history of head and neck SCC further increase the risk.

Although esophageal adenocarcinoma is less common in China, it is associated with risk factors like smoking, obesity, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and Barrett's esophagus. Given these risk factors and China's demographic profile, screening is recommended for individuals aged forty and above, particularly those in high-incidence areas or with specific high-risk characteristics.

Current status of screening methods

Current screening methods for esophageal cancer in China include endoscopy, exfoliative cytology, and biomarker detection. Traditional endoscopic techniques, such as white-light endoscopy, have been the mainstay of screening. However, advanced technologies like chromoendoscopy, magnifying endoscopy, and endoscopic ultrasound are gaining traction.

These techniques offer enhanced visualization of mucosal surfaces and can improve the accuracy of early cancer detection. Despite their advantages, these methods are not widely adopted at the grassroots level due to high costs and technical complexities.

Emerging technologies and future directions

Innovations in esophageal cancer screening include artificial intelligence-assisted methods, which enhance the accuracy and efficiency of diagnosis. The use of artificial intelligence in analyzing cytological samples collected by advanced esophageal cell collectors represents a significant improvement over traditional methods.

Additionally, new endoscopic technologies, such as magnetic capsule endoscopy and confocal laser microscopy, are being explored for their potential to improve patient comfort and screening accuracy. However, these technologies are currently limited by high costs and a lack of comprehensive prospective studies.

Esophageal cancer remains a major public health concern in China, necessitating effective screening strategies. The continuous development and implementation of advanced screening technologies are crucial for improving early detection rates and patient outcomes. With ongoing advancements and reduced research and development costs, these new technologies are expected to become more widely accessible, providing more efficient and convenient screening options for esophageal cancer in China.

The research review is published in the journal Cancer Screening and Prevention.

More information: Yuan Ding et al, The Current Status and Prospects of Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Esophageal Cancer in China, Cancer Screening and Prevention (2024). DOI: 10.14218/CSP.2024.00012

Provided by Xia & He Publishing Inc.
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:

Ho Yan Yeung, Ph.D., first author on the study (left) and Thomas Koch, Ph.D., also an author on the study (right) examine a freshly-collected batch of cone snails. Image credit: Safavi Lab. Credit: Safavi Lab

Scientists are finding clues on how to treat diabetes and hormone disorders in an unexpected place: a toxin from one of the most venomous animals on the planet.

A multinational research team led by University of Utah scientists has identified a component within the venom of a deadly marine cone snail, the geography cone, that mimics a human hormone called somatostatin, which regulates the levels of blood sugar and various hormones in the body. The hormone-like toxin's specific, long-lasting effects, which help the snail hunt its prey, could also help scientists design better drugs for people with diabetes or hormone disorders, conditions that can be serious and sometimes fatal.

The results are published in Nature Communications.

A freshly-collected batch of venomous cone snails. Credit: Safavi Lab

A blueprint for better drugs

The somatostatin-like toxin the researchers characterized could hold the key to improving medications for people with diabetes and hormone disorders.

Somatostatin acts like a brake pedal for many processes in the human body, preventing the levels of blood sugar, various hormones, and many other important molecules from rising dangerously high. The cone snail toxin, called consomatin, works similarly, the researchers foundbut consomatin is more stable and specific than the human hormone, which makes it a promising blueprint for drug design.

By measuring how consomatin interacts with somatostatin's targets in human cells in a dish, the researchers found that consomatin interacts with one of the same proteins that somatostatin does. But while somatostatin directly interacts with several proteins, consomatin only interacts with one. This fine-tuned targeting means that the cone snail toxin affects hormone levels and blood sugar levels but not the levels of many other molecules.

In fact, the cone snail toxin is more precisely targeted than the most specific synthetic drugs designed to regulate hormone levels, such as drugs that regulate growth hormone. Such drugs are an important therapy for people whose bodies overproduce growth hormone. Consomatin's effects on blood sugar could make it dangerous to use as a therapeutic, but by studying its structure, researchers could start to design drugs for endocrine disorders that have fewer side effects.

Consomatin is more specific than top-of-the-line synthetic drugsand it also lasts far longer in the body than the human hormone, thanks to the inclusion of an unusual amino acid that makes it difficult to break down. This is a useful feature for pharmaceutical researchers looking for ways to make drugs that will have long-lasting benefits.

The waters of Palau harbor highly venomous sea snails that scientists are studying to develop better medicines. Credit: Safavi Lab

Learning from cone snails

Finding better drugs by studying deadly venoms may seem unintuitive, but Helena Safavi, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry in the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine (SFESOM) at the University of Utah and the senior author on the study, explains that the toxins' lethality is often aided by pinpoint targeting of specific molecules in the victim's body. That same precision can be extraordinarily useful when treating disease.

"Venomous animals have, through evolution, fine-tuned venom components to hit a particular target in the prey and disrupt it," Safavi says. "If you take one individual component out of the venom mixture and look at how it disrupts normal physiology, that pathway is often really relevant in disease." For medicinal chemists, "it's a bit of a shortcut."

Consomatin shares an evolutionary lineage with somatostatin, but over millions of years of evolution, the cone snail turned its own hormone into a weapon.

Helena Safavi, Ph.D., senior author on the study, diving during a cone snail collection mission. Credit: Helena Safavi

For the cone snail's fishy prey, consomatin's deadly effects hinge on its ability to prevent blood sugar levels from rising. And importantly, consomatin doesn't work alone. Safavi's team had previously found that cone snail venom includes another toxin that resembles insulin, lowering the level of blood sugar so quickly that the cone snail's prey becomes nonresponsive. Then, consomatin keeps blood sugar levels from recovering.

"We think the cone snail developed this highly selective toxin to work together with the insulin-like toxin to bring down blood glucose to a really low level," says Ho Yan Yeung, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in biochemistry in SFESOM and the first author on the study.

The fact that multiple parts of the cone snail's venom target blood sugar regulation hints that the venom could include many other molecules that do similar things.

"It means that there might not only be insulin and somatostatin-like toxins in the venom," Yeung says. "There could potentially be other toxins that have glucose-regulating properties too." Such toxins could be used to design better diabetes medications.

The waters of Palau harbor highly venomous sea snails. Credit: Safavi Lab

It may seem surprising that a snail is able to outperform the best human chemists at drug design, but Safavi says that the cone snails have evolutionary time on their side.

"We've been trying to do medicinal chemistry and drug development for a few hundred years, sometimes badly," she says. "Cone snails have had a lot of time to do it really well."

Or, as Yeung puts it, "Cone snails are just really good chemists."

More information: Disruption of Glucose Homeostasis in Prey: Combinatorial Use of Weaponized Mimetics of Somatostatin and Insulin by a Fish-Hunting Cone Snail, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50470-2. www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-50470-2 Journal information: Nature Communications
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In September 2024, new guidelines from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will require that all women receive information about their breast density following a mammogram.

This change aims to empower women with more knowledge about their breast health, but the new information could also cause confusion or worry for patients. Here are some facts about breast density, the new guidelines and what they mean for you.

What is breast density?

Breasts contain a mix of fatty, glandular and fibrous tissue. "Dense" breasts have a higher proportion of glandular and fibrous tissue compared to fatty tissue. It's important to note that breast density is only detectable on a mammogram and can't be felt during a self-exam or clinical exam.

How common are dense breasts?

Very common. About half of all women over 40 have dense breasts. It's more common in younger women and those with a lower body mass index, but it can affect women of all ages and body types.

Why does breast density matter?

Dense breast tissue can make it harder to spot cancer on a mammogram because both dense tissue and tumors appear white. Additionally, women with dense breasts have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. The greater the breast density, the higher the risk.

What's changing with the new FDA guidelines?

Beginning in September, all mammogram reports must inform women whether their breasts are considered "dense" or "not dense." The report will also explain that dense tissue can mask cancer on mammograms and may increase cancer risk.

Does this mean I need additional screening if I have dense breasts?

Not necessarily. It is recommended that women with dense breasts talk to their doctors about breast density and how it affects their personal risk of breast cancer. Other imaging tests such as MRI, contrast-enhanced mammography or screening breast ultrasound might help find cancers in some people with dense tissue, but these also may require the patient to undergo a work-up of other findings and at times additional biopsies that may turn out to be benign.

What should I do if I'm told I have dense breasts?

First, don't panic. Dense breasts are normal and common. Here are some steps to consider If you are told that you have dense breasts:

Make it a point of discussion with your doctor at your next annual exam to help you figure out the right course of action for seeking supplemental screeningweighing your overall breast cancer risk level, personal preferences, the availability and cost of additional imaging.

Ask about the potential benefits and drawbacks of the additional screening tests as well as their availability.

Discuss your overall breast cancer risk with your health care provider starting at age 25. Factors like family history and previous biopsies are important.

Will insurance cover additional screening?

Coverage varies by state and insurance plan. Some states, including Kentucky, require coverage for supplemental screening. Discuss potential costs with your health care provider and insurance company.

Remember, these new guidelines are about empowering you with information. They're not meant to cause alarm, but to help you and your health care provider make informed decisions about your breast health. If you are of average risk, annual mammograms starting at age 40 are important for early detection of breast cancer.
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In 2016, medical device giant Abbott issued a recall for its MitraClip cardiac device"a Class I recall, the most serious type," the FDA said.

"Use of this device may cause serious injuries or death," an FDA notice about the recall said.

But neither the manufacturer nor the FDA actually recalled the device or suspended its use. They allowed doctors to continue implanting the clips in leaky heart valves in what has become a common procedure.

In a notice, the manufacturer explained, "Abbott is not removing product from commercial distribution." Rather, Abbott revised instructions for use and required doctors who implant the clips to undergo training.

When it comes to medical devices, recalls can include not only "removals," in which the device is removed from where it is used or sold, but also "corrections," which address the problem in the fieldfor instance, by repairing, adjusting, relabeling or inspecting a device.

"It's very oxymoronic," said Rita Redberg, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco and former editor in chief of the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. "A recall makes it sound like it's recalled. But that is not actually what it means."

Though the FDA and federal regulations call these actions recalls, they might be described more aptly as "non-recalls." And they have happened repeatedly in recent years. For instance, in addition to other Abbott devices, products made by Medtronic, Abiomed and Getinge have had recalls that left them in use.

Safeguarding the Public

Recalls that leave what the FDA identifies as potentially dangerous products in the marketplace can raise the question: Do they do enough to protect the public?

There are other ways to handle recalls. In announcements about products as varied as crib bumpers, pool drain covers, bicycle helmets and coffee mugs, the Consumer Product Safety Commission routinely alerts consumers to stop using recalled products and contact the manufacturers for refunds, repairs or replacements.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regularly advises consumers to bring recalled cars back to the dealer to have them fixed. When the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the FDA announce food recalls, they routinely tell consumers to return or discard the food.

In some cases, a medical device that is the subject of a recall can be kept on the market safely because there is a simple fix, said Sanket Dhruva, a cardiologist and an associate professor at UCSF who has studied FDA oversight of devices. In other cases, recalls that don't remove devices from the market can provide unwarranted reassurance and leave the public at risk, Dhruva said.

From 2019 through 2023, there were 338 Class I medical device recalls, 164 of which were corrections and 174 of which were removals, FDA spokesperson Amanda Hils said.

Some products undergo recall after recall while they remain on the market. Products in the MitraClip line have been the subject of three rounds of recalls, none of which removed devices from use.

"When deciding whether a recall warrants device removal from the field, the FDA considers the frequency and severity of adverse events, effectiveness of the corrective actions that have been executed, and the benefits and risks of preserving patient access to the device," FDA spokesperson Audra Harrison said.

Where recalled devices have already been implanted, "removal" doesn't necessarily mean removing them from patients' bodies. "When an implanted device has the potential to fail unexpectedly, companies often tell doctors to contact their patients to discuss the risk of removing the device compared to the risk of leaving it in place," the FDA website says.

The FDA allowed the recalled MitraClip devices to remain in use "because the agency believed that the overall benefits of the device continued to outweigh the risks and the firm's recall strategy was appropriate and adequate," Harrison said.

The FDA reviews the recall strategies that manufacturers propose and often provides input to ensure the public will be protected, Hils said. The agency also monitors the effectiveness of recalls and, before terminating them, makes sure the strategy was carried out, Hils said.

Abbott, the maker of MitraClip, said the device has been proven safe and effective "based on more than 20 years of clinical evidence and has profoundly improved the lives of people living with mitral regurgitation," a condition in which blood flows backward through the heart's mitral valve. The condition can lead to heart failure and death.

"With MitraClip, we're addressing the needs of people with MR who often have no other options," company spokesperson Brent Tippen said.

Speaking of the MitraClip recalls, Redberg said, "So hard to imagine these are effective actions in protecting patients."

In 2021, for Medtronic's StealthStation S7 cranial software, the company and the FDA sent a different message.

StealthStation is an elaborate system of screens and other equipment that guides neurosurgeons using instruments in the brainfor instance, to biopsy or cut out tumors. Drawing from CT scans, MRIs, and other imaging, it's meant to show the location of the surgical instruments.

In connection with a Class I November 2021 recall, the FDA website said potential inaccuracies in a biopsy depth gauge could result in "life-threatening injury (such as hemorrhage, unintended tissue damage, or permanent neurological injury), which could lead to death."

The FDA website explained what Medtronic was doing about it.

"The recalling firm will provide a warning and instructional placard to be applied to impacted systems," the website said. "Until a software update is available, ensure you are following the instructions below to prevent the issue from occurring," it advised doctors.

In a statement to KFF Health News, Medtronic spokesperson Erika Winkels said the safety and well-being of patients is the company's primary concern, and certain issues "can be safely and effectively remedied with a correction on site."

Richard Everson, a neurosurgeon and an assistant professor at UCLA, noted that the 2021 recall allowed doctors to continue using unaffected StealthStation features, a benefit for patients and facilities depending on them.

"But, I mean, then you could ask, 'Well, why don't they just disable the view (of the brain) that's bugged?'" Everson said. "Why would they give you the option of looking at an inaccurate one?"

"That's kind of a strange solution," he said.

The FDA lists the 2021 recall as still open, explaining "not all products have been corrected or removed."

That recall was not the last word on problems with StealthStation. Since then, the manufacturer has submitted adverse event reports to the FDA describing trouble in cases involving various versions of StealthStation.

In a September 2022 case, guidance provided by a StealthStation device was allegedly off the mark, a procedure was aborted, and, when the patient awoke, they "had almost no speech for two days," according to a Medtronic report. In the report, Medtronic said there was "insufficient information to determine the relationship of the software to the reported issue."

In a February 2024 case, after brain surgery, an MRI found that the operation "missed the tumor" and that other tissue was removed instead, according to a report Medtronic submitted to the FDA. In the report, Medtronic said that when a company representative tested the system, it performed as intended.

In March 2024, Medtronic recalled versions of StealthStation S8 without removing them from hospitals. The company said at the time that it would provide a software update.

"Software updates are available to correct the anomalies identified in the 2021 S7 and 2024 S8 recalls and are actively being deployed," Medtronic's Winkels told KFF Health News in a July email. "While the software updates for the 2021 S7 recall are complete in the U.S., they remain ongoing in some international regions."

In June 2023, Abiomed issued an urgent medical device correction for its Impella 2.5 intravascular micro axial blood pump, which supports the heart. In patients with a certain type of replacement heart valve, there was a risk of "destruction of the impeller blades," which could cause "low flow" and "embolization of the fractured impeller material," an entry on the FDA website said.

"Clinicians are cautioned to position the Impella system carefully in patients," the FDA website said, among other instructions.

The updated instructions "provide technical guidance to mitigate the risk of rare complications," Abiomed spokesperson Ryan Carbain said. There were no product removals and no reports of adverse events "related to product design or manufacturing," Carbain said.

Another set of medical devices, Cardiosave Hybrid and Rescue Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumps made by Getinge of Sweden, have failed persistently, according to FDA records.

The deviceswhich are placed in the aorta, a major artery, to assist the heartwere the subject of eight Class I recalls from December 2022 to July 2023. All were corrections rather than removals, a KFF Health News analysis found.

In a May 2024 letter to health care providers, the FDA said that, in the previous 12 months, it had received almost 3,000 adverse event reports related to the balloon pumps. It was referring to reports of malfunctions and cases in which the products might have caused or contributed to a death or injury. Of those, 15 reportedly involved serious injury or death, the FDA said.

During the summer of 2023, the FDA noted that "alternative treatments are limited" and said the devices could continue to be used.

But, in May, the FDA changed its stance. The agency advised health care facilities to "transition away from these devices and seek alternatives, if possible."

"These recommendations are based on our continued concerns" that the manufacturer "has not sufficiently addressed the problems and risks with these recalled devices."

Getinge sent KFF Health News written answers from Elin Frostehav, the company's president of Acute Care Therapies.

"There is no question that we would have liked to have solved these issues in full much earlier," she said.

As a result of the FDA's May action, the company "immediately paused proactive marketing" of the balloon pumps in the United States, and it is selling them only to customers who have no alternatives, Frostehav said.

"We are working with the agency to finalize remediation and product update solutions," Frostehav said.

'Known possible complications'

Abbott's MitraClip system includes tiny clips implanted in the heart's mitral valve and the equipment used to implant them. The apparatus features a steering mechanism with hand controls and a catheter that is threaded through a major vein, typically from an incision in the groin, to place one or more clips in the heart.

Worldwide, more than 200,000 people have been treated with MitraClip, according to an Abbott website.

The 2016 MitraClip recall described cases in which "the user was unable to separate the implantable Clip from the delivery system."

In a news release at the time, Abbott said it had "received a small number of reports" in which that happened.

Those cases "resulted in surgical interventions to remove the delivery system or replace the mitral valve, and it is expected that any future similar incidents would also require surgery to correct the problem," the FDA said in a 2016 notice. "There was one patient death in these cases as a result of severe comorbidities following surgery."

Years later, something similar happened.

In February 2021, a clip was implanted in an 81-year-old patient but the doctor couldn't separate the clip from the delivery system, according to a report Abbott filed with the FDA. The patient was transferred to surgery, where the delivery system "had to be cut down in order to detach the clip."

The patient then underwent an operation to replace the mitral valve, and, hours later, the patient was brought back to surgery to address bleeding, the report said.

The patient "coded" the next day and died from an aortic bleed, the report said.

In the report to the FDA, the manufacturer blamed "case-specific circumstances."

"Cardiac arrest, hemorrhage and death are listed" in the device instructions "as known possible complications associated with mitraclip procedures," the company said. "There is no indication of a product issue with respect to manufacture, design or labeling."

The third MitraClip recall, initiated in September 2022, cited an "increase in clip locking malfunctions."

Most of the reported malfunctions were not associated with adverse outcomes, the FDA said then. Treatment with MitraClip "remains within the anticipated risk levels," the company told customers.

As with the two earlier recalls, the third advised doctors to follow the device's instructions. But the 2022 recall identified a contributing factor: the way the device was made.

"Abbott has identified a contributing cause ... as a change in the material properties of one of the Clip locking components," the company said in a 2022 letter to customers.

"Abbott is working on producing new lots with updated manufacturing processing and raw material," the company wrote. In the same letter, Abbott told doctors that, in the meantime, they could use the devices they had in stock.

Six days later, a clip opened while locked and a patient died, according to a report the manufacturer submitted to the FDA.

"There is no evidence that death was related to the device but it was likely related to the procedure," Abbott wrote.

Now, almost two years later, the 2022 recall remains open, according to the FDA website, and "not all products have been corrected or removed."

2024 Kaiser Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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The United Nations warned Monday of a "deepening crisis" of malnutrition in the Middle East and North Africa affecting a third of children.

"At least 77 millionor 1 in 3children in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have some form of malnutrition," the UN children's agency UNICEF said in a statement.

It said 55 million children across the 20 countries assessed are overweight or obese, which UNICEF considers a type of malnutrition.

A further 24 million children suffer from undernutrition, including stunting, wasting and thinness, it said.

"The deepening crisis of malnutrition in the region is being driven by what and how children are fed, poor access to nutritious foods, clean water, medical care and other essential services, and the proliferation of cheap, unhealthy poor foods high in salt, sugar and fat," it added.

This takes place amid "ongoing conflicts, political instability, climatic shocks, and rising food prices that together, deny children their right to nutritious food and limit humanitarian access to vulnerable communities".

Only a third of young children are being provided with nutritious foods, said UNICEF regional director Adele Khodr.

"This is a shocking statistic in 2024 and risks becoming even worse as conflicts, crises and other challenges in our region persist," she said.

UNICEF urged governments to focus on nutrition in their planning and policy.

UN agencies said last month that conflict, economic turmoil and climate change had hampered efforts last year to reduce hunger, affecting about nine percent of the world's population.

In a report, they estimated that about 733 million people experienced hunger in 2023, a figure that has remained largely the same for three years after a sharp rise following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moderate and severe food insecurity, which forces people to sometimes skip meals, affected 2.33 billion people last yearabout 29 percent of the world's population, they said.

 2024 AFP
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The mpox outbreak is not another COVID-19, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, because much is already known about the virus and the means to control it.

While more research is needed on the Clade 1b strain which triggered the UN agency into declaring an international health emergency, the spread of mpox can be reined in, the WHO's European director Hans Kluge said.

"Mpox is not the new COVID," he said.

"We know how to control mpox. And, in the European region, the steps needed to eliminate its transmission altogether," he told a media briefing in Geneva, via video-link.

In July 2022, the WHO declared an emergency over the international outbreak of the less severe Clade 2b strain of mpox, which mostly affected men who have sex with men. The alarm was lifted in May 2023.

"We controlled mpox in Europe thanks to the direct engagement with the most affected communities," said Kluge.

Robust surveillance, investigating case contacts, behavior changes in the affected communities and vaccination all contributed to controlling the outbreak, he said.

Transmission routes

Kluge said the risk to the general population was low.

"Are we going to go in lockdown in the WHO European region, (as if) it's another COVID-19? The answer is clearly: 'no'," he said.

Clade 1b is spreading mainly through sexual transmission among adults.

Kluge said it was also possible that someone in the acute phase of mpox infection, especially with blisters in the mouth, may transmit the virus to close contacts by droplets, in circumstances such as in the home or in hospitals.

"The modes of transmission are still a bit unclear. More research is required," he said.

WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said the agency was not recommending the use of masks.

"We are not recommending mass vaccination. We are recommending to use vaccines in outbreak settings for the groups who are most at risk," he added.

The WHO declared an international health emergency on August 14, concerned by the rise in cases of Clade 1b in the DR Congo and its spread to nearby countries.

Clade 1 split

There are two subtypes of mpox: the more virulent and deadlier Clade 1, endemic in the Congo Basin in central Africa; and Clade 2, endemic in West Africa.

Clade 1b is a new offshoot of Clade 1, which is now called Clade 1a.

The Clade 1b outbreak in northeastern DRC was first detected in September last year and is spreading rapidly.

Catherine Smallwood, WHO Europe's emergency operations program area manager, explained that the split of Clade 1 into 1a and 1b reflects "change in the evolution of the virus."

Clade 1a traditionally has outbreaks resulting from infections from sick animals, with some limited follow-on transmission between humans at the household level, or within communities.

But with Clade 1B, "we have not isolated or detected zoonotic transmission of Clade 1b," said Smallwood.

"So it seems to be a strain of the virus that's circulating exclusively within the human population."

Experts are trying to work out if there is a difference in disease severity between Clades 1a and 1b.

Vaccines

The available vaccines were originally developed for smallpox, and are effective against other viruses in the wider orthopoxvirus family, such as mpox.

Two mpox vaccines have been used in recent yearsMVA-BN, produced by Danish drugmaker Bavarian Nordic, and Japan's LC16.

There is also ACAM2000, a second-generation smallpox jab approved in the United States.

Whether a person vaccinated post-exposure to mpox goes on to develop the disease depends on the early administration of the vaccine, said Smallwood.

Vaccines can also be used preventatively in people likely to be exposed to the virus.

Jasarevic said results from effectiveness studies indicated that a good level of protection was provided against mpox following vaccination.

However, it takes several weeks to develop immunity after being vaccinated.

 2024 AFP
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Two mpox virus particles, colored pink, on the surface of an infected cell (blue/teal). Credit: NIAID/NIH

On Aug. 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the latest mpox outbreak in Africa a public health emergency of international concern. While the virus is not new, its behavior warrants vigilance and raises critical questions about infectivity, transmissibility, and the optimal preventive measures to halt the spread of the pathogen even further.

To make sense of the latest developments, Harvard Medicine News spoke with Daniel Kuritzkes, the Harriet Ryan Albee Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, chief of the division of infectious disease at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and a member of the Massachusetts Consortium on Pathogen Readiness.

The WHO declared mpox, formerly called monkeypox, a public health emergency of international concern. The epicenter of the outbreak is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other African countries, but we have now seen a case in Europe. How worrisome is this?

We know that the global outbreak of mpox in 2022 had its origins in Africa, where mpox has been endemic for decades. The rise in cases in the DRC and neighboring countries should concern us all because we are a globally connected community through travel and migration. Moreover, an increase in mpox cases in Africa deserves our attention on humanitarian grounds.

We cannot ignore the impact of significant epidemics merely because they occur in parts of the world that seem remote to us. Now that the ability of mpox to spread through sexual contact has been recognized, there is some concern that we could see an increase in cases spread through sexual networks, particularly among individuals who have large numbers of sexual partners.

There was an outbreak of mpox in 2022. Is there anything about the evolution or behavior of this new iteration of the virus that is particularly worrisome? Has the virus's transmissibility or infectivity changed?

The strain circulating in the DRC (Clade I) is more virulent, meaning that it's more likely to cause severe disease than the strain seen in Nigeria (Clade II) that was responsible for the 2022 outbreak and continues to circulate at a low level in the U.S. and Europe.

The majority of Clade I cases in the DRC occur in children and adolescents under age 15, and the mode of transmission appears to be through direct contact with infected individuals. But cases are reported that appear to have been transmitted through sexual contact among men who have sex with men and in sex workersthis is new for Clade I.

To our best knowledge, is the virus still transmitted by human-to-human contact or are there hints of airborne transmission?

The major route of transmission remains close person-to-person contact, including sexual contact. In some circumstances, heavily contaminated material such as bedding can cause infection, or contact with infected animals, which is unlikely to occur in the U.S. Airborne transmission is very uncommon.

Is the new strain readily preventable through vaccination and do we have reliable vaccines?

It is too early to say with certainty with respect to the currently circulating strains, but in general mpox is preventable with the smallpox vaccine. There is compelling evidence that suggests the rise of mpox in central and West Africa over the last few decades correlates with the decline of immunity to smallpox in the population as a new generation was born and came of age without ever being vaccinated against smallpox.

What do we know about how prone this virus is to mutation and vaccine resistance?

Pox viruses are DNA viruses, and therefore intrinsically less likely to accumulate mutations, compared with RNA viruses such as HIV, influenza, or SARS-CoV-2. That said, whenever there are very high rates of transmission there is the possibility for rare variants to emerge that are resistant to the immunity that has developed in a population over time, whether through past exposure or through vaccination.

Who, if anyone, should be vaccinated right now?

At the moment, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend vaccination to prevent mpox for gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men, are age 18 or older, and have one or more of the following risks: a new diagnosis of one or more sexually transmitted disease, more than one sex partner, sex at a commercial sex venue, sex in association with a large public event in a geographic area where mpox transmission is occurring.

In addition, sexual partners of individuals who have one or more of those risks or people who anticipate being exposed to one of these risks should be vaccinated.

What are the treatment options for someone who is already infected or for those with known exposure?

Tecovirimat is the drug used to treat symptomatic mpox infection. It is approved for treatment of smallpox and disseminated vaccinia, which can occur rarely as a complication of the live smallpox vaccine. Thus, the use of this medicine for mpox remains investigational.

Treatment is available through an ongoing clinical trial sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in collaboration with the CDC and is being implemented through the ACTG (Advancing Clinical Therapeutics Globally for HIV/AIDS and Other Infections) trials network. The trial is open to eligible participants at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.

What are the most important things the international community should do now to mitigate the spread?

Swift control of the spread of mpox through vaccination in the DRC and other countries affected by the current outbreak is important to reduce mpox-related illness and deaths in those countries and to limit its spread to other parts of the world.

This means the international community should ensure that affected countries have sufficient vaccine stockpiles and the resources to deploy the vaccine. We must do our best, collectively, as an international community to provide equitable resources across borders to stop the march of this pathogen.
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Researchers from multiple institutions across South Korea collected individual participant data from the medical records of patients with hepatitis C virus infection, treated with direct-acting antivirals. They compared liver fibrosis, a key feature of disease severity, and liver-related clinical outcomes of untreated group with the DAA group. Credit: Associate Prof. Seungbong Han from Korea University

Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related diseases such as chronic hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis, and liver cancers afflict a large number of people worldwide. A recent study from Korea University suggests that treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) improves liver disease-related clinical outcomes in patients with chronic HCV infection and reduces liver fibrosis-based disease burden. It further highlights that timely intervention with advanced antiviral therapies can have a positive impact on public health.

HCV infection is the underlying cause for chronic hepatitis C (CHC), liver cirrhosis, and liver cancer or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In 2019, over 2,90,000 people died of HCV-related diseases. Recent medical advancements have made a new breakthrough treatment available for patients with hepatitis C. DAAs that block replication of HCV has dramatically transformed the treatment approach with around 90% effective anti-viral response rates. However, it is unclear whether DAAs impact the severity of disease burden caused by liver fibrosis.

To answer this critical question, Associate Professor Seungbong Han from the Department of Biostatistics, Korea University College of Medicine, South Korea collaborated with his colleagues across multiple centers in South Korea to evaluate the impact of DAAs on the fibrotic disease burden in patients with chronic HCV infection.

Their study was published in the journal eClinicalMedicine.

Associate Prof. Han says, "For individuals, early detection and effective treatment would mean fewer complications, better health outcomes, and enhanced quality of life. Successful strategies could serve as models for other countries with high hepatitis C prevalence, leading to global improvement in hepatitis C management."

The team collected medical records of 11,725 patients with HCV infection from 29 institutions in South Korea. They compared individual participant data from 3,261 untreated to 8,464 patients treated with DAAs, for a follow-up period of 27.5 months. To evaluate liver disease severity and outcomes, they analyzed non-invasive reporters of liver fibrosis and stiffness, and evaluated their risk of developing liver cancer, damaged liver function, and death.

They observed that DAA treatment reduced fibrotic disease burden and lowered the risk of disease progression to cancer or cirrhosis, increasing life expectancy. The differences were most prominent in age groups 4060 years.

One of the limitations of this study is the reliance on non-invasive tests for measuring liver fibrosis. "Noninvasive scores and liver stiffness, are not accurate for detecting reduced fibrosis after sustained viral response in patients with HCV infection because improvements in noninvasive tests typically reflect the expected reduction of necro-inflammation but not that of fibrosis," explains Associate Prof. Han.

How important are liver biopsies for accurate assessment?

Biopsy of the liver is the gold standard method to accurately measure and stage liver fibrosis. However, the risks and expertise needed to perform this challenging procedure limits repeatability. Despite the limitations, this study provides scientific evidence that use of DAA is a crucial strategy for reducing liver fibrosis-based disease burden and improving clinical outcomes.

Sustainability in health care requires evidence-based allocation of health care resources. The findings from this study merit public health campaigns raising awareness about hepatitis C and its risks that will promote nationwide screening for HCV positivity. Early intervention with advanced antiviral approaches is likely to decrease health care costs associated with treating advanced liver diseases like cancer or cirrhosis, freeing up resources for other critical health care needs.

"Our study can help improve public health, health care systems, and individual lives by encouraging the development of early intervention and effective treatment strategies for HCV infection," concludes Associate Prof. Han.

More information: Won Sohn et al, Effect of direct-acting antivirals on disease burden of hepatitis C virus infection in South Korea in 20072021: a nationwide, multicentre, retrospective cohort study, eClinicalMedicine (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102671 Journal information: EClinicalMedicine

Provided by Korea University College of Medicine
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Exposure to chemicals found in common plastics can increase health risks at all stages of life, new research has found.

The world-first umbrella study by University of Adelaide international research organization JBI and Australian philanthropic charity Minderoo Foundation has raised concerns about the impacts of plastic-associated chemicals along the entire human life span.

The work is published in the journal Annals of Global Health.

Review of the available evidence found bisphenol A (BPA), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can be linked to adverse health outcomes including miscarriage, low birth weights, obesity, blood pressure issues, asthma, bronchitis, precocious puberty, endometriosis, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

JBI Director of Synthesis Science Associate Professor Edoardo Aromataris and team, working in close collaboration with experts in plastics and plastic associated chemicals from the Minderoo Foundation Dr. Sarah Dunlop and Dr. Christos Symeonides, analyzed 52 systematic reviews featuring about 1.5 million people.

"Consistent, statistically significant (95%) evidence was found for harm across a wide range of health outcomes for each of the chemical classes," said Associate Professor Aromataris.

"None of the plastic-associated chemicals examined in the umbrella review can be considered safe, with multiple harmful health effects linked to each chemical class."

Dr. Symeonides said the findings strengthen calls for domestic and international efforts to regulate plastic.

"From the water we drink to the products we use, plastics are an inescapable part of modern living," he said.

"This research categorically proves that none of the examined chemicalswhich are used in plastic items humans around the world interact with every single dayshould be considered safe.

"This is a red flag for the world. We must minimize our exposure to these plastic chemicals, as well as those that haven't yet been assessed for human health outcomes but are known to be toxic."

JBI and Minderoo Foundation applaud the work of the High Ambition Coalitiona group of countries targeting an ambitious, comprehensive treaty that regulates the full lifecycle of plastics and protects human health.

This includes a robust, comprehensive and efficient mechanism to regulate the chemicals used in plastics.

More information: Christos Symeonides et al, An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses Evaluating Associations between Human Health and Exposure to Major Classes of Plastic-Associated Chemicals, Annals of Global Health (2024). DOI: 10.5334/aogh.4459
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Gallbladder surgeries have increased in recent years for biliary dyskinesia, or functional gallbladder disorder, but Dr. Bryan Richmond with WVU questions whether these surgeries are necessary in new research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Credit: WVU / Aira Burkhart

Although surgery is a common treatment for patients diagnosed with biliary dyskinesia, or functional gallbladder disorder, a West Virginia University medical researcher is questioning why the practice has become so widespread when little clinical research is available.

Biliary dyskinesia is a gallbladder disorder in which patients don't have gallstones, yet experience similar pain in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen, usually following a fatty meal, that lasts 30 minutes or longer and is significant enough to disrupt normal activities. In the United States, it's the most common indicator for gallbladder removalcholecystectomyin children, and accounts for between 10% and 20% of the surgeries in adults.

"When you see the number of cases of surgery increasing, you just want to make sure that it's being done for the right indications and that the patients are benefiting, but that's where there were so many gaps in the data," said Dr. Bryan Richmond, chair and professor at the WVU School of Medicine Charleston Campus Department of Surgery. "The practice of cholecystectomy for this condition is not embraced in other countries."

While doctors don't know what causes patients to develop the disorder, they know it occurs when the gallbladder doesn't contract as it should to release bile through the ducts.

To properly diagnose functional gallbladder disorder and select which patients would best benefit from the surgery, Richmond said a combination of factors must come together: biliary pain, the absence of gallstones and a low gallbladder ejection fractionhow much bile the gallbladder releases when it contracts.

To measure the ejection fraction, clinicians conduct what's called a cholecystokinin-cholescintigraphy, CCK-HIDA, scan. However, Richmond explained that the test is sometimes misused.

"What makes it tricky is the scan itself doesn't predict the disease because the values that are considered normal versus abnormal are calculated on normal healthy subjects, not patients with pain," he said. "It has to be considered in the context of the patient's symptoms, the combination of classic biliary symptoms with supporting findings on your scan to suggest surgery."

Richmond's review, published in the journal JAMA Surgery, discusses both supporting and lacking evidence for the prevalence of the surgery and suggests the need for future studies. The publication's editors asked Richmond to write the article after hearing his presentation on the topic at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress.

He cites a 1991 study that focused on whether patients benefited from the surgery and a 2016 randomized control trial he and his colleagues conducted to refine the research. Both found that patients with classic gallbladder pain symptoms, no gallstones and a low ejection fraction were most likely to experience successful results from surgery. Still, he said neither is convincing enough to warrant the increasing number of operations.

"The 1991 study had fewer than 30 patients in itnot enough to establish such a dramatic change in practice," Richmond said. "Our trial, which was published in Journal of American College of Surgeons, was still a very small study. At the end of the day, we still don't have large amounts of data to support the practice."

Richmond said he thinks additional research with a larger group of participants is needed to make sure surgery is the best option for patients based on the combination of their symptoms and ejection fraction scan results. He said he expects the findings would validate the 1991 and 2016 studies.

"My next goal would be to obtain funding for a larger multicenter trial to get enough numbers and standardization of the inclusion criteria and extended follow up to determine success versus failure," he said. "I think we can show that in well selected patients, cholecystectomy provides durable symptom relief in biliary dyskinesia and that if the patients don't have classic symptoms, the further that they depart from those classic symptoms, the less likely the chances of success will be."

Currently there is no treatment for functional gallbladder disorder other than pain medications and avoiding foods that trigger the pain. However, until further research is conducted, Richmond suggests physicians remain vigilant in making their decisions for surgery.

"It's not a dangerous or progressive condition, it's a very different disease process than that of gallstone related disease," he said. "It's really important that clinicians be honest with their patients about what the implications of this diagnosis are. That is that if it goes untreated, it may remain uncomfortable and lifestyle-limiting, but it doesn't rise to the level of danger, and also that the results of having cholecystectomy performed for this condition historically have not been as good as those with gallstone disease in terms of relief of pain."
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: CC0 Public Domain

The protective effect of established COVID-19 vaccines is initially very robust, but wanes relatively quickly. This limitation imposes a need for periodic booster shots, which drives vaccine hesitation.

In contrast, an innovative vector vaccine developed at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI) presents a compelling alternative. It elicits prolonged immune response in animal models, and maintains its efficacy over extended time.

The concept employs an animal cytomegalovirus (MCMV; murine cytomegalovirus) as the vector that expresses and delivers the coronavirus spike protein information. Crucially, this vector poses no threat to humans, enhancing the vaccine's safety profile.

In 2022, researchers from the department Viral Immunology headed by Prof. Luka Cicin-Sain at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research reported on the novel vector vaccine for the first time. The promising immunogenic profile of the MCMV-based vaccine has now been shown to protect against disease.

A recent publication with the involvement of national and international research partner institutions, such as the Max Delbruck Center in Berlin and the University of Rijeka in Croatia, demonstrates lasting and broad immune responses and antiviral protection in the mouse model. The work is published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.

Using an animal cytomegalovirus that cannot replicate in human cells as a vector is a clever move, because it combines high immunogenicity of a natural infection with the safety of a non-replicating vector.

In vector vaccines, viruses are used as vehicles to introduce building blocks of the pathogen against which the vaccination is directed into the human body. In vaccines against COVID-19, the gene for the blueprint of the spike protein that anchors the coronavirus to the host cells is integrated into the vector viruses.

Murine CMV is considered safe for humans

There are reasonable concerns about the safety of vaccines based on some vector viruses. Human viruses that are used as vectors have to be attenuated by genetic modifications. The MCMV, however, can be used as is, because cytomegaloviruses are highly host-selective.

This means that the MCMV can only replicate in mouse cells, but not in human ones, as two of the first authors, Dr. Kristin Metzdorf and Dr. Henning Jacobsen explain. For this reason, among others, MCMV is ideal as a vector for vaccines.

The researchers see the big advantage in the long-lasting vaccination response that can be achieved with the MCMV vaccine after just one dose.

Using an animal model, it was shown that the concentration of antibodies available for defense against the pathogen in the event of a subsequent infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus remains stable over a period of six months after vaccination. Results from research colleagues at the University of Rijeka in Croatia suggest that the protective effect lasts even longer.

The immune system takes a two-pronged approach to fighting pathogens: firstly, highly specific antibodies are formed that are directed against defined structures of the microbe and render it harmless. The second track consists of the mobilization of immune cells that specifically recognize infected cells and actively fight the pathogens in them. So-called CD8+ T cells play the central role here.

After vaccination with the MCMV vaccine against COVID-19, the antibodies circulating in the blood and CD8+ T cells directed against infected cells are permanently present and ready for action.

Switching between dormant and active mode

Research about the reasons for the lasting protective effect of MCMV vaccines is ongoing. A plausible explanation is that cytomegaloviruses restimulate immune cells for a long time by hiding in a mostly dormant mode in cellular niches of their host, a state known as latency.

Only when the host organism's immune defenses weaken do the viruses switch to the active mode, replicate and spread, causing signs of illness. The MCMV vector viruses presumably will also try to settle in the human organism, but because humans are not the right host for them, reactivation does not work.

The human immune system does not allow murine viruses to reappear in the blood and takes action against them as soon as they produce proteins and before infectious particles are formed. In this way, according to the theory, the immune defense is repeatedly stimulated and the vaccination effect is maintained.

And there is one more thing. Coronavirus immunity does not only wane due to the loss of immune cells, but also because the viruses mutate to escape immune recognition by antibodies.

MCMV vaccines keep this evolution in check, at least in part. The researchers used the spike gene of the very first SARS-CoV-2 variant for the new vaccine. Upon vaccination with the MCMV vaccine, specific antibodies were initially formed against the original spike protein, which was expected.

However, some months after vaccination, antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants such as omicron started to form and increase in number. This is probably due to a mechanism of the immune system that serves to increase resistance to attackers through mutations (genetic changes) in the relevant immune cells.

According to the researchers, the fact that this mechanism is particularly well supported by the MCMV vaccine is a further advantage of this technology.

Two in one go

The favorable all-round profile of the MCMV vector is completed by its high capacity to take up foreign genes. These are exchanged for virus genes that are not essential for the integrity of the virus.

Theoretically, it is possible to introduce several different genes of a pathogen into the MCMV at the same time and thus increase the vaccination effect or the activity spectrum against variants.

It is also conceivable to use this vector to produce combination vaccines that provide immunity against various diseases in one go. The combined vaccination against COVID-19 and influenza would be a useful example.

More information: Kristin Metzdorf et al, A single-dose MCMV-based vaccine elicits long-lasting immune protection in mice against distinct SARS-CoV-2 variants, Frontiers in Immunology (2024). DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1383086 Journal information: Frontiers in Immunology
The states eyes are on Butte-Silver Bow as officials prepared for a primary election recount.

Butte-Silver Bow election officials sorted ballots Monday in preparation for a full-blown recount of vote tallies to be conducted Tuesday.

A judge ordered the recount Friday because county election officials believe votes from about 1,000 ballots were inadvertently counted twice on primary election night June 4.

Linda Sajor-Joyce, Butte-Silver Bows election chief, said Monday she still thinks someone might have accidentally taken a stack of counted ballots on election night and run them through the voting machine again.

The ballots were unsealed Monday and election judges spent the day counting them by hand so they know precisely how many will be run through voting machines Tuesday. The machines will tally votes in all the races.

The new results could affect a few close races, including a four-way contest for state District Court judge where Ann Shea and Frank Joseph finished with the most votes and were to advance to the Nov. 5 general election. William Joyce finished only 63 votes behind Joseph on election night.

The apparent miscount has drawn scrutiny at the state level and it was on display at the annex Monday.

Austin James, chief legal counsel and director of elections for the Montana Secretary of States Office, was on hand to observe the recount preparations, as were two Republican state senators and one Democrat.

Republican Jason Ellsworth, president of the Montana Senate, announced Friday night he was appointing a select committee to investigate the incident and determine what changes to the law may be required to prevent similar situations in the future.

Two Republican members of the committee, senators Mike Cuffe of Eureka and Theresa Manzella of Hamilton, were observing the recount preparations early Monday afternoon, as was Democrat Sen. Edie McClafferty of Butte. Ellsworth also appointed Sen. Shelly Vance, R-Belgrade, and Sen. Ryan Lynch, D-Butte, to the committee.

Manzella was on the annex floor filming ballots and some of the preparation work, but the GOP lawmakers were only observing things and would not interfere with the recount process, Cuffe said. Cuffe spoke with Sajor-Joyce and she was very open and helpful in explaining the proceedings, he said.

The committee will ultimately want to know what happened and will likely explore that after the recount is done, Cuffe said.

There is no proof at this point of anything scandalous or anything improper, Cuffe told The Montana Standard. There may have been a simple mistake that we find. There may be something else  but this is not the time to begin to try to go down that route.

Manzella led a group of GOP lawmakers in asking for a select committee last session to investigate election integrity. They brought forward several bills but many election workers said the election process in Montana is secure.

There was "a lot of battling over election integrity for the past couple of sessions, Cuffe said, and some measures passed by Republicans were thrown out by the Montana Supreme Court.

Butte-Silver Bow is still largely Democrat territory and Cuffe said sometimes stuff like this (recount) could turn into a dog fight. But he said Sajor-Joyce was running a good show Monday and he believes the committee is fair-minded.

Sajor-Joyce said she first noticed that voting numbers might be a little off during a post-election audit but said they were still acceptable.

I knew I wanted to take a harder look at it but  it was difficult to make the time to take a harder look, she told The Montana Standard on Friday. There was just so much going on.

Election officials in Butte-Silver Bow, as in all counties, were under the gun to verify signatures that supporters had gathered in hopes of getting three state constitutional initiatives on the November ballot, Sajor-Joyce said.

Disputes about whether signatures of inactive voters should be counted spilled into the courts, with the Montana Supreme Court deciding the issue in late July.

We were certifying petitions and then we had to recertify petitions and we were trying to help counties that had too many petitions, so it was just one thing on top of another, Sajor-Joyce said. There were other things that were taking priority over a deep dive into the election results.

A concerned citizen also noticed something off about the numbers, Sajor-Joyce said.

I said, Yeah, this is the same thing that I was seeing, and he kind of helped me get through that deeper dive, she said.

Sajor-Joyce did not say Friday who the concerned citizen was and declined to name him Monday, telling The Standard she was uncertain about any legal implications of doing so.

The actual recount is to start at 9 a.m. Tuesday and Sajor-Joyce said she hopes final results are known by Tuesday afternoon.

The new numbers could also affect a close race for a District 5 seat on the Council of Commissioners. And even though J.P. Gallagher finished first by a comfortable margin in a four-way primary for chief executive, Bill Foley finished second with 404 more votes than Rayelynn Brandl. Foley advanced to the general election based on the prior results but that could conceivably change.

Gallagher visited the Civic Center on Monday and said he was proud of the work thats already gone into the recount. He was asked about the legislative investigation.

You know, people are going to look at this differently and question whether, you know, things were done correctly, he said. But I dont think there was anything malicious or intentional that happened here. I think it was a mistake.
CHICAGO  President Joe Biden on Monday took his first flight aboard the modern VH-92A helicopter that serves as Marine One, after years of delays to the program to replace the aging aircraft that carry the president and vice president.

Biden boarded the Sikorsky-made helicopter after arriving on Air Force One in Chicago, where he attended the Democratic National Convention. The maiden presidential voyage carried him from O'Hare International Airport to the parking lot of Chicago's Soldier Field, often used as a landing zone for presidential travel.

It marked a crucial milestone in a two-decade-long process to replace the Vietnam-era helicopters that have carried presidents, in some cases, since the 1970s.

The Bush administration kicked off the initial effort to purchase new helicopters in an effort to improve communications and mission capabilities after September 11, 2001, but President Barack Obama scrapped it after rampant cost overruns.

The Obama administration started the new program, and the helicopter  branded the "Patriot" by its manufacturer  made its public debut during the Trump administration.

Marine Helicopter Squadron One, which operates the aircraft, has used the VH-92 helicopters for several years in regular service, including test flights around Washington, D.C., and to carry White House staff and security personnel.

However, issues with the secure communications system on board  required so the president can carry out classified conversations and make military decisions in an emergency  as well as a tendency to scorch the White House South Lawn led to years of delays to the program.

The Marine Corps reported last year that the communications issues was resolved, but it was not clear whether modifications to the exhaust system eliminated the threat to the White House grass.

The final VH-92A helicopter was delivered earlier this month, giving the USMC 21 operational aircraft and two for testing. The total program cost for the 23 aircraft was about $5 billion.

The new helicopters are based on the commercially available Sikorsky S-92 and are larger and have longer range than the older VH-3D and VH-60N models.

Photos: Inside Air Force One  the replica, anyway Air Force One Museum Air Force One Museum Air Force One Museum Air Force One Museum Air Force One Museum Air Force One Museum Air Force One Museum Air Force One Museum Air Force One Museum
On 11 May local time, the three-day China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo into Africa first-stop activities in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, came to a successful conclusion.

The China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo has been successfully held in Changsha, Hunan Province for three times since 2019, and this event is the first in the series of China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo into Africa.

During the event, the 2024 China (Changsha) Engineering Machinery Remanufacturing (Second hand) Equipment Economic and Trade Matchmaking Conference (Kenya Station)was successfully held.

This conference was hosted by Changsha Municipal Bureau of Commerce, organised by Hunan Guozhong Zhilian Construction Machinery Research Institute, and co-organised by Hunan Remanufactured Engineering Machinery Export Industry Alliance and Changsha Construction Machinery Industry Association.

More than 30 entrepreneurial representatives from China and Kenya gathered in Nairobi to explore the space for cooperation and precise cooperation through face-to-face demand exchange.

Chen Yahui, President of Kenya Hunan Chamber of Commerce, said that Kenyas political stability, infrastructure market is vast, the demand for construction machinery, especially second-hand construction machinery is huge, but the lack of second-hand construction machinery in Kenya, professional suppliers and service providers, and I hope to join hands with the Hunan Construction Machinery Second-hand Equipment Export Industry Alliance, for Chinas second-hand construction machinery into Africa to pave the way for the bridge.

Yuan Zhen, Secretary General of the Association and Secretary General of Hunan Remanufactured Engineering Machinery Export Industry Alliance, introduced in detail the business scope, main products and organisational advantages of the Union.

He said that Changsha, as the capital of construction machinery, has a strong industrial chain and excellent supporting facilities, and looked forward to more in-depth co-operation with Kenyan enterprises to jointly develop the market and achieve mutual benefit and win-win situation.

At the scene of the event, enterprises from both sides actively docked and also held a signing ceremony for economic and trade co-operation.

Hunan Remanufactured Engineering Machinery Export Industry Alliance and Continental Logistics Network Co. Ltd signed a strategic cooperation agreement.

According to the agreement, the two sides will deepen strategic cooperation, focus on the export of construction machinery remanufacturing (second-hand) equipment, strengthen the mutual recognition of standards, further improve the economic and trade exchanges between the two sides, and jointly build a new model for Changshas export of construction machinery remanufacturing (second-hand) equipment to Africa.

We have been seeking reliable and guaranteed quality used equipment suppliers, and would like to further communicate and deepen co-operation with the alliance! During the exchange at the meeting, Bao Le, General Manager of Far East Group, a representative of Chinese enterprises in Kenya, enthusiastically expressed his willingness to co-operate.

The representatives of the participating enterprises were also full of expectations for the cooperation between the two places, and expressed the beautiful vision of continuously promoting the development of China-Africa cooperation and achieving common development and prosperity.

The successful holding of this economic and trade exchange and docking meeting has further promoted the economic and trade exchanges and cooperation between Changsha and Kenya.

On the basis of mutual understanding and mutual benefit, the two sides will carry out exchanges and cooperation on construction machinery remanufacturing (second-hand) equipment, push forward new progress in economic and trade relations between the two sides, and build a more solid and lasting bridge for China-Africa cooperation.
Yagnesh Mohanlal Devani, the former Managing Director of Triton Petroleum Company Limited, has been released on Kes.5 million cash bail after pleading not guilty to 11 counts of fraud.

Devani, who faces charges on behalf of Triton, can alternatively provide a Kes.20 million bond and a similar surety.

The businessman, who was arrested after evading capture for over 10 years, faces charges related to the Kes.7.6 billion jet fuel scandal that shook Kenyas oil industry in 2008.

During his court appearance on Monday, Devanis lawyer, Mwenda Bata, argued that the bail amount was excessive. However, the court ruled that Devani must demonstrate his inability to raise the cash bail before it can consider revising the terms.

Devani, accused of committing offenses between September 5 and December 8, 2008, is barred from leaving the country or contacting prosecution witnesses while out on bail.

The prosecution opposed Devanis release on bond, citing him as a flight risk since he has been a fugitive in the United Kingdom since 2009 when an arrest warrant was issued against him.

At the time, Devani contested his extradition from the UK through multiple judicial proceedings. He was eventually extradited in January this year due to bilateral cooperation between Kenya and the UK.

The prosecution argued that granting Devani bond could result in him seeking asylum in a country without bilateral ties to Kenya, complicating the case further.

It was only through bilateral cooperation between Kenya and the UK that the accused was eventually extradited and charged. Granting bond could lead to the accused seeking asylum in a country lacking such cooperation, making it difficult to proceed with the case, noted the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).

While releasing Devani on Monday, Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzioki of the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court ordered the businessman to deposit his passport with the court and warned him against interfering with witnesses.

Magistrate Nzioki scheduled the next case mention for August 29 to provide pre-trial directions.
The government is preparing to reintroduce the contentious eco-levy tax as part of new revenue-raising proposals aimed at generating an additional Kes.150 billion. This move seeks to address the budget deficit caused by the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024.

These additional tax measures are outlined in the Tax Amendment Bill, which consists of 47 clauses and is set to be reintroduced in Parliament.

Speaking to mainstream media on Sunday, Treasury CS John Mbadi confirmed that the eco-levy would be among the returning clauses. We have lined up 47 amendments, including the eco-levy. However, we will remove the ban on sanitary pads and other sensitive items, he stated.

To further boost tax revenue, the government plans to extend the tax amnesty period by six months, allowing more Kenyans to file their returns.

Some people have been avoiding paying taxes due to the deadlines. We hope this extension will encourage more people to comply, Mbadi said.

Additionally, the government intends to exempt certain basic commodities, such as bread, from taxes to save an additional Kes.70 billion.

Weve been paying Ksh.525 billion in tax refunds, some of which are fictitious. By exempting bread from taxes, we will maintain revenue levels while reducing government expenditure, Mbadi explained.

CS Mbadi also announced that a series of reforms at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) would bring in an additional Kes.105 billion by sealing all loopholes through system automation.

The ministry is now racing to implement these tax measures by September 30. Kimani Kuria, Chairperson of the National Assembly Finance Committee, stated, We are waiting for the Treasury to bring those proposals so that we can begin.
State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed has accused lawyer Morara Kebaso of misleading Kenyans about stalled government projects.

In his statement, Mohamed took issue with Moraras claim that President William Ruto had relaunched a road project in Kisii that former President Uhuru Kenyatta had already launched in 2016.

Stop misleading Kenyans! The road, which spans 64.6 km, crosses Kitutu Chache North and South constituencies in Kisii County. The project was awarded on May 11, 2016, and work began on August 5, 2016, following its launch by President Uhuru Kenyatta, Mohamed said.

He explained that the contract was mutually terminated on May 16, 2023, due to the contractors poor performance. At the time of termination, the contractor had completed 27 km of the road, with 77 months having elapsed out of the original 30-month contract period.

The project was re-tendered and awarded on 14th March 2024, with works commencing on 22nd June 2024. President William Ruto officially relaunched the newly awarded road contract previously, Mohamed added.

Hussein Mohamed further noted that the new contract has a 42-month period for completion, with an additional 36-month maintenance phase. He emphasized that a project launch is often a ceremonial event that might occur after work has already begun, explaining why the term official launch is used.

Dont overly concern yourself with plaques. You shouldve gone to Kegogi-Sombogo-Marani-Ititi section where works are ongoing, he advised.

Morara Kebaso continues to attract attention for his inspections of various stalled government projects across the country. On Monday, August 19, he announced his decision to close his business to fully commit to governance.

Also Read  Popular Ruto impersonator Morara Kebaso speaks on his viral content and Kenyas youth activism

He plans to establish a governance office aimed at providing civic education, particularly to people in villages, rural municipalities, and slum areas.

I now intend to go into governance and take the role of calling for good governance and to abandon my business because I think I am done with making money. Not that it is enough, but I need a new sense of purpose and direction. I think I have found my purpose on this earth, Morara said.

He also mentioned that his office will visit all government projects and conduct research to keep the public informed about their progress. Morara expressed gratitude to Kenyans who have supported him by sending money for fuel expenses and providing details about government projects.
A Norwegian national is urgently seeking justice, calling on Kilimani Police Station in Nairobi to act on her complaint against a five-man gang that sexually assaulted her at gunpoint.

The woman, whose identity remains protected for legal reasons, was on holiday in Kenya when the armed men attacked her. Following the assault, the gang began blackmailing her with her nude photographs, according to reports from NTV Kenya.

She filed the incident report on July 26, revealing that someone she knew lured her into an apartment in the Kilimani area. Once inside, the gang assaulted her and stole her cash and mobile phone.

In her report, filed under OB Number 02/26/07/2024, she stated that the men attempted to gang rape her and sexually assaulted her when she resisted. She further alleged that the gang humiliated her by taking videos and photos of her while she was naked.

The victim claims the gang has been blackmailing her and demanding money, yet despite being issued a P3 Form as required, officers at Kilimani Police Station have taken no significant action. The P3 Form confirms that she was sexually assaulted and sustained additional injuries, NTV reports.

They have been taking me in circles without explaining the way forward. The suspects are now threatening and warning me against pursuing the matter, which I find weird, the woman stated.

Through her lawyer, Albert Kuloba, the victim has escalated the matter by filing a formal complaint with the Inspector General of Police and the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Mohammed Amin. The letter accuses Kilimani police of being reluctant to take action on the case.

After lodging her complaint, she was asked to obtain a P3 Form, which she secured on July 31, 2024. However, our client has informed us that the police have taken no further steps to advance the case, causing her significant distress, the letter, dated August 16, reads.

Kilimani Sub-County Police Commander Ben Kobia confirmed that the case had been reported and that investigations were ongoing. He stated that they would summon the suspects on Monday.

The victims lawyer emphasized that, given the seriousness of the case, an update on the investigations progress, including any actions taken and anticipated steps, would be provided within seven days.

Meanwhile, police have advised the woman to report any further threats from the suspects as the investigation continues. The victim said she has since learned that the suspects are part of a larger group operating in the Kilimani area, targeting individuals for entrapment and extortion.
Members of Parliament have launched a public participation process for a Bill proposing strict measures against protesters.

Known as the Assembly and Demonstration Bill 2024 and sponsored by Mbeere North MP Geoffrey Ruku, the Bill seeks to impose tighter regulations on public demonstrations across the country.

The Bill includes provisions that grant law enforcement extensive powers to manage protests deemed disruptive to public order. It proposes stringent penalties, including fines of up to Kes. 100,000 and potential jail terms for offenders.

National Assembly Clerk Samuel Njoroge has published a public notice inviting the public to submit their views on the Bill through memoranda. He requests feedback via postal address, hand delivery, or email by Monday, September 9, 2024.

The Bill, categorized under the National Assembly Administration and Internal Security, outlines a strict code of conduct for demonstrations. It bans banners, placards, speeches, or songs that incite hatred based on cultural, racial, gender, linguistic, or religious differences.

Additionally, the Bill prohibits actions or words likely to incite violence against individuals or groups. It also seeks to ban wearing masks or clothing that obscures a protesters face, attire resembling police or military uniforms, and possession of weapons during protests.

Amidst the anti-Finance Bill 2024 protests led by youths against the government, Geoffrey Ruku announced that he had heard the publics concerns about the new regulations. Ruku, a Democratic Party MP, stated he would write to National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula to formally withdraw the Bill.

Ruku explained that the Bill aimed to uphold Article 37 of the Constitution and enhance safety for protesters, non-protesters, and businesses.

Despite his commitment to withdraw the Bill, the move to public participation suggests he did not fully follow through on his promise.
An earthquake jolted the city of Napa, forcing the Bance family to flee for their lives from a house that crashed to the ground in a wreck.

Meanwhile, a brick wall at the opera house on Main Street fell through a hotel roof, hitting a sleeping William Hanken and badly bruising his head. Bricks crashed into a judges chamber at the courthouse. A wall of the Hayes theater collapsed onto Coombs Street.

The 2014 South Napa earthquake? No, this was the April 18, 1906, San Francisco earthquake centered along the San Andreas fault.

The shock lasted for about 40 seconds, the vibrations being north and south trend," the Napa Daily Journal reported. The earthquake damaged or completely wrecked about 20 residences.

Napa faces quake threats from more than the West Napa fault. Other faults could rattle the county.

Sarah Minson, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey, explained how the Pacific plate is moving northward. In the Bay Area, this movement results in three strands of major faults. The Napa Valley is sandwiched between two of them.

One threat comes from the Green Valley fault a few miles to the east. It runs through the hills of Napa and Solano counties, crosses Interstate 80 near the entrance to Jameson Canyon and passes under Suisun Bay, likely connecting to the Concord fault.

There hasnt been a large quake along the Green Valley fault for 200 to 500 years, according to the USGS. The agency has predicted a 16% chance of a quake of magnitude 6.7 or greater between 2014 and 2043, including the Concord segment.

By comparison, the 2014 West Napa quake was a magnitude 6.0.

About 15 miles west of Napa Valley is the Rodgers Creek fault in Sonoma County. It runs up the Sonoma Valley past Santa Rosa to near Healdsburg.

The USGS has predicted a 33% chance of a quake magnitude 6.7 or greater on the combined Rodgers Creek/Hayward system between 2014 and 2043.

Earthquakes on any of those faults could shake up Napa, according to seismic models posted by the Association of Bay Area Governments.

As we know from past events, even a moderate earthquake occurring in or near the Napa County region could result in deaths, casualties, property and environmental damage, and disruption of normal services and activities, Napa Countys emergency plan says.

A sizable quake could close Highway 12/Jameson Canyon Road to Fairfield, trigger landslides that cover rural roads, cause power outages, rupture natural gas transmission lines and spill hazardous materials, the plan says.

Then theres the San Andreas fault that caused the Big One of 1906 and could cause the Big One of the future.

The 1906 earthquake made the South Napa quake look small, with an estimated magnitude of 7.9. It was 700 times stronger in terms of energy released, according to the USGS earthquake calculator.

But location is also a factor in earthquake damage. The 1906 quake, big as it was, took place on a fault more than 30 miles from the city of Napa. Minson said earth motion in Napa was higher for the local 2014 quake.

People are more likely to be impacted by smaller quakes  ones that cause localized damage  than the Big One, given these smaller quakes happen more frequently. They are worth preparing for, Minson said.

Regional earthquakes can impact Napa County in more ways than local destruction. The county emerged from the 1906 earthquake in much better shape than such places as San Francisco and Santa Rosa, so locals helped with the relief effort.

Within a few days of the quake, the Napa-based steamers Napa City, Zinfandel and St. Helena had brought several hundred quake victims from San Francisco to Vallejo. Many of the evacuees then came by train to the city of Napa to stay at St. Josephs Hall, the California Northwest depot, East Napa Pavilion and local homes.

The General Relief Committee of Napa sent a team on the Zinfandel from Cuttings Wharf in the Carneros area to Fort Mason in San Francisco. From there, members took bread, coffee and beans to earthquake victims in such locations as Golden Gate Park.

Earthquakes near and far have struck home in Napa County in different ways. That's likely to be true in the county's future as well.

Photos: Four Napa locales after the earthquake ... and today Alexandria Square Vintner's Collective Historic Napa County Courthouse Trefethen Family Vineyards

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Americans grow worried about losing jobs: labor survey

Xinhua) 08:41, August 20, 2024

A hiring sign is posted on the window of a restaurant in the Old Town neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia, the United States, on Aug. 18, 2022. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

The New York Fed's July survey of labor market expectations showed that the expected likelihood of becoming unemployed rose to 4.4 percent on average, up from 3.9 percent a year earlier and the highest in data going back to 2014.

NEW YORK, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Americans are increasingly worried about losing their jobs, according to a new survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released on Monday.

The New York Fed's July survey of labor market expectations showed that the expected likelihood of becoming unemployed rose to 4.4 percent on average, up from 3.9 percent a year earlier and the highest in data going back to 2014.

"In fact, the new data showed signs of the labor market cracking across a range of metrics. People reported leaving or losing jobs, marked down their salary expectations and increasingly thought that they would need to work past traditional retirement ages," said The New York Times in it report of the survey.

The share of workers who reported searching for a job in the past four weeks jumped to 28.4 percent, the highest level since the data started, up from 19.4 percent in July 2023, it said.

"The survey, which quizzed a nationally representative sample of people on their recent economic experience, suggested that meaningful fissures may be forming in the labor market," said the newspaper.

While it is just one report, it came at a tense moment, as economists and central bankers watch nervously for signs that the job market is taking a turn for the worse, it noted.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Emory Universitys Medical Nutrition Therapy for Prevention (MNT4P) program has been awarded $2 million to assess and optimize the effectiveness of newborn screening programs in the Southeast United States over the next four years.

Nationwide, more than 3 million newborn babies undergo testing each year by having blood spots from heel pricks analyzed for biochemical abnormalities. This process  called newborn screening  is designed to quickly identify infants with rare disorders such as phenylketonuria or cystic fibrosis, which could lead to significant morbidity, mortality or intellectual disability if left untreated.

Funding from a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will support the Southeast Integrative Newborn Screening  Long-Term Follow-Up Consortium, the only nationally funded multi-state consortium. This consortium includes Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi health departments and partners with other states in the Southeastern Regional Genetics Group (SERGG). The collaboration will strengthen the newborn screening system through SERGGs established framework and partnership.

Newborn screening improves infant outcomes by providing timely results and is further enhanced by the swift initiation of therapeutic interventions, including medical nutrition therapy in many disorders, based on diagnoses, says Rani H. Singh , PhD, RDN, LD, director of the MNT4P program, principal investigator of the consortium and professor of human genetics at Emory University School of Medicine.

Our goals for the consortium are to enhance the efficiency and timeliness of newborn screening sample collection, testing and reporting; examine equity and disparities; and improve short- and long-term newborn screening follow-up, all while meaningfully engaging and partnering with the providers and families at every level of the newborn screening system to improve patient outcomes, Singh says.

The consortium will use a multifaceted approach to improve newborn screening programs, focusing on two areas:

Ensuring initial newborn screening specimens are collected within the appropriate timeframe, no later than 48 hours after birth. A robust and secure data exchange infrastructure will be implemented regionally and nationally.

Identifying and developing common long-term follow-up data elements for specific disorders, aiming to increase access to treatment and follow-up activity for patients and their families with conditions identified through newborn screening.

Singh has previously served as a principal investigator for HRSA-funded newborn screening initiatives supporting the Southeast Regional Newborn Screening & Genetics Collaborative (2006-16) and the Southeast Regional Genetics Network (2017-24).
Emorys new academic year is coming soon, and faculty and staff across campus are preparing for the arrival of students. Here are 10 things you should know before the fall semester at Emory begins.

1. Many students arrived early for preorientation and welcome programs.

First-year students participating in preorientation and International Student Welcome programs arrived on campus beginning Aug. 19. Many students in the incoming classes for Emory College and Oxford College registered for preorientation programs that help them connect with others who share similar interests. From outdoor adventures and leadership lessons to community engagement and interfaith experiences, theyll spend several days acclimating to life at Emory before orientation begins Aug. 24.

2. More move-ins occur this weekend, with most classes beginning Aug. 28.

First-year and transfer students who are not participating in preorientation programs move into Atlanta campus housing Aug. 24, with other undergraduates following on Aug. 25. Oxford College move-in days are Aug. 23 for first-year students and Aug. 26 for second-year students.

Learn more about Atlanta campus move-in procedures, orientation activities and Oxford College move-in on the Emory Welcome app. Classes for Emory Law students began Aug. 19; undergraduate and all other graduate classes begin Aug. 28.

3. Help welcome the Class of 2028 at the Emory Gate Crossing + Coke Toast.

One popular tradition for Emorys first-year students is a Coke Toast on the Quad during orientation. Help welcome the class of 2028 for Emory College of Arts and Sciences at this special event on Aug. 26.

Faculty, staff, fellow students and alumni are invited to gather at the Emory Gate at 10 a.m. to cheer on the Class of 2028 as they walk through the Emory gate and proceed to the Quad. Once there, they will participate in their very first Coke Toast. The event will conclude at 11 a.m.

Oxford first-year students will also have a Coke Toast on their campus Friday, Aug. 23.

4. Two new deans begin their tenures.

Two longtime faculty members have begun new roles as the deans of the School of Law and Candler School of Theology.

Richard D. Freer, an esteemed expert on civil procedure and an award-winning teacher and respected leader, became the dean of the Emory School of Law on July 1. During his 40-year tenure as an Emory Law professor, he has established deep-rooted connections at Emory and has inspired, mentored and taught generations of law students.

The opportunity to serve as dean  to finish my career as I started it, leading an exciting new push forward  is a singular honor. I am so grateful for the chance to serve our school as the capstone of my career, Freer says.

Jonathan Strom, professor of church history at Emory and a highly regarded scholar, joined Candler School of Theology in 1997. Through teaching and various leadership roles, Strom has led efforts to support faculty scholarship and development and expand learning opportunities for students. He stepped into the role of dean on Aug. 1.

I love Candler, Strom says. I have spent the overwhelming majority of my career here and care deeply about the school and its people. I am committed to doing everything I can to continue moving the school forward.

5. Some dining options have changed for this academic year.

With the Cox Hall Food Court currently under renovation and set to reopen as the Cox Hall Market for fall 2025, Emory is offering a variety of food options for lunch and extended dinner hours. Food trucks and mobile food carts will be at various locations around campus, including outside Cox Hall near Asbury Circle and the Emory Student Center (ESC). The food vendors will offer a range of new cuisines in addition to Cox Hall favorites.

Emory Dining will continue to provide menus that include vegan, vegetarian, Kosher, Halal and gluten-free foods.

More than 150 additional seats have been added at the Dobbs Common Table (DCT) and more seating has been added in the Emory Student Center. As another option, Emory Dining launched a takeout program in April featuring reusable stainless-steel containers. Students getting food in the DCT can use the containers for carry-out that they can eat later.

Emory Dining has also brought new self-service technology and better grab-and-go options at the Emporium in the ESC. Meal exchange will still be available through the Emporium.

Oxford College dining options include a variety of fare at the Oxford Cafe, Oxford Family Kitchen and Oxpresso. The Oxford Family Kitchen, open until midnight Sunday-Thursday, offers a special late night menu and a variety of grab n go items perfect for those late night study sessions. New this year: Food trucks will be on campus the first Thursday of every month on the Oxford City Green.

Take a seat: Although the space isnt new, the Student Activity and Academic Center (SAAC) on the Clairmont campus has new outdoor furniture for students who are eating, studying or hanging out.

6. New graduate student housing, The Ridge, is now open.

Emory graduate and professional students have a new housing option for the fall semester. The Ridge, located between Haygood and Ridgewood Drives, provides additional space for graduate and professional students on Emorys main campus to live and build community.

The apartment-style housing includes fully furnished, private bedroom and bathroom floor plan options. The new building has a graduate commons that consists of group and individual study spaces, lounge areas, a state-of-the-art fitness center and a communal kitchen.

Because the housing is open to students from all graduate programs, it offers residents a great opportunity to meet people outside their immediate study area. The Ridge is an exciting new addition to the Emory community, and the second phase of construction is currently in the design stage.

7. Activities across campus abound.

Whether you enjoy attending concerts, viewing art exhibitions or learning from inspiring speakers, fall semester has a variety of exciting events.

8. Well-being resources are available for students, faculty and staff.

Well-being is essential to students ability to thrive at Emory and beyond. Within the Emory community, students have access to coordinated and comprehensive medical and psychiatric care, counseling, recreation facilities and programs, and health education targeted at building and maintaining overall well-being.

Students can reach out to Emorys Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) or Oxfords Centers for Counseling and Professional Development for information about confidential support through in-person and online appointments. Last spring, CAPS expanded after-hours support to provide Emory students with confidential assistance 24 hours a day, every day. The Office of Respect also offers students on the Atlanta campus confidential, 24/7 support with concerns related to sexual and relationship-based harm. For medical situations, TimelyCare telehealth services are available to all Emory students free of charge. A variety of well-being resources for students can be found at Be Well, Your Way.

University faculty and staff can access a range of support programs including webinars, well-being check-ins, counseling and more through the Faculty Staff Assistance Program.

9. Follow campus safety tips and prepare to stay informed in an emergency.

Returning to campus is a good time to be reminded of safety tips from the Emory Police Department and the Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR). Get started with these three steps:

Save the Emory Police emergency number in your phone: 404-727-6111.

Complete CEPARs preparedness checklist for students or faculty and staff. You should also review CEPARs Just In Time guide, which details how to handle campus emergencies.

Check out the Emory Safe app. Emory students, faculty and staff can use this free app to share tips and request emergency assistance, 24/7. Emory Safe also includes a FriendWalk feature that allows you to set up a virtual escort as you walk across campus.

10. Know your options for getting to and around campus.

Emorys Transportation and Parking Services Department has important information about parking permits, commuter options and getting around campus safely.
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"It has been evidenced for a long time that government hospitals are more permeable to the public compared to private facilities, making it easier for unauthorized individuals to enter freely. While accessibility is important for providing care, it can also pose security risks. Hospitals sometimes become targeted by acts of violence, including assault on staff, which can be related to disputes, dissatisfaction with medical care, or external criminal activities. Ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals is vital," the letter said.





"Violence or harassment against staff can disrupt operations and affect the quality of care provided to patients. Patient rush increases the potential for conflicts and security breaches. Addressing these concerns requires a comprehensive approach to security that balances accessibility with effective measures to protect patients, staff and the integrity of the facility," it added.





The letter further mentioned taking appropriate action including a sufficient number of High-resolution CCTV cameras installed in different areas to address the safety issues in government health organisations.





"Given these challenges in ensuring security in government hospitals, it is requested to take the following appropriate action to address the security issues in your institute. Proper Display of relevant penal provisions of the State legislation to prevent violence against health care workers in Hospital premises. Sufficient number of High-resolution CCTV cameras to be installed at strategic locations including entrances, exits, corridors, dark spots and sensitive areas. A control room should be set up in the Institute for quick response to an emergent situation. In the Control Room, one admin staff should always be stationed along with security persons," the letter said.





"Employment of an adequate number of well-trained security guards for proper monitoring/patrolling/surveillance of the premises. Entry and exit should be strictly monitored to allow entry to authorized personnel only. Identification badges for staff, patients, and visitors may be issued for easy identification of authorized personnel. Display of I Card by all Hospital Staff while on duty be made mandatory. Appropriate arrangements be made to ensure that all visitors are monitored," it added.





The letter also mentioned training all hospital staff, including doctors and nurses in recognizing and responding to security threats.





"Only one or two attendants be allowed with a patient at any point in time including visiting hours and with an attendant pass only. Restricted access to certain areas may be devised. Comprehensive plans may be drawn for tackling various types of emergencies. These Plans should be regularly updated and rehearsed including the conduct of periodic mock drills to train staff and security personnel for effective responses in emergency scenarios. All hospital staff, including doctors, nurses, and administrative personnel should be trained in recognizing and responding to security threats. They should equipped with appropriate skills to handle emergencies effectively," it said."Public address systems should be devised to quickly disseminate information during emergencies. Dark spots in the campus should be mapped and adequate lighting in the premises should be ensured particularly in the duty areas of the lady health care staff, parking lots, entryways etc. Hospital authorities should ensure a coordinated response in case of incidents in close coordination with local police and emergency services. Security policies should be updated based on feedback and incident analysis," it added."An adequate number of well-secured duty rooms with basic amenities should be provided for female health professionals Deployment of lady health professionals at night should be preferably done in more than one number. They should be escorted to the premises while on duty and proper arrangement of secured transport should be made for them for any movement at night. An adequate number of Patient Facilitators and Patient Coordinators to be engaged in assisting patients providing information and guiding the patients in the Hospitals/Institutes," the letter added.

Following the rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare wrote a letter to the heads of the Central Government hospitals and institutes, including AIIMS/INIs on Tuesday to enhance security measures across all central government healthcare facilities.
Top: Carl Messick and Lisa Barry of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, work with scenting hound Benny near a Southern Illinois waterway. (Photo provided) Below: Nutria can destroy vital wetland habitat with intense foraging. (Public domain image by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) Bottom: SIU graduate student Derek Whipkey looks for signs of aquatic mammals near a waterway in Southern Illinois. (Photo provided)

SIU student researcher tracks invasive rodent as part of study on semiaquatic mammals

by Tim Crosby

CARBONDALE, Ill.  There are four semiaquatic mammals traditionally living in Illinois, but a student researcher at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is using a new technique to keep watch for the presence of a fifth, unwelcome species: nutria, which wreck habitats and spread disease.

Derek Whipkey, a graduate student in zoology, is studying the Southern Illinois distribution of American beaver, muskrat, river otter and American mink, all fur-bearing species that impact the economy. Whipkey also is looking at factors impacting the animals distribution and the interactions among them, especially between beaver and otter.

While hes at it, Whipkey is also looking into reports of nutria making their way into Southern Illinois. Somewhere between the size of a beaver and a muskrat, nutria reproduce multiple times a year and can destroy vital wetland habitat with intense foraging.

A new, unwanted neighbor

Classified as an aquatic rodent, nutria live in burrows alongside water, feeding on plant stems. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has received reports of nutria in Southern Illinois, prompting researchers to look into the presence of these invasive creatures, which traditionally live in South America but have been introduced into North America, Europe and Asia primarily by fur farmers.

Although nutria are still hunted and trapped for in some regions, their destructive burrowing and feeding habits often bring them into conflict with humans, and they are considered an invasive species in the United States. Nutria also can transmit diseases to humans and animals, mainly through water contamination.

Looking for clues

Working with his faculty adviser Guillame Bastille-Rousseau, assistant professor at SIUs Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, and Charlotte Narr, assistant professor of zoology, Whipkey is set up surveillance sites at 67 aquatic areas across Southern Illinois, including Alexander, Pulaski, Massac and Pope counties. At each site, Whipkey looked for visual signs of the mammals presence; a technique known as a sign survey, as well as deploying motion-activated cameras.

A sign survey is a traditional method for determining wildlife presence, Whipkey said. A typical sign survey consists of an observer walking a transect of some designated length, looking for and recording any physical evidence of the target species. In our case, we had two observers walking a 200-meter transect, looking for sign within 5 meters of the water's edge.

Signs can include animal tracks, distinct foraging signs, scat or a number of other indicators unique to a target species.

My goal is to determine the distribution of semiaquatic mammals as well as finding the most efficient method at detecting these species, he said. The sign surveys had the highest detection probability for all native semiaquatic mammal species.

Using a new tool

In order to specifically confirm the presence of nutria, however, Whipkey also used an old-school method for detecting the mammals  a detection dog  as well as a brand-new, high-tech one known as environmental DNA, or eDNA.

This new, noninvasive method does not directly impact the animals but instead relies on collecting genetic material of target species from the environment, most commonly the local water but also soil and air in more recent applications.

Graduate students Adrienne Stanley and Madison Stokoski used a pump to filter water and collect samples, which Whipkey used to possibly catch a genetic whiff indicating the presence of nutria.

The idea is that genetic material in the water will be caught in the filters, he said. We then dry the filters and ship them to collaborators who extract the DNA and determined which species were present or had been present within about a week of the survey samples.

Positive results

The study, funded by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources via the Federal Aid Restoration Act, wraps up in December. So far, eDNA samples have detected nutria at two of the 67 sites Whipkey is surveying. In both cases, the new technique was able to see nutria when other survey methods did not.

While the two positive detections of nutria are interesting, Whipkey said they may not be cause for alarm just yet.

I think it alludes to the idea that nutria are dispersing into Southern Illinois but have yet to be established, he said. There is also the question of if nutria are actually capable of colonizing Southern Illinois. The species is fairly sensitive to cold temperatures and therefore their current range is limited to areas with mild winters. Southern Illinois seems to be right at the border of their range, which may support my previous idea of our detections representing dispersing individuals that are not reproducing.

However, if climate change models are accurate and Illinois becomes warmer, that may change. Whipkey also is in contact with wildlife experts in Maryland, who told him nutria may cope with colder temperatures by losing their tails. Continued monitoring is key.

eDNA is a promising approach that could be an important tool in the early detection of an invasive species, Whipkey said. It could allow wildlife managers to take action before the species becomes established.
PRNewswire New York [US], August 20: Platonic, a blockchain infrastructure technology company, proudly announces the launch of its cutting-edge decentralized tokenization platform. Developed to empower financial institutions, Platonic's platform enables the tokenization of a wide range of assets with unprecedented levels of data privacy and security. The company is positioned to be a driving force in the technological evolution of the financial services industry. Platonic is reinventing tokenization in capital markets. Its patented Layer 1 blockchain prioritizes security and client data protection. Having facilitated hundreds of billions in transactions already through active pilot programs, Platonic's technology enables limitless, secure tokenization for financial institutions. "Our vision is to disrupt tokenization with a fresh take on how issuers and investors interact using advanced technology to build a decentralized network," said Violet Abtahi, founder and CEO of Platonic. "Regardless of the role in the asset lifecycle, our technology will connect customers and partners, automate workflows, and reach new markets, while maintaining complete confidentiality and control of proprietary information." Platonic's platform stands out in its ability to leverage a permissioned private network, ensuring that data privacy and ownership rights are strictly controlled by issuers. This addresses major security concerns in the tokenization process, making it a trusted solution for financial institutions. The technology seamlessly integrates into both legacy and digital financial infrastructures, allowing institutions to maintain business continuity while leveraging the benefits of blockchain technology. Additionally, Platonic's AI-linked smart contracts enhance automation and operational efficiency and enable financial institutions to realize cost savings immediately. The platform connects to public blockchains to facilitate broader market access, liquidity, and distribution. Platonic's approach to tokenization serves as the connective tissue needed to facilitate collaboration, engagement, and accelerated adoption in the digital asset space. By building a vendor and broker-agnostic decentralized network that prioritizes security and data protection, Platonic is poised to transform the future of finance. Abtahi continued, "As the financial industry is moving beyond blockchain experimentation to implementing market-ready solutions, Platonic is committed to serving as the catalyst for advancements in digital assets, driving innovation in capital markets." About PlatonicPlatonic is at the forefront of the next generation of financial market infrastructure. Platonic's permissioned Layer 1 blockchain linked to public chains ensures privacy, security, and business continuity, delivering enterprise-level performance. Platonic's vendor-agnostic approach empowers global financial institutions to participate in a digitized common market infrastructure on a decentralized platform. For more information, visit platonic.io. Media contact:Neal SteinZ Corp PR321.473.7407neals@zcorppr.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2484056/Platonic_Logo.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
VMPL Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 20: FANUC India, a frontrunner in Factory Automation, has announced the expansion of its footprint in Tamil Nadu with the inauguration of a new Technology Center in Neelambur, Coimbatore. The facility was officially opened on July 10, 2024, by Yuki Kita, President and CEO of FANUC India. "For over three decades, FANUC has been a steadfast partner to India, delivering tailored Factory Automation solutions. Our new Coimbatore Technology Center, following in the footsteps of our Chennai facility, underscores FANUC's unwavering commitment to empowering Indian manufacturing and propelling domestic industries to global prominence," Kita affirmed. There are approximately 5,100 + companies in Tamil Nadu of which 2000+ customers are from Coimbatore. The strategically located Technology Centers are an aim to reach out and serve the industries even better. Headquartered in Bengaluru, FANUC India has, for over 30 years, supported the manufacturing sector across the Indian subcontinent. Recognizing Tamil Nadu as a key hub for industrial production, FANUC has consistently focused on the region. In 2023, they inaugurated a new Technology Center in Sriperumbudur, Chennai. FANUC India's operations in Coimbatore since 2002 focussed mainly on Service and Sales. This latest expansion in Coimbatore further strengthens their commitment to Tamil Nadu's burgeoning manufacturing sector. To celebrate this expansion, FANUC has announced a grand Open House event at the new 15,000 square foot facility. The inauguration of the Coimbatore office has met with enthusiasm by the local community, and FANUC is eager to showcase latest technologies and superior automation solutions, at the upcoming open house. This event presents a unique opportunity for manufacturers to explore FANUC's industry-leading automation technologies, including CNC controllers, Laser CNC, Robots, Vertical Machining Centers, Electric Injection Molding machines, and CNC Wire EDM. Combined with complete factory automation system integration and lifetime service support, FANUC offers a one-stop solution for its three core business areas: FA, ROBOT, and ROBOMACHINE. The new office reinforces FANUC's "Service First" motto by providing lifetime support for its products throughout their lifecycle. With 22 service locations across India, including the new Coimbatore office, FANUC offers comprehensive support to customers in five countries across the subcontinent. (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 U.S. Chamber of Commerce appointed Rahul Sharma as the new India-based Managing Director of the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC), effective on Tuesday. According to a statement by US-India Business Council, he will lead a strong team of policy experts dedicated to the over-200 member companies of the Council, and the partnership and prosperity of the both the U.S. and India. The outgoing Managing Director of USIBC, Alexander Slater is returning to Washington, D.C. following USIBC's India Ideas Summit scheduled for September 12th in New Delhi. He has assumed a new role as Senior Advisor to USIBC President and Ambassador (Ret.) Atul Keshap "We are thrilled to welcome Rahul Sharma to the USIBC family," said Ambassador Atul Keshap, USIBC President. He added "Rahul's vast experience and proven track record in media, policy, and corporate advisory and communications will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen the U.S.-India partnership and achieve a shared goal of USD 500 billion in trade. Rahul's globally recognized leadership and hands-on experience managing regulatory and policy developments will further enhance our ability to advocate for our members and build U.S.-India business and investment ties." With nearly four decades of experience, Sharma, a former journalist and newspaper editor, brings extensive knowledge of India's business landscape to USIBC. He joins USIBC following six years of leading APCO India, where he guided corporate clients, managed business and policy advocacy goals, and advised state governments in investment communications. His appointment comes as USIBC prepares to celebrate its Golden Jubilee in 2025, marking 50 years of USIBC's role as the top business voice in the U.S.-India corridor. "I look forward to my new role at USIBC and working with a unique set of people who are committed to enhancing and deepening business and strategic ties between the world's two greatest democracies," said Sharma. He is long recognized as a leading voice in India's public affairs landscape, previously served as Deputy Secretary General for the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), where he was instrumental in driving the organization's membership growth. His background in journalism includes roles with organizations such as Reuters, Hindustan Times, Khaleej Times, and The Economic Times. He is a founding member and past president of the Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI). He holds a master's degree in international affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, a master's degree in international trade and economy from Flinders University, and a post-graduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. During almost five years at USIBC in New Delhi, the outgoing MD Alexander Slater has led USIBC's India team through a period of transformational growth. "I salute Alexander Slater's tenure as head of USIBC's India team, including during the trying years of the pandemic. Alexander's leadership, ambitious vision and commitment to growth and member service have contributed mightily to our current strength and visibility," said Ambassador Keshap. "Alexander's strong connectivity and trust with our Global Board and C-suite leaders around the world, as well as senior U.S. and Indian government officials, makes him a critical asset for strengthening our work and providing sustained value to our members as my trusted senior advisor," Ambassador Keshap continued. "The last five years in India have been the most remarkable journey," said Slater. "I am grateful to our members, government officials in both India and the U.S., and colleagues for their solidarity in our shared mission of building a stronger strategic U.S.-India commercial partnership. I look forward to continuing to contribute to the growth and vibrancy of the bilateral corridor in the United States," added Slater. (ANI)
Ever since the Supreme Court ruled that states can levy taxes on mining retrospectively from April 1, 2005, experts have been arguing that operating costs of Indian mining companies are likely to rise significantly post the apex court ruling. Financial advisory firm Ambit Capital, however, citing a precedent, argues that there is a silver bullet that could somewhat minimize the net impact to companies from prospective dues. The financial advisory firm says that the Union Government can lower the royalty rate on mining to compensate companies "And there's a good precedent to it. When India Cement judgement took away state's power to levy tax, Union Government raised royalty rates multi-fold in 1991 in order to compensate states for the losses. And that's why we have the royalty rates where they are today," Ambit Capital said. In case states start levying taxes retrospectively, Ambit Capital said there is no need for royalties at current rate. "The Union Government can easily lower these rates. That doesn't even require Parliament approval." "Interestingly, since WB (West Bengal) has been collecting mining tax all these years, it's the only state that is deprived of enhanced royalty rate that was allowed in 1991. That's as clear a precedent as one needs. Therefore, net impact to companies from prospective dues would most likely be minimal," Ambit Capital said. On August 14, the Supreme Court ruled that mineral-rich states can collect past dues on royalty and taxes on mines and mineral-bearing land from April 1, 2005, from both the Centre and mining lease holders. A nine-judge Constitution bench has directed that the past dues be paid in a staggered manner over the next 12 years, starting from April 1, 2026. On Monday, Fitch Ratings said operating costs of Indian mining companies are likely to rise significantly if states impose additional mining taxes, as allowed by the Supreme Court in the recent judgment. At the same time, Fitch expects limited financial impact on mining companies as the payment of past dues are to be paid in a staggered manner in a long time frame of 12 years. S&P Global Ratings had earlier asserted that a shift in the tax landscape for mining companies would have a pass-on effect on steel and other industries, and ultimately on the Indian consumer. (ANI)
ATK New Delhi [India], August 20: In a remarkable convergence of tradition and modernity, iFestival 2024, hosted by the JD Institute of Fashion Technology, a subsidiary of JD Image Promotions Ltd, redefined the essence of global fashion and artistry. Held at the iconic JLN Indoor Stadium in Delhi on August 9th and 10th, this year's event transcended mere exhibition to become a vibrant celebration of cultural diversity and creative innovation. The grandeur of iFestival 2024 was underscored by its meticulously curated segments: TFA - The Fashion Awards, Exhibit X, and Camp 11820. Each segment offered a unique lens into the evolving worlds of fashion, interior design, and artistic expression. TFA honoured groundbreaking fashion designs, while Exhibit X captivated with avant-garde interior exhibits, and Camp 11820 showcased pioneering art installations. Global Spectacle: Russian and Colombian Embassies Shines at iFestival One of the highlights of iFestival 2024 was the participation of international embassies, bringing a global flavour to the event. The Russian and Colombian embassies presented their cultural attire during the final runway walk, exemplifying a remarkable fusion of tradition and modernity. Russian Elegance Meets Modern Fusion On August 9th, the Russian Embassy presented a collection of five exquisite female garments in Show 2, that masterfully combined the elegance of Russian tradition with contemporary fashion elements. The collection featured: 1. A Russian shirt, spaghetti top, skirt, and headgear 2. A Russian spaghetti top, skirt, and headgear 3. A blue ensemble with upper garment, bottom wear, and headgear 4. A black and red combination with upper garment, bottom wear, shirt, and headgear 5. A red one-piece dress with a white shirt, red ribbon, and headgear Each piece was a testament to the seamless blend of heritage and innovation, captivating the audience with its timeless beauty and modern flair. Colombian Vibrance and Rich Heritage On August 10th, the Colombian Embassy showcased nine outfits (seven female and two male) in Show 1, representing the country's rich cultural tapestry. The collection included: Female Attire: * White Caribbean Dress: Embracing the traditional colours of Colombia's flag. * Red Skirt Dress: Inspired by the iconic "la pollera colora" cumbia. * Wayuu Dress: Handwoven by the indigenous Wayuu community, renowned for its vibrant colours and traditional fabric. * Vueltiao Hat Dress: Featuring a black blouse and skirt ensemble paired with the traditional Vueltiao hat, reflecting the cultural significance of Colombia's Barraquilla Carnival. * Traditional Carranga Dress: Representing peasant labour and Colombian peasant traditions. * Pacific Coast Dress: Showcasing traditional attire from Colombia's Pacific coast, including a scarf and hat. Male Attire: * Caribbean Costume: Highlighting the iconic "sombrero vueltiao," a handcrafted hat made of cane reed thread. * Paisa Costume: Reflecting the artisan coffee culture of Colombia's Andean region, with attire inspired by Juan Valdez, including an apron, poncho, and "aguadeno" hat. Transforming the Fashion and Artistic Expression iFestival 2024 was more than a mere event; it was a transformative experience that showcased how fashion can serve as a bridge between cultures. In the words of both the embassies, "Participating in iFestival 2024 has been a remarkable experience for us. It has provided an excellent opportunity to display our vibrant and diverse cultural heritage through our traditional attire. The festival's dedication to celebrating global cultures and its ability to blend tradition with innovation has been impressive, and we are proud to contribute to this celebration of creativity and cultural exchange." By integrating meticulously designed cultural attire from Russia and Colombia, the festival not only celebrated global artistry but also redefined contemporary fashion. Director Akshra Dalal expressed her enthusiasm about the event's success and its significance: "The participation of the Russian and Colombian embassies at iFestival 2024 brought a vibrant and diverse cultural dimension to the festival. We are honoured to have provided a platform where these distinct cultural narratives could intertwine with the creative innovations of our students. This year's festival truly exemplifies how fashion and design transcend boundaries and celebrate global unity." About the JD Institute of Fashion and Technology Established in 1988, the JD Institute of Fashion Technology has long been a trailblazer in shaping the future of design education. With a vision to elevate fashion, art, and interior design beyond borders, the institute has consistently pioneered innovative approaches to creative education. As a subsidiary of JD Image Promotions Ltd, the JD Institute has expanded its global reach by fostering cross-cultural dialogues and showcasing design excellence on an international stage. Through its cutting-edge events and exhibitions, the institute not only celebrates creative ingenuity but also bridges diverse cultural perspectives, setting new standards for global design and artistic expression. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
VMPL New Delhi [India], August 20: Brand Street Integrated has been Great Place To Work Certified in India from July, 2024 to July, 2025! This prestigious certification is a testament to the organization's commitment to fostering an inclusive, engaging, and employee-centric workplace. Great Place To Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Their employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting, and insights they need to make strategic people decisions. "We are thrilled to receive this certification, which underscores our dedication to creating a positive and dynamic work environment where every team member feels valued and empowered," said Surendra Singh, Managing Director at Brand Street Integrated. "Our people are our greatest asset, and this recognition reaffirms our commitment to fostering a culture of trust, collaboration, and continuous growth." Great Place To Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Their mission is to help every place become a great place to work for all. Their recognition is the most coveted and respected in the world for elevating employer brands to attract the right people. Their proprietary methodology and platform enable organizations to truly capture, analyze, and understand the experience of all employees. Our groundbreaking research empowers organizations to build cultures that retain talent and unlock the potential of every employee. Since 1992, their Certification, Best Workplaces Lists, and global benchmarks have become the industry standard, built on data from more than 100 million employees in 150 countries around the world. Learn more at https://www.greatplacetowork.in/ and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. About Brand Street Integrated Brand Street Integrated (BSI), situated in Gurgaon, is a comprehensive integrated marketing agency that assists businesses from launch to awareness, visibility, and penetration, which encompasses Modern Trade, Consumer Marketing, Merchandising, OOH and rural reach. Founded in 2015, BSI is currently powered by 150+ individuals, and with Mr Surendra Singh, the CEO's long-term goal to prosper, BSI has been honored by the WOW Asia Awards for their remarkable achievements, and Brand Equity has also nominated BSI as Best Innovation during the Pandemic. (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)
PRNewswire Chandigarh [India], August 20: "During the last 5 years, Chandigarh University has emerged as a Centre-of-excellence for research and innovation, as it provides the students ample number of opportunities through funding and mentoring to young and innovative minds who want to pursue Research as a serious career for themselves," says a Computer Science and Engineering student and young innovator at Chandigarh University. With the help of Chandigarh University, Navjot Singh who hails from Ludhiana, Punjab and son of an Indian Army Officer has filed a record number of 77 patents including 'Revolutionizing Network Security with Sustainability,' 'Smart Baby Toy Revolutionizes Parenting,' and 'Intelligent IoT-Enabled Library Bookshelves.' His patent list also includes 'Revolutionary Portable Device Integrating Nano-Sensors and IoT (Internet of Things) for Early Detection of Plant Pathogens,' 'Real-Time AI-Powered System for Network Anomaly Detection,' and 'Revolutionary Handheld Cyber Security Device: Advanced Data Protection and Secure Communication in a Compact Form.' Making Chandigarh University proud, Navjot has been awarded many national and international awards for his excellence and achievements. Recently, he was selected for the Faculty Development Program (FDP) and an eight-day training session focused on Universal Human Values (UHV-2) by the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), an Apex body and a regulator of technical education in the country. Besides being awarded the Baroda Achiever Award 2024 with a cash prize of Rs 31,000, Navjot also received CU's Best Researcher of the Year award on the 56th Engineer's Day. He also qualified among 35 teams in the Smart India Hackathon organized by the Government of India. Navjot ranked 6th out of 100 teams in the e-Suraksha Hackathon 2024 organized by Computer Society of India. He also ranked first in the Faculty Development Program on Disaster Management and Preparedness 2023 which was organized by NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT (NIDM), Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India. Apart from this, Navjot demonstrated his talent by securing All India Rank 23 in the Placement Assignment Test 2023 organized by Coding Ninja. Internationally, Navjot has received Certificate of Excellence for Book Chapter Reviews in California from BP International, Certificate of Training on Bushfire from University of Newcastle, Australia, and selection as Technical Program Committee Member in Society for Research Development (SRD). He has also received Certificate of Excellence for Book Chapter Reviews in California from BP International, Certificate of Training on Bushfire from University of Newcastle, Australia, and selection as Technical Program Committee Member in Society for Research Development (SRD). Navjot has published more than 70 research papers and book chapters. He has received the Best Paper Presentation Award at the IEEE- International Conference on Power Electronics, Intelligent Control and Energy Systems (IEEE-ICPEICES 2024), International Conference on Recent Developments in Cyber Security ReDCySec-2024, International Conference on Computational Intelligence and Computing Applications (ICCICA-2024), International Symposium on Computing and Communication Systems for Industrial Applications (ComSIA), Second International Conference on Data Science and Information Systems (ICDSIS-2024). Navjot has received the Certificate of Recognition as a reviewer at the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Future Science (ICAIFS '24), Fourth International Conference on Electrical, Computer and Energy Technologies (ICECET-2024), International Conference on Information Technology, Electronics and Intelligent Communication Systems (ICITEICS). Lauding the achievements of Navjot Singh Talwandi, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and Chancellor of Chandigarh University Satnam Singh said, "Navjot's achievements are the result of his hard work and commitment to his passion for work. His achievements are an inspiration to other students." Highlighting the commitment of Chandigarh University to provide best learning opportunities to its students, Satnam Singh Sandhu said Chandigarh University is dedicated to providing top-class educational experience to students since its inception. "At Chandigarh University, we nurture talent, fuel dreams, and foster innovation. Our commitment to excellence has paved the way for countless success stories across diverse fields. Chandigarh University has always encouraged students to excel by providing academic excellence as well as a conducive environment and state-of-the-art facilities for research and innovation. For this, we have 30 industry-sponsored advanced research laboratories and 32 centers of excellence established by leading multinational companies. In addition, the University has an international research network with more than 250 universities in more than 60 countries. To further encourage research, the University has reserved a budget of Rs 15 crore this year," the Chancellor added. Expressing his gratitude to Chandigarh University, Navjot Singh Talwandi said that Chandigarh University has played an important role in shaping his academic journey. "Chandigarh University not only provides state-of-the-art facilities, adequate funding and support to the students but also provides excellent guidance to its students. My success is largely due to the strong training and career support of Chandigarh University. The University ensures that researchers are able to face real-world challenges. I am grateful for the opportunities and encouragement provided by Chandigarh University, which has helped me in my career," he said. He further added, "Currently India ranks 40th in Global Innovation Index and I have a dream to contribute through my research and see my nation ranks amongst the Top Nations in Innovation." About Chandigarh University Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+ Grade University and QS World Ranked University. This autonomous educational institution is approved by UGC and is located near Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. It is the youngest university in India and the only private university in Punjab to be honoured with A+ Grade by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). CU offers more than 109 UG and PG programs in the field of engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce, and others. It has been awarded as The University with Best Placements by WCRC. Website address: https://www.cuchd.in/ Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2485461/Navjot_Singh_CU.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
PRNewswire Chandigarh [India], August 20: In today's globalised world, global exposure plays a key role in shaping the future of students as it provides valuable opportunities to experience diverse cultures, gain new perspectives and explore academic environments beyond the home country. In such a scenario, global collaborations between academic institutions play a vital role in preparing students for the global workforce. It not only provides students opportunities for international study and work for a period of time, but also helps in getting access to resources and expertise required for careers in a global economy. To provide international exposure to its students and enhance employment opportunities abroad, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, is the first and the only university in India to forge 502 partnerships with top-ranked international universities in popular study-abroad destinations. Some of these institutions include the oldest universities across the world, thus offering a rich mixture of historic heritage, contemporary outlook and modern opportunities to Chandigarh University students. Even more, Chandigarh University's partner universities include 236 Universities with QS World Rankings and 208 Times Higher Education (THE) ranked top Universities of the world. As QS World Rankings and THE Rankings are significant benchmarks for assessing the quality and competitiveness of higher education institutions worldwide, study opportunities at such top-ranked universities provide exposure to world-class education and improves job prospects of Chandigarh University students. Prof. (Dr) Rajan Sharma, Director International Affairs and International Admissions, Chandigarh University, said, "Chandigarh University offers students the chance to study in over 95 countries across six continents, including countries such as Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Georgia, Russia, Italy, Germany, Finland, and Poland in Europe; the USA and Canada in North America; Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand in Asia; as well as regions in Africa, South America, and Australia." He said with these global collaborations, Chandigarh University provides its students various study abroad opportunities, including student exchange programs, summer training, semester exchanges, master's degrees or PhDs abroad, joint workshops, conferences, research projects, faculty exchanges, dual degree programs, and international employment prospects. Through its International Semester Abroad and Semester Exchange Programs, Chandigarh University provides a valuable opportunity for students to enhance their employability and enrich their degrees by immersing them in diverse cultural experiences. Under semester exchange programs to Europe, Asia, South Africa, South America, etc., students aren't required to pay tuition fees abroad and the fee only has to be paid at Chandigarh University. Under semester abroad programs to USA, UK, Australia, etc., a reduced semester fee has to be paid at the international university, while no fee is to be paid at Chandigarh University. Prof. (Dr) Rajan Sharma said, "Chandigarh University also offers International Transfer Programs (ITPs), which allow students to complete an initial part of their degree at Chandigarh University and transfer to a foreign country to get a complete degree from a foreign University, in streams such as Engineering, Medicines, Architecture, Management, Journalism, Psychology, Animation and Nutrition & Pharmacy etc." The ITPs offer numerous benefits, with the most notable being a significant reduction in foreign tuition fees--up to 50 percent--due to completing the initial portion of the course at Chandigarh University. Other advantages include relaxed entry criteria, access to academic scholarships, and full housing scholarships at prestigious universities. These programs enable students to earn internationally recognized degrees, which can greatly enhance their academic and professional prospects, boost employability, refine their professional portfolios, and increase the overall value of their degree. The ITPs also provide the students with the chance to pursue international professional prospects after their graduation. It gives the students Work Visa Rights, applicable to any degree of 1-3 years, providing them enhanced professional opportunities. So far, Chandigarh University has helped more than 1900 students in realising their dream of studying abroad and attaining employment there by taking part in international academic programs at prominent universities across the world as part of internships, scholarships and semester exchange programs. These students received scholarships worth Rs 82 Crore and amongst them the highest scholarship of Rs 1.28 crore has been given to one of the students. During this period, Chandigarh University students visited Deakin University, Australia, Vancouver Island University, Canada, University of New Castle, Australia, Saint Petersburg University, Russia, University of North America, USA and Park Royal Penang, Malaysia among other premiere universities. CU has an international research network with more than 250 universities in over 60 countries in various fields such as Engineering, Hospitality, Management and Sciences. Prof. (Dr) Rajan Sharma said, "An internationalised university is concerned with the development of a multicultural community of students and staff, preparing its students for global political and social environments, and the development of international alliances in research, education and business. For this, Chandigarh University works closely with leading Universities around the world through strategic alliances and links. With this, the standard of education at CU is currently at par with the best in the world, as over 1500 international faculty members from partner universities are currently associated with Chandigarh University as guest faculty. More than 100 international students have also joined the university for studies as part of the semester exchange programmes, as part of the Chandigarh University's international collaborations which allow students and scholars from universities around the world to study at the University," he said. The number of CU students who are visiting the top global universities have been increasing with the passage of each year and it's set to become even bigger in the new academic session 2024-25 with an increased number of opportunities at top foreign universities. About Chandigarh University Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+ Grade University and QS World Ranked University. This autonomous educational institution is approved by UGC and is located near Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. It is the youngest university in India and the only private university in Punjab to be honoured with A+ Grade by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). CU offers more than 109 UG and PG programs in the field of engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce, and others. It has been awarded as The University with Best Placements by WCRC. Website address: https://www.cuchd.in/ Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2485549/Chandigarh_University_Internship_Offers.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
PNN New Delhi [India], August 20: In the journey of youth, every child faces moments of uncertainty. However, at the Ultadanga Government-Aided Girls' Senior Secondary School, these moments of confusion run deeper. Most of the girls here come from underprivileged backgrounds, where traditional family values often leave them uncertain about their future. To address this, the International Youth Development Foundation (IYDF) partnered with Sadhu Fruit Store, a local community business, to launch a special outreach program aimed at lighting the way for these young girls. Subha Kundu, the owner of Sadhu Fruit Store, was moved by the struggles these girls face and decided to take action. With a team of dedicated volunteers who share a deep concern for the well-being of these students, they provided not only essential supplies but also hope and guidance. On the day of the event, 136 girls gathered at the school to receive carefully prepared items: apples, bananas, biscuits, candies, as well as notebooks, pens, sanitary pads, and lunch boxes. Yet, the support extended far beyond material aid. The most profound impact came from the heartfelt conversations volunteers had with the girls--discussions about planning for the future, the transformative power of education, and finding one's path amidst uncertainty. Female volunteers, in particular, offered invaluable advice on menstrual hygiene, helping the girls understand and embrace the changes they were experiencing. Reflecting on the day, Subha Kundu remarked, "I know firsthand what it's like to feel lost at that age, so I deeply empathize with these girls. Although this was our first time organizing such an event and there were some imperfections, seeing the smiles on their faces made every effort worthwhile. I'm immensely grateful to IYDF for their support, which gave us the confidence to take this step. We're committed to doing even better in the future." This collaboration between IYDF and Sadhu Fruit Store was not just an act of material support but also a meaningful exchange of experiences and emotional encouragement. It conveyed a powerful message: no matter where you come from or how difficult life may seem, as long as you hold onto hope, you can find your way to a brighter future. This event may be just a small chapter in these girls' lives, but the impact will stay with them as they move toward a broader, more promising horizon. (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)
Gambia is in talks with India to leverage the latter's mining expertise, particularly for discovering critical minerals. Replying to a question on India and Gambia's collaboration in the field of critical minerals during the ongoing CII India Africa Business Conclave, Nani Juwara, Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Gambia, said he had some discussions with the Indian ambassador to Gambia regarding "some of the areas" that they wanted to cooperate with the government of India, especially in the areas of critical minerals. Critical minerals are those minerals that are essential for economic development and national security. It is imperative to identify and develop value chains for the minerals which are critical to the country. Talking to ANI during the conclave on Tuesday, the Gambian minister, who took charge of the department recently, said, "I think we are very optimistic. We have already started the discussions with the ambassador, the Indian ambassador to the Gambia when he made a courtesy call on me when I was appointed as the minister." Both countries have started discussions around critical minerals, particularly where Gambia would "require some support from India because we know that the Indian government has a lot of experience and expertise in those areas," the minister said. "There are a lot of companies that are also operating in the areas of critical minerals. So we were looking forward to those engagements, and that's why we are here (in India), so that we can further those engagements to at least...have that partnership with companies that have the real expertise to come to Gambia," he added. "(Indian companies) can support our geological department to be able to do the required investigation, so that some of the critical minerals that we have not yet discovered, which we believe are in-country, but because the surveys that we are doing are not detailed, and some of them have some limitations, and we wanted to see how this can be expanded so that some of those critical minerals that are of economic value to our country can also be discovered," the minister added. Critical minerals that are discovered in Gambia would benefit both the countries, the minister said. In June 2023, India had identified 30 critical minerals taking into account its requirements for sectors like defence, agriculture, energy, pharmaceutical, and telecom, and in line with its Atmanirbar (self-reliance) roadmap. Those critical minerals are Antimony, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Hafnium, Indium, Lithium, Molybdenum, Niobium, Nickel, PGE, Phosphorous, Potash, REE, Rhenium, Silicon, Strontium, Tantalum, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Vanadium, Zirconium, Selenium, and Cadmium. They are expected to serve as a guiding framework for policy formulation, strategic planning, and investment decisions in the mining sector. Further, on possible collaboration in the petroleum sector, the minister said his country has a lot of potential. "There are a lot of prospects for companies to come and also work with us, partner with us, to explore our petroleum potentials. We have a lot of potential," he said. Citing Senegal, a neighboring country, which has just discovered a large quantity of oil and already started production, the Gambian minister said his country is in the same geological belt. "So we also believe that we also have oil," he said. "It's just a matter of time, but we believe that we are going to also discover and drill our oil." (ANI)
PNN Puducherry [India], August 20: International Youth Development Foundation (IYDF) partnered with Best Inn Laundry Service to host a heartfelt aid event at JANANI HOME for GIRLS in Pondicherry. This initiative not only provided essential supplies to the children but also brought them moments of joy and emotional support, creating lasting memories of warmth and kindness. Thoughtful Assistance: Delivering Essential Supplies with Care The event was organized by Kidhar Mohindine, with the support of dedicated volunteers Parveen Banu and Raleena. They arrived at the event with a wide array of carefully selected items, including rice, black beans, sugar, tea leaves, bath soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hair oil, face wash, notebooks, pencils, pens, erasers, sharpeners, rulers, school bags, as well as a variety of snacks and cakes. These supplies not only met the children's daily needs but also provided them with the tools necessary for learning and growth. Moments of Joy: Heartfelt Interactions with the Children The event commenced at 7:00 PM, enveloping the space in a relaxed and joyful atmosphere. The volunteers engaged with the children through conversations and playful interactions, ensuring that every child felt the warmth and care intended for them. Laughter echoed throughout the venue, and the children's smiles served as the greatest reward for the volunteers. Reflections from Volunteers: Learning and Growth Through Giving After the event, Kidhar Mohindine shared his thoughts: "There is so much in this world for us to learn and explore. Through this event, we not only provided material help to these children but also learned a great deal from them. Seeing their smiles fills me with a deep sense of satisfaction and contentment." IYDF's Vision: Building a Brighter Future Together This collaboration with Best Inn Laundry Service represents another significant step in IYDF's mission to improve the lives of underprivileged children. Through such initiatives, IYDF not only delivers aid but also ensures that these children feel the support and care of their communities. IYDF remains committed to working alongside more partners to bring warmth and hope to children in need around the world. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
The President of the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA), Suresh Shyamlal Gupta has written a letter to the streaming giants for the inclusion of more Kannada films in their streaming library. He wrote a letter to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Sony Liv, MX Player, Zee5 and others. In his letter, he mentioned that this lack of representation not only demoralizes the creative talent within the Kannada film industry but also deprives a global audience of the rich and diverse cultural narratives of Kannada cinema. He added that recently actor Rishab Shetty, who won the Best Actor in a Leading Role award at the 70th National Film Awards for his directorial film 'Kantara', expressed his concern over the lack of representation of Kannada cinema on major OTT platforms. "Dear CEO, I am writing to you on behalf of the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA), representing the interests and aspirations of countless artists, technicians, and workers within the Kannada film industry. Recently, acclaimed Kannada filmmaker and actor Rishab Shetty expressed his deep concern regarding the lack of representation for Kannada films on major OTT platforms," he wrote in the letter. He continued that although Kannada cinema is getting global attention and receiving several accolades, it is often overlooked by digital platforms. "Despite Kannada films winning prestigious awards and receiving international recognition at various film festivals, they are frequently overlooked by leading digital platforms. This unfortunate reality often forces filmmakers to release their work on YouTube, significantly limiting the films' reach and potential revenue," he further mentioned in his letter. He urged the streaming platforms to include Kannada films to have multiple benefits. "Including Kannada films on your platform can have multiple benefits. By providing space for Kannada films, you would not only enhance the diversity of content but also unlock significant revenue potential. Kannada films have a dedicated fan base, and their increased availability on your platform can lead to higher engagement and subscriptions," he added. "Moreover, this inclusion would create more opportunities for workers, technicians, and artists in the Kannada film industry. A broader platform presence means more chances for new and emerging talent, while also encouraging the industry to produce more films specifically for OTT platforms. This increased production will lead to a more vibrant and profitable partnership, benefiting both your platform and the Kannada film industry," he added how including the Kannada films can give opportunities to different people in the industry. The letter concluded with, "We are confident that such an initiative will be mutually beneficial, allowing your platform to support regional cinema while also enriching its content offerings. Kannada cinema has a wealth of stories waiting to be discovered, and with your support, we can bring these stories to a global audience." (ANI)
In a significant development regarding the case surrounding the death of actor Matthew Perry, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) confirmed that doctors Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez have surrendered their registrations to prescribe medication. This decision comes amid allegations connecting them to Perry's tragic passing, confirmed E! News. Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing on 'Friends', was discovered deceased in the hot tub of his California home on October 28, 2023. The Los Angeles Medical Examiner later ruled his death an accidental result of "acute effects of ketamine" combined with drowning. The Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed on August 15 that Plasencia and Chavez are among five individuals charged in relation to Perry's death. These charges include accusations of exploiting Perry's ongoing battle with drug addiction, according to E! News. Plasencia, a primary defendant in the case, is alleged to have collaborated with Perry's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, to distribute approximately 20 vials of ketamine to Perry between September and October 2023 in exchange for USD 55,000 in cash. According to E! News, Iwamasa pleaded guilty on August 7 to conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. Further complicating matters, Plasencia is accused of texting Chavez, a San Diego-based physician who allegedly sold ketamine to Plasencia, to discuss the financial aspects of their transactions. One message reportedly sent by Plasencia read, "I wonder how much this moron will pay," according to E! News. Plasencia faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of ketamine distribution, and two counts of altering and falsifying documents related to the federal investigation. If convicted, the 42-year-old could face up to 30 years in federal prison. Plasencia has not yet entered a public plea and was released on bond on August 16, according to E! News. Chavez, who is scheduled for arraignment on August 30, has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison, according to E! News. Amid the ongoing investigation, Perry's friends and family continue to honour his legacy. 'Friends' creator Marta Kauffman recently urged fans to celebrate Perry's memory by supporting drug treatment centers and enjoying his work on 'Friends'. Kauffman stated, "Two things come to mind [about how to celebrate him]: one of them is to donate to drug treatment centers--let's fight the disease. And the second way is to watch 'Friends' and remember him not as a man who died like that but as a man who was hilariously funny and brought joy to everybody." The investigation into Perry's death remains active as the legal proceedings continue. (ANI)
Actor Riteish Deshmukh has expressed his shock and anger over the alleged sexual assault of two minor girls in Maharashtra's Badlapur. The Badlapur incident has come just days after the horrific rape and murder of a trainee doctor that took place at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. Riteish took to his X account on Tuesday and expressed his pain and frustration. He also demanded the "harshest punishment" for the guilty in the case. In his post, the actor, who is also a parent, wrote, "As a parent am absolutely disgusted, pained and raging with anger!! Two 4 year old girls were sexually assaulted by the male cleaning staff member of the school. Schools are supposed to be as safe a place for kids as their own homes. Harshest punishment needs to be given to this demon. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in his times gave the guilty what they deserved - Chaurang- we need these laws back in action. #BadlapurCrime." https://x.com/Riteishd/status/1825871862879920565 The alleged sexual assault of two minor girls at a school in Badlapur, Maharashtra, has sparked widespread outrage. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has ordered a high-level probe into the incident and said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been formed to investigate the case and that those found guilty would face strict action. "I have taken serious cognizance of the incident in Badlapur. An SIT has already been formed in this matter and we are also going to take action against the school where the incident took place. We are in the process of fast-track this case, and no one will be spared if found guilty," CM Eknath Shinde told ANI. Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis ordered the formation of an SIT headed by Inspector General of Police-level senior IPS officer Arti Singh to investigate the incident. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray also spoke on the issue and said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was about to pass the 'Shakti Bill' but his government was 'toppled' by the current chief minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde. Earlier in the day, a massive protest was held at Badlapur Railway Station against the alleged sexual assault incident involving two minor girls at a school in Thane district. Protestors blocked tracks, causing a halt in local trains while protesting against the alleged sexual assault. Incidents of stone pelting were also reported. Following this, police resorted to lathi-charge and tear gas to disperse the protestors. (ANI)
Speaking to ANI during the occasion, CM Sai expressed his happiness and also extended greetings to the people of Chhattisgarh.

"My greetings to all the people of Chhattisgarh, on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. I don't have a real sister, those men who don't have their sisters wish they had sisters. Today I am very happy, so many sisters came here today and tied Rakhi to me," CM Sai said.

The Chief Minister earlier offered prayers in Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

"We prayed to Baba Mahakal for the peace and prosperity of Chhattisgarh, to maintain brotherhood and that everyone works towards development together," CM Vishnu Deo Sai said.

Raksha Bandhan is a traditional Hindu festival deeply rooted in Indian culture and has been celebrated for centuries, symbolising the bond between brothers and sisters. On this day, sisters tie the rakhi around their brothers' wrists for protection and, in return, brothers offer gifts as a symbol of love and care for their sisters. (ANI)
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi offered condolences on Monday on the demise of a CRPF inspector during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur. In a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi said that the news was extremely sad and also strongly condemns terrorism. "The news of the martyrdom of CRPF Inspector Kuldeep Kumar during an encounter with terrorists in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir is extremely sad. May God grant peace to the departed soul. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family. The entire country is united against terrorism and strongly condemns it in one voice," she said. A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) inspector was killed during an intense gunfight with terrorists in the Cheel and Dudu regions of Udhampur district on August 19. Security has been tightened across the region following the encounter. Speaking to ANI, Udhampur-Reasi Range DIG Rayees Mohammad Bhat said, "This is very sad, but it is part of our duty. It is a jungle area, without roads and networks. Here, we are facing various challenges. We are using technology and drones, and we are trying to neutralise the threat as soon as possible." The Union Territory is set to witness the assembly elections after a gap of 10 years with the last polls held in 2014. The polling in the UT will be held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, as per the Election Commission of India. The counting of the votes will take place on October 4. There are a total of 90 assembly constituencies, of which 74 are general, nine are ST, and seven are SC. (ANI)
The central government has directed airport, ports and border authorities to remain vigilant in response to the global rise in Mpox cases, according to sources. Officials sources told ANI, "We have alerted airports, ports and borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan. Three central hospitals will have facilities for isolation like Safdarjung hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia hospital and Lady Hardinge." As per sources, the Union Health Ministry held meetings with experts on the new virus scare which "is different" from the previous Monkey pox virus. "We had a meeting with states and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) last week. Point of entries are on alert. It's a self limiting virus. There is no correlation of Mpox with COVID. Nodal officers are already in Hospitals. Testing facilities are available at 32 ICMR centers. The symptoms of MPox are like of chickenpox," sources said. "Chances of mortality is high but their is Low chance to affect India. This disease occurs with rashes," they added. Earlier, PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, led a review meeting to assess the nation's preparedness for Mpox. Enhanced surveillance measures are now in place to ensure prompt detection and response. The high-level meeting was briefed that, as of now, there is no reported case of Mpox in the country. As per the present assessment, the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified Mpox as a public health emergency of international concern due to its prevalence in various parts of Africa. However, no travel advisories have been issued by the WHO at this time. (ANI)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi paid floral tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary, at Veer Bhumi in the national capital on Tuesday. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also paid tribute to former PM Rajiv Gandhi and said that the former PM, with his unprecedented contribution, brought India into the 21st century. "Today the country is celebrating Sadbhavana Diwas. Former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, was a great son of India. He ignited a ray of hope in crores of Indians and with his unprecedented contribution, he brought India into the 21st century," Kharge posted on X. "His many notable initiatives like lowering of voting age to 18 years, strengthening of Panchayati Raj, telecom and IT revolution, computerisation programmes, continuing peace accords, women empowerment, universal immunisation programme and new education policy with emphasis on inclusive education brought about transformational changes in the country. We pay heartfelt tribute to Bharat Ratna, Rajiv Gandhi ji on his birth anniversary," he added. The Congress Party said that Rajiv Gandhi championed modernity, technology, and youth empowerment. "Today, we pay tribute to the visionary leader Shri Rajiv Gandhi, who championed modernity, technology, and youth empowerment. His commitment to unity, secularism, and a progressive India continues to guide us as we renew our dedication to building a prosperous and inclusive nation," the official handle of the Congress Party posted on X. Party RS MP Jairam Ramesh also celebrated Rajiv Gandhi's contribution to India's political and technological landscape. "Today is Rajiv Gandhi@80. His was a short but very consequential political life. The March 1985 Budget in which he played a key role heralded a new approach to economic policy. The manifesto for the 1991 Lok Sabha elections, on which he spent long hours a few weeks before his tragic assassination, provided the foundations for the Rao-Manmohan Singh reforms of June-July 1991. Peace accords in troubled regions of the country like Assam, Punjab, Mizoram, and Tripura were made possible by his statesmanship that put national interest over the immediate interests of his party.... We recall not just a Prime Minister today but also a very fine and caring human being who bore no malice showed no vindictiveness, sought no revenge, indulged in no bombast and self-glory, and exhibited no qualities of self-delusion," Ramesh said in a post on X. Rajiv Gandhi took over the charge of the Congress in 1984, following the assassination of his mother and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He became India's youngest Prime Minister at the age of 40. Born on August 20, 1944, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, on May 21, 1991. (ANI)
Multiple cases have been registered against Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj in three different police stations in Mumbai for allegedly making objectionable remarks about Prophet Mohammad and his wife. The FIRs were registered at Nirmal Nagar Police Station, Mahim and Pydhonie Police Stations for hurting religious sentiments. Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj, during a recently held religious event, allegdely made derogatory remarks against Islam and Prophet Mohammed, which created tension between the two communities. The police have registered an FIR against Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj under sections 196(1)(A), 197(1)(D), 299, 302, 352, 353(1)(b), 353(1)(C) and 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and have started an investigation. Earlier on Saturday, a case was registered against Ramgiri Maharaj under various sections by Wagle police station in Thane for allegedly making controversial statements against the Prophet Mohammed and Islam. Hundreds of people from the Muslim community reached Wagle Police Station in Wagle complex of Thane district of Maharashtra and demanded to register a case against Ramgiri Maharaj against Muslims Various religious leaders of the Muslim community of Thane were also present in the police station. Police filed FIR under sections 353 (1) (b) "inciting another class of community", 353 (1) C, 353 (2) spreading rumours or making false accusations in the name of religion or caste, 353 promoting violence against any religion, "299 deliberately inciting any religious sentiments", "302 inciting murder", 196 (1) a, "356 making false statement", "352 deliberately disturbing peace", "351 making statement about any person" of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Earlier on Friday, August 16, violence broke out in Nashik following a protest march against the anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh. 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. 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." (ANI)
Two people have been arrested by the Pune police for blood sample manipulation in the 'Pune Porche crash' case, said Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar. Both were arrested on Monday night by the Pune crime branch. They are allegedly involved in swapping the blood samples of two friends of the main minor accused who were present in the car during the accident. The accused will be produced before the court for remand on Tuesday. Further investigation is underway. More details on the matter are awaited. Earlier in July, a case was registered by the Pune crime branch unit after the accident against the parents of the accused minor and doctors of Sassoon Hospital, including two others. They were booked for allegedly conspiring to tamper with evidence and manipulating the blood sample. The case pertains to the May 19 incident. A Porsche car, allegedly driven by a minor in an inebriated condition, hit two IT professionals, killing them in the Kalyani Nagar area of Pune. There was a nationwide uproar after the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) granted bail to the accused on very lenient terms, including writing a 300-word essay on road safety. The uproar caused the Women and Child Development Department to form a panel to investigate the conduct of JJB members in giving bail to minors. As part of his bail conditions, the minor was required to submit an essay on road safety, highlighting the importance of responsible driving and the consequences of reckless behaviour. The minor ploughed his swanky Porsche into the two IT professionals, who were travelling on a bike, killing them on the spot on the night of May 19. The Pune police have filed a 900-page chargesheet against the seven accused, including the parents of the juvenile involved in the accident. The case against the main accused, a minor, is ongoing before the Juvenile Justice Board. A case was registered by the Pune crime branch unit after the accident against the parents of the accused minor and doctors of Sassoon Hospital, including two others. They were booked for allegedly conspiring to tamper with evidence and manipulating the blood sample. (ANI)
Assam Police on Monday night apprehended three Bangladeshi nationals who entered India from the Tripura side. The three individuals were later pushed back to the Bangladesh side. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the report in a post on X, "The individuals were identified as MD Abu Shaid, son of Abdul Adud from Akhila village, Rajshahi district; Asadul Islam, son of the late Atabur Rahman from Godagari village, Rajshahi district; and MD Sarwar, son of MD Satabur Rahaman, also from Godagari village, Rajshahi district. One of them was found with an Aadhaar card, having entered India for the second time, All three intended to travel to Chennai for labour work. They have since been pushed back to Bangladesh." Meanwhile, Assam Police pushed back another infiltrator from Bangladesh on Monday. The infiltrator identified as Lipi Akhtar from Dhaka Division was handed back to Bangladeshi Authorities. Taking to X, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared, "Assam Police pushed back an infiltrator from Bangladesh. Lipi Akhtar from Dhaka Division was handed back to Bangladeshi Authorities a short while ago. Earlier she was apprehended at Dhubri by Assam Police. The investigation has revealed that Akhtar entered Indian territory on the early hours of August 18 at Sukchar, South Salmara District on foot, after multiple bus and boat rides spanning over 24 hours." He further said that a manhunt is underway to trace other infiltrators. "After taking shelter at a house in Sukchar, she proceeded to Dhubri by boat where she was intercepted. A manhunt is underway to trace other accomplices/ infiltrators," he further shared. Earlier amid the ongoing political turmoil in Bangladesh, CM Sarma raised concern over the illegal infiltration from Bangladeshi borders, stating that the situation can force some people to come to India. "On the situation in Bangladesh, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "The incident that happened in Bangladesh is concerning; there are two angles. One is that if such unrest continues in Bangladesh, then some people will be forced to come to India so we have to secure our borders," Sharma said. Himanta Biswa Sharma also voiced the possibility of Bangladesh becoming a safe ground for terrorist activities in the future. (ANI)
At Frontier HQ he was briefed by Makrand Deouskar, Inspector General BSF Guwahati Frontier, and other staff officers on the current security scenario, the challenges faced along the border, and the measures implemented to combat trans-border crimes.

The ADG earlier visited the Indo-Bangladesh border in the Dhubri sector and visited riverine Border outposts located on char lands in the mighty Brahmaputra.

He evaluated the functionality of the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS), which has been installed to provide 24/7 surveillance aimed at controlling various border crimes.

He discussed operational matters with field commanders, assessed the security situation, and reviewed border domination strategies to ensure the Indo-Bangladesh border remains crime-free.

In Guwahati, the ADG also called on Gyanendra Pratap Singh, Director General of Police Assam and SL Thaosen (Ex-DG BSF) Chief Commissioner for Rights to Public Service, Govt of Assam and discuss various aspects of border management and coordination between BSF and Assam Police along the Indo-Bangladesh border international border in Assam state.

The ADG commended the tireless efforts of the Guwahati Frontier in safeguarding the borders.

Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma raised concern over the illegal infiltration from Bangladeshi borders, stating that the situation can force some people to come to India.

"On the situation in Bangladesh, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "The incident that happened in Bangladesh is concerning; there are two angles. One is that if such unrest continues in Bangladesh, then some people will be forced to come to India so we have to secure our borders," Sharma said. (ANI)
CPRO Central Railway said, "Local trains stopped at Badlapur railway station where protesters agitated against the alleged sexual assault incident with two minor girls at a school in Badlapur."

Residents in Badlapur protested against the sexual abuse of two minor girls which occurred last week. Police have arrested a person in the case. The parents came to know about the incident on August 18 and filed an FIR.

Local train movement has been affected as protests are underway at Badlapur Station.

Priyanka Chaturvedi RS MP from UBT Sena condemned the incident, "Two young girls were sexually assaulted in Badlapur, Maharashtra in the school premises; the entire state is outraged and seeks justice. I once again urge the President to approve the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, so that no other child or woman faces this travesty. Shame on the state government to continue to ignore the safety of women." (ANI)
Following the rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare wrote a letter to the heads of the Central Government hospitals and institutes, including AIIMS/INIs on Tuesday to enhance security measures across all central government healthcare facilities. "It has been evidenced for a long time that government hospitals are more permeable to the public compared to private facilities, making it easier for unauthorized individuals to enter freely. While accessibility is important for providing care, it can also pose security risks. Hospitals sometimes become targeted by acts of violence, including assault on staff, which can be related to disputes, dissatisfaction with medical care, or external criminal activities. Ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals is vital," the letter said. "Violence or harassment against staff can disrupt operations and affect the quality of care provided to patients. Patient rush increases the potential for conflicts and security breaches. Addressing these concerns requires a comprehensive approach to security that balances accessibility with effective measures to protect patients, staff and the integrity of the facility," it added. The letter further mentioned taking appropriate action including a sufficient number of High-resolution CCTV cameras installed in different areas to address the safety issues in government health organisations. "Given these challenges in ensuring security in government hospitals, it is requested to take the following appropriate action to address the security issues in your institute. Proper Display of relevant penal provisions of the State legislation to prevent violence against health care workers in Hospital premises. Sufficient number of High-resolution CCTV cameras to be installed at strategic locations including entrances, exits, corridors, dark spots and sensitive areas. A control room should be set up in the Institute for quick response to an emergent situation. In the Control Room, one admin staff should always be stationed along with security persons," the letter said. "Employment of an adequate number of well-trained security guards for proper monitoring/patrolling/surveillance of the premises. Entry and exit should be strictly monitored to allow entry to authorized personnel only. Identification badges for staff, patients, and visitors may be issued for easy identification of authorized personnel. Display of I Card by all Hospital Staff while on duty be made mandatory. Appropriate arrangements be made to ensure that all visitors are monitored," it added. The letter also mentioned training all hospital staff, including doctors and nurses in recognizing and responding to security threats. "Only one or two attendants be allowed with a patient at any point in time including visiting hours and with an attendant pass only. Restricted access to certain areas may be devised. Comprehensive plans may be drawn for tackling various types of emergencies. These Plans should be regularly updated and rehearsed including the conduct of periodic mock drills to train staff and security personnel for effective responses in emergency scenarios. All hospital staff, including doctors, nurses, and administrative personnel should be trained in recognizing and responding to security threats. They should equipped with appropriate skills to handle emergencies effectively," it said. "Public address systems should be devised to quickly disseminate information during emergencies. Dark spots in the campus should be mapped and adequate lighting in the premises should be ensured particularly in the duty areas of the lady health care staff, parking lots, entryways etc. Hospital authorities should ensure a coordinated response in case of incidents in close coordination with local police and emergency services. Security policies should be updated based on feedback and incident analysis," it added. "An adequate number of well-secured duty rooms with basic amenities should be provided for female health professionals Deployment of lady health professionals at night should be preferably done in more than one number. They should be escorted to the premises while on duty and proper arrangement of secured transport should be made for them for any movement at night. An adequate number of Patient Facilitators and Patient Coordinators to be engaged in assisting patients providing information and guiding the patients in the Hospitals/Institutes," the letter added. Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continued its investigation on Tuesday into the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The CBI has received permission to conduct a polygraph test on the arrested accused, CBI sources said earlier. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a 10-member National Task Force to make recommendations on the prevention of violence and safe working conditions for medical professionals. The task force includes Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin among others. Days after the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata sparked nationwide protests, the apex court suo motu took up the case and directed the taskforce to submit an interim report within three weeks and a final report within two months. The court said the Task Force would also prepare an action plan to prevent gender-based violence and ensure a dignified working space for interns, residents, and non-resident doctors, The top court also asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a status report on the status of the investigation in the rape case. The court asked the West Bengal government to file a status report on the mob attack incident in the RG Kar hospital on August 15. During the hearing, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud observed, "The Kolkata incident raises safety issues of doctors across the country." "We are deeply concerned about the fact that the name, photo and video clip of the Kolkata rape victim were published all over India. The law prohibits publishing victims' names," the CJI observed. The court also raised questions about the actions of the Kolkata Police on the day of the murder. The court observed, "It appears crime was detected in the early hours of the morning and no FIR was filed". Denying this senior advocate Kapil Sibal said that is not correct and an unnatural death case was already registered. Supreme Court reiterated that until late at night there was no FIR that suggested it was a clear case of murder. CJI then said that we are setting up a national task force and wants them to give recommendations on the modalities to be followed across the country for safety measures for senior and junior doctors. Meanwhile, the FAIMA Doctors Association welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to set up a National Task Force. FAIMA requested the court to include representation from interns, resident doctors as well as faculties along with government officials. SC has now listed the matter on August 22. The Supreme Court said the West Bengal state is expected to restrain on the peaceful protests and that power of state is not unleashed on peaceful protests. The apex court remarked that as more and more women are joining the work force the country cannot wait for another rape for things to change on the ground. The CJI noted that the existing enactments do not address institutional safety standards for doctors and medical workers. (ANI)
The Governor of Maharashtra, C.P. Radhakrishnan on Tuesday administered the 'Sadhbhavana Day Pledge' to the officers and staff of Raj Bhavan on the occasion of the 80th birth anniversary of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The pledge, administered by the Governor at the official residence of Raj Bhavan calls upon people to 'work for the emotional oneness and harmony of all the people of India regardless of caste, creed, region, religion or language' and to 'resolve all differences through dialogue and constitutional means without resorting to violence'. Earlier, the Governor also offered floral tributes to the portrait of Rajiv Gandhi. The birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi is observed as 'Sadbhavana Diwas'. The idea behind the observance of Sadhbhavana Diwas is to encourage people to abstain from violence, promote national integration, promote communal harmony among people of all religions and goodwill among the people. Principal Secretary to the Governor, Pravin Darade and Joint Secretary, Sweta Singhal were also present during the pledge, taking part in the ceremony of the Sadhbhavana pledge. Many prominent leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have paid tribute to the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, "tributes to our former Prime Minsiter Shri Rajiv Gandhi ji on his birth anniversary", PM Modi had posted on X. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Sachin Pilot among others have also paid their tributes in Veer Bhumi, New Delhi. "Today the country is celebrating Sadbhavana Diwas. Former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, was a great son of India. He ignited a ray of hope in crores of Indians and with his unprecedented contribution, he brought India into the 21st century. His many notable initiatives like lowering of voting age to 18 years, strengthening of Panchayati Raj, telecom and IT revolution, computerisation programmes, continuing peace accords, women empowerment, universal immunisation programme and new education policy with emphasis on inclusive education brought about transformational changes in the country," Mallikarjun Kharge said in his message. "A compassionate personality, an epitome of camaraderie and goodwill... Papa, your teachings are my inspiration, and your dreams for India are my own - I will fulfil them, taking your memories with me, " Rahul Gandhi said in his message on X. Rajiv Gandhi became the leader of the Congress party in 1984, after the assassination of his mother and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. At the age of 40, he became India's youngest Prime Minister. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, on May 21, 1991. (ANI)
New Delhi [India], August 20 (ANI); Shortly after the Union Government decided to cancel the advertisement by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) that had called for lateral entry jobs in mid-level posts in the Central Government, the Congress has claimed a victory for opposing the scheme. In a post on X, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said, "We will protect the Constitution and the reservation system at all costs. We will foil conspiracies like BJP's 'lateral entry' at any cost. I am saying it again - by breaking the 50% reservation limit, we will ensure social justice based on the caste census. Jai Hind." Another senior Congress MP, Manickam Tagore said, "2024 has given us two outcomes: a weak Prime Minister and a strong People's Leader of the Opposition. In the end, it's a victory for our Constitution. Jai Hind Jai Constitution" Their reactions follow the Department of Personnel and Training Minister, Jitendra Singh writing to the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission today to cancel the advertisement related to several lateral entry posts at various levels in the central government as per directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Under earlier governments, posts as important as that of the Secretary in various ministries, leadership of UIDAI, etc., have been given to lateral entrants without following any process of reservations. Further, it is well known that the members of the infamous National Advisory Council used to run a super-bureaucracy that controlled the Prime Minister's Office," the Minister's letter added. "While most of the major lateral entries before 2014 were made in an ad-hoc manner, including cases of alleged favouritism, efforts of our Government have been to make the process institutionally driven, transparent and open," the letter said. "Further, the Prime Minister is of the firm belief that the process of lateral entry must be aligned with the principles of equity and social justice enshrined in our Constitution, particularly concerning the provisions of reservation. For the Prime Minister, reservation in public employment is a cornerstone of our social justice framework, aimed at addressing historical injustices and promoting inclusivity," the letter stated. "It is important that the constitutional mandate towards social justice is upheld so that deserving candidates from marginalized communities get their rightful representation in the government services. Since these positions have been treated as specialized and designated as single-cadre posts, there has been no provision for reservation in these appointments. This aspect needs to be reviewed and reformed in the context of the Prime Minister's focus on ensuring social justice," it further added. "Hence, I urge the UPSC to cancel the advertisement for lateral entry recruitment issued on August 17, 2024. This step would be a significant advance in the pursuit of social justice and empowerment," the letter said. Earlier, several opposition leaders like Akhilesh Yadav, MK Stalin and Sitaram Yechury had opposed the government's move of lateral entry. Bihar Former Deputy CM and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, "These people do not want the SC/ST community to sit in the Secretariat, BJP and PM Modi want them to sit in the toilet. Nitish Kumar, Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manji are just watching this... These people want to end reservations on the pretext of lateral entry...An attempt is being made to fill the vacancies with the people of the Sangh. We oppose it completely." Dissent from within the NDA was voiced when Union Minister Chirag Paswan objected to the notification. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw however clarified on Monday that these openings "do not cut into the roster of any civil services" or impact the reservation system for regular openings. He said these positions are temporary and created for only three years. He termed opposition criticism as "false and baseless". The UPSC had recently released a notification for recruiting Joint Secretaries, Directors, and Deputy Secretaries through lateral entry. This decision ignited criticism from opposition parties, who claimed it undermined the reservation rights of OBCs, SCs, and STs. (ANI)
A day after the Karnataka High Court on Monday asked the trial court not to take any precipitative action against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah based on the Governor's sanction in the MUDA 'scam' till the next date of hearing. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Dk Shivkumar extended support to the Chief Minister on Tuesday, saying he will continue as the Chief Minister. Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said that he has faith in the court. "We respect the court; we respect the law of this country. High Court will give us relief. There is nothing wrong of the CM. There is no need of prosecution. The enquiry will be conducted. Let all the papers be submitted there (High Court)," the Deputy Chief Minister said. When asked about the BJP's demand for Siddaramaiah's resignation from the post of chief minister, he said, "There is no question of resigning. He will continue as the CM and work in the interest of the state & the country." Earlier today, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah alleged that the move against him was politically motivated. He also stated that he has full faith in the Judiciary"BJP is politically motivated. I have full faith in the judiciary," said CM Siddaramiah on Tuesday. Earlier on Monday, after the Karnataka High Court adjourned its August 29 hearing on his plea against the sanction given by the governor to file corruption cases against him over the alleged MUDA scam, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that he has full faith in the Constitution and the judiciary's power to uphold justice. In a post on X, Siddaramaiah emphasised that the truth will prevail. "As a law-abiding citizen with faith in the Constitution and the judiciary's power to uphold justice and fairness, I approached the High Court of Karnataka against the illegal and politically motivated decision of the Governor of Karnataka to permit an inquiry and prosecution based on trumped-up allegations against me. I am pleased that the Hon'ble High Court heard the matter and passed interim orders directing the concerned court to defer the proceedings and further instructing that no precipitative action be taken under the impugned sanction," he said. "I am grateful to the High Court and remain confident that ultimately, the truth will prevail," he added further. Karnataka High Court on Monday asked the trial court concerned not to take any precipitative action against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah based on the Governor's sanction in the MUDA 'scam', till the next date of hearing before the High Court. A bench of Justice M. Nagaprasanna posted the plea for hearing on August 29, which was filed by Siddaramaiah, challenging the sanction for his prosecution by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment scam. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Siddaramaiah, argued that the governor didn't give a single reason on merit why the sanction ought to be given for the prosecution of the Chief Minister. Singhvi said that the Governor is bound by a Cabinet decision in such cases; however, he issued sanctions in a short two-page order without considering the merits of the case. Earlier, a complaint was filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna against the Karnataka CM and nine others for allegedly forging documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority. (ANI)
Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed jail authorities to consider a writ petition filed by alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar as a representation and make a decision. Chandrasekhar has requested additional meetings with his lawyers while he is in jail. The bench of Justice Amit Mahajan heard the matter and issued the directions regarding Sukesh Chandrasekhar's request for additional meetings with his lawyers. Previously, Justice Subramonium Prasad had recused himself from hearing the case. Sukesh Chandrashekhar through plea requested permission to increase his meetings with his legal counsel to five times a week. This request sought an additional three meetings beyond the two meetings per week currently allowed. Advocate Anant Malik, representing Sukesh Chandrasekhar, stated that the petitioner, an under trial prisoner involved in numerous cases across different jurisdictions, finds the current allowance of virtual meetings insufficient. Given the complexity and breadth of his legal issues, including high-profile corruption and extortion cases, Chandrasekhar asserts that more frequent consultations with his lawyers are crucial for effectively managing his defense. The petition further emphasizes Sukesh Chandrasekhar's personal difficulties, including isolation from his family due to distance and the incarceration of his spouse. This situation increases his distress, underscoring the need for regular and meaningful interactions with his legal counsel. The petition further stated that the current restrictions on legal consultations violate Chandrasekhar's fundamental rights under Article 22(1) of the Constitution of India, which guarantees the right to consult and be defended by a legal practitioner of one's choice. To support his request, Sukesh Chandrasekhar's petition references recent judicial precedents, including the Delhi High Court's decision in Arvind Kejriwal vs. Department of Delhi Prisons. In that case, the court granted the accused five weekly meetings with their counsel, reinforcing the argument that similar allowances should be made for Chandrasekhar to ensure adequate legal representation. (ANI)
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has started a mobile control room for the ongoing agitation in connection with the alleged rape murder of a trainee woman doctor of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Kolkata. "Governor of West Bengal Dr. C. V. Ananda Bose has opened a mobile control room with numbers 03322001641 and 92890 10682 for the ongoing agitation in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a 2nd year PGT female resident doctor of R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital Kolkata," Kolkata Raj Bhavan Media Cell said in a post on X. "Anyone may call up the numbers if they wish to convey anything to HG (Governor of Kolkata)," added the social media post. Governor Bose made the first call from the control room to the father of the victim and assured him of all support. "The first call from the mobile control room was given by HG to the father of the deceased Doctor. HG has given assurance of all support and consoled the bereaved family," the Kolkata Raj Bhavan media post read. A video of the Kolkata governor talking to the father of the victim was also posted on the handle. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a 10-member National Task Force to make recommendations on the prevention of violence and safe working conditions for medical professionals. Days after the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata sparked nationwide protests, the apex court suo motu took up the case and directed the taskforce to submit an interim report within three weeks and a final report within two months. The court said the Task Force would also prepare an action plan to prevent gender-based violence and ensure a dignified working space for interns, residents, and non-resident doctors. Earlier on Monday, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose tore into the Mamata Banerjee government in the state, saying that the government had failed the women of the state. "Bengal is not a place safe for women. Bengal has failed its women. Not the society but the present government, has failed its women. Bengal should be brought back to its pristine glory, where women had a respectable place in society. Women are now scared of 'Gundas' that have been created by the government, which is insensitive to this issue," the governor said. The state government in Bengal has ensured that women have no protection, which is what is reflected after the gruesome tragedy that took place in RG Kar. This should not be repeated," the governor added. Governor Bose is expected to meet Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the situation in the state. Meanwhile, speaking on the statement of the deceased doctor's parents, the governor said, "I respect the sentiments of the mother. The law will take its course." On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, sparking nationwide strikes and protests by the medical community. On August 14, the protest site and the hospital campus at RG Kar were vandalized by a mob, prompting security personnel to disperse the crowd. (ANI)
The Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of central government-run Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) on Tuesday called off its strike that it had been observing in protests against the rape-murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. In an official statement, RDA Vice President Deepak said, "We are writing to formally inform you of the conclusion of our strike. The decision comes in light of the government's acceptance of all critical demands put forward by resident Doctors of India." Referring to the gruesome incident at the RG Kar Medical College, the statement by RDA said that the case highlighted the sorry state in which residents are working. "The whole medical fraternity stood tall with the residents of India. Recently this case was transferred to the CBI and the Supreme Court took sou moto cognizance of this case given the nation's interest," it said. "The Ministry of Health and the Medical Superintendent's office have assured that all necessary permissions for enhanced security measures at medical institutions have been obtained, with a 45-day timeline set for implementation," stated the statement. "The ministry also pledged to tighten security across all central government hospitals and issue advisories to state governments," it said. "We will continue our agitation in support of the RG Kar residents and solidarity with doctors all across the nation until a resolution but without disrupting medical services in the hospital. We have requested residents to resume services from August 20 at 4 PM onwards," it stated. Adding further it said, "We emphasize that our solidarity for the cause remains unwavering, and we will continue to support ongoing efforts to improve the safety and rights of our residents. As discussed with your office, we will shortly submit our security suggestions for ABVIMSRML Hospital, as also outlined in the recent advisory by NMC," it added. "These suggestions will require a time-bound and prompt redressal to ensure the safety of all our residents. Furthermore, considering the unprecedented nature of our cause, we request that no absences be recorded, nor any salaries deducted, for the duration of the strike. This was also agreed upon by your esteemed office," said the statement. The Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a 10-member National Task Force to make recommendations on the prevention of violence and safe working conditions for medical professionals. The task force includes Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, among others. Days after the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata sparked nationwide protests, the apex court suo motu took up the case and directed the task force to submit an interim report within three weeks and a final report within two months. The court said the Task Force would also prepare an action plan to prevent gender-based violence and ensure a dignified working space for interns, residents, and non-resident doctors. The top court also asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a status report on the status of the investigation in the rape case. The court asked the West Bengal government to file a status report on the mob attack incident in the RG Kar hospital on August 15. Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continued its investigation on Tuesday into the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The CBI has received permission to conduct a polygraph test on the arrested accused, CBI sources said earlier. On August 18, the CBI team examined and conducted 3D laser mapping in the emergency ward of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. On Monday, the West Bengal government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct an inquiry and investigation into the allegations of financial irregularities in R. G. Kar Hospital during the period from January 2021 until date. Demanding justice, prominent artists of the Bengal music industry protested on Monday against the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. On Monday evening, several artists, including actor Saheb Chatterjee, radio personality Mir Afsar Ali and others, came to the streets to express their outrage over the matter. (ANI)
A bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan allowed Setalvad to travel to Malaysia from August 31 to September 10, subject to furnishing solvent surety of Rs 10 lakh.

The bench also directed her to give an undertaking with details of her travel and also ordered that she should return her passport after the conference ends.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Setalvad, told the apex court that Setalvad was seeking a relaxation of her bail condition to travel to Malaysia from August 31 to September 10 to attend an anti-racism conference.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that if Setalvad is being allowed to travel abroad, conditions should be imposed so that she return to India is also assured.

She is currently on bail in connection with a criminal case involving allegations of a conspiracy to malign the State of Gujarat and then Chief Minister Narendra Modi for their handling of the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Last year, Supreme Court had granted regular bail to the activist after she approached the apex court against Gujarat High Court order rejecting her regular bail and asking her to surrender.

Setalvad was arrested by the Gujarat Police on June 25, 2022, on an FIR by the Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) on alleged charges of conspiring to falsely implicate innocent people in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside the judgement of Calcutta High Court which had advised "adolescent girls to control their sexual urges" and restored the conviction under rape charges against a man accused of sexually assaulting a minor and later marrying her. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan reversed the order of the High Court which had acquitted the man for raping a minor girl with whom he had a 'romantic affair'. It also issued guidelines for the judges on how to write judgments in cases involving adolescents. The detailed judgement of the apex court is yet to be uploaded. Earlier, the top court had criticised the Calcutta High Court judgment which stated that adolescent girls must control their sexual urges instead of giving in to two minutes of pleasure. Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan had said the observations of the judgement were "problematic". The apex court had said that some part of the judgement "were highly objectionable and completely unwarranted". "...Prima facie, we are of the view that, in such a case, the judges are not expected to either express their personal views or preach," it had observed. Senior advocate Madhavi Divan was appointed by the top court as amicus curiae to assist the court and advocate Liz Mathew to assist the amicus. A division bench of Justices Chitta Ranjan Dash and Partha Sarathi Sen of the High Court had advised young girls and boys to rein in sexual urges, while acquitting a man who was convicted for raping a minor girl with whom he had a 'romantic affair'. The High Court had voiced concerns over the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) conflating consensual acts among adolescents with sexual abuse and hence called for decriminalising consensual sexual acts involving adolescents above 16 years. The bench had opined that sexual urge is created by our own action. "Sex in adolescents is normal but sexual urge or arousal of such urge is dependent on some action by the individual, maybe a man or woman. Therefore, sexual urge is not at all normal and normative. If we stop some action(s), arousal of sexual urge ... ceases to be normal," the judgment had read. It had, therefore, proposed a 'duty/obligation based approach' to the issue, and suggested some duties for both the adolescent females and males. For adolescent females it had suggested that it is the duty/obligation of every female adolescent protect her right to integrity of her body, protect her dignity and self-worth, control sexual urge/urges as in the eyes of society she is the loser when she gives in to enjoy the sexual pleasure of hardly two minutes. (ANI)
This three-day national meeting, typically held once a year, was previously conducted in Pune in September 2023. The meeting gathers key officials from various RSS-inspired organizations, who actively engage in democratic efforts to bring about social change in different spheres of public life.

During the meeting, representatives from different organizations will share updates and experiences related to their work. There will be discussions on the current national situation, recent significant events, and various dimensions of social transformation.

The meeting will also focus on enhancing mutual cooperation and coordination among the organizations on various topics of national interest.

A source said that the RSS meeting may discuss various topics of national importance, including the recent violent incidents against Hindus in Bangladesh, the rehabilitation of displaced Hindus from Bangladesh, demographic changes in Bengal, the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Additionally, there may be discussions on other significant recent events and various dimensions of social transformation.

The meeting could also include detailed discussions on the swift implementation of the UCC in other BJP-ruled states following its introduction in Uttarakhand in October. This is aimed at paving the way for the UCC to be implemented at the national level.

The meeting will be attended by Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat, Sarkaryawah Dattatreya Hosabale, along with all six Sah-Sarkaryawahs, and other senior RSS functionaries.

Additionally, leaders, organizational ministers, and key officials from 32 RSS-affiliated organizations, including the Rashtriya Sevika Samiti, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Vishva Hindu Parishad, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Bharatiya Janata Party, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Vidya Bharati, and Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, will participate in the meeting. (ANI)
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday virtually addressed the people present in the Jan Milan program organized at Agastyamuni in Rudraprayag from the CM's Camp Office in Dehradun. Addressing the people virtually, he said that his brother and sisters had a great desire in their hearts that the CM should have joined the people in the program which was held in Rudraprayag, however, due to bad weather it was not possible. Further, he added that he would meet the people in Rudraprayag. Further, the CM said that strict provisions were made by the government to prevent the misuse of the name of Chardham. The Chardham Yatra being conducted in the state has been constantly setting new records. Through this, the livelihood of the local people is increasing and the religious tourism of the state is also expanding. CM Dhami added that the demand for local products during the Chardham Yatra has increased through the House of Himalayas. He said that our government has been working to give a new identity to the products made by women. Earlier, on August 16, on the instructions of CM Dhami, District In-charge Char Dham Yatra Secretary R Rajesh Kumar conducted a field inspection of the projects in Kedar Valley, which witnessed heavy rains recently. During the inspection, he was accompanied by officials concerned as he inspected the Rudraprayag-Gaurikund National Highway and instructed officials to speed up the work. The District In-charge Secretary inspected the projects being done by the National Highway Division of PWD and the Irrigation Department. He said that the entire team of the Public Works Department was deployed to repair the damaged road from Km 72 of the National Highway. Along with this, he also inspected the last damaged road till Km 75 where earth movers were employed. He instructed officials to complete the work at a fast pace. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned West Bengal police over various issues, including delay in filing the First Information Report, delay in handing over the body to family and alleged failure to protect women, doctors, during a mob attack at RG Kar Medical College. The court has also asked the medical professionals to return to their duties. A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud also comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra questioned West Bengal police about the delay in lodging FIR in the RG Kar incident. The Supreme Court, which has taken suo motu cognisance of the rape and murder of a doctor in State-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, raised these queries when it was hearing the matter. The top court has also set up a national task force to consider the issues related to the safety of medical professionals in the country. The top court said that it is deeply concerned about the safety of doctors across India. "If women cannot go to work and be safe, we are denying them the basic right to equality. We have to do something" the court said. The top court raised doubt on the principle of the college for trying to pass it off as suicide and the parents are not allowed to see the body. The court also questioned WB government over the three hours delay on registration of the FIR and said it appears crime was detected on early hours of the morning and no FIR was filed. It further said that until late night there is no FIR saying it is a clear case of murder. Responding to the Supreme Court question, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal said that the inquest shows it was a case of murder. He also said that a matter relating to unnatural death was registered after the incident. CJI DY Chandrachud remarked it as a serious offence that has taken place in hospital and asked the police what are they doing? Allowing vandalists to enter the hospital, SC further asked. The court also sought to know about the first informant and other facts. The court also sought to know when was the body handed over to the parents for cremation? The top court noted that the body was handed over at 8:30 pm for cremation and the FIR is registered at 11:45 pm, which reflects delay of over three hours after the body was handed over for cremation. During the hearing the court was also apprised of the fact about an incident when the women doctors were threatened by a mob in the RG Hospital, the police had ran away from the spot. Senior Advocate Aprajita Singh, appearing for an organisation for doctors shared these facts to the court. She also told the Court that many doctors have left the hospital after this incident. She informed the court that police officials stationed at the RG Kar Hospital ran away during the vandalism and hid in the Nurses' Dressing Room when the mob was attacking the hospital. The top court called it as serious issue and asked what the police were doing. "How can the police run away from the site?" the top court asked. The top court remarked that it is essential for creating a safe environment for the doctors in the country. The top court directed to deploy sufficient CISF personnel in the RG Kar hospital for the safety of the doctors. The top court also asked the medical professionals all over the country to return to their work. (ANI)
A group of people in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district staged a protest on Tuesday against Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj over his controversial remark against Islam and Prophet Mohammed. The group of people demonstrated at Jiwaji University gate here and also submitted a memorandum to Gwalior SP office, in the name of Nashik Commissioner of Police demanding legal action against Ramgiri Maharaj. Speaking to ANI, one of the protesters, Yusuf Abbas, said, "We came to know via social media that there is a Baba in Nasik city of Maharashtra who has made derogatory remarks against our Prophet Mohammed. The name of Baba is Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj. Due to the remark, anger is spreading all over the world and in India. In view of it, today we protested in Gwalior and demanded that strict action should be taken against Baba." The work of a saint baba is to maintain peace and unity but this baba is a hypocrite. These hypocrite babas are to break the unity of India and they are ending mutual brotherhood. He wants Hindus and Muslims to keep fighting in the country, Abbas said, adding that they believe that such hypocrites, irrespective of their religion or caste, should be sent to jail. "We have given a memorandum to the Gwalior SP office in the name of Nashik Commissioner of Police. We demanded that an FIR should be lodged against him and he should be arrested," he added. Meanwhile, Additional Superintendent of Police ASP) Shiaz KM told ANI, "A Baba of Nashik named Ramgiri Maharaj had made a controversial remark against which a group of people from a community staged a protest here. They submitted a memorandum to SP Office Gwalior for Nashik Commissioner of Police. We will send the memorandum to Nashik through the proper channel. They demanded an FIR should be registered against the Maharaj." Notably, Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj, during a recently held religious event in Mahrashtra's Nashik district, allegedly made derogatory remarks against Islam and Prophet Mohammed, which created tension between the two communities. Multiple cases were registered against Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj in three different police stations in Mumbai for allegedly making objectionable remarks about Prophet Mohammad. (ANI)
Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) celebrated its 55th Lab Raising Day on Tuesday in presence of senior naval officer with great zeal and enthusiasm. Established on 20 Aug 1969 with 10 staff members, NSTL has grown multifold with 603 personnel including 186 Scientists and has made significant contributions to defence R&D and is recognized as one of the premiere labs of Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) engaged in the development of underwater weapons and systems. NSTL is committed to strengthen Indian defence sector by developing and delivering cutting-edge and futuristic technologies. In his speech, Chief Guest Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar congratulated the Team NSTL on completing 55 years of journey towards empowering nation and said that not only Indian Navy but also entire nation is having lot of hopes on NSTL. He said that the responsibility of NSTL has increased by having its products in the list of positive indigenous list. NSTL is closely coordinating Indian Navy for timely completion of projects and Indian Navy is eagerly waiting for the forthcoming projects. Pendharkar added that NSTL has become a reliable partner of Indian Navy with hard work, dedication and tireless efforts. On this occasion, staff who completed 25 years of service were felicitated. Best Library User Appreciations were also distributed. On this occasion, Captain AVSN Murty was presented prestigious Letter of Appreciation by Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee(CISC), for his commendable work on naval infrared stealth. On 5 June 2023, Combat Trials of Varunastra Torpedo was successfully conducted by deploying Underwater Target Structure(UWTS), which was successfully designed and developed by NSTL along with Industry Partner Trini Tech Infrastructure India Pvt. Ltd., Visakhapatnam. This technology is being transferred to industry partner through a licensing agreement on this auspicious occasion. In his address, Dr Abraham Varughese, Outstanding Scientist and Director NSTL said, "NSTL is putting its best efforts as per the requirements of Indian Navy, with the existing world-class test facilities. He briefed the genesis of NSTL and evolution to the present stage of being state-of-the-art premier naval research laboratory in the country." (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the central government to file a reply to the plea seeking direction for the constitution of a medical board to consider whether a man who is in a vegetative state can be allowed to undergo passive euthanasia (mercy killing). A bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has sought a response from the Centre and others on the plea. The man, through his mother and father, has approached the Supreme Court, challenging the Delhi High Court order. The petitioner was represented by advocate Manish Jain and Jugul Kishor Gupta. The petition said that the man is in a miserable state due to diffuse axonal injury with a permanent vegetative state (PSV), which is also known as unresponsive wakefulness syndrome", Quadriplegia (100 percent disability) is a symptom of paralysis that affects all limbs and body of a person from the neck down. The man was doing B Tech at Punjab University in 2013, wherein he met with a head injury after falling from the 4th floor of his PG. The petition said that his family tried to avail of every best possible treatment in various hospitals from the first day of the incident but there is no scope for recovery from the situation. "As per the opinion of the doctors, even his family has lost all hope of the petitioner's recovery because the petitioner has not responded for the last 11 years without any movement Constant Medical treatment caused heavy livelihood issues for his family members. The father and mother of Harish Rana are aged about 62 years and 55 years, respectively," the petition said. "The mother, being the primary caretaker of the patient, is finding it very difficult to look after the patient due to her advancing age and the patient's 100 per cent disability. The man is totally dependent on his mother, father, and others for his needs," the petition said. The man is also suffering from deep and large bed sores, which expose him to regular infections. Earlier, he declined his plea, seeking direction for the constitution of a medical board to consider whether a man who is in a vegetative state can be allowed to undergo passive euthanasia (mercy killing). The petitioner, Harish Rana, who has been in a vegetative state for the last ten years, had approached the High Court for a direction to constitute a Medical Board to examine his health condition for the administration of passive euthanasia. The petitioner, through his parents, had approached the High Court for a direction to refer the petitioner to a medical board to consider whether the petitioner could be allowed to undergo passive euthanasia. The petition stated that the family of the petitioner has consulted various doctors and they have been informed that there is no scope for recovery for the petitioner in the present situation. It was further stated that the Petitioner has not responded for the last 11 years, and has developed deep and large bed sores, which have caused further infection. The petitioner's family has lost all hope for his recovery and is not in a position to take care of the petitioner as they are getting old. (ANI)
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the alleged sexual assault on two minors at a school in the Badlapur area of Thane district Fadnavis also ordered the Thane Police Commissioner to immediately suspend the senior police inspector, assistant sub-inspector, and head constable of Badlapur police station who delayed action in the initial stage of the Badlapur incident. Speaking to the media here on Tuesday, the Deputy Chief Minister said, "The incident of the sexual assault in Badlapur is very serious. I strongly condemn this incident. The state government has formed an SIT under the leadership of a woman officer of IG rank to investigate the case. The government is trying to get the case to a fast-track court so that a victim's family can get justice as soon as possible." Taking to his social media handle on X, Devendra Fadnavis posted, "In the Badlapur unfortunate incident, IG rank officer IPS Arti Singh is appointed immediately to conduct the inquiry. A charge sheet will be immediately filed and this matter will be heard in the fast-track court. Our police department will make complete efforts to get such barbaric, inhumane people punished immediately." The Deputy Chief Minister's Office also took to its official account on X and posted the development. "Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered the Thane Police Commissioner to immediately suspend the senior police inspector, assistant sub-inspector, and head constable of Badlapur police station who delayed action in the initial stage of the Badlapur incident," said Office Of Fadnavis on X. Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ordered a high-level probe into the incident and said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been formed to investigate the case and that those found guilty would face strict action. "I have taken serious cognizance of the incident in Badlapur. An SIT has already been formed in this matter and we are also going to take action against the school where the incident took place. We are in the process of fast-track this case, and no one will be spared if found guilty," CM Eknath Shinde said while speaking to ANI on Tuesday. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray also invoked the Shakti bill after hundreds of protesters blocked trains at the Badlapur Railway station, demonstrating against the alleged sexual assault of two young girls at a school in the state's Badlapur district and said that strict action should be taken against those accused. Former Chief Minister of the state, Thackeray, said that the incident at Badlapur school should not happen 'anywhere in the country.' Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi expressed that the entire state was outraged by the incident. "Two young girls were sexually assaulted in Badlapur, Maharashtra, on the school premises. The entire state is outraged and seeks justice. I once again urge the Rashtrapati Bhavan to approve the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, no other child or woman faces this travesty. Shame on the state government for continuing to ignore the safety of women," Chaturvedi said. She further criticized societal attitudes, saying, "The incident is on school premises. Sick perverts in our society want women to dress in a 'decent way', to step out during 'safe hours' and work in' safe zones', and to take charge of their 'own safety'. What would you say to this?" Chaturvedi said. Residents in Badlapur also demonstrated protests against the sexual abuse of two minor girls, which occurred last week. As per reports, the parents learned about the incident on August 18 and filed an FIR. A massive protest was held at Badlapur Railway Station on Tuesday against the alleged sexual assault incident involving two minor girls at a school in Thane district. Maharashtra Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar said one accused has been arrested in connection with the incident and assured that maximum punishment would be meted out to him. The alleged sexual assault of two minor girls in Badlapur has sparked widespread outrage. On Tuesday, angry residents, demanding justice, began pelting stones at the school, and the situation escalated, prompting police intervention. The authorities used tear gas and other measures to control the crowd and restore order. The protesters, wearing black clothes, targeted the school in their demonstration. As the chaos subsided, the police were able to apprehend the individuals responsible for the stone-throwing. The suspects were taken into custody and are being held at the local police station. The police are continuing their investigation into the assault case and are working to maintain peace in the community. (ANI)
The Indian Army bid a solemn and heartfelt goodbye with full military honours on Tuesday to Retired General Padmanabhan, former Chief of Army Staff, who served the nation with distinction for over 43 years, and passed away in Chennai on August 18. Affectionately known as "Paddy" within the Army circles, he culminated his illustrious career as the Chief of Army Staff from 2000 to 2002. He was 83 years old and is survived by his wife, a daughter, and a son. The last rites of General Padmanabhan were conducted with full military honours at the Besant Nagar Electric Crematorium in Chennai. Several senior serving officers paid tribute and laid wreaths in a mark of deep respect and reverence to General Padmanabhan. A wreath was also laid on behalf of the Chief of the Army Staff. Lieutenant General Tarun Kumar Aich, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy), Lieutenant General Adosh Kumar, Director General Artillery and Lieutenant General Karanbir Singh Brar, General Officer Commanding of Dakshin Bharat Area Several veterans who served alongside General Padmanabhan also gathered to pay their last respects, and reflected on his exceptional leadership, commitment, and the indelible legacy he left behind in the Indian Army. The Indian Army extended its deepest condolences to the bereaved family and joined them in mourning the loss of a true soldier and leader. Earlier, on August 11, Army Chief Gen. Upendra Dwivedi and all ranks of the Indian Army paid tribute to Havildar Dipak Kumar Yadav and Lance Naik Praveen Sharma, who lost their lives in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag. "#GeneralUpendraDwivedi #COAS and All Ranks of #IndianArmy salute the supreme sacrifice of #Bravehearts Hav Dipak Kumar Yadav & L/Nk Praveen Sharma, who laid down their lives in the line of duty, in Anantnag, J&K," the Additional Directorate General of Public Information, IHQ of MoD (Army), said in a post on X. (ANI)
After the Supreme Court constituted a National Task Force for medical professionals, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Tuesday welcomed the decision and said it would work with the committee on safety and security. However, the association still have the demand to bring a central law for protection of medical professionals through an ordinance. IMA said that a virtual meeting of state presidents and state secretaries has been called today at 9pm. The official notice from IMA reads, "IMA HQs welcomes the intervention by the Hon Supreme Court. IMA will work with the committee on safety and security. The Central Law against violence by an Ordinance remains IMA 's demand. IMA HQs. meets with all RDAs tomorrow in Delhi. The struggle continues. A meeting of State Presidents and State Secretaries has been called in Zoom platform today at 9 pm." The Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a 10-member National Task Force to make recommendations on the prevention of violence and safe working conditions for medical professionals. The task force includes Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, among others. Days after the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata sparked nationwide protests, the apex court suo motu took up the case and directed the task force to submit an interim report within three weeks and a final report within two months. The court said the Task Force would also prepare an action plan to prevent gender-based violence and ensure a dignified working space for interns, residents, and non-resident doctors. The top court also asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a status report on the status of the investigation in the rape case. The court asked the West Bengal government to file a status report on the mob attack incident in the RG Kar hospital on August 15. Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continued its investigation on Tuesday into the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The CBI has received permission to conduct a polygraph test on the arrested accused, CBI sources said earlier. On August 18, the CBI team examined and conducted 3D laser mapping in the emergency ward of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. On Monday, the West Bengal government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct an inquiry and investigation into the allegations of financial irregularities in R. G. Kar Hospital during the period from January 2021 until date. Demanding justice, prominent artists of the Bengal music industry protested on Monday against the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. On Monday evening, several artists, including actor Saheb Chatterjee, radio personality Mir Afsar Ali and others, came to the streets to express their outrage over the matter. (ANI)
The event took place at the Governor House (Rajbhawan) on Monday. Meanwhile, on the same day, on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, he also celebrated the festival.

The grandson of Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur and other dignitaries were also present at the event.

On Monday, MBB airport authorities in Agartala paid tribute to Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur on his 116th birth anniversary.

Officials paid tribute to Maharaja Bir Bikram, known as the 'Architect of Modern Tripura', at the statue in front of the airport on Monday.Passengers also joined the event in honour of the erstwhile ruler.

CK Mallick the acting APD, Civil Head TK Dey, Operations HOD Smitha Prakash, and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

On this occasion, the airport authority arranged for the display of videos about Maharaja Bir Bikram inside the Terminal.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Monday paid tribute on his 116th birth anniversary and said that he was the architect of modern Tripura.

Taking to the social media platform Facebook, the Chief Minister wrote, "Tribute to a visionary leader! Remembering Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur, the architect of modern Tripura, on his birth anniversary. His progressive ideas, reforms, and contributions to education, infrastructure, and culture continue to inspire and shape the state's destiny. May his legacy live on forever! #MaharajaBirBikram."

Meanwhile, a two-day celebration of Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur's 116th birth anniversary was organised in the town of Khumulwng in the West Tripura district. The event commenced on Sunday and was jointly organised by the INTACH Tripura Chapter and the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).

The event included a discussion panel and an exhibition showcasing the life and contributions of Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur, a king of Tripura, also popularly known as the "Architect of Modern Tripura". (ANI)
Several doctors in Shimla marched towards the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat on Tuesday, demanding justice for the rape and murder of the female doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The doctors also demanded enhanced safety and security for the medical personnel in Himachal Pradesh. Speaking to ANI, Dr Abhishek Sharma said that the main demand of the doctors is to seek justice for the rape victim and he further added that the government had tried to shield the accused and impose a form of dictatorship. "Our main demand is to seek justice for the West Bengal rape victim. The incident has shocked the nation. We believe the government tried to shield the accused and imposed a form of dictatorship," he said. Further, he added that the Central Protection Act has not been implemented yet, which has left doctors around the country vulnerable. He further added that after eight days of protesting when the demands were not met, the doctors approached the government. "The Central Protection Act has not been effectively implemented, leaving doctors vulnerable. We were disappointed after protesting for eight days, and we decided to escalate our issues with the government. Over 1,000 people participated, and although we had to leave after a long wait, our seniors are now in discussions with the government," said Dr Sharma. Further, following the march by the doctors, the representatives from the State Association of Medical and Dental College Teachers (SAMADCOT), Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Government Dental College (GDC) and the Resident Doctors Association met the Chief Minister, Health Minister and the health officers. The Chief Minister assured the doctors of proper safety and security measures. Dr Balbir Verma, President of SAMADCOT, said that the CM assured that the demands of the doctors would be met and that further meetings would be held with the resident doctors and SAMADCOT. "The Chief Minister has assured us of addressing our demands, marking a positive development. We will hold further meetings with the Resident Doctors Association and SAMADCOT this afternoon, and we anticipate positive outcomes. Although some doctors left due to the long waiting time, the key takeaway is that the Chief Minister has acknowledged our concerns and is committed to addressing our safety and security issues," Verma said. Another protestor, Dr Priya, expressed the prevailing sense of insecurity among the students and the medical professionals and said that it was unfortunate for the doctors to take to the streets for justice of the victim. "It is deeply unfortunate that we must take to the streets to demand justice for the brutal gang rape of a female doctor who was on duty for 36 hours serving the nation. Her gang rape and murder are unacceptable. The fear and insecurity we feel are pervasive. If we are not safe while serving and saving lives, where else are we safe? We have come together seeking justice and equality for her sacrifice," said Dr. Priya. She added how the incident has created a sense of fear among the doctors. Verma said, "There was no fear before, but this horrific incident has opened our eyes. The threat could be anywhere in Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, or any other Indian state. We are not safe." (ANI)
West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari welcomed Supreme Court's decision of constituting a National Task Force to prepare an action plan to prevent violence against medical professionals and provide safe working conditions and demanded action against TMC in the next hearing in the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata. "I welcome this step by the Supreme Court. The Court has issued an interim order so that such an incident doesn't repeat. We also expect that the incident that took place on August 9 and also on August 14, by the TMC goons - to vandalise the peaceful protest, action must be taken against it also, in the next hearing. It's all happening by a shared role of the state govt, and Kolkata police...," said Suvendu Adhikari. "Kolkata police has not allowed final rites of the victim in a manner as per Hindu rituals and told the incident a suicide to family members. So strict action should be taken on this as well during the next hearing of the Supreme Court," he added. This comes as Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the nation can't wait for another rape and murder for bringing changes on the ground as it formed National Task Force. "As more and more women join the workforce, the nation cannot wait for another rape for things to change on the ground," the top court said. A bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra's observation came while hearing a suo motu cognisance of the rape and murder of a doctor in State-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal. SC questioned the West Bengal government for waiting three hours to register the FIR. The top court also pulled the WB govt observing that the name and graphic images of the deceased have been widely circulated on social media without regard to her privacy or dignity. On 9 August 2024, a thirty-one-year-old postgraduate doctor at RG Kar Medical College Hospital, Kolkata who was on a thirty-six-hour duty shift was murdered and allegedly raped inside the seminar room of the hospital. (ANI)
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said that the Hema committee report on the Malayalam film industry had not been withheld deliberately and Justice Hema had requested that the parts of the report should not be released publicly as it contained sensitive personal information. Vijayan was responding to media's queries on the report on Tuesday. He was asked why the report was kept under wraps for four and a half years. Speaking on this, the Kerala CM said that there has been no deliberate withholding. Justice Hema had requested that the parts of the Hema Committee report, which contained sensitive personal information should not be released publicly. He said "The government has done what it can. It will strongly address illegal and misogynistic tendencies in the film industry. The government is determined to tackle these issues with resolve." Further, he added "If any of those who testified before the Hema Commission come forward with complaints, appropriate action will be taken. No matter how high-ranking, everyone will be held accountable before the law." On February 19, 2020, Justice Hema had sent a letter to the Principal Secretary of the Cultural Department, emphasizing that the report included confidential disclosures made by women from the film industry. Justice Hema's letter stated: "We have been following the principles laid down by the Supreme Court in various decisions, in keeping the matter extra confidential. It would also take the liberty to alert you to follow these principles, before parting with the report to anybody in a routine manner." Due to the confidential nature of the information, the Chief Information Officer of the Cultural Department rejected applications for copies of the report under the Right to Information Act. A media person appealed to the Information Commission in 2020, which ruled on October 22, 2020, that the report could not be released due to its confidential content. The Information Commission initially ordered the report to be made public on July 7, 2024, overruling its previous decision. The Commission recommended publishing the report with sections containing personal data omitted. However, legal obstacles emerged as a prominent actress sought a stay on the report's release. These legal hurdles were recently resolved, leading to the report's release. The government has followed every possible course of action. There is no opposition to the report being made public. The government remains committed to addressing any unlawful and anti-women tendencies in the film industry. The chief minister was then asked why the police has not taken action despite receiving the report. Vijyayan said the claim is a misrepresentation. Based on a letter from the Women's Commission, the police requested the Cultural Department for a copy of the report. The response from the Additional Secretary of the Cultural Department reiterated the need for confidentiality as directed by Justice Hema. The report clarified: "Another difficulty faced by the Committee is in the preparation of this report without the help of a stenographer who has computer knowledge." ".....we wanted to prevent any information which was disclosed to the Committee from being leaked out and becoming a controversy, even before filing of the report before the government." "......we are forced to type this report by ourselves, though none of us knows professional typing. This, we find, a tedious task." Vijayan said the committee aimed to maintain confidentiality of testimonies given the sensitive nature and potential repercussions. Any claims that the government has deliberately withheld information are unfounded. The government has taken action in all reported cases. No matter how high ranking, anyone guilty will be brought before the law, the chief minister said. (ANI)
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Chairperson Priyank Kanungo opened up on the lapses in the sexual assault case of two minor girls at a school in Maharashtra's Badlapur and said that a team will be sent to the spot to conduct an inquiry on the incident. The NCPCR Chairperson alleged that the said school's attitude in this case was insensitive as they tried to suppress the case and even the concerned police station did not register an FIR in due time. Speaking to ANI, Priyank Kanungo said, "The school's attitude in this case was insensitive. They tried to suppress the case. The concerned police station did not register an FIR in due time." Kanungo also noted that strict action has been initiated against the officers of the concerned police station by the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and stringent action will be taken against the school administration for trying to 'suppress the case.' "A team will be sent to the spot. The Deputy CM of Maharashtra has decided to remove the officers of the concerned police station. This is a positive step. Action should be taken against school administration or those responsible for not registering the FIR and suppressing the case." Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ordered a high-level probe into the incident and said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been formed to investigate the case and that those found guilty would face strict action. "I have taken serious cognizance of the incident in Badlapur. An SIT has already been formed in this matter and we are also going to take action against the school where the incident took place. We are in the process of fast-track this case, and no one will be spared if found guilty," CM Eknath Shinde said while speaking to ANI on Tuesday. Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis ordered the formation of an SIT headed by Inspector General of Police-level senior IPS officer Arti Singh to investigate the incident. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray invoked the Shakti bill after hundreds of protesters blocked trains at the Badlapur Railway station, demonstrating against the sexual assault of two young girls at a school in the state's Badlapur district and said that strict action should be taken against those accused. Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Thackeray said that the incident at Badlapur school should not happen 'anywhere in the country.' Uddhav Thackeray further remarked that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was about to pass the 'Shakti Bill' but his government was 'toppled' by the current chief minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde. A massive protest was held at Badlapur Railway Station on Tuesday against the alleged sexual assault incident involving two minor girls at a school in Thane district. Maharashtra Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar said one accused has been arrested in connection with the incident and assured that maximum punishment would be meted out to him. The alleged sexual assault of two minor girls in Badlapur has sparked widespread outrage. As angry residents, demanding justice, began pelting stones at the school, the situation escalated, prompting police intervention. The authorities used tear gas and other measures to control the crowd and restore order. The protesters, wearing black clothing, targeted the school in their demonstration. As the chaos subsided, the police were able to apprehend the individuals responsible for the stone-throwing. The suspects were taken into custody and are being held at the local police station. The police are continuing their investigation into the assault case and are working to maintain peace in the community. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi expressed that the entire state was outraged by the incident. "Two young girls were sexually assaulted in Badlapur, Maharashtra, on the school premises. The entire state is outraged and seeks justice. I once again urge the Rashtrapati Bhavan to approve the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, no other child or woman faces this travesty. Shame on the state government for continuing to ignore the safety of women," Chaturvedi said. She further criticized societal attitudes, saying, "The incident is on school premises. Sick perverts in our society want women to dress in a 'decent way', to step out during 'safe hours' and work in' safe zones', and take charge of their 'own safety'. What would you say to this?" Chaturvedi said. Residents in Badlapur also demonstrated protests against the sexual abuse of two minor girls, which occurred last week. As per reports, the parents learned about the incident on August 18 and filed an FIR. (ANI)
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of the reported sexual assault on two minor girl students in Maharashtra's Badlapur and has called for a detailed report within two weeks from the authorities concerned. According to an official release from the NHRC, the detailed report is expected to include the reason behind the delay in the registration of an FIR, its status, and the health of the victim girls. "The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report carried on August 18, 2024, that two minor girl students were allegedly sexually abused by a staff member of a school in Thane," the commission said. "Reportedly, the parents have raised questions about why a female staff member was not deputed to clean the girls' washroom. Allegedly, the registration of the FIR was delayed almost 12 hours after they complained to the police about the matter," it said. "The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise serious issues of human rights violations. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Maharashtra, calling for a detailed report on the matter, including the reason behind the delay in the registration of an FIR, its status, and the health of the victim girls," it added. It further said, "The Commission would also like to know whether any counselling has been provided to the victims by the authorities or school management. The report should also mention the steps taken and proposed to ensure that such incidents do not recur. The response from the authorities is expected within two weeks." Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Tuesday that the case of sexual abuse of two four-year-old girls at a school in Badlapur would be tried in a fast-track court. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, announced the setting up of a special investigation team (SIT) under Inspector General of Police Aarti Singh and the appointment of advocate Ujwal Nikam as the public prosecutor in the matter. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the alleged sexual assault of two minors at a school in Badlapur district of the state on Tuesday and said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the case. Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis also ordered the Thane Police Commissioner to immediately suspend the senior police inspector, assistant sub-inspector, and head constable of Badlapur police station who "delayed action in the initial stage of the Badlapur incident". Taking to his social media handle on X, Devendra Fadnavis posted, "In the Badlapur unfortunate incident, IG rank officer IPS Arti Singh is appointed immediately to conduct the inquiry. A charge sheet will be immediately filed and this matter will be heard in the fast-track court. Our police department will make complete efforts to get such barbaric, inhumane people punished immediately." Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered the Thane Police Commissioner to immediately suspend the senior police inspector, assistant sub-inspector, and head constable of Badlapur police station who delayed action in the initial stage of the Badlapur incident," said Office of Devendra on X. Maharashtra Chief Minister Shinde also ordered a high-level probe into the incident and said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been formed to investigate the case and that those found guilty would face strict action. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray also invoked the Shakti bill after hundreds of protesters blocked trains at the Badlapur Railway station, demonstrating against the alleged sexual assault of two young girls at a school in the state's Badlapur district and said that strict action should be taken against those accused. Former Chief Minister of the state, Thackeray, said that the incident at Badlapur school should not happen 'anywhere in the country. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said the entire state was outraged by the incident. She criticized societal attitudes, saying, "The incident is on school premises. Sick perverts in our society want women to dress in a 'decent way', to step out during 'safe hours' and work in' safe zones', and to take charge of their 'own safety'. What would you say to this?" Chaturvedi said. Residents in Badlapur also staged protests against the sexual abuse of two minor girls, which occurred last week. As per reports, the parents learned about the incident on August 18 and filed an FIR. A massive protest was held at Badlapur Railway Station on Tuesday against the alleged sexual assault incident involving two minor girls at a school in Thane district. Maharashtra Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar said one accused has been arrested in connection with the incident and assured that maximum punishment would be meted out to him. The protesters, wearing black clothes, targeted the school in their demonstration. As the chaos subsided, the police were able to apprehend the individuals responsible for the stone-throwing. The suspects were taken into custody and are being held at the local police station. The police are continuing their investigation into the assault case and are working to maintain peace in the community. Meanwhile, protesters at Badlapur railway station, demonstrating against the alleged sexual assault on two minors at a local school, clashed with police by pelting stones after security personnel used lathi-charge to disperse the crowd gathered in protest here on Tuesday. This comes after police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the protestors gathered at the Badlapur railway station after the demonstrators blocked the railway track, causing a halt in local trains. Earlier in the day, police fired tear gas shells on the enraged residents who began stone pelting at the school where the crime took place. The alleged sexual assault on two fourth-grade girls in Badlapur, Maharashtra, has sparked widespread outrage. (ANI)
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday virtually addressed the people at the Jan Milan program organized at Agastyamuni in Rudraprayag from the CM's Camp Office in Dehradun. In this virtual meeting, Dhami said that no one would be able to misuse the name of the Kedarnath Dham and further said that a proposal has been introduced in the cabinet. "No one will be able to misuse the name of Kedarnath Dham. A proposal has been introduced in the cabinet and unanimously a decision has been taken that no one will misuse the name of Kedarnath Dham or any other dham," Dhami said. Further, he added that the temple that was being constructed has also been asked not use the name of Kedarnath Dham. He said "The temple which was being constructed has been told to not use Kedarnath Dham's name and the temple should be constructed on any other name." Earlier on July 16, after a controversy erupted around the construction of the Kedarnath temple in Delhi, to which Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, Swami Avimukteshwaranand said that Mandir is not an economic centre, adding that an 'alternative' for Kedarnath Dham is not acceptable. He condemned Delhi's Trust of Kedarnath Dham's provisions of refunding and transferring memberships and said the temple is not a centre of economic activities but rather a centre for meditation. Speaking to the media about the recent controversy on the construction of Kedarnath Temple in Delhi, he asserted, "How did we know that Kashi Vishwanath is in Varanasi? Because it is mentioned in the 'Shastras'. Similarly, it is mentioned in Shastras that Kedar will be in the Himalayas. The problem is that the advertisement of Kedarnath Trust of Delhi has written "Kedarnath Shifting" and Uttarakhand's CM Dhami also participated in the 'Bhumi-Pujan' event, which means it is being advertised as an 'alternative' for Kedarnath Dham, which is not acceptable, as an alternative for Kedarnath Dham is only Kedarnath Dham itself." (ANI)
Indian Youth Congress on Tuesday organized a huge gathering program "Hum Mein Hai Rajiv" on the occasion of the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The program was organized at Talkatora Stadium in Delhi. The program was started by lighting the lamp by the National President of Youth Congress Srinivas BV and National Incharge Krishna Allavaru. On this occasion, Youth Congress workers from all over the country were present at Talkatora Stadium in Delhi. After lighting the lamp, tribute was paid to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi through various cultural and other musical programs. Many senior leaders of Congress Party and eminent social workers of the society also attended today's program and addressed all the Youth Congress colleagues present there. AICC General Secretary Sachin Pilot, Chairman of AICC Media Department Pawan Khera, AICC General Secretary and Lok Sabha MP Tariq Anwar, Chairman of AICC Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Department Meenakshi Natarajan, and other leaders addressed all the Youth Congress workers present there and highlighted the contribution of Rajiv Gandhi towards the country. On this occasion, National President of Indian Youth Congress Srinivas BV said that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was the son of India, with his strong determination he increased the honor of Mother India. Rajiv will always remain alive in the development, progress, unity, integrity of this country and in the hearts of all of us. He also said that Rajiv Gandhi was the architect of modern India, who worked towards making India strong and self-reliant, the country is still benefiting from his foresight. It is his foresight that has put India in the category of strong, modern nations. National President of Indian Youth Congress Srinivas BV said that he is still with us. Rajiv Gandhi, who became Prime Minister at the age of 40, worked towards laying the foundation of modern India. Rajiv Gandhi is called the architect of Digital India and the father of information technology and telecommunication revolution. On his initiative, the Indian telecommunication network was established, the network of telecommunication started spreading from cities to villages, so that the people of the village could also connect with the country and the world in terms of communication. National Incharge of Indian Youth Congress and AICC Joint Secretary Krishna Allavaru said that Rajiv Gandhi wanted women to come forward and participate strongly in the politics of the country. He believed that the social and economic status of women should be strong. Rajiv Gandhi has left his wide mark on major decisions like foreign policy, defense policy, economic reforms, women and youth empowerment, strengthening the roots of democracy in his one tenure. Rajiv Gandhi is an inspiration for every youth of the country, he was always immortal, and will remain immortal. Many types of cultural and musical programs were also organized in the "Hum Mein Hai Rajiv" Samagam program. Many National office bearers of Youth Congress, State Presidents and many youth congress workers from across the country were present in today's program. (ANI)
A cabinet meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav at Mantralaya in Bhopal on Tuesday and the Council of Ministers gave administrative approval of Rs 1320.14 crore for the Chitrangi pressurised micro irrigation project of Singrauli district (irrigation area 32,125 hectares). The approved project will benefit 132 villages (irrigation area 28,192 hectares) of Chitrangi tehsil and 10 villages (irrigation area 3,933 hectares) of Devsar tehsil of Singrauli district. The cabinet also approved to provide adequate staff for the Cyber Tehsil Project. For expansion in the entire state, approval was given to transfer 10 posts of Tehsildar out of 619 posts sanctioned for the districts of Tahsildar cadre, 15 posts out of 55 posts of Naib Tehsildars reserved for deputation and three posts of Assistant Class-3 category employees including Chief Revenue Commissioner for Cyber Tehsil. Similarly, approval was given to appoint two peons through outsource. The council of ministers further approved a proposal for the amendment to replace the word "two years" with "three years" in Section 43-A of the Madhya Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1961. Section 43-A of the Act is about a motion of no confidence moved by any elected Councillor. Besides, according to the revised instructions issued by the Government of India under Mission Shakti, the Council of Ministers approved to operate the Women Empowerment Center in all the districts in the state till the period of 15th Finance Commission 2025-26 to facilitate inter-regional convergence of schemes and programs run for women for the empowerment of women and to create an environment in which women can understand and utilise their full potential. In each district hub, the posts of District Mission Coordinator-1, Gender Specialist-2, Financial Literacy Specialist 1, Accounts Assistant-1, IT Assistant-1 and M.T.S.-1 were approved. In this way, a total of 364 posts were approved including all the district hubs in the state. The Women and Child Development Department has been authorised to fill the sanctioned posts according to the prescribed procedure. (ANI)
The meeting was attended by the Chief Secretary J.K. Sinha, the Director General of Police Amitabh Ranjan, the Secretary of the Revenue Department, and senior officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) and Drinking Water and Sanitation (DWS) Department, among others.

The discussions focused on evaluating the current situation and implementing measures to manage and mitigate the impact of the floods on the affected areas.

He asked the officials concerned to leave no stone unturned in ensuring timely support and relief to the affected people.

Earlier on the day, the Chief Minister in a social media post shared that intense rainfall caused floods in several areas in South Tripura and other districts.

"In response, relief centres have been set up to provide support to those affected. The district administration has been instructed to take appropriate action to prioritize public safety and mitigate the impact of the flooding," he mentioned in the post.

According to official sources, the administration is closely monitoring the overall situation and extending assistance to those affected. (ANI)
According to Superintendent of Police Yathish N., the attack occurred on the morning of August 20 when the girl was on her way to college.

The boy, known to the victim, approached her and, after his advances were rejected, attacked her with a weapon, injuring her hand.

The victim is currently receiving treatment at the government hospital.

A case has been registered at the D.K. Women's Police Station under case number 42/2024, invoking sections 78, 126(2), 118(1), 238 BNS 2023, and section 12 of the POCSO Act.

The investigation is ongoing. (ANI)
The protestors were seen carrying posters demanding justice for rape victims. Many people including youngsters participated in the march that was held on Tuesday evening.

Earlier, doctors of Hyderabad held a candle march and 'Nukkad Natak' (street play) on Tuesday.

Speaking to ANI, a protestor said that even though the CBI is investigating the case, there has been a lot of resistance from the state government but the doctors are hopeful of the CBI probe.

Several doctors in Shimla also held a march towards the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat on Tuesday, demanding justice for the Kolkata rape and murder victim.

The top court earlier directed all social media platforms and electronic media to remove the name of the deceased in the RG Kar Hospital case, photographs, and video clips forthwith.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra noted that the identity of the victim was published on various platforms. The top court said that it is constrained to issue an injunctive order since social and electronic media have proceeded to publish the identity of the deceased and photographs of the dead body after the recovery of the body.

The top court also constituted a 10-member National Task Force to make recommendations on the prevention of violence and safe working conditions for medical professionals.

The trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. (ANI)
Indian National Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge reaffirmed the party's commitment to safeguard the Consitution on the occasion of 'Sadhbhavana Diwas' on Tuesday. While addressing a public gathering in Mumbai on the occasion of the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Kharge said, "Saving the Constitution is still our top priority." Highlighting the role of state governments and elected representatives, the Congres chief said, "To save the Constitution, we need MLAs and state governments. If we have a majority in states and in the Rajya Sabha, then nobody will speak about changing the Constitution. If we don't have our governments in states and MLAs are not elected, how will they get elected to the Rajya Sabha?" Kharge also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's controversial advertisement for lateral entry into government posts which was subsequently withdrawn. The advertisement, aimed at recruiting individuals from the private sector into high-ranking government roles, was met with opposition from various quarters. The central government withdrew the advertisement, a move Kharge attributed to the strong reaction from Congress and public and political pressure. "The Modi government withdrew this decision because you are strong. If the Modi government had been in majority, it would have placed RSS people on those posts without giving reservation to anyone," Kharge said. The UPSC recently released a notification for recruiting Joint Secretaries, Directors, and Deputy Secretaries through lateral entry. Following criticism, Department of Personnel and Training wrote to UPSC asking to cancel the advertisement. (ANI)
Members of the Indian community in Warsaw have expressed excitement over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Poland. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be making official visits to Poland and Ukraine from August 21-23, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday. The visit by Prime Minister Modi will be the first visit by an Indian PM to Poland in 45 years. The visit comes as New Delhi and Warsaw mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2024. Ahead of PM Modi's visit, the Indian diaspora has expressed happiness as PM Modi will be visiting Poland. Members of the Indian community praised PM Modi for his contribution to the development of India. Speaking to ANI, Saurabh Gilitwala said, "I am from Mumbai, I came to Poland 7 years ago...It has been more than 40 years since an Indian President or PM has visited Poland. We are all excited as this visit will further strengthen India-Poland ties." Speaking about the message he would like to give to PM Modi, he said that he would like to thank him for making him 'atmanirbhar' (independent) and for instilling in him a sense of responsibility. He also said that he received his first cheque from the government in 2012 under Khel Mahakumbh when Modi served as Gujarat's CM. Ajay Sharma, a member of the Indian diaspora, said that they are all excited to welcome PM Modi and added that friends living in other parts of Poland have also booked their tickets to travel to Warsaw to see PM Modi. Ajay Sharma said, "I have been in Poland for almost 6 years. I came here as a student in 2018. Then I established my own company here. And after I completed my studies, now I am working for my own company and growing my own company. We are very excited. Our friends and colleagues in different cities are asking about PM Modi's schedule and they have even booked their tickets to travel to Warsaw to see PM Modi. "All of us are excited to witness this moment as its after 40 years, the Indian PM will travel to Warsaw. It's an extraordinary moment for us because we want to highlight Poland and the ties between two nations will be further strengthened by his visit. It's a very exciting moment for us and we are very happy and waiting to see him and have an opportunity to feel his energy," he added. Vanya, a nine-year-old girl, showed a picture that featured PM Modi and the Indian flag. She said that she likes PM Modi as he loves children and is very kind and loving. Gaurav Singh. Indian Students Union President, said, that the Indian community is excited about PM Modi's visit and they want to know whether PM Modi will address the Indian community here or not. He expressed hope that the ties between the two nations will be further strengthened by PM Modi's visit. Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "First of all, as an Indian, we are very excited. Not just me, but the entire Indian diaspora is very happy here. PM Modi has visited many countries in the last 10 years. And finally, he is coming to Poland. So not only Warsaw, but all the Indians are very happy and excited here. I know many of my friends, whether they are students, business owners or working in corporate are planning to travel to Warsaw for PM Modi's visit. We are witnessing a different energy among people and they are all happy. I think I have not witnessed such type of excitement among the Indian community in Poland. Preparations are being done for PM Modi. Everyone wants to know whether PM Modi will address Indian community." Speaking about his message for PM Modi, he said, "First of all, I would like to welcome you to Poland, Mr. Modi. As we all know, an Indian Prime Minister is coming to Poland after 40-50 years. Before this, Nehru Ji or Mr. Indira had come here Ji and it's been 40 years since they came here. But now, Prime Minister Modi is coming after 40-50 years, I am hoping that relations between India and Poland, whether cultural relations, or business relations will improve. I hope that PM Modi talks about our betterment with Polish government. We are feeling proud as the Indian PM is visiting Poland." Jenesh, member of the Indian diaspora, said, "I have been in Poland since 2016, it's been 8 years. I am very excited. Like, after 45 years, an Indian diplomat like Prime Minister is coming to India... The message is that the ties between Europe and India should be further boosted and they should make more and more trade agreements. Because there are many similarities between Europe and India, which can create synergies. Europe's market is very open, and it can do a lot here. As he comes to Poland, it will create impact. Trades are going to increase. Inflow of students will also increase. Work wise also, like here there is a labor shortage, so work wise also there will be a lot of inflow in terms of blue collar workers, white collar workers. So yes, I am hoping that there will be a good effect." Karishma, a member of the Indian diaspora, said that PM Modi has contributed a lot to India's development and India is growing very well. She said that meeting PM Modi would be a dream come true for her. She said, "First of all, the Prime Minister is coming here after 40 years. And we didn't even think about it because usually when there is a foreign visit of the Prime Minister, Poland is usually ignored. But this time he is coming, we are very excited. Many people who live outside Warsaw are also coming here especially to see them, to meet them. So we are really looking forward to it." "PM Modi is a Prime Minister with whom everyone wants to meet, whether they are old or young. If he is in front of me, I will be very happy. Seeing him, it will be a dream come true for me. You have contributed a lot to India's development. India is growing very well. We feel very proud and it's all because of him. So I'm really looking forward to the event," she added. MEA Secretary (West) Tanmaya Lal said that PM Modi will be visiting Poland at the invitation of his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk and called it a "landmark visit." While addressing a special briefing on Monday, MEA Secretary (West) Tanmaya Lal said, "PM Narendra Modi will be undertaking an official visit to Poland this week on 21st and 22nd August on the invitation of PM Donald Tusk. This is a landmark visit as the PM of Indian is visiting Poland after 45 years. This visit takes place as we also mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations." "This historic visit in a landmark year for India and Polish relations will provide an opportunity to our leaders to review the bilateral relationship and offer guidance on enhancing this relationship in diverse areas and also discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest," he added. The MEA further recalled the age-old ties between India and Poland highlighting how Poland assisted India in evacuating its students from Ukraine after conflict broke out in 2022. It also spoke about the episode from the 1940s when over 6000 Polish women and children were given refuge in princely states: Jamnagar and Kolhapur. "Indian community in Poland estimated at around 25,000. This includes around 5,000 students. The government and people of Poland had offered valuable assistance during 'Operation Ganga' for the evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine. More than 4,000 Indian students were evacuated via Poland in 2022. One of the unique bonds between our countries relates to the time in the 1940s during World War 2 when more than 6,000 Polish women and children found refuge in two princely states in India - Jamnagar and Kolhapur," Tanmaya Lal said. The MEA Secretary informed that PM Modi, during his visit will hold meetings with the Polish counterpart, President and will also interact with the India community there. He will also be accorded a ceremonial welcome at Warsaw. "There are long-standing cultural ties between India and Poland, there is respect for Indian culture and ethos including Yoga and Ayurveda. In Warsaw, Prime Minister Modi will be accorded a ceremonial welcome. In addition to talks with PM Donald Tusk, PM Modi will also call on President Andrzej Duda. Prime Minister Modi will interact with Indian community, business leaders, and prominent endologists," he further said. (ANI)
The first night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) has begun in Chicago. US President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are among the major speakers who will deliver remarks on the first night of DNC, CNN reported. Biden will use his primetime remarks to talk about the accomplishments of his administration and highlight how critical is that US Vice President Kamala Harris defeats former US President Donald Trump in the elections set to be held in November, according to CNN report. New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock will also deliver remarks on the first night of the DNC, according to CNN report. Monday night will also include people who have been affected by stricter abortion laws passed by states after the overturning of Roe vs Wade, including Hadley Duvall, the Kentucky woman whose story has been included in Democratic campaign ads in this cycle. Nearly 50,000 visitors are expected to attend the convention, including approximately 4,000 delegates. The theme of the convention is "For the People, For Our Future." The theme for Monday will be "For the People," with speakers expected to pay tribute to Biden, according to DNC officials. While the official schedule has not yet been released, Democratic National Convention officials have confirmed that President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will speak on Monday. On Monday night, Biden said that he's ready to pass the torch to Kamala Harris as he takes the stage as a supporter of his vice president instead of his party's presidential nominee. On being asked whether he was ready to pass the torch, Biden told reporters, "I am," as he did a walk through the United Center in Chicago. Biden has been reworking and fine-tuning his speech in the days leading up to the event. He has been working closely with one of his closest aides and one of the final people he spoke to before announcing his exit from the presidential race, Mike Donilon, CNN reported. According to aides, this is not Biden's farewell speech. However, they recognise that was one of the last major audiences Biden will have while in office. On being asked if tonight will be "bittersweet" for him, Biden said, "Memorable." Former US President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak on Tuesday, which will focus on the theme "A Bold Vision for the Future." On Wednesday, under the theme "A Fight for Freedom," former President Bill Clinton and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi of California will address the convention, according to a source familiar with the schedule. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are also expected to speak this week, DNC officials said. Mike Waltz, Kamala Harris's running mate, is expected to take the stage on Wednesday to officially accept the vice-presidential nomination. Harris will formally accept the presidential nomination during her speech on Thursday, a night dedicated to the theme "For the Future." Harris will arrive at the convention shortly after a bus tour through Pennsylvania over the weekend. She will also hold a rally on Tuesday in Milwaukee, the same city where Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination last month. Typically, the convention includes a roll call vote to formally nominate presidential and vice-presidential candidates. However, Harris officially cemented her status as the presidential nominee earlier this month when she earned a majority of delegates in a virtual roll call. The vote was held in early August to avoid potential issues with ballot access in Ohio. A ceremonial roll call is still expected to take place at the convention. Democratic organizers had to rework the programming entirely for the DNC after President Biden dropped out of the race in late July and endorsed Vice President Harris to replace him on the ticket. (ANI)
Warrant Officer Mahmood Amaria, 45, from the Bedouin town of Ibtin, was killed in Monday morning's drone attack, the IDF said.

The attack, which occurred in the western Galilee, left another soldier with serious injuries.

Nearly 80,000 Israelis were forced to evacuate their homes near the Lebanon border when Hezbollah began launching rockets and drones in October. Hezbollah leaders have said they will continue the attacks to prevent Israelis from returning to their homes. The attacks have killed 26 civilians and 19 soldiers on the Israeli side.

Israeli officials have been calling for Hezbollah to be disarmed and removed from southern Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War. (ANI/TPS)
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk on Tuesday expressed his willingness to serve after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump hinted that he will consider Elon Musk for cabinet role or advisory post if he wins. "I am willing to serve," posted Musk on his 'X' platform after the Trump in a Reuters interview said that Musk will be welcome to become part of the US administration if the Republican candidate wins the US presidential election in November. Trump in an interview to the news agency pointed out that if he returns to the White House, he would like to offer Musk, who is the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX a position as an advisor or cabinet member to the head of the US administration, if the entrepreneur is willing to engage in such activities. Asked if he would consider Musk for an advisory role or cabinet job, Trump told Reuters he would consider Musk for such a position "if he would do it, Trump also told Reuters that if he is elected into office again as US President he would consider ending a USD7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle purchases. "Tax credits and tax incentives are not generally a very good thing," Trump told the news agency. Last month, Musk, who owns the social media platform X, endorsed Trump's candidacy after the former president was injured in an attempted assassination in Pennsylvania. Following the assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania, Musk had endorsed him on the campaign trail and earlier this month the latter had interviewed the former US President on X. The interview, which claimed Musk was targeted by a massive DDoS attack, was viewed more than a billion times. Following the January 6, 2021, attack on Capitol Hill, Trump's account was permanently suspended by Twitter (now X) under its previous ownership. However, under Musk's ownership, the account was reinstated. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Musk, who also owns SpaceX and Tesla, pledged USD 45 million per month to a new political action committee backing Trump. The America PAC will primarily focus on voter outreach and registration efforts to counter the Democrats' traditionally strong campaigns. The US presidential election is scheduled to be held on November 5. Vice President Kamala Harris is the presidential candidate for the Democratic Party after Joe Biden withdrew from the race on June 21 following a debate with Trump in June. (ANI)
The official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, shared pictures of the two leaders posing with each other, as they met today, as a part of the Malaysian PM's State visit to India.

"A special beginning to an important visit! PM @narendramodi warmly received PM @anwaribrahim of Malaysia in a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan," the MEA said in a post on X. "Malaysia is a key pillar of India's Act East Policy and a valued partner in the region," the post added.

Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim arrived in the national capital on Monday for a state visit, his first visit to India as the Malaysian premier. PM Ibrahim was warmly received by Union Minister of State, V Somanna at the airport.

PM Ibrahim is visiting India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Prime Minister of Malaysia also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi, laying a wreath at Delhi's Rajghat following his meeting with PM Modi. Ibrahim also signed the visitor's book at the Rajghat.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is also scheduled to call on the President of India Droupadi Murmu on August 20.

External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar would also call on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during his visit.

India and Malaysia have strong historical and socio-cultural linkages. Our bilateral relationship was elevated to the status of Enhanced Strategic Partnership in 2015 during the visit of Prime Minister Modi.

As both countries enter the second decade of Enhanced Strategic Partnership next year, the visit of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim would pave the way for further strengthening of India-Malaysia bilateral ties by charting out a multi-sectoral cooperation agenda for the future, the MEA stated. (ANI)
United States First Lady Jill Biden during her speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago said that she had watched President Joe Biden "dig deep into his soul" and decide not to seek reelection last month. "Kamala and Tim, you will win," Jill Biden said on Monday night (local time), referring to the new Democratic ticket of Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. "You are inspiring a new generation," Jill Biden said. "We are all a part of something bigger than ourselves," the Washington Post reported. Senator Chris Coons of Delaware spoke before Jill Biden and the crowd then held up green "JILL" signs. Local media reported that Jill Biden got a standing ovation as she took to the stage. In her speech, Jill Biden urged everyone to rally behind Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. "We will fight and we will win!" she said. According to the Washington Post, Jill recounted how their late son, Beau Biden, told them that Harris was "special" and someone to keep an eye on. Jill Biden paid tribute to her husband, President Joe Biden and spoke of their life together from raising their children to his rise to the vice presidency and ultimately to the presidency. Biden announced on June 21 this year that he was withdrawing from seeking relection to the post following mounting concerns over his age particularly after his poor show in the debate with Donald Trump. Harris had announced Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz, as her running mate. Walz, 60, emerged from a list of probable candidates who had better recognition and came from politically advantageous states. On the first night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) among the speakers were former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with former US President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama also slated to address the crowd. Ahead of his address, the US Presdient was seen walking up to the convension stage teary-eyed, reported the Hill adding that signs reading "We [heart] Joe" and chants of "We love Joe" filled the United Center, the venue of the convention and Biden waited over four minutes while the cheers continued before he started his remarks. (ANI)
After a Chinese fishing boat sunk off the coast of Kinmen, both Taiwan's Coast Guard and Chinese authorities are actively engaged in search and rescue operations to locate the missing individuals and recover the vessel. According to Wu Szu-yao, leader of the Taiwanese Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus as cited by Taiwan News the Taiwanese aversion to China has significantly intensified following the sinking of the Chinese fishing vessel Minlongyu 60877. The vessel sank 12 kilometres off the coast of Kinmen on August 17 after colliding with another ship. Of the seven crew members aboard, four were successfully rescued, while three remain missing. On the same day as the incident, the Chinese Coast Guard dispatched two patrol ships and one rescue vessel to the Taiwan Strait. The Taiwan Coast Guard Administration reported that these ships briefly crossed the median line dividing Taiwan and China before returning to Chinese waters. Although they did not enter Taiwan's restricted maritime zones, their movements were closely monitored by the Taiwanese military to ensure no further intrusion occurred, Taiwan News reported. Wu Szu-yao expressed strong disapproval of China's actions in response to the situation, criticizing what she described as a hostile approach despite Taiwan's initial goodwill. She emphasized that such actions exacerbate Taiwanese resentment towards China and undermine diplomatic relations. Wu urged China to exercise greater restraint and avoid taking advantage of Taiwan's willingness to cooperate, stressing that ongoing hostility only deepens divisions between the two sides. This incident follows a similar event in February when a Chinese speedboat capsized off Kinmen after entering Taiwanese waters and attempting to evade Taiwan's Coast Guard vessels. The February incident resulted in the deaths of two Chinese nationals and further strained relations between Taiwan and China, reported Taiwan News. Wu's remarks underscore a growing frustration in Taiwan regarding China's aggressive maritime activities and highlight the need for both sides to seek diplomatic solutions to avoid further escalation. (ANI)
During the Cold War, the USA was alarmed at the prospect of communism gaining new adherents via a domino effect. As Washington DC envisaged one Asian country after another toppling before the communist juggernaut, that was the raison d'etre for getting involved in the Vietnam War. Today, the fear is that China will invade Taiwan, overthrow a vibrant democracy and irreparably snap the so-called First Island Chain. The First Island Chain, running from Japan through Taiwan, the Philippines and as far as Indonesia, forms part of US foreign doctrine. This island string forms a convenient barrier through which the People's Liberation Army (PLA) must pass to foray into the Pacific. Obviously, if Taiwan falls into Chinese hands, the PLA has instant access to the Western Pacific, since the Second Island Chain is a chain in name only. The extremely porous Second Island Chain spans Japan's volcanic eastern islands, the Marianas and Guam, the Caroline Islands with Palau and Yap, and western New Guinea. Taiwan is thus a linchpin in the US-led defensive strategy. Naturally, it is far more than that, because the fate of 23 million Taiwanese citizens hangs in the balance as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) unilaterally claims this island 180 km across the Taiwan Strait. Exploring the issue of what Taiwan's loss would mean militarily, Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy in the USA recently published a report entitled "Annexation of Taiwan: A Defeat from Which the US and Its Allies Could Not Retreat". Authored by Gabriel Collins and Andrew Erickson, it addresses one of the most consequential flashpoints on the planet. If China conquered Taiwan, the report warned in no uncertain terms: "The aftermath would likely trigger the worst economic shocks experienced in more than a century, unleashing a cycle of repression and diminishing the quality of life for populations across Asia and beyond, with devastating impacts on American interests and Americans' wellbeing. Moreover, China's annexation of Taiwan could exacerbate regional tensions and extend into a broader, global conflict." Chairman Xi Jinping may be at the zenith of his power, as China encounters economic, diplomatic and security challenges. It is impossible to comprehend the calculus running through Xi's mind as he consolidates power, exerts tighter control over China's population, calls for greater political loyalty and prioritizes national security. Some therefore describe the remainder of the 2020s as the "decade of maximum danger," as Xi contemplates a legacy even greater than Mao Zedong's. The jewel in Xi's crown, the ultimate fulfilment of the "China Dream", would be to capture Taiwan, something not even Mao could achieve. The Rice University paper presented four key findings. Firstly, "Xi has strong motivations to annex Taiwan through the threat or use of force." China would clearly like to capture it without a shot being fired, as it could then obtain industrial and technological infrastructure whilst simultaneously limiting escalation and thwarting any intervention by the USA and its allies. The USA would be hard hit by Taiwan's loss, given that the latter dominates the global semiconductor industry. Taiwan's annexation would disrupt Western techno-industrial supply chains for years to come, as China could control who it sold chips to. Alternatively, if Chinese attacks damaged Taiwan's semiconductor manufacturing base, or if the USA instituted an alliance of sanctions, "semiconductor supply disruptions would likely be substantially worse than the challenges created by the most intense phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21," Collins and Erickson warned. They even contended that the global financial impact would equal or surpass that of World War II. Other impacts would be roadblocks and stalled progress in important fields such as medicine and materials science. The report predicted, "Inferior substitutes would, in a best case, require massively increased electricity use - with major energy costs and climate security impact - merely to deliver vital societal functions at reduced performance and potential." Secondly, the report found, "In a scenario where Indo-Pacific alliances are compromised and the majority of global advanced semiconductor production is either destroyed or falls under Beijing's sway, the United States risks becoming an embattled "Fortress America" in a world increasingly under Beijing's influence and control. This would set the stage for insecurity, economic deprivation, and - quite possibly - future warfare between China and the United States." Any Chinese annexation of Taiwan "would cripple US regional credibility and seriously damage its alliance relationships. China would likely be perceived as Asia's clear dominant power if it subsumed Taiwan, while managing to deter (or defeat) a US-led military intervention." The USA's exclusion from East/Southeast Asia, or access contingent upon acquiescence to a China-dominated system, would threaten wider US security and prosperity. Nor would ASEAN members be able to strategically hedge as they do today, for China would likely demand fealty. Also, for the CCP, "conquering Taiwan is a necessary, albeit insufficient, milestone in China's quest for regional dominance and global preeminence. Accordingly, the PRC success in coercively annexing Taiwan would not end or stabilize the current competition of systems between the United States and China and the associated risk of armed conflict. Instead, it would likely accelerate and intensify it." Taiwan plays an important role in flying the flag of democratic freedom. Authoritarian states like Russia and China cannot tolerate a situation where their people can freely elect the government, probably because most people would not choose them at all. The CCP likes to say democracy does not work in a Chinese context, but Taiwan is ample testament to the contrary truth. Collins and Erickson thus noted, "Beijing's core political and informational motivations for extinguishing Taiwan's autonomy underscore the island's unique importance. As a beacon of capitalist democracy, it demonstrates the ability of a society with diverse Chinese (and other) heritage to address repressive history, value individual life and liberty, engage cooperatively abroad and chart its own course." Thirdly, Taiwan's physical loss would have serious repercussions on American military capability. China would gain control of extremely sensitive military technology - after all, the USA is the Taiwan military's main benefactor and supplies advanced equipment - plus the USA would be less able to monitor Chinese military operations. China would also assume control over primary sea and air routes to Japan, the Philippines and South Korea. This could affect these respective nations' ability to act autonomously, as well as their relations with a common ally the USA, and might even encourage Seoul and Tokyo to develop nuclear weapons. Already, Japan has a critical role in helping defend Taiwan. Narushige Michishita, Executive Vice President and Professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo told an International Institute for Strategic Studies webinar on 3 July, "Many people think the US-Japan alliance is there to defend Japan, but that's not really true. The most important military objectives of the US-Japan alliance are the defence of South Korea and the defence of Taiwan. So if war breaks out on the Korean Peninsula or across the Taiwan Strait, Japan will do two things. One is to provide bases to the US forces that will be fighting for South Korea or for Taiwan, and commit its armed forces, Self-Defence Forces, to defend Taiwan or South Korea." Professor Michishita said Japan's decision to almost double its defence budget makes sense because it now takes care of these two theatres of operations. He added that "the most important challenge is China's attempt to neutralize Japan". Discussing a PLA invasion of Taiwan, he continued, "So in wartime, China would say to the Japanese leaders and people that Japan is our friend and we do not want to attack you, but if Japan dares to intervene in Chinese internal affairs, we would be forced to attack you. Would you be willing to sacrifice Tokyo for Taipei? That would be the question." The Japanese academic said, "China's psychological war to coerce Japan into neutrality has already begun". Finally, Collins and Erickson revisited the domino theory and the risk of nuclear-weapon proliferation. "If American allies in Asia were to lose confidence in US security guarantees, a cascade of multi-regional nuclear proliferation pressures would be unleashed. Competition among the three global nuclear superpowers - China, Russia and the United States - would intensify, and India, Pakistan, and potentially Japan, South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Israel, could be prompted to develop or increase nuclear capabilities. This process could add dozens of nuclear warheads to global stockpiles each year." The report said Chinese hegemony in East and Southeast Asia could also destabilize China-Russia relations, as well as other pivotal international dynamics. As seen from this list of four key repercussions, a successful Chinese conquest of Taiwan would create far-reaching effects, not only for the USA, but for the rest of the world too. In raising these points, the authors echo what the US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) has already indicated. The US military command said that any successful effort by Beijing to compel unification would see the USA losing: credibility over a free and open Indo-Pacific; a Chinese-speaking democracy in Asia; access to a top-ten trading partner; decreased credibility of the US military in the eyes of other adversaries; an ability to forestall further erosion of international norms and the rules-based order; and accelerated perception of a US decline. By the same token, China would gain a number of things by conquering Taiwan, according to INDOPACOM. These include: a major "rejuvenation" victory; new legitimacy for Xi and the CCP; an ideological win over democracy; assimilation of a major economy; confidence to pursue other territorial claims; strategic advantages in projecting power; domination near global sea lanes and chokepoints; control over critical technologies such as semiconductor manufacturing; greater international deference to Chinese national power and influence; and momentum for new forms of assertiveness. China is already throwing its weight around in the South China Sea, for instance. In the latest incident, China Coast Guard vessels deliberately collided with two Philippine boats on August 19. As the Chinese tabloid Global Times gloated, "The Philippines misjudged its own strength, as its coast guard and military are not on the same level as those of China's, despite support by some other countries. If China determines that the Philippines is no longer trustworthy, its countermeasures will be powerful enough for the Philippines to find difficult to withstand." If this is how China treats neighbors today, what will it be like in the future? The US military command stated unequivocally, "China's assimilation of Taiwan - with or without a fight - would mark a significant shift of balance of power in the 21st century with global repercussions." The two authors of the Baker Institute report concluded: "In sum, Taiwan is in many ways akin to the 'West Berlin' and 'West Germany' of a Cold War 2.0. In this decade of maximum danger, American president(s) will likely face Taiwan-related scenarios at least as severe as those Dwight D. Eisenhower confronted during the First and Second Taiwan Strait Crises of 1954-55 and 1958 - but without the overwhelming military advantages that helped Bill Clinton defuse the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis of 1995-96, or the inherently limited nature of the Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis during the Biden-Harris administration in 2022." They continued: "At stake are critical American and allied interests, the post-war international order and the peace, prosperity and freedom it undergirds. American policymakers must act urgently to deter PRC aggression and maximize capabilities to prevent China from coercively annexing Taiwan. The risk window is here and now." They warned that "some of America's most vital interests hang in the balance". They issued a clarion call: "The PRC's publicly documented military modernization continues as Beijing works to shape the battlespace through an all-domain pressure campaign including political warfare, cyber and space activities, and physical deployment of military platforms and weapons. These actions are essential preconditions for coercive annexation and reflect the increasingly tight alignment between PRC capabilities and intentions concerning Taiwan. Therefore, absent a substantial US investment in and reinforcement of effective deterrence, Beijing will likely attempt annexation of Taiwan before this decade is out." (ANI)
Summing up his political career at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago on Monday, US President Joe Biden said that he had been 'too young' to be in the Senate, and was now 'too old' to stay as the President of the country. In his speech at the Chicago convention on Monday (August 19), Biden discussed his long career in politics and said "Too young to be in the Senate because I wasn't 30 yet. And too old to stay as president." Biden's speech, according to CNN lasted approximately 49 minutes - and he was greeted by more than four minutes of applause. During the Democratic National Convention, President Joe Biden assured attendees that he would be the "best volunteer" for Tim Walz and Kamala Harris' campaign. "I promise I'll be the best volunteer (the) Harris and Walz campaign have ever seen," he said, asking everyone to join in the effort, according to CNN. "They realise that "not just for the few of us, but for all of us," America "must continue to be a place of possibilities," the US President said. Declaring his love for the country, Biden acknowledged that although he had made many blunders in his professional life, he had given his all to it. "America, I gave my best to you," Biden said during his address. He further said that Kamala Harris would be a "President our children could look up to." "She'll be a President respected by world leaders because she already is. She'll be a President we can all be proud of, and she will be a historic President who puts her stamp on America's future," Biden said. "Like many of our best presidents, she was also vice president," he further added. Biden also spoke at length on the Israel-Hamas war during his Monday night convention speech, saying that protesters "have a point," according to CNN. "We're working around the clock, my secretary of state, to prevent a wider war and reunite hostages with their families and surge humanitarian health and food assistance into Gaza now," Biden said. "To end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people and finally, finally deliver a ceasefire and end this war," he added. According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Israel has approved a plan to close gaps in the ceasefire talks; Hamas must now accept it for more talks, which are anticipated to happen later this week, to proceed. Even after Blinken's statement that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to the bridging proposal, there are still significant challenges before a deal can be reached. Hamas has not yet agreed to the proposal. However, negotiators are still working on the specific details of how an agreement would be implemented. The top US diplomat said they are also working to establish "clear understandings on how the different parties are going to fulfil their commitments." Biden announced on June 21 this year that he was withdrawing from seeking re-election to the post following mounting concerns over his age particularly after his poor show in the debate with Donald Trump. Harris had announced Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz, as her running mate. Walz, 60, emerged from a list of probable candidates who had better recognition and came from politically advantageous states. On the first night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) among the speakers were former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Prominent US Civil Rights Activist, Rev Jesse Jackson, 82, also made a surprise appearance at the Convention in Chicago. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with visiting Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday at Hyderabad House in the national capital. Discussions between the two leaders were held to further deepen engagement across various domains of partnership between India and Malaysia. "Transforming - partnership! PM @narendramodi extended a warm welcome to PM @anwaribrahim of Malaysia at Hyderabad House ahead of their talks," the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X. "Productive discussions to further deepen engagement across various domains of partnership and exploring new areas of collaboration lie ahead," the post added. Earlier today, Prime Minister Modi received Anwar Ibrahim in a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Ibrahim had arrived in the national capital today for a state visit, his first visit to India as the Malaysian premier. He was warmly received by Union Minister of State, V Somanna at the airport. He also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi, laying a wreath at Delhi's Rajghat following his meeting with PM Modi. Ibrahim also signed the visitor's book at the Rajghat. In his message on X, the Malaysian Prime Minister said, "The relationship between Malaysia and India has long been beneficial to the people of both friendly countries. That fact was highlighted when the official welcome was received in a friendly atmosphere this morning by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Presidential Palace. Our discussion will certainly emphasize the aspect of close cooperation between the two countries in addition to exploring other fields that can strengthen this friendly relationship, God willing. I was honoured with an official welcoming ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Presidential Palace in New Delhi." India and Malaysia have strong historical and socio-cultural linkages. Our bilateral relationship was elevated to the status of Enhanced Strategic Partnership in 2015 during the visit of Prime Minister Modi. (ANI)
Residents of Pakistan's Karachi city are grappling with severe financial strain due to excessive billing and the imposition of additional taxes by K-Electric, the city's primary electricity provider. The situation has led to widespread frustration and despair among the city's working-class population, who are already struggling to make ends meet. Muhammad Javed, a resident of Karachi, voiced his concerns over the increasing financial burden. "The government should not impose taxes; the poor people are already suffering as there is no business. Everyone is troubled, and they are sending such high bills. People live in rented houses with rents of 12,000 rupees, and the electricity bill alone is as much as 12,000 to 15,000 rupees. A labourer's salary is around 30,000-35000 PKR. Now, will that poor person pay the bills or feed his children? This government and K-Electric are being unjust; they are oppressing the people. There is a lot of injustice happening to the public." Another resident, Yasir, echoed similar sentiments, expressing his inability to cope with the rising costs. "Our bills are increasing every month, and because of this, we are unable to pay them. Our monthly salary is 35,000 PKR, and even that is earned through daily wages. When we look at our household expenses, there's barely any money left to pay the bills. We're getting a bill of 12,000 PKR for a two-room house where only two fans and two sewing machines are used. How can a bill of 12,000 PKR come for running just one washing machine once a month? We can't afford to pay for this. The government is failing to resolve our issues". The challenges faced by Karachi residents extend beyond just the financial strain of power hikes. The city continues to endure prolonged hours of load-shedding, further exacerbating the daily hardships of its residents. Iqbal, another resident, expressed his frustration with the situation, calling for immediate action. "I want to tell the government that K-Electric is committing a lot of injustices in Karachi. We are paying taxes on everything, yet we are facing 12-hour-long load-shedding. Where should we go? The electricity bills are outrageously high, ranging from 25,000 to 30,000 PKR, while our salaries are just 35,000 PKR. What are we supposed to do? Remove K-Electric and bring in another company". The discontent among Karachi's residents is fueled by K-Electric's recent proposal for an electricity price hike. According to a Pakistani media outlet, the Express Tribune, K-Electric has requested an additional PKR 5.45 per unit under the monthly Fuel Cost Adjustment (FCA) mechanism. This proposal includes a PKR 2.53 per unit increase for May and a PKR 2.92 per unit increase for June, both attributed to rising fuel costs. The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) is currently reviewing the request and considering feedback from stakeholders before making a final decision. As Karachi's residents brace for the outcome of NEPRA's decision, many are left wondering how they will continue to manage the rising costs of living and the constant disruptions to their daily lives caused by frequent power outages. (ANI)
Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi his brother, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is on a State visit to India, that there are many areas Malaysia and India are required to explore further. Describing India as an important nation, the Malaysian PM said that both countries discuss as true brothers on all issues, sensitive or unlike wise, because this is the true meaning of friendship. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is my brother. Even when I was not the PM he was very kind...We have agreed to enhance the further comprehensive strategic partnership..." the Malaysian PM said in a joint press statement with PM Modi today. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India and Malaysia have elevated the ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. "We will reinvigorate this working relations in all fields...We discuss as true brothers on all issues, sensitive or unlike wise, because this is the true meaning of friendship. We have established an understanding of a number of issues, and the Prime Minister kindly mentioned some of them. But I have said, as we have said in the meetings, we will extend this," Malaysian PM Ibrahim said. "I personally believe, and I have said this to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that there are so many areas that we need to explore further, and it's unfortunate, in the last many years, there has not been that truly forthcoming. India is an important and great nation with a great history and great culture and civilization..." he added. He further stated that Malaysia has initiated a lot of new programs, and added that he extends invitation to Indian companies for collaboration in Malaysia. Ibrahim said, "We would hope that Indian companies with Malaysian companies collaborate further in all fields, including the new challenging areas like energy transition, digitalization, and also food security. We did emphasize the need to use both our experience and expertise in the semiconductor area, which we are fortunate to be considered a hub in Southeast Asia..." Ibrahim had arrived in the national capital today for a state visit, his first visit to India as the Malaysian premier. He was warmly received by Union Minister of State, V Somanna at the airport. He also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi, laying a wreath at Delhi's Rajghat following his meeting with PM Modi. Ibrahim also signed the visitor's book at the Rajghat. (ANI)
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defence Minister Minoru Kihara met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi for the 3rd round of the India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial meeting. This high-level meeting underscored the deepening ties between the two nations amidst a complex global and regional environment, according to a press release by the Japanese Foreign Ministry. Prime Minister Modi warmly welcomed the Japanese ministers and emphasised the significance of the 2+2 dialogue in strengthening the strategic partnership between India and Japan. He discussed potential areas for closer cooperation, including critical minerals, semiconductors, and defence manufacturing. The leaders reviewed progress on various bilateral projects, notably the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project, and exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the crucial role of the India-Japan partnership in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. He stressed the need to enhance economic cooperation and strengthen people-to-people ties between the two countries, the Japanese Foreign Ministry reported in the release. PM Modi expressed optimism about a productive visit to Japan for the next summit between the two Prime Ministers. Foreign Minister Kamikawa emphasized the importance of the 10-year-old Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership. She stressed that strengthening security cooperation is a key pillar of this partnership and expressed a desire to advance economic development and people-to-people exchanges. Defence Minister Kihara acknowledged the steady progress in bilateral security cooperation and requested continued collaboration from Prime Minister Modi. Both sides agreed on the importance of deepening cooperation in technical fields, including the defence industry and semiconductors. The discussions reinforced the commitment to a robust and mutually beneficial partnership, setting the stage for future collaboration on regional and global challenges, as per the report by the Japanese Foreign Ministry. The meeting showcased the enduring and expanding strategic alignment between India and Japan, highlighting their joint efforts to enhance stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. (ANI)
Baloch was expelled following her participation in and speeches at meetings organized by the Baloch Solidarity Committee in Balochistan.

Azad criticised the university's actions as "narrow-minded" and indicative of a "colonial mentality."

In a statement, Azad denounced the university's decision as a "biased and anti-educational move" and demanded a review of the expulsion. The university contends that Baloch used its platform to "pollute students' minds against state institutions" and damage its reputation.

Sadia Baloch argued that the suspension order, dated June 14, was issued only after she participated in a protest in Raaji Muchi.

She pointed out discrepancies in the timing of the notice, which she received on August 12, 2024, and claimed that no charge sheet was provided before the suspension.

The situation escalated when Baloch challenged her suspension in the Lahore High Court.

Justice Shakil Ahmed has directed Punjab University's Vice Chancellor and Head of Security, Colonel R. Ubaid, to promptly issue Baloch's roll number slip and provide detailed comments in response to the court's request within one week.

This development underscores ongoing tensions between educational institutions and political dissenters in Pakistan, raising critical questions about academic freedom and political expression. (ANI)
Serving both tenants and landlords, the platform is designed to increase transparency, provide indicative rental values and support the stability of the capital's growing rental market. It offers easily accessible and reliable data on residential properties to help investors and residents understand the rental market and make informed decisions based on reliable data.

Indicative quarterly rental pricing is also available on the platform for properties located in areas across Abu Dhabi.

"The Rental Index will energise the rental market in Abu Dhabi and further contribute to the emirate's competitive edge to attract international investors. We are committed to building a thriving real estate sector, positioning the emirate as a leading investment and real estate destination regionally and globally," said Rashed Al Omaira, Acting Director-General of Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre.

He added that this initiative will increase the attractiveness of the real estate sector and create a more sustainable and resilient market.

The platform aligns with ADREC's ongoing strategy to enhance customer satisfaction in Abu Dhabi's real estate sector and deliver value to investors, property owners and tenants alike.

Upcoming metrics, including the commercial index and service charge index, aim to enhance the resilience and reliability of Abu Dhabi's real estate sector. (ANI/WAM)
The relationship between India and Malaysia has taken an upward swing ever since Anwar Ibrahim assumed office in 2022 and there have been over 15 bilateral visits between the two nations at the level of Minister or Deputy Minister, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday. Malaysia PM Ibrahim, who is on his first visit to India since assuming office, comes at a time when India and Malaysia have marked around 10 years of enhanced strategic partnership. "This is the first visit of PM Ibrahim to India as the Prime Minister and it assumes significance firstly, because it is his first visit as PM since he took over at the end of 2022, secondly also the fact that we are nearly 10 years of our enhanced strategic partnership with Malaysia which was announced when PM Narendra Modi had visited Malaysia in 2015," MEA Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar said in a press briefing on Tuesday. He said that PM Modi and Malaysia PM Ibrahim developed a very "close rapport and personal connection" during the Raisina Dialogue 2019. "As you would have seen from the press statement between the two leaders earlier today, it was marked by great warmth and personal rapport between the two leaders. PM Anwar Ibrahim, when he was not yet in office, had visited India in 2019 for the Raisina Dialogue when he had called on PM Narendra Modi and they had developed a very close rapport and personal connection which was very much visible in the interactions that they had and the way forward that they have charted for the two countries," Mazumdar said. "In fact, they decided that they would enhance the relationship between India and Malaysia to a comprehensive, strategic partnership," he added. The MEA Secretary emphasized that the two leaders held extensive discussions on multiple topics including trade and commerce, defence and security as well as, people-to-people ties. "Since PM Anwar Ibrahim (of Malaysia) has assumed office in 2022, our relationship has really taken an upward swing. There have been more than 15 bilateral visits at the level of Minister or Deputy Minister and this is reflected in a very wide range of engagements that we have today between India and Malaysia and the chart that we have charted for the relationship going forward," Mazumdar said. "Today, they had extensive discussions on trade and commerce, on defence and security, on cultural exchanges, people to people ties, on emerging areas like digital technologies, semiconductors, renewable energy and sustainable development...the Indian diaspora is the third largest in the world, numbering to be around 3 million and it is the second largest PIO community numbering about 2.75 million," he added. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the ties between India and Malaysia will be elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. PM Modi further said that the investment from Malaysia to India reached over 5 billion dollars last year. In a joint press statement with his Malaysian counterpart at Hyderabad House in Delhi, PM Modi said, "After becoming the PM, this is the first visit of Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim. I am happy to have the opportunity to welcome you at the beginning of my third term. India and Malaysia are completing a decade of partnership and in the last two years, with the support of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, our partnership has gained a new momentum and energy." Before the joint press statements, India and Malaysia exchanged MoUs and Agreements in the presence of Prime Minister Modi and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at Hyderabad House here in the national capital. PM Modi also held a bilateral meeting with visiting Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim at the Hyderabad House. The discussions between the two leaders were held to further deepen engagement across various domains of partnership between India and Malaysia. (ANI)
India attaches priority to ASEAN and will extend full support to Malaysia's "successful ASEAN chairmanship" in 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday. PM Modi was holding a press briefing after his meeting with his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim. "India attaches priority to ASEAN centrality. We agree that the review of FTA between India and ASEAN should be completed in a time-bound manner. India will extend full support to Malaysia's successful ASEAN chairmanship in 2025. We are committed to the freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international law and peaceful resolution of all disputes," PM Modi said at the briefing. The Prime Minister further recalled the age-old ties between the two nations and said 'PIO Day' in Malaysia was a very successful and popular event last year. He also announced that 100 seats will be specially allocated for Malaysians under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme. "India and Malaysia have been connected to each other for centuries. About 3 million Indian diaspora living in Malaysia is a living bridge between us. From Indian music, food and festivals to "Toran Gate" in Malaysia Our people have cherished this friendship till date. Last year's 'PIO Day' in Malaysia was a very successful and popular event. When the Sengol was installed in our new Parliament building, the enthusiasm of that historic moment was also seen in Malaysia," PM Modi said. "Emphasis is being laid on scholarships for students and training of government officials. Under the ITEC scholarship, 100 seats will be specially allocated for Malaysians for advanced courses like cyber security and AI. In Malaysia's University Tumko Abdul Rahman, an Ayurveda Chair is being established there. Apart from this, a decision has also been taken to establish a Thiruvalluvar Chair at Malaysian University. I heartily thank Prime Minister Anwar and his team for their cooperation in all these special steps," he added. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the ties between India and Malaysia will be elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. PM Modi further said that the investment from Malaysia to India reached over 5 billion dollars last year. Malaysia PM Ibrahim also hailed the ties between the two countries and termed Prime Ministrr Modi as his "brother." "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is my brother. Even when I was not the PM he was very kind...We have agreed to enhance the further comprehensive strategic partnership," Ibrahim said. Before the joint press statements, India and Malaysia exchanged MoUs and Agreements in the presence of Prime Minister Modi and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at Hyderabad House here in the national capital. Earlier today, PM Modi held a bilateral meeting with visiting Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim at the Hyderabad House. The discussions between the two leaders were held to further deepen engagement across various domains of partnership between India and Malaysia. (ANI)
The condition of Uyghur Muslims is worsening in the Xinjiang region as they face severe atrocities from China for speaking out against human rights abuses. Recently, the East Turkistan National Movement urged the United Nations Human Rights Council, the International Criminal Court, and other activists to immediately investigate the ongoing human rights abuses in Xinjiang. The East Turkistan government, representing the interests of the Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan, denounced what it describes as a systemic campaign of genocide and colonization by the Chinese government. https://x.com/ETNational/status/1825554869287313869 In a post on X, the East Turkistan National Movement highlighted that Beijing launched the "Uyghur genocide" in May 2014 and the world is failing to meaningfully address the situation. "China launched its ongoing Uyghur genocide in May 2014, and despite numerous symbolic recognitions, condemnations, and even low-level sanctions, China continues to carry out genocide and crimes against humanity in occupied East Turkistan with impunity. The world is failing to meaningfully address the greatest humanitarian crisis of the 21st century--the largest genocide of an ethnic or religious group since the Holocaust," it stated in a post on X. The East Turkistan National Movement further highlighted that millions of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples of East Turkistan remain locked up in prisons and concentration camps, with millions more enslaved through forced labour. The world is failing to uphold its commitment to "Never Again." But "Never Again" is happening now in occupied East Turkistan. Many reports from other human rights organizations also emphasize how China is committing atrocities against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. According to the OHCHR (United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) report, these crimes against Uyghurs are not random but are rooted in China's colonization and illegal occupation of East Turkistan, along with deep-seated racial and religious discrimination against Turkic peoples. The report also emphasizes that the restoration of East Turkistan's independence is not just a regional issue but a global imperative. It is the only path to safeguarding the freedoms, human rights, and very existence of the Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan. Earlier, a report from Yale University also highlighted the precarious living conditions of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) under Chinese repression. It detailed severe inconsistencies and deficiencies in China's legal system, including excessive punishments, widespread prosecutions, and unusually high incarceration rates. The analysis reveals how China's authoritarian framework undermines both domestic and international legal standards. (ANI)
The local residents, including the councilor have lamented the lack of development and facilities in the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), which is facing significant socio-economic challenges. The persistent lack of development and the perceived indifference of successive governments have fostered a sense of alienation and frustration among its residents. Many lament that even basic amenities like safe drinking water are often out of reach. A local councillor, Jahangir Mughal from the region has underscored the deplorable state of infrastructure, another vital aspect of development. "You are talking about development, but you are aware of the state of drinking water here. Yesterday, I received a call from Tarkhabad, from Raja Tahir, the local councillor there. He said there has been no water in his area for three days. There's a severe problem, but when they call the authorities, there's no action. They're told it will be resolved in a day or two," he said. The lack of proper infrastructure not only disrupts daily life but also impedes economic activity, as the transportation of goods and services is severely affected. The local administration's apparent lack of commitment to addressing these issues exacerbates the hardships faced by the people. "Governments form, they do some work in the initial one or two years, then they focus on lobbying for the next government and preparing for the next election, leaving projects stalled" Jahangir added. Residents have long accused the region, administered by Islamabad through its proxies, of systemic discrimination. They argue that despite claims of autonomous rule, the reality is far from it. Basic amenities, which should be standard, have become a luxury for many in this Pakistan-occupied region. There is considerable dissatisfaction among PoJK residents due to what they see as neglect from both local and national authorities. Critics claim that both the PoJK government and Islamabad are more focused on political strategies and election campaigns rather than tackling urgent development issues. This perceived neglect aggravates existing problems and deepens the frustration of the people. PoJK struggles with a mix of historical issues, administrative difficulties, and socio-economic challenges that impact its current conditions. The region's intricate political status and governance problems continue to hinder its development and affect the quality of life for its residents. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Poland will be exciting as well as important and will boost the bilateral relationship, said Indian ambassador to Poland, Nagma M Mallick on Tuesday. Mallick said that since this is the first visit to Poland by an Indian Prime Minister in 45 years, the visit is important. Talking about the visit, Mallick told ANI, "It's a very exciting visit and an important one, symbolically as well as practically. You've seen excitement building up and the coverage already in the Polish media. It's the top story. It's on the front pages everywhere. And this excitement is there thanks to Prime Minister Modi's international stature, his profile, and the excitement that Prime Minister Modi has chosen to come to Poland and to break this nearly half a century gap, at a time when this is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister. And so I think this visit has all of this excitement that is already building up." She said that Poland is an important country in Central Europe, it is a significant member of the European Union. India has politically close ties with Poland, as well as economically important and growing relations with Poland. "We have a very good and growing bilateral trade turnover of about USD 6 billion, and the balance of trade is very much in India's favour, we have good Indian investments here of around USD 3 billion and Polish investors have also invested in India of just under a billion dollars," the Indian ambassador said. Touching upon the cultural connect between the two countries, Mallick said, "Another important element of the Poland-India relationship is the openness of Polish people to our cultural and spiritual ethos; Sanskrit studies and the study of Indology, which is the study of the Sanskrit texts of ancient India." Further talking about people-to-people connect, Indian envoy Mallick highlighted story of the Dubri Maharaja, the good Maharaja and the Jam Sahab of Navanagar. The Ambassador also revealed that during the visit PM Modi will visit the Good Maharaja square, which was named after the Maharaja Jam Sri Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji, During the World War II, over 5,000 people from Poland, including children, were hosted by the Principality of Kolhapur and Memorial Battle of Monte Casino. PM Modi will also address a community event for the diaspora. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Poland. Diplomatic relations between India and Poland were established in 1954, leading to the opening of the Indian Embassy in Warsaw in 1957 and Polish Embassy in in New Delhi in 1954. (ANI)
Fear has gripped parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, as armed men from terrorist groups Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-i-Islam (LI) began patrolling near the Afghanistan border, Dawn reported. Amid rising tensions, the residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa urged authorities to enhance security in the valley for their protection. People have urged authorities to enhance security in the valley for their protection. In response, the ruling government in the province has launched several operations. However, these operations have not been entirely effective, and ordinary people are bearing the brunt, according to Dawn. People from Pir Mela and Maidan said that local markets are still open, and vehicles belonging to the TTP and Lashkar-i-Islam are entering and leaving the valley as usual. Terrorists are also reported to be present in other localities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, such as Bar Qambarkhel, Adamkhel, Thiyrai, and Landawar The report further cited several videos of armed TTP members in Pir Mela Bazaar that have gone viral on social media, prompting calls for security forces to take action. Common citizens are subjected to repeated body searches and questioning at security checkpoints, while armed militants move freely. The local police and armed forces in Tribat appear to have largely disappeared following the arrival of TTP and Lashkar-i-Islam militants, Dawn reported. Another resident from Maidan said that no one is leaving their houses in anticipation of a military operation against the militants. "We can't afford to move to another place. We have already suffered huge losses during our last displacement. The majority of us have yet to rebuild our houses or resume work," he said. Another resident stated that people have no contact with terrorists due to fear of adverse reactions from Pakistani security forces. Residents of Sanda Pal, Bhutan Shareef, and Dars Jumaat reported that militants are demanding food and shelter, which they are unable to deny due to fear of severe consequences for non-compliance. A pamphlet in Pashto language circulated on social media claimed that TTP militants have "complete control" over the Peer Tharee area in Shalobar and Bhutan and have begun patrolling Pir Mela Bazaar and surrounding areas as security forces have abandoned their positions. According to Dawn, the source of the pamphlet is unclear, and it is uncertain whether the banned outfit is present in Malakdinkhel areas. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, both of which share a border with Afghanistan, have been facing multiple terrorist attacks. Nearly 92 per cent of all fatalities and 87 per cent of attacks have been reported in these regions, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suffering 67 per cent and Balochistan 25 per cent of all fatalities in the second quarter of 2024, as reported by Dawn. (ANI)
The Baloch Human Rights Council has urged the United Nations to take action in the ongoing crisis in Pakistan's Balochistan province where security forces are allegedly killing and abducting Baloch people. Recently, the Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC), an organization dedicated to advocating for Baloch people, submitted a written statement to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres through the Center for Gender Justice and Women Empowerment. On several occasions in the past, Baloch activists and organizations have appealed to the international community for intervention. The BHRC statement raised serious concerns about the ongoing exploitation of Balochistan's resources by Pakistan and the increasing encroachment by China during the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. https://x.com/BALOCHHRC/status/1824589153037849039 It has called for urgent intervention to address the current economic and humanitarian crisis in the Balochistan region. According to BHRC, despite its rich mineral resources and valuable coastline, Balochistan remains economically underdeveloped. The region suffers from poor infrastructure, inadequate educational facilities, and insufficient healthcare, resulting in widespread poverty and unemployment. The systematic exploitation of Balochistan's natural resources by Pakistan, coupled with China's growing involvement as a colonial force, has exacerbated these challenges and inflicted unprecedented suffering on the local population, the statement said. Pakistan ceded strategic control of the coastal city of Gwadar to China, enabling mega projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The BHRC Stated although marketed as development initiatives beneficial to the Baloch people, these projects primarily serve the economic and strategic interests of Pakistan and China, offering minimal to no benefits to the local population. The implementation of CPEC has led to mass displacement, environmental degradation, and rising concerns about the erosion of Balochistan's cultural identity, demographic balance, and autonomy. China's exploitation of Balochistan resources has been extensive, depleting precious minerals such as gold, platinum, and uranium from the Chagai district. In Gwadar, China has constructed a deep-sea port and an international airport, with extensive fencing around the area, effectively turning parts of Balochistan into restricted zones for its indigenous people, BHRC stated. The BHRC also condemned the forced displacement and destruction of hundreds of villages by the Pakistani military to secure the CPEC route, which has resulted in the internal displacement of nearly a million Baloch inhabitants. It further emphasized that CPEC is not a development initiative but rather a "corridor of death and destruction" for the Baloch people. "It represents resource exploitation enforced through military aggression and stands as a modern manifestation of socialist colonialism. This exploitation and repression directly violate the UN Charter, which condemns all forms of colonialism," it stated. The BHRC called on the United Nations to take immediate and decisive action to end the neo-colonial plundering of Balochistan's resources and to restore the rights and dignity of the Baloch people. (ANI)
A businessman from Gujarat, who is running a cafe in Poland's capital Warsaw, has expressed his enthusiasm ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visit to the European nation. Chetan Nandani, the owner of cafe 'Chaiwala- The Gossip Center' in Warsaw, traditionally hails from Gujarat's Rajkot. Opening up on his cafe, Nandani said he has named his cafe on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who also used to sell tea earlier in his life. Speaking to ANI, he said, "I have been in Poland for the last 14 years. The reason behind naming this cafe as 'Chaiwala' is PM Modi." He also spoke about the dishes that are served in his cafe and are liked by the locals. The owner also expressed hope that PM Modi would visit his cafe during his Poland visit. "We get a mindblowing response here. We are the first one to have such a cafe here. It has been three years since its opening. Earlier, here people didn't know much about India, but now people know Narendra Modi...we are serving Jalebi Khakra here...the Polish people particularly enjoy the 'panipuri' served here," he added. "We wish he (PM Modi) comes here...We are very happy. He has represented the country. No one in Poland knew about India, now people recognize us from Narendra Modi," the cafe owner said. Chetan Nandani's wife, Nisha Nandani also requested PM Modi to visit their cafe. "I went to India to vote for him (PM Modi) in the Lok Sabha elections. I request him to visit our cafe here...," she said. PM Modi will be visiting Poland on August 21-22 at the invitation of his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk. MEA Secretary (West) Tanmaya Lal called this a "landmark visit" as it is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Poland after 45 years. "This visit takes place as we also mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations," he said. The MEA Secretary informed that PM Modi, during his visit will hold meetings with the Polish counterpart, President and will also interact with the Indian community there. He will also be accorded a ceremonial welcome at Warsaw. "There are long-standing cultural ties between India and Poland, there is respect for Indian culture and ethos including Yoga and Ayurveda. In Warsaw, Prime Minister Modi will be accorded a ceremonial welcome. In addition to talks with PM Donald Tusk, PM Modi will also call on President Andrzej Duda. Prime Minister Modi will interact with Indian community, business leaders, and prominent indologists," he further said. India and Poland share long-standing friendly relations, marked by high-level political contacts and vibrant economic engagement. The bilateral relations are wide-ranging and mutually beneficial. Poland is India's key economic partner in Central Europe. India and Poland established diplomatic relations in 1954, leading to the opening of the Indian Embassy in Warsaw in 1957 and the Polish Embassy in in New Delhi in 1954. This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Poland. (ANI)
A parliamentary delegation from the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has intensified its global advocacy efforts by engaging with key Australian figures to discuss the urgent situation in Tibet. The delegation, comprising parliamentarians Khenpo Jamphal Tenzin, Tsering Dolma, Choedak Gyatso, and Tenzin Phuntsok Doring, embarked on a series of strategic meetings aimed at bolstering international support for Tibetan issues, as reported by the Central Tibetan Administration. The delegation met with Zoe Bedford, Executive Officer of the Australia Tibet Council, at the Tibet Information Office on Monday. During the meeting, Bedford provided a detailed overview of Australia's democratic processes, setting a solid foundation for the delegation's subsequent discussions. Following this, the Central Tibetan Administration's representatives engaged in a productive session with Bryce Wakefield, Executive Director of the Australian Institute of Intellectual Affairs, Central Tibetan Administration reported. The dialogue centered around the critical situation in Tibet, underscoring the need for heightened global awareness and intervention. A pivotal moment in the delegation's visit was their meeting with members of the Australian All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet. During this meeting, the Central Tibetan Administration presented a 12-point appeal letter, which outlined the severe challenges facing Tibet and requested continued support from Australian lawmakers. The gathering was attended by prominent Australian figures, including Senator Deborah O'Neill, MP Susan Templeman, Senator Dean Smith, Former Deputy Prime Minister Michael Francis McCormack, and Former Speaker of the House Andrew Bruce Wallace. The Australian legislators expressed their commitment to advocating for Tibetan rights, a stance welcomed by the Central Tibetan Administration. To honour the visiting delegation, a dinner was hosted at the Australian Parliament. The event saw participation from Federal MP Sharon Clayton, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Senator Jordon Alexander Steele-John, alongside other notable Australian parliamentarians. The Central Tibetan Administration delegation was accompanied by Representative Karma Singey, Chinese liaison officer Dawa Sangmo, and Secretary Lhawang Gyalpo of the Tibet Information Office, in addition to Zoe Bedford of the Australia Tibet Council and Thupten, an executive member of the Canberra Tibetan Community. The Central Tibetan Administration's visit to Australia is part of its ongoing efforts to galvanize international support for the Tibetan cause and bring global attention to the challenges faced by Tibetans under Chinese rule. Tibet, which came under Chinese control in the 1950s following a military invasion by the People's Republic of China (PRC), has been a focal point of international concern due to the PRC's policies of political repression, cultural suppression, and environmental exploitation. The Central Tibetan Administration continues to advocate for peaceful dialogue between China and Tibetan representatives to address these long-standing grievances. (ANI)
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said that if sufficient evidence is presented in the case related to fugitive preacher Zakir Naik then the country will 'not condone terrorism'. He said the issue was not raised during his discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but PM Modi did raise the issue in the past. Addressing the 50th Sapru House Lecture on Tuesday, the Malaysian Prime Minister said, "It was not raised by the Prime Minister. He raised it much earlier many years back...the issue is I am not talking about one person, I am talking about sentiment of extremism, of compelling case, evidence that suggest that atrocities committed by an individual, group or factions or parties. These are of concern to us." "The atrocities of Israeli forces in Gaza, that is real, killing 40,000 people, that is atrocity...Issue raised by countries to contain, secure understanding and ensure we have good bilateral relations, we are open to ideas and if evidence submitted, we will not condone terrorism," he added. The Malaysian PM said that the issues of terrorism are of concern to his nation adding that India and Malaysia have been working together on the issue. He further said that one issue should not deter the two nations from further collaboration. "You have to present compelling case to support...we have been tough, we have been working together with India on many of these issues. I don't think one case should deter us from further collaboration and enhancing our bilateral cooperation," he said. Radical Muslim preacher Zakir Naik moved to Malaysia from India in 2016 and reportedly secured permanent residency there. Naik is a wanted man in India and faces charges of spreading hate and money laundering. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs declared Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation unlawful in 2022. Naik is accused of promoting hate, and disharmony, and his speeches are seen as objectionable as he has been extolling known terrorists promoting conversion and terrorism. (ANI)
India and Malaysia elevated the ties between the two nations to a comprehensive strategic partnership and signed multiple agreements in the areas of education, labour repatriation and tourism, during the visit of Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. PM Ibrahim was on his first visit to India since assuming office and it came at a time when India and Malaysia have marked around 10 years of enhanced strategic partnership. "Both Prime Ministers recognized that the Enhanced Strategic Partnership between India and Malaysia established in 2015 has helped in advancing bilateral ties into a multidimensional one. Recognising that the relations between India and Malaysia have evolved and matured across a broad spectrum of areas and that this deepening of engagement has significantly widened and intensified the relations, the Prime Ministers determined that the timing is propitious for relations to be further consolidated into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," the joint statement by the two countries stated. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1825862417407946988 The two leaders noted with great satisfaction the deep-rooted ties of friendship and socio-cultural linkages between India and Malaysia, and its peoples. PM Modi and PM Ibrahim held discussions on the entire range of bilateral cooperation including political, defence and security cooperation, economic and trade, digital technologies, start-ups, fintech, energy including renewables, healthcare, higher education, culture, tourism and people-to-people relations. The two leaders condemned terrorism and agreed to call upon states to reject terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Both Prime Ministers underlined that no country should harbour terrorists and agreed to work together to bring perpetrators of terrorism to justice expeditiously, in accordance with domestic laws and international conventions, the joint statement read. "Both leaders witnessed the exchange of MoUs on cooperation in the fields of Recruitment, Employment and Repatriation of Workers; Ayurveda and other Traditional Systems of Medicines; Digital Technologies; Culture, Arts and Heritage; Tourism; Public Administration and Governance Reforms; Youth and Sports; and Financial Services between Labuan Financial Services Authority (LFSA) and International Financial Services Centres Authority, India (IFSCA)," it added. https://x.com/anwaribrahim/status/1825882454114398543 PM Modi and PM Ibrahim acknowledged the steady and strong cooperation in bilateral defence and security partnership as one of the core pillars of the Enhanced Strategic Partnership. Both sides agreed to further intensify defence cooperation through regular exchanges and dialogues, exercises and capacity-building cooperation. Both Prime Ministers expressed satisfaction with bilateral trade and acknowledged that trade is an important fulcrum of the two countries' Enhanced Strategic Partnership. They also welcomed the fact that bilateral trade has reached a record high of USD 19.5 billion. Both sides agreed to support and expedite the review process of ASEAN- India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) to make it more effective, user-friendly, simple, and trade-facilitative for businesses, aiming to achieve a substantial conclusion in 2025 and to strengthen supply chains between India and ASEAN countries. The two leaders reiterated their commitment to respecting freedom of navigation and overflight, and unimpeded lawful commerce, based on the principles of international law, as reflected notably in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982. They also welcomed the signing of the MoU on Digital Technologies and encouraged the early convening of Malaysia-India Digital Council to guide engagement in the digital realm and accelerate collaboration in this area such as Digital Public Infrastructure, digital B2B partnership, digital capacity building, cyber security, emerging technologies such as 5G, quantum computing, cloud computing, Internet of Things among others, between the two countries. The two Prime Ministers welcomed the recent initiatives to promote greater tourism and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, particularly the relaxation of visa regimes by both countries. Reaffirming the importance of India's Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with ASEAN, Malaysia appreciated India's full support for ASEAN centrality and Malaysia's upcoming ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025. Malaysia also welcomed more engagements between ASEAN and India through ASEAN-led mechanisms towards further consolidating the existing Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the joint statement read. Both Prime Ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation and coordination at the UN, including at the UNSC, UNHRC, and other multilateral fora. The two leaders upheld that adherence to a rules-based international system is imperative to ensuring peace and development. They pledged to work together to enhance multilateralism, reflective of contemporary realities so as to make international organisations, including the UN Security Council, more representative. The strengthening of Council membership with a focus on increasing representation from developing countries, including through the expansion of UNSC in both the permanent and non-permanent categories will render it more effective in addressing current global challenges. India deeply appreciated Malaysia's support for India's permanent membership in a reformed United Nations Security Council. Earlier in the day, PM Modi also held a bilateral meeting with visiting Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim at the Hyderabad House. The discussions between the two leaders were held to further deepen engagement across various domains of partnership between India and Malaysia. Following the meeting, PM Modi announced that the ties between India and Malaysia will be elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Stating that India attaches priority to ASEAN, Prime Minister Modi said India will extend full support to Malaysia's "successful ASEAN chairmanship" in 2025. He also announced that India's UPI will be collaborating with Malaysian Paynet, and the linkage of the two will be worked upon. He also announced that 100 seats will be specially allocated for Malaysians under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme. Ibrahim had arrived in the national capital today for a state visit, his first visit to India as the Malaysian premier. He was warmly received by Union Minister of State, V Somanna at the airport. He also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi, laying a wreath at Delhi's Rajghat following his meeting with PM Modi. Ibrahim also signed the visitor's book at the Rajghat. (ANI)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh termed India and Japan as 'important guards' of the Indo-Pacific region and said the partnership between the two nations is essential for peace and stability in the region. He also lauded the increase in the bilateral and defence cooperation between the two nations in recent years. Addressing the press following the 2+2 ministerial meeting, Rajnath Singh said, "First, I am delighted to co-host the third edition of India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Dialogues, in India. I appreciate all ministers, their delegation and their staff for the wonderful interaction to take further ahead our special strategic and global partnership. I wholeheartedly appreciate their commitment to our bilateral relations. This year is important for both India and Japan because we are celebrating 10 years of our special global, strategic partnership." Highlighting the engagements between India and Japan in the field of defence, the Defence Minister called 2023 as "milestone year" in defence engagement and said for the first time, the two nations held joint exercises in all three services. "As two important stakeholders of Indo-Pacific, India and Japan are important guards of this region. So, this partnership is essential for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region. 2023 proved to be a milestone year in our defence engagement...For the first time, joint exercises were held in all three services in one calendar year," Singh said. "We have presented a Viksit Bharat vision for 2047 when we will be completing 100 years of independence. To become Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the building of domestic defence capability is an important part of this vision. I believe that cooperation with Japan in defence technology and industry will help us in making India a global manufacturing hub. India and Japan have a shared vision on Indo-Pacific. Convergence and common outlook is being made on for peace, security and stability in Indo-Pacific Region," he further added. Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara also addressed the briefing and appreciated the defence exercises between the two nations. The leaders also discussed defence equipment and technology cooperation regarding the United Combined Radio Antenna (UNICORN). "It was extremely gratifying to hold the third 2+2...I had a meaningful discussion with both the ministers during the Defence Ministers' meeting and then the 2+2...On the bilateral and multilateral joint exercises, we welcomed that Japan-India exercises between all the services are continuing," Kiharo said. "We also discussed our defence equipment and technology cooperation regarding the United Combined Radio Antenna (UNICORN) to be equipped...We also discussed wide-ranging issues that unilateral changes to the status-quo by force are not acceptable wherever it may be," he added. Earlier in the day, India is keen to become a developed country by 2047 and partnership with Japan will play an important role in the completion of this vision in areas such as defence technology and industry, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday. Rajnath Singh said the bilateral ties between India and Japan have gained strength in all areas. (ANI)
The Australian High Commissioner to India, Philip Green, will lead a delegation of Australian agtech companies in India, 20-23 August, to explore partnerships and innovation opportunities with Indian counterparts, a statement from Australian High Commission said. Australia and India have been partnering to boost agriculture productivity for four decades. Now, Australia is stepping up that engagement, the statement said. The statement said that the delegation, powered by the Australian Government's flagship Australia India Business Exchange program, in conjunction with Investment New South Wales, will visit Delhi, Noida, Lucknow and Bengaluru to meet government and industry bodies as well as farm site visits. The delegation comprises Australian agtech companies, universities and investors from a broad array of sectors, including dairy, grains, horticulture, floriculture and animal husbandry. In Lucknow, the delegation will meet representatives from the Uttar Pradesh government to explore strategic partnerships and synergies in agtech. The mission will conclude in Bengaluru with participation in Agri Tech India 2024, India's largest agtech conference, the statement said. The visit reflects Australia's position as a vital partner in India's agtech ecosystem, and the Australian Government's commitment to fostering new business opportunities and collaborative ventures. "Agriculture is an important pillar of the Australia-India relationship, and Australia has a lot to offer in agricultural expertise. This can improve Indian food security by increasing productivity, sustainability and food system resilience," High Commissioner Green said. "Australian agtech companies are already active in India, offering technology that combats lumpy-skin disease in cows; organic fertilisers for better crop yields, including sugarcane; and advanced grain storage systems - and this is just scratching the surface," the High Commissioner said. The High Commissioner said that Australia and India face the same challenges, mainly climate change. "While the scales of our agricultural production are different, Australia and India face similar challenges - chief among these is climate change, which remains an existential threat for many farmers. Boosting productivity and ensuring rural incomes is another - and with our world-leading agtech, we have a lot to share. And that in turn can boost India's agricultural exports," the High Commissioner said. (ANI)
Noting that a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific is the top priority for India and Japan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that the 2+2 meeting between the two countries explored the possibility of coordinating their security and development assistance and that they had agreed to task their officials with preparing a new framework for security cooperation. In his press statement after the third 2+2 India-Japan Ministerial Meeting, Jaishankar said India and Japan are resolute in their opposition to terrorism, including cross-border terrorism. He announced that India will open a new Consulate in the city of Fukuoka. Jaishankar said the "regional and global environment around us" has evolved considerably since the last 2+2 meeting in Tokyo two years ago. "There is further complexity and volatility in the Indo-Pacific region and the world at large. Our economic landscape is also more complex, making transparency, predictability and resilience an essential part of our security. The world of technology may present new opportunities but they have also thrown up new challenges. Our 2+2 dialogue today was an occasion to share assessments and agree on cooperation in this regard," he said. "A free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific is the top priority for both our countries. We explored the possibility of coordinating our respective security and development assistance where our interests converge," he added. Defence Minister of Japan Minoru Kihara and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa took part in the 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting held here. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also took part in the meeting. Jaishankar said the two sides discussed the unfolding new avenues for technology, research and industrial cooperation between the two countries. The minister urged his Japan counterpart to look at the regulatory bottlenecks and called for progress in approaches to technology sharing. "The growth of technology also necessitates human resource cooperation, semiconductors being a very good example. This is crucial for our diversification and de-risking efforts, for our economic and technology security overall and for sustained economic resilience of the world. We are also considering a dialogue that will seek to give shape to these common objectives," Jaishankar said. "Such trust-based collaboration in emerging technologies, including in the field of defence, will progress best when our approaches to technology sharing evolve. To this end, I requested our Japanese colleagues to look into the regulatory bottlenecks that currently exist," he added. The minister said the two sides discussed strengthening our capacity-building cooperation, including on dealing with challenges emanating in the cyber space and through the misuse of digital technologies. "We have underlined our interest in deepening information-sharing, and cooperation for protection of critical information infrastructure." He appreciated Japan Foreign Minister Kamikawa's determined effort to highlight the role of women in peace and security. "India is the very first country to operationalize the UN Security Council Resolution 1325. I am happy to announce that we will be holding a first-ever UN Peacekeeping for Women Officers of the Global South Conference in the first half of 2025. Given Foreign Minister Kamikawa's leadership on this matter, I extended a special invitation to Japan to join this Conference," he said. Jaishankar said that as members of the G4, India and Japan have been in the forefront of the advocacy for reformed multilateralism. "In the meeting today with Foreign Minister Kamikawa, I took stock of the current efforts on reform of the UN Security Council and underlined the need for our united effort." Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the India-Japan Strategic and Global Partnership, Jaishankar said bilateral relations have matured since then. "We agreed today to task our officials with preparing a new framework for security cooperation. I also shared our desire for a new vision for our overall partnership that orients our relations in line with our evolving national goals and priorities." He lauded Japan's involvement in the development of the North-East region of India through the India-Japan Act East Forum and requested Foreign Minister Kamikawa for her continued support. The two sides also discussed progressing the High Speed railway cooperation. "Our strategic partnership needs to be anchored in more robust people-to-people engagement. We discussed expanding the flow of skills and talents, as also of students and tourists. Policy changes to enable this are a priority," Jaishankar said. "I am happy to share with you that in order to nurture our growing people-to-people ties, we will open a new Consulate in the city of Fukuoka. I requested Foreign Minister Kamikawa for her support to make this Consulate operational at an early date," he added. Jaishankar said that the meetings today were "truly productive and forward-looking". "The discussions at the 2+2 meeting have paved the way for a robust agenda of cooperation on cross-cutting defence and foreign policy issues," he said. (ANI)
Invest in China: Hilton expedites expansion in China with long-term market optimism

Xinhua) 08:48, August 20, 2024

BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Global hospitality giant Hilton is ramping up expansion efforts in China, aiming to tap into the vast and diverse travel demands of its largest overseas market.

The U.S.-based company saw the milestone opening of its 700th hotel in Greater China last Friday, marking the fifth year of launching more than 100 hotels annually in the vibrant hospitality market.

"We are opening one hotel in Greater China in less than three days," Qian Jin, president of Hilton Greater China and Mongolia, told Xinhua in an interview.

The opening pace so far this year has been faster than that of previous years, Qian added. "This is a testament to our commitment to consolidating our presence in the Chinese market."

Qian likened the fast clip of Hilton's development in China to the country's accelerating speed of bullet trains, and attributed the company's sprawling local network to confidence in "the vitality and resilience of China's travel market."

Official data showed that in the first half of the year (H1), the number of domestic tourist trips in China reached 2.725 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 14.3 percent. Meanwhile, the total expenditure of domestic tourists amounted to 2.73 trillion yuan (about 382 billion U.S. dollars), up 19 percent over the same period in 2023.

Moreover, the country welcomed over 14.6 million foreign visitors in H1, a remarkable 152.7 percent surge from the previous year, thanks to various measures facilitating inbound travel.

Qian highlighted Hilton's longstanding relationship with China's tourism and hospitality industry, which has spanned more than three decades since the opening of their first Chinese mainland hotel in Shanghai in 1988.

With a presence in more than 240 destinations across the country, Hilton's 10 distinct brands seek to cater to the diverse travel demands of customers in China. In H1, the company's expansion introduced Hilton brands to 25 new locations across Greater China.

Conrad Chongqing, Hilton's 700th hotel, marks the debut of the luxury hotel brand Conrad in the western inland city. Inspired by the western Chinese city's mountainous terrain, the high-rise luxury hotel seeks to highlight the concept of "Oriental Floating City" which blends local nature and culture with contemporary design.

"Chongqing's distinctive allure and cultural depth, combined with its role as a key hub in western China, make it an ideal location for this new Conrad property," said Qian.

The Chongqing hotel further expanded the company's presence in west China. Given its unique cultural and tourism resources and improving infrastructure, Qian said that the country's vast western region boasts huge potential for expanding and upgrading hospitality facilities and services.

To seize the emerging opportunities in the region, an operation team dedicated to Hilton's business development and management in west China has been set up, according to Qian.

In addition to strategic adjustments in regional development, Hilton is also keeping up with the shifting hotel-stay preferences in China. "The popularity of specific lifestyle experiences is gaining traction," Qian observed.

Qian also pointed out that the prevalence of digitalization in hotel services is another highlight of the Chinese hospitality market. "A strong digital service system will further sharpen our observation of customer preferences to make changes accordingly."

While China's consumption is rebounding at a faster pace, domestic demand still lags behind pre-pandemic levels, according to Chinese officials.

China remains a pivotal market for Hilton's strategic growth. At the 14th China-U.S. Tourism Leadership Summit in May, Christopher J. Nassetta, president and CEO of Hilton, appreciated China's efforts to welcome back international travelers and expressed his confidence in the full return of China's travel industry.

"We believe the future here is bright, and we're investing in that future."

Qian reiterated the company's optimism over China's travel market in the long run.

"Positive factors are outweighing downbeat ones," Qian noted. "It's not impossible that we can open one hotel in two days in China in the future."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Polish Indologist Krzysztof Iwanek on Tuesday said that one must know Indian languages to understand Indian politics. He said that India's diversity teaches one to be humble in their search for knowledge. "I feel that it is pertinent to know about Indian languages to understand Indian politics. Knowing only English is not enough," he said. "In my opinion, India's diversity is a very main aspect of India. I have been studying Indology for 20 years. But, even now, I find something new. It is because of India's diversity and a number of languages that teaches us humility," he added. Speaking about the visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Poland, Iwanek said, "There are two aspects of the visit- economic and political. On the political front, PM Modi wants to show a balance. That it has good relations with the West, as well as Russia. On the economic front, when PM Modi will meet delegates from Poland, they will discuss about economic policies." The Indologist, further speaking about PM Modi's visit and Indology, said, "Although PM Modi's visit is not directly linked to Indology, India and Poland's rich historical ties will be a highlight of the visit." He recalled the World War 2 incident where an Indian king gave shelter to over 1,000 Polish women and children. "I believe PM Modi will visit monuments that commemorate this incident," he said. He said that India and the European Union have been discussing about various Free Trade Agreements. "Nowadays, India and the European Union have been discussing about Free Trade Agreements and negotiations. So, I hope they will discuss about the policies towards which India and Poland, and the European Union as a whole will look at," Iwanek said. Iwanek said that he has been interested in India and has been studying about the culture since 2001. "I have been studying about the Indian culture since 2001. I was studying History and I thought I wanted to try something new. I studied Indology so that I could understand more about India. I did MA in Sanskrit, though I have forgotten a lot about it. I have always been interested in India. Now I follow Indian politics and its international relations," he said. Indology is studied by very few people. But I believe that with time, the situation will improve. Iwanek also recited the Gayatri Mantra, showing his love and respect towards Indian culture and tradition. (ANI)
Members of the Indian community in Poland's Lodz have expressed excitement for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Warsaw. Indians living in Lodz praised PM Modi for his work in India. PM Modi will be making official visits to Poland and Ukraine from August 21-23, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Monday. The visit by PM Modi will be the first visit by an Indian PM to Poland in 45 years. People carrying Indian flags shouted "Modi Modi." Speaking to ANI, Rahul, a member of the Indian community, said that they were waiting for PM Modi to visit Poland and would welcome him. He praised PM Modi for evacuation of Indians from Ukraine after the war between Moscow and Kyiv started in 2022. Rahul said, "I welcome him with all my heart. We were waiting for PM Modi to visit Poland, as he used to visit other nations. And today that day has come and I welcome him with all my heart." He added, "After the war in Ukraine started, they had evacuated so many Indians who were trapped. Some of the people we knew were also evacuated. They had evacuated them through Operation Ganga. The evacuation was possible due to Modi Ji, otherwise, it would have been very difficult. Aaj Modi hai to mumkin hai." PM Modi's visit comes as India and Poland mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties in 2024. Diplomatic ties between India and Poland were established in 1954, leading to the opening of the Indian Embassy in Warsaw in 1957 and the Polish Embassy in New Delhi in 1954. Another member of the Indian community, Jaimeel Bhatt said, "We are very excited and we will go to welcome him." Manoj Variani, a member of the Indian community, said that he was waiting for PM Modi's visit to Poland and lauded him for the work that he has done in India. He said, "I have been here for 25 years and I was waiting for PM Modi's visit to Poland. Finally, he is visiting Poland and we welcome him. Modi Ji has made our country a lot better. I hope that Modi Ji remains in power for the next 10-20 years. We Indians live here very well. Modi Ji has done a very good job." Pawan Kumar, a member of the Indian community, who has been living in Poland for the past 20 years, said that they were waiting for PM Modi's visit and called it "a great honour" for them. He said, "I have been in Poland for past 20 years. I am very excited for PM Modi's arrival. PM Modi has done very good work for the country. We want him to come here and strengthen the relations between Poland and India. We are proud of India's development and the fact that India is becoming very famous in Poland. We are very proud that we are Indians. We are very happy that PM Modi is coming here and this is a great honour for us. We want him to come here and are very excited for his visit." Earlier on August 20, MEA Secretary (West) Tanmaya Lal said that PM Modi will be visiting Poland at the invitation of his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk and called it a "landmark visit." While addressing a special briefing on Monday, Tanmaya Lal said, "PM Narendra Modi will be undertaking an official visit to Poland this week on 21st and 22nd August on the invitation of PM Donald Tusk. This is a landmark visit as the PM of Indian is visiting Poland after 45 years. This visit takes place as we also mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations." "This historic visit in a landmark year for India and Polish relations will provide an opportunity to our leaders to review the bilateral relationship and offer guidance on enhancing this relationship in diverse areas and also discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest," he added. He recalled the age-old ties between India and Poland, highlighting how Poland assisted India in evacuating its students from Ukraine after conflict broke out in 2022. He also spoke about the episode from the 1940s, when over 6000 Polish women and children were given refuge in princely states: Jamnagar and Kolhapur. "Indian community in Poland estimated at around 25,000. This includes around 5,000 students. The government and people of Poland had offered valuable assistance during 'Operation Ganga' for the evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine. More than 4,000 Indian students were evacuated via Poland in 2022. One of the unique bonds between our countries relates to the time in the 1940s during World War 2 when more than 6,000 Polish women and children found refuge in two princely states in India - Jamnagar and Kolhapur," Tanmaya Lal said. The MEA Secretary stated that PM Modi, during his visit, will hold meetings with his Polish counterpart, President and will also interact with the Indian community there. He will also be accorded a ceremonial welcome at Warsaw. After concluding his visit to Poland, PM Modi will travel to Ukraine. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, condemned terrorism and called on nations to reject it in all its forms and manifestations. The two leaders emphasised that no nation should harbour terrorists and agreed to bring perpetrators to justice, in accordance with domestic laws and international conventions. On Tuesday, PM Modi and Anwar Ibrahim held bilateral talks at Hyderabad House. The discussions focused on deepening engagement across various areas of partnership between India and Malaysia. Following the meeting, PM Modi announced that ties between India and Malaysia would be elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The joint statement on the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership declared, "The two Prime Ministers condemned terrorism and called upon states to reject terrorism in all its forms and manifestations." "Both Prime Ministers underlined that no country should harbour terrorists and agreed to work together to bring perpetrators of terrorism to justice expeditiously, in accordance with domestic laws and international conventions," it added. PM Modi and Anwar Ibrahim also agreed to vigorously address the linkages between terrorism and transnational organised crime. The joint statement read, "They also agreed to recognise and vigorously address the linkages between terrorism and transnational organised crime. Both countries agreed to enhance cooperation in this regard, including the sharing of information and best practices to counter terrorism and other traditional and non-traditional threats." The two leaders acknowledged the steady and strong cooperation in bilateral defence and security partnerships as "one of the core pillars of the Enhanced Strategic Partnership," according to the joint statement. India and Malaysia agreed to further intensify defence cooperation through regular exchanges and dialogues, exercises, and capacity-building initiatives. The two sides also agreed to expand collaboration in the defence industry and defence R&D. During the meeting in Delhi, PM Modi and his Malaysian counterpart discussed the entire range of bilateral cooperation, including political, defence and security cooperation, economic and trade relations, digital technologies, start-ups, fintech, energy (including renewables), healthcare, higher education, culture, tourism, and people-to-people relations. The two leaders witnessed the exchange of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on cooperation in Ayurveda, culture, arts, and heritage, among other areas, according to the joint statement. PM Modi and Anwar Ibrahim also agreed to advance collaboration in science and technology, including space, nuclear energy, semiconductors, vaccines, and other identified areas. "Both leaders witnessed the exchange of MoUs on cooperation in the fields of Recruitment, Employment and Repatriation of Workers; Ayurveda and other Traditional Systems of Medicine; Digital Technologies; Culture, Arts and Heritage; Tourism; Public Administration and Governance Reforms; Youth and Sports; and Financial Services between the Labuan Financial Services Authority (LFSA) and the International Financial Services Centres Authority, India (IFSCA)," the joint statement stated. The two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in promoting sustainable energy and adapting to climate change. Malaysia expressed appreciation for India's initiative in establishing the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). The joint statement declared, "Both Prime Ministers also agreed that a concerted global effort is required to address climate change concerns and agreed that both countries would consolidate efforts to this end." "India also welcomed Malaysia's decision to join the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) as a founding member. The two Prime Ministers encouraged the expeditious conclusion of negotiations on the Framework Agreement of the IBCA," it added. On Monday, Anwar Ibrahim arrived in India for a State visit at the invitation of PM Modi. This was the Malaysian PM's first visit to South Asia, and the first meeting between the two leaders, according to the joint statement. The discussions covered a wide range of topics, reflecting the multi-layered and multi-faceted nature of the relationship between the two nations. (ANI)
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit, Lodz Governor Dorota Ryl emphasised that Poland views India as a "great partner" for business and other collaborations. In an interview with ANI, Dorota Ryl mentioned that many business delegations from Poland visit India regularly. She underscored that PM Modi's visit is of significant importance to Poland and the region. Regarding PM Modi's upcoming visit, she stated, "The visit of Prime Minister Modi is of great significance to Poland and the region. We see outstanding examples, such as Infosys, which employs over 3,000 people in the region, and more than 200 Indian MSMEs actively engaged in various businesses here. Numerous business delegations from Poland and the region travel to India, and Poland views India as a great partner for business and potential collaborations." The Deputy Mayor of Lodz, Adam Pustelnik, expressed his excitement about PM Modi's visit to Poland and conveyed his high expectations for the outcomes. He noted that PM Modi is expected to hold discussions with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Polish President Andrzej Duda. On his expectations from PM Modi's visit, Pustelnik said, "I'm very, very happy that Prime Minister Modi is coming to our country and that he will engage in dialogue with our key leaders, including the Prime Minister and the President. I think it's a truly unique moment." He added, "It's difficult for me to formulate expectations. Instead, I would ask what we can do for India and how we can contribute to our mutual relations and growth. I believe this visit is one of the most important in recent times, and I have very high hopes for its results." Amit Lath, Vice President of the Indo-Polish Chamber of Commerce and a Pravasi Bharatiya awardee, described PM Modi's upcoming visit to Poland as "historic." He emphasised that this visit presents numerous opportunities for collaboration between the two nations. "This is a historic visit, as an Indian Prime Minister is visiting Poland after 45 years. The last visit was by Morarji Desai in 1979. This milestone is an important step forward for India and Poland to build a strong partnership. Poland, often referred to as the 'tiger of the economy' in Central Europe, is among the top five economies in Europe. Poland's strategic location allows it to serve Central, Eastern, and Western Europe effectively. During this visit, I am confident that many areas of collaboration and cooperation will be discussed, benefiting both governments and businesses," he stated. "We have been in Poland for 25 years, and I've observed significant growth in business... Indian vegetarian food has become a new trend. It's something people talk about a lot. In Europe, when people hear about vegetarian food, they ask what there is to eat, and we introduce them to Indian cuisine--naan, kulcha, parathas, samosas, and so many diverse dishes from across India. This strengthens relationships and ties between the two countries. Food, after all, is a universal language that connects us," he added. Lath also highlighted the growth of business in India under PM Modi's leadership, noting, "This is a new India, and it has been growing rapidly over the last decade. When we travel worldwide, we can see the difference. Leadership plays a crucial role. With the world's youngest population, India excites people in Europe, who often describe India as a dream destination. It's heartening to hear that many people want to visit India, and many have already done so, whether through business delegations or private visits." He pointed out potential areas for collaboration between India and Poland, including the pharma sector, agriculture, and the food industry. When asked about sectors where the two nations could collaborate, he said, "The pharma sector is a significant one where Poland plays a crucial role, and many Indian companies could collaborate. The IT sector is already present, but there is much scope for further cooperation. Additionally, agriculture and the food industry offer ample opportunities for collaboration." PM Modi will be visiting Poland on August 21-22 at the invitation of his Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk. MEA Secretary (West) Tanmaya Lal described this visit as "landmark," marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Poland in 45 years. In a special briefing on Monday, Tanmaya Lal said, "PM Narendra Modi will undertake an official visit to Poland on August 21 and 22, at the invitation of PM Donald Tusk. This is a landmark visit, as it's the first by an Indian Prime Minister to Poland in 45 years. The visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of our diplomatic relations." "This historic visit, in a landmark year for India-Poland relations, will provide an opportunity for our leaders to review the bilateral relationship, offer guidance on enhancing it in various areas, and discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest," he added. Lal also recalled the long-standing ties between India and Poland, highlighting Poland's assistance to India in evacuating students from Ukraine during the 2022 conflict, as well as the episode from the 1940s when over 6,000 Polish women and children found refuge in the princely states of Jamnagar and Kolhapur. "The Indian community in Poland is estimated to be around 25,000, including approximately 5,000 students. The government and people of Poland provided valuable assistance during 'Operation Ganga,' which evacuated more than 4,000 Indian students from Ukraine via Poland in 2022. One unique bond between our countries dates back to the 1940s during World War II when over 6,000 Polish women and children were given refuge in Jamnagar and Kolhapur," Tanmaya Lal said. During his visit, PM Modi will hold meetings with his Polish counterpart and the President, and will also engage with the Indian community. He will be accorded a ceremonial welcome in Warsaw. After concluding his visit to Poland, PM Modi will travel to Ukraine. (ANI)
The Ethics Commission meets in the Sakakawea Room of the North Dakota Capitol in Bismarck on June 26, 2024. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)

The governors office received applications from 29 North Dakotans interested in joining the Ethics Commission.

The top candidate will fill the open seat left by Chair Paul Richard, who announced plans to retire earlier this year.

Members of the Ethics Commission are appointed by the consensus of the governor, Senate majority leader and Senate minority leader.

Gov. Doug Burugm, Senate Majority Leader David Hogue, R-Minot, and Senate Minority Leader Kathy Hogan, D-Fargo, will now start reviewing applications.

Once theyve each identified their preferred candidates, they will meet to discuss the candidates and try to reach consensus agreement as required by the ND Constitution, Mike Nowatzki, spokesperson for the governors office, said in an email to the North Dakota Monitor. That meeting has yet to be scheduled.

Richard will remain on the Ethics Commission until his replacement has been appointed.

The five-member Ethics Commission was created through a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2018. It regulates ethical behavior in the areas of elections, corruption, lobbying and transparency.
Ana Navarro, 'The View' co-host, political commentator to appear at DNC convention Tuesday

Ana Navarro-Cardenas, 52, is slated to host night two of the Democratic National Convention in Illinois.

Navarro-Cardenas, a self-professed Republican, is a Nicaraguan-American political commentator for networks including CNN and ABC, where she co-hosts for 'The View' part time.

Regardless of her party status, she is a long-time, staunch critic of former President Donald Trump, most recently posting a viral list to her Instagram account titled Things I Trust More than Donald Trump.

The Democratic National Committee convention is in Chicago through Thursday and Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday is scheduled to formally accept the party's nomination for the 2024 Election.

Ana Navarro walks the runway during The American Heart Associations Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection Concert 2024 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Jan. 31, 2024 in New York City. The political commentator is set to speak at the 2024 DNC on night two.

What to know about Ana Navarro ahead of DNC hosting:

Where is she from? Born in Nicaragua, Navarro-Cardenas and her family immigrated to the U.S. due to the Sandinista revolution, according to the Harvard Kennedy Institute for Politics. After obtaining her degree and doctorate in Latin American Studies and Political Science, she became a special advisor to Nicaragua and a primary advocate for the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act.

What political accomplishments does she have? According to her bio, in 2008 Navarro-Cardenas was a campaign surrogate for the late, former Sen. John McCain and also served as the national Hispanic co-chair for former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsmans 2012 presidential campaign. In addition, Navvaro served on former Florida Gov. Jeb Bushs transition team and was his first director of immigration policy.

What role she plays: Navarro-Cardenas previously said she voted for a Democrat for the first time when former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ran against Trump in 2016. Earlier this month, the Harris campaign launched a program called "Republicans for Harris" to urge Republican voters to support the Democratic party. It displayed endorsements from Republicans including former Trump White House officials Stephanie Grisham and Olivia Troye.

Also slated to speak Tuesday, former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.

Navarro-Cardenas is among a slew of celebrities slated to host this week include Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn, both actors on the TV series Scandal as well as "The Office" Actress Mindy Kaling.

A supporter of Obama's campaign in 2012, when Harris announced last month she was running for president, Washington posted on X , Harris "can and will win this... I believe in her and I believe in us. Let's gooooooooooooo!" She also hosted virtually before at the virtual DNC in 2020 campaigning for President Joe Biden.

Also during Biden's 2020 campaign, Kaling co-chaired a fundraiser event with Reese Witherspoon, hosted by Harris. The year prior, she appeared on Harris' YouTube channel.

During the episode, Kaling and Harris cooked masala dosa together, where Harris confessed she had never cooked the classic popular South Indian crepe dosa before. Harris' mother was born in Indian and her father was born in Jamaica.

When is the DNC?

The Democratic National Convention began Monday and runs through Thursday, Aug. 22.

Where is the DNC

The Democratic National Convention is taking place in Chicago,.

The United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, will be the main venue for the DNC.

Chicago has hosted the Democratic Convention 11 times, most recently in 1996 when the United Center saw President Bill Clinton was nominated for a second time.

How to watch and stream the 2024 DNC

The rest of the convention will air live on its website, from the United Center in Chicago between 6:15 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern (5:15 p.m. to 10 p.m Central) on Tuesday, and 7 p.m to 11 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central) the other days.

USA TODAY will provide livestream coverage on YouTube each night of the DNC through Thursday.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Ana Navarro is at the DNC convention today and who else will host
Lake Mead is currently at 37% capacity. Federal water managers have warned that if water levels continue to fall there is a high probability that Lake Mead would no longer be able to deliver water downstream, or produce hydropower. (Photo courtesy of Bureau of Reclamation)

Despite some improvements in water conservation, Nevada is facing a fourth consecutive year of mandatory water cuts, as drought and climate change continue to threaten Lake Mead, federal officials announced Thursday.

Federal water managers announced that Tier 1 water cuts  the least severe shortage condition  would be necessary next year to preserve water levels at Lake Mead.

Water in Lake Mead is projected to fall below 1,075 feet in 2025, an elevation that would trigger a water shortage, according to a 24-month study by the Bureau of Reclamation.

Lake Mead is currently at 37% capacity, according to the agency. Federal water managers have warned that if water levels continue to fall there is a high probability that Lake Mead would no longer be able to deliver water downstream, or produce hydropower.

Under the cuts, Nevada will lose about 7% of its allocation, or 21,000 acre-feet of water. However, the cuts are not expected to affect Nevada water users.

Southern Nevada is allowed 300,000 acre-feet from the Colorado River, but has not used its full allocation in years thanks to conservation efforts. Last year, Nevada only used about 188,000 acre-feet of water.

We are well below our total allocation, and the water that were cleaning, the water that were not using, is water that were able to store for the future in reserve, said Mack Bronson, the spokesperson for the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

Arizona, California, and Mexico also face cuts starting next year. Arizona will lose 18% of its total Colorado River allocation, Mexico will lose 5%, and California will face a 7% reduction.

The cuts announced Thursday are in the same Tier 1 category declared in 2021 and in 2022, when the first federal cutbacks on the Colorado River took effect. A Tier 2 water shortage for 2023 resulted in even steeper cuts.

The Colorado River Basin supplies drinking water to 40 million people across the lower basin  Arizona, California, Nevada and Mexico  and the upper basin: Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

States in both the lower and upper Colorado River basin are each allocated 7.5 million acre-feet of water, for a total of 15 million acre-feet. But officials acknowledge only 12.4 million acre-feet flows from the river each year, and flows continue to shrink due to climate change.

Hydraulic studies by the federal government show that flow will likely decrease by another 3 million acre-feet of water in the next decade. Based on Reclamations most recent hydraulic models, Lake Mead water level could drop to 1,050 feet, or a Tier 2 shortage, by the end of 2025, making continued conservation efforts critical and triggering deeper cuts in allocations.

The future in the Colorado River Basin is going to be warmer and its going to be drier, and we are going to have years where our allocation will be reduced, Bronson said.

In recent years, Nevada has passed a series of laws to reduce water consumption in anticipation of steeper water cuts. That includes legislation in 2021 to ban ornamental grass from most public spaces, a Clark County resolution in 2022 to limit the size of pools, and a 2023 bill to phase out the use of water-intensive septic tanks.

The actions that weve taken already to reduce our water use have us on a good path to be able to absorb any of those future reductions, Bronson said.

The Southern Nevada Water Authority managed to reduce individual water use to 89 gallons per person per day last year, the lowest since the early 1990s. But hotter, drier conditions this summer means water use per person is likely to increase this year.

Last year was a really good year, but we also had a lot of help from Mother Nature, Bronson said. Juxtapose that with the summer were experiencing today, where we just had a record setting July, our warmest summer ever on record. So certainly we are seeing water use trending a little bit higher this year than we did last year, but were still below the average over the past three years.

Federal officials also expressed optimism about recent water conservation efforts in the region this week, ahead of the release of the 24-month study.

On Wednesday during the second annual Southern Nevada Water Summit, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton praised Colorado River basin states voluntary efforts to reduce water use, highlighting an agreement by the Imperial Irrigation District in California this week to leave up to 700,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead through 2026.

These conservation programs are working. Yes, its painful, but its working, and its preserving a very critical and vital water source for this entire area, said Reclamation hydrologist Shana Tighi during the Summit Wednesday.

Nevada Current is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nevada Current maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Hugh Jackson for questions: info@nevadacurrent.com. Follow Nevada Current on Facebook and X.
Donald Trump comes from a line of draft dodgers

Mr. Bone Spurs has no right to criticize anyone else who actually served in the military.

But, the Trump family has had good experience with both draft dodging and being deported, it seems.

Fact: Friedrich Trump, Donald Trumps grandfather was deported from Germany in 1905 for failing to do his mandatory military service there.

More: Trump, again, falsely says his father is from Germany. Fred Trump was born in New York

Amazing that the only reason the Trumps are even in this country is because they got thrown out of another one for cowardice.

Lee Gerhardstein, Westerville

Former President Donald Trump campaigns for reelection on Aug. 19, 2024, in York, Pa.

First Energy's pay to play overload

The foundational basis for the original lawsuit against ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and his several cohorts regarding House Bill 6 was characterized as a "pay to play" scheme.

Based on the August 14 Dispatch article reporting "First Energy will pay $20 million and avoid criminal charges as part of an agreement with state prosecutors to resolve the company's role in a statewide bribery scandal," doesn't this deal still constitute a "Pay to Play" maneuver at a different level?

Sally Pedon, Columbus

Crime pays millions in Columbus

No wonder Columbus raised property taxes. They need money to make multi-million-dollar payouts to families of criminals.

When someone commits a crime, they know they are committing a crime.

Race, age, gender, motherhood are not factors when they are stealing, carrying unregistered guns, threatening police officers, running from the law. If a person commits a crime and is fleeing the police, that person is putting their own life, and the lives of others, in danger.

If that person is killed, and/or kills others while fleeing, that person is responsible for those deaths. Not complying with law enforcement is a crime. The police are not committing a crime by trying stop a criminal.

Gone are the days when a criminal was labeled a criminal, and treated as such.

Gone are the days when justice was on the side of law enforcement and law-abiding citizens. Gone are the days when someone committed a crime, they went to jail, not the police officer confronted by the criminal.

Sympathy has no part in criminal activity. Crime is crime. In Columbus, it truly pays to be a criminal.

Carmen Sauer, Columbus

ACLU ignoring logic on abortion

It is logical if you going to have a physical relationship with a person of the opposite sex, and you do not want to create a child, then introduce into the act one of the enormous numbers of contraceptives readily available at your local drug store.

This is both a reasonable and sensible approach to avoid creating a human being. Further, it certainly outweighs having to decide if you need to kill an unborn child.

Unfortunately, the ACLU tends to ignore Aristotle's logic, as well as the creator's, of both the universe and mankind's teachings.

Dennis Coyne, Columbus

Cruelty has no place on the farm

Like many in Ohio, I want a healthier and more humane food system.

Congress is currently tackling the Farm Bill which directs policies for agricultural and food assistance programs nationwide.

Unfortunately, the Houses Farm Bill contains dangerous language that could undo many state-level farmed animal protections. Some corporate interests were unhappy with Californias widely supported Proposition 12, which ensures that certain animal products sold in-state are derived from animals not raised in the cruelest forms of intensive confinement. After facing legal defeat before the Supreme Court, they requested federal legislation to attack state laws like Prop 12.

Ohio already is phasing out gestation crates for pregnant pigs. Legislation needs to help all of us; Congress should not cater policy to industrial factory farms. I am respectfully calling on our U.S. Senator, Sen. Sherrod Brown to vote against any version of the Farm Bill containing language attacking state laws, including laws that protect animals. I hope you do the same.

Amy Bashforth, Hilliard

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Trump and his bone spurs come from a draft dodger line
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  This weeks Democratic National Convention in Chicago has us digging deep into our KELOLAND News archives for convention stories we covered decades ago.

Back then, KELOLAND News reporters and photographers were embedded with delegates from both parties who were promoting their candidates and causes before our cameras.

KELOLAND News was at the contentious 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where the party was deeply divided over the Vietnam War. South Dakota Senator George McGovern expressed his opposition to the war to presidential nominee Hubert Humphrey.

Vice-President Humphrey is a decent, humane and honorable man and however much he and I might have disagreed on this one basic issue, the war, Ive never questioned his essential integrity and sincerity, McGovern said in 1968.

Who are the Change Agents of South Dakota?

McGoverns anti-war stance would propel him to the Democratic nomination for president four years later, in 1972.

South Dakota delegates gathered for the 1976 Republican convention in Kansas City were divided over their support for President Gerald Ford and former California Governor Ronald Reagan.

Brian Bjerke: The makeup of the delegation is an interesting one indeed with 11 Reagan delegates and nine Ford delegates, most of whom have never been to a national convention.

South Dakotas George McGovern was also a power broker in the 1976 Democratic National Convention in New York as he expressed to KELOLAND News his reservations about the partys presidential nominee, former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter.

Ill be out campaigning for him, but we need to understand that this country must not be run by a single man, even one very skillful in the use of mass media, McGovern said in 1976.

The media plays a vital role in providing viewers with objective coverage of political conventions every four years.

It was an image thing for us. We didnt miss one for the longest time. Always sent two people down there, a reporter and photographer. Always turned lots of content. Make sure the delegates see you there, they know that youre paying attention and covering their convention, KELOLAND News Assignment Editor Dexter Gronseth said.

Gronseth was our chief photographer in 1984 when he covered the Republican National Convention in Dallas.

Joyce Terveen: Without a doubt, South Dakotan Gordon Peterson would be the top hat on the list, his cowboy number with buttons of past conventions catches many a photographers eye.

Wed all gather at one door. Theyd guide us in. Wed have a chance to shoot the podium  no tripods and then youd have to rush over to get to your delegations, do all your interviews, shoot all your cover and you got to be out there in 20-minutes and they penalized you if youre late, Gronseth said.

KELOLAND News covered the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco in 1984, that included McGovern and U.S. Congressman Tom Daschle.

Mondale is going to have to do what I hear he might do and that is challenge the president to a debate on agricultural policy, Rep. Tom Daschle, (D) South Dakota said in 1984.

The technology changed from convention to convention. From film in the early years, to videotape and then live satellite feeds. But the one constant was KELOLANDs commitment to keeping viewers informed about the historic decisions delegates from each party made on the convention floor. Coverage that set the stage for the politics of today.

You look at whats happened this year, both conventions are going to be talked about for years, and thats kind of the way it was back then, conventions were kind of a big deal in that time frame, Gronseth said.

Gronseth tells us he had an unexpected run-in with a broadcast news legend during the 84 Republican convention. He shared an elevator with former CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite. He admitted to being a little star-struck by the encounter, and didnt say anything to Cronkite.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Gov. Andy Beshear painted Donald Trump as a threat to reproductive freedom and predicted Vice President Kamala Harris would march to victory over Republicans just like he did in his own reelection win in remarks to the Democratic National Convention Monday night.

Trump and [JD] Vance simply dont believe in your freedom, Beshear told Democratic delegates gathered inside the United Center.

All women should have the freedom to make their own decisions.

The Kentucky governor, who was vetted to be Kamala Harris running mate, noted that 21 states, including his own, have pursued extreme bans on abortion since Roe v. Wade was overturned two years ago. He underscored how former President Donald Trumps appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court upended longtime national abortion law.

A tieless Beshear was introduced by Hadley Duvall, the Owensboro native who became a symbol of empowerment for women throughout the country when she shared her story of being impregnated by her stepfather at age 12.

Like Beshear, Duvall also used her prime time slot at the DNC to contrast Trumps position on abortion with that of Harris.

Kamala Harris will sign a national law to restore the right to abortion, Duvall said. She will fight for every woman and every girl  even those who are not fighting for her.

Beshear praised Duvall as one of the bravest people Ive ever met.

Donald Trump brags about tearing away a constitutional right from Hadley and every other woman and girl in our country, Beshear said. Thats why we must tear away any chance he can ever be president ever again.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center, Aug. 19, 2024.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center, Aug. 19, 2024 in Chicago. The DNC program will feature President Joe Biden and Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during Mondays ceremonies.

Beshear featured Duvall in a campaign ad during his 2023 reelection race against then-Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron that stood out as the most memorable moment of the campaign.

This is to you, Daniel Cameron: to tell a 12-year-old girl she must have the baby of her stepfather, who raped her, is unthinkable. Im speaking out because women and girls need to have options. Daniel Cameron would give us none, she said in the ad.

In his short speech, the governor also offered hope to Democrats, recalling that voters have been rejecting restrictions on abortion rights in votes across the country, including in Kentucky.

And I beat Donald Trump and Mitch McConnells hand-picked candidate by more than 5 percentage points, Beshear boasted. This November, were going to beat them again ... America were going to win, and were going to win by staying true to our values of compassion, empathy and doing right by our neighbors.

Beshear had tough line-up to follow on the conventions opening night. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were among the speakers ahead of him, and each received rollicking ovations inside the convention center.

In addition to his prime time speech, Beshear is also hitting a number of events outside the United Center.

Hes scheduled to attend breakfasts with the Pennsylvania and Florida delegations on Tuesday morning, as well as several Democratic National Committee caucus meetings on the sidelines of the convention on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center, Aug. 19, 2024.

The Kentuckian is already being talked about as a prospect for an appointment inside a potential Harris administration. For this to happen, Harris needs to win  and Beshear has already signaled his readiness to play the part of loyal partisan soldier for the coming 11 weeks.

In an earlier appearance on CNN Monday night, Beshear defended Harris idea of imposing national controls on prices.

Ive certainly seen gouging after natural disasters and in other instances, he said. Having a 50-state option can be really important. It can also give a president and vice president leverage that they need at critical times to make sure the American people are treated right.

Beshear has spent the summer traversing political terrain far outside of the commonwealth with stops in Iowa and Oklahoma and on behalf of the Harris-Walz ticket in Georgia and Illinois.

After the DNC concludes Thursday night, more stops are likely in the offing in places like Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia, where he can foster a connection with rural voters.
Dudley Dudley: Cinde Warmington is my candidate for governor

Aug. 16  To the Editor:

Cinde Warmington is my candidate for Governor. In this critical moment, with so much at stake we need someone with vision, someone with experience who can navigate with skill and determination and that person is Cinde Warmington.

Cinde is not just any candidate; she is the highest-ranking Democrat in New Hampshires state government and the only Democrat on the Executive Council. In this role, she has served steadfastly, holding firm against the waves of Republican overreach that threaten our rights and values. Her commitment to defending Planned Parenthood, safeguarding public education, and expanding essential services like affordable housing, job development, and childcare has given her excellent experience to represent all Granite Staters as our Governor.

Cindes contributions dont stop there. Shes also charting a course toward a brighter future for all of us. Her candidacy for Governor is built on the belief that every person in New Hampshire deserves the opportunity to live free and thrive. This isnt just rhetoric; its a promise backed by decades of dedicated service to our state. Before her time on the Executive Council, Cinde was a tireless advocate in the healthcare field. She fought for the expansion of substance use disorder treatment services and championed expansion and increased funding for womens health and safety programs. She pushed for increased funding for mental health services, recognizing the critical need to support those struggling in our communities. And she brought greater access to telehealth services, ensuring that even those in our most remote areas could receive the care they needed.

This depth of experience has given Cinde a unique understanding of the challenges facing New Hampshire. Having represented 97 cities and towns in eight out of our ten counties, Cinde has traveled the state, seeing firsthand the struggles of families from our largest cities to our smallest towns. And as Governor, shell bring this wealth of knowledge to the corner office.

Republicans in this election cycle have made no secret of their desire to push an extreme agenda that is out of step with New Hampshires values. From enacting dangerous abortion bans to defunding essential services, their priorities are clear. But so are Cindes. Shes the strongest candidate to stand up to these threats, and her track record on the Executive Council proves that she has the experience and fortitude to weather the storms ahead and keep New Hampshire on course. Please join me in casting a vote for Cinde Warmington for Governor in the September 10 primary.

Dudley Dudley

Durham

Ciinde Warmington is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor.

Embracing economic growth for a brighter future

Aug. 16  To the Editor:

In a world full of challenges and uncertainties, we must choose between economic growth and government growth. While both have their merits, the benefits of economic growth cannot be ignored. Economic growth allows us to pass on a stronger financial foundation to our children and future generations, ensuring their prosperity and opportunities. The failures of government-led initiatives, as evident in the aftermath of the housing crisis, highlight the risks of relying solely on government intervention.

As a former board member of a non-profit organization dedicated to stopping home foreclosures, I witnessed firsthand the consequences of misguided government policies. The government believed it knew best how to increase home ownership, but the result was catastrophic. The wealth of countless individuals was severely impacted, with estimates ranging from $7 to 14 trillion dollars in losses. It took the nation nearly six years to recover economically from this disaster.

Recent proposals by New Hampshire Democrats, such as the hotel tax, raise concerns about the impact on hardworking individuals and families. Originally hotels in the towns of Hampton and Portsmouth NH only would pay the Hotel Tax. The addition of a $2 tax on hotel rooms disproportionately affects people who are already dealing with financial stress. For instance, if you were faced with the burden of repairing your house after a plumbing issue, or if your relatives visit, the hotel tax could push the overall cost up to 17% for every week spent in temporary accommodation. This means more money leaving your wallet and the need to find additional sources of income, resulting in less time spent with your loved ones.

It is evident that economic growth should be the priority if we want to secure a brighter future for ourselves and future generations. By promoting and encouraging economic growth, we can empower individuals and families to build their own financial legacies, rather than relying solely on government interventions. Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past, but instead focus on fostering an environment that nurtures economic growth and allows us to pass on a prosperous society to those who come after us.

Hon. Ken Sheffert

Hampton State Representative Candidate

Hampton

Portsmouth ignores history, forcing state legislature to step in

Aug. 17  To the Editor:

The NH State legislature just signed into law a bipartisan bill requiring more public school civics instruction. The same bill requires that schools and local governments use a holiday's statutorily designated title in official communications, publications, and documents. The juxtaposition of these is telling.

In 2022 the Portsmouth City Council enacted into local law and practice the abolishment of a holiday established to honor the contributions of Italian Americans to this country. The decision followed a presentation from public school students and adults who seemed to have inadequate instruction as to the history of Columbus Day. Amazingly, with one exception, this Council failed to correct them. Originally declared in 1892 by President Harrison following the brutal massacre (lynching) of 11 innocent Italian immigrants in New Orleans in 1891, the goal of the holiday was to end discrimination of Italians and elevate an awareness of their contributions to the country. One would think a US holiday established specifically to counter the practices of discrimination and lynching of a marginalized group would be honored by local government. Not in Portsmouth!

This is a prime example of why our legislature feels the need to micro-manage education. This year saw new laws for teaching cursive, multiplication tables, and now basic government and history. Its a sad day when teachers and public officials have to be required to educate our children in writing, math and historical facts to simply ensure that there will always be adults in the room.

Elyse Gallo

Portsmouth

Re-elect Mark Paige to NH House. He leads by example.

Aug. 17  To the Editor:

The first time I met Mark Paige, he was standing on a piece of cardboard, holding a sleeping bag, and preparing to spend the night outside toward the end of March. He was participating in the annual Waypoint SleepOut, an event that raises awareness about youth homelessness in New Hampshire. He had brought along one of his daughters, who also had a sleeping bag as she was joining in too. Mark was simultaneously addressing a serious issue in our state, supporting his daughters decision to do something helpful for other young people, and setting an example as someone who is willing to take on a challenge in the interests of an important cause.

Mark has been our State Representative for two terms, and he is running again to earn the right to return to the State House. Being a legislator has challenges of its own, but Mark knows that even when the going gets tough, the goal of good government is to do whats best for the people it serves. In his time as our State Rep, Mark has worked to address New Hampshires low rate of voter registration for eligible 18-year-olds, sponsoring a bill to include education in high schools that teaches students the importance of voting responsibly and how to register. He was the prime sponsor of bills that expand voter access to online registration and assistive technology at the polls. These efforts resulted in recognition as the 2024 Champion of Democracy from Open Democracy.

A former public-school graduate, teacher, and school law attorney, he has strengthened our schools by opposing the diversion of taxpayer dollars away from public education to the private sector. His leadership on the Judiciary Committee halted actions that would have promoted the unconstitutional divisive concepts law.

He has voted to advance womens health by opposing extreme abortion bills during both of his terms in Concord.

He served as Board Chair and lead negotiator/project manager to fund and build a non-profit new childcare facility on Route 27 for Great Bay Kids Co.

In his efforts both as a concerned citizen and as our State Rep, Mark is committed to doing what is right for the people in Exeter and across New Hampshire. He needs your vote in the primary on September 10 and the general election on November 5. This is your opportunity to show that you value what he has accomplished and want to see his service continue. Showing up at the polls may take some time out of your schedule, but it will be a lot easier than sleeping outside on a cold night!

Wendy Gladstone

Exeter

Send your letter to opinion@seacoastonline.com

Please keep letters to 250 words or less. Submissions must include the writers first and last names, city or town and a daytime telephone number (which is for verification purposes only and will not be published). Send letters or commentaries to opinion@seacoastonline.com. Letters from Seacoast-area writers addressing local topics will be given priority for publication.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Dudley Dudley: Cinde Warmington is my candidate for governor: Letters
In the heart of America's persistent struggle for racial justice, we pause to honor the life and legacy of Emmett Louis Till, a 14-year-old boy whose brutal murder on Aug. 28, 1955, in Money, Mississippi, ignited a flame that still burns brightly today.

As we mark 69 years since that fateful day, we reflect on the enduring impact of his story  a story that, despite the passing decades, resonates with the contemporary battles against racial injustice.

In a world where the echoes of George Floyd's last breaths are still heard, where the cries for equality reverberate from every corner, we remember Emmett Till not only as a victim of a heinous crime but as a symbol of the relentless pursuit of justice. Today, we honor his memory, acknowledging both the progress made and the distance yet to travel in our collective journey toward true equality.

Duvalier Malone

Emmett Till was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 25, 1941. Raised by his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, Emmett was described as a charismatic and self-assured boy with a keen sense of humor. His life, though short, was full of dreams and aspirations. In August 1955, Emmett traveled to Mississippi to visit his relatives, unaware of the rigid and violent racial customs of the South.

On Aug. 24, 1955, Emmett allegedly whistled at Carolyn Bryant, a white woman working at Bryant's Grocery and Meat Market. This simple act later revealed to be a fabrication, set off a chain of events that would end in his horrific murder. Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, Carolyn's husband and his half-brother, abducted Emmett from his great-uncle Mose Wright's home, brutally beat him, and shot him in the head before disposing of his body in the Tallahatchie River. They tied a cotton gin fan around his neck with barbed wire to weigh him down.

The discovery of Emmett's mutilated body and the decision by his mother, Mamie Till Mobley, to hold an open-casket funeral exposed the nation to the brutal realities of racial violence in America. Tens of thousands of mourners attended the funeral, and graphic images of Emmett's body were published in Jet magazine, galvanizing public outrage and drawing national attention to the plight of African Americans in the South.

The trial of Bryant and Milam was a miscarriage of justice. Despite overwhelming evidence, an all-white, all-male jury acquitted the men after just 67 minutes of deliberation. Protected by double jeopardy, Bryant and Milam later confessed to the murder in a paid interview with Look magazine, expressing no remorse for their actions.

Emmett Till's murder became a catalyst for the civil rights movement. Just 100 days after his death, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, an act of defiance that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and organizations such as the NAACP drew inspiration from Emmett's story, using it to highlight the urgent need for social change.

In recent years, the fight for racial justice has seen a resurgence, particularly following the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. Floyd's death, captured on video, showed a police officer kneeling on his neck for over nine minutes, igniting global protests and calls for systemic reform. The parallels between Emmett Till and George Floyd are striking: both were victims of racial violence and both became symbols of the broader struggle against systemic racism.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, introduced in the wake of Floyd's murder, seeks to address police misconduct and accountability. This bill includes provisions to ban chokeholds, end qualified immunity for police officers, establish a national registry of police misconduct, and mandate data collection on police encounters. Passing this bill is crucial to ensuring accountability and preventing future tragedies.

Emmett Till's legacy continues to resonate today. His story is a stark reminder of our persistent challenges in fighting for racial equality. The Emmett Till Antilynching Act, signed into law in 2022, makes lynching a federal hate crime, a long-overdue acknowledgment of the brutal history of racial violence in America. However, more comprehensive reforms are needed to address the systemic issues that allow such violence and injustice to persist.

As we remember Emmett Till on this solemn anniversary, we must commit ourselves to continuing the fight for justice and equality. His death was not in vain; it sparked a movement that transformed our nation and continues to inspire us today. Let us honor his memory by advocating for the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and other measures that promote justice and equality for all.

Emmett Till's story is a testament to the power of collective action and the importance of confronting and dismantling systemic racism. On this 69th anniversary of his death, let us renew our commitment to fighting for the rights and dignity of every human being, ensuring that the horrors of the past are never forgotten and never repeated.

 Duvalier Malone is the author of "Those Who Give A Damn: A Manual for Making a Difference," a motivational speaker, community activist, and CEO of Duvalier Malone Enterprises, a global consulting firm. He lives in Washington, D.C.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Emmett Till: A Flame That Illuminates the Path to Justice
Farm bill still hung up on safety net changes

A Senate Agricultural Appropriations Committee meeting near Casselton, North Dakota, on Aug. 15, 2024, included, from left, Tina, Smith, John Boozman, John Hoeven and Amy Klobuchar. (Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor)

Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar said she is obsessed with getting a new farm bill passed before the end of the year. Republican Sen. John Boozman was more reserved, agreeing a farm bill should be passed but that we need to do the right thing.

Klobuchar, of Minnesota, and Boozman, of Arkansas, spoke during a Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee hearing Thursday at Grand Farms Innovation Campus west of Casselton. The hearing was organized by Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., and also included Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn.

All of us are deeply involved in the farm bill, Hoeven said.

The farm bill, which covers both agricultural support and nutrition programs, was extended last year after Congress failed to agree on changes before it was due to expire at the end of 2023.

The bill sets rules for the next five years, part of the reason why Boozman says it is important not to rush something through.

Hoeven, who also serves on the Agriculture Committee, said the main sticking point keeping a farm bill from getting passed is negotiations over what is known as reference prices. When market prices for crops such as corn and soybeans fall below the reference price, it triggers safety net programs that can help keep farmers in business.

In an interview, Matt Perdue, policy specialist with the North Dakota Farmers Union, described the reference price as a floor under the market.

If prices are going to drop below this floor, the federal government will provide some support to make up, not the entire difference, but some of the difference to ensure that the family farmers can continue to continue to produce, be productive, and ultimately stay in business and stay afloat, he said

Perdue said farm groups generally want higher reference prices, but that would mean additional cost.

While there is some accounting for market fluctuation in the reference price, Perdue said it does not account for major increases in costs for things such as fertilizer, seed and fuel.

That price floor should be tied to the cost of production, Perdue said.

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This year, farmers are facing some of the lowest market prices in recent history. That is due, in part, to large yields that are expected to provide ample supply.

In an Aug. 14 U.S. Department of Agriculture report, an average price received by producers for the 2024 corn crop was lowered 10 cents to $4.30 per bushel. For soybeans, it was $11.10 per bushel, down 10 cents from the previous month.

Perdue, who lives in Jamestown but farms with his parents near Ray, said this years strong yields will help farmers get by, but the 2025 growing season could be a different story.

Next year, youre going to see a lot more farmers in a really, really tough situation, Perdue said.

Justin Sherlock farms near Dazey north of Valley City and is president of the North Dakota Soybean Growers Association. I think were entering a farm crisis and its not being talked about yet, he told the Monitor.

Congress is running out of time to get something done before the end of the year.

Boozman said resetting the farm safety net is going to have to be a bipartisan effort.

Jay Debertin, president and CEO of Minnesota-based, farmer-owned co-op CHS, said he understands that compromise on a farm bill wont make everyone happy.

If all four of you are voting for it, he told the senators, CHS is there.

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A Gen Xer who traveled to all 50 states shares his top 5  and the 5 he won't rush back to

Patrick Forhane visited all 50 states and said Oregon was one of his favorites because of Crater Lake National Park. Patrick Forhane

Patrick Forhane has visited all 50 states, completing his goal in Kansas in 2022.

A health emergency in 2020 and the pandemic had delayed his plans to travel to his final few states.

Forhane ranked Washington and Oregon highest, though he doesn't care for Florida and Arizona.

Patrick Forhane, 45, hit his 50th state, Kansas, in 2022. Two years earlier, he wasn't sure whether achieving the feat would be possible.

Forhane, a credit review manager for a bank, had a longtime goal of visiting all 50 states, though a serious health emergency in early 2020 put a wrench in his plans. He was out of commission for a few months and then had to postpone travel plans after the outbreak of the pandemic. But by the end of the year, Forhane was back to traveling to hit his final few states.

Forhane has also been to 45 countries, his favorites being Sweden, Japan, and Chile. He's also traveled to Azerbaijan, Tanzania, Malaysia, and Russia.

"When I was younger, I didn't plan on driving around the country, and I never have still. I've been to all these places randomly, and I'm just surprised at how much there is to see in the US," Forhane said. "It's sad that not everybody knows what's out there."

Forhane hit his 50th state, Kansas, in 2022. Patrick Forhane

Forhane ranked his favorite and least favorite states, preferring the colder Northern states to the hotter South.

Aiming to hit all 50 states

Forhane grew up on Long Island, where his dad worked for United Airlines. He and his family took vacations in states such as California, Florida, and Hawaii, though he said his parents "weren't very creative with traveling."

He moved with his family to California, where he attended college and explored the West Coast. He then moved to Seattle for work for seven years, visiting states including Idaho and Montana. He took two trips to Alaska, where he rented a car and explored the major cities.

"When I lived in Seattle, a very large portion of the people I knew had never been to Alaska due to the cost and the remoteness," Forhane said.

He moved to New York City in 2012, getting to visit many New England states he didn't visit growing up. He rarely travels for work, meaning he's had to visit many states during vacations or quicker weekend trips, often on federal holidays, he said. Having three airports close by allowed him to take nonstop flights across the country for relatively affordable prices.

While in Seattle and New York City, he would take trips to cities he'd never visited; he prefers exploring cities over parks. In each state, he would spend a few days attending concerts, visiting museums, and trying the local food scene.

He said he'd kept trips affordable by taking public transit and staying at hotels on the outskirts of downtowns. He used to rent cars to get out of the cities and see rural areas, though car rental prices have shot up over the past few years.

Forhane in Mississippi. Patrick Forhane

By the beginning of 2020, Forhane had been to 46 states. That January, however, Forhane had a medical emergency that sent him to the ER.

"I was sitting on a gurney, and one of the things that went through my head was, 'I'm not going to be able to hit all 50 states,'" Forhane said. "Because of that, I said, 'If I get out of here, I want to do this.'"

After his recovery two months later, he crafted a plan to visit Michigan, Alabama, New Mexico, and Kansas. Because of the pandemic, he pushed back his travel plans  including a trip he planned in March to Ukraine and Poland.

"My mom talks about wanting to see things, how she's always wanted to see the world, but now that she's older, there are many places she didn't get to see," Forhane said. "I feel that seeing older relatives not being able to do certain things they've wanted to do gave me the idea that if I want to do something, I probably should do it as soon as possible rather than waiting until later. There's no guarantee that it will work out."

In September 2020, he spent a few days in Traverse City, Michigan, choosing a smaller, less-crowded city where he could stay safe from COVID-19. He later flew to Alabama, where he spent time on the Gulf Coast and in Birmingham, and then New Mexico.

For his last state, he had a friend living in Missouri who offered to drive from Kansas City into Kansas proper. A few of his friends flew to him for his final state, after which they celebrated at a barbecue joint.

"That was a big to-do since they were able to come with me; it wasn't like landing in a random airport by myself for my 50th state," Forhane said.

Favorite states

Forhane's favorite state is tied between Oregon and Washington, as both have cities so close to tranquil forests and mountains. He misses living in Seattle and spending time amid evergreen trees and lakes outside the city.

In Oregon, Portland is one of his favorite cities, close to Mount Hood and the Pacific coastline. He enjoyed driving by Crater Lake National Park in the state's southwest and said it was one of his favorite national parks.

Maine is his third-favorite state; he said he adored the waterfront towns along the coastline and its many forests. He's only visited during the summer, however, and hasn't experienced the frigid Maine winters.

Montana, which he ranked fourth, surprised him with its natural beauty. He said he was shocked by the serenity of Glacier National Park and the state's vastness.

Forhane was surprised to enjoy Alabama as much as he did. Patrick Forhane

Alabama, a state many rank in their bottom five, rounded out his top five. He spent some time in Mobile and on the Gulf Coast, including the beach town Dauphin Island, which he said were pleasantly surprising. He added that Birmingham was a historic and culturally diverse city.

"When it comes to food, nature, and cities, there's a lot more going on there than most people realize," Forhane said.

Least favorite states

As someone who has spent most of his life in the Northern US, Forhane prefers many Northern states to the South. That's why he ranked Florida as one of his least favorite states.

He said he'd spent much of his life visiting friends and family in Florida, seeing "more of Florida than most people would ever want to." He said the heat and humidity, the traffic, and frequent storms and floods led him to put Florida at the bottom of his list.

He didn't love Louisiana, saying New Orleans was a historic city to see once but not his favorite given the large crowds.

He wants to revisit Arizona and Nevada to explore some of the more underrated parts of those states. He didn't enjoy Las Vegas, however, and he said he didn't find either state too memorable as he's "not a big desert person."

As a New Yorker, he added that New Jersey was "just not a place I go to for fun," adding that he'd never been too impressed with the state when driving through.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Kari Lake, behind in money and the polls, getting little help from GOP allies on TV

With about seven weeks to go before Arizona voters begin casting their ballots, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake is behind in polling and campaign cash and there are few signs of a major lifeline from GOP-aligned groups.

Of the eight most competitive Senate races across the country, Lake has drawn the least Republican-supportive money in future television ad reservations, a key data point widely viewed in political circles as a sign of serious competition.

National Republicans, it seems, are showing with their wallets a unique skepticism that Lake can beat her Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego.

Money talks, said Jessica Taylor, who edits Senate and gubernatorial races for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. It reflects that there are other races that Republicans see as winnable than the Arizona Senate race right now.

Barrett Marson, an Arizona-based Republican campaign consultant not involved in the Senate race, sees echoes of the 2022 Senate race in which Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., didnt see Arizonas Blake Masters as electable.

I think everyone is heeding the McConnell message of candidate quality matters, Marson said.

Republicans are looking across a relatively favorable Senate map in their bid to retake the chamber.

The GOP is expected to win West Virginias Senate race and needs no more than two other seats for a majority in January. Their spending so far suggests they dont see Arizona as their most likely path to doing so.

AdImpact, a nonpartisan organization that tracks political spending in the media, showed future reservations for Lake and Republican-aligned organizations on her behalf totaling $12 million. Gallego and Democratic-aligned organizations planned almost $65 million.

Other Senate races in states such as Montana and Pennsylvania have drawn nearly $100 million in GOP-related spending. And those races involve Republican efforts to knock off Democratic incumbents. Gallego and Lake are battling for the seat being vacated by the retiring Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema retires: Here's a look back at 10 key moments in her political career

Lakes campaign dismissed the spending disparities and alluded to a recent poll by the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Kari Lake continues to keep this race in a dead heat statistical tie, meanwhile Gallego has spent tens of millions and cannot pull away, the campaign said in a written statement. Arizona is one of the best pick-up opportunities for Republicans in the Senate. Kari Lake will win.

White House battle pushes up costs

Money moves around quickly in major races, especially as voting approaches, but TV ads are a scarce commodity in presidential election years.

Waiting until closer to the election to run them is more expensive for everyone, and especially for organizations that arent connected to a candidates campaign.

President Joe Bidens decision to end his reelection bid has seemingly jolted Democratic chances in Arizona, where former President Donald Trump was leading comfortably for months. The newfound competitiveness in that race will only make future TV time scarcer and more expensive for anyone else.

Now Arizonas firmly back in play at the presidential level and Gallego, with his money advantage, has been able to lay down his reservations early on, Taylor said. Weve seen Democratic groups lay down their reservations early on. The earlier you buy these ads, the cheaper they are. For Lake, she has not been able to do that.

If youre going to go big on a race, then your best investment is to buy early because thats when its cheaper, said Jacob Rubashkin, deputy editor of the nonpartisan Inside Elections.

Thats especially true in Arizona, he said, where there is no shortage of key political races and only one major media market to blanket. Beside the presidential race and Senate contest, there are two competitive congressional races, a statewide measure on abortion rights, a handful of significant legislative races and several Maricopa County races that will draw TV time.

Theres a lot of saturation of the airwaves, and that just ratchets up the cost even more, Rubashkin said.

Kari Lake is behind Ruben Gallego in the polls

Since Sinema said in March she wouldnt seek reelection, Gallego consistently has led in publicly available polling for the race. His lead has shifted over time and some of that polling has come from pollsters that work for Democrats or who support him.

But it has also included polls from Republican-friendly firms, too. The one constant is Gallego has led in nearly all the polls.

The nonpartisan FiveThirtyEight political website shows 24 polls other than the Club for Growth in the Arizona race since Sinema quit. Gallego has led in 21 of them with two ties. His average lead in those polls is nearly 5 percentage points.

In the nine polls taken in July and August, Gallego has led six times with two ties, including one from last week for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

'McCain Republicans': Former aides of John McCain throw support to Democratic Senate candidate Ruben Gallego

Four of those nine polls showed Gallego leading by 5 points or more.

The one poll showing Lake ahead, by 1 point, was conducted by her campaign.

On Thursday, the conservative Club for Growth Action released a poll showing Gallego ahead by just 2 points and called the race one of the best pick-up possibilities for Republicans.

Rubashkin said Inside Elections sees Lake as the underdog in the race.

The preponderance of the polling thats out there is not good for her, he said. Other than the one NRSC internal (poll) that they put out that showed its tied, shes been consistently down against Gallego.

Kari Lake is targeting the 'enemy' Ruben Gallego

Lakes campaign headed into the July 30 primary at a major financial disadvantage with Gallego.

As of July 10, Gallego had $8.2 million in cash and no debt. At the same time, Lake had $2.1 million and $857,000 in debt.

She won her primary battle over Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb by 16 percentage points. That was well short of the 30-point advantage her campaign cited two weeks before voting began.

Earlier this month, Lake maintained a 16-point win is a landslide victory and said she was solely targeting Gallego.

Guess how much money I spent in the primary? Zero. I didnt spend a penny, she told reporters in Gilbert. I have been, since I jumped into this, focused on the enemy. The enemy is not Mark Lamb. The enemy is actually Ruben Gallego.

That approach still left her far outspent by Gallego, according to AdImpact.

It found that Gallego spent $20.2 million on ads during the primary. By contrast, Lake spent $4.2 million.

Much of Lakes messaging involves hybrid ads with the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which endorsed Lake in February. The coordinated ads allow campaigns to split costs with the NRSC, but it also limits the amount of time spent on a named opponent, presumably diluting its impact.

Lakes spending disparity lingered after the primary, too.

Gallego has reserved about $43 million in time for ads in the general election. Lake has reserved about $7 million, according to AdImpact.

Unless donations went viral for Lake in the weeks since her underwhelming primary win, it appears she and her GOP allies wont come close to matching the presence on screens that Gallego and his Democratic allies expect to have.

So far, the GOP is spending elsewhere

Arizonas Senate race is only one of the races where Republicans could make a gain. There are seven other races across the country that have drawn notable spending from both parties in a sign of competitive campaigns.

In each of them, the candidates and Republican-aligned organizations have reserved more TV time than they have for Lake.

Ohio is by far the most expensive Senate battleground this cycle.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, is seeking a fourth term in a state where Republicans consistently win statewide. He is facing businessman Bernie Moreno.

So far, the campaigns and their partisan allies have reserved time totaling more than $310 million in Ohio. Republicans have committed slightly more in that race than Democrats, $158 million, according to AdImpact. It is the only competitive state where the GOP is outspending Democrats.

In other states, Republicans have poured far more into the Senate races than they have in Lakes race.

Fundraising tactic: Kari Lake promising donors extravagant matches for campaign contributions. Does it happen?

In Pennsylvania, theres $96 million reserved for Dave McCormicks effort to unseat U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Penn. In Michigan, the GOP has committed $27 million to help former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers challenge U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin for the open seat in that state.

Republicans have put more money into trying to win an open seat in the blue state of Maryland, $17 million, than the $12 million they have invested in purple Arizona. Maryland hasnt elected a Republican senator since 1980.

Lake repeatedly has dismissed Gallegos fundraising edge over her, vaguely suggesting without evidence that Democrats and Gallego may be getting money from mysterious sources.

They take in a ton of money from God knows where and God knows who, and hes going to run ads making himself look like hes just a middle-of-the-road kind of guy. And it couldnt be further from the truth, she said in an April example.

Its getting late

Money is only part of the problem that Lake is facing. The calendar is also becoming a factor.

Early voting begins Oct. 9, about seven weeks from now. Once voting begins, ballots flow in rapidly across the state and campaigns are divided between pushing out their messages and chasing votes they think they can still get.

Candidates who are trailing have limited time and a rising price tag to reach the public to change their minds or convince them to vote at all.

Marson noted that its not just a matter of booking ads. People need to see them  repeatedly  before the message takes root, he said.

In general, its believed an ad needs to be seen at least 10 times to have a chance to change voter behavior.

Defining Ruben (Gallego) as a liberal is a key to victory, Marson said. Without that, he gets a free pass.

While Taylor sees Gallego with a key advantage, she warns against presumptions that the race is settled.

I dont think you can ever say that a race in Arizona is over. I still expect this to be a close contest, she said. But I look at the fundamentals of the race right now  and Gallego has a small but notable lead.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Senate race: Kari Lake getting little help from GOP allies
What to know about Ashley Biden, President Biden's daughter who is speaking at the DNC

Ashley Biden likes to stay out of the national spotlight. But the president's daughter is stepping into it Monday night when she introduces her father at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Who is the president's elusive daughter? Here's what to know about Ashley Biden.

Who is Ashley Biden?

Ashley Biden, 43, is a social worker from Wilmington, Delaware, where she has worked in mental health and family services for most of her career.

She worked for the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families before stepping in to head the Delaware Center for Justice, a nonprofit which provides social services to Delaware residents impacted by the criminal justice system.

In 2019, she stepped down from the Delaware Center for Justice to work on her father's campaign.

According to a 2023 profile in Elle, Ashley Biden is now pursuing a doctorate in clinical social work at the University of Pennsylvania. She hopes to open a wellness space for women experiencing trauma.

Who is Ashley Biden's mom?

First Lady Jill Biden is Ashley Biden's mother. Ashley Biden is her mother's only child and the only child between the first lady and the president.

The first lady, 73, is a former school teacher. She served as Second Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017.

Who are President Joe Biden's other children?

President Joe Biden has had four children. Two of them, Hunter and Ashley Biden, are still alive today.

In 1972, Joe Biden lost his then-wife Neilia and infant child Naomi in a car crash. Beau Biden, three at the time, survived the crash. In 2015, Beau Biden died of brain cancer during his father's second term as Vice President.

Is Ashley Biden married?

In 2012, she married Howard Krein, an otolaryngologist and plastic surgeon from Philadelphia. They have no children together. In 2020, Krein advised the Biden campaign on its coronavirus response and faced criticism for investing in covid-related startups at the same time.

Ashley Biden has kept a low profile

The president's only daughter has no social media presence and has "never wanted to be in the public eye," she told Elle magazine in a March 2023 profile.

Ashley Biden spent most of her career out of the national spotlight until she joined her father's presidential campaign in 2019.

Ashley Biden made national headlines in 2020, when a woman stole Biden's diary from a Florida home and sold it to the far-right media group Project Veritas.

Who stole Ashley Biden's diary?

In the summer of 2020, Florida woman Aimee Harris stole Ashley Biden's diary and other personal belongings and sold them to right-wing news source Project Veritas for $20,000.

According to reporting from Axios, the text was a "recovery diary" from her time in a Florida rehab in 2019.

In April, Harris pleaded guilty to stealing Biden's diary and selling it. Harris was sentenced to one month of prison and three months of house arrest, the Associated Press reported.

When will Ashley Biden speak?

Exact times are not immediately known.

Ashley Biden will hit the stage after her mother, Jill Biden. She will introduce her father.

President Joe Biden is set to speak sometime after 9:30 p.m. tonight. He will conclude the convention's first day of programming, which ends at 10:15 p.m.

First night speakers are expected to highlight Joe Biden's legacy as POTUS as he prepares to leave the Whitehouse and pass the torch to Kamala Harris. The theme of the first convention day is "For the People."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about Ashley Biden, who is speaking at the DNC in Chicago
The U.S. Oliver Hazard Perry (OHP) class frigates, dozens of which once served the U.S. Navy, are still actively used by a number countries. While they may all appear similar from the outside, upon a closer look, the OHP frigates of the Turkish Navy, known as the Gabya class, are significantly different. This transformation is due to the GENESIS project, a major initiative of the Turkish defense industry that has not only rejuvenated the combat capability of these second-hand warships, but has set Turkey on a path to independently developing its own more advanced warships.

A brief history of the OHP frigates in the Turkish Fleet

The Turkish Navy started to use Gabya class frigates in the late 1990s when TCG Gaziantep (ex-USS Clifton Sprague) was commissioned in 1997. Between 1997 and 2003, eight Gabya class frigates were commissioned, and the ex-USS Duncan was purchased as the ninth ship and used as a spare parts source for the other eight vessels.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA (June 25, 2016) The Turkish Gabya Class frigate TCG Gaziantep (F-490) is underway in formation with the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) during an exercise with the Turkish and United States navies. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class J. Alexander Delgado) MC3 J. Alexander Delgado

The Gabya class frigates, which were reactivated and put into service after the U.S. Navy decommissioned them, were used by the Turkish Navy for anti-air warfare (AAW) as their main mission function due to the medium-range SM-1 missiles they carried.

Since the late 1990s, these ships have been used in critical missions such as the non-combatant evacuation operation from Beirut in 2006 and Operation Unified Protector in Libya in 2011. They have also participated in numerous NATO and United Nations missions.

These ships, which have formed the backbone of the Turkish Navy by sailing thousands of hours every year since they entered service, have been subjected to a number of modernizations by the Turkish defense industry. These upgrades focused on countering modern threats more effectively, increasing compatibility in joint operations, enhancing detection and identification abilities by replacing outdated sensors with modern sensors, and increasing their firepower.

Two OHP frigates: SPS Navarra from the Spanish Navy on the left, Turkish upgraded GENESIS OHP frigate TCG Gediz on the right. (Turkish MOD)

In order to carry out these modernizations effectively, the GENESIS project was initiated, as it was necessary to provide ships with a modern combat management system (CMS). Overall, this project constituted the spirit of the improvements made to increase the capabilities of these ships. The robustness of the hull and keel of OHP frigates, and the assessments that these ships could l be used effectively for many years to come if their CMS was renewed, have been the main motivations for investing further in them.

With the modernization of the Gabya class frigates, the command and control systems have been renewed, enhancing their coordinated operation capabilities. The ships communication and display systems have also been deeply upgraded, improving their ability to function as floating command centers and coordinate the actions of other ships.

Before modernization, the only launcher on board was the Mk 13, which launched Harpoon anti-ship and SM-1 surface-to-air missiles. With the addition of the eight-cell Mk 41 vertical launch system (VLS), the missile launch options have been expanded, increasing both the number and types of missiles the ships can launch. As a result, Gabya class frigates now have the capability to launch up to eight SM-1 missiles and up to 36 RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSM) for air defense, significantly enhancing their air defense capabilities.

TCG Goksu (F-497) in the Mediterranean Sea, 21 August 2023. The Gabya class frigates of the Turkish Navy are equipped with the GENESIS combat management system, SMART-S Mk2 3D radar and Mk. 41 VLS, which has been installed in front of the Mk. 13 GMLS. This image shows the Turkish Navy frigate TCG Goksu (F497) as it steams in the Mediterranean Sea, on August 21, 2023, in formation with USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), TCG Anadolu (L-400), USS Normandy (CG-60), and TCG Gediz (F-495). Forces from the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group are conducting bilateral training with Turkish Naval and Air Forces in the East Mediterranean Sea to enhance interoperability and promote regional peace and stability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Adkins)

The Genesis of GENESIS

GENESIS stands for Ship Integrated Combat Management System (in Turkish, GEmi ENtegrE Savas Idare Sistemi). The Turkish Naval Forces launched the GENESIS project in 1999 to meet their operational needs. The Turkish Naval Forces Research Center Command (ARMERKOM) designed all the software and hardware for the GENESIS Combat Management System (CMS), which was then handed over to the national industry.

In collaboration with the Turkish HAVELSAN company, the GENESIS project modernized the outdated CMS of Gabya class (Turkish OHP) frigates. Adaptation units were developed to integrate various weapons, sensors, and electronic systems with different architectures and platform data into the GENESIS CMS. This integrated system automates reconnaissance, surveillance, detection, tracking, and classification operations using the ships sensors. Additionally, it provides an Integrated Multiple Data Link Capability for sharing tactical information with allied forces.

The GENESIS system brought several advancements to the OHP frigates capabilities. One significant feature is the automatic target tracking infrastructure, which combines information from multiple sensors about the same target and inputs it into the system as a single piece of fuzed information. Additionally, the system allows for the transfer of data detected by the supportive assets, such as helicopters, to the combat management system, further increasing the warfighting capabilities of the frigates. Moreover, weapons that could only be used with two consoles before GENESIS became available, can be employed by all consoles in the Combat Information Center (CIC) after the implementation of the upgrade program. Every console in CIC can replace another.

The CIC prior to the GENESIS upgrade. (Havelsan)

The CIC after the GENSIS upgrade shows a dramatic modernization. (Havelsan)

The project also introduced an Automatic Target Detection and Tracking System, enhancing radar capabilities with an Integrated Automatic Radar Detection, Tracking, and Data Fusion System. The system includes Threat Assessment and Weapon Allocation (TEWASA) capabilities for all air defense weapons, making GENESIS a versatile CMS for ship modernization and new shipbuilding projects.

Key capabilities provided to OHP frigates through the GENESIS project include:

A CMS that meets modern mission requirements

Enhanced situational awareness and decision support

A highly resilient distributed system with Open Architecture

Network-Enabled Operation Capability

New Weapon and Sensor Integrations: Mk41 VLS Vertical Launcher for ESSM surface-to-air missiles (4 of 8 ships) 3D Search Radar (Smart-S Mk-2) (4 of 8 ships) Mk-54 Torpedo firing capability Multiple Link (Link-11, Link-16)



Another significant upgrade is the integration of the Phalanx CIWS into the combat management system. Previously, the Phalanx CIWS (Block 0) could only engage close air targets independently, using its self-contained radars. Post-modernization, it can be commanded from the CMS, and is now capable of engaging surface targets, which especially made it useful against asymmetric threats like terrorist boats and unmanned surface vehicles (USVs).

The efficiency of the Phalanx has been further enhanced with the Remote Designation feature. Modern anti-ship missiles often perform evasive maneuvers to escape the close defense systems beam angle. If the Phalanx system loses track, it typically returns to its default position and starts searching again. With the remote designation feature, other ship tracking radars (CAS  Combined Antenna System or STIR  Signal Tracking and Illuminating Radar) can transfer targets to the Phalanx, ensuring continuous tracking and increasing the success rate against incoming missiles.

Breakdown of the key modernizations of the Turkish OHP frigates. Tayfun Ozberk

Experts: GENESIS was a must for the Turkish Navy

The War Zone reached out Hasan Ozyurt, a retired Rear Admiral who has commanded OHP frigates, and assumed the Head of Operations before retiring from the Turkish Navy.



Gabya class frigates have a very stable and long-lasting structure in terms of hull and machinery systems. The Turkish Navy realized the reliability of these ships and started to use them extensively. However, the command and control system of the ships was behind its time both technologically and ergonomically, Ozyurt told The War Zone.



Ozyurt emphasized that the Turkish engineers working on the GENESIS Project had sufficient expertise, as they developed the K-5 (Kalyon-5) system, a project that enables ex-Knox class frigates to operate with locally produced modern consoles and to operate Link-11, to enhance those ships combat efficiency. Another significant point is the motivation behind the MILGEM Project  a Turkish national warship program aimed at developing and producing indigenous warships with advanced capabilities for the Turkish Navy. The Combat Management System (CMS) is the most crucial step to achieve this goal. As a result, the thought was, If we are going to build our own ship, the brains of the ship should also belong to us, Ozyurt noted.

The consoles for the GENESIS upgrade provide an advanced interface for sailors to take the most advantage of the ships new capabilities. (Havelsan)

The GENESIS modernization was carried out alongside other mid-life upgrade programs of the Gabya class frigates, allowing the Turkish Navy to continue operating these reliable platforms at a high tempo. The experience gained from this program was applied to the Ada class corvettes. Now, GENESIS is being replaced by the ADVENT system, an enhanced version of GENESIS compatible for network-centric warfare. In short, GENESIS was one of the foundational bricks in the wall, Ozyurt added.

The modernization of TCG Gemlik (F-492), the first ship of the project, took approximately 10 months. The modernization of the subsequent seven Gabya class frigates was carried out during their overhauls, with each ships modernization taking around six months.

Speaking to The War Zone, Sinan Topuz, a former Turkish Navy captain who commanded a flotilla consisting of Gabya class frigates, stated that developing such a combat management system was very important not only for the warfighting capabilities of the OHP frigates, but also for the development of the Turkish naval industry.

After 1997, the first Perry class frigates started to replace Knox class frigates in the Turkish Navy. Hopes were high. Together with MEKO classes they would be able to meet all requirements of both littoral and open waters in a multi-threat environment, Mr. Topuz said. After a while it was noticed and reported many times that NTDS (Naval Tactical Data System) of OHPs with OJ 194 and OJ 197 displays, it was impossible to be able to apply all fighting capacity of the frigates in a multiple threat environment, he added.

As time passed, the self-confidence of naval engineers increased, along with the determination of the Turkish Navy Headquarters to allocate a budget for the upgrade of the Perry class frigates, which are expected to serve for a long time.

The development timeline of GENESIS CMS: From concept to naval integration

Despite their medium-range air defense weapons and effective sensors, the original version of the Gabya class frigates had inadequate command and control (C2) systems. These systems could not effectively participate in tactical data links, distribute situational awareness information to the greater force, or operate effectively with modern naval forces  both national and NATO. This deficiency was a primary motivation for the development of the project.

The original systems were closed-loop and did not allow for expansion or modernization. For example, adding a new air defense weapon was not possible. Additionally, these systems suffered from significant maintenance, sustainment, and operational problems, failing to inspire confidence in the end users.

Before the MILGEM project, a real frigate platform was needed for the GENESIS CMS to prove itself. Meeting all these requirements between 2003 and 2007 would achieve a major goal and allow the MILGEM journey to begin confidently. Both the requirements and timing were developing in harmony. The work was matured, tested, and verified in ARMERKOM laboratories between 1999 and 2003 and in Naval Surface Warfare Center-Port Hueneme Division (NSWC-PHD) laboratories between 2003 and 2004.

By 2005, the untested and unvalidated functions within the CMS had been reduced to actual firing tests and result analyses, and almost all GENESIS CMS land-based test systems had been fully validated.

(Turkish Navy)

In June 2006, headquarters approvals were obtained by the Turkish Naval Command, and the first ship, TCG Gemlik, was ordered to dismantle and remove the old C2 and associated systems. ARMERKOM and Golcuk Shipyard recreated TCG Gemliks CMS within 10 months. With GENESIS CMS, TCG Gemlik was essentially reborn.

Following this phase, the construction of the TCG Heybeliada (F-511) corvette, the first ship of the MILGEM Project and the lead ship of Ada class, began with high confidence thanks to the experience gained during the GENESIS Project. Simultaneously, subsequent Gabya class frigates were modernized in sequence, with their command and control modernizations completed by 2012. The first MILGEM ship with GENESIS CMS was delivered to the Navy on September 27, 2011.

Between 2012 and 2014, additional weapon and sensor modernizations (including Mk 41 VLS and Smart-S Mk 2 radar) were carried out on Gabya class frigates. TCG Gemlik was delivered to the Navy on May 19, 2007, with GENESIS CMS. The responsibility was partially transferred to HAVELSAN, a Turkish defense company providing solutions including combat management systems to the naval ships, in 2012. The complete transfer and industrialization took place in 2014 with the Bayraktar class LST project.

An interesting point: on the first ship, the cables of the original system were marked and retained to allow for a potential return. After the success of the first ship, the cables on subsequent ships were cut directly, and the old consoles were removed. While the modernization took about a year on the first ship, it was completed in a much shorter time on the later ships, Ozyurt said.

Inside a GENSIS CIC (Turkish MOD)

After GENISIS, the combat management system has modern display and usage ergonomics. The systems automatic threat response functions have a completely nationalized infrastructure and have an open architecture in which new sensors and weapons can be integrated by national means.

Additionally, the crew adopted this system very quickly. After all, you form a bond with the screens you rely on to operate and fight your ship on the battlefield, and you want to trust your system, he added.

An Admirals vision changed the destiny of the Navy

Admiral Ozden Ornek, 20th Chief of the Naval Operations of the Turkish Navy, is considered as the Father of the MILGEM Project. According to the retired naval officers and many experts in Turkey, his vision and critical decisions paved the way for GENESIS and subsequently MILGEM.

In the GENESIS project, not only the engineering expertise of the Turkish Navy but also the vision and calculated risk-taking ability of Admiral Ozden Ornek, who was then the Commander of the Turkish Navy and played a major role, Mr Hasan Ozyurt stated regarding the significant contribution the former Navy Chief made.

In an interview with the Turkish defense media outlet Marine Deal News in 2017, Admiral Ornek underlined the importance of the GENESIS Project to the development of a national warship.

TCG Burgazada(F-513), the third MILGEM-class corvette. (US Navy)

Without ARMERKOM (Turkish Navy Research Center), there would never have been a MILGEM. We would have built a ship, but the contribution rate would have been low. Thanks to ARMERKOM, we first built GENESIS, which today has a market price of around 40 million dollars (pricing for 2017). One of the biggest costs of a ship is the combat management system. This achievement motivated us to develop many other systems indigenously, including the machine control system and fire control systems. We reasoned that if we could accomplish this, we could also develop some weapons, and we did.

Admiral Ornek passed away in 2018, but his legacy forms the backbone of the modern Turkish Navy.

Benefits of the project to the Turkish defense industry

The GENESIS project provided several benefits to the Turkish defense industry, enhancing its capabilities and contributing to its strategic goals. By developing GENESIS locally, Turkiye boosted its technological base and reduced dependency on foreign technology. This promotes self-reliance and national security. This independence increased shipbuilding projects and trust in indigenous systems.



GENESIS was an important milestone on the way to the National Ship. We have shown ourselves, rather than the world, that we can both build such a system and integrate a ship and its systems into this system, Ozyurt said. When the initiative taken by the Turkish Navy in the first ship was transferred to the civilian industry, our defense industry became much more familiar with ship systems, and they developed confidence in themselves. The business opportunities that emerged with the MILGEM and the policy of prioritizing domestic systems encouraged private defense industry investments, he concluded.

The new Istif class frigate TCG Istanbul (F-515), seen on the Bosphorus. This new advanced class would have not been possible without GENESIS. (Adem via Wikisommons)

In summary

The project fostered innovation within the Turkish defense industry by encouraging the development of new technologies and solutions tailored to specific operational needs. Producing the system domestically can also be more cost-effective than purchasing similar systems from abroad, resulting in significant cost savings over time. Moreover, the development and production of the GENESIS system generate high-skilled employment opportunities within Turkey, benefiting the local economy.

GENESIS enhanced Turkiyes position in the global defense market. The successful development and deployment of an indigenous combat management system attracted the interest of other countries, as the system became field-proven in the last 15 years, which paved the way for the MILGEM corvettes, and export opportunities.

Developing and maintaining its own combat management system ensures that Turkiye retains full control over its defense capabilities without reliance on external suppliers. An indigenous system can be continuously updated and customized to meet specific national requirements and emerging threats, providing greater flexibility and responsiveness.

Upgrading the OHP frigates has significantly extended their operational lifespan, leveraging their robust hulls to adapt to modern threats. These enhancements, which include upgraded weaponry and sensors, have transformed these ships into formidable assets, vastly improving their mission effectiveness. For the past two decades, these revitalized frigates have been the backbone of the Turkish naval forces, bearing a substantial portion of their operational responsibilities with enhanced power and reliability.

Tayfun Ozberk is a former naval officer who is an expert in surface warfare, particularly in coastal waters. He holds a bachelors degree in computer science. Follow him @TayfunOzberk.

Contact the editor: tyler@twz.com
St. Mary's Home for Children to close. What's next for the troubled facility?

St. Marys Home for Children, the subject of a devastating report early this year detailing rampant chaos, abuse and mismanagement, is closing its North Providence residential psychiatric treatment center.

In a statement late Tuesday afternoon, the nonprofit agency said it was also relocating its outpatient program and its George M. Hunt Campus School to offices of Tides Family Services, the agency that took over day-to-day operations of St. Mary's in May.

St. Mary's provided outpatient services to more than 100 other children (and their families) who were sexually exploited or experienced other forms of trauma. The agency also ran school programs for two dozen more children.

"This decision marks the end of a long history of St. Marys Home for Children which has been providing specialized educational and therapeutic residential and outpatient services to children in need since 1877," the statement read.

"Efforts are currently underway to minimize disruptions to students educational placements for the 2024-2025 school year. Families, local school districts, and St. Marys employees have been informed of the closure."

New residential treatment center in Exeter not expected to open until 2026

Dire concern about the future of St. Mary's ramped up last week among the states child care advocates, even as state leaders broke ground in Exeter on a new 16-bed residential treatment center for adolescent girls.

That $45-million facility isnt expected to open until 2026.

Those discussions with state officials extended through the weekend, with several advocates expressing frustration that there was no plan yet in place for those children needing residential treatment care.

'Appalling': Feds accuse RI DCYF of 'warehousing' children at Bradley Hospital. What to know.

Without the North Providence agency, we do not have one available bed in Rhode Island for a kid who needs it," said North Kingstown state Rep. Julie A. Casimiro.

Rhode Island currently has 81 children in its care receiving services in states as far away as Alabama and Tennessee because it cannot provide those services locally. The annual cost, said Casimiro: $35 million.

In its statement, St. Mary's said, "The decision to cease operations was driven by the financial challenges of maintaining the school, community based and outpatient programs absent additional revenue from residential programming. Although initial plans were for Tides Family Services to take over operations at the St. Marys campus, this option proved unfeasible."

St. Mary's Home for Children in North Providence.

The DCYF stopped placing children in St. Marys last November as an investigation by the state Child Advocates Office was uncovering a litany of failures involving improper child care, assaults on children by other residents and staff, and mismanagement.

St. Marys longtime executive director, Carlene Casciano-McCann, retired soon after the reports January release.

St. Marys hired an interim CEO, Charles Montorio-Archer. But his challenging of some report findings proved corrosive, and his tenure was short-lived.

In May, Tides Family Services agreed to take over the day-to-day operations of the home, despite having no experience running a psychiatric treatment center.

But within weeks, the DCYF began looking for alternative placements such as foster homes or other community programs for the 10 remaining children still in the residential facility who couldnt return to their families.

Tides plan to reopen St. Mary's residential program rejected by state

Said St. Mary's in its statement: "In response to directives from the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Tides Family Services presented a plan and timeline for restarting the Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) at the St. Marys campus. However, this plan was subsequently rejected by the state. As a result, the PRTF will not reopen."

In June the DCYF asked the state to pause construction of an $11-million, 12-bed addition to St. Marys until additional leadership and organizational decisions to be made by St. Marys. The addition was to be funded with federal pandemic relief dollars.

That addition has now been "permanently terminated," St. Mary's said.

Beth Lemme-Bixby, CEO of Tides Family Services, said in the statement, The Tides team worked tirelessly and logged hundreds of hours in its effort to develop a plan, timeline and budget to restart the PRTF and make its vision of developing a continuum of behavioral health care services centralized on one campus a reality. Tides remains hopeful that EOHHS and DCYF remain committed to providing the full continuum of behavioral health care in our community that is focused on childrens behavioral health needs."

Jeff Cascione, president of the St. Marys Board, said, "while we were only able to transfer the community-based outpatient services and a portion of the school to Tides, we are confident that the youth in these programs will be well-served by Tides Family Services. Every decision was made with the best interests of the children and families in mind."

Spokespeople for Gov. Dan McKee and the DCYF did not return phone calls seeking comment.

As of Tuesday evening, it remained unclear what happens to the St. Mary's property and whether St. Mary's would file for bankruptcy. Frank McMahon, a spokesman for St. Mary's, said he would forward those questions to St. Mary's board of directors.

Contact Tom Mooney at: tmooney@providencejournal.com.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: St. Mary's Home for Children closing. What happens to programs?
The Capitol in Salt Lake City is pictured on Monday, May 6, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)

Its official, the Utah Legislature will be calling itself into a special session on Wednesday to tackle a recent Utah Supreme Court ruling that Republican legislative leaders said struck a blow at the very fabric of our Republic.

Utahs Republican-supermajority Legislature is scheduled to consider placing a constitutional amendment on this years Nov. 5 ballot to make clear in the Utah Constitution that lawmakers can repeal and replace voter initiatives that seek to reform government  at odds with the Utah Supreme Courts unanimous opinion issued last month, which affirmed that while the Legislature can alter the implementation of ballot initiatives, it cant fundamentally undermine them.

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If passed by the Legislature, the constitutional amendment on the November ballot and other legislation expected to be considered during the special session, in the words of a news release issued by House and Senate staff Monday evening, would:

Prohibit foreign entities from contributing to ballot initiatives or referenda.

Restore and strengthen the long-standing practice that voters, the Legislature, and local bodies may amend or repeal legislation.

Add 20 days to collect signatures for the referendum process, extending it from 40 to 60 days.

Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, and Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz surveyed both the Senate and House, and determined at least two-thirds of lawmakers are in favor of convening the Legislature into a special session as an emergency in the affairs of the state, according to a legislative special session proclamation issued Monday.

Previously, the Utah Legislature wasnt able to call itself into special session  but voters approved a 2018 constitutional amendment to allow it in cases of emergencies in the affairs of the state.

Wednesdays special session is scheduled for 4:45 p.m.

The Utah Supreme Courts new interpretation created uncertainty and ambiguity, Adams and Schultz said in a joint statement Monday. This amendment provides a path for Utahns to weigh in and make their voices heard. To be clear, the proposed amendment restores the over 100-year-old effect of citizen initiatives. The initiative process will remain unchanged, and Utahns will continue to have the ability to propose and run ballot initiatives. Additionally, it prohibits foreign entities from contributing to ballot propositions, adding safeguards against undue influence.

_LEGISLATIVE SPECIAL SESSION PROCLAMATION (1)

While Adams and Schultz argued the proposed amendment wouldnt change the current initiative process, it would sidestep the Utah Supreme Courts interpretation in a recent unanimous decision that remanded a lawsuit over Utahs redistricting process back to district court. All five of Utahs justices ruled that a district court erred when it dismissed a claim that the Utah Legislature violated the Utah Constitution in 2021 when it repealed and replaced a voter-approved initiative that would have enacted an independent commission to draw Utahs new political districts in its redistricting process.

Katie Wright, executive director of Better Boundaries  the group that successfully sought that voter initiative that passed in 2018 to create an independent redistricting commission, only to be repealed and replaced later by the Utah Legislature  told Utah News Dispatch on Monday her group is very concerned by the special session, which she called a hasty, blatant power grab.

The Utah Supreme Court was unanimous in the decision of saying that the Constitution is clear: we have the right to reform our government, and we have the right to reform it through the ballot initiative, Wright said. For a supermajority Legislature to potentially call itself into session to really override that decision, it just feels very antithetical to how the founding fathers established our form of government, that we are meant to have checks and balances.

Wright said lawmakers response to the Utah Supreme Court ruling seems like a huge overreaction, but not a surprising one. She said it tracks with a pattern in recent years, as the Legislature incrementally moves to really take power, whether its from the governors office or the executive office or the judicial office.

One of the biggest examples of that power shift occurred when voters approved a constitutional amendment that allows the Legislature to call itself into session in times of emergency, as interpreted by two-thirds of lawmakers. That amendment enabled this weeks special session  which could open the door for the Legislature to ask voters for even more power.

The Constitution has the Legislature and the people as being co-equals under the law. And it concerns me when politicians are fearful of the peoples voice, Wright said, adding that lawmakers have already set extreme barriers to successfully putting ballot initiatives on the ballot. So I dont think the peoples voice is terrifying. I actually think its the basis of our government.

As news of a potential special session spread, Better Boundaries issued a call to its supporters to contact lawmakers and tell them you oppose limiting government reform rights. Wright said she hopes lawmakers will listen and slow down and have a more deliberative process. She also disagreed that the matter should be considered an emergency  noting Better Boundaries efforts have drawn out seven years.

If the Utah Legislature does rush to place the constitutional amendment on this years ballot, though, Wright said she doesnt think it will pass  but rather backfire.

Ive received so many emails from people today that are really, really frustrated by this latest maneuver, Wright said. I absolutely think that legislators are hearing from constituents, and this could turn around. Because this really is an overreach. People know it.

The special session is also expected to include another agenda item  to amend provisions related to justice court jurisdiction to address an error in SB180, a bill passed this year that clarifies the jurisdiction of the juvenile court and the justice court.

Utah Gov. Spencer Coxs spokesperson issued a statement Monday noting that even though the governor does not need to sign a constitutional amendment for it to be placed on the ballot, hes supportive of the special session.

While the governor does not play an official role in signing or vetoing constitutional amendments, he is supportive of giving the people an opportunity to resolve this important constitutional issue, Coxs spokesperson said.

What spurred this special session on ballot initiatives?

Thanks to a constitutional amendment voters approved in 2018, the Utah Legislature can call itself into a special session (without needing the governors approval) if two-thirds of the Legislature in both the House and Senate agree theres a persistent fiscal crisis, war, natural disaster, or emergency in the affairs of the state that necessitates a special session.

The special session call comes after dozens of conservative leaders and organizations across the state signed onto an open letter sent Friday from the Utah Republican Party to the governor, Senate President Stuart Adams, and House Speaker Mike Schultz expressing profound alarm regarding the Utah Supreme Courts ruling in the redistricting case and its impact on voter initiatives.

The letter went on to call the ruling an existential threat to the values, culture, and way of life that define our state.

Given these exigent circumstances, we believe it is imperative that the legislature be immediately called into special session to propose a constitutional amendment, the letter says. This amendment should safeguard our laws from being unduly influenced by outside groups while simultaneously respecting the role of properly balanced grassroots-led initiatives and strengthening the peoples right to veto laws through a referendum process.

Separately, the conservative think tank Sutherland Institute on Friday also issued a news release calling the ruling an error that needed to be corrected and urging the Utah Legislature to immediately exercise its constitutional authority to place an amendment before voters that would ensure that elected lawmakers and the people themselves can properly exercise their legislative power to reform the law, no matter how that law was enacted.

By allowing initiatives to become immutable super laws, the Court has opened the door to potentially devastating consequences, the Utah GOP letter continues. Utah now faces the risk of becoming like California, where large sums of outside money influence laws that do not reflect the values of our citizens and undermine our cultural integrity.

That paragraph of the letter essentially mirrors what Adams and Schultz expressed in a scathing statement the day of the Utah Supreme Court ruling, claiming it effectively made a new law about the initiative power, creating chaos and striking at the very heart of our Republic.

Adams also told Utah News Dispatch that day that he feared it would open the door for California-style politics in Utah by allowing voters to create super laws that cant be changed by the Legislature. In California, voter initiatives and referendums are quite popular, with voters having passed 137 between 1912 and 2024, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

The letter goes on to say that even though past legislative overreach has understandably led to some distrust among the people, the voice of the people in governance remains crucial and cannot be overstated.

Although the intent of initiatives is to amplify that voice, this ruling creates a rigid and unmanageable system that disrupts our republican form of government, the letter states. We believe grassroots-led initiatives can have value when they garner strong support and can be refined as necessary through the legislative process. We also believe the right of the people to provide a check on the legislature, through a referendum process  a peoples veto of legislative actions remains essential.

Does the Utah Supreme Court ruling actually open the door to super laws? Opinion notes limitations

Even though Republican legislative leaders, the Utah Republican Party and Sutherland Institute have interpreted the ruling as one that could be catastrophic  painting it in with a broad brush and implying it could have implications for all voter initiatives  the Utah Supreme Court opinion does leave room for nuance.

Although the Legislature has authority to amend or repeal statutes, it is well settled that legislative action cannot unduly infringe or restrain the exercise of constitutional rights. Consequently, when Utahns exercise their right to reform the government through an initiative, this limits the Legislatures authority to amend or repeal the initiative, the opinion states. This does not mean that the Legislature cannot amend a government-reform initiative at all. Rather, legislative changes that facilitate or support the reform, or at least do not impair the reform enacted by the people, would not implicate the peoples rights under the Alter or Reform Clause.

The opinion also says legislative changes that do impair the reforms enacted by the people could also survive a constitutional challenge, if the Legislature shows that they were narrowly tailored to advance a compelling government interest.

While giddy about what the ruling meant specifically for the Utah League of Women Voters lawsuit, the plaintiffs attorney, David Reymann with Parr Brown Gee & Loveless told reporters the question of whether the ruling will apply to other voter initiatives that arent targeted so specifically at government reform has yet to be answered.

Its a good question and its one they left for another day, Reymann said at the time. They said in this case theres no question that this initiative was exercising the peoples right explicitly to reform their government, but there will be other initiatives that will be considered government reform initiatives, and it will be left to those cases to decide where the boundaries lie.

In a footnote included in the opinion, justices also said they appreciate filings from the governor and counties included in the lawsuit flagging potential unintended consequences that, from their perspective, might flow from the ruling that held the Alter or Reform Clause of the Utah Constitution establishes a constitutional right of the people to reform their government.

As we explain in this opinion, we conclude that the original public understanding of the Alter or Reform Clause was that it enshrined a constitutional right of the people of Utah to reform their government, the opinion says. We have endeavored to describe the scope of this right, consistent with its original public meaning, in a manner that is clear, accurate, and precise.

The opinion also clearly states our holding today applies only to initiatives that advance government reforms within the meaning of the Alter or Reform Clause, not those that have no reform element.

Utahs recent voter initiative history

The year 2018 was a big year for voter initiatives in Utah. Three citizen initiatives passed at the ballot box: Proposition 2, which legalized medical marijuana; Proposition 3, which expanded Medicaid; and Proposition 4, which created an independent redistricting commission that eventually led to the lawsuit against Utah Legislature that led to the Utah Supreme Courts ruling last month.

The Utah Legislature ultimately replaced all three of those voter initiatives with their own versions of the law, including a more restrictive state-run medical marijuana program, a more limited Medicaid expansion, and a watered-down version of the new redistricting process that allowed Utah Lawmakers to ignore independently-drawn maps and adopt their own versions, which is ultimately what Republican lawmakers did in 2021 when it came time to set Utahs new political districts for the next 10 years.

Then came the lawsuit. The League of Women Voters  along with the group Mormon Women for Ethical Government and individual Salt Lake County residents who alleged they were disenfranchised by unlawful gerrymandering  have claimed the Utah Legislature overstepped when it repealed and replaced the group Better Boundaries voter-approved initiative.

A 3rd District Court judge later dismissed that claim. But the Utah Supreme Court ruled last month that it erred in doing so, and that the case deserved its day in court.

We hold that the peoples right to alter or reform the government through an initiative is constitutionally protected from government infringement, including legislative amendment, repeal, or replacement of the initiative in a manner that impairs the reform enacted by the people, Justice Paige Petersen wrote in the opinion. Thus, an alleged violation of the peoples exercise of these rights presents a legally cognizable claim on which relief may be granted.

No abortion bill on special session agenda  at least not yet

Wednesdays special session will not include an agenda item to enact more abortion restrictions in Utah  something other Republican lawmakers also want to tackle by the end of the year.

Sen. Dan McCay called for a special session after the Utah Supreme Court earlier this month upheld an injunction blocking Utahs 2020 near-total abortion ban from taking effect while a district court litigates the laws constitutionality.

The day of the Utah Supreme Courts ruling that continues to block the trigger law from being enforced, McCay, R-Riverton, urged the governor and legislative leaders to call a special session to consider a bill to potentially restrict Utahs abortions up to six weeks of gestation. Currently, while the 2020 ban is on hold, abortions have remained legal in Utah up to 18 weeks of gestation.

If the Republican-supermajority Utah Legislature does tackle abortion restrictions in a special session, it will have to come at a later date, but its unclear when. McCay didnt immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

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Cattle graze on public lands, some of which is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, in Tooele County on Friday, April 19, 2024. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

After decades of preparation, Utah leaders declared that the Beehive State is ready to transform public lands in the West.

Utah filed a historic lawsuit on Tuesday, asking the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether the federal government has constitutional authority to maintain unappropriated public lands in the state against the states wishes. The countrys highest court has yet to take up the case. But if it were to rule in Utahs favor, the control of a significant portion of public lands would shift to state capitals like Phoenix, Boise and Salt Lake City, instead of the nations Capitol more than a thousand miles away.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, state Senate President J. Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz announced the lawsuit in a packed state Capitol Gold Room, filled with state lawmakers, county officials and Republican Party leaders.

This is the time we have been preparing for, Cox said. Today, after decades of legal analysis, Utah filed a landmark public lands lawsuit asking the United States Supreme Court to address whether the federal government can simply hold unappropriated lands within a state indefinitely.

Proposals to transfer public lands from federal to state hands in Utah date back 50 years to the time of the Sagebrush Rebellion under Democratic Gov. Scott Matheson. But serious discussions about how to reclaim Utahs sovereign control over public lands have found their way into the state Legislature more and more frequently over the last 10 to 15 years.

Utah is absolutely committed to keeping public lands in public hands, and locally controlled, Cox said. With this lawsuit, we are asking the Supreme Court to weigh in on a critical question. This is a question we, and many Western states, have had for decades.

Gov. Spencer J. Cox talks with media after a press conference to announce state action for Utah public lands at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

What areas are affected by Utahs public lands lawsuit?

The lawsuit filed Tuesday morning falls within the U.S. Supreme Courts original jurisdiction because it involves a legal dispute directly between Utah and the federal government. The lawsuit challenges the federal governments permanent control of 18.5 million acres of unappropriated public lands in Utah on constitutional grounds. These unappropriated lands, which the federal government controls without a congressionally defined purpose, serve no enumerated power, Reyes argued, and thus must fall under state authority, according to the 10th Amendment.

Nothing in the text of the Constitution authorizes such an inequitable practice or relationship. In fact, the Framers of the Constitution carefully limited federal power to hold land within states, Reyes said. But current federal land policy violates state sovereignty and offends the most fundamental notions of federalism.

The lawsuit will not impact the 18.8 million acres of federal and tribal lands that include national parks, national monuments, national forests and national wilderness areas. Nearly 70% of Utah is public land managed by federal agencies. Recent new rules by the Bureau of Land Management have heightened concern among some Utahns over the federal governments tendency to restrict the multiple-use status of public lands traditionally used for livestock grazing, energy production, mining and outdoor recreation.

Cox listed a series of policies enacted under recent presidential administrations that have led to road closures, decreased access, preventable wildfires and worsening environmental care in public lands across the state. These examples of executive agency overreach and negligence show why Utah must act now to better preserve its natural resources under state control, Cox said, explaining the state had already exhausted all other means of reconciling their problems with the federal government.

Weve been asking for 50 years, Cox said. And not only are they not willing to negotiate or help on this at all, its the exact opposite. Its not only No, but, Hell no, and were going to close more of your roads and make it harder.

Gov. Spencer J. Cox speaks during a press conference to announce state action for Utah public lands at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

How much will Utahs public lands lawsuit cost?

Utah is currently alone in its lawsuit against the federal government. Cox said he suspects there will be other states in the West that are very interested in what were doing. If the lawsuit is successful, the lands in question would remain public but would be managed by a new state land management department, which already exists in state code, according to Redge Johnson, the director of Utahs Public Lands Policy and Coordinating Office. This department would take over leasing on public lands from federal agencies and would likely hire many of these agencies former employees, Johnson said.

Reyes, who said much of his work as attorney general has built up to this lawsuit, will complete his decade-long tenure in January. His likely successor, GOP nominee for attorney general Derek Brown, said the lawsuit absolutely has his 100% support. Brown, a former state lawmaker and state GOP chairman, said he was in the Legislature in 2010 when lawmakers were first talking about drafting this kind of lawsuit. And I will continue to work ferociously to make sure that this case moves in the direction that we hope it does, Brown said.

Utah has hired former U.S. solicitor general Paul Clement and leading Supreme Court advocate Erin Murphy to argue the case. State lawmakers voted in 2015 to draft a a broader lawsuit against the federal government with the goal of eventually transferring public federal lands into state ownership. The estimated legal fees amounted to $14 million. While this final version of the lawsuit is narrower in scope  and more likely to be victorious, according to Cox  the cost to taxpayers will likely be roughly the same, he said.

But, Cox said, No matter what side youre on, its better for the state to finally get that answer.

Utahs long fight against the federal government

Environmental activist groups in the state quickly voiced their disapproval of the lawsuit. The Center for Western Priorities, a conservation advocacy organization, said the lawsuit complicated an already decided issue because public lands are under the exclusive purview of Congress.

Gov. Cox and the state legislature need to make a U-turn before they waste millions of taxpayer dollars enriching out-of-state lawyers on this pointless lawsuit, said the organizations deputy director, Aaron Weiss. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance took a similar tone, with legal director Steve Bloch saying the lawsuit establishes Utah as the most anti-public lands state in the country. The Wilderness Society called it a brazen and undemocratic attempt to force the handover of millions of acres of Americans public lands to the state  and ultimately to private companies planning to develop them.

Cox and Reyes repeatedly stated that if successful, the lawsuit would not lead to public land being privatized.

Utah has had a long struggle with the federal government, frequently at odds over issues that include sage grouse management plans, wildfire fighting strategies in forested areas next to key waterways and monument designations that county, state and congressional leaders have long complained are too large and represent federal overreach.

Even something as simple as access to long established roadways in the backcountry have stoked the ire of state and local officials, sparking multiple lawsuits as the two entities fight for control.

Most recently, Washington County officials filed a notice of intent to sue over what they say is a much needed transportation corridor to meet the needs of their growing population. The project, however, has been fraught with federal delays over concerns stemming from the Mohave desert tortoise.

Contributing: Amy Joi ODonoghue

Cattle graze on public lands, some of which is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, in Tooele County on Friday, April 19, 2024. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

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CHICAGO  Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin will address the Democratic National Convention Thursday evening, according to her campaign.

The Madison Democrat, in a closely watched reelection race, plans to deliver remarks from the convention stage at the United Center in the "early evening," a campaign spokesman told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Her campaign Tuesday morning did not share details of her speech, and it was not clear at what time she planned to address the convention.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson plans to address delegates from the United Center on Wednesday. He told the Journal Sentinel he will speak alongside another mayor that day.

Baldwin faces Republican banking executive Eric Hovde in November. She enters the convention riding the wave of Democratic enthusiasm after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and Vice President Kamala Harris became the new Democratic presidential nominee.

She had avoided avoided appearing with Biden and dodged questions about the presidents viability as Democrats called on him to step aside and enthusiasm waned. But she's since embraced Harris and called Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, new beginning for our party and our country."

Harris will address the convention Thursday night.

Frankly, having Kamala and Tim at the top of the ticket  young people are enthusiastic, communities of color are enthusiastic, Baldwin recently told the Journal Sentinel this month. All the folks that people were worried might stay home, I think, are re-engaged and back in the fold.

Baldwin's speech puts another spotlight on Wisconsin, which has been the center of attention in the early stages of the convention.

Harris and Walz will rally supporters in Fiserv Forum later Tuesday for an event the campaign has billed as a rally and watch party wrapped into one.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tammy Baldwin to address DNC Thursday night
Virginia State Police is investigating a fatal two-vehicle crash that occurred Sunday evening on U.S. 29 southbound, at the intersection with Tye Brook Highway in Nelson County.

A 2001 GMC Sierra was heading southbound at about 7 p.m. when it was unable to avoid striking a 2019 Ram 1500, which had entered the intersection, a news release from Virginia State Police said. The Ram 1500 then struck two road signs and came to a rest in the median, where it caught fire, police said.

The driver of the Ram, Avis W. Armentrout, Jr., 75, of Roseland, died at the scene. He was not wearing a seatbelt.

A passenger in the Ram, Martha J. Armentrout, 74, suffered serious injuries. Armentrout was taken to an area hospital. Armentrout was not wearing a seatbelt, the release said.

The driver of the Sierra, a 16-year-old girl from Nelson County, suffered serious injuries and was taken to an area hospital, police said. She was wearing a seatbelt, according to the release.

The crash remains under investigation.
TOKYO, Aug 20 (News On Japan) - With scorching temperatures continuing to grip Japan, some companies are taking bold steps to protect their employees by allowing remote work on days deemed too hot to safely commute.

One such company is Trinity, a smartphone product development and sales firm based in Niiza City, Saitama Prefecture. With around 20 employees, Trinity has introduced a new policy in response to the heat. According to Vice President Yohei Yamamoto, the company has decided to recommend remote work on days when the temperature exceeds a certain threshold to prevent heatstroke among its employees.

Weve discussed this internally and decided to implement a system where remote work is recommended when temperatures rise to a level that poses a risk of heatstroke, said Yamamoto.

The initiative was spurred by Yamamoto's personal experience. "One morning, I saw an elderly woman collapse from heatstroke in front of our office. A few days later, one of our employees had to take time off due to heatstroke as well," he recounted.

Trinity now bases its remote work recommendations on the "Heat Index," a measure used by the Ministry of the Environment. When the index reaches or exceeds 33, which triggers a heatstroke alert, the company encourages its staff to work from home.

This move has not only helped protect employees' health but has also led to increased efficiency in the workplace. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, last year saw 1,106 cases of heatstroke at workplaces, resulting in either death or the need for more than four days off, marking an increase of over 30% from the previous year.

Employees at Trinity have expressed their gratitude for the new policy. "Im really thankful for this system. As an employee, I feel its something we should have," one employee said. Another added, "Im full of gratitude. Although I dont feel the heat much while commuting, waiting for trains or transferring between lines, the heat hits suddenly and can make me feel unwell."

Yamamoto emphasized the importance of recognizing heat as a potential disaster, similar to other natural calamities. "Its becoming increasingly clear that we need to treat heatstroke as a type of disaster that requires proactive measures," he said.

In the end, the policy has not only safeguarded employees' health but also enhanced productivity by allowing work to begin in optimal conditions.

Source: ANN
OSAKA, Aug 20 (News On Japan) - Three teenagers aged 16 to 19 have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a brutal assault on a 22-year-old man in a park in Toyonaka City, Osaka, which left the victim in critical condition.

The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. on August 18th, when the victim, a resident of Kyoto, was found lying in the park at Shonai-Saiwai-cho, Toyonaka City, bleeding from his mouth and unconscious. He was immediately transported to a hospital, where he remains in a coma.

According to the police, multiple witnesses reported seeing a group of men and women assaulting the victim before fleeing the scene. Following an investigation, police arrested three teenagers on charges of attempted murder.

The victim and the suspects are believed to have met at a gathering spot in Osakas Minami district, commonly known as Gurishita, a location frequented by young people.

Authorities are continuing their investigation, suspecting that additional individuals were involved in the attack.

Source: FNN
TOKYO, Aug 20 (News On Japan) - As the latter half of summer approaches, it's crucial to be mindful of dangerous marine creatures while enjoying beach activities. A clear, transparent object washed ashore could be lethal if touched, making vigilance essential.

Venomous Spines & Tentacles: Common in Shallow Waters

Many people flock to the seaside to enjoy summer, but they must be cautious of dangerous marine creatures that can attack humans.

Takeshi Yamamoto, a jellyfish expert at Enoshima Aquarium, warns of creatures like the stingray, catfish, and box jellyfish.

The stingray has sharp, hard spines that can pierce through even rubber boots, causing a drop in blood pressure and breathing difficulties if stung. They often hide in shallow sandy areas, camouflaging with the sand, leading to accidental stings.

Other threats include the box jellyfish, with its venomous tentacles, and the catfish, which has venomous spines on its dorsal fin, both of which cause intense pain if stung.

Among the most frequent dangers in shallow waters is the Portuguese man-of-war.

Yamamoto highlights the Portuguese man-of-war, with its cool blue and transparent body. This venomous jellyfish has a float of about 10 centimeters and tentacles that can extend nearly 10 meters.

Known as the "electric jellyfish" due to the intense, electric shock-like pain it inflicts, the Portuguese man-of-wars sting can cause swelling, nausea, and in severe cases, death from anaphylactic shock.

People who have been stung describe the experience as "a constant, needle-like pain following an electric shock. It was excruciating."

If Stung Rinse Tentacles with Seawater

This summer, social media has been abuzz with information about Portuguese man-of-war sightings. Our team investigated a beach in Kanagawa Prefecture, where such posts were reported.

Kenji Hashimoto of the Kanagawa Beach Clean Foundation pointed out a dried-up Portuguese man-of-war, which could easily be mistaken for trash. Despite appearing dead, its tentacles still contain venom, making it dangerous to touch.

From this distance, its impossible to identify it as a Portuguese man-of-war, said Hashimoto, noting that these small creatures often blend in with debris, posing a hidden threat to beachgoers.

If stung by a Portuguese man-of-war, its crucial to rinse the tentacles with seawater.

"Using freshwater or vinegar could worsen the situation," Hashimoto advises. Freshwater can trigger the remaining venomous spines, causing them to fire again.

AI-Powered Portuguese Man-of-War Alerts: A High Schoolers Innovation

In response to the growing threat of Portuguese man-of-war, a high school student has developed an AI that predicts their presence on beaches.

The account, aptly named Jellyfish Alert, warns followers of potential Portuguese man-of-war landings from August 16 to 17. This innovative system was created by 18-year-old high school senior Shuto Obata.

Obata, who has long been interested in AI and digital technology, began developing the system two years ago after seeing news reports of Portuguese man-of-war washing up in large numbers on beaches in Zushi and Kamakura.

Realizing the severity of the stings, Obata sought to reduce the number of victims by creating this system. The AI uses wind data from the Japan Meteorological Agency and ocean current data from JAXA to predict where Portuguese man-of-war might wash ashore. The results are then posted on social media.

Obata expressed his hopes for the future: "I want to enhance the accuracy of the predictions and detection capabilities, so I can help reduce the number of people stung by the Portuguese man-of-war."

Source: ANN
FUKUI, Aug 21 (News On Japan) - A summer beach outing turned into a scene of chaos as a dolphin attacked a child, leaving beachgoers in shock and panic.

The incident occurred on the morning of the 20th at a beach in Fukui Prefecture, where a camera captured the harrowing moments. The footage shows a child in a yellow life jacket struggling desperately to escape from something. Nearby, a dorsal fin can be seen cutting through the waterit was a wild dolphin attacking the child.

A man, upon witnessing the attack, approached the dolphin in an attempt to rescue the child. The situation quickly escalated as other beachgoers rushed to safety on a nearby floating island. The video recorded the tense moments as people on the shore shouted in concern, with voices calling out, "Protect them! Are they okay? Here it comes!" and "Someone's fallen off!"

The person who filmed the event described the scene: "Just minutes before, I was swimming, but something made me come ashore. When I looked back, there was already a dolphin there, in such shallow water that even adults could stand. The childs hands were bitten, and when they came out of the water, they were covered in blood."

Due to the dolphin's appearance, swimming at the beach was immediately prohibited. According to the Japan Coast Guard, a man in his 50s who had tried to help the child was injured during the rescue.

The attack took place at Mizushima Beach in Tsuruga City. Just the day before, another incident occurred at the same beach where a woman in her 40s was bitten on the right hand by a dolphin, resulting in minor injuries.

Fukui Prefecture has seen a series of similar incidents involving wild dolphins around the Tsuruga Peninsula. To date, 17 cases of injuries caused by wild dolphins have been confirmed.

The unexpected dolphin attack during the height of summer vacation has left beachgoers shaken. The person who captured the incident remarked, "It's disappointing when injuries occur. The child said, 'I always thought dolphins were cute and gentle, but now I'm scared.'"

The Japan Coast Guard is urging the public to immediately leave the water and stay away if they spot a dolphin.

Source: FNN
TOKYO, Aug 21 (News On Japan) - Shinjiro Koizumi, former Minister of the Environment, has indicated his intention to run in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election, set to take place on September 27.

After meeting with Prime Minister Kishida on August 19th, Koizumi refrained from commenting directly on his plans, stating, Since we are at the Prime Minister's Office, it is not appropriate to discuss the presidential election here. I will refrain from commenting.

At 43 years old, and with five terms in office, Koizumi is seen as a strong contender for the role of Prime Minister, often ranking second in public opinion polls, just behind former LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba.

According to lawmakers who have spoken with Koizumi, he expressed his desire to promote policies, including constitutional reform, during the campaign.

Should Koizumi officially announce his candidacy, it is expected that he will gain support from younger and mid-level LDP members who are unaffiliated with any faction. Additionally, former Prime Minister Suga, who has garnered backing from such members, is also seen as a potential supporter.

On the evening of August 20th, former Prime Minister Suga dined with LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi, a potential successor to Prime Minister Kishida, at a Chinese restaurant in Akasaka, Tokyo.

Earlier, on August 14th, when Prime Minister Kishida announced he would not seek re-election, Motegi invited Aso faction leader and LDP Vice President Taro Aso to a steakhouse, where he conveyed his desire to run for the presidency. However, Aso responded that it would be difficult to secure unified support from his faction.

Motegi, who met with former Prime Minister Suga on the night of the 20th, has connections with the Abe and Nikai factions through former Cabinet ministers Koichi Hagiuda, Katsunobu Kato, and Ryota Takeda, collectively known as 'HKT'.

Following their meeting, Motegi commented, We had a very productive discussion about Japan's future.

Meanwhile, Digital Minister Taro Kono attended a national policy report meeting organized by LDP lawmakers in Tokyo around the same time.

As he introduced himself, Kono remarked, Im Taro Kono. With so many cameras here, it feels like the presidential election has already begun.

Kono has already received the approval of his faction leader, Taro Aso, to run and is finalizing plans to hold a press conference announcing his candidacy on August 26th.

With multiple candidates emerging, the LDP presidential election is shaping up to be a crowded race. LDP supporters have shared their views on the developing situation:

One supporter said, I think its interesting. There are so many candidates, more than a dozen. Its good to see young people stepping up.

Another commented, If the factions continue to dominate the presidential election, nothing will change. Only by holding a free and open election can we truly say things have changed.

Source: ANN
OSAKA, Aug 21 (News On Japan) - Dojima Commodity Exchange officially launched the trading of the "Dojima Rice Average" index futures, which track the price movements of rice, starting on the 20th. A listing ceremony was held in Osaka to mark the occasion.

President Ariga of the Dojima Exchange expressed confidence in the product, stating, "The product is designed to prevent the adverse effects of sharp price increases and decreases. We aim to grow this product significantly and position it on the global stage."

Source: BIZ
By Udeme Akpan, Energy Editor

 Posts N3.3trn net profit, declares N2.1trn dividend

President Bola Tinubu has approved Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd. request to use its 2023 final dividend to fund petrol subsidy.

Checks by Vanguard, yesterday, also indicated the President has also granted an approval for the suspension of the payment of 2024 interim dividends as part of measures targeted at enhancing the cash flow of the organization.

According to NNPC, the cumulative petrol subsidy bill from August 2023 was expected to hit N6.884 trillion by December 2024, thus requiring the government support.

Meanwhile, NNPC, yesterday, released its 2023 Audited Financial Statement (AFS), declaring a net profit of N3.297 trillion at the close of the financial year which ended in December 2023, indicating an increase of 28 per cent (over N700 billion) when compared to the N2.548 trillion recorded in 2022.

However, in a world press conference held at the NNPC Towers in Abuja, the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, Mr. Umar Ajiya said the release of the AFS is a testament to the Companys commitment to transparency and accountability.

He said: Our fiscal performance reflects both strategic foresight and operational resilience. Despite inherent challenges of our operational and economic environment, we have improved the productivity and the financial performance of this great company.

Ajiya said that posting such impressive returns demonstrates NNPC Ltds commitment to sustaining profitability and supporting the attainment of national energy security as stipulated by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, and by extension, as expected by the Companys shareholders.

Explaining that the NNPC Ltd will announce Initial Public offer (IPO) once the shareholders and Board make a decision, Ajiya also debunked claims on subsidy payment, saying the Company was only taking care of PMS importation shortfall between it and the Federation.

Similarly, the Chairman of the NNPC Ltd Board, Chief Pius Akinyelure said that the excellent performance came as the fruit of the PIA 2021, the commitment of the Board, Management and staff of the company.

Akinyelure added that the shareholders of the company have since approved a final dividend of N2.1trn in line with PIA 2021 provisions.

On her part, the Executive Vice President, Upstream, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan said with improvements witnessed as a result of the renewed vigour in the war against crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism, NNPC Ltd is targeting 2 million barrels per day crude oil production by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, checks by Vanguard could not confirm the total amount of dividends to be withheld by the Company to enable it fund the petrol subsidy as Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd., Olufemi Soneye, could not be reached for comments, yesterday.

But based on its 2023 Audited Financial Statement (AFS), the Company declared N2.1 trillion dividend at the close of the financial year which ended in December 2023.

However, NNPC informed President Tinubu in June 2024 that the subsidy payments were becoming unbearable, calling for urgent intervention.

The NNPC Ltd. also pointed out that some factors, including foreign exchange pressure have worsened the financial condition of the organization, making it difficult to sustain petrol importation.
By Biola Azeez

Kwara State Police Command has commenced investigations into the killing of one Miss Awesu Mojisola, a 21-year-old student of Kwara State College of Health Technology, Offa, by suspected ritualists.

Nigerian Online gathered that the corpse of the deceased, who had been declared missing since August 9, was found in the Aleniboro area of Ilorin by one Mr. Olorunoje on August 12, at about 07:30 am.

It was gathered that the deceased had received a phone call from one Miss Timileyin on August 9, 2024, about an event organized by students of Summit University, Offa and Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin.

Also, it was gathered that Miss Timileyin had introduced the late Mojisola to one Mr Adebayo Happiness, a student of Summit University, who allegedly invited her to the night party under the pretence of having her act as his girlfriend for a fee of N15,000.00.

This medium also gathered that the late Mojisola had informed her roommate, one Miss Blessing O, that she felt uncomfortable in the hotel where she was lodged by Adebayo Happiness and noted that there was no party at the said location and shortly after this communication her phone was switched off and all subsequent efforts by Miss Blessing to reach her were unsuccessful.

In a statement by the commands Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, she said that suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing of Mojisola, adding that the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further discreet investigation.

The police statement reads: The Kwara State Police Command wishes to inform the public about an ongoing investigation into a case of culpable homicide reported on August 12, 2024, at about 0730 hours by Mr Olorunoje of Aleniboro area Ilorin, Kwara State.

According to Mr Olorunoje, on August 11, 2024, at about 20:00 hours, he was returning home from the mosque when a group of labourers approached him and informed him of a disturbing discovery. They had found the body of an unidentified female, approximately 25 years old, dumped on a refuse dump near the Aleniboro area of Ilorin, Kwara State.

Following this report, a team of detectives was immediately dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival, the scene was carefully examined and photographed. During the initial investigation, traces of blood were found near the left ear of the deceased. The body was subsequently taken to the General Hospital in Ilorin, where a medical examination confirmed that she was dead. The body has since been deposited in the hospital morgue. The deceased was later identified as Miss Awesu Mojisola.

In a related development, on August 13, 2024, at about 16:30 hours, a report of a missing person was filed by Miss Blessing O, a resident of Gbomis area, Offa, Kwara State. Miss Blessing reported that her roommate, Miss Awesu Mojisola, a 21-year-old student of Kwara State College of Health Technology, had been missing since August 9, 2024.

According to the report, Miss Mojisola received a phone call on August 9 from Miss Timileyin, who informed her about an event organized by students of Summit University and Al-Hikmah University in Ilorin. Miss Timileyin introduced Mojisola to one Mr Adebayo Happiness, a student of Summit University, who allegedly invited her to the night party under the pretence of having her act as his girlfriend for a fee of N15,000.00.

Upon her arrival in Ilorin, Miss Mojisola informed her roommate that she felt uncomfortable in the hotel where she was lodged by Adebayo Happiness and noted that there was no party at the said location. Shortly after this communication, her phone was switched off and all subsequent efforts by Miss Blessing to reach her were unsuccessful.

In light of these developments, the Kwara State Police Command have arrested suspects in connection with the case. Investigation is ongoing, and the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further discreet investigation.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Victor Olaiya, assured the public that all necessary steps are being taken to uncover the truth behind this incident and bring those responsible to justice.
By Seun Opejobi

A former Minister of Information and Niger Delta leader, Chief Edwin Clark has vowed that he will never allow the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, to destroy Rivers State.

Clark accused Wike of using his relationship with President Bola Tinubu to intimidate Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State.

Addressing journalists at his residence in Abuja, the elder statesman also urged the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Iliya Damagun, to expel Wike if he wants the party to survive.

Stressing that he was already a politician before Wike was born, Clark informed Damagun that if the party does not stop the minister, the matter would consume him, Wike and their cohorts.

He alleged that having failed to use the APC to disrupt the PDP, Wike is now using the party against itself.

According to Clark, Wike is now dancing naked with the All Progressives Congress, APC.

After conceding that former Rivers State governor, Peter Odili and his wife made him what he is today and will forever remain grateful to them, he is now abusing them. I wont allow him to destroy Rivers State, Clark said.

Wike and Fubara have been at each others neck shortly after the latter assumed office as governor of Rivers State.
Norfolkans will soon be going to the polls to elect our new mayor. It is my opinion that we have a choice of one person who finds Solutions for Growth and another person who does not.
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This photo taken on Aug. 12, 2023 shows an exhibit at Erlitou Site Museum of the Xia Capital in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province. Museums in Henan Province have witnessed a large amount of visitors since the beginning of summer vacation this year. (Xinhua/Lu Peng)

As the summer vacation nears its end, the fervor of visitors flocking to museums shows no signs of waning despite the scorching heat. With the growing popularity of cultural artifacts, museums have transformed into vital hubs for individuals seeking enriching cultural experiences and educational leisure.



Currently, museums across Central China's Henan province are witnessing a peak in educational and family tours. Many museums have extended their operating hours into the evening, streamlined reservation procedures, and organized special events to enhance visitors' overall experience.

At the Luoyang Museum of Ancient Tombs, visitors can explore the significant archaeological findings and delve into the cultural significance embedded within the architecture, murals, sculptures, utensils, decorations, and inscriptions found in diverse tombs spanning different historical periods.

Through a variety of exhibition techniques, the museum constructs a temporal and spatial bridge, enabling visitors to immerse themselves in ancient tomb culture and the ancient Chinese perspective on life and death, fostering a deep understanding of the concept of "treating death as a part of life."

The Erlitou Site Museum of the Xia Capital leverages its rich historical and cultural resources to develop over 30 tailored educational programs for children of varying ages. These programs cover a wide array of topics, including the Erlitou culture, the Xia Dynasty's history, archaeological excavations, the essence of Yellow River culture, and intangible heritage experiences.

Shi Muyang, the museum's deputy director of research and education, highlights the growing popularity of these educational programs. By August of this year, reservations for these programs have surpassed 160 sessions, marking a substantial increase of over 40 classes compared to the total number in 2023.

At the Yangshaocun site in Mianchi county of Sanmenxia city, visitors can participate in a variety of activities such as pottery-making, vibrant paintings, and rubbings, immersing themselves in the millennia-spanning Yangshao culture.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Luoyang Museum welcomed a total of 323,600 visitors from July 1 to 31 alone, marking an increase of 30,000 compared to the same period last year.
Kenya prepares to re-introduce an amended version of the eco-levy tax that has been at the heart of popular discontent that plunged the country into violent protests this summer.

Treasury Secretary John Mbadi told local media that about 49 measures were being considered as part of a tax amendment bill.

Some of the scrapped taxes will have to be re-imposed, he said, because the government needed to pay for expenditure including wages for teachers.

In June, Kenyan President William Ruto withdrew a controversial finance bill that had sparked violent protests and a deadly government crackdown that saw nearly 40 people killed in clashes with authorities.

However, by reinstating unpopular taxes, the government plans to raise about $1.2 billion by reinstating some unpopular taxes.

These include the reintroduction of an eco levy on goods such as electronic items as well as plastic packaging, that the government says is aimed at reducing waste.
Senegals new government is taking a bold step to reassess its oil and gas contracts. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has announced the formation of a special commission tasked with reviewing these agreements. This group, made up of legal, tax, and energy experts, will scrutinize existing contracts with the aim of rebalancing them in favor of Senegals national interests.

This move follows President Bassirou Diomaye Fayes recent election victory and his pledge to audit the countrys oil, gas, and mining sectors. The government is keeping its promise to the Senegalese people to re-examine these agreements and potentially renegotiate terms with foreign operators.

The timing is significant, as Senegal has just entered the ranks of oil-producing nations. The countrys first oil field, Sangomar, began production recently, marking a new era for Senegals economy. Additionally, gas production is set to commence by years end at another major project.

While details about the audit process and any potential renegotiations remain under wraps, the governments commitment to this review is clear. The commission will have ample resources at its disposal, including the ability to bring in international experts if needed.

This move reflects a growing trend among resource-rich African nations to ensure theyre getting fair deals from their natural resources. As Senegal steps into its role as an oil and gas producer, the government is clearly determined to maximize the benefits for its citizens, potentially reshaping the countrys economic future.
European health authorities have advised EU countries to issue travel warnings for regions in Africa witnessing an outbreak of the fast-spreading mpox virus and advised people traveling to these areas to get vaccinated.

Following the detection of a new mpox variant in Sweden, the first case of this strain outside Africa, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has warned that Europe will likely see more imported cases due to the virus outbreak in several African nations. The ECDS expressed concern especially over the worsening situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring countries, where the number of cases is likely underestimated. The health body has therefore increased its risk level assessment from low to moderate accordingly.

However, the ECDC considers the risk of ongoing transmission within Europe low, provided the local health authorities quickly identify and control the imported cases. Europeans traveling to epidemic areas affected by the recent mpox outbreak in Africa have also been urged to consult their healthcare provider or travel health clinic regarding eligibility for vaccination against mpox.

More than 17,000 mpox cases and at least 571 deaths have been confirmed in Africa this year alone. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the new strain, named Clade 1, which is spreading through physical contact, has been identified in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda  all countries that have never reported cases of mpox before.
Libyas central bank has resumed normal operation after it was forced to suspend activities due to a kidnapping of one of its senior officials.

Head of the banks information technology department, Musaab Muslamm was abducted on Sunday by an unidentified party, in Tripoli, while other bank employees received threats of similar kidnappings.

The Bank resumed operations after the release of Muslamm and called for an end to these practices and blamed unlawful parties that threaten the safety of its employees and the continuity of the banking sectors work.

Sundays abduction came a week after armed men laid siege to the central banks headquarters in Tripoli. Local media said this was an attempt to force the resignation of the banks governor, Seddik al-Kabir.

The central bank, which is independent but owned by the Libyan state, is the only internationally recognised depository for Libyan oil revenues  a vital economic income for a country torn for years between two rival governments in Tripoli and Benghazi.
Morocco is commemorating this Tuesday August 20 the 71st anniversary of Revolution of the King and the People, an epic in the history of Morocco and a decisive step towards the recovery of the Kingdoms independence.

This historic event serves, if need be, as a reminder of the Moroccan peoples unwavering determination to defend their countrys sovereignty and their unshakeable attachment to the Throne.

On August 20, 1953, the French colonial authorities forced the legitimate Sultan Mohammed V, as well as the Royal Family, to go into exile in Corsica and later in 1954 in Madagascar. Their scheme was to establish Ben Arafa as a puppet ruler and crack down on national resistance.

But it was without counting the staunch attachment of the people to the throne. Actually, as soon as the news about the ousting of the Sovereign was out, thousands of Moroccans took to the street across the country to voice their anger at the colonialists and rejection of their move against their king, the symbol of their unity.

Colonial authorities were expecting Moroccans to accept the fait accompli, but they were mistaken. On the contrary, their move boosted the mobilization of all the components of the Moroccan society, fanned their revolt, and galvanized their anticolonial actions.

Nationwide uprisings, strikes, and demonstrations heralded the beginning of national resistance that ultimately freed Morocco from the colonial yoke, the colonizers having realized that nothing can break the strong links binding the Moroccans and their king.

The Moroccan peoples resilience and unity ultimately prevailed.

On November 16, 1955, the fair and legitimate claims of both the people and the King were fulfilled with the triumphant return of the Sultan to his country and a year later, independence was proclaimed. This victory strengthened the monarchys role in the countrys development and launched the great project to build a new and modern Morocco.

This momentous moment in the history of the Kingdom, whose teachings continue to be relayed to the new generations, testifies to the patriotism of Moroccans and the strong links between the throne and the people, links that have always served as a bulwark, driving back enemies of the Nation, and a leverage to meet the challenges and fulfil the aspirations of Moroccans.

These same noble values embodied in the defense of the Nation and the sense of sacrifice continue to drive the Kingdom resolutely towards modernity, democracy, and development.

The drive to build modern Morocco and increase its civilizational influence, as a country strongly attached to the values of peace, brotherhood, solidarity and tolerance, is carried on under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, 71 years after the epic of the Revolution of the King and the people.

And as the nation looks to the future, it remains committed to the principles of democracy, unity, and sustainable development, guided by the legacy of the Revolution of the King and the People.
Photo: Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Barack Obama listened with interest when Kamala Harris dropped by his office in Washington to make the case for her presidential candidacy and to ask for his advice. There was an endless stream of commentary comparing the two  both Black politicians with immigrant parents who reside ideologically in the partys center. He wasnt so sure about the parallels, but he was desperate to vanquish Donald Trump and hed made no secret of his belief that Harris could represent the future of the Democratic Party. By the time she walked out, Obama could clearly see her political promise, but thought she needed to figure out how exactly she would appeal to the vast swaths of voters whod never heard of her.

But that was 2019. What a difference five years makes.

Today, Obama is all in for Harris. The two have spoken multiple times in the weeks since Joe Biden decided to stand down, according to multiple Democrats briefed on the campaign and Obamas activities this summer. Sitting in Marthas Vineyard, hes fielded her calls about Bidens decision, her campaign messaging, and her running-mate options. (Obama didnt push for any particular candidate but emphasized to Harris the importance of finding a governing partner with whom she felt comfortable.) Obama, these people say, is so far impressed with Harriss blockbuster campaign start, though the always-cautious ex-president has warned political allies that her operation still has significant work to do before it can feel confident about beating Trump. To that end, Obama has been in touch with Harriss top advisers  a growing number of whom used to work for him  as they map out her strategy for the fall, offering help and input. On Tuesday, both Barack and Michelle Obama will give Harris their most prominent boost yet during a pair of Democratic National Convention appearances in Chicago that they hope will set a unifying tone for the final weeks of the campaign.

Both Obamas have spoken to friends about their appreciation of the fact that Harris was an early supporter. But though the two pols met occasionally through the years, their respective rises were hardly tied together and their relationship has hardly always been substantial.

Harris and Obama first met two decades ago, when she was the San Francisco district attorney and he was an Illinois state senator on the rise campaigning for a Senate seat. That meeting wasnt as memorable for Harris as when, four years later, she flew to frigid Iowa to knock on doors for Obamas presidential campaign. The pair stayed in occasional touch once Obama became president, and he raised money for her 2010 attorney-general race  and in 2013 had to apologize for calling her the best-looking attorney general in the country at a San Francisco fundraiser. Still, their political trajectories never quite met: When he asked if she wanted to be considered to replace Eric Holder as attorney general in 2015, she demurred with an upcoming Senate run, and her long-term future, in mind. Obama paid little attention to Harriss subsequent campaign, but he brought her name up multiple times when interviewers asked him who might represent Democrats future after Trump won in 2016.

Obama watched Harriss Senate work closely during his self-imposed exile from daily politics; although he briefly became interested in her 2020 campaign, the common pundit comparisons between the two struck him as superficial. (Their political messages, let alone policy emphases and campaign approaches, had little in common.) Still, he counseled Biden through his running-mate selection process and supported his choice of Harris despite her poor showing in the primaries.

They spoke only sporadically once Harris became VP, even though they shared many donors and influential fans, and their political inner orbits overlapped only slightly. A few of Harriss friends had gone to work for Obamas campaigns and administration through the years  they shared a pollster, David Binder  but most of her allies, donors, and consultants were based in California and his were from Chicago and Washington. So many plugged-in Democrats read her decision to hire a squad of Obama allies to run a revamped Biden campaign as a statement of intent that she would hew to Obamas political strategy more than ever before.

David Plouffe, Obamas 2008 campaign manager who remains close to the ex-president, was the most prominent hire. (Obama encouraged him to join.) But he was not alone. Stephanie Cutter, a former deputy campaign manager and strategist, and Mitch Stewart, an organizing operative who remained close to Obama after he left office, are also new to the team, as is former communications director Jennifer Palmieri, who is helping Harriss husband, Doug Emhoff. Other close Obama aides have risen in prominence since Harris ascended on the ticket: She has been relying on Adam Frankel, a former speechwriter, and brought Binder, the pollster, onto the campaign, too. Even before hiring her new team, Harris tapped Holder, a close Obama friend, to run the vetting process as she searched for a running mate. Obama has watched her hiring process closely, and he still speaks regularly with Jen OMalley Dillon, the campaign chair who had previously been one of his own political advisers, and has committed to cutting more videos for Harris.

What remains to be seen is how, exactly, Obamaism itself shapes Harriss appeal. She has already been much more active on the trail and focused on a vision for the future than Biden had been but has so far been light on a governing agenda or policy specifics. She and Obama are both treading carefully around the question of what it means to pivot aggressively to the future in her public messaging; Harriss quick embrace of the Obamans struck some clued-in Democrats as an implicit criticism of the current president or at least his political operation. Plouffe, for one, has not always seen eye-to-eye with top Biden advisers, and Biden has often privately blamed the ex-presidents advisers for encouraging Obama to push him out of the 2016 race. Biden remains frustrated by the way his defenestration played out, making it clear to friends that he is especially unamused about what he perceives to be Obamas role in it  whether that was actively discussing his ouster or simply declining to defend him more. (Obama was not orchestrating the push, but he did speak with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer as pressure mounted on Biden.)

Over and over, Obama has reminded those who ask that the race is likely to be close and that Democrats cannot afford to be stuck in rounds of internal fighting, not when there are just three months until Election Day. One person whos spoken with the former president about the election was matter-of-fact about Harriss campaign: In a sprint election, shes our horse.
Photo: Mark Peterson

Democrats gathered in Chicago for the opening night of their convention as unified and as energized as the party has been since they nominated Barack Obama 16 years ago. Gone was a feeling that they were fighting simply to keep Donald Trump out of the White House, replaced by a feeling that they were fighting for something.

And yet, there was also a sense of nostalgia among the thousands of delegates, many of whom were elected with a pledge to back Joe Biden and up until last month thought they were coming here to do just that.

When Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance onstage after 9 p.m., the United Center erupted at the site of the partys new savior, but she quickly acknowledged the man she replaced on the ticket.

I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden, Harris said. Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you continue to do; we are forever grateful to you, while the crowd, not for the first time on this night, chanted in response, Thank you, Joe!

I was disappointed and shocked when Biden stepped down, said Dan Farfaglia, a delegate from upstate New York, who was wearing a Biden 46 jersey and a Yes, we did hat. He had already gotten all the delegates that he needed to win the nomination.

Amid all of the coconut-flavored good feelings was an unmistakable feeling among some in the audience that had this been Bidens convention, the vibes would be just as strong, and Harriss polling bump could have been his.

Among Harris campaign officials, who, until a month ago, were mostly Biden campaign officials, it remains an article of faith that had Biden stayed in the race, he would have eventually won. (Never mind the disastrous debate performance, his unsteady follow-ups, and the party cracking up over his candidacy.) Biden is, they like to point out, the only politician who has defeated Trump, and by November the Democratic base voters who were unenthused about the prospect of a president serving until he was 86 would have ultimately come home, if only to stave off the threat of a second Trump term.

I absolutely think he would have won, said J.B. Pritzker, the governor of Illinois and the de facto host of this convention. I worked like heck to make sure he had the opportunity to do that, but I also honor the fact that he chose to sit this out.

Of course, said Representative Tom Suozzi of New York when asked if Biden could have won. There is no question that running on his record, and running on Trumps record, he had a good chance to win.

Do you know Allan Lichtman? asked Tom Daschle, the former Senate majority leader, referring to an American University history professor who achieved social-media notoriety earlier this year by publicizing a theory he developed in 1996 about what it takes to win the presidency. He has predicted correctly every election, right? And the day before President Biden announced he would not be a candidate, he indicated that Biden was very likely to win. I think it is a matter of how certain you are. Allan Lichtman says we probably would have won, but I think we take some of the uncertainty off the table.

When Biden finally came out to speak long after his scheduled time and after Americans on the East Coast at least had gone to bed, it provided one of the more electric moments of the night, as delegates chanted We love Joe for more than four minutes.

Our best days are not behind us, they are before us, Biden said in an energetic address in which he recounted his political and policy victories over the past four years. Democracy had prevailed. Democracy has delivered. And now democracy must be preserved!

This Joe Biden, one Democratic strategist said after the speech, is beating Donald Trump by 15.

Not everyone buys it.

He didnt stand a chance, said Dean Phillips, the Minnesota congressman who launched a quixotic run for the nomination against Biden that was designed to be little more than a stand-in campaign for voters to express dissatisfaction with Bidens age. Its not what I thought of his age, its what the American voters thought of his age, and they were saying what they thought loud and clear.

With additional reporting by Ben Jacobs.
New York governor Kathy Hochul leaves after a press conference to announce new subway-safety measures at NYCTA Rail Control Center on March 6, 2024, in New York City. Photo: Adam Gray/Getty Images

In June, Governor Kathy Hochul made the bombshell announcement that she had ordered the MTA to indefinitely pause New York Citys congestion-pricing program, just weeks before it was set to begin. The governor had once been a major proponent of the first-in-the-nation plan to charge fees to drivers traveling at or below 60th Street, but when she announced the pause, she cited concerns about the $15 toll being too much of a financial burden for everyday New Yorkers. This week, Hochul is indicating that a replacement plan could soon be on the horizon.

The New York Post reported on Sunday that Hochul is mulling significant changes to congestion pricing, including a lower toll and potentially adding new exemptions to the fee. A source told the outlet that the governor is considering excluding teachers, police officers, and firefighters who commute from paying the toll. In July, the New York Times reported that state lawmakers, who would have to sign off on a new plan, were pushing for Hochul to consider a lower toll.

And in an interview with Politico at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, the governor gave her first signal about a potential timeline for a new plan. We will be announcing this by the end of the year because the Legislature has to act on it, she said. Its more likely that itll be announced at the end of the year, early next year as we get the Legislature on board. But Im working with our leaders right now.

The governor made a point to say that the potential timeline for a replacement was unrelated to the November elections. Many have speculated that Hochuls decision to pause congestion pricing was rooted in concerns that Democratic candidates would be tied to the unpopular program by their Republican opponents, a claim she has denied. Its not related to elections, Hochul said. Were studying other options.

As Hochul works to put together a viable replacement for the congestion-pricing program, she still has to contend with the legal challenges to her decision. The City Club of New York is suing the governor, the MTA, and others, claiming that Hochuls move to pause the program violates the 2019 law that ordered its implementation. A second lawsuit, filed by Riders Alliance, the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, and the Sierra Club, are challenging Hochuls decision on the basis that it violates the state constitution that guarantees New Yorkers the right to clean air.

On Monday, amNewYork reported that Hochul has retained Boyd Johnson of the law firm WilmerHale to represent her in these matters. Johnson is currently one of the two lawyers representing Mayor Eric Adams as the federal government conducts an investigation into the finances of his 2021 campaign.
20 items in this article 20 items on sale! Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers

Ssenses giant summer sale is underway, and its designer-heavy home section is worthy of as much attention as the sites seemingly endless discounts on mens and womens fashion. Theres a ton of bold bedding from some of our favorite European brands like Tekla and Magniberg, if youre looking to refresh your sheets. Or, if you want a nice accent piece or two for your kitchen, you can find a bunch of dainty glasses and colorful flatware from the likes of Sophie Lou Jacobsen and Sabre, to name just a couple. It can be overwhelming to scroll through Ssenses impressive collection of items, so as the Strategists home writer, Ive done most of the work for you to bring you the best deals. Below, my finds for your kitchen, bedroom, bath, and more  many of which the Strategist team can personally vouch for. Ive grouped everything into categories for easier shopping.

Bedding and bath

Decor

Kitchen and dining

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Jools is using the money to help pay for her transition. watching her get emotional about all of it was very touching and made me so happy for her! I wish her the best tbh.

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Shes adorbs. Love that she kept it demure (respectful) when RuPaul asked to show where on Guierrmo (sp?).



How is she making money off of this? Is it guest appearances and sponsored posts? Just seems like such a quick turn around to make so much money. Same with the Hawk Tuah girl.



When the parodies first started popping up on my social media I thought it was a trad wife thing, oops!

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I think she's doing influencer stuff with brands :) The first one I saw with her in it was a Tiktok makeup video she did with Patrick Ta.

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Good for her! She obv knows how to do her makeup so that seems like a good collab.

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I did too! I was so pleasantly surprised to see it was not that at all.

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She is already part of TikTok's Creator Rewards Program so she earns $$$ on TikTok videos views which varies based on her RPM. She also scored some coins doing sponsored posts with Verizon, Lyft and Meta AI.

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I've been following Jools since like 2021. Seeing her all over makes sense with my fantasy because it is what she deserves.

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Love this for her!! I honestly love the phrasing and wish people realized it was said in jest! My take on it was that it was making fun of when women are told how to dress in terms of makeup and clothing.

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Thats exactly it and I do not understand how SO MANY people are missing that. Ive only seen her posts here and there before this, so I wasnt even familiar of her brand of comedy, but I immediately got it. Its not that hard!

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media and internet literacy has gotten so bad that simple memes drive people insane for no reason. it's so weird

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Heard that using the money shes gotten from the views(?) to fund her transition!!



/later sees OP mentioned this



/I dont believe in reading

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not reading the full posts... not very demure xoxo

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Not very mindful either

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Jools is a constant reminder that you just have to just go with doing content that feels real for you and if the Universe randomly feels mindful, you'll get the reward.  Coz I read somewhere in Tiktok comments that this is her second viral/trend content that sort of got wind over at the Toks?

Hope her transition goes smoofly~! 

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Never forget the bagussy bagel

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People are gonna kill this trend pretty quickly so she needs to make bank quick

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That already happen last week

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Cancelling the student debt of nearly 5 million Americans through various actions.



Very mindful.

Very demure. pic.twitter.com/Azg6dOHiro  The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 16, 2024 It dies once the straights get to it.

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Okay it's dead.

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good for her

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This is such a fun and cute thing to go viral for, and to get enough money for the transition because of it is amazing. So happy for her

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this made me smile <3

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I feel like going unexpectedly viral has had negative effects on a lot of people's lives, so it's great to see the positive version of it! Good for you, girl <3

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ngl never heard of her prior to the viral and im on tiktok a lot but its so fcking cool to be able to fund her transition because of it, id love to be able to have money that fast. i just want money for top surgery D; but im too scared of social media and being viral and being perceived ya know D;

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love this! also lol at the other upset girlies on tik tok claiming they were using demure before jools. like sure, but not in this way, selyna (I think is her name) was melting down for dayyyys

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I love when social media is used for good things.

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The dance drama Blue and White: Impression of China, produced and performed by artists of the China Oriental Performing Arts Group, was performed from Aug 16 to 18 at Beijing's Poly Theatre.

Inspired by the qingbai (blue and white) porcelain of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), which is known for its delicate beauty and characterized by its translucent glaze and intricate designs, the production features a combination of classical Chinese dance and contemporary movements. It tells a story about a young man from the Song Dynasty who travels from northern to southern China to learn the skills of making qingbai porcelain.

The dance drama pays tribute to the porcelain-making craftsmanship and shows reverence for tradition.

The creative team, including director-choreographer Yi Jie and composer Lyu Liang, made several trips to Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province where the qingbai porcelain has been widely produced. Amid the bustling workshops and ancient kilns, the artists delved into the techniques and traditions by visiting museums and speaking to artisans.

Following the Beijing stop, the dance drama will make tour stops in cities such as Hangzhou in Zhejiang province and Xi'an in Shaanxi province.
Selma Blair's antivax and zionist? Pick a struggle



Also Rebecca De Mornay and Emmanuelle Chriqui



Edited at 2024-08-20 09:50 pm (UTC)

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Shes also super racist (called the BLM movement a terrorist org) so shes shitty in every possible way

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don't forget islamophobe

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Rich, white women are so dangerous

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what an abhorrent attempt to slander a young woman living through a genocide.

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It's crazy that they doxed this young woman. I bet they tried hard to find something to discredit her



Edited at 2024-08-20 09:55 pm (UTC)

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"The letter, was signed by More than 150 entertainment industry leaders, including the likes of Debra Messing, Selma Blair, Sherry Lansing, Rick Rosen, Haim Saban, and Michael Rotenberg, among others.





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These bloodthirsty zionists will not be happy until every living Palestinian are dead. Fuck them all.

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I wish someone would bring out a 1-hour interview/documentary that premiered on A&E several years ago interviewing several leaders and people from Palestine and Israel and people from the intelligence service in the US.

Still, I will never forget how everything said from Israel's side was "We're going to get all our land back (?), and if we need to kill them all (Palestinians) we're going to do exactly that" I was in shock that they said this out loud and it was streamed on cable TV.



I never heard about this interview again and I feel like I had a fever dream.

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Disgusting excuses for humans, all of them. Solidarity with Bisan, and all Palestinians just trying to fucking survive. This genocide has really showed everyone's asses.

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Such a disgusting request especially coming from wealthy Hollywood people who have never had and will never have to deal with even a fraction of the suffering she has.

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this makes my blood boil



IMAGINE trying to silence the documentation of real human suffering while you sit surrounded by wealth and privilege, just making up lies

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do not come for bisan.



i am increasingly annoyed by the term "such-and-such has been designated a terrorist organization by the united states". worry first about the neo-nazis and christofascists you're breeding at home, america (as in, your entire military is high key a global terrorist organization and has been for centuries).



Edited at 2024-08-20 10:03 pm (UTC)

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Nelson Mandela was on the US terror watch list until 2008.

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and he only died like 5 years after that, not a long time to be not labeled a "terrorist".

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i worry about checking for bisan daily and her not being there. she is just...idk. strong. too strong (bc she shouldn't have ot be) and heroic and empathetic and so smart. i've learned nearly everything i know about the conflict from her insta and a few others. i was so so outraged. i have to listen to the board at mum's synagogue talking about being on the right side of history. how one of them went to see a documentary and skype speech or something with a soldier and how they're doing so well to protect the eople.............



i usually put on headphones and try to drown it out. it makes me furious. but we're sharing this studio and i have nowhere to go without her. i refuse to get into the argument with her bc she cannot see. it's really hard. i can't imagine mum would ever kick me out. but we're sharing 250sq ft and she knows my thoughts.....idk. it is hard. the disgust and fury i have at my religion and the people who support it.



if it weren't for people like bisan people like me wouldn't know the truth. well. i would bc i always have been pro P statehood no exceptions/rules. but.........i wish i could sit mum down and force her to watch. bisan is so important.

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ridiculous

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Here's the NATAS CEO President Adam Sharp's rejection letter to them from the link:



Thank you for your letter of August 19, 2024, concerning the nomination of Its Bisan From Gaza and Im Still Alive for a 2024 News & Documentary Emmy Award.



The News & Documentary Emmys have recognized excellence in television journalism for nearly half a century. The honored programs and reports have taken viewers to the front lines of every world conflict, probed political and cultural divides, and sought to illuminate even the darkest circumstances. Some of these works have been controversial, giving a platform to voices that certain viewers may find objectionable or even abhorrent. But all have been in the service of the journalistic mission to capture every facet of the story.



In every case, submissions to the News & Documentary Emmys are judged by experienced journalists from across multiple news organizations, serving in an independent, volunteer capacity. NATAS does not intervene in or countermand the judgment of these journalists except when competition rules have been violated, nor does NATAS determine the eligibility or ineligibility of news reporting based on the political views represented.



Its Bisan From Gaza and Im Still Alive was reviewed by two successive panels of independent judges, including senior editorial leadership from each significant U.S. broadcast news network. It was selected for nomination from among more than 50 submissions in one of the years most competitive categories.

The piece was also recognized for journalistic achievement by the Peabody Awards and the Edward R. Murrow Awards, each administered by processes and organizations wholly separate from and independent of NATAS and the News & Documentary Emmys.



NATAS is aware of reports, cited in your letter and initially surfaced by a communications consultant in the region, that appear to show a then-teenaged Bisan Owda speaking at various PFLP-associated events between six and nine years ago. NATAS has been unable to corroborate these reports, nor has it been able, to date, to surface any evidence of more contemporary or active involvement by Owda with the PFLP organization.



Most critically, the content submitted for award consideration was consistent with competition rules and NATAS policies. Accordingly, NATAS has found no grounds, to date, upon which to overturn the editorial judgment of the independent journalists who reviewed the material.



Thank you. I appreciate your courtesy in sharing our response with your cosigners.



Sincerely,

Adam Sharp, NATAS President & CEO



Edited at 2024-08-20 10:01 pm (UTC)

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I think this is a great reply. I think it also highlights that it was a competitive year for journalism, and I wish they had a mechanism to highlight the best categories of the year in some fashion.

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Thank you for posting it here. 

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imagine being so evil you're triggered by someone saying "it's bisan from gaza and i'm still alive."

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please tell me there's a full list so we can shame the absolute shit out of these zionists

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thank you for this! i only recognize a few names too

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Jonah Platt, Ben Platt's brother signed this list. Their dad Marc Platt tried getting Boots Riley fired from WME after Boots' told people to boycott a screening of IOF propaganda.

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Jennifer Jason Leigh is on the list btw, but hiding under her legal name, Jennifer Morrow, instead of her stage name that she's more commonly known by. she had no problem signing the previous petition under her stage name but is now trying to hide under her legal name? seems like the backlash got to her and i have to laugh knowing she was bothered by the reaction.



Edited at 2024-08-20 10:11 pm (UTC)

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sneaky sneaky

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Yeah I remember seeing that she specifically made an IG account to voice support for Israel.



Interesting she's using her real name for this. It's funny if she got surprised by backlash(?) because she's more of a 90s thing then a now thing. Like most people wouldn't know her immediately.

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yeah prior to the first petition she was pretty well liked on film twitter even though shes definitely more of a 90s thing, like her name would always come up in conversations about people who deserved more recognition, but after the first petition people were making memes about how noah baumbach was right to cheat on her lol. she must have been spooked by the 180 to now be signing new petitions under her less recognizable legal name but not spooked enough to stop signing petitions!!!

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Most people do know her. She is an iconic actress even if shes not currently topical.

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shit like this is so awful to me and shows incredibly clearly how aware she and others are that their views are hateful and wrong

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This shift could lead to significant job losses and decreased energy security for the UK, as it becomes more reliant on energy imports.

The UKs oil industry has had a tough few years. The future does not promise a change in a positive direction, either. It seems all hope for this has been lost, and some oil drillers are looking at other jurisdictions for their future survival.

This is certainly the case for Serica Energy, one of the biggest suppliers of oil and gas to the UK, operating fields in the North Sea. Once upon a time, the North Sea was one of the biggest oil- and gas-producing regions in the world.

Serica Energy chairman David Latin recently dropped what should have been a giant bomb for any government concerned with energy security. The UK is now fiscally more unstable than almost anywhere else on the planet, he said, as quoted by the Telegraph. That means we are looking for new places to invest our money. And Norway is a place where potentially we could recreate our business model.

The statement by Latin is nothing but a confirmation that a Labour government fixated on boosting the amount of wind and solar capacity in the country and funding this boost with oil and gas tax money is driving the industry away. Plans to further increase windfall profit taxes on the industry and the removal of a tax incentive that kept producers at home until the Keir Starmer government took over might prove the last nudge out the door.

There is also uncertainty about future energy policies that make North Sea oil and gas operators reluctant to invest in local production.

[Policy uncertainty] reduces our willingness to spend money to do things quickly because if we spend and the policy changes, then we have to start all over again, the chairman of one relatively small producer, Ping Petroleum, told the Financial Times this week. People are walking away from fields with significant reserves, Robert Fisher said.

As Sericas chairman suggests, those who are walking away from the British North Sea will probably find other places to invest their money. The British government, however, would be hard-placed to find another industry it could fleece that deeply and get away with it. And this is a big problem because Labour has promised a fast and ambitious transition to wind, solar, and hydrogen. And fast and ambitious costs more money than just one or the other.

The Financial Times reported that tax income from the oil and gas industry had reached close to 10 billion pounds last year, but the amount is set to drop off a cliff over the next five years to just above 2 billion pounds in 2028. This will not be enough to fund what the Labour government calls Great British Energythe state-owned transition vehicle for financing the transition.

If the government implements the kind of windfall taxes they are talking about, then you end up with a cliff edge in UK energy production because the industry will be taxed into uncompetitiveness, Stifel analyst Chris Wheaton told the Financial Times. That is going to cause a very dramatic decline in investment and therefore production and jobs, and a big hit to energy security.

In other words, if oil and gas producers currently operating in the British section of the North Sea want to ensure their long-term survival, theyd better look for opportunities abroad. For Serica, Norway is the no-brainer destination. If it doesnt work there, the company will look elsewhere, per its chairman. The important bit is that it will no longer supply oil and gas to the UK. And if others follow, there will be thousands of jobs lost, and the UK will, rather ironically, become even more dependent on energy imports.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com
Turkey has been able to make rapid inroads into Africa thanks in large part to the centralized leadership style of Erdogan

Two decades ago, China pioneered the so-called Angola model wherein it provided oil-backed loans from China to Angola and other African cuntries to finance the building of roads, hydroelectric dams, railways, and other infrastructural projects. Between 2000 and 2022, Angola borrowed $45 billion from China, repaying some of it in oil.

Unfortunately, that model did not last very long, with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace noting that Angola has slipped to the 8th largest crude supplier to China, down from second in 2010. Aging oilfields, years of underinvestment, poor infrastructure and geopolitical instability have been the bane of larger producers including Angola and Nigeria, but also smaller producers such as South Sudan.

China has moved on, and is pivoting heavily to countries with more reliable infrastructure including Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.

And now other countries are looking to step in and fill the gaping hole left by China and the Wests waning influence over the final frontier. Russias growing footprint on the continent has become evident over the past couple of years as many African governments have increasingly welcomed economic, diplomatic, and security ties with Russia at a time when the West considers it an international pariah following its war in Ukraine.

Not surprisingly, one of Russias closest allies in Europe is also finding a welcome home in Africa: Turkey. Looking to extend its influence in Africa and strengthen energy security, Turkey will send the 86-meter long research vessel Oruc Reis to explore offshore oil blocks belonging to Somalia next month, Bloomberg has reported. The move could help diversify Turkeys crude supply and is part of Ankaras steady quest to boost ties in the huge continent.

Africa is interesting for Turkey because its a point where it can experiment with all its newfound activist foreign policy tools and objectives, Batu Co?kun, an Ankara-based research fellow at the Libyan Sadeq Institute think tank, has told Bloomberg. Its soft power on the one hand, such as aid, education and Turkish language centers. And trade and economic relations on the other hand, he added.

Turkey has already established a strong presence in war-weary Somalia where it operates its largest overseas military base while Turkish companies manage the capitals port and airport. Turkish drone company Baykar has supplied Somalia with an unknown number of its TB2 drone model, expanding the countrys offensive against the Islamist group al-Shabaab. Earlier in the year, the Turkish parliament approved a motion from President Erdogan to send navy support to Somali waters amid an increase in piracy linked to insecurity in the Red Sea.

For Turkey, Somalia offers a geo-strategic location to advance its influence in the Horn of Africa and Indian Ocean arenas. The engagement with Somalia has served both a test case and a stepping stone for Turkeys overall strategy to deepen diplomatic, commercial and security ties across the African continent,Omar Mahmood, a senior analyst for East Africa for the International Crisis Group, has told Bloomberg.

According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, over the past decade, Turkey has provided Somalia with over $1B in aid. While that might not seem like much, consider that Somalia is one of the worlds poorest nations on the planet, with a GDP of just over $10B.

That said, Somalia is merely a launching pad for Turkey as it looks to spread its influence in the continent. Earlier in the year, a delegation led by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Niger and signed a host of deals after the nations military government ordered the U.S. to close its military base and kicked out French troops. Niger has just resumed oil exports after it reached an agreement with neighboring Benin following a recent border dispute. Niger stopped crude shipments in June after the West African nation closed a pipeline operated by China National Petroleum Corp. that links the Agadem oil field to the Seme Kpodji terminal in Benin.

Weve reached an agreement. Loading of crude started this morning, Benin Energy Minister Samou Adambi told reporters on Monday. With Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeines office confirming the resumption of shipments.

Niger relies on the 1,950 km-long Niger-Benin Export Pipeline, built by CNPC as part of a $4.6 billion investment in the countrys petroleum industry, to repay a $400 million oil-for-cash loan from the Chinese company. Niger plans to use revenue generated by oil shipments to repay the loan. The landmark 110,000 b/d Niger-Benin pipeline will increase Nigers crude production five-fold and make the country a significant exporter. Prior to the construction of the pipeline, landlocked Niger produced just 20,000 b/d of crude from its Agadem Rift Basin, which it primarily used domestically due to a lack of an export route.

Turkish mining company MTA is exploring for gold in Niger. Turkey has held talks with Algeria, the Ivory Coast and Zimbabwe in the past three months. Meanwhile, Afro Turk SA has made efforts to enter Burkina Fasos gold market while Turkish Airlines now flies to dozens of remote locations on the continent.

Turkey has been able to make rapid inroads into Africa thanks in large part to the centralized leadership style of Erdogan.

If Erdogan signs off on the deal it simply goes through. Its not like the US congress which scrutinizes every sale, Co?kun has told Bloomberg.



By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com
Donald Trump has pledged to reduce energy costs by half within his first year in office if elected.

GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump has promised to reduce energy costs by half by reversing current federal government policies in his first year in office if he gets elected.

Trump was speaking at an event at a defense manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania and said that if he enters the White House, during his first year he would remove future mandates for electric cars and cancel green energy policies, according to a report by UPI.

Trump went on to warn those in attendance that if Harris wins the presidential vote, energy costs would triple and quadruple, and the U.S. won't be producing a drop of oil. He also accused the Biden administration of a regulatory jihad to shut down power plants.

The Biden administration indeed has a very different energy policies agenda than Trump and Harris has indicated she would stay in the transition lane if she enters the White House as president.

Trump, on the other hand, has remained a staunch supporter of what he calls U.S. energy dominance, encouraging as much oil and gas production as possible to turn the country into a self-sufficient one in terms of energy and extend its international influence through energy exports.

Last month, in an interview with Bloomberg, Trump said that if he wins he would boost U.S. oil production, calling the commodity liquid gold.

We have more liquid gold than anybody, Trump told the publication, adding We need energy at low prices. The advantage we have all over almost every country including the very large ones is that we have more energy than anybody. We have more of the real energy, the energy that works, the former president vying for another term in office said.

Wind does not work. Its too expensive, said Trump, claiming that solar and wind farms are neither too good for the environment, nor too suitable to provide energy at low costs and prices.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) has become the worlds most sought-after emergency energy source following Russias invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. This is because it is readily available in the spot markets and can be moved quickly to anywhere required, unlike gas or oil sent through pipelines. Unlike pipelined energy as well, the movement of LNG does not require the build-out of a vast acreage of pipelines across varying terrains and the associated heavy infrastructure that supports it. Iran is still the Middle Easts largest gas producer, having tripled production over the past decade to around 1 billion cubic metres (bcm/d). It also holds the second-largest gas reserves on the planet after Russia, at about 34 trillion cubic metres (tcm). It is little wonder that the Islamic Republic has long planned to become a global LNG superpower through a variety of methods, including one that involves longstanding ally Oman.

Irans plan to use Oman in its LNG plans was part of the broader cooperation deal made between Oman and Iran in 2013, extended in scope in 2014, and fully ratified in August 2015, as analysed in depth in my new book on the new global oil market order. It was centred on the Sultanates importing at least 10 billion cubic metres of natural gas per year (bcm/y) from Iran for 25 years. The deal was to have begun in 2017, valued at roughly US$60 billion at that time. The target was then changed to 43 bcm/y to be imported for 15 years, and then finally altered to at least 28 bcm/y for a minimum period of 15 years.

Related: Traders Look for Bullish Cues Ahead of Crucial Fed Meeting

According to a statement at the signing of the 2014 deal from the then-managing director of the National Iranian Gas Export Company (NIGEC), Mehran Amir-Moeini, the Iranian company was already working on the different contract mechanisms for the key phases of the project. Specifically, the land section of the project would comprise around 200 kilometres of 56-inch pipeline (to be constructed in Iran), to run from Rudan to Mobarak Mount in the southern Hormozgan province. The sea section would include a 192-kilometre section of 36-inch pipeline along the bed of the Oman Sea at depths of up to 1,340 metres, from Iran to Sohar Port in Oman. In broad terms, this deal was intended to allow for the completely free movement of Iranian gas (and later oil) via Oman through the Gulf of Oman and out into the world oil and gas markets. The route was designed to allow Iran the same sanctions-free flows that it was operating via Iraq at that time, and to this day, as also detailed in my latest book. From Omans side, all the preliminary work related to seabed surveys, design of the pipeline and its accessories and the compressor stations was completed some time ago. The depth of the subsea pipeline had been increased in August 2016 due to the heightened political tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran resulting in a plan modified to avoid the territorial waters of the then-U.S. ally, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.).

Once the gas had made its way to Oman, the technicalities of Iran becoming an LNG producer were extremely straightforward. The original plan, according to Alireza Kameli, managing director of the National Iranian Gas Export Company (NIGEC), would have entailed Tehran utilising about 25 percent of Omans then-total 1.5 million tons per year LNG production capacity to produce Iranian LNG. This would then have been loaded on to the specialised LNG transport vessels for export to European and Asian markets, in return for commission payments to Oman. Overall, the Islamic Republics plan was to become the largest exporter of gas  including that in LNG and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) forms  to Europe and Western Asia, with a focus on China, South Korea and Pakistan.

Prior to the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, or colloquially the nuclear deal) in May 2018, there had been no shortage of international oil and gas firms companies looking to take part in the Iran-Oman pipeline. Frances Total, Germanys Uniper and E.ON, South Koreas KOGAS, Japans Mitsui, and Shell had all expressed serious interest in being involved, among others. Given the potentially sanctions-busting nature of the project, though, the U.S. included the Iran-Oman LNG project in its efforts to prevent Iran from meaningfully expanding its hydrocarbons export routes into the booming market of Asia. Before the dispute between Saudi and Qatar erupted again, Washingtons main alternative for Oman was that it increased its uptake of gas from Qatar, via the existing Dolphin Pipeline that runs from Qatar to Oman through the U.A.E., or in LNG form, but it refused. Omans desire to re-energise the plans for the Iran-Oman gas pipeline was fanned by the U.A.E.s demands for an increasingly large fee for allowing the transit of gas from Iran through its waters, again part of the U.S. strategy to persuade Oman to take its gas from Qatar.

With U.S. sanctions firmly back in place in 2018, though, Oman backed away from the plan, to be replaced by Russias Gazprom in Irans LNG program, which duly signed two memoranda of understanding with the NIOC concerning the rollout of a two-fold joint strategy regarding gas. The first part concerned a gas cooperation roadmap between the two companies, and the second part detailed the construction of Iranian LNG facilities in partnership with Irans Oil Industry Pension Fund. Initially, this would allow Gazprom to effectively take over from Germanys Linde on its own then-60 percent complete Iran LNG complex, and later to be integral in the construction of mini-LNG complexes. Gazprom would take payment for its work from the sale of gas both from this complex and from part of the output from fields feeding gas into it. These plans, though, were again put on hold due to increased U.S. sanctions against both Iran and Russia, and a relatively poor global LNG price outlook at the time. Additionally, China was again interested in taking part in the LNG project as part of its wider 25-year deal with Iran, as first revealed anywhere in the world in my 3 September 2019 article on the subject and also fully detailed my latest book.

That said, the middle of April last year saw Oman Energy Minister, Salim al-Aufi, state that the long-stalled Iran-Oman pipeline was finally progressing once again, with expectations that it will commence operations late this year or early 2025. Additionally, less than a month ago Oman announced the construction of a new LNG plant in Qalhat, with an annual production capacity estimated at 3.8 million metric tonnes, raising the Sultanates LNG production to 15.2 million metric tonnes per year. It is expected to be fully operational by 2029.

Beneficially for Iran, and China, is that the Iran-Oman gas route and adjunct infrastructure will complement Irans sanctions-busting Goreh-Jask pipeline, which has the capacity to transport at least 1 million bpd of oil from Irans major oil fields and runs from Goreh in the Shoaybiyeh-ye Gharbi Rural District of Khuzestan Province 1100 kilometres to the port of Jask in Hormozgan province on the Gulf of Oman. According to Omans Rumhy, Muscat is happy to be a conduit for the gas pipeline that would begin in Irans supergiant South Pars gas field and run to Sohar in the north of Oman. This pipeline would then link up to the existing pipeline that runs from there to Salalah near the Yemeni border. It could then be extended deeper into Yemen, in which the Iran-backed Houthis are fighting a war against arch regional nemesis, Saudi Arabia.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com
Iran is embarking on a US$70 billion investment programme of measures to attempt to halt a dramatic decline in output from its crucial South Pars gas field. A failure to do so will result in the loss of 40 percent of the countrys petrol output from the Persian Gulf Star gas condensate refinery, and the addition of up to US$12 billion a year of petrochemical costs, according to Iranian Gas Institute forecasts. South Pars gas output provides nearly 80 percent of the our [Irans] total gas production, so it is vital to all segments of business and society that this does not drop significantly, a senior energy industry source who works closely with Islamic Republics Petroleum Ministry exclusively told OilPrice.com last week.

In broad terms, the South Pars site spans 3,700 square kilometres and holds an estimated 14.2 trillion cubic metres (tcm) of gas reserves plus 18 billion barrels of gas condensate. In addition to generating 78 percent of the countrys gas production, it also accounts for around 40 percent of Irans total estimated 33.8 tcm of gas reserves (mostly located in the southern Fars, Bushehr, and Hormozgan regions). Crucially in the current context as well is that it is one part of the two that constitute the worlds biggest gas reservoir by far, with 51 tcm of reserves. The other part is Qatars 6,000 square kilometre North Dome (or North Field), which is the foundation stone of its world-leading liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter status. Related: Libyan Central Bank Kidnapping Highlights Oil Wealth Rivalry

Iran split South Pars into 24 phases for development, with broad production targets ranging from around 28 million cubic metres per day (mcm/d) to about 57 mcm/d  the latter being a target for the perennially controversial Phase 11. After the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, or colloquially the nuclear deal) had been implemented on 16 January 2016, Frances then-Total renewed its 2009 commitment to develop the Phase, which had been dropped in 2012 as the E.U. ramped up sanctions against Iran. The French oil and gas giant held a 50.1 percent stake in the Phase 11 project, ahead of the 30 percent stake of the China National Petroleum Corporation and a 19.9% holding by Petropars, a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company. Total quickly invested around US$1 billion in the Phase and made progress on the site, until in May 2018 came the withdrawal by the U.S. from the JCPOA, as analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order. Given the size and scope of Phase 11, it became a focal point of Washingtons attention in the aftermath of the withdrawal, and it put the French under extreme pressure to pull out of the project. Under the terms of the contract, CNPC then took charge and little progress has been made since then.

This provides a microcosm of what has happened to Irans oil and gas sector since then. The key problem in the substitution of leading Western oil and gas firms with Chinese ones has been that the latter lack the latest technology available to the former. The same is now true of Russian oil and gas firms which have been denied much of the same technology through various sanctions since it invaded Ukraines Crimea region in 2014. According to assessments from Irans own National Development Fund, the countrys gas production will fall by at least 25 percent within the next 10 years due to falling pressure in the fields, with South Pars seeing a 30 percent decline.

To attempt to redress this, March saw Irans Petroleum Ministry agree to a US$20 billion programme with various local firms to build 28 massive platforms to boost pressure on the South Pars site. However, little progress has been made on these, as neither the domestic companies nor their Chinese and Russian backers have the required technology and know-how. The latest programme to be announced by the Petroleum Ministry  the drilling of 35 new wells across the South Pars site  appears geared towards maximising production from the field while it still can, rather than addressing the fundamental causes of the reduction in pressure and attempting to slow them down. Indeed, according to official Petroleum Ministry statements, the new drilling is intended to boost output over the site by 35 million mcm/d over the next three years. Part of the problem is the geology of the site, with a natural drift towards the Qatari side in several places rather than the Iranian one, the Iran source told OilPrice.com last week. But another part has been the many clumsy attempts by local contractors at optimising extraction over the years with no thought of the longer-term consequences, he added. There are multiple examples of the wrong areas being drilled, which has weakened the surrounding structures, so drilling 35 new wells having done this is only likely to make situation worse, he said.

Given this, Iran is looking to China to increase its pressure on Qatar to take a more cooperative approach to developing the two halves of the supergiant gas reservoir, the source added. Qatar had a moratorium on gas production from its own North Dome field from 2005 to 2017, during which time it often accused Iran of drilling activity that reduced pressure on this side, and asked China to intervene on its behalf with Iran, which it did, the source told OilPrice.com. At that stage in early 2017, the two sides [Qatar and Iran] sat down and agreed to work together to ensure the sustainability of the site, so Iran wants the same assurance now from Qatar, he added.

This is even more urgent on Irans side, as Qatar is now embarked on its own drive to dramatically increase its production from the North Dome. The Emirates expansion program will see six major new developments in the North Field East (NFE) and North Field South (NFS) to 2029. Four new trains (production facilities)  each with 8 million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa)  will be built on the NFE site, and two (with the same production capacity) in the NFS site, totalling 48 million mtpa of new LNG production. At the end of February, QatarEnergy announced another set of projects  focused on its North Field West (NFW)  that will increase its LNG output from the current 77 million mtpa to 142 million mtpa before the end of this decade. This compares to the 404 million mtpa of LNG traded globally in 2023 and to industry estimates that this figure will reach around 625-685 million mtpa in 2040.

The problem for Iran in all of this is that although Qatar is famously diplomatic in its dealings with both the East and the West, pressure from the U.S. and its allies on steering the Emirate into their sphere of influence have intensified since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Prior to that, it had spent the previous year busily signing huge long-term LNG contracts with China, as also analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order. With extraordinary prescience  or something  Beijing knew ahead of time that some major global event would results in LNG becoming the worlds emergency energy source very soon. Consequently, the competition between the U.S. and its allies and China and its partners for upcoming long-term LNG contracts from Qatar has been extreme. It is likely to remain so, with oil and gas major Shell forecasting that global demand for LNG is projected to increase by more than 50 percent by 2040, even without any new major conflict (such as in Taiwan) in the next few years.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

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The oil market is bracing for a softer supply-demand balance, as highlighted in a recent report by BofA Global Research seen by RigZone. The report points to an uptick in non-OPEC+ oil production, particularly from Brazil, Guyana, Canada, and the United States, which is expected to grow by approximately one million barrels per day in 2024 and by 1.6 million barrels per day in 2025. This increase comes as OPEC+ considers reintroducing additional barrels to the market later in the year, potentially adding to the surplus.

At the same time, global oil demand growth is showing signs of slowing, driven in part by the increasing penetration of electric vehicles, especially in markets like China. BofA's projections indicate that global oil demand will rise by around one million barrels per day in 2024 and by 1.1 million barrels per day in 2025. These figures suggest that the market could see a surplus of 700,000 barrels per day in 2025, leading to a significant build-up in both commercial and strategic oil inventories, the report suggests.

The report also forecasts that Brent crude oil prices will average $86 per barrel in 2024 before declining to $80 per barrel in 2025, reflecting the anticipated softer market conditions.

Adding to the complex picture, recent data points to weaker demand from China, a key oil importer. China's crude oil imports from Russia dropped by 7.4% year-on-year in July, reaching their lowest level since September 2022. This decline is attributed to sluggish domestic fuel demand and slower economic growth, compounded by ongoing challenges in the Chinese property sector.

Bank of America executives told Bloomberg in March that the bank was looking to expand its business related to the energy transition, including boosting carbon trading and nat gas market trading.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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British Oil & Gas giant BP Plc (NYSE:BP) will develop Iraq's Kirkuk oil and gas fields based on a profit-sharing model, Iraqi oil ministry officials have revealed. The oil ministry and BP are expected to sign a confidentiality agreement in the current week, after which Iraq will hand over the data package for Kirkuk's four fields and installations. According to the officials, Kirkuk oil fields are currently producing 245,000 barrels of crude per day. Iraq is OPEC's second-largest producer after Saudi Arabia. Iraq's economy relies heavily on crude oil exports, with crude accounting for more than 90 percent of the country's revenues.

Back in May, French oil and gas multinational TotalEnergies (NYSE:TTE) reached an agreement with the government of Iraq to start a long-delayed $27 billion energy project. Total first signed a deal with the Iraqi government in 2021 that would see Total build four oil, gas, and renewables projects in southern Iraq over 25 years with an initial investment of $10 billion. Unfortunately, the giant project was shelved amid disputes and squabbling between Iraqi politicians over terms of the deal. However, Iraq finally agreed to a smaller 30% stake in the project, setting in motion a deal that could lure foreign investment back into the country. After years of instability, Iraq has been enjoying a period of relative stability, increasing the chances of foreign investors returning to the country.

"The government of Iraq confirmed the whole contract, no modification at all ... so that was for me more than good news," Total Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne has told Reuters.

Meanwhile, Iraq could also soon resume oil exports via a pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean coast. Export flows to Turkiye's Ceyhan port are yet to restart after Ankara halted Iraq's 450,000 barrels per day (bpd) of exports through the Iraq-Turkiye pipeline on March 25 following an ICC ruling that Turkiye should pay Baghdad damages of $1.5 billion for unauthorized exports by the KRG. However, the Iraqi oil ministry, Kurdistan's Ministry of Natural Resources and international oil companies met in June in Baghdad to discuss resuming production and exports.

"We have made progress in today's talks, and we expect to reach an understanding in a few days," said Iraq's oil minister, Hayan Abdul Ghani.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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Ghana has officially embarked on constructing a massive $12 billion petroleum hub, a project expected to significantly enhance the country's position in the global oil and gas industry. Located in the southwestern city of Jomoro, the hub will include a 300,000-barrel-per-day refinery, petrochemical plants, and other related infrastructure, positioning Ghana as a key player in West Africa's energy market.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, who presided over the groundbreaking ceremony, emphasized the project's significance to Ghana's economic future. "The project promises to be a cornerstone of our nation's development," Akufo-Addo stated. This development marks a bold step for Ghana, which began oil production in 2010 and currently produces around 132,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil.

The petroleum hub is expected to transform Ghana into a major supplier of refined petroleum products across West Africa, a region that currently imports nearly 90% of its petroleum needs. According to the African Refiners and Distributors Association, West Africa consumes about 800,000 bpd.

However, the project has faced criticism from various quarters. Bright Simons, vice president of Accra-based think tank IMANI Africa, expressed skepticism about the viability of the consortium behind the hub, describing the venture as lacking a "bankable business plan." Simons warned that the project might be more about acquiring land than actual development.

Local opposition has also emerged, with some residents of the proposed 20,000-acre site voicing concerns about the project's environmental and social impact. Legal challenges are anticipated as farmer cooperatives seek to protect their land rights and reduce the project's footprint.

Despite these challenges, the Ghanaian government remains committed, citing broad support from other residents and the potential economic benefits of the petroleum hub. The project's first phase will be funded by a consortium including Touchstone Capital Group Holdings and China-based firms, with completion expected by 2025.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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An aerial drone photo taken on June 13, 2024 shows workers working in high temperature at a construction site in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's top economic planner unveiled a three-year action plan on Monday to create a first-class business environment in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, especially the Xiong'an New Area.

Over the next three years, China expects to remove barriers hindering the flow and allocation of production factors, improve services for trade, investment and government affairs, and lower institutional transaction costs in the region, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

The plan aims to further regulate the region's market environment and address the issues of local protectionism and market fragmentation by optimizing business registration management, strengthening collaboration in fair competition review, and enhancing intra-region innovation cooperation.

Efforts will also be made to protect the legitimate interests of business entities in the region, unify regulatory enforcement standards and deepen judicial cooperation, it said.

Government services will be made more convenient, with data sharing strengthened and both offline and online services integrated, while public services like education, healthcare and human resources will be jointly developed and shared by Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.

The region will pursue high-level opening up in a collaborative manner, according to the plan. The collaborative development of digital trade will be advanced, services for foreign firms will be improved and the region's trade will be further liberalized and facilitated.

For the Xiong'an New Area, the government is expected to provide better services to enterprises, key sectors will open wider, and more will be done to support innovation and entrepreneurship, said the document.

The plan pledged to further reform investment project approval, further open up the area's financial sector, support qualified foreign institutions with their operations in areas such as green finance, elderly care and asset management, and encourage professionals from Beijing to work and start businesses in Xiong'an.

China initiated the strategy of coordinating the development of the national capital of Beijing and neighboring Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province in early 2014, with the aim of creating a model with a better economic structure, a cleaner environment and improved public services.

The region's gross domestic product expanded 90 percent in 2023 compared to the level in 2013, official data shows. Over 7,000 standards spanning various fields have been shared within the region as of May this year.
Oil markets have turned decidedly bearish after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted a cease-fire proposal to stop the war in Gaza, and all that's remaining is for "Hamas to say yes." Blinken met on Monday with top Israeli officials in Jerusalem. After hitting four-week highs, the options market's so-called skew--the cost of insuring against spikes or troughs in prices--has turned bearish over the past couple of trading days, reversing bullish hedges against a fresh escalation in the Middle East. Meanwhile, crude oil futures have declined by the biggest margin in two weeks after reports suggesting that a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza could be closer. Brent crude for October delivery was quoted at $78.21 per barrel at 10:20 hrs ET in Tuesday's intraday session, down from $81.20/barrel a week ago, while WTI crude for September delivery was trading at $75.00 per barrel compared to $78.85/barrel a week ago.

According to Again Capital's John Kilduff, persistent soft Chinese economic data has been undermining any kind of price strength in oil markets. On the other hand, ANZ research analysts have pointed out that the prospect of weak demand in China is offsetting any gains from risks to supply, with government data showing that crude demand in the country fell 8% Y/Y in July. Last week, disappointing economic data revealed that China's industrial activity remains subdued.

Improving supply also does not help oil prices. According to Bloomberg, production at Libya's Waha oil field has returned to normal levels of ~300K bbl/day after pipeline maintenance was completed earlier than expected, while output at the Sharara field has improved to ~85K bbl/day, according to Reuters. These developments come just two weeks after Libya's National Oil Corporation declared force majeure on oil exports from the field following a blockade by protesters at the field.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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Saudi Arabia's national shipping company, Bahri, has inked a significant deal to purchase nine Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) from Capital Maritime and Trading Corporation. Valued at approximately $999 million (3.75 billion Saudi riyals), this acquisition aligns with Bahri's ongoing fleet modernization strategy. The new vessels are expected to replace aging tankers, enhancing the company's operational efficiency and capacity.

The transaction, announced on August 20, will see the delivery of all nine VLCCs by the end of Q1 2025. Bahri has structured the payment with an initial 10% down payment, with the remaining 90% due upon the vessels' delivery. The funding for this purchase will come from a mix of banking facilities and internally generated capital, ensuring financial flexibility for the company.

Bahri, which operates one of the largest fleets of VLCCs globally, currently manages 39 vessels, according to the company's website, each with a capacity of 2.2 million barrels. This fleet's substantial scale gives Bahri control over approximately 13.4 million deadweight tons (DWT) of oil transport capacity. The new additions will further bolster this capacity, maintaining Bahri's leading position in the crude oil transportation sector.

Its VLCCs are equipped with advanced cargo flexibility, enabling them to carry up to three different grades of crude or fuel oil simultaneously. This versatility is crucial in a market where logistical efficiency and adaptability are paramount.

This deal is strategically significant for Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, as it continues to secure and expand its logistical capabilities.

Bahri's move to modernize its fleet is designed to maintain its competitive edge in the oil shipping industry. Saudi Arabia continues to be one of the world's largest oil producers and exporters.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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Donald Trump will end EV subsidies of up to $7,500 per car if he is elected president in November.

Tax credits and tax incentives are not generally a very good thing, the Republican candidate told Reuters in an interview. I'm not making any final decisions on it, he added. I'm a big fan of electric cars, but I'm a fan of gasoline-propelled cars, and also hybrids and whatever else happens to come along.

The so-called tax incentive that the Biden administration expanded when it came into office in 2020 aims at motivating carmakers to build more plug-in vehicles and more drivers to buy them. Sales, however, have been stalling lately, and even declining in Europe as governments run out of money to keep paying the incentives.

Sales data for July showed that EV sales in Europes largest market, Germany, took a plunge of 37%, following the removal of subsidies in December last year. Sweden also booked an EV sales decline and Switzerland also saw a double-digit sales decline.

Well-off and eco-conscious buyers are more or less tapped out, and the industrys lack of affordable battery models is cutting mass-market consumers out of the market, Bloomberg noted at the time.

According to Trump, EVs are a much smaller market than the current administration believes, because of battery range and cost factors, Reuters reported, adding that Trump was considering ending EV mandates for carmakers.

On the other hand, it seems that the Republican candidate does not have a problem with Chinese EVsas long as they get built in the United States.

We're going to give incentives, and if China and other countries want to come here and sell the cars, they're going to build plants here, and they're going to hire our workers," Trump said. "We will make our own cars. I want to make our own cars, Trump also said.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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The Serbian government, caught between EU pressure and local resistance, has vacillated on its support for the project.

Thousands of Serbians have protested against the mine, citing concerns about environmental damage and the exploitation of their land for foreign interests.

A massive, early-stage lithium mining project in Serbia faces huge and animated public opposition, casting some doubt on the viability of a key component of Western Europe's push for a "green transition" away from fossil fuels. Opposition to the Rio Tinto Group project is powered by a hybrid engine fueled by environmentalism and nationalism.

The size and intensity of the opposition was on full display earlier this month, as an estimated 24,000 to 27,000 marching protesters filled wide boulevards in Belgrade, chanting "Rio Tinto get out of Serbia" and "you will not dig," and carrying signs saying "We do not give Serbia away." Others disrupted train travel by filling two of the city's stations, with some blocking the tracks.

Over the past few years, the mine project has been a stop-and-go affair. After Rio Tinto's license was given the green light in 2019, it was revoked in 2022 amid the final run-up to Serbia's general election -- following months of enormous protests like the one seen a few weeks ago. Then-Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said the decision was made in deference to the protesters, and declared, "We put an end to Riot Tinto in Serbia."

This July, however, a court ruled the revocation was unconstitutional, and the license was restored shortly after. Pressure from the European Union likely figured in the change of course -- Serbia wants to join the EU.

If it proceeds to production, Rio Tinto's $2.55 billion Jadar Valley mine in the western part of the country would be the largest lithium mine in Europe, with the potential to fill 90% of Europe's current lithium demand. It would also assure Rio Tinto a spot among the global leaders of the mineral that's a critical ingredient of lithium-ion batteries.

There is no green transition in Europe without this lithium, Rio Tinto's top dog in Serbia, Chad Blewitt, told the New York Times. His company has spent more than a half-billion on land acquisitions and exploration already, and it could be another two years until production is underway. Rio Tinto (RIO) shares closed Friday at $61.28, and have traded between $59 and $75 over the past 52 weeks.

Opposition groups want a permanent, countrywide ban on lithium and boron mining. "We are not going to give up. The mine cannot be built on agricultural land," 63-year-old protester Mica Miliovanovic told Reuters. "This does not have anything to do with politics." Separately, 25-year-old Angela Rojovic told the Times, I dont need green cars. I need green apples and green grass.

In a promotional video that aims to reassure Serbians of the mine's economic benefits and minimal environmental impact, Rio Tinto says "the critical minerals are found below the surface, separated from water sources. Around 200 kilometers of tunnels will link underground mining operations...while farming continues above the mine."

Nonetheless, some Serbians say their land is being exploited and their health jeopardized to advance the aims of people outside the country. "[We] fear Serbia will be sacrificed to provide lithium for electric vehicles that pretty much nobody in Serbia can afford," Green-Left Movement co-director Biljana Djordjevic told the BBC.

There's also a geopolitical element: For some, the mine is a litmus test separating those who want to align the country with the United States and Western Europe against those who want to maintain a relationship with Russia. When the latest round of protests erupted, officials claimed the real objective was toppling the government of President Aleksandar Vucic -- who himself said intelligence from the Russian Federation indicated a coup was in the works.

In addition to environmentalists, members of the ultranationalist, Russia-friendly People's Patrol have also joined in the anti-mine protests. When Vucic decided to back the mine in July at the urging of the EU, it was seen as an indication of his intent to disengage from Russia.

German officials have been pushing the project hard, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Mercedes Benz executives visiting Belgrade last month. However, the German element ruffles some feathers in Serbia. Dragan Karajcic, a politician leading villages in the vicinity of the mine, told the Times he was seething when the Germans assured Serbians the mine would be safe. He pointed to Nazi atrocities that took place in nearby Draginac in 1941, with thousands of civilian executions following similar assurances of the locals' safety.

Nebojsa Petkovic, a villager who traveled to Belgrade to lead the August 10 protests, told the Times, Let the Germans save the planet. We need to save ourselves.

By Zerohedge.com

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A Nigerian car manufacturing company claims it has obtained a court order that allows it to take control of one of the countrys largest banks.

Innoson Nigeria Limited on Friday said it obtained a writ of Fifa from the Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State, against Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) to implement the judgment given by Nigerian courts over the lingering crisis between it and the bank.

A copy of the Awka court order was sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

The company in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Cornel Osigwe, said a judgement given by the Federal High Court in Ibadan was upheld by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

A Writ of Fieri Facias (or Writ of Fi Fa) is a document issued by the court for the purpose of effecting court judgment on a debtors property. It is also the legal instrument by which the assets of a judgment debtor may be seized.

Innoson and GTB have for long been locked in legal tussles following disagreements over a business deal.

On Friday, Innoson claimed its Chairman, Innocent Chukwuma, has been mandated to take over GTB after the supreme court dismissed GTBs appeal against the judgement of the appeal court in Ibadan.

The Chairman of Innoson Group, Chief Dr. Innocent Chukwuma, OFR has through a Writ of FiFa taken over Guaranty Trust Bank PLC for and on behalf of Innoson Nigeria Ltd as a result of the banks indebtedness to Innoson Nigeria Ltd, the statement said.

In a landmark decision on February 27th 2019, the Supreme Court of Nigeria dismissed GTBs appeal  SC. 694/2014  against the judgment of Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division.

The Court of Appeal, Ibadan division had in its decision of 6th February 2014 dismissed GTBs appeal against the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division.

Thus, the Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division which ordered GTB by way of Garnishee order absolute  to pay N2.4billion to Innoson with a 22% interest, per annum, on the judgment sum until the final liquidation of the judgment debt. Rather than obey the judgment of the Court of Appeal, GTB approached the Supreme Court to challenge the Court of Appeals decision, the auto firm said.

The company in its statement said a ruling delivered by Supreme Court Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour dismissed GTBs appeal and thus affirmed the concurrent judgment of both the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division.

The ruling, it said, ordered GTB by to pay N2.4 billion to Innoson with a 22 per cent interest, per annum, on the judgment until the final liquidation of the judgment.

The Judgment debt of N2.4bn has an accrued interest as at today of about N6,717,909,849.96 which results to about N8.8 billion, the statement said.

Based on the Supreme Courts decision of 27th February 2019 the counsel to Innoson, Prof McCarthy Mbadugha ESQ, had approached the Federal High Court, Awka Division for leave to enforce the judgment having obtained certificates of Judgment from the Ibadan Division of the Federal High Court.

Mr Chukwuma, the founder of Innoson Motors, dragged GTBank to court in 2011, alleging arbitrary charges levelled against him and a string of bank accounts he held at the bank. But GTBank later counter-sued, saying it was Mr Chukwuma who allegedly falsified bank and shipping documents to obtain tax waivers from the Nigerian government.

The bank subsequently referred the matter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The anti-graft office filed criminal charges against Mr Chukwuma at a Lagos court. Last month, he was declared wanted for failing to appear for arraignment in the matter, which is still proceeding separately from the N14 billion arbitrary charges lawsuit currently at appellate levels.

Mr Chukwuma denied the allegations of doctoring shipping documents, saying the matter had previously been investigated by the EFCC and the police both of whom cleared him of any wrongdoing.

He accused GTBank of using law enforcement agencies to hound him and cripple his business, a claim the bank also denied.

Efforts to get GTBs reaction to the latest development were unsuccessful as of Friday evening.
Foreign portfolio investors increased the value of their buy orders for Nigerian equities by 61.4 per cent at the onset of this quarter, halting a sell-off that had seen more outflows than inflows all through the first quarter of this year.

For the first time this year, equities recorded positive foreign portfolio transactions as inflows from foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) increased from N25.89 billion in March to N41.78 billion in April.

The latest report on foreign portfolio investments (FPIs), released by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), show that foreign portfolio inflows outpaced outflows by N6.64 billion in April, the first positive closing this year.

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Foreign inflows stood at N41.78 billion as against outflows of N35.14 billion, indicating 37.1 per cent increase in total foreign transactions from N56.09 billion in March 2019 to N76.92 billion in April 2019. With more activities by foreign investors, who dominate transactions at the market, total transactions at the market consequently increased from N110.11 billion in March to N148.9 billion in April. Foreign investors accounted for 51.66 per cent of total transactions in April as against 48.34 per cent by domestic investors, sustaining a familiar trend of foreign dominance.

The FPI report, coordinated by the NSE, aggregates transactions from major custodians and capital market operators and it is widely regarded as a credible measure of the FPI trend. The report uses two key indicators-inflow and outflow, to gauge foreign investors mood and participation in the stock market as a barometer for the economy.

Foreign portfolio outflow includes sales transactions or liquidation of equity portfolio investments through the stock market while inflow includes purchase transactions on the NSE. Segmental analysis delineates the proportion of foreign to local participation, institutional to retail investors as well as the momentum of activities among others.

The country had suffered a net deficit of N26.6 billion in foreign portfolio transactions in the first quarter of this year amidst fears of political and macro-economic uncertainties. It recorded a negative balance of N26.6 billion in inflow and outflow transactions by foreign portfolio investors in first quarter 2019 compared with a positive balance of N30.88 billion recorded in comparable period of 2018.
The State Grid Chifeng Power Supply Company commenced construction on a 500-kilovolt transmission and transformation project in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, on Aug. 15.

A key facility to ensure energy supply in Chifeng, the project stretches from Baqing to Dongshan, spanning 27.3 kilometers. Once operational, the project will supply about 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually to the Dongshan Industrial Park in Chifeng, equivalent to the power consumption of 4 million households.

The project marks a significant step by the State Grid Chifeng Power Supply Company in implementing China's energy development strategy, and it is also an important measure to increase the capacity of transmitting new energy. It will play a role in making use of Chifeng's resources , optimizing its power structure, and improving its energy efficiency.

The company has taken multiple measures to get the project's construction off the ground. A coordination team was tasked with communicating with local governments and holding meetings to facilitate coordination and address issues such as land acquisition. A special working group was responsible for overseeing and expediting the approval of forestry and grassland procedures, and completed all preliminary formalities within four months. All of these efforts have laid a solid foundation for the project's smooth progress.

The project is expected to replace the use of 3.3 million metric tons of coal each year, thus reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 7.8 million metric tons. This will effectively promote economic and social development in Chifeng and significantly enhance the power supply in the southern part of Chifeng.

The State Grid Chifeng Power Supply Company will optimize the project construction and management model. By fully leveraging its strengths in talent, management, and technology, the company will meticulously organize, and scientifically manage and advance the construction of the project, aiming to be a pacesetter in the industry.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Presidential candidate in the 2019 general elections, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, on Monday suffered a shocking setback at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in their request to be granted access to the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The five-man panel at the resumed sitting of the Presidential Election Tribunal in Abuja, in consensus, rejected the request of the PDP and its Presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, to be granted access to INEC server.

The five-man panel had unanimously refused to grant the request of the PDP and Atiku, explaining that issues have been joined by parties on the existence or otherwise of the server.

The judges insisted that the tribunal cannot delve into those issues at the interlocutory stage.

INEC had at a stage denied having server, adding that the presidential election results were not electronically transmitted; and at another stage admitted experimenting server in Anambra State Governorship election.

However, 25 INEC Returning Officers were said to have admitted that they transmitted results electronically during the 2019 elections.

More so, the Director of Strategic Communications of the Buhari Presidential Campaign Organisation, Festus Keyamo, had earlier petitioned the Department of Security Service (DSS) and the Inspector General of Police to arrest PDP leaders for hacking INEC server.

The server controversy has become controversial that the judiciary has come under pressure to administer justice.

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Our Reporter

Anchor Insurance Company Limited plans to generate N10 billion premium income this year, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Ebose Augustine has said.

He spoke during the companys interactive session with reporters in Lagos.

Augustine said the firm is bracing up to play big in post recapitalisation.

He stated that Akwa Ibom State government, which owns 61 per cent stake in the company, has, through right issues, injected N9.6 billion in the firm.

He disclosed that the company hopes to raise its capital to N11.6 billion post recapitalisation.

READ ALSO: Stock Exchange opens new window for SMEs

He further said the firm grew its premium income to N5 billion in 2019, adding that to achieve the set target for 2020, the firm has concluded plans to increase its branch network across the country; leverage the use of technology to sell its products and improve on its agency system to reach esteemed customers.

He said: The company has so far achieved about 85 per cent of the new minimum capital required to remain afloat post recapitalisation.

We paid N1.3 billion claims in 2019, even as we have automated our claims system making it possible for claimants to access their claims without coming to the firm.
Joshua Cheptegei shattered the world record in the 5km, clocking 12:51* at the Monaco Run 5km in the Mediterranean Principality today (16).

Running alone from the start, the 23-year-old Ugandan smashed through the events 13-minute barrier, clipping a massive 27 seconds from the previous record of 13:18 set by Kenyas Rhonex Kipruto en route to his 10km world record in Valencia on 12 January.

Wow, this is a really great, said Cheptegei, the 2019 world 10,000m champion, who was making his 2020 racing debut.

I had sub 13 minutes in my mind today so when my legs felt good during the race I decided to really go for it. To take this many seconds off the record makes me very happy and is a great first test for me in an important season.

Jimmy Gressier of France was second in 13:18, to break the European record of 13:29 set by Julien Wanders in this race last year.
The Deputy Director General (Admin) the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organization, Tanimu Turaki SAN, has been reportedly arrested and detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

A statement last night by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Turakis arrest and detention was part of the grand plot by the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to use state apparatus of power to intimidate PDP leaders and scuttle the partys determination to reclaim its February 23 presidential election victory in court.

Demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Turaki, who was said to have been arrested Monday, the party said the campaign chief was arrested and detained for no reason.

The statement said, Since the peoples candidate, Atiku Abubakar and the PDP expressed our unwavering determination to reclaim our victory at the tribunal, being armed with overwhelming evidence, our leaders have been subjected to escalated harassments, constant threats, blackmails, cajoling and contrivances by the APC to drop our legal option.

Read also: Buhari hosts Presidential Campaign Council to dinner

It is instructive to state that Tanimu Turaki was arrested and detained upon invitation by the EFCC to endorse a bail document for the Finance Director of Atiku Abubakars company, Babalele Abdullahi, who was arrested earlier by the commission over flimsy allegations.

The PDP, however, states in clear terms that the APC and the Buhari Presidency are fighting a lost battle as no amount of harassment and threats will ever make the party to buckle in its determination to take back the mandate, in line with the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians.

Nigerians are resolute on this struggle to reclaim the mandate freely given to Atiku Abubakar at the polls and the PDP will pursue this decision to its logical end and secure justice for the Nigerian people.
<! Happy Birthday to Aliko Dangote >

Nigerians and Africans in the social media have celebrated Aliko Dangote, Africas richest businessman and philanthropist.

The cement mogul, who is building one of the worlds biggest petrochemical complexes in Lagos, is 63 today.

And there is no animus against the man, who has symbolised industry and success in Africas most populous country.

Most comments on Twitter celebrating his special day all praised him.

And there were some jokingly appropriating Aliko as their uncle, brother or family member.

President Muhammadu Buhari earlier wished the businessman a happy birthday.

He described him as a foremost industrialist, investor and philanthropist.

He saluted Alikos large-heartedness and his deployment of his wealth to the glory of God and for the good of humanity.

Dangote was born 10 April 1957 in Kano to a wealthy family.

His mother, Mariya Sanusi Dantata was the daughter of Alhaji Alhassan Dantata, the richest West African at the time of his death in 1955.

He was educated at the Capital High School, Kano and Government College, Birnin Kudu.

He later received a bachelors degree in business studies and administration from Al-Azhar University, Cairo.

Dangote started his business trading.

He soon became the largest sugar importer in Nigeria. He also imported cement.

He restructured his business later and went into cement, sugar, pasta and juice manufacturing.

Today his Dangote Cement controls about 70 per cent of the Nigerian market.

He also has other plants across Africa.

At present, he is busy building a $15 billion petrochemical complex in Lekki Lagos.

His estimated net worth as at March stood at US$8.1 billion, making him the 88th wealthiest person in the world and the richest person in Africa.

Nigerians, and some Africans, were effusive Friday in their praises for Aliko, chorusing a Happy Birthday on Twitter.

Some samples:

Strive Masiyiwa, Zimbabwean:

Im excited to wish my friend and Colleague and fellow Philanthropist Aliko Dangote a Happy 63rd birthday buddy. To more years of Impacting our continent

Happy Birthday Sir Aliko Dangote, Many More Achievements ????? I Pray You Find Love That Reminds You Of Jesus Christ Today Been Good Friday ??!!! Stay Safe Everyone

Im Proudly Farmer Hungerstopper pic.twitter.com/S5g6bOYNeb  Inter Magafarmer Venture (IMV) (@Magafarmeroffic) April 10, 2020

I want to wish my uncle from my fathers side a happy birthday.. Aliko Dangote

Guys hustle ooo pic.twitter.com/L5QelFbf2V  sarki? (@moh_imran_) April 10, 2020

I once withdrew $10m cash just to look at  Aliko Dangote Happy birthday trillionaire in Naira. pic.twitter.com/AbugkMUg72  Olonitola Tunde Victor (@thestatewriter) April 10, 2020

Celebrating success is the first step to your journey of being a successful person.

Happy Birthday Aliko Dangote. pic.twitter.com/9U1GyN9v5M  Oladeji Nicholas (@NicholasOladeji) April 10, 2020

Even if I tried to explain how much Alhaji Aliko Dangote means to me, you wouldnt understand. A mentor from afar, a leader, a business man, a philanthropist, the epitome of hard work and hustle. pic.twitter.com/N4HLu0tZnp  Dr Ola Brown (@NaijaFlyingDr) April 10, 2020

My uncle aliko dangote is 63yrs today ?? say a prayer for him when u come across this ? pic.twitter.com/VSTCByTsCY  ghst_alamin ? (@alamin_ghost) April 10, 2020

.
CHICAGO  Thirteen people were arrested during protests on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, most OF them related to a "brief breach" of security fencing "within sight and sound of the United Center," the city's police superintendent said Tuesday.

More protests were planned throughout the week, including one Tuesday night outside the Israeli Consulate. However, attendance at the main rally on Monday was far below estimates of organizers who had predicted more than 20,000 would show up.

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said Tuesday that the crowd was around 3,500 strong and that the vast majority of the protesters were peaceful.

However, some clashed with police, used pepper spray against them and threw water bottles at officers during the clash in the park where there was a breach in security fencing, Snelling said. He said officers did not use any chemical sprays.

"Our officers showed great restraint," he said at a news conference. "We're not going to tolerate vandalism and violence in our city. ... We're going to continue to protect the city."

Snelling said with more protests planned, his department is prepared to de-escalate situations whenever possible.

"Again, we're up to the challenge," Snelling said. "The city is up to the challenge."

The park where the most arrests were made, located a block from the convention arena, served as a destination point for a march of thousands calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. Several dozen activists broke off from the main group, breached the fencing, and were pushed back by police.

Authorities said the inner security perimeter surrounding the United Center was not breached and there was no threat to those attending the convention.

On Tuesday morning, an extra line of fencing was installed at the park and the tall metal barriers were reinforced to prevent protesters from lifting and removing the panels. No police officers or protesters were in the park early Tuesday.

The 13 people arrested during Monday's protest were detained on charges ranging from criminal trespass and resisting and obstructing an arrest, to aggravated battery of police officers, Snelling said.

At least 10 of them were arrested in connection with the fence, he said.

Snelling said he did not connect those who tore down the fence with the entirety of the march. He said the vast majority of participants were peaceful, and he praised his officers' conduct in the moment.

The Chicago chapter of the National Lawyers Guild said two of the people arrested were hospitalized. Snelling said they were not taken to the hospital for injuries, but "so they could be provided the treatment they needed when it came to their medications."

Two people were also arrested on misdemeanor property damage and resisting arrest charges during a protest march Sunday night. As of Tuesday morning, 15 people had been arrested.

In downtown Chicago, security was tighter than usual  including law enforcement officers with weapons slung across their bodies  outside the office building that houses the Israeli Consulate and a major city transportation hub. Metal barricades were set up, and an officer said they were preparing for a 7 p.m. demonstration.

The consulate, located about 2 miles from the United Center, has been the site of numerous demonstrations since the war in Gaza began in October. It is in a building connected to the Ogilvie Transportation Center, a major commuter rail station.

Israel supporters, including some relatives of people kidnapped by Hamas, gathered at a pro-Israel art installation not far from the consulate Tuesday to call on U.S. leaders to continue backing Israel and pushing for the release of hostages. The art installation included giant milk cartons bearing photos of some of the hostages.

Elan Carr, CEO of the Israeli-American Council, condemned the pro-Palestinian protesters who have descended on Chicago this week, calling them "fringe crazies" and demanding that U.S. leaders "stand unequivocally with the state of Israel."

Most of the largest demonstrations have been organized by the Coalition to March on the DNC, which has focused on calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. But smaller protests have popped up around the city, during the convention's welcome party at Navy Pier.
 Flash

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, and his wife Ngo Phuong Ly prior to the talks between Xi and Lam in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, held talks with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Vietnamese president, on Monday in Beijing.

Xi welcomed Lam's state visit to China and once again congratulated him on his election as general secretary of the CPV Central Committee.

Carrying forward traditional friendship

China is the destination for Lam's first overseas visit after he took office as general secretary of the CPV Central Committee. Xi said this fully reflects the great importance Lam attaches to the relations between the two parties and the two countries, as well as the high level and strategic nature of China-Vietnam relations.

He pointed out that the CPC and the CPV have passed down their shared ideals and beliefs from generation to generation, forging the traditional friendship of "comrades-plus-brothers" between the two countries.

As two of the ruling Communist parties in today's world, the CPC and the CPV should uphold and continue their traditional friendship, keep in mind their common mission, adhere to the leadership of the Communist party and the socialist system, continue to deepen the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, and jointly promote the development of the world socialist cause, Xi said.

The CPV and the Vietnamese government always attach importance to developing relations with China and regard China as the strategic choice and top priority of Vietnam's foreign policy, Lam said, noting that the Vietnamese side will adhere to the leadership of the Communist party and the socialist path, deepen the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and push forward the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

"Lam's visit comes just half a month after he was elected general secretary of the Central Committee of the CPV, showing the importance the Vietnamese side attaches to relations with China," said Chen Hongsheng, director of Institute of Vietnamese Studies, Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences.

"In particular, Lam arrived in south China's Guangzhou on Sunday, visited the places that witnessed Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary activities in China, and exchanged views with friendly personages from China and Vietnam. This is of great significance to consolidating and developing the traditional friendship between the two countries and boosting the continuous progress of bilateral relations," Chen said.

Deeper practical cooperation

Xi underscored that at the critical stage of national development and revitalization, China and Vietnam should strive to consolidate the development pattern featuring higher political mutual trust, more solid security cooperation, deeper practical cooperation, stronger public support, closer multilateral coordination and cooperation, and better management and resolution of differences.

China is ready to maintain close strategic communication and high-level exchanges with Vietnam, firmly adhere to mutual support, actively explore ways to expand synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, accelerate the "hard connectivity" of railway, expressway and port infrastructure, enhance the "soft connectivity" of smart customs, and jointly build a secure and stable industrial and supply chain, Xi said.

Vietnam is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges, deepen strategic mutual trust, enhance synergy of development strategies, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation with China, Lam said.

China has been Vietnam's largest trading partner since 2004, and Vietnam is China's largest trading partner within ASEAN.

In 2017, China and Vietnam signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the joint implementation of the China-proposed BRI and Vietnam's Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy to expedite cooperation across diverse sectors.

In the first seven months of 2024, a total of 6,850 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers of goods were shipped via China-Vietnam freight trains departing from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, marking a 16-fold increase year on year.

Moreover, thanks to favorable policies such as direct air routes and visa facilitation, the cross-border tourism between China and Vietnam has shown vigorous development. This two-way surge in travel not only boosts the development of the tourism industry, but also deepens the cultural exchange and friendship between the two countries, a Chinese tourism official said.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, and To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, who is on a state visit to China, have a small chat over tea in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 19, 2024. Xi held talks with Lam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. [Photo/Xinhua]

A shared future

During Xi's visit to Vietnam last December, the two countries jointly announced the elevation of bilateral ties to a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

In his talks with Lam, Xi expressed the willingness to establish good working relations and personal friendship with Lam to jointly guide the substantial development in building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

He also called for joint efforts to uphold the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and other basic norms governing international relations, promote an equal and orderly multi-polar world and economic globalization that benefits all, uphold international fairness and justice and the common interests of developing countries, and work to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

For his part, Lam said that the CPV and the Vietnamese government will carry on the legacy of Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, adhere to the leadership of the Communist party and the socialist path, deepen the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and push forward the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

Vietnam firmly pursues the one-China policy, supports China in achieving national reunification, and firmly opposes any interference in China's internal affairs, Lam said.

Vietnam supports and is willing to actively participate in the initiative to build a community with a shared future for humanity, as well as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, Lam said, adding that Vietnam is also willing to work closely with China to strengthen multilateral international cooperation, uphold multilateralism, safeguard international fairness and justice, and make positive contributions to promoting world peace and development.

During Lam's visit to China, the two sides will also issue a joint statement on further strengthening China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and promoting the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.
CAIRO  A massive 12-ton 3D printer has arrived in Cairo to construct a duplex on vacant land behind the towns city hall. The towering gantry system stretches into the sky as the machine, guided by a computer rendering, layers a specialty concrete mix like toothpaste squeezed from a tube.

Hundreds gathered in Illinois southernmost city on Saturday to witness a demonstration of the futuristic printer, with American flags waving from the top of its two tall legs. 3D printing is emerging as a promising technology that could accelerate affordable housing development nationwide.

The machine, the first of its kind in the region, is owned by Eminence Resource Inc., based in Harrisburg, 80 miles north of Cairo. The company is donating the duplex to the city.

For this town of roughly 1,600 people, the 3D-printed duplex represents a hard-fought victory for affordable housing, years in the making. This is Cairos first new home construction in nearly 50 years.

The town has been grappling with how to replace some of the affordable housing lost when the federal government demolished two family public housing complexes, Elmwood and McBride, in 2019. Nearly 400 residents were displaced. A few years earlier, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development had taken the rare step of seizing control of the Alexander County Housing Authority from local officials, citing severe mismanagement and unsafe living conditions.

HUD officials argued that the buildings were too dilapidated to repair. Although displaced residents were given rental vouchers to help subsidize their rent in the private market, many had to move more than 30 miles away due to a lack of affordable housing in Cairo.

Whats really cool about this is the first two families who get to move into this amazing duplex are going to be some of the first families who were displaced from the housing crisis of the Elmwood and McBride demolition, said state Sen. Dale Fowler, R-Harrisburg, whose district covers the region, and who helped connect Eminence managers and Cairo city officials.

Weve got people  theyre ready to come home, and I dont blame them, added Cairo Mayor Thomas Simpson, to cheers from the crowd. The city is taking applications from former Elmwood and McBride residents for the homes but hasnt said yet who will move into them.

When Cairo tried to replace some of the affordable housing the town had lost, it encountered the same challenges that many rural towns and distressed urban areas face. Many rural towns still operate public housing apartment complexes, but when they fall into disrepair, there are few options to replace them.

In the 1970s, the federal government shifted its affordable housing strategy, moving away from direct funding for public housing construction toward public-private partnerships. This approach included providing vouchers to pay a portion of tenants rent in the private market, but that is not much help to communities with a shortage of private-market rentals.

When new affordable housing apartment complexes are constructed, they are typically built by private developers and nonprofits using complex tax-credit deals that are also difficult to make work in smaller communities where projects often cant reach the scale or rental price point needed to be profitable.

In Cairo, housing for children and their parents is a critical need. State data shows that more than one in five children in Cairo's pre-K district are considered homeless, under a broad definition that includes kids who are unhoused, doubled up with friends or relatives, couch-surfing, or living in hotels and other temporary accommodations.

Though the addition of two new housing units does not solve the breadth of the citys housing crisis, Simpson said city officials are working on plans to fund the development of additional housing on the same lot.

Folks, this is just the beginning, he told the crowd Saturday.

It is expected to take the 3D printer about 45 hours to construct the duplexs interior and exterior walls, with crews working through the night over the next two weeks to complete the job. Several more weeks will be needed for finishing work, including hanging drywall, installing plumbing, electricity, flooring, and other interior elements like kitchen and bathroom fixtures, to make the home move-in ready.

Eminence purchased the printer from Black Buffalo 3D and it was delivered from a warehouse in New Jersey in parts by three semitrailers to Cairo. This project is the inaugural use of the machine at its new southern Illinois location, though Josh Burtis, the general manager of Eminence, said it will soon go to work building homes across southern Illinois. Burtis said his company purchased the printer in response to the growing need for affordable housing in the region. While it can take months to build a home using traditional construction methods, 3D printers can do it in a matter of weeks.

Our goal by bringing this technology here is showcasing that, hey, we're here to work. We want to build houses, more resilient homes, fast as we can put them up and put people back in housing here, Burtis said. Because the more housing we get, the more people we get here  that keeps building these communities back, and that's our main goal, to build affordable workforce housing and just keep growing these communities back.
The worlds oldest living person, Spains Maria Branyas Morera, who was born in the United States and lived through two world wars, has died at the age of 117, her family said Tuesday.



Maria Branyas has left us. She died as she wished: in her sleep, peacefully and without pain, her family wrote on her account on social network X.



We will always remember her for her advice and her kindness, they said.



Branyas, who had lived for the last two decades in the Santa Maria del Tura nursing home in the town of Olot in northeastern Spain, had warned in a post on Tuesday that she felt weak.



The time is near. Dont cry, I dont like tears. And above all, dont suffer for me. Wherever I go, I will be happy, she added in the account which is run by her family.



Guinness World Records had officially acknowledged Branyass status as the worlds oldest person in January 2023 following the death of French nun Lucile Randon aged 118.



In the wake of Branyass death, the oldest living person in the world is Japans Tomiko Itooka, who was born on May 23, 1908 and is 116 years old, according to the US Gerontology Research Group.



Branyas, who lived through the 1918 flu, World War I and World War II and Spains civil war, got Covid-19 in 2020 just weeks after ringing in her 113th birthday and was confined to her room at the home but made a full recovery.



Her youngest daughter, Rosa Moret, once attributed her mothers longevity to genetics.



She has never gone to the hospital, she has never broken any bones, she is fine, she has no pain, Moret told regional Catalan television in 2023.



Branyas was born in San Francisco on March 4, 1907 shortly after her family moved to the United States from Mexico.



The entire family decided to return to their native Spain in 1915 as World War I was under way, which complicated the ship voyage across the Atlantic.



The crossing was also marked by tragedy  her father died from tuberculosis towards the end of the voyage, and his coffin was thrown into the sea.



Branyas and her mother settled in Barcelona. In 1931  five years before the start of Spains 1936-39 civil war  she married a doctor.



The couple lived together for four decades until her husband died aged 72. She had three children, including one who has already died, 11 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.



Manel Esteller, part of a team of researchers from the University of Barcelona who studied Branyas DNA to determine the causes of her longevity told daily Spanish newspaper ABC in October 2023 he was surprised by her good health.



Her mind is completely lucid. She remembers with impressive clarity episodes from when she was only four years old, and she has no cardiovascular disease, which is common in the elderly. The only things she has are mobility and hearing problems. Its incredible, the genetics professor said.



The oldest verified person to have ever lived was Frenchwoman Jeanne Louise Calment who died in 1997 at the age of 122 years and 164 days old.

Source: vanguardngr









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The Upper West Regional Minister, Hon. Stephen Yakubu, has lauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his visionary leadership in implementing the District Road Improvement Project (DRIP).



During the reception and inauguration of the DRIP equipment for the Upper West Region, commissioned by the President in Accra, Mr. Yakubu commended the government's responsiveness to Ghanaians' needs, particularly in road infrastructure.



"This is a fulfilment of our 'Year of Roads' promise," Yakubu declared, expressing relief that the equipment arrived at a critical time, given the poor condition of roads in the Upper West Region.



He assured the public that the equipment would be utilised effectively and deployed immediately to districts to begin roadwork without delay.



Acting Regional Coordinator of the DRIP, Mr. Venantius Kuundri, stated that JA Plant Pool, a sister company of the Jospong Group of Companies, would monitor and maintain the equipment across Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).



In collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and local assemblies, strict maintenance protocols would be adhered to, ensuring equipment longevity. Spare parts would be stocked regionally to address issues promptly, he stressed.



The Upper West Region, comprising 11 municipal and district assemblies, received 106 pieces of equipment under the DRIP initiative, including tipper trucks, motor graders, low beds, pick-ups, concrete mixers, backhoes, rollers, graders, wheel loaders, and water tankers, aimed at improving road construction and infrastructure in the region.







Source: Peacefmonline.com









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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.
The Embassy of the Republic of Ghana in Berlin has announced a significant update for individuals who have previously renounced their Ghanaian citizenship.



According to the Embassy, from August 19, 2024, persons who have given up their Ghanaian citizenship can seek reinstatement under Germanys new dual citizenship law, which took effect on June 27, 2024.



The reinstatement form is absolutely free of charge. In case of an affidavit on behalf of an applicant, the declarant must affirm that the applicant is a Ghanaian, the Embassy said in a statement.



It noted that this development presents an opportunity for individuals to reclaim their Ghanaian heritage and citizenship.



To apply, prospective candidates must submit two completed copies of the reinstatement form, two passport-sized photographs, and a renunciation certificate or naturalisation certificate, the statement indicated.



The Embassy noted that alternatively, an affidavit from a living Ghanaian relative may be provided.



It said applications can be delivered to the Embassy in person or by post, and will be forwarded to the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Ghana for consideration.



It is essential to note that applicants can only apply for a passport or dual citizenship certificate after their citizenship has been reinstated, the Embassy pointed out.



The Embassy again emphasised that the reinstatement form is free of charge.



Additionally, specific guidelines have been outlined for affidavits, including the requirement for declarants to affirm the applicants Ghanaian citizenship and attach a copy of their Ghanaian identity document.



The statement asserted that this update offers a chance for individuals to reconnect with their Ghanaian roots and citizenship, and added that for more information, interested individuals could contact the Ghanaian Embassy in Berlin.

Source: Ernest Kofi Adu/Daily Guide









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The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has reassigned Mr Kwasi Asante as the substative director of passports. His appointment takes effect from Monday, 19 August 2024.



The honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has decided that you should be re-assigned to the Passport Office as the Director of Passports with effect from Monday, 19th August, 2024, Mr Asantes reassignment letter read: You are, therefore, requested to take steps to undergo the required handing over process to cnable you assume duty, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integrations letter further directed.



As the substantive director of passports in Ghana, he will be responsible for the overall management and administration of the passport issuance process as well as the overseeing of the processing and issuance of passports to eligible Ghanaian citizens.



He will also be expected to develop and implement policies and procedures for passport issuance, ensure that all passport applications meet the required criteria, and verify the authenticity of documents.



Another important duty of Mr Kwasi Asante will be to work with other government agencies, such as immigration and national security, to ensure effective passport administration as well as to ensure compliance with international passport standards and regulations.



Prior to his new assignment, Mr Kwasi Asante was the Charge Daffaires at Ghanas Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a position he has held from May 2024. At the same Embassy, he has served as the Deputy Ambassador/DPR from June 2021 to August 2024.



Before his posting to Addis Ababa, Kwasi Asante worked at the Passport Office as the director of operations from April 2020 to June 2021. He has also served at the ECOWAS Commission Executive Assistant from June 2018 to April 2020.



His diplomatic career has also taken him to the Embassy of Ghana in Tel Aviv, Isreal, where he worked as Minister-Counsellor/HOC from September 2016 to June 2018. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mr Asante worked as Deputy Director from September 2013 to September 2016.



Between 2009 and 2013, Kwasi Asante held the role of Counsellor/HOC at the Embassy of Ghana in Seoul, Korea and from 2006 to 2009, he worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an assistant director and from 2001 to 2006, he served as an assistant economic officer at the then Ministry of Economic Planning & Regional

Cooperation.





Source: Asaaseradio.com









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An Accra Circuit Court has remanded a self-proclaimed religious leader to police custody for allegedly threatening to kill his wife.



Imam Mohammed Lanson Abubakar, 44, also known as Andre, pleaded not guilty to the offence but was detained by the Court after the prosecution said he jumped an earlier police inquiry bail.



Chief Inspector, Jonas Lawer informed the Court presided over by Isaac Addo that due to that act, the police had been unable to conclude the investigation, and that he may not appear for trial when granted bail.



The Court asked about his whereabouts on March 27, 2024, when a bench warrant for his arrest was issued after he failed to appear in court.



He was, therefore, remanded to assist police in the investigation and to be brought back on September 2, 2024.



According to Police Chief Inspector Laweh, Maimuna Sarki Abubakar, the complainant's wife is a Social Worker and a Nigerian citizen residing in the United Kingdom.



He said that Mr Abubakar [accused] is a self-styled Imam and businessman in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, and the complainant was his estranged wife.



Chief Inspector Lawer stated that the accused met Maimuna on social media, and they started chatting, during which time he presented himself to her as an Imam of a mosque and persuaded her to marry him, to which she accepted, and they married.



Prior to the separation, Maimuna purchased a plot of land in East Trassaco from Abubakar and built a one-story dwelling on it, the Court heard.



The prosecution said Maimuna subsequently furnished the house and returned to the United Kingdom, stating that whenever she visited Ghana to see her husband, she stayed in the property with him.



Chief Inspector Lawer said in 2020, Mr Abubakar persuaded Maimuna to buy and ship 2020 Chevrolet Silverado and 2019 Infinity CPX vehicles to him in Ghana, with the intention of selling the cars and using the proceeds to buy a parcel of land at Adjiringanor for her.



Maimuna then bought the vehicles and shipped them to Mr Abubakar, who used the proceeds to buy four plots of land in Adjiringanor.



Later, the marriage deteriorated, and Mr Abubakar threatened her during one of their disagreements, stating, "I have scammed you; I am taking over your building and all your property here in Ghana including your daughter. If you dare get closer to this property again, I will kill you.



In pleading for bail, Mr Abubakar's counsel said that her client did not jump bail, claiming that he travelled and did not threaten Maimuna as charged.



The Court was told they are seeking a divorce at the Adentan Court.



She said Mr Abubakar is a responsible family person, had a fixed place of abode and would be available to stand trial.

Source: GNA









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Senior Psychologist, Professor Joseph Osafo has urged all political parties in the country to copy one anothers manifesto.



The Professor, speaking during Peace FMs Kokrokoo show, believed the parties replicating each others promises will ensure uniformity in the development of Ghana and avoid the waste that comes with governments abandoned projects.



On Sunday, August 18, the New Patriotic Party launched their manifesto to solicit votes from the Ghanaian electorates in the December elections.



During the manifesto launch, the General Secretary of the party threw shade at the opposition National Democratic Congress saying I will not be surprised that people will be covering our manifesto because they are waiting for us the good ones to start.



He stressed; I am not surprised at all because even in exams, students who dont prepare always want the good ones so that they can copy them.



But to Professor Joseph Osafo, there is nothing wrong with the NDC or any party copying notes from the New Patriotic Party.



To him, for consistency and continuity sake, every party must adopt s anothers good policies.



Let everyone copy because it is for the common good. If you can copy and roll out, theres no need for originality. Because it is not about the copying; it is about rolling it out. So, I will encourage all the parties to copy one another. There is nothing wrong with that; were rather helping the nation, he established.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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This photo taken on Aug. 13, 2024 shows a damaged building in Kursk, Russia. [Photo/Str/Xinhua]

The Ukrainian army has taken control of 92 settlements in western Russia's Kursk region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday.

Ukrainian troops have seized more than 1,250 square kilometers of Russian territory, Zelensky said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

"The Russian border area opposite our Sumy region has been mostly cleared of Russian military presence," Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian army continues its military operation in the designated areas of the Kursk region, he added.

Ukraine started a military operation in the Kursk region on Aug. 6. On Aug. 15, Oleksandr Syrsky, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said that his army had captured 82 settlements in the region.
Kenneth Okonkwo, actor and former spokesperson for the Labour Party, has strongly criticized the Nigerian government following reports that President Bola Tinubu has authorized the purchase of a new presidential jet.



Okonkwo expressed his outrage on social media, describing the decision as "the height of insensitivity" given the dire economic situation facing many Nigerians.





Okonkwo highlighted the numerous challenges currently plaguing the country, including widespread hunger, rising fuel prices, financial instability, and frequent power outages. He condemned the jet purchase as a glaring example of misplaced priorities, arguing that it demonstrates a lack of empathy for the suffering of ordinary citizens.



He wrote;



"People are dying of hunger. No food, no fuel, no finance, no electricity, and President Tinubu is buying a presidential jet. This is the height of insensitivity."



View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kenneth Okonkwo (@iamkennethokonkwo)

Presidency Finally Unveils New Presidential Jet

The Presidency, on Monday, unveiled the new Airbus A330 purchased for President Bola Tinubu.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, released the pictures of the presidential jet via his verified X handle on Monday.



The presidential aide stated that the new jet replaces the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700(BBJ) bought during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.



Onanuga, however, did not reveal the amount spent by the Nigerian government to acquire the new presidential jet.



According to Onanuga, the new jet saved Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly.



He wrote, President Tinubu departed Abuja Monday for Paris, France, using the new Airbus A330, which replaced the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700(BBJ) bought under the Presidency of President Olusegun Obasanjo.



The new plane bought far below the market price saves Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly.



The recommendation to replace the B737-700(BBJ) followed an investigative hearing by Nigerias parliament that questioned the planes safety record and cost efficiency, especially after it malfunctioned during a trip to Saudi Arabia.



The Nigerian Senates security and intelligence committee recommended replacing the ageing aircraft in the presidential fleet to reduce downtime and operational expenses.



The new plane is spacious and is furnished with state-of-the-art avionics, customized interior and communications system.



Meanwhile, Tinubu has departed the Federal Capital Territory for France.



The Airbus A330 business jet conveying the President and some of his key aides lifted off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at 04:08 pm.



Tinubus spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, announced on Sunday that the President will embark on his fourth trip to the European country on Monday, August 19, departing from Abuja, the nations capital.

punchng.com









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The running mate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Prof. Jane Naana Opoku- Agyemang, has questioned the integrity of the ruling New Patriotic Party's manifesto plan for women, describing it as an attempt to deceive women.



Because we have introduced our plan to establish a Women's Development Bank to provide microfinance support for women, they also say they will set up a fund for women," she said, referring to the NPP's manifesto promise to set up a women's empowerment bank.



"Ask them what prevents them from doing what they are saying they will do for women when they come to power? "Have they not been in government all this while? They should do it now if they can truly do it," she told market women at the Mallam Market in Accra on Monday as part of her campaign tour of markets in the capital.



According to Prof Opoku-Agyemang, the NPP and its flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Buwumia "do not even understand what they are talking about." They are in power but they say they will do this and that when they come to power. They are surely confused, she said, triggering laughter and cheers from the traders.



She urged the market women, and women in general, to demonstrate to the ruling party that they are discerning and can determine which party is sincere and has the experience and track to implement its manifesto promises.



According to the NDC running mate, the proposed Women's Development Bank is a well- thought out initiative which is tied to the operation of the NDCs 24-Hour Economy policy to improve the lot of women, especially those operating small scale enterprises.



The NDC is a listening party and will roll out well-crafted policies to address the needs of the citizenry. The NDC and John Mahama represents the hope that Ghanaians are yearning for, she said, stressing that "development is our goal."



Prof. Opoku-Agyemang promised an all-inclusive development for all Ghanaians without discrimination in the allocation of development resources, and assured the people of quality national development.



In addition, she expressed the NDCs commitment towards job creation for the youth, assuring that the provision of development opportunities for the youth would remain central to governance under the NDC.



From the Mallam market, Prof Opoku-Agyemang visited the Odorkor, Lapaz, Achimota and Dome markets - all in Accra - where she promised a facelift of the markets to provide comfort and conducive atmosphere for traders and patrons of the markets.



According to her, the NDC has the best track record of providing market infrastructure projects across the country, saying we deliver when we promise.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Director of Communications for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah has expressed confidence in the bold manifesto of launched on Sunday, August 18, 2024 at the hall of Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS).



Richard Ahiagbah, in his view posits that the phrase Bawumia means business is not rhetoric. According to him, the phrase is substantiated by Dr. Bawumias significant contributions to public service.



Posting on his official X, formerly known as twitter page, the Communications director of the NPP, Richard Ahiagbah wrote, I earnestly recommend Dr. Bawumia to middle-class Ghanaians, professionals, and the business communitythose whose voting decisions go beyond partisan politics.



He further stated that, Dr. Bawumia, the flagbearer of the NPP, has the capacity to improve healthcare for all.



Furthermore, I recommend Dr. Bawumia to the broader Ghanaian electorate for his commitment to improving healthcare for all. Based on my personal experiences with our healthcare system, I believe that the vision articulated in his 2024 manifesto will lead to enhanced healthcare outcomes for every Ghanaian.





Read Full Post Below:



The phrase Bawumia means business is not rhetoric; it is substantiated by his significant contributions to public service thus far. I earnestly recommend Dr. Bawumia to middle-class Ghanaians, professionals, and the business communitythose whose voting decisions go beyond partisan politics.



Furthermore, I recommend Dr. Bawumia to the broader Ghanaian electorate for his commitment to improving healthcare for all. Based on my personal experiences with our healthcare system, I believe that the vision articulated in his 2024 manifesto will lead to enhanced healthcare outcomes for every Ghanaian. Consider the following initiatives:



1. Completing the Agenda 111 hospitals to ensure that every district has a hospital;



2. Recruiting additional doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals with improved conditions of service;



3. Finalizing the digitization of public healthcare institutions under the E-health project;



4. Expanding telehealth services;



5. Establishing two additional medical drone delivery sites at Funsi and Kintampo to broaden drone coverage;



6. Ensuring the interoperability of the National Electronic Pharmacy Platform (NEPP) with both public and private healthcare facilities;



7. Providing incentives for healthcare workers to purchase a vehicle with an engine capacity of up to 1,800cc and



8. Enforcing compliance with the existing deprived area incentive package for health workers.







I am confident that increasing the number of hospitals and equipping them adequately will directly improve healthcare outcomes for Ghanaians across all districts, thereby alleviating the pressure on tertiary hospitals such as Komfo Anokye. Central to Dr. Bawumias vision is the recruitment and motivation of health sector workers, as highlighted in points 7 and 8 above. This approach will help stem the exodus of healthcare workers, increase staff capacity, and inevitably lead to higher quality care and better outcomes for all Ghanaians.







Given these considerations, I urge all health sector workers to vote for Dr. Bawumia in the upcoming election on December 7, 2024.







Health is wealth, and Dr. Bawumia is committed to prioritizing the health of Ghanaians.







Vote Bawumia for quality, accessible, and improved healthcare outcomes for you and your family.







A vote for Bawumia is a vote for your health.

Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Imagine the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) sharing the same venue for major political activities like campaigns. That would surely be cataclysmic.



That scenario has not happened yet, at least in the 2024 electioneering period, but something close to it has.



NPP launches 2024 manifesto:



On Sunday, August 18, 2024, the NPP gathered its creme de la creme at the Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS) at Takoradi to launch its 2024 manifesto.



From President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to his vice cum flagbearer of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to the 2024 running mate of the NPP, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the party gathered to celebrate its achievements and to give Ghanaians another reason to consider them for another four-year tenure in the highest office of the land.



Climaxing the launch of the 2024 NPP manifesto, President Akufo-Addo, who is desirous that his vice president will not only remain his successor as the leader of the party, but that he will also rise to the presidency, said one profound thing:



Im in the best place to give the testimony and appeal to Ghanaians to give the stewardship of this country in the next 8 years to Dr Bawumia and his running mate NAPO. Dr Bawumia and I met 16 years ago. And I can say that there has not been one day that I have regretted joining my life to his, either in opposition or in power.



He has been a model of honesty, hes a man who lives and breathes Ghana. I can say he will deliver on each of the commitments. I have never had any problem with my Vice President. I have gone to bed every night securing my knowledge that my vice president stands firmly and solidly behind me. He has been the model or picture of loyalty itself.



This is a man who has respect for the people of Ghana. This is not the man who will tell Ghanaian people that you have short memories. Hes not that type of man, hes a man who has respect for the people of Ghana, this is not a man when his policies failed and he will say that hes not a magician, that is not the language of Bawumia.



We have a man who is respectful and will work days and nights to ensure that our country continues on an upward trajectory, he said.



In summarising his presentation of the highlights of the manifesto, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said he means business and that what he was offering Ghanaians are bold solutions.



NDC to launch 2024 manifesto on August 24:



The National Democratic Congress (NDC) also believes that it has the needed solutions for Ghanas next phase and progress.



Among a number of things that the party has been touting, is what its flagbearer and former president, John Dramani Mahama, is calling the 24-hour economy.



Also, he has stated that he will make jobs creation a central aspect of his campaign and the manifesto of the NDC.



These and other ideas are expected to be outlined when the largest opposition party gathers at the at the Jophus Anamuah-Mensah Auditorium at the University of Education, Winneba, in the Central Region, on Saturday, August 24, 2024.



Key figures within the party, including members of the National Executive Committee, the Council of Elders, sitting Members of Parliament, parliamentary candidates, and other prominent guests representing the diplomatic community, religious leaders, traditional authorities, civil society organizations, academics, labour groups, and the creative arts sector are expected to be in attendance.



Former President John Dramani Mahama, the partys flagbearer, will be the Special Guest of the occasion at the event.



The Communications Officer of the party, Sammy Gyamfi, in a statement, said, Various speakers will address the nation on thematic areas of the NDCs transformational vision for resetting and building the Ghana we want.



The general public and media are cordially invited and must be seated by 11 am prompt. All media houses who intend to deploy reporters to cover the event are entreated to contact the National Communications Bureau of the NDC for necessary accreditation.



But thats as much as people know of what to expect from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as it launches its manifesto for the 2024 general elections, as well as the few others that have shared in the media.



Surely, these two major events (although one is yet to happen) make this week, arguably the busiest in the electioneering season of Ghana.



Below are some visuals from the NPPs launch of their manifesto at Takoradi in the Western Region:





Source: ghanaweb.com









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General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Frimpong Koduah, says Ghanaians should not be too surprised if the National Democratic Congress (NDC) passes off more than half of the contents of the NPP's 2024 Manifesto as their own.



In an exclusive interview with Peace FMs Kwami Sefa Kayi on Tuesdays edition of the Kokrokoo morning show, Lawyer Koduah asserted that the NDC has stalled the launch of their manifesto just so they could copy directly from the ideas and policies of the ruling party.



I know what Im talking about. NDCs manifesto, is a complete duplication of what we have captured in our manifesto which Dr. Bawumia presented to Ghanaians on Sunday, August 18, he claimed.



Giving reasons for his position, Mr. Kodua stated that, despite the largest opposition party nominating its flag bearer in May 2023, and the NPP electing theirs in November, six months interval, the NDC failed to proffer any policy.



Rather, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, few months after his unveiling, was quick to outline a number of great initiatives he envisions for the country at the BOLD SOLUTIONS event in February 2024, at the UPSA auditorium, he said.



The NPP General Secretary added that, considering the backlash and criticisms the NPP has been receiving from the opposition, the expectation was that the NDC would have outdoored its manifesto to lessen the burden of Ghanaians way ahead of time but that did not seem to be the case because, the NDC, according to Justin Kodua, have nothing to offer.



If [PA1] a government you have been criticising has been able to announce its manifesto date and launch it, then it is obvious that you are earnestly waiting to copy their working document. The truth is that, if the NDC truthfully had their manifesto, they would have released it long ago, Mr. Kodua told the host, Kwami Sefa Kayi.



Dont be surprised if the NDC displays 70% of the content of the NPPs manifesto, he concluded.



Busiest Week In The 2024 Electioneering Period



The NPP officially launched its 2024 manifesto at GSTS in Takoradi over the weekend, where the party's flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia emphasised on addressing issues such as economic instability, unemployment, and infrastructure deficits, which continue to affect the daily lives of many citizens.



Dr. Bawumia highlighted several key initiatives that his administration has already implemented, such as digitising public services and introducing pro-poor policies like the Free Senior High School program, and also hinted at new policies aimed at boosting job creation and expanding access to affordable healthcare.



Meanwhile, the NDC is set to launch their 2024 manifesto at the Professor Jophus Anamuah-Mensah conference centre at the University of Education, Winneba on the 24th of August 2024.



The launch is expected to receive speeches form the rank and file of the NDC.









Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Hajia Samira Bawumia, the Second Lady of Ghana, has made a passionate appeal to Ghanaians to vote massively for her husband, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), in the upcoming 2024 general elections.



With unwavering confidence in his leadership abilities, she assured the nation that Dr. Bawumias presidency would bring about significant improvements.



Addressing a gathering of NPP supporters at Effiakuma Zongo, also known as VIP, in Takoradi, on Saturday, August 17, ahead of the partys Manifesto Launch, she declared, Ghana's future will be better if Dr Mahamudu Bawumia becomes president.



She also highlighted the numerous social interventions initiated by the Akufo-Addo government, expressing her optimism that these projects would continue to thrive under Dr Bawumias leadership.



The Second Lady, who was born and raised in a Zongo, shared her personal story of how education transformed her life, emphasising the impact of the governments free educational policy.



I was born and nurtured in the Zongo, and if it hadn't been for education, I wouldn't be where I am today, she said.



As part of her outreach, she also paid a courtesy visit to Muslim leaders at the Mosque in Pipe Ano, a suburb of Takoradi.



The NPP will launch its Manifesto on Sunday, August 18.

















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The running mate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Prof. Jane Naana Opoku- Agyemang, has urged Ghanaians to base their voting decisions on the state of the economy and how it has impacted their lives and businesses.



She has therefore invited those who usually vote for the ruling party to be sincere about the abysmal performance of the government, and vote for change.



A political party is not like a family which bonds you by blood. You are free to change party and vote for a party that can truly improve your livelihood and develop the nation, she explained.



Addressing a mammoth durbar of traders at the Odorkor market in Accra on Monday as part of her campaign tour of markets in the Greater Accra region, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang noted that it was important that Ghanaians derived value from voting.



According to her, the main reason and value for voting is to achieve national development in all sector. Therefore, any political party in government that does not produce the desired development does not deserve to be in government.



She encouraged the citizens to make the right decision by voting for the NDC to guarantee the safety and progress of the county.



The government will come with sweet promises, gifts and money to buy your votes. Take the money because it is your money, but vote against them, she advised.



Prof. Opoku-Agyemang noted that it is time for Ghanaians to unite against poverty, underdevelopment and deceit, giving the assurance that former President John Mahama is a trustworthy leader who has the experience to navigate the country out of the hardship created by the mismanagement of the NPP government.



She said all attempts by the NPP government to discredit the NDC flagbearer have failed, saying it is now clear to Ghanaians who the corrupt and incompetent people are.



We shall continue to be truthful to Ghanaians, she said, indicating that the mission of the NDC is to use its experience to get the country back on the track of progress.We have done it before, so when we say we shall do this and that, we know what we are talking about because we know how to do it better for the benefit of all Ghanaians, she said.



Prof. Opoku-Agyemang called for the support of all, especially traders to be able to return the NDC to power, reset the country and build the Ghana we want together.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Whitewashed buildings on the Greek island of Folegandros help deflect the heat rather than absorbing it. Credit: Etienne O. Dallaire via Wikimedia, CC BY

As intense heat breaks records around the world, a little-reported fact offers some hope for cooling down cities: Under even the most intense periods of extreme heat, some city blocks never experience heat wave temperatures.

How is this possible?

Civilizations have recognized the power of cities to heat themselves up and cool themselves for centuries. City architects in ancient Rome called for narrowing streets to lessen late afternoon temperatures. Narrow streets were found to cool the air by limiting the area exposed to direct sunlight.

The whitewashed architecture of the Greek Isles demonstrates another long-practiced strategy. Light-colored walls and roofs can help cool cities by reflecting incoming sunlight.

In hot and humid regions of the southern U.S., Thomas Jefferson proposed another approach to cooling: Have all new settlements employ a checkerboard pattern of heavily vegetated city blocks interspersed among dense construction. That could promote cooling through convective air movement between cool and warm zones.

As I explore in my recent book, "Radical Adaptation: Transforming Cities for a Climate Changed World," modern cities unintentionally elevate their own temperatures, creating what is known as the "urban heat island effect."

How cities heat themselves up

Cities elevate their temperature in four key ways:

Four drivers of the urban heat island effect. Credit: Brian Stone, Adapted from: Dey et al. 2024, CC BY-ND

In combination, these four drivers of the urban heat island effect can raise urban temperatures by 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit (5.6 to 11 degrees Celsius) on a hot summer afternoona significant, human-driven shift in the weather that can become a serious health risk for anyone lacking air conditioning.

Coupled with the design of the built environment, the natural topography of a city can further accentuate temperature differences from one neighborhood to another. The hills and fog patterns of San Francisco, for example, consistently partition the city's neighborhoods into distinct climate zones. And the extensive use of yard irrigation systems in hot and arid climates can yield urban temperatures lower than the surrounding desert, sometimes referred to as urban cool islands.

Simple steps for cooling cities down

Understanding the extent to which cities can heat themselves up offers powerful tools for cooling them down as human-driven global warming raises the baseline temperature.

First, it is essential that cities sharply reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to stop fueling the global-scale phenomenon of climate change. Globally, urban areas, with their industries, vehicles and buildings, account for more than 70% of greenhouse gas emissions from energy use, and their populations are growing quickly. Even globally coordinated reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will require many decades to measurably slow warming trends, so cities will still need to adapt.

Cities can also slow the pace of urban heat island-driven warming trends by taking sometimes simple steps. Research shows that the health benefits of urban heat island reduction could be substantial.

Summer temperatures in Atlanta present day, left, and what computer models show they would be with tree canopy increased to 50% of all plantable space, right. Credit: Urban Climate Lab, 2024, CC BY

At the Georgia Tech Urban Climate Lab, my colleagues and I partner with city governments to estimate the cooling potential of urban heat managementsets of strategies designed to reverse the urban heat island effect. To do this, we measure the direct health benefits of actions such as expanding tree cover and other green infrastructure and using cool materials for roads and roofs.

Our work shows that planting trees across just half of the space available to support tree canopysuch as along streets, within parking lots and in residential yardscould lower summer afternoon temperatures by 510F (2.85.6C), reducing heat-related deaths by 40%50% in some neighborhoods.

In recognition of these substantial benefits, New York City set and met a goal of planting 1 million trees across its five boroughs.

Cool roofing materials and light-colored surfaces can also help lower the temperature. If you wear a black shirt in the sun on a hot day, you'll heat up more than if you wear a white shirt. Similarly, light-colored construction materials, roof coatings and shingles will reflect more incoming solar heat than dark ones, and absorb less of that heat. It's particularly effective in the heat of the day when the sun's radiation is strongest.

To leverage this cooling effect, Los Angeles in 2013 became the first major city to require cool roofs on all new homes.

What cities can do now

Aggressive strategies to increase green tree cover across cities, a rapid transition to cool roofing materials, and even replacing some on-street parking lanes and other underutilized impervious areas with bioswales filled with vegetation, can substantially reduce urban temperatures. In so doing, that can increase a city's resilience to rising temperatures.

Urban heat risk assessments we conducted in numerous U.S. cities, including Atlanta; Dallas; Louisville, Kentucky; and San Francisco, show that a combination of urban heat management strategies could lower neighborhood temperatures by more than 10F (5.6C) on hot days and reduce heat-related premature deaths by 20%60%.

A cooler city is a safer city, and one very much within communities' power to create.

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:

The supermoon appears behind the statue on Place de la Republique, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Paris. Credit: AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard

Monday's supermoon is the first of four this year.

During a supermoon, the full moon inches a little closer than usual to Earth. A supermoon isn't bigger, but it can appear that way in the night sky, although scientists say the difference can be barely perceptible.

September's supermoon will coincide with a partial lunar eclipse. October's will be the year's closest approach, and November's will round out the year.

More a popular term than a scientific one, a supermoon occurs when a full lunar phase syncs up with an especially close swing around Earth. This usually happens only three or four times a year and consecutively, given the moon's constantly shifting, oval-shaped orbit.

The supermoon rises behind the historical site of Giza Pyramids, near Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Amr Nabil

The super moon rises behind the Dome of the Rock shrine at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Leo Correa

A cable car heads toward Sugarloaf Mountain as the supermoon rises into the night sky in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Aug 19, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Bruna Prado

The sun sets as Shiite pilgrims march on their way to Karbala for Arbaeen in Babil, Iraq, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Hadi Mizban

Residents watch the supermoon rise over the "Memorial JK," a monument in honor of the founder of Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Eraldo Peres

The super moon rises behind the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounio, south of Athens, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Michael Varaklas

The supermoon rises from behind a resident building in Berlin, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

A supermoon rises behind the Burj Khalifa, world's tallest tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Altaf Qadri

A blue supermoon rises over the Crescent City Connection bridge in New Orleans, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Credit: David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP

A nearly full supermoon rises in the sky after rain in Beijing, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong

The super moon rises in the clouds over St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky

 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Barcelona residents marched against tourists in July after similar protests in Venice earlier in 2024. Recently, residents of Santorini in Greece were in uproar after a Facebook post reportedly asked them to stay home and make room for the thousands of tourists expected to arrive during the peak holiday season.

These are symptoms of overtourism: a situation where visits exceed a destination's capacity, making residents angry and tourists miserable. Local governments have proposed tourism levies or entry fees to make visits more expensive and thereby limit how many people show up. Some tourism researchers have encouraged people to holiday in rural areas or poorer countries instead, to give a boost to their economies.

However, overtourism exists in the developing world too. Here's what it looks like.

Travel on a tourist-swamped island

Bali is a major tourist destination in the Indonesian archipelago that accounts for nearly half of international arrivals in the country. Air travel is the most reliable way to get there, although a big source of carbon emissions, which inflame a climate crisis that is expected to disproportionately harm poorer countries like Indonesia. Roughly 15 million visitors arrived in 2023close to their level in 2019, before the pandemic.

Bali's tourism-dependent economy (providing 61% of regional GDP in 2019) was more or less frozen by COVID-19. Yet, for tourists who spent lockdown in cities, the pandemic also left Bali, and particularly the island's rural parts, with a renewed luster. Penglipuran, a traditional Balinese village in the central highlands, was attracting thousands of visitors every day in July.

Encouraging people to visit poorer areas can disadvantage residents, but in a different way to how people in Venice or Barcelona experience it. After all, roads and public transport in richer European cities are better maintained.

The steady rise in tourists mean the roads in Bali get busier every year. There is a roughly one-to-one ratio of vehicles to people on the island, while public transport use remains low. Congestion prevented travelers entering and leaving Bali's airport for six hours ahead of New Year's Eve 2023.

In rural Bali, the hilly terrain, tropical weather and poorer public transport mean residents must rely on cars and motorbikes. The resulting noise and pollution degrades the rural experience. Converting these vehicles to run on electricity would not solve the problem entirely if most power in Bali remains fossil-sourced. Nor would it cut road congestion.

Tourists want to visit lots of places in rural Bali with a reliable source of transport. The limited options have prompted many to rent cars or motorbikes, but weak traffic enforcement has allowed misbehavior: tourists driving without shirts or helmetsor even licenses. The regional government temporarily banned motorbike rentals for foreigners in March 2023.

Despite chaotic traffic on the island, residents have found work transporting tourists informally for decades. That's why efforts to ease congestion and travel chaos, by designing public transport for tour groups or free shuttle bus services, have met with local protests and the ire of vehicle rental businesses.

To travel or not to travel

Unbridled development squanders the mutual benefits that tourism can have for residents and visitors. Likewise, neither residents nor tourists should be prohibited from traveling, but should instead travel responsibly.

A railway transport plan that promises to connect Bali's airport with Seminyak and Nusa Dua, the most popular areas in urban Bali, could help ease road traffic around the city center. Local vehicle rental businesses could continue to operate in rural areas, but restrict their riders to less busy roads.

Poor destinations should be cautious about depending on tourism in the long term. The Balinese government is exploring its options in other sectors at least, such as agriculture and the digital economy.

Poorer destinations such as Bali are less well equipped than richer countries to manage the socioeconomic and environmental costs of overtourism. And ultimately, a swollen tourism sector contains the seeds of its own demise: declining environmental quality, unhappy residents and eventually, fewer tourists.

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